Digimon Story: Rainbow Traverse -- Chp 23

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The stench of iron hung heavy in the air. Beneath the blood red moon, Alemana had watched as the node transformed; structural materials assembling themselves into the shape of a Shinto temple the size of which dwarfed even the mightiest of feudal castles. At some point, his grip on Magatsurimon had slackened, for the vulpine was walking towards the central gate, her steps unbalanced, like a puppet whose strings were rotting away. A miasma of black and red pixelated over her, rising towards the heavens.

"Can't hold on..." she giggled. "Tearing me up inside...!"

Suddenly, the vixen began to spasm, her tails thrashing in every direction. Throwing her head back, she let out a scream, one that pierced through Al's mind as her body blackened into a featureless silhouette.

Al watched as the Node changed onto a twisted temple, and he brought a hand to his head as he limply hung around her leg as a throbbing, deeply unpleasant pain hit him. “What are you… talking about..?” He said as she wobbled towards the gate. But when she started screaming? He began screaming with her as a the pain became so horrific, the entire world around him fell away as he shared in her apotheotic agony.. his arms squeezing her leg in an iron-hard death grip as he felt as if he was ripping to pieces as well..!

A sensation like prickling needles stabbing at his brain threatened to split it open. His vision was doubling over, and twice he felt himself fall on his hands and knees. His arm felt numb, his chest tightening, strangling the scream in his throat. Cold sweat fell down his face as he stared at the stonework beneath him and Magatsuri--no... Magatsurimon was no longer with him. Her leg no longer in Al's grasp. The pain subsided... that's when Al heard heavy breathing from someone other than himself. Looking up, he saw the yellow furred vulpine he knew and love, Renamon, on her knees, coughing, with her back to him.

At first he didn’t even notice the change, so blinded by the pain in his skull that he just sat there, shuddering and dry-heaving as he processed the pain and tried to push through it. When his vision stopped being blurry he looked around as he now noticed that Magatsurimon was missing.. and his eyes fell on his partner as she shook and hacked a few feet away from him.

“Renamon…? Renamon!” His voice was shot and hoarse, but he began crawling towards her- practically slumping against her back as his arms draped over her shoulders “I’m so sorry! I’m so fucking sorry baby!”

The vulpine's body rose and fell as she breathed, a chuckle escaping her lips. Shaking, she dug her claws into the flagstone beneath her, laughing. That was when she grabbed Al by the shirt, except, she hadn't. Yet there it was, an ephemeral arm dressed in her signature sleeve, hoisting Alemana back on his feet despite Renamon not having even turned to face him. Looking down, Al saw the arm extending out of her back, and as it pulled him up, the head of another Renamon rose up from his partner's back, a phantom in the light of the blood moon. As she 'climbed' from Renamon, the ghostly image lost more of its transparency, till Al stood before a solid form. No longer was the original laughing, if she had ever been, for this newcomer with his lover's face was laughing as she stared him down, face mere inches from his own. No, it wasn't a perfect copy of Renamon. Her yellow fur was jet black, and both her arm-sleeves and markings were red as the moon above, but the eyes... he knew this creature's eyes... they were near exactly like Magatsurimon, even without their inner glow, with irids shining like flawless rubies, the shadow cast by them warned of a cold predator.

"Well hello there, lover boy~" she said to him.

"Al!" cried Renamon. Her copy's ear twitched, looking over her shoulder to see the original leering back, her fur standing on end.

"Stay down where you belong," said the black furred vulpine. "There's a new partner in town, and she doesn't share top billing."

At first he was relieved.. but that quickly turned to horror as the strange Specter began pulling itself out of Renamon..and once she became solid his eyes were practically full sized plates “What the hell is this..?!” He croaked out.. though he squirmed uncomfortably when she called him ‘lover boy’

The second Renamon's eyes locked onto Alemana. "That's right, Renamon~" she said with a lilt. "What is going on? I'm just as hurt as you are, but I'm able to muscle through it."

The yellow Renamon scowled, her fists tightening as she struggled to her feet. "Damn you...!"

Her dark reflection smirked. "Well, if you're just going to waste my time, I might as well make the first move."

Without another word, she pulled Alemana in, crushing her lips against his. The intensity of it, the way she dove into the teen's mouth, mewling - only to break off before Al even had the chance to adapt. Past the black Renamon's shoulder, Alemana saw his partner staring, eyes wide. "Mmhmhm, just how I remember it," said his captor, the vulpine licking her lips as she smiled.

The boys mind spun when this happened, and he tried to push back on her stomach, to find it just as taunt and firm as Renamon’s.. and his eyes caught his partners as a sensation of shame washed from him. When she finally pulled away from that forced kiss he gasped out and tried to glare up at her.. but his breath was shaken

“What the hell do you think you’re doing..?!”

"Getting a taste of what's to come."

In a flash, Renamon appeared besides the imposter, squeezing the arm that was holding onto Al. "Let. Him. Go." she snarled. The two vulpines glared at one another, not a single blink between them. A silent chuckle came from the doppelganger as she closed her eyes... before she palmed upwards at Renamon's chin. The strike was so sudden it cut bits of fur from her cheek as she dodged at the last minute, but in the shadow of the strike came a roundhouse kick aimed at her head. The yellow vulpine raised her forearm to block, but on impact, white hot pain spider-webbed across the area of impact, causing her to cry out.

"Now look what you made me do," huffed the imposter. Releasing her hold on Alemana, she flexed her fingers as she shook her hand. "You know Al feels it as much as we do, right?"

"Al," said Renamon. "I don't know what's happening, but don't let her near you."

"Hah! What kind of garbage lie is that? You know exactly who I am. I'm you, after all." Turning her head to the side, the black Renamon put a claw to her temple. "Wait, I take it back. I was you, except, now I'm free. Free to do things my way without all the hesitation, the self-pity, the endless, simpering apologies."

"You, you're that curse Pe'amon put on me!"

The imposter held back a laugh. "Ohhhh, I think we both know that I'm more than that. I'm BlackRenamon, your 2.0, and when we're done here, the only digimon partner Alemana will ever need."

Alemana tried to pull away when she said that.. and he then gasped as both Renamon started fighting. Scrambling back when they were distracted.. he gave a hiss of breath as he felt that pain feedback.. eyes widening. She was right.. he was connected to not just Renamon. He could feel this.. BlackRenamon just as strongly- as if she was equally bonded to him as the original.

“How is this possible?”

It felt impossible.. but the evidence standing and snarking in front of him very much proved otherwise. But when she claimed that she was going to replace Renamon.. he felt a surge of anger “The hell you are! You aren’t replacing Renamon!”

BlackRenamon gave a silde-long glance at the teen. "Hmmm, you say that, but how often do you did you put each other's lives at risk? How many times did we almost go berserk in the past week alone? All because you wanted to feel noble, Al?"

"Stop talking!" said Renamon, vanishing from sight just to appear behind her copy-- arm slicing down to strike the back of the neck. In one fluid motion, BlackRenamon shifted to one side, and grabbed the descending limb, pulling on it till her twin fell forward--in range of an elbow strike to the face. Again Renamon caught the blow just in time, palming the elbow with such force both vulpines spun backward in perfect reflection of each other's moves.

"Go ahead," said the black vixen. "I know every trick you've got up your sleeve, and can dish it out just as hard. The only difference is: you'll be back on the ground before I break a sweat."

Al felt a stab in his chest at that .. but he scoffed to cover up how deep that barb actually managed to reach. “If you really are the same as Renamon you damn well know what’s at stake for all of us!” He said as Renamon went on the offensive.. and his eyes widened as she was caught so easily. There was a quick back and forth between the two but he could tell that her talk was more than bluster.. it really seemed like both digimon were evenly matched. But maybe..

“That’s what you think! Emergency Transfer: Energize!”

[Spending 1 Inspiration]

Alemana held out his Digivice as a stream of Reseda-Green energy flowed towards Renamon. “What happens if I do this, huh?”

BlackRenamon sneered. As the light of Al's digivice bathed the two digimon in its light, both Renamons became wreathed in the same aura.

Renamon's eyes narrowed. "So, you're affected just as much as I am."

"Now you're getting it," said the other. "But, too little too late." Just as Renamon had done a moment ago, BlackRenamon vanished, though when she reappeared, it was behind Alemana.

"Don't you dare touch him!" spat Renamon. But a rictus grin was carved on her doppelganger's face, the dark vixen putting the teen in a sleeper hold.

"Sorry, sweetie," she whispered in his ear. "I'll make it up to you later."

"BITCH!!" cried Renamon, charging straight towards the pair.

"Please, call me Brena~!" And as the dark vixen vanished with Al in her arms, her laughter echoed across the shrine, ringing in her twin's ears.

...

The room was dark. Alemana felt tatami mats beneath his feet as he was let go by his kidnapper. Towering over him, 'Brena' stepped away from him, humming to herself as she lit a stick of incense. Gone was the stench of metal. In its stead, the scent of dusk - incense burning of rich, deep, intense notes.

All at once his sudden confidence buckled at the realization of his mistake. “Holy shit, I’m sorry Rena— Hrk!” Al felt her arm slide beneath his chin and lift, and in a moment of panic he tried to drive his elbow into the dark doppelgänger in an effort to free himself eyes bugging as all too quickly things went black.. and his arms went limp. The last thing he saw, was the look of distressed terror on his partner’s face.. (“Rena..!”)

And then he knew nothing.
____

And then air rushes into his lungs as he fell to his knees- barely catching himself as he looked around at the room.. and then over his shoulder. Once his eyes met BkackRenamon’s he sprang forward and rolled away from her- trying to put his back to the wall. “What do you want with me? Where are we?” He asked.. softly trying to feel for Renamon. (“Babe, where are you?’)

("I'm right here in front of you~") whispered a voice in his ear. He could feel as warm breath caressed the hairs on the back of his neck. Turning, he found only the wall he had propped himself against. When he turned to glance back at his captor, what should he find but BlackRenamon, claws tapping on his face as she crouched there in front of him, eyes almost touching his own.  "As for your other questions," she said aloud. "A safe place, a quiet place, where we can talk for a little while. After all, we're partners, I only what what's best for you, my love. Mhmhmhm~"