Introduction to GOSPEL

OK, so what is GOSPEL?

GOSPEL is a seven-part series, the sequel to the five-part series "Tamers Forever." Both are fanfics (fictional stories based on an existing material, made by fans) inspired by the Digimon franchise, most particularly the third installment of the Digimon animated series, "Digimon Tamers."

What was "Tamers Forever" about?

"Tamers Forever" works under the assumption that "Tamers" ended at some point in the year 2013. The first installment of the first series begins in July 2014, as a direct continuation of the TV series' ending. In a few words, "Tamers Forever" describes the ordeals of the main character, Matsuki Takato.

• The first story, "Card-O-Rama," is a humorous introduction to the world of Matsuki Takato and his companions, as we get reacquainted with the ever-lovable hero. His crush on the female Tamer Nonaka Rika is revealed, and we see the kind of over-the-top antics Takato is capable of performing for her.

• "Omni-Tamer" narrates Takato's return to the Digital World to search for his Digimon friends. He faces many challenges to reunite with his companions, and many mysteries stand in his way. He gains the surprisingly powerful artifact, the Ruby Omnivice, and meets its interesting artificial personality trait, which he names "Ruki," as well as the mysterious organization known only as "The Triad."

• "Forget the Y2K, This is Madness!" describes the Digimon Tamers' campaign against an unique and very powerful computer virus, baptized by Takato as "The Nightmare." The tension of the events overwhelms Takato, and the reader gets to glimpse the return of Takato's darker side (as well as the power known as "The Digital Hazard"), which has only grown more threatening and dangerous. Takato and Rika face the final form of the Nightmare by themselves, and they discover a powerful connection between them, which allows them to defeat the powerful virus. This story begins to reveal the connections between the "Tamers" universe and the "Adventure" universe, from the first two seasons of the Digimon TV series. It does so with the appearance of Takaishi Takeru, former Digi-Destined of Hope, who apparently abandoned his world during his adolescence and has become a hermit in the Digital World. It is revealed he is the creator of the Omnivice (he possesses one of his own: the Emerald Omnivice, "Pauline"), and a member of the Triad. Many mysteries appear throughout this story, centered on the "prophecy" that seems to define Takato's existence. The story ends with an astounding revelation: Takato (who at this point should be pretty obvious he's no ordinary human) is dying. The power he is supposed to contain has proven to be too much for him, and he's going to make the ultimate sacrifice for a fate he didn't ask for. Rika is the only other person who knows this, which only draws them closer.

• The fourth installment, "Theory of Chaos," is a return to the more humorous side of my writing style: a supposedly-fun story wrapped within a diametrically opposite background. Takato's interaction with the entity that resides within his body, "Chaos," is revealed as difficult and damaging to Takato's well-being. Meanwhile, Daemon, a former enemy of the Digi-Destined, intends to escape from the Dark World and seize Takato's power for himself. He sends one of his servants, Doumon, to wreak havoc among the Tamers and weaken them, which she does wonderfully, cursing each of them to portray one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Takato has to discover the reason behind his friends' aberrant behavior all the while he fights his inner self who fully intends to see to is demise and take over the body. Doumon is defeated, but a slip of the tongue from Rika crushes the last of Takato's will to fight and releases Chaos. Takato, Rika and Jeri barely manage to contain the otherwordly being (Jeri is revealed a bit of the truth about Takato and the Prophecy), but Takato succumbs to exhaustion and his incessantly approaching death. A humorous story ends in a depressing tone: Takato is in a coma, and the tendrils of Daemon's threat slowly approach and wrap around the blissfully ignorant Tamers. In the Eastern Quadrant, Takeru visits his own acquaintance Gennai, from whom he learns of "Project Asmodeus," an ambitious plan to create an artifical organic vessel for Chaos. Takeru realizes that someone other than Gennai and his colleagues finished Project Asmodeus on its own, with Takato as the failed result. Gennai's words also lead him to conclude that former leader of the Digi-Destined Kamiya Taichi, thought to be dead for almost fifteen years, might be alive after all.

• The fifth and final installment of "Tamers Forever," "Silent Sorrow," fulfills the roll of epic finale to this long saga. Takato's death is a matter of days, and Daemon intends to invade both Material and Digital Worlds. In the Dark Ocean, a Tamer from another dimension, "DC," at Takeru's command, attempts to stall Daemon and his army, with the aid of the unliving warrior, Tatsu, and the shapechanging singularity, Eclipse, as well as the mysterious voice in his head, "Gabrielle." Their battle with Daemon is extremely challenging, but with determination, "Gabrielle's" aid and the appearance of the Opral Omnivice at a critical moment, they manage to make it out of the Dark World alive. Daemon eventually invades Tokyo, and the Tamers are no match for the terrifying Demon Lord, which forces them to flee the city. Takato and Rika escape to the Digital World, where they're found by Rosemon and the denizens of the Secret Garden, the Digital World's last eden. In this haven of peace, Takato and Rika find solace in each other, and it doesn't take long before love finally blossoms between them. Meanwhile, the former Digi-Destined have to face a new challenge after well over a decade when Daemon's forces try to invade the Eastern Quadrant of the Digital World. The former Digi-Destined, turned adults with families and responsibilities, have to rediscover their "child within" and find the determination and courage to fight one more time. Two of them, Kamiya Hikari & Ichijouji Ken, receive Omnivices at some point: "Ayla" and "Helena," respectively. The Secret Garden is eventually found and destroyed by Daemon's forces, in a slaughter that breaks Takato's heart. In his pain and agony, Takato finally assimilates Chaos, but it's already too late: his death is imminent. However, he chooses to return to Tokyo and face the Demon Lord one last time. The Tamers (and Rika, who makes a last stand to protect Takato) fall defeated by the overwhelming forces set against them. In the borderline of life & death, Takato meets DC & Gabrielle, who reveals herself as another product of Project Asmodeus, and Takato's "sister." She is reborn as Takako, and her "brother" returns to fight Daemon one last time. Takato kills himself by releasing all his energy in one last cataclismic explosion, taking Daemon with him. However, he soon appears in the United States, alive, where he is welcomed by a familiar face from a few years before: Alice McCoy. The series ends with the Tamers (and the whole world) believing Takato is a martyr, while Takato himself, the new resident of the McCoy household, has become aware that something big is in store for his future, something that will encompass both Material and Digital Worlds, something that could swallow the entire universe if left unchecked. Takato knows GOSPEL is at hand.

So, what about GOSPEL?

GOSPEL will narrate the fulfillment of the "Prophecy" in seven installments. For the first time since the beginning of time, the Holy War beween the Hierarchy of Heaven and the Hellish Horde will take place outside the supernal realms. Takato, as the leader of the Archangels, the ten generals of the Army of Good, has to protect his world and the Digital World from the machinations of his "brother" Moloch, the last product of Project Asmodeus (whose real name, "Project ADAM," has been revealed). However, it's not as simple as beating the bad guys. Mysteries and questions unanswered lurk everywhere, since nothing is really as it seems. How was "Project ADAM" executed? Where does the Prophecy come from, and what does it really mean? Why are so many supernal entities incarnating? Why has the Holy War moved to the material universe? What are Takako's true intentions?

Really, seven parts!?

Yeah, seven parts. It's what it will take to portray the whole story without making look rushed (and I might fail at that, anyway).

• Book One: Trials of Worthiness

• Book Two: The Ruby Ring

• Book Three: Digimon Battle Arena

• Book Four: Four Tales From Four Evangelists

• Book Five: The Last Holy War

• Book Six: Revelation

• Book Seven: Promise of the Setting Sun

To that you must add "GOSPEL: True Stories," a collection of loose stories related to the main storyline (basically a way to include scenes I know won't make it to the main seven books). There are also two more short books: "GOSPEL: Gathering of the Exalted" and "GOSPEL: Pandemonium Puppet Show," centered on everyone's favorite "siblings" (okay, maybe not everyone's, only mine), Takato and Takako. Plus the "Author's Notes" and all the flavor text included in this wiki (pretty much all the XANADU database info), and we have one hell of a challenge ahead of us. It's fanfiction taken to the next level.

Why?

Well, I began writing fanfiction as a way to practice my English and my writing skills. Those few who have followed me since the beginning might remember "Son of Darkness, Son of Light" and "The Last Sorcerer," my first attempts at Digimon fanfiction. I had written plenty of other works of fiction in my native language (Spanish) using my good old typewriter (I have like 2000 pages of stuff), like "Death & Beyond," a story which I recently attempted to adapt to fanfiction standards using the Digimon characters......and failed miserably. People liked it, but I didn't. That's why I dropped it. Why am I still writing? Yeah, it's been years since Tamers aired (five years, I think?). Well, I do like writing fanfiction, even if it seems my available time for writing decreases every year. Besides, I have such a long, complex and alluring storyline mapped in my head; I don't think I'll be at ease until I finish this whole thing. And people seem to like it, so there!

How long do you think it will take you to finish the whole thing?

I WISH I KNEW!

Who is Daneel Rush, the only man insane enough to come up with this thing?

Uhh......well, that's a way to say it. As of today (April 1st, 2007), I'm a twenty-two years old electronics engineer looking for a sign. There are so many doubts on what I should do with my life that my only relief comes from writing controversial fanfiction, offering my skills and talents to the highest bidder and abosorbing all sorts of knowledge. Daneel Rush is an avid reader and writer with a wild imagination. He enjoys discussing topics most people would rather avoid (as GOSPEL should have made obvious by now) and he has very concrete thoughts on matters such as religion, drugs, vices, racial conflicts and sexual taboos such as homosexuality (which isn't really much of a taboo anymore......), incest and pedophilia. He despises laziness, irresponsibility and blatant stupidity in all their forms. He has very few people he calls "friend," because he's very careful and demanding in his social interactions. Besides reading and writing, he enjoys listening to all kinds of music, traveling, going to the movies, taking long, quiet strolls, sleeping and playing difficult, complex and demanding games (that's why he thinks danmaku is the best thing mankind has conceived......after vanilla ice cream). But, by far, his favorite activity is thinking, or, as he prefers to call it, "challenging the established system."

Is this an April's Fools joke?

No, it isn't. Seriously.

What's the deal with Takako?

If you're asking about the deal WITH Takako, well, you'll have to wait and read GOSPEL. If what you want to know is MY deal with Takako, well, that's another matter altogether.

Yes, I'm the first to admit I'm pretty fond of the little psychopath. But that's because of several important reasons. First of all, of all the original characters I've conceived, Takako is BY FAR the most interesting. Every single aspect of her, from her troubled psyche to her witty dialogues and the way she walks, is incredibly fun to write. Her interaction with the other characters is interesting because it's different, complicated and sometimes just plain bizarre. Everything she does seems to add to the secrecy and the many mysteries that comprise the GOSPEL universe, and you can't help but look forward to what she'll do or say next, because you can be sure she'll either answer a question or raise another one. She's the foundation (pun intended) that keeps GOSPEL intriguing and interesting, opposite to Takato, who is the character that makes the story flow forward.

And to top things off, she is a Gothic Lolita that kicks major ass. That by itself defines awesomeness.