Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Digimon: Apocalypse ❯ Book of Pestilence: Chapter 3 ( Chapter 6 )

Author’s note: Special thanks to everyone who reviewed, it is much appreciated. Please enjoy this next chapter.

People never change…I always hate it when I hear that. People change all the time. I know that from first hand experience. I changed, my friends changed, we all changed. I’m a far cry from the angry kid I was when I was ten. My parents got divorced, and it was the entire world’s fault. I hated everybody and everything. It didn’t help that I was alone most of the time, either. It was just Dad and me, and he was usually at work. But that was before the Digital World. That was when I met the first real friends I ever had. They helped me overcome the darkness that I felt in my heart. Everyone, even Taichi.

Yes, Taichi. My so-called ‘rival.’ Yeah, we fought at lot, and…I hate to admit it, but I was jealous of him. He always seemed so carefree. He claimed that he knew what me and Takeru were going through, but I never believed him. Then I found out he had a little sister, and I thought that maybe he did know. I mean, he seemed to have more of a handle on the big brother thing then I did, and everyone looked up to him.

But that was up until a few years ago, and he simply disappeared from our lives. He moved away and broke off all contact. He said it was because of Koushiro and Daisuke, after they died, he just sort of lost it. I don’t want to think about what would have happened to him if Hikari had died.

I mean, I lost someone important to me too. My little brother Takeru…gone forever. I made my peace with that, but now someone…something, appeared looking just like him. Karetu…I’m never going to forget that name. I needed to go to France to see Catherine, who was having weird dreams, and Karetu attacked us again for no reason. He claimed it was because of his experiments, but Catherine exhibited some strange light and Floramon evolve, which, because of the BD-2, she shouldn’t be able to. What is going on here? Book of Pestilence Chapter 3:

Hikari groaned as her hand fished from beneath the covers to slam on the snooze button of the radio which was blaring an ungodly alarm. She twisted around to sit at the edge of her bed for a moment, then snaked her feet into her white slippers and she pulled on her pink robe.

She wandered into the kitchen, making sure to step over Plotmon X, who was curled on the floor. She made a pot of coffee, and poured herself a cup, knowing that Taichi would finish the rest. She pulled out a frying pan and grabbed a carton of eggs from the refrigerator. “Oniichan, are you awake?”

She received no answer, so she walked to his room and gently pushed the door open. “Oniichan?” There was still no response so she walked inside only to find that his bed had not been slept in. She walked into the guest room, only to find that Maria was not there either. She realized that they had never come back from their trip to the Digital World.

She ran for her cellphone and dialed her brother’s number. She received no answer once more.

“Something wrong?” Plotmon X asked as she walked out of their bedroom.

“Taichi and Maria aren’t here.”

“They’re not?” she asked.

“No, and I can’t get an answer from his cellphone. I’m just worried that he’s in trouble.”

“Come on, Taichi can take care of himself just fine.”

“I know, but…”

“Don’t worry,” she said, “If he needs help, he’ll call.”

“But what if he can’t?” She sighed. “Oh Oniichan, be safe.”

“””””””” 221;”””””””””

The city called Nightsun was located with mountains to the rear of the city and a wasteland to the front, all covered with ice, a desert of undrinkable water. The city itself was ancient, with cracking streets and crumbling buildings, surrounded by a wall of thick stone, which was, surprisingly, still standing.

Even more of a surprise to Taichi, Sora, Maria and their partners, was that the citizens, while suffering from the Second Black Death, did not display the energy loss common to most cases.

“You said it had something to do with the cold temperature?” Sora asked.

Yuri nodded. “Yes, that is what we believe.”

The red head nodded. “Then maybe the virus has something to do with hot and humid conditions?”

As they continued to walk through the streets, past the crowds of Chosen and digimon, Taichi grinned at Sora, who was, although offered a ride, preferred to walk with her crutches through the cracking streets. Even though she was ill, she still strived to find a way to help others, even if it was only to find out a way to prevent the spreading of the disease. He was once again carrying Maria, and she noticed instantly.

“Are you going to talk to her?”

“What?” he asked.

“Are you going to talk to her?” she asked again, “You know…talk…talk…?”

Taichi began to blush. “Uh…um….”

The young woman smiled and squeezed Taichi’s shoulders slightly. “You can do it, you can do anything.”

The messy-haired young man returned the sign of affection by lightly squeezing what remained of her legs, the means by which he was holding her to his back. “Let’s just worry about getting through this battle…”

“I’m sure we’ll be okay,” she responded, “I have the feeling that you can do anything.”

Taichi only smiled as he continued to follow Yuri and Anna to a large building in the center of the city, one with towers reaching towards the sky, two giant wooden doors in the center, and stain-glass windows of varying sizes littered sides. Despite the decay of the city, this building was surprisingly in good condition.

“What is this?” Sora asked.

“The center of Nightsun,” Yuri explained, opening the giant doors to let the others in. “Sort of like the capital building.”

“Building?” Patamon exclaimed, as they entered a courtyard-type room where they could see the sky. “It looks more like a castle or something!”

“It might have been,” Anna said, holding tightly to Yuri’s hand as he led them to one of the halls on the right, “We of the Russian Chosen found it around six years ago, but no one could tell us anything about it.”

“I bet Koushiro could of,” Taichi muttered.

Sora turned to him and sighed slightly.

Their journey took them up a flight of stairs into a room decorated with various artifacts: statue busts, cloth tapestries, gold and silver jewelry. Before any of them could ask, Yuri brought them through yet another door, which led to a balcony over-looking a wide open, square space, where most of the citizens of Nightsun were standing.

Yuri mentioned to them. “This is our army.”

Taichi placed Maria down in a chair on the balcony and stared down at the assembled Chosen. He glanced at his watch, “Twelve hours until they attack…” He sighed deeply. “Well, let’s get to work.”

“””””””” 221;”””””””

The village of Namu lay within the center of the Southern Continent of the Digital World, also called the continent of Rom. The city was comprised of wooden homes rather then buildings of stone and concrete. Hundreds of Chosen and digimon lay sick in the streets, coughing, sneezing…dying.

Catherine was horrified, trying her best not to let her emotions run wild and overwhelm her as she stood at the entrance to the city, staring at the pestilence in front of her. Still, she could not help exclaim her fear and sadness. “Zis…zis is horrible…”

“I know,” Noriko said, hugging her, “I’ve never seen a city this bad…um, except for Yclis.”

“Ycilis?” Catherine asked.

“It’s a city on the Server Continent where a lot of infected Chosen are living, I mean, a lot.”

“Oh, I zee,” she said. She suddenly remembered Yamato. She turned around and almost screamed aloud. The blond young man was standing behind them, holding a tube of red lipstick. He pulled the top off and began to apply it to his face.

“Uh…” the French woman said, “I don’t zink zat is really your color…”

“It’s not going on my lips,” he said, using it to draw a red circle on his cheek.

“What are you doing?” Noriko asked.

“If you haven’t noticed, X-Chosen aren’t too popular,” he said, “If I don’t disguise myself, there’s gonna be a riot and I’ll end up getting my ass handed to me.” He continued applying the makeup until his face was covered in red circles. He turned to the girls. “How do I look?”

Noriko’s Plotmon smirked. “Say hello to Yamako.”

He grumbled. “All right, let’s go.”

They entered the city and traversed through the maze of streets. “Where are we going anyway?” Gabumon X asked.

“I haven’t zeen her in a few years, but I e-mailed her,” Catherine explained, “So hopefully we’ll see her around here some…there she is!” She began to leap into the air and wave her hands. “Mina! Mina! Nahmahstay!”

The others watched as a young Indian woman and a small candle-like creature walked over to them. Her infection had taken one of her hands, but she used the other to lightly brush her hair. “Bonjour Catherine,” she said.

“Bonjour.” Catherine replied, “How are you feeling?”

“I am well,” she said, smiling. She looked past her at the other Chosen. “Ah, hello.”

The French woman nodded and mentioned to them. “This is Yamato Ishida, his partner, Gabumon, and Noriko Kawada, and her partner, Plotmon.”

The Indian woman nodded. “My name is Mina Ashiawayra and this is my partner, Candmon.”

“Actually, I think we’ve met,” Yamato said, “We’re from the Odabia Chosen…”

“You mean Koushiro and Hikari? How are they?”

The blond man sighed deeply. “Koushiro….died….”

She gasped loudly. “Oh, I…I did not know…But…Hikari?”

“She’s actually fine,” he said, “She’s…um…maybe we should talk in private.”

Mina nodded. “Yes. I have a place we can speak, it is outside of the city.”

“Anywhere other then here,” Yamato said, “I think my lipstick’s starting to melt.”

The Indian Chosen raised an eyebrow. Gabumon X shook his head. “It’s not what you think…”

She chuckled slightly. “I certainly hope not. Please follow me.”

“”””””””̶ 1;”””””””””” 221;””

Anna, Sora, Maria and their partners were seated inside of the castle-building within the city of Nightsun. Anna was on the couch, holding a book opened with one hand while she ran her other hand over the pages. Maria was in a wooden chair, staring out of the window with Patamon in her lap. Sora was at one of the tables, drawing on a large sheet of paper she brought with her. Piyomon and Pennmon were lying on the floor, their eyes closed in sleep.

Maria turned away from the window and focused on Anna. “What are you reading?”

“Reading?” Patamon asked.

The Latino girl blushed. “Oh Anna, I’m sorry…”

The Russian woman smiled. “No, it is okay.” She twisted the book around so the cover was facing her. She began to rub her hands over the pages. “This is called Braille, its how blind people read and write.”

Patamon nodded. Maria squeezed him tightly. “Now you need to remember not to be so rude.”

Anna smiled and continued to read. Maria turned to the other young woman. “What are you doing, Sora?”

“I just had an idea for a jacket.” She mentioned to the parkas that Yuri had given them.

“Really?” Anna asked, “You can just see something and then think of an idea?”

She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Wow, that is amazing.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s not that big a deal…”

The blond woman shook her head. “No, I really envy you. I only wish that I could have such inspiration.”

“She’s right,” Maria said, “You’re going to be a great fashion designer.”

Sora chuckled and waved her hands. “S-stop, you’re making me blush!”

Anna perked her head up. “What’s wrong?” Sora asked.

“The floor’s creaking,” she replied, “Someone’s coming.”

The group turned their attention to the door as it quickly opened to reveal Taichi, Yuri and their digimon partners: Agumon X and Kokuwamon X. Sora looked at them anxiously. “Well?”

The two young men glanced at each other. “Well…” Taichi began.

The redhead’s smile faded. “That bad?”

“It’s not that it’s bad,” he replied, “They just…because of the BD-2, they’re not as strong as they should be.”

“So there is no hope?” Anna asked.

Yuri walked over and grasped the blond woman’s hands. “No, we will be okay.”

Maria smiled warmly at the sight, but when she turned back to Taichi, her smile faded. “So, what’s the plan then?”

Taichi began to pace the floor. “Well…at our present capacity…we’re gonna get our assess kick.”

“So, are we gonna call Yamato and Hikari?” Agumon X asked.

“Not just yet,” he said, “I want to know why Miayag wants this place so bad. Let’s send her an offer.”

“An offer?” his partner gasped.

“I want to know why she’s so interested in this city. There’s got to be something here.” He turned to Yuri, “How did she contact you the first time?”

“She sent a messenger, who’s staying in a camp outside of the city.”

“So you can contact her?”

“Yes…”

“Good. I’ve got a message I want her to bring to her boss.”

“””””””” 221;””””

On the other side of the Digital World, Mina had led Yamato, Noriko, Catherine and their partners to a large-sized dwelling over-looking the city of Namu. Inside was a long hallway with dozens of small doors running along the walls. Once they exited the hall they passed by a large room where dozens of younger Chosen were playing with their digimon partners. “What is this place?” Noriko’s Plotmon asked.

“This was a…monastery of sorts,” she responded, “For Chosen who need to learn how to be Chosen. Now, it is a place for those Chosen infected with the Second Black Death, for Chosen that have found themselves without homes.”

“I should move in,” Noriko muttered. Yamato gave her a weird glance, but turned back to following Mina.

The Indian Chosen eventually led them to a room near the back. It was decorated elegantly with diverse artifacts and carpeting. A large table in the center was covered with a feast of fruits and meats. A group of Chosen and their digimon partners stood around the wall.

The digimons’ mouths began to water as they stared at the table, and Meramon’s Candamon smiled. “Go ahead, help yourselves.”

They ran past their partners and leapt onto the table, even Gabumon X. Yamato sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead. “Sorry ‘bout this…”

Mina grinned. “No, it is okay. You are my guests, so please enjoy.” She mentioned to the seats around the table, and the Chosen sat nearest to their partners. Mina sat at the head of the table and smiled warmly. “Now, how may I be of assistance to you?”

Catherine glanced up, her mouth full of fruit. She swallowed it all at once and reached into her bag to pull out a thick stack of papers. “Um, I had a dream and I drew down everything I zaw. I cannot zink of what zey might mean. I zought zat you could…”

The Indian woman nodded and gently took the drawings from her. She flipped through them quickly, and then looked back at the French woman. “Well, I think I will need some time to look these over.” She mentioned to one of the Chosen standing against the wall, a dark-skinned girl with a Mushmon as a partner.

Mina stood up. “This is Keeya Genet, a Chosen from Ethiopia. This is her partner, Mushmon. She is a top student of mine, allow her to show you around.”

The young woman bowed. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Mina took Catherine’s drawings and walked to the door. “I will look these over and come back to you as soon as I can.” She turned to her student, “Keeya, they are our guest, and they are my friends.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

The Indian woman smiled and exited the room, her Candamon trailing behind.

“””””””””& #8221;””””””””

The Digitalatri were camped on the northern side of the Server Continent, close to the fringes of the snow-covered region. Their tents were a rainbow of colors, clustered together tightly. The largest tent was in the center, and it was a light pink color. Inside, Chihi Miayag, the leader of the church, stared at the piece of paper in her hand. She looked up at her emissary, a girl with a Tentomon for a partner. “And they said nothing else?”

She shook her head. “No ma’am.”

Miayag waved her hand and the two emissaries exited. She turned to her Witchmon, who was seated within a wooden chair, the broom she normally rode around on was resting on the ground. “What does it say?”

The prophetess chuckled. “Apparently they’ve called Yagami in to aid them.”

“You worried?”

“I will not be swayed by anyone, reputation or not. He wishes to meet to discuss a possible compromise.”

Witchmon raised her eyebrow. “Really? What kind of compromise?”

“He wishes to know why I desire that city so and perhaps there is a way for him to give it to me.” She smiled, “His reputation does indeed do him justice, and his ploy to gain crucial information might have succeeded on anyone other then me.” She began to pace the ground, “Besides, if I was ignorant enough to reveal to him the knowledge of the Staff of Yuushi and the Machina Codex, then he would no doubt begin to search for them. And how could I convey to him the importance and significance of that city!”

She twirled to the entrance of her tent. “Paige!”

The girl entered and bowed slightly. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Deliver my response to Yagami, tell him I refuse any and all conditions except the immediate surrender of the city. Remind him that he has only ten more hours to debate this offer. Go now!”

The girl nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

“”””””” 221;””””””””””& #8221;’’

Keeya had brought the traveling Chosen to an area behind Mina’s monastery-like building to show them a massive garden of beautiful, vibrant colors. Floramon and Catherine gasped in delight and ran past the others to admire the flowers. “Zis iz zo beautiful!”

Floramon grasped one of the flowers and pulled it closer to her nose so she could smell it. “Why can’t our garden look like this?”

“Oh, you have a garden?” Keeya asked.

Catherine nodded. “Oui, but our flowers don’t look anyzing like zese…Maybe because it iz too cold back home…”

“There are plants that can survive in the cold,” the African woman responded.

“Really?” the French woman asked.

She smiled. “Maybe I can give you some….tips…”

“You know about plants?” Noriko asked.

“Hey, it’s our job to take care of this entire garden!” Mushmon replied.

“It’s not that big a deal,” Keeya protested.

Yamato walked up beside her and they watched the other young woman admire the plants and flowers. “So how long have you been here?”

“For six months,” she said, “ever since the BD-2…” She glanced down at her right hand, which was bandaged tightly with white wrappings.

“What about before that?”

She frowned. “I have three brother and two sisters, and I am the oldest, so that is six children. We were never wealthy and my youngest brother, Toure, was not well at all. I took a job as a maid in the house of a wealthy landowner. That was until I got Mushmon, and was infected with the BD-2. I knew that I could not burden my parents with my sickness, so I said my farewells and came to this world. I was lost and confused, until I found Mina. She brought me here and helped me understand my partnership with Mushmon. I owe her everything.”

Yamato nodded. “Um, so what exactly does Mina teach you?”

She smiled. “How to live.”

The blond man chuckled slightly.

“So, you’ve never seen your parents for half a year?” Noriko asked

She nodded.

“Wow, I had to go to the Digital World because of Plotmon, she needed the energy of this world, but I still made sure I talked to my Mom and Dad.”

Keeya frowned. “Well, it’s not exactly easy to talk to them when they have a hard time paying the phone bill!”

“Easy…easy…” Gabumon X said, stepping between them.

“I’m sorry,” Noriko said.

“No…I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so mean like that.” She forced a smile, “How long have you lived in the Digital World?”

“Only a few weeks,” she shrugged, “I moved to Ylicis with Hiroshi, Keiko and Takashi. That was until Digialatri got a hold of them and I had to move back to Earth.” She crossed her arms, “Too bad, I was getting into a nice little rut in that city.”

Plotmon chuckled.

Gabumon X turned to his partner. “Hey Yamato, you’d better call Akira and let him know that you’re not gonna make practice tonight?”

“Oh crap, you’re right.” He reached for his cellphone, only to discover a disappointing surprise. “Shit, it’s off.”

“It’s off?” Gabumon X asked, puzzled.

“I forgot to turn it back on!” he exclaimed. He flipped open the cover and examined the screen. “I’ve got a message from Taichi.” He walked off to the side to hear the voice mail.

Catherine and Floramon were giggling loudly as they ran through the thick rainbow of flowers. The plant digimon laughed as she ran through the garden. “Come and get me!”

“I will!” Catherine shouted, “Just you wait!”

“She acts like a little kid,” Noriko sighed.

“Sometimes that not a bad thing,” Keeya smiled slightly.

“We’ve got an epidemic running through the Digital World, a religion that wants to kill us, and a group of our dead friends putting us in some kind of experiment. And she’s supposed to be helping us stop that. I don’t think it’s time to act like that.”

The African woman shrugged. “But to find joy even in the depths of despair is a truly wondrous thing.”

Noriko opened her mouth to speak, but only grumbled and crossed her arms.

Yamato put his phone back in his pocket and ran over to Noriko. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “We need to go.”

“Go?” she asked.

"Up north,” he answered, “Taichi needs help in a city called Nightsun. Digitalatri’s about to attack. We’ve got to go right now.”

“Yes, I think that is a good idea.”

They turned to the door and saw Mina and Candamon walking towards them. “We should all go to Nightsun.”

“Why, Lady Mina?” Keeya asked.

The Indian woman flipped through the stack of Catherine’s drawings. “This one here, it shows a collapsing city, surrounded by ice and snow, and this image here shows a woman holding a staff.”

“You think it’s Nightsun?” Yamato asked.

“I have never been there, but I do know it is located within the Digital World’s Arctic Circle.”

“So it would be surrounded by snow…” Plotmon muttered.

Yamato rubbed his forehead. “Well, we’d better get moving.”

Mina nodded. “Yes, we can leave as soon as you are ready.” She glanced at the African woman, “You will be coming too, Keeya, I think it would be a good experience for you.”

She nodded. “If you think so.”

Yamato turned to the garden. “Catherine, we gotta go!”

The French woman poked her head through a large bush of flowers, “Que? Where are we going?”

“”””””””&# 8221;”””””””””” ””””

Garurumon X panted slightly as he pulled the large sled that was attached to his back which was currently carrying Yamato and the others across the snow-covered field. The Chosen were wrapped tightly in thick wool parkas, but only Yamato, Catherine and Floramon were not shivering.

“Come on,” Catherine said, “It’s not that cold.”

“I…am…freezing!” Noriko snarled.

The French woman shrugged and turned away. “Maybe if you stopped complaining about it, you would stop feeling zat way.”

Noriko growled. “And you’re not cold?”

She shook her head.

“Oh, so what I heard about French women is true?”

Catherine glared at her. “What?”

The Japanese woman smirked. “That they have enough hair beneath their arms to make the Yeren blush.”

Catherine leapt at her, tackling her to the snow covered ground. Yamato ordered Garurumon X to stop and Keeya and Mina leapt off of the sled to attempt to pry the two young women apart. Keeya grabbed Noriko while Mina yanked on Catherine. They were finally forced apart as a yellow light smashed into the ground only a few feet in front of them, sending up a wave of snow and ice. They leapt to their feet and Yamato and Garurumon, sans the sled, charged over.

“Karetu!” Yamato growled in anger.

“And Beelzebubmon!” Gabumon X shouted.

The self-proclaimed Demon Hunter smirked. “Well, looks like we’re back at this again, huh?”

“Who are you here for this time?” Yamato asked, “Noriko? Mina? Keeya? Who!”

Karetu only smirked. “Sorry, orders from the boss, gotta keep quiet.”

“The boss?” Noriko asked.

“The Demon King.”

“The guy in the orange coat, right?” Yamato asked.

He did not respond.

The blond man sighed. “All right, whatever. Look, why don’t you just tell us what’s going on, so we don’t end up wasting a lot of energy here….”

“Sorry!” he laughed, snapping his finger as a yellow blast of light exploded before them, “That’s not how it works!”

Yamato sighed again as the yellow light faded to reveal the figure of a large spider. “Dokugumon,” Gabumon X said.

The blond man reached for his digivice. “Let’s go!”

“Gabumon X evolve to Garurumon X!”

Catherine ran up behind him. “Should Floramon and I help?”

He nodded. “Yeah, but keep your eyes on Keeya, Mina and Noriko, he’s got to be after one of them.”

Floramon evolved to Kiwimon using the newly discovered power that Catherine had displayed and stood beside Garurumon X. Karetu waved his hands. “Get them!”

Dokugumon growled and charged forward. She opened her mouth a spewed out a stream of silk thread. "Poison Thread!" she shouted. Garurumon X maneuvered through them while Kiwimon moved around behind the spider and began firing her missiles. Dokugumon spun around and fired a purple cloud from her mouth which destroyed Kiwimon's missiles, but left her back open for an assault by Garurumon's claws. The spider threw the blue wolf into the ground. Kiwimon began to fire his missiles again, but Dokugumon displayed surprising agility and shot to the side. She fired her Poison Thread attack once more, managing to strike Kiwimon, throwing her into the ground and trapping her beneath a web of steaming purple energy. She began to scream as the poison seeped into her body.

“Kiwimon!” Catherine screamed.

“Save her!” Yamato ordered.

Garurumon X growled in response and charged towards the trapped bird-digimon. Dokugumon suddenly leapt in front of him. She was about to attack with a stream of poison, but the large wolf jumped onto the spider’s bag and landed on the ground. He spun around and sunk his teeth into her back. She roared and began to pound his face with her bag legs. He had no choice but to release his grip. The spider pounded him one last time, causing him to skid backwards. She twisted around and exhaled another attack of her Venom Blast, striking Garurumon X directly in the face.

“Fight back!” Yamato shouted.

The wolf managed to open his mouth fired a blast of blue energy that struck the spider in her face. She was injured, but still managed to head-butt him the trapped Floramon, and he collapsed onto the ground.

“We have to help them!” Mina exclaimed.

“How?” Keeya asked, “Our partners can’t evolve!”

“So we’re just gonna give up?” her Mushmon gasped.

“No, there’s something we can do,” Noriko said. She turned to Catherine, who was staring with horror at her partner, who was cringing under the pain of Dokugumon’s poison web. “Catherine!” she shouted, “Catherine!”

“What?” she gasped.

“Karetu’s here for one of us! How did you make Floramon evolve? What did you do?”

“I…I don’t know, it just kind of-of happened…”

Noriko turned back to her Plotmon. “Come on, we’ve got to think of something!”

Her partner gasped. “We’ve got another problem!” she shouted.

Noriko twisted around and gasped as Dokugumon charged towards Mina and Keeya, their digimon standing protectively in front of them. “Plotmon!” she ordered.

The small digimon leapt into the air and unleashed a scream of sound waves that caused the spider to swing her legs around in pain. Her anger began to rise and she fired her Poison Web attack into the ground that exploded in all directions. The Chosen and their partners braced for impact, but Noriko and Keeya began to glow in a familiar light, Noriko a black glow and Keeya a light green hue. Their partners began to glow as well.

“Plotmon evolve to Black Tailmon!”

“Mushmon evolve to Veggiemon!”

“It happened again!” Catherine gasped.

Keeya was amazed that her partner was able to evolve, but her surprise was soon changed to determination as Veggiemon leapt to attack Dokugumon. He began to pound her repeatedly with a series of quick punches from his vine arms. The spider was thrown off-guard, but quickly recovered and butted her head into the plant digimon, throwing him aside.

Noriko ordered her newly-evolved partner to attack. Black Tailmon charged at Dokugumon. The spider fired a web of silky threads, but Black Tailmon simply used her claws to slice through them. She continued on her path, ready to began an assault on the spider, but to her surprise Dokugumon suddenly exploded in a blast of energy. Once she landed on the snow-covered ground, she glanced up to see Beelzebubmon pointing his guns at him, grinning maliciously.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” he grinned, “But our mission’s complete now, we jus’ didn’t want ta go through that whole thing again.”

“They destroyed their own partner” Mina’s Candamon gasped.

Karetu held up his finger. “Ah…she was never our partner, just a tool ta be used up!”

Yamato stared at him, then shook his head. “You’re not Takeru. He would never have done something like that…”

“I never said I was your brother,” he laughed, “But then again, I’m a bit of a liar!”

“You bastard,” he replied.

Karetu shrugged, then mentioned to his partner. “Let’s go.” He gave a final look at the others. “My mission with ya is finished, the next time we meet, I won’t have ta hold back. Later.” He once again vanished in a burst of yellow light.

“””””””””&# 8221;”””””””””” ”

When Yamato’s group finally arrived at the city, they were brought to the center building immediately, specifically, the top floor, where Taichi and the others were seated. Catherine and Noriko hugged Sora, Maria and Anna tightly, while Mina and Keeya stood to the side. Taichi marched over to the blond young man.

“Yamato!” Yagami shouted, “It’s about time you got here!”

“Hey, give me a break,” he said, “I was in France, then in Namu…”

“Where?” Maria asked.

“A city in the Southern Continent,” Mina smiled.

The blond man turned to the brown-haired man. “So, what’s going on?”

Taichi took a deep breath, “Digitalatri sent Yuri a demand that he and the other citizens of the city get out or they’re going to force them out. I offered a true, but Miayag refused.” He shook his head, “I just wish I knew what she was after.”

“Well,” Yamato said, “I’ve been pretty busy too. Catherine had these weird dreams, but she drew everything she saw down and we brought them to Mina.”

The Indian woman nodded. “Yes, and I would like to tell you everything I think I found from them, but…” She turned to Yuri, “This city, it is very old, right?”

He nodded. “But we don’t know how old.”

“Yes, I see. I believe that this city will be very important in what will soon occur. If I may, I would like to examine any artifacts and ancient writing or pictures you have.”

He hesitated and glanced at Taichi, who nodded. “Okay.”

“Wait,” Catherine spoke up, “What about my dreams?”

Mina smiled reassuringly. “I will be happy to tell you, but I would like to explain everything at once. Give me a few hours, and I will explain everything.”

She sighed and plopped down on one of the cushions. “Very well.”

The Indian woman turned to Yuri, who blinked for a moment. “Oh, yeah, um, well, please come with me.”

“”””””””̶ 1;”””””””””” 221;”””

Mimi kept her smile on her face as she stared directly at the television camera. “And just remember that any meal needs love as well as food. This is Mimi, good night and good meal.”

“….and cut!” the director, “That’s a rap!”

Mimi’s smile dropped and her shoulder’s slouched. “Oh thank you.” She reached behind her back and untied her apron, throwing in on the counter in front of her. “Ten hours of taping, I’m exhausted.”

The stage manager walked over and handed her a bottle of water. “Right about now I’ll take a keg of beer.”

He gave her a slight smile. “Hey, ten hours worth of taping, you deserve a break.”

“And I’m taking it,” she said, wiping her brow with a towel, “I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

He waved and she walked out of the studio to traverse the busy and chaotic halls, trying desperately to keep out of the way of the large machinery and wires scattered along the floor. She opened the door to her dressing room. “Oh my God, Palmon, that was the longest day I had in a long time…” She trailed off when she noticed that Palmon X was not in her usual chair. “Palmon?”

“She’s in the Digital World,” a male voice answered, “Along with Betamon.”

The young woman’s lips slid into a grin. “So, I guess I’ll have to settle for you then, huh?” She closed the door and turned to her desk, where a young blond man was resting comfortably in the chair. She kissed him on the check before walking into the bathroom. “This is a surprise.”

“Yeah,” Michael said, “That meeting didn’t last as long as I thought, thankfully. I can’t stand spending any more time with those cranky, old stingy producers. None of them had an original idea since the 80s!” He smiled slightly, “Which, oddly enough, is when they were 80.”

He heard her chuckle through the door. She emerged a moment later, dressed in a light pink cowboy dress ending slightly above the knees, a dark yellow vest, and her trademark cowboy hat. Michael shook his head.

“What?” she asked.

He wanted to tell her that he thought she looked ridiculous, but what he actually said was, “It just amazes me how beautiful you really are.”

She grinned wildly and wrapped her arms around his shoulder. “Oh, you still know how to sweet talk me.” She kissed him on the lips.

“Well,” he grinned, “I’d love to see with this is going to lead us, but I think we’d better get to the Digital World.”

She frowned. “Why?”

“Have you heard of Digitalatri?”

She shook her head. “No…”

“Well, it’s a new religion that started in the Eastern Continent of the Digital World, and it’s spreading like wildfire. I hear they’re giving Jyou and Yamato some trouble.”

“So?”

“The problem is they’re kind of violent, and now it’s reached New Havenwood. Iduia’s pretty nervous.”

Mimi sighed. “Let me guess, Palmon and Betamon are there, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

She shrugged. “All right, let’s go.”

“”””””””̶ 1;”””””””””” 221;”

They arrived in the city of New Havenwood within an hour. The city itself was a bustling, chaotic center of trade and commerce. As it was not as poor as Ycilis, the Chosen, even those with BD-2, were healthier and livelier, filled with energy from nutritious food and clear water. Vendors lined the sidewalks and the main streets were a marketplace out of medieval times.

Mimi and Michael pushed through the crowds until they arrived at a wooden booth at the end of street. This vendor was displaying a variety of jewelry of all types and metals. The young woman’s face lit up as she reached for a pearl necklace polished with gold. “Oh, this is so beautiful! Oh, I love this!”

A Kokuwamon was behind the counter. He glanced at Mimi, then at Michael, then back at Mimi. “You have a fabulous face for that necklace. Maybe your husband will buy it for you?”

Michael grabbed it and began to examine it. “I don’t know, it looks like a piece of crap to me.”

“Hey,” the Kokuwamon said, “It’s a genuine piece of crap.”

Mimi sighed. “Well, I think I should get a discount for this.”

A slightly mechanized voice responded from inside the booth, “Why…don’t…you…have …it…for…free?”

“Free?” she asked, “So what’s wrong with it?”

“Anything…you…like…has…to… ;be…too…cheep.”

Mimi gasped, then smiled. “Okay, that was a good one.”

A Chosen exited the booth and stepped into the street. It was a young woman with slightly dark skin, dressed in a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a sleeveless blue shirt. She wore a mask over her mouth and nose, connected to an oxygen tank on her back, a black box securely attached to her upper abdomen and connected to a tube that ran beneath her shirt, as well as another metal bag around her neck. The BD-2 had damaged her voice box, weakened her lungs, and all but destroyed her kidneys. She had become a mess of implants, tubes and blood and bone.

Mimi hugged her. “Iduia, how are you feeling?”

The metal box around her neck began to vibrate, “I…think…the…BD-2…is… starting…to…slow…down…”

“That’ s great.” She glanced around, “Are Palmon and Betamon here?”

“They’re spying on Digitalatri” Iduia’s Kokuwamon said.

“Where?” Michael asked.

“We…will…show…you…” Iduia said. She mentioned to a young man with an Elecmon who were standing behind them. They conversed in Portuguese, and the man began to speak to the other customers that approached the stall. Iduia and Kokuwamon mentioned down the street. “Please…follow…me…”

She led them through the streets until they arrived at the central park. There was a convergence of more then one hundred Chosen and their partners assembled within the confines of the bright grass, and standing within the center were two young adults that Mimi and Michael instantly recognized.

“Tatum!” Mimi gasped.

“Sam!” Michael exclaimed.

The young woman squinted her eyes to better see the two digimon standing behind them. “Archnemon and Mummymon? What the hell?”

They were soon joined by Palmon X and Betamon X, who sneaked their way through the crowd. Palmon X had a blue and yellow flower hanging over top of her normal red flower which rested on top of her head, as well as medal hanging from her neck. Betamon X contained two small fins on the side of the large fin, as well as sharp horns over his eyes and on his four legs.

“Hey guys,” Michael whispered, “What’s up?”

His partner sighed. “Well, according to the rumor, Tatum and Sam joined Digitalatri, and their leader, Chihi Miayag, gave them the power to evolve their partners past the Adult level, even with BD-2..”

“But…why?” Mimi asked, “Why did they…?”

“I guess they were desperate,” Palmon X answered, “They wanted a cure for the BD-2.”

“They…were…cured?” Iduia asked, raising an eyebrow.

The small plant creature hesitated, “Um…I…I really don’t know….”

Mimi gasped. “Maria!”

“What about her?” Michael asked.

“She was with them! Is she here, or…or did they…k-k-kill her?”

“Let’s not think about that,” her husband answer, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Not until we know for sure.”

“Shh!” Palmon said, “They’re about to talk.”

Tatum raised her hand and the chattering slowly drew to a stop. “My fellow Chosen!” she shouted, “I have come to you with a message from the Digital God, and his holy prophet, the Priestess Miayag! She has ordained me as a priestess of the Digitalatri, so be assured that I only speak the truth!”

She placed her hands behind her back and began to walk around the small clearing. “You have been hurt, haven’t you? The Second Black Death is killing us, why? We have given so much to this world, and it turns against us! Why? Why? The simple answer, my friends, is that we have fallen from the true path.”

She stopped walking and faced them. “At the creation of this world, there were two opposing forces, one of good and one of evil. They battled for eons until the one of good remains. That is the Supreme One, the God of the Digital World! He only asked that we followed him, but our ancestors, the First Chosen, were defeated by their enemies, and their teachings were lost forever. Until now that is. The God of the Digital World has punished us for our abandonment of him, but he has sent the holy Miayag to bring us back on the true path! Follow the God of the Digital World, and you will never be sick again! Whoever wishes to be saved, follow us!”

The crowd began to converge on them, and Sam was scanning over their heads when he spied Mimi and Michael in the rear. He did not reveal that he saw them, only walked over to Tatum and whispered in her ear. She mentioned to another Chosen, a young man with a Skull Satanmon as a partner. “Chosen, you have taken the first step towards salvation! Follow Vicente, follow his Skull Satanmon, they will bring you to salvation!”

At the rear of the crowd, Mimi and Michael began to converse. “She doesn’t seem so bad,” Mimi said, “Maybe…maybe this is a good thing.”

“I don’t know,” Michael said, “Religion isn’t something you can accept just like that. Did she really have time to think about it, or was she so desperate that she just grabbed the first thing that came along?”

“What…should…we…do?” Iduia asked through her mechanized voice box.

“Maybe we should follow them?” Betamon X suggested.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Palmon X added.

Michael glanced at the crowd, then back at the others. “All right, but we’ve got to blend in perfectly.”

The others nodded, and they were about to merge into the group of people, but they stopped short when they noticed that Tatum, Sam, and their partners of Archnemon and Mummymon were standing in front of them.

“Ahh!” Mimi shrieked in surprise..

Tatum smirked. “You’re still the over-actor you always were, huh?”

Mimi gasped loudly. “What the hell was that for?” Michael demanded.

“And then there’s you,” Sam said, “Still trying to act bigger then you are.”

“Stop…that…!” Iduia shouted as best she could.

The faces of the two members of the Digitalatri soften. “Iduia, one of the Brazil Chosen, it’s good to see you again,” Tatum said, “But what are you doing here?”

“She’s trying to make a living,” Mimi answered.

“I wasn’t talking to you, bitch!” Tatum sneered.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she snapped.

“I’m finally free of your shadow, that’s what!” she snapped back, “When Sam and I had the virus, and you and Michael were modified by the X-Antibody, all you did was look down on us! Acted like you were better! Well, we’re better now!”

Michael tried to keep his true emotions hidden. “W…what about Maria? Is she with you too?”

“Maria is a traitor,” Sam answered, “She chose to side with Yagami.”

“Taichi?” Mimi blinked.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Tatum answered, “She’s with Yagami right now. I guess when she was in trouble, you just weren’t good enough.”

“All right!” Michael shouted, “I’ve had enough of this!”

“So have we!” Tatum shouted. She turned to Archnemon and nodded. The spider lumbered forward. Sam mentioned to his own partner, who stomped forward.

“We don’t want to fight you,” Palmon X said.

“You don’t have a choice!” Archnemon laughed.

Michael and Mimi reluctantly grabbed their digivices and evolved their partners to the adult level.

“Palmon X evolve to Togemon X!” She resembled Togemon, except for a dark yellow poncho around her body and a sombrero on her head.

“Betamon X evolve to Seadramon X!” He resembled a regular Seadramon, except he was a solid blue color except for a few red stripes on his back, and the two fins near his head were longer.

The two X-digimon were about to attack, but before they could, Mummymon fired a blast of energy from his gun that struck both Togemon X and Seadramon X, throwing them over their partners head and smashing into one of the buildings surrounding the park.

Mimi and Michael twisted around. “Are you okay?” Mimi shouted.

Togemon X stood up and sneered. “I’m gonna kick his…his…” She trailed off as she stared over Mimi’s head. The young woman spun, but she did not see Tatum, Sam or their partners. Instead, there were two humans, one dressed in green and one dressed in black, and two large, demonic-looking creatures standing in front of her.

Mimi and Michael stood defensively in front of Iduia while they and their partners stared down the two cloak-wearing humans and their demonic digimon partners. “Who are you? What do you want?” Michael asked.

The one in black shrugged.. “Sorry, that would take just too long to answer.”

“What?” Mimi asked.

The one in green turned to him. “Actually, Karetu and Shiokuo said that this really causes a reaction…” She reached up and gripped the edges of her hood. The one in black sighed deeply and did the same. They both pulled their cowls down, allowing the sunlight to illuminate their features. Mimi, Michael and their partners could only stare in shock. The one in green had the face of Miyako Inoe, but her hair was bright pink in color, and the one in black had the face of Ken Ichijoji, but his hair was lighter in color.

“This is impossible!” Mimi screamed, “You….you’re dead…you’re dead! M…Miyako…I…I was there…” Tears began to well up in her eyes, “I watched you….I….I” Her tears began to slow to a stop, “…I think that hair looks really fam…!” Her tears dried as her eyes shot open, “That’s my hair!”

Michael turned to her. “What?”

“That hair!” she gasped, “It’s….it’s exactly, I mean exactly just like the way I use to wear it when I was fourteen! How can that be?”

The one in green chuckled. “That’s because I’m your dark side Mimi.”

“What?”

Before the one in green answered, the one in black put his hand on her shoulder. “I don’t think we’re supposed to be telling them.”

She sighed. “Right, I forget. I wish I had a better memory like yours.” She bowed and threw open her cloak to reveal that she was garbed in a royal pink dress with puffy sleeves and a long flowing skirt. “I am Amikyo, the Princess of the Demon Lords and this is my partner, Leviamon!”

She mentioned to the one in black and he waved his hand. “Yeah yeah, I’m going.” He took a deep breath, “My name is Enk, the Demon Watcher, and my partner is Belphamon.” He mentioned to the curled-up ball behind him,

What’s he doing?” Togemon X asked.

“He’s just sleeping right now.”

Seadramon X raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Well, we want him to get his beauty sleep, right?”

“What are you doing here?” Michael asked.

Amikyo pointed past Mimi and Michael. “Her?”

They spun around to glance at Iduia, who was standing nervously. “You…want…me?” her mechanized voice asked, “What…for…?”

“You’ll find out,” she said, holding her digivice to the sky, “Ready?”

Enk nodded, raising his own digivice, “Yeah, I’m ready.”

Two beams of light emerged from their digivice, each one the color of their cloaks, and smashed into the ground before them. It grew and twisted into two familiar dragon creatures.

“Devidramon!” Togemon exclaimed.

Enk yawned loudly and he lend back against the outside wall of the building. “Go and kill them…or whatever….”

The two Devidramons roared and one flew into the air while the other lumbered forward. Seadramon X shot into the air while Togemon X ran forward to engage the dragon. Devidramon threw his clawed hand forward, but Togemon X used her boxing gloved fists to punch the jab aside, then used the other hand to crack the dragon’s long snout. Devidramon growled and slashed the giant cactus aside with his claws.

Togemon stumbled backwards, but when Devidramon launched another attack with his claws, she was able to bash both of them aside, which left him open for her basic attack. “Needle Spray!”

The dragon roared in pain as his chest was suddenly pierced by hundreds of small needles. Togemon X began to chuckle, but she did not see the dragon’s tail sneak along the ground and wrapped around her leg.

“Togemon!” Mimi shouted, “Your leg!”

The giant cactus glanced down, but not fast enough as Devidramon flicked his tail, sending her crashing onto her back. The dragon began to twist around in place, crashing Togemon X into every building in the area.

The cactus swung her arms around in mindless desperation and managed to grab hold of a thick metal pipe that was sticking up through the ground in one of the buildings. She felt Devidramon’s tail began tighten but she held fast. The dragon twisted his body around, making his tail even tighter. Togemon X finally released her grip, and the recoil of the tail sent her flying towards the dragon’s face. She grinned with delight as executed her Light Speed Jabbing attack, augmenting it with the speed of the tail’s recoil and pounded Devidramon’s head with all of her strength. His head ripped from it shoulders and his body vanished a moment later.

Above their heads, Seadramon X and the second Devidramon continued to battle above their heads. Seadramon X launched at his opponent, a stream of ice emerging from his open mouth. Devidramon was instantly frozen in place and began to fall towards the ground. Seadramon X grinned and shot after him, ready for another attack.

The ice shield suddenly shattered, freeing the dragon. He slashed forward with his claw, striking the serpent in the face. He twisted around the sky before straightening himself out.

“Seadramon, you okay?” Michael shouted from the ground.

“Yeah,” he replied, “I’m not going to go down that easily.”

Michael smiled slightly as Seadramon X shot towards his enemy. He suddenly shot around in midair and used his tail to smack the dragon in his face. Devidramon quickly grabbed a hold of the serpent, which was exactly what he wanted. Now with a point to pivot, he twisted his long body around to behind the dragon and fired another Water Breath, freezing the dragon’s back. Devidramon squeezed even tighter on Seadramon X’s tail, but the serpent continued to spew out freezing water until the dragon’s entire body was covered. He flicked his tail, shattering Devidramon’s arms, which destroyed the rest of his body.

Seadramon X floated down to land beside Togemon X. Their human partners were staring at the two Demon Lords. Amikyo growled. “Damn it! They were destroyed!”

“I didn’t think it was gonna work,” Enk yawned again.

Amikyo frowned, then mentioned to her partner. “Let’s just do it our way. Leviamon!”

Her demon crocodile leapt into the air, a deep growl escaping from his lips, “Cauda!” Before either digimon could react, Leviamon’s tail smacked into Togemon X and Seadramon X, reverting them to their Child forms.

Mimi screamed while Michael shouted out his partner’s name. They instinctively ran to their partner’s side. Leviamon landed between them, salvia dripping from his massive jaw. He lumbered towards Iduia, who was still standing firmly in place. Her Kokuwamon jumped in front of her.

“No!” she shouted, “Stay…back….”

“I’m not gonna lose you,” Kokuwamon responded, “No matter what happens.”

“Kokuwamon…” she said, hugging her tightly.

“Iduia!” Michael shouted, “Run away!”

Leviamon lumbered forward, but Iduia held her ground. “I…will…not…run!”

Suddenly, her body began to radiate a nova of gray light. Kokuwamon’s floated into the air as he began to exhibit the same gray light. “Kokuwamon evolve to Guardromon!”

“Kokuwamon evolved!” Palmon X gasped.

“But, he shouldn’t he able to!” Betamon exclaimed, “Not with BD-2!”

Guardromon pointed his arms at Leviamon, but the demon chuckled. “You don’t have a chance, don’t make me destroy you.”

“I won’t let you hurt my friends,” he replied, “No matter what happens to me.”

“Well, you don’t need to worry,” Enk said, “We’re not here to fight you.”

“What?” Mimi asked.

“You heard him,” Amikyo said, “We’re done here.” She turned to the others, “Let’s go.”

Mimi and Michael slowly stared at one another. “You’re joking, right?”

The Demon Princess sighed. “I wish I had a sense of humor. No, we’re leaving.” She grinned and waved her hand, “See ya!” She and Leviamon vanished in a burst of green light, while Enk and the sleeping Belphamon disappeared in black light.

“What the hell just happened?” Palmon X asked.

“I don’t have any idea…” Mimi trailed off. She blinked a few times and glanced around. “Wait, where’s Tatum and Sam?”

“Gone,” Iduia responded, “They…left…after…the…battle…began… ;

I…would…have…gone…after…them…but&# 8230;”

Mimi smiled and placed her hands on the other woman’s shoulders. “It’s okay. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Yeah, me too,” Michael said, “But what was that light?”

She shook her head. “I…do…not…know…”

Mimi sighed deeply and stared up at the sky. Michael placed his arm around her shoulder. “You’re thinking about Tatum and Sam, right?”

She nodded. “And I’m worried about Maria.”

“Hey, she’s with Taichi, and I’m sure he’s taking good care of her.”

“I’m sure too,” she said, “I just wish she didn’t have to run off by herself. So she had the Second Black Death, no one cared! I didn’t care!”

“Maybe because we were modified by the X-Antibody, she felt like she had to prove herself,” Palmon X suggested.

“But she didn’t have to,” the young woman sighed, “And…and I can’t help but think that something bad is going to happen to her.” She put her hands together, “Oh Taichi, Hikari, take care of her.”

“”””””””R 21;””””””

In Nightsun, five hours until Digialatri attacks, Mina had completed her investigation and was now standing before the others with her notes and Catherine’s drawings in front of her. “Well?” Taichi asked.

“Yes,” she said, “First, Catherine’s drawings.” She sighed, “After careful examination, I believe they are prophecies.”

“Prophecies?” Anna asked, “You mean, things that have yet to happen?”

The Indian woman nodded. “Yes. This image has a city surrounded by ice and snow, I believe that is this city. Also, this one has a woman in a flowing cape carrying a staff, I believe this is the Prophetess Miayag.”

“A staff?” Taichi asked.

She held up another image, this one of a city covered in fire. “I think this is the conquest of this city, and…and then there is this one.” She hesitated, but showed them a drawing of eight human figures, lying in a wasteland, with seven figure standing over them, dressed in robes of varying colors. Each of the eight figures lying on the ground were covered by different lights: one of red, one of light blue, one of dark blue, one of brown, one of white, one of dark, one of gray and one of green.

“Are those…those…those Demon Lord guys?” Sora asked.

“But what about the ones on the ground?” Noriko asked, “They sort of look like the lights that came out of me and Catherine? See, I had that black light and Catherine had that white light.”

“And Anna had the dark blue,” Yuri gasped.

“And Lynna was light blue,” Yamato added, “But what does it mean?”

“I don’t know,” Mina said, “Maybe once the other…’lights’ appear, we will have answers. But…”

She pointed to another drawing, this one with two people with word coming out of their mouths. “And then there is this one, which I believe shows two ‘messengers.’ I think Catherine was the first messenger, which means another one will appear soon.”

“To tell us what?”

“The rest of the prophecy, perhaps.”

Taichi nodded. “Okay. What about this city?”

Mina smiled slightly. “Ah yes. This city. I have found many unique drawings and carvings within the homes and buildings, this one specifically, and I believe with some certainty that this is the City of Ceria.”

“Ceria?” Yuri asked.

“You really think this is Ceria?” Sora asked.

“What is Ceria?” Maria asked.

“It goes like this,” Taichi answered, “There were a group of Chosen that came before us, and after they defeated their enemy, they set up an empire, which was destroyed by the enemies, the Empire of Cer. Ceria was their capital city. The center island of the Digital World was the First Chosen’s capital.”

“So…if this is Ceria, why does Miayag want it so badly?”

“I don’t know,” Mina said, “But I feel that we must defend this city at all costs!”

“”””””””&# 8221;””””””””

Chihi Miayag, the leader of the Church of the Digital Light, the Digitalatri, stood atop one of the many snow-covered mountains littering the Northern Wastelands. Below her was the army of the Digitalatri, standing at attention, all varieties of digimon and their equally diverse partners. Due to the cold temperatures, there was a thick, ankle-length parka covering her dress, but her pink cape continued to flow behind her. She raised her arms and began to speak.

“Hear me my Chosen! Hear me! Our hour is at hand! We have given Yuri Rutskoy enough time to vacate from that city. He has refused. They have forced my hand, we must take it by force! My fellow Chosen, we will be victorious!”

Her army began to cheer. She turned to her right, where Hiroshi, Keiko, and their partners, Piedmon and Pinocchimon. She addressed the young man. “I give you command of this army, lead them to victory.”

He nodded. He turned towards the army and made a series of motions with his hands. Keiko stepped forward and shouted, “Company, march!”

Tatum, Sam, and their partners, Archnemon and Mummymon, stood at the head of the army, and began to walk forward at Keiko’s command. Miayag grinned at the sight. “My Digitalatri army is ready for its first campaign, and with it’s might, the Digital World and its Chosen will fall before the Digital God, and may the false gods they worship watch over their souls!”

Next chapter: The War to defend Nightsun comes next!

Author’s Note: The Yeren is basically a ‘Bigfoot’ that supposedly exists in China.