Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Dark Maiden of Light ❯ Beginning of the End ( Chapter 12 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Yesterday (20th of December) I discovered a small problem with all previous chapters. Most of the text that should be bold is not. For some reason it is normal text. There are a few exceptions, but most of it isn't bold. I decided to leave it like this since this is of little importance. It is not that hard to figure out which parts of the text should be bold, but aren't - they are all marked the same way.

Before you start reading let me warn you I could not remember what exactly MetalSeadramon's attacks look like so the descriptions given are made by me. This is especially true for Giga Ice Blast, but also for Energy Blast. Well, that's all. Enjoy the chapter.

When I say "Millenniumon" I mean "Millenniumon", not one of his evolved forms. And yes, I do mean Ryo's Millenniumon.

Disclaimer: I don't own "Digimon" or the characters, used in this story. They belong to someone else (I don't know who and I don't really care), so don't sue.

I own only what I have created (which isn't much).

" " - speech
** ** - thoughts (if any)
< > - change in place and/or time
* * * * * * - prophecy
~ ~ - telepathy
`Zeon's words/thoughts'

**********

The Dark Maiden of Light

Chapter 10

Beginning of the End

**********

Lilithmon took a look around, examining her surroundings. It didn't take her long to realize where she had been sent.

**Aw, crap.**

She was on a small island. A very small one. It was barely more than a few sand dunes and rocks. Not a single tree or any other kind of life could be seen on it. Around it was a vast ocean of black water. The whole world was dark, black clouds covered most of the sky, no light could be seen in any direction. It was the last place she would want to visit.

**Great. Just great. Of all worlds she had to send me to the World of Darkness. Well, I guess this is the Eternal Darkness mentioned in the prophecy. Looks like this part is true. Hopefully the next one about my return is true as well. But at least there are no hostile digimon nearby.**

After consulting with her senses Lilithmon discovered she is the only digimon on the island. And she could sense no other digimon in any direction. This made her very worried.

**Such a large area and no one living here? I don't like this. What could possibly make all digimon leave and avoid this place? I hope it's not because of some powerful Mega who's in control here.**

Unfortunately for her without knowing it she had guessed right.

**She is here at last. Excellent. It is just as Millenniumon predicted. Now let us see if the rest of his prediction will turn into reality as well.**

MetalSeadramon was resting ad waiting for the day when the Shadows would call him. His wait was five seconds away from ending.

~ MetalSeadramon! ~

~ Yes, what is it? Is it time? ~ The Mega answered in his mind.

~ Yes, the time has come for you to serve us once again. ~

~ What is it that you want of me? ~

~ Less than a minute ago a digimon was sent into your domain. That digimon is a special Lilithmon. You are to attack her and chase her to Daemon's island. But be careful. She is not like any other Lilithmon. And she must remain alive and in good health if she is to do what we need her to do. ~

~ Just tell me where exactly to find her. Leave the rest to me. ~

~ Excellent. Oh, and make sure she doesn't suspect anything. ~ With that said MetalSeadramon received detailed instructions and left to meet his victim.

Lilithmon was still trying to decide which direction to go when she sensed the approach of a powerful digimon.

**Wonderful.** She thought sarcastically. **Simply wonderful. Just when I thought this is as bad as it gets a Mega shows up. Could it get any worse?**

Apparently yes. She realized this when she saw the digimon headed for her. It was a large snake-like dragon with a tail split in two. Both tails had sharp white ends. His body was bluish-gray and most of it was covered by golden colored armor. On its head the dragon wore a mask made from the same metal that was covering everything above his mouth except the eyes. Jetting up from the head armor was a sharp spike. It was a digimon she had never expected to meet. A digimon known to anyone in her world who had seen the TV show "Digimon". It was…

**MetalSeadramon. And he doesn't look any friendlier than the one the DigiDestined have met. I just hope it is not the same digimon. The last thing I need right now is a fight with one of the former Dark Masters. Well, at least now I know why this area seems deserted.**

The dragon roared loudly when he neared her.

"This is MY domain! You have no place here! Leave or die!"

"I have no desire or intention to stay here anyway."

"Then why are you still here?" He yelled.

"Because I don't know where to go."

"I don't care! Either you leave this very instant or you'll have to fight with me. And that would mean your end. Or do you think you can defeat one of the Dark Masters?"

**One of the Dark Masters. That's what I was afraid of.** "So you are the same one the DigiDestined defeated."

"Yes, I am. And you are a digimon whose time just ran out. River of Power!"

Lilithmon bare dodged the attack and flew away from the data Mega right before his tail struck the place she had been a second ago.

"Yes, that's right, run. Run as far away as you can before I get you. No one escapes MetalSeadramon in his own domain. No one! Energy Blast!"

The dragon opened his mouth and breathed out hot flames that went above the virus because she dove towards the sea level. Before she could counterattack the data type attacked again.

"Giga Ice Blast!"

The attack was unknown to Lilithmon so she didn't know what to expect. But because of the name she expected an ice attack. She certainly had not expected what happened. MetalSeadramon roared and fired a blue beam from his mouth. It hit the water below the virus. For a second nothing happened, then a huge wave started rising towards the demon empress. She flew away from it.

The wave followed its target and on the way grew ten stories tall, then the whole wave glowed with sea blue light. The upper half of the wave exploded into thousands of small sharp ice pieces. They spread in all directions, hitting everything on their way. MetalSeadramon seemed unaffected by his own attack. Lilithmon however survived only thanks to her quick reaction. She managed to activate Sakuyamon's Talisman Sphere less than a second before the first ice shard reached her. The shield was nearly destroyed by the force of the attack. The wave however did not dissipate as the virus had hoped. It took less than a second for the water mass to grow as large as it had been before the explosion of ice. Then it glowed with sea blue light a second time and another explosion followed. Thanks to the viral Mega's maneuvering most shards missed her but the few that hit her finished off her weakened shield. Lilithmon saw that she could not win as long as they were away from the coast and deeply inside MetalSeadramon's domain and was forced to flee.

MetalSeadramon however would not let his prey get away so easily. He chased his victim not letting her escape him.

Lilithmon kept trying to get away from MetalSeadramon for what seemed to her like years but in truth it was less than an hour. The water digimon kept chasing her and rapidly firing attacks at her. The few attempts to counterattack made by the virus proved futile. Then, just when she was getting a little bit tired and slightly more worried she spotted land in the distance.

**Land? Finally! I just hope it's not another island like the one I was on.**

The viral Mega gathered all of her remaining energy reserves in an attempt to reach the distant shore as soon as possible. The data type followed close by.

The land in the distance proved to be further away than it had looked at first. It took ten minutes for Lilithmon to reach it. When she finally did MetalSeadramon attacked her one last time. "Giga Ice Blast!"

Since there was no water under the virus' feet the data type did not fire another blue beam. Instead he just opened his mouth and breathed out ice shards at her. The demon empress managed to dodge the attack. The metal dragon roared in anger.

"You are lucky, my dear. This time you got away. But if you dare to return to my domain ever again you will not be so lucky. This I promise you." With this said the former Dark Master turned around and left. The virus collapsed on the beach too exhausted to care who may be the ruler of this area.

~ Well done. ~

~ I am glad I was of service. Is there anything else I can do? ~

~ Not at the moment. The rest is up to Daemon. ~

Lilithmon remained on the shore for half an hour to rest a little bit and restore some of her lost energy. When she felt strong enough she got up and decided to take a look around.

After flying around for a few minutes Lilithmon spotted some kind of a shrine in the distance. She decided to go and investigate. So far she had met no digimon on the island. The few she had felt had run away from her as quickly as possible. Apparently they could feel her power and wanted to avoid trouble if possible. On the positive side if there were any digimon living here, then however ruled this place wasn't as bad as MetalSeadramon. Or so she hoped.

When the viral Mega reached the "shrine" it turned out to be a ruined temple of some sort. In it was nothing of interest, except for the room (what was left of it anyway) that had been in the center of the supposed temple. In that particular room was a column made of some kind of black marble. It looked undamaged by time. Apparently whatever caused the damage to the temple spared the column.

**Hmmm. It must be something important. I better take a closer look.**

Lilithmon went to the column. When she neared it she noticed letters engraved in its surface. The column itself was three meters high and half a meter in diameter.

The words engraved in the marble surface turned out to be some kind of dark prophecy. It was written several times on the column.

* * * * * *

Red Stars

The day will come when a red star will appear
The Dead One and the Chaos will multiply it
For their own needs, unaware of its true power
The Queen of Annihilation will use and rely on its power
And this will prove to be her greatest mistake
But the true power of the red stars will remain hidden from all
It shall be revealed when their creator returns
To bring back The Past and rebuild her Kingdom of Darkness
She will gather all her power and corrupt the light
In an attempt to undo what was done long ago
The Chosen Ones shall defy and challenge her
They will try to stop her in an attempt to free their friend
Unaware of the traps she has set for them
In the end the Empress of Darkness shall triumph above all who defied her
And the rule of the Eternal Darkness shall begin

* * * * * *

~ ~ ~ ~

**I don't like this. This prophecy mentions the Eternal Darkness. I thought that means the World of Darkness. But in this case it must be something else.**

`It is. Sometimes the same words mean different things depending on the prophecy. Oh, and let's not forget this is a dark prophecy, unlike the one about you. No one said the prophecies of darkness must refer to the same things as the prophecies of light.'

**Good point.**

~ ~ ~ ~

Suddenly Lilithmon sensed a powerful digimon headed towards the ruins she was in.

**Uh, oh. A digimon. Definitely a Mega. And he's coming here without a doubt. Maybe all the digimon that ran away from me were actually going to inform him of my presence. I wish I had thought of that possibility sooner. But I didn't. So what to do now? I could run away… But I can always do that with the help of a couple of cards. I think I'll wait for the digimon and see if I can learn anything from him.**

Mode change!

Lilithmon mode change too… human mode!

The viral Mega was replaced by Alice's form.

**Hopefully unlike MetalSeadramon he won't attack me the moment he sees me. The last thing I need now is another battle.** The girl left the ruins and started waiting at the former entrance for the unknown digimon.

Daemon was flying towards the ruins of the old temple. He had already sensed the Mega he had been informed about by the few digimon who had been brave enough to dare go speak with him, probably hoping for a reward or something. Or maybe they just wanted to get on his good side. Whatever the reason they had received nothing, but at least he had left them alive. He had no time to waste with them when there is a new digimon in his territory.

**I wander who that digimon is? Could it be Lilithmon? Ophanimon sent her to another world, but I didn't see which one.**

Suddenly the new digimon vanished from his senses. **What the… What happened? Something is not right here. I better be careful.**

~ Daemon. ~ The demon lord heard the call of the Shadows.

~ Yes? What is it? ~

~ The digimon you sensed is Lilithmon, as you already guessed. ~

~ The same one who fought with Ophanimon? ~

~ Correct. She was sent to this world. We sent MetalSeadramon with orders to make sure she will come to your island. And here she is. The rest is up to you. ~

~ The rest? What do you mean? And why can't I sense her anymore? ~

~ She is now in her human form. As long as she is like this no digimon can sense her. As for your other question, when you see her you will understand. And if you don't, we will tell you. ~

With this the conversation ended for the time being.

**When I see her I'll understand? What is that supposed to mean? And how did she get a human form anyway? Could… could she be a human with a Zeon?** The demon lord continued on his way intrigued by what he had been told and soon saw the ruins. He also saw a girl at the remains of the temple entrance. She had blond hair and looked strangely familiar to him. **A human? What is she doing here? And how did she get here anyway? She's quite far from the shore. There is no way she would remain unnoticed long enough to reach the ruins. Perhaps she is…** His thought was never finished because suddenly it hit him. He understood why the girl looked familiar. He had seen her before. Only once, and she had been much younger back then, but he still recognized her. After all, without knowing it she had helped him more than he could ever hope for. **What is she doing here? Doesn't matter. All that matters is that she's here. And if I play my cards right, she will give me what I need a second time without even realizing it.** The demon lord smiled and flew towards the girl. **Wait, the Shadows said that Lilithmon is now in her human form. Does that mean that this girl is Lilithmon?**

~ Yes, it does, Daemon. ~

~ She is Lilithmon? But how… Her Zeon! Of course. Now I understand. ~

~ Good. Now forget about her Zeon and remember the power she possesses. This power is the reason we wanted her to come to your island. You understand what you must do, don't you? ~

~ Of course I do, I'm not stupid. No need to worry. I will not fail you. ~

~ Good. Because you may not have another chance if you miss this one. Good luck. ~

~ No need to worry. ~ **I learned from my mistake.**

Alice watched the digimon she had felt fly to her. She needed half a second to recognize him.

**Daemon. Great. Things keep getting better and better.** She thought sarcastically. **Of all the digimon in this cursed world he had to be the one to live here.**

When the demon lord reached the girl, he greeted her, much to her surprise.

"Welcome to my island, Lilithmon."

"You know me? And what do you mean "your island"?"

"Of course I know you. I was watching Ophanimon's progress in searching for the Zeons. So I saw what happened to you. Although I must admit I had no idea you're a former human."

"What makes you so sure I'm not a digimon that has a human form? And that I am this Lilithmon you mentioned?"

**Because I have seen you here before and I am sure back then you were human.** "I saw you arrive in the central sector. But I was sure you wouldn't survive for long so didn't watch over you." Daemon lied.

"You didn't answer my second question. What makes you think I am Lilithmon?"

**Because the Shadows told me you are.** "You did not say you are not when I called you by that name. You didn't even look surprised. If you weren't, you would've said so. That is the main reason. Second, I sensed a powerful digimon at this location. It suddenly disappeared from my senses just a little while ago. When I came here I saw you. So I simply put two and two together and figured you must be that digimon I sensed. Combined with the fact that Lilithmon was sent to this world I thought that maybe you and Lilithmon are the same person. So I decided to check it out. And the way you reacted, or more accurately didn't react, to my words proved I was right. But even if you are not Lilithmon, you are still a digimon, judging by your reactions so far." **Not the best explanation, but for something made up in a few seconds it's quite good, if I may say so myself.**

Alice sighed in defeat and changed back to Lilithmon.

"Guess I should've used my head a bit more before speaking."

"Now come with me. You are my guest for as long as you are on this island."

"Your guest? What makes you think I will trust you?"

"I know I am not the most trustworthy person you have met, but you can trust me nonetheless. If you need proof, let me just say you are more useful to me alive than dead." **More than you could imagine.** "That should be good enough reason. And if it isn't, well, you are a Mega and a Demon Lord, like me. I would not attack one such as you without a very good reason, and I see no such reason. Do you?"

"No, I don't." Admitted Lilithmon. "Very well. I will come with you, but don't expect me to trust you. So no tricks. Lead the way."

Daemon's citadel was a dark tower made of black stone. It was five stories tall. Lilithmon however saw only the topmost, which is where Daemon brought her.

"Welcome to my humble home. I know it is not much, but it is good enough for you to spend the night here."

"The night? And where are we going tomorrow morning?"

"I, alas, am going nowhere. You however will return to the central sector to finish your battle with Ophanimon. I will help you return."

"You can help me go back? If that is so, why can't you leave as well?"

"It is impossible for me to leave." **At least not yet. But thanks to you that will change soon.** "I don't have your kind of power."

"My kind of power? What are you talking about?"

"The power you used to open the portal to the central sector."

"Oh, that. So I can leave because I have this power?"

"Yes. You could leave right away, but I would advise against it. It is almost nighttime in the central sector. You had a very long and exhausting day. You need to rest before you can face Ophanimon again. If you want to win, that is."

"And what do you care about my battle with Ophanimon?"

"I want to see her destroyed. It is not important why. I have my reasons. And I believe you can and will defeat her. So I will help you go back. Unfortunately I know only one portal leading from this world to the central sector and it opens in the Digimon Graveyard."

"Wonderful." Commented Lilithmon in a sarcastic tone. "Any other good news?"

"Look from the bright side. It's not very far from Ophanimon's palace if I'm not mistaken. And while in the Graveyard you can use the crystals there to boost your own power. So defeating Ophanimon won't be so hard."

"I see." Lilithmon had no idea what crystals the demon lord is talking about but she didn't let it show.

"Well, if you have no further questions, I'll let you sleep. You really need to rest. Tomorrow will be a long and hard day for you."

"That is true. Good night."

"Good night. Pleasant dreams." **I know my dreams will be pleasant, now that you are here again.**

Daemon left, leaving Lilithmon alone. After thinking for a minute she decided to go to sleep. She didn't have much choice anyway. She had accepted the Demon Lord's hospitality, and it was too late to change her decision now.

<Meanwhile, in the central sector, unknown location>

Ghoulmon was waiting. He had been waiting and growing more powerful for years. For years that was all he and his servants had done. They had waited hidden in the shadows, their presence unknown to all, even the Council. He had watched over the sectors of the Digital world by using his own mirror crystal. And now the wait had almost ended. Based on what had happened he was convinced that Alice was the Dark Maiden of Light. There was no doubt in his mind that he will be the one to deal with her. He had noidea what the Shadows' plan for him was.

~ Ghoulmon. ~

~ Is it time? ~

~ Yes, it is. Tomorrow morning Lilithmon will give us what we want. Once she does her services will no longer be required. She will return to this sector through the portal in the Digimon Graveyard. See to it that she doesn't survive for long after her return. ~

~ And what of Ophanimon? Isn't Lilithmon supposed to deal with her? ~

~ So it is. Obviously our viral `friend' won't be able to destroy her. Since we have no further use for Ophanimon she too must be destroyed. How is up to you. ~

~ Understood. Anything else? ~

~ That is all. Do what you find necessary. But Lilithmon and Ophanimon must both die. ~

~ They will, I promise you. ~

With this the conversation ended. Ghoulmon decided to take a look at Ophanimon and made his plan. What he saw was not what he had expected. After a second of not believing his eyes and the chance fate was offering him he called three of his servants.

"You called, Master?"

"Yes, I did. I have work for you three. It is a very important task."

"Just tell us what must be done. Leave the rest to us."

"Excellent. Your orders are simple. Destroy Ophanimon!"

Ophanimon was flying towards her goal. After the battle with Alice she had sent Angewomon to the rest of her forces. Another Angewomon had taken the place of her lover. This one, just like her guards, would not object against Ophanimon's decision or ask any questions. Not that there were any questions the vaccine Mega could not answer, but answering would take time, and that was the only thing the vaccine did not have.

After greeting the new Angewomon and filling her in on all that had happened Ophanimon had sent her guards and the Ultimate to sleep, then she had left and headed towards her destination. This was part of her final survival plan should everything else fail. If this plan too was to fail she would be forced to use her last ace. Unfortunately that would force her to destroy Lilithmon. And to her that was not an option.

At last Ophanimon saw the place she was looking for. It was a group of rocky hills. On one of the hills was a brown rock with a brown Hazard sign on it. Due to the color of the rock the sign was nearly impossible to notice if you're not looking for it. And even for someone searching for it the sign was hard to find. This sign was Ophanimon's destination. The rock was a Hazard Nexus, a place where a digimon could, among other things, call upon the power of the Hazard to become a Hazard digimon, just like Dellia had done. However this was not known to most, the Council included. Even most Hazard digimon did not know it. Very few knew it, and Ophanimon was one of the few digimon with this knowledge without being a Hazard digimon herself. To her displeasure the Anubismon she had sealed had the same knowledge as her.

The rock with the sign was large and rough. It seemed as stable as possible. Ophanimon stepped on it, her feet in the center of the Hazard sign, inside the circle surrounding the middle triangle. Her face was facing one of the other three triangles, the other two remained behind her, one to each of her sides. After she was firmly standing on the rock below her Ophanimon closed her eyes, dropped her hands to her sides, and started speaking in a low tone. Her words were clear, her voice calm.

"I call upon the powers of the Hazard. Hear my desire and grant me my wish…"

A short and very detailed description of what she wanted followed her words.

"I beg you, grant me my wish!" That last part came out as a scream.

For one long second nothing happened. Then an invisible force pushed Ophanimon off her feet and sent her spinning out of control in the air. When the vaccine finally regained control she saw a strange woman floating half a meter above the Hazard sign. Wind was swirling around her, obscuring Ophanimon's sight and making it nearly impossible to see what the woman looks like.

The woman spoke right away, not giving the angel a chance to try and take a good look at her, or even recover from spinning in the air.

"So that is what you desire. Very well. You can have what you want. But not for free. You'll have to pay a price first."

The world was spinning around Ophanimon and this was confusing her, making it hard for her to think clearly, but she still managed to understand what she had just heard and come up with an answer.

"Not for free? Why did Dellia receive the power for free? Why her but not me?"

The woman laughed before answering. "Dellia too paid a price, although she never realized it. You see, we needed something done. Dellia did it for us without even realizing it. This was the price she paid."

Ophanimon's eyes widened in surprise after hearing this. "Are you saying that you used Dellia for your own goals?"

"Precisely."

For a few seconds the angel remained silent, not knowing what to say. Then she remembered something the woman said. "You said "we". So there are more like you?"

""Yes" and "No". There are more of us, but none of them is like me. Each of us is unique as far as we know. But enough about that. If you want the power of the Hazard, you have to pay the price."

"And that price is?"

"We will give you what you want. In return you owe us a favor."

"A favor?"

"Yes. A favor we will ask for in time. When we tell you what the favor is you must do it. If you refuse to honor your word and decide not to give us what you owe us, you will regret it. This I promise you. Oh, and do not think you alone will pay the price for dishonor."

"I understand. What would that favor be?"

"That I don't know yet. Like you I will learn it when the time comes. But no matter what it is you'll have to do it."

**I have the feeling I'm not gonna like it. But I have no choice.** "Very well. I accept."

"Excellent. In that case your wish shall be granted."

Ophanimon nodded in response. **I just hope I won't regret this decision… too much.**

"After I leave step on the Hazard sign and you will receive what you asked for." Then the Hazard signs on the woman's hands flashed with yellow light and she simply vanished. The Hazard sign on the rock turned back to brown. It was at that moment when Ophanimon realized a number of things. The first was that the Hazard sign on the rock had been yellow instead of brown as long as the woman had been there. The second was the realization that she had never taken a good look at the woman even though she had had the chance at the end of the conversation. She could remember a few details but nothing more. The woman had a yellow Hazard sign on each of her hands. Her hair had been very long, straight and its color had been a mix between silver and sky blue. Her eyes had looked like there were lightnings inside her skull. And she had been wearing a long dress the same color as her hair. Nothing more came to the vaccine's mind no matter how hard she tried to remember more. The third thing was the fact that she knew nothing about the mysterious woman. Her name and origin were unknown. Ophanimon was sure that `the woman' was a digimon or some other creature made from data. The fourth was the fact she had just made a deal she could not cancel no matter what. She had made a decision and she would have to live with it, no matter what the consequences.

**Well, there is no going back so I might as well go forth.**

Ophanimon flew back down to the rock and stepped on it, taking the same position as before. Again for a second nothing happened, then the angel felt power flowing through her body. Yellow light surrounded her. It soon vanished along with the feeling of power. Ophanimon took a good look at herself and saw one yellow Hazard sign on each of her wings (since her wings were yellow as well the signs were hard to notice) and one on the back of each of her hands. She concentrated on the power for a second and the Hazard signs started flashing with yellow light. The angel smiled pleased with the result, then took her weapon and shield (which she had left on the ground before stepping on the rock) and returned to the rock.

Once again Ophanimon stood on the rock, in the middle of the sign. "I call upon the powers of the Hazard." All the Hazard signs on her body started flashing with yellow light. "I call upon the Hazard's power to teleport from one Hazard Nexus to another. Bring me inside the City of Rebirth!"

The Hazard sign below the angel flashed with yellow light and suddenly she was inside the City.

**Excellent.** This was another thing few knew about. The Hazard Nexuses could teleport a person from one Nexus to another. There were no limitations that Ophanimon knew of. As far as she knew anyone could teleport from one Nexus to another even if the two are in different worlds. Unfortunately Anubismon was in possession of this knowledge as well. Ophanimon was sure this is the way the other vaccine intends to use to get the last key. But that was of no importance. By using the teleportation allowed by the Nexuses she had bypassed all of the city's defenses. So she was inside unnoticed. Of course she had to be quiet or she would be discovered right away. She couldn't stay for long either. But that was not a problem because there was only one thing in the whole city she wanted.

**A pity I won't be able to see Anubismon's face when she comes looking for the last key and instead finds my massage. That would be a sight to see.**

Ophanimon needed less than five minutes to replace the key with her massage and leave the city unnoticed the same way she had entered. She appeared on the same rock she had used to enter the city and flew back to her palace where she intended to proceed with the last part of her plan. However on the way back she was met with an unexpected obstacle. Or three obstacles, to be exact.

Ophanimon was halfway to her palace when she felt three digimon coming towards her. All three were powerful, no doubt on the Mega level. She stopped and waited. They turned out to be a viral Cherubimon and two viral WarGreymon.

"Hello there, honey. Going back already?" Greeted her the Cherubimon.

"First, I am not your `honey'. And second, what do you care where do I go?"

"Oh, I don't care. If it was for me to decide I would let you go. But the Master wants you dead. So we have to destroy you. Farewell. Storm of Judgement!"

Cherubimon's hands reached up and crimson clouds covered the sky. Ophanimon was familiar with this attack, so she tried to interrupt it with her own, but the two WarGreymon got in the way and blocked her Sephirote Crystals. The clouds started shooting black lightning bolts with a crimson glow at her. The vaccine barely managed to dodge them.

Ophanimon was an experienced fighter. She had fought with many opponents. And she had learned a few things after all the fighting. One of them was the ability to tell what are her chances. Right now they were pretty bad. She had the type advantage, but was outnumbered. And her opponents were powerful. Very powerful. In one-on-one combat she would defeat any of them with ease. But all three together could prove too much for her since she was all alone. She could crush them like bugs by using her last ace, of course, but she would rather avoid this if possible. Fortunately for her she had another option.

The three viruses stopped when the Hazard signs on Ophanimon's body started flashing with yellow light. The signs had remained unnoticed by the three so far because they had been concentrated on destroying their target and not on studying her. Now however it was impossible to ignore them.

"What? What is this? You're not a Hazard digimon!" Cherubimon sounded worried, though he tried to hide it.

"I am now. And you three… are dead. Shining Javelin!"

The next morning Lilithmon woke up fully relaxed, refreshed, and ready to face Ophanimon and the rest of her servants. After he made sure she's ready Daemon led her to a certain place on the island. It looked strangely familiar to Lilithmon.

"Something wrong? Why are you looking around like that?"

"This place… There is something familiar about it." The feminine Mega struggled to remember. It took her a while, but in the end she did. She remembered something that happened long ago, when she was a little girl and her mother had died. Something she had completely forgotten.

Alice was in her room, lying on her bed. She was crying, still unable to get over the death of her mother, who had recently passed away. She was lost in her sorrow so deeply it was as if the room and the rest of the world around her didn't exist. She wouldn't notice even if the ceiling suddenly collapsed on her.

Suddenly the young girl felt dirt under her instead of the cozy bed. She got up and took a look around. It turned out she is no longer in her room. She was in a world she had never seen. The place was dark, the sky covered by black clouds, no light in sight. The ground below her feet was covered by dirt. The place was empty, no one in sight, except for the little red-haired girl, who seemed to be her age or with at most a year difference, and the strange humanoid figure dressed in robes that completely hid anything that would suggest whether the figure is a man or a woman. Alice didn't know where she is or how she got here. And since she couldn't see a way to go back to her room, she decided to hear what the two people are talking about. She was close enough to the two to overhear without having to approach them, so she just remained on her place without making any sound.

"I demand to know where I am and who you are!" Screamed the redhead.

"Calm down. There is no need to shout at me, Rika."

"Don't tell me what to do! How do you know my name anyway and if it wasn't you, who was it that brought me here?"

"I have my sources of information. They told me your name is Rika and recently you lost your father. Unfortunately that is almost all I managed to learn. As for your coming here… YOU are the one who brought you here."

"Me? Impossible!"

"You were so sad and at the same time angry at everyone because of what happened to your father. This is all that was needed for you to come here. It is as simple as that."

"Alright, let's say it is true. Who are you and what do you want from me?"

"I am Daemon. I am a Mega digimon. That is short for "digital monster". As for what I want, I was hoping we could become partners."

"Partners?"

"Yes, partners. This way you will help me and I will help you. Won't it be nice to have someone who cares for you now that your father is gone?"

"Yes, it would be, but why you? And what do you know about my father anyway?"

"I know that he was killed by a digimon that managed to come to your world. That digimon would be no problem for me, so if you agree to be my partner, you and your family will never ever have to worry about digimon again."

"So my father was killed by a digimon? Tell me more about digimon."

"We are made out of data. When we are destroyed, we turn back into data. We…"

"And do you fight each other?" Interrupted Rika.

"Yes. We…"

"Enough. I heard all I wanted to hear. So what you're telling me is that you digimon are animals made of data that live only to fight. And you want to use me to become stronger, so you can defeat your victims more easily."

"That's not what I said."

"No, but that's what you meant. You think I'm stupid or something?"

"No. To be honest I think you are one very hurt little girl who is going through a tough time and needs someone to help her. I can help you overcome your grief and become strong."

"You think I am weak? You think I need your help? Think again! I am strong! I need no one! I can do just fine on my own! And I certainly don't need YOU!"

"Of course you do. Everyone needs someone. Or do you think there is someone out there who will be your prince charming? Someone who will love you and protect you from the evil in the world? Foolish little girl. This is not a fairy tale. This is real life. Love won't just come to you. You may never find it. And even if you do, what would that bring you? Having someone to care for will only make you weaker, for that someone can be used against you. And of course there is always the chance that he won't be what you imagined or expected."

"I NEED NO ONE! I am not some weakling that needs protection! I can do just fine on my own! I need no love! I need no help! I'm fine the way things are!"

"Oh really? You expect me to believe that? You know you'll probably be all alone for the rest of your life. Don't try to pretend this doesn't matter to you!"

"I don't pretend! And I don't care whether you believe me or not! I will prove to you and everyone else that I am strong and I need no one! I'll prove to every one that alone I am just as good as people who are not alone! Even better!" Rika's face was giving away the pain she was feeling and was trying to hide, but she was unaware of it.

"You can deny the truth all you want, but it won't change anything. You are a human. And humans are weak and defenseless. That is why you need me, no matter how hard you try to deny it."

"For the last time, I need no one! Now leave me alone, you freak! I wanna go home!" Rika closed her eyes in an attempt to hold her tears. Daemon's words had struck a cord in her. A cord linked to her greatest fears.

Alice could take no more. She had heard enough. And because she had suffered nearly the same loss as this Rika girl, she felt Rika's pain as her own. She too wanted to leave this wretched place and go home.

Alice closed her eyes and gave out a silent scream. Her body started glowing with white light. So far she had remained unnoticed by Daemon and Rika, because the Mega was with his back turned toward the blond girl, and Rika's attention was entirely concentrated on the figure in front of her. Since her eyes were closed, the redhead didn't notice Alice at all. Daemon however did. He turned around to see where the light is coming from because in this world there was no light. He saw the blond girl and managed to take a good look at her, but before he could do something more, a bubble made of white light surrounded her. Another such bubble appeared around Rika. A second later the two girls vanished. When they opened their eyes, they both found themselves in their rooms. In a few days the Daemon accident was completely forgotten by both.

"You! Now I remember! You are the reason Rika became the Digimon Queen!"

**She remembered. I was hoping she won't, but it doesn't really matter.** "So it is. Although I assure you I had no intention at all to turn her into the girl she became. I really wanted her to be my partner. Alas, the result from my little "chat" with her was quite different from what I hoped for."

"…"

"Well, anyway, we are here now. The portal through which you and Rika went back to your world is close by, but it is not the one I will show you. There is another portal here, this one leading to the central sector. You can go back and finish what you started."

"Tell me the truth, Daemon. Why are you helping me?" Demanded Lilithmon in a firm tone of voice. Since it was evident she would insist for an answer Daemon decided to tell her the truth. To him it didn't matter at all.

"Because I want to see Ophanimon dead. And I believe you have the power to destroy her."

"And why do you want her dead?"

"Sooner or later I will get out of here." **Thanks to you a lot sooner than I thought.** "And when I do, I might be forced to fight her. Why waste my time with her when you can destroy her for me? It's as simple as that."

"I see. You are fortunate I have no choice. Otherwise…"

"Otherwise you would never accept my help. I know. But enough talking. It is time for you to go. You have work to do." **Although it is not what you think. At least not only that.**

For a moment Lilithmon just stood there wondering whether or not she should try to delete Daemon and load his data, but she decided against it. She could feel that the demon lord is more powerful than her. A battle with him would be too risky even if she used her most powerful attack. After all, one Mega and two Ultimates had not been able to breach his barrier and barely had managed to push him through the portal. It would be wiser to deal with him later, when her power increases.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Daemon showed her where the portal is. Lilithmon concentrated, her body glowed with light, as it had done twice before in her life, and the portal opened. Without hesitation the demon empress stepped through it.

Daemon watched Lilithmon leave. When she entered the portal and left, he let out a triumphant shout.

"At last! I am once again free to go wherever I want!"

~ Well done, Daemon. It is amazing what a little piece of the truth can achieve. ~

~ Indeed. ~

~ Last time you didn't listen to us. Do not make the same mistake again. ~

~ I won't. I learned my lesson. I will make sure I can open the portal whenever I want before I leave. ~

~ A wise decision. We suggest that after you are finished with the portal you go speak with one certain digimon. We believe you two could help each other a lot. ~

~ And who might that digimon be? ~

When he was told the answer Daemon laughed.

~ Him? Hmm, yes, I can see the possibilities. Very well, I will pay him a visit when I'm ready. ~

~ Another wise decision. Good luck. ~

With this the conversation ended. Daemon immediately turned his attention to the portal. He had to make sure it wouldn't close like the last one. He remembered all too well what had happened years ago.

Daemon was looking at the redheaded girl in front of him, who slowly got down on her knees, when suddenly white light appeared behind him. He turned around to see where the light is coming from. The source turned out to be a blond girl he had never seen before. He managed to take a good look at her, but before he could do something more, a bubble made of white light surrounded her. Another such bubble appeared around Rika. A second later the two girls vanished.

**Well, well, well. Looks like the blond girl opened a portal. Let's see if she closed it or let it close itself.**

It took him just a few minutes to find out that the portal is not closed and he can open it f he wants.

**Wonderful. Now I am free to leave whenever I want.**

~ It would be wise to make sure the portal won't close completely before leaving. ~

The advice of the Shadows was a wise one, but Daemon ignored it. **That won't be necessary. I have no intention to return here.**

Then Daemon opened the portal and left.

It had turned out to be a mistake. The DigiDestined had found a way to send him back to the World of Darkness. And with the portal completely closed by the time that happened he was forced to stay in this world once again. Now however he finally had a way out. And this time he would make sure the portal won't close on his own.

**Soon, DigiDestined. Soon we will meet again. And this time you will not defeat me.** The demon lord started laughing triumphantly.

**********