"Remember!" Sakura said, right before grabbing the ring on Arukenimon, the moment it shattered, everything went white. They were now in a garden surrounded by flowers, of various beautiful flowers, where they stood was a bush of breathtaking roses, Sakura's vision cleared, and instead of Arukenimon, it was Arukeni, a girl her own age in appearance, the one from the vision, all the spider features were gone. She stood there looking at her own hands.
"Aru… my name was Aru…" Aru said, looking up from her hands.
"I remember this was my mothers, she brought me here to help her, while she told me stories, they all had happy endings" Aru said, while walking towards the rosebush, she bent over and smell one of the blossoms. "Then those horrible set fire to this place and killed my mother" her eyes glowed with fury, she cringed and it stopped when she saw Sakura flinch back from it. "My dad went to confront them and I never saw him again," she ran a few feet and dropped to a sitting position sobbing.
"People when scared, can do stupid, horrible things, I once thought the same as you do now, like I said met people, they changed that, by the way I don't think you a monster, not really one at all" Sakura said, walking up to where Aru sat crying.
"You don't?" Aru asked, turning to face Sakura.
"You are special, and exceptional person" Sakura responded, crouching to be at face level, with Aru. "We are the same"
"What about the people that hurt you, don't you ever want to make them suffer?" Aru said, tracing a finger across the scar on the bridge of Sakura's nose.
"Well, yeah, but what good would that do" Sakura said, thinking about it brought forward flashes of all the rocks thrown at her. "Just because there are bad people, doesn't mean there aren't any good, I thought the same thing for a while, but there's always someone out there for you"
Out of nowhere the monument appeared, Arukenimon statue right where it had been before, Aru walked over and sat underneath it. "This was made in my honor out of my remains?" She said, in a happy yet sad tone. "How does my story end?"
"That's up to you" Sakura answered, walking over and sitting beside Aru.
"This is a beautiful, I remember now before I fell into darkness, I watched people from here, as they went around their daily lives I had forgiven them" Aru said, laying her head on Sakura's chest. She started to glow, and dissolve and so did everything else around them, replacing Aru was Digi egg, and a silver chain split itself from it, tracing itself toward and connecting with a chain that had sprouted from Sakura, who now cradled the egg in her arms. Something glowed in her pocket. That's when a voice called out to her, she didn't recognize but, it was soothing, and came from all around her.
"The Digidestined need your help, I'll help you be strong enough, now digivolve, and go to them now" said the mystery voice.
Out of nowhere a light struck Sakura and her digiegg, and they were engulfed in spheres of light, when they dissipated, the egg not only hatched, but evolved further than its rookie form.
"Who are you?" Sakura asked, but received no reply, she waited for one, several minutes, but no one spoke to her again. She stared down at her digimon partner, she still couldn't believe it, she thought why now all of a sudden, why couldn't this have happened years ago, sparing her off all the trauma. All those memories flooded into her mind, she traced her finger across the scar on the bridge of her nose, as flashes of the past haunted her, her current state of euphoria allowed her to push those horrible things out of her mind, she was needed, she needed to help Leoben and the other digidestined. She needed to hurry and get to them as fast as she could.
Digimon Sync 02 Episode 7 "Along Came a Spider"
Nyxdramon was still trying to get through what was preventing her from getting into the village, she wanted to rip everyone apart, but was confused what was preventing her from doing this, there were no Hybrids in there as far as she knew but something was holding her out. That's when Aethermon appeared, he looked exasperated.
"She can you show a little patience, this isn't getting you anywhere, and father is upset you have ignored his orders, he wants you home now, before he considers punishing you for this, please sister head home" Aethermon said, pleading with his sister to see reason.
"We can take them together, and bring him what he wants, she is there, All we have to do is kill the rest" Nyxdramon pleading back to her brother.
Aethermon walked over to the spot darkness gave way to light "Look whatever is keeping us out, is a complete unknown, is it worth risking that thing might appear and possibly wipe us out" he said still reasoning with his sister. "You know Thanatosmon, he would wipe you even if you succeed, you disobeyed an order from father, even if you8 had his best interests in mind"
"I hate you, but you have a point" Nyxdramon said, with a sigh of admission "but will we have this chance again, they are right in front of us"
"They will not vanish suddenly without one of us killing them right?" Aethermon said, turning briefly to look sympathetically towards the Arukeni village, then turned back to face his sister.
"I really hate that you are tight again, but what is family for, we were created to bring ruin to this world, but we have to be patient about it so ok, I'll go back home with you" Nyxdramon said, her wings appearing on her back, obsidian and barely visible in the darkness, presence known mostly by their loud flapping.
"Be prepared dad might be angry with you just by making this attempt without permission, we have other things we have to do" Aethermon said, almost clear wings appeared from his back, they seemed to be made out of air itself, only visible by the bright glow that emanated from them. Nyxdramon nodded and they flew off together.
Unknowing to them something had been watching them, a single bat hovered on the other side of the darkness wall, once it they left it yawned and flew away.
-Arukeni Village-
"I see a bunch of freaks, who don't know when to leave, since the threads of friendship have arrived" Sakura and her digimon partner said at the same time.
"Another digidestined, this one has spunk for once, like her" Temujin said, a sick grin spreading across his face. "I guess you are the reason those bandaged creatures are gone, and I am staring at a bunch of worthless people, at least they can be conscious before I render them down to bloody flesh and bone. So thank you for that part, for freeing them, I hate you I was going to watch the digidestined be torn to shreds"
"Is stupid this guy's middle name?" Sakura asked, without expecting an answer, it was a rhetorical question that she knew the answer to. At least she knew the answer to, and didn't care what everyone else thought it was.
Temujin, briefly touched the side of his head, then started clapping, but only finished, before his digimon partner MetalPhobemon, was launched through several trees, causing him to stop and look in the direction digimon had been knocked in, he now scratched at the chin of his mask, with a befuddled expression on it. Teotihumon had taken his place beside him. "A cursed one with a digimon partner, thought that was impossible, oh well" he paused, nodded towards his compatriots, like he was confirming something with them, whatever that was only known to them. Until one of them vanished, and appeared again holding a small child about 8 years of age, he held an obsidian blade at the kid's throat. The kid was about to squirm "You better not do that would kill you in one nick, or scrap, tell your digimon to stand down, bring the incarnation to me"
Sakura halted her digimon partner, and so did Leoben, and Virgil, but Huang's digimon still advanced, he didn't believe that he wouldn't harm that kid if they did halt, he would avenge the kid if he was killed in the process of protecting this village. As he predicted the blade held stabbed into the kid, his eyes turned black, and smoke poured out of them and his mouth.
"I gave you a chance to surrender, and hand over the incarnation, I would rather kill everyone, deep down I want everyone dead, but I am a man of my word, and I just remembered I am supposed to bring her back with me" Temujin said, head tilted to one side, like he was taking a measure of everything.
Sakura gritted her teeth as she spoke "You were going to kill that kid, even if we stopped, and did what we were told" she said, grinding her teeth.
"So what, I like having fun with my opponents, watching you squirm, when you couldn't so anything to save that child's life, I'll continue to kill them till you come with me, little incarnation" Temujin said, pointlessly cleaning the blade he had stabbed into the child, since there hadn't been any bloody, it was like the blade itself didn't even cut flesh, only passed through the victim it killed.
"Is this guy a little off or something" Sakura whispered, to Leoben, who nodded in response "I guess it makes sense as he is the digidestined of chaos, but how are we supposed to deal with this guy?"
"This guy certified crazy, I don't know how we are going to deal with him" Leoben said, making side glances toward his digimon partner.
"So girl, so having a digimon partner, makes you like them now, all the years of being mistreated by people with digimon, even though your fellow orphans treated you like family, they still looked down on you, and you were never their equal" a voice said coming from one of the companions of Temujin, it was Erebosmon.
Sakura turned to look at her digimon partner, which brought back the flood of memories, which made her crumple to her knees.
"Starmon digivolve" Virgil shouted, as he stepped forward, running passed Sakura, him and his digimon partner engulfed in spheres of light. Now running alongside Virgil was SuperStarmon. Joining him was Leoben, who was seemed very pissed off, his digimon partner digivolved too. And now was Wizardmon.
Erebosmon still spoke through Temujin's companion digidestined, ignoring those who were charging in their direction. "Who do you think is responsible for cursed ones, my influence, all the rage and hate darkness, that blackened the landscape of this world, any digging going to its newborn child is destroyed passing through, leaving it without it" he said with Malice in his tone. "I wanted my sister suffer I don't care for any of you, so I don't care if you suffered. Now Temujin bring me the incarnation I am losing my patience"
"You monster, you caused so much pain with what you did" Sakura said, standing up, her gaze still on her digimon partner "A lot children died because of you, parents tossing them away like garbage… How dare you"
-Necropolis-
Karone turned to face Erebosmon "Was it wise to give them that info after the first part had demoralized, that girl?" She said, looking Erebosmon daringly in the eyes.
"I really don't care, this info will make my sister suffer, it was her fault more than it was mine, if she hadn't imprisoned me, my chaos wouldn't have corrupted her land, and destroying digimon, she will suffer more now" Erebosmon responded, ignoring Karone's confused expression.
"She will suffer, she surely will, they will for what they did to…" Karone said, trailing off, as she walked away from "The World should have been cleansed"
"It might be, if that's what it takes to make them feel my pain" Erebosmon said, his face cracking and repairing itself as he spoke, then repeating the process. "Now go away you little child of Lorrimon, I don't want to hear you anymore right now"
"Ok your eminence, I am at your beckon call, whenever you need me and my harbingers I'll do whatever you want" Karone said, nodding toward Ezekiel, who was just standing in the shadows.
"You are doing a lot, but looking at you makes me sick, you are weird little creatures, you seem harmless without these other creatures known as digimon, as one you guys would be stronger like those hybrids my sisters also created, my children are like them but unlike those hybrids my children who created for battle, and destruction, those hybrids are meant just to take care of things, and maintaining things" Erebosmon said, questioningly looking at his hand. "Then there are the digidestined they seem no threat to anything, but I have seen them do great feats in battle, those hybrids are keeping my children out of places, or outright ejecting them, which has to stop"
"Then we can end it all in one foul swoop, you can go through the door, maybe it will have the same effect like if Lilithmon had went through it?" Ezekiel said, from the shadows breaking his silence.
"No, I will not end everything in a blink of an eye, that would be too good for what they did to me, their suffering has to be prolonged, and take centuries, as they watch everything they have created fall, corrupted, and rot away" Erebosmon said, not even turning to face Ezekiel. Like he had now said a word at all, he continued to face the mirror, that was at the far end of the room. He began to walk towards it like it was drawing him to it. He placed his hand on the black mirrored surface, his hand not even reflecting in it, unlike the mirrors beside which reflected him completely. He was now ignoring those in the room with him, so they decided to leave him, to whatever he was presently doing, off in his own thoughts, which ever those were.
Karone, and Ezekiel remained silent, until they were sure they were alone, Karone turned to face him "Are you sure he will be the one this time?" He said, look of concern on Ezekiel's face, creasing his cold expression.
"I am sure, he will be the one" Karone answered, placing one of pale hands on Ezekiel's shoulder, a smile spreading across both their faces.
-Arukeni Village-
Temujin just starts to laugh, hard to crumple to his knees, looking at the sky above, holding his gut with both hands, he just continues to laugh like he had been told the best joke in the world, except no one had said anything remotely funny, showing completely that he himself wasn't mentally all there. He suddenly into a bowing position and pounded the ground with his fist, and laughed even louder.
"What is so funny, you creep, that your master caused so many people to die, because they didn't have digimon partners, or just driven out to die like they were cursed" Sakura said, through gritted teeth.
Temujin laughed a bit more than, the teeth on his mask was as big as the mask itself, making an eerie sight to behold "That's not it, I didn't know that they could puppet my companions like that it was funny hearing their voices coming from those who haven't spoken since I met them it was hilarious"
"What?" Juniko said, finally speaking up, she was still mentally struggling over why she couldn't digivolve her partner.
"I am going to wipe that stupid grin off that mask of yours, and rip it off your face, I want to beat some sanity back in you, if there is any left" Sakura said, still through gritted teeth, the whole revelation about why she had been born without a digimon had totally unhinged her, her angst was so apparent that the rest of the digidestined were worried for what would do next. She might end up hurting innocent civilians in the rampage that might happen any minute. She brought forward calming memories of the first day she met Scythe.
-10 years ago-
Sneaking into people's houses was daily routine now, even as a four year, she had gotten good at it, otherwise she would have starved to death months ago, and no one would give her food, seeing she didn't have a digimon partner, they would likely try to beat her to death for that reason. She avoided people for that reason, the sight of anything startled her, she was under her latest target's house, she was feeling around for loose floorboards and until she found one. She poked it, pushing it up, then she listened for any breath if she heard that definitely she would just leave. She heard nothing but a breeze going through the house, she started pushing the floorboards near that one and they all came loose, until it was big enough for her to squeeze through. Once inside Sakura looked around, there was still no sign of anyone, she smiled, her adorable child smile, of mischievousness. Now she started looking for the pantry. She found it without a second, and opened, the thing was filled with various cans of food, and salted meats and cheese. She grabbed a big chunk of cheese and put it in her mouth, the euphoria of touching her tongue caused her to shiver with joy, it had been days since she had eaten anything substantial, her stomach had started to hurt, and waves of dizziness.
"Hey, you!" A voice shouted, coming from beside Sakura, "Thief"
Sakura panicked and ran for her life, she was outside again within seconds, but the person was still chasing, she ran more until she tripped over something, she fell, that person caught up and swiftly kicked her in the stomach, driving the air from her stomach. She looked up to see the familiar look in the person, that person realized what she was. He had looked around for a digimon, usually a person's digimon partner would come running if their human partner was in danger. Since nothing arrived to protect, that's when more people arrived on the scene initially they might have been coming to her aid but once they also came to the same realization. they had picked up rocks, and started throwing them at, shouting cursed one, and joined in on the assault, her skin being puck marked with bruises, the one that had discovered her in his house. He picked up a large rock, and he was going to crush her head with it, but before he could do it, a hand grabbed his, and he was now face down in the mud. the person now had, their foot down on the man's neck breaking it. The person was joined by smaller people, probably children also in cloaks. The person pulled back their hood, revealing a young woman with red hair, within seconds it turned a deeper shade of red.
"I am Scythe, of the Kurokami Brigade, leave before I have to kill every single one of you, like this man here, I have no qualms with taking your bio data back to Ankou" She said coldly, and without any emotion in her tone whatsoever. This caused everyone that had been attacking Sakura to run for their lives, leaving her in the middle of the street battered, bruised, surrounded by people in cloaks, and add to that they are Lilithmon worshippers. The woman named Scythe now picked up Sakura, she instantly started treating her injuries. Another one of the cloaked figures ran up, and pulled off his hood, he was a little boy younger than she was but not by that much, with dark hair, and hazel brown eyes, he was as pale as Scythe. Starting from there on her life got better, she was no longer alone now, she had family.
-Present day-
"The look on your face is utterly hilarious, oh boo hoo I was a cursed one I was tormented by those all around me" Temujin said, interrupting Sakura's trek through memory lane.
"I'll kill you!" Sakura Screamed, forgetting herself and charging towards Temujin, who stood there as she did so. She drove her fist into his but when it wasn't him, it was one of his compatriots, they had stepped in-between her and him, taking the punch instead. They now lay on the ground gasping, the expression on the mask still set in a sick smile. It distracted her that Temujin had pulled out that obsidian blade he carried, and was bringing it down upon, it would have been over for if it wasn't for Wilhelm shoving her out of the wait came within inches of taking the blade himself, he jumped backwards, and retreated with Sakura in his arms.
"Look he is trying to goad you into acting on your own, digidestined and their digimon partner are a team, why are you leaving yours behind" Wilhelm said, setting Sakura down.
"Because I hate digimon" she shouted without thinking, the memories of her past coming into her mind once again.
"I can't excuse those that mistreated you when you had no digimon partner, but you have one now, and that's all that matters" Wilhelm said, pointing towards Sakura's digimon partner.
Everyone had been distracted by the moment with Sakura, and when they looked back up to where Temujin was, he was now standing beside a very large mirror, it was this villages transports mirror the one that was keeping out the darkness created by Erebosmon, it's intricately crafted frame, with Lilithmon's symbol emblazoned on it, it reflected them all blurry since they were far away from it.
The Compatriot that had been winded now stood, "What are you doing?" Erebosmon's voice said through them once again, the tone was now confused and angry.
Temujin clutched his head like something was shouting, while Erebosmon was shouting at him via his compatriot. "Destroy the mirror, Don't destroy the mirror, destroy the mirror, don't destroy the mirror' " he repeated this over and over again, confused who to listen, no one heard the other voice who was talking to him. Before anyone could react to stop him, he punched the mirror shattering it, as he screamed shut up. Something screamed out in pain when the mirror was shattered, it was so loud everyone covered their ears.
"Everyone run for it, get to the archive now" Virgil shouted, dragging Juniko behind, this caused all the villagers to freak, and run around like headless chickens before collecting their thoughts and following him, the protective barrier was breaking down, and sounded like shattering glass, and it was coming from all around them, they all ran towards upside down pyramid that was the archive, Yorda had tripped in the process of followed, Juniko turned just in time to see her enveloped in the darkness, Sentinels dropped on her like piranhas, she was now a horror expression statue.
"No" Juniko screamed as she was shoved into the archive by Virgil, followed by the rest of the villagers, except the ones, who hadn't been abducted by Arukenimon's Mummymon army, and turned into one of them, so those people set upon by sentinels too, the screaming from that reached all the way to the archive, causing her to cry for them.
-To Be Continued-
Who exactly was the other voice, and what was that screaming coming from the transport mirror, to answer those questions and more tune in to the next digimon digital monsters.