Three days.

It had taken three days for Shamamon to get the necessary energies to open a portal to the Human World. In just a couple hours, she would be heading out to the Human World to rescue her mate from that female he was supposed to wed and his horrible family. But her time was very limited. As it turned out, due to the damaged caused by the Dark Masters and the Chosen Ones, Yggdrasill could only allow the portal to stay open for 36 hours before it would become too unstable, with the possibility of tearing the barriers that kept the two worlds apart.

It wasn't much time to convince Masao to leave his world, his current life, to come and live in the Digital World without straight out lying to him. Bastemon didn't feel right lying to him, but with the time constraint, lying might be the only option she had. Besides, it was probably better than being flat-out rejected by him the moment he saw her.

Bastemon frowned in thought, pondering over her dilemma as she gazed at the crystal chandelier above her bed. Masao wasn't one to abandon his family, just because they were doing something he didn't like. Though, that was only because he didn't have a choice in the matter. Masao did very few things of his own free will and he was often criticized by his parents and all the wealthy families because of it. Even the friends that Masao's mother had arranged for him would often show their distaste for Masao wanting to help the homeless, the defenseless, the needy.

Bastemon absolutely adored him.

Masao was such a kind and gentle soul. He had such a pure heart that burned with this ambition to want to help others; she found that to be a wonderful, wonderful trait. It was a trait Bastemon wanted her mate to have, the future king. He was a type of person every kingdom needed. Many of the monarchs had grown cold and stuck-up over the past centuries, forever blinded by the old ways. But Masao...Masao could change the world. He could show all just what it means to care for one's subjects, to love, to strive for what was right and just...if given the chance.

Masao would never get that chance if his mother got in the way. Just thinking about that woman made the hairs on the back of her neck and tails bristle. Masao didn't have a life because his mother controlled everything. She decided who he could hang out with…who he could talk to…who he could date and get intimate with. She even controlled what he could and couldn't eat and how he should dress in public. And if it was about what his career path was to be… Bastemon snored softly. The female already had that planned out, now didn't she? Masao never had the choice. He never had to begin with, truth be told.

Bastemon sighed as she sat up, pulling her legs towards her chest and wrapping her arms around them. It saddened her to watch his life play out in front of her. All he ever wanted was to help others that could not help themselves. He hated seeing people sad, just for the simple reason that he was sad and lonely all the time. Masao had no one to really call a friend. He had no one to vent his fears and anger too, his hopes and dreams.

And if this marriage came to pass, Masao would be more alone and might very well be like his father. He would not know happiness, not joy. He would not know what it meant to be truly loved by another, nor to see the wonders life had to offer. If he married this woman, his life would be bleak at best. He would be pushed around by his woman along with his mother. He would not know love, nor kindness. He would be even more alone and miserable then he was now. He would be forever stuck in the abyss of total darkness.

Masao future seemed very unsettling. Bastemon, despite never meeting the man before, loved him immensely. If Masao stayed with her, he wouldn't have to fear about being pushed around because they would be equals. He could do what he wanted when he wanted. He would be able to make decisions that would help reform the kingdom, making it better and maybe a bit more modern. He would love the Egyptian influence the kingdom had. Although, some of the attire had to be updated. She didn't necessarily like the outdated outfits her parents and some of the servants wore.

But overall, he would be loved. He would know what fun and joy were like. He would be her king, her mate, adored by all for many generations to come. And maybe they could have a little baby to call there own.

But all of that would be just a dream if she failed to convince him to come home with her.

Bastemon sighed as she rested her chin on her knees. She didn't want Masao to be taken away from her. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted him to be free of his burdens. She wanted him to love her, just as she loved him. But none of that would come to pass if she couldn't convince him to come with her. She didn't want to lie to him, but would he come if she revealed her true self to him? She was a Digimon and he was a Human. Would he see her as a monster? Would he be too scared to even hear her out, to talk to her? Would he not like her at all?

"Too bad I can't change my appearance," she said with a wistful sigh as she closed her eyes, trying to push away the negative thoughts. "He would certainly find me appealing if I looked human." Bastemon released her legs and throw them over the side of the bed, silently landing on the floor. Feet silently padded cross the floor as the Queen of the Forest Kingdom grabbed her black and pink embroidered rose robe before leaving her bedroom chamber.

She needed guidance. And she knew just who to ask.

Eons ago, he had never thought he would be free from his prison. From that dreaded lamp that he had called a home for eons. For so long, he had hated that lamp for the only time a Digimon freed him was because they wanted a wish. He couldn't remember how long he wished that his new master would just set him free. But he eventually learned that all Digimon were greedy.

The only time he was called upon was because his master wanted something, something he or she wanted, but didn't necessarily need. Some he felt pity for, for all they wanted was some food and a place to call home. While others were evil, cruel and just wanted money, power, and control.

Eventually, the Demon Man had forgotten his dreams of being free one day. He had forgotten what kindness was like. What the sky looked like in the morning sun. What the sun felt like during midday and midnight. He had been so out of touch with the world when his new master found him from the desert his lamp had been lost in.

He had been trapped in that lamp for 250 decades. He had been trapped for so long in that lamp, he had begun to lose himself to his despair and dark thoughts. He had expected his new master to want riches beyond her possible dreams. He had expected his new master to want a grand palace, gold, jewels, a dozen servants to fulfill her deepest desires.

She had not been who he thought she would be. The Demon Man had been surprised that his master had not wanted anything at all. She had everything she wanted (at the moment) and if she did want something she wanted to get it herself, not use magic to get it for her. From what he could tell, she had been happy with her life. But that was not what surprised the older Demon Man. What surprised him was that she wanted to know about him. His hopes. His dreams. His ambitions. No one had ever asked him what he wanted before.

The young Digimon had been saddened by his life and it wasn't a surprise that she wanted to make a wish. It always happened. He was a genie after all. All wanted something from him in the end. It was corruption in its finest.

Despite her kindness and concern and pleasant hospitality, he had expected her to wish for something for herself, a selfish wish like all the others. But he had been wrong. Never in all his life had one wished for his freedom, nor offered him a place at the palace.

"Chancellor Lampmon?" Lampmon smiled as he turned into green smoke and exited his lamp, reforming in front of the door. Despite being given a gorgeous room with a desk, dresser, bed, and wardrobe, Lampmon preferred his lamp. Bastemon had given him everything he could need if he had been a normal Digimon that is. If needed, he could summon all the items in the room on his own, which he did, within his lamp. The lamp was an exact replica of the room within. It was warm and cozy. For the first time in eons, it was home.

Lampmon smiled as he opened the door. When the princess first freed him from the lamp, he had left to explore the Digital World. The Digital World had changed a lot since the ancient times, that had unsettled him a bit. Lampmon had returned to the Royal Family after a month and had been happily greeted like an old friend. He had liked it.

When he told the family, he had wished to stay in the Forest Kingdom, he had been made the Royal Advisor of the King and Queen. It was a position he took great joy in. "Your majesty," he said, bowing his head in respect, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Queen Bastemon smiled slightly, but it was obvious she was troubled about something. "I'm sorry if I woke you, but I need your advice," she said as she rubbed her right arm. Lampmon moved aside, allowing the Queen to enter the room. Despite officially being the Royal Advisor of the King and Queen, it had not stopped him from being Bastemon's close friend. The two of them had gotten pretty close over the centuries. He had actually been there when Bastemon received her soulmate mark. The mark was an exact replica of the family crest: the pink ornate rose. Above the mark was the boy's name, Masao Ichijouji, written in the human's native language and under the rose was the boy's name written in Digimoji.

"Is it about the boy?" he asked taking a seat next to the queen. She was still troubled, still nervous. It was understandable. In just a few hours, the two of them would be heading off to the Human World to meet her soulmate.

Bastemon nodded. "How do I convince him to come to the Digital World with me? I don't want to lie to him. I don't want him to hate me."

"We can always trap him in my lamp," Lampmon said with a teasing smile.

"LAMPMON!" Lampmon chuckled upon seeing her puffed up cheeks that were tinged a soft pink. "That is the last thing I want to do!"

"Okay. Okay. No, kidnapping. Got it." Bastemon only frowned at him, looking slightly offended by the suggestion. "How about I make you look human then?"

Bastemon honestly looked surprised at the suggestion. "You can do that?" she asked, her eyes brightening and her lips curving up into a smile.

"I can," he said with a nod. "I'm going to need your pendant."

"My pendant?" Bastemon's claws gently touched her pendant. He was aware how protective she was of it.

"Why you need it?"

"For the spell to work, I'm going to need something that is personal to you as well as something that would not look out of place while in the Human World."

"And since it would just look like a normal necklace, the humans won't get suspicious." Lampmon nodded, smiling at the queen for concluding his reasonings so quickly. She removed her pendant and gently handed it to him. Lampmon held the Royal Pendant in his hands and silently studied it, turning it in his hands every so often.

"How will this spell work?" He smiled at her curiosity. It was so like Bastemon.

"The spell is quite old and complex — I'm going to spare you all the boring details — but basically the spell works in two ways." Bastemon tilted her head curiously, waiting patiently as he explained the spell. "Essentially, whatever item I enchant, will allow the owner of the item to change his or her appearance at will. There is no limit to what one can become. Rather it be an inanimate object, another Digimon, or a Human, is up to the user. The spell is only limited to the user's imagination."

"Amazing," Bastemon said in awe. "That means I can make myself look like a Human." Lampmon nodded. "But how long will the spell last?"

"It's permanent," he said. "The spell will stay active as long as you want it to. When you are done, it will turn you back to normal."

Bastemon nodded, still in awe of what this spell was capable of. "What's the other way?" she asked after a moment.

"As well as changing ones' appearance, you would be able to change the perspective of others."

"Huh?"

Lampmon chuckled. That wasn't exactly clear, now was it? "My apologies, Your Majesty. Let me explain. As long as you keep the spell active on the pendant, you will have the ability to have your mate to see all the Digimon as Humans."

The Humans have caused more harm than good. They didn't have the power to destroy the Dark Masters. They just caused more damage, more deaths, more chaos. He gazed at the viewing crystal with loathing. With Homeostasis' help, the Holy Beasts now roamed the world. They were worse than the Dark Masters. They were attacking the monarchies that followed Yggdrasill, one by one. Homeostasis must have planned this.

This was their fault. Those children. Humans were insignificant creatures, a pathetic lot. They didn't have the backbone to do what was right for this world. Yet Yggdrasill wanted them to allow a Human to live in the Digital World and mate with one of their most faithful followers from one of the oldest monarchies in the Digital World. Why? Why bring a human into their world? Hadn't they've done enough? And why have him be the mate for Queen Bastemon? Certainly, there were better options than him.

"Why are we allow another portal to open?" Omegamon asked from his kneeling position next to him. All the Royal Knight were in the chamber with him, watching the events as they had played out on a viewing window created by Yggdrasill's crystals. "The Dark Masters are gone for now. There is no danger."

"But the barriers are unstable," he snapped, an edge of aggression in his tone. Omegamon gave him a look that said: watch it, Gennai. "It should stay closed, so we can at least begin repairs."

"The prophecy," Yggdrasill spoke up, causing him to frown.

"You mean the one you sent Gennai to find?" Dukemon asked. Gennai frowned, his hands gripping his black and gray robe in thought. Yggdrasill and Homeostasis had sent him and his twin brother, Gennai, to find an ancient tablet hidden within some old ruins in Cyber when the Dark Master began terrorizing the Digital World. It had told of the destruction of the Digital World as well as the salvation. His brother had immediately thought that they needed these humans that the tablet spoke of, which was what Homeostasis did in the end. Gennai thought differently.

"Yes," Yggdrasill replied. Soon the image within the viewing window shifted and changed before showing the worlds of the prophecy. It read:

When the Dark Ones come

The Balance will tip

Five Humans will come

Light would prevail

And the Holy Beasts will rise

However, that was only the first part of the prophecy. The second and third part had been missing, which was the part his twin brother had not seen.

The Holy Beasts will tip the balance

Causing the Vampire to rise

Courage,

Friendship,

Love,

Purity,

Sincerity,

Knowledge,

Hope,

Trust,

And Light will be summoned

And finish what the Five could not

Fate will fall

The Dark Towers will rise

When Darkness descends

Children of the Digimentals will rise

With Hope, Light, and Trust guiding them along the way

But to defeat the Terrible One

A Child

Half Human, Half Digimon

Powers of the Ancient One

Must find Kindness within the Tainted One

Only then will peace return

"A child?" Alphamon spoke up, looking at Yggdrasill questioningly. "A hybrid?"

"The child is the true savor of the Digital World. Therefore, I am allowing Queen Bastemon to retrieve her future mate. Destiny has declared that he is the key to salvation."

It was three in the morning when Masao made his way towards the library. The whole estate had been pitched black the moment he awoken two hours ago. He was grateful for that. Masao wasn't sure if he could handle seeing anyone after what they had put him through.

Masao huddled against the edge of the cecilyn cocoa loveseat, staring blankly at his arm. He had cried for a good part of the last hour. He couldn't believe what his mother had done. Then again, she was a controlling person and it really didn't surprise him that she would conjure up a plan this devious and horrible.

How could I've let this happen? He should have realized she had been planning something. She had been too nice, too motherly, too sweet. She had made him breakfast and later lunch. That should have set off the alarms. His mother hated cooking. That was why she had chefs cook for them. And then there was Kurosawa.

Masao's features twisted with pain. He knew the moment he saw her, they would not get along. She looked like a nice woman, but there was something about her that just gave him a very bad sense of foreboding. She had dark brown wavy, almost curly hair, black eyes, and flawless fair skin. She had a bright smile that would have been kind if he hadn't seen right through her. She was so much like his mother.

They had all been on it.

Masao didn't stop the tears as they trailed down his cheeks, landing on his arm. Masao gazed at his soulmate mark. The marking was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The ornate rose rested beautifully on his skin with its detailed design and color.

For as long as he could remember, Masao knew his soulmate was out there somewhere, searching for him, waiting for the day that they would be together, forever. Guilt rose within him upon realizing that his mother had won. His mother loathed the fact that his soulmate was a foreigner. Bastemon was not a normal name, especially not Japanese. That was the other reason for this forced marriage. His mother would not allow foreign blood within their family.

Masao closed his eyes, resting his head against the wall. Masao had tried so hard to find his soulmate. Masao was unable to figure out what the odd symbols under the flower were, so he had only the name to go off on. And even then, it wasn't much to go on. When he researched the name, all that popped up was the Egyptian goddess: Bastet. Masao assumed it was a nickname or, at least, a partial name. Bastemon didn't bring up many results, other than the fact that she was possibly Egyptian.

Masao's eyes lingered on the mark again. He silently traced the flower, despite the blurriness. He felt so empty, so guilty. It was his fault. He had wanted to save himself for his soulmate. He had wanted his first experience to be with her, out of love.

I should have fought harder…Should have done something…

His mother had ruined everything. Masao wiped his hand across his eyes. There had been so many signs, so many signs that something was not right. The way his mother been acting, the way Kurosawa just appeared at the estate that afternoon, despite meeting her briefly the day before, and then there were the memory gaps.

For the past two days, Masao had been feeling off. The walls had seemed curved and water-like. He had felt as if he was floating sometimes. And then there were the gaps in his memories of what occurred in the last two days.

Masao felt like an idiot. It was obvious now that his mother had drugged him the morning after she told him about the arranged marriage and Kurosawa had been on it. He had a feeling they had conjured the plan together. His mother knew he would try to avoid the wedding that was supposedly on Saturday. He had explored the huge estate long enough to know every nook and cranny of the place. Masao knew the place so well that he was capable of hiding within the estate and not be found for hours. He was also able to slip away from the estate without being caught. His mother knew this and that was why she hatched up this plan.

Masao felt so angry with himself. How could he not have noticed that the ceremony had been moved up to Wednesday? The place had pretty much been emptied for a good part of the day, which should have clued him in on something. His mother had seemed too happy when Kurosawa came over, wearing a pretty dress and a smile that clearly told him that he had no choice, that she was his. The event had been small, with only his mother and the judge as their witness.

Masao barely remembered what happened the past two days, everything felt like it was going so fast that it was a blur. He was sure the two made him sign the marriage papers, however. He was also sure his mother paid the judge enough to overlook his drugged state. But what really devasted Masao was the fact that he had woken up in one of the private rooms in the estate, with Kurosawa sound asleep by his side.

Masao wrapped his arms around himself as he shivered. Masao had never felt his disgusted with himself before, this cold, emptiness in the pit of his stomach. She won. Masao's felt very, very numb and cold like he was drowning in a lake of ice water. Okaasan wanted a perfect child...and now she has one...Masao closed his eyes to prevent more tears from leaking. Masao had been extremely sore when he awoke two hours ago. The bed had been a mess from suspicious activities and Kurosawa's stomach had seemed full.

Masao felt so alone and so numb, not even the comfort of the beautiful library that was his sanctuary helped to alleviate the hole in his chest. Masao buried his face in his hands and began to sob again.

"B-Bastemon..."

For he knew, all his hope and dreams of a life away from his parents' control…

A life with Bastemon...

"I'm so sorry..."

Was gone, forever.