Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon. Some Digimon used in this fic were created by me.
Sins of the State
By: RB3
Chapter 1: Man versus Beast
"YOU MUST CHOOSE TO FOLLOW ME OR BE DESTROYED!"
These words were displayed prominently on the screen of every electronic device in Tokyo City, Japan. In ignorance, the people knew not what they meant. The ground turned into glowing bands of computer data, Fractal Code, as a rift between worlds opened. Through the rift emerged a massive, unholy dragon. This violet beast wore a helmet of gold and seemed to flicker like the picture of a malfunctioning television screen. This behemoth let loose a might roar that terrified all who could hear it.
Suddenly, the creature began sink into the ground, as though being driven back to its world by a higher power. Before the rift closed, plumes of unholy violet flame gushed out of the ground to the horror of the people. They had no idea about the danger they were in, for their world was nearly invaded by an otherworldly evil, Lucemon. It was through the struggles of the Legendary Warriors, children of the human or Real World, that the people were saved.
The Legendary Warriors travelled far and wide in the other world, the Digital World. There, they met magical creatures of all shapes and sizes called Digimon. The children gained the Spirits of the ten elements which allowed them to transform into Digimon. Using this power, they fought evil Digimon and became the saviours of the Digital World. In the final battle, the Legendary Warriors merged the elemental Spirits to form Susanoomon, the Japanese god of storms. They defeated Lucemon and returned to their lives in the Real World
"YOU MUST CHOOSE TO FOLLOW ME OR BE DESTROYED!"
These words marked the end of one evil, but heralded the rise of another... Two years had passed since the battle with Lucemon. A thirteen year old Japanese boy, Takuya Kanbara, walked down the streets of Tokyo one lazy summer afternoon. He was a typical boy at first glance; a handsome youth with brown hair. He wore a khaki army cap and a pair of goggles. Unknown to most people, he was the Digital World's Legendary Warrior of Fire.
The Warrior of Fire carried a pair of grocery bags in his arms as he returned to his home. He had been to the grocery store to do some shopping. He entered his home and greeted his mother and brother. Takuya set his bags down on the dinner table once he entered the kitchen. As he moved the food into the refrigerator, a call came on his cell phone. It was no ordinary call, as a strange symbol was on the cell phone's screen. This symbol, an abstract representation of a star, was the emblem of Ophanimon, one of the caretakers of the Digital World.
"Takuya, Takuya Kanbara," began Ophanimon.
Takuya snatched his phone from his belt. "Ophanimon? What is it? What's wrong?"
"I fear evil is once again threatening our world. Seraphimon has disappeared without a trace and tensions are high in the Digital World. I need you and the other Legendary Warriors to come back. Take the elevator at Shibuya train station then meet me at my castle."
"Okay, I'm coming as soon as I can!" replied Takuya. Takuya buckled his phone onto his belt. "Mom, I have to go now. It's an emergency."
"Okay honey, just be home before dark," replied Takuya's mom from upstairs.
The Warrior of Fire rushed to Shibuya train station and entered the elevator. He found his friends, the other Legendary Warriors, waiting for him inside. One was a young blonde girl his age. She was a charming beauty in a white summer dress with pictures of lilacs on it. Takuya found the part Italian girl very attractive and could see she was beginning to blossom into a woman. This girl, Zoe Orimoto, was the Legendary Warrior of Wind.
"Hi Takuya, you made it!" greeted Zoe.
"Yeah, I just got a message from Ophanimon. Seraphimon's missing. I wonder who could be powerful enough to kidnap someone like him."
A boy that was also Takuya's age turned to him. He had black hair tied into a ponytail and wore a blue track and field sports ensemble. He had a calm and aloof demeanour. This boy, Koji Minamoto, the Legendary Warrior of Light, wore a blue bandanna that had brown stripes. Beside him was a boy that looked just like him, but had a dark, brooding aura. This boy wore a white baseball uniform and a cap to keep the sun out of his eyes. This boy was his twin brother, Koichi Kimura, the Warrior of Darkness.
"I'm not sure I want to know," commented Koji. "Koichi, did Cherubimon mention anything about it to you?"
"No, I'm just as clueless as you guys," replied Koichi.
Takuya's last two friends were boys who both had brown hair. The first was Tommy Himi, the Legendary Warrior of Ice, who had changed much since their last journey. He had grown like a weed and was easily Takuya's height when he was eleven. He looked like a typical boy, except that he wore a brown hat resembling those worn by old-fashioned train conductors. Tommy looked more mature now, though still somewhat young in appearance.
"Whatever it is, we should check it out right away," observed Tommy.
"I wonder how much the Digital World has changed since we last saw it..." muttered the last boy, JP.
JP, or Junpei Shibayama, was easily the eldest of the group at fourteen years of age. He was the Legendary Warrior of Thunder. JP was a somewhat portly teenager in a lightly soiled mechanic's jumpsuit. JP had a knack for working with machines and began taking classes to hone his skills. He hoped to become a machinist when he entered the work force. Before he came here, he had been working on a small engine and accidentally got oil on himself. Ophanimon's call was urgent so he didn't bother to change clothes before answering her summons.
The elevator stopped in an indoor train station. The station was shaped like a circle with all the tracks pointed towards the centre where the elevator was. The station was largely empty save for a train Digimon on the southern track. This train Digimon was known as a Trailmon, and resembled a brown worm that had a maw filled with jagged teeth. This Trailmon, appropriately named "Worm," was not an enemy despite his fearsome appearance.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Trailmon
Attributes: Vaccine, Champion level, Metal element
The Trailmon function as the Digital World's main method of public transportation. They come in a variety of shapes and forms. This Trailmon is named Worm.
Special Abilities/Traits:
Inorganic
The Warriors boarded Worm and it wasn't long before they entered the Digital World itself. As Worm emerged from the tunnel, the Warriors were greeted by the bright azure skies. Several laughing and cheerful baby Digimon floated through the air without a care in the world. The train pulled up to Wind Station, and all of them except Koichi disembarked. Koichi was to meet Cherubimon at the Rose Morning Star instead, so he remained on the train.
"Good luck to you guys!" called Koichi. "When we meet again, tell me what you found."
"We will!" cried Tommy in return.
Koichi waved goodbye to his friends. His train continued on, passing through snowy areas in the northwestern Digital World. Worm turned south towards a continent which was locked in perpetual night. This place, the Dark Continent, was where Koichi fought the other Warriors as the Human Hybrid of Corrupt Darkness, Duskmon. It was also the same place where he became Lowemon, the Human Hybrid of True Darkness, for the first time.
The Rose Morning Star stood like a beacon in the dark, starry sky of the Dark Continent. It was a slender tower that looked like a bottle made of rose coloured coral. Cherubimon's tower hovered above an apparently bottomless chasm and was anchored into place by spokes and bridges. In the sky above this spire floated an aurora that took on the shape of the flowering part of a rose. Indeed, the Rose Morning Star was true to its name, and stood like a beautiful giant flower in the starry night sky.
Worm pulled into the underground Rose Station which had been built after the Lucemon conflict. Koichi rushed outside and ran across a bridge to Cherubimon's chambers. This unusual room was made entirely of reflective iridescent crystals. It was bright and there were no shadows at all since the crystals reflected light everywhere. This room was where Cherubimon once held Ophanimon prisoner. Cherubimon emerged from a back room to greet his Warrior of Darkness.
Cherubimon was the Protector of Knowledge and Legends. He was a giant, rabbit-like creature with solid gold rings around his ears. This rabbit had a white stripe running down his chest and fluffy fur that was as pink as cotton candy from a carnival. Cherubimon wore a pointed shawl shaped like the sun; the same one a jester normally wore. He had a very pleasant demeanour, which was a pleasant change from his former corrupt and evil form. The Celestial Digimon was glad to see his Warrior of Darkness in good health.
"Koichi, you're finally here!" greeted Cherubimon.
"I came here as fast as I could. Did you find anything new about Seraphimon's disappearance? How did he disappear?" asked Koichi.
"Sadly, there has been no news. Seraphimon has been missing for over two months now. We sent several Digimon to investigate, but every search has turned up empty," replied Cherubimon.
"What about the violence in the Digital World?"
"The violence started when a group of Asuramon killed Beast Digimon living in Flame Terminal. I managed to convince the Beast Digimon that this was just an isolated incident. Later, several Knightmon made a similar attack at Steel Town. Several riots followed as Beast Digimon attacked Human Digimon in retaliation for the massacres. The Human Digimon responded in kind."
"It sounds very serious."
"Oh yes, it's very serious indeed. After much work, Ophanimon and I managed to restore order, but Digimon are suspicious of each other and tensions are high. Anyways, I called you here for a reason. Follow me."
Cherubimon hovered towards a chamber dominated by a set of ten pedestals in its centre. Five of these pedestals were empty, but the others had a pair of shimmering, translucent objects floating above them. Koichi recognized these objects as the elemental Spirits of Cherubimon's Legendary Warriors. For each pair, the Human Spirit was on the left and the Beast Spirit was on the right. He recognized the central pair as the Spirits of Darkness.
Koichi approached and stared at the Darkness Spirits. The Human Spirit represented Lowemon. It looked like a black metal cuirass shaped like a lion's head with its mouth open. The Beast Spirit represented Jager Lowemon. This Spirit was a lion standing on its two hind legs. It looked almost human in that position. The Spirit consisted of only its head and limbs, and had no actual body at all. At Cherubimon's urging, Koichi pulled out his cell phone.
Miraculously, the cell phone transformed. It became a new handheld device with an elliptical bottom. It had a small screen on the front and top, and two buttons below. This device was a D-Tector model Digivice. Its purpose was to hold and invoke the power of the Spirits of Darkness. Each of the Legendary Warriors had one. Since Koichi was the Warrior of Darkness, his D-Tector had a black grip. Koichi activated his D-Tector and loaded the Spirits of Darkness into it.
"Yeah, now I'm ready for action!" cheered Koichi.
"Now, concentrate. Listen to what the Spirits are saying."
Koichi calmed his mind and focused on the Spirits. He began to scan the Spirits from right to left, beginning with the Spirits of Wood. The Human Spirit, Arbormon, had the dome-like head of some sort of mechanical construct made of wood. The Beast Spirit, Petaldramon, was a sunflower with red petals and several vine-like stalks. The Spirits of Wood emitted a faint murmur. Koichi could sense a desire to find someone, but it was weak.
Koichi's eyes met the Spirits of Water. The Human Spirit, Ranamon, was a light blue helmet with a red jewel on the front and two smaller ones on the side. This helmet had an elongated, flowing design like that of the element of Water. The Beast Spirit, Calmaramon, was simply a greyish blue, multi-eyed squid with its primary tentacles raised upward. Koichi could only sense a faint murmur similar to that of the Wood Spirits.
The Warrior of Darkness' gaze fell upon the Spirits of Metal. The Human Spirit, Mercurymon, was a wizard clothed in green triangular robes and holding a mirror before him. This wizard had a mirror for his face and for the surface of his shield. The Beast Spirit looked like a series of green spheres with eyes that were connected together. The top sphere had a pair of lips and three white triangles arranged as a larger triangle. This figure was actually a depiction of the Sefirot from the Jewish Kabala, hence its name, Sefirotmon.
Koichi could feel a strong desire from the Spirits of Metal. He could sense that they urgently wanted something, or rather, to find someone. "The Spirits of Metal?"
"Yes," replied Cherubimon. "Can you feel it? They want to find their owner. That is one of the reasons why I called you here. I want you to find those who will become my Legendary Warriors and give them their Spirits."
"I understand. Is there anything else?"
"You know that your brother and Takuya can Fusion and Unity Evolve, right?" asked Cherubimon. Koichi nodded affirmatively in response. "There is a way for you and all the other Warriors to do it too! It's called a Spirit Quest."
Cherubimon explained what a Spirit Quest was. If a Legendary Warrior wanted to evolve beyond the Human and Beast Spirits, he or she had to go on a journey. The Warrior would travel to a certain location where he or she would face a trial. This trial could be anything and varied from Warrior to Warrior. However, each trial had a common aspect and that was its connection to its Warrior. As a result of this trial, the Spirits would become empowered and allow Fusion and Unified Spirit Evolution.
"In the case of Fusion Evolution, you just use both Spirits of Darkness," continued Cherubimon. "...But in the case of Unified Spirit Evolution, you need a special event to trigger that power."
"I know. I had to give up my Spirits so my brother could become Magna Garurumon."
Cherubimon nodded. "When you Unity Evolve, you might do so under different circumstances than he did. Once you can Unity Evolve, you'll possess a great power indeed. It is the same power that crushed Lucemon so long ago; the power of Ancient Sphinxmon of Darkness. I suggest you do your Spirit Quest now, so you'll be ready should the situation become worse."
"Okay, what do I have to do?"
"Your D-Tector will guide you on your way. Once you are finished, return here and take the Spirits to their new masters."
"Thank you, Cherubimon. I'll be back soon." Koichi held his D-Tector aloft and activated its power. "Execute, Spirit Evolution!" The power of the Human Spirit coursed through his body transforming him into the Human Hybrid of Darkness. "Lowemon!"
Lowemon ran out of the Rose Morning Star and summoned his D-Tector. After consulting it, Lowemon ran in the direction the Digivice indicated; the south. The Dark Continent was a beautiful world of perpetual night. The monotonous forest glided behind him as he ran to the site of his Spirit Quest. Though the land was beautiful, Lowemon had no time for sight seeing. As he approached a mountain, the D-Tector began to flash brightly and the marker pointed into the entrance of a cave.
"This must be the place," muttered Lowemon as he entered.
The cave was a dark place made even darker by the general lack of light in the Dark Continent. As he moved deeper into the cave, it became pitch black. Most beings would be unable to see in such darkness, but Lowemon was an exception. He naturally had the ability to see in the dark. To him, the interior of the cave looked like it was from a photographic negative. Lowemon consulted his Digivice once again after delving some distance into the mountain.
The screen began to flash very rapidly and the pointer disappeared. He had reached the location of his trial but saw nothing of importance here. Suddenly, he sensed something coming at him from above! In a display of quick reflexes, he created a shield that resembled a sphinx's head and put it into his attacker's path. The weapon struck the shield with a clang that echoed through the cave. Lowemon noted that his foe's weapon was all too familiar to him.
It was a crimson Kris blade that was anchored to his opponent's arm. The two fighters locked eyes to Lowemon's surprise. "Duskmon?"
Indeed, was Lowemon's opponent was Duskmon, the Human Hybrid of Corrupt Darkness. Duskmon was a fearsome foe indeed, a demonic version of the black knights of Arthurian legend. His armour had several inhuman eyes that rolled around as they looked at their surroundings. The joints of his armour and his helmet were designed to look like demon heads. His greaves were designed to resemble the spinal cord of an unearthly creature. If Lowemon was the lion knight, Duskmon would definitely be the demon knight.
"...But how? I have the Spirits of Darkness!"
Duskmon said nothing and lunged with his blade. Lowemon shielded himself and magically created his weapon, the Shadow Lance, to retaliate. Lowemon thrust his lance at Duskmon's chest but he parried with crossed blades and drove it away. Capitalizing on this moment, Duskmon lunged at Lowemon's chest and scored a direct hit. Duskmon began a Deadly Gaze attack and locked his eyes onto the Warrior of True Darkness. They fired coherent beams of crimson energy and felled Lowemon.
Duskmon leapt on top of his opponent to administer the coup de grace. The Warrior of True Darkness held the Kris blade at bay with his shield. The struggled on the ground with Lowemon at a disadvantage since he was underneath. Lowemon bent his knees and kicked outwards, sending his opponent backwards and freeing himself from the grapple. Lowemon braced himself, then unleashed a powerful golden beam that was coiled by darkness; his Shadow Meteor attack.
The absolute darkness of the cave made the attack charge much faster and hit much harder. The beam caught Duskmon in the chest and threw him backwards. He hurtled out of the cave and through a tree to land on the ground. Lowemon called upon his Beast Spirit and Slide Evolved into Jager Lowemon. The black robotic lion gave chase with preternatural speed and clamped his jaws around Duskmon's left arm.
In pain, the Warrior of Corrupt Darkness tried to shake his opponent off but to no avail. He changed tactics and punched Jager Lowemon with his free arm until he was free. Not to be outdone, Duskmon Slide Evolved into a giant three-eyed buzzard, Velgamon. The massive bird swooped down on Jager Lowemon and snatched him into the air. He struggled to break free but couldn't until he decided to Slide Evolve. Lowemon jabbed upwards with his Shadow Lance, zapping the mutant buzzard with a jolt of negative energy.
"KEEEEEE!" screeched Velgamon in pain.
Velgamon released his opponent who landed in the forest somewhere below. After recuperating, Velgamon scanned around but couldn't locate his foe in the dense brush. He grew frustrated and decided to destroy the forest to ease his search. As Velgamon pounded the forest with his eye beams, Lowemon emerged from behind and blasted the vulture out of the sky with Shadow Meteor. Velgamon fell into a headfirst dive and crashed deeper into the forest with a thud.
Lowemon gave chase and upon reaching the crash site, he was greeted with the sight of an unknown new Hybrid Digimon. Where Velgamon should have been was a being that was a cross between Velgamon and Duskmon. He had Velgamon's buzzard-like, three-eyed head for his head, Velgamon's wings, and Velgamon's claws for his feet. The rest of his body was like Duskmon's, complete with the rolling eyes on his armour. Lowemon scanned this strange creature and discovered him to be Pazuzumon.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Pazuzumon
Attributes: Variable, Fusion Hybrid, Dark Element
This evil Digimon would be the result of fusing the two corrupted Spirits of Darkness. He is a plague on the Digital World that leaves nothing but death and destruction in his wake.
Special Abilities/Traits:
Flight, perfect vision & enhanced strength in darkness
Ereshkigal's Wind (Dark) - Pazuzumon sends a black, wind-like wave of negative energy that saps the strength from its victims.
Nanna's Gazer (None) - Once a victim has entered the sight of Pazuzumon's eyes, they glow and injure the victim. This attack is proof that looks can kill.
Pazuzumon's eyes lit up with a crimson glow as he used Nanna's Gazer. Jager Lowemon was caught in an aura of crimson light which wracked his body with pain. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't break the aura around his body. The pain was so unbearable that his body gave out. The power of the Beast Spirit left him and Jager Lowemon reverted into Koichi. Pazuzumon approached to have some fun before dealing the death blow.
"Heh heh heh!" chuckled Pazuzumon.
Pazuzumon had a sick, sadistic sense of fun. He zapped Koichi once more with Nanna's Gazer and the Warrior of True Darkness screamed in agony. The Warrior of Corrupt Darkness was enjoying himself to the fullest. He couldn't help but crack a smile upon hearing his helpless opponent's screams. Koichi's body ached all over and he knew that he was about to die. He was terrified but rather than discourage Pazuzumon, it invigorated him and filled him with joy. The Warrior of Corrupt Darkness zapped Koichi once again.
Koichi's body was surrounded by a crimson glow and could feel his life being rasped away. "ARGGGGGH!"
Though he didn't want to quit, Koichi's body was reaching its limit. The pain from Nanna's Gazer was unbearable and wracked his very soul. Pazuzumon released his attack to allow Koichi a moment's rest, but the Warrior of True Darkness was in too much pain to move. Even though he was a wreck, Koichi still struggled to get up. Though Pazuzumon found this act of defiance amusing, he decided to finish his opponent off. As he charged for the final Nanna's Gazer, the Spirits of Darkness leapt out of Koichi's D-Tector.
Pazuzumon was dumbfounded by this unusual turn of events. "What? What's going on?" he asked.
The Spirits emitted beams of negative energy which hurtled Pazuzumon away. Koichi picked himself off the ground with renewed vigour. The Human Spirit flew into Koichi's right hand and entered his body. The Beast Spirit did the same with his left. Koichi held out his palms as though showing the Spirits to the world. He had become one with his Spirits and could feel the power of Darkness coursing through his body and invigorating him. The Kanji of Darkness etched itself onto Koichi's forehead in dark violet light.
"Pazuzumon, you're done for!" In one stroke, Koichi thrust the two Spirits together, releasing a massive wave of negative energy. "Execute, Fusion Evolution!"
The Spirits superimposed over each other and Koichi's body. Several violet lion heads spewed out of them as they roared triumphantly. Bands of golden occult symbols swirled around and encased Koichi's body in a cocoon. The lion heads flew into and merged with the cocoon. The cocoon coalesced into a humanoid figure much like Lowemon, but wearing Jager Lowemon's armour as his armour. Two lion heads formed the Digimon's wings and another two became his lance. More bands of occult symbols rose into the air as Digimon struck a battle-ready pose.
"Reichmon!"
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Reichmon
Attributes: Variable, Fusion Hybrid, Dark Element
Despite being born from darkness, Reichmon is a champion and hero. He is feared by the forces of evil because he will devour them in their own weapon, the Darkness.
Special Abilities/Traits:
Flight, Perfect vision & enhanced strength in darkness
Black Theorem - Bands of occult and mathematical symbols made of negative energy leap out of a pentagram and attack Reichmon's enemies.
Red Cross - Reichmon can shoot crimson, cross-shaped beams from his staff. They are particularly effective against undead and demons and may stun them.
The two exchanged a flurry of blows with metal clanging against metal. Reichmon scored a critical blow to Pazuzumon's head, and backed off for a powerful attack. The Warrior of True Darkness invoked his Black Theorem and drew a pentagram in the air. Bands of golden occult symbols emerged from the pentagram and latched onto Pazuzumon like tentacles. Though Pazuzumon resisted, Reichmon landed a final Red Cross which shoved Pazuzumon into the pentagram and to his death.
The Fusion Hybrid of True Darkness sped back to the Rose Morning Star and released the powers of the Spirits to become Koichi once more. Koichi could hear the Spirits of Darkness and feel their power within him. He received a vision of a creature encircled by the five points of a pentagon. The top point consisted of dark violet light. On the left, the next point below was made of bright white light, and the one below that one was made of silver light. On the right, the next point below was made of swirling dirt, and the one below that was made of sparking electricity.
The creature was a massive Egyptian sphinx with a jet black metallic body adorned by golden trimmings. It had a ram's head with burning crimson eyes. Its golden wings were open wide as it made an inaudible cry. This creature had a mysterious, otherworldly appearance. Koichi remembered Cherubimon mentioning Ancient Sphinxmon in their conversation. Was this a vision of the Ancient of Darkness himself? Koichi ran into the Rose Morning Star and to consult Cherubimon and find out.
"Hmm..." mumbled Cherubimon. "From your description, it certainly sounds like you had a vision of Ancient Sphinxmon. Yet, I've seen him personally and I know he doesn't have a ram's head."
"Then who could it be?" asked Koichi.
Cherubimon thought about it before coming to a conclusion. "I think that might be your Unified Hybrid. They do tend to take on characteristics of the Ancient."
"When I went on my Spirit Quest, I fought Duskmon! How is this possible? I have the Spirits of Darkness!"
"I believe it was the power of Darkness that created Duskmon for your sake," replied Cherubimon.
"For my sake?" asked Koichi.
"Yes," replied Cherubimon. "Duskmon represented your fear of the Darkness. In destroying Duskmon, you conquered your fears of the Darkness once and for all."
"...And this had made me stronger," observed Koichi.
"Yes! The Spirits are bonded to you now, right? I can sense it. They are connected to you, mind, body, and soul. You don't need your D-Tector to store them because they are a part of you now."
Koichi felt enlightened by Cherubimon's morsels of wisdom. "Thank you Cherubimon."
"You're welcome. Now, find my Warriors and join them with the others. Begin your search in Steel Town. Humans now live there and I believe that one of them is my Warrior of Metal."
"There are humans in Steel Town?" asked Koichi.
"Yes. The humans came here to escape a terrible war in their world. They showed up months before Seraphimon disappeared. They have strange customs even for humans. They love to hold battles between creatures they call 'Pokemon.' Anyways, search for the Warrior of Metal amongst these people. Good luck, Koichi! The Digital World is depending on you!"
Koichi bowed before his patron, Cherubimon; the protector of the Digital World's knowledge and legends. He gathered the Spirits of the other four Warriors and stored them safely in his D-Tector. Koichi Fusion Evolved into the Fusion Hybrid of Darkness, Reichmon, and ascended into the sky. The Spirit of Metal began to react when he focused on where Cherubimon suggested he should go, Steel Town. Reichmon sped to Steel Town to locate the Warrior of Metal.
****************************************
"Hello Warriors," greeted Nefertimon. "Ophanimon has been expecting you. This way please."
Nefertimon led the Warriors deeper into the castle to a beautiful throne room. The walls and pillars were made of the smoothest marble imaginable. A red carpet let down the room towards the golden throne on which Ophanimon sat. The Fosterer of Life and Love was a majestic angel with ten wings of gold. She was clad in blue metal armour that ended in a skirt at her ankles. She exuded the grace of the gods and the Warriors could feel a sense of warmth and love that were both powerful yet soothing at the same time.
"Warriors, I'm so glad to see you," greeted Ophanimon. "Your victory against Lucemon returned peace to our world, but that ended and strife has returned. Before you came here, a series of cold-blooded massacres took place at Flame Terminal and Steel Town. In both cases, the perpetrators targeted Beast Digimon. These acts renewed old hatreds and brought reprisals from the Beast Digimon. I fear another Human-Beast War will break out if the violence escalates any further."
"What about Seraphimon?" asked Tommy. "You said he went missing..."
"Aye, this happened two months before the massacres began. I've sent my followers to search for clues on his whereabouts but to no avail," replied Ophanimon.
"Where was Seraphimon seen last?" asked Takuya.
"The last time he was seen was in his castle. Sorcerymon said that Seraphimon had turned in for the night. When Sorcerymon went to wake him up, he was gone. Sorcery checked his room but found no signs of forced entry or any clues as to how Seraphimon disappeared. Sorcerymon sent followers to find him but had no success."
Ophanimon's testimony left the Warriors stumped. With few clues on which to base their investigation, it would be next to impossible to find Seraphimon. "This is going to be tough, but we'll keep an eye open for any leads. Tell us more about the massacres," requested Koji.
"A band of Asuramon was responsible for the massacre at Flame Terminal and at Steel Town, it was a band of Knightmon," replied Ophanimon.
"Do you know why they did this horrible thing?" asked Zoe.
"No, unfortunately. There is much speculation but no one knows the truth."
"The Human and Beast Digimon regained peace after our victory against Lucemon. They shouldn't throw that away just because a few Digimon are jerks!"
Ophanimon sighed. "Aye, if only they could be as reasonable as you, Warrior of Wind, but alas, old hatreds don't die easily..."
"What should we do now?" asked JP.
"Find out who was responsible for these massacres. Go to Flame Terminal and Steel Town and speak to the Digimon there for clues. Also, several humans have taken up residence in Steel Town recently."
"There are other humans in the Digital World?" asked Takuya in disbelief.
"Yes. They appeared a few months before Seraphimon's disappearance. They fled a war from their world. When they came, they brought their pets; strange creatures they call 'Pokemon.' I don't believe they're from the Real World, nor do I believe they came from any other Digital Worlds. They're probably from another world that I'm not familiar with."
"How did these people get to the Digital World?" asked Tommy.
"They say they have technology that allows them to enter other worlds like our own. I've been told they have used it to enter another Digital World and create a city there."
"There are other Digital Worlds?" asked Koji.
"That is correct. Our world trades with two others on a frequent basis, but that is not important now. Find all that you can and prevent any more massacres from occurring in the future. Since Seraphimon's disappearance, I've taken his Spirits into custody. They are waiting for you in my storage chamber."
Ophanimon led the Warriors to a chamber filled with five pedestals. Floating above the pedestals were the Spirits of Fire, Light, Wind, Ice, and Thunder. Zoe, Tommy, and JP held out their cell phones, which turned into their D-Tectors. Though Zoe, Tommy, and JP's D-Tectors pulled their Spirits in, that was not what happened in Takuya and Koji's case. Instead of going into their D-Tectors, the Spirits entered their bodies through their hands instead. Takuya and Koji were surprised by their Spirits unusual behaviour.
The Kanji for Fire lit up in a burst of crimson light on Takuya's forehead. "What? Amazing! I can feel the Spirits power flowing within me!"
The Kanji of Light did the same on Koji's forehead, glowing with a blue, almost white light. "Yeah, what's going on?"
"To return to our former selves, Seraphimon and I took back the power we gave to you to Fusion and Unity Evolve," replied Ophanimon. "You two had already completed Spirit Quests in your struggles against Cherubimon. The Spirits are merely reflecting the wisdom and strength you have gained. Think back to that time and you will understand."
Takuya remembered how he used to treat his whole Digital World experience like a big game. Despite difficulties, he and the other Warriors always came out the victor. That changed once he met the Warrior of Corrupt Darkness, Duskmon. The Warriors were no match for this opponent, who cut them down with a minimum of effort. After returning to the Real World, he became ready to accept the responsibility of being the Warrior of Fire. Takuya could feel a sensation of affirmation from his Spirits.
For Koji, this strength came from the discovery that he had a twin brother, Koichi. Before, Koji had no idea about his brother's existence until he had several encounters with Duskmon. During these confrontations, Koji learned the truth and became unable to bring himself to attack Duskmon. After being admonished by Takuya, Koji came around and helped to defeat the Warrior of Corrupt Darkness. After that event, the two brothers worked to reconcile their differences. Koji received a sensation of agreement from his Spirits.
"I see you understand now," commented Ophanimon. "You two don't need your D-Tectors to store your Spirits. They're a part of you now."
"What about us?" asked JP. "When do we get to Fusion and Unity Evolve?"
"Yeah, and what is a Spirit Quest?" asked Zoe.
"Spirit Quests are trials," replied Ophanimon. "Each of you must go on a Spirit Quest if you want more power than what your Human and Beast Spirits can give. Only after you complete it will you be able to Fusion and Unity Evolve."
"How do we go on a Spirit Quest?" asked Zoe.
"When you want to complete your Spirit Quest, your D-Tectors will guide you. However, I do not recommend that you go all at once. It is inevitable that you will be threatened by enemies during the course of your investigation. Send one or two of you to complete their quest at this moment while the others finish the investigations."
"Can you let me go on my Spirit Quest now?" asked JP, to the uncertainty of his friends. "Please?"
The other Warriors were unsure and discussed JP's request. "Okay JP, you can go," replied Takuya. JP was elated to hear that.
"Once he comes back, Tommy, Zoe, you should go on yours right away," stated Koji. "JP, when you're done, give us a message okay?"
"Okay," replied JP. "Execute, Spirit Evolution!" In a cocoon of Fractal Code, JP became Beetlemon, the Human Hybrid of Thunder.
"Children, you must be on your way. Good luck and Godspeed!" said Ophanimon.
After they left Ophanimon's castle, the Warriors waved goodbye to the Fosterer of Life and Love. The others bade good luck to JP, who took to the skies in search of the location of his Spirit Quest. The others decided to head to Flame Terminal first, where their first journey began. Now, it would be the same place where their second journey would begin. They boarded a Trailmon at the local station and were off.