Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Passage Through Shadow 2 : Heart of Sincerity ❯ Chapter 2

PART REVISED - 6th February 2003

Firebird: I don't own digimon. See part one for full disclaimer.

Ken: Another part.

Firebird: Another dream scene, which is why I'm holding the fight scene until next time. This part is for the people who have me on their favourites lists at fanfiction.net. I'm glad you like my writing.

Ken: And FB would like to make it clear that when the text says that Ali switches to English in this part the rest of that conversation between her and Logan is in English not Japanese.

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Passage Through Shadow 2

Heart of Sincerity

Part 2

"Things aren't always what they seem."

The words were whispered on a wind that wrapped itself around Takeru briefly as he stood suspended in darkness. All he could see in any directions including down were stars. He was about to call out for Patamon when the stars vanished and he saw one of Hikari's control devices hanging in the air over the chasm where the Minomon Village had been.

"Sometimes you need to trust your heart against all the evidence."

He felt the wind ruffled his hair and the scene shifted once more. Now he saw Mimi with two boys. One of them seemed oddly unnerving to Takeru while the other was watching the first boy with obvious suspicion and veiled hatred.

"Then again trust can be misplaced."

This time the wind was a positive gale around him and yet he didn't feel buffeted by it.

"This is mine!" The intrusion of another voice made him jump. He turned and he saw Miyako with Mimi and the second boy from the previous scene. There was no sign of the first boy. The lavender haired girl was holding up something as if to show it to him but he couldn't quite see what it was. And Mimi… Mimi seemed to be upset. The blonde boy was bleeding and looked like he'd been in a fight.

"The future is like water. Its flow can be predicted but it can also be changed. Once upon a time this wouldn't have happened but sometimes people change."

This time there was no wind but everything went dark again and he saw a constellation in the shape of a crest that he didn't recognise. He felt himself rushing towards it until it filled his vision...

It was then that a soft beeping woke him and he looked over at his d-terminal to see the new mail light was on. Curious, he opened it and read the new message. It was just two words.

"Trust Yourself" He read aloud. It was signed with nothing but the symbol of the crest from his dream. He looked for the sender's address and found nothing. "Shouldn't there be an address? Even Diaboromon had an email address." He mused and decided to show it to Koushiro and the others the next morning.

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"That Daemon gives me the creeps." Chiharu muttered. She was sitting with her chin resting on her hands staring at the Digimental he had given her at their meeting. It was a black torpedo marked with the symbol of the Crest of Dark, a stylised representation of a black hole, in tarnished silver. "These things had better work." She added out loud or we are up the creek without a canoe let alone a paddle."

"It'll work." Denbe said confidently. "He's got no reason to mislead us. He may not actually need us in the sense that he'll definitely lose without us but we are useful to him. He won't deal dirty with us. At least not until he doesn't need us anymore." He looked at his own Digimental. "Then again it wouldn't hurt to try them in a non-combat situation first." He added.

"You just want to see what it looks like." Ali laughed.

"Don't you?" Denbe replied mildly.

"Where's Kage?" Chiharu frowned as she looked around the room and then blinked as she noticed who else wasn't there and looked more alarmed. "Where's Logan?" She added more urgently.

"Kami-sama!" Ali leapt up unintentionally tipping her digimon onto the floor and rushed out of the room. Her partner lay on the floor winded for a moment before following her.

Denbe put a hand to his head in obviously mock distress. "Some team we make when we have to keep stopping one of our members from killing another." He snorted and then became more serious. "Maybe bringing Enmity and Vengeance wasn't such a good idea. They were the most logical choices based on power and skills but I should have considered that Logan never got a chance to pay Kage back for all the taunts and so he's been nursing that grudge for three years."

"No you made the right choices. We need them." Chiharu sighed. "Ali will just have to keep them apart."

"Thanks, Chiharu-chan. I needed that." He smiled then sighed. "This sort of thing never used to happen did it?" He said softly. "Logan may be vengeful and strong but he's definitely a divisive influence on the team." He looked at her. "Do you ever miss the old days before…" He trailed off.

"All the time." She replied. "I don't like being the one in charge."

-----

Just as she had feared Ali found Logan attempting to beat the life out of Kage. Unfortunately Kage was a very capable fighter himself and was casually blocking the attacks. So casually in fact that she knew it would only be serving to infuriate Logan even more. Not to mention the fact that the Child of Enmity was obviously enjoying himself immensely. She considered her options and then got her partner to digivolve into Necromon.

"Separate them... non-fatally. We sort of need them alive." She told him and then watched, with hands on hips and tapping her foot, as he did. "What the hell do you two think you're playing at?" She asked once her digimon had interposed himself between the combatants.

"He had it coming." Logan muttered.

"Hey, I was just defending myself, Alison." Kage added and then sprawled backwards as that earned him a hard whip stroke to his face from his supposed rescuer.

"Don't…. call… me… Alison!" she said slowly between grated teeth. "You know I hate that name."

"Whatever you say, Shirai-san." He had raised his hand to his cheek but otherwise seemed more amused than perturbed by her reaction. "How do you draw that thing so fast?"

"Oh, get out of here before I leave Logan to it." She growled. He laughed and bowed mockingly before walking away. As he did he glanced back at Logan maliciously.

"Hey, Baka, *HE* never thought hitting things was a solution. Especially not things that could hit back."

Ali swore fiercely and grabbed Logan as he lunged at Kage again. Only once he was out of sight did she let go and begin berating him in English. "You have got to learn to keep your instincts under control. I know it's your nature but please wait until we've won. He taunts everyone remember but unfortunately we need him alive and functioning." She paused as an idea formed. "Of course there are other ways to get at him. He may be the most unfriendly person in the world, that's why he was chosen after all, but I know for fact that he actually cares about his little sister even if he's incapable of showing it."

"Hmmm…" Logan seemed to consider. "And just how would I get at a sister in Japan? I live in Vancouver remember."

"In theory you can follow me through a digiport." She pointed out. "And I'm sure you'd love to get away from home for a while."

"Well… that's interesting. It might just work"

"One more thing." She said in a deceptively mild tone. "Next time we're out to destroy the light's chosen children try not to get distracted. I never thought I'd see anything side track you from the possibility of killing Motomiya."

"That girl…" he said in a dreamy tone.

"That girl is our enemy." She said reasonably.

"Yeah," he conceded, "But she's a beautiful one… not to mention powerful."

"Oh, for heaven's sake! Just don't get distracted from the main event next time!" She walked away, shaking her head.

"Get back to me on the kid, Ali." He called after her.

-----

"Well this is very strange." Koushiro said the next morning. He was looking at the email Takeru had received. "Somehow whoever sent this somehow removed any trace of where it came from."

"Well I didn't write it."

"Oh, I know that, it certainly came from an external source. I just don't know where. The only things I can say with any certainty is that it was sent from the Digital World and was delivered directly via no conventional route just like Gennai's emails are. The other is that it wasn't Gennai who sent this." He frowned. "It's very strange." He sat back and considered for a moment before being distracted by a beeping on his laptop. "And so's that!"

"So's what?" Takeru asked.

"A digiport is opening in New York. Hmm… it's night there. I'll send Mimi an email and hopefully she can come visit in the morning."

"I doubt she'll like what she sees if she joins up with us."

"True but it must be opening for a reason."

"I'm sure you're right but warn her about what she's going to see."

"I will."

-----

"Well, I just received a very interesting email." Ali told her fellows later that day.

"Oh." Something in the Child of Cruelty's tone of voice made Chiharu look up from feeding Vipermon.

"It's from Manipulation." Ali sounded like she was trying not to laugh.

"Really? What does he want?"

"Look." Ali showed Chiharu the message. Unlike the other girl the Child of Dark was unable to keep back her peels of laughter. Denbe leaned over, read the email and joined in.

"He's done what! Given the discomfort that must have caused them both how the hell did he manage that?"

"I think you should rephrase that." Ali giggled. And he did by patience. No one can say he's not he's patient and clever. And amusing as it is this is good news right?"

"It's excellent news." Chiharu agreed. "Especially if we can keep him in place. Sounds like Michael's giving him some trouble though."

"I think I know a way to do that." Ali said. "Logan doesn't know everything," She glanced over at the child of vengeance, who looked confused, "But he and I have another major bone to pick with Michael anyway." She pointed at the screen. "A really major bone. We'll take him out and Manipulation can make a good show of pretending to try and stop us."

"It seems he knows this."

"Oh yes… hence the last line."

"I don't blame him for being worried." Denbe said with a perfectly straight face. Chiharu collapsed into another fit of laughter.

Logan looked at the others. "What?"

-----

Hikari flipped her hair back with a negligent hand and smiled at Bastemon. "Are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Her partner replied. "Are you sure we've picked the right targets?"

"All the virii who've joined us agree that Saberdramon were a major part of the attack on the village and form the vanguard of Athenamon's aerial force. I don't know much about tactics and strategy but everything I've ever heard on the news suggests that controlling the air is important in a war. This is the only group of Saberdramon in the region. Hopefully they'll know where Athenamon's base is."

Bastemon turned her eyes back to the targets. "You're right. Though I'm not sure how much good I'll be in an aerial fight in this form."

"That's why you're going to the Penguinmon village. It's the source of the local Saberdramon and they fought in the attack but they can't fly. You'll capture the village. The Saberdramon will naturally try and free it and then we'll close the trap."

"Good plan!" Bastemon approved. "They're almost certain to react to the attack on their rookie form instead of stopping to think. Are you sure you don't know tactics?"

Hikari snorted. "Just go do it."

"Yes, Kari-chan."

"And hit it hard." Hikari's eyes were glacial as she said this.

"Oh believe me I will."

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Ken: I sense another fight scene coming up!

Firebird: Yes… I may take Chris up on his offer of help with them.

Ken: …

Firebird: What's wrong?

Ken: Are you sure I'm your muse and not Chris?

Firebird: And who came up with that weird idea for PTS5 last night?

Ken: And who immediately discussed it with Chris?

Firebird: Oh shut up. R&R.