Light's Last Hope

Light's Last Hope

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

Theoleung@sprint.ca

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

The sun slowly rose, brining light in the unguarded areas of the Kamiya residence. Shastina lay on the couch, still unconscious from the effects of Darkness Blast. The other four remaining fourth generation Digi-Destined stayed at the Kamiya residence for the night as well, trying to re-think a strategy to defeat Drowsmon with.

However, the planning proved futile, as no one could think of a way to get past Drowsmon AE Field.

Kari Kamiya yawned softly, exiting her room and checking up on the other Digi-Destined staying at her house. Most were sprawled across the floor, as were their Digimon.

"Well…at all four of them are still here…" Kari thought, turning towards the bathroom before the thought struck her. "Four?!" She instantly turned back around, trying to figure out who was missing. It didn't take long to figure out Tao was the absent member.

* * * * * *

"Wasn't it Tiberius who said you shouldn't be going out on one man crusades?" Harriermon asked his partner, flying by his side. Tao remained quite, hiking through the woods. He awoke early and headed towards the Digital World, ready to settle the score without any help.

"Come on Tao…pull yourself together…" Tao thought. "She's counting on you…"

"Tao…we aren't going to be able to defeat Drowsmon ourselves…" Harriermon tried to reason, still hanging by his side.

"If you don't want to come, fine," Tao told his Digimon. "I'll just go alone then."

"You know I can't let you go alone…" Harriermon pleaded.

"Then don't complain," Tao responded bitterly. Harriermon sighed, flying up ahead to scout out the area. It was at this point that Tao stopped walking, sighing, and recollecting his thoughts just before he left.

"Shastina…" he spoke her name softly, placing his hand onto his Digivice.

* * * * * *

The sun was hardly over the horizon when Tao awoke from his slumber within the Kamiya residence. He knew he wouldn't sleep long, knowing full well the responsibility he had for Shastina.

The teenage boy slowly rose, making sure not to awake any of the other Digi-Destined in the apartment. He walked over to Shastina and sat on the couch beside her. Tao then gazed outside, seeing Harriermon perched on the railing on the balcony. The Digimon looked back, waiting, knowing Tao's next decision for them.

"Shas…I'm sorry I did this to you…" he whispered into the unconscious girl's ear. "I promise I'll bring you back…" he spoke, though not believing his own words. Tao wasn't sure how else to end this.

The Digi-Destined of Hope and Love kissed Shastina on the forehead lightly, before getting up and heading the balcony so he and Harriermon could begin their quest.

* * * * * *

"Yeah Shas…I promised I would bring you back," Tao repeated to himself, replaying the memory again. "Even if it kills me…"

The boy continued his journey, catching up with Harriermon who was hovering in awe over the next portion of their quest.

"This can't be real…" Harriermon spoke.

"If Drowsmon is in there, I'm going in there too," Tao told his Digimon companion, beginning a slow trek down the steep hill.

Before the two lay a desolate wastelands. Dark clouds hovered over the barren lands, lacking any sort of life or purity. The land was dry and cracking, with almost nothing for unknown amounts of waste.

According to the map on Tao's Digivice, the land was known as the 'Gateway of Death'.

"What a nice name," Tao commented sarcastically, hanging onto little twigs or small trees that littered the out perimeter of the bowels of this land, or maybe even a crater.

"Sort of gives you a feeling of impending doom, doesn't it?" Harriermon remarked, flying down the slope by Tao's side.

"Tis be a nice thought," Tao answered in the same sarcastic tone. "Death will be for Drowsmon if he's down here." Harriermon nodded his agreement, diving down to examine the area while Tao made his way slowly down.

* * * * * *

"We need to begin search patterns all across the Digital World," Marc told his other Digi-Destined companions. Tiberius nodded in agreement, but knew the hopelessness of the situation.

"Marc…Tao could be anywhere in the Digital World by now…" K.H. spoke. "To search the entire Digital World in one day would be impossible."

"So what do you suggest we do?!" Marc protested angrily. K.H. fell silent, looking away and back towards the couch. "I don't see you with any better suggestions!"

"I say you should have faith in Tao," Kari spoke softly, walking towards the trio. "He might have gone alone…but his determination to succeed will keep him going. Drowsmon is wrong with his dwindling determination. If anything, this action proves how determined Tao is to succeed."

"And how idiotic it is to fight someone he can't even harm," Marc muttered loudly. He took his Digivice.

"Have faith…that's all I say…" Kari spoke. Marc shook his head, beckoning for Xemon to come.

"I'm going in to search for him. Since Crysdramon can fly, I can cover a lot of ground," Marc told his companions. He opened a Digital Portal and went in, leaving the two fourth generation Digi-Destined behind.

"So what do we do?" K.H. asked his companion.

"Go search with him," Tiberius answered. "I'll e-mail him, see if I can get a response. I'll also download the map onto Tai's computer and see if I can pick up his signal from here." K.H. nodded, calling for Kinoumon and opening his own Digital Portal.

"Good luck," K.H. told Tiberius, before hopping into the portal. Tiberius sighed, getting his Digivice and heading to the computer.

"You should all have faith in him…" Kari thought, but deciding to help Tiberius with the search.

* * * * * *

Tao held onto Haeromon as the two soared across the wasted plains. The land stretched out for what seemed like an endless amount. Tao couldn't even see the land they came from behind them anymore.

"Welcome to the limbo of death…." Tao muttered softly, the wind blowing fiercely against his body. For as far as he could see, it was all the same.

"It's a nice ring, isn't it?" Haeromon told his partner, definitely in a sarcastic tone. His rider was silent, hanging onto the Digimon with one hand, and for some strange reason, decided to check his e-mail with the other.

Tao

Don't go out on this one man crusade. We need something better then just rushing in blindly if we're going to defeat Drowsmon.

~Tiberius

"Sorry Tibbs, can't do that," Tao spoke softly, unheard with the howling wind drowning out his soft tone. "Shas is counting on me, and if I go back now…everything will be lost…" Tao silently closed his Digivice with his single open hand and clipped it to his pocket. "I'm sorry…team…but this is something I got to do alone now…"

* * * * * *

Marc rode on Crysdramon's beck, keeping an eye on his Digivice for Tao's signal. Crysdramon flew far and fast, keeping an eye out for Tao or his Digimon. Forest stood in mass numbers under them, making it nearly impossible to see anything underneath the thicket.

"Marc, it's impossible to see anything under there," the Dragon told his partner and companion.

"Keep flying," Marc advised. "If Tao shows up on my Digivice, I'll warn you." Crysdramon nodded, increasing his speed and diving low, but just above the tree line, just incase he could see Tao and Harriermon underneath the mass of trees.

"This is a big world…we might not be able to find him before it's too late," Crysdramon commented.

"Don't give up!" Marc told his Digimon. "Tao is still determined to save Shastina, even if his heart can't say so," Marc added the last part softly. "We should have an equal amount of determination to find him!"

"If you say so!" the dragon spoke. He increased his speed, motivated by the short speech.

* * * * * *

"So…you've come…" Drowsmon told Tao. The Digimon kept his sword in his sheath. He stood twenty paces away from Tao and his Digimon. "What brought you to me?"

"Just call it luck…" Tao remarked bitterly. "Or maybe it was fate. It is hard to say." Drowsmon gave a short laugh.

"You're hatred in me has not abated," he spoke calmly. "Nor has the despair surrounding your heart subsided either."

"However…" Drowsmon added, turning his back towards Tao. "You have followed me all the way to this desolate wastes." He turned back to face the Digi-Destined.

"Your determination is admirable," he spoke. "But even you must admit you can not harm me without your Crest of Hope."

"I'll find way…just you watch…" Tao told Drowsmon, softly, but loud enough to be heard. Now Drowsmon really did chuckle.

"We will see young Digi-Destined…we will see…"

* * * * * *

"Anything?" Tai asked, leaning over Tiberius' shoulder to check out the map. Kari stood behind her brother, also watching the boy work on the computer.

"Nothing yet…" Tiberius answered, doing a sector by sector search of the Digital World. "Even if we had all of us searching, it is still a big world. We'll be lucky if we can even pick up his trail." Kari slowly stepped towards the computer, examining a full screen version of the map.

"Any ideas?" Tai questioned next, looking left and right on the map. All green squares marked off areas K.H. explored while Red ones represented Marc's areas. All brown areas were those scanned by Tiberius. Maps were updated on all Digivices regularly.

"None," Tiberius responded, saddened. "We just have to hope we can get lucky and find him before he seriously gets hurt out there." Kari stepped closer, her gaze falling onto one of the sectors far away from any of the search patterns.

"What sector is that?" she asked, pointing towards the screen. Tiberius traced her finger to the sector, and zoomed in on it.

"The 'Gateway of Death'?" Tiberius spoke, giving a short laugh. "Corny name…" he commented, but the picture changed his opinion. "But a name well suited for this wasteland."

"Do you think he is there?" Tai spoke. Tiberius shrugged, beginning a scan of the sector.

"There's only one way to find out, right?" Tiberius asked rhetorically. Kari clasped her hands together, knowing, for some unknown reason, Tao would be there.

* * * * * *

There was silence between Tao, Haeromon, and Drowsmon for what seemed like an eternity. There was a short staring contest between the three, with no one moving what so ever.

"Are we just going to stay like this?" Drowsmon asked. "Or is there a point behind your visit?"

"I want you dead…" Tao remarked.

"Go ahead then…try and take my life," Drowsmon offered. Tao gritted his teeth, knowing full neither he nor his Digimon had the ability to harm their foe, let alone defeat him. "See, you know you can't," Drowsmon told the boy. Tao burst with anger, rushing forward and forcing his fist into Drowsmon's cheek. The Digimon recoiled back, slowly turning back to face the Human who hit him.

"Fist fight?" he asked, grinning. He pressed the palm of his hand into Tao's stomach, attacking him with a Darkness Blast.

Tao yelled out in pain, flying backwards from the blast. Haeromon quickly caught the Digi-Destined in his wings, setting him back down slowly. The boy gripped the spot where the attack hit, pain shooting up his system for a short moment on contact.

"Didn't we agree to a fist fight?" Tao asked, smirking lightly and slowly heading back towards the opposing Digimon. "Or are you just afraid that without your AE Field, you can't win?"

"I can kill you if and when I felt like it," Drowsmon countered.

"Then why don't you?!" Tao screamed out, slightly frustrated.

"I keep my word," he answered lightly. "Either you or Light will die, but I cannot allow both to die."

"Well, then, you're either going to have to find a way to lose me, and I guarantee you won't lose me, or you're going to have to kill me!" Tao grinned, his anger somehow turning into a strange sense of insanity.

"You…have a strange sense of logic there…" Drowsmon commented, staggering with the right words. "Just…why are you so persistent?" The question stopped Tao. Not even had thought about that yet, and scared him what he was becoming just to stop one Digimon.

"Shastina…she saved my life…" he spoke softly, looking for the correct words to state his point. "She willingly sacrificed herself so I could live."

"I knew…you were after me…She knew that too…and she knew she could die if she intervened…Yet…she did…"

Tao chuckled softly. "I guess that's why she has the Crest of Light…"

"She cares for others beyond her own…she's a Light to protect others…even if it means the Light would be extinguished…"

"She went as far…as to protect me…" Tears started to form in Tao's eyes, blurring his vision.

"I…feel the need to repay the favour…even…if it means my life is to be extinguished by this…"

Drowsmon regarded the saddened boy, looking up and down his features yet again.

"He could possibly hold the other half…" he thought, seeing the purity…and Light…behind the boy's words. "I guess it is time for me to embrace the void too."

"Take my life!" Tao cried out, dropping to his knees. "Let it be known…I can not escape my own fate…"

* * * * * *

"I don't get it…the scan is going so slowly…" Tiberius told Tai. "I knew there was background radiation to partially block my scans in this sector, but I wasn't expecting so much!"

"Can't you punch through it?" Tai offered. Tiberius shook his head, trying harder.

Kari wasn't really listening, she stared at where Shastina lay from her position inside the doorframe. The girl's Digivice lay on the table beside her, Tigramon watching vigilantly over her partner's condition.

Kari gasped, surprised at Shastina's Digivice. The device was bathed in an aura of white energy. Slowly, the Crest of Light emerged from her Digivice, dancing in the air for a few seconds, before racing off, out the window and towards the horizon.

* * * * * *

Tao slowly tilted his up towards the sky, white aura splashing down. The Crest of Light was slowly descending into the battlefield, a light in the middle of death and destruction. He slowly rose to his feet, wiping the tears from his eyes and focusing onto the light.

"Yes…the Crest of Light has found its other half…" Drowsmon whispered, with hidden happiness, yet, at the same time, he was saddened, knowing full well his time was near.

The Crest entered Tao's Digivice, registering as the right half of the Crest of Light. Tao slowly unclipped his Digivice from his pocket, now with a third Crest under his possession.

"Light…choose me?" he asked himself, turning back to face Haeromon. The giant bird Digimon nodded, knowing full well what the two needed to do.

Tao slowly walked towards Haeromon, lifting the Digivice and pointing it towards Haeromon.

"For Shastina…" Tao spoke, only heard by the ears of the bird Digimon. The Digivice burst with energy.

"Haeromon…Digivolve to…"

Bright light surrounded Haeromon, his form getting thinner and taller, the wings moving, and changing. The light was molded into a completely different image, one like a bird…and at the same time…one of a Human.

"Celeaglemon!"

The light dwindled, revealing another Digimon in his entire splendor. He wore silver vest with two silver wristbands and a pair of silver boots. A red band was tied around his left arm. A large sword in a sheath was strapped to his back. His wings were truly unbelievable. A mixture of two…the shape of those of an eagle, yet…the feathers were composed of those from an Angel. His blond hair blew in the barren wind that flustered across the land. The sapphire eyes of the Digimon glanced at Tao, before turning to face Drowsmon.

"And so begins my final few minutes…" Drowsmon thought, smiling lightly. He drew his weapon. "So long…the Digital World doesn't need me anymore…"

Drowsmon let out a battle cry, rushing forward, sword ready to smite Celeaglemon. In one quick and fluent move, the angel/eagle hybrid drew his own weapon, a broadsword needing two hands to wield.

Both blades clashed, the 'clang' of impacting weapon echoing throughout the wastes. The two warriors examined each other eye-to-eye, before cracking the locked blades and continuing fighting with unseen speed and grace. Blades locked on and detached in blurs. Tao was unable to keep up with the brilliant display of swordplay until both Digimon pushed each other away.

"SONIC SWORD!"

The green blast of energy erupted from Drowsmon's weapon, heading directly towards Celeaglemon.

"CELESTIAL CHARGE!"

The angel/eagle hybrid countered, attacking back with his own blast of Holy energy that shattered the Sonic Sword. Drowsmon quickly lifted his blade, hoping to absorb the blast, which it did, but the Digimon also lost his weapon in the process. The force of the attack knocked the blade out of his hands, and leaving him momentarily stunned.

"Give up," Celeaglemon offered, lowering his weapon.

"Never!" Drowsmon protested, raising his right arm.

"DARKNESS BLAST!"

The unholy/gravity attack sprinted towards the angel/eagle, leaving very few seconds to respond.

"ANGEL EAGLE!"

Holy energy formed in Celeaglemon's left arm, shaped like an eagle. The attack rocketed forward, impacting against the Darkness Blast. Both attacks were locked onto each other, neither surpassing each other, and neither gaining an advantage over each other. The two Digimon concentrated on increasing the power of the attack.

It wasn't until Tao placed Drowsmon blade against the original owner's neck did the Digimon begin to experience true fear.

"Give up now…" he told Drowsmon, who still remained concentration on the attack, and knew if he broke it, he would die right then and there. "Break the Darkness Blast on Shastina, and you can go free."

"One of the original Digimon to defend the Digital World deserves to live," he reasoned. Drowsmon grinned, knowing full well death was upon him.

"I can't escape it…" he whispered, loud enough for Tao to hear. "The Darkness Blast will annihilate me too…but…it's time to die…"

"DARKNESS BLAST!"

Celeaglemon's eyes went wide, knowing that Drowsmon was going to unleash a fully powered attack. He had no time to fly both of them out…there was only milliseconds before they would all die.

"CELESTIAL…"

Black energy blasted outwards, ensnaring the trio in a dome of dark energy, before it stretched outwards, destroying all life that it consumed.

* * * * * *

"What the?!" Tiberius thought. He picked up Tao's signal for a brief moment in that sector, before it died again. Quickly, he wrote and e-mail, telling the other two Digi-Destined to meet him at that sector.

"What happened?!" Tai asked, anxious for results. Tiberius shook his head, called for Lepumon, and was about to leave if it wasn't for a loud shouting from the interior of the apartment.

"Oh my God!!" Tigramon screamed out. "She's awake!!!"

* * * * * *

Marc and K.H. exchanged glances, wondering when Tiberius would arrive. The two reached the 'Gateway of Death', a bit afraid of the name, but needed to brave the lands. The two continued to walk down the wastes, which somehow seemed more defeated then before. The two Humans and Digimon cried out Tao and Harriermon's name, hoping to get a response. Slowly, the party split into four, ready to cover more ground.

It was Xemon who made a startling discovery.

"Over here!" he yelled to the others. The other three broke into a sprint, racing towards Xemon's location.

The place where he stood, were the tattered remains of Tao's vest.

Fin

Completed: 01/08/00