Ominous Flame

Chapter 26

Author Notes: Here we are...a day or two late but its fine! I didn't forget. Just...wasn't home. My bad guys lol. But let's get the show on the road, i do not own Digimon.

3rd P.O.V

It was a peaceful night, the sky was full of stars, the fire was roaring and most of the group was asleep. "This has gone on long enough. I'm getting sick of JP and Takuya ignoring each other." And that meant it was the perfect time for Koji to complain.

Fortunately both he and Koichi were on first watch for the night, giving the warrior of light the chance to say his piece without a fight breaking out. "At least Takuya and Zoe seemed to have patched things up." It's been about a week since Takuya and Zoe fought Calmaramon for the first time.

And more or less things have calmed down as far as the group goes. Or rather there haven't been any serious arguments or temper tantrums. Zoe not too long after even managed to get her own beast spirit while hunting for the Toucanmon.

Calmaramon was still a problem. But at the very least everyone came out unharmed as she couldn't control her spirit and sent herself flying again during the last fight. Still, it was a concern that despite doing their utmost to, they haven't found those rotten bird digimon that stole their d-tectors.

Which meant only Takuya and Zoe could fight whenever trouble turned their way. It was infuriating. "Yes well that's because the both of them were in danger and from what Zoe told me, they talked it out." Koichi poked at the fire while nibbling his lip. Honestly it was a surprise that Takuya was still ignoring JP.

The brunette didn't seem like the type to hold a grudge. "I wonder why." And with how quickly he patched things up with Zoe-who had essentially started the arguing in the first place, it was just bizarre. "JP hasn't approached me. Hence why I'm not forgiving him."

Both brothers jump, startled as Takuya shoots them an amused grin, before plopping his ass down on the ground, resting his back against a log. Just how much did he hear? "The hell are you still up for?" Koji narrowed his eyes as he took in his companions form.

"Couldn't sleep." Bags were forming under his eyes. His complexion was ashen instead of the usual tan. And overall looked like hell warmed over. "That seems to be happening more and more frequent Takuya. Are you alright?"

The last day or two especially Takuya has insisted on taking over with whoever was on guard duty. Usually that being Koichi. Who was growing very concerned as his fire elemental friend has been rushing off on his own to let loose some flames instead of resting.

"Just can't sleep. I'm fine." The twins purse their lips in frustration. Without meaning to perfectly mirroring each other. In general they should've known their friend wouldn't be willing to talk about his issues...with what happened with Calmaramon it was a clear enough picture of what's going on.

"Let's play kiddies~" Zoe and Takuya share a glance before bringing out their D-tectors. "I've just about had enough of you. Come on Takuya!" He nodded, both getting wrapped in the digicode of their spirits. "Here we go!"

Ranamon was humming a tune as she flicked her fingers. "Nu uh uh~ Not this time!" The two found themselves surprised as they were hit with a rush of waves. Interrupting their transformation midway... "Takuya! Zoe!" Takuya cursed as he fell overboard and struggled against the waves.

Spewing water out of his mouth as he shot flames Ranamon's way. "Aww how cute." He gritted his teeth in annoyance. Even if his flames were usable as a human they still did nothing to her. "Spirit evolution-Kazemon!" Well at least she managed to transform.

Takuya's luck has been absolute shit lately. "Ohh guess I get to have some fun after all." The warrior of wind growled as she tried kicking through Ranamon's water pillars, but it did nothing. Her opponent didn't look the slightest bit worried.

If anything she was relaxed as she laid, stomach first on her ocean pillar, flicking her wrist she winks. "Draining rain!" By the time Takuya managed to get back on their little raft and transform, Zoe had fallen into the sea, swallowed by the whirlpools.

"No Zoe-!" Tommy's eyes widened as Agunimon fell to one knee, clutching his chest. "Takuya?" His confusion and worry came out quietly as everyone else's attention was on Ranamon. But it didn't take long for all eyes to fall on the Legendary Pyro.

Even Ranamon found herself curious as she rose from her spot. "Hmm? What's the matter sweetie? Not up to the fighting me today?" With gritted teeth he rose, getting into fighting stance. He had to ignore his friend's concerned looks as well as the little space he had to fight.

They were surrounded by the ocean...the circumstances were far worse than before. Still he had no choice but to fight. "Why don't we drop this little spat. Just hand over your spirits and I'll let you go. How's that sound?" It was a surprise that she still thought the entire group had them.

A secret he intended to keep. "No way in hell. Grrrr Pyro Tornado!" Huffing Ranamon easily counters, only for her eyes in surprise as steam forms once again. Instead of extinguishing his flames there was another stalemate between them, which made no sense.

She had an entire ocean at her beck and call-there's no way he could outmatch her. But she was ready for him to strike, he did it before and it wouldn't surprise her if he decided to take advantage of it again. "Pyro darts!" She blocked and blocked, not letting a single attack get close.

In a sense it was a good thing, because that meant her view was constantly covered. Which meant she couldn't see how badly Takuya was actually struggling. But his friends could see it. His body was spazzing, trembling as he kept using his flames.

However much to the groups' shock and horror a pained groan escaped him before he changed back, falling on his knees in agony. "Guess you're really not feeling up to it, poor thing." Spinning her finger in a circle she sends a stream of water to grab him.

"Takuya!" He was barely breathing as he was held in her hold. "I promise to make your death quick sugar." He was really hating feeling so defenseless...so useless. "Fuck off!" Mustering what strength he had left, he shot out a blast of black fire..."Eeek!" Successfully burning her.

At the cost of her letting him go from the pain. "Oh no!" He fell...only to be caught by a new face. "We have got to stop doing this Takuya." Though through blurry vision, he could recognize the amusement in the new digimon's voice. "Zoe?"

Gently she set him down onto the raft, letting him rest against the sail's pillar before going off to fight. "I'll take over from here." Leaving the rest of the group to watch as he falls unconscious.

"Takuya you need to rest." Neither twin were going to take no for an answer. "You guys are overreact-ing." Leave it to him to yawn mid-sentence. Showing just how tired he truly was. But he didn't want to fall asleep-he couldn't afford to fall asleep.

Nightmares were a bitch to deal with-especially when he knew why he was getting them. "Sure-tell us you can fly next. Seriously Takuya you're not fooling anyone." Koji felt just a tiny bit bad seeing him flinch. Only a tiny bit though.

This song and dance has gone on long enough. "What's bothering you Takuya?" A small sigh escapes the brunette before he takes off his necklace, tossing it to towards the warrior of darkness. He manages to somehow catch it, nearly getting clocked in the face-still small victories.

But that small sense of satisfaction is gone the moment he takes a gander at the necklace. "Oh dear." Koji narrows his eyes as he leans in, his expression confused. "It's cracking?" The jewel in the center was beginning to fracture. Spider web patterns all across the beads too actually.

"Was that why you collapsed when fighting Ranamon?" There was very little the boys knew about the necklace Shamanmon gave him, only that it helped him somehow. "Probably. Without it I can't be Agunimon. For a moment I flickered back into Shagumon during the battle. Which really isn't good."

Shagumon? Now they really looked at Takuya as he placed his hands against the fire...practically touching it. "That's the evil one right?" As if it could burn away the trembling shown through his fingers. But it couldn't get rid of the worry.

No matter how badly he wished. "Yeah...that's the form Cherubimon stuck me with. Until Shamanmon, I was wearing a...bad version of Agunimon, completely different color palette. I was way more powerful...but I was a husk lacking emotions that only obeyed orders." He never wanted to go back.

And seeing those cracks was undeniable proof along with all his other issues that he didn't have much longer. "The last few days he's been trying to get into my head. Calling me back in my dreams." Why? He had no idea.

But thankfully it seemed Ranamon hadn't figured him out yet, so he could only assume it was because Cherubimon hadn't heard of him causing mass destruction in awhile. "Is that why you haven't been sleeping?" All Koichi got was a small shrug, not really confirming or denying his question.

It was clear to see regardless that his friend was not well. Not that the pyromancer would admit it However with that train of thought, he speaks up, catching their attention. "Listen guys...I need to ask you a favor."

Dark blue eyes full of curiosity turn his way, though his gaze don't meet theirs...and for good reason considering what he was about to say. "Should my necklace break...and I change back I need you guys to take me out. Take my spirit and life if need be." He wasn't sure if this was a good time to say it.

"What?!" But it was too late now to take it back. And now Takuya had to face Koji's wrath as he's immediately grabbed by the collar. "The hell Takuya!?" Fortunately he still kept his voice low, no one woke up. But his tone no less venomous. "It's only a precaution Koji. Calm down."

Even with the fatigue he was easily able to over power and push the angry twin away. "No. You realize what you're asking me and my brother to do right? You want us to kill you should you go bad again?! Are you kidding me?!" Koichi flinched at that.

A sense of dread filling his stomach. "Even if we wanted to honor your request Takuya we don't have our spirits." That was true, for now anyways. Of course Takuya was ready for that argument.

"From what we've managed to gather the Toucanmon are heading for the festival thing in the next town over. Chances are we'll get them there. You guys don't need to get bent out of shape over this." He wasn't serious...

Was he? "You expect us to calm down after you tell us that? You think it's ok that you can go saying to kill you and take your spirit? You fucking asshole!" A deep sigh escapes Takuya-his eyes glowing red.

A red so deep that it shines even in the shadows. Forcing Koji to stop his enrage rant. There's a few moments of tense silence as Takuya closes his eyes. Taking deep breath to collect himself. He couldn't afford to get frustrated. He couldn't let loose now.

"Understand where I'm coming from Koji. At any point I can go back to being Cherubimon's minion. I do that-all of you are gonzo. I told you I was more powerful as Shagumon and though I'll try my damnest, it took Ophanimon restoring me to normal last time-note that she hasn't been around lately."

It was concerning how quiet she's been. Though none of them have really tried calling for her guidance-Takuya figured that she was still trapped by Cherubimon, meaning she was not going to be helpful right now-let alone to his problem.

And they needed to be ready. "You really underselling yourself aren't you? You had been holding off from his influence long before you started traveling with us." Takuya appreciated Koichi's confidence, but he wasn't going to let the matter drop. Not for this.

"I was in my Shagumon form up until Dream Forest where I met Tommy. Once I changed back I rarely shifted forms because of his influence. Because the moment I did I was bombarded with voices in my head. None too pleasant. Either way-I wasn't doing as well as you thought I was Koichi."

They needed the reality check. He was ok now, he was surviving before. But he wouldn't be able to hold on forever. "I'm not saying to kill me in my sleep, but I want you guys ready should things go south. Tommy and Zoe aren't going to fight me, and though JP might-he won't be enough." Wait a minute...

Koichi narrowed his eyes as realization strikes. "Is that why you're not patching things up with JP? So you'll have a better chance of someone striking you when the time comes?" Koji jerked to his twin-his own expression full of horror. Takuya answers with another shrug.

"You can believe whatever your heart desires Koichi. But at the end of the day...I can only rely on the two of you with this. Both of you are strong, have your beast spirits and will to take me down. I need you to promise me-should the time come. I need to know you will do what you need to do to protect the others." It shouldn't be like this.

Neither of them wanted to make that promise. When Koichi lost control of his spirit, it was Takuya that prevented a beast spirit brawl between the two siblings. And back then it wasn't going to be a battle to the death.

What he was asking them was cruel-understandable, but cruel nonetheless. And even if they promise him there was no guarantee they would follow through with it. Saying and doing it were two different things when facing the problem head on.

"I refuse." In unison, the boys give Takuya their answer. "Very well." But it was a surprise to them all as not only were their answers different, but it was Koichi who agreed. "Thank you." And it brings a sense of relief in the brunette.

So much so that without even meaning to, he closed his eyes to fall into a restless slumber. His face right in front of the roaring fire. "The hell Koichi!?" There was a sense of betrayal as the younger twin rises from his seat.

Returning the necklace to its rightful owner. "He wasn't going to budge Koji. I wasn't going to keep arguing with him all night." There was a serious expression on his brother's face, something that made Koji shudder.

Everyone, including them had questioned why they got the particular elements of light and darkness. Koji was rude, blunt, and stubborn, while Koichi was kind, compassionate and patient. Total opposites in every way.

But seeing Koichi give him a look of determination, agreeing to Takuya's request made Koji see why his brother was the dark counterpart. He wasn't afraid to dirty his hands for the greater good. But Koichi shifts expressions, looking somber as if reading his brother's thoughts.

"If it were me in his shoes, I'd want to be stopped no matter what. I have no intentions of killing him-but if I need to knock him out and take his spirit to protect him and the others, I'll do it." Well that was a relief at least.

Glad to see they were still on the same page in that department. "But still...you think you can fight him? Actually be willing to?" Koichi glances down then, his attention turned back to Takuya who was blissfully unaware of the conversation.

He really knew how to shift the mood. For better or worse. "I won't have a choice when the time comes." When, no should or if. "When..." Koichi could only give his brother a sad smile, one that he had seen only once. When talking about their deceased grandmother.

The one that sent Koichi searching for his brother in the first place. "When. The fact that he told us what he has- has confirmed all of our concerns. The signs are there, regardless of our confidence and reassurances...he's running out of time. And he's terrified of it."

No matter what he wanted them ready for anything. So...the least Koichi could do was honor that. Should the time comes, when it comes. He will fight him. And the warrior of darkness WILL win.

to be continued

Author Notes: Hmmmmm. What a dramatic little chapter. And I didn't even have much happen but you know I love a good forshadowing~ Next chapter is definitely going to be fun. For me. What will happen? Well...we'll find out in a few days.

But that is it for now everyone. As per usual thank you all so much for reading this series. If you like it please feel free to fav/follow/review as it would mean a crap ton to me. And I'll see you all next time. Tchao for now.