Mukuro: So, they have reached the castle in the sky, hm? Interesting…

Disclaimer: I do not own digimon, and that goes for the action figures, videogames, cards, and everything else.

Digimon: Dawn of the Shadow

Chapter 35: The Words of Azulongmon

"So, what do we do now?" Kai asked.

"You idiot. We have to go up to the peak of the castle, and speak with Azulongmon." Rika said.

"Okay, fine…" Kai muttered.

"So, which way do we go anyway?" Jami asked.

"Well, we should go this way…" Lauren said, gesturing towards a concealed staircase.

"Hey! That's great thinking, Lauren!" Kai said, smiling.

"Thanks…" Lauren said, smiling a little.

"Hey, did you just smile?" Kai asked.

"Yeah…"

"You should smile more often! You look really cute when you do that!" Kai said, grinning.

"Look at that blush. There's no way someone could possibly be that dense." Jami said.

"Don't be too sure." I said.

"Kai, can I talk to you for a second?" Jami asked.

"Sure." Kai said, turning to her.

"Die, you jerk!" Jami shouted, slamming her foot into his "Special Area".

"What the heck was that for?!" Kai shouted once he could form words.

"Oh, no reason." Jami said, walking towards the stairs.

"'No reason' she says…" Kai groaned.

"Well, we better go, Kai." Veemon said.

"Okay…" Kai muttered.

"Damn it all… I'm so tired…" Kai muttered, walking up the enormous staircase.

"Buck up, you weakling." Rika scoffed.

"Says the woman too lazy to walk, and makes her digimon carry her."

"What did you say?" Rika asked menacingly.

"Oh, nothing, my mighty Lady Rika." Kai said, bowing in fear.

"That's what I thought." Rika said.

"Riyo, thanks for giving us a ride." Jami said, holding on to Tigremon.

"Yeah, thanks…" Lauren said.

"You're welcome…" I panted.

"How much longer do we have to climb, anyway?" Kai asked.

"Oh, not much. Only 27,890,321 steps to go." Jami said, smiling.

"Damn it…" Kai muttered.

"You're lucky your legs are strong. Can you imagine having to fly up these steps?" Owelmon asked.

"Even that would be preferable…" I muttered.

"Come on Riyo! Climb with your resolution!" Jami shouted.

"Oh, yeah, that'll help…" I said.

"What about me?" Kai asked.

"Um… come on, Kai! Fall with your resolution!" Jami shouted.

"Gee, thanks!" Kai said, sarcastically.

"You're welcome!" Jami said, smiling.

"So, you're Ebonwumon?" Marcus asked.

"Yes, that's me…" Ebonwumon said, both heads smiling.

"Ebonwumon, I have a favor to ask you." Ryo said.

"I know, I know… Zhuqiaomon contacted me earlier… I'm sorry… but the answer is no…"

"What? Why?" Sakura asked.

"As you can see, I'm approaching my death very soon. If I even tried to fight again, I would probably die…"

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Alex asked.

"I'd say find Azulongmon. He's you best bet if you want to succeed in the battle."

"I see…" Marcus said. Riyo, everything's all on you…

"Who are you?!" Kai asked.

"I am Eaglemon. It is my duty to delete those who attempt to meet with Azulongmon unannounced." The golden digimon said, flying up into the sky above the plateau they arrived on.

"Eaglemon, please… let us through…" Lauren asked.

"I am sorry, wind charmer, but I cannot."

"Please…"

"Well…"

"Master Mukuramon! She seems to be trying to reason with the digimon!" A Bakemon said, flying up.

"Hmph. What a foolish idea. She can't avoid this fight. She will achieve her mega level, and I'll be one step closer to my true goal." Mukuramon said, smiling.

"True goal?" The Bakemon asked.

"Oh, you're still here? You shouldn't have heard that." He said, waving his hand, and a pillar of fire shot out of the ground, deleting the Bakemon.

"Baihumon?" Mukuramon asked, smiling.

"What, master?"

"Activate that machine, if you will."

"Yes, sir." Baihumon said.

"Well, I suppose it would be fine if-AGGAGHGAHGHUDHA!" Eaglemon shouted, collapsing to the ground.

"Eaglemon?" Lauren asked, walking closer.

Suddenly, Eaglemon arose surrounded with a scarlet aura.

"DESTROY THE HUMANS." Eaglemon said in a robotic voice.

"Eaglemon?" Lauren asked again.

"KAISER PHEONIX." Eaglemon said, charging straight at Lauren at super speed.

"Lauren! Move!" Kai shouted, pushing Lauren out of the way, getting hit by the attack and knocked backwards, and off the edge of the plateau.

"Kai!" Lauren shouted, holding out her digivice.

"Gulmon matrixdigivolve to Swallomon!" Gulmon said, turning into a white and green bird, that flew down the side of the plateau to catch Kai.

"THAT CANNOT BE ALLOWED." Eaglemon said, following down after them.

"Oh, no you don't!" Lauren shouted, holding out her digivice.

"Floramon matrix digivolve to Blossomon!" Floramon said, turning into a large flower monster, who extended its' vines out, grabbing onto Eaglemon, pulling it back onto the plateau.

"Please, can't we stop this fight?" Lauren asked.

"MUST DELETE ENEMIES." Eaglemon said, freeing itself.

"I got him!" Swallomon said, dropping Kai off next to the others.

"Thanks, Swallomon." Lauren said.

"Hey, Lauren!" Rika shouted.

"What?"

"Get rid of those naïve ideals of not trying to hurt your enemies!"

"But… why…?" Lauren asked.

"You need to win this fight! There's no time to mourn over killing your opponents! You need to win, and besides! When digimon die, they aren't gone for good!" Rika shouted.

"But…"

"THE TIME FOR TALK IS GONE. IT IS TIME TO DELETE YOU ALL. STARTING WITH THAT HUMAN." Eaglemon said, staring at Kai.

"MYSTIC BREAK." Eaglemon said, firing a blast of white hot energy at Kai.

"No… I can't… let you… hurt him…!" Lauren said. Suddenly, her digivice started glowing.

"What's happening?" Swallomon asked.

"I don't know… this feels… weird…" Blossomon said, glowing.

"Swallomon."

"Blossomon."

"DNA digivolve to Aviamon!" Blossomon and Swallomon said, fusing together int a green and white humanoid digimon with feathered arms and a vine whip.

"Petal Shield!" Aviamon shouted, and a collection of petals gathered in front of the energy beam, dispersing it.

"Now, Typhoon Wave!" Aviamon shouted, blasting a wave of energy towards Eaglemon, hitting its wing, knocking it to the ground.

"YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO WIN." Eaglemon said, rising again.

"Please, stay down! I don't want to have to hurt you again!" Lauren shouted, crying.

"GOLDEN RADIANCE TYPHOON." Eaglemon shouted, blasting a golden cyclone at Aviamon.

"Petal Blast!" Aviamon shouted, shooting a blast of solar energy out of her hand, cutting through the typhoon, and piercing through Eaglemon.

"No… I… I… killed… him…" Lauren said, falling down to her knees.

"Thank… you…" Eaglemon said, disappearing.

"I can't be… that Mukuramon… was controlling Eaglemon, could it?" Jami asked.

"Wait, so you're saying Mukuramon took control of Eaglemon, then use Eaglemon to emotionally wound Lauren, with no real relevance whatsoever?" Kai asked.

"Right." Rika said.

"I can't believe that anyone… human or digimon… could be that cruel as to strike at someone's weak point like that…" I said.

"Unfortunately, this is the coldness of reality, kid." Rika said, looking down.

"…I can't forgive him for this…" I said, punching the ground. "For doing this, I will never forgive him!" I shouted.

"What is going on here?" A voice roared, and a gigantic blue dragon descended onto the plateau.

"Are you… Azulongmon?" Kai asked.

"That I am." Azulongmon said.

"Um, Azulongmon? We have a request…" I started, but he cut me off.

"I have heard of it from my comrades. That is why I came here. I came to provide you with this." Azulongsaid, and suddenly one of the spheres around his body descended down to us, and then broke up, a light entering our digivices.

"Um, Azulongmon? What did you just do?" Kai asked.

"I allowed you to unlock the next stage of battle for you: Biomerge. While there are several of your generation who can do it, most of you cannot. This will allow you to both activate your digimons' mega forms, and you will also be able to fuse with them, creating an alternate mega branch." Azulongmon said.

"Wait, so you're saying that now me and Veemon will be able to fuse to create some new super digimon?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. Also, everyone else in your generation has also been given the ability to do it now, too.

"But why?" I asked.

"Because you must fight! I am to weak to fight, so you must do it! And even if you cannot win as yourselves, there are several contingency plans. But first, you must be able to master these forms by the end of the week, for that is when your battle will come." Azulongmon said.

"I see…" I said, staring at my digivice.

Mukuro: So, what will happen now? I bet most of you think Mukuramon is a truly vile creature, right? But by the end of the story, {SPOILER} you'll feel sorry for him.

Aviamon: A humanoid digimon with green feather clothes, wings, and arms, with white skin and a vine whip with thorns.