Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Children Of Fate ❯ 18 ( Chapter 19 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: moose_of_doom 
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.01.2005 | Pages: 11 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 293 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.01.2005 | Pages: 11 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 293 | Status: Completed
Chapter 18:
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The water of the dark ocean moved on the dome, a reflection of the scene beneath it, devoid of colour and life.
Davis looked at the pile of Oridian, and saw that I was glowing still, forming the unmistakable shape of a Digiport.
“I was too late.”
“No. I think you’re here just on time, Davis.” Kari replied.
“Thanks.”
He grinned at her. There were things that needed to be said, and he desperately wanted to say them. But now was not the time. First he had to fulfil his destiny.
“Drop your weapons!” Derron yelled.
Davis stepped past hid friends, his sword and gun held lightly in either hand.
“And if we don’t?”
“Then I’ll have you shot.”
“You know that you wont do that.”
Derron grinned viciously.
“Oh, the only one I need is you, Paladin.”
Davis smiled slightly. Figured. He should have known that Derron would play his friends against him, rather than his own life.
“And what about you, Taythe. What have you got to say about all this?”
“I have nothing to say to you, Motomiya.”
“Even after all those dreams you’ve been having. I’m disappointed.”
The black haired girl glared at him.
“So those were you!”
“A part of me. I was pretty much out of it at the time myself.”
“Enough of this.” Derron cut through them. “Throw down your weapons, or watch your friends die, Paladin.”
“What choice do you leave me?”
He tossed the Beretta to the ground, and reversed his sword. Raising the steel blade, he looked across it at his opposite. The he drove the point of the katana deep into the rock ground. The sword quivered slightly as he removed his hand from the hilt. Derron stepped forward, and pulled at the handle. The blade stubbornly refused to come out of the ground. Finally, he stopped, and left it there.
“And so its come to this.” Derron said. “The paladin is within my grasp, and the final element of the puzzle is in place. The dark ocean is set to return to the digital world, and Taythe shall rule!”
“Guided by you, obviously.” Davis said wryly.
“Be silent!” he snapped back. “You are nothing but the offspring of a bastard line! A bunch of fools and thieves, who wanted the digital world all for themselves! You are nothing compared to me!”
“Maybe that’s so.” Davis replied. “But I’m still gonna kick your ass.”
The Digidestined watched, and Kari could not believe the new steel in her lover’s voice. Despite his almost comedic comments, Davis was letting them all know where he stood. He would fight to the bitter end, and nothing would stand in his way.
She vowed silently to stand there with him. Almost involuntarily, she stepped forward.
“No, Kari.” He said. “This is something I have to do alone.”
She stopped.
“Davis…”
“Don’t worry, Kari. I’m not feeling Mortality verging in on me yet.”
She smiled slightly, and stepped back again.
Davis looked into Derron’s face.
“I know what you want. The dark ocean requires a sacrifice, doesn’t it?”
“You are wiser than you look, Daisuke.”
“Thanks… I think. So what do you want me to do about it?”
Derron’s grin was the nastiest thing that the young Paladin had ever seen, and although he didn’t show it, it chilled him to the bone. Behind the master of the citadel, the Digiport in front of the oridian grew larger.
“I want you to choose who goes. One of your Digidestined friends must be sacrificed, so I’ll offer you a choice. You must pick between Ken Ichijochi, Hikari Kamiya, and Mimi Tachikawa.”
Davis laughed.
“Well, shit. There ain’t much of a choice there, pal.”
He turned, and walked back to his friends. TK grinned at him.
“Well, I guess its gonna be me, huh?”
“Why would I pick you, moron?”
“Well, better someone who knows the dark ocean, than someone who doesn’t.”
“Shut up, Ken. Its not you.”
Mimi stepped forward, a smile on her face.
“Well, I guess this saves me having to make any important decisions about my relationships. Lets get this over with.”
“Mimi…”
“Shut it, Davis. We both know that neither Ken nor Kari can be exposed to the dark ocean again. I can survive, and I’ll find a way back.”
Davis shook his head, and moved on to Kari. She didn’t say a word, but just looked at him and smiled. Gently, tenderly, he reached behind her, and pulled her to him.
“You’re gonna have to look after yourself, Kari.”
“I know, Davis. If anyone can bring me back…”
He kissed her softly on the mouth, the gentlest brushing of his lips against hers. Then he turned away. Slowly, he walked back to Derron, his eyes cold.
“I have made my choice, Derron Motomiya.”
“I thought you might have, Daisuke Motomiya. Hikari Kamiya, Step forward.”
Kari walked to stand beside Davis.
“You have been chosen as a sacrifice to the dark ocean. Do you have anything to say?”
“Yeah. The food here sucks.”
Davis reached over to her, and took his hand in hers. To anyone outside, it might have looked like some strange kind of wedding ceremony, rather than the giving up of a life.
“I will escort her to the Digiport, Derron.”
“As you wish, Daisuke. When you come back, however, your final duel with Taythe must begin.”
“I understand.”
Hand in hand, the two lovers walked to stand before the burning white light of the Digiport. Kari turned to Davis.
“Well, I guess this is it.” She said lightly. “Don’t you mope around about me, Davis. I want you to kick Taythe’s ass.”
“I will, don’t you worry, Kari.”
He pulled her into a hug, his arms enfolding her. She found that there were tears in her eyes.
“Remember, Kari. I will always love you, no matter where you are, or where I am. Carry that with you. Now, forever…”
“And always.” She finished, grinning slightly. She rested her head against his shoulder for a moment, and then looked up at him.
“Well, I guess its time to go.”
“I guess so.”
Without warning, he gave her an almighty shove, all of his strength behind hit. Not into the Digiport, but in the opposite direction. She hit the ground hard, and looked up at him with astonishment on her face.
“Hey, you didn’t really think I was gonna let you go through there, did I?” he grinned. “You’re in charge now, Kari. Good luck.” He glanced past her. “guess we wont be fighting after all, Taythe. Sorry.”
“Davis… NO!”
She screamed the final cry, desperately trying to stop him. But he had already turned away from her. For a single moment, time seemed to freeze, and she saw him, his trenchcoat swirling out behind him, silhouetted against the Digiport. And then he stepped forward, the light engulfing him, his form fading away.
The light dimmed, leaving only the dark black slabs of the oridian ore. She looked up at the ceiling, and for a split second, she swore she could see a figure falling through the air, his body entering the black ocean with hardly a splash.
Veemon and Gatomon came to stand beside her. Veemon’s upgraded armour had vanished the moment Davis had stepped through the portal, shrinking him back into his rookie form. He put his small claw on her shoulder, like a condoling hand at a funeral.
=============================================================
He dived through the air, and the black water of the ocean hit him like a wall. He went straight through, falling through the liquid as if it were air. Voices began whispering to him in the recesses of his mind.
“Coward”
“You should have stayed and fought.”
“Traitor.”
“Murderer.”
That last one really got his attention. He closed his eyes and opened his mind instead, allowing the ocean to flood in.
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“Erm… that was unexpected.” Liam said.
“You’re telling me.” Derron replied. The man was almost as shocked by Davis’s actions as the Irish trooper. He turned to Dartha.
“What now, Tetsato?”
“Why the hell are you asking me?”
“Because you’re the only one with access to the prophecies, dammit!”
“Oh, that. Well, I can tell you absolutely nothing, I’m afraid.”
Derron gaped at him.
“Davis is Chana-Paladin, remember? He’s writing his own fate.”
Kari turned from her seat on the floor.
“Erm, you’re moving your lips, and yet no sense comes out.”
Dartha rolled his eyes.
“Alright, children, Gather round.”
He sighed.
“As far as the theory goes – Taythe and Davis each represent opposite aspects of the potential destinies of the digital world. The final fate of the digiworld rests on the clash of those two elements, and so, in order for that clash to be free of constraints, neither the Paladin nor Taythe are confined by fate. Is everyone following?”
Taythe nodded.
“So, I’m Daisuke’s opposite?”
“Yup. Essentially, you’re like two sides of the same coin.”
“Am I Heads or tails?”
“Tails.”
“Why?”
“Because Davis appeared on the scene first, and everyone ALWAYS says heads first. It makes sense if you think about it.” He grinned. “But anyway. The duel between Taythe and Davis will be the event that’s decides which side the coin comes up.” He stopped, and thought. “However, by leaping into the dark ocean like that, it’s entirely possible that Davis has introduced a third element into the equation – choice.”
“Do you think he knows that?” Liam asked.
“No. He was just being disgustingly noble.” He sighed. “I have no idea what effect this will have on the outcome.”
“Oh, that’s just great.” Derron snapped. “So what are we supposed to do in the meantime?”
“Well, I don’t know about you,” Nick said, “But I’m gonna make myself comfortable. You might want to get someone to pick Wentela off the steps, by the way. It seems that Kari’s developed a fairly nasty flying kick in the past month.”
=============================================================
He was standing on the beach once again. His house was just a little further ahead of him, and he smiled. Inside, he knew that Kari and his daughters would be waiting for him. Maybe he’d take Gekkou out and have a game of football on the sand. Anything to avoid taste-testing for his wife.
He moved up the steps to the front door. He thought he heard a voice calling him, and he turned around. Seeing no-one, he opened the door…
Arra watched him enter the house. She had called to him, but she knew that there was nothing she could do to help the young paladin at this point. Some things had to be done by one person.
“Do you think he can make it?” she asked the two men standing next to her.
“If anyone can, he can”. Jake Motomiya said as his son opened the door. Ichiro Motomiya nodded in agreement. Ichiro wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Davis opened the door and stepped through…
He was standing on the beach once again. His house was just a little further ahead of him, and he smiled. Inside, he knew that Kari and his daughters would be waiting for him. Maybe he’d take Gekkou out and have a game of football on the sand. Anything to avoid taste-testing for his wife.
He put his foot on the first step leading up to the front door.
The house disintegrated in a massive explosion. Thrown back, he slammed into the ground several yards away, the black water of the ocean lapping at his head. He stood, and ran towards the burning building.
“KARI! GEKKOU! HINODE!!!” he yelled, his voice filled with the grief of loss.
He felt the presence behind him, and turned. Silhouetted against the monochromatic sunset, he saw the shadowy figure.
“You! You did this!”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why! Why did you do this to me!!?”
“Why? Why? I despise you! I will do anything I can to destroy you!”
Davis saw something glinting in the ashes of his home, and reached for it. Despite the blazing heat of the fire, the hilt of the Katana was cool, the weight of the sword comforting in his hand. He felt his anger overwhelm him.
The shadowy figure pulled his own katana out of its scabbard. Although he couldn’t see his face, Davis could tell that the mystery man was smiling. He rushed at him, his sword coming low into a lethal cut.
The shadowman parried easily. The sound of metal on metal rang out over the beach. Davis spun, bringing his blade into the backhand that followed as inevitably as night followed day.
“WHO ARE YOU!” he yelled.
The figure stepped away, and laughed coldly. There was no humour behind that laugh.
“After all we’ve been through together, you still don’t know me. How pathetic.”
The shadowman stepped into the light, and for the first time, Davis saw his features.
Brown, Spiky hair, a dark t-shirt, dark jeans and a flowing black trenchcoat. A pair of shattered goggles were perched on the man’s head, their lenses mere shards of glass. Davis stared into the mirror image of his own face.
“Well, looky here, Davis. Guess I’m you.”
The slash came with only the slightest of warnings. If Davis hadn’t been so intently studying his opposites face, he wouldn’t have seen the slight tightening around the eyes that pre-empted the strike. His own Katana leapt up into a parry, blocking the blow clumsily.
“Who…?”
“I’m the part of your soul that you never want to see, Daisuke.” The Katana leapt at his face, and Davis jerked back from it, allowing it to move in front of his face. Instead of counter-attacking, he dropped, sweeping his leg around to hook under the mirror-images feet.
His enemy jumped over the kick and Davis rolled back, coming to his feet with a cat-like grace.
“I’m the real you, Daisuke Motomiya! I’m a hateful, spoilt little brat, who always got what he wanted, and took it without any thought for others!”
“No! I’m not like that!”
“Oh really?”
Davis leaped at his opponent, his foot aimed at his face. The dark-Davis grabbed the limb, and swung him around, sending him flying down the beach. He hit the ground hard, and felt a rib crack. Wincing with the pain, he got to his feet.
“You always wanted to be the leader! Of your own family, and of the Digidestined!” the sneering image of himself said as they circled each other. “Think about it, Motomiya! You bullied the others around to your way of thinking, TK would have been a better leader of the Digidestined, and deep down, you know it!”
The dark version grinned maliciously.
“Remember the time that Jun baked all those cookies for her first boyfriend? What did you do? You stole them. It wasn’t even because you were hungry, oh no. It was because you wanted to show her up. Remember how hard she cried?”
“I gave them back.”
“But the damage was done, Daisuke!”
Dark-Davis’s hand whipped up, and a small throwing knife launched at Davis. The blade embedded itself in the flesh of his shoulder, and Davis winced with the pain.
“And remember that last flight of your fathers? Remember how your mother cried when his friend bought the news to her?”
“How could I forget?”
“But secretly, you were GLAD that he was gone. Now it was YOUR time to shine. Inside, you were laughing when you saw your moms tears!”
Something snapped inside Davis, and this time it want his ribs. As if a vial had broken, calmness spread over the anger in his soul.
“No. I never felt anything like that.” He said.
“YOU DID!”
“I did not. Your lies are nothing but dust and air.”
He felt his wounds begin to heal, and he pulled the small throwing knife from his shoulders, dropping it to the sand. Reversing his katana, he pushed it into the scabbard at his hip.
“I loved my father. I loved him more than life itself. And I love him still. You are a creature of lies and hate. You disgust me.”
He smiled, a gentle, honest smile, and more than anything he had done so far, it seemed to cause his enemy pain.
“But you are still a part of me. Nothing I ever do will change that. You are the anger in my soul. But I will not allow that anger to control me. All that leads down that route is suffering.” He shrugged. “And I’ve got better things to do with my time.”
A crack spread across the sky. The Dark-Davis looked up, and screamed in horror. Returning his gaze to Davis, he rushed at his quarry, the Katana raised above his head. The blade came slashing down…
Davis’s hands clapped together, stopping the blade in mid stroke. Davis grinned past it at the dark part of himself.
"Like I said, you’re a part of me. My strength comes from many aspects of myself, and one of those is you. I cannot allow you to defeat me, not when I still have things to do.”
He twisted his hands, and snapped the blade neatly along its width. Pulling his hands back, he lunged, and the shard of blade pierced the chest of his dark-self like a knife going through butter.
“I’m sorry, buddy. Rest well.”
The figure collapsed to the ground, and as Davis watched, he began to dissolve, his molecules spinning up into the air to swell around Davis. As they moved, they changed colour, beginning to glow with a golden light.
A second crack spread across the sky, running from horizon to horizon. Tiny splinters seemed to split away, falling into the dark ocean.
“All right, Grandmother. You can stop hiding now.”
He felt them beside him.
“How did you know?” Arra asked.
“You’re presence has a certain… flavour about it.”
She laughed at that.
“You did well, kid.” Jake said.
“Thanks Dad. But it isn’t over yet.”
“Not by a long shot.” Ichiro replied. “You’ve still got to save that girl of yours.” Ichiro grinned at his two great-grandchildren. “I’ve gotta admit, Daisuke, you’ve got my taste in gorgeous women.”
He didn’t get any further than that, because Arra elbowed him sharply in the ribs. Davis laughed.
“Well, I gotta go now, folks.”
“Just one last thing.” Arra said. Ignoring her gasping husband lying on the sand, she stepped towards him, and placed a hand on his forehead. “You’ve defeated your worst fear, Davis. The version you just faced wasn’t just the dark part of your soul, it was what you’d be like if you’d taken the path of darkness. When you defeated it, you released something within yourself.”
“I can feel it.”
“That power is yours now, Daisuke. Its to do with as you wish. You could be a king or god.”
He laughed.
“Why would I want to be those? I’m not built for bureaucracy.”
She smiled.
“Good for you. do what you must, Daisuke, and know that we are with you.”
Davis put his hand on his heart.
“You’ll be here?”
“We always have been. You just had to realise it.”
And then they were gone. But Davis didn’t feel alone.
He started to glow.
=============================================================
Kari looked up at the dome, feeling something deep inside her.
“I love you, Davis. Come back to me.”
Taythe followed her gaze, and gasped as the dome of the arena began to glow with a deep golden light, swelling to blinding proportions.
Veemon smiled.
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On the monochromatic beach, Davis heard Kari’s words winging their way to him from the digital world. He smiled, and allowed the golden light to permeate his body.
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Derron stared at the dome.
“What’s happening?” he yelled.
“On the off hand, me old son,” Liam said. “I’d say you’re in a spot of bother.”
=============================================================
The energy blasted out of him in a dazzling wave, and the monochromatic world suddenly burst into bright colour. The dark ocean boiled, evaporating away into nothing.
Davis grinned, and soared into the suddenly bright blue sky, heading for the point where the two cracks crossed each other.
=============================================================
The dome shattered as a fireball blasted straight through it, the glass shards vanishing before they even hit the floor of the arena. The fireball surged straight down, and as it stopped just above the arena floor, it changed into the shape of a man, etched in golden flame.
“Davis?” Kari whispered.
The figure showed no sign of having heard her. it walked straight past her, to where Davis’s steel-grey katana still stood, embedded in the rock surface of the arena floor. Reaching out with one flaming hand, the figure gripped the hilt of the sword, and pulled it free.
The golden light seemed to focus on his hand, spreading along the blade, and fading from the rest of his body. The light finally dimmed, and Davis stood there, his trenchcoat swirling behind him, and a now golden-bladed katana bright in his hands.
“Hey, guess what folks? I’m back!”
And the Shadowmon surged forward as he raised the weapon into a fighting stance.
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*********
The water of the dark ocean moved on the dome, a reflection of the scene beneath it, devoid of colour and life.
Davis looked at the pile of Oridian, and saw that I was glowing still, forming the unmistakable shape of a Digiport.
“I was too late.”
“No. I think you’re here just on time, Davis.” Kari replied.
“Thanks.”
He grinned at her. There were things that needed to be said, and he desperately wanted to say them. But now was not the time. First he had to fulfil his destiny.
“Drop your weapons!” Derron yelled.
Davis stepped past hid friends, his sword and gun held lightly in either hand.
“And if we don’t?”
“Then I’ll have you shot.”
“You know that you wont do that.”
Derron grinned viciously.
“Oh, the only one I need is you, Paladin.”
Davis smiled slightly. Figured. He should have known that Derron would play his friends against him, rather than his own life.
“And what about you, Taythe. What have you got to say about all this?”
“I have nothing to say to you, Motomiya.”
“Even after all those dreams you’ve been having. I’m disappointed.”
The black haired girl glared at him.
“So those were you!”
“A part of me. I was pretty much out of it at the time myself.”
“Enough of this.” Derron cut through them. “Throw down your weapons, or watch your friends die, Paladin.”
“What choice do you leave me?”
He tossed the Beretta to the ground, and reversed his sword. Raising the steel blade, he looked across it at his opposite. The he drove the point of the katana deep into the rock ground. The sword quivered slightly as he removed his hand from the hilt. Derron stepped forward, and pulled at the handle. The blade stubbornly refused to come out of the ground. Finally, he stopped, and left it there.
“And so its come to this.” Derron said. “The paladin is within my grasp, and the final element of the puzzle is in place. The dark ocean is set to return to the digital world, and Taythe shall rule!”
“Guided by you, obviously.” Davis said wryly.
“Be silent!” he snapped back. “You are nothing but the offspring of a bastard line! A bunch of fools and thieves, who wanted the digital world all for themselves! You are nothing compared to me!”
“Maybe that’s so.” Davis replied. “But I’m still gonna kick your ass.”
The Digidestined watched, and Kari could not believe the new steel in her lover’s voice. Despite his almost comedic comments, Davis was letting them all know where he stood. He would fight to the bitter end, and nothing would stand in his way.
She vowed silently to stand there with him. Almost involuntarily, she stepped forward.
“No, Kari.” He said. “This is something I have to do alone.”
She stopped.
“Davis…”
“Don’t worry, Kari. I’m not feeling Mortality verging in on me yet.”
She smiled slightly, and stepped back again.
Davis looked into Derron’s face.
“I know what you want. The dark ocean requires a sacrifice, doesn’t it?”
“You are wiser than you look, Daisuke.”
“Thanks… I think. So what do you want me to do about it?”
Derron’s grin was the nastiest thing that the young Paladin had ever seen, and although he didn’t show it, it chilled him to the bone. Behind the master of the citadel, the Digiport in front of the oridian grew larger.
“I want you to choose who goes. One of your Digidestined friends must be sacrificed, so I’ll offer you a choice. You must pick between Ken Ichijochi, Hikari Kamiya, and Mimi Tachikawa.”
Davis laughed.
“Well, shit. There ain’t much of a choice there, pal.”
He turned, and walked back to his friends. TK grinned at him.
“Well, I guess its gonna be me, huh?”
“Why would I pick you, moron?”
“Well, better someone who knows the dark ocean, than someone who doesn’t.”
“Shut up, Ken. Its not you.”
Mimi stepped forward, a smile on her face.
“Well, I guess this saves me having to make any important decisions about my relationships. Lets get this over with.”
“Mimi…”
“Shut it, Davis. We both know that neither Ken nor Kari can be exposed to the dark ocean again. I can survive, and I’ll find a way back.”
Davis shook his head, and moved on to Kari. She didn’t say a word, but just looked at him and smiled. Gently, tenderly, he reached behind her, and pulled her to him.
“You’re gonna have to look after yourself, Kari.”
“I know, Davis. If anyone can bring me back…”
He kissed her softly on the mouth, the gentlest brushing of his lips against hers. Then he turned away. Slowly, he walked back to Derron, his eyes cold.
“I have made my choice, Derron Motomiya.”
“I thought you might have, Daisuke Motomiya. Hikari Kamiya, Step forward.”
Kari walked to stand beside Davis.
“You have been chosen as a sacrifice to the dark ocean. Do you have anything to say?”
“Yeah. The food here sucks.”
Davis reached over to her, and took his hand in hers. To anyone outside, it might have looked like some strange kind of wedding ceremony, rather than the giving up of a life.
“I will escort her to the Digiport, Derron.”
“As you wish, Daisuke. When you come back, however, your final duel with Taythe must begin.”
“I understand.”
Hand in hand, the two lovers walked to stand before the burning white light of the Digiport. Kari turned to Davis.
“Well, I guess this is it.” She said lightly. “Don’t you mope around about me, Davis. I want you to kick Taythe’s ass.”
“I will, don’t you worry, Kari.”
He pulled her into a hug, his arms enfolding her. She found that there were tears in her eyes.
“Remember, Kari. I will always love you, no matter where you are, or where I am. Carry that with you. Now, forever…”
“And always.” She finished, grinning slightly. She rested her head against his shoulder for a moment, and then looked up at him.
“Well, I guess its time to go.”
“I guess so.”
Without warning, he gave her an almighty shove, all of his strength behind hit. Not into the Digiport, but in the opposite direction. She hit the ground hard, and looked up at him with astonishment on her face.
“Hey, you didn’t really think I was gonna let you go through there, did I?” he grinned. “You’re in charge now, Kari. Good luck.” He glanced past her. “guess we wont be fighting after all, Taythe. Sorry.”
“Davis… NO!”
She screamed the final cry, desperately trying to stop him. But he had already turned away from her. For a single moment, time seemed to freeze, and she saw him, his trenchcoat swirling out behind him, silhouetted against the Digiport. And then he stepped forward, the light engulfing him, his form fading away.
The light dimmed, leaving only the dark black slabs of the oridian ore. She looked up at the ceiling, and for a split second, she swore she could see a figure falling through the air, his body entering the black ocean with hardly a splash.
Veemon and Gatomon came to stand beside her. Veemon’s upgraded armour had vanished the moment Davis had stepped through the portal, shrinking him back into his rookie form. He put his small claw on her shoulder, like a condoling hand at a funeral.
=============================================================
He dived through the air, and the black water of the ocean hit him like a wall. He went straight through, falling through the liquid as if it were air. Voices began whispering to him in the recesses of his mind.
“Coward”
“You should have stayed and fought.”
“Traitor.”
“Murderer.”
That last one really got his attention. He closed his eyes and opened his mind instead, allowing the ocean to flood in.
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“Erm… that was unexpected.” Liam said.
“You’re telling me.” Derron replied. The man was almost as shocked by Davis’s actions as the Irish trooper. He turned to Dartha.
“What now, Tetsato?”
“Why the hell are you asking me?”
“Because you’re the only one with access to the prophecies, dammit!”
“Oh, that. Well, I can tell you absolutely nothing, I’m afraid.”
Derron gaped at him.
“Davis is Chana-Paladin, remember? He’s writing his own fate.”
Kari turned from her seat on the floor.
“Erm, you’re moving your lips, and yet no sense comes out.”
Dartha rolled his eyes.
“Alright, children, Gather round.”
He sighed.
“As far as the theory goes – Taythe and Davis each represent opposite aspects of the potential destinies of the digital world. The final fate of the digiworld rests on the clash of those two elements, and so, in order for that clash to be free of constraints, neither the Paladin nor Taythe are confined by fate. Is everyone following?”
Taythe nodded.
“So, I’m Daisuke’s opposite?”
“Yup. Essentially, you’re like two sides of the same coin.”
“Am I Heads or tails?”
“Tails.”
“Why?”
“Because Davis appeared on the scene first, and everyone ALWAYS says heads first. It makes sense if you think about it.” He grinned. “But anyway. The duel between Taythe and Davis will be the event that’s decides which side the coin comes up.” He stopped, and thought. “However, by leaping into the dark ocean like that, it’s entirely possible that Davis has introduced a third element into the equation – choice.”
“Do you think he knows that?” Liam asked.
“No. He was just being disgustingly noble.” He sighed. “I have no idea what effect this will have on the outcome.”
“Oh, that’s just great.” Derron snapped. “So what are we supposed to do in the meantime?”
“Well, I don’t know about you,” Nick said, “But I’m gonna make myself comfortable. You might want to get someone to pick Wentela off the steps, by the way. It seems that Kari’s developed a fairly nasty flying kick in the past month.”
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He was standing on the beach once again. His house was just a little further ahead of him, and he smiled. Inside, he knew that Kari and his daughters would be waiting for him. Maybe he’d take Gekkou out and have a game of football on the sand. Anything to avoid taste-testing for his wife.
He moved up the steps to the front door. He thought he heard a voice calling him, and he turned around. Seeing no-one, he opened the door…
Arra watched him enter the house. She had called to him, but she knew that there was nothing she could do to help the young paladin at this point. Some things had to be done by one person.
“Do you think he can make it?” she asked the two men standing next to her.
“If anyone can, he can”. Jake Motomiya said as his son opened the door. Ichiro Motomiya nodded in agreement. Ichiro wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Davis opened the door and stepped through…
He was standing on the beach once again. His house was just a little further ahead of him, and he smiled. Inside, he knew that Kari and his daughters would be waiting for him. Maybe he’d take Gekkou out and have a game of football on the sand. Anything to avoid taste-testing for his wife.
He put his foot on the first step leading up to the front door.
The house disintegrated in a massive explosion. Thrown back, he slammed into the ground several yards away, the black water of the ocean lapping at his head. He stood, and ran towards the burning building.
“KARI! GEKKOU! HINODE!!!” he yelled, his voice filled with the grief of loss.
He felt the presence behind him, and turned. Silhouetted against the monochromatic sunset, he saw the shadowy figure.
“You! You did this!”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why! Why did you do this to me!!?”
“Why? Why? I despise you! I will do anything I can to destroy you!”
Davis saw something glinting in the ashes of his home, and reached for it. Despite the blazing heat of the fire, the hilt of the Katana was cool, the weight of the sword comforting in his hand. He felt his anger overwhelm him.
The shadowy figure pulled his own katana out of its scabbard. Although he couldn’t see his face, Davis could tell that the mystery man was smiling. He rushed at him, his sword coming low into a lethal cut.
The shadowman parried easily. The sound of metal on metal rang out over the beach. Davis spun, bringing his blade into the backhand that followed as inevitably as night followed day.
“WHO ARE YOU!” he yelled.
The figure stepped away, and laughed coldly. There was no humour behind that laugh.
“After all we’ve been through together, you still don’t know me. How pathetic.”
The shadowman stepped into the light, and for the first time, Davis saw his features.
Brown, Spiky hair, a dark t-shirt, dark jeans and a flowing black trenchcoat. A pair of shattered goggles were perched on the man’s head, their lenses mere shards of glass. Davis stared into the mirror image of his own face.
“Well, looky here, Davis. Guess I’m you.”
The slash came with only the slightest of warnings. If Davis hadn’t been so intently studying his opposites face, he wouldn’t have seen the slight tightening around the eyes that pre-empted the strike. His own Katana leapt up into a parry, blocking the blow clumsily.
“Who…?”
“I’m the part of your soul that you never want to see, Daisuke.” The Katana leapt at his face, and Davis jerked back from it, allowing it to move in front of his face. Instead of counter-attacking, he dropped, sweeping his leg around to hook under the mirror-images feet.
His enemy jumped over the kick and Davis rolled back, coming to his feet with a cat-like grace.
“I’m the real you, Daisuke Motomiya! I’m a hateful, spoilt little brat, who always got what he wanted, and took it without any thought for others!”
“No! I’m not like that!”
“Oh really?”
Davis leaped at his opponent, his foot aimed at his face. The dark-Davis grabbed the limb, and swung him around, sending him flying down the beach. He hit the ground hard, and felt a rib crack. Wincing with the pain, he got to his feet.
“You always wanted to be the leader! Of your own family, and of the Digidestined!” the sneering image of himself said as they circled each other. “Think about it, Motomiya! You bullied the others around to your way of thinking, TK would have been a better leader of the Digidestined, and deep down, you know it!”
The dark version grinned maliciously.
“Remember the time that Jun baked all those cookies for her first boyfriend? What did you do? You stole them. It wasn’t even because you were hungry, oh no. It was because you wanted to show her up. Remember how hard she cried?”
“I gave them back.”
“But the damage was done, Daisuke!”
Dark-Davis’s hand whipped up, and a small throwing knife launched at Davis. The blade embedded itself in the flesh of his shoulder, and Davis winced with the pain.
“And remember that last flight of your fathers? Remember how your mother cried when his friend bought the news to her?”
“How could I forget?”
“But secretly, you were GLAD that he was gone. Now it was YOUR time to shine. Inside, you were laughing when you saw your moms tears!”
Something snapped inside Davis, and this time it want his ribs. As if a vial had broken, calmness spread over the anger in his soul.
“No. I never felt anything like that.” He said.
“YOU DID!”
“I did not. Your lies are nothing but dust and air.”
He felt his wounds begin to heal, and he pulled the small throwing knife from his shoulders, dropping it to the sand. Reversing his katana, he pushed it into the scabbard at his hip.
“I loved my father. I loved him more than life itself. And I love him still. You are a creature of lies and hate. You disgust me.”
He smiled, a gentle, honest smile, and more than anything he had done so far, it seemed to cause his enemy pain.
“But you are still a part of me. Nothing I ever do will change that. You are the anger in my soul. But I will not allow that anger to control me. All that leads down that route is suffering.” He shrugged. “And I’ve got better things to do with my time.”
A crack spread across the sky. The Dark-Davis looked up, and screamed in horror. Returning his gaze to Davis, he rushed at his quarry, the Katana raised above his head. The blade came slashing down…
Davis’s hands clapped together, stopping the blade in mid stroke. Davis grinned past it at the dark part of himself.
"Like I said, you’re a part of me. My strength comes from many aspects of myself, and one of those is you. I cannot allow you to defeat me, not when I still have things to do.”
He twisted his hands, and snapped the blade neatly along its width. Pulling his hands back, he lunged, and the shard of blade pierced the chest of his dark-self like a knife going through butter.
“I’m sorry, buddy. Rest well.”
The figure collapsed to the ground, and as Davis watched, he began to dissolve, his molecules spinning up into the air to swell around Davis. As they moved, they changed colour, beginning to glow with a golden light.
A second crack spread across the sky, running from horizon to horizon. Tiny splinters seemed to split away, falling into the dark ocean.
“All right, Grandmother. You can stop hiding now.”
He felt them beside him.
“How did you know?” Arra asked.
“You’re presence has a certain… flavour about it.”
She laughed at that.
“You did well, kid.” Jake said.
“Thanks Dad. But it isn’t over yet.”
“Not by a long shot.” Ichiro replied. “You’ve still got to save that girl of yours.” Ichiro grinned at his two great-grandchildren. “I’ve gotta admit, Daisuke, you’ve got my taste in gorgeous women.”
He didn’t get any further than that, because Arra elbowed him sharply in the ribs. Davis laughed.
“Well, I gotta go now, folks.”
“Just one last thing.” Arra said. Ignoring her gasping husband lying on the sand, she stepped towards him, and placed a hand on his forehead. “You’ve defeated your worst fear, Davis. The version you just faced wasn’t just the dark part of your soul, it was what you’d be like if you’d taken the path of darkness. When you defeated it, you released something within yourself.”
“I can feel it.”
“That power is yours now, Daisuke. Its to do with as you wish. You could be a king or god.”
He laughed.
“Why would I want to be those? I’m not built for bureaucracy.”
She smiled.
“Good for you. do what you must, Daisuke, and know that we are with you.”
Davis put his hand on his heart.
“You’ll be here?”
“We always have been. You just had to realise it.”
And then they were gone. But Davis didn’t feel alone.
He started to glow.
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Kari looked up at the dome, feeling something deep inside her.
“I love you, Davis. Come back to me.”
Taythe followed her gaze, and gasped as the dome of the arena began to glow with a deep golden light, swelling to blinding proportions.
Veemon smiled.
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On the monochromatic beach, Davis heard Kari’s words winging their way to him from the digital world. He smiled, and allowed the golden light to permeate his body.
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Derron stared at the dome.
“What’s happening?” he yelled.
“On the off hand, me old son,” Liam said. “I’d say you’re in a spot of bother.”
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The energy blasted out of him in a dazzling wave, and the monochromatic world suddenly burst into bright colour. The dark ocean boiled, evaporating away into nothing.
Davis grinned, and soared into the suddenly bright blue sky, heading for the point where the two cracks crossed each other.
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The dome shattered as a fireball blasted straight through it, the glass shards vanishing before they even hit the floor of the arena. The fireball surged straight down, and as it stopped just above the arena floor, it changed into the shape of a man, etched in golden flame.
“Davis?” Kari whispered.
The figure showed no sign of having heard her. it walked straight past her, to where Davis’s steel-grey katana still stood, embedded in the rock surface of the arena floor. Reaching out with one flaming hand, the figure gripped the hilt of the sword, and pulled it free.
The golden light seemed to focus on his hand, spreading along the blade, and fading from the rest of his body. The light finally dimmed, and Davis stood there, his trenchcoat swirling behind him, and a now golden-bladed katana bright in his hands.
“Hey, guess what folks? I’m back!”
And the Shadowmon surged forward as he raised the weapon into a fighting stance.
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