Disclaimer: For one final time, I don't own the Digimon themselves, but I own the plot, human characters, Academy, history, and layout of the Digital World. The song near the end, My Most Precious Treasure, is from an anime called Angel Beats!, and the song is by Orgel, I believe.
Chiharu shielded her eyes as a bright light surrounded both her and Beelzemon. When it faded, she found herself back in the chamber she had been in with the others and Apocalymon. Taking a quick glance around, she saw with relief that everyone was back safely, and each of their partners had been boosted by their own X-Antibody. She turned to see that Apocalymon was nowhere in sight.
"Is everyone okay?" she asked the others, who gave a confirmation one by one.
"What the hell kind of twisted thing did he do to us?" Tsukiko asked.
"Nightmare world," Beelzemon answered. "But now we got you out."
"What if he does it again?" Mayu asked. She seemed truly shaken. Chiharu felt the same way, but for now, she was pushing all of that down in order to focus on the task at hand.
"Then we'll just come to get you out again," Lucemon told his partner.
"He'll pay for that," Chiharu said, and everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Where is he, anyway?" Hideaki asked, looking around.
"Probably underground," Beelzemon said.
"Why?" Wizardmon asked.
"The Millennium Gate was summoned underground the first time," Lucemon explained. "The closer he is to where Millenniummon was first sealed, the easier it will be for him to summon it on his own."
"So we have to get underground," Satoru said.
"That's right," Chiharu said with a nod. "Let's go."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
It took them about half an hour to find Apocalymon. When they did, his back was turned to them, and he seemed to be concentrating on a ritual of some sort, no doubt to summon and open the Millennium Gate.
"Guess who's back," Chiharu told the Mega, who turned abruptly.
"You!" he hissed. "How did you get out of my nightmare worlds?!"
"We had a little help," Yuichi said.
"With these," Tsukiko added, holding up her X-Antibody card. "Now, it's time we taught you a little lesson."
"Prepare to meet your own nightmare world," Mayu said.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Things were beginning to heat up at the Academy as well.
The ground began to shake, which everyone recognized by now as being a Gate. But it was stronger than any of the other times.
Asuka, Hiroshi, and Dai watched as all the students around them rushed to get to safety. The three of them, along with their partners, knew they should stay. Being Elite students now, they knew it was their job to take care of this, along with the teachers, while the Digi-Destined were gone.
"Tatsumiya," Nakayama's voice asked through the boy's D-Power. "You, Kudo, and Harada are staying here with us to take care of this."
"We know," Hiroshi answered back.
"We have a problem," Nishimura's voice said.
"What is it?" Nakayama asked.
"There are multiple Gates opening at once," Nishimura answered. "I'm not sure we can handle them all."
"How many is 'multiple'?" Dai asked.
"Nine and counting," the teacher answered solemnly. "We'll send you each a map of where the Gates are opening."
A few moments later, three dimensional maps of the entire Academy appeared above their D-Powers. There were nine glowing lights, each in a separate part of the Academy. The maps grew to show the dorms as another appeared inside Dorm D.
"Oh no!" Asuka exclaimed. "They can't defend themselves!" She looked at the boys, and before she could even ask her question, they both nodded. "Thanks," she said, and with that, she and Lotosmon took off for the exit to the main building.
"Looks like it's just you and me," Dai said to his red-haired friend.
"Yeah," Hiroshi replied, popping his gum. The boys started walking, heading for the Gate near the English room. He remembered something that he'd clearly been able to see, and Chiharu had hinted to him about. "So," he started, "What do you think about Asuka?"
Dai looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Hiroshi stared at his friend. Was it possible that the boy really hadn't picked up on Asuka's feelings for him yet? "Are dense or just stupid?" he asked bluntly.
"What is that supposed to mean?!" Dai asked, though only partially offended. This was his friend, after all, and they joked around like this all the time.
"Asuka," Hiroshi repeated. "Do. You. Like. Her."
"Of course I like her, she's one of my best friends," Dai answered, and laughed at the look Hiroshi was giving him. "Relax, I'm just kidding. Yes, I like her, okay? But what am I supposed to say to her? We've been best friends forever, and I don't want to make things awkward and ruin our friendship."
Hiroshi just laughed. "Dude, you have no idea. She's been feeling the exact same way for a while now."
"Really?" Dai asked, then suddenly pulled Hiroshi next to him, close to a wall as the ceiling began to crack. The cracks quickly spread, and the ceiling caved in, revealing a large purple serpent-like Digimon with metal wings and large claws.
"Gigadramon, Ultimate Level," Hiroshi read. "Attacks: Genocide Gear, Guilty Claw, and Gigabyte Wing." He added under his breath, "Fun, fun, fun…"
"We'd better suit up for this," Dai said, pulling out a card. "Digital Enhancement. Burst Mode: Connect!"
Hiroshi nodded, holding two cards of his own. "Digital Enhancement. Digivolve: Connect!"
"Snimon Digivolve to… Okuwamon!"
"Digital Enhancement. Burst Mode: Connect!"
Both Digimon, now in Burst Mode, turned to face their attacker.
"Bring it," Okuwamon said.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Asuka arrived in Dorm D to find everyone running down the stairs, but gathering in the lounge, because everyone was afraid to go outside. It was worse out there than it was in here, after all. Asuka and Lotosmon made their way up the stairs, which felt a little like a fish trying to swim upstream, and found the Gate near the end of the hall. A humanoid Digimon had just walked through.
"Myotismon," Asuka read. "Mega Level. Attacks: Grisly Wing, Crimson Lightning, Nightmare Claw, and Nightmare Wave."
"I know he's an Ultimate, but just to be safe…" Lotosmon started to suggest, but she didn't even have to finish her sentence.
"You're right," her pink haired partner said with a nod. "Digital Enhancement. Burst Mode: Connect!"
Lotosmon, now in Burst Mode, raised her staves against Myotismon. "We won't let you harm these children," she told him. He gave a fanged smirk in response.
"And what will you do about it?" he asked, sounding very cocky.
"Destroy you, if we have to," Asuka answered. The vampire Digimon laughed.
"I would love to see you try," he said, raising a gloved hand. With a flick of his wrist, a long red whip shot out from his hand, aimed right for the human and her partner. Lotosmon raised the Caduceus to block the attack, but still took a little damage as the whip wrapped around her staff and managed to wrench it from her grasp. The Mega turned back to face her Ultimate opponent, determined to defeat him. The R-Class students with nowhere to go were counting on them.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"Corona Blaster!"
"Grand Cross!"
""Marvel Shot!"
"Magical Game!"
"Terra Force!"
"Full Moon Kick!"
All six Digimon attacked Apocalymon at once, but each was batted away by a large metal claw on a chain. The same, in fact, that had sent the children to their nightmare worlds.
"Be careful!" Yuichi yelled to Wizardmon, as well as the rest of the Digimon. He didn't want them to be sent to their own nightmare world. It took the X-Antibody card to pull the humans out. What would they possibly be able to do if their partners were lost to that attack?
Chiharu glanced down at her cards. Other than the X-Antibody, they hadn't used any in quite a while. Maybe it was time to break them out again… "Digital Enhancement. Speed: Connect!" Perhaps if Beelzemon was faster, he would be able to attack Apocalymon before the latter had time to react and bat him aside again.
"Corona Blaster!" Beelzemon yelled as the pink energy sphere gathered in his weapon. Right after it was released, he shot away in another direction, drew the Berenjena, and fired. "Double Impact!"
Apocalymon was clearly injured by this set of attacks, having no time to dodge and retaliate. The tides were beginning to turn in their favor.
The other five Digi-Destined decided to follow Chiharu's lead. Beelzemon was strong, but it still couldn't hurt to give him some backup. "Digital Enhancement. Speed: Connect!" they all yelled, sliding their cards at the same time.
In a blur of color, the other Digimon of the Chosen Children joined the battle, hitting Apocalymon fast and hard, darting out of the way before their opponent could retaliate.
"Death Claw!" Apocalymon yelled, holding out his arms as his claws extended. Most of them just barely made it out of the way, but ShadowWereGarurumon wasn't so fortunate. He was jabbed in the shoulder, pinned to the wall now.
"ShadowWereGarurumon!" Tsukiko yelled, terrified for her partner. It looked extremely painful, and if the claw moved even just a little, it could be all over for her best friend. Something just a tad unexpected happened, though.
"Terra Force!" BlackWarGreymon yelled, hurling his attack not at Apocalymon directly, but at the claw pinning the X-Ultimate. The claw broke off of their enemy, and as soon as the contact was broken, the rest of the claw disintegrated into tiny particles of data.
"Thanks!" ShadowWereGarurumon called to the X-Mega.
"Any time!"
"Digital Ability. Magnamon's Magna Blast: Connect!" Mayu yelled. Perhaps the skill of a Royal Knight would help them in battle…
"Magna Blast!" Lucemon yelled as the light gathering around him expelled from his body.
"Corona Blaster!" Beelzemon yelled, and it hit the Magna Blast, being covered in the light. Once it came into contact with Apocalymon, the Mega finally began to disintegrate.
"You won't get away with this!" he yelled as his head disappeared.
"Yeah," Tsukiko said sarcastically. "I think we just did."
"Did we win?" Mayu asked for hesitant confirmation. After their months of all the fighting, it almost didn't seem real that it was all finally over.
"I think we did," Chiharu said as a smile slowly spread across her face. That smile fell, though, when they felt the castle begin to shake.
"It looks like we forgot about one thing," Lucemon stated as part of the ceiling caved in and Ogudomon descended to the dungeon they were in.
"Lord Lucemon," the Digimon said. "It's such a shame that you refused to come back to our side. You could have been a valuable asset, yet you chose to ally yourself with these humans instead." It shook its head. "Pity."
"One of those humans happens to be my partner," Lucemon growled.
"To agree to partner with a human makes you just as pathetic as Beelzemon," Ogudomon continued as though Lucemon hadn't spoken. "But none of that will matter in a few mere moments."
"What do you mean?" Satoru asked.
Beelzemon's eyes widened. "Shit. We're in trouble."
"What are you talking about?" Wizardmon asked the Demon Lord of Gluttony.
"We used Ogudomon to keep the Gate shut. It's the one Digimon that'll be able to open the Millennium Gate."
"And with Apocalymon having done most of the job already, it will be easy to open the Millennium Gate and free the Master," Ogudomon said. The space behind it began to glow and take the shape of a large Gate. But this was different than any of the normal Gates. Chains held the large Chrome Digizoid doors shut, and there were terrifying engravings near the bottom of each door. There were two ringed handles, both of which looked like they were made out of bones. And to everyone's horror, the chains began to crack.
"Quick!" Chiharu yelled, seeing only one way out. "Destroy Ogudomon before it's too late!"
"Marvel Shot!"
"Terra Force!"
"Grand Cross!"
"Magical Game!"
"Corona Blaster!"
None of the attacks, even when combined, seemed to do much to the Mega. Lucemon could see that there was only one thing left to do, though it was risky if they didn't manage to finish this in time. "Ultimate Sacrifice!"
The cube of the attack grew around Ogudomon, surrounding it completely and slowly destroyed him.
"The deed is done," Ogudomon told the children as it disappeared. "You're far too late." And with that, it was gone. And even though it was gone, the chains on the Gate were still crumbling.
"Is there anything we can do?" Hideaki asked, but his question was answered the moment the chains had finished disappearing and the Millennium Gate slowly began to open. Long claws reached out and gripped the side of the door. As its hand began to show, Chiharu almost threw up. Its skin was the color of rotting flesh. The being that came out of the Millennium Gate was very large, and exactly how Lucemon and Beelzemon had described. This could only be Millenniummon.
"You." Millennuimmon's dark red eyes landed on the two Demon Lords present. "You are two of those who imprisoned me." The two in question, however remained silent. It worried the rest of the group to see the strongest Digimon on their side shaking with fear.
"We gotta leave," Beelzemon said. It was the only way they would stay alive. They had no hope of winning this one. He and Lucemon each grabbed their partners, and the other Digimon, sensing their fear, soon followed.
"Where are we going?" Yuichi asked.
The Demons Lords didn't answer. Instead, they led the way through what seemed like a maze of hallways and rooms, until they ended up in a storage room of sorts. "We'll be safe in here for now," Lucemon said.
"We need to get back out there and fight!" Tsukiko yelled, annoyed at their cowardice. "If we don't, Millenniummon will be able to take over the Digital World, and it will be just like before you guys went up against him."
"If we do, we'll die," Beelzemon growled back.
"We'll die anyway if we just wait it out!" Tsukiko yelled even louder. "At least if we try, we might be able to do some good!"
"Or, Millenniummon could load our data after it defeats us," Lucemon said evenly. "And the data of two Demon Lords, other partners of the Digi-Destined, and the Chosen Children themselves? It would become unstoppable."
"So, what, we're going to live in this dark little room for the rest of our lives?" Tsukiko hissed. Hideaki put a hand on her shoulder.
"Calm down," he told her. "We'll figure it out. We always do."
"We've never been this hopeless before, though," Lilamon said softly. She spoke the truth. Despite Tsukiko's brave words, there was truly nothing they could do that would make a difference.
"What if we summon the Millennium Gate again?" Chiharu asked.
"It broke free once," Beelzemon argued. "It'll do it again."
"Isn't it worth a try, though?" his partner argued.
"No matter what you guys decide, I'm going," Tsukiko insisted, and ShadowWereGarurumon went to her side.
"So am I," the X-Ultimate said.
"If you're going, then so are we," Hideaki announced. "After all, if we're going to beat you someday, we can't let you hog all the glory," he added with a grin.
"That's the spirit, kid," the older girl said with a laugh.
"I can't let this go on," Satoru said. "Tsukiko is right. We have to try." Lilamon nodded in agreement.
Chiharu sent Beelzemon a meaningful look. "We're going," she told the X-Mega, who sighed.
"Alright, fine," he said, realizing the true situation. They were the only ones capable of stopping Millenniummon even if it cost them their lives. It was like before, and they would just have to do the same thing. "But if we all die, don't blame it on me."
"Well, you're full of optimism," Lucemon commented dryly. He looked down at his blonde partner, and her expression gave him all the answer he needed. "We're in."
"You don't have to come with us if you don't want to," Chiharu said to Yuichi. It wasn't fair to ask a kid as young as this to give up his life so soon.
But Yuichi shook his head. "No," he said. "I'm coming, too."
"Alright," Chiharu said, taking a deep breath. "Let's go."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
They arrived in the same dungeon as before to see that Millenniummon had gone.
"Where the hell is it…?" Chiharu muttered.
"Follow the destruction," Beelzemon said simply, and everyone turned their heads to see one wall completely gone. Though they couldn't understand why it didn't just use the hole that Ogudomon had made before, though…
"Works for me," the goggle-head said with a shrug and walked toward the hole. The others soon followed.
"How do you plan on summoning the Millennium Gate if we need it?" Wizardmon asked. "It took all seven Demon Lords the first time, and if I remember correctly, it really drained their energy."
"We'll figure something out," the leader muttered, her mind working a mile a minute. They'd find a way. They had to.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
They found Millenniummon a little ways away, out on a cliff. It was already causing major destruction. It had opened many of its pocket dimensions, drawing in countless innocent Digimon. It didn't destroy, them, however. Instead, it made the holes spit the Digimon back out, but now their data was corrupted and evil. Even from where they were, the Digi-Destined could see that the eyes of the changed Digimon had turned a deep, glowing red.
"We have to stop it!" Yuichi yelled, and everyone else wholeheartedly agreed.
"Digital Enhancement. Speed: Connect!" every human yelled as they swiped their cards. The sooner they reached Millenniummon, the sooner they'd be able to take care of this.
As soon as they arrived, Beelzemon fired the Berenjena. "Double Impact!"
Millenniummon turned its large head and laughed. It sounded like a deep, choked growl. "You think you can stop me?" it asked, amused. "The last time you attempted it, you and your allies nearly died. What makes you think that, with your lesser numbers, you can complete your task this time?"
"Something changed this time," Beelzemon said with a smirk. "We got human partners this time."
"It won't make a difference," their ultimate enemy told him. "You will all die."
Beelzemon suddenly felt himself growing weak. "Dammit…" he muttered. "Not again…" Millenniummon was draining his energy, and it was bound to turn on the others soon. "The Gate!" he yelled. "Bring the Gate!"
Lucemon began muttering the same incantation he'd used all those years ago, and all the Digimon grabbed hands in an attempt to lend him their power.
"We need a distraction," Satoru informed Chiharu, who nodded. Beelzemon was in the perfect position to become that distraction, but she had to make sure she didn't lose him. There was something she was terrified to do, but it might be their only chance.
"Digital Enhancement. Goliath: Connect!"
Beelzemon grew in size, eventually becoming the same size as Millenniummon itself. His eyes widened with an intense rage that scared his partner. This was what she was afraid of. The Goliath card was known to give the Digimon it was used on immense power, but it also made them lose themselves to pure fury.
"Beelzemon, keep it together!" she yelled, hoping that her voice would be enough to anchor the Demon Lord of Gluttony back to sanity. "Please! Just stay with me!"
Beelzemon was seeing red, but the vaguely familiar voice penetrated his thoughts. "Beelzemon, keep it together!" Beelzemon… yes, that was his name, wasn't it? Who was this person speaking his name? And what did she mean 'keep it together'? All he wanted to do was destroy. That was what his current existence was for, wasn't it? "Please! Just stay with me!" The next set of words echoed in his enraged mind for some reason. Why did the voice sound familiar? Suddenly, it all flooded back to him. The voice belonged to his partner, Chiharu. He'd lost himself to the Goliath card for a moment. Now he knew why Chiharu had been so reluctant to use it. But they needed the extreme power it granted. He just had to hope that he could stay sane enough for this to be done and over with.
Chiharu sighed with relief when she saw the anger leave Beelzemon. She looked back at the remaining five Digimon, trying to summon the Millennium Gate. Their energy was draining fast. She wasn't sure they'd make it. Grabbing Lucemon's shoulder, she nodded at the others to join in. If they could add their energy to the Digimon's, then they might pull it off.
But it soon proved to be too much even for the group.
Beelzemon glanced back at the group. Their energy was draining quickly, and there was no sign of the Millennium Gate. "We ain't got enough power to summon the Gate!" he yelled in frustration, still keeping Millennuimmon's attention away from the group. The mass of corrupted data didn't care, though. These children didn't have the power to seal him again, so they were no threat.
"Now what are we supposed to do?" Hideaki asked, breathing heavily as all of his energy was leaving his body.
"I have an idea," Chiharu said, already forming a plan.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Hiroshi dove out of the way as Gigadramon's large metal cannon smashed down on the floor where he'd just been. Even using their Burst Mode cards, they still might not be powerful enough to defeat it. He didn't understand it, though. It was just an Ultimate, right? But in the last couple minutes, things seemed to have drastically changed, and not in their favor.
His D-Power beeped, and when he pressed the button, he heard Chiharu's voice.
"Hey, Hiroshi, how are you doing over there?" the brunette asked. She sounded very out of breath, like she'd been running for a long time.
"Could be better," the redhead told her. "It's pretty rough over here."
"You have no idea," Chiharu muttered. "I need you to do me a favor."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Hiroshi ran with Snimon close behind. He'd explained the situation to Dai, who'd let him go, though Hiroshi felt horrible doing it. He wasn't sure if the other boy and his partner could handle it, but this was more important than that. He smiled as he reached the lobby. Hotaru was currently holding her D-Control, while a large mechanical Digimon, identified as Machinedramon, fought another Gigadramon. He ducked behind both of them and burst into the Headmaster's office, not bothering to know. It was rude, but there wasn't time to worry about stuff like that.
"Tatsumiya," Shinji said, surprised to see the boy in there.
"Where's the Headmaster?" Hiroshi asked. "It's important."
"He's out at the front gate, preventing any rogue Digimon in the Academy from escaping," LadyDevimon said. "We're holding down the fort in here while he's gone."
"So that we can tell anyone who's looking for him where he is, actually," Shinji added.
Hiroshi nodded, and wondered briefly why a security guard of all people wasn't taking part in the battle as he ran to the front gate of the Academy.
There was the Headmaster, standing in front of the gate, while Dynasmon, looking a bit different, fought two VenomMyotismon.
"Headmaster!" Hiroshi called, trying to get the old man's attention.
"Tatsumiya?" he asked. "What are you doing out here? Get inside, it's too dangerous out here for a student."
"But this is important!" he yelled, taking the risky route and running around the battle. He almost got his with a misfired attack about four times, but he and Snimon made it in one piece somehow. "Chiharu called me on my D-Power. They're fighting this Digimon called Millenniummon, which was the enemy the Demons Lords fought when they came into power. They couldn't beat it, so they had to seal it in a Gate, but now it's out, and they're trying to summon that Gate again. They don't have enough power though, and she needs our help."
"I see," the Headmaster said, instantly seeing a way to help. He contacted Hotaru. "I need you to make an announcement. Tell all of the students and staff to concentrate the power of their Digivices and send them to the Team Battling room. Have Ikeda open an artificial Gate. The Chosen Children need our help."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"When's this plan of yours going to happen, anyway…?" ShadowWereGarurumon asked, weary from their failing attempt to summon the Millennium Gate.
"Soon," Chiharu told him. I hope.
No sooner than her words had been spoken, though, a smaller Gate appeared in front of them.
"What's going on now…?" BlackWarGreymon asked.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Reiko and Kazue looked at each other after the announcement was given. Yuichi needed their help.
"Please, help my brother," Kazue whispered as her Digivice gave off a pale, light blue light, which snaked out the door, no doubt heading for the Team Battling room. Reiko's orange light soon followed.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Katashi Ishikawa and Akihiro Taniguchi stood back to back as they were surrounded by a group of Gizamon. It wasn't so much as a difficult battle as it was an annoying one. Gizamon were weak, but every time they defeated one, two more took its place. The two boys had been caught by surprise, and since they were the only ones in the area, they had no choice but to fight together. Without realizing it, they'd slipped back into their incredible teamwork they'd had back when they'd been friends.
As they heard the announcement, neither could think of what to do. They were still being attacked, so they couldn't let their guard down.
"Starmon!" Katashi yelled. "Keep them distracted!"
"You, too, Knightmon!" Akihiro told his partner.
"You got it!" the Champion and Ultimate yelled together.
"You ready?" Katashi asked as his Digivice glowed with a yellow color.
"Ready if you are," Akihiro replied as his own lit up in a silver glow.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Nishimura and Minervamon were running to aide Asuka in Dorm D when they were forced to stop.
"I've got you covered," Minervamon told her long-time partner. His D-Control glowed pale yellow as the light flew to the Team Battling room.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Shimizu was forced to duck out of the way as a group of Dokugumon descended from the ceiling. Sakuyamon knocked them away with her staff. The bluenette teacher concentrated on her Digivice as much as she could, and a warm yellow and purple glow headed for its proper destination.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Asuka looked back at the fight between Lotosmon and Myotismon worriedly. They didn't seem to be doing too bad, but they weren't making much headway, either. She glanced back at the R-Class students who had all started concentrating on their D-Powers. A rainbow of lights burst from them, and Asuka added her own purple to the group.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Dai hid behind a door, feeling horrible as he did so. He couldn't see what was going on with BlackSeraphimon, but he needed to make sure that Gigadramon didn't see him so that he could send the energy he needed. A black stream of color flew from his D-Power.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"How are we doing?" Nakayama asked as Ikeda watched the power levels. It was their job to make sure that the Gate stayed open.
"Everything seems fine," she told him, watching as the multi-colored lights flew through the open doors. "We should help them."
"We should," Nakayama agreed with a nod, and with that, orange and pure white joined the mix.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"This is amazing!" Tsukiko yelled as her energy, along with everyone else's, skyrocketed. "I can feel everyone's confidence in us!"
"We have to do this!" Satoru said. "For them!"
With their boosted power, they were able to summon the Millennium Gate.
"We have to hurry, though," Lucemon warned. "We won't be able to keep it open for long."
"Beelzemon!" Chiharu yelled. "Lead it over here!"
"Gotcha!" the enhanced Demon Lord of Gluttony replied, flying behind Millenniummon, shooting it repeatedly in the back. Slowly, but surely, it was driven toward the Gate.
"I won't be sealed again," it hissed. "I will not allow you to imprison me!" As it started to get pulled in, it grabbed the doors, resisting the gravitational pull. It seemed to be pulling itself out.
"Do something!" Mayu yelled desperately.
Beelzemon looked down at the currently defenseless group of humans and Digimon. They couldn't do anything while they were keeping the Gate open. It was all up to him. He felt a strange energy gather in him, and found himself making a star in the air with his Blaster. Even more surprising, however, was that when he had finished, an intricate circle and a star of light appeared in front of him. "Corona Destroyer!" he yelled, and shot through the star. A large shockwave sent him back a few feet as the high powered energy mass hurtled toward Millenniummon, sending it straight through the Gate, which shut immediately.
"It's finally over," Hideaki said softly. "I can't believe it."
"Oh, my God…" Chiharu said, smiling slowly. "We did it!"
Lucemon wore a grim expression, and when he met Beelzemon's gaze, who had lost the effects of the Goliath card by now, the other Demon Lord did the same.
"What's wrong with you two?" Mayu asked. "We just beat it."
"No, we didn't," Lucemon said, shaking his head. "The last time we fought it, the Millennium Gate disappeared immediately after it closed. Something isn't right." As soon as he spoke those words, there was what seemed like a large thud from the other side of the doors of the Gate.
"It's trying to get out!" BlackWarGreymon yelled.
"It's too strong!" Lilamon wailed. "The Gate won't stay closed!"
"There's one way," Beelzemon said gravely.
"What?" Chiharu asked. "We'll do anything!"
"Someone's gotta give up their life and become the seal."
Insert: My Most Precious Treasure
"No…" the leader whispered. "We can't…"
"I'll do it," Beelzemon told her. "It's gotta be someone strong enough to keep it closed."
"No!" Chiharu yelled. "I won't let you! I won't lose my best friend! Not again!" Tears pricked her eyes, and Beelzemon actually winced at the memory of his partner's nightmare world. But it was the only way.
"Let me do it," Hideaki said.
Susu ga nureta nara
"Why…?" the goggle-headed girl whispered. "Why do you want to just throw your life away like that?"
Kawaku no mateba ii
"I don't have anything to go back to," the white haired boy replied. "It's the best way, isn't it?"
Mizu oto wo tatete haneta
"If we're talking about nowhere to go, I should do it," Tsukiko insisted. "I don't have a home at all!"
"You're closer to graduating than I am," Hideaki told her simply. "You'll have your own place sooner than me."
Kimi ga oshiete kuretanda mou kowakunai
Nigitte ite kureta kono te wo hasanakya dame da
Chiharu, realizing suddenly that there was no other way, nodded, looking defeated. "Alright," she whispered. "Good luck."
"No!" Tsukiko yelled. "You said you were going to beat me someday! How can you do that if you're gone?"
Hideaki turned to her sadly. "I guess you'll always be the best," he told her, and he and BlackWarGreymon turned to face the Millennium Gate. "We're ready." And as soon as he said those words, his body, along with his partner's, began to break apart into tiny pieces of data, which flowed toward the Gate, forming thick, strong chains.
Hitori demo yuku yo tatoe tsurakutemo
"Looks like it's time for us to head home," Chiharu whispered as the Millennium Gate disappeared, their friends along with it. Yuichi was in tears, and Tsukiko looked like she was just holding them back. Hideaki was her best friend, other than ShadowWereGarurumon, and with all the shit she'd been through, she almost couldn't take it, losing her best friend.
Minna de mita yume ha kanarazu motteku yo
The remaining Digi-Destined slowly went through their Gate home.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"Did you do it?" Nakayama asked them as soon as they entered the Team Battling room through the Gate.
Minna to ga ii na minna to ga yokatta
Chiharu nodded numbly, and that was when both teachers and their partners noticed that the group was missing two.
"Where's Kokawa?" Dianamon asked.
Demo mezameta asa dare mo inainda ne
"The Millennium Gate wouldn't stay closed," Chiharu said, keeping her voice void of emotion. If she didn't, she'd break down into tears. It was her job as leader to make sure that everyone had gotten home safely. She'd failed. "It needed a seal. Hideaki volunteered…"
The adults fell silent as they realized exactly what that meant. They'd lost a student. Forever.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Tsukiko punched her punching bag furiously. How could she have let the kid go like that? Why hadn't she put up more of a fight with him about it?
Mou furikaettemon dare no kage mo nai
"It wasn't your fault," ShadowWereGarurumon told her.
"Yeah, it was," the 16 year old replied between punches. "I let him go. He had no one else to take care of him. I was responsible for him, and I let him go." Her arms fell weakly to her sides. She couldn't take it anymore. This façade of being the strong one in this situation was crumbling. She fell to her knees and cried.
Mizu tamari dake ga hikatta
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Yuichi sat in his room, curled into a tight ball. He'd seen someone essentially die, right in front of him, for real this time. Not in some nightmare world. It scared him. Wizardmon was trying to comfort him, and so were Kazue and Reiko, but to no avail. There was nothing anyone could do but wait and hope that the pain would go away.
Ikiteku koto sore wa tachimukatte iku koto
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Satoru lay in his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Lilamon watched him sadly. Being such a compassionate and empathetic person, the loss of Hideaki Kokawa was weighing very heavily on him, because he felt not only his pain, but that of everyone else. It still hurt Lilamon, too, because the boy and BlackWarGreymon had been very good friends, but her pain was nothing like her partner's.
Sore ga wakatta nara ato wa fumidasu yuuki dake
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Mayu sat on her bed, staring down at the floor.
"You know there was no other way," Lucemon said, attempting to comfort his partner.
"There must have been," she argued. "If we'd only had more time…"
"But we didn't," the Demon Lord of Pride insisted. "It was the only way we could finish it in the time we had."
"I know, but…"
Doko made mo yuku yo koko de shitta koto
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"I failed…" Chiharu whispered softly, being held comfortingly by Hiroshi. "I failed as a leader."
"You didn't fail," Asuka told her. "There was something that had to be done, so you let it be done."
Shiawase to iu yume wi kanaete miseru yo
"There must have been some other way to keep Millenniummon in the Gate, something we missed," Chiharu argued.
Hiroshi shook his head. "From what I understand, it was the only possibility."
Minna to hanaretemo donna ni tooku nattemo
"Kokawa volunteered, right?" Dai asked, earning a nod from his friend. "It was his choice to do it, then. You shouldn't blame yourself, he wouldn't want you to, would he?"
Chiharu shook her head this time. "I guess not…" She sighed. "I'm just glad it's over…"
Atarashii asa ni kono boku wa ikiru yo
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Hitori demo yuku yo shinitaku nattemo
Koe ga kikoeru yo shinde wa ikenai to
Tatoe tsurakutemo yami ni tozasaretemo
Kokoro no oku ni wa akari ga tomotteru yo
Megutte nagarete toki wa utsuroida
Mou nani ga atta ka omoidasenai kedo
Me wo tojite mireba minna no waraigoe
Naze ka sore ga ima ichiban no takaramono
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
A dark figure sat in a room full of shadows, making even the shape of the figure indiscernible. "Make a fool of me, will they?" the figure said to itself. "They won't get away with it. But I can wait. I'll strike when they least expect it…"
Omigod! I'm done! This is the first long fanfic I've ever finished, and I'm so proud of myself right now~ I know I'm ridiculously mean for getting rid of Hideaki and BlackWarGreymon, but that's something I've had planned from day one. Sorry, everyone. And imagine, when there are just the lyrics and nothing else going on, imagine flashbacks of sorts involving Hideaki and the rest of the group throughout the series.
Anyway, some housekeeping stuff:
FINISHED OC LIST (I'm not accepting any more. Sorry)
Digi-Destined:
Tanya Serata – Daemon (Rambonata)
Karuto Onogi – Barbamon (Skullmasta)
Mikage Azumimaya – Lilithmon (Zel Nightale)
Rei Higurashi – Belphemon (Tamer Arisa)
Tsucasa Simorna – Leviamon (Orig)
Other characters:
Elijah Smith – Veemon (Westlyking)
Michael Althron – Wormmon (Westlyking)
Xavier Basset – Dobermon (JonnyKlutch)
Souta Onogi – Dorumon (Skullmasta)
Alexander Jackson – Commandramon (Hellion Prime)
Natalie Road – Strabimon (Twili-imp18)
Kisa Reddisk – Dracmon (Reddisk)
Piper Arabella – QueenChessmon (YaoiCupcakeluver)
Arielle Maisonneuve – Coelamon (littlelilygirl1)
Anemone Roselyn – Labramon (Ein Sof Ish)
Jason Drake – Dracomon (DoubleCrescentMoon)
Ciara Cresthill – Sistermon Noir (TheGreatElisaMousy)
Gwen Cresthill – Sistermon Blanc (TheGreatElisaMousy)
As for the poll, here are the winners:
Beelzemon (7 votes)
Chiharu (6 votes)
Lucemon (3 votes)
Mayu (1 vote)
Hideaki (1 vote)
BlackWarGreymon (1 vote)
Dai (1 vote)
Renamon (1 vote)
Headmaster (1 vote)
Antylamon (1 vote)
It will take me quite some time to get to Season 2, I'm warning you now. I want to be able to have a little time off from the stress of all the updating weekly thing. I'm sorry for those of you that may get impatient to see what happens next, or to see your character in action. Thank you all for sticking with this all the way through. I appreciate your constant support. It means a lot. Finishing this probably wouldn't have been possible without your help.