Chapter 70: Conflicting Forces

Thomas Kasuto

Saias’s Villa

1 Day

 

“I never want to see that damned jungle again as long as I live!” Statuedramon said rather loudly. “I must’ve tripped over those tree’s roots a hundred times! And it’s not even noon yet! And don’t even get me started on that Cherrymon!”

“Look on the bright side, Statch; with Horusmon dead and the Mask retrieved, there should be no more reason for us to go there anymore,” I said. At least for now…

At last we reached the villa, both of us hot, tired, and hungry. Upon opening the front door, the two of us walked in and entered the living room, where we saw Apollomon sitting alone on a couch.

“What took you two so long?” he asked.

“I apologize, sir; it seems the rumor about the Cursed Woods was true,” I said. “It is the doing of a Cherrymon.”

“…And you made it out alive?!” Apollomon asked. “Well, whatever…Welcome back, guys…”

“You okay, boss?” Statch asked.

“Sorry…I’m just tired,” Apollomon said.

“That wound Lector gave you is still acting up, huh?” I sat down on a couch across from the Mega Digimon and looked at him with concern. It had been almost a month since he had been stabbed by Lector, and although Digimon heal from injuries faster than humans, his was a wound that I feared may affect him for the remainder of his life, however short or long that may be.

“Hasn’t Luna been treating it?” Statch asked.

“She has…and she’s the reason why it hasn’t bled at all since the day he stabbed me,” Apollomon said. “Still hurts, though…He probably messed up an organ or two pretty badly…So, how did things go in Lotisea?”

“Horusmon was freed, but he got killed by Deckerdramon,” Statch said. “Also, the two Bio Hybrids made off with the Mask.” Apollomon rested his forehead in the palm of his hand, sighing.

“That…leaves us with only one Horcrux left to find,” he said after a moment.

“The Diadem, right?” I asked. Apollomon nodded. “If you’d like, I can go right now—”

“No, not yet!” Apollomon interrupted. “There are a few things you must know first, besides the fact that this Horcrux is somewhere in Nymphaea, and it would be foolish to rush in to try and find it.”

“…Yes, sir,” I said. “So, what do you need to tell me?”

“Within each person, there lies two conflicting forces; yin and yang; light and dark; good and evil,” Apollomon began. “In some people…the light is much brighter than in others, and with other people, the darkness is far deeper than other people. The Diadem of Spiritual Balance…it seeks to counterbalance those two forces by reversing them.”

“Reverse…light and darkness? What do you mean?” Statuedramon asked.

“If someone with a pure heart like Zelda were to wear the Diadem, the Horcrux would bring about her inner darkness, no matter how deep within her it may be, and if someone evil were to wear it, then their inner light would shine forth, dispelling all darkness within. That is the power of the Digimon whose soul is trapped within that object…that is the power of Lucemon.”

“So…all we have to do is not wear the Diadem, and we’ll be fine?” I asked.

“You must not allow the Bio Hybrids to get their hands on that one,” Apollomon warned. “If they do…”

“Sounds like end of the world time,” Statch said.

“No. It would be far worse than that.” Apollomon clasped his hands over his knees, forcing himself to stand up. “I…considered going up to Nymphaea in your stead; trust me, if it were up to me, that is what would happen. However, Dianamon…refused. Quite vehemently, I might add. You know how she gets…”

“Yes, sir,” I smiled. “I don’t mind going to Nymphaea; I like it cold.”

“If you say so,” Apollomon said. “I doubt the Bio Hybrids would be willing to rush in to that raging blizzard, so you can take your time getting yourselves ready for this job.”

“Yes, sir,” I repeated. I left the living room and made my way to my bedroom, where I found Zelda alone and reading a book in our bed. When she saw me enter the room, she dropped the book and ran over to me, giving me a big hug.

“I’m so glad you’re back,” she said. “I miss you so much when you’re out like that…”

“I’ve missed you, too…” I placed my arms around her petite body. “Are you feeling better? From…from what happened in Shendu?”

“Yeah…Thank you, Thomas. Talking with you the morning after we got back really made me feel better.”

“I’m glad I was able to help.”

“So, were you and Statuedramon successful?” Zelda asked.

“I’m afraid not; the Bio Hybrids got to the Mask and released Horusmon before getting away with the Horcrux,” I said. “That leaves us with only one Horcrux left to find.”

“The Diadem in Nymphaea?”

I nodded. “I’m going to get ready to leave soon, and when I go…Zelda, I don’t want you to go with me.”

“…Why not?” she asked, a sad, guilty expression crossing her face.

“Nymphaea is a harsh and unforgiving land, Zelda, far worse than the desert of Cyprus Province. Also, with this being the last Horcrux, the Bio Hybrids will fight harder than ever to get it before we do.”

“Thomas, it’s because of that reason that I want to go with you,” Zelda said. “No…it’s because of that reason that I am going with you. Ever since I first met you, Thomas, you’ve always protected me…While you were in Lotisea, I decided that I would do the same for you. I may not be able to convince you to not protect me, but at least allow me to protect you while you’re protecting me…Please? With the Digimon Talismans, I can take care of not only myself, but you as well…”

Damn it…I just can’t say no to her when she makes that face at me…It’s just so damn cute…And she does have good reasoning, too…Maybe I should let her come with me…

“I...I understand if you want me to stay behind,” she continued. “I wouldn’t want to get in your way…”

“You could never be in the way,” I said. “Of course you can come.” I must be the worst boyfriend in the world, letting her come with me into such a dangerous place… My heart sank slightly, but when Zelda smiled at me, it rose back up.

“Thank you, Thomas,” she said. “I promise; I’ll do everything I can to help you!” I nodded.

“We’d better start packing; it’s going to be a long trip,” I said. “Remember to dress warmly when we go.” Zelda blushed slightly.

“I guess I…do always kind of dress like this, don’t I…” Zelda looked down at herself. “I’ve never been that far up north, so I’ve never had to dress warmly before, and I’ve just always felt the most comfortable wearing clothes that Humans in the desert wear…”

“And you look good in them, too,” I added. Zelda smiled and kissed me.

“What about you? I’ve never seen you dress for cold weather, either,” Zelda said.

“I’ve been to Nymphaea many times before,” I said. “It was while I was training with Victoria, before I met Statuedramon — I doubt he’s coming with us, by the way; Reptile Digimon like him can’t stand the cold. We didn’t stay for very long, but it was just long enough for my body to be able to tolerate temperatures that low, so I’m fine as I am now.”