Disclaimer: Wahaha. Don't I wish they were mine. But no, except for Mikado, Kyoko, and Shikumon, they're all copyright to Toei or whatever company owns them. I crush Toei…someday.
Onto Chapter 4…
Vandemon awoke, greeted by the night, as well as his minions. But the one Digimon he was looking for wasn't there, she wasn't among the ones bowing before him. She was standing on the balcony, staring at the stars. He smiled as he walked over to her. Shikumon didn't seem to notice as he gently put his arms around her.
"So quiet tonight, pet?"
She sighed, but didn't answer.
"Something wrong?"
"No."
He wasn't convinced. It was obvious to anyone that she just didn't want to talk about it.
Shikumon hesitated. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Why me?"
That wasn't the sort of question he expected her to ask.
"Why you? That's a rather odd question."
"I mean, why did you give it to me?"
"Give you what?"
"This…gift. Was that what you called it?"
"That's what I consider it to be." He ran his fingers along her wingspan. "You speak of it as though it's a bad thing."
"Why did you give it to me?" She wasn't about to let him change the subject.
He leaned in so that his face was nearly touching hers. "Because I love you."
Shikumon bit her lip before responding. "Seriously? No fooling?"
He laughed softly. "No fooling."
She turned around to face him.
"Why? What makes me so different that you love me and nobody else?"
Vandemon kneeled down. "You're asking me to describe what love is. I don't know what makes the heart long for one person and not another. All I know is that I could never love anyone as much as I love you."
"No matter what? You'll love me forever."
He kissed her gently on the cheek. "Forever and a day, my precious."
She seemed satisfied with that answer, but it wasn't her last question.
"Why do we have to kill the eighth child?"
He paused. "I believe I've explained it to you. More than once, in fact."
"I know. Just…tell me again, ok?"
Vandemon sighed. "The eighth child has an immense amount of power, Shikumon. I shouldn't have to be telling you that. You already know that if the eighth child doesn't die I will. He'll kill me. This is a child of light we're talking about, pet."
"The eighth child…is just a kid. Like me."
"No, sweet. Not like you at all," he kissed her on the cheek a second time.
"Vandemon…I keep thinking…what life might be like if…if you hadn't raised me. Like, if, I had a real family, like the Digidestined."
"Like the Digidestined?" he repeated with disbelief. Shikumon looked at the floor, her face turning red.
"I only meant…if my real parents…"
"Shh, no more of this." He ran his gloved fingers through her hair. "I never knew your real parents, and neither did you. Don't trouble your mind with such thoughts that make you question who you are and where you belong. I raised you in the darkness, and as long as I'm alive, you'll know no life but this one."
Mikado was breathing heavily. He sat on the ground, unable to do anything but stare at Shikumon's limp body.
Daisuke looked at it too. "Is she…"
"She's alive. Just don't…don't go near her."
"Why not?" asked Takeru.
"It'd be like touching a radioactive rock. She's between stages right now."
"Between stages?"
Tailmon stepped forward, advancing towards Shikumon. "Between Digimon and human." She walked over to her, placing a paw gently on her head.
"Tailmon?! What are you doing?" Hikari asked, a note of panic in her voice.
"It's alright…she'll wake up, and then maybe everything can be alright again." They weren't sure if Tailmon was talking to Hikari or Shikumon.
Suddenly, a flash of red light illuminated Shikumon's body. Her hair darkened to a less fierce color, her wings disappeared, and her claws turned into normal fingernails.
Whatever she was now, she opened her eyes. They were blue now. Dazed, she opened her mouth. The fangs had shrunk, but they weren't gone. Even so, she wasn't Shikumon anymore.
"Kyoko?!" Daisuke asked in disbelief. It was her, no doubt about it. She sat up, and looked at Tailmon. Tears were welling in the little Digimon's eyes.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered.
Kyoko caressed Tailmon's face gently. "For what? You don't have anything to be sorry about."
"I should have said something, or done something…"
Kyoko cut her off. "You DID do something. You tried to protect me when Icedevimon attacked us. But I'm the one who should be sorry. I thought I'd be able to control myself, but I suppose I can't."
"Then," Ken said suspiciously, "it wasn't you who attacked everyone?"
Kyoko blinked. "Of course it was me. Shikumon and I are the same. We have the same mind, same body, and the same soul. It's just…just that, when I'm Shikumon, I can't control myself. Shikumon has so much power, and the urge to use it becomes too much. Adrenaline takes over, and I start acting really crazy."
"Then why would you become Shikumon in the first place, if you do so much evil?" Daisuke asked.
Kyoko walked up to him. She took his hand her hers, then put it over his heart. "What do you feel?"
"My…my heart." He didn't see where the conversation was going. She hadn't let go of his hand. She lifted it up again and put it on the right side of her chest.
"Now, what do you feel?"
He paused for a moment, then his eyes opened wide with realization. "Nothing."
She walked back over to Tailmon. None of the other Digidestined or Digimon had dared to move or say a word. "Many Digimon are created in the image of a creature in this world. Tailmon was created in the image of a cat, and so she acts like a cat. She purrs, she meows, and she has all the speed and agility of a feline. By the way Vandemon acted, I think it's pretty clear what creature he's meant to represent."
"Yeah," said Iori, "a vampire. But what's that got to do with you?"
"Don't you remember what Leomon said?" Miyako said to him. "Vandemon created Shikumon in his image. If Vandemon was a vampire, then Shikumon was too. And if Kyoko can turn into Shikumon…"
"…then Kyoko must always carry a part of Shikumon with her, whether she's in that form or not."
"A part of Shikumon…?" Daisuke glanced at Kyoko, and then he saw her teeth, gleaming like milky white blades in the moonlight.
"You're a vampire, aren't you?" he asked. Kyoko grinned.
"Took you long enough."
Ken looked shocked. "But when…how…why…"
Tailmon wiped several tears away. "I couldn't believe it either when it happened. She wasn't always like this. Kyoko used to be a normal human being, with a beating heart. But Vandemon, the one she trusted the most, betrayed her."
"How could he turn a normal human being into a Digimon?" asked Iori.
"Open your eyes," said Kyoko, "there's more to the Digital World then encryption codes and data. If Vandemon's powers were vampiric, don't you think he's have vampiric abilities as well?"
Hikari picked up Tailmon, who was near to shaking. "How did it happen?"
Tailmon looked at Kyoko. Kyoko nodded. Tailmon sighed. "It happened only a few months before Taichi and his friends came to the Digital World for the first time. Kyoko was only a little kid, and I thought everything was going to be fine."
"Catch it! Catch it, Tailmon!" Kyoko made a futile attempt to catch the yellow ball, which was bouncing uncontrollably against the castle walls.
Tailmon darted after it and caught it in mid-air. Unfortunately, her claws dug into the rubber and the ball popped.
"You ok?" Kyoko asked cautiously. Tailmon stood up.
"I'm fine, but the ball…" she held up the ball of latex that had once been their toy.
Kyoko pouted. "Now what are we gonna play with?" Tailmon asked.
Just then, Pikudevimon came flying down the hallway, humming placidly to himself.
Kyoko smiled devilishly. "I've got an idea."
She walked up to Pikudevimon. "Hello, Pikudevimon, my bestest best friend in the whole wide Digital World."
He looked at her suspiciously. "Um…ok. But the last time I checked, you hated my guts."
"Oh, don't be silly, my little black dumpling." Tailmon clutched her stomach and stuck her tongue out. "I love you so very much."
Pikudevimon's eyes lit up. "R-really?" he asked hopefully.
"Really, Piku-kins! In fact, I love you so much, I wanna give you a great big hug!"
He hesitated. "Well…ok."
"Great!" She reached out her arms and gave him a big squeeze, but she didn't let go.
"Uh, Kyoko? I kinda can't breathe."
"I'm sorry," she said, but she didn't let go. "Wanna play a game with us?"
"What kind of game?" he asked carefully.
Tailmon smiled innocently. "The most fun game of all, right, Kyoko?"
"That's right! It's called…BOUNCY BALL!" she threw Pikudevimon against the wall with as much force as she could. He bounced back and forth, down the corridor, screaming madly.
"It works!" Tailmon screamed with glee, chasing after him. "It really, really works!"
"Yahoo!" Kyoko was ecstatic. Tailmon jumped up and hit Pikudevimon with her paw.
Just when it looked like their fun wouldn't stop, two gloved hands caught Pikudevimon, ending his rampage through the halls.
Kyoko and Tailmon stopped dead in their tracks. Tailmon gulped. "We're in for it now," she whispered.
Vandemon looked at them curiously. "Couldn't you think of a game that doesn't involve torturing and maiming Pikudevimon?" he looked down at Pikudevimon's ruffled body. His eyes were going in circles. "That's my job."
Kyoko looked unnerved, but Tailmon was trembling slightly.
"Please, master. We only wanted to…that is to say, we…"
"We were just having a little fun," Kyoko finished for her.
Vandemon smiled. "I know," he said, "but it would be better if you two stayed out of trouble for now. I've got a lot of work today, and some of it might require making Pikudevimon do my bidding." He winked and dropped Pikudevimon carelessly to the ground.
"You kids be good little angels for me," he said as he walked past them, and ruffled Kyoko's hair gently.
"Phew," Tailmon breathed when he had left. "I thought we were in for it."
Kyoko shrugged. She poked Pikudevimon, who was lying, barely conscious, on the floor. He shot up in an instant, breathing fire.
"You two think you're so great just because you're on the master's good side!" he fumed. "Well, you're not! Tailmon's a wimp, and YOU!" he pointed at Kyoko angrily with his wing.
"What about me?" she challenged.
"You've got no power at all! You're a stinkin' HUMAN! And yet, Vandemon still treats you like a princess, you're nothing more than a spoiled brat!"
"WHAT?!" she screamed. "That's not true!"
"Oh yeah? Well if you're so great, then why haven't you ever been in the dungeon?"
Kyoko stuck her tongue out at him. "Vandemon just told me I wasn't supposed to go down there!
Pikudevimon grinned. "Well, I've been down there. Loads of times. And does Vandemon ever treat me with any respect? Of course not! The only respect he gives me is letting me go down to the dungeon! So until he says that YOU can, you ain't got no respect from me!"
"Fine!" she screamed. "I'll go down there! Watch me!" she started stomping down the hall. Tailmon trailed along behind her.
"But, Kyoko, Vandemon said…"
"So what? A scolding from Vandemon will be worth it if I can prove to Pikudevimon that I'm not a wimp!"
They approached the dungeon door. Vandemon had warned Kyoko numerous times never to go down there.
"Why do you need to prove anything to Pikudevimon? He's such a jerk, and we hate him, so…"
"Because if I can do something so daring and live through it, I'd never have to listen to his annoying taunts again!"
She took a deep breath and opened the door. Her eyes could just barely make out a stairway in the darkness. She took a step forward, then felt Tailmon grab her paw.
"If you're going down, then so am I."
Kyoko smiled gratefully, and the two of them started walking down the stiarcase.
Pikudevimon was taking his time. He wanted Vandemon to catch his precious angel at the scene of the crime. When the time seemed right, he raised his wing, and banged loudly at the door of Vandemon's study.
"Come in," said a voice from inside.
Pikudevimon opened the door. "Master Vandemon?"
"Yes, Pikudevimon?"
"It…it's Kyoko." He tried his hardest to sound sympathetic.
"What about her?"
"I told her not to, sir! But she…she…" Pikudevimon faked a sob.
"What did she do?"
"She…she went into the dungeon, master."
"The one I specifically told her, several times, not to go into?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so, master."
Vandemon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I see. And how many times did you taunt her before she decided to go down there?"
Pikudevimon's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"
"What do you think I'm going to do about it, Pikudevimon? Scold her? Send her to her room?"
Pikudevimon started sweating. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, after all. "I-I don't know, master."
"There's a reason she's here. It's not just for her benefit. Come, I'll explain it on the way." He stood up to leave the room.
"Explain what, boss?" Pikudevimon flew alongside Vandemon, who was striding towards to door.
"The time has come. Frankly speaking, it's none of your business as to what's going to happen, but I can tell you that I know you led her into this, and that, I'm not planning to tell her she's been a bad girl and then praise you for informing me of the situation. However, I suppose you deserve credit for speeding this along. I was beginning to think that this day would never come."
"What day?"
Vandemon smiled mysteriously. "The day where Kyoko and I truly bond as father and daughter."
Tailmon and Kyoko crept quietly down the stairs. Each step they took was a clunking sound that they regretted making two seconds after.
"Do you here anything?" Tailmon whispered.
"No," Kyoko answered quietly.
"Me neither. It's creepy."
Suddenly, two red eyes appeared in front of them. Tailmon shrieked and jumped into Kyoko's arms.
Kyoko leaned forward to get a good look at who the eyes belonged to. It was a small Digimon.
"Awww, she won't hurt you, Tailmon. Lookit her…she's just a widdle baby."
Without warning, the "widdle baby" hissed and scratched at them. Tailmon shrieked again. Kyoko looked at the angry Digimon, confused. Something about that Digimon wasn't right, and it wasn't just the hostile behavior.
The Digimon turned and ran down the steps.
"Hey, wait!" Kyoko ran after it, still clutching Tailmon.
It led them all the way to the bottom. Kyoko couldn't believe her eyes. Digimon of all sorts were either chained up or lying in locked cages. She saw one cage had been forced open, which explained why that one Digimon had been running around. The odd thing was, they all had black rings around their necks.
She walked around, glancing at the Digimon, who were all looking at her, glaring. The air felt so stiff, and the mood itself was dark and not very welcoming.
"K-Kyoko?" Tailmon dug her nails into Kyoko's dress. "I don't like it here."
"What the heck is all this?" She peered into a cage. The Digimon inside it immediately ran to the farthest corner from Kyoko possible. "He…locked them up." She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. Seeing the Digimon chained up like this was just wrong.
"Well, Kyoko. I believe you haven't been listening to me, have you?"
It was Vandemon. He walked down the stairs, an evil grin on his face. Pikudevimon flew down anxiously behind him.
Kyoko looked at him fearlessly. "What did you do to them?"
He smiled. "Do you think all of my subjects come to me so willingly?" He glanced at Tailmon, who was trembling in Kyoko's arms. "They're experiments. The black rings they wear around their necks are prototypes for a device I'm working on."
"But so many…" Kyoko looked at the cages sadly.
Vandemon took a few steps closer to her. "There's more than one version of the prototype. And besides, I've gotten word that the Digidestined might arrive soon. The more subjects I have, the better."
The closer Vandemon got, the more Kyoko stammered. "Th-this is wrong, you kn-know that, don't you?"
He was close enough so that he could reach out and touch her face. "You know what I am, and you know what I do. Why does this come as such a shock?"
Kyoko tried not to look into his eyes. She clutched Tailmon's shaking body as hard as she could without killing the poor thing.
"What are you going to do?" she asked, a note of challenge in her voice. "Put me in one of those cages? Make me wear one of your dark rings?"
He laughed softly. "They only work on Digimon. Besides that, they would completely remove the ability for you to think for yourself. You think I want that for you?"
Her eyes we're still focused on the ground. "I don't know. Do you?"
"Of course not, angel." He leaned forward and kissed her swiftly on the lips. Without warning, Tailmon was dropped to the ground with a thump. "I have a better idea," he whispered in her ear.
Surprised, Tailmon looked up. Vandemon had grabbed Kyoko's chin, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes had completely glazed over, and her chest was heaving up and down. Vandemon licked his purple lips. All at once, Tailmon knew exactly what he planned to do.
"Nooo!" she screamed. "No, you can't! You'll kill her!"
"Hold her back, Pikudevimon," Vandemon said softly, still looking at Kyoko. Pikudevimon grabbed Tailmon's head with his claws, and covered her mouth with his wings so that she couldn't talk or move.
Vandemon pushed Kyoko's hair aside. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Tailmon struggled harder under Pikudevimon's grasp, but Vandemon didn't seem to notice. He leaned his head over, positioning his lips on Kyoko's bare neck. Without another word, he opened his mouth, and sank his fangs into her neck.
The enslaved Digimon started moving around anxiously. All eyes in the room were on the paling face of Kyoko.
Her legs and knees gave out, and her eyes closed. She sank to the ground, unconscious.
Vandemon finally released her. He picked up her sleeping body and stood straight up.
"We don't have much time," he said to Pikudevimon.
"Well, what am I supposed to do with HER?" Pikudevimon gestured towards Tailmon, who was still bound to him.
Vandemon smiled. "It might be good idea for her to watch. Follow me."
They left the red-eyed Digimon in the dungeon. Struggling to keep up with Vandemon due to his heavy load, Pikudevimon barely managed to get his question out.
"Whatcha planning to do with her, boss?"
"That's my business, Pikudevimon. But I can assure you, it's going to end up hurting you a lot more than it could ever hurt her."
"What's that supposed to mean, boss? Boss?" Vandemon seemed to be ignoring him. "Hey boss, wait up!" Pikudevimon just made it through the study doors that were about to smash in his face. He dropped Tailmon to the floor. Vandemon kneeled down and gently placed Kyoko on the floor. Tailmon looked like she was ready to attack him. He turned to her, glaring.
"I'm warning you, Tailmon. I don't have time for your angst. No matter what you might think, the only way Kyoko will recover is if you let me do my job. So, unless you want me to sic Pikudevimon on you again, stay back."
She whimpered for a moment, but that only made Vandemon look more serious. Biting her lip, she recoiled. Tears were welling in her eyes.
Vandemon walked over to his desk and grabbed a knife that had been placed there. Then, he removed his right glove, revealing a bony hand with long fingernails underneath.
Pikudevimon's eyes widened. "M-master? You're not really going to…"
"I'd advise you to stay quiet," he said softly. Gently, he lifted Kyoko's head with his left arm. "Kyoko," he whispered, shaking her gently, "time to wake up, princess."
"Mmm…" She opened her eyes, vaguely aware of her surroundings. Vandemon took the knife to his right wrist and made an incision. Blood started dripping from it. He lowered his wrist to her mouth and forced the blood in.
Tailmon's eyes grew to dinner plates, but she kept quiet. Pikudevimon looked fascinated.
After what seemed like an eternity to Tailmon, Vandemon told Kyoko to stop drinking.
She started breathing heavily, but her head remained in Vandemon's lap. He stroked her face gently in an attempt to soothe her. But it didn't seem to help. Her teeth and nails started to lengthen, her hair, which had been a dark brown color, was turning a vivid red, and so were her eyes. Then, in a flash of light, two huge black wings appeared behind her, forcing her up and off of Vandemon's lap. She keeled over, panting as though she were about to die.
Tailmon rushed over to her. "Kyoko?" She turned angrily to Vandemon. "What did you do to her?"
Vandemon smiled mysteriously. "Tailmon, I'd like you to meet Shikumon."
Everyone, please R&R! I'd really like more feedback!