Chapter 74: Light and Darkness

Dianamon

Mandrake Town

 

Lucemon…has been freed…My gaze rested upon the Ultimate Digimon; his face was expressionless, and he hadn’t moved an inch. Apollomon…I’ve failed you…But I’ll make it up to you by slaying this evil Digimon!

“You must be Dianamon,” Sephyrus said. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance, milady. Am I to assume you are the member they sent in an attempt to defeat Lucemon?”

“Defeat Lucemon?” Lucemon asked. “Such a thing is impossible; during Lucemon’s previous life, he has killed Mega Digimon far stronger than you.” His monotone voice sent chills down my spine, yet I stood my ground.

“You are a fool to think you can defeat a Digimon as strong as Lucemon,” BioBeelzemon said, reverting back to his Human form.

“Your scent…it is most familiar to Lucemon,” Lucemon said.

“…That’s not something a girl wants to hear,” I said.

“Your smell…it is quite similar to that of Crusadermon…” Lucemon hovered over to me. He was taller than me, and stood not even two inches away. He was bent over slightly, looking directly into my eyes.

“You really don’t have much experience talking to women, do you?”

Lucemon ignored my question. “Crusadermon was the Digimon who killed Lucemon five-hundred years ago…Might you be a descendent of hers?” he asked. “Even now…Lucemon feels no emotions toward the Digimon carrying that name or her blood, even though it was her who sealed Lucemon in the Dark Area.”

“Crusadermon…was my mother’s name,” I said. “I was very young at the time, only a Moonmon…I don’t remember her very well; I don’t even know if she’s still alive…All I can remember is her leaving me in Apollomon’s care because she was always so busy…Was it because she was dealing with you?”

“Your mother had a difficult time finding Lucemon’s exact location,” he said. “The few times she did manage to locate Lucemon — 48 times to be precise — he would always escape from her…But on the forty-eighth time, she finally killed Lucemon…Whether or not she is still alive is not for Lucemon to decide; Lucemon had been unable to strike back. She moved too quickly for him to do so. If she has, in fact, deceased, it was not by Lucemon’s hand.”

“Why are you just standing there, chattin’ with her?!” Michalis asked. 

“She sought answers. Lucemon was merely doing his duty as a seeker of knowledge to quench her thirst. Teaching illuminates the minds of both master and student,” Lucemon said. “Not that the knowledge Lucemon was kind enough to bestow upon her will do her any good…for this is her last day alive…”

“I’m not going to lose to you. My mother wouldn’t give up, and neither will I!”

“Believe what you like; you are not prepared for attacks as destructive as Lucemon’s,” Lucemon said.

“Crescent—” Lucemon ran up to me with mind-boggling speed; I didn’t even see him move.

“Paradise Lost Punch!” Lucemon launched me into the air with a wild, unavoidable dance of punches and kicks. The Ultimate Digimon flew up after me and grabbed my limbs, driving me back down into the ground. A small fissure opened in the ground where Lucemon dropped me. I lay on my back in a daze, staring up at the spinning sky. “You seem incapable of movement…and after a single attack,” Lucemon’s face appeared just above mine. “Your mother would be ashamed.” Next to me lay my hook; slowly, I reached for it and picked it up, swinging it at Lucemon’s head; the Demon Lord Digimon, however, caught it in his hand without looking. “A sneak attack…There is no further proof of your incompetence. There is no hope one like you could ever best Lucemon in combat.” Lucemon flew into the air and created a glowing white sphere in his left hand, and a glowing black one in his right. “Ultimate Sacrifice!” The two spheres in Lucemon’s hands rushed down and trapped me within a larger orb.

“I’ve heard stories about this attack,” I heard Sephyrus say over my bloodcurdling, agonized screams. “The attack will, half of the time, inflict severe damage on its target.”

“And the other half?” Michalis asked.

“The other fifty percent…this attack completely annihilates its target,” Lucemon said.

“What’s really interesting is that it isn’t up to Lucemon,” Sephyrus said. “The attack just decides all on its own…as if it’s a living, thinking, being.” The orb shattered, and I fell to the ground in a bloody heap.

“…It seems as though the attack has chosen to spare her,” Lucemon said. I forced myself to stand up.

Damn it; my right arm…It’s broken… Fortunately, my left arm felt relatively fine, so with no other option, I picked up my hook and wielded it with my left arm. I sure hope this works…

“You still have the urge to fight Lucemon?” Lucemon asked. “You’re either very gallant…or incredibly stupid. Either way, what makes you so confident?”

“I…must…win,” I said, breathing heavily. “I cannot…allow you…to live…Apollomon…ordered me to—”

“To what? To kill Lucemon?” Lucemon asked. “Have you any idea how illogical that sounds? We have never met. Lucemon has never done anything to you. So why hold a grudge against Lucemon?”

“This isn’t about me,” I said. “I do this…so other people can live peaceful lives. With someone like you around…that could never happen.”

“So you risk your life on the behalf of strangers? You fight Lucemon, knowing full well you could die, to protect someone you’ve never met?” Lucemon asked. “As Lucemon said before…people like you are illogical…and must be exterminated…Paradise Lost Punch!”

“Crescent Harken!” Lucemon began punching wildly and madly as I swung my hook in retaliation. To my own amazement, I was able to successfully block each of Lucemon’s swings, and with each attack came another deep cut on the Demon Lord’s hands. Seeing that he was failing, Lucemon halted his attack long enough for me to fire an Arrow of Artemis into the middle of his chest and clear through his back.

“Lucemon!” Michalis stared at the Ultimate Digimon as blood came seeping out the two wounds I had created.

“Grand Cross!” As Lucemon fell to the ground, he fired ten spheres of light at me with enough force to nearly destroy my armor. The both of us fell to the ground, covered in our own blood and defeated. Lucemon, however, had died, turning back into data as he returned to the Dark Area.

“Not again,” Michalis groaned. “How could we let this happen again?! Shouldn’t we be helping these Digimon fight those guys?!”

“Their prideful and arrogant dispositions won’t allow for help. Remember?” Sephyrus asked. “In any case, we ought to return to Mandala…Lilithmon is expecting us.”

“No…get back…here…” I attempted to crawl after them, but I was in too much pain to do so for long. I’ll just…rest here for a moment… The shadow of someone standing next to me, blocking the light from the sun, was the last thing I could remember before blacking out.

Statuedramon

Saias’s Villa

3 Hours

 

“Hey, Thomas, how’s she doing?” I asked, having just entered Thomas’s and Zelda’s bedroom.

“She’s asleep right now,” Thomas whispered. “She’s been quite distressed the past couple of hours. She knows she did something, she just…doesn’t remember…and no matter how many times I’ve told her it wasn’t her fault, I don’t think she quite believes me yet…”

“But it wasn’t her fault,” I protested, making sure to speak quietly. “You told her that it was the Diadem, right?”

“Yeah. I just haven’t told her about the Stone and Diadem being taken yet.”

“That’s probably for the best,” I agreed. “So, how’s she been holding up with that pain from drinking that potion?”

“Not too good; that’s part of why she’s been so distraught. It wasn’t until about ten minutes ago that she finally fell asleep,” he said. “The pain was almost enough to make her pass out. I felt...It made me feel so helpless, not being able to help her when she whimpered and cried out in pain; rubbing her stomach was the only thing I could do to help alleviate the pain…”

“Well, Luna said she should be feeling better tomorrow or the next day,” I said.

“…I’m just…sick of it…you know?”

“…I understand, Tom,” I replied. “I love her too, you know — not in the same way you do, but — oh, you know what I mean.”

“…The only pain…she should have to endure…should be the pain she feels from eating too much at once. At least that puts a smile on her face,” Thomas said. “She’s already been through a lifetime of hell. Hasn’t she suffered enough already?!”

Is he…crying? I haven’t ever seen him…no, wait; one other time. When Victoria was… “…Dianamon just got back,” I said. “Apollomon said it might be a good idea for you to come down—”

“I’m not leaving her,” Thomas said quietly but firmly. “I’m going to stay with her until she feels better. She did the same for me…when I was blinded by that Gesomon…so I won’t leave her…”

“…Okay. I’ll come back up to tell you anything important.” I turned to leave, and I heard Thomas call out to thank me as I made my way downstairs into the living room.

“How is she?” Luna asked as I entered the room, a look of worry on her face.

“She’s sleeping now,” I said. “The pain nearly made her pass out a few times, though…”

“Luna, can’t you make some kind of potion to make her pain go away?” BlackGaomon asked.

“I would, but it’s dangerous to mix potions like that,” Luna said.

“I don’t see vut de problem is,” Pheragas said.

“Of course you don’t! Mixing potions is dangerous business!” Luna yelled. She sighed, and continued in a more quiet voice. “As long as that first potion I made for her is still in her stomach, I don’t want to put another one in her. If the two were to mix up while inside her belly…even I don’t know what would happen…”

“She’ll get better soon, won’t she, mommy?” Chrysania asked, on the verge of tears.

“Yes, of course she will, sweetie,” Luna smiled. She stroked her foster’s daughter’s hair. “She’ll feel better in a day or two as I said…”

“Well…I’m glad she’s…still alive,” Dianamon said, hobbling into the room. Apollomon helped her walk, and her arm was around his shoulders.

“What the hell happened to you?!” I asked. Bits and pieces of her armor looked as though they had been blasted off by another Digimon’s attack, and what looked like could be her skin was completely covered with blood, both dry and wet.

“Lucemon…he…he was freed from the Dark Area by the Bio Hybrids…” Apollomon set her down gently on a couch. “I defeated him…after a difficult fight…I tried following after those two after Lucemon died…but I passed out…next thing I know, someone’s carrying me back here…”

“Someone? Who was it?” Luna asked. Dianamon shook her head.

“I couldn’t ever see him…or her…But before he left…he gave me this…” Dianamon held up a folded piece of paper, which Apollomon took.

“What’s it say?” I asked. Apollomon stared blankly at the note before turning it to show us. There were no words; the only thing on it was a weird-looking design. “What is that?”

“This…is Seraphimon’s sigil,” Apollomon said.

“Seraphimon? You mean that angel Digimon you told us about a while ago?” I asked.

“Seraphimon…was the one who brought me here?” Dianamon asked.

“…It seems to be that way,” Apollomon murmured. “…We need to find him.”

“If he wanted to be found, wouldn’t he be here right now?” Luna asked.

“I don’t care if he wants to be found or not; we need his help, damn it! He’s the only one strong enough to kill Lilithmon once and for all!” Apollomon exclaimed. “I’m going after him first thing tomorrow morning. Luna…I want you to heal Dianamon’s wounds; she and Pheragas are coming with me.”

“Yes, sir,” Luna said, getting off her couch to leave the room.

“What about me?” BlackGaomon asked.

“You’ll stay here with Statuedramon and the others,” Apollomon said.

“I’m not going?!” I exclaimed.

“Is it…really a good idea to look for him?” Dianamon asked. “Do you…know where he is?”

“…I have a few ideas,” Apollomon said. “If he isn’t at any of those locations…” Apollomon sighed. “I don’t know…all I know is that he needs to be found.”

“I’ll help you in any way I can,” Dianamon said.