Work Text:
Title: To Burn From Inside
Characters: Taichi, Agumon, Yamato
Chapters: 1-1||Words: 3,798
Genre: Drama||Rated: PG
Notes: Set in season 1, Healer & Firestarter AU. Most likely set during the Etemon arc.
Summary: Firestarters can’t burn. But DarkTyrannomon is going to give it his best shot and Taichi will risk it all to prove him wrong.
Taichi kept on running, even with a sharp stitch in his side and his breath catching hard in his lungs. He didn’t know where Agumon was right now. He wasn’t even sure of where his other friends were. He did know there were three DarkTyrannomon on his heels and if he didn’t get somewhere safe soon, then there would be a pretty good chance of charred Taichi-burgers on their menu. I could take those flames. At least, he thought he could. There weren’t any flames that could burn a Firestarter. He’d been taught that since before he could walk. Only this was the Digital World, a place so very different from where he’d grown up.
But he’d heard the voice of fire here. He’d heard that every day of his life, back since before he could crawl. He’d even heard the voice in Agumon’s Petit Fire attack. So…
So he decided to take a chance. He had to do something. The DarkTyrannomon had attacked, driving the group apart, and unless he kept their attention, they’d wander off and hurt the others. That wasn’t going to happen. Not on his watch.
Taichi flexed his fingers, sparks dancing between them and his palms, then skidded to a stop and turned to face the three approaching monsters. One of them, who seemed to be the leader, roared, lurching closer.
Those things are big. Taichi tilted his head back, staring up at them. This was like being attacked by living dinosaurs. It wasn’t nearly as much fun as watching Greymon battle. But when he wasn’t sure of where his partner was, then he would have to do what he could.
“Give it your best shot,” he snapped, squaring up his shoulders and waiting. The first DarkTyrannomon roared again, then spewed a volley of flames towards Taichi.
That was its Fire Blast technique. Before they’d all lost sight of one another, Koushiro had mentioned something like that they could do. Somewhere in that had been the seed of what he did now.
Fire engulfed him, turning everything around him into an ocean of flames that he couldn’t guess how thick it was. It swept from his head to his feet, and Taichi knew very well that while he was immune to fire, his clothes had their limits – every Firestarter’s clothes were made of fireproof materials but nothing kept out everything forever.
Against his skin the flames danced, sinking down into him, flames the color of night and of darkness, edged in scarlet and blue, hot, hot, searing, burning, and Taichi drank it all down. He’d never felt fire this hot before. He’d never met a Black Flame and he wondered if this was what touching their flames would be like.
He raised his hands and closed them around the fire, pulling it in to himself, swallowing it, making it part of him. These fires were his fires now. They melted into his own and he groaned at how good it tasted.
The earth shook as the DarkTyrannomon stalked closer. He didn’t move. He wasn’t sure if he could have. Fire and flame filled his vision and his heart and there wasn’t any time to be afraid and no room for it either.
DarkTyrannomon's head leaned down closer, sniffing, clearly curious as to why he still existed instead of being a pile of ash or data or whatever. Taichi grinned as he released the last of the flames from his hands.
“That doesn’t work on me,” he said quietly. “Haven’t you ever faced a Firestarter before?”
He wasn’t sure if these Digimon understood his words. But they clearly knew something wasn’t right. His heart beat a little faster, and he really wasn’t sure if that was because some part of him realized how utterly stupid what he’d just done ahd been or because of all the flames that tasted so good, unlike anything he’d ever encountered before.
The lead DarkTyrannomon snarled, claws darting forward, and Taichi jerked himself backward. Firestarters could still bleed, just like anyone else! Worse, their heads could come off just as fast as anyone else’s! The other two Digimon started to circle around, and Taichi realized with a very sinking heart that he was very much outnumbered and very much outweighed.
He still wasn’t going to run, not unless he knew it would keep his friends safe. He darted out of the little circle before they could get him penned in and raced up a small rise before he turned back to wave his arms wildly at the three Digimon.
“I’m over this way!” They couldn’t burn him but they could tear him apart, and if they kept him as their target, then maybe he’d be able to find Agumon.
There was a part of him – the eternal burning flame that was the core of every Firestarter – that insisted he do what came most naturally to him, and use his fires to defend himself. That was natural, that was normal, and it was practically expected that if a Firestarter were in danger, someone out there was going to get burned.
But he couldn’t bring himself to do that, not to these Digimon. He wasn’t sure if it was because they acted more like animals – if somewhat smarter than he was used to – or because he felt like Agumon should be doing this. It didn’t matter, he guessed, as long as they didn’t hurt people, and at least they couldn’t hurt him with their flames.
A few seconds later, Taichi learned that there were far more ways than one to be hurt, as the Digimon behind him breathed out their Fire Blast attacks in burning unison. For a few seconds he wondered if there was some kind of name to the combined attack, like Tri Fire Blast or something, but he quickly forgot that in favor of noticing how the fire set the world around him ablaze.
An adult Firestarter, trained and experienced in the use of their gift, would be able to take control of this fire and tame it down, bring it to their hand, and do so with little more than the desire for a hefty steak afterwards. Taichi was fourteen – and he knew damned well that he wasn’t experienced enough for this.
But as everything around him began to burn, he tried anyway, somewhat aware of the running of other smaller Digimon as their homes were torn asunder and set aflame, a few of whom fell victim to DarkTyrannomon's ravening maws. He didn’t have time to help them. All of his focus and energy went into sinking mental hands into the flames and trying to ride the wildest of wild stallions, a creature so wild it knew no laws and would not have cared if it did. The flame would not hurt him but right now it would not obey him, either.
Taichi couldn’t have said if he stood on his feet or fell on his face. What he knew was that he was alive and that he gripped the flames with mind and might and nothing more. He gulped down fire and breathed in flames, and strained until he wasn’t sure if he was made of fire or of ice or nothing at all.
Could he move? If he tried, he might fall. If he didn’t, he might anyway.
Carefully, mostly unaware of what the terrain was like under his feet and not able to see it for all the flames, he moved his feet just a little. He guessed, vaguely, that he stood on his feet, at least for now. Somewhere beyond the roar of the flames he heard the roar of DarkTyrannomon, and a thread of triumph wove through the sound.
He thinks that he got me. If Taichi weren’t a Firestarter, then he very well might have. Instead, Taichi grit his teeth, set his shoulders stronger, and tightened his grip on the flames.
Controlling them wasn’t an option. The fire was too strong, too fierce, and there was too much of it. The voice of the flame screamed in his ears, taking delight in devouring all that lay before it, and Taichi had to hold himself as tight as he could, to avoid being lost in the flame.
Always remember, you are the fire and the fire is you. But you are yourself. Fire has a will and a mind of its own and that is not you. Keep yourself separate from it. He remembered vividly what he’d been told in his training classes. Firestarters who overreached themselves had one of two fates – either enclosing themselves in ice, to be Frostflames and never again hear the song of the flames, or burning themselves out altogether.
This was a fine line to walk and beneath him there yawned an abyss of shadows and ice, beckoning temptingly.
I have to survive. Hikari needs me alive. So does Agumon. And all the others.
Besides, he hadn’t yet bonded. There was a Healer out there he might never meet if he didn’t survive.
A pair of blue eyes floated in the back of his mind. He knew them, of course – they were Yamato’s. He’d been seeing them every day since the group landed in the Digital World. He knew that Yamato was a Healer, and a pretty strong one at that.
Could he be – was it – he didn’t know and he didn’t have time to think it through, not when letting himself stray too far could end up with his death.
He breathed in flames – and breathed in smoke as well. He coughed, unable to hold it back, and stumbled, grabbing at what he thought were rocks. While the flames filled his ears, he could feel the shudder of the earth as the DarkTyrannomon approached. Perhaps they thought he’d be easy to chomp on now that he’d been roasted. If they even thought he’d been roasted.
Taichi’s fingers dug into his palms and he forced his eyes open. He wouldn’t burn to death; he wouldn’t even be scorched, but this wasn’t easy and it drained so much of his energy. He could still get eaten if he didn’t have the strength to move away from there.
The ground shook more and more and he raised his head to see the lead DarkTyrannomon in front of him again. He’d never seen such a smug look on anyone’s face as the creature started to turn around, though not for a moment did he think DarkTyrannomon was leaving. Not when he could feel hot breath on his face still, and that tail approached, far too slowly and too fast all at the same time.
A hand closed onto his wrist and yanked him away, pulling him up at the same time. Taichi found himself leaning forward, wrapping his arms around whoever it was, and coughed even harder, wanting to get the smoke out of his lungs.
“You are an idiot.” The voice was one that he knew, but it took him a few seconds to grasp who it was. Then he leaned a little more against his rescuer.
“Thanks, Yamato.”
The blond Healer snorted as Garurumon carried them out of the area. “That doesn’t mean you’re not an idiot. What did you think you were doing, letting them chase you like that?”
Taichi managed a small shrug. “It worked, didn’t it?” It wasn’t as if they’d had time to sketch out even a small plan. He’d just thought simply, if the DarkTyrannomon chased him, they weren’t going to chase the others. “Is Agumon all right?”
“Of course he is. We’re all fine. Sora and Koushiro are trying to get that fire under control and they could probably use your help. Are you up for it?”
Taichi breathed in cleaner air the farther away they went from where the DarkTyrannomon cornered him. That made him feel a lot better.
“Not a problem.” One Firestarter probably couldn’t handle a fire like this, but three? A lot easier to get a grip on it.
Yamato made a mildly annoyed grunt and kept on riding. Taichi didn’t loosen his grip, but enjoyed being that close to a Healer. It really wasn’t fair how good Healers smelled – or was it just Yamato? He chalked that up to something else that he didn’t know and probably wouldn’t find out for years to come.
But he did like riding with Yamato and kind of wished they could do it more often. Normally he never had the chance. Either they weren’t on their Digimon like this because their Digimon were in the middle of battle or he was on Greymon while Yamato was on Garurumon. Something a little out of the ordinary.
Ahead of them was a circular clearing, and a broad smile broke over his face at the sight of Agumon. As soon as he could, Taichi jumped down and ran over to his partner, hugging him.
“Are you all right?” Agumon wanted to know, claws closing on Taichi’s hands. Taichi nodded quickly, grinning.
“Three DarkTyrannomon? Give me a challenge, why don’t you?”
The sound of a throat being cleared came from nearby and he glanced over to see Sora there, her arms crossed.
“We need to get this fire under control before it burns the whole continent up. Come on.”
Taichi nodded. “Do we know just how big it is?” He really thought three Firestarters could get it taken care of, but it already had had time to spread. Who knew how big it was by now?
Koushiro tapped a few keys on his laptop, then turned it around so everyone could see. It wasn’t the most perfect of representations but Taichi got the gist at once. A mass of green that was the forest, rapidly being overtaken by a mass of red.
“The scale isn’t entirely accurate,” Koushiro admitted, “but it should be within our joined capabilities.”
Taichi nodded, shooting a glance at Sora, who gnawed at her lower lip while looking at the image, before she spoke.
“Let’s split up,” she said at last. “I can come from up here,” she gestured to the sky, “and you two go to each end, and we sort of fold it up?”
Taichi ran the play over in his head. It sounded pretty good and he nodded. “All right. You guys ready?”
Yamato rolled his eyes a little before he looked to Jou and Mimi. “Are you ready to deal with them afterward?” His tone made it pretty clear he had very little expectations they’d all come out of this completely unmarred.
“Of course!” Mimi declared, eyes bright with glee. “Let’s get this done and get moving!”
Jou adjusted his glasses. “Please, no one do anything too reckless?”
“We’ve got Taichi on the job. That’s already taken care of.” Yamato muttered. “He was standing right in the middle of that smoke when I got there.”
Taichi brushed the rest of what Yamato had to say away and turned towards Agumon. “Ready, buddy?”
“Ready!”
Taichi’s Digivice flashed, and moments later he was perched on Greymon's back, striding back to where the DarkTyrannomon had been. And probably still were; who knew?
Agumon can handle them! Taichi held absolute confidence in his partner.
Together they crested a hill and Taichi looked down into the area that had been burned. He couldn’t see any of the DarkTyrannomon from here, but the footsteps echoed, and he knew they couldn’t be that far away.
Greymon drew a deep gulp of air, then waved one claw ahead of them. “They’re that way. I think they’re trying to get some roasted food.”
Food? There was food there? Taichi’s stomach grumbled. It was personal now! “Then let’s go interrupt dinner!”
Greymon chuckled before he started down the slope, running ahead even swifter than the flames had once done. Soon enough they were on the edges of the fire, and Taichi reached outward with his gift to seize hold of them once more. He didn’t have to do it all this time – he could already feel Sora and Koushiro gripping on their own portions, hauling them in and keeping them under control.
Three certainly was better than one in this case. Taichi wasn’t as lost in the flames this time as he’d been before. He could still taste the fire in the back of his throat, but that was normal. Now he could focus on the voice of the flames, which sang a glorious song about how much fun it was to dance and weave and burn all that lay before them.
Fire. Always the same, no matter the world.
Carefully he slid off of Greymon’s back once his partner reached their chosen place, and set himself to corralling the fire. Greymon stalked the area, the ground shaking under his feet as he did, and Taichi found comfort in that. He wasn’t alone, not this time. Not that he’d ever been, but they were there now.
Together, he and Sora and Koushiro divided the fire into thirds, then began to calm it down, soothing it, using techniques that they’d only read of or heard of, but which Firestarters had used in their world for centuries to keep fires controlled and not causing rampant destruction.
By the time they’d finally brought the flames to heel and the fire eased off from an inferno into a quiet healthy burn, then slowly drained all of its energy and let it sleep again, Taichi wondered if it would be possible to just fall over and stay where he was for a while.
Unfortunately, fate had no such goal in mind for him. He took a mere three steps towards Greymon, when a powerful series of roars erupted, and those same DarkTyrannomon that had started the whole situation by thinking the Chosen were a good option for lunch forged their way into the area.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got this!” Greymon declared, rearing his head back and blasting forth with a Nova Blast. Taichi would have done what he usually did and increased the strength of it – three against one wasn’t great odds – but he had no more strength right now. He wrapped one arm around the nearest tree and let it support him while he watched what was going on, hoping that Greymon might not need the assistance. He usually didn’t.
But he also didn’t fight with the odds stacked against him that often.
The first Nova Blast knocked the lead DarkTyrannomon back only a little, while the other two began to circle around. Whether they wanted to take Greymon from behind or find Taichi, he didn’t know. Regardless of how tired Taichi was, though, he didn’t even think about finding somewhere to hide. Even if he had, there wasn’t any use to it. The fire had burnt almost everything that could be used to hide in.
So he started to drag himself forward, tiny flickers of flame ghosting about him. Greymon was going to be busy. He needed to do something to keep his fight fair.
We can’t keep getting separated. He’d be able to handle this so much better if he had a Healer. He’d never used his powers as much as he had since coming to the Digital World. Now he really understood, in the deepest part of himself, why a Firestarter needed a Healer.
His legs shook and he grabbed harder onto the tree, glad that he hadn’t gotten past it yet, and even more so that it had somehow survived the destruction. Taichi breathed hard as he faced the other two DarkTyrannomon, noting that Greymon was doing a very good job beating the first one down.
But these two seemed intent on stopping that. Taichi pressed his lips together and tried to smack them both away with a lash of flame. He’d done it before, but this time, all that appeared were a few sparks.
Then a very familiar hand, that he’d already felt once that day, landed on his shoulder, and Yamato spoke in his ear.
“I could have guessed you were trying to burn yourself up.” The blond Healer shook his head. “You’re an idiot.”
Taichi liked to tell himself there was a hint of fondness in the tone. There had been something between the two of them since shortly after they met – mostly starting when they’d been in the snowy area after Devimon split up File Island. He was the Firestarter, but Yamato had been so warm then.
Just like he was warm now. Taichi had to hold himself back from leaning into Yamato, no matter how much he wanted to.
He wasn’t sure if Yamato realized it either, but from the way those blue eyes glinted at him, he had to wonder -
Yamato rolled his eyes and glanced over to Garurumon, looming behind him. “Think you can take care of them?”
The giant wolf eyed the two DarkTyrannomon and flexed giant claws. “That’s not going to be a polymer. Greymon’s almost done with that one anyway.”
Taichi’s attention flicked away for a second to see that was true. Greymon had the DarkTyrannomon down and – well, he wasn’t going to keep looking. Greymon could handle this pretty well.
While the Digimon dealt with the battling, Yamato tugged Taichi away just enough so they could still see what was going on with their partners and not have to worry about being attacked themselves.
“Mimi’s checking on Sora, and Jou’s keeping an eye on Koushiro,” Yamato told him as he settled Taichi down and rested his hands on Taichi’s forehead. Golden Healing energy flowed into him, and the brunet drew in a pleasant breath. He already felt better.
“Where’s Takeru?” Not that he thought Yamato would leave Takeru anywhere unsafe.
“Over there.” Yamato nodded to one of the rare areas that survived the flame onslaught – a small cave that had once been covered with moss and flowers and now had been burned down to stone. If Taichi stared hard, he could see a tiny flick of yellow and orange in there- Takeru and Patamon. They were safe.
Yamato didn’t let him stare for long, though. “If you’re going to keep trying to burn yourself out, then I guess we’re going to have to bond.” He sounded more or less annoyed by the prospect and Taichi blinked a few times, trying to get his head wrapped around what he’d just heard.
“Bond?”
“It’s either that or you burn up, and you don’t want that, do you?” Yamato glowered at him, and Taichi forgot how to talk.
“You want to bond with me?”
“You think there’s anyone else who’s going to put up with you?” Yamato snorted. “We can sort it out later, though. Come on. They’re done over there.”
Taichi mentally gibbered. This wasn’t what he expected at all.
But he did think he liked it.
The End
Notes: I don’t give up on projects, no matter how long it takes me to complete them.