Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Summery: AU, very AU and dark, with mentioning of torture, violence and blood drinking.

Spawn of the vampire
A Darkening Horizon

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Recap time:

Last time, the digi destined finally faced Babel face to face, as the mad man broke his pact with Deamon and Skullsatamon, the latter dying from the attacks of Metamormon and Gennai, now revealed as the digimon Callismon. However, before he died, Skullsatamon succeed in freeing Deamon from the Dark Ocean, the dark area digimon leaving with the intent of obtaining revenge against Babel.

Babel, on the other hand, saw his long planning, various setbacks and delays finally overcome as he gained every single digi mental, proclaiming that the end of the digital world had come at last.

Blackwargreymon and Jun, having gone up one on one with Tai and Wargreymon in an aerial duel, were somewhat defeated and through a truce with Blackwargreymnon brought to safety on File Island. Mimi, sensing Tai's need to find Kari and help fight against Babel, agreed to look over the still unconscious Jun.

At the last destiny stone, Azulongmon were freed in the last second, as the battle were turning out for the worst, his presence enough to stop all combat as Gennai's mind were restored to normal.

"You, your very presence." Came the lightly distorted voice as the massive dragon digimon floated closer to the ground, dark clouds filling the air above him with only a few rays of sun light filtering through. "Your presence, speaks of the one we banished, for his attempts at destroying everything we cared about."

Floating backwards, Metamormon let out a groan of frustration as he failed to shift form, his mind screaming as he was stuck in a slow, unresponsive body that wouldn't stand a chance against the attack digimon damaged as he was.

Below, Paildramon grunted as he rather rudely showed Gennai of his stomach, his weapons snapping out as he took flight again. "Desperado Blaster!" Several rounds of light shooting out to impact across Metamormon's body, each bullet striking true as the massive mega digimon struggled to avoid getting his precious machine parts further damaged.

Aborting the machine guns, Paildramon instead took of flying, his wrist bands glowing as two stingers shot out from their compartments on top of each wristband. "This is it, Sting Strike!" Ripping each stinger across Metamormon's already heavily damage stomach scanner, he backed off as a massive shower of sparks shot out from it. "Whoa!"

Screaming in utter pain and anguish, Metamormon didn't have any choice but to hope for a quick end to it as pain wrecked his whole body as his precious digimon scanner blew out, the shock of its loss ripping through his flesh as he collapsed onto the ground.

Watching it from above, Azulongmon slowly turned his head to focus on Gennai, the human digimon transformed into Callismon having already gotten back up and moved into a kneeling stance. "Gennai, I sense your mind and power, yet, you too bear the presence of Osamu's madness."

The only to grasp the meaning of those words, Davis looked up as bits of previous conversations with Ken flooded back to him, the one to have struck him most, were the only time Ken had ever spoken of his brother. "Wait, back up, you can't mean that we're fighting against Ken family?"

Behind him, he could hear the other digi destined gasp as they began to either awake and see the new digimon above then, or just picking up on what he had just said.

As for Azulongmon, the dragon digimon turned to face Davis, his eyes adapting a lightly amused expression as he focused on the young, messy haired boy completely. "Ah yes, you must be Davis, the one we turned to in the past, and once again now, hoping that you along with your new friends will be able to rid our world of the last remnants of Apocalymon's darkness."

Shivering at the mentioning of that evil digimon, TK, Kari and Davis had to take a deep breath to refocus on the matter at hand.

Kari, being the first one of them to speak as she went back over the dragon digimons story, her memory of the old adventures rushing through her mind again. "Wait, remnants of darkness?" Her question gaining the attention from everyone as they too felt a chill at the prospect of facing even more evil digimons. "You mean we might have to fight against digimons again?"

After what felt like an eternity, Azulongmon let out a deep sigh as he gestured to Gennai, the transformed human digimon stepping forward. "As Gennai once told the original digi destined, there were a team before them who faced Apocalymon when after he first maneged to manifest in this world."

The battle was long and hard, corruption and darkness flood the digital world, and time and space were twisted out of alignment in that age by Apocalymon's sheer presence.

Five digimons came to us, and with out help and that of Gennai's order, five human children were summoned to save our world from the darkness. One of who were Osamu, Ken's older brother.

For a long period of time, they fought against Apocalymon and his agents of darkness, growing in strength, and character with each confrontation.

Finally, they gained Apocalymon's attention as one of his strongest servants, Minotarumon, was defeated.

What happened next is unknown to us, but the battle lasted for a whole day, Apocalymon doing his best to defeat the human and the five digimons, but in the end, he failed.

Gazing down at the ground, Gennai cleared his throat, as he didn't dare to face the digi destined. "After the battle, we were faced with a problem we hadn't truly thought of, one of the summoned children had died." Clenching up his large digimon hands, Gennai felt a single tear run down his cheek. "I had, I had seen at the time of summoning the close relationship between Osamu and Ken, and, no matter what, I didn't want to break it up."

"You cloned him right?" Davis muttered out as he gazed at Gennai.

Still keeping his head lowered, Gennai found himself unable to respond at first, and then he finally pulled himself together enough to continue. "Yes, but, I would say it was more like copied him, then cloning."

Azulongmon interrupted Gennai before he caused more questions. "We had, as it was the first time ever for humans and digimons to work together, we had made an extensive collection on all data related to it, both the human and digimon data had been copied and saved for research, and it was through that data the clone was made."

Checking to see if anything had gone wrong at first, we were able to calm ourselves as nothing seemed out of the ordinary about our clone, and so we sent him to Earth to take Osamu's place.

At the same time, we had turned to figuring out the best way to combat the darkness left over from Apocalymon's invasion, the dark power corrupting all digimons that encountered it, turning them into vicious monsters that sought only control and power.

In the midst of studying the data on human and digimon partnerships, Osamu returned. His bodies were badly hurt, and his mind lightly damaged, as all he could remember were the start of the fight with Apocalymon, but none of the time after it.

But even with his injuries, he wasn't slowed down, it was as if he didn't even know he had them, let alone felt them.

Furthermore, he was showing a more aggressive attitude as well. His demands to return to earth at once making us more then worried as the clone had already adapted perfectly into his life, and a sudden removal and replacement of it would be noticed fairly quickly.

Struggling with this new problem, some of us in favor of simply returning him regardless of what the humans would think of it, we also found ourselves worrying of the possibility of the humans learning of the digital world's existence through such and incident.

We also couldn't just dispose of the clone like common trash, he had gained a mind and heart, and were living as a full human with that carried with it.

And so, we suggested to Osamu the one thing he didn't want, for while we had delayed his return home with our meetings and discussions on what to do, he had learned what we had done by using our own computers to hack our main server. And from it, he had leant of our clone, our attempt at replacing him.

He was furious, and with the suggestion that he be merged with the clone, he finally had enough of us, the digital world and everything else. He renounced his titled as a digi destined and a chosen child.

After he had left, we didn't hear anything from him for over several years, until we heard that a human child had invaded File Island with a dark digimon called, Icedevimon. Together they had succeeded in turning the whole Island into a frozen wasteland, the remaining digimon forced into slavery.

But what really worried us, were the information about the virus. From the Intel we had received, he had begun the creation of something that would do what Apocalymon had failed to do, namely corrupt the whole world.

To stop him, we called on yet more human children, despite the open split in our group, one human child had become our greatest danger and was now going to destroy everything, if we called on more children we might end up creating even more Babel's to fight against.

But despite our fears of creating more human monsters like Babel, Taichi and Jun won, and unlike Osamu, they didn't seek revenge against us for calling on them out of the blue. And this alone, was enough to convince everyone to restart the research into human and digimon bonds.

But things didn't end there, after Babel's capture, we tried him, and sent him back to earth as he wished for so long ago, hoping that there, he wouldn't pose a threat to us anymore, but we hadn't countered on Icedevimon, doing the battle he had evolved into a Bluemeramon, but had still lost, and in anger over his partner punishment, he somehow came back, and fusing with the data of Apocalymon's servant Minotarumon, he became Piedmon.

And along with three other mega digimons, he formed the group of digimon known as the Dark Masters, and gained revenged for what we had done by sealing up me, Baihumon, Zhuqiaomon and Xuanwumon.

But after that, they learned that we had completed our research, and were on the verge of creation more digi destined to combat them and other dark digimons, for it was in humans that we knew salvation laid. But Pied furious, decided to finish what he started, and so he destroyed the order of the guardians, stole the eight crests and digi tags.

In return for Devimon hiding the tags while he recovered, Piedmon promised him control of File Island, meanwhile, Myotismon, the leader of his nightmare soldiers, scattered the seven crests across Server, but when he came to the crest of light, he was horrified, for like us, he had read the old prophecies and knew that the holder of that crest were to be the beginning of his downfall and in seeing it, he saw his own downfall.

As you know, the eight digi destined defeated the Dark Masters, Myotismon and other dark digimons, but they didn't free us from our prison, for Piedmon, to ensure it wouldn't happen, erased Gennai's memory of us with a dark spell, and so, the eight chosen didn't find us.

But with Apocalymon's defeat, out prison began to crumble, and we could feel how we were becoming unsealed, until Ken arrived, and with his control tower, he sealed away our powers and us again. But out brief moment of near freedom had been enough, we had felt the virus and the darkness of Babel in the digital world.

But I could only manage to tell Gennai and his apprentice of the faint traces of evil, not what to do about it. Before we had fully prepared, they began to loot the four temples, which acted as a seal on Babel's virus, lowering the barrier keeping out both Babel, and the virus trapped.

As you and your friends battled Ken, Gennai began work on a way to free the digital world from the virus, but while you have come along way, Babel now had what he needs to open the door into the center of the digital world, and free the virus once and for all.

Turning to face Azulongmon as the dragon digimon finish the tale, Gennai once more slid into a bow. "Azulongmon, sovern of the east, I, Gennai hereby resign from the order of the guardians, I leave my tasks in the hands of my replacement, the human girl Catherine. As the one who came up with the idea to clone Osamu, it is I who must face him and suffer for my crime."

Standing up before anyone could answer, let along say anything, Gennai was off, his digimon form carrying him towards the location of Babel, as his mind went over the thought of the coming encounter. If what he knew were right, he would only have once chance at delaying the danger long enough for the digi destined to have recovered enough to win the final battle.

Back at the destiny stone, Azulongmon sighed once more as deep regret flowed through him. "So much has been done by us, our crime was one of desperation and fear, yet it doesn't make it any light to carry." Extending one massive hand downwards, he smiled down at the digi destined. "For all it is worth, I hope you won't judge us to harshly for what we did."

Still to stunned by the story to respond, the group of digi destined could barely nod as one of the seven spheres around Azulongmon floated down into his hand.

Gazing at it, the massive dragon digimon smiled softly as light began to glow from it. "With one digi core missing, my power is weakened, yet, I will still give you the boost you need to win against the evils you will be facing from now on."

As light erupted across the clearing, Kari and Davis watched as six streams of bluish white light shot down towards each of them, two hitting them, while the other four entered into the other digi destined. "Thank you, Azulongmon." Came the reply from Kari as she looked up at him. "I just hope, we can live up to what you expect from us."

Smiling down at her, Azulongmon's tail curled down from the sky, wrapping around his destiny stone gently as he smiled at her. "I'm sure you all will, but still, be careful, one of these evils are more darker then the ones you have faced before, and there still some from your pasts will be returning as well. Now, I must relocated my destiny stone, and cleanse those of Zhuqiaomon and Xuanwumon, to restore the northern and southern lands to normal."

Eyes narrowing, he took in the sight of each child. "I am sorrow that I must leave like this, but if my destiny stone is corrupted, nothing will be able to stop the tide of darkness, please, do your best to stop Babel."

Watching as Azulongmon took off, Davis clenched up one hand, his mind still in a bit of shock and sadness from what he had just heard from the dragon digimon. "Kari, you guys, You should return home, Ken needs help, and, he needs rest, far more then he can get here."

Nodding in agreement, Kari shuddered a bit as she found herself wondering what evil from the past they would be facing in the future. "I'll e-mail Tai and Mimi, they can meet us back home, after everything they been through, I don't think they will be much help either."

Opening her D-terminal, she nearly dropped it as she saw a mail waiting for her, the title of it having her gasp even before she read the short message. "Davis, it's Jun, they battled her, she with Mimi now, and Tai's coming here!"

Looking up, Davis nearly dropped Ken down from where he had been picking him up, a light gasp coming from his lips as he found himself torn between staying to fight, or go see his sister.

Kicking open the door into the temple, Babel wasted no time in pushing his way past the remaining Bakemon servants he had left, the digi mentals carried in behind him as he stopped. "I trust you recovered my digivice?" His voice cutting through the room as he gazed around at the remains of his once mighty army, now reduced just five Bakemons and himself. "Well, hand it over now."

Moving forward, one Bakemon dropped the device into the human's hand as he began to chuckle. "Good, now, to the final phase, place the device in the center of the room, and prepare for my ultimate victory." Holding out the device, the four digi cores absorbed into it started to glow as he began to laugh.

Above him, hidden in the shadows of the room, Deamon stared down at the scene with an emotionless stare, hands curled up into fist as he listened to the insane ramblings of the human. "Soon fool, soon." Moving his attention over onto the digi mentals. "What is it you're planning on doing human, this virus of yours, it doesn't feel like one, more like, the darkness itself."

Continuing his observation, Deamon slowly began to count down until it was time for him to reveal himself, to take over the whole show and reap all the rewards. "And not a moment to soon, I sense one of my greatest enemies to date have returned as well."

Head turned away as he spoke lowly, Deamon could almost see the sovern dragon digimon through the walls of the temple. At the very least, he could feel the power it radiate clearly, and far off in the distance, a power almost like it, but different at the same time. "Things, are progressing out of my control, whatever it is your doing human, it better provide me with the advantage I need to win the coming war."

On the ground, Babel held out the homemade digivice as four glowing lights shot out from it, each one doing a quick circle around the digi mentals before getting drawn into it. "And now, for the final stage, the opening of the gate."

Groaning as light began to assault her eyes, Jun turned around, or tried to before she felt the ground beneath her, and the gentle hand rubbing her forehead. "What in blazes!" Sitting up, she stopped moving as dizziness took over for a few seconds, her stomach twisting around as it tried to decided on keeping down it's contents of spilling it out.

As her stomach won over the nausea, the messy haired girl took in several deep breaths of air to calm her body down further before she moved again.

Behind her, she could make out the presence of Blackwargreymon, the dark toned digimon not saying anything to show he was there, but still looming up enough to let her feel his presence.

And next to her, were that pink loving girl Yagami were so fond off, her digimon partner standing guard right behind her, the cold look making her growl. "So, where's is he? Did the great Yagami run off and leave you here?"

Not showing much offense at the comment, Mimi stood up slowly before she sighed. "Well, if you must know, he left to fight Babel." Her voice, while uncaring, did show a bit of fear at the mentioning of Babel. "And thanks to you, he may already have gotten what he wanted."

"Why do you hate him anyway?" Came the question from Lillymon, the pixy type digimon pushing her way forward to gaze down at the messy haired girl. "Weren't you on the same side once?"

Letting out a small bark of laughter as she stood up, Jun began to brush off the dirt from her clothes, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Blackwargreymon. "Why are you here anyway? Shouldn't you have left by now to find the rest of the digi destined? You know, to get your answers and all that."

Pushing off from where he had been leaning against a tree, Blackwargreymon ignored the biting sneer in the girls voice as he walked closer. "My answers, still matter to me girl." Walking up close to her as he talked, he stopped right into front of her. "However, I have also noticed that while I've been searching, the digi destined have been fighting this human called Babel, the one who have caused so much destruction."

Lifting up one hand, he gazed down at the gauntlet covering it. "More importantly, I have learned that if Babel gets his way, I will die, without learning the answers I seek"

Still feeling a bit of anger from her newest defeat, Jun couldn't stop herself from biting out the following question, her eyes narrowed as she spat out each word. "And what answer is this, how to be a bigger jerk?"

Eyes blazing with anger at that comment, Blackwargreymon reached down and lifted the messy haired girl clear off the ground, his golden eyes glaring right into her frighten ones as they came face to face. "No, Jun, my questions is, and has always been, why am I different? What is my purpose, and why do I feel compelled to protect you, despite your comments, why?"

Nearly shaking her as the last outburst, Blackwargreymon glanced up and stared down at Mimi and Lillymon. "Is it, because I have a heart? But if so, how, spire digimons don't have any hearts, we're just animated spires merged to look like digimons."

"You do have a heart?" Came the comment from Mimi as she cast a look up at the towering digimon. "You must have one, I'm sure of it, after all, without a heart, you can't have feelings, any doubts, any questions."

Nodding in agreement, Lillymon floated up and freed Jun from the hand holding her. "Even I, a none spire digimon feels insecure at times, I too question what I do, and if it is the right way."

Settling down, Blackwargreymon nodded slowly as he faced Jun. "I am sorry, about my outburst." The apology catching them all off guard, as they had never expected the silent control spire digimon to respond to them. "But, my questions, plague me, hound me, I seek answers but no one had provide anyone."

Staring at both Jun and Blackwargreymon, Mimi felt her heart twitch as she could clearly see the confusion and depression in one of them, and the growing self loathing and disgust in the other. "You can come with us, help us stop Babel, he's one of those who made you, he would have answers."

Turning to face Jun, Mimi reached out and grabbed her hand, staring right into those brown orbs as she kept it from being pulled free. "Please join us." Her voice as friendly as possible, she stared up at Jun. "It's not to late for you, you can still come back, become one of us, a digi destined."

Flickering between anger and doubt, Jun pulled on the hand holding onto hers, her mouth opening and closing as she fought with herself. She hated her, she hated him, but, she hated this even more, running around, homeless, friendless, all of the things Babel had promised her had been lies, she'd been used, lied too, stepped on.

Pulling her hand lose, she turned her back on them, keeping her eyes distant and unfocused as she fought down the myriad of feelings running through her. "I, I don't, I don't"

Never finishing her sentence, she stared off into the distance as a loud rumble reached them, a small earthquake erupting beneath her as the distant top of Mount destiny erupted into a shower of rock and darkness, the whole thing looking very much like a volcano going off.

Looking up from where Ken lay, Davis gazed at the expanding cloud of darkness as it began to cover the sky. "TK, Kari, Yolei and Cody." Pulling his goggled down over his eyes a hot wind began to buff at him, Davis whole body took on an air of determination. "Get Ken out of here, and you as well, your digimons are still to weak to fight."

Stepping forward, he gazed up at Paildramon, the dragon man like digimon nodding back at him as he felt new power well up with in him, the power of Azulongmon.

"Paildramon digivolves!" Light erupting around him as a dragon snake like body flew out of the sky, Paildramon began to spin around as the dragon snake coiled up around him, fusing with his body as it began to expand into a much more massive, four legged, blue white dragon like body.

His gauntlets expanding as two small spikes and one massive one grew out of them, along with his mask growing to fit the much bigger face, the eye visor fading away completely as three metal spikes much like horns grew out the back of it, while one grew out over his nose, most changing were the fact his fours wings grew together into one, large red colored pair with a large cannon emerging between the shoulder and wings joints. "To ImperialDramon!"

Watching his and Ken's much bigger partner, he gave a firm smile of determination. "Your ready pal?" His voice calm as he spoke, he focused on the erupting darkness. "Then let's go to war!"

Flying across the sky, Tai and Wargreymon had changed their course to take them right into the area covered by the darkness filling up the sky. "This is guys, whatever Babel's been planning for, this is the culmination of it, what he's been striving for all along."

Below him, Wargreymon kept his eyes locked on the target as well, his face as firm as a stone, different thoughts rushing through the fused minds as they approached. "Tai, no matter what happens, I want you to know that you are the best partner a digimon could wish for."

Nodding back at first, Tai lowered his attention down to his fused digimon partners. "And so are you two, you are the very best partners anyone could ever wish for."

Laughing insanely as all was ready at last, Babel slid the homemade digivice into place at the center of it, his fingers then began flying across the hooked up computers keyboard as he gazed at each digi mental with a highly insane smirk. "Mine, at long last." Pressing down firmly on the enter button, he let out a new round of laughter as a thick humming started up. "Its all mine!"

Ripping up into the air from each digi mental, colored streams of light merged together, forming a multi colored ring that swirled around lazily, as if it was unsure of why it had been created.

Down below, in the center of the digi mentals, the home made digivice began to glow as each of the four capture digi cores rose up, the power of the four soverns sealed away within them glowing brighter and brighter as they rose up into place, fitting into the ring as keys in a door lock.

Watching it all happen, Babel chuckled darkly as the within the ring began to flicker, the multicolored pooling in as gold colored specks of metal formed along the edges. "Yes, the gate, at long last, the gate will open." Lifting up both hands as the floor began to shake and buckle, he grinned as the sound of feet hitting metal reached him. "You're too late again Gennai, far to late to stop me!"

"He may be, but I am not." Deamon's voice cutting through the air with the full level of his evil as he stepped out from his vantage point, his wings spread out to give him a far more demonic appearance. "And this time human, there will be no bargaining among us."

Face breaking up into a mask of pure insanity and hate, Babel gazed up at the dark digimon, his eyes narrowed to the point of nearly closing. "So, Skullsatamon did free you after all, I had hoped you wouldn't have, but then again, who am I to ignore a prime chance when I see it."

As the last word fell from his lips, it came almost as if it had heard him command it to, streams of liquid darkness reaching out from the parting gate seal to embrace the digital world, two glowing points of pale blue light forming in the center of the biggest stream, a vicious glow forming around its eyes as it gazed down at its creator and the dark digimon across from him.

Flicking out one hand, he laughed as several tendrils of the virus shot out, each one either blocking him from harm, or moving to engage the dark digimon in battle. "You can become part of it as well, as everything will."

Not lowering himself to answer this blatant threat, Deamon gazed at the virus, the tendrils moving towards him spreading out to engulf his body. "I see, so, it's really just a simple ploy like this." Mumbling out the words, he found his eyes drawn to the ones glaring back at him from the virus. "A soul, trapped within it, even the boy doesn't know he's been played for a fool, used as the simple tools humans are."

Fire igniting around his hands, Deamon moved into a battle position, his wings spreading out to be used as protection in case he would need it. "Come then, and we shall see, who will be the one to rule supreme over all who lives."

Turning around to face the lone person to have enter the room, Babel held up one arm and pointed at the fully formed gate, faint whispers of light flowed across it as more and more of the virus poured out. "You see Gennai, The gate has open and vengeance become mine, now you can bear witness, as my virus destroys this world completely."

The black liquid dripping down steadily, quickly pooling around Babel's feet as his laughter filled the room, eyes burning with his insanity, he focused on Gennai. "Now you old bastard, face the true form of my wrath." Flicking out with his other hand, he chuckled as several new tendrils of liquid darkness shot out to impale his other creation. "With you death, my virus will grow stronger."

Rearing back, Gennai sent out small thanks for his new body, even if he found it disgusting and repulsive, it did turn out to be the massive plus he had hoped for in this battle. "Rodeo Bullet!"

At the same time, Deamon let lose with several streams of fire, several tendrils getting burnt badly, each one whipping back as a moan of pain filled the air. "Now do you see, I am one of the most powerful digimons around, I will not be defeated by a simple human creation meant to house a worthless digimons soul."

Reforming itself around Babel, the liquid darkness began to glow with an eerie pale purple light as it twisted in closer to the human. "Hmm, seems it won't be so easy after all, I guess, I had better unleash it completely." Reaching out with both hands, Babel's laughter filled the air as he planted both hands on the homemade digivice. "Now come, rampage, destroy, absorb everything, even me, and end everything today!"

As he screamed out the words, the four digi cores glowed brightly along with the gate, the dark liquid rushing out even faster then before aa Babel's laughter faded away, his body fully covered with the virus that were increasing the glow around it's body.

Watching it, Deamon let out a curse as he covered himself up with his wings, eyes closed shut as the first tell tale sigh of the coming attack hitting him in the form of a hot blast of air.

Caught completely off guard at the sudden attack, Gennai didn't have anytime to protect himself as he was pushed back by the hot air blast, the feeling of it washing over him comparable to that of rolling across a floor covered in glass shards.

Then everything went white as darkness and hot air ripped the temple and top of Mount Infinity to shreds, the gateway browning down into the ground as a massive geyser of darkness erupted into the air.

And finally, just as he felt more pain rip through him, unconsciousness claimed him, the sweet embrace of it saving him from having to see the tendrils of darkness tearing down towards him.

Across the room, Deamon roared as he battered away several tendrils, fire roaring to life in both his hands. "I see you for what you are, but even your darkness will be no match for mine." Letting lose two streams of his fire, he laughed as the virus recoiled, the tendrils going for Gennai stopping. "You understand? It will be me, and only me who shall rule the worlds."

Puling back in on itself, the darkness hissed as it kept glaring across the distance, the glowing eyes taking on a mocking look as tendrils shot back out, these one detaching after a second as they began to take on the shape of Neodevimons.

Observing each tendril, Deamon shook his head as the fire in his hands began to pulse; it's colors shifting with each pulse. "So, trying to outnumber me by dividing yourself, fool, that won't help you!" Merging the two fire covered hands together, Deamon laughed as the fire grew in size and intensity. "Chaos Fire!"

Watching as the powerful fire shot out, Deamon chuckled as each of the severed tendrils were consumed, their data shattering. "See, I am the most powerful digimon around now, and you will never defeat me." Holding up one hand as fresh fire formed around it, he narrowed his eyes. "When I absorb your worthless data, I will finally become the most powerful digimon in all the worlds."

Glaring darkly as the digital data clouds finally vanished, he froze as the virus had fully focused on him, tendrils moving across the whole room, a few of them pulling in Gennai. "What are you doing, you think that mutant digimon will help empower you?"

Moving out his hand to attack, he blinked as a small form rammed into it, it's eyes laughing as the Neodevimon barely formed shattered apart, its data getting pulled back into the virus. "Impressive, you managed to delay me just enough so you could absorb Gennai."

Reforming into a sphere as Deamon spoke, the remaining bits of Gennai's body was pulled into the virus, a pulsing glow forming around the surface of it.

Staring at the virus, Deamon chuckled as he noted the increase in power. "Very well, try your little stunt, it won't help you in this matter." Letting lose with all the fire he could summon, Deamon laughed as it spread across the short distance between them. "Now die, and become part of me, giving birth to my ultimate and final form, the super mega stage."

"Black Requiem!"

Watching his fire getting blown back as the amount of darkness and virus moving out of the gate tripled, Deamon didn't roar out in pain as his own attack washed over his body, it's heat not even stinging him as it spread across the wings and demonic parts of his body. "Such power, you could be a match for my own powers easily."

Ducking back to avoid the worst of it, Deamon watched as the whole temple blow up, the pillar of darkness reaching up higher into the sky above them. "Still, I will not give up, it will be interesting to see how long you will last."

Slowly, the virus began to pull in on itself, the massive tendrils rejoining and forming into parts of a massive body, a human upper body were the first to be seen of it, then came a massive four legged horse like body with tattered wings jutting out the back of it as it rose up through the now empty sky above.

Stopping a good deal above the mountain, the new digimon laughed as it spread it massive arms, three massive claws making up each of its hands slamming open as it spread out its arms. "Babel, my little fool, you have done well. My new body have been formed thanks to your little virus and the digital data you provide for me!."

Lowering its head, purple eyes glowed. "Now, at long last, the vengeance for my time in solitude and darkness will be brought about." Eyes moving as he scanned the area, a small grin formed as he watched the horizon. "Yes, the remaining parts are in this world as well, soon they will be returned to me as well, and then, I shall have all of my powers restored."

Holding out one hand, the digimon grinned as darkness flowed down over it, a single tentacle of glowing light forming as the virus itself flowed out of his body. "But first, I shall reclaim one more part of myself." Shooting the glowing tentacle straight into the ground, he laughed as he felt the digital earth rip apart before his might.

Far away, yet close enough to see it, Jun, Mimi, Lillymon and Blackwargreymon did nothing but stare as the darkness began to spread across the sky, tendrils jetting out of it to forms into a shape.

"It's, it's just like that time." Mimi breathed out as memories of a massive dark digimon came to mind; it's body covering the sky as it laughed down at the six children daring to oppose him. "It's just like it was in our last battle with Devimon!"

Tilting her head to the side, Jun pushed herself up into a standing position, her eyes narrowed as she too could see something much like it in her memories, but this one wasn't a Devimon, but a digimon of cold, relentless fire of destruction. "BlueMeramon."

And next to it, a digimon roaring in battle lust as it swung it's horned head from side to side. "Minotarumon." The digimon snarling as it watched her, and Yagami, that messy haired idiot standing on the back of a flying dinosaur like digimon with tattered insect like wings.

And with that memory, came one more, one of a proud man like wolf digimon, one telling her to be safe and confident in herself, no matter what would happen in that battle.

And across from it all, stood the one she hated now as well, as arrogant as ever, and with a bit younger look about himself as tendrils of darkness rose up from the ground, each one wrapping around the two digimons, Bluemeramon and Minotarumon.

Feeling frozen with anger and sadness, Jun watched as within the memory, the wolf man like digimon rushed across the distance, tackling the blue flame monster and dragging his claws through it's chest, Minotarumon turning to offer aid as all three were covered in the darkness.

Then she saw as Yagami's partner opened fire, the attack striking home as the darkness were blown back as her partner fell back out of it, his body breaking apart while Babel screamed in anger as the loss of his partner digimon and allied.

But rather then run to her partner's side as she would have expected herself to do, she held out her hands, watching as two of the digi cores she had searched for formed, each one glowing green and red, while the one's in Yagami's hands glowed blue and white.

Last thing she remembered, were Babel screaming as a gate formed on the mountain top, the darkness pulled down into it, well almost all of it as some of it ripped through Babel's chest, and another part, the one that had swallowed Bluemeramon and Minotarumon which had fallen down the mountain side.

Shaking her head as the memories faded, Jun growled as he held out one hand, finger pointing right towards the body that had fully formed in the darkness. "Babel's there, I know it." Turning her head to face her allied, she sneered as she saw him already prepared to leave. "Hold it, you're not going anywhere without me."

Opening her mouth to at least get a clue as to what was going on, Mimi didn't even managed to utter out the first sound before part of the ground ripped open, a tendril of glowing darkness wrapping around her, its tip striking her right where Tai had bit her so long ago.

"Mimi!" Going into action, Lillymon crossed the distance between her and Mimi in seconds, her hands clawing into the darkness as she attempted to free her partner. But badly, as another tendril moved out and pulled her away, it's darkness slowly beginning to spread over her body. "Mimi, no, Mimi!"

Not wasting a second, Blackwargreymon tore his claws through the darkness, watching as it parted like water before him, but unlike water, it didn't remerged as soon as his claws had passed.

Feeling the coldness of evil fading away, Lillymon shot backward, her hands forming into her main weapon. "Why you, you will pay for this, Flower Cannon!" Scoring through, Lillymon gave a mental cheer as she watched the tendril shatter apart, Mimi falling down onto the ground as the darkness left her as well. "Mimi? Mimi!"

Moving to watch her partner closer, Lillymon stopped as a small glow swept through the girl before her, the feeling of darkness fully fading away as Mimi let out a groan of pain. "Mimi, what happened?"

Keeping a cold eye on the hole where the darkness had come from, Jun clenched up her hands in anger. "He took it back, the part of the virus she received from Yagami." Her voice cold with anger, Jun glared across the horizon as she watched the dark body looking back at her. "I wonder, how long it will be before he takes back the part he gave me, and Yagami."

Eyes closed, Blackwargreymon let out a grunt as he stepped forward, arms crossed as he took the chance to feel the power of darkness. "This opponent, is far stronger then anyone I have faced so far." Turning her head to the side, he gazed down at Jun with an inviting smile. "And one so powerful as this, well, I won't back down from a chance to face him."

Smirking as she stepped forward, Jun lifted up her D3, it's surface gleaming in the cold light around them. "And if Babel is there, then so will I be." Grabbing a hold of Blackwargreymon's arm, as it was lower, she held on tight as she was placed on his back. "Now then, for out greatest battle yet, we'll destroy Babel, and then, well, who knows."

Watching them depart, Lillymon bit her lip as she returned her attention to Mimi. "Please, you have to wake up, we have to do something, we have to warn the others." Turning to face the darkness, Lillymon didn't feel as she bit through her lip, nor as the greenish blood trailed down over her chin. "Yagami, you better win against that, for your sake, and Mimi's as well, as I can't take revenge for what it did to my partner."

Pulling up her partner, Lillymon cradled her in her arms as she took flight, moving towards the nearest TV set that she knew the location off.

Still keeping a close eye on the scene, Deamon didn't as much as speak as the digimon tore the tentacle of darkness back out of the ground, a deeper darkness flowing through it and into the main body of the digimon. "Interesting." His comment apparently heard as the digimon seemingly focused on him all of a sudden. "Well, well."

Having had enough with simply playing the observer anyway, Deamon chuckled as he rose to meet it at eye level. Fire already spreading over his hands, he stopped as he too noticed the large dragon like digimon approaching. "A digi destined, figures that those human brats would show up at a time like this."

"Deamon, of the dark army?" The digimon spoke softly as it gazed down at him, its clawed hands closing as it began to float downwards. "You are the one right, Deamon, of the dark army?"

Eyes burning with hatred at that title, Deamon flung out a blast of fire, watching with a sea of hatred as it was blasted a part by a jet of darkness. "How do you know of that, who are you? And how did you learn to control that darkness, it can only be found beyond."

Interrupting Deamon's rant before it could really start, the centaur like digimon finished the demon lord digimon's sentence. "The wall of fire?" Asking it more as a question the digimon moved even closer to him. "I should, after all, I was born in that area beyond the wall of fire, birthed from the body of its supreme ruler."

Holding up a hand and giving a somewhat formal bow for a centaur like digimon, darkness slowly began to glow around the digimon. "I am Gulfmon, the remains of Apocalymon's darkness. I have all of his memories, his hatred, his despair, and added to that, me own rage and anger."

Turning his head to focus on the approaching ImperialDramon, Gulfmon held out one hand. "You desire to evolve beyond your current stage, yes?" Not waiting for an answer to his question, the centaur like digimon continued. "I can give it to you, but first I must ask you to delay that mega digimon while I take back that which what Babel gave away."

Crossing his arms in a rather forceful manner, Deamon let silence ruled the air for a second before he answered. "And why should I trust you? You had Babel kill of my most powerful servant, Skullsatamon."

Eyes narrowing in humor, Gulfmon spread out his arms as darkness waved in around them. "I didn't control him, I wasn't even fully awake until I absorbed both him and Gennai into the virus, but, if the loss of your Deamon Corps troubles you." Spreading his arms as three shadowy figures formed before them, he chuckled darkly at Deamon. "I can offer you a new and if is I have to say so, far superior group of digimons to serve you."

Eyes glinting with dark desires, Deamon unfolded his arms as he gazed up at Gulfmon above him. "I will do as you say, for now, just make sure you keep your part of the bargain, Gulfmon." Floating off, Deamon began to pick up speed as fire spread out over his arms.

Turning his attention away from Deamon, Gulfmon focused on two other figures growing in the horizon, both of them coming at him directly. "Taichi Yagami, Jun Motomiya, time for you to return the power and strength that Babel gave to you, so that I may final avenge myself on everyone."

Mind fully set on the fact that this small truce could be a trap or a plot to buy time, Deamon none the less found himself smirking at the thought of finally gaining the upper hand he had been seeking for so long.

No longer would he be just a mere pawn in someone else's game, he wouldn't have to bow down to anyone. Not even those seven digimons, or any of the others in the Dark Area, he would rule them all, as the only super mega level digimon around, he would be invincible.

Summoning up his fire, he gazed at his approaching opponent. "A mega digimon, powerful on your own, still, your pitiful might on its own will never match mine." Sending down a column of red hot death, Deamon chuckled as the large dragon like digimon did a quick turn to avoid getting burnt to a crisp.

Rushing towards the battleground, Davis and Imperialdramon almost didn't see Deamon at first, the only sign of the demon like digimon coming in the form of a pillar of fire nearly hitting them.

To avoid it, Imperialdramon did a quick turn, sending Davis flying inside the room on his back; his mind clearly hearing the loud curses getting sent at him. "Not now Davis, we have a problem, a really, powerful one." As he spoke, both the dragon like digimon and human boy watched as their new foe emerged from a higher lying cloud.

"Greetings digi destined." Fire wrapped around his hand, Deamon settled for hovering a bit above his foe, to add a bit extra punch to his already frightful appearance. "I am Deamon, and for now, I shall be your opponent."

Growling as he moved to a better fighting position, Imperialdramon watched Deamon closely. "So, you must be the one who caused that eruption of darkness?"

Smirking at the dragon like digimons attempt at being brave, Deamon simply chuckled as he narrowed his eyes. "I'm afraid I'm not, in a way, no, there is one more, but I have agreed to fight you for now." Spreading out his hands, Deamon let out a battle cry as fire shot out around him. "Chaos Fire!"

Shooting back as fast a she could, Imperialdramon watched as several multicolored fireballs shot past him, some giving off a hot feeling wile other felt as cold as ice. "Davis, you better hold on to something, cause this fight won't be an easy one, Positron Laser!"

Blocking the laser attack with a shield of dark fire, Deamon chuckled as he powered up his other fist with fire. "Such a weak attack, you didn't even get through my dark fire." Lashing out with another stream of fire, Deamon took a deep and cold delight in the roar of pain that just one direct hit of it caused. "Remember my name child and digimon, for you will fear it to your last day, Evil Inferno!" Letting lose with a truly powerful wave of fire, Deamon laughed as he overwhelmed Imperialdramon. "Yes, suffer!"

Falling down, Imperialdramon watched as Deamon stared after them, the evil fire slowly dying out. "Davis, he, he was too powerful, we couldn't." Glowing as he de digivolved, Imperialdramon quickly expelled Davis from his transport room and sighed. "We're sorry."

As they finished de digivolving, Veemon and Wormmon gazed over at Davis, blinked as they noticed him drooling a bit with a large lump on the side of his head. "Davis, Davis! Wake up!" Grapping onto the chosen child as they broke through a cloud, Veemon and Wormmon watched as Davis eyes fluttered open, and then as he screamed.

Far above, Deamon laughed as the scream reached him, the dark area was rough, cold and dark, and far to overrun with more powerful digimons, he may have bragged about his strength, but with the other digimons around there, it wasn't often that he could just destroy someone without calling down the wrath and vengeance of someone else.

But if this new deal played out, the order of things would be changed, he would be not only the most powerful digimon around, he would also get to rule all three worlds at once.

Still flying towards the erupting darkness, Tai and Wargreymon did notice that someone else were heading towards them even faster then they were flying.

As they came closer, the digimon they were moving towards became clear, it's monstrous centaur like body making even Tai gulp as he noticed just how much bigger it was, Wargreymon didn't even reach it's upper chest. "Ah buddy, you think we can take him?"

Not answering, Wargreymon buried his own thoughts in that direction as he felt what strength he had left flow through his body. "If he wants a fight, I'll give him a fight." Leaving anything else unspoken,

Reaching the point were they would crash with each other if they continued moving, Wargreymon and Gulfmon slowed down until they were just a few meters apart. "Okay, who are you?"

Smirking at the comment from the smaller digimon, Gulfmon lifted up both arms as darkness flowed in around him. "You should know, little Taichi Yagami, you do after all, carry part of me inside of you."

Eyes glowing with power, Gulfmon's face lost whatever pleasant appearance it had. "But enough small talk, surrender and I promise it won't hurt, too much."

His face turning dark at that comment, Tai simply glared back at him with both fists clenching up. "Forget it, and after we kick your ass, you can crawl back and tell Babel that he's next!"

"Babel?" Gulfmon simply commented as he began to power up, his eyes narrowing in a show of humor. "Babel is gone, absorbed into my being when he freed me, the foolish human was merely a vessel for my soul and a part of my old body, and now that he has played out his part, I devoured him along with the part of me he held, he even provided enough digital data to build a more useful body for me."

His dark look turning into one of horror, Tai felt a small amount of bile rise up in his throat at the thought of Babel's death. "You, you ate him?" No one, not even Babel deserved to die like that.

Wrapping himself in darkness, Gulfmon held out both hands as he laughed. "Dead Scream!" Watching as the attack shot across the distance too fast for the digimon to avoid, Gulfmon laughed as he watched the digimon scream as it could only protect it's partner from the worst of it. "I am Gulfmon, a mega digimon, and the darkness born from Apocalymon, and just as I devoured Babel and Gennai, so shall I devour you and your digimon partners."

Grabbing a still stunned Wargreymon in one massive hand; Gulfmon lowered his face until it was only a fraction away from both Tai and the dinosaur-man like digimons face. "Rejoice children, you get to become part of the one who will destroy both worlds."

TBC: Twilight brewing.

AN: Okay, following a massive writers block on the new chapter, and a rather large disgust at what I had written after finishing the first part when I reread it, I've done a rewrite of this chapter so it will hopefully make more sense, and be less annoying to me.

Ah, the personal whims of an author, how scary.

Next up, the battle with Gulfmon is finished, but will he be beaten, and on Earth, the return of the vampire digimon from the past moves into it final phase, this monster doing his best to finally get his revenge, control of both worlds at last, and to fulfill his destiny to coverer both worlds in darkness. But is he fully ready to tangle with the digi destined, or will the destiny foretold so long ago come to pass, as the final arc of my story begins, the arc of Twilight.