Meanwhile, TK walked down a foggy corridor, carefully checking his surroundings. Whilst traversing, the corridor shifted, forcing him to stand in front of a door. Opening it, TK relived the time when he felt powerless after Angemon reverted to an egg. TK quickly slammed the door and continued down another corridor, only for it to reconfigure itself again. Placed in front of another door, TK watched another hopeless moment when he succumbed to MaloMystiomon's illusions. Closing the door again and leaving, the corridor rearranged itself once more, making him face another door. Opening this door, TK recalled his moment of helplessness when he saw Kari in a fragile state without her brother. TK shut the door once more.
"Okay, you've made your point," TK shouted down the corridor. "If you think this is going to make me succumb to your ploy, you're sadly mistaken."
A low, sinister chuckle filled the corridor.
"Is that what you really think," the voice said. "Well, I believe you're fooling yourself. And why do I know that? Because, I am you."
TK swallowed his words and continued to navigate his way around the foggy corridors.
Episode 18
Eventually, TK ended up in front of a door that read "Manager's Office." Taking a deep breath, TK opened it. Immediately, TK found himself sitting on a chair with a bright spotlight shining on him.
"Takeru Takaishi," Manager TK said. "Average height. Average weight. Average looks. Average grades. Good at everything, but, at the same time, great at nothing. So, tell me, what makes you so special, or are you that worthless that you drag everyone down with you?"
"I don't have to tell you anything," TK replied. "You don't know a thing about me. Just give Palmon back to me, and let me go."
"What are you talking about," Manager TK said. "I know everything about you. After all, I am you."
"You're…," TK said.
TK was about to reject his other self, but held his tongue. Noticing this, Manager TK snapped his fingers, revealing several other TKs surrounding them.
"I'm Heroic TK," one of them said. "My duty is to make sure no Digimon are harmed by the dark forces."
"I'm Artistic TK," another one said. "I use my craft to bring smiles to all the children's faces."
"I'm Pessimistic TK," a third one said. "I warn others about what is going to happen to them in the future, but since they won't listen, I get sad about it."
"I'm Vengeful TK," a fourth one said. "The darkness took everything from me. So, it is my job to make them suffer the same way they did to me."
"Enough of this," TK said. "Get to the point already. What are you trying to get at here?"
"Since you can't decide which one of us is real, I'll let you decide out of these four who the real you is," Manager TK said.
"I'm the real TK," Heroic TK said.
"No, I'm the real TK," Artistic TK said.
"I should be the real TK," Pessimistic TK said.
"The real TK is me," Vengeful TK said.
"Stop this," TK said. "None of this is real. All of you aren't real. You're all not…"
TK caught himself in the moment and swallowed his words again.
"Come on, what's the point of acting all mature," Manger TK said. "You're only hurting yourself."
"What are you talking about," TK asked.
"You think keeping things to yourself makes you more of an adult? That filling in the gap of your team makes you feel special? What exactly are you trying to prove?"
"That's…"
"You can't be a figurehead like Tai. You're can't be cool like Matt. You're not as intelligent as Izzy, motherly as Sora, energetic as Mimi, or fatherly as Joe. Even Kari gets possessed by some mysterious force every now and again. You're just in it for the ride, joining in because everyone else is. There's no merit in you staying with them. Nothing would change if you were never a part of their team. So, where does you're value lie?"
"My value…?"
"To be fair, it's not like becoming a member of a different team did you any favors. The DigiEggs that you received during your second journey is proof of that. Davis, Yolei, and Cody all possessed qualities that the older DigiDestined have, leaving you as your unimportant self once more."
"That's not true."
"Do you want to know what your real worth is? It's your false representation of hope. You're not some beacon of light guiding the other DigiDestined to infinite possibilities. You're a magnet of darkness, dragging them down to an eternal abyss of despair."
"You're a liar!"
"You're the one lying to yourself. At your core, you know this to be true. Admit that you are the harbinger of darkness, and admit that it is the only reason you are considered a member of the DigiDestined. Because once they are done with you, it's back to becoming the seventh wheel with you. You will always be extra baggage."
"That does it! You're not me! You're nothing like me!"
Realizing what had happened, TK covered his mouth, but it was too late. Shadow TK sneered as a distortion portal appeared behind him, revealing a large dark green and gray robot with a giant sword. At the same time, Izzy, Matt, Teddie, and I finally made our way through the manager's office.
"This has to be the last room," I said.
"Where's TK," Matt asked.
"Matt, look over there," Garurumon said.
"Oh no, that's his Shadow Self, and now it's doing that weird merging thingy," Teddie said.
"We're too late. He's already rejected his other self," Izzy said.
"Then, there's only one thing we can do," Kabuterimon said.
"Yeah, let's do our thing and wipe the floor with that guy," Greymon said.
"You think you can take me on," Shadow TK said. "I'd like to see you try. I'm the main protagonist now, and it's my turn to be the star of the show!"
The giant robot began merging itself with Shadow TK, transforming him into an ominous, humanoid figure covered in burnt brown robes and a white head scarf. Floating around him were an orb in each hand, a large book beneath him, and various robotic armor parts all around him.
"I am DarkWisemon, the darkness within your true inner self," Shadow TK said.
"No way," Mimi said, looking at the TV screen. "Can we actually see what's going on in the TV World?"
"Yeah, Matt and I were surprised, too, when we saw what happened when you were in the TV World," Sora explained.
"What are you guys talking about," Kari said. "Did something happen? Are Tai and the others okay?"
"Well, it's kind of hard to explain," Sora said. "You see…."
"Sora, Kari, you have to get on your phones, quickly," Mimi said.
"Mimi, what's the matter," Sora said, looking through her phone.
"Let's see," Kari said, looking through her phone. "Several districts in Tokyo have been covered by a mysterious fog. The center points are located at Akihabara and Shinagawa. Those nearby are to remain indoors until the fog has been cleared. Wait, didn't something like this occur before? What's going on?"
"Sorry, Kari, I'd love to clarify things to you, but we don't have much time," Sora said. "Mimi, can you get in touch with Michael and Mina and ask them to head over to Shinagawa? I'll contact Yolei and Derek and have them go there, too. If any of them gets lost, Yolei can guide them to Shinagawa, if needed."
"I can do that, but what about Akihabara," Mimi asked.
"Don't worry; the two of us will go there," Sora explained. "It's further away from here, so it's better if a smaller group like us head over there with knowledge of what to expect. Having any of the other four meet up with us would just slow us down, so it's better if they mobilized somewhere closer."
"I want to help out, too," Kari said. "Is there anything I can do?"
"I appreciate the sentiment, but I think it's best if you stayed here," Sora said. "If they come out earlier than expected and we haven't returned yet, we need you to tell them what is going on so they could assist us."
"Don't worry; we've dealt with this before," Mimi said. "I'm sure we'll be able to do it again without a hitch."
"Don't worry; we'll be back as quickly as possible. I promise," Sora said.
"Alright, we don't have any more time to waste," Mimi said. "Let's go!"
"On it," Sora said. "Take care, Kari."
"Be careful, you two," Kari said. "Stay safe."
"That's it," Kabuterimon asked, looking at DarkWisemon. "I expected something more terrifying."
"Don't let your guard down," Izzy said. "He may not look like much, but he's a terribly powerful figure."
"Well then, I guess we shall see how strong he really is," Garurumon said.
"Nova Blast," Greymon shouted.
Greymon fired a fireball at DarkWisemon, but DarkWisemon blocked it with one of the floating robotic pieces.
"In that case, Howling Blaster," Garurumon shouted.
Garurumon continuously sprayed blue flames from its mouth. DarkWisemon used as many robotic parts as possible to create a shield to protect it from harm.
"It's occupied," I said. "Now's your chance."
"Electro Shocker," Kabuterimon said.
"Fire the Tomahawk," Teddie shouted.
Kabuterimon and Kintoki-Douji flew above the armored wall and fired an electric ball and a missile respectively at DarkWisemon.
"Pandora Dialogue," DarkWisemon said.
Using the orbs in his hands, DarkWisemon sucked both of their attacks into the orbs. Then, he fired both of their attacks back at them. Kabuterimon exploded from the missile while Kintoki-Douji was shocked senseless by the electric ball. Teddie felt the attack through his Persona, which knocked him out.
"Kabuterimon! Teddie!" Izzy shouted.
"This guy just absorbed their attacks and bounced them back at them," Greymon said.
"And this wall isn't letting up anytime soon," Garurumon said.
"Well, if fighting from a distance isn't going to cut it…," Matt said.
"Then, let's fight it head on," I replied.
"It's time to Digivolve," Matt said.
"Greymon, Four Card Arcana Digivolve to… MetalGreymon," Greymon shouted.
"Garurumon, Four Card Arcana Digivolve to… WereGarurumon," Garurumon shouted.
MetalGreymon and WereGarurumon ran towards DarkWisemon. DarkWisemon reconstructed another armored shield to defend himself.
"Metal Slash," MetalGreymon shouted.
MetalGreymon used his Trident Arm to tear away the armored pieces. DarkWisemon used the remaining pieces to fire at MetalGreymon, who used his arm to shield himself from the incoming attack. Meanwhile, WereGarurumon dashed around DarkWisemon, successfully running behind him.
"Wolf Claw," WereGarurumon shouted.
WereGarurumon quickly jumped towards DarkWisemon, preparing to slash him with his claws. Sensing what was happening, DarkWisemon quickly ducked away from the attack. WereGarurumon landed on one of the floating robotic plates and continued his assault on DarkWisemon. Every time WereGarurumon tried to land a critical blow, DarkWisemon would use one of the robotic pieces to knock him away. At one point, DarkWisemon created a large sword out of the robotic pieces to slash at WereGarurumon. MetalGreymon used his Trident Arm to block the attack. WereGarurumon ran up the sword as MetalGreymon pushed the sword back at DarkWisemon. DarkWisemon quickly dodged the incoming attack, but MetalGreymon and WereGarurumon were ready to charge at him in opposite directions with a fatal blow.
"Eternal Nirvana," DarkWisemon said.
Just when it looked like he was about to take a fatal blow, DarkWisemon disappeared inside the book. At the same time, the book closed, capturing MetalGreymon and WereGarurumon in the process.
"MetalGreymon," I shouted, running towards the book.
"Tai, don't; it's too dangerous," Matt said, chasingafter me.
Ignoring him, I headed towards the book, concerned about MetalGreymon's wellbeing. The book opened once more, revealing nothing inside. Instead, it began sucking me into it. As I was about to fly towards it, Matt grabbed my hand, preventing me from going in. However, Matt was unable to hold his ground, and the two of us went inside the book as it closed once more.
"Tai, Matt," Izzy shouted.
"T-They were sucked in," Teddie said. "What should we do?"
"Let me think," Izzy said, looking through his crystal ball. "There's got to be a weak spot or an opening somewhere. I just know it."
"This is all my fault," TK muttered. "I did this to them. I…."
Meanwhile, Yolei, Derek, Michael, and Mina were all in Yolei's uncle's car as they drove towards Shinegawa. Before they were able to make it to the city center, Yolei's uncle stopped before the fog became too thick for him to see.
"This should be close enough," Mina said.
"Alright, let's do this," Michael said.
"Thank you for driving us," Derek said to Yolei's uncle.
"Please be careful on your way out," Yolei said to her uncle.
The four of them left the car and headed towards the center of the fog. To see where they were going, they called for their partners, donning their new attire and releasing the sealed Digimon from the cards. Surveying the area, they noticed that there were several Shadows aimlessly roaming about.
"They haven't detected us yet," Hawkmon said.
"Let's sneak up from behind them and ambush them," Candlemon said.
"Good idea. Is everyone ready," Michael asked.
"Yeah," everyone replied.
Hawkmon, Betamon, Candlemon, and Crabmon Digivoled to Aquialamon, Seadramon, Meramon, and Coelamon respectively and attacked the wandering Shadows. Noticing that they were getting attacked, the rest of the Shadows teamed up in order to take the Digimon down. To support them, Mina threw her chakhran at some of them. Derek used his trident to thrust at them. Yolei and Michael used their hatchet and sword respectively to swing at them.
"Keep it up, everyone," Yolei said. "We just need to hold down the fort until they all disappear."
"You got it," Derek said.
"Will do," Mina replied.
At the same time, Sora and Mimi took a cab over to Akihabara. Once it looked too dangerous to continue forward, the cab driver stopped.
"This will do for now," Sora said.
"Here, keep the change," Mimi said to the car driver.
The cab quickly turned away as Sora and Mimi continued to proceed deeper into the fog. When it became too thick to see, Sora and Mimi put on their glasses to help them navigate the area. Sora and Mimi quickly hid behind one of the stores. They noticed that there were several streets that were swarming with Shadows due to the many distortions that were formed in front of several electronic stores.
"This is ridiculous," Sora commented. "There's way too many of them."
"Do you think something happened to Tai and the others in the TV World," Mimi asked.
"Even if something occurred, I'm sure they will figure something out. For now, we have to clear away these Shadows as soon as possible."
"You're right. There could be people still trapped in this fog, trying to find a way to get out."
"Are you ready, Mimi?"
"Of course!"
"Persona!"
Sora and Mimi shattered the cards in front of them, donning their new attire and releasing the sealed Digimon from the cards.
"Hello, Sora," Biyomon said.
"Mimi, it's good to see you again," Palmon said.
"So, what's the situation," Biyomon asked.
"Wow, there's so many of them," Palmon said, looking down the street.
"Do you think we can take them all out," Biyomon asked.
"We don't know, but we have no choice but to try," Sora said. "Tai and the others are fighting hard against Shadow TK, so we need to do the same here."
"That's right," Mimi said. "We can think about the difficult stuff later. For now, let's take these bad Shadows out and save everyone here."
"I understand," Biyomon said.
"I'm ready when you are," Palmon said.
"Biyomon, Empress Arcana Digivovle to… Birdramon," Biyomon shouted.
"Palmon, High Priestess Arcana Digivolve to… Togemon," Palmon shouted.
"Meteor Wing," Birdramon shouted.
"Needle Spray," Togemon shouted.
Birdramon and Togemon fired meteors and needles respectively from the sky, bombarding the many Shadows from down below.
"So far so good," Sora said, cutting through some of the Shadows.
"I think we can actually do this," Mimi said, throwing some more needle darts.
As they were taking out the Shadows, more distortion portals appeared in the various electronic stores. This time, multiple Digimon came out from the distortions and attacked the Shadows, damaging some of the buildings in the process.
"They're tearing the city apart," Mimi said.
"We have to make sure that the casualties are minimal," Sora said. "Birdramon, Togemon, help us out."
"On my way," Birdramon said.
"Let's rough them up," Togemon said.
Birdramon and Togemon worked together to make sure that no additional infrastructures were harmed as they fought the Shadows alongside the incoming Digimon. At one point, various Mach Wheels began attacking a Unimon and started to forcefully merge with it, creating a horrid figure with wheels on all four legs and various spikes all over its body. In a frenzy, it started to charge at the various Digimon, stabbing and piercing everything in its path. Because of how powerful the Fused Digimon was, the remaining Digimon retreated. The Fused Digimon roared as more Shadows appeared from the fog.
"Oh no, this is terrible," Mimi said.
"This is going to be tougher than I thought," Sora replied.
By the time I regained consciousness, I found myself floating about in a vast, ethereal, rainbow-colored space. Looking around, I tried to move my body, but because of the lack of gravity, I could not do anything efficiently.
"Tai," MetalGreymon said, flying towards me.
"MetalGreymon," I said. "Thank goodness you're safe."
"Where do you think we are?"
"I'm not sure. I know we're inside the book, but what this dimension could be is anyone's guess. Did you see Matt or WereGarurumon?"
"Not yet. You're the first one I found."
"Okay, let's start looking for them. Hopefully, they're not too far away."
I grabbed onto MetalGreymon as we searched for Matt and WereGarurumon. As we were flying about, we passed through several TKs along the way.
"I have to slay the darkness," Heroic TK said. "The darkness took everything away from me – my childhood, my innocence, my faith. If I can't completely purge all the dark beings, who will?"
"All I could do was stay in the background and watch everything unfold," Artistic TK said. "I record everything that happened and remember them as if it was yesterday. But that means I'm always in the sidelines not doing anything, doesn't it?"
"I was supposed to support everyone as best as I can," Pessimistic TK said. "Every time I do, things go awry, or something more terrible looms in the distance. What's the point of helping others when it doesn't do anything in the long run?"
"There's too many Digimon that abuse the darkness and harm innocent people," Vengeful TK said. "No matter how many times I take them down, there's always more following behind it. When will this torment end? I just want everything to end."
"Is it really what TK feels," MetalGreymon asked.
"Not necessarily. These emotions are all over-exaggerated," I replied.
"Tai, look over there," MetalGreymon said.
MetalGreymon pointed at Matt and WereGarurumon, who were floating about.
"Matt," I shouted.
"Tai, MetalGreymon, you're alright ," Matt replied.
"Are you guys okay," MetalGreymon asked.
"Yes, neither of us were harmed," WereGarurumon replied.
"Did you guys see the other TKs," I asked.
"We did," Matt answered. "I had a feeling TK was feeling this way."
"Really," I questioned.
"TK mentioned something about losing his place in the group and feeling jealous when he saw Teddie in his human form," Matt explained. "I think it's been bothering him for a while now, but he wanted to suppress it and keep it hidden for our sakes. If I had known he was mentally going through this, maybe this all could have been prevented, and TK wouldn't need to face his Shadow."
"You're wrong," I told him.
"Huh," Matt questioned.
"This is exactly what he needs," I replied. "He needs to spill everything and face his other self; otherwise, he will keep suffering forever. If he doesn't get over it, he will never truly grow as a person or a DigiDestined. We just need to do our part and take Shadow TK down."
"Right," Matt said.
"But, where is he," MetalGreymon said. "We've been floating around for a while, and we still couldn't find him."
"I think I have a good idea of where he could be," Matt said.
"If we keep following these versions of TK, we're bound to find the source for all of this," WereGarurumon replied.
"Alright, we'll follow your lead," I said. "MetalGreymon, can you fly us over there?"
"Of course," MetalGremon replied. "Grab on tight."
MetalGreymon flew to where the other TKs were. We focused on searching for more TKs as they continued to appear and express their individual concerns. Soon, we ended up in a black void, unable to see anything properly. Eventually, we came across a crying figure.
"Ever since our parents divorced, I've felt lonely, as though I had no purpose in life," Shadow TK said. "I thought I found my purpose through my adventures in the Digital World, but that wasn't enough. Once our adventures were over, I was back without a purpose, wasting my time idling by, searching for something intangible. Without evil, I have nothing to fight for. So, I will become the evil and repeat this vicious cycle over and over until the day I die."
"That's a bit…," I said.
"You two really are the same person," Matt said. "You try to mature as fast as possible all on your own. You're so focused on growing up that you're missing out on what's happening now. You need someone to wake you up from this never-ending nightmare. I can't be that person, but I can give you a push. After that, it's all up to you."
Matt lifted his sword and sliced Shadow TK in two.
"Sora, look, over there," Birdramon said.
Mimi and Sora turned to where Birdramon was looking towards. Three figures slowly walked towards them.
"Are you sure this is the right place," Rosa asked.
"It has to be," Willis replied. "I'm following my GPS, so it must be here."
"I can hear conflict from the distance," Catherine said. "We must be getting close."
"What are they doing here," Sora asked.
"It's too dangerous for them to be here," Togemon said.
"Did someone text them about this," Mimi asked.
The Shadows rushed over to the three wandering individuals. Sensing that something was coming towards them, Catherine, Willis, and Rosa braced themselves. Sora, Mimi, Birdramon, and Togemon rushed towards them, hoping to save them in time.
The large book began to shake violently. Unaware of what is to come, Izzy, Kabuterimon, and Teddie prepared themselves. Soon, the book opened, spitting MetalGreymon, WereGarurumon, Matt, and me out.
"Matt, Tai, you're back," Izzy said.
"Oh, thank goodness you're all safe," Teddie said.
"Matt," TK said.
"Hey, TK, I'm sorry I wasn't able realize you were thinking all those things, even when we were living with each other," Matt said. "Listen, without you, our team won't be complete. It doesn't matter what role you fill or want to fill, no one can replace you, and that's a fact."
"Matt," TK said.
Suddenly, the book rumbled, and DarkWisemon appeared.
"What do you think you're doing, trying to comfort the other me," DarkWisemon asked. "You don't know anything, so don't try and pretend you know everything!"
DarkWisemon threw the book at Matt with the pages flying towards him. Matt covered for TK as the rest of us tried to save them. For a split second, my consciousness was sent to the Velvet Room, where the same familiar faces greeted me.
"Congratulations, you have unlocked yet another power," Margaret said to me. "You now have the ability to help others just like you convert into other types of power. May your friends have the ability to slide into action when necessary."
"WereGarurumon," I shouted.
I threw the Lovers, the Hanged Man, the Tower, and the Fool card at WereGarurumon, who leapt into the circle the cards created.
"WereGarurumon, Slide Four Card Arcana Evolution," WereGarurumon shouted.
Just when the book was about to slam on Matt and TK, WereGarurumon disintegrated, transforming into the Emperor Arcana. The four additional arcana cards shattered with it, reconfiguring the data into a wolf man with flying gear and cannons. The new Digimon zipped underneath the book and caught Matt and TK right before the book captured them.
"WereGarurumon, you can fly," Matt said.
"Yes, Matt, I am now, WereGarurumon Sagittarius Mode," WereGarurumon replied.
Three blue pillars of light appeared in front of Catherine, Willis, and Rosa, which stopped everyone from approaching them. The three DigiDestined lowered their guards as they observed what was happening. A beautiful teal woman with blonde hair, black wings, and black draconic armor appeared before Catherine. A skeletal figure wearing leather armor and riding a flaming motorcycle appeared before Willis. A long blue haired pale woman with her lower body attached to a large stone face carving appeared before Rosa. The three figures converted themselves into a dragon mask, a skeleton mask, and a stone mask and attached themselves onto Catherine, Willis, and Rosa's faces respectively.
"I am Morrigan, the goddess of battle," the teal woman said to Catherine. "To you who understands true affection, I give you my power. Call out the one whom you share a strong bond with, and together, we shall rise to victory."
"I am Hell Biker, the angel from Hell," the skeletal figure said to Willis. "To you who keeps his emotions in check, I give you my power. Call out the one whom you share a strong bond with, and never lose sight at the end of the road."
"I am Tlazolteotl, the goddess of purification," the pale woman said to Rosa. "To you who is willing to cleanse yourself for the better, I give you my power. Call out the one whom you share a strong bond with, and purify the world through your own means."
"Persona," Catherine, Willis, and Rosa shouted.
The three of them ripped off their masks, unlocking the powers that were sealed within. Catherine now donned a teal dragon face mask, a teal breastplate, teal armbraces, teal greaves, and teal high heeled armored boots whist carrying a whip sword. Willis now donned a white skeletal face mask, a white leather jacket, white leather pants, and white boots whilst carrying a pistol in each hand. Rosa now donned a grey stone face mask, a thick, light grey, cotton body suit with a crystallized, diamond pattern design, and flat, open-toed shoes whilst carrying metal tonfas. Floramon, Terriermon, and Gotsumon fell from the sky and landed in front of them.
"I don't believe it," Sora said.
"They can use the same powers we do," Mimi replied.
"Catherine," Floramon said.
"Oh, Floramon, how I've missed you so much," Catherine said, hugging her.
"Willis," Terriermon said, falling onto Willis.
"Terriermon, it really is you," Willis said.
"Rosa," Gotsumon questioned.
"Yay, you remembered, Gotsumon," Rosa said.
The Shadows regained their senses and continued their assault on the three DigiDestined.
"Now that I have this power, I can finally fight," Catherine said. "Are you ready, Floramon?"
"Of course," Floramon said. "Let us gracefully defeat these horrid creatures."
"I'm counting on you, Terriermon," Willis said. "Will you fight alongside me once more?"
"I'll do everything I can to protect you," Terriermon said.
"Okay, let's kick these bad guys out of here, Gotsumon," Rosa said.
"I'm ready anytime," Gotsumon replied.
"Floramon, Lovers Arcana Digivolve to… Kiwimon," Floramon shouted.
"Terriermon, Hanged Man Arcana Digivolve to… Gargomon," Terriermon shouted.
"Gotsumon, Tower Arcana Digivolve to… Monocromon," Gotsumon shouted.
"Pummel Peck," Kiwimon shouted.
Kiwimon fired several ChibiKiwimon at the Shadows, exploding on contact and causing them harm.
"Gargo Pellets," Gargomon shouted.
Gargomon fired multiple bullets from its Vulcan arms, shooting many of the airborne Shadows down.
"Slamming Attack," Monocromon shouted.
Monocromon threw all of its weight at various Shadows, crushing them in the process.
"Alright, we got some serious backup power now," Mimi said.
"Let's keep this up and take the rest of the Shadows out," Sora said.
The five DigiDestined and their respective Digimon continued to defeat multiple waves of Shadows. Seeing that they were on the losing end, the Fused Digmon decided to take matters into its own hands and violently charged at them with its horns and spikes. The Digimon moved out of the way as the Fused Digimon continued to uncontrollably ram at them. Eventually, the Digimon trapped the Fused Digimon into a safe corner where it was stuck and could not escape.
"Now's our chance," Sora told everyone.
"Bir-flame," Birdramon shouted.
"Needle Spray," Togemon shouted.
"Blast Shot," Kiwimon shouted.
"Gargo Pellets," Gargomon shouted.
"Volcanic Strike," Monocromon shouted.
The five Digimon attacked the Fused Digimon simultaneously. Unable to withstand the attack, The Fused Digimon disintegrated into nothingness. Fearful, the remaining Shadows returned to the distortions and disappeared.
"Stop protecting the other me," DarkWisemon said. "Can't you see there are no benefits in protecting him?"
DarkWisemon continued to fire several robotic parts at WereGarurumon Sagittarius Mode, but it dodged all of them gracefully, which flustered DarkWisemon.
"We can't let Matt be the only one to have all the glory," I said. "Go for it, MetalGreymon!"
"MetalGreymon, Slide Four Card Arcana Evolution to… DoruGreymon," MetalGreymon shouted.
"Wow, Tai's partner got beary big," Teddie said.
"Show them how it's done," I said.
DoruGreymon charged at DarkWisemon, who created another robotic sword to attack it. However, DoruGreymon easily demolished it and continued to head towards DoruGreymon. DarkWisemon quickly moved away to escape from the attack.
"Kaus-slugger," WereGarurumon Sagittarius Mode shouted.
Just when DarkWisemon thought it was safe, WereGarurumon Sagittarius Mode created a blade from its flying gear and used it to cut DarkWisemon in an arc, harming it.
"Bloody Tower," DoruGreymon shouted.
As DarkWisemon fell to the ground, DoruGreymon stabbed him with its metallic wings and threw him into the ceiling, creating a large dent above.
"It's wounded. Now's your chance," Izzy said.
"Electro Shocker," Kabuterimon shouted.
"Fire the Tomahawk," Teddie shouted.
"Alnas Shot," WereGarurumon Sagittarius Mode shouted.
"Metal Meteor," DoruGreymon shouted.
As Kabuterimon and Kintoki-Douji fired their respective attacks at DarkWisemon, WereGarurumon Sagittarius Mode fired a laser cannon from each shoulder while DoruGreymon fired a massive iron sphere from its body. The combined attack from the four was too much for DarkWisemon to handle, causing it to disintegrate and revert back to Shadow TK. Kabuterimon, WereGarurumon Sagittarius Mode, and DoruGreymon returned to their rookie form while Teddie returned Kintoki-Douji into a card. With DarkWisemon gone, TK returned to his full strength.
"Sorry about all of this," TK said.
"You've got nothing to apologize for," I said.
"Thanks," TK replied. "It feels good hearing that from you."
"No, I won't accept this," Shadow TK said, getting up.
"I don't believe it," Izzy said. "He can still keep going."
"I think a part of TK is still rejecting his Shadow," Teddie said.
"I need to do this," Shadow TK repeated. "I have to do this. I need to win. I need to…."
"That's enough," TK said. "It's okay now. You don't have to play the villainous role anymore."
"What," Shadow TK questioned.
"To be honest, it's a little embarrassing seeing my weakness exposed for all to see," TK replied.
"TK," Matt said.
"You're right; I've always been afraid of getting lost in the shuffle," TK said. "Seeing that I was the last one to grow as a DigiDestined, I wanted to become mature as soon as possible. I keep telling myself that I need to fill a certain niche in order to remain relevant, but now, I don't need that anymore. It doesn't matter what imaginary role I have to play in order to feel special. At the end of the day, I'm me. You're me. All of the TKs here are me. And I accept all of you."
Shadow TK nodded. He slowly ascended as light blue aura surrounded him, disintegrating him and releasing the sealed Digimon and tarot card associated with it.
"Patamon," TK shouted as he caught the falling Digimon.
"TK, I'm so happy to see you," Patamon said, quietly.
"Me too, Patamon, me too," TK said, hugging him tightly.
A card with the number "17" written on it floated down towards TK. TK grabbed the card, and it disintegrated, embedding its power onto him.
"So, this is the power you guys had," TK said. "Now, I can fight alongside you guys."
TK lost his strength and fell to the ground. Matt quickly caught him before he hit his head.
"You fool," Matt said. "Don't push yourself so hard like that. Rely on us once in a while, okay?"
"Don't worry, I knew you would catch me," TK replied. "After all, you wouldn't want your cute little brother to be hurt, right?"
"You still call yourself cute at your age," Matt questioned. "Whatever you say."
"So, I guess your murderer is still on the loose, huh," Teddie replied.
"Murderer," I asked. "Where did that come from?"
"Well, when people like you come to this world and reject your other self, the Shadow version of you would start attacking you," Teddie explained. "If I recalled, one of the people of my group mentioned them hanging upside down in your world. I think that's how they know of their death."
"I don't think we're dealing with something like murder here," Matt said.
"But he is onto something," Izzy said. "Now that I think about it, we don't really know what happened to the people who were sent here to the TV World by Digimon like Astamon and Beastmon. Since everyone at school during the last incident was accounted for, I assumed everyone else was fine. But, what if that's not the case?"
"You're saying that there might actually be people missing in Tokyo," I asked. "But, wouldn't we have known about it from the news or something?"
"Maybe they're keeping it quiet for now," Matt suggested. "If it's a small number, maybe they won't consider bringing it up. But, if it's a large number of people…."
"Matt," Gabumon said.
"Well, let's not get too ahead of ourselves now," Izzy said. "We're speculating without any concrete evidence, which could spiral into negative thoughts."
"Plus, we should get TK and Patamon out of the TV World," Tentomon said. "Isn't that what you usually do when the big bad guy is gone?"
"Yeah, we should get going," I said. "Teddie, can you lead us back outside again?"
"Sure thing," Teddie said. "Leave it to me."
"Here, let me help carry TK's shoulders," I said.
"Thanks, Tai," Matt replied.
We left the premise as the lights slowly dimmed from the venue.
*To be continued*
Digimon Fusion Used:
wiki/Mach_Wheel
wiki/Unimon
Demon Fusion Used:
wiki/Solemn_Machine
wiki/Wisemon
Persona Used:
wiki/Morrigan
wiki/Hell_Biker
wiki/Tlazolteotl