Chapter Twenty-eight- Love Conquers All



"Digimon Emperor," Jesi choked out. "Ken...."

TK and Matt stood next to Ken with the same hollow look in their eyes. They were more like empty shells than real people.

"What did you do to them!?" Tai screamed.

Arukenimon slid off the top of the carousel which had now stopped. She landed gracefully on the ground in front of the Digidestined.

"Aren't you happy to see them? My what ungrateful children you are."

"PEPPER BREATH!" A fiery blast sped towards Arukenimon but she swung her hand and batted it away like a fly.

"Agumon!" Tai yelled. Agumon scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry, old habit."

Arukenimon glared at Agumon and the other Digimon. They all took a step back. She clenched and unclenched her fist and then looked back at Tai.

"Well, if you want them, they're yours. I have no use for these three anymore."

"What did you do to them?" Tai hissed at her.

Arukenimon smiled and twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "I guess there's no reason not to tell you. Their life energy is mine now, because without these three the Digidestined are powerless."

"You mean they're...dead?" Cody said uneasily.

"Oh no, they're quite alive. Come, listen to their hearts beat." She waved her hand at the three boys like they were a prize on a game show.

Jesi was still in shock from seeing Ken like this. She took a few uneven steps and stood in front of him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and took the yellow and purple goggles off his face. Ken's once beautiful eyes that she had stared into so many times were now dull and empty. Jesi could feel a tear trickling down her cheek.

"Ken can you hear me?" she said. Ken's gaze was still focused on something behind her. She turned his head so he was looking down at her but instead of looking at her, he was staring a hole right through her.

Jesi's face twisted up and her head fell against his chest. She started crying uncontrollably into his shirt. Mimi stepped up behind her and pulled her away. Jesi turned and cried on Mimi's shoulder. Mimi put one arm around her and patted the back of her head with her other hand.

"Shh... Don't cry now." She brought Jesi back with the group and she and Sora tried to comfort her.

Kari was leaning against Davis and was also crying. Davis squeezed her shoulders tightly and held her to him.

"Don't cry Kari."

Arukenimon's mouth tilted into a smile. "Like I said, they're not dead at all. It's more like their souls have been taken from them, and they now belong to me."

"Why!?" Tai stood another angry step towards her. "Why them!? Why not just destroy all of us!?"

The others were shocked to hear Tai say such a thing, and his remark was met with a unanimous gasp.

"I needed to get rid of the one thing that could beat me." her smile faded and they could see the anger and frustration in her eyes. "Of all the sickeningly sweet things you Digidestined have on your side; Friendship, Hope, Light, Sincerity, Kindness, there is one that is stronger than all the rest...Love. But now since your cute little boyfriends' souls are mine, your pathetic love is gone forever, and you are all powerless."

Tai's rage softened into depression and he hung his head. "She's right...we've really lost this time."

"And now that the digital world's last defense has fallen it's mine for the taking."

"No!"

Everyone turned. Jesi wiped her tears away and faced Arukenimon.

"Never."

"Oh really?" Arukenimon seemed intrigued.

"You've tortured us for the last time, and I am not going to let you destroy the Digital World! We WILL defeat you because we are the Digidestined."

"Jesi...there's nothing you can do." Tai said.

Jesi looked at Tai and then back at Arukenimon. She formed a fist with one hand and pointed directly at Arukenimon with the other.

"I won't give up! There's one thing you didn't factor into your equation Arukenimon. We are never powerless, because the power of love is stronger than anything!" Just then Jesi's crest started to glow, and her whole body was surrounded by a white light.

"WHAT!?" Arukenimon screamed.

The light around Jesi intensified until it was blinding. Then Flotsymon began to glow as well. The other Digimon stepped back.

"I feel something weird coming on!" Flotsymon cried.

Jesi's glow lit up the entire amusement park. The Digidestined shielded their eyes. All around them light bulbs began to pop and glass windows shattered.

"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!" Arukenimon shrieked.

"Flotsymon Digivolve to, Kasurymon!!"

"I don't believe it," Izzy shouted, "Jesi's love was so strong her Digimon digivolved despite Shadowmon's power!"

"Kasurymon Digivolve to, AngeKasurymon!" Kasurymon digivolved into her beautiful Angel form.

Arukenimon clenched her teeth with fury. "You haven't won yet... DESTROY HER!"

Suddenly the top of the carousel burst open sending debris flying in every direction. Shadowmon flew out of the top with a devilish scream. Two terrible arms shot out of his form at Jesi.

"DEATH SHADOW!"

"Ange-beam!" AngeKasurymon's blast disintegrated the hands just as they were about to rip Jesi to shreds. Two more arms formed as soon as the first two had been destroyed. They lunged at AngeKasurymon and she darted out of the way.

"Without Ken her attack is only half as strong!" Izzy shouted.

"Quick get them out of there before they're killed!" Tai yelled and dashed over to the carousel. He grabbed Matt's stiff body and pulled him away. Joe and Davis ran up and dragged Ken and TK away too.

"They're like Zombies!" Davis said, "Ken, buddy, can you hear me? Man I hate seeing him all evil and stuff again."

Tai sat Matt down on a bench and shook him.

"Yama wake up!"

Shadowmon and AngeKasurymon's battle raged on. He dove at her and she ricocheted off the side of the roller coaster. Shadowmon crashed into it sending the roller coaster cars tumbling to the ground in a heap.

"Ange-beam!" she shouted and the flash of light went through the monster forming a huge hole. His body formed back together as if the attack had never even hit him.

"Death Shadow!" Shadowmon's deadly hands extended out at AngeKasurymon again but she darted away each time like a moth flitting around a candle.

Jesi's glowing figure stood fixed to the spot, the power of her love aiding her digimon. Kari looked at her friend stand firm in the face of adversity, her hair and skirt billowing up from the power of the light.

"She can't do it alone..." Kari said. "I need to help!" Kari looked over at TK's lifeless body sitting on the ground with Davis and Joe over him.

Kari felt a wave of power flowing through her. "I won't let you down TK!" she yelled. Kari's crest began to glow just as Jesi's had and she stepped up next to her. Kari took Jesi's hands and they smiled at each other. The light surrounded both of them.

"Together," Kari said, "We will win."

"Gatomon Digivolve to!" Gatomon's body changed shaped and form into a beautiful woman. "Angewomon!" Gatomon's ultimate form of Angewomon hovered over the rookie Digimon. She smiled at Kari and the flew up to join AngeKasurymon in battle.

"What are we supposed to do?" Sora said, "I feel to helpless just standing here watching."

"There's one thing we can do!" Mimi shouted. In a few seconds Mimi and Yolei were standing on top of a hot dog stand jumping up and down waving fans with pictures of Angewomon and AngeKasurymon on them.

"2 4 6 8, WHO DO WE APPRECIATE? US! US!"

"Oh brother," Sora sighed and shook her head.

"Heaven's Charm!" Angewomon said and her arrow of light shot from her bow and through Shadowmon. Shadowmon let out a low pitched, bloodcurdling scream.

"Ange beam!" Each time the two angels attacked, Shadowmon's size seemed to decrease a tiny bit.

"Look!" Cody yelled, pointing up at the battle, "It's working!"

"Death Shadow!" One hand sped towards AngeKasurymon and pinned her against the Ferris wheel.

"Heaven's Charm!" Angewomon's arrow blasted through and deleted Shadowmon's hand. AngeKasurymon ducked out of the way just as another hand came at her.

"Good shot, and just in time!" she said to Angewomon.

"Any time!" The two glittering angels, one of blue hair and one of gold, continued fighting the gigantic shadow. Each blast of light that shot through him decreased his size and slowed him down.

"This can't be happening... IT ISN'T POSSIBLE!" Arukenimon screamed.

"I think they're going to win!" Yolei yelled.

"It's still not enough!" Izzy said. "We can't beat him unless the six digimon unite!"

"What? Which six Digimon?" Cody said.

"Isn't it obvious? AngeKasurymon, AngeStingmon, Angemon, Angewomon, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon!" They all looked over at TK, Ken, Matt and Tai. Joe and Davis leaned over Ken and TK trying to wake them and Tai sat with Matt on the bench.

"Watch out!" AngeKasurymon yelled.

She knocked Angewomon out of the way just as Shadowmon was about to swallow her up.

"Is he trying to eat us!?" Angewomon yelled.

"He's trying to steal our power!" AngeKasurymon shouted back..

"Heaven's Charm!"

"Ange-beam!"

Both streams of light crashed into Shadowmon but with the same small effect they had been having.

"Our attacks aren't strong enough!"

"He's just too powerful!"

The two digimon circled around Shadowmon firing a barrage of blasts at him. Shadowmon lunged up from under the explosions and grabbed Angewomon's hair with his teeth. Angewomon screamed as her neck was pulled back.

"Ange-beam!" AngeKasurymon's attack blasted Shadowmon in the face causing him to fall back, and singeing the tips of Angewomon's hair.

"Talk about split ends!"

Shadowmon's black ghost-like body crashed into the side of a building. As he hit, three small glowing orbs flew out of his mouth. One blue, one yellow and one pink. They floated down away from the battle and towards the Digidestined.

Tai sat with Matt's body leaning against his chest. Matt's eyes were wide open and staring ahead. Tai ran his fingers through Matt's silky blonde hair.

"Matt I've failed you, I'm so sorry." Tai felt himself starting to choke up. "I wasn't strong enough." Tai leaned Matt back on the bench so he was lying down. Tai leaned over him and gently ran his finger down the side of Matt's face.

"Yama, I love you..." Tai leaned over and gave Matt's lips a soft kiss. Matt's face remained pale and motionless like a corpse. Tai broke down and cried. He leaned his face against Matt's chest and his tears soaked into Matt's shirt. Tai cried harder than he could ever remember crying before, but as he cried, he didn't notice the small blue ball of light floating down towards Matt like a feather on the breeze. It drifted slowly towards him and landed on Matt's chest next to Tai's face. The glittering light caused Tai to open his eyes. Through his tears he saw the light settle through the fabric of Matt's shirt and then down into his body, right to his heart.

Tai sat up and dried his face off. He looked into Matt's face and saw his eyes slowly close.

"Yamato?"

When Matt's eyes opened again they were sparkling and bright. Matt's vision focused and he looked up at the person leaning over him.

"Taichi? What happened?" He sat up slowly and rubbed the side of his head.

"Matt! Oh Matt!!" Tai threw his arms around Matt's body and gave him a deep and passionate kiss. Matt's eyes opened wide in surprise. Tai broke the kiss and leaned back.

"What was that for?"

"You don't remember anything do you?"

Matt shook his head. Tai just smiled.

"All that matters is you're ok now."

Below them on the ground, TK and Ken had awakened as well. Ken's Digimon Emperor outfit disappeared and he was back in his school uniform. Matt, TK, and Ken's blue eyes had regained their sparkle when their souls had been returned to their bodies.

"Now," Tai said, "We end this nightmare."

TK and Ken slowly sat up with help from Davis and Joe. Ken shook his head a little and rubbed his forehead. He blinked a few times and saw the blinding light surrounding Jesi and Kari a few meters away.

"What's going on!?" he shouted. He stood up quickly but was overcome with dizziness and his legs went out from under him.

"Hey Ken, Take it easy you just woke up from some kinda trance thingy!" Davis said, and helped Ken back to his feet.

"A trance? What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember getting eaten by Shadowmon? You were gone for hours!"

Ken rubbed the side of his head and stared at the ground. "We were gone? For hours? I don't remember anything. The last thing I remember was being in the forest and then I was here lying on the ground."

"Maybe it's better that we don't remember anything," TK said. "Who knows what horrible things might have happened to us."

Ken nodded, then looked back up. He saw Angewomon and AngeKasurymon battling Shadowmon overhead.

"Jesi and Kari, what's going on, what is that bright light around them?"

"I don't know but we need to help them!" TK shouted and ran over towards Jesi and Kari. He suddenly felt an uncontrollable urge to be with Kari, and Ken began to feel the same thing. Ken hurried over and stood with TK outside the cylinder of light and Jesi and Kari were inside. They held each others hands with their eyes closed, and looked as if all their energy was being concentrated to form the light.

Tai and Matt now stood alongside TK and Ken, staring into the light.

"You need to join them!" Izzy shouted. "Only all your powers united can defeat Shadowmon!"

A look of determination formed on Ken's face. He looked over and Arukenimon who stood on top of a nearby building. She looked as if she was about to burst with anger as she watched the two angels firing beams of light into her creation.

Ken took a deep breath and stepped into the light. He joined hands with Kari and Jesi and his crest began glowing. Wormmon, who had been standing with the other rookies, felt an immense surge of power flowing through him.

"Wormmon Digivolve to, Stingmon!" Agumon, Patamon, Gabumon, Biyomon, Gomamon, Palmon, Veemon, Hawkmon, and Armadillomon all stepped back to give the giant, green, insectoid digimon some room.

Stingmon felt his power increasing even further.

"Stingmon Digivolve too, AngeStingmon!" Stingmon's form changed to that of a man with a helmet like Angemon's but colored green. AngeStingmon powered up his arm cannons that had once been used for his Spiking Strike attack in his champion form. He flapped his beautiful wings and flew up into the battle to join AngeKasurymon.

"Go on TK! We can't wait around here forever!" Matt said, shoving his brother forward.

"I'm going Matt, settle down already."

"Yeah Matt, even when the digital world's about to be destroyed the golden rule still holds firm!" Tai said with a big grin on his face.

"What golden rule?"

"No Pushing."

Matt rolled his eyes and shoved Tai aside. Then TK clenched his teeth together and stepped into the light to join Kari. As he joined hands with the others, the spot over his heart where his crest of Hope once hung began to glow.

"Patamon digivolve to, Angemon!" Patamon now felt the power from the Digidestined's light and digivolved to his champion form. He dashed up into the air and joined his partner, Angewomon. The four angels launched their attacks into the huge shadow.

"Heaven's Charm!"

"Hand of Fate!"

"Ange-Beam!" AngeStingmon and AngeKasurymon fired their now combined attack into their enemy. Shadowmon began to get smaller as pieces of him were deleted with each attack.

"We're going to win!" Yolei shouted, interrupting her and Mimi's cheering.

"They're going to win!" Arukenimon screeched. He face was turning red as a Punimon and huge veins were popping out on her forehead.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, you're so beautiful when you're angry!" Mummymon said in a sing-song voice.

"BE QUIET!!!" Arukenimon yelled so loud that the whole building they were standing on shook under the feet. She slammed her fists down over Mummymon's head sending him right down through the roof.

"What a woman!" Mummymon said, and then passed out.

"Last but not least," Tai said, looking into the light at his little sister. Even if her body was weak, her will was so strong.

Tai glanced over at Matt. "Who would have thought after all the fights we had when we were younger that things would turn out like this."

"Yeah, really" Matt said. He grinned at Tai, remembering the final battle with Venomyostismon. "Scared Tai?"

"No, not at all," Tai shook his head. Matt grabbed hold of Tai's hand. They looked at each other as if they were telepathically connected, thinking back on everything they had been through together since that day at summer camp when they had been transported to the Digital world for the first time.

Matt and Tai stepped into the light and the six children formed and unbroken circle. Above each Digidestined the ring of light changed color. Blue light flowed out of the ground below Matt and shot into the air, orange for Tai, yellow for TK, pink for Kari, white for Jesi and pink for Ken.

"You ready?" Agumon said and the light began to surround him and Gabumon.

"You bet!"

"Agumon warp digivolve to,"

"Gabumon warp digivolve to,"

"WarGreymon!"

"MetalGarurumon!"

The two mega forms stood in the middle of the amusement park with Gomamon, Palmon, Biyomon, Armadillomon, Hawkmon and Veemon standing around them.

"Let's finish this," WarGreymon said.

WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon flew into the air with the other Digimon and surrounded Shadowmon. Shadowmon now had nowhere to go. He lunged at AngeKasurymon trying to swallow her up, but was blasted with a giant,

"Terra Force!"

"Ice Wolf Claw!" MetalGarurumon shouted and swung a huge metal claw down in Shadowmon's face. Shadowmon shot out a dark hand, which crashed into MetalGarurumon, throwing him to the ground.

"Not while I'm around, Hand of Fate!" Angemon's attack blasted into Shadowmon's body sending deleting pixels flying in every direction.

"Ready partner?" AngeStingmon asked AngeKasurymon.

"I've never been more ready!" They circled Shadowmon, dodging the hands shooting out at them.

"Ange-Beam!" The force caused Shadowmon to lose altitude and he almost hit the ground, but quickly bounced back at them with a vengeance.

"Death Shadow!" He was getting slower with each hit, and the black force coming out of him with his Death Shadow attack was able to be dodged. The blackness narrowly missed the two angel digimon.

All six flew in a ring around Shadowmon.

"All together!" Angewomon shouted.

"Heaven's Charm!"

"Hand of Fate!"

"Terra Force!"

"Ice Wolf Claw!"

And finally AngeKasurymon and AngeStingmon's Ange-beam blasted into Shadowmon. The attacks hit him with a huge explosion and a horrifying scream was heard. Shadowmon seemed to collapse in on himself like a black hole. The form thrashed around violently growing huge then tiny. The shadow swirled and contorted around in the air, until it finally disappeared into nothingness.

Light shot out of the six digimon and Salamon, Tokomon, Koromon, Tsunomon, Minomon, and Bunilomon fell towards the ground. Sora, Izzy, Joe, Davis, Cody, Yolei and Mimi ran over to catch them before they could hit the surface.

The beams of light coming from the six lovers dissipated, and they all fell to their knees, exhausted.

"We did it...he's actually gone." Jesi said through her deep breaths. As she leaned down on her hands and knees she began to feel light headed. Her arms went weak, and the world around her went black as Jesi lost consciousness.