(Author's Notes: New chapter time! And, yes, I'm shamelessly ripping a title from one of the Adventure Tri episodes, but it fits the chapter, so let's call it an homage. ;P Anyways, read, review, and enjoy!)
Chapter 27: Confession
It was a new month. A few days had passed since the battle for Saversburg and the subsequent release of the Seven Great Demon Lords.
The respective armies had all returned home. The D-Brigade had completely removed themselves from the Mamemon Kingdom and the Dual Chess Monarchy in order to return to Facture. The Saversburg army had returned to their city, the Republic's military divisions had returned to New Terminal, and the Warrior Ten had returned to their headquarters at Elemental Peak.
It was a rainy day over Splendor's Reach. The Order's military forces had returned to Castle Albion. They were exhausted and weathered, but they were a determined bunch. Battles like that, although rare, were what they trained for. A memorial service had been held the day previous for those deleted in the battle. The Royal Knights also gave the soldiers double pay and time off as a reward for their hard work.
It was the early morning, a few hours past sunrise. Dukemon lay in his large, soft bed, underneath a thick, crimson duvet with gold lining. Normally, he was up before the sun rose over the horizon, but there wasn't much of a sunrise to watch that morning. Instead, he stayed in bed for awhile, staring up at the stone ceiling and listening to the rain pattering against the windows of his bedroom.
Dukemon lay in bed, but he wasn't relaxing; he was deep in thought. He had begun thinking about the battle, and then about the dark rifts. Alphamon, Omegamon, and Imperialdramon had only just returned yesterday, but the day had been so busy and they were so exhausted that the meeting had been postponed until today. Uncertain as to what was going to happen, Dukemon started to think about what they would do now that Chaosdramon had been defeated. If Imperialdramon sealed the dark rifts without any problem, they would be able to relax.
This got Dukemon thinking about his promise to Grani. He had promised that after the Metal Empire problem had been dealt with, he would tell the Royal Knights about the time that his Digital Hazard activated. It wasn't a pleasant memory for him, even just thinking about it while alone. While he treasured meeting Grani, the circumstances around the meeting were something that Dukemon preferred to pretend never happened.
The thought of telling the other Royal Knights about the incident caused him worry. He had misgivings about even talking about the Digital Hazard in front of them. How could he tell them about the time that he almost caused a Digital World-wide calamity? He was supposed to be a guardian of the Digital World. It was hard for him to talk about the time that he almost destroyed it.
He had doubts about how they would react. He knew that he had already told Examon, who had reacted as if it wasn't a big deal. However, Examon was one of the least judgmental Digimon that he knew. How would less understanding Digimon such as Duftmon react? How would his understanding friends even react? And there was also the possibility that Examon was hiding his true feelings because he didn't want to offend Dukemon. Would his other friends hide their true feelings as well? What did they really think about him when his back was turned? He knew they sometimes talked…
These thoughts niggled at Dukemon's mind as he lay in bed. He idly rubbed the smooth scales of his chest, his fingers running across the small, black Digital Hazard emblem on the center of his ribs.
"Should I really tell them…?"
The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. He was just going to end up convincing himself to not go through with it again, at this rate.
Dukemon sighed and steeled his determination. He sat up in bed and pulled down the blankets. Underneath, he only wore a pair of black boxer briefs, so his thick muscles and the red scales of his draconic body could be seen as he pulled the blankets down. He slid out of bed and stood to his feet so that he could prepare for the day.
As Dukemon began to head over to his cabinet, he noticed a familiar form touch down on the balcony that extended from his room. He saw Grani perched on the balcony railing, looking into the room. Dukemon turned and walked towards the glass door leading out to the balcony. He opened the wide door and looked at the large Zero ARMS, who had rainwater dripping off of his metal body.
"Grani?" Dukemon asked curiously. "What are you doing?"
"Getting out of the rain, if you don't mind," Grani responded, floating forwards. He then stopped and looked up and down Dukemon's almost-naked body. "…I haven't caught you at a private moment, have I? It wouldn't be the first time…"
Dukemon smiled a little and moved out of the way. "No. Come in already. Just don't soak my floor," he stated, walking to grab a towel from his wardrobe.
"I can only transcend the limits of gravity so much, I'm afraid," Grani dryly answered as water dripped off of his beak and wing tips.
"Here," he playfully said, tossing a towel onto Grani's head.
Grani used his stubby arms to pull the towel off of his head. He levelled a deadpan look at Dukemon. "Why, thank you…"
"My pleasure," Dukemon answered, turning around and looking through his drawers to decide what clothes he was going to wear that morning.
Grani dried what he could of his body before looking at Dukemon. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked him inquisitively.
"I'm alright. Missed the sunrise today," Dukemon said with a dismissive shrug.
The Zero ARMS gazed at Dukemon with studious blue eyes. "…You seem troubled," he noted. "Your shoulders are tense, your back is rigid, and your gluteal muscles are clenched."
Dukemon slowly looked over his shoulder with his own deadpan stare. He then glanced back at the buttocks in question. "…Do you really have to look at my ass when trying to decipher my mood?" he asked him playfully.
"Body language is telling," Grani matter-of-factly answered.
"Well, my butt never lies," Dukemon admitted with a grin.
Grani rolled his eyes. "Don't change the subject, Dukemon," he pressed. "…Are you concerned about our deal?"
"Which one?" Dukemon innocently responded as he bent down to pull out some skinny, black pants from his wooden dresser.
"You know which one…" Grani said with a sigh. "You promised to tell the Royal Knights about the Digital Hazard event."
"'Event'… You make it sound like a festival," Dukemon murmured. He turned around and slung his pants over his shoulder. "I haven't forgotten, Grani," he said with exasperation. "And I'm not going to back out of our promise, either. I'm just not looking forward to it."
"I understand that you have cold feet, but you are overreacting," Grani explained to him. "Examon didn't mind at all. The others will be the same way."
"Do you think so?" Dukemon asked, not as confident as Grani was about the idea.
"It's unlike you to be so negative, Dukemon. Where is that easygoing confidence of yours?" the crimson dragon asked him.
"How can I be positive about being a walking time bomb?" Dukemon thought to himself. He sighed took a white shirt from his dresser. "It's still there, Grani. I'll tell them. I promise."
"When, precisely?" Grani asked him.
Dukemon looked steadily at Grani. "I'll tell them after the meeting this afternoon," he informed him, deciding that he'd rather get it over with. After a moment, he glanced away, hiding his uncertainty. "…You're coming, right?"
Grani smiled as much as his beak would allow. "Of course I am," he reassured him.
"Thanks, Grani…" he whispered. The Royal Knight then began heading for the door of his room. "I'm going to have a shower and get dressed. I'll see you downstairs for breakfast?"
"Most likely," Grani responded.
Dukemon nodded and walked out of his room. He strode down the hallway towards the large bathroom at the end of the hallway in order to prepare for the day.
Grani watched as he left and thought quietly to himself. "I know that you worry about the Digital Hazard, Dukemon, but hopefully this will make you see that it isn't a big deal to your friends. Perhaps it will help you to put things into perspective…"
The Argent Mountains overlooked the sprawling city of New Terminal, standing sentinel over the Republic of Node's capital. Clouds floated around Yggdrasil's Mount, concealing the peak of the tallest mountain and the top of the World Tree's root that extended out from the rock and reached towards the sky . Mist clouded the base of the mountain as waterfalls cascaded from the rocky cliffs and pooled into the Fountain River.
On a rocky plateau, high up on the craggy peaks of Yggdrasil's Mount, was a hut surrounded by grass and flowers. Bagramon's hut rested on the side of the peak overlooking New Terminal. It was a remote, hermetic location that took a bit of travelling through unbeaten terrain to access.
This made it difficult for Digimon like Bolgmon, who had to carefully navigate the rocks and crags of the mountain. Bolgmon followed behind Blitzmon as they made their way up a rural mountain pass, removed from the beaten pilgrimage trails awhile back. Leading them up the path was Wizardmon, who carefully roved along the path. The path was wide enough, but he felt uneasy about heights, so he stayed near the trees opposite to the cliff edge.
"We're almost there," Wizardmon stated, looking over his shoulder as he used his staff as a walking stick.
"The guy who's been hiring us seriously lives up here?" Bolgmon asked, grunting as he rolled over a melon-sized stone. The rock burst into fragments under his great weight, crushed underneath his treads.
"That's right. He prefers to live away from other Digimon," Wizardmon responded, walking forwards. They were nearly at the end of the inclined path, which started to level off and widen into a spacious plateau that rested against the mountainside. To their right was a beautiful, scenic view of the vast city of New Terminal.
Bolgmon perked up upon seeing the plateau at the end of the climb. "Finally! Some level terrain. My treads are killin' me," he complained.
"Please try not to crush any of the flowers," Wizardmon beseeched, not turning around to look at them.
Blitzmon looked at Bolgmon. "I think that was directed at you," he informed him with a slight grin.
Bolgmon rolled his green eyes and drove up to the plateau. Upon reaching the even ground, he looked across the plateau. He was surprised to see only a small hut in the centre. "…This is it?" he asked, looking at Wizardmon.
"This is where he lives," Wizardmon confirmed as he walked down the footpath towards the hut.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Bolgmon asked incredulously. "That's the place? Does he actually live there?"
Wizardmon looked over his shoulder and nodded.
"It's a good place to live if you want to stay obscure," Blitzmon supposed, following after their mage guide.
"I was expecting something… y'know, fancier," Bolgmon muttered, rolling down the path after them.
Wizardmon walked up to the hut and knocked on the door. "It's me," he said aloud.
"Enter," a deep voice spoke.
The magician opened the door and walked inside, leaving it open for Blitzmon and Bolgmon to follow.
The two insect mercenaries glanced at each other before making their way inside the modest hut. Blitzmon walked in first and looked around. Given the exotic ingredients, books, and materia medica, it definitely looked like a seer's hut or some sort of apothecary. The aromatic, sometimes pungent, smell of herbs and alchemy hit the two mercenaries like a brick wall as they entered the small hovel.
Bolgmon followed him in and eyed the interior with incredulity and suspicion. He noticed a Bagramon sitting at a table, writing down notes in a notebook. He spied Bagramon's half-devastated and artificial body with amusement. He leaned over to Blitzmon and whispered. "Shit, he's uglier than Grandis."
"Shut up," Blitzmon whispered back harshly, not wanting to offend their client.
Bagramon noticed the two bug Digimon enter, prompting him to stand up. "Hello. You must be Blitzmon and Bolgmon," he stated politely.
Wizardmon looked at Bagramon and then turned towards Black Pincer Company. "Black Pincer Company? This is Bagramon. He is the one who has been hiring our services all this time," he explained.
Blitzmon silently sized up Bagramon for a few, pensive moments. He noted that he had been smote in some way, considering the state of half of his body and the demonic features on his form. Despite this, Blitzmon calmly stepped forwards and offered his right hand across the table unflinchingly.
Bagramon smiled with amusement and looked down at Blitzmon's extended hand. "You're a brave one," he noted. "Most Digimon offer their left hand to me."
He reached his large, skeletal arm forwards and took Blitzmon's smaller hand within his large palm, shaking it gently.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Blitzmon responded, returning the shake firmly.
"Yeah, same…" Bolgmon stated, looking around the hut curiously.
Bagramon retracted his hand and placed it on top of the table. He looked between the two mercenaries with a wry smile. "I can't help but notice that your third member is missing…" he noted.
"Yeah… We got separated when the Royal Knights found us out in Saversburg. We don't know what happened to him," Bolgmon informed him, although it didn't sound as though he cared all that much. "They probably deleted him."
"It is unfortunate…" Blitzmon responded, although he actually sounded faintly remorseful. "However, it will not affect our ability as a mercenary team. Bolgmon and I are more than capable with just the two of us."
"I see…" Bagramon answered. He brought his hand to his chin and stroked his raven beard. "Actually… you may be relieved to hear that GrandisKuwagamon isn't dead. He has been captured by the Royal Knights and has been taken to their dungeon."
Bolgmon frowned at this news. The demon man sounded pretty sure of himself. "What?" he questioned. "So, he's locked up?"
Blitzmon eyed Bagramon. "How do you know this?" he asked him, leering suspiciously. "…In fact, you have known a lot about what has been going on. You knew exactly where those blueprints you wanted stolen were. You knew about that exiled MetallifeKuwagamon guy who you wanted us to blast. You knew when our hideout was taken by the Royal Knights. You also knew that the Metal Empire was invading Saversburg. You must have really good intel… Are you hiring Digimon other than us?"
"Yes and no," Bagramon answered enigmatically. "I get all of my information through this." He turned his head and angled the maimed right side of his face towards them. He allowed the ruby within his hollow eye to flash emphatically. "Using Invisible Snake-Eyes, I am able to see anything within the Digital World."
Bolgmon cocked his head to the side and eyed Bagramon. "So, you can see anything at all? You're… ominous?" he asked.
"Omniscient," Blitzmon corrected.
"Yeah, that. You could've made our lives a lot easier if you can see everything, y'know," the tank Digimon stated standoffishly. "Like, you could've warned us when the Royal Knights were gonna attack us those times."
Bagramon shook his head. "It's true that I can see anything. However, there is a difference between being able to see anything and being able to see everything," he explained emphatically. "I can only focus on one place in the Digital World at a time, and, even then, I would need to know where to look first. I cannot pinpoint a single Digimon in the Digital World, only locations that I am aware of. For example, I could only find GrandisKuwagamon because I looked at the Royal Knights' dungeon. My power is limited in that way."
"I see…" Blitzmon responded, thinking to himself.
"I have you at a disadvantage. For safety reasons, I have had to remain anonymous until this point, so I know more about you than you do about me," Bagramon stated. "I'm sure you both must have many questions for me. That's why I invited you here."
Bolgmon waved his cannon arm. "I've got a question," he spoke up. "What's with this flimsy shack? I expected you to be in a stinking rich mansion with the amount of cash you were shelling out to us… Are you even rich?"
"I use the money that I have for either subsistence or my plan," Bagramon responded. "I have a decent amount of reserves remaining, should I need it."
"And you make all that selling… herbs and potions?" Bolgmon sceptically questioned, gesturing to one of the shelves.
"I am primarily a seer… Some Digimon come to me to predict their future." Bagramon responded. He smiled a little. "Rather, I tell what already is, and offer advice on how to best make Digimon achieve their goals. I am quite good at it…" He tapped his finger near his right eye. "There are some wealthy Digimon who will pay a lot of money for the use of my Invisible Snake-Eyes. Clairvoyance is an extremely useful ability to have. I will use it if a Digimon asks, for a price."
"You sound like a savvy businessmon," Blitzmon stated.
"As are you, Blitzmon," Bagramon responded intentionally. "I hope that we can renew our business arrangement."
Blitzmon closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. "That depends…" he answered. "I'd like to know more about you and what your aims are before I commit to anything." Blitzmon looked at Bagramon carefully. "We are definitely interested since, as you know, we need the money… but I'd like to know what we're getting into."
"That's perfectly reasonable," Bagramon responded. "Can I offer you something to drink first? Tea?"
"Have any beer?" Bolgmon asked him.
"I don't drink, I'm afraid," Bagramon responded. "Old habit from the Heavenly Choir. It clouds the mind."
"I think that's the idea," Bolgmon muttered, suddenly finding the demon very stuck up.
"We're fine," Blitzmon assured him. "Please, go on. You were from the Heavenly Choir?"
"I was. Until the Heavenly War," Bagramon answered honestly, but sparing the details. "Do either of you remember that?"
"Yes… We started our mercenary company only a few years before that. We were doing some nothing-job during the night that the demons tried to drop the Sky Colony on the Digital World," Blitzmon recollected. "I still remember seeing it coming down in the distance."
"Well, I was on the side of those demons… We were fighting against the Three Great Angels and their dogmatic belief in God," Bagramon explained. As he spoke, his eye looked downwards and he became absorbed in reminiscence. His expression showed traces of darkness. "It was a necessary gambit, I suppose."
"Whatever gets the job done," Blitzmon agreed. The cobalt beetle man eyed Bagramon inquisitively. "…So, you were on the losing end of all that, huh?"
"I was… Half of my body was destroyed as punishment for rebelling against God and killing the faithful. I suppose that this was their version of mercy, as I was once a high-ranking angel," Bagramon ironically explained, gesturing to the artificial right half of his body. "The Seven Great Demon Lords, however, were defeated and banished to the Dark Area for eternity."
"Damn. That can't have been fun," Bolgmon lightheartedly mused.
Blitzmon folded his arms. "So… What do you want from us? Why did you hire us to do all those things? Attacking both the Royal Knights and the Metal Empire like that…" he questioned.
"I needed a war," Bagramon answered matter-of-factly.
"A war? Why?" Blitzmon asked with scrutinizing green eyes.
"You see… Three years ago, when DarkKnightmon escaped from the Dark Area, the barrier between our world and the Dark Area was weakened. Gaps in the barrier were cropping up all over the place. However… the rifts were small - too small for the data size of whole Digimon to be able to pass through. At most, only small amounts of dark data could escape at a time…" Bagramon informed the two mercenaries.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Bolgmon asked, his voice laced with boredom and disinterest.
"Quiet, Bolgmon," Blitzmon scolded, elbowing his large cannon arm. "I'm sure he's getting there."
"Indeed… I needed to make the rifts larger. The only way that I could do that was by amplifying the flow of dark data from the Dark Area to the Digital World. This would exacerbate and ultimately degrade the barrier," Bagramon explained to them. "Due to the strength of the Dark Area's barrier, the danger and volatility with dealing with both dark data and the Dark Area, and the precarious nature of my own position, this was not an easy task."
"That's where we came in," Bolgmon guessed, idly scratching his orange body suit with one of his smaller, auxiliary arms. "Though I still don't get how…"
"A war helped you how?" Blitzmon asked. "And why did it have to be between the Metal Empire and the Royal Knights. I know you were playing them off each other."
"I needed a war with the Metal Empire, specifically," Bagramon enlightened him. "However, the D-Brigade is one of the finest armies around. I needed a large enough threat for the D-Brigade. That's where the Royal Knights came in…" Bagramon raised his left hand and brushed his long, white hair back over his winged back. He looked steadily at the two mercenaries. "I needed the Royal Knights to ensure that Chaosdramon would set foot on the battlefield. Only they would be strong enough and provocative enough to draw him out personally. And, I admit, I have some history with the Royal Knights…"
"Okay, that explains what you needed us for," Bolgmon said nonchalantly. "But why'd you need the big, red, piece of scrap metal?"
"Chaosdramon has the ability to tap into the Dark Area and draw out dark energy from within it," Bagramon answered calmly. He turned and looked over at Wizardmon, giving him a soft nod. When Wizardmon walked into the tiny kitchen area of the hut, Bagramon turned back to the two mercenaries. "I needed him to use his attacks, which harnessed the dark data of the Dark Area. He successfully weakened the barrier of the Dark Area through his mindless onslaught. He just needed a little push…"
Bolgmon had an amused glint in his bright, green eyes. "I like it…"
"To what end?" Blitzmon asked the white-garbed demon lord.
"To release the Seven Great Demon Lords who were imprisoned in the Dark Area," Bagramon answered. "All seven of them are now free."
Blitzmon blinked with surprise. "You wanted to free the Seven Great Demon Lords?" he asked him, frowning suspiciously.
Bagramon nodded with a disarming smile. "Yes… They were my comrades once. They are also as powerful as the Royal Knights…" he explained. "I will need them for what is to come."
"And what is that?" Blitzmon prodded. "What's next?"
"…I have many plans, Blitzmon," Bagramon answered soberly. His deep voice lingered with his words as he spoke. "I have been planning since that night… Since I crawled through the mud, pulling my mutilated, half-dead body across the Digital World… No, since before that, even…"
Bagramon closed his eye with thought. After a few, pensive moments, he opened it and looked at the two insect Digimon. "There is so much injustice in the Digital World… It is an imperfect place," Bagramon mused. "All I want is to bring a bit of justice back into this world of ours. The status quo… The way God allows things to continue… it is unacceptable."
As Bagramon spoke, he gently clenched the fist of his left hand. "I will be the one who repairs these imperfections, both in the Heavenly Choir and in the Digital World as a whole…"
Bolgmon and Blitzmon exchanged looks of uncertainty. "That sounds pretty ambitious," Bolgmon noted, making his scepticism clear. He folded his smaller pair of arms across his chest and squinted at Bagramon. "You aren't nuts, are ya?"
At this, Bagramon let out a deep, amused laugh. "…No… I am not insane. And, yes, it is ambitious," he responded. "However, I have already released the Seven Great Demon Lords. With their power, anything is possible."
"Will they follow you?" Blitzmon wondered. "I always thought it was that Lucemon guy who led the revolt."
"He was. However, like back then, we have mutual goals and commonalities," Bagramon explained. "It will be in our interests to work together. Lucemon is smart enough to know this. The rest will follow us."
"Okay… Well, thanks for bringing us in the picture," Blitzmon answered, placing his hands on his hips. "Better late than never."
Bagramon nodded. "Now, I have a question for the two of you," he put forward. The demon lord Digimon eyed the pair carefully. "Will you two continue to work for me?"
Blitzmon turned his horned head and glanced at Bolgmon. After gauging his friend's expression, he looked back at Bagramon. "Is the pay still the same?" he asked him
"I'm afraid I can't be as generous with the pay as I was before, but, rest assured, you will be able to make back what you have lost in a reasonable amount of time," Bagramon assured them. "Also… if you choose to help me, you will be recompensed greatly in the future."
Blitzmon frowned with scepticism and uncertainty. "We have a policy not to accept prospective money – I.O.U's. It's bad business. It usually results in us having to break the guy's fingers or claws when he doesn't want to pay up," the blue insect explained matter-of-factly.
Bagramon chuckled. "Don't worry. I fully intend to pay you for every job that you do," he explained. "Think of it as an investment… Once we are in power, you will be rewarded handsomely. Money, resources for Black Pincer Company, even estates – your own little kingdom perhaps…" Bagramon suggested with a twinkle in his eye.
Blitzmon's eyes seemed to light up with an emerald gleam at the prospect. "I see…" he mused, never one to show his hand. "And do you think it's possible? There's the Royal Knights to consider."
"The Royal Knights are an obstacle that we would have to face eventually," Bagramon admitted. "I would be lying if I said that it would be easy, but I am confident that we can neutralize them. However, that is some distance in the future. Right now, I am focusing on consolidating our strength." The demon lord gazed at Blitzmon and Bolgmon intently. "So… Blitzmon, Bolgmon… Will you stake your bet on me? Will you help me in my quest to tear down the scourge of God and his blind followers? Will you help me bring justice to the Digital World?"
The humanoid beetle man thought about his words for a few moments. "…If I can be blunt, we don't care about your ideals, Bagramon. 'God'… 'Yggdrasil'… 'justice'… they're just empty words to us," he responded dismissively. "All that matters to me is money. We'll help you, as long as you repay us."
"And as long as we get to fry some suckers," Bolgmon added with a sharp chuckle.
"I am good to my word," Bagramon assured them. He extended his left hand towards Blitzmon. "Do we have a deal then?"
Blitzmon glanced at Bolgmon. "You good with this?" he asked the large tank Digimon.
"I'm good," Bolgmon agreed, looking back at him with smirking eyes. "Sounds like it could be fun."
"And a good opportunity," Blitzmon pondered. He looked at Bagramon's outstretched hand and took it. "You have a deal, but what exactly do you need us for?"
"There will be covert, low-key operations that I will need you for. Things that the Demon Lords simply cannot do," the fallen angel Digimon explained as he shook Blitzmon's hand. "I'm glad to have you two on board."
"Pleasure doing business with you," the bug Digimon answered. Blitzmon then paused. "Where are the Seven Demon Lords now?"
"They are travelling to a meeting place. I am heading there myself in a couple of days," Bagramon responded.
After a moment, Wizardmon walked out of the kitchen. He carried a tray with three cups of fragrant tea. "The tea is ready."
"Thank you," Bagramon said to him. He took one of the cups from the tray and gently blew on the steaming hot liquid. He then raised the cup up as Blitzmon and Bolgmon took theirs. "To a continuing partnership," he stated.
Blitzmon raised his cup as well. "To a continuing partnership..." he agreed. Blitzmon's green eyes narrowed. "Whatever you need us to do, we'll do it..."
The early afternoon had set in over the Free Area. In Castle Albion, the Royal Knights had gathered to discuss the recent events and what to do about them.
The twelve Royal Knights and four captains were gathered in the council room, around the circular table of white stone. A tense silence hung over the austere room, punctuated only by the pattering of raindrops on the stained glass windows.
The news of what had happened lingered heavily, putting anxiety into the hearts of the Royal Knights. Alphamon, Omegamon, and Imperialdramon had informed the other Royal Knights about what they discovered while at the World Tree. So soon after one crisis had been solved, another, much greater one had emerged in its place.
Quiet continued to dominate the meeting until the silence became unbearable. Dukemon was the first one to speak up, unable to keep his feelings silent any longer. "The Seven Great Demon Lords are really free?" he asked in a voice brimming with frustration.
"How could this have happened?" Duftmon questioned, frowning deeply in response to the news.
"I'm sorry, guys," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode apologised, wincing from his place next to Alphamon and Omegamon's seats. "I tried to reconfigure the barrier as quickly as I could, but it wasn't fast enough… Somebody freed all seven of them."
"It's not your fault, Imperialdramon," Omegamon assured him, looking up at the azure dragon man.
"We're just thankful that you fixed the Dark Area's barrier before all of the prisoners could escape," Examon added.
"That may be," Duftmon spoke up. "But this brings up some interesting questions. First of all, who was the one who freed the Demon Lords?"
"Probably some loyal underling," Magnamon suggested. "A survivor from the Heavenly War, maybe? Maybe they were able to communicate with them somehow."
"But how did they know to free them at that very moment?" Duftmon pondered, squinting as he tried to construe a response to his own question.
Alphamon frowned with thought, reflecting on Duftmon's query. "Duftmon makes a good point. This all happened way too neatly…" he deliberated, pensively stroking his chin. "No more than a few hours after Chaosdramon was defeated did somebody infiltrate the Dark Area to free Lucemon. There is no way that they could have known that the barrier was so weak at that moment."
"Could there have been a leak?" RhodoKnightmon suggested. "Perhaps somebody from the group of intellectuals that we gathered in Saversburg?"
"That is highly unlikely," Duftmon answered confidently. "All of them were well aware of the dangers that the dark rifts posed. None of them would have any reason to do such a thing."
Dynasmon frowned. "Somebody found out, somehow," he stated firmly. He looked across the table at Craniamon. "We didn't miss a Phantomon in the Iron Forest, did we?"
"Can't have. I'm sure we got all of them," Craniamon answered, confidently leaning back in his seat and folding his arms.
"I don't think that's the problem," Alphamon said, his gold eyes contemplative as he looked down at the smooth, polished surface of the table. "There is something that has been bothering me for awhile…"
Dukemon looked over at the black armoured knight. "What's that, Alphamon?"
"The Digimon who has been hiring Black Pincer Company…" the dark Royal Knight clarified. "They have been playing us off against the Metal Empire all this time. I could never figure out what they had to gain. But now… Could this have been their goal all along?"
"What…?" Gankoomon asked, gritting his pearly teeth together.
Alphamon's gaze softened remorsefully. "I can't help but feel like we've played right into their hand…" he mused.
"How could we have known that this would happen?" UlforceVeedramon defended, frowning as he clenched his fists on the table's surface. "The Metal Empire was a threat."
Duftmon narrowed his eyes, his piercing greens showing his discontent at the situation. "You could very well be right, Alphamon. This mystery Digimon predicted our response. He played us for fools…"
Magnamon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "There is no sense blaming ourselves for something that we couldn't have known," he stated to try to add a bit of perspective. "We may have made a mistake, but we need to focus on the present, don't we?"
Alphamon nodded. "Yes. You're absolutely right, Magnamon. There is no sense dwelling on the past and what might have been if we did something different," he agreed.
"You're right about that…" Omegamon stated, looking at Alphamon meaningfully.
"So, what do we do now?" UlforceVeedramon asked aloud, putting forward the question that everybody was considering.
"If Alphamon's theory is true, then I think we need to find out the identity of the Digimon hiring Black Pincer Company," Examon put forward, sitting with his large wings tilted back so that they didn't get in anybody's way.
Karatenmon stepped forwards, his talons resting on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "I'm on it," he assured the Royal Knights. "Maybe I can see if our guest knows anything."
"You mean GrandisKuwagamon?" Gankoomon asked, turning his head towards the humanoid crow demon.
Karatenmon nodded his black, beaked head. "I'll see what he knows. Even if he doesn't know the identity of his client, there may be other information that could be useful to us."
"You'll be gentle, right?" Sleipmon asked him with a bit of concern.
"Don't worry. I may be a ninja, but I remember the knight's code. I won't lay a finger on the bug," Karatenmon assured them with a relaxed grin. "Besides, I'm pretty good at reading Digimon."
"May I come with you?" Alphamon inquired the raven ninja. "I would like to ask him a few questions as well."
"By all means," Karatenmon agreed.
Dukemon leaned forwards on the table, tapping his finger. He was agitated and on edge, not just because of the news about the Demon Lords, but also because of his confession. He began to wonder if it was appropriate, after this dire news, but he wouldn't let himself be a coward. He reluctantly tried to hold true to his plan once the meeting was done.
"There's still the Seven Demons to deal with," Dukemon pointed out. "What do we do about them?"
Alphamon nodded and looked at Dukemon. "Obviously we have to act. The Seven Great Demon Lords must be dealt with," he stated firmly.
Sleipmon turned his gaze to Alphamon. There was a touch of uncertainty in his violet eyes. "Sorry if I seem ignorant, but I wasn't a Royal Knight when you fought the Seven Great Demon Lords. Do they need to be dealt with? Is there any chance that they will just live a peaceful life now that they have escaped? I just need to be sure…"
"That's extremely unlikely, I'm afraid," Alphamon responded to Sleipmon. "Their hearts became evil when they rebelled. They committed horrific crimes… That was why we sided with the Three Great Angels ultimately. It's true that the angels were, at times, heavy-handed, but as the fighting went on, the sides became more clearly marked between good and evil. The demons were willing to cross lines that the angels weren't. The Seven Great Demon Lords didn't go down easily when we fought them during the Night of Falling Stars."
Dukemon nodded, a sharp, golden glare forming in his eyes as he remembered the fight. "These are the guys who massacred most of a Sky Colony and tried to drop it on the Digital World, remember…" he stated bitterly.
"I suppose you have a point," Sleipmon said with a sigh.
UlforceVeedramon folded his arms across his broad chest. "They most likely want revenge after being holed up in the Dark Area for all those years," he guessed. "They have unfinished business with the Heavenly Choir."
"Not just the Heavenly Choir," Omegamon spoke up with a serious frown. "Perhaps us as well. Or maybe something else entirely. Who knows what plans they have?"
Alphamon nodded. "The Seven Great Demon Lords pose a significant threat to the Digital World and Net Security as a whole. As the Royal Knights, it is our duty to Yggdrasil and our fellow Digimon to stop them," he stated resolutely, his gold eyes flashing red as his emotions and resolve were stirred. "I suggest that we work to stop them before they can cause any further damage. They were destructive enough before they were sealed away; we cannot give them the opportunity to wreak havoc again." Alphamon looked around at the other Royal Knights. He examined the faces of the eleven others sitting at the table. "…What do you all say?"
"I agree," Omegamon answered without pause or doubt.
"Yeah, same," Dukemon agreed, fixing a gaze of resolve at Alphamon.
The rest of the Royal Knights all expressed their unanimous support.
"That was the easy part," Magnamon pointed out. "Now we have to decide what to do."
"First of all, we should figure out the Demon Lords' locations," Sleipmon suggested.
Alphamon nodded in agreement. "I'll ask MetallifeKuwagamon if the DADAR picked up anything."
"And when we find them?" UlforceVeedramon wondered.
"I advise isolating them from each other, as well as from the populated areas of the Digital World. We should subjugate them individually before they are able to congregate and consolidate their strength," Duftmon proposed.
"That's a pretty solid idea," Dynasmon agreed. "But what if we can't get to them before they meet up?"
Duftmon closed his eyes and thought about it. "Should that occur, we will have to judge our circumstances and acclimatize to the situation accordingly," he responded.
"Which is a fancy way of saying you don't know yet," Gankoomon observed with a smirk.
"I will not deal in hypotheticals," Duftmon answered huffily, folding his arms. "I only acknowledge reality. The first priority is reconnaissance."
"We'll defeat them, whatever the case," Dukemon insisted resolutely.
Karatenmon turned and looked at Grani with a smile gracing the corners of his mouth. "Looks like we're going to be busy, huh, Grani?"
Grani sighed with exasperation. "I wish you wouldn't say that in such a carefree way…" he answered.
"Don't worry. I'll do my job," Karatenmon assured him, his smile fading and his expression becoming serious.
"We all will," Alphamon said. "However, we'll be relying on the Reconnaissance and Stealth Forces for the moment. I need you to have eyes all over the continent."
Ouryumon frowned. His arms were folded across his serpentine body and he was drumming his claws against his brown arm scales. "What about us?" he asked, gesturing with his head to himself and Knightmon.
"The Strike Forces and Defence Forces still need to recover after that battle. Everyone needs a rest," Alphamon said to him. "Focus on the soldiers' wounds and morale; we may need them again in the future."
Ouryumon sighed. "Yeah… Okay," he agreed.
"Yes, Sir Alphamon," Knightmon obeyed dutifully. "We will focus on recovering our strength."
"In order to do that, we're also reopening enlistment and asking the Republic of Node to loan us more troops," Alphamon stated. "I think they will be willing once they hear that the Seven Great Demon Lords have escaped."
"I would hope so," RhodoKnightmon spoke, leaning forwards and resting his chin on his palm. "This is no matter to scoff at."
"We should also send a messenger to the Heavenly Choir," Imperialdramon suggested. "You guys might want to have a chat with the Three Great Angels."
"Yes, we probably should…" Magnamon agreed.
"I guess the rest of us should get training," Craniamon put forward. He turned his helmet-covered head towards Alphamon with a questioning gaze. "Are we done here, Alphamon?"
Alphamon nodded. "I think we've established our goals for now. I suggest that we all look over the profiles of the Seven Demon Lords tomorrow so that the newer knights are caught up with the rest of us," he said, standing to his feet. "Karatenmon? Grani? Please begin recon as soon as possible."
As Alphamon stood up, signifying that he was ready to end the meeting, Grani looked at Dukemon to observe his response. Dukemon seemed to be deep in thought, obviously contemplating whether to follow through on his confession or not. Grani tentatively opened up his beak to speak if Dukemon wasn't going to, but he didn't want to have to force Dukemon into it.
"Well, if there's nothing else…" Alphamon spoke, looking around the table. "We should call this meeting to an end—"
"Hold on, Alphamon," a voice said, half-sighing as it spoke. It was Dukemon.
Grani smiled proudly as he watched the red dragon knight rise to his feet. He hovered in place nearby Dukemon, preparing to offer him moral support.
Alphamon turned and looked at Dukemon curiously. "Yes, Dukemon?" he asked his friend.
Dukemon rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly as he glanced around at the Royal Knights, all of whom turned their attention to him. He began to have second thoughts. He wanted to let Alphamon end the meeting as planned. However, Dukemon summoned his courage and steeled his resolve. He told himself that it wasn't as big of a deal as he made it out to be.
"…There's something that I want to say," Dukemon said, forcing the words off of his tongue. He sighed and smiled sheepishly behind his visor. "Now, this is going to seem irrelevant and off the subject, but I made a promise to myself that I would tell all of you. The truth is, I've been keeping something from all of you… and I feel that you all have a right to know."
At these words, Alphamon respectfully sat back down in his seat and allowed Dukemon to continue. There were confused glances between some of the Royal Knights.
RhodoKnightmon sat up straight in his seat. "Could it be that you have a secret boyfriend too?!" he asked excitedly. Ouryumon and Alphamon exchanged embarrassed looks.
Dukemon smiled nervously and scratched his cheek with his index finger. "…Actually, it has to do with the Digital Hazard…"
His words sent a silent, serious atmosphere across the council room. Dukemon felt his stomach tighten up as he sensed the trepidation that began to loom over the room.
Examon looked at Dukemon carefully. He tried to wordlessly offer him his support, as he felt like he knew what it was that Dukemon wanted to tell them.
Gankoomon frowned and leaned forward on the table. "…That's that… thing inside of you right? That program or whatever…" Gankoomon asked, although not judgmentally. "You said it was dangerous?"
Dukemon fingered at the metal collar of his plate armour. He could feel sweat beginning to form under the body suit that he wore underneath his armour. "Yeah, that's the one…" he said in a voice that tried to play it off casually. "It's not active or anything; don't worry," he was quick to clarify. "There's just something I want to tell you about my past…"
Omegamon looked up at Dukemon with curious, sky blue eyes. "Go on, Dukemon…" he said, his light, flanging voice encouraging him.
"Well, it's about how I met Grani," Dukemon stated, beginning to readjust the focus of his message.
Duftmon looked across at Dukemon with an aloof gaze. Although he was curious about the Digital Hazard, he wasn't sure how important this actually was at the moment. "Pardon me, Dukemon, but if this isn't urgent, then is this really appropriate?" he asked, making it known that he really had no time for such trivialities.
A few of the Royal Knights gave Duftmon disapproving looks. Duftmon noticed their expressions and thought for a few moments. He then took his small pocket book out and began flipping through the pages beneath the table.
"I know this isn't the right time to talk about this, with the Demon Lords and everything, but if I don't say this now, I never will. I just want to get it off my chest after all this time, Duftmon…" Dukemon responded, oddly diplomatic towards the opinionated strategist.
Duftmon turned the pages of his self-help book to a bookmark. He then began to read the opened page. "'Always listen to what others have to say. Listening is the first step towards good communication and understanding,'" Duftmon murmured under his breath as he read. He then looked back up at Dukemon. "Very well. You may continue if it is important to you. I value your opinions, feelings, and personal experiences, after all," Duftmon said rather woodenly.
Dukemon couldn't help but blink at the slender, brown knight's odd wording and uncharacteristic response. "Uh… Okay. Thanks, Duftmon…" he responded uncertainly.
"You were saying, Dukemon?" Alphamon asked, eyeing the red caped knight curiously.
Dukemon nodded. His golden eyes turned downwards and he gazed at the Digital Hazard marking on his armour. He released a calming breath and closed his eyes. "…Some of you might know that my hometown was destroyed by a band of raiders a long time ago. I was the only survivor…" he said, gazing around the table at the Royal Knights.
Dukemon stared across the table at all of the Royal Knight, and he saw their eyes gazing at him expectantly and empathetically. He began to remember that these were his closest friends. He shouldn't have to be nervous around them. He trusted each and every one of them with his life. Surely, they trusted him as much as he trusted them, didn't they? As he stared into each of their familiar eyes, he began to feel his confidence grow.
Dynasmon looked over to his side, gazing at Dukemon. The wyvern knight remembered when Dukemon had told the founding knights about that. Their shared loss of their hometowns was one of the things that Dynasmon and Dukemon bonded over.
"Yes, I remember you mentioned that…" Sleipmon said, frowning sympathetically at Dukemon. "It must have been terrible…"
Dukemon nodded. "I… don't actually remember much about the attack. It was all a blur…" The crimson knight's gaze softened as he reminisced about the events. "The thing is, I evolved during the attack. It must have been the emotions and the adrenaline… Anyways, that was when I first evolved to Dukemon and defeated the marauders."
"There is evidence that Digimon have a heightened tendency to undergo evolution during times of intense emotional strain and peril," Duftmon observed.
"I guess so…" Dukemon acknowledged, although he became more and more immersed in his memories. "Anyways, after I evolved, well… something started to happen. I could feel something changing inside me. It was… well, it was the Digital Hazard." Dukemon subconsciously placed a hand over the marking on his chest as he looked out at the Royal Knights. As much as possible, he wanted to read their expressions. "When I became a Dukemon, the Digital Hazard activated."
None of the Royal Knights spoke. A stunned silence pervaded throughout the room, causing the sound of raindrops hitting the windows to become more noticeable. None of the Royal Knights really knew how to react to this news. It was a hard statement to reply to. It was a surprise to hear that the program that Dukemon had admitted to having had activated once before. They weren't entirely sure what that it meant or what had happened. They also didn't want to accidentally offend Dukemon. A few of the Royal Knights exchanged quick glances of uncertainty, as they wondered how or if the others would react.
Dukemon sensed the tension. He could hear the silence. He noticed the uncomfortable looks. His confidence began to recede, but he knew that he had to explain further, half-hoping that that would satiate his friends' discomfort. He glanced at Grani and Examon who both gave him reassuring gazes. Dukemon felt a small bit of comfort there. He took a breath and continued. "…I could feel myself losing control. The pain was unbearable… It was like it was taking over. Something inside of me was taking over and I could feel my sense of self slipping away," he explained, wincing lightly. "I noticed that the sky was changing… Storm clouds appeared out of nowhere and became a thick purple. Lightning was shooting everywhere. It was like the Digital World was ending and it was all my fault…"
"But… obviously the world didn't end," Craniamon noted, leering at Dukemon with his unreadable crimson eyes. "What happened?"
"Grani happened," Dukemon stated, smiling a bit as he looked at the Zero ARMS beside him. "Grani appeared in front of me and told me not to give in to the Digital Hazard. He… He told me that I was stronger than I thought I was. He gave me the confidence to fight against the Digital Hazard. I was able to seal the Digital Hazard within me…"
"That was all your doing, Dukemon," Grani assured him. "The strength was inside of you all along."
Dukemon half-smiled and glanced back at his fellow Royal Knights. He wasn't sure if they were judging him or not. They were still quiet and cautious. He wondered if he did the right thing by telling them.
"…So that's how you met Grani," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode spoke up with an easygoing smile, breaking the ice for everybody. "I always wondered why you two were so close."
Alphamon rose to his feet and walked over to Dukemon, placing his hand on the knight's shoulder. "Thank you for telling us that, Dukemon… I'm honoured that you can trust us with that information. You really could have told us that before, though. We wouldn't have judged you…" Alphamon assured him.
Omegamon nodded and stood up as well, gazing at Dukemon warmly. "It isn't a big deal that it activated," he quickly spoke up. "You stopped the Digital Hazard before anything bad could happen."
"Omegamon has a point," Examon stated, looking at Dukemon meaningfully.
Dukemon smiled a bit and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess…" he answered. He felt partially relieved, despite his uncertainty.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Dynasmon questioned, trying not to feel too annoyed at Dukemon not telling them earlier, as he knew it must have been difficult.
Dukemon sighed a bit. "I was kind of ashamed of it," he admitted. "Besides, it's not exactly something that's easy to bring up in casual conversation, is it?"
"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Dukemon," Magnamon assured him warmly.
"Yeah, really. It's fine," UlforceVeedramon added, shooting Dukemon a smile.
"No big deal," Craniamon dismissively said as well.
"We're just happy you're alright," Sleipmon explained with a soft smile.
Duftmon looked down at his book again. "Yes, thank you for sharing that intimate, personal information with us." he answered, sounding like he was reading off of a script.
"Thanks, guys…" Dukemon said, putting on a small smile in response. At the back of his mind, he wondered if they really meant what they were saying or if they were just trying to make him feel better. Dukemon chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sure I'm making a big deal over nothing."
"You often do," RhodoKnightmon teased.
Duftmon gazed at Dukemon curiously. "Pardon me, but there haven't been any incidents since when you first evolved to Dukemon, have there?" he wondered.
"I think we probably would have known if there were, Duftmon," UlforceVeedramon responded with a grin. "Calamities are kind of hard to avoid."
"Yeah… I haven't sensed any activity in the Digital Hazard since that one time. I have it under control now, so no worries," Dukemon explained, rubbing his fingers against the nape of his neck. "It's sealed."
"I can't think of a Digimon who I could trust with it more," Alphamon said to him with a small grin.
Dukemon laughed a bit. "Wow. You're going to make me blush, Alphamon," he answered good-naturedly.
"But you're so cute when you blush," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode teased. He winked at his fellow white knight good-humouredly. "Right, Omegamon?"
Omegamon gave his friend an icy look but didn't rise to the bait.
Dukemon cleared his throat. "…So… Anyways, yeah… I guess that's it," he said with a sheepish chuckle. "Sorry for the drama. I just needed to get that off of my chest. Grani would have nagged me within an inch of my life otherwise."
Karatenmon released a lighthearted chuckle. "I can believe that…"
"Don't you feel so much better now?" Grani asked him, closing his eyes indignantly as he ignored the comments.
"Mm…" Dukemon answered simply. "Anyways. I'm sure I've bored all of you now, so let's call the meeting adjourned."
Alphamon nodded. "Let's…" he agreed. "Meeting adjourned."
The Royal Knights rose to their feet and began to head out of the room along with the captains.
As soon as he was out of the council room, Dukemon suddenly turned right and headed towards one of the doors in the side wall of the great hall. Zero ARMS: Grani floated after him as he walked from the great hall to one of the parallel corridors.
Grani flew up beside his friend. "I'm proud of you, Dukemon," he said to the Royal Knight.
"Yeah… thanks," Dukemon answered softly.
Grani couldn't help but notice that Dukemon's usual enthusiasm seemed somewhat deflated. "Are you alright?" he wondered.
Dukemon looked over at Grani and smiled a bit. "Yeah. I'm just tired. I'm going to head to my room."
"Very well," Grani spoke, slowing down and allowing Dukemon to walk ahead. He gazed thoughtfully at Dukemon as the Royal Knight made his way to the stairs.
"Dukemon, I do hope that this helped to assuage your concerns…" Grani thought as he watched his friend grow further from him. "You aren't the monster that you think you are…"
The Royal Knights and captains all left the council room and began heading down the long, splendorous great hall.
Alphamon, Omegamon, and Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode were the last ones to leave the council room. Omegamon and Imperialdramon lingered behind as they waited for Alphamon to gather up the papers on top of the table.
"What do you think brought all that on? With Dukemon, I mean," Imperialdramon wondered.
"I wonder if something happened in the battle…" Omegamon suggested, thinking to himself.
"Perhaps he has been meaning to tell us for awhile but couldn't find the words," Alphamon responded as he tidied up a small stack of papers. He glanced up at Omegamon sheepishly. "I have been in that situation myself…"
Omegamon gave him a small but warm smile, reassuring him. "I understand. It's sometimes difficult to admit such sensitive topics…" He nodded pensively. "…Do you think the others will worry about it?" he inquired.
Alphamon shook his head. "I think they all trust Dukemon enough to know that he can be trusted with the Digital Hazard," he stated confidently. "Even if he is hotheaded, I trust him."
"Me too…" Omegamon agreed. He turned his white head and glanced out of the council room's doors, into the great hall. He couldn't spot Dukemon among the Royal Knights. "Perhaps I should speak to him."
Alphamon looked up at the two white-armoured Digimon. "Can I put something to you both first?" he asked them.
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode turned and placed his blue hands on his hips. "Anything, Alphamon," he answered, swishing his long, blue tail.
"It's about the Royal Knights…" Alphamon explained. "There are twelve of us. An even number."
"Twelve?" Omegamon asked, looking curiously at Alphamon. After a moment, he frowned with realisation. "Ah. I see…"
Alphamon nodded. "As the Knight of the Empty Seat, it is my duty to arbitrate disputes within the Royal Knights and serve as a balancer," he explained. "We developed the idea after DarkKnightmon rebelled. I didn't want to be seen as the leader, but we also needed a mechanism to avoid an even split down the middle. If half of the Royal Knights are on one side of an issue, and the other half of the Royal Knights are on another side of the same issue, then it is my duty to split the tie. However, I can't do that when there's an even number of knights. I do need to vote on issues as well, after all."
"Yeah… I have been thinking about this too," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode mused, leaning forwards on one of the chairs.
"If there are six knights on one side the debate, and six knights, myself included, are on another side of the debate, then we are at a deadlock. I won't allow my vote to be worth more than that of any other Royal Knight's in order to break the impasse," Alphamon explained, frowning. "Even numbers don't work… My role as a balance for the Royal Knights is put into question. I like to think that we are cohesive, but there will always be times that we will have differences of opinions. I don't want anybody to feel alienated like DarkKnightmon was. We all know how that turned out…"
Omegamon gave him a nod of understanding. "So…"
"We need a thirteenth Royal Knight…" Alphamon spoke.
"It seems that way," Omegamon concurred.
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode folded his arms and nodded. "Yeah…" he agreed. The dragon man then noticed Alphamon and Omegamon both turn their heads towards him intently. Imperialdramon took a step back and held his hands up in front of him. "Hey, hey! Don't look at me!"
"It would be convenient, Imperialdramon," Alphamon persuaded. "You're strong, knowledgeable, trustworthy, experienced…"
"You're already a close friend of ours…" Omegamon added.
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode grinned and rubbed the back of his neck, his blue fingers running through his blond hair. "Good try, guys, but sorry. If I wanted to be in the Royal Knights, then I would have joined when we first made the Order."
Omegamon sighed. "You really are stubborn, aren't you?" he stated with exasperation.
"I'm afraid so," Imperialdramon answered, flashing him a smile. "Anyways… I have to be outside of the Order. That was the reason why I didn't join to begin with. You need an external supporter. I'm already busy with the Dark Area, the Four Holy Beasts, and keeping an eye on network security, among other things... I can't do all that if I'm busy doing paperwork and missions."
"I suppose not," Alphamon conceded. "You are already quite helpful."
"What about Ouryumon?" Imperialdramon suggested, looking at Alphamon. "He's been itching to get in since we started this thing, and he's gotten a lot more mature recently, hasn't he?"
"He has," Alphamon admitted. "But… to be completely honest, I think he's content with not being a Royal Knight now… He has the strength and leadership qualities for a Royal Knight, to be sure. However… he's a lot more useful to me as the Captain of the Strike Forces. The Digimon of the Strike Forces trust him, and he knows how to deal with them. He has a knack for battle and I want somebody I can trust leading the Strike Forces. I honestly think that he's best suited where he is."
"Do you have any other ideas?" Omegamon asked Alphamon.
"Not at the moment…" Alphamon responded. "This is a priority, but this isn't anywhere close to our greatest priority at the moment: namely, the Demon Lords. That's why I didn't tell the other Royal Knights. I don't want to distract them. For now, I'll think about potential candidates, but our focus has to be on the Seven Great Demon Lords."
"I understand, Alphamon," Omegamon agreed, nodding his head. "If you ever need somebody to discuss the ideas with…"
Alphamon smiled. "I know, Omegamon. You were my first thought."
"I'll keep watch for potential candidates too," Imperialdramon told them. He then nodded towards the great hall. "Shall we?"
Alphamon nodded in agreement and began walking out of the council room along with Imperialdramon and Omegamon.
The three friends made their way down the giant, gold-hued hall towards the castle foyer on the other end. They strolled down the great hall with their metal boots clamouring against the marble floor. As they walked, Omegamon thought quietly to himself about everything that Dukemon had said in the meeting.
Omegamon felt the need to talk to him about it. There were things that he wanted to say to Dukemon. He felt a bit guilty. He thought that he might have inadvertently pressured Dukemon into making that confession after he had previously asked him about how he had met Grani. His clear, blue eyes gazed pensively in front of him as he walked down the great hall.
Once the three reached the opened doors leading into the octagonal foyer, Omegamon turned to the other two holy knight Digimon. "I am going to go speak with Dukemon, if you don't mind."
Alphamon looked at Omegamon curiously. "Alright. Go ahead," he responded. "I'll check with him later on, but I have several things that I need to do right now."
"I'm sure he'll appreciate that, Omegamon," Imperialdramon said with a smile.
Omegamon nodded and turned away from them. "I'll see you both later," he told them as he made his way over to the right set of stairs.
Alphamon and Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode watched as Omegamon disappeared into the staircase.
"He cares about Dukemon a lot," Alphamon mused once Omegamon had vanished into the upper levels of the castle.
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode looked at Alphamon. "He cares about all of his friends. You included," the white armoured dragon man explained with a knowing smile.
Alphamon nodded softly. "I'm glad that we were able to mend things after the stupid mistakes that I made in the past," he tenderly reflected.
"He is too. I think that's why he wants to check on Dukemon," Imperialdramon reasoned.
"I see…" Alphamon pondered. "Anyways, we should get to work."
"Lead the way, oh Lord of the Empty Seat," the sapphire dragon paladin teased.
"'Knight'," Alphamon corrected him, smirking a bit. "Can I offer you some of my special brews while we're at it?"
Imperialdramon's sly smile faded. "I'm on a full stomach, Alphamon…"
Dukemon lay on the crimson blanket of his large bed. He stared up at the ceiling and thought about what he had just confessed to everybody.
He felt as though a massive weight had been lifted off of him. Dukemon had never been good at lying or keeping secrets. However, he frequently had to lie by omission or swiftly change the subject whenever his and Grani's meeting came up. He always felt guilty for not telling his friends the truth, but he always worried about how they would react.
Dukemon remembered when he first told the Royal Knights, as well as the subsequent new members, about the Digital Hazard. Dukemon didn't like doing it. He didn't do it for the sympathy either. If it were up to him, it would have forever remained his dirty little secret. However, he felt that they had a right to know, and he felt too guilty whenever he didn't tell them.
Each time he confessed about the devastating side of him, he sensed the apprehension and uncertainty among the Royal Knights. The wordless frowns… The little glances… The awkward fidgeting… Each was like a pin prick to his heart. They piled onto his insecurity, even when the Royal Knights assured them that it was fine. None of the Royal Knights ever talked about the Digital Hazard to his face. It seemed like they wanted to pretend that it didn't exist. Dukemon didn't blame them; honestly, he would have liked to do the same, but it was always there, niggling at the back of his mind.
These uncertainties remained, but, at the very least, Dukemon felt relieved that it was finally out in the open. Did the other Royal Knights think less of him now? Maybe. However, he didn't have to lie to them anymore. He felt tired, now that the adrenaline was subsiding.
Suddenly, he was roused by the sound of his door being knocked on. Dukemon sat upwards on his bed and looked at the closed door of his room. "Yeah?" he asked.
"It's Omegamon," a familiar fused voice responded from the other side of the door.
"Come in," Dukemon said, standing to his feet to greet him.
Omegamon opened the door and walked inside tentatively. "Hello, Dukemon," he said to him. "How are you doing?"
"Me? I'm fine," Dukemon responded, smiling a little at the white knight.
"Are you sure? I know that must have been hard for you to say in front of everybody…" Omegamon said sympathetically.
Dukemon's gold eyes darted away. "I guess," he answered noncommittally. He looked back at Omegamon insistently, not wanting Omegamon to see his doubts. "I'm fine, though. Really… I'm just glad to get that off my chest finally."
Omegamon's gaze softened. "I hope that you didn't do that just because I pressed you about it a few weeks ago…" he mentioned, his voice sheepish.
At Omegamon's concerned words, Dukemon smiled. "No, it wasn't because of you… To be honest, I've been meaning to for awhile now, but I've been too much of a coward," he admitted, rubbing his neck with embarrassment.
Omegamon shook his head in response. "You're not a coward, Dukemon. You're one of the bravest Digimon that I know," he insisted. He locked his sky blue eyes with Dukemon's golden ones, giving him a somewhat embarrassed look. "I know how hard it is to admit something personal like that."
"You mean when you told me you were worried about the dark data turning you into Omegamon Zwart again…?" Dukemon spoke, remembering their conversation.
Omegamon nodded and looked into Dukemon's eyes with a deep, knowing gaze. "…You asked me if I could feel myself losing control - my sense of self slipping away…" he mentioned softly. "I remember that feeling when DarkKnightmon pressed me onto that rift."
Dukemon's gaze tightened and he glanced off to the side, looking out the window and into the rain. "Yeah…"
"You felt that when the Digital Hazard activated," Omegamon noted, remembering what Dukemon had said.
Dukemon sighed and forced himself to look back at Omegamon. "…Yeah… I did…" he admitted. "I'll never forget that sinking feeling of helplessness…"
"Neither will I…" Omegamon mumbled. "Although, I know it isn't fair to compare my situation with yours. I don't want to assume I know how you feel…"
A warm smile formed on Dukemon's face. He looked at his friend and placed his hand on Omegamon's caped shoulder. "That's so like you, Omegamon…" he said graciously, a soft laugh not far from his lips. "But… yeah. It… was terrible feeling, wasn't it?" Dukemon's smile vanished and he became serious again. "I never want to feel that again."
Omegamon nodded quietly, understanding his worries. "I know, Dukemon. Neither do I…" he responded.
Both Royal Knights grew silent. It wasn't an easy thing to talk about for either of them. They were Royal Knights. They were rarely vulnerable.
More than that, none of them liked to show their vulnerabilities to others. When in battle, the Royal Knights needed to be strong for one another and the Digimon that they were protecting. They tended to resist showing their vulnerabilities in front of either their allies or their enemies. They couldn't afford weakness.
Despite this, Omegamon summoned his courage and spoke up. "…Dukemon…" he spoke, drawing the red and silver knight's attention. Omegamon took a soft breath as he gazed at his fellow Royal Knight. "…I have three fears. One, is losing my friends. Two, is being in front of crowds. And, the third… the third is losing myself."
Dukemon looked at Omegamon with a surprised look in his eyes. "…Losing yourself?" he asked him.
Omegamon sheepishly nodded. "I don't need to tell you this, Dukemon, but… I am a fused Digimon. I evolved permanently from my composite parts: WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon… I contain traits from both of them. This body… aspects of their personality… their memories… Their pasts are my past…" he explained. Omegamon looked down. "However… I am also distinct from them. My body is my own - my personality is my own… They each had parents, but I do not. They may be me, but I am not them…"
Dukemon frowned at his confusing wording, but nodded. "I think I get it…?"
"Mm… I used to struggle with my identity," Omegamon admitted. "Meeting my only living parents – MetalGarurumon's parents – it was difficult. MetalGarurumon is a part of me, but I am not their son. WarGreymon is not their son. It was difficult to know where exactly I fit in…" Omegamon smiled as he reminisced. "Fortunately, my best friend was a jogress Digimon. Imperialdramon. It was easier with somebody else to relate to."
"I never thought about that, Omegamon… I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like," Dukemon stated.
"It was unusual… I questioned my own identity," Omegamon explained. "Was I my own Digimon? Or was I simply my component parts? …Was the sum of the parts greater than the whole? That was what I thought at first. It bothered me… but I eventually realised that I was my own Digimon."
Omegamon closed his eyes. "However… when I became Omegamon Zwart, I lost my identity completely. Everything about me that was 'me'… it was consumed by darkness and corrupted beyond recognition. I became another Digimon." Omegamon opened his eyes slightly and looked down grimly. "Or were those just the darkest parts of me?"
"That wasn't you, Omegamon. You've seen what that dark data does to Digimon," Dukemon urged him.
"Then I did lose my sense of self to that corruption… Neither option is better than the other, as far as I'm concerned," Omegamon explained bitterly. "I fear that the dark data will manifest again, and that I could become Omegamon Zwart again. I worry that I'll lose whatever is left of me and do horrible things to my friends again."
"That's not going to happen," Dukemon said fervently, placing both of his hands on Omegamon's shoulders and gripping them firmly. "…You're you, Omegamon. You're just regular, shy, caring, stubborn Omegamon to me," Dukemon reassured him, giving him a warm, comforting smile.
"I… Thank you, Dukemon…" Omegamon responded, giving him an appreciative gaze despite his obvious embarrassment. He turned his face away sheepishly. "I know that now…"
Dukemon nodded and removed his hands from Omegamon's shoulders. "I know what it's like to be afraid of losing your identity," Dukemon told him. "Just like you have Omegamon Zwart, I have the Digital Hazard… I'm worried that, by losing control of the Digital Hazard, I'll lose my identity too." Dukemon sighed. "I could feel it happen back when I first evolved… If I hadn't stopped it…" He trailed off, not wanting to speculate on the consequences.
"But you did stop it," Omegamon assured him. "We both went through similar ordeals and came out the same Digimon that we were before, didn't we? Stronger, even…"
Dukemon smiled and looked at Omegamon. "Yeah, I guess we did…" he responded. He felt a sense of ease at hearing Omegamon's words. "…Sorry, I didn't tell you before."
"Don't be… I understand, Dukemon," Omegamon answered sincerely.
"I'm glad you do, Omegamon…" Dukemon said with a sigh of relief lacing his words. He gave Omegamon a grateful grin. "Thanks."
Omegamon shook his head. "You're my precious friend, Dukemon," he insisted.
At this, Dukemon couldn't help but chuckle and place his arm around Omegamon's shoulders. "Yggdrasil, Omegamon. Did you really just say that? You can be really sappy, you know," he teased him. He raised his hand and placed his finger on the combined crests of courage and friendship engraved on Omegamon's white armour. "It must be this crest of friendship."
Omegamon blushed and looked away with embarrassment. "D-Don't laugh. I was being honest," he insisted self-consciously.
Dukemon laughed. "That's what's so great about you," he answered. The crimson knight gave an easy smile and looked at Omegamon. "And, for what it's worth, you're mine too."
Omegamon nodded. "Good…" he stated in a subdued voice, although he was inwardly glad to hear those words. He looked back at Dukemon. "Don't worry about the Digital Hazard, Dukemon. We all trust you with it."
Dukemon removed his arm from Omegamon. "…Yeah, I won't. Thanks, Omegamon," the dragon knight assured him.
"Anytime, Dukemon," Omegamon responded. He looked towards the door. "I should get to work now."
"Me too," Dukemon said. "You go ahead."
Omegamon nodded and walked out of Dukemon's room. He turned and disappeared down the stone corridor.
Once he was gone, Dukemon smiled and looked down at the Digital Hazard symbol on his armour. He turned and gazed out into the cascading showers outside of the window. He felt relaxed and more at ease with himself than he did before. Dukemon walked over to the window and leaned against the stone sill. He gazed up at the grey clouds and thought to himself.
"…Maybe Grani was right after all. Maybe I was over-thinking it. I doubted them too much. …I should really have more faith in all of them…"
Dukemon stood up right and turned around, heading for the door of his room. Just like the rest of the Royal Knights, he had work to do.