"why hello again tailmon, long time no see"
"what do you want picodevimon" she spat leaping to her feet, his smile was so wide it was threatening to leave the sides of his face
"temper temper" he mocked "I'm to fetch you before lord vamdemon, ho ho this is going to be good" tailmon groaned and began to walk after him bakemon flanked them as they walked
"say one word" she growled at him
"What's this orders?" he asked with a laugh
She scowled remaining silent
"you were really stupid falling for the bait you know? Amateur mistake"
"we had to get to patamon whether he was bait or not, but someone like you wouldn't understand that"
"whatever, not that I believe you, you digidestined are even stupider this time round"
More bakemon were pushing out hikari and takeru from they're cells. Was everyone to come
She saw diasuke pushed out of his
He may have a point there
"ha! Looking forward to seeing vamdemon?" she didn't answer "giving me the silent treatment? that's too bad"
Wish you'd do the same to me
They reached the door "I'm surprised I'm still in one piece" she said icily
"I get a turn later, get in" he pushed her into the room she stumbled. The room was full of digimon everyone seemed to be here, she looked again closer….almost everyone. The digidestined were lined up behind her bakemon surrounding them each digimon sticking close to there partner protecting them.
"well, well welcome back tailmon" that voice sent shivers down her spine, the voice of vamdemon. "quite a different position you find yourself in than the last time you were here isn't it?" that wasn't really a question that needed an answer but she felt compelled to answer anyway
"yes" she refrained from adding lord vamdemon on the end
This is so confusing I'm against him he's the enemy, I still think of him as my master
"a prisoner, all alone"
"I have my friends"
Vamdemon laughed
"where? I don't see any of any use they all seem a little tied up at the moment."
"ah but there's one who could be here who's not" tailmon glared at picodevimon who had spoken
"ah yes the one who is once again working for me. Where is your dear friend wizarmon tailmon, does he not care enough to come and see if you're okay?"
Tailmon narrowed her eyes "what have you done with him vamdemon?" she asked angrily
"nothing, nothing, it is not mandatory to attend this he has obviously chosen not to"
"I don't believe you, tell me where he is"
"I really have no idea, perhaps he has left the castle left you all here to rot"
Tailmon shut her ears to these lies about her friend
"there's no way you would be that casual about one of your servants leaving" said a quiet voice
"hikari be careful" taichi warned
"well would you? No you'd be hunting him down if he'd done that"
"and I would never leave them here at your mercy" the doors had been pushed open a small digimon stood between them
"wizarmon!" tailmon ran to him
"I'm sorry I did not get here sooner" he said as she hugged him
"that was quick wizarmon" vamdemon did not seem at all phased that his initial plan had failed to work "very good indeed"
The digidestined looked at each other confused taichi shrugged "lost me"
"everything as planned?"
"er…yes, vamdemon-sama"
"good then we can proceed" wizarmon frowned confused "take them to the prepared area"
The digidestined and chosen digimon were quickly grabbed and pulled from the room the congregated digimon followed the party eagerly wizarmon remained where he was soon it was only him and vamdemon left "say anything that contradicts me and I will make sure she dies on the spot" he said icily
"you lied to them"
"they have no doubt drawn their own conclusions about what job you've been doing now they've seen the prepared area"
"what's the prepared area?" he asked his mouth dry
"you shall see"
"tell me!"
A lash of vamdemons crimson lightning hit him
"you're forgetting your place wizarmon" vamdemon informed him icily as he got to his feet
"did astamon accept my invitation?" wizarmon nodded
"he's outside"
***
"what sort of place is this?" asked patamon
"it looks like some kind of arena….for fights" said v-mon
"with everyone watching" mused tailmon "sounds like vamdemon to me, we're going to have to fight"
"I don't know about you" added taichi "but I don't expect this to be a fair fight"
Hikari shuck her head
"what was he saying back there?" asked diasuke "is this the area that guy's been preparing"
"it is magical" added v-mon
"wizarmon wouldn't do this" said hikari quietly, taichi nodded in agreement
The doors opened grandly and there was a reverent silence vamdemon entered next to him was a similar sized digimon, he was humanoid but appeared to be wearing a dog headdress over his head he was dressed in a blue suit with an elaborate overcoat.
"That's astamon I've heard of him before" said hawkmon suddenly
"what's he like?" asked miyako
"he's hanging round here voluntarily draw your own conclusions" said iori
"and tonight we welcome my good friend astamon" said vamdemon with a smile "I do hope you will enjoy this entertainment" his smile was more a sneer. Wizarmon entered almost silently behind them but vamdemon noticed him "and of course the other person we have to thank for all this"
Tailmon saw her friend look as if to protest but vamdemon looked at him and he fell silent looking away
"he did do something!"
"shut up v-mon!" she yelled at him
"he looks so upset…" hikari said
Tailmon nodded
"guilt?"
"taichi! No! there's something more to this"
"feather strike" hawkmon launched his attack at wizarmon, tailmon threw herself in the way
"what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"tailmon!" wizarmon ran over
"Stay back we don't know whether we can trust you!"
Wizarmon hung his head "I'm sorry"
Hikari ran over to him
"of course we can trust you! Diasuke, miyako, v-mon, hawkmon stop it please he's her friend he'll never hurt her"
"hikari…I…I already have…" he had tears in his eyes "but I didn't do this"
"I believe that counts as contradicting me"
"no!" wizarmon stepping infront so he was in-between tailmon and vamdemon
"then what is it you should be saying, you shouldn't be lying to them wizarmon" vamdemon smirked
Wizarmon looked at the floor when he spoke it was in a low voice the others had to strain to hear him "I did this, I lied before" he stepped away going to stand with vamdemon
That was the least convincing lie ever thought taichi
"taichi…"
"hikari everyone, we have to pretend we believe him he's lying for a reason" taichi whispered
"taichi he's crying…"
"urgh…" tailmon sat up "listen to taichi, we have no choice" she said reluctantly, looking with sadness at her friend I'll have to make sure vamdemon thinks we believe him
"I thought I was your friend" she said in a low voice, wizarmon looked at her in pure shock although she could only see a small portion of his face she could tell his face had gone blank the hurt she had caused by those words, his eye's were the only things showing emotion and she couldn't look there it was too painful. wizarmon I'm sorry I'm so sorry
He didn't say anything, he couldn't, not to that he felt weak this hurt more than anything else ever had, more than dieing
Tailmon's very convincing thought hikari poor wizarmon…
Vamdemon laughed "lets get started with the performance" he reached forward and before anyone could react he grabbed hikari holding her in his claws "a little insurance to make sure you do what I say, you will be battling digidestined against chosen digimon" they all stared at him horrified "and every time you refuse me I'll hurt this child, the eighth child that caused so much trouble"
"hikari!" several of them yelled in anguish
Wizarmon felt like he was watching the scene from a great distance he felt numb hikari's in trouble, tailmon… his friend looked in great pain
"but of course that means tailmon, you have no fighting partner, but don't worry I've thought of this you will be fighting your so called friend" his mouth twisted into an evil smile
"wizarmon step forward"
Picodevimon pushed the wizard digimon forwards he was laughing his head off
Vamdemon put his hand on his shoulder "you're emotion's are so fun to toy with wizarmon" he said evilly, quietly so only those closest to him could here, wizarmon, picodevimon and hikari "and just imagine how good your blood will taste after this" he raised his voice "this will be the first battle" the two digimon stepped into the arena mechanically following instructions they were neither able to think straight to do otherwise. "the winner will be allowed to go free the loser will of course die" vamdemon said off handedly
Kill me live yourself tailmon I don't deserve to… wizarmon couldn't make his mouth move to say anything. They both stood there for several minutes
"well one of you start" said vamdemon hikari screamed in pain but tried to stifle it both of then flinched at the sound "picodevimon get them started"
"with pleasure your evilness, pico dart" the syringe moved as if it slow motion threw the air towards tailmon, all of the digidestined were screaming when a hand flew out and caught the dart. Causing it the pierce the skin threw the glove.
"no!" tailmon screamed, wizarmon had already fallen not again no! he's not strong enough after all he's been put through to be okay after that
"howling blaster"
"yamatto! Garumon!" yelled taichi "am I glad to see you"
"harpoon torpedo!"
"jou! Ikkakumon" both attacks hit vamdemon causing him to fall to the floor and drop hikari who immediately leapt up and grabbed something that had fallen to the floor
"our digivices!" she yelled triumphantly
"then lets get out of here"
***
The surprise attack had caused most of the digimon to scatter allowing the group time to get out of the castle they stopped out of breath in some tree's
"we need to get back right now" panted koushiro "vamdemon and that astamon will have already given chase"
Taichi who was carrying the unconscious wizarmon nodded in agreement "and we need to bring everyone"
"I'm working on it"
"hurry!"
"well here they are!"
"done" the group disappeared from the digital world and tumbled out of iori's computer "we are going to be in so much trouble"
"we've still got about an hour till dawn here" said jou
"everyone get home" commanded taichi "try not to get caught, does anyone need money for the subway, or a cab would be better now you'd get a lot of weirdo's this time of night on the subway"
"weirder if your there" muttered sora
"I heard that, anyone?"
Everyone shuck their heads
"do you want to share a cab jou?"
"good idea koushiro"
"mind if I get in on that I'll have to get a hotel isn't there one near you guys?"
"ni-san can't you stay with us" yamatto shuck his head
"I'll come by tomorrow its too odd if I show up now"
***************************************************************************