Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Passage Through Shadow 2 : Heart of Sincerity ❯ Chapter 9

Firebird: Nope, I still don't own Digimon.

Ken: You're backsliding… this is really short.

Firebird: *points to previous parts* Rewriting. Minna-san, please read the previous parts again. I have rewritten and revised several passages due to a change in the plot.

Kouichi: Not to mention major Frontier ficness. *smug grin*

Ken: Argh! I knew it! You've been distracting her with your constant harping. I haven't been able to make myself heard for you shouting ideas in her ears.

Kouichi: Really? Then who caused this rewrite? Because it wasn't me.

Ken: Maybe there's someone else in here. *innocent look*

Firebird: Does anyone notice a pattern in my taste in muses?

Kouichi and Ken: *sweatdrop*

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Part 9

"So? What happened?" Chiharu asked when the others limped back into the Counter-destined base. "I gather from the state of you and the fact that Elliot is with you that it was a minor disaster."

"Takahashi came to the rescue." Ali growled. "He blasted the cave roof. We had to dig ourselves out." She absently kicked one of the rookie servants out of her way. It hit the wall hard and disintegrated into data.

"Did Michael escape?" Chiharu asked quickly.

"Yes. I'm afraid I did." Ali sighed. "What I don't understand is how he found us. The others didn't."

"Actually I noticed that something strange was going on with him." Denbe looked thoughtful. "It was really weird. I couldn't pick up much -- which is strange in and of itself -- but it was as if he was seeing things a couple of seconds before they happened." He frowned. "At least that's what it felt like but that makes no sense at all." He studied his hands thoughtfully.

"So that's what was wrong with him earlier." Ali mused. "That might explain how he knew where they were as well." She looked at Denbe. "Why do you spend so much time concentrating on your link with him? It must hurt like hell."

"You get used to it and he intrigues me. How he can live in the world and be so optimistic is beyond me… and yet sometimes it's like looking in a mirror."

"What do you mean?"

"You'd think he'd be nothing like me at all but sometimes…"

"He's actually just like you?" Elliot frowned. "You know I've been constantly puzzled by the fact that Mimi can be such a spoiled brat at times. She can get what she wants out of her parents better than I can out of mine. How can this be?"

"I don't know but I don't like it." Denbe chewed his lips. "It feels important. It feels dangerous." He paused. "I just wish I could understand it."

"What the hell is going on in Kamiya's head?" Ali asked suddenly. "Did you see what she did to that Penguinmon Village?"

"My head explodes if I even try to read her." Chiharu said. "The link is still there but it burns me to focus on it. It started after she changed and got a lot worse after we accepted Daemon's offer. It's as if our mutual antagonism has worsened which confuses the hell out of me."

"Damn it!" Ali glared around looking for something to hit. "I don't like this."

"You think I do?" Chiharu muttered softly. "I don't like it at all."

----

"Interesting girl." Was the first thing Yamato said when they were finally all back at the meeting point. The Tapirmon had provided them all with towels since the rain had soaked them through.

"What girl?" Daisuke asked.

"Yes, she is isn't she." Takeru agreed simultaneously. Then looked over at Daisuke. "The Child of Fate was here. She helped me with my little problem. It was also her who sent me that email."

"Oh, I see."

"It would appear that our little friend here has been keeping secrets about his background from us." Yamato gestured towards Tapirmon.

"Secrets? What sort of secrets?" Daisuke asked.

"He's the Child of Fate's partner digimon." Yamato replied.

"Oh, who is she then?" Daisuke asked curiously. Takeru snorted wryly.

"Ah, the unanswerable question."

"I can't tell you that. But she's decided to keep a close eye on you. Closer than usual that is." Tapirmon said. "And she's closer than you think."

"Oh great… more riddles." Daisuke sighed. "Let's talk about the plan instead. It's more important anyway."

"Not a bad idea." Tapirmon looked at them thoughtfully. "You do know that your taking Athenamon's base will aid Kamiya's cause don't you?"

"The thought had occurred to me yes." Daisuke frowned. "I doubt that was anywhere near all of her army. If we take Athenamon's fortress we'll wipe out her power base here. Hikari will be able to mop them up and then crush us because we aren't anywhere near strong enough to fight that army and I don't think you are either."

"No, we aren't." He agreed. "And that's assuming that Kamiya doesn't subvert part of the rebellion. She probably will."

"But then we don't have much choice. We have to stop Athenamon's expansion and to date she seems far worse than Hikari."

Most of the others agreed reluctantly but Iori frowned. "It isn't our job to choose the lesser of two evils." He protested. "It's to avert both."

"That doesn't seem to be possible" Tapirmon pointed out gently. "The Shadow Queen doesn't seems willing to talk truce with those who aren't supporting Athenamon. Unless you have some other plan, Hida-kun, I don't see anyway that we aren't going to end up with one or the other in charge… and Kamiya seems the far better option."

"You know he's right about this, Iori," Daisuke said. "We may have to take actions that will effectively hand Hikari control of this region. Temporarily anyway. But," He added firmly, "We will come back and take it from her."

There was a pause and the Iori nodded unhappily. "So," he said looking at Tapirmon. "Do you have anymore pearls of uncomfortable wisdom to offer us?"

"It's all to do with tactics." Tapirmon said. "If it's possible we should try and attack the base when Athenamon has committed most of her forces elsewhere."

"And when is that likely to happen?" Daisuke asked.

"When she tries to take back the Penguinmon village." It was Takeru who replied. "Which she is going to have to do soon. When she does she'll lose." The others looked at him startled by the certainty in his voice.

"How do you know that?" Iori asked.

"I… I saw it." Takeru admitted. The others stared at him some more.

"Did you happen to see when she attack?" Iori asked after a moment. "That would be a useful piece of information."

"I'm afraid not." Takeru admitted.

"She'll almost certainly attack during the day." They all turned to stare at Hikari who was leaning against the doorpost smiling at them. "She dislikes night battles."

"How the hell did you get in here?" Daisuke asked.

"I rappelled in through the roof." She replied with a totally straight face. They stared at her and then up at the roof. "I used the digiport, of course." She finally laughed. "Goodness you guys are gullible."

"More importantly how did you know where we were?" Miyako asked nervously.

"At a guess via her control device." Ken said after a moment. Hikari nodded in confirmation. "I could see virtually everything that went on in a given area under my control via the control spires." As he spoke he glanced guiltily towards Tapirmon who laughed.

"I know who you were. Why would I care? It's who you are now that counts." His words were obviously aimed at Ken but for some reason he was looking at Michael as he spoke.

"What are you doing here, Kari-chan?" Takeru asked then bit his tongue when a couple of the others raised their eyebrows at his choice of name. Miyako choked and Iori looked stunned but Daisuke just grinned and Hikari gave him a radiant smile that very nearly turned his knees to water.

"Well if you want to be certain that this idea will work we could do with co-ordinating a little -- but I guess that most of you would rather die first so I'll just leave and we'll have to play it by ear." She turned to leave.

"Wait!" Iori said sharply. He seemed to be going through some sort of mental struggle. "Could you give us a moment in private please?"

"Okay." She lifted her D3 and pressed a button.

"What did you just do?" Iori asked suspiciously.

"Turned off monitoring in the immediate vicinity. At least I assume tat private means not listening later either. Call me when you're ready." She slipped out of the room swiftly.

"So, what are you thinking?" Daisuke asked the younger boy.

"I don't like what I'm about to say." Iori told them. "I don't like it at all. But we don't really have any options we may as well do this properly." He paused. "And extract a promise not to try to force us to abandon the fortress as soon as we've taken it." He smiled wryly. "And we need to try and reach her… and if we're liasing with her we'll have plenty of chances to do just that."

"Now that's a practical rationalisation if I ever heard one." Daisuke agreed. "What do you think, Takeru?"

"I'd have to agree with Iori… though I'm not sure 'reaching' her will help. There's more going on here than we understand."

"I think she's a lost cause. Why waste our times." Miyako scowled. "Why not let her and Athenamon scrap it out and save ourselves the effort of fighting both of them."

"That's a little *selfish* of you, Miyako." Michael said. Takeru frowned at the odd emphasis Michael put on the word selfish. She flushed guiltily and fell silent.

"Do you guys agree with Iori and Takeru?" Daisuke looked at the older chosen. They all did. "Okay, Takeru, can you talk to her? Wring whatever concessions you can out of her and try not to give too many away." He walked over to Michael and grabbed his arm. "In the meantime I want a private word with you. I think you know what about."

"Erm… okay." The American boy didn't seem overly surprised by this development. He did look a little worried.

Takeru watched as Daisuke dragged Michael into a corner and they began talking quietly but earnestly to each other. He couldn't help wondering what that was all about. He sighed and went to talk to Hikari.

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One more time, Minna-san, parts 1 through 8 have been rewritten. If this isn't your first time at this fic please reread them or you'll be confused as all hell later in the series.

Read and Review.

Constructive Criticism welcomed.

Constructive praise equally welcome (it's good to know what you are doing right)

Non-constructive praise will be read and give me a warm glow but it doesn't really help much.

Flames ignored. I don't care what you think of me.