Here we are, the finale. Holy shit… Here it is… it's all over. I'll address just about everything else at the end, but I just want to say: Thank you all for being here with me. :)
WARNING: There's going to be a really long author's note at the end and some credits.
Beelzemon: "Makuramon showed up with these data packets that were supposed ta let us Digivolve. Turns out, they came from the Sovereign, and we each had ta go through a trial ta get that power. We all passed, and Azulongmon gave me a new Corona Blaster. Makuramon brought us ta the underground castle where Millenniummon is. Soon as we got there, there, he tattled on us, the little rat! I knew we couldn't trust 'im…"
"That little weasel!" Beelzemon hissed, hand going to his gun.
"Where are the Digi-Destined?" one of the guards was asking, and each Demon Lord readied for battle, charging up an attack.
"They entered from the other side of the castle," the Deva told them, pointing in the opposite direction. "Send all forces!"
"Yes, Sir!" the guards yelled before rushing off, followed by what looked like a small militia, most likely all the guards in the area.
As soon as they were gone, Makuramon turned to them and smirked. "Well, what are you waiting for? The coast is clear."
The Digi-Destined and their partners stared at him for a long moment. "How—?" Chiharu began.
"Evidently, word of my betrayal hasn't spread yet," he replied simply. "Now, come on. We're wasting time."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Dynasmon paced in his partner's office. Though, these last few months, it had come to be known as his office.
Chiharu had contacted him earlier, telling him that she and the others had found Millenniummon's base, and were about to infiltrate it with some 'outside help', though she never elaborated on that. He knew that if they were getting close, then things could get very bad for the Academy, very fast. It was quite possible that enemy forces would strike the Academies across the world with everything they had in an attempt to make the humans submit. He had to warn them.
Knowing what he had to do, he pulled up the fifteen screens on the wall, waiting for each to show the desired image. Slowly, each revealed the Headmasters and Headmistresses of the Academies around the world: America, England, France, Germany, Spain, China, Egypt, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Russia, and India.
"What is it, Dynasmon?" Professor Archer, the Headmistress of the English Branch asked, her partner, MarineAngemon by her side.
"It's really early," Mr. Wilson, the Headmaster of the American Branch said, yawning alongside his partner, Slayerdramon.
"I hope you have a good reason for waking us up," Mr. Diaz warned, the Chilean Headmaster, beside his partner, Gulfmon.
"I'm afraid I do," the Royal Knight responded. He met the eyes of each Headmaster and Headmistress, one at a time before speaking gravely, "I believe all hell is about to break loose."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Mr. Kalla, the Headmaster of the Indian Branch asked, crossing his arms, wearing an expression clearly prodding for more information. His partner, Ornismon, mirrored his look.
"The Digi-Destined are nearing the end of their journey," Dynasmon informed them. "As such, I believe Millenniummon's forces will come at us with everything they have."
"We must protect the world while they are away, then?" Frau Scheinberg, the Headmistress of the German Branch guessed, with Justimon nodding his head behind her.
"We will do whatever we can," Señora Puerta of the Spanish Branch reassured him. Matadormon nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, my friends," the Mega told them all.
"How can you be sure that that is what they plan?" Mr. Khoury, the Egyptian Headmaster, asked skeptically. Eaglemon appeared to know the answer to the question, but remained silent. It was not her place to say. This was between Dynasmon and the humans.
"Wouldn't you rather be prepared than wait for them to come to us?" Miss King, the second youngest of the heads of the Academies, Headmistress of the Australian Branch, asked, Plesiomon obviously agreeing.
Mr. Lima, head of the Brazilian Branch, spoke up. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I won't sit here, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for attack." Regulumon smiled, proud of his partner taking initiative. As always, the South American man was one of the first to try to get ahead of the game.
Mrs. Nervetti of the Italian Branch, not one to be shown up, nodded vigorously. "MedievalDukemon and I will keep an eye out for any suspicious Digital activity here in Rome."
Mr. Donnell, the Irish Headmaster, said, "We should send out some of our Elite to monitor other cities. We aren't able to monitor the entire country." VictoryGreymon nodded.
"We'll send out teachers as well," Ms. McAdams said quickly. She, as the Scottish Headmistress, had quite the rivalry with Mr. Donnell. Varodurumon left the screen, possibly to inform the Scottish teachers of her plan.
"Calm down, both of you," Herr Volkov spoke, trying to defuse this situation. He looked back at Vikemon, and they seemed to come to a silent agreement about something. "I would like to ask for some assistance from some of you. Russia is a large country, as I'm sure you know, and we do not have the manpower to cover all of it."
"We are unable to spare any resources," Mrs. Hau told him. China, too, was a large country, after all. Samudramon was in obvious agreement.
"We can try," Monsieur Labelle spoke for both himself and his partner, Magnadramon, "but I cannot make any promises."
"Archer, Khoury, Nervetti, Donnell, and McAdams, I believe you can each spare one or two teachers to assist Kalla, Volkov, Wilson, and Hau," Dynasmon suggested. "And I will make a call that may help you each."
"Xièxiè," Mrs. Hau spoke. "I hope that your assistance will be enough."
"As do I," Dynasmon said to himself as soon as the connections were cut.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"Hello, Dynasmon," Magnamon said as the other Royal Knight approached.
Dynasmon knew it was risky to enter the Digital World now and leave his school unattended, but this was important if he was to give aide to the larger branches. "I need your help regarding a matter in the Human World."
"What is it?" Gallantmon asked.
"We know that Millenniummon will send its forces to the Human World, and while the Academy branches across the world will do the best they can to keep them at bay, they may not be enough. I believe the enemy will target countries that host the Academies, but some do not have the manpower to spread their forces across their countries."
"So you want our help in defending them?" Omnimon guessed.
"Yes," Dynasmon replied. "Please. Their success could ride on your help."
Magnamon spoke without even having to think. "Of course, old friend."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Dmitri Volkov stood outside the Russian Digimon Academy, staring out into the snowy outskirts. The Academy had been built very out of the way, in case training got out of hand. His students tended to get a little… rough with each other. By his side was Selena Alkaev with her partner, Imperialdramon. She was his strongest Elite student, and would thus be sent to Saint Petersburg. It wasn't as far as some of the locations he was sending the other teachers to, but it was the second most populated city in the country.
"Be careful," Dmitri told his student.
"Yes, Sir," she replied with a nod. She knew the stakes. She just hoped that she and Imperialdramon could handle it.
The ground began to quake, causing Headmaster, student, and Digimon alike to be on their guard. They were a bit confused, however, when the Gate that appeared didn't look like a normal Gate.
"What the—?"
Once the Gate opened, a red, centaur-like Digimon came through.
"Kentaurosmon?" Vikemon asked.
"Yes," the Royal Knight said with a nod. "Dynasmon has asked that each of us aide one of your larger countries. I am here to help you defend Russia."
"Thank you," Dmitri said with a smile.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Mei Hau stood beside Samudramon on the balcony of her office. China was too large for her and her staff to handle on their own. Dynasmon said that he had a plan. She hoped it was a good one.
She glanced down to see a Gate, one much smaller than normal, appear in the courtyard. Out stepped one of the Royal Knights: Crusadermon. "Bring us down, Samudramon," she told her partner, who grabbed her and jumped to the ground, absorbing the impact with ease.
"Greetings," the pink armored Digimon told her. "Your country is quite large, and I can tell it will require assistance defending."
Mei smiled. She had been afraid that she would have to leave the Academy in Beijing, leaving her students undefended. Now, with the help of this Royal Knight, she would probably be able to stay and protect her students. "I do, indeed," she said. "Find Huan Yu, he can direct you to Shanghai."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Andre Lima stood in the large tree that held the upper part of the Academy within. The Brazilian branch was unique in that it was deep in the Amazon, mostly underground, protected by a large tree. It served as a good lookout post, which is what he was using it for now. He knew that there was some help coming, but he didn't know in what form.
"I sense a strong force approaching," Regulumon said, readying himself for contact.
"Hold your attack," a commanding voice spoke. A moment later, Omnimon appeared from among the dense forest. "I have come to assist you."
Andre smiled as Regulumon took a more relaxed stance. "The people are going to need you in Sao Paulo," he said. "It's a heavily populated city, and I'm not sure if we'll be able to get enough power there."
"Understood," the Mega replied. He didn't particularly like taking orders from a human, but for the sake of not only this world, but the Digital World as well, he would have to comply.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Amelia King stood on a dock in Sidney Harbor, staring out into the ocean. Australia was not only a country, but the majority of a continent. How was she supposed to defend it? "I don't know how we're going to do this, Plesiomon," she told her partner. Australia was one of the less populated branched of the Academies, so she didn't have much manpower to protect the country.
"I do," a male voice said from behind them. Both turned to see Gallantmon standing on the shore. "Dynasmon contacted us and asked us to assist you. I am at your command."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Tamas Kalla looked up to the sky, pondering over how he would pull this off. India was a large place, and while the Academy was a large branch, he wasn't sure it was large enough.
"Need help, human?" a voice from behind asked, and Tamas and Ornismon turned to see Craniamon.
"Much," Ornismon replied. "You're willing to help us?"
"Dynasmon asked," the Royal Knight replied. "How could we say no to an old friend?"
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Nicholas Wilson rubbed his temples, knowing that the United States would be a difficult country to defend. Not as much as China, Russia, or India, but still difficult. He'd already sent his daughter, Cassidy, now a young woman, to California, and nothing could stop him from worrying about her.
"Nicholas," Slayerdramon spoke. "I believe we have a visitor."
Nicholas looked up to see a blue Digimon with golden armor standing before him. "Magnamon," he said, addressing the Royal Knight.
"Dynasmon told us you and others needed assistance," Magnamon told him. "I've come to help."
Nicholas's face broke into a grin. "Thanks. We could really use your help in Washington D.C."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"So," Rei started, "What was the whole 'crystal' thing about?"
Makuramon gave her a blank look. "You mean you haven't figured it out?"
"If we had, she wouldn't be asking," Chiharu informed him harshly.
The Deva rolled his eyes. "It meant that Millenniummon is in a weakened state," he replied. "It's in a form called Moon=Millenniummon, which is just a large crystal with a life force inside. Its data was badly warped while it was inside the Millennium Gate, so it has to recover. Moon=Millenniummon was a state for it to reform."
"Like a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly?" Tsucasa asked.
"Yes, though not nearly as pleasant," the Ultimate informed him. "Unless the butterfly you're talking about is a mass murdering monster."
"Thanks for that image," Karuto commented dryly.
"My pleasure," Makuramon replied with just as much sarcasm.
"You said that Hideaki was under some kind of mind control," Mayu said, trying to calm things down before they got out of hand. "Is there any way to snap him out of it?"
"I'm sure there is, but I don't have the slightest clue," their supposed ally reported, causing them to glare. "Relax, it was a joke. Of course I know. You need to be able to reach him."
"So, some part of him is still in there?" Lucemon asked.
"Of course. He's being controlled, not possessed."
"You mean that if we reach Hideaki, the real Hideaki, he'll come back to us?" Chiharu asked, sounding hopeful.
"Yes," the Deva replied. "Of course, we need to find him, first."
"Mikage thinks we have other things to worry about," Mikage pointed out, pointing ahead. A group of Digimon was approaching them, and they didn't look friendly.
"I thought you said they would all be on the other side of the castle!" Beelzemon yelled angrily, suspecting a trap.
"I thought they would be!" Makuramon defended himself. "But Millenniummon must have decided that it shouldn't be left unguarded."
"It's smarter than we thought," Tanya groaned.
"Let's see what we've got here," Mayu said, checking her D-Agent. "Tankmon, Champion Level. Attacks: Hyper Cannon and Machine Gun Arms."
"Those aren't the only ones that are coming," Rei started. "Look!"
"Mekanorimon, also Champion level," Tanya informed them. "Their attacks are Twin Beam and 4-Disk Break."
"Makuramon!" one of the Tankmon yelled. "You have betrayed the Master, and for that you will perish!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the Deva replied nonchalantly. "You'll have to catch me, first."
"Good god, you're just as bad as Beelzemon," Chiharu muttered, referring to her partner's tendency to taunt his opponent. She received a glare from both, no doubt for comparing them to each other. "So we have to get past these guys, and then… what?"
"There will no doubt be more guarding the door to Millenniummon's chambers," Makuramon informed them. "So you'll have to fight them, too."
"We?" Lilithmon asked, raising an eyebrow. "And just what will you be doing?"
"Ensuring my own survival," the Deva replied with a smirk. "Which could mean abandoning you all."
"At least we knew it was a possibility," Leviamon said, not surprised at all. The Ultimate was fickle when it came to his alliances.
"Why are we just standing here talking about this?" Rei asked, holding her Digivice, ready to use it. "Let's just get this over with!"
"Target in range. Twin Beam," many Mekanorimon said together, aiming at them from all sides.
"Let's go, guys!" Chiharu told her team. "Digital Ability. Kumbhiramon's Deva Clone: Connect!"
Beelzemon, as well as his doubles, smirked in unison, drawing their Berenjena. "Double Impact!" they yelled.
"Duo-Tail Strike!"
"Grand Cross!"
"Lampranthus!"
"Phantom Pain!"
"Evil Inferno!"
"Pandemonium Lost!"
The humans grinned at each other as their partners cleared a path for them, taking no time in running through, getting as far as they could. To their surprise, Makuramon was right behind them.
"What the hell are you still doing here?" Karuto asked.
"You expected me to stay in the middle of a battle I don't need to fight?" the Deva replied. "I prefer survival to morality."
"Whatever, as long as you don't get in our way," Chiharu said, knowing there was no other option.
After a few moments, the Demon Lords returned to their partners, the enemies either destroyed or incapacitated.
"Makuramon said that the door to Millenniummon is up ahead," the goggle-headed woman reported to her partner. "But, it should be guarded."
"No shit, it's gonna be guarded," Beelzemon stated, rolling his eyes.
"But before that, it looks like there's a few others we have to go through," Tsucasa said, pointing. Four red, mechanical looking Digimon formed a line at the entrance to the large hallway they needed to go down to reach the doors.
"Is it just Mikage, or is this feeling like one of those weird video games?" the puppet-using boy mused to himself.
"It's not just you," Tanya assured him.
"They're Chaosdramon," Lucemon reported.
"Their attacks are Hyper Cannon, Destroy Harken, and Chaos Cannon," Beelzemon added. "Lucemon and I fought a couple, back in the day."
"And they've gotten no less ugly since," Mayu said offhandedly, earning a smile and eye roll from her brunette friend.
"How about we take them out, for old time's sake?" Chiharu asked.
"I think you're onto something, there," the other woman joked. Chiharu smiled more. Now that she knew Hideaki had only said and done the things he had due to mind control, she felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She still felt that she held blame for a lot of the things that had occurred in the past, and still felt at fault for what happened to Hideaki, it reassured her that she had made the right choice, now knowing that Hideaki didn't really blame her.
"Hyper Cannon!" the Chaosdramon yelled, causing everyone to scatter in order to dodge.
"Corona Blaster!" Beelzemon yelled.
"Grand Cross!" Lucemon attacked, trying to blast a way through the Megas. They, however, were able to stand their ground, the attacks barely doing any damage through their metal armor.
"Looks like we'll hafta take a more direct approach," Beelzemon suggested, turning the Corona Blaster back into an arm for the time being. "Darkness Claw!" he yelled, charging toward them with his claws bared.
"Chaos Cannon!" one yelled, aiming straight for Beelzemon, knocking the Demon Lord of Gluttony back a few feet.
"Digital Enhancement," Chiharu began. "Strength: Connect!"
"That's what I'm talkin' about!" the Mega said with a grin, energized by the card. Pulling out one of the Berenjena, he fired. "Double Impact!" The bullets didn't do much damage, but the impact did send them skidding backward.
"Digital Ability. Crusadermon's Spiral Masquerade: Connect!" Mayu yelled, swiping a card of her own.
"Spiral Masquerade!" Lucemon yelled, attacking as well.
"How is it that the two of you managed to defeat so many powerful opponents, yet you can't take on four simple Chaosdramon?" Makuramon asked boredly.
"We could do without the commentary from the peanut gallery!" Mayu said, irritated.
Then, without warning, the four Megas stopped their attack.
"What's going on?" Tsucasa asked.
"Mikage thinks that something worse is on its way," Mikage replied.
"I think Mikage's right," Tanya said, pointing to moving shadows down the large, dark hall. "Look!"
"Megadramon and Gigadramon," Lilithmon said. "Just what we need."
"Gigadramon is an Ultimate," Rei announced, reading from her D-Agent. "His attacks are Genocide Gear, Guilty Claw, and Gigabyte Wing."
"Megadramon's also an Ultimate," Karuto added, reading from his own Digivice. "His attacks are Ultimate Slicer and Dark Side Attack." He looked back up at the two Ultimates. "Something tells me that this isn't going to be easy."
"No, it's not," Gigadramon assured him. "But you won't leave here alive! Guilty Claw!"
"Dark Side Attack!" Megadramon attacked alongside its ally. Once again, the Digi-Destined and the Demon Lords were forced to scatter.
"I'm getting really sick of this," Lilithmon muttered.
"You and Mikage both," the boy agreed. To everyone's surprise, though, the Ultimates ignored the humans and Demon Lords completely.
They were honing in on Makuramon.
"For betraying the Master, you will pay!" Gigadramon announced, taking aim at the Deva.
Makuramon's eyes darted from the Ultimates, to the Digi-Destined, to the Chaosdramon and back, trying to formulate a plan as quickly as he could. The humans wouldn't save him, he knew that, and there was no escape. He heard the footsteps of the Mekanorimon returning. There was one thing left to do, yet for some reason… he didn't find himself having much of a problem with it.
"Go!" he yelled to the Digi-Destined. "Stop Millenniummon, quickly!"
"Oh?" Chiharu asked, hands on her hips. He had to be planning something… "And just what are you going to do?"
"Hold them off," the Deva replied simply. "Now go, before I change my mind and desert you all." He wouldn't, of course. There was no escape, and he would die either way. Might as well go out fighting, giving the Digi-Destined a chance.
"You heard the guy, let's move!" Beelzemon ordered, and the group left Makuramon to his fate.
"Target in range. Twin Beam," a line of Mekanorimon attacked, having come close enough to attack. Makuramon jumped to avoid the attacks, taking aim at the Champions.
"Primal Orb!" He tossed the energy orb at the Mekanorimon, destroying a few. Obviously, they hadn't completely recovered from their encounter with the Demon Lords.
"Dark Side Attack!" Megadramon fired, and the attack hit Makuramon in the back, sending him back into the wall. The Deva was not so easily beaten, however. He hadn't survived this long to be destroyed this easily.
"Chaos Cannon!" the Chaosdramon attacked, dealing even more damage.
Damn, he thought. He'd forgotten about those. It was one against many, but he wasn't going to surrender, even if it was the most logical thing to do. They'd kill him even if he surrendered, so he might as well make his last act a good one. He'd never been one for repentance, but something told him that this was the right thing to do. Perhaps there was still a small part left of the Digimon he once was, long ago. This last action would show that even though he didn't deserve forgiveness for his actions, he was looking to make things right. The thing that surprised him, though, is that he was looking to make things right.
With that in mind, he knew he had to take as many of these out as he could, so that they wouldn't go after the Digi-Destined as soon as they were done with him.
Gathering as much energy as he could between his palms, Makuramon yelled, "Treasure Orb!" When he hurled the attack forward, it wiped out the rest of the Mekanorimon, as well as the Chaosdramon, which had been weakened by the Demon Lords previously. He had a brief moment of triumph before one final attack came his way.
"Ultimate Slicer!"
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
The Digi-Destined heard the explosion behind them but didn't look back. Whatever happened, they would find out sooner or later, right now, the important part was making it to Millenniummon's chambers.
There was one final obstacle in their way.
"I see you've made your way past the rest of the defenses," Hideaki commented offhandedly. "Impressive. But you won't make it to the Master."
"Millenniummon isn't your master, Hideaki," Chiharu began. "It's been controlling you from the start. But you can fight it. I know you can."
Hideaki glared. "I've been in control of myself this entire time," he hissed. "But it's your fault that you can't see the truth, and it's your fault that I joined the Master."
Chiharu steeled herself to his words, now knowing they weren't truly his. "I'm sorry that you had to be sealed inside the Millennium Gate, but there wasn't any other way. And I'm sorry we didn't try to find a way to get you out. We didn't know you were still alive in there. If we'd known, we would have done everything we could to get you out."
The man seemed to pause for a moment. "But the Master gave me life again," he told her.
"That doesn't mean we have to serve it," BlackWarGreymon told him, startling everyone.
"You mean, you weren't corrupted?" Mayu asked, and the Mega shook his head.
"Hideaki, snap out of this. Listen to them, they're your friends," BlackWarGreymon insisted with his partner. "We belong by their side, not by Millenniummon's."
The white haired man took a long look at his partner. The Mega had occasionally voiced his disagreement with Millenniummon's plans, but never had he been so adamant. He trusted BlackWarGreymon, even though he had sometimes been out of line with what he said these past ten years. But had he? Perhaps his partner was right… Maybe the Digi-Destined weren't the enemy…
And just like that, he was free. He blinked a few times, stunned that he was in control of his own mind again.
"Hideaki?" Beelzemon asked. "Ya okay?"
"Yeah," the older Digi-Destined replied with a smile. "Yeah, I am." His smile fell and his face hardened with his next words. "We have to get rid of Millenniummon, and fast. It's close to breaking out of the crystal."
"Makuramon told us," Tanya informed him.
"We have to hurry, we don't have much time!" Mayu urged.
"Oh, right!" Rei suddenly said, making everyone look at her. "Since you were evil and everything, we never really had the chance to properly introduce ourselves." Everyone gave her a strange look.
"Maybe this isn't the time," Karuto commented.
"Just really quick," Rei argued. "I'm Rei Higurashi, and this is Belphemon."
Karuto sighed, resigning to his teammate's idea. "I'm Karuto Onogi, and this is Barbamon."
"Tanya Serata," the Digi-Destined of Wrath started. "And this is my partner, Daemon."
"I'm Tsucasa Simorna," the boy said. "This is my partner, Leviamon."
"Mikage Azumimaya," the puppet-using boy introduced himself. "And his partner, Lilithmon."
"Pretty sure you all know who I am," Hideaki commented. He looked around at all of them and was about to say something else when the large structure began to shake violently.
"What's going on?" Mayu yelled over the rumbling.
"The Gates must be opening," the man informed her. "Millenniummon planned on opening Gates around the world to try to get the Human World to submit to its power. Guess now's the time."
"I hope they're doing alright over there," Lucemon said.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Dmitri raised his D-Control as soon as he felt the ground shake. This had only happened once before in Russia, ten years ago, but he knew exactly what it meant. Gates were opening, and who knows how many were spread throughout the country?
"Are you ready, Vikemon?" he asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," the Mega replied as a herd of SkullMammothmon left the Gate, heading straight for the Academy.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Magnamon floated in the air above Washington DC. It was only a matter of time before the Gates would open.
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, they began to appear throughout the city. He had warned the president of this country that something like this would happen soon, so he was being taken to a safe place while the citizens were being evacuated.
He just hoped that the following battle wouldn't destroy any of the countless historical monuments around him.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Andre and Regulumon were on full alert once the tremors began. They weren't as strong as they probably would have been in any other location, so their biggest tip was the flocks of birds flying to safety.
"It's up to us to protect our school," Andre told his partner seriously.
"You can count on me," Regulumon promised.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Mei and Samudramon were already prepared when the Gates began to open. Her students had been moved to the underground training facility. She had had it built shortly after she became the Headmistress, as it would be a logical addition to the school. The Chinese branch was one of the larger ones, and thus had more students. They had only one Team Battling room and two gymnasiums, but if more students wanted to train, she knew it was unfair to make them wait. Thus, there were large, heavily armored rooms underground, designed specifically for hard training. This armor now provided the protection that these students needed.
"Do you think we'll be able to handle whatever comes through that Gate?"
Mei looked at him with a laugh. "Of course," she told him. "I didn't become the Headmistress of the Chinese Branch because of my looks."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Amelia and Plesiomon once again stood on the same dock in Sydney Harbor, while Gallantmon had been sent off to another part of the country. She knew it was coming close, and her suspicions as fears were confirmed when large tremors created gigantic waves. Plesiomon, thinking fast, grabbed her partner's shirt with her teeth and pulled her onto her back. Amelia held on tight, holding her breath while the wave crashed down on the harbor. She was just glad that the citizens of coastal cities had been evacuated more inland.
Once Plesiomon was able to surface, they were faced with a small army of Gesomon.
"Oh, boy," Amelia groaned.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Craniamon readied himself for battle as he felt the tremors beneath him. He was quite glad that Dynasmon had asked him and the others to aide the humans. They looked like they would need it.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Katja Scheinberg and Justimon stood in front of the gates to the German Branch of Digimon Academy, ready for battle. She knew the stakes, and she wasn't about to let her country fall.
"Are you ready?" Justimon asked her as Gates opened around them.
"I was born ready," she replied, raising her Digivice.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Mia Puerta and Matadormon waited in the middle of Madrid for attack. She knew that protecting the capitol would be the most logical thing to do, so she left some of her stronger staff members protecting the Academy. She had warned all the citizens to either leave or hide in a safe place. Countless people were holed up in school basements and their own houses.
"We must protect these people," Mia told her partner. "It is our duty as the head of the Spanish Branch."
"I know," Matadormon told her as the ground began to shake. "And we won't let them down."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Ammon Khoury and Eaglemon took to the sky above a pyramid, one constructed specifically to hold an Academy. The majority of the school was underground, while the upper levels held the staff housing and ordinary subject classrooms. It was a sturdy structure, but Ammon couldn't be too careful. There was no telling what may be sent their way.
His silent questions were answered when Gates appeared and many Drimogemon exited, their drills spinning as though they were going to try to bring the structure down.
"Let's go," he told Eaglemon, who nodded and dove to the ground, prepared for battle.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Roberto Diaz and Gulfmon had been standing sentry for over an hour now, but neither was irritated at the long wait. They welcomed it, as it meant that their little moment of peace was lasting longer than they thought.
Of course, that moment had to end some time.
Roberto pulled out his D-Control while Gulfmon took a battle stance, waiting for the Gates that had appeared to open and unleash their hordes.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Clara Nervetti wrung her hands together for the umpteenth time after Dynasmon had informed them that they would probably be attacked soon.
"Relax," MedievalDukemon suggested.
"We're about to be attacked by forces sent by Millenniummon, and you're telling me to relax?" the Italian woman asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Point taken," the Mega replied, and almost immediately after, the Gates began to appear. "Well, here we go."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Kevin Donnell and VictoryGreymon stood in a clear field, an open space near the Academy, but far enough away from it to avoid damaging it too badly.
"When do you think they'll be coming?" VictoryGreymon asked, having been waiting there for quite some time. He was answered with tremors that nearly knocked them off their feet.
"Now, I'd suppose," the Irish Headmaster informed him.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Kyla McAdams and Varodurumon stood on the balcony of one of the towers of the Scottish Branch. Their Academy had been modeled after many of the ancient, medieval castles of Scotland. Their Academy, however, was even larger and included underground passageways for some of the classes.
The structure was sound enough that they barely felt the tremors, but they could see them through the way the foliage moved.
"It's time," Varodurumon said.
"Aye," the Scotswoman replied. "Let's go!"
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Elizabeth Archer and MarineAngemon were waiting by the gates, having deemed to sit while they waited. There were small tables near the pathway from the entrance to the building for visiting families, if they decided to spend their time together outside. They both knew they would need as much energy as they could muster for this fight.
"Are you sure we won't need Yuichi?" MarineAngemon asked. It could get extremely difficult, but they would definitely have the advantage if a Digi-Destined fought by their side.
"I'm not positive," Elizabeth replied. "But if they need him in the Digital World, he has to be ready. We can't have him and Wizardmon waste precious energy that might be necessary in fighting Millenniummon, itself."
"Alright," the Mega said, shrugging her shoulders. "I just hope we're prepared for what we're in for." And as soon as the words left her out, the Gates began to appear.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Elliot Labelle and Magnadramon were standing right outside the front gate of the French Branch. They wanted to be ready, and they also wanted to prevent any enemies from entering the building to where the students were.
"Shouldn't we be asking Satoru for help?" Magnadramon asked, and Elliot shook his head.
"No," he told her. "If he's needed in the Digital World, I don't want to have to pull him from a fight. If we rely too much on him in battle, and then he is forced to leave, we will be at a disadvantage."
"Understood," the Mega replied as the Gates began to appear.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"This is it," Rei said, slightly stunned that their journey was about to come to an end.
"The final battle," Tanya stated.
"Everything we worked for," Mikage added, just as disbelieving as the others. Was this really it? Was their journey about to end?"
"Be completely honest with us here," Lucemon began, looking at Hideaki. "Do we stand a chance against Millenniummon?"
"While it's still inside its crystal, yeah, probably," Hideaki told him.
"But it's very close to breaking free," BlackWarGreymon warned. "And if that happens, there's no hope, as long as we stay like this."
"What do you mean, 'stay like this'?" Mikage asked. The others all seemed just as confused.
But Chiharu understood. "We call in some old friends." Her eyes hardened. "It ends here."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"Talk to me, Chiharu, what's going on over there?" Tsukiko asked as soon as she received the call from her old leader. She'd been going crazy, being left out of the fighting while all of her colleagues were out there, risking their lives.
"We're going to need some help over here," her old leader responded. "Think you're up for it?"
"You know it."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"Hey, Yuichi?" Mayu's voice came through the D-Agent.
"What is it?" the young man asked.
"We need you here in the Digital World. How soon can you get here?" Mayu asked.
"We'll be there in a few," Yuichi replied, hanging up as he and Wizardmon left for the Team Battling Room, where they'd be able to open their own Gate.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"Hey, Satoru, we need your help."
The purple haired main froze. He knew that voice, and was quite surprised to hear back from him like that.
"What do you want, Hideaki?" he asked bitterly into the device.
"Long story short, I was acting like that because Millenniummon brainwashed me, but I'm fine now," the white haired man informed him. "If you wanna check with Chiharu, she can tell you, but I don't think we have time for that. We need you here in the Digital World, because shit's about to go down. You in?"
The older man paused. It could very well be a trap, but could he risk it if it really wasn't? After a moment's thought, he knew there really wasn't much of a choice.
"We're on our way."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Chiharu found herself smiling when three small Gates appeared in front of them, bringing Tsukiko, BlackWereGarurumon, Satoru, Lilamon, Yuichi, and Wizardmon through.
"How did you guys find us?" Leviamon asked.
"We were able to hone in on the signals from the D-Agents," Satoru explained.
"I guess these are the new Digi-Destined?" Yuichi asked.
"Yeah, but let's save all the introductions for after we've saved the world, alright?" Chiharu suggested.
"I like that plan," Beelzemon said. "Now let's get goin'." And with that, they opened the door.
Before them stood a gigantic blue crystal, appearing to hold some kind of two headed shadow with red eyes and a glowing orb in the center. But, to their dismay, there was a giant crack near the bottom that was slowly working its way up.
"Shit," Barbamon hissed.
"Looks like we're too late," Lilamon said in dismay.
"That doesn't mean we give up," Chiharu informed them all.
"We can't attack it now," BlackWarGreymon said. "That will only make the crack bigger."
"Let's get ready for battle, then, hm?" Tsukiko asked. She pulled out a card, and the other five original Digi-Destined followed her lead.
"Digital Enhancement. X-Antibody: Connect!"
The newer Digi-Destined watched in awe as the power flowed from their seniors' Digivices to their Digimon, making them glow and transform into their X-Antibody forms.
"I see someone got an upgrade," Wizardmon commented, looking at Beelzemon's new and improved Corona Blaster.
"Yeah," the Demon Lord of Gluttony said with a smirk. "I'll tell ya about it when all this is over."
The group heard a loud crack and turned to see that the crystal had just split in two, revealing something that didn't look much like Millenniummon.
"What the hell…?" Rei muttered, watching the creature. It had two heads, one of which was a more purple color, and the other was more red. The red one had a horn, and they both had shard teeth. As opposed to most two headed creatures, it looked like someone had actually taken two similar Digimon and twisted them around each other, though it seemed to decay near the bottom, about where the pelvis would have been. Surrounding it were lines of code.
"Is that… Millenniummon?" Yuichi asked, stunned at its new form.
"Greetingsss, Digi-Dessstined…" it began in a low, raspy voice. "When you sssealed me within the Millennium Gate… my data wasss… corrupted… It became… unssstable, unable to retain form… I usssed the cryssstal to give myssself form again… asss ZeedMillenniummon…"
"Yeah, and how'd that work for ya?" Beelzemon taunted.
"We ssshall sssee," ZeedMillenniummon said darkly.
"Lilac Dagger!" Lilamon attacked, but her move was lost to the data surrounding the enemy.
"Looks like that's some kind of shield," Belphemon observed.
"To destroy the enemy, we'll have to destroy the shield," Wizardmon stated, raising his staff. "Thunder Ball!" This, too, was absorbed by the shield.
"Pitiful humansss and their… Digimon petsss…" Millenniummon hissed. "Chrono Paradox!"
Everyone was forced to dodge as two beams fired, one from each head's mouth, intertwining and blasting the floor where the group once stood.
"Let's try to avoid that," ShadowWereGarurumon advised, causing Chiharu to smile a little. With everything that had gone on recently, she'd forgotten how well her old team could work under pressure. Yes, these students were good as well, but the original Digi-Destined were even able to joke around when shit got serious. It was oddly comforting.
"Mikage has an idea!" Mikage informed them as they all escaped another Chrono Paradox.
"Does this kid always talk in third person?" Yuichi asked.
"Always," the rest of the new Digi-Destined, along with Mayu and Chiharu said in unison.
"Alright, Mikage, what's your plan?" Lilithmon asked her partner.
"Like Wizardmon said, we have to destroy the shield before we can attack ZeedMillenniummon itself," he began. "Mikage thinks we should concentrate all of our attacks in one focal place. The amount of pressure and stress should make it break."
"Good idea," Chiharu told him with a smile. "Alright, you heard the kid. Let's go!"
"Corona Blaster!"
"Hades Force!"
"Dark Wolf Claw!"
"Mystical Aura!"
"Lilac Dagger!"
"Deadly Roll!"
"Gift of Darkness!"
"Pandemonium Lost!"
"Thunder Breath!"
"Empress Emblaze!"
"Slash Nail!"
At first, the attacks didn't appear to be doing much damage, but as soon as Daemon dealt the final blow to the shield, it cracked.
"If you think that… Jussst becaussse you dessstroyed my ssshield… you can defeat me asss easssily… then you are sssadly… missstaken…" ZeedMillenniummon warned. "Chrono Paradox!"
Once again, the group scattered, but Tsukiko tripped over a piece of rubble from the previous attacks. "I don't believe this…" she muttered, trying to get up, but it felt like her ankle might have just been sprained. Her eyes widened as the attack closed in on her and prepared for impact. Instead, however, she was pulled out of its trajectory before it hit. Looking up, she saw two familiar, friendly green eyes.
"Thanks," she told Hideaki.
"Is your ankle okay?" the man asked.
Tsukiko shook her head. "I think it's sprained," she informed him.
"Let's get you outside, then," Hideaki informed her, already making his way to the door, one arm around his old friend. "We can't have you dying on us."
"No way," she argued. "I'm not sitting this one out. I need to be here, for BlackWereGarurumon, and the rest of you guys."
Hideaki studied her face for a moment. It was filled with resolve and no hesitation. "Alright," he said, bringing her to the far wall. "Just be careful."
"Careful is my middle name," the woman replied with a cocky grin.
"We could use some more help here!" Yuichi yelled. Belphemon and Lilithmon had already been slammed into the walls by ZeedMillenniummon's massive arms, and it looked like it was honing in on Wizardmon.
"Got it!" Hideaki said, automatically pulling out his deck and D-Agent. "Digital Ability. Andromon's Lightning Blade: Connect!"
"Lightning Blade!" BlackWarGreymon yelled, firing the attack, aiming for one of the eyes. The attack was batted away to the side.
"Sssuch as ssshame…" ZeedMillenniummon spoke. "You were my mossst… loyal ssservant… Pity that you will have to die…" And with that, it reached down and pinned the man to the wall, slowly closing its hand in an effort to crush him.
"Oh, no ya don't!" Beelzemon yelled, turning his energy cannon back into an arm and readying his claws.
"Digital Enhancement. Speed: Connect!"
"Darkness Claw!" Beelzemon yelled, shooting forward like a rocket, slashing at the arm as he got close enough. It didn't do much damage, but it was enough for it to loosen its grip on Hideaki. Beelzemon took the opportunity to grab the man's arm and pull him out of ZeedMillenniummon's grasp.
"Thanks," the white haired man said, gasping for breath.
"Don't mention it," the Demon Lords of Gluttony replied.
"Any thought on how to take this thing down?" Chiharu asked. "Because I'm open for suggestions!"
"It looks like its data is still unstable," Tsucasa observed. "If we can destabilize it even more, maybe we can make its data scatter enough to destroy it once and for all!"
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Tanya said with a nod.
"There's no way the Millennium Gate will hold that thing a third time," Lilamon observed.
"And there's no way in hell I'm going back in that damn thing," Hideaki added.
"Chrono Paradox!" ZeedMillenniummon fired again, now that the humans and their partners were mostly in one area. Belphemon and Lilithmon were still laying where they had fallen.
Acting quickly, the Digimon grabbed their partners, while Beelzemon also grabbed Rei and Lucemon grabbed Mikage, dragging them all out of the way at speeds that the humans would not be able to achieve on their own.
"Thanks," Karuto said to his partner.
"No problem," the Demon Lord of Greed replied. "Now, let's concentrate on kicking this thing's ass!"
"Hey, Hideaki!" Chiharu called. "Remember how we got rid of the Dex?"
It took a moment for him to remember that fight ten years ago, but then he nodded, remembering. "Right!" he replied, taking out his card that he got from Indramon. Tanya, having been the one to destroy him this time around, pulled out her own.
"Digital Ability. Indramon's Horn of Desolation: Connect!"
"Horn of Desolation!" Daemon and BlackWarGreymon yelled together, firing off the sound waves directly at their target. Being powered up by the Digi-Destined, the attacks actually seemed to do some damage, leaving a small hole among the decay at the bottom of the monstrosity. The data appeared to be trying to regenerate, but was too unstable to do so, leaving fading data in its place.
"You might be stronger this time," Mayu began, looking up at the Mega with hate in her eyes. "But you're a lot more fragile! Lucemon!"
"Grand Cross!" the Demon Lord of Pride yelled, attacking.
Lilithmon slowly stood, a little disoriented, but clearly not out for the count. "Nazar Nail!" she yelled, attacking. It didn't seem to do much damage.
"I think our best bet is using energy and sound wave attacks," Satoru suggested. "If its data is unstable, then those attacks should do the most damage."
"Got it!" Tsucasa yelled. "Leviamon?"
"Thunder Breath!"
"Thunder Ball!"
The attacks slowly began to deteriorate ZeedMillenniummon's stability, but it wasn't going to let that stop it. "Chrono Paradox!" it yelled, aiming for Rei. The girl jumped out of the way, but landed on her arm and heard a sickening crack. She bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain. She couldn't let this distract her right now. She could worry about the fact that her arm was broken later.
"Rei! Are you okay?" Karuto asked.
"I think I broke my arm," the brunette replied. She offered him a grin. "Looks like I won't be flicking those papers at you for awhile when we get back, huh?"
"No, because you're getting that looked at when we get back," the boy replied. They had to keep in mind that it was all a matter of 'when, not 'if'.
"Beelzemon, think you can take care of this?" Chiharu asked, but Beelzemon was already reforming the Corona Blaster.
"Already on it, Chiharu!" the Demon Lord replied. He opened the blaster, charging it up, ready to unleash a Corona Destroyer when something curious happened. The pink energy turned blue and let off small sparks, growing larger and larger in size.
"What the…?" Chiharu muttered as the light it emitted grew blinding, forcing all humans and Digimon partners to look away.
"Aurora Force!" Beelzemon yelled, getting sent backward with the recoil of the massive attack. So that was Azulongmon's true gift. In restoring the Corona Blaster with a bit of his own power, he enabled Beelzemon to use the strongest attack of the leader of the Sovereign, even if it was just this once.
ZeedMillenniummon's data phased in and out, clearly weakened.
"Time Destroyer!" it yelled in one last attempt to destroy its enemies.
"How did that not destroy it?" Rei asked as the Mega charged up its attack.
"I believe it's only going to take one more hit for all this to be over," Lucemon stated, and Beelzemon looked like he was charging up another attack.
"Let us handle this," Hideaki suggested. He needed this. He had been used for ten years by this Digimon, forced to fight his friends. Being the one to destroy it would bring him the closure he needed.
"Alright," Chiharu said. "But you'd better do it quickly, because it looks like we're about to be in some deep shit in a few seconds!"
"Hades Force!" BlackWarGreymon yelled, charging the attack up with as much power as he could in the limited amount of time that he had. Right before ZeedMillenniummon unleashed its attack, BlackWarGreymon struck, aiming right for the core of the enemy, making its data scatter into the air, but not before ZeedMillenniummon let out a devastatingly loud, low screech that made everyone cover their ears.
"Is it over…?" Rei asked once she and the others could hear again.
"I think it is…" Yuichi said, a smile slowly spreading to his face. "We won!"
"And we didn't even have to lose anyone this time," Chiharu added with a smile.
Insert: Deep Forest
"Let's go home," Tsukiko said as Hideaki helped her stand.
"Not just yet," Chiharu said, making for the door. "I have one thing I have to take care of."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Yume no naka de nando mo otozureta ano basho
Chiharu stood in the hallway they had had to come down to get to the room ZeedMillenniummon had been in… the hallway that they had left Makuramon in. Somehow, it came as no surprise to her to see an Egg lying against the wall. The rest of the fallen Digimon had probably had their data sent to Primary Village, but for some reason, this Egg remained.
Picking it up, she looked back at the others and said, "Now we can go home."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Kioku no chizu wo tadoote oyoide ikesoudane
When the large group exited the Gate into the main hall of the Japanese Academy, a large group of people were already waiting for them. Among them were the families of all the Digi-Destined.
"It's good to see you back home, safe and sound," Nakayama said with a smile, placing a hand on Chiharu's shoulder.
"Can you take this to the Nursery?" she asked, handing him Makuramon's Egg. "I think he's earned his redemption."
Sotto te wo totte hikyoserareru
"Alright," the blonde man agreed, taking the Egg from the woman.
"I cannot thank you enough for saving the Digital World once again," the Headmaster said with a smile, sitting in his wheelchair.
"No thanks necessary," Lucemon insisted.
"It's our job," Beelzemon added as Chiharu ran over to Hiroshi.
Mienai chikara no usu hirari hirari to unmei ni shizumu no
"Karuto!" the boys parents, as well as Souta, beckoned him over, and he went, followed by Barbamon. His mother wrapped her arms around him tightly and his father patted his shoulder.
"You did well, son," he told him.
"He did more than well, he saved the world!" his mother said.
Rei searched the crowd for her mother's face as she held her arm awkwardly, and was quite surprised to find it.
Furikaerazu ni fukaku, fukaku
"I'm so glad you're safe!" she exclaimed, hugging her daughter tightly, causing Rei to hiss in pain.
"Mom?" she started through gritted teeth and her mom pulled away, looking at her, concerned. "I broke my arm."
Her mother immediately let go and said, "I'll be right back, I'm getting the nurse." Rei and Belphemon laughed.
Yodomu sora no shita de
Tanya walked over to her parents with Daemon in tow. They both smiled at her and hugged her.
"Your brothers would have been proud to call you their sister," her mother whispered, bringing tears to her eyes.
Hikari hitotsu sakasemashou
Tsucasa and Leviamon walked over to the boy's parents. As with the previous parents and children, they hugged him tightly.
"I remember that timid, shy boy you were when you first came here," his father said with a small laugh.
"And now look at you," his mother said, eyes brimming with tears of joy and pride. "You saved the world."
"I didn't do it alone, Mom," he said with a small laugh, but she made no comment on that.
Horobiyuku mae ni
Mikage walked over to his grandmother when he saw her, smiling slightly and not pushing her away when she hugged him, as he might have done in the past, at least while they were in public. His smile fell, however, when he saw who was behind her.
"Father," he said bitterly.
Mr. Azumimaya's face betrayed no emotion as he approached his son. He placed one arm on the boy's shoulder, and Mikage expected to be chewed out for putting less focus into his studies that he 'should have'. He was not prepared for what the man said, instead.
"I'm proud of you, son."
Tsubasa hirogete…
Chiharu leaned into Hiroshi's arms as she was congratulated by her parents and Snimon. Yuna and Kana even made the trip to see her, though Yuna was still on crutches.
"We didn't have to lose anything this time…" the woman replied, almost in tears, overflowing with happiness.
Hiroshi held her closer before looking at Beelzemon. "Thank you for keeping her safe," he told the Demon Lord.
"It's my job," the Mega said with a smirk.
Fly away…
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"How are the damages around the world?" Chiharu asked. After the little return party that the staff had thrown her and the others, Satoru, Tsukiko, and Yuichi had returned to their countries with promises of visiting again soon. Chiharu, of course, was concerned about the well being of the rest of the Academies.
"Not too bad," the Headmaster informed her. "Dynasmon called in the Royal Knights for assistance." He smiled softly. "Without them, we may have lost."
"Then I'm glad they came," the brunette told him. She turned to the door. "If you'll excuse me, Sir, I have one last thing I need to do."
"Of course," the old man told her, having a feeling that he knew where she was going.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Chiharu had told Beelzemon to go to their room to get some rest, as he had earned it. He had asked her where she was going, and all she had told him was that it was some 'unfinished business'. He trusted her enough to let her go without another word.
Now, sitting in front of the newest Egg in the Nursery, she simply stared for a moment.
"Look," she said, even though she knew that he wouldn't hear here. He wasn't around to hear her. "I'm probably never going to be able to forgive you, but that's a given. You did a lot of bad shit. You killed a lot of our friends and tried to tear us apart from the inside." She had to stop herself and took a deep breath. This was not what she came in here for. "But you did save us. Hell, we probably never would have won if you hadn't shown up with those data packets. I understand why you did that, you were just looking out for yourself and trying to survive but… When we got into the castle… You could have turned us in, redeemed yourself for Millenniummon, but you didn't. You snuck us in. Hell, you died for us." She chuckled a little and shook her head. "You could have left and escaped, probably hope that we and ZeedMillenniummon would destroy each other, but you didn't. You stayed, and you sacrificed yourself. So, while I can't forgive you," she finished. "I see that you repented."
And with that, she left the nursery.
I'm sorry if that was a weird way to end it, but I usually end things terribly when it's the end for good. I have nothing to lead into, so… it was an awkward cutoff. I also know the battle could have been longer, but I usually suck at fight scenes. I'm sorry if parts of this focused too solely on Makuramon or Beelzemon, but it's the way the episode worked. Now for the credits…
I want to thank you guys so much for sticking this out with me. You have no idea what it means to me. I used to lack confidence in my writing, a lot, but you guys built me up. It's thanks to you guys that I can say with confidence that I am a good writer. Hell, I may even be great. But that's because of you guys. This story? Also because of you guys. I don't know if readers can ever appreciate that they're the ones that give stories life. Without readers, this story would simply be a long string of zeros and ones inside a computer, characters strewn across a screen. Ever hear that saying, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?" Well, I ask you this: "If a story is written and no one ever reads it, does it exist at all?" You may say that the answer is an obvious yes, but I don't think it's that simple.
Anyway, I'm letting you all know now, that as I've said before, this is the end of Digimon Academy. There won't be a season 3. I know many of you would probably want to see something like that, but I don't have anything to do for it. The whole point of season 2 was the destroy the enemy they couldn't completely get rid of in season 1. Now, Millenniummon is gone for good, so what else is left? Without Millenniummon as an antagonist, it just doesn't seem like Digimon Academy. I'll miss it, but it will be nice to put to rest. It's been a fun journey for both me and all of you, but every journey has its final destination. I'm just glad you enjoyed the ride.
Finally, some thanks are in order, I believe:
A thank you to Rambonata, Skullmasta, Zel Nightale, Da-Tenshi Setsuna, Orig, Westlyking, JohnnyKlutch, Hellion Prime, Twili-imp 18, Reddisk, Ein Sof Ish, DoubleCrescentMoon, YaoiCupcakeluver, and littlelilygirl1 for your character submissions. All of them appeared, though some may have only had very brief appearances.
A thank you to Da-Tenshi Setsuna for the story in general. Without you and your Shadow Tamers series, none of this would have been possible. It was after checking your story out that I was inspired to write this, and look what it's become! Thank you so much!
A thank you MitzvahRose, for the idea for a season 2. You asked if I accepted OCs, which at the time, I didn't. But it gave me the idea to do a second season with other people's OCs in it. So thank you for inspiring Return of the Demon Lords.
A thank you to Skullmasta for War of the Digital World. I was so flattered when you asked me if you could write a Digimon Academy fanfiction, so of course I said yes. I look forward to seeing more of it!
A thank you to The Keeper of Worlds, Da-Tenshi Setsuna (again. Damn you did a lot! XD), MitzvahRose, and Gallantmon7196 for being some of my first reviewers, the first of people I have come to call 'my regulars'. In season one, for every chapter I posted, I could always count on a review from at least two of you at a time.
A thank you to me friends and family for putting up with me during this! It's been very stressful on me sometimes, trying to make my deadlines, and my friends usually have to deal with my freaking out, while my parents have to watch me scramble at 9:00 on Tuesday night. But I got support from them. My friends got me through my 'meeting my deadline stress', my dad occasionally asked me about the status of a chapter, and even my mom, who usually doesn't take any interest in my projects like this, helped me through it. Remember when I was spazzing about getting ahead for my trip to Europe. I was packing, but I was also panicking about the chapter, so my mom let me stop and finish it. It showed me that while she didn't care about it, it showed that she cared that I cared. And that meant the world to me.
Finally: A thank you to you, all of my readers throughout these past three years! As I said, it's been a long journey, and while it's nice to finish, I'm sad to see it go.
I may one day put up another Digimon series, but right now that seems unlikely. I put everything I had into Digimon Academy, so I feel like anything I do from now on, regarding a Digimon series, will never be able to measure up. I put my heart and soul into this, so I probably couldn't do better than this, no matter how hard I tried.
Well, that's the end, and even though it's all over, I would still appreciate one last review from each of you. I just ask that, even if you read and have never reviewed this before, to leave one now, to let me know how you've felt about Digimon Academy.
You guys rock!