Starfall
#7 of Breathless
A/N: Well, I'm back with the seventh installment. As of now, I know a lot more of what is going to happen (Including three more digivolutions ^_^). And stay tuned for the last chapter in the series, because in there I will be putting together a Soundtrack for Breathless. By the way, I can't say when the next chapter will be posted, because it's currently in the works as we speak, but I can say that soon the next 'Arc' of this story will take place.
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Left alone once more, Veemon sighed to himself. Again, he was close to having Naruto back, and again Naruto couldn't come to him. But his depression was put aside as Mikoto looked at her Digivice-which had looked like his own, and what Matt's had turned into. Walking over to her, he blinked a few times, looking at the dot on the screen.. "I think... you're the next one."
Mikoto shook her head, grasping it tightly. "No, I'm not. Tailmon's gone! How can I be!?"
"Calm down." Matt said, irritated with the way she was acting. "Tailmon isn't gone! She's just a Digiegg now, and you need to find her ag-" Slapping his face, Mikoto glared at him.
"Don't you dare say things like that! She's gone!" But that didn't stop her device from beeping-with a red arrow on the screen pointing outside of the cave.
Veemon hated the fighting between the two; it was getting them nowhere fast. "GUYS! JUST STOP IT!" he shouted, hoping to get their attention. Those Mikoto was crying slightly, both her and Matt looked at him. "I don't care what either of you think. If Kyuu says we need to find the third Chosen One, and her Digivice is blinking, we should just check it out. It won't harm anyone in trying!"
Looking down, Mikoto let a few tears touch the ground beneath her. "Why? Why should I go there, if I have no digimon with me."
"Because it's worth a shot, Mikoto." Gabumon stated, trying to help Veemon. "So?"
Wiping her eyes clean of tears, she just shrugged, and stood up. Defiant to the end, she wouldn't get her hopes up. Tailmon was defeated-she remembered that clearly-and because of that, she disappeared. All for her trainer, that was what she said to her as her data was disappearing.
Veemon led the way, yanking the girl with them as they exited the cave. The blizzard that had been out there-driving the group into the cave earlier-had ended sometime when they were out, giving just a blanket of snow around them. Though mostly weakened by the battle they had with Dark Naruto, they all found some strength in the belief that Mikoto was the third child they needed to fight whoever was doing all of this.
Staring down the mountain, the blue digimon saw Takato slightly in the distance, as well as Henry by him. Seemed as though they had fought something too, at least to Veemon anyways. Not worrying about that, the group followed the arrow, and it's ever pointing southward march. Though it was in the opposite direction that Veemon and the others came from, it still was at least a clue to what was going to be.
The blue digimon stopped for a moment, only to signal to the two on the northern side of the mountain to come follow, then began to still drag Mikoto-who fought with him all the while.
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Dipping through a forest, and then a valley, Veemon began to see something in the distance. Sparkling within the valley, seemed to be ice in the distance. Running ahead of the group, he tried to make it out better, wanting to see if it was what they needed to find for the third Chosen One. But as he closed in, the ground began to shake, causing him to fall backwards, and stare in awe as a child rose up. "Welcome, Digidestined."
His onyx eyes stared at the three who came up from behind; Matt immediately went to his Digivice while Gabumon stood beside him, with Mikoto behind them both. "Who are you!?"
The boy snickered, his eyes turned from black to red-the once perfect black shirt now changed into a crimson shirt, with black pants. "Who am I? I'm your worst nightmare." A chuckle echoed in the valley, making Veemon angrier. Holding the Digivice close, he was ready to try and fight whatever came out around him, for his sake and for Naruto's.
Snickering to them, the boy took out his own Digivice, before scanning his left hand. "Spirit Evolution!" Swirling around him, dust blew fiercely, before it disappeared, leaving Razimon in its place. "Now, are you going to come easily? Or do I need to beat you down like the weaklings you are."
Growling at Razimon, Veemon looked at the ground for a few moments, before using his own Digivice to transform into Flamedramon. He was still a bit weak from being shot back into a cave wall, and for the lack of food he had in his system, but still he wanted to fight. "Fire Rocket!" Fire erupted around him, as he flew up and dove down into Razimon.
Pulling two swords from his back, Razimon deflected the hit and slammed Flamedramon into the ground. Groaning, Flamedramon tried to stand up, but the swords slammed back down into his back; and with the remaining strength leaving him, Flamedramon found himself back as Veemon, defenseless on the ground. Ready for another strike, Razimon held the two swords above his head. "Serpent's Bite!" Both swords glowed black as they started to slam downward, aiming to destroy the blue digimon who thought to go against him.
Though, as they hit Veemon, a yellow light shined from his Digivice, surrounding the blue digimon. Thinking he was going to die, but finding out that the blades didn't hit, Veemon looked up to see Naruto hovering over him with the blades in his own back. "Hehe... Told you I'd protect you." Gasping for breath, blood came out of Naruto's mouth as he held the blades from hitting his lover. "I never go back... on a promi-" The blades pushed harder down on Naruto's back.
"Heh. Come back to save your little lover, huh? You were always the pathetic one." Pulling his blades back, he let Naruto fall down onto the ground beside Veemon. "Wasting your life away for these creatures? Why would you?"
Looking over at Razimon, Naruto winced, "Because... Because... Because they're my FRIENDS!" Coughing up some more blood, he tried to stand up, but Razimon kicked him back onto the ground.
"Friends? Friends hold you back. Friends Let you wither and die. There is no use for friendship!" Wincing more at the pain he was enduring, Naruto found strength enough to chuckle.
"Friends are.... are always there for you, that's why I won't let you... let you hurt him." Though, his words were strong, his body was weak from the attack. He couldn't even fight against the pressure being pushed against him.
"Fool. You can die here and now because of your ideals." With one sword held over Naruto's neck, Razimon smirked. "You did deserve a fool's death." As he tried to pull it back to slash downward at Naruto's neck, something caught the blade.
Staring up at the snake hybrid, Veemon's eyes shimmered. Tears had been falling from his cheeks continuously while he watched his best friend, his lover, hurt from the creature that stood over them. "I won't let you do it!"
Angered by the creature attached to his blade, Razimon flung him away with a simple shake. "I don't care what you won't let me do. I'm the one who's above you now." Falling onto the ground and skidding, the blue digimon tried to get back up, still defiant to the digimon who was trying to quell him. "Heh. So you want me to finish you off first?" Each step taken towards Veemon seemed like an eternity, eyes looking up at Razimon as he closed in.
"Biomerge Digivolution!" In the distance, Gabumon and Matt couldn't take just being on the sidelines. Forming together in a digivolution that they had only tried once more-and in doing so, weakened themselves-all in order to try and protect Veemon. Cerberusmon growled, pulling out two of the guns in his holster. "Stop it!"
Crimson eyes peered over at Cerberusmon, watching as the guns were pulled against him. "You pulled a trick? Heh. Like that's going to save you!" Jumping up into the air, Razimon spun around, bringing his twin blades down onto the twin guns that were held in defense of Cerberusmon. "Soon, you'll see. The paradise that will rise up!"
Trying to keep his ground, Cerberusmon pushed the guns hard against the blade, but it seemed to be no use. The battle from before with Blackneokitsumon had taken its toll on all three of them. Though, Mikoto stood there, staring at Veemon trying to get back up; at Naruto's body stayed still with no breathing, and at the two that merged into one to try and stop Razimon.
Images robbed her vision, letting her relive the death of her Tailmon. The flute that she carried, fell to the ground, one last reminder of the last battle she faced. Tears fell to the ground, dripping onto the once pristine instrument she treasured. "No... Stop... STOP IT!" Screaming as loud as she could, Mikoto wanted to find a release for the sadness that took over her soul.
Within moments, her Digivice started to glow; a grey light shooting out from it towards the crystal waterfall. Too much into her breakdown, Mikoto didn't even see the ice shard that shot towards her, as the waterfall began to flow once more. Though the piece seemed like it was going to slice into her, the ice shattered in front of Mikoto, a marble rolling downward towards her flute.
A few more tears fell from her face, now closer to the groundfrom her falling to her knees. "No.. NO MORE DYING!" One of the tears hit the red marble. The shine from it made her stop shedding tears, and stare down into it. Her flute, that had been once there beside the marble, hovered a foot in the air. Forming around it, seemed to be cat paws, as a solemn song played.
Watching the cat materialize from nowhere, Cerberusmon and Razimon both stared, though Razimon took the opportunity to push Cerberusmon onto the ground. As the song finished, the cat paws moved the flute away from its mouth. "Don't cry, Mikoto. I'm here."
Scared at the visage of her digimon, Mikoto screamed. "YOU CAN'T BE! I WATCHED YOU DIE!"
"But I'm right here beside you. I'm not gone." Cat eyes stared at the scared human, pleading for her to stop. "Don't be afraid." But before Mikoto could respond, the marble caught her eye, shining still a brilliant red. "Take it, Mikoto, and we'll be together forever."
Reaching down to pick it up, albeit slowly for she didn't understand it all, Mikoto stared through the red hue, before it transformed into a red card. Her hand shook as she flipped it back and forth, before pulling out her Digivice. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Mikoto slid the card through the reader, watching as sparks flew outward. "Biomerge Digivolution!"
Her body felt yanked back up to her feet as she watched her digimon disintegrate into red sparks before her. Another scream tried to escape from her lips, but was quelled as she felt fur wrap around face and her body. Mikoto closed her eyes, letting the warmth caress her all over. A long tail formed behind her, as cat ears sprung from her face. The white fur that was once Tailmon, started to tighten up, creating clothes around the body that was to be one with her.
The flute that had fallen from the cat's paws hovered in front of the merging duo, changing shape to become a long sword. Wings sprouted from Mikoto's back, with the clothes settling down upon the fur. Pink and white mingled together, with the pink laced clothes covering up her essentials.
With the force that was holding her up depleting, Mikoto had to hold her own self up. Everything seemed to be off, even as the red light around her faded. Looking out, she watched the water running in the distance, and heard her own digimon's voice inside of her head, "We're together now. Angetailmon." The sword hovered in front of her, waiting for it to be taken by its Chosen one.
Startled by the fact that she was now a digimon, Angetailmon was confused as to what she was doing-but seeing Razimon run towards her made the angel hybrid hold her hands out in front of her. The sword grew crimson all over, before spinning around in front of her rappidly, creating a shield to stop the upcoming sword strikes.
Annoyed by the shield, Razimon spun around ready to smash the weapon away, but Angetailmon's hand had already grabbed it and deflected the attack, watching as the sword lengthened, almost becoming half of her new height. Spinning it around her, she brought it up to slash at Razimon, wanting to end the fighting, though just adding fuel to the fire that was erupting around them.
Cerberusmon had already de-digivolved back into Matt and Gabumon, both of whom watched the resulting battle take place. It was all they could do, with almost all of their strength depleted. And it seemed that Angetailmon had things under control, with the adeptness that she displayed with her own sword.
"Archangel's Wrath!" Spinning her sword around once more, Angetailmon lifted it off the ground and stabbed downward-black obelisks shot up all around her, shooting towards the snake hybrid. Holding back his offense, Razimon had to defend himself, slashing into each black pillar that had been fired at him, though one of them had struck his right arm, making one of the swords drop to the ground and disappear.
Almost growling at them, Razimon held his right arm, "This ain't over!" Fading back into static, Razimon had disappeared, leaving the group all alone once more. Angetailmon had begun to pant, her own energy level decreasing significantly. Both Mikoto and Tailmon de-digivolved, finding themselves laying on the ground, watching as the world faded to black as sleep came over them. The rest followed suit-with Naruto disappearing into a gust of wind.
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Jolting up, Veemon looked around, watching as the night sky hovered above him. Wiping his brow, he blinked a few times. Weren't there a few people near him? None of them had been there when he awoke, leaving him alone. "What's up, Vee?" A familiar voice came from behind the blue digimon, making him spin around quickly and jump at it.
"KYUU!"
"Heh. Who'd you think I was?"
Veemon looked away for a moment, "I thought you were hurt... protecting me." The blond chuckled, placing the digimon on the ground and sat next to him.
"That would be something I'd do, but I've been going around finding some food for us." His smile seemed to quell fears in the blue digimon. "But I kind of lost track of time. Sorry to keep you waiting." Naruto handed a fruit to Veemon. "Eat up."
Veemon took it, munching on it quickly. "But... I swear it happened!"
Shaking his head, Naruto leaned back staring at the stars. "When I left, you were sleeping, Vee. So it must've been a dream." His cerulean eyes glistened in the starlight. "You looked so peaceful too."
Looking up to watch what his lover was watching, Veemon sighed to himself. "I see. But I'm glad I still have you." Veemon leaned against Naruto, smiling to himself. "I never want to lose you, Kyuu." The blond wrapped an arm around Veemon, before pulling him onto his lap.
"You won't, Vee. I'll always be there for you." Stars twinkling above them, made both stare in awe. "No matter where you go, I'll be there, just like these stars will always follow you." Leaning down to kiss him, Naruto blushed slightly.
As they stared, a shooting star shined into their view, lighting up the sky for them. "WOW! Kyuu!"
Naruto smiled, "Make a wish, Vee. It'll come true." Closing his own eyes, the blond made his own wish, a wish for him to never be split from his lover again. Veemon's wish, however, was that even if that dream was just that, a dream, that one day he could digivolve with Naruto, and feel even closer to him.
Both opened their eyes, staring at each other for a few moments, letting the star's memory stay with them. "Kyuu..." Veemon looked at the ground, blushing for a moment.
"What is it, Vee?"
"No matter what happens, you won't disappear, right?" The dream's memory still clear within the blue dragon's mind.
Naruto could only chuckle, leaning close to Veemon as well as lifting the digimon's chin. "Why would I ever disappear? The only one I want to stay near, is you Veemon. No one else; no one can take my breath away as good as you can. No one can dance in my thoughts all day long, and stay within my dreams all night long, except for you. To me, even the sunsets we've watched, can never compare to just one night with you."
Throughout Naruto's explanation, Veemon blushed. Each and every word, it seemed to even reflect his own feelings. The thoughts of the dream fading even more, with the nightmares that were within it. "I'm glad you're my tamer, Kyuu, as well as my... one love."
Both went back to staring up at the sky. "As am I, Vee. And tonight, we can see these stars, that light up our paradise."
"Yeah. Our paradise within the Digital World." Thinking for a few moments, Veemon spoke up again, "Hey, did we ever watch the snow from a balcony?" The fragments of what was left of the memory seemed to make him wonder if it was somewhat true.
Blinking a few times, Naruto looked over at Veemon. "Snow? I think we did, yeah. It was a peaceful setting." But, as the words left the blond, Veemon still began to wonder. Inside, something felt wrong, as if this wasn't the way things were meant to be, and that hurt him. Though, he didn't want to think of that; all that mattered was that Naruto was next to him.
His eyes seemed to glaze over, with memories he tried to remember and thoughts he wished would leave him. Still, to him, he couldn't understand that fantastic dream-even though it was just that, a dream-only making him wish that he could maybe finish it, and find out what would become of them, of the ones he saw, and the ones he knew. "Kyuu..."
Looking back over at Naruto, Veemon began to see him start to glow with green sparkles. But as they shined, they began to rise, letting the questions that Veemon wanted to ask in the dust. "KYUU!" Naruto peered back over at him, smiling.
"What is it?"
"You're disappearing!"
He looked at himself, before sighing. "I guess... I guess the time has come for me to return to my own world, Vee."
"KYUU!" Tears started to stain his cheeks as he reached out to touch Naruto's arm, only having it pass right through. "I don't want you... I don't want you to leave!" Veemon screamed as loud as he could, until Naruto's lips touched his. The green sparks still rose in the air, even as he pulled back from the slow kiss.
"Don't worry, I'll always be here with you Vee. And maybe... maybe there will be a day when we can meet again. Just stare at the stars, and you'll see. The skies, they're all the same for us, and each star will shine, from me to you." One of Naruto's hands caressed Veemon's cheek, wiping the tears away from it, before it too became green sparks. "I'll always be with you."
With the few words he did leave with, Naruto looked back up at the sky, as he started to drift away, "And I'll come back, I promise." Finally, all the green sparks had lifted into the air, spinning around like sprites before they rose up and disappeared.
"KYUU!" More tears drifted down his cheeks, as he cried out. It seemed that even this paradise got ruined; a paradise he wished to only have with Naruto. "Kyuu..."
Jolting up, and wincing, Veemon touched his cheeks, feeling tears already there. "Kyuu..." Though, as he found himself crying and hurt, he also saw Matt and Gabumon, along with Mikoto and Tailmon; all apparently sleeping. Another thought crossed his mind, Naruto was there, he defended him, but all the was left around them was a few black obelisks.
Nothing. Nothing was left of the lover he had so clearly felt touch his cheek, and kiss his lips. Was it all a dream? That he had watched Naruto disappear into green sparks? Or did it happen, since he wasn't anywhere to be found. Wincing still at the pain he felt in his chest, Veemon stood up, peering through the canyon towards what seemed to be a waterfall in the distance. Lightly, he could hear the roar of the water, as it drowned out his own thoughts. Wobbly, the blue digimon started to go towards it, wanting to wash himself, at least of the dirt and gravel that seemed to hurt his body.
Eyes winked open, of both Gabumon and Matt, seeing that Veemon was leaving them, almost in a trance. Both tried to say anything, but found that the strength they once had had left them. Closing them again, both felt sleep follow again, liking the numbness that the darkness gave them.
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Over the ridge, Takato and Henry raced towards the signals on their Digivices, finally seeing the group that was in front of them-though it seemed that Tai was left in the dust behind them. However, he too surfaced from behind the mountain, catching up quickly. As they closed in, they also saw Mikoto, lying on the ground with a digimon next to her; a woman they had never seen in any of the records of the Digital World. Then again, having Naruto in this world seemed to draw unknown forces together.
Running towards Matt and Gabumon, Henry panted, kneeling down next to them. "Hey, what happened?!" Barely returning to the reality they were in, Gabumon was the first to sit up, though badly bruised.
"Two... Two fights... Cerberusmon is.... we've found... marbles... Mikoto..." What he was saying seemed to not even make sense, until Matt came back, groaning at the pain that he had felt.
Looking at Henry, then Takato, he blinked, eying the two digimon next to them, until he saw Tai racing towards him. Everything seemed to be weird to him, and the others, as they finally met each other. "Who... who are you guys?"
Tai sighed, resting his hands on his knees, "They're... They're other Digidestined, from another world." He had finally managed to not be left in the wind, aware of only the four Digidestined around him.
Eyes of both Takato and Henry scanned, seeing only Matt and Mikoto with their digimon next to them, though Mikoto and Tailmon seemed to be totally unconscious. "Where's Veemon?"
Matt went to point at the waterfall, but he noticed that Veemon was nowhere to be found, as if he was taken away by the winds. "He.. He was here, along with a blond.
Henry and Takato stared at each other, both knowing who was there, "Naruto?!"
Shivering at the name, Gabumon seemed to go defensive, "He attacked us!"
"Not this time, Gabumon, he saved Veemon. Whatever that digimon was that attacked up-even if it wasn't a digimon, but a human, it seemed as though they knew him." Matt muttered, wondering why he was protecting the blond, who had appeared twice, once to take them away, and the other to protect just one of the digimon.
Thinking about what Matt had said, Henry realized it had to be someone from Naruto's world, someone that Naruto knew personally, else he wouldn't have had such conviction to stop an attack on Veemon. Though, the thought of it made him shiver, he knew that the group needed to be rested and fed if they needed any chance against whatever may lie in wait for them.
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As Veemon walked towards the waterfall, the world seemed to race around him; the stars flew above, as the moon raked closer to the place he stood. Watching it all, he became dizzy, falling down, not upon gravel but soft grass. "So... sleepy." Muttering to himself, he couldn't understand why he was still tired even in a place like this, when he got sleep before. "Kyuu... where are you?"
The stars wouldn't answer him, nor would the ever closing moon that seemed to engulf the sky in red light. Staring at it from the ground, the blue digimon sighed. "Is this... is this where it ends? After all that... is this where I die?" Yet, as the moon came closer, it's red hue began to shine brightly, as if something was holding it back from coming down. His vision slightly failing him, Veemon tried to see what was doing it, only catching a glimpse of a large digimon, before a star raced towards the ground.
With the heavens opening up, rain began to drip down onto his face, cooling his body off. To Veemon, it felt like the sky was crying, not for him, but for Naruto. The ground around him was getting wet by the ever constant rain, making the blue digimon shiver under the cold. "Kyuu... you promised..."
As he muttered those words, it seemed as though through the moon shot a star, the moon shattering like glass as all the pieces began to collide with the earth near Veemon, each seeming to fit a design. Even the star, that had hit the moon, fell right above Veemon, completing the spiral around him.
The Kyuubi symbol, what once was on the blond's belly, and then his Digimental, was set aflame all around the blue digimon, like a spell etched into the grassy earth. Veemon's eyes shut completely, not witnessing the digimon in the sky fading away. Within his cloudied mind, he could feel a caress on his cheek, then a kiss, as the rain continued to cascade down on him as well as the flames that grew white.
"Don't worry Vee... I always keep my promises." The wind let the voice echo in his ears, causing him to smile unconsciously. "Just a little while longer, and I'll never leave your side." A chorus of whispers entered the wind, as white orbs started to spin around in the spiral, flowing towards the digimon who laid in the center. Each one seemed to land on Veemon's stomach, bringing together what looked like a white marble, sparkling in the still starlit sky above him.
On Veemon's stomach, the last of the eight cards showed itself, though he really didn't even realize it. Before long, even the chorus in the wind ceased, leaving the fires to burn out. With a final farewell, one orb had kissed Veemon's lips one last time.