A young woman with curly blond hair held her microphone close to her face, "This is Catherine Deneuve, reporting. Taichi, Daisuke and I were still on the run from Neo while we made our way to Lady Hikari's castle. Sora, Ruki, and Ken tried to make their way out of the forest but were going in circles. Ai, Iori and Miyako were taken by the Hangyomon to where their master, Dagomon, had been turned into a statue by Lady Hikari. They pleaded with Ai to free him, but as she tried, Makoto arrived with a squad of demonic Digimon. During the battle, Ai found her inner strength and drove a stake through Makato's heart, killing the vampire that had once been her brother. Once freed, however, Dagomon turned on them and made them his prisoners.

The Dead Princess

Chapter 35

The Forest of Memories

"We've got to stay together here," Sora said, as she pushed aside a large branch that had blocked their path, "If we step off the trail, we could be lost forever."

"Why?" Ken asked, "You've been evasive, but what is so dangerous about this forest?"

She sighed. "The Forest of Dunwich. It's a place where your inner demons can be made visible."

Chika whipped her head around, staring at the dark forest surrounding them. "Really? There are places that can do that?"

"This is the Dark Ocean," Piyomon sighed, "The only place worse would be the Dark Area."

The digimon shivered and even the humans paled. "L-let's not think about that," Chika swallowed, "How long until we're out of here?"

"I'm not sure," Sora said. She motioned to the path, a flatted strip of earth adorned on both sides by thick, dark green vegetation. "If we keep on the path, we'll be out of the forest and close to the castle."

"Hopefully the others are already there," Ken added.

"If they're still alive," Ruki said.

Chika's Piyomon rolled his eyes. "I'm guessing you didn't do much of the pep talks, huh?"

Ruki shrugged. "Look, I hope they're alive too, but you've got to accept that maybe they're not. Life isn't always pleasant."

"What should we do in that case?" Renamon asked, "Taichi is supposed to be the savior."

The orange-haired girl shrugged. "Then we just do what we can."

"Ice queen," Chika muttered as the older girl and her partner walked past.

Ken chuckled. "Yeah, she's not the friendliest person, but trust me, she'll watch our backs."

"Renamon can reach the Mega level," Wormmon explained, "So I think we're well protected."

Chika nodded. "Daisuke and V-mon almost reached Mega once."

"Really?" Ken asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know they have the Crest of Miracles, but how did they do it without another source?"

She grinned. "They're the best, that's how."

Ken smiled at Wormmon as they continued walking. "Just like Ai and Taichi, huh?"

"Well, we almost reached Mega, too!" Wormmon protested.

Ken winced. "Wormmon!"

"You did?" Ruki asked, "When was this?"

The raven-haired bird sighed. "When…during my time as the Kaiser."

An awkward silence filled the air until Sora said, "Taichi, I mean, the Taichi from my world, reached Mega without a power source. Originally, Hikari's partner was supposed to shoot him with an arrow of light and that would have given him the power to reach Mega." She frowned, "That would have happened after we defeated Myotismon."

"So how did he and Agumon achieve a Mega?" Renamon asked.

"Just training, I guess," Sora answered.

"You don't know?" Ruki asked.

The redhead hesitated before frowning. "He had a Mega when he came to Myotismon's castle to rescue us. That was before Lady Hikari…" She twisted away.

Ruki crossed her arms. "And you wonder why we don't trust you."

Sora met the other girl's glare but Chika's voice cut through the tension. "You mean that any of our partners can reach Mega without an external power source?"

Ken nodded. The tween girl looked at her digivce and then at her partner. Her Piyomon only shrugged.

Sora turned away from Ruki and marched down the path. Ruki gave a slight, smug, smile before walking after her. Ken gave the others a worried expression before following.

The silence soon became too much for Chika and she looked to her feet before turning to view the dark forest. The thick, gnarled roots looked like black hands writhing in agony. She shivered and turned back and heart almost stopped.

The others were gone.

"Piyomon?" she asked.

"Yeah," her partner said at her side, "I'm still here, but where are the others?"

Chika twisted from side to side but only saw the dark trees. "Okay, let's not panic. Um, Sora said to keep walking on the path, right? So let's just…"

She turned back and shrieked. A human was standing in the path! Her eyes focused in the dark and her mouth dropped.

Masaru was standing in front of her.


Ken had turned to speak to Ruki when he found himself standing on the top of a mountain. Below him, an army of various digimon stood assembled, a thick, black, metal ring around limbs. He gasped and studied himself, multicolored suit, whip in one hand, and a flowing cape behind him.

He was the Digimon Kaiser once more.


Sora stood in a place she recognized too well; Myotismon's castle. Lady Hikari was beside her. The vampire king battled Taichi's Victory Greymon while his partner waited on the sidelines.

"Once he defeats Myotismon," Lady Hikari whispered to her, "I will drink him dry."

Sora turned back to Taichi. She wanted to shout out to him, to warn him what Hikari was about to do, but all she did was nod. "Yes, Lady Hikari. Whatever you wish."


Chika blinked, her heart not ready to rejoice or shatter. "O-oniichan?"

Her brother stepped forward; the same messy hair, the same cocky grin on his face. "What's up, sis?"

She shook her head. "H-how can you be here?"

"You mean since you killed me?"

"W-what?"

He stepped forward, the ground appeared to shake. "You killed me!"

In a flash, his features changed. Drool dripped from fangs on his lips, his pupils were dilated in a crazed, wild expression. He tackled her, palms holding her shoulders to the ground.

She shook her head. "No! Oniichan, I…"

"You killed me!" he said, "And you replaced me!"

Her protests died as Daisuke filled her mind. Daisuke saved her when Masaru turned into a mindless vampire. She was alone; she was scared. Daisuke took her in, Daisuke kept her safe. "No…" she whispered, "Masaru, I…I never meant to…."

"You killed me!" he snarled, "And now I'm going to kill you!"

Chika stared at her brother… no, not her brother. Their father had disappeared when she was very young, their mother worked nonstop to provide for them. Masaru practically raised her while struggling to raise himself. This was not her brother, and neither had been the vampire creature killed in the forest that night.

"You're not real," she said. She swallowed and her voice rose, "You're not real!"

And then she was standing within the darkened forest once more. Piyomon was shaking her legs. "Chika! Chika!"

The tween girl rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm here." The other humans were there as well, staring into the distance with glossed-covered eyes. Their partners shook them and called their names. "We can't through to them!" Sora's Piyomon cried.

Chika shook Ken's arm. "Ken, you've got to break out of this!"


Ken blinked and his army of black-ringed Digimon was replaced by a sea of Digimon that lay dying across a battlefield, the air full of vanishing clumps of data. The Kaiser had come and death followed in his wake.

He blinked and now found himself in the Diode Matrix Prison again, the same orange jumpsuit, the same chains around wrists and ankles. He was the Digimon Kaiser, and this was where he belonged.

"Ken."

Chika was beside him in her Digital Army uniform. "Sergeant Daimon," he said.

She blinked. "You haven't called me that since…" she blinked and turned her head. "How am I seeing this? Maybe because I'm holding onto you." She gasped and turned to address someone that was not there, "Piyomon! Grab hold of someone else and try to get through to them!"

Ken blinked. "Sergeant? Are you feeling okay?"

Chika shook her head. "Never mind about me. You've got to snap out of this! This isn't real!"

"But I belong here," he said, "After everything I've done."

Chika blinked. "B-but think how much good you did for the Digital World by being with the Digital Knights!"

Ken stared at her. "W-what?"

He felt something on his other shoulder. "Ken," Wormmon said, "We don't belong here anymore. We've made up for what we've done. You helped the Digital Knights and they still need our help."

And then he was standing in the dark forest again. Chika was holding his one arm and Wormmon was on his shoulder. Chika's Piyomon and Renamon were holding onto Ruki's arms but Sora stood alone, staring at the black sky. "We need to help her," Chika said.

Ken nodded weakly. "Y-yeah."


Ruki was no longer in the forest, no longer in the Dark Ocean, no longer in the Digital World. She was sitting in a chair, dressed in what she suspected was a very expensive formal gown. A makeup artist did up her face while her mother watched from the side. "Very good!" her mother grinned, "You're gonna make me so proud."

Ruki opened her mouth but her mother pressed both hands on her head like a vice. "No talking! Pretty girls just keep quiet and do what they're told!"

Ruki wanted to protest again but she remembered her mother holding her down while scratching lipstick on her mouth. She had to obey or worse would happen. "Yes, Mama, whatever you want."

Her mother smiled. "What a good girl you are." She waved for the makeup artists to leave and Ruki's fingers curled around the edge of the armrest. Her mother marched over and the teenager winced until she felt a brush go through her hair.

"Such a pretty girl," her mother said as she brushed her hair, "You'll be my superstar. We'll be so famous."

"Yes, mama. Whatever you want me to do."

"Ruki."

A yellow fox standing like a human had appeared in the room! Next to it was a pink bird! Ruki stared and then turned to her mother. The older woman was just standing next to her; like she was frozen in time. "W-what…?"

"Ruki," the fox said, "You have to break free of this. It's not real."

"Break free?" she gasped, "I can't leave!" She glanced at her mother. "Mama needs me to go on stage."

"Stage?" the fox asked.

Ruki's heartbeat against her chest and her head whipped to her mother. "The beauty pageant."

The fox stared. "Ruki, I…"

The bird gasped. "She's scared, terrified!"

The fox spoke again. "You never told me how much that woman scared you." She swallowed, "Ruki, you have to listen to me! None of this is real. The forest is feeding off your inner demons, your fear of that woman. Ruki, you've done so much for us, I'm not sure there would even still be a Digital Knights if it wasn't for you. You don't need to fear her anymore!"

Her mother's hand gripped her shoulder. "Ruki, darling," she said, "What are these creatures talking about? You're going to go on stage right now!"

Ruki ignored the pain in her shoulder and stared at the woman. She seemed so big, so terrifying, but the teenager found strength welling inside her. "No! I won't! I'm my own person!"

Ruki gasped for breath as the black forest appeared around her. Renamon and Chika's Piyomon were holding her hands. The blue cap-wearing pink bird started. "We…"

She pulled out of their grasp. "Yeah, I get it." She motioned with her head to Chika and Ken, holding onto Sora's shoulders while her Piyomon held her leg. "Let's give them a hand."


Sora watched as Victory Greymon drove his sword through Venom Myotismon's chest. The vampire king cried out as his massive body crashed to the floor and his data evaporated. Her heart twitched in uncertainty.

"Hikari! Sora!" Taichi cried as he rushed for them.

Sora wanted to call out again, warn him what was about to happen, but again, she remained silent. Taichi embraced his sister only for her to swing her knife into his back. She twisted from the scene and saw a group of humans and digimon standing behind her, including her partner.

"Piyomon?" she asked, "How did you get over there?"

"Sora, you've got to wake up," she said, "This isn't real."

Sora opened her mouth but noticed the expression on their faces. "T-that's how it happened, then," said the boy with black hair.

Sora looked over her shoulder as Lady Hikari dug her fangs into Taichi's neck. She winced and twisted back. "I betrayed him," she whispered, "I killed him."

"No you didn't," Piyomon protested.

The girl with orange hair pulled behind her head sighed. "Look, Takenouchi, what happened…happened, all right?"

"She is correct," the Renamon said, "You need to move past this."

Sora looked back over her shoulder. Lady Hikari was gone but Taichi still lay on the floor, a moan escaping his lips. "Sora…I came to save you…Sora…I loved you…"

She burst into tears and fell onto her knees. "Taichi! I'm sorry, I loved you too! I betrayed and killed you!"

The youngest girl said, "Please, we need your help."

She blinked. "My help? Why would you need my help? I just betray everyone who trusted me." She looked back to Taichi, who was now joined by Yamato. "I play with people's hearts." She pulled off her Crest of Love. "I don't deserve this!"

The other humans and digimon surrounded her. "You wanna make up for what happened?" the girl with the orange hair said, "Then pull yourself together and help us stop the Dead Princess."

Her Piyomon hugged her legs. "Sora, please!"

"But…but aren't you afraid I'll betray you too?" she asked.

"I believe in you," the raven-haired boy said, "We all deserve a second chance."

"Me too," Wormmon added.

The young girl and her Piyomon nodded. The orange-haired girl was silent before nodded. "Me too."

They trusted her, they gave her another chance, and she was not going to screw this up!

Sora blinked and found herself in the black forest once more. "Sora!" her partner cried, hugging her legs, "You're back!"

"Yeah," she said, her voice dry. She looked at the others, "I guess you experienced the same things we did?"

They nodded. Sora wanted to ask more but could see from their expressions it was something they did not want to discuss. "All right. Let's keep moving then."

"What if happens again?" Chika's Piyomon asked.

"I don't think so," Ken said, "We rejected the darkness here, we showed it that we're not letting our pasts control us anymore."

Ruki nodded. "So let's move."

As they continued through the forest path, Piyomon spoke to her partner. "Are you okay? I mean, I don't think you're okay, but…"

Sora started to nod but then shook her head. "That vision made me remember. I love Taichi, my Taichi. I loved him and look what I did. I betrayed him." She stared at her feet, "I don't deserve to love anyone."

"Sora!" Piyomon gasped, "Yes you do!"

She gave her partner a weak smile. "Certainly not the Taichi with the V-dramon. He deserves better than me." She shook her head again, "It's not fair to him. I can't be with him."


Taichi had his hand around the Solar Digivice while Daisuke and Catherine did the same. "Neo…"

The evil Chosen laughed. "You put us on quite a chase since you ran. I didn't realize you became such a coward."

Taichi snarled. "It's not cowardice if you retreat and come back stronger."

Neo waved at Zoe and her Hippogriffomon. "Yagami's mine! Don't let the others interfere."

Taichi chuckled. "I guess this is gonna go easier than I thought." He removed the Solar Digivice from the clip around his belt. "Catherine, just hang back. Daisuke, take the other one."

He nodded. "Yeah. V-mon, take her down quick."

The blue dragon nodded and evolved to Paildramon. Daisuke and Zoe stared at each other while Neo snickered. "I'm really gonna enjoy this." He snapped his fingers and Arkadimon rushed them.

Taichi yanked the Solar Digivice free from his belt and it exploded with light. "Agumon warp evolve to Ulforce V-dramon!"

The two Megas leaped into the air and clashed with an explosion of light. Demonic claws ripped across dragon armor. Ulforce V-dramon slashed with his saber. Arkadimon Ultimate blasted out black energy from where his mouth would be.

Neo roared with demonic laughter. Taichi twisted from his moaning partner to the evil Chosen. "Neo! Stop this!"

"Oh, now you want me to stop?" he laughed, "Now that you're losing? No way! I'm never gonna stop! I'll drag you back to Lady Hikari, and once she's done with you, I'll feast on what's left!"

Arkadimon slammed down on Ulforce V-dramon's back. The dragon man twisted around and grabbed the demon's foot and throwing him into the ground. Arkadimon shot back into the air, his fist connecting into Ulforce V-dramon's chin.

"You know what she's gonna do, right?" Taichi shouted at Neo, "She's gonna destroy the Digital World to make it into her own twisted image!"

"I know," he laughed. He thrashed his arms with each word; as if to emphasize his anger, his rage. "You took Rei from me! The only part of my life worth giving a damn about! Without her, no one has a right to exist!"

Taichi felt the casing from the Solar Digivice tear into his fingers as it glowed a dull gold. Neo's own Terran Digivice glowed a dark brown, but the other boy was licking his lips. Was the battle exciting him that much?

Neo roared with laughter as Arkadimon's claws tore a scratch across Ulforce V-dramon's face. He licked his lips again. "Yes, yes! Destroy! Destroy!"

Catherine's voice quivered. "He is insane!"

Despite the roar of battle, Neo laughed. "Insane?" He shrugged, "I want this world to burn! I want it destroyed down to its atoms!" He pointed at Taichi. "Because of you!"

The others gasped while Taichi snarled. "Still going on about that? It was an accident, but you don't want to hear it! You've blamed me for years and now you're taking it out on this world! Damn it, Neo! I miss her too!" He sighed, "I wish she was here more than anything!"

Neo screamed, "It's your fault she's gone! You don't get to miss her!"

He cleared the distance between them with a leap and tackled Taichi. They rolled along the ground, their partners mimicking their attacks. Neo's hands crushed Taichi's neck while Arkadimon's tentacles squeezed Ulforce V-dramon's own. Taichi's fist knocked into Neo's noses. Ulforce V-dramon slashed Arkadimon's face with his saber.

Daisuke grunted. "Hang on!"

He started forward but Zoe appeared in front of him. "I cannot allow you to interfere."

Daisuke growled but remained in place.

Taichi rolled Neo onto his back, lifted his shoulders and slammed them into the ground. "Get ahold of yourself! It's not too late to…"

Neo kneed him in the stomach. "But I don't want to!"

Taichi hissed and Neo threw him into a pile of rocks. He threw a punch into Taichi's face. The bushy-haired boy retaliated with his own left-hook. He thought of Rei, thought of the first time he met her.

Ten-year-old Taichi strummed his fingers against his desk and stifled a yawn. A girlish giggle echoed beside him. His face burned as he turned to the new girl seated beside him; she had only joined the class a few days ago. "Um, I just, uh, it was a late night, that's all."

"Video games?"

He shook his head. "No, um, studying for the test today."

She shrugged. "I was up late too." She cast him a smile, "Playing the Digimon video game."

His face burned even more. She liked Digimon? All the other girls in school only played those stupid cellphone games. "Um, I play Digimon too."

Her smile grew. "Yeah, I see you playing it by yourself at lunch. I'll have to introduce you to my older brother, he's a state champion."

Taichi's heart beat against his chest. "Um, I'm Taichi."

She smiled, her cheeks slightly red as well. "I'm Rei."

Neo swung kneed Taichi again before throwing him onto his back and pounding down with both fists. Taichi managed an uppercut and threw Neo into another rock pile.

Ten-year-old Taichi followed his new friend Rei into her apartment. "Oniichan!" she called.

A boy a few years older than Taichi emerged from a room further within the apartment. "Hey, Rei." His eyes focused on Taichi, "Who's this?"

"My new friend," she smiled, "He's into Digimon too."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? My name's Neo." He shrugged, "Mom and Dad named me that because they knew right away I was number 1."

Rei rolled her eyes. "Don't pay attention to that."

Taichi and Neo pushed each other apart. They stared at one another, bloodied, bruised and struggling to catch their breath. They met each other's stare before rushing forward with their fists raised. Above them, their partners fired their energy attacks.

Taichi stared at the Virtual Pet in his hand, mouth open, heart beating a cold chill in his chest. He stared at the boy across the table. "Come on, pay up."

The bushy-haired boy tried to swallow despite his dry throat. He counted the yen in his pocket; all his birthday money… "Um…"

"Don't even think about backing out!" the other boy snapped, "We made a wager and you lost!"

"Hold it!" another voice snapped. Taichi whipped his head around to see Rei rushing back to the small table in the park. Neo was with her. "I ran to get him," she whispered to Taichi, "Are you mad?"

He was embarrassed and humiliated. Neo sat down at the table and removed his own v-pet device. He motioned to Taichi. "I'll double whatever his wager is."

The boy smirked. "His wager was five thousand yen."

Neo gasped and eyed Taichi. He turned back and nodded. "All right, let's go."

Taichi winced, but his apprehension vanished as his jaw dropped. Neo won the virtual tournament in what seemed like the flash of an eye. The other boy shook his head while gripping his virtual pet. "B-but I can't give away that much money! My parents will kill me!"

Neo shrugged, a smirk on his face, "Don't make bets you can't keep."

After the boy left in tears, Rei hugged her brother. "You're the best, Oniichan."

"Dot Matrix!"

"Shinning V-Force!"

Both attacks struck each other as Taichi and Neo's fists connected with each other's faces. The energy attacks exploded on contact, filling the battlefield with light.

Catherine and Floramon gasped and Daisuke squeezed his fist. Zoe had turned but Hippogriffomon remained on guard. Once the light faded, both boys lay still on the ground but Arkadimon stood tall. "No!" Catherine cried, "No!"

Neo's eyes fluttered open and he jumped to his feet. He stared at the unconscious Taichi and Agumon. He laughed and kicked Taichi in the side.

"Stop it!" Catherine demanded.

Neo's eyes seemed to flash when he turned to her. Daisuke jumped in front of her. "V-mon, get ready to…"

Arkadimon roared and V-mon winced. "That's right!" Neo laughed, "You know you're no match for us!"

"My lord," Zoe said, her voice quivering, "Lady Hikari will be…"

Neo sneered. "Yes, of course." He smirked, "Time to show her our prize."

Arkadimon hoisted Taichi and Agumon in his giant arms. Neo jumped onto Hippofriffomon's back along with Zoe. The blond girl gave a wave before her partner took off into the sky. Arkadimon gave a rough gurgle before following.

"Are we just going to let them get away?" V-mon demanded.

"We know where they're going," Daisuke said, "Let's move."

Next: Dagomon's army arrives and Hikari's castle and his long-sought revenge starts. Daisuke and Catherine finally rejoin Sora's group and they head into the castle to free Taichi. When they reach Hikari, will they have the strength to finish the conflict?

Chapter 36: Dagomon Arrives, the Battle Starts.

Did you enjoy it? Any criticism? Thanks for the read and please remember to review.