ME: well its been a wile but here it is i bring you chapter 7 of my humble Fic

TOM: oh good for a wile I thought you forgotten all about it

Rena: YAY NEW CHAPTER FINALY

ME : Life has been hectic at the university what can i say any way with out further ado i bring you chapter 7 of AGAINST ALL ODDS enjoy

Chapter Seven: The End of a Journey, the Beginning of an Adventure

Digital World

After trekking through the forest for over three hours, Tom and Rena soon saw the tops of a fairly large castle. Now either Tom was going crazy, or he was certain that something was watching them. He saw something move in the tree-line and in an instant, snapped his rifle up and aimed, ready to blow some Digimon or whatever to bits. Soon, a small shape came out of the trees, and it looked very familiar to Tom for once. This Digimon was hawk shaped, if only slightly larger than a hawk, and was having some difficulty pulling a sled stocked with wood. "Don't move another step. Now who, and what are you?" Tom asked coldly, rifle aimed straight at the hawk's head. The startled bird squawked, dropping the lead for the sled as it looked at Tom fearfully.

"Tom wait, it's okay, I know this Digimon!" Rena cried out, grabbing onto Tom. The sniper grudgingly lowered his rifle, watching as Rena went over to the hawk. "Hawkmon, it's nice to see you again!"

The bird's beak-if it were even possible-dropped to the ground in pleasant surprise. "My heavens Luna, is that truly you? Why last time I saw you, you were this tall!" Hawkmon flapped his wings and fly over to Rena's head, hovering a foot and a half above it. "Now you're that tall! What gives, you're shrinking? And by the way, who is your jumpy friend?" he asked. Taking a quick glide over to Tom, Hawkmon almost fell out of the sky in amazement. "CAN IT BE …A HUMAN?! Wow Luna, this is truly amazing !"

The little Digimon buzzed around tom eyeing up the human , hakmon has herd a grate deal of Humans from Annulmon but this one seems different in a way it was covered in metal plates and that staff he pointed at him was new too most curtly an attack of some kind . the little digimon landed in front of him looking up at him

"Yes Hawkmon," Rena said, "This is Tom. He's the reason that we're here right now to see Annulmon."

Hawkmon smiled as he looked Tom in the eye…or at least, he tried to he couldn't see his face through his helmet . "Pleasure to meet you Tom. Sorry about the scare, but I had a rather unpleasant encounter with a Yetimon, and I just happen to be the right size for a snack."

Tom shrugged. "No worries. I've been having some bad luck recently, so I can completely understand," Tom said, slinging back his rifle. "Can I help you with the wood?"

Hawkmon nodded, and was promptly stunned as Tom took the hundred pound pile of wood and started jogging towards the castle with it. Mindful of the cold ("Let's get inside, I'm freezing my tail-feathers off!"), Hawkmon led the pair into the castle. On the way, Tom turned to Rena. "Hey Rena, why did Hawkmon call you 'Luna?'" he asked. Rena's ears drooped down and her cheeks went red under her fur.

"Well, it was given to me because I was born during an eclipse," Rena explained. "It wasn't really a name I liked, seeing as it only made everyone treat me like I was some fragile flower. And it was one of the reasons why I left my village. Why, did you have any nicknames?" Rena asked. Tom sighed. He did have a lot of nicknames from the other Spartan-Vs. Runt, Brute-bait, mama's boy; those at least were the polite ones. The others….well, Tom would rather not think about that. Tom nodded to Rena.

"Yeah, one. My friend Devin used to call me Grim," he said, just as they reached the castle. It was rather small as castles went, but for Tom and Rena, the keep was huge. Equally impressive was the main entrance, lined with tapestries and paintings, chronicling the history of the Digital world. Among the tapestries, Tom saw something that looked like an old Virgin Mary picture…but it was red, and inside it was a small little girl.

"The Enemy," whispered Rena as she saw what Tom was looking at. "It was only due to the actions of the Digidestined that our worlds still exist today."

Tom looked at her in surprise. Something had almost destroyed the digital world? When did that happen?

"Nearly a thousand years ago my boy," came the response for Tom's unasked question. Tom turned around as saw what was now the strangest looking Digimon he had ever seen and that was saying something . It, he, Tom didn't know exactly, but this Digimon looked like an old hourglass, and had a clock for a head, its robe going down the floor.

"Annulmon!" Rena cried out, jumping up and hugging the moving timepiece. Annulmon smiled-as much as a clock could smile at any rate-and hugged her back.

"I would ask what would bring you here to my lonely keep, but," Annulmon said, looking over at Tom. "I have a feeling I already know." Looking Tom over, he added, "Although, he does look strange for a human. Most of the ones who've come before were much… smaller, and not carrying weapons."

Rena shrugged. "Yes, this is Tom, my Tamer," she said bashfully. Annulmon looked at Rena with concern.

"Does your father know?" he asked. Rena scowled.

"Like I'd ever go to him for anything," she spat out. "I don't want anything to do with him Annulmon, him or that creep Gravismon."

Annulmon nodded. "I see," he told her. Turning back to Tom, the clock creature asked, "So, young one, where are you from?"

Tom scratched the back of his head. "I'm from a planet called Orion, and well, I found this weird pedestal a few weeks ago. I touched it, and I got sent here. Rena could me that you might have some idea as to how and why ?"

As Tom was speaking, Annulmon's face went from calm, to surprised, to shocked. "You're not from Earth?!" the Digimon asked. Tom shook his head. Annulmon's thoughts went haywire. If Rena was born on the night of an eclipse, and she had a Tamer…then the legend….

"Do you have some sort of pendant?" Annulmon asked in a hurry. Tom looked at Annulmon dumbfounded for a second, and then rummaged through his pouches quickly, taking out the pendant that had inadvertently brought him here to the Digital World. Taking it out, Tom showed it to the anthromorphic clock man. Looking it over, Annulmon saw that it was indeed the pendant from the legend, it had to be . Rushing over to a nearby bookshelf, Annulmon brought down a thick, leather-bound book and opened it. "Luna," he asked, "Do you remember the legend of the Light Maiden?"

Rena nodded wearily, knowing it was the reason for her…birthright. "Yes, I do," she answered. She looked up and sighed, remembering the tale. "The Maiden of Light, after defeating the Dark Evil, breathed life into the Digital World and bestowed her grace upon the Renamon, tasking them as guardians of the Crest of Light. The legend then says that one day, a kit will be born during a lunar eclipse and would have to defeat the Darkness once more. Anulmon, it's just a stupid legend, what does it have to do with my Tamer?" she asked the far older Digimon.

Annulmon flipped the book open to the page he was looking for. On it was an old, faded ink-print of what looked like the back of Tom's pendant, which featured a modified version of the yin-yang along with the strange symbol on the front . "That is only part of the legend," Annulmon told the both of them. "What many do not know, or even acknowledge, is that along with the Hero of Light, there was a Hero of Shadows who fought and sealed away the six Dark Kings in the Void. It was then said that a traveler from lands far away would come and bear this very crest…." Annulmon paused and looked at Tom, realization dawning upon him. "Oh my…y-you…you must get to the Real World! It is not safe for you here!" Faster than either Tom or Rena could have given him credit for, Annulmon rushed over to them and proceeded to physically push them down the hall. "You must get to Entrance City! You will find the portal to the Real World there! There is where you'll find help! Already we are running out of time!"

Tom was confused. "Wait, what do you mean 'running out of time?' Hell, why are you calling me a distant traveler?" Rena was likewise confused.

"I agree with my Tamer on this one Annulmon," she said. "What's gotten into you? Why can't we stay, and how can there be a Hero of Shadows? The Darkness is what we Renamon are opposed to to begin with!"

Just then, Annulmon brought them before a painting of a desert. "I'm sorry, but there is no time! If they find you here, it could mean the end of everything! Follow the red beam! That will take you to the portal!" he told them hurriedly. He pushed them into the painting, just as Tom was about to have the last word. As it turned out, the painting wasn't exactly solid, so as the two of them fell through the painting, they were enveloped in a bright light and experienced a very cold chill.

Next thing Tom knew, he was falling and then landed with a thud onto something soft…and very damn hot. It took Tom a second to realize that it was sand. Flipping onto his back, Tom saw endless blue sky, and there in the corner of his vision….

Tom bolted upright, shocked. "Earth?! But how, wha-?" And indeed, there it was, the birthplace of Humanity hanging in the sky where the Sun should have been.

Rena had gotten up already and was dusting herself off. "Hmff! What was wrong with Annulmon? I've known him for years, and this is the first time he's ever acted like this! He's lost his mind!" she said to Tom loudly. She then saw Tom still looking at Earth in shock. Rena remembered that Tom wasn't quite used to the Digital World and how it worked. Sitting next to Tom, she explained, "Tom, this is the first level of the Digital World. It's the closest to Earth, and I've only heard stories of this place."

The two of them got up from the sand and saw the red beam that Annulmon was talking about off in the distance, stretching up to connect the Digital World and Earth like an orbital elevator. Tom picked up his pack and rifle and looked at Rena. "Well, maybe it wouldn't hurt to follow his advice," he said to her shrugging. "He said there was a city there after all. Beats being out here in the heat."

Rena nodded, her eyes still on the red beam of light that lead up to the blue and green ball in the sky. "Good idea Tom, I feel like I'm being roasted by my own fur." Without another word, the two of them set off towards the light, hoping to find the city. Although some shade would be good too.

:\_/:

The invisible sun was beating down on the duo with hellish fury as they walked. Tom's ODST armor was designed to vent heat as the occupant dropped down to the ground from orbit in an egg-shaped coffin and his shield was designed to reflect a brodde spectrum of radiation including infared and UV . Nevertheless, Tom was sweating like a pig under his armor. He and Rena soon spotted a rocky outcrop jutting from the sand. There wasn't much shade, but it would do for now.

Rena gave a relieved sigh as they walked into the shade. "By the Sovereigns, I've never felt so drained," she said as she plopped down on the wall of rocks.

Tom nodded as he plopped down next to her. "Yeah, I know. The heat wears you out fast," he said. A click later, Tom's helmet was off, showing his sweat covered face, his hair stuck to his skull. Wiping off his forehead, Tom took his rifle and started cleaning the breech, removing the sand and dirt that had gotten into it during the trip.

When Tom removed his helmet, Rena was assaulted by his scent that the armor was concealing . It was just as intoxicating as ever, as Rena went into another trace like she did a few nights agobut this time it seemed stronger . She felt her heart begin to beat faster, and her excitement grew as she fixed her gaze upon Tom, her feelings soon spiraling out of control….

Rena shook her head, clearing her mind. Rena, stop it! She thought to herself. This isn't right! Is it? No..no, it's not! He's a human, and you're a Digimon! There's just no way that you and he can be together no matter what his pheromones are telling you! But…why is it wrong? Just because Father said so? Since when have I cared about what he said? I mean, it's very possible that he's wrong about humans… Rena sighed and leaned back into the wall. Get a hold of yourself Rena. He's only a friend, and you're a Renamon. We're just too different. But then, why does it feel right to…to love him?

Tom looked over at Rena as she sighed. "What's up?" he asked her.

Rena snapped back into reality and looked into Tom's blue eyes. "N-nothing!" she said. "I'm sorry," she added, "It's just that, we've been walking for hours with no sign of the city or the beam."

Tom looked at said beam of red light. "Don't worry," he told her. "We'll make it there, we just gotta press on a bit more. Trust me, it'll get easier once the sun goes down." Tom set his rifle down and took the camelpak from his rucksack. "Here, drink some, it'll help," Tom told her.

Rena took the water pouch, took out the straw, and bit down on the valve. Instantly, sweet, cool water was going down her throat. Rena smiled as she took a few gulps of water. Satisfied, she put the straw back and handed it back to Tom. "Thank you," she said to him. "That helped out quite a bit."

Tom smiled. "See, what did I tell you?" he told her as he took a drink himself. After he was done, Tom put away the water pouch, but as he did so, something caught his eye. "Hey, what's that?"

Rena turned her head to see what Tom was talking about, and saw some smokestacks in the distance. "Could it be the city?" she asked him.

Tom took his rifle and looked down the scope. "No, I don't think so," he said, seeing a bunch of small huts randomly arranged around a central firepit. "It's too far away from the beam, and from the size of the place, I'd say that it's just a village of some kind. Worth a look, I mean, the locals might give us some food and water if we asked."

Rena nodded as Tom lowered his rifle. "You're right," she told him. "Let's go check it out. It's better than staying here and dying of heatstroke." Tom nodded as he put his helmet back on. Peering around the corner cautiously, Tom signaled for Rena to follow him to the village.

[][][]

As they reached the outskirts of the village, Tom and Rena noticed a few things. One, the smoke they saw earlier did not come from the smokestacks of the huts. It was the huts as they burned to the ground. Second, the place looked totaled, with furniture broken in the streets, walls torn down, and personal possessions scattered everywhere. Lastly, there seemed to be no one here . And that put Tom on edge As he and Rena walked into the village. This village was attacked, and recently too. Which meant that whoever had done this had either just left, or was still here.

Rena stopped and looked around at the wanton destruction. "W-what happened here? This village is just…"

Tom sighed as he walked over to her, scanning the area for threats. "Rena, these people were attacked recently," he told her.

Rena looked into his polarized visor in worry. "Tom, this village was wiped out! Who'd wipe out a village?" Just as these words left her mouth, however, the two of them heard a painful groan. Nodding to each other, they rushed off to find the owner of that groan. Rena beat Tom to the source by only a few seconds to find that the owner of the groan was a Flamedramon lying on the ground, clutching his side as he tried to keep his body together. When Tom saw him, the Spartan saw a six foot two, blue skinned dinosaur with egg-shaped gauntlets and foot covers, and a matching faceplate with a footlong blade sticking up from it.

Rena crouched down, trying to see if she could help out the Champion level Digimon in front of her. Because whatever could attack a Flamedramon and win was certainly something that no even she could handle. Kudugamon and the other insect-like pests of the forest were one thing, but this? This was something different. "What happened here?" she asked. "Who did this to you?"

The Flamedramon looked up at her and lowered his arms, showing her and Tom his wounds. It was disgusting, even to Tom who had seen some pretty messed up shit from his time working for ONI. The wounds weren't infected; no, very flesh was falling off of the Flamedramon in messy green chunks that simply reeked of death. "We…we couldn't stop them," the giant said weakly. "They attacked us. W-we refu…refused to bow to them." The Flamedramon gulped for air. "There were so many of them, and their claws and blades…." The Digimon suddenly coughed up blood, the normally crimson liquid tainted with copious amounts of green. "They carried illness! The end of the Digital World…the end is at hand…they…they came in the name of…of…." The Flamedramon slumped to the ground, his body crumbling into course, corrupted bits of data.

Rena looked as if she was about to puke as Tom turned away from the sight. As he did so, Tom thought he saw something move about in the shadows. To quote that stupid film that Captain Martinez watches all the time, I have a bad feeling about this, Tom thought as he flicked the safety off his rifle. "Rena, I think we-" Before Tom could finish, something slammed through the wall next to him and sent him flying. Tom all but demolished several buildings in his way as he came to a stop near the other end of the village.

"TOM!" Rena shouted. She leapt to her feet and was about to go after Tom when…something got in her way. It stood almost as tall as a tree, and twice as thick, with green, scarred skin that simply absorbed the sunlight. It was clad only in a furred loincloth and a pair of leather straps crossing the chest, and Rena slowly backed away at the sight of the club in its right hand. She could tell just by looking at this thing that she was outclassed, and that she needed help. Unfortunately for her, help was at the other end of the village, and another one of those things came out of a nearby alley, club raised and ready to pummel her to the ground.

Just as the newcomer swung its club, Rena jumped out of the way. In doing so, the second monster hit his comrade, the first one got angry, and the two of them started grappling with each other. They fell into a hut and Rena slowly walked off. Strong, but rather stupid, she thought to herself as she dashed off to find Tom. She soon found the place where Tom had come to a stop, and her heart sank. He was buried under a small pile of rubble, and as she started removing the debris, the vixen noted with increasing trepidation that Tom wasn't moving. "Nononono, come on Tom, please, I can't lose you!" she whispered to him as she went to take off his helmet to check his status.

Just then, Tom decided to join the world of the living by groaning. "Rena, you're not getting rid of me that easily," he said. Damn, he felt like God had just punched him in the gut. But other than that, he felt fine.

Rena hugged him in relief. "Thank the spirits you're alive! Are you okay?"

Tom looked into her eyes from behind his visor. "Yeah, just a few bruises, nothing serious," he answered. As he sat up, Rena simply hugged him.

"Well, don't scare me like that."

Now, Rena couldn't see it, but Tom's face was red. Not just plain old red, but red enough to rival a stop sign. It was something about her eyes, those deep, gleaming emeralds that just made his heart melt, his mind race, and make all his troubles go away. Tom was luckily snapped out of his thoughts by Rena. "Come on Tom, we should leave. Even with those things fighting each other, I don't think they'll occupy each other for long, and I don't think I can fight them," Rena said to her Tamer, helping him to his feet.

Tom nodded. "Got it," he said. They left the village and after about an hour and a half, found a cave in a nearby mesa. For one thing, it was still too damn hot outside, and second, they needed a break anyway. Tom entered the cave first, checking that it was clear. Pleased that it was, the Spartan took his pack off, and dropped it next to the nearest wall. Said pack was soon accompanied by its owner plopping down to the ground, with Tom taking off his helmet. Looking to Rena sitting at the other wall, Tom asked, "Rena, what was that guy talking about? What end of the Digital World, what are the Dark Ones, and what the hell just attacked us?"

Rena looked out the entrance of the cave. She was thinking the same thing as Tom, but she at least could answer some of the questions. "My mother used to tell me stories of the Dark Ones," she began. "They were these corrupted Digimon and terrible monsters that tried to enslave our world and all worlds as the legends states but before they succeeded the Maiden of Light stopped them. They were led by an evil general who commanded grate armies , himself a follower of six terrible kings." She laughed humorlessly. "I always thought it was just a story to frighten kits into behaving. But as for what attacked us, I don't know what they were, but they were Digimon."

Tom, for his part, couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So," he said incredulously, "Annulmon thinks that I'm connected to all this?"

Rena sighed. "I don't know Tom, I just don't know."

Tom moved over to sit next to her. "Hey, it's all right," he told her gently. "But legends or not, we need to get out the desert."

Rena looked over her shoulder at Tom. "But if what Annulmon says is true, then we need to leave the Digital World altogether! But, if it isn't, then what? I mean, even if we do get to Entrance City and go through the portal, what do we do then?" she asked. Tom put a hand on her shoulder.

"Listen, we can't plan for everything. What we need to do is stay focused on the here and now we will cross that bridge when we get there ," he said to her comfortingly. "We'll worry about the beam when we get there, okay?"

Rena nodded, her emotions cooling off. Tom really was special, if the fact that his touch alone could calm her nerves. "You're right," she replied quietly as Tom took his hand off her shoulder. "But we should wait until nightfall to leave for the city."

Tom smiled weakly in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. I'm gonna try and grab some shut eye, I want to stay sharp," he said to her, moving over to his pack.

Rena smiled back. "Don't worry Tommie, I'll watch over you," she told him. She so focused on the fact that Tom made her insides warm up, that she hadn't realized that she had called him 'Tommie.'

Tom didn't want to admit it as his head hit his pack, but the heat had completely drained him. Add on the fact that he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in a few days didn't do much to help him out either. Ever since they had entered that forest, Tom had been on edge. Normally, he would just charge through this and complete the mission objective, especially when in the midst of an unknown number of equally unknown enemies and the end in sight. But, with Rena there at the entrance, Tom felt oddly…at peace, if that was possible for the Spartan. Besides, he was too tired to really notice that Rena had called him 'Tommie.' Because as soon as his head hit the impromptu pillow, he was out like a light.

Rena watched Tom fall asleep before she leaned back against the cave wall and sighed. I'm getting too worked up about this, she thought. All those stories are just that, stories. Things you tell kits to make them behave and listen to their parents. On another note, Tom…there's just something about him that makes me like as more than just a Tamer. Is it just because he's a male, or am I- Her thoughts were interrupted by the growl of her stomach. Looking down at that part of her body, she scowled. "First thing we need to do when we get out of this desert is get some food." The vixen then looked up into the sky, staring at Earth. "Maybe explore Earth. I'd love to see if those stories about it are true…."

TOM : AWW WHAT THE HELL I HATE CLIFF HANGERS

ME: well that sucks now don't it

TOM: grumbal

REAN: OH i can't wait to see earth so exciting i can't wait

ME: in due time Ren in due time we have miles to go before we sleep

TOM: what do you mean we i don't see your lazy ass out huffing it in the hot sun

ME: its a metaphor

TOM: i don't care what it is there better be some water at this city

ME : he he no promises there hehe any way i hop you all liked the chapter tell me what you think in the comments well Till next time

I bid you all a good day