Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ *My Power* ❯ Crest Beasts ( Prologue )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Mistress AnnaMay 
The night of the dream. More details inside.
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Drama / Angst / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.11.2001 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 847 | Status: Completed
The night of the dream. More details inside.
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Drama / Angst / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.11.2001 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 847 | Status: Completed
Hello, it is Moi, Mistress AnnaMay (aka, Digimattzchick, aka, Rihatsu Okami, (the lists go on forever ppls,)) from FF.net, at your service! *bows* I'm back in action, prepared to regale you with new stories of adventure! Fantasy! Suspense! Etcetera, Etcetera! This new story is called "My Power," and I am enclosing a summary that you may read if you would like more information.
SUMMARY- *NOTE: Some things may change as I go along, who knows when my uncanny phases of inspiration will strike!
It's one year after the defeat of Malomyotismon, everybody has there own digimon, and the world has fallen into a temporary state of peace and harmony. Then comes the night of the strange dream, the first step into a new and frightening adventure; according to Gennai, when the chosen first saved the world, it was done "wrong," therefore, our heroes have to once again save the Digital World. Only now, the conditions have changed--- in a bad way as well as good. The Digidestined are down one member, due to a mistake with the digi-eggs; but the Digidestined have received new powers to help their digimon Digivolve. These powers feed off their Master's emotions. Emotions have a tendency to go haywire.
Okay, there was the summary.
Anyway, this chapter will seem a bit confusing, but in the end it will all come together, and you should be able to find it in your heart to tolerate it. ^^ I really wasn't planning to post this, so if I don't get very good reviews, or enough reviews, chances are slim that I'll post/write chapter 2. Please understand that I would luv ANY type of response, whether it be praise, ideas, comments, flames--- try to keep them on the decent side please--- ----Mistress AnnaMay
The ages for this fic are:
Matt, Tai, and Sora: 17
Jyou:18
Izzy and Mimi: 16
The ages may seem kinda weird, but please bear with me.
Okay, I think that's it, so here ya go, and enjoy!!
Chapter 1: Power of My Crest
By Mistress AnnaMay
Taichi Yagami had to jam his eyes shut in the sudden blaring light of his Crest, which had leaped out of his Tag and now hovered just above him, staining the sky with its powerful scarlet light. He cautiously allowed his eyes to a squint; and then wider as he adjusted to the aura of fiery luminosity.
He gasped, for not only had the Emblem of Courage evacuated its embracer, it had enlarged greatly and the background had dissipated, leaving only the sun-like Symbol leering before him. Flames traveled up and down the many points, devoured the circle in the middle, licked at Tai's cheeks, although he felt no more than a pleasant tingle.
As it burned before him, a rare sensation swept over him, but one that he recognized immediately. It was a sense of awe, as though he was in the presence of something great. Something, whispers in the deepest places of his mind, told him to close his eyes. He did so, and seconds later a warmth washed over him, filling him with an overwhelming sense of power. It flooded his veins, pulled his muscles taut. He was brimming with energy that needed to be used.
His eyes snapped open. They seemed narrower with a sense of seriousness, darker, and they glittered dangerously. The floating Crest had disappeared, "returned to the tag," Tai guessed, although he didn't spare a moment to check. The sky had returned to its normal shade of grimy blue. He snorted, and mashed a plant under his shoe as if to tell the world he was in charge here. With the Power of Courage, he was unstoppable.
That was when they appeared. Cloaked in shadows they were, all five of them. But he knew them nonetheless. He knew he had defeated them before, and that he could again. He grinned, and waited for them to make the first move. They didn't have a chance.
Seconds passed. Minutes probably. Hours possibly. Time had no value in this world.
A muggy breeze stirred the leaves hanging over them like a curtain from the strong, young, branches; teased his hair, which also seemed alive with power. He shifted impatiently, debating whether he should go ahead and attack. The idea of evil falling to good almost forced a chuckle out of him.
He took a fighting stance, and called the Power of Courage to his hands.
That's when it happened. All he saw was a flicker of shadow from the corner of either eye, and there followed a burst of intense pain in his chest, and though it left as soon it came, it took his strength with it. Taichi fell to his knees and clutched his chest. The memory of the sudden pain was so vivid, like the afterimage of a light after you shut your eyes. He could still feel it. Everything swam before him as he fought to regain the breath that had been so mercilessly ripped from him.
They started for him. The back two towered over all. One was lithe and long, the other shorter and bulky, but both were capable of immense destruction. The next two were much smaller. The silhouette of the first was so complicated it would be impossible to identify him if you didn't know better. The second's skinny tail waved out to the side of him, even through the gloom that shrouded them you could see the worn shine of his chrome armor and the bulge of his muscles. The figure at the front needed no explaining. It was him. The face of evil itself. As simple as that.
They advanced, and he cowered in front of them; hid his face in his hands.
Through slightly spread fingers, Tai saw the ruddy glint of steel. Without hesitation, the digimon bellowed his attack, and the sword gleamed one last time as it careened down towards him. He screamed.
*~*~*
"Hey Tai! Pass the ball!!" Tatsu, Tai's teammate, called angrily from across the field. Taichi glanced at the eager, begging face and halfheartedly kicked the ball. It fell short, and a tall kid from the opposing team stole it. His teammates groaned and shot him dirty looks as they jogged towards the active half of the field. He turned red, but shrugged. A member of the opposing team brushed him roughly as he charged towards the ball, shouting his mocking thanks. Many more flurries of maroon followed. Tai didn't care. His chest ached, his head swam; he hadn't gotten any sleep last night, all because of that stupid dream. It haunted him even now, stealing the attention that should have been devoted to soccer. He remembered the sick pleasure twisted into the features of the black and white face, the cruel giggle, like a gurgle in the back of the throat.
Unbeknownst to him, Tai had involuntarily stopped, and was standing like a statue in the middle of the soccer field.
His coach barked at him from the sidelines. "Get out of here Yagami, go home and get some sleep." Tai nodded gratefully, but the gesture was lost for the coach had already jogged down to where the ball was and was yelling at the other players.
He crossed the soccer field, packed up his stuff, and began the long trudge home.
~*~*~
A warm breeze tugged at Yamato's hair, which was for once free of gel. He was in the digital world, in a worn plain, broken every once in a while by clusters of huge trees. Their leaves rattled as the wind picked up. The sky was a warm blue; flowers grew in small carpets to break the monotony of the dusty ground. Everything seemed to be perfectly in order.
But suddenly, Yamato gasped. The most odd feeling had struck him in the chest. Like someone was tugging at his heart. He put a hand to his chest, feeling something was wrong. Then he felt the ground tremble. It stopped, but started again, only to stop like it had the first time. Footsteps, he realized. Footsteps belonging to something very huge. A shadow crept over him, chilling him to the bone. He squinted up towards the sun, which hung on the horizon like a clock. A looming figure had trudged in front of it, cloaking the landscape in shadow. There were four more shapes, and they were making a steady pace towards a bright red light far to his right. He braced himself as thoughts began to race through his mind. If he headed towards the light, he knew undoubtedly that there would be trouble waiting for him. Trouble he did not want. He wanted to sit down on the cool ground, stare at the sapphire sky, and the wisps of cloud that ever so slowly swirled and changed shape. The wind played with his hair again; it too had grown cold. He shook his head and realized that he had been selfish. If he didn't do something now, someone could be getting in even more trouble than him.
He started towards the blazing red light at an easy run.
~*~*~
Tai crossed the first street towards home. He figured that an additional reason as to why he hadn't played very well today was that he hadn't eaten breakfast, so he planned to stop at the sweets shop to get something nourishing.
He passed many people sitting at outside tables, sipping tea and eating soba and udon from brilliant white wares. He waved to more than one group of giggling girls, who blushed and launched into violent whispers as he passed. The warm morning air was thick with intoxicating smells: rich, slow-roasted beef and pork, noodles settling in the bottom of vats of golden broth, and tea, all sorts of delicate flavors.
The young but ever burning sun began to take its toll on our weary warrior. If Tai didn't know better, he would think he was slogging in knee-deep mud, or maybe snow. His face was flushed and breathing harsh and halting. He wanted nothing more to plop down at one of the tables, but the knowledge that he would be shooed away for more valuable customers kept him going. Finally, one store left till the candy shop...
One step. Two steps... fifteen steps. He collapsed at one of the outside tables, shaded by a cheery red and white striped umbrella, to rest before entering the candy shop. The sweet smells teased his senses every time the door opened.
~*~*~
There was nothing before she was here. THEY were here, that is. She and Mimi. She turned to the girl, who oddly enough, was wearing a pale two-piece pajama outfit. It was patterned with light pink roses, long sleeved, and made of silk. "It's probably real fine silk," thought Sora, "considering how successful Mimi and her family had become back in America." Speaking of America, what was Mimi doing HERE? Shouldn't she be off doing American-ish stuff? Mimi turned to her, and her foggy brown eyes widened. "Sora...?"
Sora nodded absently, and glanced at the hazy blue sky. Mimi was scuffling towards her, rubbing her eyes and yawning. "Where are we Sora?"
Sora shrugged, and rubbed her arm. "It looks like the digital world."
Mimi shivered, and her face changed into the "I hate this" look.
"I hate this! One moment I was in bed and now I'm here."
"Oh well..." Sora smiled, and Mimi frowned at her friend, it almost looked as if Sora was...was...drunk.
Forgetting everything her parents had attempted to teach her about being polite, Mimi bluntly asked,
"Sora, are you drunk?"
Sora snorted and stamped her foot. "No! Why would you think that?"
Her friend shrugged. "You just seem..."
"Not all there?"
Mimi nodded and hugged herself, Sora grinned.
"It's just that... something isn't quite kosher here."
"Hunh?"
"I don't feel like I'm really here. I feel like... I'm floating above everything, looking down below. Kinda like a... dream I guess. That's what I really think, this is a dream. You're not real. I'll wake up and everything will be fine."
Mimi looked hurt. She pulled at her ponytail, (which she left on at nights, because she didn't always have time to do her hair the next morning,) and tried to hide the miffed look on her face.
"That's mean Sora..." she muttered, and Sora only sighed and gazed at the horizon.
"And asking if I was drunk isn't?"
There was an uncomfortable silence, and then Sora turned and gave Mimi a lopsided grin. "So, whattya wanna do "Dream Mimi"?"
Mimi rolled her eyes, but smiled smugly anyway.
Sora stretched her arms out in front of her and yawned. "I think we should go steal some stuff."
Sora's kawaii charm had somehow coaxed Mimi into her rare state good humor. She punched Sora on the shoulder. "You really are drunk."
If Sora had planned on saying something after that, she didn't. Instead her incoherent cry broke the subtleness of the moment, and both girls looked at where Sora was pointing. Through a bristly wall of bushes, they saw a scene that ripped their breath straight from their throats. There was Tai, crouched on the ground, and Matt running towards him, the crest under his shirt blazed, cloaking him in an eerie blue light. Before Tai stood Piedmon, sword drawn, and behind him stood the other four dark masters.
A new, yet all too familiar voice speared their ears like an arrow driving through the heart of its target.
They turned to see two boys dashing towards them; one's bulky bag swung in rhythm of his frantic steps, the other clutched his yellow and white laptop to his chest.
~*~*~
Tai was feeling noticeably better, walking down the street with a stump of a chocolate bar in his hand and two packages of gummy worms in his huge cargo pocket. While in the store he had run his head under the faucet in the bathroom, and now it drooped, and dripped the quickly warming water down his temples and under his chin. His goggles hung at his neck, as did his dormant crest.
"It sure wasn't dormant last night," Tai mused to himself, licking the sweet, brown, goo off his fingers. At the next trashcan, he crumpled the wrapper up and tossed it towards the rim. The wind had decided that it was a perfect time to pick up, and sink a poor boys spirits. The wrapper soared over the canister and into the street beyond. Tai slapped his forehead and groaned. As his mom had always told him, "it was his obligation to clean up after his mess." He trudged out to the curb, and leaned over to pick up the trash. Two solid objects slammed into his back, and he doubled over and fell forward. Tai whipped around, and was looking into nine angry faces, his teammates; they were muddy and haggard looking, a few even showed the occasional smear of blood.
"A lotta help YOU were today Yagami. We were THIS close to going to the championship, and your little "play" back there was the iceberg that sunk our ship." Tatsu's fists were clenched as he glared at the teen lying sprawled at the edge of the street.
"I'm... sorry." Tai said sheepishly, at a loss of words. He didn't know that his screw-up hurt them that much. He pushed his aching body up and brushed off his pants. The angry mob and the single boy stared at each other, and then Tatsu snapped. That championship had meant everything to him. They had held it in the palm of their hand, and it was snatched away. He landed a sudden, swift punch on Tai's blank face, sending him back into the street. Tatsu strode away before a ruckus could start, and the others trudged after him, feeling a little guilty for the actions of their hotheaded teammate.
Tai propped himself up against the curb, and breathed raggedly for a few moments. Tears leaked out of the corner of his eyes. He hated himself. He hated the dream, whatever it meant. Last night it had scared him so much that he had bolted up in bed in a cold sweat, trembling and crying, but it didn't scare him now. He just didn't get it. He set a hand on the fire hydrant that had so conveniently been placed behind him, and wobbled to a standing position.
~*~*~
Jyou moaned when he opened his eyes and saw he was standing in ---where else--- the digital world. He had no idea how he had gotten there, but that didn't matter much now. A lump of dread had begun to solidify in his stomach, and that's when he saw Izzy fighting his way through some scrubby brush and the low hanging limbs of a tree.
When he emerged, a red line curved from his jaw line to the bottom of his eye, and crimson blood blossomed from it.
"Jyou?"
Jyou sighed, and ran a long-fingered hand through his hair. His hand groped around in his bag as he trotted toward his shorter friend.
He was surprised to see that Izzy looked about to cry, and something told him that it wasn't the long scratch that leaked blood onto his pale cheek. His ever-present laptop was folded under one arm. Jyou caught Izzy's wrist before he wiped at the cut, and instead placed a piece of gauze over it, damp with an aromatic alcohol. Izzy winced and cried out, but his yelp trailed off and his eyes widened. He lifted a trembling hand to their far left, where Tai cowered before five hulking figures. A second cry rang like an alarm through the night, and even farther left was Sora and Mimi. They too were staring.
Matt had joined the scene; he ran towards Tai, his crest enfolded him with a ghostly blue radiance.
~*~*~
The second Tai expected Piedmon's sword to pierce his back, an angry cry stopped the blow, and all heads turned. Matt stood before the group, panting; his face was darkened with rage.
"Let him go Piedmon."
Tai was utterly amazed at how stern and calm Matt's voice sounded. This couldn't really be his best friend, could it?
Piedmon snorted, and --- to everyone's relief--- thrust his sword into the sandy ground. He then proceeded to lean on the hilt as casually as if it were a counter; He yawned.
"And why should I take orders from someone as loathsome and repulsive as you?"
"Because," started Matt, tugging his crest out from his black T-shirt, "I might have to do this!!"
He thrust the crest forward and let out a war cry. A blinding blue light leapt from the pendant, swirling and crackling until it was in the shape of a wolf. It threw back its flickering head to the sky, and let out a howl that sounded like icy slush under a car's warm wheels. In one graceful leap it slammed into Piedmon's chest and knocked him backwards. Piedmon and the blue wolf grappled with each other; the other Digidestined gaped, and the remaining Dark Masters stood on the sidelines and watched with grim smiles, as if awaiting their turn.
Piedmon held the snapping jaws off with one hand, and managed to unsheathe his second sword with the latter. Mustering all the strength he could, he bashed the wolf in the side of the head with the broadside of his sword.
"NO!!" Piedmon shrieked as the wolf let out a strangled yelp and shied away.
His eyes were wild with fury. "NO!! You are not the Ookami Wielder! You can't be!! It's not possible!!" His hands shot forward and he kneaded the air at a furious pace. A black oily substance began to float up from the long gloved fingers. The electric blue wolf had regained composure, and once again charged Piedmon. Right before he reached the clownish digimon, his head sharply jerked to the side and he flew backwards, as if he had hit some invisible wall. Piedmon opened his hand, and the greasy, smoke-like tendrils shot towards the wolf, wrapping tighter and tighter around it until it shuddered and a trickle of dark azure blood dribbled out of its mouth. With a sizzling sound, the mighty animal shattered like glass.
Matt screamed and fell to his knees, drawing everyone's attention. The moment the wolf had shattered, it felt as though his whole chest had too. Paying no attention to his misery, the tendrils, which had been lingering uneasily above the spot where the wolf used to stand, hurtled towards him. Tai reached towards them as if to put a stop to them, but the phantom shadows from before had left him completely drained. He collapsed to the ground like a big dog after a long run.
The shadowy vines were so swift you couldn't tell what they were doing. They darted towards Matt and retracted like snakes, but each time they drew back Matt found that they had wrapped around a part of his body. One minute he was on all fours, panting with pain, and the next he was suspended above the ground, each limb and his chest, neck, and abdomen bound tight. He groaned and thrashed helplessly, tears pooled in his eyes and trickled down his cheeks.
Sora hugged herself as though she could feel what he did. She grasped her crest and sought the ground, her mind reeled faster than the vines had grabbed Matt.
She didn't want to end up like him, or Tai, this was a dream, like she said, a horrible dream.
"Then why an I not waking up?!" She didn't care that she had screamed her thoughts aloud, for a sudden thought had struck her, if this was a dream, then it wouldn't matter what happened. A glance at Matt, who's suffering made her heart lurch--- dream or no dream--- led to a decision. Grasping her crest in her sweaty grip, she started forward, and squinted as an eruption of crimson sparks blazed up before her eyes.
Something leapt out of her crest too: a huge phoenix. It screeched and flew before Piedmon, glaring down at him through eyes like burning embers. It shrieked again and dove for him. Much to the surprise of everyone, it drove right through him, and his mouth froze in a wordless scream. He dissipated into a cloud of data.
The flaming bird opened its wings and shrieked. It had started as a victory cry, but took a sharp turn to one of pain as a screaming missile rocketed from the sidelines, burrowing through its heart. The phoenix exploded and lit up the sky, looking strangely like a firework. At that moment Sora knew why Matt's scream had sounded so agonizing. It was as if something behind her ribcage had burst into flames and rearranged her anatomy in the process. She couldn't scream, she had been benumbed with an unbelievable pain.
Mimi's hands flew to her mouth as she gaped in horror. Sora lay but a few feet away from her, shuddering.
"What have you done you... big, fat, jerk!!!" She cried, waving a fist at Machinedramon, who was reveling in his small victory.
Machinedramon's chuckle sounded like snakes moving through dry grass. "This!" He crouched a little, and hatches all over his body opened, ones that the remaining Digidestined didn't even know were there. A variety of missiles peeked out of the hatches; they knew what would be coming next.
"NO!" Screamed Mimi in her shrill voice. "I won't let you hurt my friends!!" With that, her crest birthed a blast of sparks and flame, and like a flower opening in the misty morning, the flaming pink figure of a human girl unfolded and stood up.
Izzy's laptop clattered to the ground. One word was frozen in his brain, plastered across the windshield of his mind's eye. Slaughter. They were being slaughtered. Neither Matt, nor Tai, nor Sora had moved from where they had fallen. There was no way they could win at this rate. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Tears of pain and fear. He pulled out his crest, and a mass of flashes and flickers joined the three that had come before. A buzzing filled the air, and hovering above him, translucent orange wings beating the sky as quickly as a humming bird's, was a bug like figure, much like Kabuterimon.
Jyou wanted to die. He wasn't made for this, made for seeing this; for living this. He wanted to curl up and make it all go away, and then he saw both Mimi and Izzy, as the pendants at their chest brought forth a formless mass of sputtering light. They weren't giving up, but he could tell by their expressions that they were just as terrified as he. "I can't believe it," he thought. "They're willing to risk themselves for their friends, even when they know that we can't win." For a moment, the notion made sense to Jyou, and he decided that he wouldn't let his friends down. A last blue aura joined the others, this one ran together until it was lithe and tall: a man. An odd man. Almost like a merman; he had fins on either arm and leg, and his hair was a pale green, like water.
The three glowing entities faced the four Dark Masters, and as if a silent whistle had been blown, the battle began. A barrage of missiles whistled as they shot through the air, accompanied by the sound of an electrical guitar being senselessly strummed.
It was like reliving a nightmare. Through squinted eyes and blocked ears, they could hear the "Crest Beasts" howl in pain as they shattered like the rest, and like the rest, their partners soul seemed to shatter as well.
It was over. Digidestined: 1 Dark Masters: 13
~*~*~
Tai could see his apartment building from here. It was the one that was JUST a bit bigger than all the rest; like a green fuzz he could see the tops of some thin plants reaching towards the sky. It was where all the tenants kept their gardens: the roof. And if it wasn't always this sunny it would make sense. The little square foundations of soil set out for each family had been baked dry, and what plants lived were a sickly green and they sagged.
Tai shuddered. His Mom's plants were always the ones that did the best. The kind of things she grew were closer to needing an eye of newt extract or something like that than water. She was always growing the weirdest, grossest thing she could find to use in her infamous recipes. The very thought made Tai's throat tighten up.
He almost ran into a wall when he walked into the lobby of the apartment. It was a shabby lobby. Like his somewhat shabby apartment, and his somewhat shabby life. There was mismatched furniture all around the room, and there was almost a tangible film of cigarette smoke. An older man leaned against the counter, chewing his cigar and flipping through a Time magazine.
Some shady people stood in clusters and talked in whispers, or more like hisses. Tai glanced at the elevator, eager to get away from here. On the elevator, scrawled on a lime green piece of paper was: "OUT OF ORDUR."
Tai chuckled to himself. Somebody needed a couple more classes in English.
He decided to go up the stairs, (seeing as that was the only other option.) He had walked five blocks, why not scale seven levels of stair?
~*~*~
Finally he was safe in the familiar comfort of his house. He could hear the low droning from Kari's room as she talked to someone on the phone--- TK probably.
Tugging of his shoes, Tai fell lengthwise onto the couch and snatched up the remote. The TV was on before his back even touched the materiel. Amazing.
Kari walked out of her room beaming, and Tai was actually sorry he didn't have enough energy to ask why.
He rubbed his chest with the ball of his hand; it had awakened with a dull pain as soon as he had began his climb up the stairs, and now it was just a consistent flare, as annoying as a mosquito buzzing in his ear.
A knock came at the door, he let Kari get it.
"Tai... it's for you."
Tai groaned, half-heartedly wondering if it was worth getting up for.
Standing in the doorway was Sora and Mimi, Izzy and Jyou. They all held their chest, in some, trying-not-to-be-conspicuous way, as if it was bothering them. A pale white scar curved up Izzy's cheek.
Jyou stepped forward, his medical bag was at his side. He clutched the strap so hard Tai could see his knuckles turning white.
"So Tai," he asked, trying to sound casual. "Have any... interesting dreams lately?"
SUMMARY- *NOTE: Some things may change as I go along, who knows when my uncanny phases of inspiration will strike!
It's one year after the defeat of Malomyotismon, everybody has there own digimon, and the world has fallen into a temporary state of peace and harmony. Then comes the night of the strange dream, the first step into a new and frightening adventure; according to Gennai, when the chosen first saved the world, it was done "wrong," therefore, our heroes have to once again save the Digital World. Only now, the conditions have changed--- in a bad way as well as good. The Digidestined are down one member, due to a mistake with the digi-eggs; but the Digidestined have received new powers to help their digimon Digivolve. These powers feed off their Master's emotions. Emotions have a tendency to go haywire.
Okay, there was the summary.
Anyway, this chapter will seem a bit confusing, but in the end it will all come together, and you should be able to find it in your heart to tolerate it. ^^ I really wasn't planning to post this, so if I don't get very good reviews, or enough reviews, chances are slim that I'll post/write chapter 2. Please understand that I would luv ANY type of response, whether it be praise, ideas, comments, flames--- try to keep them on the decent side please--- ----Mistress AnnaMay
The ages for this fic are:
Matt, Tai, and Sora: 17
Jyou:18
Izzy and Mimi: 16
The ages may seem kinda weird, but please bear with me.
Okay, I think that's it, so here ya go, and enjoy!!
Chapter 1: Power of My Crest
By Mistress AnnaMay
Taichi Yagami had to jam his eyes shut in the sudden blaring light of his Crest, which had leaped out of his Tag and now hovered just above him, staining the sky with its powerful scarlet light. He cautiously allowed his eyes to a squint; and then wider as he adjusted to the aura of fiery luminosity.
He gasped, for not only had the Emblem of Courage evacuated its embracer, it had enlarged greatly and the background had dissipated, leaving only the sun-like Symbol leering before him. Flames traveled up and down the many points, devoured the circle in the middle, licked at Tai's cheeks, although he felt no more than a pleasant tingle.
As it burned before him, a rare sensation swept over him, but one that he recognized immediately. It was a sense of awe, as though he was in the presence of something great. Something, whispers in the deepest places of his mind, told him to close his eyes. He did so, and seconds later a warmth washed over him, filling him with an overwhelming sense of power. It flooded his veins, pulled his muscles taut. He was brimming with energy that needed to be used.
His eyes snapped open. They seemed narrower with a sense of seriousness, darker, and they glittered dangerously. The floating Crest had disappeared, "returned to the tag," Tai guessed, although he didn't spare a moment to check. The sky had returned to its normal shade of grimy blue. He snorted, and mashed a plant under his shoe as if to tell the world he was in charge here. With the Power of Courage, he was unstoppable.
That was when they appeared. Cloaked in shadows they were, all five of them. But he knew them nonetheless. He knew he had defeated them before, and that he could again. He grinned, and waited for them to make the first move. They didn't have a chance.
Seconds passed. Minutes probably. Hours possibly. Time had no value in this world.
A muggy breeze stirred the leaves hanging over them like a curtain from the strong, young, branches; teased his hair, which also seemed alive with power. He shifted impatiently, debating whether he should go ahead and attack. The idea of evil falling to good almost forced a chuckle out of him.
He took a fighting stance, and called the Power of Courage to his hands.
That's when it happened. All he saw was a flicker of shadow from the corner of either eye, and there followed a burst of intense pain in his chest, and though it left as soon it came, it took his strength with it. Taichi fell to his knees and clutched his chest. The memory of the sudden pain was so vivid, like the afterimage of a light after you shut your eyes. He could still feel it. Everything swam before him as he fought to regain the breath that had been so mercilessly ripped from him.
They started for him. The back two towered over all. One was lithe and long, the other shorter and bulky, but both were capable of immense destruction. The next two were much smaller. The silhouette of the first was so complicated it would be impossible to identify him if you didn't know better. The second's skinny tail waved out to the side of him, even through the gloom that shrouded them you could see the worn shine of his chrome armor and the bulge of his muscles. The figure at the front needed no explaining. It was him. The face of evil itself. As simple as that.
They advanced, and he cowered in front of them; hid his face in his hands.
Through slightly spread fingers, Tai saw the ruddy glint of steel. Without hesitation, the digimon bellowed his attack, and the sword gleamed one last time as it careened down towards him. He screamed.
*~*~*
"Hey Tai! Pass the ball!!" Tatsu, Tai's teammate, called angrily from across the field. Taichi glanced at the eager, begging face and halfheartedly kicked the ball. It fell short, and a tall kid from the opposing team stole it. His teammates groaned and shot him dirty looks as they jogged towards the active half of the field. He turned red, but shrugged. A member of the opposing team brushed him roughly as he charged towards the ball, shouting his mocking thanks. Many more flurries of maroon followed. Tai didn't care. His chest ached, his head swam; he hadn't gotten any sleep last night, all because of that stupid dream. It haunted him even now, stealing the attention that should have been devoted to soccer. He remembered the sick pleasure twisted into the features of the black and white face, the cruel giggle, like a gurgle in the back of the throat.
Unbeknownst to him, Tai had involuntarily stopped, and was standing like a statue in the middle of the soccer field.
His coach barked at him from the sidelines. "Get out of here Yagami, go home and get some sleep." Tai nodded gratefully, but the gesture was lost for the coach had already jogged down to where the ball was and was yelling at the other players.
He crossed the soccer field, packed up his stuff, and began the long trudge home.
~*~*~
A warm breeze tugged at Yamato's hair, which was for once free of gel. He was in the digital world, in a worn plain, broken every once in a while by clusters of huge trees. Their leaves rattled as the wind picked up. The sky was a warm blue; flowers grew in small carpets to break the monotony of the dusty ground. Everything seemed to be perfectly in order.
But suddenly, Yamato gasped. The most odd feeling had struck him in the chest. Like someone was tugging at his heart. He put a hand to his chest, feeling something was wrong. Then he felt the ground tremble. It stopped, but started again, only to stop like it had the first time. Footsteps, he realized. Footsteps belonging to something very huge. A shadow crept over him, chilling him to the bone. He squinted up towards the sun, which hung on the horizon like a clock. A looming figure had trudged in front of it, cloaking the landscape in shadow. There were four more shapes, and they were making a steady pace towards a bright red light far to his right. He braced himself as thoughts began to race through his mind. If he headed towards the light, he knew undoubtedly that there would be trouble waiting for him. Trouble he did not want. He wanted to sit down on the cool ground, stare at the sapphire sky, and the wisps of cloud that ever so slowly swirled and changed shape. The wind played with his hair again; it too had grown cold. He shook his head and realized that he had been selfish. If he didn't do something now, someone could be getting in even more trouble than him.
He started towards the blazing red light at an easy run.
~*~*~
Tai crossed the first street towards home. He figured that an additional reason as to why he hadn't played very well today was that he hadn't eaten breakfast, so he planned to stop at the sweets shop to get something nourishing.
He passed many people sitting at outside tables, sipping tea and eating soba and udon from brilliant white wares. He waved to more than one group of giggling girls, who blushed and launched into violent whispers as he passed. The warm morning air was thick with intoxicating smells: rich, slow-roasted beef and pork, noodles settling in the bottom of vats of golden broth, and tea, all sorts of delicate flavors.
The young but ever burning sun began to take its toll on our weary warrior. If Tai didn't know better, he would think he was slogging in knee-deep mud, or maybe snow. His face was flushed and breathing harsh and halting. He wanted nothing more to plop down at one of the tables, but the knowledge that he would be shooed away for more valuable customers kept him going. Finally, one store left till the candy shop...
One step. Two steps... fifteen steps. He collapsed at one of the outside tables, shaded by a cheery red and white striped umbrella, to rest before entering the candy shop. The sweet smells teased his senses every time the door opened.
~*~*~
There was nothing before she was here. THEY were here, that is. She and Mimi. She turned to the girl, who oddly enough, was wearing a pale two-piece pajama outfit. It was patterned with light pink roses, long sleeved, and made of silk. "It's probably real fine silk," thought Sora, "considering how successful Mimi and her family had become back in America." Speaking of America, what was Mimi doing HERE? Shouldn't she be off doing American-ish stuff? Mimi turned to her, and her foggy brown eyes widened. "Sora...?"
Sora nodded absently, and glanced at the hazy blue sky. Mimi was scuffling towards her, rubbing her eyes and yawning. "Where are we Sora?"
Sora shrugged, and rubbed her arm. "It looks like the digital world."
Mimi shivered, and her face changed into the "I hate this" look.
"I hate this! One moment I was in bed and now I'm here."
"Oh well..." Sora smiled, and Mimi frowned at her friend, it almost looked as if Sora was...was...drunk.
Forgetting everything her parents had attempted to teach her about being polite, Mimi bluntly asked,
"Sora, are you drunk?"
Sora snorted and stamped her foot. "No! Why would you think that?"
Her friend shrugged. "You just seem..."
"Not all there?"
Mimi nodded and hugged herself, Sora grinned.
"It's just that... something isn't quite kosher here."
"Hunh?"
"I don't feel like I'm really here. I feel like... I'm floating above everything, looking down below. Kinda like a... dream I guess. That's what I really think, this is a dream. You're not real. I'll wake up and everything will be fine."
Mimi looked hurt. She pulled at her ponytail, (which she left on at nights, because she didn't always have time to do her hair the next morning,) and tried to hide the miffed look on her face.
"That's mean Sora..." she muttered, and Sora only sighed and gazed at the horizon.
"And asking if I was drunk isn't?"
There was an uncomfortable silence, and then Sora turned and gave Mimi a lopsided grin. "So, whattya wanna do "Dream Mimi"?"
Mimi rolled her eyes, but smiled smugly anyway.
Sora stretched her arms out in front of her and yawned. "I think we should go steal some stuff."
Sora's kawaii charm had somehow coaxed Mimi into her rare state good humor. She punched Sora on the shoulder. "You really are drunk."
If Sora had planned on saying something after that, she didn't. Instead her incoherent cry broke the subtleness of the moment, and both girls looked at where Sora was pointing. Through a bristly wall of bushes, they saw a scene that ripped their breath straight from their throats. There was Tai, crouched on the ground, and Matt running towards him, the crest under his shirt blazed, cloaking him in an eerie blue light. Before Tai stood Piedmon, sword drawn, and behind him stood the other four dark masters.
A new, yet all too familiar voice speared their ears like an arrow driving through the heart of its target.
They turned to see two boys dashing towards them; one's bulky bag swung in rhythm of his frantic steps, the other clutched his yellow and white laptop to his chest.
~*~*~
Tai was feeling noticeably better, walking down the street with a stump of a chocolate bar in his hand and two packages of gummy worms in his huge cargo pocket. While in the store he had run his head under the faucet in the bathroom, and now it drooped, and dripped the quickly warming water down his temples and under his chin. His goggles hung at his neck, as did his dormant crest.
"It sure wasn't dormant last night," Tai mused to himself, licking the sweet, brown, goo off his fingers. At the next trashcan, he crumpled the wrapper up and tossed it towards the rim. The wind had decided that it was a perfect time to pick up, and sink a poor boys spirits. The wrapper soared over the canister and into the street beyond. Tai slapped his forehead and groaned. As his mom had always told him, "it was his obligation to clean up after his mess." He trudged out to the curb, and leaned over to pick up the trash. Two solid objects slammed into his back, and he doubled over and fell forward. Tai whipped around, and was looking into nine angry faces, his teammates; they were muddy and haggard looking, a few even showed the occasional smear of blood.
"A lotta help YOU were today Yagami. We were THIS close to going to the championship, and your little "play" back there was the iceberg that sunk our ship." Tatsu's fists were clenched as he glared at the teen lying sprawled at the edge of the street.
"I'm... sorry." Tai said sheepishly, at a loss of words. He didn't know that his screw-up hurt them that much. He pushed his aching body up and brushed off his pants. The angry mob and the single boy stared at each other, and then Tatsu snapped. That championship had meant everything to him. They had held it in the palm of their hand, and it was snatched away. He landed a sudden, swift punch on Tai's blank face, sending him back into the street. Tatsu strode away before a ruckus could start, and the others trudged after him, feeling a little guilty for the actions of their hotheaded teammate.
Tai propped himself up against the curb, and breathed raggedly for a few moments. Tears leaked out of the corner of his eyes. He hated himself. He hated the dream, whatever it meant. Last night it had scared him so much that he had bolted up in bed in a cold sweat, trembling and crying, but it didn't scare him now. He just didn't get it. He set a hand on the fire hydrant that had so conveniently been placed behind him, and wobbled to a standing position.
~*~*~
Jyou moaned when he opened his eyes and saw he was standing in ---where else--- the digital world. He had no idea how he had gotten there, but that didn't matter much now. A lump of dread had begun to solidify in his stomach, and that's when he saw Izzy fighting his way through some scrubby brush and the low hanging limbs of a tree.
When he emerged, a red line curved from his jaw line to the bottom of his eye, and crimson blood blossomed from it.
"Jyou?"
Jyou sighed, and ran a long-fingered hand through his hair. His hand groped around in his bag as he trotted toward his shorter friend.
He was surprised to see that Izzy looked about to cry, and something told him that it wasn't the long scratch that leaked blood onto his pale cheek. His ever-present laptop was folded under one arm. Jyou caught Izzy's wrist before he wiped at the cut, and instead placed a piece of gauze over it, damp with an aromatic alcohol. Izzy winced and cried out, but his yelp trailed off and his eyes widened. He lifted a trembling hand to their far left, where Tai cowered before five hulking figures. A second cry rang like an alarm through the night, and even farther left was Sora and Mimi. They too were staring.
Matt had joined the scene; he ran towards Tai, his crest enfolded him with a ghostly blue radiance.
~*~*~
The second Tai expected Piedmon's sword to pierce his back, an angry cry stopped the blow, and all heads turned. Matt stood before the group, panting; his face was darkened with rage.
"Let him go Piedmon."
Tai was utterly amazed at how stern and calm Matt's voice sounded. This couldn't really be his best friend, could it?
Piedmon snorted, and --- to everyone's relief--- thrust his sword into the sandy ground. He then proceeded to lean on the hilt as casually as if it were a counter; He yawned.
"And why should I take orders from someone as loathsome and repulsive as you?"
"Because," started Matt, tugging his crest out from his black T-shirt, "I might have to do this!!"
He thrust the crest forward and let out a war cry. A blinding blue light leapt from the pendant, swirling and crackling until it was in the shape of a wolf. It threw back its flickering head to the sky, and let out a howl that sounded like icy slush under a car's warm wheels. In one graceful leap it slammed into Piedmon's chest and knocked him backwards. Piedmon and the blue wolf grappled with each other; the other Digidestined gaped, and the remaining Dark Masters stood on the sidelines and watched with grim smiles, as if awaiting their turn.
Piedmon held the snapping jaws off with one hand, and managed to unsheathe his second sword with the latter. Mustering all the strength he could, he bashed the wolf in the side of the head with the broadside of his sword.
"NO!!" Piedmon shrieked as the wolf let out a strangled yelp and shied away.
His eyes were wild with fury. "NO!! You are not the Ookami Wielder! You can't be!! It's not possible!!" His hands shot forward and he kneaded the air at a furious pace. A black oily substance began to float up from the long gloved fingers. The electric blue wolf had regained composure, and once again charged Piedmon. Right before he reached the clownish digimon, his head sharply jerked to the side and he flew backwards, as if he had hit some invisible wall. Piedmon opened his hand, and the greasy, smoke-like tendrils shot towards the wolf, wrapping tighter and tighter around it until it shuddered and a trickle of dark azure blood dribbled out of its mouth. With a sizzling sound, the mighty animal shattered like glass.
Matt screamed and fell to his knees, drawing everyone's attention. The moment the wolf had shattered, it felt as though his whole chest had too. Paying no attention to his misery, the tendrils, which had been lingering uneasily above the spot where the wolf used to stand, hurtled towards him. Tai reached towards them as if to put a stop to them, but the phantom shadows from before had left him completely drained. He collapsed to the ground like a big dog after a long run.
The shadowy vines were so swift you couldn't tell what they were doing. They darted towards Matt and retracted like snakes, but each time they drew back Matt found that they had wrapped around a part of his body. One minute he was on all fours, panting with pain, and the next he was suspended above the ground, each limb and his chest, neck, and abdomen bound tight. He groaned and thrashed helplessly, tears pooled in his eyes and trickled down his cheeks.
Sora hugged herself as though she could feel what he did. She grasped her crest and sought the ground, her mind reeled faster than the vines had grabbed Matt.
She didn't want to end up like him, or Tai, this was a dream, like she said, a horrible dream.
"Then why an I not waking up?!" She didn't care that she had screamed her thoughts aloud, for a sudden thought had struck her, if this was a dream, then it wouldn't matter what happened. A glance at Matt, who's suffering made her heart lurch--- dream or no dream--- led to a decision. Grasping her crest in her sweaty grip, she started forward, and squinted as an eruption of crimson sparks blazed up before her eyes.
Something leapt out of her crest too: a huge phoenix. It screeched and flew before Piedmon, glaring down at him through eyes like burning embers. It shrieked again and dove for him. Much to the surprise of everyone, it drove right through him, and his mouth froze in a wordless scream. He dissipated into a cloud of data.
The flaming bird opened its wings and shrieked. It had started as a victory cry, but took a sharp turn to one of pain as a screaming missile rocketed from the sidelines, burrowing through its heart. The phoenix exploded and lit up the sky, looking strangely like a firework. At that moment Sora knew why Matt's scream had sounded so agonizing. It was as if something behind her ribcage had burst into flames and rearranged her anatomy in the process. She couldn't scream, she had been benumbed with an unbelievable pain.
Mimi's hands flew to her mouth as she gaped in horror. Sora lay but a few feet away from her, shuddering.
"What have you done you... big, fat, jerk!!!" She cried, waving a fist at Machinedramon, who was reveling in his small victory.
Machinedramon's chuckle sounded like snakes moving through dry grass. "This!" He crouched a little, and hatches all over his body opened, ones that the remaining Digidestined didn't even know were there. A variety of missiles peeked out of the hatches; they knew what would be coming next.
"NO!" Screamed Mimi in her shrill voice. "I won't let you hurt my friends!!" With that, her crest birthed a blast of sparks and flame, and like a flower opening in the misty morning, the flaming pink figure of a human girl unfolded and stood up.
Izzy's laptop clattered to the ground. One word was frozen in his brain, plastered across the windshield of his mind's eye. Slaughter. They were being slaughtered. Neither Matt, nor Tai, nor Sora had moved from where they had fallen. There was no way they could win at this rate. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Tears of pain and fear. He pulled out his crest, and a mass of flashes and flickers joined the three that had come before. A buzzing filled the air, and hovering above him, translucent orange wings beating the sky as quickly as a humming bird's, was a bug like figure, much like Kabuterimon.
Jyou wanted to die. He wasn't made for this, made for seeing this; for living this. He wanted to curl up and make it all go away, and then he saw both Mimi and Izzy, as the pendants at their chest brought forth a formless mass of sputtering light. They weren't giving up, but he could tell by their expressions that they were just as terrified as he. "I can't believe it," he thought. "They're willing to risk themselves for their friends, even when they know that we can't win." For a moment, the notion made sense to Jyou, and he decided that he wouldn't let his friends down. A last blue aura joined the others, this one ran together until it was lithe and tall: a man. An odd man. Almost like a merman; he had fins on either arm and leg, and his hair was a pale green, like water.
The three glowing entities faced the four Dark Masters, and as if a silent whistle had been blown, the battle began. A barrage of missiles whistled as they shot through the air, accompanied by the sound of an electrical guitar being senselessly strummed.
It was like reliving a nightmare. Through squinted eyes and blocked ears, they could hear the "Crest Beasts" howl in pain as they shattered like the rest, and like the rest, their partners soul seemed to shatter as well.
It was over. Digidestined: 1 Dark Masters: 13
~*~*~
Tai could see his apartment building from here. It was the one that was JUST a bit bigger than all the rest; like a green fuzz he could see the tops of some thin plants reaching towards the sky. It was where all the tenants kept their gardens: the roof. And if it wasn't always this sunny it would make sense. The little square foundations of soil set out for each family had been baked dry, and what plants lived were a sickly green and they sagged.
Tai shuddered. His Mom's plants were always the ones that did the best. The kind of things she grew were closer to needing an eye of newt extract or something like that than water. She was always growing the weirdest, grossest thing she could find to use in her infamous recipes. The very thought made Tai's throat tighten up.
He almost ran into a wall when he walked into the lobby of the apartment. It was a shabby lobby. Like his somewhat shabby apartment, and his somewhat shabby life. There was mismatched furniture all around the room, and there was almost a tangible film of cigarette smoke. An older man leaned against the counter, chewing his cigar and flipping through a Time magazine.
Some shady people stood in clusters and talked in whispers, or more like hisses. Tai glanced at the elevator, eager to get away from here. On the elevator, scrawled on a lime green piece of paper was: "OUT OF ORDUR."
Tai chuckled to himself. Somebody needed a couple more classes in English.
He decided to go up the stairs, (seeing as that was the only other option.) He had walked five blocks, why not scale seven levels of stair?
~*~*~
Finally he was safe in the familiar comfort of his house. He could hear the low droning from Kari's room as she talked to someone on the phone--- TK probably.
Tugging of his shoes, Tai fell lengthwise onto the couch and snatched up the remote. The TV was on before his back even touched the materiel. Amazing.
Kari walked out of her room beaming, and Tai was actually sorry he didn't have enough energy to ask why.
He rubbed his chest with the ball of his hand; it had awakened with a dull pain as soon as he had began his climb up the stairs, and now it was just a consistent flare, as annoying as a mosquito buzzing in his ear.
A knock came at the door, he let Kari get it.
"Tai... it's for you."
Tai groaned, half-heartedly wondering if it was worth getting up for.
Standing in the doorway was Sora and Mimi, Izzy and Jyou. They all held their chest, in some, trying-not-to-be-conspicuous way, as if it was bothering them. A pale white scar curved up Izzy's cheek.
Jyou stepped forward, his medical bag was at his side. He clutched the strap so hard Tai could see his knuckles turning white.
"So Tai," he asked, trying to sound casual. "Have any... interesting dreams lately?"