Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, big surprise. But I'm going to borrow some of the characters.
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Like before, the boy with dark purple in the air above the great ocean not far from the island named Primary Village. He jumped down from the shoulder of his partner Digimon into the palms of the giant Garudamon exchanging hugs with handshakes with the rest of his long missed friends. All of the children had returned to each other, a feat that not long before had been thought to be impossible.
As always, Ken had his somber thin smile across his face, but they could see the happiness in his eyes. Even his tortured soul could appreciate the goodness of that day. He held onto Daisuke's hands, his own hands almost trembling.
"It has been a long time my friends," he said simply. There were many stories to tell and many words to be exchanged, but all would have to wait until later. Daisuke went with Ken onto Stingmon's shoulders as the rest made their way to the island in quite a convoy. The great red bird, Garudamon, flew carrying Sora, Taichi, Jou, and Mimi, along with their respective Digimon and V-mon. Takeru and Hikari sat atop Holy Dramon's back with Patamon. Yamato, Miyako, Hawkmon, and Koushirou were all on Mega Kabuterimon.
Within a short time they arrived at the island, where everything as was before. The trees were calm and motionless in the serenity of the ocean paradise. Their Digimon reverted, and they all entered the passage to take them to the underground village of baby Digimon. They were greeted by a wave of tiny Digimon, all of different shapes and sizes.
Ken took Iori by the shoulder, as the others entered the main hall. He said, "Iori, it is good to see you." His face was pure and his words were heartfelt.
Iori nodded, and all the deeds of the Digimon Kaizer seemed to pass in that moment. They seemed as if a lifetime ago and Iori could no longer hold those happenings against Ken. He smiled and said, "I am glad to see you, too, Ken."
"There is something I want to show you before we go on with the others."
"What is it?"
He smiled. "Just come with me."
Through passage and passage, they were separated from the others for probably ten or twenty minutes, but Ken was confident that by that time they were probably all playing with the baby Digimon. Wormmon could certainly keep things under control.
"You have done good things here, Ken," Iori said.
"It's a living," he joked. "But I feel that my time here is coming to an end. A new caretaker for the Primary Village will be born soon."
"How can you tell?"
"I'm not really sure, I just get this feeling."
"How will a baby Digimon take over your job?"
Ken chuckled quietly, as was his style. "Caretaker Digimon are destined to be caretakers. They will evolve directly to their Mega levels and take their place with the knowledge and understanding that is required."
"And then you can return with us?"
"Yes, Iori."
They entered a room lit by smaller white crystals embedded into the walls, making the whole room seem to glow. At the end of the small room was a table made of stone and a nest on top of that. An egg sat comfortably in that nest.
"Is that the caretaker Digimon?"
Ken shook his head, and then led Iori to the table. Iori felt a familiar presence as he approached the egg, and he soon understood. This feeling of emptiness in his heart was boiling once again, boiling with hope.
"You have a crest, don't you, Iori?"
He nodded, and took it out from the little bag at his belt he used as a pocket.
"It is the Crest of Justice. Some time ago a light from the Crest of Justice came to primary village and struck a Digiegg. It was this one. From that moment I knew that this egg would be that of your partner Digimon."
Iori's eyes lit up, hearing the words that he was afraid to imagine. "How…how did you know it was from a crest. From my crest?"
"I could feel it. I haven't told any of the others, but ever since I came to this island I have had this strong sense of worth and with it came the power to see what others do not see. I see your Crest of Justice. I see Miyako's Humility. And I see the Miracle that drives Daisuke."
Iori turned to the egg, reaching his hands out to it ready to pick it up. As his hands came closer, the egg began to glow, as did the walls of the room. Iori pressed forward, and the light grew brighter and brighter until he could no longer see Ken or the egg. He grasped the egg and lifted it up, and in a flash the light had faded and the walls were dark. In his hand was a small yellow Digimon with a crest or tail on his head. It blinked for a moment, adjusting his newborn eyes to the light of the room.
"Iori!" he said, very energetically for a newborn.
Iori couldn't speak, but the tears in his eyes and the tightness of his hug was more than enough to say a thousand words.
**
"Okay you dudes, this is how it works," Daisuke to the little Digimon. He held a ball in his hands, made from cloth stuffed with feathers and leaves. He tossed the ball up and kicked it with his knees a few times. "What we do is try to get this ball into Taichis' team's goal. They try to get the ball in our goal. The team that has the most goals wins, okay?"
"Okay, we understand!" cheered the Punymon. They all jumped up in unison cheering.
From across the room, Taichi was standing with his team of Botamon with his arms crossed. "Are we going to play or are we going to dance?"
"You asked for it, man!" Daisuke shouted. He kicked the ball and pointed outward, "Go for it!"
His little army or red Digimon the size of soccer balls ran out with a war-cry for the makeshift ball as the other team did as well. The game was afoot.
Off to the side, Miyako, Sora, and Mimi sat with their legs crossed on the floor with a few stray Yukimibotamon and Pipimon eating some of the cookies that Yamato had brought along. Their own Digimon were off to the side entertaining some other young ones.
"I see you and Taichi are up to it again," Miyako sneered.
"What do you mean?" Sora asked vacantly.
"Don't play dumb," Miyako pressed. "You two have been getting friendly. What about Yamato?"
Sora sighed.
Mimi took a bite from a cookie and smiled. "Sora can never makeup her mind with those two." She laughed. "Popular little slut isn't she?"
Sora and Miyako both gasped and looked sharply at Mimi.
"What?" she said, taking another bite from her cookie. The baby Digimon all erupted in laughter.
Sora's eyes thinned, "And what about you. Toying with poor Jou and Koushirou's heads with your sexual innuendoes. Why don't you just make up your mind about those too?"
The tension in the air rose.
Mimi scoffed, "It's my prerogative."
Miyako collapsed into her arms. "I hate you two. Look at both of you, having two guys swooning over you apiece and me? Me, I'm stuck watching from the sides as all the gorgeous older boys are taken—no—stolen."
"There's always Daisuke," Mimi said.
Miyako's eyes thinned behind her glasses and she glared at Mimi with a deathly stare.
"You and Ken have a lot in common, I think," Sora said. "You both have, well…"
"Questionable pasts, yes I know," Miyako said.
"No, Miyako is back to her old self already," said Mimi. "You can hardly tell she was that heartless and evil temptress that tried to kill us all."
Miyako's eyes were almost closed; she glared so hard.
"Either way, I think Taichi is the one for me," Sora sighed as she looked over to the game, where Taichi and Daisuke where on the ground wrestling over the ball as their teams cheered them on. She rolled her eyes and said, "Yep. That's my future husband right there."
Mimi giggled as Taichi yelled, "You bit me you little…!"
**
"So XV-mon was able to evolve to Paildramon alone?" Ken asked.
Koushirou took a sip from the tea that Ken had offered to him. "Yes. Interesting thing, really."
"But Daisuke's crest hasn't been revealed yet, has it?"
Koushirou shook his head. "I think the power that Qinglongmon gave us through his Digicore allowed XV-mon have the power to reach his Ultimate level on his own. That's how us older kids have been able to have our Digimon go to Ultimate."
"But you said that Hawkmon, Armadimon, Patamon, and Gatomon have all been able to reach Mega alone, already."
"I've been thinking about that. With the power of the Digicore, their Digimon would have the ability to reach Ultimate alone as well. Aquilamon and Ankylomon would no longer need Gatomon or Angemon to evolve to Silphymon or Shakkoumon anymore. But both Miyako and Iori displayed Crests. I believe the power of their Crests gave their Digimon the power boost to reach their Mega forms."
"What about Takeru and Hikari?"
"They were given an external power source from levitation crystals that float in the skies of this planet. Given their power and the legends behind them, I think that these crystals might actually be Digicores from other great Digimon from the past. They allowed Gatomon and Patamon to reach their Mega levels."
Ken took out his Crest from his pocket and rubbed his thumb across the top. "So it's possible for Stingmon to go to Ultimate as well, and even Mega?"
"Yes, but let's hope he won't have to," Koushirou joked.
"What about you older kids?"
"I suppose if it were ever necessary, we could harvest more levitation crystals to make our Digimon evolve to Mega. I really hope that won't be necessary. Think about what kind of enemy we'd have to battle if we needed to have 12 Mega Digimon."
Ken frowned. "Eleven, Koushirou."
Koushirou set his tea down and held his fist. "Right, eleven. How stupid of me."
"Can I get you more tea?"
**
It would have been a great visit to the village. It would have been a simple coming of friends who for so long went without each other. But to have so would be too simple. In the life of a Digidestined, one must always remember there will be darkness before the dawn.
Gatomon awoke in a sweaty haze from her deep sleep. She looked around herself to see Patamon next to her with his wings folded and tucked closely to his body, and then onto Hikari who lay wrapped in Takeru's arms. The four of them all slept under the stars that night, while everyone else stayed below ground. They were cold-fearing, and not compelled by the romanticism of the starry night.
Gatomon became tense and shivered, not from cold, but from on unseen fear. She looked around timidly; the trees were still and only the sound of the beach could be audible. For several minutes she sat wit her eyes meandering from one movement to the other, but seeing nothing.
And then she heard it, the laugh.
It was loud enough to awake Takeru and Hikari. Patamon needed nudging from Gatomon before his slumber was interrupted. They all sat silently, hearing the laughter of something large, and something evil.
Then, as if bursting from the clouds themselves, he stood there, a testament of the Old World. He was taller than most buildings of their own time. Tall and dark and evil, with his huge long claws that reached down to his feet. He stood above the water, not touching its surface.
Hikari screamed and Takeru held her tightly as Gatomon yelled and pointed out to sea, "Venom Vamdemon!"
"It can't be the same one!" Patamon cried. "Can it?"
"I don't know," Gatomon said, "but this one is just as evil. Gatomon Warp Digivolve to…Holy Dramon!"
"Patamon Warp Digivolve to…Seraphimon!"
The two angels took to the air after telling Hikari and Takeru to get the others before it was too late. They mixed few words once in the air as the Venom Vamdemon swung his arms towards them screaming a bloody scream.
He was quite larger than they were, but hopefully their type advantage would be enough to defeat the Digimon of darkness. They took their ground, side-by-side, and focused their attacks together.
"Holy Flame!"
"Testament!"
The two attacks hit his swinging arm, but were only strong enough to push it away with little damage. His great size was only a hit to his power as their following attacks were barely enough to keep him at bay before the other's emerged from the tunnels sleepily and unaware at the danger.
"No way," Taichi mumbled to himself. "Agumon, Digivolve!"
"Right," he said. The little orange Digimon soon became a very large orange Digimon, and then onto a much larger orange Digimon with cyborg implants. This great dinosaur/cyborg took to the air to aid the two angels.
Daisuke and Ken followed suit and soon Paildramon and Stingmon were in the air. Ken found it strange to see them fighting alongside each other, as did Daisuke. Zudomon crashed into the ocean and swam his way towards Venom Vamdemon, as Lillymon followed him closely in the air.
"Hawkmon," Miyako said. "I think it's time. Do you think you can evolve to your Mega form?"
He nodded, and jumped into the air. As he flapped his wings hard to make his way to the fight, he yelled, "Hawkmon Warp Digivolve to…"
His body glowed in red and he soon took the form of a great horned eagle with majestic wings, then to the shape of an man with the attributes of a bird. The man-bird stopped in the air and crossed his arms and then threw them outwards again, as if to tear away the skin of his former self. He grew twice in size, and sprouted a great cape of giant feathers. His body became covered in a white down and armor. A golden eagle stood on his shoulder, as he brandished his shining sword.
"…Valkyrimon!" He held his sword tightly, and went into battle.
The 12 children stood on the beach watching in silence. They watched as their partner Digimon struggled to defeat yet another enemy. Iori stood by Jou holding onto Upamon who had Digivolved after eating a large meal.
"Iori, you have to let me help them," Upamon whined.
"Don't be silly, Upamon," Iori said. "You aren't strong enough yet, you were only born yesterday."
"Please Iori!" Already in Iori's arms was Upamon glowing, and in a flash he became Armadimon and the weight of the hard-shelled Digimon was too much for Iori to carry. "I can't just sit by!"
Iori considered their options, and looked up to the fight. The flying Digimon all circled around Venom Vamdemon like flies in comparison in size, each using their attacks one by one, some in twos. He seemed to be somewhat weakened. He then looked to Jou, who nodded at him. Armadimon was in no way strong enough to become Shakkoumon yet, so he took out his D-3.
"Digimental Up!" Iori shouted.
"Armadimon Armor Digivolve to…Whirling with Faithfulness, Submarimon!" In a splash, the submersible Digimon was gone in the water, heading towards the battle.
"Good luck, Submarimon."
The battle raged for near an hour, bringing both sides to a near stalemate. Venom Vamdemon was nearly beat, but the same went for the eleven Digimon of the Chosen Children. The day was breaking and the red sun of the dawn appeared over the horizon; the straight line of water. No one was quite sure how the battle would end up, but each of the Digimon was showing the wounds of the fight.
Ken watched as Stingmon used his Spiking Finish attack on Venom Vamdemon, only to be hit hard with his elongated arms. He hit the surface of the water creating a wave and loud splash.
"Stingmon!" Ken shouted from the beach.
But the water exploded in white light, and what appeared from the surface of the water was a mutant Digimon that resembled Paildramon with attributes of both Stingmon and XV-mon, but in an inverted fashion. He had the blue dragon arms and legs of XV-mon, but the body and wings and head of Stingmon, along with two additional insect arms at the waste.
The creature flew through the air like a over energetic wasp, taking shots at Venom Vamdemon's body from all directions, striking at the arms first and then the torso. Then finally to the head, he slashed at the face with his claws and then kicked across the forehead, leaving gaping wounds across the monster's face.
Seraphimon and Holy Dramon said something to each other that couldn't be heard from the beach. The two nodded to each other and then bolted into the air in a straight line. Through the clouds they went, until they could no longer be seen.
"It looks as if your friends have abandoned you!" Venom Vamdemon spouted.
"Where the heck do they think they're going!?" Daisuke shouted.
Hikari and Takeru looked to each other and smiled, as two meteors of light came from the sky and struck Metal Greymon and Paildramon, forcing them to evolve to their highest forms.
"Paildramon Mega Digivolve to…Imperial Dramon!"
"Metal Greymon Mega Digivolve to….War Greymon!"
The dragon-man was much smaller than the cyborg dragon that he evolved from, but his attack more than enough made up for so. He raised his arms into the air and in a earsplitting scream he shouted, "Gaia Force!"
The red fireball much larger than himself struck Venom Vamdemon in the chest and forced him to the water, creating tidal waves which died down by the time they reached the beach. The great and fearsome dragon, Imperial Dramon, hovered above Venom Vamdemon, and after gathering power from the energy around him, the canon on his back powered up.
"Positron Laser!" he shouted. A beam of red light followed by swirling blue beams came from the canon and struck Venom Vamdemon in the water followed by shouts of pain.
The white warrior bird appeared next to Imperial Dramon, who in comparison was much larger. Valkyrimon took his sword from his belt and held it high above his head before he threw it at the body in the water like a bolt of lightning, yelling, "Fenrir Sword!"
Holy Dramon and Seraphimon returned, adding their attacks to the volley, followed by Mega Kabuterimon, Lillymon, Garudamon, Submarimon, and the Ultimate form of Stingmon. The attacks of the five mega Digimon along with the four Ultimates and the one Armor was enough to finally destroy Venom Vamdemon as his data erupted in an explosion and soon dissipated.
The 12 children sighed and relaxed, leaning against each other after having to stand for so long in a terrified daze. Upamon, Koromon, Chibimon, and Poromon, and returned to the children in their In-Training forms and hopped into their partner's arms. The rest of the Digimon reverted to their Rookie forms, minus Gatomon who remained in her champion form.
The Stingmon Ultimate flew down from the sky and landed in the water in front of the beach. He was as tall as a building, much like Paildramon. He nodded to the group and said, "Ken, are you hurt?"
He shook his head and smiled, "Don't worry, I am fine…" pausing as he wondered what he should call his new Digimon.
"Dinobeemon," the Digimon said simply. The sunlight shined brightly now from behind Dinobeemon, making it hard to look directly at him. Ken, however, could not take his eyes off his newest friend. He nodded to Dinobeemon, who glowed and reverted back to Minomon, his In-Training form that jumped into Ken's arms.
But in the sunlight, they did not see the data return to form itself again in the sky. The form was much smaller than before and was formed before the Chosen Children realized what had happened. The creature that seemed to stand in the air was much smaller than Venom Vamdemon. His entire body was quite different from Venom Vamdemon's, this one silver with dark blue wings. But the head, the head remained the same, short of the longer and uglier red mask.
The children stood in silence, because they knew none of their Digimon had the strength that was needed to fight another Digimon. But who was this incarnation of Vamdemon? Was he a higher evolution, possibly past Mega? Was it possible?
"Foolish children," he bellowed. "I am Belial Vamdemon, that which will end all of your lives, for it is my mission to not fail. The powers of darkness seek to have you destroyed for your abandonment from them."
"Does he mean us?" Miyako said to Ken.
"I don't know, he makes no sense," Ken said.
"Melting Blood!" the monster shouted. His arms spread wide, and from his shoulders which resembled heads of demons, a red wave of energy came forward in their direction.
"Everyone get down!" Jou shouted.
` Ken threw himself to the sand, holding onto Minomon as tight as possible, before he noticed a tiny red baby Digimon emerge from the gate of the village. "Get back inside, hurry!" he shouted.
The little red Digimon jumped forward passed the children, and Ken couldn't see where he went because he dug his face into the sand preparing for the blast that would most likely kill them all.
But they were never hit.
Ken sat up and gasped to what he saw, as did the others. The tiny red Digimon was gone, and in his place there stood a massive red Digimon that resembled a knight from stories of medieval earth. His huge cape waved in the wind of the early morning, as he held a javelin in front of him, which might have taken the full blast of Belial Vamdemon's attack.
"I am Dukemon," he said. "Highest of the Royal Knights of this world, sent to protect the rookery of Digital life, life that you seek to destroy. I cannot allow that."
He jumped into the air, soaring at a hundred miles an hour with his cape violently shaking in the air. Belial Vamdemon was struck without any reaction, as Dukemon crashed into him with such ferocity and speed. The javelin went straight through his chest, and without so much as a scream, his body shattered into data, and this time for good.
The knight returned to the beach, hovering over the water.
"Ken Ichijouji," he said. "You have done well in your time here, and you deserve a rest. I have come to take your place as Caretaker of the Digital Rookery."
He nodded. "I sensed your coming."
"You are special, Ken Ichijouji. I wish you luck to you and your friends. But, I bring you a message."
"A message?"
"Yes. The powers that seek to destroy you are not that of this world. They come from the inside."
"The inside of what?"
"It is not clear, but the danger is not of this world. You have been sent to us, Digidestined, to end this darkness. The bitterness and the fate of this world is in your hands, and your hands alone, Digidestined. Remember it well, you are our last hope."
Authors Notes: Hey! I'm still alive. Its been a long time coming, but I finally wrote another chapter of this story. Coolies, ne? Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm summing up this story in two more chapters, so stay tuned, I guess.