Author's notes: I'm really not sure what to describe this fic as, or even how to summarize it. I think of it as the fourteenth chapter of Fallen Devimon's saga, and it does resolve a lot of things I had been plotting for some time in that fic. At the same time, I can't just make it the fourteenth chapter, as that fic is, for all intents and purposes, over, and there are a few other stories going on at the same time, from the same point, all interwoven to boot. But it is a sequel indeed, and unlike hopeful love or from loveless sorrow to an uncertain future, you need to have read Fallen Devimon's saga to understand this... That said, the events at Overdell seem to be the most important in the war started by Devimon's return, and here they are.
The war had ended. No, Fallen Devimon had not been slain, but all that was left of his army were a few Kuwagamon in Beetle Land. Infinity Mountain had been destroyed, taking with it his three great dragons and according to Miyako's report, Ice Devimon and a gigantic swarm of Kuwagamon, Airdramon, and Bakemon had been as well. But in the midst of it all, one of the chosen was not feeling the slightest bit of elation from their victory, but was instead doused with sorrow.
"He's dead. Gabumon's dead, and this never would have happened if not for me. If I hadn't joined with Lady Devimon, if I hadn't joined with her, he'd still be here." Yamato mumbled sadly, his voice filled with regret, as he looked downward to the carpeted floor. "It's all my fault!" He yelled, and the tears he held back for so long began to flow, as they had from Taichi so long in the past.
Taichi, yes, perhaps if he didn't help to raise Mugen Dramon, Fallen Devimon would have still ruled from infinity, the chosen would all be fighting in the same place, and maybe his closest friend would have lived. His closest friend, the one he had secretly harbored feelings for, and his digimon partner, who had kept him from drowning in his own darkness so many times, both were dead, and he was to blame. The bearer of friendship looked to his chest, where the crest had once hung, and couldn't fathom how he had once held it, once been chosen out of the many who had contact with the digimon to hold the crest of friendship. But though Gabumon was dead, somewhere, somewhere in the rubble his digitama laid, and in Yamato's present state, he would search for centuries to find the digitama Gabumon would hatch out of reborn, but as he began to leave Grey Lord's mansion, Iori and Ankylomon quickly came to block his path.
"Where do you think you're going, traitor." Iori said, his voice dripping with contempt. "Looking to meet up with Lady Devimon again so she can suck out whatever you have left for a soul?" He added, in a heavily sarcastic tone.
"I want to find Gabumon." Yamato answered sadly.
"There was a time when you were a chosen like the rest of us, a time when you despised the powers of darkness. But now that you've joined with them, even your own brother was willing to kill you, I don't care if you do have a heart, you must be stopped!" Iori added, ignoring Yamato's answer. "Gabumon's been through enough, now you must know what happens to those that join with the powers of darkness."
"Iori." Yamato said, his voice taking a solemn tone. "You're absolutely right. I have betrayed the chosen for Lady Devimon, I've prolonged this terrible war and caused the death of many digimon to boot. I don't even deserve to call myself a human, much less a chosen. But Gabumon, Gabumon's stood by me through all my years as a chosen, and he's always helped me through whatever battles I may face." The bearer of friendship added, thinking back to his time six years ago with the fight against Taichi and the cave of darkness.
"You seem sincere enough." Iori said, doubting whether or not to let Yamato by. "But you can't even show Friendship, so I highly doubt you can show Sincerity." Iori finished, certain that the one who turned to the side of Lady Devimon could not be trusted.
"I don't really care if you think I can show sincerity or not, I'm going to find Gabumon." Yamato spoke through clenched teeth, and began walking towards the exit blocked by Iori and Ankylomon.
"Tail hammer!"
The next thing Yamato saw after the spiked clublike tail of Ankylomon connecting with his chest was a Sorcerimon looking up at him. Looking to the side however, he noticed a large variety of medical equipment and a few digimon with healing magic.
"Those were some bad injuries. Three cracked ribs, a broken arm, not to mention all the magic it took to get rid of all that blood."
"W-what happened?" Yamato asked, then suddenly remembering what had brought him into the fight. "Gabumon, I have to find Gabumon!" The bearer of friendship suddenly said, leaping to his feet as the various towels covering his chest fell to the side, but he was hooked up to far too much machinery to actually find his partner. "Unhook this, Gabumon needs me!"
"You don't have the strength now to even leave this room under your own power, let alone find your digimon." The Sorcerimon said, and then chanted a few words of magic, and Yamato fell back into his psuedo-hospital bed.
"What did you do?" Yamato asked, somewhat more calmly then before.
"It's just a basic paralysis spell. Your head can still move, but the rest of you might as well be rock, at least for the next few hours unless I take the spell off. After all, we wouldn't want you doing something stupid and hurting yourself, would we?" The Sorcerimon explained, smiling.
"Revoke the spell, he's trapped under the rubble of Infinity. I have to save him, he's saved me more then enough times." Yamato pleaded, but the Wizarmon recolor did not respond.
A bit of time passed in near-silence, but before long a grey-robed Vamdemon passed through the doors of the room where Yamato was being healed. "May I speak to the Chosen of Friendship?" The Grey Lord requested, and the Sorcerimon bowed.
"Yes m'lord." The Sorcerimon stated, and moved to the side so the Vamdemon could pass.
"Yamato Ishida, bearer of the crest of friendship." The Grey Lord began. "I have a request for you, and a chance to avenge Gabumon's death."
"Avenge Gabumon." Yamato replied in a quite serious tone. "To be honest, I'd think I'd like the chance to do so. At least this way, his soul can rest knowing that demon was defeated." He added, smirking. "But defeating Fallen Devimon is a nearly impossible task." He added darkly.
"Nearly impossible... But he's badly weakened and walking into an ambush. If this won't bring about his death, I don't know what will." The Grey Lord mumbled softly.
"Very well then, I'll do it." Yamato answered, eagerly anticipating the upcoming battle.
"Good. Do you still have your dagger on you?" The injured chosen nodded, and the Vamdemon disappeared.
"So, it's coming now." Yamato thought, having little else to do with his body bound under Sorcerimon's spell. "That demon. The one who's responsible for the deaths of Gabumon, Tentomon, Taichi, Daisuke, and V-mon. If not for him, both worlds would still be at peace, and my brother, he'd never have suffered through Angemon's death. And this stupid war would never even have begun!" He finished, his face twisted by rage. "Gabumon... I miss him so much... And the least I can do for him is avenge his death..."
But before long it would happen... A battle plan that seemed good enough, but one that ended in disaster, and Fallen Devimon would show that the battles of dragon eye and infinity were not enough to stop the horrors he brought upon the digital world...
It started out with a simple enough plan... Fallen Devimon was heading to the Grey Lord's mansion, but badly wounded and headed into a trap... The Grey Lord would be able to distract and weaken him for a while, and Ankylomon would certainly help by either taking out his feet or keeping one or more of his limbs busy... Meanwhile, Yamato was to hide in a tree and when the time came, he would throw an enchanted dagger that would slay the dark lord... If only it were that easy...
But demons this powerful rarely fall so easily, and when he came, it wasn't to be... The heavens shook, the ground cowered, and the Dark Lord of Infinity arrived...
"Grey Lord... I've come, it's time you reveal what you truly are, no more secrets!" Fallen Devimon said menacingly...
"You're right... Every bit of this mystery was to lure you here to your death, so there's no reason to hide anymore... Die, foul demon!" The Grey Lord yelled angrily, prepared to attack...
"Neck Hanging!" Fallen Devimon answered, moving tentacles like those of a Marine Devimon towards the Vamdemon's neck...
"Bloody Stream!" Two whips of blood came out of the Grey Lord's hands, and he calmly deflected the tentacles to the side with said whips...
"Hell's beam of destruction!" A dark beam outlined in red shot forth from Fallen Devimon's hands, piercing the grey lord's cloak and covering the sorcerer in darkness...
But what emerged from the darkness, if it was the Grey Lord at all, could clearly not be recognized as such... When the darkness finally cleared, there were certainly no traces of a Vamdemon, but what was clearly there was a shining blue serpentine dragon about thirty feet in size...
"Im-impossible..." Fallen Devimon responded, averting his shocked eyes...
"No, quite possible, quite possible indeed... Did you really think Seiryu would ignore you entirely?" The dragon taunted, and then shone brighter, as Fallen Devimon quickly pulled out a cloak and wrapped it around himself to hide from the light, as an ankylosaur came charging forth...
It all happened too quickly for anyone to react... Ankylomon came charging, and Fallen Devimon leaped up in the air to avoid it, then was hit with a devastating blast of blue light... Seizing the opportunity, Yamato sent his hand into a throwing motion, and a nearly invisible black dagger flew through the sky...
Fallen Devimon quickly put his hand up, and caught it between his index and middle fingers at the hilt... The plan had failed...
It all seemed like a blur after that... Blue light and black darkness collided, and in the cover of brightness, Fallen Devimon came charging through... The dragon quickly flew upward, and Fallen Devimon turned his tentacles towards Iori, but his arm movement was different... Seiryu's child began chanting, and when it seemed he would escape, Yamato, Iori, and Ankylomon instead disappeared
"I wanted to tell you so much more... I'm sorry, I guess I'll just be another of the many digimon who sacrificed themselves for your sake..." And as they were teleported far away, a bright blue explosion happened which could be seen from all across File Island...
"Not again..." The bearer of friendship said sadly, punching his fist into the ground... "Noooooooooo! It's all happening again, another digimon dying for our sake!" Yamato yelled, tears bursting from his eyes... "More death, and it's all my fault..." He added sadly, holding the dagger Lady Devimon had given him so long ago to his throat... "No, I can't let Gabumon's death be in vain, no matter how painful it is..." Yamato added sadly, sheathing the dagger and collapsing to the ground to hide his tears...