35) Unfinished Business
"What just happened?", Takato asked.
"We did it!", Guilmon celebrated, "we fought together as one".
"Yeah, we sure did", Takato agreed. "From now on, there is nothing that can keep us apart".
"Thanks for being there", Guilmon said.
"Yeah", Takato agreed.
Takato received a replacement digivice, this one being trimmed in yellow instead of red, as was the original one he had.
He turned to Juri: "I'm so sorry", he apologized, "for everything. I didn't mean to upset you so".
"You did the right thing, forgiving, I mean... First my mother, and now Leomon... Is it my destiny to keep losing friends?"
Takato had no answer for her. What could he say? That it would be alright? A promise she wouldn't lose anyone else, when he could make no guarantees? Nothing he could say that wouldn't sound like a cliche?
"I'm sorry", was all he could say.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Everyone was assembled at the bridge that crossed the artificial canyon.
"That building off in the distance", Lopmon was explaining, "is Suszakumom".
If this palace had existed in the Material World, it would qualify as one of the ten tallest buildings. The whole structure struck Koichi as being awfully pretentious. This didn't bode well, he thought.
"So Calumon is there?", Takato asked.
"Definitely", Lopmon confirmed, "I used to be in Zhuqiaomon's service, and I'm certain of it".
"He's just gonna let us waltz in there and take him back?", Jenyra was saying.
"You've destroyed all his Deva", Lopmon explained, "and you just defeated his personal assassin. Zhuqiaomon has no choice now, no minions left to do his dirty work for him. He can't count me among those numbers anymore".
"So he's basically a coward", Jen said, "just as I suspected all along".
"I wouldn't be so sure of that", Lopmon objected, "it's that he self styles himself as a god. He considers that beneath his status. He gives the orders, and expects them to be carried out. He has a very low tolerance for failure, and punishes failure readily and severely. He didn't hesitate to delete Indaramon after he failed to turn Impmon against you guys..."
"So that's what happened to the Purple Pony?", Impmon asked.
"There are hardly ever any second chances with Zhuqiaomon".
"Well, let's get this over with", Koichi said.
"I have to get Shuichon back to the Material World", Jen was saying. "We have to recover Calumon before that can happen".
"Is Terriermon up to it?", Takato asked.
"Don't worry about me", he reassured, "We'll give Zhuqiaomon a good beating, and go home with Calumon".
"If you're sure..."
"Moumentai! I'm as good as new".
"Right", Takato agreed.
They assembled on the other side of that canyon and waterfall. Juri was sitting, back against the support column of the suspension bridge, just looking at that "Connection lost" message.
"Juri", Takato was saying, "I don't want to lose anyone either. That's why we have to keep going".
"I know you don't like fighting", Jen told her, "I never liked it either. However, I learned that there are battles that are worth fighting. This is one of those times, I'm afraid, and there is no avoiding it this time. Once it's over, then all of us can go home".
"All?", Juri told him.
Jen then realized what a faux pas he just committed. What was there to say? Leomon wasn't coming back. Period.
"Leomon isn't here", Juri said.
He also had other business to attend to: "Shuichon, you can't go!", he ordered.
"No! I'm going with you!", she protested, "I go where Lopmon goes!"
"I have to go", he explained, "I was his servant, and I hope he'll listen to me so we can avoid a fight if at all possible".
"I still don't see what that has to do..."
"Shuichon! You just avoided a great danger", Jen pointed out, "and we could be facing even greater danger..."
"Look Jen, I don't need an over protective big brother. I'm a Tamer, same as you, and you're not that much older, so drop the high and mighty attitude. Lopmon is as capable as a partner as Terriermon".
"Juri is not up to this", Koichi pointed out, "so someone will need to stay here with her. We can't leave her alone..."
"Shuichon, he's right, and indeed you are a Tamer, and you need to start thinking like one", Jen told her. "We have our job, and you have yours. We do need someone to help look after Juri. This is something you can do".
"Then Terriermon..."
"Moumentai! That was nothing", he reassured.
"How about if Guilmon and I stay here with Shuichon and Juri? That way, if anything happens, Guilmon will be here to protect them", Takato offered. It seemed natural for him to stay with Juri since he had a crush on her.
"I'll also help look after Juri and your sister", Kenta volunteered.
"What about it, Shuichon?", Jen asked.
"I still don't like the idea of not going with Lopmon".
"It'll be alright", Lopmon told her. "I'll help negotiate with Zhuqiaomon, and we'll be right back. It's a promise".
"OK, then, I'll do it", Shuichon agreed.
"Will we have to walk all that way?", Kazu asked.
"I don't think so", Koichi said, as they stepped onto the path that led to Suszakumon. "This looks like..."
A sphere looking no more substantial than a soap bubble formed around them and began to sweep them down the path.
"...a coil gun", he completed that thought. He'd noticed the rings around the path, spaced at regular intervals.
"Mag lev?", Jen asked.
"Or something quite similar", Koichi agreed.
"At least he's not totally inhospitable; we don't have to walk all that distance", Impmon said. "Don't know if that's a good thing or not".
This part of the bridge was over the lake that fed the waterfall. It didn't look like it was very deep, as these stone columns showed above its surface.
"Shuichon: why did she come to the Digital World?", Jen asked himself more than the others.
"To meet me?", Lopmon speculated.
"There's no reason for her to be here!", he protested.
"I disagree", Koichi explained. "Look at what she's done already. She turned Antiramon against hid God. If that hadn't happened, we still wouldn't know where Calumon is. As bad as Lilithmon was, would you also have wanted to fight Antiramon as well? We certainly didn't need that!"
"And Catsuramon tried to kill her for that! How would I explain that to my parents! It's bad enough... I don't need to be worrying about her as well! Don't you get that!", Jen objected.
"I can appreciate you're the older brother. I'm in the same situation..."
"No! You're not! Your little sister is still safe in the US!".
"No sense arguing about it now", Impmon objected. "What's done is done. I have no idea why the Ancient Ones decided to bring Shuichon here. They must've had a reason, believed her presence was valuable. We'll just have to see how this one plays out"
"I still don't have to like it... my folks don't need the extra worry".
"Can't be helped", Koichi said, "I'm sure mine are just as worried".
"Terriermon, are you sure you're OK? I hate to ask so much of you", Jen decided to change the subject.
"Moumentai! Don't worry about me!", he answered cheerfully.
"Thanks, Terriermon".
No one noticed that the tip of one ear "phased out" for an instant.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"These Outworlders have cost me twelve faithful servants and violated our lands. I will never forgive those foolish digimon who protect them", Zhuqiaomon said to himself, as he watched their approach.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
The "bubble" disappeared as quickly as it appeared, depositing its passengers on a plaza before the entrance to Suszakumon. This palace rose, tier upon tier, looking as though it was constructed of rose granite. The top spire visible only if they looked way up.
Two doors, each as tall as a three story building, rolled back on their tracks, shaking the ground as they opened onto a hallway that could easily have dry docked an aircraft carrier.
The vaulted ceiling rose even higher. Along the walls were support columns each looking like feet standing on their toes. The hallway was dimly lit by torch light. They hadn't gone very far when they noticed the change in demeanor of the digimon...
"Renamon?", Koichi noticed first since he was more finely in tune with Renamon's thoughts and feelings, probably as much, at least, as Takato and Guilmon were.
"I feel it", she explained, "a rage so fierce that I feel as though I'd be crushed if I let my guard down for even an instant".
"Terriermon?"
"Impmon?"
"I feel it too", Impmon confirmed.
This is not what they wanted to hear. If there were any doubts as to the sanity of this "God", that pretty much answered that question. They continued onward. At the end of the hall, were two more doors, matching the ones they'd come through in size, though with a different abstract pattern decorating them.
"My Lord, we beech thee to hear our petition", Lopmon said.
These doors rolled back, shaking the ground just as had the outside doors. This opened on a large chamber, obviously Zhuqiaomon's audience chamber. It also had a high, vaulted ceiling, was oval shaped, and empty save for a large gas jet in the very center of the floor from which roared an inferno that somehow burned in a closed room without oxygen, a trace of noxious fumes, or even a trace of soot on the ceiling, not even right above the flames. They could feel the radiated heat as soon as the doors opened.
The inferno was surrounded by a brass railing, its legs in the form of digitgrade feet, each with three claws.
"My Lord", Lopmon knelt on one knee, head bowed.
The flames began to take on a definite shape, first a head appeared.
"I am Zhuqiaomon. I protect the digimons' world as one of the Holy Beasts", Zhuqiaomon was acting as his own herald.
Zhuqiaomon looked like an amalgamation of bird and pterosaur. Two pairs of piercing red eyes, two sets of feathered wings, however he also had a long, reptilian tail much like an archeopteryx, long thin jaws filled with many small, sharp teeth. Multiple digicores surrounding his neck and the tip of his tail. He was surrounded by tenuous, red flames that seemed to radiate from his very substance.
"This is the digimon God?", Kazu asked.
"Don't show fear", Koichi suggested.
Lopmon felt himself yanked to his feet by the scruff of his neck.
"Stand on your own two feet. You will not kneel to that four-eyed buzzard!", Jen ordered him. He got down on one knee to put himself at Lopmon's eye level. He grabbed the sides of his head.
"Look at your so-called God! He isn't a child-murdering bastard only due to the ineptitude of the servant he sent to do his dirty work for him. That's right: he tried to murder my little sister... your partner and you. He turned Ruki into that wacko assassin Lilithmon to try to murder all of us. He's responsible for Leomon's death. This is what you want to bow down to? Stop thinking like a Deva and a servant and start learning to live your life on your terms and no one else's. That is no 'God'... he's just a bully and a coward".
Jen stood: "I've been dealing with your sort ever since I started school, and I'm up to here (drawing a hand above his eyes) with your kind. I'm not afraid of you!
Everyone: straight to Ultimate"
"Matrix Evolution: digimodify!"
Terriermon Evolve! ...
... RAPIDMON!
Impmon Evolve! ...
... DEINONDRAMON!
Renamon Evolve! ...
... TAOMON!
"Huh?", Jen asked himself as he saw one of Rapidmon's rocket launchers "phase out".
"Let's go!", Taomon announced, as they flew at Zhuqiaomon.
"You are not the ones I want to fight", he announced as he launched a "Phoenix Fire" fireball that drove all of them back.
"Rapidmon!", Jen called out, as he saw the rocket launcher phase out again.
"Hold together", Rapidmon told himself.
"Just one blow, and he knocked all of them out of the sky", Koichi said.
"Is he too much for us?", Kazu asked.
"Only the strongest survive here, and that is us", Zhuqiaomon announced. "We do not need, or want any help from Outworlders"
"On!", Taomon formed her force field just in time to deflect the stream of fire Zhuqiaomon launched at Koichi, Kazu and Jen.
"The disaster that you humans caused is threatening our whole world", he continued.
"At this rate, we'll be incinerated!", Kazu called out.
"Can we get to Mega?", Koichi asked.
"It's taking all my power just to protect you", Taomon replied.
"What are you talking about? We're not here to threaten you!", Koichi called out. He got no answer.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"Guilmon, would you look after Shuichon?", Takato asked. Shuichon was sitting just in front of the bridge leading to Suszakumon. Juri was still sitting by the pier.
"Leomon", she said as she watched her useless digivice. Takato went to check on her, to see what, if anything, he could do for her.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"Electromagnetic Disruptor!"
"Rapid Fire!"
Deinondramon and Rapidmon attacked, hoping to take some of the pressure off Taomon. Neither attack could get past Zhuqiaomon's shield - those tenuous flames that surrounded him.
"How pathetic!", he taunted. "You shall burn in my fire for your arrogance and irreverence!", he threatened.
Once again, they were driven back. Deinondramon tried shielding Taomon with his body, as another gout of fire zeroed in on the force field.
"Homing Missile!", Rapidmon tried to attack. He never got the chance as the rocket launchers attached to his shoulders burst into data. "Dammit! Not now!"
At least he succeeded in taking the pressure off Taomon, as another blast of fire drove him into the wall so hard that he was stuck to the wall in the indentation he made.
"Rapidmon!", Jen called out. It was obvious that Rapidmon was on the verge of disintegration, as he was phasing in and out.
"Without the power to evolve, I can do nothing", Lopmon said as he looked on. He wanted to help, but had no idea as to how. It was obvious Zhuqiaomon wasn't interested in negotiating.
"Lopmon", Zhuqiaomon called out, "you are the sole surviving Deva. I now offer you the chance to return to my service. I will forget all about everything you have done if you agree".
"I'm needed elsewhere", he objected. "I have someone waiting for me".
"You fool", he said, "then you shall die!"
Zhuqiaomon launched a fireball at him.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"Lopmon!", Shuichon called out suddenly. Her digivice switched into comm mode, the holographic display showing her what Lopmon was seeing at that moment. She saw the oncoming flames, then the screen filled with static. She feared the worst. "Lopmon!"
"What are you doing?", Guilmon asked her as she began to climb the up above the bridge.
"Trying for better reception", she replied.
She still got nothing but static: "Lopmon, don't die. Please don't die!"
"Oh shit!", Guilmon thought to himself, "Takato isn't going to like this".
Somehow, Shuichon was being carried, flying off above the path that led to Suszakumon. Guilmon had no means to prevent this.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"Deinondramon", Lopmon said. He was shielding the smaller digimon with his body and wings.
A missile struck, the explosion ending the attack. Rapidmon had fired it, despite being in a very bad way.
"Stop Rapidmon!", Taomon warned him. "You could corrupt all your data if you continue fighting".
"Shuichon is waiting for us to come back", he objected.
"Rapidmon, I didn't realize you were hurt that badly", Jen said to himself, as he recalled how Terriermon deflected Catsuramon's attack. "I was concerned only about Shuichon... I let Terriermon fight without paying attention to anything else, and I'm his partner".
Rapidmon broke himself free of the wall, and threw himself at Zhuqiaomon.
"Still resisting?", he asked as he fired another fireball at him, this time, devolving him back to Terriermon who flopped to the floor.
"Terriermon!", he called out, as he ran to him. "Terriermon...", he held the dog/bunny in his arms.
"I'm sorry, Jen, he beat me in the end", Terriermon apologized.
"I'm the one who should be sorry", Jen explained, I..."
"Again with the 'I, I'", Terriermon reprimanded. "That's always been your biggest problem, thinking you have to do everything by yourself. Look behind you..."
"Huh?", as he looked.
"We're not alone. All our friends are here..."
"Lopmon! Terriermon!", he heard his sister call out, as she appeared in the audience chamber.
"Shuichon! What are you doing here? How'd you get here?"
"Lopmon called me", she explained.
"I did?", he asked. "It's possible..."
"Terriermon! Whatdidhedotoyou?", Shuichon was shocked to see the condition he was in. "You leave my brother alone!", she demanded of Zhuqiaomon.
She turned to Lopmon: "We have to help them!"
"I'm not allowed to evolve..."
"I think you can! You're my partner now, not his servant..."
There was a burst of light from her digivice...
Lopmon Matrix Evolve! ...
The next thing Shuichon knew, she was naked as a jay bird, and inside a light pink sphere around which whirled several bands of white with some design she'd never seen before.
"What... happened?", Shuichon asked as she looked all around.
"I think we evolved together"
"Lopmon, I can hear you, but I can't see you".
"Trust me, lend me your power to save the others".
"Yes, I can feel it too", she agreed.
"A new evolution", Deinondramon said.
Koichi brought up the profile:
Cherubimon
Mega, Vaccine
Cherubim digimon
His attack is Storm of Judgment
"Outworlders and digimon evolving together... how disgusting! Unforgivable!" The concept of irony was completely lost on Zhuqiaomon.
Zhuqiaomon swept his wings forward, the brass railing fell down. Cracks appeared in the ceiling. Zhuqiaomon was using Suszakumon itself as a weapon.
They retreated to Taomon's force field to keep from being struck and crushed beneath the wreckage of what was once the audience chamber.
Cherubimon delivered a couple of kicks, one to the bottom jaw, snapping his mouth shut. Shuichon heard teeth crack. This took out his shield.
"You shall meet your punishment for that!... Phoenix Fire!"
"I have your punishment right here: Lightening Spear!". This deflected the fireball, and struck him. His head snapped back.
"Storm of Judgment!" Zhuqiaomon was hit with many lightening strikes that blasted a hole in the ground that Zhuqiaomon dropped into and out of sight.
"We got him!", Lopmon exclaimed.
"Thanks, Lopmon", Shuichon told him, "you saved Jen".
"We both did".
"Humans and digimon working together... power enough to destroy even a god", Terriermon said.
The Light of Evolution appeared once again, and Cherubimon split into two smaller figures. Once it faded out, Shuichon and Lopmon were standing side-by-side. As they believed the danger past, they all devolved.
"How did you do that?", Jen asked.
"I... don't really know", Shuichon explained. "I didn't want Lopmon to die, after I saw what was happening back where you left me on my digivice. Then I saw how badly Terriermon was beaten, and I didn't want him to hurt you. It just happened after that... Maybe because we saw how Takato and Guilmon did it before? I can't explain it better than that".
"How did they know?", Jen asked no one in particular.
"We don't know what the Ancient Ones really are capable of doing", Impmon explained. "They must've been keeping an eye on Shuichon, maybe for as long as you've been a Tamer. They must've seen some quality in her... That really is the extent of our knowledge of them".
"We really don't know", Renamon explained. "We've been trying to find out; maybe some day, we'll understand better".
"Now that that's settled, we go get Calumon, get the others, and get out of here", Koichi said.
Just then there came an explosion from the pit into which Zhuqiaomon disappeared, a bright red glow, then something looking like a ball of glowing plasma rose into the sky. It resolved itself into a definite shape...
"He regenerated?", Koichi asked.
"Shit!", was all Renamon had to say about what was undeniable: Zhuqiaomon was back.
"You thought you could defeat me that easily?", his attitude hadn't improved one bit. "Your defiance will not be forgiven, and all of you have sealed your doom!"
He waved his wings, causing a hurricane force wind. Even worse was the devolutions to Rookie level, once they believed the danger had passed. Now, debris from the wreckage of Suszakumon posed a threat.
"Matrix Evolution: digimodify!"
Renamon Evolve! ...
... TAOMON
"On!", she produced the force field just in time to protect them. "This isn't over yet, not by a long shot".
"How long can you keep the force field up?", Kazu asked.
"For the rest of my life", she answered, but that wasn't exactly reassuring. Zhuqiaomon was beginning his attack run, and Taomon dodged as the bird "god" flew past.
"Give up now", he threatened, "you can't run forever". This time, the force field was caught in his wing tip vortexes, as it tumbled through the air.
Impmon and Terriermon looked at each other, and nodded at each other.
"Hell do you think you're doing!", Kazu called out, as the two Rookies leaped from the protection of the force field.
"Night of Fire!"
"Petit Twister!"
Both attacked Zhuqiaomon together. Neither attack accomplished a thing, as they couldn't get past Zhuqiaomon's shield. Even without the shield, they would do no damage.
"Surrender now, your efforts are futile", Zhuqiaomon threatened.
"Never", Impmon called back to him. "Night of Fire!", he attacked again.
"You are nothing more than irritating insects!"
"Petit Twister!"
"I see now", Koichi explained, "they bought us time. He's that much of an egomaniac, he's concentrating on them, not us. Brilliant".
"We have to save them!", Shuichon called out.
"Zhuqiaomon, end this!", Koichi called out, "end this now".
"I intend to", he replied, "and these two will be the first to go!"
Impmon and Terriermon were swimming for the shore.
Zhuqiaomon spread his four wings wide, and four bright yellow orbs appeared at the wing tips, bright enough to turn night into day.
"They'll never withstand that!", Lopmon said.
"Blazing Helix!", he attacked.
"No! Impmon!", Kazu called out.
"Terriermon!", Shuichon said.
"Taomon! Do something!", Jen called out.
"There's nothing I can do", she apologized.
There was another energy burst from somewhere that intercepted the fiery braids, deflecting the attack, breaking it up.
"Who dares defy me in my own domain?!", Zhuqiaomon demanded.
From below, Impmon and Terriermon watched the approach of a black cloud swirling in a vortex like a storm cloud about to spawn a tornado.
"Stop this fight this instant!"
They didn't need their digivices to recognize Qinglongmon.
"Qinglongmon! Get the fuck out of my territory!", Zhuqiaomon demanded. "This is a violation of the Noninterference Pact!"
"I hope they haven't decided to join forces", Lopmon said.
"Yes, I agree, it is a violation", Qinglongmon told him. "You have hidden behind that pact for far too long. You go too far, and exceeded my violation by many orders of magnitude. You abrogate to yourself titles that are not rightfully yours. You decided, all by yourself, to take back that which does not belong to you. You, all by yourself, decide to declare war on the Material World..."
"The Outworlders are a threat to our very existence! Even now, they invade, unwelcome and unwanted. They destroyed twelve loyal servants!"
"Your vision of the truth is highly selective Zhuqiaomon. You whine over the loss of your Deva, but it was you who sent them to terrorize the Outworlders. They acted in self defense..."
"I will hear no more of this bullshit! Blazing Helix!", Zhuqiaomon attacked Qinglongmon.
"Aurora Force!", he retaliated.
The shock wave sent Taomon's shield sphere flying away from the area of conflict, just as Qinglongmon intended, though it wasn't a comfortable trip for its occupants.
"Did he just save us?", Kazu asked.
"Seems pretty obvious, doesn't it?", Koichi told him.
"Shibumi told us there was some dispute between the Sovereign", Jen explained.
"Now it's broken out into open warfare", Koichi agreed. "I just hope we can keep from becoming collateral damage".
"Enough Zhuqiaomon! Your fight against me is as pointless as your nonsensical vendetta against the Outworlders..."
"They endanger our future!"
"You should be concentrating on opposing the Ancient Enemy, that is the true threat, not the Outworld!"
"They attacked first! They made that weapon..."
"Did you even think to try negotiation? Did you ever bother to consider that it was a misunderstanding? What have you done to dispel any misunderstanding? You issued threats instead. What else were they to think, but that they were under attack?"
"We need to overcome the humans, then we can become powerful enough to take care of that Ancient Enemy"
"It is evolution itself that is endangering us, not the humans and not the Outworld. If we are to preserve our world, then we must stop evolving..."
"So that is why you locked away the digientelechia disguised as a digimon and sent it to the Material World..."
"Are they talking about Calumon?", Jen asked.
"It's pretty obvious. I knew all along that our little cream puff was more than he seemed", Koichi told him.
"I did no such thing, however, it was the wise decision to conceal it. How and why it found its way into the Material World was none of my doing".
"What is this 'Ancient Enemy'?", Koichi asked.
"I don't know", Lopmon explained, "however it isn't a digimon".
"A human then?"
"No, definitely not human. It isn't like the Ancient Ones either. No one knows what its true form is, though it is said that it's as old as digimon, or maybe even predates digimon altogether. There are legends, but they're incomplete. For a long time, it was inactive, and no one paid it much attention because we thought it gone forever. That was, until it reawakened".
"I've had enough of your arrogance Qinglongmon. You invade my territory, interfere in my affairs, and your appeasement of the Ancient Enemy has brought ruin on us all".
"You speak of arrogance, but what have your ideas gotten us?"
"The digientelechia, and I intend to use it to defeat the Ancient Enemy..."
"Is that what motivates you, or is it your anti-human bigotry? You saw for yourself how powerful a being resulted from combining human and digimon..."
"I refuse to discuss that abomination! Blazing Helix!", he attacked again.
"No Zhuqiaomon!", Jen called out. "If that's the only way to show you...", he leaped out of the protective sphere.
"I'm comin' too!", Kazu followed.
"TERRIERMON!"
"IMPMON!"
Impmon Matrix Evolve! ...
... CUCHULAMON!
Cuchulamon wore ancient looking Celtic armour, with fleece exposed at the shoulders. The purple hair hung in thick braids below a white helmet with three horns somewhat below the shoulders. Two horns projected from the sides, and curved forward. A third projected upwards from the forehead, also curving forward. He was wearing a purple cape. Red bandanna tied around the right bicep. Kazu looked around his purple Data Sphere.
Terriermon Matrix Evolve! ...
... SAINT GALGOMON!
Saint Galgomon was a tall, anthrocat cyborg with ridiculously thin thighs and calves as thick as tree trunks. He wore bright green body armour, the body bristling with gun ports. Two missile launchers on his shoulders, the warheads decorated with cute kitty faces. These smiled as the warheads armed themselves. Jen's Data Sphere was bright green to match Saint Galgomon's armour. He was also equipped with a rocket pack for flight.
"Hero's Light!", Cuchulamon struck first, taking out Zhuqiaomon's shield, nearly blowing him out of the sky. "Let him have it!"
"Burst shot!", Saint Galgomon fired the ordinance at the digimon god, scoring direct hits.
"Impressive", Zhuqiaomon had to agree, "but not good enough!" He drove them back with that wind he created with his wings. "You two shall be defeated!"
"Not before we make you understand...", Saint Galgomon told him.
"You shall not take over this world!"
"We don't want to...", Cuchulamon protested.
"Spare me your lies!"
"If that's what it takes, then we shall defeat you!", Cuchulamon called out... "Hero's Light!"
"Giant Bazooka!, Saint Galgomon attacked.
These attacks would have been enough to take him out again, but for Qinglongmon's intervention that deflected both attacks.
"This fighting is senseless and pointless. It's the Ancient Enemy we should be concentrating on, not each other. Zhuqiaomon: give them a chance. They really do want to help"
"That's what we've been trying to tell him!", Saint Galgomon and Cuchulamon both insisted.
Zhuqiaomon knew he had no choice. Between Qinglongmon and the two Mega level digimon, he would be defeated once and for all. Taomon maneuvered her shield sphere back to the ruins of Suszakumon, where everyone was waiting.
Takato had seen the battle from a distance, and figured that he and Guilmon should lead Juri and Kenta to rejoin their companions. Fortunately, the "mag-lev" was still operational.
"Juri?", Koichi asked.
"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea, coming here. So far, all we've seen is pain".
"I know it hurts, but we have to get through it. I know it doesn't seem like it, but you will. I know you will", Koichi tried to offer words of little comfort. "I speak from experience", he explained, "my mother... she was killed in a traffic accident a couple of years ago. It hit all of us - Dad, my sister... me - pretty hard. We didn't think we'd ever get over it, but we did. I still miss her - that won't ever go away, but the sadness does".
"My mother also died... when I was little".
"I didn't know that", he said. "Something else we have in common that I wish we didn't".
"I know you're trying to do your best..."
Now that this battle was over, Cuchulamon, Saint Galgomon, and Taomon devolved. They all assembled at the wreckage of Suszakumon.
"What's this 'true enemy'?", Jen asked.
"We don't know", Qinglongmon said, "we don't know what to call it, what its name is, or even if it has a name. From what little we've been able to determine, it seems to have existed for as long as digimon. For all we know, it could be older than that, as old as the Ancient Ones, as old as the Digital World itself.
"We do know that it attacked and destroyed a lot of digimon when we first arrived. The whole of the Digital World was desolation. Who came before? We do not know, except for the ruins they left behind. Were they destroyed by this Ancient Enemy? Possibly. We simply do not know that it did, or if there had been a cataclysmic war, or some other sort of natural disaster. We have had no success in deciphering the glyphs they left behind.
"Then, for some reason, it departed, disappearing far beneath the layers of the Digital World. It existed outside, and went into a long dormancy. We were able to rebuild the Digital World, creating ecosystems that suited the various species of digimon. We had our problems, however, these were of our own making after coming to self-awareness, the necessary growing pains, as it were. After a few ill-fated attempts at governing the Digital World, we decided on a federated monarchy: four Sovereign with their own kingdoms, and a pact of non-interference between ourselves.
"Then, for some unknown reason its dormancy broke. We figured that coming into self-awareness, the way we've grown the Digital World, the way we've evolved, reawakened it once again. At first, the destruction was mild. Then it began to grow worse. We figured that if evolution was suspended, then it might return to its harmless state, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
"It looks like our evolution was the very source of our destruction; we brought it on ourselves..."
"I still disagree", Zhuqiaomon objected, "it can't be appeased, and concealing the digientelechia was a major miscalculation on your part, Qinglongmon. All you did was give it time to increase its power, and the threat. That was foolish, attempting to appease it instead of destroying it when we had the chance".
"I never had that power, but something else does".
"The digignomes?", Koichi asked as a flock of them were arriving.
"The Ancient Ones, those you call 'digignomes'", Qinglongmon agreed.
They were bringing something, or rather someone, with them. "Who's that?"
"Mr. Mizuno", Jen explained. He worked with my father on the original digimon project. He sometimes goes by 'Shibumi' - or at least he did in his Wild Bunch days".
"Would you, perhaps, know anything about this Ancient Enemy?", Koichi asked.
"Indeed I do, and I suppose this is why the digignomes brought me here. It's name is 'D-reaper'. You have to remember, back in those days, memory was a precious commodity, 32 Megabytes was common, and 64 Megs a luxury. Processors had but a fraction of the power they have these days. To conserve these resources, the D-reaper was written to prevent any one application from hogging too much memory. What I don't understand is why it's a threat. It's an obsolete program, hardly necessary today, and it never amounted to more than maybe a hundred lines of C code. Something must've changed it".
"What could do that?", Jen asked. "It digivolved, but wasn't that just for digimon?"
"That doesn't make much sense", Koichi agreed, "unless someone was fucking with it".
"It deleted a lot of digimon", Shibumi explained, "so it is possible that it inherited the ability to evolve from those deleted digimon. However, it doesn't appear it inherited the ability to develop self-awareness. It's still just following its original imperative: delete that which takes up too much memory, and that means digimon, and the Digital World itself".
"I told you so", Zhuqiaomon protested, "they created the Ancient Enemy. You just heard one of them admit it! That makes three times they have tried to destroy us! And you still won't call them the enemy!"
"Didn't you tell us that you protect the world of digimon?", Koichi pointed out. "Well, that's what Chief Yamaki was doing: protecting the world of humans from beings he feared, and which he didn't understand. He's no different from you: both of you wanted to do right, but you chose the wrong methods..."
"How dare you compare me with a human!", Zhuqiaomon roared.
"You're absolutely right, I shouldn't compare you to Yamaki". He pulled out the hand-held. "Before we left the Material World, Yamaki gave us this so that we could stay in touch with him, and with the families we left behind. At least he was able to learn from his mistakes. Are you admitting that a mere human can do what the 'Digimon God' can not?"
Zhuqiaomon realize too late the logical trap that was set for him, and into which he'd fallen. That pretty much shut him up.
"Now where are they taking him?", Koichi asked as the digignomes flew off with Shibumi.
Calumon had finally escaped from that "flask", and was busy climbing out of the pit where he'd been dropped. This deep pit was located right in the middle of the Sovereign's realm. He wasn't built for free rock climbing, but he had more than enough determination to make up for that.
He was also the first one to see the first of the D-reaper's chaos mass bubbling up from the D-reaper's digital lair.
The Material World: Hypnos HQ
"I can get rid of that error message", Daisy was explaining, "if I give the algorithm a tweak. Pretty good, huh?", she congratulated herself.
"That's fine, but it has to be better than pretty good", Janyu was explaining, "lives are depending on us".
They had a basic design for the Ark, but this was an attempt at something that had never been attempted before: design a vehicle that could be sent to the Digital World in virtual form, then bring back the Tamers and their partners, re-materialize them in physical form in the Material World. What made matters worse was that it didn't look like they had the luxury of time, nor would there likely be any "test flights". That episode of Digital Hazard had made that clear.
"Hurry up", Janyu said as he was waiting for a library to compile for testing to see if the last round of bugs had been caught. It had always been the worst part of programming.
"He's right", Yamaki said, "this is taking too long".
"I don't know what else we can do", Babel explained, "we have colleagues all over the world helping solve this problem".
"This is the kind of work I've always wanted to do", Daisy was saying, "just like old times when we were working on creating digimon".
"I like nostalgia as much as the next guy", Babel protested, "but back then lives weren't at stake".
"That's all we need: just a little bit more time, then we can bring them home... I just hope we have that little bit of time".