"Damn it all! Defeating him accomplished nothing!!"
Ruby stopped as Agumon put a hand on her arm.
"The fog barrier's still up…" Rose muttered, looking up.
'Why can't this be over and done with? Haven't we gone through enough already?'
Anna got a message on her laptop, which was from Gennai. He said he knew how to finally defeat Myotismon once and for all, and gave them a prophecy:
'The sky will be darkened by the wings of many bats
The fallen people will invoke the name of the undead Digimon King
When the clock strikes the hour of the beast
The undead king reveal himself in his true form AS the beast
Then angels will shoot arrows of Hope and Light
At the loved ones of those they've been sent to protect
And a miracle will happen.
Please always recycle.'
Anna sighed, rubbing her temples.
'This makes no sense…'
A thought struck her.
'Unless…'
The thought was pushed aside as Michael, comfortable in Stingmon's arms, suggested they head back to the apartment. They agreed, Anna closing her laptop.
They were soon there, and Anna looked into the computer room, Motimon in her arms. She smiled.
"Dad!!"
She hugged him, her mother joining in as well. The kids all changed into fresh clothes, choosing new outfits altogether.
Ruby pulled on a dark orange tank top and dark jean shorts, pulling her hair into a ponytail before pulling on her sneakers.
Gem put on a white tank top and pink shorts, her hair in two low pigtails as she pulled on her most comfortable sneakers.
Rose pulled on an icy blue t-shirt and jean Capri's, her bangs held back by a simple blue clip as she pulled on sneakers.
Crystal put on a yellow t-shirt and jean Capri's, her hair in a low ponytail as she struggled with her sneakers, though Patamon helped her.
Anna put on a purple shirt with sleeves up to mid forearm, and jeans, securing her laptop before getting her sneakers on.
Michael put on a pale purple sleeveless shirt and light jeans, fingering his crest as he looked for his sneakers, Stingmon finding them first.
John pulled on a black t-shirt and jeans, pulling his shoes on before shooing Bukamon from his breakables.
Alice pulled on a red tank top and light jean shorts, fighting playfully with Yokomon to get her shoes back before pulling her sunshine blonde hair into a secure bun.
Cathy put on a light green t-shirt and jean Capri's, pulling on her shoes and playing Tanemon before pulling her hair into a braid.
They headed to the convention center to see everyone, and everyone looked at Amber and Angela as they lay unconscious with all the others.
"Mom…"
Rose, Crystal, and Raph had gone to see if there was a way out of fog, and Ruby sat beside her mother, Agumon looking at her sympathetically.
"I shouldn't have let my anger cloud my judgment…I'm so stupid!"
Agumon was about to counsel her when Leo sat beside her.
"…Ruby…I just wanted you to know that I think you've done a good job…"
She looked at him in surprise.
"But…I messed up…"
"You were there for your sister when she needed you…you were there for your family when you knew they needed you…that's all I can ask for…"
"Dad…"
He looked at her, turning his gaze from his wife to his daughter.
"…You don't know how long I've waited for you to say that…"
She hugged him tight, and felt Agumon hug her from behind as well.
Anna was off in a corner, going over the prophecy in her head, trying to make sense of it, when her father sat beside her. She looked up at him slightly, still remembering how he disliked the idea of her sitting in a corner alone to work.
"Sweetheart…I've thought about what you guys have told us about the Digital World…and I think I have some wisdom I need to pass on to you…"
She looked up fully, closing her laptop so she wouldn't be distracted.
"You might not think you're as strong or important than the others for the simple reason that they take the spotlight…but you're important in your own way…you're smarter than you give yourself credit for…you already know more than me…soon, I'll probably be learning from you…"
He smiled at her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"I want you to come out of the shadows for once…you don't necessarily take the spotlight, but let people know you're there…"
She nodded, Tentomon in her lap.
"…I trust you, hun…"
She smiled softly up at him.
"You don't know how much I've wanted to hear you say that…"
She hugged him tight, and Tentomon smiled.
Alice hugged Biyomon to her chest as she looked at her mother, and she felt tears in her eyes.
"I feel like I should've done something…like I could've saved her…"
Mikey sat beside her, somewhat serious for a change.
"Hey, dudette…"
"…"
She didn't respond, feeling it was her fault she hadn't seen her father's smile since they got to the convention center.
"…It's not your fault, sugar…"
"But it IS!! Biyomon could've Digivolved to Garudamon and saved her!! But I ran instead!! I ran like a scared little child!!"
"Shhh…calm down…"
Mikey hugged her, letting her sit on his lap and cry.
"I can't seem to stay and fight anymore!! I'm always running!!"
"Now that's enough!"
She looked up at her father in surprise, never hearing him use such a tone.
"I've never seen you run in your whole life! And from what I've heard, you didn't run from your family! You stayed by them, even if they didn't know it…"
He softened, wiping away her freeing tears.
"…I believe that you can stay by their sides if you really want to…I can trust you to go out there and save the world…"
She smiled softly, hugging him tight.
"…Thanks…"
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They were out in a boat, with no way to get through to the outside.
"Well ain't this just a beautiful moment? Surrounded by impenetrable fog in the middle of a river."
Rose's sarcasm was ignored, and they headed back to shore, only to be attacked by Gizamon.
"Blue Blaster!!"
"Boom Bubble!!"
"I preferred being lost in the fog!!"
They piled into the Battle Shell, which tipped over with the Gizamon's weight added on.
'Oh no…'
But bats flew from a nearby tree, and the Gizamon were suddenly…gone…They looked up, seeing the bats.
"'The sky will be darkened by the wings of many bats'…"
Crystal quoted perfectly, seeing through her sister's eyes for a moment.
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"Look! You're moms awake!"
Ruby looked up as Agumon pointed that out, but she immediately knew something was wrong. Her mother didn't have that fire in her eyes, that calming yet temperamental flame that she knew so well, and she started chanting.
"Lord Myotismon, Lord and Master."
Over and over again, the words repeated, and Ruby was confused.
"The prophecy…"
Everyone looked up at a slightly shy Anna.
"'The fallen people will invoke the name of the undead Digimon King'…" she repeated, word for word.
"Well, the part about the bats came true." Raph added in, having just come back with his daughters.
"When?"
"While we were at the river."
"What did the next part say, Anna?" Crystal questioned, worried.
"'When the clock strikes the hour of the beast/The undead king reveal himself in his true form AS the beast'…"
"What's the hour of the beast?" Rose questioned.
"Six, six, six…"
They turned to Leo.
"Six seconds after six minutes after six o'clock…"
Ruby looked at her Digivices clock.
"It's almost time!!"
Ruby and Rose got into the Battle Shell with their Digimon and father's, speeding to the spot Myotismon was going to arise from.
'PLEASE let us get there on time! PLEASE!'
Ruby begged as she looked at the clock.
"It's time!"
They saw the larger, more animalistic form of Myotismon rise as it knocked down a building, and both Digimon stepped forward, Digivolving all the way to their Ultimate forms. Demidevimon introduced him as Venommyotismon before he was sucked in for energy by his master.
Venommyotismon headed for the convention center, though Metalgreymon and Weregarurumon attacked viciously.
"Go back to the convention center and warn the others! Don't worry, we'll take care of this clown."
Rose looked uncertainly at her Digimon before nodding.
"Be careful, buddy…"
"You too, Metalgreymon…"
They were soon back at the convention center, and everyone went outside to see.
"I don't know how long they can hold him off…"
Gatomon, saying she had a plan, told the others to stay behind as she pulled Patamon with her, Crystal and Gem following with their sisters and fathers, and Anna came as well, with her own parents.
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When the battle shell got closer, Ruby and Rose nearly jumped out when their Digimon, now in their Rookie forms, flew to the ground.
"AGUMON!!"
"GABUMON!!"
They were at their Digimon's sides in a moment, and watched as Angemon and Angewomon attacked Venommyotismon. It didn't work as well as they'd hoped it would, when Don turned to his daughter.
"What did it say in that prophecy about angels?"
Anna searched quickly, finding it in sentences.
"'Then angels will shoot arrows of Hope and Light/At the loved ones of those they've been sent to protect/And a miracle will happen'…"
Anna looked at it intently, her mind racing.
"If Angemon and Angewomon are the angels in the prophecy…they've been sent to protect Crystal and Gem…but why shoot arrows at their loved ones?"
"They're angels, Anna. Maybe it's the same concept as Cupid's arrows." Rachelle added in.
"Let's see…their loved ones…us, obviously…"
"But they don't only have parents and cousins, Anna…"
Tentomon chimed in.
"They have sisters…"
"So you expect me to believe that the only way to defeat this thing is to have one of those angels shoot an ARROW at my daughter?!"
…Leo didn't like the idea…
"Dad…it's the only way…"
Ruby turned to look up at the angels.
"You ready, Rose?"
"Yeah…you ready, Fearless?"
Ruby smiled weakly.
"Yeah…"
Rose saw the fear, the apprehension just under the surface, and took hold of her cousin's hand.
"I'll just hold onto you…so you don't run off…"
Ruby heard the hidden message, and squeezed her cousin's hand.
"Same to you, buddy…"
Gem and Crystal hesitantly ordered their Digimon to shoot, when Leo stepped forward.
"Ruby…"
"I…We need this miracle…if I can somehow bring it about to save my family…I will…"
She sounded stubborn, and held her cousin's hand tighter.
"…Go on, then…"
He smiled warmly at her.
"You're more like your mother than you know…and I won't try to stop you…"
She nodded, and looked at Agumon.
"Let's do this…"
When the arrows came speeding towards the two girls, they closed their eyes, waiting for the impact, when a bright light filled their senses.
"Agumon, Warp-Digivolve to…WARGREYMON!!"
"Gabumon, Warp-Digivolve to…METALGARURUMON!!"
…
"Whoa…"
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As she watched the fight from afar, Alice felt like she should be over there.
"I'm going."
She turned to her three siblings.
"You guys coming with?"
They nodded, and Biyomon, Palmon, and Gomamon Digivolved.
"WAIT!!"
They turned to see their father.
"It's okay, dad! We'll be fine!" Cathy said from atop Togemon's fist.
"We need to go anyway…we're the Digidestined, remember?" John added, holding onto Ikkakumon's horn.
"Trust us. Once you see him fall down, you'll know everything's fine." Alice said as she held tightly onto Birdramon's foot.
"See you soon!!"
The Digimon set off, but Michael hung back a moment to hug his father.
"Love you, dad…see ya!"
Stingmon lifted his partner up, and flew after the others.
'Be careful, guys…I love you…'
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"Go get him, Wargreymon!!"
"Freeze him up, Metalgarurumon!"
"Look, Anna!"
Anna turned from her cheering cousins to look where Tentomon was pointing, and saw Birdramon, Togemon, Ikkakumon, and Stingmon flying in.
"Go get him, Tento."
Tentomon nodded, flying forward and Digivolving to Kabuterimon.
"How do they get bigger like that?"
"It's called Digivolving, dad. They get stronger. Get him, Kabuterimon!!"
The fighting was still hard, and the kids got separated in the chaos.
"GEM!!" Ruby called, a rock nearly catching her on the shoulder. "GET HIM, WARGREYMON!!"
"CRYSTAL!!" Rose shouted, Metalgarurumon shooting an icy attack at Venommyotismon above her. "YES!! YOU ROCK, METALGARURUMON!!"
"ALICE!! JOHN!! CATHY!!" Michael called worriedly. "Spiking Strike!" "BE CAREFUL, STINGMON!!"
Wargreymon used Great Tornado, cutting straight through Venommyotismon's abdomen, but a strange blob-like creature popped up in the hole. It shot a black aura that sent the Digimon flying, and Anna looked up in surprise.
"Wait…maybe…"
Anna looked around, spotting Ruby.
"THAT'S HIS TRUE FORM!! WE NEED TO DESTROY IT!!"
Venommyotismon seemed ready to destroy them, and Gem closed her eyes.
'He's gonna win…he's gonna win…'
She opened her eyes.
'No! I WON'T let him! I won't let him hurt anyone else!'
A light escaped from every child's crest, binding Venommyotismon and the strange blob.
"Get him, Wargreymon!!"
"You too, Metalgarurumon!!"
Both used their most powerful attacks, Terra Force and Giga Missile. After Venommyotismon's last scream of pain, the air was silent, and Ruby still looked surprised.
"He's gone…we finally beat him!!"
Wargreymon Dedigivolved, and Koromon jumped into her arms.
"You did great, Koromon!"
Rose smiled as she scooped up Tsunomon.
"That was awesome, Tsunomon!"
"Great job, guys." Anna said, addressing everyone as Tentomon landed beside her.
Rachelle went to get the others from the convention center as the children cheered in triumph.
"You did good, Ruby…great, actually…"
She smiled up at her father.
"I know."
"Look, daddy! It's Salamon!"
Ruby smiled.
"They Dedigivolve when they lose energy." She explained.
"Dad!!"
Crystal hugged her father, Patamon on her head, as Rose walked up. Rachelle soon came back with the others, and everyone hugged happily. But when Anna looked up, she froze.
"There's a world hanging in the sky…"
They all looked up to see strips of the night sky and water and forest…
"…Whoa…weird…"
Ruby looked closer with her mini telescope, and tensed.
"A jetliner reached the edge of that world in the sky!! It's falling!!"
Birdramon flew up, trying to catch it, but it was too heavy for her.
"BIRDRAMON!!!"
The Crest of Love glowed brightly as Birdramon Digivolved, and Kabuterimon flew up to help. Ruby could only watch as a strange Kuwagamon came at them, freezing the plane's wing.
"Oh no…"
The plane was put down safely, and everyone flew to an empty clearing of concrete on Garudamon and Megakabuterimon.
"Something bad is happening in the Digital World…years must've passed since we've been there…it must've gotten worse…"
Rose sighed, Tsunomon on her head.
"We need to get back…" Ruby agreed, Koromon in her arms.
"Maybe our Digivices will open the gate again…" Anna suggested thoughtfully.
They held their Digivices out into the middle of their circle, and their combined light made a pillar of rainbow color.
"It's time to go back…"
They all turned to look longingly at their family, and Ruby said, sadness in her voice, "We'll be back soon…just going to save the world, is all…"
"We trust you. Just get back in one piece."
She nodded, smiling at her father.
"Sure."
She hugged her mother tight, for reassurance, as the others hugged their parents.
"I promise we'll try…but…it might be too much…"
"Is that coming from MY daughter?"
Raph lifted Rose's head, making eye contact.
"NEVER say never…and never stop trying…as long as you do that, I'll be proud of you…no matter what happens…"
She smiled, hugging him tight.
"…Goodbye…"
Everyone reluctantly stepped into the pillar of light.
"Is this the only way?" Gem asked sadly, hugging Salamon to her chest.
"Yes…"
'I just hope we can win…'