Not so Safe Zone

Theos looked around also questioning why the area was so quiet. His ears flicking at the faint sounds of battle. He rushed after Blake his blood running cold at the site of Stall. How many lives had he taken by his hand alone with his dagger. Theos let out a silent snarl and hobbled towards Magi, Ban and Ike. Ike was holding the crying Ban his body acting as a shield. As Theos approached he looked to him and knew the fight had been gruesome. Their backup was probably not coming for awhile.


"Hmm hmm hmm....a powerful sorcerer you may be but without your spells your combat skills are worse then an infants." Magi rose to his feet holding out his sword. "Though you are truly an honorable digimon Magi, a man of the books fighting tooth and nail to protect a infant prince and a slave. So much for your reinforcements, ehy?" Stall said laughing. "Perhaps you should have spent less time in your tomes and more time developing your sword arm." Magi clenched his teeth together. "I won't let you get away with this Stall." Magi yelled.



"Ah...two more join the fray." Theos did not join Blakes rushing attack rather he went to stand beside Magi and protect Ban and Ike the best he could in his condition, "Blake stop! You're no match for him!" Stall grinned as Blake approached him. Magi quickly cast a spell that chained Blake's legs, causing him to fall over. "Aw...you should have let him attack me. Let his anger out." Stall chuckled.



Blake glared at Magi, "Magi! Let me go! Let me go right now! This bastard is responsible for all of this!" He yelled. "I will not! He will kill you!" Magi said standing, "Why aren't you using your magic!?" Blake yelled. Magi shook his head, "I cannot....he is wearing a charm that protects him from my spells." Stall nodded, "He speaks the truth...I knew of Magi for years. As an information specialist I make it a point to find out everything I can about potential threats. It was easy to discover who he really is and where it is he comes from and how to beat your magic." Who he really is? He was Magi and that was all there was too it. His past didn't matter now.



"Anyway....I've grown tired of speaking with you all. My target is here and it's time I claimed my prize though I am surprised that you didn't come running to the aid of Small Town. I thought this run down excuse for an inn and its owners meant something to you. I set up a trap for you and everything and you never showed. I guess being a prince now means you have no time for peasants ehy?" Stall said to Theos. "I even made especially sure to put the Inn Keep and his wife out in the open for you to see." Theos heart wrenched at the site. He did care for them he had been trying to look at a bigger picture though. To protect their home and them. That was why he sent Magi he had every faith in him even now.


"Sorry about hurting the keep...I got bored waiting for you and thought I'd try to find his little girl but he truly had no idea where she was. I was more then persuasive for him to tell me...oh well." Stall looked back at Theos. "Not that you care for these people...you only care about that feline of yours...none of the lives here matter do they?"

"They do matter. Without them I wouldn't be who I am and be where I am today. Where you see pain and death Stall I see life. Try as you might I'd die rather than let you have me. A thousand Coraggians have and probably will die in the war to come. Despite all that our names and our country live on. You will fall Stall maybe not today but you will and when you do we will dance on your grave," Theos spat his fur bristling even as his tail hung limply. "Run home you have lost this battle and the main force will be descending here soon . Some looking for aid and others looking to protect this zone. Magic has a price how big a price are you willing to pay to kill us all.....Taking so many lives I bet it would cost you your own."

"They do matter. Without them I wouldn't be who I am and be where I am today. Where you see pain and death Stall I see life. Try as you might I'd die rather than let you have me. A thousand Coraggians have and probably will die in the war to come. Despite all that our names and our country live on. You will fall Stall maybe not today but you will and when you do we will dance on your grave," Stall stared blankly at Theos.

"Run home you have lost this battle and the main force will be descending here soon. Some looking for aid and others looking to protect this zone. Magic has a price how big a price are you willing to pay to kill us all.....Taking so many lives I bet it would cost you your own."

Stall remained silent after Theos spoke then began to chuckle followed by a hearty laugh, "You foolish dog....this attack wasn't about winning or losing. This entire thing was a statement....my men had orders to kill as many of these wretched people before they themselves were killed. Capturing you was just an optional task. I told you at your coronation didn't I? Your presence here is a curse. We will not stop coming for you. Your kingdom will know no peace. It's streets will run red with the blood of the masses. No one will be spared, no woman or child." Stall said pulling out his gun.

"Everyone will die at your expense and it won't stop with Scomparsa....we will always come for you until we own you. I asked how many lives is yours worth?" Stall pointed his gun at the Inn and shot forth its bullets. "Stall NO!" Magi said reaching out in vain. Blake's eyes widened as the attack ignited and the entire Inn went up in flames, the cries of the screaming, burning digimon inside filling the emptiness among the crackling of fire. Then it grew silent once more. "No...." Blakes voice trailed off as the Inn came crashing down. Ban hiding his face in Ike's shoulder and wailing and holding his ears.

Stall didn't even look at the destruction, keeping his gaze on Theos the whole time. "PAPA! MAMA!" A familiar Chamelemon yelled, reappearing from being invisible. She collapsed in front of the burning rubble crying loudly. Stall turned his attention to her, "Oh.....there she is." He re-positioned his gun towards her. "YOU BASTARD!" Blake yelled cutting the chain around his legs he darted at Stall. Magi watched as Blake engaged, "Blake stop!" He called out running after him. Blake threw a punch that Stall easily dodged.

He slashed at his waist with his sword and Stall blocked it with his dagger. Failing that, Blake threw out a roundhouse kick that Stall knocked away and then punched Blake in his jaw with enough force to knock him to a knee. Stall kicked the side of his knee and popped it to the left. Blake screamed and Stall raised his dagger to finish him but was blocked by Magi who flew into him and pushed him away from the group. Blake fell on his side holding his knee, meanwhile Magi continued the engagement.

Every one of Magi's slashes were deflected by Stall's dagger. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Stall laughed as he fought Magi. They clashed blades together and glared at one another, "You see Theos! I never intended anything more then to make a point!" He called from a distance. He pushed Magi away and jumped at him, Magi blocked the overhead jumping attack with his sword and Stall shot Magi's leg. The blood splattering on the floor as the bullets went clean through. "Gah!" He cried falling on his back.

Magi slashed at him from the ground but Stall hit the blade from his hands knocking it away. He placed his foot on top of Magi's head, "No my dear boy....I gave you the chance to come willingly! That day is passed! This war will be a statement! If Scomparsa should burn then I will raise another in its place! Then another and another! I will ALWAYS come for you! I will not rest until you are broken and beaten and I have riiiiiiiiiiiiipped every one you love from your world! I will bring death to your life! Darkness to your light! You may have a million victories! None of it matters! I am attacking you and only you! For when there is nothing left for you to love, you will willingly give your life to me and I will deliver you to mistress Ara!" Stall pressed Magi's head into the earth and he mumbled holding his foot.

"Theos....continue your precious life knowing this, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall of this, could have been avoided! All of it! There is no blood on my hands that you did not pour. These lives...." Stall pulled out his gun and pointed it at Magi's chest. "....have ended because of you." Ban looked on in horror as Stall pulled the trigger and Magi's hands fell motionless to the ground. A pool of blood under him and a hole in his chest. Stall removed his foot from Magi's head and looked at Theos.

"STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!" Coles voice cried out from the sky slashing towards him. Stall blocked the attack but went flying into a wall. "Tsk..." Stall quickly jumped dodging Cole's follow up attack.

"Ha ha ha....and so ends my fun." He looked to Theos. "Good bye....Prince. Until we meet again." Stall threw down a smoke bomb and disappeared into the setting sun.

"Ma....magi...?" Ban said silently. Cole flew off towards the desert in pursuit of Stall. Magi laid there, his eyes flickering and mouth barely moving. Blake shook his head tears coming to his eyes as well, "Not.....Magi...."

Theos glared at him defiantly until the gun sounded. His gaze went to the inn his gaze wide in horror. It burst into flames the screams of the digimon inside ringing in his ears. He felt his body shake with this unconstrained rage and horror. He couldn't move as hard as he tried. The cries of Kim churning his stomach. Tears began running down his face and he looked to the ground. The words echoed in his head....it wasn't his fault. He never wished for this. It wasn't his fault that he was alive....since when was living such a sin. Why was his life such a sin that thousands would die in his place?


Blakes scream jolted Theos to look where he lay his knee turned the wrong way. A visual reminder that he couldn't be out of it. Not now he growled and took one wobbling step before Magi stepped in. He watched as Stall laughed. Magi's attacks all in vain of reaching him. A true villain.


"You see Theos! I never intended anything more then to make a point!" His point had been made all too clearly.



"No my dear boy....I gave you the chance to come willingly! That day is passed! This war will be a statement! If Scomparsa should burn then I will raise another in its place! Then another and another! I will ALWAYS come for you! I will not rest until you are broken and beaten and I have riiiiiiiiiiiiipped every one you love from your world! I will bring death to your life! Darkness to your light! You may have a million victories! None of it matters! I am attacking you and only you! For when there is nothing left for you to love, you will willingly give your life to me and I will deliver you to mistress Ara!" Bile rose in Theos throat at the mention of Ara. His body shaking showing his weakness in front of this fiend. 


"Theos....continue your precious life knowing this, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall of this, could have been avoided! All of it! There is no blood on my hands that you did not pour. These lives...." Stall pulled out his gun and pointed it at Magi's chest. "....have ended because of you." Theos cried out his voice driven out by another bellow.



"STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!" Theos stared at Magi.....there were no heroes.....only martyrs....


"Ha ha ha....and so ends my fun." He looked to Theos. "Good bye....Prince. Until we meet again." Theos ignored him going to Magi's side his back legs pretty much giving out as he sat beside his head with a hefty thump.
His head hanging over him in silence. 


"Ma....magi...?" Ike looked to Ban and grabbed his head pulling him into his shoulder. He hadn't known Magi that well but he knew what he meant and he was a good digimon, "Not.....Magi...."

Ban hugged Ike staining his shoulder with tears as he wrapped his tail around him in a full embrace. Kim stared at the burning of her home just as devastated, losing everything in the blink of an eye. The thick cloud of smoke blotted out the light of the moon and stars. The red hue of the still burning Coraggio its primary light source. Blake used his sword as a crutch rising and balancing on one leg. He moved over to Kim and tried to console her. Pain was spread through out everyone here, Cole had come flying back losing Stall in the dark of the desert.

He walked over to Magi and a look of sorrow befell him. "Magi....I was too late.....damn it all!" Cole said clenching the hilt of his sword. He looked at Theos who was battered and beaten and then to Blake and Kim. Tonight would be a sleepless night for this city.

"He served this kingdom for generations....for him to die like this." Cole knelt down to his side as the last of Magi's life faded from his eyes. Magi couldn't even form a smile as his eyes closed, his feet beginning to dissipate as it made its way towards his head. "Good-bye my friend....your sacrifice will not be in vain." Cole reached out and patted Theos's head to try and console him. "This I swear."

"I really wish you wouldn't write me off so easily."

The familiar sound immediately perked up Blake, Cole and Ban as they looked towards their left. Out of a broken mirror shard, Magi emerged alive but not well. His leg was still injured, he bent it in order to prevent applying pressure on it. "Magi...you're alive!" Ban exclaimed his tail wagging and nearly knocking over Ike in its excitement. "We saw you get shot! How did you manage to survive?" Blake asked curiously. Magi limped over to the dead version of himself as it dissipated completely.

Magi looked at the overjoyed Theos no doubt and gave him a friendly smile, petting his head. Returning a hug if Theos gave him one. "I'm sorry you had to watch me die everyone but I couldn't return to this realm unless I did. When Stall pointed his gun at me, its well polished frame showed me my reflection. With his foot over my mouth, I was able to cast a spell without him paying any mind to it. I switched my true self with my mirror self from twenty seconds before I cast that very spell. It was instantaneous and because everything was the same the switch went unnoticed. He did kill me...but not the version of me from this world." Cole patted his back.

"You truly are this worlds best sorcerer!" Magi smiled, "I appreciate the compliments....but....young Kim I could not help....against Stall, as long as he has those charms, my magic is useless against him and his attacks." He frowned as he looked over to Kim who stared back. Her tears still flowing and heart still broken.

Magi closed his eyes and nearly fell over being caught by Cole, "Whoa....are you okay?" Magi shook his head. "Unfortunately no. Not only is my physical body in rough shape but that spell cost me all of my magical power. To switch myself with my mirror version of such a close time to my own takes an extreme amount of magic power and it is not something I can do often. It was to my benefit that I had not exhausted much magic against him. Honestly, I have no idea how I am even conscious." Magi said taking a seat.

Blake turned to look at Kim whose attention returned to the dying flames of her home. "Kim....I'm so sorry." He said, she said nothing. Ban looked over feeling sorry for her though he himself was still a little rattled from the events.

Cole sighed, "We need to pick up the pieces....the remainder of Stall's army is being routed as we speak. The night is won. They're attempt to destroy Coraggio has been thwarted. We have shown our strength...at a deep cost." Cole said walking over to his son. He stood over him and Ban and patted their heads.

"It is a bitter sweet feeling....that my happiness exists on the sadness of others....but I am overjoyed you all are alive." He said.

"Magi....I was too late.....damn it all!" And all Theos could do was watch. He was too weak to do anything.....it all came down to him being weak didn't it. He couldn't protect anyone the way he was now.


"He served this kingdom for generations....for him to die like this." Theos watch Cole with a questioning look. What were they going to do now? "Good-bye my friend....your sacrifice will not be in vain." Cole reached out and patted Theos's head to try and console him. "This I swear."



"I really wish you wouldn't write me off so easily."



Theos ears perked at the sound. He turned around his broken tail giving a wag despite the shooting pain. "Magi...you're alive!" Ike braced himself relieved that he was alive. "We saw you get shot! How did you manage to survive?"

"I'm sorry you had to watch me die everyone but I couldn't return to this realm unless I did. When Stall pointed his gun at me, its well polished frame showed me my reflection. With his foot over my mouth, I was able to cast a spell without him paying any mind to it. I switched my true self with my mirror self from twenty seconds before I cast that very spell. It was instantaneous and because everything was the same the switch went unnoticed. He did kill me...but not the version of me from this world." Cole patted his back.



"You truly are this worlds best sorcerer!" Magi smiled, "I appreciate the compliments....but....young Kim I could not help....against Stall, as long as he has those charms, my magic is useless against him and his attacks." Theos gaze turned to Kim as well. His heart ached for her. He too had lost family only yesterday he knew her pain.



"Whoa....are you okay?" Magi shook his head. "Unfortunately no. Not only is my physical body in rough shape but that spell cost me all of my magical power. To switch myself with my mirror version of such a close time to my own takes an extreme amount of magic power and it is not something I can do often. It was to my benefit that I had not exhausted much magic against him. Honestly, I have no idea how I am even conscious."

"Kim....I'm so sorry." Theos stepped forward towards her wanting to comfort her pain.



Cole sighed, "We need to pick up the pieces....the remainder of Stall's army is being routed as we speak. The night is won. They're attempt to destroy Coraggio has been thwarted. We have shown our strength...at a deep cost." Ike looked up at his dad happy he was alright in all of this.



"It is a bitter sweet feeling....that my happiness exists on the sadness of others....but I am overjoyed you all are alive."

"The smallest amount of happiness is what we need in all this..." Theos said softly. "Or we might lose all hope. I don't know about the rest of you but a nap sounds good." Theos was exhausted and the battle had been won. Now the only thing left to do was get some rest and plan for the march tomorrow.....a march after all this. The army was tired before the war had even began.

"The smallest amount of happiness is what we need in all this..." Magi hobbled over towards Kim, she looked to him with a mix of emotions behind her eyes. "Or we might lose all hope. I don't know about the rest of you but a nap sounds good." Cole turned from the boys looking at Theos. "For you children yes, you must sleep....for my mobile men...it will be a sleepless night. There is much work to be done...we must ascertain the damage to Coraggio and the casualties. We need to form a defensive front to prevent a repeat of tonight all while preparing what ever remains of our forces to march to meet the army of Scomparsa." Cole sighed.

Cole turned and looked at Kim and sighed, "There is no reason for you all to be out in the cold....it would probably be best to get Kim away from here. You all did the best you could do, go back to the palace. Let Cora know you're all right, he's likely worried sick." Cole looked up at the night sky, the smoke was beginning to diminish. The fires spread throughout the city had been nearly put out. He turned and walked back over to Ike,

"I'm sorry Ike....had I known Stall was here....I'd have been more careful. When I heard you were here in Small Town from Don and I saw the explosion I thought the worst. I'm so glad you're alive...I owe Magi more then I'm able to repay. If I don't see you for the rest of the night, I want to wish you a good night." Cole said holding his sons head. He smiled at him and turned walking back towards the bazaar, "I met with Kilgath moments after you and Blake had left. Kemba and Kaa and the rest of the wounded have already been brought to the hospital."

Magi looked up at Cole, "Haven hospital? I would imagine that would have been a major target for Stall and his men." Cole chuckled, "Oh it was....those Sistermon of yours defended it on their own. Not a single enemy laid a claw or tooth on any of the patients inside or even the building. They certainly are very good at what they do." Magi smiled. "Yes they take their job seriously...we should head there too. I'm in no condition to heal any of you with my depleted magic...and I can't heal wounds stall inflicted. We will have to rely on the good will of the Sistermon I employ."

Cole nodded, "Yes....I need to get started. I wish you all the best of luck. Kim....I'm very sorry for your loss. I promise to return to Stall your vengeance....time will heal this wound...slowly...but it will." Cole waved one last time at his son and flew off.

Magi looked to Kim and sighed, "Kim you can't stay here....there is nothing but pain. Let us go to the hospital...you'll need to sleep." Kim looked at Magi but again said nothing. She had gone silent, traumatized and scarred after everything that had happened. Blake shook his head and could only hope she would find solace.

Ban went over to Theos and looked at him worryingly, "You're hurt...." Ban said lowering his head. "Are you gonna be okay?" He asked curiously, he wondered if he could help him in some way.