Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Passage Through Shadow 3: Rain of Mercy ❯ Part 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Firebird: If you somehow arrived here without reading the previous parts I don't own Digimon.

Ken: O.o;;; this part is over 4000 words long.

Firebird: Hai. About 4600 I think.

Ken: woah.

Firebird: Thanks to real world muse Chris and also to Heekun for help with this part.

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Passage Through Shadow 3

Rain of Mercy

Part 2

-----

"Oh, Ken, are you going out?" His mother asked as he headed out of the flat with Wormmon in his bag.

"Yes. I promised Daisuke I'd do some soccer practice with him." He lied quickly.

"Daisuke-kun is a nice boy. I'm glad you're getting some friends at last." She had an oddly diffident look on her face. "But I wanted a quick word with you. Have you got a moment to spare?"

"Okay." He put the bag down. "What is it?" Something about her attitude told him it was important.

"Well, we've been hesitant about this because of what you said when you came back. But your father and I talked about it last and decided to tell you about this and give it to you. While you were away I was going through some of Osamu's stuff to keep my mind off how worried I was about you and I found this hidden behind the wardrobe with the note attached to it. She handed him Osamu's laptop computer. Ken took it with a frown and looked at the note. It was in his brother's handwriting.

"Mom," He read. "If you're reading this something bad has happened to me. Please give this laptop to Ken. It's very important" Ken looked up at his mother. "I thought he lost this?"

"That's what he told us but it had been deliberately wedge behind the wardrobe. He must have put it there. I can't think why." She sighed. "He obviously wanted you to have it but I was worried that you might think I was pushing you again."

"No, it's okay." Ken frowned at the laptop. "I think it was important that you gave me this. He obviously thought that it was." He opened his bag and slipped it in carefully so as not to accidentally crush Wormmon. "I'll look at it later."

-----

"Did everybody get Michael's email." Daisuke asked as the Chosen gathered at the Kamiya's place since their parents were out and there was more room.

"I certainly did." Hikari was standing in the door of her room with Gatomon by her side. She sounded slightly smug which, Takeru guessed, wasn't surprising in the circumstances.

"Should we really be meeting here?" Iori asked. He glared at Hikari but she just smiled in return.

"Oh. Don't worry about me." She laughed. "I'm just leaving now. Carry on." She vanished in the study and through a digiport on the computer.

"Is she always like that?" Jun asked with a raised eyebrow. She'd come to the meeting with Daisuke. Apparently to see if there was anyway she could help. Miyako had suggested, rather snidely, that it was really to get close to Yamato. Takeru however was sure it was something deeper than that because although she had chosen to select a seat near to Yamato she hadn't taken the chair next to him even though it was free at the time.

"Pretty much." Daisuke said. "Like you said last night I think she's mostly trying to put us off balance. But back to the matter at hand. You all saw Michael's email?"

Iori nodded. "I thought he was making a mistake to help her out yesterday but now I wonder if he was considering this even then -- and what was going on with you, him and Ken?"

Daisuke bowed his head. "I'm not really a liberty to discuss it." He said quietly then looked directly at Takeru. "Did you send a copy of that prophecy to Michael?" He asked. "I haven't looked at it yet."

"Well I didn't see anything in it that might have spurred him on to that but I almost get the feeling we're not supposed to understand it yet." Takeru flipped open his D-terminal. "But yes I did send him a copy. I wasn't going to but I had this sudden feeling that it was important I did."

"All the same you should probably read it. There must be a reason why it was given to you." Jun suggested.

"She's probably right about that." Yamato was looking at Jun with an oddly puzzled expression on his face.

"Yeah." Daisuke nodded and opened his own d-terminal. He pulled up the email with the prophecy in it and read the prophecy out loud.

---

The cold blade of the World of Light returns,

And begins her quest again,

To destroy all which obscures the Light,

And thus destroy the Shade

That protects and shelters the World

When the light become too harsh and bright.

For being herself too much of the Light

She doesn't see that it can.

She is the radiant and terrible one.

Who is named for war and wisdom,

Though she lacks the latter

And she must stopped.

Or her obsession will be the

Destruction of Everything.

---

Oh grieving and lonely one

Dark mother of another world.

I see well the paths that lie before you.

Will you come to understanding

Before it is too late?

Or in you anger and hatred

Will you strike against your enemy,

Heedless of the harm you do to our world?

Even though he is our enemy too?

If you do I will still find it hard to judge you.

For I see that you are alone,

When you shouldn't be.

And thinking only of your own world,

And seeking to correct the mistakes you made.

You act desperately if not wisely.

Though help is closer than you think.

---

The second Dark Lord's favoured daughter,

She who walks without fear,

Carries within her the spirit of that Dark god

Until he is either destroyed or remade.

And she seeks the keys to his resurrection.

Therefore keep the seed bearer and surrogate both away from her.

Meanwhile his other Children walk a path to betrayal

When all unknowing, save one, they choose

To serve one that they were warned against in another form

Their yearning for the power to fight the forces of Harmony

Sets their feet on the path to their own destruction

Though one knows very well the path they are taking and why

And chooses not to warn them.

And another without knowing has set his feet on path

That will take him to a very surprising place.

---

Chosen Children of the Digital world,

If you are wise you will be cautious,

For your friends may prove foes

And your foes may prove friends

And you have many tests to pass

And lessons to learn

Before the truth becomes apparent to you.

For the balance will swing and the worlds be shaken

Now this path has been taken nothing will ever be the same

And the preservation of everything

Lies in the hands of the Child of Balance

Who shall be willing to do what must be done

To maintain the true power that is her nature

For without Balance all will be destroyed

Above all be wary of strangers bearing gifts

For choices are rarely as simple as they seem.

And now the lost one has been found

Only she can save herself.

The enemy of your enemy is usually your ally --

But not always.

---

"Well that's makes about as much sense as the last one." Miyako muttered.

"I'm sure it makes sense. We just don't understand it yet." Iori frowned. "That third section is about the Counterdestined I think and the rest will make sense when we understand it."

"Which will probably be too late to help us." Miyako said. "Anyway I don't see anything in here that could explain Michael's insane behaviour."

"Maybe he sees something in there that you don't." Jun suggested mildly.

"Like what?" Miyako snarled. "Why does every cute guy I get a crush on have to turn out to be evil?" She rolled her eyes skywards then looked over at Ken. "At least you came to your senses and seem to have been under the influence of something else. What's Michael's excuse?"

"Don't be so hard on him." Jun said in an odd tone. She seemed to phase out for a second. "He's walking a hard path making the choices he's made. But not the hardest."

"What do you mean, o-nee-chan?" Daisuke stared at his sister.

"Well it can't have been easy on him to decide to join Hikari and I'm sure he thought it through."

"In retrospect he did seem to be considering it." Daisuke admitted though he was still looking at his sister a little oddly. "Though he didn't say so. It explains why he quoted that odd thing Gennai told him once."

"Oh what was that?" Iori asked.

"What Gennai said to Michael?" Ken said. "Apparently he told him. 'You'll always be more of the darkness than the light but then darkness isn't really the problem. When your true path opens before you you'll recognise it.'"

"What an odd thing for him to say." Koushiro said. "Why on Earth would he say that darkness isn't the problem?"

"Are you sure he was telling the truth?" Iori asked. Both Ken and Daisuke nodded. "Then it is very strange."

"Erm, guys." Jun raised her hand hesitantly. "I know I'm the outsider here but I think the answer's right in front of you." She pointed to her brother's d-terminal which was still open in front of him.

"What?" He blinked in confusion and all of them opened up and reread the prophecy.

"Oh!" Iori stared at his screen like he hadn't seen it before. "That first bit talks about too much Light being the problem and the final bit talks about Balance. The problem isn't the dark -- it's too much dark or indeed too much light." He became thoughtful. "Michael must have decided Hikari wasn't endangering the balance." He frowned suddenly. "Or even that she was supporting it." He looked puzzled for a moment and then his eyes hardened. "He must be mistaken. No way could what she did yesterday have helped the Balance."

"But at least we know why he did this now." Daisuke said. "And it is understandable." He paused. And one hand went to his throat. "What the?" He pulled out the tag and crest he'd received at the Crystal Cave. "It's vibrating." He lifted it from round his neck and held it in his hand. "Why would it do that?"

"I have no idea." Koushiro looked at the others. "Ours glowed but they never vibrated, did they?" The others all shook their heads. "May I see that?" Daisuke handed it over and Koushiro looked at it thoughtfully. "Yes I can feel it. It's almost humming isn't it? It must mean something. What did you say it was again?"

"Mercy according to Demi-veemon. Who ought to know."

"Well I think it's unfair why does everyone have a crest but me?" Miyako wailed.

"Hum, Miyako, I don't have crest." Iori pointed out.

"Oh, yes. Still it's not fair."

"I knew this would happen if I wore it." Daisuke muttered. "I'll just leave it at home from now on."

"Don't be stupid, Daisuke." Iori said. "Miyako isn't blaming you. She's just a bit jealous. It'll pass and we need all the edges we can get."

"I think your Crest must be responding to something that's happening in the Digital World." Koushiro said. "Perhaps we should go and see."

------

Logan walked into the main room of their base to find the others already there.

"Late again I see, Baka." Kage grinned from where he was sitting.

Logan just glared at him and stalked over to his seat. He smiled at Ali as he walked past her and she grinned back.

"Elliot and I have been bring Sean up to speed on events." She told him. "We were just telling him about Miyako."

"Hmm." Sean was lounging casually in his chair apparently deep in thought. "Are you sure that she's the Child of Selfishness?" He asked.

"Absolutely." Elliot replied.

"Okay then." Sean gazed down at the table. "You know if you kidnap her she'll fight you every step of the way and you'll never get her to change sides." He seemed to think a while. "The selfish yearn for power but she is loving and sincere as well so we have to subvert her. We should use an intermediary she'll be inclined to trust to give her the crest. If she uses it will begin to subvert her virtues and exacerbate her selfish side. As long as she doesn't know what it will do to her she will use it."

Logan stared at Sean with horror. "That's a pretty low trick even for you, Sean."

"What?" Sean seemed amused by Logan's reaction. "It's true. She'll never change sides while she has access to the Digimentals to the Digimentals of Love and Sincerity. So we have to break her connection to them. Make or more and more dependant on her Crest." He grinned. "Unless of course you have a better idea."

"Maybe, why not just offer her the crest?"

"Because it wouldn't work. The holder of the Digimental of Sincerity is not going to walk out on her friends for power no matter how selfish she is. We have to undermine her first."

"Do we really need her?"

"Need? Probably not." Sean rolled his eyes. "But taking out an enemy is one thing. Gaining an ally is even better."

"We can do without her." Logan snapped. "After all if we make her switch sides there is always the possibility her connections and friendships with the Chosen will make her shift back."

Sean sighed. "Not if we do it right."

Logan growled and turned to glare at Kage who was sniggering quietly. "So what's your opinion?" He asked in tone that suggested he didn't really care.

"I say that she would be more use than you." Kage replied.

Logan's glare intensified. "What was that?"

"What you want me to repeat it, baka?"

Logan growled to himself and turned his attention back to Sean. "So who would handle this plan? You? This is the worst idea yet."

"Recently, Logan, you think everything is the worst plan yet." Ali noted in a deceptively mild tone.

"That's because they keep getting worse and worse." He said. "Keep this up and we'll lose the battle before it begins."

"Yes I do have some connections who can play the role we need." Sean said.

Logan looked at him suspiciously.

"I think that it is a fine plan." Chiharu finally spoke up from where she sat curled up with Denbe.

"I think it would work well." Elliot said thoughtfully. "Though any suspicion on Miyako's part would ruin it."

"Perhaps we should vote." Denbe looked very, very thoughtful.

"Good idea." Chiharu agreed. "Ali?"

"I'm for it."

"Denbe?"

"I'm not sure. It seems like a good idea but somehow it feels off to me. Abstain."

"Kage?"

"Let's do it."

"Logan?"

"No way. I'm against." Logan glared at Kage. He had more than a sneaking suspicion that the Child of Enmity had voted for the proposal just to annoy him.

"Sean? As proposer I assume you are for?"

"Of course."

"Elliot?"

"For."

"And I'm for. So that's 5 - 1 in favour." Chiharu noted. "And one abstention. Go for it, Sean."

"You really are trying to get us burned aren't you, Chiharu?"

Chiharu was noticeably irritated by Logan's question. "No, no I'm not." She was obviously making an effort not to snap at him.

"Well it seems that you are. Daemon is going to be the end of us all and it's your fault for blindly following him and dragging us all down."

Logan blinked in surprise as Chiharu's eyes went totally black for a moment and she actually growled at him. "I know what I'm doing!" Her eyes went back to normal and she rubbed at her temples.

"I hope so, for you sake more than mine."

"What?" Chiharu was still rubbing her temples and looked confused for a moment. "Oh, I don't trust him entirely but we need him. I do have my eyes open for trouble though."

"Not much. Look who you brought through because he told you to." Logan jacked a thumb at Sean. "He'll sell us out and Kage will just help him with that."

Chiharu rolled her eyes. "Hey I respect Sean. He does what he does very well indeed."

For his part Sean appeared to be ignoring the jibes and had a very thoughtful look on his face. "Daemon? That's our new patron? How interesting. Ali hadn't got around to that part yet."

"You respect Sean? Chiharu you're insane."

"Yeah, right. Whatever you say, baka."

Logan gritted his teeth and glared at Kage. If exploded here the others would just stop him.

"Anyway it's been decided. So what's next?" Chiharu asked.

"To hell with this." Logan began to walk out of the room.

"Aww… what's the matter? Baby going to cry?" Kage asked. Neither boy noticed Ali and her Demidevimon moving carefully towards them. Logan spun round and glared at Kage.

"Kage, shut your trap before I shut it for you."

"I'm trembling in my boots." Kage looked down. "Oh wait, I'm not wearing boots."

"THAT'S IT!" Logan ran at Kage. "You're so mine!"

Kage side-stepped and tripped Logan. "Oh yes, I'm so yours."

Logan got to his feet and grabbed Kage's collar. "Die!" He swung his other fist at Kage's face and was stopped short when Ali grabbed his fist from behind. "Ali! Let go!" Ali didn't, instead she leant forward and whispered in Logan's ear so quietly that Kage couldn't hear her.

"Stop this. It's unnecessary. I know how to get his sister. We can go and get her tomorrow night."

Logan considered for a moment and then dropped Kage. "I'll let you off for now." He said as Ali let go of his arm.

Kage got up with a smug grin on his face. "I'm so honoured to be spared by a baka like you."

Logan gritted his teeth and reminded himself that he'd wipe that expression off Kage's face soon enough. "So what's our next plan?" He asked.

"With the current climate?" Denbe said. "We should subdue the local area and bring it fully under our control again before someone else does."

"Okay." Logan thought for a moment. "Last night I fell into the river and almost drowned. Fortunately for me there was a village nearby filled with Lutramon."

"Oh what a pity you didn't drown." Kage said. "Maybe the next guy would be better at his job than you are."

"Thanks for the support, Kage." Logan said in a studiously neutral tone. For just a moment when he didn't explode Kage looked at Logan suspiciously and for the first time ever a little nervously but then shrugged it off.

In the meantime Ali's eyes had lit up in a most unpleasant way. "Lutramon? Oh they are so sweet!" She said in a very nasty tone. "The way they squeal is so appealing!"

"But they are passive and the place is too small and poor to be any threat or use. We should just ignore them."

"Oh no!" Ali's eyes glowed an unhealthy yellow colour for a moment. "They are far too much fun to ignore."

"But it's such a small place." Logan was getting a bad feeling he wouldn't talk them out of attacking the village.

"And your point is?" Kage asked.

"That there's no real point in attacking the village."

Sean gave Logan a thoughtful look. "What did you say to them?"

"Nothing important."

"Anything you say ISN'T important." Kage said. Logan glared at him but didn't otherwise respond. He just added it to the list of things to get Kage back for and it was a very long list.

"There is reason to attack the village." Denbe said. "The Lutramon are peaceful folk. When we crush the ruthlessly their neighbours learn to fear us."

Sean glanced at Denbe with a frown before returning his attention to Logan. "You promised them something didn't you?"

"Why would I do that?" Logan asked as he searched his pockets for a painkiller for the trace of a headache he felt starting up. He found one and got a glass of water to take it with before looking at Denbe. "Then crush their neighbours. That would have a bigger impact because it would prove we can win an actual fight."

"Why would you do that?" Sean looked at him. "Probably because they saved your life."

"So what if they did? There's still no value in crushing them."

"We should crush everything." Chiharu's eyes had gone all black again. "Crushing things is why we're here."

"But it is why you are arguing so vehemently to save them isn't it?" Sean glanced over at Chiharu. "Has that been happening often?" He asked.

"Not that I've seen." Logan glared at him. "Anyway I'm sure Denbe will agree a larger village would produce larger results."

"You predecessor used to do that a lot. Except his eyes went red. Scariest damn thing I ever saw."

"Big whoop." Logan growled. "He quit and I'm here."

"Unfortunately." Kage muttered.

"Actually it's the Lutramon's passivity that makes them such good targets. It proves us ruthless."

Logan sighed. "Fine then. When do we strike?"

"That's a rapid turn around and most unlike you." Sean gave Logan a very suspicious look. "Maybe we should leave them alone."

"What's with the sudden change?"

"Hey! I never said we should attack them. I've been thinking this through and deny it all you like you promised them something."

"Whatever." Logan glared at Sean again.

"You promised them something, probably to get us to leave them alone. If we can get a reputation for keeping our word people are more likely to believe us when we are lying to them." Sean grinned slyly at Logan who suddenly had a very bad feeling like his stomach had dropped out.

"Oh come on." Kage said. "Who would believe us? It'd have to someone stupider than the baka over there."

Sean shrugged. "Looks like another vote."

Chiharu nodded. "Ali?"

"Let's crush the place. I want to play." Her eyes had gone yellow again.

"Denbe?"

"Same. Minus the playing?"

"Elliot?"

"Sean made some very good points. To which I add they saved Logan's life. Saving our lives is something we want to encourage. So I'm against."

"Logan?"

"Against. Let's attack a larger target."

"Kage?"

"I don't care either way. So I'm abstaining."

"Sean?"

"Against for the reasons previously stated."

"And I'm for taking them out." Chiharu stated. "We have a tie and one abstention. Kage you'll have to vote."

Kage sighed and got a coin out of his pocket and tossed it. "Hmm. Heads. Let's leave them alone for now."

"Okay 4-3 against an attack. So I guess we don't attack." Logan grinned and then walked out of the chamber. He was surprised by the very sulky glare he got from Ali as he left. She wasn't usually this stubborn and what had been going on with her and Chiharu's eyes. He didn't go far, however, he knew the others often waited until he was gone to discuss what they considered important matters and he liked to keep up to speed. Plus he had a very bad feeling they might try something behind his back. So he silently placed his ear against the door.

"Now the baka's gone I say that we should attack them anyway." He heard Kage say. Logan suppressed a growl.

"Oh yes!" was Ali's enthusiastic response.

"If we do that Logan will be very very pissed off with us." Sean pointed out.

"Yes, but now we have four votes." Ali said. "We can do it and he needn't even know until it's over."

"We'll have to move fast though. Tomorrow I'd say." Denbe mused thoughtfully.

"Yeah!" Ali agreed.

Sean sighed. "Tomorrow then. One day you guys are going to push Logan too far and the results will be far from what you are expecting and it'll be left to me to clean up the mess."

Logan raised an eyebrow at more of Sean's gibberish before stalking off silently to get BlackAgumon. He had to contain his rage at least long enough to go and warn the village. Preferably long enough that they wouldn't know he'd known about the attack beforehand. He definitely didn't want them knowing he'd warned the Lutramon.

-----

"You summoned me, noble Athenamon?" Parrotmon approached his pacing leader.

"Yes. I have been considering our options with regards to your home village and believe I have a plan." She rolled out a map of the region on the table. "This village here," she pointed to a point just beyond the borders of her control, "Is full of virii and what's more they have declared their support for that Kamiya witch. I intend to make a feint attack against there. I hope it will succeed but if it fails so be it. It's main intent is to surprise her and force her to move her troops to defend there. That way she'll be badly out of position when we attack the Penguinmon village and we should get it back without the nursery accidentally being destroyed."

"A good plan, my Lady. Where do you want me in this?"

"I wish you to lead the rescue attack on your home. You will have half the troops so you should be able to do it. After due consideration I have decided to attack the day after tomorrow to give you time to liase with your counterpart in the other attack. The timing needs to be perfect."

"It will be. I will not fail you this time, my Lady." Parrotmon assured her.

-----

"Oh, yes you will." Hikari laughed as she watched the conversation on one of her screens.

"They really have no idea that you can watch every move they make?" Michael asked from behind her. She shook her head.

"Not a clue." She agreed and turned to look at him. "The others are a little irritated with you about this."

"It's not surprising." He noted mildly. "Do you want me to co-ordinate the defence of the other village while you deal with the Penguinmon?"

"Do that." She agreed. "I'll email Takeru and tell him it's going down the day after tomorrow and I'll send him a time when I have it." She began typing. "I like your outfit by the way."

"Thanks."

-----

It took Logan quite a while to reach the Lutramon village because he had to time the cameras while getting out of the base and through the caves. He did not want the others to know that he had warned them. Once he was out of the caves he had reached the Lutramon village fairly quickly. The one who had looked after him the previous night looked up at his face and winced.

"From the look on your face they said no." He said.

"They did worse than that." Logan growled. "They said yes to my face and then turned around and plotted to attack you anyway behind my back. You need to get out of here before tomorrow." He bowed his head. "I'm afraid I may have made things worse for you. I didn't mean too."

"I know." Lutramon replied. "Don't worry we'll be gone before dawn. We don't have much to take with us fortunately. So we'll raft down the river."

"Be careful." Logan told them and headed back to the base.

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