DISCLAIMER: Digimon owned by Bandai, Toei and Saban and whoever.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place after Tai and the others beat MachineDramon but before their confrontation with LadyDevimon in season 01. So the kids are still seperated and angst flying around. The title "Nightmare Soldiers" comes from the group someone refers LadyDevimon is in (that should give you an idea of the story). And some other stuff will be explained in other parts when needed.
=============================================================================================================================
"Nightmare Soldiers-Act 1: Elegant LadyDevimon"
By Cloud Ishida
"That's the last one." Hikari placed the last of the cross on the bound of soil. She bowed her head in respect for her lost friends, "Goodbye Numemon, and thank you." Gatomon mimed her partner and bowed.
Taichi lifted his sister up to her feet with a sympathetic look, "I don't want to rush this but we really better get going. All we need to do is beat Piedmon and everything will be back to normal." Hikari slowly nodded. "Hey, don't be so sad. After we kick Piedmon's butt, the Numemon can be reborn again." He showered her with his trademark wide-eyed grin and hugged her. She couldn't help but smile back.
"So, where should we go?" Sora asked. She finished checking on the digimon and making sure the burial sight would be undisturbed.
Koushiro opened his pineapple laptop and uploaded the map of the Digital World, "Hmm... Piedmon is probably on top of Spiral Mountain. And the landscape restricts for any suprise attack." He continued to type out other plans to invade but none were successful. Tentomon buzzed over to Koushiro and helped in the programs.
"...That means we have no choice but to attack head on." Taichi didn't like the idea. The odds were very much against the remaining Digidestined that followed him. His thoughts circulated with doubts in his leadership; what did he do wrong to cause everyone to seperate? Despite these doubts, he knew everyone will come together in the end, but he felt a foreboding premonition of the day when they'll meet.
Agumon caught the apprehensive look from his partner, "Tai? Don't worry Tai, I'll be here to protect you..."
"I know Agumon," he acknowledged his friend, "I know you will."
Takeru looked up from praying with Hikari over the Numemon graves, and saw Tai in deep thought. He had been doing a lot of introspection lately, and everyone noticed. "C'mon Patamon." The pudgy digimon flew on Takeru's cap and was transported to Taichi. "Tai? Are you okay?" the tiny blonde asked.
Taichi snapped out of his trance, "Huh? Oh, yeah T.K. I'm fine. I was just thinking about the others."
"The others are okay Tai. Mimi has Jyou. Remember how he got himself captured by that Veggiemon for me? And Mimi's a lot stronger than she looks, right Patamon?" Takeru lifted off the digimon and nestled him in his arms.
"Right T.K.!" Patamon chirped out. "And they have Palmon and Gomamon to protect them!"
"And Matt's big and strong; he can beat anybody!" Takeru's face lightened with the thought of his brother.
"And Gabumon is with him too!" Patamon assured.
Taichi couldn't help but smile and scratched Patamon's head, "I'm sure he is T.K. And you're right. They're all alright." He had no doubts why Takeru received the Crest of Hope.
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hmph. I knew the others were weaker than me but weaker than the Digidestined?" Piedmon pondered at the demised of the three Dark Masters. "What an embarrasing way to die."
"Well, you should have done better than to trust them to kill the children." A harsh female voice echoed in his throne room.
Piedmon sneered from the intrusion, "You think you, an Ultimate could have done better, LadyDevimon?"
A tall woman, clad in black with long, dead-white hair flowing like ghosts permeated through the ceiling. "But still you can't beat me in battle. Ironic isn't it?" She playfully teased the dark clown.
"Don't rub it in. So, do you have a plan in mind?" He took her hand in his and kissed it in a regal manner.
LadyDevimon responed with a curtsy, "Don't I always." Both setting down to the floor of the room, Piedmon activated images of the Digidestined, a profile of each child and digimon. "What you've been doing 'wrong', " she emphisized the word wrong, "is to recreate the mistake Devimon and Myotismon made."
Piedmon smiled, "Only you are so bold enough to criticize me."
"And I enjoy doing it." She brushed a finger across his cheek and resumed her criticism, "Why are the Digidestined successful all this time?"
"Because they just don't know how to die?"
"Perhaps," she said, holding back a grin, "but they have something you over looked something we also have." LadyDevimon caught his attention. "You sent those pitiful Dark Masters on their own. The Digidestined always had each other, their friendship to keep them strong. In other words, it has been the many versus the one."
"What are you trying to say?" His curiosity was growing.
"We need to bring together our group...what's left of it anyway."
Piedmon uncrossed his arms, "The Nightmare Soldiers? But more than half of us are gone."
LadyDevimon glided over to the throne and took a seat, "Devimon and Myotismon will be reborn soon. Wizardmon was too much of a goody-good to play our little game any way but he could be persuaded back."
"Most of our group was killed in Myotismon's little take over of Earth... Such a waste." Slight pity echoed from the words. "It seems we are in limited supply of any good soldiers."
"But I know of one that will join us again." LadyDevimon smiled with joy from the thought. "All we have to do is make him remember. And it will be a major blow to the Digidestined at the sametime."
Piedmon caught on to the plan, "You mean him?" He pointed to the image of their target on screen. She verified the image in laughter and Piedmon joined in.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Are we there yet Jyou?" Mimi whined in the uphill climb that never seemed to end.
Jyou panted as he lead the small army up the hill, "For the millionth time Mimi, no." Meramon, Frigimon, Ogremon and the others marched behind him while Gomamon was given a piggy-back ride by Jyou. "Gomamon, couldn't you just walk like the rest of us? You're getting too heavy."
Gomamon looked up and saw Jyou's irritated expression. "Flippers aren't made for walking you know." the furry seal teased. "Besides, you're doing just fine carrying me."
"You're level of laziness astounds me sometimes." Jyou joked. He looked behind him to check on his troops to see they too were equally tired as him. "Why don't we rest up for a bit." Gomamon was let down to the ground.
"All right!" Mimi and Palmon screamed at once. They dropped to the ground with complete exhaustion. "Do we have anything to eat?" the pink girl asked. She innocently looked to Jyou and he knew what she was asking for.
"Fine, I'll go look for some food." He reluctantly accepted the job knowing she would ask until he gave in. "Anyone want to help?"
"Just lead the way Jyou." The blue haired boy looked down to his digimon.
"Don't tell me you want me to carry you again..."
Gomamon started to waddled off with Meramon and Frigimon, "When food's involved, I can do anything!" Jyou gave a huge sigh, but a smile creeped to his lips. Gomamon always managed to do that.
He turned to Ogremon, "Could you look after Mimi and the others?" The wide-mouthed digimon happily obliged and Jyou sprinted towards the hunting party.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Are you sure you're okay Matt?" Gabumon looked up to his blonde friend with puppy eyes, "We've been walking all day and night. You should rest."
Yamato stumbled through the thickets of the Forest of Delusion. His eyes were weary, and the dark rings under them didn't help. "I'm fine Gabumon. Just a little more."
"That's what you said two hours ago, and two hours before that." Gabumon criticised but Yamato kept on walking. "C'mon Matt. If you really want to keep going, I won't stop you but at least let me carry you. Your knees are shaking. You're not strong enough to carry on like this." Yamato stopped before a thorn covered vine, and looked down at his digimon with a hurt in his eyes. Gabumon caught sight of it quickly and regretted the last remark, "Matt, I'm sorry but I just want to make sure you're all right. You shouldn't strain yourself like this. GABUMON, DIGIVOLVE TO... GARURUMON!" The blue wolf knelt down beside the blonde, waiting for him to accept the ride.
Yamato looked up at the golden yellow eyes and then to his own body. His clothes had small tathers from the thorns, and he seemed to have lost weight, a lot of weight. His arms were skin and bones from the lack of nutrition. Gabumon's comment made Yamato think. He knew he wasn't strong; he was strong enough to start fights but not enough to end them. The constant physical fights with Taichi proved that. Taichi being a soccer athlete gave him an extra edge. In fact, he really was tired, and hoped Gabumon did offer the ride but refused to be a burden on him. If he was to find his path in life, he had to do it on his own. Garurumon patiently waited and when he felt a hand on his side and he smiled in response. "Thanks Garurumon." Yamato climed on his back with the help of Garurumon's tail lifting him.
"Hold on tight Matt cause I'm gonna run like the wind."
------------------------------------------------------------------
Taichi's group finally arrived at the base of Spiral Mountain. "We have to climb up that?" Taichi took out his mini-telescope and scanned the top of the mountain. "Man, it'll take forever."
Koushirou stepped up beside him, "We have no choice but to go up. All we gotta do now is to decide how to get up there."
"I can carry you guys up there!" Piyomon extended her help, "I can be big enough to carry you all."
"No." Taich interceded, "We'll need to be at full strength if we want to have a good chance with Piedmon. We'll walk."
Sora was a bit surprised by Taichi's reaction. But she also welcomed it. It meant he was taking this very seriously; the way a leader should. "He's right Piyomon. Save the digivolving for the battle." Piyomon reluctantly agreed.
"Well, we better get going if we want to arrive there before nightfall." Tentomon buzzed and Koushiro agreed with him. "I'll scout ahead in case any traps are la-" Tentomon was cut off by the sight above the group.
Takeru's eyes widened by the dark image above and his voice becoming quieter, "Is that...Devimon?!...." Patamon flew off from Takeur's hat to his arms. He came to the same conclusion to the identity of the figure.
Taichi stared to the sky with his mini-scope. He held his breath as he saw a familiar figure by the dark one's side, "Who ever that is, Piedmon's with it...and it looks like it's heading right for us....."
The black figure made a downward motion and both it and Piedmon flew down towards the Digidestined. Each of their digimon took their place beside their partner, ready to digivolve and fight. But surprisingly, Piedmon and the dark figure only hovered over the children and digimon. Piedmon was the first to speak, "...He's not here."
Takeru finally found the courage to speak, "Are, are you Devimon?" he asked softly.
The dark figure turned to the small child and only smiled, "My, what a sweet voice. No I'm not child. I am LadyDevimon, Second-in-Command of the Nightmare Soldiers." She made a curtsy in mid-air, and being very elegant with each of her movements.
"Nightmare Soldiers? Who are you talking about?..." Koushiro's curiosity got the better of him. He worked on his laptop day and night and he had never heard of such group.
Taichi kept a cautious distance from the two figures, but he felt no hostility from them. Agumon, however, didn't want to take any chances and digivolved, "AGUMON, DIGIVOLVE TO...GREYMON! NOVA BLAST!"
The aim was on target with LadyDevimon, but the fireball was simply snuffed out upon impact with her body, "My my, violent aren't we? BLACK WING!" Her left hand morphed in to a giant spike and with lightning speed, slashed Greymon across his chest.
"Greymon!!" Taichi ran to his digimon's side. Blood dripped down LadyDevimon's weapon and Greymon de-evolved but the gash was still pumping with blood. Taichi supported Agumon on his knees and called for the others for help.
The black weapon molded back to her giant, clawed hand and wiped the blood off on the ground. "We have no quarells with you...yet. And an Ultimate against a Champion isn't very fair is it?"
"I suggest we leave LadyDevimon. We need to find him quickly to move everything into place." Piedmon gently took her hand in his. LadyDevimon nodded in agreement.
"Wait!" Sora shouted, "Who are you talking about? Who are you looking for?!"
LadyDevimon turned her head, with her long snow-white hair flowing in circles, "One of you're own." With that the two dark soldiers took flight again, leaving the children and digimon with blank faces.
--------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm so stuffed I won't be eating for a week." Gomamon rubbed his stomach from the feast he gulfed down. Cores and seeds of fruits littered the ground along with bones of fishes. Ogremon and the rest had their share of food but most of it seemed to go down Gomamon's stomach.
"Wow, this was the best picnic ever!" Mimi beamed with satisfaction and Palemon commmented the same; althought the plant digimon had no idea what a "picnic" was. Jyou however was still standing guard and only had an apple-like fruit to eat. He didn't mind; his mind was set on finding the others and the final battle.
But what he didn't expect was the final enemy coming to him for battle. Jyou's glasses almost slipped off at the two figures walking the group's way. One was a tall black figure and the other, unmistakably Piedmon. "Oh no... Hey guys! We've got major trouble!!" Jyou ran from his lookout at the top of the hill to warn the others. "IT'S PIEDMON!!!!" The name got everyone to their feet and fear striking in their hearts.
Piedmon and LadyDevimon reached the top of the hill on foot and observed the panic surrounding the so-called army below. "That's all they could get? A few scrawny digimon?" Piedmon snickered at the sight but LadyDevimon held a firm expression.
"He's not here either. We won't bother with them yet." And the two flew off once again.
Jyou and Mimi were in disbelief when they saw the two withdraw, "Uhh...did I miss something?..." And everyone thought of the same question as Jyou.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"I guess this is the best place to rest." Yamato jumped off Garurumon's back and the blue wolf de-evolved to Gabumon. "Are you hungry Gabumon?"
"Just a bit. And it's starting to get dark, we better find some shelter too." Gabumon surveyed the surroundings. They were in a tiny opening in the Forest of Delusions, and no caves and such seemed to be in sight. Yamato scrounged the surrounding for food and his eyes caught on strangely pigmented fruits. They were the size of grapefruits, red and violet skin with a bright pink and green coloured flower sprouting from each one. The aroma from the flowers were irresistably sweet as honey. Yamato reached a gloved hand out to pick one of the strange vegetation but a furry blue paw grabbed his arm. "Wait Matt!" Gabumon pulled the boy's hand away from the vibrant fruit and sniffed the floweres himself.
Gabumon pushed Yamato back, "Hey Gabumon! What's wrong?"
"I've heard about this plant Matt and I think it's the one we should avoid." Gabumon explained his cautions, "I was told once of a fruit that was so tempting and juicy that it captures the attention of any digimon. But it contain's a toxin in the bulb of the flower where no digimon infected with it ever survived." The warning sent chills down Yamato's spine. "I'll look for something. You stay and rest." Despite Yamato's protests, Gabumon won him over to stay put.
The digimon left for the forest and Yamato laid in the open grass. The sunlight managed to shine through the foiliage of the trees to warm his skin. His eyes drooped instantly and waited for sleep to come. He felt quiet and calm. Having Gabumon by his side was helping him cope with his doubts and find his path in life. But at the same time, a sense of fear lingered in his heart. Fear from what was still unknown even to himself. His thoughts constantly returned to his little brother and to the others. Was it the right decision to leave them? Or was it another selfish act he made? With the thought hanging in his mind, he felt the warmth of the sun fade and a cold chill hanging in the air.
Yamato opened his eyes to an unexpected figure standing over him. "Good. You're awake." Her voice was monotone.
"Now he's ours for the taking, don't you agree LadyDevimon?" From the corner of Yamato's blue eyes, Piedmon walked to her side. LadyDevimon?!?! He couldn't believe who it was. She was the spitting image of Devimon.
His instincts kicking in, Yamato rolled away from the giant woman and sprinted in the opposite direction from her. Almost reaching the covers of the forest, Yamato turned to his head to his persuers. But there was no one there to persue him. He slowed down his pace and eventually stopped in confusion. "Where did they go?" Not wanting to take any chances, Yamato turned to head for the forest but instead ran into a black wall. LadyDevimon stood arms crossed. Yamato turned the other way for escape but Piedmon blocked the path. Caught between two virus digimon, the situation was looking grim. Before he could make another step, LadyDevimon's giant claws wrapped around the blonde's neck and lifting him twice his height in the air. "Let,...go.." he choked out. "Gabumon!!" he yelled for his friend to save him from the death grip.
LadyDevimon smiled at his calls, "That's right. Bring him here." She let enough air pass through the blonde's throat for the cries of help echo through the forest.
Soon enough, both their wishes came true.
"MA--TT!!" Gabumon rushed to the clearing with the two viruses and his friend gathered. Yamato gripped the black claws in an attempt to break free but she was much too strong. Gabumon saw the fear in his blue eyes and rage filled his heart, "GABUMON, WARP DIGIVOLVE TO...--"
"Not so fast!" Piedmon interrupted. "I suggest you refrain from such violence if you don't want him to snap in two." Gabumon stood frozen. He couldn't take the chance of the viruses hurting Yamato. "Now, let's talk like old times."
"...What are you talking about?" Gabumon growled.
"Don't tell us you forgot about your friends?" LadyDevimon turned to the horned digimon, "If you wish to digi-volve then go right ahead. But if you digivolve into Mega, then he's dead. Simple to understand isn't it?" She squeezed tighter on the small boy's neck and Gabumon could hear the gasping for air.
"GABUMON, DIGIVOLVE TO...GARURUMON! GARURUMON DIGIVOLVE TO...WEREGARURUMON!!" The blue were wolf stared intently on the two Viruses and eyed his partner. Every heaving gasp Yamato made, the wolf's heart skipped a beat. "Let him go."
Piedmon stood between WereGarurumon and LadyDevimon, "We have little interest in the boy. You know why we're here, or have those children sucked your memories as well?" WereGarurumon refused to answer as his attention was still on his partner. "Fine. LadyDevimon, drop him." The fallen angel complied with the order and released the blonde boy from her grasp. Yamato landed with a thud on the hard ground. "Now, let's talk shall we?"
"We have nothing to talk about, KAISER NAIL!!" Red streaks of light sprouted from the were wolf's claws blazing past the swift dark clown.
LadyDevimon countered with her own attack, "Darkness Wave!!" WereGarurumon easily dodged it with his supreme agility. The black attack instead cut through the colourful fruits Yamato was about to pick before. The bulbs of the plant oozed out its purple toxin on the ground below. It was a flood of sap spilling in a sensuous aroma of honey.
Piedmon was not amused by the attack from the were wolf, "I guess I just have to make you remember. CLOWN TRICK!" A blaze of light smashed into WereGarurumon and intrapped him in a cage of darkness. "Don't worry. I'm just bringing you back to your senses." Roars of pain screamed within the dark binding. WereGarurumon's mind was overloading with images and feelings of the past.
Yamato couldn't stand hearing the screams anymore. He ran over to his fallen friend, digging his fingers into the dark cage to reach him, "WereGarurumon! Hold on!" Yamato deperately searched for an opened as the roars became louder. "WereGarurmon!!" Piedmon and LadyDevimon watched in amusement at the boy's feeble attempts to free his digimon. Their confidence in the link of the Nightmare Soldiers gave them no reason to worry.
WereGarurumon could faintly hear the callings of his human friend, "M, Matt..." He felt a new energy serging within him, a very nostalgic feeling. The visions he witnessed awakened his memories, the faces of past digimon he knew, loved and hated. And the face that means the world to him now. And that face had blue eyes crying in front of him. Matt..
The soft orange eyes faded and blood red ones took their place.
The dark cage dissapated along with the were wolf's screams. WereGarurumon sat up and Yamato, extatic he was alright, hugged him as if it was his last. The blonde buried his head in the the werewolf's furry collar. The digimon stroked Yamato's back to comfort him. "I'm so glad you're alright..." Yamato whispered.
"I'm glad I am." WereGarurumon responded. Then he plunged his claws through the back of the green collared sweater and blood soaked through.
Yamato felt five points of pain on his back. He slowly looked up to the red eyes of the source of the pain, "Were,..Garu..ru...mon....." The pain from the wound wasn't choking his words, it was the red eyes staring right back at him. They had the same sparkle Gabumon had, but another monster resided in them. "Ah..Were...Ga..."
The were wolf stared solemnly at him, "I hope it doesn't hurt too much." He ripped his claws across the blonde's back slashing through the shirt and blood seeping through even more. Yamato yelped in agony and arched back from the pain, gripping the blue fur even harder. His blue eyes pleaded with his digimon for an answer, and what he got wasn't what he expected, "Don't take this personally. But an enemy is an enemy."
=============================================================================================================================
How's that for a clifhanger? Excuse the grammer and spelling mistakes, no time to proofread. So how do you like it so far? Was LadyDevimon's and Piedmon's victim unexpected? This part kinda went too fast I think. But keeping the pace fast keeps the fic intresting right? Well, more to come.
Please review. It really does help a writer to become confident in writing any piece of work whether it's fanfiction, poems or original stories. Knowing there are names behind the reader says a lot. And this goes for any author and story you read.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place after Tai and the others beat MachineDramon but before their confrontation with LadyDevimon in season 01. So the kids are still seperated and angst flying around. The title "Nightmare Soldiers" comes from the group someone refers LadyDevimon is in (that should give you an idea of the story). And some other stuff will be explained in other parts when needed.
=============================================================================================================================
"Nightmare Soldiers-Act 1: Elegant LadyDevimon"
By Cloud Ishida
"That's the last one." Hikari placed the last of the cross on the bound of soil. She bowed her head in respect for her lost friends, "Goodbye Numemon, and thank you." Gatomon mimed her partner and bowed.
Taichi lifted his sister up to her feet with a sympathetic look, "I don't want to rush this but we really better get going. All we need to do is beat Piedmon and everything will be back to normal." Hikari slowly nodded. "Hey, don't be so sad. After we kick Piedmon's butt, the Numemon can be reborn again." He showered her with his trademark wide-eyed grin and hugged her. She couldn't help but smile back.
"So, where should we go?" Sora asked. She finished checking on the digimon and making sure the burial sight would be undisturbed.
Koushiro opened his pineapple laptop and uploaded the map of the Digital World, "Hmm... Piedmon is probably on top of Spiral Mountain. And the landscape restricts for any suprise attack." He continued to type out other plans to invade but none were successful. Tentomon buzzed over to Koushiro and helped in the programs.
"...That means we have no choice but to attack head on." Taichi didn't like the idea. The odds were very much against the remaining Digidestined that followed him. His thoughts circulated with doubts in his leadership; what did he do wrong to cause everyone to seperate? Despite these doubts, he knew everyone will come together in the end, but he felt a foreboding premonition of the day when they'll meet.
Agumon caught the apprehensive look from his partner, "Tai? Don't worry Tai, I'll be here to protect you..."
"I know Agumon," he acknowledged his friend, "I know you will."
Takeru looked up from praying with Hikari over the Numemon graves, and saw Tai in deep thought. He had been doing a lot of introspection lately, and everyone noticed. "C'mon Patamon." The pudgy digimon flew on Takeru's cap and was transported to Taichi. "Tai? Are you okay?" the tiny blonde asked.
Taichi snapped out of his trance, "Huh? Oh, yeah T.K. I'm fine. I was just thinking about the others."
"The others are okay Tai. Mimi has Jyou. Remember how he got himself captured by that Veggiemon for me? And Mimi's a lot stronger than she looks, right Patamon?" Takeru lifted off the digimon and nestled him in his arms.
"Right T.K.!" Patamon chirped out. "And they have Palmon and Gomamon to protect them!"
"And Matt's big and strong; he can beat anybody!" Takeru's face lightened with the thought of his brother.
"And Gabumon is with him too!" Patamon assured.
Taichi couldn't help but smile and scratched Patamon's head, "I'm sure he is T.K. And you're right. They're all alright." He had no doubts why Takeru received the Crest of Hope.
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hmph. I knew the others were weaker than me but weaker than the Digidestined?" Piedmon pondered at the demised of the three Dark Masters. "What an embarrasing way to die."
"Well, you should have done better than to trust them to kill the children." A harsh female voice echoed in his throne room.
Piedmon sneered from the intrusion, "You think you, an Ultimate could have done better, LadyDevimon?"
A tall woman, clad in black with long, dead-white hair flowing like ghosts permeated through the ceiling. "But still you can't beat me in battle. Ironic isn't it?" She playfully teased the dark clown.
"Don't rub it in. So, do you have a plan in mind?" He took her hand in his and kissed it in a regal manner.
LadyDevimon responed with a curtsy, "Don't I always." Both setting down to the floor of the room, Piedmon activated images of the Digidestined, a profile of each child and digimon. "What you've been doing 'wrong', " she emphisized the word wrong, "is to recreate the mistake Devimon and Myotismon made."
Piedmon smiled, "Only you are so bold enough to criticize me."
"And I enjoy doing it." She brushed a finger across his cheek and resumed her criticism, "Why are the Digidestined successful all this time?"
"Because they just don't know how to die?"
"Perhaps," she said, holding back a grin, "but they have something you over looked something we also have." LadyDevimon caught his attention. "You sent those pitiful Dark Masters on their own. The Digidestined always had each other, their friendship to keep them strong. In other words, it has been the many versus the one."
"What are you trying to say?" His curiosity was growing.
"We need to bring together our group...what's left of it anyway."
Piedmon uncrossed his arms, "The Nightmare Soldiers? But more than half of us are gone."
LadyDevimon glided over to the throne and took a seat, "Devimon and Myotismon will be reborn soon. Wizardmon was too much of a goody-good to play our little game any way but he could be persuaded back."
"Most of our group was killed in Myotismon's little take over of Earth... Such a waste." Slight pity echoed from the words. "It seems we are in limited supply of any good soldiers."
"But I know of one that will join us again." LadyDevimon smiled with joy from the thought. "All we have to do is make him remember. And it will be a major blow to the Digidestined at the sametime."
Piedmon caught on to the plan, "You mean him?" He pointed to the image of their target on screen. She verified the image in laughter and Piedmon joined in.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Are we there yet Jyou?" Mimi whined in the uphill climb that never seemed to end.
Jyou panted as he lead the small army up the hill, "For the millionth time Mimi, no." Meramon, Frigimon, Ogremon and the others marched behind him while Gomamon was given a piggy-back ride by Jyou. "Gomamon, couldn't you just walk like the rest of us? You're getting too heavy."
Gomamon looked up and saw Jyou's irritated expression. "Flippers aren't made for walking you know." the furry seal teased. "Besides, you're doing just fine carrying me."
"You're level of laziness astounds me sometimes." Jyou joked. He looked behind him to check on his troops to see they too were equally tired as him. "Why don't we rest up for a bit." Gomamon was let down to the ground.
"All right!" Mimi and Palmon screamed at once. They dropped to the ground with complete exhaustion. "Do we have anything to eat?" the pink girl asked. She innocently looked to Jyou and he knew what she was asking for.
"Fine, I'll go look for some food." He reluctantly accepted the job knowing she would ask until he gave in. "Anyone want to help?"
"Just lead the way Jyou." The blue haired boy looked down to his digimon.
"Don't tell me you want me to carry you again..."
Gomamon started to waddled off with Meramon and Frigimon, "When food's involved, I can do anything!" Jyou gave a huge sigh, but a smile creeped to his lips. Gomamon always managed to do that.
He turned to Ogremon, "Could you look after Mimi and the others?" The wide-mouthed digimon happily obliged and Jyou sprinted towards the hunting party.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Are you sure you're okay Matt?" Gabumon looked up to his blonde friend with puppy eyes, "We've been walking all day and night. You should rest."
Yamato stumbled through the thickets of the Forest of Delusion. His eyes were weary, and the dark rings under them didn't help. "I'm fine Gabumon. Just a little more."
"That's what you said two hours ago, and two hours before that." Gabumon criticised but Yamato kept on walking. "C'mon Matt. If you really want to keep going, I won't stop you but at least let me carry you. Your knees are shaking. You're not strong enough to carry on like this." Yamato stopped before a thorn covered vine, and looked down at his digimon with a hurt in his eyes. Gabumon caught sight of it quickly and regretted the last remark, "Matt, I'm sorry but I just want to make sure you're all right. You shouldn't strain yourself like this. GABUMON, DIGIVOLVE TO... GARURUMON!" The blue wolf knelt down beside the blonde, waiting for him to accept the ride.
Yamato looked up at the golden yellow eyes and then to his own body. His clothes had small tathers from the thorns, and he seemed to have lost weight, a lot of weight. His arms were skin and bones from the lack of nutrition. Gabumon's comment made Yamato think. He knew he wasn't strong; he was strong enough to start fights but not enough to end them. The constant physical fights with Taichi proved that. Taichi being a soccer athlete gave him an extra edge. In fact, he really was tired, and hoped Gabumon did offer the ride but refused to be a burden on him. If he was to find his path in life, he had to do it on his own. Garurumon patiently waited and when he felt a hand on his side and he smiled in response. "Thanks Garurumon." Yamato climed on his back with the help of Garurumon's tail lifting him.
"Hold on tight Matt cause I'm gonna run like the wind."
------------------------------------------------------------------
Taichi's group finally arrived at the base of Spiral Mountain. "We have to climb up that?" Taichi took out his mini-telescope and scanned the top of the mountain. "Man, it'll take forever."
Koushirou stepped up beside him, "We have no choice but to go up. All we gotta do now is to decide how to get up there."
"I can carry you guys up there!" Piyomon extended her help, "I can be big enough to carry you all."
"No." Taich interceded, "We'll need to be at full strength if we want to have a good chance with Piedmon. We'll walk."
Sora was a bit surprised by Taichi's reaction. But she also welcomed it. It meant he was taking this very seriously; the way a leader should. "He's right Piyomon. Save the digivolving for the battle." Piyomon reluctantly agreed.
"Well, we better get going if we want to arrive there before nightfall." Tentomon buzzed and Koushiro agreed with him. "I'll scout ahead in case any traps are la-" Tentomon was cut off by the sight above the group.
Takeru's eyes widened by the dark image above and his voice becoming quieter, "Is that...Devimon?!...." Patamon flew off from Takeur's hat to his arms. He came to the same conclusion to the identity of the figure.
Taichi stared to the sky with his mini-scope. He held his breath as he saw a familiar figure by the dark one's side, "Who ever that is, Piedmon's with it...and it looks like it's heading right for us....."
The black figure made a downward motion and both it and Piedmon flew down towards the Digidestined. Each of their digimon took their place beside their partner, ready to digivolve and fight. But surprisingly, Piedmon and the dark figure only hovered over the children and digimon. Piedmon was the first to speak, "...He's not here."
Takeru finally found the courage to speak, "Are, are you Devimon?" he asked softly.
The dark figure turned to the small child and only smiled, "My, what a sweet voice. No I'm not child. I am LadyDevimon, Second-in-Command of the Nightmare Soldiers." She made a curtsy in mid-air, and being very elegant with each of her movements.
"Nightmare Soldiers? Who are you talking about?..." Koushiro's curiosity got the better of him. He worked on his laptop day and night and he had never heard of such group.
Taichi kept a cautious distance from the two figures, but he felt no hostility from them. Agumon, however, didn't want to take any chances and digivolved, "AGUMON, DIGIVOLVE TO...GREYMON! NOVA BLAST!"
The aim was on target with LadyDevimon, but the fireball was simply snuffed out upon impact with her body, "My my, violent aren't we? BLACK WING!" Her left hand morphed in to a giant spike and with lightning speed, slashed Greymon across his chest.
"Greymon!!" Taichi ran to his digimon's side. Blood dripped down LadyDevimon's weapon and Greymon de-evolved but the gash was still pumping with blood. Taichi supported Agumon on his knees and called for the others for help.
The black weapon molded back to her giant, clawed hand and wiped the blood off on the ground. "We have no quarells with you...yet. And an Ultimate against a Champion isn't very fair is it?"
"I suggest we leave LadyDevimon. We need to find him quickly to move everything into place." Piedmon gently took her hand in his. LadyDevimon nodded in agreement.
"Wait!" Sora shouted, "Who are you talking about? Who are you looking for?!"
LadyDevimon turned her head, with her long snow-white hair flowing in circles, "One of you're own." With that the two dark soldiers took flight again, leaving the children and digimon with blank faces.
--------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm so stuffed I won't be eating for a week." Gomamon rubbed his stomach from the feast he gulfed down. Cores and seeds of fruits littered the ground along with bones of fishes. Ogremon and the rest had their share of food but most of it seemed to go down Gomamon's stomach.
"Wow, this was the best picnic ever!" Mimi beamed with satisfaction and Palemon commmented the same; althought the plant digimon had no idea what a "picnic" was. Jyou however was still standing guard and only had an apple-like fruit to eat. He didn't mind; his mind was set on finding the others and the final battle.
But what he didn't expect was the final enemy coming to him for battle. Jyou's glasses almost slipped off at the two figures walking the group's way. One was a tall black figure and the other, unmistakably Piedmon. "Oh no... Hey guys! We've got major trouble!!" Jyou ran from his lookout at the top of the hill to warn the others. "IT'S PIEDMON!!!!" The name got everyone to their feet and fear striking in their hearts.
Piedmon and LadyDevimon reached the top of the hill on foot and observed the panic surrounding the so-called army below. "That's all they could get? A few scrawny digimon?" Piedmon snickered at the sight but LadyDevimon held a firm expression.
"He's not here either. We won't bother with them yet." And the two flew off once again.
Jyou and Mimi were in disbelief when they saw the two withdraw, "Uhh...did I miss something?..." And everyone thought of the same question as Jyou.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"I guess this is the best place to rest." Yamato jumped off Garurumon's back and the blue wolf de-evolved to Gabumon. "Are you hungry Gabumon?"
"Just a bit. And it's starting to get dark, we better find some shelter too." Gabumon surveyed the surroundings. They were in a tiny opening in the Forest of Delusions, and no caves and such seemed to be in sight. Yamato scrounged the surrounding for food and his eyes caught on strangely pigmented fruits. They were the size of grapefruits, red and violet skin with a bright pink and green coloured flower sprouting from each one. The aroma from the flowers were irresistably sweet as honey. Yamato reached a gloved hand out to pick one of the strange vegetation but a furry blue paw grabbed his arm. "Wait Matt!" Gabumon pulled the boy's hand away from the vibrant fruit and sniffed the floweres himself.
Gabumon pushed Yamato back, "Hey Gabumon! What's wrong?"
"I've heard about this plant Matt and I think it's the one we should avoid." Gabumon explained his cautions, "I was told once of a fruit that was so tempting and juicy that it captures the attention of any digimon. But it contain's a toxin in the bulb of the flower where no digimon infected with it ever survived." The warning sent chills down Yamato's spine. "I'll look for something. You stay and rest." Despite Yamato's protests, Gabumon won him over to stay put.
The digimon left for the forest and Yamato laid in the open grass. The sunlight managed to shine through the foiliage of the trees to warm his skin. His eyes drooped instantly and waited for sleep to come. He felt quiet and calm. Having Gabumon by his side was helping him cope with his doubts and find his path in life. But at the same time, a sense of fear lingered in his heart. Fear from what was still unknown even to himself. His thoughts constantly returned to his little brother and to the others. Was it the right decision to leave them? Or was it another selfish act he made? With the thought hanging in his mind, he felt the warmth of the sun fade and a cold chill hanging in the air.
Yamato opened his eyes to an unexpected figure standing over him. "Good. You're awake." Her voice was monotone.
"Now he's ours for the taking, don't you agree LadyDevimon?" From the corner of Yamato's blue eyes, Piedmon walked to her side. LadyDevimon?!?! He couldn't believe who it was. She was the spitting image of Devimon.
His instincts kicking in, Yamato rolled away from the giant woman and sprinted in the opposite direction from her. Almost reaching the covers of the forest, Yamato turned to his head to his persuers. But there was no one there to persue him. He slowed down his pace and eventually stopped in confusion. "Where did they go?" Not wanting to take any chances, Yamato turned to head for the forest but instead ran into a black wall. LadyDevimon stood arms crossed. Yamato turned the other way for escape but Piedmon blocked the path. Caught between two virus digimon, the situation was looking grim. Before he could make another step, LadyDevimon's giant claws wrapped around the blonde's neck and lifting him twice his height in the air. "Let,...go.." he choked out. "Gabumon!!" he yelled for his friend to save him from the death grip.
LadyDevimon smiled at his calls, "That's right. Bring him here." She let enough air pass through the blonde's throat for the cries of help echo through the forest.
Soon enough, both their wishes came true.
"MA--TT!!" Gabumon rushed to the clearing with the two viruses and his friend gathered. Yamato gripped the black claws in an attempt to break free but she was much too strong. Gabumon saw the fear in his blue eyes and rage filled his heart, "GABUMON, WARP DIGIVOLVE TO...--"
"Not so fast!" Piedmon interrupted. "I suggest you refrain from such violence if you don't want him to snap in two." Gabumon stood frozen. He couldn't take the chance of the viruses hurting Yamato. "Now, let's talk like old times."
"...What are you talking about?" Gabumon growled.
"Don't tell us you forgot about your friends?" LadyDevimon turned to the horned digimon, "If you wish to digi-volve then go right ahead. But if you digivolve into Mega, then he's dead. Simple to understand isn't it?" She squeezed tighter on the small boy's neck and Gabumon could hear the gasping for air.
"GABUMON, DIGIVOLVE TO...GARURUMON! GARURUMON DIGIVOLVE TO...WEREGARURUMON!!" The blue were wolf stared intently on the two Viruses and eyed his partner. Every heaving gasp Yamato made, the wolf's heart skipped a beat. "Let him go."
Piedmon stood between WereGarurumon and LadyDevimon, "We have little interest in the boy. You know why we're here, or have those children sucked your memories as well?" WereGarurumon refused to answer as his attention was still on his partner. "Fine. LadyDevimon, drop him." The fallen angel complied with the order and released the blonde boy from her grasp. Yamato landed with a thud on the hard ground. "Now, let's talk shall we?"
"We have nothing to talk about, KAISER NAIL!!" Red streaks of light sprouted from the were wolf's claws blazing past the swift dark clown.
LadyDevimon countered with her own attack, "Darkness Wave!!" WereGarurumon easily dodged it with his supreme agility. The black attack instead cut through the colourful fruits Yamato was about to pick before. The bulbs of the plant oozed out its purple toxin on the ground below. It was a flood of sap spilling in a sensuous aroma of honey.
Piedmon was not amused by the attack from the were wolf, "I guess I just have to make you remember. CLOWN TRICK!" A blaze of light smashed into WereGarurumon and intrapped him in a cage of darkness. "Don't worry. I'm just bringing you back to your senses." Roars of pain screamed within the dark binding. WereGarurumon's mind was overloading with images and feelings of the past.
Yamato couldn't stand hearing the screams anymore. He ran over to his fallen friend, digging his fingers into the dark cage to reach him, "WereGarurumon! Hold on!" Yamato deperately searched for an opened as the roars became louder. "WereGarurmon!!" Piedmon and LadyDevimon watched in amusement at the boy's feeble attempts to free his digimon. Their confidence in the link of the Nightmare Soldiers gave them no reason to worry.
WereGarurumon could faintly hear the callings of his human friend, "M, Matt..." He felt a new energy serging within him, a very nostalgic feeling. The visions he witnessed awakened his memories, the faces of past digimon he knew, loved and hated. And the face that means the world to him now. And that face had blue eyes crying in front of him. Matt..
The soft orange eyes faded and blood red ones took their place.
The dark cage dissapated along with the were wolf's screams. WereGarurumon sat up and Yamato, extatic he was alright, hugged him as if it was his last. The blonde buried his head in the the werewolf's furry collar. The digimon stroked Yamato's back to comfort him. "I'm so glad you're alright..." Yamato whispered.
"I'm glad I am." WereGarurumon responded. Then he plunged his claws through the back of the green collared sweater and blood soaked through.
Yamato felt five points of pain on his back. He slowly looked up to the red eyes of the source of the pain, "Were,..Garu..ru...mon....." The pain from the wound wasn't choking his words, it was the red eyes staring right back at him. They had the same sparkle Gabumon had, but another monster resided in them. "Ah..Were...Ga..."
The were wolf stared solemnly at him, "I hope it doesn't hurt too much." He ripped his claws across the blonde's back slashing through the shirt and blood seeping through even more. Yamato yelped in agony and arched back from the pain, gripping the blue fur even harder. His blue eyes pleaded with his digimon for an answer, and what he got wasn't what he expected, "Don't take this personally. But an enemy is an enemy."
=============================================================================================================================
How's that for a clifhanger? Excuse the grammer and spelling mistakes, no time to proofread. So how do you like it so far? Was LadyDevimon's and Piedmon's victim unexpected? This part kinda went too fast I think. But keeping the pace fast keeps the fic intresting right? Well, more to come.
Please review. It really does help a writer to become confident in writing any piece of work whether it's fanfiction, poems or original stories. Knowing there are names behind the reader says a lot. And this goes for any author and story you read.