Digital
Chapter 11 - Okami
by Senashenta

I don't own! Digimon! Or! Lord Of The Rings! I wish, I wish, though....

Free advert: TWO TOWERS ROCKED! ^^;;

Syenite Kai: Yay! Sexy Legolas! ^_~

So....few....notes.... *dies* X_x

~Digital~
~Chapter 11~

"What....the hell....are Wolf-riders-?!" Takeru panted. He was running alongside Aragorn, behind the others as they attempted to distance themselves from the still-rapidly-approaching Orcs and Wolves. Ahead, Gimli lead the rest of their group across the plains.

"In the past," Aragorn responded grimly, "a union was forged between the Orcs and a certain type of Wolf. Wargs, these Wolves are called. A good partnership for them, but-"

"-not good for us." The blond finished, "I think I get the point."

Behind them, the howling-roar of the Wargs was getting louder. The Wolf-riders were gaining on them, and very quickly. There was nowhere for them to hide, given that they were in the middle of the plains, but Aragorn was adamant that they couldn't stand and fight.

"Aragorn!" The Child of Hope shouted, "we can't outrun them! We have to-"

"No, Takeru." Aragorn interrupted, "we cannot fight them."

"Well, shit! What do you want us to do?! They're-" Takeru's sentence was cut off when something collided with his side, making him stumble and fall. He handed hard, swearing violently, and ripped the Orcish arrow from his flesh. It had imbedded just below his previous injury, and now blood was running down his side once more.

<Well that hurt like a bitch.>

"Takeru!" The Ranger was there in an instant, hauling him to his feet, but even as he struggled up, flinging the arrow to the ground and grasping his bow, the Wolf-riders were upon them.

"Get down!" Aragorn shoved him, forcing him to the ground, and dove down after him just as the first Warg and it's Orc rider- a scout, they assumed, as the others were still semi-distanced from them- reached them, the creature raced past, too large and running to fast to stop, and the Orc's sword skimmed over them, missing them by only a hair.

It skidded to a snarling stop, kicking up grass and dirt, and whirled back around.

Takeru scrambled up, shocked into movement by his first good look at the Warg- it wasn't like a wolf at all, but more like a twisted bear. It growled, it's head held low and it's fur bristling. The Orc riding it have a hellish grin and kicked, forcing it forward.

"Takeru, we must get away from here."

The blond gave Aragorn a sarcastic look, already reaching for his sword despite his injuries and the screaming of pain in his side. He could already feel the warm stickiness of his own blood soaking through his clothing and running down his side. Gritting his teeth, he snapped, "where do you suggest we go TO?!"

Aragorn shook his head, silently gripping his weapon as the Wolf-rider leaped toward them- the other Riders were roaring toward them, their snarling and howling echoing across the open plains, and-

THUNK!

Something collided with the Warg that had jumped for them, making the beast collapse, pinning it's rider to the ground.

Blinking, Takeru stared blankly when Gimli pulled his axe from the Warg's side and quickly dispatched the Orc itself. The Dwarf turned to them, shifting his axe from one hand to the other, and the three of them faced the oncoming Wolf-riders. Takeru took a split second and impaled his sword in the ground, knocking an arrow into his bow in almost the same moment.

Gimli's eyes flicked toward the Child of Hope. "You're bleeding."

Flatly, and without a pause. "I know."

Concerned. "Badly, Takeru."

Again. "I know."

Aragorn shifted, grounding his feet into the dirt to gain traction. "Here they come-"

"You guys!" Taichi shouted, "get out of there!"

"Takeru, come on!" Hikaru pleaded when they ignored her brother, "please!"

<Sorry Hikari.>

An arrow flew, launched from one of the Orc's bows, and Takeru loosed his first arrow as well. It slammed into the front leg of a Warg, making the creature stumble. It didn't stop, though. His second arrow connected with the upper chest of an Orc, throwing it off of it's wolf, which promptly turned and leaped, tearing it's 'partner' to pieces. Takeru grimaced and fired again, this time skimming an arrow across the flank of another Warg and, at the same time, across the leg of it's rider.

He reached back for another arrow, but stopped himself.

<They're too close for-> swearing mentally, he dropped his bow, leaving it to the ground and it's own fate (it wasn't an Elven bow so he was okay doing it) and regained his sword in time for the first wave of Wolf-riders to hit them.

"Fucking hell!"

The blond almost immediately found himself thrown to the side as one of the bear-wolves struck him a glancing blow in the chest. Even without a full-on hit, Takeru staggered back, stumbling, and had to gasp, the breath driven out of him.

In amazement, he saw that the creature's paw had left four thick gashes that ran almost from his shoulder to the bottom of his rib cage. They weren't particularly DEEP, but blood was beginning to seep from them as well....

<Damn it! I don't have time for this!>

Ignoring his injuries (again) he hefted his sword and faced the Wolf-rider that had hit him, bringing his weapon up to parry a slash by the Orc as the creature rode past.

A few feet away, Aragorn was attempting to defend himself, and Gimli was having even more trouble than either the Child of Hope or the Ranger- he simply didn't have the reach required to do much damage to the mounted Orcs. Still, the Dwarf was doing his best with what he had, slashing at the legs of Wargs that were on the way past.

They were managing to hold out. Barely.

"Aragorn!" Gimli called, "we can't keep doing this!"

"No, we can't." Aragorn agreed. Spinning, he slashed viciously with his sword and managed to dismount a single Orc. In seconds it was dead, cut down not by the Ranger but by it's own wolf. It seemed there was no camaraderie among them at all. "We have to- Takeru-!"

"What-?" Turning on Aragorn's warning, he managed to duck out of the way just as another Rider raced by. <Shit!> His foot slipped and he went down, landing hard, Takeru gasped when pain flared through not only his injured side and the slashes in his chest, but from his ribs as well. Despite his newfound-toughness he cried out, his sword dropping from his hand and hitting the ground with a metallic thump, though he quickly regained his composure.

Before anyone could reach his side to help him, he was struggling up and reaching for his sword again.

<I've gotta' learn to stop pushing myself....I'm going to kill myself by doing this some day....>

Another stab of pain from his ribs and he hissed, grating the sound out from between clenched teeth while at the same time whirling, sword up, to meet the next attacker.

From the other direction, he could hear the others shouting but couldn't make out much of anything until-

"GUILMON!"

"TERRIERMON!"

If he hadn't been in so much pain, the Child of Hope might have been about to show surprise when Takato and Lee's voices shouted out in union, "....EVOLUTION!"

<What...? The Digimon....>

"Guilmon Shinka! Growmon!"

"Terriermon Shinka! Galgomon!"

Though he himself couldn't muster up the extra energy to be shocked, the Wolf-rider he was currently engaged in battle with certainly did. And Takeru didn't hesitate to use that to his advantage. He had just finished knocking the creature from it's seat and slashing across it's throat with his sword, and was turning to face the snarling bear-wolf, when the huge claws of a red-and-black digimon flew downward from above and slammed into the creature, pinning it to the ground and snapping it's neck in one powerful blow.

Panting, Takeru looked upward- FAR upward- and made a mental note to thank Guilmon....or Growmon....when he got the chance. Before he could think of anything else, Growmon was off in another direction, snarling and snapping and crushing Orcs and Wargs along the way.

<He's....so different from Guilmon....> The blond thought, somewhat muzzily. His mind didn't seem to be working properly....still, he managed to have enough sense to continue to defend himself when yet another Wolf-rider came his way.

His arms and legs were aching and the blood continued to stream from his side and chest, he wished he could stop and take a breather, but instead he swung his sword, which sliced into the leg of a passing Warg, making it fall and catapulting it's rider onto the ground. The Orc climbed up, gathering it's weapons, and came after him immediately.

One-on-one with a single Orc was nothing compared to what he had done in the past, and Takeru could almost find humor in the situation.

It only took a handful of seconds for him to shop the foul creature's head from it's shoulders. Breathing heavily, he grimaced, disgusted when the black blood of the Orc sprayed across his shirt, mixing with his own.

<Just fucking great->

Something bumped into him.

Jamming his elbow backward, it connected with something and he jumped forward and spun around, his eyes met those of a very large, very angry-looking Warg. Probably the one that had belonged to the Orc he'd just killed. How could he have forgotten about it?!

It bellowed, the breath from it's roar making his hair blow back.

"Oh no."

There was nothing he could do....

"Gattling Arm!"

The barrage of shots that collided with the Warg made it howl in pain, and it fell, landing on it side as the attack continued to rain on it, Takeru took a momentary glance to the side at Galgomon, then stepped toward the wolf and stabbed downward with his sword, shoving the blade clean through it's neck. It gurgled softly, kicking for a moment, and then was still.

Tiredly, Takeru couldn't help but lean against the creature, propping himself up with the sword that was still imbedded in it's flesh.

"I have to...." murmuring, he pushed himself back up, stumbled, and pulled his sword free.

It was only then that he noticed that the battle field was mostly quiet.

He looked around.

The Wolf-riders- Orcs and Wargs alike- had all been defeated, with the help of Growmon and Galgomon. That much was obvious by the number of Orc bodies and Warg carcasses that had either been stepped on or slashed to pieces (courtesy of the huge dragon-dinosaur digimon) or-

"Or shot to shit." Takeru shook his head, and immediately regretted it when it began to pound. "Oh hell...."

"Takeru!" Taichi's voice made him wince and he wished Jou was there with them. The boy was always prepared for anything, and would most likely have had aspirin with him. "Jeez," Taichi was looking at him with disbelief, "you okay?"

"Hm...." Not saying anything didn't make him a liar, and he wasn't sure he could put up a convincing argument right then. "I will be."

Continuing his inspection of the area, he began tallying everyone: Aragorn and Gimli, dirty, covered in sweat and blood, but alive, Taichi, right there next to him, Takato, over with Growmon, talking the adrenaline-pumped digimon down, Lee and Shuichon checking to see if Galgomon was injured in any way, Iori, with Merry and Pippin, and Hikari, who....was....kneeling....next to....

"Hikari!" Takeru shouted loudly, making everyone jump. Even he was surprised by the force behind his voice, given the pain that flared through him just by breathing....he shoved the pain away and headed over to where his best friend was- "Hikari! Get away from it!"

Hikari looked up, frowning.

She was kneeling.

Next to an injured Warg.

<And PETTING the damned thing!?>

The girl didn't move, and continued to gently stroke the fur around the bear-wolf's eyes and face. And the most amazing thing was that the Warg- fully awake and only immobilized by damage to it's hind leg- was watching her intently, but without the slightest sign of aggression.

Still....

"It's dangerous, 'Kari!" Standing over her now, Takeru made as if to raise his sword, "get back."

"No, Takeru!" Hikari reached up, placing a gentle hand on his wrist, "no. He's hurt, see? He won't do anything....he's hurt, and...." pausing, she resumed stroking the Warg's fur, "he's not bad. He's not."

"Not....not BAD?!" The Child of Hope demanded, his voice betraying his weariness, "NOT BAD? Hikari, look around you! Did you even see-"

"He's not." Hikari interrupted firmly, as the rest of their group came to stand nearby, confused and surprised by what they were witnessing, "the others....most of them....were....vicious....but Hyouga isn't."

Takeru stared. "Hyouga?"

"It's his name."

"How do you-?"

The Child of Light tilted her head to the side, "I just know."

So that was it.

Sighing, Takeru resigned himself and dropped his sword. He was too tired even to clean it and sheath it. To hell with it. He'd just use the Orc one he'd brought with him. Reaching up, he pushed his hair out of his eyes impatiently and ran his fingers across his face. His lip was bleeding and swelling in his cheek told of a huge bruise-to-be.

"Beautiful."

Hikari smiled, continuing her silent communication with the Warg.

It was something that Takeru had learned a long time ago not to question, Hikari had always had a way with animals of any and every kind. Aside from that, she seemed to have a sort of empathy that allowed her to understand them and the way they were feeling. And, in extreme cases, even to speak with them to a certain extent.

"A case like this...." a pause, then he spoke to everyone, "we need to get moving. If we don't, you can be sure more of those Wolf-riders will be here, and I don't think we could take them again."

"But-"

"We were lucky this time." Turning, he nodded to Takato, who had managed to calm Growmon down. "I owe you my thanks," a look toward Lee and Galgomon, "I owe ALL of you." A sigh. "All right, let's move."

"Takeru," Aragorn's hand came down on his shoulder, "you're injured."

"I know." The blond repeated, for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I know. But we can't stay here."

The Ranger hesitated, then nodded reluctantly, "all right."

"Good, let's-"

"What about Hyouga?"

The Warg.

Hikari had befriended it, so he should have known that she'd want to bring it with them.

"Hikari-"

"It's hurt," Merry pointed out, interrupting. "How's it supposed to walk with us? We'd have to carry it or something."

"I'M not doing it!" Pippin stated, waving his hands for emphasis.

Merry smacked him. "Of course not! That's not the point!"

"Hey!" Takato gestured upward, "Growmon can carry him!"

Everyone stared up at the huge digimon, who was currently....well, staring DOWN at them with huge, curious eyes. Takeru wondered. Growmon, during the battle, had been ferocious and frightening, and now he was....

<He's just a HUGE version of Guilmon, that's what he is.>

"Growmon will carry Hyouga." Growmon agreed happily.

"He's just too happy to help." Galgomon sighed, shaking his lop-eared head.

Lee chuckled, "you could do with some of his enthusiasm, Galgomon."

"Not me!"

Hikari looked toward Takeru, "well? Do you think we could- hey, what's-?"

A blur of yellow.

"Ahh!"

"I see," Renamon said flatly, looking around, "that you had some trouble."

"Just a little."

"Here." The fox-like digimon held out one of the black laptop computers (complete with battery pack) that she was carrying. "I apologize for taking so long, and for having to leave now. But I must take this to Ruki and the others."

She meant the other computer, of course, and vanished again without so much as a goodbye. Takeru glanced at the laptop he was holding, and then offered it to Taichi. The older boy took it and quickly set about getting it booted up and the port opened.

"So," Shuichon said, "uh, how does this port thing work?"

"You've seen the show, right? In your world?" Takeru asked wearily, "we use a D3 to open the port, and everyone does through. Assuming that Tai' picks the right exit-port we'll all end up at Primary Village. Right, Taichi?"

Absently. "Yeah."

"'Kay." Shuichon nodded.

Takeru watched for a moment while Taichi fiddled with the computer, then blinked slowly when he realized that his vision was beginning to go fuzzy. He managed to clear it a bit. Wincing again, he turned away from the others so they wouldn't see the pain that flashed across his features, and gingerly prodded the arrow-wound that was still bleeding from his side.

The injury was a bad one. Deep, and painful.

Worse than anything he had suffered in Middle Earth, and coupled with the original wound to his side and the gashes across his chest.

He was afraid he might pass out from blood loss if he didn't do something soon.

<But what the hell CAN I do? There's no medical supplies....I'll just wait until we're in the Digital World, and then see about getting myself fixed up.> His fingers came in contact with a particularly sore spot, then and he cursed, then withdrew his hand, which was already coated with blood.

A few feet away, Aragorn was watching him. Both he and Gimli could tell how badly he was hurt, and the Ranger, in his own way, was beginning to show concern as Takeru continued to push himself.

Not that he really had much of a choice.

"There!" Across the way, Taichi hit a final button with a flourish, "let's go, everyone!"

A howl echoed across the plains at about that same time, and Hyouga growled softly.

"We must hurry." Aragorn ordered.

Right. He didn't have to tell anyone twice, Taichi opened the port and stepped to the side for everyone else, Hikari went first, with a final pat of Hyouga's head, the Warg was, in a way, next, though Growmon was carrying him when they went through. The others followed suit, vanishing into the computer as Aragorn and Gimli watched in amazement.

"Bloody hell!" Gimli exclaimed, "they just-"

"Just GO!" Taichi rolled his eyes and shoved the Dwarf, making him stumble and disappear into the computer.

Takeru forced himself to dig out his D3, and took a deep breath. The transporting through the portal was somewhat energy-draining on any day, and he wasn't sure how well he'd do this time....ignoring the pain in his side, which flared again when he was sucked in, he braced himself for the impact of entry into the Digital World.

"Uhh...."

He landed hard, hitting the ground with a thud, and lay there for a long moment, trying to catch his breath. Finally, about the time that Aragorn and Taichi were coming through after him and the port was closing, he managed to climb to his feet.

Primary Village, colorful and happy, was in sight on the horizon.

A half-smile. With blood still streaming from his side and chest, and with his ribs aching painfully, the Child of Hope turned his eyes skyward.

And promptly passed out.

"Oh my God! Takeru!"

"I have him." The Ranger, who had been just behind him, caught Takeru as he fell. "He's in need of a healer."

"Get him to the Village," Iori said, "we can take care of him there."

Aragorn nodded silently and started off.

Behind them, Taichi blinked when his D-Terminal began to chirp at him, and dug it out of his pocket. Hitting the 'talk' button, he was surprised when Miyako's face flashed onto the screen. The girl looked....

"Miyako?" Taichi was shocked by how tired he sounded, "what- is it? What's happened?"

A pause, and she almost sobbed before continuing. "They've taken Ken." Her voice wasn't loud, and was verged with tears, but everyone who had been heading for Primary Village stopped and turned, "and- Daisuke." Another short pause, and crying could be heard from beyond the violet-haired girl. Her voice was barely audible when she spoke again, but what she said echoed deeply into everyone present. "We've lost him. Taichi....Daisuke's dead."

**********

Me: Did everyone have a good Christmas? ^^ I hope you all did!

Me: Okay, I know that this chapter ended pretty much the same way that the last one did, but it took place at the same time, so....

Taichi: Hikari's friends with a Warg.

(Hikari: His name is Hyouga!)

Iori: Daisuke's dead.

Galgomon: Ken's been taken by the Nazgul.

Shuichon: And Takeru's passed out.

Aragorn: She loves doing things like this to us.

Gimli: That she does.

Lee: This WILL get better, right?

Me: I guarantee nothing. =^.^=