(Author's Notes: Here's Part Two of Chapter 75! Buckle up for some drama.
As always, read, review, enjoy!)
Chapter 75: Return (Part II)
It was the mid-afternoon. The sun lowered in the sky as it started to near the same level as the western walls of Castle Avalion.
Dukemon walked beneath the broadening shadow of the nearby castle. He strode along the edge of the moat, just outside of Castle Avalion's walls.
A gentle breeze blew along the wall's steep face. With the wall catching the wind, the breeze funnelled past him as he walked, causing his long, white ponytail and his flowing crimson cape to flap behind him turbulently.
The grass beneath his boots was a little damp from the overflowing moat water, but not enough for his boots to sink into the mud. There was a specific reason why the moat's water was flooding again, and that reason lay some distance in front of him.
Dukemon stared at the ample back of the massive reptile in front of him. He watched as Leviamon lounged in their castle moat yet again. The demon crocodile's enormous snout was resting in the grass. Despite the fact that Leviamon was in the shadow of the wall, he was big enough for the sunlight to cast across his snout, dorsal fins, and tails, causing his scales to shimmer like amber.
The crimson knight cautiously approached the Demon Lord from behind. "Hey!" he called out, not wanting to startle him and risk getting struck by his tails.
Leviamon raised his head from his basking and angled his snout to the side. He looked behind him and spotted Dukemon approaching. "Oh… look who it is. You can't keep away, can you?" he mused with outward indifference. Leviamon stood up and stretched, half-turning so that he could better face the Royal Knight.
"You're one to talk," Dukemon sarcastically pointed out. "You're back at our castle, clogging up our moat again."
"Tch," Leviamon scoffed as he pulled himself out of the moat. When he did, he leered at Dukemon with an amused smirk, finding it to funny to see him approaching him from the ground. "…Looks like you're back down on my level this time."
Dukemon walked around Leviamon's side and stopped not far from the side of his face. "I guess I am. Is there any reason why I shouldn't be?" he contended, placing his hands of his hips. "And, anyways, shouldn't you be checking up on Dark Point or something?"
"You trying to get rid of me?" Leviamon asked, smirking with fake-insult. "If you have to know, I'll probably start making my way back down the coast this evening. It's a long swim back to Dark Point, even for me." He shrugged indifferently. "I was waiting around to see if you'd ever hear back from the other Royal Knights – or is that confidential?"
Dukemon sighed and sheepishly rubbed the side of his neck. "Actually… it turns out that you were right," he admitted. "Ouryumon just got back, and he said that it was like you said. Barbamon, Demon, and Beelzebumon led the main army south to Shroud. We didn't hear back about the Arcane Ruins, but Lucemon, Lilithmon, and Bagramon must have been headed there."
"Hah. See? I told you," Leviamon exclaimed triumphantly. "I told you all what they were doing, but you all thought I was lying. That shows that I was telling the truth all along. So, what was that again, Dukemon? I was what? I didn't quite hear you…"
Dukemon rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile a little at his brazenness. "Don't push it, Leviamon. We thought you might be lying, but we still acted on your and Grani's combined information."
"Tch. My information, you mean. I did all the work," Leviamon insisted pointedly. The crocodile placed his chin on the ground, grinning smugly with the knowledge that he had been vindicated. "…And? How'd it go? Did you guys kick their asses?"
Dukemon frowned, his fingers continuing to rub the white fabric of the under-suit that covered his neck. He had spoken with Ouryumon briefly, but they didn't have the chance to talk much, so he didn't know the full situation. The only thing that he could glean from what Ouryumon said was that they had to retreat from the battle, but he didn't know much more than that… It was a big concern to him, hearing that but not knowing more. He hoped his friends were okay…
"Er, well… I don't think it went exactly to plan…" Dukemon tentatively replied.
"…What?" Leviamon blankly asked. "What the hell does that mean? Did you win or not?"
"From the sounds of it, something happened and we had to withdraw," Dukemon explained, unable to tell him much more than that.
Leviamon eyed him defensively. "…Hey, hey! You guys better not be trying to land the blame on me! I did my job and told you everything I knew! It's not my fault if you guys couldn't make the most of my information," he huffily maintained. "If there were any surprises, I sure as hell didn't know about them."
Dukemon sighed with exasperation. "Nobody's blaming you, Leviamon. Don't be so paranoid," he assured him. Despite his flippant reply, he felt a little sorry for Leviamon that he automatically assumed as though they were looking to blame him. From the way he spoke, that must have been standard procedure for him with the Demon Lords.
"Anyways, I don't know what happened. It sounds like we're regrouping and waiting to hear back from our tactician," Dukemon vaguely informed him.
At this, Leviamon's large eye brows furrowed with confusion. "…What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" he incredulously inquired. "You're a Royal Knight! How can you not know?!"
"I haven't been told the details of the situation yet," Dukemon explained, sheepishly rubbing his neck. "Alphamon said that he would tell me later."
Frowning, Leviamon cocked his head to the side in a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "…Does that happen to you a lot?" he wondered.
"Huh? Does 'what' happen a lot?" Dukemon questioned.
"I don't know… you not getting told everything, I guess," Leviamon responded. His words were intentionally careful and delicate, as if tentatively dipping his toe in the water to check its temperature. "Do the other Royal Knights put you on a need-to-know basis all the time?"
Dukemon frowned with confusion. "Huh? No. It's not that," he insisted. "Everybody's really busy right now. Alphamon's going to tell everybody later, not just me."
Leviamon rolled his eyes. "Uh huh… Okay, if you say so," he answered in a tone that made it clear he didn't believe him.
The way that Leviamon replied irritated Dukemon. He knew that what he was saying to Leviamon was true, but the fact that Leviamon didn't believe him made him feel as though he had to defend his friends.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, sounding a little defensive. "I'm telling the truth."
"Okay, okay, fine. Yeesh. Don't need to get so tetchy about it," Leviamon quickly conceded, making a show of backing down. "I just know what it's like, is all… – always being the last one to be told anything important. In any group, there's always one Digimon who's left just that little bit out of the loop… the one who they don't tell everything because they think they can't handle it or that they'll spill the secret or something."
Leviamon gazed at Dukemon a little before closing his eyes reflectively. "That was always me with the Demon Lords… I'm amazed they even let me in on the latest campaign plans," he mused sourly. "Though, that was probably Bagramon's influence… The other ones made their distrust of me all too clear, but he always made a point of deigning to toss me a few table scraps…" Leviamon cocked his eye open a little. "He was smart… He probably knew that he had to try and keep me sweet… to give me just enough scraps to make me feel involved… to keep me in line."
Dukemon frowned sympathetically as he heard Leviamon's opining recollection. It sounded terrible to be in that situation – knowing that you're the odd one out and that you weren't trusted by the Digimon around you… "I'm sorry…" he sincerely replied, "but it's not like that here. All of the Royal Knights are equal. That's the point of our round table."
Leviamon let out a cynical scoff. "Wow, a round table? Gee, that sure sounds nice... Are things ever that simple though?" he wondered. "The only Digimon who really think that way are the ones on the bottom who're dumb enough to buy into the lie that the ones on the top are telling them. That's the same sort of 'we're all in this together' crap that they peddled in the Choir. You don't really buy into that, do you?"
Dukemon's hand slid off his neck and lowered to his side. His shoulders became a little more rigid, and he eyed Leviamon with a standoffish gaze. "Yeah, I do, actually. It's because we're all friends," the crimson knight confidently asserted. "There's no 'top' or 'bottom' with us. We all respect each other implicitly."
Leviamon carefully gazed at Dukemon, his yellow, reptilian eye piercing into him. "You all respect each other," he dryly said. "And you all trust each other too."
"Yes, we do," Dukemon maintained, proudly folding his arms.
"You trust them, you mean," Leviamon pointedly corrected. "Can you be sure that they feel the same? Do you really think that they trust and respect you too? You can't know what's really going on in their minds, can you?"
Dukemon paused for a few moments as an uncomfortable twisting began inside of him as Leviamon's words began to scrape the edges of his mind. Starting to feel increasingly defensive, Dukemon folded his arms and glared at him, feeling his temper beginning to rise.
"Yeah, I do. They're my friends, so I know they trust me as much as I trust them," he defiantly asserted. He felt increasingly annoyed and he wasn't sure why the Demon Lord was pressing him so much. "What exactly are you trying to say, Leviamon?"
"Nothing. I just don't buy it, is all," Leviamon answered with a nonchalant shrug. "You really expect me to believe that you Royal Knights are that equal and trusting of each other? That's not how the world works. There's always someone on top. I don't think you're being honest with yourself, Dukemon."
"You can think what you want, but it's not true," Dukemon stubbornly insisted, looking Leviamon in the eye. "Just because that's how things were for you in the Demon Lords, that doesn't mean that it's true everywhere. The Demon Lords are only out for themselves, so you see each other in those terms, but we Royal Knights view each other differently."
Leviamon gave a big, pronounced roll of his eyes in response to Dukemon's expected reply. "Yeah. Okay, whatever," he insincerely conceded. "So, the Royal Knights are one big, happy team. I find that hard to believe, but if you really think that, then I guess I've gotta believe you."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Dukemon sardonically answered.
"Alright, so let me ask you this, then," Leviamon continued, altering his course a little. His reptilian eye locked onto Dukemon's face. "Have the other Royal Knights ever kept secrets from you?"
The piercing question took Dukemon off-guard. He hesitated as memories resurfaced of times that the other Royal Knights have kept things from him. Most of the ones that came into his head were either mundane or very personal things to the Royal Knights that he didn't begrudge them keeping private. However, he couldn't exactly deny it either.
"…Everybody has secrets," Dukemon defensively maintained. "Everybody has a right to privacy and I don't expect the Royal Knights to tell me everything about themselves that they might not be comfortable with. It's not like I'm in any place to judge them for that."
At this off-handed admission, Leviamon's eyes twinkled. His grin broadened slyly as he began to sense blood in the water.
"Yeah? Why's that? Do you keep secrets from them too?" he wondered, turning his large snout towards him more. "…Did you keep the Digital Hazard a secret from them?"
The deep-cutting questioned elicited an emotional response from the Royal Knight. Dukemon's eyes thinned into a glare which he levelled at Leviamon. "What? No!" he insisted with more passion than he intended. "I told them all about that before we founded the Order."
Despite his ardent words, Dukemon found himself looking away from Leviamon's piercing stare. He wasn't being entirely honest… For a long time, he withheld the information that the Digital Hazard had once activated. Even now, he was hiding his nightmares and Megidramon's ominous warning from Alphamon and Omegamon. It made him question himself: why? Why hadn't he told them yet? Was it that he didn't trust them? But he was certain that he trusted them with his life… or so he thought. Was he that insecure about how they would react?
Dukemon forced himself to look back at Leviamon with a scowl, not wanting him to see the doubt in his eyes. "I trust my friends, Leviamon. I don't know why you're trying to make me question that," he bluntly stated.
"I'm not! I'm just talkin' here! Am I allowed to talk?" Leviamon defended. He sighed and shrugged."Guess I'm just confused. I'm just a big ol' cynic at heart, whereas you – you always want to believe the best of your friends. I respect that. Hey, maybe I'm almost a little jealous that you feel you can have that much trust in other people! I just don't want you to be disappointed when it turns out that other Digimon don't trust you as much as you trust them… I've seen it happen to other Digimon – I'd hate for it to happen to you."
Dukemon bit back an agitated scowl behind his visor and he irately folded his arms, tapping his finger impatiently. "Thanks for your concern, Leviamon, but I think I'll be fine," he brusquely assured the Demon Lord. "Why exactly do you care, anyways?"
"Why shouldn't I?" Leviamon asked him, eyeing the irritated Royal Knight carefully. "I like you. And I think you like me too."
"Let's not get carried away," Dukemon sarcastically retorted, turning his shoulder towards the Devil Beast and closing himself off from him a bit.
Leviamon noticed Dukemon's change in demeanour. He knew he had been toeing a very fine line with his words, but it looked like he might have pressed Dukemon's buttons a little too much. He decided that he needed to pull back and change tact.
"Okay, maybe 'like' is strong. We understand each other then," Leviamon suggested, his gruff voice softening a little bit. "I understand some of the things that you're going through, and I think you understand me too. Am I wrong?"
"If you really understood me as well as you say you do, then you'd know that I put my friends before anything else," Dukemon explained to him in no uncertain terms. "And I don't appreciate you making baseless assumptions about them."
"Okay, okay," Leviamon tactfully backed off. "My mistake. I didn't mean to offend you."
Dukemon sighed, but he didn't drop his prickly demeanour just yet. He remained standing aloof, arms folded. "…Fine," he huffily answered.
"…Look, I'm just looking out for you, Dukemon," Leviamon explained. "We're the same, so I don't want to see you get hurt."
Dukemon turned to him with a fiery leer. "We're not the same. Stop saying that," he plainly told him, bristling at the implication. "We might have one or two similarities, but that's it. You and I are nothing alike, Leviamon."
Leviamon narrowed his eyes a little, trying to hide the offence that he felt brewing inside him. "…Is that so? I'm not so sure…" he innocently mused. "We're obviously different, yeah. I mean, look at you and then look at me…" He dryly gestured with his large foot towards Dukemon's dashing, gallant form and then back at his own, unsightly, bestial body.
The Demon Lord of Envy turned further towards Dukemon, eyeing him steadily. "I'm just a big, ugly, Demon Lord who betrayed his own kind… You're a handsome and charming Royal Knight with a deep, dark secret…" he slyly pointed out, casually walking out of the moat and dripping water everywhere. "So, yeah, we're different… but don't try to pretend like we're nothing alike. I'm not like the other Demon Lords… just like you're not like the other Royal Knights. We're similar in that we're different."
Dukemon bristled at the insinuations that Leviamon was making about him and the Digital Hazard. The mention of the sensitive topic was causing him unease, now more than ever. It annoyed him that the aquatic reptile seemed to love bringing it up too. His eyes followed Leviamon as the crocodile began to walk by him.
"Apart from that one thing, I'm no different from the others," Dukemon frostily asserted. Sure, he always knew that the Digital Hazard was one thing that set him apart, but he never felt as though he was the odd one out.
"The Digital Hazard's a pretty big 'one thing', don't ya think?" Leviamon smoothly rebuffed, slyly eyeing the knight. He watched as Dukemon began to animatedly protest, but he was sure to get a word in before him. "Hey, I'm not judging! I'm with you! Me? I don't think it's a big deal at all…"
The crimson reptile smiled at him good-humouredly. "Why do you think you're not different from them? Because you're a holy knight? Is that all it takes?" he wondered. "You may look like them, and you may act like them, but you are different. Not just because of the Hazard – you're a virus attribute too, for another thing."
Dukemon folded his arms defensively. "So? Attributes don't make a difference to a Digimon's personality. Besides, I'm not the only one – Rhodo's a virus type too," he confidently retorted.
"Yeah? And is he the only one you personally know? You really must not associate with many virus types then…" Leviamon answered with a mocking roll of his eyes. "I guess you haven't noticed our aggressiveness, our disregard for authority, our need to assert our independence… I'm sure you've put down enough virus Digimon in your time, so you must know a bit."
Dukemon scowled, his anger beginning to ignite again. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?!" he fierily demanded.
Leviamon laughed out loud. "Hey! There we go! There's that aggressiveness," he chuckled heartily. "Hell… it must be hard fighting against your true nature."
Dukemon narrowed his eyes, forcing himself to rein his temper in. He didn't want to prove Leviamon's point, whatever that was. "…What do you mean?" he asked, making sure to sound more calm this time.
"…Really? Am I the only one who sees the irony here?" Leviamon asked with a grin. "You're a Virus Buster who's a virus type. If that's not a walking contradiction, I don't know what is. What are you gonna do? Bust yourself?"
"…I'm defined by my actions, not by simple categories," Dukemon bitterly answered. Although he didn't realise it, his fist had closed tight. He turned his body coldly and rigidly away from Leviamon and he began to stride off. "I'm done with this. I was foolish to think you might actually make an effort."
Leviamon's grin vanished as he saw Dukemon beginning to leave. "Hey, wait! I'm just looking out for you, Dukemon!" he frantically spoke up in an attempt to make him stay. "We're the same, so I don't want to see you get hurt!"
Dukemon whirled around, his crimson cape flapping violently in the wind. "No. We're not the same," Dukemon sharply informed him. "I actually have friends who trust me! That's something you'll never have."
Leviamon instinctively scowled at the biting retort, and the cutting words caused him to forget himself for a moment. "Oh? You think you have friends?" he snarled, his response becoming as sharp as the point of his fangs.
The Demon Lord scoffed and shook his head dismissively. "Tch, you actually believe you've got friends... Maybe I'm the best friend that you'll ever have… You just don't know it," he said with a resentful growl. "And I get it; you're mad. Nobody likes hearing the truth about how other people really view them. But you'll thank me… One day, you'll thank me for opening your eyes."
Dukemon winced and turned away. He decided that he had had enough, and that he didn't want to continue their conversation. The collective burden of Leviamon's words was already beginning to weigh too heavy on him.
Leviamon watched with an ambivalent gaze as Dukemon's defiant expression showed clear signs of fracturing into a more hurt and uncertain grimace. He knew that his pointed teasing had pushed him too far this time. He had one last chance to appeal to his better nature…
The Devil Beast closed his eyes and let out a big, sheepish sigh. "…Look, I'm sorry, Dukemon," he told the Royal Knight, forcing the humility out of himself. "I'm not trying to suggest anything. I just… never know when to turn off. I'm used to having to defend myself… There's nothing wrong with being different. I'm a guy who embraces differences."
Leviamon opened his eye and settled back onto the ground, gazing steadily at Dukemon's back. "That's how I operate. I bond with the cast-offs and the Digimon who don't belong. That's how I made my army in the Dark Area, and that's how I'm gonna do it here," he explained. "I know the feelings of those who're on the bottom. I know that resentment when I see it. It's when we channel it into anger that we can make a difference and knock those pompous fools off of their pedestals. That's where my strength is. The Demon Lords won't see me coming…"
After a few moments of silence, Dukemon's tensed shoulders slackened. He released a heavy sigh and turned around, gazing back at Leviamon with a torn look of tiredness and sympathy in his eyes.
"I'm beginning to realise why you're so lonely, Leviamon…" Dukemon said, his previously passionate and angry voice now soft and understanding. "You can't help but push Digimons' buttons, can you? It's almost like you try to make Digimon hate you. Do you like being the victim? Is that the reason?" he questioned, looking Leviamon right in his large eye. "Is that how you rationalize being alone?"
Leviamon's brows furrowed and he stayed quiet, keeping his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. After a few moments, Leviamon angled his face away, shrugging.
Dukemon sighed and scratched the back of his head. He was beginning to think that Leviamon was just very socially awkward, and that he didn't know how to process somebody being nice to him.
"…You're hard work, you know," Dukemon remarked with just a touch of humour to his voice. "I'm the only one sticking my neck out for you right now. You're not going to earn a lot of good will this way. You have to think about what you're saying more…"
"Yeah… I guess so," Leviamon sheepishly grumbled.
Dukemon turned around to face him, attempting to relax and ease some of the pressure that had been building inside of him. "You should go back to Dark Point, Leviamon," he advised him. "Duftmon will be back soon, and if he sees you loitering around the castle and making a mess of our moat, he won't be happy. I appreciate the information that you've given us, but you're still kind of a security risk as far as the others are concerned."
"Yeah, yeah. I get it…" Leviamon answered, arching his back for a big stretch. "Rrrm! …I was planning to head back today anyways. Gotta make sure everybody in my new domain is behaving while I'm away… Can't have anybody making plans behind my back, after all…"
Dukemon uneasily rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the ominous connotations that Leviamon's words carried. "Just remember not to go too far," Dukemon suggested. "You're still on pretty thin ice with us. We have standards and morals to uphold. Don't make us regret working with you."
Leviamon offered Dukemon a charming grin. "Wouldn't think of it," he assured him.
Inwardly, Leviamon's smile was far wider than what appeared on his large snout. He felt as though he had recovered nicely from his earlier missteps. Although it had been messy, he felt as though he had succeeded in what he wanted to do.
Leviamon glanced up at the towering castle beside them. The late-afternoon sun continued to dip in the sky, casting its golden rays across the parapets of the walls and towers. Although he and Dukemon remained in the shadows, the sunlight caught something on top of one of the towers. The bright, metallic shimmer captured his attention.
The Demon Lord watched with suspicion as a plane-like silhouette lifted up from the top of the tower and began to descend in their direction… Leviamon's eyes narrowed as the figure grew closer and he was better able to identify the figure… The metal wings, the avian head, the lustrous crimson body…
Leviamon bit back a hiss as Zero ARMS: Grani descended towards the pair of them. His thin, reptilian eyes watched the mechanical bird as he swooped down over the walls and made a direct path towards them. The corner of his mouth curled back and revealed his peeking fangs.
Grani's clear, blue eyes observed Leviamon coldly as he approached. He had been watching the pair's discussion from a distance and he knew from Dukemon's body language that something was wrong.
The familiar whoosh of Grani's wings drew Dukemon's attention, and he turned to see the crimson Zero ARMS slowing to a gliding stop beside him.
"Grani?" Dukemon asked as his friend came to a stop next to him. While his disposition wasn't so outwardly low as to be listless, it was clear that he seemed distracted and without his usual joie de vivre.
"Dukemon," Grani spoke, giving Dukemon only a cursory glance before fixing his cold, intransigent gaze onto Leviamon. "Inquiry: What is going on here? What has that Demon Lord been saying to you?" he demanded.
"That's between me and Dukemon, don't ya think?" Leviamon testily responded, staring straight back at Grani with a belligerent glare.
"It's fine, Grani," Dukemon insisted with a weak but forceful smile. "Leviamon and I were just talking."
Pivoting his body slightly, Grani levelled Dukemon a doubtful stare. He looked Dukemon up and down, scrutinizing his body. Even if Dukemon was playing it down, he could tell that something had upset him. "…Sceptical analysis: I have been observing you both for two minutes and fifty seconds now; based upon your body language, which has ranged from vigorous to reserved, as well as the current firmness of your muscles… it appears to be somewhat more than that," Grani pointedly informed him. "What were you arguing about?"
"So, you were spying on us?!" Leviamon protested in an attempt to turn things around on him.
Dukemon sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck; he knew it was nearly impossible for him to hide things from Grani. However, he didn't want to cause an argument between Grani and Leviamon either. "It's no big deal, Grani," Dukemon assured him in an attempt to de-escalate things. "Leviamon was just teasing me and I took it too personally. He apologised already, so it's forgotten."
Grani's gaze shifted from Dukemon and back to Leviamon, whom he fixed with a solid stare. "…Affirmative," he icily acknowledged. "Suggestion: Perhaps the Demon Lord should hold his tongue in the future if he would like to remain in the good-standing of the Order. His position is already extremely tenuous as it is."
Leviamon scowled with anger, both at Grani's words and the way he refused to directly address him. He could feel his resentment bubbling away inside of him at the indignation of this lofty interloper. Leviamon wondered who this bird thought he was. Who was he to get in his way?
The Demon Lord stepped forwards imposingly, glowering at the Zero ARMS. "What's your problem? Do you follow Dukemon around wherever he goes or something? You're like some bratty kid who follows his big brother around everywhere," he berated Grani, unable to keep himself from letting his true animus out. "You're just a clingy pest hanging around like an extra wheel. Buzz off!"
Dukemon felt a bit of his anger permeate his sullen heart, prompting him to turn to Leviamon with a castigating glare. "Leviamon!" he snapped at him protectively. "Don't speak to Grani like that…"
Leviamon clenched his teeth with simmering fury when he saw Dukemon's fervent eyes land on him. The feelings of resentment and envy bubbled away inside of him, but he stayed his tongue. Leviamon let out a cross between a scoff and a laugh.
"Tchah! Sorry…" the shrugging Demon Lord responded, more to Dukemon than to Grani. "I just don't like it when I see Digimon bossing others around. It's a peeve of mine…" Leviamon made sure to add. There was a sly glimmer in his eyes as he spoke. "Is your friend here always so… over-protective?"
"Grani just cares about me," Dukemon insisted, giving the Zero ARMS in question a reassuring nod.
"I can see that… and it's commendable," Leviamon stated, although the word almost stuck in his mouth. "But you're a strong, independent Digimon who knows his own mind too."
"Correct," Grani sharply agreed. "You would do well to remember your words as well, Demon Lord. I think perhaps you have outstayed your welcome here."
Dukemon turned to his best friend with a lightly rebuking gaze. "It's fine, Grani. It's all settled now. Leviamon was just about to leave to return to Dark Point anyways." He leaned in and whispered to the Zero ARMS. "Don't be so rude. Leviamon has had a tough time of things too."
"He is only a victim in his own mind," Grani quietly responded. However, upon seeing Dukemon's gaze, Grani looked forwards reluctantly. "…Alright. Very well, then," he calmly spoke, though side-eyeing Leviamon slightly.
"Yeah… Don't worry that smooth head of yours, I'm leaving" Leviamon grudgingly replied, although he knew he was dangerously close to outstaying his welcome. He did know that he had to make sure his authority was asserted over Dark Point anyways. "I'd better be making tracks."
"Safe travels, Leviamon," Dukemon told him. "Don't make any trouble with the Deep Savers."
"That's up to them," Leviamon scoffed, beginning to turn his huge body away and begin plodding away from the castle. He glanced over his shoulder at Dukemon and Grani. "I'll be back in a week or so, maybe. Depending on how things go."
"I will see to it that Leviamon makes it safely to the coast," Grani offered, prompting a look of surprise from Dukemon.
"Uh… Are you sure?" Dukemon asked hesitantly. He knew how Grani felt about Leviamon, and it appeared that there was some lingering animosity between them.
"Affirmative. It will give me the chance to eliminate any ambiguities - to 'clear the air', as you would say," Grani replied.
Leviamon's eye lingered on Grani for a few moments before he looked forwards again. "…Fine with me," he casually replied.
"…Alright then. If you're both sure," Dukemon agreed, though not without a bit of uncertainty in his voice.
"I'm sure we'll be best buddies in no time," Leviamon suggested, shooting Grani a sardonic smile, to which Grani didn't reply.
"Anyways… I'll see you around, Dukemon," Leviamon told him, turning back forwards and beginning to walk across the grass with heavy footsteps that caused ripples in the moat. As he walked, he glanced behind him. "…Don't think too hard about what I said. I'm sure I was wrong. After all, you'd know better than an outsider like me would…"
"Right… See you, Leviamon," Dukemon answered, trying not to appear uneasy.
Grani gazed at Dukemon steadily. "I will return in approximately ten minutes, Dukemon," he assured him.
Dukemon nodded. The crimson Royal Knight stood uncertainly as Grani turned away and floated up beside Leviamon's flank.
He watched as the pair made their way away from him, travelling across the field until they were both out of the shadow of the castle and bathed in golden, afternoon light.
As soon as they were far enough away, Dukemon released a shaky sigh and turned away with a brooding grimace. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a deep, pervasive sense of unease… It caused him worry and distress that he had trouble shaking. He tried not to think about Leviamon's words to him, but it was hard not to. He just couldn't help but think about the Digital Hazard and how he was holding back things about it from the others. He had been wondering if he should just tell Alphamon and Omegamon, but now it felt harder, somehow…
"Damn it, Dukemon… Don't start doing this again… Don't doubt yourself."
Dukemon drew a slow, calming breath and attempted to center himself, pushing down the negative thoughts that permeated his mind. With a disquieted look in his eyes, Dukemon turned away and began walking along the moat, travelling back alone within the castle's shadow…
Meanwhile, Grani hovered alongside Leviamon, who plodded across the grassy fields towards the distant coast. The pair travelled in a tense and awkward silence, the only sound between them being Leviamon's heavy, earth-shaking footsteps.
Grani glided along silently, his eyes carefully fixed on Leviamon and watching him cautiously for any sudden movements.
After a few more minutes of uneasy silence, Leviamon rolled his eyes and let out a long, exaggerated groan. "Ugh… We're alone now, so if you have something to say, just say it already," he complained.
"…Acknowledged," Grani tersely agreed. He gradually accelerated, flying up alongside the Demon Lord's face, his rigid wings slicing the heavy air between them like knives cutting through butter.
"I am aware of what you are doing, Leviamon," Grani bluntly informed him.
Leviamon's eye narrowed right beside the flying Zero ARMS and he released a dismissive scoff. "Oh, you do?" he sarcastically wondered, making no intentions of hiding his distaste anymore. "And what is that, exactly?
"You are attempting to manipulate and mislead Dukemon," Grani responded. "I have observed you playing mind games with him."
"Oh, is that so!" Leviamon incredulously exclaimed. "And why would I want to do that?"
"Hypothesis: You wish to drag him down to your level," Grani informed him. "You identify insecurities within him which you wish to exploit. You prey upon perceived weakness."
The flippant smirk on Leviamon's face slowly began to vanish, morphing into an antagonistic scowl.
"Oh…? I do, huh? …Then what about you? You use him too, don't you?" Leviamon accused him. "You latch onto him like a parasite and use him to justify your own existence."
Grani stared at Leviamon coldly and unflappably."It would be in your best interests to cease your nefarious behaviour at once. It will not be me alone who you will have to answer to if you do not," he warned him. "The other Royal Knights will soon realise what you are attempting to achieve. Dukemon will as well. I strongly suggest that you cease and desist before you come to regret it."
At this threat, Leviamon snarled violently and leaned his head in close, his reptilian eye widening with rage as it glared at Grani from only meters away.
"Listen here, you stupid bird," Leviamon snapped, his abyssal voice withering with rage. "I won't let some nosy pest like you get in between me and Dukemon. You're just an artifact who tags along with him. You're a nuisance and you're in the way. You're the one who's controlling him like he's your possession."
Leviamon's lips curled back to reveal his fearsome set of teeth that he displayed intimidatingly. "Hell, you're not even a Digimon! You're just some artificial thing – some machine! You're nothing. You're less than nothing. I doubt you can even feel anything, so what the hell would you know about what Dukemon's going through, huh?" Leviamon scathingly demanded.
Grani didn't respond. He merely narrowed his optics slightly. This was all the confirmation that he needed.
Leviamon craned his head to the side, moving his snarling snout uncomfortably close to Grani's body. It was close enough that Grani could feel his hot breath fogging up the metal of his body.
"You're the one who needs to watch yourself," Leviamon warned him menacingly. He lightly chomped his teeth threateningly and he released a gasp of coloured steam from his nostrils.
"So, back off… little, toy bird," Leviamon lightly snarled. "Or you'll be the one who regrets it."
Grani merely stared back at Leviamon with an unreadable expression on his mechanical face.
"Tch…" Leviamon grunted, turning his face forwards again. Ahead of him, he saw the dunes that separated the fields from the beach. He was almost at the Net Ocean.
"Hah! Okay! Thanks for the company, Grani!" Leviamon light-heartedly exclaimed, as if their dark and ominous confrontation never even happened. "I think I can take it from here!"
Leviamon lumbered ahead and climbed over the dunes, his heavy feet beginning to sink into the sand. As soon as he was on the beach, Leviamon cast one last look over his shoulder to Grani, a broad, toothy grin crawling on his face.
"…But don't worry… I'll be back," he promised him.
Grani watched with stoic silence as Leviamon scampered forwards across the beach and dove into the water with a massive splash. As the water rained down on and around him, he watched the ample, crimson body become submerged in the azure liquid. The crimson scales slowly disappeared from sight, with his twin tails being the last to slide in and disappear beneath the surface.
With drops of ocean water coating his back and wings, Grani hovered and waited until he was sure that Leviamon was completely gone from view.
Once he was satisfied, Grani turned around, a droplet of ocean water dripping off the tip of his beak as he moved. Without a word, the Zero ARMS began flying back to Castle Avalion.
His sole objective was making sure that Dukemon was alright.
The night was slowly approaching.
The late afternoon had passed and day had turned into early evening. The setting sun had turned a deep, amber colour, and its caramel-tinged rays painted the western side of the castle and filtered through the windows.
Alphamon sat behind the desk in his office, patiently waiting for Ouryumon's arrival.
The head Royal Knight took a long, slow sip from the cup of coffee that was held gracefully in his hands. He allowed the bold, bittersweet flavour of the dark roast to wash over his tongue. He inhaled the aroma only gently, allowing the forward flavour to caress his tongue, followed by the sudden earthy depth and numbing heat of dried, black chilies, finished off by the palate-cleansing sharpness of pickled ginger.
Alphamon sighed as he enjoyed his after-dinner coffee. Not only did it help with his digestion, but it also helped him to relax. He felt he needed both at the moment.
Over dinner, he had informed Omegamon, Dukemon, Gankoomon and Jesmon of the events that transpired on campaign, relaying what Ouryumon had told him.
At first, the meeting had been awkward, between Gankoomon and Jesmon's uncertainty with each other, and Omegamon's awkwardness around Dukemon. However, once he informed them of what had happened, all of that interpersonal unease disappeared and everyone became solely concerned for Magnamon and Craniamon. It took Omegamon and Jesmon to keep Dukemon and Gankoomon from running off rashly long enough for Alphamon to explain that Duftmon was returning soon.
However, now that that informal meeting was over, Alphamon waited for what was next. Ouryumon said that he wanted to talk to him, and Alphamon had promised that they would. Although he appeared calm and serene from the outside, internally, Alphamon felt the tendrils of worry coiling around his heart. He felt he knew that Ouryumon wanted to talk about… but he was unsure what his reply would be.
With so much happening, he hadn't really had the time to think about it, but he knew he couldn't put him off with that excuse again. However, it wasn't a conversation that he was looking forward to. He worried that he would say the wrong thing or say nothing at all. He wasn't sure if he would be able to muster his usual charm and eloquence at the moment.
Alphamon took another sip of his coffee and released a calming sigh. He supposed he would just have to relax, listen, and see where the course of the discussion took him. He realised that there was no sense in overthinking it until it actually happened.
The Aloof Hermit elegantly sipped his pungent coffee, his eyes gazing pensively out the nearby window. He watched as the night crept in, the warm, amber light of the sun highlighting the surfaces of the castle within the impending evening.
It was then that he heard footsteps approaching. Alphamon placed his coffee on a wooden coaster on his desk and looked up.
Appearing in the doorway was the long, tall body of Ouryumon. The serpentine dragon ducked his head underneath the doorframe and walked in awkwardly. He glanced around the room uneasily and checked over his shoulder to make sure he hadn't been followed.
"Ouryumon," Alphamon greeted him as calmly as he could.
"Uh, hey, Alphamon," Ouryumon responded. He nervously rubbed his neck and gestured with his head over to the door behind him. "You mind if I…" he trailed off, waiting for Alphamon's reaction.
When he saw Alphamon staring at him quizzically, he felt even more awkward and decided to finish. "…close the, uh, door?"
"…Oh. Of course not," Alphamon agreed with only subtle discomfiture. The black armoured Royal Knight stood up and walked around his desk, gesturing to the pair of opposite-facing couches and the coffee table between them. "Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable. Can I offer you anything? Some coffee that I just brewed?"
"Er… no, thanks. I'm good," Ouryumon insisted, trying to hide his distaste at the idea. He didn't think his stomach could physically handle one of Alphamon's bizarre concoctions; his stomach was barely holding it together as it was. He felt edgy enough without the caffeine anyway..
Ouryumon walked over and sat down awkwardly on one of the couches, being careful with his injured arm and extra careful to flatten his bladed wings so as not to damage the fabric. He slung his tail over the arm of the couch and straightened his snake-like back, sitting up as straight as he could. He twiddled his claws as Alphamon sat down on the couch across from him.
Alphamon swept his large cape back as he sat down, careful not to sit on it. He placed his coffee on the table and then leaned forwards slightly, letting his arms rest on his legs. He gazed across at Ouryumon opposite him, his deportment calm yet a little detached.
"So… What can I do for you, Ouryumon?" he wondered.
At the formal question, Ouryumon squirmed a little and glanced off to the side. "…For one, you can stop that. You don't have to be so formal…" Ouryumon responded, almost in a huffy mutter.
"Pardon?" Alphamon questioned, blinking with confusion.
"…It's me you're talking to, Alphamon," Ouryumon reiterated, forcing himself to look into Alphamon's eyes. "I'm your best friend and… whatever else. You don't have to be so official like I'm just another member of the Order."
"Oh… I apologise," Alphamon sheepishly responded.
"And you don't have to apologise," Ouryumon added with a weak grin. "Can we just… talk? Though, it'll probably be me doing most of the talking and you doing most of the listening, as usual…"
Ouryumon let out a sharp sigh and leaned forwards a little. He decided he should just start talking, if for no other reason than to vent the nervous energy building inside him.
"Look, I'm sorry for being so insistent about talking now. I know it's not a great time with everything that's going on," Ouryumon explained, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. "But I wanted to do this now for a reason… We're going back on campaign soon. We're gonna be headed into some serious battles… If anything happens… I just don't wanna have any regrets about not saying something I should've said."
"Ouryumon, you shouldn't talk like that," Alphamon lightly repudiated him, his expression tightening with consternation.
Ouryumon let out a soft chuckle. "Don't be so superstitious… I'm just being realistic," he matter-of-factly responded. His grin evened out and he gazed at Alphamon seriously. "I almost died in that final battle with DarkKnightmon. We both know that it could happen to any of us. That's why I gotta say what I want to say now…"
Alphamon's shoulders slackened a little but he nodded. He reluctantly conceded that Ouryumon had a point, although he didn't like to think about it. "…Very well," he tentatively agreed.
"Okay. How to start…?" Ouryumon muttered, sighing gently. After a brief moment of contemplation, Ouryumon looked at Alphamon steadily. "…It's been three years since DarkKnightmon's rebellion. Three years since all of that crazy stuff happened…"
Ouryumon sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, his fingers sliding through the violet hair jutting from his kabuto. "I know what we talked about after the battle… about how we should take some time away from each other. And I get why you suggested it… We both really needed to take a step away from each other so we could work on our own problems," he soberly explained. "It's just that… in the past three years, I've felt like we've been drifting apart."
"Ah…" Alphamon responded, a little uncomfortably. "They have been a busy three years, with the aftermath of DarkKnightmon's campaign, the ensuing upheaval to the Order with all of the changes that we instituted, and recently with the Metal Empire and Demon Lords conflicts…"
"Yeah, I know… but it feels like every time I try to talk to you about us, it's never a good time," Ouryumon explained, eyeing Alphamon pointedly.
Alphamon glanced down a little. "I apologise… I suppose I have been a little elusive. I shouldn't have pushed the issue to the side so flippantly."
"It's fine, Alphamon. You don't need to apologise…" Ouryumon insisted, not wanting Alphamon to feel guilty. "I just… I don't want to bury my head in the sand anymore. However you feel about me… I just want to know. I can take it." Ouryumon looked at Alphamon with a wince that he attempted to hide. "Please… If I'm gonna be going into battle again, I don't want to have this hanging over me. I need to have a clear head, for everyone's sakes."
Alphamon folded his hands on his lap and gazed at Ouryumon with sympathetic eyes. It was obvious to him that this had been bothering Ouryumon more than he had been letting on… He wondered if this was the reason for his altercation with RhodoKnightmon awhile back. Alphamon knew that Ouryumon had always been a little insecure where he was concerned… It made him feel all the more guilty.
"Ouryumon…" Alphamon began to reply, a faint, restrained expression of apology on his face.
"Look, I get the reasons you've been distant," Ouryumon hastily interjected before Alphamon could get another word in. "And I know the reasons why you wanted to go on a break..."
Ouryumon leaned forwards a little, his long body curving in slightly. A regretful wince formed on his face, and he instinctively angled his head down to gaze at his belly, against which his hands were clasped. His sharp, indigo eyes softened wistfully and his thumb claw gently stroked the back of his other hand. After a few moments of contemplation, he released a soft, acknowledging sigh and forced himself to look into Alphamon's eyes.
"…It's because I screwed things up between us," Ouryumon explained, his guilt carried on the lingering sigh that followed his words.
"Ouryumon, that's not—"
"It is. You don't have to say anything, Alphamon. I know it's my fault. No excuses," Ouryumon insisted, shaking his head. "I used to blame DarkKnightmon for breaking us up after he told you everything, but… I realised, if it weren't for me, there wouldn't have been anything to tell. You've already heard my excuses, so I'll spare you any more… I shouldn't have done what I did. I shouldn't have tried to kill him… and I shouldn't have covered it up and lied to you about it for all that time…"
Ouryumon exhaled and angled his head away as his tensed cheek muscles firmed up tighter. "…I know I broke your trust, and I'm sorry…" Ouryumon softly said to him. "Back then, I had a lot of anger… a lot of insecurities… And I know that that's part of the reason why we needed space between each other. I had a lot of flaws that I needed to work on, and I've been trying hard to be a better Digimon… I want to be a Digimon worthy of being the Captain of the Strike Forces… and a Digimon worthy of you."
"Ouryumon… That isn't the only reason. I've had… personal issues holding me back as well," Alphamon tried to assure him. The black knight's expression was melancholic as he thought about where his mind was at a couple years ago. It wasn't until the past year that he was able to get some closure on some things, but since then, everything had been moving out of control with the successive wars. "Although I thought I was able to get some closure before, in reality, since our trip to New Terminal, I haven't had the time to be able to sort out my feelings about different issues…"
Ouryumon winced a bit at the ambiguity of Alphamon's words. He automatically interpreted them as referring to somebody else. He felt as though he had to ask so that he could get some sort of confirmation. "Your feelings about who, exactly…?" Ouryumon tentatively inquired, never one to mince his words.
Alphamon's eyes softened as he gazed back into Ouryumon's eyes. "…There is no single answer to that question, Ouryumon… my feelings about you, as well as others," he carefully but honestly explained.
Ouryumon sighed and rubbed his head with a mixture of frustration and acceptance. He felt as though he knew what – who – Alphamon was referring to… At least, he believed that this confirmed his suspicions.
"I know…" Ouryumon responded bitterly. He felt partially cynical over Alphamon's response and partially guilty that he was allowing his insecurities to make him feel jealous. He didn't want to get this way again.
Ouryumon took a long, deep breath and then exhaled through his nostrils. Then, he smiled acceptingly at Alphamon.
"I know those aren't the only reasons why we split up, Alphamon…" Ouryumon continued, glancing up at Alphamon with a bit of embarrassment colouring his cheeks. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, squirming a little in his seat.
"I've been… dependent on you," the gold dragon admitted. "In my role as a Captain… I expected you to carry some of the weight of my job so I could fight instead of doing all the administrative stuff that I should've done. I expected special treatment because we were best friends and dating. It took me awhile to admit I took a lot of liberties, just because I was there since the founding of the Order."
Ouryumon sighed and smiled. "Not just that, though… I've been dependent on you emotionally too. An unhealthy amount… I think that's why I'm kinda glad that we took a step back from each other, even though it hurt. I know I get possessive about you and I hated it when I saw you being close with anybody else," he sheepishly explained. He let out an embarrassed laugh and rubbed his neck. "Shit… I came in here thinking I'd be all cool and that I'd do this big, suave, declaration of love about how I want you back… about how you should be mine."
Ouryumon looked down, his smile becoming a little sadder and a little more at peace. "But…" he continued, "…I don't want to be that guy anymore." He raised his head and gazed tenderly into Alphamon's eyes. "I don't wanna be the one who stands in the way of your happiness… If you want to be with Omegamon, I won't stop you. Or… if you just don't want to be with me, then that's fine too."
Ouryumon grinned optimistically at him, trying to force down the sadness that he was feeling. He blinked away the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes. "I've learned a lot about myself… I'm selfish, hot-tempered, impulsive, violent, jealous, insecure, and madly and gayly in love with you," he exclaimed with a sincere laugh while slyly rubbing his tearful eye.
He released a sigh and gazed calmly at Alphamon with a glistening gaze. "I think the reason I was so jealous and possessive was because… well, I never knew why somebody as kind and smart and charming as you would bother with somebody like me… or I wondered if you just didn't see my flaws since we've always been best friends," he explained. "The way we got together, with my big, drunken, tearful confession… I thought maybe I put pressure on you or guilted you into it…"
Alphamon beheld Ouryumon with a soft and wistful gaze. "That's not the case at all…" he assured him.
"Yeah, I think I know that now… Anyway… I just wanted to you to know, you don't have to worry…"
Ouryumon gave him a warm, reassuring smile, though the amber sunlight caught a sparkle in the corner of his eye.
"Even if I'm not anything else… I'll always be your sword."
Alphamon grimaced and looked down at his hands, neatly folded on his lap. He gazed down in deep contemplation, tuning out the sounds that were coming from outside of his office. It sounded as though Ouryumon had already made up his mind and conceded defeat. Now that he finally had a chance to reply, he considered what he wanted to say. If he said nothing at all, then that would be that…
Was that what he wanted? Did he want to try again? Even with everything that was going on? Did he want to risk giving Ouryumon false hope… or potentially toying with his feelings without meaning to? Did he have enough time for a relationship? Was Ouryumon the one? Or was it somebody else, like Ouryumon seemed to think? Ouryumon was giving him his blessing... Yet, Ouryumon didn't know what was going on in his head. If he didn't tell him, then Ouryumon would never hear his side.
Alphamon closed his eyes. Although he didn't know quite what he wanted, he knew he had to make a decision. He was a leader, and sometimes that meant making snap decisions. Whatever that was, he just knew that he would regret passively saying nothing. At the very least, he had to tell Ouryumon his perspective. He didn't want to give into his worst instincts…
Alphamon's eyes snapped open and he leaned forwards, opening his mouth to speak.
"Ouryumon—"
The doors of Alphamon's office swung open, the squeak of the hinges sharply interrupting him mid-sentence before he could finish.
Between the separating doors, the large, white body of a wolf appeared. A Garurumon stepped in, his eyes wide with alarm and his lungs panting for breath. "Alphamon, Sir!" he exclaimed.
Alphamon looked over with surprise and stopped when he saw the messenger wolf enter his office. He reacted calmly, attempting not to allow his slight annoyance over the untimely interruption to show.
"…Garurumon?" Alphamon greeted with a raised brow.
Ouryumon looked over, squirming a little and folding his arms with irritation at the interruption.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Sir," Garurumon swiftly spoke, hardly stopping for a breath as he stepped further inside the office, "but you're needed at once."
Alphamon gazed at the wolf with a light frown. He took note of Garurumon's flustered expression, but his mind was still very much pre-occupied with the personal and poignant conversation that he was currently having with Ouryumon. Just this once, he felt like he had to put his duty to the side and prioritize Ouryumon. Otherwise, he felt like Ouryumon would think he was using the convenient interruption as an excuse.
"I'm sorry, Garurumon, but can it wait? I am rather in the middle of something right now…" Alphamon asserted, his voice calm, but the resolve in his voice unwavering. "I require fifteen minutes – half an hour at the most."
Garurumon winced uneasy and he hesitated. He subconsciously pawed at the floor, his tail and ears drooping. "Er… I'm really sorry, Sir…" he tentatively spoke up, feeling extremely uneasy about being insubordinate. "But… I don't think it can."
Alphamon frowned with surprise at the wolf's insistent response. If he was that insistent, it had to be serious… "Why is that?" he questioned.
"The thing is, Sir… It's extremely urgent. We need your direction right now," Garurumon pleaded. "We… We think it might be a Threat Level Five security risk!"
At this, Alphamon stopped. His mind was pulled out of his feelings and thoughts and his instinctual leadership side took over as he processed this stunning claim. "…What do you mean, you 'think' it's Threat Level Five, Garurumon?" Alphamon asked him, his voice growing more serious than before. "What are you referring to? Is it something to do with Leviamon?"
Garurumon grimaced and shook his head with clear consternation. "No, not Leviamon… I… We don't exactly know what we're dealing with… That's why they sent me here for you. The Leftenant-At-Arms said that you'd know what to do," he ardently explained.
Alphamon frowned reluctantly as he felt the chains of duty beginning to drag him away once again. He turned his head and looked over hesitantly at Ouryumon. He hoped that he would understand.
Ouryumon caught sight of Alphamon's eyes and he already knew what the knight was thinking. While he felt a little miffed at the interruption, he felt as though he had gotten everything that he needed to say off of his chest. Also, what Garurumon was saying sounded pretty urgent, and he wasn't so selfish to put himself between Alphamon and something that important.
Ouryumon gave Alphamon a small grin and nodded at him. "It's fine. Go, Alphamon," he told him, expressing his permission. "It sounds pretty serious…"
"Thank you…" Alphamon gratefully responded. Despite his decision, he looked at Ouryumon with a sincere gaze in his golden eyes. "Ouryumon… I promise that we will continue this later. I still have things that I need to say…"
Ouryumon stared at Alphamon with mild surprise, but he quietly nodded in agreement.
Alphamon stood up from the couch and turned to the uneasy Garurumon. "Garurumon, can you tell me what is going on?"
Garurumon frowned with hesitation. "It… really would be easier to just show you, Sir," he sheepishly explained. "It's not far; it's just outside of the front gates…"
Frowning deeper upon hearing the close proximity, Alphamon nodded and began walking towards the wolf messenger, not wasting any more time. "Show me."
Ouryumon carefully stood up as well. "What about me? Should I come along too?" he asked as he rolled his stiff arm.
"It couldn't hurt, Sir," Garurumon responded, backing out into the hallway so that he could turn around.
Alphamon glanced over at Ouryumon as he followed the wolf into the corridor. "Don't forget; you're still hurt," he reminded him.
Ouryumon grinned with a dry touch of darkness on his lips. "If it's as bad as he says, it won't matter."
"I suppose…" Alphamon answered, attempting not to feel too uneasy. For as bad as it sounded, the fact that Garurumon wasn't sure if it was a threat at least gave him a little bit of hope. He would just need to determine for himself…
Alphamon stepped out into the hallway, followed by Ouryumon. "Lead the way, Garurumon."
"Yes, Sir," Garurumon answered. "But if you fly, you won't be able to miss it. Almost everyone is there."
The Aloof Hermit frowned at this additional piece of news, but he nodded with resolve.
Without another word, he began running down the hallway alongside Ouryumon and Garurumon. He just hoped that whatever it was, it was no worse than the last surprise…
Less than a minute later, Alphamon and Ouryumon had made their way to the top of one of the watchtowers that was attached to the citadel. They had broken off from Garurumon, who proceeded on foot. Upon running up the stairs and reaching the flat, open-air roof of the watch tower, they were able to see around them.
It was sunset. A deep, fiery, amber glow was cast beautifully across the landscape from the west. The burnt caramel-hued rays cast across their armoured bodies and shone in their eyes, causing them to squint. The setting sun was half-submerged over the hilly, forested horizon, chased off by the darkness that was creeping in from behind them
Alphamon and Ouryumon stood at the edge of the tower, overlooking the main road of the courtyard beneath them. The merchants would have packed up and gone home by now, but they were being ushered to safety by the castle guards, much to their loud protests.
It wasn't just this disagreement that they heard. The two could hear a light commotion coming from the other side of the wall, just beyond the front gates.
Alphamon and Ouryumon both looked at each other before immediately taking off from the roofless tower. They spread their wings wide and they began gliding down from the tall tower, descending at a steady decline towards the castle wall in front of them.
Because the blazing, orange sunlight was shining in their eyes, they weren't able to see what was going on immediately, but as soon as they were near enough to fly over the castle wall, they were able to get a better understanding of what was going on.
They could see a large crowd gathered in a ring about fifty meters beyond the wall. Despite the harsh, amber sunlight, they could tell from their bodies and behaviour that most of them were Castle Guards, the ones tasked with defending the castle from intruders. There were somewhere between thirty and forty of them. They were all turned inwards, and it became clear that they were surrounding something. They could hear the castle guards calling out to one another, while also shouting at an unknown party in the center.
Alphamon frowned and landed at the outer edge of the ring alongside Ouryumon. He touched down gently and his black, metallic wings tucked against his caped back. Ouryumon landed next to him, the hand on his uninjured arm gripping the hilt of one of his Gairyu scimitars.
Alphamon immediately approached the back of the encirclement, making his presence known as he approached the rear of a few very tense guards.
"Excuse me. Lance corporal," Alphamon spoke up, looking at a scowling Mystimon and a fidgety Rinkmon as he neared them. "What is going on here?"
The Mystimon, clutching his sword tightly, half-turned towards him, though he was cautious not to take his attention too far from what was beyond the two rows of guards in front of him. "I'm glad you're here, Sir."
"Y-You had better see this, Sir," the Rinkmon told him with clear anxiety in his voice. "We-We need your direction."
"Leftenant! Sir Alphamon's here!" the Mystimon called out into the circle of guards.
"Alright, you lot!" a deep voice boomed from within. "Let 'im through! Slowly! Don't you dare break formation! Keep yer beady eyes on 'im at all times! Don't you move a bloody muscle, you!"
Alphamon frowned as he watched the ring slowly and methodically separate, just enough for a narrow path to open up before him, giving him a direct route to the center of the ring.
The tension in the air was palpable. The angry, frantic shouts, the nervous gulps and smacking of dry lips, the jittering weapons, the faint aroma of sweat… it was all enough to make Alphamon's muscles tighten with unease.
Even so, he knew that he had to be the one to be calm, at ease, and in control. He had to be the center that held firm in times like these.
And, so, Alphamon began striding forwards smoothly, without compunction. He nodded at Ouryumon and gestured for him to stay behind him.
Alphamon made his way forwards through the crowd, his white and blue cape fluttering imposingly behind him. The amber sunlight shone across his black face, causing his golden eyes to squint, his irises appearing almost a crisp, orange-red hue.
He strode past the first two rows of castle guards, all of whom were facing towards the center with their weapons drawn. In front of him was the bulky, green, reptilian form of a triceratops, who stood alongside the guards with his three horns pointed towards the center of the circle. Leftenant-at-Arms Triceramon, the Leftenant in charge of the Castle Guards, glanced over his shoulder at Alphamon.
"Good. You're 'ere, Sir," he spoke in a rough growl before turning his attention back forwards. "Maybe you can tell if it's really 'im or not. Though, by the look of it…"
Alphamon frowned curiously as he reached the front row of the guards, and he began to move to the left around Triceramon to see who he was referring to.
As he did, something caught his eye beside him… A familiar figure clad in white armour that was painted orange with the setting sun. Alphamon looked over and he saw that Omegamon was standing next to him, as a part of the row of castle guards.
The first thing that he noticed about his friend was that he was standing at the ready. His arm was raised, and the Garuru Cannon was pointed in the direction of the exact center of the circle, poised to fire. At first, this was not overly unusual to him, though it struck him as odd that Omegamon hadn't taken command of the situation already. Perhaps he had been waiting for his arrival.
Alphamon was about to speak to him, but then he took the time to look at him. On closer inspection, something was very off…
Omegamon was staring with an almost blank gape. His blue eyes were wide with utter shock and horror. He appeared stunned and distraught. More than that, he looked as though he had seen a ghost…
"…Omegamon?" Alphamon asked, his eyes widening a little at seeing the distress of his friend's face. He turned his head inwards, following his gaze to the center of the circle, where everyone's eyes were firmly fixed.
Omegamon didn't reply. He didn't even acknowledge his presence.
It was as Alphamon turned that he noticed something deeply worrying. He saw that Omegamon's Garuru Arm was trembling with fear. The quivering cannon was loosely trained on a lone figure that was standing in the center of the circle. Whatever he was staring at was enough to do this to one as brave as Omegamon…
Alphamon turned towards the figure, who was standing stock still in the middle of the ring, given a wide berth of several meters. As Alphamon set his golden eyes upon the figure, he began to freeze.
A black cape fluttered in the breeze.
A short figure, clad in dusk grey and midnight black armour, stood in the center of the encirclement. Their short arms were raised up passively in the air. The amber sunlight caught the crimson metal surfaces of two lances that covered the entirety of the Digimon's forearms, causing the sharp, pointed tips to glisten threateningly.
The breast plate that covered the Digimon's body was styled that of a fearsome, metal skull, with a dull, blood red hue within the scowling eye holes that covered its pectorals.
Alphamon's eyes were instantly drawn to the Digimon's face. The figure's head was hidden within a knightly visor. The only identifiable sign were a pair of gleaming, yellow eyes that were shrouded within in the visor's shadows.
The pair of yellow eyes were looking around at the horde of Digimon around him. It was only upon seeing the new Digimon appear that they turned towards Alphamon. As soon as the two, beady, glowing eyes landed on him, locking eyes with him, Alphamon immediately knew.
"It… It cannot be…" Alphamon whispered. "It's impossible…!"
He could feel his heart freeze, as if a blizzard had chilled him to the core. His muscles became rigid and taut. His breaths became a little more quick. It took all of his willpower not to take a step back in horror.
Alphamon's golden eyes widened, and a ruby glimmer flashed within them as intense emotions of fear, sorrow, anger, and guilt all surged through him in a sudden and unrelenting maelstrom. Apart from this sudden gleam in his eyes, Alphamon's face remained stone cold, like a statue, concealing the true torrent of emotions within him that had laid dormant for years.
Ouryumon stepped up behind Alphamon and looked over his shoulder, curious to see what the fuss was about. Then, his eyes set upon the black figure as well. After a beat of disbelieving shock, Ouryumon's face suddenly began to morph. The mild, disinterested look in his eyes grew wide and frenzied with utter disbelief, terror, and unadulterated rage.
Ouryumon recoiled, his face blanching, his mouth growing dry, and the veins in his head throbbing. He didn't have words to explain what he was feeling. He couldn't even muster a growl in his gaping mouth. The grip around his scimitar tightened hard enough for his claws to dig into his palm.
As he gazed upon the figure, Alphamon's hands slowly balled up into trembling fists. Determined to keep it together, Alphamon took a tentative step forwards, asserting himself into the circle.
"Who… Who are you?!" Alphamon demanded, attempting to remain calm as he stepped out from in between Omegamon and Ouryumon. "You cannot be here… You cannot possibly be…"
Alphamon grimaced, and he willed himself to take another step forwards.
"You cannot be… because…" Alphamon reached his hand out to the side, summoning a mystical circle of spinning runes and code beside him. He drew a blazing sword of holy light from within the portal and clasped it firmly in his hand.
"…I was there when you died!" Alphamon shouted, his voice brimming with emotion.
His burning, crimson eyes glared passionately and he swept the Seiken Grad Alpha down towards the black figure's head. The tip of the sword of light stopped just centimeters away from the Digimon's dark visor.
"…SkullKnightmon!" he furiously exclaimed.
A SkullKnightmon stared at the blade of light pointed at his hidden face. His eyes glowed like faint stars as he curiously beheld the tip of the sword that was mere centimeters from them. It was close enough that he could feel its heat and pressure against him.
For several, tense moments, he stood in stark silence. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle flapping of his black and blue cape in the breeze.
He then lifted his eyes, slowly raising them to look up at Alphamon.
Alphamon's eyes narrowed bitterly and he held his sword tightly, determined not to let anybody see it tremble. As he glared back down at him, he prepared for SkullKnightmon's next action.
But something made him pause.
SkullKnightmon lifted his head… and stared up at Alphamon with a look of blank curiosity.
He blinked and gazed up at Alphamon with wide, yellow eyes, his arms remaining harmlessly above his head.
"…Hello…" SkullKnightmon greeted, in a voice that was low, but soft and innocent. Although the intonation was different, it was unmistakeably the same voice.
He curiously tilted his head and looked at the shocked and scowling faces around him before looking back at Alphamon.
"…Do I know you?"