Chapter Seventeen:
The Tragedy of Victory
Such a sight to see... So horrifying, gruesome, and down right frightening. Myotismon knew this would be it; this was the moment where he would know who shall prevail from all this. The digidestined -- the rest of them, knew this as well too.
Chicago...was now a horrific city filled with soulless zombies, which roamed the streets looking for the living to give to their demon zombie. These zombies staggered and wobbled around, tripping on their own feet and such. Their movements, lifeless moans and groans scarred the young digidestined children so badly.
As Myotismon, the digidestined and their digimon, stood up top of tall, tall buildings, they watched the dead beings with terrified eyes. For the vampire though, his face remained stern and proud, and showed no emotion of the situation whatsoever. This seemed to surprise some of the children, who would glance at him from time to time. Nevertheless, Myotismon maintained a straight face.
"It's like...something out of a horror movie, or even a game..." Davis said breathlessly, his voice full of shock and fear.
Kari clutched both of her hands together with concern in her eyes. "What is going to happen to those people...those monsters?..." She asked so softly.
Matt looked away from everyone. He knew what the answer to that was. Kyle...no that 'demon' girl... He sighed about this, knowing that no matter what the outcome in the end, Kyle would still love and turn to Myotismon than to...him. Still though, he wanted to save everyone. To save Kyle, even if he had to refer to her as...an acquaintance now.
Matt slowly approached the edge of the roof and looked down on all the zombies. He just couldn't believe the demon has taken out all their souls. Could they all really go back to being human again?
"As long as they don't...eat anyone, they can be human again...right?" Kari turned to her fellow digidestined mates for reassurance. "Surely, they can be saved?"
Tai shrugged and gave a slight pat on his sister's back for comfort. "Maybe...I...really don't an answer for that. I guess we'll find out when we save them...somehow."
Matt scoffed at the two angrily, "Don't you get it? If that 'demon' girl took out their souls, then she's the one we need to find!" The digidestined children jumped in astonishment to Matt's authoritative behavior. "We need to split up and see if we can find the demon. We'll all be with our digimon, so they'll keep us off the ground and away from those zombies." Now Myotismon slightly tilted his head in Matt's direction, as if to listen. "If we find the demon, we'll have a chance of making this Earth right again."
Everyone nodded, but Myotismon merely twitched his shoulder. Matt knew the vampire would somehow resent this. "I was thinking of that, and I didn't need a child to remind me." The vampire replied selfishly, childishly, and did not like the idea that a digidestined was commanding him around. "As for all of you, I will roam this city on my own."
Matt and Myotismon locked eyes with each other for the longest moment. It is not that they find one another attractive -- not at all, it's just hatred going through them. They were in rage with themselves, eyeing to see which one was the 'bigger man.' Not sure which one would blink or even move, the two turned away as if too disgusted to look at each other anymore.
"I'll be leaving now..." Myotismon announced, and sounded as if he didn't want to do any of this. The children and digimon watched as the vampire took flight through the city, and as he circled a few buildings, he was not in sight anymore.
Matt still stood on the edge of the roof and gazed down on all the undead beings below. Tai took a few steps towards him and said, "Um...we're all going to look around the city ourselves now...but, um, how will any of us know if we find the demon or not?"
Matt shrugged and sighed tiredly, "I don't know, we'll just know...I guess."
Tai looked back at the others, and the rest merely blinked with slight curiosity as to what Matt was thinking at the moment. Everyone left Matt alone as they saddled onto their evolved digimon and took off in different directions of the city. Some of them flew across building tops, while the others had to criss-cross the streets and avoid the zombies. As long as those children were with their digimon, the zombies wouldn't be much of a bother. At least, not at the moment anyways.
As Garurumon watched his fellow digimon companions leave, the large wolf-like creature approached Matt and asked softly, in that gruffly voice he had, "Do you want to look around the city now?"
Garurumon heard Matt breath out his nose heavily, and the digimon could tell he was still in thought to something. Beginning to worry, Garurumon questioned the young man with more concern, "Are you okay Matt?"
Matt suddenly snapped out of his depressed thoughts and turned to look at his digimon. A small smile of reassurance came upon his face, "I'm fine," Matt replied, but his voice did not sound so sure of that. "Okay...let's look around the city."
Just as the young man climbed his way on top of Garurumon, he suddenly stopped his action as he spot something across another building. His breathing increased rather rapidly, and his eyes became so wide with shock. He shook his head a couple of times as if he couldn't believe at what he saw...her. It was her -- there, sitting on the roof at what appeared to be a business-like tower. Just...sitting there, crossed legged, and starring out into the distance. By the look on her face, it seemed she was really zoned-in her own thoughts, but what she was thinking, no one will know.
"Matt...is that...her?" Garurumon questioned somewhat cautiously, as he saw what Matt was looking at.
"I don't...know..." Matt barely got out, and then he hoped onto Garurumon and pointed to the building he was gazing at, "But I want to find out."
Garurumon nodded his large head and began to trot quickly across the roof, and with Matt grasping the fur greatly so that the speed would not knock him off. Matt hugged his partner tightly as Garurumon leaped from the current roof and to the surface where they saw the girl. As the digimon stopped, Matt got off and took a few steps towards the demon. She still sat there and seemed not pay head to their appearance.
Matt sighed and now walked over to her, hoping that she would finally notice him. Still, the girl didn't even shift her eyes towards him.
As the young man got closer to her, he could see her skin was all bloody, and is repulsed to see drops of blood gushing from the eyes, making a slow, steady stream down her pale face.
Matt grew a bit impatient with the demon, but decided to keep his cool as long as possible, so he decided to sit down next to her and gaze out on the city as well. He turned to look at her, but the girl didn't want to do the same. "You're not...Kyle, are you?" He asked, with a hint of hope in his voice that he was wrong.
Without even moving a muscle, the demon girl whispered, "No."
Matt scoffed and formed a small, psychotic smile on his face. He still couldn't believe all of this was happening. The demon spoke once more, "I..." Matt turned to her again, listening to her every word. "I look like her, but am not her. Very...strange, isn't it?" A warm smile appeared on her lips as she fidgeted with her fingers, but her emotions were far from being warm.
Garurumon watched the two with growing curiosity as to what they were discussing with each other, but he knew it would not be wise to just waltz in on their small talk.
The odd peace between Matt and the demon ended when the young man's ears heard the lifeless moans and groans that echoed off the buildings. He looked straight at her now with a more serious, stern expression. "Can't you leave?" He pleaded to her. "Can't you make all of this go away?"
Matt's spine tingled as he heard her growl under her breath. "I am not leaving," she said harshly to him, "and I won't make this go away--"
"Why?" Matt spat out, "Why is this happening?"
"Because I want to stay..." She whispered ever so softly. Matt merely blinked at the demon now, speechless as to what word to retort her with. "You don't know what it's like being left...alone, in a world where no one can help you get out of. It is like...a nightmare you can't wake up from. No matter how hard you want to die to just get away, you can't escape... No one will ever know what I have been through, and I am not going back! I am staying here, no matter what it takes!"
Garurumon growled as the girl got up to her feet. Matt did the same and said determinedly, "You have to go away! The way this world is...it's just not right!"
The demon flashed her eyes at Matt, "Are you suggesting that I must die then?"
Matt hesitated for a moment but nodded quickly. "Yes...yes, you have to die! You don't belong in that body!"
As Matt grabbed a hold of her arm, the demon let out an ear-piercing shriek that sent the young man to his knees and clutching his ears greatly. Even though Garurumon couldn't stand this horrible cry, he got enough courage to charge forward and send the demon falling off from the roof. Matt happened to catch a glimpse of this and gasped in shock as he quickly went to the edge and watched her drop gracefully.
"Garurumon, we need to go after her!" Matt commanded somewhat bravely, and Garurumon nodded in agreement. The young man, once again, saddled onto his digimon and the creature picked up his speed quickly as he scaled the side of the building. As Garurumon reached the ground, the other digidestined and their digimon arrived.
"Matt!" T.K. cried to him, "We heard this-this nasty scream near here, do you know what happened?"
Matt looked all around himself for any sight of the demon, but she was nowhere to be found. Just where could she have gone so quickly? "That...demon was here," he answered back quietly, and continued to scan the area. "She fell from this building--" Matt pointed to the building the demon was seen before. "...but now, I don't know where she went."
"Where's Myotismon anyways?" Davis wondered out loud, now looking for the vampire. "I thought he said before that he was the only one could kill the demon girl?"
"Actually, the better question is, where is all the zombies?" Izzy pointed out a-matter-of-factly, and this made everyone look around themselves with great fear and worriment. "Where could hundreds of zombies go so quickly?"
Matt got off Garurumon and started to breath more heavily. Suddenly, he felt the coldest shiver go down his spine, and this feeling made him jump and hug himself for warmth. "You know...zombies can feel fear...almost taste it..." whispered a wheezy voice into Matt's ear. Matt spun around and saw the demon starring at him with wide eyes. "The zombies never disappeared...they were waiting...for you."
The demon girl began to cackle rashly, and carried it, although she hoped to be louder, but it seemed her voice could not raise any higher. The digidestined gasped and some let out pitiful cries as they saw zombies shuffling out behind buildings, exiting dark alleys, and even coming out from unknown hiding places. The children and digimon backed up into each other as the undead beings formed a rather large circle around them, almost as if they were making a match ring where contestants would fight amongst each other.
Tai clenched his teeth and fists and pointed at the zombies. "We shouldn't be afraid of them! They're just zombies! We can take them! Greymon, go get them--"
"Do you really want to harm them?" The demon interrupted, and seemed rather nonchalant of this. "After all, they are merely innocent people, only without a conscience or souls..." her voice rose to make herself sound more of innocence, but everyone knew it was portrayed badly.
"She's right, Tai," Kari squeaked and gave a nod of agreement to the demon. "These people...we need to somehow save them, not hurt them..."
Tai grunted with frustration as to what to do now. "If our digimon cannot fight them, then what?"
"Better think fast..." The demon warned softly, and her eyes glowed a bright jade. "Because the zombies want to tear you apart..."
Then, without warning, the zombies began to advance slowly towards everyone, with their arms stretched out and grabbing the air greedily, hoping to somehow latch their filthy, bloody hands on the children. The digidestined let out small cries, but the larger, evolved digimon took action and now formed a ring to hold back the zombies. Everyone -- the digidestined, felt a bit relieved to see the zombies ignoring their want for the digimon, but now the children wondered how they were going to tackle with the dark demon.
"Okay...now what?" Davis gazed at everyone's faces, but the rest seemed to have no answers as well.
"Well, here's a start!" The demon shouted, and her hands contorted into hideous claws with three, large nails that were probably the size of a tyrannosaurus' tooth. The digidestined gasped and now were more confused as what to do.
"How are we going to fight her?" Ken spat out nervously, and his eyes were almost bloodshot with fright. "Well?..."
The demon let out a few chuckles as she took a few swipes at all of them, but they managed to dodge quickly. "There's no where you can go, that I can't reach!" Retorted the demon, and when she slashed out again, her arms stretched out to imaginable feet. The digidestined had to throw themselves to the ground to avoid those hazardous claws. After waving her arms back and forth, the demon growled and snarled, "Hold still and let me take your heads!"
"How can we fight her?" Tai whined to Ken's question. "Myotismon stated that he's the only one that can fight her." Davis rolled his eyes to this and muttered something under his breath.
Suddenly, the demon chuckled rashly as she snatched up Matt by the collar of his shirt. Everyone gasped and got to their feet as they watched their friend being lifted up off the ground, then the demon slowly retracted her arm so that her prey faced her closely.
Matt grunted and squirmed frantically as he tried to wriggle out of the demon's grasp, but her grip was just too strong for him. His eyes grew wide with fear as he saw her own glow a bright blue. "I...want your soul Matt..." She wheezed out quietly to him.
"No!" Sora frighteningly cried, and she ran towards her struggling friend, along with Tai, Davis, and Ken to try and help out. The others...stood and watched, everything, with frightened eyes; parlayed at what to do.
As this took place, the zombies became more reckless and more eager to try and eat the humans.
"You guys!" Veedramon called over his shoulder nervously. "These 'zombies' are tough, ya know! I think they really want to eat you!"
A cold shiver went violently through Joe's spine. "Thanks for telling us..." he mumbled through the groans of the zombies and cries of his friends.
The demon's head jerked to the side as she saw the three young men, and Sora, approach the demon cautiously. The demon growled, which sounded strikingly like a vicious, wild animal, which made her sound almost barbaric. With a free, dangling arm, she raised it and swung it around to knock the four to the ground. The four digidestined fell on their rears with a loud, painful 'umph' escaping from the throats.
"Damn, she's strong!" Davis wheezed as he slowly got up from the ground, holding his sides to ease the pain.
Matt began to struggle more against the demon, which made her head turn back to him. "Be...mine... Your soul..." She whispered breathlessly, almost as if she spoke in a dream. "More souls...more power... To bring back my master... That is my wish..."
"No..." Matt grunted as he grasped her wrist to try and pry it loose.
"You...you vile creature..." A voice detested, in an authoritative way.
The demon gently set Matt to the ground as she turned herself around to see Myotismon standing there with a glowing sword in his hand. Her eyes flashed at the digidestined and the vampire. "You want to kill me..." she announced the thoughts of everyone. "The problem is...how do you kill a dead person?..."
Myotismon held the magnificent sword with both of his hands tightly around the hilt.
Davis looked briefly at Myotismon and the demon, and the young man frowned at them both. "No fair, how come fang-face gets to be the hero in all this?" He whined. "Aren't we, the digidestined, supposed to be that?"
Matt sighed, "It's...the way it...has to be. Now...it's up to--" He shuddered at the thought. "Now it's up to Myotismon to save us all..."
"Even though he started it..." Ken added softly.
The digidestined backed away just a bit as they all watched with awe on their faces. Myotismon standing a good distance in front of the female demon. Seeing this, was almost like watching an old western duel.
The demon had a stern, serious expression as she flexed her claws as a way to try and intimidate Myotismon. Myotismon didn't move a muscle, nor is he afraid to fight the demon. Both waited for one to strike first.
Then, the vampire watched as the demon cried out in attack as she lunged forward to take a swipe at him, aiming for his chest. Myotismon took a step back and she missed by merely a few centimeters. Myotismon frowned and growled slightly as he looked down and saw a few scratches in his clothing. The demon cracked a sly smile on her face.
Now it was his moment. Myotismon took this chance and quickly swished his sword at the demon's rubbery arms, and ended up cutting a thin gash into them. The demon screamed in shock as she saw a trickle of blood come from the wound.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" Myotismon mocked in triumph.
The demon left her mouth agape and cupped her arms. She still couldn't believe she could be harmed by anything. She glared back at the vampire angrily. "Not as much as this is going to hurt you!" The demon retorted back, and she spun her arms around as if to make some sort of cyclone in place; hoping to give Myotismon more pain than what she received.
Myotismon gasped slightly, quietly as he took steps back as she spun closer to him. I have to get her down to the ground! To thrust this in her heart! The vampire gritted his teeth in frustration as he lashed out during the demon's swipes in hopes to cut her even more. Even so, the demon knew this pain would soon cease. After all, she was a demon that was already dead.
The children cringed and gasped frighteningly as the zombies became even more furious about the situation. The undead beings were desperate to eat the fresh meat that awaited them from the other side of the digimon guardians. The digidestined knew their digimon could not hold the zombies back much longer. The digimon just couldn't bring themselves to hurt the zombies, for deep down inside, the people were just lost souls that can't control themselves. Somehow, everyone else knew this as well.
Myotismon grunted as the demon wrapped her claws around his head, and without a moment's notice, she slammed him into the ground -- face down! He lay there for a second to try and regain some strength into him, but just as he rose slightly, he was forced back down on his gut as the demon loomed over him and pressed her foot down on his back. The vampire groaned.
"Myotismon..." The demon whispered. "Why do you fight...when you know you will lose? Why do you continue...when you know what is to come?"
Myotismon didn't answer.
"I want Master back..." The demon stated forcefully. "Master promised to make me living again if I made this world...the way it is..." She cocked her head at the vampire. "Now, Myotismon... Become zombie food for them..." The demon cackled in a most foul voice as she watched the zombies outstretch their arms to try and grab the children. While the men cowered and tried to comfort the girls as much as they can, the young women screamed horrifically as hope seemed dire now.
Was this the end for Myotismon? Would a horrific looking demon take over the world with hordes of zombies at her feet? As these questions raced through Myotismon's mind, he suddenly whisked them away as he saw Kyle flash through it. The thought of her not coming back to him...was just too unbearable. To never see her again, hear her sweet voice...to never touch her again. No...the world can't be the way it is. He just had to fix it. He just had to get up and continue to fight!
"No!" Myotismon shot straight up, and in the process, he flipped the demon over. The demon landed on her back hard, and everyone could hear her bones being broken, all though she probably didn't care at all.
Myotismon flashed his eyes down on the demon, and the girl knew what was about to happen. The vampire slammed his boot down on her stomach and is now holding the sword above her chest.
"No..." the demon whispered weakly, and started to shake her head.
Myotismon almost began to hyperventilate at this point, but he did not hesitate to thrust the sword down into her heart. The demon gagged and tilted her head to see the sword shoved deep into her. Her head shuddered as she gazed up at the vampire.
The zombies suddenly stopped, watching with odd horror at what was happening with their master. The digimon halted their actions to look, and even the children all starred with shock. Everything seemed to freeze at this time.
"No!..." The demon cried, and a few tears left from her face. "I...I..."
Myotismon sighed and knelt down to the demon, propping her back so that she could speak up to him.
The demon surveyed all around herself, before her teary eyes fell back on the vampire. "I...I only wanted...to be alive again..." she sobbed quietly, and taking a weak hand, she very gently ran it across his flawless face. "You must...really love this girl..." Myotismon gave a head nod to this. The demon scoffed. "She...she is very lucky...to have you..."
Right then and there, the demon collapsed; her body becoming limp as a ragged doll. Myotismon carefully set her back to the ground and stood back up again.
Davis glanced over his shoulder at the zombies, and then at everyone else. "Well...now what?" He asked flatly.
As if his question had just been answered, a blinding light came shooting down on the dead demon. Her body rising as if to take it in. Then, more of these beautiful lights came crashing into the zombies; filling all the dead with light! Everyone backed away as if to take caution against this. Myotismon watched eagerly, and waited for it all to end. Was everyone's souls coming back into the people's bodies? No one was sure.
When the light came to an end, everyone grew quiet at this point. They waited. Waiting for something to happen now.
All was silent. Not even the wind stirred in the city.
Suddenly, Kyle began to groan groggily, quietly. Myotismon's heart skipped a beat as he saw her squirm around. He couldn't believe this was happening. Kyle was finally back alive.
Myotismon dropped down to his knees to cradle the young girl against him. "Kyle..." he whispered gently to her, and ran a hand across her cheek. "Can you hear me?"
Kyle shifted her head around slightly, and then, her eyes opened slowly -- little by little, trying to adjust to everything. She breathed out heavily as if she hadn't exhaled in days. As she gazed at her sides, she now titled her head up to see the vampire starring back down on her; almost beaming.
Myotismon took her hand in his in a delicate manner, and bringing it up to his lips, he kissed it tenderly. "Kyle...it's me..."
Kyle's eyes widened with some fright, and seeing this, Myotismon's smile turned to worry. It seems Kyle's perception of reality had finally hit her, and now she was frantically looking all around herself as if she was lost.
Myotismon was stunned to see Kyle shoving him away and now bolting to her feet. She backed away from him while cowering in fear. "I...I don't know where I am," Kyle's voice quivered with fright.
Myotismon chuckled nervously as he stood up himself. "My dear, you are back in your world," he replied hopefully. "What is--"
Tears came streaming down Kyle's face as she pointed a shaky finger at Myotismon. "Who...who are you?" She asked in a terrified manner, and as Myotismon kept on advancing slowly towards her, she continued on backing away.
"What...do you mean?" Now Myotismon was the one to sound a bit frightened by this. "I'm Myotismon, your husband, Kyle."
Kyle shook her head at him, "No...you're not. You're that one dude -- from that one show. I...I..." she almost wanted to faint at this point. "I'm not married to you. You're not even real... Shouldn't be real..."
Myotismon starred at her. He didn't know what to say at this point.
"Where am I? What's going on here?..." Kyle's attention was now more focused on Myotismon. The vampire had to cover his ears as the girl shrilled, "Who are you? Who are you?..."