Chapter 22 – Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
Golgomon outstretched his every fibrous muscle, and a torrent of raw hot energy was unleashed with him. It hit everyone like a wave of pressure, slowly forcing them all to the ground. Beating his gigantic wings, the great red dragon that had once been Daemon took flight into the air, and suddenly the ground below him split asunder and as he flew upwards a black cloud began to eat the sky. Crowding around him as he flew, the many demonic Digimon of the Dark Area roared in vicious approval as they became bound up in his hazardous aura. Looking down at his sundered enemies, Golgomon let loose another roar and as if by his will alone, The Codec Ruins began to rupture and fall apart.
Within the dome of the bastion, panic began override reason as the surviving Digimon ran about in terror, many being crushed beneath falling debris as the ceiling above them split and fell apart. Tai watched in horror next to Matt and Sora from Phoenixmon's back as a small group of Gekomon attempted to find safety by leaping onto the back of a passing Monochromon, only for all of them to seconds later be consumed by a fissure in the floor that quickly widened into a great and bottomless chasm. Across the room, Lillymon was struggling to carry not only Mimi on her back but also Joe, Gomamon and an unconscious Izzy in her arms. Her wings were beating furiously as she attempted to maintain momentum and keep them in the air. Further away Exveemon and Stingmon has DNA Digivolved back into Imperialdramon and were carrying Davis, Ken, Yolei and Cody along with their partners to safety. The only ones who remained on the ground were Kari, Ophanimon, TK and Patamon.
TK had pulled Kari into his arms and was carrying her towards Ophanimon. The angel had taken the brunt of ChaosGallantmon's blast, but all the same she rose and struggled forward. TK was calling out to her, entreating her to take Kari and fly them both away from here before the ground crumbled beneath them, but Ophanimon's attention was focused on only one thing. Roughly fifty feet away, Takato was kneeling on the ground next to Guilmon, his shoulders slumped, and his face turned despondently towards the ground. Slowly, he reached up and removed his goggle from his head, letting them fall at his side. The ground beneath him was beginning to crack and split, but Takato did not seem to care. Rising, Guilmon began to bump Takato with his nose. "Come on Takato- we need to go." Without meeting his friend's gaze, Takato said "You should go buddy, I'm going to stay here…"
Ophanimon outstretched her damaged wings and dived towards Takato just as the ground beneath him and Guilmon gave way and the two began to fall. At the same time, TK and Patamon digivolved into Dominimon and took flight with Kari in their arms. But for all of them it was too late, while the mountain split asunder and swallowed the floor of the bastion the ceiling collapsed and sent an avalanche of stone down on top of them. As Phoenixmon dodged falling debris, Tai wanted to scream Kari's name as he lost sight of her below but suppressed it with the knowledge that she was with Dominimon, and he had faith TK would keep his sister safe. All the same with this mountain collapsing around them, Dominimon and Kari had nowhere to go but down. And so down they flew, spinning down in a controlled descent that dodged the hail of brick and stone that fell along with them. Further below, TK could see Ophanimon snatching Takato and Guilmon from the air before fanning her wings out to slow them as they fell.
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In the sky above the collapsed mountain ruins, Golgomon was growing accustomed to his new form. The great red dragon felt power course through his every muscle and sinew, as if by merely exhaling or flexing his gigantic body he could batter the world around him to dust, as if with a single though he could burn it to ash. He no longer felt pain at the loss of Lillithmon or her betrayal, he no longer felt the stain of his degradation- all he felt was his own intoxicating power. And that was not even his peak, he could tell that there were heights yet to be reached, a perfection yet to be attained. Looking around at this paltry and small little Digital World with its weak and flimsy creatures, Golgomon felt a contempt for the fact that he had ever limited his ambition to merely wanting to rule them. Even the most powerful among them, the mega-levels- were nothing compared to him. It was as these thoughts flew through his mind that he noticed Barbamon and Mephistomon approaching him, flanked by two of the captains of his army- Nocturnismon and Necroshademon.
Barbamon looked to have some misgivings about his new form, but those feelings were well hidden by the obvious fear he felt as he beheld Golgomon. The colossal crimson dragon armoured in obsidian scales looked down at his two supplicants with eyes that burned as bright and as hot as twin furnaces. Mephistomon bowed with deference, and after a moment Barbamon followed suit. "We live to serve you- your magnificence…" Mephistomon said with a near-religious fervour. For the second time since he had been born, Golgomon spoke. "That is good, because I have a command for you. Barbamon- how many worlds can you open gateways to?" At this query Barbamon looked nervously up at his master, and after a moment replied shakily. "Many sire- the humans created pathways to several worlds, but with how many dimensions my data was dispersed to prior to my return- I believe I can open gateways to many more worlds." As if in tune with their masters' emotions, the many fallen angel Digimon began to crow and scream at Barbamon's words. "Good." Said Golgomon with no small measure of satisfaction. "Open as many as you can at once."
Barbamon was confused at this, and while the last thing he wanted to do was question his master- all the same his curiosity got the better of him. "But- why sire?" he said, preparing for the worst. "With the new power I have attained- this little world no longer interests me. But there are others, and I will rule them all. Open your gateways, and I will provide the emissaries of my will." He said, turning away from Barbamon. Next, he brought his attention to the many fallen angel Digimon was flew around his gigantic body and basked in his dark aura. Slowly, he reached out and began to touch each of them with his mind, one by one. He had long ago promised to be their saviour from their own degradation, and as Daemon he had failed in this endeavour. But as Golgomon- he would offer them something better. He would bring them ascension. And so, by touching the very data at the core of their being with his new influence- he implanted within them a piece of his own power. And in a single moment that small seed of power began to germinate and grow in each of them.
Barbamon and Mephistomon watched in mounting horror as the sky around them turned into a chorus of animalistic screaming. Slowly, painfully, the former host of Lucemon were transforming. This was not digivolution though, there was nothing natural or controlled in this process. Instead, scarlet growths began to painfully burst from their skin and cover their bodies, all the while a roaring yellow energy began to pour from every orifice in their faces. Parts of their bodies instantly elongated while at the same time others withered and disappeared. Over a matter of minutes, thousands of these fallen angels were twisted and torn into new forms by the foreign energy growing inside them. Barbamon watched with horror as Devidramon near him sprouted red fur all over its body, while at the same it's long draconic face began to flatten, with its jaw extending down along the length of its shoulders and pairs of curved horns sprouting from it's back. In a matter of moments, it no longer resembled a Devidramon at all or any Digimon Barbamon had ever heard of. Privately, he felt a strong sense of disgust at what had been done to these Digimon. Now, they were little more than beasts
"Now," said Golgomon, his voice booming even over the screams of his Data Beasts. "Open your gateways Barbamon." Barbamon very nearly hesitated, but his fear of Golgomon outweighed any of his misgivings and without making his master wait a single second he turned on his heel and took his staff in both hands. Slowly, he began to call forth the knowledge within him of the many dimensions outside this one. He could feel his own energies piercing through the fabric of this reality and touching many others. He felt the world that mirrored this Digital World. He felt the world that Takato had come from, and its Digital World. Then, reaching out further, he felt more worlds come under his awareness. Worlds both similar and vastly different. Dozens of realities- both Digital and Material- and even some that seemed to meet neither definition. Slowly, the very fabric of reality around him began to bend and warp, and moments later portals began to form in the air. At first a few, then more and more. Soon a wall of different realities stood shining in front of the Golgomon and his host.
No command was given, it was not needed. The Data Beasts knew their master's will as instantly as he knew it himself, for not they were joined together as though they were one being. With horrifying inhuman roars, the beasts extended their wings and lashed towards the wall of portals. Seemingly with no rhyme or reason they began to enter these different realities, and on the other side of the portals- humans and Digimon and even other creatures whose proper names we do not know watched in horror as these ravening red beasts appeared from thin air and began to lay waste to the unfamiliar worlds around them. In Shinjuku on the Tamer's World- the population who had been spending their time rebuilding and taking full account of what had been lost in the assault on their city were whipped into a panic as they watched a dozen or so of these crimson monsters enter their reality from a portal high in the sky above them. For a moment the creatures simply flew in a wide circle, the wind flowing under their tattered red wings as they watched the humans milling about in the already desolated city below them. But then, they opened their mouths and began to belch bursts of scarlet energy. As streets and buildings were reduced to rubble in moments, terror returned to Shinjuku.
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Behind the cover of the plume of rising smoke that was coming from the collapsed remains of the Codec Ruins, Phoenixmon touched down on the forest floor followed shortly after by Lillymon and Imperialdramon. One by one, the Digidestined made their way beneath the cover of the trees. Nobody had much to say as their partners de-digivolved back to their base forms. Some time later, the Tamers arrived in the forest, much to everyone's surprise. As they made their way into the centre of the gathering, it was Matt who asked first, "How did you guys make it off the hilltop?". The Tamers looked at the rest of the group frostily, but it was Rika who answered "Renamon managed to digivolve to Kyubimon and get us out of the ruins before they collapsed." For a moment an awkward silence enveloped them, but then Henry took the initiative "Look, we've decided we're going to go home to our dimension. We fight better on our home territory – and we haven't been able to do much good here. We came here to help Takato, and we failed…"
"So, you're just giving up? Come on, what kind of Digidestined are you guys?". The normally even-tempered Rika's eyes flashed with irritation as she turned to Davis and said, "Put a sock in it Goggle-head, and anyway we told you- we're not Digidestined!" Joe stepped forward, still holding an injured Gomamon in his arms, "Please guys, we can't turn on each other now!". Henry raised his hands in defence of himself and his friends "We're not turning on anyone, we just want to go home!". Tai had so far only wanted to listen, distracted as he was by the absence of his sister, but now he realised he had to speak up. "That's what we all want Henry, but this isn't something we can run from. If we don't stand up to Golgomon we'll just be condemning more people to suffer. Like it or not- we're the last line of defence the Digital World has!".
Tai's words clearly found footing in everyone's hearts, as the ensuing silence made clear that for better or worse, everyone agreed with him. That silence was moments later broken though by a voice from above. "I'm afraid the situation is much more serious than that Tai Kamiya." Turning, all beheld as Azulongmon's long ethereal body snaked its way down the mountain and his bearded face placed itself above the very tops of the highest trees around them. From out of the smoke of the hilltop, slowly the three other Sovereigns appeared and made their way down towards the edge of the forest. It was Ken who stepped forward first to ask the question that was no doubt on everyone's mind "What do you mean Azulongmon?". The great blue dragon's eyes closed pensively for a few moments before he responded in the gravest tone. "Unchallenged, Golgomon has already begun his conquest of not only this world, but many others. His minions lay waste to many worlds as we speak. Awakening our master Fanglongmon is no longer an option. Even if this world is destroyed, Golgomon will only spread to another. If he is to be stopped, it is by drawing him into a conflict and defeating him. If such a thing is indeed possible…"
The uncertainty of this statement did very little to inspire the kids, especially as they were already tired, battered and bloodied. Seeing this, Ebonwumon trundled slowly forward and raised on his heads to address the group. "But know this, we will do all we can to help. We kept the truth from you before, and for that we are truly sorry. But if you will trust us now- we swear we will give everything to help you!". There was only silence for a moment, but it was Henry Wong who stepped forward first "Then we're with you…" Tai turned to Henry flashed him his signature cocky smile, which the younger boy returned. Leaping onto Henry's shoulder, Terriermon pointed up at the Sovereign's and said, "This is great and all- but how are you going to help us fight that overgrown lizard?". It was Zhuqaiomon who responded, saying solemnly "We will give over all our remaining power to heal you all. At your maximum strength, you may be able to match Golgomon. Our bodies will cease to be- but it is a price worth paying." Cody raised a hand politely, a worried expression crossing his serious features "A-are you sure about that- you'll give up your lives for us?". An expression resembling a congenial smile appeared on Azulongmon's ageless face, and with a small chortle he said "We have faith in you all. And anyway, if you succeed- we will be reborn."
Satisfied, the kids did their best to prepare for one final fight. Hugs and tender words were exchanged, the last chance before the fight of their lives. As Tai broke away from a final embrace with Sora, he noticed Matt was standing awkwardly by the side, awaiting his friend. "What's up buddy?" Tai asked earnestly. "Listen dude, I know I have this Cipher of the Ancients or whatever…but I want to do this fight as Omnimon." Tai was taken aback by this request, but all the same smiled and hugged his friend. Tai and Matt had always shared a deep and solemn bond, and Tai knew that if this was to be their final battle- they both wanted to honour it.
Izzy had awoken earlier, and now lay with his head in Mimi's lap while Palmon pressed a wet rag against his head. His eyes were puffy from tears cried over his friend Tentomon, but all the same he knew that if his friends could succeed in this final fight- he would see him again. It was as he thought about this that he noticed Joe idling behind Mimi. Instantly, he could tell what this was about. With a small smile, Izzy said "I'm feeling a little better Mimi, maybe you should check on Joe?". Mimi placed a hand reassuringly on his shoulder before rising, turning her doe eyes framed by chestnut hair away from him, and towards the waiting Joe. Brushing because his own long hair nervously, Joe said "Listen Mimi- I just wanted to ask, if we make it through this…if maybe I could…see you sometime…like maybe, for dinner…or a movie…or…" his cheeks were beginning to burn, and Joe knew he must have involuntarily turned a shade of pink. He didn't want to raise his eyes from the floor, terrified of what he might see. To his eternal shock though, Mimi threw her arms around his neck before he could even raise his eyes. "I'd love to go on a date with you Joe, thank you for asking!" she said sweetly, and in that moment Joe knew he must have turned bright red.
Across the clearing, Rika, Henry, and Ryo stood with their three partners. "Ready for one last round buddy?" Henry asked Terriermon with a smile. "You betcha!" Terriermon replied with a smile. Rika turned to Renamon, and to not just Renamon's surprise but everyone's said "Listen, in case die- you're the big sister I never had, and I love you so much!" and to cap off this amazing admittance, she threw her arms around Renamon and drew her into the biggest hug. "I-I love you too Rika. I really do…" Renamon said, settling into the hug and wrapping her arms around the girl. It wasn't much longer before everyone was ready.
The kids and their partner Digimon formed a circle around the Sovereign, who began to glow in a brilliant white light. Slowly, this light extended outwards and enveloped the whole group. As soon as it touched them, the kids and their Digimon began to feel instantly filled with strength and resolve. At once, the light shot upwards and announced itself for many miles around. Then, voices began to call from the light:
"WARGREYMON…METALGARURUMON…DNA DIGIVOLVE TO OMNIMON!"
"BIYOMON, WARP DIGIVOLVE TO…PHOENIXMON!"
"IMPERIALDRAMON, CHANGE TO…IMPERIALDRAMON PALADIN MODE!"
"PALMON, WARP DIGIVOLVE TO…ROSEMON!"
"GOMAMON, WARP DIGIVOLVE TO…VIKEMON!"
"HAWKMON, WARP DIGIVOLVE TO…VALKYRIMON!"
"ARMADILLOMON, WARP DIGIVOLVE TO…CANNONDRAMON!"
"RENAMON BIOMERGE TO…SAKUYAMON!"
"TERRIERMON BIOMERGE TO…MEGAGARGOMON!"
"MONODRAMON BIOMERGE TO…JUSTIMON!"
On the forest floor, four Digi-eggs sat in the space where the Sovereigns had been. In the sky above, the Digidestined and The Digimon Tamers let loose a battle cry and flew towards their destiny.
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That's Chapter 22. Points to whoever can tell me what the chapter title is reference to. Sincerely hope you're enjoying this story- please leave a review if so.