A/N: JHey guys! Xros-Hero, you enjoyed last chapter huh? Well, I hope this one is even better! Fighting goes completely nuts in the next one! Here! We! Go!
XXVIII. Spine
"Sometimes it is hard to be brave."
Yuu glared hard at the Darkness Loader, willing it to shatter into thousands of pieces. If a few went into his eyes, well, so much the better. He would not pick it up, no matter what that strange light said. It would taint him again, destroy him. How could Taiki-san assume he would take it? How could he think Yuu was as strong as him to step up and get back up again on his own? Even if it was cowardly, he would rather run away.
I can't let you do that, the light said to him. My master believes in us. I will not let him down.
I don't care.
Well, that's too bad. Because I do. Because you want to save this world, right? Take the damn thing.
I won't!
"Yuu?" Nene sat down in front of him, her own fingers inches away from the Darkness Loader. "What are you doing?" He looked into her eyes, expecting sympathy. It was there, but there was a hard gleam to them.
"I can't take it, Nee-san. I can't. If I do, I'll just... I'll just keep hurting everything." His fists clenched at his sides. "I don't... I don't want to hurt anyone... like Damemon..."
"Damemon chose his death freely. He lied about this truth, but he protected you. You didn't make him do anything."
"I made him fight!" The protest welled out of his chest with tears.
"Then so did I," she said to him. " I made Sparrowmon fight. Kiriha is making his partners fight. Taiki-kun is forcing himself to fight as he once made Shoutmon fight. We're no better."
"You didn't make them torture themselves!"
"And you did." Nene shook her head as she shifted her legs on the throne room floor. It shook with the rumble of large feet and roaring flames. "And you're going to make me fight next." Yuu shook his head at her, horrified. "Then why are you not stopping me right now? I could take the Darkness Loader, couldn't I? I know I have the heart for it. And you want me to, don't you Yuu?" Her purple eyes narrowed with a slow, burning anger. "You want me to do this for you. Because I'm your big sister... and I want to protect you. Right?"
Guilt, shame over a thought he had never realized was in his head until it was said aloud, it washed over him, crushing his skin and making the tears fall. "Face your battles Yuu," Nene said, looking down at him as she rose. "No one can face them for you, not even the ones with yourself. You can do it. I know you can." She raced towards the clashing mass of monsters, leaping onto Sparrowmon's back with one smooth motion.
Yuu just sat there, not even seeing the light anymore. Was he really, really that bad, even without the Darkness Loader in his hands? Was he really... such a monster?
"Ano... Yuu-kun."
Akari was smiling a little, a sheepish expression on her face. "Nene-san... she doesn't blame you, you know. She understands... that it hurt a lot... and that you're really confused. I think... she's trying to tell you that... sitting here and letting things happen... it won't help you figure out what you want to do, you know? I know you think Taiki's a superman and all because he's not like that, I could see that earlier, but... he's not. He's just like you and me; but he's out there doing things. If you really want to understand him... and you really want to atone for what you've done, then... you kind of need to do something, or it won't end."
She looked back to the battle and then her eyes widened as she saw her best friend go flying into a crystal pillar. He slid to the ground and Akari bolted, standing in front of him without outstretched arms. Bagramon's bone arm glowed red and swung-
Yuu didn't think; he reacted. His fingers wrapped around the Darkness Loader and he screamed from his very soul:
"Reload! Shoutmon!"