I do not own anything.


Chapter Forty-Nine-Unravel Pt.1

Once upon a time Chiyo dreamed of adventuring through the Digital World as if she were the heroine of some ancient epic. Admittedly her mind had wondered off when she heard of what a fantastical place the Digital World was, a realm constructed of data yet filled with creatures possessing human and even superhuman intelligence. Back then Chiyo thought it would have been the perfect escape to her pathetic everyday life. Those glimpses into the alternate world made her heart flutter and her eyes shine with a light they hadn't held in years. Hearing about the adventures of the DigiDestined just made her more eager to go there one day and see if she could become something more than a doormat everyone in the Human World treated her as.

In a sense her dream had come true.

There was no light and glamor, only death, destruction, fire, rain, and fearful whispers everywhere she turned.

The wondrous blue skies she'd once dreamed of seeing had been painted over all shades of gray and black, completely blocking any rays of sunlight that might have brightened the land. At night when the clouds parted only a crimson moon greeted the land, an ominous warning that the night would be deadlier than day. Dawn was only signaled by a slight lightening of the clouds; that was if there wasn't a storm making its way through. While she'd been told danger could be lurking around every corner nowadays that fact was more true than ever. It had apparently been centuries since the Digital World had seen war as awful as this; if Chiyo still had anything resembling a conscious left she would have felt guilty for that. No matter who won it would be hundreds of years before the Digital World resembled the peaceful wonderland she'd once fantasized about.

The old her might have been sad about that, but not surprised. Even back then she knew that all good things had to eventually come to an end.

Speaking of an end, she could tell the end of this latest battle was fast approaching. Dagomon could struggle all he wanted, but he was just prolonging the inevitable, and wasting what precious resources he had. Though Daemon loved it she and Barbamon found it tiresome and annoying, even if it did sheave off the size of their enemy's army. At this point the DigiDestined and their allies hadn't even factored into things. Chiyo at least had to give them credit for knowing when a battle was lost; they couldn't afford to waste their forces on fruitless displays of pride like Dagomon. Not that it would help them in the end, they too were merely prolonging the inevitable end that was approaching.

Dagomon had taken ShogunGekkomon's castle believing it would give him a foothold in the Digital World. Initially he'd been right and it'd proven a good base of operations to launch his war against the Digital World. All previous attempts to take the castle and surrounding back from him had been met with disastrous results forcing the DigiDestined and various factions to pull back. For a while Dagomon was able to rest in peace, until the Seven Demons decided they'd sat idly by too long.

The Server Continent was perhaps the largest or second largest continent in the Digital World. Usually any being who was able to lay claim to it stood a pretty good shot at ruling the entire Digital World meaning in the past it had served as a vital stepping stone. In this new war that notion proved true, and costly. Dagomon had been smart in his takeover of the Japanese-style castle that housed the giant amphibian Digimon. Seemingly in the blink of an eye the once lively castle had become a multi-storied grotesque fortress of nightmares and otherworldly terror. From there he'd launched his campaign to seize the continent, coming pretty damn close with his blitzkrieg tactics. Chiyo's growing military side almost could say she respect the Digital priest for his tactical and strategic planning. For a time it seemed Dagomon was posed to take the entire continent for himself giving him a solid foothold in the war he'd started.

And then Daemon and Barbamon entered the picture, followed by her and the entirety of the Seven Demons naval fleet.

First the Daemon Corps had emerged from the bowls of the Colosseum like a giant geyser of fire and destruction. In hours they took the structure then began to spread out into the desert. Being a race of aquatic creatures the Deep Ones had naturally decided to leave the arid expanse of land alone until they could amass enough resources to flood it thus making it habitable for their kind. Such a thing never would come as the Daemon Corps effortless crossed the blazing sands and met the forces of Dagomon in many head on battles. Being sadistic and wrathful creatures many demons took pleasure in carrying their prey out into the desert then leaving them there to be cooked alive by the harsh heat; every death filled them with new and dangerous power they quickly put to use in eroding Dagomon's advancement. By the end of the week the Colosseum and everything within a twenty mile radius was firmly under Daemon, and by extension the Seven's, control leaving Dagomon confined to the shoreline. From there the priest had no choice but to watch and steam as his conquests were relinquished day by day, and the Server Continent became demon territory.

While Daemon's minions had claimed the Colosseum Barbamon had taken Nanomon's old pyramid for himself. It served as one of his many bases of operation to run the war effort against the DigiDestined and the Deep Ones. Using his vast demonic power he changed the once burnt ruined structure into a gold-plated iron-clad fortress the Deprived Monk couldn't hope to take without sacrificing half of his army. The desert he'd once been unwilling to cross was now a miles' wide patchwork of traps and dangers not even the Digital World's bravest adventurers knew how to navigate successfully. At this point the only option they had was to glass the entire desert then attempt to take the Colosseum, and that would be a hellish battle in its own right.

After months of slow and steady process the time had come to deliver the death blow to the Deep Ones' last holdout on the Server Continent. Chiyo would be the one to at last cut the last of Dagomon's slimy tentacles off the Server Continent, and plant the banner of the Seven Demons upon the soil bringing them one step closer to victory.

"Ma'am, we have news that Janaimon has emerged from the castle depths with reinforcements. He's beginning to push us back." A deep, near animalistic male voice snarled from behind her.

Without turning around Chiyo knew the identity of the messenger. If he'd been sent then that meant Dagomon was actually putting some effort into holding ShogunGekkomon's castle. The fact that it had taken Janaimon almost forty minutes to get here meant things weren't looking so good in the Dark Ocean; slowly but surely the border between the Digital World and negative realm was growing hotter and hotter. "I see, in that case Vephramon, you have my position to head out into the frontlines. Bring me back the remains of that overgrown lobster's broken shell within the next hour."

"Yes ma'am, your will shall be done." The figure boomed standing up to its full height easily casting a shadow over her. Fish-man would have been an apt description of the creature, one with a few demonic twists such as blood-red scales and tipped fins and two sets of small horns on the forehead. The face was faintly draconic, like something out of fantasy game or child's nightmare with three tentacles on each side extending from the jaws. Eyes as red as freshly spilt blood gazed with hunger towards the battlefield while an impossibly long tongue ran through a set of sharpened fangs each lager than a kitchen knife. Of all things he wore a naval uniform with a tattered blue cape. The bright white of the uniform sharply contrasted and highly the bloodstains he'd accumulated during the battle; that was partially why Vepharmon chose to wear such stunning white clothes whereas most demons abhorred the color white.

Name: Vepharmon

Level: Ultimate

Attribute: Virus

Description: Leviamon's second in command thus making him XO for the entire Seven Demons Naval Fleet. Whether he's commanding from the bow of a ship or in the thick of battle himself his prowess as a warrior is undeniable, as is his intense bloodlust. As with many Marine Demon Digimon the only pure water is water that has been tainted red with blood. Vepharmon's sword, Asparagus, serves as more than just a symbol of his power, it's also a deadly weapon capable of changing from into a battleship-sized anchor and penetrative spear. There's a reason Leviamon trusts him with the title of being his right hand mon, and every battle Vepharmon loves showing why.

Asparagus was two-handed long-sword almost as big and tall as Chiyo's whole body. The blade was a twisted fusion of bones and metal with a grayish black blade that gave the impression of crushing through sheer weight than slicing with skill or style. Blood and sea watered dripped off the blade while a truly horrid smell rose from it, the likes of which would have burned any lesser creature's noise. Ironically that smell actually aided in battle as those with over sensitive noises were thrown off by the putrid odor of the blade making it hard to defend and counterattack.

Flesh and armor, it made no difference to the demonic sword as Vepharmon skid on top the water as if he were on jet skis. It didn't matter that the waters were stormy with waves as high as thirty feet crashing down from every angle. To Vepharmon this was ideal weather in which to hunt his enemies: the sound of the crashing waves, the roar of thunder overhead, the flash of lightning, the howling of the wind, and the nonstop explosions that shook the air every second as the battle sped towards its climax were what made his blood rush with excitement and pleasure. Not surprisingly he found it easy to get along with certain members of the Daemon Corps, speaking of which from what Chiyo saw they were enjoying themselves.

Though this had been agreed to be Leviamon's operation Daemon had leant a considerable amount of his forces to the battle. Barbamon had chuckled saying having his men around would be more overkill than anything, Daemon responded that with him overkill was the norm.

The skies flashed with fire and light like a thousand fireworks exploding at once. Thunder and lightning were mere background events to the near apocalyptic clash taking place between demons and mutants. Every second hundreds of creatures fell from the sky into the stormy waters below; provided that there was anything left of them. Mirroring the sky above and below the sea flashes of light gave brief glimpses to the fierce battle Leviamon's forces were waging against the Deep Ones. Beneath the waves dozens of creatures slashed and tore at each other staining the entire ocean bright red with patches of contrasting black. Sea water was blown hundreds and thousands of feet into the air as rockets, missiles, energy bolts, and sonic vibrations sailed through the water, either meeting each other or finding their target.

Over yonder stood the remains of ShogunGekkomon's castle. In spite of Dagomon's best efforts half of the castle and surrounding area had been completely annihilated, all its defensives torn down and its occupants scrambling about in a mad panic. Every able-bodied mon and human being had been dispatched and were now fighting tooth and nail not to secure the castle, but to stay alive. Hellfire ate away at the reinforced castle which had been thoroughly gutted during the battle, within the next half hour the structure would fall and with it Dagomon's hold on the Server Continent.

"Do you want to see the whole cliff go over?" A deep bestial voice rumbled beneath her. An electric tingle ran up the girl's spine as the voice's vibrations rumbled through the air like echoing thunder. "Just give the word and I'll make it happen." Malicious want laced the Digimon's words making it a single step from being a command.

Chiyo knew she was well within her rights to refuse, a part of her wanted to say yes if only to satisfy her own blooming bloodlust. Still, just enough of her old self remained to show restraint, or maybe that was her wanting to take pleasure in making Dagomon squirm. "Not yet, Leviamon."

"Want to enjoy the slaughter a little while longer do you? Heheh, I can understand that, just sit back and watch Chiyo." The crocodilian Digimon chuckled with a voice that sent small scale waves across the water. "Just let me know when you're ready to join the party."

Leviamon was every bit as vile and rude as she'd thought, but he treated her with a noticeable degree of respect on account of her being his partner. He certainly treated her nicer than Daemon did so that was a positive. A shudder ran through her feet as the behemoth-sized Digimon submerged taking her with him. For a normal human the extreme temperatures and completely submersion into sea water would have flooded her lungs, but Chiyo wasn't a normal human. After her "rebirth" she found such things like the need for clean air were no longer needed for her to survive, the demonic power of the Seven Demons had made such human needs mute for her. Chiyo felt only a small inkling of joy at the revelation as she passed through the wreckage of battle beneath the waves. To her it was like taking a stroll through a park, nothing to be concerned or worried about.

"Are you thinking about him again?" Her partner's voice boomed within the dark recesses of her head. "You know Chiyo, you don't have to cower in the shadows anymore, if you want something all you have to do is take it."

"What the hell makes you think I want that idiot?" The dark-haired girl hotly fired back telepathically.

Deep laughter came before a solid response. "Well we are linked, in more ways than one. Why not invite Davis down for a nice stroll down along the beachside? Could be fun." Even with his immense size and power the Mega-level Demon felt the impact of her hard stomp. He laughed again, "Oh there's no need for that. You know I'm only trying to help you my direly devoted partner. I can hear and feel your thoughts of longing and want, like a soft whispering in my glorious ear. There's need to hide the fact you want your deal blue-haired idiot with you now rather than later. You can have him right here, chained and on a leash within the minute."

"We have work to do Leviamon! Besides, I'll only have him when I've plunged him into the same depths of despair I've lived the last seven years in! Once I've let him know what it feels like to have every shard of hope in your life snuffed and precious thing ripped away from you will I have him…" Her fists were clenching and unclenching themselves. In seconds she'd shown more emotion than she had in the last week or so, likely as Leviamon had intended. "Why can't you just shut up and focus on the mission objective?"

"Can't we take it easy though? In case you haven't noticed we're winning." Leviamon snorted blowing a steam of bubbles through the water. "You've lived too cautiously Chiyo, now's the time to enjoy yourself, cut lose a little."

"I'll take your advice under consideration." The Japanese-Thai girl responded.

It was a valiant effort, but Leviamon could still read his partner's thoughts. His words had taken root and were quickly spreading through the mind. He wouldn't have to wait long for the flowers to bloom. "Oh Chiyo, just you wait until you see the surprise we've set up for you. You're going to love it." If she were more attuned to him the teenager would have heard the deep satanic laughter of the Mega-level Digimon. Even she would have been able to decipher the promise of danger and heartbreak the sound carried.

The question though, was would she have carried if she had heard?


Like any person Davis had his good days and his bad days. His good days usually ended with him waking up and going to sleep with a smile on his face, his bad days still ended with a smile, but that was because he had hope the next day would be better. Lately what he'd had was what he'd heard some people call "shit days", days when absolutely nothing went right and everything went as horribly wrong as possibly. He could compile a list of his top ten since he'd been racking up so many like everyone else. There was the day his sister was taken and thrown into the Dark Ocean, the day he and the others fought Dagomon's forces in the middle of the bay, and of course there was the night he'd gotten curb stomped into the ground, literally. While he'd physically recovered from each of the tragedies his mind was still a long way from being in working order.

And with Ken's sudden departure it's going to be even longer.

"How the hell did I end up here?" He mumbled running a hand through his disheveled hair. Several thick bandages still ran around his head, according to the doctors the damage would heal so long as he didn't do anything recklessly stupid. Compared to the emotionally pain he was going through the possibility of a concussion seemed almost like reward. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out one of the many group shots of the team they'd taken almost half a year ago. It seemed like another life time ago by this point. "I…I'm sorry guys." Davis whispered biting his lip as he fought back a round of tears that threaten to fall as he stared at the lot of them. Ken, Kari, T.K., and their partners were gone, the former taken away into "protective custody" while the latter two had been sent away to train. That just left him, Yolei and Cody; to their credit they were trying to handle things as best they could. Yolei was trying to stay strong, but having the person you're in love with suddenly leave saying it's for everyone's own good wasn't exactly easy. Cody continued putting on a brave face like he always did, but Davis could see the cracks in his mask, it was taking its toll on him. Lastly there was Davis himself.

Here he was sitting in a deserted cafeteria while everyone else was busy running about. Word was some big battle was happening in the Digital World, and of course they were losing it. He was getting tired of losing battles.

"Hey, Davis."

"Veemon," While Davis had been resigned to sulking around his partner had chosen to make himself useful. His hands were greasy and his body was sweaty from performing maintenance work all around the warehouse. It was dirty job, but Davis was happy Veemon was able to keep himself occupied. "You're on break?"

"Yep, thought I'd come spend it with my partner." He said hopping on top the table then crossing his legs. "We're really in a pickle this time, aren't we?" The blue-skinned Digimon sighed.

"I'd say that's an understatement pal." The human huffed. "You came…because you were worried about me, weren't you?"

Instantaneously the Rookie's expression crumbled, his eyes became downcast and withdrawn. "You…were really, really mad when you heard the news about Chiyo, not that I can blame you. I miss her, her and Jun."

"My sister's MIA and the first friend I've made in a while suddenly comes back as an enemy, riding a giant killer whale decked out like the Terminator. Heh, I must have pissed off some god or something." He humorlessly laughed. It was all too much to handle which was why he was sitting here by himself. Eventually he'd have to throw himself back into the workforce, but he needed his time to grieve. "I don't know what to do Veemon, I…I just wish I could talk to either of them."

"Davis,"

"I wish I could talk to Chiyo, ask her what the hell happened. If I could then maybe I can…maybe I can…"

"Convince her to change sides before you must cut her down like any other enemy?"

Veemon was on his feet and looking around the cafeteria for the owner of the demonic voice. All the sorrow from before was gone, only hardened resolve and alertness remained. Davis too has ditched his pained expression for a furious scowl that moved from one end of the room to another. Both were on full alert searching every corner of the cafeteria for Daemon; though a part of them knew there was no way he could get into the base they knew it was his voice they'd heard.

"Down here boys, I just want to have a little chat."

Davis should have known he was using his Digivice to communicate. Through some unknown method he seemed able to bypass whatever software production the devices had open a com-link. That or Davis hadn't removed him from his list of contacts yet, something he was going to have to do in the near future. True to form when he held up his Digivice a holographic projection of the demon's face greeted him. Behind his veil he was snickering like a child who'd just found all the sweets in a pantry.

"The hell do you want now?" Davis snarled fighting off the urge to end the call immediately.

"That's quite a hostile tone to someone who's just trying to help you."

"Your help is the last thing we want." Veemon barked. "Where's Jun! What did you do to Chiyo?"

"To answer those questions in order, I have no idea where Jun is, last I saw her she was scaling a fortress then playing cat and mouse with a dead lion. As for Chiyo…I didn't do a thing."

"Bullshit!" The two screamed in unison causing the demon to laugh once again.

"No, really, I had nothing to do with that one." Daemon responded physically waving his hands, which served to infuriate the two even more. "Anyways, I came here because I heard your earnest wish and felt obligated to respond."

"Oh just cut the crap, you were spying on me, weren't you?" Davis countered.

"Hm, it appears you are learning. Anyways, what happened with Chiyo, I'm offering you the chance to go speak to her yourself and find out."

"And why should we believe you?" Veemon pressed. "You've tried to kill us and our friends! Multiple times!"

"Yes, I have, sometimes coming really close." The demon artfully mused as if it were a trivial matter. "While yes, we're enemies and by all rights you should be telling me to shove my offer up my ass, I know you want the truth. I can see it in your eyes and hearts."

"Like Veemon said, why are you offering this to us?" Davis repeated knowing there was an angle. "We know you're an evil bastard, but you're not stupid."

"Thank you for the compliment." Daemon chuckled much to the annoyance of the two. "To be blunt with the two of you I prefer settling personal matters face to face. If I could I'd march through Tokyo and crush your skulls myself, but I can't so I have to act through proxies. I'm giving you this chance because for the differences between us, we have that in come." The second he saw the human teen began to take a breath Daemon struck with fire in his eyes and voice. "Don't you dare deny it! This putrid game of back and forth, this constant dragging out of what can be settled in an instant! You despise it the same way I do! You wish to face her, to question her on what has lead her down the path of darkness! I'm offering you that chance, it's up to you rather to take it or not."

His partner looked at him for a decision. Davis knew if he choose to Veemon would follow him into the pits of hell, and that was exactly the problem. Something in his gut told him this was a trap, yet it was his only chance to get some sort of peace. If they did and things went south…

"Davis," Grabbing his hand the tiny dragon looked his partner in the eye. "No matter what you decide to do, we do it together, as a team."

Inhaling deeply he faced Daemon's projected image.

"I accept."

"Very well, then step into the portal."

No sooner that the words were said the temperature in the cafeteria skyrocketed. From nowhere a mass of reddish-orange flames manifested in front of the pair. They shaped into a six-foot wide circular portal leading into infinite darkness. From beyond a harsh wind blew like that of a storm. The portal's sudden creation raised all the alarms in the cafeteria from the sprinklers onwards. It was only a matter of time before security was swarming inside, matter of fact, Davis could hear voices just down the hallway rushing towards him.

"You promise this'll take me to where Chiyo is?" He shouted at the Digivice stepped in front of the gateway with Veemon perched on his shoulder.

"Take you to where she is, yes. Getting to her is entirely up to you, and once you find her what happens next is squarely on your head."

He could definitely hear voices now, calls for him to stop. "That's good enough for me." Kicking off his heels he rushed towards the portal, shutting his eyes as he fell into the colorless darkness and letting it envelop him.


In retrospect he probably should have been more specific about where he had Daemon drop him off at. If he had he and Veemon would have avoided free falling through open air only to face-plant into the wet soggy ground.

"Oooh, I hate it when this happens." Davis groaned

"At least it was just the two of us this time." Veemon mumbled from beneath his partner.

The pair spit out the subsequent dirt and mud they'd gotten in their mouths upon their crash landing. Overhead thunder boomed and rain beat down on their naked forms. It was hard to see two feet in front of them so all they had to rely on was their hearing, and they hated what they heard.

"We dropped into a warzone." Veemon realized covering his ears to protect them from the nonstop chorus of explosions, roars, and crashing waves. If he didn't know any better Veemon would say it sounded like the world was ending. A minute later when he looked out onto the horizon that's exactly what he saw. "Scratch that."

Even with the torrential downpour and howling wind Davis could clearly see the battle, like something of an ancient Greek, Norse, Indian, or even Japanese epic. The skies alight with fire and flyers, beings the size of hills and mountains throwing everything they had at each other, and the sea being churned as if it were all water in a giant pot. Words failed to describe the horrific display of warfare the two were witnessing. He knew the fighting was bad, but this was beyond anything he thought possibly.

A titanic roar rocked the shore followed by the sound of rockets and lasers. Beams of pure red energy flew across the sky incinerating anything they touched as they sped towards their destination. Once they found their target wondrous explosions of fire and light parted the clouds and rain illuminated the hellish battle. In that instant Davis and Veemon hundreds of cries for help and terror silenced in the span of seconds. It was without a doubt an image that would stay with the pair for the rest of their lives, if it wasn't drowned out by any other horrific scenes of equal magnitude.

In his hands Davis' Digivice began to beep giving them a reason to turn away from the carnage. Looking down they both saw a 3D display map being projected, they were a pair of blue dots, some distance away was a singular green dot they both knew was Chiyo. Steeling his nerves Veemon bowed his head as a cocoon of data enveloped him, once it unwrapped ExVeemon stood tall in the rain looking as determined as ever to face the danger.

"You know, Tai, Yolei, and the others are really going to let us have it when we get back." ExVeemon snorted feeling the wind while Davis hopped into his arms.

"Yeah, but it's not like that's anything new." It was a short, carefree laugh, the first they'd had in weeks.

Davis wondered if this is what fighter pilots during World War II felt: fear, excitement, and awe. ExVeemon was an experienced flyer, and that was the only reason either of them were still alive. Projectiles of every sort sailed passed them, some coming too close for comfort and others forcing them to evade. Davis shouted out orders the Champion-level Digimon just barely heard over the storm of battle. Following his directions was actually even harder than just staying alive as everywhere he looked death seemed to be waiting for them. It seemed Chiyo lay at the heart of the chaos as the deeper they went the more intense the fighting became. ExVeemon made sure to steer clear of the water, even though their directions brought them uncomfortable close to it. He didn't need x-ray vision to tell what was lurking beneath the water.

Continuously emerging from the water were hundreds of dangers from shards of shrapnel to living creatures. Without warning water spouts some twenty feet tall erupted while whirlpools formed in the middle of the ocean sucking up anything and everything caught in their grasp. ExVeemon knew if he let Davis fall to any of these hazards it was over, and the end would most definitely be painful.

For Davis just looking at his Digivice, which was less than three feet from his face, was a challenge. Between the water in his eyes, wind whipping at his face, and deafening of his ears it was a battle just to stay conscious. He'd been in tougher situations before, but the fact that he was wearing what barely qualified as a jacket in the middle of a superstorm with bone-chilling winds was certainly not heling his ability to focus. He wished his teeth would stop chattering as it made it extremely difficult for him to shout out directions. All he could was hope they survived long enough to get to Chiyo, and hopefully find a way out of this hellhole before it was too late.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Without warning ExVeemon pulled up putting an immense amount of strain on Davis' young body. His grip on his partner tightened as the G-force battered his wet body like a rag doll though he keep his grunts of pain to a minimum. He couldn't see what was happening, but he could hear it-Janaimon roaring in righteous fury as he clashed with the demonic whale called DeviWhamon. ExVeemon told him to hang on before wrapping his other arm tightly around him.

Hundreds of meters away yet still too close DeviWhamon and Janaimon physically clashed, their titanic bodies slamming into each other at maximum speed. It was like two mountains slamming into each other sending waves hundreds, maybe even thousands of feet high splashing outwards in all directions. The dual roars of the digital creatures was enough to make ExVeemon's blood run cold. The more he heard the harder it was for him to fight off the urge to cut and run carrying Davis with him.

"RRAAAGGGGGHHH!"

That was Janaimon, He'd broken the deadlock, somehow finding the strength to toss aside his marine reptile adversary. ExVeemon made the mistake of looking at the won struggle to gauge how much trouble they were in.

The answer was as some would say, a "shit-ton".

Both of the oversized crustacean's pincers were open and pointed directly at them, ludicrous amounts of water and air swirling within them in the form of multiple bubbles.

"JETSTRE-"

"ANIMA!"

A miracle, if there was any way to describe it, that's exactly what it was. A flaming hurricane the size of Tokyo Tower slammed into the mutant crustacean sending it sliding across the water like a soccer ball. Pieces of flesh, armor, and blood, scattered in all directions eventually landing in the water. Janaimon released a drawn out pitiful moan as he floated helplessly in the water, a huge howl blown in the right side of his body exposing his mangled innards and broken shell. If it was possible ExVeemon almost felt sorry for the mutate lobster seeing the horrific damage he'd suffered, but then again, he was about to kill him and Davis so he wasn't too broken up about it. Once he was finished surveying the damage down to their would-be killer ExVeemon turned to find the origin of the attack, immediately he wished he hadn't.

Leviamon, the "Devil Beast", the so-called strongest monster of the Digital World, wasn't big, he was positively enormous. His twin snouts were easily hundreds of times ExVeemon's tiny size, so much he could fly straight into them and immediately become lost. His teeth were the size of small hills, easily giving ExVeemon the impression he could live up to his legend of being able to swallow the Digital World whole. Just staring at the mile-long row of meat cleavers killed ninety-percent of the courage in his body. If he chose to open his mouth ExVeemon knew he and Davis had no hope of escaping the suction wave that would follow, that thought alone nearly made him cut and run, but Davis beat him to the punch.

"CHIYO!"

He didn't exactly struggle in his partner's grip, but he did try to get him to loosen up. Yes, he was scared like him, but more than anything he was curious. His Digivice was chiming like a bell meaning they'd found Chiyo, or more accurately she'd found them.

From each nostril came a cloud of rainbow-colored steam the size of a city block; following it was a rumbling sound the two realized was laughter, mocking laughter aimed solely at them.

"Daemon was right, you really are an honest idiot." Leviamon cackled shaking the water with his haughty snickering. "Still, I guess I gotta thank ya, without you I wouldn't be here so…Davis Motomiya, you have my…gratitude."

If it weren't for ExVeemon holding him back Davis would have torn free and ripped the flesh from the Demon Lord's snout, at least he would have tried to. The more he struggled the harder Leviamon laughed.

"So, you really came."

All at once Davis' struggling came a sudden stop as did ExVeemon's shaking. They both recognized the voice coming from higher up and looked up in that direction.

Striding forward clad in a stylized black raincoat while pulling down her hoodie was Chiyo. Upon laying eyes on her the Champion and human were hit with a sudden wave of invisible force they couldn't identify, it was like they were being scanned and broken down on a molecular level. Chiyo's former peaceful blue eyes were now bloody red, almost the same shade as Leviamon's gigantic body, only with a noticeable supernatural glow to them. Her face was drawn into a hard frown hid almost all her emotions from the world. Needless to say it fit the description Tai and Joe had given when they submitted their report, and that was exactly what Davis feared.

The redhead stared slack jawed at the girl who he'd befriend barely two months ago. Gone was her shy demeanor and gentle kindness, for all he knew the person staring back at him might as well have been a stranger.

"Well, out with it." Her cold voice snapped as her eyes narrowed. "You obviously came here to ask me something, either spit it out or get the hell out of my sight. In case you haven't noticed I'm busy."

If he needed any more evidence how drastic her transformation was that was it. "I-I…I-I…I came here fo…for you." When she raised an eyebrow up Davis let his emotions explode outwards. "I came to take you back! You don't belong here with these monsters! You belong with-"

"With who? The DigiDestined? You? As your what? Second?"

"Wh-What? C-Chiyo, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't you!" She thundered throwing her arm out. An invisible force tore the teen from his partner arms and pulled him towards Chiyo. ExVeemon naturally moved to react, but the same invisible force held him in place forcing him to watch as his partner was lifted into the air then slammed down into the hard surface of Leviamon's snout. "I used to fall for it, but now I don't, I never will again!"

Davis tasted blood in his mouth, spitting some out he staggered to his feet looking his wayward friend in the eye. "What the hell are you talking about it!? What is it you think I did!?"

"You left me to die! That's what you did!" She roared.

Feeling his legs go numb at the revelation Davis struggled to respond. His mouth hung open in silent shock as Chiyo continued to coldly glare at him as if he were the scum of the Earth.

"What's the matter? Shocked I figured you out so quickly?" She snorted slowly removing her hood revealing her now shoulder-length midnight black air. Now fully revealed to him Chiyo looked several years old, her aura a malefic mass of darkness and evil he could almost see in the pounding rain. "I was right there Davis, and you ran right past me, ignoring me, just like all the others."

It took some time, but Davis eventually realized what she was talking about. "The battle in…Chiyo, I looked for you! I searched everyone I could! I tried!"

"DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME! I WAS RIGHT THERE, DAVIS! RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!" Chiyo screamed, tears forming in her eyes and her fists balling up so tightly it hurt. "YOU RAN RIGHT PAST ME, SHOUTING KARI'S NAME! I NEVER ONCE HEARD YOU CALL FOR ME!"

"But I did call you for you! I-"

"I know what I heard! She was all you cared about! She's all you ever cared about!" Suddenly her head fell, her newly grown dark locks obscuring her teary eyes from Davis's stunned vision. "You know what, maybe it's my fault, not yours. I mean come on, let's look at the facts, why the hell would anyone risk their life trying to save mine? It's not like I've got anything to offer. You don't know what that feels like, do you? Living a meaningless useless life where at best you're someone's punching bag. That was me Davis, everyone's doormat, from classmates all the way down to my mother. I tried to tough it out, be the noble soul hoping one day my luck would change and I'd be able to escape the hellhole called my life, no I was hoping someone would pull me out of it. Stupid, eh?"

He didn't need any hints, he got the picture clearly enough. "Chiyo, believe me I-"

"No, no, you don't. Davis, you have no idea what it's like to be powerless, worthless. To be so low on the totem pole you might as well be a worm crawling along the ground." Her fists unwound revealing blood imprints her nails had left. Droplets of red stained the armored plating at her feet. "You see Davis, I lived in fear of those above me, envious of what they had because I knew deep down I could never have it: friends, family, power, respect, and love. I especially envied…you. From where I stood you were everything I wanted to be: proud, strong, and confident. I honestly thought someone like you would…heh, I was an idiot, thinking a guy like you would give a damn about a person like me."

"But I did care Chiyo, I still do." He pleaded taking the first steps towards her. "If I didn't I wouldn't have come here to find you."

"Is that? What? I hear Kari ran off with T.K. so you decided you'd go with your second pick?" Seeing him go still as a statue gave Chiyo enough pleasure to break her stoic façade. "Thought I didn't know? Thought that I wouldn't care? Woah, I knew you were a little slow before, but you really are as stupid as everyone said you were." When she looked up at his stunned expression gone were the pitiful tears, her smirk was cruel and full of malice. "After that night, lying there in a pool of my own blood I realized something, in addition to fear I felt hatred. It's only natural, right? I envy those above me, and hate them when they so arrogantly flaunt it like a piece of jewelry or new car. I found power in that hatred Davis, a power I never knew existed." From beneath her coat a bright bluish light began to shine. From her pocket Chiyo withdrew a handheld device of similar design that blew away Davis' stunned pain.

"That power's dangerous." He countered examining the so called "Demon Destined" Digivice. It resembled a fanged skull with a predominately blue coating, not unlike his own Digivice. "That's not the kind of power you want, Chiyo. It's a power that'll eat you up until there's nothing left!"

"Then what kind of power should I be looking for?" She screamed in response causing the light of her crest and Digivice to glow all the brighter. "I tried to do things the right way! Do you know what that got me? Nothing! Nothing but having the door slammed into my face over and over again! Eventually I realized something, the only way to get power is to take it! If I want to get ahead, to make any of my dreams come true then I can't waste time playing goody-two-shoes! Not anymore! I'm done waiting for some knight in shining armor to come rescue me from my own pain! I never should have waited in the first place!"

"And this is any better?!" Davis roared throwing his arms out. "Trying to destroy an entire world just because life's been cruel to you!?"

"And what's wrong with that? The world's treated me like shit so why should I give a damn when what goes around comes around?" Her icy voice barked as the blue aura around her intensified. "Every day people get up and stomp over others to achieve their dreams and goals. That's the way life works, sometimes if you're lucky you get the chance to stop being stepped on and do the stepping." There was a sagging in her shoulders and a break in her cold façade. For a moment Davis thought he saw some of the old Chiyo, but like a flash of lightning it was there then it was gone. "I've been everyone's punching bag and doormat for the better part of seven years, well I'm done with it. Everyone around me used whatever means to make themselves happy, so it's about damn time I did the same. I'll take it all for myself…power…fulfillment, I'll take it all back and let everyone who ever looked down on me know what it feels like to live in a world without power."

Every word was like a sledgehammer to Davis' heart. The blue aura seemed like a toxic flame, fueled by years of resentment and jealously cutting off Chiyo from the rest of the world and burning anyone who tried to get near her. "Chiyo, that's not-"

"Including you."

He never got to finish as a literal wall of sea water slammed into Davis at that moment. His struggled for air, clawing and tearing at the brackish sea water that had enveloped him. Kicking and screaming did no good, mere feet from him Chiyo psychically commanded the swirling mass of water with a single hand.

"Everyone I ever hated…envied…I'll make them all pay. Everything I ever wanted…I'll take it for myself and hold onto it for the rest of eternity. That includes you, Davis." She whispered before throwing her arm out sending Davis hurling into the open water.

"DAVIS!" ExVeemon shouted at last being freed from his telekinetic holding. Immediately he dashed after his partner hoping he'd catch him before it was too late.

Davis didn't care he was now free falling into stormy open seawater or that his lungs were struggling to breath. Futilely he reached out towards the distant Chiyo, desperately wishing his voice would work. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, convince her that he did care for her and this wasn't the right way to make her life better, but when she'd said she'd make everyone she ever resented feel powerless she wasn't kidding. He was powerless and voiceless just as she'd been. Seconds before he crashed into the water he promised he'd get back to her, he'd tell her she was wrong, that he did care. He'd carry her as far away from that disgusting overgrown crocodile who was laughing his ass off.

It was a promise he'd keep even if it cost him his life.


Woah, not exactly a chapter suitable for Christmas, is it everyone? Whereas last chapter Valére was the focus it switched to Chiyo. Needless to say our dear little Chiyo has gone over to the dark side. Will Davis be able to pull her back before it's too late? Will he and ExVeemon be able to escape the Battle of ShogunGekkomon's Castle alive? There's one chapter left for 2017, and believe me, it's going to end with a bang. Since the next update won't be until after the 25th I'll say it now, Merry Christmas everyone!