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Dark Rings had been created by Ken back when he had been the self proclaimed Digimon Emperor. Their purpose had been the enslavement of Digimon. The rings were a perfect form of control and could even be used to forcefully cause a Digivolution. However, in all the time he had spent fighting the Dark Ocean's Digimon army, he had never once encountered a Digimon that had to be controlled.

So why then had there been Dark Rings affixed to those particular Digimon?

Daisuke stroked his chin, staring down at a familiar spot on the floor of the small transport. The obvious answer was that they were being controlled. But by whom and for what purpose? What he knew was that Atlantis was isolated from the rest of the Digital World. Its technology was also clearly a lot more advanced then anything he and the rest of the Chosen had at their disposal. So, it wasn't out of the question that someone inside the city had pulled this off. It might even have been Isuzu. But then, why send him out?

There was one other factor to ponder as well. He had sent a mental signal that should have brought the other Chosen to his rescue. When he had heard about the invading Digimon, he had thought they had located his signal first. However, if that was not what had happened then why hadn't the other Chosen shown up yet. What was going on in the world above? The only info he had was what he had been told by the Council at that first meeting.

Sighing, Daisuke leaned back and closed his eyes. There were too many questions and not enough answers. For now, he had no choice but to drift with the current.

Hikari opened her eyes and rolled over onto her back. Slowly, she raised her arm and stared at her hand. Something seemed different. Closing her eyes, she tapped into her power and drew as much as she could. Her eyes widened when she quickly reached and surpassed her limit. A few seconds after that, she had drawn more power then Mimi and Sora combined. Minutes after that, she had surpassed even the theoretical limits Gennai had set for her.

With no end in sight as to how much power she could draw, she decided to enter the thoughtscape. The room around her disappeared but what really surprised her was the sudden assault of voices. They were all around her, a terrible cacophony of sound. Using her powers she toned them down. A little more investigation revealed that what she had been hearing had been the thoughts of the other people nearby. She had never been able to hear so many before and even listening to just one had required concentration.

Floating off her bed, she drifted through the thoughtscape. After seconds of searching, she found Angewomon and dove into her mind.

"Is everything ready?'

There was a feeling of surprise and then, 'Yes, they are all waiting in the courtyard for you. Quite a sizeable force.'

'I expected as much. Tell Willis to dismiss most of them. I will only be taking fifteen of them with me.'

'There are over fifty humans and digimon.'

'I know the numbers. Just relay my orders.'

"But..."

"Trust me on this and send Angemon to me. I have a task for him."

Hikari terminated the connection between herself and Angewomon and released all the unused power she had been holding. It was clear that the scope of her powers had grown somehow. It probably had something to do with her misadventures last night. There were some interesting possibilities to explore and she did not even need the Crest of Hope anymore.

Rolling out of bed she spent the next half hour on morning exercises. She had neglected them ever since Takeru had come back. Their bedroom activities usually made up for it though.

After taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth, she was ready to face the world. Angemon was waiting for her outside her room.

"You wanted to see me."

Hikari nodded. "I need you to do something for me."

After Angemon had left, Hikari continued towards the courtyard by herself. As per her orders there were only fifteen people left when she arrived. Willis hurried to her side as soon as she entered.

"Why are we only taking fifteen troops with us?"

"You aren't coming with us. I will be going alone."

"What? You're joking, right? You need me there."

Hikari regarded him coolly. "Will your people follow my orders?"

"Yes, of course they will. But..."

"That is all I require. You will stay here and look after this base. Understood?"

"No! Why are you doing this? It's suicide to go out there with so few people."

"All I require from you is your obedience. This is an order and you had better comply or I will have you replaced." Hikari shouldered her way past him and surveyed the small group gathered in the courtyard. She stood there for a little while until suddenly a pair of wings embraced her from behind. "You're late," she whispered.

"He only just walked away. You were pretty harsh."

"I have my reasons. Let's biomerge. I would rather explain this in private."

"As you wish."

The biomerge process lasted only a few seconds but it left her invigorated. Clapping her hands together, she got the attention of the people in the courtyard.

"You have all been told about the situation we face, you all know what to do and you all know the consequences if we fail." She looked around, studying every face. "If you want to back out, now is the time."

Not one person stepped back.

"Good, let's go."

Twin wings sprouted from her back and she took to the air.

There was something electric, a sense of urgency in the air. Daisuke could feel it in his bones. Then again, it probably had a lot to do with the dozen or so guards that were ushering him to some unknown destination. They had swarmed him within moments of leaving the transport. All his questions had either fallen on deaf ears or been politely diverted. He had not even been allowed to de-merge from Veemon, which actually made the protection pointless. He was a full head taller then the tallest guard and he likely possessed more power then all of them combined.

Abruptly, there was a change in the demeanor of the men around him. They seemed to relax just a little. It was then that he realized they had reached their destination. The lead guard motioned for him to step through as he opened a pair of doors. Shrugging his shoulders, Daisuke entered the room. The doors were closed behind him.

"How did the mission go?"

Daisuke regarded the lone occupant of the room with a cool gaze. "Did you have me escorted here just to ask me that?"

"No, that was a precaution. The council underestimated our attackers. What happened at the canyon was merely a diversion. Another group managed to sneak inside the city somehow and they attacked the council while it was in session. They managed to kill all of the Council members before we could do anything."

"What?" Daisuke took a small step back before catching himself. "How could this have..." He focused on the woman standing in front of him. "What part did you play in all this?"

"The fools on the council would have kept you down here for decades. I had them removed." Isis glided forward gracefully and then knelt at his feet. "Everything I have done has been in honor of your lineage."

Daisuke knelt down, grabbed the woman by her shoulders, taking care so that his claw like hands did not puncture her skin and hauled her to her feet. "How could you ever think I would want something like this? So many deaths laid at my feet. All I wanted was to get back to my friends and my responsibilities."

"And I have made that possible."

Daisuke let go of her as the terrible truth of those words cut through to his very soul. He had asked for this. His impotent anger could not change that. That very anger made him nothing more then a hypocrite.

"What happens now?" He questioned slowly.

Isis shrugged. "What usually happens when there is a power vacuum. Some people will scramble to grab as much power as they can and other people will die. The city may fall into chaos before order can be asserted."

"So, I have just traded one pair of shackles for another. How can I leave knowing this?"

"There is a way. The truth of your lineage is now public knowledge. If you choose to ascend to the top of our society, no one will stop you. And then, you can appoint someone to take your place."

"And I suppose you would recommend yourself?"

"You could do a lot worse."

"Was that your plan all along; to grab as much power as you could? What if I were to choose someone else?"

"This was never about power. It was about destiny. Yours. You may leave whoever you want in-charge of this city but I want you to return to us after you have put your affairs in order."

"I..." Daisuke sighed and bowed his head. "I will do as you say."

Isis smiled. "You will not regret this, my lord. Come, we have a lot to do."

She floated through the air on the gossamer strands that connected all the minds arrayed against her. They were unaware of her presence though and so she flitted between them and watched. Her soldiers had all been rounded up and were now huddled together in a circle, a vast army surrounding them. She watched as a small portion broke off from the main mass and headed towards her tent. It was time to begin the show. She exited the thoughtscape and entered her own body.

Running a hand through her hair, Hikari stood up. Picking up her jacket, she swung it on and walked out of her tent. Overhead, the sun was in the final stages of relinquishing its hold on the day, lighting the sky up in an orange hue. She was met with the group she had seen approaching her tent. There were four digimon, two biomerged and a human woman. Hikari slowly raised her hand as the six soldier all pointed weapons in her direction. The woman stepped forward.

"To be honest, I was expecting more of a battle."

Hikari shrugged. "Sorry to disappoint but I did not come here to fight."

"Oh really? You realize we are sworn enemies by virtue of our positions."

"But that does not mean we cannot have a civilized conversation. Within acceptable levels of course."

The woman chuckled in amusement. "Within acceptable levels. I have to admit that my curiosity is piqued at this unexpected development. What then shall we discuss?"

"How about an introduction? I do not even know your name."

"Asahina, Isuzu." The woman replied with a slight nod.

"Such a high ranking member. I am honored."

"As am I. Your exploits have caused us quite a bit of trouble."

"What can I say, it is all part of the job. That is also why I am here. You see, I am co-leader of the Chosen and as such have certain responsibilities. Among the members I am responsible for is an idiotic buffoon of a man who almost always does things so recklessly. For example, we send him on a mission, give him an abundant supply of resources and the minute our back is turned, he goes off an does things his own way."

"You mean Takeru."

The level of familiarity with which the woman said the name surprised Hikari. She covered it by bowing her head.

"Ah yes, I had heard you two were involved. One of our other commanders was obsessed with making clones of Takeru and sending them to your Citadel. Such an obvious and abhorrent method. As I remember, you drove that sword at your hip right through his head."

Hikari kept her expression neutral. "What have you done to Takeru?"

"Last time I saw him, he was in our dungeon. Defiant 'till the end. The wards you people put in his mind were not a mercy. Now we will have to torture the information out of him."

"Oh really," Hikari drawled. "So tell me, what can I offer you to ensure his safe return?"

"What could you possibly have to offer me?"

Hikari smiled chillingly. "I could give you back your life."

Isuzu's eyes narrowed and she quickly checked the surrounding area. Her army was still there and the enemies were still under guard. On the surface, nothing had changed and yet, the woman was too sure of herself. She was talking as if her will had not been subverted. Isuzu began to reach for her Digivice. Something was wrong and her intuition, which had rarely failed her in the past, was screaming at her to get out while she could. Her hand stopped by itself just short of her Digivice.

"Tsk, tsk," Hikari wagged her finger. "Don't run; you'll miss all the festivities."

Isuzu tried to reply and found herself unable to open her mouth.

"The fifty or so psychic Digimon you brought were a good precaution. Just yesterday, they probably would have been enough but today, they do not come close to testing even half of my power." Her eyes suddenly blazed with a brilliant white light. "Willis, give the order."

Isuzu found herself frozen as the sounds of a battle suddenly raged all around her. From what she could hear, there was complete chaos among her forces. And then, just as suddenly as the sounds had begun, they stopped. She made a muffled sound, hoping to get Hikari's attention and was rewarded as the woman tilted her head sideways.

"Oh, what's that? You want to say something?"

Isuzu felt the bonds over her body loosen a bit and immediately cried out, "Code F Griffon." Her Digivice turned on automatically and a portal surrounded her. She felt the psychic bond dissipate a little and immediately moved further back into the portal until she was on the other side.

The sound of waves crashing on a shore greeted her as she stepped into the Dark Ocean. What she had not prepared for was the massive destruction that surrounded her. The sand underneath her feet was covered with scorch marks. Further in the distance, the lighthouse that had stood vigil ever since she had first come to this realm was completely gone. The only sign that it had ever existed was a small stone foundation. Her gaze was drawn immediately to the City and she saw that it bore scars as well. Most of the spires that made up the main keep were no longer there.

"He put up a rather impressive fight."

Isuzu whirled around and came face to face with Aidan Black, or rather, what remained of his body. His face was nearly destroyed. Strips of skin hanging here and there. His right cheekbone was caved in and his eye on that side tilted obscenely to one side as if studying something else. His clothes bore various burn marks and a thick, sickly sweet stench filled the air in turn signifying that his flesh had burned as well.

Finally remembering decorum, Isuzu sank to her knees and bowed her head. "Master, what happened here?"

The corpse shambled forth and walked past her. Isuzu rose to her feet in his wake.

"The guest you brought us did this. I had not believed he could still hold such power. An oversight on my part and I will rectify it when next we meet. It seems to me that you ran into much the same problem. The woman tried to pursue you through the gate but I stopped her. Would you like a chance to rectify your error?"

"You are offering me redemption."

"Yes, but it will not be easy. This Avatar of Light is unnaturally strong. She may be an equal to myself." A short barking sound which Isuzu took to be laughter came from the corpse. "It means that the Council has finally deemed my presence too much of an annoyance. She is to be the instrument of my destruction. So, I will strike first."

"And you would like me to lead?"

"You are an able commander. Learn from your mistakes and better them. If you succeed, I will grant your one wish. You alone will know the true history of all things. Beyond even what information the Guardians possess."

Isuzu bowed her head. "I accept."

"Good, here then is your first reward." The corpse touched his hand to her head and she felt her master's mind open to her. It was the same as the first time she had done this. An overwhelming sentient presence that was far older then even the planet she was standing on. Random images swirling around in complete chaos and yet there was a certain beauty to the randomness. She dipped as deep into that fount of knowledge as she could and knew that it was not enough. She was too limited as she was. Her head started to throb as if echoing her sentiments. She held on as long as she could before blessed oblivion took her away.

Hikari stared with a frown at where the portal had sprang open just moments ago. She had made a very stupid mistake loosening her control over the other woman. What was worse was that she had been unable to pursue the woman through the portal. Something on the other side had completely blocked her psychic probes. Something with a whole lot of power which meant that the portal likely lead to the Dark Ocean.

She had gotten overconfident. The one flaw in her personality she could never completely overcome. It was because of her powers, which had always been among the strongest in both teams of the Chosen. With all the power at her disposal now she was the strongest member of the Chosen. Who would not be overconfident with such deadly potency at their command? And yet, that same overconfidence had led to her downfall once again. Just like it had when she had sparred with Takeru.

Hikari shook her head ruefully as Willis approached. "She escaped."

Willis nodded. "I saw. Don't blame yourself. Holding onto all of these Digimon must have put quite a strain on your powers."

"It didn't."

Willis snorted. "No one is that powerful. Come on, you can trust me to keep your secrets. How did you trick them? I thought you were going mad when Angemon explained your plan."

"I didn't use any tricks. Just raw power." Hikari sighed, massaging the back of her neck. "Get everybody together. We're heading back to the outpost. No telling when and how they'll respond to tonight's events."

Willis stared after her as she walked away then shrugged and turned back to the troops. Some people just needed to be alone for a while and solitude was a language he understood far too well. Still, that didn't mean she could not confide in him. Taking down an army of this size with just raw power. She was probably joking.

He hoped she was joking.

One Hundred and Fifty Nine!

It was a small number for a race that had once ruled this planet. Looking around Yamato could not help but feel pity. After two days of continuous searching and fighting, he had given up on finding any more Aal. There was only one Spire left now and even its destruction would not bring the number of Aal up significantly. Asking them to participate in the war now would be cruel.

Ah well, Yama, you'll burn that bridge when you come to it.

Grimacing at the thought, he turned his attention to the last Spire. There was little doubt that the telepath that had contacted him earlier was holed up inside. Furthermore, some of the Digimon that had escaped him at the previous three Spires had retreated to this one to bolster its defense. He had a long hard fight ahead of him.

He was still studying the surrounding area around the spire when the sound of an explosion drew his eyes skyward. The top of the Spire was no longer there. A second later, dozens of tiny explosions rippled through the length of the Spire. They were followed by a gigantic blast that completely obliterated everything within a five-kilometer radius of the tower.

A small shadow hurled free of the rising plume of fire and fell to the ground with an awkward thud. By that time, Yamato had already begun to move and was headed towards the object. As he got closer, he realized that the object had been a human body. It was terribly burned, little more then a steaming husk. Astonishingly, the eyes opened and fixed upon Yamato. It thrust his arm up and Yamato saw that it had a D3 in its hand.

"Hi… Kar..." and then its arm dropped back to the ground.

"Hi Kar?" Yamato muttered, kneeling down. His eyes widened a second later as a yellow aura spread over the corpse. He knew its signature and that told him the identity of the person. He took the D3 from Takeru's hand. "Give this to Hikari, eh? I hope all this was worth it, little brother."

Forming a blanket out of thin air, he wrapped up Takeru's body and slung it over his shoulder. With the last Spire destroyed and the Digimon surrounding it gone, he would let the Aal take up the search for their brethren. It would give him time to think on how to ask them for their help. He also needed to think on his brother's arrival here. It put him in an awkward situation. Killing him now was beyond easy but he could not do that before the end of the final battle.

"You just had to go and complicate things, didn't you?" He muttered to his brother before setting out towards his base camp.

Until Next time.

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