7

"Hmph." Firemon said, turning back to face Ashley. "Don't like."

Ashley looked down at her Fire-dino Digimon. "No there's something not quite right about this." She agreed.

"Do you think Blademon be evil, posses Jacob?" He asked.

She shook her head, "No I don't think its that, I've delt with that before remember? It happened to me. No. This feels… different."

Before more could be said Jacob returned, Blademon with him. Not even five seconds after his return Ashley attacked him again. "A Digimon shrink may be a good idea but getting "The Sword" back might be a better step in the right direction. Wouldn't you say?" 'What's happened to us? She wondered to herself When did we slip from happy and carefree into darkness, deceit, lies and depression? When did we fall? And more importantly Why?'

Blademon let out a small sniffle but Jacob ignored it. "I do miss Swordmon…" He said. He looked as though he was going to continue but Firemon cut him off.

"Its Blade-evils fault." He said clearly not thinking about what he was doing and saying the first thing that popped into his head. Which Ashley had been known to do a few times.

It was now that Jacob decided that they had gone too far. That Firemon had crossed some invisible line that only he knew. "Blademon did not delete Swordmon." He said. His voice tense, on the edge. "I programmed Blademon from Swordmon's data."

This struck both Ashley and Firemon like a ton of bricks… multiplied by a thousand. The usual slightly comic voice (if only for his lack of vocabulary) of Firemon was not so comical now.

"Blade. Sword…replacement." Is was more of an accusation then a statement. Firemon's back hunched over and his spikes flared up. Ashley had rarely seen him in such a defense position. But then it was really more of a defensive position then it was an attacking one. He looked like a tiger waiting to pounce.

Jacob as though oblivious to all of this coolly shrugged his shoulders like nothing was wrong and said, "He still has some bugs."

Firemon spat at the ground in front of him, while he and Jacob were usually on good terms (despite a scuffle here and there) right now every part of Firemon loathed him. It was only by the skin of his self control that he did not attack and rip the head off of Jacob right here and there.

"You evil human." He said, his voice cloaked in rage. "Digimon not to be programmed for your use." To save himself from acting without orders from his tamer he stormed off. Actual sparks emitting from his body.

Jacob shouted after him, not knowing whether he could hear or not but still feeling the need to defend himself. "Sword got deleted and I tried to get him back by creating a Digimon from his core personality!" He yelled. "If the core wakes Blademon will act like Swordmon! And he WILL be Swordmon!" He sighed and turned to Ashley now that Firemon was gone. "So sorry for trying to save a friend."

Ashley who would say that of all the Tamers that Jacob was the one she most got along with. (or had less personality clashes with) But even she had her limits. She took a step forward and seemed grow from the rage she was attempting to control. Though Ashley was a shorter then Jacob at that moment it felt as though it was the other way around.

"Except he's Blademon and will never be Swordmon! You lost your Digimon accept it! You cant fix what is broken you cant create life! Its immoral! Digimon and their Tamers choose each other, no matter how subconsciously! It's the cycle, if your meant to have a Digimon your partner will come to you! If Swordmon was to ever come back it was because you once again proved yourself ready enough to have a Digimon. I understand you want Swordmon back but I don't agree with what you've done. You've sunk even below my level."

Unlike Ashley who seemed to grow with rage, Jacob seemed to shrink back, Ashley was a scary girl when she was upset. He once knew that but he was about to learn it all again.

"…Swordmon can't comeback on his own, the damn virus made sure of it." He said, attempting to explain himself.

Ashley leaned back and crossed her arms, no longer menacing but still looking very ticked He had never told anyone what had really deleted Swordmon. 'So it was a virus then was it?' She thought. "Swordmon was a virus type was he not?" She asked.

Jacob mistook her meaning, whether on purpose or not she wasn't sure. "It was a virus type that deleted him. It was a pure and simple virus. "I barely saved his core self…"

Ashley still stood there waiting with the same ticked off expression. It had never changed, not since they had first met through till now, her expressions were still the same, they were still…Ashley. And for good or bad she still carried that cool tone, if not a little colder she said, "I'm asking you a question."

As if her words cut right through him he replied in an almost submissive tone, "Yes he was a Virus type."

She kept her face completely unreadable, like she always did. She couldn't let anyone in because if her walls came down… She didn't want to think about it. "You saved his core self, so you should it free. Since he was a virus type he may be able to reconstruct himself with the scattered data in this world."

He shook his head. "Believe me, I tried. I know how it works… But his core just started to degrade outside my Digivice. It can only live if it can only live in there or in Blademon." He said. "The core itself is damaged, and its corrupt. It cant heal."

Now Ashley was getting irritated again it was showing. "You just don't get it do you? You have the core. Do you not?"

"6.01 percent of it. Yes. The rest was lost in battle and when I tried letting it free…" Jacob was going to continue but Ashley cut him off.

"Fuck you, fuck you to hell. You should have let him be deleted, it would have been better for him." Now he composure fell, even after all they'd been through she couldn't take it. Not anymore. This…this was… She couldn't even think straight.

To this Jacob had no instant reply. Silence fills the woods, there is no noise anywhere. Then a single tear falls down his face, "Fine." He drops his Digivice to the ground and the screen smashes scattering glass everywhere.

She regained her composure. Satisfied with what he had done, even knowing what it meant and what it must be doing to him. What she had done to him. She knew all this and understood it all too well. But she still made no reaction to this. She just stood there, but not completely still a slight twitch went through her body as she attempted to keep her composure.

Over Behind Jacob Blademon started to destabilize and phase out. With the core of Swordmon gone he couldn't keep himself there any longer. Ashley (as if to make a point) kept her eyes on Jacob and not so much as glanced at Blademon who has almost completely disappeared now.

On the ground Jacobs Digivice which was usually a deep red was turning black. "This virus that got Swordmon…" He started his voice completely monotone. "Its coming fro the rest of us. I had come here to warn you but I got caught up in…this."

Ashley who was not over confident, but always stated the facts, whether it was offensive or not said, "It wont get Firemon." She sounded so sure about it, as if she had no doubt. The tone of her voice could not have been mistaken, it carried no trace that she thought that Firemon was any stronger then Swordmon had been.

Whether Jacob understood this was questionable but the aura surrounding him didn't seem to care. All he had wanted to do was warn them. "It will…If you try and fight it." His Digivice was now completely black the darkness had consumed it, finally. Irony amazed her for with the coming of the black Digivice the sun had completely disappeared below the horizon. The night was finally here.

"Trust me there's more then one way to beat a virus." She said to him, not knowing how she would accomplish such a thing but knowing that right then at this moment she needed to be strong.

"Find the anti virus. It's the only way." He said. Behind him Blademon had completely dispersed. Nothing but emptiness where moments before the sad twisted version of a dead Digimon had stood. Jacob turned around, his back facing Ashley, who hadn't moved her eyes from Jacob as Blademon disappeared. She made no indication that she had even known he was there.

"I don't make a point of depending on others." She said. "But, with that virus, you should have ran, came to us then we could of plotted a way to destroy it. It always seemed to work before." 'Before everything went to hell. What happened to us? ' Again she asked herself this because try as she might she couldn't find the answer.

He pauses, "…I was trying to defend a Digimon village." He took out his E-Cards and began chucking them off the side.

Ashley didn't buy it, "You get who you can and run, or use the D-Arc to call for help. What was it? You though we wouldn't help you? I…We were always there for you. Whether you knew that or not."

She glances down at the now black Digivice. The grass around it had withered and died. What the hell was going on? Before she could ponder that thought anymore Jacob exploded on her, he whipped himself and around and shouted, "THERE WAS NO TIME!" With this he turned and disappeared into the woods.

Ashley muttered to herself full of anger, "Fucking right there was no fucking time. I feel bad for Swordmon though." She shook her head, "Whatever not my problem." She turned her back to walk away, in the opposite direction from which Jacob had left. She couldn't stand the thought of seeing him after what she just did to him. 'Is he the monster or am I? Or are be both just a bunch of kids who went in way over our heads? '

Before she could leave though a dark voice came from the black Digivice. "It will be…It will be."

Having taken all the crap she was gonna take tonight she turned herself around and walked over to it. "You tryin' to make a point?" She demanded of the Digivice.

In response the Digivice glowed with black energy. Black is not a color, it does not glow, so that was the wrong term for it; it created a shadow of energy around it. Either way this disturbed Ashley's mind. Which was already at unrest from the events that had just taken place. "You will all die. One by one." It said, but it had no voice, hard as it was to explain. It began to scorch the ground beneath it.

As if ignoring all this she continued in her confidence, "I highly doubt that. Look if your looking to shake fear into me your sadly mistaken." She was no one to get scared. She couldn't allow it. To become afraid was to become weak, open for attack. She had no place for it.

"No only a warning." The screen glows for a moment and the shattered pieces of glass fly onto it and melt back into place, fixed. On the newly fixed screen Swordmon appears, but not Swordmon. He had black lines glowing along his armor and he looked like he was corrupted; badly.

"Swordmon?" She says in disbelief before shaking her head in denial. "You're a joke; I don't buy any of this bullshit. Don't bother warning me because there's no need."

The twisted version of Swordmon twitches and laughs a little. "Heh…Same old you." It said. "You're a fool and you will die."

Before Ashley could respond the entire Digivice fades out. None of this made any sense but she knew that when the time came that she would face it. The outcome could either be could or bad but she knew that fate would decide what she had meant to do. She believed in fate; and she hated the bastard.

"Scared now." She said pretending to shake. "Fucking messed up piece of shit." She sighed. "Better go find Firemon.

"No need." Said a voice and Firemon jumped down in front of her. Apparently he had been watching the whole thing. "I be here." He said in that same childlike voice. But something had changed. It had been gradual but his voice had gotten more mature. But he still couldn't master the English language.

By now the entire grass around the temple had died and a light rain had started. It seemed even the sky was sadden by what had just taken place. Atop the hill behind the temple a dark figure was silhouetted against the night. Jacob.

Firemon pointed and said, "Jacob." She already knew this but she did not correct him.

He came closer so you could see him and even though something was seriously wrong you could still tell it was him.

"What now?" She asked him. His eyes flashed a deep red, and the light rain poured, down on them becoming heavier then she had ever felt. It weighed her down, relentless against her but Jacob did not seem affected at all. "Creepy… Firemon!" She commanded.

He nods and closes his eyes. "Firemon…" He began as he started the digivolution. "Warp Digivolve to…." Ashley's Digivice glowed as he Digivolved into his mega form. "Ashmon!."

Ashmon was 7 feet tall with white armor that had black flames everywhere. The front of his armor had the same crest that had been on his shoulder as a rookie. On his arms blades extended out of his armor. On his hip was a large sword. The Golden Sword, given especially to them for their deeds to the digital world.

After this had taken place a thump was heard behind them. "What the?" they both said as they turned around.

Jacob was behind them and yet he wasn't. He looked like a cross between him and Swordmon. It wasn't anything she had ever seen before. He drew a very large sword from his belt.

Despite all this Ashley still could say without any change in her voice, "Not scared."

Ashmon nodded. "Me either." He said as he drew his own sword. "Wouldn't be the first time we faced shit like this."

The sick version of Jacob and Swordmon swung his sword menacingly through the air; dark energy rippling through the air. "One touch and you're dead fools." He said. His voice was distorted; it sounded like him, Swordmon, and…something else. But if he did touch them the virus would eat through them and delete them. 'Just like Swordmon.'

"hmmm…" Ashmon said like he was thinking but Ashley knew that the monstrosity in front of them was throwing him off track. Covering this he swung his sword a bit and said, "Like to see you try and touch me." He sounded more confident then he felt, but no one but Ashley would be able to tell.

Her mind was racing. 'How do we beat it? How do we beat it? It already got Jacob, you cant let it get you. You have to beat it and at the same time free Jacob and Swordmon. Come on Ashley think of something!'

The twisted version of Jacob and Swordmon turned towards Ashley and raised his sword. "Hmm…So I should kill her first then." He decided.

Ashmon stepped in front of him sword raised in a defensive position. "Not before me." He said. "Have some honor."

He grinned. It was horrible thing to see, it felt so unnatural to see, even more then what he was to begin with. "You forget…" He said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "I'm a fucking virus, what would honor mean to me?" He stabbed his sword forward but its blocked by Ashmon with the Golden Sword.

"Those who fight without honor die without it. Remember that." He retorted. Their swords still clashed each one struggling for the other to weaken.

"One touch…Fool!" He says and the golden sword began to turn black and crack. But despite this Ashmon did not jump back and still strained himself to fight back Jacob's strength.

"No. You're the fool." He said. The Golden Sword glowed with a radiant energy and it heals itself, completely golden with no cracks visible. "The blade cannot be broken for it was forged by the DigiGods and while they live so does the blade." He breaks free and swings his sword at Jacobs head. The blade passes right through him with no effect.

"Heh, pathetic." He said mockingly eyeing the look of surprise on Ashmons' face. "Now you know why Swordmon and Jacob fell so fast."

"Ashley, we may need a new strategy." Ashmon said a strained look on his face as he blocks more strikes from Jacob. His sword was powerful but it was too slow

"I'm thinking I'm thinking." She replied, but she was out of idea's nothing she could think of would have any effects. "My cards are all useless." She said flipping through them. None of them could delete a virus. 'Where the hell was the anti-virus card?' She thought. There was no such thing but something like that would sure as fuck come in handy.

"I need to be a bit faster." Jacob said and his Sword shrunk into a katana. He swung through empty air testing it out. "Much better."

In an attempt to still act confident. "That it?" She said acting out a mocking tone. Jacob just grinned as he raised his sword to rush at Ashmon. "Ashmon can be faster to." She said pulling out one of her Digi Modify Cards. It may not be fast enough but she had to try. "Digi Modify!" She yelled swiping the card across her D-Arc. "Hyper Speed activated!"

Ashmons speed increased and just in time he just narrowly avoided getting chopped into bits of sushi. He swings his own sword with increased speed at Jacob. 'I don't want to do this Jacob.' She thought. But you leave me know choice.'

"Ouch!" She said as she recoiled the hand was holding her D-Arc. It had begun sparking with electricity.

"I wouldn't recommend doing that again." Jacob warned after blocking the strike from Ashmon.

"You wouldn't would you?" She said in a slightly arrogant tone. It was all fake she wasn't feeling so confident now. All her confidence in her own abilities were weakening.

"All Digivices are connected together on one level or another." He said. "Which means if one is corrupted…." He turns to the black D-Arc that had appeared again on the ground. "They all are."

"Using another card it could spread to Ashmon." He said and in mock concern added, "We wouldn't want that would we?"

Keeping up the act she had been playing for years she said, "Guess I'll have to solve that wont I?" How long…can I keep up this act. She thought then she shook her head. 'I have to keep it up, have to be strong, or…'

"You'd have to kill me first." He said, with full confidence that she couldn't do that. But if he should have known by now, if It had to be done Ashley would do it. She couldn't let her own personal feelings keep her from doing what had to be done. But maybe he did know her and maybe he did know that her mind was shaking, becoming open, easier to break. If he realized this then he could be the only one to have penetrated the mind of Ashley. Something not even the original Jacob, or any of the tamers had been able to do. Breaking the stand off that had ensued that comment he swung at Ashmon.

She hastily put up her barrier again but it was weak, "Trust me I'm working on it." Ashmon dodged his strike each of them moving faster then before but neither any faster then the other. With no solution coming to her mind she said, "Ashmon retreat…for now."

He nodded, "Affirmative." He jumped back to Ashley's side. Not a step of hesitation in his voice. He knew Ashley well enough to know that she was rattled, even if he still couldn't figure out the workings of her mind yet. She still couldn't bring herself to even rely on her Digimon. Not fully anyways. It might have been Jacob to first truly understand her but look at what had happened to him.

Then something unexpected, Jacob spoke but it was his voice alone not that sick twisted version of him, Swordmon and that outside force. "I'd drop the Digivice if I were you." He said.

Ashley looked down at her Digivice it suddenly was half black. The Virus must have hidden it from her. 'But how…? ' "This is…impossible. Come on Ashmon we're leaving." She said and Ashmon came and picked her up placing her on his shoulder.

The distorted voice was suddenly back, "Heh run but next time you so much as set foot in this world you will be mine."

"Wouldn't be so sure of that." She said dropping her D-Arc which was now completely black. She took one last sad look at Jacob and then her and Ashmon returned to the real world. Ashmon back in his rookie form of Firemon. "Fuck!" She said aloud slamming her fist into the wall. "Damnit Jacob your supposed to be stronger then that."

Back in the Digi-World Jacob walks over to her dropped Digivice. "The others won't be warned in time…and they will…" He picks up her D-Arc, "…be mine!"