Digimon 1. The gates beyond the reach of men, flung...

Disclaimer!!!! Disclaimer!!!! Disclaimer!!!! Disclaimer!!!! Disclaimer!!!!  
  
The following work of fan-fiction will not earn a single penny for me and in fact the time spent writing it probably is sending up my electricity bill thus I plead with thou oh authorities on high. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!!!!!!! This has been a recording. Thank you!  
  
Digimon: The Becoming  
  
By Himitsu the Hunter  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: The gates beyond the reach of men, flung open wide again!  
  
  
  
Darkness floated over head as the light of day finally faded away from the last vestiges of the mirage of sunset, its sweet tunes of nightlife singing forth their melodies in to the ears of the night... he felt so lonely in times like these.  
  
Here amid this beautiful night he knew that Guilmon would of enjoyed he silently and tearlessly wept. Takato moped for a while long, sitting on a stone wall in the park thinking about his lost partner as well as all the times they had shared, all the joys, the sorrows, the laughter and the tears and sang his own lament in his heart for that which he was becoming less and less sure if he would have again... Guilmon, the child of his own grand-dreams. Dream which brought to him an excitement most sublime, the immortal trill of having a Digimon all his own, to care for love and be with, to call friend, closer than any-one else in existence... he missed that closeness.  
  
A sudden thump to the back pulled Takato back from his reverie, "All right Chumly, why so glum, eh?"  
  
Takato looked across his shoulder to the person who now sat upon the wall next to him forming a slight but melancholy smile as he spoke, "You know why Kazu... you feel it too."  
  
Kazu sighed his spiky hair seeming to droop for a moment, "I know what ya mean..." his usual voice fled, to be replaced with a slightly trembling tone, "Things ain't been the same with-out Guardromon. I miss him and I miss his taking my orders too seriously and driving my mom up a wall... even she misses him," a sigh escaped from his lips, "sometimes I wonder, will they all come back, will they know us if we see them again... or will we be waiting forever for what was to begin with an impossible dream that's run outta steam."  
  
Takato nods, his own head filled with the same questions and sorrows, "I understand... losing Guilmon was like a part of me was taken away... the best part."  
  
Kazu smiled slightly, though it didn't quite reach his eyes as usual, "I came over to cheer ya up start to get depressed myself..." once more he sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry..." Takato murmured his reply.  
  
His friend frowned, a worried look painted across his face, "The rest are worried about you ya know," then in an instant it changed to its usual cocksure demeanor, "Rika practically begged me go try ta cheer you up, and of course me being my gallant self couldn't let down such a fair lady... especially one that could kick my arse in a second!" his grin was infectious and Takato couldn't help but smile at his friends choice of statements, he knew personally that the day Rika "begged" for anything was the day the sun would cease to rise.  
  
Takato head swung slowly back to watch the moon as it continued its steady climb into the night sky, "Thanks, I needed a smile."  
  
Kazu's face shifted back into the worried look, when Takato glanced at it he could not help but feel uneasy at how unnatural it seemed there," I've been talking to Mr. Yamaki," this caught Takato's interested ear, "He says that the signals from the digital world a becoming more stable... but that they don't seem to be getting any where near the stability they were when the digimon first started to Bio-emerge and that there ain't no way to tell if the flux is a signal that the gateways will return, says that for all we know the D-reaper and the Juggernaut might have destroyed that possibility of the gates reemergence..." this thought left a sour taste in Takato's mouth, then in a more optimistic tone Kazu continued, "Or I could be that the paths might need key Digimon, like that Sovereigns, to all return to a state where they are powerful enough for their presence to get the gates open, maybe their just taking their time kicking butt until they return to mega... I'd rather that than the other one," Kazu sighed, "I hope they finish their butt kicking soon, I miss Guardromon."  
  
Takato nodded sympathetically and voiced, "Guilmon must be roaming somewhere out there, looking for some bread and peanut butter..." he sighed once more, a single tear trickling down his cheek gleaming in the park lights as the rarely seen look of regretful sorrow took itself out upon the young boy's gentle face.  
  
Kazu watched him for a few seconds; his own heart filled with the same emotions, as he though about the time the Digimon had become a part of his life, he had thought and hoped permanently, then looked up to the beauty of the newly rising moon as if searching for answers to his hearts desires.  
  
It had been nearly two years since the D-Reaper had been destroyed and since that time the tamers had all been waiting. But life had not come to a stand still as each of the tamers respective parents had pointed out, all that was left to do was to wait, prepare and forge on with the metal life handed. That did not sit well with Rika, but with nothing she could do about it she had eventually been forced to concede. It made the blow emotionally easier when her mother decided to send her to the same school as the other tamers as it would do her the most good to be close to the friends who had fought by her side, those who could share in her agony, and in her hopes. After all it was better to do this than to watch her retreat into her shell again. But that seemed unlikely as she seemed a happier person than before.  
  
On the other hand there was Jeri who kept up a cheerful front around the other since the D-Reaper had been destroyed. But her thoughts were dark with worries and regrets, which still existed although she had found it with in her to carry on, mostly in order to resist the D-Reaper's pestilence and to stop giving it the power it had craved, to stop being so weak and giving the Reaper sustenance by being of a kindred sprit to it... and to once more be as Leomon said; to have a lion's heart. She held this as her promise to Leomon's memory, but that did not stop the dreams of dark endlessness, memories of her hearts betrayal, of her failure and what it cost, as well as what it could have cost, the inner torment of her dreams made this clear. But no one else knew of the extent to which the struggle within could be.  
  
Also Henry and Suzy, who had always been the closest of the siblings in their family, becoming far more so after they had been chosen, and consoled each other over the hopefully temporary loss of their respective partners. It had been tough but as time went along they would talk, some times all night, about the partners they had both parted ways with. It had become a common occurrence to find the two of them asleep next to each other. A friendship built between them that over shadowed the profoundness of loss as they continued on in trust that those who they had lost would return. But of late Henry too had been becoming more distanced from his best friend, and not of his own volition either.  
  
But recently feeling of unease had become fixed in their collective psyche... some thing big was coming their way... and it felt as if the time of reunion was being held from being at hand, as if they should have long been reunited... and this feeling made them edgy with fear, the fear of never seeing the continuance of the Digital world again. And it had already begun to gnaw away at their respective insides...  
  
Takato finally spoke again, "Hey Kazu..."  
  
"Yeah Takato?" was his reply  
  
"Thanks..." Takato said simply.  
  
"For what?" Spoke Kazu in slight confusion.  
  
"For trying to cheer me up... and for being my friend," Takato replied  
  
Kazu's usual smug grin crept unto his face, "No prob Chumly, what 're best friends for?"  
  
Kazu then jumped down from his perch next to Takato then started off, "later Chumly, I got ta get home or Mom'll freak," He said before slipping of into the night, and just before he left in a solemn voice he spoke, "and don't pull away, Takato, we need you."  
  
Takato only smiled, "Thanks..."  
  
It seemed like hours as Takato continued to sit upon that wall and think of that which was so very dear to him, watching the moon traverse across the night sky. Funny, he thought to himself, I never thought that it would hurt so bad.  
  
***  
  
And far away another world turned, its cycle of rebirth brought to a head. It's motions traveled ere closer to its matron realm, to once more share its children with those of its mother realm. If emotions could truly apply it could be called boiling with impatient glee, as its core programming sought to continue its function once more in this quadrant in which a portion of it was born from the minds of the human race there.  
  
Its birth the coincidence of four worlds converging on a single idea that spanned dimensions and from there was made into something that took on a life of its own. In truth without its links to all four worlds it would perish as it ran out of life energy to support itself and its children. The Digital plane reflected the four human worlds and the minds within them, which contributed to its existence, on many levels. This included having adopted a habit of using things of human myth as the basis for its design protocols of the inhabitants of this world. Its main processing existed outside of the physical manifestations of its entire "self" the four quadrants of the digital-world, with the processing center acting as the point of binding for the entire network of worlds, and to protect these quadrants were created the four sovereigns to reign as equal over the four. But it didn't stop there, then proceeded to balance itself as it allowed destructive command protocols to be activated in its physical portions as part of its core programming screamed to it to learn, grow and advance and as on of the ways it sought to achieve this was to create natural competition between the various entities. Yet another directive was to seek companionship. This need to improve given to its children over-lapped with the other equally important but far less reinforced need which many of the Digimon found themselves feeling for the companionship of the race which sired them.  
  
Now it was time, the reconnection to the southern quadrant earth would be completed in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...  
  
***  
  
Takato had since abandoned his park perch and had begun his usual trudge home, once more passing the place in which he had spent many good times with his Mon and as was his ritual he took walked into the area where he first had seen the digital field which brought Guilmon to him and stared at the spot.  
  
"*Sigh* I feel so useless... Guilmon's stuck and I can't be there for him, I don't know what's worse... sending him into battle where I have to worry about him getting hurt, or this waiting... and not knowing..." his voice trailed off into the silent night and tears clung to the insides of his eyelids. "I can't feel you partner, and it feels like I've lost a limb and I don't know what to do with out you buddy," unable to hold back the torrent any longer, the tears trickled unrestrained.  
  
Wiping away the tears, which now clouded his vision, he turned his back to leave that place till another day. But this was not to be; for from behind himself he heard a dull mechanical whine and turned to see it. A light unfolding itself into a shape he would always remember... a digital gate.  
  
Takato's expression morphed into one of mixed surprise and anticipation as a single word echoed through-out his mind and forced its way to his breathless lips, "...Guilmon..."  
  
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Well there it is, my first chapter of my first fanfic. If you like it you can shout me out on the reviews. Oh and any one who has extensive knowledge of the final episodes of season 3 and knows where there is a good episode guide please do tell, it will help immensely! 


	2. Walking back into the world on the other...

DIGIMON: The Becoming By Himitsu the Hunter  
Chapter 2: Walking back into the world on the other side of the looking glass.  
  
She could not sleep, her mind clouded constantly since having faced the D-reaper in combat. so many of the others had fallen before it. but her mind could not find it to dream of them, the departed. no they were left to plague her waking mind. It was to be dreams of her. the tortured one, she who fed the Reaper her fear, agony and anguish as it twisted these from her mind, prodding newly rent wounds and breaking open old ones to feed its twisted desires, its demon's wish for the perfection of a land devoid of life. She could still see her face contorted in the strain of the terrors that it inflicted her, trapped beneath a bloody red sea. that was the mark of her nightmares.  
  
She was Yamidra-womon, a champion, and her life had always been one of constant struggle in the dark ways of survival to the fittest, and she had gladly followed its data-strewn path, loading the strongest of her foes and working her body up to the condition that would allow her the state of evolution that she so longed for. Her path was the way of battle and hunger unsated. To surpass herself, to be stronger, to improve, the primal drives which pushed her to continue on in her path of death and destruction as most others of the southern sector would. But then came the D-Reaper and across the digital world the light of digital evolution swept across the land in its emergency defense protocol and every digimon, no matter its affiliation, worked as one to combat that which would end them all.   
  
Left and right digimon fell to the order of the Reaper, its terrible power bearing down as she saw the lives of so many spent in the mass orgy of slaughter in which the Reaper reigned supreme, it made her sick with the realization of how much she had been like this thing before her. And it was there, amidst this madness of death and confusion of that which was the ultimate fight of her life, that she saw 'it'. Within the twisting writhing mass of the D-Reaper the image of a tormented face appeared before her and the others that fought beside her, the torment and anguish of that face reached out to the very core of her soul breaking free compassion that she had never known she possessed. And with it came a deep, driving compulsion to take the barer of that tormented soul, so etched in the flesh of the Reaper, hold her in the loving embrace of her arms and wings and comfort her soul-wrenchingly lonely sadness away. So lost in these emotions she was that she had almost been killed when the Reaper surged forth and brought its power to bare... only the timely interference of Azulongmon that had saved her from deletion. After the fight's end she went about various places discreetly gathering information to ascertain just what it that apparition was and why its presence had had such a profound effect upon her... why did it have to make her feel alone and empty without it...  
  
In short time she had come to understand that the one whom she had seen was a child, a young girl named Jeri whom the D-Reaper had been using to fuel its transition to the being known as J-Reaper, in twisted honor of the one who unwillingly gave it the boost in power and intelligence it need to evolve to this stage. Hatred of the Reaper grew in proportion to her need to hold the young one close to herself and never let go. Her emotions raced as she found out more and more of the girls tragic story. And how similar her own path had been to the demon of a digimon that had caused her earlier sufferings. She could hardly bare it. Between the ghosts of her dark past haunting her waking thoughts and face of the one who called to her very soul haunting her dreams, she became a recluse, only fighting where unable to do otherwise, shying away from the world and those that she would have to face for her past.  
  
For a long time she stayed away... it hurt less. Other digimon reminded her of what had once been, whether intentionally or not. But she could not hide and cower from her sorrows forever and thus, to find her path once more in her own way, she sought and finally caught word of where the Digimon who had been the ones in the final fight with the Reaper were. After a long deliberation she decided that she'd keep tabs on them until the digital world had resettled itself. Maybe then they could lead her to the one she dreamt of.  
***  
  
The eyes of the world were always on him. It was a fact now as accepted as breathing for the leader of the once secret Hypnos organization, one which many had believed he would cave beneath, those many being those who had never known him well. All of Hypnos who worked under his hand could attest to his cold determination and his almost frightening resilience when under pressure, even when things didn't go his way. Once he had been one of those who advocated that the existence of the digital domain was a curse upon the world of men in the staunchest manner, but now, after being witness to the fight of a lifetime, he could not question those children in the way they felt for the digimon, especially those that were their partners, the pieces that so seemed to compliment their souls. Yamaki could neither question nor would he stand in the way of this meeting of companion spirits.  
  
"Yamaki-Anata, come back to bed, its early and we have to be at that conference early tomorrow. I don't want to be late again," a light wisp of warm breath brushed past his ear and soft, lithe arms wrapped themselves around his chest while he sat at his computer working.  
  
"Well we could always try no strenuous activity before we actually get around to sleeping this time." He replied, his voice seemingly neutral, but his companion knew him far better than that.  
  
"Stop teasing Anata," she breathed once more into his ear, "You know that will probably never happen." With that they both laughed quietly.  
  
Much had happened in the more than 21 months that had waltzed past and the near end of the world had brought to a head feelings left buried for so very long. For if the children were brave enough to face D-Reaper, a true nightmare, how could they not be brave enough to face up to these feelings that they had so long harbored, or so they each reasoned. The result of this was a whirlwind courtship that seemed to be as if trying to make up for lost time. But neither had of yet even considered marriage as of yet. They were not yet that brave.  
  
But even now he worked as a man possessed, even when faced with amorous intentions that would have normally driven him to distraction, Reika frowned, such intensity was usually reserved for the one thing other than their relatively resent dalliances that had sparked him in such a way, dealings with the digital world, in a word. Digimon!  
  
The play-full quality seeped out of her voice and was replaced by quiet steel, " It's the digital connection, isn't it?" she said in a voice that far more statement than question.  
  
The playfulness that he had allowed himself also faded, "Yes, it is," he confirmed.  
  
"Is it a wild one?" the level of concern evident in her voice.  
  
"No, it's a gate." He replied, only slightly perturbed.  
  
"You don't think that the children could have found it yet do you?" she continued to question, she had grown rather fond of the children that called themselves the Tamers, it would be tragic if they went off and anything happened to them.  
  
He grunted his reply; almost his full attention was on the symbols of the screen before him, "Its possible, it appeared in the same location as last time the children went through," he stopped for a moment and considered, "I know for a fact that Matsuda-kun goes there almost every day."  
  
The worry grew more evident in her voice, "You don't suppose."  
  
Yamaki turned and smiled reassuringly, his piercing blue eyes bring to full impact his assurances, "Even if he does I'm sure he'll be alright, he's a tough kid where it matters."  
  
Pulling closer she could not help but feel the tingle of fear creeping across her skin and could only reply, "I hope so Anata. I hope so." her look of worry then changed slightly into an analytical scowl, "What are you doing?"  
  
"Contacting the Monster Makers," was his swift reply, "I need them to help with the final testing of this Data analysis mod I've been working in to the scanners. I need Babel and Dolphin to check them out for me, especially now that the Digital world is back online."  
  
She nodded, "and what about Shibumi and the rest of the Monster- Makers?"  
  
"They are busy making the final preparations for the Digimon guardian that's to be used for our security team." Once again replying swiftly to Reika's questions.  
  
She could only smile as she commented, "If any of the government officials ever heard that they doing that."  
  
"They would try to get us shutdown again and thrown in jail. Thankfully they don't have the authority to stop it out right even if they knew," he spoke, even as he typed his will to the others who now were a part of the reconstructed Hypnos team.  
  
It had been for them a hero's reception from the various people who had witnessed the struggle against the D-Reaper, they were after all the ones who backed the children in their endeavor to stop the Reaper's advance, and thus had major public support to continue their monitoring of the Digital world. As was his usual Yamaki was quick to use this as a bargaining chip to gain the support of the government as well, by announcing that the government had been the ones with the foresight and funding to bring together the skills those who had been able to help make a difference in the final battle. At first the tamers were dumb founded by this out off character speech made by Yamaki-san; that is until Henry then Rika caught on and told the rest to follow their lead until they could explain later, they then proceeded to make almost every good thing that happened seem as if a part of Hypnos' preparations in the case of these a digital emergency.   
  
From there Yamaki made then a passionate but utterly unexpected plea for them not to blame the digital world for the monstrosity that was the Reaper, as it was a thing as deadly alien to the nature of the digital as it was to the people of the world, and spoke too of the bond between human and digimon, telling of an edited version of the birth of all that was Digital from the brilliant minds of The Monster Makers saying that the Digimon were the responsibility of all humanity, the children of their minds, and that they need only look to the child heroes to see that together the two beings had no limits. In short, by the time the speech was over the people held an overwhelming support for Hypnos, the Digimon and the government, who at first were going to try to sweep as much of the incident as possible under the carpet and pretend it was all a set of circumstances they knew nothing about, were now forced to play along with the setup and be famed for doing so or try to do what they had originally planned and be mobbed an angry country for taking away their heroes. They chose the smart way out.  
  
When the Tamers finally asked him why he had defended the digimon so readily to the public eye he replied simply, "It was what was owed you. Your work and struggles saved two worlds from destruction. It would be a shame to put all you've achieved to waste by trying to annihilate each other again."  
  
And in that day Hypnos was reborn with a new purpose, to help in the gradual unification of humanity and their unexpected children. Of course leaving out a few details of the Reapers birth.  
  
Yamaki then looked back once more at his ladylove, "You know, you're far too lovely to ignore for very long..."  
  
Reika smiled a knowing smile that's seemed to illuminate her face in a most playful light, "That's something I thought you'd never get around to figuring out," the subtle play of hands against his chest quickened, and the result was a kiss that would shake the Mountain at his heart.  
***  
  
Takato stared at the portal before him, almost unable to believe its presence before him. This was it, his mind told him, Guilmon's waiting on the other side, it screamed, but he could do little more than stare and wonder if it would be wise to go. Maybe Guilmon had forgotten him. Maybe he was no longer necessary to Guilmon. Maybe...  
  
MAYBE NOTHING, he told himself firmly. You need to go, if only to know, to silence the questions. Takato could only yield to the voice of reason in his head and smiled at the thought that it sounded a bit like Impmon. Making up his mind he just did the very Takato thing and marched on in, his heart skipping beats and the D-Ark's pulse floating through him, from its customary place upon his belt, all the way and took the plunge into another world.  
  
It had been hours since he had come thru the portal and he still had no idea where in the Digital world he had landed but he could feel it pulling him, his link with Guilmon, its felt as if a life line had been thrown to him and like the drowning he clutched it, followed it to its source and nothing would stand in the way of his reuniting which his digimon. Nothing that is except for the malevolent looking Tuskmon stood over him at the moment.  
  
"Ttaaammmmeerrrrrrr aaarrreee yyyooouuu???" its voice groaned and creaked.  
  
With out thinking Takato nodded as he tried to inch back the way he come.  
  
Its face broke into a disturbing grin, "Gggooooooddd, yyyyooouuu dddaaatttaaa iii tttaaakkeee!!!" The smile then broke farther and became a gaping maw trying to violently envelop him for its next meal. Takato at this point stopped edging back and took off at full sprint.  
  
It scowled in concentrated effort, " Yyyooouuu tttaaammmeeerrr ssstttaaannnddd ssstttiiillllll. nnneeeeeeddd dddaaatttaaa eeevvvooolllvvveee Mmmeeegggaaa," then begun to gave chase to the unfortunate Tamer.  
  
Over the savanna terrain they ran, with Takato's lead little by little becoming a thing of the past the Tuskmon was still in hot pursuit of him.   
  
"How do I always get myself into these things." he murmured beneath his breath even as it advanced upon him. "*Bump! *" Takato's toes buckled beneath him at the critical moment of his stride which resulted in a general downward motion straight unto several rocks and as he fell he could not help but to wonder if truly there were malicious gods who controlled the forces of irony. He felt as if he was the cosmic punch line to their ongoing joke.  
  
"Well Guilmon I tried." were his final thoughts before the on rush of rock slammed into his head and consciousness began to fade from him. At least he would be unconscious when the deed was done.  
  
And as those last vestiges of conscious thought slipped away he heard something shout, "Roaring Dark!" the hustle and shrieks of struggle. And finally, when the sounds subsided, he saw a dark humanoid figure with wings stand above his head. Then all was dark...  
  
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Well that was a blast!! Man, I've never written so quickly in my life.. Oh well I hope you enjoy this one. I know I enjoyed writing it. Hope to see any reviews that may come my way! And if anyone can see any ways for my writing style to improve don't hesitate. Also if anyone has information on exactly what happened in the last episode of digimon I would appreciate it if one could either tell me or give a place to find the info. It's important to my story. Thank you!  
  
Yamaki: - Yama- Mountain   
  
Ki- (rough translation) Heart 


	3. The encroaching dragons dark embrace

DIGIMON: The Becoming  
By Himitsu the Hunter  
Chapter 3: The encroaching dragons dark embrace  
  
Rika was worried. Goggle-head had failed to show up for yet another Martial arts class... it was getting worse every day. He was growing more distant from the rest and this was starting to put a strain on the group as a whole. She had even gone as far as to threaten Kazu into looking for him this time... A job she believed that she would be able to better achieve if the fact of her having a prior engagement elsewhere had not been a factor.  
  
Her nose twitched as her usual indignant scowl formed its graces upon her face, the cold half sneer which warned the wary that getting in her way in any form would not be very healthy. For Rika the world had always be divided by the split of her 2 conflicting images; the self which she showed to all, a burning bright and recklessly dangerous light, a short fuse stuck to a megaton of explosives... in short the dangerous one.   
  
Then there is the other, one brought out with only those closest to her, a precious gift to those chosen to receive it, for beneath the abrasive manner and rugged clothes lay a vulnerability which ached for the comforts of companionship but denying it as a potential weakness. To appear or become weak was not, in her thinking, an option. But all that changed with the coming of her digital companion Renamon, for without knowing it Renamon had been the first one to fill that void with her very presence, the sense that no matter what she was no longer alone. That unspoken pact between them which bound the fire to the shadows beneath moonlight, the two of them so alike yet so different. Renamon being the calm reserve to Rika's roaring anger. The duo of maiden warriors, understanding the drives and motives of each other to the point of perfect union. And as such, she finally was able to bare her soul to another with out fear of reproach, of weakness... complete trust. That was for Rika the most difficult thing to achieve... and since then there had been few that knew her, and that she knew, well enough to extend this courtesy of trust to; Jeri, Henry... Takato. That goggle headed fool who had wormed his way into her heart as a friend closer than any other save her partner. One who could be allowed to share the secrets of her existence, in many ways just as innocent and trusting as his own digital companion though yet at other times they were warriors at heart, for both he and said partner would fight to gain what they believed in, just as Knights were liable to do.  
  
  
The street was a lonely place to walk since... that time. The time when dreams were realities and the impossible beasts of myth and imagination roamed... so very lonely... life was then as full as it was now empty. It was cold. She wished Renamon would come back to warm her... lonely ghosts in the night. She felt the wind whip past her sullen trod to find those who understood the experience of the loneliness that plagued her... In some ways, she thought to herself briefly... bitterly, Jeri had it easier than the rest of us, a sigh punctuating the pause, at least she knew that it really was over... at least she knew that she could set Leomon's ghost to rest... she shook her head as if to shake away the thought, dismissing it as selfish... but she just could not shake away the fact that she had felt it. She felt it grow colder and shivered, but there was no wind, nothing to cause this. This was a blazing icy cold she felt consume as it claimed her in its depths... she hated the feeling though she knew it well, the ache of true loneliness as she had so felt before Renamon's coming, she longed to be with company... even that brash idiot Ryo would make the ice flow away.   
  
Sighing once more she continued on in a straight line not realizing it when her stride took her into the path of another, one whose busy gait had too been far too preoccupied to notice until... * wham *, their heads slammed together then they both fell to the hard paved floor.  
  
"Ouch..." groaned the person with whom Rika had collided, their stocking like cap falling forward over the face, obscuring it from view.  
  
Rika looked up and growled menacingly, "Watch where your going idiot!!!"  
  
Upon hearing this the figure lifted the cap an looked directly at the raging face before him, and smirked, "Well Nanoka-san, what a pleasant surprise! Imagine meeting you here of all places, or times," his voice giving away his amusement at the situation.  
  
Rika's angry scowl increased ten fold as she thought to her self, Speak of the devil and he will come... 'specially to annoy you straight to hell,   
"...Ryo..." she said in a manner which conveyed that she was wondering what she had done in her past life to deserve this torment.  
  
And to this he simply smiled at the obvious irritation he caused her, even after what had happened at the Reaper's pit. He winced, the thought reminding him of why he had been so blind in his movement.  
  
Rika watched as Ryo's face dropped from its cocky grin and sank into a grimace of bitter anxiety; it seemed ill fitting on him. "What's wrong Akima, you look like you swallowed a lemon..." her tone, despite her words, telling of her concern.  
  
"...Its Jeri..." eyes cast to ground, struggling with conflicts of worry and fear, the dark emotions which his aloof manor was designed to keep out, leaking through, "Her brother called me about 10 minutes ago... Jeri collapsed about 2 or so hours ago and she was convulsing... he said that he tried Takato and you first but you weren't home..." his voice trailed off.  
  
Rika's eyes locked to his, the horror evident, and in trying to summon up enough feeling to speak... shock induced numbness coursing through her, "...do they know what it was...?" the fearful creep of emotion crawling across her voice.  
  
Ryo simply shook his head, "I don't know... he didn't tell me..." he sighed, "All he said was that I was the only of Jeri's friends that he was able to contact," it was evident on his face how much he cared, as the out-cast of the group Jeri had been quick to make friends with him, he had truly needed it. For near 2 years he had been forced to live in the digital world, a wonderer, his only companionship his digimon partner, a beast who at times he didn't even know him... now gone. To the others he was seen as many things, a survivor, a rival, a pinnacle to achieve, but the only thing that he was never to any of them but her... vulnerable, lonely. Jeri by her very nature saw through his facades, straight into the lonely depths of his heart, and with the offer of her kindness pulled him from the very depths of the slow mire of despair.  
  
He could never forget the day that she came over and offered to sit near him during that one lunch break when he had come from home after yet another argument with his father, in which he tried to defend his partner's memory from the onslaught of slander from his father's mouth, the effort leaving him far more drained emotionally than he had allowed himself to feel in a long time. Her offer of friendship had been salve to his scarred psyche and from that day forward he had found in her a confidant and shoulder on which to lean, it scared him to think that any more harm should come to her than what the world had already transpired to bring...  
  
"I'll go with you..." Ryo looked up from the floor at which he had been staring straight into her face, which wore a most unusual expression, one of compassion... mingled with bone cold fear, "She should be reminded that she isn't alone..."  
  
Ryo simply nodded and the both started off, at his original pace, to the place where Jeri lay.  
  
* * *  
The world swam in his newly opened vision. Groggily and unsteadily he tried to pull him-self up from his previous position all the while wondering why he wasn't dead, his stomach lurched with motion sickness.  
  
"Easy tamer, you were unconscious for near an hour now," a voice came from above his wounded head, causing him to jump slightly and his stomach to further tell him that his motion was too quick. The voice had been soothing and soft though utterly unfamiliar to him, but even so he did not like the fact that he was at its owners mercy.   
  
Once more his stomach lurched, the musty old sent of a long enclosed space assaulted his battered senses, "Where am I...?" he asked, his orientation steadily improving.  
  
"You're in a cave," the voice told him frankly, it seemed to have chuckled slightly beneath its breath.  
  
Finally Takato felt confident enough to open his eyes, and the first sight they took in was the visage of a woman... a woman with four black leather wings, red claws on her fingers and the exposed tips of her toes, short cropped silver white hair with a lock of teal which fell before slitted, golden green eyes, a long whip-like reptilian tail and midnight obsidian skin. She wore what seemed to be a mummy like wrapping of gray black leather which was wound about all of her save her head and stomach area, even around her hands except for the fingers, and over the wrap she wore a short, silver and black jacket along side of a lopsided smile. Takato quickly grew rather embarrassed by the "clothing" worn by this exotic lady before him... defiantly a digimon.  
  
"Hang your jaw kid. You're about to start drooling," the smirk she wore would have been impossible not to feel... even if he still couldn't see her.  
  
Catching himself he promptly moved his gaze away and asked, "Ok... lets try this again... who are you?"  
  
"I'm the one who pulled your behind from out of the fire, human. You're lucky that I was out stretching my wings." The piercing gaze of her lavender eyes caught him.  
  
Realizing that he had not yet thanked her for his continued breathing he spoke sheepishly, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been so rude. But can you please tell me where I am and what do you want with me?"  
  
She smiled, "Ahh yes there you go, the fabled magic word... alas I thought it to be a long lost secret..." her eyes locked to his, the mirth never leaving her voice, "we're in the south sector digital world, Sub-folder continent, 0934 sector desert. Somewhere around 8 megs from Gear-town, that's the largest concentration of digimon not all trying to kill each other anywhere in south sector."  
  
"......." Takato's eyes wide trying to absorb the foreign information, "uhh... ok..."  
  
Her smirk seemed to grow in size, "It's a city that started off as a small town until around little more than a year ago year ago. That's when the Revered-ones entered and set-up shop there, because of that the city is a metropolis... no on makes trouble there... cause no one wants to mess with the ones who took on the Reaper in the human world."  
  
Takato blinked, "Is there a digimon named Guilmon among them?" unable to disguise the hope in his voice.  
  
She smiled again, obviously amused by his question, "Yes there is. And the Renamon and Terriormon to. The Three knights, or so they are called." For a moment the smile fell and an unreadable expression entered, but was quickly replaced by its original smirk, "Now that I've answered your questions tell me, which of the humans were you in the fight against the reaper?"  
  
"Umm, me?" he was slightly surprised at this question, didn't most of the digital world already know? He spoke, "My name is Takato. I am... was... Gallantmon. Guilmon is my partner after all..."  
  
Though the expression on her face was still of that insufferable smirk, he could feel something else... a question waiting to spill forth from her lips... but he also felt her bite it back in favor of an ongoing silence.  
  
"Umm... if that's all, can I leave?" he asked. It was not that he wasn't grateful to have survived the Tuskmon but her manner made him extremely nervous, and he knew it would be foolish to assume good intentions from this short bit of interaction... but seeing that she was a digimon and he a mere human... well he knew exactly how that would add up.  
  
She seemed to jump at this, as if she had momentarily forgotten her guest, "I suppose... but you know there's a lot of ways you could get yourself deleted on the way there..." to him this seemed to imply a threat, and all he could do is inch backward and sweat bullets, "that's why I'll be taking you there myself."  
  
His expression changed almost instantly to one of relief, "You will? I didn't think I'd have an escort to find the others..."  
  
She smiled gently, "No worries, Knight. I'll bear you to your castle," then turned to the cave entrance and started to walk out, motioning for him to follow, which he did almost immediately. "Oh and Takato, you asked me my name. I'm called Yamidrawomon, but if you wish just call me Yami, its shorter anyway." With that she and he departed.  
  
***  
  
Within the confines of the Gear-Town mansion two eyes opened wider that they had in almost 2 years, its head lifted from the confines of sleep in joyful realization. The breath of the crimson beast, too low for any to hear, the single word, which to him meant hope realized, reverently whispered, "Takatomon!"  
  
*** 


	4. Thesis of the Ravenous night, consumed o...

DIGIMON: The Becoming   
  
  
  
  
  
By Himitsu the Hunter  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 4: Thesis of the Ravenous night, consumed of the blight and straight ways into hell...  
  
  
  
  
  
        Suzy sat back quietly; it had been nearly 4 hours since the news had come... She would see Lopmon again. It had been the usual kind of night for her since Lopmon, her partner, her guardian, had left her because of the instabilities between their two worlds, the kind of night where she would simply sit back and read. Since the departure of her soft-spoken partner the young tamer strived to understand the world which her friend had come from, in child-like hope that maybe... just maybe she could learn something that would be useful. Useful namely in her true ambition, the retrieval of her lost Lopmon... but that was a goal eventually put aside, the complexity of the world of code and data baffled her youthful mind. But with the persistence that she had shown in the digital world in her confrontation with Antyamon she sat herself down and begun at the beginning learning little by little the workings of the programs from which the world and the friend for which she longed were built. It still wasn't enough for her.   
  
  
  
  
  
        It did help though to have others to share her sorrows with, first and foremost her over protective brother, she smiled at the thought of him always there charging in to defend her at the slightest hint of trouble, her expression soured slightly, even when she herself had the issue well in hand.... That brought back memories, times before when she was far younger. Once she had found her way into a situation with some other girls when she had been seven, a scuffle over something silly, she could barely remember, but then her brother stepped in, and she was wining too, dividing all parties involved and making it hell for her in the long run as she had been forced to take relentless teasing for having to be "rescued" by him. There was all the embracing times when he himself would tease her about some of the male friends she kept... in particular Makoto-kun, her eyebrow twitched at the thought. Henry had definitely been around that Terriormon far too long, she thought. It really wasn't as if he was even a consideration when she went over to their house, after all he was only a boy. It was Ai-chan that she was interested in playing with; they had even learnt how to play the card game together. Suzy remembered clearly the day they met. It was just after the Reaper was defeated and the true cost of victory became know to the Tamers, with eyes puffy from tears still flowing she noticed two others crying on each others shoulders. Swallowing her own tears and wiping her face clean of their last traces she tried to be brave as she knew Lopmon would wish of her and approached the heart broken pair.  
  
  
  
        "Hi..." she began, unsure of how she would accomplish her goal. The two looked up from their shared haze of tears, emotions yet unspent rolling off like fresh dew from a morning flower, pain concentrated in their twin gaze, "...I'm Suzy, what's your names?" her voice trembling imperceptibly, attempting to break the ice.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Both in the same motion reached to wipe away tears spent across youthful cheeks and said almost simultaneously,  
  
  
  
  
  
"Ai,"  
  
  
  
  
  
"Makoto,"  
  
  
  
  
  
        Suzy giggled, the symphony of male and female twin voices resonating together, each almost totally unaware of the other, then her face settled into a more serious mode, "He wouldn't want you to cry," she breathed, mustering the courage to continue, "I mean your partner, I'm sure he wouldn't want you to be so sad... like Lopmon..."  
  
  
  
  
  
        The two listened and then Ai spoke, all the while still drying the tears from her reddened eyes, "Impmon said he would come back right away... that he wouldn't leave us again..." dry sobs punctuating her words.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "And he won't," she said, the assurance sincere, "I'm sure of it. Lopmon told me they would all be back," her own words bringing a higher measure of confidence, "Lopmon never lies." Those final words were spoken in such utter decisiveness and conviction that the sorrow-filled twin could not help but be drawn in by the possibility... no eventuality, of their beloved partner's return.  
  
  
  
  
  
        A silence crept up as the thoughts shared sank deeper in, "Come on," she said finally, " you want to meet the rest of us Tamers?" then before they could reply dragged them over to where the others were gathered, determined that these, who like her self, would not be alone... even as they were together.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Her quiet sigh gave a haunting echo in her own ears, Lopmon, she thought, I'll see you soon, tears of joy restrained leaking from her eyes. Already her brother and Father endeavored to test the safety of the newly formed link between worlds and eagerly the threads of destiny wove the pattern of things as they came.  
  
  
  
  
  
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        Once upon a time a group of youths lead by an incredibly brilliant youth began an endeavor which they thought of as their legacy... only they never thought that it would every come this far or prove to be so dangerous. Arguably they were responsible for numerous deaths of both human and Digital kind and a world full of strife as violent as or more violent than their world had ever been, but in the same breath one had to realize that even along side of the death and violence a menagerie beautiful things too stemmed from it as well. Janyu sighed, it was inevitable now that the digital world was reconnected to our own that that conflict would ensue... but the rules and reasons for such conflicts were yet unknowable and even so it might still be possible to impress a more peaceful culture upon them... his first children, possible but not blood likely, he thought, not bloody likely indeed.  
  
  
  
  
  
        He sighed at his line of logic, its cold facts irrefutable. It was to his greatest horror that his own children were embroiled deeply in this... and that they would have to suffer the brunt of all war like overtures from both side, for they were the buffer zone of contact.   
  
  
  
  
  
        "Alright lets go, initializing the digital life algorithm, monitoring information packets for irregularities..." speaking into his headset, "Uploading data to you now Daisy."  
  
  
  
  
  
        "I got ya Tao, it all seems in order," came the voice from the COM-set.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Now comes the real 'fun' part... We need to reconfigure the base coding we used on Granni for the best stat distribution we can... we got to make this little guy really good on the first try," Janyu sighed, it truly would be a long night... the amount of coding that they would have to check and double check would be staggering... not to mention organizing the stat data, an absolute necessity in that they needed this new creature to be used as a form of guardian program and thus powerful enough to fend off attacks from higher level Digimon with out the help of the Tamers. Much like Granni, which had been a search and retrieval program before the digital life algorithms they had used to make it responded in a surprising way and gained sentience then was reformatted as a carrier program, this new one they were shaping would not be truly a digimon and thus not governed by the same life form rules that all the digimon them-selves, even the Sovereigns, seemed to have. The sheer weight of work made another sigh cross Janyu's breath...   
  
  
  
  
  
        "Boy you sound stressed, take a break and grab some coffee it, it'll take a while for all the scripts to be read and I can reply," instructed Daisy over the Com, "Working for Hypnos ain't no picnic but at least we get to work with the Digimon again... and get paid real good," Janyu could hear the grin in her voice from where he sat.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Yeah it really is... with the sheer amount of money that's being poured into this agency by our loving government just to keep the populace happy I'm surprised that we aren't literally swimming in yen..." he heard her chuckle at his parting comment. Getting up he moved to the kitchen where a large jar marked 'CAFFIEN FOR DADDY' sat in the coffee maker. Janyu smiled, it seemed that Suzie was doing her best to be helpful again, she must have gotten of the others to help her but it was clear by the scrawl on the jar whose idea it was.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "So how's it coming," Janyu heard over his back.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Not bothering to turn he simply replied, "Every thing is fine so far and the guardian program is shaping up but I'm not the one working on the gate code, Yamaki is. So how was Karate?"  
  
  
  
  
  
        Behind him Henry sighed quietly, " It was ok... we went through some new kata with Sensei and Takato didn't show up again..." once more he sighed, it was tough to be so close to the return of his partner yet not allowed to go in all the way, he would have loved nothing better than to go find the D-Gate and dive in head first, consequences be dammed. But it could not be so... he had to think of his responsibilities, to keep his sister out of trouble and from trying to do just what he had been thinking of; the digital realm was a dangerous place. Not quite satisfied but accepting of the answers provided he leaned back against the fridge.   
  
  
  
  
  
        Sensing his son's disposition, Janyu looked back, "I know how tough it must be to know that the gate is wide open but you still can't cross it... But just remember, your mother and have discussed this many a time and it all ways comes down to this, We care too much about you to simply run off into the unknown with out at least some of the protections we can provide when we can provide them and besides we do want Terriormon and Lopmon to come back also... they became a part of the family," he smiled ruefully, "In a way they are both just as much my children as you are, and what parent doesn't wish for their children to come back home to them?"  
  
  
  
  
  
        Henry simply nodded and gave his father a weak smile before walking right back out of the kitchen. Janyu shook his head, his son was growing up on him, sometimes it seemed that there was a gulf between them that was slowly getting harder and harder to cross... just as with all his other children as they grew past the confines of home. Letting go of them as children and welcoming the adult to come was always the hardest part, for them and him, but it seemed that that part would be faster approaching with Henry than any of the others. He just hoped that the time would not come too soon.  
  
  
  
  
  
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        Renamon sat gazing at the twin moons that decorated the sky of the digital world, their stoic watch pouring light back unto her appreciative face. Always she had been a creature of the night and a child of the embrace of the moon, she sighed, if only her partner was here next to her again.... The loneliness gnawed at her insides, its bitter tang a poison of great potency. It made the night sting.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Hmmm... I guess its time," she rose from her seated position and flicked off... hopping from roof to roof as an undefined blur against the tranquil sky moving with rapid efficiency and unmatched grace.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Mission commencing," she stated clearly and quickly gained her reply.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Good to go Foxy, the scans show 3 rookies and a champion... be careful fox, the rookies seem to have some really heavy Raver moding... they must have been ingesting some of the viral modules... the champion seems to be completely Raver free, he must be a dealer." Came a voice into her ear, briefly she murmured an acknowledgment of it warning then was off once again.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Using all the powers of stealth and skill she could muster, she catapulted her body unto the catwalk above then seemingly totally disappeared.  
  
  
  
  
  
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        Within the small, dank ally-way a deal was going down, in the digital world was always a struggle for power and this deal brought no exception. The figures of two wild eyed Gabumon and an equally unfocused Kotemon stood quietly anticipation causing them to fidget more and more.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "So did you achieve the objective?" the heavily cloaked Champion asked quietly, its large bipedal frame looming over the rest. Hasty nods were given, the wait nearly bringing tears to their eyes... it was there... so close... all they had to do was reach... but then logic reasserted, if the tried to take the Rave modus from the champion before them it would be the last of it they would ever have... the last time that it would make them gods.  
  
  
  
  
  
        A smile broke from beneath the heavy robes of the champion's garb, "Good, then you've earned your rewards," a single gloved hand reaching out from the dark beneath the sheltering cloak and scattering before him a small amount of blue capsules, "help yourself to them ... fools," he whispered.  
  
  
  
  
  
        The creatures gobbled down their prize quickly, none would take it from their eager hands. All seemed to be going well as the champion watched the fool rookies greedily swallow their demise, then seemingly as if the air itself had come alive a figure shimmered past the Rookies at a high speed, their resent exposure to Rive keeping them from recognition of the threat, its speedy stride resulting in the needed momentum for the figure to suddenly nail the heavily concealed champion with a flying kick to the chest, and straight into an adjacent wall.   
  
  
  
  
  
        The staggered champion was not in the least happy... things were perfect up till this moment, now he was staggered and gasping and the enemy for the first time showed its face. Barely surprising that it was the Renamon, not even close to surprising that she would attack them after all she was the enforcer of the little town... but what had surprised him was the shear strength she had brought to bear in managing to down him like that in one blow, but now was not the time to be impressed, at this stage it would not do to take any kind of chances not when it came so close to their lords coming...   
  
  
  
  
  
        "GET HER," he screamed, the shouts cutting thru the Rave induced haze and bring them back into the world. The enemy was before them, it was only one but mattered not, they were invincible, and they were gods. All three charged in, the two Gabumon reaching first each with a fist full of raking claw and slashed... at where she had been 2 seconds ago, and in a battle like this where melee combat was the game Renamon excelled, in a battle like this two seconds is a deadly long time.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Having spun to the side to avoid the coming onslaught she had escaped the fate that now awaited the ground where she had stood, but this was the last thing on her mind... the ensuing butterfly into crescent into thrust kick combo she had given them proved that. They were only stunned for the moment but that was all the time she needed to finish them off... if only it had not been for the Kotemon who had attacked her from behind, its powerful sword technique busting through the air which had just occupied, having done a high back flip to behind the Kotemon's head, its slowed reaction times giving her the edge she needed to call out a Fox leaf arrow attack and pin her unfortunate opponent into the ground... or so she thought. The Raver enhanced rookie simply took the rain of shards head on, it had been so heavily modded that it barely felt the shower of sparking crystals and kept on going, only to have Renamon recover almost instantly from the shock of seeing her attack taken full on then follow up the attack with a rebound from the pavement straight into a flying kick which, after having taken so much of the damage from shards, impaled it then kept on going as its shattered body erupted into showers of ambient data.   
  
  
  
  
  
        Then before her feet had once more hit the ground she turned almost full circle in the air to check her surroundings, the two Gabumon had split-up and one of them now tried to rush her, bringing about its claws for a heavy haymaker attack. But having seen its approach she was ready for the relatively slow digimon and grabbed his slashing arm then pulled him into a rolling throw maneuver, ending it with a double kick which along with his own momentum propelled him into a grimy ally wall, horn first, the resultant collision breaking him into his component data.   
  
  
  
  
  
        But she had been too concerned with the last Gabumon to see the other who blindsided her with a powerful back fist and knocking her senseless into a wall. There she stayed as it approached to make its final move... it would break her now then load all the data in the area, maybe if it did it could get all of the Rave left dispersed between the data of its now deleted friends.   
  
  
  
  
  
        Renamon awoke a few seconds later to find the form of her enemy looming over her, its beady eyes wild with anticipation of its final strike, its arm up raised and nothing to stop its claws final decent... nothing but a Pyro Sphere straight into the face, ripping its head to shreds then a moment later its body following the fate of its two other friends.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Renamon looked straight up, heart beat logarithms out of synch but continuing none the less, into the face of some thing large and red flying above her, " Renamon, you ok???" its childlike voice rang out, she was dam glad to hear it.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Guilmon, There was one more of them, did you see where he went?" she could not sense the presence of the dammed champion anywhere... he might have ran off during the fight... or he might be concealing his aura... but she had long learnt that it was near to impossible to hide from Guilmon's nose.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "No champion here, to see, not smell one either," he answered simply, meanwhile scanning the area and sniffing for any trace of the runaway enemy Digimon, then scrunching his face into a semblance of disgust, "can't smell anything but rotten data..."  
  
  
  
  
  
        She sighed, there were limits to even Guilmon's senses and the foreigner data from the mods and Ravers was everywhere, quietly she pressed the small wire tied onto her ear, "Mission completed, objective one failure, objective 2 success, thanks to Guilmon."  
  
  
  
  
  
        She heard a sigh and a curse across the com-link, "Alright, I'll hold position until you come," it would have normally brought at least the suggestion of a grin to see the 'Great lord mayor' of gear town so flustered... but in truth she was just as upset as he, this had been the first time that they were able to find a Raver deal going down at one of its sources only to have the dammed dealer escape, in fact she was rather angry with herself for not requesting back up, but at the time she had felt that her own skills would have been adequate in this endeavor...   
  
  
  
  
  
        "Renamon..." the red dragon asked from behind her, his voice quiet and reverent.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Yes Guilmon?" she responded, a bit sharper than she had meant to but this was either ignored or not noticed by Guilmon   
  
  
  
  
  
        "If your alright then can I go??" he asked.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Her eyes narrowed a little then poked him in the chest, "Why were you even here?" it was not very kind of her to ask it like that, but kind was not her feeling at the moment, slowly she breathed out then considered again, it was not his fault that she had screwed it up.   
  
  
  
  
  
        Guilmon tilted his head in a strangely birdlike motion, "Smelled fight, smelled you, why not come, your my friend," then lifted huge forearm claws to his face resting one on his cheek.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Renamon turned and looked him over once more like a thousand times before, the dragonling had certainly changed, especially physically since his synthesis with the creature Granni. Gone was his stalky, heavyset body, replaced now with the sleek and elongated form. From snout to tail to arms, torso and legs this draconic beast had lengthened, become sleek and now sported a pair of large, leathery wings, each near twice the length of his body. Looking at him it was often hard to contemplate the fact that he was still in rookie form.   
  
  
  
  
  
        Silently she sighed, none of them had come out of the D-Reaper ordeal the same. The effects reached them all in one manner or another, and each dealt with the pain of separation differently. Terriormon had brought over his times of spending hours just looking things up on the internet to good use, it had been through his guidance and organizational skills that gear town now even existed much less ran smoothly. Lopmon had put to use his foresight and skills which had so impressed Zhuqhuelmon into making him one of the divas in helping in the organization and recruitment of a peace keeping forces within the city as well as with the making of laws and regulations. Even Impmon had come to a kind of resolution of self. He had left suddenly a while back then came back with the now re-tamed Behemoth in tow as Beelzebumon, seemingly having dealt with the issues which had caused him depression until his journey. He was reserved as their heavy guns against all the more powerful denizens of the digital world looking for free data all in one spot.  
  
  
  
  
  
        The others did as they knew best, they fought and protected those who needed to be fought for and protected, and thus the stability and population of the city had grown exponentially, at near to 10,000 residents and climbing this was the largest peaceful gathering of digimon in the southern quadrant. They had even begun to trade with smaller villages around, those were usually insular tribes of digimon most often of the same evolutionary lines, even going as far as to share technical expertise in various fields.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Her musings flooding back to the point at hand, Renamon wondered briefly when her so called 'boss' would get there, it should give him no trouble as every square inch of the city had to be approved by him before construction. He had certainly taken to this new job like a fish to water.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Thinking of the devil, "Gezz... the first time ever we've been able to corner these guys and you let 'im get away," Terriormon was not in the lest pleased, It had taken months to figure out how to scan for the Ravers and follow them back to the source, and now the first lead that they had ever found had gotten away... it frustrated him to no end. It was his city and his responsibility, nothing else was as important... it was the only way he could cope with being without his partner for so long.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "I'm sorry," she said bowing her head slightly, she knew that he only reason backup wasn't sent was because her trusted her most of all to be able to judge what she could handle and that in her not asking had meant that she thought she would be enough for the job, once again she cursed herself for not realizing just how strong the moded little beasts could be.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Terriormon looked up into her face, scowl upon his own softening and dieing away, "Momentai Renamon. There'll be another time, if it worked once it'll work again," It was hard for him to say, hard to act so nonchalant about it now, his hopes had been so high. He would finally rid the city of that dammed plague once and for all before it turned more innocent young Digimon into those mind-lacking creatures, Raver junkies. Reading in the real world had brought to him a special realization of how things like these could be permeated through a society if allowed and unchecked.   
  
  
  
  
  
        "Before I begun the assault I heard the champion speak, I think that he was trading the Rave for some kind of favors... the entire setup has gone beyond suspicious, some one is using the Ravers as tools in something..." Renamon spoke softly, but with an intensity that was seldom present in her voice. Guilmon on the other hand stood aside, listening to two of his best digimon friends speak of this issue, it seemed to be important enough that Renamon, who seldom got angry, sounded ready to kill, that is to any who intimately knew her.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Terriormon assumed his thinking pose, it was now becoming more clear than ever that they were dealing with a situation that was far more than they could see, something he had believed from the beginning, the fact of the matter is that other than their services most Ravers had nothing to trade with... this was looking more and more sinister by the moment.  
  
  
  
  
  
        The silence of the moment was thick enough to taste, a thing which went a long way to Guilmon's growing sense of the nervous energy which floated about. He had been helping in the city affairs, where ever possible, with what ever jobs he could, often he had fought with the Ravers, the pungent scent of the viral mod being utterly distasteful to his senses but useful in tracking down Ravers before the became violent and disrupted the regular flow of events in the city.  
  
  
  
  
  
        The continuation of the conversation ended right as Terriormon was about to continue, Guilmon had spoken, his eyes taking a far away quality, "Takato... I feel him... I feel him! Wasn't dream!" the overjoyed reaction was astonishing, his reptilian face breaking into a huge grin.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "What are ya talking 'bout Guil?" Terriormon asked, confused at the sudden revelation.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Guilmon woke up with feeling of Takatomon, thought it was dream but look anyway, now I feel again, now I'm sure, Takatomon is here here here!!!!!" the excited saurian bouncing up and down then settled for a moment and turned his head one more in that strange birdlike fashion, "but he far away, getting closer."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Renamon looked across to the dog-rabbit mayor, all thoughts of Ravers and dealers fleeing her mind... If Guilmon was right then the gates to the real world might just be open... and their respective partners just might be with him.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Careful to hold her calm veneer, she asked, "Do you think that you can lead us to him Guilmon?" hope bubbling up from the pit of her stomach.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Terriormon on the other hand could not be as impulsive, his time as mayor weighing him to the city, "You guys go on with out me... I need to look over some paper-work, besides this town would fall apart with out me to run it," his flashed grin there to reassure them that this is what he wanted.   
  
  
  
  
  
        The other two Knights nodded, they had been together for so long. Even when the others came and went they stayed as a unit. It would be strange leaving Terriormon out of anything with a possibility for trouble.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Guilmon, lets go." The kitsune looked back once at her friend then with a leap was off, side by side with the demon dragon who begun to trace his partner with the link that they shared.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Good luck you guys..." Terriormon's voice murmured, then he too left, flying away with his wing/ears.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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        From beneath his cloak and hood a figure panted, tired in the exertion of running from the sudden attack and hurt from said same attack. The masters would not be pleased... it was hard enough to find Ravers with enough intelligence to complete the tasks they were assigned before they broke down or went vicious, and he had just lost 3 of the most capable... no the masters would not like this in the least. The material of his cloak slipped for a mere moment as he adjusted it against the night and prying eyes, revealing a flash of a single pure white wing, then was pulled closed and its owner taking flight on foot to report back to those he served.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Well 2 months since the last chapter so then this one is little more than twice the size of the others to make up for the delay... ~bows~ my apologies.  
  
On another note I think you may see another chapter fairly soon, good reviews tend to make me work faster and I always go back and edit the past chapters eventually, nothing major just some adjustments, and this in turn makes me write more.   
  
And no, the masters are not in any way form or fashion the dark masters.  
  
Thanks to Neverwhere and all of my other reviewers hope you find this one entertaining, with a special thanks to Shadow, for verbally wakking me upside the head every once in a while to get the story going along.  
  
Well pieces persons!!!!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Within the cold grip of the night the invincible has stirred, and now it holds the eternal to siege in the light,  
  
  
  
Which shall win the prize of the black and the bright?  
  
  
  
Neither I say for they battle forever in a night and day...   
  
  
  
But nigh for a day and night,  
  
-Himitsu the Hunter 


	5. Let the sleeper lay awake and in your be...

DIGIMON: The Becoming  
  
By Himitsu the Hunter  
  
Chapter 5: Let the sleeper lay awake and in your bed with fear do quake  
  
~...Floating...~  
  
~...Vast...~  
  
~...A sea of red...~  
  
~...Like an endless tide...~  
  
~...Of Blood...~  
  
Drowning, lonely, the fires taken. Fallen the servant for whom I pray.  
  
        The master's tide of broken light reaching endless under oceans of fiery longing.  
  
        I beseech thee. FREE ME OF MY BURDENS AND BRING MY SOUL TO THE ENDLESSsssss....  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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|REAL WORLD: SOUTHERN QUADRANT|  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
        Startled she awoke, the labored sound of her breath a welcome reprieve from the inhuman cries of the beast in her dream... the screams of a thing more desperate than any could bare... or should bare... but in the end it was just a dream... just another nightmare.  
  
        Black lace rustled against silken sheets, and the touch of memory faded ever so slightly into ill birthed imagery born of dream-like horrors... so alien... so strong. Cold sweat dripped from her pale brow and the perfume of fear still clung to her ever thought and motion.  
  
"Alice?" she heard from outside of her own room, her father's voice, "Is every thing alright, sweetheart?"  
  
Her breath was ragged and the sheets soaked with sweat... she must have been screaming in her sleep.  
  
The door creaked open and her father peeked in, "are you alright honey? I heard you screaming from out side." he confirmed her suspicions.  
  
        Summoning the will to speak she answered, "I'm fine dad... it was just a dream." a dream, she sighed to herself, and the touch of something... something alien beyond her ken. A touch of cold fearful death. Shaking her head and calming her nerves she slowed her rasping breath and thought of comforting things... Dobermon pressed beside her asleep and protecting her from her world. With that soon she fell back into the world of dreams.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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        It was funny how she could feel it, piercing, penetrating into her. The cold chill of death, its gloom befalling her and tearing her soul apart. Like starting over again in the womb she could feel the heat of the night plastered deep across her skin, pressed tight as a wombs fluid to her chest. If she could scream out the waves of agony she would... but at best she could achieve a muted murmur...  
  
        "Doctor, the patient continues to exhibit these symptoms... but none of the tests have returned positive for anything... its very strange..." she could hear a voice... far away... ever so very far away.  
  
        "This doesn't make any sense at all... her body temperature reads in the 60's; her pulse is going like a Humming-bird... It's as if she's got a thousand little hearts running all at once..." one more adding itself to the cacophony of confusing words and dire sound. It was maddening. With every moment they spent beneath her skin itched and ached, something... something wild... something lurking there... waiting to strike... waiting to be set free.  
  
        "Thus far the patient hasn't responded to anything we've done... not even the drugs to put her to sleep," spoke the first voice once more, "I really don't it would be wise to try anything else on her..."  
  
        The second voice paused then spoke its reply, "You're right, I really hate to leave her here like this... but it seems that we'll need to see if this will pass," She could hear them walk away closing the door behind in their wake. Dimly she was aware of her body's wild movements, its arms and waist strapped down in her lying position impairing those more erratic motions. But this mattered little, she could no more connect what was happening to her body with her self than she could understand a word of the sounds the two voices talked, her mind fogged over in red haze.  
  
        Through out the night the feelings of pressure and heat slowly increased as she tried to claw her skin open with her bound and curved fingers, red bleached her eyes and inhuman wails of anguish and pain uttered from her mentally detached body.  
  
The Harvest drew near.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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        Rika curled her feet below her seat, she was scared... not for her self, no never that... but for her friend Jeri, even now she could still all but hear the wailings being uttered, sound so strange and inhuman in nature she could only cringe as she imagined them coming from that kind girl. Hadn't she endured enough? Weren't the forced emotions fed to her by the Reaper's desperate hunger been fair allotment of a pain for one lifetime? Pulling her legs up into the seat and curling into a ball was the most she could do against the torment, would Jeri die?  
  
        "Rika... Rika? Are you alright love?" Mrs. Nonoka spoke, concern evident in her voice. Rika's only reply was a single nod. Seating her self next to her troubled daughter she sighed then again spoke, "The doctors say that they have no idea what is going on with her... they've never seen anything like it before... they're baffled..."  
  
        Mrs. Nonoka snuck a look from the corner of her eye towards her daughter. She had not long flown into the country from her last photo shoot in the Caribbean and hoping to spend some quality time with her estranged daughter. It was always tough dealing with her child and its closed off ways, far easier it would have been to get her to admit anger than let any other emotion color her face. But the façade could not hide the sorrow and bits of fear shining through in her posture and demeanor. Once more Mrs. Nonoka sighed, her brow furrowing in bitter apprehension... It just didn't seem fair that these problems would be piled against those so young, but it seemed that the world would be forgetting to consider the allotment of fairness that these children, her daughter in particular, should be allowed. She had the deepest dreading feeling that this was just the beginning of something much bigger.  
  
        Once more she spoke to her daughter, "Honey, it's 2:00 am... You can come back and see Jeri in the morning, please Rika..." her urgings sounded hollow in her own ears but she could not stand to see her daughter so distraught... no it would be better to take her home to rest and recharge. Rika's affirmative nod was both a bit of a surprise and a relief.  
  
        "Alright mother, there's nothing I can do here anyway... even Akiyama's left already," she conceded. Her actions were defined with purposeful motion as she gathered her things to leave, the purpose of hiding her pain and hurt from the world.  
  
        Then for an instant her body grew rigid and deep within her something screamed. No words could describe the feelings of pure revulsion and fear which had so suddenly struck her down. Her eyes widening in response to the threat perceived... Something was deeply, utterly and truly WRONG.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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        It was hot... soon very hot... her skin feeling far too tight for her body, every movement liquid fire coursing thru her. Jeri could not but writhe against the soul rending torment, body screaming in its now ragged banshee's wail as her parents watched from outside of the room in bitter concern, tears trickling down each cheek as they tried to look on to the torture their daughter seemed now to personify...  
  
        Then suddenly it all came to a halt... the sudden silence deafening. But that was only the beginning, for something stirred thing the suddenly still air. Doctors rushed to the door, but to no avail... the door was jammed and the room began to fill with a fierce red glow.  
  
        ~...The Harvest Nears...~  
  
        Every second stretched to an agonizing hour each minute an eternity in the warm embrace of death... It oozed from her pores relieving her of the sensations of burning tightness beneath her skin and bringing forth new agony as every nerve in her body was set alight with pain and pleasure to a narcotic high bringing her wails of torment into a new and fevered pitch. The seeping red liquid which poured forth from her skin soon congealed even as it grew to engulf both the bed and equipment  
  
        ~...The sacrifice of the maiden spawns anew the Reapers Flesh...~  
  
        Jeri could no longer even feel her distant connection to her body... its form slipping from her ever farther and her broken self falling deeper into the abyssal red. No longer did she breathe no longer could she feel... her broken spirit a mirror of her bleeding flesh... strength slipping farther and farther, and a mind so alien to her own brushing across her soul. Then it took her into its own twining, twisting embrace.  
  
        ~... And from her red rivers shall flow, A new testament to the power of death...~  
  
        No longer did she feel the pain and horror which to that moment had gripped her down to the bone. Instead warm comfort seeped into her core and that which felt at first alien was now no less natural to her than if it had been a child within her grasp.  
  
        ~... Soon now shall the beast of the Apocalypse roam the earth, in doubt and guilt to finally rest upon the hill of Megiddo...~  
  
        Finally the red light flared in intensity, the viscous red liquid gathering itself unto her frail form and like the phoenix of legend seemed to bust into flame then like said same bird blossomed into a wild flurry of wings and light, burning away the last vestiges of cloth from her body and floating for a moment at the centre of the room. With a final burst of blood red fire rent the air asunder into a gateway of light... and then she was gone...  
  
        ~The Reaper has ARISEN... Let the Ragnarok begin anew... the Harvest cometh nigh~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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        Rika was panicked. Her hands sweated, eyes dilated and reason for the moment overcome by the basic urgings of her deepest mind. She could almost not feel when the bag slipped from her slack fingers nor even the moment that she fell to the ground below her feet. Faintly she heard her mother yell before her crash into the ground but all that she could do was feel the deep sickening horror of the grave encroaching threatening to swallow her alive. And deep within her mind she heard the songs of children adding voice to the crescendo of revulsion, their sweet voices ringing clear the knell of deaths rebirth...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The dead has arisen, the dead is no more,  
  
Old are those coming to settle the score,  
  
  
  
  
  
But the godless are hungry for what was conceived,  
  
They scour their world for the prize they'll receive,  
  
  
  
  
  
But that prize it does come at a most terrible price,  
  
Its the winner shall fall once and then thrice,  
  
  
  
  
  
Then shall come the Strengthening feast,  
  
Fit for the 3 who comprise the beast,  
  
  
  
  
  
Ye touched by the bleedings of both dragons and gods,  
  
Fear the Becoming... An end is at odds.  
  
  
  
  
  
        
  
  
  
And the world grew in darkness as her head meet the floor.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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|LOCATION... UNKNOWN|  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
        Once more it had begun, the creeping chaos would soon fully awake and drown the world in its congealed blood, soon... so very soon... It would be free... and with its bonds broken freedom would once more come to their kind.  
  
        For far too long the beasts of the digital had usurped the powers that had come before them, the very presence of the dammed beasts bleeding away the substance of their life-force and power... each successive generation of the digital beings becoming stronger and stronger in the essence of their dammed souls. They could feel their plans nearing sweet frutation and soon their subverted pets in both worlds would give them the gift of liberty and all would feel their rage and pain then shall learn once more to fear them... For in that fear laid great feasts and ever greater power.  
  
  
  
        But there seemed a snare in the progression of the plan... the child who held the Reaper survived its exodus from beneath her flesh, almost as if the bastard thing didn't wish her harm... But that was no matter of consequence, the pieces were now ever slowly falling into place... eventually it would follow its truest nature and devour her, all they had to do was wait... and they had all the time in the world to wait, watch and plan... All the time in the world...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Ha-ha I did it!!! After months of being stuck in places with no com I've managed to get a chapter out!!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!  
  
I'm now a freshman in Howard University and thus as a college person doing Business as a major and 18 credit hours of work I am a bit stretched for time to work on my own stuff. But no worries I'll be starting my writing up again at full tilt from now on.  
  
Thank you, EVERYONE who has stuck with me thus far. I will over the course of the next month or so try to rewrite most of the chapters of my work here... they really need a big tune-up and besides I've gained new inspiration into where I'll be taking this fic... so till then. ~bows~ Please bare with me.  
  
Hunt thou Horror's Hearts content. Shalt thou be my prey???   
  
-Himitsu the Hunter 


	6. Call Thrice its name and there it be, th...

DIGIMON: The Becoming  
  
  
  
By Himitsu the Hunter  
  
  
  
Chapter 6: Call Thrice its name and there it be, the Beast, the Beauty and the Demon Sea  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
        Life's a funny thing, one minute you're having the time of your life and the next it's all gone, one minute everything has fallen apart around your ears and the next the very blocks that got pulled away... become the corner-stones of a new reality.  
  
  
  
  
  
        He was traveling, and had been doing so for hours on end, though to him it had seemed as days. Beside him strode the teal eyed dragon lady Yamidrawomon, who had long since seemed to have said her last words to him as they had left her sheltered enclosure to travel to the place where his friends were, Gear-town a place said to be the most peaceful gathering of digimon this side of the Digital world.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Takato moaned under the sweltering desert heat, briefly he wondered if there would be water anywhere to keep his strength up then dismissed the thought almost as quickly, after all he had to be tough to survive in this place, anything less and one could well become dead in a hurry. Still, he thought as he glanced over to his companion, something nice and cold would hit the spot right about now...  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Tamer, are you thirsty?" her sudden question after hours of silence had startled him into a nervous stutter, "There is an oasis just over the horizon, I believe it would also be best if we made a resting spot there for the night. We will need shelter when the desert goes cold, and there won't be another area to shelter within reach before nightfall," Her bright eyes quickly darted about in search for some unnamable thing, then briefly her four wings fluttered in a seemingly annoyed gesture.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Ummm, ok... Yami..." he finally managed to stammer. Takato was disturbed; Yamidrawomon's manner out here in the desert was a near 180 from the way she had before acted after his rescue and revival... it was as if she were a different mon to the somewhat abrasive but witty persona he had witnessed back in the cave before they had left. They had been talking for nearly an hour after their initial greeting as it had still been too dark and cold outside to move out as yet but it seemed as though the friendliness had evaporated the instant they stepped out into the dessert sun. She didn't seem to wish to say a word to him, much less look in his direction for most of the journey. And her eyes, the bright Teal orbs which had in the safety of the caves walls seemed so warm and inviting now seemed to radiate a wary, restrained killing edge. It was only prudence which had kept him so long at her side, for if he were to try to run he would have surely become lost... that is if she didn't simply follow and retrieve him quickly. Besides if she had truly had any malice toward him she would have simply either let the overgrown lizard eat him or hurt him herself... as it stood the only thing that she had so far done was to not talk to him and act differently.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Slowly they trudged on, the weight of hours and the heat of the sunlight taking toll on the two travelers. After near an hour of travel had passed something seemed to shimmer in the distance, its existence flickering in the desert heat. Yamidrawomon smiled sardonically. They neared the oasis. Now to figure out how to get the inhabitants to not kill her upon sight... a problem she would have usually solved by sneaking in the dark of the night... but with the human around... well she could only bank upon the good reputation of the knights and hope for the best outcome. Isolated tribes of digimon like these tended to be insular in the extreme and more than willing to attack anything that was fairly powerful in mass, before trying to determine if it really is a threat. And unfortunately as a champion level she more than qualified as a challengeable threat. Idly she reflected on the situation. If it had been before... before the revelation of self she had experienced in the face of the Reaper, then she would have simply waited till darkness came and snuck in, quietly raided the food and water stores then deleted and uploaded as many of the tribe as quietly possible for good measure. After all her skills lay in speed, power and self-taught stealth, a combination that had proven deadly to a large number of digimon in the past.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Tamer... Takato... the oasis we are heading to is the home of a group of digimon," her head faced away from him so as not to show him anymore of what she was thinking, "it's the only place to shelter for miles but truth be told I'm not sure if we will be welcomed in. In fact it is very likely that we will be attacked the moment they spot us... truth is the only chance we have of getting in is you."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Takato watched her motions intently, trying to glean at least a glimmer of insight into the strange mon before him, "But wouldn't it be probable that they might try to kill and load me like that Tuskmon..."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Yamidrawomon shook her head but Takato was at a loss as to weather it was to disagree with him or herself, "There is a risk I grant you, but don't worry if it comes down to that I'll protect you."  
  
  
  
  
  
        After that there was nothing more said. It was to be another 3 or more hours before they reached the out skirts of the oasis. The place seemed to have nothing other than vegetable matter, but Yamidrawomon knew differently. Years of fighting for survival in the Southern lands told her strongly of the traces of inhabitation and the smell of their data lingered lightly in the air. They were biding their time watching and waiting, waiting to see what the two strange beings would do. Quietly she urged Takato forward, following at his side and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Soon it did so in the form of a single champion who stepped out of the trees to intercept their path.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Halt, we do not welcome strangers here. Turn away and I will spare you, I do not wish this to come to a fight... but I will if you do not heed me," four red eyes blazed as the dark form spoke, "We will not be kind." Takato never even needed to check the display function on his D-power, this beast was none other than a Devi-dramon. Still vivid in his mind was the time which had first forced Guilmon's change into Growlmon and the snarling battle of dragons which had ensued.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Yami-drawomon seemed rather serene about this development and when finally she spoke her voice came out low and slow, "I mean no harm or disrespect but the human child here is in need of shelter for the night and water for the morrows travel."  
  
  
  
  
  
        The dragons lips lifted in a snarl, "We care not, you must leave or I will destroy you myself," he drew his gaze across them both, eyes all keeping sharp watch for even the hint of a false move against it.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Then you would turn away our savior? You would turn away one of the knights companions?" she retorted sharply.  
  
  
  
  
  
        It simply shrugged, "It matters little, I do not see any of the knights nor do I trust you... I will not allow you near for even a chance to do harm of any kind to my people."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Yami's expression softened, the four eyed leather clad dragon had a point... letting her in was an unnecessary risk to the tribe's safety. One never knew what trouble even one traveler could bring, she had played her last trump card and it was not enough, "I see..."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Takato looked over to the dragon lady, her body language and posture seemed to scream defeat, obviously she had been hoping heavily that it wouldn't come to this. He bit his lip, sure something more would happen. Then with no warning she turned sharply away from him, exposing her back to assault.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "I will not bother you any longer, thank you for your time," inwardly she cursed, it would be difficult but if she begun soon then maybe she could hide the tamer then double back and 'borrow' some water and food. And she had been betting heavily upon the tamer getting them entrance too....  
  
  
  
  
  
        Turning completely around she spoke softly, "Tamer we shall take our leave. We will need hurry if we are to keep you alive this night..." Takato bit his lip, then taking one last glance at the inviting greens of the oasis turned about and trudged silently behind her, totally unsure of what to say.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "WAIT!" rang clear a voice from behind the green fronds, "they are to be our guests, I won't be turning away anyone who needs it," finally the speaker emerged from the cacophony of leaves. It was a Tyrannomon.  
  
  
  
  
  
        One of the demon dragon's eyes rolled into its direction, "you know well enough what happened the last time we invited strangers into our village."  
  
  
  
  
  
        The huge head of the Tyrannomon completed a graceful nod, "yes I do know, which is why we will take greater caution, but I refuse to think that I wouldn't be mon enough to do the right thing. After all if I were more prudent then you would not be here in the first place."  
  
  
  
  
  
        In response the dragon lowered its head in recognition of the point, "Fine, but if they misbehave I will delete them both and load their data for good measure," it sprang from the ground then opened its tattered wings flying father in to the oasis.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Friendly guy isn't he..." Takato whispered almost to himself.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "It is his way... human. He is very protective of this place ever since we took him in as but a Picco-devimon," the large saurian beast grinned, "he is yet young... takes himself far too seriously that one," for a moment he pause in consideration of his next words, "The day will soon be night, so tell me your names travelers and I will show you to warmth."  
  
  
  
  
  
        "I am Yami-dramon, and this is my human companion Takato. I must thank you greatly for I had doubts for my ability to keep my companion here safe and warm through-out the night," she bowed to him waist deep but, more out of habit than mistrust, all the while kept her gaze steady upon him. This he noticed and silently approved with a slight nod.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Strange times are beginning to visit our world again I think," the Tyrannomon spoke as they approached the village, "The night and day no longer chase each other as they once did... now they make for a strange dance in the sky prolonging the moment of transition. I am told that it is this way in your world, human," the low rumble of his voice and the huge but gentle eye turned back upon Takato's face spoke of invitation to converse. The youth nearly stumbled upon an upraised root in the densely vegetated area.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Takato nodded and offered a smile, "Yeah, that's the way it happens in the real world. We call the time after the sun is setting dusk and when it rises again dawn."  
  
  
  
  
  
        The Tyrannomon's head bobbed, but Takato was unsure whether that was due to movement or if it were an answer, "The same can be said of the inhabitants of this world as well, strange times. After the Reaper came a great many begun to rethink the things they used to do and the ways they used to act. It's part of the reason why something like that place, Gear town, can exist now..."  
  
  
  
  
  
        For a moment the Saurian digimon froze and scented the air, "We are here," and as he spoke one thick arm reached out into the heavy vegetation before them, which lead away from the uneven trail they had been thus far following, "Welcome to our oasis."  
  
  
  
  
  
        The view was lovely. At least three dozen Gazimon and Agumon bustled a around the sturdy looking 'houses' of the village, they were in actuality areas of odd growth from their sturdy vegetation. Strange combinations of vines and Palm trees shrouded the area and at the centre of the entire place lay a crystal blue pool of life giving water. All activities seem centered around that.  
  
  
  
  
  
        After letting go of the breath he had unconsciously drawn in, Takato was the first to speak, "Nice place you've got here," and followed it up with a nervous laugh.  
  
  
  
  
  
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        Kenta was stressed. He could almost scream at the nonsense his teacher was spouting all day, and now the exercise they had been given was giving him a headache. He sighed, through the window outside was looking more and more interesting, his heavy eyes drooping with that last blurry image of green trees and blue skies as he nodded off to find Marine-Angemon buzzing about happily about the scenery.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Ms. Asagii sighed, as usual most of her class was doing their own thing again and her stressed frown stayed in its usual place. It was apparent a few of the students she had long ago been saddled with were missing. It was an amazing thing to her to have the Tamers still under her care after all that had happened to them. She had never in her career felt the mix of emotions about her previous students that these brave youths had evoked. Awe, terror, respect, and loving pride were all mixed into the melting pot of self and been stirred to a fevered result. She could still see the day of their departure into that unknown realm of monsters, the day that she broke down crying before them and their assurances that all would be alright, her job to do. She could still feel the tears tricking down her cheeks and the realization of what her charges truly meant to her. Of how utterly her life was devoted to their well being... and how much she felt that she had failed them for the need to risk their lives to be felt. It was only after the red blob called the reaper came did she full come to understand her children to be. And when it was all over the school board asked that she be the one to further handle homeroom and any of the subjects they took that she was qualified to teach from here on end.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Slightly the common frown faded from her face to be replaced with a slight smile, "Looks like I'm stuck with you all..." the smile quickly changed to a light scowl as she looked over Kenta again and sighed for business as usual. But something was off though. The new girl who had transferred in to join the rest of the tamers, Nonoka Rika, as well as Matsuda Takato and Kauto Jeri were all missing and Jeri almost never missed class. Briefly she wondered if something was wrong, but then she dismissed that thought as unworthy of farther consideration. On the other hand Kenta, still lost in his private dream world, snored in light happy breaths.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Hirokazu meanwhile glanced over his shoulder at his usual partner in crime and shook his spiky head. He was bored as hell and between the English assignment and the image of his best friend sleeping his cares away Kazu was also beginning to nod off into dreamland. But worry kept him from the same fate as Kenta had chosen. He and Takato had spoken the night before and in his opinion Goggles was totally out of it. Now he was missing and so were Rika and Jeri. Had something happened again leaving him and his counterpart friend out of the loop and last to know as usual? All this ran thru his mind as he sought amusement in the balancing of a pencil upon one finger.  
  
  
  
  
  
        But liberation was soon at hand and thought forsaken in the pursuit of food. As she emerged from her classroom, Ms. Asagii felt a tug at the back of her skirt and turned to see a beaming young girl there.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Alright Mau what is it this time? Teachers need to eat too you know."  
  
  
  
  
  
        The child simply grinned a little more, "They said to call you to the office Ms. Asagii."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Ms. Asagii sighed and shooed the girl to lunch, "At this rate I won't get any food before my next class," She quickened her step hoping to get to the office and get away quickly.  
  
  
  
  
  
        But this plan of action was no to be. As Asagii entered the principal's office she was greeted by the dour faces of the principal himself and an unknown woman dressed in a black business suit.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Ahh... Ms. Asagii," the principal spoke as he waved her in, then turned back to his guest "this is Ms. Asagii, the teacher of those young heroes of ours."  
  
  
  
  
  
        The stranger stood and bowed deeply, "So you're the teacher. You'd think they were describing a saint when they speak about you," her smile was disarming.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Well they never said anything about you.... What was your name again?" Ms. Asagii gazed at the lady and managed to look both crossed and pleased all at once. The other lady could barely guess about what.  
  
  
  
        "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't give it yet," The lady smiled almost shamefacedly, "I'm Ootori Reika head of personnel relations at Hypnos. It's an honor to meet you Ms. Asagii. Takato and the others have spoken at quite a length about you before."  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Uhh... thank you... I guess..." Ms. Asagii was a little shell shocked, here was one of the people from the government that she had heard of, the ones who had worked along side of the tamers to bring to an end the threat of the rouge monsters and the giant red bit of unpleasantness they called the D- Reaper.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "This is... rather... unexpected... I mean... are you here for the children? Some of them haven't shown up to day and all..." it was then that she caught a glance of the fallen expression upon the government woman's face, "did some thing happen...?"  
  
  
  
  
  
        Dam it... why do I have to be the barer of bad news, this job really bites sometimes, Reika thought to herself, unable to bring herself to meet Asagii's eyes, "I've got a good lot of bad news... it seems Matsuda Takato didn't make it home last night. We have our suspicions that he found his way into the digital world."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Asagii's eyes widened, it made sense that if he found a way he go without the slightest thought of hesitation... She had spoken to him several times and observed him even more since the fateful trip to that strange other world and the battles that had ensued. The heavy dependence upon the red saurian partner that he had often spoken of would have driven him too it in a heart beat.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "It gets worse, yesterday Kauto Jeri was admitted to the hospital after collapsing, then when she did awake she began screaming and convulsing... at exactly 2:13 am last night she disappeared from her room under mysterious conditions," Reika let the words sink in briefly before bring the final blow to bare.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Another one of your students, Nonoka Rika, who recently transferred here, fainted in the hospital ward and has since been in a coma," slowly Reika exhaled watching the dumb struck expression on the teacher's face.  
  
  
  
  
  
        It took her a moment to gather her wits but after she had only one thing occurred to he to say, "Not that I don't completely appreciate the fact that you've told me all of this face to face but... why? Why tell me? I'm no one special in the scheme of things here..."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Reika moved from her seat and strode over to the bewildered teacher then placed her own hand over Asagii's, "It's because you are close to them, because you care. Right now we need every bit of a show of support for them while this is going on. They know and trust you, so as an authority figure you can be of help in keeping them out of trouble while we wait... and we'll need all the help we can get with that,"  
  
  
  
  
  
        Briefly Ms. Asagii nibbled her lip then nodded, "I guess that makes sense."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Reika flashed a slight smile, "The others back at Hypnos are working on everything as we speak. Thus far we don't know what has happened to Jeri or Takato... but we can provide support for the others when we do send them back over there," seeing the teacher's sour expression she added, "I don't want them over there any more than you... but it's the only way, and are our only real link to that place. It is necessary to all of humanity that they go..." then muttering to herself at the end, "or so I keep telling myself."  
  
  
  
  
  
        After long being ignored the principal finally spoke up, "Miss Ootori here has come to take you and the remaining Tamers to the main Hypnos HQ. But it is your choice whether you go or not."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Reika then added, "We've already got the three youngest tamers at HQ, all we need now is your go... so... are you with us on this Ms. Asagii?"  
  
  
  
  
  
        "I don't seem to have any other options Ms. Ootori..." The teacher's voice seemed to crackle slightly, "The last time they left I couldn't do a thing to help them... I want to try to make this time different."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Reika again smiled gently, "Thank you, they'll need all the support they can get," her eyes then locked with Asagii's, "Sometimes I just wish there was something I could do to take these burdens from their shoulders. They're so very young. But then I ask myself... If I were them would I ever have the courage to handle myself so well? Honestly, I don't believe I would."  
  
  
  
  
  
        Asagii nodded gravely, knowing exactly what the government woman meant.  
  
  
  
  
  
        "Well then, since all is agreed upon let us collect the other children and be on our way back to," with that the woman in black walked out of the office followed by the worried, thought filled visage of Ms. Asagii.  
  
  
  
  
  
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        Eyes opened once more for the very first time. The lurking beast watched its barren environment through foreign senses. Gently it commanded the body, unto which it claimed, to rise and walk forth into the barren sandy waste and find sustenance for them both. Hunger filled its existence to the point of near pain and thus it urged its carrier body forth to feed its need to assimilate, to shape, and to destroy.  
  
  
  
  
  
        Jeri's eyes opened to a place familiar yet alien to her, a barren desert stretching as far as her eyes could see and above that the far too familiar columns of the mammoth streams of data passing between worlds, this one and her own lost earth floating above all. A strange calm settled upon her, fear being replaced by a gentle caress of compassion. Then it came, a strange yet gently insistent need. It was all at once a silent command, a placid request and a ravaging hunger compelling her to her feet and pushing her of on a course to find something, anything to alleviate the dark hunger within.  
  
  
  
  
  
        For miles she traveled naked and alone, save for her driving necessity. Slowly she progressed across barren landscape following instinct alone, the low rumble of her stomach sounding protest at its current state and an ever growing itch from her sun burnt skin served as a constant reminder of her need to move on. She could think of nothing else.  
  
  
  
  
  
        The day drew on and still the body trudged, the all consuming hunger driving away its will and pushing it to extremes it would never normally try to endure. Slowly it became worried, though it could simply leave the body should it perish and seek nourishment on its own it refused to do so, but now the body was harming itself to provide for it... no that was not acceptable. It stretched forth its senses examining the world around it. Searching for the closest usable data structure for repair of the battered body it then directed Jeri to a solid rock formation and bade her rest there. Once she had become sedate it began its work. Slowly it grew from its comfortable place beneath the body's skin and stretched red gelatinous tendrils into the formation's base. Soon it had spread itself thru the rock deleting key pieces to allow for assimilation of the rest. Soon it had gathered all the data that it needed and begun to retreat back into the safety of the body it inhabited. It would take time now to affect all the repairs and upgrades it wished to implement but the now hollow data structure of the rock formation would provide all the data needed to do so... all that was need no was to wait. Now it would be able to perfect the body, to better protect it. Self satisfied and lazily full it preened the now bright red hair of its host and placed the full effect of its emotional attachment into play, comforting and calming the body into deeper more restful sleep. Then with the care of a child holding to it mother, it wrapped the last of its extended tendrils about her and sunk fully back into its calm safe place beneath her skin.  
  
  
  
  
  
        An hour later a short child sized figure came across Jeri's immobile and nude body. Quickly it signaled to others of its kind and after a few minutes of scurrying and confusion the figure was joined in lifting the exposed body up and setting of for home.  
  
  
  
********************************************************************** **********************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
Well now here is the next piece of the puzzle. Oh and note, I really do like Jeri... Its just I have a very large urge to ummm 'ow du you say... Mess with the characters I love... Probably why I haven't written anything Ranma ½ yet... I think that kid already has more problems than should be allotted to any one human... Ah well adversity makes you stronger I guess... ~shrugs~ Well anyway as usual I thank all who have stood by and actually waited to see what new things I've written. Oh and if anyone is willing to be a pre-reader for the rest of the fic just tell me at Xicree@hotmail.com.  
  
A long way to fall in the depths of the dead Too far to crawl to the surface...   
  
Show me the peace found in the halls of your head And I'll show you the end's true purpose.   
  
-Himitsu The Hunter 


	7. Falling Alive To the Song of the Silent…

DIGIMON: The Becoming   
  
  
  
By Himitsu the Hunter  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 7: Falling Alive To the Song of the Silent…  
  
(Day 3) 4:36 pm  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Groggy eyes lifted in half hearted effort, a moan escaped tired lips, and ears heard the noise of speech crowding their quiet space. Rika was drained. A wave of numbing tiredness swept through her immobile body as she wondered briefly why she was lying on a bed not her own, surrounded by unfamiliar ceilings. It was hard even to feel the pressure of her mothers hand against her ashen skin. From her skewed view even she could see the worry etched into her mother's tired face.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Mom..." Her dry throat could hardly croak that single word.  
  
  
  
  
  
Quickly her mother's eyes came alive with a combination of restrained worry and relief, "Its ok honey... everything will be all right."  
  
  
  
  
  
"Mom I..." She began to say then paused, the memories of the night rushing back to her a mad tangled dance of concepts, images and sounds. And with sudden strength she suddenly sprang into an upright position with weak arms at her sides and her eyes unfocused and dilated.  
  
  
  
  
  
Quickly Ms. Nonoka held her child steady though startled by her sudden rise from the bed, "Rika?" her voice was clothed in concern.  
  
  
  
  
  
Then as if answering from the mist of a dream she spoke, "I felt it... I felt it mom... I felt her suffering... Jeri is in pain… so much pain... so much pain, so much pain..." her voice was a mere broken noise battering the corners of minds with its weight.  
  
  
  
  
  
Reluctantly her mother spoke those damming words, "Rika honny... Jeri... she disappeared last night..."  
  
  
  
  
  
That alone shook Rika from her stupor, "What!!!!" She cried that single word, wielded it like a weapon.  
  
  
  
  
  
Silently her mother flinched, "We don't know exactly what happened but when you collapsed her room was filled with a bright red light... then she vanished..."  
  
  
  
  
  
For a moment Rika simply continued her blank stare; then quick a look of grim determination settled across her face again, "Mom let me up... I need to go..."  
  
  
  
  
  
Once more Ms. Nonoka's eyes settled on those of her daughter's, "I can't let you, not yet and not like this," beneath her grip she noticed the sudden tensing within her daughters lithe muscles, "Mr. Yamaki is working on figuring out what happen and so are the Monster makers. Just please rest a bit more Rika... I don't want to have to worry about you."  
  
  
  
  
  
For a moment Rika thought of simply brushing her mother aside then getting up to find out what had befallen her friend, but upon meeting her mother's worried eyes she could no more disobey the plea right there and then than sprout wings.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Alright Mom, I'll do what you ask... for now," Rika then fell back upon the bed and smiled for her mother.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ms. Nonoka then rose from the bedside, "I'll go tell the others that you're alright... Your grandmother will be overjoyed to see you up and around," and as she approached the exit continued on, "After all, I've told her all too often that she worries too much over you," Then with a cheeky grin she left the confines of the white walled hospital room leaving Rika smiling slightly at her mothers silliness.  
  
  
  
  
  
Turning her eyes up to the ceiling Rika breathed a deep sigh, "Jeri... please be alright..."  
  
  
  
  
  
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All ran smoothly in the prefecture of Gear-Town, its streets were filled with sounds of merchants and tradesmen of all kinds, each making its own bid for the attentions of the even more numerous potential customers. It was exactly the kind of day which Lopmon absolutely loved. Long time he had been a guardian of gateways, the watchman valued for his foresight and skills and now as always before he held his post with pride and conviction. Long times of guarding empty gates had taught him to treasure every moment of interaction he could claim even if none of it was direct.  
  
  
  
  
  
He was perched upon his post upon a pole at birds eye view from the city, high places being as natural to him as the ground, alert eyes scanning the crowds while smiling happily even as the breeze stirred across his long ears.  
  
  
  
  
  
Briefly he sighed, as happy as he was here he could not forget the two things which had plagued him since he had found his partner in the visage of the child Suzy. Only one had he yet brought to an end and that was his loyalties to the Sovereign of the South. Even now he could hardly feel resolved with the fact that no longer did he hold the post of Diva beside his sworn liege lord, a thing that stabbed deep into his core. Always he had been a devoted and loyal subject of his Sovereign lord... his god, then in an instant he had found the old adage true, one truly couldn't be beholden to two masters and thus he chose if only briefly duty to his partner over duty to his Liege and lost the bond that had long marked him as special among the children of his lord. Only a few months ago had he even worked up enough nerve to again go before his lord to finally resolve the horrible conflict of emotions swelling within him.  
  
  
  
  
  
At heart he was a dreamer and a romantic, two traits that never went over well with most of the more 'down to earth' companions he had once known but served him well as he dreamed of an eventual paradise as was promised by the very words of his god Zhuqiaomon. Those long hours of stillness and dreams, broken only by the rare occasions in which he was able to speak to either his god or fellow divas... or was sent on quests in the name of his lord. Fondly he remembered the only of his brethren with whom he could share the dreams and goals he had long held, the serpent diva, Santiramon. Oddly enough the serpent's laid back approach to everything complimented Lopmon's own surprisingly well, his willingness to listen to Lopmon's musing and share his thoughts had always helped to make the warrior hare feel as if he belonged serving alongside of his fellow divas. There was little he wouldn't give to have the serpent warrior there to talk to again, especially on a slow day like this one.   
  
  
  
  
  
**BOOM**! Quickly his eyes lit and his ears pounded with proof against the truth of his thought... It seemed the day would be picking up quite soon, hopefully it wouldn't be the distasteful duty of cleaning out Ravers again.  
  
  
  
  
  
Quickly he sprinted across the tops of buildings toward the source of the noise, only to be greeted by a burning ball of super-heated plasma singing his ear along side of the echo's of 'Nova Blast' bouncing about along side it.   
  
  
  
  
  
Lovely, he thought, A full blown battle in the town square... and it was that trouble making Greymon *AGAIN*... Lopmon could do little more than look to the heavens in exasperation and sigh, "Sovereign... give me strength! *sigh* At least it isn't the Ravers acting up again..." then bound off to do his job and take care of this mess before any of the others could arrive.  
  
  
  
  
  
The combatants were locked in mortal struggle, each with no mind but to eliminate the other from existence, as the curious looked on from all around the streets. Lopmon arrived just in time to see golden ape Hanumon charge in wielding its bone club like a make shift sword against the annoyingly familiar face of the Greymon he had several times before stopped from tearing up the town.   
  
  
  
  
  
The golden Ape charged in, its bone club swinging all the while with reckless abandon. On the other hand the Greymon waited for the right moment to strike, steadying him self on four limbs, the churning flames in his mouth the only indication of his intent. Inch by precious inch he waited for his prey to complete his charge, straight into the perfect spot.... Only rage could bee seen in the eyes of the charging Hanumon as it approached the point of the Greymon's tactical enterprise, and was all but completely halted by the sight of a larger than average Nova Blast screaming towards his chest and face. On pure reflex the Gold ape swung its club right across the center of the attack, canceling its driving core... only to find that the real trap had not been the attack but its follow up where the Greymon had used the moment of the fireball obscuring his vision to slink around his defenses and get close enough to lay a salvage bite into the Hanumon's shoulder and pull back, leaving gouts of trailing Data in the gold one's fur. Screaming in defiance Hanumon was not about to let the masked Dino-Dragon get away unpunished, quickly he kicked the Greymon in the stomach with his short legs, performed a spinning back fist to its snout, then followed up with a vicious left hook to the throat, and finally a solid haymaker to the lower jaw with the ringed knuckle of its right hand. Both parties then backed off again nursing their injuries and circling while inspecting each other for further weakness. It was at this point that Lopmon finally made his entrance, having flung himself from the roof tops to land in the centre of the battle.  
  
  
  
  
  
"LOPMON EVOLVE TO... TURUIEMON!" At the top of his lungs he screamed the now familiar activation phrase. He felt the frame of his current self being denuded of its outer substance, ripping down to the template of his most basic core. Then came the familiar rush power and feelings of growth as his body stretched and re-solidified in the pattern of a now humanoid, near 6 foot hare sporting a yellow Gi, red gloves and cloth shoes. Resting upon his gloved hands lay the weapons which in this new form he would use, twin grappling clawed gauntlets.  
  
  
  
  
  
When finally Lopmon had landed he immediately turned to look at the offending Greymon, "Agu-san... you know that this is the third time I've had to talk to you about fighting in city limits..." he spoke softly, "What could possibly be important enough that you would want to be put out of town?"  
  
  
  
  
  
The offending Greymon looked on in some fair amount of terror, despite its trouble making rep this had been the best place it had ever been... and having only very recently been reprimanded by the creature before him the last thing he wanted was to farther push his luck. Life had been good to him since he had first arrived... fighting was fun but not worth the loss of this sanctuary.  
  
  
  
  
  
"It wasn't my fault," the creature whimpered then pointed at its now recovered opponent, "he was trying to take my mask..."  
  
  
  
  
  
Turuiemon turned, just in time to see a huge fist descend upon the spot where he was standing and move out of the way. The apes face was twisted in a savage snarl.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Stay out of my way rabbit, I want that Greymon is MINE!" then launched itself once more in the Greymon's direction.  
  
  
  
  
  
Realizing the situation Turuiemon acted immediately, "No can do buddy, Gauntlet Claw!!" He swung his fists forward with the claws of the gauntlets tearing a glowing rift into the air as they swung as well, a rift which flew like a hungry blade and scored an unbalancing hit upon the bulk of Hanumon's leg muscle. The golden ape hit the ground like a sack of potatoes... face first.  
  
  
  
  
  
Without pausing Turuiemon then launched itself at the offending creature, knowing that the blows it had just taken would only slow it for a short time... but more than long enough to finish taking it down.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Lightning Kung-Fu!" the unfortunate Ape had risen just in time to see it coming, but not fast enough to do a thing more. Electricity raced all along the tri-horned hare's arms as he seemed to blur into a frenzy of attacks, each scoring lines of scorched digital flesh and hair all across Hanumon's body, the final blow knocking him into the nearest wall where he continued to lay smoking, scarred and unconscious but other wise alive. As he stood and looked upon his handy work, Turuiemon let slip away the form he held, sliding straight back into his rookie form.  
  
  
  
  
  
Lopmon took stock of the situation, the Greymon as far as he could tell was innocent but would have to be brought in for questioning, but where were the rest of the Guardian patrol? Lopmon sighed as he heard the sound of a Mekanorimon's gears cranking down the street, late again.   
  
  
  
  
  
Lopmon watched as the figure of the Mekanorimon clanked into view... with the latest recruit Yashamon sitting atop its head. It was clear that the 2 had been off goofing around again, Yashamon most likely being the instigator of the dalliance... again.  
  
  
  
  
  
To himself Lopmon sighed, "I suppose its Guardromon's fault for putting those 2 slackers together... Sovereign knows how easy it is for poor Mekanorimon to be led astray... and with Guil and Renamon out looking for our tamers that's two of our best people gone..."   
  
  
  
  
  
"Yasha I told you stopping by those last 5 donut bars wouldn't be a good idea!"  
  
  
  
  
  
"Yea' sorry Mek, but I was much in the Hunger zone and m' perfect body t'was in need of fuel!"  
  
  
  
  
  
Once more Lopmon sighed... It was going to be a LONG day...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*****************************************************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It had been hours since they had begun their flight in search of their respective tamers and Renamon decided that it was time that Guilmon took some time to rest his weary wings.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Down there Guilmon," she spoke into his ear, "Right by the Forest, we can make camp there,"   
  
  
  
  
  
"Alright Renamon, you're the boss,"  
  
  
  
  
  
It took them nearly half an hour to go foraging and setting up a spot for the night but finally when they were finished and the sun began to set again they had carved out a neat space in which to shelter for the night. Renamon in the trees and Guilmon in the ground.  
  
  
  
  
  
It didn't take long for her saurian companion to drift into the realm of sleep, personally she believed that even fully awake he seemed already half way there, leaving Renamon time to think beyond the happy haze of wild winds that had been whipping past her all day. She hated that kind of free time.  
  
  
  
  
  
She had managed to keep herself busy in the time that they had found and firmly established Gear-town, first in its reconstructions from a bunch of crumbling walls and a meager population of 20 digimon, 15 of which were Harugumon, the other 4 Guardromon, and 1 Golemon, then in policing the masses of homeless and unsure digimon who flooded in after hearing of a place of safety where all were invited provided that they obeyed the common rule. Of course there where plenty of digimon opposed to this influx, some being from the outside and fearing that one day the united rule of Gear-town would decide that their own areas of the digital world would be better off in its own capable hands.  
  
  
  
  
  
Seldom did Renamon have time to think of the partner she so missed, of the sweet scent of the air when cherry blossoms fell, of the kind family she had found in her partner's mother and grandmother... a kind of kinship she had never expected to share with any, kinship and laughter. Almost irrationally her mind crept back to an incident where she had caught a thief attempting to gain entry into the neighboring house, she could have easily not gotten involved in the entire thing, but it felt like it would have been a dishonor to Rika and her family to act so callously when she held the ability to do something about the situation.  
  
  
  
  
  
The poor fool had never seen it coming, not the kick which slammed him into the nearby wall nor the face of his attacker. Even as he rose from the ground and reached for his gun he never saw anything but the crystal shard which snatched it from his hand and pinned it into the nearby wall. He fell again, shocked at the sight of his gun with the crystal blade stuck through it. Then before he could scramble up from on the ground once more wash of warm breath crossed his ear accompanied by a gentle voice with a simple warning message.  
  
  
  
  
  
"This neighborhood is off-limits. The next time I catch you trying anything here..." the voice trailed off and he felt a soft brush of fur against his ear for a moment, but by the time he had turned to look, there was nothing there. It didn't take much more for him to decide that this place was not to be messed with and move on. Renamon grinned to herself in remembrance of a job well done.  
  
  
  
  
  
But despite the memories she would recall one by one, she could not help the heart weary feeling settling within her. She longed to one more be with her human family, to share in their joy, to help in their laughter, to help Rika's grandmother in the kitchen... to watch over her partner's angelic peace while she slept. It brought her close to tears just thinking of reunion with her partner, of just being close again to her loved ones and feeling the warmth of family. Looking down on Guilmon she could not help but sigh at the cozy scene he presented and the content look on his face as he murmured his partner's name, as well as the names of several of his favorite food items, in his sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
"If only once..." she whispered in hushed tones of reverence, "I could ever be that happy..." then in the quiet noise of the darkened wood Renamon finally let go her worries, concerns and fears then drifted slowly in to the welcome blank of sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Not far away a pair of feathered wings took flight... The Masters would want an update now that the 2 had bedded down for the night... and what the masters wanted, the masters received.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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I'm extremely sorry for the huge delay between the last chapter and this one... I've been having computer troubles of all kinds for over a month now and have had to rewrite the chapter twice...(Which kinda kills the entire creative thing for me sometimes.) But now here I am and here I'll stay so to all who read this Thank YOU!!! ^_^  
  
  
  
My thanks to Neverwhere Readsaur, QuestionDeca and others for their support thus far... (Especially my critics who make me look for all my imperfection and try to smooth them out)  
  
  
  
I hope to hear from those of you who thus far contributed your support... as well as any new faces that should arrive. Review help keep me focused on the task of bring my story to you... I hope you let me know how much you enjoy it.  
  
  
  
-Himitsu The Hunter 


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