(A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! Well, almost. Got an early Christmas present for you. That's right, it's a new chapter. But not just any new chapter, a chapter that contains some very loooooooong overdue answers to questions from way back. Hope you're ready for those answers, you've certainly waited long enough for them.)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 154: The Past Circles Back
"AncientWisemon!" several of the DigiDestined cried, and rushed over to the mutant Digimon.
Tired eyes looked up at them as AncientWisemon seemed to have trouble maintaining focus. "Greeting, humans. It's been awhile."
"Don't talk," said Seraphimon, looking him over. "What did he do to you? Hold on, I'll heal you."
"No!" AncientWisemon said insistently. "You must not. Save your strength; you will need it. All of it."
"But you-"
"There is no saving me. My body is too damaged. Any healing you attempt will just waste your energy. I've known this was my fate ever since I calculated the future."
Gallantmon then asked the question they had all been wondering "Then why? If you know everything, then you should have known that Barbamon was going to send his men after you. Why didn't you leave? Why did you put yourself in a position to be captured, especially if you knew this would happen?"
A light chuckle escaped AncientWisemon; it sounded painful. "Silly humans, it was for you, of course. In getting captured, Barbamon focused his attention on me instead of you. Had I alluded being captured, then he would have fought alongside Beelzemon in your battle with him, and you would not have survived. Out of all the possible futures where you faced both of them at once, there was not a single scenario where you would have survived. And to answer your unspoken question of why I did not tell you of where I would be held, it's because you would have come here to save me before you were strong enough and so would have perished."
The DigiDestined were stunned into silence. They had assumed that there was a reason why AncientWisemon had done what he did, but they hadn't expected this. AncientWisemon had essentially sacrificed himself for them.
"You went through all of this… for us?" Ophanimon C asked softly.
The mutant Digimon let out another chuckle. "The true burden of possessing absolute knowledge is deciding what to do with it. You need to make hard decisions based on what you know, and sometimes none of the outcomes are ideal."
"Geez," said EmperorGreymon. "You really do know everything, don't you?"
"If there is something I do not know, then I do not know it."
His apparent attempt at humor failed to get a response out of the DigiDestined, but then, he must have known that too, but they also realized that this was his way of telling them that he was content with his fate.
Imperialdramon's shoulders sank. "I'm sorry, AncientWisemon. You were right about me. I should have listened to you when you gave me my reading."
AncientWisemon shook his head. "Do not fret. You found your way back to the light. I was trying to help you avoid a burdensome fate, but hope for the future I have envisioned still remains. Right now though, the biggest threat to that future is Barbamon."
"Right, Barbamon," said OmniShoutmon. "What did you tell him? What did he want to know?"
A deep sigh escaped the mutant Digimon. "I always knew I would succumb to his torturous interrogation, but I hoped that I would be able to resist long enough to give you a chance. That chance still remains, but you must be ready. Humans, do you recall your time with the Ninjamon and Kogamon?"
Omnimon's eyes widened. "The Ninjamon and Kogamon? Boy, that takes me back."
"Listen closely. The two halves of the scroll that they guarded, ShadowSeraphimon-"
He fell into a coughing fit, cutting off his speech. Imperialdramon then responded with, "Yeah, we know, ShadowSeraphimon got them. But it's ok, they were in his castle when it collapsed. They were either torn apart or completely buried. The scrolls are gone."
AncientWisemon got his coughing under control and shook his head. "No, they aren't. They weren't in the castle when it collapsed. ShadowSeraphimon had sent them off to Barbamon the moment he got them. He's had them all this time."
"What!?" Omnimon exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us that when we first met?" He sighed. "Never mind. The whole changing the future thing if we knew."
Behind her helmet, Ophanimon C's eyes widened as she quickly put the pieces together. "Then Barbamon's goal must be to get the great power."
AncientWisemon gave a weak nod. "That is his aim."
"Damn," EmperorGreymon growled. "I thought we were done with that whole scrolls and great power nonsense."
"It's fine," said Gallantmon. "He still needs to get those keycards, remember?"
"He has them," AncientWisemon replied, and the DigiDeswtined fell into stunned silence. "After you defeated Argomon and his vines vanished, the keycards were found and delivered to Barbamon by an old nemesis of yours. Snatchmon."
"Snatchmon!" Seraphimon exclaimed.
"You mean that Digimon that gets stronger by eating other Digimon?" Omnimon asked.
AncientWisemon gave another nod. "He held a deep grudge against you for attacking him while he was Digivolving and swore to take revenge. Upon learning that you were opposing the Demon Lords and that Barbamon was seeking the keycards, he gathered them up and delivered them to him in exchange for power. Barbamon gave it to him, and now he hunts you."
"Great," OmniShoutmon grumbled. "Now we have him to worry about too. Thanks a lot, Imperialdramon."
The dragon Digimon looked offended. "Hey, I didn't know. No one ever told us that you weren't supposed to attack while someone was Digivolving."
"It was obvious!"
"No, it wasn't!"
"Guys, focus!" Omnimon snapped.
"The keycards that open the door to the great power," AncientWisemon continued, "the two halves of the scroll that explain how to use them, and me, the one with the knowledge of where it's located. Barbamon now has all three of these things."
"Meaning we're in deep trouble," Ophanimon C muttered. "One of the strongest Demon Lords getting their hands on some ancient power does not sound good."
"What is it?" EmperorGreymon demanded. "What is the great power?"
AncientWisemon weakly raised his hand and motioned to the fortress. "The ancient weapon, the one created to in this very fortress to combat the Second Catastrophe. It was sealed away several miles from here. Barbamon plans to awaken it."
OmniShoutmon's eyes widened, and he suddenly seemed to be overcome by pure panic. "Is he mad!? Doesn't he realize what that will do!?"
"Barbamon is too arrogant," AncientWisemon replied. "All the Demon Lords are, but the others never bothered to seek it out due to how well it was hidden. But Barbamon was too greedy to let that stop him."
Seraphimon glanced at OmniShoutmon. "What is it? This weapon of great power? What does it do?"
But the dragon Digimon either didn't register what he said or completely ignored him as he grabbed his head. "This is bad. This is very, very bad. We have to stop him. Where's it hidden. We need to get there before him."
But AncientWisemon simply shook his head. "You're too late. None of your party teleports, and Parallelmon was able to open a portal directly to the entrance. You'll never make it there in time."
OmniShoutmon dropped to his knees in defeat at this, and EmperorGreymon gave AncientWisemon a worried look. "So you're saying it's hopeless?"
The mutant Digimon coughed weakly before speaking again. "Nothing can stop Barbamon from unleashing the weapon, but there is still a chance." He paused, as if considering his next words carefully. "But you must do something that you will find to be extremely difficult. Something your very instincts will tell you not to do."
"What?" Imperialdramon asked. "Whatever it is, we'll do it."
"You must trust Boltboutamon."
Silence greeted this statement, the DigiDestined stunned by his words. It didn't last long though before they all simultaneously cried out "WHAT!?"
"You can't be serious!" Omnimon shouted. "That guy is psychotic! He's pure evil!"
"How can you expect us to trust him of all people?" Gallantmon demanded. "I'd sooner trust Lucemon."
"I know you're supposed to be all-knowing," said Imperialdramon, "and I was wrong to doubt you before, but Boltboutamon simply can't be trusted. He just can't be."
A deep sigh escaped AncientWisemon. "I know how difficult what I'm saying must be, but Boltboutamon is your only chance to stop Barbamon. If you do not get to him as quickly as possible, then he will become too powerful and lay siege to the world. If you cannot trust Boltboutamon, then trust that he will look out for his own best interests. His loyalties to the Demon Lords only runs as deep as his own agendas. Trust that he will put his own amusement above them."
OmniShoutmon's hands clenched. "You're really asking a lot… but if I'm honest, you're right about him, he just does whatever he wants. And if his interests align with ours…"
It was clear that he hated what he was saying, but AncientWisemon seemed to accept his words and nodded. "I have faith in you, and I have done all I can to set the Digital World on its correct path, but the rest is up to you now. This is the last thing I can offer you."
He held out his hand, and his Fractal Code emerged. The DigiDestined gasped and looked at the mutant Digimon in disbelief.
"You can't give us that!" Seraphimon exclaimed.
"No sacrifice is too great to stop the Demon Lords," AncientWisemon told them. He looked directly at Gallantmon and EmperorGreymon pointedly. "No sacrifice."
"But, AncientWisemon-" Ophanimon C began.
"I do not have long to live anyway. A few minutes at most. My data upon death will provide a power boost, but giving you my Fractal Code will give you so much more." He gave them a warning look. "But you must not assimilate it until the end of you next battle, or else you will fall. Do I make myself clear?"
The DigiDestined all looked at OmniShoutmon. He glanced at each of them in turn before letting out a reluctant sigh. "I trust that you know what you are doing. You've put your faith in us, now we'll put our faith in you." He held his hand out and drew AncientWisemon's Fractal Code to himself. "Thank you for all your help."
The last of the Fractal Code left AncientWisemon's hand, and he immediately began to dissolve into data. "No, thank you."
And then he was gone. OmniShoutmon finished absorbing the Fractal Code, but did not assimilate it, just as the mutant Digimon requested. He didn't know why, as having that much power would only be beneficial. In their next battle and all future battles.
"What is it?" Omnimon suddenly asked quietly. He looked at OmniShoutmon. "The great power. AncientWisemon said it's a weapon of some kind. You know what he's talking about, don't you? What is it?"
OmniShoutmon was still staring at his hand that had absorbed the mutant Digimon's Fractal Code. It slowly clenched into a fist, and a deep sigh escaped him. "It's a Digimon, a very powerful Digimon designed to be a living weapon."
"A Digimon?" EmperorGreymon repeated, looking slightly relieved. He held up his sword. "I thought it would be a literal weapon like my sword, one that would give Barbamon a major power boost or some amazing new abilities. But it's just another Digimon?"
OmniShoutmon was shaking his head. "You don't understand, this Digimon was created to be the ultimate weapon. He was born from the data of destroyed Legend-Arms Digimon. They're a unique group of Digimon who carry out transformations into giant, peerless weapons based on the master they choose. According to legend, if held by an angel, will save the world, and if held by a demon, will destroy it."
He motioned around them. "This fortress was built during the Second Catastrophe when Quartzmon was taking over in order to create a weapon meant to defeat him. Data was gathered from destroyed Legend-Arms Digimon and used to create the ultimate weapon, Armamon, the weapon Digimon."
Ophanimon C's eyes narrowed in thought. "But I thought it was the Guardians that defeated Quartzmon. Wasn't their victory over him what established them as, well, the Guardians?"
OmniShoutmon nodded. "Yes, it was. Shortly after Armamon was born, the Guardians defeated Quartzmon. But this left Armamon with no purpose. He was meant to act as a weapon against Quartzmon, but now Quartzmon had been defeated. But Armamon couldn't be turned off, nor could his destructive instincts. He would have run wild with no clear target, attacking anything and anyone in his path. So he was put into a state of hibernation and sealed away. But I never would have thought that he was the great power that's been talked about for thousands of years."
"And Barbamon is going to awaken him?" Gallantmon exclaimed.
"He must think that with his power to manipulate others that he'll be able to control him. But that's foolish. Armamon can't be controlled, he can only have his destructive power directed. Barbamon won't be able to turn him off once he's awakened. And you remember what I just said about what happens if a demon uses the power of a Legend-Arm."
"Well, Barbamon is definitely a demon," Seraphimon stated.
"Why didn't anyone ever use Armamon against the Demon Lords?" Imperialdramon asked.
"Too dangerous," OmniShoutmon replied. "Even if he was used against the Demon Lords and managed to defeat them, there would still be the problem of not being able to turn him off again. Armamon would just turn his attention elsewhere and keep going. Whether for the demonic or the angelic, nothing would be able to stop Armamon's destructive path."
"Then why seal him away?" Gallantmon asked. "Why not simply destroy him?"
"In case he ever was needed one day should an even greater threat than him come along. And that threat did come on the form of the Third Catastrophe. But the Guardians were able to defeat ZeedMillenniummon before Armamon was awoken. Not that even he would have been a match for ZeedMillenniummon." OmniShoutmon ran a hand across his face. "If someone who fought for the light had awakened Armamon, it would be disastrous, but if Barbamon does it, it will be apocalyptic."
His claim successfully unsettled them. Armamon's reputation sounded bad enough, but based on everything OmniShoutmon had said, Armamon was even stronger than the Demon Lords. Or at least Barbamon. And that most definitely did not bode well for them.
"So what now?" Imperialdramon asked.
A frustrated growl escaped Omnimon. "You heard what AncientWisemon said, we've got to… trust Boltboutamon. Trust him for what, I don't know."
"So we have to go find Boltboutamon?" Gallantmon asked. "How are we supposed to do that? It's him who always finds us."
At that moment, there was the familiar sound of a portal opening. The DigiDestined whirled around to see that a portal had indeed appeared.
"I guess that's our cue," said Seraphimon, and they rushed over to the portal, waiting for the demon Digimon to appear.
But it wasn't Boltboutamon. Instead, a large claw suddenly flew out of the portal, slashing at the DigiDestined. They jumped back in surprise as Parallelmon emerged.
"Expecting someone else?" the mutant Digimon asked.
EmperorGreymon glared at him. "We thought you'd stay glued to your master's side."
Parallelmon just chuckled. "I'll return to Lord Barbamon shortly. I just came back to make a special delivery."
Four more figures exited the portal and stood around Parallelmon. One of them was ChaosGallantmon. The DigiDestined weren't all that surprised to see the Chaos General, and were at least relieved to see that Chaosmon wasn't with him. The other three that were with him though, they were surprised to see, as they had thought that they had seen the last of them.
"What are you three doing here?" Ophanimon C demanded.
"Is it not obvious?" Fujinmon asked. "We are here to finish the job."
"I thought Beelzemon called you off," Gallantmon growled.
"Correction," said Suijinmon, "he ordered us to stand down so he could kill you himself. As that did not happen, we have come to finish what we started."
"No one escapes the Machine Mercenaries," Raijinmon concluded. "There's no one and nothing that will save you this time. This will be out final battle."
A chuckle escaped Parallelmon as he began backing away into the portal. "It seems you all have some catching up to do. As for me, I have a duty to attend to. I do not think we will be meeting again. Goodbye, human filth."
He went through the portal, and it closed behind him, leaving the DigiDestined alone with the second strongest Chaos General and three other powerful enemies they had faced several times, but had never managed to defeat.
"We don't have time for this," Imperialdramon growled. "We've got to stop Barbamon."
"Do you think he saw this coming?" EmperorGreymon asked. "AncientWisemon I mean."
"He must have," said Gallantmon. "He knows everything."
"Knew," ChaosGallantmon corrected. "Do you really think that outside his AncientWisemon form that he would be able to retain that vast amount of all-knowing knowledge? He won't be able to help you anymore."
Seraphimon stepped forward. "We won't need any help. AncientWisemon told us that we can stop Barbamon. That means we can go through the four of you and still get to him in time to save the world."
"'Can' is the key word, human," Fujinmon told them. "He foresaw an outcome where you defeated us, but that does not mean that is what will happen. A far more likely scenario is that we will be victorious. So," he slid his blade hands together, "let us begin."
The Machine Mercenaries leapt into the air and became consumed by light. "Fujinmon/Raijinmon/Suijinmon DNA Digivolve to… Raidenmon!"
The entire fortress shook as the weight of the machine Digimon caused it to shake when he came crashing down. Bad memories assaulted the DigiDestined as they recalled how much they struggled against Raidenmon the last time they fought.
"We can do this," Ophanimon C encouraged. "Our team is stronger now."
"Yeah," EmperorGreymon said uneasily before glancing at ChaosGallantmon, "but we didn't have a Chaos General to worry about last time."
A cruel laugh escaped ChaosGallantmon. "I'm afraid the situation is worse than you think. I admit that I underestimated you the last time we fought. That's why I brought a little insurance policy."
He held something up, something familiar, something the DigiDestined had never thought they'd see again.
"Wait a minute!" Gallantmon exclaimed. "Is that-"
"A ChronoCore," ChaosGallantmon finished for him. He let out a mocking chuckle at the looks on their faces. "Did you really think that the Demon Lords wouldn't have had Chronomon under their control for so long and not have had him produce one for them? You're so naïve. The Demon Lords have tricks that you can't even imagine."
"We won't let you use it," said Ophanimon C, producing flames in here hands.
Raidenmon shifted, moving to block ChaosGallantmon. The knight Digimon snickered as he held the ChronoCore close to his chest. "You won't 'let' me? You humans really need to learn that you're not the ones in control of this story." He now looked at Ophanimon C specifically. "You obtained the power of fire from your ChronoCore, now feel the bite of ice."
He crushed the ChronoCore into data and absorbed it. A cry escaped him as his body began to freeze over in ice. Within a few seconds, he was frozen solid. The DigiDestined briefly hoped that something had gone wrong when a flash of light suddenly erupted from ChaosGallantmon, and the ice around him shattered.
"ChaosGallantmon Digivolve to… ChaosGallantmon C!"
It seemed he had been serious about his ice comment, and not because he had initially frozen over. His new form still looked identical to his previous one, but his color scheme had gone from dark gray and dark blue to an icy blue color, only a single eye that glowed red stood out from the rest of him.
"An icy version of ChaosGallantmon," Imperialdramon remarked. "Got anything to add, OmniShoutmon?"
The dragon Digimon shook his head. "No, that pretty much hits the nail on the head. A stronger version of ChaosGallantmon with destructive ice powers."
ChaosGallantmon C let out a visible frozen breath. "And it's time to put you all on ice."
As the DigiDestined wondered how that was a saying in the Digital World, ChaosGallantmon C stomped down. Ice began to spread out across the floor and creep up the walls at a rapid pace, and the DigiDestined took to the air before it reached them.
"He pulled an Elsa," Gallantmon declared.
Raidenmon raised his hand and slammed it down. The frozen floor shattered, and the fortress began to crack apart. He then unleashed his Kirlian Brand, sending bolts of electricity flying everywhere, tearing apart the fortress further. The entire structure began to collapse around them as ChaosGallantmon C laughed and Raidenmon stoically stood by.
"Let's get out of here," said Omnimon, pointing his cannon at a wall. "Supreme Cannon!"
He blasted a way out for them, and they were soon outside as the section of the fortress fell apart. ChaosGallantmon C followed after them, but Raidenmon was buried by the collapsing fortress. They weren't foolish enough to think that that was the end of him though, and were proven right a few seconds later as he came bursting out of the rubble.
"So," said ChaosGallantmon C, "which of you wants to die first?"
Ophanimon C moved forward. "I guess I'll be taking him. Fire versus ice."
"I'll take him too," said OmniShotumon. "My attacks won't be that affective against Raidenmon."
"And me," said Gallantmon. "Might as well face my counterpart. The rest of you should deal with Raidenmon; something tells me he's the bigger threat."
ChaosGallantmon C raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you think? During initial Digivolution, perhaps, but you fail to realize just how much data I've absorbed over the years and how strong it's made me. It's time you realized just why I'm a Chaos General."
"I thought it was for no other reason than because you had 'chaos' in your name," Imperialdramon remarked. "A useless title by default."
Anger flashed in ChaosGallantmon C's eyes, and he pointed his shield at the dragon Digimon. "Crazy Ice Blast!"
A series of ice arrows flew out of his shield and flew at Imperialdramon. Ophanimon C quickly sent up a pillar of fire that rose up in front of the dragon Digimon, dissolving away the arrows. ChaosGallantmon C threw Ophanimon C a dirty look, and she glared right back at him from behind her helmet. "We said you're fighting the three of us."
Raidenmon marched over to them, and ChaosGallantmon C settled down beside him. "Very well," the latter stated. "It does not matter. Soon all of you will meet your doom."
EmperorGreymon held up his sword. "You know something, we've been hearing that ever since we first got to this world, and yet we're still here."
"Then let us rectify that right now," Raidenmon stated. "Once and for all."
(A/N: So who's surprised. A lot of things from the past circled back around. The scrolls, the Machine Mercenaries, another ChronoCore. Admit it, you forgot about most of them. But that was the point, you were supposed to with everything else going on, but I was always going to come back to them. And now our heroes know what the great power is, and Barbamon is on his way to obtain it. And what about what AncientWisemon told them about trusting Boltboutamon? Trust him how exactly? But before that, they have to stop Raidenmon, and a now even stronger ChaosGallantmon with ice powers. They may be stronger than they were the last time they faced them, but will it be enough? You'll have to wait and see. Next update in two weeks.)
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New Digimon that appear. Replace the DOT in the link(s) with actual periods.
digimonDOTwikiaDOTcom/wiki/Armamon
digimonDOTwikiaDOTcom/wiki/ChaosGallantmon_C
