Chapter 53: A Chat Amongst Friends

Lilithmon

The Dark Area

 

“That damned Thomas! Just because he and that stupid lizard managed to defeat me doesn’t make them stronger than me! They’d better not be thinking that up there!” I pouted, sitting cross-legged on one of the many floating rocks of the Dark Area. Even after two-hundred years, it looked exactly the same as it had the last time I saw it; a dull orange surrounding, a myriad of floating rocks, and completely bone dry. “Well, no matter; I think it’s been long enough. I’ll just go see DeathPhantomon so I can—”

“So you can…what, Lilly?!” A loud, almost mechanical voice said from behind me. Turning around, my mouth gaped in horror as I saw Machinedramon standing behind me. “You’re here with US now, and you must deal with the consequences of your actions!”

Oh, no…they’ve found me!

“Indeed,” another voice said from behind me, and this time when I turned around, I saw a Digimon emerge from another rock, tunneling his way from the bottom. He was a tall, skeletal Digimon, carrying a two-bladed sword. “It’s time to begin your eternal torment!” SkullCaliphmon laughed.

“Eternal torment? Whatever for? What have I done?!” I asked, a look of fear and confusion I could see spreading across my beautiful face in the reflection of Machinedramon’s armor.

“Have you forgotten your promise so soon, Lilly dear?” another Digimon said, hovering slowly down from a rock further up to look me in the eye. He was a heavily armored knight that towered over me and even SkullCaliphmon. “You promised you would find a way to free us from the Dark Area. Instead, you chose to spend your time looking for meaningless quintessence and make a pitiful attempt for ruling Arcadia,” Generalmon said, his enormous axe instantly materializing in his hands. As I looked at my closest, and only, friends, I noticed tears began to well up in my eyes. Another rock floated past, but a large Digimon struck it, shattering it into thousands of pieces.

“You’ve betrayed all ten of us, Lilithmon!” Hydramon said. “You’ve left us all here to suffer in this bone dry pit!”

“All those centuries we’ve waited for you to free us, while you were out having fun! Have you any idea how long we’ve waited for you to help us?!” Horusmon said, emitting a piercing shriek similar to that of a falcon as he soared through the air past me.

“We have been here for 200 years,” Lucemon said, hovering silently behind me, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. “That is precisely 73,000 days, 1,752,000 hours, 105,120,000 seconds...”

“And not once…during any of those wasted seconds have you even attempted to free us!” Belphemon said, his booming voice making even the air quake.

“My friends...please, listen to me! I was searching for the quintessence so that I would be able to free you!” I protested, backing away from my angered friends. “It’s not my fault that the door to the Dark Area requires so much quintessence to open up!” As I continued to back away, I soon backed into yet another Digimon. “Myotismon! You believe me, don’t you? Come on...tell the others that I needed all of that quintessence to open the door to the Dark Area.” Myotismon continued to look down at me, his stern facial expression not changing. “Myotismon...please...tell them—”

“Enough of your excuses, wench!” Myotismon said angrily, slapping me across the face. “You desired all that quintessence for you alone. Crimson Lightning!” Myotismon’s attack struck me across the chest, bringing me to my knees.

“Now THIS is a good look for you, Lilithmon; you ought to bow down to your superiors more often,” Lupinemon growled, slowly approaching me as I quickly got back up to my feet. I began backing away once again until Lupinemon cornered me against a rock.

“Please...I can free you...please, just give me another chance...” I sobbed, tears sliding down my face as a large Digimon carrying a scythe hovered up to me. “DeathPhantomon...you were the one who freed me last time...you can do it again...can’t you?” Though DeathPhantomon’s single, glowing red eye appeared glued to my large breasts, a long, slightly misshapen black tongue — at least, I hoped it was a tongue — came from underneath DeathPhantomon’s hood and lapped up the tears sliding down my face.

“Ahh, the sweet taste of fear,” DeathPhantomon said with a sigh. “Thy face is slathered in it!”

“Those are tears, DeathPhantomon,” Lupinemon said in an annoyed growl.

“Honestly, must you overdramatize everything you say?” Horusmon asked.

“And do you need to be so…creepy about everything? You’re even creepier than Lucemon over there!” SkullCaliphmon said. “And that is one creepy little shit, lemme tell ya!’”

“Lucemon chooses to ignore this statement,” Lucemon said, his voice as hollow and monotone as ever.

“How…do you know all of this?!” I asked. “You’ve been here for two hundred years…how could you possibly know what I’ve been doing?!”

“My crystal sphere,” DeathPhantomon cackled with glee as he pointed to the necklace around his neck. “With this…I am capable of seeing every action of whomever I wish!”

“I’m sick of all this talking!” Belphemon roared. “We should just kill her now and get it over with!”

“Wait, please! I can still help you! I can still get you out of here!” I pleaded. “Please…just give me another chance!”

“…Give us one good reason why we should not kill you,” Myotismon said.

“Other than the fact that we can’t die since we’re here, of all places,” Hydramon mumbled, looking around the barren Dark Area.

“Because…I’m the only one who can get you out,” I said.

“Don’t even try to kiss up to us with that old excuse, Lilly,” Lupinemon said.

“Yeah; who’s to say you really would free us even if we did let you out?” SkullCaliphmon asked.

“…Because this time, I know you’re all watching me,” I said. “Also…I found one of your Horcruxes before I was killed. All I need to do is get my hands on it, and I can free one of you! After that, I can work towards freeing the rest of you! If you so deem it.”

“…Very well, Lilly. You have earned yourself that second chance,” Myotismon said.

“Tell me, Lilithmon; can you be trusted?” Machinedramon asked.

“Of COURSE she can’t!” Belphemon said.

“And yet…if we desire our freedom, we have no other option,” SkullCaliphmon said.

“But all an eternity to punish her should she again deceive us,” Generalmon said to the skeletal Digimon. My legs began to tremble as I began to break out in a nervous sweat, and I could hear my stomach whine and growl with a queasy unease.

“Well, I’m convinced,” DeathPhantomon said. “Whether I get freed from this wonderful place…or I am able to punish Lilithmon and stay here…it makes no difference to me! I would be happy with either outcome! Spirit Influx!” The eyes on the skull adorning DeathPhantomon’s scythe shined a bright crimson red, enveloping me in their light until I, once more, became a spirit, floating weightless through the dry air. All eyes were on me as I slowly lifted up.

“Lilithmon…you do remember where our Horcruxes are hidden…do you not?” Myotismon asked.

“O—Of course I do,” I laughed nervously. Myotismon rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry; in no time at all, you’ll all be free from the Dark Area, and we’ll all be able to continue where we left off five hundred years ago!”

Sephyrus

The Savage Prairie

Elphierr Territory

 

“Thank you all for coming here today, my friends,” I said. The four of us sat atop rocks dotting the prairie’s landscape. The hot sun was high in the sky, and the melodic sound of a Biyomon chirping could be heard in the distance.

“What is this all about?” Michalis asked. 

“This better be important,” Adrian said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with quintessence, does it?!”

“I have been coming here every day for the week,” I said. “It is at this spot that I first met Lilithmon…two hundred years ago.”

“…Two…hundred? But…you don’t look that old,” Irene said. I laughed.

“No, my dear; it is the quintessence the two of us have found over the years that has kept me looking the same age I was when I first met Lilithmon. It can grant an eternal life…remember?”

“Is immortality the only thing quintessence is capable of?” Adrian asked. “If it is…that’d be pretty boring…”

“No. It is capable of changing one’s appearance, for starters.”

“That’s…that’s how Lilithmon killed my mother,” Irene said.

“In addition to changing one’s appearance and extending one’s lifespan, it is how we were all able to become Bio Hybrids.”

“You mean, it can merge a Human with a Digimon?” Michalis asked.

“Correct; it is also capable of fusing two Digimon together through the process of D.N.A. Digivolution.”

“…So, what do you think would happen if you fused two Humans together?” Adrian asked.

“Both would die. Believe me; I’ve—”

“Sephyrus, as…interesting as I find all of this, you still have not told us why you needed us all to come here today,” Michalis said. “You told us this was where you first met my mother when she had just left the Dark Area; that I get. But why did you need the three of us here?”

He still thinks of Lilithmon as his mother…This could prove to be beneficial…

“Yeah! If Lilithmon was trapped in the Dark Area for three hundred years before freeing herself, who’s to say she wouldn’t stay there for another three hundred?” Adrian asked.

“Because…after I introduced her to the concept of quintessence…she told me something,” I said. “She told me that she had friends in the Dark Area…ten of them. They are ten of the strongest and most evil Digimon to ever walk on Arcadia. She told me that they were waiting for her to free them…for her to find their Horcruxes. Now, since she’s been doing everything but that for the last two hundred years, I would imagine those Digimon would be a tad miffed about her ignoring them.”

“…And that’s why you’ve been coming here,” Michalis said. “This is where she appeared the last time she left the Dark Area…you figured it would only be a matter of time before she would be released again, lest she face the wrath and scorn of those Digimon.”

“Correct.”

“So, if she doesn’t show herself today…us coming here would prove to be a waste of time.”

“It’s been two weeks since she was killed; surely, she’ll be surfacing any day now.”

“How…how did it happen?” Irene asked. “Did she just…come out of the ground? Or, did she—” Irene was interrupted by an abrupt, raging tempest that had quickly and unexpectedly rose up from the ground. The generated wind was quite strong; it was almost strong enough to move the rocks we sat on. I quickly grabbed hold of Irene out of fear that she would be blown away.

“What the hell’s going on?!” Adrian asked.

“This is it! She’s coming!” I excitedly looked at the violently shaking grass; it almost seemed as though the sky darkened in color as clouds raced across it. A bright but pale blue ring of light instantly materialized in the middle of all of this. My grin widened as I saw the top of Lilithmon’s head pop up from the center of the ring. This vast feeling of happiness and excitement I felt only increased as the form of her phantasmal, translucent, and ghostly spirit came into view. “My lady…it is with warmest tidings that I bid you welcome to this plane of existence once more.”

“Oh…how charming it is to see you all again,” Lilithmon said, an evil and beautiful smile forming on her pale ruby lips. “You actually came here to meet with me again, Sephyrus? How romantic…”

Chapter 52: Beneath a New Light

You have finished the first half of my story. Unless, of course, you decided to skip it and jump all the way to this part, in which case, I implore you to stop being an impatient little sod and read the first half. If you have, in fact, read the first half — good. The previous statement does not apply to you.

This half of the story takes place one year after the events of the previous one. As you may remember from the previous story, Lilithmon was ultimately slain in battle. She vowed she would return — and return, she did. Only this time…the evil she would continue to spread would magnify itself to be untold thousands of times worse than before. This time, when freed from the Dark Area…she brought its darkness with her. Be prepared for the worst as you read on.

There has been little to no change to Lachesis since the story left off. They all work hard under Apollomon’s rule, working to undo the mistakes of the Valencian knights, and to rid the world of the Thanatos Bandits. Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to rebuild their old fortress from when it was destroyed by Flamedramon…however, as Saias has allowed them to live in his villa, that hasn’t proved to be too insurmountable an obstacle. Following Saias’s death, it was discovered that the warrants for the arrest of everyone in Lachesis had been rendered null and void, and everyone had been able to roam the streets of Yew freely, without worry of being taken away by a knight.

Flamedramon hadn’t been spotted since he was last seen with the members of Lachesis in Mandala City. Nobody seemed to know where he went off to. Abigail, too, had seemingly vanished; apparently, she had promised to accompany the others to Mandala to help them fight Lilithmon. Nobody seemed to know where Irene had gone, either. Whether some of them would admit it or not, I know the members of Lachesis consider those two to be trusted and invaluable friends…friends worth dying for…and friends worth living for.

Apollomon still hasn’t fully recovered from the wound inflicted by Lector. He can still move, but in a fight…he does not appear to be able to do as well as anyone might hope he could.

Zelda, understandably, had taken the news of her sister’s death pretty hard…and though each day, she would bless us all with the sight of her beautiful smile, every now and then, Thomas would find her alone, crying. She and Thomas are now lovers.

At this point in time, Apollomon still hadn’t told anyone what a Horcrux is…all Thomas knows is that his necklace is one, and that it saved him from death. Apollomon promised he would tell Thomas, but it would not be until much later until he would divulge that information…well, that’s okay. Thomas still hadn’t told him about the Digimon he had met in Yew...Seraphimon. At the time, Thomas had completely forgotten about him, with everything that had been going on…with Lilithmon’s death…with his own…

I thank you for reading this short interlude to the latter half. Without further ado, let us continue onward to the story. Once again, this part begins with Lilithmon, once more in the Dark Area. The following takes place roughly two weeks since the death of Lilithmon.

~Wisemon

Chapter 51: Life Returns

Sephyrus

Mandala

 

Lilithmon was gone. Thomas and Zelda left. Flamedramon was nowhere to be seen. Everything was peaceful and silent in Mandala, save for the occasional slow surge of water that could be hear every now and again.

“…Are they gone?” I heard Michalis ask.

“So…the two of you were faking, as well?” I asked.

“Well, not the entire time; I admit I was unconscious for a few minutes, there,” Adrian said.

“Me, too,” I admitted, laughing slightly. “I don’t think any of them noticed…but you did, didn’t you?” Michalis and Adrian looked at me, slightly confused. “You can come out, Irene; we aren’t going to hurt you.” The small girl walked out from behind a marble column

“I…I’m sorry…”

“No need to apologize, my dear; you were confused and frightened, and you simply didn’t want to get in the middle of that fight,” I said. “Having felt only a small amount of Dynasmon’s power, I can say for sure; none of you would want to experience that…”

“So…what should we do?” Michalis asked. “Now that mother’s dead…what should we do?”

“What do you mean, Michalis? What else is there to do?” Adrian asked. “We’re…just going to have to disband…”

“Disband?! But, I…I don’t have anywhere to go…”

“Unless you’ve got a better idea, that’s pretty much our only option.”

“Adrian is correct; we have but one option,” I said. “However, it is not the one he says. The only option we truly have…is to gather quintessence in Lilithmon’s stead.”

“Oh…that stuff, again?” Adrian asked.

“Are you displeased with my suggestion?”

“Well, it’s just that…I’m not sure if that stuff is really worth looking for anymore, with Lilithmon dead and all…”

“Of course it is! Have you forgotten everything it is capable of, Adrian? Don’t you want an eternal life?” I asked.

“…Whatever…”

Thomas Kasuto

Saias’s Villa

1 Hour

 

“Apollomon! By Goddess Arcadia, are you okay?!” I asked. The large Mega Digimon was laying down, eyes closed, across a couch in the villa’s living room. Blood-stained bandages were wrapped around his torso.

“He’ll be fine,” Dianamon said. “…Thomas…Saias and Lector are both dead.”

“…Oh…Well, I knew that Saias was a Bio Hybrid,” I said. “He and Apollomon must’ve fought…”

“Nobody ever tells me anything!” Statch pouted.

“So, why is Lector dead?” I asked.

“Because I killed him,” Dianamon said in a surprisingly casual voice. “He was the one who stabbed Apollomon…I can only surmise that he learned that Apollomon killed Saias, based on what Lector did to him…Lector died with a smile on his face.”

“…Why do these things have to happen?” Zelda whispered. I gave her small and dainty hand a reassuring squeeze.

“…Thomas…you’ve seen Irene recently, haven’t you?” Dianamon asked.

“Yes…she went with me to Mandala,” I said. “When we started fighting against Lilithmon, and against the other Bio Hybrids…I guess that’s when she just ran off…I don’t know where she went…”

“What about Flamedramon? He disappeared, too,” Zelda said.

“He really saved us down there,” I said. “If he hadn’t found Dynasmon’s Talisman…or, if he weren’t there to help us fight against BioArbormon and BioBeelzemon…”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it; everyone did a good job but me,” Statch grumbled.

“The important thing is not how well you did. You were there with them…you fought alongside them — brief though it may have been — and you never gave up. At least, not intentionally,” Apollomon said.

“Oh, Apollomon, you’re awake!” Dianamon said. “You should get some more rest, sir.”

“What’s important is that you made the effort to help out your friends. As long as you can remember that, and not the actual results of how well you did, then you really have done a good job,” Apollomon said.

“Oh, really? Well, if that’s the case, then I guess I did better than you two!” Statch laughed.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Dianamon said. “Oh, and before I forget, when I was dragging Apollomon back here, I found this note on the door addressed to you, Thomas.” I took the paper from the Mega Digimon and began reading it.

Thomas,

If you are reading this, then I am dead. And if I am dead, then that means either you or one of your friends must have killed me. Either way, I give to you both my congratulations and my sincerest apologies. The things I have done as of late…may not have justified what I was attempting to accomplish, but just know that, in spite of what I may have done, I fought my hardest on behalf of my beliefs. I only wished to create a better world for the Marked…and the only person who could have helped me with that was Lilithmon. Just know that I never would have wished anything that may have happened (if anything did happen) on any of you. Even now, as a Bio Hybrid, I consider you all to be my good friends, and while I know I do not deserve any forgiveness, I have only this to say; my friends, I am deeply sorry. As a token gesture, I will allow you to continue living in my villa for as long as you like or need.

Saias

“All right! I fucking love this place!” Statuedramon exclaimed.

“Well…if that is what he wishes, then it would be remiss of us to refuse, wouldn’t it?” Apollomon asked, a sad smile appearing on his face.

“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going to go get something to eat!” Statuedramon exclaimed, running to the kitchen.

“…Thomas…is there anything wrong?” Apollomon asked.

“…I recently learned who it was that murdered Victoria,” I said. “It was Michalis. Her very own son killed her…and her unborn child…”

“Is he still alive?” Dianamon asked.

“Yes; so are Adrian and Sephyrus,” I said. “I just…I couldn’t bring myself to kill him, or any of them for that matter. I didn’t want become…someone like him. Victoria taught me that blood leads only to blood, and violence begets violence. Nothing more. Revenge is simply another name for murder, and there is no forgiveness for wanton murder. Any good man must always condemn it. But still, you must abide it. You must sever the chain of hatred for once and for all, because if we allow hatred and fear to prevail, the world will be swallowed by them. If ultimate understanding can be reached, then we may still have a chance to be saved from ourselves.”

“Looks like you learned more than swordplay from her after all,” Apollomon said.

“Of course; it was because of her that I discovered there actually are good people in the world, and not…just thieves and murderers.”

Apollomon smiled. “You were lucky to have met her.”

“I’m not sure if it was luck,” I said. “She had lost a son…I had lost a mother, negligent and uncaring though she may have been…It seems as though we were destined to meet.”

“Well now, I suppose if you put it that way…”

“Apollomon…I have another question for you,” I said. “Do you know…what a Horcrux is?”

“…Why do you want to know?” I pulled up the necklace that still hung around my neck.

“Lilithmon said that this necklace was a Horcrux. I don’t know what that means, but I do know that it saved me from dying.”

“From dying? How is that possible?” Dianamon asked. “It’s just a…small pendant!”

“I was stabbed in the chest by a shape-shifter who had turned into Omnimon. This necklace lit up, and the stab wound disappeared.”

“…Horcrux…another word I never thought I would hear,” Apollomon said. “I will…tell you what they are later. I’m not sure when…but right now, I must rest…”

“We should probably rest too, Thomas,” Zelda said.

“Yes; everything we all went through would tire out anyone,” I said. The two of us left Dianamon and Apollomon and started going upstairs.

“…Um…is it…is it alright if I tell you something else?” she asked as the two of us arrived upstairs. “I said it in Mandala….but I’d like to say it again properly…if it’s okay with you…”

“Of course.” She looked at me nervously, so I smiled at her, hoping to put her mind at ease.

“I…I…I love you.” The last two words just barely came out of her mouth. “I’ve…had a crush on you…since I’ve joined…You’ve just always been so kind to me…you’re so brave, and strong, and…my goodness, you’re just so handsome…I…I’m starting to feel a bit faint…” I placed a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s okay,” I whispered. I felt the same. The nervousness was making me feel dizzy…and happy.

“Oh, Thomas, I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean—”

I placed my arms around her. “Zelda, you know I love you, too. I’d have told you sooner…but…I was afraid…afraid that you’d say no…” Zelda looked up at me, teary-eyed and smiling.

“…I never thought…I would find someone who cares about me…like you,” she whispered. “I feel…so much less alone now…Thomas…”

“I’m sorry I took so long,” I said. “I promise…I’ll do everything in my power to keep you from feeling alone, or sad…ever again.” The two of us headed for our bedrooms, and as we did, Zelda gave me a quick kiss on the lips that made my heart soar.

IceDevimon

 

I smiled to myself as I flew into a hidden cave in the Black Rose Mountains. It’s been a while since I’ve been back here…always great to get back home again. I looked around the dimly lit, musty cave and sighed happily; everything was encased in ice…as it should be.

“Welcome back, my lord,” a voice from the entrance of the cave echoed.

“Asuramon…it’s good to see you again,” I said as the Ultimate Digimon approached me. “How have you been?”

“Things have been going rather slowly since you’ve left,” Asuramon said. “Parrotmon and I have been required to do everything by ourselves ever since you were nearly killed, and Luna left us.”

“So…were you able to discover anything?”

“No, sir; we were unable to find the locations of any of the Horcruxes.”

“Is that so…well, don’t worry about it; Lilithmon isn’t an idiot. She wouldn’t have hid the other Horcruxes in a place where they could be easily found. For now, let’s just wait for Parrotmon to return, and we can figure out what to do from there.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Also…have you heard anything from Zudomon?”

“Not for a while, my lord. We’ve heard rumors of a Horcrux up in Nymphaea Province; when Zudomon heard the rumor a few months ago, he set off for the province immediately. I expect he’s searching hard for the Horcrux.”

“Yes…he’s always been a diligent one,” I murmured. “I suppose he should be arriving back any day now…”

“I should hope so, my lord. Even for a Digimon like him who’s accustomed to the cold, a place like Nymphaea can be lethal.” 

Chapter 50: Requiem for the Fallen

Zelda

Mandala

 

I looked nervously around the ancient city. Statuedramon, Adrian, and Michalis were all unconscious. Thomas and I exchanged glances. We both knew that Lilithmon had to be stopped or soon, we would all be dead.

“Shadow Evolution! Splashmon!” BioPremenitmon once again became covered in shadows before taking the form of the enormous Digimon Splashmon.

“Fire Rocket!”

“Hydro Pressure!” Splashmon shot water from his fingertips, striking down Flamedramon from the air and dousing the flames covering his body.

“And now…you two are the only ones left,” Lilithmon said, looking at Thomas and me.

Gallantmon has left me…Statuedramon is unconscious, and Flamedramon is nearly there…Irene is nowhere to be seen…and SaberLeomon needs to rest…this is the strongest Digimon I have…I can’t let Thomas fight Digimon as powerful as these two! “Come forth, Vajramon!”

“You called, Milady?” Vajramon asked.

“Oh, please; this shouldn’t even be considered a challenge!” Splashmon said. “Shadow Evolution! Taomon!”

“Those two must be stopped,” I said. “I…need you to…to…to destroy…them…”

“Understood; Deva Blade!”

“Talisman of Light!” Taomon leapt into the air, dodging Vajramon’s attack, and began to paint a design in the air with a large brush. The design shone itself onto Vajramon’s chest, creating a gigantic explosion that completely annihilated the Digimon Spirit. “Shadow Evolution! Premenitmon!” The Bio Hybrid returned to his original form as the lizard. “There is…no more hope for the two of you!”

“Make sure you gather their quintessence when you kill them,” Lilithmon ordered.

“Of course, Milady; which one should I kill first?” BioPremenitmon asked.  

“Kill…the girl first. Maybe that will bring some emotion to the boy’s face!”

“NO!” Thomas ran in front of me, placing himself between the Bio Hybrid and me. “Stay away from her! Fight me instead! Do what you want to me, but I will not let you hurt the woman I love!”

The woman…that he… My eyes widened as I stared at his back. My heart was hit with all sorts of emotions, all of them joyous and confusing. Thomas…you…you…

“So be it. Shadow Evolution! Omnimon! Transcendent Sword!” From Omnimon’s left hand emerged a great and shining sword which he used to pierce clear through Thomas’s body. Omnimon’s sword retracted as he turned back into BioPremenitmon. Thomas fell backward into my arms, gasping for air.

“Thomas! THOMAS! NO! NO, YOU CAN’T DIE! THOMAS!!!!” Tears began falling down my face as I called out his name over and over. His mouth opened, and blood spilled out.

“Yes, he’s dead!” Lilithmon said excitedly. “All those who dare stand against my Bio Hybrids…all those who dare stand against me…they will all share in the same fate! They will all be exterminated, and their quintessence extracted!” I paid no intention to Lilithmon’s rambling; my arms were tightly around Thomas’s body, and becoming stained with blood as more and more gushed out of the wound BioPremenitmon inflicted. His face had gone pale. He stopped breathing, and had gone cold.

“THOMAS!!!!!!” His blood had stained my clothes, my arms, and my stomach, though I barely noticed.

“He’s…really…dead?” Flamedramon said, breaking heavily.

“Yes, he is!” Lilithmon exclaimed. “Look! He’s even stopped breathing now!”

“…No…Something isn’t right,” BioPremenitmon said. “After that attack…where is his quintessence…? I can’t sense it…”  I looked down at his chest, and to my surprise, around his neck, I could see through the tears in my eyes the necklace I had given him when I was accepted into Lachesis. It wasn’t the fact that he was wearing it that surprised me; it was the fact that the gem in the middle of it was glowing light blue.

“That necklace…could it be?!” Lilithmon gasped. “An item…with a portion of my friend’s soul inside?!” The three of us looked at Thomas, gasping in surprise as the wound on his chest closed up. The necklace stopped emitting light, and Thomas opened his eyes. He gasped, and began coughing up blood. “It is! That necklace…it’s a Horcrux!”

“Thomas! Thomas, you’re alive! You’re alive! Oh, Thomas…Thomas…Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Unable to control myself, I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly, savoring the feeling of the newfound warmth of his body.

“Zelda…what happened? I was attacked…by Premenitmon…I got stabbed…didn’t I die?” he asked. He looked at me with a concerned expression on his face when he noticed that I was covered with his blood.

“I don’t understand…what just happened…but it seems evident that you’re quite the lucky bastard,” Flamedramon said.

“T—Thomas…you’re….back…” Thomas looked up at me and smiled. I helped him stand up and, once that was accomplished, I gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

“Well, so what if he can’t die?! That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything he can do to me!” Lilithmon shouted.

“Perhaps…he can’t,” Flamedramon said, standing up and walking slowly over to me. “But…she can.” Flamedramon took my hand and placed something in it. “Give her hell…fellow Marked.” I looked at what Flamedramon handed me; it was a Talisman.

The Digimon design on it…I’ve never seen anything like it! But, I can tell…this Digimon…This Digimon will be strong enough! “Come forth, Dynasmon!”

“Dynasmon?! How did you get your hands on a Talisman containing the spirit of a Digimon that powerful?!” BioPremenitmon asked, glaring at Flamedramon.

“I just found it lying on the floor,” Flamedramon said casually.

“Sephyrus, do something!” Lilithmon said.

“…As you wish, my fair lady. Shadow Evolution! EmperorGreymon!”

“If you think…you stand a chance against the likes me…you are a fool!” Dynasmon said. The Exalted Knight spread his massive wings and took flight. “When fighting for my master…I never lose! Dragon’s Roar!” Dynasmon unleashed a powerful shot of energy from the palms of his hands. The attack collided into the two villains, knocking BioPremenitmon aside as it struck Lilithmon, completely enveloping her in its light as BioPremenitmon reverted back to his Human form.

“Lilithmon, no!” Sephyrus ran over to the Mega Digimon. Dynasmon, however, saw him coming and struck him across the face with one arm, knocking him unconscious.

“Damn…you!” Lilithmon trudged through Dynasmon’s attack and raised her right arm. “Even if I die…this attack will destroy you! Even though…you are little more than a Spirit, you will vanish from existence forever! Nazar Nail!”

“My Master wishes for you to be vanquished without another living thing having to experience the pain you wrongfully inflict upon them…I shall do as she wishes!” Dynasmon said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Breath of Wyvern!” The aura of a colossal dragon appeared above Dynasmon. The attack soared head first into Lilithmon, and she shrieked as the aura dragon began burning her, searing her skin and igniting parts of her robes. “This…is the end for you.”

“No! You fools! You can kill me all you like…but I’ll just keep coming back from the Dark Area! Just you wait; when I’m back, I’ll make sure you all pay!” Dynasmon’s attack ended, and Lilithmon’s body was nowhere to be seen.

“My lady…my mission is complete,” Dynasmon said, kneeling before Zelda. “Do you have any task you wish for me to complete for you while I remain?”

“Oh…No…you did just fine, Dynasmon,” I said, smiling and placing a hand on the Spirit’s head. “Thank you, Dynasmon.”

“I understand. I shall await further instruction, then.” Dynasmon faded away, leaving nothing behind.

Thomas Kasuto

 

“…It’s finally over,” I said, smiling down at Zelda. To my surprise, Zelda threw her arms around me once more.

“Thomas…I’m so glad…you’re okay…when I saw you get stabbed…I thought you…that you were…”

“Don’t worry…I’m not going anywhere. I won’t ever leave your side. I promise…” I gently placed my arms around her. “Zelda…I love you,” I whispered into her ear.

“…Thomas…I love you, too…When I thought I had lost you like that…my heart felt like it was being torn to shreds…and when you came back, I felt…so happy…happier than I ever have been in my entire life…Oh, but…does Apollomon have any…rules about this sort of thing?”

I shook my head. “No…he doesn’t. And…speaking of him…we should probably get back before the Bio Hybrids wake up.” I looked down at Statuedramon, who was still out cold from when Lilithmon attacked him earlier. Michalis, Adrian, and Sephyrus all seemed to be unconscious, as well. Flamedramon and Irene were nowhere to be seen. Before bending down to pick up the snoozing Statuedramon, I placed a quick kiss on Zelda’s forehead. She blushed slightly, and I could see a few tears welling in her eyes, but she looked exactly as she said; happier than she had ever been in her entire life. The two of us, holding hands, walked to the entrance of the city and onto the blue tile Irene had told me of. I had hoped that I would never be required to return to Mandala.