Thick gray clouds loomed in the skies over the Spikethorn mountains. Several years had come and gone with the events of the past becoming like a fading dream. Yet time had also seemed to stand still as life became one of routine. Impmon was still Impmon, Candlemon was still Candlemon. The rock shelf was visited regularly for combat and very few evolved to the next stage. It was a wearing thought that they could take so long and still never achieve their goal of evolution. The sky seemed to agree and a gentle rain began to fall over the mountain valley.
"Ah, ah, so quiet today... Eh, Impmon? Want to just stay in and goof off?" Candlemon asked, the pair having taken shelter in a recently abandoned house. It could barely be called a house though, being more of a loose affiliation of wooden beams and sheet metal somehow held together like some poorly stitched together Boltmon. A stronger digimon than they were had once called the shack home, but aside a lingering smell like rotten eggs, the previous tenant was nowhere to be found.
Impmon hopped up on a crooked stool and looked out the window at the rain. He didn't mind another day without practice. Candlemon hated going out when it was wet. He didn't really like sparring practice anyway, finding it much more entertaining watching the better fighters or pulling minor pranks on some of the other rookies.
The constant patter of rain was lulling Impmon to sleep in his seat until the familiar sounds of battle reached his ear, yet... "Neh, we're on the valley edge right?" Impmon mumbled. The shelter was on a small mound of earth surrounded by a few boulders and clumps of weeds and not much else. It was the outskirts of the lush valley, but far enough up the crescent path outlining the valley that it was easy enough to get to the rock shelf for dueling. Still, it was far enough away they shouldn't have been hearing the sounds of combat. No, not combat, this sounded like a war, with screams of agony causing a shiver to run through the devils' spine.
Candlemon stopped, his flame face flickering, casting a strange light in the room. "... I hear it too. Hey, Impmon? What's going on out there? That's not... normal."
"Dyaaaahhh!" Impmon poked his head out of the only other window just in time for an Ogremon to fly by and directly into a boulder. Turning his head sharply, he could see a trail of other digimon bleeding and broken further down the valley, their digital codes starting to degrade. Lightning flashed in the distance, and the sound of thunder mixed with a fierce laugh.
"Hah...! And here I thought I might find a challenge, but it appears you're not even fit to be an appetizer!" The glint of metal appeared to Impmon's eyes. They focused on what looked like sharp metal claws jutting out from beneath billowing magenta sleeves belonging to a humanoid digimon. It was a Matadormon standing in the middle of the road. The vampire digimons' face was triangular in nature and seemed like some bizzarre fusion of hair merged to a pointed metal jaw. He was flashy against the landscape with baggy pants garishly printed with some kind of eye-like design on them over brightly colored red fabric. Upon closer inspection, those weren't claws, those were an undisclosed number of swords kept up his sleeves. And even without clearly visible eyes, Impmon could feel the digimon staring in his direction, laughing.
The little devils' face paled at the sight, then went red with indignation, "We're not weak! Strong digimon do live here! Beelzemon's the strongest one of all an' he's gonna' kick your ass for insulting us like that!"
"Oh? Big talk little digimon, would you like to taste my steel?" Matadormon laughed.
"Grrrr!... I'm still here, you bastard!" The Ogremon shouted, pulling himself up from the ground, leaning on a spiked club. Ogremon was a large green musclebound demon digimon at the Champion level with silver-white hair and large intimidating tusks.
"Oh? Maybe you are a fitting snack. Come to me!" Matadormon seemed to smile.
"Tyrant's Fist!" Ogremon called out, a blast of dark energy releasing from his fists.
Bladed metal feet clipped away from them as though they were nothing. "Kyahahaha! Is that it? My turn! I won't even waste one of my cherished rapiers on you." Impmon could only watch as Matadormon threw down one of his signature moves, a Bulldog kick that impacted the Ogremon's chest. With a wail of anguish the digimon was reduced to an egg. Then, however, it broke down beyond that, to pure digital code, dancing at the blade tips that acted like fingers for the digital vampire and drawn to its master. It reminded him of how Gizumon had broken down other digimon the day he started his journey for the mountain... and suddenly he was afraid. "Who's next?!"
Growling, a black WereGarurumon appeared. At this point, Candlemon was even risking a few drops of rain to see what was going on. Fist to fist, the Ultimate level digimon postured, "Mine. KAISER NAIL!" Striking with its clawed hands, it looked like it might have a chance. They were both Ultimate level digimon after all.
Matadormon's blades blocked the full brunt of the attack. His feet moved as if in a dance, the black Weregarurumon advancing on him with furious claws and kicks. The wolfman digimon was definitely aggressive, and keeping up, but there was something off about this fight. Matadormon hadn't made a single attack against him, and now the two rookies watching were reminded of similar fights between Mistymon and Beelzemon.
"He's gonna lose..." Candlemon said quietly to Impmon, a drop of candle wax running down his forehead like sweat.
Blackweregarurumon let up his assault only for one decisive moment - when the opponents' stature shifted instantly. No longer floating backward parrying the attacks, he rushed forward, impaling the lupine on his many sharp blades. "Bulldog." he called out his attack, and in a single spin, the blades had ripped through the Ultimate and he followed it up, kicking the body away. It had the effect of crashing into and breaking open the little shelter like a digi-egg. And like the Ogremon before him, Matadormon consumed his core, his laugh permeating the air around the two frightened rookies.
"Strong digimon? I've yet to meet them. Are you hiding? Why don't you come out to play little Imp? Little Candle?" he chuckled. No other digimon approached at this point. A great deal of space was given to the invading Ultimate, and only the rain seemed to answer him. He stood at the opening of the shack, his right hand blades dripping with blood, a mad smirk worming its way into his metal face.
"Now you've done it...!" Candlemon said in a hushed but urgent whisper. There was no more avoiding the rain. It was a well-known fact in the digital world that if a Candlemons' flame were ever snuffed, it would die. Rain this heavy would make it hard for any fire to exist, but staying in the shack didn't seem like much of an option. The rock shelf above had an alcove hidden from the rain, and that was his best hope for survival. He glanced at Impmon, who trembled but still stood defiant. 'Now you're just being suicidal...'
Impmon gulped, sweat beading on his forehead. 'Not good. Not good...' he thought with great futility. "I like playing aheh... What's the game, old maid? Yahtzee? Jenga?"
Matadormon laughed again, "You really are foolish. Very well. You want a game? How about hide and seek? I'll even give you a head start." his laugh was unnerving, but Impmon nodded slowly. "Ten... Nine..." Impmon grabbed Candlemon's waxy arm and started to run. "Eight..." And as the pair ran by, he took a wild stab in their general direction. A couple blades glanced off the Candlemon's metal base. There was no doubt he was playing with them.
"C'mon..." Impmon ran urgently with his friend, the Matadormon already starting to pursue them. "Hey, no fair! Ya' ain't even finished counting!"
A laugh was all the response he got, and the countdown continued, "Six..." He could only guess that reaching 0 meant he was no longer playing.
'I'm going to die here.' Impmon thought, running quick as he could, half dragging the candle behind him. Matadormon didn't seem to be moving all that fast, though every time he looked behind, Impmon swore he had somehow gotten closer. The rain was not helping his friends' condition, the flame part being worryingly dim. He was slowing down, but Impmon wouldn't allow him to stop. "Hey, we said we'd evolve together, can't let this joker get us before that, right?" he tried to laugh.
Candlemon, for his part, was too thoughtful to not know where this was heading. The metal base he called feet barely scraped along the stones, his waxy arm hooked around Impon. He could see behind them, flashy as it was, this was a foreign digimon who didn't care about the few rules Spikethorn had. The rain tapered off enough for him to know they'd made it under the rock shelf, but he could feel his core unraveling, code flying before his eyes. A hollow laugh left him "Ah, sorry Impmon, looks like I won't be able..." 'this light...'
"... Zero." Matadormon made a quick advance, blades forward in a deft thrust. A white light blinded the digimon briefly, sending his sword strike aside as the candle's data reconfigured itself in evolution. "Oh, now you've decided to play? Interesting."
Impmon had tripped, letting go of Candlemon, and looking where he was, a wizard digimon stood. "Sorry, looks like I have to save you again Impmon." The wizard held up a staff that looked like it had a small gold egg with sun-like rays coming off it. Digital code still fluttered around him as though still in a state of flux. He was ready to fight, though even the light of evolution hadn't restored his strength. 'One of us can survive at least... Maybe. I hope.'
"Hah! This is really rich, a last ditch effort? You can't even hold yourself together... I'll make this quick. THOUSAND ARROW!" gun fire this time turned the attack astray, the wall being peppered with energy attacks launched from his swords, and one that sent the Wizardmon flying back into his friend, injured further now.
"I'll be your opponent." came the low, menacing tone of Lord Beelzemon.
Matadormon backed away from the alcove and gave a minor but mocking bow, his cape billowing in a dizzying way. "Lord Beelzemon, so nice of you to show. I was told only the strongest digimon lived here, but apparently I've been mislead." his tone cordial, his arms slack at his sides with blood clinging to more than one of his swords.
Beelzemon stared him down, smoke rising from the muzzle of his guns. "The ultimates should have been able to handle themselves against you. Attacking champions and rookies, consuming their cores? Unforgivable. "
Except for the rain beating down the stage of their conflict, all was quiet. Matadormon's cool composure dissolved into laughter "You sound like you actually care about these digimon! Why shouldn't the strong consume the weak? Better to become my strength than to return to a weaker form!"
Beelzemon made a disgusted noise. "Like I give a shit about a few dead digimon? Nah. What I care about is the future fights they could have given me, and the challenge you just issued in coming here. Now entertain me!" The click of his guns preparing to fire was enough to start off the main event. Two shots left a broken heap of stone where Matadormon had just been poised.
A flutter of his colorful fabric danced in the air and a shower of rapiers were launched mysteriously from within.
Impmon felt a tightness in his throat and his stomach. He pulled the now evolved Wizardmon deeper into the alcove propping him up on a raised but smooth stone. "H-hey... we made it." He tried to ignore the red stain on his friends' cape.
Wizardmon pulled his wide brimmed hat garnished with a skull decoration down over his eyes, though he was smiling, it was hard to tell under his collar. "The light of evolution... It was... just like that day I saw you." It was just rain streaming down his cheeks, rain, right?
Matadormon was on an entirely different level from Mistymon. He and Beelzemon seemed equally agile as shot after shot whizzed by, deflected by blades or evaded altogether. Impmon had seen Mistymon do the same, but not in such rapid succession. Piles of rubble and boulders flew across the battlefield, sometimes to distract the other, but almost always deflected. The only sign things weren't going the way he'd hoped was that Matadormon stopped laughing after the battle raged for several minutes. Laughter still filled the surrounding area – Beelzemon's laugh.
"I didn't come here for your amusement!" fabric again fluttered in the air as the vampire sharply backed away. But at this point, a shot of darkness claw had rent part of it into tatters, showing off his hand and the blades it held. His illusory powers with the billowy fabrics he wore were losing their effect, if they ever even had one on Beelzemon, but the Demon lord showed hardly a scratch. The only damage he'd sustained was a nick to his cheek he had to have allowed for in order for his claws to get within tearing range of the Ultimate and a few holes in his leather jacket. If there was anything worse, he hid it well, but Matadormons' damage was starting to show.
"I disagree." He smiled, "I haven't had so much fun in ages. You like blood? How about this? DARKNESS CLAW!" His own talons broke into his flesh, the blood on them flying forward into blades made of pure dark energy. They were mere centimeters from giving the triangular faced digimon a haircut he'd never forget.
Matadormon had not counted on a prolonged fight, his strength starting to fade, the level difference becoming clearer with every attack. 'Energy... I need another core.' The dance oriented digimon was backing up against the wall little by little without realizing it. His eyes scanned the landscape for anything he could use.
Beelzemon's third eye was not just for show, helping him anticipate his opponent's moves. He could see his challengers' digital aura diminishing as the battle raged. It had been so large to start with, but now... He was aware of Matadormon's gaze, and his third eye glanced over at the unstable aura of the injured Wizardmon. His code had been corrupted from an earlier attack and would soon be reduced to an egg state. That didn't bother him, but he didn't want to allow the blade master to escape his wrath or possibly recover. He hadn't realized until now that he'd set the digimon staggering back toward the pair. 'Fine then, if that's how it's going to be...'
The moment Matadormon turned to finish off the weakened wizard, a full blast of Double Impact shot through him, not so neatly blowing off one of his arms and piercing through Wizardmon's head. In that stunned moment, Beelzemon descended with his full furry, grabbing the triangular head and slamming him into the stone floor. "Ha ha ha ha!" It was only the beginning of the beat down for the Ultimate, the Mega's foot coming down on his back and ribs, then rubbing his face into the dirty rock shelf slick with rain.
"Wha..." To Impmon's horror, Wizardmon's data shattered and flew apart. No time for last words, just data which shattered and broke apart. 'No egg. No rebirth. No egg... No rebirth...' "Whi... Wi... Wizardmon...! My... my... friend!" 'My only friend... and he...' His tear filled eyes rested on Beelzemon, cruelly laughing over his clearly beaten opponent. The little devil shook with rage, fists clenched together gripping the air where his friend had been. Impmon couldn't stand this... this injustice. "Night of FIRE!" he let his gathered power fuel the demonic flame. It shot out squarely at the back of Lord Beelzemon.
It really didn't bother him. Beelzemon paused, not because the impact hurt, but trying to comprehend why a rookie would care to challenge him? Matadormon lay limp under heel, the mega sighing with regret. 'Fun's over, eh?' yet in turning his three eyed gaze on the Impmon, he found a fire within those eyes he hadn't seen in over a thousand battles. Sure, his digital aura was shit, but those eyes... the fierceness behind them was a completely different level from his relative power.
At this point, Mistymon had arrived at the scene, his attention first drawn to the beaten Matador face down on the ground. His eyes then leveled at Beelzemon and knelt before him respectfully "... Master...?"
"Deal with that." He said, indicating defeated piled of code degrading on the rock floor. "As for you... you dare challenge me? A mere Rookie?"
Impmon stood, averting his gaze in shame a moment, then looking back up at him with a returning fire of indignation. "That was my friend you killed!"
"Friend? What an odd thing to say." the Mega calmly put his guns away. This was the first time Beelzemon had even acknowledged the rookie's existence, but he was not happy. The sweet savor of victory was being soured, and he didn't know why. "Your... friend... was excellent bait. He died in service to me, that is enough."
Impmon barely contained his tears, trying to look fierce, yet shaking like a leaf. "You... how could you?!" He pointed a gloved finger in accusation.
Still alive, the vampire digimon turned his darkened gaze to the caped figure towering over him. The scrape of blades across the stone drew the attention only of the Mistymon. It was enough of a distraction, and quick as he could, he got to his feet, stumbling, but still capable, digging his bladed feet in for a leap toward freedom.
"Master!" Mistymon called, drawing his sword, the flames of which crackled and hissed with steam from the rain.
"He no longer concerns me. Kill him if you can." Beelzemon ordered, still staring down the Impmon. "What I did to that Wizardmon was mercy. What I do to you if you persist, will not. Do you still want to fight me?" Impmons' eyes lowered again in shame mixed with an internal anguish. "... Just as I thought. Fight me when you're a worthy foe."
Impmon gritted his teeth, "No... I can't... I can't let this go. Someone's gotta pay... and you... you broke your own rule...!" Energy formed into a dark sphere of fire, every last bit of energy he could spare. Nothing mattered any more. "Night of Fire!" Betrayal hurt... this had to hurt because it contained all the pain he felt at the moment, all of it.
"Double Impact." None of it mattered at all in the end. Beelzemon's shots ripped through the Impmon without effort, his data reverting to the form of an egg. All that the attack accomplished was singing the fur collar of his jacket. Beelzemon frowned, victory had been soured today indeed.
A few minutes later, Mistymon returned, bowing low, "I'm sorry Master, the enemy fled. Shall I hunt him down?"
"No." Beelzemon replied. "Just get that out of here." he pointed with one of his guns to a grayish egg with yellow spots. He paused, looking over his shoulder. "Actually, send it to the human world."
"W-What? Master?" he seemed shocked at this decision, though he went to gather up the devil type egg. "But humans..."
He looked up at the sky which was starting to clear. "There's a rumor going around that digimon who go to the human world evolve quickly... I want to see if that's true." 'I want to see those eyes again.'
Mistymon bowed low. "As you wish My Lord."
In the human world in Japan, a young woman with long teal hair sat at a computer desk in a room filled with many more like it. It was a computer lab set up for a college. Each of the units was hooked up to the sometimes faulty internet. Ikkyoku Negami, a part time student studying art in general, was trying to focus on web design. She was doing some last minute coding before calling it a day. Web design seemed so dry to her, but being able to make a dynamic website was important in the modern world, it was just the coding part that bored her to tears. The power flickered for a moment, and she frowned hoping the machine had saved her progress. The project wasn't due til next week, but she wasn't sure she'd have time to work on it later.
Her part time status was financial mostly. Her grades weren't remarkable enough to gain any substantial grants, and she wanted to live off-campus if she could. Not that Yokohama's College of Art & Design was particularly large. And here she thought an art degree would be easy, but it also meant a highly competitive field where few made a big splash in the ocean of others she considered better than herself. In the meantime though, it meant a forty minute commute to her apartment building every day, and that she had to take on extra jobs to try and make ends meet. For now, she worked weekends at a Family carryout and acted as a house maid in the apartment complex she lived in. It was tiring, but it was enough for now.
'Better head home before the last train leaves.' She thought. Negami ran her fingers through long tangled curls of her teal hair and curled some behind one of her ears. Her eyes were purple and her height was on the tall side at 5'7". The student stretched her tired limbs and gathered up her laptop and study notes, putting them into a roomy messenger bag which had Hello Kitty on it. She pulled a thumb drive from the lab computer and shut the machine down before starting to leave. A quick glance at the window revealed it was raining for the third time this week. 'Hope the rain doesn't mess things up.'
Eventually she made her way out the door of a V shaped building several stories tall, and stepped down its stairs. At the base, she noticed some round object that wasn't there earlier. It looked like a funny easter egg. It wouldn't surprise her, really. She had more of an appreciation for art from the renaissance than more modern art. What was considered 'modern' art didn't appeal to her most of the time, and she thought a bunch of it was lazy. But here was an egg sitting on the ground, clearly out of place. "So where did you come from? Too late for Easter." She said aloud as if it could hear. She laughed.
Negami knelt down and rubbed the egg, finding it surprisingly warm to the touch. Was it electric? The rain would probably ruin it. 'I'll find who owns this later.' she thought and crammed the egg into her bag after drying it the best she could. She then dashed down the street as fast as she dared so as to not slip on the pavement, and minding the traffic signs as she went. There was a train to catch after all...
