The Fallen

by Darkangemon

Writers Note: This chapter is brought to you courtesy of Louis Armstrong, The Who and Reliant K. arguably the best artists I know. *Ducks Frying Pans*
Writers other note: Oh decisions, Decisions to make this story Koubrina and Ruichi or Sabrichi and leave poor Kouji all alone. Such a hard choice (No JA you can not have Kouichi)

Chapter 7

Things We Leave Behind

June 2 1992

Blackwall Universe

Sentinels swarmed over the gates of New York. Fragments of buildings slammed into the street, cars spun out of the way as the hideous creatures rampaged through the streets, scarring the ground with their malformed and terrible footprints poisoning the air with their cries.

Gennai and Eric Pearce stood alone on the platform below them the engineers worked frantically on the emergency force fields.

“Hurry their almost upon us,” screamed Eric beads of white sweat flowing down his forehead

Ahead of them a small group of digidestined tried their hardest to support their partners as they went head to head with the mightiest that the sentinels offered.

Gennai put his chin on his torso and began to lament, with New York gone, the sentinels only had one target left.

Tokyo

One by one the cities of humanity were falling prey to the sentinels soon there would be nowhere left to run.

Like a plague the Sentinels rushed though New York slaughtering whatever got in their way.

Most of the civilian population had taken refuge through the Portal gate while the tech team stayed till last

A woman came running up towards the platform, Gennai recognised her as Electra Petrova a member of the Volunteer armed forces and the wife of Alec Petrova the keeper of the crest of Faith.

She was running two sentinels behind her their huge pincers snapping wildly in her hands she was clutching something to her body while giving all out to her legs.

Two rail guns rattled, the Sentinels shrieked and fell dead.

The woman was still running clutching her Cargo even closer to herself

The Gateway flickered as the last civilian ran through it. Eric started calculating a new Dimension Vortex point.

The forcefield rose up.

Electra handed her bundle to Gennai.

“Take him with you,” she implored

The portal reopened scientists and engineers ran through.

Gennai looked down; in his arms was a baby, barely a year old.

“I can’t,”

The baby gurgled.

A klaxon sounded, the forcefield was failing.

Electra looked right into Gennai’s eyes, he could see her resolve.

“Take him, I’ll hold them off, you people get out of here,” she whispered drawing out her pistol

“No,” cried Gennai in despair “he’ll need you, come with us,”

“You have a destiny Gennai; make sure that my son has one too,”

Tears in his eyes Gennai watched as Electra activated the final Forcefield and turned to face her end.

A sentinel crawled up the stairwell, Electra emptied her pistol

The Creature smiled horrifically, several of its jaws detached from the head in anticipation; out of nowhere two pairs of mandibles appeared and pushed themselves deep into Electra’s quaking body

The woman gasped in pain and then a quiet look of release filled her face

“Computer self destruct 2 seconds after my dematerialization,” yelled Gennai clutching the baby to his body.

Then still holding the baby close to himself Gennai made the run into the portal jumping through the outer ring just as the forcefield came down.

“I will come back some day,” he promised softly as the black engulfed him.

***

Gennai sat at a desk at the digital world library his eyes transfixed on the crystal ball.

“And you’re sure about this?” he asked the hazy picture which flickered back and forth at him.

“Yes I’m sure,” replied his brother’s crackly voice out of the ball. “It’s the ones that went missing from Doulos six months ago,”

“Serious?” he asked quietly putting his hand around a small quill pen.

“Do I lie?” replied Eric irritably. “Ramesesmon is a git and Ranamon is too preoccupied with her own feelings at the moment to be any threat, but CyberAngemon… there’s something wrong about him, he’s blind, he senses people by their breath, it’s almost like he’s a vampire.

Gennai considered this for a second and then replied

“Just keep doing what you’re good at; if they need help, you know what to do,”

Eric’s picture became clear

“Sure thing,” he said smiling.

***

Takuya came around again, his head did throb slightly but it was getting much better.

He could think in a straight line, there were torches all around him, no electrical lights.

There were voices, three of them. They were arguing.

“So the Prophecy has begun,” said a thick gruff voice.

“You all saw him, the spirit did not kill him, it fused with him,” replied a snarling voice.

“Indeed,” replied the first voice “But should he fail…”

“Then we’d be about the same Brother,” snarled the second speaker.

“But what of our way of life, we have lived here many cycles now,” added a third voice.

Takuya liked this one, it sounded quite personable like a calm ocean, not likely to get angry.

“Our way of life has long since become dusty”

“We had better speed him on his way then,” added the gruff voice “The chosen one must complete the task assigned to him before the steel angel calls forth the destroyer.”

“Agreed!”

“I am awake you know,” said Takuya sitting up painfully.

“Capital,” inferred the calm voice who Takuya now saw belonged to a tall thin digimon with a fine set of features including a toothbrush moustache and jovial laughing eyes.

BlackWargreymon appeared from the shadows to the right of him, the snarling voice.

That left only the gruff measured voice, Takuya looked around carefully. The voice could have come from an old fabric chair that faced away from him.

“So, the champion of Agunimon has truly shown himself” said the gruff voice lost somewhere between remembrance and senility.

“Yes Brother and the purpose of our order is still to protect this world.” Coached BlackWargreymon tiredly, it became obvious that, however great this warrior had been, he was somewhat past his prime.

“My consent is given,” said the old voice.

BlackWargreymon called for Flamedramon who entered quickly, as one who was listening at the keyhole would.

“The master has given permission, bring forth the feast!” he said proudly

“All right my kind of idea” thought Takuya happily

***

Ranamon was in a foul mood as she stormed into her Bauer outside the Steel citadel.

She’d lost her celestial spirit but that wasn’t what was making her angry, she’d felt her again when she had attacked the little blonde girl.

“Whai now?” she muttered passing by the guards by “Whai does she awaken that part of me now?”

She was feeling guilty, she hadn’t tricked the original Ranamon into giving up her spirits, and she’d been given them freely, no catch, nothing…

She stepped into her room; it was quite different from the chambers she had kept on Aleasea.

They were larger for one thing and they were far more oriented to what a digimon like Ranamon enjoyed, Water

There was a large mirror in the corner which glowed softly.

She used to love it, be caught up in narcissistic ecstasy, now all it did was tell her the truth.

“You’ve changed Ranamon, you can’t be the old way any more; you’re different,”

Ranamon turned to the mirror, she thought of the plan, CyberAngemon wasn’t involved, he never was, and she and Ramesesmon were to capture the children as soon as they were all together, it had felt right when he had said it, but in another way she’d known it already.

She had a brooding feeling; something bigger than her was happening, and that somehow… she shouldn’t be here,”

“What Am I?” she asked herself.

***

Bokomon led the way to the library of Decatholis proudly, Neemon and Patamon following quietly behind.

There were frescoes on the walls Bokomon noted the symbols of the Ten Legendary warriors in various throes of battle, all stuff he’d read, there were also pictures of the founding of the city of ten itself pictures of Chronomon dying in Lobomon’s arms the fierce anger of Lobomon’s retribution.

It was the last picture which had disturbed Bokomon intensely, it was a picture of Lucemon and the ten legendary warriors, but the writing told the story of an alliance between them there was no writing on what it was they

The Library was a small building with a domed roof which reminded Neemon of a beach ball (And had gotten his pants snapped).

Takuya had also got dragged down to the library; he was quite miffed about missing the fourth helping he had been taking.

Flamedramon said some things had to be postponed indefinitely.

They entered the Library together in a sort of slow procession, Bokomon in front then the other digimon and finally Takuya bringing up the rear with mild grumbling.

“Eric!” called Flamedramon

There was a rustling in the back shelves as the Librarian of the Primus Library entered the front desk.

He regarded Takuya in the same way one regards a movie sequel, as if you’d seen it all before somewhere.

“Takuya Kanbarra I presume,” said the librarian humorously.

“Yeah!” replied Takuya soundly “Something wrong,”

“No I’m just amazed how people tend to follow patterns,” replied Eric mysteriously “you’re here about a guide book then?”

“Yes, that is about correct,” interjected Bokomon “I have one on Aleasia but Totteritz is very different.”

“Well that’s observing the obvious,” laughed the librarian passing a substantially thinner book with the symbol of Magnadramon.

Bokomon thanked Eric politely.

“Well you’d better be off; you must see lady MagnaDramon as soon as possible,”

“Magna what?” asked Takuya politely

“MagnaDramon! The grey lady of totteritz, the fourth great angel,”

“Oh another angel huh?” said Takuya “So Where is she?”

Eric didn’t answer; instead he walked them to a large hangar like structure. There were two large digimon sitting on each side of a small carpet of sorts. Takato was just seen sitting on the head of one which we know as Wargrowlmon.

“The town of Morrow, a place of life,” said Eric “Takato and Wargrowlmon will show the carpet the way, well all but you Takuya,”

“Well then how do you suppose I get there?” asked Takuya as they walked onto

“On him” said Eric sweeping his hand towards Gigadramon

Gigadramon turned to regard Takuya slowly.

“G’day mate” he said cheerily

***

Izzy felt muzzy and sleepy, he was shaken awake at more or less 2AM by a very aggravated TK, who had filled him in on the whole agenda.

He was currently dressing himself in a sloppy fashion, of one woken up by a 2 AM emergency.

His Cell phone rang, he picked it up, the number was unfamiliar but that felt right.

“Hello?” he said muzzily.

“Yolei sent me an E-mail, what’s going on?” asked Gennai in his ear

“I don’t fully know myself Gennai, TK just keeps talking about something called a sentinel,”

The line crackled, there was a crashing sound

“Say that again!” commanded Gennai in an unnaturally big voice.

“Sentinel,” stated Izzy calmly

Gennai’s breath became short.

“I need to speak to Jonathan as soon as possible,” he said curtly

“Sure he’s right here with me, but Yolei and Ken are heading your way anyway,” replied Izzy in a more alert tone, if Gennai was worried it was serious. “What do you need to see Jonathan about?”

“Something very important!” stated Gennai in a tone which could have contained icebergs

“I’ll put him on,” replied Izzy obediently.

He handed the phone to Jonathan who put the receiver to his ear urgently

“Yebo!” he said quietly

TK and Izzy regarded Jonathan as he appeared to flicker within himself.

“Yeah sure Gennai,” he said slowly “I will bring my crest with me,”

“What does he need your crest for?” asked TK after Jonathan returned the phone.

“He says that we’re gonna need all the power we can get!” replied Jonathan

***

Sabrina and Melanie regarded each other with awed shock.

Kouichi was shocked too, but something deep inside him had known it already

Melanie a Digidestined, it made sense in spite of itself.

Melanie’s dress was in tatters, her face was dirty and her greenish filthy blonde hair hung at her shoulders like a limp dish rag.

Both sisters stood some distance from the other, each trying to determine if this was a trick

Sabrina gave up doubt first; she rushed forward and grasped Melanie firmly in both arms.

Melanie started to laugh in surprise, she had missed her big sister, she’d missed her hugely, there was joyful laughter and sobbing and hugging and kissing and apologizing from the two for almost five minutes afterward.

JP and Tommy began to fill Kouji in about their adventures apart; while Kouichi and Zoë watched the two McAllister sisters reacquaint themselves

Zoë wasn’t sure exactly what was going on but she felt as if it needed to be sorted out.

Kouichi was really glad to see Melanie all right; the younger McAllister sister had always had a small crush on Kouichi and Kouichi tolerated it because he was quite fond of her.

Melanie and Sabrina broke embrace and began talking animatedly at the same time.

About digimon and spirits and the things they had seen.

It was at this point they noticed their audience and blushed.

Melanie walked over to Zoë.

“Zoë this is my sister Sabrina,” she said happily a look of cherubic on her face which Zoë was surprised by, Melanie was a sarcastic little kid, “Sabrina, this is Zoë,”

Sabrina grasped Zoë’s hand tightly.

“Thanks for keeping an eye on my little sister.” She said thankfully.

“I get the feeling she kept more of an eye on me,” laughed Zoë.

“It looks like we’re all here except Taki,” noted JP with curiosity sidling up to Sabrina, “I don’t believe we’ve met, I’m JP,”

Zoë rolled her eyes.

“You are hopeless JP,” she sighed grabbing his collar and pulling him back, “You just never give in do you?”

JP squinted,

“You can’t fault a guy for trying!” he intoned as Zoë let go of his collar.

Kouichi raised an eyebrow at Sabrina who had gone a vaguely pink colour.

“What? Its not like I know these people!” stated Sabrina calmly, her quiet smile finding its normal resting place again.

“Well your going to have to, they may be a little strange but they’re sort of second family,” replied Kouichi.

Sabrina took a look at JP, Zoë, Tommy and then to Kouji

“And I thought I had weird relatives,” she muttered.

***

Gennai was pacing again; it was unnerving the digimon around him to the nth degree, when a digimon paced he was waiting for something. When a human paced he was waiting for someone.

“Bloody hell Arch Where are you?” wondered Gennai turning the carpet distinctively flatter

“He’ll be with you in a second!” Said the green patamon who had once been Emeraldangemon, “Pacing like that does no one any good, especially the floor,”

“Sorry E I always pace when I’m upset,” muttered the man angrily “you know that, you lived with me thirty years back on Blackwall,”

“Yup and the only time I saw you pace was when Jason was born,” replied the evergreen patamon.

“Don’t talk about Jason!” snapped Gennai staring intensely at his old partner.

“You don’t know he’s dead!” said E quite emphatically.

“It’s been twelve years, no one survives that long,” replied Gennai

“Obviously you weren’t very good in the hope department,” muttered E.

“No, I do not trust to hope, whatever the sentinels touch tends to go nastily wrong.” Replied Gennai bitterly

There was a clatter of heavy books from the back room, followed by what appeared to be muffled swearing.

“I think he’s found it,” said E happily.

“You don’t say?” replied Gennai

ArchAngemon emerged from the back of a pile of books, he was grubby but he was smiling happily.

“I knew that we had it on loan from my mom’s library,” he exclaimed proudly producing the volume for Gennai to inspect.

The runes on the cover were a strange twisted language, which not even I the writer can quite make out; it is not that much unlike the handwriting of a pharmacist on a prescription, not meant to be understood.

Under it in fine spider thread writing was the translation

THE BOOK OF LUCEMON

Compiled by Vampirelucemon

***

The Trip was completely uneventful, despite Kouji’s Paranoia,

The tickets were purchased, Deputymon, “Convinced” the ticket salesman that memory was a fickle thing and that no human children had come through the gates.

Trailmon Tracks, endless in length, they stretched from Aleasea to Totteritz in a single unadulterated ribbon.

Then came Totteritz, a gargantuan plain filled with the reddish dust of the Australian Outback.

Nothing but dirt as far as the eye could see.

Morrow was like a Mushroom of greenery in the dull dust of the Totteritz desert.

It sprang out of nowhere, the ground changing from a drained brown to a brilliant green in the distance of a half meter.

Elfmon called it MagnaDramon’s garden; it was a verdant canopy of life, not a trading outpost like Decatholis.

Kouichi sat at the Trailmon’s window staring deeply into space.

“It sure is green out there,” said Sabrina joining him at the window.

“Yeah… it is,” replied Kouichi dreamily

Sabrina sat there silent for a while, looking out to the approaching greenery.

“I’ve been talking to Melanie; she’s had some pretty wild adventures,”

“I can believe it,” said Kouichi’s auto reaction.

“Kouichi?”

“Yes Sabs?”

“When we were in the real world, you know when Duskmon attacked me, well he said something” whimpered Sabrina

Kouichi switched off Automatic and turned to Sabrina.

“What did he say?” he asked with dread.

“He called you something… something terrible,” replied Sabrina starting to sob softly.

Kouichi’s stomach felt like a lead ball, he was afraid to ask, but he had to know.

“What did he call me?” he asked.

“He… he called you… A murderer,” sobbed Sabrina staring harshly into her best friend’s blue eyes challenging him to deny what Duskmon had said.

Kouichi wished he could, but it was true, he was a murderer, he had killed Arbormon, it was one of those horrible 4AM nightmare memories.

“It’s true,” he mumbled his head hung low

Sabrina was silent; against all hope she wished that she hadn’t heard him.

Kouichi opened his mouth to explain but Sabrina stopped him.

“You’ve changed Kouichikins, I don’t even know who you are any more,” she exclaimed as she ran sobbing from the compartment.

Kouichi didn’t know what to do; he was losing his closest friend.

Kouichi wept.

***

The digidestined gathered in a small square of the primary village, they were all there; even Mimi had taken the trip in order to see their old friends off on another mission.

They all looked tired and sloppily dressed, except Mimi and Willis because they had actually been in a reasonable time zone.

The mission was a little blurry, even after Gennai had explained it. It involved Myotismon’s nasty tendency of not dying, and made TK think of the bloody mindedness of most evil digimon, their motto seemed to be “Have power, will show up where not expected, never quite gone,”.

They were going to another universe; a universe where Vamde, the essence of Myotismon, was growing strong Gennai had called it Frontier.

There was a portal too; it had been opened after much pushing, kicking and general swearing from a group of rusty looking Guardromon

Davis stood up, and walked to the stage, his face grim, and his eyes steady.

“You all know me,” he said “You all trust me and I know that everyone here realises how important this mission is, if we fail, there’ll be no one left to stop Myotismon or his sentinel buddies, This isn’t playtime any more, we’ve got a lot of people and digimon depending on us to defeat this letter opener faced freak.

Now I know it’s scary, I’m scared too, we’re still only kids and this thing is way bigger than we are, but I’ll tell you something; As long as I’m still standing here, we fight! Today we show our spirit.”

Veemon sniffed and shed a tear.

“Davis?” asked TK unsurely.

“Yeah TK?” asked Davis in a subdued tone.

“You’ve really grown up,”

“Thanks TK,”

“Now let’s go crush that delta faced freak,” chirped Patamon digivolving to Pegasusmon

“Yeah,” said TK looking at the swirling vortex before them “Let’s make our folks proud,”

With that the digidestined jumped into the portal.

***

Gigadramon bucked as Takuya held on for dear life, he wished he hadn’t eaten so much at the farewell feast.

Patamon, Bokomon and Neemon passed nonchalantly sitting on the flying carpet.

“Why do I have to ride this thing?” he asked desperately

“Tradition is a fickle thing.” Said Bokomon “Sometimes it brings you honour, sometimes you get to ride a giant hungry dragon unaided.

“I’m not that hungry bloke!” said Gigadramon defensively “I just said I was a little peckish,”

“Well I actually have bread now but I doubt it’d be much good,” Chirped Takato, riding abreast them on Wargrowlmon.

“Yup Dat bread doesn’t have mutch of life eccspectency,” lisped Wargrowlmon happily.

Takato rolled his eyes.

“If you thought with any organ other than your stomach, you’d be… well a lot thinner,” retorted Takato

They all laughed as Wargrowlmon blushed.

They were so busy laughing they didn’t notice they were about to run into Pegasusmon and Nefertimon going the other way

***

Zoë and Melanie stared out into the green expanse of Morrow with a look of quiet anticipation

Sabrina was at a loss; what had happened to the sweet honest, kind Kouichi she had known? Was he dead? Had he died on that operating table? No, he couldn’t be, she could still see the boy she knew so well, but it was as if those qualities were surrounded by a crust of secretiveness and shame.

Well she didn’t care, he had had issues before, she’d overcome those! That was what friends were for, but murder?

True her Kouichi had been a little on edge on certain issues, especially the one of his father, but he never got violent, antisocial yes but never violent.

She sat down next to her sister and Zoë and stared blankly at the wildly vegetated city which the Trailmon was pulling into slowly.

Zoë glanced at the other girl and then gave Melanie some money and asked her to buy herself an Ice cream.

“You like him don’t you?” said Zoë after a while, just as the Trailmon began muttering something in the line of “Ehhh whadeva,”

Sabrina Jolted, the other girl was looking at her in that quizzical way she had come to associate with Kouichi on his philosophical days.

“I mean it’s pretty obvious to anyone who’s not male and other the age of ten” she added tentatively.

“Yeah I guess I do,” replied Sabrina quietly “He’s been my best friend since I was little, he sort of grows on you,”

Zoë laughed, Sabrina smiled; it was a musical laugh which made you feel like you were being laughed with and not at.

“Forgive me,” whispered Zoë, “It’s just that Kouichi is so quiet, he doesn’t strike me as the dateable type,”

“A lot of girls at school think he’s cute,” said Sabrina defensively

“I’m not insulting him Sabrina, he’s saved all our necks more than once, It’s just that he seems to be one of those people you find in coffee bars with little black berets” replied Zoë

Both girls stopped and thought of Kouichi in a little black beret.

They both burst out laughing

“Zoë?” questioned Sabrina recovering her wits

“Yeah Sabrina,”

“Who did Kouichi murder?”

The mood changed as Zoë bit her lip.

“I don’t remember Kouichi murdering anybody…” said Zoë in a morbid tone “Unless,”

“Unless what?”

“But that wasn’t murder; he wasn’t thinking properly, he was being controlled,” continued Zoë disturbed at the prospect herself “Anyway last time I checked he got reborn somewhere nice and quiet,”

“What are you talking about?” asked Sabrina, a fine glimmer of hope shining into her glum surroundings.

Zoë gave her a look of curiosity,

“I guess that Kouichi didn’t explain how he came to join the rest of us,” she said quietly

“No, I just assumed you’d sort of found each other,” replied Sabrina.

“I’m not sure how to explain this; it’s a little sensitive,”

“I’ll try and keep an open mind,” said Sabrina “If anyone knows Kouichi, it’s me,”

Zoë took a deep breath; her green eyes flickered to make sure Melanie hadn’t come back yet.

“Well, when we first met Kouichi,” she started “He was under the control of an evil digimon called Cherubimon,”

Sabrina acknowledged this with a nod, Kouji had mentioned the enemies they had faced before she’d joined, of course if Kouji’s case he stuttered quite badly over certain parts.

“Well, Cherubimon used Kouichi’s emotional pain, to wind him into a fanatical blade wielding zealot of Darkness, Well he destroyed an ally of his called Arbremon” continued Zoë slowly, Kouichi was a mystery to most of them even now, and she reminded herself to have another talk with the poor boy after this was over.

Sabrina’s forehead wrinkled up slightly.

“Duskmon!” she said quietly “That’s why he didn’t want me involved, he was afraid I’d judge him by that thing,”

Zoë nodded to herself, it was obvious that Kouichi cared about Sabrina, she sort of understood why; she knew how it was to be alone.

There was a knock on the cabin door; both girls looked up to see a very red faced Kouji in the entryway.

“Umm, we’ve arrived,” he mumbled

“Thanks Kouji, we’ll be out in a minute,” replied Zoë.

Sabrina smiled at Zoë in a pleasant manner

“Thanks Zoë, you were really helpful,” she said gladly.

Just then Melanie arrived back, grinning ear to ear, Ice cream in hand.

“Thanks Zoë this is great,” said the little girl cheerily, passing the change to the blonde girl.

Zoë looked at Sabrina quietly, a flickering of understanding lit up her mind.

“Sabrina, I think we have something to talk about later,” she said softly.

Sabrina nodded.

“Yes… we do,”

***

Gennai waited until they were gone before he walked away towards ArchAngemon.

“It all depends on them now,” he said softly “I only wish I could have had more time,”

“They are as ready as they’ll ever be,” replied the Angel whimsically.

“I hope you’re right,” intoned Gennai.

“In the immortal words of my dear brother, sometimes all you have is hope,”

Gennai gave Archangemon a peculiar look.

“Arch,” he said “You killed your brother at the battle of Greenfield, twenty cycles ago,” he started in a confused tone

“The sons of Ophanimon do not fall easily my friend; Eclipse leaves that scar on all of us,” assured Archangemon sadly

“He’s still alive?”

“Yes, he and I still share a bond,” replied Archangemon sadly, “I only wish I could speak to him, tell him how sorry I am,”

“He knows, my friend he knows, I only pray that it all goes off well,”

Far above them only just visible in the hazy cloud cover, the shade of Sparktramon sighed.

He wished that he could help the children on their journey; he knew it would be hard on all of them, but he was done with the earthly things.

Well more or less anyway.

He looked down at the small ghost mirror in his hand; he still had some way to work in the world, just not what people normally did.

In the mirror a small rabbit-like creature so orange he glowed, swore quietly about mixed breeding.