Digimon: Digital Monsters
Mirror, Mirror—Part VI(C)
By 7 of 11
Kana watched as Aphroditemon brought her silver staff down in a blow to DarkAngemon's head. He brought his ebony rod up to counter, and kicked his daughter in the stomach, sending her flying. She then turned to her own father, Takeru…or as he was now calling himself, Shade. "Why won't you listen to me? You are my Daddy!" she shouted.
"I know not who thee are, child." Takeru/Shade shook his head. "I advise thee to stop trying my patience. Give thyself up willingly and thee shalt not be harmed."
"No!" Kana rushed at the armored figure, but this time he was ready. He met her in a tackle, throwing his spiked shoulder into the hit. She felt the steel dig into her skin, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Aphroditemon swung another strike at DarkAngemon, but he ducked under her silver weapon. "I don't have time for this…" she muttered, and her staff shone a bright red. "Love Tap!" The scarlet blast sent DarkAngemon sprawling, but he soon was back on his feet.
It was DarkAngemon's turn to attack. "Dark Shaft!" The rod he held in his hands seemed to absorb all of the light in the room. He drove the staff into her stomach, where it made contact a huge burst of ebony power hurled the angel into a wall.
"Love Tap!" Aphroditemon released another attack in the hope that she could wear him down. Even if he WAS her father, he didn't seem inclined to show her any mercy, so she figured she should act accordingly. She came at the stunned DarkAngemon and drew back her hand, bringing it forward in a slap, which shot him to the floor like a bullet shot from a gun, to Shade's side.
Shade, seeing this, growled a curse at DarkAngemon, and reached under his long, flowing cloak to procure a Digivice. "Thee can do this, show thy daughter who is her master!"
DarkAngemon hissed with power. "Yesssss…" He began to change. "DarkAngemon Digivolve to…LUCIFIMON!"
Kana gasped when she saw this fully-digivolved Dark Digimon. He was a dark crimson, the color of blood. Two horns sprouted from the sides of his head, and his mouth was turned down in a perpetual grimace. A tail ending in a sharp barb sprouted, and his leathery bat like wings split in two. A long, evil looking whip appeared in one of his hands, and in the other he gained a wicked pitchfork.
"Death's Whip!" Lucifimon growled, and brought his lash around at Aphroditemon, who shrieked as it caught her on the side of her face.
Kana huddled closer to a wall as she watched, helplessly, as Lucifimon thrashed her partner in the air above. Several 'Death's Whip's later, Aphroditemon was severely bleeding, and looked as if she was not going to survive for much longer.
Lucifimon raised his pitchfork above his head, and it crackled as bolts of energy struck it, causing it to shimmer brightly. "PITCHFORK BEAM!" He brought it down. Power flowed from the smaller prongs on the side to the large central one. A gigantic beam shot out, knocking Aphroditemon out cold. She fell to the ground.
Kana ran to her partner, ignoring the throbbing pains caused from Shade's bladed armor. "Aphroditemon! Are you all right?" she held her friend, laying Aphroditemon's bloodied face in her lap. Whip welts marred her beautiful visage, and Lucifimon's most recent attack had left severe burn marks on her previously immaculate white clothing. She started to cry. "Hang in there, Aphroditemon, we aren't beaten yet." She brought her voice to the barest shreds of a whisper. "I love you, and I believe in you…I know you can do it!" a tear fell from her eye to Aphroditemon's face, and then something magical happened.
Shining a perfect white, the color of Aphroditemon's robes, Kana's Crest of Faith lifted itself from under her shirt and levitated in midair. And then, in Kana's lap, Aphroditemon opened her eyes, fire in her sapphire irises.
"APHRODITEMON DIGIVOLVE TO…ARCHAPHRODITEMON!" The young angel flew into the air, shimmering brightly. She was clad in brilliant platinum armor, and her wings glimmered with a silver coating. Her staff grew longer, and a cross appeared at the top, the emblem of the Crest of Faith inlaid at the center. Four more pairs of silver wings sprouted from her back.
ArchAphroditemon looked at the horrorstruck duo. "Splitting of the Seas!" She stood on the floor, feet placed about shoulder-width apart. Both hands on her staff, she gently put it down, the cross facing Lucifimon. As soon as the bottom made contact with the tiled floor, a huge burst of energy tore up the ground as it rushed to the Dark Digimon. When it hit him, he was briefly immobilized in a bubble of light.
ArchAphroditemon hefted her silver staff into her arms again, pointing it at Lucifimon like a gun. It started to glow white. "Love's Arrow!" A beam, emitting a gentle hum, slowly made contact with Lucifimon, and he began to change. He returned to a normal angel—He was back to being Angemon.
"What?" Shade looked around in terror. "No! Thou cannot defeat me! For I am Shade! All who hear my name shalt tremble in fear! Thy tricks will not work on me!"
The steel door that had covered the entrance where Kana and Aphroditemon had entered the room suddenly burst open, clattering down the hall with mighty bangs. "Kana!" Both Jun and Masayoshi yelled, running through the clear entryway. "Are you…" Jun stopped as he saw ArchAphroditemon and the defeated Angemon. "I guess you are okay…" But then he noticed Shade. "Hey! You're the guy who got our parents!"
Masayoshi froze as he saw Shade's real identity. "…And," he said, restraining Jun. "It's Takeru…"
Light suddenly spouted from Masa's Crest into Shade/Takeru's body. "What?" He gasped. "What's going on?"
Jun looked down in amazement as yellow light poured into Shade/Takeru from his Crest. "This is fascinating…"
And finally, Kana's own Crest activated, bathing her father in brilliant white light. When the clash of colors faded, Shade was lying on the ground, breathing weakly. "Huh? Where am I?" he asked, confused.
Kana immediately went to him. "D…D…Daddy?" she asked, and gasped when he smiled back at her.
"Kana? What happened? Last thing I remember…we were being attacked by someone…but…who?" And then it all came back to Takeru. He fell to the ground, shivering. "I'm so, so, sorry…I didn't mean any of it…Kana, can you possibly forgive me?"
She nodded. "I can, Dad, but right now, we need to save Mom and the others! Quickly, before something terrible happens to them!"
The guard paced in front of the cells. One of the Digidestined would have to be executed, to show them that the Alt-Destined were serious, but who? He smiled as he got an idea. Pulling out a gun, he pointed to one of his fellow guards, who entered the cage, unafraid of retaliation. The plasma binders they had placed on all of the Digidestined and the Digimon worked wonders, after all. As the guard brought the Digidestined out and forced him to his knees, the first one smiled. This should be a good lesson, he thought, as he put the gun to Koushiro's head.
To Be Continued…