I don't own digimon
The Shadow of Chaos
888
"They've been gone too long," growled Asuramon as he huddled under the large dugout. Mark and Michelle were hidden further back. Tree roots created the walls of the dugout. Wisemon and the other digimon were huddled closer to the entrance.
"We can't give up on them," Mark looked up at the four armed digimon, "They might have had to help the others walk or are carrying them…"
"That is probably what is happening," Michelle nodded in agreement, "They'd have the sense to run away if things got too bad; wouldn't they?"
"They may have the sense but not the ability," murmured Mud Frigimon as he hugged the Gotsumon close.
"Don't speak like that," Wisemon growled as she glared over at the mud digimon. "The digi-destined will be fine…"
"We saw it," Elecmon said quietly, "Chaos Piedmon not only had them on the ropes; he tied them up with the ropes…"
"I can't take this…" growled Asuramon as he looked out from under the dugout into the night. "This not knowing…"
Elecmon's ears pricked up and his face paled. "Do you hear that?"
It was a wafting, chilling tune filled the air. Asuramon looked over to Wisemon and then to the children. "Is that humming?"
"Chaos Piedmon…" Mud Frigimon whispered as he hugged the Gotsumon even closer.
"We gotta get out of here!" yelped Tentomon as he buzzed around frantically.
"No…we'll sit still, maybe he'll go right past us…" Wisemon grabbed the insect and covered its mouth.
"Or he may just kill us right here in this hole in the ground," Elecmon replied with a shudder.
"Don't say that, you're scaring the children," hissed Asuramon.
"We're not afraid," Mark said quietly, "because we can kick Chaos Piedmon's butt!"
"No, we can't, Mark," Asuramon said sternly, "so don't do anything stupid…"
"What if he finds us, Asuramon?" Wisemon looked up at the four armed digimon.
"I don't know…" Asuramon replied as he shook his head. "I suspect if we have to we'll fight him…but…"
"Asuramon, we can't both fight him, if we're both destroyed," Wisemon looked at Asuramon. "There will be no one left to protect Mark and Michelle…"
"What are you suggesting, Wisemon?" Asuramon narrowed his eyes on Wisemon.
"I want you to run, of the two of us, I have the best chance of counteracting anything Chaos Piedmon throws at us, and you can carry both Mark and Michelle, you're better suited to retreating with the digi-destined," Wisemon looked at Asuramon. The four armed digimon growled at the thought but Wisemon only continued to insist, "We don't know what kind of shape the others are in, if they've been…just, please, you have to take the children and go…I'll face Chaos Piedmon down."
"I don't like this plan…" Asuramon said quietly as he looked out of the dugout. The humming continued to waft in the background. "It puts too much on your shoulders, Wisemon…"
"Actually, it puts a lot on your shoulders, Asuramon, you will be tasked as being the digi-destined's last chance to be safe…" replied Wisemon quietly.
The humming got louder. There was a sound of a soft chuckle. Mud Frigimon and the group of digimon with him started to shake in fear. Asuramon and Wisemon looked at each other. The laughter continued and grew stronger and louder.
"He's found us!" screamed Tentomon as he struggled from Wisemon's arms and buzzed from the dugout.
"Get back here!" shouted Asuramon as the insect fled.
"Ah ha! So that's where you've been sequestering yourselves!" shouted a theatrical voice.
"Ka-Ka-Chaos Piedmon…" Tentomon hovered backward as the clown appeared from the shrubbery.
"Why thank you, Tentomon," the clown smirked quiet. "I wasn't sure if I'd find them before daybreak…but thanks to you…"
"Piedmon, please," Tentomon dropped to the ground and kneeled in front of the clown, "Please don't hurt me!"
"Hurt you?" Chaos Piedmon smirked quietly, "Oh well, I hadn't thought of that…but now that you brought it to my attention…that does sound like a good idea…"
Tentomon looked up in shock as the clown unsheathed a sword. "Please, Chaos Piedmon, don't please! I'll serve you, I promise, just don't hurt me!"
"You traitor!" shouted Asuramon loudly.
"Ah, the betrayal, an essential part of any thriller," chuckled the clown. "But as Henry James believed, if one turn of the screw is indeed good…then two turns of the screw would be much better…Tentomon…I promise not to hurt you…"
The lady bug sighed in relief as he turned to the others and smirked. Suddenly a sword sliced through the insect and it turned to dust. Chaos Piedmon smirked and sheathed his sword.
"You just said…" Asuramon growled loudly as he exited the dugout. Wisemon was right behind him. Mud Frigimon, Elecmon and the Gotsumon came out, with Mark and Michelle.
"I said I wouldn't hurt him…I never said I wouldn't destroy him," replied Chaos Piedmon with a sneer. "Two totally different things completely…"
"Asuramon, go with the others, I'll hold Chaos Piedmon," Wisemon glided in front of Asuramon.
"Wisemon…" Michelle looked up, "Run with us…please."
"It would do no good, he'd just chase us down," Wisemon curled her claws up, "but if I hold him, it gives you a chance to lose him…"
"Ha, do you really think you can stop me?" laughed the clown.
"I don't need to stop you, just slow you down," replied Wisemon as she narrowed her blue eyes.
"I doubt you can do even that," replied the clown smoothly.
"We'll see, Asuramon, Mud Frigimon, go!" Wisemon growled loudly.
Asuramon nodded and picked up Mark and Michelle and ran into the forest. Wisemon turned and glared at Chaos Piedmon.
"So…they're going to run away…," Chaos Piedmon crooked an eyebrow and sighed, "These long distance chases are so tiring…"
"Pandora Dialog!" shouted Wisemon as she fired a bolt of white lightning at the bored harlequin.
The clown flicked his hands up and a top hat appeared. He moved it deftly letting the hat inhale the bolts.
"You know…your friends are in there…" Chaos Piedmon looked at Wisemon, "I hope you haven't hurt them…I have an idea…why don't you go and find out…"
"Don't count on it, Chaos Piedmon," growled Wisemon she lifted her arms and a book manifested in her hands, "I have my own idea…Eternal Nirvana!"
Wisemon flashed the book open and an unholy wind washed around the clown. Chaos Piedmon sighed gently and tapped the side of his hat. He narrowed his eyes and watched as two black hands shot from his hat and grabbed Wisemon. The sorceress struggled as the black arms dragged her into the hat. Chaos Piedmon looked into the hat and then tipped it upside down. A deck of cards fell out of the hat and on the deck's box was the image of Wisemon.
"I don't see why everyone is so resistant…" breathed Chaos Piedmon, "I just want to play a little bridge…" The clown dropped the deck of cards back into the hat. "Oh well, only three to go, and I have the entire set!" Chaos Piedmon lifted off the ground and glided after Asuramon.
888
"Soon…soon…" chuckled a smooth voice as the computer room of Chaos Piedmon's stronghold filled with reddish black liquid. "Soon I'll have a new body, a stronger body, a body of my own…and I'll be free from these shackles! I shall spread my essence across two worlds and will bring all of those who resist me to my knees!"
The liquid bubbled slowly and a face appeared on the surface of the liquid. It was squat and its eyes were not colored yet. The shape of hair formed on top of the head. The face disappeared under the liquid's surface.
888
"We shouldn't have left her behind…" Michelle whispered as Asuramon ran through the forest.
"She wished to," said Mark, "We couldn't make her come with us…"
"And she had a point about protecting you," shouted Mud Frigimon as he ran next to Asuramon carrying the Gotsumon and Elecmon.
"Even so, it is dishonorable to run away from our responsibility…" growled Asuramon as he pushed past a bush.
"Trump Sword!" a silver blade sliced through the forest and whizzed past Mud Frigimon's head. The chocolate colored digimon staggered forward and stopped.
Laughter ripped from the forest. Asuramon growled and turned. The shadow of Chaos Piedmon moved into visibility.
"He's…gotten her…" whimpered Michelle quietly.
"Olly, Olly Oxen free; who is it that's playing in my forest's trees?" called Chaos Piedmon's voice loudly, "Be them friends or be them foes, I'll make sure I'll put them in their death throes!"
"That's so not how the game is played," grumbled Mark as he looked back.
"We have to keep going," implored Mud Frigimon.
"I agree," Asuramon turned and continued to run. Mud Frigimon ran after the four armed digimon.
"That's right run away!" shouted the clown as he glided forward. "Half the fun is in the thrill of the chase!"
The digimon continued to run forward. Asuramon taking the lead with strong strides as Mud Frigimon made faster, but shorter strides. Every once in a while a tree would explode as Chaos Piedmon reminded them that he was there, stalking them. Mud Frigimon burst into a clearing and groaned. A wide river with a fast current was running in front of them.
"I'll fly over…" Asuramon said.
"That's nice for you, you can fly!" Mud Frigimon turned and staggered back.
Asuramon looked behind him. Chaos Piedmon was standing at the edge of the forest. The clown's face carried a very pleased smile.
"It looks like you've ran out of places to run," said Chaos Piedmon quietly. He took a step forward.
"Take the digi-destined," Asuramon put the children down and pushed them over to Mud Frigimon, "I'll deal with Chaos Piedmon."
"And what, will we do?" gulped Mud Frigimon.
"I don't know; I'm making it up as I go…" Asuramon started to admit.
"Oh, Mud Frigimon, there is no place for you to go…" Chaos Piedmon interjected with a smile, "but don't worry; I won't deal with you until I've finished with Asuramon…one thing at a time after all…"
"You think you've won, but we're still able to fight!" shouted Mark loudly. "We're not afraid of you!"
"You will be…" breathed Chaos Piedmon as he lunged forward.
His sword cut through the air, but stopped shot of Asuramon's bare chest. A pair of hands held the flat of the sword's blade. Asuramon looked into Chaos Piedmon's eyes.
"Fire Fists of Asura!" rapid jabs of fire stormed into Chaos Piedmon's stomach and the clown was forced to stagger back, releasing his sword. Asuramon nodded and let his masks glow, "Human Emotion!"
The clown quickly unsheathed a sword and blocked the stream of light with the flat of the blade. Asuramon took the hilt of the sword he held and rushed forward.
"Nuh, uh, uh, you can't use Uncle Chaos Piedmon's sword against him…" tutted the clown as he lifted a hand up, "Trump Sword!"
Just as Asuramon moved to lunge into Chaos Piedmon the sword yanked from Asuramon's hands and flew into the hand of Chaos Piedmon. The harlequin smirked and sheathed his swords. Asuramon skidded to a stop and leapt back.
"Human Emotion!" Asuramon's masks blazed with white light.
Chaos Piedmon lifted his hand and put his palm up, "Clown Trick!"
A twisting maelstrom of energy smashed into the beam of Asuramon's attack and cut through it. Asuramon lifted his arms up to protect himself but the blast of the clown's magic ripped through him. Asuramon was pulled off his feet and thrown back, and he de-digivolved as he crashed to the ground in front of Mud Frigimon and the others.
"Lucemon!" The boy ran forward and hugged the angel's head. "Are you ok?"
"I…failed you," winced the angel as he opened his eyes. "I'm sorry; he was just too strong…"
"Give up, human, you've lost…I'll give you a chance to surrender, and to be dealt with peacefully," whispered the clown as he looked down on the fallen angel, Mark, Michelle and the others. "I have plenty of cards…"
"We aren't giving up, there is still hope!" shouted Mark loudly. The clown growled as he looked down at the child.
"Mark…even if I could digivolve to Asuramon again…it would not do any good," whispered Lucemon quietly. "We should consider…"
"No…" Mark glared at the angel, "You aren't giving up!"
"But there is nothing I can do, as Asuramon…" started Lucemon.
"Then you won't digivolve into Asuramon," replied Mark with a frown.
"No…" Lucemon looked away from Mark, "I can't let you do that…"
"What? Why not?" Mark looked at the angel with wide eyes and a gasp frozen on his face.
"I…don't trust him," Lucemon looked down, "If I merge with you, Kage could take you away from me, I can't trust him; I can't trust you to be safe…"
"Lucemon…" Mark looked at the angel, "I don't think Kage would…" Mark smiled softly, "When we were in my world, he could've destroyed everything, and he didn't, he protected us…I don't think he'd ruin his chance to be truly free…"
"You may trust him…" Lucemon narrowed his eyes, "but I know better…"
"Lucemon, I trust you," Mark hugged the angel from behind, "It doesn't matter if you're Kage, or Kougen, I trust you, all of you. I know you can make the right choices if you want to, and I know that no matter what you'll protect me, because you believe in me. Please Lucemon…"
"He destroyed the Digital World!" Lucemon grumbled, "How can I forgive or forget that? I can't trust him."
"Lucemon…you have to forgive him, like I forgave you," Mark smiled softly, "You have to just trust in him and hope for the best…"
"I don't know if I…" Lucemon looked down. "I don't know if I can…"
"Lucemon, I believe in you, I know you and your shadow can do remarkable things, you just have to have a little hope and a little trust…" Mark's eyes shimmered slightly as he hugged the angel from behind. "You can only fight for others when you trust yourself…"
The angel looked down and then back at Mark. He sighed slightly and looked down.
"This is all very touching…" Chaos Piedmon said quietly as he fidgeted, "but it's time for you to choose, surrender and be taken out of the game or be destroyed point blank!"
Lucemon let a smile play across his lips and a lavender aura streaked down his cheek, down his chest and along his arm, "Chaos Piedmon, it'll be a sunny day in the Dark Ocean before I give in to your kind…you give evil digimon a bad name…"
"What did you say? How dare you insult me!" growled the clown. He looked at the angel and the boy, "I think for that, I'll do away with you first, so I can silence your insolent tongue! Trump Sword!"
Lucemon's head snapped up. One eye shone blood red, the other an icy blue. The angel placed his hands together in prayer. A duel voice shouted as the angel's hands were flung forward. "Grand Cross!" A flash of golden light exploded forward and the Trump Sword flew off into the distance. The cross pressed forward and slammed into Chaos Piedmon and threw the clown into a tree. The angel stood up and smirked, "You see, divided we're quite meek, almost unthreatening, but when we combine our powers, Chaos Piedmon, we become quite the unstoppable force. Our strength is in our bond, our power in our trust…" The angel looked down at Mark and smiled, "Hope is the energy that drives us forward." The angel's wings spread open in all their regalia, "Mark, you feel up to fulfilling a few hopes and dreams?"
"You mean it?" Mark looked up happily. "This is it; this is for everyone that he has hurt…" Mark glared at Chaos Piedmon, "Your show is over…."
"No…" Chaos Piedmon leapt forward but an emerald burst threw him back.
"Lucemon, biomerge to…." The twelve angelic wings closed and reopened as two wings, whose feathers were made of metallic blades. Grey, form fitting armor replaced the white toga. A metallic helmet with a metallic horn covered sapphire-blue hair. The angel's arms were covered by two, huge blade gauntlets. A blue cloth draped down from the angel's waist. "…Slash Angemon!"
"So, you have connections with the costume department, it doesn't mean you'll win," growled Chaos Piedmon loudly. He unsheathed a sword.
"Mud Frigimon, keep an eye on Michelle, Bozo and I have some business to deal with," called Slash Angemon as he lifted his arms. He glared up at Chaos Piedmon as a stream of moonlight slid down the blade of the angel's arm, "Well, do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?"
"I HATE THAT LINE!" shouted Chaos Piedmon as he roared forward. "Trump Sword!"
"Holy Espada!" Slash Angemon sliced one of his arms upward. Chaos Piedmon leapt backward and hissed as the blade nicked his face. The clown dropped down and looked at his sword. Half the blade was missing; the sword had been cleanly cut in half. Slash Angemon looked up at the clown and smirked, "Awe…did I break your prop?"
"Do you think this intimidates me?" shouted the clown loudly.
"No, but if I were you, I'd be messing myself," replied the angel quietly.
"I think he is!" shouted one of the Gotsumon, Chaos Piedmon glared in the voice's direction and there was a little yelp from the Gotsumon.
"Fine, you think you're so powerful, then take this!" The clown materialized a hat in his hand, "Clown Trick!" A pair of black hands ripped forward and grabbed onto Slash Angemon. The angel looked at the arms nonplussed. The hands tugged at him but the armored angel only stood their.
"Is this supposed to be scary or something?" asked the angel innocently. "Or are you trying to get fresh with me, Chaos Piedmon…because I so don't swing that way…"
"This is impossible…" growled Chaos Piedmon loudly.
"No…" Michelle looked up at the clown, "No…it's possible; you just have to hope hard enough for it to happen. Hope is the implacable force…because it can't be stopped because anything can happen if you hope hard enough…"
"I'll seal you away, Slash Angemon, and no one will remember you!" shouted the clown as he strained. "You will be turned into a playing card like the rest…"
"You know…" Slash Angemon swept his arms upwards and sliced the arms into nothing, "I never was a big card player, much more of a checkers person…" The angel lunged forward and the clown jumped back, but not before Slash Angemon skewered the clown's top hat onto his bladed arm. The angel then leapt back. His other arm morphed into a normal, blue armored arm and he removed the hat from his blade arm. "Now…I wonder how this works…" A deck of cards fell from the hat. "Ah, and here I thought it'd be complicated…"
Slash Angemon bent down and picked up the cards, but as he did so Chaos Piedmon lunged forward, unsheathing a sword.
"Slash Angemon!" yelped Michelle.
"What?" The angel picked the cards up and turned.
His bladed wings parried Chaos Piedmon's sword. The clown feverishly dueled with Slash Angemon's wings. The wings were lightning fast in opening, closing and shifting to put the blade-like feathers against the Trump Sword. Finally the right wing held Chaos Piedmon's advance as the left wing slapped the clown across the face sending Chaos Piedmon staggering to the ground.
"Never mind…" replied Michelle.
"Anyways, we best return these guys back to normal," Slash Angemon turned and looked at Chaos Piedmon, "Now, what are you doing down on the ground like that….?"
The clown growled and pushed his hand forward releasing a twisting burst of magic. Slash Angemon folded a wing in front of his torso and let the burst bounce off.
"You can't be impervious! This is not happening!" shouted the clown loudly. "I won't be beaten by a nonchalant, sloppy…"
"Hold that thought for just a second," requested Slash Angemon as he dropped the cards on the ground, "Kougen…it's time for that healing power of yours…" Slash Angemon put his hand forward and a plume of auroral colors fell on the cards. Seconds later the biomerged digimon were standing in front of Slash Angemon, fully healed. Wisemon rose up and glared at the scrambling Chaos Piedmon. Slash Angemon smiled, "Good work, Kougen, they look almost perfect…"
"We're…fixed…" Justimon looked at his repaired cybernetic arm. "I..."
"Well, why only go half way…" chuckled Slash Angemon. The angel looked up and grimaced, "Awe, now where did he get to…?"
"A: who are you?" Valkyrimon stood up next to Kuzuhamon. "And B: Where did you come from…?"
"I am Slash Angemon, Lucemon's Mega form after he biomerged with Mark," bowed the angel slightly, "but Mark and Kougen are letting I, Kage, drive…"
"Uh…Kage…as in the evil that destroyed the Digital World, Kage…?" Anubismon stood up and helped WarGreymon X and GaiOumon up.
"No…" growled Slash Angemon, "Kage as in, the other side of Kougen…"
"Ok…" Kuzuhamon looked skeptically at the metallic angel.
"He did save us…" said WarGreymon X. "And he seemed to have kicked Chaos Piedmon's ass…so he can't be all bad…"
"Oh man, Chaos Piedmon was wetting himself!" called one of the Gotsumon, "It was hilarious!"
"Piedmon isn't gone yet…" said Slash Angemon, "He ran away like a snake…don't worry I'll find him!" The angel took off and flapped his wings, "Chaos Piedmon, ready or not here I come!"
"Some things are just too weird…" murmured Justimon.
"An angel with that kind of attitude…" Valkyrimon could only shake her head.
"Don't just stand around, we should follow him," Wisemon shouted. The sorceress glided over to Michelle and picked her up, "Let's go!"
The clown didn't get very far. Only a few hundred yards into the forest before Slash Angemon dropped down in front of him. The clown skidded to a stop.
"Now, Chaos Piedmon, you should know better, than to run out on an audience…" Slash Angemon took a step forward. Chaos Piedmon retreated and turned to run only to run into the chest armor of GaiOumon. The clown wheeled around and found himself surrounded. The clown's eyes fell on Slash Angemon. The metal angel smiled softly, "What do you know, Chaos Piedmon, you're a hit? Or was that you're going to get hit? Never was one to remember lines…"
Wisemon lifted her hands and a book levitated into the sky. The pages flipped open and the paper started to glow.
"Everyone…gather your strength into my spell book," Wisemon smiled and looked at Chaos Piedmon, "Chaos Piedmon, I hope you like my finale, the only thing is…you probably won't be around to critique it…"
"Justice BURST!" the lithe cyborg, Justimon, pointed his arm cannon at the book, and fired a lavender burst into the pages.
"Terra Force ZERO!" The sharply angled, armored, dragon warrior WarGreymon X gathered orange energy between his gauntlets and tossed the sphere of power into the pages of the spell book.
"Gaia Reactor!" a blue comet flew from the jagged swords of the dragon samurai GaiOumon.
"Amemit!" Anubismon dropped to his knees and fired a blaze of golden energy into the book.
"Womb World Mandala!" Kuzuhamon slashed her staff forward releasing a wave of purifying balloon flower blossoms into the book. The fox priestess looked at Chaos Piedmon angrily as her silver hair fell over her shoulder, landing on her lavender armor.
"Fenrir Sword!" Valkyrimon swept her blade forward releasing a twisting blaze of fire and ice. Her long, brown hair swirled in the breeze as she twisted.
"Heaven's Ripper!" Slash Angemon pointed his sword up at the book and the kanji script on the blade glowed and fired a burning bolt of lightning into the text.
"Pandora Dialog!" Wisemon unfurled her robed arms from a prayerful position over her chest and a dome of white energy ripped into the book.
The text then fell into the sorceress's hands, humming with the collect power of the digi-destined. Chaos Piedmon growled and unsheathed a sword from his back when a bolt of lightning slapped the weapon from the clown's hand. Chaos Piedmon looked up to find a very stern, Valkyrimon pointing a crossbow at him.
"That's a bad idea…" growled Valkyrimon.
Wisemon looked to Slash Angemon, "It's time…"
"Right…" Slash Angemon extended his blade arm out. Wisemon opened the book and reams of energy flew forward and swirled around the metallic angel's bladed arm. Slash Angemon turned to Chaos Piedmon.
"You're such fools…" chuckled Chaos Piedmon loudly. "You couldn't destroy me before, what makes you think this will make any difference?"
"Fighting you separately left us weak against you, but our combined power is far more than enough to put you down," replied Slash Angemon as he lifted the sword arm. "Plus, I wasn't around last time…do you really think you can stop me?"
"I won't be destroyed like this!" shouted Chaos Piedmon loudly, "I've existed for millennia; I won't be destroyed by a group of snot nosed brats! I DEFEATED THE GODS OF THIS WORLD!" The clown looked around with insane desperation. "CLOWN TRICK!" the clown pushed his arms forward towards Michelle.
Slash Angemon materialized out of a flurry of movement in front of Michelle. The blast of magic twisted towards him and the metal angel swept forward. "Holy Espada!"
The sword sliced through the clown magic and released the combined energy of the digi-destined. Chaos Piedmon shrieked as the energy tore through his body. The clown's body started to tear apart in chunks. There was a loud sizzling sound as red liquid evaporated in the energy. Chaos Piedmon dropped to his knees. His puffy theatre jacket was now a dirty red and his culottes were torn and burned but the biggest change was now they were green. His gloves were ripped from his hands revealing long clawed fingers. His hair was a shameful tangle of orange. The clown's mask was cracked and fell from his face, revealing horribly scarred skin.
"No…don't look at me!" shouted the clown loudly. "Don't…I'm hideous!"
"Piedmon, you're defeated, surrender…" demanded Slash Angemon.
"Never, I may be beaten, but this will not be the last show I do!" shouted the harlequin.
Piedmon jerked his hand forward. Slash Angemon growled and sliced upwards to shield himself. A dagger ricocheted off the angel's blade and whizzed back striking Piedmon in the head. The clown's eyes lifted and looked at the hilt of the dagger sticking out of his forehead. An insane laughter started to roll from his lungs as he slumped back. His body deleted and the last thing that deleted was the laughing mouth of the clown. The last streams of data solidified into a bolt of black lightning that shot into the sky. The digi-destined backed up and looked up. A black portal formed in the sky.
"Come on, we kicked his butt, let's just be done already!" whined Justimon as the portal ripped open sending black energy flying in all directions.
"He has to be defeated, he deleted in front of our eyes," Anubismon growled as he watched the portal swirl.
"Something is coming out…" Valkyrimon announced.
"Everyone, stand tight," grunted WarGreymon X.
"Whatever it is, we can defeat it if we stay together," assured Kuzuhamon.
Wisemon and Slash Angemon moved in front of Michelle and blocked her.
"We won't let this thing beat us, we're going to win," GaiOumon shouted.
"Blazing Helix!" a twisting column of flame erupted from the portal and exploded in the epicenter of the digi-destined ring.
The digimon and the digi-destined flew to the ground as the biomerged digimon were forced to de-digivolve. Wisemon de-evolved into Labramon and scurried to Michelle, who was pressed against Mark and Lucemon, who were scrunched into a tree. The others were lying on the ground and breathing hard. Jason, Steven and Kevin were leaning up to sit. Janet was crawling over to Amy. Brendan was shaking his head trying to dislodge the cobwebs in his face.
"Well…that was a morale boost…" grumbled Jason as he sat up.
"Uh oh…" Kevin looked up, "We're really in trouble…"
A large flaming phoenix was diving down towards them. Behind him was a large white tiger. A blue dragon and a black turtle followed the first two. The digi-destined shuddered as the four beasts hovered over them.
"Lord…Ebonwumon…" gasped Renamon as she bowed towards the tree-shelled, two headed turtle.
"Lord Baihumon!" yelped Ryuudamon as he immediately hit the forest floor prostrating himself in front of the tiger.
"Zhuqiaomon, that was not necessary," growled the dragon to the phoenix.
"I will not look at those abominations, Azulongmon," the phoenix returned to the dragon, "I can barely stomach looking at the humans now…"
"Who the hell are you?" shouted Jason loudly.
"These, are the four guardian gods of the Digital World," whispered a voice. The children and the digimon looked back and saw a familiar old man walking towards them, "Meet the Four Harmonious Ones, Azulongmon, the blue dragon of the east, Zhuqiaomon the red phoenix of the South, Baihumon the white tiger of the west and Ebonwumon the black turtle of the North…"
"Gennai!" Michelle gasped, "When did you get here?"
"I've been watching you for a while, from a distance of course, but when you defeated Chaos Piedmon I decided to come to you…" replied the old man.
"What the hell were you thinking when you blasted us apart?" shouted Amy loudly as she glared at the phoenix, "I should go up there and beat the…"
Brendan scrambled over and grabbed the girl from behind holding her mouth. He feverishly hummed into her ear. "There is no need to piss off the big, fire bird, which just kicked all of our butts in one shot…"
"I apologize for Zhuqiaomon, he has a tendency to dislike humans…" the blue dragon bowed his head. "He often does things he does not mean, to satiate his rage…"
"I MEANT EVER SPARK OF FIRE THAT I SENT!" roared Zhuqiaomon. The phoenix glared down at Amy, "Trust me; if I wished to hurt you, you wouldn't be sitting here complaining about it…"
"Enough of this," growled Baihumon, "let us try and stay organized…"
"Yes, we donna wanna look like ingrrrates in frronna ta children," nodded the turtle's two heads. "We be wantin' to thank ye for freein' us frrrom that horrrrrible realm of shadows."
"Yes, it was our purpose to thank you," nodded Azulongmon.
"You did real a nice job," glowered Steven as he glared at Zhuqiaomon. The blonde breathed slightly, "nice job of making us extra crispy…"
"You ungrateful…" the phoenix growled and the air around the bird wavered with heat.
"Zhuqiaomon!" barked Baihumon and Azulongmon simultaneously.
"So what now?" Janet stood up and looked at the four beasts. "What do we do now?"
"You…go home," growled Zhuqiaomon, "the faster, the better…"
"What? We don't get a party or anything?" Amy looked up at the beasts, "We just got our butts kicked across the country side, we've been fighting for weeks, and you're just going to send us home without any kind of thank you or festival?"
"This one's the child of Sincerrrity?" asked the turtle's left head.
"Aye…'tis a surrrrprrrise innit?" replied the right head.
"Right, Whiny McComplainsalot," said the two heads together, "the thing is…"
"I don't want you here, and we don't need you here," growled Zhuqiaomon loudly.
"Well, therrre is that…" nodded the turtle's right head. "But the main thing is….you canna stay 'ere, it's farrr too dangerrrous. The chaos is grrowing, we must evacuate you beforrre it's too late…"
"We could help," Brendan looked up, "We could biomerge…"
"We don't need your kind of help," growled Zhuqiaomon. "The fight that is in this world's future is one to be fought by digimon, not humans masquerading as digimon!"
"But…" Kevin looked up.
"I said you are going back, that is the end of the discussion!" shouted Zhuqiaomon loudly. Zhuqiaomon splayed his wings opened and glow emanated from its feathers. "In fact you're going back right now!"
"No!" Kevin shouted loudly and the bird stopped in mid-step. "We can't leave; we have to get Mr. Takenouchi…"
"Ah…yes…you nearly forgot, Zhuqiaomon," said Azulongmon calmly. The dragon looked at Zhuqiaomon, "Go and retrieve Kuro…and be gentle…"
"Why must I go and retrieve the vermin?" growled Zhuqiaomon.
"Because, you arrrre the fastest, Flashy McHothead" snorted Ebonwumon.
"Fine…" growled Zhuqiaomon.
"He is in the temple that Chaos Piedmon used as a stronghold, it's to the north, approximately four hundred kilometers…" called Gennai loudly as the phoenix jetted away.
The bird disappeared into the sky and flashed off to the north. Azulongmon looked down at the children, "He shall return shortly…he is very fast…"
"So…what's with the bird anyways, why is he so pissy?" Jason asked bluntly.
Azulongmon chuckled quietly, "Zhuqiaomon believes that the digi-destined are the ones that have caused all the problems of this world…he thinks humans are the ones that opened this world to evil…I suppose in a small way he is right…humans were the ones that freed Kurayami from his seal…but that was millennia ago. Zhuqiaomon just holds a grudge…"
"Ah…he's back…" called Brendan as he pointed upward.
A shimmer of red swept out of the north, a hot northern wind rushed past the digi-destined and a man dropped out of the sky. He had a torn jacket and torn shirt on. His chest had burns and bruises all over, as did his forehead, neck and other regions of his body.
"Mr. Takenouchi…" Michelle ran forward and helped him up, "Are you ok?"
"I'm….fine…." whispered the man quietly. "They didn't hurt me too much…"
"You look like you got the hell beat out of you…" Janet said as she walked forward.
"It looks worse than it is…" assured the man quietly.
"We don't have time for this, I found him about twenty yards from the temple…the temple is dripping with chaos!" growled Zhuqiaomon; the bird's wings glowed. "They must leave now! We must fight the chaos before it spreads further!" The great wings of Zhuqiaomon splayed open and the glowing feathers burned fiercely, "Sonic Zephyr!"
An energy wave shot forward. The humans looked up in shock as the world around was bathed in light. There was a tumbling sensation all around them. After several seconds of tumbling there was a sharp jolt and their bodies hit concrete.
They looked up around them. It was dawn. They were in a city. Buildings all around them were damaged, or on fire.
"Michelle…Kevin…" A woman's voice called.
The children looked up, a line of adults were standing in front of them. Most of them were in some form of weeping.
"Mom, you're ok!" Brendan ran up to a slightly rotund woman and hugged her. An equally round man hugged the two of them together.
"Mom…" Janet walked up to a muscular, but still womanly lady and hugged her, "I'm so glad you're ok…"
Steven and Mark ran to their mother, a young woman with light brown hair. A young man was next to her. Amy ran to her mother and father, hugging them tightly.
Kevin and Michelle ran to their mother and father and hugged them tightly. "We didn't know if you guys would still be here…"
"Dear, it's only been thirty minutes, the others' parents came soon after you left…" whispered Kevin's mother. "Those thirty minutes felt like an eternity, and we didn't know what was going on…."
"Mom…we were gone for about a month," whispered Kevin.
"It must be like when you first came home," said Michelle, "The time must still be off kilter…"
"Yeah that's right…" Kevin said quietly, but he only could think of one thing and he hugged his mother tighter.
"Father…" Jason walked up to the forty year old blond.
The man looked down at Jason sternly. His eyes closed and Jason's father dropped down and scooped Jason into a tight hug. "I love you, so much, I was so afraid…"
"I was too, father," whispered Jason quietly and he hugged his father, "but I just kept telling myself, that I had to keep living so I could come back and see you…I never wanted to leave you all alone…"
Jason pulled from his father and looked over at Janet. The young woman was trading hugs with her mother and father and grandfather. Jason smiled slightly and walked over the young girl. Janet looked up and smiled as Jason walked to her.
"Your ears…are normal…" Janet said quietly.
"Awe shucks…I liked them pointed too…" smirked Jason as he blushed. He felt his chest, "I still have the 'X' though…"
"I guess, some gifts are just not refundable," Janet smiled a little.
"No, I guess not," Jason looked at Janet. "We…won…"
"Yes, we did, I guess it's up to the Harmonious Ones to finish the job…" Janet looked to the sky, "I wished they'd given us time to say goodbye."
"Me too, but maybe one day, they'll let us come back," Jason smiled a little.
"Maybe," whispered Janet quietly and she looked up at Jason. His blue eyes were looking down at her. The girl frowned a little, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing…just…" Jason leaned in slightly and gave her a kiss on the lips.
The parents stopped their overall joy making and stared. Janet's mother moved to pull the two apart, but Janet's grandfather held the mother's arm and gently shook his head.
"Maybe more things happened while they were gone than we thought…" said the old man quietly. "Not every crusade is made up of just blood and hatred…"
Mr. Takenouchi started to walk from the scene slowly. Kevin looked up and ran after him. The boy caught up to Mr. Takenouchi and grabbed his arm.
"Hey, where are you going?" asked Kevin as he looked up at the man.
"Home, all I want to do is go to bed…" replied the man.
Kevin furrowed his brows. The man's eyes seemed different, but Kevin couldn't put his finger on it. Kevin shrugged, dismissing the change as something that happened while Mr. Takenouchi was captured.
"Well, I guess I'll see you later, Mr. Takenouchi," smiled Kevin up at the man.
"I don't see why you would," growled the man loudly.
"I'm your neighbor…" Kevin narrowed his eyes. Mr. Takenouchi seemed surprised by this revelation. Kevin looked up at the man sternly, "Is something wrong?"
"No…I'm just very weary from the ordeal," the man placated, "I'm going now…" The man yanked his arm from Kevin and started to walk away at a stiff pace.
"Huh…" Kevin shrugged and ran back to his parents.
The small groups of digi-destined and their parents slowly dissociated into their family units. Most of them were smiling and laughing and spreading hugs and kisses. Janet's mother gave a short stern look at Janet as Jason gave her a little kiss on the cheek as he and his father was being ushered by emergency personnel from ground zero. Emergency personnel were scrambling and ushering most of the digi-destined and their parents away, and ever so innocently the sun rose above the horizon's haze to illuminate a brand new day, and a torn, but safe world; free from darkness, and evil. Only one long shadow slid across the earth. It was the shadow of Mr. Takenouchi, as he walked down the long streets to his home, but that shadow, was the longest most fearful shadow of them all as it grew against the bolstering sunlight. This was the shadow of chaos.
"The gates shall open soon…" whispered Mr. Takenouchi as he slowly walked into the shadows of an alley and his figure disappeared into the darkness. "Indeed very soon…"
888
AN: The…End…
…I lie so badly… (sighs)
Favorite scene this chapter…Lucemon totally unleashing the Kage-Kougen combo against the Trump Sword….
Alforce: Thanks Alforce, I hope this chapter wasn't a let down after the last one. I loved it, Chaos Piedmon became a cross between, something like Jakotsu, the Joker and some stalker film villain…totally insane and totally unstoppable…but this chapter totally flipped the tables on him…loved how he deleted too…
Blue: Yep ah jeez…I seemed to have forgotten someone…mmm…'tis a pity.
Dark Qiviut: Don't know if I'd call it action, it was pretty one sided. I just loved how the fight went and then the Harmonious Ones…oh the Harmonious ones…I know how you like Zhuqiaomon; hopefully I did him justice…It wasn't a rush to write this chapter, though it did start stiltedly. And it's not that I am anti-Sorato, because I can see the argument for it, but I'm just not a shipper, I'm not a Taiora or a Daikari or a Takari or a Mikari or Kenori or whatever else you can conjure the only ship I am part of is the Jason/Janet ship…and that doesn't count, though I may be a little of a Brenmy shipper…or would that be Amdan…but all of that is inconclusive and not part of the plot…
I guess the only ship I am truly in approval of when it comes to the actual characters is Yolei and Ken, but that's totally because it's canonical. Everyone else, married someone else…except for Sora and Matt…as the chapter I'm guessing you referenced shows, they broke up. The reasons I had them for them breaking up are because I see Matt and Sora's marriage being very much like Nancy and Hiroaki's, because as Sora says, Matt is very much his father's son…I just see it playing out again…
As to the advertisement…you have something against Harry Potter and discount products….though I will admit the swat the bee advertisement annoyed me.