Digimon: The Year of Reckoning
Chapter 22
"A Race Against Time"
Narrated by Brandon and Faith
Faith
At Darkmon's castle…
Darkmon had thrown me in a dungeon. I had tried various ways of escape. All of which failed. Things seemed hopeless. I just had to wait and pray that Brandon and the others would rescue me. But it didn't inspire much confidence.
A hologram had appeared last night. It was of Genevra. She said that she wasn't strong enough to enter the castle in person, so the best she could do was hologram. She didn't want to scare me, but she wanted to make sure I understood all of the consequences of being the key. Didn't want to scare me? Nice try.
She told me about the rest of the prophecy and all about the ritual itself. Darkmon had to draw my blood. Once it began to run the gate between the two worlds would disappear and all Hell would break loose. And it wouldn't stop until the last drop of blood had left my body. In other words…I was going to die. Even if the others got here, the only way to ensure that the gate would never be opened would be to kill me. I was doomed.
"Excuse me my dear, but it's time."
Darkmon was smiling at me through the barred door. He opened the door and offered me his hand. Like I would touch him.
"Can't blame a guy for trying."
"Just stop with the good guy act. My brother and friends are gonna save me and then they'll kick your ass."
I spat in his face.
"Wicked brat! Enough with the theatrics. The ritual will begin in an hour. And once I get what I want you will be dead. And then I'll kill all your little friends. In fact I might keep you alive until I kill your brother."
I tried to slip under his arm and run, but he grabbed me and whacked me over the head with the other. I was out cold.
"Foolish bitch."
Brandon
"We're here. You guys ready?"
No one spoke. They were all scared. So was I. But I was determined to rescue Faith. I would never be able to live with my self if she died.
"Maybe we shouldn't."
"What are you talking about JT?!" I yelled.
He stumbled back. I guess I scared him.
"Back off Brandon!" Nick defended.
"I'm sorry."
"It's just that I don't think we're ready. We should try to find the other medallions. There's no reason to barge in there without a chance of winning. We could all end up dying. And all for one person's life."
I felt like he had just punched me in the gut.
"One person's life? You think this is just about one person's life? Have you not been paying attention to this whole prophecy thing? If Faith dies, we all die. As long as her blood is running, us and everyone in the world is in danger."
"I didn't think about that."
"Obviously."
"Brandon?" Mya asked. "I hate to even say this. But I'm just gonna say it. I think the only way to protect us and the world, as well as the digital world, is…to kill Faith."
As soon as the words had left her mouth I could tell she regretted it. I knew she was right. It was the only way. But I was hoping to find another one. And the fact that she had suggested it made me lose all respect for her. I thought she cared about me and my feelings. I thought she liked me, loved me even, but she actually told me to kill my own sister.
"If anyone, and I mean anyone, gets near Faith…I'll kill them," I warned.
Mya was at the verge of tears, but I didn't have time for it.
"We have less than an hour. Let's go. Talonmon, blast open the door."
"Talon Crusher!"
He made a huge hole in the door. He dedigivolved and we all walked through. Darkmon's castle was like a prison compound. Many jail cells lined the wall filled with digimon. I walked to one of them and spotted a Meramon.
"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked.
"I'm Brandon. We're the digidestined. We've come to save my sister Faith from Darkmon."
"Thank goodness. I thought you were another evil digimon. You have to save your sister. I heard from Ogremon, Darkmon's henchmen, that she's the key. If he performs the ritual the digital world will be destroyed."
"We're working on it. Why are you locked up?"
"Darkmon catches digimon and then puts them in here until he needs them."
"Needs them for what?"
"He…when he gets…hungry, he…eats us."
"EW! Darkmon eats digimon!"
"Yes. Just the other day he had a Kiwimon, original recipe."
"Look, we'll get you out of here."
"Brandon, I talked to a locked up Gekomon. Darkmon plans to eat them. We have to save them," Nick said.
"I know. But we're running out of time. So…you and Mya stay here and help. I'll take JT and we'll look for Faith."
"Okay."
I started to walk away but Nick stopped me.
"Take care of him, okay?"
"You can count on me. I know what it's like to worry about a younger sibling. I'll protect him."
"Thanks pal."
"Crustmon digivolve to…Lobstremon!"
"Catermon medallion digivolve to…Quillmon! Quills of sincerity!"
"Come on JT," I said.
The two of us went on to the next room, the digimon's attacks growing fainter. We emerged in a long hallway, which led to a circular room with computers lining the wall.
"This must be the control room. Look at that screen. It shows where we are. He's been watching us this whole time," I figured.
"It's a good thing he's not in here to know that we're in his castle."
"But I'll be sure to tell him."
I turned to see Ogremon heading out the door.
"Thunder Horn!"
He froze in place being electrocuted.
"Beta Slugger!"
A hit to the head knocked him to the floor. I walked over to him and pulled out my sword. I flipped him over and pointed it at his neck.
"Where's Faith?"
"I…I…"
"Tell me!" I yelled kicking him in the thigh.
"Darkmon's performing…the ritual."
"Already?"
"He's preparing for it…only a little longer."
"Where. Are. They."
"He…he took her up to the roof. That's where the ritual must take place."
"Thanks. Now we're gonna leave and go to the roof. And you are gonna stay on the ground, and don't move until we are gone. Got it?"
"Yes."
I pulled my sword away. As soon as I did it he swiped his leg across the floor hitting my ankle and knocking me to the ground. My sword sliced my arm before clattering away.
"Ow!"
"Brandon!"
JT brandished his bow and aimed.
"Pummel Whack!"
JT was knocked against a wall, crashing the glass on a computer screen. Sparks flew everywhere as he fell to the floor, his back bleeding through a shredded shirt. He screamed and cried.
"I'll help!"
"Betamon digivolve to…Seadramon!"
The large serpent filled the room. There wasn't enough room to move. I crawled towards JT and hoisted him on my back. With all the strength I could muster, I crept to the door where I made it out just as Seadramon filled the room with ice. Betamon walked out of the room.
"Ogremon's cooled off."
"JT's not looking to good. His backs a mess. He's lost a lot of blood."
"Should I go get Nick?" Spikemon asked.
"No. He'll kill me. Look, JT should be okay."
At that moment a herd of digimon barreled towards us.
"I guess Nick and Mya finished the job."
One of them was a Monzaemon. As the others passed, he stopped.
"What happened to him?"
"He was cut pretty badly. I don't know if he'll make it."
"I can help. Happy Hearts!"
JT was surrounded by a pink heart bubble. When the bubble popped, his back was healed and he seemed fine.
"Thank you so much," I said.
He nodded and went after the other digimon. Nick and Mya walked up to us with Lobstremon and Quillmon in tow.
"Faith's on the roof. That's where the ritual takes place. We don't have much time," I informed.
"What are we waiting for?" Mya said.
"WAIT!"
It was the Gekomon that Nick had talked to. He had something in his hands. It looked like four…medallions!
"I found these. I heard Darkmon talking about finding them a few days ago. I knew where he had them hidden and I figured they could help you save your sister."
"Thanks," we all said.
One medallion floated to each of us. Mine was baby blue with a winged, standing dragon on it. Nick's was black and deep green with an insect on it. Mya had a pink one with a cat. And JT's was orange with a t-rex carved into it.
"Alright JT, we have the medallions. Now are you ready to go save Faith?"
"I guess we're as prepared as possible. Let's do it."
With Lobstremon in front crashing through bolted doors and Quillmon protecting the back we made our way up towards the roof.
It was a long walk that gave me plenty of time to think. I was still planning on keeping Faith alive. I couldn't let her die. If anyone touched her I would kill them. But also in the back of my mind was a little voice that told me that I should kill Faith myself. I blocked it out.
"This door leads to the roof," Lobstremon said. "Once through there's no turning back."
"We're ready," everyone said emotionless.
With a slam of his claw the door blasted open and we were on top of the castle. It already looked like night time up here, but a large clock at the top of one of the castle's towers assured us we still had about twenty minutes.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Darkmon asked.
I saw him in the center on a raised platform. Behind him strapped to two poles was my sister. My baby sister Faith.
"You're just in time for the festivities."
"We're shutting you down Darkmon. You won't be performing the ritual tonight. Or ever again."
"I'm shaking in my boots. Servants, take care of these buffoons."
We were surrounded on all sides by digimon. I noticed right off Phantomon of course. Then there was a Raremon, Roachmon, some Flymon, a defrosted Ogremon, Mojamon, Okuwamon, and Shellmon.
"This could get ugly," Nick said.
"Our best bet is to go to ultimate," Mya suggested.
"Good idea. Digimon, go!"
"Spikemon digivolve to…Rhinomon!"
"Rhinomon digivolve to…Triceramon!"
"Lobstremon digivolve to…Pearlmon!"
"Catermon digivolve to…Buttramon!"
"Buttramon digivolve to…MetalButtramon!"
"Betamon digivolve to…Seadramon!"
"Seadramon digivolve to…MegaSeadramon!"
"You guys hold off the lackeys. I'll go get Faith."
"Brandon you can't fight with Darkmon by yourself," Mya argued.
"It's just something I've got to do. Now go."
Triceramon and I ran at Darkmon as the others opened fire on the evil digimon.
"Tri Horn Attack!"
Darkmon stopped the attacks in thin air and shot them back at me. I prepared to block with my sword…but then I realized I didn't have a sword. Damn! I had left it in the control room. I braced for impact but Triceramon jumped in front of me taking the blow head on. He changed back to Spikemon.
"I failed you Brandon," he whimpered.
"No buddy, you saved my life. You showed true courage and friendship."
As soon as I had said the words my new medallion erupted with light. The light swallowed Spikemon.
"Spikemon medallion digivolve to…X-Spikemon! Dragon of courage and friendship!"
X-Spikemon had grown and was standing on hind legs, just like the digimon on the medallion. His horn grew and he sprouted metal wings.
"I'm ready to shine the light on you Darkmon!"
He charged him. Leaping into the air and coming down with a kick in Darkmon's chest. He faltered. X-Spikemon took this time to grab one of the chains holding Faith and snapped it in half like a twig. He was going for the other one when Darkmon tackled him.
"You'll never save the girl!"
While they battled it out, I went for Faith.
"Faith, I'm so glad you're okay."
"Brandon, I knew you'd save me. You're the best brother in the world."
"Thanks, but we don't have time. I have to get you out of these chains."
"Why don't you use your sword?"
"I would if I could, but I can't. I left it behind."
"Shadow Beam!
I was hit! But not by the beam. X-Spikemon had taken the hit and flew through the air knocking into me.
"Brandon!" Faith screamed.
Darkmon was advancing on her. I glanced at the big clock. It was two till. He was getting ready to kill her.
"X-Blast!"
Darkmon was knocked away again.
Meanwhile the others were getting beat bad. Their digimon were rookies again and the evil digimon were surrounding them. Another attack from Darkmon sent X-Spikemon crashing to the ground. All seemed lost.
The clock struck. The familiar chimes rang. And I knew it was all over. The only way was to kill Faith right now. But how could I kill my own sister. I was lost in my own thoughts. I crept backwards, dazed, against a tower wall. My mind was blank. I was in shock.
Then time stopped. No one moved. I awoke from my stupor when twelve balls of light flew from the sky and surrounded me. The balls spun around and soon became twelve faces. I recognized them as the original digidestined, Tai, Matt, Sora, Mimi, Izzy, Joe, TK, Kari, Davis, Ken, Yolei, and Cody.
"What the…?"
"We are the original digidestined," they all said in unison. "We can see that you and your friends are in trouble. If Darkmon draws blood from the key, you are all doomed. You must protect the key."
"I tried. We all did. But it's impossible now. We've lost."
"No. We sent the key to you knowing that you were the one person who could protect it."
"You sent it to me."
"Yes. When we first erected the gate a key was formed to allow certain people to pass through the gate. The digidestined. We knew that you were the next generation of digidestined. And we knew that you were the one person that could protect the key. So we implanted it in someone very dear to you, knowing that you would never let it get into the wrong hands."
"So it's your fault all of this is happening? Why would you do this to me? You've ruined my life!"
"You hold the power to change that. You must protect the key. You alone can protect it. That's why we sent it to you in the form of a…"
"Sister, yeah I know."
"Sister? No, we sent it to you in the form of a…lover."
What does all this mean? How will everything turn out? Who will live? And who will die? Find out in the two-chapter conclusion of Digimon: The Year of Reckoning.