Frontier 02: Rebirthing – Chapter 43: Nii-san
Takuya and Kira: Hi everybody!
Pein: *squirts them with water from squirt bottle*
Takuya: Hey! What was that for?
Kira: Madjack said you could only spray us if we misbehaved!
Pein: You're being too loud.
Takuya and Kira: That's not a—
Zoe: As Takuya and Kira already said, hello readers! This year for Madjack's (belated) birthday, we decided to give her a chapter off, promising we'd handle the commentaries.
Pein: I was put in charge.
Xemnas: *grumbles* Why doesn't she ever put me in charge? I run an organization, too.
JP: I think she likes Pein better.
Sasori: Why do you care, anyway? I thought you hated everyone here.
Xemnas: *glares at them* It's a matter of principle. I could prove to be a better leader than that piercing-obsessed ginger any day.
Sasori: …
Xemnas: What, you think your leader is better?
Sasori: I didn't say anything.
Zoe: Save the argument for later, boys. Now let's take a look at these instructions Madjack gave us. *reads* Okay, she wants us to do something funny before answering reviews. Any ideas?
Xemnas: I could kill one of you.
Pein: *squirts with squirt bottle*
Xemnas: *glares*
Pein: *squirts again*
Xemnas: Hey!
Pein: I don't like you. And I have excellent hearing, for future reference.
Kira: Hm…hey! Remember in episode 32 of Frontier when Velgemon bitch slapped Patamon? That was kind of funny!
Kouichi: Considering I'd been driven into a psychotic rage fueled by unnecessary bitterness toward Kouji for something he hadn't even done.
Everyone: …
JP: …If Chief's done being a buzzkill…
Kouichi: Hey, it's true.
JP: …then maybe we could play a nice wholesome game of let's make fun of Kouji!
Takuya and Kira: Yay!
Kouji: *glares* No abridged references!
Everyone: …
Takuya: …Do you know the muffin man?
Kouji: Okay, I'm leaving.
Zoe: Wait, you can't! We have to finish the commentary!
Kouji: Do it without me.
Pein: *blocks Kouji's exit, holding squirt bottle*
Kouji: …I'm staying.
Takuya and Kira: Hooray for Pein!
Dai: Heh, that sounds masochistic out of context!
Hotaru: Or sadistic.
Shino: *sigh* Maybe we should just answer reviews now?
Zoe: Good idea. Who wants to do it?
Everyone: …
Takuya: …Kouji, thanks for volunteering!
Kouji: What?
Kira: Go pretty boy, go!
*break*
Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967: Urgh, I can't believe I was sucked into this again. Okay, what do we have here? *reads review* Well good for you. Next. (Takuya: You gotta thank them for reviewing! It's polite and junk!) *sigh* Fine, whatever. Thank you for reviewing. (Takuya and Kira: There ya go!) Shut up.
GoldenDragon326: Yeah, the update surprised us too. Madjack's good at procrastinating. Anyway, I think Madjack mentioned that chapter 10 of Holiday is halfway written at this point, but I wasn't really paying attention when she told me. *shrug* So…thanks for reviewing.
Phantomgirl96: *sigh* Yeah. We saw the episode. (JP: *mumbles* Frickin' mushroom dancing makin' me look like a frickin' goofball…) You've always been a goofball, JP. (JP: Oh, I'm sorry, I was too busy getting ample screen time to hear what you said.) *sigh* Thanks for reviewing.
cherrrysakura: Oh goody. It's you. Well, guess what? Sasori used his medical ninjutsu skills to cure my cold. (Sasori: In exchange for use of his lifeless corpse after he dies.) (Xemnas: …You're sick.) (Sasori: Sticks and stones.) (Kouichi: I'd say a few complaints about screen time on my part are more or less justified.) Very true. Oh yeah, I almost forgot how Madjack let you borrow Shino's soul for your story. Poor sucker. (Shino: *sigh* It's not that bad…) Anyway, for Madjack, I'm obligated to say thank you for reviewing. And we all know Kira's a Yankee. (Kira: Pretty boy!)
hazeleyedharmony: This reviewer, on the other hand, I can stand for more than two seconds. (Takuya: Kinda rare for you to like an author, Kouji.) *shrug* She mostly picks on Kouichi. Granted, her idea of picking on him usually involves some form of physical injury or mental anguish, but you have to pick your poison sometimes. (Takuya: *confused by Kouji's logic, so just moves on* Yeah, this whole arc is turning into one big emotional roller coaster. I gotta admit, I kinda liked it better when Madjack was just picking on the twins.) *glares* Well, thank you for the review, hazel, and for the congratulations. (Takuya: Four years and still going strong, baby!) *rolls eyes*
silver fire wolf: *sigh* If you have questions, take them to Madjack. I'm too annoyed to be helpful right now. (Takuya: And?) *grits teeth* Thanks…for…reviewing.
Taeniaea: To some, I suppose it is. Thanks.
garnettfox: Y-y-y-yes, an update! (Kira: Quit being such an asshole, pretty boy!) Yeah, whatever. Madjack has told us repeatedly that, no matter how long it takes her to update, she will not abandon this story. She's dedicated, if nothing else, so I guess you can take her word for it. (Dragramon: Hey there, lord and master of my fate!) Oi. (Dragramon: Madjack said she's ironing out some details for my origin story, but she's still working on it.) (Witchmon: It's gonna be sweet!) (Dragramon: Heck yeah it will be!) Either tone it down or go away! (Dragramon and Witchmon: *roll eyes at Kouji and leave*) Finally. Well, thanks for reviewing. And I really don't want a hug. No offense.
Aldamonburst: Well, good for you. (Takuya: I went to a summer camp once. It was a little disappointing since I thought something cool would happen like in season one, but all I got out of it was a braided ankle bracelet. *sigh* No giant unexplainable tsunami waves for me…) Yes, truly you were denied an amazing digital adventure as a child. (Takuya: Oh, shut up, Kouji!) Thank you for reviewing, Burst.
TobiGB: Darn, GB's not here. Darn, darn, darn. Oh well, at least Deadpool isn't going anywhere. (Kira: Your sarcasm is practically tangible, pretty boy.) (JP: Hey there, Roger! How have you been?) (Takuya: Aw, look at JP with his hero worship!) (JP: *embarrassed* Shut it, Taki!) (Zoe: *sigh* I'd better put this card in a safe place.) Roger, thank you for reviewing the story in a civilized manner. Deadpool, get some counseling. (Kira: You know he'd just kill the counselor.) *sigh* Yeah. I know.
fg1fg: Four years. So many headaches. (Takuya: Oh, there were good times too. Like when we switched bodies. That was fun!) …You really do need sense punched into you. (Takuya: *glares* Jerk face…) (JP: I am awesome, aren't I?) In your own mind. (JP: Like you're one to talk.) True. Well, thank you for reviewing.
Shadowfox94: So glad our pain and anguish can make your day. (Takuya: We're anime characters, Kouji. That's kind of our job.) Point taken. Hm, I wonder that, too. Why single out Hotaru…? *shrugs* I guess we'll find out. (Wizardmon: *embarrassed, mumbles under breath*) Well, thank you for reviewing.
13wolfsbane: *long-winded sigh* Okay, let's get this over with. *reads* Kouichi. (Kouichi: Not a stalker.) Thank you. Yeah, Ilsemon's insane. We got that. I doubt Hotaru's going to die. Well, that covers that. Thanks for reviewing. (Kira: Nice job keepin' it civilized, pretty boy!) It wasn't easy.
Zanzibar1: He's doing what he always does; being a bastard. (Takuya: You really don't like Duskmon, huh?) Do you? (Takuya: Hm, good point.) Thank you for the review.
Asarikou-chan: …From those first two words, you have managed to annoy me. Congratulations. (Zoe: Seriously, Kouji, could you try to be a little nicer?) *sigh* Fine. I suppose from your perspective, the chapter would have been interesting. From my perspective, I found out that not only were my actions an unintentionally direct cause of my only friend's death, my mere existence got her killed as well. So yeah, not fun. (Zoe: …Um, maybe you should go back to what you were doing before…) Yes, let's remind the "black-heart monster" to finish me off after he's done with Hotaru. *rolls eyes* Thanks for reviewing…I guess.
*break*
Kouji: There, I'm done. Now what?
Zoe: *shrugs* I guess we can start the chapter.
Tommy: I can do that! Okay guys, we hope you like the chapter! Madjack seemed excited about it, so it should be pretty interesting.
JP: Ah, naivety…
—
I wake up, but I can't tell if it's day or night. I can never tell in this place where the sun doesn't shine. Not that the time really matters to me. For the moment, I have nothing to do, nowhere to be. My one goal is to wait. Be patient, and everything will be okay again.
"Today is the day." She had told me that earlier. "Wait a bit longer, and you'll have what you desire."
What I desire. Sometimes I don't even know what that is. The thoughts will flicker in and out of my consciousness, leaving me confused as to why I'm even here. But his face always reminds me of my goal.
So come. Come see what the pesky brother you left behind can really do…Nii-san.
—
"Okay, let's do this!" Takuya watched from behind a tree as the "Legendary Kiddies Rescue Squad" (so named by Witchmon and Dragramon) took off through the forest, with Wizardmon in the lead. Gotsumon followed not far behind, his eyes trained on the wizard Digimon's back. He was giving Wizardmon a second chance, but that was mostly for Witchmon's benefit; he still didn't fully trust her brother. The rest of the squad was spaced out behind these two, comprised of Witchmon, Dragramon, a Terriermon, a Gazimon, an Elecmon, and, of course, Tommy.
Takuya itched to join them, and could barely contain himself long enough to let them get a good head start. If he followed them too closely and was spotted, they'd send him back to the tunnels for sure. But they couldn't expect him to just sit and wait for their return, could they? He was the leader of the Legendary Warriors, and the others were his responsibility. Like always, he had gotten them into this mess. Now he had to get them out.
Once he'd completely lost sight of the rescue squad within the trees, Takuya stepped out from his cover, squeezing his D-Tector tightly in his grip. It was a relief to have his device back in his hands, unbroken and fully functional…well, probably functional. He could still hear that crunching sound in his head, feel the breaks and fissures running across his D-Tector's surface. For an instant afterward, something deep inside him had gone cold, because he'd realized the full extent of Ilsemon's actions; without his D-Tector, he wouldn't be able to Spirit Evolve, perhaps not ever again. Despite this, Agunimon had stayed with him, not that his presence had made much of a difference. Through and through, Takuya always managed to be an idiot, and both he and his Spirit knew it.
Takuya ran his thumb around the surface of each of the D-Tector's buttons, suddenly hesitant to start the evolution process. It wasn't the brief, painful conversion of his data that bothered him, nor was he worried about his existing injuries. It didn't even concern him that he hadn't yet tested an evolution to make sure there was nothing wrong with his device. He just felt so…confused. As he gazed at his device's static-filled screen, Agunimon's words repeated themselves in his mind, playing over and over.
"You are human!"
The red and black device fell from Takuya's grip as the memory washed over him. Panicked, he instantly retrieved his D-Tector from the ground, checking for dings or scrapes. His device, thankfully, was unharmed. He could continue to be weak, hiding behind Agunimon's persona to make himself feel important. "Even though I'm…human."
Human. That word had become an insult. Oh, who was he kidding? How did he expect to save his friends in his current state? Thanks to his own human fragility, he hadn't fully recovered from the fight with Ilsemon, even though five days had passed. He couldn't even remember how he'd gotten half the scrapes and bruises covering his body, and he definitely didn't know how he'd managed to burn only his arm in what Tommy had described as "a big, flaming tornado." The only injury he did remember receiving was this…thing on his stomach, and what he did recall wasn't much.
It was like a bullet had slammed into his chest. Takuya had never technically been shot before, but that was the only way he could think to describe it. After that initial blow, pain had burst through his body like a water balloon popping, covering him in soaking wet agony. Then…nothing. When he'd woken up, bits and snatches of conversation had come back to him, most involving Kira's desperate pleas. And, of course, his talk with Agunimon. Human…
"Damn it…" Takuya clutched his stomach. That wound was acting up again, the one that looked to him like a black spider web stretching across his abdomen. According to Tommy, it had been worse before, like it was growing, trying to cover Takuya's body completely. Masumon had gotten to work on it right away, and after her treatment, it had receded. Now it just stayed within the vicinity of his stomach, and Takuya could ignore it for the most part. At times, though, it acted up, filling him with agony that was only a faint shadow of Duskmon's original attack, but which hurt nonetheless.
Takuya raised his D-Tector shakily, trying to keep his hands still as his data rose slowly from his palm. This seemed to agitate the wound further, and the pain redoubled upon itself. Clenching his teeth, Takuya fought against the agony and prepared for the familiar conversion of his data. "Spirit…Evol—"
"Takuya." Feeling her gentle touch on his shoulder, Takuya let his arms fall to his sides. It was too late. He'd been caught.
"Turn around, please," Masumon ordered in her sweet, lilting voice. Kouji had mentioned she was a hell of a singer. He should request a song in exchange for coming back quietly. Obeying her request, Takuya turned to face the human-turned-Digimon, a look of indignation on his face. Masumon ignored this look and got straight to work, pressing her glowing palms against his stinging stomach. Instantly, the pain was soothed. Takuya shivered, though he felt strangely guilty for enjoying this healing sensation. Probably because he felt he was betraying Kouji somehow. Her touch was so gentle that he couldn't help liking it, even if Masumon was Kouji's…well, it was hard to say exactly what they were. But Kouji wasn't even there to scold him about it…
"Are you alright, Takuya?"
"You idiot." Why had he done this? "Stupid…" Now they were all captured by the enemy. "Freakin'…" They were being tortured, he knew they were. "Idiot!"
"Why do you think you're here, Takuya?"
"Kouji cares too much." Takuya was surprised. Staring into Masumon's gentle eyes, his fists slowly began to unclench. She'd tended to his wound, and for the moment it wasn't bothering him. All that was left now was for Masumon to herd him back to his "playpen" to be watched over like a child. Masumon wasn't giving him the same patronizing look as the others, though. Instead, her expression was filled with understanding.
Takuya cocked his head to the side. "How'd you know who I was talking about?"
Masumon shuffled a bit under Takuya's curious gaze, as if she were afraid to answer. "You're frustrated with him, because he couldn't leave you in order to save the others. But…that's how Kouji is. He may sometimes get himself into trouble, but he can't leave someone behind when they need him. It bothers him that he can't adopt a code of apathy; to him, every friendship he makes is fragile, like a ticking time bomb. When it blows and the smoke finally clears, he'll just be left alone again. That's why he cherishes his friendship with each of you so fiercely. He just…he doesn't want you to go away. Being alone scares him more than anything. So…that's why he…"
Takuya stared at his winged companion, trying to stifle the shock he felt. How could she know so much about Kouji in only the short time they'd spent together? Oh, that's right. Masumon and Seiko were one and the same person now. Deep down, she was still the courageous girl who had given everything she had for Kouji. Her resolve was admirable, Takuya thought, and he wondered briefly if Kira would do the same for him if she were put in Seiko's position. To his dismay, he realized she would. She would hurt me to save me…just like Kouji hurt me and Tommy…to save us.
The anger melted inside Takuya, leaving nothing but hollow resignation. How could he risk what Kouji had so valiantly tried to save? He had to stay in the tunnels for now, where it was safe. Tommy and the others would rescue his friends, and he'd be right here waiting for them…no, he couldn't do that! Had he seriously just considered waiting on the sidelines? That was Bokomon and Neemon's job! (Bokomon: Hey!) (Neemon: *shrug*)
"Masumon," Takuya said, resolve burning like a flame in his chest. "I know you think I'm not ready to be out and about with these injuries, but I need you to understand, I have to save them. This isn't just some petulant wish to pick fights with nasty Digimon, I HAVE to save my friends. Don't you realize that I got them into this? If I hadn't gone so crazy, maybe we could've escaped, tried again later."
"Not from what I heard," Masumon replied, her expression contemplative now. "In fact, you could have covered their escape, if they'd been willing to leave you—"
"No." Takuya cut her off, remembering what Agunimon had said, about almost killing the others. "Whatever I did, it wasn't good. I could've…they all would have…"
"I know," Masumon stated, her eyes softening with pity. "I understand what happened to you, probably better than anyone else can. Aside from Agunimon, of course."
Confusion widened Takuya's eyes. "What do you mean?"
Again Masumon lowered her gaze, almost as if she were violating some rule by talking about this. "I…can't give you any of the specifics. It's nothing personal, but Agunimon…he probably wouldn't want me to tell you."
"Why wouldn't he…?" Takuya glanced at his D-Tector. The screen was still frozen in the void of white noise. Either Agunimon wasn't paying attention to their conversation or was ignoring them entirely. Did that confirm what Masumon had just said? Was Agunimon keeping secrets from him? More importantly, why would it be necessary?
"I'll say this," Masumon muttered, glancing nervously over her shoulder. Once she'd deemed the area safe, Takuya strained to hear her whispered statement. "You children aren't the only ones with skeletons in your closets." Glancing at his D-Tector, she added, "Your Spirits may be legendary heroes, but they are far from perfect."
Takuya didn't know how to react. Somehow, he wasn't surprised by what Masumon had said. In fact, he realized, he'd always been kept in the dark as far as his partner's past was concerned. He only knew the one story about the Legendary Warriors; they rose up and imprisoned Lucemon, then became spirits, forever charged with protecting their world from any threat that may arise. All this was old news, but Takuya wondered if there could be more to this legend than met the eye. Suddenly, the black and white flecks moving across his D-Tector's screen seemed less like a "Do Not Disturb" sign and more like a warning. "Keep Out."
Before he could ponder this any further, Masumon said, "I think you're right, you know. You should be allowed to go with the others."
This shocked Takuya more than anything else Masumon had said. "But…you're the one who…for real?"
Takuya's nonsensical babbling seemed to amuse Masumon, since she giggled before replying, "I didn't want you to at first, but you're right. It isn't fair to leave you out of the action, and you're rate of recovery has risen drastically since you woke up yesterday. Still, there's the issue of THAT wound…"
"I'll be fine!" Takuya said this a little too hastily, but he couldn't calm his excitement enough to quiet his voice. "I'll be careful, I won't fight anyone unless it's absolutely necessary, I'll—"
Masumon pressed a finger to Takuya's lips, promptly shutting him up. "You'll have to go now if you want to catch up to the others." Then, without warning, she wrapped her arms around the boy, pouring all her hopes for his safe return into this one gesture. It was a quick hug, and Takuya was only in her arms for a second or so before he was being shoved gently in the direction of the RMS. "Go."
Taking a moment to stifle the surprise burning red across his cheeks, Takuya turned, waving a hand in Masumon's general direction as he prepared to take off. "We'll be back before you know it. Then you can smack Kouji for worrying you so much."
"What?" Takuya chuckled as he tore through the trees, just able to picture the blush spreading across Masumon's face. Now we're even.
Takuya had guessed right; Masumon was blushing. What he hadn't anticipated was the expression of horror on her face as she stared after him. "He knows." She couldn't deny that. Somehow, Takuya had found out about her obsession…no, there was no "somehow" about it. Her feelings were so glaringly obvious that even Takuya had been able to figure it out. (Takuya: -_-) Now they would all find out, even Kouji…
No, Takuya would never be that cruel. He'd tease her, maybe, but he wouldn't divulge her secret, not if she didn't give him permission to do so. And she never would give him permission. Kouji could not know about her feelings; it would only hurt them both. She was a Digimon, and he was a human. That line couldn't be crossed, not ever. She'd even restrained herself from using her dream-walking powers to communicate with the captured Warriors. There was too much risk involved. She didn't have much control over her destination once she was asleep, and she could easily end up in his subconscious…
Suddenly, a small gleam of reflected light caught Masumon's attention, mostly because nothing native to the Dark Continent gleamed. Looking down, she noticed a small red object lying in the dirt at her feet. Reaching down, she lifted the object gingerly between two of her fingers. It was flat, but with a rubbery firmness that allowed only slight malleability. Examining it more closely, she noticed that it was in the shape of an animal, one from the human world; a salamander, with orange stripes painted along the length of its body and tail. Attached to the tail was a metal clasp of some sort. The word for this object came slowly to Masumon's mind, like the memory of a long-forgotten dream; a keychain.
Instantly, Masumon knew to whom this object belonged. "Takuya, you dropped your…" Her sentence trailed off, since Takuya was already lost within the thick darkness of the forest.
—
"Kouichi, wake up!"
With a start, Kouichi blinked his eyes open, instantly remembering where he was; stuck in the same cramped cell Ilsemon had locked him and the others into five days ago. He was curled up tight, his limbs stiff from another night…day…whatever, of trying to make enough room for the rest of his friends to sleep. Their rearrangements yesterday had put Kouichi in a corner with JP on his right and Kouji on his left. Now his brother's hand was placed firmly on his shoulder, an urgent look in his eyes.
Kouichi didn't know why he'd been woken up so abruptly, but he soon got his answer. "Ilsemon's coming," Kouji managed to hiss through his teeth before the Digimon in question was standing outside their cell, twitching her wings in that annoyingly cocky way. Tension fizzled in the air like static electricity. It had been days since Ilsemon's last visit, and they could only imagine what she had in store for them now.
Sagittarimon, who had been dozing moments before, now scrambled to attention, hastily saluting to his mistress. "Ilsemon! Wait, uh, Ilsemon-sama…san…chan…kun…m-milady! That's what I meant, milady!"
The gang stared at their guard with mingled looks of amusement, annoyance and, in Dai's case, sympathy. They thought even Ilsemon would blow a fuse at her bumbling follower now, but her expression remained cool. She didn't even have the usual superior smirk on her face. "Sagittarimon," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "I will be taking two of your prisoners for a short while in order to perform a certain…task for me."
At the mention of prisoners, a fiercely overprotective urge came over Kouichi. Reaching out, he took Kouji's arm in a tight grip and pulled him as far from the bars of the cell as he could get. His brother's expression held more than a small amount of exasperation at this gesture, but he could understand Kouichi's feelings. Ilsemon had already confessed to an attempt not only on Kouji's, but everyone's lives in the past. Who was to say she wouldn't try again?
This motion wasn't lost on the others and they were soon pressed up against the rough, stony wall, glaring out at Ilsemon through the bars. Kouichi and Zoe shot each other a quick look before their winged captor added, "Oh, and please be sure to inform me of any escape attempts made by the rest of the prisoners. If they so much as try to stick a hand through the bars, I will kill Kouji and Kouichi myself."
Of course. It's always them. Everyone else in the cell was giving the twins looks of both horror and determination. It was obvious that they would not allow Ilsemon to take any more of their friends, not when the threat of torture, even murder, hung constantly over their heads in her care. Once that cell door was opened, a fight would break out. Kouji and Kouichi knew this.
So, taking a deep breath, Kouji spoke up. "Fine, we'll go with you quietly. That threat goes for us too, doesn't it? If Kouichi and I try to escape, you'll kill the others."
For the first time that day, the faint traces of a smirk lifted the corners of Ilsemon's mouth. "I thought I'd start with the tall one. That is, if you and your brother don't behave yourselves."
"We will," Kouji replied calmly, while all around him his friends were freaking out.
"Kouji, what are you doing?" Zoe hissed, keeping Ilsemon in her peripheral vision as she unlocked their cell door. "You can't just give yourselves up to her!"
"As I recall, Kouji Minamoto isn't one to just lie down and take orders, either from enemies or friends," JP said critically.
Kouji shot him a cool look. "I'm also not one to sit by and watch my friends being tortured and killed, knowing I could have done something to prevent it."
"Yeah, well…" JP scrambled for an excuse, but could think of nothing to say that would change Kouji's mind. Shino and Dai bit back their protests as well, figuring it would be hopeless to try, while Kira gave the twins a silent look of concern.
Zoe, however, wasn't backing down without a fight. "If that's your decision, Kouji, then I can respect it," she muttered before jabbing her finger in Kouichi's direction. "I might not be able to convince you to stay, but Kouichi hasn't agreed to anything yet. I doubt Ilsemon wants less than the pair of you…"
"That is true," Ilsemon interrupted, silhouetted in the cell's opening.
"Therefore," Zoe continued, ignoring their captor, "if he doesn't agree to give himself up, then you're not going anywhere, either." With that, Zoe folded her arms over her chest, a smug expression on her face.
Kouichi, who had been patiently observing his friends' debate, let out a breathless sound, something between a bitter laugh and world-weary sigh. "Sorry Zoe, but we're going. Kouji's right, we can't just risk your lives because we're afraid of the alternative."
Not waiting for a response, Kouichi rose to his feet, his brother quick to follow. "For now, we'll cooperate with you," he told Ilsemon. The twins had expected her to smirk or chuckle in response; instead, her face remained composed, and a flick of her wrist was the only indication she gave for the boys to follow her.
They'd already passed through the opening when a hand shot out from the cell, grabbing onto Kouichi's arm like a lifeline. Kouji stopped, knowing just as well as his brother who the hand belonged to without seeing her face; Zoe. Ilsemon tilted her head toward the twins, wondering why the footfalls behind her had gone silent. A jolt of panic went through everyone inside and outside the cell as they recalled Ilsemon's warning. If they so much as try to stick a hand through the bars…
Zoe, however, was too determined not to let her two friends out of her sight, especially not Kouichi. She couldn't, no, wouldn't allow these brothers to suffer again and again, repeating the cycle of being used for their power. Darkness, light, why does it matter so much? If it means saving them, I won't let go of Kouichi's arm. I'll fight to my last breath. Ilsemon will know the power of the element wind. She'll feel our wrath, Kazemon!
Not so fast.
Suddenly, Zoe felt Kouichi's hand clamped firmly on her shoulder. His touch wasn't as gentle as usual, but there was a reserved edge to the grip as well, like Kouichi was just making a point. This alone wouldn't have been enough to deter Zoe's determination, though she soon realized this hadn't been Kouichi's true intention. Leaning down, he stared at Zoe, paralyzing her with his cool gaze. Then, as quick as he'd grabbed her, Zoe felt herself being jerked forward, then lips pushed against her own, forcing them open.
Neither Zoe nor Kouichi could feel the shocked stares of their friends on them; in that moment, they were alone. Faintly, as if through a layer of fog, Zoe realized that this kiss was rougher than usual. Kouichi was always so gentle with her, but this was entirely different. He was forcing himself on her, desperately grasping onto her courage, something that he, faced with imminent torture by Ilsemon, lacked. Zoe was more than willing to lend her strength, if she could have some of his in return.
It was over as abruptly as it had begun. Once again, Kouichi's gaze met Zoe's, and she saw what she had feared to see in his eyes; acceptance. Thanks to her, because of her, he was more than willing to play his part in Ilsemon's twisted game. For his friends, for Kouji, for her, he would become the sacrificial pawn, a martyr who would take the brunt of whatever Ilsemon had in store for him and his twin. Ironically, Zoe realized, her courage had only fueled this determination.
Without another word to Zoe or any of the others, Kouichi stood, tearing his gaze away from his friends as he trailed after Ilsemon, who had once again begun to move down the corridor. Kouji remained at his side as the two walked in unison, their heads held high despite the fact that this was most likely their death march. Even if Ilsemon didn't kill them, time alone with her could only change a person for the worst.
These were the thoughts that plagued the others minds as Sagittarimon scrambled to re-lock the cell door that Ilsemon, in her apparent haste, had left thrown carelessly open. It wasn't as if these prisoners were about to escape, though. Even Sagittarimon could see that. The blonde girl was too stunned to move, while the other female looked as if all traces of emotion had been wiped from her face. The large one had his head cupped in his palms and seemed to be muttering something to himself; the scrawnier boy had a lost look in his eyes. But the small one, the boy Sagittarimon had learned to refer to as "Dai," was trembling with pure adrenaline, as if all he wanted was to break through the bars of his prison and go on from there, smashing everything in sight. He'd been pushed to his absolute limit, the centaur Digimon could tell. These children were losing friends left and right, and there was absolutely nothing they could do about it.
But there was something he could do. "You'd be pretty happy if you could see your cousin right now, wouldn't you Dai?"
It took Dai a moment to realize that Sagittarimon had spoken and another moment to process his words. "Yeah, that would be nice. Unfortunately, I don't think Ilsemon's feeling all that generous toward us, especially not me. I get the feeling she doesn't like me that much."
Sagittarimon's face screwed up in concentration as he attempted something he'd never before tried in his life; wondering what he could do to help someone other than himself. Dai, however, just thought he looked sick. "Um, are you okay, Sagittarimon?"
"Who cares if he's okay?" Surprisingly, Kira grumbled this from her corner of the cell, an indignant glare plastered on her face. Turning this glare on her small friend, she continued, "Why do you always have to do that? Little mister goody-two-shoes makin' nice with all the nasty Digimon he can find. Get this through your thick skull, Dai; that thing out there is not your goddamn friend! He's an enemy! Who the hell cares if he's okay when he's the one keeping you away from Hotaru in the first place? I swear, sometimes you can be so—"
"That's it!" Sagittarimon's sudden exclamation cut Kira off, and everyone watched as the centaur Digimon rummaged around the underside of his breastplates, searching vigorously for something hidden there. Finally, he produced a bit of twisted metal from his armor, and the gang instantly identified it as the key to their cell. In fact, it was the same set of strange metal keys Renamon had used days ago, then handed off to Sagittarimon. What did this mean? What did Sagittarimon plan to do with those keys?
"Heh, I can't wait to see the look on that guy's face when he realizes I've still got his keys," Sagittarimon chuckled to himself, swinging the metal scraps left and right as he turned to leave. "I'll be right back, guys!"
At this point, everyone was thoroughly confused. "Uh…wait, where are you going?" Dai shouted after their guard.
Sagittarimon turned briefly, giving the gang a look of confusion. "I'm gonna go get your tall friend for you," he said as if it were obvious. Then he proceeded to gallop down the hall and out of sight, smirking to himself.
—
Wizardmon tugged harder on his end of the rope, causing Gotsumon to stumble as they made their way over the rocky ground. It wasn't as if the wizard Digimon wanted to hurt his companion; far from it. But if this plan was going to work, they needed to make this look convincing. The anger in Gotsumon's eyes as he righted himself seemed real enough to Wizardmon.
Two Ankylomon were guarding the RMS's entrance, yet neither of them had noticed Wizardmon and Gotsumon's approach. Wizardmon couldn't help but smirk at this; the RMS had never been a "high security" area, Ilsemon's hubris preventing her from placing any halfway competent Digimon on guard duty. This would work to the plan's advantage.
Finally, when the pair was practically under their noses, one of the Ankylomon took it upon himself to acknowledge their presence. "Whoa, Wizardmon!" the guard exclaimed, shocked by his "sudden" appearance. "Gee, you really are a sneaky guy. I didn't see ya coming at all."
These two are either inattentive or stupid. Fighting back an urge to roll his eyes, Wizardmon gave Gotsumon's rope another good tug, bringing him into full view of the guards. "My apologies for being absent so long without reporting my whereabouts to anyone. During the battle, I was captured by this thing," Wizardmon tried to put as much distain into the word as he could, "and dragged into the forest. He probably would have kept me prisoner if I hadn't managed to free myself. Unfortunately, I'd been unconscious during the trek into the woods and had no clue how to get myself out. It took me a while to walk back here, but I figured bringing one of the top dogs in the Resistance as a gift for Lady Ilsemon would excuse my tardiness."
The two Ankylomon glanced at each other, seeming to consider Wizardmon's story. Both Wizardmon and Gotsumon held their breath, hoping this lie had been convincing enough to grant them entrance into Ilsemon's fortress. The first Ankylomon, the one who had spoken, eventually said, "So what you're saying is true, Wizardmon?"
"Of course," Wizardmon replied a little too hastily. "What reason would I have to lie?"
Again, the Ankylomon shared a look. The second guard, who hadn't said anything up to this point, raised an eyebrow at Wizardmon and muttered, "Wow, I guess Lady Ilsemon was wrong to consider you a traitor."
Wizardmon tried to stifle a look of shock, but it didn't go well. "Traitor…?"
"Yeah," said the first guard. "Just after the battle, you and that Impmon guy were pronounced traitors. If we see ya, we're supposed to report your whereabouts to Lady Ilsemon."
Gotsumon glanced at his companion, knowing that now was the time to move on to plan B. Realizing this himself, Wizardmon let the rock Digimon's rope fall to the ground, an action that confused the Ankylomon. Then Wizardmon raised his hand in order to signal the ambush that awaited these dimwitted guards. But before that, he had to ask something. "Tell me, has Impmon been spotted yet?"
The guards gave each other confused looks before replying, "No, nobody's seen him since before the big battle started."
Wizardmon smirked. "Perfect." Then, with a flick of his wrist, Witchmon and Dragramon descended from the sky right over the poor, clueless guards' heads.
—
Renamon glanced up and down the corridor, making absolutely sure that no one else was around. Then, as quickly as she could, the fox Digimon shoved the stone slab out of the way, launched herself through the opening it enclosed…
…and was immediately pounced on by Impmon. "Take dat, ya nasty thing!" he shouted, clinging to her shoulder as he attempted to swing at her head with his eyes closed. Apparently, he still hadn't realized who had walked into the room. "I ain't goin' ta da big house!"
Sighing, Renamon reached over with her paw, the one that wasn't carrying their food, and grabbed Impmon by the back of his bandana, forcing his eyes open. "Oh, uh…hey Renamon!" the imp Digimon muttered sheepishly, allowing Renamon to deposit him onto the ground, then turn to reposition her door so neither of them could be spied upon. "Heh heh, sorry 'bout dat. Guess I'm jus' a little jumpy is all."
Aren't we all jumpy these days? Renamon thought as she placed each of the four fruits she'd brought with her gently on her cot. "I'm glad that you're feeling well enough to ambush me, actually. You weren't in such good condition four days ago."
"Yeah, I'm feelin' better thanks ta you," Impmon said as he glanced over their array of food, probably not having realized how happy his words had made his companion. "Oh, an apple! I love these things!"
"I know," Renamon muttered, watching as the imp took an enthusiastic bite of the dull red fruit. (Everything in this place seemed to have a grey tint to it.) "You mentioned that you liked apples, so I thought I would bring one for you."
"Serosy?" Impmon mumbled around another bite of apple, quickly swallowing to make his words more intelligible. "I mean, seriously? Ya found dis fer me?"
Suddenly self-conscious, Renamon turned her eyes away from her companion's inquisitive gaze. "Well, I noticed a tree full of them on my way back through the forest, so…"
A slow smile rose to Impmon's lips. "Y'know, I never woulda pegged ya fer such a nice Digimon a few weeks ago, Renamon. An' now, hidin' me here an' makin' sure Ilsemon doesn't find me…I guess ya really can't judge a book by da cover."
No. Renamon had to disagree with Impmon's observation, though she wouldn't say this out loud. Just a few short weeks ago, she truly could have been judged by her outside appearance. Under Ilsemon's employ, apathy was all she'd known, and she'd embraced the numbness rather than fight against it. But after speaking with Duskmon, she'd changed. She hadn't wanted to hide behind an emotional shield any longer. Thanks to him, she felt the courage to stand up for what she believed to be right and wrong. Thanks to my friend…
With a start, Renamon realized something she'd nearly forgotten. "That's right. Ilsemon wished to see me in her chambers today."
"Be careful," Impmon said sincerely, sobering at the mention of Ilsemon. "Dat lady's a psycho."
In response, Renamon shoved her stone door out of the way, glanced up and down the hall and, when she'd deemed the area safe, whispered, "You have more reason to be careful than I do." With that, she replaced her door, sealing Impmon in the safe haven no one would ever have thought to search for a traitor.
That is, if Lekismon hadn't witnessed this whole procedure. Once Renamon had turned the corner, the rabbit Digimon waved away the barrier which had hidden her from Renamon's watchful eye. Glancing at the stone slab set into the wall, she murmured, "Interesting…"
—
As he finally broke through the trees and made his way into the open, Takuya slowed his pace. Now that there was no cover to conceal him, he'd have to be more cautious as he approached the tall pinkish structure before him. He already knew how the others had planned to infiltrate the RMS without causing an uproar; using Wizardmon's technically intact status as one of Ilsemon's followers, he would present Gotsumon before whatever Digimon were guarding the entrance, pretending he had captured him. Once he had their full and complete attention, Witchmon and Dragramon would ambush the guards, quickly dispatching them and allowing the rest of the group access into the dungeons, while also delaying Ilsemon's knowledge of their plans.
Takuya didn't want to rush in and ruin everything, so he remained close to the tree-line, squinting across the landscape to try and figure out what stage of their plan the rescue squad was into. From a distance, it seemed as if a scuffle was taking place near the RMS's entrance. There were red and purple streaks flitting through the air, dodging the spike balled tips of their enemies' tails. Takuya raced toward the shapes, figuring he couldn't ruin anyone's cover now. Those red and purple streaks had to be Witchmon and Dragramon, and those spiky golden creatures beneath them were Ilsemon's guards.
However, something occurred to Takuya as he neared the fight. The only two Digimon attacking were the spiky guards, while Witchmon and Dragramon did nothing but dodge their assaults. It even looked as if Witchmon was holding her left arm close to her body, like it was hurt or something…
Are these guys really that tough? Takuya wondered, turning a wary eye on the armadillo-like Digimon. They were covered in large spikes, it was true, and he was sure getting hit with those tails was no walk in the park, but it seemed easy enough to dodge their brutish attacks. Maybe their strength wasn't so much in offense…but in defense! That's it! Witchmon and Dragramon can't get past their armor!
Coming to this realization, Takuya allowed his Fractal Code to rise from his palm, prepared to help his friends in any way he could. I bet if we tipped those things over, their underbellies would be completely exposed to our attacks…and then we can take them out and catch up with the others…
Nii-san…
Suddenly, Takuya stopped. His mind was still telling him to proceed toward the approaching fight, but there was another force tugging at him now. Looking up, he could see the very tip of the RMS, inside which was Ilsemon's private chamber. There had been a platform in that room, and upon it sat a mysterious Fractal Code…
The tug was more insistent now. For whatever reason, he needed to get to the top of this tower. Something was going on up there, and he had to know what it was.
"Sorry guys," Takuya muttered, glancing at the shapes of his two digital friends buzzing through the air. "You're gonna have to handle this without me."
Takuya could feel Agunimon's displeasure as he raised his D-Tector. You know this is probably a trap. Somehow Ilsemon is playing with you, like a puppet on strings.
"Yeah, I understand that," Takuya muttered, deciding on a Beast Spirit evolution this time around. He could probably use the extra fire power, not to mention the wings. "Still…I don't feel like I'm being manipulated."
The data flared around his palm, BurningGreymon's spirit flashed across the D-Tector's screen. It was time. "It's more like I'm answering a cry for help."
—
~Duskmon?~
Subduing her normally cheerful tone of voice, Nina muttered Duskmon's name again, practically pleading for his attention at this point. But the swordsman remained obstinate, giving no indication that he heard her. Even if he did, he probably didn't care enough to respond. He hadn't responded to much of anything over the past twelve hours, choosing instead to remain curled up in the cavernous stone enclosure Ilsemon had issued him as his "room" within the RMS. Though it was located near the dungeons, a dank and cold place in the bowels (Heh heh…iCarly) of the fortress, it afforded a fair amount of privacy. In Nina's opinion, this was both good and bad for her swordsman.
Of course, if she was truly this concerned for Duskmon, she didn't need to rely on his willingness to talk. Yes, he'd closed his thoughts off to her, but there was nothing stopping her from forcing her way into his mind…no, that was strictly forbidden. Doing such an underhanded thing would break nearly every law that she and those of her kind had set down for themselves. They weren't gods, after all, hardly considering themselves omnipotent, and as such needed restrictions upon their already limited abilities. Without a creature's permission, she could do nothing but try to sway their decisions; their free will was still their own. But when Duskmon had attacked that boy…
What…what did I just do?
Nina shook the memory off like a troublesome fly. It had nothing to do with the current situation, therefore she ignored it. Instead, she continued to press her warrior to speak. ~Dusky, please talk to me!~
The cold from the stone walls was seeping steadily through Duskmon's armor, and Nina knew if she could feel the chill, she'd be shivering. Duskmon barely seemed to notice. He just sat with his legs held tight to his chest, face hidden against his raised knees. Since yesterday he'd been like this, not even moving to slake his hunger or thirst.
~Yesterday…~ Suddenly, Nina realized what was fueling Duskmon's melancholy. ~Dusky…you're thinking about what happened with the Warrior of Steel, aren't you?~
Nina hadn't actually expected Duskmon to respond to this question, so when he finally spoke she was a bit startled, though he hadn't raised his head and his words were therefore muffled. "I know why you saved me from disappearing, Nina. You pitied me, naturally, but everyone considered me so formidable that you thought I'd be a perfect tool at your disposal."
~I don't think of you as a tool…~ Nina muttered, stung by the harsh picture her warrior was painting of her.
Duskmon remained oblivious to her discomfort and continued, "It doesn't matter how you see me. The fact remains that I've willingly given my services to you; I am your tool, and I was content with that…for awhile. Now I'm too defective to be anything but a hindrance to you…"
~That's not true, Dusky!~ Nina protested, though her words held no heat. She had to agree with at least some of the points Duskmon presented…
Noting her half-hearted response, Duskmon smirked underneath his mask. "You know it's true, Nina. You've known it since Kouichi kicked you out and you were forced back to me. Once, I was a great assassin, one of the best. I always thought it had something to do with my combat skills. Heh, not even close. Any creature could match my abilities if they worked hard enough at it. No, what made me such a feared opponent was my apathy. Even in a sparring match, I wouldn't hesitate to kill my challenger if his guard was down. I didn't care at all whether someone lived or died. I had no friends, no meaningful connections to Digimon or humans…for a while, Nina, you revived that apathy. But I understand why it couldn't have lasted."
Nina wanted to stop her ears against this tirade, but she felt it would be discourteous not to listen to her warrior as he continued. "I'm real now. Before, I'd just been corrupted data grafted onto the body of some unfortunate human who happened to stumble into our world. It was Kouichi who gave me life, and it was his brother and that damned Warrior of Fire who took it away. My corruption should have ended there, I should have been destroyed! But no, you needed a vessel, and my own mortality scared me so much that I took you up on the offer. When you gave me a body of my own, something I was never meant to have, it took away a vital piece of my anatomy; my inability to feel. Why should a virus feel anything, after all? From the beginning, my existence was supposed to be momentary. With this data-filled body, I gained something I was never meant to have. I gained the ability…to care. But now, with my own self-revulsion working against me, I'm no use to you as a killer, no use to you at all…"
~Dusky…~ Tears began to flow down Nina's frozen cheeks as she realized the grave error she'd made, not just two years ago, but a little over a week ago. Duskmon was right; he had never truly been alive before she'd resurrected him. He'd never known what having a heart meant, and when she had left him for Kouichi, however brief a time she'd been gone, he'd changed. She hadn't been there to numb his feelings, so they'd all crashed down on him at once… ~Dusky…I-I'm sorry…~
"Why are you apologizing?" Duskmon asked, his voice an inflectionless monotone. "I won't bother blaming you for this, since that would just be a waste of time…but I know how you can fix it. Nina…you have to start over."
~What do you mean by that?~ Nina asked cautiously, concerned by Duskmon's suddenly deadpan mood.
"Nina…" he began, pausing dramatically to emphasize his point. "You have to hollow me out and make me nothing but a mindless, soulless puppet. It's the only way I can ever be useful to you again."
~What?~ Nina squeaked in surprise. ~Dusky, no…I can't do that! If I took away you're will, you'd be…~
"You're tool?" Duskmon finished, chuckling bitterly. "Don't you think I know what would happen if you took this heart away from me? I've given this some thought, ever since I struck Takuya with that attack…see, now I'm even learning their names!"
~That's what this is about?~ Suddenly realizing what had been troubling the swordsman, Nina giggled. ~Dusky, you don't need to worry about that! It was just a one-time thing. I panicked, but I won't let it happen again. I promise.~
Duskmon sighed wearily. "You don't understand at all. Your taking momentary control over me was never the problem. What concerned me was the fact that you had to resort to those measures. You gave me a direct order to kill that child, and I froze up. Then, once you finally got my ass in gear for me, all I could do was feel guilty about it! I'm broken, Nina, but you can fix me! You can make me what I was before, what I'm supposed to be! I just…I want my purpose back, Nina. Please, give it back to me."
Nina was scrambling for an excuse now, anything that could convince Duskmon not to ask this of her. His logic had been spot-on, and she had to agree with what he was saying…but taking away his free will would break the law. She simply couldn't do that, couldn't destroy a creature's every thought and feeling…suddenly, Nina recalled the one friendly connection Duskmon had managed to make with anyone other than herself. ~If I turned you into nothing but my obedient puppet, you would lose Renamon forever…~
"Don't bring her into this!" Finally stirring, Duskmon launched himself to his feet, fire burning in his eyes as he glared into the dark void of his empty room. Anger was causing the tips of his swords to protrude from his forearms, but he held them back long enough to compose himself. Feeling the wary smugness in Nina's smile, he fell back against the wall, leaning heavily on the cool stone as he sunk to the floor. "That was underhanded."
~But it worked!~ Nina retorted cheerfully, knowing she had won this round. ~You may have tried to cut off ties with Renamon, but you still really like her, don't you?~
"Shut up," Duskmon mumbled, covering his burning cheeks with his arms. "Our friendship is over."
Nina wanted to say something positive, to tell Duskmon how fond she was sure Renamon was of him, how readily she would invite him back to her side, but a red-hot exclamation suddenly cut off any of her previous thoughts. Execute! Beast Spirit Evolution!
~Oh, fludge!~ Nina cursed.
"Fludge?" Duskmon murmured in confusion. (Author's Note: Yeah, this is something I say a lot. I don't know what it means, I just added an "l" to "fudge" for some reason. :P)
Ignoring Duskmon's puzzlement, Nina explained, ~The Warrior of Fire…I just felt his presence. He's here, right now!~
Duskmon glanced around the dark room. "I don't see him anywhere."
~This is no time to be sarcastic, Dusky!~ Nina shouted, trying to pinpoint the location of the fiery heat burning at the fringes of her consciousness. No, he wasn't anywhere inside the RMS, but he was close. So close that she could feel the darkness pulsing through him, a small remnant of the mark Duskmon's attack had left. It was such a slight amount that she doubted anyone realized he'd been infected with the element. But this worked to her favor. ~He's outside, headed for the top of the tower. Oh no, that's where Ilsemon is going to…I have to stop him!~
Nina's first instinct was to rush through the walls of the RMS's dungeon, making her way out into the open. Then she could latch herself onto the small black pit throbbing deep inside the goggle-headed warrior, using her power to freeze his limbs…but that would require her full attention, and she'd have to leave Duskmon all alone.
Sensing her reluctance, the swordsman muttered, "Shouldn't you be stopping him now? Ilsemon's planning something big up in that tower, isn't she? I'll be fine down here for a bit. You just go."
Nina's face lit up with an appreciative smile. ~Thank you, Dusky. I'll be back as soon as I can! Wait for me here!~
As Nina's comfortably frozen presence left his mind, Duskmon felt the full weight of his filthy, guilt-ridden pain crash down around him. Trying to cling to the numbness, he cemented Nina's last order to wait for her into his mind, resolving at least to follow her will in this instance, no matter what occurred. "As you wish…master."
—
"And here we are." With a flourish of her arm, Ilsemon invited the twins inside her private chamber, the open-air room at the very top of the RMS. Kouji and Kouichi didn't bother to mention that they'd already crashed this space without preamble during the battle; they figured she must already know.
"Y'know, it's common courtesy to let a lady enter a room first," Kouji stated, trying to cover the fact that he wasn't keen on turning his back to Ilsemon, even for a second.
"Hence my inviting you in ahead of me," Ilsemon retorted, chuckling to herself.
The twins rolled their eyes. "Really mature, isn't she?" Kouji muttered to Kouichi as they strode past their winged captor. The older twin just shook his head in exasperation, making sure to keep Ilsemon in his peripheral vision at all times.
Once the boys had reached the middle of the chamber, Ilsemon waved her hand forward, and within moments two very big, very nasty-looking Digimon had taken her place as sentries at the foot of the stairs. Only when they were in position did Ilsemon make a move toward the twins. This action confirmed one thing; despite their promise not to make an escape attempt due to her threats, Ilsemon didn't trust the twins for an instant. It was almost gratifying to be considered so defiant by their enemy, though in this situation it just proved to be a hindrance.
Kouji and Kouichi watched as Ilsemon strode toward them, matching wary looks on their faces. Regarding these looks with a smirk, the humanoid Digimon reached inside a fold of her dark robe, producing two objects so familiar to the twins that they had to force themselves not to rush Ilsemon in order to retrieve them.
Holding a D-Tector in each hand, Ilsemon held them up for the twins' further examination. "As you can see, no harm has come to your little toys under my care. I've simply put them away in storage, but I thought for this particular task, it would be prudent to strengthen the bond you share with your spirits through physical contact. So here you are. Take them."
For a moment, neither Kouji nor Kouichi moved, eyes trained on the devices resting in Ilsemon's palms, waiting to be snatched away from her. The twins certainly wanted to grab them, keeping Lobomon's and Lowemon's spirits as far away from this psychotic maniac as possible. But they knew better than to think this was just some gesture of good will on their captor's part. Ilsemon had even stated that taking their D-Tectors back from her would benefit her plans. Still…
Kouichi's hand shot out almost against his will, grasping his D-Tector tightly between his fingers as he pulled it close to his chest, feeling Lowemon's calming presence fill him to the brim. Quick to follow his brother's example, Kouji reached for his device as well, plucking it out of Ilsemon's hand before she had a chance to grab it back and say something like "Oops, too slow."
Once both the twins had their D-Tectors back in their possession, Ilsemon smiled cordially. "See, it's possible for us to cooperate with each other to satisfy all of our interests! I've scratched your back, and now you can scratch mine."
The twins regarded her coolly, still not sure what she had planned. With their D-Tectors returned to them, it would be a simple matter to Spirit Evolve and bust their way back to the dungeons, freeing the others and getting the heck out of this madhouse. But they still didn't know where Hotaru was being kept, and with Ilsemon's lightning-fast reflexes, it wasn't as if they'd be able to complete the Evolution process before she managed to stop them. That, and she still had everyone else's D-Tectors.
Kouji and Kouichi shot each other a telling glance, silently deciding to play it cool and find out what Ilsemon needed them to do. If they could bide their time and wait for an opening, the opportunity for escape could be possible. They just had to wait.
So, with wary curiosity, the twins remained silent as Ilsemon began to speak. "First of all, I should apologize for my rather blunt behavior down in the dungeons. You see, today represents a very special event for me, and I was a bit impatient to move on with these proceedings. Now, however, I feel more alive than I have in almost two years! And I owe it all to the presence of you and your brother, Kouichi."
Kouichi jumped slightly, surprised that Ilsemon would single him out to address. Kouji just mocked outrage at her obvious preference. "Oh, so I'm just the brother now? Heh, figures."
He wasn't feeling as snarky a second later when Ilsemon, using her ninja-like speed (Ha, it's funny because ninjas are fast!), appeared behind Kouichi, linking her arms loosely around his neck in what could have been considered a loving embrace were it not for the hungry way in which Ilsemon regarded her captive. "I suppose I feel a certain kinship with this boy, just as I felt a kinship with your spirit, Lowemon. Those who share the bonds of an element are drawn to one another."
Kouichi wasn't feeling drawn to Ilsemon in the least. "Let go of me," he said tightly, trying to keep his fear contained so his show of forcefulness would be more…well, forceful. Luckily for him, Kouji's cold glare boring into Ilsemon's skull was beginning to vex her, so she heeded his request and lowered her arms. Thanking whatever god happened to be listening that his brother held himself with so much more confidence, Kouichi shot Kouji a grateful glance, one that his twin returned with a look of relief.
Ignoring this silent exchange, Ilsemon sauntered slowly around the twins as her tirade continued, "Yes, the both of you have made this day possible, but you aren't the only help I shall require to complete this task. Until this other help arrives, let me share the rest of my more recent history with you. We can start where I left off previously, right after Lucemon's defeat at your hands.
"If you'll recall, I mentioned that I didn't spend much time observing you after you returned to your own world. Weren't you wondering why this was?" The twins didn't attempt to consider an answer, so Ilsemon provided one for them. "It's simple, really; I was busy. After you'd been pushed through the portal back to your world, my sister had deemed it safe to release me. Moved by some misplaced pity at my dejected state, she left me to rejoin her companions in their celebration. This was a foolish choice on her part. Even as I was preparing myself to admit defeat, I noticed a small piece of Fractal Code floating through the void of space, cut off from the data which had reformed the Digital World. Upon closer inspection, I realized whose data it was."
Stepping on the hidden platform that JP had found by accident five days ago, Ilsemon backed up as a stone platform rose up from the middle of the floor. The twins weren't startled to see the Fractal Code swirling atop the structure, but they were a bit shocked when Ilsemon revealed the owner of the data to them. "This precious Code belongs to my brother. Deep inside this mass of data is my Lucemon."
"That's impossible!" Kouji stated in outrage. "We purified Lucemon's data, and then it kinda turned into fairy dust or something…yeah, I'm not really sure what happened there, but there was definitely no Fractal Code involved! And then when we defeated his pure demonic side, it opened like a piñata and spilled data everywhere, still with no Fractal Code in sight!"
"The hell did I miss in these episodes…?" Kouichi muttered to himself, eyes wide with confusion.
Ilsemon, on the other hand, was shaking her head at Kouji's lack of understanding. "What you've said is true. Neither Lucemon's pure or dark sides produced anything that could be considered a Fractal Code. I'd thought for a moment that there would be no way for me to revive him…but my brother took one other form, the larva controlling the dragon, the last remnants of Lucemon manifesting into that compact form."
"We defeated that thing too," Kouji retorted, glancing at his D-Tector. "Or rather, the Legendary Warriors defeated it. But the larva's data just disintegrated after it was destroyed. There still wasn't any Fractal Code."
"There was a Code," Ilsemon said, gently stroking the data on the platform. "I suppose that you and your little Warrior friends were too busy saying your goodbyes to notice this small bit of data form and fly off. You thought you'd won, but my brother refused to admit defeat, even when the odds were so clearly stacked against him. You at least have to admire his tenacity."
"Yeah, that definitely outweighs the fact that he killed me," Kouichi muttered under his breath.
Ignoring that comment, Ilsemon's story continued, "With this data in hand, I hatched a plan to revive my dear brother, bringing him back to his former glory. But I needed a new method by which to bring about his rebirth. (Hint, nudge, hint.) Data collection is much too risky, as it attracts so much unwanted attention. I had to work more secretively this time. So, once Hallucimon had found and rejoined me, we set off to put my plan into motion.
"At first, I'd thought it would be as simple as splicing this data with that of another Digimon. Surely my brother's influence would win out over the simpletons I selected, but that was the problem. Lucemon's consciousness was too much for them to handle, and they were consumed and destroyed each and every time.
"These constant failures led me to thoughts of you." Kouji and Kouichi couldn't help but flinch as the hungry glint in Ilsemon's eyes intensified. "The spirits of the Legendary Warriors. I'd encountered some problems finding hosts for these bits of data as well. Especially those Spirits of Darkness, destroying every Digimon that presumed to control them. Countless powerful, clever creatures obliterated by darkness…but not an eleven year old human boy."
"You said it yourself," Kouichi stated, holding his D-Tector ever tighter. "I was destined for these spirits."
"Indeed," Ilsemon nodded in agreement. "You were destined to handle those spirits…but why were you able to wield such control over them with much less effort than Digimon fifty times more superior than you? What made you so special? That is where Nina comes into this tale."
"Nina?" The twins spoke her name at the same time, both with outrage and hatred plain in their tones of voice.
Ilsemon chuckled. "Oh dear, she has bred a deep antipathy in you, hasn't she? Though it's not as if I haven't done the same, but that is barely the point. You see, Hallucimon and I eventually ended up in the Dark Continent after our weary travels, dejected after finding no one to bond with my brother's data. I'd already sent Wizardmon, Gatomon, and Impmon out on a scouting mission to find more Digimon sympathetic to my goals. The Dark Continent, as I saw it, would be a perfect place to set up a base of operations. We'd been searching for a suitable location when, like a devil straight from hell, Duskmon came into our midst, offering up his services in exchange for you, Kouichi."
Kouichi glared back into Ilsemon's frozen eyes without comment, so she continued, "With him came Nina. This was joyful news for me, as you can well imagine. Finally, I had found a being to answer all my unanswered questions. She'd been reluctant at first, worrying over the consequences of revealing such 'classified information.' Eventually, though, she explained why you'd all been able to Spirit Evolve with no negative costs to your bodies. It's a simple explanation; one night when you were all quite young, small pieces of your respective elements had been forced into your bodies as you slept. Think of it as 'immunization' against the sheer, all-consuming power a Digimon's spirit can possess."
"Okay, wait," Kouji said, raising his hand to halt the story. "We…what…how does that even work? I mean, wouldn't being exposed to such highly concentrated elemental power have been a little too much for a bunch of kids to handle?"
"They were small doses, meant to grow inside you over time," Ilsemon explained. Almost to herself, she added, "Though something may have gone wrong when the element Earth was placed inside that short boy. I suspect a larger piece of Earth's power was forced inside of him too soon, and his body is slowly rejecting its spread."
The twin's eyes grew wider as they considered Ilsemon's theory. Could Dai's health really be suffering due to his own element? Since they'd met, Dai had been in so much contact with Grumblemon's spirits, and he truly seemed happy to be part of their group, but was it affecting his health? Was his association with the Digital World, with all his newfound friends…killing him faster?
Kouichi clapped a hand over his mouth, shocked and horrified by this realization. Kouji just shook his head, almost refusing to believe it was true. Satisfied by the distraught looks on the twin's faces, Ilsemon shrugged. "Of course, this is just a theory. Nina was in charge of 'immunizing' Kouichi; she had nothing to do with that other boy, and therefore doesn't know specifically what went wrong. But this piece of information proved to be very useful for me, opening the door to a brand-new possibility. For the first time, I considered using a human to bond with my brother's Fractal Code."
Kouji came to the sickening realization before Kouichi. "You're going to use one of us…to bond with Lucemon?"
As soon as the words were out of his brother's mouth, Kouichi's protective instinct kicked into gear. Moving right to his younger brother's side, he shot Ilsemon the dirtiest glare he could muster. He wouldn't, no, couldn't allow that to happen to Kouji. In his mind, his twin's safety came long before his own. If it came down to the question "Who would Ilsemon use for her twisted plans?" the answer would be Kouichi every time. He'd make sure of it.
In response to Kouji's question, though, Ilsemon laughed. Not a little smirk or chuckle, but full-blown laughter, as if what Kouji had proposed was completely ridiculous. Once Ilsemon had calmed down enough to speak, she replied, "Oh, no no no, boys. You're both much too practiced in the art of wielding a Digimon's spirit. Even with my brother's immense skill, there would always be the possibility of you breaking free from his hold. No, I needed a human inexperienced in these matters, preferably young and naïve, easily manipulated. In short, a child."
The twins were growing less and less shocked by the minute at Ilsemon's sadistic behavior. "You're planning to bring an innocent human child to this world in order to resurrect your brother?" Kouji asked, his voice numb from shocked blow after shocked blow.
Instead of affirming Kouji's statement, Ilsemon said, "I will be needing you two for a different purpose. You see, my brother was a very special creature indeed, able to control and even combine two elements widely known to be polar opposites; light and dark. How convenient it was for me to have reaped such wonderful benefits in that last battle. Both the Warriors of Light and Darkness imprisoned within my dungeon, the only other creatures known to have bridged the gap between the light and the dark! I gave you five days of rest and recuperation, so now you must be chalk full of your respective elements. Given the copious amount of these elements inside you, I'm sure it would be no trouble at all to borrow some of your power…"
The realization crashed down on the twins like a tidal wave. "We're not helping you corrupt a child," Kouji growled, one hand balling into a fist, the other curled around his D-Tector. Kouichi took a similar stance, just as set against Ilsemon as his brother.
Ilsemon only sighed at their determination. "You assume you have a choice in the matter? Don't be so presumptuous! In case you've forgotten, you are my prisoners. Perhaps you don't care what I do to you, but there is a cell in my dungeons full of your closest friends just waiting to be tortured, and trust me, I would derive great pleasure from dragging each one of them up here and—"
"He's here, Lady Ilsemon," one of the hulking guards suddenly stated, interrupting Ilsemon's rant. She was so pleased by his news, though, that she hardly noticed the interruption.
Shooting a smug look in the twin's direction, their captor said, "I'd like the both of you to meet a very special someone, though I believe you already know who he is."
Kouji and Kouichi tensed, expecting some sort of annoying blast from their past to come and bother them, just for Ilsemon's amusement. Some idiotic Digimon like Sagittarimon, or…
Not a Digimon at all. The guards parted, allowing Renamon and that person to enter Ilsemon's chamber. The fox Digimon was shuffling along behind the other person, an abashedly shameful glint in her small blue eyes. But Renamon hardly mattered. That person was standing before the twins, a slightly perplexed look on his face. Kouji and Kouichi were more than just perplexed.
Since no one seemed to be making any attempts at greeting one another, Ilsemon took care of the introductions. "Kouichi Kimura and Kouji Minamoto, I'd like you to meet Lucemon's catalyst, Shinya Kanbara."
—
Takuya: Oh, son of a whore!
Zoe: Okay…well…you know, I really can't think of anything to say that would make this chapter better for you.
Kira: I think I can. Hey Taki, wanna go wreck Madjack's stuff?
Takuya: Hell yeah I do!
madjack89: What's this about wrecking my stuff?
Dai: Oh, hi Madjack! What are you doing back so early?
madjack89: Eh, just watched The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, then decided to come see how you guys were doing. And I take it Taki's not liking this chapter very much.
Takuya: If I wasn't gonna kill that bitch Ilsemon before, I'm definitely gonna do it now!
madjack89: …Yeah, I kind of expected this reaction. Anyone else care to comment on the chapter?
JP: Fludge?
madjack89: Okay, we're wrapping it up here. See you guys next chapter!
Dai: *looking through my recently acquired DVDs from my birthday* Oh, the complete series of Chobits! Break out the cookies, we are so watching this!
Kouichi: What's with all the Crispin Freeman and Michelle Ruff in these DVDs?
madjack89: *shrugs* Your voice actors are awesome like that?
Kouichi and Zoe: *nod* Very true.