Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: Well, the ending of this chapter is kind of lame, but the next one will be better. I won't be updating next week, but I will be back in January the week after, and I will try to start on my next chapter of Trinity, as well. Merry Christmas everyone!
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 106: On the Right Side
Takara 'Kara' Kamiya
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
Takara held her wounded partner tightly in her arms and gazed up at the two insect digimon in complete, utter astonishment. It was surprising enough to see Glowmon digivolve, but for Stingmon to digivolve, as well, was nothing short of a miracle. Talk about good timing. Maybe we'll be able to escape after all!
"Great! Just great! And you had the nerve to call me an idiot, DarkAngelicmon! Who's the fool now, you pathetic excuse for a fallen angel? I may have accidentally caused Glowmon to digivolve, but you can't blame me for JewelBeemon! Stingmon never would have digivolved if you weren't so fond of humans. Wait until our master hears about this!" Spritemon smirked.
DarkAngelicmon glared at the little sprite digimon and turned his attention back to Dracomon and JewelBeemon. "Noble words, Dracomon, but you cannot defeat me with kindness. Spritemon believes kindness is for those who are weak, but you and I know differently, don't we. And yet, even with all your power you still will not be able to stop me. You see, I am not as cruel as you and your friends seem to believe. How do you expect to 'save' me with something I may in fact already possess?"
Takara rolled her eyes and elbowed Dai in the stomach. "Can you believe this guy? What a jerk!"
"That's for sure. Don't listen to him, Kara, and that goes for everyone else, too. He's just trying to confuse us."
"I'd say he's doing a pretty good job of it," Embermon muttered, standing protectively in front of his partner.
"Ignore him, Sam," Mickey said quietly. "You know what he's like. DarkAngelicmon doesn't understand the meaning of kindness the way you and your dad do. He's just trying to hurt you, but you won't let him, will you?"
Sam wrapped his arm around Mickey's shoulders and gave the older twin a brilliant smile. "No, not this time, Mickey!"
"Good, otherwise I'd have to get really mad at you for disappointing my brother!" Matty joked.
JewelBeemon thrust his golden weapon into DarkAngelicmon's face, and the fallen angel had to leap back a few steps in order to avoid having his nose cut off. "Are you ready to test your power against another ultimate digimon?"
DarkAngelicmon knocked JewelBeemon's weapon aside with his spear and frowned at the insect digimon. "All of this fighting is a waste of time. Why don't you and your friends just come quietly to the dungeons with me? I'm not trying to kill you because I really want to. It's because you're giving me no other choice!"
"Do you expect us to believe that?" Dracomon snorted.
"Believe what you want to believe. There's no need for anyone to get hurt, but if you're so eager to die then it would be wrong for me not to grant you your wish. Are you ready to face the darkness?"
"More than ready! JewelBeemon, ExVeemon, all of you, let's show these evil digimon how to really battle!"
"You guys heard Dracomon! Let's fight!" Angelicmon shouted. "Litany Spear!" The angel launched his weapon straight at Spritemon and it ripped through the little mega's left wing. She let out a shriek and tumbled backwards into a group of frightened Vilemon who were only sticking around because DarkAngelicmon would more than likely punish them if they didn't.
"My turn! Arctic Blast!" Tirimon shouted, leaping forward and shooting his icy blast at the Vilemon.
Gabrielmon flew after the fox digimon and twirled his sceptre in the air above his head. "Heavenly Vortex!" A huge glowing portal opened up above the Vilemon, and they were pulled inside before a single one of them had a chance to scream. The portal disappeared in a blaze of orange light, and every single one of the Vilemon went with it.
"Great job, Gabrielmon!" Mickey said, smiling fondly at his partner.
"Kara..."
Takara glanced down at her partner and gently stroked the little digimon's head. "What's wrong, Dovemon?"
"I want to help fight, but..."
"Are you sure you're okay? Spritemon's attack really took a lot out of you."
Dovemon gazed up at her and nodded slowly. "I'm fine, but the others need my help."
"First you need to rest. I'm not going to let you fight until you get your strength back."
"I do not fear the light, but I do not fear the darkness either. Can you and your friends say the same thing? Wrath of Hades!" DarkAngelicmon snapped, fluttering into the air and shooting his attack at Dracomon and JewelBeemon. Both insect digimon leaped out of the way and flew to either side of the fallen angel.
"DarkAngelicmon may not fear the light, but he's definitely afraid of facing defeat!" Davis smirked.
Dracomon crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the fallen angel. "You're a creature of darkness, and we're not afraid of you! Dragon Stingers!" A shower of glowing purple needles shot straight at DarkAngelicmon and exploded into the fallen angel's left side. He faltered slightly in the air, but somehow he managed to recover and held his spear in front of him like a shield.
"Spike Buster!" JewelBeemon shouted, launching energy bullets at the virus digimon with his javelin.
DarkAngelicmon dived back towards the ground and let out a deep sigh. "You can't defeat me. When are you going to realize that?"
"When are you going to realize you can't defeat us?" Dracomon snorted. "Lightning Spark!"
DarkAngelicmon stepped to the side in order to avoid being hit by a bolt of purple lightning and was immediately tackled to the stone floor by JewelBeemon. The insect digimon's jewel-encrusted javelin made contact with DarkAngelicmon's spear, and there was a flash of bright purple light.
"Be careful, JewelBeemon," Ken cautioned.
"None of you will be able to escape from us!" Spritemon shrieked, pointing towards the entrance to the crest room. "I have more guards waiting outside the door. If you try to escape, they will drag you to the dungeons faster than Davis could say 'Digiarmor Energize!' What do you think of that, Daichi Motomiya?"
"I think you're an idiot, obviously! If all your flunkies are standing outside the door then who's guarding the castle?"
Spritemon flushed and ran a hand over her injured wing. "None of your business, human!"
I can't believe it! Spritemon won't admit it, but Daichi's right! There must be only a few, if any, guards left keeping an eye on the forest outside the castle. If that's the case then maybe Leomon and the others still have a chance to get inside, wherever they are...
"What do you think, Kara?"
Takara smiled softly at the goggle-headed leader and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. "I think you're a lot smarter than Ryoko gives you credit for!"
Ryoko snorted loudly, and Dai blushed. "Shut up, Ishida!"
"How did you know we were at Primary Village earlier?" Matty demanded, gazing suspiciously at DarkAngelicmon.
"Jestermon and BlackWidowmon were spying on you," Luciamon interrupted before the fallen angel could say anything. "Our master had a screen in here that was powered by the crests. It used to show us exactly where you guys were at all times, although we could not hear what you were saying. All of you are connected to the crests because you carry the same traits as your parents. They were the ones who led us to you. Once you guys got close enough to the castle for your Digivices to pick up the signals coming from the crests, the screen stopped working for us. Their power is in the hands of the Digidestined now. I wonder how else you will use that power to your advantage."
"Luciamon, have you completely lost your mind? You're not supposed to tell them all of that!" Spritemon snarled.
Luciamon hugged herself and smiled sadly at the sprite digimon. "I had to. They deserve to know."
"You've got to be kidding me! You're just like DarkAngelicmon, you little fool! BlackGatomon, don't just stand there staring at me like an idiot! Destroy ExVeemon and the others, and hurry up about it, would you?"
"Fine, but only because all your shouting is starting to get on my nerves. Lightning Claw!"
"Celestial Star!" Angelicmon countered, his golden blast knocking the feline digimon off her feet before she had a chance to leap at him.
"Get rid of Raremon and the Bakemon!" ExVeemon shouted.
"My pleasure," Tirimon growled. "Winter Inferno!"
"Holy Sceptre!"
"Celestial Star!"
All of the Bakemon tried to run and came to a halt when they realized they were surrounded. Takara just barely had time to see the terrified looks on their faces before they disappeared in a blaze of snow and golden light. When the explosion finally died away, the Bakemon were nowhere to be seen.
"Yes, you guys are awesome!" Matty cheered.
"I wouldn't celebrate yet, if I were you," Raremon gurgled, sliding forward and stepping in front of Ivymon and BlackGatomon. "Your pretty little attacks are powerful, but they won't work on me. I'm strong for a Raremon, in case you haven't noticed. Acid Sludge!"
"Gross!" Luciamon squealed.
ExVeemon and the other digimon quickly scattered, and Raremon's attack just narrowly missed hitting Spritemon. The little mega let out a shriek and quickly scurried away from the mess before she could get her feet dirty. "Raremon, you fool, you're supposed to be attacking the Digidestined's partners, not me!"
"Come on, guys, we have to find a way to get rid of Raremon!" ExVeemon called out, leaping into the air and turning to face the sewer digimon. "Vee-Laser!"
"Arctic Blast!"
"Holy Sceptre!"
"Celestial Star!"
All of the attacks slammed into Raremon's body and sunk beneath the surface of his slimy skin without causing any damage. Even Tirimon's snowy blast had absolutely no effect.
I can't believe it! Raremon's body swallowed every single attack. What are we going to do?
"None of our attacks are working!" Gabrielmon shouted, waving his sceptre in Raremon's direction. "We're going to have to find a different way to defeat him."
ExVeemon frowned and nodded slowly. "Tirimon's blast had no effect earlier, but I thought if we combined our attacks..."
"Guess not," Angelicmon said dryly. "I wonder if-"
"Don't bother. You'll never be able to stop Raremon," BlackGatomon smirked. The feline digimon was crouched next to Ivymon with a nasty smile on her face, and she twitched her ears in eager anticipation of a brutal fight.
MagnaAngemon stepped forward and motioned for Angelicmon to join him. "There is always a way to defeat the Powers of Darkness. Angelicmon, I believe you know what to do."
"Of course I do." Angelicmon bowed to the more experienced angel and leaped into the air, leaving a trail of gold and white feathers behind him. The vaccine digimon lifted his arm towards the ceiling and his hand began to glow a bright yellow. "Zenith Point!" A golden stream of light shot out of the angel's finger and exploded into seven blinding rays that smashed into the ground around Raremon in a circle. The sewer digimon let out a roar of rage and attempted to shield his face from the bright light, but his efforts were futile.
"Ouch, that burns!" BlackGatomon squealed, leaping backwards and hugging her tail protectively against her chest. The feline digimon had tried desperately to jump out of the way of Angelicmon's attack, but her tail had gotten caught by a ray of light, and it looked like it had been badly burned. Takara could see smoke rising between the evil champion's fingers, and she allowed herself a small smile. Serves her right for trying to capture us. She thinks she's so tough, but Gatomon could turn her into data easily without so much as lifting a finger! Now that's something I'd love to see!
"The light's too bright! I can't stand it!" Raremon moaned, flinching away from the glowing beams streaming to the ground around him. Unlike the previous moves used, Angelicmon's attack actually seemed to be having some sort of an effect on Raremon. It looked like it was made up of pure light, and it seemed to work best on digimon who had been corrupted by evil. Raremon was no exception. Every time the sewer digimon's body came in contact with the light, smoke would begin to rise off his skin and drift towards the ceiling.
"What's going on?" Dai asked, looking confused. "Angelicmon's other attack didn't work, and what about Gabrielmon? His blast was useless, and the same goes for ExVeemon and Tirimon. How is this time any different?"
Takara gave the goggle-headed leader's hand a tight squeeze and beamed at the scene playing out in front of her. "The Powers of Light. Don't you see, Dai? Gabrielmon's Heavenly Vortex attack works the same way. Moves created by pure light fight darkness at its very core. The other attacks our digimon used on Raremon are designed for causing explosions and turning digimon into data. They're good against virus digimon, but if the digimon is really strong, they can sometimes have little or no effect. Light attacks are different. That's why Angelicmon's Zenith Point attack is working. It's not actually destroying the digimon. It's destroying the Powers of Darkness, but unfortunately I have a feeling the digimon usually ends up dying, as well. That's my theory anyway. I doubt there are a lot of digimon out there who are strong enough to face the horrible realization of what they've done when their minds have been freed from evil."
"I think the same thing can be said for a lot of humans, as well," Ken said quietly, his dark blue eyes sparkling in the light from the torches. "Yolei was right. I guess I am pretty strong, after all."
Davis nodded in agreement and wrapped his arm around his best friend's shoulders. "I'm glad you finally believe it."
"Me, too," T.K. said softly. "The Powers of Light take on many different forms, not just attacks. They work through humans and digimon, as well."
Ken smiled at both of them and stroked his son's raven hair. "You were right, too, Davis, and you, T.K. You were all right."
"And don't you forget it!" Davis joked.
"Dad, I love you, but sometimes you make absolutely no sense," Sam mumbled into his father's chest. "What exactly was Mom right about, and why are you acting as if whatever you're talking about has something to do with DarkAngelicmon?"
"Later, Sam. Right now we have to concentrate on supporting our digimon and looking for a new opportunity to escape."
"I wonder what Angelicmon's attack would do to DarkAngelicmon," Dai muttered.
Takara gazed into the goggle-headed leader's dark eyes and slowly shook her head. "I don't know, Dai, but I hope he'd be able to find his way back to the light, just like Gatomon and so many others."
Dai stared at her for a moment and gently placed his hand against her cheek. "Kara, do you think I'm a good leader?"
"Of course I do. Why would you ask me something like that?"
"No reason. I just...it's because of you, you know. You're one of the reasons why I'm such a good leader. Where would I be without you?"
Takara blushed and quickly lowered her eyes to the ground. She could feel the heat of Dai's hand against her skin, and it made her feel slightly dizzy. I wonder if this is how my mom felt when she first looked into Dad's eyes...
"You have your dad's courage, but you're a lot like your mom, Kara," T.K. said, kissing her cheek.
Takara smiled shyly at her uncle and nodded. "My mom's a really loving person. One day I hope I can be just like her."
"You already are," Dai whispered softly in her ear.
Could it be? Has he finally realized just how much I care about him?
Takara held the Crest of Love tightly in the palm of her hand and bit her lip. She wanted to believe he had, but it was hard to tell.
"No! Make it go away!" Raremon shrieked, flinching away as another beam of light brushed against his side.
"Now!" Angelicmon shouted.
MagnaAngemon leaped into the air and hovered above Raremon within the circle of bright light. He gazed at the virus digimon with a sad smile on his face and slowly shook his head. "No creature of darkness is immune to the Powers of Light. Gate of Destiny!"
Raremon let out one last painful shriek and disappeared into the gate, streams of light trailing behind him. BlackGatomon and Ivymon stared at the spot where Raremon had been standing with their mouths hanging open and slowly began to back up.
"Impressive," DarkAngelicmon said softly, a small smile slipping across his face. "Very impressive." The fallen angel had put his battle with Dracomon and JewelBeemon on hold for the moment, and instead of keeping his eyes on the two insect digimon, he stood there gazing up at MagnaAngemon as if only now seeing the ultimate level digimon for the first time. Dracomon and JewelBeemon stood next to each other and both digimon were staring at MagnaAngemon with new respect.
"How did you do that?" Spritemon demanded.
It was Angelicmon who answered her. "Like Takara said earlier, most digimon attacks are designed to turn any digimon or object that gets in the way into tiny little pieces of data. For example, a digimon who belongs to the Virus Busters family usually has attacks that will work on all digimon, but they work especially well against virus digimon. Attacks that have been created using the very essence of the Powers of Light are a little different. Unlike other attacks, even those from the Virus Busters family, light attacks cannot harm what is pure and good. Observe."
To Takara's complete astonishment, Angelicmon shot a bolt of light straight at Mickey and it slammed into the golden-haired Digidestined with enough power to light up the entire room.
"Angelicmon, what are you doing?" Matty gasped in horror, flinging himself at his brother in a useless attempt to protect his twin.
Angelicmon laughed and sent his partner a fond smile. "Do not be afraid, Matty, your brother is fine."
Almost immediately the light around Mickey died away, and the older twin was nearly knocked to the ground by his frightened brother. "Mickey, speak to me! Are you dead?"
Mickey gently patted the younger twin's back and shook his head. "No, Matty, I'm not dead. The light was really warm. It felt good."
"Good? Mickey, my partner attacked you! Angelicmon, if you ever do something like that again, I'll...I'll... I'm too upset to think of something, but don't you ever scare me like that again!"
"Now do you understand?" Angelicmon said, ignoring his partner and turning to look at Spritemon. "The same thing would have happened if I had blasted my own partner or one of the other Digidestined. Why do you think Matt and Tai were not harmed when they were shot in the hearts by arrows of hope and light? Angemon's Hand of Fate attack was designed to turn anything and everything into data, especially virus digimon, but his arrow was made up of pure light. The same goes for Angewomon's Celestial Arrow and Heaven's Charm attacks. They're 'light' attacks. They are few in number, but they're very deadly against evil digimon. There are also digimon other than angel digimon who can use them. Other vaccine digimon, and data, as well, have been known to have them occasionally, and yes, very rarely even a virus digimon can use one. Also, as T.K. said earlier, the Powers of Light do not just show up in attacks. They can take on many forms, as history has shown us. The Powers of Darkness work differently. Attacks made of pure darkness will destroy everything, good or bad, because that is the nature of evil. They also take on many forms. So, tell me, Spritemon, are you ready to face the light?"
Spritemon clenched her hands into fists and turned to glare at Ivymon and BlackGatomon. "What are you two waiting for? Aren't you going to attack MagnaAngemon and his little friends?"
"I don't think that would be a very good idea," Ivymon mumbled, glancing frantically around the room as if searching for an escape route.
Spritemon glared at the two remaining guards and pointed her finger at MagnaAngemon. "You haven't won yet, foolish angel! I have more guards waiting outside the door to replace the ones you've destroyed, or have you forgotten already? And let me assure you my supply is endless. Sooner or later you and your friends will run out of energy, and when you do your human partners will be mine! Ivymon, make yourself useful and send in more guards!"
"No!" Luciamon suddenly shouted, stepping forward and crossing her arms over her chest. "No more guards. This ends now!"
Spritemon froze and clenched her hands into fists. "What did you say?"
"You heard me," Luciamon said coldly. "I have seen enough! Your pathetic attempts to capture the Digidestined will not succeed as long as I am here to protect them. I promised myself I would save my friend, and to do so I must follow my heart and listen to what it is trying to tell me. My place is with the Digidestined now. Do you think you can defeat me, Spritemon? I am merely a rookie and you are a mega. This fight should be a walk in the park for you, but remember, I am also a digimon whose duty it is to protect the Powers of Light. Are you ready to face your destiny? Fight me, Spritemon! I condemn you for all of your evil acts, and now you will pay the price for every single crime you have committed. I am Luciamon, protecter of the light, and now you will face defeat!"