Chapter 52 – Memories: Part 3
"Anubismon." a voice behind him said: "Wait."
Anubismon ignored Imperialdramon and continued flying. He wanted to be alone. However, the armored dragon caught up with him faster than he liked and stood in front of him.
"Anubismon..." imperialdramon quipped: "I... I'm sorry..."
"You're sorry?!" he screamed angrily: "What's you sorry for?! That you will seal me in the Dark Ocean at some point?!"
"Yes." he bent his head down and closed his eyes, then sighed heavily.
Anubismon's eyes narrowed and he became even more angry.
"I thought we were friends!" he exclaimed: "Imperialdramon! You're my only friend!"
"That's not true, Anubismon... Omnimon is now your friend." he replied calmly.
"Don't change subject, Imperialdramon!"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I will do this one day to you..."
"You aren't sorry at all!" he raved.
"Once I've created the group, you will submit to the call of the Dark Ocean..." he looked at him with a mixture of sadness and despair: "I..."
"How will you know that anyway! I will not submit to this call!"
"I..."
"Apparently you don't trust me!" he cried, a tear from his eye.
"Anubismon! Please. Listen to me!" he asked.
"Why should I do that?!"
"Because I'm your friend!"
"My friend!", Anubismon scornfully breathed air out of his nostrils: "Great friend who wants to seal me into the Dark Ocean!"
"Anubismon... I... I know this because I stay in contact with King Drasil ever since Alphamon joined us." Imperialdramon confessed.
"What?" his eyes widened.
"King Drasil can see into the future... It predicts that you will answer the call to the Dark Ocean." the armored dragon had slightly turned away from his friend during the explanation and closed his eyes.
The divine digimon recognized grief in Imperialdramon's eyes and had to swallow.
"Why... Do you believe that I will submit?" asked Anubismon.
"Because…" his friend sighed: "I know you."
"Why?"
A cloud wandered over the moon, covering the armored dragon's face.
"I can tell that you one day will become evil." Imperialdramon said: "
"Then I am going to prove King Drasil and you wrong!"
With a heavy sigh, the armored dragon closed his eyes again, while Anubismon crossed his arms in front of his chest and also closed his eyelids. Before he could get it, he felt Imperialdramon put a claw around him and pull him into a firm embrace. Frightened by this action, the divine digimon wanted to free himself, but could not.
"Imperialdra-" Anubismon said.
"I'm sorry, Anubismon. I trust you more than anyone..." the armored dragon pulled him closer to him: "But I beg you. Please... I don't want to lose our friendship. Do you promise me that? Do you promise me that you will not give up on our friendship?"
"I... promise." he lied.
Anubismon told his friend a lie, for he would certainly worry about the end of their friendship. Only he no longer wanted to worry the armored dragon. Imperialdramon smiled and ended the hug while his friend looked to the side. Then he looked to the sky.
His eyes widened before shouting:
"Imperialdramon! Watch out!" the divine digimon flew over his friend and was hit by a red laser.
Anubismon screamed loudly before he could no longer feel his wings and fell to the ground. Imperialdramon rushed after his friend, but couldn't really catch him.
"Anubismon!" the armored dragon closed his eyes and also screamed loudly when an attack hit him on the back.
Unhindered, both friends fell to the ground, too perplexed to even move. A white and a black digimon raced towards Anubismon and Imperialdramon and caught them.
"Omnimon..." the divine digimon coughed and saw the blue eyes of said digimon.
"Don't worry. I've got you." Omnimon replied, pointing a smile.
Meanwhile, Alphamon had pushed himself under the armored dragons and held him in the air with his body.
"Who attacked you, Imperialdramon?" asked digimon in black armor.
"Hello! I'm still here!" Anubismon exclaimed: "I was also attacked."
"Shut up." Alphamon raved.
"You!" the divine digimon looked angrily at the Digimon in black armor.
"Calm down, Anubismon." the fused digimon instructed him, before looking into the sky: "So... Who attacked you two?"
"That would be... me." said a digimon.
All eyes were on the sky, where a digimon with large purple wings, light purple scales and white armor with golden teeth flew and crossed his arms. There was an incredible anger in his eyes.
"You just invade my territory and then have the courage to ask who attacked the two jokes?!" the stranger digimon growled angrily: "Well. Who are you? Before I kill you all!"
"What's the point in that?" asked Omnimon, looking at Alphamon.
"No idea." he raved.
"You enter my territory and don't even apologize?!" the stranger Digimon hissed angrily: "Did you even know that this is my territory?!"
"How should we recognize this?" was Anubismon's irritated question.
"Oh…" Imperialdramon's face brightened briefly: "The markings on the trees. They're yours, don't they? I thought these trees had weird scratches."
"Imperialdramon!" his friends shouted.
"Good. Then you knew that you had entered my territory. Of course, this makes things much easier." the stranger had his fists cracked and then pointed his palms at the group: "Dragon's-"
"Wait, Dynasmon!" a voice shouted and flew in front of the four digimons.
The digimon had blue scales and a golden armor. Another Digimon joined this digimon and also stood in front of the group of four. It was wearing a white armor, similar to Omnimon, and a red cape.
"You two." Dynasmon growled: "I warned you. If you enter my territory again, I will kill you!"
"You always say that." the digimon with the red cape sighed and rolled his eyes.
"So could you please let us pass, Dynasmon?" asked the digimon with the golden armor.
"And what about the others? They could take my territory away from me!" the dragon man shouted.
"They won't do that," the digimon in the golden armor reassured.
"If you can guarantee that..." Dynasmon sighed and turned his back towards the group.
ithout another word, he flew high into the air and disappeared into the clouds. Anubismon narrowed his eyes while the two strange digimons sighed.
"Who are you?" asked Alphamon suspiciously.
"I'm Magnamon!" he said, waving to the group.
"My name is Gallantmon." continued the other.
"Gallantmon, Magnamon..." the armored dragon had the names rolled over his tongue: "Do you want to travel with us?"
"I knew it." groaned the digimon in black armor.
"That's a nice offer, but no." Gallantmon immediately declined.
"We only travel in pairs." Magnamon said, his arms entwined in front of his chest.
"Um... Could we possibly continue the conversation on the ground?" asked Omnimon suddenly: "Anubismon gets a little bit heavy for me."
"What does that mean?!" the divine digimon was outraged. Before he received an answer, the digimon in white armor flew to the ground and dropped off his friend.
The others followed him, so that now everyone was on the ground. Magnamon sighed and looked apologetically at the group.
"We'd had bad experiences with a group that was too big." the digimon in gold armor said.
"What happened?" asked Imperialdramon.
Both friends looked at each other tacitly.
"Because-"
"Because of a wrong decision three friends of us died." Gallantmon said.
"You only need someone who can make the right decisions." smiled the armored dragon.
"We are now making the right decisions!" shouted Magnamon angrily.
"If you say so." Alphamon began. "However-"
"Alphamon!" hissed Omnimon: "Leave it."
"Why?" he narrowed his eyes, his left hand clenched into a fist.
"Please, calm down." the Digimon with the red cape tried to defuse the situation: "It was our mistake that our friends died. You know... Dynasmon had also been part of our group. After this incident, however, he distanced himself from us until he parted ways with our group and he claimed this area."
Anubismon annoyedly breathed out the spent air and flapped with his feathered wings.
"You regret that you almost led your friends to death... But that doesn't change how this Dynasmon acts!" the divine digimon said slightly growling: "You know. Imperialdramon wants to build a safer digital world where the weaker are protected by the stronger. We need all the help we can get."
"Anubismon..." Imperialdramon breathed.
"This is the first and last time I'm welcoming new members to our group."
"Thank you..." the armored dragon nodded to his friend cheerfully, before turning to Magnamon and Gallantmon: "I'm not forcing you to join us... only... just like Anubismon said... I want to make the digital world a safe place. And for that I need anyone who can help us."
The two friends looked at each other again. Anubismon could guess that the two were struggling with the offer. But somehow, he could understand them. One mistake cost their friends their lives and another friend distanced themselves greatly from them. Both also seemed to have lost hope. But then, to his surprise, the Digimon stretched out his hand with the red cape and nodded cheerfully to the armored dragon. Imperialdramon smiled happily.
Uneasy, Anubismon turned around in his sleep. He gasped for air and cramped himself when he heard quiet and eerie voices.
"Come on, oh, come on... We are waiting for you." the voices said.
"N-no... Leave me alone... No..." he moaned in his sleep, clenching his hands to fists.
"Anubismon..." a voice shouted at him quietly.
"No. Leave me alone."
"Anubismon.", a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him through.
"I'm not one of you!"
"Anubismon!"
The eyes of the divine digimon opened abruptly. He took a hard breath as he looked at Magnamon. He still had his hand on his shoulder and pressed it lightly.
"Are you alright, Anubismon?" he asked him quietly.
"Y-yes..." he lied to him: "It was just a nightmare."
"Then it's good." Anubismon's eyes looked around and searched for Imperialdramon.
He saw Gallantmon leaning against a tree and closing his eyes. Omnimon lay with his back on a tree trunk and slept very quietly and carefree. Alphamon was just lying on the ground, one arm under his head, the other lying by his side. But nowhere did he see the armored dragon.
"Where is Imperialdramon?" was his question.
"Huh?" Magnamon looked at him with a bit of a confusion.
"Where is Imperialdramon?" the divine digimon repeated his question.
The Digimon in golden armor also looked around and could not identify Imperialdramon either.
"He's... away?"
Magnamon couldn't really believe it. Before Anubismon could react, the digimon in golden armor woke everyone up. Alphamon grumbled, while Gallantmon yawned a little. Only Omnimon made no noise.
"What's going on here? Why do you, Anubismon, wake us up in the middle of the night?!" the digimon in black armor demanded answers.
"First of all, I was the one who woke you up." Magnamon began, his arms entwined in front of his chest: "And second. Imperialdramon is gone."
"What?" the fused Digimon's eyes widened with shock: "Why does he just disappear in the middle of the night?"
"We don't know." Anubismon replied.
He was incredibly worried about his friend. What if he was attacked by someone. The body of the divine digimon trembled in fear.
"Hey, folks!" a voice shouted from above: "Looks like my disappearance has been noticed."
All eyes were on the sky, where a digimon with white armor flew. The head of an Imperialdramon Dragon Mode was placed on the chest of the digimon. Only the color was different, instead of black the head was white. Other armor parts, such as shoulder plates or arm guards, were also white. Three golden claws covered the blue scaly five finger hands. Under the armguards, he wore black ribbons that reached almost to his shoulders to protect him. On the white shoulder plates there was a large, golden and pointed object, the top of which pointed away from his head decorated with a white helmet. The abdomen was covered by several belts with silver buckles, while the legs and thighs were covered by heavy protectors. The space between the two armor parts was also wrapped in black ribbons. The three toes on each foot were golden and balanced the digimon quite well and there was also a pointed claw on the heel. To strengthen his balance, he had a blue-scaly tail and white-feathered wings. In one hand he held a long sword with DigiMoji on the blade. The edge was golden, while the handle was in a white color.
"Imperial... dramon?" asked Anubismon, astonished.
"The one and only." he replied with a brief laugh.
"What happened?" asked Gallantmon.
"I was attacked when I was doing a little night flight." Imperialdramon began to explain, before landing on the ground: "I've digivolved or rather I've made a mode change. So, you can now call me Imperialdramon Paladin Mode."
"You shouldn't laugh!" raved Alphamon: "Without this mode change, you wouldn't be alive now."
"Hey, hey. Everything went well. So, don't spoil the good mood, Alpha-bunny." the white dragon man laughed again.
"I like the nickname." laughed the divine digimon.
"Just be glad that I'm not so relentless..." the digimon in black armor grumbled.
Magnamon went to him and reached with his hand to Imperialdramon's right wing, before saying:
"Don't you have feathers on your wings?"
"Yes, yes. They kind of became feathers. But I don't care." said the white dragon man, digging the top of his sword into the ground before leaning slightly on it.
Omnimon also went to him and looked at him from top to bottom.
"Your armor somehow reminds me of mine..." the fused digimon turned his gaze back into Imperialdramon's eyes.
"Because it is white?" he asked.
"Among other reasons." Omnimon answered: "You look happier. As if you like the new change."
"Hey. I'm just glad I've gotten stronger." laughed the white dragon man.
The divine digimon also laughed and put his hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Okay!" suddenly shouted Imperialdramon and marched off: "Let's move on! After all, I don't want to stay here forever!"
The others followed him tacitly. So, the group continued without knowing that Dynasmon was following them. A few hours later, the friends rested on the edge of a desert. It was just noon and the sky was cloudless. Just as Gallantmon was looking into the air he saw his old friend. The digimon with the red cape waved to him warmly and invited him to join them with a gesture. The dragon man growled and flew away.
"Did Dynasmon followed us?" asked Alphamon angrily.
"I thought it was obvious." Magnamon said.
"I also noticed that he had followed us." Omnimon replied.
"Me too." Anubismon agreed with the others.
"For grumbling so much, you're pretty inattentive, Alphamon." Imperialdramon laughed.
The digimon in black armor cursed quietly and closed his eyes before he heard someone landing on the ground.
"Okay. I'll follow you." Dynasmon growled: "But only because I'm worried about Gallantmon and Magnamon."
"It's rare for you to worry about us." Gallantmon said.
"Keep your mouth shut!" the dragon man raved.
Anubismon smiled. Somehow, he was happy that his circle of friends was getting bigger and bigger. Normally he would have been upset that another digimon joined the group, but he didn't. Quite the opposite... He had learned to become curious and that new members of the group could become his friends. He himself regarded Alphamon as his friend, although he could be quite grumpy and arrogant. The divine digimon liked Omnimon and Magnamon a lot because both had a positive view of things. With Gallantmon, Anubismon was relatively neutral. He didn't know what to do with him. And Imperialdramon... He was his best friend and he trusted him blindly. The divine digimon was very curious about Dynasmon, who resembled somehow Alphamon. So, it was a mixed group.
After some months during his sleep Anubismon was once again in this dark, eerie world. He called for his friends as he marched through this world. He didn't even notice that his feet touched water... grey seawater. Anubismon was terrified and cried out even louder for his friends. But they weren't there. Beings stepped out of the water. They kept shouting for him and it scared him. He wanted to leave here... at all costs. He wanted to leave here.
"... mon...", he heard a voice very quietly.
"Leave me alone!" exclaimed Anubismon.
"... nubismon..."
"Leave me alone... you horrible beings!" he cried as these strange figures approached him.
"Anubismon!"
The divine digimon woke up terrified. His fur was soaked in sweat and he trembled very strongly. His widened eyes looked into that of Imperialdramon, who had placed his hands on his shoulders.
"Imperialdramon..." Anubismon quipped: "What... what happened?"
"You screamed into your sleep and started attacking us." the white dragon man explained.
"I attacked you?"
"Yes." he looked around and realized Omnimon leaning heavily on Alphamon: "I... I'm sorry..."
"You're sorry?!" the digimon, dressed in black armor, angrily repeated,: "I wouldn't be so upset if you hadn't attacked us again!"
"What?" the eyes of the divine digimon widened: "T-This is not true. I would... I would never attack you."
Anubismon looked at his other friends. They also looked quite battered. Only Imperialdramon did not appear to have any injuries. But then he noticed how he leaned on his sword. What had he done? And why had he only noticed that he was attacking his friends in his sleep?
"Nothing else happened, Anubismon." Magnamon said.
"It has happened, Magnamon!" growled Dynasmon angrily.
"Calm down, Dynasmon!" Gallantmon scolds him: "He didn't want to harm us."
"He wants to harm us!" Alphamon raved: "He's a former virus type digimon after all."
"I am also a former virus type digimon, Alphamon." Imperialdramon sighed and joined the divine digimon before placing a hand on his shoulder: "Please don't think it's your fault, Anubismon... Talk to us... Well not necessarily with Alphamon or Dynasmon... but you can talk to me, Magnamon, Gallantmon and Omnimon. We will help you."
"I... Thank you..." Anubismon said softly, his gaze on the ground.
"Hey. You're our friend." he closed one eye, flashing a smile.
Imperialdramon set into motion and everyone followed him. What no one knew, however, was that these nightmares changed Anubismon more and more. He became more aggressive and after a while attacked Alphamon for no reason. The divine digimon began to attack everyone after a few months, because he could no longer withstand these terrible dreams. Eventually, Imperialdramon and his friend talked quietly about it.
"Anubismon..." said the white dragon man: "Why don't you talk to me about your dreams? Why are you closing yourself off more and more?"
"Because you always have your goal in mind and completely forget me! You're not going to make me one of the protectors anyway... So why are you still taking care of me?!" Anubismon exclaimed angrily.
"That is... not true, Anubismon. You are-"
"What?! I'm a former virus type digimon who can't control his feelings?!"
"No... You are my friend. It hurts me to see you like that. You suffer, but you don't want to be helped."
"I'm just a burden to you all!" he screamed as he formed a small pyramid between his claws.
"Anubismon..."
"Pyramid power!", the pyramid flew to Imperialdramon and surround him before the object grew smaller and smaller burning the scales of the white dragon man.
Imperialdramon screamed out loudly before the attack faded. He got down on his knees and looked at his best friend in shock. He staggered a few steps back, then hit his wings and flew high into the air. He disappeared between the clouds. Gritting teeth and shocked.
Anubismon kept flying away... Now he had also attacked his best friend. Suddenly he stopped and clenched his hands to trembling fists. The divine digimon looked behind him in the hope that Imperialdramon would follow him, cheer him up, give him comfort. But he had not followed him.
So, he continued flying. His eyes tightly shut, he rushed through the sky. When he finally reopened his eyelids, he recognized the black, eerie environment from his dreams. Anubismon swallowed heavily, but slowly went to the sea. It roared unnaturally against the sand. Several dark figures, who had wrapped themselves in a grey mist and had sharp red eyes, climbed out of the water and shouted unison:
"We have been waiting for you."
"You..." he had to swallow: "You were waiting for me?"
The beings did not answer him. Instead, they grabbed Anubismon and dragged him into the sea.
"Hey! Let me go!" he fought back violently.
The dark figures ignored him and dragged him further into the sea. When he was completely underwater, his body began to hurt. The divine digimon cried out as his entire body cramped. The beings enveloped him as he heard their voices:
"You are chosen. Destroy the order you so much loathe. Destroy King Drasil... Then your friend Imperialdramon will forgive you. You want that, don't you?"
/Leave... Leave me alone.../ he answered them desperately: /I don't want that.../
"But that's what you want. So why did you create us?"
"I created you? Lie! Those are lies!"
"It's not a lie. You created us through your thoughts. You always wanted to keep your darkness away from you... therefore you have not yet fallen into darkness. We just want to go back to our Lord." the beings said as they penetrated deeper and deeper into him.
/I.../
"Allow it, Anubismon... Let it happen. After all, you are one of the demon lords of the legend. You were born to destroy. You were born to make the digital world a better place. That's why you have to let us into you. You will be able to gain incredible powers and destroy King Drasil. And you will be able to fulfill Imperialdramon's wish!"
The divine digimon closed his eyes and let it happen. If these beings were right, and he believed them, he would become stronger, he would be able to fulfill Imperialdramon's wish.
Anubismon smiled darkly before the dark figures completely changed him. It hurt him a lot, but the pain would soon pass. He screamed silently in the water before making a dark digivolutioon. When the shadows faded, there was no more Anubismon. The new digimon flapped with his wings and rose from the water.
Deemon laughed when he realized how strong he was. He created a dark sphere and threw it against a forest. Immediately the object exploded and destroyed the entire black forest. The demon laughed diabolically. Anubismon no longer existed... he was now Deemon, one of the seven demon lords.