A New Shade of Gloom
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A blue eye shot open. It was like a robin's egg in size, shape and in hue. A second one slowly opened. The rest of his face was covered in the shadow of his burgundy hood. A pair of ringed horns curled up out of his hood. He lifted his clawed hands up and clasped them together and put them on his robed lap. He leaned back in his skull embedded throne. His body was covered in burgundy robes that matched his hood.
"My lord?" a shadowy figure was cowering in front of the sitting best. It was thin and lanky and slightly bony. It lifted its long bony fingered hand. "Is something wrong…? You look particularly contemplative this…day." It was rather difficult to discern day and night in the Dark World, as they looked the same and the shadow seemed relatively optimistic at the time and had decided at the moment to use that time word.
"Something has arrived," replied the being sitting in the throne, he had an authoritarian, whispery but refined voice. "Something, very powerful and something very familiar is walking amongst the waves of the ocean."
"What is it my lord?" the shadow looked up hopefully.
The creature in the throne stood up, and opened his large, clawed wings. He walked past the shadow beast and over to a large balcony. He pushed open the large window like doors and walked out onto the balcony. A salty breeze wafted in coldly off the ocean. The shadow slowly and cautiously edged out onto the balcony.
"He's here," murmured the shadow's lord.
"Master Daemon…?" The shadow slowly moved forward.
"Strange…" the red robed beast gave a bemused sound, "even in the World of Darkness, our guest has managed to darken the sky even more." Storm clouds were building out over the ocean. The World of Darkness gained a new layer of grimness as the clouds flooded across the sky towards the shore.
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Four long, strong tentacles tightened their collective grip on a large trident. His body was a dark grey. Two arms, which were just a collection of tentacles tied together by chains and leather, jutted from his body. The one had the end of its tendrils around a large trident that ended in four jagged tines. A skull was driven in the body of the fork; the skull's eyes were composed of large, faded rubies. His other tentacle arm was laying on the armrest of a grey, coral throne. His grey shoulders were adorned with three spikes. His legs and then his feet were also two collections of tentacles tied together. The tentacles extended down from the cephalopod's muscular torso and were tied off by another string of leather and chains.
Two beady eyes were embedded into a large, bulbous cephalopod's head, more precisely an octopus's head. The upper bulb of the head had a large red design that ran up its forehead and then curved around in a faded crimson, looping design. The lower part of his head held his mouth. His upper lips were a group of ciliated tentacles. They flitted as he grumbled under his breath. He had a strong lower jaw and his mouth was full of long fangs and teeth.
"What is wrong?" asked a shadowy creature. It was thick and had finny hands and finny ears. It had a fish like tail with finny feet.
"First Daemon arrives to take over my world," grumbled the creature. "Now some other power has infiltrated my shadow sea!"
"That scoundrel Daemon can not lay a claw on you my lord," the creature fell to his knees and lowered his head. "He only can control the paltry land, we will one day rise up and overrun the land like a tidal wave and destroy all that stands in our way!"
The large mollusk sovereign released an unenthused grunt that released bubbles from his mouth. The tentacles of his top lip shuddered from the movement. "Daemon is too powerful to just wash away; he is like mildew…you must scrape him away."
"Lord Dragomon," the finny shadow looked up. "Your power rivals his, neigh it is greater! You could destroy him!"
"I can only rival him in my element," returned the beast. "As soon as I leave the sanctuary of my ocean he would easily strike me down."
The shadow tilted its head and nodded. The being then looked up at Dragomon. "My master, you spoke of another?"
The undersea lord nodded its head, "Another has arrived in my world; he is standing on the border between my element and Daemon's domain. He contains much power; even now he is blackening the waters of the ocean." Dragomon gave a disgruntled shudder.
The shadow looked up. Its red eyes stared at Dragomon with a mixture of awe and terror. "This being even frightens Lord Dragomon whilst he is in the ocean!? It must control a truly grand power…" The being blinked and stepped forward, "Maybe we can persuade this newcomer to strike against Daemon, and then when both are weakened from battle we can crush them!"
Dragomon flicked his resting arm dismissively. "No, he is too strong…" Dragomon's eyes narrowed, "He has the fragrance of the child of light on him…" Dragomon stood unfurling two, large, fin-like wings.
"Master, don't you remember our last encounter with the chosen ones?" hissed the creature as it rubbed its arm. "The angel…" the beast gave a loud hiss. "The angel burned us."
Dragomon stood to his full height. He easily could've towered over a skyscraper, twenty or thirty stories high. His loping walk sent his tentacled foot floating over his shadow servant. "Send for my chariot, we are going to the surface."
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Damienmon stood on the shore. He smiled at the darkening clouds. They seemed to darken at his looking at them. Behind him was a shadow world of Shiokaze Park. Black and white trees waved in the cold, salty air. The sand was a creamy grey color. The water was a deep slate blue.
Damienmon gripped his stomach and winced. The woman's light was still giving his body pain. The boyish figure lurched forward and fell on his knees crashing into the water. His right hand was a peeling and a muted crimson mess. A wave sloshed up and wrapped around the appendage. Damienmon took in a deep breath. He released a soothed sigh and looked at this right hand. The skin was pure, and unharmed. Damienmon immediately tore off his clothes and waded deeper into the water.
He laughed as the cold wetness surrounded his pained body. The salty water swirled around him. There was a bit of a sodium burn but it quickly faded as the skin firmed and regenerated. He drew his arms up. They were healed. He laughed loudly. He looked down at his pale skin. The early onset of adult musculature had begun to show on his chest and ever so slightly on his stomach.
He slowly walked out of the water. A dark aura that seemed to transcend the gloom of the Dark World surrounded the boy and he slid his clothes on. He then sat on the sand. He silently watched as the black waves slid laboriously onto the shore.
"You may as well come forward, I know you are there," said the young man to nothing. A thin lanky shadow creature stepped out from the forest. The child didn't look at the being directly, but he did flick his eyes to the side to catch a sidelong glance of the creature, "I suspect Daemon sent you as a scout, in case I did something…horrible. Daemon, he was always a cautious strategist. Not like Dragomon." The boy smirked hearing the creature hiss in derision at the name. "Awe, is Dragomon," there was a second hiss, "not playing nicely with his older brother, Daemon?"
"Do not put my lord in the same sentence as that sea slug!" lisped the shadow.
"Don't be a fool," said the young man. The boy turned his head. The angular bony face looked straight at the shadow. Bright red eyes glowed softly in their sockets. His hair was wet but the black hair was trying to elongate into their spikes as they dried. "Your lord is no better or worse than Dragomon!" The shadow pulled back in fear. The boy looked out over the sea. "Go, collect your master, I wish to speak to him!"
"No one commands me, but my lord, and no one calls upon my lord like a servant!" shouted the shadow in anger.
"You really know not with whom you are talking," smirked the boy and he lifted his hand. The grey sand under the shadow shifted and morphed into a large clawed hand that wrapped its fingers tightly around the shadow and lifted it a few feet above the ground. "Do not test my patience, now go!" the sand sloughed off of the shadow dropping the creature. The little being immediately scurried off, screeching like a scared child.
"Now…Dragomon, come forth!" chuckled the boyish being as the water on the horizon started to froth.
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The large flipper wings flapped as the plesiosaur rose from the water. The long white neck writhed forward with the large tooth filled maw open. Imperialdramon immediately slammed its armored arm into the beast's mouth eliciting a surprise screech from the plesiosaur.
"What is that thing?" shouted Davis as the beast drew back and swept around for another strike.
"Plesiomon," replied Gabumon. "He's an ancient marine, Mega digimon that uses his Solo Blue to clean you out and his Shaking Pulse to crack you up."
"Where did he come from?" asked Davis. The blue furred digimon looked up.
"Why don't you ask him yourself? What do I look like an index to the Digital World?" growled the wolf digimon.
"No, but Tentomon does…" whispered Davis as he looked up wishing Izzy and Tentomon were here. Plesiomon was swinging around.
His mouth was wide open. "Solo Blue!" a blast of water and energy struck Imperialdramon in the chest. The dragon growled and he clenched his armored fist. He swung his arm forward and slammed his fist into the chin of the prehistoric beast. The beast flew backwards.
Imperialdramon opened his hand and revealed the cannon imbedded in his appendage. The cannon glowed brightly. "Positron Laser!" a blast of light shot down Plesiomon opened his mouth. The beam raged through the beast's mouth and down its neck and eviscerating the beast. The trailing energy burst caused the digimon to explode into calamari. Imperialdramon clenched his chest and landed on the beach and dropped to his knees and burst into two. One turned into DemiVeemon and the other Minomon.
"I hate this!" grumbled DemiVeemon.
"Yeah…if we get attacked…" Minomon looked up worriedly at Ken and Davis.
"Don't worry," Gabumon looked at the two In Trainings, "I'll get them!"
Minomon and DemiVeemon nodded and looked at Matt. He was still on the ground. He growled incoherently. Every so often his fist would strike the sand.
"We have to do something," said Ken quietly. He looked at Davis.
"What can we do? I mean, it's not like a gate will just pop up out of no where," replied Davis quietly.
Ken narrowed his eyes. "There has to be something…" He looked down at his D-3. "I wonder…"
"No you can't!" chirped Minomon. "There is no way we could face the Dark Ocean like this."
"Yeah…and Daemon…" whispered DemiVeemon. The little digimon shuddered at the memory.
"Then we have to wait…" said Matt. The man was standing. His shoulders were drooping and his head was down. "There is nothing for it. We can't go to them, so we'll just have to have them come to us."
"But…" Davis walked forward and put his hand on Matt's shoulder. The man shrugged it off.
"Let's just sit here and wait to see what happens," suggested Ken as he sat on the beach and looked over the bay. The street lights and the moon shimmered in the dark water. "Yes, we should just wait and see."
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"WarGreymon!" shouted Tai as he ran forward. His friend was now tightly bound by a large yellow ring.
"You're digimon is going to be destroyed human," chuckled the giant golden dragon that floated in the air.
"We have to help him!" shouted Samuel. The boy looked down at Floramon. "You wanna try another go at this guy?"
"No question!" Floramon looked up at the beast. "Floramon digivolve to Harpymon!" the feathered bird woman flashed upwards in a burst of white and red. "Wind Seeker!" a small wind projectile followed by four intertwining contrails flew up and struck the ring.
"Pathetic Insect!" growled the large yellow dragon. It dove down its claws set upon the woman.
"Ice Blast!" a shot of white shot the dragon in the face. Seadramon had returned and was swinging in defensively around the woman
"Aquarius Fill!" A white wizard ducked in front of the dragon and slammed his crystalline staff down releasing little fingers of lightning that scratched at the dragon's scales.
"Fools!" growled the dragon as he turned his head to one side. The breeze released from the movement sent the three champions cascading to the ground. "Tai…."
"Horn Blaster!" aquamarine bursts struck the dragon's face as a white, winged unicorn dove out of the sky.
"La Pucelle!" D'Arcmon flew in low right behind the unicorn lashing forward with pink bolts of energy.
"Dragon Wheel!" Kyuubimon galloped out of the wake of D'Arcmon her spinning, blue fire wheel with the dragon like face charged into the snout of golden beast.
"Fools, with the body of Huanglongmon you are nothing but annoying fleas!" roared the beast as he opened his mouth again.
"Magma Bombs!"
"Plasma Blade!"
"Gargo Laser!"
Three figures leapt in front of Tai, Mimi and Samuel. The first to attack was a man covered in red flames; he was Meramon. The second was a large dragon with a white mane and red and black stripes; he was Growlmon. The last was a large green rabbit with Gattling guns for hands; this one was Gargomon.
The beast turned his head to the three ground digimon and growled and slammed its clawed foot into the ground causing the street to explode in upheaval.
"D'Arcmon, Sorcerymon, help me loosen this binding!" Harpymon had flown in front of WarGreymon and was franticly clawing at the energy circle. The wizard and the angel flew up and lodged their staffs between the ring and the draconic warrior's armor.
"Everyone together," grunted WarGreymon, "One, two, three!" WarGreymon flexed his muscles as the three champions pulled and levered the ring. The golden energy seemed to crack and then with one final, loud grunt from WarGreymon; they shattered the ring. The golden dragon imposter of Huanglongmon was too busy snatching at the other champions to realize his prize had freed itself.
"Hey, Metamormon!" growled WarGreymon as he lifted his claws and let the
anti-dramon weapons charge, causing a soft golden glow against the silver metal talons. "I think someone just got a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card!" The dragon turned his head. Its eyes bulged at the sight of the freed Mega digimon. WarGreymon took his shot and flew down with his claws bared. "Dramon Killer!" WarGreymon passed through the dragon and spun around and lifted his arms up. There was a gaping wound in the middle of the Huanglongmon imposter's chest. The dragon was twitching from the surprise attack. A golden orb formed between WarGreymon's extended arms.
"Silent Symphony!" Harpymon fired an aural blast out of her mouth into the orb.
"Horn Blaster!" the unicorn shot a blue shot into the ball of energy.
"Magma Bomb!" the fire man extended his arm and fired a stream of flames into the golden sphere.
"Fox Tail Inferno!" blue bombs of smiling flame rocketed into the pulsing orb of power.
"Exhaust Flame!" the flames erupted from Growlmon's mouth and swirled into the Mega's attack.
"Gargo Laser!" pulses of light fired forth into the massive sphere of golden turmoil.
"Aquarius Fill!" blue lightning slashed forward as Sorcerymon flew towards WarGreymon adding his strength to the massive attack that was building.
"Battlement D'Amour!" balls of white hot lightning flowed into WarGreymon's growing attack like a pitching machine was stuck in overdrive.
"Ice Blast!" Seadramon curled around and released his wintery strike into the fray.
"Bubble Blow!" yelped Tanemon as she hopped forward to give up what she had.
"Your fight is over Metamormon, no image you can conjure up will save you," growled WarGreymon. "Working together the digi-destined the world over can and will defeat you and your master and anyone like him!"
"Even if you destroy me, Lord Lucemon will send others," sneered the fading visage of Huanglongmon; as it reverted to the bulbous, metallic and green true form of Metamormon.
"TERRA FORCE!" the golden ball pulsed and turned bright white as it shot forward and phagocytized Metamormon. The large shape shifter screamed in pain as the orb dragged the creature up into the atmosphere and exploded. The darkness Neo Devimon had formed was swept away like wispy clouds on a windy day.
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Chimeramon disappeared over the walls of a city. Hiroshi stopped and looked at the large brick and mortar structure ahead of him.
"There's a gate this way," Datirimon was hopping off to the right. Hiroshi ran after the little digimon. FanBeemon rushed after the boy.
Hiroshi stopped dead in his tracks. "The gates are…open?" The large metal doors to the city were wide opened, exposing a large city within. The young boy walked into the town. It was so quiet. Digimon were wandering the street. Some were carrying groceries and packages.
"You'd think that it was just another day," said FanBeemon as he buzzed next to Hiroshi.
"No screams of terror," whispered Datirimon. "Not something you usually expect after an experience with Chimeramon…."
Hiroshi saw a Deramon walking along the sidewalk. The bird digimon with the bush coming out his back looked up at the human and then at Datirimon.
"Hey!" Hiroshi ran forward and bowed to the bird. "We're looking for a certain digimon; maybe you can help us…"
The bird looked up and smiled, "Of course I can try at least."
"Well, just a few minutes ago, we saw a Chimeramon…"
"Nope…don't think you did," said the bird as he shuffled past. Hiroshi turned and ran behind the bird.
"I think I know a Chimeramon when I see one, you know, bit of a fruit salad of digimon parts, shoots a green fire ball out of his mouth," Hiroshi was running next to the bird, who was trying to look like he wasn't listening. "Yep that sounds like Chimer…"
"SHUT UP!" shouted the bird. Hiroshi blinked. The bird turned, "You didn't see Chimeramon; you just thought you did!"
"Umm…" whispered Hiroshi as the bird turned and ran off.
"That was…." FanBeemon hovered next to Hiroshi.
"Incredibly interesting," said Datirimon as he looked at the retreating bird.
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"What do you mean someone saw him!?" shouted an annoying voice. A long, lank, bendable metal arm curled upwards in aggravation. There was a glass dome on its head and a bit of a processor was visible. The screen was showing a Mushroomon.
"Yes, a human two digimon," said the purple and white digimon in the shape of a toadstool. "They're outsiders; they are asking everyone about Chimeramon…"
"If we let that brat out!" yelped a high pitched warbling voice. "He'll get the other Chosen Ones to come here to destroy Chimeramon! Then Lucemon would have a clear path to take us over!" A thin digimon with a large cerebrum and tentacle like arms that were flapping willy-nilly was rushing about behind the domed digimon.
"We must not let that child escape this city," said the domed digimon. "Vademon and I will deal with them ourselves after you bring them to us."
"What shall we do?" asked the fungal digimon.
"Capture them, then I will gather them up and then we will show them Chimeramon one last time…" said the first digimon with the domed head.
"Yes, Datamon," said the mushroom and he nodded and the screen flicked black.
"We must recalibrate the bindings on Chimeramon," said the short, four-legged, metal digimon turned. His over long arms wobbled. His body was shaped like a pill and the inner processors were visible in the glass dome on the top of his body.
"Evidently we do!" chattered the squid like digimon as he scuttled along behind Datamon. Datamon turned and nodded, "And we have to design a special food bowl for our pet…"
Vademon and Datamon laughed loudly as they walked out of the communication room.
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AN: Here is the next chapter…Things are turning. I don't know I don't have much to say about this chapter. Other than the bit of the bathing scene in the Dark Ocean…this was rather routine…