Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Passage Through Shadow 3: Rain of Mercy ❯ Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Toei do… or perhaps Bandai since Toei have stopped making it… anyway someone does and it's not me.

I've started making pictures of the Counterdestined for your edification (well actually for me to practice with paintshoppro but I thought you might like to see them.) links on my profile.

The rewrite of "Passage Through Shadow 1 - Prelude to a Storm" is up.

Please R&R

----------

Passage Through Shadow 3

Rain of Mercy

Part 6

---

Kage's shoulders slumped slightly when he found himself and Tsuki surrounded by virii. He'd realised who was in charge of the army and right now he didn't give himself much chance of living through today. He could only hope Michael would allow him to send Tsuki home first. None of this was her fault after all. He flinched as his sister whimpered as she was grabbed none too gently by one of their captors.

"Don't hurt her, please." He begged as another of the virii grabbed him in his pincers. There was no response instead they were just dragged up the slope to where Michae1 was co-ordinating the battle and thrown at the American boy's feet.

"Nii-san." His sister scooted over to him with silver viximon in her arms as soon as they were released. "What's going on?" He hugged her to him and looked up at Michael who was looking at silver viximon quizzically.

""Please don't hurt her!" He pleaded again. "She hasn't done anything wrong." He shot an appealing look towards Daisuke. Who was watching with a frown from not far away. Surely the Child of Mercy wouldn't let his sister be hurt for something that wasn't her fault?

Michael gave Kage a coldly amused look before turning his attention back to Tsuki. "So you're his sister, huh?"

She nodded quickly, obviously terrified. Kage hugged her closer. "Please, don't hurt her." He repeated. "I'll do anything, absolutely anything, just let me send her home, please."

"You aren't in any position to make deals, Enmity." Michael told him harshly. "But it appears that she's one of us. That's why I'm letting her go." He reached down and ruffled silver viximon's ears then pointed to the nearby digiport. "That will take you home. Get out of here girl." She hesitated and looked at her brother.

"Go on, Tsuki-chan." Kage gently pushed her towards the port.

"I am not going anywhere without my brother." She surprised Kage by standing her ground. Michael looked down at her with a sigh.

"Listen to me girl." He said firmly but not unkindly. "He may be your brother but he's also your enemy now." He reached down and tilted her head back gently. "I know that it's not easy to accept but it is true." He stroked his thumb along one of the cuts on her cheek. "This looks like Alison's work." He gave Kage an accusing look.

"It is." Kage admitted. "She and Logan grabbed Tsuki to get at me."

"Hmmm… I see and did your brother happen to mention that he's on the same team as the people who did this to you."

"No. He said he'd explain later… but I'm not entirely stupid." She had obviously calmed down. "I had figured that much out. But he's still my brother and he came to rescue me. I'm not leaving without him."

"Tsuki-chan, please go." Kage said desperately. "This is all my fault and at least I'll know you are safe."

"No, Nii-san. You're my brother and I'm not leaving you. I love you." She paused. "Anyway if something happens to you who'll look after Mommy? Daddy is always away and I can't cope with her on my own. Without you to make sure she takes her tablets and make sure she remembers things she'll end up in a home."

Kage closed his eyes and tried to fight back tears. She was right he knew just as well as he knew that being in a home would probably kill his mother. All the same that was unavoidable now so he had to think about Tsuki. "But if something happens to both of us she'll still end up in a Home and then Father will be all alone."

"Your mother is sick?" Michael's question was surprisingly hesitant. It caught Kage by surprise and he nodded miserably before he could stop himself. Michael frowned thoughtfully. "Ah, so that's what that scene was all about. I'd always wondered." He tapped his tongue against his teeth and then visibly came to a decision. "Get out of here before I change my mind."

"Nani?" Kage looked up at him with shock.

"I'm going to let you, Himura." Michael spoke slowly as if explaining something to a small child. "Because much as you richly deserve whatever Hikari-sama would have done to you it wouldn't be fair on your mother. So go." He pointed to the digiport again and then froze as a pale blue light burst forth from the nearby cliffs and floated towards him. "Huh?"

-----

"Armadillomon! Are you okay?" Iori knelt down by his partner. "I'm so sorry." He looked around trying to figure out where the shot had come from and spotted a Siakamon just out to sea even as it fired a second attack directly at the nursery. That was it, this was no accident but Siakamon were virii so why was this one attacking? Iori glanced over at Hikari and realised that she was just as shocked by this development as he was.

"I'll be okay." Armadillomon reassured him as Ikkakumon blocked the shot and went to face the Siakamon. "We have to stop that Siakamon from destroy the nursery."

Iori nodded miserably. "Yes, I know. Even if I hadn't said that I would it is my duty but what can we do? You're hurt and even if you weren't it's obvious Digmon isn't suited to a sea battle. Ikkakumon is doing is best but he needs help." He watched the battle helplessly for a moment before repeated. "What can we do?" He looked around frantically and then hafted a largish rock threw it at Siakamon.

"That's not going to help much, I'm afraid." Jyou said as he knelt down by Armadillomon and checked his injuries.

"But… But… I have to do something." Iori protested.

"You did do something." Jyou pointed out. "If it hadn't been for you and Digmon the Siakamon's first shot would have destroyed the nursery. As it is we have a chance. We just have to hope that Ikkakumon can hold his own until Hikari can free up some of her troops to back us up."

."You're right I guess and yet I still feel like I'm letting you down." Iori hung his head for a moment then blinked and looked up as a glowing object emerged from the ocean and flew towards them. For a moment it hovered over Armadillomon and has he was bathed in its light his wounds visibly healed. Once they had closed completely it moved on floating into Iori's hands and revealing itself to be a Digimental.

"That's the Digimental of Reliability!" Jyou gasped. "Go on! Use it!"

Iori nodded once then and then activated it. Moments later he and Submarimon swam towards the battle."

The fight ended pretty quickly after that. Between them Ikkakumon and Submarimon were able to subdue the Siakamon fairly easily for all it was an Ultimate and by that time Hikari's troops had mopped up the last of Athenamon's troops. Now all they had to do was ensure that Hikari treated her prisoners humanely. Or perhaps there was something else. The mystery of the Siakamon attack. Apparently it concerned Hikari as well since she was striding towards them with a furious look on her face. When she reached them she glared at the Siakamon.

"So do you feel like telling me what that little display was all about?" She asked. "You obviously aren't part of Athenamon's army. You don't come from here. What the hell were you thinking… if you were thinking at all?"

"I thought," The gigantic ancient shark type digimon told her proudly. "For this place not to be in either Athenamon's or the Dark's hands." Its eyes swivelled towards Iori and Submarimon. "Apparently the Digital World doesn't agree." It added in a surprised tone. Those words made Iori frown. He couldn't deny the Siakamon's logic. The Digital World had helped him save the nursery by providing the Digimental to him.

"Oh great!" Hikari sighed. "A loose cannon." She waded into the sea and placed her hands on its gigantic head. "Let me show you who I am. Then maybe you'll understand." She said and then fell silent and bowed her head. Nothing visible happened but it was obvious that something profound passed between them because when she removed her hands it was staring at her.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't understand. Forgive me, my Lady." It said.

"No harm done." She told him. "Just please, don't do that again."

"I won't." It promised.

"Then you may go." She said softly.

"Thank you." It turned and swam back out to sea. Iori and Jyou just looked at her.

"What?" She asked. She still seemed irritated by something.

"You let it go?" Iori said. "Just like that. It's obviously powerful but you let it go."

"I don't need it." She shrugged. "And it was just a misunderstanding. Light aligned Virii are somewhat unusual but they do exist." She looked back at the village with a scowl. "Will you look at that mess and we only just finished rebuilding."

"Is that's why you're so obviously riled?" Jyou asked.

"What? Oh no, that's irritating but its not that. We can rebuild again after all." She shook her head. "It's that damned Parrotmon got away again. I was really hoping that I'd get it this time." She turned back to them and smiled. "So you want to see how I treat the prisoners?"

"That's why we're here." Jyou agreed.

"Then come along." She grinned amiably at them. "And I'll show you."

-----

Logan was surprised when Ali shook him awake fairly early the next morning. "Hey, Logan, I bought you some supplies. I noticed that you were running low." She held up a couple of carrier bags.

"Actually I went shopping yesterday." He told her. "But thanks."

"I should have known." She smiled. "Come on. I'll cook you breakfast. I want to talk to you about the situation. I think you're right something fishy is going on."

"Yeah, I know." He agreed as they walked to the base's kitchen. "I just don't trust that Daemon. I get the definite feeling that he's up to something and that Sean is in on it. And whatever it is it's bad for us."

"That Daemon's up to something that's bad for us I have no doubt about and it's very possible that Sean's involved. I just wish I knew what the boss and… your predecessor had on Sean. Whatever it was he was so scared of it coming out that he never put a foot wrong." She sighed.

"Interesting." Was all Logan said but he looked at her thoughtfully. "She had quite clearly been about to call his predecessor by name and equally clearly she had caught herself before she did. She always did that and would not explain why. "Perhaps I should try to find out what it was."

"I think that you definitely should." She agreed. "In spite of Chiharu's claims she can't control Sean. I think that Daemon can but like you say we can't trust him…" She paused and scowled. "What's worst is when he is there I do trust him even though I know I shouldn't."

"I've noticed that. It worries m…" He broke off as pain crashed into his head and exploded behind his eyes. He must have groaned because Ali looked up from beating the eggs.

"Logan? What's wrong."

He took deep breaths and held onto the work surface as he tried to sort out what he'd just seen. "The Digimental of Mercy." He informed her. "I just saw it… through Motomiya's eyes I think."

"Now that must've hurt." She commented and popped a couple of Ibuprofen tablets and a glass of water onto the counter in front of him. "Did he get it or someone else?"

"No, Motomiya didn't get it." He said after taking the tablets. "Michael did." He stared at her as his announcement made her collapse into fits of laughter. "What's so funny?"

Ali choked and spluttered for a moment more. "You mean you aren't joking?"

"No!" Logan blinked. Why would she think he was joking? "When have I ever joked?"

"Well there was that thing about the elephant when we were five." She took a breath. "Are you sure it was Michael?"

"Yes, of course I'm sure." He snapped. "AND I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO THE DAMNED ELEPHANT! It died on it's own." He added with a grin.

"Nine years later you finally get the punchline right." She giggled and shook her head. "It gave it to Michael… that's what I love about this place. The weirdness never ceases." She went back to cooking.

"Yeah." Logan sat down by the counter and watched her with a smile. "I wonder what's next."

"Back to the original subject I think… I really really don't trust Daemon. Something about him makes my skin crawl."

"Yeah, he's out to get us all. I know it in my bones. And the way you behave around him worries me."

Ali checked her pancake batter and then looked at him quizzically. "You don't get a sudden urge to trust him whenever he's around?"

"No." He shook his head. "Not even for a second. I know the stench of a trap when I smell it."

She regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. "Sometimes, Logan, I think that you aren't like the rest of us. There's something different about you." She smiled at him. "I like it."

"There is nothing special about me," He turned bright red. "You'd notice it too but something weird happens to you."

"No. You seem to be more what Milleniummon intended us to be than the rest of us. He'd have had a worse fit than you did over what happened with the Lutramon. He might have been evil but he always kept his word and considered our word his word."

"I often wish I met the guy but I think he didn't like me."

"Yes, he always avoided you didn't he?"

"Yea like I was a stain." Logan looked down.

Ali frowned at her feet " I asked Mira once if the boss disliked you and she said it wasn't that. You reminded him of someone."

"I reminded him of someone? Who? Do you know?"

"She shook her head as she began piling food onto a plate. "No, Mira wouldn't say." She admitted. "I do know that when Sean burst in and demanded to know why he'd called you. Milleniummon said, 'To annoy you.'" She grinned. "He really did hate Sean. He once told Mira that he never wanted to counter honour but discovered that he couldn't counter just some of the crests. It was all or nothing."

"I see and we can't just bury Sean without someone noticing" Logan said as Ali put a plat full of scrambled eggs, pancakes and syrup and sausages in front of him. "Wow this looks and smells great."

"Anyway burying him would just mean his crest would move on." Ali giggled and fetched her own plate.

"Yeah your right." Logan admitted. "How is Mira anyway?"

Ali shrugged. " I haven't seen her and she hasn't answered her emails since…."

"Since the fall. Yeah I noticed that."

"From what I know I don't think they ever caught her and threw her out. So…"

"So maybe she's still around… if that's the case why hasn't she come in?"

"I don't know but Mira's strange. Who knows how her mind works..."

Logan chuckled. "So true! The girl is in a world all her own."

"Denbe thinks he's caught her crest on monitors occasionally... but if she's around she's avoiding us for some reason and she's figured out how to conceal herself."

"I wonder if its because of that loser Daemon."

"That's quite possible. Mira and Sean are the only two people who knew everything about everything... well apart from your predecessor of course." Ali said quietly.

"So what can you tell me about him?" Logan decided to ask about his predecessor. He'd always wondered about him but the others tended to avoid mentioning him.

Ali ignored the question but he saw something like guilt flash across her face. What the hell? "If Mira is around and she contacts any of us it'll be Kage." Ali she continued as if he hadn't asked.

"Well I guess that makes sense." Logan agreed.

"Oh you noticed that too." Ali grinned.

"Yeah. The guy is totally different around her. He almost behaves like a human being."

"He's going to crash and burn." Ali's grin turned malicious. "I want to be there to see it."

"As would I. I want to crush those last pieces of his heart myself." Logan smirked to himself as the other thing he'd seen through Motomiya's eyes came back to him and he realised what a golden opportunity he had here.

-----

"This is what I was afraid of." Takeru said as he had Angemon land between Greymon and Garurumon. Looking up he saw Stingmon attempting to protect Ken from Athenamon. "She may not be a particularly strong mega but she's more than a match for champion in individual combat -- and she knows enough to aim for a Chosen Digimon's human partner."

"Yes, I can see that." Taichi agreed. "If only we could digivolve to mega. She'd be mincemeat against WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon."

"But we can't." Yamato sighed.

"In other words we're royally screwed." Said Miyako as she had Halsemon land on the other side of Greymon from Takeru. "Damn, if I had a crest I'd show her."

"We should all attack her at once?" Yamato said. "She may be competent in individual combat but can she fight us all at once I wonder?"

"Great Plan!" Taichi agreed and all the digimon fired their attacks together. Athenamon shot up into the air just a split second before the attacks converged on where she was. She laughed and flipped a wing disdainfully at the Chosen.

"You pathetic, tainted creatures are far too slow to catch the pure and holy like me." She said mockingly before firing another blast of her Gorgon's breath attack directly at Ken. Stingmon flew directly into its path and blocked it before collapsing to one knee in front of him.

"Stingmon!" Ken cried in alarm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, Ken." He said and tried to stand as Athenamon began powering up for another attack.

"You're a self-righteous, egotistical bitch! I won't let you win." Ken glared up at Athenamon as the attack raced towards him. His crest began to glow visibly and a pale lilac shield formed round him and Stingmon. The attack hit it and dissipated. Stingmon rose to his feet without any sign of his previous difficulty and also began to glow.

"Stingmon digivolve to -- JewelBeemon!"

"Hmm I wonder how she'll manage against an Ultimate?" Taichi mused and then frowned. "What's wrong with her?" This last was because Athenamon seemed shocked and confused by JewelBeemon's appearance.

"W-what? N-no this is impossible." She took a step backwards. "I don't understand." He voice grew plaintive as she took another step backwards. A glowing crack opened up behind her Obviously it was a gate to her own world. "This can't be!" She turned and fled through the fissure between worlds. The Chosen Children stared after her in Shock as the gate sealed behind her. With her disappearance her army fell into disarray and began surrendering.

"What just happened?" Taichi asked. "Surely she wasn't she that scared of an Ultimate?"

"I don't think it was that?" Koushiro said quietly. "She had a nasty shock." The others looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Taichi asked.

"Well as well know Wormmon is a virus but JewelBeemon is a vaccine. That's what she thought was impossible."

"Ah, I see." Ken nodded. "She ran from a truth that she didn't want to know let alone accept." Realisation dawned in his eyes. "Hikari knew this! That's why she gave me my tag. So that Stingmon would be able to digivolve and provoke this reaction."

----

Please R&R