Chapter 7: Lilithmon
"The Dark Ocean?" Ken was petrified by that request. The memories of that place still haunted him. "I'm not going there, you can't force me!"
"I won't make you go there, I swear!" The stranger tried to calm the chosen child down. "I only want you to open a portal and let me go there. Then, you can close it."
"How do you plan to leave that place?" Wizarmon questioned the older boy, seriously.
"I have a plan." The other replied.
"Tell me your plan. If I don't know what you're up to, how can I assist you?" Wizarmon spoke severely. "Not to mention that you haven't even told me your name yet."
"Who are you?" Ken repeated the question. "You can't expect me to help some strange guy who broke into my home, put my parents to sleep and wants me to open a gate to a horrifying place."
"Ken-chan is not going to open any portal!" Wormmon stated. "The time he had to do it to send Daemon to the Dark Ocean was too much for him. You can't make him go through that again!"
The older boy had a pained expression. He slowly slid his right hand under his coat and grabbed something in his back. "I am truly sorry, Ken-kun. Lock on!" He said as a big target appeared in Ken's chest. It had the number 60 inside it, which quickly turned into 59 and continued the regressive count. The boy wearing the white coat took his hand from behind his body and revealed a small black gun.
"Where did you get that weapon?" Wizarmon couldn't believe his eyes. "You shouldn't have it, the Merchant shouldn't have it!"
"What is this target? What is going on?" Ken asked in panic.
"For what I was told, when the count gets to zero you die." The stranger explained in a cold tone. "It's thought controlled and 100% lethal, I don't need to aim it or even pull the trigger. Now, Ken-kun, you have less than a minute to open the gate to the Dark Ocean, otherwise you'll die."
"T-this can't be…" Wormmon stuttered, desperate.
"What he's saying is true, I know that gun very well." Wizarmon hurried to say. "Ken, you have to open that gate!"
Ken pulled out his digivice and pointed it to a space in his front. Trembling, he looked at the number 42 in his chest. How do I do this? How did I do this last time? I just wished to open the gate. Can this work again? The boy was focusing on his memories from the Dark Ocean and screamed in pain.
"Stop that! You're hurting Ken-chan!" Wormmon cried.
"Cancel the execution order, there must be another way!" Wizarmon ordered. "Why doesn't the Merchant take you there?"
"No, it's working!" The boy holding the gun pointed to a small crack that had appeared in the air. "I can see a Dark Place, it must be it! Keep going, Ken-kun!"
The number inside the target was 13 when the gate became big enough for the stranger to cross. "Cancel!" The boy in the white coat said, making the target vanish. Ken fell to his knees, dropping his partner on the floor, holding his head with both hands and crying. Wormmon came close to him and tried to make the boy calm himself.
"Ken-chan, it's over now. You're going to be okay."
"The darkness… it's calling me… it's involving me… It's going to take me away…" Ken was overwhelmed with fear.
"You're going to be just fine, Ken-kun. I promise." Makoto spoke in a voice full of sorrow. "Thank you for your help."
The older boy hurried to the gate and stretched his arm to cross it. However, as soon as his arm made it to the other side, he felt a force pulling him in. When the boy realized, he was in a Dark Forest, the other three had come along and there was no sign of the portal.
"No!" The young man in the white coat panicked when he understood what had happened. "No, no, no, Ken-kun wasn't supposed to come along, I must take him back! What do I do? What do I do? Think, Makoto, think! What do I do?"
"You pointed a gun at me two minutes ago and now you're worried about my safety?" Ken inquired, angrily. "I can't believe you brought me here, I can't believe I'm back here."
The chosen child trembled in fear. He felt that there was a dark presence in the forest watching them.
"Ken-chan, calm down, I'm here with you. I'll protect you!" Wormmon tried to cheer him up. "Do you think you can open the gate again?"
"Something interfered with the stability of the gate earlier. Who knows what could happen if Ken tries to open it again. "Wizarmon was against the idea. He looked at Makoto, who was visibly concerned. "Were you responsible for that, Makoto?"
The older boy looked horrified after hearing the mage say his name. "How do you… oh, damn it, I was thinking aloud! DAMN IT!"
Steps were heard approaching their location and a Divermon emerged from the forest. Wizarmon put himself between the monster that had just arrived and the two boys and Wormmon.
"Master felt a great disturbance here. One of you came from a very faraway place." The amphibian murmured. "I must take you to him."
"Do you think you can pass through me?" Wizarmon swung his staff in front of him.
"That would be a mistake." A female voice was heard from above. A young female Digimon, with long blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a red dress under a black cape and a large red hat, was floating on a broom, smirking. "This mage might not seem like something big, but my Mistress told me he used to be a very dangerous menace."
"What business brings you here, Witchmon?" The Divermon questioned, angrily.
"Isn't it obvious? My Mistress wants to talk to these individuals in her castle." Witchmon replied. "Now, do the smart thing and run back to Dagomon."
The Divermon fled. Witchmon laughed. "They all know it's better not to mess with Mistress."
"This Mistress you're talking about… is she Lilithmon?" Wizarmon asked the female Digimon. Ken stood up, holding Wormmon in his arms. He was still scared but knew he had to keep it together, or he would concern Wormmon. Makoto listened to the conversation between the two magical Digimon, tense.
"That's right, you know her from the Dark Age. I hope you have no hard feelings for her help in the defeat of Lucemon's bunch." Witchmon said.
"You could say we're on the same side if she is still helping the chosen children." Wizarmon relaxed his posture. Then, he turned to Ken and Makoto. "Lilithmon's castle is probably the safest place around, we should head there."
"If you say so, Wizarmon." Ken timidly agreed. He wasn't sure about that plan, but Wizarmon was a friend of Hikari and Tailmon. Even if he was being forced to work for the Merchant, Ken knew he could trust the mage. Witchmon came down from the broom and led the way by foot. She walked in the front, Ken carrying Wormmon was in the middle and Makoto and Wizarmon were at the end of the formation.
"Ken-chan, you're going to be alright. We'll find a way home soon." Wormmon assured the boy.
"I know." Ken smiled at his friend. Then, he turned his head to face Makoto. That strange boy worried him immensely. He absolutely could not be trusted. However, something in Ken's heart was telling the chosen child that there was more to Makoto than he could imagine. And Ken himself had done terrible things in the past, so what right did he have to judge someone. "Why did you want to come here, anyway?" He questioned without any trace of anger in his voice. Ken wanted to understand the other.
"I have a mission to fulfill." The stranger murmured. "I don't know if there is a point in saying this but I didn't wish to cause you harm nor to bring you here. However, I did what was necessary."
"What has the Merchant done to you to force you to work for him?" Wizarmon asked Makoto. "I might not be able to read your mind but you don't strike me as someone inherently evil."
"I'm not being forced to work for him. The two of us just happen to have the same goal."
"What goal would that be?" Ken questioned, frowning.
"~I know what it is, ~" Witchmon sang in a mocking way, for Makoto's shock. She stopped walking and turned around, showing a wicked smile. "Mistress Lilithmon was once told a prophecy about you."
"A prophecy?" Makoto paled after hearing that, stopping walking too. She couldn't know, could she?
Wizarmon, Ken and Wormmon paid attention to their interaction.
"Yes. A boy in white, brought from a distant universe, whose heart was full of love and despair, enemy of fate, would tear worlds apart for his own sake." Witchmon had now a deeper tone of voice. Her eyes were as cold as ice. "Mistress wants to see you, Messenger of Death."
Ken gasped and looked at Makoto terrified. Messenger of Death? What is he planning to do? What does that prophecy mean? Wizarmon tensed up but wasn't too surprised. What did this damn kid get himself into? What does he want so badly to agree to help in such cursed goal? Is that Merchant trying to end the world? Makoto could feel everybody's eyes on him. Does she know what I'm up to? Why is she taking me to see Lilithmon, then? Why does Lilithmon want to meet me assuming she knows why I'm here for? Is it a trap? Am I going to fail? She probably doesn't know everything. She mustn't know what I'll do tonight.
"Take me to her." The older boy said defiantly. Witchmon opened a gate in the air with a movement of her hand. On the other side, a rocky saloon could be seen. It should be Lilithmon's castle. Witchmon indicated with her head that Ken and Wormmon should go in first. After them, Wizarmon should cross the passage.
"Are you going to kill us?" Wizarmon inquired.
"Mistress would never hurt kind souls." Witchmon said darkly and pointed at the gate. Wizarmon decided to play along to see where that situation would go and passed through the passage. Ken and Wormmon would probably be safe and that was the most important right now. He couldn't afford to worry about Makoto yet. After the mage crossed the gate, Witchmon snapped her fingers and the location at the other side of the portal changed to a private room where a female figure waited, sitting on a chair.
"She desires to see you alone."
"Are you not going to search me for a hidden weapon, Witchmon?"
"I know you probably have one. Mistress didn't allow me to do it, though. But she's unimaginably strong, whatever you have won't hurt her."
The boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath before going into Lilithmon's room. The passage closed behind him. The room was richly decorated. A golden rug covered the floor. The big table and shelves of books seemed to be made of noble wood. Purple curtains with flower stamps hung from the sides of the window that showed a large city outside the castle. Lilithmon stood up and went to the window, passing by the boy. She had a beautiful face, short black hair, black small wings and wore an elegant purple dress. She looked outside the window with eyes full of sorrow.
"There are hundreds of Virus Digimon refugees taking shelter here since the Dark Age. I'm the strongest creature here, so they feel safe in my care. Dagomon from the Ocean, former Leviamon, still tries to take this place down, but my magic protects it. It's my power that is barely keeping this dimension separated from the Digital World. It's my power that keeps Daemon trapped in his cage, weakened. And as long as I live I'll protect as many innocent lives as I can."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Makoto asked with no emotion.
"Because you must know what will happen if I die."
"I already know what happens." The boy murmured. Lilithmon gave him a pitiful smile.
"No you don't. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come here to murder me."
Makoto stepped away from her and pulled the gun from under his coat, pointing it at the female Digimon. He didn't activate it.
"And so the curtain rises. I'll prepare some tea for us." Lilithmon walked to a compartment where there was a small kitchen.
"Don't try anything funny." He threatened her.
"Oh, don't worry, I just want to talk to you." She said calmly. "You owe me a conversation if you are going to cause an unspeakable tragedy."
"You can't change my mind. I know what I have to do."
"You know nothing, kid!" Lilithmon stated, ferociously, startling Makoto. She approached him and looked deep into his eyes. He could see a cold fury in them. But Lilithmon smiled largely and said: "Be glad that I'm here to give you enlightenment."
