Chapter 17: A Call to Power
Izzy stopped walking and wiped some sweat from his brow. The desert they were crossing seemed a lot bigger than before, and the sun refused to set. He looked at his watch and gave a sigh that could be heard by the entire group. "24 hours... It's official. The sun doesn't set anymore."
Joe walked up to Izzy and fixed his glasses, which had moved slightly to the right, "Don't let it get to you," he said, "Remember that things go wrong when evil tampers with the Digiworld."
Izzy stood upright and gave Joe the satisfaction of a smile, "Yeah, but I was hoping that they would be nice enough to leave things as is for once."
"Hey!" Sora cried, "Look over there!" She pointed towards a small dust cloud just above the horizon. Its irrational movement suggested that something was moving towards them. something that was in a hurry.
Mimi shaded her eyes from the sun and watched the cloud, "What is it?"
A beeping sound came from their digivices. TK looked at his and then at the cloud, "Whatever it is, its a digimon."
Joe spoke sarcastically, "Like that's a surprise." He shaded his eyes from the sun and watched the cloud grow larger, "What I would give for tai and his telescope right now."
Kari turned her left ear to the the cloud and concentrated on the noise it made, "It sounds like wind..." She turned to the group, "It makes a sound like passing wind."
Izzy's eyes widened. He stood up but lost his balance and fell backwards. He immediatelly sprang back to his feet, "There's something behind it!"
The group all looked a bit closer and saw what Izzy was talking about. A large, undefined, black mass was chasing after it. The mass changed is shape like it was water as it raged after the dust cloud.
Biyomon grabbed Sora's arm and tugged on it, "Come on, Sora! We have to get out of here!"
"But we don't know if those things out there are trouble!" Sora freed her arm and turned back to watch the two masses get closer.
Gatomon squinted her eyes and spoke in a low tone, "In Digiworld it's always trouble." She grabbed Kari, "Come on!"
Joe yelled, "Too late! Incoming!" Joe dropped to the sandy ground and covered his head as the dust cloud lept over him. The object that made the cloud collided with TK and fell to the ground.
The dust settled and the digimon could finally be seen. It was a dark purple wolf with horns along it's back and face. "Watch it!"
TK got up and brushed sand off of his shirt, "Hey! What's the rush?"
"Don't you know? It's coming!"
TK gave the wolf a puzzled look, "It?"
"You don't know what I'm talking about?" the wolf turned to look at the rest of the group. "Ahhh... I get it. You're the Digidestined who have come to save this world. Well I've got news for you." The wolf turned back to face TK, " You're doomed to falure."
Izzy stepped forward with his hands in fists, "what do you mean? Are you saying we can't defeat the evil Digimon that are conquering the world?"
The wolf snarled at him, "I believe you can defeat the evil Digimon. Defeating the other evils that exist is another story." The wolf lept over TK and turned his head to look back at them, "I suggest you leave before you have a meeting with it." The Wolf dissappeared in a cloud of dust as it ran off.
Izzy scratched his head and turned to speak with the group, "What exactly is IT?"
Sora shrugged, "Who knows." She looked back at the black mass that had nearly reached them, "But we're about to find out."
Joe got up and hunched into a more stable position, "Everyone get ready!"
The black mass swirled around them as it reached them. It formed a tall barrier around them to prevent escape and nearly blocked out all of the light. It spoke with a rumbling voice that came from everywhere around them, "Digidestined..." The black mass continued to swirl around them and began to shrink the space around them. "What are you dreaming?"
Mimi scratched her brow in confusion, "Dreaming? We're not sleeping!"
The black mass pulsed like a heart as it spoke with a more aggressive tone, "You humans are always dreaming! These dreams cloud your minds and make you weak!" The mass shaped itself so that it formed a spike that acted as a face. The spike pointed at Mimi, "Right now you dream of star filled skies with cool breezes. A simple dream, but a sickening one!"
Mimi arched her eyebrows and gave the spike an angry look, "What do you mean sickening? And how did you know that!?"
The black shadow moved its spike closer to Mimi's face, "I know it because I have to. I exist only in dreams. I watch every moment. I am what Dreamers fear most. The black shadow that steals their bright cores." The black mass collected into a smaller shape. The shape twisted into that of a human. It retained it's blackish color and looked like a picture from a newspaper. "I am Nightmaremon!"
Mimi froze as the human took shape. Her body shook like it was in an ice cold cell. Sweat trailed down her face and she was unable to speak. The shadow reshaped itself as a wall behind the human figure. The figure approached Mimi and gave her a cold stare. "What's wrong, Mimi? Something familiar?"
Joe shook Mimi by the shoulders, but was unable to break her trance, "Mimi?" Joe shook harder. "Mimi! what's wrong!?"
Mimi finally blinked back to normal and spoke, "That man..."
The Shadow crept closer to Mimi and Joe. It spoke in it's low, menacing tone that sent a cold feeling through all of them. "That's right, Mimi. You remember."
TK grabbed his chest as a chill filled his body. He's more than evil. I can feel his anger. His insanity, and yet... It's almost as if he's innocent... But he wishes to hurt or even destroy everything...
Kari watched as TK fell to his knees and shook violently. She grabbed his arm. "What's wrong, TK? You look like you're in pain!"
TK struggled to push the words out of his mouth. With each word he spat out saliva, "His intentions! I can hear them. Feel them!"
Izzy ran upto him and tried to stop the shaking, "What do you mean? Are you saying you have some kind of link with him?"
The shadow turned to look at the trio and reshaped itself again. this time it took the shape of TK's brother, Matt. "The 7th child... Hmph! You say you can feel my intentions?" The shadow wall around Matt expanded as he began to glow. "Maybe I'll let you all feel my intentions! Nightmare rush!"
The black shadow the one was a wall shot out at the Digidestined. They scattered out of its way as it collided with the sand covered surface. The part the was shaped like Matt pointed at them, directing the shadow to attack. The large mass borke apart into several smaller, but just as threatening pieces. Each piece chased after one of the children or digimon. They smashed through large stones and shook the ground as they rushed after their targets like enraged bulls.
Joe dragged Mimi behind him as two of the spikes chased them. Palmon lept over them, "I'll handle this! Palmon, digivolve to... Togemon!"
The large cactus like digimon ran at the two spikes. She lifter her gloves as she prepared to attack, but never got the chance. The two spikes formed back into one and shot right through her. Togemon fell to the ground with a loud cry of pain, but she did not seem injured, physically. Instead she curled into a tight ball and lay there like she was afraid.
Joe turned back and saw what had happened, "Yikes! Togemon's down!" He turn to run agin but found that the spike had split back into two and now had him from two directions. Think, Joe, think! Have to save Mimi! If it's the last thing I do! "Gomamon! digivolve!"
"Gomamon, digivolve to... Ikkakumon!" The walrus looking behemeth fired torpedoes at the spikes. They hit their mark, but the spike din't stop it's pursuit. "Joe! Get out of here!"
Joe began to run but quickly turned the other way. The spike that was chasing Biyomon had taken care of her, and was now after him. "Man!"
"Patamon, digivolve to... Angemon! Hand of Fate!" Angemon launched a beam of light at the shadow. It faltered and seemed to fear the light. The spike retreated, but quickly regained its courage and lunged at Angemon. It grabbed one of his wings and smashed him into the ground. It then stabbed into his back and drained the color from his body.
The Matt imposing figure laughed, "Foolish dreamers! You cannot defeat what is part of you!" The form suddenly turned as he saw movement to his right. A cloud of dust zoomed past him and pushed him down. "what?"
The wolf digimon that had been running crashed into the figure. "Nightmaremon!" The wolf turned around and lept into the sky. His horns began to glow a birght blue, "Thunder wolf!" Lightning shot out of his horns and struck the spikes. Although it didn;t seem to hurt them. they quickly jumped back into the main figure.
Nightmaremon gave the wolf an angry look, "Luciedmon! You dare rebel against your creators? You wouldn't exist if we hadn't gotten your cpde from their world!"
Luciedmon growled, "Which makes them my real creators!" Luciedmon ran at Nightmaremon at full speed. He began to form a large flame around him and shook the ground with every step, "Mad Lucied!" Luciedmon almost appeared vanish. He struck at the Matt looking figure rapidly from all directions.
The figure fell and returned to it's original shape. It stood at its full height and laughed, "Foolish! That is what you are!" Nightmaremon spun around and the sky began to darken, "I'll destroy you all with one blow! Nightmare rest!"
All at once, spikes shot out of Nightmaremon and struck the Digidestined. They all screamed as their bodies were filled with cold, fearful thoughts. The Digimon were knocked unconcious. Luciedmon roared as the spikes entered his body. Forcing him to dream of the worst nightmares he ever knew.
"So, how does it feel to be your own worst enemy?" Nightmaremon gave off a laugh that echoed through the skies. Joe still hung onto Mimi's hand, but was quickly losing conciousness.
Gomamon struggled to his feet. He saw what was happening and mummbled, "Joe?"
Joe turned his head, "The digimon... they are getting up!" He grabbed his digivice and pointed it at Gomamon, "Gomamon! We need you!"
Gomamon glowwed like a star gone super nova. He was so bright that the darkness faded and Nightmaremon dropped the children. The toher Digimon got up. Palmon and Biyomon also began to glow. Tentomon was the lat one to start glowing. Gatomon and Patamon watched as their friends floated into the sky.
The children smiled as they regained full controll of themselves. Joe shouted, "Alright, gang! Digivolve!"
"Tentomon, Warp digivolve to... HerculesKabuterimon!"
"Biyomon, Warp digivolve to... Phoenixmon!"
"Palmon, warp digivolve to... Rosemon!"
"Gomamon, warp digivolve to... MarineAngemon!"
The four megas towered out of the sky and rammed into nightmaremon. He fell back, but managed to stay on its feet, or whatever it was he stood on. "Impressive! But futile! Nightmare rush!" The spikes shot out at the digimon, but this time they returned fire.
HerculesKabuterimon spread his wings and shouted, "Thunder storm!" Lightning shot out from his horn and blasted the spikes away. Nightmaremon seemed a bit shocked, but he continued his attack. He dashed forward in an angry charge.
Phoenixmon met Nightmaremon and began to struggle with him. They got into a tight hold and both refused to give up. Rosemon and MarineAngemon flew above them and attacked Nightmaremon. "Thron whip!" A whip shot out of Rosemon's hand. It was covered wiht large spikes and dug into Nightmaremon's body.
MarineAngemon Flapped his winges and the sun broke through the clouds. "Holy water!" Rain began to fall and burned into nightmaremon's flesh. Smoke began to burn off of him as the rain continued to fall.
Nightmaremon let go of Phoenixmon and tried to shield himslef from the rain. Phoenixmon took to the skies and laughed, "Bad move! HolyFire!"
Flames engulfed Nightmaremon. the intense heat made the desert ripple as the flames tore into the sky. Nightmaremon laughed from within the flames, "You think that will be enough? Foolish! Nightmares are not physical!"
Nightmaremon exited the flames and advanced on the Digidestined. The digimon had reverted to their rookie forms, drained of their energy. "Now you'll get to experience your worst nightmares!"
"I don't think so!" Luciedmon had gotten back to his feet. Sparks were flying from his horns and his body shook as he growled.
"And are you going to stop me?"
"No!" A voice came from far away, "I will!"
Everyone turned around and gasped in shock. Sora could barely believe it, "Tai!"