DISCLAIMER: I don't own Digimon, but I do own the OCs introduced in this story and later stories (except where stated).


CHAPTER 8

His Truth


REAL WORLD

Skies of Tokyo

12:13 JST

3rd July 2010

A person arriving in Tokyo that day would probably be quite surprised to see a large lioness beast tearing through the roads and a silver and yellow-orange bipedal dragon and a large golden phoenix soaring through the sky. However, considering the attacks earlier that day, it was unlikely anyone would actually be coming to Tokyo, fleeing in terror was a more likely act. The pattern of the buildings that collapsed was not unnoticed by the rest of the country besides Hypnos, and it had become somewhat a subject of debate on Digital Watch.

"We have to hurry; the next attack is in two minutes…" WarGreymon told his fellow biomerges, who nodded.

Of all those actually in Tokyo, the only ones with even the remotest idea of what they were doing (besides Taiki and BlackRyudamon, who anyone other than Ryder, Donmon, Mari and DarkRenamon were yet to know the existence of) were those Tamers and government workers associated with Hypnos. SaberLeomon avoided some people crossing the street as she ran, but still surprised them as the golden blur passed the end of streets.

"Do you think that Ryder made it?" Jeri asked.

"No idea, we have to hope he did though…" Sora replied, SaberLeomon nodding in response as they looked to see the building.

"This is it!" WarGreymon announced.

"What do we do?" Sora asked, but was silenced as an explosion rocked the structure.

"We're too late!" Jeri said sadly.

"We can help!" WarGreymon replied, rushing forward as floors collapsed onto floors, exploding outwards as screams resounded through the air, WarGreymon floated above the structure, Phoenixmon arriving next to him soon, as SaberLeomon shielded her eyes with her paw as the dust cloud descended.

"It's horrible…" Jeri said, hearing the screams and the explosions as rubble rained down on the concrete and tarmac below, as the building became a simple pile of rubble, sirens sounding as they approached.

WarGreymon landed on the pile, looking around for anything notable in the wreckage, but not expecting to find anything. He turned to see a boy standing motionless in the middle of the rubble, facing away from him.

"Hey kid, are you okay?" he asked, the existence of the person after the collapse surprising him. The boy noticed him speaking and turned around, allowing WarGreymon to get a closer look as SaberLeomon and Phoenixmon joined him to either side. The boy had black hair cut short, a black jacket lined with red edges, a black shirt and black pants. His curious expression at first as to who was talking to him quickly turned to annoyance as he faced the three megas.

"More of you…" he complained.

"How did you survive that?" Sora asked, surprised that the boy was still standing and seemed perfectly intact despite having been in a collapsing building.

The boy chuckled, summoning a ball of red and white energy into his hand and bouncing it up and down. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked, mocking those facing him.

"No…" Tai replied.

"The Angels are as stupid as I thought…" the boy muttered in disgust.

"Angels?" Sora questioned.

"Why is it obvious?" Tai asked.

"How can you summon energy?" SaberLeomon asked.

"I caused this collapse, stupid!"

"What?!" Tai asked in alarm. "You're just a kid…"

"Appearances can be deceiving…" he replied. "Now get out of my sight!" he yelled, tossing the ball of energy forwards at his foes. WarGreymon quickly raised his shields, the blast ricocheting off and colliding with a traffic sign nearby, which then disintegrated in the explosion.

"Why are you attacking us?" Sora asked.

"My enemies must be destroyed…" the boy replied.

"What's your name?" Jeri asked.

"Taiki Araki…" the boy replied, summoning another ball of energy. "And that is all you need to know!" he replied, preparing to toss the ball.

"Don't move!" came another voice, and Taiki smirked, knowing the voice coming from over his shoulder, the biomerges seeing BlazeDonnermon standing behind the boy, claw held to Taiki's back.

"Pah…nice move, but won't get you anywhere…" Taiki replied.

"If you move, I stab, so I think that it's in your interests to stand still, got that?" Ryder replied.

Taiki pitched his head slightly, looking out of the corner of his eye into the eyes of the mega behind him, the glance exchanged with the dragon, becoming a glare soon enough, each trying to break the other.

Taiki frowned, spitting in disgust. "Three questions…" he told the dragon, who had yet to stop his glare.

"We'll see about that…" BlazeDonnermon replied, pressing his claw closer to the boys back as a warning. Taiki smirked in response.

"Who are you?" Tai asked, Taiki looking at him and smiling.

"Taiki Araki, the First Demon of Destruction…"

"Demon?" Sora asked. "What's a Demon?"

"I shall go easy on you and count that as one question…the Nine Demons were created by Chaos and Harmony at the dawn of time as the opposite action to the creation of Angels, as every action by Harmony has an equal yet opposite reaction. And now we shall act to take the worlds into a new age of Evil."

"So are you guys like Angels?" Jeri asked.

"We are bitter enemies, but the Demons are far better. The Angels are a pathetic mess of do-gooders who do not know how to use their powers to gain control; they shall die at our hands."

"We won't let you!" Tai cheered, WarGreymon gripping his claw into a fist.

"Yeah, what gives you the right to kill people?!" Jeri asked, horrified at what this boy had done.

"It is fun" he replied, eliciting a look of disgust and horror from the lioness. "Besides, I have now granted you four answers. One too many, so I shall now eliminate you!"

"You aren't going anywhere!" BlazeDonnermon replied, digging his claw into the boy's back as a further warning. Taiki smirked.

"One final question then…" he replied. "And then you die, so make it a good one!"

"Where is your partner?" Donmon asked, suddenly noticing the absence of the samurai. Taiki chuckled.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he replied.

"That's just another question…" Tai claimed. "Give us an answer…"

"Oh, but I think Ryder knows…" Taiki replied, glancing over his shoulder at the dragon, and smiling.

Realisation swept across the dragon, as his eyes widened. "No…you can't have…you bastard!" Ryder replied, BlazeDonnermon turning.

"First mistake!" Taiki replied, slamming his ball of energy into BlazeDonnermon's unprotected back, Ryder and Donmon screaming in pain and falling separately to the ground.

Taiki stepped forward, putting his foot on Ryder's neck, and drawing an energy ball into his hand.

"And so the First Angel shall die by the hands of the First Demon…" he taunted. "Quite apt actually…"

Ryder groaned in pain, looking up to one side to face their foe, chuckling.

"Leave Ryder alone!" Donmon yelled, rushing to attack Taiki, claw outstretched as his wings swept back and he leapt into the air, aiming for Taiki's head.

Taiki smirked, and raised his other hand, the claw touching it. A burst of red and white energy swept aside as they collided, Donmon being thrown twenty feet away and scraping through the rubble, pushing it into a small pile as he groaned in pain.

"Now, for you…" Taiki told Ryder, holding his energy ball above Ryder.

"Do that, and die!" WarGreymon told him, holding his claw out to Taiki. Taiki smirked, turning around and throwing the energy ball at the dragon's front, throwing him back (although thankfully the biomerge staying intact) and making him slide across the ground nearby, crashing into the remains of a wall.

"Tai!" Sora yelled in alarm as Taiki advanced on her boyfriend's biomerged form.

WarGreymon groaned, pushing himself up weakly. "I'm fine…" he replied. "Ryder, run!" he ordered. Ryder stood up, and rushed across to his now dedigivolved partner.

Taiki glanced across to Ryder, now holding the bat-like MiniDonmon in his arms. "Don't think I'm finished with you!" he yelled, before turning around, WarGreymon once again raising his shields to deflect an energy ball, which crashed into rubble nearby and threw it into the air, raining down along with blood once again, horrifying those watching. WarGreymon himself was pushed back through the rubble.

Ryder watched, his partner looking out weakly from his arms. He frowned, before beginning to turn. "I'll be back…" he whispered. "I have to help Mari…" he added, turning and running away down a road.


Streets of Tokyo

12:15 JST

Mari looked to DarkRenamon, as they walked along the almost deserted street. Every parking space was full, their owners taking the chance to escape, leading to the occasional car left in the street. Mari frowned at the emptiness of the area, despite the fact that it allowed her 'partner' to walk without fear of being seen.

"This is awful, isn't it?" she said to the Kitsune.

DarkRenamon nodded in response, frowning.

"Who does that kid even think he is?" the girl asked. "To just kill people like that…as if they are simply a task to be done…"

"I am unsure. He is not normal, I am sure of that."

"Then what is he? He didn't even use his Digimon; he just summoned a ball of energy, and blew buildings to pieces."

DarkRenamon nodded. "We have to stop him…"

"I wish we could…" Mari replied sadly.

DarkRenamon nodded sadly in response, glancing to her hands. "So do I Mari, I am a Digimon, it is natural for me to want to fight in these battles. After seeing Yggdrasil use my mega form…it disgusted me, and yet at the same time I seek that power. The power to be able to help, to be able to fight alongside others, and most of all to be able to protect you Mari…"

Mari took DarkRenamon's hand in hers, attempting to put her fingers between her three white fingers to reassure the vixen, and succeeding except for the fact that she was left with an unused finger, owing to the discrepancies in Renamon's physiology compared to hers. She smiled, glancing to the vixen's face, one of surprise. "I'll help you in that…I promise…" she replied. "Even without a D-Vice…I still feel like we're partners…and we will be, we'll find a way, I promise you that…"

"Thank you…" DarkRenamon replied. "We will fight together…" she added, gripping Mari's hand.

Mari smiled, leaning her head on DarkRenamon's shoulder and closing her eyes. "I wonder what biomerging feels like…" she pondered, feeling her 'partner's' soft fur, slightly ruffled by the earlier battle.

DarkRenamon nodded. "I presume that would be how I would attain mega level…" she added.

"Ryder said it's like being one with your partner, being closer than ever. You'd think that it'd be difficult both having control, but your friendship with your partner ends to you being so synchronised with them that you can work together as one…" she said, her voice somewhat of awe.

DarkRenamon nodded. "Also recall that he said it was like being in a bubble…"

Mari nodded, taking her head off her 'partner's' shoulder and her expression changing to one of inquisition. "Yeah, I didn't understand what he meant either…"

DarkRenamon began to recall what Harmony had told her back in the Digital World, when they were in the Tibo Village and she was in Takato's body. "Harmony suggested that the bubble is actually the Digimon's Digicore…"

"Hmm…this is all very strange…to be honest, the first thing I really want is a D-Vice, this all comes after that…"

DarkRenamon nodded in response, before her ears twitched. Her happy mood faded and her eyes narrowed in determination, as she turned to face behind Mari.

"Mari, run!" she told the girl, panic in her voice, as Mari glanced to where DarkRenamon was looking, where there now stood a large dinosaur-like form in the street. Heavy deep purple armour ran along its back, and onto its head, and it had black armour on the front of its neck. It had purple shoulder pads lined with steel trim, and a steel headdress with a purple gem encrusted in the end of it, his nose. The face underneath was imposing, yellow eyes glaring at them, and the end of its tail finished in exposed dull yellowish hairs, the same colour as its three-toed feet, legs and face, the hairs on the tail tied together by a long thin purple band. He roared, before opening his mouth as a blade glinted.

"STABBING SPEAR!" the beast yelled, an iron spear being launched from his mouth as Mari stared on in shock. DarkRenamon acted quickly, grabbing Mari and leaping into the air out of the way of the blast, as the spear collided with the ground and exploded below. DarkRenamon pulled Mari tightly close to her as she flipped over in the air and landed gracefully in the middle of the road, noticing a car reversing away a short distance away upon seeing the beast.

"Who are you?!" Mari asked in fear.

"ReverseGinRyumon…" the beast replied, its voice deep and nasal, before his tail began to glow.

"Mari, run!" DarkRenamon told her 'partner', the Kitsune still facing the beast. Mari paused, looking into the vixen's green orbs.

"WAR TAIL!" roared the dinosaur. DarkRenamon turned, time seeming to slow, her green orbs meeting Mari's brownish ones as the tail swung towards them.

Mari realised that it was too late for her to move, and began to panic as DarkRenamon stepped forward and grabbed the tail, the energy flowing through it burning her hands as Mari heard them singe. DarkRenamon groaned in pain, as she pushed her rear foot onto the ground behind her, trying to keep the tail stationary.

"Mari, move!" she told her 'partner', who nodded, realising that her hesitation had simply caused pain to one of her close friends. Mari ran from the tail's trajectory, as DarkRenamon breathed a sigh of relief, leaping up into the air as the tail slid under her, knocking her feet. DarkRenamon was knocked off balance as she was flipped over, slamming headfirst into the ground, her body falling over afterwards so she landed on her back.

ReverseGinRyumon roared with annoyance, as his mouth once again glinted, displaying a blade prepared to fire. "STABBING SPEAR!" he roared, the spear fired towards the vixen. DarkRenamon leapt into the air, bouncing off the spear, and sending it harmlessly to the ground, as she crossed her hands, black diamonds appearing and held close to her.

"BLACK SHARDS!" she called, as the diamonds flew towards the dinosaur, who smirked as they merely bounced off of his armour.

"Did not even hurt…" he replied arrogantly, as the diamonds collided with the roadway, cars and buildings nearby, exploding as glass was thrown into the air. DarkRenamon landed, frowning, as ReverseGinRyumon slammed his tail into a car as a show of power. The car exploded, a plume of smoke rising into the air as the engine smouldered away afterwards.

"What was the point of that?" DarkRenamon questioned.

"Destruction is the aim of my partner, and I accompany him in that…"

"But why do you follow him?"

"For the same reason your Tamer follows you…or is she not your Tamer?"

"She is not my Tamer, despite my wishes."

ReverseGinRyumon smirked, looking to the girl standing watching the battle nearby. "Then she is simply prey to be killed…" the beast replied. DarkRenamon narrowed her gaze.

"Stay away from her or else…" she warned.

"Or else what?"

"Or else I'll make sure to rip you to shreds, before hunting down every single piece of data that makes up your form and burn it so your data shall never again hurt anyone…"

"Feisty…but that feistiness is merely a façade…you are useless against me, you are better off as data…"

DarkRenamon growled, before leaping forward, her whole form glowing with orange-red fire. "DEMON PAW!" she roared, colliding with the beast, who made no efforts to move as he was pushed backwards only slightly, DarkRenamon colliding with his armoured neck. She landed on the ground in front of him, before yelping in pain as he slammed his head sideways into her, throwing her into a nearby car. DarkRenamon stood up just in time, the car then exploding, pushing her forward to the ground.

"STABBING SPEAR!" he roared, the spear flying once again from his mouth towards DarkRenamon, who rolled aside just in time as the spear clanged to the tarmac besides her. DarkRenamon pressed her hands down, flipping up and over onto her legs, as ReverseGinRyumon grunted. DarkRenamon looked to one side, not moving her body to match to facilitate quick later movements, to Mari standing in line with her a short distance away along the road.

"Mari, my attacks aren't working!" she told her 'partner', who frowned.

"What can I do?" Mari asked her.

DarkRenamon frowned sadly. "Nothing, I know…I wish you could…"

"Ah, how touching…" ReverseGinRyumon taunted.

"Shut up!" Mari replied.

"Humph…your so-called partner is as feisty as you are…as a Samurai; we have respect for those who are greater than us…clearly this pathetic excuse for a human does not share that respect…"

"Don't you dare hurt her!" DarkRenamon warned. "Or else!"

"You make the same threats so often, but you lack any clout to back them up with. A shame really, I had heard that Renamon were excellent fighters, clearly their dark equivalent do not live up to the same reputation."

"And I had heard that Samurai knew respect and only to challenge those who want to fight them. Clearly you do not fit that requirement…" DarkRenamon replied.

"Humph…I serve my master, which is all I adhere by…the bushido code is overruled by him in all cases…"

"You call him a master, aren't you friends with him at all?" Mari asked, concern in her voice.

"Friendship is weak, I serve him because he had proved his power to me…we are partners merely in battle, outside of it I merely serve as his protector, although he doesn't need it…"

"That's awful…" Mari replied.

"I do not have a partner, and I wish I did, and yet you have one and couldn't care less about it…" DarkRenamon told the dinosaur. "You disgust me…" she added spitefully.

"As you do me…" ReverseGinRyumon replied. "You are pathetic, you cannot even fight me and you await your ally Donmon to protect you every time…you are not worthy of being called a Digimon…"

"I think the same of you…" DarkRenamon replied.

ReverseGinRyumon spat in disgust. "Of course, you will be the one who will no longer be a Digimon soon enough, although you will be part of one…"

DarkRenamon narrowed her eyes, glaring at the beast. "Over my dead body…"

"Yes, that was exactly my point…although you wouldn't actually leave a body behind. Your so-called partner, on the other hand…"

"I said leave her alone!" DarkRenamon insisted.

"Do not worry, I shall destroy you first before I touch her, you are my foe and I owe your death to you…" ReverseGinRyumon told the vixen. "Now, enough with talking…WAR TAIL!" he roared, swinging his tail around. DarkRenamon leapt into the air to dodge, as five cars were hit by the tail and exploded, their owners likely to be annoyed upon their return. This would be a very difficult thing to explain insurance wise. DarkRenamon landed on one of the remaining cars, and looked aside, to Mari.

"Mari, do you think he has any weak spots?" she asked the red-brown haired girl.

Mari looked to the beast, analysing its form and looking for any areas that could be weak. "Hmm…his legs, feet, face and the end of his tail perhaps?" she suggested. DarkRenamon, determination still in her eyes, nodded, and leapt forward.

"It is a shame you have to say your ideas as well, I believe that other Renamon have telepathic abilities…with their partners at least…" the beast taunted. DarkRenamon advanced on him, landing under his snout, and balled her right hand into a fist, leaping up.

"DEMON PAW!" she called, slamming her paw into the beast's jaw, before landing below. The beast smirked, unhurt by the attack, before slamming his neck once again into an annoyed DarkRenamon, the plan not working.

"Sorry!" Mari apologised, as DarkRenamon landed in the remains of a car, standing up quickly and leaping into the air.

"WAR TAIL!" once again resounded through the streets, as the tail swept under DarkRenamon's legs, thankfully missing this time around. DarkRenamon leapt aside, moving once again to the front of ReverseGinRyumon, noticing Mari standing a short distance behind her. The beast's gaze returned to the vixen, who advanced once again. "You are becoming a pain!" he complained.

DarkRenamon smirked, drawing a large portion of her energy into her claws and summoning black diamonds once again as she leapt into the air, aiming for ReverseGinRyumon's neck as he looked up to face her. "BLACK SHARDS!" she roared, feeling the energy drain of the enhanced attack as the diamonds collided with the beast's neck, exploding all over it. DarkRenamon landed, hoping that the attack had had some affect.

It didn't, clearly, as ReverseGinRyumon began to laugh. "Do you really think that would ever work? Oh, hold on…you have now drained your energy…shame, because from what my master has told me, that no longer makes you the strongest opponent here…" he replied, turning to Mari, and opening his mouth, a blade glinting. Mari looked on in horror. "STABBING SPEAR!" the beast roared, blade shooting forwards to her.

DarkRenamon, acting quickly, leapt forward, doing the only act she could to prevent the blade reaching the girl. The blade collided with her mid-section, and her eyes glazed over as she felt it pass through, and was thrown to the ground in front of Mari, who looked on in shock and horror at DarkRenamon.

"DarkRenamon!" she called in fear, looking over the vixen's form. A large hole was growing in the middle of her as data began to be dissipitated. "Please, don't!" she told the Kitsune, a tear rolling down her cheek. "You were going to be my partner…" she sobbed. DarkRenamon frowned.

"I'm sorry…" she replied, as the last of her data broke from her form. ReverseGinRyumon smirked, as he glowed white, her data drawn into his own form.

"No…" Mari yelled, looking on in sadness, outstretching her palm, before she felt her arm go weak. Her hand returned to her side, as she fell to her knees. "You monster…" she wept.

"You amaze me DarkRenamon…you really do…you seem to be willing to risk your own life in order to prevent others, today was just an addition to the list. I wish that I could do that…"

"No…"

"Huh?"

"I don't want you to have to lose your own life…I don't want to see you suffer…I protect you because you helped me, helped me see the truth before I let myself be killed when we were in New York. I owe you a debt of gratitude…"

'She gave her life to save me…but that makes me suffer in the process…I couldn't help her…'

Regardless of DarkRenamon's words before, Mari realised that she had to come to terms with something.

DarkRenamon was dead.

And, as she looked up into the face of her killer, she realised something else. She would be dead too soon if she didn't do something.

TO BE CONTINUED…


A dramatic close to this chapter, and probably quite a surprise to some people. Anywho, no Rika and Takato in this chapter, but we did learn about a new foe, the Demons, who will be immensely important from now on.

Next time…

With DarkRenamon deceased, how will Mari escape a similar fate? Will Ryder make it in time to save her? Will WarGreymon, Phoenixmon and SaberLeomon be able to defeat Taiki, or will a human manage to beat three megas?

Find out in 'Her Despair', Chapter Nine of Dimensions Book Five: Demons.