Really sorry for hte lateness of this, been so busy with a funny thing called "life"^_^ Thanx for the reviews people. I was hoping to make Piedmon's and LadyDevimon's victim a surprise and it looks like I did that. Sorry for not e-mailing to those who asked, I'm really busy and barely had time to write this part. Well, enough chit-chat, let's get back to the story.
By the way, in the fic, Jyou's crest goes by the Japanese version, which is the crest of Faith, instead of Reliability. And Kaiser Nail is Wolf Claw(WereGarurumon's attack).
By Cloud Ishida
"It doesn't make sense." Jyou was still in a stated of confusion, "Why would Piedmon and that giant woman just leave like that? I mean, we were basically sitting ducks!"
"Ya know, sometime's it's best to just be glad things happen the way they happen." Gomamon waddled on his own four feet, instead of being in his partners arms.
Ogremon and the other digimon took the lead with Mimi close behind. She was still her hyper-active self, but the thought of the sudden encounter with Piedmon still lingered. Palmon stuck close by, in case hte two Viruses did return.
"AARROOOOO------!!!"
"What the heck was that?!" Jyou sputtered out. A piercing how echoed through the sky. All of the marchers stopped dead in their tracks. Mimi clinged on to Palmon while Palmon clinged on to Mimi. Ogremon and the others surrounded the frightened two from whatever attack came their way.
"AROO---!!"
Another howl sounded, but the this time, Gomamon's keen sense of hearing made his eyes go wide, "It sounded like...Garurumon, or WereGarurumon..."
Jyou stiffened, "You don't think it's Matt's Garurumon...do you?" He turned to see Mimi's equally worried face. She's scared.. But if it is Matt, we have to help... "...It could be Piedmon..."
"Then we should go ever and help Matt!" Palmon shouted and the rest of the battalion roared in agreement.
"Wait!" Jyou stepped in front of the group, "It may be a different Garurumon, or one of Piedmon's traps...." With a deep breath, he made a firm decision, "I'll go check it out. You guys continue on to Spiral Mountain." Securing his medical bag, and attempting to hold a defiant pose, he motioned for the group to go on, but they all held faces of doubt and worry. Don't you guys trust me? If you can't have faith in me, than why would I have the Crest of Faith?...
Mimi's fear of battle returned, "But Jyou, you can't go alone..."
"Of course he won't!" Gomamon crawled up to the tall boy's arms. "He's gonna have me along!"
"You have to lead them Mimi. Tai's counting on us to come together again." Jyou tries to calm her down, but she still looks as if she's about to cry.
Palmon tugs on her dress, stroking it gently to soothe her, "Don't worry Mimi. Jyou knows what he's doing. He always does remember?" The blue haired boy smiled, At least one of them has faith in me. Mimi slowly nods, much to her dismay. Gathering all the corage she could, the pink girl started the march with her soldiers behind.
Smiling at his disappering friends, Jyou turns towards the location of the sound, "Well Gomamon, it looks like it's just you and my."
"I know, it's gonna be a looong walk." Gomamon teased. Jyou grins but hides it under his annoyed look. Even in tense moments, Gomamon still manages to squeeze out a smile from him.
"Ahhgg--!!" The giant hand wrapped around hte tiny body, slamming him to the nectar-soaked ground. WereGarurumon towered over him. Yamato cringed from the pain originating from his back upon impact. He layed in hte pool of the sweet nectar of the plant Gabumon warned him about. The bulbs were slashed open by stray shots of the Werewolf's and LadyDevimon's attacks.
Yamato could feel the thick, purple liquid entering his wounds, filling him with it's intoxicating smell. It was cold, yet soothing. The blonde didn't mind dripping in it; it was like a pain-killer, making him forget his wounds. "Were,..Ga..ruru.... Why?.." The same question escaped his lips over and over.
WereGarurumon remained silent. He reached down to the Yamato's chest, and pulled out a tiny gold object. Nest he grabbed the screen-cracked digivice from the blonde's belt. "Please...answer me.." Yamato pleaded. If the werewolf continued to attack, he know he would die, killed by the hands of his own friend. Whatever Piedmon did to him, it seemed stronger than the bonds of friendship.
"This is it." The wolf finally grunted out. He took Yamato by the throat, arching his free arm back, claws ready to strike. Yamato continued to stare at him with pleading eyes, hoping for sanity to return to his friend. Then the words of of doom began, "Kaiser..." Yamato shut his eyes and waited for the final blow. "Tai! SLow down!" Sora cried out from behind. The kids including the digimon were falling metres behind their leader, "T.K and Kari can't deep up while holding Agumon!"
Taichi reluctantly stopsin his tracks., "We've got to find hte others before Piedmon and that freak woman finds them!" Anger bursted out in his words, and all the others backed off. He realized he was becoming so aggressive by each passing moment, "I, I'm sorry gyes. We just need to keep moving. We have to get to the others." He turns to his digimon partner being helf up by Hikari and Takeru. We won't be able to reach them fast enough at this rate... "Piyomon, could you digivolve and carry us?" The pink bird nods furiously. She waited for someone to ask for the offer she gave before.
"Tai, are you sure?" Koushiro stepped up from the group, "What if we meet with Piedmon? Like you said, we'll need to be at full energy."
"I don't think we have to worry about that Izzy." Tentomon buzzed. "LadyDevimon maybe a Virus, but she's know for her nobility and trust. In a way, she's a model digimon."
"Except for the fact she'll kill you ten times before you hit the ground." Gatomon added. She wasn't exactly the most optimistic, but her perky behaviour often brang out the best in the kids and digimon. This wasn't the one of those times, "I know about the Nightmare Soldiers. They were one of the most unbeatable team in the whole Digiworld. And most aggressive too. Haven't you guys heard about them before?" she asked the other digimon. All their eyes diverted to the ground or to the sky, each one looking very uncomfortable. "What is it? Cat got your tongues?"
Tacihi crossed his arms, and a look of irritation on his face, "Look, we don't have time to chit-chat about old times, we gotta move."
Gatomon took over Hikari's job of holding Agumon, "I agree. We can search faster and in a large area at once." Then she whispered quiet enough for only Hikari to hear, "And get him to back off. Tai's been really edgy lately." Looking at her brother, the girl nodded in agreement.
"Alright Piyomon, " Sora turned to her partner, "do your stuff."
As Piyomon digivolved to Birdramon, Taichi returned to his introspection again. That dark premonition he had before hasn't lifted. A part of him was still anxious by the next evets. Looking up to the sky, he whispered his worry into the emptyness, "Whatever happens guys, stay alive."
"Kaiser Nai--"
"Wait!" The elongated black fingers wrapped around WereGarurumon's arm, just an inch away from Yamato's face. "You don't have to kill him now. He is your friend isn't he?" LadyDevimon's voice crooned the werewolf to calm.
"He is our enemy. And all our enemies must be destroyed." As soon as those words left his mouth, WereGarurumon dropped the blonde to the ground below. The splash of the nectar echoed through the forest.
"As much as I would love to see a DigiDestined meet his end," the dark angel continued, "he is your friend and I severly doubt you would finish the job of killing him." She pointed to the panting boy below, trying to catch his breath, "Those are only surface wounds, nothing vital broken."
WereGarurumon stared down at his fallen partner. Regret and sorrow filled him, seeing his beloved friend like this, "I'm sorry Matt... I didn't mean.. But I thought you both wanted me to..." he turned his attention to LadyDevimon and Piedmon.
"we may kill for sport bur we're not savages!: The regal Piedmon made a scornful look. "Murder him or mother him, I don't really care at the moment. As much as I love to see blood spilt, he is your friend."
For minutes, WereGarurumon remained silent. The boy layed before him was his life as it was destined, the one he was sworn to protect. But hthe pain he inflicted on him now... Then there was the Nightmare Soldiers, the only true family he know before meeting with Yamato. How could he support both of them when they were mortal enemies? Sudenly, whimpers echoed from the blonde, full consciousness taking over him. The werewolf turned to Piedmon, "So you don't care if he's..."
"Of course I would." The dark emperor replied flatly, "but you have been one of my finest soldiers in the past, so you deserve to have this option. Whatever it is, I will support it." Instincts from his past made WereGarurumon bow before his emperor. It was hard no to notice Piedmon's imperial nature. "But you must disarm him."
The werewolf's eyes shot straight up to his emperor, "But..!!"
Surprisingly, Piedmon gave a short chuckle, "Not literally...although that is an interesting thought. Destroy his crest, but give me his digivice." Eyeing the crest in his blue hand, he tossed the digivice obediantly to his lord, "Both of you finish things here. I'm going ahead to Primary Village." Leaping swiftly into the air, the emperor glided swiftly through the clouds.
WereGarurumon turned behind him to see Yamato sitting up on his elbows. The blue eyes pleaded for his partner to stop as his crest, hanging from the giant claws, shimmered in the sunlight.
Wrapping his giant wolf-hand around the tiny pendent, the sound of shattering glass and metal reached to the sky.
"Do you see anything Tai?" Koushiro asked without taking his eyes off his laptop. Birdramon soared through the cool, calm sky while balancing the children and digimon on her back.
Taichi scoured the are ground with his mini-scope, "Nothing...but there's a forest coming up."
Takeru looked down at the sight below, "Hey, isn't that where we came from?" Patamon fluttered on thetiny blonde's head.
Their leader nodded. The place where everything fell apart. Friends turned into enemies, where doubts were born, where everyone left to find their own paths.
The Forest of Delusion.
Yamato's eyes widened at the horror before him.
Shards of metal and glass sprinkled to the ground. Gold and blue pieces lost their shine before the sun. Only the string intact. His Crest of Friendship, destroyed, by the hand of his friend.
Eyes flooded with tears, his symbol of the one thing he wanted, gone. "Why...how could you......"
"We really should get going. We need to get to Primary Village if we don't want to miss the reunion." LadyDevimon softly touched the werewolf's shoulder.
Silently nodding, WereGarurumon bent down and reached out to Yamato. But the blonde refused. With shakey motions, Yamato stood up before the wolf, "Don't...touch me."
WereGarurumon flinched by the words.
"I trusted you...and you do this?....." His blue eyes were slanted, fists clenched. Without a warning, Yamato jumped at the werewolf, pounding his fists over and over against the furry chest. "How could you?! My crest! My trust! ME!!" He ignored the pain from his cuts and bruises, his anger blocked it all.
The stiff, blue wolf too in the beating, the fists doing no damage to him physically. But the emotion behind them was tearing him apart. Not wanting his friend to hurt himself in the venting of his anger, his giant hands gripped the boy's writs, but took care in not to hurt him anymore, "Don't make this any harder Matt."
Yamato tried to pulled away as hard as he could, but an Ultimate digimon was one of the strongest and he was just a human boy. "Let...go! Let go!!" Ignoring his demands, WereGarurumon lifted him in his arms, as a mother would hold her baby. "Put me down!" The boy continued his flurry of punches, a couple landing on the wolf's nose. The pain from his wounds completely faded, his new energy fueled by the cold, yet satisfying feeling coarsing through his veins. "Put me down or I'll--"
"Sleep." LadyDevimon waved her black hand over the child's face; the boy's violent movements faded, arms falling in loose strands at his sides. She lifted her hand and the blue eyes were sealed behind heavy eyelids. "He's a fiesty one."
WereGarurumon smiled, "Since the day I met him."
"And it seems he'll be even more so."
The wolf blinked, "What are you talking about?"
"Don't you smell it? The sweet aroma, those spectacularly coloured fruit plants? Your friend landed on the nectar." She pointed to Yamato's soaked clothes. "He's covered by it, and certainly infected with those cuts."
Sniffing the pleasantly scented air, he too came to the same conclusion, "Then, it is that toxin I thought it was." He looked down at the small boy in his arms, sound asleep. The purple nectar dripped from his cuts and clothes, "Oh, no."
"Don't worry. If he's kept a close watch, he should be fine. Come, Piedmon is waiting."
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Jyou followed Gomamon, trusting the digimon's hearing and memory as guides. "Maybe you heard wrong."
"Gomamon didn't bother to turn to him, "I heard what I heard coming from this direction. You're not trying to chiken out are you?" The furry seal suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Who, me?!" Jyou pertended to take offence, but he was a bit scared, actually, a lot scared. He didn't notice Gomamon stopping right in front and almost tripped over him, "Hey! I could've fallen and crached my head open of wor--"
"Shh!" His green eyes scanned behind Jyou, readying to digivolve.
A thicket started to shake with high pitched sounds eminating from it. Before the two could make a decision of fight or flight, shrieks of a familiar voice made them sigh with relief, "Jyou--? Gomamo---n?" Then the owners of the voices emerged from the throny bush.
"Mimi?! Palmon?!" Jyou almost fell backwards from the shock, "What are you two doing here? I thought I told you to keep going!"
"We couldn't just leave you guys alone with all the danger lurking about. Besides," Mimi said, "we told the others to go to Spiral Mountain and wait for us there."
Palmon was busy plucking out the thorns from the thicket off of Mimi's tangled dress, "Besides, Piedmon's a Mega and you can't handle him by yourselves."
"Shh! You guys! Look!" Gomamon stared at the sky above them. The others followed his gaze to a large, black blob in the sky, as if it was carrying something.
Palmon gasped, "Is that...WereGarurumon?"
"What is that thing carrying him?" Mimi took a step behind her partner.
Jyou started to walk the opposite direction the dark figure flew. "We should know what happened if we go this way right?" The small group slowly nodded and followed their leader.
"Sora!" Birdramon called out. They were flying over the forest, hoping to find life. "Sora! Look over there!" She made a pecking motion in the direction of a dark, flying figure. Sora caught it immediately and tugged on Taichi's shirt for attention.
Their leader quickly aimed his mini-scope to the mystery figure, and gasped at what he saw. "It's...LadyDevimon... And she's carrying..WereGarurumon? And...Matt!!"
Takeru's eyes widened the instant he heard his brother's name, "Matt?! Is he all right?!" Hikari had to hold on to him, making sure he wouldn't fall off from his celebration of relief.
"...I don't know..." Taichi saw something unusual in the image. Yamato was lying still, and WereGarurumon didn't struggle from LadyDevimon either...unless it meant they were unconscious. What does it mean?
"Tai! Down there!" Sora pointed to a clearing below. Four figures, specks moved across the clearing, and stopped in the middle.
Again, Taichi saw through his mini-scope and breathed a sigh of relief for as last, some good news, "It's Jyou and the others!" But his mind kept wandering to Yamato and the woman carrying him and WereGarurumon. "Izzy, go with Tentomon and get the others. Follow us as soon as you can."
Koushiro had a doubtful look, "But shouldn't all of us go together? We can't seperate again if we san't to..." Taichi didn't answer but the boy genius could tell he was thinking of the blonde figure floating away. They may fight until the break each other, but they were friends. Even Koushiro couldn't equate why that was, but glad it existed anyways. "Tentomon." He didn't need to say anymore, Tentomon digivolved to Kabuterimon immediately. "Don't do anything rash Tai." Koushiro jumped onto hte giant insect and headed down for the reunion.
"Alright Birdramon," Taichi's voice became tense and rigid, "follow them, but make sure we're undetected." Birdramon made a sharp turn and slowly glided on the wind.
"Primary Village. How long has it been since I was a hatchling?" Piedmon towered over the new In-Fresh digimon before him. With a snap of his fingers, the three glowed in bright lights, slowly growing in size. Being a wizard-type digimon can be so handy
The three digimon continued to grow, power eminating from each one. The light started to fade, revealing three familiar sillouhettes. When the light completely disappated, laughter echoed from the two, while the smallest remained silent.
"Well, aren't you going to thank me for speeding you digivolving process?" Piedmon stood with crossed arms.
"You know how much I hate giving, 'gratitude'." Devimon growled.
"Emperor Piedmon, been a long time." Myotismon nodded his head.
"Lord Piedmon." Wizardmon bowed before him.
Piedmon smiled at his old fighting partners, "Welcome back, my Nightmare Soldiers."
Did I confuse anyone (not because of spelling and grammer mistakes>_<)? The good thing about this part? Wizardmon is back!!! YAAAY!! There was too little of him on the show and he was one of the most sweet and loyal digimon too. And LadyDevimon and Piedmon seems different from the show don't they? I thought I could bring out their (some-what) softer nature, giving them attributes that can make people doubt if they're truley evil. And for some reason, I see LadyDevimon as a mother figure...weird, no? This part also came out a bit short, but I think it came out ok. Was it bad? Have I lost my writer's touch from not writing fics for a while? I think I did... I need some inspiration...
On a completely different topic (but kinda related), I'm sure a lot of you reading have websites. Well, I made a digimon one, and since there are A LOT of them out there, how do you increase visitors to your own site? I've linked to other digimon sites, joined webrings, and even linked it to my profiles page at FF.net (hinthint^^) and mentioned it in one of my fics. But it's really hard to spread the word. Anyone with suggestions , leave it in the reviews(LOTS OF THANX TO THOSE WHO DO!). Why I ask? Well, my big passion is to draw besides writing, and simply put, I want to know how good they are from people. Of course being a digimon site, they are digimon fanart. Sorry about this being here, but it's my first website and I want to get good at it, and I hope to be an comic artist or animator, anything doing with drawing as a profession so criticism will help me improve.
Any reviews, about the fic or helping me with the site, will be greatly appreciated. And thank you very much for your continuing support of my writing.