I don't own digimon
Knowledge is Power
888
"Oh man this is so awesome!" Brendan ran around in circles circling the building in front of him.
"What? It's a building," said Tapirmon as he glided forward.
"It's a library!" cheered Brendan, "Do you know what that means?"
"Umm…no," replied the tapir digimon quietly.
"We can gather so much data here, I mean libraries here must be like libraries at home, with books and books and more books," Brendan hugged himself.
"Oh, that does sound fun," murmured Tapirmon sarcastically.
"Hey, you never know what you'll find in a library," returned Brendan defensively.
"I think you find books in a library," replied Tapirmon quietly.
"Exactly, books, and you never know what kind of cool stuff you can find out in a book!" Brendan said loudly and started to walk towards the building's front door.
"I suspect pages," said Tapirmon as he followed Brendan through the heavy wooden doors.
"Don't be such an ignoramus," replied Brendan as he entered the building.
He looked around. The innards of the library were dark. The light slowly filtered through the windows as streams of glinting dust. The air was stagnant almost musty. A stifled silence curled around them like a constricting snake.
Brendan was sure no one was here, and then he heard it, the slow ruffling of pages. The boy looked around and now he could see that in the shadows were the forms of digimon slowly turning pages of books.
"I can't believe this," whispered Brendan quietly.
"Can't believe what?" asked Tapirmon in his normal voice.
The pages stopped turning. Brendan looked around. The digimon were looking up at the two of them. Their eyes flashed in the shadows. Brendan narrowed his eyes to Tapirmon and lifted his index finger to his lips.
"You have to be quiet," hissed Brendan quietly as he walked along a low stack of books, "this is a library."
"Oh…" Tapirmon whispered without truly understanding why he was being chastised.
"I wonder where the librarian is?" whispered Brendan quietly as he looked around.
He snatched up a book and flicked through it. Tapirmon hovered around him. "What's it about?"
"I'm not quite sure," whispered Brendan quietly.
"Interested eh?" asked a voice behind Brendan, the boy jumped slightly at the surprise. Brendan and Tapirmon turned to look at a small canister with long bendy pipe-like arms attached to three hands. Little processors flickered in the digimon's head. Four bendy pipe legs clomped over the dark carpet.
"A little, I want to learn about everything, the Digital World, its connection with my home…" Brendan looked at the little digimon anxiously.
"Well, I believe you have found the right place, the Library of Eternity is a place of vast knowledge, for those willing to sacrifice themselves in the pursuit of such knowledge," explained the digimon quietly as it moved past them. "I, Datamon, have the most enjoyable task of being its librarian. It has been many years since we've had a new acquis…err, member."
"What was that?" asked Tapirmon. The elephantine, violet digimon glided forward.
"Don't be rude," sniped Brendan as he followed Datamon.
"I'm not it's just…this Datamon guy seems to be…" Tapirmon whispered at Brendan but the boy only turned and narrowed his eyes, shaking his head.
They came to a large desk that Datamon lopingly leapt over. He appeared on the top of the desk and looked down at them. "First things first, we ask you sign this membership contract and such…" The bendy arms extended downwards towards Brendan; the hands were holding a clipboard.
Brendan eagerly signed the contract and handed it back to Datamon with a smile. The metallic digimon returned a cold grin and then disappeared behind the desk. His voice seemed to be emitted from the desk, "Feel free to look around, while I look for some things…"
"Ok," whispered Brendan cheerfully.
888
"They escaped didn't they," said a deep voice from the shaded corners of Bastemon's quarters. The deep, blood red silken wall drapery seemed to drain the light from the corners and walls of the room.
Bastemon flicked her eyes up. She was sprawled out on the long, crimson futon, twirling her ear slowly with a middle finger. The figure was standing in a corner, his wings folded down so that the wrists of his wings were touching over the figure's chest. The wings were unfurled like a theater cloak. Two shining, dark eyes flashed in the shadows.
The feline twitched her upper left lip in agitation, exposing a fang. "I was not expecting him to become so powerful."
"You expected him to take over the Digital World and yet you did not anticipate him being able to overpower you?" asked the figure as he took a regal step forward.
"Just shut it," growled Bastemon loudly.
"Your toys will get us in trouble," said the figure quietly.
"What about that girl, she got away too?" snapped the feline angrily. She lifted her head slightly.
"She wouldn't have if your toy hadn't helped her," whispered the figure calmly. He walked into the light. Cream colored, puffy pants covered his legs. "We must think of a way to get rid of the humans, if one of their digimon can overpower you without the strength of the crest how will you deal with eight with the crest powers?"
Bastemon narrowed her eyes and she growled slightly. "We don't have to deal with the digi-destined; we have more important work to deal with."
"Ah, yes the cards, as they say it's all in the cards…" the figure smirked quietly. He lifted his hand and splayed the cards in a wide fan. "Lord Chaos Piedmon was relatively vague upon their purpose, or how they work, though I suspect they go in a portal addressing system. I will have to do some research."
Bastemon looked up at the figure, "addressing system? What would it look like?"
"No idea, maybe a podium with little slots to fit the cards in…" the figure's eyes stared at Bastemon with interest.
"There is a podium in the underground, something about emergency incase of a crisis, some sort of doorway…" Bastemon was twirling her hand in disinterest.
"That explains why they really wanted the Village of Origins controlled," said the figure as he turned slowly and started to return to the shadows. The shadows seemed to open like a curtain and then engulf him into darkness.
"I have to learn how to do that," said Bastemon with a bit of purr. She reached down and grasped a small compact on the ground and flicked it open. The mirror shimmered slightly and the image of Tsukaimon appeared. "Have you found any of those brats?"
"Yes, mistress," replied the hamster in surprise, "in fact, Datamon is dealing with one of them as we speak."
"Keep an eye on Datamon, tell me if his little tricks work," said Bastemon quietly.
"Of course mistress, of course," the hamster bowed and bowed again.
The mirror flickered and reflected Bastemon's face. The feline looked herself in the eyes. Emerald glimmers flashed back. She smiled. "I do look ravishing, don't I?"
888
Brendan was looking up a long row of books, "Wow…they have…everything…"
"Yeah…everything…" Tapirmon was hovering lazily behind the boy.
"You're such a…fussbudget," grumbled Brendan. He walked along and looked at titles. Suddenly and out of nowhere, Datamon appeared. He was carrying a large red book.
"Ah, I was looking for you," the metal digimon looked up at Brendan. "As a new member, I thought you'd like something a little special. This book is such an interesting read you'll never see literature the same way again," The digimon coughed loudly and started to whisper, "actually you'll never see literature or anything else again."
"What was that?" yelped Tapirmon loudly.
"Be quiet, this is a library!" growled Datamon as one of his hand flashed up, and his arms extended and his palm slammed Tapirmon into the ground.
"Isn't that a little…rough?" whispered Brendan frantically.
"You know the rules of the library," said Datamon quietly. He retracted his arm and let Tapirmon up. "Loudness will not be tolerated." The metal canister smiled pleasantly and looked at Brendan, "but such a good patron as you understand that. Now, go find yourself a nice comfy seat and get reading that book, it will change your life." Datamon turned and disappeared amongst the shelves of books.
"Ok, let's go find us a seat," said Brendan hushedly. He walked down the corridor of book spines.
"I don't know if I like this place," whispered Tapirmon.
"It's because you won't follow the rules," growled Brendan. "If you keep this up, you'll get us kicked out."
"That may not be a bad thing," replied Tapirmon quietly.
"Don't say that!" hissed Brendan.
"This library thing is changing you…" whispered Tapirmon quietly as they came to an area of the library with a large number of plush chairs to sit in.
Brendan plopped down in the soft, hunters' green chair. He scooted back, struggling in the plush cushions. He looked at Tapirmon. "Now, while I'm reading please don't bother me, and be good!"
"Can't we just go?" whimpered Tapirmon quietly.
"No, I want to look over this place completely," replied Brendan and he opened the book. Brendan blinked. The wording in the book glowed soft red and then the words flew forward grabbing his face with crimson ropes. Brendan struggled for a few seconds before he settled down.
"Brendan!" shouted Tapirmon as he watched the boy convulse.
There were slightly audible hisses of annoyance coming from behind the elephantine digimon. Tapirmon turned slowly. The shadowy figures of digimon seemed to be lurching along the rows of books. A metallic digimon was standing on top of a shelf and looking down at Tapirmon.
"I told you to be quiet, now we'll just have to deal with you," said the metallic digimon quietly.
"What have you done to Brendan, Datamon?" Tapirmon growled loudly.
"He's fine, just reading, but he will never finish, you see all the books here are special, each one has the accumulated feelings of the owner that read them, slowly that book will drain the boy's heart and mind of all the feelings he had, making him apathetic," explained Datamon quietly. "As you know, smarts without a heart helps no one."
"Brendan! You have to wake up!" shouted Tapirmon as he flew towards the boy. A huge shadow appeared in front of him and a knobby bone slammed across Tapirmon's body sending the small tapir digimon flying into a shelf. An avalanche of books crashed on top of Tapirmon. "No I won't let you take his heart away! Nightmare Syndrome!" a black flash of energy erupted from the books striking the shadow and forcing it to retreat. Tapirmon plowed out of the hill of books and flew towards his partner. "Brendan please!"
"Digital Bombs!" Datamon leapt forward. His fingers opened into small barrels releasing hundreds of little smiling missiles that exploded into Tapirmon.
The little purple digimon murmured softly. A golden light filtered around the little mammal and a little ball of flame was all that was left of the digimon. The fire ball looked down at itself, "Oh, poop."
"Now to finish off your loud mouth," growled Datamon as he lifted a hand and its fingers spun and it morphed into a large ray gun, "Using the accumulated brain power collected in this library I shall delete you with my Data Crusher!" The tip of the conical ray gun glowed with a red energy. "Data Crusher!" The fire ball leapt out of the way and bounced down a corridor of books. Datamon snarled angrily. "Get back here!"
"As Demi Meramon I can't hold that thing off!" whimpered the digimon as he hovered down the long tunnel of books.
"Data Crusher!" red beams lanced forward from behind Demi Meramon. The little digimon put on the gas and pushed forward even faster.
Demi Meramon passed a long stretch of brittle looking books with old bindings. He stopped and looked at them. "I wonder…Demi Fireball!" A small group of sparks landed on the pages and they erupted into large flames. "See how Mr. Brainiac likes that!" Demi Meramon then turned and flew away from the flames starting as many books as he could on fire. He came to a small turn and flew around the corner and back up the row of books on the opposite side of the shelf. He could hear Datamon screaming in terror as the flames erupted along the shelf.
"Get them out, get them out!" shrieked the metal digimon. "Don't just stand there!"
"Right, now while they're busy, I think it's time to get Brendan out of here!" Demi Meramon hovered forward.
He returned to where he left Brendan. The boy was still reading the book, totally oblivious to smoke that was encircling around him.
"Brendan! Get up! GETUP! Demi Meramon shouted.
888
Brendan was sitting in a white room. A book was in front of him on a white desk. He couldn't remember when he had come here; he must have fallen asleep at some point. Brendan looked down at the book. It had strange inscriptions on it. He couldn't quite discern the make of the inscriptions. It was frustrating that he couldn't figure out what the book said, yet was still somehow reading it, though, what he was getting out of the book was something he could not possibly decipher. He growled in aggravation, closed his eyes and slammed his fist down on the desk.
"Brendan, wake up," whispered a voice from behind the boy's right shoulder. Brendan turned to look. It was Demi Meramon. "Hurry, you have to get up, if you stay here something really bad is going to happen."
"What will happen?" asked Brendan quietly.
"Nothing, the little bauble of fire just wants you to lose your knowledge!" growled a voice from behind Brendan's left side. The boy turned and saw Datamon standing there. The metal digimon looked angrily at the fire digimon. "The little flamer is just trying to delude you. You must keep reading, you will lose all that knowledge you gained if you stop!"
"Don't listen to him, you're not gaining knowledge, you're gaining intelligence, the two of those things are very different!" yelped Demi Meramon loudly.
"What would you know you unruly little beast?" returned Datamon loudly. He turned to Brendan. "If you stop your studies what will you do? Go back to the others?"
"I-I guess…" whispered Brendan quietly, he really hadn't thought about it.
"Why return to those little hellions? They don't understand you, they're beneath you," said Datamon loudly. He walked closer, "They are nothing but barbarians compared to you, a bunch of knuckle draggers."
"They're your friends, and I know deep down in your heart you love them, you care for them," said Demi Meramon loudly. "Don't let him cloud your mind with his talk!"
"Friends? How can you call them friends, they aren't even your peers," scoffed Datamon as he gave Demi Meramon a snarl. "Who needs friends anyways? They just get in the way of your studies, who needs love or courage or any of the other junk they saddle you with? The only true power in the universe is knowledge and intelligence."
"Datamon…" Brendan looked at the metal digimon.
"I know that they will leave you, they will tease you, bully you, make you feel inferior, but you're really the superior to them, show them that," Datamon lifted pictures of the other children up to Brendan, "Tear these pictures up, forget those humans and their partners," Datamon lifted a second series of photos up of the destined digimon. "They aren't important, mere insects to your intellect."
"Insects…" whispered Brendan quietly.
"Don't listen to him!" shouted Demi Meramon. "He says that Knowledge is the only true power in the universe; he isn't going to give you knowledge, just intelligence, and if you want true knowledge you have to use your intelligence! Don't let him close your mind!"
Brendan looked at Demi Meramon. "Use my knowledge?"
"Yes!" shouted Demi Meramon. "You have to break free, you have to wake up! Intelligence on its own is nothing, but intelligence used with compassion, love and courage can be the most powerful thing ever!"
"Don't listen to him, these humans will destroy you! Take the pictures, rip them up!" shouted Datamon. He shoved the picture of Tapirmon into Brendan's hand. "Nothing can stop you now, just do it!"
Brendan's fingers lifted and gently touched the image of Tapirmon. He looked down at the image and then up at Demi Meramon. "You de-digivolved…"
"Brendan you have to wake up!" shouted the fire ball, "If you tear those pictures up you'll never achieve true knowledge!"
"Don't listen to him, he just wants to pull you back, get rid of him, rip the picture!" growled Datamon loudly.
Brendan looked down at the image of Tapirmon. He closed his eyes. He remembered those times while they were walking in the forests of File Island looking for Mark. It was Tapirmon that kept him company and thinking while he was working on the digivolution codes. It was Tapirmon that he had bounced ideas off of, sure the digimon didn't always know what was being said, but he asked questions that would get Brendan's mind working. All of his achievements here in the Digital World, his attempts at sending a transmission to the Human World, his workings with the pyramid, had been to help friends, and had happened with the help of friends. Tapirmon was no exception to the rule, he was the rule. Brendan couldn't in all truth deny Tapirmon his credit. Brendan opened his eyes.
"I want to leave now," said the boy loudly. Datamon looked up in surprise.
"What? And have them take all your brain power?" shouted Datamon loudly.
"Actually," replied Brendan quietly as he stood and walked to Demi Meramon. "They have been the ones that allowed me to gain the knowledge I have, I can't let them down now…"
888
Brendan shot up from his position. Smoke burned his lungs and his eyes. Demi Meramon was frantically screaming at him.
"Wha…what happened?" coughed Brendan as he closed the book in his hands and threw it.
"Not much time the library is burning!" yelped the fireball loudly.
"Ok…ok…" coughed Brendan as he dropped to his knees so he could breathe. "What about the other digimon?"
"They aren't real, just figments of the books' imaginations, Datamon turned them into shadows just like he was going to do to you," replied the little digimon.
"If I can't have your knowledge as a shadow of my library, then you will not leave this building with your lives," growled Datamon's voice as his figure appeared out of the smoke that curled in front of them. He lifted his morphed ray-hand. "You will be destroyed now!"
"No…I won't let you, my friends need me!" shouted Brendan loudly, "I have to share my knowledge with others or it's just meaningless like your library!"
Demi Meramon digivolved to Tapirmon. The elephantine digimon was covered in golden light, "Tapirmon digivolve to Dobermon!" The black and brown spiky Doberman pinscher walked forward and snarled angrily. "Schwarz Strahl!" a black beam flashed towards Datamon but a horde of shadows appeared in front of the beam and negated it.
"HA, you forget I hold all the knowledge of this library, nothing can stop me!" laughed the metal canister as it lifted its weapon. "Data Crusher!" the red beam shot forward slamming Dobermon through shelves of flaming books.
"You're wrong," Brendan growled angrily. "Knowledge for knowledge's sake is nothing more than a selfish hobby, I wish to have knowledge to help my friends and the world, that's the only reason to have knowledge, it was stupid of me to be blinded by this library and by you and by the idea of gaining knowledge just for myself!" Brendan's crest started to glow brightly. "I'm not going to be like you!"
Suddenly Dobermon pounced from the flames. "Dobermon digivolve to Cerberumon!" The dog like Dobermon stepped it up a notch morphing into a huge canine like a Rottweiler. It had three heads, two acted like shoulders and the front, right and left legs came out the head's mouths. The middle head had a grey mane of hair and little Indian feathers braided into the hair. Its body was black and it's tail was somewhat lizard-like. The feet had huge steel claws coming out the lower legs as well as normal claws that shimmered from their toes. "I am Cerberumon, I am the guardian to the passages of the underworld and my…"
"We really don't have time for this…" yelped Brendan as the roof creaked.
"Even as you are now, you can't stop me!" shouted Datamon loudly and he swung his gun around. "Data Crusher!"
"Inferno Gate!" a black circle appeared in front of the canine and the beam of Datamon's attack flew right into it. The circle closed and another one opened directly behind Datamon and the beam of the metal digimon's attack cut right through its master's canister body.
Datamon growled angrily but would not go down and lifted its arm opening the ports in its fingers. "Digital Bombs…"
The little insect sized missiles whistled forward. The three sets of eyes of Cerberumon glowed bright red and the middle head's mouth opened. An emerald glow formed in the back of the dog's throat. "Hell Fire!" a green blaze tore forward engulfing the missiles and then crashing down on Datamon.
"NO! NO!" screamed the metal canister as he was melted down.
Brendan ran forward to inspect the remnants but Cerberumon grabbed up the boy by the back of his vest and started to run for the exit.
888
"Come on, the signal isn't far now," called Lucemon as he walked forward. Labramon was leading Michelle slowly through the bushes. "One digi-destined though…I wonder who it is…"
"Maybe it's Mark," called out Labramon loudly.
"I don't know," Lucemon looked down at Michelle's digivice, "I just don't know."
He pushed slightly on some branches and broke into a clearing. A huge building stood in front of him. It was on fire and smoke was billowing from the windows and doors and through the walls.
"What's wrong?" whispered Michelle as she looked weakly up at the building.
"We have to go in there, the digivice says that the digi-destined is in the building!" shouted Lucemon as he ran forward.
The angel got ahead two steps before a huge beast exploded through a window. It was a giant black dog and it was carrying a human, a small boy in a vest.
"Well…that's something new," said Labramon quietly.
"Brendan!" shouted Lucemon as he ran forward.
"Lucemon…" coughed the boy as he looked up. "Where's Mark?"
"No idea, we were hoping it was him in the building…" replied Lucemon. He looked up at the dog. "And you…are…"
The canine fizzled down to Demi Meramon. "I am just me!" cheered the little digimon.
"Are you ok?" asked Labramon as she and Michelle walked forward.
"A little smoke inhalation but I think I can handle it…" whispered Brendan with a cough. His digivice chirped loudly. "A signal…to the north…"
"Just one?" asked Lucemon. The boy nodded. The angel looked down at Brendan. "Can you travel?"
"I guess…" Brendan sat up and then stood.
"You can stay back with Michelle and Labramon, but I'm going on ahead, follow at your one pace!" said Lucemon as he took flight. The others were half running half walking behind the angel.
888
Bastemon sighed in disappointment. Datamon was gone, as was the Library of Eternity. She had never liked libraries but it still seemed a waste. Tsukaimon was now off following the humans hoping to find a reasonable enough fiend to take the children on. She sighed again. It was horrible being in her position. It was so lonely without anyone to be herself with. She lifted her hand up and slowly twirled her ear and purred in slight satisfaction.
She smiled quietly and purred to herself, "Though there are certain things one can only dothemselves…"
888
Have I mentioned I hate certain attributes…well Knowledge is one of them, if only because it's sometimes hard to represent in fighting situations…I hope you guys pardon my slowness with this and possible future chapters, I've been surprisingly busy.
Dark Qiviut: Yep got a little Luce-Labra interaction, and I suppose we know Amy's intentions. I will agree with you that what I did do in that chapter was better than what I had thought it would be…