After a very long delay, and having a very nice time in Edmonton I have
finally finished Chapter 49. Yes this one took me over two weeks, but trust
me it's worth it, I have to say this is probably my longest and biggest
Chapter yet, and I'm very excited about getting it posted, so I'm just
going to shut up and let you read it, but of course before I do I have to
say very quickly I don't own Digimon.
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Chapter 49: The Regrouping
The two Mega Digimon didn't move for the longest time, they just stood there staring each other down, just waiting for the other to attack. The stand off only lasted about ten minutes, but I think to all four of us it seemed like hours. The truth was I had seen this fight coming for a long time, ever since I first found out Emily had kidnapped Kris I'd expected this fight to occur, even back then when my Digimon could only reach her Champion state, and didn't have much of a chance against Ladydevimon I wished for it. Even with only Kiwimon I wanted to show her she couldn't mess with the guy I love, even if we weren't together at the time.
Even when she returned I, when there was a slight chance that she could join the side of good I still knew she couldn't be trusted, I knew that this fight was going to occur. I knew she couldn't be trusted, though I had to admit I was a little disappointed I was right. As much as I wanted to show her up for what she'd done I'd rather not go through this fight.
The standoff was finally broken as Eaglemon attacked throwing one of her golden wings forward. It was her main weapon; each feather was like a golden dagger. However Blackmagnadramon was too fast and dodged the bladed wing, Eaglemon merely attacked again with her other wing and it crashed down onto the crown taking a big chunk out of the pavement below as Blackmagnadramon merely moved out of the way. Eaglemon attacked again throwing her wing at the giant cat Digimon again, who only dodged for a third time. Eaglemon didn't stop attacking she kept attacking throwing her razor sharp wings repeatedly, but each time Blackmagnadramon using her quick speed only dodged the fury of bladed wings flying at her.
I clenched my fists; this wasn't going anywhere we were doing exactly what Emily said we shouldn't be, relying on power alone. I had to come up with another strategy then just attacking and throwing all our power into the attacks. Like Emily was doing Eaglemon couldn't keep attacking like that much longer she was wearing herself down and when she tired out Blackmagnadramon could easily just stop dodging and then attack when Eaglemon was tired out. If only I could somehow reverse the position, then we –
My brain suddenly clicked, I didn't need to reverse positions I already had the advantage I just hadn't realized it yet, and apparently neither had Emily or else she would have ordered Blackmagnadramon to attack.
Actually I could already see it happening. Blackmagnadramon was beginning to tire, each time Eaglemon swung her wing at her, the wing would come closer and closer. Blackmagnadramon was a cat she was built for quick attack, she didn't have any endurance to keep dodging like that, and Eaglemon knew that, that's why she kept attacking.
It wasn't long until finally one of Eaglemon's wings connected with the side of Blackmagnadramon's face, then another hit, then another, Eaglemon hit for a fourth and final time by head butting Emily's Digimon sending her sprawling and crashing into a building.
"I guess we just proved which one of us is tougher Emily," I said.
Emily's expression didn't change she continued to smile evilly.
"What you think just because she's knocked down once that she's down for good," she laughed.
With that Blackmagnadramon quickly got up. I guess I should have known that they wouldn't have given up so easily.
"Now Blackmagnadramon!" Emily yelled. "No more toying with your prey! Attack!"
Eaglemon didn't even have time to react to the next attack. In one quick movement Blackmagnadramon's long tail snapped forward and wrapped around Eaglemon's legs sweeping her off her feet then tossing the large bird Digimon aside. She skimmed along the pavement creating a very large gutter in the street as she did.
"Finish it!" Emily ordered.
"Black tornado!" Blackmagnadramon yelled firing a tornado composed of black flames from her mouth, aimed straight at Eaglemon. Eaglemon reacted quickly, jumping to her feet, and then crossed her wings in front of her acting like a shield against the black flames that rained down upon her.
"Don't stop attacking!" Emily ordered. "Keep throwing those flames on her!"
Blackmagnadramon obeyed and continued to pour on the powerful black flames.
"Cross wing!" Eaglemon yelled as her wings formed her attack, which began to slowly push away Blackmagnadramon's.
Eaglemon then quickly spread her massive wings tossing her attack at full force. It didn't stop Blackmagnadramon's attack, but it did change its trajectory allowing Eaglemon to escape it. She quickly took flight, not all that high; she only flew a few feet above the ground, but it was enough so she moved faster than she would if she'd been walking.
As my Digimon got closer Blackmagnadramon stopped firing her attack and lunged at the eagle Digimon diving at her.
The pounce ended Eaglemon's dive immediately pinning her to the ground.
"Eaglemon!" I yelled as my Digimon was pushed to the ground.
Blackmagnadramon's massive jaw opened wide and lunged at Eaglemon's face, but Eaglemon quickly stopped the deadly teeth by grabbing her upper and lower jaw – each with one hand, and began struggling to hold he deadly teeth away from her head.
I was desperately fighting the urge to run up to my Digimon and help her she was helpless! I hated seeing her like this! But I knew if I tried to help I'd just make things worse, it's not like my own physical strength was going to help.
I soon discovered Eaglemon didn't need my help, I'd forgotten that her wings were still free.
Eaglemon first planted her feet firmly on the ground flared pushed up and then flared her wings. She was now air born!
Blackmagnadramon soon broke away; she wasn't going to gain much headway that way now that they were in the air. Soon an aerial battle broke out. Blackmagnadramon diving at Eaglemon and attempting to use her deadly teeth, which I didn't doubt could do some serious damage to even the strong golden armor that covered Eaglemon. Meanwhile Eaglemon would take a swing with her wing, her talons or her clawed hands. Neither of them were winning the battle, they rarely hit each other and when they did it didn't do enough damage to matter much. It was a total stalemate.
"Blackmagnadramon!" Emily yelled. "I thought I told you to stop toying with your prey! I understand you're a cat and it's your nature, but just finish her already!"
"Yes Empress!" Blackmagnadramon said. "Black tornado!"
Blackmagnadramon once again launched her attack. This time she did it too quickly for Eaglemon to defend and she took the massive attack right in the chest, sending her crashing into the ground.
"Now!" Emily yelled.
Blackmagnadramon broke into a dive baring her teeth and extending her equally deadly claws.
"Cross wing!" Eaglemon yelled firing her own attack, which Blackmagnadramon was totally unprepared for and made direct contact in the chest, just like she had done to Eaglemon, and she too crashed into the ground.
In an instant both Digimon were back on their feet once more, and immediately engaging in battle.
Blackmagnadramon jumped up on her hind legs diving at Eaglemon with her front claws fully extended. Eaglemon quickly caught them in his own hands and the two Mega Digimon found them leaning against each other attempting to overpower one another, once again caught in a seemingly unbreakable stalemate. They continued to push upon one another, again none of them gaining any headway.
My mind was racing now; this stalemate wasn't going to break anytime soon, despite that Emily thought that Blackmagnadramon was just toying with Eaglemon.
It was obvious that she wasn't, both of them were giving it their all, I had to think of some sort of a way to break the stalemate, it was better than just sitting here and watching.
I started to think; now I knew this battle was completely different than any of the others we'd had before. We'd fought Emily before, but each time before this we were either getting our asses kicked while her Ultimate beat our Champions, or we were kicking her ass while Kris's Mega beat her Ultimate, never before had our forces been equal. Though we had fought battles when the power was equal just never against a Digidestined like Emily each time the force we were fighting the source of the power was what we were fighting. This time was different, this time Emily was the source of the power, and she was separate from the power itself. I could actually do something! Emily was the source of Blackmagnadramon's power, if I took out Emily the fight would be won. I didn't just have to stand here, and watch this time. I could actually help; I could probably beat her too! Physically I was pretty strong, in our group the only one that was stronger than me was Dan, I mean I even out muscled Tai a while back, and he's two years older than me!
I guess it was up to me to take out the source of our enemy's power and break the ongoing stalemate. I broke into a run charging at the Digimon Empress, I smiled she was too busy with the battle going on with the Digimon to realize that I was attacking. I made a grab for her arms in an intention to pin them to her back and then trap her. Unfortunately she must have seen me coming, before I even realized she had moved her elbow met my stomach. I almost doubled over from the hit, I guess I should have noted that Emily would probably be pretty tough herself.
I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my back along with the sudden crack of a whip followed by a foot kicking my spine pushing me to the ground. It didn't stop; I continued to feel the pressure of Emily's foot on my back as she pushed down on my back.
"You really need to work on your stealth," she said. "I saw you coming a mile away."
"Jenn!" Eaglemon yelled in concern.
Unfortunately for my Digimon that had given Blackmagnadramon a distraction and she was able to overpower her pushing her to the ground. Then with a flick of her tail Eaglemon was thrown aside and crashed into a nearby building.
"Black Tornado!" Emily's Digimon yelled firing her powerful attack right into my Digimon's stomach, and was helpless to resist. The attack didn't stop, it only continue to pour on to Eaglemon while she screamed in pain.
I desperately struggled to get him, maybe do something – anything – to help, but Emily had me pressed against the ground too tightly, I wasn't going to move.
Finally after bombarding Eaglemon with her attack for so long Blackmagnadramon finally stopped, no sooner than she did than Eaglemon dedigivolved back to Penguinmon and fell hard onto the ground.
Emily took her foot off my back placed it on my side then with one swift kick sent my battered body rolling right next to Blackmagnadramon's paw.
"Blackmagnadramon, it's over for her I want you to finish this now."
"Yes Empress," Blackmagnadramon said raising her paw and placing it lightly on top of me.
"Stop dragging it out!" Emily yelled. "Just crush her already!"
Blackmagnadramon only nodded this time and I began to feel pressure as she brought her paw down.
"Cerulean Storm!"
"Retrieve Bark!"
Suddenly Labramon and Bluenamon's attacks crashed onto Blackmagnadramon's side. Of course they were only rookie attack so they didn't do a thing.
Soon Labramon, Bluenamon, Crystal and Angela ran onto the scene, charging at Emily.
"No!" I yelled. "She's too strong for you get away."
"Blackmagnadramon take care of them," Emily said.
Once again Blackmagnadramon merely flicked her tail and the four her easily tossed aside, and I began to feel pressure on me again as Blackmagnadramon began to bring down her paw.
The pain was unbearable; I didn't think I'd ever screamed so loud.
"Jenn," I heard Penguinmon groan.
I didn't hear much after that, all I could feel was that paw crushing me, and the unbearable pain.
My last thoughts…were of Kris I could almost hear his voice calling my name…getting fainter…and fainter…
* * *
Rob
"Why did she do it?" I asked myself leaning back against a tree and looking up at the now night sky. "I – I just don't get it."
Sean sighed. "She did it because she's evil! Just like Diaboromon, just like Evamon, just like everyone else we've ever fought."
"No she's not!" I yelled. "She was evil! She's changed she's not like that anymore!"
"Oh right," Roy said. "And that's why she tried to kill all of us."
"Rob you have to put your feelings for her aside so you can realize what she's really like. All this time you thought she was on our side she was just biding her time and waiting for the right time to attack, and now is the perfect time we're separated all she has to do is pick us off one by one now."
"Then why didn't she pick us off?" I asked. "She had the perfect opportunity to kill all of us but she didn't take it, when we were fighting before she would never abandon an opportunity like that. It only proves she's changed."
"Who knows, Emily isn't always predictable. Look Rob normally you're very perceptive, but now you can't seem to see the obvious, I don't know why how you've managed to fall in love with Emily but it's blocking your sense of reality."
"I -" I began to say, but stopped myself.
I was going to deny what he had just said, but stopped myself as I realized that there wouldn't be any point. Sean was pretty young but he was also very smart there wouldn't be any point in denying it. He knew it was true…hell I knew it was true, I did love her, but that's not why I still refused to admit that she was evil I knew she had changed, I don't know what it was it was just this feeling.
"And now we're stuck her in Brazil with no crests, and no ride, and even if one of our Digimon could fly none of them could fly half as fast as Armyleomon it would take us hours to get to Italy were Emily is heading. She really had this planned out."
"Come on there's got to be something we can do," Travis, said. "We just go to the airport and fly there, it'll cost a bit but I mean this is kind of important."
"We?" Tapirmon said.
"What you don't think we should help?" Roy's Lopmon said.
"He's right," Sean said. "We're the elite Digidestined, we've fought Emily before not to mention enemies much stronger than her. No offense but you have no idea what you're getting into this is our fight not ours."
"Plea, as far as we're all concerned you're just like us now," Roy said. "You've lost your crests, your Digimon can only reach their Champion state. You might as well just take us along, you'll need the extra hand."
I laughed. "They've got a point."
Sean grunted. "It doesn't matter anyway, there's nothing we can do, Emily is probably already there, and Kris and Jenn's Digimon can both reach their Mega states, they shouldn't have much problem dealing with her."
"And if she steals their crests like they did to you guys?" Gotsumon asked.
"Then like the rest of us, they're in big trouble." Sean said. "I hate this all we can do is -"
Sean was suddenly cut off in mid sentence as a giant lion with wings came crashing through the forest stopping not too far in front of us. I probably didn't have to mention it was Armyleomon's commercial mode.
The dome on his back and ramp extended immediately, and within the dome was Kris, Dan, Gizamon, Janine, Otamamon, Will, Dokunemon, Andrew, Demidevimon, as well as four other Digidestined I didn't know and a few other Digimon, three rookies and one Champion, who had to duck to avoid hitting his head on the dome. Apparently the Digidestined that we had met weren't the only ones that wanted to help.
"Let's go now!" Kris yelled. "I assume your friends want to go like all the others, it's fine with me let's go let's go!" He spoke really fast; it was definitely obvious that he was in a hurry.
"What's going on?" Sean asked. "How come you're not in Italy? What's going on?"
"I'll explain it on the way!" Kris yelled still talking very fast. "Right now let's just go!"
We didn't bother to ask again, he wanted us aboard and he wasn't going to tell us anything until we obeyed, and all of us climbed up the ramp into the dome, which immediately closed, and Armyleomon took off into the air breaking off into his full speed.
"Okay now that we're moving, mind telling us why we're inside a giant cat going god knows where?" Roy asked.
"Travis, Roy," I said. "This is one of our teammates Kris, he was one of the ones in Italy where Emily was heading."
"Speaking of which," Sean said. "Why the hell aren't you there right now?"
"Great," Dan said. "We're not going to have to listen to this story again are we?"
"We assume you had a run in with Emily?" Gotsumon asked.
Kris nodded. "To make it quick, she attacked us took my crest, so Jenn and Eaglemon were forced to face her alone. We agreed that the best thing to do was for me to get the rest of your and we'd all fight together, I really didn't expect to get this much help." He indicated the six extra Digidestined we had taken with us. "By the way, guys these are Kenneth, Shawn, John, and Tim."
"Oh and these are, Roy and Travis," I said. "And not that I'm trying to be rude by changing the subject all of a sudden, but I don't think Sean and I are going to be much help -"
"Yeah I know," Kris said. "We saw that Emily had your crests, by the way what happened? Did anything major happen to make her change?"
Sean answered immediately. "Nope, she just attacked for no reason, aside from the fact that she was probably planning it the whole time."
Kris's head dropped. "I was afraid of that, looks like we don't have much of a choice anymore."
"Much of a choice for what?" I asked, though I knew the answer.
"We have to destroy her, I don't really want to admit it, but Sean is right. She was probably planning this the whole time; I mean this is a perfect time for her to attack. She's been given a second change, and she's blown it, she can't be trusted anymore, she turned on us once she'll just do it again if we give her another chance. I was wrong she hasn't changed."
"I'm sorry about this," Andrew said. "She really seemed to have changed she didn't have that same look in her eye that she did while she was the Digimon Empress, sure she was a little bitter at times, but that's just the way she is, I really thought she had changed. Oh God…I can't believe we have to do this."
"It's okay Andrew – actually I'd understand if you wanted to stay out of this fight." Kris said.
"No – it's okay, I'm part of the team, and – I know – you're right. I don't want to do this, but we have to," Andrew wiped away a tear. "For the good of the world…. right?"
"Stop it!" I yelled. "Why are you talking like this? What makes you think we have to kill her?!"
"I don't like having to do it either," Kris said. "She's one of our own, it's going to be hard, but we have to do it because all the reasons I just said. I was wrong she hasn't changed."
"Yes she has!" I yelled. "I know this sounds crazy, Sean has said that to me enough, but I know that she's still good. She has changed! When she was the Digimon Empress I hated her, I hated her as much as the rest of you did, and I was glad to see her gone. Then she came back and from the second I saw her I felt – okay I'm just going to say it! I had feelings for her, I just saw her as Emily and not the Digimon Empress and it stirred up these feelings for her feelings I didn't have when she was the Digimon Empress. Now that she's come back I still have those feelings they didn't go away when Emily did, and if those feelings haven't gone away then I know the good in her hasn't gone away either."
"No offense Rob, but I think we need to go on more than just your feelings," Will said. "I don't know what Emily's done in the past, but I know that she should be treated just like all our other enemies, we can't show any mercy just because she's human."
"True," Kris said. "But I think I'm going to take what Rob said into consideration. He has the crest of perception for a reason."
"I'd hate to interrupt," Armyleomon said. "But we're nearing Rome, I'm slowing down there we should arrive at Eaglemon and Blackmagnadramon's battle any second now."
"Wow," Kenneth said. "This really is faster than the airlines."
"And without the lousy food," Kenneth's Digimon said who I identified as a Snowagumon.
Armyleomon soon broke out of his speed, and the outside of the dome was no longer a blur. The buildings of Rome now surrounded us, several of them had badly damaged. We all gasped as we all noticed that a weakened Penguinmon was at the foot of one of the buildings, desperately crawling towards something.
"No!" Kris yelled, he was looking in the direction where Penguinmon was crawling. "Armyleomon move NOW!"
"Already on it," Armyleomon said.
I looked in the direction where Kris and Armyleomon had been looking, and quickly saw why Kris had reacted the way he did.
"No…." I said softly as I saw Jenn being crushed under Blackmagnadramon's paw. While Emily merely stood not too far away laughing. "Emily…why are you doing this…you're not a bad person. I know you're not."
Armyleomon's engines powered up he didn't go full speed but he was going fast enough to knock Blackmagnadramon away. Armyleomon quickly landed opened his dome and extended his ramp.
"Okay quick!" Armyleomon said. "Everyone out."
Kris didn't even need to be told he was down the ramp before any of us could even stand up. We didn't move as fast as him but it wasn't long before all of us were out of the dome and Armyleomon voluntarily dedigivolved back into Elecmon.
"Jenn!" Kris yelled cradling Jenn's limp body in his arms. "Jenn!"
"Uh Kris," Andrew said. "You might want to hurry this up, Armyleomon didn't do much but surprise Blackmagnadramon and she's getting up."
Andrew was right, actually Blackmagnadramon was already up, and beginning to move towards us.
Kris only ignored Andrew's warning.
"Jenn please!" he yelled. "Please wake up! Jenn."
My eyes darted over to Penguinmon; she was still there, weakened – probably from a serious fight – but still alive, which meant that Jenn was.
"K – Kris," Jenn stuttered and her eyes slowly began to open. "You are here, I thought I was hearing things."
"Oh thank god your okay," Kris said hugging Jenn tightly.
Jenn laughed. "It takes more than an overgrown cat to beat me."
"Speaking of which!" Elecmon said. "That overgrown cat is coming right at us!"
Things were only getting worse; Blackmagnadramon was now charging right at us! And there was no time for any of the Digimon to Digivolve. However we were all surprised as Blackmagnadramon jumped right over us, then landed beside Emily, her tail flicked very quickly by her hand, I think I was the only one that noticed what had just happened.
"Um…Dan, Janine, Will, Andrew, Jenn." I said. "Have you noticed something missing?"
"Like what?" Dan asked.
Emily grinned as she held up your new positions in her hands. "These."
Dangling from her wrists were, the crests of Curiosity, Caution, Perseverance, Sacrifice, and Assistance.
"Looks like I've got the whole set," she said grinning evilly.
"How?" Dan asked.
"The tail is quicker than the eye," Blackmagnadramon said. "I snatched them from around your neck with my tail as I jumped over your heads."
"I guess this ends it now." Emily said. "Unless you feel you want to fight a pointless fight."
"We'll fight to the death!" Kris yelled.
"I'm hurt," Penguinmon said as she staggered up to the rest of us. "But I still have enough energy to Digivolve to Kiwimon."
"Penguinmon -" Jenn said.
"Don't try and stop me," Penguinmon said. "It's pointless."
Jenn laughed and nodded giving her Digimon the go ahead.
"And you can count us in too," a girl with a Labramon said, an Italian Digidestined I guess. The rest of the international Digidestined seemed to feel the same way, and everyone readied his or her Digivice, old model or new model. They all began to glow…together.
"Elecmon Digivolved to…………………Leomon!"
"Penguinmon Digivolved to……………..Kiwimon!"
"Tapirmon Digivolved to………………..Apemon!"
"Gizamon Digivolved to………………...Coelamon!"
"Otamamon Digivolved to………………Starmon!"
"Demidevimon Digivolved to…………..Airdramon!"
"Dokunemon Digivolved to…………….Kuwagamon!"
"Labramon Digivolved to……………….Shisamon!"
"Bluenamon Digivolved to………………Youkomon!"
"Toyagumon Digivolved to………………Soulmon!"
"Snowagumon Digivolved to…………….Frigimon!"
"Goyomon Digivolved to………………...Gargoylemon!"
"Lopmon Digivolved to………………….Turueimon!"
"Lopmon Digivolved to………………….Blackgargomon!"
Fifteen Champion Digimon, all ready to fight. Even Kiwimon who had just gotten beat up seemed pumped to fight; Gotsumon was the only one who hadn't Digivolved, he'd probably intended to however I didn't allow my Digivice to activate.
"Rob," Gotsumon said. "You have to let me Digivolve and help them. They need all the help they can get against a Mega."
I shook my head. "No! I'm not going to let you fight…this is only provoking her to attack anymore we have to find another way to stop her, besides…even with you we wouldn't start a chance."
The Digimon all attacked together each firing their trademark attacks, which naturally Blackmagnadramon had no trouble with. She either allowed them to simply splash against her face, and some she actually bothered to dodge, none of them had the slightest effect on her.
Our Digimon attacked again, this time attempting physical attacks, but each time any of them even came close they would be easily hit away with her tail, claw or head. However this didn't seem to faze the Digimon they merely got back up and attacked again, some with their attacks and some with physical attacks, but it was to no avail each attack was either dodged, hit away, or didn't do anything, but despite that they just kept charging.
"How boring," Blackmagnadramon said who still hadn't moved since the barrage of attacks had started on her. "Black tornado!"
The massive plowed down on the Digimon, only Kuwagamon, Airdramon, Leomon, and Youkomon managed to get out of the way in time. The other Digimon had all taken the full blunt of the attack and had all returned to their rookie states (with the exception of a very weakened Devidramon) as the attack cleared, their partners immediately ran to their sides.
This wasn't going to work! We were doing exactly what Emily said we shouldn't be. Relying on power alone, the only reason she had managed to gain the advantage during the fight was because she hadn't relied on power. We should be trying to help her, not trying to destroy her, I know it didn't look like I was right about Emily but I still felt that something had happened to make her act like this. He was still good deep down, we just needed to reach her, and attacking her head on wasn't going to help any. I just wished the others would see my point.
Still, despite the fact that our numbers had been lowered down to four the Digimon still continued to attack, unfortunately Blackmagnadramon did too. She darted into the air her tail cracked like a whip, first hitting an already in flight Kuwagamon sending the insect Digimon crashing into the ground immediately Dedigivolving into Dokunemon. The tail snapped again this time hitting Youkomon sending the multi-tailed fox Digimon crashing into a building and then Dedigivolving into Bluenamon.
"Kris -" I began to say.
"I know!" he interrupted. "We need a knew strategy. Okay I doubt it'll work, but I'm desperate at the moment. We'll try out your theory, I'm going to try and talk to her."
"But I can -"
"I said I would talk to her!" Kris yelled cutting me off for a second time.
He walked forward until he was standing beside Leomon.
"Emily we don't need to do this." He said. "You're Digidestined like us. It doesn't matter where you got your powers, you're still one of us. Andrew joined us, there is no reason why you can't too. Please you still have a chance please don't do this."
"I'm really getting tired of your stupid speeches!" Emily yelled. "I've already told you, I don't care about being accepted into your little group! You're all so pathetic goody - goodies! Why would I want to be like you in the least! I'm better than all of you. I can't believe I actually fought along side you for even a second, I'm so glad I saw – the darkness."
"Emily!" Andrew yelled as he ran up next to Kris. "Please just listen to him, a while ago you told me how your life had gotten so much better since Mom came back. All our life we wished that mom would come back, and it's finally happened. You realize if you go through with this, you'll lose it all! Please, stop being the Digimon and Empress and just be my sister, do you really want to lose all that we've gained in the past month?"
"I don't care about that! I had all of it and nothing seemed to have changed. I don't care about that in the least, if I did I would be no different than you weaklings, and that's the last thing I want! The love and compassion of family are the tools of the weak. I yearn to control both worlds, and that sort of thing will only get in the way."
"It's not going to work," Leomon said.
"I can't say I'm not surprised," Kris said. "Unfortunately I was wrong, she's just like she was before some people just can't be reached."
"Emily please…." Andrew said. "I don't want to fight you…. but…"
"But what?" Emily asked. "You'll suddenly develop a backbone? You'll kill your little sister?"
Andrew wiped one final tear away from his face. "If I have to, I'm Digidestined and it's my duty to defend this world and destroy any evil force that threatens it! Even – even if that evil force is my own sister."
"How noble," Emily said. "It's a good thing that all this happened, if I had continued and joined this little group I would have ended up just like you – pathetic."
Did she just say? She did, I heard the three of her words echo in my mind: 'All this happened.' That could only mean that she hadn't been planning this during the whole World Tour incident. Something had happened to her to make her act this way, and I could see it, when she had left me today something must have happened to her to make her act this way…I just had to figure out what it was and maybe I could get the Emily that I cared about back.
"Blackmagnadramon, destroy them." Emily said.
"Gotsumon I have an idea," I said. "It's time for you to Digivolve."
"It's about time!"
"Gotsumon Digivolved to………………Monochromon!"
I couldn't waist a second, I knew Emily wouldn't, I quickly jumped onto my Digimon's back, no sooner I did than Blackmagnadramon attacked. There was no time for me to use my plan it all happened way to fast. The giant black feline attacked Leomon and Airdramon, Airdramon having the ability to fly was able to take to the sky and get out of the way in time, but Leomon didn't have that advantage, he tried to get out of the way but Blackmagnadramon's feline reflexes were much faster than his and Blackmagnadramon slammed into Leomon with his head sending the lion Digimon rolling away then dedigivolved back to Elecmon.
Meanwhile Airdramon had managed to get past Blackmagnadramon and chosen another opponent to attack, Emily pulled back his wings and broke into a dive straight at Emily.
"I don't think so," she said snapping her whip at Airdramon. Airdramon turned the attack to his advantage and caught the whip in his mouth and tossed it aside continuing his dive. Airdramon was inches away from ramming her when Blackmagnadramon's tail made contact with the air serpent Digimon, he dedigivolved on contact, and Demidevimon was thrown aside. I didn't think I'd ever seen Andrew move so fast as he jumped forward and caught his Digimon.
"Why did you do that?" Andrew said. "You could have gotten yourself killed."
"I can guarantee you that will happen very soon," Emily said. "I don't want to have to say this again Blackmagnadramon, take them out, just try to keep Kris in tact."
"Monochromon move now!" I ordered my Digimon. "Get between them."
He listened immediately, he probably thought I was insane for doing this; luckily he trusted my judgment enough to assume I knew what I was doing. Blackmagnadramon reacted just as quickly diving at the closest target, Andrew and Demidevimon. Fortunately Monochromon had been able to make it in time, and the two of us now found ourselves between Andrew, Demidevimon, and a charging Blackmagnadramon.
Emily's reaction was immediate. "Blackmagnadramon stop!" Her Digimon did just that, stopping less than a foot away from us.
Looks of shock could be seen on everyone's faces, the only one who hadn't been surprised at Emily's reaction was myself. She'd done the same thing in Brazil, I don't know what I'd done but for some reason she didn't seem to want to hurt me. I must have done something right when we were talking earlier.
"You didn't want me to get hurt," I said.
"Bullshit!" she yelled. "I don't care about you! I don't care about any of you! I just wanted this stupid voi-"
She had stopped in the middle of a word but it was obvious to all of us what that word was – well to me anyway.
"Voice?" I said as I slid off of Monochromon's back. "Emily I know this isn't the real you. Well maybe at one point it would have been the real you, but that was a long time ago, you're not like that anymore."
As I spoke I began walking past Blackmagnadramon. She didn't want to stop me, I'd actually suspected as much. Blackmagnadramon knew what I was trying to do, and she wanted me to do it, she wanted the old Emily back just as much as I did, maybe even more so, she would obey Emily if she told her to attack me, any Digimon partner would, but she wanted Emily back and would only stop this is Emily forced her to.
"Emily something happened to you didn't it? Something is making you act this way."
That statement had only made her madder she was about to say something but Demidevimon interrupted her.
"He's right," he said weakly. "When I attacked her – I could smell his scent on her – he's done something to her."
"Whose scent?" Andrew asked.
"Myotismon's!" Demidevimon yelled. "I don't know how he came back but he must be! He must be controlling her somehow, made her turn back to the way she was before, like Evamon did with Tai."
"Stop it!" Emily yelled. "I'm not that stupid bat's slave! I'm doing this completely on my own accord. I'm doing this because I'm better than you and I don't want to end up in meritocracy like the rest of you."
My eyes searched her wrists for a dark bracelet like Tai had when he attacked us, but found nothing; there wasn't anything like that anywhere on her body. Besides she was acting different than Tai had been, Tai had been acting like a slave to Evamon, just like all the Digimon that had been taken over by a Dark Prism, they swore allegiance to one person and were their total slave, but Emily wasn't acting like that I could see it, she wanted to rule both worlds, she wasn't going to just follow Myotismon she was going to be her own boss.
I continued to approach Emily into I was standing directly in front of her and said. "Yes you are doing this on your own, but still something is making you act this way. I've been told by the Japanese Digidestined how he works, he's very manipulative, but you can't listen to him Emily! He's convinced you that the only way for you to be happy is to destroy us and to follow the side of darkness, but he's lying you can be happy without darkness, you can be happy by being good, think about this past month, I know you were happy in this past month. You had a family, and I know it didn't seem like it because the team was reluctant to accept you but you had friends too, and I know that you liked it, trust me not only was I watching you, but I'm very perceptive."
"Shut up!" she screamed as I noticed a single tear stream down her face. It was working I was reaching her. "Just shut up!"
"Emily you were happy weren't you?" I said.
She still didn't say a word her face grew even angrier and she glared at me trying to hold back the tears.
"I know you don't want to admit it because of this tough girl act, but I know you were happy."
"Fine!" she screamed. "You want to know! Yes! I was happy, if that's what you want fine! It was the happiest month of my life! But I may have been happy but I still felt empty inside! I still felt like there was something missing, and I know now that the one thing I was missing was being the Digimon Empress, it was the only thing that made me feel whole."
I shook my head and softly said. "No, that wasn't it, to tell you the truth I don't know what was missing. I can't tell you that, it's something only you can find for yourself, but I do know for a fact that it wasn't following the path of darkness that made you feel that way, Myotismon just convinced you that was it."
I saw the expression on her face change, she looked slightly worried, and tears began flowing.
"No!" she yelled. "I would never have let that happen! I wouldn't let some flying rodent manipulate me like that; he merely made it clear, he only made it possible for me to become the Digimon Empress again. You said it yourself, your perceptive, and if you are you must have noticed some of my personality traits, I wouldn't let him change me like that! He may be manipulative, but I am too! I'd know if he was trying to manipulate me I would know if he was right or not. So what did he do to me to suddenly manipulate me like that?"
I wanted to say something to answer her question but my mind suddenly came up blank. That was true, Myotismon was manipulative, but Emily wasn't an idiot she could see through something like that, which would have stopped such an incredible change in her personality. She might have followed the side of darkness slightly but the change wouldn't have been so drastic, it wouldn't have happened so quickly to make her like this, she was ready to kill us, the Emily I'd come to care for in the past month wouldn't have changed that quickly, she was noticing my hesitation. Oh no all the headway I had just gained might just be lost.
Fortunately Demidevimon provided me with an answer.
"The Dark Spore!" he yelled jumping onto Andrew's shoulder. "Myotismon told me about it when I was working for him. It was a creation of his, he intended it to use it on one of the Japanese Digidestined, but was destroyed before getting a chance to use it! They amplify negative urges within its victim it amplifies any evil urges they have. It explains how Emily could have suddenly changed so fast."
He was right – I just wish I'd thought of that, of course I couldn't have I didn't know anything about the Dark Spore then, but now judging from what the Japanese Digidestined had told me about Myotismon and what I'd just found out about the Dark Spore everything suddenly made sense.
"No!" Emily yelled in total denial. "That's not it! I've just realized that I was destined for much more than you weaklings, and even if Myotismon did implant me with a Dark Spore I'm glad he did, I don't want to be that weakling I was for the last month, I like the way I am now1 I hate that feeling! I hate feeling empty!"
"Emily I know you don't want to be like this, it may seem like that right now but you don't, it's just the dark spore making you think you do. I know deep down that you want to come back to being the Emily I care so much for."
"Stop it!" she yelled taking a step back. "Just – just stop it."
It was working, I could tell that that she was beginning to believe what I was saying; the dark spore was just preventing me from getting through.
I stepped up closer to her, very close actually. I raised my hand and tenderly brushed my hand along her cheek pushing some hair out of her face.
"And I know that you felt empty inside, I don't know why you were, but I know it wasn't because you missed being the Digimon Empress, I know you didn't miss that. Don't ask me how but I could just tell that when you looked back upon those days you shuddered at what you had done, do you really want to be like that again." The look on her face had completely transformed, no longer any no longer evil looking, just a look of shock as tears rolled down her face. "I really care about you Emily, I meant those things I said to you earlier, and I promise if you let us give you another change I will do all that I can find out what was making you feel empty and fill that emptiness to the best of my ability."
Her look of shock remained, and she took a step back, the tears were flowing freely down her face now.
"Stop it!" she yelled as she shook her head, and suddenly collapsed to her knees. "Just stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" She grasped her head and continued to scream. "Aaaaah! So much is going on! I- I feel like my head's going to explode part of me wants Darkness part of it wants Light! I don't know what to do!"
"It's the spore," Demidevimon yelled. "Her body is rejecting it, of course being one of Myotismon's creation it's putting up a fight."
I knelt down and wrapped my arms around her. "It'll be okay Emily, just fight it! Your true self is trying to emerge, but the spore is trying to stop that from happening. You have to fight it, I know you can beat it Emily you're very tough! Do you want to be beaten by the equivalent of a baby mushroom?"
"Aaaaah!" she yelled grasping her head firmly, all I could to was hold her as tightly as possible, this was her battle not mine. Finally to my and her relief the screaming stop, the second it did her Digimon Empress outfit shattered just like a deleted Digimon.
I released her grip and looked her in the eyes, watching as a satisfied smile grew on her face.
"I did it," she said. "Emily's back."
But no sooner than those words escaped her mouth than she broke out in tears, melting into my arms and placing her head on my shoulder.
"Oh my god," she cried. "I can't believe it…I did it again, I was her – I was the Digimon Empress again – I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
I gently rubbed her back. "I know you are," I said. "I know you are."
Suddenly a light emerged from beneath her shirt, and she pulled away from my arms, and pulled her crest out from under it, which was now glowing, not the normal black light we'd seen before, but real light this time, the same light that our crests glowed. As it glowed the crest changed taking a new shape, just like Andrew's had.
"You don't need it, but you certainly have earned it." Baihumon's voice echoed throughout the area. "Your crest, the very appropriate, crest of Stubbornness."
Baihumon never did appear, and he never did speak again, he made that once sentence, and that was it.
"Well he's right about it being appropriate," Emily said.
"That's not all that came with the crest," an unfamiliar voice said.
All eyes darted to the direction of the voice, with all that had happened with Emily's crest none of us had even noticed a new arrival; actually it wasn't a new arrival.
She stood where Blackmagnadramon once stood, a large Digimon that looked a lot like Angewomon, except she was covered in blue and gold armor wielding a sword and a lance.
"I am Orphanimon," she said. "I am Blackgatomon's true Mega form when not influenced by the powers of Darkness."
"Incredible," Emily said looking at awe at the new Blackmagnadramon. "You're even better than Blackmagnadramon."
Emily's attention was quickly taken away from Orphanimon as she noticed the questionable looks she was getting from the others, she lowered her head sighed and slowly stepped closer to them.
"Look, I know you can never forgive me for what I've done," she began. "You gave me a second chance, and I betrayed your trust and I'd understand if you didn't want to give me a third chance."
Kris started to step closer to her to say something but Jenn stopped him as she placed a hand on his shoulder and stepped in front of him.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'll take this one." She slowly approached Emily, trying her best to look neutral but not doing a very good job of it. She still seemed to look a little bitter towards her. "Emily, this is hardest for me to say, since well you tried to steal my boyfriend at all – but I know it wasn't your fault, I should have listened to Kris and trusted you, I think I speak for all of us when I say we all pretty much thought you had planned this out from the beginning and were now turning on us like we all expected you to. But we were wrong, it wasn't your fault you were being manipulated, I guess it took the most perceptive of us all to realize that. Even Kris the most forgiving of all of us stopped believing in you, but we're sorry we did, and I don't know about the other, but I forgive you."
There was some hesitation, but eventually everyone gave a slight nod signifying they felt the same way.
"I hope you don't expect me to say something really mushy and sentimental," Emily said.
Jenn laughed. "You wouldn't deserve the crest of Stubbornness if you did, so no of course we wouldn't expect it."
"Good because I may be one of you now but that doesn't mean I'm going to become exactly like you."
"Really you disappoint me Emily," a voice said (there seemed to be a lot of mysterious voices today) as a fanged mouth appeared before Emily.
"What do you want!" Emily yelled stepping up to the fanged mouth, Myotismon I presume.
"The same thing Evamon wanted when he appeared before you when you failed him." Myotismon said. "You disappointed me Emily, and I don't like being disappointed."
"I don't give a damn what you like!" Emily yelled. "I'm tired of you! I don't need you anymore! I have a family! I have friends! Hell I even have a potential boyfriend! The Digimon Empress is dead and not even you can revive her."
"I have no intention of reviving her," he said as two energy beams began to form above his fanged mouth.
In an instant Orphanimon came between Myotismon and Emily. "You're not touching her Myotismon! And you're in a weakened state at the moment, I can tell you have no body, you have no chance of defeating me or even an Ultimate Digimon."
The giant mouth of Myotismon grinned. "Well you called my bluff, and yes you're right, I can't beat you, but you can't beat me either, and it's already too late for you to stop the construction of my body, I've got plans brewing in Japan as we speak for it's construction. I'll see you soon." Without another word the giant mouth disappeared.
"Do you think we should try and stop him?" Jenn asked. "You know head to Japan?"
Kris shook his head. "No, Baihumon said earlier that another threat would appear and our powers will not be needed, it is something that the Japanese Digidestined can handle on their own, and we have to let them. Our job is done now."
"So it's finally all over for us right?" Dan asked. "We're finished? The Digimon around the world are back home, and Emily's not evil anymore? We – we're actually done?"
Kris nodded. "I guess so, there's nothing left for us to do."
"Which brings up one more question," Dan said.
"And that would be?"
Dan sighed. "Can we go home now?"
* * *
I lay my back against a tree, sitting and looking up at a bright blue sky. It was winter but still it was a really sunny and warm day I was in the woods just outside the city limits, I was completely alone not even Gotsumon was with me, I needed some time to think a lot had happened in the past day. It had been two days since the incidents with the Digimon and Emily's attack. Things had settled down pretty quickly, we had brought the entire international Digidestined home, and then returned home ourselves just in time for Christmas morning, our parents had barely noticed that we were gone.
Unfortunately nothing had happened with Emily and I we returned home and I hadn't seen her since, maybe if it hadn't already been the hectic time of Christmas I would have but still nothing.
I sighed. "Man I wish she were here."
"Be careful what you wish for."
I head snapped in the direction of the voice, and saw Emily standing with her arms crossed leaning against a tree. She didn't stay that way for long, she approached me and sat next to me.
"You're not going to ask if this seat is taken?" I said.
"Well even if it was they're not getting it back."
I laughed nervously, which was followed by an awkward silence. It only lasted about a minute before I felt her hand an my cheek forcing me to face her, right before drawing me into an incredible kiss, I'm not sure how long it lasted but I don't think it lasted long enough.
As our lips separated I said. "W-Why did you do that?"
"Because an awkward pause is the perfect time to kiss."
"Yeah but -"
"Look I did it because it felt right okay," she said. "Also I'm sorry I said you were just trying to seduce me before, I realize now that you weren't, you were just trying to be nice, it's just that you were the first guy who was nice to me simply to be nice to me. It's a hard concept for me to get at first but now I do, there's also something else I figured out."
"What's that?" I asked.
"I figured out what was missing in my life."
"Really? What was it?"
She gave me a very sweet smile, not something I was used to seeing on her face. "Love."
"Well that's good," I said. "I'm sure you'll find a nice guy that'll fill that emptiness."
She smiled again. "I already have."
She placed her hand on the back of my head and drew me into an even deeper kiss than the last. Slowly we drew each other closer, and for the longest time just stayed there wrapped in each others arms, I never wanted this paradise to end.
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Can you believe it? I just posted Chapter 49! Which means there is only one more Chapter left! Just so you know I plan on posting the final Chapter and the Epilogue at the same time which of course means, only one more update until this entire fic is finished, I still find it hard to believe that I'm almost done. It's taken me almost a year to write this. Still…it's almost over, but that doesn't mean I'm abandoning this series, there is still the AU after this and maybe if you ask nicely more after that. Anyway I better go.
Stay tuned for the final update Chapter 50: A Million Points of Light
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Chapter 49: The Regrouping
The two Mega Digimon didn't move for the longest time, they just stood there staring each other down, just waiting for the other to attack. The stand off only lasted about ten minutes, but I think to all four of us it seemed like hours. The truth was I had seen this fight coming for a long time, ever since I first found out Emily had kidnapped Kris I'd expected this fight to occur, even back then when my Digimon could only reach her Champion state, and didn't have much of a chance against Ladydevimon I wished for it. Even with only Kiwimon I wanted to show her she couldn't mess with the guy I love, even if we weren't together at the time.
Even when she returned I, when there was a slight chance that she could join the side of good I still knew she couldn't be trusted, I knew that this fight was going to occur. I knew she couldn't be trusted, though I had to admit I was a little disappointed I was right. As much as I wanted to show her up for what she'd done I'd rather not go through this fight.
The standoff was finally broken as Eaglemon attacked throwing one of her golden wings forward. It was her main weapon; each feather was like a golden dagger. However Blackmagnadramon was too fast and dodged the bladed wing, Eaglemon merely attacked again with her other wing and it crashed down onto the crown taking a big chunk out of the pavement below as Blackmagnadramon merely moved out of the way. Eaglemon attacked again throwing her wing at the giant cat Digimon again, who only dodged for a third time. Eaglemon didn't stop attacking she kept attacking throwing her razor sharp wings repeatedly, but each time Blackmagnadramon using her quick speed only dodged the fury of bladed wings flying at her.
I clenched my fists; this wasn't going anywhere we were doing exactly what Emily said we shouldn't be, relying on power alone. I had to come up with another strategy then just attacking and throwing all our power into the attacks. Like Emily was doing Eaglemon couldn't keep attacking like that much longer she was wearing herself down and when she tired out Blackmagnadramon could easily just stop dodging and then attack when Eaglemon was tired out. If only I could somehow reverse the position, then we –
My brain suddenly clicked, I didn't need to reverse positions I already had the advantage I just hadn't realized it yet, and apparently neither had Emily or else she would have ordered Blackmagnadramon to attack.
Actually I could already see it happening. Blackmagnadramon was beginning to tire, each time Eaglemon swung her wing at her, the wing would come closer and closer. Blackmagnadramon was a cat she was built for quick attack, she didn't have any endurance to keep dodging like that, and Eaglemon knew that, that's why she kept attacking.
It wasn't long until finally one of Eaglemon's wings connected with the side of Blackmagnadramon's face, then another hit, then another, Eaglemon hit for a fourth and final time by head butting Emily's Digimon sending her sprawling and crashing into a building.
"I guess we just proved which one of us is tougher Emily," I said.
Emily's expression didn't change she continued to smile evilly.
"What you think just because she's knocked down once that she's down for good," she laughed.
With that Blackmagnadramon quickly got up. I guess I should have known that they wouldn't have given up so easily.
"Now Blackmagnadramon!" Emily yelled. "No more toying with your prey! Attack!"
Eaglemon didn't even have time to react to the next attack. In one quick movement Blackmagnadramon's long tail snapped forward and wrapped around Eaglemon's legs sweeping her off her feet then tossing the large bird Digimon aside. She skimmed along the pavement creating a very large gutter in the street as she did.
"Finish it!" Emily ordered.
"Black tornado!" Blackmagnadramon yelled firing a tornado composed of black flames from her mouth, aimed straight at Eaglemon. Eaglemon reacted quickly, jumping to her feet, and then crossed her wings in front of her acting like a shield against the black flames that rained down upon her.
"Don't stop attacking!" Emily ordered. "Keep throwing those flames on her!"
Blackmagnadramon obeyed and continued to pour on the powerful black flames.
"Cross wing!" Eaglemon yelled as her wings formed her attack, which began to slowly push away Blackmagnadramon's.
Eaglemon then quickly spread her massive wings tossing her attack at full force. It didn't stop Blackmagnadramon's attack, but it did change its trajectory allowing Eaglemon to escape it. She quickly took flight, not all that high; she only flew a few feet above the ground, but it was enough so she moved faster than she would if she'd been walking.
As my Digimon got closer Blackmagnadramon stopped firing her attack and lunged at the eagle Digimon diving at her.
The pounce ended Eaglemon's dive immediately pinning her to the ground.
"Eaglemon!" I yelled as my Digimon was pushed to the ground.
Blackmagnadramon's massive jaw opened wide and lunged at Eaglemon's face, but Eaglemon quickly stopped the deadly teeth by grabbing her upper and lower jaw – each with one hand, and began struggling to hold he deadly teeth away from her head.
I was desperately fighting the urge to run up to my Digimon and help her she was helpless! I hated seeing her like this! But I knew if I tried to help I'd just make things worse, it's not like my own physical strength was going to help.
I soon discovered Eaglemon didn't need my help, I'd forgotten that her wings were still free.
Eaglemon first planted her feet firmly on the ground flared pushed up and then flared her wings. She was now air born!
Blackmagnadramon soon broke away; she wasn't going to gain much headway that way now that they were in the air. Soon an aerial battle broke out. Blackmagnadramon diving at Eaglemon and attempting to use her deadly teeth, which I didn't doubt could do some serious damage to even the strong golden armor that covered Eaglemon. Meanwhile Eaglemon would take a swing with her wing, her talons or her clawed hands. Neither of them were winning the battle, they rarely hit each other and when they did it didn't do enough damage to matter much. It was a total stalemate.
"Blackmagnadramon!" Emily yelled. "I thought I told you to stop toying with your prey! I understand you're a cat and it's your nature, but just finish her already!"
"Yes Empress!" Blackmagnadramon said. "Black tornado!"
Blackmagnadramon once again launched her attack. This time she did it too quickly for Eaglemon to defend and she took the massive attack right in the chest, sending her crashing into the ground.
"Now!" Emily yelled.
Blackmagnadramon broke into a dive baring her teeth and extending her equally deadly claws.
"Cross wing!" Eaglemon yelled firing her own attack, which Blackmagnadramon was totally unprepared for and made direct contact in the chest, just like she had done to Eaglemon, and she too crashed into the ground.
In an instant both Digimon were back on their feet once more, and immediately engaging in battle.
Blackmagnadramon jumped up on her hind legs diving at Eaglemon with her front claws fully extended. Eaglemon quickly caught them in his own hands and the two Mega Digimon found them leaning against each other attempting to overpower one another, once again caught in a seemingly unbreakable stalemate. They continued to push upon one another, again none of them gaining any headway.
My mind was racing now; this stalemate wasn't going to break anytime soon, despite that Emily thought that Blackmagnadramon was just toying with Eaglemon.
It was obvious that she wasn't, both of them were giving it their all, I had to think of some sort of a way to break the stalemate, it was better than just sitting here and watching.
I started to think; now I knew this battle was completely different than any of the others we'd had before. We'd fought Emily before, but each time before this we were either getting our asses kicked while her Ultimate beat our Champions, or we were kicking her ass while Kris's Mega beat her Ultimate, never before had our forces been equal. Though we had fought battles when the power was equal just never against a Digidestined like Emily each time the force we were fighting the source of the power was what we were fighting. This time was different, this time Emily was the source of the power, and she was separate from the power itself. I could actually do something! Emily was the source of Blackmagnadramon's power, if I took out Emily the fight would be won. I didn't just have to stand here, and watch this time. I could actually help; I could probably beat her too! Physically I was pretty strong, in our group the only one that was stronger than me was Dan, I mean I even out muscled Tai a while back, and he's two years older than me!
I guess it was up to me to take out the source of our enemy's power and break the ongoing stalemate. I broke into a run charging at the Digimon Empress, I smiled she was too busy with the battle going on with the Digimon to realize that I was attacking. I made a grab for her arms in an intention to pin them to her back and then trap her. Unfortunately she must have seen me coming, before I even realized she had moved her elbow met my stomach. I almost doubled over from the hit, I guess I should have noted that Emily would probably be pretty tough herself.
I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my back along with the sudden crack of a whip followed by a foot kicking my spine pushing me to the ground. It didn't stop; I continued to feel the pressure of Emily's foot on my back as she pushed down on my back.
"You really need to work on your stealth," she said. "I saw you coming a mile away."
"Jenn!" Eaglemon yelled in concern.
Unfortunately for my Digimon that had given Blackmagnadramon a distraction and she was able to overpower her pushing her to the ground. Then with a flick of her tail Eaglemon was thrown aside and crashed into a nearby building.
"Black Tornado!" Emily's Digimon yelled firing her powerful attack right into my Digimon's stomach, and was helpless to resist. The attack didn't stop, it only continue to pour on to Eaglemon while she screamed in pain.
I desperately struggled to get him, maybe do something – anything – to help, but Emily had me pressed against the ground too tightly, I wasn't going to move.
Finally after bombarding Eaglemon with her attack for so long Blackmagnadramon finally stopped, no sooner than she did than Eaglemon dedigivolved back to Penguinmon and fell hard onto the ground.
Emily took her foot off my back placed it on my side then with one swift kick sent my battered body rolling right next to Blackmagnadramon's paw.
"Blackmagnadramon, it's over for her I want you to finish this now."
"Yes Empress," Blackmagnadramon said raising her paw and placing it lightly on top of me.
"Stop dragging it out!" Emily yelled. "Just crush her already!"
Blackmagnadramon only nodded this time and I began to feel pressure as she brought her paw down.
"Cerulean Storm!"
"Retrieve Bark!"
Suddenly Labramon and Bluenamon's attacks crashed onto Blackmagnadramon's side. Of course they were only rookie attack so they didn't do a thing.
Soon Labramon, Bluenamon, Crystal and Angela ran onto the scene, charging at Emily.
"No!" I yelled. "She's too strong for you get away."
"Blackmagnadramon take care of them," Emily said.
Once again Blackmagnadramon merely flicked her tail and the four her easily tossed aside, and I began to feel pressure on me again as Blackmagnadramon began to bring down her paw.
The pain was unbearable; I didn't think I'd ever screamed so loud.
"Jenn," I heard Penguinmon groan.
I didn't hear much after that, all I could feel was that paw crushing me, and the unbearable pain.
My last thoughts…were of Kris I could almost hear his voice calling my name…getting fainter…and fainter…
* * *
Rob
"Why did she do it?" I asked myself leaning back against a tree and looking up at the now night sky. "I – I just don't get it."
Sean sighed. "She did it because she's evil! Just like Diaboromon, just like Evamon, just like everyone else we've ever fought."
"No she's not!" I yelled. "She was evil! She's changed she's not like that anymore!"
"Oh right," Roy said. "And that's why she tried to kill all of us."
"Rob you have to put your feelings for her aside so you can realize what she's really like. All this time you thought she was on our side she was just biding her time and waiting for the right time to attack, and now is the perfect time we're separated all she has to do is pick us off one by one now."
"Then why didn't she pick us off?" I asked. "She had the perfect opportunity to kill all of us but she didn't take it, when we were fighting before she would never abandon an opportunity like that. It only proves she's changed."
"Who knows, Emily isn't always predictable. Look Rob normally you're very perceptive, but now you can't seem to see the obvious, I don't know why how you've managed to fall in love with Emily but it's blocking your sense of reality."
"I -" I began to say, but stopped myself.
I was going to deny what he had just said, but stopped myself as I realized that there wouldn't be any point. Sean was pretty young but he was also very smart there wouldn't be any point in denying it. He knew it was true…hell I knew it was true, I did love her, but that's not why I still refused to admit that she was evil I knew she had changed, I don't know what it was it was just this feeling.
"And now we're stuck her in Brazil with no crests, and no ride, and even if one of our Digimon could fly none of them could fly half as fast as Armyleomon it would take us hours to get to Italy were Emily is heading. She really had this planned out."
"Come on there's got to be something we can do," Travis, said. "We just go to the airport and fly there, it'll cost a bit but I mean this is kind of important."
"We?" Tapirmon said.
"What you don't think we should help?" Roy's Lopmon said.
"He's right," Sean said. "We're the elite Digidestined, we've fought Emily before not to mention enemies much stronger than her. No offense but you have no idea what you're getting into this is our fight not ours."
"Plea, as far as we're all concerned you're just like us now," Roy said. "You've lost your crests, your Digimon can only reach their Champion state. You might as well just take us along, you'll need the extra hand."
I laughed. "They've got a point."
Sean grunted. "It doesn't matter anyway, there's nothing we can do, Emily is probably already there, and Kris and Jenn's Digimon can both reach their Mega states, they shouldn't have much problem dealing with her."
"And if she steals their crests like they did to you guys?" Gotsumon asked.
"Then like the rest of us, they're in big trouble." Sean said. "I hate this all we can do is -"
Sean was suddenly cut off in mid sentence as a giant lion with wings came crashing through the forest stopping not too far in front of us. I probably didn't have to mention it was Armyleomon's commercial mode.
The dome on his back and ramp extended immediately, and within the dome was Kris, Dan, Gizamon, Janine, Otamamon, Will, Dokunemon, Andrew, Demidevimon, as well as four other Digidestined I didn't know and a few other Digimon, three rookies and one Champion, who had to duck to avoid hitting his head on the dome. Apparently the Digidestined that we had met weren't the only ones that wanted to help.
"Let's go now!" Kris yelled. "I assume your friends want to go like all the others, it's fine with me let's go let's go!" He spoke really fast; it was definitely obvious that he was in a hurry.
"What's going on?" Sean asked. "How come you're not in Italy? What's going on?"
"I'll explain it on the way!" Kris yelled still talking very fast. "Right now let's just go!"
We didn't bother to ask again, he wanted us aboard and he wasn't going to tell us anything until we obeyed, and all of us climbed up the ramp into the dome, which immediately closed, and Armyleomon took off into the air breaking off into his full speed.
"Okay now that we're moving, mind telling us why we're inside a giant cat going god knows where?" Roy asked.
"Travis, Roy," I said. "This is one of our teammates Kris, he was one of the ones in Italy where Emily was heading."
"Speaking of which," Sean said. "Why the hell aren't you there right now?"
"Great," Dan said. "We're not going to have to listen to this story again are we?"
"We assume you had a run in with Emily?" Gotsumon asked.
Kris nodded. "To make it quick, she attacked us took my crest, so Jenn and Eaglemon were forced to face her alone. We agreed that the best thing to do was for me to get the rest of your and we'd all fight together, I really didn't expect to get this much help." He indicated the six extra Digidestined we had taken with us. "By the way, guys these are Kenneth, Shawn, John, and Tim."
"Oh and these are, Roy and Travis," I said. "And not that I'm trying to be rude by changing the subject all of a sudden, but I don't think Sean and I are going to be much help -"
"Yeah I know," Kris said. "We saw that Emily had your crests, by the way what happened? Did anything major happen to make her change?"
Sean answered immediately. "Nope, she just attacked for no reason, aside from the fact that she was probably planning it the whole time."
Kris's head dropped. "I was afraid of that, looks like we don't have much of a choice anymore."
"Much of a choice for what?" I asked, though I knew the answer.
"We have to destroy her, I don't really want to admit it, but Sean is right. She was probably planning this the whole time; I mean this is a perfect time for her to attack. She's been given a second change, and she's blown it, she can't be trusted anymore, she turned on us once she'll just do it again if we give her another chance. I was wrong she hasn't changed."
"I'm sorry about this," Andrew said. "She really seemed to have changed she didn't have that same look in her eye that she did while she was the Digimon Empress, sure she was a little bitter at times, but that's just the way she is, I really thought she had changed. Oh God…I can't believe we have to do this."
"It's okay Andrew – actually I'd understand if you wanted to stay out of this fight." Kris said.
"No – it's okay, I'm part of the team, and – I know – you're right. I don't want to do this, but we have to," Andrew wiped away a tear. "For the good of the world…. right?"
"Stop it!" I yelled. "Why are you talking like this? What makes you think we have to kill her?!"
"I don't like having to do it either," Kris said. "She's one of our own, it's going to be hard, but we have to do it because all the reasons I just said. I was wrong she hasn't changed."
"Yes she has!" I yelled. "I know this sounds crazy, Sean has said that to me enough, but I know that she's still good. She has changed! When she was the Digimon Empress I hated her, I hated her as much as the rest of you did, and I was glad to see her gone. Then she came back and from the second I saw her I felt – okay I'm just going to say it! I had feelings for her, I just saw her as Emily and not the Digimon Empress and it stirred up these feelings for her feelings I didn't have when she was the Digimon Empress. Now that she's come back I still have those feelings they didn't go away when Emily did, and if those feelings haven't gone away then I know the good in her hasn't gone away either."
"No offense Rob, but I think we need to go on more than just your feelings," Will said. "I don't know what Emily's done in the past, but I know that she should be treated just like all our other enemies, we can't show any mercy just because she's human."
"True," Kris said. "But I think I'm going to take what Rob said into consideration. He has the crest of perception for a reason."
"I'd hate to interrupt," Armyleomon said. "But we're nearing Rome, I'm slowing down there we should arrive at Eaglemon and Blackmagnadramon's battle any second now."
"Wow," Kenneth said. "This really is faster than the airlines."
"And without the lousy food," Kenneth's Digimon said who I identified as a Snowagumon.
Armyleomon soon broke out of his speed, and the outside of the dome was no longer a blur. The buildings of Rome now surrounded us, several of them had badly damaged. We all gasped as we all noticed that a weakened Penguinmon was at the foot of one of the buildings, desperately crawling towards something.
"No!" Kris yelled, he was looking in the direction where Penguinmon was crawling. "Armyleomon move NOW!"
"Already on it," Armyleomon said.
I looked in the direction where Kris and Armyleomon had been looking, and quickly saw why Kris had reacted the way he did.
"No…." I said softly as I saw Jenn being crushed under Blackmagnadramon's paw. While Emily merely stood not too far away laughing. "Emily…why are you doing this…you're not a bad person. I know you're not."
Armyleomon's engines powered up he didn't go full speed but he was going fast enough to knock Blackmagnadramon away. Armyleomon quickly landed opened his dome and extended his ramp.
"Okay quick!" Armyleomon said. "Everyone out."
Kris didn't even need to be told he was down the ramp before any of us could even stand up. We didn't move as fast as him but it wasn't long before all of us were out of the dome and Armyleomon voluntarily dedigivolved back into Elecmon.
"Jenn!" Kris yelled cradling Jenn's limp body in his arms. "Jenn!"
"Uh Kris," Andrew said. "You might want to hurry this up, Armyleomon didn't do much but surprise Blackmagnadramon and she's getting up."
Andrew was right, actually Blackmagnadramon was already up, and beginning to move towards us.
Kris only ignored Andrew's warning.
"Jenn please!" he yelled. "Please wake up! Jenn."
My eyes darted over to Penguinmon; she was still there, weakened – probably from a serious fight – but still alive, which meant that Jenn was.
"K – Kris," Jenn stuttered and her eyes slowly began to open. "You are here, I thought I was hearing things."
"Oh thank god your okay," Kris said hugging Jenn tightly.
Jenn laughed. "It takes more than an overgrown cat to beat me."
"Speaking of which!" Elecmon said. "That overgrown cat is coming right at us!"
Things were only getting worse; Blackmagnadramon was now charging right at us! And there was no time for any of the Digimon to Digivolve. However we were all surprised as Blackmagnadramon jumped right over us, then landed beside Emily, her tail flicked very quickly by her hand, I think I was the only one that noticed what had just happened.
"Um…Dan, Janine, Will, Andrew, Jenn." I said. "Have you noticed something missing?"
"Like what?" Dan asked.
Emily grinned as she held up your new positions in her hands. "These."
Dangling from her wrists were, the crests of Curiosity, Caution, Perseverance, Sacrifice, and Assistance.
"Looks like I've got the whole set," she said grinning evilly.
"How?" Dan asked.
"The tail is quicker than the eye," Blackmagnadramon said. "I snatched them from around your neck with my tail as I jumped over your heads."
"I guess this ends it now." Emily said. "Unless you feel you want to fight a pointless fight."
"We'll fight to the death!" Kris yelled.
"I'm hurt," Penguinmon said as she staggered up to the rest of us. "But I still have enough energy to Digivolve to Kiwimon."
"Penguinmon -" Jenn said.
"Don't try and stop me," Penguinmon said. "It's pointless."
Jenn laughed and nodded giving her Digimon the go ahead.
"And you can count us in too," a girl with a Labramon said, an Italian Digidestined I guess. The rest of the international Digidestined seemed to feel the same way, and everyone readied his or her Digivice, old model or new model. They all began to glow…together.
"Elecmon Digivolved to…………………Leomon!"
"Penguinmon Digivolved to……………..Kiwimon!"
"Tapirmon Digivolved to………………..Apemon!"
"Gizamon Digivolved to………………...Coelamon!"
"Otamamon Digivolved to………………Starmon!"
"Demidevimon Digivolved to…………..Airdramon!"
"Dokunemon Digivolved to…………….Kuwagamon!"
"Labramon Digivolved to……………….Shisamon!"
"Bluenamon Digivolved to………………Youkomon!"
"Toyagumon Digivolved to………………Soulmon!"
"Snowagumon Digivolved to…………….Frigimon!"
"Goyomon Digivolved to………………...Gargoylemon!"
"Lopmon Digivolved to………………….Turueimon!"
"Lopmon Digivolved to………………….Blackgargomon!"
Fifteen Champion Digimon, all ready to fight. Even Kiwimon who had just gotten beat up seemed pumped to fight; Gotsumon was the only one who hadn't Digivolved, he'd probably intended to however I didn't allow my Digivice to activate.
"Rob," Gotsumon said. "You have to let me Digivolve and help them. They need all the help they can get against a Mega."
I shook my head. "No! I'm not going to let you fight…this is only provoking her to attack anymore we have to find another way to stop her, besides…even with you we wouldn't start a chance."
The Digimon all attacked together each firing their trademark attacks, which naturally Blackmagnadramon had no trouble with. She either allowed them to simply splash against her face, and some she actually bothered to dodge, none of them had the slightest effect on her.
Our Digimon attacked again, this time attempting physical attacks, but each time any of them even came close they would be easily hit away with her tail, claw or head. However this didn't seem to faze the Digimon they merely got back up and attacked again, some with their attacks and some with physical attacks, but it was to no avail each attack was either dodged, hit away, or didn't do anything, but despite that they just kept charging.
"How boring," Blackmagnadramon said who still hadn't moved since the barrage of attacks had started on her. "Black tornado!"
The massive plowed down on the Digimon, only Kuwagamon, Airdramon, Leomon, and Youkomon managed to get out of the way in time. The other Digimon had all taken the full blunt of the attack and had all returned to their rookie states (with the exception of a very weakened Devidramon) as the attack cleared, their partners immediately ran to their sides.
This wasn't going to work! We were doing exactly what Emily said we shouldn't be. Relying on power alone, the only reason she had managed to gain the advantage during the fight was because she hadn't relied on power. We should be trying to help her, not trying to destroy her, I know it didn't look like I was right about Emily but I still felt that something had happened to make her act like this. He was still good deep down, we just needed to reach her, and attacking her head on wasn't going to help any. I just wished the others would see my point.
Still, despite the fact that our numbers had been lowered down to four the Digimon still continued to attack, unfortunately Blackmagnadramon did too. She darted into the air her tail cracked like a whip, first hitting an already in flight Kuwagamon sending the insect Digimon crashing into the ground immediately Dedigivolving into Dokunemon. The tail snapped again this time hitting Youkomon sending the multi-tailed fox Digimon crashing into a building and then Dedigivolving into Bluenamon.
"Kris -" I began to say.
"I know!" he interrupted. "We need a knew strategy. Okay I doubt it'll work, but I'm desperate at the moment. We'll try out your theory, I'm going to try and talk to her."
"But I can -"
"I said I would talk to her!" Kris yelled cutting me off for a second time.
He walked forward until he was standing beside Leomon.
"Emily we don't need to do this." He said. "You're Digidestined like us. It doesn't matter where you got your powers, you're still one of us. Andrew joined us, there is no reason why you can't too. Please you still have a chance please don't do this."
"I'm really getting tired of your stupid speeches!" Emily yelled. "I've already told you, I don't care about being accepted into your little group! You're all so pathetic goody - goodies! Why would I want to be like you in the least! I'm better than all of you. I can't believe I actually fought along side you for even a second, I'm so glad I saw – the darkness."
"Emily!" Andrew yelled as he ran up next to Kris. "Please just listen to him, a while ago you told me how your life had gotten so much better since Mom came back. All our life we wished that mom would come back, and it's finally happened. You realize if you go through with this, you'll lose it all! Please, stop being the Digimon and Empress and just be my sister, do you really want to lose all that we've gained in the past month?"
"I don't care about that! I had all of it and nothing seemed to have changed. I don't care about that in the least, if I did I would be no different than you weaklings, and that's the last thing I want! The love and compassion of family are the tools of the weak. I yearn to control both worlds, and that sort of thing will only get in the way."
"It's not going to work," Leomon said.
"I can't say I'm not surprised," Kris said. "Unfortunately I was wrong, she's just like she was before some people just can't be reached."
"Emily please…." Andrew said. "I don't want to fight you…. but…"
"But what?" Emily asked. "You'll suddenly develop a backbone? You'll kill your little sister?"
Andrew wiped one final tear away from his face. "If I have to, I'm Digidestined and it's my duty to defend this world and destroy any evil force that threatens it! Even – even if that evil force is my own sister."
"How noble," Emily said. "It's a good thing that all this happened, if I had continued and joined this little group I would have ended up just like you – pathetic."
Did she just say? She did, I heard the three of her words echo in my mind: 'All this happened.' That could only mean that she hadn't been planning this during the whole World Tour incident. Something had happened to her to make her act this way, and I could see it, when she had left me today something must have happened to her to make her act this way…I just had to figure out what it was and maybe I could get the Emily that I cared about back.
"Blackmagnadramon, destroy them." Emily said.
"Gotsumon I have an idea," I said. "It's time for you to Digivolve."
"It's about time!"
"Gotsumon Digivolved to………………Monochromon!"
I couldn't waist a second, I knew Emily wouldn't, I quickly jumped onto my Digimon's back, no sooner I did than Blackmagnadramon attacked. There was no time for me to use my plan it all happened way to fast. The giant black feline attacked Leomon and Airdramon, Airdramon having the ability to fly was able to take to the sky and get out of the way in time, but Leomon didn't have that advantage, he tried to get out of the way but Blackmagnadramon's feline reflexes were much faster than his and Blackmagnadramon slammed into Leomon with his head sending the lion Digimon rolling away then dedigivolved back to Elecmon.
Meanwhile Airdramon had managed to get past Blackmagnadramon and chosen another opponent to attack, Emily pulled back his wings and broke into a dive straight at Emily.
"I don't think so," she said snapping her whip at Airdramon. Airdramon turned the attack to his advantage and caught the whip in his mouth and tossed it aside continuing his dive. Airdramon was inches away from ramming her when Blackmagnadramon's tail made contact with the air serpent Digimon, he dedigivolved on contact, and Demidevimon was thrown aside. I didn't think I'd ever seen Andrew move so fast as he jumped forward and caught his Digimon.
"Why did you do that?" Andrew said. "You could have gotten yourself killed."
"I can guarantee you that will happen very soon," Emily said. "I don't want to have to say this again Blackmagnadramon, take them out, just try to keep Kris in tact."
"Monochromon move now!" I ordered my Digimon. "Get between them."
He listened immediately, he probably thought I was insane for doing this; luckily he trusted my judgment enough to assume I knew what I was doing. Blackmagnadramon reacted just as quickly diving at the closest target, Andrew and Demidevimon. Fortunately Monochromon had been able to make it in time, and the two of us now found ourselves between Andrew, Demidevimon, and a charging Blackmagnadramon.
Emily's reaction was immediate. "Blackmagnadramon stop!" Her Digimon did just that, stopping less than a foot away from us.
Looks of shock could be seen on everyone's faces, the only one who hadn't been surprised at Emily's reaction was myself. She'd done the same thing in Brazil, I don't know what I'd done but for some reason she didn't seem to want to hurt me. I must have done something right when we were talking earlier.
"You didn't want me to get hurt," I said.
"Bullshit!" she yelled. "I don't care about you! I don't care about any of you! I just wanted this stupid voi-"
She had stopped in the middle of a word but it was obvious to all of us what that word was – well to me anyway.
"Voice?" I said as I slid off of Monochromon's back. "Emily I know this isn't the real you. Well maybe at one point it would have been the real you, but that was a long time ago, you're not like that anymore."
As I spoke I began walking past Blackmagnadramon. She didn't want to stop me, I'd actually suspected as much. Blackmagnadramon knew what I was trying to do, and she wanted me to do it, she wanted the old Emily back just as much as I did, maybe even more so, she would obey Emily if she told her to attack me, any Digimon partner would, but she wanted Emily back and would only stop this is Emily forced her to.
"Emily something happened to you didn't it? Something is making you act this way."
That statement had only made her madder she was about to say something but Demidevimon interrupted her.
"He's right," he said weakly. "When I attacked her – I could smell his scent on her – he's done something to her."
"Whose scent?" Andrew asked.
"Myotismon's!" Demidevimon yelled. "I don't know how he came back but he must be! He must be controlling her somehow, made her turn back to the way she was before, like Evamon did with Tai."
"Stop it!" Emily yelled. "I'm not that stupid bat's slave! I'm doing this completely on my own accord. I'm doing this because I'm better than you and I don't want to end up in meritocracy like the rest of you."
My eyes searched her wrists for a dark bracelet like Tai had when he attacked us, but found nothing; there wasn't anything like that anywhere on her body. Besides she was acting different than Tai had been, Tai had been acting like a slave to Evamon, just like all the Digimon that had been taken over by a Dark Prism, they swore allegiance to one person and were their total slave, but Emily wasn't acting like that I could see it, she wanted to rule both worlds, she wasn't going to just follow Myotismon she was going to be her own boss.
I continued to approach Emily into I was standing directly in front of her and said. "Yes you are doing this on your own, but still something is making you act this way. I've been told by the Japanese Digidestined how he works, he's very manipulative, but you can't listen to him Emily! He's convinced you that the only way for you to be happy is to destroy us and to follow the side of darkness, but he's lying you can be happy without darkness, you can be happy by being good, think about this past month, I know you were happy in this past month. You had a family, and I know it didn't seem like it because the team was reluctant to accept you but you had friends too, and I know that you liked it, trust me not only was I watching you, but I'm very perceptive."
"Shut up!" she screamed as I noticed a single tear stream down her face. It was working I was reaching her. "Just shut up!"
"Emily you were happy weren't you?" I said.
She still didn't say a word her face grew even angrier and she glared at me trying to hold back the tears.
"I know you don't want to admit it because of this tough girl act, but I know you were happy."
"Fine!" she screamed. "You want to know! Yes! I was happy, if that's what you want fine! It was the happiest month of my life! But I may have been happy but I still felt empty inside! I still felt like there was something missing, and I know now that the one thing I was missing was being the Digimon Empress, it was the only thing that made me feel whole."
I shook my head and softly said. "No, that wasn't it, to tell you the truth I don't know what was missing. I can't tell you that, it's something only you can find for yourself, but I do know for a fact that it wasn't following the path of darkness that made you feel that way, Myotismon just convinced you that was it."
I saw the expression on her face change, she looked slightly worried, and tears began flowing.
"No!" she yelled. "I would never have let that happen! I wouldn't let some flying rodent manipulate me like that; he merely made it clear, he only made it possible for me to become the Digimon Empress again. You said it yourself, your perceptive, and if you are you must have noticed some of my personality traits, I wouldn't let him change me like that! He may be manipulative, but I am too! I'd know if he was trying to manipulate me I would know if he was right or not. So what did he do to me to suddenly manipulate me like that?"
I wanted to say something to answer her question but my mind suddenly came up blank. That was true, Myotismon was manipulative, but Emily wasn't an idiot she could see through something like that, which would have stopped such an incredible change in her personality. She might have followed the side of darkness slightly but the change wouldn't have been so drastic, it wouldn't have happened so quickly to make her like this, she was ready to kill us, the Emily I'd come to care for in the past month wouldn't have changed that quickly, she was noticing my hesitation. Oh no all the headway I had just gained might just be lost.
Fortunately Demidevimon provided me with an answer.
"The Dark Spore!" he yelled jumping onto Andrew's shoulder. "Myotismon told me about it when I was working for him. It was a creation of his, he intended it to use it on one of the Japanese Digidestined, but was destroyed before getting a chance to use it! They amplify negative urges within its victim it amplifies any evil urges they have. It explains how Emily could have suddenly changed so fast."
He was right – I just wish I'd thought of that, of course I couldn't have I didn't know anything about the Dark Spore then, but now judging from what the Japanese Digidestined had told me about Myotismon and what I'd just found out about the Dark Spore everything suddenly made sense.
"No!" Emily yelled in total denial. "That's not it! I've just realized that I was destined for much more than you weaklings, and even if Myotismon did implant me with a Dark Spore I'm glad he did, I don't want to be that weakling I was for the last month, I like the way I am now1 I hate that feeling! I hate feeling empty!"
"Emily I know you don't want to be like this, it may seem like that right now but you don't, it's just the dark spore making you think you do. I know deep down that you want to come back to being the Emily I care so much for."
"Stop it!" she yelled taking a step back. "Just – just stop it."
It was working, I could tell that that she was beginning to believe what I was saying; the dark spore was just preventing me from getting through.
I stepped up closer to her, very close actually. I raised my hand and tenderly brushed my hand along her cheek pushing some hair out of her face.
"And I know that you felt empty inside, I don't know why you were, but I know it wasn't because you missed being the Digimon Empress, I know you didn't miss that. Don't ask me how but I could just tell that when you looked back upon those days you shuddered at what you had done, do you really want to be like that again." The look on her face had completely transformed, no longer any no longer evil looking, just a look of shock as tears rolled down her face. "I really care about you Emily, I meant those things I said to you earlier, and I promise if you let us give you another change I will do all that I can find out what was making you feel empty and fill that emptiness to the best of my ability."
Her look of shock remained, and she took a step back, the tears were flowing freely down her face now.
"Stop it!" she yelled as she shook her head, and suddenly collapsed to her knees. "Just stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" She grasped her head and continued to scream. "Aaaaah! So much is going on! I- I feel like my head's going to explode part of me wants Darkness part of it wants Light! I don't know what to do!"
"It's the spore," Demidevimon yelled. "Her body is rejecting it, of course being one of Myotismon's creation it's putting up a fight."
I knelt down and wrapped my arms around her. "It'll be okay Emily, just fight it! Your true self is trying to emerge, but the spore is trying to stop that from happening. You have to fight it, I know you can beat it Emily you're very tough! Do you want to be beaten by the equivalent of a baby mushroom?"
"Aaaaah!" she yelled grasping her head firmly, all I could to was hold her as tightly as possible, this was her battle not mine. Finally to my and her relief the screaming stop, the second it did her Digimon Empress outfit shattered just like a deleted Digimon.
I released her grip and looked her in the eyes, watching as a satisfied smile grew on her face.
"I did it," she said. "Emily's back."
But no sooner than those words escaped her mouth than she broke out in tears, melting into my arms and placing her head on my shoulder.
"Oh my god," she cried. "I can't believe it…I did it again, I was her – I was the Digimon Empress again – I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
I gently rubbed her back. "I know you are," I said. "I know you are."
Suddenly a light emerged from beneath her shirt, and she pulled away from my arms, and pulled her crest out from under it, which was now glowing, not the normal black light we'd seen before, but real light this time, the same light that our crests glowed. As it glowed the crest changed taking a new shape, just like Andrew's had.
"You don't need it, but you certainly have earned it." Baihumon's voice echoed throughout the area. "Your crest, the very appropriate, crest of Stubbornness."
Baihumon never did appear, and he never did speak again, he made that once sentence, and that was it.
"Well he's right about it being appropriate," Emily said.
"That's not all that came with the crest," an unfamiliar voice said.
All eyes darted to the direction of the voice, with all that had happened with Emily's crest none of us had even noticed a new arrival; actually it wasn't a new arrival.
She stood where Blackmagnadramon once stood, a large Digimon that looked a lot like Angewomon, except she was covered in blue and gold armor wielding a sword and a lance.
"I am Orphanimon," she said. "I am Blackgatomon's true Mega form when not influenced by the powers of Darkness."
"Incredible," Emily said looking at awe at the new Blackmagnadramon. "You're even better than Blackmagnadramon."
Emily's attention was quickly taken away from Orphanimon as she noticed the questionable looks she was getting from the others, she lowered her head sighed and slowly stepped closer to them.
"Look, I know you can never forgive me for what I've done," she began. "You gave me a second chance, and I betrayed your trust and I'd understand if you didn't want to give me a third chance."
Kris started to step closer to her to say something but Jenn stopped him as she placed a hand on his shoulder and stepped in front of him.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'll take this one." She slowly approached Emily, trying her best to look neutral but not doing a very good job of it. She still seemed to look a little bitter towards her. "Emily, this is hardest for me to say, since well you tried to steal my boyfriend at all – but I know it wasn't your fault, I should have listened to Kris and trusted you, I think I speak for all of us when I say we all pretty much thought you had planned this out from the beginning and were now turning on us like we all expected you to. But we were wrong, it wasn't your fault you were being manipulated, I guess it took the most perceptive of us all to realize that. Even Kris the most forgiving of all of us stopped believing in you, but we're sorry we did, and I don't know about the other, but I forgive you."
There was some hesitation, but eventually everyone gave a slight nod signifying they felt the same way.
"I hope you don't expect me to say something really mushy and sentimental," Emily said.
Jenn laughed. "You wouldn't deserve the crest of Stubbornness if you did, so no of course we wouldn't expect it."
"Good because I may be one of you now but that doesn't mean I'm going to become exactly like you."
"Really you disappoint me Emily," a voice said (there seemed to be a lot of mysterious voices today) as a fanged mouth appeared before Emily.
"What do you want!" Emily yelled stepping up to the fanged mouth, Myotismon I presume.
"The same thing Evamon wanted when he appeared before you when you failed him." Myotismon said. "You disappointed me Emily, and I don't like being disappointed."
"I don't give a damn what you like!" Emily yelled. "I'm tired of you! I don't need you anymore! I have a family! I have friends! Hell I even have a potential boyfriend! The Digimon Empress is dead and not even you can revive her."
"I have no intention of reviving her," he said as two energy beams began to form above his fanged mouth.
In an instant Orphanimon came between Myotismon and Emily. "You're not touching her Myotismon! And you're in a weakened state at the moment, I can tell you have no body, you have no chance of defeating me or even an Ultimate Digimon."
The giant mouth of Myotismon grinned. "Well you called my bluff, and yes you're right, I can't beat you, but you can't beat me either, and it's already too late for you to stop the construction of my body, I've got plans brewing in Japan as we speak for it's construction. I'll see you soon." Without another word the giant mouth disappeared.
"Do you think we should try and stop him?" Jenn asked. "You know head to Japan?"
Kris shook his head. "No, Baihumon said earlier that another threat would appear and our powers will not be needed, it is something that the Japanese Digidestined can handle on their own, and we have to let them. Our job is done now."
"So it's finally all over for us right?" Dan asked. "We're finished? The Digimon around the world are back home, and Emily's not evil anymore? We – we're actually done?"
Kris nodded. "I guess so, there's nothing left for us to do."
"Which brings up one more question," Dan said.
"And that would be?"
Dan sighed. "Can we go home now?"
* * *
I lay my back against a tree, sitting and looking up at a bright blue sky. It was winter but still it was a really sunny and warm day I was in the woods just outside the city limits, I was completely alone not even Gotsumon was with me, I needed some time to think a lot had happened in the past day. It had been two days since the incidents with the Digimon and Emily's attack. Things had settled down pretty quickly, we had brought the entire international Digidestined home, and then returned home ourselves just in time for Christmas morning, our parents had barely noticed that we were gone.
Unfortunately nothing had happened with Emily and I we returned home and I hadn't seen her since, maybe if it hadn't already been the hectic time of Christmas I would have but still nothing.
I sighed. "Man I wish she were here."
"Be careful what you wish for."
I head snapped in the direction of the voice, and saw Emily standing with her arms crossed leaning against a tree. She didn't stay that way for long, she approached me and sat next to me.
"You're not going to ask if this seat is taken?" I said.
"Well even if it was they're not getting it back."
I laughed nervously, which was followed by an awkward silence. It only lasted about a minute before I felt her hand an my cheek forcing me to face her, right before drawing me into an incredible kiss, I'm not sure how long it lasted but I don't think it lasted long enough.
As our lips separated I said. "W-Why did you do that?"
"Because an awkward pause is the perfect time to kiss."
"Yeah but -"
"Look I did it because it felt right okay," she said. "Also I'm sorry I said you were just trying to seduce me before, I realize now that you weren't, you were just trying to be nice, it's just that you were the first guy who was nice to me simply to be nice to me. It's a hard concept for me to get at first but now I do, there's also something else I figured out."
"What's that?" I asked.
"I figured out what was missing in my life."
"Really? What was it?"
She gave me a very sweet smile, not something I was used to seeing on her face. "Love."
"Well that's good," I said. "I'm sure you'll find a nice guy that'll fill that emptiness."
She smiled again. "I already have."
She placed her hand on the back of my head and drew me into an even deeper kiss than the last. Slowly we drew each other closer, and for the longest time just stayed there wrapped in each others arms, I never wanted this paradise to end.
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Can you believe it? I just posted Chapter 49! Which means there is only one more Chapter left! Just so you know I plan on posting the final Chapter and the Epilogue at the same time which of course means, only one more update until this entire fic is finished, I still find it hard to believe that I'm almost done. It's taken me almost a year to write this. Still…it's almost over, but that doesn't mean I'm abandoning this series, there is still the AU after this and maybe if you ask nicely more after that. Anyway I better go.
Stay tuned for the final update Chapter 50: A Million Points of Light