A/N: I hate what happened with the ffnet!!!!  I would have put this on sooner but since it was before June 21, and June 24…  I'm sorry but it wasn't my fault… it's the software's fault… I'm also planning a sequel, so you'll be seeing more of Wizardmon, Gatomon, and Auramon.  THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE LAST CHAPTER!!!!  Now for responses

To Shadow Rider: Thanks to the stupid ffnet, you couldn't have signed in on 6-15… thanks for an un- "ptless" review!

To Angel of the Dark: Glad you like long chapters!  I do too.

To blackmage718: I fired Phantomon.  Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

To Devidramon: Thanks!  I liked her powers too.

To Sabrina Black: FV FOR LIFE, or at least as long as the ffnet is up… :P

To CheeseWizardmon: You'll find out about what "Mayotismon" will do in this chapter…

To all of you: Very slight cliffhanger alert!  I hope more of you are able to r/r without some defects getting in the way… This is also the last chapter with Myotismon in it… well here's the long-delayed chapter 11!  Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Journey to the Guardians

  The group of five had traveled for days.  They knew it would take weeks, possibly months, to reach Azulongmon, especially on foot.  They had learned that making the staff float in the air would take away its powers if used too long, so all of them had to resort to traveling by foot.

  It happened on the third day of travel.  They were flying over a river, and above the clouds.  The forest and the Necromamon and Lady Myotismon were riding on the dark sorcerer's staff.  Incantemon, Erika, and Kari were riding on the other one.  Both were flying at the same level until suddenly Necromamon's staff started declining and the dark wings on the side started to flap slowly.

  "What happened?" asked Lady Myotismon.

  "I don't know; it's never happened to me before," replied Necromamon.

  "Get it to come back up here!" shouted Kari.  The staff and its riders were now twenty feet below the other one, and still dropping.

  "Wizardmon, do something," said the vampire lady as the staff plunged upright to the ground.  She clung onto the dark sorcerer's robes.

  "I can try," replied the dark sorcerer.  "ESCLÉ!" he shouted.  The staff ceased its dropping for two seconds before it started plummeting to the ground below once again.

  The light sorcerer took a quick glance and swooped down as quickly as he could, Erika and Kari screaming as they clutched onto his robes.  Necromamon and Lady Myotismon clutched onto the staff as Necromamon still held onto his, which had transformed back.  Suddenly, the extra weight caused Incantemon's staff to drop down to the ground slowly.  Then the rate sped up.

  "You're too heavy!" shouted Kari.  "One of you has to get off or none of us will live!"

  Myotismon can fly, so I believe I can too, thought the vampire lady.  She took a quick look at the group of four, then let go of the staff.  She quickly fell to the ground, then stopped in midair.  She could fly as well.  With her cape blowing behind her, she rose up to the others.  "Let me take that staff for you, Wizardmon," she said, taking the dark sorcerer's staff.

  The dark sorcerer was incredulous.  "Gatomon… you can fly?"

  Suddenly the questioning was interrupted by the staff slowly but steadily dropping again.

  "What's going on?" wondered Erika.

  "We've been flying for three days now," replied her digimon partner.  "I think the staffs are losing their magical powers!"  Suddenly the staff lost all its powers and they all plummeted down at an alarming speed and landed in the river with five huge splashes.  Necromamon nearly sank to the bottom until Erika swam down and pulled him out.  All of them swam to the edge and climbed onto the bank to rest.  There were no forests or anything for miles.  In the distance there looked like a golden city.

  "Why don't we go there," suggested the youngest digi-destined.  "Maybe we can find a way to Azulongmon from there."

  So the five of them traveled on foot to the distant city.

  Two days had slowly passed.  Nights were short, and there were hardly any comfortable places to sleep, as well as the fact that there were many dangers present.  Any threatening digimon could spot them and remunerate them to Myotismon once again.  Still, the city had grown closer by the hour, giving each of the five travelers hope.

  They were sweltering hot in their discomforting clothes, and their feet felt as if they were on fire.  They were also bedraggled from days without bathing.  They were also starving, due to the lack of food.  The journey was long and silent; none of them could find a diverting subject to converse about.  Still, whenever they occasionally addressed each other, all of them had grown accustomed to calling Incantemon "Auramon," Lady Myotismon "Gatomon", and Necromamon "Wizardmon."  Necromamon was satisfied that they addressed him by the name of his true self.

  "Look," said Kari, feebly pointing to the city.  It was in sight, and each of the buildings could be clearly seen.  The city was a golden city full of cylinder-shaped two-story buildings and other buildings that looked like ancient Japanese architectures.  The largest was a five-story silver tower, located right in the middle of the town square.  A volcano loomed over the city in the distance, like a guardian.

  They all picked up their pace, knowing that they were drawing even closer to the city.  Unfortunately, so was something else that could wipe out most of the digital world in seconds.

  "Master, according to my calculations, the brats should be arriving at the city, and if they stay there long enough, they will be destroyed.  Little Edo is in the direct path of the destroyer," said Demidevimon.  "Unfortunately, they could leave at any time."

  "Then we must make sure they don't leave," said Myotismon, staring into his viewing orb.  It showed the five weary travelers trudging along the ground to their desired destination.  "Ah, I see they are tired… perfect.  If they stay in Little Edo to sleep, and stay the entire morning, afternoon, and evening, they will be destroyed."

  "So is that a good thing?" the imp innocently inquired.

  "Of course it is, slave.  All we need is fate, and if they aren't captured I will personally take care of them."

  Finally, the five itinerants approached the wide golden gates in the tall brick wall that surrounded and guarded the city of Little Edo.  Through the bars of the gates, they could see the streets buzzing with activity.  There was a diner located not too far away, a white palace where Shogun Gekomon resided, a town square, markets, and plenty of small digimon were busily ambling from one destination to another.  Among them were Gekomon, Mushroomon, Gazimon, Gizamon, Gotsumon, and other digimon, mainly rookies.  A few champions and ultimates were in the crowd, but many, like Monochromon, were utilized for transporting hefty workloads.

  "This is the place," Erika declared in awe.  "Here we are…"

  A Monochromon turned its head towards the gate and grunted.  A Gekomon that was riding on its back leapt off and skipped over to the gate.  "Konnichi-wa," it greeted.  "Are you tired and weary from how much traveling you have done?"

  "Yes," replied Incantemon.  "It would be nice if we get a place to sleep and bathe," he added.

  "Well you've come to the right place!" exclaimed the amphibious digimon.  He opened the gate and escorted the five inside.  "Welcome to Little Edo, our humble town.  It is guarded by Azulongmon on his mountain in the distance."  He pointed towards the mountain.  Then he spotted Necromamon and Lady Myotismon, then eyed them suspiciously.  "Come on in.  Remember, you are always welcome in Little Edo.  Well… almost all of you."

  The dark sorcerer's face fell, knowing they were talking about him.  He lagged behind as they wandered through the streets.  Most of the digimon who were present were gawking at him and the vampire lady.  They both had a premonition the digimon knew about them by means of hearsay.  The Floramon were very chatty and loquatious, as well as being capable of spreading terrible rumors.  He even witnessed a Mushroomon whispering something to another Mushroomon.

  If the streets weren't humiliating enough, after the Gekomon led the five of them to the tallest building in the middle of the town square, he escorted Incantemon, Erika, and Kari inside.  "Come, my good friends," he said.  "This is the guest house, with a living environment suitable for luxury living before continuing on your journey."

  "Uh… can our friends come inside too?" asked Kari.  "She's my digimon partner and he's her friend…"

  "They are ultimate viruses!" shouted the Gekomon, waving his flippers around.  "Besides, I've heard of them!  She—"  He pointed a flipper at Lady Myotismon, who backed away.  Many digimon were looking at the incrimination.  Even the Monochromon were listening. "looks familiar!"

  "Whatever do you mean?" asked Lady Myotismon, knowing perfectly well what they meant.  Her pearly fangs gleamed in the light of the setting sun and were very noticeable against her purple lips.

  A Mushroomon gasped.  "She looks just like Myotismon!" he screamed.

  The crowd of digimon frantically backed about fifteen feet away and gawked at her and Necromamon.

  "So she must be… Lady Myotismon!" shouted the mushroom digimon.  "And that one over there… he must be Necromamon!"

  Hundreds of loud gasps could be heard from all the digimon.

  "I've heard of you!" declared the Gekomon.  "You're the two virals who are too evil for even Myotismon to handle.  You work for him and yet you want to be off on your own, conquering the digital world for yourself!"  Two Monochromons lumbered over and started plowing the two through the streets and through the gate, which slammed tightly shut.  The mob of digimon followed.  "And don't try anything funny; these gates are attack proof!  And I'll make sure neither of you can climb over, too!"  The Monochromons stared at the two viruses, who crouched onto the ground.  Gekomon stormed off towards the guest house.

  "But Gekomon, they're our friends!" protested Erika.  "They had to work for Myotismon against their own will!  It's not like they had a choice; they were digi-napped!"

  "Although he is a virus himself, Shogun Gekomon is a very friendly virus who is only cranky when he is woken up in the middle of his afternoon nap.  He is a very benevolent virus who acts like a data or vaccine—"

  "That's the exact way to describe Wizardmon and Gatomon, except for the sleeping part," said the teenage digi-destined.

  "I don't CARE!  I have an idea, why don't we ask Shogun Gekomon!" Gekomon harshly suggested.  He walked towards the large Japanese castle.

  The throne room was very large with clean wooden floors, white walls, wide windows which the golden evening sunlight streamed through, a sand garden, and it was decked with paintings, fans, and green plants.  Sitting very comfortably in a very large throne was an enormous, portly, and colorful frog-like digimon who was taking a nap and snoring loudly.

  "That's Shogun Gekomon, the emperor of Little Edo," familiarized the amphibious digimon.  "If any of us has a problem, he solves it.  He loves to eat and take naps in the afternoon.  HEY!  BOSS!" he shouted.  The large frog digimon opened one eye.  "These guys need your help!"

  "You interrupted my siesta for this?" asked the drowsy Shogun Gekomon in his sonorous voice, then sighed.  "It should be quick, so I can get a good snooze before dinner."

  "Should our friends be allowed in Little Edo?" wondered the light sorcerer.  "Please, say yes.  Wizardmon is my brother and Gatomon is his friend, but they were enforced to be transfigured into Necromamon and Lady Myotismon… they're still the same inside…"

  Shogun Gekomon blinked.  "Never!" he shouted, making it echo through the room.  Kari trembled and stepped back.  "Those two have been on the Digital World's Most Wanted list!  Posters of them are posted all over Starmon's Saloon!  Even Azulongmon knows about them and has been warned!  If anyone lets them into my city, they will be punished for their wicked deeds done in the digital world."

  "What?" gasped Erika.

  "I got the poster to prove it!" exclaimed Gekomon.  "Both are on the top ten most wanted list, and we must take all precautions to avoid being attacked by them."

  "Please leave," the large frog digimon amiably demanded.

  So in a few seconds, the three were escorted to the guest building.  It was neatly kept on the inside.  The first floor was a living room and a front hall that had a long, winding staircase.  There was plenty of food stored in the room on the second floor with a feast of mouth-watering food on the table, and on the third floor there was a bathroom with a large bathtub and all the necessary items for cleanliness.  On the fourth floor there was a room similar to Shogun Gekomon's throne room.  The fifth floor was an entire bedroom, with three beds just for the three of them.  All the rooms were circular, like the building, and about the size of a normal-sized bedroom.  Windows lined the walls, and the walls were painted peaceful colors.

  "Dinner is served," said a Mushroomon, entering the room as the delicious mouth-watering aroma of food wafted into the living room.  "I work here, to make your stay here a pleasant experience."

  Still, despite the luxuries, an awkward sensation was growing in Incantemon's stomach, and it was not from the lack of food.  He was concerned about his brother and Gatomon, and if they were going to survive through the night.  He remained concerned and silent throughout dinner, and so were Erika and Kari.  Throughout the evening, they made as much conversation as possible with the many Mushroomon and Gazimon that worked there.  Finally, after they had been cleansed and bathed, eaten a delicious meal, and were resting in their beds, the one thing that was on their minds was Necromamon and Lady Myotismon.  Erika was the first to finally drift off, for she didn't have a bond to the two which was as strong as her digimon or her friend.  The good sorcerer, after tossing and turning for a long time,

  In the middle of the night, Kari stepped out of bed in her silky white nightgown which was given to her by the generous digimon.  She walked over to the window that faced the gate and stared out of it.  She could see the gate from a long ways away and make out two figures that appeared to be sleeping.

  "Gatomon… we'll see you again," whispered the young digi-destined.  Suddenly, a song came to mind that Gatomon used to sing… one that she sang herself to sleep with when she was Myotismon's servant… the song was called "Oh My Little One…"  With a quiver in her voice, she began to softly sing.

  "The day's finally done…

   And night is here…

  Oh my little one,

  Please have no fear…

  Have dreams of glory

  And days gone by…

  Oh my little one,

  Please don't you cry…

  Evil can't come near

  Your heart of good…

  Oh my little one,

  Dream like you should…"

Suddenly another verse just seemed to come to mind.  Kari knew the fourth stanza very well, but seeing her two friends banished to the outside caused powerful song lyrics to rush through her mind and escape through her lips…

  "Outside the gate

   Is where you are…

  Oh my little ones,

  You can't be far…

  Banished in the world

  You were welcome in…

  Oh my little ones,

  To evil you seem akin…

  You're forever virus,

  But can't they see?

  You're good inside…

  Please…

  Come back to me…"

  Gently weeping, Kari sat on the ground, curled up into a fetal position beneath the window, and cried herself to sleep.

  Hours later, outside, the air grew more blustery than ever, with chilly wind blowing around Necromamon and Lady Myotismon and nearly freezing them.  As the wind speed grew from a gust to a gale, a dense fog rolled in from the west.

  The dark sorcerer woke up as a sudden gust of wind grew so brisk he couldn't take it.  The vampire lady had her cape to warm herself up, but none of his robes could adapt to extreme weather.  He was also concerned about his staff, so he gripped it even more tightly as he fought to keep himself warm.

  "Gatomon!  Wake up!" whispered Necromamon, shaking Lady Myotismon awake.  She was shivering even when she was wrapped up tightly in her cape.  Her dress was too thin and revealing to keep her warm, and much of her heat escaped through her cape.

  "What's wrong, Wizardmon?" asked Lady Myotismon, still shivering.

  "I can't take it!  If only we were data and vaccines again, then we would be welcome in Little Edo and—"

  "Yes, but… well… can't you see?  Are you not used to this form already?"

  "Actually… I feel I am accustomed to this new body, as I have been this way for what feels like an eternity."

  "I hate to say this, but… I sort of feel comfortable in this form.  Remember when you first digivolved to Wizardmon?  Remember?"

  "Yes… I did get used to it after a while, but I didn't want to be Necromamon again.  Look at me now!  Look at you now!"

  "But you do look very handsome in that stage.  I mean, you looked very cute and huggable as Wizardmon, but now you look so…"

  "And you're very beautiful as Lady Myotismon, but I'd love to see you as an adorable little Gatomon."

  The two held hands and looked into each other's eyes before interrupted.

  "Aw, the lovebirds!  How sweet!" exclaimed a small but energetic voice from behind them.  Both their heads turned to see…

  "Demidevimon!" exclaimed the dark sorcerer, seeing the pesky imp flapping his wings.  "How did you find us!"

  "Ah, I've known where you were for a very long time," said another familiar voice as the fog rolled in.  Some bats also flew in and perched upside-down on the fence and on the branches of a tree that was next to the gate.  Suddenly, the wind speed picked up and a figure came in through the fog, walking towards the two banished digimon.  Finally, his face could be seen.  "I see you and my counterpart have been getting along just fine with each other… but not getting along with the other digimon," he said, grinning and baring his fangs.  It's not too far away, he thought.  All I need to do is keep them occupied for the time being…

  "Oh great," muttered Necromamon, trying to withhold his fear.  "Just what we need, in the midst of being dirty and tired and hungry and above all: cold, Myotismon comes along and rubs it in our faces."  He stood up and brandished his staff, which began to glow.  "I'm not letting you capture me OR Gatomon again!"

  "That's what you think," said the vampire.  "GRISLY WING!"  A huge army of bats flew out from under his cape and at Necromamon, tearing his robes.

  "CRIMSON LASH!" shouted Lady Myotismon, hurling a small bolt of Crimson Lightning at her male counterpart, who blocked it with his cape.

  "You amuse me, Gatomon, thinking you can measure up to me," said Myotismon.  He strode up to her and grabbed her wrist, digging his sharp claw-like nails into her tender skin.  Lady Myotismon cried out in pain.  "You will be mine this time," he declared.

  The dark sorcerer began to see red.  Never, no way in digi-hell was his friend going to be tormented and possessed again.  He pointed his staff right at the vampire and aimed it directly at him, where his cape wasn't protecting him.  "DARK SPELL!" he shouted, letting out a blast of dark energy and hitting Myotismon's chest.

  "RRRR!" growled Myotismon, narrowing his eyes at Necromamon.  "NIGHTMARE CLAW!"  He paralyzed Necromamon in his tracks, making him prone to attacking.  A red glow formed around his hand, ready to form a bolt of Crimson Lightning.

  I can't let this happen! thought Lady Myotismon as her male counterpart was about to nearly kill her friend.

  "CRIMSON LIGHTNING!"  Myotismon whipped the bolt of lightning right at Necromamon, singing his robes and nearly setting him on fire from the inside.  The dark sorcerer clenched his teeth, trying his best not to cry out, though the pain was overwhelming and he could feel himself bleeding from the whip of lightning.  "CRIMSON LIGHTNING!"  Another whip, this time burning him on the outside.  Necromamon could feel something warm and wet run down his chest in a vertical river, staining his robes with a dark red and causing him to keel over, but not scream out.  He couldn't show his pain… he mustn't lose…  One more blast and he was sure to die.

  "AAAAAAAAAAH!" he cried out loudly, bending over even worse and nearly blacking out.

  "NO!" screamed the vampire lady as her male counterpart formed another bolt of Crimson Lightning.  Although she thought utilizing her fangs for attack would be highly unorthodox, she decided to bite Myotismon right on the arm that was holding her, piercing two holes in the cloth and the skin, staining a part of his suit dark red as blood flowed out of the wound.  She spat out the blood, trying to get the taste of the blood out of her mouth as the vampire let go of her, causing her to run in front of the dark sorcerer and take the attack for him.

  "RAGING NIGHTMARE!" she screamed, sending out an army of bats at Myotismon, trying to get them to rip him apart.

  "GRISLY WING!"  The bats from the vampire's attack countered his female counterpart's, and the bats fought and fought and all of them got ripped to shreds.

  Necromamon was badly injured, and one more attack could kill him for sure, but he had to try.  He weakly held his staff above his head and cried out, "BLACK THUNDER!"  A bolt of jet-black lightning shot out from the staff right at Myotismon, hitting his chest and knocking him to the ground.  Lady Myotismon helped the dark sorcerer stand up and guided him to the vampire, who was still on the ground and winded from the blow.  She helped him take the sword and assisted in him swinging it.  She decided to add her Crimson Lash to the sword, making it even more potent.

  They both shouted the attack at the same time, as if they could read each other's thoughts.  For when two digimon worked together to combine their attacks, they could almost read the other's minds.  "CRIMSON SWORD!" they both shouted, swinging the sword right at Myotismon… hitting him directly… as well as shocking him and ripping his cape and suit… where the suit was ripped there was a large gash that spanned his chest, and blood was flowing out of the wound.

  "Damn!  I did not anticipate such strength," said the vampire, clutching his chest.  He looked behind him and saw the sun rising and something else in the distance.  He weakly stood up and flew into the air.  "It is time I take my leave!  We shall see each other again!" he shouted, flying into the distance and Demidevimon following.

  "The sword was very powerful indeed," said Necromamon, bending over and clutching his chest where the Crimson Lightning had whipped him.  "Thank you…"

  Lady Myotismon took her cape and ripped a piece off of it long enough to wrap around her friend's chest.  She took it and wrapped it tightly around Necromamon's chest, using it as a makeshift bandage.  "Here, this can stop the blood… don't do anything too strenuous… I don't want you to die."

  Suddenly a deep rumbling was heard in the distance.  It sounded much like a giant freight train… or a tornado.  It was getting louder and more noticeable by the minute.

  "What is going on?" shouted Lady Myotismon, looking into the distance.  She had expected it to be the wind, but instead, it was a large column of spinning data, which was dark pink with pieces of colorful data whirling around it.  The column of data didn't look that large, but it stretched up into the sky and was over a mile in diameter.  It resembled a tornado, only it was more ominous.  It was a digital vortex, which could suck data out of the digital world into a wormhole and it would never return.

  "Oh no," groaned Necromamon.  "A digital vortex!  And if we don't do something, Little Edo, as well as our friends, will be history!"

To be continued… in the conclusion!