A/N: Well, Athena-chan's back from her little vacation in Tennessee!  I missed writing the fanfics but this is SO worth-it!  Don't worry if it's a little short; I haven't written anything for about a week and I need to get back into the zone, if you know what I mean…  Oh and the spells aren't in languages from Lord of the Rings, I sort of made the language up myself.  And don't worry, I'm not killing anyone off in here.  Thanks to Myotismon13 for another great review!  ^_^  Here's chapter 5 of Forever Virus!

Chapter 5: The Incantation of Wizardmon's Fate

  Necromamon was about to die for the others, but none of the others, not even Auramon, knew it.  Now he was back in the vampire's castle on the top of the mountain, about to face the death penalty.

  "Your friends cannot save you, Necromamon," said Myotismon as a Bakemon clasped a cold metal chain around the sorcerer's neck, nearly cutting off his much-needed air.  "Your decision cannot be changed either."

  "Bakayaro," muttered the sorcerer.  "Heartless fiend!"  He grabbed the metal leash and pulled as hard as he could, but it wouldn't work.  The staff! he realized.  He reached for the much-needed staff, but the vampire, as if he could read Necromamon's mind, grabbed the staff and held it as far away from him as possible.  As Necromamon tried to withdraw his sword to slay Myotismon in his tracks, the same Bakemon snuck up behind him and cuffed his hands together so it was impossible for them to reach the sword.

  "I see you're helpless right now," said Myotismon as he tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't withhold his elation as he watched the sorcerer struggle to get free.

  Rage started bubbling up within the sorcerer as he tried with all his might to free himself from the bind of the cuffs and the chains, and the Bakemon pulling the chain on his neck made him start to gasp for air.  Finally, he was thrown onto the ground, and his hands couldn't break his fall because they were chained behind his back.  Necromamon landed extremely hard on the floor as he felt as if all his insides were being compressed and like his ribs had shattered into pieces.

  "Not strong enough to hit the ground, are you?" cackled the ghost digimon.

  Suddenly the vampire just couldn't contain himself as he watched the helpless sorcerer hit the ground.  The second he saw Necromamon look up from his fall with tears in his eyes, he started to laugh "MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" and it echoed throughout the room.

  "I see YOU'RE enjoying this," remarked the sorcerer.

  "I do believe I am," replied Myotismon, taking the sorcerer's beloved staff and holding it far away from him.  Necromamon tried to break the chains and reach for it but it exceeded his grasp.

  Why? he asked himself.  I know Myotismon is just enjoying the sight as I appear to be no more than merely a cat to him.  A cat you tease for enjoyment, and then watch it suffer as it can't reach its coveted prize.  The sorcerer gave up trying to grab the staff.  He knew the chains were unbreakable and even if they were, he wouldn't be able to get the staff.

  "Shall we execute him now, master?" asked the Bakemon, yanking on the chains and nearly pulling Necromamon's head off and making him slide back against the hard floor.  Now the sorcerer was growing extremely frightened and pleaded "Never!" in his eyes.

  Unfortunately for Necromamon, Myotismon had other plans for him, and that meant throwing him into the pit.  And not throwing, but chaining him to the bottom and getting lowered into a pit of flames.  Every digimon on Server was afraid to defy the vampire and meet their deaths by flames.

  Myotismon studied Necromamon, eyeing the desperate look in the sorcerer's own eyes and how afraid he was at that point.  The pit would be the most worthy punishment for Necromamon, he thought.  A slow but painful death… exactly the way his life is now…  "Bakemon?"  He glared at the ghost digimon and exposed his fangs in a sinister grin.  "Show the sorcerer to the hell pit."

  The sorcerer gasped.  "Not the pit," he managed to squeeze out as the chains tightened around his throat and the Bakemon pulled on him on the floor.  "Please… take pity on me… never the pit!"

  Suddenly, about ten more ghost digimon flew out from behind the arched doorway and formed a barricade around Necromamon.  Two of them swooped down and forced him to stand up.  In the midst of all this, two of the Bakemon parted to reveal Phantomon, carrying an old scythe.  Necromamon could see dried red stains on the tarnished silver, and knew it was blood.  The ultimate-level ghost digimon flew over and held the scythe less than an inch away from the sorcerer's neck.  Necromamon was too afraid to even tremble.

  "Back away, Phantomon," dictated the vampire.  "I don't want Necromamon to die before he reaches the pit."

  Reluctantly, the phantom moved his scythe about three inches away as Myotismon made his way through the Bakemon barricade and stepped up to Necromamon's face.  The sorcerer felt slightly discomfiting as he felt the chains being grabbed by a stronger hand, then feeling the hand pulling the chains closer to himself.

  "If I hear one word of contradiction, Necromamon, I'll see that Phantomon beheads you," said Myotismon.  Necromamon refused to utter a word, yet felt provoked to do so as he felt himself being pushed forward, the scythe not far away from himself.

  Meanwhile, in the forest, Kari was being healed by the enchanter.

  Erika ran her soaked hands over the young girl's wounds, trying to wet them down and clean them.  The blood started to run into the water as the older girl, under Incantemon's direction, picked a single leaf from a medicinal plant known as the Antangaeas, or Anta for short, in Digiworld.  She ran the Anta leaf over the left wound to dry the water and blocked most of the blood from flowing out.  With a slight squeal, Kari felt herself heal.  She turned her head the other way around and let Erika do the same thing.

  "Why can't you de-digivolve?" wondered Gatomon as she held the young girl's hands.

  Incantemon stared at the summit of the mountain, seeing the minute speck that was the vampire's castle.  He got a vague thought as energy from the staff sent potent surges through his fingertips.  The surges quickly rushed up to his mind, where images flew through it, almost as if he was seeing the near future in real life.

  "What is it, Incantemon?" asked Erika.

  But the enchanter was in a deep trance, seeing everything clearly and distinctly.  He envisioned Myotismon— he had chained Necromamon's hands to the wall of a hell pit, and then he had backed away, forcing the flames to shoot up nearly to the ceiling.  He heard the faint evil laughter as he struggled to break free.  The staff— the staff had been thrown in, but the sorcerer couldn't grasp it…

  "Incantemon!" the cat squealed.  "What's wrong?"

  The images grew more vibrant and flashed before Incantemon's eyes.  He couldn't de-digivolve, for he knew there was a reason.  He knew.  Necromamon was getting burned, as he tried to break free.  The searing hot metal burned his wrists down to the bone, and Incantemon could actually feel the burning.  As his robes burned brightly within the pit, the dark sorcerer looked pleadingly into the good sorcerer's own.  It was then Incantemon saw Necromamon's soul…  Wizardmon!  Wizardmon had been condemned to the pit.

  Suddenly, the dark sorcerer let out a scream as the flames enveloped him and—

  "BROTHER!" Incantemon wailed, reaching out a hand.  Suddenly, he awoke from his trance, pale as a sheet and staring at the castle.

  "Incantemon!  Why can't you digivolve?" asked Gatomon, laying a paw on Incantemon's foot.

  Incantemon caught his breath and collected himself.  "Wizardmon," he replied.  "Wizardmon is the one!"

  "What?" asked the other three.

  "It's the… Wizardmon is Necromamon… and Myotismon… he… he… he's about to kill him!"

  Erika gasped.  Gatomon closed her eyes.  Kari stood up.  Incantemon merely muttered an incantation and transformed his sun staff into a winged staff.

  "We can arrive there in time and save Wizardmon… my brother… all of us can," continued the good sorcerer.  "Come, we must fly."  Erika jumped on behind Incantemon after he got onto his staff.  Kari and Gatomon also got on.  The wings magically spread and the four took flight into the air.  They neared the castle and it grew larger.  Incantemon could see inside the castle and saw an image of the pit and Necromamon being led to it slowly.  "Over here," he said, directing the flight towards that very room.  They could see the window not far away, and the window led to the room down the hall from the pit.

  "Why are we in here?" wondered Erika.

  "Wizardmon is here," replied the sorcerer of light.  He bowed his head, as if he could see the path.  "There is still time, and I must maintain my ultimate stage."

  "Why?" asked the cat digimon.

  "There are Bakemon," replied Incantemon.  "And I must prevent the death from occurring.  Keep the Bakemon busy, Gatomon.  Wizardmon's fate rests in my hands, and in turn yours because you must defend us from Bakemon."

  The cat gulped and caught her digi-destined's eye.  Kari nodded in acknowledgement, gripping her Crest of Light.

  All of a sudden, they felt as if they were being watched.  The two humans got the sensation that dark, glassy eyes were staring at them.  One or two pairs glinted and reflected the sunset that filtered in through the window… onto the wall… onto the ragged white sheet of a Bakemon… there were five of them, sent by the demon to stop Incantemon from reaching the dark sorcerer in time.

  "Oh my God…" Kari gasped as she saw the ghost in front of her.  "Bakemon!" she cried.  "RUN!"

  "LIGHTNING CLAW!"  The cat jumped out in front of her human before the ghost could attack them.  Her sharp talons were swiped right across the Bakemon's face, causing the sheets to rip.  More and more ghosts swooped out from their shadowy hiding places to defend their fellow Bakemon.

  "DARK CLAW!"  Five of the Bakemon counterattacked the cat, knocking her flat onto the ground, bruised and battered from five different hits.  As each one hit her, she grew limp and her mind cried out to Incantemon and the Crest of Light for help.

  The sorcerer of light raised his staff, about to attack the ghosts, who showed no fear.  "INCANTATION: FIRE!"  Blazing flames lit up the chamber and lit the ghosts' white sheets on fire so it looked as if there were five fireballs floating in midair before they dissolved.

  The other Bakemon, furious at the loss of five of their kind, started attacking Incantemon with all their might.  Over twenty "EVIL CHARM!"s echoed throughout the chamber as attack after attack hit the sorcerer of light and started to weaken him.  The ghosts proceeded onto the girls, first hitting Erika and making her fall flat onto the floor, then Kari.

  "You leave Kari alone!" coerced the cat digimon.  Suddenly Kari's crest began to glow a soft pink color, and the pink flooded the room and filtered right into Gatomon's body, causing her to glow the same pink color as Kari's crest.  Feeling power flood into her body, Gatomon began to stand on two feet and grow taller and into more of a human shape.  "Gatomon, digivolve to… ANGEWOMON!"  Where the cat digimon once lay on the ground, an angelic woman with six wings was standing.  Light flooded into the room, causing the Bakemon to shield their eyes and lose their coordination when they tried to attack.  "Now, Incantemon, now!" she cried.

  The sorcerer of light ran down the hall, followed by Erika.  The Bakemon knew that even though they outnumbered the angel, they stood no chance against her.

  "So, you wish to play?" Angewomon asked the Bakemon, who backed into one corner.  "Light always triumphs over darkness."  She gathered the light from Kari's crest and made an arrow out of it.  "CELESTIAL ARROW!"  She let go of the arrow and shot it right into one of the Bakemon, who immediately dissolved.  The other ghosts flew away, afraid they would suffer the same fate.

  "I'm glad we got rid of them," said Kari.  "We need to find a way out as soon as Incantemon rescues Wizardmon."

  The dark sorcerer had been led into the room, where a large, dark hole was in the floor near him.  The Bakemon barricade was still around him and Myotismon still had his staff, but he was confident he wouldn't die.

  "So, Necromamon, do you have any last words?" asked the vampire, waving his hand and summoning Phantomon.

  "Yes I do," replied the sorcerer.  "I know I will be rescued."

  "How touching it is to have hope, when all your friends have abandoned you…"  Myotismon had backed away from the ghosts and the sorcerer, the sorcerer's staff in hand.  Necromamon could see some sort of throne in the darkness of the room.  "Chain him to the inside, Phantomon!"  He sat down in the throne, still holding Necromamon's staff.

  The phantom took his blood-stained silver scythe and hewed apart the chain around the sorcerer's neck, with Necromamon feeling the hot blade within an inch of his neck and the sharpness as it came close to piercing the skin.  The chains were broken apart along his wrist, and new cuffs were attached with his hands brought around to the front of himself.  The evil vampire witnessed the entire ordeal with the chains, darkly chuckling to himself as he gripped the staff tightly, as Necromamon cringed as he felt the torture of merely being chained.

  Suddenly, the sorcerer was paralyzed by Phantomon as he was dragged across the stone floor and lowered into the dark hell pit.  Phantomon attached the chains of the handcuffs onto a clasp on the wall of the pit.  The pit smelled strongly of ashes and burnt flesh and blood.  Necromamon felt a pile of ashes near his feet as he looked around himself.  The phantom flew up and out of the way.

  "He is restrained, my lord," he said to Myotismon.

  "Excellent," said Myotismon, walking over to the hell pit and holding his staff over Necromamon's head.  "I see you are nothing without your staff, but seeing you struggle to reach it is more delicious than the sweetest blood.  I believe I must take pity on you."  He hurled the staff into the pit, far away from the sorcerer, who glared at him.  "I must see this," said the vampire as he sat down in his throne, withdrawing a viewing orb from thin air and seeing an image of a frightened Necromamon.  "Start the fire, Bakemon!"

  One of the Bakemon took a torch off of a hallway wall and threw it into the hell pit, making the entire pit burst into flames.  Necromamon saw the flames get near him, and he knew he was going to die.  The flames licked the air above, and the heat grew from pleasantly warm to sweltering hot to unbearable within seconds, and Myotismon was savoring the moment as he saw everything in the viewing orb.

  "I must get the staff!" he said quietly as the flames nearly obliterated the staff from view and bathing everything a bright yellowish-orange.  The heat of the chains binding him to the wall was searing, and his wrists felt as if they would melt.  Then he felt like he was on fire and saw his robes getting singed, so he tried to hit them against the wall so the flames would be put out.

  As he saw what he was doing, he realized he had a sword and if only he could find a way to cut the chains… if only… he remembered how the bars of the prison were slashed apart, and the metal in the castle was the same no matter what it was used for.  Necromamon knew he had to take a chance as he slid down onto the floor and felt as if his feet would burst into flames as the fire crept along the floor towards them.  He was perspiring from the unbearable heat and knew he had to keep his mind off of it…

  The sorcerer bent his head down and knew he could grab the hilt in his mouth and try to cut the chains apart.  The pain was worse than the heat as he struggled with all his might to grab the sword.  His feet pushed up on it, and he was close.  Finally, just as the flames started burning his feet and sandals, he felt the taste of warm metal in his mouth and knew he got his sword.  Gently he stood up and took the sword out of its case.  Taking careful aim, Necromamon tried to saw the chains apart and got halfway through when he felt his robes getting singed again.  Desperately, he started sawing through and felt the chain break free.  He took the sword into his right hand and slashed the other chain apart.  He was free from the wall.

  "Damn!" Myotismon shouted, pounding the arm of his throne.  "I should have taken away his sword!"

  "He'll never survive the fire, Master," assured one of the ghost digimon.

  Suddenly, another voice rang out from not too far away.  "I see you're enjoying this torture, fang face!"  It was Erika standing on the other side of the pit with Incantemon.

  "Let Wizardmon go or you'll regret it," threatened the sorcerer of light.

  Myotismon went over to where the digimon and his partner stood and grabbed Erika by the wrist.  "You'll make a lovely addition to my elite forces, digi-destined," he said, drawing closer.  He eyed her neck and could catch the scent of rich blood within it.  Erika could feel cold breath against her neck as she was about to get bitten.

  "Incantemon!" she exclaimed.  "Save yourself!"

  Incantemon grew outraged, knowing that both his brother's and his partner's lives were in jeopardy.  "Leave them alone!"  He pointed his staff right at the vampire, who started to back away, still holding Erika.  "INCANTATION: WATER!"  A stream of water shot out at Myotismon, forcing him back and making him hit the wall, which cracked under the great force the water had.  Erika was slightly soaked, but Myotismon was drenched and steaming mad.

  "That's it, you're going in next!  GRISLY WING!"  He sent out a throng of bats at the sorcerer, who was ready for the attack.

  "INCANTATION: FIRE!"  Fire shot out of the staff, making the bats burst into flames and dissolve.  "So, will you surrender?"  Seeing no sign that the vampire would surrender, he decided he had no choice.  "INCANTATION: WATER!"  He tried the water attack again, which blasted a hole through the wall and sending Myotismon flying right into the moat below.  "We have that problem taken care of," he said as the Bakemons and Phantomon flew away.  "And now for the fire.  I'm going in, Erika."  He sauntered over to the hell pit, took a deep breath, clutched his staff, formed a shield around himself, and flew into the flames below.

  Necromamon was nearly suffocating from the black smoke as he stepped closer to the staff.  He could almost feel it this time… he could feel its power… just a bit more.  Finally, he grabbed it and kept it in his grasp.  Then he muttered an incantation that would freeze the flames.

  "Ta bluaz ofnu hélri tanré morid fàrron,

  Oro bekoni ori knovlusi."

  It was an incantation recited in ancient Digimon language inherited by the ancient mega form of Wizardmon when the guardians were only in-training and Gennai was a child.  It meant, "A flame from hell must freeze, I beckon my spell."  A blue beam of light shot out of the staff and froze a few flames, but not enough.  He tried again.

  "Ta bluaz ofnu hélri tanré morid fàrron,

  Oro bekoni ori knovlusi."

  Still, only a few flames had died down just as more flames blew at Necromamon's face at full force, his mind crying for help.  He decided to concentrate for one last time.  Incantemon saw him and knew exactly what he was thinking.  He joined in the incantation as two voices became one:

  "Ta bluas ofnu hélri tanré morid fàrron,

  Oro bekoni ori knovlusi!"

  The two paths of freezing light joined together and spread throughout the pit, freezing the flames and ceasing the fire.  The dark sorcerer laid eyes on his brother and felt a whoosh of relief overcome his entire body.  The sorcerer of light laid eyes on what Wizardmon had become, with his dark robes and a crystal tear rolling down his ash-stained face.

  "Thank you, Incantemon," Necromamon said softly.  "I owe you my life."  He was so weak then, he collapsed right into his brother's arms, who floated up and placed him on Myotismon's throne.  Angewomon entered the room.

  "You saved him!" Erika exclaimed.

  "I see you didn't need my assistance after all," said the angel as she de-digivolved.

  "Where's Kari?" inquired the sorcerer of light.

  "She's in the hallway," replied the cat digimon.  "And good day to you, Necromamon.  I am so sorry we doubted you were Wizardmon underneath."  The dark sorcerer didn't hear her, because he had fallen asleep.

  Incantemon laid his hand on Necromamon's forehead and read his mind.  "He's been miserable for the past few days," he told Erika and Gatomon.

  "I'll say," remarked Erika.  "Myotismon's been really nasty lately, even for him."

  "It isn't Myotismon," said the sorcerer of light.  "My brother— he's miserable for being a virus.  He has wanted to die many times for it, and even de-digivolve, but the potion he was given made it impossible to do so."

  Gatomon's heart sank, as she felt compassion for her friend.  "So… he can't change back to Wizardmon, even if he wanted to?"

  "There was the serum," said Erika.  "But it didn't work out too well."

  "No," Incantemon replied quietly.  "He can't change back.  I'm afraid he's forever virus, and there's nothing we can do about it."

  There is something I can do about it, thought the cat.  If he can't be put out of his misery by changing back into one of us, and he's going to suffer, I believe he and I must suffer together.  Gatomon got the inspiration to do an incredibly heroic deed, even sacrifice her own likeness, to help Wizardmon.  She quickly dashed out of the room.

  "Damn you, Incantemon," growled the vampire as he sat in his throne, in an incredibly foul mood.  "Why did you have to come and throw me in the water like a lowly servant?"

  Demidevimon flew away, not wanting to be attacked by anything.  Just as he reached the door, there was a small knock.  "Someone wants to see you, master," he declared.

  "Send them in," said Myotismon.  "And I hope they're not those damned digi-destined children or good digimon."

  The doors parted open to reveal Gatomon.  She walked over to the towering throne and took a deep breath, knowing her decision would be the right decision.  How hard could the life be?

  "Oh look," teased the imp.  "I see you're crawling back to us.  Couldn't take the life of a good guy, huh?"

  "Shut up," said Gatomon, glaring at Demidevimon.  With wide and audacious eyes, she began to speak.  "Myotismon?  I wish to put Necromamon out of his misery.  Make me a virus digimon like him."

To be continued…