Innocence Lost
Prologue
Author's Note: So this is the rewrite for Adventures of the Tainted. There are a lot of differences between this fic and the first one; it's darker and more confusing. Um, I just want to mention that this is a Yamato.Hikari.Takeru triangle, mainly. There's also a bit of Taiora, Daikari, Michi, Sorato, Hikimi, Kenkari, Kouyako, Koumi, Kenyako, Daiyako, Takori, Hiyako, and others. Some of it is one-sided, some of it will come in small little pinches, and some of it will be genuine. What I make the final couplings has yet to be decided.
Ages:
Iori: 17
Hikari, Takeru, Daisuke, Ken, Miyako: 19
Mimi, Koushiro: 20
Yamato, Taichi, Sora: 21
Jyou: 23
There is a tale, known by few and told by even less, or an epic war waged by the horrifyingly powerful Demon God, Daeo. Daeo was the ruler of the Dark World, a universe full of creatures of evil and despair. It was his proclivity to take control of the four main universes; the Digital, Human, and Light Worlds, as they were deemed most commonly, as well as his own. Using the power of his council, Daeo and his six Demon Lord minions opened up the barrier between the worlds. He broke into the Area of Neutrality, a sort of doorway to the other worlds.
Daeo gathered followers in the Digital World before he ventured through the barriers. The Digital World was only in its early years of existence, having just barely spawned off from the excess of the Human World. Even in its origins the world was full of chaos; Daeo watched as beast digimon and human digimon fought for supremacy in the land, taking care to find the most vial and ruthless of them all. His strongest servant was Dagomon. Dagomon was a sea animal fashioned after the fertility god of an ancient civilization in the Human World. A group of Hangyomon were loyal to Dagomon, and when Daeo commanded Dagomon to pass into the Area of Neutrality, they followed him into it.
Fortunately for the other worlds, brave leaders stepped up to quickly prepare a defense against the Demon God. Gennai, Akio Hikaru, and Huanglongmon combined their powers to block Daeo from leaving the Area of Neutrality.
In an attempt to break free, Daeo threw the Great Demon Lords through the barrier and into the Digital World. They landed on the other side half dead and converted into digimon. Huanglongmon and his holy beast digimon took what was left of the Demon Lords and trapped them in the most remote regions of the Digital World.
Stranded in the Area of Neutrality, Daeo released his anger towards Dagomon and his minions. The Area of Neutrality became the battlefield between the two parties. Little is known about this war other than that the two were equally opposed; Daeo had more power, but he was alone in his battle as all his followers were on the other side of the newly created barrier, and Dagomon had his legion of Hangyomon willing to fight and die for him. The collision between the two morphed their prison into the Dark Area. The land was soiled with darkness, uniting and binding the sea animal to the ocean. Daeo disappeared and a weakened but seemingly triumphant Dagomon lived with his Hangyomon beneath the surface of the water.
Of those who know the story, some say it was hundreds of years ago. Others say it was little over a decade ago. The truth is that the war was fought when the time passage was out of alignment between each universe. The Digital World has passed the story down to a select few for nearly a thousand years; the Human World has had less than twenty years to hear the tale.
He choked back a cough as he forced himself up the stairs, wanting to vomit from the smell of stale smoke and one could only imagine what kind of decaying animals. Sidestepping a discarded beer bottle, he faltered, flailing his arms out wildly in an attempt to regain his balance.
"What are you doing here, Takeru?" a voice asserted.
Takeru straightened, dropping his arms down to his side and dropping his gaze towards the floor. His elder brother sat comfortably against the wall, legs drawn up so he could rest his elbow on his knee, a cigarette held between his teeth.
"You should really try and quit."
"Did you come all the way here to tell me that?" he murmured carelessly, raising himself to his feet with a casual grace.
"No."
"How much do you need?"
"What?"
"Did I stutter?" Yamato spat. "How much—do you—need?"
"I didn't come here for money," Takeru answered, insulted.
"You came here for something."
"To speak to you, actually."
"Oh, my, then all means, speak away. But please be quick, Sora's on her way over." Yamato raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"Isn't she dating Taichi."
Shrugging, Yamato dropped the cigarette and scuffed it out. "Not this week."
"You're sick; Taichi loves her, you know—."
"And if she felt the same way, she wouldn't be on her way here, now would she?"
"What happened to you, Yamato?"
"I grew up, and it's about time you did too. She's been gone for years now, and you need to stop living in this fairy tale where true love wins in the end. She didn't love you. She left."
Takeru ran a hand through his sun-kissed locks, trying to hide the pain he was feeling. "Why did you have to bring her into this?"
"Because she's what keeps you from moving on. How often do you even hear from her—?"
"Don't."
"How many times has she visited since she left—."
"Stop it."
"Damn it Takeru! Look at yourself! You're pathetic."
"Yeah? And what are you?"
"A realist," Yamato answered coolly.
"Yama!" a shrill came from the end of the hall.
Yamato grinned, shoving Takeru aside as he moved forward. "Sora."
"Oh, hey Takeru. What brings you here?"
"Not much, Sor. I was going to invite my dear big brother to our little reunion, but never mind."
Yamato's eyes narrowed. "Very mature, Teeks. It just so happens that Koushiro already called me about it."
"Then come if you want," Takeru answered softly. "I don't really give a damn."
"Hey!" Yamato shouted, grabbing onto Takeru's sleeve as the younger blond turned to leave. "What's wrong with you?"
"Fuck off, Ishida. I don't even know who you are anymore."
Yamato stood, silent, as he watched his brother's retreating form disappear from view. "Well, that was…awkward," Sora offered after a moment. "What's his problem?"
"Who cares; are you ready to go?"
I'm trying my best to stick to Japanese names for everyone, including the digimon.
Japanese : English
Dagomon : Dragomon
Hangyomon : Divermon
Huanglonmon : Fanglongmon -- a digivolution of Azulongmon; he leads the holy beast digimon
Dark Area : Dark Ocean