A/N: Part of the journey is the end. Love and be loved. Read… and review!
All the Dead Lie Down
"Can you read that back to me again?"
"Sure. My screen shows optimization at 4.14, 7.08, and 12.14."
Mitsuo pauses for a second, to double and triple check the readings, but also for dramatic effect. He is fully confident in their combined abilities and he wants to savor the moment.
"Well?"
"We've got it."
"We've got it?"
"We've got it!"
"Hurrah!" Kenta shouts in excitement.
Mitsuo Yamaki has found that much of what happens in people's lives is bullshit. Happiness and success dragged down by time and responsibility. The good in the world is fleeting, chased away by hard times. That is a difficult concept to come to terms with, but an important one. That kind of clarity allows for one to take inventory. Yamaki has learned when to indulge in successes and celebrate the little victories.
This moment right now is no little victory.
'This is a huge win.'
Yamaki had been hours ahead of him, but Ryo eventually saw what Yamaki saw. Heroes and Monsters weren't two separate ideas: they could be one. Monsters coming to be the heroes. Kenta and Yamaki had successfully both brought in necessary reinforcement, and reversed the course of Juggernaut. Now, they just needed to stall.
"So how will it work exactly? How will it pull them back?"
"It pulls by density. Takato and the others won't get pulled, at least not right away."
"You mean, they can get sent back to the Digital World?"
"If they de-digivolve their partners will definitely go. The sum of it is this: the stronger they are, the longer it will take to pull them back."
"So that means The Shadow…"
"Will be the last to go, but he will go."
"What about Gallantmon and -"
"If we time it right, and they win down there, we can send everyone but Guilmon and company back."
"But what if they…"
A silence falls between them. This last question hangs over the room. When no response comes, Kenta looks around and asks, "Where's Jeri?"
Yamaki pauses and thinks before replying, "Didn't she help Ryo?"
"I don't know. I didn't see her leave with him?"
"Then she must be around her somewhere, she probably just wandered off," Yamaki fixed his glasses. "I'll go find her. You stay here and keep an eye on things, make sure nothing goes out of whack."
Yamaki steps into the shadows in search of the brunette.
"MEGA TWISTER!"
MegaGargomon charges his opponent and wraps him in his arms. Swiftly he lifts the hulking mass above his head, then he spins rapidly before tossing them to the dirt below.
Crashing into the ground, their armor cracked all over, BlackWarGreymon groans. He looks up and shouts, "You'll pay for that, scum!"
"Will he? I'm not so sure."
BlackWarGreymon turns his head. A silver android with a red cape stands above him. Before BlackWarGreymon has a chance to react he shouts, "THUNDERCLAP!"
Slamming his metal arm into the ground, a path cracks and breaks all the way towards the dark Knight. Light erupts along the path until under him is nothing but bright lights. Suddenly, he feels a shock and pain. Then, he feels nothing.
MegaGargomon watches the data fade away and looks down at his comrade, smiling, "Glad you could join us."
Rustle
Justimon smiles back, "I couldn't let you all have all the fun!"
"Haaa!"
From out of the shadows of the forest a tree lunges at Justimon. Neither he nor MegaGargomon moves, neither ever saw it coming. A Cherrymon grabs hold of him and pulls his arms and legs apart.
"Izuna!"
Suddenly a flying fox of fire passes into Cherrymon. A second later his brush explodes into flame. He releases Justimon and reaches up to try to put out the flame. As he does, a maiden in a white kimono dashes through him, wielding a sacred broom. He too feels pain for a short while, until he feels nothing.
Sakuyamon Maid Mode turns and faces her friends. For a moment they stare in stunned reverence at how effortlessly she dispatched her enemy. After a moment, Ryo turns to his friends and pronounces, "See, this is why they needed us last time!"
The group shares a laugh for a moment at this. It's good for them to expel some relief amongst the mayhem. Sakuyamon Maid Mode turns to them and says, "I'm just glad we could all fight for the good guys this time."
Whoosh
"SHADOW SLASH!""
The fun and good times come to an abrupt end as a Kuwagamon swoops in and tries to decapitate them. As it swings past though, MegaGargomon opens the miniguns on his gauntlet. He takes aim and fires out in front of where he flies.
'Perfect!'
The beast is blasted in the back. It falls away, deep into the forest around them.
MegaGargomon returns to his friends, "Hey, by the way, when am I getting my fancy new Mode? Ya know, since you and Takato each have one now. I'm thinking MegaGargomon: Mega Mode."
'Freaking dweebs.' Rika thinks to herself as she shakes her head and chuckles.
Justimon butts in, "Oh, actually, mine is on backorder."
Both turn to him laughing. "Yeah, I forgot to uhhh mention that earlier," he deadpans. "Mr. Omu said it'll arrive in 2-3 weeks, but that was like, I don't know, 6 or 7 weeks ago now, so who knows?"
"Just shut it." Rika laughs.
MegaGargomon chuckles to himself but in the process his eyes wander and he sees an enemy flying away, unpursued. He points to the Saberdramon and says to them, "I'm gonna go kill that big, black, bird thing that's about to reign fire on the city."
Rumble
They each nod to him and then he flies off in a hurry. Sakuyamon Maid Mode turns to Justimon both turn to face a crowd of charging Infermon. Justimon does a light stretch as they race towards them. Sakuyamon Maid Mode brushes some dirt off of her shoulders. His fist begins glowing with lightning. She sticks her staff on the dirt and a light spreads across the ground.
"Thunderclap!"
"Amethyst Mandala!"
Both attacks travel along and reach the group, erasing them with ease upon impact. The two friends relax as they stand side by side, staring up at the floating data like shooting stars. Justimon leans over and says, "Speaking of Mr. Omu, you weren't there to stop me from digivolving this time."
He peeks at her expecting a reaction. Too smart at his game, Rika doesn't give him one. She simply replies, "I knew I should have brought more option cards with me."
Justimon leans away and laughs. He shakes his head and smiles. Oh how he loves to play with her. "Maybe next time?"
Sakuyamon Maid Mode smiles, "In the meantime it'll be good to see you get your mojo back."
They share a warm stare. Some rustling in the distance catches Rika's eye. She points at a mechanized dinosaur and says, "I'm gonna go take on that RustTyranomon."
Without hesitating Justimon replies, "Good luck."
"Wh-You're not gonna help me?" She asks, caught off guard.
"You don't need my help," he replies flatly. "And besides, I see a Piedmon over there. Gonna feel pretty cool to kill a Piedmon."
Rika thinks it over a second and then nods her head in agreement. Without another word they go their separate ways to fight the minions of the darkness.
Smack!
Takato was having more trouble than he cared to admit. In the mess of things, he had somehow gotten tangled with one of The Shadows top lieutenants, Devidramon. Granted, he'd missed a few shots, but now he laid face down in the ground after a Darkness Claw attack. He sits up, turns around and Devidramon hulks over top of him. The dragon stares down at him and roars.
"RAWR!"
The beast raises his arms up in a fist to bring down upon Gallantmon Crimson Mode. In the blink of an eye though, he gets pulled back a step. He stumbles backwards and reestablishes his footing. Turning behind him he sees a fallen angel in a motorcycle jacket holdings his tail.
"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Beelzemon says to the beast.
With a giant pull of both arms, Beelzemon lifts the beast off its feet, over his head, and then sends it crashing into the ground behind them, crushing many trees beneath it.
'I am not throwing away my shot.' Takato thinks.
Gallantmon Crimson Mode rises and zips through the air at the disabled beast. He plants his sword between its wings, twists, then withdrawals it. The monster feels pain for a moment. Then it feels nothing.
"Thanks for the assist." Gallantmon Crimson Mode says to his friend.
"Don't mention it."
Takato looks at Beelzemon and smiles, "Last time I saw you-"
"I was dying in your arms, don't remind me."
"I promised that we'd see each other again." Takato remembers this part more fondly than when he actually experienced it in the moment.
"Yeah, but I thought you meant we'd be eating some donuts or pudding. Not fighting in another war!"
"I'll tell you what," he says, adjusting himself and turning to face his friend fully. "If we win this one, I promise the next time I see you I'll bring donuts."
Beelzemon pumps his fist in celebration, "Now that's what I'm talking about! But none of that plain, boring stuff. The jelly filled kind, those are my favorite."
"Ha. Deal!"
They share a smile before Beelzemon grows more serious. He asks, "Where's Jeri? Is she safe?"
Gallantmon Crimson Mode shrugs his shoulders and replies, "I'm not sure. You should find Ryo, he was with her last."
Beelzemon nods and then flies off to find him.
Surveying the battlefield while avoiding crossfire, Beelzemon searches for a minute or so before finally finding what he's looking for. He swoops down to the scene.
Justimon falls into a heap on the ground and looks up as the Dark Master himself approaches. He leers down at Ryo.
"All the world's a stage, boy." He unseaths a pair of swords out of the Magic Box on his back. "What for you is a tragedy, for me is but a comedy!"
Justimon plots through a few escape plans quickly but none of them come to fruition. As Piedmon raises the swords over his head to bury in him, a metal claw reaches out and grabs Piedmon's arm. Quickly turning back the King Clown sees an enemy holding him back.
"Do what you must to me, but I will not allow you to hurt these children," Beelzemon tells him.
Turning on spot, Piedmon uses his free sword and buries it into Beelzemon's chest!
"ARGH!"
Beelzemon releases his grasp on Piedmon's arm and he fully turns towards the Mega.
"Don't you just hate it when someone cuts in on your scene?"
From behind Piedmon a voice comes, "I do."
Thwick!
"Ugh."
Piedmon gasps and drops his swords. They clatter on the ground before exploding and streaming away. The Dark Master looks down at his stomach. Beelzemon's eyes follow. Sticking out through his abdomen is a laser blade made of red energy. He feels pain for a moment. And then he felt nothing.
The data streams away in between Beelzemon and Justimon. Beelzemon rubs his chest where the sword had been buried a few seconds ago. The cut is shallow but burns nonetheless. Justimon examines the wound a second and asks, "You okay?"
"I'm fine. I'll be fine," he corrects himself. Beelzemon gives a solemn look to Justimon, "Where's Jeri?"
'"I just… I need to get some fresh air."'
"Ugh, she was at Hypnos with us, but," he pauses. The look of concern on Beelzemon's face stings Ryo. He is confident she's fine. He wants to reassure his ally, who just took a blade for him.
"She's safe."
A wave of relief crashes over Beelzemon. Dozens of years have passed in the Digital World since the Tamers had left, and none of them could have known what caused Beelzemon such stress. He had long suspected that the prophecy referred to Jeri. There was no way to know for sure, but knowing she was safe kept his fear at bay while they fought the Shadow and his army.
Another moment passes and Justimon flies off in one direction. Just as Beelzemon is about to follow, a glint of moon light reflects off of some armor in the distance. It catches his eye. He squints through the dark and recognizes it.
He flies towards the shadows.
"VULCAN'S HAMM-"
Swip!
Reapermon buries his scythe into the chest of the Zudomon, then withdraws it to watch his enemy fade away, "Shhh now. Be free, my child."
He turns towards his next prey and shouts, "GRIM SLASHER!"
His chain shoots out and pierces a Lilymon. She looks at the grapple lodged in her back shoulder. With a single mental command he pulls the chain back in and she involuntarily flies at him.
Swip!
'Another taught to obey.' He thinks to himself as she disappears.
'Master! They killed the first head of the dragon. What do we do now?' A voice telepaths to him.
He replies, 'One head go to destroy the building. The other head stays with me. We don't have the luxury of dividing our strength.'
In the distance, Megadramon changes course from carpet bombing the forces of light, and turns towards the city.
THUD!
A Demon Lord hits the ground. His momentum carries him forwards a few steps, but he comes to a stop about twenty yards away from the reaper. They stare one another down as the Shadow slowly turns his entire body to face them.
'Friend, or for?' he wonders.
With a low, angry voice, Beelzemon says, "You took everything from me."
Reapermon shakes his head in frustration and confusion. Gritting his teeth he replies, "I don't even know who you are."
Raising the blaster on his arm, Beelzemon scowls, "You will."
"Corona Blaster!"
A volley of purple energy surges out of the blaster. Reapermon raises his claw up to absorb the brunt of it.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Reapermon takes the hit from each blast and keeps moving towards the enemy. While the blasts damage him, none of them hurt him. An annoyance that impedes his progress, but doesn't stop it. Death slowly marches on, not stopped by man or mon.
Beelzemon stops firing and begins using his blaster to form something in the air. Reapermon watches him draw a pentagram. A circle forms around it and starts turning in place. He groans and yells out, "Oh, COME ON!"
He points his grapple cannon at the enemy and they yell their attacks simultaneously.
"GRIM SLASHER!"
"CORONA DESTROYER!"
The grapple shoots through night with a direct path at it's target. A blast of purple energy fires into the pentagram as a small energy ball. It explodes out a massive wave of power. The grapple makes it most of the way to Beelzemon. But pushed against by the force of the purple wave, it shutter and then falters. It stops and drops down. The wave runs through it. It plows through the night and rams into Reapermon!
CRASH!
Just like that, the Shadow is sent rocketing back! His body goes flying through the night. Combined with the wave of energy from Beelzemon, he tears through the trees and forest and leaves a path of destruction. He lies on his back, a hundred yards away, the trees and soil destroyed and burned down.
Beelzemon smirks to himself, proud to have blown his opponent away. Years of preparation have brought him to this moment.
'Now to finish the job.'
He steps forward and immediately his world is set on fire. A burning inferno consumes him, the force of which sends him to the ground.
"Ahhhh!"
He screams in pain as the fire recedes. Down and on the ground, he stares up at the starless sky. Out of the darkness suddenly a blood red dragon dive bombs him!
Reacting quickly, Beelzemon throws his arms up and blocks the beast from chomping his entire body apart. One claw blocks the snout and one claw blocks the jaw.
He looks up at Megidramon trying to end his life and swallow him whole. He grumbles to himself, "Not this again!"
Megadramon has always been a true believer. The Shadow had found him where only darkness laid, brought him into the light, and showed him the meaning of true faith. Power beyond measure, but more important than power he had been given a purpose. To cast all those who oppose them into the shadows. Condemn them to the same fate he had been condemned.
'Only when we are all in the shadows may we all be free.'
He zooms towards the tower, quickly approaching firing range. This is his higher calling. This is his fate. This is his true faith, rewarded. Just outside of his missile range, he raises his claws. He sees red.
He sees a lot of red. Crimson, in fact. Flying up to block his view and stop his progress is Gallantmon. He comes to a stop and looks over the Mega's shoulder. He needs a few hundred more feet and he can blow it to hell. He lowers his eyes to meet the enemy.
"We meet again, Boy of Light."
Gallantmon Crimson Mode grips his sword Blutgang and his lance Gungnir. He prepares to attack.
"What is it with you all and talking too much?"
Gallantmon charges his enemy without another word, preventing Megadramon from stalling in any manner.
Gallantmon Crimson Mode swings his lance at Megadramon and narrowly misses! The dragon falls back a moment trying to dodge the attack. He regains himself and banks upward. Takato watches him go a second before giving chase.
Beelzemon's arms grow weak. All the fighting, the stab wound from Piedmon, now Megidramon bearing down upon him. He struggles under the weight.
"Not how I wanted to go," he says to no one.
"IZUNA!"
Beelzemon never sees it, but four mystical foxes fly at Megidramon and barrel into him. The dragon tries to take one last bite at his enemy before he is shoved back a few dozen yards. The foxes drive further into his wings and body until he tumbles back. He crashes down onto the ground, the foxes pinning him there and draining his energy.
Sakuyamon Maid Mode floats down towards Beelzemon and says, "Your time hasn't come yet, old friend."
Standing up, he brushes himself off and looks solemnly at Sakuyamon. He frowns and says, "I almost killed you once, you remember that?"
Sakuyamon Maid Mode touches down a few feet from him. She looks to her one time enemy and reflects. Rika flashes back to him standing above Kyubimon, about to tear her apart. She replies, "I do."
"I did a lot of things wrong," he says looking down at his right claw. The memories come back to him of the damage he inflicted with just that one hand.
Megidramon stirs to life.
He bawls his claw into a fist, "I'm gonna get this one right."
He raises his fist up above his head.
Megidramon lifts his head, looks around and spots his enemies again. His strength returns to him.
Beelzemon pulls his fist back down to his side. It glows with a golden hue.
"RAWR!"
Megidramon roars to life. With incalculable speed he snakes up and towards the pair. Maw open, a ball of flame builds in his mouth.
"FIST OF THE BEAST KING!"
A golden energy flows out of his fist and envelopes his enemy entirely. The maniac dragon is washed away in the light. As the light fades so does he, disappearing into nothing. A silence settles over the night. Their eyes meet and they stand in the desolate forest as children of the moonlight.
KA-BOOM!
Turning their heads towards the city, a massive explosion erupts out of a high rise tower. Although they can't be certain, there is no doubt that it is Hypnos.
"JERI!" Beelzemon shouts.
"Go! Go find her!" Sakuyamon Maid Mode tells him.
"Ah-wha-but what about you?" He asks, distraught.
Sakuyamon turns and looks across the destroyed forest. Reapermon stares at them for another moment longer before stepping away and disappearing into the shadows of the trees.
"I'm gonna get this one right."
Beelzemon nods in acknowledgement, then takes off.
Megadramon has always been a true believer. But he's losing faith as Gallantmon Crimson Mode gets closer. Takato swings his lance and sword at the fleeing dragon. Megadramon dashes higher up, desperate to escape, but Gallantmon is faster. Megadramon looks down at the Hypnos building.
'Just need… a clean shot.'
Swoosh
Gallantmon Crimson Mode teleports in front of him! Megadramon tries to stop but his forward momentum is too much. Gallantmon raises Gungnir and he doesn't even have to move. Megadramon can't come to a stop in time. He runs into the lance.
Slice!
Gallantmon Crimson Mode grabs hold of the dragon and brings him close, slowly driving the blade further into them. Megadramon looks out over Gallantmon's shoulders into the dark night. He feels pain for a moment. He spots his target.
Gallantmon whispers in his ear, "End of the line. Any last words?"
"A few, yes," he says. Behind his assassin's back, he points his claw. It opens and he shouts, "Dark Side Attack!"
A volley of missiles launch out. They travel rapidly through the air and then connect with Hypnos building! The high rise tower explodes into a ball of flame!
"No!" Gallantmon utters.
He withdraws his lance and Megadramon explodes into data. The last dragon fades to nothing. Crimson paints the night as Gallantmon streaks across the sky towards the building.
The world is ending in fire.
Cough cough
Mitsuo Yamaki staggers through wreckage, struggling to breath and struggling to see. He was on his way back to Kenta when the whole place went up in flames. Now he is coughing from inhaling the rapidly building smoke.
He hunches over and holds a hand up over his head, to both guide him and block out some of the bright flames blinding his vision. He ducks under some knocked over equipment and emerges into an opening.
Cough
He has returned to the main entry space of Hypnos. The chairs that were previously self-operating are now consumed in fire. The large screen which used to show emergences is now torn open by the blast and burning down. He sees the body of the teenage boy on the ground nearby and runs to it.
"Kenta! Kenta!" He shakes the body. Mitsuo lowers his head to Kenta's chest and listens.
Bump bump
Bump bump
His heart beats, which gives Yamaki some relief for a moment but not much. Blown back by the explosion, Kenta had smacked his head on the ground. He is unconscious and lays on the amidst broken glass and shattered electronics.
Cough
Yamaki reluctantly leaves the body for a moment and crouches towards a computer monitor that was still on. He tries to read it quickly. To his relief, Juggernaut had not shut down. But any hope of stopping the program 'at the right moment's is now gone. It would simply continue to pull Digimon until it ran out of power.
'Shit, shit, shit.'
Cough cough cough
Everything was burning. The building, their plans, their hope. Yamaki turns and screams out into the room, "JERI!"
He had hoped she had returned to the main room with Kenta, but she was nowhere to be seen or heard. He has to get her and Kenta out of here. He has to get Janyu's body out of here.
Cough
He stands up fully now and runs across the room to the location of the dead man. He looks out around the room. An unconscious teenage boy, a dead man, and a missing girl. Everything ablaze. His entire life's work is destroyed. The world is ending in fire.
'"... we will take everything from you… "'
CRASH
Part of the ceiling collapses behind him. It falls to the ground and the fire spreads, blocking his only exit. He is trapped. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. He coughs into his sleeve, his eyes watering. Smoke building, fire raging, he feels his life slipping away.
CRASH! CRASH!
Yamaki hears the ceiling collapse around him again but then a voice.
"Yamaki!"
Turning to face it, he finds Gallantmon Crimson Mode among the wreckage. He fumbles for words and stumbles towards the savior. Landing beside him is an angel of darkness.
"Where is everyone?" Gallantmon asks the blonde man.
Cough cough
"Kenta is over there. He's unconscious but alive. And there's," he stutters a moment. This news likely hasn't reached Takato yet. No time to stand on ceremony, "Janyu Wong's body is over here."
Gallantmon moves quickly to retrieve Kenta from the ground. He then steps over computers, desks, and through fire to come near Yamaki. Meanwhile, Beelzemon takes a step towards them and shouts, "Where's Jeri?"
Takato looks down at the body of his best friend's father. He hesitates just a moment but then delicately picks him up and lays him over the shoulder opposite of Kenta.
Yamaki runs his ashen hands through his hair, looks around the room, as if she will just magically reappear. He replies, "I don't know!"
Enraged Beelzemon yells, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHERE IS SHE?"
Cough
"I-I-I don't know! She's… I don't know if she's here? I was looking everywhere before the explosion. I can't find her."
Beelzemon turns to Gallantmon and shouts, "We have to find her."
"Beelzemon."
"We can't leave her."
Gallantmon speaks loudly, commandingly, "I agree."
Beelzemon calms down a bit at this, but still his head bobs as he looks around. Gallantmon Crimson Mode goes on, "I will take them out to safety. You stay and look for her-safely! If she's here, you find her. If she's not, you get out before it's too late."
Beelzemon nods in the affirmative. Gallantmon carefully balances the two bodies on his shoulders and then lifts the blonde man off of his feet. Yamaki positions himself to sit in his arms, pressed against the chest of the massive Digimon. Another moment later they slowly float up into the air, escaping the inferno.
As they fly away, Yamaki looks back. The building he had built into a monumental organization, gone up in flames. A part of himself burns with it.
Beelzemon ventures into the smoke and flame, searching for the girl. Part of him hopes to find her. Part of him hopes he doesn't.
The black expanse of the forest emerges into view. Blemished not with the fires and greasy smoke of the battle raging all around them. The flames in the distance cast a low, orange glow over the trees which she had often traversed with Takato, Renamon, Jeri, Henry, and all the others. The birthplace of her many adventures, the origins of her romance. Happy memories, filling her heart with a pleasant warmth.
He is here, sullying the beautiful woodland of her homeland with his malevolence.
Sakuyamon Maid Mode's eyes flicker about, searching for the pale golden armor to shine in the moonlight. Steps wary as she advances through the night, trudging ever forward. Her steps crunch against fallen leaves and askewn branches.
She twirls her staff in her hands, drowning in the dark. She can sense he is close, even if she can not see him. She tries to draw him out by chiding him, "Here in the forest, dark and deep, I offer you eternal sleep."
A cold, bone-chilling voice speaks to her, "I should've just killed you all when I had the chance."
Sakuyamon circles around, trying to position herself in preparation for his attack. She had seen him disappear into the shadows at the school. She knew he would come for her. She taunts, "So deep our own ghosts won't be able to find us, huh?"
He moves closer to her within the shadows and replies, "Don't worry, just like you and Takato do, I'll keep my promise."
Appearing like morning light over the horizon, Reapermon lunges at Sakuyamon through the shadows! She spins on spot to face him.
Clang
Her staff raises to clash against his scythe. They stand inches apart, gritting teeth. A storm rages within, but outside Rika is calm.
"You can bury me in the ground, as deep as you like. But I'll grow back. We always grow back."
With force she shoves him forward, quickly followed by summoning a flurry of cherry blossoms. Matching her speed, Reapermon spins in place for a moment and a slight fire tornado erupts, burning all of the petals upon impact.
Sakuyamon Maid Mode holds her staff with both hands and steps sideways, circling. Reapermon holds his scythe up to eye level, angling it towards her, positioned to charge forward. He steps in the opposite direction as they face off.
"In the shadows you can be whole, Rika. You can be free."
Sakuyamon Maid Mode stops stepping cautiously in a circle. She mimics Reapermon's stance, bringing her feet together, standing defensively, her staff angled towards him.
"I don't need my shadows to be whole. I already am."
He continues to step around her, changing his angle, his armor visible in the dark while the rest of his body disappears into the shadows. He sneers at her.
"You can not separate from your shadow, Rika. It is a part of you." He charges forward, leading with his scythe.
CRACK
Lightning shoots down from the sky, into Sakuyamon's staff, and redirects right for him!
His reflexes are too quick. He narrowly dodges the attack with a spin towards her, and then swings his scythe at her!
Swip
Clang
Matching his swiftness, Sakuyamon Maid Mode deflects his blade with her staff, pushing it down and then throws her fist towards him.
Smack
She punches him across the face! His head ricochets and his body recoils, but with his claw hand he pushes her arm away. He bounds off and fades into the shadows once more. Again Sakuyamon steps in a defensive manner, winding around the trees and leaves.
"Forgive yourself, Rika. Let go of the memories and let the shadows wash over you."
Rika's mind flashes to Kazu's smile. His overcompensating 'confidence.' Their adventures around the Digital World. Their card games when she would put him in his place. His bravery in the face of defeat. His bravery in the face of death.
"The memories are what make us who we are."
She stops her stepping and sticks her staff into the ground. A light spreads out from the tip of it, and a bubble of pink energy begins forming around her.
"The light and the dark should not fight," he whispers to her from nowhere. "They should be joined."
He braces to charge. He prepares to deliver the killing blow.
"I agree," she replies, menacingly.
Like lightning appearing before the thunder, Reapermon appears in the air above her. He brings his scythe down.
"Amethyst Mandala!"
The bubble around her explodes out, the ground around her erupts with light. The force of the blow sends Reapermon several feet back. His strength and speed allow him to course-correct though, so he lands on his feet. His chest armor burns and singes with the fire of her light. They stand yards apart and stare at one another, arms at the side, passive.
"Look around you. It's going to take you years to recover from all of the damage."
Sakuyamon Maid Mode takes in the sights and sounds. All around her the park burns. The Hypnos building has gaping holes in it. A war wages and in the night, her entire city is being terrorized by this battle.
THUD!
Landing softly on a hill nearby, Justimon looks on at the two fighters squaring off. Reapermon groans in frustration.
"Another Tamer?" He asks. Justimon nods to him. "You all grow like weeds. This is why you need me. Someone to tend to the garden. Someone to pull the weeds out before they can spread. Someone who knows when to break… and burn… and end."
Justimon changes his footing and shakes his head once in disagreement, "Yeah, no, thanks, I'm honored to be part of your weird evil guy metaphor. But I know when I'm outclassed. If the three of them couldn't beat you together, I'm not all of a sudden going to win the game with one warp digivolve card."
Both Reapermon and Sakuyamon Maid Mode look at him oddly. Reapermon cocks his head to the side and spits out, "Then what do you want, boy?"
"I have an idea," he turns away from Reapermon and faces Rika, "Sakuyamon, remember when you gave me all of your power so we could fight the D Reaper?'
Sakuyamon scoffs, "Are you serious? Or has the fighting gone to your head again?"
"Oh, I'm very serious. This time though," he says with a smirk. "I'm giving you all of my power."
Reapermon has been holding serve to this point. Giving her even more power is not a very appealing thought. Sakuyamon savors this idea a moment. Justimon goes on, "I can't help you kill him, but with our combined power, you can give this guy something to really howl about."
Sakuyamon Maid Mode turns to him and asks, "I thought I didn't need your help?"
He chuckles at the memory from their exchange earlier, "I just want to contribute, honestly."
"Not sure I can talk you out of this, huh?"
He smiles, "No way."
He holds up his cyborg arm in front of him and closes his eyes. He is surrounded by a grey ball of energy, red rings orbiting around it. "All the power of my body…"
Reapermon will not allow this. He dashes forward at the defenseless Tamer.
"... my soul…"
Sakuyamon Maid Mode cuts him off and raises her staff up, which collides with his chest. He falls backwards onto the ground.
"... my mind…"
As he lands on the ground several yards away, he points his grapple cannon and fires.
"... I now send to you…"
Clang
Sakuyamon deflects the grapple into the ground.
"... all the strength within my heart…"
Sakuyamon Maid Mode steps on the grapple chain just as he tries to retract it. The chain yanks, but goes nowhere under her weight. She smirks at her enemy.
"... my spirit to you, I now freely give."
The energy ball around him floats away and moves towards her. It floats away from her body and towards her holy staff. The ball shrinks and then envelopes her staff in its energy.
Sakuyamon Maid Mode feels all of Justimon's power surge into the staff. She rises up slightly, off of the ground for a moment. Reapermon takes advantage of this moment and retracts his grapple. Sakuyamon lands back on her feet as electricity pulses up and down her staff.
"Just beautiful," Reapermon starts saying condescendingly. "You know, deep down, Kazu just wants to be with his friends again. So I guess I'll have to kill all of you. That way you can all be together again."
Sakuyamon twirls her empowered staff in her hands. She looks up at the Shadow with a twinkle in her eyes.
"I'm starting to see what Takato meant," she says. She bends her knees, "You talk too much."
Swoosh
She teleports to being in front of him.
Smack!
With one swing she whips him across the face and he goes tumbling a few feet away. He turns back to face her, a little blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Fire in his eyes, rage building in his body. Sakuyamon stands opposed, all of the love and pain in her heart giving her the Maid Mode. All of Justimon's power in her sacred broom. They charge towards one another.
Clang
Thud
Reapermon jabs at Sakuyamon with his scythe, but she deflects it away with her staff. She follows this up swiftly with her own jab to his chest. Her staff may consist of ribbons, but each individual ribbon strikes him like sharp, heavy diamonds.
He steps back away from her and looks down. Through the moonlight hue he sees cracks in his pale golden chest armor. He scowls at her then begins spinning in place quickly. Sakuyamon knows what comes next and advances on him. A fire starts erupting around him.
"BURNING CYC-"
With swiftness, she sticks the tip of her staff between his legs. He trips over the pole and tumbles to the ground! He rolls over the tree roots, bumping along the way. He lifts his head to look at his enemy.
Smack!
Once again Sakuyamon whips her staff at him. He groans on the floor. If Reapermon were human, these multiple blows would have incapacitated him by now. But he is neither human nor a typical Digimon. He is wrath. He is the antidote to life. He rises up.
Sakuyamon steps away from him. She notices for the first time that something is happening in the sky. The wormhole from earlier now spun in the opposite direction. Low level digimon, fighting for both the dark and light side, are pulled up and away. Sakuyamon herself feels a certain pull. Something trying to lift her off her feet, but not quite strong enough yet. Rika knows that as long as she remains as Sakuyamon, she can keep them here.
THUD!
Landing across from Sakuyamon is MegaGargomon. Henry is overjoyed to see Rika playing with him. While he lies face-down, she stands and walks away, looking into the distance. MegaGargomon watches Reapermon's body slowly rise up off the ground. He stands in the distance between Henry and Rika. He breathes heavily, his shoulders rising and falling in quick succession.
Reapermon dashes forward, his emotions getting the better of him. But Sakuyamon Maid Mode gets the best of him. He tries to backhand swing his scythe at her. She expertly leans back to dodge it. As she does so she waves her hand in front of her. He is wide open for a moment.
"Izuna!"
Her foxes fly out of her bag and crash into his spreadeagle body. He is knocked back far, still finding a way to land on his feet. He stumbles as he takes a step back. He quickly develops a plan to disappear into the shadows and try to surprise her again. As he lands, he turns to disappear.
Smack!
Reapermon had landed right in front of MegaGargomon. As he tries to escape, he's met instead with a punch to the chest from the bunny titan. His chest armor cracks further and he takes a step back for a second, dazed by the blow.
Thud
Seizing the opportunity, Henry swings his leg up and kicks the monster. He crumbles to the ground, a heap on the floor.
THUD!
Landing softly on the forest floor, Gallantmon Crimson Mode arrives on the scene carrying three passengers. Yamaki, cupped in his arms, drops down first. He assists Gallantmon by taking Kenta's unconscious body into his arms. Gingerly, the crimson knight places Janyu's body on the ground as well. When he finishes, he stands tall, and turns to face the ongoing fight.
Even in the limited light though, Henry sees clear as day the blue hair. He leaves his place standing near Reapermon and approaches Gallantmon.
"Henry, wait-"
"Is that my Dad?"
"Henry, I don't-"
"What happened to my Dad! Is he okay?"
Gallantmon Crimson Mode approaches him, arms extended to try and ward his friend away.
MegaGargomon swats the hands away and tries to move past him. Gallantmon holds his arms and uses his body to block him out. MegaGargomon's voice cracks, "What happened to my Dad?"
Yamaki looks up at the mega towering over him. He shakes his head lightly and says, "He-he's gone, Henry. The Shadow killed him before we ever got to Hypnos."
A wildfire of rage and fury ignites with Henry. Behind him, laboring, The Shadow stands again. He breathes heavily still, trying to find a point of attack. He senses a tide changing. He feels the anger rising. He smiles as MegaGargomon turns to face him.
"Henry, WAIT!" Gallantmon tries to grab him but it's too late.
MegaGargomon charges forward. Just as he's about to arrive, Reapermon uses his speed to dodge the fist. He uses his momentum against him, kicking his leg out and tripping him as he goes by.
Swip!
He swings his scythe and clips MegaGargomon's back! His scythe stops the momentum and keeps him stuck in place, on his knees, in front of him. Reapermon reaches up and grips Henry's head with his claw hand. He takes a long breath as Henry pants under him. Scythe in his back, hand crushing his head, Reapermon feels in control again.
"Oh Henry, what a shame," he says, as all but one of them stand stock still. The last one puts a silent plan into action. "What will become of Suzy without her father and her brother?"
Reapermon dislodges his scythe and holds it to his neck. Henry feels his chest heaving, his heart racing, his life flashes before his eyes. Reapermon sneers, "I suppose she'll have to learn to obey as well."
Before he can raise his scythe, a tinge of pink light leaks into his view. It spreads out across earth beneath him. He knows this light. He has seen this before. He panics and reacts quickly.
Thud
In one fluid motion, he kicks MegaGargomon's body away and then turns to Sakuyamon and points his grapple cannon. She is channeling all of her power into her staff, preparing her Amethyst Mandala attack. She watches him spin to face her and just barely dodges the grapple, as it rockets over her shoulder.
With a mental command though, he retracts the grapple backwards. Sakuyamon stops in place and stands as an easy target. The grapple flies back towards Reapermon and crashes into her back shoulder!
"Ahhh!" She screams.
The grapple pulls her towards him, taking her off her feet and she travels through the night. He raises his scythe, finally pulling in his prey.
"Come Rika, the shadows await!"
Slice!
A streak of red flashes across them and Sakuyamon lands on her feet. The chain continues retracting until it returns into his cannon, without the gatling itself. Reapermon looks down at his cannon, and up at Sakuyamon, still several yards away. She peers over her shoulder at the gatling still lodged in her back.
Slowly he raises his head and looks at the Crimson knight. Wielding his Blutgang sword, he turns back to face the Shadow. He stands tall and triumphant. He whispers across the night, "Not today."
He had dashed between them and sliced the chain. Reapermon's gatling cannon is useless. His enemies are alive. His rage is exploding. The adrenaline pushes his own pain aside, as he charges at Gallantmon Crimson Mode.
From the sidelines Sakuyamon Maid Mode watches. She leans forward and carefully pulls the gatling out of her back. After removing it she joins Justimon in rushing to tend to MegaGargomon.
Reapermon swings his scythe and each blow is expertly parried by Gallantmon. They dance around each other for several seconds, Reapermon exerting his brute force, and Gallantmon playing defensively. He lets the Shadow use all of his stamina and strength on his frontal assault. Nothing comes close to damaging Takato.
After a few seconds, Reapermon uses his claw hand and pushes him back, creating much needed separation. His labored breathing catches up to him again. His superhuman strength and speed are betraying him. So many unforeseen obstacles have come in his way. His options are running low for how to turn the tide.
Justimon tends to MegaGargomon, while Sakuyamon stands guard over the two and watches the battle going on.
The Shadow taunts, "Are you really ready to kill Kazu again?"
He attempts to tap into Takato's guilt, but it goes nowhere. He holds a defensive stance, prepared for any incoming assault and decrees, "You once told me to not let my loved ones become a poison in my veins. I had to learn the hard way, but I did learn."
"Perhaps now I can teach you a new lesson," Reapermon says. He puts his arms at his side now, "This time when I kill you, stay dead!"
Reapermon sinks into the shadows on the ground and disappears from view. Gallantmon holds his defensive stance for a moment, peering around for what could come next. He steps cautiously towards MegaGargomon and company.
Suddenly, the shadows all around him reach out and grab hold of him! He is paralyzed on the spot and instantly attempts to break free, but to no avail. Materializing out of nowhere, Reapermon appears behind him and raises his scythe above his head! He brings it down!
Clang
A thin piece of chrome digizoid blocks out Reapermon's scythe. He follows the source and finds his previous opponent waiting. Sakuyamon Maid Mode had seen his move before and was prepared this time.
Thud
Before he can react though, she raises her leg and kicks him in the knee. This moment of pain breaks his concentration and frees Gallantmon Crimson Mode! He spins around and swings his Blutgang at him while Sakuyamon attacks with her staff.
Clang
Clang
Reapermon summons all of his stamina. With lightning speed he parries the blow from each one of them. He calculates an escape, but each strategy has flaws, and their movements grow faster as he backs away from the two Megas attacking him.
Clang
Clang
Clang
Clang
Thud
He finally gets an opening and kicks Gallantmon away for a moment but leaves himself exposed.
Smack!
Sakuyamon jabs him in the left shoulder, which cracks and breaks his armor. He steps back, exposing himself further. Gallantmon recovers, Sakuyamon steps forward. Reapermon throws his scythe up sideways.
CLANG
Reapermon holds the scythe sideways and pushes with all of his power against them. Gallantmon and Sakuyamon both push their weapons into his blade. The great lovers stand opposed to the reaper. Their bond, their love, keeping him at bay.
"RAGH!" He shouts.
With all of his strength he pushes toward Gallantmon, and sends them both back. Gallantmon loses his balance and falls backwards onto the ground.
His claw hand reaches up as Sakuyamon goes off balance as well and grabs her long grey hair. With a great effort he pulls and twists and spins her to the ground with a toss. Sakuyamon rolls several feet away, and stays down for a moment.
Reapermon heaves and huffs. He has both opponents on the ground for the moment. He should summon his shadows to trap them, or step towards them and end them. He needs to focus to trap them, or rush to attack them. He needs to do something. He needs to breathe. He needs to catch his breath. He doesn't see the figure moving in the shadows.
"MEGA BARRAGE!"
Reapermon only has enough time to raise his arms up into an 'X' in front of himself. This doesn't block the damage or stop the attack at all. He gets completely smoked by it and stumbles back a step or two. The armor all over his body cracks and falls off. He stays standing, but he has been hit hard.
The Shadow looks around. Gallantmon stands back up and valiantly opposes him. MegaGargomon steps out of the shadows and into the glow of the moonlight. Sakuyamon stays down, while Justimon appears. Despite everything, his army of darkness, his best efforts to kill them, only the girl lies down. They all stand and oppose him, relatively unphased. Untouched, while he cracks and bleeds. With no grapple and no stamina. He grows hysterical.
THUD!
Beelzemon lands in the clearing. He observes that they seem to have it under control and this pleases him. But he does not come bearing good news, "She wasn't there, Takato. I searched the whole building before it went up in smoke. She must have left or gone somewhere else, but she wasn't there."
Gallantmon turns to his friend and replies, "Hopefully she's okay. Thank you for looking for her. We'll find her after we're done here."
'"After we're done here?" Like I'm some sort of box they're going to check off?'
"Ugh," a low voice speaks.
Reapermon's eyes turn to the girl in the dirt. Sakuyamon stirs and groans. She rolls for a second.
Beleaguered, the Shadow yells at her, "Why won't you die? You're down. STAY DOWN!"
"I rise and therefore I am not dead…"
Slowly, Sakuyamon stands. She shone brightly in the moonlight. She stands proudly and stares into the face of death.
"... Because all the dead lie down."
"ARRGHHH!" Reapermon lets out an animalistic grunt and charges wildly forward.
Clang
Smack!
He attempts to bring his scythe down upon her but she easily deflects it away. She follows this without hesitation with a blow to his head. The armor on his face cracks. He leans forward involuntarily.
Thud
She brings her knee up into his stomach. With quick movements, Sakuyamon grabs his blade arm then sweeps his legs out from underneath him. He falls to the ground at her feet, as she holds his scythe.
"I thought you were a formidable man…"
She twists his blade and body away from each other using just her left hand. His arm pulls up and out of the socket and he lets out a choked gasp at the pain.
". . . but you're dying like any Digimon."
Crack!
With one swift swing, Sakuyamon's staff shatters the blade of his scythe! It cracks apart until it falls to pieces on the ground. She spins the arm away from her body and he lies down.
He sits up and when he does he is faced with his ending. Sakuyamon Maid Mode holds the diamond-like ribbon end of her staff against his neck. Gallantmon Crimson Mode stands on her right and holds his sword, Blutgang, up to his throat. MegaGargomon stands on her left and aims the miniguns on his wrists at his head.
He sighs and looks up into the night sky. Starless and hopeless, he watches as even the strongest soldiers of darkness and light are pulled away. His dragons are slain. His army forcibly retreating. His gatling and chain cut off. His scythe shattered where he laid. He himself grows translucent now. His time has come. He, too, will be pulled away momentarily.
He thinks of the ocean. He thinks of how he has traveled so far, just like the waves. And yet they always are stilled. They are always taught to obey. Here is where his proud wave has been stilled.
Shuttering like rain, his defeated Reapermon body changes and transforms. He shrinks down and returns to his base form. He returns to Kazu, and sits at the razor's edge of his enemy's blades. Looking up at them all, he smiles. "Well, this was a lot fun. I'll look forward to the next time we meet."
Gallantmon replies, "There won't be a next time for you."
He looks up at the crimson knight and shakes his head. "Oh, sure there will! As you said, I think we're destined to do this forever! I was the Darkness' failsafe, and I won't be defeated this easily."
MegaGargomon roars at him, "There won't be any failsafes this time. We're going to extinguish you from both worlds. Wherever you hide, I'll hunt you down myself."
"That won't be necessary, Henry. I'll come back. Right, Rika? We can always come back. No matter how far deep you bury me."
Sakuyamon tries to calm them all, "He's stalling for some reason. He has nothing."
"You see, that's where you're wrong. We're all only as strong as our weakest link," He smiles. He let's this dangle for a moment. "So when I come back I'm not sure who I'll come as next time. Kazu… or Jeri?"
There is a stunned silence. The three of them may hold the guillotine over his head, but he holds their attention. He holds all the power. He chuckles at them.
"Haha… you didn't think that I'd risk this battle for your souls to a fist fight with a bunch of Digidestined, did you?"
Sakuyamon is alarmed. They are all alarmed. She mutters in disbelief, almost rhetorically, "What did you do?"
Kazu pushes himself up off the ground and stands before them. "No, you need an ace in the hole. Mine is Jeri Katou."
He takes a step back, waves his hand to the side and twinkles his fingers. The shadows around him recedes and reveals the small brunette girl, on her knees, at his feet, facing all of them. She desperately looks up at them and panic sets in immediately.
"Rika, I'm so sorry!" Her voice cracking and wheezing. "Please Rika! Please, Rika, just kill me. Please, I don't want him to use me to hurt any of you. Just kill me."
With a single mental command, the shadows run across her mouth and gag her.
"You heard her, Rika," he smirks at them all. "She wants this. She asks for this."
Suddenly but surely, Kazu and Jeri are lifted off the ground. They are being pulled back to the Digital World by Juggernaut.
Takato shouts at him, "No, I won't let you do this!"
MegaGargomon and Gallantmon move forward and try to grab both of them. Their hands slip through Jeri like hands through a faucet. Like trying to grab a shadow. They are powerless to prevent it.
Gallantmon turns back to Yamaki, "How do we stop it? We can't let him take her back."
Kenta finally stirs to life but Yamaki throws his hands up. "We can't! There's nothing we can do now. He blew the building up, we can't stop it."
"There has to be something we can do!" MegaGargomon shouts at the blonde. "We can't let him take her again!"
The Shadow floats a foot or two off the ground and looks directly at Sakuyamon. "She wants to die, Rika. Who are you to deny her that?"
He sneers at them all. "Tell me, in your scattered minds, have you become the hero? Am I the villain?" He allows a dramatic pause as his question sinks in.
"When will you realize you're all trapped. You're just repeating the same stories. As long as you continue to fight you will never escape the past. You will never be free."
THUD!
Beelzemon swoops in and stops beside MegaGargomon. He holds his fists up in balls and tries to will his strength into her, "JERI! FIGHT IT! You can fight it!"
"If she could fight it, she'd be free by now. But she can't." The Shadow tells him. He then turns back to Sakuyamon again, "She will die alone. As will you, Rika. As will all of you."
Jeri cries uncontrollably now. She begs them to kill her, but nothing escapes her gag. No hope, no escape. She watches them all drift off as she floats further away with Kazu.
On the ground, Rika's mind races. She watches them get higher up, several feet now, almost ten feet high.
Renamon speaks to her, 'Rika, what do we do?'
'I… don't know.'
The Shadow smiles malevolently. He taunts them, "This is it, Digidestined. Everything has led you to this moment. This is your fate."
Time slows down. Rika catches a glimpse of the moon. In the empty void of the night sky, it stood as a candle in the abyss.
'... Don't delude yourself into thinking that light or dark are the only answers…'
'... The light won't solve everything for you. Sometimes you need a different tool…'
'... but we make the ripples. We throw the stones…'
Even inside of Sakuyamon, Rika feels the ice cool breeze against the back of her neck. She hears the water drip behind her.
Drop
The Ocean calls to her. She is not transported this time though. She hears the waves crashing. She feels the wind blowing. She knows now what Kari and Ken meant. The tag and crest around her neck glow to life again. She must be like the wave, and crash. Return to the ocean.
'We make our own fate.'
Time resumes. The world spins on. The Shadow and Jeri float twelve feet high. She speaks to her oldest friend, 'Renamon, I know what to do. Do you trust me?'
'Of course I do.'
'Good. Then we have to separate.'
'But Rika, if we de-digivolve, I'll get pulled away too.'
'I know, I know. But I have to. She needs me and I promised her. And besides, it's like he said… this is my fate.'
Sakuyamon Maid Mode glows in light for a moment and then shrinks quickly down and separates into two forms. Renamon is barely on the ground a moment before she is lifted up. She remains next to Rika, but creeps ever further away. All of the light surrounding Rika does not fade though. She maintains it, and it emanates from her Crest of Fate.
The others all around her look in shock and confusion. Their most powerful warrior has just willingly surrendered her form. What's more, Rika is glowing, truly glowing with a bright light that stood in stark contrast to the dark of night. She stands in her blood stained kimono and scarlet vermillion pants she had intended to wear to the dance.
She looks up at the Shadow, who stares at her with distraught wonder. She calls up to him, "I get it now. I finally understand."
He looks now with disbelief. He blinks several times and the corner of his mouth twitches. His head shakes and he mutters, "So you've finally learned, Tamer?"
Rika reaches up to the tag around her neck. She speaks to The Shadow and no one else, "We are the sum of all of our parts. The good, and the bad," she rips the tag off of her neck. She looks down at it. The light grows brighter. "The light, and the dark."
Her head jerks up and looks directly at him. He floats higher. The lilac of her eyes burns down the brown of his.
"Us… and our shadows!"
She lifts the tag up high above her head. It's light stretches out from the source and heads directly for Kazu and Jeri. He holds his hand up to shade his eyes from the light but nothing stops it from coming. The light envelops both of them. Something dark starts being pulled from their bodies. The Crest of Fate's light and the Shadows' darkness share a massive tug-of-war in the night sky. The shadows within Kazu and the shadows holding Jeri hostage are pulled out and off of them. The Crest of Fate wins the tug and all of the darkness flies towards Rika and into the crest.
Rika feels like there's enough energy in the crest that she could power the entire city. Electricity runs up and down her arm. She pulls down the crest toward her and stares at it. It pulsates with light and dark energy. She holds it in the palm of her hand. Kazu and Jeri float up above still. Rika closes her palm and fist around the crest-and crushes it in her hand.
In that singular instant, Rika feels all of its power surge through her. She feels the light and the dark. All the love and all of the pain. All the warmth and all of the heartache. All of the power of The Shadow and the Crest of Fate flow through her.
'I am everything that has led me to this moment.'
The singular moment passes. The translucence that consumed Kazu and Jeri fades. They become whole again, and they fall from the sky.
Gallantmon moves underneath him and catches Kazu's lifeless body. There is no breath in his body, no beat in his heart. He is gone. Just as he was when The Darkness turned him to stone, he is dead.
Rika rushes forward and bends at the knees. She puts her hands out in a basket. Jeri's body lands forcefully in her arms. She stands up to her full height. Rika feels dizzy and lightheaded. She looks down at the brunette in her arms.
Jeri slowly opens her eyes. She stares up into lilac hues and fallen, ginger hair. Rika smiles down at her friend. Resting in her arms, Jeri looks up at her savior for a moment. Then her eyes roll into the back of her head.
Renamon floats a foot or so off the ground but cheers, "You did it, Rika. You did it!"
Rika's knees buckle. She starts to collapse. She falls to both knees and kneels on the forest floor. Carefully, slowly, she drops Jeri down, paying attention to her head and resting her on the ground.
Once Jeri is down, she looks at her hands. They shake violently. She tries to crawl away from Jeri. She doesn't get far before she feels her chest tighten suddenly and painfully. She collapses to the ground and rolls onto her back to stare at the sky.
Huff huff… huff… huff
Rika draws sharp, difficult breaths. Her eyes begin to close as her chest tightens further. Takato appears in her vision, hunched over her. He takes her into his arms and says,
"Hey, I've got you. We've all got-"
He keeps talking but she can't hear him anymore. He looks down at her, tears in his eyes. Others scurry around them to get help. Rika looks past him. Renamon floats away. Guilmon floats away. One by one, she watches the million points of light return. Slowly she watches the stars return to the night sky.
Rika lies down. Her eyelids grow heavy. Once again she stares into the void. Her eyes close.
She feels pain for a moment.
And then she feels nothing.
A/N: A very long, but hopefully very fulfilling chapter. Thought about splitting it after Yamaki's rescue/before Rika's showdown with the Shadow, but decided to just push onward. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Once more unto the breach! This Chapter's OST is "Cosmic Love" by Florence + The Machine.
Love always. Rukato forever.
Notorious