Alitheamon

Myotismon gazed at the stars that sparkled like diamonds in the night sky, the luminous full moon and its silvery light bathing his frozen body. It was overall the only possible light a vampire or any darker virus could tolerate. But something was not right; inside he kept shuddering, still shaken by what happened to him in the other dimension. Not just shaken though, he could not find the right word for the feeling, but he felt strangely different. For the past twenty and a half years, or for as long as he could remember, he had lived his whole life as the leader of digital world ever since his master became too weak to rule. It was his destiny to defeat the digi-destines and restore power to the digital world, or else his people, the dark gods would die out. The vampire closed his steel blue eyes, the last words that were spoken to him running through his mind:

"We must not let the humans prevail over our world, they never belonged here, they know too little about us and our world and yet they will try to conquer it. As for the digimon that have betrayed us; sadly we cannot blame them for being deceived by Azulongmon, but now there is know other way, I fear that if the humans come, they will do us greater harm! Myotismon, you're the only who can help us, I need you! We need you! I've been fighting to save my people from dying out and have failed. But don't worry; this heavy burden will not be on your shoulders entirely…

He was doing the right thing, and yet, why did he always feel a small regret in him when it came to Wizardmon or Gatomon? The vampire groaned as he slowly sat up, he could still feel that chilled pain as he grabbed his side. Why did he feel so uneasy? And yet ever since he captured him, he had felt something important between him and Wizardmon and It had been growing stronger inside of him over time….but was it? what was this dark secret that even he didn't know, that stopped him from killing his enemy?

He spotted a wide but calm river right beside him and leaned forward to look into it. He stared at the murky but clear face of a vampire with the palest bluish skin, light blonde hair that was bound back in a ponytail, naturally purple lips with fangs that almost glittered in the water, a dark reddish mask, and steel blue eyes that gazed into his own. That was his own face. Suddenly he gasped as his skin started to grow darker into an almost lack gray, his blue eyes grew duller and turned yellowish and he shuddered as his face began to shrink and his flesh caved in as if it was disappearing and revealing the skull underneath making him look disfigured……Myotismon thought he would scream, but the horror made him almost choke as it squeezed his heart. He shuddered and could feel the blood in his veins running colder than ice that he could not stop shaking. Finally he cried out in anger as he forced an arm to slap across the surface of the water and his hideous reflection blending with the splashing waves made by his hand until it finally disappeared. He then withdrew his now wet arm and backed away from the river shaking.

Just then, it was almost as if his thoughts had been shut out completely, he could not remember what he was thinking about just a second ago as he stood up and narrowed his ice blue eyes. There isn't much time left! The digi-destines are close, you have lost most of your henchmen but you are still not alone.

The vampire nodded as he started as he pulled himself to his feet. He would find them. He would find his enemies.

Suddenly he stopped short and felt a slight gasp emerge within him as he looked around. Strange, there was no one, but then why did he sense someone else's presence as if he wasn't alone? He could hear the hear the familiar breathing in his ears, feel the shadow, the shape……it wasn't a stranger for one thing……The vampire narrowed his steel blue eyes to slits. "Wizardmon!" He muttered bitterly. He made it through the portal. How was that possible?. He looked up at the sky again and realized that dusk was coming as the stars began to fade out and sky was turning towards it's orange violet colors of a sunrise. Once he found his castle, he would bring back his loyal soldiers and his army would rise again and be whole once more.

But as he started down the path, that feeling of fear was growing stronger as much as his thoughts of Wizardmon, and his recent memories of what he encountered in the dark ocean. It was as if those thoughts, those memories that troubled him and was troubling him still, made him weaker and strangely different. But why that? "Well it does not matter!" He muttered but the words as well as the thoughts seemed forced into his head. "I am not weak, I am the strongest digimon in the world, and I will not let the whole digital world fall into chaos!"

But deep down inside it wasn't sounding like his own words.

Wizardmon slowly opened his deep emerald eyes; he felt something soft underneath him like a feather bed and a warm blanket covering him up to his neck. Something whitish gold and shining swam into view that made his eyes squint in pain as if he had never seen the light of day before. But when his eyesight cleared, the image of an elegant room surrounded him.

The walls were made of white marble stone with designs carved into them that were quite abstract to the wizard but fancy except for one section where there were enormous arch windows across the right side of the wizard with drawn in curtains that were made of silk brocade it's color the palest violet. As Wizardmon lifted his head he looked down at the bed he had slept in, big enough for more than one person, he was more surprised to see that there were no blankets or quilts on this bed, but just thin layers of plain silken sheets, and yet he felt so warm and comfortable underneath them as if they were. He gave a small yawn, and groaned softly as his sore ribs ached like mad again the minute he sat up, but the pain was not so severe as it was earlier. Carefully examining himself; he still had his cloak and scarf on but his red vest and hat were gone and he was stripped from his jumpsuit down to his waist leaving him half naked. Linen bandages were wrapped tightly around his waist and chest and he could feel halfway underneath the wrappings two short metal sticks for splints that were pressed rather unpleasantly against the side of his rib cage that was broken and fractured.

Where was Chihiro? He gasped. Where was he anyway? He put the rest of his jumpsuit on, zipping it up to his neck and moaned as he attempted to get out of the bed. Just then a large door across from him opened, a humanlike digimon stepped inside. She was tall and beautiful with long white hair pale bluish skin, only slightly blue, much lighter than Wizardmon's more like Myotismon's, she had only two enormous feathery wings instead of six with large ears that were pointed like an elf's or a fairy's and a silvery glow surrounded her body. She wore a violet and mauve body suit that revealed most of her skin, a lot like Angewomon's outfit except his one wore a half breastplate of pure silver, cut away at the bottom leaving only her breasts, and shoulders covered. On her stomach was a tattoo of a black dragon that spiraled around her navel and she wore dark elbow-length lapis blue gloves and over her eyes she wore a silver helmet. Wizardmon (knowing it was disrespectful to gawk at a magical being, even though he was one too) bowed his head quickly.

"Greetings, uh…." The angel digimon smiled, "Lithimon is my name, I'm glad that you're awake," Wizardmon would have thanked her and her kind for saving him but his thoughts of Myotismon and his worries about his friend held back any gratitude he would give,

"Tell me, fair one! A human girl was traveling with me, she has…"

"Your human friend is alright!" Lithimon interrupted with reassurance.

"Where is she then?" He asked desperately, "Please take me to her!"

Although the womon's eyes were covered, he could make out the shock and partial anger on her half covered face. "Patience! You will see her," her voice was calm. What was he being so cold for? He could trust the angels, of course they wouldn't have done anything bad to Chihiro, but it was nothing to do with that at all. He had to let go of his fear; it was not helping him in the least, but how? Something bad was coming but he couldn't see what it was! He sighed heavily, casting his eyes down in shame. The angel woman moved closer, and for a moment he though she was going to comfort him but she did not lay a finger on him.

"I have orders to take you to our leader, the archangel digimon, can you walk?"

"Of course!" The wizard nodded, and he tossed back the sheets and stood up as if he was proving it to her. He then spotted his cloak and hat hanging on the post of the bed and snatched the two items.

"Follow me then!" Lithimon ordered and started walking rather fast out the door with Wizardmon following her behind.

The too descended a stone staircase that spiraled about a tall column. There were those huge arch windows again on each side but they had no curtains and as Wizardmon looked outside, he gasped in amazement at the strange and unusual landscape. It wasn't a landscape but clear skies above the color of precious turquoise and white fluffy clouds below. When he was an Auramon, he remembered his father telling him about the angels. They were sometimes called the heaven's race because the digimon in the clan were also sylphs and seraphs, not just angels, like the sorcerer race, they had magical powers, and were one of the wisest immortal digimon, the first born children of the digi-gods, who walked in neither life nor death and yet they could still be destroyed. No other digimon not even their close allies knew where they lived, it was believed by many that when heroic digimon died, the angels would escort their souls to a place; a special realm ruled over by the gods. The wizard kept his lips pursed together as he felt another hot knifing pain in his ribcage, even with the splint and bandages on, the pain was more eased but he could still feel it stabbing at him.

As they neared the end of the staircase, he put his pointed hat on and fastened his cloak around his thin shoulders. It felt so good to be all covered again, and yet in a way, it seemed pointless to hide the whipping scars that covered his whole body, though no one had seen the most hideous ones which were on his face and he hoped that even Gatomon would never see them or his stitched mouth, even he wouldn't dare to pull down the scarf and look at himself in a mirror. I might as well keep my image hidden, he thought.

They finally reached the bottom and walked down a long hallway that was more like a long balcony because of the enormous hollow arch windows surrounding them with swirling designs engraved into the columns. All in all, it seemed as if this entire palace had no thick wall coverings or windows that were covered with plain or colorful glass at all, like the large houses of the sorcerers and sorceresses. The hall balcony had in intersection. There was a small garden of lovely wildflowers, chrysanthemums, rose bushes, asters, white lotuses, violets, and they surrounded a round water fountain in the center of the intersection which was a stone tub with water sprouting like an upside down waterfall out of the pool. But the angel kept walking straight, and the wizard kept following until they reached two large doors that opened instantly revealing a large room surrounded by walls of smooth pure white bricks and slightly smaller arched windows. Statues of ancient warriors and digi-gods carved delicately with so much detail out of the darkest bronze to cream colored ivory were built into the walls and although this place was not in a some kind of forest or on any piece of land, Wizardmon noticed deep green moss and ivy growing out of the bricks. Strangely this room (or the style of it at least) reminded him so much of what the palace in his own home.

He gasped in surprise when he saw Chihiro, standing with a long carved out walking stick to support her, and her broken leg was bandaged in clean linen, but his heart was filled with joy to see her alive and looking all well as he rushed over to her and the two of them grabbed each other's hands and squeezed them hard with excitement. Standing next to her was the most handsome powerful angel digimon Wizardmon had ever laid his eyes on. It was the archangel (leader) Arisamon. Unlike the other angel seraph and sylph digimon who wore armour and skin-tight body suits, he was clad in robes, that came down to the floor like a sorcerer or sorceress of yellowish cream color with sparkling gold specks embedded in the fabric and rich forest green. His long snow- white hair was partly pulled back in a loose but sturdy braid and he had not six but eight enormous feathery wings folded behind him. He wore a helmet but Wizardmon could see his eyes which were a deep violet mauve and the helmet had tall light bronze angel wings on each side, every feather detail carefully carved out and there was a clear but shimmering crystal four pointed star in the center. The wizard slowly gave a bow. "I've never been more pleased to meet the archangel!" His tone was very humble. "Hail, Wizardmon son of the sorcerers!" Arisamon answered rather pleased but his tone had a hint of graveness in it. The wizard raised his brows in astonishment but then the two turned their heads to Chihiro who immediately cut in.

"That's strange!" The young girl was never more curious. "I mean, Elecmon has told me that the blood of both the angels and the sorcerers had grown thin because of a great disaster between your kind and the gods and this is where you go for exile? It's not a bad place I'll admit."

Arisamon nodded at her statement. "Your little friend is partly right but sadly our race may not stand much longer, now that we've heard that Wizardmon is the last of his kind, or last that will ever be known in the digital world, nor is this our realm of exile. A great number of us are scattered and live like wandering rebels or even slaves!"

"But I couldn't be the last!" Wizardmon spoke up in protest. "Surly, Myotismon and his henchmen could not destroyed my entire kin at once, it would take more than even the most powerful digimon's strength too have us killed!" the sudden fact that he was (or could be) the only one shocked him so that there was only a small belief that it was true inside being pushed out by fear and denial.

The angels even with their eyes covered by their helmets seemed to express their grief well on their faces, while Arisamon cast his own eyes away from the wizard's desperate gaze. "You may be right, but we know naught where they are, have you felt their presences at times, do you even feel them now?"

Wizardmon sighed heavily, had he felt that there were any other survivors but he? He closed his eyes shaking, he felt something hard but not hurtful pressed against his head and he almost thought his own brain would erupt and die of stress as he tried to remember if he'd felt anything. He had felt someone, not always though, and it was not someone he would want to feel close to him. For a long time though he had hardly admitted it to himself, he had felt this digimon, mostly in his dreams than when was awake, or in visions. He shuddered as he could still remember those horrible nightmares about that mysterious monster attacking him when he was an Auramon before his family was killed as clear as if he could see them now before his wide waking eyes. But even after that, it was no more than a vague memory he would forget about of a digimon screaming, as it was being tortured or crying out in anguish and despair. But now, it was the first time he ever clearly thought about these insights and for a second, Chihiro, Arisamon, everything around him was gone, vanished into nothing and those screams and mournful cries grew louder more outside to his ears than inside his head. Suddenly the room, the scenery of the palace, the angels and his friend snapped back into his vision and he almost felt like shaking himself, shaking that dreadful thing off of him, and forgetting about it before it drove him mad.

"I do feel something, but not my people!" He almost blurted out as if forcing the words out, and he prayed that the angel was not going to ask him anything about it, for even the thoughts began to sicken him.

Arisamon just gave a nod of understanding as if he heard the wizard's plea. "But I came to see you both not for that!" Chihiro gave a worried glance at the wizard as she asked the archangel "Is it because we were in some kind of….you know….hell dimension?" But she could not keep wondering why her wizard friend would always flash into someone who was remembering something painful and then the next moment look all tired and weak. She then looked back at the angels who gave her a strange but clear frown that read "patience" on them and she sighed as she waited for Arisamon to go on. "Poor child, little you know about our histories and cultures despite what you have learned in your early childhood. " She felt uneasy at the amount of pity in his tone. "But you and Wizardmon have foreseen much in the dark ocean, you have uncovered something didn't you that we know nothing about!

Will you both not tell us of it?"

Wizardmon shook his head, "My, lord, I wouldn't say we've uncovered something…..that is……not yet anyway, or we have and we don't know what it is."

Slowly the wizard with little enthusiasm told them his entire story how he was sucked into the dark ocean, had a vision, and told them the story about the sad relationship between Alitheamon and Oloriousmon and that she had a son and what became of the both of them. He stopped near the end when he saw the angels exchanging strange glances but when he looked upon Arisamon's face, the archangel's old violet eyes were filled with such sorrow as if the very names he mention brought back something….a moment in your life so painful and heartbreaking that you would do anything to stop the agony and shut it out of your memories. Wizardmon glanced at the other angels who looked away in silence and then at the archangel's glowering expression. "You knew her! You knew them didn't you!" he gasped he could feel the impatience and anxiety growing stronger and soon it would all burst out.

"Yes, I knew Alitheamon!" The archangel replied almost coolly. "I knew her even before she became…..Alitheamon, before she was turned against us………..I knew the digimon they destroyed and brought back into an evil creature..

Long ago, your kin and my kin were allies. The digital world was created by the digi-gods, Azulongmon was the leader god, the father of these four guardians. Each digi-god created at least two or three races and govern them (nowadays, we all worship Azulongmon and the last guardians that remain, but back then, we were to serve the ones that created us. )

But then one, his name was AncientSeraphmon the god the my people worshipped betrayed us all and not just him some of the other digi-gods joined his side.

"What reason would they have to go against the whole digital world?" Chihiro asked.

The young girl felt disturbed by the look Arisamon gave her. " I would partly regret it!" The archangel responded rather gravely and there was hesitance in his voice. "But…..only you and your human kind would answer that." The red headed girl did not understand it, what was he talking about? "What do you mean "only I would answer that"?" She snapped in defence as if he had thrown an insult at her. Wizardmon glanced at Chihiro confused as she was. "I don't understand!" He said calmly but his tone was firm. "Are you saying the digi-destines are responsible…."

"Yes and No!" The archangel cut the both of them off and they could sense the impatience in his tone of voice. But the humans have a connetion to our world as they always had, though they are not one of us, they and their digimon were the protectors of our world. But some of the digi-gods found their being-here a threat to the digital world since they were aliens, foreigners, and always will be, they fear that the power of the gods will tempt the humans and one day take over their rule."

"But you betrayed your god, and then fought against him and his followers." The wizard added he suddenly hesitated but the words had already come out. Arisamon raised his barely visible eyebrows in surprise. "How did you know?" He gasped. Wizardmon nearly gasped too, and yet what he said was not just a guess. "First, Chihiro and I were in some ancient abandoned library and I read something in an old textbook about AncientSeraphmon and his followers being exiled for betrayal. " He could hear the very summary of that paragraph repeating in his head. The archangel nodded. He was also the god of your kind, the sorcerers and sorceresses, and together, our people fought in a great battle against the traitor digi-gods and the digimon that followed them. Since that time we turned against them, we still feared and partly regretted our own betrayal……." He was sounding more and more hesitant but kept going. "And we should've known how harshly they could punish us………..

My best friend…." His voice was starting to shake and he sounded as if he could almost burst into tears ".The archangel Galadrimon, our beloved queen was captured and destroyed….. and came back not as a digi-angel…….but as the virus Alitheamon.

But to our surprise, we defeated them along with the help of the gods who were on our side. The leader Azulongmon punished them for their treachery by sending them into permanent exile, and they were no longer digi-gods but were now given the title…..the Dark Masters.

After that…..no one knows what happened, but many say that because Azulongmon made them powerless, they simply died out or just stopped exsisting!

The wizard gave a soft look of pity as he still thought about that vision of Alitheanon. "I'm so sorry!" He whispered, his heart filled with sympathy. The archangel's sorrowful face then faded as he continued, his deep violet eyes widened and he sounded as if shocked by something. "I don't understand why you aren't as surprised as we are but until you told us…..we never knew that she had a son and that she slept with…..Oloriousmon!"

"Who was this…..Oloriousmon?" Wizardmon asked.

"He was a great sorcerer, though we didn't know him very well, his father fought with us in the battle against the dark digi-gods."

"I see." The wizard nodded in interest

Then there was another enemy, those dark mysterious digimon were gods or…maybe they were once gods. But if these gods were destroyed years ago……and even if they were still alive, how he couldn't see them or even hear them (On the other hand digi-gods were only to be seen for real if there was an important message to send or after a digimon died. There were some digimon that could see the all the time though like his father)? The only time he did see them (though it was more like seeing their shadows), they were only images in the visions he had. Most of all, how did Myotismon relate to all of this?

"Arisamon!" Chihiro wondered, "Is it possible that these so called digi-gods still have their power and are planning something that is a threat to the digital world?"

"But why have you not mentioned Myotismon?" Wizardmon asked. "Is he not also a threat to us?"

The archangel shook his head. "Neither of your questions I can answer."

Both the wizard and the young girl looked at Arisamon in surprise.

"What do you mean you cannot answer!" Wizardmon could not keep the cold impatience out of his tone.

Arisamon frowned at him. "I'm sorry, Wizardmon, what I do know is that Myotismon is not one of them, he is not a digi-god."

"Then that would just make him their apprentice…..or their puppet." Said the wizard feeling uneasy, then he sighed and looked at up at the angels. "I must go before sundown, I have to find Gatomon and the digi-destines and warn them."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to Chihiro.

"Let me come with you." She pleaded.

The wizard smiled beneath his scarf. "Of course you'll come." He winked at her.

Arisamon nodded understandably. "I understand, farewell good wizard!"

Wizardmon bowed low that his pointed hat almost touched the stone floor. "farewell, great one and thank you for your hospitality."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Gatomon bent down at the edge of the creek feeling parched. The water was clean but ice cold and it froze her paws the moment she cupped them and dipped them in to take a drink despite the heavy lime green gloves that covered them. She then settled down hugging her knees close to her flat breast gazing at the sky which was starting to show it's first signs of a sunrise. She could almost picture the dark bruise-like circles forming under her deep cerulean blue eyes; it was almost dawn and she had not slept all night and even now she just couldn't sleep. Although she wasn't crying the tears seemed to already be welling in her eyes.

Wizardmon is gone, now move on!

It kept shouting inside her head but the other part of her would say: How can you move on? He was your best friend! Not only that, he's in the dark ocean now, what if he is still alive and needs your help?

Gatomon could still remember that dream when she was in the dark ocean and she saw Wizardmon lying limp in a dark ice cave, he was still alive though, yet his breathing looked irregular. But when she came closer……the white cat digimon could feel her self shaking, and the natural sweat that ran down her white fur turn ice cold……his face; his deep emerald eyes were wide open that he looked crazed and deeply terrorized and the light in them was dulled to fogginess. She had seen such looks from many of Myotismon's henchmen after they were tortured for so many years………before their own hearts became as black as his……

Gatomon hugged her knees tighter shivering, the very thought of it felt like Myotismon's icy touch squeezing her pounding heart until she was choking and gasping for air….

Suddenly she was interrupted as her large cat ears picked up the sound of someone walking towards her. Though a bit startled, she assumed it was only her partner and didn't bother to turn her head as her eyes remained downcast at her feet and the gravel bank.

"I'm alright, Kari!" She murmured reassuringly. "Who?" Said a soft male voice. The white cat digimon jumped up gasping as if someone was just sneaking up ready to slay her while she was still deep in her thoughts about Wizardmon . Her rich blue eyes narrowed and her dagger sharp claws almost glowed in the half moonlight the same way her night-vision cat eyes were shining as she barred them defensively "What do you want?" She hissed. The stranger, who didn't seem to feel threatened at all, laughed softly. "I'm impressed by your stout heart, little one, but if I meant you any harm, your mammal instincts would've told you already!" Gatomon's face softened instantly at the warmth and honesty in his voice but, she did not lower her claws. "But I am only half mammal, stranger." The white cat replied firmly as she still felt uneasy at his presence. "I still could've been stabbed in the back by that firey weapon you carry."

The smile on the stranger's faces slowly faded but his deep amber brown eyes remained gentle and calm despite the frown that his thin lipped mouth made ,though his mouth and eyes were the only parts of his face he could see since he wore a large hood over his head. He was tall, about the same height as Myotismon, his silk velvet huge sleeved robes which were two shades of deep red and rich burgundy hooded cloak, which was fastened around his shoulders with a sparkling garnet brooch, were darkened and caked with streaks of dirt and dry cracking mud at the bottom up to his knees and he carried a tall maple wood staff with a large ball of fire on the top. "I will not hurt you, young one!" His tone was cold but not harsh. Gatomon gave a small sigh of annoyance as she lowered her cat claws. "Alright then," She replied coolly, "who are you anyway?"

The digimon's eyes became even graver, "My name…..who I am? All of that means nothing to me, to this world, I am a digimon in exile, no more than a homeless wanderer mocked for his helplessness…." The white cat's annoyance faded and felt that painful grief and loneliness overwhelming her as she was reminded of her own past, long before she met Wizardmon, when she was searching wearily and hoplessely for Kari as Salamon, how she was always alone with no friends through her years of travel, and then Myotismon made her forget. "So am I….or was, that is!" Gatomon nodded understandably. "I know what its like to be an outcast."

The strange digimon leaned on his staff as his reddish brown eyes gazed rather fondly at Gatomon. Then her sympathy faded into a frown.

"But that does not mean you shouldn't tell me your name, after all, I don't happen to trust complete strangers unless I know who they are!"

The digimon sighed as he pushed back his heavy hood, his long silvery hair was tossed back as it flowed out from the hood and Gatomon saw that the flesh on top half of his face and head was much paler then the normal color at the bottom which was deep grey and there were faint pink marks across the dark circles under his eyes and the bridge of his nose that made her wonder if he used to wear a mask or a helmet. But she was most horrified when she saw the ugly scars that looked like old burns on the left side of his face and there was one deep scar that ran from his left temple all the way down to his chin.

"My kin called me Saramon, the fire sorcerer!"

The white cat digimon gave a small smirk. "Nice name! I'm Gatomon."

The sorcerer bowed low out of politness.

"But why did you sneak up on me in the first place, Saramon?"

"Well…." He hesitated for moment but continued. "I did not exactly sneak up on you," His tone was slightly bitter as if she had offended him. "But you are troubled about something and I-"

"Are my troubles any of your business!" Gatomon snapped.

"Yes they are!" Saramon retorted. "At least this trouble you have. You've lost your friend haven't you!" His tone was calm but firm. "I've lost him too……long ago…..and I thought he was dead for years."

The white cat digimon, gazed at the sorcerer in astonishment.

"You know Wizardmon?" She gasped

………………….

A young Champion digimon with blonde hair tied back and clad in red was partly lying down on the floor of a dark musty cave. His face felt hot and soaked from the constant tears that ran down his face. He was hugging another digimon that lay nearly limp beside him.

"Mother please don't go!" His voice was high pitched and trembling. "Without you, I'm nothing! Don't go where I can't!"

A female face with long dark hair, the palest blue skin and eyes the same color as his own, deep blue looked up at him, her dark, crimson lips were warm. "Son, listen to me……" Her voice cracked as it grew hoarse: "You are not a full virus like I am,……darkness as no power over the holy blood that runs through our veins……our ancestors are with you….. I'm with you and…….your family's strength and power is with you!"

"I don't understand!" The young wizard blurted in frustration.

"One day, you will understand my words….."

Myotismon's icy blue eyes shot open. His suit and skin felt damply cool and slightly sticky against the rocky floor of the cave. He blinked hard as he sat up and wrapped his cape around him tightly to warm himself against the frozen air. It was still the middle of nightfall and he hardly had any sleep for two days. He could still see that young wizard before him as if he was still dreaming. Who was that strange digimon? Somehow it wasn't the first time he saw him, in fact, he remembered seeing that mon more than once. When he tried to kill Wizardmon and his human friend, he saw that red robed wizard in place of his enemy and then earlier, when he walked into that dungeon. And now, he just saw him in a strange dream crying over someone. One thing the vampire was sure about was that that other wizard was just a merely an image, a hallucination whenever he saw him. But then what about that vampire womon in his dream, he never knew of any other vampire digimon but himself, and he could still hear those words she spoke to her son inside his head.

Why does it matter? They are just illusions, nightmares that will soon pass…..

"STOP IT! Just illusions you say? Are you keeping something important from me, or do you think me mad? Some master you are; what is it you fear so much that you would hide it?"

The vampire clasped a gloved hand over his mouth gasping, but the words had already escaped his lips before he could even silence himself. What had he done? Why did he talk back like that in the first place? He shuddered and felt something colder than bitter ice trickling down his spine as he braced himself for a punishment

But to his own shock, the dark voice laughed eerily, but it sounded more like a hard shiver as if the cackle was forced. The vampire couldn't believe it! He couldn't be feeling what he was feeling, but the that fear was as real and as the thirsting blood he could smell whenever he passed by a human.

"Alright then." The dark digimon gave a snarl. "I'll tell you who they are!" Then his tone turned more calm and sorrowful as he answered the vampire's question. "Long before you became my apprentice, there was another; that woman digimon was more than just a servant to me, she was like a sister to me, she was a dear friend to all of us.

But then one day (I'll never understand why), she turned against us, but since she knew she had not the power to rebel she ran off like a coward. We didn't come after, for we thought she would come back and understand that there was no escape for her, that her destiny lay with us.

But we should've known that she was more than foolish. We waited….for weeks….for months and even years and she never came back.

Ten years had passed, and we went out looking for her. We found her eventually in a cave, and we were so shocked that there was another digimon with her who happened to be her son. She had suffered all those years she was missing and we begged her to come back and bring her son with her. Now that she knew of the cruelty and chaos brought upon the digital world, we thought she would listen to us but how could she have been so blind? Instead she attacked me like a mad animal……..and….."

"You killed her!" Myotismon concluded for him already knowing from his dream.

"Yes," The dark digimon continued. "As for her son…..so young he was….and yet his heart was filled with such hate for us, he had the stomach to withdraw his mother's sword from it's sheath and……he drove the blade through his heart."

Myotismon sighed aloud feeling sympathy for his master, and yet for no reason the feeling was more of suspicion that overwhelmed his pity. If the story he told him was true, why part of him not believe it? For one thing, who would keep a story like that so secret?

Just then he cried out as he felt that painful stab in his side again, that icy fire working into his gut and he could not suppress a shiver . I already told you! What more do you need to know?

The vampire did not respond finding it useless to argue.

"Boss is that you?" A high pitched voice gasped somewhere in the dark.

The burning agony stopped and the vampire ignored the voice as he slumped down against an uneven wall breathing heavily.

"Myotismon!" The voice gasped again with excitement.

The vampire was almost startled and surprised when he saw a familiar face pop up before him.

"Demidevimon?"

"I don't believe it boss, we thought you were dead!" The blue feathery bat flapped around with excitement and the vampire's ice blue eyes widened as he saw Phantomon and several of his Bakemon bodyguards emerge from the dark tunnel that lead to further down the cave.

"Of course I'm not dead!" Myotismon replied hotly. "How could those deceased spirits destroy me if I was on their side!"

The blue bat looked at his master puzzled.

"Really? I thought all digimon even viruses were fated to-"

"It doesn't matter!" The vampire snapped. He had strangely forgotten about his master's story of Alitheamon. "The digi-destines have landed in the digital world, there is not much time left…."

"We know that, master." Phantomon unwisely interrupted. "That's why many of us have fled from the human world and have been hiding in this cave."

Myotismon frowned at the black red cloaked demon but then dropped his feeling of offense and set his eyes on the rest of his henchmen.

"Well you soldiers will not have to hide here anymore. Come, there is much work to be done." And with that he pulled himself to his feet and started marching off.

"Where are we going boss?" Asked one of the ghost digimon.

"Back to the castle! where else?" the vampire sneered.

He could not resist a gasp much less put a gloved hand to his mouth. Strangely he did not think of his words, but his lips would move anyway. Part of him felt like asking…..was this really him talking? Never mind that, he told himself as he and his henchman headed back to the castle.

"Wizardmon and Gatomon may be still alive," He murmured under his breath so not even his henchmen could hear with triumph and yet with shakiness, "But those traitors will be punished when they have seen my real army!"

But his thought of killing Wizardmon especially would not stop that strange fearful pain deep inside him, whether or not it was the rightful thing. He could still feel it growing stronger, he then felt something cold breathing down his back and shook his head (practically jerking it from side to side), as if trying to push it out of his thoughts.

Don't let your weak side take hold of you! You have to stay strong!

It was a long journey, it was late morning and Myotismon found himself pulling a part of his cape over his head as the heat and light of the sun's rays began to softly then with force poke at his extremely pale skin like needles. It was even worse that he was in the sky instead of traveling by foot so at least the trees of the forest would give him shade. Fortunately the sun in the digital world did not hurt him as bad as the sun in the human world but it was still uncomfortable.

Finally the vampire stopped and turned around. He could see the coming exhaustion in the eyes of his soldiers except for a few who were more capable of long distance like him, as they tried to hold in any hard breathings or pants. "Remember, henchmen, unless you're strong enough to keep up, I will not bother to save you if you fall behind." And he continued to fly further. Why did he care anyway if lost all his henchman, now that he was going to have a more powerful army to defeat his enemies?

and yet…..what about Demidevimon and Phantomon who had been his most loyal henchman for years? Although he would not need them much longer, it felt somewhat…..regretful…...if he gave them up!

He sighed heavily. Then again, what use would his henchmen be to him after he summoned his army.

They finally made. To everyone's surprise the castle looked exactly the same both interior and exterior as it had before they left to find the eighth child and any cracks, extremely filthy areas or any damaged parts they spotted were ancient. The air inside though was much more dustier and less purer since it had been unoccupied for quite awhile. Myotismon walked into his bed chamber and lifted the lid of his sleeping coffin with some struggle brushing away any spider or cob webs that collected in there. He did feel rather weary from his long journey that started back in the dark ocean but he quickly slammed the lid shut refusing any attempt to lay on the soft cushions of his bed inside and walked out of his room down the steep spiral staircase.

When he reached the bottom where the main hall was his henchmen were all standing together as if they had been waiting for him. The vampire was filled with annoyance. "Well don't just stand there like dumb fools!" He barked.

"Do you carry out no orders for us, boss?" Demidevimon asked.

The vampire narrowed his ice blue eyes at his soldiers but kept his voice calm. What orders could he give them anyway? There was only one thing he could do at the moment.

"I'm afraid I have nothing for any of you. Go and rest in your cells and I'll tell you if I have any use for you."

It did not sound very leader like, but it was the best he could do until he could find a way to deal with them. The henchmen were especially surprised; since when did their master ever get soft on them and give them a free day? But they obeyed and rushed down the different hallways to find their rooms. Myotismon sighed as he walked up to his own chambers. At least he had now and the whole night to think about what he would do with his soldiers. It seemed likely the easiest way was to kill them, after all he had no use for them. Besides if he spared their lives and set them free, that would prove him weak, on the other hand they his enemies would just kill them and that would take care of it. He gasped, why did that thought make him shudder? When was he ever going to stop feeling like this digimon who was weak and merciful, had he been completely changed in that other dimension?

The vampire sighed as he carefully laid down in his coffin and shut the lid.

To be continued……