Chapter 13: Paying the price

Burning Salamander = Pyro Punch

Fire Darts = Pyro Darts

Salamander Break = Pyro Tornado

-Yesterday at Izzy´s-

"What are you hiding? Don´t try to fool me. You know it won´t work."

Normally there was no need to specifically voice thoughts in words. Emotions and thoughts usually drifted from one consciousness to the other as freely as a cloud in the sky. It made lying impossible, but right now Takuya did actually ask. That way he put more pressure on Agnimon.

In his mind it was black. It looked like he had just closed his eyes, which he actually did, but compared to just that inside his mind Takuya was not limited. He had no body or even the desire to move. Inside his mind was only a place to interact with his Spirits and the place where they usually were. Drifting around in blackness and watching, through his eyes. Something like a sub consciousness.

What he received as an answer was a feeling of regret, stubbornness and apology from Agnmon. Vitramon only showed passive interest. The message was clear: You deal with that between you two, I see no need to interfere.

It only confused Takuya more.

In answer to his confusion Agnimon spoke: "Just forget about it."

It was half heartly. And all three of them knew that.

Between the three of them there was hardly any difference; they reacted to most situations the same way. Only that Vitramon was a beast; he didn´t concern himself with little, unimportant or not-his-business situations. Agnimon was more human in that aspect and was heavily influenced by his emotions. Takuya was almost completely the same as Agnimon, only he was more open-minded and easily made friends with everyone, whereas Agnimon and Vitramon didn´t trust easily or associated with people they didn´t see worthy. That part was a warrior thing.

"You know I won´t."

He was answered with a wave of stubbornness and worry. It startled Takuya a bit. The worry was directed towards him, not their friends.

"We have to get them out. No matter the price. I know you think so, too."

To his surprise he was met with more stubbornness and disagreement. Takuya grew frustrated. He knew Agnimon thought the same. Yet he didn´t. And it wasn´t a lie. In their mind they couldn't lie.

"What´s your problem? Are you saying we should let them die?"

"Of course not!"

"Then what!" Somehow Takuya knew now what it felt like to be his enemy. Stubbornness was so damn annoying. "If there is a way to fight then tell me!"

"I won´t!" Agnimon yelled back, and Takuya felt his frustration mirrored by him. In a way it was ironic. Both stressed by the others thick head. "We don´t know if it is possible anyway!"

Again Takuya was confused. What was possible? "Tell me." He demanded.

He received neither an answer nor the intent to do so in the first place.

"Why not? Whatever it is that makes you worry, it is also my business. As long you two are inside me, everything is our problem. Not mine, or yours alone."

Agnimon faltered a bit, seeing that Takuya knew he had hit a sore spot, but it didn´t last for long, Agnimon came back full force, even more determined than before. Yet Takuya felt his worry and desperation, his desire to protect. "Exactly." He said, "that´s why I won´t tell you."

Takuya´s frustration reached a new level. How could he be so stubborn?

Then again he was the same.

"This is getting stupid." A wave of annoyance from Vitramon interrupted their discussion with authority. "It is our business, but his decision to pay the price or not."

Takuya felt sadness from Agnimon.

"What price?" He asked carefully listening for any response, however small it be.

Vitramon ´s interference had dispelled Agnimon´s determination and Takuya was almost overwhelmed by his sadness and guilt. It made Takuya almost regret asking. To be able to sent Agnimon in such an emotional uproar it had to be of unimaginable importance to him. But again it didn´t make anything clearer to Takuya; if it was that important, why was Vitramon showing so little interest? "The price for the ability to evolve without our D-tector."

Takuya answered with startled confusion. It was possible?

Apparently Vitramon´s point had driven home the fact, that Takuya really had the right to know, because Agnimon answered: "Back then, when we were attacked by Phelesmon in the forest, Vitramon and I noticed. We felt your body was getting ready to change. Our flames and your will were growing too strong for a human body to handle. And we thought, that just maybe we wouldn´t need a D-tector.

On the plain when you called us back, both of us managed to appear. Just with a body of flames, but solid none the less. And you made that happen. With your strength alone.

We think the D-tector was used to channel your strength and will so that it wouldn´t harm your weak human body. But now we didn´t have it. The result was that we were out for 2 weeks."

Takuya let it sink in. So far Agnimon had not given him a good explanation why he hadn´t said anything before. Besides maybe a bit tiredness.

"Now this is only out thesis, but we think, that the D-tectors were a device to protect your human cores. It prevented us from merging completely. Sure, we fused, but in the end you were still human.

The D-tector protected your humanity and was something like a safety lock. A limit that kept our fusion so basic that you hardly felt any pain during the evolution or different from being human as a Digimon. Do you understand?

The pain you felt during Beast- and Fusionevolution was what reached you through a filter provided by Lady Ofanimon. Without that filter you could die from the pain of the evolution."

Takuya didn´t think he would. Losing to something simple as pain was not in his courses of action. It was hardly a legitimate reason to keep quiet about it. But Agnimon should know that, too. It was hardly an argument for neither of them.

"But that is not what I worry about.

It is that if we evolve without the limit of D-tectors you might never be human again."

Agnimon hadn´t been kidding with the pain. Takuya would have screamed had he been able to.

Every cell in his body was burning, a heat too great to be contained in a little cell, like flames licking in his insides. His bones felt hot, unsteady like they were melting.

Takuya dug his nails in Phelesmon´s arm. But he didn´t notice it, didn´t see it, didn´t feel it.

With the very essence of his being he was burning. Just on fire. He forgot he had a body to move, a heart that beat, and lungs to scream.

Takuya never thought, he would know what it was like to be burned alive.

He was losing his mind from all the pain. Fire in each of his cells was growing bigger, too big for a small cell to hold them inside, melting bones were destroying his insides, leaving him with nothing.

While he wanted to just hold himself together, he couldn´t move his limps. Fire was growing more intense, hotter, fierce, more alive. It was ripping him apart. He long forgot how to move, how to touch or feel.

And when Takuya thought it couldn´t hurt more everything exploded. Fire in the cells ripped their walls down, boiling his blood and growing in size. His melting iron-hot bones spread their heat through his body, igniting and destroying everything.

Never had Takuya felt time stretch longer. Never in battle, never in school. No, it was his evolution that was eternity.

When the fire finally cooled down he was no longer Takuya. Opening his eyes, it was Agnimon, the Warrior of Fire, who stared at Phelesmon´s with sky blue eyes.

Davis wasn´t sure how he hadn´t seen it before. Takuya had said they fused with their Spirits, so what else but Takuya turning into Agnimon himself could he have expexted? Yet he only understood the meaning of Takuya´s words when it was a Digimon that stood in Takuya´s place emerging from an inferno of hot red-orange flames.

Seeing Takuya burn didn´t make him understand, seeing the flames grow in intensity and size didn´t either. Takuya´s form changing didn´t do so either. Only now, when a red humanoid Digimon held Phelesmon´s claw in an iron grip he saw what he meant.

The Digimon that had formerly been Takuya had long straw like blond hair, two horns from his forehead, a face cover only leaving mouth and part of his cheeks unprotected, black and red armor over all of his body, silver gauntlets with three holes each covering the backs of both his humanoid fists and similar three point holes on different places all over the armor. Sparks and small flames were licking out from his armor's joints and gauntlet´s holes.

Warriors. That´s what they had called themselves. To Davis there was no word that fitted better.

The Warrior pulled back a hand, holding Phelesmon in place with the other, flames flowing out from the gauntlet´s holes, dancing around a clenched fist.

"Burning Salamanda!"

Agnimon´s punch sent Phelesmon flying back towards Angewomon. With her target getting closer and danger of missing decreasing she released her arrow´s string; shooting the Darkness Digimon with a white arrow, crackling with energy. Phelesmon, feeling the dread of light quickly dug his claws into the ground, leaving a long trail of marks in the solid stone. It whirled around just in time to see and push its head out of the way. While it barely managed to evade the arrow, a flaming kick to its torso caught it off guard again, this time crashing Phelesmon in the canyon´s wall, causing a big boulder from above to break off and fall down on the hole to the underwater reservoir.

Angewomon shot more arrows in quick succession, all aimed at vitals of the quickly recovering Digimon. Only one hit, yet slightly missing the actual aim. Still it impaled it´s shoulder. Phelesmon had dropped to the floor to evade Angewomon´s arrows and now quickly scrambled back on its two feet, running along the canyon wall fanatically thinking about the new situation at hand.

The tables had turned. The target had evolved, it was impossible to capture Fire without more drastic measures and Phelesmon was exposed to the angel´s attack, who was luckily the only one able to pay attention to it.

Realizing Phelesmon was coming dangerously close to the Digidestined Angewomon and Agnimon blocked it´s way with a flying mass of flames and light, igniting ground where nothing burnable was.

Agnimon smiled grimly; his fire didn´t die easily. Having no substance to fuel fire hardly mattered to his flames.

It was good he had thrown Phelesmon with his evolution enough off to make it play passively and be desperate enough to search for another hostage. Not that Agnimon would let it, but it was still good. Agnimon was by far not as fit as he made it appear; pain from his change still lingering in his body.

He moved a step forward, drawing Phelesmon´s attention from the Digidestined back to him. Angewomon charged another arrow to full power, Kari standing behind her and looking fearfully to her brother, who, with his friends, was staring at Agnimon and moving away from Phelesmon. They were all clamping together in a group in middle of the originally protected circle, with Agnimon and Agewomon standing between them and Phelesmon. Izzy typing away on his laptop, Tai and Matt making sure they all were there, Davis staring at Agnimon, Ken watching Phelesmon with narrowed eyes.

Their partner Digimon didn´t notice what had happened behind their backs, too desperate to block all attempts of a breakthrough. It was only a matter of time until they did, though. With them losing ground every second, the circle was getting smaller, and a battle starting behind them was bound to be noticed eventually. And when they did, it would be trouble, with them not having witnessed Takuya´s evolution and Phelesmon´s appearance.

Angewomon held her arrow, ready to release it any second. She was sure Phelesmon would dodge again if she shot it without a diversion. It was surprisingly elusive and agile. Phelesmon stood with its back pressed against the wall and one side blocked by fire against the canyon, facing the Digidestined. Yet the evil in its eyes was terrifying; she had never seen something that evil.

Rocks, increasing from fist to head size were falling down, occasionally hiding Phelesmon from sight. Standing attentively still it pulled Angewomon´s arrow out of its shoulder, spilling violet blood across the ground.

Both sides were unable to act. Agnimon and Angewomon couldn´t attack without risking the Digidestined´s safety, while Phelesmon risked its live with every single movement. However it was clear that it wouldn´t stay that way. Every falling stone posed a chance or a thread to either side. Agnimon raised a flame from his right gauntlet, bringing it up in front of him. Wind blew the flames to the side, yet they appeared solid, not dying or breaking.

"Fire Darts!" Agnimon shot bullets of solid fire on Phelesmon. Fire had never been patient plus, unlike Angewomon, Agnimon ran a much lower risk attacking. He didn´t have a dangerous time gasp between powerful attacks being a close combat Digimon in the first place.

Fire Darts forced Phelesmon to move.

Phelesmon jumped, clinging to the wall, showing an opening with its back to the Digidestined. A beginner´s mistake. Angewomon didn´t miss a beat, aiming to pierce Phelesmon´s heart.

Agnimon didn´t trust his eyes until he saw the arrow connect. In the short exchange he had with it Phelesmon had appeared too strong and experienced to be killed by a short cat and mouse game. Phelesmon´s evil and strength had given Takuya the creeps, forcing him finally to evolve. He couldn't believe he had been so wrong with his feeling, seeing how the arrow hit. Losing its hold, Phelesmon fell down in the fire, burning alive less literally than Agnimon had not even a minute ago.

"Uh…" He said trying to fill the depressed silence that befallen the Digidestined from witnessing the death of yet another Digimon. "That was easy."

Apparently that did the trick. Eleven pairs of eyes shifted their target to him. In all surprise, in some awe, in some curiosity.

"Takuya?" Angewomon asked quickly, before a loud hell could break loose. "Is that you?"

Agnimon smirked, enjoying the stunned faces even though he was slightly uncomfortable with all the gazes. "Not quite. I´m Agnimon actually."

After a second of thinking he added; "Or more precise I´m a fusion of Agnimon´s and Takuya´s personality. And this appearance is a fusion of the Human Fire Spirit and Takuya´s body." They didn´t understand it and Izzy, busy adding Agnimon to his database, wasn´t making an effort to explain even though he knew all that already. After all otherwise Takuya and Koichi could never have managed to convince him of quick acting.

"Not that I mind, but shouldn´t we focus on getting out of here?" It was weird looking down to people he had known so far as being a head taller than him. Agnimon was feeling strangely out of place. With his Warrior comrades it somehow wasn´t like that. Luckily he shifted their attention again.

"Yeah", Davis admitted, "but how? We are completely surrounded. From above, left, right, walls in front and behind us, possible also from underground… And Imprerialdramon can´t change mode down here." Searching for advice he looked at his senior.

"Not to mention, that we are supposed to send backup to Cody and Koichi on the inside of that." Matt added pointing towards a solid black mass that was hardly visible from behind all of the controlled Digimon.

"In 15 minutes." Izzy commented typing, not even looking up.

"And our partners are at their limits." Yolei added.

Tai nodded in acknowledgement. A frown showing he was thinking.

"Izzy, did you finish your analysis of the ground?" Tai inquired of the momentarily black haired genius. His voice was confident and Agnimon noticed everyone´s expression change slightly. They were expecting orders, he noted pleased. Their two groups of Digidestined were functioning on the same principle: follow the leader with confidence and trust no matter how ridiculous the order.

"I did." Izzy even stopped creating a profile of Agnimon to listen better. "There are no Digimon below us. My sensors didn´t pick Phelesmon up, though so I can´t be sure. Otherwise there is a river crossing below this canyon. I think Phelesmon used it to sneak up on us faster than my radars could register."

Tai nodded again. "How long do you think it goes?"

"Not sure. It isn´t listed on any map, so I think it won´t surface and join with another river or flow into the sea underground. Either solution is further away than we could swim."

"How much space is not filled with water?"

"Not much. Why?" Izzy eyed Tai warily, eyebrows knit together. Tai ignored him.

"Takuya", Agnimon looked at him anyway, "Koichi can evolve like you?"

"Yeah?" It came out like a question. Agnimon had a pretty good idea where this was going. He had been thinking along similar lines, and he was sure the others suspected something as well.

"Good. Then sent both of them a message saying that we won´t be able to help for now and that they should act according to their own judgment. Retreat if necessary."

"Are we blowing this off?" Davis asked incredulously, coming to his solution. "After coming so far? You can´t be serious!"

Tai shot him a look and Davis went quiet, swallowing his complains.

"No. We are just adjusting the plan a little." He smirked. "There aren´t any -"

Agnimon painfully hit the ground face first. He felt the hard stone scratch his exposed cheeks. His eyes closed he felt a hand crushing his head harder and harder against the solid rock and a strong headache immediately made him fell dizzy. Agnimon moved his hands only to find out that something nailed his right hand in place and that a something pressed heavily down on his back, holding him to the ground.

Chaos was erupting around him. Agnimon heard vivid curses and Angwomon´s bowstring; he felt her arrow´s energy even.

"Very much Fire´s character." A familiar voice hissed in his ear. Struggling with his thoughts, Agnimon smelled the creature´s foul breath on his face. Disgusting. "But boy, know, that now you can never escape from us."

Struggling against the hold on his head Agnimon twisted his head to the side and forced an eye open.
"While I agree that your looks are worth running from, no one would ever run from somebody weaker than a fly." He stared Phelesmon in the eye with every bit of deviance and disgust he could muster. Admittedly not the smartest thing to do when said devil was using his back as a couch for its knee.

Again Agnimon tried to push himself up; this time with more power. Why Angewomon didn´t shoot was a mystery to him, but since she hadn´t shot yet he had to get rid of Phelesmon on his back all by himself. For a second Agnimon considered using his other Spirit – as Vitramon it was pretty much unimportant if somebody was sitting on his back- , but he quickly let the thought drop again. Right now he couldn´t.

So Agnimon channeled his own powers. The fire running through his veins, the flames that made up his entire body. Red hot fire sparked from his armor´s joints, first slowly and few then more. Phelesmon had survived his attack before due to unknown reasons, so Agnimon just hoped that his heat would still hurt it even now. Because there was nothing else Agnimon could do. With each flamelet he got weaker, his body hurt more and his head got heavier.

After a few seconds of trying to endure the fire Agnimon felt Phelesmon loosen its hold on his head and back. But Agnimon didn´t give it time to peacefully get up alone. Agnimon dug his hands in the ground and with an effort pushed himself upward to his legs, like doing a pushup. Still not having left Agnimon´s back far enough, Phelesmon was pushed off balance by his momentum and stumbled a step back. Whatever it had been to hold Agewomon back was gone now as she released another high voltage arrow of Light energy. By now Agnimon wasn´t surprised anymore when Phelesmon dodged an almost point blank attack without as much as a scratch, but at the same time he angled his arms and twisted his body´s upper half, still covered in fire new flames sprouted from his gauntlets anyway. Kicking off the ground with one leg he spun around, adding rotation to his fire and raising it to the size of a small tornado with Agnimon in the twist´s center.

The flaming tornado quickly closed the few feet distance between a still way too lively Phelesmon who had just finished evading Angewomon´s arrow.

"Salamander Break!"

Phelesmon swiftly evaded Agnimon´s roundhouse kick and jumped few feet back again. No emotion betrayed its face. Had it not been for the violet blood dripping to the ground Agnimon wouldn´t believe it really had a shoulder pierced through for it was really far too elusive.

This was getting bad. They had to get out of there, disappear underground before long. There was no time to play with Phelesmon. Not only was Agnimon getting weaker by the second now, the number of stoned falling from the canyon had reached a dangerous amount and size. The canyon floor had to have been at least a foot higher than in had been when they first landed. Not to mention-

"Lilimon!" Someone screeched behind him. Turning to the source of the voice Agnimon found Mimi watching terrified how Lilimon was falling from the wall she had been smashed into and devolving into a small green blob.

Turning had been a mistake. Agnimon had let Phelesmon from his eyes.

And he felt the consequence immediately. A fist rammed in his stomach, cracking his armor.

He caught, collapsing to his knees a lot of vivid curses on his lips. How could he have been so stupid? Black dots appeared in his sight and all his limps got heavy. He heard Kari scream his name, but she sounded so far away even through a little part of his mind told him she was close to him. Something cold creeped from deep inside him to the surface; freezing the liquid fire in his veins to a terrifying cold.

He knew his body was on fire again. Fire burning everything that came to close; unforgiving, free yet cold fire.

He felt his face hit the ground once more, but this time he knew, he wouldn´t get back up.

His eyes only saw black and his insides were hurting not only from the hit he got. Agnimon didn´t know what hurt more. Burning alive in his own flames or his blood and soul freezing colder than ice. Everything was blocked out from his mind; he barley felt the ground shake, didn´t feel heavy rock falling on him, didn´t hear Phelesmon scream in frustration and hate, didn´t feel that someone was holding him close, protecting him from the collapsing canyon as his body underwent the painful transformation from Agnimon to Takuya.

I´ve been wondering, does 'Digidestined' have a plural? For now it doesn´t in my texts, but if it has, please tell me.

I wrote the battle scene from an independent 3rd point of view. Please let me know if you liked it better than the others and if I should write battle like that or form an inside 3rd point.

And now before you go and call me a sadist or something ( which is only a tiny bit true) i´ll tell you that i got the idea to make the evolutions painful from the anime. Beast and fusion evolution were not very pleasant if the faces and voices are anything to go by.

And i have sad news: I don´t know when i will upload the next chapter. Even though i already have a good idea how to continue this i just can´t get myself to write intelligent sentence down. I´m really sorry about that.

This time the next update won´t be with the next holidays, though. Even though i have my final exam of school in April i plan to make space during my school time and upload few chapters.