Digimon Adventure 02: The Greatest Foe
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon Adventure 02, or any other pertinent aspects of the franchise
After the defeat of MaloMyotismon, a period of calm has descended upon the Real and Digital Worlds. No more are Digimon unintentionally crossing the Barrier, confusedly wreaking havoc upon their surroundings. With Arukenimon gone, all was well, and, for the first time in their lives, the DigiDestined were able to enjoy days of peace and tranquility with their beloved partners and friends.
But then, one afternoon, as Patamon and TK cheerily walk home from school, their progress is interrupted by a dark vortex opening up at their feet. Caught unawares, their every sense of perception rendered nonexistent by some unseen power, the two plunged helplessly into its foreboding depths.
An instant later, TK and Patamon find themselves sprawled out at the edge of a cliff. The crisp, sea-smelling air has mysteriously gone from warm and inviting to cold, cruel, and fearful. Before them stretches a bed of black sand, rocks, and oncoming waves, a vision they know all too well…
TK: (fearfully) Patamon? Are we where I think we are?
Patamon: (his blood turning cold) TK… Do you hear that?
TK: Yeah… It sounds like…
Enormous Shadowy Figure: (rising from the depths of the sea) How nice of you two to join us…
TK: Patamon…
Patamon: (demanding) Who are you?
Enormous Shadowy Figure: Oh, I think you know who I am.
TK: Patamon, what is this thing talking about?
Patamon: (shaking his head) I have no idea, TK! But whatever it is, it is evil.
TK: Do you think it was the same thing that tried to take Kari?
Patamon: I don't know.
Enormous Shadowy Figure: (scoffs) Kari? That pitiful Child of Light? A mere pawn!
TK: (enraged) What did you say? How DARE you call her pitiful!
Enormous Shadowy Figure: Stupid, foolish boy. The Child of Light was never my target.
TK: What are you saying?
Enormous Shadowy Figure: When I planted the idea in the heads of my minions to summon the Child of Light here, I did so only to lure you to me. I knew you would come for her. But you escaped my grasp. So, naturally I had to resort to more, shall we say, active measures.
Patamon: (his teeth bared) Don't you even think about it, whoever-you-are! If you even take a single step towards TK, I will kill you with my bare hands!
Enormous Shadowy Figure: (laughing maniacally) You fool! My target was neither the Child of Light nor the Child of Hope. My target, little digimon, is YOU!
TK: (his anger mounting even higher) No. It is you who are the fool! You cannot take Patamon. He is too strong for you! And if you are as powerful as you make yourself out to be, then why not reveal yourself? Why stay shadowed in darkness? Show yourself!
Enormous Shadowy Figure: (the surrounding darkness beginning to dissipate) Indeed I will.
Patamon: (after a moment) By the Sovereigns!
TK: (fearfully) Patamon, what is that?
Patamon: Halderianodramon. A mega-level, hell-dragon digimon of ultimate darkness. No one has spoken of him since the Digital World first came into being. Somehow he has a connection with Lord Fanglongmon.
Halderianodramon: During your last visit to this pathetic place I took on the shadowed appearance of Dragomon. But that time is passed. Now I shall have you!
TK: What do you want with Patamon?
Halderianodramon: What? Do you mean to tell me you do not know of his power?
TK: (looking at Patamon) Patamon, what does all this mean?
Patamon: TK, I have no idea!
TK: (placing himself between Patamon and Halderianodramon) Whatever the case, Patamon will not be going anywhere with you. I will not allow it!
Halderianodramon: Not allow i? Not allow it? Oh, you are a foolish one, Child of Hope. Very well. If you are offering your life, then I will not deny you.
Patamon: (in horror) TK!
TK: (beginning to dissolve) What's….? Patamon! (vanishes)
Halderianodramon: (morbidly pleased with his work) There. And now for you…
Patamon: (howling at Halderianodramon) You monster! How could you?
Halderianodramon: (smiling devilishly) Ah. Friendship. A most weak and pathetic thing. And now, with the Child of Light no longer here to protect you, you are mine! (reaches to destroy Patamon in his black, curved claws dripping with blood)
Patamon: (desperately) Somebody! Anybody! Help!
(everything goes white)
Patamon: (shocked to find himself stranded in an unending field of white) Wh… what's going on? No. No. This cannot be happening. How can this happened. (screaming) ISN'T ANYBODY THERE?
Voice: (softly) Things are not going quite as planned.
Patamon: (gasps) YOU!
Voice: Well met, Brave Warrior. (seeing Patamon about to protest) No. Don't speak. Don't make us go through our usual arguments. Listen. We haven't much time. Halderianodramon is at the height of his power. If he is not defeated, then all will become no more.
Patamon: (tears streaming down his cheeks) No. You can't call on me for this! I failed. TK's dead. I am a failure. I deserve to die. Not to be Reconfigured. To die. Permanently!
Voice: Silence!
Patamon: (softly sobbing)
Voice: Your failure was not what you thought it was. TK is not dead. He is still alive.
Patamon: (not daring to believe it) What? What are you saying?
Voice: Halderianodramon's powers don't work that way. While it is true that he is capable of destroying everything, he can only do so by severing ties to Existence.
Patamon: Then TK is gone forever!
Voice: If you are not going to listen to me, Brave Warrior, then all our efforts will be for nothing.
Patamon: (semi-composed, despite his continued weeping) All right. Fine.
Voice: Thank you. Remember how I spoke that your bond with the boy would be needed?
Patamon: (recollecting) I remember.
Voice: This is why. The reason no one has even been able to withstand an attack from Halderianodramon is because his powers work in the way they do. But because your bond with TK is so strong, Brave Warrior, you yourself are keeping him from completely disappearing.
Patamon: (agape)
Voice: Oh, yes. And you will remember that it was that bond, combined with your loyalty and TK's friendship, that gave you enough power to defeat Devimon and Piedmon?
Patamon: Are we really that strong?
Voice: Oh, yes. And now you have grown even more powerful. Perhaps even enough to defeat Halderianodramon.
Patamon: (floored) Defeat Halderianodramon?
Voice: And I believe you are ready.
Patamon: Me, ready? Impossible! Without TK I can't digivolve, and even if I could, I can't hope to go up against Halderianodramon! I can only become MagnaAngemon. His power is too great for that!
Voice: Yes. As MagnaAngemon, you have no hope. But you forget something—your Mega Form.
Patamon: My? My Mega Form?
Voice: You are correct in saying that you cannot defeat Halderianodramon as MagnaAngemon. But with your Mega Form, combined with TK's strength, you may yet stand a chance.
Patamon: How? How is it even possible to access such a thing? Assuming TK is still here as you say, I have no idea where he is!
Voice: Oh, no? Then wait. Listen.
Patamon: …
Additional Voice: Patamon… Patamon…
Patamon: (astounded) TK? TK? Where are you?
Voice of TK: Patamon… I believe in you… You can do it…
Patamon: (to Voice) He is here, then.
Voice: Always. All you have to do is believe in him, feel his hope running through your veins, and the power will be yours.
Patamon: (resolutely, after a minute of thought) So be it. If I am what is keeping TK in Existence, then I am going to be sure to bring him back!
Voice: Spoken like the Brave Warrior you are. Are you sure you're ready.
Patamon: (pausing for a moment) Yes. Yes. I can feel TK flowing through me. I am ready!
Voice: Good luck. And when this done, I shall come to you one last time…
Halderianodramon: (continuing to reach toward Patamon, intent on his destruction) Prepare to die!
Patamon: (with his newfound determination) No! It is you who are about to die! TK? Can you hear me?
Voice of TK: Do it… Patamon…! Digivolve!
Patamon: (erupting into a flash of golden light) Patamon digivolve to… Seraphimon!
Halderianodramon: (gasps in horror) YOU! How is this possible? The Child of Hope is destroyed!
Seraphimon: (rising above the waves) No, Halderianodramon. Your powers are not so mighty as you may think. TK is still here. His strength still gives me strength. And it is by that strength that I am going to defeat you.
Halderianodramon: This is impossible!
Seraphimon: Never. Nothing's impossible. You dared to call friendship a weak and pathetic thing. You thought it unable to stand against you. You were wrong. And now you shall pay the price. (begins bringing his hands together)
Halderianodramon: What? What are you doing!
Seraphimon: At an end your time has come! Strike of the Seven Stars!
Halderianodramon: NOOOOOOOO! (vanishes in a nova of white light)
Seraphimon: (sighs in weariness) It is finished.
Voice from Below: Patamon!
Seraphimon: TK? (swoops down to beach below to draw the newly reappeared youth into an embrace) TK. Thank you.
TK: I knew you would win! And look at you! What are you?
Seraphimon: I'm Seraphimon, TK. The most powerful of all angel digimon. My Strike of the Seven Stars is certain doom for those who seek to go against the Light.
TK: (amazed) Wow! This is incredible!
Seraphimon: And I couldn't have done it without you.
TK: (shaking his head) I don't know how. After Halderianodramon attacked me, I thought I was done for. How did all this happen?
Seraphimon: Honestly, TK, I'm not really sure. But I do know one thing. Let's get out of here. I think between the two of us, we've had enough of this world.
TK: (smiling) Yeah. Let's go home. Do you think we'll be able to get back?
Seraphimon: (rising into the sky, where a green portal has just appeared) Somehow, I don't think that will be a problem…