Disclaimer:  We do not own Digimon; we just like to write about them.

The Dark Scepter—Chapter 2

By Fenris5000—Angelica

The bright humming light faded away, revealing the seven original Digidestined and two Digimon in a jumbled mass of arms and legs.

"Ow, that's my hand you're standing on, Joe!" Mimi shrieked.

"Oh sorry, Mimi." Joe blushed crimson, scrambling to remove himself from the pink-haired girl's flattened hand.

Mimi rubbed her fingers.  "That's okay, just don't do it again."

TK leapt up and whirled around wildly, looking for any signs of Kari or the Acolytemon that had ravaged the area not all that long ago.  "They're gone." He said softly, collapsing into the soft velvety green grass with a stricken look on his face.  "We've got to find her!"

"We will." Tai responded confidently.  He squinted up at the sky, shading his eyes against the bright digital sunshine.  "Looks like we'll have several hours of daylight." He turned to their resident computer expert.  "Any ideas on where we should start looking, Izzy?" TK got back to his feet slowly.

The red head had his laptop ready and was already searching his database.  "Well Tai, considering the fact that we have no idea who even has Kari, I'm going to have to play it cautious and say 'no'."

"Couldn't we get a track on her D3 device?" Sora asked helpfully, watching sympathetically while Tai and TK paced.

Izzy frowned.  "That's what I've been trying to do, but so far, she's not showing up.  The evil digimon who's captured her must have found some way to disable it."

"Gatomon, can you sense where she could be?" Matt asked, turning to Kari's digimon with hope.

Gatomon shook her head sadly.  "No."

"This isn't getting us anywhere." Tai sighed, pausing.  He ran his fingers nervously through his impossibly big brown hair.

Izzy clicked a few more keys.  "Well, I've e-mailed Gennai to see if he has any insight into Kari's abduction.  If anyone would know, it would be him."

"So we're just going to sit here and wait for Gennai to contact us?" TK asked quietly.  "That could take days.  I say we just start looking for clues right now." He was still pacing, biting his bottom lip.

Matt gazed around the area pensively.  "Nobody's stopping you TK, but I'm not sure exactly what we're looking for.  I can't see any sign of footprints leading off somewhere for us to follow.  These Acolytemon are either very thorough and clean up after themselves, have the ability to teleport, or can fly."

Izzy looked up from his computer.  "My info on them is not very extensive.  It doesn't say whether they fly or not."

"Does it say if they eat people?" Mimi asked, her eyes wide, stepping closer to Joe for some kind of protection.

"Here's a scary thought." Joe said, looking around nervously.  "What if they are still here, hiding."

TK stopped pacing and gave Joe a glare.  "If they were around here, I guarantee they wouldn't be hiding.  They already know we're a bunch of chickens who run away at the first sign of trouble."

The others flinched at the digidestined child of Hope's harsh words.

Izzy cleared his throat.  "TK, a tactical retreat is not a cowardly decision when you are outnumbered a thousand to one with some new digital monster who you've never laid eyes on before.  If you had stayed, the chances are better than average that you would have also been captured.  Instead of only rescuing one person, we would be on a mission to rescue four of you, plus who knows when we would have discovered you actually needed help."

"Izzy's right." Matt said.  "Plus we've got four reserve teammates back home that will be joining us as soon as they're back on their feet."

"Okay, okay.  Yolei was right to drag us out, but we should have grabbed Kari as well."

Gatomon flinched.  "TK, every time you start talking like that, you remind me that I let Kari down.  I know I lost her, but I'm going to find her again." Her enormous blue eyes glistened with unshed tears.

TK blushed.  "Gatomon, I didn't mean it like that."

The air by Izzy's laptop started to crackle and a white light flashed and hummed, heralding the presence of the teleporting Gennai.  He materialized beside Izzy, running a hand through his dark hair and flipping his little braid over his shoulder.  He glanced over the assembled group and winked.

"Okay, what is the problem now, digidestined?  I was on a winning streak at the Digi-Palace Hotel/Casino in Digi-Los Vegas.  I nearly had Frigimon right where I wanted him."

"You mean there's gambling in the Digiworld?"  Sora asked in horror.

Gennai looked mortified.  "A little friendly wager never hurt anybody, Sora." He turned to Izzy.  "So I repeat:  What is the problem?"

"Kari's been kidnapped by Acolytemon." Tai responded.  "Do you know where they've taken her so we can go get her back?"

"Acolytemon, hey?" Gennai repeated thoughtfully.  "I haven't heard from them in a while.  Were you able to get any information from your computer, Izzy?"

Izzy shook his head.  "Nothing helpful.  It just said they serve a greater master.  It doesn't even say which one."

Gennai shook his head.  "There isn't just one.  Acolytemon serve beings of great power.  At the present time, I believe they have all congregated to Ash Island where the… um, well, I suppose you could call them the 'Evil Ones', have been banished."

Joe gulped audibly.  "Evil Ones?  Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to want to hear the rest of this?"

Gennai cleared his throat.  "A long time ago, there were five evil ones who roamed freely in the Digiworld.  To make a very long story very short:  they meant to take over the Digital world separately.  One by one, they were stopped, captured and banished to Ash Island, a Digital Prison of sorts."

Matt frowned.  "Why banish them to the same place?  Isn't that just asking for trouble?  Weren't you worried they might team up or something?"

Gennai smiled, shaking his head.  "That could never happen.  The five Evil Ones hate each other.  They could never work together.  They would just as soon kill each other before they would become allies." He paused and frowned thoughtfully.  "At least I don't think they would be desperate enough to help each other."

"Could they hypothetically escape banishment if they all joined forces?" Izzy asked curiously.

Gennai frowned again.  "Hypothetically, anything is possible, Digidestined.  They may be working together.  They may have figured out a way to beat their banishment.  They may have even kidnapped the eighth Digidestined.  I don't have all the answers; but I will give you some advice."

"Advice?" Joe asked.  "I think I'd rather have the answers to those hypothetical questions." He said in a disheartened tone.

"My advice is that Ash Island is that way." He pointed up the road.  "Coincidentally, it is not very far.  To defeat an Evil One, you first need to acquire the heart talisman.  There is one heart talisman for each Evil One.  They were placed in the fortresses on Ash Island that were to be the residing places of the Evil Ones."

"Do these 'Evil Ones' have names or do we call them Evil 1, Evil 2, yadda, yadda, yadda?" Tai asked.  This was taking way too long, so he started to prompt their mentor.

Gennai sensed Tai's impatience.  "Yes they have names as well as powers.  I was just getting to that.  They all possess the powers of dark light.  Darknessmon is evil darkness, Poisonmegamon is poison, Sorceryladydevimon is magic.  Banefiremon is bane fire and Chaosdevimon is the black light of force."

"They sound scary." Mimi trembled.

Gennai nodded.  "You could say they are scary.  They are cunning, but their number one priority is self-preservation.  Banishing them to Ash Island was no easy task.  If they have joined forces, you will not have an easy journey rescuing Kari." He put his hands into his pockets.  "Before I go, let me just remind you.  Do not go after these Digimon without capturing the heart talismans first." He nodded.  "Now I'll be going." He waved and teleported out of site.

"But Gennai…" Izzy scrambled to his feet.

TK had his hands on his hips.  "Okay, so we've seen Gennai, and we know which direction Kari is being held, so let's go."

"TK, Gennai wasn't sure Kari is even on Ash Island." Sora reminded the uncharacteristically hotheaded young blond.  "He just said that is where most of the Acolytemon have been hanging out."

Matt joined Izzy and Tai who were talking quietly and fidgeting with the laptop.  "Any idea how the Acolytemon knew about the Digidestined?  Were they sent by the…er, Evil Ones?"

"I don't know." Izzy said with a frustrated tone.  "Gennai beamed out of here so fast I couldn't ask him.  I have at least forty-six questions for him to answer that haven't even been asked yet."

"Well, why don't we just move on and take our chances one step at a time." Tai suggested.  He glanced over the rest of the group.  "If we don't get a move on soon, I think TK's gonna go all squirrelly on us."

Matt nodded.  "I still think it was a mistake for him to come.  I have never seen him like this before."

Tai shrugged his shoulders.  "TK will be O.K.,  we're here to watch over him.  He's just worried about Kari.  And so am I."

"I know." Matt said with a defeated sight.  "Come on, let's get going."

They followed the road for a few miles before they reached the beach.  A large rowboat waited by the dock invitingly.  A dense white fog lay thickly on the water for as far as their eyes could see.  They approached the boat and Tai jumped in bravely. 

"Well, it hasn't sunk yet." He said with a nervous grin.  "And there is plenty of room for the lot of us."

"Hey!  What about us?" A voice squeaked from behind them.

"Gomomon!" Joe yelled happily.

"Agumon!" Tai grinned hugely.

"Biyomon!" Sora rushed to her pink Digimon with open arms.

"Tentomon!" Izzy wore a relieved smile.

"Palmon!" Mimi squealed.

"Gabumon!" Matt exclaimed.  "Am I ever glad to see you."

"We couldn't let you leave for Ash Island without us." The blue and white furry wolf-lizard Digimon said, giving his tall blond Digidestined a hug.  "It's been so long since you last came to visit."

Matt shrugged.  "I know.  Sorry.  We're here now."

"And this isn't a social visit." TK said firmly.  "Alright everyone, let's get into the boat and get this over with."

"TK, calm down." Matt said.

"Quit telling me to calm down, Matt!" TK exploded.  "While we are all here nice and safe—visiting—Kari could be dying somewhere.  When are you going to get it through your thick skull?  We can't waste any more time!"

Matt stepped back, hurt at the venom in TK's words.

Gabumon watched the brothers through concerned eyes.  He hated seeing them fight.

Tai cleared his throat uncomfortably.  "Okay, um, everyone get into the boat.  We'll decide our next step once we reach the island." He turned to Izzy who was seating himself across from him.  Agumon and Tentomon positioned themselves beside the big haired leader at the helm.  "Hey Izzy, do you still have that map program?"

Izzy nodded.  "Of course." He loaded it and watched as the screen blinked a few times, finally to reveal a  picture of a large dark looking island.  It was squarish in shape, maybe rhombus would be a better description, with two nice sized cove-like inlets on opposite sides of the island.  The south end of the island tapered off almost to a point and was made up mostly of the 'Cliffs of Shadow'.  Mimi and Palmon sat down primly beside Izzy and proceeded to stare at the screen as well.

"How can one island have forests, lakes, rivers, cliffs, mountains, gardens and a desert?" She asked in a disbelieving tone.  "Do you have any idea what that jumble of climates is going to do to our complexions?"

Palmon was daintily primping the pink flower on her head, nodding fiercely.

Joe and Gomomon sat on their other side and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.  "My sinuses are going to probably have a field day." He lamented sourly.

Everyone else got on board as was comfortably possible for seven teenagers and eight multisized Digimon.

"This fog is as thick as pea soup." Tai exclaimed, squinting, trying to make out anything as TK and Matt rowed them slowly forward.  "Ha!  I've always wanted to say that." He giggled, turning back to the group.

"Just keep your eyes in front of us Tai." Matt gasped.  They had not gotten very far and he was already getting tired.  It was a good thing he had never tried out for the Odaiba Junior rowing team; he would have died of embarrassment. 

"Why bother?" Tai sighed.  "I can't see a darn thing anyway." He pointed at Izzy.  "Izzy's tracking us on the laptop anyway."

Izzy nodded excitedly.  "This is the first time I've gotten to use the radar tool.  Prodigious!" He traced his finger along the island.  "There, I think the southwest inlet here would be the best place to dock.  We'll be on this side of the Cliffs of Shadow.  Then we can start for the first fortress which I recommend to be the Crystal Gardens."

TK shook his head.  "I know Gennai advised us to collect those heart Talisman things, but I don't think we have time." He grunted.

Matt pulled his oar out of the water, narrowly missing whacking Gabumon in the head, and turned an incredulous eye on his brother.  "What?  You want to go after these monsters without the talismans?" He wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand.  "Tai, tell him this is his most ridiculous idea yet."

Tai bit his lip and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Tell him Tai." Sora said from the back of the boat.

Tai ducked.  "Now you guys, normally I'd say:  'Yeah!!!!!  Let's go after the Talismans!  We're all for adventure!!!"  He regarded his companions sadly.  "But it will take time we can not afford to lose.  We've got eight Digimon.  They can all digivolve to champion.  One can armor digivolve.  We're fighting only five who may or may not even be together.  I have faith in us.  I think we can take them without the trinkets."

"Tai." Matt said, putting his oar back into the water.  "I know you are out of your mind with worry about Kari.  I'd probably feel the same way if it were TK being held prisoner instead.  I really think we'd better go in to save Kari with all our bases covered."

Tai stuck out his chin.  "Well Matt, if you feel that strongly about it, you don't have to come with us.  We can split up.  TK, me and whoever wants to join us will go after Kari.  As back up, the rest of you can go find those heart talismans.  If anything happens, you guys can come to the rescue." He looked out into the cold fog again and shivered slightly.  He wished he'd had the time to trade his khaki cargo shorts and electric blue cotton T-shirt for something a little warmer.

"Tai, I thought you said it would take all eight Digimon to defeat the five evil ones." Mimi said.

Izzy nodded.  "Yes, I do not think we should split up."

"Fine." TK said.  "Then we will all go to the main temple together to rescue Kari.  The fifteen of us can do it, I just know we can."

"Right." Tai agreed, nodding his head rapidly.  "We do have the element of surprise on our side after all.  Maybe we won't even have to fight.  You know, maybe we can sneak in like a covert operation and snatch her back without anyone even noticing us."

Izzy cleared his throat.  "Um…  we're just about in the cove Tai, can you see anything yet?"

Tai craned his neck around and squinted into the white haze.  "Er, no… wait a minute, I saw a tree.  There.  Yeah.  We're finally here.  Just keep rowing guys, we're headed straight for the beach."

A few strokes later, the boat hit the sand and stopped with a grinding noise. 

"Land Ho!" Tai shouted, jumping out of the boat with a splash.  "Okay, everybody disembark, we've got places to go, evil Digimon to defeat, and a damsel in distress to rescue."

Mimi put a hand on Tai's shoulder to steady herself as she attempted to climb out of the boat without snagging or soiling her baby-pink and white vertical striped shorts.  "Tai, we all know you are quite witty, but could you please knock off all the hackneyed clichés?  You are starting to get annoying."

Tai pouted, grabbing her hand.  "But I've always wanted to say that." He whined, helping her down.  The rest of the

Digidestineds and their Digimon carefully followed suit.

After hiding the boat under some brush; Tai, Agumon, Sora and Biyomon led the group up onto the beach and over a low stonewall.  The air was still slightly misty and cool, but to their left, they could see the desert begin a short distance away, and the heat waves coming off it looked so unnatural that Sora had to rub her eyes.  To their right were these tall craggy evil looking cliffs.

Mimi shuddered as a low moaning sound appeared out of nowhere.  "What was that?" She gasped, clutching the nearest arm she could reach, which happened to be Sora's

"Um, it was probably just the wind, Mimi." Sora answered with a hesitant smile.  It sure didn't sound like the wind.

The moans changed slightly to sound like laughter and howling. 

The hair stood up on the back of Sora's neck.  "I don't like this place you guys, lets get out of here."

Biyomon nodded.  "We've never come here before, you don't suppose we'll be trapped here forever, do you?"

Izzy shook his head.  "No, Gennai knows we're here, he wouldn't have sent us here if we couldn't leave." He opened his laptop and started typing.  "According to my map program, the main temple is through this passage between the Cliffs of Shadow and the foothills." He pointed to the well-worn path through the grass.

The mournful wailing grew louder.

"Well let's go then." Mimi said in a shaky voice, taking the lead at almost a run.  The rest of the Digidestined and their Digimon hastily followed the pink-haired girl.

The scenery grew sharper as they headed inland, the mist dissipated and the air warmed up somewhat.  Mimi halted at the edge of a clearing after about half an hour at a fairly brisk pace.  Thankfully the moaning sounds had subsided as they left the cliff areas.

"Thank goodness." Sora said, slightly flushed, nervously tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear.  "We don't really have to go back that way, do we?" she put her hands in her blue jeans pockets and tried to look casual.

Joe nervously ran his fingers through his blue-black hair.  "Is that the… er temple entrance over there?" He asked, pointing into the ill-kept courtyard.  Long grass and thistles grew mercilessly between every stone, and the stairs leading up to the entrance were crumbling in sloppy decay.

"Homey." Mimi muttered as she scanned the area.

Tai nodded.  "I know I'll probably end up regretting it, but I've got to say it."

"No." Matt responded.  "Don't you dare say:  It's quiet.  It's too quiet."

"Aw man." Tai's face fell.  "I always wanted to say that!"

Agumon looked up at his Digidestined.  "Why?  What's wrong with quiet?  It isn't possible to be too quiet is it, Tai?"

"Well let's go." TK said firmly, taking the lead.  They entered the courtyard slowly, looking around nervously.

"I don't like this, Matt."  Gabumon said to the tall blond blue-eyed boy beside him.  "I feel like we're being watched."

Matt nodded.  "Yeah, me too."

Mimi and Palmon were suddenly beside them.  "Don't you start that you guys." She said, rubbing her arms briskly.  "I'm already freaked out, okay?"

"Okay, okay." Matt said.

"Would you guys please pay attention?" TK hissed in annoyance.  "Those Acolytemon could jump out anytime."

A crackling noise interrupted.  "What's that?" Tai asked slowly.

"Teleportation signature." Izzy stated.  "Prodigious.  I think we're about to meet some munchkins."

"Everyone stand by." Tai growled.

The air crackled and a bright white light began pulsing.  A circle of figures came into existence.

The Digidestined and their Digimon took a step back in awe as the sparkles settled.

"I feel like I've just had my picture taken." Joe muttered, rubbing his eyes.  He looked at the newcomers fearfully.  There were five of them standing in a ring facing outwards.  Each of them was a good six feet tall, give or take and inch, and basically humanoid in shape.  One was female, the other four appeared to be male.   The dominant creature had pasty-white skin and was shrouded completely in a long shiny black cloak.  In his hand was an obsidian staff as tall as he was.

"That one with the staff is called Darknessmon." Izzy whispered, typing away frantically.  "The one beside with the green skin and dark brown cloak is Poisonmegamon."

"Tell me that is not a snake wrapped around his left arm." Joe said with a slight tremor of fear in his voice.

"It sure looks like one to me." Sora replied.

Izzy typed some more.  "The lady beside him his Sorceryladydevimon." He continued, quickly pointing out the female in the black suit, mid-length thigh boots and black and gold mask.  "The one in the dragon mask and red and gold cloak is Banefiremon and the last one with the fangs and red marking on its forehead is Chaosdevimon."

"Why are they just standing there?" Matt muttered nervously out the side of his mouth.  "They know we're here, why haven't they attacked us yet?"

Tai let his eyes flicker from the new threat back to their resident computer genius.  "Izzy, does your program say what their powers are?"

Izzy scratched his head.  "Well to be perfectly honest Tai, I'm not sure what to make of this.  It says their powers have been somewhat erased.  They still have them, but due to their banishment, they are unable to direct them at a specific target for harm."

"So basically they are harmless?"

Izzy shrugged skeptically.  "According to my computer they are.  But I don't think we should underestimate them after all, if they really are harmless, why are they here now, waiting for us?"

"Who cares?"  TK blurted out.  "They know where Kari is."

"TK." Matt began.

"Back off Matt." The boy in the white hat said darkly.  "You can hide in the bushes here while I go save Kari." He stomped off a few steps towards the ring of Evil Ones, followed closely by Tai.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Matt muttered.

The five Evil Ones each took one step out, revealing the eighth Digidestined child of Light unmoving in the center of their cluster.

"Kari!" TK and Tai yelled in relieved anguish.  She was alive, but in the clutches of these five horrible creatures.

Darknessmon tapped his staff on the ground and turned to face Kari.  The rest of the ring followed suit and all five aimed a black beam of energy from their palms at the little girl in the middle.

"No!" TK shouted.  "They're going to kill her!" He ran towards them, Tai was right by his side.

Matt watched them with a growing ache of dread in his stomach.   'Their powers have been somewhat erased.  They still have them, but due to their banishment, they are unable to direct them at a specific target for harm'.  Kari did not look afraid.  She did not even look like the flowing black energy was hurting her.  Matt's legs started running even before he had it worked out.  Kari was under a dark spell and was going to be used by Darknessmon and his cronies to destroy the Digidestined.  He could vaguely hear Gabumon and the rest of the Digidestined and Digimon shouting after them to stop.

A dark glow surrounded the digidestined child of light and the air around her crackled with power.  Kari held a long gold candlestick like scepter that's jeweled eye emitted the same dead black stare as her own.

"Tai, TK!  Duck!" Matt gasped, barreling into the two from behind a microsecond before Kari's scepter exploded with black light.

The Digidestined watched in horror as Matt hit Tai and TK out of the way as if it was happening in slow motion, then he was lifted up off the cobblestone ground by the black light and slammed back down hard.

"Um, is Matt glowing, or is it my eyes?" Mimi asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Whoa." Joe jumped back.  "So is Gabumon."  The familiar blue glow that initiated digivolving  was now hovering around the digidestined child of Friendship's still form, and Gabumon started to change.

"I didn't know we could digivolve while our Digidestined was unconscious." Biyomon said.

"Um, I think Garurumon is still digivolving." Sora said softly.

Izzy shook his head.  "That isn't possible.  We can't without Azulongmon's extra power supporting us."

"Well Izzy, you tell Weregarurumon that." Joe exclaimed as the digivolving process finished and the fierce werewolf let out an anguished howl that was tainted with a deep fury.  The five Evil Ones had messed with the wrong boy!

"Weregarurumon, wait for us!" Sora shouted as the rest of the Digimon started transforming to their next levels.  The wolf Digimon did not wait, instead he started off at an incredible speed towards Kari and the five Evils who still surrounded her.  Just before he reached them and nearly had Darknessmon's pasty white neck between his ferocious jaws, the six disappeared in a wink of bright crackling light.

TK sat up with a stricken look on his young face.  "Kari?" He looked around, letting his eyes fall on Matt's crumpled form.  "Matt!" He scrambled over to his brother.  "No, no, no.  This wasn't supposed to happen!"

Tai scrambled to the two brothers, almost tripping over his own feet.  "Matt!  Oh no, what have we done?"  Tears blurred his vision and he swiped them away with the back of his hand.

"Get back." A low growl interrupted from behind them.

"Weregarurumon?" TK asked quietly through his own tears. 

Weregarurumon edged between the two boys and gave them a withering glare.  "You two have done enough.  Do not touch Matt.  I am looking after him." He gently gathered the unconscious boy up in his strong arms and walked out of the courtyard back into the relative safety of the unknown forest, not caring if the others followed him or not. 

TBC…