Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Children Of Fate ❯ 20 ( Chapter 21 )
[ 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: 16 | Words: 6.8K | Visits: 268 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.01.2005 | Pages: 16 | Words: 6.8K | Visits: 268 | Status: Completed
Chapter 20:
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They walked slowly through the door to the arena, side by side. Kari turned round, and looked at them, surprise apparent on her face as she took in the raven-haired girl who stood almost fearfully behind Davis. TK blinked a couple of times.
“Erm… Am I missing something here?”
“Yeah… as per usual.” Davis jibed.
TK glared at him.
“Bite me, Motomiya. Care to enlighten me?”
“In a minute. But first, I’d like you all to meet Kayoko.”
He stepped aside, and allowed Taythe to step forward. Liam looked around.
“I think TK’s not the only one who’s missing something? Isn’t that Taythe.”
Dartha gave the raven-haired girl a shrewd look.
“Not anymore, it seems.” He grinned. “I can’t sense the dark spirit in her at all. She’s just a regular kid now.”
“Oh, so that’s alright then.” Mimi said with vast insincerity. “Why don’t we just all forget the events of the past month, huh? Let’s all just be friends.”
“Mimi…” Kari said. “Shut up.”
“Kari!”
“Kayoko wasn’t the one who did those things to us. Neither was Taythe. It was all Wentela and Derron.” She stopped. “Where is Wentela anyway?”
Nick coughed.
“She’s managing the mine. When I last saw her, she was setting up shop in one of the tunnels.”
“How long do you think she’ll be down there?”
“Well, I’d have to hazard a guess along the lines of ‘forever’ actually.”
“Oh. Good.”
“I thought you’d appreciate it.”
Kayoko looked back between them. Despite the banter, she could see that they were wary of her, and Mimi’s face was bordering on Open hostilities.
“Can I…”
They looked at her, and she faltered. Davis placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Go ahead, Kayoko. Don’t worry.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Kari stepped forward, and stood next to them.
“It’s okay. Say what you have to, Kayoko.”
The raven-haired girl looked up at her, and gave a slight smile.
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“I was born a fairly long time ago. I don't know how long, but I can remember my mothers face. I can still remember the way she smelt as she hugged me at nights. I remember feeling safe. I can’t really remember my father, but I know that he loved me as well. He seemed so tall, and whenever he picked me up, I was so scared of falling that I used to cling to his shirt in fear.
Then, one day, I came downstairs, and my mother wasn’t there. I could smell a strange smell. I didn’t know it at the time, but now that I think back to it, I know exactly what it was. It was the smell of blood. I didn’t know that my parents were dead.
There was a strange man sitting in the living room. He told me that his name was Derron, and he was going to be my new father. For some reason, I believed him, and immediately, I went to hug him. I liked hugs then.
He pushed me away, and I can remember crying as I hit the floor. No-one had ever hurt me before, and I didn’t know how to deal with it.”
The Digidestined watched the Raven-haired girl as she told her story. Even Mimi’s hostility had dropped away, replaced by a look of horror as she listened to Kayoko’s tale.
“He told me that I couldn’t do things like that anymore. I couldn’t hug people, or get close to them. He took me away from my home, and took me to this place, the citadel of the dragon-lords. I only had one friend when I was young, and that was the nurse who took care of me. Then, one day, she disappeared. I don't know why.
She stopped, and looked at Derron’s body, lying against the pile of Oridian.
“Then again, maybe I do. After that, I couldn’t afford to make any attachments. The most important person in my life was Derron. Then, when I was thirteen, he took me into this arena, and sat me in the centre. He did some weird ritual, and I could feel some kind of power enter my mind and soul. I was repulsed by it, but part of me liked having something of my own. Derron stopped calling me Kayoko then, and started calling me Taythe instead. God, how I grew to hate that name! I hated the endless hours of training, the rituals and the speeches he used to give me… telling me I was the instrument of his destiny, the tool of his power. I hated him. But he was all I had.”
Kari’s arm reached up, and placed itself around the girl’s shoulders. Kayoko leant against her, taking some small measure of comfort from the proximity of someone who cared about her, even just a little.
“Little by little, the hate took me over. It was the only emotion I allowed myself to feel, the only one that was safe. I trained with that longsword until I was strong, keeping my hatred to myself, letting him think I was so devoted to him that I would do whatever he said.
And then, years, we felt the presence of two descendants of Ichiro Motomiya in the world. I felt the other presence that cohabited my mind gloat as it planned his fate. It and Derron came up with the idea of using him to re-ignite the war of the Dragon lords where it had taken off. They decided to use this descendant of Ichiro to free the Shadowmon from their sire’s imprisonment.”
“Paul.” Davis said quietly. She nodded slightly.
“The mind within my mind sent part of itself to take him over. They made him kill the other descendant who was with him. Your father, Davis.”
He nodded, and smiled slightly.
“I knew it wasn’t his own fault”
She smiled at him as well.
“He couldn’t help it. And then you appeared, with the paladin sword in your hands and the Digidestined in Paul’s control. You strode through the world like a Tornado, and nothing stood in your way. For a while, the presence in my mind seemed almost scared, and I thought it might have given up and set me free.
But then it came back, stronger than ever, and part of me was screaming as it forced me back down into the recesses of my soul. I could see everything it did, but I couldn’t stop myself. It used my body as a weapon, and the worst thing was that Derron was perfectly happy with that. For him, I was nothing more than a tool.
It was then that we began to move abroad in the world. First, I went to the ruins of the tower that Paul had used to open the permanent Digiports, and retrieved the dark crests from where they had fallen. I slotted them into my sword, and it turned black, pure black. For the first time, I heard the stir of the dark ocean, and it scared the part of me that was still my own. That sword had been one of the few things I possessed, and it wasn’t even mine anymore. I was a warrior, and my weapon had been taken from me.”
She stopped, and smiled slightly.
“You all know what happened next.”
Mimi smiled too.
“I’m sorry, Kayoko. I didn’t understand.”
“That’s okay. I’m a very misunderstood person.” She laughed.
Liam stood, and stretched.
“Y’know, much as I’m lovin’ the atmosphere of this place, I really think we should get out of here.”
Davis stood.
“I think you could be right.”
“Good, because I’d have shot you if you’d said no.”
A hissing voice cut over them.
“Don't go yet, paladin, the funs just beginning…”
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The dark spirit had soared up into the sky after it had been expelled from Kayoko’s soul, flying in search of a host to continue its plans. It refused to accept that it had lost! The Paladin had not even killed his champion, instead he had shown mercy! That had to be a loss!
In its very nature the dark spirit could not understand the concept of mercy. It could not see the point of allowing ones enemies to live. All would be trampled over in its single-minded course of ambition.
It had hovered above the arena, searching the minds within for the elements it required. It could not go back to Kayoko, not once she had expelled it, and the paladin, obviously, was out of the question.
It found what it required, and dove, pouring its essence into the vehicle it had chosen.
=============================================================
Derron’s body rose shakily from the ground, pulling its longsword after it. It’s eyes were covered in a black sheen.
“Liam!” Davis shouted. “Get them outta here!”
“What, and let them miss the party?” Derron hissed.
He waved his hand, and a wall of blackness closed off the arena doors, sealing them in together.
Davis drew his Katana, as Derron stepped forward. The paladin took a single pace towards his enemy…
And found himself flung back by a blast of force, slamming into the wall at the side of the Arena. Derron ignored him, and instead looked to Kayoko.
“Well, Daughter? Will you join me for the final battle?”
The Raven-haired girl closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were filled with cold disdain.
“I am not your daughter, Derron. You killed my parents, remember? Neither am I the tool of the dark spirit any longer.”
“You are wrong! The darkness is in you now! You will never be free with it!”
She shrugged.
“A little bit of it is in everyone. But I can learn to live with it, like they do.”
The possessed body of Derron narrowed its eyes.
“And who will help you ‘Live with it,’ Taythe? Who will help you through the times when the desire to be evil is almost overwhelming? Who will stand by your side when you’re feeling lost and alone? You are MY daughter, Taythe, and Mine to do with as I wish! Who will help you now?”
A blast of golden light slammed into Derron, knocking him clear across the room. Davis got to his feet, his hand outstretched his eyes glowed a deep gold, their inner energy sparkling.
“I will.”
=============================================================
Veemon could feel the discharges of energy inside the Arena, and he desperately hammered on the black wall that barred his path, trying to get in.
“What’s going on?” a familiar voice asked.
The small blue Digimon turned, and looked up at Jun Motomiya. Tai stood a little ways behind the frizzy-haired girl, a sword I his hand.
“Where did you guys come from?” he asked.
“We just finished cleaning up after the battle. The Shadowmon aren’t going to be a problem anymore.
Gatomon sniffed.
“That would explain the smell.”
Veemon sniggered, then stopped as the sour odour of battle hit his nose.
“I see what you mean.”
“Thanks, guys, thanks a lot. Now would you mind explaining what the hell is going on?”
Veemon sighed.
“Davis beat Taythe. Turns out, she was possessed by the dark spirit as well, to an extent, and she isn’t called Taythe anymore. Her real name is Kayoko. Then Derron woke up, after TK had stabbed him through the chest with that silver sword of his, and put up this force field. That about covers it. I cant tell what’s going on anymore, because my Link to Davis has been cut off.”
He debated over whether to tell Jun about Davis’s family decision. Finally, he decided to do the right thing.
“Erm… Davis has decided to adopt Kayoko as his little sister.”
Jun gave him a hard look. Then shrugged.
“Okay.”
“Huh?”
“I said okay.”
“But…”
“Look, I know it doesn’t always seem like it, but I trust Davis. In his brain, the standard debate is what’s right versus what’s smart, and sure as hell, smart doesn’t stand a chance. If he thinks that this is the right thing to do, then it’s the right thing to do.”
Veemon stared at her.
“But I…”
“Veemon, much as I’d love to discuss comparative moralities with you, we’ve got more important things to do.”
=============================================================
The golden Katana flashed as Davis moved his hands into a ready position.
“Get away from my friends.”
“And why would I want to do that, Paladin?”
“Because I don't think you have any desire to be split up the middle.”
“Why worry about something that wont happen?”
Davis held out his hand, and a new energy ball formed there.
“Last chance.”
“Go ahead.”
Davis let the blast fly at his enemy. It splashed over a shield of blackness that sprung up in front of Derron.
“Nice try…”
But Davis was already moving. Even as the possessed body fired its own energy blast back at him, he was running forward, sailing through the air, and lashing his foot around in a vicious kick.
Derron raised his forearm, and blocked the blow. Davis landed, catlike on his feet, and dodged nimbly out of the way as the longsword cut at him. Even as he landed, however, Derron moved forward, and clasped his hand around the paladins throat, lifting him from the ground.
“Is this how you’ll do it, Paladin? Will you face me alone?”
Davis tried to gasp a reply, his windpipe clasped shut by the other mans hand.
A dagger buried itself in Derron arm, and the possessed body dropped him with a yell of pain. Kari pulled her hand back from its throwing position.
“He’s never alone!” she snarled.
Derron snarled, and kicked Davis solidly in the stomach, with the extra strength the dark spirit was providing him, the kick sent him flying halfway across the room.
TK moved in, his silver Katana flickering towards Derron’s eyes, wickedly fast. Derron parried the blow, and his counter attack swiftly caught the younger man across the cheek in a glancing blow. The blonde man whipped his katana across Derron’s legs, and the other man grunted in pain, before slamming the hilt of his sword into the digidestined’s belly.
Davis struggled to get to his feet, and could only watch as Nick emptied his Beretta at the possessed body, only to have the bullets stopped in mid-air by that powerful shield. The Londoner swore, and through himself to the ground and Derron sent an energy blast in his direction.
Liam and Dartha moved in together, the knights of both the past and the present working in Unison, their twin broadswords lashed in from opposite sides, and Derron was forced to retreat from that concerted attack, his own longsword desperately parrying the blows.
For a moment, Davis hoped that the two might actually do it, their warrior skills shining through in the face of Derron’s more formal swordsmanship.
But then the Dark spirit asserted itself, and Liam was blasted back by a bolt of energy. Dartha turned to watch his friend for a single heartbeat…
But it was enough. Derron seized him, and sliced his sword across the back of his legs, crippling him. Dartha Fell to his knees, a slightly bewildered look crossing his face as his legs fell from under him.
Then Derron plunged his sword forward.
“NO!” Davis cried, loss wrenching his voice.
The point of the longsword emerged from Tetsato Dartha’s chest, and the broadsword dropped from suddenly nerveless figures. With the last of his strength, he looked up at Davis.
“…Win…Paladin…”
Derron whipped the blade backwards, and Tetsato fell forward onto the floor, a pool of blood spreading from his body.
Davis felt hot anger rip through him, and he stood, his fingers clasped about the hilt of his katana. He raised the weapon one handed, and charged at Derron.
A silver katana came flying through the air as TK tossed his weapon to his friend. Davis caught the weapon in mid stride, and continued his run. The two swords came up, and slashed down in unison, slamming against the blade of the longsword in Derron’s hand. The older man was sent staggering back by the impact, and barely had time to recover as Davis began swinging the two curved swords in single strikes, at the left and right of his enemies body. Derron began to fall back once more, until his body was pressed against the pile of Oridian for the second time that day. Davis saw his opening, as the body possessed by the dark spirit tried to desperately counter attack. He raised TK’s sword in his left hand, and allowed his enemies own arm to do all the work for him.
The silver blade cut through Derron’s wrist like a knife through butter, severing the hand from the body. The dark spirit screamed in pain, and unleashed a wave of force that pushed Davis back and away. The black-tinted bubble that surrounded Derron pulsed, and the Oridian ore pulsed along with it, seeming to grow and then fade as if a shadow fell on it. Davis hacked futilely at the barrier with his sword, the golden blade bouncing off with a bell-like clang.
TK put his hand on his friends shoulder. Davis spun on him, his sword half raised, and TK punched him in the jaw.
Davis’s head snapped back, and when he looked back at his blonde friend, his eyes were calmer.
“Thanks.”
“Any time.”
They looked calmly through the barrier at Derron.
“We’re gonna have to get in there, you know.” TK said.
“Figures.”
“Just one thing, bud.” TK said. “Don't let what he did to The Master take you down to his level.”
“I know TK. I’ll do what I have to do, though.”
“I know it.”
Davis felt a surge of power within him. He silently cast the question into the depths of his soul.
‘Are you doing this?’
‘No. Its all coming from you.’ Ichiro replied. ‘I figured it was time to release all the restraints on you. The dark spirit isn’t playing by the rules, so we can relax a bit too.’
‘Gotcha.’
He glanced at TK.
“On three.”
They waited.
“THREE!!!”
The pair drove their blades forward, slamming them point first into the wall of dark force. Energy crackled from the swords, as the power that they wielded fed itself through the curved blades.
A broadsword, its hilt anointed with Silver, joined the two Katanas as Liam drove a two-handed lunge into the force field, aiding his friends.
Two rifle barrels Joined the swords, and began firing single shots. Davis looked to his left, and saw that Mimi, her face gritted in concentration, was pulling the trigger with a kind of desperate fanaticism.
Nick’s Beretta joined the fray, his arm extending past them into the small point they were all focusing on. Kari’s daggers followed, as she stood shoulder to shoulder with her boyfriend.
“You have to finish this, Davis!” She yelled.
“Why me?”
“You’re the only one who can!” she smiled grimly.
TK grinned across at her.
“I’m going with him. Don't worry.”
“We’re not going anywhere at the moment!” Liam snarled.
“You will now!” a new voice said.
Kayoko, her face snarling, drove the broadsword that Tetsato Dartha had dropped into the point of attack.
The force-field buckled… then split, leaving a portal just wide enough for TK and Davis to get through.
“Go!” Liam yelled.
They didn’t need telling twice. The two warriors dashed forward, their blades swinging in perfect symmetry as, for the first time, fear crossed the face of the possessed body of Derron Motomiya. He desperately raised his arms, the bloody stump of his right hand glistening as he vainly tried to ward off the impending attacks.
It was futility in the extreme. The two blades, one gold, one silver, slammed into the sides of Derron’s neck. The blades seemed to merge for a single second… then passed by each other. Derron fell to the floor. His head followed. As they watched, the black film vanished from the corpses eyes, as the dark spirit finally left the digital world.
The black force field vanished. As Davis watched, the dark mists blocking the exits to the arena also dispersed. He dropped his Katana to the floor, as weariness overtook him. Dimly, he was aware of Kari closing her arms around, him, and pulling him to her, gently resting his head in her shoulder. Vaguely, he saw Tasha doing the same to TK. Mistily, he saw Jun kneel beside the body of Tetsato Dartha, and close his eyes.
“It’s over.” Kari said.
“Not quite.” Came a different voice.
Gennai was standing over them, and next to him, the young girl, Dayla. The little girls eyes were filled with tears, and wordlessly, Kari stood and embraced her. Davis got shakily to his feet.
“What is there left to do?” he asked, brushing off the front of his sleeveless shirt.
Gennai looked up at the pile of black ore.
“The Oridian gives the dark spirit a foothold on this world. This is the last of the pure ore on the entire world, and without it, the spirit can never come back here.”
“Lemme guess. Its my job to destroy it.”
“Sorry.”
“Don't be. Its what I’m good at, I guess.”
“Of course you are, Davis.” Tetsato said.
Davis stared at the hazy apparition that had appeared next to him.
“Oh, don't do that.” The figure snapped irritably. “I don't have the time to explain, but you have to use the power within you to destroy the Oridian. Does that make sense, or has death made me a little abstract?”
“It makes sense. Thankyou, master.”
Davis turned to face the huge pile of Ore. Reaching inside his pouch, he took out the two dark crests and tossed them onto the pile. Then he took a step back, and raised his hands.
“Everyone get back.” he said.
The Oridian ore began to glow. Dimly at first, but then a golden light spread around the pile. Finally the light blasted upwards, and the rock faded to nothing, leaving not a single trace it had ever existed.
“Showoff.” Jun muttered.
“He’s so powerful!” Kayoko said.
“Maybe,” Jun replied. “But he’s still my brother. I’m allowed to insult him.” She thought for a second. “OUR brother, now.” She said decisively.
Kayoko looked at her with a startle expression, and then began to cry. Jun hugged the younger girl.
“C’mon, little sister. No time for that. We’ve got work to do.”
“Huh?”
“We’ve got to patch up the wounded. I get the drift you want to make amends. Well, helping to heal people is the best thing for that.”
“Yes, Jun.”
“And don't be so submissive.”
“Yes Jun.”
Jun sighed. She’d have to work with this one.
“So what now?” Davis asked The Master’s spirit.
“Well, You’re the one with the power. You decided.”
Davis looked down at his hands.
“I don't think I’ll use it like that again.” He sighed. “I don't think I can keep this power, Master. It’s too great for one guy to handle, and I don't think I could have any kind of normal life with this sort of ability.”
Tetsato grinned.
“Good man yourself. I’ll tell you what – The power will always be there. It’s a part of you. But if you do this…” a series of images flashed in Davis’s mind “then you can lock it away until you need it. Does that help at all?”
“Very much, thankyou, master.”
“Welcome. But before you do that…” he glanced at Kari. “Don't you need to asked her something?”
Davis blushed.
“I’d almost forgotten.”
“That would be a VERY bad idea.”
“Tell me about it.”
Davis glanced down at his hand, and focused his mind. When he was finished, a golden ring lay in his palm.
‘not bad at all.’ A new voice said in the recesses of his mind.
Davis jumped.
‘Oh, don't do that. Its not that bad. I’ve come to offer you a choice, Daisuke.’
‘oh?’
‘How much do you want to keep your power?’
‘I don’t. That was the point.’
‘I can take it away from you, if you want. Well, a measure of it, anyway. I’d live you enough to get by on’
Davis laughed silently.
‘I can live with that.’
‘Just one thing – if you ever need it again, just ask, you got me?’
‘Sure.’
Davis felt a surge, and knew that the huge power had, for the moment at least, left his body. He sighed a sigh of relief.
‘Heh. I’ll see you around, kid.’ The voice said.
And then it was gone. Davis looked at Tetsato. The spirit was grinning.
“Well, that shitcans my idea.”
Davis grinned sadly.
“You cant stay much longer, can you?”
“I’m afraid not. don't worry, I don't mind being dead. It means I don't have to clear my desk back at the Forge.” He looked down at the ground, his eyes thoughtful. “I don't think its appropriate for my people to live there any more. It isn’t even necessary. Dayla.”
The little girl, startled by the voice, looked out from behind Kari.
“Oh, don't be scared. Its just me.”
“But master, you were ALWAYS scary.”
The spirit rolled its eyes.
“Thankyou. Thankyou very much. Now, if you’re through insulting me, I’ve got a job for you.”
The little girls tear-streaked face lifted bravely.
“Anything, Master.”
“Good. You’re in charge at home now. You’re the only other one who can reach the prophecy, so you’ll have to lead our people. I want you to help them get out of the Forge. The caves have served their purpose, and now its time for us to rejoin the world.”
Dayla nodded.
“Yes, Master.”
“Good girl.”
The spirit turned back to Davis.
“Now, I’m gonna have to go. Don't leave that thing we discussed too long.”
He held out his near-transparent hand, and Davis clasped it briefly. Then the shade faded away and vanished. The paladin had tears in his eyes as he turned back to his friends.
“Well, Dayla, when do you want to get started?”
“Soon. And I don't want to leave him resting in this place.”
Davis nodded, and walked over to where Jun and Kayoko were standing over Dartha’s body. Wordlessly, understandingly, Kayoko held out the broadsword she had picked up. Davis nodded his thanks, and, taking the weapon, he laid it on Dartha’s chest, and folded the Master’s hands across it. Liam, Nick and Michael came over wordlessly. without saying anything, the four men picked up the body between them, holding it over their shoulders.
They carried the brave man from the arena, and Gennai gently closed the door behind them as they all left.
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Coast town was a complete mess. Davis beheld the destruction that the Shadowmon had caused with a kind of weary regret. It had been necessary, he understood that now, but still he could not wipe away the thought of those people from his mind. he sighed.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Kari said.
“I don't known them myself.” He replied. “I’ve done what I promised to do by avenging the people who died here, and you know what?”
“What?”
“It still hasn’t bought them back.”
She slipped her hand into his, as they watched the special forces of three nations march into the town. At the head of the group was a small, battered batch of men, their weapons dirty, and their faces bruised and cut. The digital world troopers. It reminded Davis that he now had to make a decision – one of the most important he would ever make. He glanced across at his girlfriend. Make that TWO decisions. Well, one of them he could deal with right now.
“Kari?”
“Yeah?”
“We need to talk.”
She gave him a look. It wasn’t a threatening look. If anything it was only mildly curious. But it filled him with fear. He reached into his pocket, and found the ring.
“I love you Kari. You do know that, right?”
“Of course I do, Davis.”
Right. Good. Nice way to start.
“So, erm… Well.”
He stopped, and took a deep breath.
“Kari, if I still had the power, I would do anything you asked me. I would stop the sun, the moon and the stars for you. I would drain the oceans if you wanted to.” He stopped. “I think I could still do that one actually.” He admitted.
She laughed.
“Davis, where are you going with this?”
he grinned.
“Gimme a break. I’m not that good at making speeches.”
“Then don't bother. There’s no one here to make them to, anyway.”
He looked at her, his heart in his eyes.
“Yes there is. The one who counts.”
She stared at him, then blushed.
From a few metres away, Veemon and Gatomon watched the pair. Gatomon looked at her companion.
“What are they doing, Veemon?” she asked.
The blue Digimon looked at her, and winked slyly. She glared.
“Just watch, dear. All shall be revealed” he looked her up and down. “well, not quite all.” He smirked.
Gatomon actually turned red at that. Then they heard someone sneaking up behind them, on the steps.
TK, Tasha, Jun, Tai and Liam were crouched at the top of the stairs, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
“Has he done it yet?” TK hissed.
“Done what???” Gatomon asked archly.
TK just grinned. Gatomon sighed.
“I’m surrounded by morons.”
Away from the exchange, Davis was still looking deep into Kari’s eyes. She stared back up at him.
“Just say what you feel, Davis.”
He deliberated about it, and then grinned.
“Ok.”
“Ok?
“Yeah, ok.” He smiled broadly.
“Kari, I love you more than anything.” He dropped to his knee, and fished out the ring from his pocket. “Will you marry me?”
She stared at the ring in silence, her mouth open. A slight gasp escaped Gatomon. The people on the step held their breath.
Then She nodded, once. A huge smile lit her face, and tears began to appear in her eyes. Davis came to his feet fast, and pressed his lips against hers. Even as the group on the step began cheering, he raised her hand, and gently slipped the engagement ring onto her finger.
Gatomon glared at Veemon.
“You knew?”
“Of course.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I thought you’d like the surprise.”
Kari and Davis finally separated. They looked across at their friends.
“Y’know, I really didn’t need an audience for this.” Davis complained.
Kari smiled at him.
“You did just fine.”
Liam coughed.
“I hate to break this short, but you’ve got a meeting to go to.”
“They’re here?”
“’Fraid so.”
He sighed.
“Let’s get it over with.”
“You know what you’ve got to do?”
“Yeah. They wont like it, but I’ll do it anyway.”
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PRESS ARTICLE, THE TIMES, 2013:
Daisuke Motomiya, the current representative of the digital world, announced today that he would be closing the portals between our world and the digital world. In this bold move, Mr Motomiya, (20) is effectively cutting off all communications between the digital world and our own.
“The digital world is for everyone” Mr Motomiya is quoted as saying. “But not yet. The portals that were opened last year have opened up all sorts of problems for the society, and I’m afraid that I cannot allow those problems to remain. Eventually, everyone in the world will gain their own Digimon, but until the point, the gateways will remain closed. This is as much for the safety of the Earth as it is for the digiworld. Trust me on this one.”
In response to allegations that he is using the digiworld to gain power himself, Mr Motomiya gave this reply.
“I have no intent to use the digital world for my own gain. I never wanted to be in this position, but I will do what I have to do in order to ensure our safety, and the safety of the Digimon and the people who live permanently in the digiworld. Although I thank the nations of the world for their aid in defeating the Shadowmon menace, the world will survive without the resources that the digiworld can offer.”
It is reported that several industrial conglomerates have, unsuccessfully, attempted to enter the digital world since the announcement. One person has been recorded as saying that “the howls of anger could be heard for miles.” The source of this quote does not agree with the mining of the digital world.
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*********
They walked slowly through the door to the arena, side by side. Kari turned round, and looked at them, surprise apparent on her face as she took in the raven-haired girl who stood almost fearfully behind Davis. TK blinked a couple of times.
“Erm… Am I missing something here?”
“Yeah… as per usual.” Davis jibed.
TK glared at him.
“Bite me, Motomiya. Care to enlighten me?”
“In a minute. But first, I’d like you all to meet Kayoko.”
He stepped aside, and allowed Taythe to step forward. Liam looked around.
“I think TK’s not the only one who’s missing something? Isn’t that Taythe.”
Dartha gave the raven-haired girl a shrewd look.
“Not anymore, it seems.” He grinned. “I can’t sense the dark spirit in her at all. She’s just a regular kid now.”
“Oh, so that’s alright then.” Mimi said with vast insincerity. “Why don’t we just all forget the events of the past month, huh? Let’s all just be friends.”
“Mimi…” Kari said. “Shut up.”
“Kari!”
“Kayoko wasn’t the one who did those things to us. Neither was Taythe. It was all Wentela and Derron.” She stopped. “Where is Wentela anyway?”
Nick coughed.
“She’s managing the mine. When I last saw her, she was setting up shop in one of the tunnels.”
“How long do you think she’ll be down there?”
“Well, I’d have to hazard a guess along the lines of ‘forever’ actually.”
“Oh. Good.”
“I thought you’d appreciate it.”
Kayoko looked back between them. Despite the banter, she could see that they were wary of her, and Mimi’s face was bordering on Open hostilities.
“Can I…”
They looked at her, and she faltered. Davis placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Go ahead, Kayoko. Don’t worry.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Kari stepped forward, and stood next to them.
“It’s okay. Say what you have to, Kayoko.”
The raven-haired girl looked up at her, and gave a slight smile.
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“I was born a fairly long time ago. I don't know how long, but I can remember my mothers face. I can still remember the way she smelt as she hugged me at nights. I remember feeling safe. I can’t really remember my father, but I know that he loved me as well. He seemed so tall, and whenever he picked me up, I was so scared of falling that I used to cling to his shirt in fear.
Then, one day, I came downstairs, and my mother wasn’t there. I could smell a strange smell. I didn’t know it at the time, but now that I think back to it, I know exactly what it was. It was the smell of blood. I didn’t know that my parents were dead.
There was a strange man sitting in the living room. He told me that his name was Derron, and he was going to be my new father. For some reason, I believed him, and immediately, I went to hug him. I liked hugs then.
He pushed me away, and I can remember crying as I hit the floor. No-one had ever hurt me before, and I didn’t know how to deal with it.”
The Digidestined watched the Raven-haired girl as she told her story. Even Mimi’s hostility had dropped away, replaced by a look of horror as she listened to Kayoko’s tale.
“He told me that I couldn’t do things like that anymore. I couldn’t hug people, or get close to them. He took me away from my home, and took me to this place, the citadel of the dragon-lords. I only had one friend when I was young, and that was the nurse who took care of me. Then, one day, she disappeared. I don't know why.
She stopped, and looked at Derron’s body, lying against the pile of Oridian.
“Then again, maybe I do. After that, I couldn’t afford to make any attachments. The most important person in my life was Derron. Then, when I was thirteen, he took me into this arena, and sat me in the centre. He did some weird ritual, and I could feel some kind of power enter my mind and soul. I was repulsed by it, but part of me liked having something of my own. Derron stopped calling me Kayoko then, and started calling me Taythe instead. God, how I grew to hate that name! I hated the endless hours of training, the rituals and the speeches he used to give me… telling me I was the instrument of his destiny, the tool of his power. I hated him. But he was all I had.”
Kari’s arm reached up, and placed itself around the girl’s shoulders. Kayoko leant against her, taking some small measure of comfort from the proximity of someone who cared about her, even just a little.
“Little by little, the hate took me over. It was the only emotion I allowed myself to feel, the only one that was safe. I trained with that longsword until I was strong, keeping my hatred to myself, letting him think I was so devoted to him that I would do whatever he said.
And then, years, we felt the presence of two descendants of Ichiro Motomiya in the world. I felt the other presence that cohabited my mind gloat as it planned his fate. It and Derron came up with the idea of using him to re-ignite the war of the Dragon lords where it had taken off. They decided to use this descendant of Ichiro to free the Shadowmon from their sire’s imprisonment.”
“Paul.” Davis said quietly. She nodded slightly.
“The mind within my mind sent part of itself to take him over. They made him kill the other descendant who was with him. Your father, Davis.”
He nodded, and smiled slightly.
“I knew it wasn’t his own fault”
She smiled at him as well.
“He couldn’t help it. And then you appeared, with the paladin sword in your hands and the Digidestined in Paul’s control. You strode through the world like a Tornado, and nothing stood in your way. For a while, the presence in my mind seemed almost scared, and I thought it might have given up and set me free.
But then it came back, stronger than ever, and part of me was screaming as it forced me back down into the recesses of my soul. I could see everything it did, but I couldn’t stop myself. It used my body as a weapon, and the worst thing was that Derron was perfectly happy with that. For him, I was nothing more than a tool.
It was then that we began to move abroad in the world. First, I went to the ruins of the tower that Paul had used to open the permanent Digiports, and retrieved the dark crests from where they had fallen. I slotted them into my sword, and it turned black, pure black. For the first time, I heard the stir of the dark ocean, and it scared the part of me that was still my own. That sword had been one of the few things I possessed, and it wasn’t even mine anymore. I was a warrior, and my weapon had been taken from me.”
She stopped, and smiled slightly.
“You all know what happened next.”
Mimi smiled too.
“I’m sorry, Kayoko. I didn’t understand.”
“That’s okay. I’m a very misunderstood person.” She laughed.
Liam stood, and stretched.
“Y’know, much as I’m lovin’ the atmosphere of this place, I really think we should get out of here.”
Davis stood.
“I think you could be right.”
“Good, because I’d have shot you if you’d said no.”
A hissing voice cut over them.
“Don't go yet, paladin, the funs just beginning…”
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The dark spirit had soared up into the sky after it had been expelled from Kayoko’s soul, flying in search of a host to continue its plans. It refused to accept that it had lost! The Paladin had not even killed his champion, instead he had shown mercy! That had to be a loss!
In its very nature the dark spirit could not understand the concept of mercy. It could not see the point of allowing ones enemies to live. All would be trampled over in its single-minded course of ambition.
It had hovered above the arena, searching the minds within for the elements it required. It could not go back to Kayoko, not once she had expelled it, and the paladin, obviously, was out of the question.
It found what it required, and dove, pouring its essence into the vehicle it had chosen.
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Derron’s body rose shakily from the ground, pulling its longsword after it. It’s eyes were covered in a black sheen.
“Liam!” Davis shouted. “Get them outta here!”
“What, and let them miss the party?” Derron hissed.
He waved his hand, and a wall of blackness closed off the arena doors, sealing them in together.
Davis drew his Katana, as Derron stepped forward. The paladin took a single pace towards his enemy…
And found himself flung back by a blast of force, slamming into the wall at the side of the Arena. Derron ignored him, and instead looked to Kayoko.
“Well, Daughter? Will you join me for the final battle?”
The Raven-haired girl closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were filled with cold disdain.
“I am not your daughter, Derron. You killed my parents, remember? Neither am I the tool of the dark spirit any longer.”
“You are wrong! The darkness is in you now! You will never be free with it!”
She shrugged.
“A little bit of it is in everyone. But I can learn to live with it, like they do.”
The possessed body of Derron narrowed its eyes.
“And who will help you ‘Live with it,’ Taythe? Who will help you through the times when the desire to be evil is almost overwhelming? Who will stand by your side when you’re feeling lost and alone? You are MY daughter, Taythe, and Mine to do with as I wish! Who will help you now?”
A blast of golden light slammed into Derron, knocking him clear across the room. Davis got to his feet, his hand outstretched his eyes glowed a deep gold, their inner energy sparkling.
“I will.”
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Veemon could feel the discharges of energy inside the Arena, and he desperately hammered on the black wall that barred his path, trying to get in.
“What’s going on?” a familiar voice asked.
The small blue Digimon turned, and looked up at Jun Motomiya. Tai stood a little ways behind the frizzy-haired girl, a sword I his hand.
“Where did you guys come from?” he asked.
“We just finished cleaning up after the battle. The Shadowmon aren’t going to be a problem anymore.
Gatomon sniffed.
“That would explain the smell.”
Veemon sniggered, then stopped as the sour odour of battle hit his nose.
“I see what you mean.”
“Thanks, guys, thanks a lot. Now would you mind explaining what the hell is going on?”
Veemon sighed.
“Davis beat Taythe. Turns out, she was possessed by the dark spirit as well, to an extent, and she isn’t called Taythe anymore. Her real name is Kayoko. Then Derron woke up, after TK had stabbed him through the chest with that silver sword of his, and put up this force field. That about covers it. I cant tell what’s going on anymore, because my Link to Davis has been cut off.”
He debated over whether to tell Jun about Davis’s family decision. Finally, he decided to do the right thing.
“Erm… Davis has decided to adopt Kayoko as his little sister.”
Jun gave him a hard look. Then shrugged.
“Okay.”
“Huh?”
“I said okay.”
“But…”
“Look, I know it doesn’t always seem like it, but I trust Davis. In his brain, the standard debate is what’s right versus what’s smart, and sure as hell, smart doesn’t stand a chance. If he thinks that this is the right thing to do, then it’s the right thing to do.”
Veemon stared at her.
“But I…”
“Veemon, much as I’d love to discuss comparative moralities with you, we’ve got more important things to do.”
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The golden Katana flashed as Davis moved his hands into a ready position.
“Get away from my friends.”
“And why would I want to do that, Paladin?”
“Because I don't think you have any desire to be split up the middle.”
“Why worry about something that wont happen?”
Davis held out his hand, and a new energy ball formed there.
“Last chance.”
“Go ahead.”
Davis let the blast fly at his enemy. It splashed over a shield of blackness that sprung up in front of Derron.
“Nice try…”
But Davis was already moving. Even as the possessed body fired its own energy blast back at him, he was running forward, sailing through the air, and lashing his foot around in a vicious kick.
Derron raised his forearm, and blocked the blow. Davis landed, catlike on his feet, and dodged nimbly out of the way as the longsword cut at him. Even as he landed, however, Derron moved forward, and clasped his hand around the paladins throat, lifting him from the ground.
“Is this how you’ll do it, Paladin? Will you face me alone?”
Davis tried to gasp a reply, his windpipe clasped shut by the other mans hand.
A dagger buried itself in Derron arm, and the possessed body dropped him with a yell of pain. Kari pulled her hand back from its throwing position.
“He’s never alone!” she snarled.
Derron snarled, and kicked Davis solidly in the stomach, with the extra strength the dark spirit was providing him, the kick sent him flying halfway across the room.
TK moved in, his silver Katana flickering towards Derron’s eyes, wickedly fast. Derron parried the blow, and his counter attack swiftly caught the younger man across the cheek in a glancing blow. The blonde man whipped his katana across Derron’s legs, and the other man grunted in pain, before slamming the hilt of his sword into the digidestined’s belly.
Davis struggled to get to his feet, and could only watch as Nick emptied his Beretta at the possessed body, only to have the bullets stopped in mid-air by that powerful shield. The Londoner swore, and through himself to the ground and Derron sent an energy blast in his direction.
Liam and Dartha moved in together, the knights of both the past and the present working in Unison, their twin broadswords lashed in from opposite sides, and Derron was forced to retreat from that concerted attack, his own longsword desperately parrying the blows.
For a moment, Davis hoped that the two might actually do it, their warrior skills shining through in the face of Derron’s more formal swordsmanship.
But then the Dark spirit asserted itself, and Liam was blasted back by a bolt of energy. Dartha turned to watch his friend for a single heartbeat…
But it was enough. Derron seized him, and sliced his sword across the back of his legs, crippling him. Dartha Fell to his knees, a slightly bewildered look crossing his face as his legs fell from under him.
Then Derron plunged his sword forward.
“NO!” Davis cried, loss wrenching his voice.
The point of the longsword emerged from Tetsato Dartha’s chest, and the broadsword dropped from suddenly nerveless figures. With the last of his strength, he looked up at Davis.
“…Win…Paladin…”
Derron whipped the blade backwards, and Tetsato fell forward onto the floor, a pool of blood spreading from his body.
Davis felt hot anger rip through him, and he stood, his fingers clasped about the hilt of his katana. He raised the weapon one handed, and charged at Derron.
A silver katana came flying through the air as TK tossed his weapon to his friend. Davis caught the weapon in mid stride, and continued his run. The two swords came up, and slashed down in unison, slamming against the blade of the longsword in Derron’s hand. The older man was sent staggering back by the impact, and barely had time to recover as Davis began swinging the two curved swords in single strikes, at the left and right of his enemies body. Derron began to fall back once more, until his body was pressed against the pile of Oridian for the second time that day. Davis saw his opening, as the body possessed by the dark spirit tried to desperately counter attack. He raised TK’s sword in his left hand, and allowed his enemies own arm to do all the work for him.
The silver blade cut through Derron’s wrist like a knife through butter, severing the hand from the body. The dark spirit screamed in pain, and unleashed a wave of force that pushed Davis back and away. The black-tinted bubble that surrounded Derron pulsed, and the Oridian ore pulsed along with it, seeming to grow and then fade as if a shadow fell on it. Davis hacked futilely at the barrier with his sword, the golden blade bouncing off with a bell-like clang.
TK put his hand on his friends shoulder. Davis spun on him, his sword half raised, and TK punched him in the jaw.
Davis’s head snapped back, and when he looked back at his blonde friend, his eyes were calmer.
“Thanks.”
“Any time.”
They looked calmly through the barrier at Derron.
“We’re gonna have to get in there, you know.” TK said.
“Figures.”
“Just one thing, bud.” TK said. “Don't let what he did to The Master take you down to his level.”
“I know TK. I’ll do what I have to do, though.”
“I know it.”
Davis felt a surge of power within him. He silently cast the question into the depths of his soul.
‘Are you doing this?’
‘No. Its all coming from you.’ Ichiro replied. ‘I figured it was time to release all the restraints on you. The dark spirit isn’t playing by the rules, so we can relax a bit too.’
‘Gotcha.’
He glanced at TK.
“On three.”
They waited.
“THREE!!!”
The pair drove their blades forward, slamming them point first into the wall of dark force. Energy crackled from the swords, as the power that they wielded fed itself through the curved blades.
A broadsword, its hilt anointed with Silver, joined the two Katanas as Liam drove a two-handed lunge into the force field, aiding his friends.
Two rifle barrels Joined the swords, and began firing single shots. Davis looked to his left, and saw that Mimi, her face gritted in concentration, was pulling the trigger with a kind of desperate fanaticism.
Nick’s Beretta joined the fray, his arm extending past them into the small point they were all focusing on. Kari’s daggers followed, as she stood shoulder to shoulder with her boyfriend.
“You have to finish this, Davis!” She yelled.
“Why me?”
“You’re the only one who can!” she smiled grimly.
TK grinned across at her.
“I’m going with him. Don't worry.”
“We’re not going anywhere at the moment!” Liam snarled.
“You will now!” a new voice said.
Kayoko, her face snarling, drove the broadsword that Tetsato Dartha had dropped into the point of attack.
The force-field buckled… then split, leaving a portal just wide enough for TK and Davis to get through.
“Go!” Liam yelled.
They didn’t need telling twice. The two warriors dashed forward, their blades swinging in perfect symmetry as, for the first time, fear crossed the face of the possessed body of Derron Motomiya. He desperately raised his arms, the bloody stump of his right hand glistening as he vainly tried to ward off the impending attacks.
It was futility in the extreme. The two blades, one gold, one silver, slammed into the sides of Derron’s neck. The blades seemed to merge for a single second… then passed by each other. Derron fell to the floor. His head followed. As they watched, the black film vanished from the corpses eyes, as the dark spirit finally left the digital world.
The black force field vanished. As Davis watched, the dark mists blocking the exits to the arena also dispersed. He dropped his Katana to the floor, as weariness overtook him. Dimly, he was aware of Kari closing her arms around, him, and pulling him to her, gently resting his head in her shoulder. Vaguely, he saw Tasha doing the same to TK. Mistily, he saw Jun kneel beside the body of Tetsato Dartha, and close his eyes.
“It’s over.” Kari said.
“Not quite.” Came a different voice.
Gennai was standing over them, and next to him, the young girl, Dayla. The little girls eyes were filled with tears, and wordlessly, Kari stood and embraced her. Davis got shakily to his feet.
“What is there left to do?” he asked, brushing off the front of his sleeveless shirt.
Gennai looked up at the pile of black ore.
“The Oridian gives the dark spirit a foothold on this world. This is the last of the pure ore on the entire world, and without it, the spirit can never come back here.”
“Lemme guess. Its my job to destroy it.”
“Sorry.”
“Don't be. Its what I’m good at, I guess.”
“Of course you are, Davis.” Tetsato said.
Davis stared at the hazy apparition that had appeared next to him.
“Oh, don't do that.” The figure snapped irritably. “I don't have the time to explain, but you have to use the power within you to destroy the Oridian. Does that make sense, or has death made me a little abstract?”
“It makes sense. Thankyou, master.”
Davis turned to face the huge pile of Ore. Reaching inside his pouch, he took out the two dark crests and tossed them onto the pile. Then he took a step back, and raised his hands.
“Everyone get back.” he said.
The Oridian ore began to glow. Dimly at first, but then a golden light spread around the pile. Finally the light blasted upwards, and the rock faded to nothing, leaving not a single trace it had ever existed.
“Showoff.” Jun muttered.
“He’s so powerful!” Kayoko said.
“Maybe,” Jun replied. “But he’s still my brother. I’m allowed to insult him.” She thought for a second. “OUR brother, now.” She said decisively.
Kayoko looked at her with a startle expression, and then began to cry. Jun hugged the younger girl.
“C’mon, little sister. No time for that. We’ve got work to do.”
“Huh?”
“We’ve got to patch up the wounded. I get the drift you want to make amends. Well, helping to heal people is the best thing for that.”
“Yes, Jun.”
“And don't be so submissive.”
“Yes Jun.”
Jun sighed. She’d have to work with this one.
“So what now?” Davis asked The Master’s spirit.
“Well, You’re the one with the power. You decided.”
Davis looked down at his hands.
“I don't think I’ll use it like that again.” He sighed. “I don't think I can keep this power, Master. It’s too great for one guy to handle, and I don't think I could have any kind of normal life with this sort of ability.”
Tetsato grinned.
“Good man yourself. I’ll tell you what – The power will always be there. It’s a part of you. But if you do this…” a series of images flashed in Davis’s mind “then you can lock it away until you need it. Does that help at all?”
“Very much, thankyou, master.”
“Welcome. But before you do that…” he glanced at Kari. “Don't you need to asked her something?”
Davis blushed.
“I’d almost forgotten.”
“That would be a VERY bad idea.”
“Tell me about it.”
Davis glanced down at his hand, and focused his mind. When he was finished, a golden ring lay in his palm.
‘not bad at all.’ A new voice said in the recesses of his mind.
Davis jumped.
‘Oh, don't do that. Its not that bad. I’ve come to offer you a choice, Daisuke.’
‘oh?’
‘How much do you want to keep your power?’
‘I don’t. That was the point.’
‘I can take it away from you, if you want. Well, a measure of it, anyway. I’d live you enough to get by on’
Davis laughed silently.
‘I can live with that.’
‘Just one thing – if you ever need it again, just ask, you got me?’
‘Sure.’
Davis felt a surge, and knew that the huge power had, for the moment at least, left his body. He sighed a sigh of relief.
‘Heh. I’ll see you around, kid.’ The voice said.
And then it was gone. Davis looked at Tetsato. The spirit was grinning.
“Well, that shitcans my idea.”
Davis grinned sadly.
“You cant stay much longer, can you?”
“I’m afraid not. don't worry, I don't mind being dead. It means I don't have to clear my desk back at the Forge.” He looked down at the ground, his eyes thoughtful. “I don't think its appropriate for my people to live there any more. It isn’t even necessary. Dayla.”
The little girl, startled by the voice, looked out from behind Kari.
“Oh, don't be scared. Its just me.”
“But master, you were ALWAYS scary.”
The spirit rolled its eyes.
“Thankyou. Thankyou very much. Now, if you’re through insulting me, I’ve got a job for you.”
The little girls tear-streaked face lifted bravely.
“Anything, Master.”
“Good. You’re in charge at home now. You’re the only other one who can reach the prophecy, so you’ll have to lead our people. I want you to help them get out of the Forge. The caves have served their purpose, and now its time for us to rejoin the world.”
Dayla nodded.
“Yes, Master.”
“Good girl.”
The spirit turned back to Davis.
“Now, I’m gonna have to go. Don't leave that thing we discussed too long.”
He held out his near-transparent hand, and Davis clasped it briefly. Then the shade faded away and vanished. The paladin had tears in his eyes as he turned back to his friends.
“Well, Dayla, when do you want to get started?”
“Soon. And I don't want to leave him resting in this place.”
Davis nodded, and walked over to where Jun and Kayoko were standing over Dartha’s body. Wordlessly, understandingly, Kayoko held out the broadsword she had picked up. Davis nodded his thanks, and, taking the weapon, he laid it on Dartha’s chest, and folded the Master’s hands across it. Liam, Nick and Michael came over wordlessly. without saying anything, the four men picked up the body between them, holding it over their shoulders.
They carried the brave man from the arena, and Gennai gently closed the door behind them as they all left.
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Coast town was a complete mess. Davis beheld the destruction that the Shadowmon had caused with a kind of weary regret. It had been necessary, he understood that now, but still he could not wipe away the thought of those people from his mind. he sighed.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Kari said.
“I don't known them myself.” He replied. “I’ve done what I promised to do by avenging the people who died here, and you know what?”
“What?”
“It still hasn’t bought them back.”
She slipped her hand into his, as they watched the special forces of three nations march into the town. At the head of the group was a small, battered batch of men, their weapons dirty, and their faces bruised and cut. The digital world troopers. It reminded Davis that he now had to make a decision – one of the most important he would ever make. He glanced across at his girlfriend. Make that TWO decisions. Well, one of them he could deal with right now.
“Kari?”
“Yeah?”
“We need to talk.”
She gave him a look. It wasn’t a threatening look. If anything it was only mildly curious. But it filled him with fear. He reached into his pocket, and found the ring.
“I love you Kari. You do know that, right?”
“Of course I do, Davis.”
Right. Good. Nice way to start.
“So, erm… Well.”
He stopped, and took a deep breath.
“Kari, if I still had the power, I would do anything you asked me. I would stop the sun, the moon and the stars for you. I would drain the oceans if you wanted to.” He stopped. “I think I could still do that one actually.” He admitted.
She laughed.
“Davis, where are you going with this?”
he grinned.
“Gimme a break. I’m not that good at making speeches.”
“Then don't bother. There’s no one here to make them to, anyway.”
He looked at her, his heart in his eyes.
“Yes there is. The one who counts.”
She stared at him, then blushed.
From a few metres away, Veemon and Gatomon watched the pair. Gatomon looked at her companion.
“What are they doing, Veemon?” she asked.
The blue Digimon looked at her, and winked slyly. She glared.
“Just watch, dear. All shall be revealed” he looked her up and down. “well, not quite all.” He smirked.
Gatomon actually turned red at that. Then they heard someone sneaking up behind them, on the steps.
TK, Tasha, Jun, Tai and Liam were crouched at the top of the stairs, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
“Has he done it yet?” TK hissed.
“Done what???” Gatomon asked archly.
TK just grinned. Gatomon sighed.
“I’m surrounded by morons.”
Away from the exchange, Davis was still looking deep into Kari’s eyes. She stared back up at him.
“Just say what you feel, Davis.”
He deliberated about it, and then grinned.
“Ok.”
“Ok?
“Yeah, ok.” He smiled broadly.
“Kari, I love you more than anything.” He dropped to his knee, and fished out the ring from his pocket. “Will you marry me?”
She stared at the ring in silence, her mouth open. A slight gasp escaped Gatomon. The people on the step held their breath.
Then She nodded, once. A huge smile lit her face, and tears began to appear in her eyes. Davis came to his feet fast, and pressed his lips against hers. Even as the group on the step began cheering, he raised her hand, and gently slipped the engagement ring onto her finger.
Gatomon glared at Veemon.
“You knew?”
“Of course.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I thought you’d like the surprise.”
Kari and Davis finally separated. They looked across at their friends.
“Y’know, I really didn’t need an audience for this.” Davis complained.
Kari smiled at him.
“You did just fine.”
Liam coughed.
“I hate to break this short, but you’ve got a meeting to go to.”
“They’re here?”
“’Fraid so.”
He sighed.
“Let’s get it over with.”
“You know what you’ve got to do?”
“Yeah. They wont like it, but I’ll do it anyway.”
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PRESS ARTICLE, THE TIMES, 2013:
Daisuke Motomiya, the current representative of the digital world, announced today that he would be closing the portals between our world and the digital world. In this bold move, Mr Motomiya, (20) is effectively cutting off all communications between the digital world and our own.
“The digital world is for everyone” Mr Motomiya is quoted as saying. “But not yet. The portals that were opened last year have opened up all sorts of problems for the society, and I’m afraid that I cannot allow those problems to remain. Eventually, everyone in the world will gain their own Digimon, but until the point, the gateways will remain closed. This is as much for the safety of the Earth as it is for the digiworld. Trust me on this one.”
In response to allegations that he is using the digiworld to gain power himself, Mr Motomiya gave this reply.
“I have no intent to use the digital world for my own gain. I never wanted to be in this position, but I will do what I have to do in order to ensure our safety, and the safety of the Digimon and the people who live permanently in the digiworld. Although I thank the nations of the world for their aid in defeating the Shadowmon menace, the world will survive without the resources that the digiworld can offer.”
It is reported that several industrial conglomerates have, unsuccessfully, attempted to enter the digital world since the announcement. One person has been recorded as saying that “the howls of anger could be heard for miles.” The source of this quote does not agree with the mining of the digital world.
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