Chapter 29: Deep Dark Fear Pt. 2
~Junpei POV~
Ally's tone didn't inspire faith in me. If whatever was down here frightened her so badly and it was definitely not a spirit, then what were we doing here at all? Were we headed into some kind of trap?
Then we arrived before I could voice any of my thoughts. Dramon and I hovered over the column in front of the sealed prison and waited for Loweemon. Once he got there I took charge.
"All right, Loweemon. The inscription said that darkness has to release the light, so that means you're up."
"All right." He didn't sound any more enthusiastic than I felt but we both knew it had to be done. Unconsciously Dramon and I backed up as Loweemon stepped forward. "Here goes! Endlich Meteor!"
The beam of darkness struck the stone door chained in place and immediately it blasted out and nearly hit Loweemon. From the doorway poured wild blue fire in grasping tentacles and along with the fire came a deep creepy voice.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha…" A figure cloaked in smoke appeared on the same narrow ledge as Loweemon. "Finally. I'm finally free of that odious prison!"
"Guys, I hate to say I told you so, but there it is!" Ally yelled.
"And for once I completely agree!" I replied.
"Let's remember to tell Takuya!" Kouichi added. "Now, who are you?!"
With booming footsteps the figure, a tall buff guy wrapped in chains with a metal skull helmet, stepped into clear air. The links dangling from his wrists whipped sharply as his arms swung until they skittered to a stop as he did. "I am SkullMeramon. I'm glad you've set me free - I have a lot of havoc to wreak."
"Hold it right there, big fella." I quickly jumped into his path to keep him from leaping off towards the spirit-less members of our group. "We can't let you go running off to do whatever you please."
"Especially if that something is havoc," Dramon chimed in.
"If you mean to do harm then we'll stop you right here," Loweemon growled. "If darkness set you free then darkness can trap you again! Endlich Meteor!"
He fired a powerful blast at SkullMeramon, but the giant monster easily slapped it aside. "How adorable. You three think you can stop me. I'll squash you first."
"No way!" I shouted. "Golden Thunder!"
"Don't forget me! Spirit Claw!"
Dramon and I both roared and charged. But when we were within arm's reach of SkullMeramon, I saw something come flying at the both of us from out of the corner of my eye. Suddenly a chain slammed into me and knocked me into Dramon like a wrecking ball. Thank goodness we both had wings or we would've been done for.
"Ha ha ha! Do you still want to play?!" SkullMeramon roared. He playfully swung his fiery chain, dividing his attention between us and Loweemon. "'Cause I'm just getting warmed up!"
"Ugh, that was as bad as one of your puns, Junpei," Ally groaned.
"Very funny. Now let's focus, okay?"
"Okay, boss. How do we do this?"
"It's gonna be tough. But I think if we all work together we can beat him." I wasn't much of one for battle strategies but for the sake of all my friends I would try. "Loweemon, give him another blast! We have to wear him down!"
"You got it!" He attacked again but was again knocked away.
"Now while he's got him distracted we'll surround the big jerk and attack at the same time," I said to Dramon more quietly.
She nodded once. "Right. I'll get his back." Diving below the flat level of the pedestal so as not to be seen, Dramon came up behind SkullMeramon's prison and waited for my signal to charge.
I moved in on SkullMeramon's side and got his attention to give Loweemon a chance to get ready too. "Hey, ugly! Yeah, I'm talkin' to you! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!"
"What are you talking about?! There's no one here my own size!"
"Unless you count the three of us together!" I shouted.
Loweemon leapt up and in his hand appeared a long black lance. "Shadow Lance!"
I concentrated lightning in my hands and lifted them over my head for a crushing blow. "Thor Hammer!"
Dramon leapt out of hiding to attack, the sharp edges of her claws glowing an intense gold. "Spirit Claw!"
But I guess we hadn't fooled SkullMeramon. He slapped the tip of of the lance away easily and at the same time flung a chain over his shoulder with his other hand. It wrapped around Dramon's attacking arm and before she could react he pulled her into my line of attack.
"No!" I cried but it was too late to stop my followthrough. The last thing I saw was one of her frightened eyes before my attack connected between her neck and wings with a crunch. She dug a crater in the ground when she hit and for a heartstopping second she didn't move.
"Junpei!" Kouichi's shout woke me from my trance and I saw SkullMeramon squaring off against me.
"Too slow. Heat Chain!"
His whole chain burst into pale blue flames and he swung it with a lot more force. It was like a bomb when it hit me and slammed me into the rock wall of his prison where I dug my own crater.
~Your POV~
Boy, that had been some hit. Beetlemon had nearly knocked the scales off of you, and the electricity hadn't been much fun either. But you didn't have the luxury of lying around in a daze - you still had a fight to win.
"Come on, sugah! This is no time to be lyin' around like a sack o' cotton!"
Hearing Ranamon's southern drawl right in your ear got you to pull yourself up into a kneeling position where you paused to gather your wits. "I'm not lying around on purpose. That punch from Beetlemon really hurt, you know." You rubbed gingerly at the sight of impact on your back.
"Oh, boo hoo. Y'all can't wimp out now. Those boys'll think you're just a helpless little girl!"
"I am not!" you cried. You couldn't stand gender discrimination - it even made you forget the pain. "I'll show them!"
Ranamon cheered as you got to your feet but then Mercurymon appeared and stopped you. "Did you lose what little mind you had? That monster is merely toying with you all."
"Then what do you suggest?!" you snapped.
Mercurymon paused and did his smug little smile before answering - he was sure one to talk about toying with others. "I think that it would be best if maybe you doused his fire with a torrent of water. Don't you think so?"
The idea clicked for you. "Oh!"
"Oh, Mercurymon! That's positively brilliant!" Ranamon gushed. "Let me at the brute! I'll give him a lesson in pain he'll never forget!"
"With pleasure!"
"Ally!" Loweemon came running over, clearly full of concern. "Are you okay?"
"I've been better," you replied.
"Can you still fight?"
"I can always fight when my friends need me."
"Good." The two of you stood alert as SkullMeramon turned around and got you in his sights. "I don't suppose you have a plan, do you?"
"Junpei's plan can work. I think we were just using the wrong element. ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Ranadramon!"
"Good idea! Maybe water will weaken him enough for us to lock him up again!"
"That's the plan!"
"Bwa ha ha!" To say that SkullMeramon was not impressed by your tiny new form would be an understatement. "You really think that a water-wielder that small could defeat me?!"
"Haven't you ever heard that big things come in small packages?!" you spat. "'Cause you're about to find out! Rain Stream!"
Power crackled around your fingertips as you threw your arms up and suddenly a cloud appeared over SkullMeramon's head. Drops fell, then a downpour, and then it became like a sink faucet. As steam rose from SkullMeramon's body, his amusement vanished.
"So, you wanna play rough, girlie?!" He whipped one of his chains around but you and Loweemon dodged.
The second chain however scored a direct hit on you. It struck your middle and rocketed you sideways towards the edge of your little arena. But Loweemon saw your distress and managed to catch you without getting thrown off the edge.
"This one's really tough," you grunted.
"I'll say."
"So much for that," SkullMeramon chuckled. "Got any other tricks?"
"How about this?!" Beetlemon had recovered from the big hit he had taken and was ready to fight again. "Golden Thunder!"
As he slammed his fist into the ground you spotted what he was aiming for by the light of the lightning: a giant water puddle, the aftermath of your attack. It had gathered in a shallow dip in the rock which just happened to be where SkullMeramon was standing.
Electricity surged through him and he bellowed in pain. "Yeah! How do you like us now?!" Beetlemon crowed.
"Just kidding!" SkullMeramon relaxed as if he were completely unaffected by the electricity shooting through his body! "You all really need to put more effort into this. Like so: Heat Chain!"
But rather than trying to hit any of you, the chains caught alight and wrapped all up and down SkullMeramon's arms. He then drew back and slapped his hands together with a deafening crack. However your ears were the least of your concerns: as soon as he had done his move he was surrounded by the whitest, most penetrating, most blinding light you had ever beheld. For a second you were sure that your retinas had been scorched clear out of your eyeballs. You reflexively lifted an arm to cover your eyes but it was no help; the light reflected off of everything. Hell, it could even have been going right through you - you couldn't tell. And even though Loweemon was right next to you, you were essentially cut off in your own white world.
From the direction of SkullMeramon and Beetlemon you heard fighting sounds and grunts of pain. Odds were the pain was all Beetlemon's.
"Now what do we do?" you cried. "I can't attack what I can't even see!"
"I have an idea," Loweemon said to you. "Remember how the inscription said that the prisoner of darkness could only be released by the darkness? Well, if darkness can imprison him again, then maybe we just need more darkness to do it."
"I see," you said. "We did need another element, but it wasn't water. It's darkness! "Let's give it a try!"
You rolled into a crouch and concentrated on the feeling of darkness. "ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Loweedramon!"
Instantly you felt the intense light draining your energy. That was the first thing you needed to put a stop to. You groped blindly for a few seconds and at last found Loweemon's hand by your side.
"Here," you said as you slipped your hand into his and gripped firmly.
"W-What are you doing?" The nervousness in his voice would probably have been funny at any other point in time. But right now you were all business.
"Focus," you said calmly. "Together we're strong enough to block this light."
You bowed your head slightly and focused dark energy in your hand, hoping that Kouichi would do the same. He seemed to catch on after a minute and you felt his dark energy swirl against yours. The two of you rolled the energy back and forth between you, gathering more and more until it was of respectable strength. Then you both pushed it outward, sort of like blowing a gum bubble, and got it to form a protective shield around you. Right away your strength began to return and you could open your eyes without being blinded.
"… It worked."
"Of course it did." You hadn't doubted for a moment that it would. But now you could clearly see the beating being rained down onto Beetlemon and you surged to your feet. "Junpei!"
"Wait!" Loweemon fought to hold you back. "We just got our strength up enough to resist. We can't just go charging over without caution!"
Deep down you knew he was right but it didn't ease your anger. You gritted your teeth and shook off his hand though kept yourself under control otherwise. "I'm going to blast him good for this."
"So am I." Together you looked around at your shield. "Can we make this bigger? If we get it around him we can dampen the light."
"It's too slow," you answered. "And we're both vulnerable while it's expanding. One hit and it could vanish completely."
"Then maybe we just have to attack from within here." Kouichi's tone was firmer - it seemed he had already made his decision.
You were distracted, staring down at your armored hands with a furrowed brow. It felt like something was missing, like this form wasn't complete yet. But how could you reach a higher form?
"Ally, you keep trying to spread the shield," Kouichi told you. "I'll try to get SkullMeramon's attention off of Junpei. And if he attacks I'll protect you."
"Okay." You knelt and pushed at the darkness but it was so heavy. Alone, it was like trying to push a giant cube of granite. But you kept at it while also searching for that more evolved form inside.
"Endlich Meteor!" Loweemon's attack was massive but even so it began to dwindle as soon as it left your protective bubble until it was hardly more than a cloud of vapor. It had no effect on SkullMeramon. "Oh no."
SkullMeramon was now stomping on Beetlemon with his massive boot, laughing like a kid at a carnival. It utterly infuriated you and you reached even deeper. You needed the power to stop all of this! It had to be somewhere inside you!
'Come on, darkness! I need to save Junpei! I know I can!'
Suddenly the image of an enormous sphinx popped into your mind. Its black and gold armor looked just like Loweemon's, but it was so much bigger and projected an air of ancient power. This Digimon wouldn't think twice about crushing SkullMeramon like a grape underfoot.
"You are just beginning," you heard a voice say. "True power still lies in your future. Until then you must make do with what you have already unlocked."
Then the image vanished and you were back in the real world feeling a new surge of power. You reached out and put a hand on Loweemon's shoulder. "Kouichi. Let's take the fight to him now. Ready?"
He looked at you in surprise. "But what about the light?"
You stepped past and up to the barrier's edge, utterly focused on SkullMeramon. "You leave the light to me."
From the plates on your back grew two golden lengths of armor, crisscrossing elegantly like thick netting. They were wings about an arm's length long but with very little substance. They didn't look like the sort of wings that would be able to support you in the air. But from them spread folds of inky-black which arched over your back in wings many times the size of your body. Now these were wings that could carry you in flight!
"Amazing!" Whatever Kouichi had been expecting you to do, you had clearly exceeded it.
"Get ready. I'm gonna hit the lights and then we're gonna pound him into the ground."
"Right." Barely waiting for his answer you jumped into the air, drew your wings back, and then thrust them forward to wrap around the entire pedestal. The darkness fell like a curtain around you all and immediately SkullMeramon's blazing light was brought under control.
That got him to notice you again. "What?!" he demanded, finally turning away from poor Beetlemon.
"Endlich Meteor!" Loweemon's burst of energy struck SkullMeramon full on his back and sent him flying into the wall. Meanwhile you came down for a landing, still generating the protective darkness around your friends.
"Endlich Meteor!" you cried. You spat a stream of precision energy that slammed his head into the stone again. "Loweemon, keep him busy! I'll check on Junpei!"
"No problem!" Your paths crossed as you each ran to your separate destinations. "Feel the power of the shadows, SkullMeramon!"
The fighting renewed as you knelt by Beetlemon and put a gentle hand on his shoulder between the plates of armor. "Junpei? Junpei, talk to me!"
To your relief he stirred and groaned. "Ugh… Did I get him?"
"'Fraid not," you said. "Though not for lack of trying."
"Beans." You helped him get into a kneeling position, being careful to keep one eye and ear on the battle behind you. "Hey, how is Kouichi doing so well?"
"I'm amplifying his power and squashing SkullMeramon's at the same time. I tried to do the same for you as Ranadramon but it didn't work out so well."
"Of all the nerve!" the water warrior shouted. "This is the thanks I get for tryin' to help?!"
"I'm not criticizing you! I'm just saying that we were thinking in terms of fire when we should've been thinking about light!"
"Come on," Junpei interrupted. "We can't let him fight alone. Let's finish him off with one big blast."
"Don't overdo it," you warned.
The two of you rejoined Loweemon just in time; SkullMeramon had snagged one of his chains on Loweemon's Shadow Lance to immobilize him to land a blow with the other chain. But Beetlemon grabbed it first as you charged SkullMeramon's legs with your own Shadow Lance. You struck one and weakened his stance to let Beetlemon yank him off his feet.
"This is for making me hit my friend!" he yelled. "Golden Thunder!"
As his fist connected with the metal jaw you darted over to Loweemon and with a flick of your lance you shattered the chain holding him captive. Then the two of you waited as SkullMeramon came flying through the air at you. At the perfect moment you all attacked together.
"Endlich Meteor!"
"Endlich Meteor!"
"Thor Hammer!"
"AAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" Your heart soared when SkullMeramon froze and his code appeared. You were about to retrieve it when suddenly the darkness making up your wings began to fade and your energy plummeted.
With a groan you dropped to one knee, fighting to stay conscious. "Quick, Loweemon! Grab the code!"
He hesitated for a second before leaping past you and presenting his D-Tector. "The stronger the light, the stronger the shadows! Misguided agent of light, be purified by the Darkness!"
SkullMeramon's egg floated off as the three of you sagged with exhaustion. Kouichi managed to keep his Digimon form but you de-digivolved involuntarily from sheer tiredness and fell over onto your side. The world around you swirled and started to gray out and the last sight you could remember seeing were Loweemon's feet coming closer.
~Kouichi POV~
I knelt by Ally and called her name but got no response - it appeared she was only semiconscious. Had that blow from Beetlemon done more damage than we had realized? I was just about to pick her up and go leaping back to the group (which at my current energy level was probably all I had left in me) when I heard my name being called. For a confused moment I thought it was Ally, but no, I was looking right at her and she wasn't moving. Then it was probably Junpei.
He was over by the former prison and like Ally he had de-digivolved, probably due to his injuries. He was sitting up though and leaning against the structure fully conscious, so he seemed to be doing a little better than she was.
He was clearly worried but lacked the energy to move closer. "How is she?"
"I think she's unconscious. I'm sure she's used up all of her strength just to keep us safe in the fight."
"Is she hurt?"
"No, she looks fine." She probably just needs rest."
"Good."
I don't know why but his relief bothered me. I mean, I was glad that Ally was okay too but for some reason Junpei's tone made me unhappy. But I shook it off and brought her over near Junpei, though I set her down just out of his reach. "We should just relax for a moment here," I said. "Once you and Ally are feeling better we'll head back to the others."
"They'll be worried. Maybe we should go now to let them know we're okay."
"No." I tried to sound friendly but I still heard the chill in my own voice. "I'll stay here with the two of you."
It was very awkward between us until Ally finally woke up again.
