Hi, it has been a few weeks! I did say I was planning on slowing down a bit after the first four chapters. It's more that I had a sudden burst of writing inspiration that got spent on those moments XD. It took me three years to finish Battle of the Kings, and that turned out to be just ten chapters, so no matter how long this takes, it will get finished. So, onto the next chapter! What lies in store for the Digidestined now they're confronted by more than they bargained for?
Another issue is that I just wasn't happy with the chapter I was writing. So, while elements of that chapter do survive into this one, it's otherwise a somewhat different beast. Would you laugh if I told you that this was meant to be shorter than the previous chapters?
Thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter: Oragonking, crestoflight3
Fusion
The Real World
Tai stood at the window. The sky had darkened quickly outside, which was unusual – it was barely beyond midday. He had a bad feeling about what was going to happen.
"Tai, there's no need to worry," Mimi said. "Davis, and Ken, T.K., Kari, Cody, Yolei… they've got this."
"I can't help it, I hate being on the side-lines like this," Tai admitted. "I feel so… useless. I can't do anything… not without Agumon…"
"You stop that right this instant, mister!" Mimi replied, her eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah, you can't fight yourself right now, but you're here, and that's good enough! Besides, you don't want Meiko to see you all mopey," Mimi added.
"Wh… hey!" Tai blustered, a blush creeping on his face. Mimi started laughing.
"Hey, guys! Look!" Gomamon pointed out the window. Everybody looked outside. An aurora borealis had appeared in the sky. For a moment, they were captivated by its beauty, but it didn't take long for a sinister feeling to start taking them over.
"I sure hope they're okay," Tai sighed.
A knock came at the door.
"Our guests have arrived! Izzy, get your butt off that computer and let them in!" Mimi called.
"Wha! Hey!" Izzy shouted back. "I'm not playing video games here, Mimi!"
Nevertheless, Izzy did leave his computer and open the door.
"Hello, Izzy, it's been a while!" a familiar voice reached Tai's ears and he spun around to see their guests.
Stood in the doorway was Meiko Mochizuki. She was carrying a small suitcase with her. Meiko wasn't alone: a tall, blonde American about the same age stood behind her. He still had an air of boyishness about him. On his shoulders were two Digimon: they were both small, with long ears, but one was light green with a single horn and dark green collar, and the other was chocolate brown with three horns and a pink collar.
"It's great to finally meet you in person, Izzy," the man said.
"Likewise, Willis," Izzy shook Willis' hand. He looked to the two Digimon on Willis' shoulders. "And these must be Terriermon and Lopmon. Please, come in!"
The two came in and Izzy closed the door. He returned to his desk and continued his work.
"Some weather you're having," Terriermon piped up.
"It might be tied to what's going on in the Digital World at the moment," Izzy explained. "Davis, Ken, and the others are there."
"Ah, I was hoping to see them all again," Willis grinned. "Never mind."
"Davis might not like that, since when you last saw each other, you kissed Kari," Terriermon pointed out.
"You… what?" Tai gritted his teeth.
"Willis, this is Agumon's partner, Tai," Izzy introduced them. "He's also Kari's older brother."
"Oh, um…" Willis laughed awkwardly. "We were young, and I did it to make Davis jealous?"
"I hear Yolei has a boyfriend, so you might not wanna kiss her again either," Terriermon continued.
"Terriermon!" Lopmon chided.
"Moumantai, Lopmon," Terriermon replied. "I was kidding."
Tai grumbled, but then Meiko approached him apprehensively. Tai looked straight at her, and found himself unable to react.
"Go on," Mimi nudged Tai gently, and Tai stepped forward towards Meiko.
"Um… Hi…" Tai said awkwardly.
"Hello, Tai, it's been a while," Meiko replied, a slight blush creeping into her cheeks. "Oh… you cut your hair?"
"Yeah…" Tai placed a hand awkwardly behind his head. "Bet you think it's funny…"
"I like it," Meiko replied.
"Er… thanks," Tai blushed.
"Meiko, can I come out now?" a muffled sound came from Meiko's bag. "It's not comfy in here!"
"Oh…" Meiko kneeled down and undid the zipper on her suitcase. Something popped up out of the gap. It looked like a Salamon, but it lacked the Holy Ring around its neck, and its fur was yellow, with white accents around its muzzle and paws.
"Meiko? Is that…?" Mimi stepped forward, looking curiously at the small Digimon.
"Yes," Meiko nodded. "That's what I wanted to tell you when I got here. This is Meicoomon's Rookie form, MozoSalamon. It's a long name, so I still call her Mei. I… I don't know how… but… I found her Digi-Egg after the Eosmon attack. Hackmon found me and told me that the Digi-Egg belonged to Meicoomon, and that she had been restored without the Bit that made her the source of the infection. I couldn't believe it… I didn't think I would see her again."
"Told ya I could smell a Digimon," Terriermon whispered to Willis.
"I hate to ask this, but… is MozoSalamon capable of fighting?" Izzy asked. "We're down in numbers and we don't know what we're up against."
"I can fight!" MozoSalamon replied.
"Mei…" Meiko said.
"Meiko, I already said one day I might have to," MozoSalamon answered.
"I get it," Willis stepped forward. "You see… I heard about you from Izzy. I didn't make the connection at first, because I didn't know you had your Digimon, but… I went through something like it." Willis petted Lopmon. "I lost Kokomon when I was very young to a dangerous virus. Kokomon went mad, and he came after me, hoping I could heal him. I… couldn't at the time. I had Terriermon, but… we were on our own, and Kokomon kept coming. By the time Kokomon got to the Champion level, we came across the other Digidestined, and we tried to reason with Kokomon, but… he Digivolved again, and became something we couldn't even call Kokomon anymore."
"I remember being angry that you wouldn't listen to me," Lopmon shook his head. "But after that… it's all a blur until…"
"We had to destroy Kokomon to destroy the virus inside of him," Willis continued. He ate Terriermon before, and I thought I had lost them both. And then Terriermon came back. I thought I had gotten one of them back and I was going to mourn Kokomon, but his Digi-Egg turned up in the river. I never wanted to let him get into danger again, but… then, I was approached by this woman who claimed I was going to lose them again. And she set upon us with Eosmon. I had no choice: I had to let Lopmon and Terriermon fight. It didn't matter: we were no match against it. I did what I had to do, and I don't regret it."
Willis turned to look out of the window.
"An old friend once told me that 'we're Digidestined,'" Willis recounted. "'We'll find the answer together as a team'. We've really only just met, but we all share something."
"A bond," Tai piped up. "Even those of us who are missing our Digimon now still have our bonds."
The Digital World
"Well, are we going to just stare this guy and his big, ugly beast down?" Davis said. "It's time to Digivolve!"
"Veemon Digivolve to… ExVeemon!"
"Wormmon Digivolve to… Stingmon!"
"DNA Digivolve to… Paildramon!"
"Hawkmon Digivolve to… Aquilamon!"
"Gatomon…"
"Aquilamon… DNA Digivolve to… Silphymon!"
"Patamon Digivolve to… Angemon!"
"Armadillomon Digivolve to… Ankylomon!"
"DNA Digivolve to… Shakkoumon!"
The three DNA Digimon stood in front of their human partners, staring up at Kimeramon.
"Desperado Blaster!" Paildramon fired at Kimeramon's head. It was too big to dodge, so it took the attack head-on.
"Direct hit!" Ken said.
"Alright, Paildramon!" Davis cheered.
The smoke cleared, and Kimeramon appeared unharmed by the attack.
"No way!" Davis shouted in disbelief.
"I told you," The Digimon Emperor grinned darkly.
"They really don't listen, do they?" Dark Gennai shrugged.
"Static Force!" Silphymon launched its energy attack next, targeting the same place Paildramon had struck.
"Kachinka Bombs!" Shakkoumon launched its bombs, striking at Kimeramon's chest. Kimeramon swiped the smoke away.
"Not even a scratch!" Yolei said.
"This isn't good…" Cody agreed.
Kimeramon stepped forward, opening its jaw wide. Energy gathered inside its open jaw.
"Watch out!" Davis warned.
"Heat Viper!" Kimeramon shot the energy from its mouth. The three DNA Digimon evaded the attack and it exploded against the far wall, blasting a hole into it.
"Let's get to the next level!" Ken suggested, clutching his Digivice.
"Yeah! Paildramon! You know what to do!" Davis nodded in agreement.
"You got it! Paildramon Mega Digivolve to… Imperialdramon!"
The gigantic dragon burst through the ceiling of the castle. The walls crumbled, exposing everybody to the outside.
"Imperialdramon? Really?" the Digimon Emperor raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"We've used him before," Dark Gennai sneered. "You think we wouldn't come prepared?"
"Kimeramon's still an Ultimate-level Digimon!" Ken retorted. "He doesn't stand a chance against Imperialdramon!"
"Oh, I agree," Dark Gennai laughed. "Which is why I'm going to level the playing field!"
Dark Gennai snapped his fingers. The ground started shaking.
"Earthquake!" Davis yelled.
"Hop on!" Imperialdramon said. Ken and Davis clambered onto Imperialdramon's back, and Imperialdramon took flight. T.K., Cody, Kari and Yolei also climbed atop their Digimon as the ground below them gave way. A gigantic metal claw stabbed upwards where Shakkoumon had been floating seconds before. Its owner climbed out of the ground.
"It can't be…" Kari gasped.
"Machinedramon!" T.K. confirmed. "But we destroyed him years ago!"
"Yes, you did," Dark Gennai agreed. "But while you were busy fighting Ordinemon, King Drasil ran a recovery program to restore Machinedramon from a backup server, and it's been waiting here all this time for me to return. And now you're outmatched! Kimeramon and Machinedramon will combine forces to destroy you!"
"Kimeramon… and Machinedramon…" Ken said. "You wouldn't…"
"Wouldn't what?" Davis blinked.
"Ehahahahaha!" the Digimon Emperor laughed. "My old host realised what we're up to!"
"Heh," Dark Gennai smirked. "I did say combine forces. Somebody had to catch on."
Machinedramon and Kimeramon roared up at the Digidestined.
"On their own, you might have been able to destroy them," Dark Gennai gloated. "But with their power combined, they will become a Digimon the likes of which hasn't been seen here for years!"
"Ken, do you know what's happening?" Davis asked.
"They're going to recreate… Millenniummon…" Ken whispered.
"Millenniummon?" Davis repeated. "What is that?"
"I don't know all the details, but me and another Digidestined fought it years ago. We won… but it exploded into Dark Spores. It's born from Kimeramon and Machinedramon fusing together…"
"But how could you have fought it if it's made from a Kimeramon? You created Kimeramon!" Yolei protested.
"Kimeramon already existed in the code base of the Digital World," the Digimon Emperor laughed. "Millenniummon just needed him," the Digimon Emperor pointed at Ken in glee, "to create a new body for it once it was destroyed! You could say that I guided him into creating a new Kimeramon for that very reason! And it nearly worked! If only he hadn't foolishly used Devimon's personality data and if only you hadn't found the Digi-Egg of Miracles and destroyed Kimeramon, Millenniummon would have returned then! I know you've seen Millenniummon in your nightmares, and now your nightmares will become reality! And I'll get what I want: to become who I really am!"
The Digimon Emperor cackled wildly.
"Why are you even working with him?!" Davis yelled to Dark Gennai.
"I want to destroy you, and he's happy to do the same to get what he wants. Once King Drasil is reactivated, he'll be able to access the Dimensional Doorway, which is where Millenniummon wants to go. There is somebody he wants to find, and only King Drasil can grant that wish. We'll both get what we want! Hahahaha!"
Machinedramon and Kimeramon began to glow. Machinedramon's body shattered, leaving a ghostly shape in its place. The ghostly shape merged with Kimeramon, and a light blinded the Digidestined.
"What's going on?" Yolei demanded.
The light died down. Stood where Kimeramon had once stood was Millenniummon. Though it was shaped like Kimeramon, its skin was darkened. Machinedramon's spirit had attached itself where Kimeramon's wings and tail had once been, and its Infinity Cannons stood up from Millenniummon's back. Millenniummon's eyes were closed, its head raised high. The Digimon Emperor flung his arms out and his body sunk into Millenniummon. Millenniummon's head sank, and its eyes opened. It let out a horrifying roar.
"And now…" Dark Gennai gloated. "You're out of time."
From where Millenniummon stood, the ground started to distort. The skies above turned black.
"We gotta stop this guy, and fast!" Davis yelled.
"On it!" Imperialdramon replied, soaring up into the air. "Positron Laser!"
Imperialdramon's attack struck Millenniummon on the head.
"Did you really think that would be enough?" Dark Gennai sneered. The smoke cleared and Millenniummon stood, completely unharmed. It glared up at Imperialdramon.
"Together, then!" Ken yelled. Imperialdramon, Silphymon and Shakkoumon unleashed their attacks upon Millenniummon, once again obscuring it in smoke.
"Did we get him this time?" Cody asked.
His answer came as Millenniummon's arms swished around, clearing the smoke away. Once again, there was no damage.
"Not even worth my time…" Millenniummon growled in many voices. It raised its arms and waves of dark energy erupted from them, blasting Imperialdramon, Silphymon and Shakkoumon back. Millenniummon floated into the sky, waves of darkness still rippling from its body.
"It really is time to say goodbye," Dark Gennai said. "So sad. Such a pleasure knowing you all. But when Millenniummon is done… it'll be as if we never met at all."
With that, Dark Gennai sank into the ground, and a gigantic void opened behind Millenniummon. The void swallowed it whole.
"He vanished…" Davis remarked.
"What did he mean 'it'll be as if we never met at all'?" Cody wondered.
"Millenniummon… has the ability to control and even travel through time," Ken explained. As if anticipating the demand for how he could know that, he continued: "Me and another boy once faced Millenniummon, not long after I became a Digidestined for the first time. Millenniummon was the one who infected me with the Dark Spore, but I don't think it was meant for me. Millenniummon always did have an obsession with Ryo."
"Ryo?" T.K. and Kari said together, glancing at each other in recognition of the name.
"Who's Ryo?" Davis, Yolei and Cody asked.
"A Digidestined who's been missing for a very long time," Ken answered. "He fought Millenniummon before I ever met him. He met with Millenniummon after I was infected, and that was the last time any of us saw him. I think that's what Millenniummon wants: he's trying to find Ryo. But none of us ever succeeded… unless… Millenniummon sent him across time. But even if he did… this Millenniummon won't know where, and if he goes through time on a search he doesn't even know will end… it'll be as bad as the Ordinemon incident."
"We gotta stop him!" Davis clenched his fists.
"But how?" Yolei replied. "You saw what just happened! We hit him all at the same time and we didn't even leave a dent!"
"And he might be able to travel across time, but we can't!" Cody pointed out.
"We can use that," Ken pointed up at the large void left in Millenniummon's wake. "It'll take us where Millenniummon went."
"Okay, that just leaves the point about being hopelessly outmatched!" Yolei argued. "Kari, help me out here! Uh… Kari?"
Kari had clasped her hands in front of her. She was glowing.
"Wait, what's this?" Silphymon said. "I feel…"
"What are you doing?" Yolei asked.
"I'm sharing my Crest's power so Silphymon can Digivolve," Kari answered.
"You can do that?" Yolei asked.
"I've never tried," Kari confessed.
"Will it work?"
"I can't explain it… but it's like the light inside me is rising to answer the darkness… and it's telling me that this will work."
"This is…" Silphymon began to glow. It shot up into the air.
"Silphymon Mega Digivolve to… Valkyrimon!"
Valkyrimon resembled Silphymon, but its helmet was now the shape of an eagle with two wings on its sides, its body was clothed in white, the feathers that had once adorned Silphymon's arms now formed a cape, and it had golden armour on its feet, knees and arms, as well as a blue belt-cape. A golden bird flew above its right shoulder.
"Whoa!" Davis shouted. "That's neat! Two Mega-level Digimon!"
"Can you do that too, T.K.?" Cody asked.
"I'll try." T.K. closed his eyes. He felt the power of his crest welling up within him. Shakkoumon started to glow in response.
"Shakkoumon Mega Digivolve to… GuardiAngemon!"
GuardiAngemon was a large angelic humanoid Digimon with metal armour, long blades on the ends of its arms, and bladed wings. It flew up to meet Valkyrimon and Imperialdramon.
"We have a chance now," Valkyrimon said.
"We can follow Millenniummon," GuardiAngemon added.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go kick that chimera's butt!" Davis said.
The three Mega Digimon flew towards the void.
The Real World
The sky had turned a nasty shade of purple, with pink streaks running through it. The aurora borealis had begun oscillating more violently.
Izzy's computer beeped, signifying that he had received a message.
"It's from Gennai," Izzy read. "He says that Davis and the others have made contact. Oh, no…"
"What?" Tai stood beside Izzy.
"He says the distortions we're seeing are because the evil Gennai and the Digimon Emperor managed to resurrect Millenniummon," Izzy explained.
"The Digimon Emperor?" Palmon and Gomamon repeated in shock.
"But how can that be if Ken's still on our side?" Mimi wondered.
"Millenniummon?" Meiko repeated.
"Who's that?" Willis asked.
"We fought him years ago, but he was beaten by another Digidestined who since went missing," Izzy explained. "I would put Millenniummon in the same class as Ordinemon and what I know of Cherubimon's evil form when infected with Diaboromon's virus. They're capable of changing the landscape of the Digital World, and/or the Real World, to the point their logic collapses. And if Millenniummon's back, then…"
"This is going to be hard for them," Tai admitted. "Way harder than we thought."
"What should we do?" Palmon asked.
"We gotta get ready to kick its butt," MozoSalamon remarked.
"Whaddaya say, Willis?" Terriermon added.
"Can you even reach Mega level?" Joe asked. "We have the power of our Crests, but…"
"I… just know that we can," Meiko said, raising a hand to her heart. "I don't know how I know… it's like it's coming from a different place from before, to when Meicoomon went bad."
"I don't know…" Willis shook his head. "Lopmon did Digivolve to Antylamon during our fight with Eosmon, but…"
"That might be enough, but we'll need to investigate further," Izzy nodded. "For now, though, the distortions caused by Millenniummon's presence might result in Digimon coming through to the Real World. Can we count on you to go and round them up?"
"We'll do our best!" Lopmon said.
"Good," Izzy nodded. "I'll stay here and keep in contact with Gennai to see how things are going in the Digital World. Go into pairs. Mimi and Joe, start around Odaiba. Meiko and Willis, start in Nerima City."
Mimi, Joe, Gomamon and Palmon left.
"Ah, so much for a vacation," Willis grinned. He turned to leave. Meiko stopped and glanced at Tai, who shook his head.
"I wouldn't be much use out there," Tai said. "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?"
"I will," Meiko nodded a little meekly. "Uh… I'll see you soon, Tai."
With that, Meiko picked up MozoSalamon and followed Willis out of the office.
"What can I do, Izzy?" Tentomon flitted behind Izzy.
"Don't worry, we won't be stuck behind this desk all the time," Izzy replied. "I'm just sending a message to Sora and Matt to let them know what's up, even if they can't help us right now. Once I'm done here, I'm going to meet up with Gennai in the Digital World. Tai, can you stay here just in case either Sora or Matt do turn up?"
"Sure," Tai nodded.
"Great," Izzy finished his message and sent it. He picked up his Digivice. "Well, let's hope this isn't as bad as it seems."
Famous last words, Izzy.
This was originally a much shorter chapter, but then I wanted to use the opportunity with the Real World scene to reintroduce Meiko and Willis, as well as to further add to that hope that all hope is not lost when it comes to recovering the lost Digimon.
Tid-bits in this chapter:
The darkened sky and aurora borealis is what everybody in the Real World is seeing as the gate to the Dark Ocean is opened in the Digital World.
I was in two minds originally about merging the Digimon Emperor with Millenniummon. But recently I rewatched Yu-Gi-Oh! I was influenced to do the merger based upon Dark Bakura, who is a mixed fragment of Zorc Necrophades and ancient Bakura. In the anime version, Dark Bakura does return to Zorc in the final arc.
I considered making this a separate Millenniummon, and while technically you might say that it is, since the original exists within Monodramon in the Tamers world, the inclusion of the Digimon Emperor as a separate entity convinced me during planning to make it an offshoot of the original Millenniummon instead. This also explains why the Digimon Emperor was compelled to create Kimeramon in the first place: as a new host body.
I planned on having Meicoomon return, but this also goes into what I said there about bringing Meiko in sooner. After all, the barrier between worlds had broken down quite substantially by the time Ordinemon had been destroyed. And if Lopmon got to return despite being similar in many ways, I thought it only fair Meicoomon did. The rookie form appeared in promotional materials but thus far remains officially-unnamed. The name 'MozoSalamon' comes from '模造' (Mozō, lit. 'imitation') and Salamon, since it is basically a recoloured Salamon. However, the name is a bit unwieldy for a Rookie-level, so for simplicity's sake, I still have Meiko refer to her as Mei.
I couldn't resist the Tamers reference with Terriermon.
It should go without saying: the 'somebody' Millenniummon is after is Ryo Akiyama. However, despite Millenniummon's plot, I don't actually plan on having a full-on crossover with Tamers. That's not in the purview of this particular story.
After tri., Yolei and Cody remained the only two without a Mega-level Digimon. Though Valkyrimon was obvious for Silphymon's evolution, usually Shakkoumon is known to Digivolve to Vikemon – which is a no-go, since that's officially Gomamon's Mega-level form. So, I chose the next one along – SlashAngemon (who I chose to give the name used in Digimon World 3: GuardiAngemon).