Chapter nine: Angel and Demon

Angewomon wandered between the graves, the names of the digimon that had lost something were carved into the stones, not the thing that was lost. When she paced between the aisles of tombstones, Angewomon started to whisper. "Salamon thought of everything and nothing… Someone promised her… that he would send her the Angel of Music… someone promised her…someone promised her…" She looked up to all the gray stone figures of angels and beautiful but crying women and she felt tears rising into her eyes.

"You were once my one companion…

You were all that mattered.

You were once a friend and partner…

Then my world was shattered…

Whishing you were somehow here again,

Wishing you were somehow near…

Sometimes it seemed, if I just dreamed

Somehow you would be here…" She walked through the smooth fog and saw little red berries on the yew bushes on which tiny crystals of ice sat. She felt her heart so heavy and her mind tired.

"Wishing I could hear your voice again,

Knowing that I never would…

Dreaming of you, won't help me to do

All that you dreamed I could." Her cloak dragged over the iced earth, but she did not care, her mind wandered in the spaciousness of the finiteness. Her feet were light while her head was heavy with gloomy thoughts.

"Passing bells and sculpted angels,

Cold and monumental,

Seem for you the wrong companions,

You were warm and gentle…" She shivered, how could she knew how the one she had been searching for was. How could she know, that one was warm and gentle. She had searched so long, had waited so long, but no one ever came to her…

"To many years, fighting back tears…

Why can't the past just die?

Wishing you were somehow here again

Knowing we must say good bye…

Try to forgive,

Teach me to live!

Give me the strength to try!" She came to the place she wanted to visit, the sepulcher of her own unknown… It was a tall tomb almost a mausoleum, no one built them they grew out of this cemetery's earth whenever something was lost, like fungi in the rottenness. Angewomon did not know why hers was so tall, maybe because of what lacked her had been something very important.

"No more memories, no more silent tears,

No more gazing across the wasted years…

Help me say

Good Bye…" She fell onto her knees on the steps to her crypt, warm tears flowing down her cheeks while the air around her seemed to chill down more with every minute. "Help me… say… Good Bye…" She breathed more than whispered and sighed. Her hands were ice cold as her whole body was, not just because of the temperature, she felt empty and cold inside of her heart. She still looked onto the crypt when there was slowly something creeping into her mind like balmy fog. It was some sort of music… No… more a voice, soft, soothing and emotive… She felt as if she had known it since she was born…

"Wandering child so lost, so helpless,

Yearning for my guidance…" She did not wanted the voice to go away, it warmed up her pinched body. –Maybe this is the one I was waiting for…- And indeed, the voice seemed to come directly from out of the crypt… She looked up and murmured breathlessly.

"Angel or partner, friend or phantom?

Who is it there staring" And more and more the voice became enticing and hypnotic.

"Have you forgotten your angel?" Her mind clouded and she felt like being bathed in warmth.

"Angel oh speak, what endless longings

Echo in this whisper" Silently the patter of hoofs reverberated through the air, it was an Unimon, that galloped into the cemetery. On its back sat Angemon he pulled the reigns and made it trot.

"Too long you've wandered in winter

Far from my fathering gains!" Angemon heard that voice, too, only for him it sounded threatening. "Once again she is his… Once again she returns…" He murmured to himself. Her heart was throbbing under her breast, there was a warm reddish light glowing out of the crypt. –It must be him! The one that I have waited for, the one that I have searched for!-

"Wildly my mind beat against you…

You resist yet your soul obeys!" Angemon hid behind one of the crosses, she had not yet noticed him. "... To the arms of her angel... Angel or demon... Still he calls her... Luring her back, from the grave... Angel or dark seducer...? Who are you, strange angel...?" He did not know where this voice was coming from and the uprising fog began to vex him.
"Angel of Music, you denied me!

Turning from true beauty…

Angel of Music do not shun me

Come to your strange angel!

Angel of Music, I denied you

Turning from true beauty,

Angel of Music my protector

Come to me strange angel…" She slowly felt her feet walking up the gray marble steps to the crypt's iron gate. The voice was still there like the whisper of the wind or the rustle of the leaves in autumn. "I am your Angel of Music… Come to me Angel of Music…" She was magnetized by the voice and the warm crimson glowing in the crypt, it was as if she had an own mind no longer. –This is the one… the one that I have searched for… Yes I can feel it…- Suddenly Angemon shouted aloud worried about his love. "Angel of darkness! Cease this torment!" But the voice was beckoning her inexorably and she followed. "I am your Angel of Music... Come to me Angel of Music!" In desperation Angemon called out for her. "NO, ANGEWOMON! WAIT!" He jumped out of his hiding place behind the grave and rushed over to her. "Wait! Whatever you believe! This 'mon, this thing! Is not your partner!" And then he addressed to the 'Phantom' shouting into roughly the direction where he supposed him. "Let her go! For God's sake, let her go! Angewomon!" He grabbed her shoulders and turned her face to him and she awoke from her hypnosis. "Angemon?" She was surprised to see him there, she actually was surprised of being so close to the tomb. And then she remembered why she was there and she wanted to go inside, but he held her back He drew his holy scepter when Angewomon shouted at him to watch out, but it was too late. "GRISLY WING!" A flock of bats darted out of the crypt and threw Angemon down the steps onto the stony ground, a lightning shot down from the sky and Myotismon stood on the roof of the tomb, akimbo. "Bravo, Angemon! Such spirited words!" Angemon got onto his feet, while another of Myotismon's Crimson Lightning was hitting the ground where he just had been, he shouted at him. "More tricks, you..." Myotismon laughed and whipped his lightning on purpose only inches away from Angemon's feet. "Let's see, vaccine how far you dare go!" Anew his lightning whip flashed down, threatening but not harming, initially… "More deception? More violence?" Angemon shouted up to him, growing slowly furious, while his love demanded him not to do so. Angemon began slowly and resolutely walking back to the stairs again as every whiplash always landed just ahead of him. "That's right, that's right, Angemon, keep walking this way!" Myotismon sneered at him with two more whips. "You can't win her love by making her your prisoner." Angemon said now calm and serious showing no hint of fear. Angewomon tried to run to him but he told her to stay back. And walked up the steps. "I'm here, I'm here, Angemon: the angel of death! Come on, come on, vaccine! Don't stop, don't stop!" Myotismon laughed derisive while Angemon stood directly at the entrance to the crypt, looking up to him. When suddenly... "NIGHTMARE CLAW!" Angemon was thrown down the stairs once more, this time far more hurtful, he kept recumbent like petrified, at first.

Myotismon leaped down and glanced at Angewomon before crimson energy shot out of his fingertips again and united to his deadly Crimson Lightning. He flashed down the steps lifting his energetic whip over his head. "Crimson Lightning!" He let it swish down onto Angemon's chest, burning his white combat suit. Angemon rolled aside and tried to get onto his feet, while Myotismon's Crimson Lightning was hitting the ground where he just had been. He shot a Thunder Justice at Myotismon who skipped up so only his cape was hit. "Damn you! Grisly Wing!" Angemon tried to dodge but he bounced against one of the gravestones and fell backwards over it. The bats destroyed the stone in less than a second. Myotismon grinded his teeth and glared at the vaccine. "You can run and hide! But you cannot survive! Crimson Lightning!" Jeered Myotismon striding towards him, Angemon jumped onto his feet again and countered with his Hand of Fate. Both digimon where pushed backwards when the attacks clashed. But both kept standing upright, Angemon used this chance and rushed towards Myotismon. "DYNAMITE KICK!" He pushed himself from the ground and banged his boot sideways against Myotismon's head. The vampire reeled backwards setting his aching jaw. Angemon lifted his staff to hit the diverted Myotismon again. "TRY ME!" Myotismon shouted and recoiled into the fog with a spiteful laughter. Angemon flipped around, everything was silent he could not make out where Myotismon was. "Do you think you are the only digimon using Battle Techniques?" His voice seemed to come from left of Angemon, the vaccine shot a Static Elect into the fog. "Have a new guess, go on!" Myotismon hooted from the grayness, Angemon tried to discover from where Myotismon's voice came, he moved around in a circle on the point where he stood. "Let me tell you something, my boy!" -Right side, about six feet above the ground!- Angemon attacked with a Static Elect again, Myotismon could not be so far away from him. "My! That was close, you're improving! Hahaha…But you interrupted me!" It seemed as if Myotismon was circling around Angemon, his voice moved almost every second. "Stop hiding! You gutless lunatic! Hand of Fate!" Angewomon could only stand and watch the two digimon fighting, she was like petrified… Myotismon played with Angemon like a cat with the mouse… "Whew! Do you kiss HER with that mouth? But talking about Battle Techniques… How do you like this one?" Angemon got his arms up to cover himself against the attack, the worst thing was he still did not know from where it would come. "BUSTER DIVE!" Angemon heard a swishing noise from out of the fog and then he only felt Myotismon's fists crashing into his back, slamming him against one of the larger monuments. "Impressive, isn't it?" Myotismon sneered at the digimon lying down confused. He walked over to him readying his Crimson Lightning, when Angemon regained his conception. He drew his staff over the floor, knocking Myotismon's feet from the ground and leaped up as fast as he could. He spread his wings and soared up to leave Myotismon's range. "Hand of Fate!" Myotismon dodged with a smugly grin on his lips. "You can't defeat me that easily, Crimson Lightning!" The energy tied Angemon's ankles together while Myotismon got up to his altitude. Angemon tried to cut through the crimson strap but before he could, Myotismon pulled it back like a rubber band and Angemon's face smashed directly against Myotismon's fist. The vampire took his Crimson Lightning into both hands and tugged the vaccine through the air, finally clashing him against a tall marble statue of an angel. He bounced off the cold stone and crashed down onto the floor his staff falling down yards away from him.. Myotismon lifted his Crimson Lightning to whip it onto his rival and let it swish through the air. Angemon covered himself with his arms, the attack cut into them easily, hurting him severely. "You impudent fool, did you really think you could defeat me with this pathetic little toy of yours! Grisly Wing!" Angemon stumbled backwards and could just throw himself onto the floor, reaching out for his staff with bleeding arms when the bats darted past his head. Myotismon was very displeased of his attack's failing, meanwhile Angemon had retrieved his staff and pointed with it at Myotismon. "THUNDER JUSTICE!" The bright electrical energy scorched Myotismon's collar and creased along the side of his face. Myotismon clenched his teeth and his eyes narrowed to slits as he felt a warm, slightly viscous fluid trickling down his cheek "You audacious nuisance! Nightmare Claw!" The attack hit Angemon against the chest throwing him towards the angelic statue again, it burst and the rubble crashed down onto the vaccine digimon. "That's for this!" Myotismon wheezed slightly and watched the rubble heap attentive. It did not move so he turned away and looked at the shocked Angewomon, when suddenly… "ANGEMON DIGIVOLVE TO…" Myotismon flipped round alarmed, a bright holy light blinding him. "What! Where is that glow coming from?" He covered his eyes from the radiance with his cape, while the rubble heap quaked. "What the bloody hell!" The rubble was blasted, heavy boulders of marble hurtled against Myotismon's chest, taking his breath and smashing him backwards with such a force that he crashed through several tombstones. His body skidded across the stony earth and clashed with Angewomon's sepulcher. He was dazed when the brightness increased. "ANGEMON DIGIVOLVE TO… MAGNAANGEMON!" The holy ultra level digimon flew towards the stunned virus. He drew a bright glowing circle into the sky. "GATE OF DESTINY!" Myotismon tried to pull himself backwards but feeling the cold marble wall in his back, he gaped at the vaccine with dread in his sapphire eyes, for a split second. A female outcry blasted the fog away. "NO MAGNAANGEMON!" He turned his head beholding Angewomon regarding him terrified. "No… Not like this…" He looked down at the virus, hesitant. Myotismon gasped erratic, trying hard to hide his mortal fear, glaring at MagnaAngemon with nothing but loathing in his icy blue eyes. Slowly the bright circle began to dissolve and MagnaAngemon stepped back from Myotismon, he marched over to Angewomon and lifted her onto his Unimon and set spurs to it. Slowly and in ache Myotismon got onto his feet while they trotted past him, he glanced up to Angewomon but she was not able to look him into the eyes. He viewed them galloping out of the cemetery and clenched his bleeding fists breathing deeply. He turned away from them with hatred and rancor… "So be it! Now let it be war upon you both!" A flash of lightning darted through the fog and Myotismon had disappeared.

Lingering and jaded footsteps roved through dark corridors accompanied by a slow steady breathe. Myotismon drifted through the darkness with bowed head and arms wide open. His fingertips skimmed along the coarse stone walls to his sides. He sighed deeply and cried out aloud, slamming his fist to the right wall. He pushed himself from the wall and felt his back bouncing against the one on the other side. He gasped vigorous as he slid onto the floor. He sat down on his rear, his thighs pulled near to his chest and his chin upon his knees. The vampire was musing his arms encircling his legs. Genuinely brooding with closed eyes about what had happened on the cemetery. All advantages had been on his side… His voice, the fog, her dejection, her yearning, his allure, the sadness of the location, his physical force, his intelligence, his conjuring, her dependence, her gullibility, his ultra level… everything… everything had served him… but still… "Something served him to digivolve… Something that will never be mine… in any case of her own free will…" He did not dare to speak out what she had bestowed to MagnaAngemon and would never share with him. He hoped as long as his lips would not bear the words, they would not become certainty. For the first time he felt the cold of this castle creeping into him and shivered. As he stood up, several squeaks reverberated from the walls. A swarm of bats flapped through the darkness towards him, welcoming their master back.

They cheerfully fluttered around his head and cheeped happy. Unnerved he shoved them away and walked down the hallway. They followed him in a short distance. He had not allowed the ache to reach his awareness but now… he felt his wounds more than distinct, those that bled and… those that would not mend in next to no time, the sort of wound that cut deeper than any sword could ever slash… He stood in front of a large door when his bats came up to him. They hung on the ceiling and watched him attentively, wondering what their master would do. The door was unlocked with a little golden key and Myotismon slowly walked into the great room with its warm patterns of colored light. The bats began to ruffle their wings in apprehension and shrieked at him though they did not dare to follow. He turned his head and a mild resigning smile relaxed his lips. Their crimson eyes glowed in anxiety when he closed his eyes and stepped onto the balcony that lay in the rays of the afternoon sun. "I had entirely forgotten… how balmy it can be…" He told them with a gentle voice and squeezed his eyes closed as the light was blinding him through his lids, still. He had all in his mind… in front of his mind he saw the mountain range, the fields of golden wheat and high sunflowers. He knew where the fields dissolved into meadows of pure, fresh, emerald green, with tiny dots of all colors upon them. He remembered where the grass led into the olive green woods of deciduous trees. And he knew where the parapet would be, he set a foot upon it and let his weight rest on his thigh. Though he could not see the panorama with his eyes, he saw it with his heart, in his memories… He turned his head aside to where Angewomon had stood, that one morning. He sighed deeply and whispered to an image of her in his mind. "Do you know how angels fly?… Have you ever seen one?… Angels fly lonely…" He raised his fist into the sky and opened it as if he wanted to release something. In fact, from behind the mountains thunder clouds began to gather. When the first thunderclap resounded a pack of flying digimon roused from the woods. He could perceive the darkening through his closed lids and felt the first few drops of cold rain that burst on his skin and trickled down his cheeks. Lightning flashed down and set the wheat a flame, crackling of the dryness. Hailstones big as fists shredded the yellow and green leafs of the sunflowers, scattering the kernels all around. A hurricane like wind uprooted most of the trees hurling them against other trees and causing those to break. Leisurely Myotismon opened his eyes and grinned wicked. "Nevermore being alone…" He burst out laughing hysterical and stepped onto the balustrade with both feet. He opened his arms wide as to embrace death and destruction. Eventually his bats darted towards him squeaking gleeful facing such a havoc and jubilating to find their master recurring to his erstwhile caliber. "Angewomon! MagnaAngemon!" He shouted into the sky that by now was as dark as night. "Those who play together, lose together! And I hope you realise that there is no safe place to hide in this lightning storm." Just like on the headword, a flood of lightning flashed to earth, extinguishing the rest of life in range of vision. "But now, my precious friends…" He spoke to his bats whose eyes glowed with caustic evil and had to smile on this enthusiasm. "Now… What do you think about having a little amusement?"