AN: This fanfic is the start of a collaboration between myself and several other authors. This chapter itself has been written by me and edited by SaturnMillennium. This has been put together by the good people at Digimania.

______________________________________

The biting wind howled as it beat itself against the impressively sized fortress of polished stone which stood guard at the pass between the two mountains. Thick hails of rain struck futilely against the stone walls, splattering themselves into oblivion as they soaked the earth around it. A few trees grew up around the fort, and via them, one would gain an accurate depiction of it's size.

It was massive – not massive in a human way, but massive so that even the tallest Digimon would be able to fit within. It's gate was reinforced with sparkling Digizoid, making it incredibly strong. Teams of weaker Digimon patrolled the walls, in twos or threes they looked out, squinting into the darkness in search of any threat which might appear.

Lightening played across the sky, dancing it's ancient dance as it has since time immortal. The sonorous booms of thunder echoed and reverberated through the fortress. Deep inside the walls of stone, there was a library. It looked like it had been made for a giant – the room, walls and even books were bigger than the tallest man and the door was big enough to allow access to even a the biggest MetalGreymon.

A crackling fire burned in the fireplace -- trees had been fed to it to keep it alight and as they slowly blackened. The heat warmed the room and the sole occupant therein. He was a giant, and at first glance, anyone would know that the library had been made for him. He could almost be a DarkTyrannomon, but then one would start to notice the difference. His left arm ended in four fingers, each topped with a razor-sharp claw for slashing and cutting. His right arm was missing, it had been replaced with a metallic bionic one. The machine arm was seamless, silver, and no scratch showed upon it's highly polished surface. No lights, signs, or words marred it's perfect form. It gave off an eerie glow in this near-dark. A single wire protruded from the elbow and connected to the giant's back. The fore cast it's flickering light over him, making half-formed shapes dance and jump before vanishing back to the void of none-existence. His teeth were sharp, white – and the glow of the fire made them even more menacing. His eyes were old and wise.

He was standing with his back to the door, his dinosaur-like tail absent-mindedly swishing from side to side as he looked out of the window and into the storm outside. The savage winds howled and even down here, he could hear the booming thunder as it echoed across the night sky. He was LordTyrannomon, one of the three Royal Generals, and one of the most feared beings in the Digi-World. Tonight, despite the raging weather outside, he knew that it was the calm before the true storm. He had served the King for many years now. It was his duty to serve his Lord. LordTyrannomon was perhaps the only one of the Royal Generals to have a sense of honor – to know right from wrong and to struggle to do right despite all the obstacles placed in his way.

Lightening flashed briefly, casting his face in a sinister light. The thin finger of light faded out slowly and LordTyrannomon mused upon it. It was like him, it struggled to make itself known, to stand out from the blackness of it's fellows, and yet it was slowly consumed by them until it too was no more and only darkness remained. That was he, fading into the night. He had once shone so brightly, like that lightening. He had been a hero, or so he thought. It was getting so much harder to remember the past. Probably meddling from CurseDevimon, as he always did like to play mind-tricks even with the other generals.

The ultimate level Digimon sighed to himself. He felt old tonight and his bones were weary for so long spent in the service of the King. He had seen too much blood and death, he had led far too many armies, slaughtered too many defenseless Digimon. He could never be forgiven. He wished with all his heart – his very soul, that he could end it all. That when he woke up tomorrow, he would once more be Tyrannomon, or even DarkTyrannomon, and this whole kingdom would have only been a dream. But no, it was as real as it could be.

He felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he remembered all the bloody conflicts he had won for the King. How he wished with all his heart that he could travel time and right those wrongs, and yet he knew that if he ever had that chance, he would not take it.

It wasn't that LordTyrannomon was evil, or untrustworthy. In fact, it was totally opposite of that. LordTyrannomon was loyal. He was in the service of the Lord, his King. He could not betray the King, no matter how much blood he was ordered to shed, nor how much suffering he was forced to bring because he would never turn on the King.

Honor, that was it. He let out a bitter laugh, look where honor had gotten him now. He was one of the three generals responsible for overrunning eighty percent of the Digital World. He was nothing but a puppet to be used by the King, and yet his own d**n honor would force him to obey. The King knew it, the other generals knew it. It was a curse to him, for the other two generals were nothing but brutes! CurseDevimon lived for pain, tormenting his victims to death. WarLeomon, well his name implied exactly what he lived for. War, battle. Nothing mattered to him but bloodshed and death. They were both lower than dirt, in LordTyrannomon's opinion. He may have been forced to serve the King, but those two did it out of their own free will. And the King, oh the King.... LordTyrannomon was loyal and honorable andhe had given his word to serve the King until death. And that's what he would do. And yet, even now, LordTyrannomon could not help but look back at what the King had once been – it was so hard to remember, the mists of time seeming to have descended upon his memory. With an effort, LordTyrannomon recalled an image – it had been years ago. Back before the virus attacked him and he was still simply Tyrannomon, not LordTyrannomon, MasterTyrannomon or even DarkTyrannomon. Simply Tyrannomon. How he longed for those days. How he wished they would come again, but he knew they wouldn't.

Come tomorrow, the Digi-World would never truly be the same again. Tomorrow... the exact thing that had started this train of memories in the first place. LordTyrannomon shuddered despite himself, tomorrow would mark the beginning of the campaign to oust the rebels from this world. There would be no mercy – there never was – and it could only end with the King victorious and the rebels scattered to the four winds.

Unbidden, his mechanical hand traced a long scar he had received during his last clash with the rebels and the memory rose within his foggy mind as he sighed. Reliving again and again, the final battle of Andromon. Andromon had been a thorn in the side of the Kingdom for as long as it had existed. He had been one of the Digimon to fight the Dark Masters, and he fancied himself a hero. He had been the first to openly fight the Kingdom and even as the various parts of the Digital World fell to the King's armies. Andromon had not relented and had pressed onwards, garnering a rebellion which still troubled the King to this very day. The three generals had been dispatched to take care of him, and to their shock, Andromon had turned out to be far more powerful than they imagined.

LordTyrannomon could not help but smirk slightly as he remembered the utter beating that Andromon and his small group of soldiers had given the generals. They had tracked him down to a small city ,formed from the data of a factory, and the buildings were tall and bland. It was a perfect ambush and only LordTyrannomon had seen it as such – the others didn't listen to him, of course, but at least later they couldn't say he hadn't warned them.

Andromon had struck rapidly, a dozen Guardromon had closed ranks, coming from nowhere and used a barrage of missiles to confuse and disorient the generals. True to his nature, WarLeomon had leapt forward first. His savage cry echoing through the city. He had aimed for a Guardromon, and thus Andromon's Lightening Blade attack had taken him by surprise. A direct hit to the head had been enough to render WarLeomon unconscious. LordTyrannomon had been impressed to say the least. Andromon had picked his spot well, the tall buildings obscured their view and the android could make his movements far more rapidly than they. WarLeomon was the most agile of their group, and thus he was the first one to go. CurseDevimon was next, taken from behind by a surprise attack. LordTyrannomon had been last, his arm reconfiguring into the Nova Cannon. It's red orbs of power blowing away buildings as he fought to create an area big enough for him to move in.

It had been a long fight and hard fight. LordTyrannomon could still remember the pain from all the small wounds he had taken, but neither he or Andromon remained unharmed. Eventually, Andromon had ended the battle. His Lightening Blade attack cutting a long, deep wound into LordTyrannomon's arm and the pain and shock had immobilized him. When he could at last see again through the red haze, Andromon had been standing upon his head, blade ready to cut down and with a single move, finish LordTyrannomon.

He could still remember, the feeling of those metallic feet on his nose, and the conversation that had ensued.

" Give up." Andromon had said. His eyes had been focused on LordTyrannomon's. They held little love for battle, and this had endeared him to the dinosaur Digimon.

" I didn't think you'd give that option to one of us." growled LordTyrannomon, he struggled to gather his energy for an attack. By this point of the battle, he was pretty much on empty because the fight had raged for a period of time.

" I wouldn't normally." Said Andromon, his tone even, " But you are different than the others. You seem to have regrets about what has happened, so join me, and make up for your sins. Help us, there is still time to make up for what you have done."

LordTyrannomon couldn't say that he hadn't been tempted, for a split second. Could he betray his code, his honor, his very essence? But no, he decided just as quickly, not even now with redemption looking him in the eye, and death the only option if he refused. Not even now could he betray his King.

" You will have to kill me." Said LordTyrannomon sadly, " I will not betray my liege."

Andromon nodded, as if he understood – how could he possibly understand? And said, " Then may you be reborn in a better place, my friend."

The use of that word had shocked LordTyrannomon to the core – friend? How could he be a friend to Andromon, who had dedicated his life to bringing down the Kingdom? How could this good Digimon possibly consider him a friend?

Andromon's Lightening Blade had begun to power up, and LordTyrannomon closed his eyes in preparation for the killing strike. It had never come, for at this very second, the King swept from the shadows.

This had shocked LordTyrannomon, almost as much as being called friend. For the King rarely, if ever, left his castle, and to think that he had followed – it was then that LordTyrannomon realized the King's plan. He had never expected them to defeat Andromon. They were only there to draw him out so that the King could take him himself.

The resulting battle had been epic to say the least, but it could only have one outcome really. In the end, Andromon was overcome by an energy blast, and the King had taken little more than a scratch.

That mission was supposed to have broken the back of the rebels. To have demoralized them, in effect, to break them so that they could be defeated at the King's pleasure. It had not worked. The rebels had, if anything, grown more determined. Rumor even said that Andromon had been recovered. Broken and beaten, but alive. And that he had Digivolved to a higher form.

LordTyrannomon hoped this was so, for despite his loyalty to the King, he found himself admiring Andromon, both as a person and as a leader. This brought him all the way back to tomorrow's campaign. The rebels were brave fighters, and he had to admit that he held respect for them. But this was the end, Andromon or no, they would not be able to survive.

Lightening played across the sky in a patch-work of glowing veins. He fell back to musing. Yes, this was the end of the rebellion, and after that, the fifteen percent of the Digi-World not yet under the King's direct control. It would have been over by now, but for the the Chosen Digimon.

The Digimon partnered to the Digi-Destined had been prime opponents of the King, and even now none of them had fallen in battle. The worst of the bunch – the three most painful thorns in their side, MetalGreymon, who liked to lead attacks and counter attacks, where his massive strength and savage power could be put to it's best use. WereGarurumon, his speed and agility made him near impossible to catch, and he used this to his advantage on the many stealth-missions that the rebels required. Finally, MagnaAngemon, who was the most troublesome of the three. His very presence seemed able to inspire nearby Digimon and his healing powers, as well as his incredible offensive abilities made him a deadly foe, who could rally flagging troops to acts of bravery enough to turn even the most certain of the King's victories into defeat.

It would be much worse, LordTyrannomon thought, if they could have contacted their partners. Luckily, they could do no such thing. The first act of the King upon attaining his full power had been to cast his shadows -- forming a powerful barrier between the Digital World and the Real One. The Chosen Digimon were powerful, and they had skill with them, but even they could not turn the tide of this war – In the next nine days, they would be hard-pressed to survive, let alone win.

LordTyrannomon knew that their ultimate victory was near. What they had fought, bled, and struggled for was nearly within reach. The Kingdom had almost been constructed properly. Yet, he did not feel good, or happy. He felt a weary numbness. He looked out into the lashing rain. The war would begin again in earnest tomorrow. Entire legions would move at his command and he would be the one to devise strategy. It would be him leading the King's armies. His hand would be the one to conquer the Digital World. A long time ago, he would have been eager for this – not to conquer, but for the challenge. The sheer joy of testing himself against the greatest military minds in the Digi-World.

Now, he felt only empty and alone. Lighting struck again. Yes, tomorrow he would do his duty and he would follow his orders. Doubtless he would kill thousands. He wished it could be another way, any other way, even if he were dead. But there was no choice. He was here and his orders were simple. His honour commanded him to carry them out to the best of his ability and he would do so.

Rain lashed down, and as he looked through the window, he wondered if he would ever truly find forgiveness.