I don't own Digimon.
Hey there guys, sorry for the wait. I lost my laptop charger and I couldn't upload anything new until the new one I bought from ebay came. Luckily I've backed up all my files in my new 3Tb external hard drive so the next chapter won't take a month to post if I lose or break my charger or god forbid my laptop breaks down.
Also I think you guys are gonna hate me or cry or both by the end of this chapter. I just read again before posting it and I kind of want to punch myself. I forgot how evil of a writer I can be. Lol.
Well enjoy. Ps: if you listen to the Titanic song "My Heart Will Go On" while reading the ending of this chapter, it will make you cry.
Once A Leader…
Chapter 36: Love's Peril
Sora and Biyomon raced after Lilithmon deeper into the Temple while the others faced off against their respective opponents. Reaching for her Digivice, Sora aimed it at her partner and in a flash Garudamon appeared above her. The Ultimate Digimon wouldn't be able to defeat the Mega, Sora knew this, but maybe she would be able to hold out long enough for the others to come and help them.
Lilithmon stopped at the base of the stairs that led up to the Destiny Stone. She turned to face Sora and Garudamon and smirked. "Is this really the best that you can do?" She asked.
"Garudamon is more than enough for you, witch." Sora said as she stood beside Garudamon. Garudamon took up a battle stance in response to Sora's words.
"Please," Lilithmon scoffed. "I'm not just any mega, I'm one of the Seven Demon Lords, or in my case, a Demon Lady. I'm far more powerful than ordinary Mega level Digimon. To challenge me with an ultimate is more of an insult than a joke."
"Keep talking and we'll see if I'm really a joke or not." Garudamon growled, clearly not liking being called a joke.
"Honey, the least you could do is Digivolve to the Mega Level. At least then you'd be worth my time." Lilithmon said, looking bored as she stared at her nails. "But I guess I shouldn't have expected much since you have a weak partner."
"Hey!" Both Sora and Garudamon said at the same time.
"Who are you calling weak?" Sora shouted.
"Why, you of course." Lilithmon said. "If you were actually a threat then you'd be able to Digivolve your partner to the Mega Level. I mean, the Child of Light can do it. And the Child of Courage can definitely do it. Hell, even the Child of Sincerity can do it. But you? Pfft, can't even pull that off."
Sora was slowly beginning to doubt herself. Lilithmon was right about her. Kari, Tai, and even Mimi could make their Digimon Warp Digivolve but she couldn't. She hadn't tried it because she wasn't sure that she had the power to do it. She was scared and it was that fear that stopped her from trying. Biyomon knew this and didn't push her to try. But to have someone else, someone you hated, say the very things that you feared out loud…Sora knew that she couldn't win. Not alone.
"Sora," She heard Garudamon say breaking her out of her thoughts. "Believe in me and I promise you that I won't let you down." The ultimate then spread open her wings and glared at the Demon Lady. "Believe in me and I will win!"
Sora looked up at her partner and saw a fire burning deep within her, a fire that reminded Sora greatly of Tai. Garudamon was showing courage, true courage, in the face of overwhelming odds. And if her partner could show that much courage then so could she.
Sora wiped the tears that had fallen without her permission and nodded toward her partner. "You're right, Garudamon. Now let's win this thing and go home!"
Garudamon roared as she felt the bond between her and Sora grow stronger and she lunged at the Mega. With a powerful punch, Garudamon plowed the Demon Lady into the stone steps, burying her deep beneath the sand.
When she retracted her fist, Garudamon saw that Lilithmon was extracting herself out of the rubble and she didn't look pleased.
"I hope you enjoyed that lucky shot, bitch, because that's the only one I'm going to give you!" She all but screamed.
Lilithmon shot out of the crater and delivered a powerful backhand with her golden claw, sending Garudamon stumbling back several yards. Sora was forced to distance herself for fear of getting caught in the crossfire.
As Garudamon tried to steady herself, Lilithmon lunged at her and backhanded her again, knocking her down on her back. But before Lilithmon could strike again, Garudamon instinctually opened her wings and with a single beat flew out of harm's way.
"Wing Blade!" Garudamon unleashed one of her strongest attacks, firing off a large eagle-shaped fire blast that soared thru the air at Lilithmon at near blinding speeds.
Lilithmon wasn't able to dodge it so she braced herself with her arms. The blast struck her but it was clear that it did little more than anger the Mega. But Garudamon wasn't done, while Lilithmon was still bracing herself, the ultimate closed the distance between them and appeared right above her.
"Crimson Claw!" Raising both her fists above her head, Garudamon engulfed them in the most intense flames she could muster and slammed both fists into Lilithmon as she lowered her arms.
The Demon Lady screamed as she was sent spiral down into the ground below where she crashed with the force of a falling meteor. A large column of smoke and sand rose from the impact crater and Garudamon landed a few yards away from Sora, panting hard. The fight had barely started and already she was feeling drained. Using her strongest attacks was quickly draining her and if she didn't find a way to end it, Garudamon would lose the battle.
"Did you get her?" Sora asked as Garudamon landed close by.
"No, she's still very much alive and probably pissed off." Garudamon told her. "I think it might be time to call for back up."
"I'll try to see if I can find Tai." Sora said as she made to leave.
But before Sora could take a single step, the ground trembled as Lilithmon erupted from her crater. She shot toward Garudamon and proceeded to unleash a barrage of punches and claw swipes at the ultimate. Sora cried out in pain as she felt her partner's pain thru their bond. Garudamon instinctively beat her wings and flew toward the sky but Lilithmon chased after her.
Trembling, Sora tried to turn around and make her way toward the other side of the temple where Tai and the others were fighting but she could barely move. Garudamon was taking too much damage and Lilithmon wasn't going to grant them any mercy.
"V-Laser!" Lilithmon was forced to stop her assault on Garudamon as a golden beam narrowly missed her.
"What's this?" Lilithmon asked as she glared at the Digimon that had attacked her. "First you insult me by sending an ultimate to fight me and now you bring a champion?"
"Got a problem with champion Digimon, lady?" ExVeemon asked as he hovered a few yards away from her beside Garudamon.
"Be careful, ExVeemon…" Garudamon warned her friend. She was breathing heavily from her fight and she knew that she didn't have long in her current form. "She's a Demon Lord."
"I don't care if she a Demon Queen, no one messes with my friends and gets away with it." ExVeemon said.
"If you're not going to take me seriously then perhaps I should make you both suffer for your insolence!" Lilithmon said as she glared at the pair. But then she glanced down and caught a glimpse of red hair. "Or better yet, make you watch as someone you love suffers for you!"
Then before ExVeemon or Garudamon could stop her, Lilithmon flew down toward Sora and picked her off the ground by her throat. Everyone watched helplessly as Lilithmon raised Sora up to her face and with a wicked grin that was meant for Tai, Lilithmon closed the distance between her and Sora.
Garudamon roared with primal rage as she charged at Lilithmon, her injuries forgotten. The fate that Lilithmon had just cursed Sora with was a fate worse than death. Lilithmon dropped Sora to the ground and turned just in time to stop a Nova Blast from hitting her. But in doing so, Lilithmon failed to see Garudamon come down from above and slam one of her claws into her back and take her off into the air.
As Greymon neared Sora's location, Tai jumped off his partner's back and dropped down to his knees beside her. Picking her up in his harms, Tai was relieved to see that she was still alive. But there appeared to be a red and green glow around her body. The colors, for a lack of a better term, seemed to be fighting around Sora.
"Sora, Sora, wake up…" Tai tried to wake her but she didn't respond. Tears began to form in his eyes but Tai quickly wiped them away. "This isn't the time for tears." He told himself. Looking up at his partner, Tai said. "Greymon, take Sora back to where Cody and Yolei are at. I won't be able to focus if she's in danger."
"What are you going to do, Tai?" Greymon asked as he took Sora into his arms.
Tai stood up and looked at ExVeemon who just landed beside him. "I'm going evolve ExVeemon to Mega so that we can take that bitch down once and for all."
Greymon looked at his partner and nodded. He knew what Tai was feeling at the moment, their bond was as strong as ever. And he also knew what Lilithmon had done to Sora. The only way to break the curse was to destroy Lilithmon. Tai entrusted Sora's life to him so he would protect her with everything he had. Looking up at ExVeemon, Greymon gave the champion a nod before turning and making his way out of the battlefield.
"Are you ready, ExVeemon?" Tai asked as he pulled out his Digivice.
"I was born ready." ExVeemon said.
Tai raised his hand and aimed his Digivice at Davis's old partner. Was this how Davis felt when he made the same choice? Did he feel calm knowing that it was the only way? Or did he do it without thinking because there was no time to think? Tai didn't know what was worse; having time to think about dying or having no time at all and not see it coming. He guessed he would be asking Davis how it felt real soon…
End of chapter.