A/N:Hello all! Update time! I'm really tired so I'll make this as quick as always!
Thanks go to persevera, Edhla, and Xros Hero for their reviews. I truly appreciate them!
XVIII. Hills
"They all went tumbling down."
Bagramon reached a hand to his temple and then sighed. The Dark Stone, power incarnate it was, pulsed with wriggling tendrils of black and gold. It shifted and swam. It did not like him. No, worse. It resisted him. It was struggling, burning to leave him.
To go to its real bearer.
He was not a fool. He had taken it, while its owner, whoever that may be, had earned it. Compassion, compulsion, whatever may have caused this, Kudo Taiki had called to the Dark Stone through its confinement. It wanted to answer him. However, it could not do so to someone who would not hear.
Oh yes, Bagramon had made carefully sure Taiki-kun, his most worthy opponent in centuries, could not hear. his resolve had cracked, and he was determined to keep it broken.
It was a pity. He respected Taiki's resolve, and his ideal. Even though Shoutmon was the conduit for such a thing, there was no denying that, leave the child be, and he would shape a world more solid than any mere pretend game.
However, he was still just a human boy. They could be silly, fragile things, those humans. Fragility was exploitable.
The Dark Stone pulsed again and he smiled. "Yes Taiki-kun, remember," he said softly to the room at large. "They are frightened of you, of your power. They hate you, because you are everything they cannot dream of. You should not hate them, however. They cannot help themselves. And you love them too much, for they are your friends. Save them, Taiki-kun. It is too late for your world, but for your loved ones, there is time. Save them."
He did not laugh, watching the Dark Stone pulse with his words. It heard him; he knew it did. It did not matter. If taking what he wanted was not an option, he could convince the hero of what was.
Who knew; it could even convince Taiki-kun all on its own. It wasn't as though the boy had a reason to do otherwise anymore.
My words will tumble down, and a child's soul with them.