NOTE: No Digimon character in this story is/are real or is personally owned by me. I use the names for the purpose of creative writing and retain no legal obligation to any names or characters in this story. What characters that do not appear in or around any Digimon story line are of my work. The idea of the story is not completely original, based off of season 03 of Digimon. AGAIN characters and plot are not legally mine; any and all complaints should go to the/or proper authorities such as the server you downloaded my story from or your local government authorities. I have taken the liberty to create my own character(s) but I do not feel that it is necessary for copy rites on them. For fan/flam mails may be sent to my email address as listed below. I look forward to criticism and support.

 

Yours,

 

SILENCE

Pokemon_alone@hotmail.com

 

CAUTION NOTE:

This story contains material of a sexual nature, mature readers only. Activities that take place in this section are meant for the purpose of expanding the plot of the story and are unavoidable on my basics of creation. Strictly speaking if you do not like sex between Digimon (of same species) and humans then please avoid chapters that are clearly marked off with appropriate headings of “!!!!!CAUTION!!!!!” thank you and pleas enjoy the feature presentation.

Fox Tails:

D

 

You’re all back how exciting, and it seems we have a few new faces. Anyway you all seem to know what I said last time rite? Most of you, where you even listening? Oh well I’ll just give a little refresher from my last part.

 

Well it’s me Ryokumon again. Ryoku for short for all you new people. Yeah I know it’s the name of a Digimon, and that’s what I am in part. Juts to save myself from repeating myself again lets just go straight to the review. You will be tested…. Just kidding.

 

Well to start off I came back home with Zero and Bit looking for Impmon with all I wanted to do was see my home: Digimon or human, my love and possibly the tamers. I made sure that I would help Bit before I made my own personal errands so we went to the city from the ledge we started off from. Before we left that day I thought of a reason I could go back to Renamon knowing in a logical sense that Bit would get hurt if he tagged along while we search for his partner. I went ahead of them in the night after I left Bit somewhere with Zero to go see Renamon for personal reasons before I took Bit there while we searched for Impmon.

 

Getting there I found out something weird had happened and that my worries I had for the tamers was justified. When I came back to Renamon she was Marena, part Renamon part Maria. Some how when Renamon Digivolved to mega Maria joined with her and they couldn’t go back, so for a while they where two minds in one body till they set into each other and became as one with each other as I was with Ryokumon. There was a period of shock and it took me a day to get back to my senses where I got permission from Marena to let Bit stay in her burrow at the time.

 

I went back to get Bit and Zero and we went to my home. After we went there, Marena and I went out to talk where she told me a few troubling things about what happened while I was gone. She didn’t blame me for what I did but I beat myself up over it. At that time all she knew was that ultimates and then megas started coming threw and soon after the first few ultimates David lost his partner then Richy’s family moved away leaving Maria to defend the city from Digimon by herself. One reason I beat myself up was because Zero told me that I was infected by a Digimon virus called Titan that corrupted a Digimon and used it to block Digimon from coming thru. That was news to me and to you if you where here the last time. I didn’t deal well from what I can remember and when Marena told me about what happened I thought I had something to do with it so I just beat myself up over it until she told me not to. Maria and Renamon were one and they accepted it, if I wasn’t there it wasn’t their or my fault. So much for learning experience huh?

 

Well after that we went back to the burrow after Renamon agreed to help Zero and I find Impmon for Bit, but there where a few things in the way between this and that, for one was a jamming signal the military set up so tamers couldn’t get readings if Digimon did come threw, or even find Digimon that where already threw. Zero fed us the information after he found one of the transmitters and we planned out an attack on them though not said with as many caustics as we could go around. During the planning, Marena showed who she was pushing off the top of the towers to make Bit and Zero freak or pass out. Then explained who she was to the two of them which made it easier in the long run.

 

Zero told me why he was so loyal, inspired and all. Him having my memories and how I got away from Vulpi also is what he showed me. After he told me that, I went out feeling the cause I had after Zero had helped me out in the digital world, exited and happy and went out to get my Starlight. Coming back with the hefty priced bouquet of flowers and showing her how much I cared, again, doing it right before we went off on a mission if you will. It felt wrong of me to do it that way, but it worked. Maria thought the flowers where as pretty as Renamon did and she was that much closer to loving me.

 

Maria put up a little resistance but they where coming closer in mind then and she soon realized she loved me too and we went off to do our tasks with the mission. We destroyed the transmitters without any problems and found out later that there was still enough of an effect of the transmitter to screw us up, I wasn’t too happy about it and I found a park to relax in and sleep. I found out that Heto left a spy in the military and the spy decided to quit with Heto’s consent, leaving me his phone so I could communicate with Heto.

 

I had a little chat with Heto, heated to say the least, and Heto told me something very strange. The Dark Masters were hackers. One was in Japan and the other over here. They were both found dead at their computers and with stolen Hypnos technology as well as Digimon templates. Zero told me how dangerous it was to copy minds and from what I heard from Heto that’s what seemed to happen. The hackers where unknowns and hearing they were humans now floating around the digital world, I wanted revenge, but local problems came first. I kept the phone after Heto said his good-byes and I went back to the burrow to start that nights search.

 

After I went out I followed Impmon's signal around coming back to a gas station roof wracking my brain over every thing I recently had dumped on me and instead of finding Impmon he found me. After a short emotional moment ,which I’m sure Impmon would try to hurt me for repeating, we went back to the burrow where I forced tamer and Digimon to make up. If I was Impmon I would have left at first sign of bitterness but he stayed and there was a rough make up at threats end of a forceful kiss.

 

Well the next event started off as a team effort but for some reason after every one went to sleep I had second thoughts about having everyone come along. I was dealing with the personal problem of the Titan virus in me. I wanted every one to be there for some reason then I decided against it. I thought that is was blocking the portals into the digital world with new emergences but what I didn’t know on the surface was it sucked anything close by, Digimon people pretty much anything living, into the digital world. Some how everyone realized I was gone and came after me and found me just in time as I disabled the cell phone tower near Richy’s old house; sucking us all into the digital world unprepared.

 

Entering a data stream then after a short conversation falling into the digital would like we jumped out of a space shuttle. None of us knew what to expect so we all panicked as we fell, Zero took Bit and Impmon as he changed onto some strange armor and I tried to save Renamon with the force of my weapon. It didn’t matter though because when we landed after we all blacked out or at least I think we all blacked out. We just landed fine.

 

The major shock was to see Renamon and Maria separated again. Both of them where in their own body but as far as I could tell they had the same mind. Which made the first day painful trying to keep them from hurting each other over small things they thought they should get for who they where. They both realized a while later that they where apart but the same and started to get along a little better after I begged them to put what ever problems they had with them selves aside.

 

New problem arose then, Bit Zero and Impmon where still gone. I thought at first they would go to the nearest city Which was Data port, but I’ll explain that later. On the way to Data Port Renamon and Maria, the two mates I now had went sex crazed and chased me down in one of our hunting games. I was worried about my freedom if anyone found out so I tried to out run them but they seemed to keep up fairly well and the only way I could pry them away and make it out of that situation with my pants on was to tell them about the Dark Masters. They weren’t happy about that and gave me the silent treatment till we came to the destroyed DataPort.

 

There we found a Candlemon injured in the rubble who we saved and got some information from. One being that Vulpi was still very alive and two being that the masters where forcing their servants to Digivolve, and those who didn’t or wouldn’t revolted and started the Dark Revolution.

 

This was a troubling thought on its own as well as a few other things that seemed small at the time but just as pressing when I get into it in this edition of my story. Shortly after we left Data Port I started to hear Vulpi stalking us but I didn’t know it was her at the time, I just heard her like Zero was when he hunted me, absolutely silent except for the sound off her feet against the ground as she stalked us all the way to MSN to find that the Dark Revolution had been threw or around there, we didn’t ask past Renamon wondering what all the Digimon where doing wounded in the inn we stayed in.

 

Well after we rested a little we moved on after I scared the crap out of two Dark servants in the safe house in the inn. There was a third Digimon that was smarter, a Wizardmon who seemed to be resisting the Masters for his purity like I was, for the purity I had gained under my Darkness for Heto. Anyway after we left MSN Vulpi struck for the first time and I foolishly fought alone almost doing a good job till she flattened me and left me for dead if it wasn’t for Maria and Renamon who took me back to MSN where I rested for a while. Seeing the Wizardmon hadn’t left yet and covered the tab for the room while I quickly recovered from my near death experience.

 

After I thought I was well enough to move we left while I was still injured and went out trying to make up for lost time I spent on my back recovering. I made it look like I was still injured but Vulpi saw threw it and attacked again. I made a promise to myself not to hold Renamon back; if she could help, she could. I knew she was just as much of a fighter as I was and she proved to be a help in the battle with Vulpi.

 

Maria was a help too and card swiped for me while I fought giving us a better chance in the battle, coming down to the last blows between us Maria found her blue card and used it on Renamon who Digivolved to Taomon blocking Vulpi’s blue flames but not being able to hold it. In her Digvalution she dropped Leo who had no place in it. When I saw her shield spell was fading I jumped between Maria Renamon and Vulpi as the shield shattered absorbing the blast so they would be safe with one final attack I never knew I knew ending the battle with me on the ground thinking I was near death as Vulpi ran away wounded.

 

Well that sums it up for the major points for the last saga of my life but a few of the finer points where, My father and my mothers voice that he heard. He said she called me Ryoku. It spooked me bad and I didn’t know why. Then there was the Berserk energy card that Maria started to use at the end of the battle with Vulpi, I was afraid of what it could do and didn’t want to have her use it on me.

 

My last point is my Digimon mother, not many Digimon had names like I’ve said before unless they’re new. As far as I knew Renamon and Ryokumon had been around since Digimon where Digimon but my mother had a name that escaped me. I could remember her face but not her name like it was extremely significant. That scared me to tell the truth especially after not listening to Zero, what I didn’t know could hurt me and that felt as pressing as anything when I first thought about her. I may have pushed it aside but you’ll find out in a little bit why it was so important as well as what happened with the Dark Ones and the revolution.

 

It’s a long story so pull up a chair people and listen…


Mental

“Did we beat her, are you safe?” I said as Taomon and Maria started to sob down onto me while I felt a stream of my blood run from my face while I faded into the darkness I wasn’t afraid of. They nodded as I weakened feeling myself slip away while a light sparked above my head as I closed my eyes thinking ‘Was it worth it?’ completely into the darkness while I felt like I was dropped into water and just sank eyes closed ready to just give up and fade away till I heard a sound and a feeling I started  to sink, “It’s not you time Ryoku.” The voice said as I opened my eyes looking around thrashing my eyes almost senseless. “Go back. Their waiting.” The familiar voice said as I looked over to my eyes seeing myself as a Digimon and as soon as my arm touched my arm on my Digimon body as we thrashed together there was a flash and I felt a surge of pain and energy as I sank.

 

I looked around seeing I was Ryokumon then not caring or understanding what was going on as I opened my mouth and a stream of bubbled came from my mouth showing me the way up that I struggled to reach seeing a light that could be the surface hearing the voice in my ears “You can make it my son….” Fading off as I touched the surface with one claw the braking threw to air waking up on the floor of my burrow in the digital world with every one around me that I expected to be. I gasped as I jumped I felt like I was dead for a while, while I panicked and huffed like I was dunked into a pool of water looking around seeing Renamon and Maria that rushed over to me until the new pain hit me and I arched back and screamed as my entire body felt like it ripped apart. I gritted my teeth and looked at the ceiling wide eyed while Renamon and Maria tried to comfort me in the spasm of pain and confusion till I blacked out from the overwhelming sensation of agony.

 

I don’t know what happened for a while except I was trapped in my head screaming out while I burned all over from what ever was ripping at each individual nerve in my body paralyzed by it to the point I could only imagine myself moving in tortured twitches. I don’t know if they where shown outwardly but I know in my head I was tensed up in every fiber of my body while I cried out in horrific pain slowly coming back to my senses feeling a stiff pain as I tried to move unconsciously. Wondering why I was screaming as I went around the stiffness to force my eyes open and look around at the world as I breathed in shill huffs not remembering where I was except that I was in mind blowing pain as I laid on a mat on the burrow floor looking around slowly calming down seeing that Renamon and Maria where asleep not to far away. I squeezed my eyes shut and grunted as I rolled over making every last inch of my back scream as I punished my chest which took the blow in it’s entirety. I gritted my teeth and forced a growl to my mouth as I tried not to cry and looked around seeing four bodies against the wall in old chairs I had made before I left. I laughed a little at the three I was looking for seeing Bit Impmon and Zero all sleeping and Zero actually looking like he was asleep.

 

The forth was a Wizardmon, the one I meet in MSN but I wasn’t sure why he was there so I stiffly and in extreme pain forced myself back over and looked at the ceiling seeing it and smiling at my success.

 

I had energy to use but it seemed my body used more of what I had to move, like gravity was turned up or someone was weight testing me setting a few tons over top of me so I couldn’t move. After moving so much I tensed back up and went back out with out a thought or word against the act. Most of my consciousness was spent on trying to keep my stiff body from tensing up so I could move and it made me twitch around it grunts as I subsided back into my head feeling the pain but forcing around it to joy myself at Bits well being. Almost crying in my head if I didn’t know I wouldn’t be able to stop if I did. So all I did was laugh as I started to moan outwardly, I didn’t hear much the entire time I was out cold most of my audio came and went while I laid on the mat but what I did hear was usually comforting. Renamon or Maria Zero and Bit all giving me their regrets till the Wizardmon stepped in and told everyone to stop treating me like I was being deleted.

 

It was something to smile at past the pain even though I didn’t recognize him till I woke up in almost a week. I was trapped in my head again but it wasn’t as claustrophobic then, listen to this next line and don’t take it the wrong way, it felt like I had a lot more empty space to work in where the last time I didn’t even think I could move. It was probably hallucinations but I’d rather be hallucinating than be afraid for how long I could think. Being able to move in my head made it a lot easier to think as well even though my surroundings where pitch black it felt like there was ground and air to move around it. Extremely open spaces like an auditorium or something. When I could stand I didn’t move from where I was, for the most part it was because I was to stiff but somewhere else I was worried that if I moved I wouldn’t be able to find my way back as if that one place in my mind meant every thing.

 

So around the pain and the confusion of being alone I tried to think, meditate and relax. At first just clearing my mind and soon my body fallowed loosening up to a semi comfortable level. The more I meditated the better off I was, I knew there was pain but I was conscious to a point. I regained enough control over my body to open my eyes and look around as every one sulked over me while every now and then someone would come over to see my eyes where open while I silently laid there, asking me if I could hear them almost screaming in my ears till they realized I couldn’t talk.

 

That kind of inner meditation is a serious drain and I went back into my blacked out state for a few days till I came around to the cavernous black room I was in and soon, maybe a few weeks after. I woke up for real. In about the same state as the first time I let Vulpi floor me. I grunted as I sat up and put my weak arm up and held my head feeling my fur as I rubbed over my face and groaning as I looked around, “Ow.” I coughed as I sat up in a stiff jerk as my body moved. I was acting like I was in and out of it the entire time while Renamon and Maria kept every one away trying not hot have them touch me as a greeting while they all swarmed around except for the silent types the Wizardmon and Zero who sat against the wall. “I don’t think what ever I did was fun am I rite?” I said using something I planned on saying when I woke up while every one laughed at the bad joke and sat down looking at me like I was a miracle. “Oh My God I thought I was going to lose you!” Maria and Renamon shouted as they gently leaned forward and hugged me together while I clumsily patted them as they gave me a fairly painful squeeze.

 

“I wasn’t finished yet Starlight.” I grunted as they backed away still with their hand or paw on my shoulders and arms looking into my eyes as I smiled into their faces. “How long was I out?” I asked as Renamon looked to every one else and almost cringed as they said the frame of time, “almost a month.” And I squinted at it, I must have been out of it for longer than I thought, “A month?” I asked as I rubbed my neck with my ungloved paw. The Wizardmon against the wall with Zero chimed in, “You where really unstable, they almost thought you weren’t going to make it Ryokumon.” He said seriously as I looked back to him replying for the sake of talking which I hadn’t done in a long time, “It was touch and go from my end too bud.” I laughed as I painfully made my shoulder pop with a hiss as I went from my neck to it, “Ow, ow, ow.” I grunted as I leaned back onto the mat. “Who are you?” I asked back once I laid down. “The Wizardmon you seemed to have forgotten Ryokumon.”

 

I grunted on my back as I leaned my head to look at him seeing he was the same Wizardmon from the inn. I looked at him for a second and tried to focus on my memory brushing over a few faces seeing his briefly but not recognizing him at the time, “If I know you you’ll have to forgive me my memory has been pretty shot up lately.” I grunted as I turned my eyes back to the ceiling. “That’s enough, he needs his rest.” Renamon said as she leaned against the wall, now confident I would be fine since I woke up letting every one go back to their chairs or spots around the burrow. Impmon didn’t move from my feet and made sure they where covered with a happy smile that from him creepped me out. “What’s with you?” I asked down to him as he quietly grinned away.

 

He looked at me for a few seconds and I wanted to shutter to tell the truth and he replied, “Nut tin.” and scooted away while I squinted in confusion at him while he sat smiling against the wall a few feet away. I rolled my head to my left and looked out into the digital world day seeing the village that the burrow overlooked living and moving and I smiled thinking that the Salamon where safe. I sighed as I closed my eyes to go to sleep thinking I would return to the auditorium in my head but I went back to my normal sleep.

 

I was still sore but I could think clearer now that I didn’t have to move around so much pain to do it. Openly I was hoping the Wizardmon had mistaken me for someone else but I knew it wasn’t the case. I thought about him some more and recognized him as one of my older friends who traveled as much as I did when I was Dark. He would stop by every few years and asked if he could stay for a while. This was in a time where ultimates and megas didn’t roam the digital world, where the Dark Masters didn’t exist yet. I helped him in a battle against the dessert bandits that clamed this part of the dessert outside of MSN, then they where commanded by three ultimates their high leader a ShogunGekomon and his two lesser commanders of a Parrotmon and a Scorpiomon. I had seen the ShogunGekomon’s commanders individually but that day I saw all three of them. I arrived to late and when they attacked Wizardmon was almost destroyed.

 

He was running when I saw him from almost two or three miles away and they struck him down for a staff that they took. It was a magical icon in the digital world that amplified a Digimon’s ability by elemental forces he/she commanded. It was a simple wooden staff with a metal cap on the top that had a crystal ball on it. It would have made a pretty walking stick even if that’s all he had. Much like the Candlemon I nursed him back to health after I fended the bandits away from him so they wouldn’t absorb him in his point of weakness. He wasn’t as friendly as he was later on, he wanted revenge on the bandits even though I tried to explain how much more powerful they where he didn’t care that staff meant everything to him.

 

He stormed off half dead determined to get the staff back which I found out later to be addictive, he used it well but he was addicted to it like it was a drug. In the hands of the bandits they made more lootings on the village I protected with the ShogunGekomon leading the attacks with the staff that the Wizardmon had. For two weeks I helped him hunt for the bandits while they where raiding the village while I was away. Renamon was doing her best while I was gone but always seemed to be on the losing side as the bandits took what they wanted and left.

 

I managed to convince Wizardmon that he wasn’t going to find them in the dessert unless they wanted something from him so I went back to the burrow and he fallowed for some reason. Coming back in the middle of a raid where Wizardmon jumped in and tried to fight off the ShogunGekomon for his staff getting hurt badly and spending another few weeks in my care while Renamon and I took turns against the raiders not making any progress since they had the staff.

 

I knew the Wizardmon did rite with the staff and I came to the conclusion that I needed to get it back to him even if he was addicted to it, where the ShogunGekomon was too it would make it that much harder to get it back. After a few weeks and attempts at going for the staff I was fatigued and exhausted, near the end of my string of attempts as the bandits scared most of the villagers to the city, only elders and females stayed behind while the male Salamon went to the city to beg their forces for help since their protectors weren’t doing such a good job. This left more of the village open as they no longer resisted as much getting in and leaving fast almost to fast for me to do anything about it till the day the Wizardmon thought he had recovered enough to fight again seeing the large green ShogunGekomon he went off casting a spell that made us both fly.

 

He was nicer then despite his angry appearance that time I was almost ready to give up after almost three months of losing to the raiders and as proverb says, a candle flickers violently just before it goes out. Meaning I was so fed up I was going to try my hardest to embarrass those damn bandits into never coming back.

 

Then we succeeded and took back the staff, only problem was that in my hands it didn’t have the defensive power I had and a stray attack from a Digimon near by shattered the ball at the end making it little more than a stick. The battle was won and the bandits left for a while but both the Wizardmon and I where wounded a little so for a few weeks we healed in Renamons care in our burrow. He acted like an addict sulking over his staff till I made him throw it away, he left for a year then came back and apologized to me knowing I was rite in making him give up the staff, he found out there was a way to fix the item but decided against it knowing it would make the addiction that much stronger and possibly evil. Befriending me and staying for a while trying to repay me for what I did for him. Getting the staff from the defeated ShogunGekomon and helping him get over the staff it’s self.

 

After remembering all of that I felt bad for him, like some kind of AA councilor that forgot to call his buddy. I’m sure he lived well till the masters found him, I’m sure he tried his hardest to resist them after he found a reason to. The thing that bothered me was the fact that in forgetting him I wondered if I did more harm to him. He looked to me then like some kind of hero for how I helped him. I knew he was fighting the masters for me and now that I knew it and why I was less of a fateful guide to sobriety in the sense of evil. I can say that I was weighted but I was determined to get over it as I knew I slept for a few days while I made sure to recall every moment I had with him and around that point in my long Digimon life.

 

When I woke up I started snickering past the stiff feeling I had to look back at him and try to apologize seeing him sleeping in a chair two spaces beside Zero, I loved those chairs. The village elders sat in them every time they came up to visit or when we had to talk. They where some of the most comfortable chairs in the digital world as if for royalty. I guess they where considering how the elders where looked up to.

 

Back to my apology it could wait till morning, I knew it was night by looking to the entrance of the burrow seeing the digital world night over the plains and sighed as I tried to sit up only making it to my elbows as I realized that someone was sleeping on me. I looked down to see Renamon laying on me sleeping while I held the position for a few seconds. I wanted to get up and move around if I could but instead I just laid down and looked back to the ceiling of the burrow. I tried to stay awake till morning but I found myself drifting back off to sleep after a few minuets happy that my Starlight, one of them was on me.

 

I was resolved on the issue of an apology to Wizardmon so I tried to think of a new subject to dwell on till the light of the morning would rush into the burrow. Hovering around the Dark Masters for a while then decided to stop pissing myself off and remembered suddenly what happened before I woke up.

 

The voice I heard was familiar and seemed to be like someone I knew, I didn’t remember what it said at first only the tone and gentle nature it had to it, very feminine concentrating on it’s soothing tone till I started to remember the words, “My son…” is what she said. ‘My son?’ I thought as I felt Renamon move off of me making me wake up temporarily to look down to see he curl up beside me where Maria was. I could feel the morning wasn’t to far off so I grunted to a sitting position and took a deep breath as I struggled to my feet. I was a lot better off than the first time I fought Vulpi because I actually made it to my feet and stood without having to be steadied. I walked to the mouth of the burrow that pointed out and not up like the one Starlight and I had in the real world and looked down to the village and to the planes while I thought about what I heard in the voice, “My son?” I said out loud in a slight huff with how hard I worked for the position I was in. I leaned over onto the edge of the entrance and looked down as I started to slide down the rock thinking and not really being shocked by what I came to only because of what I already explained. The voice was like my mother, Digimon and human, kind of how Marena talked when she was between forms.

 

Then I started to feel myself slide around my shoulders where my rifle holster would have been if I was wearing it and started to force myself to stand again looking out as miles away I saw the day crossing the plains. Dawn traveled at a cretinous speed in the digital world and it was still a few minutes off from its distance, I looked back into the burrow seeing a few occupants of the much roomier home to see a few of them that might wake up from the light including Wizardmon so I turned around and went back to the mat and laid down and covered myself back up.

 

‘My mom’s dead, was I?’ I thought as I pulled the cover up on me. It made sense with how much pain I was in. I read when I was human that if a limb is reattached it would hurt like hell because it was clinically dead for how ever long the appendage was “missing”. I don’t know how long it was before I woke up and if it was very long I could have been dead for days. Then all of a sudden I came screaming back to life. With how short that weird vision was, it only seemed like minutes or just a minute. I knew even flying like Taomon could, it would take ten minutes to get to the burrow. I don’t think I’m ready to explain this yet so I’ll stop. Death is confusing enough without trying to paraphrase it into what I’m telling you.

 

Anyway, while I wondered if I was dead or not the day came over and made me look to the brightness from outside and I heard a few grunts from Renamon, Maria, Impmon and Wizardmon, pretty much anyone who was or is a Digimon in that cave was stirred from the low light that made it’s way in. I looked at the shadow it cast and from the direction like the sun was high in the sky getting confused at it because I would have seen its corona from how close I was to the lights edge; but in the digital world a sun doesn’t exist, only the light dose.

 

With everyone slowly waking up except for the only real human and the machine I thought about my apology that I had planned out but seemed to fall apart when I tried to say it looking back to Wizardmon like an idiot.

 

I was more distracted by the voice I heard though than the cheesy lines I knew wouldn’t cut it as an apology and plus the apology was one sided, as he started to wake up I realized that he would have some thing to say about it and just rambling over him like a cue card would make me look insensitive I guess. I think he knew I remembered him by how I looked at him, because he smiled at me when he opened his eyes and thru the cloak I could see that he knew who I was then, and pitied me for what I went thru with the masters.

 

I’d still try to apologize though so really without thinking I just started, “Wizardmon…”


Feud

“Yes Ryoku?” he said as he stretched out and stood up looking down to me on the mat. I moved the covers feeling almost obsessive compulsive by folding them up as I sat cross-legged on the thin mat that kept me from the floor. “I’m sorry about your staff.” I said as he waved his hand to the side and made a happy grunting laugh, “Don’t worry about it Ryoku.” He said as he walked over to the mouth of the burrow where I followed him with my eyes till I had to turn my head. “I can’t believe I forgot about you.” I said as I turned completely around to watch him as Renamon and Maria came up close to me and placed their hand or paws on my shoulders. He sighed as he looked out over the dessert in the direction of the village and looked back only for a second then going back to the dessert, “I can’t blame you, the Dark Masters blocked most of my memories. Until a few months ago I didn’t ever remember you.” he said toning down into a sad voice as he shifted to the wall just inside the mouth of the cave.

 

 

“Yeah I know, that’s what happened with me.” I said as I stood up and walked over to the other side of the entrance. “Looks like it’s going to be pretty warm today.” I said trying to make small talk as I noticed everyone was looking at me standing up like it was impossible. I don’t know why but I thought it should have been to considering how weak I was last time I woke up after a fight that far into the losing side. “It’s always hot in the desert plains. You know that Ryoku.” Wizardmon smiled as he looked over. I rubbed the back of my head and grinned stiffly, “Yeah, it is isn’t it.” while he grunted out a laugh. I leaned back against the wall losing the train of thought I had on my apology as I looked down at the village putting one paw in the other as I leaned against the wall putting them in my lap while I looked out over the elevated observatory I had of the village. “What are you doing here Ryoku?” Wizardmon asked, making me look over from out of my scarred eye.

 

“Don’t know.” I said simply, as my tail swished the dust from directly below me. “I mean in a place like this. You were Dark Lord Ryokumon, I know you had at least half that power and you use it protecting a village.” He said as I turned to him looking at the group I had in the burrow. “Some one has to protect them.” I said looking back to him as he turned to me, “From what. Those drifters are long gone since the Masters came around.” I sighed with a smile, “That’s not why I’m here.” I said as he followed me back into the burrow where I sat in a chair next to Zero waking him up as my tail accidentally brushed his knees. “Good morning my lord.” Zero said as he leaned back and yawned how he said his body was programmed to, it looked real though like he actually woke up. “Good morning Zero so how where the tiny tots while I was gone?” I asked as Bit flew me a look but with a smile as he watched me move around on my own.

 

“Not to much trouble my lord. I did have a disagreement with the child though.” I laughed as Bit turned away and I knew that something like that would happen while I was away, “So any trouble getting here?” I asked as I looked over to Wizardmon who knew I had some catching up to do. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.” Zero smiled letting me know he wasn’t going to let me know much. “You scare me Zero, you really do.” I laughed as I grunted to my feet and slumped over as I felt a jolt of pain run up my back, “I’m good.” I laughed as Impmon made it over to me first. “Are you Ok Impmon? You’re acting a little funny.” I said as he backed away strangely. “Who? Me? Yeah I’m coo.” He laughed as he stepped away with his little gloved hands behind his back as he grinned as if he was hiding a maillot behind his back. If there was someone who scared me more in a social sense than Zero it was Impmon. He was a little too friendly lately. I looked away from Impmon to Maria and Renamon who now seemed to start sitting in different positions and acting slightly different. “And how is my Starlight doing?” I asked as they both stood up and came over to me in a hug that hurt but I took it while they both said things into my shoulders and chest, “I missed you.” or “God I thought I’d lose you.” and I heard the voice from my little vision saying ‘Their waiting for you’ as I kissed their heads as they held me. “I won’t leave you again, I promise.” I said making them cry a little and me smile.

 

I went back to that feeling of being whole then and smiled as we all leaned into each other. A minute passed and Wizardmon cleared his throat because he had something on his mind. “We do have other things to talk about.” he said in a cocky laugh a little embarrassed for coming between the moment. Renamon and Maria leaned back as I exhaled from the release of the pain that the hug caused and kept my paws on their shoulders. Every one was serious all of a sudden, which didn’t fit their usual profile. “What’s up?” I asked putting my paws to my hips regretting it as the pain it caused made me pull them away and look like someone punched me in the face. More or less ignoring my pain a few unsettling looks floated around breaking Zero, Wizardmon, and I from the circle as Bit, Impmon, and my Starlight all shifted around and gave fearful looks at the topic, “Well spit it out; what’s the big deal?” I said while they kept silent giving me enough time to figure what was going on. “Vulpi right?” I said as Wizardmon nodded looking to the sky.

 

“She came here with a message for you.” Wizardmon said as everyone just stopped like the message was holding their mouths shut. “The Dark Masters want to see you.” he said making everyone look at me as he said it without pause and in the straightest tone anyone could have bearing bad news. It just hovered like that for a few minutes and as I sat down feeling my legs get tired Zero asked, “What are you going to do my lord?” and I just shook my head. Now if I never needed something dropped on me it was that then. By me not answering I think it brought up a small panic. “I’m open for suggestions.” I said looking around seeing everyone but Wizardmon think slightly but calming the buzz of worry I made by not answering instantly. I looked over to Zero hoping he would know something but in that situation he couldn’t know a thing.

 

After a minuet Maria started, “What about that card?” she said looking over to Renamon while I wondered what she was talking about. “What card?” I asked. As Renamon shot Maria a look for bringing it up making me almost fall over, it was the first defiant change between their minds that I had seen, last time they where angry it was with each other typically at each other. Renamon was almost alone in it and it was startling. “This green card that just appeared.” Maria said as she popped open my card pouch that was sitting on a table I had gotten from the village years ago. She pulled out the card that resembled theirs, Bit and Maria’s, Blue Card and handed it to me making me wonder what it did. “You tried it yet?” and Maria shook her head, “We weren’t sure what it would do.” She said as I looked back around to my belongings on the table seeing my gloves. “I don’t think a card is going to solve our problems.” I said trying not to make it sound to bad towards them. Renamon looked like she knew it and Maria just kind of sank back coming to the same conclusion Renamon already had. To make it simple I think it was a case of time lag. I know that now that I’m a Digimon my mind works faster, Maria was still stuck in Renamons wake, she may have been her but she was still only human, and I can say personally I know how much that sucks. No offence to my audience but that’s just how it is.

 

“Where did you say you found this?” I said looking back as I flipped the card between my three fingers. “Just after you took that hit for us my love.” Renamon said for Maria making me remember the fight in fragments up to the last second before that vision started. I gave a hum and Bit said something only war heroes would “Lets take them head on.” and I shook my head while he pouted at it like it was a good idea. “They have an army and we are all we have. If we burst right into it chances are we wouldn’t come back.” I said as I watched the logo on the back of the card go to the base color of green as it twirled in my paw. “I don’t think we’d have much chance even getting there together, the digital world could separate us at almost any second.” Bit was the only one who seemed shocked about it and grunted like I was making excuses, “The real world rules don’t apply here Bit, this is another plain of existence basically. Unless you want to end up god knows where, you should listen to me.”

 

Wizardmon looked back at me strangely and I could tell he was a little thrown by the concept of a world different from the one he lived in but decided not to say anything about it and just looked back. “Besides I’m sure that they’d have an army of MEGA’s outside their fortress here.” The Wizardmon blinked at me and chimed up again, “She said to go to the machine plains, they moved since you where here last Ryokumon.” I squinted at him in confusion sitting on the mat and looking around, I guess since they were here, at least one of them was tired of the heat. “She said to come alone.” Wizardmon picked up again making me shudder at traveling with her alone again. “I don’t think so.” I grunted as I put the card down and crossed my arms in my lap sneering on at the thought of her. “We could always follow you my lord.” Zero said from the silent corner of the conversation.

 

I looked to him seeing he had a few scratches and dents in his otherwise perfect armor remembering what he said about being decommissioned, “You cant be repaired anymore Zero, I don’t want to put you in that kind of a situation.” I said as he waited for me to finish so he could speck. “I am here to serve you hunter, I have no wish to stay in this body. If I can be free of it even by death it self then so be it. If I do it in the name of my commander I will die with honor.”

 

It was touching but insane at the same time, I didn’t want to lose him even if he was a little too cryptic for me. He seemed to be a decent enough Digimon on the inside and I really didn’t think having them along would go over very well. “None of you would have a chance.” I said looking around. “Neither would you.” Wizardmon said sadly from the entrance of the burrow.

 

They all looked at me and I saw that they were willing to trust me, all for their own reasons down to Bit and Impmon who I thought had no reason to. “Why me guys?” I asked and they all laughed like I made a joke making my ears go back in the curiosity of their humor. None of them said why but I could see that I meant a lot to them, “Oh no, I don’t want you in this. I wanted to come here, my grudge not yours.” I said as all but Wizardmon eyed me going against my judgment, “None of you should be here, it’s my fault you were even dragged into this.” I said as Impmon stood up speaking for everyone as they nodded with his bad English, “I don tink you woulda left us if we didn mean somethin to ya. We came along cuz we knew youse was gonna need us. If youse don take our help den we’ll make ya. I’m comin along.” and every one again but Wizardmon said, “Me too.” while I looked over to him where he stood silent looking out over the desert.

 

“This isn’t my fight Ryoku, and your right I shouldn’t be here but I am. The most I can do is resist the Dark Masters from their control. I can’t fight them I’m too weak to help  directly.” I nodded at him almost feeling like he should have spoken for everyone. There was a silence while I waited and everyone smiled at me now that I knew their intentions and I sighed, “I don’t think me telling you no is going to make a difference to any of you, but I don’t want you following me. If this was a fight I wouldn’t hold any of you back but this is personal.” Renamon and Maria came up to me putting their paws and hands on my shoulders, I held up my paw and looked at it while I tried to stop them and Maria took it and showed me something, “This is who you are personal with, don’t go off to get killed because your mad at him my love.” and I looked at the letters instead of the word while Renamon handed me my gloves, belt and sword strap, “You’re ready for them my love, we’re ready for them. Don’t push us away now just when you need us.” I sighed again as I took my gloves looking at the leather belt and strap, while I put them on I felt sad towards them, “Your throwing away your lives people, I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”

 

“We ain't gonna die Ryoku, so we ain't gonna waste r selves on creeps like dem.” Impmon said while Wizardmon looked back at the terms die, lives, and death not knowing what they meant. Renamon set Leo’s strap in my lap and I almost pushed it away but left it there feeling warm yet still sad at the decision they made, “No.” I said looking down with my eyes closed knowing my opinion made no difference in that. I looked up to see Wizardmon had left and stood up holding my sword strap as I started to put on my belt coming out of the cave seeing him walking down the path. “It’s your decision Ryokumon. They won’t listen just like I wouldn’t listen about the scepter. If you go alone expect a rescue party because whether you like it or not they are going to follow you to limbo.” He said as he put one hand in the air and waved at me from the path leading down the mountain my burrow was in, “I’ll come back same time next year my friend and I hope I won’t find your place empty like I did before.” I felt myself start to cry then but held it in as I leaned back to look into the burrow seeing all eyes on me.

 

It really didn’t matter, even if I was marching off to die. They where going to follow me like I had saved their lives. Renamon and Maria where the only ones I expected that from, but everyone else was considerably further from me. I didn’t deserve that kind of respect the dignity or the loyalty. I was a miserable human and a weak Digimon not some supper hero.

 

I don’t think I would have ever thought the way I did then. I thought I had a chance, since they were counting on me to stand proud, they were my strength. I had others to think about also with that much devotion to me, one was walking away fighting a battle he knew he could win, the other was in another would probably drinking a cup of coffee wondering if I was alive or if I was ever coming back. My last inspiration I should say next to first in line died for me after I was born, my mother who cared for me enough to make my life possible. If there were that many people behind me, I couldn’t let them down. I had to go on even if I wanted to alone.

 

I may have walked alone but we marched together…


 To the City

I tried to hide a smile as I walked back into the burrow. I looked at my rife near the table as I put my second glove on making sure my index finger was threw the loop that held it to my knuckles and walked over to the table picking up my cards and Digivice looking for Leo since I was equipped for him. “I shouldn’t take him,” I said as Renamon handed him to me as I turned around. He hummed in her paws as Maria walked up beside him with my green card in hand and they both handed them to me.

 

“He would want to go as badly as the rest of us, take him for our sakes.” Maria said, so I took both of the items and held Leo by my own handprint in his sheathe. “I’m not going yet.” I said as I leaned against the wall catching my breath noticing I was still weak. “You have to Ryoku. The minute you can stand she wanted you to come.” Zero said shocking me that he didn’t call me hunter or my lord. “I don’t listen to her.” I said as I sat down and looked at Zero hardly, him being the only one who knew what I meant. “If you don’t the masters will make thousands suffer for it.” I looked around seeing their faces and sighed, it would take her a while to report to them even if I did go right away but I didn’t want to take the chance that they would do anything. “Where?” I said as Zero stood up “The middle of the machine plains, she said you would know it when you saw it.” he said as he scowled at his own memory of her voice. “Then I guess I’d better get going.” I said as I put the green card in the front of my pouch and walked thru every one as they all started to follow. “And I don’t want you following me, if you are, at least give me a day before you ignore me.” I laughed and they all stopped short of the mouth of the burrow as I slid down the face of the mountain jumping to the ground when the path that led up to the burrow cut across my descent.

 

They didn’t follow immediately like I thought they would, they respected me enough to wait the day I asked for, so I started off alone. There would be a day between us but the machine plains would be a few weeks off. Unless I found a portal or a hole to it, the trip would be about a month. Since the portals to plains moved or vanished without warning I’d just walk there and hope for the best, thinking of everyone and no one at the same time. After the first day I wanted to think they would catch up to me in about two or three so I kept on walking even though my injuries hadn’t quite healed. They did slow me down but they didn’t stop me from moving as fast as I could without running. Vulpi wouldn’t go that fast to report and if she came around then she would guide me at almost the same pace. I knew she was fast but I’d picture her going a more settled pace than I was. If anything I might just meet up with her on her way back if it already wasn’t her order to escort me.

 

I lost the warm feeling for everyone after a while and started to settle on the Dark Masters. What would they want to see me for, and above that why was I going willingly? “Because they’d hunt me down.” I said out loud as I looked to Leo’s sheathe in my hands hearing him hum in reply making me repeat my train of thought. Other than that I was quiet. There wasn’t a reason to talk and I still wasn’t used to talking to a sword no matter who was inside it. I didn’t like the thought of being invited by the Masters because I just didn’t know what their game was. I wasn’t angry at them then, not directly; I tried to remember why I was but I kept coming back to Heto every time. His tortures were there but not theirs which made me smile demonically from the fact. I knew I couldn’t attack them if I had their anger, I don’t know why but that’s just how it worked. Picturing the barrier that was in their stronghold in the dessert plains I remembered Vulpi just passing right thru it where I put all my might into it and was deflected every time I tried to break it or move thru it.

 

I don’t think I would have that problem then and if there was nothing stopping me I could pay them back for Leo at least. I had no reason of my own anymore aside from all the pain they had caused, I had no business with them. That by itself almost seemed to be enough to start a crusade. Someone had to, no one else was definitely not the Devas. They were off preparing for some simple little legend. Most of the Devas went to the Sovereign so there weren’t many to watch over their own plains, if they did come back I’m sure they would make short of the Dark Masters, but that didn’t seem important at the time so I just left it there. They proved to be as ominous as a blown light bulb since I came to being.

 

I saw the tiger Deva once when I was with my mother and she had me hide from him saying something about how he’d hurt us for getting in his way. I didn’t think it mattered though so I just passed over my anger and concentrated on the ground ahead. I had been to the machine planes once or twice before, enough to know the direction but not to really remember anything about the place. I knew that lots of android and cyborg types lived their, but then again there where a lot in the rest of the digital world too. I never really saw any but I knew that there where a lot of them that migrated away or were forced out by that plains Deva for something against the Sovereign. Lots of really evil things happened in the digital world and most of the time it always happened near me, I always thought I’d go the way of the ancient Digimon because I’d be to stupid to see when I was out matched.

 

Then I knew I was out of my league but there was nothing I could really do about it. If there was one thing Vulpi wouldn’t hold back on it was destruction for her Masters. I had her frame of mind once too and I know how good it felt to cause damage that I did so much of that was buried away in my mind. What I’ve told you isn’t even a percent of what I did. My title was feared above all else, I was the best. The worst, and not knowing every thing I did made it that much easier to deal with my life not holding the weight of all the Digimon I slaughtered.

 

I walked either backwards or looking over my shoulder for a few days as I crossed the open dessert seeing smaller cities and villages that I remembered where there along the way but I didn’t stop for rest even though I needed it. I was tired and almost healed from my wounds. What wasn’t completely healed was scabbed over and dissipating as the days trudged on. Blankly, almost like when I woke up alone from my first battle as Dark Ryokumon feeling the true power I had and loathing it putting on the sneer I had as I paced along with Vulpi at my side. I didn’t see anyone behind me and I didn’t see anyone willing to stop in front of me, a few Digimon very far off but none of them came close enough to start a travelers conversation, if any of them where walking it wasn’t in the direction I was. Most of which were heading back and forth from small villages around the cities in the desserts completely avoiding other Digimon, or maybe just me.

 

I sighed as I walked along thinking of Heto again, recalling fewer moments of his torture feeling the pain from the welts as if they where still there but in actuality it was my sides aching from the lack of rest, I only recalled a few moments though which I partly could smile at. What ever had happened to me was starting to fade the less I thought about him I kept him in mind as a source more than an enemy because he was trying to do what was right even if he had done me a wrong. I can say I forgave him but it wasn’t then. There still was a frame of bitter air between his thought and my emotions toward him. I didn’t think he deserved death, more like a kick me sign, so I could laugh at his embarrassment. I just wish someone with the power I had over Bit and Impmon was there to make me forgive him because at that point it was childish to me to push onto him like that. With how much I remembered I don’t think anyone should hold something against him, but it was principal if anything. He had me shot at and nice people don’t do that.

 

My Dark energy still had a cause though so it was needed. So I just walked on wracking over thoughts of contempt and joy while I feared what I would have to do or put up with when I came before the Masters again. I knew I wasn’t pure but I looked it, and Digimon went in pure and all came out Dark or not at all. Like the card said Berserk Energy so strong, get stronger; so weak, die. I didn’t know if it was true or not but I didn’t want to test it. Like Maria’s card I didn’t know how strong I was and I didn’t want to test it. I’m sure if I had time to think I would have had the strength for it but would it cost me my purity again. Cards were temporary but how I saw the Dark Ones they were permanent.

 

Eventually cities faded and deserts turned into fields of sand, which meant I wasn’t to far away maybe two days walk at the most when I realized it, and my second thoughts where getting more intense. ‘Do they want me back? Are they just going to kill me? Why am I doing this alone?’ I asked myself over and over trying to clear my mind but I was tired and trying to stay awake with thoughts, so scaring myself only seemed to be what kept me going. Till I found the divide between the plains. Clearly marked off with fencing you would find outside of some business property or government facility.

 

Just fence as far as you could see in either direction. I looked at it with a sense of joy also fear as one, I had reached it without stopping and two, I was there for the Masters. I couldn’t go in unrested, so I found a spot near the fence and sat down, I gave myself the night before I went in. I rested as soundly as when Zero was hunting me that night so in other words not at all. If I wasn’t thinking about the Masters, I was worried about going back to my Starlight. I had too many promises to keep and worrying about what I was going to do only made me that much worse off. I knew if I made any kind of attack I’d be destroyed before I even came into their little game, if I hid that would let Vulpi go out and enjoy herself. If I snuck in I might be found and destroyed or just taken directly to the Masters without an opinion of my own. If I went in on my own it would let them do what ever they wanted to me, but if I forced them to bring me in they probably would have sent out Vulpi to do what ever she wanted just because I resisted them again.

 

Running over it in my mind didn’t help, all it did was make things worse till morning came when I woke up. I was so close to just turning around if I didn’t think that reinforcements where coming. I’m sure they would have asked what happened, even if I could slip one past them it wouldn’t stop Vulpi, nothing would. They where counting on me so I stood up and sighed as my stiff body almost refused to move making it hard to concentrate on much of anything but what I knew I had to do. I looked thru the fence at the machine plane seeing something that resembled the real world so much down to roads and billboards. At this end of it there wasn’t a soul around though, not even flyers in the sky.

 

Which was a good thing because flyers are around when ever bad karma surfaces anywhere, when data is just left to dissipate there is always a flyer overhead to absorb it. They are Digimon, insects, birds, or just things that can fly due to the supernatural. I remembered from my Dark days when I destroyed my army they were hundreds of them but I just ignored them for other more pressing things you should already know. It felt like there should have been though as I looked from the blank blue digital world sky to the sword that was shaking in my paws. “Don’t worry old friend.” I said as I put him to my back so I didn’t have to carry him anymore.

 

“Ryokumon Digivolve to” I said uncontrollable as the light I had surrounded me, “Neo Ryokumon!” and felt normal again because that body wasn’t beaten like my rookie form. “Are you ready Leo?” I asked feeling a little more up for what I was doing getting a vibration from him on my back as he agreed with me, “Then let’s go.” I said as I jumped over the fence slamming into a barrier as solid as a brick wall bouncing off and coming back to the ground behind the fence in the dessert plain. I can say I felt stupid, I didn’t think there would be a barrier protecting the machine plains and it seemed to go the length of the fence how ever far it was.

 

For that day, I spent most of my time walking up the length of the fence looking for some kind of break in it coming to a toll booth towards the afternoon to see Vulpi laying a crossed the plank laughing at me as I came up the fence looking out into the desert seeing nothing but sand in the direction I came from. Catching Vulpi’s black outline from a distance of about three miles slowly walking up the gap starting to hear her laugh at me untill I came into a talking range where she shouted, “I was going to give you a week more but you are better than you look.” She laughed from a distance of a few hundred yards as she rolled off the stripped plank letting her breasts bounce as she stuck her paws behind her back. She seemed as happy as ever, her tail giving most of the emotion as it swayed happily from side to side. “I thought those would have grown back by now Vulpi.” I said as I bushed the arrow shaped tufts on my shoulders making her lean forward and stick out her tongue at me and lean back in a giggle.

 

“What do they want?” I asked as I looked at her while I walked up, “To talk.” She replied as I stepped to the booth and looked at her defensively, she didn’t seem like she wanted to attack but when she did she could do it like lightning. “That’s it?” I said as I hopped the plank guarding the entrance to the plain. “That’s it.” she laughed. I grunted and twisted my face as she made the sound of joy. I never wanted to hear her voice again but I was cursed to that day. “Then let’s get it over with.” I said as I started walking and again straight into another wall. She laughed at me again and I turned around less than three feet behind the plank and looked at her as I rubbed my muzzle at least she didn’t see me do it the first time other wise I would have felt more stupid. “You can’t get in yet silly.” She said as she reached in the open window of the booth and pulled a lever on the counter facing the plain she was standing on, “You have to open it first.” I growled at her as the plank lifted and she walked under it waiting a second till it came to a stop and stepped thru where the barrier was while I followed. “How far into the machine plains are they?” I asked still in my growl, “The center, didn’t your little friends tell you?” she said back over the shoulder with the missing tufts.

 

“Take us the rest of the day if we sprint there,” she said as she smiled back turning around and bending over as we walked up the street into the plain, “That is if you can keep up.” She giggled as she shook her breasts trying to distract me. Not getting the response she looked for, she turned around very un-Vulpi like and kept walking. “I can run, so let’s go. I’d rather waste my time with them than you hoar.” I said as she giggled.

 

“Fine with me Ryokumon.” She said as she put on a burst of speed I almost couldn’t keep up with. I smiled at the challenge she put up and leaned forward and pushed off flying up to her side and catching her every other stride as she tried to out run me. I smiled at her between movements while she smiled back, I was more of jumping than running making sure I had the momentum to stay at speed with her while we raced up the road from the open fields at the machine plains boarder to the city less then two miles away. Coming into its absolutely silent streets seeing a few destroyed buildings as we blurred thru the streets. Looking at some of the buildings I could make out footprints of things really big I didn’t want to mess with where others just looked like rubble from rage. I thought about that and what Renamon fought thinking if one of the emergences could do that what chance would I have.

 

I wouldn’t that’s just it, I came to the conclusion very quickly that revenge could wait. That would be recon and nothing more. That city was empty except for a few Guardromon now and then with limbs changed out for plows scoops or tracker treads repairing the buildings as if someone was going to live in them again, none of them looked like houses though maybe an apartment building but most of them seemed to be businesses. I stopped looking at them after a while seeing a pattern to them then just started concentrating on the road ahead till closer to evening large multicolored pipes just came from nowhere going to nowhere blocked the road. They were just laying there for no good reason, I think if I where human I would have started asking stupid questions but Vulpi was the last person I wanted to talk to. Even if it was strange to see all of it I just ignored it while she lead me on over the pipes for a few minuets till we came to one open one like it was going to have utility wires run threw it or something, I mean it even had the little construction worker barricades around the opening on other pipes.

 

I stopped at the passage entrance and watched as Vulpi walked into the large pipe, the hole she went in was at least as big as a small car and the pipe was twice as big as it’s hole, barely big enough to walk comfortably thru but it was open. “Well come on it’s this way.” she said as I looked back into the city. ‘I hope they don’t get lost in this place, god knows I would.’ I thought as I stepped into the pipe standing straight up while my ears ran a crossed the top or the long black cylinder. On the inside it was pitch black. I didn’t care what I was more worried about was Vulpi getting a little frisky in the dark. Instead of doing what I thought she would she lit her paw and guided me up the dark passage to the other end coming out the other side in digital world night. Vulpi was starting to scare me more than usual; she was contained. Not like her in the surest way. She acted like she did around me when I was Dark and that was the attitude I held but she didn’t even make a face like she wanted to rub me up. I was thankful for that in the best way possible.

 

When we came out the other end of the piped it was directly into an open parking lot like area where one big building sat. From how it looked from my perspective it could have been a giant T or more importantly a cross. Vulpi pulled her paw up to her face and blew the smoke away as she dropped away the blaze on it then put it at her side laughing back to me, “Home sweet home.” making me give a contemptuous laugh and nod, I would have been impressed but as far as I was concerned it was nothing more than walls. It was evil and represented it in its mere shape. It was well defended I can say that or maybe the turrets on the outside where just for show but it looked like something out of a sci-fi movie with strange weapons protruding from the walls a few stories up. As we came up to the main gate of it, which was a large thick metal door that had a large black cross over it. Since the walls where white I think it was an appropriate color especially for what lived there. While the door started to slide open I looked to my left and started to see the head of a giant MetalSeadramon as it rounded the corner of the behemoth building looking at me then catching sight of Vulpi almost halting from her as if she could do a lot more harm to it than the other way around, if that was true it made me feel a little better about my chances in that place but not good enough to do anything except follow my sexually excited hostess as she led me into the large building. When we came inside the walls were far apart and it seemed hollow to a point, there where rooms and halls off to either side of me as I followed her in but the main hall looked like the entrance to a church.

 

Pillars holding up the ceiling and what could be considered art was either hanging from the strip of red paint on the wall about a story up or on podiums and half pillars in the form of vases or sculptures, and there was a lot of it as almost a quarter mile of the hall went straight back into the almost deserted building. They’re were a few Digimon walking around like business men in an office building but most of them where on other floors and virtually none of them ever crossed the long extravagant carpet that went the length of the building. All clean and neat looking like a hotel then more than some kind of church. It was as quiet indoors as It was out; one of the only real differences was the fact that there was a slight temperature change, like air conditioning or central heating. There also was a pattern indoors as well as to save time most of the art was bunched up between pillars. Leaving stretches between about twenty or thirty blank and open were the rest of the space was very roomy decorated.

 

About half way up the large hall was a desk like something out of an air port that had one Dark Gekomon behind it kicking back and relaxing till he saw Vulpi guiding me down the hall then he snapped forward sweating bullets for his lack of professional attitude.

 

Vulpi never looked back as she strutted up the hall, I didn’t either only looking around with my eyes knowing nothing would happen to me while I was under Vulpi’s guard. Every one seemed afraid of her like she was their boss or could severally hurt them. For anyone small enough to fit into the masters stronghold that was probably everyone short of the masters themselves. I thought around for a minute getting bored with looking around not seeing anything new except the end of the main hall coming up to a large wall of windows and thought about the Dark masters. ‘They’re human minds here, but they had those templates. Could they have just made Digimon or did they make themselves Digimon.’ I wondered as Vulpi stopped at the large two-story door on the wall full of windows. It had another cross on it and the carpet below my feet turned to steps that went up to the door. From their it started to swing open making just as much noise as the one at   the entrance; opening up to my surprise, their castle like strong hold that was or probably still is in the dessert plains. From torch light to the worn stone floor and the mazed passages.

 

Vulpi turned to me in and energetic bounce also making her chest give full use of the motion as she smiled like a child. She just giggled like I just came home or something. “They just want to talk right?” I asked as she nodded in a giggle, “Just to talk.” She smiled as she put her arms out like a butler and bowed gesturing for me to go ahead. I looked at her with a twitch in my lip for what she had done to me while she sank into something that could have been a sad face but I passed her just so she didn’t put on a waterworks show. I just grunted getting past her and she started to chuckle at me while I walked up the hall that turned around and went in what seemed like circles till I came a few minutes later to different doors that also wielded the Dark Masters symbol. Vulpi wasn’t too far behind and held herself anxiously as I looked at the doors expecting them to open automatically like the rest of the place did but instead Vulpi said straightly like she was inviting me into a surprise party, “Well open them.” gesturing for me to open the door moving one paw from under her breast letting it bounce while I went to the door and pushed.

 

I made it to the city; I made it into the city. I was so close to the masters but I had no intent on harm then, I wanted to hear Leo’s opinion but he was deathly silent. He played the part of a weapon in something I thought could go horribly wrong. In it all there was a few more surprises, completely not what I expected. To see in the Dark Masters or to hear at the same time. Vulpi walked in behind me sealing the chamber of her Masters thrones and their laughter greeted me, I used my anger for Heto not to attack them feeling so argent and pompoms the insults I spat could have gotten me killed. They were stronger than I could have ever thought and besides the laughter the first line was, “So, what’s up?..”


Safe Passage

After closing the door Vulpi came past me in a rub more than a nudge and brushed her tail a crossed me as she walked to her masters thrones while I waited for them to stop laughing as I stood there arms crossed letting my tail swish around showing how nervous I was. They just laughed with each other in their own sinister voices and I could tell where each was from, from the accents in their voices the Master on the left was the oriental and the one on the right was from America. Their shaded figures only wielded to their white glowing eyes while they looked at me strangely with expressions I couldn’t place in the darkness they sat in. “Well?” I said as I walked up to the white cross painted on the floor of the large room and they slowly stopped laughing as I came up to its edge and stopped looking down.

 

When I looked back up from my feet that sat a little short of an inch from the crosses foot they had stopped laughing and sat silent making the scene very warring on what bravery I had but not the argents I had, “What do you two jokers want?” I asked as my face flattened from a smile I put on for show. Vulpi who had already gone up to the thrones let her neon blood eyes sneer at me while the Master on the rite lifted his hand in front of her face making me see that he only had four fingers. “You will talk to me slave.” The dark figure growled to me like a Digimon almost confirming my fear at that moment as he leaned forward. “Who are you?” I said directing my question at him just for the sake of argument. He waited a second and started laughing with a sense of ruthless humor far beyond Zero’s strange laugh and abruptly stopped while I looked into the shadows he sat in waiting for his response not getting it in the way I had hoped. “Fool.” He said as he lifted his orange hand from the shadows limp at arms reach raising it and flipping me to the wall and holding me there by some invisible force.

 

The two laughed together and I grunted once as I sat up on the wall from my laying position looking up at them as if he slammed me to the floor, “Corruption slave.” He said stopping his laugh suddenly. I nodded rolling my head popping a joint in it to get the kink out. He dropped his arm back into the shadows and the force on me dropped with it letting me fall to the actual floor catching myself before I landed face down and standing back up to lean against the stones of the cold rock wall. “Yeah I kinda figured. Devastation right?” I said directing my question to the throne on the left as Corruption raised his hand again and pressed me harder into the wall making it a little hard to breathe. “You will speak to ME.” he said coldly as he gave one hard push making me cough and sputter to get my breath back, “Sure no problem.” I laughed as I stood back up and leaned against the wall.

 

They sat there for a second and Vulpi giggled from the side of Corruption’s throne, still not talking to me waiting and watching me for some kind of sign. “What would you rather be called?” Corruption said as he leaned slightly into the light letting what seemed like hair bounce from his chest. I grunted in curiosity from the question and he finished the options, “Kitsune or Ryokumon?” they both where Fox in so many meanings but I chose my own name, “Ryoku will do fine.” They both laughed at me from their thrones and Devastation slouched down while Corruption gave a Vulpi toned giggle at my response, “Yes a Kitsune. Ryoku was famous in the real world and from what Vulpi tells me you do have a human side to you.” Devastation talked for the first time giving full force of his accent reminding me more of Heto with how he spoke than what he said, “Show us Digimon.” he said as I looked to his large looking feet as they stuck slightly into the light not far enough to tell colors or definition. “I’ll pass thanks.” I said as he laughed at me turning to Corruption who slammed me against the wall.

 

As much as I didn’t wasn’t to show them there was another reason I didn’t being that of tree experience number one, and I would just be showing my self in all my human glory. “Got a small unit eh?” Corruption laughed as he released the pressure on me and I grunted as I slid down the face of the wall breathing hard. “I’d never picture hackers running another world.” I laughed as I found myself sitting down while my tail puffed out in anger while I foolishly taunted them, they looked to each other and gasped while Vulpi looked from her spot behind them in shock that I could have pre played her masters. “Oh, you made the news. Hard to miss the greatest hacker Devastation dead and naked by his own computer.” I laughed as he growled at me pushing into the light letting me see the blaze of anger literally flaming but without light or smoke as the flames whipped from eye to eye.

 

Corruption stood up and put his hand out in front of his comrade and stepped into the light and I laughed from my half standing position as Vulpi joined Devastation in the growl they maintained while Corruption stepped down the stairs to the floor of the rook standing in the center of the cross sneering but with a smile. Leaned over to his side starting to laugh, “What are you supposed to be?” I asked as he let his long ears sag down to his chest, he had a white underbelly and two black stripes on the top and bottom of where his kidneys would be if he where human. He had a thin tail that was orange and black stripped as well and it whipped around while he laughed at me, his face was brought down into an intimidating sneer that curled with the shape of his muzzle as his whiskers twitched and the black stripes he had for eye brows jumped in subtle rage till he stood up straight and looked at me, “Gravijamon, gravity Tiger and Corruption your master.” He finished in a laugh, “What ever.” I grunted as I settled back against the wall.

 

“Still strong headed are we?” Devastation grunted in intolerance from my almost lisped mock of Corruption and raised what he had attached to his wrist and a bellowing wall of fire screamed to me and swallowed me just blowing me against the wall feeling like a stray gust of wind while it scorched the wall around me. “That’s it?” I laughed as Vulpi stepped in and threw a blue flaming rock at me making me arch over as it slammed into my stomach. “You won’t talk to your Master like that!” she screamed as Devastation pushed her back between the thrones. “Hell I won’t bitch.” I laughed as I held myself against the wall.

 

“Enough chatting, lets get down to business.” Corruption said as he let his large feet tap against the cross making light as he moved lifting his hand over his shoulder picking me up making me float up to his side. “We have a few questions to ask you Ryokumon.” He laughed as I came up beside him to the edge of the shadows letting me stop in mid air while he sat in his throne. “First is will you rejoin us? Before you answer I give you this proposition, an entire plain will be yours if you accept, no strings. Just yes or no?” he asked as he let his hand waft around while he held me in place making me laugh despite the height I was above the ground, “Screw that!” I laughed as I saw his face twist and he clinched his reached palm making the force around me take the feeling of a giant hand crushing me. “Yes or no slave?” he spat at me making me laugh harder against the pain I was in, “No ‘your eminence.’ Why would I want to work for you two jack-asses again?” I laughed as he twitched his hand throwing me to the foot of the cross. I landed there but bounced rolling over myself till I grinded to a stop on my chest a few feet from the door.

 

“Sad that your servant will never be able to evolve.” Devastation sighed as Vulpi stepped back over to Corruptions side. “Good for her.” I grunted as I tried to force myself up feeling weak from the squeeze Corruption gave me. “She is you, you know.” Corruption said like it was common knowledge making me roll onto my side and then from my side up from there, “The servants we give our commanders are representations of their own Dark Power, she is what you were to us and still proves to be our strongest even though you don’t seem to follow the same path.” Devastation said in the same tone Corruption did. “Without you to Digivolve she won’t ever have the opportunity, she would if you did even though you seem to be champion she doesn’t have your power.” He said as he gestured to Leo. “Seems you have found one of the Legendary swords that make Digimon grow,” Corruption said as he helped me to my feet with his power.

 

I laughed as I started to wobble and just stumbled back to the door till I slammed into it, “I bought my sword in the real world, I never found anything in my life that was worth more then five bucks.” I laughed as I huffed feeling like one of my ribs was broken healing there on the spot while Corruption laughed followed by anyone else near his raised throne. “Yes Kitsune, I see you can blend in with society. I’m surprised you never showed us that talent.” Devastation laughed making me grunt, “My name is Ryoku.” I said as I pushed away from the wall now getting angry with them for wasting my time, I realized at that moment where I had heard the word Kitsune before but I was to busy thinking about the Dark Masters to concentrate on it, “What else do you two stooges want?” I said while Vulpi growled at me for my insolence and Devastation and Corruption laughed at me not caring about the comment, “Lastly then,” Corruption said to his adjacent throne, “Lastly, do you know anything about D?” Devastation said straightly to me while I cocked my head to the side simply saying, “No.” not wanting to get struck again.

 

“To me SLAVE!” Corruption shouted as he swept a crossed the room, sending me into a pillar feeling my shoulder go numb as I fell to the ground. They looked to each other then to Vulpi smiling as she laughed with them, “That’s all of it?” I grunted my way up from the floor. They both nodded to each other and I waited for a second thinking they where going to say something else but it took me to ask before I got a response, “What’s next?” I asked as they giggled at me like mad Digimon, “You can leave.” They said making me cock my head further in absolute shock, “You’re letting me leave?” I asked as they nodded, “Yes.” Corruption responded in a happy laugh. “Go on, but don’t stir any of our servants up on your way out. You might not make it off the grounds if you do.” Devastation said straightly.

 

I stood up weakly looking at them as I moved to the door while they made low conversation below my range of hearing only making out one letter that was part of the conversation, “D” I just didn’t understand it.

 

Since I started telling you how I gripped about the lack of the Devas I think I should have told you the name of the prophecy. It was the legend of D really powerful stuff I never believed in. Something really bad and destructive would come up in the digital world and wipe it out.

 

“From the depth of the ground will come a demon, all that see it shall go its downfall. From the start of time it shall destroy all, as if it’s creator and it’s annihilator. The D shall rise again with force driven from unknown fought struggle as the knights of the light shall defend their worlds with strength brought from within and each other as one.

 

These small chances picked by fate shall be the only possibility for the eternal universe as separate they fight together they will understand the scope of their fate as the D will swallow all they know. Unless these lights succeed all shall be Dark…”

 

Or so it goes. A lot like the story of the Digimon Hunter, blah blah Darkness more or less what I told you was the poem that went with it there was a lot more to the story of the real Digimon Hunter I didn’t know just like D whatever it was supposed to be. For what ever their insane reason was they wanted to know about it and I was small-beans in comparison to it. In the bigger picture I was sure that even if I was the fabled Digimon hunter, D was a much bigger deal and if the Devas where serious enough about it and it drew the attention of the Dark Masters there defiantly had to be something to it I didn’t know.

 

While I huffed backwards to the doors my slight limp drew Corruptions attention in a short grunting giggle while he tapped Vulpi with the back of his hand, “Show him out, take your time though.” He said bleeding into a full-blown laugh as I turned around to the door to pull it inward to escape the throne room of Dark intentions. “Can I Master?” Vulpi said as she leaned over his throne and giggled as he brushed the back of his hand over her breasts. “One more thing Ryokumon, it seems your servant wants to show you her room.” I cringed as I turned my head looking over my shoulder to see Vulpi coming in an extremely sexually offensive posture. “Don’t make a scene or our guard might have to check up on you.” I grunted in disbelief as Vulpi came up and wrapped her arms around me making Leo shutter as she came against my back, “Then you can leave. Have fun Kitsune.” He laughed joined by the throne to his left I just growled while Vulpi moved around me to open the doors making them creak open while she laughed into my shoulder, “Lets go lover it’s time to have a little fun…” she said as I whimpered inwardly at the thought of HAVING to do it, and with her.

 

My whimper turned to a growl as Vulpi nudged me on pressing her already moist sex against my tail while I turned over my shoulders and screamed at the masters making them laugh as hard as they could, “I’LL MAKE YOU REGRET THIS! I SWEAR!!” I said as Vulpi wrapped her arms around me in a gentle yet solid embrace as she breathed into my fur dragging me down the halls till we came back into the main part of the building turning to the right wing of the cross and headed half way up it to another wall of windows while she dragged me kicking and fighting down the hall making the Digimon look at me while she dragged me away from the Masters chamber. “You know your going to enjoy it my love so why fight it?” she said as I bashed the back of my head into her face. “NEVER!! Call me that you fucking BITCH!!” I shouted as she laughed in slight anger and shoved me threw the smaller double door going into another gothic dungeon decorated in all of what seemed to be torture devices, nothing like I had ever seen in either of my lives while she came up behind me.

 

Leo shuddered again on my back and I grunted as I stopped resisting, straightened my fur and gestured impatiently for her to lead on. She giggled childishly and passed me up running her paw under my chin while it smoked like a cigarette leading me on knowing I wasn’t going to try to get away. “That’s much better ‘Ryoku.’” She laughed as she took me down a stone hall not as directed as the masters section of their strong hold but just as big. She moved from side to side more with each step and I could tell this was one thing I wasn’t going to like but the over weighing danger of the Masters Megas dashed thru my head every time I thought about turning tail and running, I didn’t think I’d get very far with Vulpi either so I was trapped until I was set free.

 

“Here’s where you can wait for me, I’ll be back in a few minutes handsome.” She laughed as she leaned forward punning her index finger down my muzzle stopping at my nose and flipping my stiffened head like a diving board while she reached around me into a dark room moving her paw down to my chest as she opened the door, I knew she was going to pull something but I had no choice. I just closed my eyes as she quickly shoved me into the dark room where I felt something strange and constricting wrap around me, tying me down like it was as automatic as some of the doors in the stronghold. I started to feel grain as I struggled in shock knowing the pattern of it and what the restraints were.

 

“Ah CRAP!” I said as I just sighed in the dark room feeling the thin strong cord roped around me in a bondage knot at my back, I tried to move my tail but it was almost tied to my neck and each twitch I made jerked the thick collar I was fitted with, I couldn’t move my legs either because something was forcing them apart. I wasn’t dangling then but I could have been, my feet touched the ground but with how I was restrained I wasn’t going anywhere so I just fell limp letting the ropes stretch and groan as I put my weight on them. “This will not end well.” I said lowly to myself in the dark room as I looked up to see the door slowly creep open. “Comfortable sexy?” she said as all I could see of her was her solute and her neon blood red eyes lit up with excitement. “Would it matter if I said no?” I said lowly as the ropes twisted and I spun slowly letting the claws on my feet drag against the floor. “No not at all.” She laughed as she gasped walking into the room sending a low light to it giving off her body and every horrifying thing in the room.

 

It was a torture chamber but not of the kind that include the wrack and an iron madden something far worse in my opinion at that time, “Oh crap…” I whimpered as she giggled up to me picking a whip off of a table near me. “Time to have a ‘little fun.’” she giggled as she forced my head up while I looked around at things my sexuality NEVER wanted to see in the act she was about ready to do.

 

“For you maybe.” I said as I closed my eyes as she leaned down to me and kissed me on my muzzle making me want to puke. “Oh you’ll have fun. I’m going to make sure of that.” she chuckled levelly making me grunt as I felt her paw scoot down my chest. I gasped as I opened my eyes seeing her eye me in a less shocked expression but less than an inch away from my face laughing at me making me whine as I saw what was coming, “Hold it for a second,” I gasped as I wiggled feeling just how far her paw had ventured, “No, No, OFF LIMITS!!” I shouted as she did it anyway giving me a grab finishing off the moment with a blood curdling scream,

 

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!…”


The Chamber

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!!!!CAUTION!!!!! This chapter contains material of sexual nature. If you are not of at least 18 years of age please skip over this chapter, almost none of this applies to the story line, and if referred to will have little effect on any outcomes. Also note that events in this chapter may not be accurate to the “life style” it portrays. SO…. down to business, I will take no responsibility for under aged readers. Read at own discretion !!!!CAUTION!!!!

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I screamed as Vulpi grabbed my limp cock while I hung taunt in the strange ropes that suspended me from the ceiling as she laughed sexually commanding into my face while I grunted as her three fingered paw squeezed me out of my sheathe. “GET OFF ME BITCH!!” I shouted as she started to twiddle my pecker around in the air not moving away from my face. “No.” she laughed as she reached over to the table beside me and picked something up. “What the hell do you think your doing??” I said as I tried to look down to see only bashing foreheads with her while I struggled to look down. “You’ll find out.” She smiled as she licked up her muzzle to mine making me jump away from disgust at the action swinging away on the rope coming away only on my top half while she held my limp dick in her hand almost making me want to scream as she squeezed in so I wouldn’t swing around.

 

While I was away from her I saw that what she had in paw was a very mean looking pin, something like a cloths pin but with teeth. It was metal and she slowly snapped it at me to scare me, at that point I was. “Oh, bad boy.” She laughed as she picked up her whip wrapped in leather and whacked it a crossed my kidney making me wince as it stung. I shot my head to hers as she stood straight up looking down on me as I hung from her chamber of sexual horrors, Vulpi stood there in all of her Dark radiance as a true dominatrix, at least in appearance. For a Renamon, the leather look was carried off very well definitely with how she held herself in a teasing lean usually and in the corset or something that went under her large tits and stopped about the chest and hip having two rings on either side that went down over the black open crotch panties to leg bands that were studded.

 

If I wasn’t so disgusted with her she might have just barely made par under attractive in a flog-me-please fantasy but I don’t usually swing that way. In either case I was swinging though as the hard snap of her whip made me rock on my toes hissing in pain making me want to rub the sting away. “BITCH!” I shouted as I tried to struggle out of the ropes while she laughed at me teasing me by tapping the whip on my sheath while she leaned over, “Where do you think you’re trying to go?” she laughed as she walked around behind me swatting me in the face with her black tail dragging the whip around till she came to my ass raising it back while I couldn’t see and swatted me on the right ass cheek making me jump forward and choke myself from how my tail was tied to my collar. “I’m going to kill you Vulpi.” I growled as I tried to turn around. I couldn’t move very well since my knees where spread apart by some kind of rod.

 

While I tried to turn around moving with my toes I heard the hiss of the whip as she came down on my left cheek making me jump again and sustain a long growl while I wanted to rip the ropes apart. “Oh Ryokumon, stop resisting it and enjoy it.” Vulpi said as I started to sway around coming back up to view of her looking at me with the hungry looking pin as she snapped it in my face. “You put that on me you’ll regret it.” I said in a low voice as she pushed forward making me lose what footing I did have and slip back into a dangling hang. Swaying back and forth I came back to the pin she didn’t move and snapped it at my nose as I went back scrapping my claws on the ground while I tried to stop myself. She timidly laughed hoping I’d come back one more time but when I stopped she reached forward and snapped the sharp pin to my nose where it sagged down to where I couldn’t see the grip of it only the teeth as they painfully scrapped down my nose. I growled louder trying not to yelp from the pain as I gritted my teeth, “Get that off me NOW.” I said as my voice cracked.

 

She laughed at me again and tapped her long rod whip on my nose making the pin bounce as I yelped slightly inside my growl at how much it hurt. The tips were sharp and it was made of some heavy metal and it weighed down my face slightly. “Let’s work on your obedience shall we?” she said as she stood up bringing the whip down to her vagina and sticking it between her folds. “Get me out of this now you whore.” I spat lowly so I didn’t lose my composure with her. “No, no, no.” she gasped as the leather of the long whip came up wet as it moved from her lips, “your not learning are you?” she laughed as she went back behind me to the table of her toys swatting me a crossed the ass getting both cheeks, stopping on it while she whipped the pussy juices from the rod of her whip in my fur giggling madly as she picked something from the table sounding metal.

 

“This is two Ryokumon, are you going to obey me now?” she laughed as I felt her leather gloved paw brush across my ass, “GET AWAY FROM ME!!” I shouted as she moved up the crack of my ass with one finger stopping at my ass hole circling it while she breathed hard in anticipation, “Too bad.” She said in a fake sad voice as she drew her finger up to the base of my tail and slowly wrapped her paw around it while I heard two snaps, “Strike two Ryokumon.” She laughed as I forced my self to look back threw the tangle of ropes to see her hover a pin at the base of my tail combing my fur with it waiting for me to look at her so she could let it go, that’s exactly what she did and I couldn’t hold in the yelp as it bit into my tail making me yelp loudly coming back to a growl, “Vulpi.” I growled as I tried to move my tail while the teeth of the pin dug further into the flesh under my fur with each choking movement. “I think you’ll really like strike three.” She laughed as she brought her whip up to the ropes and brought it down around my tail at the ticklers on the end swayed back and forth as her tail did making the leather bands holding up the straps on her legs move up and down as she bent over and gave the ropes a shake making the pins jiggle away from the rest of my body while she circled me again.

 

“IF I GET OUTA THIS BITCH YOUR GETTEN THREE STRIKES AT ONCE YOU HEAR ME!!” I shouted as the pin on my nose fell off making the skin on my nose scream as she laughed, “Oops looks like we lost one.” She laughed as she bent down in front of me shoving her ass in my face making me catch the full scent of her sex that was exposed with the puckering hole of her ass. Her scent was a wear on my instinct and I felt a hard on forming and she saw it too as she bent over to pick up the stray torture device. Putting the ticklers of her whip to my peeking cock as it came from my sheathe involuntarily, “Looks like you are getting in the mood, sexy.” She laughed as she brought her tail down over my face holding it there so I couldn’t see, I growled in pain from the scratches on my nose and the piercing sensation on my tail. I opened my mouth in the fluffy fur and tried to find the rod of her tail with my teeth snapping at fir till she snapped the teethe clamp on the sheathe of my cock making me open my mouth and yelp out.

 

“Strike three handsome.” She laughed as she pulled her tail from my face. “But it looks like we need a new strike one.” She laughed as she put her tail to her chest running it down the corset she was wearing making me see the two belts that went along the top and bottom of it. She whipped my saliva from her tail onto the leather making it shine and moaned in a strange perverted pleasure as her scent grew and started to burn in my nose making my dick that much harder against my will and almost come out of my sheath.

 

She laughed at me as she brought her whip up to my shoulder looking down between my widely spread legs and with her free paw reached down and made sure the ball of my cock was out in the air so it didn’t get to hard to come out. Pushing back on my sheathe making it pop out in slight pleasure with a pop as the larger ball came out the smaller exit. “Almost ready lover.” She laughed as she took her whip to my face before I could say anything, “I am your lover slave.” She said laughing into my face as she stood up whipping the moisture from my own dick on my cheek as I growled at her, “I’m going to kill you slowly.” I said gaining a little composure as she walked behind me and picked a few things off of the table. “Kill?” she said as she stopped behind me and twisted the pin on my tail making me yelp as the sharp teeth scratched my skin. “Oh that’s right, the Masters explained that to me, Killing and death are being destroyed or deleted.” She laughed as I felt her wrap something around my feet at the ankles, tying it tight then making them come together painfully as the knot she tied them fighting the spread of my legs with the bar at my knees. She pulled on the rope suspending me by the bondage ropes around me tying my feet to a knot higher up on the rope somewhere from the ceiling so I swayed uncontrollable with my dick pointing almost straight down.

 

“That’ll be an interesting position.” She laughed as she took the clamp she had picked up from the table and tapped it on my dick making a few drops of my own seed spill to the floor. “Getting a little closer.” She laughed as she opened the clamp with a sexual gasp and barely settled its teeth on my dick while I cringed and quivered from the weight on my tail. “No, I don’t think I’ll put it there.” She laughed as she scrapped the clamp from my full hard on not getting meat with it but just enough to cause a discomforting sensation that made more seed drop from my cock while I growled at her for causing me the pain I was in.

 

I just growled, I couldn’t say anything to stop her and the most I could do then was try not to enjoy what she was doing. I had Renamon to think about and as bad as the situation was I could only find sexual memories of her then while I tried to think of something else that would get rid of my erection. Fat people, men, something to keep her from getting what she wanted from me. “I’m not your love you fucking prostitute.” I growled as she spun my rope making me dizzy and choking me as my tail and head went outward with the speed of the spin till she stopped me looking into my face as I coldly sneered up to her, “Not in the mood to get down?” she laughed in a sexual taunt.

 

“What do you think?” I spat literally as the huffing from the pain and dizziness made me drool. She brought her whip up again and snapped it up the center of my chest laughing as I yelped almost letting my head drop onto the taunt collar to choke me. “I SWEAR, I’ll make you pay for this!” I said as I hissed from the sting of the whip, “Oh that’s what you said last time.” she said as if I didn’t keep a promise leaning over and putting my head between her  breasts and pressing together as I just hung there trying to get over the pain. “Lick my nipples.” She said as I felt the dummy strap of her whip against my ear while I was blinded by the braids of her fur and her hefty tits over my eyes.

 

When I sighed quickly showing her I was going to have no part in it she pulled away in one of her discontented grunts then chuckled briefly, “Non-compliance, ten lashes.” She said as I started to squirm again just screaming while I tried to turn my head far enough around to see her as she walked behind me swatting me with her tail again. She set the thin whip she had down and pulled one from the table with thirty or more thin leather bands that hung lose from the hard wood looking grip of it, all of it multi colored as she chuckled childishly swinging it so the bands where all over her shoulder like a cheerleader with a palm-palm, “Ready?” she said as she reached under me to feel my cock making me quiver as she squeezed the tip feeling the consistency brining it back up to her face and smelling her finger and licking them clean, “Guess so.” She said as she quickly came up for the whip and slammed it down a crossed my ass and arm making me scream out, “One,” she said happily while I reared my head back and twitched my tail trying to tuck it instinctively from the pain choking me as she brought the bands down again, “Two,” she laughed as I felt a tear come to my eye from how much it hurt.

 

“Three!…Four!” she shouted before the swings making me tense up and hurt worse as she landed a few bands across my tied wrists at the base of my tail. “FIVE!!” she shouted in wet glee as I felt another load blow onto the floor, “SIX!!” she shouted this time hitting me on the legs as she moaned in pleasure from watching me quiver in pain. “SEVEN!!” she shouted bringing the bands down on my arm as I screamed loudly from the combined pain of the pins and the lashes stinging and cutting into me barely coming back to a growl before the next swing gritting my teeth and clinching my eyes closed as she slapped me with the whip, “EIGHT!!” she said as it came down on my shoulder. “Nine!” she shouted as she immediately fallowed the last swat from underneath wracking the whip a crossed my exposed chest. I shouted and held a yelp as I dropped my head down and started to cry in the stinging pain. It was worse that recovering from a fight and I’d feel all of it for weeks!

 

She huffed for a minute laughing at me while she leaned over me like a countertop and giggled into my sword strap and sword sheathe. “What’s this still doing on you.” she gasped for air from her orgasmic fit. I was to busy twitching in the pain moaning to myself while the stinging sensation started to bleed into my joints putting them into a burn of flaming pain. “Tell me or I’ll get the paddle for the last lash.” She laughed as she let her gloved paw travel around my waist to give me a short hand job. I started to pant trying not to cum again and she giggled at me while I grunted against the pain putting my ears as far back as they possible could go. “You like that don’t you.” she giggled as she leaned over and bit my ear making me lose my concentration and yelp as she bit into my ear and blow the load she was looking for. I thought she went thru and pierced my ear but it just hurt on both sides and she laughed as she gave my head a little tug in her teeth.

 

“Not so chatty now are you.” she said as she walked around with two fingers on the top of my head till she came around where she put the bands of the whip up and ran them down my muzzle. “I don’t think you’ll fight it anymore.” She giggled as she rubbed her clit with her opposite paw while I listened to her moan while she rubbed her nipples, “Lick them, lick them now.” She moaned and I curled my tear soaked face into a sneer and looked away from her as she growled at me dropping her whip and grabbing me by the muzzle “LICK.” She said harshly as she squeezed so hard my tongue barely passed my lips and she laughed while I grunted trying to pull away dragging me to her tit and ran my tongue up her pierced nipple. I opened my eye and brought my mouth open while she pulled more of my tongue out with her sex soaked paw making me taste in and squirm more against my binds and pain as I felt the weight of the pin on my cock sheath start to slide off making me want to scream while she held me there.

 

When it popped off I clinched my eyes closed and closed mouth yelped as she huffed from the stimulation she was forcing me to give. She stumbled backwards and moaned as I opened my mouth in a painful howl not piecing together words but just rambling while I fought and restraints. I watched for a second feeling my dick get so hard it could have exploded and nut started to drip down it, she moaned on the floor in a puddle of my cum and looked down to my vertical cock snickering as she rubbed the slit in her sex coming under me while I screamed down, “GET OFF ME YOU WHORE!!!” coming around to words as I felt her wrap her mouth around my hard waiting dick and suck making me lose it quickly into her mouth where she swallowed making me want to puke on the ass she bounced rite below my face while her raised tail whipped a crossed my face.

 

“VULPI! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU I SWEAR!!!” I screamed in huffs as she sucked my dick hard till I lost another load of nut to her stomach making me that much closer to losing what ever I ate months ago. I felt my dick throb in her mouth and she came off of me with a pop as the end of my dick passed her teeth and jiggled from the motion of her sucking and bobbing. “I think your ready now.” She giggled as she stood up from below me running her paw threw my chest fur that was tangled in ropes while I sneered at her more out of breath than she was. She looked at me again and grabbed Leo from my sword-sheathe and pulled him out while I shouted to her. “PUT HIM BACK NOW!!” while she giggled at me and tossed him aside like useless matter tugging on my sword sheathe trying to pull it from the loops in the strap but it wasn’t happening. After a few seconds of hard tugging she found her self out of breath at my level and I just growled to her while I looked over to Leo apologizing to him with my eyes while Vulpi stood back and slowly wormed the tight crotch-less panties from her hips over the straps of the leg bands showing me exactly how excited she was as she gushed on the floor as the fabric touched her swollen clit. She leaned forward after she caressed her opening a little and put her paws on my shoulders so she could spin me and kissed me in a deep moan on my lips making me taste myself in her mouth while I squirmed away from the kiss.

 

When she decided it was enough she pulled back and I dryly spit as much of the taste out as she picked up her whip and walked back over to the table pushing every thing else off of it but one device that looked like a soda can, attached to a small plastic ring. Holding the device in one paw as she pushed the table up behind me seeing that I was to low for it and walked over to the wall and pulled on some taunt ropes that I thought where to something else or spares or something but I raised up about a foot and she tied the rope off and walked over to me, “Your going to love this.” She smiled as she put the small ring around my throbbing dripping prick and snickered as she sat on the table with her ass pointing to me while she held my cock in her paw and the can thing in the other, “Get that thing off me you PIECE OF SHIT!!” I shouted as she turned the can on and a sudden powerful vibration shook my dick in her paw making me shoot a load onto her waiting pussy where she set the vibrating can down and massaged the nut into her fur in a high screaming moan till there was no more seed left to spread so she jammed my dick in her slit making me scream out as she bent me backwards and tugged on it to pleasure herself.

 

“I’LL KILL YOU!!” I shouted as I bounced trying to move my tail and arms pulling on the stronger ropes as she laughed and moaned both with me and at me for still resisting. I grunted and huffed after a minute of it not being able to make a word I said understandable and just waited for her to tire out and let my cock either go in her or just drop it and let me swing. I grunted while she slammed my vibrating cock in her opening and refused to let myself nut in her and started to moan while the feeling of it coming to my shaft bashed at every sensitive nerve in my cock while the vibration and her thrusts felt more intense with every second till I couldn’t hold it and it just exploded almost sending me from her pussy to sway but she screamed out in joy and kept going while I tried to keep the next load from coming out while she screamed orgasmicly and I felt her cum jet around my dick till she shuddered out and fell weakly limp back on the table holding me by the ball of my poor cock in her pussy.

 

She laughed while she huffed and looked at me while I just stared at the wall feeling dirty for even having a place in her moment of bliss. She pulled me out of her in such a fast motion that she punched me in the sheathe and I went dangling away shooting a load of over stimulation on her while she laughed rolling off the table exhausted while I swung back to the table knocking my cock on the wood of it feeling the film of both our lubricants. As it hit the side then slid up the edge and rolled back down while I swung away, she walked over to the wall where the ropes where tied and laughed while she sat down against the wall below the knot.

 

“Was it good for you?” she teased and I just growled back while I weakly squirmed to get away from the knots the ropes were making in my back as my sword sheathe started to sit uncomfortably. “Hell no!” I shouted as I looked back forcing my tail to move with my neck and the collar that didn’t sit in the place it was making me move my tail enough to pop of the pin around its base as I yelped again and dropped my head against the collar exhausted, “I won’t let you down unless you tell me the truth.” She laughed as she flicked the ropes with one finger while I tried to breath against the coking of the tight collar. “Fuck off.” I said as she put her paw over her muzzle and laughed making the braids on her chest bounce as she breathed hard and chuckled. “Ok.” she said teasing me.

 

I still had a little swing to me and I still had a hard on going and I felt so humiliated I wasn’t going to give her the final pleasure of giving into her even if she left me there. “Well I still owe you one,” she said as she pushed up running the back of her glove over her fucked hole, “More,” she said in a moan as she came one more time, “Lash..”

 

I turned away gritting my teeth looking around wondering if it was even possible to get out of the veined tangle of ropes I was in as she picked up her thin flexing whip and walked over to me, “DO IT! Go on I don’t give a shit anymore.” I said as she reared it back and swiped under me slapping it a crossed my dick making me scream out at the top of my lungs closed by shrill panting yelps as I felt like she snapped my prick in half, “Ten.” She said as she laughed strutting back over to the ropes on the wall grabbing the knot on the wall and giving it a tug untying it and her paw grasped around it was the only thing keeping me up. “Well did you have fun?” she asked and I looked over to her with so much pain in my face trying not to cry again with tears, “No.” I said as she stuck out her tongue letting go of the ropes in a sneer letting me fall to the floor as the knots loosened enough for me to move my arms to a position beside me.

 

The only really bad thing was I landed on my dick and it went right back into my sheathe painfully feeling like I stubbed it. I hissed and found the energy past all of the remains of the burning swats to cradle it like I was kicked in the balls and grunted and rolled in the puddle of evaporating semen and female cum till Vulpi walked over to me and stood over me, “You are just no fun anymore.” making me laugh up to her like I was at one point. Rolling over weakly looking at her with one open eye changing into a cackle losing my breath till it didn’t make a sound; I watched her as she stormed to the door. She seemed to have that all planned out as if it was something I would have enjoyed and not doing so made her very angry and hurt in her own demented way. “I’ve had a better time jacking off you slut!” I shouted as loud as I could over the horse airless voice I had laughing as she cringed from it and walked to the door making me roll to my side as she slammed the door and almost cried.

 

With my paw still to my crotch I felt the cord of the vibrator still around my cock but detached from the can thing that was the rest of the unit and I tried to pull it out but it created a cutting sensation around my dick. I had to pull it all the way out, now being limp again and take the ring off looking at it seeing it was as covered as the floor I was on. I still had the ropes around me so I struggled to get them off while I ripped and pulled at the collar around my neck getting it off and the spreader between my legs, “Damn it.” I grunted as I felt fur come off with some of the ropes as I sat up and threw them across the room, “God I’m going to feel this later.” I hissed as I rubbed everywhere to get rid of the burning pain from Vulpi’s whips. ‘Real master there,’ I laughed in my head as I leaned against the wall while the lights went lower in the room, ‘gets upset when people don’t have a good time’ I laughed smiling while Leo hummed from a crossed the room where Vulpi tossed him.

 

“Oh god,” I grunted as I leaned forward and struggled tiredly to my feet, “I’m sorry you had to see all of that old friend.” I said as walked over to him and lifted him tiredly and brought him to my back and put him away. “I’m sorry I had to see all that.” I said as I fell forward bashing my head into the wall not caring about the lump but sliding down to the floor onto my Digivice and cards she didn’t take off over the coarse of that little event.

 

“I’m going to kill her.” I tiredly muffled out as I slipped off into a sleepy state and quietly dozed off humiliated and exhausted, ‘I’m really going to kill her.’ I said as the vision of Renamon and I standing on the knoll somewhere watching the sunset ran thru my head calming me down then playing again till I was calm enough to think…


Intervention

I sat against the wall not believing I had a part in that, shuddering weakly as my sides ached along with my ass, arms, and my pecker for the forceful bondage nightmare come true. I think that if I had anything left in my stomach it would have been on the floor while she raped me for the second time. There was something else bothering me the entire time though in the corner of my mind screaming from my memory that I didn’t understand. ‘Kitsune?’ I though, ‘Where have I heard that before?’ I thought hearing the word before, as a name greeted in my head by a smiling face shocking me from my exhausted sleep.

 

“Kitsune? That was her name?” I said as I pushed off the wall in the dark room. “My mom. Her name was Kitsune!” I said sitting up rolling the cheeks of my ass over the swat Vulpi gave me making me hiss in pain as I quickly stood up rubbing the line that divided the hemispheres of my ass into fourths while I grunted again at the thought of Vulpi, “I’m going to kill that bitch.” I hissed as I danced in the burning pain to the door I could see plainly in the darkness of Vulpi’s dungeon. I ran my paw over the face of the metal door and searched for a knob in the dark thinking I saw one when I walked over but looking down to where it should have been all I saw was a panel. I was still trapped but I wasn’t going to give up, thinking like I was still in the real world the thin metal door should have collapsed when I punched it with all my strength, but instead all it did was clang against my knuckles and make me rear back my paw shacking it as I felt like I broke it, “Damn it!” I shouted as I took a step back into the closed in room smelling the events that took place there, wanting to get away from the smell so the memory of it would stop playing in my head.

 

I looked up seeing there were vents in the ceiling that let the scents waft out which made me feel a little better. I felt my paws warm to the point of flames but only smoking as I shook in pain from pounding the door. The trail of smoke from my paw blew past my face making me sneeze as I breathed it in. “Stupid piece of shit.” I cursed at the door looking at it again and growling at it. I sighed as I stepped away looking back at it wondering what it was made of to take a hit like that, then looking around to the rest of the room wondering if there was anything I could use to either pry it open or beat it down but not seeing anything but an array of sex toys I’m glad she didn’t use on me; all of them to small or just plain disgusting to be of any help. As a man in general I think I had a phobia with dildos and I’m sure it would have been very impressive to jimmy a door with one but I wasn’t going to do it. I felt my stomach turn at the thought of it; trying not to picture it even thought the image appeared in my head.

 

Leo hummed for the first time since Vulpi came up behind me and I turned my head to look at him, “Doesn’t seem like there’s any way out of here Leo.” I grunted as I looked up to the small vents in the ceiling that didn’t fit in with the gothic atmosphere or the sexual torture chamber, grunting thinking I shouldn’t even think about an escape then. The Calvary would be coming soon and I was sure of it, but there where two megas outside at least and I don’t think even Zero, Taomon, or Impmon's Digivolve could handle them. If I was going to get out of there I had to do it before they risked a rescue. I should have had them come along with me from the start then the Dark Masters might not have let Vulpi do that to me. I grunted realizing I came back around to Vulpi again as I tried to push the sex dream she had for me out of my head shuddering with each step to the back of the fairly large and appropriately decorated room. “How am I going to make it out of this one?” I asked myself as I stepped up to a wall that was covered in various sized and colored whips looking gruesome in their leather designs. Leo hummed again and I could tell he was trying to bring a little humor to the situation by saying something I couldn’t really understand but in the translated tone meant something around the point to “At least you weren’t stuck under an elevator for a few weeks.” and I chuckled as I pictured my escape from Heto’s bunker.

 

There was no way I was going to make my way out of this situation the same way so I sat against the wall knocking over a few whips on the wall that weren’t really placed to well. ‘Kitsune,’ I thought going over my memories getting confused as I remembered both of my lives at the same time, ‘My Digi-mom was Kitsune but my real mom was Tenko.’ I thought as I ran my paw over my muzzle thinking at a few things that had other meanings in the names, legends I read into things like that. Kitsune was an old Japanese lore about magical foxes who had special powers, Digimon like I guess, but could take on human form to a point or completely which really applied to me. My human mother is what started to bother me though; her name was Tenko which translated out to: a celestial fox that reached 1000 years of age, really good or really evil in the lore I read up on. She seemed to be a bright person and never did anything wrong.

 

What was troubling me was the fact if it was just coincidence or not. Both my human and Digimon mothers had the same temperament, very gentle if need be or extremely ruthless at the same time. So controlled and sad most of the time but always when I asked what was bothering her/them she’d smile over to me warmly and say “nothing my son.” Which felt very weird moving my train of thought to the vision I had, the voice I heard said “My son.” too in between the voices of my human mother and my Digimon. I think that their voices are sounds I’ll never forget and I knew them and what they’d sound like as they crossed over in tones to one steady graceful tone so soothing and gentle you could never mistake it. I shuddered again feeling Leo vibrate on my back and I reached over my shoulder and tapped his grip, “It’s not that Leo.” I said as I looked up to the door with my paw on the hilt of his blade, “Gotta get out of here.” I sighed while I put my mind back to work, “What to use?” I mumbled as Leo hummed on my back.

 

I felt him and felt stupid for not thinking of him in the first place. “I have an idea Leo.” I said trying not to laugh as I walked over to the door still briefly running over my mothers name and voices. “But it’s going to suck for you.” I said as I pulled him from the sheathe on my back making a slight light as a single spark shot from the metal of the sheathe. Leo hummed in my hand in something that would work around to “What are you doing?” and I laughed as I stepped into swinging distance of the door holding him in a judo stance, “lock pick or battering ram Leo?” I asked as he sighed making me feel him shrug going with my better judgment, thinking about what would be less painful for him. “Lock pick.” I said quietly as I thrust him straight at the latch of the door slamming into the rocks of the wall and sliding between the frame and metal door pushing in as hard as I could hoping to find and sever the latch holding it in place but I quickly found I missed it and Leo’s blade shot into the hall.

 

This corner of the stronghold seemed to be Vulpi’s and no one else’s, so I was sure no one saw him sticking out. I still pulled him back in until almost the tip of his blade would be used to pry the door open. I forced him up the frame not feeling any resistance going up from where a latch would be. Grunting before I cut down as hard as I could, examining the movement for any resistance but coming up with none. As I pulled Leo from the ground I placed his blade back between the door and gave him a little push thinking somehow I had cut the latch without knowing it, finding out I was far from it.

 

I pushed on Leo for an hour, not moving the door an inch thinking that no matter what it was made of it had to bend at some stress, even if it was tempered it should have caved in with all the force I put against it. Well pushing as much as I did my paws where red and close to blistering, warm from the effort and no anger. I did lose my temper with it, punching it again. Seeing how absolutely useless it was pulling Leo away with my aching paws while I slid down the wall in a very unhappy face to say the least. I don’t know how long I slept really, I was too lost in thought and anger to remember and I had spent at least an hour and a half on the door. It was possibly the next day, and if my friends weren’t to far behind I expected a show some time soon.

 

I looked up to the ceiling seeing the metal looking vents thinking about what they would be made of, and if they where anything like the door. Sighing lightly as I put Leo away while he hummed at how much help he thought he wasn’t and I jumped to the ceiling and hung and tugged from the thinner but just as strong vents. The vents were going nowhere just like the door wasn’t. I think I may have bent the vents but that was all I did even after I put as much effort into them as I did the door. I gave a frustrated human growl and swung from my upside down squat and dropped back to the door looking around at the room wondering how I was tied up when Vulpi shoved me in. It was like someone with a whip skillfully snapped at me tying the slipknots around me. It was so fast that it could have been a machine. If I say it’s fast that means it’s faster than human eyes can pick up. I barely saw it and not just because it was dark.

 

I slapped myself a little hard and gave another human growl at bringing back up Vulpi and almost tripped over the table she used also, well you know. I was angry at her but I was trying to stay calm so I could either think of a way out or keep myself from going insane. I was still committed to Starlight, both of them. One of the only real bad things about it was explaining it. It was embarrassing to even think I couldn’t stop someone from doing that do me, but lull and behold Vulpi did it twice. I sighed as I put my paw against the top of the table coming down hard then slowing it down before I broke it in the moment of rage.

 

I know from that point on all I did was rethink a few dead end options for a few hours getting more angry at Vulpi every minuet but staying calm enough to sit down and stew over her for the hours alone. “I wonder how long she intends to leave me in here?” I asked out loud and Leo answered in a simple sigh that meant nothing but the sound. After I asked myself those questions I figured Vulpi would come back for me when she wanted “Something” thinking about that I knew the Masters had the entire meeting planed out from the beginning. They never intended to let me leave, if they couldn’t have me then they thought Vulpi could, and logic would seem that after Vulpi had me enough I would be one of theirs again. Vulpi’s servant that time around. I laughed at the idea wondering if that is what they had in for me. It would have been the smart thing to do in the Masters position but they seemed really weird, like no one I’d ever meet good or evil.

 

In my human circle of friends I knew a few people who did some powerful drugs that really screwed with their head that made the person who used it really out of it. My druggy friends didn’t laugh as much as the Masters did, it was like they were insane. They were but that was my train of thought for a while.

 

“That’s why you have to fight them.” a voice said making me look up slightly not hearing it, in the dark of the room I searched around for the voice and it called again like background noise, “Come here.” It said; it was almost distant garbled and distorted to the point that I couldn’t tell if it was a male or a female voice but it came from across the room. Listening for it again, “It’s ok, I won’t hurt you.” the voice laughed slightly to try to ease me from my shock, “Its not me who should be worried, who are you?” I said as I stood up and put my paw back to Leo, “You never used to talk to me like that.” The voice laughed again becoming clearer towards the end of the friendly chuckle. “Come on I’ll tell you over here.” The voice called as I cocked my head to the side detecting a hint of something in the voice I couldn’t place. I don’t know why I went over to the distanced origin; I think under the circumstances I would have been a little more wary of a strange voice calling me in a dark room. Could have been Vulpi for all I knew, there wasn’t a childish tone to the voice to it so that dismissed that theory that I thought of as I looked around pacing over to the voice. “Nothing funny ok?” I said as I looked to the door seeing a shadow cross the thin band of light under it while I went to the sound of the voice.

 

“Hurry.” The voice said as something came from the wall and pulled me threw it as I started to hear the door open with a sudden shift in the room behind me. Going threw the wall wasn’t like breaking stones; I just went thru it as if it wasn’t there but I could see it until it disappeared. I came to a large open room, completely dark except for a small cone of light that came from FAR above in what seemed like the center of the place a hundred yards away. “Come on over here silly.” The voice laughed from a figure sitting inside the cone of light now even past the echo I could make out the voice. “I missed you Ryoku.” The voice from my vision said, “Sit down.” She said as I came close enough to see a Renamon sitting cross-legged on the ground. My ears shot straight back as I looked on, I watched her die just after I digivolved to Ryokumon, she said it was age but the fact is she was dead.

 

“It’s only me Ryoku.” She said as she tapped outside the light, past the feeling of shock there was something else weird that she pointed out, “Come on, all of you sit down.” I looked from side to side without moving my head then turned my head to come face to face with myself; then I swung around to see two more of me. I looked down at me seeing I was human warring Leo and naked. Beside me was my Digimon form and behind my Digimon form was my Digimon form again. I swung around thinking it was like a trick mirror or something and saw another me as human naked. I stuttered out for a few seconds with the rest of me while the me of me in my Digimon form and my human me where starting to look extremely pissed. “Calm down and I’ll explain.” My mother smiled as she put her paws out and I shot back to her while she said it. “Ryoku sit down.” She said flatly after we all stood tragically confused for a moment.

 

I stuttered out a few words while my digimon form made the same gestures as I did coming around to the same thing I was thinking. My mom pointed to the ground and I quickly sat with my Digimon form while the two of me behind almost socked each other until they realized that they where going to find out what happened. “That’s better.” She smiled as I leaned forward expecting Leo to say something. “You are all the same person,” she started as I looked over at the little pow-wow in session in absolute disbelief of what was going on, “You are all representations of what every soul has.” I looked around seeing the expressions on every face wondering what she was talking about getting more confused while she continued. “Good and evil both have their goods and evils. The four of you represent these frames of mind and body. Here you can see this.” She said as my other human form asked rudely interrupting, “Where is here?” and she sneered at “Me” till “I” shut up.

 

“Between life and death.” She said making me fall backwards, “You are still alive though, there is nowhere for you to go in this realm between dimensions. I brought you here to talk to you.” there was a short intermission of grumbling shady uh-huh’s rolling around myself included feeling absolutely lost. “How’d we…I get like this?” I popped up between the pause, “Here your souls are separate unless you are balanced in mind. In the digital world your thoughts were so off balance you spiritually reverted to these forms.” I nodded gaining some sense to it and rolled my head over to my Digimon form holding the same expression in muzzle equivalent, “You are all the same person like I said.” She said and I looked to her wondering what she meant seeing myself as a Digimon and a human twice including the me I’m specking from.

 

“How’s that possible?” my not so friendly Digimon form asked while she looked to his degree of the cone of light and laughed, “You were Digimon from birth and human, Kitsune birthed from Kitsune.” She stopped short of something bigger letting the point slide as if I didn’t need to hear it then, “I don’t understand.” my adjacent Digimon body asked while I turned to my mother in the same question. “I am Tenko Kitsune, both Tenko your human mother and Kitsune your Digimon. I am a messenger of the gods in higher dimensions, who by prophecy knew you to be born. So instead of keeping you in one body they separated you into your Digimon and human halves, even gods make mistakes and in that separated you into sides of light and darkness. As Ryoku and Nogitsune.” I grunted as I looked at her, “Nogitsune was what you where as a human, a prankster. You weren’t evil in pure sense but drawn close enough to that line to take the name.” She said looking to me making me feel vile as she said it, that made sense with the kind of life I lived, I was hell on earth for those who knew me.

 

“Don’t dwell on it my son, it wasn’t your fault.” She said as she looked to me, then at all of us as I know we all recalled the same moments, “What should be dwelled on is the problem at hand. She is coming back and soon your allies will arrive. The gods wish to ask you a question before they will help, that may decide the battle ahead.”

 

As I looked down I closed my eyes and a strange feeling came over me and when I opened my eyes I saw my muzzle and could feel the array of emotions from each part of my soul that I went thru in the moments she was there. All of me was feeling regret then and I think that similarity of thought brought me together. I didn’t worry about it though; I had more important things to think about. “What then?” I asked seriously as she smiled to me closing her eyes and opening them as my mother naked in human form slightly startling me from the change, “Kitsune were created,” she started and I looked at her not realizing what or who she meant, “Me?” I asked and she shook her head. “No, the one you would call Marena, and the female known as Vulpi” She said looking flatly serious as her eyes gave the animal tone of a yellow in something I had never seen in her before.

 

“How?” I asked thinking about what had happened to her, “In the real world Digimon are not supposed to be able to Digivolve to Mega yet Marena did. Spiritual observers tracked her thoughts then to find out two things you might find interesting.” She said as she watched me lean forward for the answer. “One is that even in the moment when she was supposed to be defeated she had no thoughts of her self in both beings she thought about you. Your love for her is that much from her as well and she used that to digivolve past physical limitations placed in that reality. This brought about the problem of  body sharing.” She said as I smiled at the seemingly hopeless thought. “And the second interesting point?” I asked while she paused, “After so long souls in one body come together in the same sense as you and I, she was a Kitsune as her mind reflected her change. She may not be a true Kitsune but she is a spiritual being now. The device she used to aid her digimon half tainted her abilities but she is still Kitsune.” She said as she looked at me and put the question out for me, “They are one in the sense of spirituality separated equally into neutral halves as you should have been, the only down fall to this separation is death. The body in either dimension cannot survive on the essence of half the spirit. I was divided with you so I could train you,” she said coming short of the point she was avoiding, “and my death is the result of the separated soles.”

 

She shook her head as if she could read my thoughts, “It wasn’t age or ailment Ryoku, I lied to you for your own protection. I thought I could last until you rejoined but my essence faded and I returned to the gods. In Marena’s case she will live out a normal human life but her Digimon body with a longer span will be cut to the same restricting life span, this is the question my son. Will you save them from the death, you will live on for at least 900 years where they won’t reach a century.” I turned my head away from her at it knowing it was a fact, every thing I read, heard, knew in the back of my mind. She was telling the truth, “this is the option the gods have given you. Bring them back together as the Kitsune they were or leave them separate. This ascension also comes with a price my son. Kitsune have no true champion form, and the principals of your devices and cards work from the ladder of evolutions Digimon have, until we have found a way around this to help you she is damned to her weaker form in the rookie stage.” I squinted at that and looked from the corner of my eye while I swished my tail around to my lap using it as a rest while I leaned forward to ask her, “I’ve always been stronger than normal though?” I said making the fact seem like a question, “She will have that strength as well but binded to the physical rules and differences of the Kitsune to the normal creatures of both the real and digital world, your bodies may have the forms but they will be lost to you. You have succeeded this long because you are sure of the strength you have and this strength also has caused you problems in the case of your Dark double.” She said as I realized what she meant, “Vulpi.” I said as she nodded, “She is the embodiment of the evil you have as well as the added strength of not only corruption but Kitsune ability. She is stronger.” She said making me shudder and grunt as I knew it was true. “She is not important my son it is the choice the divine have given you. What do you say?” she asked as I closed my eyes and tossed up the answers. Marena or Starlight’s, they would both still be my loves but one would be stronger to a restricted point and live on with me but separate they would be strong to their fullest potential and let me walk alone. I didn’t want the second option I didn’t want to even think about it but I had to.

 

I saw the vision of Marena beside me on the knoll again and I changed there in thought as I wondered what would happen in either instance. In any case she…they were allies in the sense of fighting and combat they were necessities but in love they were everything I needed. In a greedy train of thought they were how I changed between myself but in pure minded thinking they were my loves, I knew the decision wasn’t mine and I flat out wasn’t going to make it for them. “It’s not my decision mother. It’s their choice.” I said as she smiled. “It is your choice my son, only yours. As the messengers of god we can chouse the path of man and Digimon alike by how we present the choice. By presenting you this choice from the gods you can chose the fate of,” she stopped again short of the point again taking it down to a more local level, “Your mate.”

 

“Then as a Kitsune I give them the choice; I can’t make that choice for them. I know what this is about now. They are coming and as it stands now we don’t have a chance do we? They are going to die and I’m staying in that hell hole with the whore Vulpi aren’t I?” she turned her head like I saw the future and came back to me in a serious expression. “This is a lot bigger than that isn’t it?” I asked while she opened her eyes and gave me the cornered caring expression I saw so many times in my youth, “They give you this now for something I can’t tell you. The fates are watching me here and are letting the powers that be make this into a fair fight. Make the choice so no one has to suffer.” She said while I wondered what she was talking about. “No.” I said straightly crossing my arms. “I can give them the chance some other time but as it stands now I need them as they are, they still have this question in their hands. If anyone takes this in any other way than I just said it, screw you! They are their own persons and I have no right to make that kind of a choice for them!” I said looking off into the darkness until I came back to her while she smiled. “You have done well today my son, you just proved yourself again. You’re ready for what’s in store.” She smiled proudly as she shifted back to her Digimon body. “The gods agree to let you present this to them personally. Now go back to them, time is waiting.” She said, “What about Vulpi?” I asked as I stood up and looked down at her in a serious glare.

 

“She is only half a Kitsune, and will die as a normal Digimon. As she is her life is tied to you and cannot go further in her evolution without you. She is a Kitsune in the sense of strength and only that, being a copy of your essence as different as it is from a normal Digimon she cannot do anything on her own. Without guidance she is innocent, a child.” My eyes froze on the words and that’s when I truly recognized how she acted, she did seem to be very impressionable and mostly went with my judgments or the masters someone like her or more powerful. She was a child, as innocent in mind and not action as a child. She probably didn’t comprehend what she did and from there I couldn’t blame her. “Don’t lose cause against her, she is just as dangerous now that you have that knowledge as before, she still has superiors and their whims will command the copied abilities she had and may very well destroy you before…” she paused looking down. “Time is waiting and so are the fates, go to your life and your destiny.” She said as I looked back over my shoulder to see the room with my body standing frozen staring at the wall as I slid to it.

 

“Take care my son, stay safe.” My mother cried as I turned back around seeing her fade away standing in the cone of light as a white Renamon with nine shimmering tails while I moved away closer to the flow of time, “Wait! What do you mean destiny?” I said as I tried to step but couldn’t move my feet as my body started to settle back into the position I was standing in, “WAIT! MOM WAIT!!” I shouted as my face started to fix back into position while I fought tears, “I’ll be back Ryoku don’t worry. I have always been here to guide you and I’ll never leave you. Now go my son. They’re waiting…” she said as she disappeared like a wisp of holy smoke and time took its hold and the door came open and I leaned for the wall hoping to pass back thru it to get back there.

 

“NOOO!!” I shouted as the ropes snapped around me and brought me back into position and I slid on my toes back to the spot in the room while Vulpi walked in as I struggled to get back to the wall till I fell back, “Let me go! Let me go!!” I shouted as I pulled on the ropes and started to cry, “MOTHER NO!!!” till I fell back down while Vulpi stood at the door looking at me in the most lost aired out gaze I could have seen in her red eyes.

 

Vulpi stood in her sexual dress yet completely out of it from my sobbing onto the floor down my muzzle while I cried for not saying anything to her besides what was important then. She was my mother and I didn’t even tell her I loved her, I didn’t tell her I missed her or even that I cared. It was like losing her all over again and with the facts before me it was going to be a while before I saw her again if at all, I kept screaming out for her and Vulpi was so stunned she walked out of the room and left the door open while I slowly started to fall down into a depression. Lingering on her loss again choking myself against the collar Vulpi’s chamber had around my neck mournfully howling to the wall then just dropping my head not caring about anything untill…


Severed

An explosion rocked up the hall and a gore of the walls filled with fire and dust bellowed up the hall and into the room. I heard thousands of calls as a battle erupted outside the fortress cleared because the walls and ceiling where missing making the roar of the combat that much clearer as thousands of digimon screamed and shouted attacking or falling on an assault against the Masters’ fortress. I didn’t care at first the explosion didn’t even phase me past the shake in the ropes and the swing as my rested head choked against the ropes. “REVOLUTION!!!” called out and another explosion sounded and I looked up from my daze to see swarms of digimon screeching from the outside world up the hall and from the rest of the building in a rush and frenzy as more fireballs energy waves and bullets axes and any other weapon a digimon could use pushed into the building while more fighting went on outside to calls of “PUSH THEM BACK!! HIT THEM!! DESTROY THEM ALL!!” from both sides till from the outside a wall of Gargo and Dark Gargomon stepped up to the level of the door wasting away ammo while one or two fell away into a puff of data as the rest undistracted by the fallen pushed forward as more digimon of both pure and Dark fallowed behind calling out their attacks and strategies to the force moving in while some Digimon looked into see me hanging from the ropes absolutely confused as to what was happening.

 

None of them did anything for a few minutes till the front line pushed into the building while the sounds of the battle moved into the fortress and lingered outside making what seemed to be a clear path at the time while title calls of Mega attacks and screams blistered outside “RIVER OF POWER!!” and a black tidel wave of energy surged up the hall stopping the fight for a moment while some had the chance to recover and blast away at the digimon defending his masters’ keep while a few digimon came up the hall kicking in doors calling out, “CLEAR!” and moving on to the next untill an Ogremon came up to the door looking wounded and limping saw me paralyzed in shock from it all, “Lord Ryokumon?” he said as he looked back into the hall and shouted, “I FOUND SOMETHING!! SEND THEM IN!!” and turned around. “Ryoku?” he asked making me nod slightly against my collar, “FOUND HIM, CLEAR A PATH!” and a higher roar of the fight clanged and exploded as forces pushed hard at the Dark Masters forces to why I didn’t know but the were there.

 

The Ogremon ducked in the room and hid behind the door and waited for anything stupid enough besides his side to come in. “The revolution is here to help Lord Ryokumon.” The Ogremon said as a guard walked up the hall with three people I recognized in either a defensive squat to avoid attacks that occasionally flew up the hall or making cover fire as they shuffled to the door revealing the head of the operation was two females I knew all to well. “Ryoku!” Maria shouted as she pushed Wizardmon out of her way and came up to see me further confused, “What’s going on?” I shouted over the sounds of the battle, “Resistance movement, Wizardmon commanded the army to attack so we could free you! Let’s get you down from here!” she shouted as another attack was called from the Mega outside, “RIVER OF POWER!!” and another black wave of energy was blocked by Taomon as she raised a shield in time to let the wake of energy sweep around her shield and harmlessly flow into the fortress while the Digimon guards of two Dark Agumon and two pure Gargomon looking extremely well battled and experienced unloaded into the distance with energy and fire balls making smaller Digimon fall as accurate short bursts destroyed their targets in seconds.

 

Maria raised my rifle to the main rope and shot it out while Wizardmon caught me and started to peel away the restraints while I yanked at the collar and Maria took the straps of the spreader off so I could move. “When was all this started?” I asked as they moved on to the door where Taomon smiled at me past the concentration to levitate and hold her shield protecting all the Digimon as several attacks bounced off making her tense up as if they where attacking her mind and concentration. “A week after you left! Wizardmon had this attack planned for months!” I shook my head knowing I wasn’t going to get the right answer until it was over and forced myself from the shock to take in the battle and concentrate on getting the hell out of there with what I knew.

 

“Never mind we need to get out of here!” I shouted as an explosion sent a few Digimon flying back from the main hall from the attack of “TERRA DESTROYER!!” as another attack silenced the forces outside, “WE REALLY NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!!” I screamed over the roar of the battle as the mute of the explosions gave way to more violence. I moved to the door concentrating my energy to my paws how my mother had shown me when I was young and made a smoky shield, when she showed me it was a barrier of lightning but since my Dark energy was controlling my attacks smoke was what I got, “Lets get out of here!” I shouted as the forces tried to overcome anything in their way both sides struggling against either greater numbers or greater strength one slowly losing but in the middle of it all, all it was, was carnage and death.

 

“Starlight, lets go, every one come on!” I shouted as I pulled Leo from my back pushing out of the shield Taomon made repelling fire balls shooting up the hall taking the impact with the solid transparent shield I had grunting while I forced myself against the strike coming to see a few dark digimon sprinting from rooms in the hall attacking and stopping to do so while I pushed ahead with Leo out. It was a slow process getting up the hall and there were almost too many to fight off with what methods we where using, I was restricted to close quarters fighting with my shield and every time I came in close to strike it seemed like another Digimon would jump out of a room where either one of Wizardmon’s guards would pick him off or Maria would blow their heads off shattering them into data that clung to the wall like smoke until it passed the missing ceiling high above to digital world night and stars.

 

More explosions rocked the strong hold and the battle was slowly churning down to its final stages and then it seemed like it was the attackers that were losing as more of the Masters rookie and champion minions stated to block our escape as we pushed outside. Making it slowly outside seeing a long line of Digimon hunkered up in a ditch of dirt; attacking over the ridge while seemingly the same thing happened on the other end of a mega and a chain of dark servants. I crouched down holding my weakening shield at an angle as dirt kicked up and fell on top of me while I looked back to signal everyone else to move out while Taomon dropped her shield and started to avoid attacks as she floated closer to the ground to avoid them, then it almost looked like we where in the clear if we could make it past the evac funnel that the Dark Revolution had made I grunted while I tried to hold my shield as the smoke started to trail off leaving my paws with only the energy for physical attacks while I followed Taomon who slowly hovered her way to the batter path of pipes that where cleared as if by bulldozer or like a meteor landed and skidded all the way thru the seemingly miles of pipes. Maria fired into the field making some of the more powerful Digimon drop wounded while some of the other fighters took it on themselves to finish her kill, “Where do you think your going?” a call came as I turned over in my army crawl to see Vulpi standing out of bondage dress behind Wizardmon’s guard as she smashed in the heads of the two Gargomon making them disappear into data while Maria started to turn around as she raised a blue flaming paw in a snicker and called out her new attack, “BERSERK ENERGY” and a blue rock shot from her palm as Maria dodged away to have it hit the butt of the rifle adding another scorch mark to it as it soared away, Vulpi didn’t waste time on watching to see if it hit anything correcting her aim quickly to the remaining Agumon while Maria snapped her aim to Vulpi and fired a chain of bullets up her torso making her stumble back and laugh as if they meant nothing. I started to force myself up feeling completely drained in energy reserves seeing Vulpi as a direct threat diving to her while Maria tried to find the concentration to push her back with the weapon against the sweltering heat the scorch made on the butt of the weapon.

 

Diving to her Taomon rolled over bringing back up a directional shield blocking attacks from the side chanting loudly as she used her covered robed arms to paint a symbol in the air while I rushed screaming at Vulpi while she looked to Maria for easy prey. “I’LL KILL YOU!!” I shouted horse and going for action of death as she shifted her paw to me and a wall of blue flames erupted as Taomon competed her chant as I raised my arm to block it using my arm and a brace while I pounced to her in a deep growl till I started to see paw threw the blue tint of the attack coming from an under swing to her arm bashing Leo into her elbow making her arm aim skyward while the flames continued and she stood stunned for coming thru unshaved as the symbol Taomon used to protect me stayed at my arm as I pushed further in to her bringing my elbow up and using the force of my pounce to slam against her face knocking her to the ground while Maria found the shoulder to fire on as I cleared her making her soar threw the air with the bullets slamming into her and flipping her in the air with the collision of my arm to her head.

 

I hit the ground feeling drained from it while Taomon chanted and cringed as attacks hit her from either side making her toss around as she tried to protect me with her spell, “Get back to the pipes Starlight!” I shouted as Maria shook her head, “Out of range!” and I cringed, “Taomon forget about me!” I said as Vulpi touched ground and used it to her advantage flipping over in a short seconds laugh and pushing off the floor and thrusting to me with a fisted paw forward slamming me into the stone wall making rocks fall as I found myself in a room covered in debris looking up seeing a patch of sky threw the gray scale vision I had from the G rush till I came back to sense and vision to the right sky seeing the real world half in view and hearing the scream of Wizardmon as Vulpi laughed making me force against the weight of the wall pushing the large easily ton of wall off me while Vulpi looked over to me while I dripped in anger still holding Leo in my paw while I felt my paws smoking but my eyes where still clear of the blood shade while I remembered what my mother said, “She is a child…” and I felt then that it was time to give a spanking to that brat, “VULPI!” I shouted as she dropped Wizardmon short of ripping an arm off while I started to smother the shattered room I was in with smoke bellowing from my paws like a chemical fire. Much more full than any other time I had raged myself over anything while I looked at her forcing Maria to save her head as Vulpi pushed down on the Rifle to her throat while she looked at me, “BAD Vulpi!” I shouted and she cringed at it. “That’s enough, you want some one try me.” I said lowly as I brought a smoke covered Leo up to grip while her nervous cringed turned to a smile, “Ok Ryokumon lets play!” she said as she stood straight off of Maria letting her rest as she looked at me while I growled forcing a flood of energy I had from my anger around Leo to a stable black shifting casing razor fine to another weapon as I remembered what my mother showed me with my ability, Leo seemed more bulky but the flood made me stronger and faster and Leo’s weight didn’t change only the Dark energy I used to surround him.

 

I screamed curling up my muzzle and shaking the ground as my anger at her for harming anything soared to a place I was sure to be more than she could handle and she laughed while Maria crawled away from her knowing my attack could easily tear her apart with counter flow of energy. I was faster and the moment slowed down and I watched Vulpi’s movements for a split second between the stutter of her laugh seeing an instant I’d wait for to move while my feet felt glued to the ground as I started my lunge passing threw rocks of the walls crushing them with the speed I put up coming closer to Vulpi while she made the pause in her laugh where her body was relaxed and in the instant I saw her face turn to shock as my shrill scream danced threw the ripped corridors and I struck in an explosion of the smoke while Leo sang as I came a crossed her chest feeling resistance while I completed the stroke standing behind her feeling a fine line of pain a crossed my stomach looking back to see her standing in almost the same position with one blue flaming paw to her side while she tried to stay standing as the black line of smoke blew away from the path of the cut seemingly threw her till it faded only showing a line of fur missing at a rounded ineffective cut.

 

It looked like it hurt because she wavered and brought one paw to her chest and almost fell over while I looked down to the growing pain on my stomach to see three blue lines of charred fur while I smoked and fell forward as I watched flesh smoke feeling just as drained before that final charge at her. Vulpi turned around in an angry pained expression full over red eyes that quickly went back to her normal blood red tone while she started to snivel and a few tears started to form in her eyes, she was crying from the pain. The cut didn’t make enough success to destroy her but it did destabilize her around it to extricating pain. She yelped in pain once almost falling over as she held the wound and started crying while I forced myself up, “I’ll do it again Vulpi.” I said as she cringed back, “No I don’t want you too.” she cringed as her ears went back and she stumbled looking for a place to hide as I brushed my paw over the burning fur putting them out in just as much possible more pain as she was while she looked around sobbing trying to find a way out. “You can stop this.” I said as she laid eyes on Maria, “Get us out of here and you won’t have to feel that again.” I said as she cried.

 

“NO, MASTERS!!” she screamed as she ignited her paw and leaned to Maria flowing over with tears while I watched the movement coming a second to late pushing off as Vulpi screamed out innocently falling onto Maria bringing her paw down on her chest while another burst hit me more powerful than the last and I saw my mother die and I had no control over it, then I saw Maria as Vulpi fell onto her while her paws came closer to her chest and I blew past any limitations in the decimal of time with nothing to say and no action other than to stop her, raising Leo in a stab coming behind Vulpi “NOOOO!!!” bringing him down in the center of her back almost not making any progress till a shine of yellow fur fell away from my burn making her back go gray and the force went straight thru and a snap sounded as the two halves of the cross necklace she wore snapped from her neck up into the air and exploded into a puff of red data where she stopped in place fading from gray back to yellow while her data left from around Leo while she weakly turned around, “Thank you Ryoku…” she said as she vanished from around my blade till I saw Maria in front of me still while Vulpi vanished down to her paws where one still gray paw sat with claws into Maria’s shirt drawing blood as she gazed up blankly gasping from the ground while Vulpi completely dissipated into nothingness.

 

“OH GOD! STARLIGHT!!” I shouted as I shook Leo in my hand and swung him around to my back and put him away while Maria gasped on the ground, “Ryoku…” she said weakly as blood started to come from her mouth, “Shh keep quit, Taomon!! We need to get her out of here!!” I said as I picked her up and started a crossed the ditch running towards the pipes passing up Taomon while attacks hit me and the MetalSeadramon called out his another attack while I rushed to the safety of the pipes looking down at Maria, “NO, no, no, no, no, no. Don’t leave me. Come on don’t do this to me.” I said as I felt the force of the attack hit me and roll around me while I use myself to shield Maria gritting my teeth not feeling the pain as I started to fall forward losing my ability to move “Maria’s hurt COME ON HELP ME!” I shouted as I fell to the ground to a sharp spick of pain that subsided while I held Maria, “Ryoku, I love you…” Maria smiled as she leaned onto my shoulder while I looked back to see Taomon above me while Wizardmon hurried over.

 

“I can help you but I don’t know about her,” he said as I forced my paw from around her to his collar, “You better not let her die, or so help me.” I started to sob and he squirmed to get away, “I’ll do what I can but we need to get out of here before  the line collapses.” He said as I tried to stand looking down still crying as Maria’s eyes started to flutter, “Oh no.” I wailed weakly she was going into shock and as I stood to move her head dropped back while I looked up the mile or so of pipes, “There is no time she’s going to die if you don’t do something now!!” I said showing Wizardmon her soaked shirt and he shook his head, “If I do it here we all are data! MOVE!” he started to shout and my eyes boiled over red and I grabbed him by the collar and lowly said as I gritted my teeth in tears, “I lost my mother twice and I’m not losing her, now or die coward.” I said as he nodded in a gasp understanding how serious I was.

 

“Fine put her down,” he said as I set him down with her while she lost her grip on my rifle and it fell away as her hand started to tense into talons while she started to lose color in her face. Wizardmon looked back to the fortress seining the smoldering remains as a Dark WarGreymon started to walk up the main hall stepping on his forces like ants and gasped as he tried as hard as he could to concentrate on what ever ability he had putting his hand together as a circle appeared below him flashing to a cross then back in bright yellow as with came from below him while he pulled together strength putting out his hands as the WarGreymon started to come out side, I growled to the new opponent as guard while Wizardmon called out his spell, “Healing Wind!” and it echoed making Maria gasp as tendrils of blood she lost in drops over the path from where she fell came back to her as she arched forward in the yellow light of the spell, “Guard me or we’re all data! If I get distracted further than saying this the spell will blow like shrapnel deleting us all!!” He said as Mara started to levitate while Taomon looked over to me while I growled as the gigantic digimon stood over us. “If this doesn’t work you have to digivolve!” I shouted coming back to clear eyes now that Starlight was getting help and the towering digimon stopped as he kicked away digimon from the defensive line.

 

“Pay…” it gasped in the mindless tone of the emerged digimon, “I don’t think we can take this.” Taomon said as she brought her robed arms up while her head covering flapped in the breeze of the magic Wizardmon used. “ Trust me Starlight!” I shouted over a blast of wind as the WarGreymon lifted his arms to attack with a Terra Destroyer not getting the chance before I dashed with everything I had left to him coming to his feet and jumping up pulling Leo from my back as I came up his chest while he started to look down almost shifting to me till Taomon called out and threw something that hit him in the head how ever unfatal shouting out “FOX SPELL PAPER!!” paralyzing him in place so his shoulder couldn’t bash me away while I went for a space between his neck and helmet jamming Leo between it and screaming as I put all the pain I gathered into the stroke making and explosion of red blast me to the ground and shatter his helmet making him fall away as part of his face was burned and visible while I slammed into the ground. Chunks of his helmet hit the ground turning the gold color they should have been and vanished into data while the large Digimon fell back unconscious while the hole in the line made space for the MetalSeadramon to come threw as the next challenge looking down at me while Taomon tried her spell paper again. When the Greymon hit the ground a shockwave shook every thing while the MetalSeadramon glanced from its dead eyes to the attacking digimon who threw every thing they had at it making it wince and call out a different attack while I tried to pry myself from my crater, “SERPENTS TAIL!” and its large tail swung over me if not destroying Digimon with the quick impact then with the shimmering trail of energy behind it as it snapped and popped above my head.

 

“Ryoku!” a voice called from far off in a New York accent fallowed by the shout of “DOUBLE IMPACT!!” as the sound of a shotgun went off twice fallowed by the MetalSeadramon cringing back from the small injuries as well as the others that covered his body. “Hunter! We are here!” Zero shouted while Bit used what cards he had and weapon as Zero used his weapon to distract while Taomon pulled my wrecked body from the ground and back away. I couldn’t move on my own and I looked on helplessly as they fought for me, “Noo.” I whined coughing as the levitation let me sag down almost dropping Leo as his blade shuttered weakly and the black spot on him grew slightly as I nearly passed out while the MetalSeadramon regained himself from the puffs of the implosions a crossed his face. That mega was strong enough to attack even as Bit put a bullet in his eye while the MetalSeadramon brought his tail up and slapped Taomon to the ground dropping us both painfully; making Bit, Zero, and who I gathered to be Impmon later, to attack. “Energy Boost Activate!” Bit called out as he stood over me aiming carefully with the pistol firing three rounds to the head of the digimon hitting the other eye while a large leather bound digimon stepped in front of me and called out “DOUBLE IMPACT” and a shockwave of energy ripped the dust from the ground as a flash happened in front of him from the cannon blow of his weapon. “Cards.” I said weakly as Bit looked down to me clumsily moving around as I grabbed his arm and came back to my Digivice with my paw seeing just how bad I was as cuts and wounds stretched over my arms mixing in dirt with blood and unstable wounds as Bit understood what I meant. “Taomon, help Taomon! Cards, Maria’s cards.” I said as Bit stopped short of my card pouch.

 

“You need it more Ryoku.” Bit said as he looked back “Hold him there Beelzemon!” Bit shouted as the Large Digimon looked back over his shoulder and threw the lining of his jacket to laugh “You got it!” as he flipped his weapons to his leg and his back to their holsters and as quick as he could dashed for the Digimon where it slapped him down with his tail a few feet away lifting it from the ground to see him still hanging on for dear life. “Taomon my Starlight!” I moaned as I tried to sit up where Bit put his hand to my chest making me yelp out in pain while I watched him come back up bloody. “Don’t move and I’ll get you a card.” He said as he popped open my pouch and I brought over my paw holding his arm and spoke as clear as I could, “Taomon first Me second, got it.” I started to laugh as he looked into my eyes scared, “Kid?” I said as he nodded and looked back at Wizardmon as Maria started to fall back to the ground. “It’s not working!” Wizardmon shouted as I brought my paw down to the pouch coming back up with my green card, “She’s not going to make it!” Wizardmon shouted sadly as he rushed over to me looking down at me then back up to the fortress and then behind him. “I’m sorry Ryoku I can’t stay here.” He said as I looked up and smiled “Go, I’ll be ok.” I said as my paw fell back down to my chest while I searched for my Digivice almost blind from fallen dirt on my face.

 

“Hunter!” Zero shouted as he came up and stood in front of me firing his silent invisible blasts at the Digimon trying not to hit Beelzemon in the process Till Bit started sobbing as a light came from beside me and Taomon shot up with her wand gasping for air. “Digivolve!” I shouted as she looked over to me speaking, inches from death as I watched the MetalSeadramon rear back his tail like a javelin and throw Beelzemon as I found the card reader on my Digivice while another light came from beside me. I slid the card threw gasping as I saw myself from above in a shining moment as if out of body seeing Bit arched over where Maria was as Taomon started to glow and the tail of the MetalSeadramon shot towards Zero and time froze while I looked down at myself gasping upward as the card shined in my gripped paw seeing myself from there I didn’t know what to make of it.

 

“This isn’t the end my son it’s just the beginning…” my mothers voice called as I looked around and down to myself seeing myself as a ghostly white fox while the form I had seen my mother in hovered near me, “This is the first step Ryoku, and you will find this to be a simpler battle than the one’s you will face. You have given the choice to Marena and they have made it. I hope it was the right one for all our sakes…” she said as I watched her tails flicker into flames or pure white as she spread them apart like a Kyuubimon, “You also have something not even the gods knew about. Use it well…” she said as she gasped out what could have been an attack making her tails come forward launching small flames at me, “Light of eternity!” she gasped in tears and all the pain went away all the fear every thing as I felt myself drift back to my body looking new and refreshed, “The gods have helped you, now carry out your mission.” She said as she faded away again as I reached for her in that instant coming back to the flash in the moment finishing my gasp as the light from my card surrounded me.

 

So much more was happening than I could comprehend then, too much for any mind to gather at any moment at any time. I was revitalized and for the second time I saw her. There wasn’t time to think from then on, just to act as every thing that happened from defeat to victory. That was a small chance, the slightest intervention. What could I possibly do to make any difference in the worlds that would make the gods assist? Who were these gods? What were they saving me from, saving me for? Too much to comprehend.

 

“Neo Ryokumon Digivolve to…”


Ultimate Defeat

“Shintaomon!” I gasped as the light of my Digvalution surrounded me while I rose from the ground feeling the light weight of robes hang from me as my form changed and things disappeared and moved around hidden below my fabric vials while I moved vertically above the ground seeing the MetalSeadramon’s tail slam into and threw the heavy plates of Zero’s armor in a gasp of pain and garbled artificial voice while sparks flew and the white tint of my light started to fade as my mind changed from one set of instinct driven abilities to another with languages and spells I could barely understand flowed into mind while I called out the best one for the energy I was blessed with at that time “Light of evolution!” I shouted as I turned around gathering all of the excess energy from my Digvalution swinging it around me completion the rotation throwing the glowing ball of light at the Mega hitting him in the face as bolts spread out like lightning and wrapped around his head making him slam backwards removing his tail to let Zero spark and fall to the ground damaged and broken. “ZERO!” I shouted as he caught him self on his hands short of his face and pushed back up, “We need to go hunter, hunter, hunter.” Zero said in a stutter as his voice repeated like a record.

 

I turned around seeing Maria and Taomon lift up to each other in a light while what was left of Wizardmon’s spell dissipated while they joined together coming to the form of Sakuyamon, “Bit!” Impmon shouted weakly as he walked from around a corner of shattered pipes in his rookie form battered from head to pointed toe, “I can’t fight no more.” he said as he started to fall forward while I used my new found abilities to help him back to his feet. “You did what you came to do now let’s get out of here!” I shouted as I watched the MetalSeadramon start to recover from my first attack at him. “PAY!!” it gasped as a few sparks flashed from the metal of his face while he growled floating into the air as I saw the WarGreymon start to move from the ground in the same hateful frame of mind.

 

“Now would be a good time to leave my love.” Sakuyamon said from behind me as I nodded from my almost human like face over the coverings on my shoulders to her while she lowered the staff she held and started to recede from the pipes. There were still a few Digimon left standing from the attack and they started running around the megas while we slowly backed away. “Fall back, FALL BACK!!” I shouted as I lifted my arm calling Leo from the ground where I dropped him as both megas readied for their joined attack. I started chanting closing my eyes as Leo came up to grip flashing in light like my Digivolve changing in my robed hand while I shifted my four fingers up what felt like wood on Leo opening my eyes to swing Leo from side to side shouting, “EARTH WIND FIRE WATER, ELEMENTAL SHIELD!!” as four symbols appeared in front of Leo’s new Flail form making a half dome layering and strengthen as Digimon passed threw the barrier I put up to safety while MetalSeadramon screamed out, “RIVER OF POWER!!!” opening his mouth to the black flood of energy that slammed my shield pushing back on Leo as the steady symbols I made started to flicker over top of each other pushing me back, “Starlight!” I shouted as she came up beside me struggling to hold against the force of water like energy, I closed my eyes and mentally chanted putting more power to my shield while Sakuyamon brought her staff close and let the rings in its staff head spin around as she defended me against them, “Tengu’s Rice!” she shouted as I opened my eyes to use all of the shield as a weapon in defense of myself making the layers of the shield attack with Sakuyamon’s attack forcing a thin strong layer of all fire water earth and wind slamming into the Digimon stunning them as we fell back further, “Run!” I shouted as the attack did little more than make the MetalSeadramon fall away. Zero still damaged started to limp holding Impmon as Bit tried to steady him along losing in his fight against the metal man’s grater weight letting one hand drop from Leo I pulled my mind from my own flight around them and lifted them up carrying them along with me as we soared a crossed the clearing of pipes faster than could be imagined for an ultimate.

 

The megas where catching up behind us not wasting time with the retreating army as they ran from the pipes into the buildings and further into the digital world city and into the dark of the night as I started to lose focus coming lower to the ground, “I can’t hold them.” I said as I stopped and turned around letting the flying megas coast past as they converged like jet fighters passing me while Sakuyamon used their momentum to push them away while I called down to the wounded, “Hide and we’ll meet up later!” I shouted looking down to Bit as he avoided a spark from Zero’s chest. I looked back wanting to leave the fight with them from an honor code that came with the digvalution but seeing Sakuyamon fighting alone against two megas made me boil below calm respectful states my form had growling as I looked back seeing her slapped a crossed the face by the MetalSeadramon’s tail and then checked to the ground by the WarGreymon set a spark in me and I screamed holding Leo like the sword he was gliding threw the air as my robes turned to tighter garments clinging to my arms and legs in straps while Leo shined again as I shouted, “SHINTO WARRIOR!!” holding Leo as a longer katana with tassels at grips end as I came to the battle between two against one striking down on the MetalSeadramon’s tail cutting a section off of it’s end making it move away as the Greymon tried his hand at me swinging down calling out “TERRA FORCE!” as I dodged to the side moving one of my hands from Leo’s grip into a spell and mystic movements and less than ten seconds calling out and attack aiming for the missing section on his head, “ELEMENTAL FIRE!” I shouted as a cone of fire shot from my palm and crossed into itself hitting and shoving him back while I started to sink slowly to the ground looking down to Sakuyamon who started to regain herself as the next section of the MetalSeadramon’s tail slammed me up my side almost making me drop Leo again in an extremely powerful blow.

 

Sakuyamon came up in my guard and brought her staff down on his tail leaving a thick mark as a shockwave of energy erupted from it as she grunted with its release as I tried to regain my flight before I slammed into the ground catching myself on sandaled toe to push back up and trim the large serpents tail more from the point slightly beyond Sakuya’s strike to about half the length of it’s body severing the cables that ran to the metal joints apart from flesh showing the instability he had as data that would have been inside his body became exterior form while he fell back in pain. I saw for the first time his cross tucked under on of the flipper or wings small and barely noticeable as I climbed higher into the air looking to Sakuyamon almost saying the location of his power before the WarGreymon swatted me from my ascent making me fall into a building and thru three floors stopping on the first as the wall crumbed before me like Vulpi’s thrash at me while I struggled to stand as the Dark MetalSeadramon’s tail exploded into a shrapnel of data doing more damage to him than Sakuyamon as she blocked it with a directional shield before the severed section could harm her, not seeing the Greymon continuing his swing from an over slap to an upper cut with the large black edged guards he had catching her a crossed the side making her fly into the distance enraging me further shooting out with my arm at length into another spell as both Megas caught sight of me, I didn’t try to avoid them while I moved only concentrating on my spell chanting aloud the verse of it coming to it’s name just before the Dark WarGreymon attacked with Terra Force as my, “ELEMENTAL WIND!” swept around me cushioning Sakuyamon before she slammed into a large metal looking building with force that certainly could have destroyed her.

 

“WE NEED TO RUN STARLIGHT!!” I shouted as the sweeping metal claw forced me to the ground pinning me there as I fought to get free of the metal claws while the WarGreymon pulled his other armored hand back to finish me as I raised Leo to the call of an attack less powerful than I would have hoped, “SINGING SWORD!!” shattering the middle blade of the extended arm holding me down giving me enough room to slip under his arm and fly up to his stomach and call out another quick spell sending him back losing the weapon embedded in the ground, “ELEMENTAL EARTH!” I shouted as a large chunk of ground moved from below him ripping up to a perfect sphere and slammed into his stomach breaking off the latches and straps holding his arm in his guard leaving it in the ground while I turned to Sakuyamon seeing five more Megas flying in with only minutes between us and them as well as less than that into striking distance.

 

“NOW STARLIGHT!!! MORE ARE ON THE WAY!!” I shouted as I came back to the ground in a heavy sprint stopping at the alleyway I saw Zero and Bit duck into, turning back to see Sakuyamon dashing along as well holding a ripped section of her armor as she moved along side me. The two Megas we battled where still in fighting shape and stomped up to the buildings behind us while I flipped Leo to my side feeling extra weight as a sword sheath appeared at my side as I put him away sprinting almost a mile ahead of the dark digimon looking up to see Bit waving us down from a building calling us inside as I ducked in breaking the wall with my much bigger size as Sakuyamon followed.

 

“Not a good place to hide. Bit we need to move fast, come on!” I said as I started to bend down to pick him up. “Wait! It is! Look!” he said as he pointed to a door on the far end of the blank room to a sign that said exit and on the other side was open desert not like the machine plains with city as far as you could see. “Its one of those portals you where talking about! Come on!” he shouted as he jumped from my arms as the thumps of the mega behind us started to get closer and closer mixed with the sounds of concrete shattering under his humongous feet. I looked back to Sakuyamon and we nodded together as she and I both changed to human form and lunged for the door behind Bit as Zero stepped forward from the door and put one arm threw blasting over head as a foot blew threw the wall while we glided in and fell to dust seeing safety as Zero screamed out again as a toe of the giant foot settled in the door ripping his robotic body in half making him spark worse as he separated at the Seadramon’s hole falling to the ground as the door collapsed disappearing with the arm he put threw gasping and sparking in pain but with a smile on.

 

“ZERO!” I shouted as I bent down over him. “It, see seem ma ma’s it izzzz my ti ti time my lor lor da da.” He repeated in jerks of movements, “there is no...no pain here.” He said holding his voice long enough to speak it, “I will..will beeeeee back, just one...one...one last, up date te...te…” he gasped as his face went clear past a slight smile coming back to speak, “ I may...may die he...he...here, but my my mind liiiiiives on…” he gasped finally closing his mouth in a smile as the sound of machines powering down puffed with data from his head and Zero was all but gone then. I held him there while every one else looked down at me while I tried to keep myself from crying over him.

 

I cried in sand not on concrete and I cried for a friend not a machine. I cried for a reason, all of it inward as I tried and fought to twist my face into a smile for what he wanted, “To be free…” he once said as I repeated it out loud for everyone to hear. Sitting their with what was left of his physical body in my arms for two hours till Maria’s human body put her hand on my shoulder, “He’s gone Ryoku.” She said as I shook my head, “only here.” I said as I had a sense he was still around somewhere. Zero was someone who you whished you could get rid of that easy and death is never an end, if there’s one thing I learned from Zero as he traveled with me, it’s that he wanted to die honorably and in combat with prey instead of combat against masses. He was the hunter, and I held his title then. If I knew Zero since he lost that body when and if he found another he would return for me so I stood up looking around dropping the metal frame of what I could consider a hero and looked to the open desserts seeing the boarder between the three plains all together and knew where we were.

 

“Where are you going?” Impmon grunted as he started to fallow me. “Home again.” I said as I started to walk from our escape into the heart of the dessert plains, “What about Zero?” Bit asked as he looked to my nudity from behind. “Leave him.” I said as I continued to walk using the memory of Zero fighting off a tear to go back to my digivolved digimon form of Shintaomon walking with Leo at my side and not my back, “But?” Marena said as I continued on raising my arm to her and waving them to follow, “For all the lives lost, honor without tears.” I said making them follow as my thinner tail swayed behind me as I walked away from out retreat…


Where We Go From Here

“Ryoku?” Bit said as he started to follow as Marena held onto Impmon who groaned from burses all over as well as unstable cuts and such. I looked over my clothed shoulder to see him standing about ten feet below smaller than ever due to my growth spurt in evolution. “Yes?” I said in my wiser sounding new voice. “What the hell are you?” he asked fairly forwardly. I smiled instead of taking it in as an insult, “Shintaomon, Digimon priest.” I smiled as he laughed, “don’t look like a priest to me.” he said as he looked over his shoulder. “This form has a few other modes if you will, priest warrior and guardian. All as Taomon would have. Since I am male my form is different.” I said simply and a little technical for my own good but I just spoke like that, it seemed to quiet Bit down though. “How’s Impmon?” he asked turning back to Marena while I closed my eyes feeling the cross of energy she had as the two united making me smile and shudder at the same time.

 

“He’ll be fine.” She said in Renamon’s voice making me smile again. “Ryoku?” she said to me, “How did I Digivolve? I was wounded…” she asked and I bit my lip now easier to do it since I had less of a muzzle and looked over my shoulder wondering if that was the time to tell all. I looked back ahead and walked silently as Impmon groaned, “Can we please stop movin’ so much?” making me smile. My heart was still pounding from the fight, the loss, the shock, and I felt like I could carry them all anywhere in the digital world then but my calm mind sensed that rushing around then wasn’t the best idea. I needed to think and past reviling everything spiritual and mystically challenging there were other things. One on top of it all was D. “Do you know how I digivolved?” Marena asked again and I shook my head as I brought my four fingered hand to my face and thought, “No Starlight I can’t say I do,” I lied and paused while I looked around the plains thinking something was wrong past Zero’s vacancy, something that seemed urgent at the time. ‘D?’ I thought as I paces on, ‘What is D? What would get the Devas attention as well as the Dark Hackers, this can’t be good.’ I grunted as Bit looked around saddened with Marena about Zero.

 

“Do you know about D Marena?” I asked as I turned over my shoulder. She shook her head making Impmon groan louder in her arms and I asked again to Impmon, “How about you Impy?” I asked down as he stopped groaning, “I’m sittin’ here hurt an you wanna know about some stupid D?” he said hoarsely as he leaned forward, “D, yes the Dark Masters were asking about it, past asking me if I wanted to join them again that was the only question they asked me.” I said as I sighed and relaxed drifting back down to Neo Ryokumon feeling Leo move back around with strap to my back as I relaxed enough to de-digivolve, “I know squat.” He grunted as he fell back into Marena’s arms clutching his side. “Stop milking it Impmon…” Bit forced out in a low voic as he walked on with his arms behind his head. “I AIN’T MILKIN IT!” he shouted coming out of Marena’s arms and falling flat on his face. “Good, you can walk on your own.” Marena said in Renamon’s voice again as she stepped around Impmon and past a smirking Bit as Impmon staggered to his feet, “Yeah, yeah dump da little guy dat SAVED YOUR ASS!!” he huffed as he started to walked a little crooked but all the same walking grumbling the entire way as Marena came up to my shoulder and took me by the arm, she still had the holes it her shirt but there didn’t appear to be a scar or even a wound. “I think you know what happened my love.” She said up to me in her human voice and I looked straight ahead and tried not to fold under Renamon’s seduction, “Nope not a clue.” I said as straight as I could. I think she picked up on my lie but didn’t push for an answer past looking down the collar of her shirt at the marks that didn’t exist in her chest. “Not even a scab.” She said out loud as it looked over to see her peering down her own shirt quickly looking away while I, being the pervert I always was, looked down and agreed, “Nothing; interesting…” I smiled as she tapped me a crossed the chest. “You are a pervert,” she teased as she kept her hand in my chest fur not rubbing but holding as we walked on. “You don’t seem to have a mark either, that’s really weird.” She said as she looked to my arms and chest, “I know.” I said simply letting more of my insight slip. She looked at me in her deadly steel cutting glare but with love, if you can believe that. Making me laugh a little and bite my tongue not to speak twisting my muzzle as the pain showed from my sharper teeth almost drawing blood as I bit down.

 

She tapped me again in a sigh and returned to the subject I set earlier as Impmon came up beside Bit with his arms crossed still grumbling, “What do you know about D?” she asked as I looked over my shoulder again threw my tufts at Impmon who I vaguely heard a comment from to the note of, “Yeah sure I know bout it like I’d tell you ya happy ya-hoo.” Smiling knowing he’d get over himself sooner or later. “Legend of D, came from ground destroy all, light, small chance, ya-da ya-da defeat darkness. That sums it up pretty well.” Saying it in such poor contexts made every one silent for a while all but Impmon who rambled on to him self.

 

Hours past and the day came along and I knew every one but Marena and I were tired looking back to see the two tamers and digimon sagging back weakly from being outpaced, so I stopped. “Whud ya stop for?” Impmon asked curiously as I looked over to Bit huffing against his own limitations. “Rest for now people we have a long road ahead of us.” Bit, as always, started walking on ahead refusing to stop, “You don’t know the way.” I said up to him and he cringed as he walked another hundred yards stopping in the light of day and turning around. “Who needs rest?” he said slightly angry as he eyed Impmon before he could speak. “You do.” I said making Marena laugh covering her face with her hand so Bit didn’t see.

 

“Don’t start.” I said holding up my paw as he tried to make an argument, “It’s daylight we can see where we’re going.” He said blowing off my request. “I can see just fine in the dark, I’m sleeping are you?” I said as he growled at me stomping back over to our tattered little group. “I don’t see how you can sleep after all that.” Bit said coming over to Impmon flopping down behind him pouting, “Zero is gone.” He said losing most of the anger in his face coming back to his shock of it, “Dead.” he said as I sat down looking at Maria seeing she wasn’t wearing my rifle strap anymore. Then back to Bit, “He’s not dead Bit. If I know Zero he’ll have some way of cheating death, trust me.” I smiled as I laid down and curled up onto my tail how I had seen Marena do in the real world and Bit fought himself not to ask how but trusting me.

 

Zero was the least of our worries then, definitely the bottom of a full barrel of crap. Since Vulpi was gone, chances where the masters where going to send an angry horde of megas after us if not me. With how much trouble we had with just two I can only imagine how much we’d have with however many they had. On top of that I didn’t know what I had at the time, what my mother meant by “Something the gods didn’t even know about…” she just finished telling me that I couldn’t Digivolve but looky, looky I did.

 

Sleeping with the ability to think can be more stressful than it’s worth because all I did was wonder what we were going to do? D seemed to be a big deal but I knew next to nothing about it. Stories are stories, who’s going to believe me if I said it was a Digimon or not, who would tell me if it was or if it wasn’t. Impmon acted like he knew something but he seemed a little more intent on pissing me off than into knowing anything about it. Still, if he knew something it could help us out in some way. I sighed getting away from what I didn’t know while I sensed Renamon next to me curled up in almost the same position thinking to myself that now she’d be with me forever with what my mother told me. She didn’t know what she was though; I wasn’t entirely sure what we were actually.

 

She needed to know though, but after a battle like that she could wait to hear it, I should have slept more soundly than I did considering all the hits I took but I was really awake and semi-conscious almost the entire day. The light may have had something to do with it but I won’t blame it on that, I had too much energy to burn. For how bright the day was, I’d expect everyone to be in the same boat, by everyone I mean everyone slept till I woke them up. Bit looked fine and unharmed from the battle but he took a few smaller weaker hits from rookies that I hadn’t seen mostly from behind there where some burn marks in his shirt and holes scorched into the back nothing serious besides burns and cuts, he may have wanted to go on but he needed the rest as much as Impmon did. He was almost bad, taking the blunt of every thing; even digivolved the Beelzemon left him with injuries, there were some nasty looking gashes all over him but they were mostly healed over then, knowing Impmon he would be acting strange again in two days tops.

 

Digimon healing didn’t take as long as humans did and Bit would probably be in the same situation with his wounds it the same period of time, Bit was right though, how could I overlook Zero even if he managed to find a way to pull himself together? I think I was still traumatized from the whole deal then, feeling sorry for just letting his body rust in the open desert. In the digital world you can ask a lot of questions but never understand something. Such as where the hell did that door come from? Damn strange place to leave a door to another plain. Worked in our favor but seemed a little out of place for me. Where did the door go? Simply answering my own question, there wasn’t another side to it, the WarGreymon kicked it in.

 

There was way too much to think about: masters, megas, Zero, gods, legends, lore’s, mothers, lovers, tamers and me need a longer list? Ok more specific, possibly THOUSANDS of megas would be chasing us down, the Dark Masters human abominations in the digital world would make sure I was dead for sure, Zero was gone and one of my only links to the many spenders of the digital world or the real world and then just gone on top of that and I seemingly didn’t care! Then there was the gods, what the hell did they think I was a pawn or something? I’m alive, I’m independent! What do they want with someone like me? Next my mom-mon, I didn’t really feel used by her end of the scope but that’s what it boiled down to. She told me about all this and as nuts as it sounded all of it seemed true, except for the part about being stuck rookie. I had two champion forms one now lost because I didn’t have the tools for it and next the green card which by then I had figured out to be how I went ultimate. Lot of fat good that did me huh. Lovers being Maria, Marena, and Renamon all now the same person, I can’t tell you how lost I am on her but lets give it a try. Oh boy, what a choice, “If this doesn’t work digivolve…” oh yeah that was a real choice. More like do or die, but in that instance it was what it was. Now they weere as bad off as I should have been. I don’t think that from there I could go the distance to mega from my ultimate and Marena, god it’s so confusing. My ultimate form didn’t have the oomph needed in the battle anyway what was I going to do as Shintaomon that Renamon couldn’t do as Sakuyamon? Boiling it down further Bit and Impmon, you might say “Yeah, what about them?” if you were in my frame of mind but they were there and both seemed to be injured because they came for me as well as all the Digimon that fought at the masters fortress, if they weren’t hurt they where destroyed and I had that on my head with every thing else.

 

Finally I came to me beating myself up for things I knew nothing about, one being my mother when she said she died for me, two what I was had been withheld from me since the day I was born till recently. I had the chance to live as what I was meant to be and in turn with the rest of my problems. I made my mate and her tamer what I was just by knowing them, is that right to do? I didn’t think it was and I started to feel to stuck up for putting them in the position they where in, I really just wanted to die to tell the truth like that operation failed and I was a casualty but I could move on and regret all I did and what I was left to do. Next is something I’m sure you would never expected to hear, Vulpi. I killed her and she was a child like my mother said, innocent in mind but not in action. She had no one stronger than her to keep her from doing wrong and by hurting her in the battle I forced her into her own death. I killed a child, Vulpi was gone because of poor guidance. Because of me. I opened my eyes feeling more of the death wish from that than anything else.

 

After knowing I had destroyed Vulpi I didn’t think I could live with it. She treated me like a big brother while she knew me always teasing, but even if she did get her way physically from me I don’t think it was right. It may have been creepy to think that as she was a copy of me and for what she did, but that was as gone as she was then. She was a new person since she was gone and even though she thanked me as she left and I saw her face untainted by the evil of the digital world, she was gone.

 

Don’t get sick just yet, to top it off I know I was making a saint out of her doing it. Vulpi the Huntress, how can you forgive that? You can’t but you can forgive minds. I didn’t mean to say she was a shining example to the worlds but that’s what I was doing, I felt like I killed the pope or something and it rattled me until nightfall.

 

I sat with my face on my tail the entire time holding back tears while I moped around everything that was too much of a stress thinking about every thing in as much light and detail finally coming around to the final question of the day.

 

“Where do we go from here?” I asked myself as Marena opened her eyes to me shining into the night from her human face, “What my love?” she asked as she saw me laying awake on the ground looking out into the dessert plain for an answer, “Where do we go from here?” I repeated thru the fur of my tail looking without moving my head to her as she wondered what I meant. “You said we should go home?” she repeated my direction. I sighed as I pushed up from the ground stretching out while Leo yawned from my movement as I parted my fingers and my toes digging my claws into the ground before I stood up followed by Maria who went thru the same routine in human form and equivalent. “That’s not what I mean. You know the Devas are preparing for D right?” I asked as I looked over the two tamers and digimon sleeping side by side while Bit slept with the most heartbroken face on sad as can be away from anything he would make openly.

 

She sighed and nodded while I looked out over the desserts wondering if anything else could possibly go wrong from then on. “Yes of course, that was all that was said about them before the Dark Masters came.” She said as she stood there looking over the sands as I strolled over to Bit and nudged him with my clawed foot making him roll over and grunt tiredly and partly dead to the world due to human fatigue. I gave him a slightly harder prod to the hip and he swatted at my foot, “Knock it off Impmon I’m trying to sleep.” He yawned as he curled up into a ball, “Not going to work Bit get up.” I said as he groaned while I looked back to Marena, “The masters know something about D that we don’t.” I said as she slumped over to one side looking off into the dessert sucking back tears, “We shouldn’t worry about that now my love.” She said as I looked down away from Bit and Impmon, “I don’t think I have a choice.” I said as she looked thru me seeing I was hiding something in my posture sighing at my conclusion that D had something to do with everything, the mission my mother mentioned. “All right.” She sighed sadly as she came up to my side and hugged close to me while I prodded Bit again with my foot gaining no response past a grunt.

 

“We’re going home Bit, we need to start moving if anything is searching for us.” I said thinking that maybe the masters thought we where destroyed. How could we have gotten out of a building if it was kicked in and probably stomped afterwards, we where trapped there allegedly so that would give us more time. Bit sat up and I put my arm around Marena, “Are you my Starlight again?” I asked and she pressed her hand to my chest and sang the song as I started to walk away.

 

Bit listened for a moment as her voice rolled to digimon as did her form and the more space we put ahead of him the more inclined he was to move. Breaking the verse we only knew was Impmon grumbling back to life from his sleep and both Bit and Impmon followed as Marena and I walked off into the shadows of the night guiding the two by bright yellow coats and a Maria’s U.S. flag T-shirt while the question still remained.

 

Where do we go from here…


Inter-dimensional

Trudging along slower for Bit and with less rest for him and his stubborn pride we moved across the desert plain for almost a month coming back into view of cities and villages I had seen or destroyed during the coarse of my life or dark campaign or just in my pure travels before I settled down. Looking over some of them but not stopping, seeing no reason to and not wishing to hear anything from Bit on the topic. I can’t say I didn’t miss it, traveling around is what my digimon half loved to do. What was better was that we were going home after a long battle. Nothing like winning against raiders and the mini challenges my lives had before all of this. Marena still hugged to me in digimon form, Bit still followed and Impmon still whined about not being carried when he thought he was to injured enough to walk.

 

Other than that I kept a clear mind and tried to get over the losses I just went thru to smile at what I was left with. Zero died there for me how he said he intended to, dying there could have possibly been the best thing. I don’t think the kind of damage he had could be repaired by any means other than replacement. A hole is bad enough but he was ripped in two. He left as honorably as I could think of and without him dying there I wouldn’t be able to go against the masters again. I can say I was angry but it wasn’t terminative as it should have been. It would be retribution for Zero more than revenge, and then on top of that Leo. I lost him to their power and I didn’t even know what the second master was. Zero said he served under Devastation before he met me and I wanted to see his face before I made him pay for Zero’s body.

 

After I cleared my mind of that I made my peace with Vulpi. Defeating her was self-defense as well as protection, she may not have deserved it but she forced me to it. Children, even obedient children, can’t be allowed to thrash about. She had her way most of the time even after I had told her no so many times. I reinforced what she was in part and I made her pay for it as much as I did. Where she hurt me, she ultimately paid and as sad as it was to lose an innocent mind what she did need was to be recognized, she took so many lives and for that she lost hers. Innocent is only innocent when you can never make a mistake and she made many outwardly, never knowing it but when it came into her mind she probably didn’t understand death, she played more than she intended to, hurting, which made her the most truly dangerous digimon of all, more than I was who understood what I did, I was the filthy one and she was the dark angle the Masters had given me. ‘May she rest in peace.’ I thought as I clapped my paws together making Marena look at me and ask “What are you doing” and I smiled to her sadly thinking of Vulpi and the innocent smile she always had, “Honoring the dead.” and they all smiled doing the same.

 

“Zero wouldn’t want us to cry over him.” Bit said and I looked back at him turning my head as far as I could for his misconception and smiled, “I think you’re right.” I laughed thinking again that he wasn’t truly gone. For what reason I didn’t know but it would come to me, ‘somehow’. After that little jewel of heart it turned into the travels I had at the end of my year of meditation in the wilds of America, conversations in the morning and every other day stopping for Bit to rest, sleeping and thinking about things off track from events I should have concentrated on. Instead of wanting to be with my love I was happy that she was at my side no matter what she looked like or what ever she and I may be. Then I was happy and free, on my way home to find out more about my future.

 

Bit and Impmon slowly healed from their battle scars and were almost to 100% if not for the thrill of on foot travel watching as the love birds cuddled in front of them the entire way, Bit made the comment on more than one occasion, “If you’re not the head dog in the pack the view never changes…” and Marena and I looked at each other and giggled as we wrapped our tails around each other and walked on further disgusting Bit and his immature loathement of our relationship.

 

Well in time all good things must come to an end and it wasn’t too soon for Bit, by my direction we were only a days walk away from the Salamon village and it could be seen in the distance, “There it is people, home sweet home.” I smiled as I put my head on to Marena’s shoulder and we both walked on in peace. Bit was happy, yet sick of trying to keep his mouth shut while Impmon walked beside us separate from his tamer holding the same smile he had for me the day I woke up. “So, uh, D eh?” he said finally almost the first positive thing he had said the entire trip looking away slightly embarrassed for some reason. “Yeah I thought you said you didn’t know any thing.” I joked passing over the fact I had heard him rant. “I didn’ remember it den, er..uh. Somen knocked it loose upstairs in dat fight ya know.” he said as he started to talk with his hands. “Well?” Marena said smiling to me coming away from my shoulder.

 

“I did hea’ some’in a while ago.” He said as he walked backwards swaying his short straight tail behind him while he moved, I gave him a subtle glare and he laughed a little and continued, “Yeah, you two heard of dem keepers a the Darkness?” he said looking from side to side as he said it like someone could possibly be listening in on him. I shook my head lifting it from Marena and we just walked paw in paw as Impmon tried to find words past the duel stare almost burrowing into his skull. “Well um.” he said as he walked backwards for most of the time. “Dem Keepers digi’s watch ova dat D ting, heard it from anudder Digimon a few monts before I met ya.” He didn’t make it sound that direly important so he stopped walking as we passed him up, “what ya think?” he asked as I looked at his coy smile telling me he was hiding something, “I think there’s a little more to the ‘Keepers’ as you put it Impy.” When Bit cleared his space behind us and came up beside Impmon he whacked him on the back of the head as I turned around switching the paw I held for the other as Marena looked at me from the corner of her eye while I felt the urge to press Impmon further.

 

“Less stopping more walking” Bit stated as his hand bounced off of his Digimon’s shiny head and fell back to his side making the centerpiece of his dirtied cloths rattle at his pants button with the chain of his belt. “Well, ah what else can I say?” Impmon said as he pushed off the urge to curse his tamer. “Where it is first off.” Marena picked up for me without facing him. I laughed a little and Impmon started walking again with out saying word one to his tamer for striking him. “I dun know, how would I know some’in like dat?” he said as he came up beside me and crossed his arms while I started to chuckle at his mood.

 

“What? I’m serious! STOP LAUGHIN’ AT ME!!” he shouted as I walked on home while he vented behind me, he did get angry enough to throw one fire ball over my shoulder but I laughed at it and he knew if he did it again I would do more than laugh. We walked on slightly into the night going straight for the burrow over looking the quiet little Salamon Village. Quieter than usual but it was to be expected from the night. Not much happened other than raids at night so all was quiet and nothing was said past the good nights as we all found a spot in the wall. I think under normal circumstances I would have drifted right off to sleep with everyone else. Bit and Impmon drifted off on the mat Renamon and I had as a bed, mostly tradition in it I’m not sure where it came from but my mother gave it to me and I carried it around with me till I met Renamon then it found a home here.

 

Marena sat against the wall next to me while I looked out into the night feeling bothered from the back of my mind like someone was prodding me to do something tickling my brain to look somewhere till I was focused on the table. Where a few things sat neatly arranged, one being my shorts, two being Marena’s stuffed fox toy I gave her in the real world, and three being the cell phone Heto gave me, and four being the two spare clips for the rifle I no longer had. I stood up after Marena moved off my shoulder after an hour and curled up on the floor.

 

I stood up looking back picturing her and I on the knoll somewhere looking out as the sun set changing back to my human body looking at my shorts, slightly dusty then down to myself, “Clothes are good.” and picked them up to shake off the dust and put them on. I took off Leo then, and put him back on, running my belt thru the loops to hold up the baggy cloths and looked around. The nudity wasn’t bothering me though and after I dressed myself I looked back to the table picking up Marena’s fox and the phone wondering what I was supposed to do. I didn’t think I had anything to say to Heto and a silly notion of a small stuffed fox toy, what could I do with that? Well I held them both feeling the chasing sensation to check the phone walking out of the burrow around Bit and Impmon to stand outside looking out, not seeing the stars like I did in the machine plain wondering back into the burrow, how the song Marena was named after made its way to me.

 

It didn’t matter and I twirled the phone in my hand while I put Marena’s fox toy in my pocket to hold while I looked up to the real world spinning and moving in the sky. I really didn’t have anything to say to Heto, good or bad or so I thought. When I thought of him all that came to me was what he did for me and the words rubber bullets. That’s it. Only the words not the acts. I sighed as I thought of how angry I was with him and what for, I couldn’t remember. Seriously I couldn’t remember. Seeing the phone remembering that I had thrown my darkness in his face not seeing the reason for it then, I just hoped that if I found the strength to say anything to him he wouldn’t remind me. Logic told me that rubber bullets shot people and I figured then that he defended himself against me past my ignorance of the memories obtuse to them because I had forgotten finally. I could have let it go. I know I could have. I could have said, “I’m sorry” and meant it, but life isn’t that simple and the words would come out wrong if I did.

 

I stopped twiddling the phone looking at the fox in my pocket feeling like it was staring at me and said, “Ok, ok.” and pushed the button on the side of the phone that popped up the hinge, I felt like the toy was telling me to say something and actually I had nothing better to do past think about the information Impmon gave me. Popping open the phone brought it out of sleep mode and the display flashed to the phone logo then the MSN logo as I looked to the direction of the city from my home. I took a deep breath as I started to push the buttons in the menus getting it to pop up a session with Heto and slid down the rock of the wall looking out into the desert unsure of what and why I was doing it. Getting the chat session open to Heto finally having the thing tell me “Type your message here.” So I thought of something to say.

 

“Starting a conversation with bad news always makes it suck.” I said out loud as I looked back into the burrow to see Renamon move around from the sound of my human voice. I chuckled lightly short of hitting myself for almost waking her up and looked down at the phone making a little smiley face like this “>^.^< ” (I’m sure it would look better in text but since I’m telling the story you’ll just have to bear with me.) I clicked the enter key and it sent beeping once as it sent the message and I looked into the screen for a minute expecting it to say “message could not be delivered” because I wasn’t even in the same dimension. I was about to close it smiling at it because it seemed to stupid to even say hi to him at the time and it beeped again and I looked for the failure notice finding a line of text.

 

Heto: Ryoku?

 

He typed as the curser blinked, I looked out into the desert again wondering if I should type anything, make it look like some kind of text SNAFU then again since when did errors send you smiley faces huh? I giggled to myself and typed in, “what’s up” and another minute went by and the type your message bar said, “Heto is typing…” untill another message came up,

 

Heto: are you O.K.?

 

I smiled at his concern feeling dignified that he would worry about me and typed, “I’m fine, how are you?” and it said Heto is typing for about five minutes untill he responded,

 

Heto: are you feeling ok?

 

I laughed again as I read it imagining his voice as I read it over, “I’m fine, really.” I typed and sent the message. A minute passed and it gave me a chance to look out over the dessert seeing MSN lit up as cities should be in the digital world. It looked worlds away as a tiny speck on the other wise flat horizon, not like the real world were it bends to the shape of the planet. I sighed again; I really missed chatting with people. I had a good old time with all of my chat buddies in the real world, we’d screw around in forums and basically just tag team people talking to them at the same time from two different windows with the same conversation going on from both ends, it was great but I doubt Heto would have been up for that.

 

Heto: Do you need anything?

 

His line of text read and I wondered if I did. I didn’t think I needed anything, in the mood for a pizza or something but past that and including that I didn’t think he could do anything for me from where he was, “Nah I’m fine.” and in less than a minute his next line was.

 

Heto: why did you contact me then?

 

I shook my head to the question wondering the same thing myself. “Don’t know actually.” I typed in, I expected a casual smiley but he came back with,

 

Heto: have you found the hackers yet?

 

I cringed at the question, feeling it was out of my mood to answer; but I did anyway, “You can say that, they’re still kicking if that’s what you’re asking…” I said almost considering closing the phone. A minute past and my look came closer to a serious tone.

 

Heto: So they are there, we just had a system failure that traced back to their patterns as well as a major software crash of Data Port Systems. Since their servers are down most of the United States has been without higher end communications for the past few days.

 

‘Data Port Systems? As in Data Port?’ I thought as I looked to the city remembering what I had seen there, nothing left, “Is the server back up?” I asked as he quickly replied beating around it but working to a yes. “One of the cities here was called Data Port and it was toast when I saw it. Cities and servers are linked I’m guessing.” I said and it took him ten minutes to think of a response.

 

Heto: Then you might want to know that your origin is in Tokyo, MSN systems by your IP. I have been watching servers crash for a month now and you’re on a server that is supposed to be down.

 

I looked over to MSN in the distance to see it’s light probably weaker but since I hadn’t seen it in such a long time I don’t think I could tell. “Change the subject please this is confusing enough just being here.” I said tossing my hands into the air after entering and sending the message, moving my back from the rocks as one felt like it was pushing into my skin. I took a breath as I waited for his next message and by the length of time and the length of the message he was thinking long and hard about it before he pressed enter

 

Heto: Are you alone? You said you had our missing Tiger Unit with you and your “companion.”

 

Well as open as that was I couldn’t hold back what he asked for, it would be nice to let Zero go all the way than to hold his loss only to those who knew him here, “Zero is dead.” I typed straightly while I smiled at the thought of him possibly coming back.

 

Heto: I see, and your lover?

 

He said directing the question to a more depressing end that didn’t happen, “No everyone else made it back ok.” I typed and he stopped for a while as if I didn’t care about Zero.

 

Heto: You have more than just you and her?

 

He asked and I nodded as I typed stopping short of sending with names to the line that read on the screen

 

Ryoku: Two other’s, yes, another tamer and his Digimon.

Heto: I thought you said your female had a tamer too?

 

I wanted to kick myself for telling him that, I didn’t remember doing it then but in his bunker when he ran out of intelligent questions he started asking me about my life and I had gotten to her and her tamer then. “She’s here too.” I typed knowing that forgetting the fact meant I had some explaining to do.

 

Heto: then that would make four others…

 

He said correcting me, “All together we are four.” I typed and started my explanation before he could say anything, “I am a Kitsune, don’t repeat anything, I already know. Renamon is a Kitsune also she is part of her tamer. That’s as short and blunt as I can make it.” I typed and he was probably stunned beyond stunned from that information.

 

Heto: You I could understand, but her? How did that come around?

 

I slapped my hand to my head and grunted as I quoted “‘as blunt as I can make it.’” for him so I didn’t have to spread the gossip I barely knew anything about. He quickly dropped the subject and went back to the hackers Devastation and Corruption.

 

Heto: So what did you find out with the hackers?

 

I looked down at the line and knew two things one he didn’t need to get further into and one I wasn’t sure about myself. “Something called D” is all I typed and he thought again and gave the next line of text that meant almost nothing

 

Heto: haven’t heard of it, possibly the monster makers would have. I’ll have to ask tomorrow in the office.

 

He wrote and I smiled at its seemingly causal properties,

 

Heto: With all of those evil Digimon I imagine you had to fight for that information, I don’t think even you could fight against an army.

 

He typed quickly responding to my comment in a personal question, “It wasn’t easy but I had to get away more than I had to get to. We lost Zero in that fight.” I typed sighing at saying he was gone again, saying it casually as if he didn’t matter.

 

Heto: Against an army of their Digimon?

 

He wrote and I responded “Yes, I Digivolved.” I wrote as he waited to type again I pictured him rolling around in a big comfy chair typing at his home computer while he browsed the internet for information possibly coming a crossed me till I bothered him with this session.

 

Heto: Blue cards?

 

“No mine is green.” I typed without thinking or withholding information and he thought again before he typed, now I was glued to the conversation. He seemed to know more about my travels than I did. I didn’t know about the blue cards till after I had left him, a year after I left him. Zero could have reported to Yamaki but by the time he found out he was off the roll call.

 

Heto: Scan it in the phone so I can see what’s on it

 

I was confused by that line I didn’t know what he meant till I looked closer at the phone, something you only really do when your bored or confused, I didn’t see anything that could read a card on the portion of the phone I looked at, so I turned it around in my hand and saw a reader on the side of the phone for credit cards or something.

 

Heto: It’s on the side of the phone.

 

He typed as I turned it around asking a stupid question, “How are you going to read a card?” and he responded quickly

 

Heto: that phone was made to scan Key Cards magnetic data; the playing cards you use are based on the same thing I can imagine. When that phone belonged to my spy he sent me key cards data to copy so he could have access to more of your governments facilities.

 

“Very shrewd.” I laughed out loud realizing I was speaking again and looking back in to see Marena moving again as I returned to my chat with silence in mind, so as not to wake her, I popped open my card pouch looking at the deck in it mixed in with a few of my remaining protective sleeves was the edge of my green card and I pulled it out from the shuffled deck that my Digimon form seemed to do for me looking at the image on it seeing it disappear as I moved it to the back of the phone and slid it thru the deeper card reader till a small window flashed over the screen saying “sending card data” with an hour glass rotating below it only leaving one line visible below the status bar.

 

I set the phone down and looked back into the burrow standing up to stretch after the almost two hours of the chat, Heto may not have said much but he took his time saying it. I walked around bored while I looked at the screen seeing Heto hadn’t said anything while I was moving around. I pulled Marena’s little toy out of my pocket and flipped my finger down the seem that went down it’s muzzle and laughed, “You are some kind of good luck charm.” not knowing if it was or if it was just something else. The phone quietly beeped again, not to stealthily to tell the truth, and I walked back over to where I had it set down picking it up to see Heto responding

 

Heto: Just as I though, Shibumi

 

He said spelling out the Japanese name while I wondered who he could be typing “?” alone as apposed to a big raging “HUH?” in capitol letters. Heto’s lack of typing skills bored me and I set the phone in my lap while I slid down the face of the wall feeling a cut from a sharp rock as I slid down jumping from it and almost losing the phone from my lap to the craggy slope to the base of the mountain I lived on.

 

Heto: Shibumi is one of the monster makers we haven’t been able to find yet; his code is in the other children’s blue cards. What does this one do?

 

I typed in not knowing how to answer but just did anyway, “I Digivolved to ultimate after I used it.” I said while he typed the line “hmmm” making himself sound very perplexed.

 

Heto: That’s what the other children’s blue cards do.

 

“I know.” I typed as he made another line of “hmm.” And I responded by typing, “My kind can’t digivolve to ultimate because we don’t have a real champion form, I’m guessing off the top of my head that it bypasses that step in the evolutionary ladder to my ultimate level.” Needless to say there was another long pause from him, not even a hum of curiosity and I looked back into the burrow seeing Marena tap around on the ground looking for me in her sleep I cringed lightly as I saw it and turned back to Heto and quickly tried to close the conversation, “I have to go Heto, I’m needed. I’ll try to keep you posted if anything happens. Later.” I said and he typed before I could close the phone.

 

Heto: Be careful Ryoku, I have a feeling something is really wrong

 

And I frowned as I understood the feeling, “I know.” I said closing the phone to it beeping it’s self into hibernation mode while I moved back into the burrow taking a deep breath as Marena smiled to me, “Where were you?” she asked as I came back in sticking my hands in my pockets giggling timidly, “Taking a leak.” I smiled pulling my hands out tapping my sides. “I don’t think so.” She teased as she yawned to her feet walking around Bit and Impmon on the floor. “The entire time here I haven’t needed to go so I don’t think you had to either.” She laughed as she stepped over to me in her own special tease between Renamon and Maria in stepping posture.

 

I cleared my throat as I looked down at my self feeling the barbarian feeling again giggling at it because it was such a strange sensation. She didn’t hug to me like I thought she would but passed me up to go outside while I turned and followed her while her tail moved like a ribbon in the breeze fallowing her movements around the corner in a sexy tease asking me to follow. I giggled again like it was some kind of game and sucked in my gut I didn’t have, looking more muscular than I was or just pathetic either way it would have been something to look at.

 

When I went outside Marena was walking down the path down the mountain in the quarter mile or so to the village below. I wasn’t sure why and I didn’t know what she was thinking, again the merge with Maria strikes again confusing me to a point of daze and abrupt stuttering. She laughed back to me while I hopped to the winding path she was on about fifteen feet below laughing with her while she walked on. “Where are you going?” I asked as she flipped her tail at me making me fallow. “To see the elders again.” She laughed as I cocked my head in confusion, “Why?” I asked as she turned around with her gloved hands a crosser her chest. “It’s been a few years Ryoku, I wanted to see how they were doing.” She laughed as we came to the base of the mountain. “Ok.” I said not completely following in her mental pattern but following her all the same while she teased me the entire way.

 

It was a quarter mile to the village from the mountain and there was talking time and now starts the relationship tester questions I’m sure you all would have expected by now. “So Vulpi.” She started as I stepped beside her, “Vulpi ‘had’ you.” she said looking straight on with concern in her muzzle, “I had nothing to do with it.” I said as she muted me with a raised paw to my face, “I know, I could see that by how we found you.” she stopped and looked to me half way from the village. “Did you,” she paused looking away with her eyes making me see the question coming and smile, “Enjoy it, hell no. You’re my Starlight I can’t look back on that for her.” I said making her smile to me lightly and turn to the village, “How did you get into the that bondage nightmare though?” She asked me as she turned her head up as if she didn’t accept my answer, “Ropes tied themselves Starlight.” I said to her making her look over her shoulder like that was a joke.

 

“I’m serious they did.” and she huffed from the response making it clear she didn’t accept that answer and I said the one thing that never works in that situation, “Would I lie to you?” and I got the usual response to that across the face as a back handed slap from her paw almost sent me flying, “What was that for?” I asked stunned at it. She gave an angry grunting laugh crossing her arms while I looked around holding my cheek, “I’m serious, this is the digital world things happen that can’t be explained, you think I wanted to be tied in knots and abused by that kid?” she looked back at me and I sank like I just dropped the toilet seat on my balls. “And what am I? Hmm? I’m seventeen Ryoku am I a kid?” and I tried to explain, “You saw how she acted, she was a kid at mind. A five year old in a Digimon body. That was immature and Vulpi was exactly that.” I said as she brought her paw back a crossed my face making me fall into the dirt. “What was ‘that’ for??” I said more stunned but equal as both my cheeks blossomed a cherry tone, “Immature??” she said as I realized the error or my speech. I wasn’t thinking this out and I was getting it from both sides at once.

 

“She was a child Renamon I can’t help what she did, I can’t say I wanted it and I can’t say I’m sorry for explaining it that way but she was,” she put her paw up in a short growl then turning it over to wave her finger at me swatting me in the face evilly for the sake of non-trust on the subject. “I say trust me and you believe me, but when I say would I lie to you, you walk away and hit me. Since when did I deserve that?” I said as she walked away and stopped, “Since you lied about not knowing.” She said as I looked at her seriously wondering what she meant.

 

“You know why I’m back together, I can tell when you lie because you never did. Now that you do it is so obvious. I want to know.” she said as I looked to the ground. “It’s complicated.” I said and she came back over to me and stood in front of me with Maria’s steel cutting glare mixed in with the down tilt of Renamon’s muzzle and the cold stair of her purple eyes. “Test me, I think I can understand it as well as you can.” She said as she popped up my own line, “Trust me.”

 

I looked away closing my eyes and sighed, I told Heto first but I think it was easier to tell him since I didn’t see him face to face. “I don’t understand it myself.” I said coming back up to her flashing to my mother and then to Maria wounded in my arms then to her evolving to Sakuyamon and then all rolling around to the memory of her and I standing on the knoll. I opened my eyes looking into hers while she waited not letting me back down with how her sight locked me in place. “I want to hear it.” she said as I walked around her a yard before she started to fallow. “Do you know anything about Kitsune?” I asked to open the explanation and she shook her head, “Congratulations now you do.” and she looked at me as if it was an insult. “WE are Kitsune. I was born one and when you Digivolved to Sakuyamon the first time you made yourself one. Two forms one body and one mind.” I said making it shorter than expected and she asked, “digimon human?” and I shook my head stopping to think of how to put it. “We are foxes and that’s what Kitsune are, mystical foxes. Its and old Japanese lore really, which makes this that much more confusing.” I smiled as I sat down followed by her directly in front of me whipping her tail around for padding as she anxiously listened. “I knew you could digivolve because god told me you could.” I said and she tilted her head to the side making me feel insane for putting it that bluntly.

 

“Kitsune can also be messengers of god, Tenko my mother, was a messenger and she raised me in the real world and here with the two halves of our souls. I was human and I was digimon, she raised me till she died.” I stopped as she looked at me like I was explaining politics more than I was religion, “Ok lets try this another way,” I said as she eagerly nodded. “Every being has four souls, good and evil and that good has its goods and evils just like the evil side does, each of these souls has an essence that powers us to live. By dividing me, and my mother being divided with me, she divided what essence she had left when she ran out she died and returned to the gods as she put it.” I said having her follow untill I gave away this was mostly second hand knowledge, “Got a question then. When you were wounded did you find your self in a big black room or maybe in some kind of water?” she looked around a little and thought about it and nodded a little more vivid with the length of her muzzle and I smiled at the fact, “You where almost dead, that’s between here and there. I don’t know where ‘there’ is, but life and death, the further you moved in that place I’m guessing the closer to death you were.”

 

I found myself getting further and further away from the point so I cleared my throat and tried to start again, “My mom took me there so she could speak to me and I heard all of what I’m telling you from her, gods gave me a chance in the middle of that fight by giving me a refresh. Also to say how I knew you could digivolve,” I stopped putting my paw behind my head, “The gods also told me to decide wheather I wanted you two as you two, or as Marena.” She leaned back and gasped while I put my paws out, “I denied the choice and they let me give it to you. I’m sure you’d rather digivolve than die and digivolving brought you back together.” I said and she slapped me while I closed my eyes and made a single huff, “one more thing, you will live to the ripe old age of around a millennium now.” and she turned around, “Where if you had stayed apart you would have lived about as long as a human normally would. My mothers name was Tenko which means a celestial fox of up to 900 years of age. I don’t even know how old she was before she died but we have the opportunity to live just as long.”

 

She stopped, “Not immortal but we’ll live longer than anyone else you could possibly know.” she looked at her paws in shock at the concept while I closed my eyes for another slap thinking she wasn’t going to accept it. “That’s all I know.” I said as I stood up and walked towards the village. “Wait.” She said sadly for not believing me, “I’m sorry.” She said and I smiled as I walked.

 

She came up to me and wrapped her tail around me, “Together forever right?” she laughed with the new knowledge of her self. “Damn near.” I smiled back and we both laughed as she stopped me from taking another step to the village. “What’s the matter?” I asked as she turned me around, “We can say hi tomorrow.” She said coyly as I looked back at the quiet village only a few yards away tying to raise my paw to gesture back to it only finding a “But?” and she laughed.

 

“Don’t be so thick Ryoku, I wanted to get you alone so we didn’t wake up the others.” she laughed as she brought her tail up and tickled my nose till I sneezed looking over to her smiling at the playful push to me, she may have been the puzzle box then but at least that puzzle box didn’t want my fingers anymore. She still knew how to manipulate me into doing things, so well I might add. I guess a nudge in the right direction goes without saying.

 

“I should have told you though.” I said looking down and she laughed to me speaking in Maria’s voice. “You were right I have almost no clue what you where saying but I know you’re telling the truth. I don’t think anyone could cook something like that up.” and I smiled, if that were true then my life would be a work of sick fiction. You’re all here looking at me so what do you think?

 

Well I think that was a semi productive night, I felt like a moron for not telling her to begin with but I told her and she believed me which is scary, I figured it would have been a little harder than that. On top of that I talked to Heto again without swearing at him which was a plus, I could have gone as far as to say I was sorry for slapping him around, I remembered stalking him and I felt so stupid now that I couldn’t remember his tortures.

 

I couldn’t help but ask again where do we go from here though, because there really was nothing left to do except stand against the masters and that was suicide with every thing I went threw trying to get away from them. A month is nothing when trying to forget a battle, especially one that we lost so much in and almost lost more if higher powers hadn’t assisted. The question of where to go and what to do was bigger than I could have imagined, if we where going to go against the masters then the first place to start would be stopping them from doing what ever they where doing with D.

 

As Renamon and I sat back down against the wall of the burrow looking around as the night wore on I came to that conclusion, we had to stop the masters before they did whatever they were going to with the D. Impmon seemed to know more and then next day would start our next challenge and make my journey that much longer, harder and dangerous. For Zero, for Leo, and for myself and what I couldn’t remember, for the good things Heto wanted and for everyone the Dark Masters were to hurt or already have.

 

It wasn’t my crusade yet, not personal enough but soon I’d find out it was very personal. So close to home in every sense. I knew my “Master” better than I thought I did, you could say he was an old acquaintance of mine. When I was human I hung around a circle of people that were into computer vandalism but when I find out who is who, it goes far beyond personal or crusade it goes to the depth of my being testing my ties and respects even for a person I thought I left behind and definitely didn’t need. Who, is the question, but that’s further on to make this part of my life that much harder…


Information

The night wore on and hours later the day came back over the sands, there still was a strange feeling from somewhere outside, in the night after Marena had put me into that little talk and after Heto’s discussion I still felt like there was something in the desert. I blamed it then on the notion of Zero but truthfully it was something guiding me. As what I found myself to be wondering if that was some kind of ESP, I had a feeling as I traveled in the real world just as directing but not as present to say the least. I looked outside in some direction, I don’t know if the digital world had cardinal directions but by how the day cast it’s shadows I’d say the feeling was pulling me north west, forest plains if it was that far off.

 

I looked to Impmon once or twice like he had a place in the feeling, then thinking that it was ESP and he was around the cause, into the morning when Marena and I had already woken up excruciatingly early for my human tastes I had the opportunity to walk around Impmon as I went out side to look down at the village. I wasn’t paying attention to it though; on the other paw, hand, sorry habit, there was a feeling tugging in the direction of the forest plain and one separate tug from Impmon. It must have shown because that was the first thing Marena asked me, “What’s the matter my love?” she said as she caught me looking back into the burrow at the sleeping menace in our home. “Not really sure Starlight.” I mumbled to myself as I came back around devoting my attention to her. “You’re lying again.” She smiled and I made a little giggle agreeing with the fact that I was. She had woken up with me and followed me outside to stand at the wall just outside the mouth of the cave.

 

“I really don’t know.” I said after a little pause, noticing the pause and seeing how she could spot a fib in the act. “I think we need to go somewhere.” I said looking back over to her as she stood at my side in the morning light just as strong as mid day sun. “Like where?” she asked and I sighed almost exhausted by what I was starting to think. “Forest plains maybe, somewhere over there, I really don’t know.” she laughed with a closing grunt as she thought about it and the direction I pointed. “I felt something from,” she said as I stopped her, “Impmon?” I asked as she nodded, “I think he knows something. I can feel it. I don’t know what, maybe it’s about that D thing?” she said as she leaned further into my shoulder making me smile, she was avoiding the subject of the night before I could tell, Renamon always sighed and huffed when she avoided something and she appeared to be doing a lot of that for that morning.

 

“He knows something.” I said and patted her leg with my paw as I leaned against Leo’s sheathe wondering why he was quiet. More silent then Zero which was scary on it’s own, “What do you think Leo?” I said as he shuddered on my back in more of a yawn like he had missed the brief conversation. A “huh?” came from him after a few seconds and I smiled as I looked down to the village seeing something wrong with it even though nothing seemed to be out of place from where we where. “You think we have some traveling ahead of us old friend?” I said as I sighed, leaning myself back against the rock of the mountain to look at his grip from the corner of my eye with a smile across my muzzle. He hummed to the note of “Possibly you do, I don’t think I would have a choice either way Ryokumon.” He joked and I laughed as I put my head down, “Oh ha-ha.” I said as I leaned forward. “What did he say?” Marena asked as she joined me, I looked over to her from the corner of my eye wondering why she couldn’t understand him, I could understand him because he was part of my Digvalution but she couldn’t because she didn’t have him at the time. “He agrees with me, I think whatever I’m getting is important, and if it has anything to do with what Impy said then we might have a few problems.” I said looking down at the village noticing a lack of morning traffic, possible they could be sleeping in late I guessed so I pushed it off while she spoke. “Why would that be a problem?” she asked and I sighed thinking more into it, “D for one, even if we are who ever we think we are, is a very dangerous thing from what I’ve herd. Then on top of that the masters are looking for it. Sooner or later they are going to it. If D is half as bad as Digimon say it is then we have to make sure they don’t mess with it.” I said picking up a small pebble from beside me and skipping it off the smoothed out path to the drop of the mountain side and listened to it bounce away as Renamon came out again huffing at the thought. “What about the village?” she asked making me smile and laugh as I looked down to the small village.

 

“Speaking of that…” I said as I stood up seeing that something was wrong, “is the village moving a little slow today?” I asked as she sat up to see a few data packets drifting threw the street. Which is strange because most of the time packets are collected before they even get near a city or village. “Just a little.” She said as I put my paw to my chin and started to walk down the path. “Where are you going?” she asked and I smiled back, “To see the elders, it’s been a few years remember.” She chuckled as she followed, “Or you could just be trying to get me alone.” She said as she made a paced effort to come beside me and nudged me as a hint, “Maybe.” I teased back as we walked on giggling most of the way to the village.

 

It had been a few years maybe about ten or so in the digital world, time moves faster in the digital world. Strange when you consider how I talked to Heto and how everything worked in the real world. It didn’t matter though I just wanted to investigate the village more than catch up on old times and everything I missed while I was gone. I did leave the village pretty fast when I went off to investigate the Masters mischief around the dessert plain. When I was captured all I could think about was coming back to protect Starlight and the village. That’s old news though and then all that little place was, was a small village around a city. They’re where no raiders and bandits anymore so I wasn’t need there.

 

The closer we came the less we saw as the huts of the small wooden structures sat flapping in the soft breeze from the flaps that acted as doors. Carts and things the miniature Digimon used to do their daily things where sitting around unused in what seemed like days but that was fairly normal for a village. Not every tool was used all the time and short of building a new hut for a young Digimon there wasn’t much need for it. It felt empty though and privacy was still very valuable in the digital world so I didn’t dare take a look into any huts as we walked up the main street of the drive thru village to the elders long house. There were four Salamon elders for the counsel they kept over a few of the villages more serious natured businesses; protectors, being one of those and since we both disappeared I wondered if they would be as considerate and friendly as they where when I lived a normal life there.  

 

The small dome huts where about chest level and one story for the Digimon but the elders long house, almost like something a native American would live in, was two. Still only about as big as a small house or maybe a room at that. The village was very small only about thirty or so huts of  the dwellings and only had on “street” that ran up the center, I looked around between the huts expecting to see a smaller Salamon escaping the boredom of the morning coming outside to play in the daylight but the village was vacant of anything including sound short of Renamon and I walking the short distance to the long house at the T of the village. Two huts away I did hear a sound and it sent me to alert I let my eyes wander for the source-less sound, not as contained as when I was hunted but as sudden to hide its origin. “Did you hear that?” Marena asked as I looked to her speaking at fill ready to pounce on anything that dared attack. I nodded as my ears pushed forward as far as they could go in an offensive expression while my fur seemed to calm despite my mood of shook from the sound.

 

I heard a sigh from aside one of the huts and the sound of dust being patted from cloth and a voice spoke “Ryokumon, I’ve been waiting for you.” the small man like Digimon said saddened and familiar, “Hello?” Marena said almost angrily and I stood back almost in a smile for who it was if not for the tone he spoke in. “Wizardmon.” I said as he stepped around the hut holding a staff with a gold cap. “I am sorry about the human female.” He said as he bowed down lifting the staff from the ground while he pressed the palms of his gloved hands together making the shadows with the black of his altered form almost hid his body against the shade of the morning light. “You bought enough time Wizardmon.” I said as he stood up. “What do you mean?” he said as he stood up to see me smiling over to the still cautious Marena leaning over almost electrified poised to him. “She’s fine.” I said as Wizardmon looked at her and pointed the hand with the staff at her, “She is warring.” He said as I cut him off waving my paw to a slight cringe. “Her own cloths Wizardmon. Your looking at Maria.” I said as he gasped back dropping his staff.

 

“That can’t be? How can she? Stable? She was so wounded?” he darted from her to me leaning against the elders hut. “What are you here for?” Marena asked in her human voice making Wizardmon blink and press his hand to his chest almost in pain from the shock of hearing that sound from a Digimon. “To tell you there’s nothing left.” he said as he looked around holding the dazed expression while he gestured to the quiet huts. “Huh?” I grunted looking in the direction of a slightly larger hut to my right at the end of the street. “This is a ghost town now.” He said patting his chest making his cloak dance from the tap at his chest. “What do you mean?” I asked cocking my head still outwardly expressing a forward attitude but fearing what he knew by the sad tone he was starting to regain.

 

“This area was sacked by the Masters servants recently. MSN was almost totally destroyed and in the chaos of the battle the villagers ran. A few megas that where coming to quicken the battle killed them before what was left of my army could safely evacuate them.” I looked around at the huts seeing them completely unharmed almost in disbelief stunned at it but also feeling that there was no other presences besides the three of us. “When they ran they where destroyed in the open and not one of them had a chance.” Wizardmon said as he bowed again sighing giving me a chance to take it in. “The masters are insane Ryokumon. They are starting to destroy for no reason and it seems to be getting worse. At this rate I don’t think even the Devas could stop them.”

 

I started to clinch my paw into a fist and hid a growl as I remembered my mother telling me and confirming my though of their madness. I didn’t think it would come to the village though, what did they ever do to anger the Masters? They where as helpless against them as before they had a stronger army of megas weaker than when any one of their megas all of them put together couldn’t harm a hair on their bodies. “Why.” I demanded in a low voice as Renamon clinched her paws in the same way turned around hiding the hurt expression on her muzzle, that village was all we had besides each other in the digital world we where it’s protectors and we weren’t there. This was the start of how I was really going to make the Masters pay. It wasn’t enough to make it full rage to them yet, only enough to make my paws weakly smoke as I held myself back from screaming into the sky shattering the quiet winds of the morning with my angered howl to the heavens for every thing that was now starting to pile on my shoulders.

 

“What where they thinking??” I snorted as I turned to the side crossing my arms looking to him from the corner of my scared eye as it started to throb weakly from the metal stress I was under, “D is all I know.” he said making me snap to him. “What??” I shot losing my angry appearance to stun joined by Marena in absolute shock. Wizardmon backed away as if we where about to attack him bringing his staff up to act like a guard while he cringed, I looked at him in the second or two frozen against flow of time in the slow motion I get in battles to notice his staff. He was frightened but that staff was a relic he had tosses aside long ago. I put my paw in front of Marena and looked at her as I stepped back closing my eyes hearing her give a slight growl to the topic of the discussion.

 

“Is that the staff Wizardmon?” I said calmly listening to him shutter as he left behind his shock he grunted in fear of us for popping another big thing he wasn’t sure about and nodded to the sound of the old and stiff cloths he wore and I hummed knowing what it meant. “I’m not going to hurt you Wizardmon you did your best and she is still alive.” I said opening my eyes as I saw him pointing the staff at me from his feet leaning the cap towards me. “I know Ryokumon, this isn’t for Me.” he said as I leaned my head to the side. “It’s for you to destroy.” He said clearing up it’s purpose making me look to Marena seeing her returning the same look. “Why?” she asked for me and Wizardmon huffed. “On a side journey, the entire reason they came threw this part of the plain. They where looking for this, I hid it near MSN and they almost found it before I could take it again. They have all of the necessary items to repair it an I am sure that they wouldn’t use it as I did.” He said tossing the staff to me, “Burn it for me, I need to get back to my command.” He said as he turned back to the hut he stood beside and almost left sight before I could call him, “Which direction did they leave in?” I asked as he stopped for me, “To the forest plains to some seal in some ruins they have two weeks on you and I have heard the Masters are investigating this personally.” He said as he waved his hand to me while he started off leaving me to my task and him to his.

 

‘The Dark Masters where going there in person?’ I thought not even looking to Renamon while I stood in horror at what it could mean, ‘SEAL??’ I though, ‘What do they plan on doing killing us all?’ which only seemed to be what they where doing. There was no logic to them, I didn’t see the need for aimless destruction it the name of a broken staff even if they knew how to repair it.

 

I picked up the instrument concentrating on the masters coming to the red over glare I didn’t withhold as my paws ignited running up the staff till it was encased in flames. If there was one this I didn’t need it was one of the masters with that staff, and now that it was burning to impossibility of repair there was no worry of it’s misuse.

 

There was no need for me in that village anymore and I turned back up it’s street to the mountain looking up the path to see Impmon sitting on a small ledge above the mouth of my burrow. I could have said there was a smile on mocking me but that is what the old Impmon would have done instead there was a steady clear face as he looked down on me as I forced myself from the memories of the village, then I wanted to know what I had missed, then because it was gone. “Nothing left” Wizardmon said and I could feel the nothing surrounding me as I walked past huts that were filled with families of old and young Digimon that had never left the safety of their village until that day to be slaughtered. Slaughtered like how I enjoyed to in dark status.

 

There was nothing I could do but look back, seeing the flaming staff in front of the long house burning with flames that turned white as data and smoke from it burned off into the sky in white smoke for what powers that icon had. I fought a tear with rage in my mind as I came to the path going to the burrow and called up to Impmon. “I want to know everything you do.” Angrily and straightly slightly twisting my muzzle with the order closing my eyes feeling the path up while I paces counting to ten not helping my mood in the least. My paws still flamed and smoke barely came from them as all that was fueling them was a washed over anger I knew to be for Heto somehow.

 

Impmon didn’t reply a single word till Marena and I walked the distance up the path to the burrow where he hopped down walking to us away from Bit’s still sleeping ears. “Youse believes me now huh.” He said walking past me to a rock high enough for him to sit on. He leaned on it instead and I growled inwardly turning my head back to the village gathering nothing but anger for what slaves did in the name of their Masters. Feeling the intense heat from my paws while I smoked gathering distance from Marena from not only the heat but in slight fear I would lash out uncontrollable, “What do you know.” I ordered again and he sighed looking down in a smile at my trust in his knowledge. “Not much Fox-o, Keepas of da Darkness, watches of da seal. I don know where dey are, all I know is dey let it out da first time and now dey watch it for da rest a time.” I huffed at him knowing he knew more. “Who are they?” I asked calming myself at the cooperation “clan a ancient Digimon to many of um’ ta know fer sure. I heard dis in da forests before I meet youse. On da up an up dough I heard dat only a keeper can brake what eva seal is on it. Da D ting can’t get out unless an ancient lets it out.” I opened my eyes knowing my redness was gone to see him sitting smugly against the rock smiling, “How they hell would you know?” I asked annoyed with him I could feel he was holding something more. “I asked Fox-o n’ some oldy told me. Anything else I swore I wouldn’t say a ting.” He said looking up straight-faced. “I can’t tell yas cause I don know much more den dat. I though it was just some goofy story so I fergot lots of da crap da guy told me.”

 

Impmon wasn’t going to tell me for his own reasons and I knew that he knew more than he was letting on. I couldn’t force him to go against his word, one I thought he didn’t have till then and if he promised he wouldn’t tell some one and he was willing to hold it from friends it had to be a very serious thing. D it’s self was serious and I was sure I’d find out myself, “Forest plains huh.” I said looking to them moving my paws from the flames around them instantly putting them out since their source denied them the fuel and energy to burn. “I think we have more traveling to do and soon.” I said as I looked back to Marena in an angry smile. “Don’t you Starlight?” I asked and she nodded as I put my arm around her waist and walked her into the burrow, “Get some sleep Impmon, because there won’t be to much more of it for a while.” I said knowing that this was going to be so much harder than the fight to escape from the Masters strong hold.

 

Then it was all I could do, fallow and overcome the Masters attempts. There where ancients around and if their where the masters would use them to break the seal to D. what would make it hard was we where doing it alone, I wasn’t going to leave them behind and since I was sure they where going to tag along even if I said no I’d warn them of the journey.

 

The forest plains even at the long strides of a mega or even flying would be a four or five week journey. We may not have really had the time to rest but after huffing it back from the machine plains we had out own exhaustion to overcome before we would even come close to having a chance. I still though it was suicide to take it on with the masters. It was doing that or death. Wizardmon made it clear without saying it that he wasn’t going to be of any help he could barely hold up a line for our escape, he couldn’t risk his army against the masters forces head on. ‘What will we do? They needed the ancients do we just kill them all? No, fighting them Masters is more important…” I sighed in thought, what kind of strategy could we possibly have? There was no chance of doing it rite not a single one, it was lose-lose either way. If we fought we lost and if I gave into an evil notion of purifying the digital world of the ancients clan then that would be a loss of life I wasn’t prepared to take. I did want to sit back and wait for them to free a demon, something powerful enough to destroy everything I knew there, every plain, every Digimon including the ones I used to know. I couldn’t let that happen.

 

Yet this still wasn’t personal enough for me, chances slimmed down to near if not nothing. The village I put my life into protecting was dead now nothing left except the places those poor soles used to reside in. this still wasn’t personal enough, what would make it that embedded in me to strike the final nerve. A name, that’s what something I would hear that would throw me off the deep end on the whole thing. Someone I knew some how had been ransacking the digital world and sending his puppets into the real world causing trouble and more than likely still was. Not only hurting Digimon but people something I swore to never do but this person now a Digimon had no problems with the death he caused, didn’t care not at all. He is still alive even if not in mortal human body in mind and in stronger Digimon form. With one last throb of my scar I turned over to sleep as Marena nudged me to ask me a few questions while the burrow was still quiet and if a party was not sleeping he was out side. Entirely off topic and more of a distraction tactic to get me away from the nagging anger I had which made me laugh. Still the anger was there and not known yet my crusade was yet to start…


Restful Thought

Well I slept threw most of the day only because Bit did, thank goodness for that. When he did wake up, he and Impmon had a little slapping match because I told Impmon to sleep. It went around like that for a few minuets and then Impmon told him to wake me up and stop bothering him. I tell you it that way because his English is much worse when he is groggy. Well, Bit crawled over to me and Marena on the wall and started to rock my leg like a three year old sounding so dazed in what he expected to be the morning hours. He probably still did with how the digital world screwed with the human mind. “Ryoku, hey Ryoku.” He said in a yawn while I slowly woke myself up from what state of sleep I was in.

 

“Yeah.” I yawned in return as I opened my eyes to look over my muzzle at him bringing my head back from the wall to look at him blinking a few times till my eyes adjusted. He looked terrible and I’m serious, he could have looked better with curling irons and a cup of coffee. Shirt was all over the place and he had bags under his eyes despite the hours of uninterrupted sleep he had. A paled face like some one sucked his blood and a vacant expression only the living dead could carry off understandably. “What?” I mumbled knowing I needed to get back to sleep. “Impmon said we need to rest up. What for?” he groaned as he flopped back to his butt whipping the grit from his eyes like the small child he really was with all of his hand in both eyes at the same time. “We have to stop the masters from cutting lose the D and it’s a ways off into the forest plains from what I’ve heard.” He grunted as he dropped his hands and looked threw a partially opened set of eyes to me grunting again, “Wow we just got back and we’re leavening again?” I nodded keeping most of my sense since I can coherently think while I sleep, “If we don’t stop them what ever D is will destroy every thing. Including us.” I said as he sat back on his hands yawning again almost as if the matter wasn’t serious. “Why so soon man, god we haven’t even kicked back yet and now you want to go out and risk your balls against those dick heads?” Bit asked as I brought one paw up and whipped my eyes with the back of my glove looking at him straightly, “They already came threw here looking for something and are already on their way there. I’d say pack everything up but we need the rest so get back on the mat and grab some sleep if your coming.” He made a deep breath and I looked down at myself for the first time in the sense of the comment he made not seeing any nads to speak of, on the outside at least which saved me the discomfort of openly putting them at as much risk as Bit had said.

 

It was pretty dumb and his look how ever glazed and morningly atoned did show just how stupid this was. He didn’t seem to care though, he turned around to the mat with a smile and I cocked my head wondering why he and Impmon where cuddling up to me. No one had ever done that to me short Marena and mostly that’s because we where involved but those two seemed get all comfy with me for no reason. Bit prodded Impmon when he crawled back over to the mat and I laughed as he grunted and tiredly flailed back at him grumbling a few words in very bad English and no form to say. I laughed a little as I put my head back looking over to Marena with a smile. It really was how I thought she came to me. I had to win her though being a warrior wasn’t half as hard as being a lover romantics and a considerate Digimon. I can’t say I’ve been all of those lately but that’s how hard it was to make her mine. She is my vixen sweet delicate and intelligent as well as strong and loyal. She said she had someone else when I first put my eyes on her but after almost a year of trying courtship she accepted me. That was the easy part though I had to earn her trust past the mating which meant we had to fight side by side, male ego made that hard and for the almost five years we had been together I was trying to make her see I was open to what she could give as a fighter like I was. It’s just one of those things you never can do rite off, you can say it out loud but it never comes out rite. This caused more than our fair share of tiffs almost costing us the village a few times.

 

It is sad to think we weren’t there but it couldn’t be helped. We were trying to protect them over all and it just makes sense that the masters would have other minions around the digital world. Other motives and objectives besides D and myself on the side. The digital world didn’t stop and look at me all the time and I knew it but I was fairly short sighted with everything lately. I just can’t believe I didn’t see that coming. I squinted as I looked up to the ceiling of the burrow seeing much thicker and different rock that seemed to form the same way as my burrow in the real world. Swirling and mixing a few ores seemed to float thru the mix into the side of this recess into the mountain. I didn’t need to dwell on the villagers because I knew I couldn’t help them now, I could only make the Masters pay for them and since I was going to stop them I didn’t need to think of them at that time either. I could have used a plan but I just wanted to relax. Not easy to do while Bit bothered Impmon prodding him in his pretend sleep slapping him kicking him playing a game of gain ground fighting for more of the mat till Impmon was on the floor and Bit sprawled himself out in the center of the mat with the biggest smile on his face.

 

“That’s enough of that you two, get some sleep we head out tomorrow.” I said scooting closer to Marena as she raised her nose and sniffed the air smiling and leaning into me while she slept. I hadn’t told her how beautiful I thought she was lately and she really was, changed to what I saw then. She may have been more apparent in the chest and a bit brighter in the smile when she did, but I thought she was beautiful even before all of the extras. I really should have said something because I was thinking it but I couldn’t find it in myself to wake her up. I just laid my head on hers and closed my eyes listening to frik and frack on the mat, “Knock it off you two.” I said lifting my head slightly so I didn’t wake my Starlight up with the movement of my jaw. “Yes mother…” they teased me and decided to roll over and get their sleep. I put my head back down re-closing my eyes with a smile and a grunt, they did look up to me enough to take my word when to stop and respected me enough to do so.

 

Most of the day I spent in my head admiring Marena, remembering she wanted to ask me something about the conversation from almost minutes before we both drifted off. went around a very embarrassed topic starting off, “Ryoku?” she asked as we stepped over the sleeping Bit fallowed by Impmon. I wasn’t in the best of moods then I was really hurt that I let the village down and deserted them, “Yeah?” I said as I started to slide down the wall to put my head in my paws to think. “I was,” she said as she paused making me look up threw my paws, “wondering…” she trailed off as she sat down beside me at a distance putting her paw over teasing me with the lose fabric that was at knuckle in front of the ring that held it to her paw. “Wondering is good I guess. What about Starlight?” I asked as I looked over to the mat seeing Impmon sitting on his knees starring at me while I tried to keep the subject a secret past ink blot who was very interested in what she could possible say. “Well my love.” She choked, that’s all there is to it. “I have had you as a Digimon.” she stated as I looked from the corner of my eye to Impmon blushing as he caught the topic starting to giggle a little past his white face, obviously lit up from what he was coming to understand from her graceful mental prod. “Yeah?” I asked completely lost, I was to busy throwing my mind into four or five places such as the Dark Masters, the village, Impmon and his incandescent face and not to say lastly D.

 

Call me dense if you will, but stress does that to you and if you can divide your brain into a few trains of thought those thoughts are so far apart you wouldn’t have a chance of understanding anything someone is telling you unless they said what they where thinking and not putting it in ebonics for those of simple mind. “Well I was wondering…” she would have blushed if not for fur. “Yeah?” I said as I put my head back down into my paws wracking my brain to long off solutions while she was bringing about a sexual question, kind of like role-playing I guess. Goes a little deeper that that but it’s what it comes around to. “Human and.” She said as I looked over to Impmon as he coyly giggled looking to the ceiling, “What’s with you?” I asked turning my head to see him try to whistle against the shitty smile on his face. “Nuttin, nuttin” he said straightly as he flattened his face out to mimic not caring. I looked back to Marena who held a contemptuous look because I had left her conversation to get rid of Impmon’s ears. “What?” I said almost falling over from the evil eye. “Were you even listening?” she smiled out in Maria’s voice making me grunt out slightly lost, “No, sorry. Can you repeat the question?” I laughed as she huffed to the wall, smiling yet angry making me more lost. I think she was a little happy she didn’t have to ask the question since I wasn’t paying attention and then angry at me for not focusing on her.

 

“What did I do?” I asked coming back over to her to have her raise her paw lightning fast and stop me by pressing her finger to my nose and push me off while I considered what she was angry about. She was playing with me but she wasn’t doing it in the best of ways. I looked down at her finger while she pressed her claw up my snoot and then to her over the finger while she smiled then sank to almost a bitter angry face making me almost cringe back till she shoved me away with the finger. She laughed, I sighed and ten minutes later after a few tries to hear her out again it turned into “I’ll tell you when I get up my love.” and I dropped it so she could rest. It felt like being sent to my room to tell the truth. She hushed me and gave me time to think about what I did wrong and seemed to enjoy it as a tease. I looked back over to Impmon who was looking over Bit like a sand bag starting to giggle a little more till he saw me then he ducked down snickering while I glared at him thru Bit until he rolled over and went back to sleep.

 

I drifted off in a better mood and a less scattered frame of mind drawn together by the idea that: if she ain’t happy, you ain’t happy. A line from a famous comic and very true. I gathered later that she was asking the question about sex and I almost screamed “YOU IDIOT!!” but refrained from it only to shudder at the thought as I looked over to Marena sighing at my ignorance. She wanted me when I was human. Well as human as I can be anyway and it tickled my fancy. I blushed picturing it looking to the ceiling laughing in my Digimon form, something that could scare small children. I was intimidating and yet I could laugh. Scary I know. I cut that thought short snapping at the thought she probably wasn’t going to do it or she thought I was uncomfortable since “I wasn’t paying attention.”

 

I was paying attention then while I slept but I wasn’t when she was asking, making me feel insensitive for ignoring her to smite Impmon’s curiosity. I wondered why she would want to think that, she seemed to have a good time with me as a Digimon but then again I never had her while I was human, learning experience right? I thought my Digimon body was way out of my human forms league, I mean size difference. Then again I looked at myself human considering my limp noodle more than, I don’t think you need to know about all of the details just yet so I’ll leave the thought there for now.

 

What you do need to know is I beat myself up thinking of what I possibly wouldn’t get untill Bit came over and woke me in one of my more serene moments, I mean the kind of subconscious twitch that hurts to look at. I can’t even really explain it since I wasn’t outside looking in. It was just my mind making sure if it had something to do with A)Marena and B) SEX. I was damn sure going to look for those hints. I think that it goes to show you that even if your brain works faster it doesn’t mean you’re smarter. Being a fox I was a faster idiot.

 

Well at least she didn’t take the question personally enough not to let me touch her because I leaned over to her and we snuggled for the remainder of the day and on into the night untill our bodies couldn’t sleep anymore.

 

When night came around it let me sleep easier for a few hours but overall sped up the sleeping process. I, and shortly after I did, Marena woke up and we just had to move around. The mountain we lived on was the perfect training grounds for our speed and control, not that we needed it, we went outside to romp a bit, just generally screwing around for a few hours. I refrain from saying play because at our ages that meant something entirely different. There was laughing and it was happy, stress-less and fun despite the ghost town we overlooked thru it. I think if I was thinking about that it wouldn’t have lasted nearly as long.

 

Well after a few hours of speed hide and seek over the high crag of the mountain we came back around to the mouth of the burrow a little loud and out of breath after chasing each other around. Bit and Impmon also rested, sitting down looking at us in different positions but with the same look on both their faces, more or less. Bit was slightly disgusted but Impmon was smiling from ear to ear, “What?” we both asked as we huffed over to the chairs against the wall and smiled to each other making their notions of what we did that much stronger. “Well when are we leaving?” Bit asked trying to avoid what he was thinking going around stuttering making the sentence straight but slow coming out while Marena and I pulled our tails thru the back of the chairs sitting comfortably against the wall looking at Bit losing our happy carefree smiles to serious faces riddled with concern. “Are you sure you’re up for this?” I asked as I looked to Impmon who cleared his throat going with Bit since he was his tamer. “Sure I’m with you Ryoku.” He said smiling as he leaned forward showing me that strange attraction to me again making me lean back in my chair almsot falling over if it wasn’t for the wall. I wasn’t going to ask it just seemed too out of place to do it, so I leaned forward letting the chair sit back on all of its legs. “Well morning then. If you can’t sleep find something to do. Just don’t get into any trouble.” I smiled leaning forward to my knees while Bit stood up slapping together his hands looking around. “Target practice.” He giggled as I cringed at the thought of it. “Somewhere else please…” I moaned as I looked to Marena who also knew he was going to start with his pistol. “Where den?” Impmon asked as I looked around hoping I could find something else since there really was nowhere short of the opposite side of the mountain to shoot from without disturbing us. I blew hard from my mouth letting my lips flap while I thought hard about something looking over to Marena seeing her and I standing human on that knoll. I wonder why that vision is never the same? Anyway, the vision changed me back to human and I looked down to my shorts seeing the lump of the cell phone, not really wanting to give it to him. It would be the only way he survived the night. If he fired that pistol near me I don’t think I could stand it long enough to wait until morning to scold him for bugging the piss out of me.

 

 “Play the games, only the games. Don’t call anywhere don’t open up the chat stuff. Games.” I said as I pulled the phone out and showed him the various functions I knew and the things I didn’t want him to touch. He held a devilish grin and I knew I was going to have a few unknown chat buddies before the night was over but I guess it was better telling people not to bother me than screaming over Bit’s new gun for him to stop annoying me.

 

Off into the night and hours later, sleep and relaxation came and I found myself hoping Bit didn’t do crank calls to the real would, I didn’t even know if he could, but it was the only worry I wanted to have then. He was a hand full to guide but it could be fun to watch over him like the family I wanted with Starlight. Now Marena and with all I had heard from my mother it sounded like it would be far off if ever I had children, pups or anything in between. At least I had Marena and my Starlight, so even if we couldn’t have a family we still had each other. That was a relaxing thought on its own even if we where technically sterile. When the night came to a close I drifted back to her question, the one I missed, and thought that if we couldn’t have kids what would be the harm; It’s not like I was going to have a goat or something, she was just like me. I would just make love in another form instead of well fox=fox or human=human. There were possibilities and she was interested in me enough to want both of me, and since she was like me it brought about new interests in human females I hadn’t had since I found out I was supposed to live like this.

 

I sat in the burrow smiling quietly as I stayed in my chair human, but still down tilted enough to hide my smile while I waited for Marena to wake up, almost an hour after I woke she did as well showing me by putting her paw a crossed my chest and putting it between my sword strap and skin just holding it there, “Good morning Starlight, sleep well?” I asked opening my eyes as she leaned into me again swishing her tail up the back of my chair tickling my back while I knew what was on her mind. “Yes.” I said simply trying to play a little mind game with her to make the answer that much more fun. “Yes what?” she asked not giving into the humor of the joke. “If you don’t know.” I said teasing and she smiled closing one eye almost ready to say out loud untill Bit rounded the corner playing Tetris on the chat screen while I shot him a look for going to it. “Oh, I think I know.” she smiled as I returned my eyes to hers and we both giggled at the idea. “I’m up for it if you are my love.” She smiled as she moved her paw from my chest to my side as she tried to pull me into a kiss till I cleared my throat and smiled as I pointed to the observers. “Not today Starlight we have to much walking to do. We’ll save it as a victory treat ok?” I smiled as she forced one knowing how impossible it sounded, one last dance.

 

Well I wasn’t going to have her because I thought I was going off to die, I wasn’t going to have her because it would be the last time I was going to see her, I was going to make it seem almost normal in the grounds of a relationship. We were going to reward each other for this, stopping the masters was going to be all we were worth and possibly the last thing we could do together. I wasn’t going to die or lose her again so we were going to all come back alive even if it wasn’t the most well planned out event in my life. Playing things by ear wasn’t the smartest thing but until I came up with something better that is exactly what we where going to do.

 

This wasn’t the end because we are all coming back all of us


Along the Way

“Then let’s go.” I said as I turned to Bit taking the phone from his hands and making a tch-tch sound while I waved my finger sticking the phone in my pocket. Bit huffed a little as I walked past him and rolled up the mat and put the head pillow away under the table. We may have been leaving but that was no reason to leave the burrow a mess, so we cleaned a few things here and there and then left on our way.

 

It is a few weeks out to the boarder of the forest plains, a quiet hike across the dessert plains coming across cities and villages and from a few of them stomped or destroyed in the path of the masters megas as they gleefully annihilated anything on their way to Forest plains almost in the same direction we where heading. Bit and Impmon seemed to see the devastation as a very grim look into our futures but Marena and I looked on as we followed some force in the direction of the forest plains trying not to look at the large foot prints and the scared scattered digimon as they tried to pick up and move on from the Dark Masters tyranny. Most of the cities where so demolished that they were nearly as bad as Data Port which spelled trouble for the real world as well as us. If their forces could do that and it almost seemed unimportant with how the damage was arranged that it seemed as if we didn’t have a chance.

 

After a few days we stopped, seeing the damage as we drifted away from their path on our own. Bit raised a complaint, but gave into my instinct and sense following anyway feeling I couldn’t lead him wrong. Well for the first few days it looked very negative and I walked on in my human form trying not to think of anything, staying quiet looking over to Marena as we paced along the hot dessert sands, I had developed calluses on my feet over the course of my travels and the sand almost didn’t bother me past the effort to walk in it as my feet sank into it and slowed the heavy pace we kept, despite gripes from Bit who was only able to hold it for about a day, forcing us to rest almost every night until about the half way point to the forest plains border with the desert. There was no conversation, not even in the morning hours, mainly because we all silently agreed not to scare ourselves out of what we were doing. Bit and Impmon occasionally bothered each other like brothers would and it brought a smile to my face when I listened to it. I was an only child for reasons I’ve already explained and it seemed too timid to pass up listening to. Marena who probably grew up with more of a family than I did didn’t get as much of a charge out of it and shut them up seriously and then we continued on with the sense of direction that started to veer and sway as if fallowing something moving like my path did when we first started to follow Impmon.

 

I took a sniff of the air with my inferior human nose catching only the scents of our party and nothing more thinking that I was just paranoid for a while and the fact that my human sense were less than my Digimon, I mean my speed and control dropped when I was human, so my sense of smell should have went with it in the sake of limitations. I was losing faith in my instinct from all the losses I had suffered lately and started drifting back to human frames of mind only relying on what I knew as opposed to what I could sense. On blind hope I did things and at that time I was starting to ignore the blind sixth sense to use my limited natural senses even if they were limited or enhanced. I think that’s why the path started to stagger. Marena corrected for me and I started to fall back to let her lead since I wasn’t feeling up for the concentration of the mental direction we where heading. She still veered though and sniffed and investigated coming up with apparently nothing like I did.

 

We walked on for days and kept Bit was tired enough to stay quiet for the most part, but a few topics came around till they started to bleed into where we were going and we all went silent. I started thinking about a few things too: recent battles, attacks, strategies and such, and a few things off the top of my head sang out strangely. Vulpi, may she rest in peace, called one of her attacks Berserk Energy. That confirmed what I had suspected from the masters, at least with her. Somehow I knew that she used the power of the card like I would have if I wasn’t so afraid to use it. I had fought so hard to get rid of my darkness and I almost felt like it was gone. It wasn’t as present as it used to be but it was still there, I wondered how I was affecting Leo with all of it too. My rifle held more of my energy but since I had fought with Leo I was sure he had absorbed some of what I was putting out. Without thinking I pulled him from my back and looked into his blade and cringed as a little succession of the black spot formed to a crystal like shape at the tip, instead of a small blotch he had an almost decorative discoloration on both sides like a separate piece.

 

I tapped the side of him in my palm and ran my hand up the blade feeling a slight cut form and heal as I stopped looking out a crossed the dessert. The Darkness in his shell seemed to stop there like there wasn’t enough to draw anymore looking at the shapes clear edge I noticed everyone was looking at me for pulling out my sword for no reason. “What’s the matter?” Marena asked as I looked over to the sound of her voice, “Nothing, just thinking.” I sighed as we walked on. Something was finally said besides the Masters. “About what?” Bit asked between his heavy breath. “Nothing important.” I smiled turning around walking backwards putting one arm behind my head as Impmon rubbed a lump Bit had given him a few hours earlier.

 

“Yeah right. Come on spill it Ryoku.” Impmon smiled from the corner of his mouth as everyone started to prod with him, “Let’s hear it my love.” Marena picked and all Bit had to do was give Impmon's evil little smile and I knew I was out numbered. I quickly changed thought patterns trying not to sulk over Leo and looked at Bit and Impmon for a question and decided to ask something that was on my mind off and on, “What happened to you guys after we came here?” I asked and they looked at me strange. “Huh?” Bit grunted as Marena stopped and gave us all some resting time to talk, “When we came to the digital world? What did you do?” I said and Bit looked to Impmon who had more breath than he did. “Buncha stuff.” He said as Bit fell back onto his rump laying back looking to the sky.

 

“’Bunch of stuff’ eh?” I smiled as I sat down putting Leo back into his sheath. “Like what?” I asked leaning forward as Marena came up behind me and put her paw on my shoulder while she sat down bringing her tail around my back. Impmon looked to Bit who was close to passing out now that he had the chance and he raised his hand, “Tell um’,” he said as he let his arm fall back down beside him in a happy huff, “Not all of it though, just let him know what we went thru.” He said as he got comfortable and yawned threw his heavy breaths. “K.” Impmon smiled as he sat down leaning onto his knees. “We went tru a lotta crap ta get around here. Zero told us dat yer burrow wadn’t to far away so we huffed it der. He said dat would be da first place yas go and he was right.” He said as he unhooked his arrow head shaped tail from a rock behind him and fiddled with it a little before he continued, “Gots into a buncha fights too! lotsa Dark Ones pissed at the digital world. A lot a rookies and a Ultimate.” I looked at him not expecting that, we hadn’t had any battles on our way besides Vulpi. “Impmon…” Bit said seriously trying to slow him down, he was starting to sound like he was rambling and Bit calling him made him cringe. “So what happened?” I asked looking to Bit expecting him to talk but instead Impmon cleared his throat and shot to his feet.

 

“Da first few Darkies were easy pickens, den dey started coming in groups. Now dis all here is inside of like a week too!” Impmon said as Bit started to give a frustrated growl as Impmon carried himself away in it extremely happy about it for some reason. “Was a lil hard but we managed ta kick some ass. Zero started riden up about not workin tagethea after we started see’en more den one and said we should work as a team. I thought it was crap for a while.” Impmon said starting to talk with his hands waving them around while Bit interrupted again, “Impmon!” he said as the accent he had and the attitude he held almost made his speck uncomprehendable, “What??” Impmon said as Bit rolled over to his side and eyed his Digimon. “Slow down and quiet down I’m trying to sleep here!” he griped as Impmon childishly stuck his tongue out while Bit leaned back down and closed his eyes to the phantom brightness of the day. “Sooooo,” Impmon said leaning in Bits direction rolling his head around so he could bother Bit. It made me smile to see them bicker with each other and made Starlight a little tense and testy but they weren’t just with each other for the strength. They were with each other for each other like brothers how I told Impmon to live with him.

 

“Can you get on with it Impmon?” Marena snapped making Impmon stumble back a little at the deathly look toned with Maria’s shorter temper. “Sure, sure…” he said laughing slyly as he flopped back down making sure his tail didn’t get stuck on the rock again. “Zero started coachin us on da fine points a team work in some stati-gh-ical strat-e-gical statically mumbo-jumbo, really painfull to listen to ya know what I mean,” he said pointing one finger to me with a humored look on his face, “Blah, Blah didn’t matta anyway after a while we just started getting beta without lookin out for each otha. When we was fightin Bit n’ I just started blowin away till dat ultimate came.” He said as Bit butted in so he wouldn’t butcher the name, “Dark Triceramon.” He said as Impmon continued on as if he had said it, “ Big guy, black n’ mean lookin came wit some buddies a his outside a MSN. Da otha ones don’t matta but DAT one could’a kicked our asses!” Impmon said starting to speed up again as Bit sat up and grunted knowing that Impmon would glide right over the finer points of their battle.

 

“I’ll take it from here Impmon.” Bit said as Impmon moaned, “Ahh come on!” he said in protest as Bit scrunched his face into an angry unforgiving, to mature for him, expression. “No, your going to screw it up!” Bit said as Impmon huffed once giving into his tamer while Bit picked up slower and calmer due to his exhaustion. Impmon made a face to him and I couldn’t help but smile at it as he stuck his tongue out from behind Bit and turned his head away. I almost exploded it was so childishly funny and Bit turned around almost ready to speak. “Knock it off Impmon I’m trying to talk here!” he said as he pointed a finger at him turning back around. “Triceramon, go on.” Marena said eyeing Impmon so he wouldn’t keep Bit from telling us their hardships. “We were walking all over each other, Impmon was Beelzemon but that didn’t even help. He greased the four or five other Digimon, no problem but the Triceramon just sat back and let him. When it was his turn up to bat Zero led off and started shooting at it with that implosion cannon thing he has,” he paused and looked to the ground while Impmon did the same losing the humor and the smiles for the memory of Zero, “Had.” He corrected and I smiled at his consideration. “Go on.” I said trying to get him off the subject.

 

He sighed at his over shadow of Zero’s “death” and went on. “After Zero tried to hammer it, the thing tackled him with a Mega Dash attack that he called out. I didn’t even look at my Digivice, I found out the damn thing is useless here, anyway.” he said getting back to the point. “Zero got hurt pretty bad and it was up to me and Impmon to take the dick job down. I know he was faster than he should have been and hella stronger too. I started shooting and Beelzemon did too. All it did was piss him off, running around like a bug as far as he knew.” He said starting to sneer at the ground still slumped over from Zero. “I looked at Beelzemon as he blocked my shot and almost winged him, we were just getting in each others way. I shouted for him to move and that was all the time the Triceramon needed to sock Impmon to the ground.” Impmon cringed and I thought he was remembering the blow but he made a small whine and Bit started to smirk. “I almost froze up because he almost knocked Impmon's head off. He hit the ground hard and didn’t get up for a few seconds I looked back as Dino boy started pacing to me and shouted back to Impmon to see if he was ok. The Triceramon started laughing at me and Impmon started grunting around to his feet and came around in front of me to hold his foot up while he tried to stomp me.” Bit said as Impmon sat up almost red from the part he knew Bit was going to say.

 

“He wanted me to get out of the way just in case he couldn’t hold him but I ran up beside him and pushed back with him while we both looked like we where going to get crushed. Zero started moving around and his aim sucked as he tried to help out, he ended up hitting Impmon and we almost died right there.” He said as I heard a shift from behind us turning to it quickly turning around to see what I heard not seeing anything. We had stopped in a valley between two mesas. I looked up the gradual slopes seeing nothing, but sensing something strange in the air, brushing it off like I almost did with the sixth sense.

 

“What?” Bit stopped as I shot my eyes to the hill going up. “It’s nothing,” I shook my head knowing it was something, “Go on.” I said trying to pay attention to him. “Impmon fell down and the Triceramon almost fell onto us until Zero threw something at him that popped, it was like a grenade but it didn’t explode it just popped. That sent the Big Triceratops falling over backwards and us to the ground in our own way. Impmon was hurt from the Triceramon and then from Zero’s crappy aim. I turned around and he seemed to pass out just before I was going to bitch at him. Impmon shouted to me and I didn’t have the time to turn around before the thing kicked me! It felt like he broke something and I hit the ground hard. Impmon was starting to get fuzzy and I thought I was going to hack up a rib.” Bit said as I heard another shift from behind me making me spring to the sounds origin higher up than the last sound letting me see what I thought to be movement at the ridge of the mesa. “What are you looking at?” Bit said getting annoyed at me for constantly looking over my shoulder. “I thought I saw something but it’s nothing.” I said putting on a fake smile and waved him on. “Ok…” he said as he looked off into the direction I was looking to. “Any way: Impmon was hurt, so was Zero and I. It looked like it was all over. Impmon looked like he have bought the farm and the Triceramon was about ready to finish him off when…” Bit started but was cut off by a ripping roar that echoed over the valley between the mesas making me look for the source, “We want anything of value Digimon!” the voice boomed as if from a loud speaker.

 

I looked around not seeing anything that could make a voice big and deep. “Who do you think you are?” I turned to the sound remembering a situation a lot like this when I was Dark for the masters fresh from my imprisonment. “The new dessert raiders, Tyrano Bandits. Give us what you have or be destroyed!” another voice sounded smaller and less important. “Silence! I am your commander and I will make the demands!” the first voice scolded the second as a mumble started from either side of us giving a set of numbers to go by it only sounded like thirty or forty but by the echo of the valley they sounded much bigger than they actually where. “There are no raiders, who are you.” I demanded standing up as a large black and a red digimon stepped to the ridge of the mesa a quarter mile away his eyes a blaze, “I am DarkTyrannomon commander of the Tyrano Bandits. Give us all you have or be deleted digimon.” he said as he stomped once slightly shaking the ground. He was big but that’s about all he had going for him. “Dark Tyrannomon?” I said putting a pause between his name, “DarkTyrannomon stupid.” He growled as he raised a large blackened paw to the sky, “Masters flunky calling himself a raider.” I said coldly looking up to the digimon as about ten digimon stepped to his side and growled with him. “Your sword and anything else you have or I will destroy you.” it said as his claws twitched as I looked back to Marena seeing her looking to the other mesa eyeing another twenty Digimon all standing ready for the signal to swarm us. “I think your story can wait Bit.” I said looking back up to the Tyrannomon, “No.” I said as I felt Renamon smile from my blind side as I stood calmly challenging the leader of the Bandits, “Then we will ‘take’ every thing you have. “ The large Digimon snarled as his arm dropped and a cry came out from both sides as the Digimon started to scurry down the hillside to us as I stood calmly waiting for the first one to come into distance so I could bash his face in.

 

I turned around feeling devilishly in place in the moment that rang from my memory and saw how Bit pulled his pistol from his back as Impmon put his hands up as Bit aimed and waited as the Digimon stopped suddenly, “One more chance,” the Tyrannomon said smiling from his position as the surrounding dark digimon and a few pure virus types glared evilly at us hoping we wouldn’t cave for the data they thought they would get. “We don’t need this fight.” I said as Impmon lit a fireball at his fingertip. The champion digimon grunted at me and started to laugh as the unsettling looks from his followers stabbed at me, I felt so out numbered then that I didn’t feel like we had a chance. “We do, now give us all you have or be deleted!” the DarkTyrannomon laughed as he walked down the mesas slope to the ring of his digimon surrounding us. “We have a lot more than you to deal with, let us pass and you can live.” I sneered to him. A few digimon in front of me looked between each other and I almost took their confusion to strike but held myself back for a better moment. “What kind of Digimon thinks he can win against these numbers eh? We have far more than you, do give me your sword and anything else you have and you can just walk away.” A large Cherrymon snickered from behind me on the opposite side of the digimon. I gave a growl and waited hoping something would happen, something. We really didn’t need that fight especially since we were going up against the Dark Masters. I heard Bit grunt as the situation seemed to freeze in place and the moment ran on forever, “Ryoku.” Bit said as I turned my head slightly to look at him from my good eye. “Tell him about the village and they might let us go.” He said as I turned around, “NO!” I scolded and Bit dropped his pistol, “You have a better idea?” I looked around seeing the thirty-eight Digimon surrounding us in a large circle about five ten feet away with our defense weakly concentrated in a space of about three feet back to back, Bit knew I wasn’t going to say no and admit my own lack of option and let his eyes race to my pockets. “Give them the money.” He said as he pointed his pistoled hand to my shorts. “Watch it with that thing!” I said as I avoided the straight path of a potential misfire. It was a good idea and I stuck my hand in my pocket pulling up a few coins of chip, “Take our money we don’t need it.” I said tossing it to the first Digimon in front of me as he scrounged for the small items as they fell to the ground, while I was in my pocket for the second hand full the Tyrannomon laughed, “We want more than your money,” he paused as he saw me toss the second hand full to the ground, “We want every thing you have. By the looks of it you seem to buy a lot and I want it all. Give us what you have or be destroyed!” he roared tilting his head coming in closer to his line of Digimon.

 

“No, we have the Masters to fight and we don’t need you in our way! Leave us alone or you are all DEAD!” I shouted getting angry as he refused to comply. “Cards ready?” I said in a whisper back to Bit and Marena. “I don’t have a Digivice Ryoku.” Marena said as I looked over to see her claws out as ready to fight as I was inside. I looked up and down her cloths and saw a small hump under her shirt. “Then what’s that?” I said as I looked to her hip. “Wha?” she grunted as she patted to the lump lifting up her shirt to expose the red Digivice. “That seems valuable, toss it here,” the Cherrymon said as I turned to him in a snarl. “Fuck off.” I spit looking down to Impmon who slowly eyed the Digimon around us. “Is that a defiant no then?” the Cherrymon taunted as my lip rolled into a toothy growl, “Before you are deleted what kind of Digimon are you?” the Tyrannomon laughed making me shoot back around putting my hand on Leo’s Grip twisting the snarl into a smile. “I am Ryoku. You have a death wish?” I chuckled as I pulled Leo from my back while the Tyrannomon growled, “I don’t care what your name is, what Digimon are you?”

 

His expression mixed in with my own personal prejudices to bandits and raiders told me he needed to be stopped, they all did. This in mind I held off the change long enough to relax into an open position, brining Leo down to my card pouch and used him to pop the button as I looked lowly at the Tyrannomon, “What are you?” he demanded and I innocently resounded letting the change come with my words, “They also call me Dark lord,” I said in human voice and appearance closing my eyes opening them to muzzle and fur, “Ryokumon…” I smiled growling as I dashed to the first Digimon before the retaliation could be ordered, “ATTACK!! DESTROY THEM NOW!!” the Tyrannomon roared, joined and reinforced by his Cherrymon second. I didn’t even see the first two Digimon as I cut threw them and rolled threw their data like a volcanic rock tumbling down the side of the heated geyser.

 

The Tyrannomon had all the time to step back into a fighting stance but instead turned and took two steps while I glided closer as every inch of fur on my body readied for my first strike. “You’re DEAD!” I shouted at him for wasting my time as I almost made it into striking range. Only to find out why he was starting to run, his tail slammed at me from behind knocking me to the ground almost making me drop Leo landing on my card pouch sliding a foot before I found enough sense to push off my stomach in a front flip and land on my feet not even waiting to see if he had moved before I leaped into the air putting my free paw out and zeroed in on him almost instantly in the air. Waiting the arch out as he eyed me using my air time for the perfect angel, “BRIMSTONE!” I shouted using my Dark equivalent to my Crystal Shard attack. The blast from my palm sent a wispy smoke covered rock from me to him, and the recoil made me spin into a typhoon and I used that motion as I came down to slash at him in my dizzying speeds.

 

I felt two hits and both seemed to be deflected by his scaly hide. I would have made a third rotation but his clawed hand smacked me a crossed my side sending me flying away from him again. Leo wasn’t cutting it literally and  he was doing more damage to me then than I was doing to him. “Matrix Digvalution Activate!” Bit shouted as I looked over to see Impmon evolve into his other form of Beelzemon and I smiled as I trotted backwards, away from the Digimon while I went for my card pouch. The first hit closed it and I had to open it again costing me a second as the Tyrannomon rushed down on me. I whipped up a card and smiled at it as I looked at it, “Heavy Assault Armor Activate!” I shouted as I slashed the card threw my Digivice as the Tyrannomon brought back his sharp clawed hands to stab at me while the card activated and I felt a weight surround me a second before the heavy thud blew me back another few feet still standing as I grinded away. “What the?” it grunted in disbelief as a small scratch formed on my chest from its center claw. The large black Digimon seemed to be less powerful than he had thought. “My turn.” I said dropping Leo down as I reversed my movement to him in a rush as the armor worked with me and I jetted to him propelled by the advanced abilities given by the armor. “SABER SLASH!” I shouted as Leo lit up in my pass. I wanted to play a little before I went serious and I turned his blade to the side and smacked the Digimon’s legs from under him with a laugh. That gave me enough time to look at the others as they struggled with the Digimon not because they were strong because they’re were so many of them the Cherrymon commanded Woodmon and Dark Palmon to attack while the Tyrannomon had forces of  Togemon, fairly weak and all weak to fire.

 

“WATCH OUT!” Beelzemon shouted as I saw him avoid a spray of needles turning my head slightly to see the Tyrannomon had attacked with a Fire Blast. I didn’t have time to block only prepare for it as the large fireball hit me doing no damage to me by the flames but with the seemingly solid core of it as it hit and slid around my armor like a wet towel. I was almost toppled over but I kept my balance long enough to get another tail a crossed the head as he called out his attack, “IRON TAIL!” and bashed me across the face almost knocking my head off sending me flying again. I was starting to fume and I could feel my paws slowly and weakly smoking, not to the point of ignition but I was angry, “Ryoku Help!” Marena shouted as I looked over to see the Cherrymon using the vines in his branches to strangle her. “BLUE CARD STARLIGHT!” I shouted as I pulled another card from my pouch at my hip outside my armor.

 

She was in trouble, Cherrymon is an ultimate and I had my hands full with the champion in front of me. I knew that I could have handled the more flammable Digimon there but I was stuck fighting that Mac Truck. I didn’t wasn’t to play around anymore and I brought the card up to my face seeing it useless to me then. I dropped it thinking I would find the mean card again and it disappeared as it left my paw. I leaned back with my next stride and crouched down with momentum and gravity on my side and jumped into the air looking down putting my paw out and called out, “BRIMSTONE!” again and cleared out more of the Woodmon and Palmon in the way of Beelzemon to Renamon, “Help’s coming Starlight!” I shouted as she fumbled down at her waist for the Digivice swiping a card threw again and again I couldn’t see from my elevation and speed. “FIRE BLAST! FIRE BLAST! FIRE BLAST!” the DarkTyranno called out as I flew threw the air aiming for me missing the firs two shots but nailing me with the third. I hissed as the impact sent a crack threw the armor. It was starting to lose its effectiveness and I knew I needed to make it quick if I was going to use the heavy addition to my attack power. “HEAVY ASSAULT!!” I shouted as I rolled around in mid air pointing Leo at the Tyrannomon having a beam of energy shoot from him like a laser.

 

The beam hit him and he put his arm in front of it and it bounced off like light from a mirror while he growled at it’s effectiveness causing pain if not damage. “Beelzemon! Help Marena!” I shouted as I landed in the middle of three Woodmon dropping my other attack wile I cut them down like firewood and they exploded like the nothings that they were to me. There was a few rounds of fire coming from Bit as he kept out of harms way silently swiping cards for Impmon shooting Digimon when they tried to attack him wounding them enough to disable or be destroyed by their injuries, “You got it!” he shouted as he pushed and tossed thru the other Digimon enhanced by the masters but only enough to make it difficult to make passage. “You think you’re the only ones who can Digivolve??” the DarkTyrannomon laughed as he screamed out a vicious roar and rolled his head back in concentration as I felt his energy swell to the next level as he called out the next challenge I’d face, “DarkTyrannomon Digivolve To!” he shouted as I dashed around a Palmon hitting it in the back of the head. While I sprinted over to the large one story tall digimon armor plated naturally only to have him Digivolve to ultimate and make more problems for me. I was half way to him when the light started to fade, I was ready to use that time when his guard was down to stab him between the eyes and finish him so I could help Marena. “HEAVY ASSAULT!” I shouted as I started to hear him finish his evolution, “KingTyrannomon!” as a four clawed hand jutted out before I could power my attack and a gauntleted hand slamming me a crossed the neck forcing me to the ground almost dropping Leo again as I brought him up to the mail and pressed inward to the sagging metal while the rest of the Digimon came into view.

 

The large thing was still black but also had gold armor on and a shorter face still loaded with razor teeth and fangs from his jaw that reached up and made channels almost to his eyes. His chest was protected by Gold armor that came to bone in the center of his chest bearing a symbol I recognized from scrolls of an ancient Digimon. His stomach wasn’t really protected by much of anything accept the bony hide he had when he was a DarkTyrannomon and that went down to his leggings of gold that made way for bony blades that stuck from his knees. His legs where still the same and past the armor I couldn’t see too much of a change.

 

I tried to smile as I forced Leo’s tip threw the links in the mail while the Tyrannomon brought back his other hand and fisted the claws calling out a new attack he had acquired, “BLUNT KNUCKLE!” and a swirl of fire surrounded his hand as I gave one last growl as the metal of my armor groaned and bent closer to my neck as Leo separated links of the gauntlet and stabbed into rough flesh making his attack miss and strike ground above my head. He pulled back and I removed Leo and rolled out of the way as plates on my chest started to fall off and the card failed right there, “Oh Crap!” I huffed as the power left me and that advantage was gone, “What a time to die out on me.” I smiled as I flipped to the side to let another Blunt Knuckle glide past me. I tried to use his movement to slash at him but I didn’t have the strength then and Leo just bounced off the plate of armor protecting his back and he was wedged between the links of his spine that stuck out and the rush of speed the Tyrannomon used to attack jerked me with him ripping my arm from its socket making me cry out as I held on for dear life while he tried to turn around to me on his back, as he stopped and changed directions not seeing me on the ground I swung around on my joint-less arm and slammed into his back almost losing my grip while I fumbled for another card.

 

All of a sudden he stopped and I started to slide down his back till he slammed me into the plates of his armor and jerked me and Leo from his back and threw me a few feet to bounce and lose my grip completely. I rolled till I was on my back and couldn’t feel my arm, numb from the pain that pricked at me. He didn’t attack knowing I was weak then and started to play with me, “You could have made this easy for yourself ‘Lord Ryokumon’ but now I’ll have to load your data.” he laughed as he stalked up to me in a low laughing growl snarling in with a yearn for the imminent kill. My paw was still on my pouch and I kept my cards from flying out while I tumbled away I pulled another out almost having the time to smile at the Angewomon card before I meat Blunt Knuckle in the face making me lose the card as it disappeared from my paw as I lost the energy to keep a grip threw a hit. Again the flames didn’t effect me but the impact of his fist to my head flashed my vision white and as I hit the ground I saw gray scale and then briefly color before I pulled up another card and went to slash it before he could attack again. “I don’t think so!” he laughed as he pinned my good arm down by stabbing ground and almost braking it as his three foot claws pierce dirt and bent my arm at the joint while I tried to pull away to no avail.

 

My other arm was almost useless but I found the strength to pull it up and worm it back into socket with the attempt at movement and raised it in a horse scream “BRIMSTONE!” I shouted out as I let it fall to the ground creating half of a spray of extinguished stones impacted with his armored face shattering at metal as his second hand missed again catching my arm on the ground pinning it in place as well while he and I both recovered from our attacks and impacts. He growled as he turned his head back, that had caused damage as a thin band of his armor was removed to show an unstable wound from where the rocks ripped apart his armor. “I’LL EAT YOU NOW!!” he shouted as he opened his mouth and brought down his teeth on me while I brought my feet up and held back his jaws. I was strong but I couldn’t hold that. He was an ultimate and I was just a champion. He had far more strength than I did and no matter how hard I fought he inched closer to me open mouthed and pungent breathed closer and closer as I felt my feet start to slip over the slick saliva covered fangs. “I NEED A LITTLE HELP HERE!” I shouted as I closed my eyes in a grunt as no one answered not even the sounds of the battle, nothing but my concentration to keep the digimon from biting my head off and throwing my lifeless body around for sport.

 

I let out a howl and it was lost to the pressure he applied as my legs burned and my arms ached, my head felt like it was going to explode and I felt like it was the end! I knew that if something didn’t happen I was lunchmeat and my howl ended with a bright red streak opening my eyes to a migraine headache and the KingTyrannomon falling away as his armor faded to instability I huffed and no audio came to me while I tried as hard as I could to see as I looked over to see Marena still fighting the Cherrymon while a new digimon stood over me looking so noble yet evil at the same time in what looked like a jumpsuit with bats all over it gold trim around the seams and a black and red cloak. I tried to talk but didn’t hear anything yet I felt my voice moan as every nerve in my arms and legs burned and pricked at me like red-hot needles.

 

I tried to raise my paw and attack at the new Digimon, my first fear was that it was reinforcements but he smiled down to me as he leaped into the air and spread his cloak and slight hearing returned and I heard “GRIZZLY WING!” shouted as a flood of black came from his back and surrounded the Tyrannomon  when that was finished the new Digimon came to the ground and dashed to him and slashed at him with a ribbon of red seemingly blood, “CRIMSON LIGHTNING!” he shouted shattering off a chunk of armor on his shoulder and more unstable wounds appeared below as the Tyrannomon screamed out in blurred pain and the loud pained roar almost split my skull and I rolled to the side clasping my paws over my ears onto my arm that was pulled from its socket.

 

“Ryoku!” I heard a voice call thru my paws as I held the skin of my ears over themselves with my paws adding that much more interference making sound that much lighter while my head throbbed. “Ryoku, are you OK?” the voice called again and I opened my eyes and blinked around a little seeing Bit standing over me holding his blue card in his hand, “Are you ok? Say something??” he shouted and I removed one paw from my head and hushed him, “I’m fine, who’s that?” I said looking over as the new Digimon took a Blunt Knuckle to the face sending him stumbling back messing up the perfect yellow hair and making his pale bat winged masked face red from the hit. “Myotismon! PUT HIM DOWN!!” Bit shouted as I blinked as the Digimon blinked once from the powerful hit as if it was nothing and turned around with an attack of his own,  “Nightmare claw.” He said calmly pressing his hand delicately to his head making the Tyrannomon  scream out in fear and pain as his eyes went from a gray to pure white as his expression blanked and he fell backwards and slumped over looking brain dead on the ground to twitch for a second before the color in his eyes came back.

 

“Should I finish him Ryoku?” The Digimon asked as he looked back to me holding the blood red ribbon in two hands like a shank to KingTyrannomon’s neck. I shook my head trying to understand what was happening and I looked over to the battle cry of Renamon as she snapped off a branch on the Cherrymon’s head. I pushed myself up and felt like I had lost my arm for the remainder of the battle and dashed over to Marena without responding to Myotismon, I had other things to think about than a wounded bandit on the ground waiting for the order to kill him. “YOU BITCH!” the talking tree shouted as he shook his head and sent down a rain of rock like pits shouting out the attack that Marena danced between, “PIT PELTER!” she was just as fast as I was and I dodged between the rain of pits to her side almost and gave her one armed assistance using my skills to take that ultimate down. “Need some help Starlight?” I asked as she looked over to me seriously and gave a hint of a smile as she concentrated on not getting smothered in the projectile seeds. “Would be nice!” she huffed as she moved between the eddies of dirt and tendrils of ejecta as the pits burrowed themselves into the ground.

 

I raised my arm concentrating on the Digimon’s continuing attack as well as dividing my mind to gathering enough energy to attack calling out “CRYSTAL SHARD!” amazed as a smoldering spray shot from my paw hitting the Digimon like acid and burning at his face lighting up the leafy mustache as he brought his arms to the blaze as the vapors shot away: it was steam, my normal attacks were ice and lightning based and that was like hot ice, the heat of it was enough to light his face up and the water of the ice evaporated on contact making it dry as a bone to ignite him further. I was amazed by it, not only had that stopped him but it meant there was a lack of my Dark Energy! I almost jumped for joy if he hadn’t put out his face and defended with his Illusion Mist the haze surrounded us and I saw nothing but a white field like snow but solid. I looked for Marena and gasped when I saw I was alone. There was nothing no one. I shrilly gaped and started to panic, “Marena? Starlight? Where are you?” I said as I whipped to either side looking into the depths of the illusion I didn’t realize I was in. I heard the Cherrymon laugh the second before he hit me sending me stumbling back while I watched him fad from my vision while growled at his phantom shadow as it vanished from vision the further he ducked away.

 

“Ryoku, Where are you I cant see!?” Marena shouted as I listened to her in just as much of a panic as I was. “I can’t see either, calm down…” I said just before another hit came from behind as a rustle of leaves sounded making me turn to the hit taking it on my bad arm and fall over in pain trying not to scream, “Your money wont buy you your data Digimon.” the Cherrymon laughed as he circled. I took a deep breath listening as I looked out threw the blinding white. “I’m going to kill you, you son of a bitch!” I growled as I hissed in my pain to my feet I heard another rustle of leaves and I took it as warning and jumped into the air. “Ryoku, what should I do, AHH!” Marena cried scared now and then hurt as I listened to the sound of the leaves stop abruptly and wood creak as the Cherrymon hit her. “STARLIGHT!” I shouted as I fell to the ground and hit sooner than I thought I would. I tumbled over and put my bad arm forward and feel onto myself gasping in the pain as it burned a crossed my torso. “LISTEN!…” I shouted getting cut short as I was slapped away from the words falling back and sliding a few seconds till I hit something hard. “That’s enough outa you!” the tree laughed as I heard Renamon gasp, “Ryoku are you ok?” I chuckled as I cradled my arm and smiled “I’m fine, listen for hi…” I started saying it quickly as the rustle of his leaves and the force of his solid lumbered arm punched me into the rock. “OK keep talking I don’t want to hit you.” she said as the Cherrymon pulled back his arm and I felt stone fall a crossed my torso, “While grunts of pain do?” I joked as Marena fallowed the sounds of the leaves “CRYSATL SHARD!” she shouted as the tree quickly evaded. “Bit Impmon. What’s the deal where are you?” I shouted as Marena used my voice to keep herself from hitting me shooting another crystal shard at the tree missing again but keeping him far enough away not to touch her.

 

“Just as blind as you are Ryoku. How you holding up? Better?” Bit joked as he stumbled to the sound of my voice. “I feel like crap kid. Gah! My fuckin arm got pulled outa da socket and it hurts like a bitch!” I laughed as I fallowed Marena’s voice and the sound of the leaves “PIT PELTER!” the Cherrymon shouted as Marena jumped into the air dodging the attack giving me a clear shot at the Digimon, swinging my good paw out and using her leap, “CRYSTAL SHARD!” I shouted and drained off what fighting energy I had reserved to hear the Digimon scream again as my attack made contact. My vision went gray and shadowy figures and the landscape came back as I moved to my feet seeing that the Digimon’s head was flaming. I didn’t get a direct hit but it was close enough to light the dry leaves of his canopy. I looked up and saw Marena falling down and I almost held off my attack as the Cherrymon temporarily ignored his flaming limbs to turn around and try another Pit Pelter I came in and ducked down  below his arm as he swung it and bared my claws that still smoked, or vented vapors as humid whips fallowed me matting down my fur as I charged him pressing my paw to his face making him gasp repeatedly was the heated substance condensed on him like sweat and started to run down his bark singing it. “Mercy?” I sang as I pushed into him while he stood paralyzed from the heat and the pain of his smoldering head. He didn’t know I couldn’t attack and it was my bluff. “MERCY PLEASE!!” he shouted, I smiled as he cried out pressing in again sinking into the bark around his right eye while he fearfully looked at me thru the left. “I’M ON FIRE! MERCY PLEASE!” he shouted as a branch fell from his head letting a fuse like vine drop over my shoulder, “PUT IT OUT PLEASE!! MERCY!!” he cried as I pushed him back letting go of his face as he pulled the vine across my mane and had the flame slap me in the face. It almost hurt, I assumed that was because I was so torn up but it almost burned.

 

I let my paw drop and scowled over my shoulder to see Myotismon standing over the KingTyrannomon in the same position making sure even wounded he didn’t move. I smiled that he could keep him like that even threw blindness. The Cherrymon jumped on his head screaming as his smoked and blazed rolling around like a cigarette butt trying to put out his head by throwing dirt on it and gasping in pain as it continued. “HELP ME!! HELP ME PLEASE!!” he begged and I used my foot to kick dirt on him. Not very much but I couldn’t just stand back and let him burn if he begged for mercy, begging was enough, his pride had to have taken a shot and dying would make it even worse. Flames are such a bad way to go from what I’ve heard. Furthering my mercy was to put him out.

 

It took a few minutes and I felt nothing as I did it, maybe a little remorse but that was nothing to me then. “Thank you.” the smoldering tree cried as he cringed back and started to crawl away. “Wait.” I said and he froze. I waited a minute thinking of why I wanted him to stay; scowling deeply from my arm as he turned around slowly and fearfully eyed me with the scald mark above his eye I cringed when I saw it twitching my scared eye feeling I had done what Heto had. Then remembering the scare he had given me but feeling then that it was equal now with what I did to that digimon. “I don’t want to see or hear of either of you raiding in my territory otherwise next time I won’t be so nice.” I said sighing and closing my eyes so I didn’t have to look at my own work. “Let him up.” I said flatly without turning to Myotismon. “Ryoku?” Bit said and I opened my eyes looking over my shoulder with a smile and remorse for battling them. “Tell Impmon to let him up.” I smiled knowing then that Myotismon was his partner. I may not have had long to think about it but it added up somehow.

 

“Bit? Are you sure?” Myotismon asked without the accent I was so used to hearing from that digimon’s mouth. It was so dignified and filled with nobility even more than my digimon voice. He looked like a pretty boy despite the who pale vampire thing. I looked up into the sky seeing that it was still day feeling so tiered then it could have been the middle of the night. “Let him up.” Bit sighed giving into respective authority. “Either of you make the mistake of coming around here again I’ll kill,” I paused remembering digimon didn’t understand the terms Death and kill, “Destroy you. Got it?” I spat at them seriously and they both nodded painfully and started to limp away.

 

“Yes Dark Lord Ryokumon, anything you say.” The Cherrymon pleaded as he backed away. “What ever you say.” The Tyrannomon joined as he limped away holding the missing armor over his shoulder. “Get out of here before I change my mind.” I said and they both hurried away while I smiled at the achievement I had just made. It wasn’t Brimstone anymore it was Crystal Shard. It was coming back! Or going away actually, I was almost pure. My dark energy was fading and my assumptions with Leo where turning out to be real! I was going pure!

 

We may not have needed that battle, we may have gotten our asses stomped a little but I felt like somewhere it was worth it and that it may have been necessary in some way. I don’t know where it came from or why but I knew they were why our path staggered and wandered. We weren’t looking for the forest plains then we where looking for those bandits, so I could lose that anger. I may have weakened but I was that much stronger. Purity is better than corruption and in frailty there is strength even if it is weaker,it is more precise. Then I had the abilities of fire and ice of lightning and earth. Not directly useable but I was sure that the abilities to attack were there if I needed them and all I needed to do was call on them and the power would be there.

 

I burned in that battle; at the end I almost felt the burn. The flame hit me and it tingled. I was still resistant to it but now it affected me. That is so much more into the future I shouldn’t even say it now but that fact mattered so much. There still was a long road ahead of us,a long path and a blind cause at the other end, still no plan and we were mostly injured. We needed to succeed at defeating our adversary, the Dark Masters. The evil from the real world. Something from my past that wrecked my future, someone, something evil…


It’s All Behind Us

I was happily hurt as I walked away from that fight, slightly depressed that I had to do it but overly happy that we won and that I won a little more self awareness and dignity when you get down to it. I picked Leo up and I smiled as I walked past Bit. He shot me the most peculiar look ever with that smile, considering the present standings and what we where off to do things looked that much worse. Myotismon followed over beside me and looked down at me with one eye, around the large collar of his cloak and the puff of his large sleeves that impaired his vision. “You coming Starlight?” I asked as I looked back to see her hobble a little. “Are you ok?” I asked as she smiled and held a small healed over gash on her hip.

 

“Come on over here Starlight and lean on me.” I waved as we walked on. She came up beside me but didn’t lean on me, just looked at me strangely as I smiled onm as we walked in an unknown direction for about two hours. “Where are we going?” Myotismon asked as he stood over me looking away from the light of day. I looked up to him with a smile on, “To the forest plains.” I said and he grunted, “So soon, why?” and I gave a little chuckle as I looked over to see Marena without her hobble. “We need to make time, if D is this way then the Masters will be a while away even if they catch their goof.” I said thinking that the subject would stop with the mention of the destination. “We just got out of a fight, don’t you think we need a little rest?” Bit asked as he came up around Myotismon and stood in front of me to protest, “Your just angry because they interrupted our little break.” I teased as Marena chimed in. “I think we should rest for a while my love. That was a hell of a fight.” She said and I knew that we would anyway. “All right then.” I stopped and acted like I was disappointed, I couldn’t control my tail from swaying though.

 

“What are you so happy about?” Myotismon questioned as he flipped his cloak out from under himself so he could sit down recreating the circle we where in before the fight. “Huh?” I grunted knowing I was happy but not really seeing it. “Your smiling Ryoku I can see it.” Myotismon leaned away from the sun and forced himself not to cringe from the light. “I think,” I stopped asking myself why and coming then to the conclusion that I was that much closer to my purity and a shock in the instant that if I really was then my attacks would be ice and not steam, “It’s nothing.” I stopped thinking of a way around my smile. “I know you are happy so what is it?” he prodded a little more. I thought briefly partially losing the smile for thinking about it. “I just needed the activity, we lost a lot. It felt good to win at something. I never won shit in my life and this is a twist for the best.” I smiled almost giggling at my past. “You were never a gambler my love.” Marena picked as she put her paw on my bad shoulder, I hissed and she pulled her paw away as I laughed at the joke and the pain in part. “Not in this life I wasn’t, but when I was human I was and I was broke more times than I can remember.” I laughed as I rolled my arm around and took a deep breath. I didn’t have full movement from it and I lost about ten degrees of movement in all directions but I concentrated on the pain trying to center it hoping they would drop the subject.

 

“You haven’t talked about yourself much.” Bit said leaning over to me, “What’s your real name Ryoku?” I looked at him for the question not even expecting it. “What’s yours?” I responded looking down at my arm and looked from a low angle to him in total position to fight for that information. “Bit is my real name..” he said leaning back. “Then what’s your last name?” I asked as he laughed slightly embarrassed and tried to cover his tracks, “Uh, I don’t have one. I’ve been around you know that.” He laughed forcefully and I leaned forward putting both arms in my lap so I could lean on my knees more with my good arm because as soon as I applied the weight I jumped like someone stabbed my shoulder and twisted. “I have a last name, Kitsune. That was my mothers name.” I looked over to Marena to see her give me a look. It was the truth though my father always told me that Tenko had the strangest last name when he meet her. She introduced herself as Tenko Kitsune I wasn’t about to let them in on that secret, maybe Marena but Bit and Impmon didn’t need to know.

 

“Well then.” Myotismon cleared his throat bringing his cloak around so his body didn’t catch sunlight. “Who would that be? Your Digimon mother or your human?” he tipped, I wasn’t prepared for Impmon to be so perspective. He would have made Zero proud that’s for sure. “Both.” I said and Bit and Impmon both fell back, I say Impmon because that was enough of a shock to make him fall back and de-digivolve. “Not talking about it so don’t even start.” I said putting up my good paw and took another breath as I shifted my shoulder to a slight pain. I used the moment of silence between their questions to find a center to it and started to feel more tired than handicapped and I leaned back on both arms to a small burn and opened my eyes to look at everyone as they stared on in awe at my personal control to take that kind of pain. “What’d you mean bout losin’ all da time?” Impmon asked as Bit started to nod just wanting to talk about something. “Just what I said. I had rotten luck. I stayed away from card games because the luck of the draw was never with me.” Bit looked at me slightly more pressing low and with a lip, “More info needed please.” He semi-demanded.

 

“Well, I lost a poker game against a few friends that lost two whole paychecks once.” I said trying to avoid direct situations of the human life I left behind. “Insufficient data.” he pressed further and I gave him a serious low brow for prodding to far into my business. I would have said something but Marena was burning a hole in the side of my head and I looked over to see the same look I was giving Bit directed at me. “Your looking at data kid,” I said leaning back in a huff while Marena’s eyes followed me to the ground, “What does it matter anyway?” I puffed as I put an arm behind my head so I could look into the sky. “Shitty luck or not, your hiding something.” Bit said in a growl. “Not for you kiddo, what I’m hiding is for yellow ears only.” I smiled as I looked over to Marena still slightly eyeing me but with an off center smile slightly amused. “You saw those clowns back there and didn’t say anything. I don’t think your working off of everything if you let something like that slip.” He pointed out and I growled to the sky. “What’s your real name Bit.” I said flatly making him make a short crawl to me before Impmon stopped him, “Uh-uh let um’.” he said probably holding him back. “Don’t get stressed with me kid, you decided to come. What I know, you don’t need to hear. I’m not human anymore, in case you haven’t noticed, so what I was doesn’t matter.” I said as he huffed back to sitting. “It’s Bit.” He said and I smiled, “I know.”

 

“So uh?” Impmon stammered, “What you tink dis D ting is?” he asked since we where all so talkative. I took a breath and blew it into the sky, “Really bad voodoo from what I do know. Legends have a nasty habit of coming true here. I don’t know too much more than you do.” I said looking up still squinting from a scoreless light to one side of the real world that was just barely in my left eye. “I was the Digimon Hunter and part of my little legend was I’d fuck over my ‘Masters’ and I did. In the D legend somewhere it said something about a knight of the darkness turning tail on his masters too, one ultimate evil spawns another and here we are.” Bit grunted out in reply and Marena hummed a little, “Are you even sure the legends are the same thing?”

 

I looked to her not seeing her from my anglel and rolled to the sound of her voice onto my bad shoulder, “Too perfect Starlight. Think about it, Masters and Masters they both say the same thing and that’s the name the Dark ‘Haxorz’ are using.” I said as Bit waved his hands, “Wait, wait, wait…” he said stopping me mid point, “Master-baters are hackers? How the hell did that happen?” I looked over to Marena thinking that at least one of her had explained it while I was down for the count. “Well, From what I found out after a few really happy news reports. The two of them are hackers and from other people, I found out they stole some experimental shit that copies brains, digitally. Their useless bags of flesh and shit where found at their computers. I got it straight from them too. I popped the topic while I was there and got a lack of air in their proximity. They are human or were.” Bit almost flabbergasted, “Worlds?” Impmon said and I looked to him from my side pushing up with my good arm because it was really starting to hurt my bad one. “What?” I asked as he repeated, “Worlds, dats one part of da D legend. Worlds something…” Impmon said as I started to repeat what I knew of the legend.

 

“From the depth of the ground will come a demon, all that see it shall follow its downfall. From the start of time it shall destroy all, as if it’s creator and it’s annihilator. The D shall rise again with force driven from unknown fought struggles as the knights of the light shall defend their worlds with strengths brought from within and each other as one.

 

These small chances picked by fate shall be the only possibility for the eternal universe as separate they fight together they will understand the scope of their fate as the D will swallow all they know. Unless these lights succeed all shall be dark…”

 

I quoted what I knew of  the little legend that I knew for his inaccurate say of it. “ Yeah so what?” I asked looking down my feet as he tapped his chin. “I just gots ta tinken’,” he said looking too well in thought for his usual attitude, “What does dat crap mean?” he asked looking at me not for an answer but for the response, “It’s going to ransack the plains of the digital world, what else could it mean?” I said as he pointed a finger to the sky and went brutally serious, “Der is a real world too ya know.” he said and it snapped right there, “No, couldn’t be.” I said in disbelief of his own deduction, “How the hell would you know?” I asked thinking it was to far off even for the digital world, “When I was Myotismon a few minuets ago, I started tinken’ ‘Hmm, D, what does it mean?’ n’ it hit me dis aint just a digi-disasta its go’en ta cross ova!”

 

I looked at him as he told me that intentionally conning me into saying the legend, “How’s that even possible?” Bit asked as Impmon smiled at his momentary evolutionary intelligentsia spurt. “Well all a dat ‘how’s it gonna work’ tink about it. We came tru, why not it. Jus because we can does'n mean what eva it is can’t do it too.” he said making a very strong point. “We don’t even know what ‘it’ is. How do we even know it’s a digimon or even if it isn’t if it could make it to the real world?” I asked almost jokingly. “Youse gots a sword n’ youse brought it with ya. Even if it ain’t a Digimon who says it cant take some’m wit it?” that was a nervous and very scary point. It needed to be addressed though and I’m sure glad someone thought about it before it stunned us later.

 

“That’s enough.” I said leaning back in a groan tired from my arm, “We talk about it anymore and we’re just going to start scaring our selves, this isn’t a game and this is all just theoretical.” I sighed in closing of the topic and grunted the next phrase, “Change the subject or get some sleep. If you’re coming I don’t want to hear another thing about it.” everyone mumbled but agreed and the only comment that was left to say was, “We are going into this without a game plan whatever it is its going to get us killed if we don’t think of something.” That was what would have been said if I hadn’t hushed it almost before it started, Bit was right, but I still had no idea what we were up against. We still had the ancients to think about, we still had the Dark Masters to consider and above that we needed to get there first. I doubted they kept it in a cage somewhere but until we knew what we where up against we had no choice but to run in and stand around. It would be a game of waiting.

 

“What’s your name?” Bit asked again trying to change the subject and I only responded, “What’s yours?” ending the discussion for the day and shortly off into the night came sleep.

 

Well that was helpful, we all had just lost the initiative even if we had it to begin with. I could feel that everyone was nervous about the whole deal but they were following me, if even to their deaths. I would have given anything for Bit and Impmon to finish their story then, suspenseful and all but by the appearance of Myotismon I think you know how it ended. I think it was like watching a movie and then someone changing the channel right at the end, I didn’t think about it until after I went to sleep and I couldn’t even jar myself from that rest even from the full headed suspense I was in. I decided it didn’t matter and went over it centering my pain further tiring my mind making my sleep almost senseless from the exhaustion of regaining the function of my arm. I caught myself thinking about Impmon's points about D and then quickly stopped myself trying to stay relatively happy with the victory just achieved.

 

The closer I came to the morning the less I was thinking about my purity and the more I was thinking about Starlight. I came into that mess with the idea of revenge on my mind and it was still there, everyone was following me into their coffins and didn’t seem to care. All they knew was that I was leading them into a battle I knew from experience with the masters themselves we could not win with the cards we had literally. I brushed to the battle and in the blur seeing Marena being strangled by the Cherrymon I recognized the card she was swiping. Blue. She couldn’t Digivolve then and that meant all we were left with were Myotismon and my Shintaomon as our strongest Digimon forms. On the plus side of it, Marena did have her Digivice again which meant she could card slash again and keep herself from getting killed if and when she was caught in the cross fire, she could sit sidelines and slash for me if it came to that but that would keep her from the fight I was sure she would enter into anyway.

 

Now if it wasn’t half-baked enough already we were still unprepared for anything. Not enough weapons to go around for one. Not enough bodies to go around. We were the four of us and well the Masters were however many digimon they decided to bring on their little safari into the forests. Not a good vision to see the Masters riding on the shoulders of a dark mega that they controlled un-objectively. They didn’t seem to fear death and whatever they did now they were stronger, Berserk Energy or not. If there was one thing I wasn’t looking forward to it was an army of megas when we had problems with two and still got our asses kicked with one mega of our own, who we no longer had, I might add.

 

After thinking all this you’d think I would have changed my mind but I didn’t, as crazy as that sounds. I felt like I had to do it no matter what it cost me and the price scared me, I lost Zero even though I felt he would come back I lost him against the minions of the Dark Masters. I don’t think I could live if I lost either Bit Impmon or Marena. They where far more important to me than Zero. Zero was a soldier and his loss was acceptable and morn-able I couldn’t live with myself if anyone else died for my vendetta.

 

I woke up thinking I was going to protect them all and still do what needed to be done. I know now that thinking like that only gets everyone killed. It wasn’t the case but you’ll hear about that later. In the morning no one spoke but I looked at them all fearfully serious and searched my mind for the path again feeling its direction from the direction we came in. it was only two hours of walking so it wouldn’t matter.

 

“Everyone ready?” I asked standing up testing the shoulder, giving me a twinge and a pop but un-painful and fully functional. After ten or twenty minuetes of yawns, small amounts of griping and a lot of stretching I led the pack back the way we came. Looks formed again and Marena eyed Bit and Impmon to keep their questions at bay. They wanted to learn more about me and I wasn’t prepared to answer, they were testy and edging on non trust, so when we passed around the battle grounds of the previous day I sighed looking up to the ridge, “Ok guys ask me something.” I said looking back out across the dessert.

 

Everyone was still tired and higher brain functions were a little much to ask for but Bit thought for a minute and found a simple question to start-off with. “You hate card games?” he said as I looked back. “Yeah, I always sucked.” I smiled threw the tufts on my shoulder. “Then…why do you have all of these Digimon cards?” he said drawing out the first word for effect, “I’m a collector. I have a bunch of card games lots of magical and anime stuff. I never really got into them because I always ended up losing my good cards in a for keeps match.” Bit sighed accepting the answer, “How’d you know how to play Digimon then?” I had turned back around and just looked out at horizon waiting a few minutes to recall how I had learned. “You go to a toy store someone is bound to know and I was a fan of the show more than the card game. You can only really be a nut about something if you have everything and know how it works. I just learned the game, I may not have played it much but I knew the rules and a lot of strategies with the kicking cards I collected.” Lying about the strategy I smiled and almost held my breath hoping Marena didn’t test me. I was the smother your opponent kind of player and I only really developed strategy when I became my Kitsune self.

 

“So you never played the game but you have all these cards?” he said as he pulled out his plastic baggy with the picture in it as well as my cards and a spare clip Zero had given him with the pistol. “Yeah, I know how much these things are worth. I planed on selling them once. After I had them so long I just started to make collection after collection. I had the full set of discontinued cards before I gave you your deck, I think a lot of those are v2 and v1 cards old but still can whomp on someone who doesn’t know what they are doing.” I said as Bit huffed and growled at the fact I gave him what he considered a losing deck. “HUH! Why do I get the sappy cards?” he whined as I turned around to walk backwards swishing my tail threw the air so fast it made a sound, “You had the luck of the draw too Bit. I just chopped my collectors set into a deck it’s not like I looked at them and said ‘Woo-hoo lets screw with Bit.’” I said looking at the bag as he pulled out a card and looked at the number for the series on the corner. I could tell by looking at the back it was 02 but he had to see the number to tell, “Besides you still have a bunch of my good cards too. Lots of those are stronger than the other series cards.”

 

I saw the picture again and wondered what or who it was of and turned around to walk as Bit grunted with a glare at me while we walked on in our normal heavy pace. I couldn’t ask right off and most of the day went on silently until I could even push myself to asking him, “What’s that picture you have?” I asked and he kept silent knowing exactly what I was asking. “Private.” He said and I huffed waiting a while longer before continuing, “I answered your question.” I said and he made no sound but crossed his arms in defeat of the honest question, “It’s my folks ok.” he spat. I could have looked back but I didn’t only showing my interest with a dropped ear and putting my thumbs under my belt. “Were they nice?” I asked and again no sound and no movement from him other than the pace. “I can’t remember them.” he said sadly and I put an angry face on for making him say it. “Sorry.” I said apologizing to him. “It’s not your fault. Some other digimon did it. I don’t blame you anymore. I just wish I could remember their names.” He chuckled as if it didn’t matter.

 

“I know they were good parents, I just can’t remember them. All I have is a picture the policemen gave me when they came and picked me up.” I dropped my head and my ears went straight back as I remembered the loss of my mother, I took a heavy breath and it paused for a few miles and Marena and Impmon stayed completely out of the topic. “What are your parents like?” Bit asked finally and I looked back and his face froze. I didn’t give him a look but he knew I was remembering my own mother, “I mean what’s your dad like?” he stopped again and I started to smile, “Sorry, really I didn’t mean to.” He apologized and I started to laugh, “It’s all right. My dad’s a good guy. My mom’s dead but I think I can live with it.” Bit seemed stunned by my mental state over her, “Wha?” he almost huffed, “My dad used to be a marine now he just shoots the business world and not people. He runs an upper management position with the cable company in our area. Black belt in judo and can be a hard ass but he knows what he’s doing.” I smiled at the open-minded judgment he made over me when I disobeyed him. “I didn’t always listen but he was always right on the money. He kept me out of jail a few times and made sure I was a good egg.” I stopped as I turned around and put an arm behind my neck admitting the unintentional fib, “Sort of.”

 

Bit tried to smile feeling the same way I did and I looked to Marena while she smiled. “Do you remember your mom?” Bit asked and I gave a big muzzled smile at a flood of warm memories to many to describe. “She is a good person.” I said and Bit looked right threw me, “Is?” Marena almost bit off her tongue as she cringed at the information. “Was; I think about it, she’s still with me.” I kept myself from saying ‘you know how it is’ trying to keep a little sensitivity to him. He was starting to get depressed over every thing I just said and I didn’t want to hurt him anymore than I had by answering him.

 

“You have Impmon now Bit. Don’t worry about the past. I think you know there is no way to bring them back so just maybe you can find a little family in him how he found some in you.” I said trying to add a little sunshine to his mood. “I don’t think I need to worry about it, as long as I’m with you guys I’ll be happy.” I stopped and cocked my head to him looking over my shoulder. “I don’t need family if I have friends.” He said as he gave me a little push and kept me going. “Don’t say anything just keep moving.” He said seriously. “Ok. ok.” I chuckled warmly smiling at him as Marena came over to me and Bit used what he just informed me of to make our relationship look a whole lot different, “What’s really scary is she is like a sister, so what does that make you.” he pushed and I felt neon. “Oh god.” I muttered under my breath as Marena gave a little embarrassed chuckle and tapped my shoulder as she stepped away. Oh I knew he meant it but that was slightly low, nice little maneuver, but low.

 

I tried to move that thought out of everyone’s direct memory but that was the power play for the day and I didn’t have a witty retort on paw to come back with. Marena and I didn’t even hold paws for the next few days and when we caught our selves doing it Impmon would either clear his throat or laugh as Bit smiled victoriously for stopping the animal channel going on leading the way to the forest plains.

 

Almost two weeks passed and it was smiles and like going to the machine plains, mountains and anything else washed away to flat level fields of open sand and baked ground. Another few days after that the ridge of trees came into view and the path we fallowed went right into them. We rested at the forests edge gladly finding the shade and humidity it wasn’t like a rain forest but it did feel like there was rain. Strangely from my human side I screwed around for a while as everyone else slept against the trees while I stepping in and out of the forest plains as there was a distinct sensation of dryness in the deserts that wasn’t there in the forest, like the barrier of the machine plains I guess but it was strange and entertaining for a while but that kind of thing gets old fast. When it stopped being funny I took my rest and looked out over the desserts less occupied than the forests.

 

Over the next few days of walking in the forests we came across knolls and valleys all covered with underbrush and vegetation. All the trees in their glory seemed to be artificial not like plastic or anything, just slightly strange to look at since I wasn’t a normal visitor to that plain. Compared to the trees in the real world they where all fake, not just because they were digital trees but because they where arranged almost. Like a circuit board some trees where this kind and others where that but a lot of odd-looking ferns and pines.

 

I say like a circuit board because I could see a few lines of trees that fallowed a very straight line. As if habit we started to fallow them as if they were safe passage till we caught ourselves doing it. I know our path didn’t follow those trees but it seemed like they were more occupied and used throughout the plain.

 

I know that when I was in the digital world the last time, following those paths led to cities and villages but our straight path kept us from even seeing one as we wandered thru until there was no order. Random and nothing; like real forest, trees sat on the ground in no order and plants grew where their seeds fell and the grasses and weed grew to chest level making our pace slow to almost a crawl till I played guide-mon with Leo clearing out the shrubbery till we crossed a clearing or escaped to a  thick arrangement of trees that blocked out the light and cast quiet shadows of clear air. We made the only sounds there and it was very easy to hear for miles around.

 

The absence of sound made Bit shifty and confused. He was a nature man on his own and I’m sure he would have been used to hearing a bird or a cricket or some small animal out into the reaches calling or scurrying. We were it and he was very unnerved about it even if he didn’t voice the eerie absents.

 

This all seems really fast I’m sure but there wasn’t much to tell over the course of the travel. The battle with the DarkTyrannomon was the only thing that happened. Besides cracking jokes on each other and teasing that was it. We were on edge the entire way but we made it without snapping. We made it to something I surely didn’t expect. The Clan of Ancients was so familiar. Marena and I could relate fully to them. It was a leap and a gasp to see them all and nothing like you’d expect from the digital world. It’s new right? Been there since computers where computers. I think you’d be surprised to know what the ancients had to tell us.

 

How old things can actually be and where they come from, where people or Digimon come from. What looked like silent nature in the digital world was what seemed like forests of the South-America where they can be found. There was nothing until a few days then there were stones lying around, Ruins, toppled buildings and shrines. Looking oriental at their arrangements and appearance. I could see it but I don’t know why. In that part of the forest plains I was getting spooked like spirits were passing thru me making me shudder. The path cut off one day and I just stopped with it looking around as Marena Bit and Impmon stood behind me in a clearing looking at a standing building.

 

I didn’t know what to do, I stood there looking at it for hours till Bit said something, I cant remember what though. There was something strange about it even though the site was abandoned. There was nothing but I looked at the building as if it meant everything. Its one of those things you know you’d get a cold sweat over, but I just stood there dropped-jawed and starred at it while Marena puzzled as to my awe at the single story structure clear for decades “Ryoku? Ryoku?” she called a few times while I felt thru the walls with my mind seeing and not seeing things all of what I felt then made no sense. Just like my memory was in the beginning and still was for the most part. “Ryoku?” Marena asked finally shaking my shoulders snapping me from my hazey stare at the building.

 

“Where do we go my love?” she asked fearfully as the energy of the place howled like a frozen wind despite the swampy air surrounding us. I looked around feeling there was some place to go and the path was still there but it was severed and it was our job to find where it picked up. Looking around seeing arranged stones and paths grown over and sprouting trees long since rooted in the walkway to that building, “Where are we going my love?” Marena asked again as I looked past the building getting something from inside the building. “In there.” I said as I put Leo away and pushed thru the high grass to the open and clear room of the building. Inside I didn’t know what I was looking for. I couldn’t feel anything from the place other than something small, very vague and directly linked to the path that dropped off at the places front door. “You feel that?” I asked as I stopped inside the first room and Bit blurted out, “No, what?” Marena waited a moment and I took a sniff of the air shortly followed by her. “Do you SMELL that?” I asked and she nodded. Impmon looked at us both and I turned around to see his little nose twitching, “What Digimon is dat?” he asked as he paused for another sniff, “I know dis one.” He said putting up a finger and waved it a little, “It’s a, it’s a…” he said opening his eyes and I said it for him. “Rena and Ryokumon.”…


Lost

“Where is dat comin from?” he asked as he looked around at the inside of the old wood interior of the building. All of it was wood and in incredibly good condition for how old the building seemed to be. Not like it was repaired but preserved in its day. I took another whiff of the place and closed my eyes as I tried to pin point the scent in the building. There was no wind so there was no defined origin. The scents defiantly were not our own. They were different and the same at the same time. Digimon do have their own scents even though we may look alike we still are very individual.

 

“That’s an old scent, maybe a few hours.” I paused for another sniff, “Maybe a day, hard to tell.” I huffed letting out the air I had inhaled. I turned around to Impmon and saw Bit, astounded, sniffing trying to find what we where talking about. Not smelling what we were, going to his armpits and checking them, “I don’t smell anything?” he pushed confusedly. I turned around from him checking his pits saying under my breath, “That might be a good thing.” and smiled from it. “You say something?” he said and I quickly thought of something else to tell him, “Your human nose won’t smell a thing.” I said walking further into the building. “Why not?” he asked and I dropped my head, “You don’t have the senses.” he looked at me angrily from behind as I turned around and I think he would have said something along the lines of “oh and you do.” If I hadn’t given him the ignorant look.

 

“Whatever...” He said shifting to the side as I looked at the walls of the small building. From the outside it only seemed to be a single room but from observation into the lightless depth of the room there seemed to be a cage like wall, sliding or opening I wasn’t to sure. It was leaning against the wall where it used to be fastened and to either side of it sat very long pillars with aged and weathered stone statues of what looked like Renamon or Ryokumon, they where very old and some features where missing and there where no fur features anymore. I could see into the hallway that was behind the fencelike block to see two more pillars where statues more than likely would have been but no longer resided. “What do you think this place was?” Bit asked as I turned around and looked at the walls and ceiling of the oriental building. “Looks religious ta me.” Impmon said as I noticed ruminants of paper lanterns and strings and such that kept charms and what not over head. “What religion is what I want to know.” I said as it seemed familiar to me.

 

“Wait here for a minute guys I need to have a look around.” I said as I looked back outside to see a few things I hadn’t really noticed on the way in. A few things that really said what the place was. There were a few other buildings not to far away arranged within walking distance of the entrance of the building we where standing it. It seemed like the building we were in was once glorified by a pyramid like formation of stone steps and then smaller steps that came up. Years of un-attendance made them an almost smooth ramp but the walls that lifted the building where still mostly intact. I don’t know what I was really looking for but as I walked out side I seemed to find a small stone troth like tube that had old metal ladles in it. Though it was long since dry and almost completely grown over I took one of the ladles and started to wash my hands and my mouth while everyone looked at me while I seemed to be losing my mind over the empty vessel for water. I looked back to the building and saw a stone square that had broken beams of wood protruding from it and recalled bells in mind but none of it made much sense to me.

 

I was just floating off of instinct I guess but I seemed to remember something like that when my mother was alive. Something that she had told me to do and I just did apparently. I stood up and turned back to everyone and they still eyed me for my actions and I eyed them for not following along till Marena cocked her head and followed beside me doing the same thing. Bit and Impmon didn’t know what to make of us but I knew that Marena even if she didn’t understand it herself felt she should follow my lead before truly entering the building. “What are you doing?” Bit asked as I stepped up to the stone square in front of him, looking at the old wood and imagining a bell on a rope. “Purification Bit, and we won’t let you go inside unless you two do the same.” Marena said as I felt the same way inside but not able to find the words. I put my paws together and prayed there, to nothing it seemed, to a name I couldn’t recall but could feel more than know fully. “Your kidding right?” he slightly laughed as I straightened my face almost to a scowl. He and Impmon stood there and watched us for a moment till I felt myself sizing him up and my eye twitch in an antagonized anger. “Screw that.” He spat as he turned around to the shrine.

 

I and Marena dashed around to the sides of the entrance and stood on either side with our paws out to block his passage. “What is your problem?” he grunted as he stepped back. I looked to Marena from the corner of my eye and gave a slight smile feeling completely in place there and for what I was doing. “You will or you won’t enter.” I said as I crouched down to one knee with Marena and looked straight forward as Bit frowned and peered inside. “Funny guys.” He laughed as he started to walk in and I instinctively pulled Leo from my back and held him at arms length almost touching Marena’s shoulder tufts. “Un-pure shall not pass.” We said together and Bit gave a slight growl. “What the hell do you think your doing?? Come on its me here! Its not like I’m going to piss on the floor of the place lets just check it out already!” Bit complained but we didn’t move as if it was our duty to do so.

 

“Fine,” he hissed as he turned around to the troth and repeated our ritual. Impmon was less verbal as Bit but had just as less of a notion as to why we would do that. He went alongside Bit as he went about making the purifications and acting like he gargled what would have been water and came up to the stone square and put his hands out asking if it was good enough without making a words sound. I put Leo away and stood up and Marena and I bowed to each other and Bit walked between us with a huff, “You guys didn’t have to put the statue act on ya know.” he said as he stepped back into the building while Marena and I turned into face the statues we mimicked in pose crouching on the pedestals protecting the gate to the next chamber of the shrine I then knew it to be.

 

“What’s da deal?” Impmon said curiously turning around at the caged wooden door. “This is sacred ground, and you won’t do anything without asking.” I said seriously as Marena and I walked behind the statues of the Digimon guardians and pulled apart the latch in the center of the old wood to open up the short hall to the next room. “Dat idn’t n’ ansa Ryoku. What’s da deal here? Ya act like ya live here or someting.” Impmon said as Bit didn’t wait for us to fully open the hall passing in front of the statues while I throated a growl making him stop and look at me, “Stop right there.” I spat quickly and his look turned to confusion as Impmon grunted, “Wrong language Fox-o.” drawing attention to the Japanese in my tongue. It felt weird to say it and in that way it felt like it was what should have been said going in. I cleared my throat as Bit stepped back and I said a prayer as I went into the hall with Marena by my side holding our paws together as we led Bit and Impmon to the Honden of the shrine. Blessing the ground we walked on till we came to a large box on the floor of the bear room. Not a thing was left on the walls and some damage there let plants and weed sprout from the light in the holes of the ceiling. In the center of the large box a tree started to grow and it seemed out of place yet natural enough to let it be. Looking around the gray colored walls within the shadows there where markings on the wall and I felt the path pick up again and focus on them and almost jumped to it moving faster than Bit could see to look at the writing.

 

It was vertical and pictographic Chinese or Japanese or a mix of the two but either way I couldn’t read it. It did depict three orbs of different colors and it had three slots on the wall. “Will you guys stop acting so weird?” Bit said creeped out by our general attitude in the place of spiritual worship. “What is it?” Impmon asked as he hurried over between us. “Brown, red n’…” he trailed off as he looked back to Bit, “Come ere’” he waved back to his tamer till we were all leaned over looking at the markings on the wall. Impmon looked up and was at perfect level with another shape on the wall painted. “Dat look familiar to ya Bit?” he said as he pointed to the last color. “Should it?” he asked as Impmon leaned against the wall putting his hand against a recess in the wall shaped like his little hand falling a little and catching him self.

 

I looked around almost ready to strangle Impmon for touching it till a symbol appeared on the wall above his hand and he gasped in utter amazement at it, “Wow.” and I looked at it dazed as my Digivice started to glow. “Check please.” Bit said as he backed away seeing his belt buckle also illuminating the wall showing three dust covered slots in the wall. All bordered around with blue markings exactly the size of a Digimon card. “Wha-what’d ya think it means?” Impmon asked afraid to move his hand as if the place would cave in on us. “Is that the symbol on the Blue cards?” Marena asked as she looked over to me, I popped my pouch open and looked down seeing my green card two Digimon cards from the front and pulled it out. “It matches mine.” I said as I put the card against the wall and the color around the slot under the sphere matching my D-arc changed to green as if it was just painted. “That’s new.” I said lifting up my Digivice looking into it while the white light shined like a flashlight in my face. “Wha’ll we do?” Impmon asked as I looked back to Bit. “This is getting way too weird guys. Lets get out of here before we set off some kind of trap or something.” He wheezed in anxiety. “Get your blue card out and put it in that slot.” I said as I brought my card over and tried to put it in my slot. It seemed like something was blocking it and I pushed a little till it bent. “No way! How’m I gonna get it out if I stick it in there??” he shouted with his arms in the air, “BIT!” Impmon growled just as scared as if he were standing on a landmine, “Do what he says.”

 

“We don’t even know what’ll happen if I do.” Bit gripped almost stepping back while I looked outside the room to see the gates closed again and the statues in the main room gone. “We don know what’ll happen if we don eitha. SO JUS DO IT!” Impmon shouted as I drew my attention away from the missing statues back to the slot. “It’s ok Bit, I don’t think this is a trap.” I smiled knowing it had some higher propose than to kill us. As much as with the Masters this was too perfect. It seemed more like a test than a trap. Probably a trap to any poor dumb bastard that didn’t know what they where getting into. Bit stood there for a minute and turned around and caught the closed door, “Wasn’t that open when we came in?” he asked trying to change the subject the rest of use where abnormally interested in. “Bit just get over here.” Marena said putting her Blue card into the slot matching her color and all that was left was Bit’s. “Weren’t there statues there too?” Bit said really trying hard to distract us. “BIT!” I shouted and he turned around fearfully, glaring at me to change my mind. “Look if it is a trap then Impmon probably already set it off. Now if we don’t disarm it, that is if it is, then chances are you pulling us from this thing, we all are dead. Now get your little whiney ass over here and stick your card in here before I drag you over here.”

 

He looked from side to side then turned around. “There where statues out there. I know it. Where’d they go?” he asked straightly starting to crack. I looked to Impmon and pointed my finger, “Don’t move.” I said and he giggled extremely fearful. “Do you even have ta tell me??” he said as he stopped and growled back to Bit while I almost let my card fall from the slot. The small block was close enough out to let it fall if I let go and I reached for Bit almost pulling it out. “Damn it Bit, I’m not kidding now get over here.” I looked up the wall then down to the floor seeing panels that could fall out. Bit wasn’t standing on them but he was on them enough to fall in if it was some kind of pit. “Your going to get us fucking killed here.” I said angrily as Marena and Impmon started to growl while their eyes raced from me to him standing looking out the hall to the outside. “Lets just leave ok.” he said as he turned around. “If this is a trap who’s to say any of us are going to be able to leave.” I said as I watched those statues step into the path behind Bit on the opposite side of the gated door and bow. My eyes froze and I almost gasped but decided not to draw attention to something that would completely scare him. “You want to be alone again?” I asked and he frowned without a second thought. “That’s fucked up man.” He said pulling out his baggy of cards and sifted for a minute until he found his card.

 

“If we die I’m gonna kick your ass in the afterlife.” He said as he started to look back while the statues moved to their pedestals and resumed their poses. I gasped at it when they absolute stopped moving and he turned around to see them returned to their position with a slight difference in their tails. “OK now this is getting really, REALLY weird.” He said pointing a finger back up the hall to the statues, “BIT!!” we all shouted and he flailed at the statues and turned around putting his baggy back in his pocket.

 

“They weren’t there a minute ago.” He said looking at me as he let his card hover in front of the slot while a bead of sweat ran down his straight face. “Here we go…” he said in a expecting huff as he pushed his card in releasing a latch inside the wall and all of our cards where yanked from out hands and Impmon was pushed back, into us all, sending us to the floor where from there it did fall out from under us. “Ryoku!” Bit shouted as the floor just dropped a few meters to an angled surface where we slid down on the floor thru a really long cave with enough time for Bit to curse at me, “YOUR YELLOW ASS IS MINE AHHHHHHHH!!!!” he shouted as he clung to Impmon while we all gasped and grunted as rocks in the path slightly rattled the panel. After a few seconds I started to laugh as it slowed and I noticed it was on an old track. At the end of its path it hadn’t quite slowed down to a speed where we could step off and it jerked to a stop ejecting us on to the floor of a very dry and cold cave. “That was screwed up.” Bit said as he pulled himself from overtop of me and Impmon did the same to Marena from landing in the classic position with his little red gloved hand showing the same shade as his face while he noticed what he was feeling. “You mind?” Marena said as Impmon giggled and moved a tad to slow for her tastes and instead of moving on his own she grabbed him by his bandana and almost threw him, “Starlight! Wow, wow. Wait a minute…” I said still on the ground but smiling coyly at the scene, “He felt me up!” she said as Impmon gasped for breath and was red because his face was holding most of the pressure from his suspension, “In that case maybe I should be thwacking Bit for landing with his HAND ON MY ASS!” I said looking back as he jerked his hand away while he pushed up.

 

“I told you it was a trap!” he said as he watched the panel we where on draw back up the steep slope of the cave to where we stood or laid. Impmon was dropped with a harsh warning thru the eyes only and not verbally as Marena brought him up to her face and just eyed him for a second then just dropped him to his surprise. I looked back at Bit as I started brushing dirt from my fur and clothes then he threw his arms to the panel as it closed the other end of the cave sealing us in. “Oh great now we’re trapped!” he said as I looked into the cave where source less light came from the walls like torches and lit a path back into the cave, “And guess what,” Bit said turning around and I looked at him while I patted my legs clean, “What?” I asked with a smile, “Where is my fucking card? Em? Tell me that.” He said walking over to me looking over while I looked at my Digivice down to him as the screen flickered and shut off and then down to my open card pouch.

 

I laughed and he scoff my humor while I pulled back the flap and pulled the last card up faithfully showing him my green card without even looking. “But,” he gasped diving into his pocket and coming up with his baggy of cards, “up there?” he said looking back then back to me as I turned to the cave. “How?” he said as I walked past Bit. “The same way they end up shuffled in a battle with me, the digital world is just weird like that Bit. Don’t think about it otherwise it’ll drive you nuts.” I smiled as I started off into the lit depths of the cave.

 

“Where we going?” Impmon asked as he rubbed the ring around his neck and I smiled just to screw with him “That way.” I said and he groaned “We’re lost.” I giggled a little feeling it appropriate to say it “No this place is lost but we know where it is, so we know where we are.” Impmon looked up annoyed at me and took a deep breath and sighed it out while Marena came up beside me still getting over Bits family comment and we held paws and that’s it. “It’s in here isn’t it?” she asked leaning closer so Impmon couldn’t hear her whisper and I nodded. “It does.” I nodded and Bit who finished his confused rant chased and caught up. “This is really screwed up Ryoku.” he said as he came up on Marena’s side of me huffing and puffing, “We’re lost.” He said as I looked a head to see an arch that looked like something I should have seen out side the shrine. Something called a Torii and I recognized the place and what it was and it was starting to make sense. Not completely and only sense because what it represented was part of me. In an evolved sense. When we stepped up to the Torii it was like looking into water seeing the bottom of a pond as the surface protecting the Torii a village became clear while we looked into it. “I think we found what was ‘This way’.” I said smiling down to Impmon. “I still say we’re lost.” Bit said slightly joking and I chuckled a little in agreement. “We’re not lost this village is, the lost village of the ancients.” It was strange because in the Torii there where only buildings. No life. It was quickly proved to hide it as a figure passed in front of the portal looking into it and gasping and making a mutual gasp escape us all as the robed figure reminded me of something from an old painting of a Fox woman in a kimono. She quickly turned and ran away and I without thinking put my paw thru the water like a portal and passed thru as she ran away using the Digimon speed she had as her paws beat along a stone path. I looked back into the portal and could see everyone standing there inside the Torii that stood alone and completely by its self like a mirror in the center of a room casting a reflection of the cave and not the buildings behind me. “Wait!” I shouted and she looked over her shoulder and shouted something I didn’t catch from the language, ancient as you could have guessed, but it too was familiar.

 

What she shouted as she ran away was, “The chosen are here!” but that’s not completely accurate and I knew it by a few other things that slipped into the shout that made absolutely no sense. She ran off and I tried my hand at asking her to stop re-shouting my plea in Japanese, “Wait!” I shouted looking back into the portal and then back to the Female Digimon much like a Renamon but with black paws and a dark orange or red coat of fur.

 

Looking at her and her coat difference I grunted and gave chase. Marena pushed threw and fallowed while I shouted. Bit and Impmon came threw too and stopped at the gateway back to the shrine. “Are you coming?” I shouted back as I half turned and slowed putting my paws out while Marena sprinted up beside me , “I’m with you my love.” She said as I grunted and turned back around, “Hey! Wait a minute!” she shouted ahead to the digimon as Bit Shouted, “English PLEASE!!” and I stopped and looked around first trying to get my speech back, “Come on!” I shouted to him in his right language and he and Impmon skittishly followed into the heart of this endeavor…


Unrest

I just grunted and felt excited while I turned around and half hopped ran while I looked from the digimon sprinting away back to Bit and Impmon as they tried to keep up while I ran further into the village otherwise empty but for that one figure. Marena almost caught up with her and she shouted for her to halt but she didn’t, “Hey!” I shouted keeping my English turning around and running as fast as I could clearing the space between Renamon and myself with my greater champion speed while the trees and day light blurred around me to the main building of the large village. All the other huts or buildings where badly built or so it seemed, wood and straw made up the entire building and in the trees that almost supported them they seemed to disappear with the speed I used to catch up. “INTENTION!” the female Digimon shouted and I cocked my head as I stopped behind her while Digimon fell from the canopy of the forest wielding Bows and arrows looking the same as the female without Kimono’s but with archers quivers and a very defensive standing as they blocked Marena and I from following any further.

 

“Oh crap.” I muttered as I landed and slid a few inches over the smoothed stones of the path leading into the village. “Drop time sword!” one shouted and made no sense to me while I cocked my head wondering what he really meant with the differed version of Japanese he used. Seemingly the same words had different meanings and he spoke it again clearly and waited for a response. “Drop time sword!!” he said as Marena fell back to my side while I tried to respond. “What?” was all I managed to say. Confusion had something to do with it and the confusion was mutual when the Japanese I knew meet his black ears. There was a quiet for a few seconds and the sound of the Bowstrings creaked while they held the taunt strand ready to pin us to the ground. “Glee Priest go.” The one who spoke said to another and one dropped his aim of his bow and turned around to the large building behind him fallowed by the female. I turned around and saw about fifteen more Digimon, all Rena or Ryokumon seemingly without gloves but all armed with weapons dressed for some level of combat and protected. Most of them where looking and herding Bit and Impmon over to us and Bit close to pulling his pistol out grunted as he was pushed on by a Renamon looking Digimon with a bow while two digimon with pikes.

 

“Digimon? Cone are what?” One said as he sneered at me. Bit was pushed to my side with one prod and he looked at me for the decision of pulling his weapon out. “Don’t even think about it Bit.” I said and he grunted as Impmon was shoved onto his face. There was a manner of shock then. A lot of shock actually. “What are we going to do Ryoku?” Marena asked as I put my paws up behind my head. “Nothing rite now.” I said as I looked to one of the armored Digimon. He was defiantly rookie by the strength I felt from him and he was extremely edgy. “Cone are what?” a new voice said after about a minuet of the standoff. I looked behind the line of digimon to see another older looking digimon with longer fur warring a robe and a headdress distinguished in posture and looked to be very secure behind his fellow Digimon of Orange fur. “Excuse me?” I asked and he gave a happy chuckle. “What Digimon are you?” he asked after running his long scruffy beard like facial fur. The fur at his jaw line sank his face into a tired smile and he looked up after a moment. I was slightly settled by his presence his speech now understandable I replied while Bit stood at my side completely confused by Japanese and the language the Digimon spoke, he was an English speaking kid and where we were he needed a lot of translation, “What are they saying?” he grunted as he put his hands behind his head. “My name is Ryoku.” I said and he straightened his back stretching the light fabric of his robe. “Strength? That is a strange name?” he commented and I smiled while the armed Digimon around me bitterly grunted as they maintained their aim at us all. I tilted my head hearing the words and smiled. “Ryokumon actually. What are you?” I asked calmly and almost friendly beside the present threat of the many pointed arrows and other blades and staffs all poised to attack us. “Ryokumon, I haven’t heard of that Digimon in many years.” the old Digimon laughed.

 

“Danger?” the closest Digimon asked as his aim sank slightly as he turned around. I could have used that instance to attack but I waited for the response of the older Digimon, “No, They smile travelers.” The old one said to the leader of the others. “You will have to excuse Tenchi he is very wary of strangers.” The old one laughed as he put his arms into the sleeves of his robe and started to press threw the opposition of Digimon. “Elder?” a few Digimon asked as he shook his head solemnly. “ We are Red Kitsunemon. What brings you to our village?” he asked as he stepped up to me and looked up my muzzle from the side. “Uhhh…” I grunted slightly confused as the other Digimon following their elder’s example dropped their aim on us. He dropped his face to some what of a scowl as he stepped around to my right side and made a tch sound as he did, “Rouji ryoku eh?” He said and it took me a minute to understand him. “Gray Power?” I said stepping back from his examination of my energy. “Yes, yes. You are Gray Kitsunemon. What business do you have here Dark One. You have been banished for centuries. What makes your people return now?” he said and I grunted another long “Uhhh…” completely lost on what he was saying.

 

“I’m a Ryokumon,” I said as he leaned closer to me again and almost tipped me over, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said pulling my arms from behind my head letting him see my gloves. “Oh my, my, such a mistake from me. I am sorry young one I must apologize for mistaking you.” he laughed as I looked to Bit and Marena who where as Dazed as I was but still holding the pose of being under arrest. “No threat.” He said more to us than his kind while he gestured to them making the long whisker like fur at the hinge of his jaw dangle. “Dark One?” I asked as the Digimon around gave low grunts and growls and mumbled against their elders order. “It is none of your concern.” The old Digimon said as he hobbled back thru the standing Digimon as they put their weapons away back into quivers and over shoulders or back in their sheaths. “What business do you have here outsider?” he asked as I looked to Marena and started walking as the old elder passed the Female who had sounded the alarm. “Ryoku? What the hell are they saying?” Bit asked as he was lost in the orient languages spoken. “Not now Bit.” I said after a moment of concentrating on the words, then in mind to use my Japanese not my English.

 

“Wait!” I said to the elder as he ignored me, either expecting me to follow or expecting me to turn and leave. “What is it young one.” He asked as he turned his head to the side and looked at me from one eye. “Dark One? You know about them?” I asked standing in place not challenging the Digimon still standing around watching me. “It’s none of your concern outsider.” Tenchi said slowly and painfully trying to push me back with his bitter tone. “That is very rude, I will handle this take your guard and run your arenas.” The old Digimon said as he turned around to the female and bowed gaining a return of the action from her. “I would normally advise you to leave but I assume you have reason to be here.” He said and I looked back to Bit and he peered around trying not to confuse himself with our lingual conversation. “Bit come on.” I ordered without explaining. “What?” he grunted from my sudden entrance of comprehendible speech. “Its an invitation unless you’d rather stay here.” I said as I past the head Digimon while the others dispersed. Bit looked around baffled as to why that went from glum to nothing seemingly in an instant. “Who’s the prune?” he asked as he and Impmon fallowed closely behind. Marena paced beside the elder and I just looked around at the many huts seemingly random in alignment but all doors pointing in one or the other direction.

 

“Bit!” Marena barked at his disrespect. I was sure he didn’t understand his insult to the Kitsunemon’s leader but I shot him an eye and followed as the orange coated Digmon continued leading us into the walls of the temple that centered the village. “Ryoku, that’s a very interesting name. Very familiar as well.” He said as he opened the double gate to the yard of the compound. Inside there where several Digimon, male and female, training in a martial art I had never seen before in soothing movements so refined and precise it seemed like mirrors reflecting each of them. “What would your name be?” the old Digimon said as he turned to Marena, “Marena Sir.” She said in a slight walking bow. He looked to her from his shoulder and smiled back to me “Would that be Ma-Rena as in Renamon?” he asked in a short laugh. “Yes sir.” She said and I was getting the feeling he knew something, “What’s your name?” I asked as he stopped at the foot of a few steps going to the entrance of the building in the center of the compound. “You may call me Kinue.” He smiled turning from Marena to the door.

 

“You came thru the shrine?” he asked as he took slow elderly paces up the steps. “Yeah so?” I said trying to listen to the conversations of a few walking Digimon before they caught sight of the happy band of Digimon discolored from the rest of their kind completely muting as they passed the sight of yellow instead of red. “Is the rest of Xen as torn as I remember it?” he asked and I cocked my head. “Ryoku, what is he saying?” Bit asked while Impmon stood quieter than usual. “Not now Bit.” I scolded down. “Things beyond you child.” Kinue said sloppily in English looking to me to check it’s meaning while my face froze at his comprehension of the tongue. “Oh dear, I hope I haven’t insulted the child.” He said speaking much clearer in Japanese. Bit looked to me and grunted as if he was just put down by a tourist.

 

“No, no.” I said looking down to Impmon while he listened to me speak acting like he couldn’t understand. “And he is an Akkimon?” he said down to Impmon who looked up at the name he spoke, “Impmon.” He said simply to correct him in his rough English accent. “You can understand him?” I asked Impmon in English and he slightly nodded, “Can’t talk it but I know what he’s sayin.” Impmon huffed while I smiled. “Translate for Bit,” I smiled, “He’s at a complete loss here.” and Impmon smiled and chuckled while Bit started to push a very unhappy face for his handicap.

 

“The forgotten shrine was created to guard our village from the rest of Xen you must be the chosen to enter here.” Kinue stated as he opened the doors to the temple reviling idols and gold figures as well as smaller shrines for the villagers to worship as well as another blocked caged hall to another room. There was a hall that Kinue led us down, and I kept quiet for the trip; Mostly anyway, “Xen?” I asked and he turned around “This world, Xen. What is it called where you are from?” he asked almost in a dance of interest. “The Digital World.” I said and he leaned into me to making me grunt out another “Uhh…” stopping in place while he investigated the features of my face and further into my energy. “I feel there is much more behind you Digimon much more we should talk about than just your purpose here.” He said as he looked up and down the hall. “Like what?” I asked as I started to glance for what he was looking for.

 

The building was full of doors and separate halls and all wasn’t as quiet as he wanted, “Not here young one.” He said as he put his paws together and led us further into the building, up a set of stairs and threw the narrow halls to a larger room full of mats and closed to the outside with no windows. It almost defied the construction of the building; it had no supports and was lit by small boxes that seemed like paper lanterns. There where a few Digimon in the room that snapped from their meditation to see Kinue leading strangers in and they all bowed to him. He was an elder and I expected a little respect, but they treated him like royalty. “I need the chamber for conference.” Kinue said and I cleared that up a little because it wouldn’t have made sense with how he said it. The seven or so Digimon in the room stood up from their meditations and all walked out while Kinue walked to the back of the room to a small stand stacked with incense and lit one with a near by candle while I waited in confusion, dazed from the very fast and overwhelming turn in situations.

 

As Kinue put his paws together I and Marena did the same in a small moment of prayer almost spontaneous or instinctive. I opened my eyes from it wondering exactly what I meant by “Kami” when I prayed but I shook it off while Kinue straightened out the fabric of his robe. “Now it is safe to speak.” He said as the room fell deafly quiet. Before there was the sounds of the village but when the ignescents where properly lit and the prayer was finished it was as quiet as night.

 

“Wha jus happened?” Impmon asked as he looked around. He was startled and with good reasons even the flickering of the lanterns at the ceiling stopped to an ambient glow. “Void magic.” Kinue stated stepping away from the table of ignescents, he stood up straight defying his age and Marena and I where stunned at him as he started walking around us energetically. “I know you may have had your own problems young one, but please tell me why you ‘think’ you’re here.” He said looking me over from head to toe. “Uhh…” I grunted again feeling like he was somehow flirting with me. “OH SHIT!” I gasped as my tail snapped from the realization, “I almost forgot!” I said turning completely around. “The Dark Masters are coming For D, we came to stop them!” I said almost pleading for an answer not quite phrasing it as a question. “D? You mean the reaper don’t you?” he said stopping behind Marena and looking her over as well “There are two of you? How interesting.” He smiled and giggled timidly putting his paw to his mane. “Reaper?” Marena asked as Impmon tried to translate to Bit. “What’s the ‘Reaper’?” Bit asked to Impmon as he turned to me for and intelligently phrased the question. “D-Reaper. That is Dark Magic’s, Shadow powers created by the gods. It was meant to equalize Xen but was abused and in turn grew to uncontrollable, unfathomable terrible strength.”

 

There was a pause for a moment and I looked around taking in all the action around and the sudden rush of answers. Confusing myself coming around to the most recent surprises, “Two of you?” I asked quoting him. He stopped looking over Marena and went over to the wall to lean in a very un-elder-istic posture looking younger. “How did you come here if I may ask?” he said getting back on topic while I watched a few features stick out and not fit with the youthful smile on his muzzle. “We just came here.” I said putting it out. “I mean to enter the village, Ryokuu-san sealed the entrance to the village when he left.” Marena looked to me and I cocked my head, “Who?” I asked using all of my face portraying more human emotions of confusion.

 

“To long ago for you,” he smiled, “But he was my apprentice for a ‘spell’.” He joked and stepped away from the wall looking at Bit. For a moment, “How strange,” he fondled with his eyes over Bit, “Does this one just follow you?” he asked. “Bits our friend. He’s.” I said getting cut off by Kinue, “Man, human.” He said putting his arms into the sleeves of his robe again. “I take it he knows nothing of our speech?” he said as I nodded to both questions. “How do you know so much about us?” Marena asked. I wanted to stop her but it was a good question.

 

“Well you must have been told by your parents of the D-reaper and the chosen. Its only prophecy.” He said laughing as I shrugged back to Bit who was getting the comment as I shrugged. “I see, Ryoku what did your parents tell you when you where in-training?” I looked at him offly with a contempt and very short of a growl, “Why don’t you just tell us and stay out of my business.” I said as he pushed a little giggle, “ I would think that Mamori would have said something to you of it, After all Male Kitsune are very rare young one.” I cocked my head again with how he put that, Kitsune means fox but Mamori was the name of a sprit, “Impmon, no more translations for now.” I said as I quickly put two and two together. “Oh what Ryoku, do you intend to leave your possession in the dark forever?” he said gesturing to Bit and Impmon, “the demon Digimon and the child should know what you are if they would follow you until their deaths. With the path before you it may be soon or distant. I’m sure you know this as well as I do.”

 

“I don’t own him he’s my friend.” I said stepping towards the older digimon seemingly weaker. “What do you know, digimon.” I said as he laughed, “Much more than you apparently.” He scoffed at me. “I will tell though. All in time.” he said as he stepped in front of Bit and tried his paw at English, “What possesses you to follow this one my boy?” he said roughly. “I trust him.” he said and I almost smiled. “Kinue get on with it I don’t know if we have time for this, The Dark Masters are coming.” He looked from Bits simple and un-expanded answer and asked me, “The Dark Master was defeated long ago young one.” He said looking at me strange. “No, the Dark Masters. They are running the Digital world ragged. They heard about the Devas coming together for it and now they started looking for the D and are coming to get it!” I said slapping a fisted paw in the other, “The D-reaper?” he said, “So the prophecy is coming true; That is now the five Kitsune warriors. I guess you know this Hua-yang is a acquaintance of yours is she?” he laughed. “No? That’s strange Mamori knew Tamamo-no-mae then. I would think your master would be the least known to you, as far back as the prophecy goes the last warrior knows their evil directly.” While he spoke I put my paws up and started waving them while I forced my eyes shut getting as lost as Bit was, “Wait just a second what prophecy? Tamamo-no-mae, that’s just fiction man!”

 

Kinue stepped up in front of me putting one arm behind him raising one finger in a young smile, “Ah but what is fiction? Where did you hear of Tamamo-no-mae? Yes young one?” he said and I stuttered the answer because I didn’t see it until then, “Legends.” I huffed out defeated looking away crossing my arms and giving a groan to finish the discontent. “Do you see this now?” he asked me, “Do you see my young Kitsune?” he giggled leaning forward, “Understand all this? I don’t even understand what I am let alone any of this stuff. I haven’t even heard of.” I stopped short of what I knew to be a lie. “What are you getting at and how do you know so much?” I asked as I watched Kinue walk around to Marena circling Bit and Impmon, who were left blatantly in the dark on this conversation. “I know much more than a half-breed like yourself would think.” He said stopping behind Marena, she didn’t look at him only to me while I blurted out, “HALF-BREED??” and suddenly his voice changed feminine and soft as he stepped from behind Marena who was holding a shocked frozen look as were Bit and Impmon, “Yes half-breed, you aren’t just a Kitsune you are a special spirit, sole and spirit essence and form. You are your own possession.” He, I should say SHE said as a dazzling white Fox looking much like the rest of the Kitsunemon but white, naked and overly beautiful. “Oh don’t look so surprised you two, I believe you would want you hosts there spared so I have invited you into my realm.”

 

I looked around, the place was exactly the same as the other room maybe a shift from it but defiantly the same place, Bit and Impmon started to gain the most beginning stages of shock on their faces and Marena unfroze in the moment that Kinue stepped from behind her. “Who are you?” she asked the female white fox. “One of the original five from the last release of the D-reaper.” She said with the youthful prance coming towards me. “Your mother knew me as Okori leader of my house.” She said with a short bow. “And you, Ryoku Kitsune son of Mamori are from the house of protection if I am correct.” I was in a gasp drawn out and close to passing out from lack of air or too much of it going to my head. Just a moment ago I was talking to a strange old Digimon and the next a white, semi-attractive, Digimon. “Oko-ri?” I pushed out, “as in Okori, Holy Light?” I asked as Marena just stuttered around syllables trying to find something to say between the two of us. “What are you talking about?” I pushed trying to make sense of the time, “Kitsune? ME? She told me but I never would have thought something like, like. What the hell is going on.” I pleaded putting my paws out. “Its all destiny, the fates test us all young one. Before the D-reaper was much weaker and our strengths where almost not enough to reseal it. Now the fates have given the task to you to fight the D-reaper and there is little we can do to stop its great destruction in both Xen and reality.” She said looking at Marena again. “Wait. What is Xen again? The real world and Xen? You mean the Digital world?” I said pushing one paw out to suppress her for a moment while my other was to my muzzle in the bridge of where my nose would have been if I were in human form. “This is strange… I don’t recognize your chi, what house was your mother young one?” she said leaning into Marena making her lean back, “And what do you wear those for, like the humans. Much like the child.” She said as I opened my eyes. “She doesn’t have a ‘house’ she is tamer and Digimon it just worked out that way.” I said as she looked over to me. “A new Kitsune house, elevation is almost unheard of, how did this happen?”

 

I looked over to her recalling what my mother said and would have thought that if she was as much of a messenger as my mother was she would be just as informed but she was in the dark. “This isn’t important, none of this is! The Dark Masters are coming and they want to break out the D,” I said and quickly corrected, “Reaper.” Kinue, for the sake of argument, looked at me stiffly, yellow eyes glared at me and a difference of opinion followed, “It is quite important. I know the seers would have told me of this. It could be the damnment of us all!” she said as the air in the place gained a sudden smell of smoke and a dim heat pressed threw my fur. “Leave Starlight out of this. We are here to watch the D-reaper and that’s all we’re here to do.” I said just putting the overview of the plan up. “Starlight? Curiouser and curiouser. Where did she get that name?” she asked and I started to growl, “I gave it to her.” I said low and annoyed. “Lets get back to the point, where is the D-reaper?” I said as I looked back to Bit and Impmon as they started to turn their heads, “Not here, we only guard the seal. You shouldn’t even know of it as the warrior in this all you should know about is that you need to defeat it.” she said near a growl as well making the air that much more heated and uncomfortable. “You have no respect, just as the Nogitsune. Maybe she is supposed to save reality from you. There cannot be six Kitsune warriors.”

 

“Stop it!” Marena barked corrosively to the two of us completely halting the verbal battle we where having, “So I’m not one of them, who cares. I’m not some mutt for you two to argue over. I’m just as much a person as Ryoku is and just as much a digimon as I was before all this. I want answers and no more arguments.” She said as a blast of cool air filled the strange place. “Never has anyone stood up like that before me!” Kinue stomped slamming her foot to the ground making the entire floor shake as the temperature started to plummet to fringed temperatures. “You are in my realm! You are in the village I protect! You certainly do not have the right to hold over me!”

 

“LADIES!” I said putting my paws up rubbing my arm as the chill started to nip at me threw my thick yellow fur. “I believe I made a mistake, all of the other warriors were White Kitsune, you both seem foreign to that appearance even if you can form illusions. I can feel you, but Mamori may have just directed you recently. I have nothing further to say to you now leave my realm.” She said raising her paw sending a shock of fresh air and a sudden gasp and grunt from Bit and Impmon as we where ripped from the pocket Kinue had made while a whisper of her voice sang in my ears from the location she stood in where she no longer was. “The first body you tell will be your undoing infidel. Tenchi’s guard will remove you if not by force and I won’t stop him.”

 

I scowled looking down as I knew, like the Dark fogs not to look for her, she wouldn’t be around. She was speaking from somewhere else, there was not way to reach her physically. “Where is the D-reaper?” I said into the open air as a short puff of a growl buzzed past me ear making it twitch with my tail while I stood there, “The location of the seal is not for you Ryokumon. Now leave the meditation chamber. I have many students who need this room.” I growled as Bit started to stutter out, “Where did you guys go where is that Kinue guy?” as Impmon who had heard most of the conversation started to push Bit on as I walked to the door, “Come on Bit, we ain’t got time fur it. He might tell us someday. I jus don tink he’s in da mood fur it now.” and Impmon was right.

 

Okori or Kinue as far as this village knew was Kitsunemon, not Kitsune. The difference was she was a spirit where the others, as much as Bit and Impmon, where souls. This I knew. I could feel the difference, even slightly in Marena as well as in myself. ‘Half-breed.’ I spat in my head. I didn’t think of myself as a half-breed, chosen or anything but a warrior. Kinue didn’t see me as that warrior, or a warrior and I was angry. “Where are you going?” Bit panted in exhausting confusion, batted around from groggy translations and the silent treatment from myself and Marena. Starlight was looking as stunned as Bit did when we passed threw the Torii.

 

What we where doing was clear but what we where guarding was a mystery. We where there but from Kinue’s view of us we where unwanted. Unwelcome to be more accurate, and the less welcome we were the harder it would be to get the job done. Kinue knew where the seal was and knew then that the Dark Masters where coming but was prepared to give them what they came for. By how she acted, she was willing to die for that stupid prophecy. I wasn’t and looking back over my shoulder as we left the mansion like temple shrine I wasn’t ready to let my friends die, and even less, let my love die. “Starlight,”…


The Line in the Sand

I said in Japanese, “Don’t listen to her.” I said still looking over my shoulder to Impmon who was almost ready to verbatim what I was telling her. “She knows what’s here, my love. We shouldn’t have made her mad.” She replied as we passed a Kitsunemon almost naked, they seemed to ware cloths like we wore our gloves and it varied from Digimon to Digimon not that it mattered, the appearance was like something out of an old samurai movie but with vulpine features. All seemed to be fairly poor but well dressed and clean, to my standards at least. “Who cares what she knows. Its not like she’s going to help us.” I said looking in front of me to her as we walked down the hall and back around to the main entrance. “She might trust you if you apologize.” She said and I smiled and held in a laugh. “Trust is earned Starlight, and its two ways. She seems shifty even if she is some old warrior.” Marena snorted slightly and looked back in Maria’s steel eye.

 

“Shifty?” she said simply and I forced a coy smile. “I am completely lost here. Can you guys please speak English?” Bit groaned. “Sure kid.” I said defeated again. Marena wasn’t going to let me worm my way around my comment and I knew it, Renamon wouldn’t and Maria defiantly wouldn’t. The best thing was to drop it and hope for the better. Then it wouldn’t matter even if I argued it out.  “So what where you talking about?” Bit asked as I we stepped outside into the yard of training Digimon, “Nothing important. She went on about a few things but we didn’t get anywhere.” I said and Bit chimed up, “I meant the prune Ryoku.” Bit said as we made it out into the courtyard of the shrine/temple/palace what ever it was. I wasn’t in too happy of a mood to really think of what it was.

 

“Bit, shut up.” I said harshly looking straight forward as I looked over at the group of aligned digimon practicing with one digimon in a Gi leading the rest in pre synced movements while others in kimonos of various sizes and styles where walking in the yard. Most of them look like the digimon in Tenchi’s guard as Kinue had mentioned. All of them offly looking at us as we stood there looking over to us between motioned stances and between breaths closing their eyes as I swept over them. “I don’t want to talk here.” I said facing forward as I stopped at my Renamons side.

 

“So what’s da deal?” Impmon asked after a short pause while I watched a few pairs of male Digimon walk past the gate. Another pause fallowed and I didn’t answer because I didn’t have one. Being with Impmon long enough I was starting to figure out how his mind worked. “Ryoku? What’s we gonna do now?” he asked as Marena prodded me for slight guidance. “Why are you asking me? I’m not in charge.” I said as I felt them all eye me. “I came here to stop the Dark Masters. Right now you guys are just tagging along.” I said taking a blind step from the entrance to the building off into the courtyard. “Of course your in charge my love! We wouldn’t follow you across the digital world if you weren’t.”

 

Still with my eyes closed I turned around and put my paws in the air, “I don’t know. We hang around I guess. Nothing better to do, and besides the Masters’ll be here any day now. If you want answers why don’t you ask..” I started to rant as I bumped into a Digimon behind me, “Watch where you’re going!” I turned around almost looking like I was going to claw the Digimon to pieces lowing my arms partially in position to rake my paw a crossed his face. The Digimon in a blue Gi seemed both unprepared and un-stunned for the potential attack and stood there from my brush with his shoulder and waited for me to make a move while we starred eye to eye with each other as my paw lowered. A blast of energy hit me as I glared at him and gradually his eyes started to sink into a tired and exhausted glare, still angered but without the strength to resist any action against him. I turned from a glare into an energized smile drawing from him as I now know I was while he started to wobble until he started having problems standing and stumbled forward.

 

“Watch where your going next time.” I said as he pressed his paw to his forehead and walked around the steps to slide down the wall while I growled in frustration. “This plain is completely against me.” I mumbled to myself as Marena and Impmon started questioning me again startled by the avoided fight by sheer circumstance. “Ryoku are you ok?” Marena asked as I turned around to look at her while I paced back wards to the gate of the compound. “What? We just bumped into each other. I’m fine.” I said and turned back around and yawned as if I had just stuffed myself at a buffet.

 

“You didn make sense der for a few seconds Fox-o.” Impmon said and I shot him a look from over my shoulder. “Zip it.” I said in English making the gesture to my side as I pushed the gate. “Not in the mood.” The gate opened with a sound of un-oiled hinges of decades in age but easily slid open to revile the village tucked under the canopy of the forest. The buildings where defiantly original to themselves. None of them had the same construction from the appearance of them. Most of them where around a tree, if not part of it. All of them pointed more or less to the Torii we came thru. The strange direction I noted earlier I saw and realized then. I just walked out of the gate and looked up into the trees as younger Kitsunemon hid behind branches in their own dress of mostly pants like things that went around the joints of their legs to their feet. Three young males looked down as I slanted a look up to them from my brow and smiled in a way I felt I should. They gasped and ducked behind the main limb of the part of the tree they were in and I walked past with a chuckle.

 

Everyone followed me on as I just started to wander thru the village looking at the small one or two roomed huts on or around the trees. Not “tree-houses” per say, but what could be in a sense. Well they seemed familiar then as I led my party thru the village. It was almost a city by its size. Very large for a village but not populated enough to be considered a city. To a point the huts were all empty as the occupants looked down from the trees as we used the aged stone path that led around the village. “Where are we going?” Bit asked as I looked back to him from the interruption of the scenery, “Hanging out.” I said simply in a moody tone.

 

He grunted at my attitude and I smiled returning to a place I was looking for. For some strange reason the village felt familiar then. Like I lived there and I was going to my home. That’s what it was and shortly after Bit asked I stopped in front of a raised hut. It sat alone almost in that part of the village. Defiantly spaced from the rest of the buildings and had strange little hallow blocks running up behind it. They were carved to something like a small stone open house with the oriental roof supported by four small pillars and below the pillars, was a stand. Decorative and ancient, old to say the least, there seemed to be detail worn away with time and the artifact sat in row going behind the hut up the parameter of the village; that end at least.

 

I stopped in front of the hut looking at it larger than the rest and started looking around confused as I felt compelled to go in. Intelligent also told me how rude it would be to intrude but it felt like home then. Without thinking I took a step towards the steps to its door and an arrow wished thru the air and parted my toes almost cutting flesh as it directed me to its origin. Not even giving me time to think a voice called out, “Go no further digimon, the sensei’s home is none of your business.” The voice of Tenchi growled from a distance for about forty yards.

 

I looked over almost ready to growl, momentarily noticing I could understand him stopping my growl to a raised lip exposing teeth as my face scrunched into an angered sneer to Tenchi readying another arrow. “Get lost.” I spat to him as he sat on a branch that seemed to be too thin to support his weight. “So you can speak correctly, I thought you where ignorant.” Tenchi smiled as he taunted the string of his bow. “Ryoku, you’re doing it again.” Impmon coughed confused. I shot my eyes back to Impmon for a moment still with the utterly raged face on and he instantly quieted as I turned back around pulling Tenchi’s arrow from the ground between my toes. I took a breath before I blew my top and looked straightly at the archer in the tree as he aimed the taunt cord of his bow at me. The twine was dividing his eye in half and he held it there while I looked down to the arrow. “What do you want.” I hissed in protest of his arrow and annoyance in presence. “What are you doing attempting to enter Sensei-Suejirou’s hut?” Tenchi said as if he wasn’t holding the bow at length to launch the arrow into my shoulder where he aimed.

 

“What are you doing shooting arrows at me? Who do you think you are cupid?” I mocked and he cocked his head to the last word, “Kyupiddo?” he said as his bow followed his eye in aim and tilted to an angle stable enough to release the arrow but not to accurate. I gritted my teeth at his ignorance to the name, but I guess being enclosed in that village left a digimon without common knowledge. “Leave Sensei’s hut now or my next arrow won’t miss.” Tenchi said as I released the growl I was holding back. “Ryoku, what are you saying.” Marena asked me as I turned around, “I’m speaking plain Japanese, what are you talking about?” I asked as I heard Tenchi let an inch slip in his draw of his arrow. I closed my eyes containing myself from attacking, I was fully trained to use that kind of mistake to my advantage and it almost hurt not to take that opening.

 

“No you’re not my love. When you talk to me you do but when you talk to him,” she said raising her paw to Tenchi in the tree now standing on the thin branch, “I have no idea what your saying.” She said confusing me as I turned around to Tenchi showing teeth and standing while his tail swayed every inch of fur covering it on end. “What language are you speaking?” I asked him and he dropped his aim again only slightly, my paw twitched from his unprofessional acquisition in aim and the arrow jumped and so did his aim this time to my head. “Tell me what language you speak.” I demanded taking a step closer to him that he didn’t seem to mind. “I tell you nothing outsider. You may look like White Kitsunemon but that doesn’t mean I trust you.” I dropped one ear in confusion that seemed to be passing and repeated, “White Kitsunemon?” he gave a low laughing growl eerie to Bits ears as well as to mine, the intrusive anger in it as well as his anger for my ignorance to his familiar terms, “You are just as fake as Ryokuu was, leave now otherwise you will be removed.” I smiled under my muzzle in something that only showed on my mouth and turned to the hut, my plan was to lead his aim from the others and then show him what I could do.

 

I took two steps and loosened my grip on the arrow in hand looking down to it seeing the stone tip on it sharpened, not like arrows from where my human side was from, sharpened like metal. “Stop.” Tenchi said as his aim followed my head. I did stop about two feet from my party keeping them safe by his laser like aim. I looked over to him keeping myself from laughing as I kept the arrow out of sight at my right side. I looked from the corner of my unscarred eye to him distracting him with my own low grained eye while I flipped the arrow around to a grip like a pencil and held it for a second. “Step away now!” Tenchi said as he pulled back an extra inch on his bow string  pulling it away from his face as the force of it started to test his strength. I closed my eyes listening to the sound of his bow pulling at his arm and could tell how it was a very high pull bow and what kind of string was being used.

 

In his weapons case there was no range loss, it would fly as straight to its target to the distance of a low caliber bullet. Much like Bits pistol and speaking of whom, “Ryoku, you want me to shoot um’?” he asked moving his hand to the grip of his pistol. “He’s mine.” I said in a purr like growl, yawning, completely relaxed almost pouncing on the chance to attack. “This is your last warning outsider, step away!” Tenchi said as I twitched my ears at a loud sudden hum from his bowstring, “Take your best shot.” I said in English, and he growled at me muted by his distance, “What did you just call me??” he shouted almost releasing his arrow then, “I said TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT!” I screamed in his language as I shot my eyes open zeroed in my ears on the sound of his arrow and thru the one I had in my paw like a spear and released it with a buzz from the feathers at its end while it soared to its target.

 

I would have finished the movement but I kept my paw raised and brought it back up and aimed at the arrow going to show him just what kind of Digimon I was by shooting my arrow down in mid flight before it struck him. In that fraction, less than a second I steadied my paw and watched as the air around the arrow distorted while it spun and I shouted out my attack to an electrifying shock zapping  over my paw “CRYSTAL SHARD!” nothing happened and I expected an attack to shoot with the energy I had invested into it, it didn’t seem to just vanish it went somewhere and that somewhere was my arrow. Tenchi saw me launch my arrow and instantly released his dead aim for mine as sharp and precise as any training could gather that much skill into his archery.

 

I watched for what seemed like a minuet as Tenchi’s arm slowly showed the signs of what stress was behind the draw of that arrow moving away while he watched the mark of his target zipping closer sparking with my energy, I didn’t think I didn’t mentally react. I just did from there, my mind was frozen on the low bass filled hum of the movement of his bow but my body was sprinting faster than I ever could have imagined, faster than the arrow its self as the two pointed implements collided in mid air creating a white spark like a flair and Tenchi’s failed in the path of mine and it’s tip shattered while the head of mine sliced threw the shaft of his dividing he feather at the end into another half till it had completely separated while I cleared the arrow in such a speeded blur I could only see Tenchi standing on the branch falling into the path of the arrow, center of mass by its path and speed, he wouldn’t clear it in time.

 

‘Oh God I REALLY screwed up now!’ I thought as I zoomed in on the staged look of terror as he watched the arrow close in on him from behind me, “Ryo-!” I started to hear as I leapt up in the path of my arrow and cleared it faster than Tenchi putting my left paw over its path and caught it as soon as my feet touched the branch, it exploded in energy leaving only an ashen shape as I caught it that disintegrated into data since all form was gone. “KU!” Marena finished as time caught up with me.

 

Tenchi finished his controlled fall as he looked to me, he tried to hook his bow around me but I landed after he had cleared my stance and he fell away swinging as I dropped back from my steep angled lean against the main branch of the tree.

 

Our falls put together made our landings look like the climactic finish of a war movie. Both of us standing straight up, he had his bow in finished swing at me across his chest in just as much of a shocked expression as I had, only in thought I wanted to continue that show down but it didn’t show. “White Kitsunemon…” he gasped as my eyes peered into his giving him the burning sensation as I told him in my mind, “Don’t MESS with me.” using English in the thought until he gasped dropping his bow, “Yes Ryoku, anything. The day of the White Kitsunemon is yours!” he said and stunned me by speaking fluent English as I slid my right foot back into a fighting stance as he cringed back, “What did you say?” I asked in Japanese, “I succumb to you White Kitsunemon. I surrender!” he shouted dropping to one knee and bent forward in a bow, it was English again. Clear as day and completely understandable by Bit, Impmon, Maria and as much a gas to it me.

 

“Your speaking English Digimon, How can you speak English??” I shot utterly confused, “I am?” he questioned noticing it and putting a paw to his neck, “You have given me knowledge, Thank you for the gift. I apologize for challenging you, the day of wandering is cursed. I had doubts.” He said as he looked up from his bow with ears completely pressed back and tail trying to tuck in fear of what he had done. “Whoa, just a second. White Kitsunemon? Day of Wandering, slow down.” I said as he bent down in a bow again, “Sorry, very sorry great warrior.” He said as I looked back to a pale faced bunch standing in front of the hut. I turned back around shrugging and let my eyes wander over him while my mind went around his energy feeling faint traces of things I noticed in Bit, Knowledge. It was new and I implanted it somehow. This is logic but to this day I don’t know how the hell I did it.

 

“Who are you?” Bit asked since he could understand him. “My name is Tenchi.” Tenchi quickly responded as if he didn’t I would punish him for it. Felt like a good idea but that was furthest from my mind at the time. “And…” Bit said leaning into the question, “You do what here?” he asked and Tenchi looked over to me and grunted fearfully as I looked away sensing digimon coming to the sudden ruckus, I could hear them in the trees and as I looked I found I couldn’t see them in their approach, its not that they move fast, not faster than I do anyway, but in their approach they where all but invisible.

 

“I am the leader of this villages militia, I protect the village from invaders and outsiders, but you digimon are more than welcome under my guardianship.” He stumbled as I looked back to him hearing the sound of unsheathed weapons swish threw the air above me. I looked to Tenchi knowing that it was his digimon guard. “Tell your soldiers to stand down.” I said as Tenchi turned to me to see me signaling him to stand up, “Enough groveling I’m not here to be worshiped.”

 

Without the slightest amount of protest he stood up and shouted around, “STAND DOWN! THIS WHITE KITSUNEMON IS UNDER MY PROTECTION!!” very fearful and cracked, he was saying it to me and it came out in horse English, “Tenchi…” I said putting my paw back to my face as I did in Kinue’s prescience. “Slow down and talk to them not me.” I said starting to make sense of the moment. I parted my fingers to look over to Starlight as she looked at me, I gave a slight smile knowing I just did something neither of us understood, but right now it was time to apologize to Kinue.  Just one of those moments you can picture that little sweat bead on your forehead like in the anime flicks. Tenchi took a breath and tried again while I stood there and slowly I felt the physical presence of digimon in the trees and I looked above Marena Bit and Impmon to see digimon with chains and blades at the end almost ready to throw the blade at me or the others who had no part in Tenchi’s little revelation.

 

Tenchi looked to me startled, so much so, that his armor slightly rattled and the quiver on his back danced under his mental strain with the added bonus of a very perplexed expression and ingeniously positioned timed twitches, like if I had the slightest idea of what was going on I would sweep him into nonexistence for ever looking at me wrong. Then this was not the case and I doubt that I could ever do anything like the look suggested even if I was completely sure of what I was.

 

“No more escorts, no observations. The Kitsunemon is mine, uh.” Tenchi cringed as he looked back over to see me looking slightly over my paw in a look that from his angle possibly could have seemed very aggressive. Meanwhile I was a few shades of red under my yellow fur, “my responsibility.” He corrected closing his short speech with a bow in my direction as I walked back over to Marena and Bit while Impmon smiled profusely, “Where are we going now?” Bit asked as Impmon started to giggle smiling with fangs showing while I let my glare roll off my muzzle to him which didn’t stop or phase him in the least, “Oh shut up.” I said as I walked past him, “Where are we going, My love?” Marena prodded, “Kinue calls, we will answer.” I said putting my paws together in a very sarcastic voice, speaking in English then throwing the prayer like gesture up; frustrated with myself for just blowing any hope of keeping the situation in some level of control to the winds.

 

I could feel their eyes on the back of my neck the entire way I walked back to the temple, taking the most direct root threw the loosely gathered village a crossed the cobblestone paths. “What where you going to do in there anyway?” Bit asked as I looked back over my shoulder with the look of frustration in a low eye making him cringe as I turned around. I shook my head and turned around putting my paws on Leo’s sheathe running my index claw over his hilt and started laughing, “Don’t know.” I said looking back as Tenchi sat on the ground almost in shock from his encounter with me, “What was all that for then?” he asked as I gave a smile trying to look cute but with teeth that just wasn’t happening. Though I giggled in defense of my unexplained behavior I seemed more forward and looked like I was saying nothing. “Really Ryoku. What where you going to do there, and what happened with Tenchi and that other Digimon you ran into?”

 

I looked to Marena who had stepped beside me looking with a rolled head and gentile smile she used to try to pry things from me; it was such a comforting face that I almost could never fight it. She used it so rarely that it was extremely effective in manipulating me. My left arm came from behind me as I started to rub the side of my head flipping my ear as I passed it trying to think of a reason. “I wish I knew, I’m sure Kinue does.” I said after a moment. “Is ‘he’ shifty now?” she teased making me stop and cringe while she continued on up the path fallowing the sight of the temple not to far away.

 

“That’s not fair, and you know it.” I came back slightly smiling for the first time with actual humor involved and not the irony of a situation. I turned around as Bit just eyed me, by the time we came back up to the temple wall he had managed to work up enough will to ask, “You two are really starting to piss me off. What is with the third degree here?? If you talk I don’t understand it and if you speak at all you don’t want him to tell me! Can I get a straight answer for once today?” he begged as Marena turned around. “Maybe someday Bit but for now this is our information. You don’t need to know it, not yet anyway.” I said as I looked at the open gates of the temple compound. Bit looked at me and squinted desperately, threw his experience he knew I could tell when he eyed me and he did it to get my attention; when I turned around Impmon looked at my calm eyes in my down tilted muzzle while Bit stood impatiently with his arms crossed, “Why do I even come if you guys aren’t going to tell me anything?” he asked and my tail twitched, the only part of my body I would let move from the tone he gave.

 

I didn’t answer, Marena left it up to me; not answering seemed to make it worse but Bit took it worse and ignored it, “You know what! Fine. You go in there, I’d rather have a look around now that Foxtrot-niner isn’t following us around, save myself the fucking confusion. I know you aren’t going to let Impmon tell me anything so why bother??” he ranted as he walked over to the wall near the gate and leaned against it with a huff of childish anger. “Mood swings.” Marena commented in Japanese making myself and Impmon chuckle. “Make sure he doesn’t get into trouble Impmon.” I said as I followed Marena into the temple.

 

I looked back behind me seeing the village alive in the trees more than on ground level thinking about Bits tantrum in that moment. Marena speaking my worry humoring my pride to revile it in its simple answer discovered in the past ten minuets, “Do you think he’ll be alright out there?” she asked in English, our most familiar tongue. As I said, very simple answer and grunting in amusement knowing she already knew, I just reassured her of it responding, “He’ll be fine, Tenchi won’t be gunning for any of us with,” I paused looking for a word to describe my ability, “What ever I did.” I stumbled making her smile. Verbally dropping the ball I looked over to her seeing the warm smile mistaking it for her thinking I was hiding something but she smiled at the fact, “Hey I don’t know everything.” I tried to submit and she walked a head of me into the temple as I stopped at the foot of its steps looking up into the sky. Past the height of the three story building to the sky to see the real world in the sky like the moon at evenings end far off into the horizon under one of the peeks of the tower like situation of the third floor. “Ryoku,” Marena asked as I stopped to breathe. Relaxing before putting myself threw the agony of apologizing from someone I put on the spot and had made it seem as if I hated. “Are you coming?” she asked as my shoulders sank and my tail clung to my legs as my ears pressed back in a synchronized full body cringe.

 

I chuckled despite the outward twinge, “Its just one of those days…” I laughed and took a step into the temple feeling more welcome despite what I was coming to do…


It Gets Complicated

I felt welcome there for the reason that I siphoned the knowledge from one of the Temple Sensei, in his mind everyone was welcome. Open door policies are a very happy thing, but then I felt like I was pressured into going to talk to a school councilor; welcome yet partially forced into it. Not a happy moment. One of those moments in your life you just have to practice what you say because you know your going to screw it up. Well it was already screwed up; if at all possible I was making it worse by coming back. Marena didn’t seem to mind; Maria’s fearlessness, Starlight’s generous nature to accept personal errors and move on.

 

What described me at that point, spineless first date victim. I wasn’t exactly that uncomfortable there but what it boiled down to was I was the new guy who pissed off some one way stronger than I was. I expected to get the what for in whatever attacks the Kitsunemon could use. Though they weren’t quick to show them I was sure they knew some. All Digimon had attacks right? Well, Marena led us back to the meditation chamber we had left Kinue in, but it was only occupied by students. More silent than the rest of the village around us, but they where meditating so it was to be expected.

 

Its not that the temple was very big, about the size of a large department store with about twenty times the individual rooms, but when looking for someone who didn’t want to be found by you, it takes a lot longer. It was like Kinue was watching us from somewhere; I could only feel the eyes of the Red Kitsunemon around me no absents of looks, every corner had at least one Digimon around it and they all where quiet as if vowed, probably vowed but I wasn’t sure of it.

 

I know I am pretty stupid when it comes to religions and respects, that and when I was human I watched too much TV. They where digimon not “Monks?” I said to Marena, getting aggravated at the general void and the burning sensation of the Kitsunemon stairs into my head. “Ryoku,” Marena smiled only briefly turning her head. “Shh.” she hushed me, I listened only to groan. “I get the feeling they don’t like us.” I groaned. She smiled turning around. “Well with the show you put on.” She teased, “Oh come one he was asking for it!” I said straightly serious, “Kinue Ryoku,” she said correcting me as another pair of Digimon passed us in the narrow hall opening up into a large deck at the back of the building looking over a garden, water, more trees and a truly beautiful sight. “You did stretch it a lot with Tenchi my love. How did you do that anyway?” she asked turning around to gasp at our viewpoint of the garden at the back of the temple.

 

A few Digimon where chatting near the screening that separated in from out, loose and open the screen was more of a breathable barricade. “It’s been almost an hour Starlight.” I said walking up and putting my paw against the wood of the lattice like screen. “We should find.” She stopped and came closer, “Kinue, ‘him’.” she said quietly starting to lean against the screen. “This won’t end well Starlight.” I closed my eyes admitting slight paranoia. “It won’t go any better if you don’t clear the air. Ryoku, so what if she has you black listed. You know as well as I do that we aren’t going to keep the Dark Masters from the D-“ she paused as the screen made a slight crack having most of the Digimon on the deck look over as if they where listening in. “Not here.” I said taking her paw and guiding her back indoors on thru another door on the other side of the deck. The building was very crowded. In a few places, more like brake areas, many Kitsunemon bunched up to meditate or talk. I think I was attracted to them. Over the next ten minuets we found three other rooms indoors; full of Digimon, “We shouldn’t even worry about the D-reaper Starlight. I’m here for the masters and that’s all.” I said guiding her threw the halls to a destination some where around the many corners always keeping her moving hearing Kinue’s warring in my head. “That is the stupidest thing I have heard out of you yet.” She said in a scornful tone. “What?” I asked after the timely yet brief span of relative quiet. “Of course the D-Reaper is a problem. If your just gunning for the Dark Masters you’re going to miss out on the bigger problem.” She said and I instantly stopped and turned around. Almost blurting out rage I had forgotten, but the feeling of it was still there.

 

“The masters are my problem, the D-reaper isn’t. I want a little closer on them. One of them really fucked with me and you know it. I don’t want anymore of their freaks walking around. I don’t want to wander around the digital world and see that some of them is still around.” I said in a low toned mature storm glaring at her as she froze from the fit of rage that spilled from my eyes almost making the air unbeatable as she looked away and cleared her throat. “Are you done?” she said after she shook off my tone and looked back to me as a few Kitsunemon passed. “Yeah.” I said trying to smile. “What is your problem with them anyway? Is it the village?” she asked as I turned around, “No.” I said flatly turning round to look the wood décor hall and its array of doors and screens lightly treaded by the local Digimon of the village, “Then what? I never asked because I didn’t think you wanted to talk about it.” she said walking around invading my sight.

 

“Too much Renamon.” I said closing my eyes looking away. Trying to see what I was angry about in my mind and both trying to block out the anger whatever it was made of. I couldn’t see anything, I couldn’t remember it. I saw Heto. He tensed me up but it was more than him. He was real but what I was feeling was like a nightmare slowly fading after I woke up after a restless sleep. “Marena, I’m Marena now.” She corrected and a flash of Vulpi in the cave startled me shooting my eyes open. “Ye-yeah.” I stuttered pressing past her. “I don’t know why I didn’t ask this sooner Ryoku. You’re really starting to scare me.” she said as I passed her for the further of the hallway.

 

“I just want to know what the masters did to you, you can tell me.” she said following me as I walked up the hall ignoring our search for Kinue. “I cant tell you.” I said less sincerely and truthful than I could have been. “I love you Ryoku, and if you love me you would let me know what’s bothering you.” she said and I kept myself from biting into my lip. “It’s to hard, and I can’t. Its not that I don’t trust you Starlight, I just can’t tell you.” I said leaning against a doorframe to let more Kitsunemon pass as we came to a wider corridor closer to the main passage of the temple. “What then? Are they just to evil to let walk around? Is it the fact that they are hackers? I want to know.” she said putting her paw on my shoulder.

 

I felt my fur crawl as I felt a sudden drain from her touch. It wasn’t from me it was from something else and I slapped her paw away stepping out into the light traffic of digimon in their deities in the temple. It was almost quiet there, might as well have been a graveyard because what I just did is how some relationships end. Marena fallowed and I led trying to concentrate on Kinue more than the crawl that lingered on my shoulder.

 

The more I tried to avoid the thought the more I thought she deserved an answer. Further around the building stacked on top of itself, up and down the floors and another hour of quiet, the nagging crawl blew my concentration away and I stopped in a small room, absolutely empty short of a bed a table and a chair. It wasn’t invading it was more of a vacant guest room. Others where filled with personal effects but that one was free. Marena halted me before entering with another paw to my shoulder, that soothed the previous crawl and I sat on the bed as she followed. “Yeah they are too evil to let lose Starlight.” I said looking down at my feet, while one rubbed over the other and with my left foot over my right I used my claws to scratch the top of my right. “That’s not a very good reason.” She said as I looked up resting my elbows on my legs as she warily took the seat in touching distance of the bed. “Its not about what they do to the digital world Starlight, its about what they did to me.” I said trying to smile again. I guess this is the part where it relates to the school councilor.

 

“You can tell me.” she said looking out the raised screen flap that was rolled at the top of the doorway. “I wish I could.” I said looking down again taking a deep breath for the restart of the entire conversation, “Why not?” I thought about that for a second. Why was a good question, but why I couldn’t was the best answer. “Its hard to explain.” I said bringing one paw from my leg uncovering the symbol decorating my fur. “Try me. I’ve heard a lot of shit that I don’t understand, you are one thing I do. Just give me a try, you did it twice already.” I took another breath so deep it started to make me light headed and giggled, ‘Why? Why? Why?’ I beat around trying to find words for the lack of explanation I had even for myself. “I don’t know why Starlight.” I said openly waiting, and waiting. I expected an almost immediate response but it took a while, she actually thought about it. “I thought you said they did something to you.” she said and I looked up far enough to see her feet and tail. Her shorts hung from the bottom of the chair and her tail sat completely still showing she was paying attention and not paying attention to its motor functions.

 

“They did.” I said as she crossed her legs in what seemed like a tease then but was more of an interested change of position. She leaned onto the level of her leg and I looked back down returning my arm back to my leg. “I just can’t remember it.” and she gave the obvious response to that. “So why are you still angry at them.” she asked as I scowled down pressing my ears back at resonated memories. “You know what makes Dark Ones Dark?” I asked looking up far enough to see her  muzzle down tilted as she looked at me, more to look at chin line for the gesture of her shaking her head no. “Torture.” I said simply. I looked back down before she had a chance to jump at it and her next words all English where gasped out. “Oh Ryoku, I didn’t know.” she said as I put my paw up. “Don’t, I don’t need it. I can’t remember it.” I said completely not looking for pity then. “I can’t remember it, I can’t remember them. The only time I actually saw them was when they called me, not throughout my stay with them and not when they did whatever they did.” I said grunting to my back as I leaned against the wall catching Leo’s grip in the panel of wood that separated the rooms. I hadn’t noticed him really, like I wasn’t warring him. He was there but quiet. Nothing from him almost the whole trip and I smiled as if he was sleeping. I closed my eyes trying not to see the pity she had for me despite my wishes for her not too. “How do you know who your angry at. You where Dark after Heto, Did he?” she started and I ended the question with a nod. “And that’s starting to fade too.” I said to her very confused and less pity filled huff of confusion.

 

“You’d think somemon would remember something like that wouldn’t you?” I smiled opening one eye to a cocked head and a single dropped ear. “Its weird. I can’t remember it but I know it happened. I know the tortures took place but I can’t remember them really. I guess its just selective memory loss.” I smiled crossing my paws over the buckle of Leo’s sheathe. “Or your just blocking it out.” She volunteered. I nodded slightly but looked towards the wall facing the outside of the building, there was a window there but it defied the construction of the place, as weird as it is, we where more or less in the center of the building. How could a window to the outside be on that wall? General weirdness of the digital world perplexes my human nature again. Pushing the open portal out of my mind I looked to Marena and a comforting gaze and smiled. “Are we done?” I smiled hoping for the end of it when a Kitsunemon popped his head around the corner of the doorway.

 

“Ryoku-sama?” he asked in his own language. Nervous and completely formal he bowed and forced a smile as I nodded, “I see you have found your room, I haven’t found your fellow travelers yet but I have news for you.” he said bowing again as he saw Marena sitting in the chair a crossed from me in my very open position. It could either be a very relaxed position or a very sexual one. She was leaning forward and I was leaning back, his look depicted the idea of the sexual kind as if she was about to pounce on me and I cleared my throat as I stood up and she leaned back. “Who are you?” I asked first off. “I am Master Kinue’s head Priest, I am also his messenger. He wishes to speak with you, promptly in his quarters, Ryoku-san.” He said bowing again. “Then lets go.” Marena said standing up beside me to his misunderstanding of her, “Pardon me?” he said looking to her and her differed version of Japanese. “She’s ready to go.” I said to him in his version. “I am sorry but the invitation was for you specifically and not for Rena-sama.” The Digimon said gesturing to me, “But she is more than welcome to make full use of the temple. Our doors are always open to others.”

 

I looked back to Marena and she gave me the same worried expression I was giving her. “Will this day ever slow down?” I asked myself as the digimon backed into the hall making room for me almost running into another. I started walking, “Ryoku.” Marena asked from in the room. I looked back, “When Kinue calls…” I shrugged walking away following the digimon up the hall in the direction we where walking in before we sat down, the room next door had an other bed and chair and was as clear as the one Marena looked to me from, I turned around to see the Red Kitsunemon leading on almost fearfully, to look back not waiting for me while I briefly looked over my shoulder to Marena leaning out the door with one paw on the frame. “Be careful!” she called to me making digimon look at her as I walked up the hall following my escort to Kinue…


Kinue’s Secrets

 

“Hey wait up!” I called to him starting to get nervous as he was, Kinue wasn’t happy with me, and honestly I wasn’t happy with her. I think it’s a generation gap, close to ninety to be exact. She may not have been in the nursing home telling war stories but I had a feeling I was going to hear a few, after she pulled a few organs out and handed them to me. Well having Marena comfort me was distracting to the twinge feeling like I was really in for it but since I was heading back to her again I started coaching myself into an apology. I smiled back to Marena lost in the temple, confirmed twice to be one, for her comfort and knew I needed to give my regrets for really pushing our greeting of Kinue in the wrong way. ‘Boy did I screw up today…’ I thought as I trudged on down  the hall for a few minutes almost losing my escort twice till he had the will to turn around and see me half slumped over from my idiots first impression.

 

He left my problems to me and didn’t disturb me with questions of my recent regrets. Over the trudge to a more quiet corner of the temple, maybe ten minuets, less possible, time grinds when you think your going to have a limb ripped off. Like walking to the electric chair or something. Before I knew it, the agonizing trip there and nothing worth saying, was over. The priest stopped at a double door embellished with a dragon in the panels, like the royal chamber and more glorified than a head priest should have, “Master Kinue will see you now.” He said bowing as he walked away leaving me to open the door without so much as a good-by. Not that I minded at that point nor could I blame him. He was defiantly scared shitless of me; his hasty walk away was more than evidence of this. More like a dull sprint actually but I wasn’t looking at this. I was looking at the very decorated doors that seemed to open into the chamber, that if anything where as exaggerated as the doors. I looked at the doors for a moment and could have soaked myself in cold sweat if my body could produce it in that form.

 

Half fear and other delusion that Kinue would do something to me I almost turned around but the invitation was given and I was already there. I couldn’t blame me walking away, at that point, on the Digimon that led me there, because he didn’t lose me and I wasn’t so absent minded to forget what I was doing while I stood in front of the door. What was left to do then was to embarrass myself. Like I said the hinges of that door where on the other side so they opened inward. Deciding just to take it like a mon I pushed in expecting the heavy doors to move with my superior strength but instead I meet aged wood with the blunt of my muzzle after half of a healthy push, loud unruly thud and a cradled face followed as I looked around over my fingers to see a single Digimon standing in the hallway.

 

The female Digimon wore a kimono and I had almost forgotten about her over the course of the day. She looked at me with a tilted head as I near blushed trying to stay as composed as I could have for ramming my face into a locked door. “You must receive permission to enter.” She said cocking her head to me. I looked at her speaking the Kitsunemon Japanese and smiled closing my eyes in a coy laugh succumbing to my embarrassment while I looked for that language somehow drawn into my head. “Uhh…” I grunted at first, she was a very stunning creature to be honest. The Oriental look is very dignified and attractive in my rouge Digimon mind. Her red orange-ish fur and blackened paws with the flowered decoration of her kimono blended together to a soft appearance of femininity, “What do you mean?” I asked right off the bat to a smile as she put her paws together and looked back down the hall. “No one enters the dragons chamber without permission, Master Okori sees no one in her chamber without her direct invitation.” She said and my jaw dropped.

 

“Who-what?” I stumbled almost falling over as she looked back up the hall. “White Kitsunemon are not in their own class to the gods, that chamber is locked by magic in which you must receive invitation for passage.” She said as I watched her walk up to the door. “Y-you know about…” I trailed off pointing to the door and she nodded coming to it while I tried not to hunch over in amazement. She walked up beside me and placed one paw on the door and closed her eyes while I slowly put fragments of my consciousness back together to ask “White Kitsunemon??” and she removed her paw and opened her eyes quickly to speak to me making sure not to hold the surface of the door when she did, “I would think one as you would wish kin not to clam ignorance to her own blood.”

 

The bigger slap was that she was referring to me as “her” in that sentence. She placed her paw back on the door and closed her eyes and I grunted out sounds more like pops as I started words that never even came close to finishing while she said the words, “Master Okori, Ryoku-Sama wishes invitation to you chambers. May we pass?” my paw was left pointed at the door and I was starting to feel the beginning of stress marks forming on my face when a return call came threw, “Enter Child. The lesson will be postponed for a while though.” The door just slid open without any effort from her part and I looked in as the crack between the two large wood doors opened inward to what looked like a bright smoky room. As the female beside me walked in her kimono seemed to dissolve off of her, passing into the room reviling another white Renamon-esq Digimon, stunning with the same face and slightly lesser features as her Red Kitsunemon form; she had four tails that all seemed to move together and spread apart as if from the same single puffy soft tail she had. As the last strand of her fur passed the cell of the doors her tails flicked out and she smiled taking a position in the back of the room. As she looked back to me with a smile she vanished and I blinked confused looking into the almost bare room she walked into.

 

It was clean, very clean, like a pre-furnished house with tables and cushions and pillows strewn around to some pattern and livable arrangement but there where no personal belongings from what I could see. All the walls, so brightly light from the paper like screen at the back of the room, where made of stacked pieces of straight bamboo. The construction seemed consistent with the rest of the temple and the term paper thin applied to the upper sections of the walls as the same paper screen ran to the ceil of the doorway at the back of the room dressed in a strange shiny brown wood like the polished surface of an oak desk.

 

“Come in Ryoku.” Kinue said as my eyes wandered the untouched room for her voice that seemed from that room. From the center of the floor is where I found my ears trained to but she was nowhere to be seen. Hesitantly I took a step forward looking back into the empty hall to see no one coming and none of the bright flood of light or the cloudy mist moving out into the corridor. I was really getting the run for that day and more was yet to come. I looked back into the room and put my paw on the open door like the floor was going to fall out from under me and stepped in flicking my tail around, I was being overly paranoid and I knew it but I really didn’t want to take any chances.

 

As I walked into the room it extravagantly exploded into a home, not literally but things pass my eyes like they where surrounded by thick smoke with the image of the room projected onto it and as I got closer the smoke thinned and I saw every thing, from vases to pictures to oversized Oriental fans on the walls, something you’d expect to see in a warehouse not a persists room. I looked up to see the most beautiful flowing pieces of silken fabric a crossed the ceiling and slightly draping down the walls flowing in the light to make a color unexplainably soft and gentile. Both soothing and distracting as the digimon that entered first, voiced out a gasp making me look to the back of the room to its source. “Master she-he…” she stumbled pointing a paw at me holding a pillow to her bare furred chest looking to a position behind a low wall, thick enough to be a counter set with a set of short swords in a wrack and two less decorative fans with long tassels running down the edge to the floor. They seemed to be metal at first glance but I was looking for the target of the females stairs. For a moment only the absentee smoke or mist of the room held over every thing, it wasn’t really quiet there where muted laughs and chatting around as ambient in noise. There was a low tone to it, not friendly at least not friendly at the height of its topic.

 

So many voices that came from nowhere, a sound that produced a feeling like when I first found out I was part digimon. The nagging close to my ear white noise. “Male, Tanikaze?” Kinue said as she turned around from the position my ears had tailed the sound to, standing center in the room behind the counter and just as white as the other female smiling as only a fox could stopped to face me from the vanish of smoke she was just in. “How’d you do that?” I asked starting to point almost completely hunched over till I caught sight of my own paw and arm the same bleached white color as their fur and I looked down to my body to see I was the same way. Nervously flicking my tail side to side from the change of color I saw that tail no longer applied as two moved in unison and slightly twined together. I’m not sure why I didn’t notice it, maybe because it felt normal. Maybe because I was hallucinating, losing my damn mind. I couldn’t say at that point.

 

“What the hell??” I yelped in English putting my paws to my chest the exact same color, still gloved but with a different symbol on them the only part of me that was black. It was a Japanese symbol but one I had never learned nor one my absorbed knowledge had ever seen or heard of. To complicated to explain, box base stroke and a few dashes on the side it looked like a few words I knew but none of them nearly applied to what I was in that room. “Kinue.” I looked up suddenly realizing I had much more to deal with than my bleached fur; just as soft, as long and as gritty from my travels. Like it was bleached from the mist of the room. “Please Ryoku call me Okori.” She said and I held myself from a growl. “What did you do to me?” I asked as she turned to her side letting her tails all move together as she rounded the counter to energetically walk towards me. “I didn’t do anything. That is your true form.” She said as she walked looking to one of the rooms to either side of the main one we all stood in. as she did I saw a overpowering white aura around her like looking at a tree in the path of a sunset, its properties blurred and lessened in the guidance of the light. Her white energy that surrounded her seemed to fade as well as she faced me completely and she walked up and placed a claw in the center of my chest. “You are a White Kitsunemon. I had my doubts but this proves it.” she said teasingly as I almost fell back from the seemed flirt she just pushed off. “Uhh…” I whined as she came to Leo’s strap. “What is this I hear about White Kitsunemon?” I asked and she turned around and giggled completely vanishing again as the other female smiled at head level to where she stood, “Tanikaze, go to the study and wait. I must talk alone for now.” She ordered from nowhere and her student replied with a nod taking the pillow she had with her into the room she came from vanishing as Kinue did when she turned completely around. The only thing I saw the last of where her four tails then like her name translated out to she was gone like a valleys wind.

 

“I would think that your mother would have told you something.” She said turning back around into view once again leaving me hanging on a strange confusion about what kind of place we where in to allow her to just vanish at will. “No.” I said suddenly, pressing my confusion aside for the bigger questions at hand. “Hmm, Mamori should have told you something.” She said reiterated and I leaned forward slightly angered as the light in the room sank as if a cloud passed in front of the sun. I thought about it ignoring the change in light as Kinue waited for an answer. “The only thing I was ever told about what I am was when she came back from the dead.” I told her and she nodded putting one arm in her other paw and her chin on top of that to think silently. “Ah, I see. She took you to the half way point.” Kinue smiled happily leaving my own ignorance behind. “The what?” I said as she quickly came back with a few analogies, “Light at the end of the tunnel, the road less traveled, between life and death… there.” She said gesturing around like a teenager letting her tails move almost independent of each other in something like a happy wag. “Ohhhh kay.” I stumbled out at the simplicity she made it sound as.

 

“What did she tell you then?” she asked looking over her shoulder and then gracefully sitting down on a pillow with gold colored tassels at the end. The black pillow was brushed off but still had fragments of white fur on it down to the red center button. “Why is that important?” I asked still confused but no anger was bubbling up then. A dreamy confusion was there as I looked at the room seeing something familiar in everything. Kinue let me look around as I spoke letting my voice trail off into the white noise while I tried to focus on the voices, till one caught my interest flowing between two signing a song I knew but couldn’t identify, coming from outside faint and barely auditable.

 

The soft melody was so scrambled I lost it in the white noise and Kinue smiled as I turned to the side unconsciously to fallow the sound. “It doesn’t matter, I would just have to explain every thing again.” She laughed as I turned my head. “You are a very angry spirit.” She commented making me snap my eyes over to her, “What?” I hissed aggressively. “Your energy suggests a lot of anger.” She said leaning onto her pillow closer to the table which its attire was fashioned with a vase with a single flower in it. There was no color to it just a flower. It had form and wasn’t transparent but no color something dreamed. Below it on the low knee level table was a lace mat there was a few small cups sitting at the four corners of it like decoration, I wasn’t sure what was in them if anything at all. Kinue suddenly distracted me from the scenery and voiced out more confusions “You plainly show your anger here. Your energy doesn’t lie.” She said as she looked me over like a side of beef. I couldn’t respond then not for anything I was to embarrassed at her hungry eyes, I turned to the side and she briefly gasped, “Turn all the way around.” she ordered flatly, then sitting forward, “No!” I shot, then perversely minded I thought she wanted a look at my backside, “Turn around!” she ordered again more loud and slightly tempered. I could tell it was interest and not perverted as I had placed the eye before so I did grumbling to myself.

 

I put my paws out and huffed impatiently turning back around as she snapped from my back to my face stunned at something like I had a giant sign on my back that depicted Armageddon. “Who’s soul did you steal?” she said and I looked around completely confused only seeing Leo’s grip to my side near the tufts on my shoulder, “What?” I grunted again and she pointed to my sword. “Let me see your blade.” She said and I looked back and wondered followed by small blots of reason behind her interest in Leo.

 

“This Is Leo, he’s my friend.” I said and she sat back and lowered a paw she had out to take him from me as if I were to willingly hand him to her. “I see.” She said resuming the arm in paw and chin in other paw sitting posture and hummed for a second. “It truly is starting again.” She said making me squint at her. “This is really going around in circles Kinue, lets get some answers.” I demanded and she looked up from her contemplation with a low sneer and a raised lip showing teeth. “I am by far your elder, speak with respect or not at all.” She growled and I smirked. “If you want respect I expect the same from you. I don’t trust anyone without good reason. So far all I have seen out of you is nonsense and insults.” She stood up without standing, more like levitated to her feet or her tails forced her up from below and scooted to me with a quickness my eyes could barely catch. “I don’t have this name for shear purpose.” She said as I cocked my head dropping my smirk to a copy of her sneer, un impressed by her display.

 

“And I don’t care, Trust is earned and you haven’t earned mine.” I said as I turned to the door and walked. “Show me your human side.” she said as I put up my paw to wave before I left, giving a little courtesy before I rudely stormed out. “You are half-breed. That is what the legend says. Show me your human side and I will tell you what you need to know.” she lowered her tone and I stopped. It may not have been much but there was enough dignity towards me in her words to make me stop. I think the ultimatum was more than enough to make me stay because I did need to know even if I didn’t consider most of what she was saying, my business.

 

“Why?” I said turning around. “I can see you for what you are. That blade isn’t all there is to you. Your humanity is your other side and if I see your face then you will earn my trust.” She said and I growled as I turned around I looked at her for a few seconds and grumbled to finish my growl and tried to change. Try being because I couldn’t find the vision of Marena and myself.

 

“You can’t can you.” she said as I sneered again. “I can.” I spat back concentrating as the alternative means. “Your body isn’t an illusion. Let it go and your humanity shale return.” She said as I opened my eyes. “Shut up! I’m trying to concentrate!” she put a paw to her bare chest and I started to get fed up with her quickly losing my concentration before she said her next words. “Who are you changing for?” and it all came together. A flash of seeing myself and Marena on that knoll looking at the sunset and I changed without even knowing it. I quickly turned and started rambling. Angry and insulted I turned and faced the door.

 

“You are her son.” She said as I turned back around still ranting under my breath. To infuriated to notice I no longer had a muzzle. “So?” I questioned seemingly dazed to the new language I had absorbed. The English fell off my tongue and I knew It instantly. I lost the anger there and I noticed what I was standing in front of her. “You fight for love.” She said and I turned to her completely, “So?” I questioned again in English. I could understand her but I couldn’t respond in her language.

 

“Listen.” She said softly directing my hearing to the screen at the back of the room to the screen that went to the outside. “Do you hear that?” she said as I tried to hear what she was talking about. “Hear what?” I snorted realizing my human hearing could have been limiting my ability to hear what she did. I stopped looking for direct sound and my ears faintly picked the white noise up and I searched its many voices coming to the same song I had heard before. Still distant enough to not have words still the melody continued in my ears to the sound of a voice I recognized, echoing around as if sung from the stage of a theater. “Starlight.” She said as I looked to her. “What?” I said again looking at her as she listened with her eyes closed. “Come with me.” she smiled following the sound to the screen and I followed willingly for the chance to hear what she was talking about. ‘Starlight?’ I thought to myself as she slid open the panel of the screen to the outside just as dull light as the day was when I left it. No sun no clouds, only the real world above. There was a balcony there, where Kinue walked out onto but I hesitated being in my human form.

 

Kinue walked onto it without a care, as if it was the blindest spot of the temple. “I cant go out there.” I said stopping at the screen. “Don’t worry, we are in another dimension slightly above Xen. They can’t see us but we can see them.” I cocked my head at her confidence and stepped out as cautious as I came in. “Look down there.” She pointed. “Starlight.” I said as I saw her leaning against the inside of the compound walls. She was looking down seemingly depressed at something and I saw that she was fiddling around with something in her hand, paw. As she moved her features went from human to her Digimon and between her fingers was a small blue object. “Do you hear it?” Kinue questioned. “Hear what?” I said looking to her from the corner of my eye. “Listen to her.” she grinned, tilting her head how only a fox could smile without intimidation.

 

The closer I listened the more I started to hear the sound of both Maria’s and Renamon’s voices humming the same song over and over again. The one line we both knew wafted threw the air till I realized what she meant. “That song is called Starlight.” Kinue said as I listened past her words. “She is who you feel you should protect. Just as your mother did with Ryokuu.” I looked over to her and wondered for a moment as the song stopped below and I looked back to see Bit walking from around one of the roves that blocked view closer to the temple. His voice was mumbled not only from distance but from the mist that flowed outside and inside blocking accuracy of hearing.

 

Kinue let me linger as I watched them fuzzily blur away, like a dream they wandered still where they where standing till they went inside. Impmon wasn’t to far behind and I smiled at the little bunch that had fallowed me around. “Ryokuu?” I asked in English not trying to find the Japanese she used. “Yes Ryokuu. I do believe your mother had emotions for him.” she turned and walked back inside as I looked into the yard to the practicing Digimon as a strange spectacle appeared over them some of them changed colors some of them moved less uniform than the rest, in the blur of their movements I saw so much in them as they tried to focus on their trainers fluid movements however flawed from that vista.

 

I turned around listening for her only catching slight glimpses of fur or a zone of the white aura she had when standing sideways. “You don’t question much do you?” she asked from inside giving my ears a chance to fully identify where she stood. She had walked around or over the counter and was heading back over to her cushion on the floor where the table was. I had to think about that for a second, truly I hadn’t questioned much, not about myself other than how it happened, I really wasn’t to interested in what I was. It seemed too normal for me to even wonder about it. Natural in a strong sense. “Not really.” I said as I leaned against the banister that ran the length of the balcony I watched as she reappeared sitting down, she may look so much different than the other Digimon in the village but she really didn’t act like you would believe. She may have seemed younger than she was. First glance she seemed to be extremely young. Not somemon you would picture impersonating an elder or a priest. “Don’t worry about that, not that I’d imagine you would, your very intelligent to magic’s its part of your spirit.” She smiled leaning forward “hanging” as the case where making me divert my eyes from her down into the yard.

 

“Spirit?” I wondered out loud. Here is where my true stupidity shows. “Yes you’re a spirit. More than that one with a soul.” Two words that meant almost completely different things. I grunted trying to piece that together and looked back to her to see she picked up on how uncomfortable I was with her display of her body. “You really are as unknowing as you seem.” She said comfortingly, still slightly insulting. “Do you know anything about the legends?” Kinue smiled to me as I tried to ignore her, feeling a rise in my shorts start to form. “Legends about what?” I returned in a conversation that had turned to English all of a sudden. My comprehension raised but I didn’t know it for a few minuets. “Of the D-Reaper, you so commonly call D.” I looked back and wanted to squirm remembering what Marena said to me while we looked the halls for her but shook my head for humor. “I know that its bad mo-jo that’s about it.” I lied and the air became a little tight around me and I winced at it looking directly at Kinue who seemed to smile at my fib. “I think you know more than your letting on half-breed.” She teased and I lowly glared at her. “Call me Ryoku.” I turned my glare to a down beaten smile walking inside.

 

I stopped at the counter and looked at the swords very bland, details-less to the point they could have been drawn three dimensionally on the counter and placed my hand on the counter top to feel for the indentation of the hologram that movie makers would have used. They where real and I meet the grip earlier than expected almost tip the stand over.

 

I moved more because of the air than to go closer to her, honestly sitting in the position she was wasn’t the best position with what was happening in my pants. “What should I know?” I asked and she looked at me up and down to a smile shifting to her side to lean on another pillow. “That sword played a part in a defeat of the D-reaper so long ago.” She said sitting back up on her cushion putting her paws on what she had of ankles as she continued. “That was part of our battle with the D-reaper, your mother and I.” She said as I shifted to the way she said it. “It carries as much legend as the rest of the artifacts of Xen. Close to five hundred years ago the D-reaper was told to be freed again and our weapons brought us closer to our human companions.” I blinked and she put on paw on the table and looked down, more than likely remembering something I couldn’t possibly imagine.

 

“Human Companions?” I gasped and blinked repeatedly as she gave me a moment to stop hyperventilating. “Yes, Humans. Since the D-reaper was first created this world was damaged so much it became directly linked to the fantasies of those in the human world, and since humans where the strongest source of dreams we needed them to make us stronger, by believing in us.” she smiled almost tearful at the thought of something long gone to her. I cleared my throat again as if the mist in the air was making it hard to breath and she came back from her starry eyed vision of a shimmering past.

 

She smiled looking back to me as I changed positions to sit on my butt as apposed to my legs and almost yelped as I sat on a TAIL. I reached back and felt my own fur as I brought the single Yellow furred tail around and felt my ears twitch as I looked in confusion at it. Kinue smiled at me ignoring my discovery and continued, “That sword belonged to a Kitsune known as Tamamo-no-mae, she would have been the head of  the Ikari house if she didn’t go mad after wielding that sword.” I looked to Leo and wondered myself what was happening with me and she stopped me all of a sudden, “Don’t worry if it has a soul occupying it no harm will come to you. Only when the soul leave the sword is when you should worry.”

 

Still with my tail in my lap, still confused by it as well as other things my ears pressed back and I let her continue. I felt she would have given me more to go on if I let her speak. “That sword was made from a dragons tooth, a sleeper who sang at rest controlling others thru the song his mouth voiced in his sleep. Shortly before D-reapers release a human found him drawn by his song. The pained sound brought him to him in a sealed cave they had erected long ago to his power. He slept there for eons before he was disturbed, only men of the cloth could enter without effect from him. That man was a priest and he was drawn by the cry more than the song. The affliction was in his mouth and a single tooth that powered him to command spirits. That sword is the dragons tooth.” She gestured a crossed the table as I quickly grasped Leo as if to shield him from her gesture. “Leo is a sword, he can’t be a tooth. He’s metal.” I concerned feeling a difference beside Leo in the sword, the power in it I had noticed before. “Oh that is metal, by far metal, more mental though. The Dragon’s body was earth and his mouth of ore and his scales of leaves. Commanding essences of the lands he made a body so he could rest and did so until he was drawn by the D-reaper from his resting place.” She explained and I blinked repeatedly feeling my ears flip forward, shocked. “The priest took the tooth and was absorbed by it’s power, his very sole was part of the metal you hold, that is the magic of the sword. In it lies the power, the sole gives its user its bodies essence and powers them beyond anything a human cold imagine. The dragon awoke and told him to forge himself into a sword and give the blade to his son. While the priest was in the sword he controlled his body and did as he was told, walking dead he took the tooth to a village crossed the straight and to his son where his body died and he was forged into that blade.” She paused as I slowly drew Leo from my back making him yawn, literally yawn in my hand, in his own voice as his face was projected lightly above his blade.

 

He opened his eyes seeing the world around and I gasped hearing his words “Where am I now?” and almost cried hearing him again not just interpreting his voice I had almost forgotten over his time as my weapon. “You are in Xen, Oniba Doragon.” Kinue said as he turned to her making more of him visible to me as suddenly a hand jutted from a shadow of himself and he gasped almost falling from the blade, “Put him away, he is using more energy than needed.” Leo turned back around to me and stared at me momentarily quiet and confused and I watched him for a moment till Kinue shouted “Put him away, you shouldn’t draw your blade unless you plan on using it!”

 

I shot Kinue a look trying to point Leo at her but my arm went in the opposite direction with a wave of her paw and I found Leo had been put away. “Swords, even that one. Shouldn’t be used against allies.” She growled lowly as I found my hand willfully letting go of Leo. “What do you want anyway?” I asked as Kinue put her paw back down to her leg and stopped her growl for my question, “To talk.” She said and I laughed. “To preach is more like it. I don’t see a point to this and if you don’t tell me something I think I should know I’m going to leave.” I said standing up. “I’m not doing much talking if you haven’t noticed and I’m not hearing anything important. I’m expecting company and your not to much of a help in the first place!” I snorted standing up from my cushion and turned to the door suddenly angry for her forcing my hand, “Wait!” she called to me putting out her paw, not worried about me leaving but with a degree of concern on her face, “What?” I said stopping past the next cushion. “Are you going to go out there like that?” she said gesturing to my humanity and I took another step closer to the door.

 

She took that as an immediate yes. “Your strong willed Ryoku just like your father.” She commented and I kept walking the short distance and looked at the door to see no means of opening them, neither door had a knob or a handle of any kind. “My father is human.” I said as I ran a finger down the space between the doors not looking at her, “That may be true to your soul but your spirit has two origins. Ryokuu was strong willed too, so much so that your mother felt he should be prepared for the wasteland of Xen. Against the code the dragons left for us I trained him and the female, Renamon, in the ways of seals as well as ice and electricity magic’s.” I looked back and I cocked my head snorting quietly, in the posture of “why should I care?” and she interpreted it quickly, “You have a tail, you have ears, and your eyes are that shade of blue your mother fell in love with. Ryokuu is your father if not by direct birth you are his son.” She said and I completely turned around. “Prove it.” I spat, I just didn’t want to sit around. “The yellow hair and the tail aren’t proof enough?” she said as I pulled down a bang of yellow hair, defiantly the same shade as my Digimon coat. I felt my head and sure enough there where long ears there.

 

“Then why was he never around huh? Why did I only know my mother?” I said coldly, leaning against the door letting Leo scratch the surface as I didn’t care for the answer. She wanted to talk and she was getting it. I wasn’t to happy about the subject but at least it wasn’t as one sided as before. “I don’t know.” she said looking down to the floor slightly morn full. “Two hundred years here is a long time Ryoku. I can’t see what I didn’t witness. I’m willing to bet though that somehow your mother tried healing him and it collapsed.” She said close to tears and I looked away not caring for them. “All I know is that your mother left with him and the female as the others of their kind came here, Ryokuu sealed the temple to the wasteland in accordance to the legend. A feat I couldn’t do myself.” she started to dictate and I interrupted “And why is that?” rudely voiced she responded tastefully ignoring my tone as I crossed my arms impatient with her, “I was charged to protect the seals final resting place here. Until the day its to be broken it is in my care. I couldn’t leave, if I did make the village seal I would be trapped in the expanses of the wastelands and almost no means to return.” She smiled to me simply stating it to me.

 

“Then how would the seal be broken and what is the seal for starters.” I said trying to have her tell me what it is. “The seal is a scroll I was given, telling me magic’s not known since the D-reaper was first released. On it is the seal, I wrote. When I knew that spell it was the moment it had to be written, and in the blood of my own human companion. Very powerful magic is written in blood and the dieing have the most power of all.” I herd her sigh and her breath rasp as she tried to control herself, “I miss her.” she said softly and lowly, trying not to let me hear. “I’m sorry.” I said offering a little sympathy and she looked up and giggled lightly forcing it to a happy demeanor, “What’s said is done and cannot be changed, to tread on it Ryoku. She’s gone and there’s nothing I can do.”

 

“I shouldn’t have made you…” I said and she stopped me, “Just don’t” she scorned. “Fine.” I said sarcastically as she killed that conversation. “Ryokuu…” she said as she straightened out the fur on her legs, “sealed the village and your mother left with him, I can only assume she looked like the female that he had accompanying him. white, gray or red Kitsune are very scarce out there, look more as flukes. Even in my travels not many of us would survive long. He could have possibly been injured out there or simply grown old and died, with a female or two it proves to be less still. How old are you anyway?” suddenly shifting the mood I blinked twice and answered as if I was a school girl, “WHAT DOES MY AGE MATTER??” I boiled and she tried to giggle past her other thought.

 

“Mealy a question and a gauge of time young one.” She smiled forcefully, “19” I said and she looked down and calculated in her head, “ Ryokuu should have lived longer, even a Red Kitsunemon lives for close to two hundred years in Xen. That really didn’t add up. Not that I knew much about the date system there but it just didn’t add up my Digimon side was close to thirty and, just complicated. “Wait just a..” I almost had the chance to finish as Kinue raised a finger. “Time moves differently threw out Xen. At its center it stops.” She said and I just eyed her. Leaning against the door looking at her till she stopped, “None of this matters, if I wanted to know I would ask.” I huffed and turned back around to the door. “You’re here for one thing and that’s your master.” She said as I froze against the door. “That’s what you think but I can’t stress enough how important the D-reaper is threw out your life.”

 

“And what the fuck should I care?? You have been talking around in circles and none of this is making sense! I’m gone,” I waved swinging my hand around with out looking at her as she opened the door. “The seal is here, by telling you more than its history. I endanger the future.” She said as a crack sounded and the door slid open. “And what do you know about the legend?” I asked closing the conversation, again on a sour note, “Your sword Leo and my scroll are told to be together on the day of the wanderer. Tomorrow. One will be used to destroy the other and not at the hands of its true possessor.” she said as I felt a sudden gust of fridge wind blew me out the door into the hall making me turn around and look in as again the room settled into an absent room smoke filled and eerie sound as Kinue sighed closing the door as the chill ran across bare skin.

 

I walked back up to the door and felt its panel and listened for the noise but it was gone and I had been warned. Looking at my arm I realized I was back to being my normal human self. No ears or tail and turning around completely focused on the thought she had given me. I was going to lose…


Coming Battle

Mentally trying to flick my tail around I found I didn’t have one, I looked back to the door thinking about all of that weird stuff. I couldn’t even call it information because I didn’t understand it. It’s as crazy as believing a bunch of 0’s and 1’s can have a body, think and breath.

 

I leaned back against the door and closed my eyes trying to think as my skin itched from the aged wood rubbing up my back. I tried to concentrate on a few things she said that made sense but ended up hearing her voice in the main room calling back into the other two that where on either side of the main room.  Kinue spoke off into the room moving around the corner muffling the sound of her voice as I leaned against the door. “All right now Tanikaze, what lesson did I have for today?” Kinue forced a laugh as she left the front room going around the corner to the next room more than likely the study she had sent her pupil to. ”Master? What where you talking about?” the younger of the two asked, speech lowered I could still hear them as if they where at the other end of a long room.

 

I opened my eyes in the middle of Kinue’s next sentence and almost gasped as the itch on my back started to crawl under the Leather of Leo’s strap. “Only the legend my child, I fear that since the sword is here we may all be doomed.” I turned to my side and opened my eyes and scratched my back while the sound went muffled like the door had instantly appeared and I just happened to be leaning where it would be. Finding and reliving the itch I looked to the door trying to hear what she was saying threw its wood less accurate being both in their version of Japanese and the thickness of the door. “Will he die? Like in the legend?” Tanikaze said slowly from around the thick slab of the door. It was low and almost unheard but the words where clear enough in my ears to bring a shock to my face.

 

“No my child, he seems to have taken that path already. Great power comes from one’s death and he seems to have taken it on himself. I would wager it that one of us may fall if it comes to that. If not all of us.” Kinue said in a serious fearing tone. More of what it meant to everything than to herself. “Why is that? I thought only one of the Kitsunemon warriors would die in the prophecy? If he died that would mean there is more than five, you showed me the other four.” She said trailing off as Kinue must have stopped her train of thought. “If he has already died and come back then he must not be the warrior. Maybe the true warrior is the female with him, Marena.” She said and I fell away from the door as instantly her words stopped as I stepped away.

 

“Marena?” I rasped aloud. “How can that be right?” I wondered. “She’s not even…” I stopped putting my hand back on the wood of the door as the itch returned to my palm and I closed my eyes and listened again. Peeping in on their conversation was rude but it was getting me more information than talking to her directly. “She may be the one I foresaw here. Her blood isn’t of White Kitsune but she seems to be as he is.” Kinue said straightly as I whispered “Foresaw?” still with my eyes closed I started to wonder exactly what she wasn’t telling me and their conversation stopped as I leaned palm first into the door facing down to my bare feet. “Tanikaze, It’s not important right now.” Kinue said quietly as if noticing something. “Your studies should come first today, despite the Rumors of the Day Of the Wandering. If evil comes tomorrow then it’s fate, we can’t change it. Even if we could it wouldn’t matter. Your masters wanted you to be ready for your Priesthood and you are far from it.” Kinue smirked, if she did notice anything it was me and her words were for me to hear, “If the D-Reaper is coming master, I don’t want to die here in lesson. I want to meet the gods not have my mind trapped in that thing. My essence is my own and I do not wish for it to steal my spirit when I have done nothing but study for the past three hundred years!” Tanikaze sniffled and more than likely teared up while I sat against the door listening in on what I didn’t consider my business.

 

When I opened my eyes Kinue tried to comfort and a shot hit me at that moment, “This is only the staging grounds for the battle, Tanikaze, not the grounds for the war. When the warrior shows her true form she will die and you can escape, whoever dies here will see the gods and not be fuel for that beast that waits outside our door.” Momentarily thinking she was referring to me my face pouted in teased anger, “The D-Reaper is all of our fate if he fails, but you can find your own battles to win. You know the gods of Fate keep us for something, even small things, so don’t lose faith in the legends. It’s not the end. Not here.”

 

I can’t say that was a major confidence builder and I can’t say I walked away with a smile. After a few minuets more of listening in I decided to leave. I had enough trust in Kinue then to believe what she was saying. In that it wouldn’t end there, even if I didn’t want anything to do with the D-Reaper at least I could go on fighting. When it all happened the time was given, tomorrow. I didn’t believe the fact that someone was going to die. I didn’t want to accept it and as I paced down the empty halls I disbelieved it even more growling in thought about her saying Marena was the Warrior in mind. Not because she was, she defiantly could fight but the fact is she said she would die. That didn’t make sense. Even if it did I wasn’t letting it, I would die first to let her live and she had already died once in my arms, I wouldn’t let it happen again.

 

I wasn’t angry, more confused as the way Kinue had delivered all of that. Either she didn’t know what to say or she didn’t know how to say it or I could just be stupid enough to let it go in one ear and out the other. Prior knowledge couldn’t have hurt what she tried to give me but just being stupid just seemed to make things harder to understand, like I was sitting in a college level class with a first grade education.

 

Without knowing it the lights of the temple flickered around me holding the level of light of the day, I was to preoccupied fumbling about what I had heard I started to wonder past it into things I could have heard, things that possibly could have saved me the headache and worry of Starlight DYING again. I quickly got frustrated as I walked back into the part of the temple that could have barred much life during the day, but with the glow of the lantern lights in the halls it proved as empty as a storage room after hours in a restaurant. If there where such things as rats I expected to see them scurrying the halls. Maybe even a Digimon of a different type walking around as the nightlife.

 

That was normal but I didn’t see it. Still human I walked the halls as the cellists of my feet patted my way down the halls while I thought with my hands in my pocket. The Dark Masters where coming and I had no idea what I was going to do to defend that place. I had to defend it even if Kinue had damned the battle with my defeat. I still had to fight. Corruption and the other Dark Master had to be stopped. I didn’t want to think about them but I had to, then I was worried about how I would fight them and not the torture I was so determined to forget. It was a thought off into the side of my mind and I brought it up as I found myself wandering outside into the night.

 

The spinning sky mixed in with the layers that laddered up to the real world and two dimensional clouds wandered a crossed the sky on panels that blocked out as if the puffy things where on pieces of paper laid on a piece of glass. I was looking up and trying to think while sidely looking for a night star to bask in. Since my mother had sang me that song that Kinue had identified as being called “Starlight” she told me to look to the sky for a guiding star. Something that would always be there, I took the message to believe in the real world, completely missing the point.

 

My nightly tradition had been to look up at the sky and as I entered the court of the temple I stopped on the grass and waited in the nights breeze to survey the sky looking for a star. Looking around the temple as if it where blocking all that could be seen till I found the balcony Kinue had stood on in another level of the digital world. There it was merely a door that led into the temple and the balcony was nothing more than a deck hanging off the face of the second story tucked behind towers of the large temple, red and gold coats of paint or wood decorated the gray tint of the night air and I walked around gloomed still thinking.

 

Nothing came to mind but I thought about what I could do there. Tenchi had shown me that I couldn’t use my normal method of attacks there which seemed strange. Also explained why the Digimon used weapons instead of attributes. Either they didn’t have any or they where suppressed by something. That reminded me of the TV show, from what little I saw, the spire things in the English dub held off evolutions as far as I knew and I tried to think away from it, but the more I tried to get away from the thought the more it started to make sense. Some how I couldn’t attack there and a bunch of strange things where going on that I didn’t understand: Like Tenchi for one. Somehow he learned English and until then I didn’t think about it but I was thinking in English when I saved his tail from that arrow. Somehow he picked that up or something and started the English voodoo like he sucked the knowledge out of me or I had given it to him, touching him and what not seemed to give my brainwaves to him. In the same way one of the village sensei had given me his language when I bumped into him.

 

All of those things only seemed to happen there, I had had run ins with other Digimon but I never clamed a part of their mind and used it, somehow I felt like Zero then giving off my own memories to others, or stealing others for my own use. I tried to talk in the new language I had absorbed but all of a sudden speaking it was gone. I could only find the Japanese my mother had shown me when I was young and thought out loud as I leapt up to the wall of compound that the temple sat in. walking up it looking down at the red clay tiles coming around to the back of the temple to the giant garden I had seen earlier that day.

 

Seeing it made me think of Marena, totally devoid of the thought of her death I thought I should go back and try to get some sleep. I had spent months worrying on the way there and not one minuet of it had gotten me anywhere. I walked on with the urge to see her again but didn’t make the effort to turn to the temple and find the room we where given. Instead I took a large breath and looked to the sky as the patches of the clouds ran a crossed the forest planes sky off into the distance staying close to the flat horizon till they seemed to be white lines a crossed the end of a square world. I just walked up the wall and occasionally looked off into the village to see that it was its focal point. More than likely absolute center as the huts of the village all pointed to it.

 

I was relaxed then, just absent of thought. All of my worries just disappeared in a moment and I walked on just to see a new place and innocently smiled because it was new to me and I had no other purpose then.

 

Taking to the trees, which no other creature used at that time of the night, I found all of the huts pointed to the temple and all of the homes where dim. Under the black shadows of the treetops all was quiet but me rustling the leaves with the wind, leaping from branch to branch to see how far the village went till it meet wilderness. At a walking pace it would have taken about five minutes to clear the widely spread huts but dashing around by treetop I made it there in less than a minute.

 

Ambient light of the night that tucked under the cozy branches of the forest showed that at the edge more shrine like things ran up the side of the village I was on. Besides seeing them then it didn’t make any difference to me. Passing them out into the cold night air I got a chill like I wandered from a warm room into a freezer and instantly backtracked back into the village with a single flip to a flimsy branch at the bushy peak of the treetops, hearing the snap of the branch and having me fall down threw them to almost ground before I caught a branch and hung for a moment and looked around to see no one around, as if someone should have been there to see my folly.

 

I just dropped to the ground without a thought and walked up the line of the shrines, again putting my human hands in my pockets and looked for the line of stones till I came to a corner. Turning and following it till I found a long white wall that led up what should have or was the entrance of the village. It was painted white, or white washed all but the baked blackened tiles on top that arched over in an over hang that blocked out a source less light of the night like a bright moon overhead. Standing in the dark shadows I walked up the wall till I found an arch in the wall wide enough for a semi truck to drive threw and sighed as I leaned against the wall on the first corner of it looking up to see smaller tiled on the inside as well as wood supports for the overhang.

 

Stopping only brought back the worries and I found myself stewing in my place over Marena’s death. I didn’t want that, but I didn’t want her there either. I wanted revenge against the cold hearted bastard Corruption for torturing me and setting me free to do his dirty work like a common, a common,  SLAVE! He and his other little hacker buddy put me thru their little school of hard stabs and I managed to come out alive. I was strong enough then to survive but I wasn’t strong enough to resist it, resist it for the cause I lived for thru it all. It felt like someone opened Pandora’s box in my face then snapped it closed with all my hope inside. Bit, Impmon, Zero: they where friends but Marena is my love, I didn’t want her to die. I didn’t want anyone to die. I didn’t want to kill and I didn’t want to stand by and let anyone else kill, torture or order the deaths of all who stand in front of them. The Masters were the most complicated thought I had and then it pestered me enough to put my head in my hands clasped over my ears to try to drown out the thought that they where coming to kill, and they where killing on their way as if for sport.

 

I grunted as I physically tried to stop it tensing up and curling into a tight ball until I fell over against the strain on my mind till I couldn’t stand it. I swung my paw out and shouted “ENOUGH!!” in a horse scream shooting out a stream of vaporous Diamond storm as the ice from my attack melted and hissed away into steam. I sat up first stunned by my attack then secondly by my appearance.

 

In my concentration I had changed and in my panic I had used an attack! There, in that village, I used an energy based attack. I looked up to the path of my attack as it scorched the wall and hissed all moisture from the grass almost to the point of combustion looking down to the wet matting of my fur as more steam boiled off my paws a rush of black fur coursed over it and disappeared, unseen in the moonlight  it was like tall grass blowing in a strong wind in an open field.

 

I blinked a few times mesmerized by something I had accepted about the village, not being able to attacked, and started to chuckle to myself looking back into the village then out past the wall into the gray night. I shot up from the ground and leapt up on all fours and then back down pouncing around in glee for no real reason but the fact that I blew up and wasted energy until a thought hit me, ‘Was that a fluke?’ I questioned as I stood up and started dusting my fur off.

 

I looked into the village, then having a little bit more sense seeing the nearest hut was a few hundred yards off and thought from my human side that no one could have heard my scream and maniacal giggling. Then back out into the forest, I had my right paw half way raised and subconsciously wanted to try it again but my mind was thinking on which direction would do less damage so I pointed my open paw out into the trees threw the arch and called out my attack after I had dug up a mass of energy and shouted it out to a successful attempt, “CRYSTAL SHARD!” and the hot liquid attack screamed off into the forest and hissed against a tree in the shadows till it stopped with a subtle red glow as it was short of combustion  and the dry heat was enough to burn but not blaze.

 

I looked at my paw then back into the village and took a step back smiling and then tried it again but only to a sparking paw out stretched to nothing as I noticed I was inside the arch. Giving it another go, I stepped back to where I was and did it again and fired to the same spot as the last time and the tree caught fire. Quickly snuffing it out beating the flames down with my bare paws I felt the cold sensation over me and I looked back into the village from the tree, first wanting to escape the feeling for the more inviting warmth that the village somehow provided but stopped as I looked around. Outside of the wall there where more of the shrine things I had fallowed up the parameter of the village and two large ones like urns at either side of the arch way. I looked at them for a moment and saw the indentation of Kitsunemon, what I had misstated for Renamon and Ryokumon in the Temple on the other side of the Torii partial where really golem Kitsunemon. How ever that happened that’s what they where and on the urns they where in the same position guarding over the village.

 

I put my paw on it after walking back and felt the indentation of the male first and sensed nothing more than stone and a cold presence in it but I was drawn to the second stone figure and placed my paw on its face feeling a welcoming warmth in it that somehow felt familiar. I stared at it for a moment then rose my vision into the village and looked around, in the same sixth sense that had guided me there I could see the energy from the stone urn like water in a fish tank swimming threw out the village, a swirling aura that protected it. I put my other paw up sensing it in the air then and touched it and felt a drain from my arm and suddenly the forest seemed more appealing than the village as I knew what was going on. Those urns as well as the shrines around the village where blocking my fighting energy, it was still with me but I couldn’t use it outwardly.

 

My face, until then, was in an observing drop jawed aw of the energy surrounding the village then I brought it up into a serious glare as I removed my paw and stepped into the village as the premonition of all of the swimming energy disappeared and I felt something I haven’t felt for so long, helpless. I marched on up the cobblestone path despite it towards the temple in the center of the village and a cold nagging feeling standing beside the open sensation drew me to the side of the street the Torii was on a few hundred feet up

 

Then I was thinking more than acting and my feet just dragged my body along till I stopped beside the Torii to think, I was starting to get a battle plan, thinking of what needed to be done. If that village was to be the battleground I had to be able to fight, those shrines had to go. I could take it out of the village but there would be no stopping any Digimon from destroying the village while I lured how ever many Digimon away. For the honor of the village I couldn’t destroy the shrines but to protect it I had to, I could see if I could fight with them but for anything on the level of a finishing attack, they would need to be destroyed.

 

Almost an hour later, and hours after I had left Kinue in the depths of the temple, I was leaning against the backside of the Torii contemplating how I could use the village against Mega’s. I was sure I could out maneuver any of the bulky Digimon that came threw, any of them without their special attacks where almost easy pickings, short of stepping on me they where easy but the Masters where as un known to me as their attacks where when I first saw them. One proved flame and the other gravity, which I thought to be useless then. I didn’t want to sacrifice anyone’s home but there was no way around it, it wouldn’t be worth it to save a house if they where dead. Then it wouldn’t be worth it to get myself killed over a house.

 

I had started thinking out loud and going over things but someone came thru the Torii. Yes, someone came threw the Torii! “Maybe I could have Impmon pin them down as the come out….” I started in Japanese as the figure stepped out of the silver coat of fluid between here and there, he sat looking around and a low moan of mechanics escaped as his head turned. Me speaking and the sound of his Machine body working for motor functions we both turned to each other and he shot me a look threw blank black orbs in a face I knew almost to well… my own.


One Day

 My eyes went wide and I couldn’t move into any position other than standing in awe as my Digimon head sat on the shoulders of a machine type Digimon, features slightly changed in body type and minor facial features. He was me but he looked like he was ripped apart and bolted back together, sections of his armor where missing and scratches covered him like someone had thrown him a crossed a gravel pit.

 

His face was of a lingering fear, detection from what I could gather, and my presence halted him where he stood as his thick bulky solid metal tail moved around silently as if it was still a tail inside countless layers of armor. It ended at a sharp point of a twelve sided cylinder that could draw blood at the slightest touch.

 

“Who are you?” he said lowly in a calm voice, my human voice dripping with a disciplined control and hidden anger behind every word. “Ri-Ryoku.” I said looking at him starting to slide back into a defensive posture while he stood there straight and open as if I was no threat. “What are you?” I asked as his head tilted from the absolute motionless state he stood in and a calm blink left his full black eyes open as he turned to the real world in the sky with a cocky smile that rounded the side of his facial helmet and a repaired ear twitched by the support on it. “Ryokumon,” he started to say, finishing the word but correcting himself, “Z-Andromon.” He said bending over in a soft moan of all of the parts he had. Taking the gauntleted metal paw and crossing it over his stomach as he stood back up to find I had fallen back two steps with a puffed out tail for fear of his presence.

 

The night light shown off his metal body, complimenting the black under suit that ripped to show yellow fur and scars that moved threw them, were the armor was shattered more fur showed threw, his chest was plated with thick metal and he had no mane around the dull corm guard around his neck.

 

“Never heard of me eh?” he laughed putting both of his paws to the disk that moved his legs and fully turned letting me see the sharp knives that replaced the tufts of fur I had on my own arms. He closed his eyes looking up into the sky and I started to calm down. “Maybe you’ve heard of me by this name then,” he grinned with an evil smirk, cocking his head to me with a tone of power and pride, “Zero.”

 

My eyes where still wide, but got wider, I had no breath to gasp but my mouth was open. “What?” I hissed with a drawn breath stepping back into a pose I could fight with, I felt evil in him and the name almost meant nothing then. “Zero Venom.” He said calmly taking his left paw from his hip, it quietly moved up as a cable dangled from his tattered arm and flexed his paw. “That’s right, its me. I told you I would be back.” he said turning to me as a small baton extended from a small opening on the back on his paw, like a car antenna, and sparked. “You can’t be Zero, Your not even the Digimon he was.” I growled lowly.

 

“Oh Ryoku, Ryoku, Ryoku. You know I am a virus. Stealing bodies is what I do. In fact this one truly belonged to another one of the masters servants. When I said update, I meant over write.” He smiled as he lowered his arms and the baton went back in his paw with a blue spark. He had a skull shoulder guard over his left shoulder that bolted to his chest plate and as he put his arms to his side clenching them I fell lower into my stance. I wanted to make sure there was enough power in my thrust to smash threw his armor and a pounce started to form the colder his voice became.

 

“I told you what I did once, a meaningless digimon with no power of his own. Then I found you, and then I was stolen from the digital world and put in a body that wasn’t my own. When I backed myself up in a Digimon copy I was still you.” he said lowering his face to look at me as the light gleamed off the different shades of black in his eyes showing the pulped against the black, “At least with no power I had my own body,” he said as his lip rolled showing teeth as his voice started to growl, “But NOW, I am YOU. I’M TRAPPED AS YOU!” he spit and took a heavy step towards me bringing up his heavy metal arm to a mirror of my stance as another baton came from the strange wrist guard over his paw and sparked blue that moved back up his arm.

 

Past the snarl he noticed it looking to his arm as lose screws in his forward leg rattled in the cuff that held a large calf plate on that was no longer there. “You can’t do that here.” I said smiling in my position loosening it up slightly as I noticed what he was trying to do, “The protection of this village prevents you from violence of that kind,” I smiled humorlessly, “Zero”

 

He growled at his metal laden paws and huffed a laugh, “Doesn’t matter,” he said confidently as he stood straight up, “That’s not what I came here for.” He said laughing in my human voice, something that sent a shiver down my spine, snapping the baton back as he turned to the Torii and halfway stepped around it standing in the direction of the light, “Really?” I mocked. “I knew you would be here, I resent them as much as you do, but I didn’t come here to kill you, yet.” He smiled. “Then what?” I barked.

 

He waited closing his eyes as he voiced out in Japanese the cold hidden fact of his arrival, “Get Renamon away from here, send her away if you can, just get her out of here.” He said sweeping his paw to me hitting the Torii and having a splash hit his armor and hiss away like acid. After it had boiled away it left large droplet dents in his armor that shined bright with the nocturnal light as he turned back to me, “I can lead them around for a day, that’s all you get. I would like to see you dead more than anything, but I know Starlight wouldn’t leave your side unless you told her to. This isn’t her fight, or the child’s for that matter. Our grudge with the Dark Masters is our own. If they stay they will die.” he said as he stood half in view from around the Torii, on the back side a face of rock shown threw the water like liquid and he defied it as a dark shadow cast itself on the wall on the other end, in the tunnel as if his energy made light and not being in a place it could be used forced himself to solute on the wall as he spoke.

 

“They want nothing more than pure destruction, and with the little resistance here they are becoming bored. They are sending themselves back after they crack the seal of  D. When it’s free you won’t have to worry about them. If you stay here, let Renamon stay here, you’ll be dead.” I curled my lip as he stepped in front of the portal casting a full shadow on the wall as his metal tail flicked around fallowing his path, “Z-ero.” I said after thinking for a moment on what I should call him, “One thing before you go.” I said stepping up to him. His shadow looked at me and I could almost place where his eyes would glow on the wall as if it was a paper screen and with the cock of his head I pictured them narrow, “Don’t call her Starlight. Don’t get in my way.” I growled softly as I clicked Leo from his sheath and started to draw him as the portal rippled and he stepped thru. The wall went bright white as he passed thru the ripple moved down until the very tip of his tail passed threw and dulled as he left that part of the digital world and went back to the forest plans I knew.

 

I looked around quickly and then ran around the Torii and stuck my head threw as Zero paced slowly up the tunnel and shouted with my paws on either side, “I know they’re coming and I’ll be ready!” and pulled myself back thru as he shot a paw over his shoulder as a blue ribbon of energy collided with the center of the portal and sparked out the other side I stood on. He made his decision then, he came back like I prophesied but he wasn’t the same, that time around he had all the power he needed. To him I was in the way.

 

He was dead then, I don’t know why it didn’t surprise me more than seeing my face on his shoulders, as the sparks and sunders blew around me I looked in the portal as the eye sockets of the skull on his shoulder light up like a head light and guided him up the dim cave to its exit. When he had walked half way up it I shivered as he stuck his paw back over his shoulder, it wasn’t an attack but a reminder, “one day” is what his single finger meant as it pointed to the roof of the cave. No sound escaped the cave but I could picture him laughing. Zero’s evil laugh with my voice, face and my memories.

 

What rattled me when I stood back after the fireworks faded from around me was the fact that I was right, Zero did return but not in the best form. I had hoped he would come back but not resenting me for some reason.

 

Letting him speak his mind clued me in on why, Marena, he had something for Renamon. My mate and he seemed to be jealous of me. The subtleties of Zero where beyond me but he was always one to plan ahead, I wasn’t an immediate threat to him and whatever ideas he had boiling around my head, my jaw sank down lower as his light faded further down the tunnel and started up the slope. I couldn’t imagine what he had in store for me then, nor was that my main focus.

 

He bought me one day, one day to prepare. I ran back to the temple as fast as I could leaping the wall with a single almost meaningless jump almost colliding with the wall as I saw further into what Zero had given me, A break, not that I could enjoy it but it would give me time to plan. The sudden shock quickly wore off and I was standing in the courtyard training grounds looking up into the sky as the wind ruffled my fur while I started to huff from a small anxiety attack.

 

I could plan on my own, I didn’t need to wake everyone. Kinue knew, Starlight was prepared for the fight and Bit and Impmon, how ever unprofessional, always seemed suited for whatever I had in mind. I had faith that they wouldn’t let me down no matter what I came up with so I leapt up onto the roof of the temple and perched on the edge of the roof and smiled looking over the second story roof of a tower and looked out over the village, even though I couldn’t decide on what kind of tactic to use. The night slipped by easy, almost easy enough to fall asleep if not for the warnings of a fallen warrior.

 

That proved to be the biggest upset to me and violently shook me from near sleep as I started to lean back semi relaxed on the roof. Over the hours of the night I started to force myself to expand on mostly vague plans, such as: megas. Chances were none of them would be able to fit thru the portal, which was a real relief for me. If I didn’t have to deal with a building with an attitude I wouldn’t have to worry about distracting more than a force that could walk threw it. Anything that small I’m sure we could take care of.

 

Next where the shrines. The Masters themselves where the only real thing I had to worry about taking on with special abilities and I was sure I could distract them into the forests where the only thing they could harm where the trees, spreading mayhem back into the village with a simple blaze would be no problem, I know the Kitsunemon could put out the fires. I wondered exactly what kind of strengths they had and what I could do if I evolved. Two of them by themselves seemed more than champion I hoped on hope that I could put over something strong to hurt them as Shintaomon, at least hold them off till I found reinforcements from Beelzemon, or Myotismon. Which ever one he would happen to be. I never asked how it happened and I wasn’t concerned with it as long as we had the extra muscle.

 

As much as I didn’t want it to happen, Marena was going to be part of that fight. Zero had told me to send her away but I wasn’t so sure that would be the best stratagem for the moment. We where dealing with things possibly by far stronger than us. Even in smaller numbers dark ones where stronger. If they brought on a swarm of rookies, god forbid champions, we where going to be in trouble. The Kitsunemon would be fighting too but there was no telling how long they could hold out if they could.

 

Then a new problem, one I wasn’t to sure I needed to dispel too much thought over. Zero. He was acting like he was going to show them the way and from his own words, “Lead them around…” he had flipped his coin over. Telling me he was on the other side of the scale. His words had power and pride though and he said he despised them as much as I did. That and his direction to Marena and Bit, he sounded like he didn’t want to be in that fight. His smug attitude about it was what was the most disturbing about it, he may not have wanted to be in it but there was nothing stopping him from toying with me how he did in the real world.

 

I expected a sucker punch or two from him and the most that brought about in me was a growl. Short and annoyed I sat as the day rushed up from in front of me making me shoot my eyes open to see the blanket of green shifting over the treetops of the village still and, quiet smiling as if a normal day where coming. I sighed then not expecting to see much, expecting the responsibility of telling the village its fate until I saw Tenchi walk from his hut closest to the temple and look to me sheathing a short Katana at his hip along with three others one above the one he put away and two on the other side. He had armor on similar to things I had seen in museums and such but polished and pretty cut and scratched slightly dented and used for what seemed like generations.

 

The armor was a red color under the white shine the source-less sun light flowed from and as he stepped out from under a tree he put a helmet on and dusted of the gauntlet like coverings over his wrists, also red but trimmed with gold bearing the symbol of Longevity on it as a more recent addition to the armors appearance. Tenchi clanked out onto the stone path and looked up to me sitting on the roof and I smiled to him a little thrown by his overdressing for the day. So it seemed to be normal he looked like he was going off to war.

 

My calm expression mixed with his own he cocked his head as well and turned to me as the black ears that stuck from his helmet twitched to me in my soft concerned look. “Ryoku!” he shouted up to me snapping me from a daze at the gallant appearing Digimon dressed like a stunt double in a samurai movie, “What are you doing up there?” he shouted in his own Japanese that was stricken from my mind past the meaning of its words. “What do you mean?” I shouted back in my own as he stepped back as if I had said something dirty to him. “What was that?” he asked as he rested the thumb of his paw on the grip of the ivory looking hold of his sword. I thought for a minute completely embarrassed and oblivious to what I had said in his version of the language and came to a small sense of logic, if I could under stand what was left of his Japanese after being able to speak it had faded maybe he could understand the English I gave him.

 

“Nice day!” I shouted down looking to the horizon to where a rising sun should be, but to no squint and no sun. He chuckled looking over his shoulder guard up thru the trees, “Centuries take the spires on the Day of the Wandering. If you are going to have something in the tradition maybe you should over look from up there.” He shouted in his Japanese as he used his other paw to point up to a flat section at the point of the roves where it meet a lightning rod dressed and weathered gold paint or real gold. “I see you figured out part of this.” I smiled down as he looked for my language but instead spoke his own coming to grips with what I was commenting on, “Yes, White one. Strange really. I don’t know where your tongue went but all I can do is understand it. I spoke with Master-Kinue on it and he said that the speech is only temporary.”

 

I leaned forward, slightly out of the shade and curled up the smile on my face looking at him more thru my scared eye amused with him. “What’s this Day of the Wandering?” I asked trying to find words that roughly translated into the true meaning of that day’s name. I smiled but he didn’t and he stepped closer to the compound wall and came thru the main gate and walked almost directly under me. “What are you watching for if you don’t know what happens on this day?” he asked as I flipped down off the edge of the roof and held on by two tiles, that just happened to be too loose to support me, and I fell down two levels until I was on the ground level roof looking at him as he caught the tiles with his free paw, completely serious. “Thinking.” I said lightly and telling the truth as I looked at him while he lowered the tiles to his right side. “Only children prance about the rooftops, Warriors do not think in trees or on the ground they think in meditation.” He said dropping his serious expression to a laugh that honestly surprised me inside that suit of armor. I started laughing with him till I cleared myself enough to ask again, “Really, what’s it all about?” I asked standing up and sliding down the channel between two tiles landing a little weak on the ground.

 

He looked at me and tucked his ears back again and tossed the tiles to me, “I know being a spirit of the wasteland you aren’t to familiar with things that happen here but you must know a little history.” He mocked as I caught the tiles. “What?” I said holding the clay plates in my paws I loosely caught at chest level almost grunting from the force behind them. “Ages ago, the masses of the Dark Master rose up against the emperor of into the desert domain, the clans of the dragons where almost swallowed by it till the front of Gray Kitsunemon rushed threw our village. Today is the day they came and we vowed never to leave ourselves open for that again. When the emperor fell a daemon was released and we barely survived. We stand guard because the wandering forces of the Dark Masters came from the wasteland,” he said as he pointed in the direction of the portal. “Her empire wasn’t enough, she wanted the provinces of Xen for herself so she pushed out and tried to destroy everything till we halted them.” I looked on holding the tiles, “Her?” I said as he reached forward and gave me a soft for us but hearty punch to the shoulder.

 

“Tamamo-no-mae. Empress to the Dark Ones. Almost a three thousand years ago.” He smiled as if I was toying with him to remind him of why he was dressed up for a fight. He stopped laughing and lowered into a chuckle and then looked at me straightly, then friendly eyes watched me acting so less than bold I feel kind of pathetic now. “Master-Kinue said you where a young White, but I never assumed you would be ignorant!” he teased and laughed as he patted me on the shoulder and prodded me in the direction of the entrance of the temple, “I’m sure Kinue will tell you everything after today’s feast. He might even have a suit of armor for you. I would be happy to have a White Kitsunemon stand beside me in the ceremony!” He laughed as we walked inside greeted by the studying digmon in the temple. That day they wore bright kimono’s in colorful traditional blends, slowly emerging from their rooms as Tenchi led me thru the halls past the main place of worship to a long hall that sat at the back looking over the garden at ground level in lowered blinds.

 

I was a gas to it all but he seemed willing enough to invite me into it. When we walked into the room he passed me up with a hearty smile on, wider with the aspect of his muzzle and the bright orange face was in a true smile. As a number of digimon set the table with foods I hadn’t seen, or at least not presented like that, set up a great table then two more that rowed out to the garden, the last of which sat in the dirt. Outside, underneath the screen in direct light from the digital world day. A thick pillar or column divided the room and three more tables sat to the other side of the room we came in on. It seemed to be the most decorated yet had the least food. I looked to Tenchi and wondered why he wasn’t the least bit frightened of me as he was with our last encounter. I didn’t ask though, he walked up the isle between the tables and to the center pole that held up the next floor and looked out over the garden and then back to me, “What’s all this for anyway?” I asked as I fallowed him out into the dotted shadows of the screens hanging letting my legs catch more light than my chest. “This is the final feast of the warriors. The entire village joins in. You wouldn’t want to be destroyed without a good meal would you?” he laughed and I cocked my head to him. “So, you expect a fight?” I asked putting my paw down going to run it across the level of the middle table, “No, no. Its just tradition. We have a feast like this every two years on the Day of the Wandering, before the Dark Ones attacked last time it was a feast to honor the royal family but now it turns out to be a day to remember all we lost then. Just to eat for them and to make sure we won’t fall weak and starved if it comes to a battle.”

 

I smiled at him noble by the tradition in it, “I couldn’t possibly take your food.” I declined as he took off his helmet and sat down at the head of the table and looked out over it, “That’s fine, We can respect you for declining the meal but I’d expect you to be hungry after such a long journey from the wastelands.” For the first time my stomach actually rumbled and I looked down to it less than hungry but more persuaded to it, it was the first time in almost a year there I had actually thought about food. The slight churn of my stomach was an empty yearn for it and Tenchi laughed at me, “Please if your not going to eat with us then at least eat now.” I shook my head and looked to my right with a smile at Kinue and Tanikaze standing side by side in the doorway, Kinue in her male elder form. “Tenchi that’s quite alright.” “he” said bringing the aged lighter shaded orange paw from behind his back as he entered the room. “I apologize master, I merely wanted a friend to feel welcome.” Tenchi stood up and bowed to Kinue. It didn’t surprise me and I repeated his motion for the honorable thing to do to a head of a village.

 

“Tenchi, gather your guard and come to the table, we shall begin in a few hours, no need to be late.” He smiled tiredly with the older voice he used. “Yes Master.” He said and picked up his helmet and put it under his arm as he left the room. He passed me with a warm smile and I shuddered at what he could have been thinking at that moment. “Nice boy wouldn’t you say?” Kinue smiled standing straight up and speaking less aged than her body would suggest, “You should have seen him yesterday after that little scare you gave him. I had never seen him in such a shape.” Kinue laughed in a more formal robe of darker reds and brighter whites putting her paws in the sleeves as she walked up to me, “Yeah, Why isn’t he scared of me anymore?” I asked looking back to see he had already gone. “He knows if you meant to kill him he would have been dead, I think he knows better than to cross you now. I told him not to fear you, your intentions are the same but your paths are not.” he said walking over and leaning against the main column that divided the room, “And that would be?” I asked and Tanikaze answered for him, “To protect the village. He and his guard are on watch today ready for the arrival of the Dark Ones.” she said slightly concerned by the fact. “So you know.” I stated smugly absent like they hadn’t already knew it.

 

“Today they will come. When, we don’t know but when they get here I have made sure over the years that they will not get what they came for without a fight.” Kinue grinned widely with a set of dull teeth in her illusions head, “I sensed an ally here last night after you had left us, suddenly here then not I assume he came thru the Torii.” Kinue said as she started walking the length of the screen to a doorway on the other side of the room which she came in. “Come, I think we have more to talk about since you were listening last night.” she said resuming her slump hobbling along thru the doorway into another room fitted like a kitchen, over which fire pits, pots and pans were hung and so many dishes waited on the counters next to food that the cooks were preparing to place in the dining hall just outside, “Now Ryoku,” Kinue asked again, “How old are you again, here I mean.” He said as he walked around a student of the temple carrying out what looked like a caldron full of soup. “I’m not really sure anymore, since I, uh , found out I have been working off of the ‘other worldly calendar’.” I said trying to keep my facts straight since I honestly hadn’t tried to figure out my exact age, “I can relate to that, I would say I’m much older here than in the human world.” she laughed as Tanikaze fallowed closely behind me like Marena dose. “After you,” I said to her in Japanese and bowed and let her pass as she smiled and crossed in front of me following Kinue then. “Come, come, don’t dawdle.” she said flagging me on.

 

“Well I assume Tenchi has invited you into the guarding ceremony.” Kinue smiled as she passed threw the kitchens other door and led into a hall where the studying priests roamed in formal dress. “Uh yeah, he did.” I replied fallowing closely behind. “Well most of the village has some degree of armor, but its not uncommon for one guard to be without, some of our priests sit in for the archers on the towers when they are away from the village.” He smiled walking up the hall as Digimon parted for their master, “Will you join in?” he asked and I tried to shake my head no but instead nodded as if it was of no power of my own. Kinue looked back, smiled, but didn’t stop walking. “That’s good to know, I’m sure Tenchi would listen to you. Gods know he was a stubborn man when he was human.” he chuckled and I stopped and raised my arm with the blank look of astonishment.

 

“Oh I think I forgot to tell you that, my folly I’m afraid.” Kinue laughed wisely, “When humans die they come here, spirits and soles have almost the same path but mostly the souls come here before revolving back into the human world. Most of the time their essence wouldn’t sustain another worldly life.” She stated simply walking past more as Digimon smiled as if she was giving a lesson in the halls. “He was once my love, in the human world. The product of which I had a daughter. I watched over him after his passing and called his soul here when he needed to be birthed. The symbol on his arms was what I carried around; I was a priest there. Or so I thought myself to be. He was one then and found me out, and loved me instead of banishing me. My lessons where true and I’ve held them up here as well as I did there.” I just walked on and wondered hard at what he was getting at while he forced himself upstairs despite his hidden feminine youthfulness.

 

“He was a man of great power and I made sure coming here he would have just as much influence. Its not often a soul retains status crossing over.” He said reaching the second floor walking on as if I knew where he was taking me. “He was one of the few who knew my name, had great power over me with my name but chose to never speak it past asking me to stay with him.” Kinue smiled as we entered a corner of the temple almost empty of Digimon till I started to see where he was taking me. “What are you trying to get at?” I asked walking behind as I took a deep breath and yawned from days of sleeplessness making the leather of Leo’s strap stretch and sound to a creek. “I’m getting to that.” He said waving his paw behind him as his tail drooped down and tiredly dragged below his robe, obviously not having a spot for it as Tanikaze’s Kimono did. “I can say over time we became romantic and shortly before he died he left me wit child, on finding it out I came back here only to find he had sealed me here so I couldn’t leave this world. I didn’t find out I was trapped here until after I had granted his soul sanctity here. Its not like I could have killed him for it after he had already died.” He sighed deeply and stopped as if to breath and looked back at me, “I assumed he knew what fate had in for me, I couldn’t leave the care of the scroll anyway so it would have been an empty revenge to take it out on him in his new life. I only hope the soul that gave me a child will live thru this catastrophe. Where I surely will not.” I looked over to Tanikaze and my eyes wandered her shoulders, I remembered what Kinue looked like when he was Okori and what Tanikaze looked like as her White self, I didn’t see a resemblance to them but it didn’t stop me from asking, “Is she….” I started but trailed off. “No, not by far. If she was my daughter she would appear in my chamber as you did, either human or Digimon but not one with a whole body as a soul would there.”

 

“Why are you telling me this then?” I wondered out loud, directing the question to myself more than her, “Because I think you would love her as much as you do your mate now.” I stumbled back almost falling thru a screen into someone’s room and sneered at him, appalled by the notion. “I don’t need another mate! I don’t want one either! I have a love and I plan on keeping it!” I shot to him stomping forward. “You were listening, so you know what will happen. It’s destiny Ryoku. The Fates have told us and there is no escaping it.” he said sadly turning back around to the hall to continue walking. “I didn’t think you would accept it. I must ask you not to tell her though. One shouldn’t know their own fate.” he said walking further up the hall but I waited for a moment putting my paw on Leo, “I know mine and you know yours so what does that make us?” I asked and Kinue sighed stopping a few steppes further up the hall, “Where as I know my whole fate, you only know part of  your own. None the less, we are cursed by it and maybe we can find a way to live how we know we should despite what the gods have in store for us.” Kinue smiled back to me, sad as my mothers eyes and he yawned, “Come now, I’m sure you would like to prepare for the coming battle, make your peace because from here there is no turning back.”

 

I frowned but seriously, I knew he was right and I followed standing as noble as I could as he and Tanikaze lead me down the hall to the room Bit and I had been given to our partners, whom which carry different roles to us. “Half-breed, you don’t know how much of your mother you truly have in you but you do know how much to give and when to move on. Don’t fight this in the wrong way. You can’t win here.” Kinue said as I pulled up the screen and walked half way into my room to see Marena sleeping in a human position on the bed while I turned around. “I can,” I said lowly back as I held the screen against my ears. “I will,” I said turning around as Kinue started walking further up the hall, “And there is no turning back from something like this.” I said slightly louder as Kinue walked away ignoring my words.

 

I turned back around and saw that the window was no longer there, but a panel in the wall showing a dragon, much like the one in Kinue’s door and went up to it and pushed on it slightly just for simple curiosity as I looked from the side of my eye as if I knew what I was doing. As soon as I pressed my paw to it the panel dissolved and disappeared while sunlight shot in the blotches as the panel vanished showing like the day had just swept the plain and Marena twitched in the bed and curled into a ball putting her tail over her face and moaning slightly how she always did when the day rudely intruded in our sleep.

 

I looked at my paw as if I had just turned on the alarm clock to the most annoying sound and tried pressing again only to meet something like glass blocking me from pressing threw. I bit into my lip a little looking to her as she pushed her tail out of the way after a yawn and small puff like she was blowing a strand of hair out of her face showing as some of her tail’s fur fluffed with the breath. She looked up to me after pushing her tail away and yawned stretching out her arms forward then her legs, true to the candid body and smiled, “Your up early my love.” she smiled and I softly smiled back drawing my paw back behind me looking to her with a childish laugh of embarrassment for waking her up.

 

I think now that pressing the panel is like opening curtains, though I’m not sure how you should close it. Anyway, she sat up and straightened her shirt and the three claw mark holes in it sagged as the stray fabric’s fibers tried to waft in a nothingness draft thru the temple. Warm humid air of a forest on a day that could be beautiful I smiled at her as if it was the last time, “Is something the matter?” she asked leaning forward after her shirt was straight, “Don’t tell me you didn’t make up with her,” she shook her head, “Him…” she giggled. I looked at her without that thought or much of anything else past her as she yawned again, “No, it went fine.” I said, trying to sound convincing. “How long were you anyway, I waited for most of the night but you didn’t come back?” she wondered as she stood up and grunted out a standing stretch over her head as her tail raised and fell with a smile as she leaned into me, I wasn’t really ready for it and my paws where still behind my back. “Uh, no it wasn’t that long. Maybe an hour then I left.” I said as she looked at me teasingly with a half closed eye in an accusing stair.

 

“Then what were you doing all night eh? Thinking about me?” she laughed and I smiled sadly, a very bad way to grip facts was thru the ill informed. “Yeah.” I sighed back. “Let me guess you didn’t sleep at all did you.” she laughed with her arms around my neck trying to hug me back to the bed, I shook my head and she sighed as my balance betrayed me and she knew I wasn’t in the mood for much more than a talk.

 

She sighed and gave me a quick kiss that would have made me blush, probably did but all I was, was a little slack jawed from it to absent in the back of my mind thinking to return it. She sat back seeing that I wasn’t going to cuddle and looked at me whipping her face off with the back of her paw till she yawned again, full and open mouthed yawn that the most powerful coffee would run in fear of. “I would ask what day it is but that lost it’s meaning a long time ago, hmm?” she prodded slightly trying to get me to smile a little. I retuned it in a laugh and sat down while she sat at the head of the bed near the small nightstand. “So what did you talk about?” she asked leaning on her knees while her tail twitched at her other side, mine did too from the back of the chair but it was my nervous reaction from trying to hide the truth. “D-Reaper.” I said straightly putting it out, looking her in the face as I said it. “So what’s the story?” she asked and I shuddered remembering Kinue’s babble on the subject immediately responding, “Good question. Kinue isn’t very clear when she tells you something. I had no idea what she was talking about. I think its some kind of daemon to be honest.” I said and she looked at me and nodded, “This place couldn’t possibly get any weirder without a weird talking Digimon, I think I can understand that language they are speaking but for the life of me I can’t speak it.” she said leaning onto her left paw towards me. “Kinue said that talking the language is only temporary. I don’t know how long understanding it will last.”

 

“Well goes par for the course, until we beat the Masters I guess we’ll just have to deal with this place. I think I prefer a bed to the ground.” she laughed trying to get me to the bed. “Wish I could say the same.” I smiled, “I haven’t slept in one yet.”

 

We both laughed for a moment till Bit beat on the wall in a low unearthly morning growl, “Keep it down, what is it like seven or eight in the morning. Laugh all you want around noon…” and then slumped back over as he bickered slightly with Impmon for covers. I sighed at the wall and looked to Remamon and she nodded as she whipped her eyes off with the back of her glove while I turned back to the wall and knocked, “No sleeping in for you, this isn’t a day off. ‘Sides we have something to talk about so get up.”

 

After a few minutes of whining on his part and random thumps from either occupant of that room both Bit and Impmon walked in half slumped over to my explanation of all they needed to know, all I understood and a brief overview of the battle plan, “No way! One lousy day??” Bit yawned half tuned to the conversation, desperately trying to stay awake. It was really more than I had expected from him at that hour. Traveling, he always woke up or was forced up around eight or nine if the day didn’t wake him up.

 

“And it WAS Zero, I sensed it.” I said as Impmon shook his head. “Dat ain't rite. Zero’s dead rememba?” he said as he sat up straight for his morningly hour reminding me of Zero’s more publicized passing. “Who said that he had to stay dead, I don’t think killing Zero would be that easy.” I said leaning back in the chair against Leo’s strap and looked them over, “So, now he’s siding with the Dark Masters?” Marena asked as I nodded, “He was me when he was crammed into that body but he was a much different Digimon then. He couldn’t fight me because of what it could have meant to him, now he’s free to do with me as he pleases.” I grunted, “Is he strong Fox-o?” Impmon asked as I put out my paw, “He’s not an issue here guys. We have a bigger problem you are completely overlooking. The Dark Masters are coming, what do you think we should do?”

 

“Well, I tink we should show em’ up and den,  BA-DA!” Impmon started to shout trying to light a fireball only to spark at his fingertip like a miniature fireworks display, “I told you, the shrines won’t let you do that here. I did the research and it looks like if we want any of that kind of fighting we need to take it out of the village. I’ll have to ask Kinue about it first.” I said as Bit practically accused me of hiding from him with that name, “I know your not telling me something Ryoku.” He said as he scratched his neck and rolled his stiff head around. “It’s not for you to know Bit.” I said leaning further into the chair crossing my arms with my mind made up clearly on the topic, “Oh come on! I haven’t understood a thing since I got here! You guys can speak… whatever you’re talking about I have to deal with Impmon-ese here! This ain’t fair, cut me some slack and tell me what all the hush-hush is about!” he whined. “No.” I pointed with the blunt of my muzzle and nodded to enforce the point. “What should we do guys. I know I’m going to need your help on this one.” I closed my eyes as I said it, just trying to get it over with. Quickly accepting it and expecting a roar of cackling or something as the room went utterly silent.

 

I cracked one eye while the other was forced closed as hard as I could clench it looking over them, “What?” I asked as they looked at me, “Are you actually asking for help, you?” Bit said, then fully awake. “Yeah…” I said slowly opening my other eye to an embarrassed look. “It’s not like you wouldn’t anyway. I just know I need you guys to listen to me for once. If we want to do anything this has to be planned.” Impmon started to giggle and then leaned back onto his tail in a full cackle as I eyed him for it, “What’s so damn funny??” I demanded as I quickly gripped the arms of the chair in the posture like someone was holding me back in mid motion to stand up and do something, beating him up really had no point.

 

“BOUT TIME FOX-O!” Impmon shouted rolling in his own good humor. “Knock it off.” I said standing up looking out the window tempted to flick him with my tail. With how he was acting that could work things down a road less traveled. “You been so proud ta know we’s rite behind ya! Now youse askin us ta do somethin we been doin from da start!” he laughed as I watched a few Digimon outside in the temples court yard gather in force standing militarily in formations of platoons and such. I looked back to Impmon as he gradually muted himself seeing no one else shared his moment of glory and they all looked at me for a moment trying to get back on topic. “So you’re going to lead them out of the village while we stay here and jump in as backup?” Bit simplified.

 

“I’m sure you’ll have your own problems but that about sums it up. Zero wanted me to send you all away but I know this is to big for me, to big for this village to handle. Even with their little militia going out there this is going to be a challenge.” I said pinching the fur on the bottom of my chin as I looked out with a cocked ear wondering how fierce the digimon there could be while Bit and Impmon stood up to look out the window.

 

“Ryoku-sama!” a voice shouted from down the hall thumping from the north bearing direction of the corridor. “Ryoku-sama, the ceremony is starting!” a voice shouted as he whipped around the corner in a persist robe but with a quiver on his back and a Bow over his shoulder, he seemed to be impaired by the cloths he wore and the sound of his running justified the wrap he wore, almost like a kimono but more flowing yet tight like a lampshade conforming in a few places above and below his Obi. It could have been a Kimono for all I knew, the sleeves where as short as one, slightly shorter actually and his paws hung out.

 

I looked at him for a moment almost speaking to him in Japanese till I realized Tenchi was the only one who was gifted with understanding me, so as not to sound rude I turned to my room full of comrades in arms and told them of my volunteered deities. “Guess what guys, Legends come true here. We just happen to be one of those today, Tenchi asked me to be part of his little parade so I have to go. Try to get some sleep or something.” I smiled weakly to them feeling I was being tugged into it by a less than knowledgeable messenger “Well then lets go my love, I think there is more than enough room for all of us.” Marena smiled as she stood up and passed me into the hall waiting outside the door as Bit did the same followed by Impmon before I could plug a word in.

 

“Oh goody.” I found myself saying as they managed to invite themselves in on something I myself was dragged into. Well I didn’t turn it down when he asked and they didn’t turn it down when I was called, “You know you guys should really try to rest up. We’re all going to need it.” I transposed to the notion. “I don’t think it would do us any good to try to sleep after that, we’ve been walking for almost three months for this. No way we’re sleeping knowing it’s going down today.” Bit said as he started marching down the hall as the digimon who called me looked to me with confusion over the English floating around. “Ryoku?” he asked as I shrugged to him quickly as the digimon turned in the direction Bit was walking and flagged me on.

 

The digimon looked at my friends and then back to me as he walked slower and I walked beside him. I knew that with the glory march the others where putting on they would lose us, and that is what happened. I smiled to my guide who put on a convincing show, “Kinue.” I said looking over to him as a longer stride step sounded and a new Digimon was walking beside me. Young as the former priest, hung in armor holding a helmet under his arm smiling at me like a child who had just received the official title of a samurai. “Pleas don’t call me that, Ryoku.” He said in a new voice that sounded like a late teenager and paced up beside me slightly shorter.

 

“How did you know though?” he asked as I smiled back up the quiet hall hearing the mod squad downstairs marching in an otherwise empty hall as most of if not all of the village was outside with their fighters. “Different rhythm.” I said pointing down to his unprotected feet as his shin guards hugged his legs. He looked at me and smiled a little embarrassed and looked back around the “Now for you.” I smiled looking to him as he looked into my eyes wondering what I could ask. “How do you do that Illusion stuff?” my English was there and it had been used threw the entire conversation in the room and since Kinue understood it I didn’t see a reason to stop speaking in it.

 

“Chances are if you haven’t learned it by now you wont, I know that training is something you lack in but this is one thing we do naturally. Besides with two bodies to roam around in there wouldn’t be much point to hiding yourself.” He laughed warmly and I paced beside till we stepped to stairs as the sounds of my friends moved further and faster away up the hall and down another flight of stairs. “It seems so real?” I said reaching over putting my paw on a shoulder plate that wasn’t there. Sinking threw and rubbing fur as Kinue tried not to look to embarrassed at my investigation of the armor that didn’t exist. “It’s only as real as it needs to be, In thirty years no one has ever thought to touch another here without consent. Short of my daughter training to take her part in all of this. She quickly took a male form and regularly touched Digimon when she understood what she was. In any world its hard to mistake a woman’s touch and those here started to suspect things.” I put up my paw and looked back as I had put a few steps between up and Kinue looked around as if I heard something and I turned around “Why are you going on about her. I don’t think I have even seen her. If this is about what you where talking about last night save it. I really don’t want to consider it.” I said walking backwards after I had calmly swept my paw in front of him. “Well not now at least, half-breed, it’s not a bad thing to move on. I think you should be prepared for it.” he said sighing as I looked at him crossly with my arms behind my head tugging my gloves tightly over my knuckles.

 

“And if it would help, someone to fall back on when the time comes. You may not accept it now but I think it will be a change for you once all this has ended.” I stopped again and I wanted to talk in some respects but Kinue grabbed me by the arm as I leaned against the wall and started to tug me before I centered my balance and drug me along to the next staircase without a word other than grunts from a tight grip into my fur.

 

“I suspect you have some strategies to request of me Ryoku.” He said as we stepped down to the first floor after a few seconds. “By now I’m sure you have realized a few properties of the village, tactically speaking of course, you wish to speak with me about.” he said letting me go continuing to walk ahead as I looked at him for an insight into my mind before I even had the thought to ask it. “A few things, yeah.” I grunted curiously not seeing that he had anticipated my thoughts on the subject. “I’ve seen those shrine things. The ones at the gate and the markings on them. As well as the one in the temple in ‘the Wasteland’” I said in a raised tone to elevate his term. “You mean the Iwane Kitsunemon?” he said as I placed the word, “Rock?” and he nodded leaning aback clattering his armor at the metal illusion sounded to scraps and clanks of the real thing. “Carved to represent the young White Kitsunemon Warriors, told to be a Red Kitsunemon, but colorless stones have no origin other than those who know them.” he smiled and waved on my questions. “Well,” I stopped looking for the rite words to ask in, “They pose how I posed guarding the shrine coming here” I said noting something else, “AND they are on the urn things at the entrance to the village.”

 

He looked over to me interested, “And?” he said as he looked around the corners hearing something I did. I think Renamon and the others noticed we weren’t behind and turned around not giving us much time to speak unless we ducked into a room in the long door less hall. “I felt something from them, the markings on the urn things. Something about this place that protects it…” I said as Kinue stepped to the wall and flagged me to follow as the feet of my party thumped up the stairs. I didn’t ask why or what I just did as he did as his illusion matted to the wall silently like a muted TV and he closed his eyes making his illusion of appearance go slightly transparent showing the true Digimon inside as a ribbon of energy wafted in front of my nose as Renamon came up the stairs. Bit and all where there and looked directly at me. I think I would have stepped out if Kinue, so involved in what ever meditation she was doing, hadn’t put her paw before me to block me from moving past the display of her illusion.

 

“Must be up another floor.” Bit said looking back to Impmon with a groggy frown. I wanted to say something, put up my paw but they didn’t see me even looking directly at me, the shining side of the illusion was like a one-way pane of glass. The magic of it even the science of what I compared it to aroused the feeling you where being ignored.

 

Kinue didn’t hold it long and none of them suspected a thing as they walked past us. Right to the point where they weren’t looking in our direction of position against the wall between two pillars Kinue dropped the illusion and concentrated on his previous one not moving till they walked up the stairs and sleekly snuck out quietly as their feet sounded above us. “That was close…” I sighed as if it really was, more blind to the illusion and surprised by it, “That kind of illusion is more advanced. I doubt even the best of us could narrow a hall like that.” He gloated and I looked back as I stepped back into the hall looking at him. His illusion did take priority but the narrowed hall he was talking about was still there. Its just where he stood he stuck out like a confusing 3D image on a piece of poster board. As he stepped threw the wall just shot back to where it was. Seemingly moved thru him or he moved so fast it seemed like it but logic is that the illusion just vanished. “The most powerful illusions still fade on detection.” He said walking up the hall. “I know… you’re you though. So why doesn’t that one fade?” I asked stunned walked on resuming the metal racket of his armor, “Well some of the more simple illusions can hold, where you may know others wouldn’t. if they did know then it would simply vanish. Back to the topic at hand though.” He said taking my place and standing in front of me holding his helmet in one paw with his arms behind his head. “The totem shrines around the village are created from the essence of long since gone Kitsunemon. told magic’s they possessed are the strongest protection we have. Rendering any attacking energy useless to a point that it only travels threw touch, or not at all. You have seen this in action young one. In the case of Tenchi I’m sure that would qualify as a Celestial Arrow of sorts with the amount of energy you planned on using.” I planned on asking my biggest tactical question but Kinue shot it down immediately, “We wouldn’t live long without them. Not many of the villagers know any amount of magic’s as you are so natural too as any digimon of the wasteland. If any force attacks us after this battle we would be entirely helpless. Those shrines aren’t just for the safety of the village they are the essence of our ancestors by generations before us, reserved into the form they can do the most good. I know you planned on asking for their removal but I just can’t let that happen.”

 

My head sank back and I just started acting like I was stupid and I had completely not thought along those lines. “Taking this away from the village wouldn’t help either. Where one shrine protects the village the other protects the province. You may make magic’s there but only defensively, this is a peaceful land but not everyone is as peaceful as one would whish.”

 

“It’s going to be real peaceful when they get here. If we can’t open up a window of opportunity then what would you recommend?” I asked as he turned around. “Something I’m sure you’re well prepared for with your sword young one. We fight openly and honorable. The forces I have here to defend the temple at all costs, I recommend you do the same Ryoku.” He said as we passed threw the main hall and exited into the courtyard looking on the some two hundred Digimon formed with the banner of the village at its head. “I’ll play along and assume you know something of this tradition.” Kinue smiled as he bounced away holding his sword at his side going into a close stance next to Tenchi standing at the head of his mass.

 

“You missed quite a feast friend!” he laughed as I walked to him tall and proud for the occasion they where commemorating. “I’m sure I did.” I smiled as Kinue looked to the digimon he was following for the day of remembrance to them. “There is always the scraps, much of it will still be good come night fall, keep your eyes open today and you’ll earn a plate. I’m sure you would accept something you’ve worked for.” I nodded and just smiled to him as he stepped up to me and pulled a Katana from his right side, a dark black sheath with silver ends covered in indentions and engravements, those intentional were of dragons and a flame with nine points. He handed it to me and knelt at my feet bringing his tail around as he stretched his blade before me half open to the air as the metal glided silently from its sheathe. “To gods above me I give my life and my blade. To a white I pledge my allegiance. To a day we have feasted we prepare for the worst. Ryoku-san, Lead us into battle…” Tenchi said solidly as I froze on the excellent blade in front of me, used but perfect. Shining a white reflection of the sky into my eyes that could have blinded me

 

I didn’t take it though, I pulled Leo from my back and knelt down to Tenchi with a smile and sputtered off something I just made up, “To a day, to honor, to a people I know not. To an offer of allegiance I accept. My friends, I fight my own battles and my friends are by my side. Tenchi-san, I fight with my own sword. Rise and lead your friends into battle.” He looked at me as I smiled; I was speaking as honorably as I could. Denying a post at the head of his little army I decided to fight my own battle I decided to guide my own friends and have him lead his own.

 

As his eyes rose he hinted at his prolixtion and I stood and sheathed my blade looking over his troops. “I don’t know what to do with an army Tenchi, I know you can lead them better than I can. Just do your best and fight your hardest.” I smiled as I walked over and stood  next to Kinue leaving enough room for Tenchi between us. Kinue smiled to me without looking and spoke some English then that made me smile, “A valiant decision Ryoku, You do your mother proud. You know so much about leading that you wouldn’t risk lives you have no call to. I’m proud to fight beside you.” Quietly and far enough away that the rest of the force couldn’t hear I smiled standing straight, tail ridged and eyes straight forward as Tenchi tied his sword back to his side and stepped back to his position between us and marched forward to the gates of the temple compound, under the trees on a day he thought to be just another day.

 

A normal day that I couldn’t walk away from, but I could walk with. Tenchi Lead better than I did and into a battle he would fare better than I would. I just hoped then with a dry suspicion that the rest of the warriors, as well as my own, would have as much of a chance. That was the end of it and what fogged threw next was the fight of my life, one of them and the hardest thing I can come to grips with.

 

I stood proud then but it could have been all for nothing. A beautiful moment being part of something we marched around while only a few minds there knew what was really going to take place that day.

 

Marena, Bit and Impmon came out to see the ranks pacing out the gate and took a place at the end of the column, a position that would keep them safe if the moment came, and we all marched together…

 

 

Words of wisdom from your writer:

Hmm… what a place to leave off huh? No fight? One short of a whole team and Ryoku is hailing an entire village into a death march that will end in the confrontation of the century! Welcome to another world and a nation of that world that stands alone in ways long ancient. What will happen to Ryokumon? Will he fall here, will Marena fall as Kinue said. What will happen with Zero, Bit and Impmon? Is all of this for naught? Find out next time in Digimon Fox Tails: Dark Skies!

 

Side note:

Well ladies and gents, another saga written, and slightly longer in both page count and time span to make it. Sorry to keep you waiting but Real Life comes first and something’s just demand attention before my fingers and mind get lost in a fantasy world. I hope to have another part soon, maybe I can get back on a timetable to complete it but there are no guaranties. As always this is fun to work on and a lot of fun to write. I can’t wait to start on the next part, and I’ll try my hardest not to leave it so suspenseful as the last two. Then again that’s what makes this a story so look for it in the mean time.

 

Until then, adios

 

 

Some special thanks go out to: Jo Mama, Johan Benant, Countersync, Greg Matthew, Ocean’s Edge, Isaac Hanson and anyone I missed. You guys are the best for putting the time into reading, and from your reviews, enjoying my story. More yet to come people, so stay tuned! Also, ~ZeRÃ~ my proofreader who made this slightly more readable threw his efforts at decoding my altered version of English!

 

SILENCE

 

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