I don't own digimon
The Fall of the Lord; The Rise of the Beast
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The strikes of light and darkness wrapped around in tight concentric ribbons. Matadormon staggered backward as the energy warped the space around the bubble formed. He narrowed his eyes as the energy condensed. Six wings, three white wings on the right side and three black wings on the left side, unfurled as the new digimon emerged from the shadows beyond the fading light. Golden armor covered digimon's torso. Black, spiked shoulder pads stretched from the digimon's clavicle over its shoulder to its shoulder blade. A helmet covered the digimon's head; the head gear was made of onyx and two eyes glowed out of the eye holes. Its muddy golden upper arms were exposed to the air and extended into gauntlets over the forearms and hands of the digimon. The left gauntlet was black, with a white spike protruding from the metacarpal region of the digimon's hand; the right gauntlet was platinum white with a black nail poked out of the armor. Five claws extended from each gauntlet. Onyx, thigh armor covered the digimon's upper legs. Two cannons were attached to its hips; the right one was covered in platinum armor the left one bathed in black armor. The digimon's murky yellow flesh was exposed on the lower legs and clawed, dragon feet.
"We are Paildramon," replied the voices of Magnamon and ExVeemon as the leftover crest energy soaked into his armor. Magnamon and ExVeemon's voices growled loudly, "You've harmed our partners; prepare to be deleted…"
"Our digimon…" whispered Taku as he looked up at the golden plated torso of the dragon's back, the black and white wings extending out of wing ports in the armor.
"Magnamon and ExVeemon merged…to become one super digimon…" Jiro said as he hugged Taku tightly.
"So you're going to test your mettle against me…" Matadormon splayed his metallic claws. "It will be your last experiment…" In an instant Matadormon was charging forward his bladed fingers drawn. "Die!"
The sword-like claws clashed against a white gauntlet and a black, lengthened spike. Paildramon looked down at the shorter digimon. Matadormon leapt backward, the sleeves of his pink, silken gown sweeping behind him, disappearing into the shadows of the warehouse.
"How can a beast, like you, have the powers of Light and Darkness?" snarled the voice of Matadormon from the shadows of the metal sided warehouses. The orange glow from the lights hanging over the sliding front doors of the industrial buildings swept out large circles of apricot light, but left large impenetrable shadows. "How can you control such power, no one but the most powerful of angels could control the harmonious energy…and now I see it in your eyes, the powers of the unholy and the holy. You must be under great strain to keep you from exploding from the power broiling under your flesh…"
Paildramon refused to respond, his crimson eyes scanning the shadows for the source of the voice. Chuckling echoed from the shadows. Paildramon's eyebrows tightened in aggravation not being able to detect the direction of the echoing voice.
"I see, you're terrified, afraid that you'll fail your little masters…" chuckled Matadormon as his voice flooded the dock.
"Shadows do not frighten us, anymore, Matadormon," Magnamon's voice replied smoothly confidently. Paildramon slowly turned his head side to side, scanning over pyramids of crates and his fallen fellow digimon. ExVeemon's growling voice continued, "You are the one hiding, not us, we are here. If you want to destroy us, come and get us…"
The shadows erupted as Matadormon launched forward. He twisted horizontally, the long, flowing red and pink sleeves twisting around his body, his claws extended forward. Paildramon sliced his platinum spike forward. Matadormon slid his blade edged sandals in the cement ground and elegantly shunted left just as his the pointed spike swiped, inches past his emerald armored chest, and leapt into the air. He zigzagged across the sky and then dove downward his claws extended. Matadormon sliced down but just before striking he shunted backward out of Paildramon's reach. Paildramon snorted as he watched Matadormon repeat the tactic this time he didn't move or react as the long robed digimon swept and shunted around the large, armored dragon.
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"Is…is something wrong?" whispered Jiro into Taku's ear, "He's not moved since Matadormon started doing this dancing thing…you don't think he's broken already do you?"
"No…I think I know what he's doing…at least what DemiDevimon is doing…" Taku replied as he narrowed his eyes. Katsuo coughed, rousing Taku out of his thoughts. Taku looked down at the young man in his arms, "Are you ok, Katsuo?"
The young man looked up at the black haired boy, his eyes were unfocused, "Taku…what happened?"
"Don't worry, you'll be ok…" Taku assured as he stroked the older boy's hair. "I promise everything will be fine…"
"I…didn't…know…" Katsuo whispered, "I…thought…"
"Don't talk, you have to conserve your energy, you've lost a lot of blood," Taku replied as he smiled down at the young man. "Just rest…"
The young man's dark eyes closed and his breathing steady a little. There was a hiss in Katsuo's breath. Taku hugged Katsuo a little closer, eliciting a groan.
"Oh…don't do that…idiot…" hissed Katsuo as his black irises looked up at Taku's. "It hurts…jerk…"
"Sorry, dumbbutt…" Taku grumbled as he gently lightened his hold.
"Do you two have to talk like that…?" Jiro whispered as he looked at the two black haired brothers. His brown eyes fell on Katsuo. "You should be happy you're not dead and that Taku didn't leave you…"
"It's ok," Taku whispered as he looked at his brother, "you can't change overnight…"
"I know; you're still a little dweeb…" coughed Katsuo quietly as his eyelids gently slid shut.
"If you didn't have needles in your back…" Taku whispered as he gave Katsuo a hug, letting the older boy groan loudly.
Jiro only shook his head. He turned to look back and his chocolate eyes widened in shock. Matadormon was driving forward, his metallic foot ware 'tinked' across the cement rapidly. The vampire digimon's claws sliced upward in position to slice Paildramon stem to stern. Jiro winced, closing one of his eyes tight, and squinted the other close, causing his face to scrunch up in a distasteful expression. Matadormon's long, light-reflecting claws sliced into the dragon. Taku's hands shook as he clasped Jiro's shoulder and then he heard Jiro gasp as the image of the armored Paildramon shimmered and disappeared in streaks.
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Matadormon growled and stepped back in shock. He bumped up against something hard and metallic and he turned slowly. His vision was filled with golden armor. Matadormon's eyes lifted to see the onyx helmeted head of Paildramon glaring down at him with brick red eyes. The dragon's onyx gauntlet rose; the long white spike lengthened, sparking and snapping with holy energy. The gauntlet stinger's glow caused Matadormon to squint to save his retinas the searing pain of the glare.
"Sting Strike!" roared the dragon as he drove the spike forward.
Matadormon's lightning fast reflexes were the only thing that saved him from being skewered by the burning stinger. His clawed hands pressed against the burning spike, holding the point away from his body, as his hand hissed and sizzled, touching the holy light at bay. Matadormon growled as the dragon's other arm lifted, the black spike swarmed with dark energy. Matadormon immediately smashed one of his blade sandals into the golden armor on Paildramon's torso. The dragon was pushed back as Matadormon flipped toward the children. His claws splayed as his golden eyes glowed with a red tint.
"Not so fast!" Paildramon's dual voice called out as he pushed one of his gauntlets forward, "Cable Catcher!"
The long clawed fingers fired from the gauntlet, attached to large ropes. The claws wrapped around Matadormon's leg and then Paildramon yanked hard on the ropes attached to his gauntlet, jerking Matadormon into the air. Matadormon growled as he twisted into position and swept his hand down, his sleeve exploded as needles fired down at Paildramon. Matadormon smirked as the claws released him and slipped into the smoke. His silk gowns ruffled in the air as he crossed his arms in confidence.
"Not half the challenge he believed himself to be…" snorted Matadormon haughtily.
"Desperado Blaster!" growled the voice of the dragon, from behind Matadormon.
The demon spun around to find two twisting beams of energy, one dark, one light, firing toward him, extending from the pair of cannons swiveled forward on the dragon's hips. The first beam to hit was the dark beam, it smashed against him like an ocean wave, driving him into the ground. The light beam then seared over his body. Matadormon, for the first time in a long time, screamed in pain. Matadormon rose to his feet and hunched forward, his muscles burnt and aching.
"Lucky shot…" coughed Matadormon hoarsely; he could taste iron on his tongue and looked down. Specks of crimson were splattered the ground in front of him. He lifted a clawed finger and slid the metallic blade gently along his chin. The blade was stained with a red fluid. Suddenly his heart contracted like it was squished in a vice. He shuddered but willed the pain away.
Matadormon glared up at where the dragon was hovering and then his eyes fell down to where Taku and the other, blonde child were. Matadormon's golden eyes narrowed. He could hear their excited breaths hissing in and out, and the wheeze of the Chalice of Darkness's fallen brother trying to pull in good air whilst pushing out stale air. Paildramon was high in the sky hovering on his leathery wings. The children were defenseless, close to him and powerless to stop one of his attacks. He smirked as the plan unfolded in his mind and then nodded.
The two children's eyes grew as he charged towards them at his fastest. His claws glistened and he could hear blades' yearning for innocent blood. His burnt and tattered clothes flapped in the wind as he cut through the air. He was going to win; the brats would lose.
Suddenly his forward motion stopped and a sharp pain raced up from his stomach. Matadormon looked down in shock as he saw the blunt face of Paildramon's platinum gauntlet smashed against his body. The spike had plunged into Matadormon's gut. The digimon glared up at the dragon, but his anger quickly was washed aside by terror as he saw the black gauntlet raised and the glowing spike it had diving toward him. Matadormon's rigid, wide eyes looked up at the cold, expressionless eyes of Paildramon and then the glowing spike drove into his chest.
It was like an electrical circuit had been completed. Immense energy tore through Matadormon's body, jerking and yanking the digimon's muscles. His body shook and jarred as the energy snapped and crackled inside and outside of his skin. He felt something wriggling inside of him in discomfort and he heard a dark scream of anguish in his head.
"Is that you Arkadimon?" Matadormon hissed between coughs that tossed burning, crimson fluid onto Paildramon's golden armor. Matadormon's eyes closed, "You can feel it too…can't you? That funny weakness in the heart."
Matadormon felt something, a power, building up inside his stomach. His arms lashed forward and his legs kicked up. Paildramon was pushed away, the spikes on the dragon's gauntlets ripping free from Matadormon's chest. Paildramon's attack was still rippling through his body but its intensity was fading.
His vision was fuzzy. All he could see was a half shining figure rising in his field of vision. He tried to move but his muscles wouldn't work, they refused the commands, the pleas to twitch. A hammer of darkness smashed him into the ground and then a burning brightness torched his flesh, then darkness. Sensation left Matadormon's mind.
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"I'll do it, you stay with your brother, Taku," A young boy ran forward. The boy clipped the device onto the unconscious demon. He pressed the red button and watched as a rainbow of light swarmed around Matadormon.
Paildramon walked over to the other digimon who were lying on the ground, still drained from Matadormon's attack against them. Paildramon knelt down next to the digimon and the humans lifting his platinum gauntlet.
"The power of Light, protect these friends," A stream of energy flowed from the dragon's gauntlet to the digimon and the children. The dragon then stood and stepped back.
The digimon rose from their slumber and shook off the lingering aches and pains they had. The children shook their heads as they looked up. There were three of them, a brown, spiky haired boy, a girl with long brunette hair and a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. The digimon that rose up behind them included a black, bipedal dragon, with taut stomach muscles and metallically covered chest and hips with large crimson wings, and pulsing, tense, muscular arms. A massive, four-legged, red dragon with tiger stripes on its leads and neck, with a horn on its blunt, white tipped snout. Large silvery wings extended off the dragon's back; tiny golden rings on the silver appendages, tinkled as they hit each other. The last was a regal looking humanoid digimon, covered head to toe with bronzed armor. Two spire-like spikes rose up off the knight's shoulders and an iridescent blue cape curled and waved behind him. A sheath was at each hip of the digimon. Each sheath held a thin blade.
"Woah…who are you?" The girl asked as she eyed the dragon.
"We are Paildramon," replied the digimon with a nod.
"We?" Haru said as he rubbed his head.
"He sounds like Magnamon and ExVeemon…" whispered Cyberdramon, "does that mean that they…?"
"Yes, we DNA digivolved," replied the dragon with a nod. "We also sent Matadormon packing."
"It's that guy! That guy that…Taku is holding…" The girl yelped as she pointed to a young man with needles imbedded in his back.
"Matadormon attacked him…" The blonde boy noted as he looked over at Taku and Jiro. "But, why, that guy was helping him…"
"Because Matadormon would do anything to get to me…without getting to me," Taku growled as he glared at the ground. The black haired boy was holding the young man that the girl was pointing at.
"I don't understand…" the third child said, a brown haired boy.
"Katsuo is Taku's brother," replied the young boy who had sent Matadormon away. He was a smaller blonde. "Matadormon hurt Katsuo to make Taku feel…"
"Yeah…" whispered Taku as he looked down at the young man.
"I hate to bring this up…but Matadormon isn't destroyed, but just sent back to the Digital World," said Paildramon in the dual voice that he had assumed.
"Not only that but he has the digimental," said the young boy.
"What?" yelped the other children.
"What do you mean, Jiro?" said the other blonde child.
"He means what he said, Matadormon has the digimental…" sighed Taku as he looked at Katsuo. "I didn't have a choice…"
"What are we going to do?" Haru asked frantically as he looked at the others. His blue eyes leaping from Taku to the young man he was holding. "And why are you holding that guy? He's in cahoots with Matadormon!"
"It's his brother," growled Jiro as he glared up at his own brother. "Matadormon…umm…" Jiro blushed as he pulled at his color, "stabbed him in the back…sort of…"
"So what are we supposed to do? It's not like we can leave Taku's brother here to die," Haru fumed as he started to pace, his shoes scuffing on the cement ground. His shadow in the circle of peach colored light swept back and forth like a black theatre cape. "Not only that but Matadormon's there and we're here, not to mention he's going to have days to rejuvenate whilst we only have, what, a few minutes?"
"Haru settle down," Kisho placated raising his hands up and turning to where Taku and Jiro were kneeling. "We'll figure things out…"
Taku was still holding up his brother, the needles sticking out of his black, leather coat. The young man's sunglasses must have fallen off his face and skidded because they laid at the edge of the light. There was a dark stain that seemed to reach out in all directions around the young man.
"We're going to have a problem very soon…" announced Cyberdramon as the black, muscled dragon turned its metal plated face back. "A vehicle is coming…"
"Gah, if it's my grandmother, and if she sees this…" Ren grumbled as she shook her head, tossing her brown hair around.
"It's not your grandmother," Cyberdramon whispered as she flexed her large, red wings. Her clawed hands clenched.
"Guys, get out of sight…" Kisho hissed, pushing DORUgremon, as he looked around feverishly for a place to hide the digimon.
"Don't bother," sighed Haru as the blonde winced.
Lights flared across the dock as the sound of a purring engine grew louder. The lights died suddenly tossing the area into a perceived pit of darkness. As the children blinked the click of a car door followed by the groan of a hinge filled the children's ears. Two doors slammed shut, out of synch, one coming slightly after the other. The children could only pick out two shadows approaching them. The digimon growled softly, their muscles tensing in anticipation.
"Oh…my…," gasped the first voice, a deep baritone.
"I know; it's so exciting…" replied the other voice, slightly higher pitch, but the voice had a much more textured charming tone than the other, which just had a hollow deepness.
The two people walked into the light. They were both men, which was much of a surprise considering their voices. One was in a white, button down work shirt and suit pants. His face was pale and rigid, though it was stretched with an expression of awe. The hair was messy and dark, and looked sharp and oily. His nose was large, almost Romanesque, but relatively blunt and narrow. The other man was relatively average looking, save for the softness of his face, and its seemingly perpetual youth and youngness. His hair was neatly combed and soft looking. He was wearing a blue uniform with a silver badge with his name on the upper left chest.
"Are you…digital…monsters?" whispered the first man as he lifted his hand up toward Cyberdramon's snout.
"Not now, Yukio," snorted the softer faced man as his eyes narrowed and fell on Taku and Jiro. He ran forward his shoes clapping on the ground. He ran to Taku and knelt down looking at the black hair young man in Taku's arms. "He was hurt…"
"Yeah…he's my brother," Taku grunted as the man generally inspected the young man. Taku looked at the man, "It was…a digimon…"
"Digi…mon…" The man with the stony face played with the word on his tongue, then his eyes widened, "Digital Monster…Digimon…"
"The one that chased you, the one in the long robes…" said the round faced man in the blue suit.
"Matadormon…" Jiro nodded as he looked up at the man. "He fired his blades into Katsuo's back…"
The man gently inspected the blades, where they perforated Katsuo's jacket, "The jacket saved him…"
"You mean…" Taku whispered as he looked down at the young man.
"We need to get him to a hospital…" The man replied sternly as he cupped Katsuo up in his arms.
"But, Hiroki, we just met the…" started the pale faced man.
"This is far more important," said the man as he staggered forward, carrying the young man in his arms. "Yukio is your trench coat in the car?"
"Yes, but…" the stone faced man watched the man pass.
"I need something to lay him down on," snapped the man loudly as he stood by his car. He glared up at the stony faced man. "Well, open the door, Yukio!"
The stony faced man jumped at the command and ran to the car and pulled up on the door handle to the back door swinging it open. The man reached in and pulled out a long, gray trench coat.
"Ok now lay the coat down flat on the car seat…" instructed Hiroki as he looked down at the young man. Yukio nodded and leaned back in the car.
"What's going on?" whispered Katsuo quietly, as he looked up at the man holding him. "Are you a cop?"
"Nope, just a security officer…" smiled the man. He moved as Yukio stepped back and got out of the way, "This may hurt, a little, but you need to lie on your stomach and put your face on its side...can you move?"
"I think so…" grunted Katsuo as he lifted his arms. Hiroki gently leaned Katsuo against the edge of his car. The boy whimpered slightly as he lay on the car frame. The skewers stuck out of his back. Yukio shook slightly as he saw the dampness of the boy's jacket.
"He's lost a lot of blood…" whispered the stone faced man as he helped his friend shift Katsuo into the car. After they had slowly laid Katsuo in the back the gentle faced man turned back to the group of children. "Do any of you want to come with me?"
The children all looked at Taku. The black haired boy looked at his arms and hands. They were covered in red blood that was drying and glistening. Taku's dark eyes glanced up at the other children.
"I…can't…" Taku whispered as he stood up. "I have to get the guy that did this…"
"What do you mean, I thought a digimon did this," the slate faced man stared at the children.
"We couldn't destroy him, we just sent him back to the Digital World…" explained Ren as she looked at the others. "We have to go and get something that he took with him…he's trying to take over the world…"
"I can't stay, it's already been several days in the Digital World…" Taku whispered as he clutched a small box shaped object at his hip. "But…if you could, contact my mother and father…"
"Of course, son, what's your parents' name?" asked the man in the uniform.
"Yoshida, Ai and Katsuharu…" replied Taku loudly as he slowly lifted the object up. "Make sure they take good care of Katsuo…he really needs it…"
Hiroki nodded quietly and grasped Yukio by the shoulder. "Come on, we need to go…"
"But…I…" Yukio flustered and waved his hands in protest but a single stern look from the round faced security guard stopped the questioning and Yukio got into the passenger seat of the small, silver car.
Hiroki jogged around the car and jumped in the driver's side and the car rumbled to life. The lights flashed to life, causing the digi-destined and their digimon to wince and close their eyes. The car engine revved and the lights faded as the vehicle turned around. The wheels screeched slightly as the car jumped to a start.
"You made a very hard choice…" Kisho whispered as he and the other digi-destined turned to look at Taku. The pale child looked down and brought his hand up, the recall device in his palm. Kisho swept his hand through his short brown hair, making a soft rustling sound as he did so, "I don't know if I could make that kind of choice…"
"I know, but, this is more important…" Taku replied as he lifted his other hand and extended a finger.
"Wait, what do we do, I mean will the recall device pick us all up…or what?" Haru looked at the other children.
"How about we all hold hands?" asked Ren. She put her hands on her hips as she saw the questioning look of the boys. "What it works in the movies…"
"It couldn't hurt," mumbled the boys as they shuffled their feet and looked down.
She reached out and clasped Taku's hand. Ren winced slightly as her fingers curled around the sticky, crimson hand of the Child of Darkness, but she didn't protest or whine. Jiro took Taku's other hand, gently wrapping his fingers around both Taku's hand and the recall device. Jiro then lifted his small hand and held one of Paildramon's claws. Paildramon grasped Grademon's hand, as the golden armored swordsman walked into the ring. Haru grasped the long fingered hand of Grademon and then reached out to dig his fingers into the crimson fur of DORUgremon as the large, western-style dragon moseyed into the circle. Kisho grasped DORUgremon on the other side, gently taking a tuft of black fur that made up one of the dragon's tiger stripes. Kisho's free hand reached out and grasped the leathery, black hand of Cyberdramon, whose free hand wrapped carefully around Ren's dainty hand. The ring completed, Taku rolled his thumb forward and pressed the red button on the black, cube that was the recall device.
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The frigid night wind cut through his tattered gowns freezing his, thin, spindly limbs. His chest throbbed in pain, forcing a clawed hand to press against the burnt, leather armor. His golden eyes were looking weakly ahead, the shadows caste by the surrounding canyon rocks swarmed up around him. He was Matadormon.
The crimson pants he wore were now nothing but burnt and torn scraps of silk blowing in the frigid desert wind. Cracks crisscrossed the green, fleshy armor that, now, haphazardly covered his chest and upper torso. His long, claws gently traced the large holes punctured in the armor. He could still feel the power surging through his body screaming through his nervous system struggling to free itself.
He walked on, in utter silence, only the soft whisper of the canyon breeze his company. The stars twinkled innocently down on him as the fading crescent of the moon rose above the crest of the eastern canyon wall. A sharp howl cut through the air; Matadormon stopped. It soon was followed by other howls, deep, mournful howls, of wolves, of Sangloupmon; not the yapping, yipping, half barking howls of the coyote-like Fangmon. His glowing eyes narrowed as rocks shifted above his head.
"Do they not recognize me, their master?" growled Matadormon under his breath in wheezing hisses.
"It's not a matter of whether they recognize you personally…" chimed a smooth, half mocking voice. It was deep and authoritative but still had the subtle lilt of charm and sophistication that Matadormon recognized immediately. A pair of blue eyes blazed in one of the canyon shadows, slightly above head height, and obviously on a ridge. The eyes closed slowly yet meaningfully and then opened again, with more icy intensity than they had had when they first appeared, "it's a matter of whether they recognize you as their master…"
"You know who I am!" growled Matadormon loudly, "I am the master, ruler of this world, the supreme power; the pinnacle of strength in this region!"
"Oh how the mighty have fallen…" chuckled the voice quietly as the pair of eyes closed. A few seconds they appeared again on the opposite side of the canyon, "Forced to come crawling home, clothes in rags, beaten by a handful of mere children and their halfwit digital groupies…what a pathetic sight you are…Matadormon…"
"I see…" Matadormon hissed under his breath as he looked into the pair of icy pools glowing in the shadows. "You finally have decided to take it? You, a beast that only a short time ago was begging and kneeling and pleading for me not to harm you for your failures…do you really think you can replace me?"
"I already have," replied the voice with an icy edge of aggravation. "It's a surprise what nearly eight years can do to social structure of an area…"
"Eight years? But I've only been away a couple of days…" hissed Matadormon in confusion.
"Are you really that disoriented? They must have really beaten you down," the voice chuckled quietly as the eyes faded back into the shadows. "These eight years I have been training, taking power where I could get it, defeating powerful digimon, destroying them in order to attain their data…and I have come, finally, to you, to attain the data of my sensei, the one who taught me, my idol. I have come to take your data, Matadormon. I will achieve my goal…the only question is whether you'll come quietly or…if I'll have to humiliate you."
"You haven't the power, Kyuubimon," Matadormon growled as he let the darkness overwhelm him. "If you challenge me; all you'll do is sign your own death certificate…"
"Such confidence…" whispered the voice. The voice bounced off the stony walls of the canyon and melded with the babbling of the river that cut down the middle of the canyon's valley, and twisted through the branches of the dry, leafless trees. "I do wonder where you find it…"
Matadormon took a defensive stance, lifting his long, clawed hands; his eyes darted back and forth. He knew his strength was nearly drained. Even after the days of resting, he couldn't seem to regain his previous power and the soft sound of Arkadimon's mind breathing next to his had gone silent. He could sense the wafting aura of the fox's energy lurking just out of reach, circling him like a shark circles a leaking lifeboat of a lion circles a sickly wildebeest. Suddenly the ghostly sense disappeared completely. Matadormon stiffened, his claws jerked slightly as the muscles in his fingers tensed, preparing an attack.
It did come, but not as Matadormon had expected. Nine, large, Sangloupmon leapt out of the shadows. Their black fur 'shooshed' through the air as their claws sliced hungrily forward. Matadormon sliced up and around cutting through warm fur and hard bone. The wolves exploded into nine poofs of black data, which trailed to the edge of the river, where the moonlight fell on a silver furred, nine-tailed fox. The data particles swirled around the fox as it opened its mouth absorbing the wolves' energy. A pair of piercing blue eyes eyed Matadormon.
"Coward," hissed Matadormon quietly as he glared at the fox.
"I learned that from you," chuckled the fox as it took a step forward; bluish flames crackling around the fox's feet. "Always send the peons in first, never attack directly, instead delegate, until you have to take a hand in the matter yourself. That way, no one can rise against you legitimately…and you come off looking like the good guy."
"You want me, Kyuubimon; then come for me," Matadormon wheezed. The digimon lifted his claws to his chest.
"As you wish, master," The fox leapt forward and spun, head over tail as blue flames rolled around the somersaulting fox. "Dragon Wheel!"
A large, blue dragon apparition rose out of the spinning flames and swirled toward Matadormon. The canyon lit up in propane-blue light. Matadormon crashed to one, bony, exposed knee. Black dust dropped from his body like soot off of a chimney sweep. The data rushed toward the fox who eagerly accepted it.
"I won't…fall to you…" Matadormon hissed as his standing leg shakily pushed his weight off his knee, bringing the vampire to his feet, although wobbly, once more. "You are nothing but a curtailer…a lamprey…a remora…never destined to be at the top of the food chain, but always forced to feed off the scraps of those who are!"
"Fool, you know not what your addled mouth says," snorted the fox as he splayed his nine, fluffy, silver tails. Their white tips blazed as smiling fireballs crackled at the tails' ends. "Fox Tail Inferno!"
The flames charged forward twittering as they took the shape of blue, fire bats. The flames crashed into Matadormon knocking the wearied digimon back, catching his remaining robes on fire. Matadormon growled quietly as his silken sleeves charred and burned. The fox was standing in front of him, a self-confident grin on its face. Matadormon could feel the flames burning against his flesh, but he no longer cared. His claws swept up and he charged forward, his feet digging into the soft canyon soil. He swung down, the moonlight sliding across his elegant metal claws. There was no satisfying 'splurting' noise or spray of crimson blood. His body felt unbalanced and he continued to stagger forward without the expected counterbalance to offset his forward inertia.
"Fox Tail Inferno!"
Twitters echoed in Matadormon's ears as bursts of burning pain ran up and down his back and across his shoulders. This time his hands crashed into the sandy soil and both knees dropped down sinking into the sand under his weight. He felt his body weaken slightly.
"I will not be struck down in this fashion…" hissed Matadormon loudly as he turned his head and looked sharply back at his attacker. The fox was standing in the moonlight, his silver fur glistening with a bluish pallor.
"Don't waste your energy trying to get up, it is obvious that I am superior to you," chuckled the fox as his tails splayed again. The flames poofed into existence. Matadormon groaned as the flames smashed into his back again. His time his arms bowed under the strain and his face struck the sand.
"I won't die lying in the dirt…" whispered Matadormon angrily as he struggled to push his own, minimal, weight up.
"If I were you, I'd be proud," the fox's voice chuckled.
The voice pulsed in Matadormon's ears haughtily mocking him. Matadormon could sense a change in Kyuubimon's aura. His neck muscles strained and slowly, and jerkily, turned Matadormon's head back to see his once protégé.
"Why should I be…proud," Matadormon half spat, half wheezed as he struggled to his hands and knees.
A black cloud hung around the silver fox. Suddenly the entire fox was enveloped and the cloud of black fog rose vertically, forming a bipedal humanoid. A long, black cape was tightly held around the new figure's shoulders. A pair of cold, blue eyes glared out from behind a crimson, bat-wing mask. Neatly braided, golden hair fell down, over a hugely exaggerated collar that rose up and revealed the crimson inner fabric of the figure's cloak.
A pair of glistening, sharp fangs pressed against upturned, crimson lips. "It is not everyday a master gets to see his student surpass him…"
Matadormon growled as he futilely strained to rise to his knees. The former fox was hanging over him. His cloaked shadow was a cloud of inevitable doom. His senses clouded with frantic survival fury. His weakened muscles shook, and that's when he felt it. A simple breath, a whisper, the familiar background noise of Arkadimon's mind was rasping quietly in the back of Matadormon's mind. Suddenly he felt a rush of power, but unlike the power that had come to repel him away from Paildramon's harmonious circuit; this power was rebuilding his strength. Pitch darkness pumped through his body. He could feel it coursing through his.
He could feel his body changing, growing, strengthening; it was becoming even more powerful. His vision swept downward. The petty, vampire was staggering back holding up one arm, hanging his black cloak on it to shield its face. His body was still stiff and his responses were slower, but he could feel the numbness and dullness of his senses fading. A rolling chuckle rumbled up his new body as he watched the paltry betrayer retreating in fear from his visage.
888
The lights faded, reds, blues and yellows glistened in the backwash of the recall beam. Tiny wings flapped in Taku's ears. The boy looked over his shoulder and a saw his partner reverted to his Rookie form. The blue furred, bowling ball bat hovered in the air with surprise, as he inspected his body.
"Oi, I de-digivolved!" grouched the bat as he glided over and rested on Taku's black hair. "What's up with that?"
"You're not the only one, that reverted," the plain, confident voice of Renamon replied.
Taku looked up and saw the fox standing between Ren and Kisho. Ren reached up and grasped Renamon's lavender gloved paw. The fox's fluffy tail swooshed quietly behind her lithe body. Renamon's cone-shaped head tilted and looked down at Ren with soft robin's egg blue eyes. The fox's small ears perked and a small smile crossed Kisho looked down at his own partner. The glossy, purple-furred fox-dragon digimon, DORUmon, looked up at partner his white tipped snout slightly opened, revealing several small pointed teeth, as the edges of his mouth curled into a smile. The digimon's golden eyes glistened in the light of the landing pad they were standing on. Kisho's tan hand dropped down and rubbed DORUmon's forehead gently stroking an upside down red triangle on the dragon's forehead.
"Oh, jeesh, what's it like?" The child-like voice of Guilmon piped up like an innocent flute. "To DNA digivolve?"
"Gah what a dumb question," snorted DemiDevimon as he stuck his nose in the air.
The children all looked at the red dragon. The webbed, red ear-wings on Guilmon's head flattened and his golden eyes glanced at the ground. His clawed feet shuffled. His clawed hands lifted and rubbed a black symbol on his white scaled chest, it looked like the biohazard warning labels that one would find in a hospital. Guilmon crinkled his snout, where another black symbol depicting one triangle stabbing through another, reflected triangle.
"It is not a dumb question!" retorted the red dragon, his tail swishing quietly.
"I don't know, it's kind of…different, it's not like there's two minds in one body, it's like;" replied Agumon. The little, leathery, yellow skinned tyrannosaur scratched his flat head. His snout twisted slightly as his lips pursed and then his emerald eyes widened, "It's kind of like when you put strawberry syrup in milk to make strawberry milk, the syrup and milk are separate ingredients but when they mix they become a single, yummy good thing."
"Oh, gah," grumbled DemiDevimon as he ruffled his tattered, blue wings in aggravation. "Whydya get so mushy about it…?"
"Guys, we have more important things to worry about," Kisho said as he looked around.
They were standing between the Order's inner and outer fortress walls, standing on a large red X circle. White lights were flickering around them. The high inner walls of fortress were immediately adjacent to their position, the soft granite walls rising stoically to the sky.
"Yeah, shouldn't Gennai or someone be here, waiting for us?" Haru asked as he rubbed his nose. His fingers slid over three small freckles on the bridge of his nose. His blue eyes swept around the area, noting the tiny places where small plants had found a niche in the concrete and granite.
"Yeah, where are they?" growled Ren as she put her hands on her jeans' hips.
"There, someone is there," Jiro piped up hopping and pointing, down the small corridor between walls of granite.
The figure was dressed in long, cream robes, a brown ridged hood covering its face. The moonlight seemed to make the robes glow with a silvery aura. The figure was about six or seven feet tall and walked slowly forward, making little noise as it stepped on the brick pathway. Its hands entwined with each other with the wide, hanging sleeves covering sliding over the wrists.
"I apologize for my tardiness," said the voice quietly as the figure lifted its hand up and drew the hood back. Spiked brown hair was exposed. Gentle eyes looked down at the children sadly. It was Gennai, save he lacked any of aloof confidence of the children's last encounter with the digital human. "Come, we must fill you in on the passage of the past few days…" The children nodded and followed the solemn figure as he turned. His robes gently scraped on the ground, Gennai turned his head; his blue eyes were faded to a soft gray. "You must see what you're up against…"
The children and their partners stopped and looked at each other with a worried glance. Gennai continued forward leaving them to wonder about their fate. The children shook their heads and jogged after the man as he turned a corner passing through a heavy, circular door made of a dark grained wood.
888
"I don't understand," Haru whispered as he looked at the glowing screen.
A huge beast was rampaging through an open waste land. It was a demonic centaur. Its large sinewy, brick red lower body had a horse like tail sweeping behind its huge bulk. A pair of huge, black, webbed wings was flailing angrily. The front legs' hips pointed forward with the pointed gray shark snouts complete with multiple rows of gnashing teeth and lolling, serpentine tongues. The thick legs of the beast bent backwards at the knees and ended in thick, clawed toes. The back of the legs had metallic barbs jutting.
The beast's torso was humanoid and was covered in mostly red, fleshy armor. A blue pair of bat-like wings seemed to arise out of the beast's sternum and was to be some kind of chest armor. A single stretch of gray flesh was exposed between the bat-winged chest armor. Its head was covered by fleshy blue ridges that formed a cartilaginous helmet that enwrapped the beast's head, long tangled golden hair dropped from under the helmet below the shoulders. Long, threaded muscled arms extended from the beast's shoulders. The arms ended in long fingered hands, the back of the hands having cheese grater-like barbs.
"Is that thing…," Kisho whispered as he looked at the beast, his arms shaking slightly. A chill tingled up his arms and the back of his neck, "…Matadormon?"
"Can't be, we left Matadormon half dead…" growled DemiDevimon as the winged ball leaned forward on Taku's black hair. The bat's wings were folded tightly against his body and his golden eyes glared angrily at the screen, tiny fangs pressed against the bat's lips.
"Matadormon digivolved…" Gennai replied, as he walked forward, "…to GranDracmon…"
His beige robes swept behind him. He looked at the other children, who were standing in the darkened command room. The only illumination was from the various monitors and lighted buttons. There was a soft clicking from other Order members working away at their consuls. Their voices whispered reports, commands and general chitchat.
"How can that be? I mean…wasn't he fully evolved?" Ren asked as she blankly looked at the screen, watching the bestial monster smash through a rickety looking, desert town.
"I thought Matadormon was at the top, one the most powerful things out there…" Taku growled as he looked at Gennai. The robed man sighed quietly and held his hands behind his back.
"No, the Ultimate level isn't the end of the line," Gennai replied as he looked at the children. "There is a Mega level as well, a level that creates beings of immense power. Mega digimon are rare…in the entire population of the Digital World only a few percent of the digimon are of that incredible level…"
"Then get them to help, damn it," Taku growled under his breath. "Why did you call us, when you could've called upon some of these mythically powerful creatures…?"
Gennai lifted his hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing quietly to himself. Gennai looked at the children. "Because a majority of the digimon that reach that level are either power hungry or so aloof they wouldn't help if we asked…the minority that would be willing to assist are already on assignments in other parts of the Digital World…"
"So we're the only ones available…" Jiro said as he watched the screen, "but…there is no way we could stop him, he's too powerful…"
"Yeah, unless we can meet his strength, we're going to get pasted across the desert," Taku growled, watching as a water tower collapsed under GranDracmon's foot. Water splashed under the Mega digimon's foot. The huge beast ignored it and continued on its rampage.
"The only thing I can say is that you have all the tools you need to beat him," Gennai replied slipping his hands into the pockets of his robes. "You have no idea of the powers the miracle giving articles you have on your person. You just have to believe in yourself."
"So…I guess the only question is; are we going to do it?" Haru asked as he looked at the others and then down at Guilmon. The dragon winced repeatedly as he watched GranDracmon smash down upon the desert town's buildings. Tiny specks were retreating from the monstrous beast.
"Digimon…innocent digimon…" growled Guilmon's child-like voice.
"They've lost their homes and businesses…" Renamon growled in her even, stoic tone. Her tail was held tautly, and her clawed hands clenched into fists, the knuckles crackling as she did so.
"They're friends and families are being scattered…" DORUmon snarled as the triangle on his head started to glow a soft crimson. His fluffy tail swooshed back and forth sharply. The tiny vestigial wings on his back were flat against his spine.
"All those lives ruined…" Agumon whispered as his large eyes started to water. His long clawed hands clenched. "All that damage…"
"I'm sick of looking at his ugly face," growled DemiDevimon as he spread his wings and lifted off of Taku's head. He curled his red clawed toes, a growl rumbling from his body. An angry sneer crossed his face and he turned to Taku.
The black haired boy's pale face seemed to glow with the light of the screen. His dark eyes narrowed. His hands clenched into fists.
"Kisho, I vote we cream this bastard…" Taku growled in a slow, vibrating tone.
"I'm with Taku, this has to stop," Jiro said as he glared at the screen with his hardened brown eyes.
"I vote we take him down," Ren said as she watched GranDracmon's foot squash what looked like a school. Ren bit her lip, chewing it slightly as her eyes narrowed.
"We were chosen to be the Digi-destined…" Haru whispered quietly. "We were given certain responsibilities and when we accept them we made several promises, and we have to see those through…no matter the cost…I vote we fight."
Kisho slipped the pair of green-banded goggles down over his eyes, "Then it's unanimous, we're going to fight! We're not going to back down…."
Gennai looked down at the children. He admired them; they were going out there to fight the beast. They were going to fight, something his people had never done. They had never gone on the offensive, but rather had others fight for them. Gennai took a deep breath, sucking in air through his nose, his chest rising.
"Then, we must give you the coordinates…" Gennai said simply and concisely, walked past the children as they continued to watch GranDracmon smashing his way across the desert landscape. Gennai looked back as he walked toward the map. "I hope that the powers you have in your tags and crests will be enough…"
888
AN: I used Paildramon, but I modified him, for my purposes. I even upped his attacks…especially Sting Strike…I know some voiced that it would be weird for Paildramon to be the DNA digivolve, actually everyone…but I've got the advantage of seeing the long term effects of it in the plot…so don't crucify me please, not that it would matter to me anyways since it's my story…though I do take suggestions at times…but that's my decision to make. I'm sorry if I came off overly defensive, it's been a bad week or so.
The next chapter may take a while to write, I will be trying out some new techniques which will cause me to slow down my output, whilst, at least this is the plan, lengthen the chapters and flush out some things better. I started tentatively with this plan this chapter but when I decided to implement this plan, I had already written over half of the chapter and I was rather Belphemon-esque in my want to go back…but I did go back and touch some areas, just not as well as I had…in other places. I will be attempting to do this, which means I'm experimenting with it, so if it doesn't come out as good in some places, chalk it up to experimentation…and I will probably get lazy if I'm not prodded on.
Oh, and another thing that my slow my output for this story is that I'm starting something new, pretty soon. I finally broke down and have started writing another digimon fic. I'm writing the first chapter as we speak, and it is also trying to implement a new…style, and is truly more in the new style sort of, I can still see my stubborn old habits in it though, but at a far lesser degree. So look for the new fic's first chapter in anytime between a couple of days-a week. Long AN, I know, but I just wanted to clarify things.