Disclaimer: You all understand my message by now. I own everything except the Digimon themselves.
The children and their partners had decided to take a seat. Beelzemon and Lucemon had finally decided to tell them the big secret of what had gone on a long, long time ago, and they figured that it was going to take a while.
"It started a very long time ago," Lucemon began.
"This stuff was a secret for a long time," Beelzemon pitched in. "That's why it was never in the history books or anything."
"But you need to know what went on all those years ago," Lucemon continued gravely.
"That way, maybe you can do what we couldn't."
"Maybe you can stop him once and for all."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
It started when a horrible darkness spread over the Digital World. Many Digimon were overcome with a powerful force of pure hatred and anger. Initially, no one knew who or what was causing it, but an army began to assemble, doing the bidding of a mysterious entity that no one could identify by name. For a long time, it was just called the Master. And his followers targeted the young and weak Digimon first, destroying them and loading their data to become more powerful. Thus, these Digimon were never reborn as Eggs.
Impmon was one of the unfortunate, currently being targeted by a pair of Centarumon.
"Solar Ray!" one of them yelled, firing at the Rookie, missing him by inches.
I'm dead, I'm so dead, he thought, and in that moment that he'd allowed himself to think, he tripped. There was no way that he was going to be able to get up in time. But, just as he was about to be hit with a fatal attack, a bright, cross shaped light shot out at his attackers, and they fell back, clearly not wanting to fight something that was willing to hit back.
Impmon stared for a brief second at the fleeing Champions before standing and dusting himself off. "Thanks," he said to the Digimon that had saved him. This Digimon looked like a small angel child.
"Oh, no problem," his savior replied. "I hate those guys, and I'm trying to stop them. I want to make the Digital World a better place. Want to help me?"
Impmon grinned. He'd been wanting to stop them himself, but, though he'd never admit it to anyone, he was too afraid to do it alone. "You kidding?" he asked with a laugh. "Of course I do! Anything to get back at those thugs! By the way, the name's Impmon."
"Lucemon," the other Rookie replied, holding out a hand. Impmon took it, beginning their partnership.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
The two had been working together for about two weeks when they found her.
They were trying to find somewhere to use as shelter for the night when they came across a limp, black feline shape. They easily identified her as BlackGatomon. "Hey, are you okay?" Impmon asked her, trying to shake her into consciousness.
She slowly opened a golden eye. "Don't hurt me…" she said weakly. She wasn't in a state to tell who was friend and who was foe.
"We're not going to hurt you, we promise," Lucemon assured her, and the two helped her into some nearby old ruins. When she finally awoke again, she regarded the two Rookies warily.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm Impmon, and he's Lucemon," the purple Rookie answered.
"I need to ask you something," Lucemon began. "Were you attacked by followers of the Master?" She nodded her head. "Do you have any idea who or where he might be?" This time, she shook her head.
"Here's the deal," Impmon said, suddenly taking the lead. "We need your help. We're trying to get at the Master, maybe get rid of him once or for all, but we can't do it on our own."
BlackGatomon stared at the two, debating. This could be a trap. But they had saved her… If she had the chance to take revenge against her attackers, and he who led them, she was going to take it. "Count me in."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Very shortly after that, they found four others: Phascomon, DemiDevimon, Betamon, and Dracmon. As it was, they were all Rookies, and thus, not able to do much. They had to rely on the Four Sovereigns for the time being. They were the strongest Digimon in the Digital World, but even they were having difficulties keeping the Master at bay. The seven Rookies felt that it was up to them to get stronger, and one day be able to rid the Digital World of the Master.
"How much longer is it going to take before we're strong enough?" Phascomon asked, annoyed with how long it was taking. He wanted to hurry up and get it over with, as did the rest of them.
"Who knows?" Lucemon said, having been assigned the role of leader.
"It'd better be soon," Impmon muttered, "or we're in big trouble."
"Yeah," Dracmon agreed. "I'm not sure how much longer the Sovereigns can hold him off."
"Well, if the Sovereigns can't stop him, then what hope will we have?" Betamon asked.
BlackGatomon rolled her eyes. "Well, aren't you just a bright ray of sunshine?"
"Hey, guys, shut up! I see something!" DemiDevimon said, pointing one foot in a direction. The rest looked up to see a pair of Centarumon. The same pair, in fact, that had attacking Impmon before.
"Oh, payback is gonna be sweet," he said with a fanged smirk. As the two Champions approached, he summoned a fireball on each of his fingers. "Bada Boom!" he yelled, hurling the flames at the Centarumon once they were in range.
"Solar Ray!" they both called out, firing the cannons on their arms at the group. The Rookies responded by scattering, each sending out their own attack.
"Grand Cross!"
"Demi Dart!"
"Lightning Paw!"
"Undead Fang!"
"Bada Boom!"
"Eucalyptus Claw!"
"Electric Shock!"
All attacks hit the Centarumon head on, destroying them. The Rookies stared at each other. They hadn't thought that they were that strong. But was it possible that they were special? Different from the rest of the Digimon out there?
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Now all at Ultimate Level, the seven future Demon Lords decided to see what they were up against. Following rumors, and eventually their own eyes, they found the battleground of the fight between the Master and the Four Sovereigns.
The digital creature looked like a warped chunk of data, attempting to look like a Digimon. It almost seemed as though pieces had been take from other Digimon. The top half of its head bore the skull of Kabuterimon, and it had four long arms. A yellow and blue fiery aura that assumed the shape of a bird or a dragon surrounded its head and arms, and it had a very large cannon fused to its back. The rest of its body was the color of rotting flesh.
"Eww…" Bastemon muttered, making a face, but Astamon elbowed her in the ribs, instantly shutting her up. This beast couldn't be alerted of their presence. This was just for information, they hadn't come here to fight. They knew that they couldn't take it down as they were now.
"Millenniummon," Azulongmon, the Azure Dragon of the East, said. "Your reign of evil ends here." They now had both a name and a grotesque face to put to the evil that had been taking over their home.
Baihumon, the White Tiger of the West, glared at the creature. "We cannot allow you to harm the Digital World any further."
"The game is over. This is the end of the line for you," Zhuqiaomon, the Vermillion Bird of the South, added.
"And we'll make sure that you're gone for good," Ebonwumon, the Black Tortoise of the North, finished.
Millenniummon let out a strange sound that sounded like some sort of strangled growl, and it took a moment for all present to realize that the enemy was laughing. "No," it said in a deep, warped voice. "But you are right about one thing," it added with a grin, showing long, razor-sharp teeth. "The game is over. Ultimate Fusion!"
What appeared to be holes in time and space opened behind each of the Sovereigns, with suction like a black hole. The seven Ultimates were forced to keep themselves fully behind the large rocks they'd hidden behind. Lucemon and SkullSatamon, however, managed to peek around and watch as the Sovereigns fought to keep their ground, but the suction only increased, eventually pulling them into the holes.
"Dimension Destroyer!" Millenniummon yelled out, and the other Digimon were confused. It had defeated the Sovereigns, now what was it doing?
But they soon realized that the Sovereigns hadn't been destroyed before. They'd just been pulled into pocket dimensions. However, after the second attack, those pocket dimensions exploded, causing a large shockwave that knocked the spectators off their feet. They stayed hidden, however, and watched as Millenniummon left in the other direction, not even glancing their way.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"What in the hell were we thinking?!" Sagomon yelled. "We can't take that thing! It defeated the Sovereigns like it was nothing!"
"We have no hope," MegaSeadramon agreed.
NeoDevimon glared at the two of them. "If that's how you're going to think, then get out."
"I'm with him," SkullSatamon said. "We ain't gonna just give up, are we?"
"Besides," Lucemon said, "if we defeat him, then the Digital World is saved. But if we don't and we die… Well, death would probably be better than living like this much longer."
Sagomon and MegaSeadramon had nothing to say to that, because they both knew that it was the one hundred percent truth.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
They'd managed to do it. They'd all Digivolved to Mega (except for Lucemon, but he was strong enough as an Ultimate). It was now or never.
They'd been watching Millennuimmon's followers closely, trying to find where their enemy had been hiding. Eventually, they found the mountain that the mass of corrupted data had taken up residence.
"What's the plan?" Leviamon asked.
"We go in and we crush him," Daemon answered, causing the other six to shake their heads.
"Cuz that'll work," Beelzemon muttered, rolling his eyes.
"A real, substantial plan might be nice," Lilithmon put in.
Lucemon, still their leader, thought for a moment. "We'll go in, and strike fast and hard. If we catch it by surprise, we might have a chance."
"I'm not liking the big 'might' in that plan," Belphemon commented.
"What? You have a better one?" Barbamon asked, but Belphemon said nothing more.
"So we're clear?" Lucemon asked, earning a nod from his companions.
Beelzemon cracked his knuckles and smirked. "Then let's do this."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Millenniummon was resting in its large chambers when it happened. A hole was ripped in the large stone wall, revealing seven Digimon just begging to be destroyed. Well, Millenniummon would fulfill their wish for them, in due time. It raised one of its long arms and batted them aside. They slammed into the opposite wall.
"Double Impact!"
"Grand Cross!"
"Cauda!"
"Evil Inferno!"
"Gift of Darkness!"
"Dark Inferno!"
"Phantom Pain!"
But even when hit head-on with the attacks of all seven of them, Millenniummon could not be deterred. "Ultimate Fusion!" Seven dimensional pockets opened, each behind a Demon Lord. Most jumped out of the way, but Lilithmon felt herself being dragged behind, seeming unable to escape. Beelzemon glanced over and reached out his arm.
"Come on!" he said, and she grabbed his hand gratefully.
"Thanks," she said.
"No time for that," Beelzemon said, brushing off her thanks. "We gotta get going." He looked over at Lucemon. "Yer surprise attack plan didn't work! Now what?"
"Lucemon eyed his surroundings. They had to find some way to escape. They couldn't use the hole they'd made breaking in, since not all of them could fly. "Grand Cross!" he yelled, aiming for the wall. His plan worked, and they escaped through the hole that they made, dashing through countless corridors, trying to find a way out.
"So now we're just running away?!" Daemon yelled, furious that they hadn't had the good fight that he'd been hoping they'd have.
"I'm right there with ya," Beelzemon agreed, "but I wanna keep living."
A group of Devidramon appeared in front of them, blocking their route of escape. Barbamon turned to see that they were behind them, too, boxing them in. "We're trapped!" he announced.
"No, really?" Leviamon asked, rolling his eyes, despite the danger. It was extremely likely, even probable, that they would die today, but that wasn't going to stop their sarcasm. He suddenly had an idea, though. He spun his body, whipping his tail around, knocking down any and all opponents in their way. "Go!"
"Crimson Claw!" they could feel the attacks behind them, but always managed to dodge just in time.
"Double Impact!" Beelzemon shot over his shoulder, even daring to twist his whole upper body a few times.
"Is this it?" Belphemon asked. He usually didn't care for much work, but this was something he thought they'd all committed to. "We're just going to let this go?"
Lucemon stopped abruptly and turned, a new fire in his eyes. He couldn't let it go. He had his pride, and they'd come here to do something. They'd get it done, even if it killed them.
There was a problem, though. They'd been at full strength when they first attacked, and hadn't done much damage. Now that they were in the castle, their energy seemed to be slowly sapped, probably one of Millennuimmon's powers, that made it impossible to defeat.
"This ain't lookin' good!" Beelzemon yelled, realizing their sorry situation.
"No, really, you think?!" Lilithmon yelled back. She was terrified of death, and wished that they'd never come here. "I thought it was going splendidly!"
"Shut up!" Daemon yelled. Their arguing was getting on his nerves.
"He's right," Lucemon started with a nod. He was beginning to form a plan. "We need to focus on the task at hand."
Beelzemon fingered the Berenjena. They were more than likely going to lose their lives today, but if it was the price they had to pay, then so be it. He wasn't accepting death, exactly, but he had to acknowledge the risks or leave before it was too late. But if any of them left, it was all over. It would take all seven of them… and even then, it might not be enough.
"You'd better be ready!" Leviamon yelled as the oncoming shadow snuffed out all traces of light, signaling Millennuimmon's arrival. "Here it comes again!"
Lucemon, realizing the only possible solution, yelled, "Everyone! Grab hands!"
"What, ya got no faith in us and wanna start praying?" Beelzemon asked.
"Just do it!" the leader yelled, and everyone complied, having no idea what he had in mind. He spoke whispered words under his breath:
"Vocoforasportaminvictam hancpotestatemsignain hostem."
To the surprise of the other six, the entire castle began to shake, and they felt all their power being quickly depleted. They had no idea what Lucemon was doing, but they knew it was what was causing their energy drain. But they also knew that Lucemon was doing what was the only thing he thought would work. A brilliant light shone in the darkness, growing brighter and brighter, larger and larger. When the light subsided, so did the infinite shadows that Millenniummon had brought when he followed the seven. The doors opened slowly, with a white light emitting from the crack. A great wind, much like the one from their opponent's dimensional holes, was directed right at Millenniummon, pulling it in, and while it struggled, nothing could stop it from being sucked in. The seven noticed, however, that the more Millenniummon struggled, the less energy they had. They all felt like they were going to die, when suddenly, the gate closed, trapping Millenniummon inside, and disappeared. They each had a second to feel relieved before they passed out.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"When we woke up, the castle was empty," Lucemon finished.
"We took it," Beelzemon added. "And it was our castle."
"Wait," Mayu said, confused. "You guys saved the Digital World… so why is everyone so afraid of you?"
"Great power leads to corruption," Lucemon explained. "We took control of the Digital World, setting it to order, but…"
"The power went to our heads," Beelzemon said. "People started to forget how we really started ruling, and decided ta make their own story that fit what they thought better."
"So…" Hideaki started, "You're saying that we have to fight what even you couldn't destroy?" The two present Demon Lords nodded solemnly.
"I suspect that the Millennium Gate has weakened since our reconfiguration, since we were what kept it closed. Millenniummon must have gained enough power to speak through it, pulling our old followers to its side," Lucemon suggested.
Chiharu sighed. There was only one thing they could do. "Let's get in there before the Millennium Gate opens, then. If we can destroy Apocalymon before Millenniummon breaks through, then maybe we'll have bought some time to come up with a plan."
"How did you know about the Gate?" Yuichi asked the Demon Lord of Pride.
"We'd been trying to gather information about how to defeat powerful Digimon," Lucemon informed him. "I found a library, which mentioned an incantation to bring forth the Millennium Gate."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
The way to the dungeon of the castle was surprisingly clear of all enemies. That wasn't a good sign.
They found Apocalymon deep in the dungeon, appearing to be talking to himself.
"It looks like we got here in time," Tsukiko commented, loud enough to get the Mega's attention. He glared.
"You will not stop the resurrection of the Master," he hissed. His body released many large claws on chains. "I will not let you. Darkness Zone!" Six claws, for six children, shot forward, each one catching a Digi-Destined. The claws were large enough that they completely enclosed the children. When the claws opened up again, there was nothing but air.
"Oh shit," Beelzemon stated, summarizing the situation quite well.
Next time:
Hideaki: Where…? Mom? Dad?
Mr. Kokawa: Pathetic child!
Mrs. Kokawa: We never wanted you! Leave!
Hideaki: But what about… what about Digimon Academy? What about my friends?
Mr. Kokawa: Like we'd let you go anywhere you might enjoy yourself.
Mrs. Kokawa: You don't have any friends.
Hideaki: No…
Okay, WAY short, and I don't like, but I'm seriously running out of ideas. So, yes, Millennuimmon's the big bad guy, though none of you guessed it. In case you were wondering, the incantation was in Latin, and it roughly means: "I call forth a gate of power to seal this invincible foe". (Or so says Google Translate) As you'll find out next week, Darkness Zone is a bit of a different attack than it usually is. Alright, I can't think of anything else to say, though I was sure there was something… Oh well.
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