World Travellers Reunited…
Chapter 10: A sovereign's final moments.
Death…
"Why did you do it? Of all things you could've done when you took me over, you attacked my friends…" Takato asked his loner of a counterpart, Draconius.
"I have no clue what you're talking about Takato…"
"Oh, please. You see everything that I see, you know damned well what I'm talking about!" The goggled teen shouted, raising his fists.
"Okay, you got me. But I wasn't the one who did that. If I did it, we would've turned into a different form of Gallantmon." Draconius replied.
"Then who was it?" Takato felt like he could trust Draconius' words for some strange reason.
"I'm not sure, I know that whatever it was, was really powerful." He answered, he himself wondering who could've taken control of the boy in which he resided in. "That reminds me, we aren't really in a place called death…" He noted, Takato looking at him with a confused expression on his face.
"But didn't you say that we were?"
"Yes, I did. It doesn't mean that it was the truth. I only said that for dramatic effect…" He said, lips contorting into a slim smile.
"Then where are we?" Takato asked.
"We are in the deepest reaches of your mind." He replied.
"Oh… Really?"
"Yeah, you've had run-ins with me before, I just forced you to forget them. What's wrong?" The Takato in green asked, seeing his vessel's face turn into a frown.
"I hope Jeri will forgive me. I hope everyone will for that matter, the Digital Hazard has brought us nothing but sadness both times it's been activated." He replied glumly.
"You can blame that on me. Well, us really…" Draconius said, placing a hand on his vessel's shoulder.
"Why? I didn't even draw the sign on Guilmon when I designed him." Takato replied.
"Because, when you designed him, the DigiGnomes granted your wish of having an actual Digimon and created Guilmon from your mind and drawings. Since I am a part of your mind I was part of what gave Guilmon his massive power levels. That is what The Hazard represents; a symbol to show when a Digimon has extreme power, enough to wipe out an entire civilisation if used wrong." Draconius explained, raising one more question from Takato.
"Used wrong? Explain that for me."
"Guilmon can use The Hazard to boost the power of his attacks, but he'd have to be extremely careful, even when used for good it can still destroy a whole city if his attack were to miss." The orange goggled 'god' explained.
"So Guilmon is that powerful huh?"
"Any Digimon bearing the Digital Hazard is."
"There are others?"
"Guilmon and his evolution line, MachGaogamon and Lucemon."
"How do you know so much about Digimon? I thought you only knew about the human world…" Takato pondered.
"Let's just say that at some point in my existence I was combined with a being whose power rivalled my very own…" He explained.
"Was it a Digimon?"
"Yes, it was. I don't really want to tell you who just yet, it could set off an event which your mind couldn't handle." Draconius said with a worried expression on his face, as if he was afraid of accidently saying it.
"You mean I'd…?" Takato asked, already knowing the answer but wanting confirmation.
"Your mind would implode, killing you instantly." Draconius said wearily. "It's time for you to go now Takato, people are beginning to worry about you and Azulongmon hasn't even finished his story yet. This exit is going to hurt because of the damage you took in that battle." He said, Takato's vision flaring up then dying back to black as he regained consciousness.
Digital World – Plane of the sovereigns.
"He's coming to!" Joe shouted to everyone around, people and Digimon rushing to Takato's side, Gennai and Azulongmon included. Takato moaned in agony as he attempted to sit up but was pushed softly back down by Joe and Rika, both people never leaving his side.
"Where's Guilmon?" Takato croaked, his throat dry and his lips cracked.
"I'm right here Takato!" Guilmon exclaimed, oblivious to the pain Takato was in until he tried to sit up again. "Are you okay?" He asked worriedly, his Tamer shaking his head to the side, tears threatening to fall.
"I'm so sorry buddy… I… I don't know what happened…" His voice breaking mid-sentence as he let some tears escape.
"Takato, your eyes are bleeding again." Guilmon said, Takato embracing the saurian in a hug, wincing in pain from his battered body.
"I'm so sorry everyone…" Takato sobbed, Rika knew that she had to do something to console her boyfriend, but what? She was no good in these situations, what if everyone found out they were dating before she was ready for them to?
'God, I'm so selfish sometimes…' She thought.
"It's okay Takato, it wasn't your fault." A feminine voice said from behind, the goggled boy craning his head to see, ignoring the pain he felt from the action. Jeri stood there with Leomon, this time she didn't seem as affected from what had happened, but then again he had been out for a while.
"Tai figured out that it wasn't your fault, TK and Kari also had a feeling that it wasn't you." Gennai explained.
"When you turned into ChaosGallantmon, I felt a really dark presence, one that I only feel from Digimon like Devimon or LadyDevimon. " TK said as he made his way over.
"So how did you stop Guilmon and I?" Takato asked, if he had really turned into something like ChaosGallantmon, then how were they able to stop him?
"You have me to thank for that." Two voices said from a little distance away. The goggled teen had to turn his head once again, trying to ignore the pain, to see the legendary Omnimon standing there.
"But… How?" Takato asked, mouth agape.
"We wanted to help you and save everyone and I guess both Tai and I being in sync helped WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon to DNA Digivolve." Matt said from Omnimon's side.
"Joe, are you going to show the young man what you found on him?" Azulongmon asked from the clouds.
"Oh… Yeah!" Joe exclaimed, digging around in his jacket's pockets for a few seconds before pulling out a necklace with a crest that resembled both the crests of courage and friendship. "I was checking your body over for injuries and found this under your shirt. You're lucky Takato, you took quite the beating from Omnimon and managed to escape with only bruises. Guilmon is perfectly fine though…" Joe said, looking to the red and black dinosaur that looked back at him in confusion.
"That's a crest?" Takato said, unsure as to why he had it.
"Yes, it is the crest of unity and it is yours." Azulongmon said, even Gennai gave him a look of confusion.
"I never remembered guarding that crest though." Gennai stated.
"I'm not surprised; it was hidden within the crest of courage and the crest of friendship. When these two boys displayed both courage and friendship it released the crest of unity, sending it to its rightful owner." Azulongmon explained as Gennai nodded his head in understanding.
"So it's mine then?" Takato questioned Azulongmon, the serpentine dragon nodding his head as Takato fastened it around his neck. The crest pulsed gold for a few seconds then returned to normal, showing that it recognised it's owner.
"Indeed it is. Now if you would all gather around please. Our story is not yet finished." Azulongmon commanded. Rika put an arm under Takato's and wrapped it around his back, giving him support to help him stand.
"Thanks…" He said, grunting with the effort that it took.
"No problem." She replied, worry hinted in her tones as they moved closer to Azulongmon.
"Now, to continue where we left off from." Azulongmon started. "When Ryo woke up in his world, he only remembered a few select memories, he was in a hospital but Monodramon was not with him. We had transported the little Digimon here because if he was to hatch in the human world, he would not be able to control Milleniummon. One day, after beating Rika in a card tournament, he was caught in a Digital Field where Cyberdramon asked him to come to the Digital World with him. The two travelled the Digital World for just over a year, Ryo keeping Cyberdramon and Milleniummon in check, that's when Kazu, Kenta and Rika found him in the Digital World where he helped them to get back to their friends." Azulongmon looked to Gennai who nodded, taking the serpent's place in speaking once again.
"You Tamers will remember the hostility that Zhuquiaomon showed you all, it was because of the Dark Spores and Ryo was sent yesterday to eradicate them from the sovereign. We chose Ryo specifically because of the ramifications this would have to both your two human and Digital Worlds." Gennai explained, his gaze finding Izzy who was ready to burst with questions.
"What sort of ramifications?" The child of knowledge asked, hoping his question wouldn't go ignored.
"To remove the Dark Spores, Ryo has to turn Zhuquiaomon back into a Digiegg where his status as a sovereign would be removed, rendering him unable to run his quadrant." Azulongmon answered gloomily.
"Why can't he become a sovereign again?" Kenta asked, MarineAngemon poking his head out of the green haired boy's pocket.
"Because the being that created us, Goddramon, has not been seen in quite a long time. He has the power but we cannot locate him no matter how hard we attempt." Azulongmon responded, looking to Gennai once more, a silent message passing between the two.
"Azulongmon will have to take care of both the quadrants but he can't do it when they're separated like this so we will have to merge them into one. This will also merge your two universes together, your houses, families, friends and other things will all still exist, it's just that your two groups will coexist. There will also be a minor change to the way some things are done." Gennai explained, everyone faces either a look of surprise or understanding that this was the only way.
"I see why you chose Ryo then." Henry nodded.
"Why?" Izzy asked, not pondering on that yet and wondering what his new blue haired friend had thought of.
"Not to sound harsh or anything but, merging our universe with yours, Ryo would have to eventually face you all sometime, no matter how much he doesn't want to." Henry said, Tai looking solemn once again.
"Man, Mrs Asaji is going to be so mad at us for running out of class like that. I'm going to get detention for two months for sure." Kazu complained.
"Maybe if you hadn't run off and let us handle it diplomatically then she wouldn't get mad all the time." Yamaru said to the other brunette boy.
"It is good to hear your voice of reason once again Yamaru." Azulongmon nodded, Tahu and Ken making their way over to the giant serpent.
"So, I can tell by the look on your face that you have a lot of questions." Henry smiled to the red haired DigiDestined boy who nodded in response.
"Let's start from when you mentioned the TV show." Izzy said.
"In our universe, your adventures in the Digital World are a TV show, it starts from when you get your Digivices and ends in the battle with Apocalymon, there was also a movie where you fought Diaboromon and the younger DigiDestined fought Cocomon." Henry said, Izzy nodding in response, not reacting in the same way Tai had. "The next series starts when Davis, Yolei and Cody get their D-3s and ends when they defeat MaloMyotismon. There was also another movie where Diaboromon returned as Armageddemon and fought Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode."
"I heard someone say D-Reaper before, what is that?" Izzy asked, Henry looking sad about the memories of the being.
"That was a terrible time for all of us. Jeri's partner had died and the D-Reaper took control of that sadness to take over the world. It was just like a giant pink dome of goo that slowly progressed outwards. It appeared in spots all around the world but its main form was in Shinjuku, where we live. Everything that it formed over, it slowly started to delete, like a computer wipes out a virus. It couldn't delete anything that was organic, like plant life etcetera. We thought that we wouldn't beat it until Takato brought us together and helped himself and Guilmon to Digivolve to Gallantmon: Crimson Mode, they also had help from a good friend of ours called Grani who had to sacrifice himself. He was designed by a government agency called Hypnos to help us against the D-Reaper." Henry explained, Terriermon mocking a yawn at the recount of one of his greatest battles.
"Seems like it took you a lot more time to beat him than it took us to beat Apocalymon, or Davis to beat MaloMyotismon. What's this about Hypnos?" The redhead asked.
"Originally, Hypnos was formed to monitor and delete Digimon that appeared in the real world. They were never successful unlike us Tamers and that ticked off the boss of the whole operation, Yamaki Mitsuo. He eventually turned to our side and decided to help us once a little Digimon named Calumon was kidnapped and taken to the Digital World." Henry replied, still not bothered by Izzy's questions.
"Why was Calumon kidnapped?" Izzy asked.
"He sure does ask a lot of questions…" Terriermon noted.
"He's gotten us into trouble because of that before…" Tentomon sighed.
"The sovereigns thought that the D-Reaper was growing because of Digivolution but Zhuquiaomon thought they needed more Digivolved Digimon to fight it so he sent his Devas to attack our world and kidnap Calumon, one of the Devas, Vikaralamon, destroyed a massive area of Shinjuku. The sovereign had locked the power of Digivolution inside of Calumon which was released from him later on, turning him into a proper Digimon and not just a vessel." Terriermon sighed and decided he would walk around and see who else he could annoy, his Tamer evidently too busy and wrapped up in conversation to be any fun to tease.
'Maybe Omnimon…' He thought.
"What are the Devas exactly?"
"They were Digimon that worked for Zhuquiaomon that were based off of the Chinese zodiac. The rabbit, Antylamon, ended up becoming my sister's partner, Lopmon." Izzy looked around, seeing no sign of a Lopmon or anyone that remotely looked like the boy he had met a while ago.
"She's not here; she wasn't with us when we came here." Henry said catching on what the teen was looking for.
"Oh…" Izzy replied.
"Neither are Ai and Mako. They're only seven years old and share a partner together." Henry said, remembering the two young kids that they hardly saw because of their age and Impmon's protectiveness.
"Who's their partner?" Izzy asked.
"A Digimon named Impmon, he ditched them once they started fighting over him and hated humans for a while until the Devas took him in and made him kill Leomon." Henry said gesturing for Izzy to look at the big lion that was with Jeri, Takato, Guilmon and Rika. Renamon having gone off into the shadows once again.
"I'm guessing he helped bring Leomon back then?" Izzy assumed, not realizing how close he was to the truth.
"Exactly. Once he had killed Leomon, he absorbed his data and that made Takato angry. We had offered him so many chances to be our friend and he just laughed in our faces and said that we made him sick. Takato made Guilmon Digivolve but it went wrong and he turned into Megidramon, a being that almost destroyed the whole Digital World in his fight against Beelzemon, Impmon's mega level. We managed to bring Leomon back the other day with Yamaki's help." Henry said.
"And I thought it was bad when Agumon turned into SkullGreymon twice. That Guilmon has two evil evolutions that could destroy a lot in a matter of seconds. On the subject, I've never heard of a Guilmon before…" Izzy studied the small red dinosaur as Henry explained why he hadn't seen Guilmon before.
"That's because when Takato first got his D-Arc, he drew Guilmon and they were accidentally scanned through and he was born." Izzy taking on a shocked expression.
"Like when Ken created Kimeramon as the Digimon Emperor. What's a D-Arc?" He asked, Henry pulling out his white D-Arc with emerald ring around the screen and handed it to the curios DigiDestined. "What's this for?" He asked, pointing to the card slot.
"We swipe things called modify cards through there, they can make our Digimon stronger, faster and even help them Digivolve seeing as though Calumon can't help them with that anymore." Henry replied, Izzy handing his D-Arc back to him.
"Why not?"
"Like I said before, the sovereign had locked the power of Digivolution inside of Calumon, once it was released he was just turned into a normal Digimon."
"There's still so much I want to know about your universe, I particularly want to watch an episode of the TV show. It'd be nice to see our adventures from another perspective." Izzy sighed.
"Hey you! Big white and holy! Down here!" Terriermon called to Omnimon as he tugged on his cape.
"What do you want Terriermon?" He asked in his dual voices, obviously not capable of speaking in one voice at a time like a biomerged Digimon.
"Someone to annoy." The dog-bunny replied devilishly.
"It would be wise to avoid Mimi. She finds things like you cute. Yolei would simply hit you as would Sora and Matt. Tai is hard to annoy unless you're evil, I would also steer clear of TK and Kari. Cody is always pretty calm so he would be a challenge to annoy seeing as though he wouldn't admit it if he were. You'd probably end up in a fight with Davis…" Omnimon thought aloud, looking to each person as he mentioned them.
"I was thinking that maybe I could annoy you!" Terriermon exclaimed, wrapping himself up inside Omnimon's cape, making it hard for the holy knight to grab him. "Pfft. And they say that you're a Royal Knight!" Terriermon giggled.
"If I could reach you, I would destroy you…" Omnimon grumbled, drawing his sword to try and cut his cape off.
"Looks like he's having fun…" Izzy noted, directing Henry to look at what was happening between the mega and the rookie.
"You take your eyes off of him for one second and he runs off to cause trouble…" Henry sighed.
"It really is fine Takato, it wasn't your fault." Jeri said, her groups 'leader' still feeling guilty for what had happened.
"But I could've hurt someone. I almost hit Rika!" Takato exclaimed, promptly getting a slap to the face from the aforementioned redhead, putting him in just that little bit more pain than he was.
"Is that the reaction you were expecting?" She asked calmly, Jeri surprised at the girl's actions, Takato was obviously in pain and she just hit him.
"Well…no. Not really." He admitted, rubbing the red mark on his cheek.
"Then accept the fact that it wasn't your fault and move on, otherwise that'll be your punishment from now on." She cautioned.
"What if I like it?" Takato asked with a dodgy smile on his face.
"EW, okay. I'm leaving now…!" Jeri exclaimed, seizing Leomon's arm and walking to Kazu, Guardromon, Kenta and MarineAngemon.
"That was very filthy Takato. Get your mind out of the gutter." Rika laughed along with the boy, his chest hurting slightly but he didn't care, he was adjusting to just blocking the pain out now.
"Why would you like being hit Takato?" Guilmon inquired innocently.
"Never mind boy." Takato replied, scratching him behind his bat wing ears, both Tamers laughing once more.
"That boy's life will take a very dramatic turn in the future…" Azulongmon said, Tahu, Yamaru and Ken all turning to glance at Takato who was laughing along with Rika.
"What do you mean?" Ken asked.
"I cannot tell you, you have to figure it all out of your own accord." Azulongmon sighed.
"More of that prophecy crap, right?" Tahu inquired, already sick of it.
"Indeed. You cannot tell Ryo of my knowledge though. This is a battle he has to fight with your help only; I am outside the prophecy and cannot assist you in your endeavours." Azulongmon said to the dismay of the three boys.
"Azulongmon, I was wondering. Are the Demon Lords a part of the prophecy?" Yamaru saw the giant falter and before he could answer the black clad boy knew all he had wanted to find out.
"Don't worry, you just told them all they needed to know." Henry noted, having finished his conversation with Izzy he had walked over to the giant serpent and had heard Yamaru's question.
"How do you keep doing that? Anyone would think you had Renamon's Kohenkyo ability…" Yamaru noted.
"You guys just get too wrapped up in your conversation." Henry replied.
"So you know of the prophecy?" Azulongmon asked Henry who nodded.
"I overheard Yamaru and Ken once."
"You boys will need to be more careful in the future." Azulongmon advised the boys. "There is something that I can tell you though. Ken, you and Ryo will need to find a way to make Strikedramon and Stingmon DNA Digivolve, as will BlackAgumon and BlackGabumon." He said, the two darker Digimon looking surprised.
"What Digimon will we become?" BlackGabumon wondered aloud.
"We will know when the time comes." Azulongmon said, glancing quickly at Omnimon who was still struggling with the little dog-bunny and his antics. No one except for Henry picking up on what he had looked at.
"What will change when the merge happens?" Tahu asked the eastern sovereign.
"I have made sure that some elements will take pride over others. Like to get to the Digital World you will only need to use a computer like in my quadrant, and don't worry; I will make necessary changes to the D-Arcs so they can open them too. I'm afraid that some parts of the southern quadrant will affect the new Digital World, making them a 'kill to get stronger' environment." Azulongmon said, obviously disappointed at how Zhuquiaomon had let his quadrant go to such a violent path.
"Imagine the mass hysteria the media will cause about this." Ken joked.
"Only you children and Digimon with me right at this moment will know of the merge, it will make things easier that way. By the time I send you back, Ryo should be done with his mission and I can merge the quadrants." Azulongmon stated, confusing Yamaru.
"Didn't you say he was going to fight Zhuquiaomon? I thought you guys were really powerful? Surely it would take Ryo a fair bit of time to beat him…" He asked.
"Baihumon and Ebonwumon used up a lot of their energy to keep Zhuquiaomon chained up, he was attempting to re-create his Devas to go back and destroy the human world. We got to him just in time. It is best that he can't fight back and delete Cyberdramon and Ryo. The chains have made him weak…" Azulongmon said, casting a depressed gaze off into the distance before returning back to current events.
Digital World – Southern Quadrant – Zhuquiaomon's fortress.
"So they chained you up huh?"
"Get out of my sight you foul abomination. Humans and Digimon as the same being is disgraceful and unnatural, when I break free you'll be the first to be destroyed!" The flaming phoenix roared at Justimon.
"This is for your own good you know?" Ryo said from Justimon.
"The only good that could ever come from this situation is your deletion." Zhuquiaomon spat.
"I know why you're like this. You can fight back Zhuquiaomon, fight the Dark Spore and you can keep on ruling your quadrant the proper way." Ryo tried to reason with the sovereign who seemed to falter at the words.
"No, the only way to help me is to be rid of me. You must return me to my egg form Ryo Akiyama." Zhuquiaomon said his voice oddly more calm now.
"No! You're fighting back! You can do it!" Ryo exclaimed.
"I am fighting back, yes. A Digimon cannot escape the Dark Spores like a human can, for a Digimon to escape, it's either they be deleted, or turn to a form where the Dark Spores have nowhere to lodge themselves inside. I must be turned back into a Digiegg." Zhuquiaomon informed Ryo of what was needed to be done yet he still refused to put an end to things quickly.
"I'm tired of Azulongmon and what he has done to me over the years; I will not follow his orders anymore!" Justimon snarled in Cyberdramon's voice.
"Azulongmon was the one who returned Cyberdramon to you all of those years ago. Ebonwumon and Baihumon wanted to keep him away from you a while longer; I wanted to simply kill you as I was under the effects of the Dark Spore. Azulongmon went behind our backs and returned him to you anyways, risking his position as a sovereign." Zhuquiaomon said.
"What do you mean 'risking his position'?" Ryo asked.
"Fanglongmon, the fifth sovereign, almost took his power from him but let him be because MaloMyotismon had just returned and started to wreak havoc in his quadrant's human world." Zhuquiaomon explained, to Ryo's surprise.
"So he risked his life to reunite me with Cyberdramon then…" Ryo sighed, he couldn't really hold a grudge against the Digimon or the DigiDestined, they were only doing what they thought was right at the time. He could forgive them, but it would still take some time for him to be able to trust them again.
"He did. I wouldn't want anyone else to take care of my quadrant for me. I know he will do well, as will you when dealing with Milleniummon. You and your friends are strong Ryo." Zhuquiaomon noted.
"At least let me break these chains so your last moments aren't in captivity…" Justimon said, walking over to a chain that bound one of his wings to his side.
"No! Please, don't. I may lose control at any second." Zhuquiaomon ordered.
"Even after all the things you did to us when you were under its control, it pains me to see you like this Zhuquiaomon." Ryo noted sadly.
"If I hadn't been infected by the spores then I wouldn't have done those things. I would've kept my quadrant in better conditions than this atrocity that lies before you. Kill or be killed is a life no single being should ever have to experience." The phoenix muttered solemnly.
"You had no control at the time, it wasn't your fault." Justimon replied trying to cheer the sovereign up before the inevitable happened.
"I know, thank you for everything Ryo. For saving the Digital World so many times, for helping Digimon in need when you lived here, for making my last moment a good one." Zhuquiaomon was the first person to ever thank Ryo formally for all he had done in the past and that brought a tear to the legendary Tamers' eye from within his Digicore.
"I'll come see you when you hatch Zhuq's." Ryo addressed him using Terriermon's old nickname for the sovereign.
"I'd like that, even though I wouldn't remember you. Goodbye for now Ryo Akiyama." The bird bid farewell.
"Goodbye for now Zhuquiaomon. Justice Kick!" Justimon jumped up high into the air and launched a kick right through the sovereign's chest, data flowing out of the hole as he deleted slowly.
"Thank you again Ryo and Cyberdramon…" He said as his data formed into a small crimson egg with flames printed on the bottom.
"We'll see you again." Justimon said picking up the egg and making his way back to Azulongmon who would take care of it until its time of hatching.
End Chapter 10.
Ended this chapter off on a rather sad note, I know. But it had to come eventually… The DigiDestined and Tamers have their worlds merged into one and Ryo still hasn't confronted Ken or anyone else from his past yet.
They knew it had to happen sometime, but how will the Tamers and DigiDestined children take the news of a sovereign's death? When will Ryo finally decide to make an appearance in front of everyone? Will Ken get sick of waiting and try to find Ryo himself? Did Omnimon ever stop Terriermon from annoying him?
Let's hope the next chapter is more exciting!
-DW96