Chapter 19: Omega
The night wind whistled outside of the Lupolford town hall. It was the only sound Omegamon could hear aside from the flickering of the torches and the infrequent footsteps of the Digimon guarding him.
He still kneeled in the middle of the great hall, bound down by the secure chains. He wasn't sure how long he had been there by now, but he was sure that it felt longer than it actually was. The time seemed to drag on with nothing to do but kneel there and think and wait. Omegamon felt an intense, numb, tingling feeling in his legs and arms, likely due to the tight restraints and being forced to retain the same position for lengthy amounts of time, he figured.
The sound of footsteps grew louder again. This time, they sounded like they were heading towards him.
Omegamon slowly opened his blue eyes just in time to see the colour of crimson in his view. He looked up to see Dorbickmon smirking down at him with his hands on his hips.
"How's it going, oh white knight?" he asked him with an air of levity in his voice.
Omegamon chose not to respond.
"Oh, come on. You must be bored, kneeling there for hours on end," Dorbickmon observed. "How'bout a chat?"
"Are you trying to get information out of me?" Omegamon simply questioned, looking up at him. "You needn't bother, because I'm not going to tell you anything."
"Hey, I've got no ulterior motives here," Dorbickmon explained, folding his arms. "What you see is what you get with me." He gave the knight a toothy, crooked smirk. "Trust me… if I wanted to interrogate you, you'd know about it. I just want to pass the time."
"All the same…" Omegamon replied. "I'm not in the mood for talking."
"I guess I don't blame you, given your situation," Dorbickmon conceded, looking down at him. "Okay. I'll do the talking then."
Omegamon went quiet and listened. It wasn't as if he could do anything to stop Dorbickmon.
"You're probably wondering who I am and why I'm out to get you and your companions, aren't you?"
Omegamon didn't respond initially. Internally, he did admit that the question of who Dorbickmon was had crossed his mind. "Mercenary?" he asked.
"No…" Dorbickmon answered. "I mean… yeah, that is my job, but DarkKnightmon didn't hire me. I'm not just doing this for a fancy payout." He grinned. "I guess, in a way, I hired him."
"He's working for you?" Omegamon questioned with some surprise. This Dorbickmon seemed open to casual banter. Omegamon figured that, even though he was the prisoner, he could try to get some information out of him instead.
"No, he's doing his own thing. I'm just along for the ride because our goals kind of coincide," Dorbickmon freely told him. He smirked a bit wider. "That was why I freed him from the Dark Area to begin with."
Omegamon's eyes widened. "You…? But how?"
"It wasn't easy… It was so draining that it nearly killed me, to be honest," Dorbickmon explained. "Dragon veins… Leylines, if you prefer. They're these streams of raw power that flow through the earth of the Digital World that only a few Digimon can access. I used them to disrupt the security barrier of the Dark Area."
"Why?" Omegamon asked.
Dorbickmon grinned broadly. He was finally at the part that he had been waiting for. "Because I don't approve of your latest appointment to the Order. 'Examon', is it? Or the 'Dragon Emperor', maybe?"
Omegamon frowned. "Examon…?"
"I'm guessing he hasn't told you about his past… You really ought to look into the histories of your members more. It wouldn't sound very good if everybody knew that one of the Royal Knights was a murderer."
"…A murderer?" Omegamon spoke, looking up at him in surprise. "Don't be ridiculous."
"Well… attempted murderer," Dorbickmon replied, his grin disappearing completely and his facial features darkening. "I survived thanks to the town doctor."
Omegamon frowned deeply. "What are you talking about?"
"Examon and I used to be the best of friends. He was a Coredramon and I was a Strikedramon. One day, we were playing around and he suddenly flipped out and tried to kill me… Nearly blasted me right through," Dorbickmon explained with notes of a snarl in his voice. "The worst part was that he left me for dead. Didn't even go to get help."
"I can't believe that," Omegamon told him. "Examon wouldn't do something like that. Alphamon looks into potential Royal Knights very thoroughly."
Dorbickmon growled, leaning over the captive Royal Knight. "Think I'm lying? I've still got the scars to prove it."
Omegamon frowned. "They could be from anywhere. You're a battle-hardened mercenary."
A hiss escaped Dorbickmon's mouth. He leaned down and grabbed Omegamon's chin roughly, forcing him to look up at him. "Well, they're not. I guess you probably don't want to believe that one of your fellow Royal Knights is a cold, callous killer. You don't have believe me; I know the truth."
"I can take over from here, Dorbickmon," a voice echoed down the hall.
"Tch." Dorbickmon let go of Omegamon and stood up straight, looking over. "DarkKnightmon?" he asked, folding his arms indignantly. "Didn't know you were back."
"Can I have a word with Omegamon in private?" DarkKnightmon asked, walking down the great hall towards the two.
"Go ahead," Dorbickmon answered with a nonchalant shrug. "Mind if I go to the tavern?"
"Please yourself. Just don't run your mouth like you have been doing to Omegamon," the dark knight advised him.
Dorbickmon smirked. "I only said all that because I knew he wouldn't be escaping anytime soon."
DarkKnightmon looked at the red dragon man carefully. "All the same… Loose babble loses battles."
Dorbickmon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Okay… I heard that one already…" With that, Dorbickmon sauntered down the great hall in the other direction, towards the front entrance of the town hall. He disappeared into another room and, soon, the sound of two large doors opening and closing could be heard, followed by the sound of them locking.
"Omegamon…" DarkKnightmon greeted.
Omegamon glanced over as the black knight passed by him. "DarkKnightmon…" he muttered in reply.
"How are you feeling?" DarkKnightmon asked, in what sounded like a genuinely concerned tone.
"My legs are asleep… as are my hands. And my upper body is incredibly stiff," Omegamon answered him plainly. He looked up at DarkKnightmon with hard, blue eyes. "I'm getting frustrated with whatever game you're playing."
"I don't play games, Omegamon," DarkKnightmon assured him, returning the stare. "Not with what's at stake."
"Then what are your plans for me?" Omegamon asked, narrowing his eyes. "If you think that the Royal Knights are stupid enough to fall into whatever trap you're laying, you're underestimating them."
"You have the wrong idea…" DarkKnightmon explained. He crouched down in front of Omegamon so that they were at eye level with one another. Despite Omegamon's situation, he wanted to talk to him as if they were equals. "I want you to hear my side."
"You mean how the Royal Knights are too soft and ineffectual," Omegamon concluded. "I heard that opinion nearly a decade ago. The difference is, you have been in the Dark Area since then, so you can't actually say if our Order is ineffectual or not. We have lasted this long and the continent is still intact, so we must be doing something correctly."
"The previous mayor of Lupolford, Anubismon, raised an army of mercenaries and attacked the Dramon to the west, didn't he?"
"We became aware of his activities and stopped him before any real damage was done," Omegamon countered.
"If you all had listened to me, he never would have considered the idea in the first place," DarkKnightmon argued.
"I understand your point, DarkKnightmon, but the way you want to execute it isn't right. We can't intimidate Digimon into submission to our laws."
"It isn't about intimidation; it's about stringent order and rules, the ardent enforcement and subservience to our right and just laws. That's the only way that order and justice will prosper," DarkKnightmon urged him.
"If you want a society like that, go to the Metal Empire," Omegamon replied. "Besides, I can't help but notice the hypocrisy here. You talk about Anubismon hiring mercenaries when you're doing the exact same thing."
"Yes, well… necessity compels," DarkKnightmon responded. He sighed and looked at Omegamon with a soft gaze. "I'll tell you why you're here right now, Omegamon… I'm asking you for a second time, from one friend to another… Join me."
Omegamon looked at him incredulously. "Join you…?" he asked. "You can't be serious. You must think that I have no honour at all if you think I would turn against the Royal Knights."
"I'm not asking you to fight them, Omegamon. I want you to convince them that what I'm saying is right," DarkKnightmon explained to him.
"I'm not convinced that what you're saying is right," Omegamon retorted, frowning.
"But you at least conceded that I have a point," DarkKnightmon pointed out. "Is what I'm suggesting really so outrageous?"
"You can't restrict a Digimon's freedom for the sake of maintaining order," Omegamon told him. He looked down at the chains around his body. "As someone whose freedom is being restricted, I know what it feels like, and it breeds resentment."
DarkKnightmon looked at Omegamon with a steely gaze and stood to his feet. "So… that's a no, I take it?"
"It's a no," Omegamon answered.
DarkKnightmon's cold eyes observed Omegamon quietly. "…At least think it over," DarkKnightmon told him. "I'll give you a day to consider it and then I'll ask you once more. The answer you give will determine how you and I will proceed from now on."
The white knight looked up at DarkKnightmon with a standoffish leer, one of his eyes concealed by the shadows cast on his face by the torches. "Is that a veiled threat, DarkKnightmon?"
"No. It's a fact, Omegamon," he answered rigidly. He began to walk past the bound Royal Knight. As he did, he placed his hand on Omegamon's shoulder. "I hope you make the right decision," he said, his hand sliding off his shoulder as he walked by Omegamon, towards the back of the great hall.
Omegamon frowned and thought to himself. He considered each of his limited options. He went over the pros and cons of each choice, and what DarkKnightmon's thought process might be regarding the proposal he made.
He had a choice to make and he needed to make sure it was the one that was best for both the Order and himself. Or, if it wasn't possible for both, then the one that he valued more.
OuRyuumon and Examon flew north in the night, soaring through another territory of the Free Area. The dark sky made it hard to see, so they had to rely on their keen eyes and instincts. Most of the moonlight was blocked by the clouds, lighting them up dimly.
Examon followed behind OuRyuumon, who he could tell was still bristling at his presence. "It's dark, OuRyuumon. At least find an inn to stay at for the night."
"For the last time, Exadork, stop following me," OuRyuumon growled, not even looking over his shoulder.
"Not until I figure out what's going on and where you're going," Examon stubbornly replied, flying after him. "Alphamon would be angry if I just let you go without saying anything."
"Tch. He wouldn't care," OuRyuumon muttered to himself.
"What?" Examon asked, not quite hearing that.
"I said 'bug off'. Go home already," the surly, gold dragon responded, looking behind him.
"It sounded like you said something completely different," Examon pointed out.
OuRyuumon growled and rubbed his face with frustration. "Look, I'm leaving the Order, okay?! Don't try to stop me. It's pointless."
"Why are you leaving the Order?" the other dragon Digimon pressed, wanting a real answer out of OuRyuumon.
"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" OuRyuumon asked, stopping his flight and turning to face Examon.
"I suppose," Examon responded, although he wasn't actually sure if he would do that, depending on OuRyuumon's answer.
"Okay… I'm leaving because I can't stand you," OuRyuumon replied, sneering at Examon. "Now go home."
Examon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, looking at OuRyuumon blandly. "I find that hard to believe, even if I know that you don't like me," he answered calmly.
"Rrgh. Cripes, go home, Examon… I don't know why you even care what I do. We're not exactly close," OuRyuumon retaliated tiredly.
"I know, but I took an oath. Royal Knights look out for one another," Examon explained, folding his arms.
OuRyuumon scoffed and turned away, hiding his grimace from Examon. "I'm not a Royal Knight. I never have been."
"No, but you're still an important part of the Order," the crimson dragon replied. "The oath doesn't stop with other Royal Knights."
"Alphamon sure doesn't think I am," OuRyuumon muttered grimly.
"Alphamon?" Examon asked, arching an eyebrow.
OuRyuumon sighed and turned his back to Examon. "Look, there's a town up ahead. Wayside. We can stay there for the night and then you can head back to the castle in the morning," he told the Royal Knight.
"Fine…" Examon conceded. He knew that he couldn't keep following OuRyuumon forever, especially if this was a case of him being as stubborn as a Bullmon, so Examon figured that he could at least try to get to the bottom of what was going on before morning. He also hoped that OuRyuumon would calm down a bit once they were inside the inn and maybe had something to drink. Examon would make sure that OuRyuumon would only drink in moderation, of course. He thought to himself. "Do you think there will be enough room for the both of us?"
OuRyuumon glimpsed over his shoulder. "Whad'you mean?" he asked, arching his eyebrow.
"In the room," Examon answered.
"What?! I'm not sharing a room with you!" OuRyuumon exclaimed, his eyes widening. He quickly turned forwards as his face heated up.
"I didn't bring any money with me," Examon sheepishly replied, shrugging. "I don't want to make you waste your bits on a second room for me."
OuRyuumon grimaced. He left in such haste that he hadn't thought about taking his share from the Royal Knights' vault before leaving, so he only had the petty cash that he had taken from his room. He might be forced to share the room with Examon to save money. "You've gotta be kidding! We can't share the same room!" he stammered. "The innkeeper might get the wrong idea!"
"…What wrong idea?" Examon questioned, oblivious to what he was talking about.
OuRyuumon flushed harder and sneered. "That we're sleeping together or something!" he yelled at him.
"We are sleeping together. In the same room," Examon replied matter-of-factly, still not picking up on OuRyuumon's issue.
"They might think we're gay, idiot!" OuRyuumon shouted, glaring over his shoulder at Examon for making him spell it out.
Examon frowned. "But… we're not. It isn't strange if two Royal Knights share the same room. Besides, I'm sure they have double rooms."
OuRyuumon palmed his face and growled. "You've gotta be fu- Fine! Whatever. You do the explaining then."
"I can't say I understand the way your mind works sometimes, OuRyuumon," Examon told him, grinning a bit.
"I don't think you understand anything…" OuRyuumon muttered, flying ahead a bit faster. He began a slow descend towards the collection of dim lights far in front of them and Examon followed after him to the town.
Dukemon walked out onto one of the castle balconies and let out an exhausted sigh. He brushed his hand through his white hair as it moved down to rub the back of his head. It was dark out now. The moons and stars speckled the dark sky as Dukemon approached the stone railing and leaned against the thick slab of rock.
He looked out across the castle grounds. Several guards were walking to and from one side of the main building to gawp at the massive hole in the wall that OuRyuumon created. There was no doubt that gossip and rumours were already spreading about what had happened. However, of the Digimon there, only Dukemon knew the truth.
A flash of crimson caught Dukemon's attention. He turned his head and saw a familiar digital life form flying towards him. Zero ARMS: Grani soared over and stopped in front of the balcony, the moonlight glinting off of his metal back as he hovered.
"Dukemon, there you are," Grani said with a veiled sense of urgency in his composed voice. "What happened? There's a massive hole in OuRyuumon's wall."
"Yeah…" Dukemon said with a heavy breath. "I'm not sure how much I can tell you, but you're going to find this much out anyways. OuRyuumon's no longer a member of the Order…"
Grani stared at him with disbelief as the words sunk in. "…What?" he whispered. "But he's the Captain of the Strike Forces… He's been around since the Order was formed. …What happened?"
Dukemon frowned and looked down, over the edge of the balcony. "I'm not at liberty to say…"
Grani frowned. "You can't just say something like that and clam up," the Zero ARMS told him. "His subordinates will want to know. The other Royal Knights will want to know."
"Look, I don't know what I'm allowed to say," Dukemon countered shortly, raising his hand and rubbing his face irritably. "Alphamon's exhausted after today and so am I. We haven't sorted out what's best yet…"
"There's something going on and I'd like to know what…" the giant bird-dragon told his friend, flying over and perching on the railing beside Dukemon. "I can tell you're upset over something."
"I told Alphamon I wouldn't tell anybody. Not yet," the crimson knight sighed. "He told me a lot of things. He really needs to be able to trust me right now."
"This is me you're talking to, Dukemon…" Grani reassured him. "We've been friends for years. You know that I'll be the soul of discretion."
"Damn it, Grani, I can't," he said with deeply furrowed brows. "I promised."
"You want to, though. It's bad for you, Dukemon, when you don't get things off of your chest," the red dragon told him. "You know you can trust me with a secret."
Dukemon sighed and glanced up at the large, crimson raptor. "…You sure you can keep a secret?" he asked, a bit of Dukemon's usual levity beginning to shine through again.
"If I breathe so much as a word, you can tell my whole reconnaissance squadron – no, the whole Order - about the time I landed in that bog and needed you to rescue me," Grani told him with a wry grin. However, his tone soon became the typical, serious yet calm voice that Gran was known for. "I just don't want you feeling like there is nobody you can turn to for advice."
Dukemon chuckled. "I appreciate it, but I am a big boy, you know," he replied with a tiny smile. "I know I've got problems with the Hazard, but you don't need to coddle me."
"Believe me, I'm not trying to," Grani assured him. "I know you're more than capable of handling your own problems, but there's nobody in this world that's above needing a friendly word of advice now and then. At the very least, it can't hurt to get a different perspective on whatever the problem is."
"Yeah, I guess so…" Dukemon conceded. He flashed Grani a look out of the corners of his eyes. "But if you do tell anybody, I really will tell everybody that story." He laughed at the memory. "'Zero arms', indeed."
Zero ARMS: Grani flushed and tilted his body to nudge Dukemon with his wing. "Yes, yes. Hilarious. So, what happened?"
"Well…" Dukemon began, closing his eyes. "Short answer: Alphamon and OuRyuumon had a massive argument."
"I see…" Grani spoke, inspecting Dukemon carefully. "What about the long answer?"
Dukemon looked around to make sure that nobody would hear except for Grani.
"Well… Remember the night that DarkKnightmon turned on us?" he began, glancing up at the metal dragon.
"It's hard to forget, going in and seeing the state of the castle, not to mention all of you," he answered.
"You know how DarkKnightmon apparently fell off one of the towers that night?" Dukemon asked. "Well, Alphamon said that OuRyuumon pushed him. DarkKnightmon told him yesterday when they met in the Claw Desert."
"Surely DarkKnightmon was lying to spread distrust among the ranks," Grani reasoned logically.
"That's what I said to Alphamon..." Dukemon said, pausing. "Except OuRyuumon admitted it. Thinking back on that night, it makes sense too… I still can't believe it though."
"I see…" Grani responded, frowning. "That… I'm not really sure what to say, actually…"
"I dunno either…" Dukemon said, sighing. "I'm still wrapping my head around it… I mean, I can see OuRyuumon's point of view. I wanted to give DarkKnightmon a good beating that day too. But still… that's going way too far."
"And that's what Alphamon and OuRyuumon had a huge argument about?" the Zero ARMS questioned.
"Sort of… It's a big reason, but it's not the whole reason…" Dukemon said. He turned to Grani. "You might want to sit down. This is going to be a big shock too."
Grani looked at him blankly as he perched on the railing. "I'm sitting to the best of my ability."
"Alphamon's bisexual," the crimson knight told him bluntly.
"Bisexual…" Grani repeated. He frowned. "And that means…?"
"He likes both males and females from a physical and romantic perspective," Dukemon explained.
"I see… And… that's a big deal? As a Zero ARMS, I only have a gender from an aesthetic and mental standpoint, not a biological one, so I'm not very good with these matters, as you well know," Grani sheepishly said.
"Well… yes and no…" Dukemon replied, scratching his head, with an expression that made him look like he was at odds with himself. "I mean, it's not a big deal that he's interested in both genders; Rhodo's gay and I'm cool with that. It's just a shock that I'm just finding out after all these years." He sighed. "I know not all of the Royal Knights will be thrilled about it if he ever tells them, though."
"Do you begrudge him for not telling you?" Grani asked.
"No… I understand why," Dukemon answered. "He explained to me. To be honest, I don't even really see him that differently. He's still the same guy."
"I'm glad about that," Grani told him. "But where does that come into the argument?"
"He was in a relationship with OuRyuumon, who's gay," Dukemon said with an ironic chuckle.
Grani blinked with disbelief. "They… were? But… that's like you and I being in a romantic relationship," the Zero ARMS remarked.
"Hey, now. Don't get any ideas," Dukemon teased his friend.
"Ignoring that…" Grani glanced over at him. "The most shocking thing is that OuRyuumon was able to keep a secret so well."
Dukemon chuckled a bit. "For you, maybe… But yeah… You can see why I'm a little out of it right now. It was a huge shock; I'm still coming to terms with everything. And there's still more to what happened… I haven't even gotten to Omegamon yet."
"Then perhaps we should go in to your room," Grani suggested, turning around on the railing to face the door. "It's more private there. And we can talk over some herbal tea."
"Yeah, okay…" Dukemon agreed, turning around and heading inside.
Grani gave Dukemon a sympathetic look and flew around to meet Dukemon at the balcony of his room.
The morning rolled around across the Free Area. The dew laced along the countless blades of grass sparkled in the morning sun, whose light began to warm a small town after a somewhat crisp night. In the inn, OuRyuumon began to wake up after a tumultuous sleep.
OuRyuumon gave a soft snarl as he woke up, slowly and groggily. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers and stirred in the bed.
He was situated in a relatively small double room. The gold dragon got what he paid for in the room, which wasn't a whole lot. He had tried to minimize the price since he didn't have a whole lot of money with him, and he needed to make it last until he arrived at New Terminal. He could smell the aromatic scent of tea and bread coming from the floor below, which was the tavern and dining area. Also, from that level, he could hear the muffled chatter of other guests talking over breakfast.
It was about the size of his room back at the Royal Knights' headquarters, which would have been fine, except there was a second bed thrown in nearby, which took up a lot of the actual space. Residing in that second bed was Examon, who slept in a bed about one meter adjacent from his. The beds were small for them. The dragon's large wings and long tail stuck out awkwardly from under the covers, stretching over the sides of the bed. This caused the blanket on top of the bed to slip down to Examon's waist, exposing the top half of the dragon's body. OuRyuumon could barely fit his own serpentine body in the small bed, having had to arch his back to fit.
OuRyuumon turned his head and looked over at Examon, inspecting the Royal Knight. "I can't believe he's still here… stubborn bastard…" he thought to himself. "Can't he see that I didn't leave by choice?"
The gold dragon sighed and continued looking at Examon. "I'm gonna have to tell him something though… Surprised that he's going to all this trouble for me even though I made it clear that I didn't like him…" OuRyuumon mused.
His violet eyes lingered on Examon, shifting from the red dragon's face down to his exposed chest. OuRyuumon began to appreciate the dragon's athletic chest muscles, his gaze going over the contours of his pectoral and abdominal muscles before eyeing his arms as well. He liked the sheen of his red and white scales as the sunlight from the window spread across Examon's wings and chest.
"He sure is hot though… OuRyuumon thought to himself with a soft sigh through his nostrils as he enjoyed the scene before him.
However, the dragon soon grimaced and turned his head in the exact opposite direction, sneering with frustration and embarrassment. "Don't be an idiot, OuRyuumon! You're on the rebound from Alphamon and you know it. Don't do anything stupid with a straight guy who you're trying to get to stop following you, damn it."
Examon let out a soft groan as he began to wake up. He opened his eyes and squinted at the sunlight entering them. "Rrr…" he mumbled tiredly, yawning and sitting up in his bed. He turned to look over at OuRyuumon. "OuRyuumon…? Are you awake?" he asked him.
OuRyuumon paused for a moment to consider his answer. "…Yeah," he decided to reply, turning his head and looking up at the ceiling. The former-Captain pulled the bed covers down and slid out of bed, standing to his feet and stretching.
Examon pulled his sheets down too. He turned and slung his legs over the side of the bed, preparing to stand up next to OuRyuumon. When OuRyuumon turned around, he saw that Examon was sitting right behind him. His eyes immediately gazed down at Examon's waist and his spread legs, shamelessly checking his scaled torso out.
"D-Damnit!" OuRyuumon thought to himself, immediately turning away and flushing at the dirty thoughts entering his mind. "Don't even think about it!"
Examon stood up behind OuRyuumon and looked at him. "Feeling any better this morning?" he asked him.
"Fine!" OuRyuumon exclaimed swiftly, not turning around and trying to ignore the proximity of the draconic Royal Knight. "Just… get your armour on already!"
"Can I at least polish my lance first?" Examon questioned, folding his arms.
OuRyuumon's eyes widened and his face heated up greatly. "N-No! What d'you want to do that for?!"
Examon shrugged and looked over at the Ambrosius lance propped up against the wall. "I was planning to yesterday, but I guess it's not vital to do right now…" he supposed, walking over to his armour, which was strewn across a chair.
OuRyuumon sighed with relief and he began to relax again. He didn't entirely trust himself at the moment, after everything that happened yesterday.
Examon put on his armour over the front of his body so that the chrome digizoid covered from his abdomen up to his collar. He then turned back to OuRyuumon and folded his arms. "Have you reconsidered your idea?"
The jagged rows of teeth inside of OuRyuumon's mouth suddenly gnashed together. It looked like Examon wasn't giving up. "You're still on that, are you?" he asked, looking over at Examon with an irate sneer.
"I want to stop you from making a mistake," Examon told him calmly.
OuRyuumon scoffed. "A mistake…" he muttered. "You don't know the half of it."
"So tell me. I won't judge," the red dragon offered.
"It's… complicated," OuRyuumon said dismissively, walking across the room and plopping his tailed backside down on Examon's bed. "It's no use, whatever you're trying to do."
"At least hear me out, OuRyuumon," Examon told him, walking over and sitting on OuRyuumon's bed to face him.
OuRyuumon rolled his eyes. "I guess this is what it'll take to get him off my back… Maybe it'd be easier to just tell him that Alphamon kicked me out… Alphamon'll probably tell everybody anyways. …No, I don't want to give him the satisfaction," he thought to himself. He looked up at Examon. "I'm listening… Let's hear it."
Examon nodded. "When I first joined the Royal Knights, I almost quit as well," he admitted.
OuRyuumon was genuinely surprised. "You did?" Internally, he thought to himself, "Why didn't you? Maybe then I could have taken your spot."
"I probably don't have to tell you that I didn't exactly fit in," Examon told him with a slight grin. "Not only was I the new guy, but, well…" He gestured to his large, draconic body. "Let's just say I faced a lot of opposition."
"From me, you mean," OuRyuumon flatly replied, folding his arms.
"You, Duftmon, Craniamon, UlforceVeedramon…" Examon answered. "I know you each had your different reasons. Anyways, I didn't feel like staying there was worth the aggravation."
"What stopped you?"
"Dukemon," Examon replied. "He made me realize that being part of the Royal Knights was too good to throw away. It really is an honour being part of the Order, being able to impact the world more than I could just being on my own in the United Dramonic Coalition."
OuRyuumon winced a bit. "Great…" he muttered sarcastically.
"What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't throw away something so important. You'll end up regretting it," Examon said.
The gold dragon growled and rubbed the bridge of his draconic snout, his frustration getting the better of him. "You don't get it… I threw it away years ago."
"I don't understand…"
"DarkKnightmon… I pushed him off that tower," OuRyuumon explained ruefully, looking down at his lap.
Examon was silent for a few moments. "…I see…" he replied, reserving his judgment as much as he could.
"He was plotting to overthrow Alphamon, okay?!" OuRyuumon defensively said. "I know that's not a great excuse, but I can't change it now…" He sighed. "Anyways… he told Alphamon. Alphamon and I had a big argument and he told me to leave the Order. I didn't want to leave, so there's no point trying to convince me otherwise."
"…Oh…" Examon said, a bit unsure of what to say now.
The dragon gave a hollow laugh. "Go on. Laugh. Chew me out. Do whatever. You've probably been waiting for a chance like this," OuRyuumon told him, his head still bowed.
"I'm not that petty," Examon replied, frowning at OuRyuumon. "Besides, I'm in no position to say anything… I hurt a friend in the past too. What I did was probably as bad as what you did, if not worse."
"Huh…?" OuRyuumon asked, glancing up.
"You were eliminating a dangerous threat who showed hostile intent. I lost control of my power, hurt my friend, and then skulked off like a coward," Examon admitted with a pained expression.
OuRyuumon observed Examon for a few moments. He then smiled ironically. "It might be hard to believe, but DarkKnightmon was my friend too… in a weird sort of way. We argued a hell of a lot and I felt threatened by him sometimes, but we looked out for each other in battle. Even I think you're being too generous to me, Examon. I mean, I still feel justified in what I did, but I know that what I did wasn't 'right'. I still feel guilty when I think about it. What I did wasn't all that much better from whatever you did."
OuRyuumon paused and thought to himself. "…Why the hell am I telling you all this?" he asked aloud.
"You've been keeping it in for too long, I suppose," Examon replied calmly. "There's something cathartic about telling a secret that you've been holding in for longer than you can remember…"
OuRyuumon's brows furrowed. "But… Why you of all people? We're not exactly friends. We're not even alike!"
Examon shrugged. "We're both dragon Digimon."
"You're from the UDC and I'm from New Terminal," OuRyuumon countered. He sighed and rubbed his face. "I dunno… I feel like I know you better, I guess. I can understand how you feel out of place in the Order."
"Can you?" Examon asked. "You've been Alphamon's best friend since before the Order was formed, haven't you?"
"And that's all I ever amounted to: Alphamon's best friend," OuRyuumon answered with a scowl. "I was never good enough to be one of the Royal Knights. I have the skills, but I don't have the… - I dunno – 'inner fortitude' or some shit. According to Alphamon, I'm too selfish, petty, violent, - oh - and I disgust him." OuRyuumon glimpsed away grimly. "It wasn't just being a dragon Digimon with me. I was never 'one of the Knights'. Sure, I was Captain of the Strike Forces, but I still felt like I was just tagging along. At least you're actually one of 'em. And then there's…" OuRyuumon trailed off. He already said more than he wanted to say. He wasn't about to reveal that too.
"I never knew you felt that way…" Examon said, looking at him sympathetically.
"Why do you think I don't like you?" OuRyuumon challenged. "The first pure dragon Royal Knight should have been me."
"I can understand why that angers you, but that's hardly my fault," Examon retorted.
"I know that!" OuRyuumon snapped, leering at him. "But you're still there. …Tch. Doesn't matter now anyways. You'll never have to see me again now," he told the other dragon, standing to his feet and going to collect his belt and scimitars.
Examon frowned and stood up as well. "OuRyuumon… Don't."
OuRyuumon turned around. "You really are dense about everything except combat, aren't you?" he told him. "Alphamon kicked me out. Even if I wanted to, going back there wouldn't change anything."
"Except if Alphamon changed his mind," Examon countered. "He's a rational Digimon. He probably thinks differently now."
"Doubtful. Besides, there's no way I'm crawling back there."
Examon frowned. "Don't let your pride get in the way
"Don't let the door get in your way," OuRyuumon told him, thumbing over to the door to their room.
The crimson dragon knight narrowed his eyes. "Pig-headed… I'm trying to help you here."
"I didn't ask for you to come after me," OuRyuumon told him sharply. "If you joined the Royal Knights to atone for blowing your friend up or something, that's your call, but don't involve me."
Examon suddenly glared at him darkly. He clenched his teeth and balled up his claws, as if trying to keep himself from going for OuRyuumon. "…Fine. Leave. I don't know why I bothered coming. You're probably right about me. I let it blind me from seeing the truth," Examon scathed. "Alphamon was right; you don't deserve to be part of the Order. You've always been a destroyer… That's not something the Royal Knights need."
OuRyuumon suddenly sneered and walked up to him, glaring into Examon's eyes. "And what are you?! You just joined the Order to make yourself feel better!"
"I joined the Order to create a better Digital World, like I did with the UDC," Examon lowly replied, gritting his sharp teeth.
"Hah! You try to act all humble, but you really are arrogant!" OuRyuumon exclaimed, the two glaring at each other. "You've gotta be arrogant to think that you can actually do that on your own! You really think that highly of yourself, don't you?!"
Examon growled. "It's a hell of a lot better than what you do! Fighting for pleasure… It's disgusting! Fighting without a purpose is just sadistic self-indulgence. It's no better than what our enemies do."
"Get down from that ivory tower of yours! You think you're better than everyone else… You probably thought that way ever since you became an Examon in the UDC. It must've felt pretty good to be a big fish in a little pond, huh? Well… what you're trying to forget is that it's in a dragon's nature to fight! Okay, you had a bad experience because you couldn't control your power." OuRyuumon poked his clawed finger against Examon's chest. "Now you're all awkward and repressed because you've been trying to repress those instincts. You have that calm and collected voice and demeanour like ice wouldn't melt, but I can see it in your eyes: you're itching to punch me right now!"
Examon sneered deeper into OuRyuumon's eyes, clenching his fists a little bit tighter. "No…" he replied as calmly as possible. "I want you to leave."
"Liar," OuRyuumon told him.
Examon stifled a snarl. "…I'm not."
OuRyuumon looked at him for a few more seconds. "…Tch," he scoffed, backing off and turning away, walking away from the dragon to collect his bag. "You don't even have the balls to be honest about your feelings…"
"You mean like you were with DarkKnightmon?" Examon challenged.
OuRyuumon snarled and glared at Examon over his shoulder. "It wasn't like…" He paused and shook his head, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Whatever… When you get back, tell Alphamon that I want all of my bits delivered to my place in New Terminal. Later, Exadork. Don't worry; I'll still pay for the room."
With that, OuRyuumon gave an irritable flick of his tail and walked out of the room, heading down to the first level of the inn.
Examon let out a pent up sigh and rubbed the back of his neck, walking over to get his Ambrosius lance from the wall. "Well, I tried…"
It was the afternoon in Lupolford.
Omegamon remained in the same position he was in since when he had been first tied up. He hadn't slept much during the night. He had only been able to nod off for a few hours at a time before waking with a jerk. Being chained to the ground in a kneeling position wasn't exactly conducive to getting a good night's sleep, especially since he couldn't even lie down.
He had done a lot of thinking since he last spoke to DarkKnightmon. He had thought about all of his alternatives. Omegamon had considered pretending to join DarkKnightmon, but Omegamon knew that DarkKnightmon wasn't so naïve as to trust him completely; there would have been some sort of restraint placed on him to ensure that he wouldn't simply escape or turn on DarkKnightmon as soon as he had been freed. Being on the introverted side, the white knight had little confidence in his acting abilities as well, and he was sure that DarkKnightmon would be able to suss out even a skilled liar. Those factors made him doubt that option.
He also considered stalling for time by asking DarkKnightmon if he could think about it. He hoped that he could give himself enough time to think of other ways to free himself or give the Royal Knights enough time to rescue him. Given the strength of the Chrome Digizoid chains and the fact that the Royal Knights likely didn't have a lead to go off of, he doubted that choice as well.
Finally, he considered calling DarkKnightmon's bluff and flatly refusing to aid him. DarkKnightmon kept speaking of their friendship, and even when DarkKnightmon had attacked them in the castle, he didn't express any interest in killing him or any of the other Royal Knights. Omegamon suspected that DarkKnightmon didn't want to kill them, so there was no real serious consequences to just turning him down. That way, he didn't encourage DarkKnightmon's plans by making him think that there was a chance that he thought it was a good idea.
Omegamon waited. It was all that he could do. Every so often, he made an attempt to fight against the chains, but it always ended the same way.
Finally, he heard a familiar set of footsteps approaching from behind him.
"DarkKnightmon," Omegamon spoke, so accustomed to the weight and the time between each stride that he could tell who it was without looking.
"Omegamon…" DarkKnightmon replied, walking in front of the Royal Knight and turning to face him. "Have you made your decision?"
"I have," Omegamon told him.
"Good… What is it?" DarkKnightmon questioned.
Omegamon paused. He closed his eyes. "I won't help you. I won't ever help you… At least, not when it comes to what you want to do to the Order." He opened his eyes and looked up at DarkKnightmon. "I'm sorry."
DarkKnightmon looked down at him coldly. For awhile, he didn't speak. He just stared at Omegamon with an icy, unreadable expression.
"…I see," he finally spoke. "Then… I'm sorry too."
Omegamon frowned. "What for?" he asked him.
"You leave me with no choice," DarkKnightmon said, suddenly moving.
He walked behind Omegamon and turned to face his back.
Warily, Omegamon looked over his shoulder to see what DarkKnightmon was up to.
DarkKnightmon kneeled down behind Omegamon. He drew a key from inside his armour and put his hand on the chrome digizoid lock that connected the chains to one of the two rungs in the marble floor. DarkKnightmon inserted the key, twisted it a few times in a very precise sequence, and forced the lock to pop open and release the chains from the metal ring. He then turned to Omegamon's other side to do the same thing to the lock in the other ring.
Omegamon watched as the chain came loose from the floor. He gave a tentative strain against the chains still around his caped body, but they were still too secure for him to free himself. He began to wonder if DarkKnightmon was going to do it for him anyways.
Instead, DarkKnightmon grabbed him roughly by the back, clutching the chains as well as Omegamon's cape as he tersely hauled the white knight to his feet. Before Omegamon could begin to try to fight against him, DarkKnightmon pulled Omegamon forcefully, forcing him to walk.
Omegamon winced as his blood suddenly rushed into his numb legs after being still for so long, the circulation to his lower extremities suddenly flowing. His legs buckled with every step, as they were too numb to walk on, but DarkKnightmon forced Omegamon to walk regardless and held him up whenever his legs failed him.
"What are you doing?" Omegamon demanded, still feeling a surge of warmth and prickling needles within his legs.
DarkKnightmon didn't reply. He kept his hand firmly on Omegamon's bonds and pushed him towards the back of the great hall.
The further that they went, the more that Omegamon was able to see. At the end of the great hall, on the raised level at the top of a couple small steps, past the ornate throne, there was something in the floor. It was dark and seemed to move.
On closer inspection, it appeared to be a small fissure in the marble floor, about two meters long and several inches wide. It was black and there were wafts of darkness seeping out of it. Omegamon's eyes widened when he recognized what it was: a dark rift.
"A dark rift…?" Omegamon whispered as they grew closer to it. "But I thought they closed up after you escaped."
DarkKnightmon ignored the question. "You see, Omegamon…" he spoke, his voice cold and stoic. "Even when Digimon don't want to be controlled, there are always ways to control them."
"What?" Omegamon demanded, looking over his shoulder at DarkKnightmon. Before he could say anything else, he felt DarkKnightmon's boot collide with the back of Omegamon's legs, forcing them to buckle and for the knight to fall to his knees in front of the rift. Omegamon looked down and saw the shadows that came from the rift begin to aggregate and reach towards Omegamon. Omegamon's eyes widened. He suddenly remembered what Examon and Craniamon said happened to Tankdramon. "D-DarkKnightmon!" he shouted angrily, suddenly resisting a lot more fervently. "What are you doing?!"
"I'm sorry, Omegamon. You left me with no other choice. You and your blind, foolish loyalty to Alphamon, the stubborn idiot… You can't see past your bonds, even when you know that what I'm saying is right. Now, I have to do this," DarkKnightmon responded. He pushed his hand hard against Omegamon's back, trying to force him down onto the rift. "These are the powers of darkness that grew and thrived deep inside the Dark Area. They are forces of hatred and corruption. They feed on the darkness in the hearts of Digimon and take them over."
Omegamon felt his bound upper body being pushed towards the rift beneath him. Shadowy tendrils reached up from the rift and grabbed at his arms, chest, and waist eagerly. Omegamon snarled and flexed his abdominal muscles as he fought against them desperately, trying to pull himself away and struggle against DarkKnightmon's pushing. "DarkKnightmon…! Don't… do this…!"
"You should have joined me voluntarily," DarkKnightmon said, his yellow eyes flashing. "Omegamon." With those words, he gave a final, violent push, breaking through Omegamon's resistance. He shoved down powerfully, forcing Omegamon's chest down onto the floor, his face and upper body hitting the cracked marble around the rift painfully.
Omegamon immediately tried to push himself back up, but it was too late. The aura of darkness flowing from the rift was already consuming him. The tendrils coiled around his limbs, body and neck, burning at his skin as they corrupted his data. The white knight let out a mighty bellow of pain and anguish as his body was enveloped by darkness.
The dark data flooded through his form, taking over the holy data of his body and consuming his soul and digicore. A final shout sounded from Omegamon's mouth before it was drowned out by the roaring shadows.
DarkKnightmon watched with a stoic expression as the shadows washed over the body of his friend. When the dark aura faded in a wisp of black and violet, there was a new Digimon kneeling in the place where Omegamon had previously been.
The chrome digizoid chains fell around him, broken and shattered. A dark figure stood up, panting with exhaustion. It turned around to face DarkKnightmon.
It was Omegamon, yet it was not Omegamon. His body looked like Omegamon's, but it was drastically different. Instead of his usual white armour, the plate mail he wore was as black as the night. There was no colour in his form; all of the white, blue, and orange had been replaced by a fearsome ebon hue. His body was black from head to toe, with only gold trimming on his chest and spikes. As the chains fell, his cape spread more freely. Instead of white and bright red, the fabric was sable on the outside and blood red on the inside.
The new Omegamon observed DarkKnightmon with a calm, dark stare. "DarkKnightmon…" he spoke. His voice sounded like Omegamon's, but instead of the gentle, sensible, and caring tone of his words, they were now menacing and baleful.
DarkKnightmon cautiously observed him. "…Omegamon."
"Zwart," Omegamon corrected suddenly, his red eyes hardening viciously. He innately knew what his form now was, and it wasn't that of Omegamon of the Royal Knights. "…Omegamon Zwart."
DarkKnightmon nodded. "Omegamon Zwart, then…"
Omegamon Zwart's eyes narrowed.
"Get me my weapons… And tell me what you need me to do…"
