Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
On a separate note what a time to be alive. People live in fear of the corona virus, and they rightfully should, humbling themselves realizing a man is not the measure of worth in the world as we would all live subjectively to whatever benefits us the most. But, in the darkness of this time, I myself have found myself growing closer to those I truly care for. Our circumstances may all be different, but we can adjust how we live to what truly matters to us. And through all the pain and the hurt and the agony, God is still working in mysterious ways. Nevertheless, persevere on my friends. We will all make it together, or we won't. Some of us may fall, but it's up to others to carry on our memories. I pray that all of you are able to stay standing after this viral storm has passed. Let's all take a step forward one step at a time.
One other thing. All throughout this Digital Adventure, both Takeru and Hikari have had to find out what it is they mean to each other, but not only that, they have had to step past their own fears and doubts to press on into the future, even if they must obey Homeostasis. Though they seem to have fallen, the others are standing, fighting in their place. When one truly knows who they are and can look in the mirror honestly and give an assessment of themselves, one can personify their beliefs and strengthen their resolve. And when one does, others will see who they really are, and others will fight for them. Only when the darkness arrives and threatens to consume the Digidestined will they realize that what they've become and are becoming is only going to make the battles that much harder. If they truly personify their beliefs, if they realize just what it is they mean to each other, then they will risk losing it all in order to protect each other, and the worlds that are depending on them.
Chapter Twenty-One: The Reign of Terror
Taichi looked over at Takeru and Hikari, the two of them defenseless, their partners aggressively grounding out standing against the unknown dark forces. Despite how bad things looked, he knew if they still somewhere deep down were fighting, then he knew he had to fight.
He looked down at Agumon, his trusty bright green-eyed buddy who seemed to return his gaze with a head nod as if ready to get some action.
"You really think you've planned it out like this?" he asked taking one step forward. "I don't know you think you are, but you're wrong about us. We're not going to lose."
Akama looked at him oddly and clapped his hands. "That must be your courage your demonstrating," he grinned. "But what just do you think you can accomplish? Only holy digimon stand any chance of defeating me. And you all, each and everyone single one of you," he said pointing his finger at them all, "that power of the crests you harbor so deeply inside of you will prove to be your undoing."
With that, the shadows started to stir, slowly venturing over to them all taking shape.
"What are you talking about?" Mimi asked walking forward, a dark digimon coming forward with dark tentacles like some sort of monstrous bush with thorns and briers to attack her.
A green light summoned forth as Palmon called out her name and digivolved into Togemon. She quickly got tangled up in the bush trying to punch it, unsuccessfully and then digivolved into Lilymon. Lilymon tried attacking her with flowers, but it was no use. She got tangled up like a fly in a spiders' web.
"Come on Lilymon!" Mimi exclaimed. "You can't let that overgrown garden shrub defeat you! Digivolve!"
With that Lilymon mega digivolved into Rosemon facing her foe.
"Oh goody," Akama grinned. "I was looking forward to this match. Digidestined," he said one hand outstretched to all of them, "Just as I am the antithesis of light, these digimon are the antithesis to everything you represent. That digimon you see in front of you was prepared especially for the crest of sincerity, but instead of being filled with sincerity, it is corrupted with lies and deception and is the dark mega form of Palmon. It will kill both of you, and will spread the thorns and briers through out your world."
"You talk big," Taichi said, one fist raised, "But together, we cannot be stopped! Agumon!" Taichi said, turning to his dinosaur partner, "It's time to digivolve!"
With that, Taichi watched with confidence as Agumon changed to Wargreymon, his claws sharp and poised ready to attack. He turned to the others who also seemed to have gotten ready to fight except Takeru and Hikari. Their digimon also looked ready and eager for battle digivolving into their mega forms.
"Ah yes," Akama snickered. "That old adage is really true isn't it? Together, we are unstoppable? It just shows how weak you are individually," he smirked. "That's why digidestined, my curiosity for how Homeostasis has used you has reached a zenith, but alas a breaking point. If you can't defeat these counter digimon equal and may I say superior to you in many ways then you were no foe to begin with. You are utter garbage!" he exclaimed.
With the snap of his fingers the five shadowy figures flung themselves over to the others.
"Allow me to introduce you," he said, his hand towards the digimon that had tangled up Rosemon. "Sorry, I guess you're a little tied up at the moment?" he wondered entertained. "This is Briarmon, a thorn brush digimon. Looks like you've already gotten into an entangled relationship!" he laughed.
With that, Taichi stood his ground as a digimon flung itself over to Wargreymon. "And you, Mr. Crest of Courage, I introduce you to Ashgreymon, the dark digimon that will reveal you for your cowardice," he declared. "Go ahead and despair for your cries will be drowned out swallowed by burning ashes!"
Taichi stared at the creature, his nerves rattling looking at it's monstrous appearance. It looked similar to Skull Greymon, but had developed dark sinister wings, it's eyes soulless, a fiery dark aura surrounding it's sharp bones running almost painfully up and down it's body; it's body charred ash gray as if it had been burned by it's own power.
Taichi watched helplessly, only Wargreymon shielding him from the intense heat of the ashes, the dark digimon's footprints leaving an ashy burning residue wherever it stepped.
"Just how is this possible?" Taichi wondered allowed. "You've never digivolved into that!"
"This doesn't make any sense!" He heard Koushiro sputter. "None of our digimon has ever gone mega like that except Ophanimon, and-"
"-You wish to know don't you?" Akama said, interrupting him. "Then I will tell you. You all are familiar with the dark ocean vaguely. I attempted my minions to kidnap Hikari, even using the shadow of some demon sea king for my own pleasure, but alas you escaped." he pointed towards Koushiro, Taichi a bit puzzled.
"The dark ocean serves not only as a power source for my power, but also as a power source for all human emotion. It unknowingly to you absorbs all the negative emotion from the human world, but, even more directly from the digital world. With all the negative emotions you've poured into it, they have been amplified, smoldering like a burning flame and now seek to consume you all."
"But why would you do that?" Koushiro asked. "Why go so far just to put the world in darkness? What do you hope to achieve? You can't be human. You're not Akama," he said. "Just who are you?!"
With that Akama grinned evilly looking at him. "You foolish boy, don't you know you have to prove yourself before you are answered?! The gall!" he exclaimed. "Now prove yourself or risk dying without answers!"
With that Taichi observed an oozing digimon with giant feeler teeth slither over towards Koushiro, HerculesKabuterimon guarding him.
"What is that thing?!" Koushiro observed, the beetle, exposing wings from it's own skin, fleshy residue coming out. "It's like you, but without the hard shell HerculesKabuterimon!"
"A very wise observation," Akama said. "This is HadesKabuterimon, the decayed mega level dark form of Tentomon. The cocoon of the underworld torments his victims, and the despair sucks the nutrients from his prey's body. From the smartest to the dumbest, you will be struck speechless realizing how miserable all your knowledge has made you."
"What powerful digimon!" Joe said taken aback rubbing his glasses with his hands. "Don't tell me we all have to fight something like that?!" he exclaimed.
Akama pointed toward him as if challenging him. "Well done crest of uselessness, I see you have identified your greatest shortcoming. It will only strengthen the one seeking to take your life."
With that, the dark shadow emerged, curved horns and a golden scepter in it's hand as if he was a sorcerer.
"The tool of your destruction, Lokimon," Akama revealed. "It's dominating scepter freezes all that come into contact with it upon one look into it's freezing gaze. You shall bow on your knees before shattering into dust."
Taichi looked upon the others nervously. "It's all right!" He shouted. "We've taken on mega digimon before and won! Just because we're one one one does not mean we will lose!"
"Do you really think so?" Akama taunted, his eyes staring at Sora. "You, digidestined, the one with the crest of love, the revulsion of detestation!" he said. "Allow me to introduce to you you're digimon's true self, "Anzumon!"
Taichi observed Sora, shudder, the imposing digimon with the body of an eagle and the head of a fierce some lion, bearing down at Sora, Phoenixmon shielding her.
"Anzumon is the dark mega form of Piyomon," Akama explained. "If you're caught in her shrieking winds, you will be torn to pieces both body and soul!"
Taichi glanced at the doors, each of the dark mega digimon imposing as if ready to destroy each and every one of them. "It feels so much different," he said, his heart weighing heavily. "When I look at this thing Wargreymon, I-"
"-Taichi," he said stepping in front of him. "That digimon will feed off of any cowardice you show. You must not let it's presence torment you. I can't win if you don't fight with me. Show your courage!"
Taichi nodded his head. "K buddy. I'll try."
"That's the way," Yamato said giving him a thumbs up. "We can't let anyone get in our way. We got this."
Akama's face frowned and shook his head. "You certainly can give a thrashing, but, I promise you this time, you will be the one getting thrashed...and you won't ever get up again," he said to Yamato."Behold the instrument of your demise!" he said as a dark shadowy figure revealed itself. "Fenrirmon, the dark mega form of Gabumon spawned from isolation and loneliness. Instead of embracing technology, in this dark mega form he embraced the darkness and the moon, which cursed him. Fenrirmon when he bites his opponents with his bite curse curses them to transform into a beast themselves."
Taichi saw Yamato nearly buckle to his knees as Fenrirmon appeared, a savage darker wolf on four legs, a second wolf next to it in white.
Taichi gritted his fist, trying to be strong for the others. "Listen everyone," he said, "We can't let these guys beat us. The world is counting on us. Takeru is counting on us! Hikari, she is counting on us!" We have to protect them!" he shouted. We can't let this world fall!"
"What can you do?!" Akama spouted. "You, a weak flesh and blood creature?! Do you think with your weaknesses any of you can hope to survive this?! These digimon were tailor created for your ultimate end! Yet if you do survive, my darkness will be waiting to swallow you all whole."
"You're not sounding like yourself!" Taichi shouted. "Akama, I know you hated us, but no human could be this way. You're not yourself!"
He gritted his teeth as if irritated. "What do you mean I am not myself? I am Akama," he blasted. "I am the original digidestined, the one all of you have benefited from by Homeostasis!"
Taichi stepped back as Akama started shaking, his knees bending to the ground grasping his stomach.
"Hey what's wrong?!" he shouted. "Are you giving up the fight?"
"Never!" he roared as if fighting through pain. "Not until I avenge Courtmon I-"
"You're talking as if you're two different people!" Yamato shouted. "Are you Akama, or are you someone else?!"
"Someone else?" he said allowed as if he was hesitant to answer. "Like who?"
"Terrormon!" he shouted back like an arrow, a look of terror overcoming Akama.
"No!" he exclaimed, his body writhing in pain even more. "That's impossible! Terrormon is gone! He is-"
"-Here," a different voice said coming out of his mouth surprised.
Shocked, Taichi saw Akama spew out an infernal darkness, much like he had seen before with Oikawa a long time ago that Hikari had told him about.
Taichi felt his spine shudder as a dark form emerged unlike anything he had ever seen.
"It is time," Terrormon said, it's skulking form leering down at them. He was completely black, green, and gray, resembling Freitmon, but so much more terrifying and imposing. He had savage black claws, sharp fangs, four wings, two stretched out from side to side, two wings standing straight up a giant sphere of dark light in the center of them. It's face was ashen white with sharp green eyes and chiseled features.
Akama looked on him in absolute horror, Taichi also unable to believe that monster could have been inside of him all this time.
"Behold, the face of your murderer," he said, his eyes full of murderous intent for Akama. "That witch Homeostasis destroyed my body, but my data absorbed into you and you were absorbed into Noblemon. My influence changed Noblemon into Fiermon, and then into Freitmon. Once he was defeated and you were freed, I was freed as well. I fed off your desire for vengeance until I manifested my true strength once more."
"You used me the entire time!" he grimaced. "It's because of you I lost everything! Even my digimon! You destroyed my life completely!," he said bitterly. "How could I have been so blind my rage has gone on this long? You were influencing all of my actions hurting others!"
Terrormon seemed to be laughing, Taichi itching for a battle. "Of course. I took great pleasure in causing the digidestined physical pain. But, see where that's left you," he said. "No digimon partner, no family, no power, you have nothing! I took from you everything I could and now that you are no longer needed I will take your life!"
Terrormon walked over to him, a dark claw outstretched ready to squeeze the life out of him.
"What do I have?" Akama asked as if he really did not have anything. "When I was absorbed everyone left me and when I returned I had nothing to return to," he said, tears pouring down his face. "I thought that if I could get vengeance I could finally be at peace, but I was fooling myself. I have nothing," he said in sheer agony as if waiting for his life to end.
"That's not true!" Taichi shouted. "Akama! You may have hurt all of us, but even so, you are one of us! And a digidestined never turns on another! We may take some time to heal, but it's not too late for you! We're here fighting and you need to fight to! Don't give up!" he encouraged him.
"Fools!" Terrormon lashed out, all of the digidestined falling on their hands and knees upon the weight of his voice. "My name, my voice alone is enough to make you beg for me to spare your existences. In this critical hour of my victory, your light is dim, your hope is paralyzed, and see now, the darkness within the dark ocean will expand and consume your world!"
Taichi looked all around him, his death feeling imminent. Somewhere along the way he himself had fallen into darkness. He had thought after defeating Freitmon the darkness was finally over, but, no, it only had been a shadow of the things to come. Not only he himself, but the digimon, and his own sister and Yamato's brother were relying on them to make it through no matter what.
"You may think you've won," he said, clutching his digivice. "You may think you've had this all figured out. You and Homeostasis both!" he exclaimed angrily. "But until our hearts have stopped beating, and as long as we are here, alive, still breathing, this is not over! Not by a long shot!"
The darkness gathered close, Taichi feeling his chest pound in terror, but burning brightly with life. The other digidestined were all looking at him, he knew that. He knew somewhere deep down Hikari was looking to him and Takeru, and even to an extent Homeostasis. To fight the darkness, to defeat the terror consuming them, all they needed was a spark. And, Taichi, whether burning brightly with courage or trembling with fear about ready to burn out, knowing he had to go all out, was the match.