After that one moment of shining hope, the minutes that followed had no promise regarding Meiko's potential to break free of Entropy's grasp. Entropy continued to stand perfectly still atop the pole of the bridge as he watched the battle unfold, and his hair blowed gently in the breeze. he was poised so effortlessly that it seemed as if he was in complete control of what was happening, and in some ways, he was. That was one of many things that made him so dangerous to fight against. He had been planning this for more than half a decade in the shadows of the Digital World, and since he had finally been given the chance to fight back, he was going to take it.
As much as Taichi hated to admit it, everything did seem to be going according to his plans for the most part. Raguelmon had already seemingly completely recovered from the attack that she had taken for Ordinemon a short few moments prior, and it seemed like she was constantly surveying the audience to try and see if she was able to find the right attack to deflect for Ordinemon. The massive Digimon was able to take most damage in stride without caring in the slightest, but Raguelmon knew exactly which attacks had to be blocked since they would likely leave behind injuries. She was easily able to launch herself around Ordinemon to take the hits necessary, swinging around the large wings of the huge Digimon and vaulting off her body effortlessly. Ordinemon didn't even flinch, instead simply continuing to rest in the air as if nothing was happening at all.
"How are we supposed to do anything to fix this as long as Raguelmon is in the way?" Sora asked as she glanced to the other members of the group. "She's doing too much to block the attacks that really need to be hitting Ordinemon."
"We have to find a way to get her out of the picture somehow, but she isn't going to take being distracted quite as easily as we would have liked," Koushiro frowned. "Raguelmon has a single goal right now, and that's to make sure that the attacks that are going to do significant damage don't hit Ordinemon. Anything else we try to do to get her attention probably isn't going to work no matter how hard we try and push it."
"Then... What are we supposed to do?" Miyako questioned, her voice shaking ever so slightly. Taichi could tell by the look on her face that she knew what they had to do, but she hated it with everything she had. Taichi would have been lying if he said that he was at all fond of the idea either, but the truth had been decided three years prior the last time they were forced to fight against one of their allies.
"When we had to fight against Agumon, there was only one choice for all of us," Yamato announced. "If we wanted to save him, we were going to have to snap him out of his trance. At the time, he was under the influence of the Dark Spirals. It's not the same situation as this one, but the fact remains the same as it did before."
"We have to fight against Raguelmon precisely because we care for Meicoomon so much," Taichi finished for Yamato. He referred to the two Digimon as separate entities because, as far as he was concerned, they most certainly were. Raguelmon was a Digimon who was being manipulated for the purposes of destroying the world, a puppet without purpose being forced to dance under the commands of a sick master. Meicoomon, on the other hand, was a friend that all of them had come to know and care for greatly since she and Meiko joined the group. They may have utilized the same body, but as far as Taichi was concerned, they were different.
Still, that didn't change the fact of the matter. If they wanted to free Meicoomon from the unfortunate spell that she had been placed under, they were going to have to fight off Raguelmon and do what they could to break the trance. Entropy's control had shown no signs of slipping when it came to Raguelmon since the battle began. They wanted to do what they could to free Raguelmon from his influence, but if that wasn't possible, they would have no choice but to follow up on the next best option. Meicoomon would never want to fight against her friends this way, and if it meant that they had to kill her to stop her rampage... That was what she would want. It was the same situation as it had been three years prior, but it didn't seem as if there was going to be a miracle to rescue them from this awful situation this time around. There was no Dark Spiral to shatter to bring Meicoomon back. There was simply the war against Entropy and the fact that if they didn't end it, the world was going to crumble to nothingness.
Hikari looked down at the ground and gripped tightly at her upper arm. "I hate this," she whispered. All of them understood it perfectly, and Hikari snarled with rage as soon as the words had left her lips. "If there's a way for Meiko to try and snap out of what spell Entropy has her under, then maybe Meicoomon can do the same thing. If we can get one of them away from Entropy's control, then we'll be able to rescue the other and make sure none of this ever happens again."
"If only we knew what we were supposed to do there..." Iori murmured. "Even if Meiko was able to snap out of Entropy's control for a short while, she's going to have to do more than that if she wants to shake him off completely. We're not going to be able to do anything to help her with it either. All we can do is hope that she's able to do something to break free."
"If we get too close to Meiko, then Entropy is going to call Raguelmon and Ordinemon to get rid of us," Ken frowned as he cast his attention back in Meiko's direction. "That means that we simply have to trust that she can handle this on her own."
"Meiko's a strong person. After all that she's been through since she joined us, I know that she's going to be able to handle this," Mimi said, though Taichi could still hear the way her voice wobbled ever so slightly as she spoke. "If anyone is going to be able to get rid of Entropy's control, it's going to be her."
"I hope you're right..." Taichi whispered as he glanced over to Meiko as well. Her hair flowed gently in the breeze, moving just perfectly to obscure her face from view. He couldn't tell what was going on inside of her head or what was happening with Entropy in that moment, but he hoped that she was doing alright somehow.
Come on, Meiko... We believe in you.
Meiko stood tall and firm in the center of the void that her own mind had become, her shoulders pressed back as strongly as she could muster. There was still a small tremble to all her actions that made her feel like she was going to fall apart at a moment's notice, but she refused to let that shine through and shatter her. She wasn't going to let Entropy destroy all of the progress that she had made. She deserved better than that, and she was going to fight to show it with everything she had.
"I have to admit, I'm impressed," Entropy commented as he turned to face her. "I would have thought that you would roll over and admit defeat the second you realized that I was in control. When you were younger, you would always give up the instant anyone was cruel to you. In your mind, you were always too weak to find a way to fight back, weren't you? I suppose that you've managed to find something vaguely resembling strength after all these years."
"I told you that I wasn't going to let you hurt my friends, and I meant it," Meiko told him, her eyes narrowing. Her hands were still shaking, and she clenched them into fists in a desperate attempt to halt the trembling. "If there's something I can do to stop you from doing so much to harm them, I'm going to do it. They deserve that much, and as far as I'm concerned, so do I. I'm not going to let you walk all over me as long as I can try to halt your plans."
Entropy stared at her for a long moment, and even though he had no eyes with which to watch her, she could feel his gaze attempting to penetrate her very soul. She knew exactly what he was doing. Entropy was trying to test her, attempting to see if there was a weakness that he would be able to exploit. After all, if there was something wrong with her facade, then there would be a place for him to sink his teeth in and drag her heart wide open. He had the upper hand before she managed to find grounds for revolution, and if he was able to recreate that hopelessness, then he was going to win once again.
After a few moments of scanning with that probing gaze of his, Entropy chuckled. "You have more guts than I would have expected. I'm impressed that you were able to finally find the power to stand up for yourself. After all the years you spent letting others push you around, I would have thought that you would be a doormat forever... Even until the end of the world," he continued.
"You have yourself to thank for that," Meiko shot back, her voice low and calculating. It was the only way that she could keep herself from completely falling apart under his influence. "After all, you were the one who gave me Meicoomon. She taught me how to believe in myself no matter how dark the times got. Meicoomon was the way that I met all of my friends... The friends that still believe that I can find a way back to them. You may be betraying them with my face, but they know my heart much better than that. I'm going to fight you until the bitter end. You can try all you want to bring this world to its knees, but I'll be right there to make sure that you don't succeed no matter what you try next."
Entropy shook his head apathetically. "Your gusto is impressive, but I would prefer it if you cooled the attitude as soon as possible. After all, I have every power to destroy everything you know and love here and now. If you don't want me to bring hell to your pathetic existence, I suggest that you stay quiet and watch like the good little girl I was led to believe you were."
"Raguelmon is part of your plan," Meiko fired back. She was partially bluffing, and her heart rate increased as a way of showing it, but she refused to allow such silent fear to show on her face. "Raguelmon is taking all the hits that you know are a threat to Ordinemon. Without her, your ultimate weapon is going to be defeated. You're trying to defeat the Chosen Children here and now, but they're still more than holding their ground. You aren't as in control of this situation as you want me to believe. Everything that you think you can destroy is just out of reach because that's the way your plans are unfolding right now."
Entropy's posture shifted at that, and Meiko could feel the rage in his body even from where she stood a short distance away. He walked toward her, and as tempting as it was for Meiko to take a few steps backward in retreat, she forced herself to stand her ground. All the while, her heart continued to scream as it pounded in her ears. "There are other ways that I can ruin what you hold dear, you know," he pointed out. "For example, I wonder what would happen with your parents if they learned that you goaded me into destroying them first when the world fell."
That was enough for Meiko to falter once again, and Entropy scoffed as he shook his head in muted disappointment. "It seems your fits of defiance are still limited. There's only so much confidence you can muster when it comes to arguing with me. The instant you know that you've lost, you recoil like the scared little girl you always have been. Meicoomon and your friends may have given you strength to stand up for yourself, but I was the one who gave you that opportunity to begin with. If I hadn't interfered in your life, you would still be the same miserable, depressed girl you were five years ago. All that you love so much is a direct result of what I have done for you, and it would be wise of you to not forget it."
Entropy turned around and walked away at that, his arms still pressed behind his back. When Meiko looked closely, she could still see the places on his obsidian skin where she had left behind scratch marks from his attempts to kill her. No, that wasn't what happened, was it? This was her mind. There was no way for her to die inside of this mind as long as Entropy still needed a body to inhabit. In order for him to remain in control, she would have to stay alive. He hadn't been trying to kill her in the slightest; he was simply trying to scare her, and it had worked enough to push her into a state of submission for a short while.
In the mind, there was no way for her to die. After all, death on the physical level was something else entirely. Entropy had no more power in the mind than she did, and if she fought back hard enough, she would be able to take back the one thing that he was able to hold over her head: control of her body. As long as she was able to seize that, then she might be able to make all of this madness stop, at least temporarily. If she could get a hold of her senses once again, then she would need to call out for Raguelmon and demand that she stop just long enough for Ordinemon to be destroyed. Digimon that were destroyed on Earth had no chance of regeneration as an egg, after all, and if Ordinemon was killed on this side of the barrier, then that would be it. That wasn't a permanent solution to the Entropy problem, but it would solve the immediate danger of the looming apocalypse caused by his actions and his ultimate weapon.
Meiko had no idea how she was actually going to make any of this happen given the incredible disadvantage she was already at thanks to Entropy being the one presently in control of her body, but she at least had a general plan. She knew what she had to do in order to actually lash out, and that was something. It was better than being lost to her own despair and hopelessness the way she had been earlier in the day. She had to put all of this into action somehow, and even if she had no idea how that was going to happen or if it was even going to be easily possible, she was going to have to try. After all, Entropy was convinced that he had already won. He was calculating and knew how to handle a situation like this. If he thought that he was the one with the undeniable upper hand, then that meant that he was close to fulfilling everything that he had been trying to do over the last six years. He was on the verge of his victory, and he was going to find a way to make that clear no matter what Meiko did to fight back against him.
But she wasn't going to let that stop her. As long as there was something she could do to push against him, she had to try. The world was on the verge of ending, and Entropy had to be close enough to victory for him to lay his full hand out for the world to see. He was sure that he was going to win, and Meiko knew what he was going to do. She didn't know how much time they had left before everything fell into place the way he would have liked, but she wasn't going to let him get away with this. She had to do something, and as far as she could tell, she was going to have to act as soon and quickly as possible.
Meiko let out a small sigh as she continued to stare at Entropy where he had turned his back. She frowned bitterly at the sight of him, hating that she was in this situation at all, but the best thing she could do for herself and everyone else was to just keep pushing. There was going to be a way out of this as far as she could tell, and even if she couldn't see it yet, she was going to make sure it came to light sooner or later. All she had to do was find a way to take control of her body again for a short period of time. It had taken a lot of raw determination and desperation on top of hearing the voices of her friends believing in her, but she was sure that she would be able to do it again if she put her mind to it.
Meiko clenched her hands into fists as she continued to watch Entropy. He was somehow making the senses of her body sharper with his power, and that meant that she was going to be able to hear it if any of her friends called out for her again. That was just the anchor that she needed, and even if she couldn't get her hands on it, she was going to keep pushing. She had to try something, and if she could pull herself out of this on her own, then that would be even better.
Meiko closed her eyes for a moment and remembered the way Entropy's skin had been cut by her nails less than one short hour prior. She was going to do everything she could to make him feel that sting and then some until she was back in control. When the time was right, she would finally toss him aside and make sure that he understood that he was never going to hurt anyone ever again. That was what he deserved, and she would hand it to him if that was what he really wanted.
The first one of the Harmonious Ones to come into view was Qinglongmon.
The majestic silhouette of the long, winding Digimon caught Daigo's eye from afar. He raised one hand above his head and looked up at the massive creature, a smile on his face. He could tell that Qinglongmon wasn't alone based on the way the ground seemed to shake as he got closer. Qinglongmon was leading the other Harmonious Ones to the Chosen Children, and as soon as they were back together, they would be able to run back to Earth and give everything they had against Ordinemon.
As the other Digimon came into view, Daigo started running over to where Baihumon was waiting. He reached one hand out to the large tiger as soon as he was close enough to do so, a small smile on his face. "It's good to see you again," Baihumon said before Daigo had the chance to echo that very sentiment.
Daigo nodded, though he could sense the silent second meaning to Baihumon's words. Baihumon wanted to say that he was glad to know that Daigo and the other original Chosen Children were still alive. Given the fact that Ordinemon had fled to Earth, all of them had been placed in danger, and it was good to see that they were still alive. Daigo was relieved that the Harmonious Ones had been able to stand up to Ordinemon given her incredible power as well, and while he would never admit it, there was some quiet part in the back of his brain that feared he would never see Baihumon again after they parted ways. He was glad to see that wasn't the case at the very least, and he knew that he was never going to take Baihumon for granted again. He had already learned that lesson a thousand times over, but it felt even more real this time around because of the imminent threat.
"We have to get back to Earth," Maki announced to the Digimon once she had managed to reach Huanglongmon. "We can't stay here any longer than we absolutely have to. Ordinemon is there, and she's going to destroy everything within the next three days if we don't get back there and stop her."
"You have quite a bit to catch us up on, don't you?" Varodurumon questioned. He and the other flying Digimon had come to land on the ground nearby so that they were able to see the other members of the group easier, and Varodurumon in particular had tucked one defensive arm around Chisane's body to make sure that her vertigo didn't get bad enough for her to lose her balance as long as he was there.
"That's the easy way of putting it," Atsuo commented with a small chuckle that was so empty it was almost painful. He shook his head a moment later to try and shake it off before glancing up to the other members of the group. "But Maki is right. There's a lot we have to talk about when it comes to Ordinemon, but right now, we have to get back to Earth and make sure that she isn't doing anything to hurt the people there. We're on a really tight time limit, and three days is our longest prediction right now. We might not have that long, and we really shouldn't push it any more than we absolutely have to."
Hiraku set his laptop up on a small cradle made by Kaya's arms, and he started to type away at the keyboard a moment later. "We'll be back in a few minutes," he told everyone, raising his voice to make sure even the Digimon could hear him. "We're going to have to give this fight everything we have. I just hope the younger Chosen Children are still doing alright after all that... I really didn't want to leave them alone there, but I know that we wouldn't have been able to do much to help if we did stick around."
"We're doing what we have to in order to save everyone. That's what matters most right now," Kaya declared as she looked to the other members of the group. She sighed as she turned her attention to the skies overhead. "We have to act fast. I'm really hoping this doesn't take the full three days. For all we know, things could get worse faster if Ordinemon starts fighting. After all, she was able to do enough damage without even getting her combat skills involved. Everything that happened up to this point was while she was sealed away to make sure her power didn't leak out and ruin the Digital World too quickly. We can't afford to take anything for granted right now."
The area fell quiet for a moment before Huanglongmon glanced up to the rest of the group. "We saw her during the fight," he said simply. "Meiko Mochizuki, I believe her name was."
Maki sighed at that as she shook her head. "Unfortunately for us, that's part of the long story," she muttered. "She's not a Chosen Child the way we thought she was. We were convinced that she was one of the newer Chosen Children selected through the yearly doubling process by Homeostasis, but that wasn't the case at all. Everything that happened to her was because of Entropy. He's the reason that we had to fight Apocalymon all those years ago too. He's a polar opposite entity to Homeostasis, and he wants to return the Digital World to the state of anarchy it was in before all of us got involved to make sure that the occupants of this world stayed safe and alive. He created Apocalymon to try and ruin everything ages ago, and when that fell through, he turned his attention to a new project. Ordinemon is his new toy."
"After he was bested by the Chosen Children twice, he decided that he was going to fight fire with fire, and that meant creating an imitation of a Chosen Child with a Digimon that he made himself," Daigo went on. "Meicoomon was made by Entropy, and she's now acting as a shield for Ordinemon. There was a switch inside of her that was always waiting to be pulled, and he activated it the second he realized that he was ready to end the world. He took control of Meiko's body and is currently using her as a way of keeping all of this afloat. It's been his plan for ages, and he's not going to take kindly to us getting in the way of it."
"Three days remain before Ordinemon's existence causes everything to shatter," Kaya frowned as she started to tap her foot impatiently. She was still holding Hiraku's laptop, and her words went by quickly as she tried to get out any residual energy from her anxiety. "That's a generous estimate too. For all we know, it might not take that long for the barriers between the worlds to collapse as everything comes together. Everything's falling apart, and we have to stop her to make sure that she doesn't completely ruin what we've spent the last few months working toward."
"Though all of that was part of his plan too... While we were busy trying to fight through Inferno and the Dark Ocean, he was preparing for everything to come together in a moment like this one," Chisane muttered as she shook her head. "We have to do something."
Kaya let out a small growl before she looked back to Hiraku. "Are you done yet, Hiraku?" she questioned. Her voice was rough around the edges, though it was clear that she didn't mean anything by it. She was just as stressed as everyone else was, and she was doing a poor job of masking it.
Hiraku nodded. "As a matter of fact, I am," he replied. He held up his Digivice before looking to the other members of the group. "We're going to need something to land on when we get there though. After all, Ordinemon was over the water last I checked, and we can't exactly fight her off well if everything is out of our reach."
Varodurumon bowed his head at that. "You don't need to worry about that," he assured Hiraku. "I'll handle it."
"In that case, let's get to it!" Atsuo exclaimed. He raised his Digivice, and the others were quick to follow suit. They streaked through the screen soon afterwards, leaving the Digital World behind. The thought crossed their minds wondering if this would be the last time they were able to see the Digital World. After all, if they failed, they wouldn't be alive to see anything. If they failed, the Digital World would never be the same again, and this time, there wouldn't be any Chosen Children to save it.
The exit point for the gateway wound up being a small ATM not far from the coast. Atsuo was the first one to come tumbling out of it, and Varodurumon swept out a moment later. It was jarring to see such a massive creature moving out of a small screen, but nobody had time to question it. Varodurumon reared backward before creating many tiny crystals of light that rained down on the ground from overhead. The light hit the water and solidified, creating a firm platform of yellow and white energy that reflected with colors of the rainbow when the light caught it just right.
The other Chosen Children and their partners were quick to follow suit. Baihumon led the charge onto the ground, testing his weight before realizing that the platform was more than stable enough for the other Digimon to come closer. The Chosen Children trailed after their partners, running in their footsteps like their lives depended on it. In more ways than one, they did.
Hiraku closed his laptop and tucked it out of view as he arrived on the platform, and he turned his head toward the skies overhead. Ordinemon was just as massive as ever before, towering over the city without any hesitation. She wasn't moving, almost as if she didn't think it was worth the effort to try and fight back against the Digimon that were trying so desperately to tear into her. She simply remained suspended in the air, allowing the occupants of the area to continue watching her.
The Supreme Jogress Digimon were all attacking her with everything they had, but it was rare for any of their attacks to actually make contact. Raguelmon was an expert when it came to deflection, using her speed to her advantage to jump on and around Ordinemon and deflect the massive Digimon from attack. It was impressive just how seamless it was for her, but unfortunately, all it did was spell disaster for the Chosen Children no matter how they looked at it
Olegmon was standing on the shore, getting as close as he possibly could to the scene of the battle without stepping into the water. He was more than large enough to wade through the depths if he so chose, but getting too close was only going to put him at risk of getting hit by a rogue attack from either Raguelmon or Ordinemon. The battle was tense, and maneuverability had to be a priority.
His previous strategies were allowed to melt away as soon as he realized what was happening. The large platform that was stretching out over the water for Baihumon, Xuanwumon, and Huanglongmon to get closer was already seeming promising to Olegmon, and he started to lumber over in the right direction to join them. He looked to see the original Chosen Children gathered in the area, and he offered them a brief nod before turning his attention back to where Ordinemon was levitating over the water.
It didn't take long from there for the other Chosen Children gathered together in the hatch on Imperialdramon's back to notice what was happening. Sora was the first one to see it, and her eyes went wide as she let out a gasp that made no noise. The others saw what was happening as soon as they followed her gaze, and Jou offered himself the chance to smile. "It looks like we're going to be able to make more progress than we thought," he whispered to himself.
Olegmon was leading the charge across the platform on the water. It was much easier to move around on the land than it would have been if he was shuffling through the water, and he was making good time despite the size of his body. Baihumon was at his side, crackling with energy and getting ready to release all the power he had. The three flying Digimon cast imposing shadows on the ground below as they streaked through the sky, not wasting a beat as they made for Ordinemon as soon as they possibly could.
Zhuqiaomon was the first one to lash out, unleashing a powerful blast of fire at Ordinemon. He was able to make contact with her body since Raguelmon was simply too small to block the attack from hitting its target. Raguelmon's eyes went wide with a brief flicker of panic, and she moved away to make sure she didn't take too much damage. It was perhaps the first and only act of self-preservation she had taken since the battle had begun. She had been too focused on trying to take care of Ordinemon up to that point to care much for herself, but she still acted to look after her own wellbeing despite the wishes of Entropy.
In fact, Entropy himself seemed shocked by Raguelmon's actions, and Taichi could guess easily that it was because Raguelmon had disobeyed his orders. Raguelmon blinked for a moment as she steadied herself on Ordinemon's shoulder. The idea of balance wasn't coming as effortlessly to her as it had in the past, and she seemed to be on the verge of collapsing somehow. However, the moment of flickering uncertainty was gone as soon as it had come, and Raguelmon pulled herself back to her full height a moment later and prepared to fight back the instant she was forced to do so.
"Did you see that?" Yamato questioned from nearby. "Raguelmon was able to resist Entropy's control for a moment there. It didn't last long, but I'm sure that she was able to snap out of it for a couple seconds."
Taichi nodded. "Yeah, I did see it," he confirmed. "It seems to me that Entropy's control over Meiko and Raguelmon isn't as complete as he would have liked. They've only been able to pull away for a few seconds at most, but it makes you wonder what else they could do if they were given the chance to keep pushing."
"You can do this!" Mimi exclaimed, cupping her hands around her mouth as she addressed Meiko's body where Entropy was still standing poised and in control with anger flashing across his features. "I know you can get away from him, Meiko! You can too, Meicoomon! It doesn't have to be this way, and if you keep fighting, you can be away from Entropy forever! We believe in you!"
Entropy's body started to quake with rage, and he slammed one foot down against the top of the bridge pole. "Silence!" he thundered, his voice suddenly exponentially louder than it had been previously. It only took a split second for the simple word to echo out over the water, forcing the waves below to ripple from the sheer force he had given off for that moment.
Mimi would not be deterred though, and she continued to look at Entropy's form in search of any signs that would show that Meiko was finding a way to push through and fight back. "Meiko, you're so much stronger than you realize you are. If you put your mind to it, then you'll be able to break through his control. We all know you can do it," she said, her voice softer but more assured than it had been before. Mimi smiled as she glanced over to Raguelmon as well. "You're better than this. You can do so much more if you put your focus to snapping out of it. We know you can do it."
From down on the platform over the water, Maki stared up at the battle taking place nearby. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to make out the figure of Meiko balanced precariously on the top of the bridge. "It sounds to me like the younger kids are managing to do something to make him mad," she muttered. "I don't know what it could be, but we can't let up the fight now. If Entropy is mad, then he's much more likely to make a mistake."
"Then I guess it's time for our group of Chosen Children to fight back as a team of twelve for the first time in fifteen years," Daigo smiled. He turned his face toward the skies where the Digimon were flying overhead and making jabs at Ordinemon when they could. Raguelmon's moment of being distracted by snapping away from Entropy's control had offered everyone else with the perfect chance to do as much damage as possible.
"Yeah," Maki said softly. She glanced over to the other members of the group, and a moment later, she realized that they were all smiling. The grins were small and on the verge of crumbling if anything went wrong, but they were still smiling somehow. Even when faced with what seemed to be the end of the world, they were doing what they could to fight back. Then again, it seemed like that was par for the course with them after all they had been through.
Daigo was standing close enough to Maki for his fingers to easily find the power and confidence necessary to take her hand in his. Maki glanced down to where they were touching one another before shifting her attention up to meet his gaze. Daigo simply smiled, and Maki returned the gesture a moment later as her grin started to get wider. All of a sudden, it didn't seem like they were fighting to stave off the end of the world. Instead, they were simply children trying to enjoy their lives without any fear of what lived in the shadows just out of view.
Hiraku was quick to follow up on the motion, taking Daigo's hand soon afterward. He was smiling as well, and there were watery tears wavering at the corners of his eyes. He was struggling to keep his composure, but he was still trying. Atsuo's next action didn't help much in that department though, and he took Hiraku's other hand with a sideways grin on his face. He didn't say anything about it as Hiraku's tears finally began to spill over, leaving a few tiny pools of liquid on the ground below.
Kaya's actions were far from being hesitant for the first time in a decade and a half. She was hiding her hatred of the Digital World rather well, or to be more accurate, she didn't even seem to notice her own enmity. All that mattered was the fact that they were still there together. After all that had happened over the last fifteen years, it was an accomplishment to say that they had survived.
Chisane stepped up to take her place on Kaya's other side, and for the first time in an eternity, the six original Chosen Children were together and facing the world with everything they had. No fear of the apocalypse could tear them apart in that moment. Even if their paths had diverged in the past and would likely split once again in the future, they would be able to support one another somehow. They would never be truly alone the way they had been for the last fifteen years, and after they survived the end of everything, they would be able to finally address all that they had gained and lost at one another's sides in full.
But until then, bittersweet reminiscence had to run its course, and in this case, it meant them fighting to prevent a war of the world's ending.
Varodurumon swept through the heavens before releasing an immensely powerful blast that slammed into Ordinemon's side. It didn't leave behind a large mark, but there was the tiniest trace of a singe where the strike had made contact. It wasn't much, but it was proof that they were at least capable of doing something to damage Ordinemon. There was no way of saying how they were going to advance from there, but at least they were able to fight back a little bit.
The other Digimon were quick to follow up on it as well, and Imperialdramon unleashed a barrage of bullets onto Ordinemon's body. The massive Digimon let out a cry of pain that pierced the skies with enough volume to leave the air seemingly shaking from her sheer terror. Everything trembled from her shrieking, an earthquake that was felt by nobody but the people there fighting for the sake of the world.
Entropy, however, was unable to keep his posture perfect in the face of this sudden act of noise. He had been unshaken by the past cries of Ordinemon, but he stumbled for a moment this time. Raguelmon launched herself away from Ordinemon and extended her arms to grab Entropy before he could fall, but it wasn't exactly Entropy that fell. Instead, a brief flicker of Meiko's mannerisms shone through in the form of grabbing at Raguelmon with love in her fingers rather than merely purpose to be discarded as soon as it was no longer useful.
Raguelmon waited until after the noise had come to a halt before setting Entropy back where he had been at the top of the bridge. Entropy's hands were shaking ever so slightly under the weight of Meiko's attempts to try and seize back control after having it so brutally torn from her fingers. Raguelmon's actions had managed to snap away from Entropy's wishes as well, and the tenderness with which she had handled the body of her partner made that perfectly clear. Entropy's control was starting to slip away, and if he wasn't careful, everything was going to fall apart.
While Raguelmon was away from Ordinemon, Qinglongmon lashed out with a powerful attack that left a large splash of water rising up from the seas below. The water lapped mercilessly at Ordinemon's legs, but she didn't seem to notice. In fact, Ordinemon simply let the hit come, her body moving slightly but otherwise remaining limp and lifeless. For a flicker of a moment, her expression seemed to contort once again with muted agony that would never be fully released upon the world, but soon afterwards, Ordinemon was back to the way she had been. She might as well have not been alive given the way she carried herself and the purpose Entropy had chosen to use her for.
Entropy's hands had come up to cradle at his head as anger flashed across his face once again. He seemed like he wanted to claw at the skin on his temples until it flaked off beneath his nails, but he couldn't commit to doing such a thing, instead simply standing there and trembling. There was something happening beneath the initial appearances of the battle, and Entropy was feeling it harder than anyone else.
Taichi was watching Entropy the entire time, only sparing the battle a few glances every once in a while. He could tell that something was taking place inside of Entropy's mind, and it was just a matter of time before the effects started to spiral outwards. Meiko was fighting back, and when she managed to win the battle, they would all be freed from Entropy's tyranny at long last. After centuries in the Digital World, they would find liberation, and Meiko would be the one to lead them to it.
Meiko could sense his hatred as she watched him.
Entropy had turned to face her the instant she was able to pull a small part of her body away from his control. It had been a tiny gesture, simply reaching out for Raguelmon with love because she knew that somewhere in that terrifying fallen angel Digimon, Meicoomon was waiting for her. She could tell that her partner, solemn and perfect as she was, had never been this afraid before. Meicoomon had never come close to experiencing something as terrifying as this, and after all Meicoomon had done for her, the least Meiko could do was try to save her partner from the agony that had quickly infected her.
"You won't be able to win this fight. I suggest that you stop fighting before you truly understand what I'm capable of," Entropy snarled. His tone had previously been apathetic and overconfident, uncaring as to Meiko's plight and mocking her for thinking that there was a way for her to escape. There was a quiet edge of desperation to his words now, and Meiko could tell that they were playing a dangerous game while walking on a tightrope made of eggshells that would shatter at a moment's notice if they weren't careful.
"I'm not going to let you conquer me without putting up a fight," Meiko told him firmly. She was somehow able to get a grip when it came to her shaking, and her fingers no longer trembled with as much relentless terror as they had been a few minutes prior. "I'll fight to the ends of the worlds if it means that I can save the people I care about from what you want to do."
"I would advise you to be careful with your words," Entropy hissed at her. "I meant it when I said that I was more than willing to lash out at your family if you crossed me. Finding them and wiping them off the face of this pathetic planet prematurely will hardly be much of an issue if you insist on continuing to push me."
"You can't do anything," Meiko countered. "Raguelmon is needed to defend Ordinemon as far as you're concerned. You can't force Ordinemon to go find anyone. She's too slow, and if Raguelmon leaves, then that means the Chosen Children are going to tear her to pieces. The Harmonious Ones and the current generation of Chosen Children are here, and they're going to do everything they can to destroy what you've been working towards. I would suggest that you recognize the truth of the situation that you're in... We're locked in a stalemate, and I would suggest that you back down before I do something that you're not going to like."
"You're already pushing me harder than you should," Entropy told her angrily, taking a step closer to her. Meiko held her ground, refusing to stand down even in the face of his endless rage. "If you want any of this to end well for you, I advise that you stay quiet and let the pieces fall where they may."
"I'm not going to let you get away with any of this. I told you that already, and if you won't listen, then I'll make sure you understand it through the power of what you've given me. You might think that you've won, but you won't be winning anything until I'm done fighting, and as long as I still have strength, I'm going to push back against you. This isn't going to end the way you would have liked," Meiko continued to say. "This is my body, and this is my world. I'm not going to let you come here and act as if you have all the power in the universe to wipe everyone out. I've had enough of everything that you've done, and it's going to end here and now."
Entropy took another step closer to her and reached out one hand in her direction, taking firm hold of her wrist. "You don't know what you're getting involved with," he growled. "You should be quiet and wait for everything to come together. There are three days left of life in this miserable world, and as soon as that time is up, the world is going to be gone. Unless you believe you can undo six years' worth of work-no, even longer than that-in less than three days, this is where it ends for this world. You once said that you would be fine no matter what happened as long as Meicoomon was at your side, and I'll make sure that she's all you have left."
"Raguelmon isn't Meicoomon. Raguelmon is a Digimon you distorted until she was pushed over the edge," Meiko countered. She didn't even bother to fight back against Entropy's grip on her wrist, instead simply standing there casually and letting his grasp on her arm get tighter. When she thought about it, she realized that she wasn't feeling any pain from what he was doing. Because she was in her own mind, there was no way for her to be harmed. She was within the landscape of her brain, and that meant that he was immune from all damage that Entropy could have wanted to do to her.
Entropy's eyes narrowed even though he had no eyes with which to glare at Meiko in the first place. She took that as her cue to continue. "You have a problem with all of this, you know," she went on. "All the pieces of your plan came together perfectly, but that means that you don't have any room for things to go against your schemes. Everything is supposed to fall into its place, and because you need every piece where it is right now, there's nothing you can do against me. You can't kill the Chosen Children as long as this fight is going on. They're holding their own against you, and you can't do anything with Raguelmon either. Everything is exactly where it needs to be in order for you to succeed, and that's the biggest problem with your plans. You didn't expect me to try and fight back against you, and now, I'm going to make sure that you never do anything like this again."
"You're a pathetic creature. Right down to your core, you're weak. You launch so many cruel words at me because there is nothing that you can do to fight me in truth," Entropy told her with a shake of his head. His grasp on her arm got tighter, but Meiko still did not flinch, instead simply looking up at him with passive defiance in her gaze. "You wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to me if we weren't in your mind. The second the restraints of our environment are removed, everything falls apart for you."
"But unfortunately for you, my mind is the only place that we can face off like this," Meiko countered. "And that means that I have more power than you want to admit. You targeted me to begin with because you thought that I would be easy to control, but I think this has made it perfectly clear that it's not that simple."
Meiko's eyes dropped to where her fingers had left scratch marks on Entropy's arm. He snarled at her before pulling away, though he only did so after roughly pushing her away. Meiko stumbled for a moment but managed to right herself soon afterwards, simply glaring at him as he retreated. "You have no idea what you're getting into by prodding me in the wrong direction. In three days, everything that you have ever known and loved will fall. Unless you can break everything that I've been building for longer than you could ever comprehend in that time, then your defiance will mean nothing. You were never meant to be more to me than a key and a vessel, and you've fulfilled one purpose. Tell me, will you be an irritation as you carry out the other duty? Or will you fall in line where you should have gone from the beginning?"
"I think we both know the answer to that question," Meiko said simply. She allowed her arm to fall back by her side as she glared at him. Entropy turned away from her and pressed his arms behind his back once again, resuming his default position of power within the mind they had come to share. Meiko simply watched him apathetically, and she almost wished that it was possible for him to feel pain so that she could tear him from the high horse he was perched on and make him understand just how pathetic he truly was down to his very core.
Meiko knew that she was doing something to help make progress though, and that was what she was choosing to concentrate on. There was a lot that had yet to be done, yes, but she could tell that she was going to be able to do it. Nobody was saying that it was going to be easy to break free of Entropy's control after how firmly he had associated his power over her already, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying. If there was one thing that Meiko had learned in her time alongside the Chosen Children, it was that she couldn't give up at the first sign of resistance. She had always folded when others harmed her in the past, but she wasn't going to let that happen this time.
It was strange for her to think about, but Meiko knew that deep down, this fight wasn't even about her. This battle was for Meicoomon, the partner who had supported her so dutifully and had fallen under the control of something cruel and faraway. This battle was for her parents who had no idea what was happening or what their daughter was being used for and had been used for over the last half decade. This battle was for the Chosen Children and their partners who had supported Meiko through all that she had struggled with before falling into a routine with them. They had all done so much for her, and Meiko refused to let anything happen to them as long as there was something she could do about it.
For the time being, Meiko was fighting for the sake of everyone she had ever loved and everyone she would love in the future. It was a first step to understanding what it meant to fight for herself, but in a way, she knew that this was how she channeled her care for herself. In saving others, she would be able to save herself, and that was exactly what she needed as she faced down the end of the world.
The possibilities for the future were endless as long as she was willing to fight for them.
Raguelmon was starting to wear herself ragged, and Daigo could see it even from his place on the ground. There was a frown on his face as he looked up at the skies overhead. The sun was continuing to descend through the air, and it was hard to believe that so much had happened in just a few hours. That morning, the world had been seemingly at its end thanks to Entropy's plans, but everything fell into place soon afterwards. They still had a long way to go, but they were making progress.
Of course, Daigo had no idea if they were going to be able to make it in time. He felt like they were nowhere near where they had to be, and he despised it. The hits that they were able to get in on Ordinemon were always small and weren't enough to keep her down for long. In fact, she had barely done anything to attack the group yet because she didn't need to do much else aside from simply stand there. It would simply require a moment for her to strike everyone down if she chose to do so. Raguelmon was getting worn down, but the partners of the Chosen Children were in a similar position. It was difficult to say who was truly winning this fight, but it seemed as if the advantage was still in the direction of Entropy.
Speaking of Entropy, he was standing atop the bridge pole still, looking out over the fight. Daigo could have sworn that he had seen something about his posture change as the seconds passed by, though it was difficult to say for sure because of how far away he was from the scene of Entropy's actions. It was strange to think that Meiko had been taken over by some other power, but given that Homeostasis was capable of it as well, it made sense. However, it making sense didn't mean that he liked it, and in fact, he despised it with everything he had.
"If Digimon die on this side of the barrier, then they lose the ability to regenerate."
Daigo turned upon hearing Hiraku's voice, and a frown stained both of their faces as Hiraku continued. "With how much pressure Raguelmon has been under... I don't know how this is going to end. I can say that it's probably not going to be great for anyone though," he admitted softly. "If we have to get through her in order to actually do significant damage to Ordinemon and she's acting as a shield for Ordinemon, then..."
"Don't talk like that," came the hissing voice of Maki from not far away. Her expression was tense, and she instinctively looked over to Huanglongmon a moment later. "We're going to find a way to save Meicoomon. I don't know how we're going to get her out of there, but we have to try it somehow. There has to be a way for us to figure this out, and if we can get Meiko back in control, then we may be able to pull Meicoomon out of Raguelmon. I don't want to talk about what could happen if Raguelmon doesn't back down. We're going to make sure that everything is alright for both of them. They're Chosen Children and partner Digimon too."
"Under the typical definition, they're not though," Kaya frowned. She wasn't trying to start a fight with Maki, instead simply stating a fact. "Meiko was given a Digivice by Entropy, and Meicoomon was deliberately created by Entropy to act as her partner. They were never meant to be Chosen Children to begin with."
"Neither were we, and yet, here we are," Chisane pointed out with a sad ghost of a smile as she looked back to the fight. Varodurumon was sweeping around for another attack, teaming up with Goddramon along the way. Chisane's gaze didn't waver as she continued to speak. "We were never supposed to go to the Digital World at all, and yet... When we did, we set off something much greater than ourselves. Nothing has turned out how we thought it would, and it's all because a couple unofficial Chosen Children stumbled into the Digital World and made a difference."
"I don't know what we're going to do about Meiko or Meicoomon, but we have to try something to get them out of this. They're still alive, and even if they're fighting against us right now, they have to be in there somewhere. After all, there was still some good to be found in the Digimon who had been infected by the dark data patches, right? This is the same situation. It's a bit different since this is our final battle, but we have to do what we can to free them... Chosen Child to Chosen Child, official or otherwise," Atsuo announced.
Kaya stared at him for a long moment before she nodded stiffly, her every action filled to the brim with tension. Her fingers curled around her upper arm and squeezed with all the force she could muster as she looked back to the fight. More attacks were continuing to rain against Ordinemon's body, and Raguelmon was doing her best to keep up with them. She wasn't as successful as she had been in the past, but she was still doing significant work.
Daigo looked down to his Digivice and saw his reflection staring back at him. A ring of orange and blue surrounded the screen, and he smiled at the sight of it. Nothing had turned out as they had expected it would, but that hadn't stopped them from saving the world when they were children. Fifteen years later, the job had fallen to them once again, and they were going to save a friend along with it.
History truly did love repeating itself, and for the first time in an eternity, Daigo could barely bring himself to mind.
The first of the last five chapters! Holy fuck!
It really does amaze me how far this story has come, and writing the last few chapters of the ending arc really does help me to understand how amazing all of this is. I'm in love with this story, and it's great to finally see all the payoff that I've been working toward for almost eleven months now. This entire story is going to have been written in a year even if posting takes much longer than that, and that absolutely baffles me. The story has come so far from where it was when I started in January 2021, and I'm in love with it.
I found an unexpected love in this chapter in the form of Meiko's segments with Entropy. Given how easily defeated Meiko has been as a result of her fragile mental state, it's nice to have her finally standing up for something that she's passionate about. Entropy has been using her from the start, and after all that he put her through, she deserves to tear into him a little bit. Okay, no, she deserves more than that, but this is what she's getting for the time being.
Next time around, we're going to hit the fourth-to-last chapter of the story and press on with the final battle from all angles. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital