Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Return of Shadows

Chapter: 14/ The Last Knight

Since the early days of being a Tamer, Takato was aware that digimon could sense other digimon. With this came the ability to assess threat level. Generally, the more powerful a digimon was, the greater the impact its presence had. Most memorably was the time when he and his friends, Rika and Henry when they entered this very same fortress to battle it out with Zhuqiaomon, the Sovereign of the Southern Quadrant. The Mega's sheer power and force of presence was enough to set all of their partners on edge, so much so that Renamon described their reaction as being a "terrible, overpowering anger that would crush them if they let their guard down".

Considering that had been the first—and last—time he saw the normally calm and collected Renamon's fur rise in response to a threat, that was certainly saying quite a lot.

This time around, things were obviously different.

For one, there had been no warning. Oh, before—back in his first adventure—they knew there was a Sovereign in the castle, but they didn't feel his power until they entered the castle, and the battle didn't begin until some minutes after they were made fully aware. And another…

LadyDevimon collapsed to her knees, her clawed hands clutching at the sides of her head and her mouth practically tearing itself apart as a howl ripped free from her lips. So distraught…so overwhelmed by the sheer force of power that was beating on the air and causing Takato's own living clothing to squirm and shriek inside his mind, that LadyDevimon did not even react when the shattered stone that had exploded into the air started to rain down on them. Even BanchouLeomon was frozen in place by the horrific shock that his senses were receiving.

At least, that was what Takato hoped it was. He didn't want to so much as entertain the thought of him being afraid.

Whatever the case was, Takato didn't give it time to fully form in his mind. Seeing the rain of stone begin to surge towards them, Takato dove into LadyDevimon, who was the most badly affected by the force before them, and the two of them tumbled out of the way, just in time for a rock to slam into the same spot where they had just stood, punching a crater into the floor and shattering the foundation of the pillar-key to the Gateway, causing its top to topple to the ground and roll over to where Takato and LadyDevimon now lay.

"LadyDevimo…" the teen began, pushing off of the demonic digimon, only to be cut off as a blast of dust-filled wind struck him and threw him away from her. Crying out, Takato grabbed at the ground, trying to stop himself. His hands scraped against the jagged ground, and blood dotted it, but ultimately the force of the hurricane was too much, and he found himself torn away. He tumbled through the air for only two seconds before slamming into the wall by the gate. Takato felt the wind rush from his lungs in one mad rush as something snapped in his side, sending white wildfire rushing through his body. As he slumped to the floor, his eyes bulged and his mouth worked airlessly to express the pain and surprise that rocked him.

Unfortunately for them, their attacker wasn't at all as handicapped as a cold, growling voice bellowed upon the walls of the castle.

"Is there no end to the foolishness of the shadow? To think that we would allow a Gateway to be accessed so easily by ones such as yourselves…"

The sound of the voice alone was enough to snap BanchouLeomon out of his paralysis, and immediately he began to raise his sword. Whatever it was that attacked them however, it wasn't giving them time to recuperate. A massive, red-scaled claw shot free from the dust cloud and slammed into the lion-warrior, throwing him backward and pinning him against the wall. Small spider webs of cracks splintered along the stone, and the castle groaned in protest.

"There will be none of that, rebel," the voice intoned. Wincing, Takato struggled to regain his feet, only to collapse as yet another gust of wind brushed over him. A massive, dragon-shaped head loomed forth from the cloud of dust and broad wings spread outward, yet, oddly, their sheer size was such that they could not possibly fit into the room. Had Takato been not so overawed by the creature's mass, he would have noticed that they cut off at the halfway point upon meeting the walls that would imprison them and limit their use, fading in and out of stability, as if they were breaking apart…or being prevented from coming together by some outside source.

As it was, he noticed none of those things, and instead struggled to speak. It was difficult though. Every time he took a breath, fire flared in his ribcage, and he clutched at his side uselessly.

"We…we mean no harm," Takato breathed. "My name is…Takato, and these are my friends." Using the word 'friends' loosely, he thought in his mind before continuing. "We're trying to get to the real world…"

"You shall not pass," cut across the dragon-like creature in an impassive tone. The dust was settling steadily, and now Takato could see that the creature's body appeared incomplete, and not just with its wings either. Its lower body appeared to fade down into nothing.

"But," Takato protested, "the digital and real worlds are in danger! We have to go to the other side to…"

"It is pointless to argue, young one," interrupted the dragon once again, its breath blasting over Takato and causing his clothing and hair to flutter. "It is forbidden for creatures of the dark to pass through that Gateway. Once we failed in this duty, but no more." The dragon narrowed its eyes and tilted its head to one side. "Interesting…I didn't think that a human could become so entwined with the Dark Area. It seems as though the rumors concerning an Emperor from years before are true after all."

Takato pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth together all the while until he was steady.

"Please…I know that…um…we don't…uh…exactly look like good guys here, but we need to do this. Um…" Takato's mind worked furiously, trying to get around this sudden and unexpected problem. "Oh man…" he whispered to himself. "That dragon guy…um…Huanglongmon said that we would be okay…uh…I think."

The dragon raised another arm, this one solidifying, and reached forward. There was the sound of rubble being pushed aside as the creature spoke again.

"The Royal Knights pay no obeisance to the Fifth Sovereign. Our loyalty is to Yggdrasil, and Yggdrasil only."

Takato's eyes bulged in their sockets. "You're a Royal Knight?" he exclaimed, flabbergasted. Not again, was his next thought. "But…you don't look like…"

"The form does not matter," growled the dragon as it rose into the air, carrying two unconscious figures, Kurata and Belphemon Sleep Mode, the latter of whom was hanging by his chains, still sleeping. "Consider your lives forfeit. You have brought a Demon Lord into this place. You claim to be protecting the two worlds? You would not be so quick to bring a beast such as this there if you were truly on the side of the Eternal Light." He snorted as he looked at Kurata. "There is an unusual number of humans coming to the Dark Area… No matter. I shall do my duty…"

The dragon's claws began to tighten around Kurata and Belphemon, but before he could go any further, there was a sudden flash of light and a bestial roar tore through the air. The dragon's head snapped around just in time to see BanchouLeomon pushing against the claw that held him prisoner, slowly and inexorably freeing himself from his clawed prison.

"Impudent cub," the dragon snarled, thrusting his arm forward suddenly. The wall behind BanchouLeomon exploded backwards and the lion was propelled outward, rolling down the shattered remains of the castle. The dragon snorted derisively. "To think that you could stand against Examon of the Royal Knights. Now, about these two…"

There was a sudden animalistic scream as LadyDevimon now snapped out of her paralysis. Her wings scythed outward as she launched herself at the dragon, one arm twisting into a vicious, black spike. The dragon merely sniffed and raised one massive arm in her direction. Air warped in front of it and a gun-like lance materialized out of thin air.

"Avalon's Gate," Examon boomed as gold energy burned at the lance's tip.

"NO!"

With a shout that tore at his ribs, Takato propelled himself forward. A miasma of dark energy bloated around his body and began to bulge outward. Gray armor tinged with blue highlights formed immediately, and gold irises quickly replaced his crimson ones. A blue cape swept behind him as a ashen, unadorned shield materialized around his left arm. Takato, now in his ChaosGallantmon form, surged through the air and smashed LadyDevimon out of the path of the oncoming blast while simultaneously sweeping his shield in front of him. Beneath his helm, ChaosGallantmon grunted in pain as the blast struck his shield full force, rocketing him backwards until he slammed into the wall. The stonework crumpled like wet paper beneath the blow, and ChaosGallantmon tumbled outward into open air. The dark knight grabbed frantically around him as he fell, grabbing hold of the bottom edge of the hole, bringing him to a harsh stop. Within his battered armor, Takato breathed a sigh of relief as he halted…only to be interrupted as his shield disintegrated and fell to the ground below.

Awww nuts… the teen groaned, trying to lift his now broken shield into the air. His arm shivered and began to blur, and the remnants of his shield broke apart into shards of data.

Nuts again. ChaosGallantmon winced. That makes this harder…

As ChaosGallantmon prepared to hoist himself back up into the room, the remainder of the walls exploded outward as massive, dragon wings tipped with white spines spread outward. As he stretched, free from his confines, Examon's body began to solidify and take form. He stood tall, large, but dwarfed by his wings, which seemed to stretch for miles. A tail, the longest Takato had ever seen, whipped behind the beast, slipping behind the wings and lashing out into visibility again. To Takato it made him think of Megidramon, but any resemblance ended there. As he clung to the remains of the tower, it shook violently as Examon appeared over him, lance in hand. Above in the sky, clouds began to swirl in a chaotic fashion, beating in time with the bestial tail that whipped about beneath them.

That's not good, Takato thought as lightning cracked and crashed between the clouds. That feeling of power beating upon the air had intensified suddenly to extraordinary levels, and a disturbing red glow emerged from Examon's eyes.

"You dare mock my fellow comrade, Gallantmon with that form?" Examon bellowed, and the shockwave of his wrath caused the wall that ChaosGallantmon clung upon to shatter completely. With a surprised shout, the dark knight fell and crashed to the ground. White sparks shot across his vision, but Takato managed to hang onto consciousness and roll over to his side, summoning his black lance, Balmung into existence.

"It…it wasn't like I was trying to," he wheezed. Pain was now erupting in a forest fire along the arm that had bore his shield. Examon's blast must have jarred it enough to knock the feeling out of it temporarily. I hope that there's no permanent damage… "I used to biomerge with my partner into a Gallantmon. Then I died…"

Examon did not seem to hear him. Or if he did, he didn't care. With a furious shout of Pendragon's Glory, the dragon shot into the air, and immediately a thunderstorm of energy bolts stabbed out of the sky. ChaosGallantmon didn't even think—he didn't have the time to—as he began to dodge. In spite of his best efforts though, against the furious storm there was only so much that he could do. His cape was immediately torn to shreds, and his shoulder guards were torn off. More blasts struck the backs of his legs, causing him to buckle and collapse to the ground, while another struck him on the corner of his helm, causing the inside of his head to ring as white exploded inside. In the next moment, Takato found himself blinking blearily on the ground, back to his normal human form, and lying amidst the shattered remains of his armor. His clothing was tattered, and everything above his shorts was destroyed.

The earth again shook as Examon's clawed feet crashed down in front of him. Takato heard the sizzle of electricity building up. With an effort, he looked up at Examon, who was still holding onto the unconscious Kurata and Belphemon.

"You still live," Examon growled. "Impressive, but this is the end. You and your allies will be destroyed."

"N-No…" Takato wheezed, struggling to get back up. The broken remnants of his armor began to shift and squirm in response to the teen's indomitable will. One fragment, a cracked shoulder guard, dissolved into shards of data and flowed over to Takato, sliding up his back and forming along his arm. More fragments broke down and began to coalesce around the boy, attempting to reform. As they did so, Huanglongmon's visions flashed across his mind. "My friends back in the real world… They're in danger! I can't let them down!"

Smoke curled from Examon's nostrils as he raised his lance above the boy. "You won't have a choice. This battle ends now."

"Lion King Slash!"
A scythe-like blast of energy tore through the air and struck the back of Examon before he could launch his attack. Making an agitated growl, the dragon craned his head to find the blasts owner hurtling through the air, curved blade at the ready with swirling patterns of white fire etched into its surface.

"I thought I sensed the Sephirot. So it is you who is the controller. Is there no limit to your mockery of Lord Yggdrasil's creations?"

BanchouLeomon narrowed his eyes as he drew closer, and hoisted the blade over his head. BanchouLeomon gritted his fangs together as he swept his blade down with a powerful slash, sending another stream of energy surging toward Examon. The great dragon pulled his wings in front of him, and a hurricane wall of wind blasted the attack, shattering it to pieces and throwing BanchouLeomon to the ground. With a snarl, Examon turned his full attention on the lion warrior, ignoring Takato behind him as the teen's armor collapsed and fell back to the ground again with a clatter.

"You are no threat to me, BanchouLeomon," Examon snorted. "Even with your 'enhancement' you won't be able to harm me, much less touch me. I did not do battle with the DexDoruGreymon that invaded this land just to be destroyed by a usurper such as you or your comrades."

BanchouLeomon struggled to his feet and brought his blade back in front of him. "You fought against your master's own creations?" he asked.

Examon snarled as he raised his lance. Red energy crackled at its tip as he took aim.

"Avalon's Gate!" he shouted before charging forward.

"BanchouLeomon!" cried out Takato, rising to his feet and ignoring his injuries. The scene of BanchouLeomon dug up painful memories. All at once, he was back to that horrible day when Beelzemon killed and loaded the proud warrior. Was this battle going to end the same way, with even worse results?

Takato never got a chance to find out as a cold, gray hand clamped down around his mouth and he disappeared in a flurry of darkness and bats.

…

LadyDevimon couldn't decide whether to simply murder Takato for smashing into her the way he did, or merely be angry with him. What she could decide on though was just this: simple survival.

"We need to get out of here," she said, dumping Takato unceremoniously onto the ground. The teen spun towards her, eyes wide and frantic.

"But the others…"

"There is nothing we can do for them," LadyDevimon growled, grabbing hold of Takato by the shoulder forcefully. "That Royal Knight is too powerful. You don't have enough strength even at your best to defeat him, and BanchouLeomon…" LadyDevimon hissed. She didn't quite care for the lion, but if there was any hope to be had, of which she didn't believe in at all, it was all down on him.

"No," Takato said, as if reading the demoness' mind. "We can't just leave them here!"

"What choice do you think we have? BanchouLeomon can't hold that Royal Knight off, and if we die here, our mission is over! Do you want your friends to suffer from whatever it is that…being wants over there? He's after something, and whatever it is, it's far larger than the life of one measly lion, a mass murderer, and a Demon Lord." LadyDevimon's eyes flashed angrily. A Demon Lord! She had no care for their breed, and even less for the human that it was shackled to.

This human's desire to help everyone is absolutely infuriating! There is only one way out of this, but I need him to get to work and not risk himself for the others. Takato Matsuki…one day you will be the death of me.

Reaching into her belt, LadyDevimon produced three cards and presented them to the brown-haired boy. "I found these after you…rescued me." She put as much derisiveness into those words as possible. She pointed ahead of her towards the two, tall, steel doors that had somehow miraculously escaped the devastation, and not only that, still stood. "We can still use the Gateway. The other cards may have survived along with these somewhere around here…"

"LadyDevimon," protested Takato. "We don't have time! We just…"

All of a sudden BanchouLeomon came sailing down next to them, crashing to the floor and rolling to a halt. Takato spun around, about to call out to the lion warrior, but came up short as he saw a hole in the Mega's stomach. Data seeped out of the wound, and his fingers hung limply around his swords handle.

"No…" whispered Takato, seeing that BanchouLeomon's eyes were closed.

A shadow fell over the trio, and both Takato and LadyDevimon turned to find Examon towering over them, lance in hand, its tip crackling with untold energies. Lightning crackled behind him as he took aim.

Huanglongmon's not coming, Takato thought, despair suddenly falling heavily onto his shoulders. And I can't do anything to save us. Just like before… I…I couldn't save Guilmon. I couldn't save Leomon. I…couldn't save anyone. I won't be able to save anyone…

All at once, all the fears that he had just barely been keeping in check began to pour forth from the hidden depths of his heart. All the fears that he would never see his friends again, never see his family or his home, or even find out if Guilmon had survived. None of that would happen now. He would only spiral down forever in a never ending sea of darkness, servant and slave to oblivion where one day he would be used against those that he loved and cherished. As his eyes took on a dull, lifeless look, a dark aura began to coil around him and his fear deepened. As the milliseconds ticked by, it grew darker.

LadyDevimon saw it, and her crimson eyes widened in shock.

"No!" she shouted, barreling into him at the same instant that Examon thrust his lance forward, narrowly missing them by mere inches. Examon turned to track their course, snorting in annoyance at having once again lost his prey.

"You will not escape," he began as he began to withdraw his lance, only to furrow his brow as it suddenly became stuck on something. A bright light suddenly flared in front of him, and the dragon turned to find BanchouLeomon holding onto the tip of his lance, orange fire dancing around his body in a furious display. Chuckling to himself, the lion took hold of his sword again, and white flames flared back to life along its blade.

"They will," BanchouLeomon stated firmly. "I promise you that."

All at once the white patterns of fire raced up from BanchouLeomon's sword and into his body, where it burst free like a dying sun. Examon raised the hand holding Kurata and Belphemon in front of him to ward off the bright light.

It was, without a doubt, the worst thing he could have done.

A dark aura had surrounded the pair, just as it did with Takato, but unlike Takato this shadow twisted and churned like a pile of writhing snakes, and it only deepened with each passing second, making it impossible to tell for certain whether there were two beings or just one in his hand. As Examon watched, entranced by the display, the darkness changed suddenly and a pair of green eyes, wide and child-like in appearance at first, snapped open, staring at Belphemon, boring into his eyes with their gaze.

A second later the darkness bloated outward and a mighty claw with chains affixed to their owner's arm bore outward and slashed across Examon's face, sending streams of data and digital blood flying through the air.

…

LadyDevimon touched down in front of the gateway and slammed Takato harshly against their surface. The boy grunted, and the darkness surrounding him flickered and dimmed.

"Ow! LadyDevimo…!"

"No more, Takato!" She grated, grabbing hold of his face and pulling it close to hers so that they were now looking each other red eye to red eye. "No more! Is this how you fought your battles when you were alive? The real way you fought?" She drew her lips up into a harsh, twisted snarl, feeling a sense of betrayal lash through her digital heart. "To think that I gave you the benefit of the doubt, human. Weak and miserable and pathetic after all, just like I always thought you were…"

"What are you talking abo…?"

A single, crimson nail suddenly hovering a centimeter from his chest quickly silenced him. Looking down at it, Takato found himself gasping at the miasma that flexed and pulsed along his body.

"Wha…? What is this…?" Takato's memory sparked. "Hey! This is the same thing as from the TV show…the first season, when Matt was separated from the others…"

Unseen to him, LadyDevimon's mouth relaxed and began to curve upward ever so slightly.

He almost sounds like his old self again, she thought, the sense of betrayal becoming replaced by a sense of relief. As she watched, Takato nodded to himself and closed his eyes, taking slow, deliberately deep breaths until the darkness fell back and disappeared. Takato opened his eyes and met LadyDevimon's steady, blood-red ones.

"I almost lost it there, didn't I?" he asked, and for a wonder LadyDevimon nodded in agreement without making a scathing comment on his lapse.

"We need to escape this place," she repeated to him in a strangely softer voice as she retracted her claw. Takato nodded.

"All of us though. We all have to get out of here…"

"Takato."

"No, LadyDevimon!" Takato cut in. His red eyes flashed as he kept them fixed on the demoness'. "We either all get out of here, or no one does. I can't abandon the others."

A loud explosion followed by a loud roar filled the air, and both Virus and human turned to see the massive form of Belphemon grappling with Examon. LadyDevimon narrowed her eyes.

"How ready are you up to that?" she asked. "Examon defeated you once already, and he wasn't even trying."

"And he shall defeat you again."

Both turned to find BanchouLeomon staggering towards them, using his sword as a crutch.

"Banchou…" began Takato, pulling away from LadyDevimon and running towards the lion warrior as he collapsed to the ground. "Are you all right? Wait, what am I saying, you've got a big hole in your chest. Why wouldn't you be?" Takato pressed his lips together painfully as he took in the Mega's condition. He looked as bad as Leomon did when Beelzemon put a hole in him all those years ago. The fact that BanchouLeomon's own injury hadn't continued to spread despite the loss of data he was suffering from was nothing short of miraculous.

"You two must go," BanchouLeomon said. "If you stay here, you'll be killed."

"We can't just leave you here!" exclaimed Takato furiously. "If…if we just work together we can just…"

"Belphemon is out of control," interrupted BanchouLeomon. "In his current state, he will not distinguish friend from foe." A pause. "If he ever distinguished them in the first place. But right now that is the only thing holding Examon in check. You two have your mission, and you will complete it." He glanced at the cards LadyDevimon was holding and he nodded to himself. "So…it did work."

LadyDevimon and Takato both raised eyebrows at this.

"Uh…what do you…?"

"Before we were attacked, I had begun replicating the data of the card we found, using the Sephirot Code. The Sephirot, I think, recognized it immediately and began to adjust the data for the differences in the other cards. They may be linked." He smiled wearily. "I was…interrupted, as you know. But this time…I won't be."

As another explosion and a roar erupted behind them, BanchouLeomon reached out for the cards in LadyDevimon's hand, and the familiar pattern of flames spread outward, and within moments seven more cards joined the three LadyDevimon held.

"Wow…" breathed Takato in amazement. "But," he turned back to BanchouLeomon, "they need to be organized in a certain way to get to the real world. We don't even know what that is. We could wind up anywhere." Takato shivered. "Even…even a place where digimon and humans…uh…switch skins?"

LadyDevimon lifted the cards in her hands, analyzing them. Turning away from the others, she made her way to the broken pillar that contained the slots for the cards, she began to place them on. Takato watched her.

"LadyDevimon?" he asked.

"Not now, Takato," she told him firmly, placing the last of the cards down. "And if you value our…friendship at all, you will never ask about this again."

With the last card placed, a bright light flared from behind the gateway, and the doors inexorably began to creek open. Takato's eyes widened as they pulled backward, revealing a vast expanse of blue light behind them.

"That's it!" Takato exclaimed, pumping his fists into the air. "We can go now! We…" Takato froze as the doors suddenly stopped moving. "They're…the rubble!" Takato's eyes shot wide open in horrified realization. "The rubble's keeping them from opening all the way." Panic set in again. The opening isn't wide enough for everyone to get through! Examon won't be able to follow, but neither will BanchouLeomon or Belphemon! Not in his current form!

"Go, Takato," urged BanchouLeomon.

"But…but…"

BanchouLeomon took hold of Takato by the shoulder and gave him a hard look.

I am uncertain as to what to make of this boy, he thought. He is not like Marcus, but in the short time I have known him, there is determination in him. Weak from all his years in the darkness, but if allowed to grow again…

Belphemon's bellow caused his ears to twitch. Dropping his sword, BanchouLeomon took hold with his other hand and threw him to LadyDevimon, who grabbed hold of him. Without even waiting, the demoness turned and bolted for the opening between the doors, shooting at it like a bullet. She folded her wings as close to her body as she could, making herself as narrow as possible, all the while trying to keep a struggling Takato still—a surprisingly difficult task in spite of her superior strength.

"Keep still," she said in a low voice as they sped towards freedom.

"But BanchouLeomon…"

"I know." And with that, as she raised a hand and pressed it to the back of Takato's head, running her fingers through his hair and pulling his face tightly against her bare shoulder, they disappeared into the eternity of blue behind the gateway.

And the doors slammed shut behind them with a violent crash.

…

BanchouLeomon sucked on the blade of grass between his fangs as he knelt down and lifted his sword back up. A grin spread across his face as the shadow of a massive figure fell over him and he got into a loose combat stance. He felt rather woozy, but thanks to the Sephirot Code working on him he could feel his injury closing rapidly. Hefting his sword, he gave it a practice swing and he looked up towards the owner of the shadow that was glaring down at him.

"Let's do this," he grunted, raising one hand to the blade of grass and twisting it between his fangs just a split second before the shadow's owner fell on him with a roar.

…

A/N: This chapter was a bit of a bear to get through, and I'm still not one hundred percent happy with it. Perhaps my biggest worry is that it loses some of the tension from the previous chapter, and really should have been continued from it rather than leaving it off on a cliffhanger. The second issue was trying to describe Examon. His profile seems to indicate that he is, for lack of a better word, enormous. So much so that technology could only recently reveal him. I tried to show bits of this where he allows bits and pieces of his body to appear or be intangible, but I wound up not pulling it off as well as I wanted to, and I wound up rewriting it over and over and arguably making it a bit worse each time, so in the end I decided to fall back on an earlier version to keep the story flowing. I might come back and edit this chapter again to get a better idea on Examon's size and power, particularly in relation to his battle with Belphemon, but for now this is where I want to be so I can move on.

Until next chapter.

-Crazyeight

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