I don't own Digimon; Toei does, so please don't sue! Even though I said I wouldn't post this until I got ten reviews, hitting the 2000 mark in hits and my sister's frequent death threats convinced me otherwise. So Rachelle, you can stop holding that aluminum baseball bat over my head now. Whew. Anyway this takes place a few days the after hour of the wolf, and it's recommended you read that and the first act of Darkness Rising to get the gist of what going on here. There's a definite Out Of Character alert here, and the introduction of the last guy you'd expect showing up.
Flames will be fed to my furnace.
Darkness Rising, Act 2
"Matt you don't have to carry me you know. I'm perfectly capable of walking by myself."
Matt sighed as Gabumon complained again. Both of them knew that Gabumon had been critically injured in the fight against Kimeramon, and had almost died in the hours that followed. Even though Digimon healed quickly, Gabumon was still too weak in Matt's opinion. A quick summoning of his abilities had healed himself, but Matt was still so unfamiliar with his new powers to even consider using them to heal Gabumon. Anyway, a little mother henning wouldn't do the canine Digimon any harm. Right?
"Ok pal, time for a rest break. We both need a little sleep."
Matt carefully set Gabumon down. Carrying him wasn't easy, and that was an understatement. He was ragged after trekking for ten miles through the deep woods, and he could use somewhat of a nap. His eyelids felt heavy as he found a comfortable spot at the base of a giant tree. Gabumon had already fallen asleep near by. Matt smiled sleepily at that; the trek must have worn the tough guy out more than he would admit. He closed his eyes and…
Snap.
Matt's crystal blue eyes snapped open. There was someone out there. Moving quietly as to not disturb Gabumon, he searched the surrounding brush. There was nothing there - nothing at all. Matt scolded himself. His imagination was beginning to play tricks on him, another indication that he badly needed that nap. But still… something nagged at him, that all was not right. He dismissed it as another trick of his sleep deprived mind. After all he had searched the whole area and all he found was the local plantlife.
Snap.
Matt winced. He must have stepped on a twig. He tiredly assured his mind that for the last time that there was nothing out there. That they were safe for the time being. Convinced they were alone, Matt dragged himself back to his tree and instantly fell asleep. He didn't notice the shadowy figure that appeared on the branch above him and disappeared without a sound.
"Are you sure he discovered nothing?"
"Nothing my master. He dismissed my presence as a figment of his imagination." The shadowy figure drawled in a feminine voice.
The nameless mon admired the girl shrouded in darkness before him. She was a sight to behold, dressed in form fitting black, honey hued hair done up in a high ponytail, a few tendrils framing a delicate porcelain doll face. She looked so fragile, which only disguised her incredible deadliness even more. Like a poisonous flower, thought the unnamed master appraisingly, beautiful but lethal. It suited her, the Digidestroyer of Deceit, perfectly.
"What is your command master? Shall we destroy him?"
The nameless mon chuckled richly. An amusing thought, kill the last two Digidestined, but without the Seeramon, it couldn't capture their souls and add the last two to its ranks. It glanced at the obelisk glowing softly in the middle of the room. There was more than one way to skin a cat however. All it had to do was capture Matt and Gabumon and use the obelisk to draw out their souls and make them its. And it had the perfect people for the job.
"Master?"
"No Mimi. I have something much better in mind."
The nameless mon laughed sinisterly and then snapped his fingers. At once thirteen more dark figures joined Mimi at kneeling at the foot of the nameless master's throne. Still as statues, they silently waited for their master's orders. It loved it whenever they did that. It gave it such a feeling of limitless power, and it was such a slap in the face to everyone who opposed it. To imagine, the Digidestined working for the darkness, was an outrage to the mon on the goody two shoes side. Well most of the Digidestined anyway. But that was soon to be rectified.
"Follow them. Watch their every move. But don't reveal yourselves till I arrive. I want to see their horror when they find out what's going to happen to them… first hand. Don't lose them."
The Digidestroyers nodded once and then vanished from the room without a trace, not even disturbing the ever-present dust as they left to do their master's bidding.
The nameless master sprawled back on his opulent throne and laughed again. It was turning out to be such a good day.
"Let's do it."
"There must be some scientific explanation for what we are seeing."
"Whatever it is, I must be allergic to it."
"I like my eggs with maple syrup. Sometimes even with cherries on top."
"Maybe the pointlessness is the point."
"Don't worry, we won't hurt you."
"I love you big bro."
Matt stood on the ridge of some foggy dreamscape as memories from the past played out, each blurring into the other. His friends' voices rang out in the distance, echoing the words spoken in the long dim past.
"Matt."
"Matt."
"Matt."
"MATT!"
"Who's there?" Matt cried, spooked out by the voices that were like those of his departed friends.
"Matt, beware what lies ahead!" Tai's sorrowful voice warned. A figure cloaked in slick black robes appeared, reeking of evil so pungent it was almost tangible. Matt choked in fear as it raised one grasping hand for him and vanished back into the fog.
"Not all of what you'll face is reality. Discern the illusion, cling to the truth." Mimi's melodic voice advised.
" What do you mean? What's coming? Who? How do I stop it?" Matt screamed frustrated. He had never been one for riddles, and this was the king of them. He was so confused. His friends were dead and yet they were trying to warn him of something. Some evil that was coming. All these vague warnings were giving him the ultimate headache.
" Trust your heart. It will guide the way." Sora responded gently.
The atmosphere seemed to shift, grow darker, more explosive. Matt felt a growing terror build up inside him, turning his guts to ice and raising the hairs on his neck. His stomach lurched uncomfortably as he waited for whatever to come out of the mists.
"The danger nears." Joe stated unemotionally.
A crystal obelisk appeared, glowing and pulsating with multicolored flames locked inside its depths. Matt looked closer. This was the danger? It looked harmless even pretty even. But even the most beautiful object could be deadly, as years of experience in the Digiworld dictated.
"This is the source of the imbalance." Izzy lectured, just like he had when he was alive.
"It must be destroyed." Kari added.
Matt yelped in shock as the obelisk's glow became blinding and streamers of light shot out and bound him tight. A thin spiral of black shadow immerged from the crystal interior of his imprisoner and bore its way into his chest. Matt screamed in terror and pain as what felt like his soul, was ripped from him. He stared in horrified amazement as a blue spark emerged from him and was consumed by the obelisk, adding his flame to fourteen others. Matt felt sick. Now he realized the unspeakable truth. Those flames, those sparks, those balls of light were souls…souls of those he knew. He just hoped it wasn't…
"Or suffer our fate." Tk finished, despair ringing in every word.
No! How could this be! Matt shuddered uncontrollably as the words hit home. He suddenly felt cold, as if he was standing in outer space. Beads of sweat trickled down his back as fourteen figures, wrapped in shadow appeared. His friends – alive, but changed. Their eyes were empty, hollow and their very presence gave of the stench of something horribly wrong. Glacier blue eyes widened to their maximum as they were replaced by an exact mirror image of him, with the same dead eyes and the same putrid odour of something that should not be. His clone's image faded to nothingness and then, out of nowhere, the figure in black lunged at him.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Matt, Matt! Wake up! You're having a nightmare! By all that is sacred, WAKE UP!" Gabumon's voice, distant at first, urgently demanded.
Matt coughed as he tried to open his eyes. His nostrils burned as he inhaled a peaty odour, the kind one would smell around the campfire. Charcoal? Was there a fire? He finally managed to open his eyes and gasped…
The entire area around him was reduced to ash. The tree he had been leaning against was now a smoldering stump. The ground beneath him was burned hard and black. What had happened? What was going on?
Gabumon seeing Matt look confusedly around, decided to give him an answer.
"Matt…during your nightmare, you accidentally blew up the area around you. When I found you, I couldn't get even near you, since you were crackling with this weird multicolored lightening. Luckily you settled down for a few minutes, or I might never have been able to wake you up."
"Were you hurt?"
" Me? Nah…I know you would never hurt me. Not even singed, see. But still, that had to be some dream."
"It was Gabumon, it sure was." Matt trembled at the memory of the unnamed figure lunging at him. The memory of his hood flying back from the sheer force of the leap and the face…
"Want to talk about it?" Gabumon gently asked, picking up on his partner's terror immediately.
"No, not now. Maybe later, when I've had a chance to sort things out." Matt responded, forcing confidence into his voice. Seriously he didn't want to recall what he saw, but it just didn't want to leave him alone. And some nagging feeling told Matt that his life depended on what the dream told. In one way or another.
"Well Matt, if that's what you want…" Gabumon then wrapped a comforting paw around his shoulder "…I'll always be here for you, if you ever need to talk."
"Thanks Gabumon." Matt said. He then gently hugged the canine Digimon, and buried his face in Gabumon's furry shoulder. "For everything…" he sobbed, tears matting the fur where they dropped. Gabumon gently hugged back, being Matt's pillar of strength when he needed it most. Matt desperately needed that strength as the memory of the face beneath the black hood haunted his every conscious moment. It was the face of grief. It was the face of suffering. It was the face of all that was wrong with the wrong with the world.
Behind that hood was death itself.
Not far away, in another clearing, a kneeling figure waited. Dusky, unkempt brown hair waved in the wind while empty tan eyes stayed locked to the ground, he waited impatiently for his master to appear. A burst of smoke later, the black robe figure appeared, holding the crystal obelisk tightly in his hands.
"Master, all is in readiness. We are ready to capture the rouge Digidestined and his Digimon per your commanded. He is unknowingly surrounded as we speak."
" Excellent Tai, I expected no less of you."
The dark one's praise sent shivers of pleasure down Tai's spine. There was nothing he liked better than pleasing his master's every whim. Which consisted of performing death and destruction on all that opposed the dark lord. Preferably drawn out and painful. It was all he lived for. Tai anticipated the sick joy that would come with this job well done. The wind ruffled his simple black gi as he desperately waited for his next orders.
"Is Mimi ready?"
"Yes my Lord."
"Then bring me to her. I waited too long for this moment."
An instant later all that was left of them was the empty air in which they stood.
"Matt I don't like this. It feels like we're being watched, but I can't tell where…" Gabumon said, a slight note of panic starting to creep into his voice.
"I know Gabumon. I can sense it too…"
Ever since they had entered this stupid forest, Matt had felt the sensation of being closely scrutinized, like a bug under a microscope. But he had found no one. Paranoia at work maybe, but after what had happened, his friends being killed and that dream that seemed so much not a dream, Matt thought he had a right to be paranoid.
He grimaced as an image of happier times, when they all together, strolling through the forest of irrelevant road signs came up. Laughing and joking, still no clue what they were, they had walked a trail just like this one now. That's when they were still seven. Kari, and the desperate search for her, had came later. He could still hear their voices echoing around the trees he thought sadly, tears threatening to spill over at the pang the memory produced. Night had been always bad, but now the memories were seeping into his daytime thoughts. Not that he wanted to forget them…but…Suddenly Gabumon stopped and cocked his head. Matt did the same, as he strained to hear whatever Gabumon heard.
After a few moments he stopped and shook his head. Just daydreams he thought. But it came again, louder and clearer this time.
It was the sweet, pure sound of a girl singing.
The nameless mon listened to Mimi sing the siren's song, felt the deep alluring nature of its crests and trills. It was the perfect weapon to draw the Digi-brat and his Digimon right into the open where they would be easily taken. Again the Digidestroyer of Deceit was living up to her namesake. Already concealed were the rest of his troops, hiding behind elaborate illusions concocted by Mimi's dark powers. Matt would never know until it was too late.
But a twinge of worry cast a ray of shadow into his otherwise sunny spirits. Matt's powers were growing, emerging to their full potential without any help from outside sources. He had leveled an entire square kilometer of forest just in his sleep. The only thing that had saved his companion was that he had wandered off in search of a quick snack. If a struggle ensured, he could possibly gain his full powers, an alarming thought to say the least. Even though all the Digidestined powers at max were equal, Matt could certainly do some major damage. Major damage at this point was too risky to afford. They had to do this right…or everything would be dangerously uncertain.
Too uncertain.
Matt blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the harsh brightness as he stepped out of the forest. He found himself in a beautiful meadow, full of flowers and wild grasses, air thick and heavy with the sweet perfume of honeysuckle and jasmine. Melodious birdsong melted in with the trilling lyrics sung by a girl stretched out on a rock in the very center of the meadow. She wore a midriff baring halter top, mini-skirt and knee high boots, all in black. Near by, a Palmon sat by, listening raptly to the enchantingly beautiful song sung by the equally enchantingly beautiful maiden. Matt knew without doubt, who was perched on that rock, singing like a nightingale.
It could only be Mimi.
But Mimi was dead.
What kind of trick was this?
Matt felt utterly confused as he took a few stumbling steps towards Mimi. He had seen her dead, and now here she was, singing like nothing remotely fatal had even happened to her. What was going on here? People don't just get up and start singing after they've been killed.
Discern the illusion, cling to the truth.
The words from the terrible vision came back to him. But what was illusion, and what was real? Nothing looked out of place, except Mimi herself. But something told him that what he saw before him was breathing and was a threat.
Threat?
Where did that come from?
Matt didn't know.
Trust your heart. It will guide the way.
That too came back to him. Sora's advice appearing unsummoned from the mists of memory.
Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Matt trusted his own instincts, as Gabumon totally ignored his. He ran full tilt towards Mimi and Palmon, yelling overjoyed greetings and questions about how they survived. Mimi and Palmon only laughed, purely girlish sounds, as if they were giggling over some boy. Matt raced to catch up to his friend, despite the overwhelming feeling he was jumping headfirst into a trap. Which he was pretty sure was the case. Unfortunately, Gabumon, in this moment of joy for him, didn't have a clue.
Matt finally managed to reach his friend before he got too close to the rock. He grabbed Gabumon by the paw and hauled him back to his side, where he would be somewhat protected.
"Matt, what are you doing?" protested Gabumon incredulously.
"Yes, what are you doing?" Mimi added innocently.
" Protecting him from whatever you are? Mimi's dead and you're not HER!"
Mimi only laughed softly. Finally she looked a startled Matt and Gabumon in the face, eyes beginning to glow a soft green and carnation pink.
"You're more astute than I thought Matt. I'm impressed. But you're only half-right. I AM Mimi, just not her better half. And this little game ends NOW!"
Thick vines tore their way out of the ground and bound Matt and Gabumon head to foot. Mimi, now covered in her pink and green aura, simply waved her hand, and the meadow disappeared into thin air. Sights, sounds, smells, everything. Matt blazed with a silver and blue aura too, as he tried to free himself. No such luck. He was stuck fast. Gabumon wasn't having better luck. The vines had a stranglehold on him too. He was squeezed so tight that he couldn't even Digivolve in MetalGarurumon to defend either one of them.
"Very good Mimi. They're just the way I wanted." A cold and sinister voice congratulated. Matt would have felt sick if he could afford the luxury. The voice literally dripped with cool, casual evil, reeking of horror that was almost tangible to the nose.
Out from behind a rock it stepped, slick black robes pooling at its feet. But not alone. Flanking it on either side were the rest of the Digidestined dressed completely in black, and their respective Digimon. "What happened to them" was Matt's first thought, but strangely enough, he already knew. He had been told what had happened, once upon a dream, seemingly so long ago. The main question now, was how to reverse all this with out his friends dying again.
Matt knew he had to find the answer, and fast.
The unknown dark lord seemed to be smiling under its hood, smirking about something that only it knew about. With a snap, something glowing began to float towards him. Whatever the plan was, they were soon to find out.
The obelisk!
Matt began shaking in terror in his bonds. The obelisk. The stealer of souls. The very danger his friends in the dream were trying to warn him about. Both of them needed to get away right now! Matt knew what that thing would do to him and Gabumon given half the chance. But how could he move, stuck tight like this!
Ignoring Matt's frantic struggles, the figure in black strode around him, evaluating him like some piece of meat. Matt did not like to be the object of such debasing scrutiny, and redoubled his efforts on breaking free. Somehow this amused the evil one and brought forth a throaty laugh from it. However it stopped, when a voice like the dry hiss of a snake, reached its ears.
"What have you done to them…?"
"And ruin the surprise? I think not." The figure in black motioned to the statue still Digidestined. "How do like my new army? A lot more streamlined than the old one, but many times more powerful. I call them the Digidestroyers. It suits their purpose now more elegantly then that old silly moniker, the Digidestined." It gloated, staring at Matt the whole time, looking for some twinge of terror or disgust.
Matt gave it nothing.
"Let me introduce you to the new them personally…"It continued with a sneer "Since you'll all spent so much time working together."
He pointed to each child and their corresponding Digimon in turn.
"Tai and Agumon, the Digidestroyer and Digimon of Fear."
"Sora and Biyomon, the Digidestroyer and Digimon of Hate."
"You've already met Mimi and Palmon, the Digidestroyer and Digimon of Deceit."
"Joe and Gomamon, the Digidestroyer and Digimon of Indifference."
"Izzy and Tentomon, the Digidestroyer and Digimon of Ignorance."
"Kari and Gatomon, the Digidestroyer and Digimon of Shadow."
"Tk and Patamon, the Digidestroyer and Digimon of Despair." The nameless mon chuckled as Matt's face contorted in rage at the mere mention of what was done to his little brother.
"And to round off our casting list, we have Matt and Gabumon, the soon to be Digidestroyer and Digimon of Discord."
The unknown dark lord peered deep into Matt's enraged eyes. It was all Matt could do not to lash out and try to tear the nose of this monster, if he could lash out at all. The rage within him was reaching a critical point. It would blow at any second. Matt managed to keep his cool long enough to ask the question that burned within him…
"Who are you?"
The dark lord chuckled madly then lifted back his hood. An indescribable horrific sight greeted him. The mon's piercing red eyes bored right into Matt's, and defiantly Matt returned the look.
"Your lord and master."
"Eviltarimon."
Matt exploded.
Gabumon struggled in his bonds and listened to the whatever taunt Matt. He tried to free one claw to cut the vines but they squeezed too tight. He could barely breathe much less Digivolve. Mimi had seen to that, but why? Why would she and the others turn on them? And how could Matt know that they would? It didn't make sense. Though nothing much did anymore anyway.
Clearly the evil Digimon had some insidious plan for them or he would have just killed them as they slept. And sure enough, he did. Join him? Like hell he would. If that tyrant thought that he, Gabumon, would go around killing innocent Digimon just because he said so, than his wires were crossed even more than he first thought. Gabumon wondered how he was going to force them to go along with his sick schemes. Perhaps that crystal obelisk had something to do with it…
What! Eviltarimon! That name sounded so familiar…
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Gabumon looked shocked at Matt. He was literally on fire! His blue and silver aura was whipping about violently as the vines that were holding him were simply vaporized to dust. A few seconds later, his own bonds simply melted away under Matt's raging power. Eviltarimon didn't look so confident now. In fact, one might say he was a little…frightened?
Gabumon felt like he had drunk a few gallons of the soda pop he had been treated to at Matt's place back on Earth. He was exploding with raw, untamed energy! Matt's chest began to glow with the distinctive crest of friendship, and Gabumon began to change…
"Gabumon Warp-Digivolve to…" A sparkling column of light engulfed him as he shifted forms to "…MetalGarurumon!"
MetalGarurumon took up a position at Matt's side, ready to do battle with all whom threatened Matt and himself. Even be they former friends. He gathered up the energy for a Metal Wolf Claw and saw Matt form blades of ice on his wrists, no doubt intending to slice the one responsible for this madness into tiny, bloody strips.
But Eviltarimon had other plans. He motioned to the obelisk, which started to glow with a brilliant light. Matt and MetalGarurumon watched it hypnotized. They didn't notice the large figure sneaking up on them.
"Pummel Whack!"
The blast of energy knocked the obelisk into a rock wall and kicked up a wall of dust. MetalGarurumon and Matt were frozen in shock, not moving a muscle. Then MetalGarurumon felt strong arms lift his up and dimly noticed Matt having the same thing done to him. Though however he tried, he couldn't see the face of his mystery savior. The mystery mon ran into the woods, Matt and MetalGarurumon now back to Gabumon, along for the ride.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, they were finally put down. Gabumon immediately tried to discover their rescuer's identity, and was shocked at what he found. Judging by Matt's expression, he was too. Then both at once, they called the mon by name…
"Ogremon!"
To be continued…
Didn't expect that one coming, did you? Anywho, the next one will be a while in coming because I have to intern next week. And remember, review and make an author happy.
ShannonL