Lost Chronicles II: One World

[IamTheSovereign]

Isole Frost
45 Minutes

“You know, I thought that fightin’ bandits would be a lot more difficult,” Lira commented.

“Well, you got off easy,” I said. “Usually, we have upwards of forty-five to fifty bandits to eliminate. Minimum. Compared to only fighting ten bandits like we did today, fighting fifty is a much more trying task.” I looked over at the thief. “…You fight pretty decently, as far as thieves go.”

“Well, like you said, there were only ten, and none of ‘em were Digimon,” Lira replied.

“…That reminds me…Giselle, you remembered to scout out the area after we finished, didn’t you?” I asked.

“Huh? Oh…oh, yeah, yeah! Of course!” Giselle smiled. “I didn’t see anyone or anything!”

“Are you certain?” I asked. “It’s a crucial job, Giselle; if we do not scout out the area and see if any more are in the area, they could follow us home. If that happens, our entire operation — not to mention our lives — would be put at risk.”

“Yeah…! Why would I…not…do what you told me to do?”

Because you are a brainless idiot! I wanted to scream the words out loud.

“So, we’re allowed to swipe stuff from the folks we kill, right?” Lira asked.

“They certainly won’t need anything where they’re going,” I shrugged. “Although, I would advise you to steal from the dead on your own time.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it…”

I looked behind me, as I would every now and again, to make sure that Matthew wasn’t too far behind. I smiled, seeing him a safe distance away from us, and continued walking in silence. After a few minutes, the Fortress came into view through the ocean trees. “We’re almost home,” I said. “I don’t know if our leader has returned yet, but I’ll see what I can do about getting you into the guild, Lira.”

“Oh…thank you, Isole,” Lira said. The trees thinned, and the Fortress was now in plain sight. I felt so relieved to step in the cool, stone fortress and out of the sun’s harsh glare. However, my joy was short lived as the obnoxious clacking of Giselle’s high heels across the floor echoed in the hallway. I quickened my pace, entering the lounge before the others. I fell backwards and plopped onto a couch, looking up at the ceiling. There wasn’t a single other person in the lounge when the others came in.

“I guess Eleanora’s still out on that job,” Lira said. She sat down on a couch across from me with Giselle. Matthew simply stood still, looking around the room nervously. “So…what should we do until the boss guy gets back home?”

“There’s nothing much that we can do; you’ll simply have to wait,” I replied. “Matthew, don’t you want to sit down? You need to rest.”

“…Um…”

“Is there a problem?” I asked. “I know about your phobia, so you don’t have to join us; I just think you need to rest after—”

“N—no…It…isn’t that,” Matthew said. “I…see somebody coming…” There was a tiny hint of fear in his voice that instantly caught my attention. I stood up just in time to see two Digimon enter the Fortress. One was a rather short Ikkakumon, and on its back was a Hookmon.

“Hmm…so, this be their home,” Hookmon said.

“Can I help you?” I asked. The two Digimon ignored me, and continued walking.

“Where d’ ya suppose the leader’s room is, Ikkakumon?” Hookmon asked. Ikkakumon mumbled and growled something that sounded unintelligible, but Hookmon seemed to understand what the large Digimon was saying. “Yeah, that makes sense…” Hookmon jumped down from his mount, and walked right past me.

“HEY! Who the hell are you?!” I asked. Hookmon stopped walking, glancing at me over his shoulder.

“I’m here to get something,” he said. “Don’t get in me way.”

“Oi; Isole, you’d better stand back,” Lira jumped over the back of the couch, wrapping her fingers around the hilt of her blood-stained dagger as she and Giselle joined me. “It doesn’t look like this bloke’s here to join.”

“…You mean to fight me, lassie?” Hookmon asked. “Me mistress asked that I retrieve a very special item for her. To fulfill her desire, I shall do whatever be necessary, even if it means I murder everyone in this guild.” Hookmon quickly turned to face us, brandishing his sharp hook.

“Rosemon, realize!” Giselle held up her Digivice, and the form of her Mega level partner Digimon materialized before her.

“Forbidden Temptation!” Rosemon unleased a devastating pink beam of energy from her hands, directly striking the Champion Digimon, resulting in a small explosion of dust and flower petals. Rosemon then turned her attention to the Ikkakumon. “Now, then…if you don’t want to suffer the same fate as your friend, I suggest that you leave at once!”

“Aw…you speak of me as though I’m dead!” a voice from the dust said. “Rage Giga Anchor!” An enormous anchor flew through the dust and struck Rosemon in the back. The dust cleared, revealing that Hookmon had Digivolved into CaptainHookmon. “Now, Ikkakumon!”

“Harpoon Torpedo!” Ikkakumon launched his horn, and watched as it sailed over CaptainHookmon’s and blasted open Ulysses’ bedroom door.

“Excellent work, Ikkakumon!” CaptainHookmon exclaimed. The Ultimate level Digimon lumbered over to the smoldering crater left behind in the wall, but stopped when an arrow struck the back of his leg.

“Don’t…move…any…further!” Matthew said through his teeth, aiming another arrow at the Digimon’s head.

“Matthew, you idiot; run! Get the hell out of here!” I yelled as loud as I could. I looked back at the hole in the wall left by Ikkakumon’s attack. Nobody’s coming; I guess we’re the only ones here. Damn it!

“…I warned you…not to interfere with me job!!!” CaptainHookmon turned and pointed a gun at Matthew. “Pirate’s Punisher!”

“GET DOWN!” At the last possible second, Lira jumped and pushed Matthew to the ground before CaptainHookmon’s attack could hit him. “You okay, bud?”

“…Y—yeah…T—thank…you…”

“Ikkakumon. Keep ‘em busy for me while I look for it,” CaptainHookmon said. Ikkakumon grinned, and leaped between us and the Ultimate.

“R—Rosemon…please, get up,” Giselle whispered, gently shaking the unmoving Digimon.

“…I’m…trying…” Rosemon was gasping for air, and bleeding from her back where CaptainHookmon attacked her.

Okay, Isole, think; you’re the tactician! You can do this! The best fighter currently available is out of commission…Giselle and I aren’t fighters…Matthew and Lira are the only ones who can do anything, but they’re up against two strong Digimon…How…how am I supposed to think of a way out when all of the exits are blocked?! Damn it all!!! I feel so useless!

“Rosemon!” Giselle exclaimed. Ikkakumon was preparing to attack both her and Rosemon when the Mega jumped up.

“Thorn Whipping!” With the slightest flick of her wrist, Rosemon managed to constrict and entangle the large Ikkakumon in her vine.

“I’VE FOUND IT!!!” CaptainHookmon’s voice echoed from Ulysses’ room. He came running out, and in his free hand was a necklace. “Ikkakumon, let’s get….” The joy from his face left upon noticing that Ikkakumon was immobilized by Rosemon’s attack. A quick rage flashed across his face before turning to face a wall. “Leg Revolver!” The Sea Man Digimon raised his leg and bashed in the side of the wall with explosive force.

“Don’t let him get away!” I yelled.

“Rosemon, stop him!” Giselle exclaimed.

“Rose Spear!” CaptainHookmon jumped from the exit he formed just before Rosemon’s attack could even grave him. As she prepared to give chase, Ikkakumon leaped up and landed on top of her, firing off several Harpoon Torpedoes at me, Giselle, Lira, and Matthew. They were all fast and difficult to maneuver around. Just as I managed to dodge one of Ikkakumon’s attacks, another one hit and struck the ground beneath me, creating an explosion that sent me flying backwards. The room around me grew dark, and as I begun to think it was all over for me, Ikkakumon disappeared. I blinked, and opened my eyes wider. Ikkakumon really was gone, shattered into small bits of data. Standing behind him was none other than Ulysses.

“…What the hell happened here?!” his voice boomed. I tried to force myself up, but the force of Ikkakumon’s attack had nearly knocked me unconscious. The next thing I knew, a pair of hands were wrapped around my shoulder, helping me stand up.

“Are you okay?” Lucia whispered. Behind her were Edmund, Larraine, and Dominimon. Though I was still faint, I forced myself out of the woman’s grasp.

“I’m…fine,” I said.

“Looks like we’ll all live,” Lira said. Lucia gave the thief a confused look.

“…She’s okay,” I said. “She’s…one of us, now.”

“What the hell happened?!” Ulysses repeated.

“Two Digimon, Hookmon and Ikkakumon, waltzed on in,” Lira said. “Giselle sent Rosemon to attack ‘im, but he Digivolved into CaptainHookmon, and he…Ikkakumon blasted open your door, and the Captain barged on in. When he came out…he was holdin’ a necklace. Pretty nice one, too.” Ulysses’ face went pale.

“…Are…you certain of this?” Ulysses asked in a shaky voice. “A necklace…that’s what you saw in his hand?”

“Yeah, no mistakin’ it,” Lira said. “Shiny, gold chain; sorta hollowed out center, like it’s missing a gem or somethin’…” Ulysses’ claymore fell out of its owner’s fingers and fell to the floor with a loud, metallic clatter.

“Are you okay, sir?” Edmund asked.

“…I want to know how this happened,” Ulysses whispered. His stern gaze traveled across the room, from me to Lira and Matthew, to Giselle and Rosemon. “Well?! Tell me!”

…Giselle…If you had just done what I told you…Gah! Scatterbrained idiot! I stepped forward, meeting the gaze of my boss with my own. “Sir…the six of us went on a job to take out a few bandits.”

“…And? Didn’t any of you bother to scout the area?!”

“…We did, sir. As per your orders…I gave the job to…one of us,” I said, maintaining my calm.

“Well? Who did it?” Ulysses asked. The tall old man bent down and picked up his massive claymore. “Who…allowed an enemy to walk right into our home?!”

“Sir, calm down,” Lucia urged. Ignoring her, my eyes shifted and fell upon Giselle. Dominimon and Edmund had walked to her side, and helped Rosemon stand up. Slowly and quietly, Ulysses began walking in Giselle’s direction, slowly, one step at a time. Dominimon and Edmund stepped forward slightly, placing themselves between Ulysses and Giselle. From the corner of my eye, I could see Lira take Matthew’s hand and leave the room, pulling him along outside. Once more, Lucia placed her hands around my shoulders, and for a moment, I thought she would have me leave the room as well. I wouldn’t let that happen.

Not without seeing that spoiled brat get a slap on the wrist first!

“…Is it true, Giselle?” Ulysses asked. Our leader stared down at Giselle. Trembling beneath his unforgiving gaze, she looked so small and fragile. Giselle remained silent, but I could see her eyes begin to cloud up. Her lower lip began to tremble, and she lowered her head. Ulysses shoved Dominimon and Edmund backwards, and grabbed Giselle with a single hand, hoisting her up into the air by the straps of her shirt to look her directly in the eyes. “Giselle…do you have any idea what you’ve done?!”

“…I…I—”

“By failing to scout the area properly, you allowed an enemy to follow you and into our home!” Ulysses roared. “You could have gotten every last one of us killed! And what’s worse, because of you…because of you, one of them got away with that…that necklace! Do you have any idea how important that necklace is?! And because CaptainHookmon escaped, he now knows where we all live!” Tears were streaming down Giselle’s face, just as I had envisioned. A somewhat pleased grin was about to form on my lips when Ulysses became outlined in a red light. At that instant, he dropped Giselle.

“That’s enough, sir,” Edmund whispered. The archsage was holding a hand up, covered with the same red glow. Ignoring him, Ulysses thrust his claymore into the floor.

“Giselle…what have you got to say—”

“It was Rosemon.” I knew Giselle was scatterbrained. I knew she wasn’t smart. I knew she was clumsy, and ditzy, and somewhat of a spoiled brat. But at the same time, I never once expected her to say that. My jaw dropped, as did Rosemon’s when Ulysses’ gaze met hers.

“…Rosemon…is this true?” Ulysses asked. The Mega level said nothing. “…No objections? I see.” Ulysses turned away. “Rosemon…come with me.”

“…Yes sir,” Rosemon whispered. The two walked outside, neither saying a single word. My gaze rested on the sobbing Giselle who, at the moment, was being walked upstairs by Larraine.

You…you betrayed your best friend…How could anybody do that to their own partner Digimon?!

“…Isole? Are you okay?” Lucia asked.
“I’m…fine,” I whispered through clenched teeth. As long as I live…I will never let Giselle forget what she did to Rosemon!

---

Lira Elric

“How’re you holdin’ up, lil’ buddy?” I asked. The young archer had pointed me in the direction of what seemed to be a blacksmith’s forge, where the two of us had decided to hide out. “Does the boss get mad like that often?”

“…No…this was the first time I’ve seen him mad like that,” Matthew replied.

“…I know what you are, Matthew. I know what that Mark means,” I pointed at his forehead. The archer’s eyes widened in fear. “First of all, I guess I should say that I don’t mind. I…know other people must treat you pretty bad because of it…Well, anyway, I guess you’re probably older than Ulysses is, huh?” Matthew nodded.

“I’m…a little over two hundred years old,” Matthew whispered. “My parents were killed by bandits when I was young; Ellie and I just barely escaped. We’ve been at Lachesis for a while now; Ulysses was…he was probably about your age when we joined, Lira.”

“So, I guess this means that El’s got the Mark too, huh?” Matthew nodded, and lightly poked me on the side of my belly.

“…That’s where hers is…”

“…Hey, Matthew, I thought you were afraid of girls,” I said. “How come…you don’t seem to be afraid of me anymore? And you aren’t afraid of El, either…”

“Well, Eleanora’s my sister; I’m…used to her,” Matthew said. “And you…you saved my life, Lira…Earlier, when CaptainHookmon attacked me, you pushed me out of the way…”

“Aw, it was nothin’; happy to help out!” I said. “So, what; you’re not afraid of girls if they save your life? Haven’t any of the ones here ever saved you before? This seems like a job where anyone could need saving.”

“They’ve never had the chance, yet. Eleanora’s just…always gotten to me first, or is the only one with me, usually,” Matthew replied.

“…Well, I don’t wanna dig deep into any of your traumas or anything, so I’ll just drop the subject,” I said. “…Uh…I don’t really have anythin’ to talk much about, though…”

“…A long time ago…when I was about your age, Lira…I had a friend,” Matthew said. “…I…I couldn’t protect her…I wasn’t strong enough…when bandits came by and…”

“That was how your phobia began,” I whispered. “You developed gynophobia out of fear of having another woman who gets close to you get killed…” After a moment’s silence, Matthew reached into his coat and pulled out a small, leather satchel. “What’s that?”

“…This…is my lucky rock,” he whispered. He reached in and pulled out a small, green gemstone.

…That…by the Goddess, that—!

“It’s the only memento of my parents; my mother gave this to me when I was really young,” Matthew continued. “…When I look at it, I like to think about my parents…I like to think that they’re both watching over me and Ellie…That’s how I have the courage to keep going when I get scared, like today when those Digimon attacked…”

“It must be tough being a mercenary,” I whispered. Matthew nodded, and sighed.

“It’s also…very tiring,” he yawned. His eyes were barely open, and the next thing I knew, he fell asleep. His head fell and rested gently in my lap.

“…I’ll take you inside. It sounds like everyone’s done yellin’ at each other,” I whispered. I slowly worked my way out from underneath Matthew and picked him up. Not surprisingly, his small body didn’t weigh very much, and was easy to hold. I walked into the fortress, ignoring the eyes of those few who saw me, and placed Matthew down lightly on a couch. My eyes fell again to the green gem in his hand.

…That gem…Simply looking at it filled me with a powerful sense of foreboding and fear. From what I’ve heard about these gems, that’s normal. Nobody was looking. Without another thought, I plucked the gem out of his hand and placed it into my own pouch.

“You’re Lira, right?” My heart jumped. A blue-haired girl had approached me. “Sorry to startle you; my name is Larraine. I’ve been told you wish to join us.”

“Oh, uh…yeah, that’d be…great,” I smiled.

“Well, as I know you saw, our boss is rather…busy,” Larraine said. “But if you’d like, I could take you to your new bedroom.”

“Yeah, yeah…that’d be great,” I said.

“Very well. This way.” With a kind smile, Larraine led me through the room and up a flight of stairs. “Isole told me that you’re a thief; is that right?”

“Oh…yeah, I guess so,” I said. “I, uh…don’t intend to steal nothin’ from any of you, so—”

“Oh, I know,” Larraine interrupted. “You wouldn’t have told us you were a thief if you were. Also…you saved Matthew’s life, from what I can tell. You…have my trust — and my gratitude — because of that.” We reached the top of the stairway, and Larraine showed me to an empty bedroom. I looked around cautiously, smiling when I found a window right up above a bed. “I hope you are able to get a good night’s sleep here, Lira.”

“Thanks, Larraine. After all that happened today, I’m sure I will,” I replied. Larraine smiled and bowed, closing the door as she left. I smiled and sighed with relief as I heard her walk back downstairs before turning my attention to the window. The sky was a dark blue; not quite night, but almost there. I wonder what Ulysses is gonna do to Rosemon…No, can’t think about that right now. I’ve got a job, and the one here is complete. Time to go. As quietly as I could, I climbed onto the bed and out the window. Only two stories up; if that blue-haired chick had taken me up any higher, I’d have been in deep shit. I leaped out of the window and landed quietly on the ground, steadily and on both feet. I’m sorry, Matthew…this wasn’t my intention, so please don’t hate me too much…That said, I’m sure you will. Farewell…Matthew. Taking one last look back at the fortress, I began running as fast as I could.

[IamTheSovereign]

Eleanora Kasuto

The majesty of the first rays of sunlight shone up above the horizon, far beyond the ragged peaks of the ever-distant Black Rose Mountains. The imposing shadows cast by those mountains were sprawled out across the land in a haphazard manner, and appeared similar to the sharp fangs of a vicious beast. As I stepped into the shadow of the mountains, my own seemed to be swallowed up in its infinite darkness.

“Ellie…are we there yet?” Coronamon yawned. He and Lunamon were both practically sleepwalking.

“We’ve been walking all night,” Lunamon said quietly.

“I can see the fortress from here,” I said. “It won’t be more than five minutes.” I wonder how things went for Matthew on that mission yesterday. I hope he’s all right; I know he gets all anxious and worried without me…Or…maybe it’s me who gets anxious without him.

The fortress was now in full view. Each individual stone and brick was now clearly distinguishable from the others. At the entrance of the fort stood the silhouette of a person. The shadowed figure raised its head, the eyes reflecting the light of the rising sun, shining and reflecting its magnificent radiance.

“…Matthew!” Coronamon exclaimed. At the call of my brother’s name, the head of the figure raised. I could almost feel the melancholy he did as I gazed into the eyes of my twin brother.

“Matthew, are you okay?!” I asked. Slowly, he lowered his head.

“…No…”

“What happened?! Tell me what’s wrong!” Gently, I placed my hands around my twin’s shoulders. “You aren’t hurt, are you?! Didn’t Lira protect you like she told me she would?!”

“She did,” Matthew whispered. “Actually, yesterday, there was an incident involving a Hookmon and Ikkakumon who broke in; Lira saved me from their attacks.” Even from this distance, I can tell how cold he is…Was he out here all night?!

“She isn’t hurt, is she?” I whispered back. Matthew shook his head.

“…I thought she wanted to be my friend…” Matthew reached into his pocket and pulled out the small satchel he kept his lucky rock. He opened it up — and it was completely empty.

“She…stole it?! That bitch stole your lucky rock?!” I yelled. “The only keepsake of our parents — and she stole it!!!”

“Are you sure she took it, Matt?” Coronamon yawned. “It could’ve just…fallen out…”

“She’s gone. I searched all over my room, and the lounge, and I know none of the others would’ve taken it — well, except maybe for Geitz, but he’s dead now…”

“Well, maybe she’s just…out…on a…walk?” Lunamon sounded unsure of herself.

“She’s gone. Larraine showed me to Lira’s room, and it was completely cleaned out; she even stole a pillow,” Matthew replied. “She’s gone…I…I’m sorry, Ellie…”
“No, Matthew; it’s not your fault…” I pulled Matthew in close, warming his small, shivering body with my own. “Let’s…get you inside…get you warmed up…”

---

CaptainHookmon

It had taken me all night to walk all the way to Elphierr Territory, directly east of Valencia Province — I didn’t even take any time to stop to catch my ragged breath. But I was finally where I was meant to be. Before me was a vast lake which glittered golden in the light of the rising sun; the lake was fed slowly but consistently by a small river that flowed all the way from the ocean. I held up the necklace I had stolen from that musty old fortress, and it too glimmered in the sunlight as the lake at my feet did. A dark mass slowly but suddenly rose up from the bottom of the lake. When it broke free of the surface, it blotted out the sunlight with its massive figure. Its features were left blackened, but I knew who this Digimon was — we had met once or twice before, but his bizarre silhouette was unmistakable.

“I got the necklace right here!” I held the trinket up high. “Just as her highness demanded of me — of all of us — many hundreds o’ years ago.” Three red eyes began to glow, but their light wasn’t enough to brighten any other facial features of the imposing Digimon, who began to quietly growl and roar in a way that might have been indistinguishable to anyone else, but as my friend Ikkakumon spoke in a similar, if not identical, manner, I was able to tell what this Digimon was saying.

“GGGGGRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!”

“…What?! What do you mean this ain’t it?!” I demanded. “Look, I was told to get this thing from the bedroom of that geezer at Lachesis, and that be exactly what I did! How the hell can this not be what she lookin’ for?!”

“GGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRR….”

“…Hollowed out center?! Yeah, so what? I was told only to get the necklace! So what if it be missing a stupid, tacky gem?!” I asked. “…That’s what she be lookin’ for?! You know, ya coulda fucking told me that before I nearly got me ass handed to me — not to mention having to leave behind me hearty Ikkakumon! Ever since I left, I regretted doing that to him, but we both knew the mission came first. So don’t you fucking dare say that this ain’t what she been looking for!”

“…Dark…Deluge!” The attack was so sudden, I didn’t have time to react. It hit the hand holding the necklace, which instantly melted. Then, my hand, my arm, and the rest of my body slowly after.

“…N—No…Marine…Devi…mon…W—why…?” The Digimon growled in his usual way, but as before, I understood him perfectly before darkness surrounded me.
“You have failed the Ocean Princess. Failing to meet her demands…means death.”

---

Lucia Delbray
Lachesis Fortress

A few thin rays of sunlight bled into my room from the window. Their blinding gleam splashed onto my face, and I awoke. Annoyed, I turned to my side and nestled up against Mihiramon’s soft fur. In doing so, I roused the great beast. He licked my face, a habit of his that formed as he grew older and less ferocious. His wet, bristly tongue tickled, and I laughed as he licked the side of my face. I was still tired, so I refused to get up. Mihiramon sighed, and began gently flapping his somewhat tattered old wings. A gentle breeze sent a wave of dust across the cool, stone floor. Still, I did not move. Mihiramon gave another sigh, and stood up. As he did, I fell over and hit my head on the floor.

“Ow…what was that for, Mihiramon?” I whined.

“You said you would wake up early so you could tell me and the others about what you learned from the Royal Family,” Mihiramon grunted. “Honestly, Lucia; you’d think that you of all people wouldn’t be a later riser.”

“…Do you think Ulysses is back yet?” I asked.

“I am not sure.”

“What…do you think he did to Rosemon? He wouldn’t have…killed her…would he?”

“I don’t think he’d have gone that far. What Rosemon did was…” Mihiramon paused, thinking of the right words to say. “What she did goes far beyond foolhardy. She could have gotten us all killed, Lucia.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“…You know, Lucia, you’re a lot more likeable when you first wake up,” Mihiramon said.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

“Just that you’re a lot more cute and innocent, as opposed to the hard-ass that scares everyone.” I picked myself up off the floor and looked at the large Digimon.

“Mihiramon…do you remember the day we first met?” I asked.

“How could I not?” Mihiramon laughed. “I was on my way to sleep when you came running up to me with that little sword. You challenged me to a fight right there and then…and many times after that. After you recovered from your previous defeat, you’d come and find me, and challenge me to another battle. Hell, I still remember the first fight you challenged me, too; I refused at first, but you curled your tiny hand into a tiny fist, and punched me right in the nose. It hurt a hell of a lot more than I thought it would have, so I swatted you with my claws. You tumbled down a hill as blood came spurting out of the wounds I inflicted on you.”

I smiled, and looked down at myself. I wore only my white blouse, unbuttoned and braless, and a pair of white panties. My skirt and boots had been removed; I slept each night the same way, nestled up against Mihiramon’s cozy fur. I looked down at my belly, where the scars of Mihiramon’s first attack had been before they healed. “…I just kept challenging and fighting you, didn’t I? I was dead set on having you become my partner Digimon the moment I first spotted you. You were so big, so I thought that if I could defeat you…I would be worthy of you…”

“I know. It wasn’t until the day you lost your eye that we decided to stay together.” I remembered that day as though it were yesterday. Mihiramon grabbed my face in his large paw and slammed my head down on a rather large rock. One of his claws dug into my eye, and tore it out when he lifted his paw. Another claw dug into my cheek, leaving a scar that refused to heal completely. “And after all of that, you stood up. You didn’t back down. That was the first time I really asked you why you insisted on fighting me…and you told me why. Oh, man, did I feel like shit afterwards. You were about eleven or twelve years old, and I nearly killed you; hell, when I banged your head against the rock, I think I might’ve done some permanent damage; probably fractured your skull or something.”

“…Yes…Whenever I take a blow to the head, it always knocks me out for a few hours. More than it should, I think,” I said.

“I carried your tiny body on my back over to your teacher’s place; Silvanna didn’t much seem to mind what I did, but seemed pleased that I finally decided to stay with you. You were so…strong, even at that young an age. You learned martial arts and weaponry from Silvanna, and you adopted an orphaned Isole when she was only a year old. You were a warrior and a mother as young as you were, Lucia. How could I say no to such strength?”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t,” I said softly.

“Me too.” Mihiramon looked up at me. I could hear him purring. “Lucia…what’s with this sudden urge to reminisce?”

“…I’m not sure…Thinking of what Ulysses might have done to Rosemon…I guess it just made me think back to the days I trained with Silvanna…”

“Yeah, she was pretty rough with you,” Mihiramon nodded. “Hell, she was rough with me, even.”

“You? When did she fight you?” I asked.

“…It was the day you lost your eye. Silvanna thought you were going to die, so she attacked me out of rage. I was surprised by how powerful she was; she was smaller than you are now, and she practically tore my wings off.”

“…Oh…I didn’t know that…” I looked down at the floor.

“Lucia. Ulysses is not Silvanna. Now, I don’t know how Rosemon was punished, but I can guarantee that he would never do to her what Silvanna did to the two of us.” I smiled. “Now, that’s enough of the reminiscing. You need to tell us what you heard from Prince Aegolius and Princess Micaiah the other day.”

“Yes…you’re right, Mihiramon. As always.”

[IamTheSovereign]

Dominimon

The dense trees of Lotisea Province allowed for only a few golden rays of sunlight to reach the forest floor. It made for a rather interesting and unique contrast when compared to the endless green of the forest. The smallest of breezes passing by a leafless branch could set the entire forest up in the cacophonous roar of rustling leaves.

I looked up, and saw a small patch of blue sky. “No sign of him yet…”

“I’m not certain if Ulysses would have taken Rosemon here,” Edmund mused. “He looked furious, you know? Like he could attack her at any given moment…”

“What are you getting at, Edmund?” I asked.

“…He would have taken her to a wide-open space, Dominimon,” the archsage replied. “A place where his Digimon partner could let loose and wreak havoc without anything getting in the way of that giant.”

“Do you really think he’d call up Talosmon?” I asked.

“He hardly ever has a chance to leave the Fusion Loader; I think it is a likely possibility, at least.”

“…Even though it was probably Giselle’s fault?” My own words surprised me. But the instant Giselle blamed her Digimon partner, I knew she was lying.

“If he did reload Talosmon from the Fusion Loader, I’m almost glad its Rosemon being punished, and not Giselle,” Edmund said. “An entire army of Humans doesn’t stand a chance against that Digimon, let alone one tiny, little girl without any combat skills to speak of.”

“So, you’re saying that it’s better to hurt an innocent who can defend themselves as opposed to the guilty who cannot?!”

“It’s a strange world we live in,” a mysterious voice said. A young woman, tall and blonde, approached us. In her hands was a small lyre that shone brightly in what little sunlight hit it. She wore a simple brown gown. One of the sleeves was missing, torn off up to her armpit. On her face was a black mask that somewhat resembled the Digimon Seasarmon.

“And you are?” Edmund asked.

“My name is Loralyn,” the woman said. “I am a bard from Lotisea.” I gasped, louder than I meant to. “…I see you are at least partially familiar with my culture.”

“Are we to assume that there is one in your life who you do not deem worthy of living?” Edmund asked.

“…I guess you could say that,” Loralyn whispered. “They aren’t alive anymore, though — most of them, anyway.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“…I was attacked.” The bard placed her hand around her left arm, the one with the missing sleeve. Upon closer inspection, I could see that it had been torn off. “Some IceGolemon wandered into my village. Some of them had me cornered. I closed my eyes…and when I opened them, they were all dead, or dying…I killed them. I don’t know or remember how, but I could tell that it was me by the way the dying IceGolemon were looking at me…When word got out of what I did, the other villagers…they exiled me. They forced me to leave, because I did not adhere to their ‘sacred’ doctrine of love and appreciation of all life, no matter how evil it may appear…”

“You were banished for protecting yourself, and possibly others,” Edmund sighed. “And they forced you to wear that mask so that others would not be able to see into your eyes and into what they call ‘an unclean soul.’”

“Yes…that just about sums up what they told me…”

“And so they forced you to leave,” I concluded. “…And yet…you are still wearing the mask.”

“…I’ve been too scared to take it off,” Loralyn whispered. “They…might be following me…”

“Well, that certainly won’t do,” Edmund grinned. He snapped his fingers, and the mask fell off Loralyn’s face and shattered into pieces on the forest floor. “It simply won’t do to hide such a lovely face behind a mask.” Loralyn’s cheeks flushed a rosy scarlet, but she smiled. Her long, golden hair flowed out behind her, freed from the constraint of the mask. Two ears poked through, ears that were unlike those of any Human I had ever seen. They were rather long, and pointed near the top.

“…Um…Who are you two?” Loralyn asked shyly.

“How discourteous of me. I am Edmund Luxord, an archsage of Lachesis,” the man bowed. “This gentleman is my dear friend Dominimon.”

“Would you care to stay with us, milady?” I asked. “You mentioned something about being worried you were being followed. If it would put your mind at ease, you may stay with us. We and the other mercenaries in our guild shall protect you.” The bard looked happy for a split second, but she immediately took a step back.

“We have no intention of harming you, my dear,” Edmund said gently. He walked forward and placed a hand over Loralyn’s shoulder, the bare and sleeveless one. “I can understand your apprehension, though; two men just suddenly popping out in front of you, asking you to follow them? Were we anyone else, you would be correct to distrust us.” The archsage looked over his shoulder at me. “My friend here, Dominimon, is a high ranking Angel Digimon; I understand if you could not trust me, but could you at least trust him? As an Angel, there is nary a Digimon around that you will find to be as dependable as Dominimon.” Loralyn looked up at me, and then at Edmund.

“…If I…won’t be an inconvenience to you…Would you…really protect me?” Loralyn asked nervously. “I could…join…your guild…?
“You certainly may. We shall do everything in our power to protect you,” I said.

---

Lucia Delbray

“…And so we have about one week to find and destroy this Digimon,” I said. Mihiramon stirred nervously at my side. Sparrow, Matthew, Eleanora, Giselle, Elizabeth, and Mia all gazed at me with uncertainty in their eyes.

“That was a few days ago, remember?” Larraine asked. “By now, we probably only have about five days left.”

“And you don’t have any idea who this Digimon asked?” Elizabeth asked.

“I’ve sent Liliana, Isole, and Bokomon to the library in Yew to see if they can find anything out about it,” I replied. “I’m not certain that they’ll have any luck; we were told hardly anything about this Digimon.”

“The only information we have to go on is that on the day this Digimon awakens, there will be a full moon,” Larraine added.

“You said it would awaken in about a week?” I looked towards the entrance of the fortress, where I saw a young woman stand with Edmund and Dominimon. It was the woman who had spoken up.

“Apologies for the intrusion,” Edmund said. “I take it you are discussing what we learned from His and Her Highness the other day?”

“I am. And who might this be?” I asked.

“This is Loralyn,” Dominimon answered. “She is a bard from Lotisea seeking to join our guild for protection.”

“A bard? Oh, I’ve never met a bard before!” Larraine exclaimed.

Over five-hundred years old, and she still acts like a sweet child…

“Could you sing for us? Please, oh please?” Larraine asked.

“I…I would be happy to,” Loralyn said, smiling through a blush of shyness. “But…someone mentioned a Digimon appearing in around a week?”

“Yes; we received word that a powerful and evil Digimon would wake up on the night of the full moon next week,” I replied. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any idea who this Digimon might be…”
“On the night of the full moon…Then the Digimon you are seeking must be none other than Fenrirmon,” Loralyn said.

---

Aegolius Valencia
Valencia Castle – Yew

Where is he?! I tapped my foot impatiently on the grass. I stood in the shadow of Valencia Castle, my home, my prison, waiting for a valued acquaintance. At long last, I saw him, slowly walking my way. A large man, an enormous and deadly-looking battle hammer in his huge hands, stepped up to me. “What took you so long, Crush?!”

“Jeez, sorry,” the man said sarcastically. “I am a mercenary, you know. Just ‘cuz you and I have a history together don’t mean I don’t have another boss, ‘k?”

“I know, I know…”

“So, you told them about the big Digimon wakin’ up, right?” Crush asked.

“Yes. I did my best to be vague, but I fear this may lead them to take a long time to discover his identity.”

“Nah, don’t go worryin’ ‘bout that, right? Them at Lachesis are a smart lot; they’s got a real genius mage with ‘em, you know? I’m sure he knows about that Digimon.”

“Yes; he was with their master when I tipped him off. I suppose I shouldn’t worry, then,” I said.

“So, are you ready to go?” Crush asked.

“Yeah; let’s go and pay old NeoDevimon a visit.”

[IamTheSovereign]

Giselle Devereaux
Lachesis Fortress

Rosemon…where are you? I thought. I’m…so sorry…for blaming you…Please, come back. If you don’t…I’ll never be able to make it up to you, or tell you how sorry I am…As I chocked back a sob, my thoughts were interrupted by Lucia repeating the name of an unfamiliar Digimon.

“Fenrirmon?”

“Yes; my village guardian told me about this Digimon when I was a child,” Loralyn said. “Legends say that a long time ago, a curse was placed on a man, and on every night of the full moon, he would become a Fenrirmon. As the man-beast grew older, the feral instincts of his Digimon half corrupted his mind, morality, and reason. And that is how the species came into existence.”

“There’s more than one?!” Sparrow exclaimed.

Oh no…more than one? If Rosemon doesn’t ever return…then I won’t be able to help my friends…They’ll hate me for sure! And if they kick me out…I won’t have anywhere else to go…

Loralyn shrugged. “It isn’t only a legend; the Digimon most certainly exists, unfortunately…”

“…You look so sad,” Larraine said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“…A curse was placed on an innocent man for no reason. He was forced to turn into a feral Digimon against his will,” Loralyn said. “It must be so painful for him…whoever he is…In order to avoid harming those he cared about, he would have had to isolate himself for the rest of his life, being forced to endure the pain of loneliness and the transformation and degeneration of his mind and body…”

“…Isolated,” Sparrow said. “…Could it be?”

“What is it?” Lucia asked.

“…Nothing. Never mind.” He had an odd expression, as if trying to remember something. I could tell that, even without the ability to read his mind, whatever memory he was searching for was not a pleasant one.

“…Whatever. At least we have a name now,” Lucia said. “We just need to wait for Ulysses to return—”

“He isn’t back yet?!” Dominimon asked. Lucia shook her head.

“Nope. Still out punishing Rosemon, I wager.” A sharp pain tore at my heart, like thousands of knives trying to force their way into the smallest space imaginable. I wanted to tell them that it was not Rosemon’s fault, that it was my fault, my neglection that could have easily gotten all of my friends killed on that day. But I was still too scared. Scared of what Ulysses might do to me. Scared of what the others would say to me if I suddenly spoke up. The words were barely beginning to form on my lips when they died without warning. My heart plummeted all the way down into my stomach at the realization of just how selfish I was. No wonder my parents abandoned me.

“Should we go out looking for him?” Edmund asked.

“…No. That could take days. And that’s all the time we have to find this Fenrirmon,” Lucia replied. “We’ll have to do this without Ulysses. We can do it.”

“Since it seems we have no choice.” I turned to look at the door, and saw Isole standing with Bokomon. “We didn’t find anything that could be considered ‘useful.’ Go figure…”

“Really? You didn’t find anything about a Digimon called Fenrirmon?” Sparrow asked.

“Name doesn’t ring a bell,” Isole shrugged.

“We searched nearly every book in that blasted library, and still, the name Fenrirmon is unfamiliar to me,” Bokomon said. “Is Fenrirmon the name of our target?”

“Most…likely,” Loralyn said timidly. “From what Lucia said, it seems that Fenrirmon is the Digimon you seek…”

“Well, Liliana’s still at the library; maybe she’ll actually be able to find something out about that Digimon,” Isole sighed. “Now…who are you?” I could see Loralyn flinch at Isole’s tone of voice.

“Miss Loralyn here is a bard,” Edmund said. “She is in our…protective custody, if you will, and has expressed desires for joining our guild.”

“Is that so…Enjoy your stay, then.” Without giving the bard so much as a glance, Isole left the room with Bokomon following after her upstairs.

“Um…Miss Loralyn?” Larraine approached the bard. “Um…if it’s not too much trouble…Could you sing for us?”

“…Sing…” Loralyn clutched her harp closely against her breast as she looked around the room. “I…I’ve never sang…or played…for such a large group before…” The bard looked up sheepishly at Larraine. “But…if you want me to…I’d be happy to…”

“Yes; I believe a beautiful song is just what we need to rouse our spirits in preparation for fighting this Fenrirmon,” Lucia said. With a small smile, Loralyn bowed. I could hear her take a few deep breaths to calm herself.

“Matthew, where are you going?” Eleanora suddenly whispered. She and I were staring at the archer as he stood up.

“I’m going to the library,” he replied. “I want to see if I can help Liliana find anything about Fenrirmon.”

“Okay, I’ll come with you,” Eleanora said. Matthew shook his head.

“I’m fine. Thank you…but I can do this by myself,” Matthew said. “It’s not very far to the library in Yew, so I probably won’t be gone too long.” Without another word, Matthew turned and left the room, leaving his sister and me sitting in shock.

“…I thought he was afraid of girls,” I whispered. Eleanora simply shook her head.

“…Ever since Lira stole his lucky rock…the only keepsake of our mother…he’s been acting different,” Eleanora said. “It’s…almost as if he grew up overnight…He isn’t as scared, or quiet, anymore…It’s like he doesn’t need me to do anything for him anymore…”

“But…isn’t that good?” I asked. “If he’s able to do things on his own, then you won’t need to worry about him as much, right?”

“…That’s what I used to think…but now I’m not so sure…”

“Well, maybe…” I lost track of what I was going to say next. The clacking noise of high heels scraping against the floor of the lounge made my heart skip a beat. I turned around and saw her.

“Rosemon,” Eleanora whispered. My eyes filled with tears and my heart with guilt at the sight of my closest friend. She was covered in cuts and scrapes, some bigger and more noticeable than others. Her cape was in tatters. Her clothes had been torn in many areas, many in some rather immodest areas. Her thorn whips were missing. Her Tifaret was cracked and looked to be on the verge of crumbling into dust. She was covered in sweat and blood.

“Rosemon…w-what…what happened to you?” I barely managed to choke out.

“…Like you care,” Rosemon spat. “That man…is a monster…he and his Digimon have unbelievable power…I never even thought a Digimon that huge could exist…”

“R-Rose…mon…I…I’m so…sor—”

“Shut up.” The words stung like a slap in the face. “Don’t…ever…speak to me…again!”

“I’m…sorry…I’m so sorry…I—” Before I could get another word out, Rosemon slapped me. Hard, across the face. I sat, staring in shock at who had once been my best friend. My heart was somehow able to sink even deeper into the pit of my stomach. I had to tightly clutch my belly to keep from screaming in pain.
“…When I get…my full strength back,” Rosemon began. “When it returns…I will do to you…not what Ulysses did…but what you did to me. Each time that bastard struck me with his claymore, it might as well have been you attacking me! You don’t betray your Digimon partner, you stupid, worthless cunt! After everything I’ve done to keep your lazy ass out of the line of fire, this is how you repay me?!”

“Rosemon.” Lucia stepped forward and approached the Fairy Digimon. “Where is the master?”

“…I don’t know. I…don’t care. I don’t care!” With a final piercing glare at me, Rosemon ran out of the room, out of the fortress.

“…She’ll be back,” Lucia whispered. “Now, let’s listen to Loralyn’s song.” Lucia sat down at the table with Eleanora and me. Eleanora inched her way closer to me, and clasped my hand in hers.

“…I…I’m ready,” Loralyn said shyly. It was obvious she had seen the scene that I had a feeling would haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. My worries were forgotten for a split second as Loralyn gently brushed her dainty fingers across the strings of her lyre. She opened her mouth, and began to sing. It was simply wordless humming at the beginning, but even still, it was the most beautiful combination of sounds I had ever heard.

This would be perfect music for Larraine to dance to…And then came the words to Loralyn’s song.

♪~When it all seems lost,
The will to live has disappeared.
People who sin remain blessed,
And you have been cursed by what you feared.

Those you love die one by one,
Leaving you alone to grieve in sorrow
The end of your world has begun...
Maybe you will depart tomorrow...~♪

Her voice was absolutely gorgeous, and was matched only by the sound of her harp, and her own elegant beauty. But the words…Larraine, however, didn’t appear to notice the rather morose lyrics, and shot up out of her seat, applauding.

“…Those words…” I could barely bring myself to speak. It’s like…she was singing the way I feel right now…I glanced over at Eleanora. She, too, wore a sad expression. And I knew why as I looked into her deep, black eyes. Her twin brother had suddenly grown up. Her twin, who she treated as her own child, was beginning to do things on his own. “My heart had already fallen down into my stomach earlier today…and now this…” Eleanora nodded.
“I feel the same…It’s as if a sharp-clawed Digimon tore into my belly and ripped out that fallen heart,” Eleanora whispered. The two of us looked into each other’s eyes. Tears were forming in both.

---

Aegolius Valencia
Valencia Province

“How much longer?” I asked.

“We’re almost there,” Crush replied calmly. The sun still hung high in the bright blue, cloudless sky. “See that cave? That’s where we’re headed.”

“And that’s where NeoDevimon is?”

“Well, he may not be there at this very moment, but this is more or less his home.” Without hesitation, the two of us entered the dark cave. We walked for a few minutes in silence before we found any light. “NeoDevimon!” Crush called out. A tall Digimon emerged from behind a line of boulders.

“Crush…and the Valencian prince,” NeoDevimon said. “How long has it been since we were all together like this?”

“I’d say at least a year or two,” I said.

“How goes the awakening process?” Crush asked. NeoDevimon shook his head.

“By myself, I wasn’t really going anywhere…so I had to call on some outside help,” NeoDevimon said. The Fallen Angel jerked his head towards the back end of the cave. A thick, bright, pillar of light shone up from a hole in the ground, and all the way up through a hole in the roof of the cave. “That chasm is where our leader rests, imprisoned, chained, and asleep. I brought in a Digimon who might be able to awaken him.” I looked harder, and saw a Humanlike figure standing before the light. Humanlike, that is, save for the pure white wings protruding from the figure’s back.

“Who is that?” Crush asked.

“That, my friends, is none other than the legendary Virgomon,” NeoDevimon replied.

“Virgomon? How did you get an Angel to help us?” I asked.

“Well…I had to rough her up a bit,” NeoDevimon whispered. “I tell you…in all my years of being a Fallen Angel who delights in harming others…hurting her was not fun in the slightest.”

“How do you mean?”

“…Because she is beautiful,” NeoDevimon answered. “I almost couldn’t bring myself to raise my arms to hit her; I made sure not to leave a scratch on her face, though. She just looked so sad, almost guilty.” NeoDevimon turned to me. “The reason…is always simple.” When he turned away, I sneered. Virgomon unexpectedly turned around. She indeed was incredibly beautiful, but I felt no emotion.

Leave it to an artificial Digimon to have more feelings than a real one, I thought. Hmph. Yeah, she’s pretty. So what? I wouldn’t have hesitated to hurt her. And I’m certain I would enjoy it. I always do, after all.

[IamTheSovereign]

Eleanora Kasuto

Dominimon, being an Angel Digimon, spent a majority of his time in a church in Yew; as a matter of fact, he had a job there as a priest. It was a very lovely building on the outside, and even lovelier within. There were paintings of Angel Digimon on every wall, as I noticed while walking through a hallway. It was rather cold, but I didn’t really mind. The entire building had a soothing atmosphere that helped to quell the maelstrom of emotions I was feeling at that moment. It was only by a small amount, though, and as I continued walking through the church, my thoughts about Matthew grew more and more…lonely. My loneliness only amplified further by the air of silence that seemed to emanate from every room of the church.

Are churches supposed to be this…quiet? I thought. Well…they might be praying…but it feels empty to me. Empty, that is, until I found Dominimon sitting, with his back to me, at a desk. I called him, but he didn’t respond. I called him again.

“…Eleanora. I apologize…I was wrapped up in my work, and I didn’t notice you,” he said. He stood up from his desk and approached me. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“What where you doing?” I asked.

“Oh…I was simply writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear.” Dominimon laughed; a sad laugh, but a laugh nonetheless, as he sat down on a cushioned pew. “Not many people have come here recently; attendance was much better over a hundred years ago. But now…” I plopped down on the pew next to Dominimon, and looked up at him expectantly. “…Those few who do come here seem to be the loneliest among us. I imagine that’s why you’re here…Eleanora.”

“…Yeah…” I looked down at the floor, at the royal blue carpet. “Matthew…all of a sudden, it seems like…like he’s grown up,” I said. “He’s grown up…and he doesn’t need me for anything at all anymore…”

“You know that’s not true,” Dominimon whispered. “Just because he may need you to do less for him does not mean he doesn’t need you at all, you know.”

“But…what am I supposed to do, then?” I asked. “My only purpose in life is to keep my baby brother safe…and now, it feels like he doesn’t need me for that anymore…”

“Eleanora…certainly you must know that you are not older than him,” Dominimon said. “He is your twin. Your twin brother. You are not his mother. He is not your younger brother. He is your twin brother.” At that moment, Matthew’s words came back to me.

Eleanora, you aren’t my big sister, and you aren’t my mother. You are my twin. I care about you and love you the same way you do for me. I’d like to be able to be the one protecting you for a change…

“…I understand that your parents died when you were both very young,” Dominimon said. “The way you care about Matthew about anything else…In that way…you remind me of my…my daughter…”

“You have a daughter?” I asked. “I didn’t know…”

“…Yes. You…you resemble her greatly,” Dominimon continued. “You have a kind and loving, gentle heart, just like hers. You both care about your friends and loved ones above all else. You are both very beautiful, both in appearance and in soul.” At the word beautiful, I could feel my cheeks flush. “…Heh. And it seems that you both share a common modesty.”

“…Dominimon…does the loneliness ever leave?” I asked. “I…I’d like for everything to go back to the way it was, where Matthew would look at me as a mother, and not sister…”

“Eleanora, my dear, loneliness can always be eliminated. Once you realize you are never truly alone…that you have friends who love you as much as you love them; that is when your loneliness will leave…hopefully, never to return.”

“…I…guess I understand…But it still hurts…”

“…Earlier, I said it was only the loneliest of us that seemed to come here to this church. And then, in you came, my dear.” Dominimon looked up at the ceiling. “There are times when…when I used to see lonely Humans and Digimon as different beings altogether. I used to think…Where did all of these lonely people come from? Where do they all belong?” Dominimon placed a hand over my shoulders in a comforting manner. I slid closer and leaned against his warm body. “Eleanora…you know Matthew would never cut you out of his life entirely, even if it were an option. He loves you too much for that to happen. But you must realize that he does need to be able to do things on his own. And once he begins to do so…you won’t have to worry about him all the time. And for once…you might actually be able to think of yourself rather than someone else. You’ll be able to put your own wants and needs up higher on your list of priorities.”

“…I guess I just don’t know how to do that,” I whispered. “But…you know…we both have the Mark.”

“There isn’t anything wrong with that, Eleanora.”

“The others at Lachesis may say that…but what about everyone else we might happen to meet?” I asked. I lifted my shirt and looked at my own Mark; to the far left of my belly, and slightly above my navel. “I can cover mine…but Matthew’s is on his face, Dominimon! That isn’t something he can cover up too easily, you know!”

“But…it is something that he could cover up,” Dominimon said. “And yet…he does not. But you do.”

“…I…”

“I have heard Matthew say that he has no same in his heritage, as well he shouldn’t. He has the blood of wonderful Humans and Digimon in his veins. There is nothing to be ashamed of. He could easily cover his Mark with cloth, but he doesn’t. When you and he go out, he fully expects others to demonize him for his blood. He knows, and he accepts it.”

“…Matthew…”

“You keep your Mark hidden, Eleanora; not out of shame, but of fear. You feel that if you keep your Mark hidden from sight, you will, in some way, protect Matthew from senseless hatred. However, this is simply another reason you are feeling so depressed with Matthew’s blooming maturity and courage; because you, in your subconscious, have tried to create so many ways, no matter how ridiculous some might seem, to protect your brother — even if you yourself are unaware — now that Matthew is doing more for himself, you feel as though there is less for you to do. As a result, the feeling of not knowing what to do with yourself in this free time has led to loneliness and, if you do not stop it soon, depression and despair.”

“…I…I don’t know what to say,” I whispered. “I…I want Matthew to be able to do things for himself; really, I do…even if it makes me sad…and lonely…” My eyes could not avert from the Mark on my belly.

“I know you do, dear. I know.”

“…I was never trying to make it seem like I was ashamed of my heritage,” I said. “Really…I am proud. All of my ancestors must have been so brave to spend their lives with someone different when they knew they would be demonized.” Slowly, I ran my finger over the tear-shaped Mark. I left Dominimon’s embrace and stood up. Without another thought, I removed my shirt and tossed it onto the floor. “Thank you…Dominimon. I can now be proud of who I am now; I can show off the Mark on my belly with pride in what I am.” I turned and faced the Angel Digimon. “But most importantly…I can face the reality of Matthew growing up and doing things without me. But also…” I leaned down and kissed Dominimon on the side of his helmet. “Thank you…for listening to me.”
“…I am happy to have been of service, my dear Eleanora.”

---

Liliana Meadows

“His name is…Fenrirmon?” I asked. I looked across the cluster of open and closed books that lay across a large table in the library of Yew. Not one of them had mentioned the name Fenrirmon. But most surprising of all was the fact that Matthew was standing here, talking to me. He had simply walked into the library, and started talking about this Digimon called Fenrirmon. However, at the same time, it made me feel happy. Before Giselle, I had been the last to join Lachesis, and I had been among them for about two months. The moment I laid eyes on Matthew, I had a crush on him. Because of his shyness, he hardly ever spoke a word to me, but at the same time, he was always really nice. When Eleanora had told me that he was afraid of beautiful women, how could I help but feel a tinge of joy? When my mother died, my father married a horrible woman who always hit me, yelled at me, and insulted me, mostly by telling me that I was ugly — so much so that I still think that I am to this day. That was why I joined Lachesis; to get away from her. But when I found out that Matthew actually thought I was pretty, I nearly swooned. After all, he was undeniably handsome, in spite of being over two-hundred years old; he even looked like he was as old as me!

“…Liliana? Are you okay?” Matthew asked. I blinked.

“You’ve been staring at him for almost five minutes now,” Kamemon added. My face turned red as a Guilmon.

“Oh, I…I’m so sorry!!! I…I uh…” I was lost in the beautiful gaze of your sapphire eyes was what I wanted to say. But I didn’t. I couldn’t muster the nerve. After all, I was every bit as shy as Matthew was. Was. And yet, here he is, talking to me! Does this have anything to do with that thief girl? I wondered. Did she steal something from him?

“Nah, don’t worry about it; it looks like you’ve been working hard. You must be tired,” Matthew gazed upon the endless sea of books covering nearly every inch of the table’s surface.

“Y—Yes…”

“Well, let’s go on home and get some dinner. Do you need any help?” Matthew extended his hand. I could hear Kamemon stifle a gasp. I looked back and forth between his hand and his face. He was smiling — smiling at me! I reached out a shaky hand and he held it tight; not a squeeze, but tightly to help me stand. It felt…nice.

“I, uh…I’ll clean up these books,” Kamemon said. “I’ll catch up with you, Lily…”

“O—Okay…”

“Are you okay?” Matthew asked once we had left the library. “You look like you’re about to faint.” This was true. Matthew interlocked his arm with mine, and slowed his pace to match mine. Oh, he was so warm and sweet, and he treated me so delicately…“You must have been hard at work all day in there. I’m sorry you weren’t able to find anything after all of that effort.” I was so nervous, but Matthew had a relaxed expression on his face. “Did you really read all of those books by yourself? You really are amazing, Lil; but it’s no wonder you’re exhausted.

“Y…Yes…” This was a tiny lie. Yes, I had read all of those books — or at least skimmed through them — that had been on the table. There were easily more than fifty. However, that wasn’t what tired me out. Quite the opposite, really; reading always seemed to renew my energy. What made me feel nervous and tired was that my body had slid up against Matthew’s as a breeze wafted past us. And what truly stole my breath away was that I was walking arm-in-arm with my secret crush.

[IamTheSovereign]

Matthew Kasuto

Liliana had fallen asleep not long after we left the library. The sun was setting, and she requested that we stop to rest for a moment, and she fell asleep as soon as she sat down on a park bench. Not wishing to disturb her, I had decided to carry her on my back, with a hand placed securely under her legs. It didn’t take me too long to find my way home, and as I stepped into the fortress, I gently placed her down on a sofa. I looked to the opposite end of the room, and saw Sparrow and Lucia having a conversation.

“Are you sure about this, Sparrow?” Lucia asked. The redhead nodded.

“I am…I can remember it like it was yesterday,” he said.

“Remember what?” I asked, approaching the two.

“…It seems that Sparrow has had an encounter with Fenrirmon early on in his life,” Lucia said. I looked over at my best friend; he wore a grim expression on his normally jovial face.

“I was a wee lad at the time,” Sparrow whispered. “My friend and I were foolish enough to go and find him on our own…”

~~~
Sparrow Lea

My friend and I lived in a rather small town in Elphierr Territory. We were rather poor, and far away from the capital, but the queen Nagimon and the princess Nora would always come and give us plenty of food and supplies at regular intervals. It was at one of these occurrences that she warned us of a deadly Digimon. My friend and I…well, we were both stupid little kids back then, so we decided we would go out and find this Digimon. I can’t even remember why; perhaps we wanted to kill it for glory. Or maybe we wanted to befriend the monster. Either way…we found him. Close to our village stood a large old cottage, surrounded by a mighty stone wall. My friend, Remus, found his way to the top of the wall by climbing a nearby tree. That was the last time I ever saw him. He jumped down…and I could hear a vicious roar. My friend screamed, and I began to run. His screaming grew louder, and I could almost hear the beast tear off each of his limbs. And as I finally got away, a gruff voice echoed in the night sky:

“So perish every one that shall hereafter leap over my wall!”

~~~

“…And that…was the last time I ever saw him,” I repeated.

“And you’re sure it was Fenrirmon?” Lucia asked.

“…Maybe,” I whispered.

“But you have no way of knowing for sure,” Matthew said. “It could have just as easily been any other Digimon, or maybe even a Human.”

“Matthew has a point; besides, Prince Aegolius said that our target Digimon would be in Valencia Territory, not Elphierr,” Lucia said. “…However, we’re running out of time. We have only a few days left before Fenrirmon wakes. We’re going to Elphierr.”

“What, right now?” Coronamon asked.
“Yes; just the six of us,” Lucia said, looking at Matthew and me, and all three of our Digimon partners. “We can’t take the risk of to many of us going, only to not find our target. If that were to occur, then there would be nobody left to handle the threat of that Digimon. The six of us will take the next Trailmon from Yew to Elphierr Territory.”

---

Aegolius Valencia

“Well, there they go,” Crush said. Lucia stepped out of the fortress of Lachesis, followed by five others. From the roof of the old fort, I was able to clearly see down the front of her shirt. I smirked. A button or two at the top of her blouse was undone.

“Not all of them are going, you know,” I said.

“I know that! But that woman whose boobs you’re starin’ at is Lucia the Tiger Woman! She’s one of the strongest of the group!” Crush retorted. “With her, they could actually beat Fenrirmon! And if they lose…”

“…No matter the result of the battle…We will have one less problem to deal with,” I finished. “I never took you for a strategist, Crush. Between Lachesis and Fenrirmon, I can’t tell which one is the more problematic. But now that they’ll fight, we will only have to fight one.”

“Yes…and with Behemotmon revived, we can easily defeat either of them…But not both…Not even if they weren’t fought at the same time.”

---

NeoDevimon

The light was even brighter now. Virgomon stood transfixed, staring at the sight before her with both awe and fear in her sapphire eyes. Her pure white wings fluttered anxiously, stirring her lovely golden hair.

“Is the process almost done?” I asked.

“…It…needs a little more time,” Virgomon said quietly. She flashed me a timid glance. Across her right cheek was a cut inflicted by my claws when I had grown impatient with her. “I…I’m sorry…please don’t hurt me—” I didn’t let her finish. I reached out and grabbed her by the neck.

“Now, you listen to me!” I hissed. “Behemotmon will be unsealed right now! Do I make myself clear, wench?!” Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them back as best she could, and nodded. “Do whatever it takes you to do to unseal him. Give up your life. Give up mine. Just get the fucking job done, you whore!” I shoved the Angel Digimon to the floor of the cave. I did my best to restrain myself from kicking her in the stomach. Can’t have her too weak. She needs all the strength she can muster to revive Behemotmon!

“I…I’m sorry,” she whispered as she stood up. She turned to face the pillar of light. She raised her slender arms up to the heavens and the light wavered, but grew brighter. Brighter and brighter, until it finally vanished. Virgomon collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily, and I walked past her. “It…he…is free…” A huge claw reached up from the murky abyss below, followed by a massive head. A full set of razor-sharp teeth gleamed and glittered as two large jaws opened up to unleash a roar of unrivaled ferocity and evil.

“Behemotmon…welcome back!” I exclaimed.

“NeoDevimon…it is good to be back!”

[IamTheSovereign]

Lucia Delbray

A few bright rays of sunlight jutted out from the horizon. The Trailmon we were on was fast, but we still weren’t at Elphierr Territory. The scenery rushed past us, a total blur.

I just feel like we’re wasting so much time, especially since there isn’t anything I can do about it! To my relief, my friends and I had the entire railcar to ourselves. Our mission wasn’t exactly a secret, but I felt it would be awkward discussing what we would be doing in the presence of others. Other than me, Matthew was the only one who was awake. I observed Matthew, looking out the windows at the passing scenery. At that instant, I recalled him carrying Lilliana on his back into the fortress. I had meant to ask him about it earlier, but my mind was busy with thoughts of our job.

“You’re wondering why I was carrying Lilliana to the base, weren’t you?” Matthew asked.

“I…yes…How did you know?” I asked.

“I could see it on your face ever since we left home; you’ve wanted to ask me something, but the right time never came up,” he answered.

“All right; since you know my question, why don’t you give me an answer?”

“…To be honest…I can’t give you a perfect answer, or at least one that would make sense.” Matthew looked up and stared me straight in the eye. “…Ever since the thief Lira stole my rock…the one my mother gave to me before she was…After Lira took it…I just felt all of my timidity vanish. I don’t know if it was what Lira did, or if…if the rock had some kind of magic power or something…but I don’t feel afraid of anything at all anymore. I don’t feel any anxiety when I’m around beautiful women…as I’m sure you could tell, having talked to you a good bit on this trip.”

“Aw, c’mon…me, beautiful?” For the first time in a long time, I could feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment. “I mean…I know I’m not bad looking or anything…but I think beautiful might be going overboard…”

“Lucia. If anything, it is an understatement.”

“Matthew…you know, you just might be more charming than Edmund,” I said. The Marked archer shrugged casually.

“…You know…the other day, I helped Larraine move some furniture around so she could have more room to practice a dance. When we were done, she kissed me on the cheek…it felt pretty nice. But it was at that point that I first noticed this change in me. I attributed it to the theft of my rock, and just continued on with my life as if nothing happened.”

“So…now that you’re brave…will you tell me who it is you have a crush on?” I asked. “Lilliana? Larraine? Mia? Elizabeth?”

“…I will say this much, Lucia. Every woman at Lachesis is incredibly beautiful. Whichever man, woman, or Digimon who they decide to be with will be incredibly lucky to have someone so kind, gentle, talented, and beautiful in their life. I just hope I can be the one to win her heart…”

“…And who is she?” I pressed. “C’mon…tell me!” Matthew gave me a small and sneaky smile, and resumed looking out the window. He…doesn’t have a crush on me…does he? His head was turned to the side, but I could see the slightest glimpse of his sapphire eyes, gazing wistfully at the blurred scenery. His golden hair reflected the gentle light of the rising sun. It made him look ever more dashing than he already did; it truly was a sight to behold…Oh, no…oh, no; don’t tell me I’m getting a crush on Matthew! Matthew…is my first crush?! Oof, Eleanora’s gonna kill me…Even as the thought of the rare but terrifying angered Eleanora crossed my mind, I felt a ticklish sensation in my chest. I smiled bashfully at the archer who, even though he looked younger, was more than a century older than I. He probably doesn’t like me, though. Even I know I can come across as a coldhearted bitch…If I stopped, then maybe he would like me instead! None of my new thoughts about Matthew seemed even remotely similar to my usual thoughts of valor and combat. This, I figured, was what came of being in love, no less with my first crush. I guess while growing up with Teacher and Mihiramon, and adopting Isole, I never really had a chance to act like a “girl,” like Giselle…Now, how do “regular” girls act? Hmm…

“We’ve arrived,” Matthew said suddenly. I looked up, and saw him standing right in front of me. At my feet, Mihiramon spread open his massive, tattered wings and yawned, stirring both Coronamon and Hawkmon. Sparrow, however, remained asleep. “Oi, Sparrow! We’re here!” Matthew nudged his friend. Nothing. I shot up out of my seat and grabbed Sparrow by the collar of his shirt.

“How dare you keep Matthew waiting?! Wake the fuck up!” I quietly hissed into his ear while vigorously shaking him.

“Okay, okay, I’m up!” Sparrow exclaimed. “Sheesh, you don’t have to shake me ‘till my head falls off, Lucia!” I said nothing, and dragged him out of the Trailmon, followed by Matthew and the Digimon.

“Y’all have a safe journey, now,” the Trailmon Kettle said to us before driving off.

“Now…where was this Digimon located?” I asked.

“My home village is sort of far away,” Sparrow said. “The shack where…where my friend died wasn’t too far from that village. The village is closer to the Savage Prairie, so we might have to walk the rest of the day, meaning we’ll probably get there by night.”

“Why can’t we just ride a Trailmon to your village?” Coronamon asked.
“Because of the unfavorable terrain of this territory, there aren’t too many Trailmon tracks, unfortunately; only near the borders it shares with the other four territories,” I said. Coronamon groaned. “We don’t have any choice. We only have about a day or two before Fenrirmon wakes up. Even if it means we may have to fight him at night when his powers are stronger, we can’t afford to waste any more time.”

---

NeoDevimon
Valencia Province

“My lord Behemotmon…how does it feel to finally be freed of the abyss?” I asked.

“…The chains of that blasted dragon kept me imprisoned for far too long!” Behemotmon bellowed. “How dare that blue bastard seal me away?!”

“I apologize for not being able to prevent that from happening,” I said.

“Oh, NeoDevimon; you know I do not blame you for what happened.”

“All I saw was a flash of blue…When I regained consciousness, you were…gone.”

“Well, I’m glad you weren’t with me at that time. If you were sealed with me, we would never be able to escape,” Behemotmon said kindly. “But tell me, dear friend; however did you break the seal?”

“I enlisted the aid of a Digimon called Virgomon,” I said. “With her light, I was able to dispel the barrier and break the chains that kept you bound to the darkness. But because she was an Angel Digimon, I had to rough her up to get her to free her.”

“I see…and tell me; where is that little beauty now?” Behemotmon asked. I looked around the cave. No one. Behemotmon and I were the only ones in the cave.
“Damn it; she’s escaped!”
“Let her go, NeoDevimon. She’s no threat to us missing, and no use to us among us.”

---

Virgomon

I have to hurry…I have to find them! These thoughts raced and repeated through my mind. While working on freeing Behemotmon, I overheard NeoDevimon talking to the Valencian Prince and the rather large individual referred to as Crush. I heard everything. That group of four — or possibly more, for all I knew — were enemies of not only the noble group Lachesis, but also a Digimon known as Fenrirmon. I do not know why this hatred existed, but their plan was to have Fenrirmon and Lachesis fight; whoever won, they would have one less threat to deal with. But they did not seem to notice that I could hear them. But I could. And I did. And with this information, and their reliance on my ability to free Behemotmon no longer necessary for them, I left as soon as I could. I flew as fast as I possibly could to Elphierr Territory. Grief and guilt ate away at my heart, but still, I flew on.

---

Lucia Delbray

As Sparrow predicted, the six of us reached the Savage Prairie by nightfall. Actually, because none of us stopped to rest, the final glow of deep orange could be seen at the edge of the amethyst horizon. The sea of grass was black. Rocks could be seen littered here and there.

“…It was right around here somewhere,” Sparrow mused. Coronamon sat on his broad shoulders, lighting up the nearby area. “I’m fairly certain it was on the edge of the Prairie…”

“It’s been more than ten years; that old shack could have easily been demolished since you last saw it,” I suggested. Matthew stood next to me, and I could hardly take my eyes off of him.

“Or maybe it was on another side of the Prairie?” the young archer suggested.

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea, Matthew,” I said in breathless awe.

“…Uh…thanks?”

“You are so welcome, Matthew…” I hung onto every last word that escaped from his lips in that calm and gentle voice of his…

“…Lucia? Why are you staring at me?” Matthew asked. Mihiramon cast me a suspicious glance as I immediately turned away from Matthew with a reddened face and my heart pounding in my chest. I could hear Matthew walk away, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat down on Mihiramon’s back.

“You’re so weird, Lucia,” the Exalted Beast said. “I guess a first crush does that to everybody, though. But man; I never would’ve expected you to fall for the one you used to call a weak little crybaby.”

“S—Shut up!!” I crossed my arms and scowled at my partner Digimon. Though he was lying down, he was able to shrug his large shoulders.

“Not sayin’ anything bad about him — you know, like you used to — but I just expected you to fall in love with someone a bit…braver.”

“…But he’s different now,” I whispered.

“Yeah; that, he is.” Mihiramon lifted his head and looked up at me with a smug grin on his face. “Just try not to let Eleanora find out you love her precious baby brother,” he added in a mocking voice. I ignored his remark and undid another button of my blouse, further exposing my cleavage.

“Thing I should open it a little more?” I looked down at myself. Mihiramon sighed.

“Lucia, you sleep pressed up against me with your shirt entirely undone and braless, wearing nothing but panties, and you are able to open your door and walk into the lounge just like that. I really don’t think Matthew gives a shit if you undo another button.”

“…I just want him to like me back, Mihiramon; I’ve never had a crush on someone before, and I just don’t want my first to reject me!”

“Lucia…I am afraid you may not have a choice,” Mihiramon grunted. “I, too, know that Matthew is in love with someone in our group. If it’s you, then great. Good for you; a thousand blessings and all that crap. But if he’s in love with someone else…Larraine…Lilliana…Mia…” I sighed wearily. Mihiramon rested his head back down on the ground. I looked into the distance and saw an approaching figure.

“Mihiramon…who is that?” I asked. Immediately, I could feel the fur on the back of his neck rise up. He stood up and glared at the figure, growling through his teeth. “Mihiramon?”

“Lucia…get back! I’m getting a terrible feeling from this man…Stay back!”

“Well, now, that’s just plain impolite,” the man said. Matthew, Sparrow, and the Digimon were suddenly at my side, and once the stranger was in the light of Coronamon’s fire, I could see him clearly. Rusty brown hair, a pair of eyeglasses that shined in a way that obscured his eyes. “The name’s Romulus. Can I help y’all with anything?”

“Get back!” Mihiramon growled. “Get back!” Romulus grinned.

“Well…it seems your pet there doesn’t like me very much, Madame,” Romulus smirked. He reached out to pet him, but Mihiramon lunged forth and nearly bit the man’s hand. This broadened Romulus’s smirk. “Well, now…if you can’t control your kitty…maybe you ought to put him down.” In a swift motion, Romulus kicked Mihiramon across the face, sending him toppling over and over to the ground.

[IamTheSovereign]

Lucia Delbray
The Savage Prairie

Faster than my eye could discern, Romulus kicked Mihiramon across the face, sending the Ultimate toppling over to the ground.

“MIHIRAMON!” I yelled. The Digimon twitched his tail slightly, but didn’t respond.

“All right, Hawkmon, get ready!” Sparrow exclaimed, holding out his D-3 as Matthew pulled out his own Digivice. “Digi-Armor Energize!”

“Hawkmon Armor Digivolve to, Allomon, the Fangs of Courage!”

“Coronamon Digivolve to, Firamon!” Romulus smiled even wider.

“Digivolve all you want; you won’t be able to defeat me!” Romulus ran and punched Firamon in the face, sending him falling over in the same manner as Mihiramon before turning back into Coronamon.

“Dino Burst!” Romulus jumped back and avoided Allomon’s attack just in time. Allomon flicked his thick tail, but the man grabbed it and hurled Allomon into the air. The Dinosaur Digimon landed on the ground with an enormous crash, turning back into Hawkmon in the process. I stood there, breathless and immobilized with shock as Romulus dusted off his hands.

“Well? Who’s next?” he asked.

“Who are you?!” I asked.

“I already told you…my name’s Romulus. And that…is all you need to know about me!” Romulus began cracking his knuckles when an arrow flew through the air and struck him in the chest. Surprised at first, he began laughing at Matthew as he readied another arrow. “You little cunt…It’ll take a lot more than that to stop me!” Romulus effortlessly tore the arrow out of his chest and hurled it at Matthew, hitting him square in the shoulder.

“MATTHEW!!!!” I was immediately at the archer’s side, trying to help him stand, but he soon collapsed to the ground, alive but nearly unconscious. “…You…HOW DARE YOU HURT MATTHEW?! I’LL KILL YOU!!!” With my axe in hand, I rushed the still-grinning Romulus, madly flailing my weapon around, only to have the man weave and duck just when I think I’d be able to hit him.

“Lucia, calm down!” I heard Sparrow yell.

“Your friend is right, madam,” Romulus said. “Your rage is screwin’ up your true fighting ability.” At this comment, I swung again, striking the side of Romulus’s head. This caught him by surprise, and he clasped his hand over the wound. He then began laughing.

“…You know…I just might have to get more serious than I thought,” he said grimly. He removed his sleeveless black overcoat and dropped it on the ground. Immediately, his entire body grew larger and larger before my very eyes. He bent down to all fours, and I could see his face lengthen into a snout filled with razor-sharp fangs. He was no longer a Human; he had turned into a Digimon. “My name…my real name…is Fenrirmon.” My heart skipped a beat.

“…You…you’re the Digimon we’ve been looking for,” I whispered.

“So you’ve heard of me; flattering,” Fenrirmon growled. He wafted his nose through the air and turned to face Sparrow. “You…I’ve smelled your scent before…Yes, I remember now; two foolish Human children thought they could sneak past my wall, only for one to be killed on the spot and the other to flee like a coward!”

“…You were the one…who killed Remus?” Sparrow asked. His face was a mixture of rage, confusion, and fear. Fenrirmon bared his sharp fangs in a grin.
“It is your own life you have to worry about now, boy…For now, your life is forfeit! Iron Claw Ragnarok!” Fenrirmon leapt into the air to pounce on Sparrow, only to be tackled out of the air by Mihiramon.

“Lucia, take everyone and run; now!” Though Mihiramon was smaller, he was able to pin Fenrirmon to the ground with ease. He bit Fenrirmon on the neck, making the larger Digimon howl in pain.

“I’m not leaving you, Mihiramon!” I wailed.

“Threads of Gleipnir!” Dark and thin shadows erupted from underneath Fenrirmon’s fur, constricting Mihiramon and lifting him off the larger Mega. “Iron Claw Ragnarok!” With Mihiramon completely ensnared, he was unable to even move his head and face out of the way of Fenrirmon’s large claws, which gleamed in the moonlight as a metal would. Over and over again, Mihiramon was struck by Fenrirmon’s claws until what looked like a feather tore through the Threads of Gleipnir, releasing my partner from Fenrirmon’s clutch.

“Mihiramon is right, Lucia,” Hawkmon said, catching the thrown feather like a boomerang.

“We Digimon will fight to protect our Human partners,” Coronamon added, standing next to Hawkmon.

“We of Lachesis never abandon our Digimon partners to turn tail and flee!” I screamed.

“Just get Matthew out of here, wouldja?” Mihiramon asked, followed by a small wink that only I could see.

“Lucia…I hate to admit it, but they’re right,” Sparrow said, coming up to my side. In his arms was an unconscious Matthew. The three of us were directly behind our three partner Digimon.

“Oh, this is too perfect!” Fenrirmon exclaimed. “Yes, line up; line up so I can annihilate all of you at once with my most powerful attack!”

“Lucia, leave right now!” Mihiramon roared.
“Odin’s Demise!”

---

Eleanora Kasuto
Lachesis Fortress - Lounge

“What do you mean he isn’t back yet?!” I asked.

“I mean; Matthew hasn’t come back home yet,” Isole said disdainfully. “Probably wanted to get away from a certain overprotective loudmouth…”

“…You don’t think he would have tried to look for Fenrirmon all on his own, do you?” Mia asked. My heart nearly stopped.

“No, don’t be silly, Mia,” Larraine said calmly. “Lucia and Sparrow aren’t here either; I think we can safely conclude that wherever Matthew is, Ellie, Sparrow and Lucy are with him.

“But that doesn’t mean he’s not looking for Fenrirmon,” I said.

“If anything, we should hope that they are, in fact, searching for him,” Edmund said. “We’re nearly out of time; if Fenrirmon hasn’t already awoken, then he will by tonight; of that, I have no doubt.”

“…This is the seventh night, isn’t it?” Larraine asked. “It’s been kinda hard to keep track while worrying about how strong that Digimon is…”

“They probably went in search of him before he awoke,” Elizabeth said.

“Should we go, too?” I asked.

“That shan’t be necessary, my dear,” Edmund said. “Matthew, Sparrow, Lucia; all of them are fine warriors. Their Digimon partners are exceedingly powerful. Nothing bad will happen to them.”

“…Yeah…I know…”

“…Eleanora, where’s your shirt?” Larraine asked.

“Oh, I left it with Dominimon.”

“…Come again?”

“Well, earlier, I was feeling sad about Matthew growing up and becoming less dependent on me to do things for him; it made me feel…really lonely, like I didn’t have a purpose in life, you know? So, I went to go see Dominimon, and he made me realize that deep down, I was attempting to protect Matthew in more ways than I realized, which only served to further my sadness as he gradually grew less dependent over the past few days.” Gently, delicately, I ran my finger over the Mark on my belly. “I always used to keep this Mark hidden…because deep down, I hoped that Matthew would cover his to avoid hatred and ridicule that our kind has been forced to endure over the years…but he never chose to cover it with a headband or anything. It turns out, he had a lot more courage than I ever did in regards to our heritage; he was always proud of who he was.” I looked up at my dear friends. Larraine had tears of joy in her eyes, as did Katsumi, who always did. “I love my baby brother…no…my twin brother. I love Matthew, and I, too, am proud of what I am. I will always leave my Mark exposed wherever I go. I mean…I guess it’s a little bit indecent, walking around without a shirt on, but I am proud of my Mark and heritage, and I have no shame in my body.” Larraine jumped up and hugged me.

“That…that was…beautiful…Eleanora,” she laughed. Katsumi was at my side, placing a hand over my shoulder.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Edmund said. Knowing where his Mark was, I immediately hoped that he too would remove his shirt. Right in the middle of that broad, broad chest…

“You know…because I’m a belly dancer, I kind of walk around not wearing a shirt, either!” Larraine exclaimed. “Now, it’s like we’re twins! Yay! Shirtless twinsies!”

I just didn’t have the heart to reminder that she would technically be a triplet.

[IamTheSovereign]

Lucia Delbray
The Savage Prairie

“Lucia, leave right now!” Mihiramon roared.

“Odin’s Demise!” The very dark of night itself seemed to swirl around Fenrirmon as he opened his snout. He unleashed a vicious snarl, and fired off the darkness as a huge beam of energy directly at the six of us.

“Tiger Wing Blades!” Mihiramon spread his wings, and unleashed his own attack to counter Fenrirmon’s. The two attacks collided midair, and stood still as if time had stopped. “Lucia, for the last time, leave! Now!”

“I won’t leave you, Mihiramon!” I shouted.
“Lucia—!” At that moment, Fenrirmon’s attack tore through Mihiramon’s, enveloping all of us in its infinite darkness.

---

Aegolius Valencia

“…Hmph. It seems that Fenrirmon might actually win,” I said. “What a relief…Fenrirmon truly is a faithful ally.”

“Not to Behemotmon,” Crush said. “But to us, he is.” I smirked.

“Yes…Crush, our only enemies are Lachesis and Behemotmon. Fenrirmon is our ally, but Behemotmon isn’t. But we do have a mutual enemy of Lachesis. We joined with Behemotmon in hopes of getting rid of Lachesis, but when we found out his plans of getting rid of Fenrirmon…” My voice trailed off.

“Compared to our Master…and to our master’s master, even…Behemotmon is nobody,” Crush said. “Being a villain is quite confusing sometimes…”

“Don’t worry about it, old friend. All we need to do is ensure that Fenrirmon survives. With him alive, Behemotmon will never be able to win.”

“But, Aegolius…Behemotmon is evil, too,” Crush said. “Doesn’t it make more sense to bend Behemotmon to our master’s will than it does to destroy him?”

“It is as you said, Crush; Behemotmon is a nobody. As you commoners say, he is…small potatoes to our master. And yet, our master wishes him gone. I don’t know why, but that is what we must do.”

“But we also need Lachesis gone,” Crush said. “So we sent them to fight Fenrirmon. But what if they were to win?”

“They won’t. Our master is the only one stronger than Fenrirmon,” I replied. “Behemotmon is far weaker than Fenrirmon, in spite of an obvious size difference. He is even weaker than those at Lachesis. Fenrirmon will do all of the work…”

“And we shall reap the glory,” Crush finished. “Wait a minute…what is that?” Far to the distance, far away from the battle against Fenrirmon, was a bright light. “It’s not the moon…”
“…No…it can’t be!” I gasped. “…That bitch has betrayed us!!!”

---

Virgomon

Fenrirmon’s attack tore through that of the Mihiramon’s, and enveloped the six members of Lachesis in its darkness. Fenrirmon unleased a triumphant howl.
No…I can’t let it end like this! I flew down between Fenrirmon and his enemies. “Fenrirmon, stop!”

“…Who are you?” the Digimon asked.

“…My name is Virgomon,” I said. “…I…Behemotmon has been released.” A look of anger flashed across Fenrirmon’s face.

“Behemotmon…that bastard?! The one who imprisoned me all those years ago?! He’s been freed?!” he snarled.

“…So, what are you going to do about it?” I asked. “He imprisoned you all those years ago…it only makes sense that you should go and destroy him, Fenrirmon.”

“And how do I know that you’re telling the truth?!” Fenrirmon asked. “No…wait. I can smell his scent on you…Were you involved with freeing him, wench?!”
“…They forced me to,” I whispered. “I…I didn’t want to, but they—”

“Silence! You released that monster, and so you shall be the first to feel my wrath!”

“…Fine. I don’t care about myself…But promise me that you won’t hurt Lachesis any further!”

“I make no promises to those who aid my enemies!” Fenrirmon leaped high into the air and lunged at me. I stood my ground and closed my eyes, placing my hands together.

“Radiance of Spica!” Rings of hollowed light surrounded Fenrirmon, leaving him frozen in the air. The light combusted and enveloped Fenrirmon in their glow. As I used this attack, the stars that dotted the sky seemed to grow brighter. Fenrirmon fell to the ground; his fur was charred, releasing a putrid odor. He slowly rose to his paws, but made no effort to attack me. Rather, he turned and ran off. I breathed a sigh of relief, and turned to those behind me. They were still wrapped in Fenrirmon’s darkness, but they were all six still alive. I placed my hands together, and repeated my attack, aiming it at the darkness. The darkness vanished instantly, and I knew at once that the members of Lachesis would be safe. It was then that I noticed an arrow lodged into the shoulder of one of the Humans. My heart was in utter turmoil; there was nothing I detested more than the sight of somebody in pain. I gently wrapped my fingers around it and watched as it began to glow. “Screams of the Siren.” The arrow I held simply vanished, as did the wound it inflicted on the poor child. Indeed, all of the blood-seeping wounds of all six of these people closed up as I sang a wordless lullaby. I was tempted to wake them, but I knew that after what I did, they would despise me. I always feel so terrible whenever I hear that somebody hates me…

“There you are.” My heart jumped. I turned around, and saw the Valencian prince glaring at me. “Now…what do you think you were doing? Attacking Fenrirmon…aiding Lachesis…there is simply no end to your treachery, is there, Virgomon?”

“…I…I don’t understand—” Aegolius struck me across the face with the back of his hand.

“Don’t you dare tell me that you forgot our little deal,” Aegolius said. He snapped his fingers, and Crush was immediately at his side. In his hands was an egg. A very large egg. A Digi-Egg. It was a very soft pink in color.

“You remember this…don’t you?” Crush asked. “It was your little sister.” Tears began pouring from my eyes as I held my hand against the spot where the prince had hit me. The threat had stung like a slap across the face more so than the actual slap across my face.

“If you do as we desire…we shall not harm this egg,” Aegolius said.

“However…if you fall out of line…This egg will be destroyed,” Crush finished. “And you know what happens to Digi-Eggs when they are destroyed…don’t you?” I remained silent. Not that it mattered much. Were I to open my mouth, only a choking sob would have been heard.

“Well then, I’ll tell you,” Aegolius said. “If the Digi-Egg of a Digimon is smashed before the Digimon is able to hatch out…then the Digimon will be destroyed forever…never again to be reconfigured, never again to draw breath.”

“Now, we aren’t entirely cruel, as hard as it may be to believe,” Crush said. “We don’t mind if you become friends with Lachesis; a little camaraderie won’t hurt. But if you were to interfere with our plans…if you were to tell them about what we plan…then smash goes the Digi-Egg of your beloved little sister!”

“I…I haven’t said anything to them! I swear! Please…don’t hurt her…”

“We won’t. Not yet. We only just came by to give you this warning…and to take you back with us,” Aegolius said.

“Yes…yes, I’ll do anything you want—” Once more, Aegolius struck me across the face. This time, I fell to the ground, crying with a small amount of blood pouring from my mouth.

“Dude, what’d you do that for?” Crush asked. Aegolius shrugged.

“I dunno…I suppose it’s mainly because I enjoy hitting women,” Aegolius said. “It all started about ten years ago…my sister Micaiah was being her usual annoying and cheery self. I couldn’t take it any more…and I hit her. Oh, man she cried for hours! It was the greatest experience of my entire life, that moment when my hand made contact with her face. It was even worth Omnimon’s punishment.”

“…Is that so,” Crush said quietly.
“Yes, it is. Now, come along, Crush; we’ve a lot of ground to cover before getting back to Behemotmon and NeoDevimon.”

---

Lucia Delbray

When I at long last opened my eye, the sun was nearing the middle of the sky. I looked around. Matthew, Sparrow, and all of the Digimon were still unconscious. Fenrirmon was nowhere to be seen. To my amazement, I felt no pain whatsoever, and I was able to stand up with ease. I gasped when I got a closer look at my friends. Coronamon’s flames were nearly burnt out. The fur on Mihiramon’s face and front legs was singed black. Hawkmon’s feathers were floating around in a small breeze. Sparrow’s axe was snapped in half, and he was covered in blood, but still breathing, to my relief. Matthew’s arrows were scattered all over the grass. To my surprise, the arrow that had been thrown into his shoulder was gone, the wound along with it. I looked down at myself, and was surprised to see that I was coated in blood, but no cuts, scrapes, or wounds of any kind. My clothes, however, did not go unpunished. My skirt was, for the most part, intact, but there was hardly anything left of my blouse. The clothes of both Sparrow and Matthew were in a similar condition, but not as bad, for they had both been behind me when Fenrirmon attacked.

Fenrirmon! Where did he go?! I scanned the grassy landscape, but nothing. The grass of the Savage Prairie was rather long, but not nearly tall enough to hide a Digimon as big and tall as Fenrirmon. I walked over to Matthew’s side, and bent down. He looks so peaceful when he’s asleep…I reached out and brushed my fingertips across his cheek. Unable to control myself any further, I leaned over and pressed my lips against his. It was a magical moment, one that lasted for a few seconds but felt like a joyous eternity that sent an enamoring chill up and down my spine several times. When I finally did release, his eyes were as tightly shut as ever, still unconscious from Fenrirmon’s attack. “Matthew…please wake up soon…Just…wake up. Please…don’t worry your sister…Don’t break my heart, Matthew…”

“…Uh…Lucia…” My heart nearly stopped. It was Mihiramon’s voice. I slowly turned around, and saw him standing with Sparrow, Hawkmon, and Coronamon. My face reddened a deeper red than Sparrow’s hair.

Guess the kiss was a bit longer than I realized…

“…What were you doing?” Sparrow asked.

“…CPR?”

“She llllllllllooooovvvees Matthew!”

“SHUT UP, MIHIRAMON!!!”

“…I take it Fenrirmon escaped,” Sparrow said. “Does anyone know where he went?”

“I’m afraid we all passed out during the fight,” Hawkmon said.

“Does this mean he’s gone forever? We’ll never be able to find him again…” I whispered.

“…Don’t insult me like that, Lucia,” Mihiramon said. “I’ll be able to smell out his track in five minutes max.”

“I think we should go back home first,” Coronamon said. “We were beaten so easily last night; we definitely won’t be able to win against a Digimon as powerful as Fenrirmon, especially if he has allies.”

“If we do that, I may lose his scent,” Mihiramon said. “If I lose it, I might not be able to find it again.”

“What good would it do for us to find him if we can’t defeat him?” I asked. “Besides, Matthew is still unconscious, and for all we know, he could be terribly injured! We have to take him back home!”

“Listen, Lucia; we all know you’ve got a boner for Matt now, okay? But you can’t let that affect the way you think!” Sparrow said.

“Excuse me?!” I screamed.

“We have to think about this logically. Our job is to hunt and destroy Fenrirmon, right? As Mihiramon said, if we go straight home, we may not be able to find him again. However, if we don’t go home and bring some reinforcements, we may not be able to defeat him.”

“Well then, what the fuck do you suggest, Sparrow?!”

“…If you’ll stop being a whiny little cunt for five seconds and shut your goddamned mouth, I can tell you!” I instantly closed my mouth. In addition to his reputation of being a ceaseless flirt, Sparrow was always calm and smiling. To see him yell at me like this was appalling, to say the least. “…Now. If we can’t defeat him without help from our friends, and if we can’t go to our friends without fear of losing track of him…why don’t we do both?”

“..Both? But…how?” Coronamon asked.

“It’s simple, really; the six of us will first of all follow his scent with Mihiramon’s help, and once we figure out where he’s decided to hide out, a few of us will go back home and get some reinforcements.”

“What if he changes location while we’re waiting for our friends?” Hawkmon asked.

“That’s simple, too. Obviously, Mihiramon will have to remain behind, while a few others follow Fenrirmon until he rests.”

“Makes sense to me,” Mihiramon shrugged.

“…Is that a good idea?” I asked. I picked up Matthew from the ground and clutched his body tightly against me. “It doesn’t seem terribly safe…”

“Lucia…nothing we do is ever safe. The only thing we can strive to do is ensure that as many of us as possible survives, which would preferably be all of us. This action is the safest method we can do to make sure that happens.”

[IamTheSovereign]

Sparrow Lea
Valencia Territory

The walk back from Elphierr Territory was not nearly quite as long as it felt. Elphierr was a rather elevated territory when compared to the other four, so there was a good deal of downhill walking, and when I grew bored, I simply rolled down the hill like a child with Coronamon. Lucia was insistent on having Matthew ride on Mihiramon’s back with her, despite him no longer being unconscious or even injured. And, of course, it was at this point that Matthew grew increasingly aware of Lucia’s not-so-secret crush on him. At any rate, at long, long last, he had arrived at Valencia Territory. More specifically; Mihiramon successfully located Fenrirmon.

“Heh. The Goddess must truly wish for us to succeed,” Mihiramon whispered. “There he lies, slumbering away…” Ahead of us, in a clearing of a forest, the great beast slept on, oblivious to our presence.

“We aren’t too far off from home,” I said, turning to Lucia. “Since you’re so hell-bent on keeping Matthew safe from harm, take him and Coronamon back to the fort, and come back with as many as you can get to fight this monster.”

“…Do I get any say in this decision?” Matthew asked.

“Oh, no, no, no, Matthew! You’re staying at my side so I can keep you nice and safe…” Against his will, Lucia pulled him into an embrace, letting his head rest on her breasts.

“…You know how Lucia is, Matt,” I said. “She, uh…she doesn’t exactly change her mind easily…”

“Now, remember, Lucia,” Mihiramon began. “Get as many of our friends as you can to help fight against Mihiramon; if you can find him, bring Edmund.”

“I know, I know…”

“I’ll remain here with Sparrow and Hawkmon while you’re taking Matthew and Coronamon back home. Unless you’ve any objections, Lucia…”

“No, I don’t mind,” Lucia said. “Just so long as I get to stay close to my beloved Mattie…” Pulling him into a tighter hug, Lucia slid off Mihiramon’s back and began to walk off, practically dragging Matthew behind her as Coronamon followed.

“Be back as soon as you can, Lucia,” I said. “And no stopping to rest, if you know what I mean.”
“Sparrow! Don’t give her any ideas!” Matthew hissed. I merely chuckled as my best friend was dragged off by the most frightening and confusing woman I had ever known.

---

Virgomon

“You know what you must do…don’t you?” Aegolius asked. I said nothing.

“Hey, now…If you don’t want your little sis to die permanently, I suggest you do as you’re told,” Crush said. I winced when he picked up the Digi-Egg of my little sister.

“Be careful with that, Crush!” Aegolius snapped. “It’s our hostage, not our toy! If you break it, we lose our leverage on Virgomon!”

“Fine, fine…I’ll just think of some other way to threaten her,” Crush sighed, gently placing the egg down on the floor of the cave. “Hey…wanna go to the back of the cave with us again? We’ll have ourselves a reeeeeaaaaal good time…”

“…Please…not again…” My voice was barely above a whisper.

“Well, if you don’t want that purdy dress of yours ripped off again, then go and kill the Tiger Woman!” Crush snapped.

“…Y—Yes…”
“And while you’re doing that, we’ll go and fight that Lachesian axeman,” Aegolius said. The prince grabbed me by the straps of my dress and shoved me out of the cave. I stifled the urge to take a quick look back at my sweet baby sister’s precious Digi-Egg and spread my white wings, taking flight instantly. “Oh, and Virgomon,” Aegolius called out. “If you tell the Tiger Woman about our plans, it’s bye-bye for the Digi-Egg. And trust me; we will know!” I winced, and resumed flight.

---

Sparrow Lea
3 Hours

“…Hey Mihiramon,” I whispered. “We’re at the northernmost corner of Valencia, aren’t we?”

“Yes, that’s right,” the Ultimate growled. “It might take a day or two for Lucia to return with help. But don’t worry; if Fenrirmon takes off, Hawkmon and I will track you down and keep you informed of his whereabouts.”

“It’s near sundown,” Hawkmon said. “What happens if Fenrirmon wakes up?”

“We’re well hidden; he won’t be able to spot us, I’m sure,” Mihiramon answered.

“That’s not what I’m worried about, and you know it, Mihiramon,” Hawkmon said stiffly. “You tracked him down. As a fellow Beast Digimon, you should know that Fenrirmon would be able to easily find us with ease if we’re this close by.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mihiramon insisted. “The cold wind coming in from the Trillium Mountains puts us at a downwind position of Fenrirmon. He won’t be able to smell us. Even if he comes our way, we can hide ourselves at the mountains. Don’t worry; nothing bad is going to happen.”

“I wouldn’t count on that.” My heart jumped at the sound of the new voice from behind.

“Don’t scare the poor kid, Crush,” another voice said. “Fenrirmon’s out of practice; let’s let him get the kill. Don’t scare him into a heart attack before Fenrirmon can get a chance to wake up.” By this point, I had turned around to face the individuals; a large man with a hammer, and a taller, slimmer man dressed quite nicely in comparison.

“Friends of Fenrirmon, are you?” Mihiramon asked.

“You could say that. You sent the Tiger Woman out for reinforcements; we sent a…comrade of our own out after her, so don’t expect more friends anytime soon,” the man called Crush said.

“We’d fight you off ourselves, but we’d rather our old pal Fenrirmon get a good workout killing you by himself,” the other man said.

“…And? Your name is?” I asked.

“You don’t need to know. Now move aside!”

“…If you want us to move…you’ll have to do it yourself instead of asking politely!” I picked up my axe, and glared down the two. Crush grinned back, and held up his large battle hammer.

“Well then…I guess I’m up first!” Mihiramon stepped up beside me, but I held out my arm.

“I can handle him myself,” I said.

“A scrawny runt like you…I won’t even work up a sweat!” Crush swung his hammer, but I ducked down out of the way just in time. At that moment, I swung my own axe, but Crush jumped back quicker than his big frame would have suggested. Again, we both swing our weapons at the same time. Axe and hammer collided, sending metallic sparks flying in the air. Over and over again, we swung our weapons, and over and over again, the collided.

“Crush, don’t bruise him up,” the other man said. “Well…I guess it isn’t too important. If you want to kill him…go ahead. We can always find some peasant maiden for Fenrirmon to ravage.”

“You know, I’m surprised Fenrirmon hasn’t woken up already,” I whispered to myself.

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Crush’s companion asked. “Fenrirmon…obviously, he is a nocturnal species, but there’s more to it than that. As a whole, the Fenrirmon species is incapable of awaking in the daylight hours. However…the two of us know of a secret method of waking this Fenrirmon specifically. We’ve got to be pretty close to him to do it, though…and that’s why we must remove every obstacle in our way.”

“Well…that’s all the more reason for me to kick both of your asses!” Once more, I swung my axe, I struck Crush in the shoulder. The huge man dropped his hammer, denting the earth below it.

“Well…that’s a bit disappointing,” the nameless man said. “…You…You do not know who I am…do you?”

“Not a clue. Not your name, not your face,” I replied.

“Well…that might just work out in my favor. If you really want something to address me by…” the man reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a Data Link Digivice. But there was something about it that sent a chill down my spine.

“…What is that?” I asked.

“Looks like a Data Link, right?” he asked. “But this is a tad different…this is a Bio Link Digivice.” I heard Mihiramon gasped.

“You…you’re a Bio Hybrid?!” Mihiramon asked.

“Bio Hybrid DNA Charge!” the man clasped his hand over the Digivice, and became enveloped in a bright light. “Bio Hybrid Digivolve to, BioAegisdramon!” the man turned into the most colossal Digimon I had ever seen; immeasurably tall, covered in huge cannons left to right that made him appear even wider.

“…Damn it…Li…Why did you…do that?” Crush wheezed, clutching his bleeding shoulder. “You can’t…control it…just yet…”

“Silence!” BioAegisdramon roared. Each and every one of the Digimon’s cannons lit up.

“Sparrow…get back,” Mihiramon said.

“Li…don’t!” Crush rasped. “Don’t…you’ll hit Fenrirmon…too…”

“Shine Breaker!” BioAegisdramon attacked, but each and every cannon, though directed at me, they all fired off in different directions. Upon closer inspection, the force of the blasts were moving the cannons. BioAegisdramon’s metallic face was contorted in agony. Crush was right; BioAegisdramon couldn’t control his own power.

“Hey, you!” Crush shouted, looking at me. “Hit him…now! I don’t want my pal to hurt himself; I don’t want to get hurt myself, and I don’t want Fenrirmon to get hurt! But I’m sure you don’t want your friends to get hurt either! So strike him…now! Before he strikes you first!”

“…All right. Let’s go, Mihiramon!” I climbed atop the large Ultimate’s back, and took to the air.

“Samurai Tiger Tail!” Mihiramon and I struck BioAegisdramon at the same time directly between his glowing red eyes. The Bio Hybrid fell back a little. A few of his cannons were still firing, but none of them were as strong as they had been.

“Mihiramon, now!” I shouted.

“Tiger Wing Blades!” Mihiramon’s following attack sent BioAegisdramon falling to the ground, turning back into his Human form. Crush dragged his way over to his friend’s side, and helped him to stand.

“Crush….how dare you stop me?” Li asked. I wasn’t sure if that was his name though; perhaps a nickname. “How dare you?!”

“Don’t gimme that bullshit, Li,” Crush said. “You know as well as I do that you can’t yet control yourself when you turn into BioAegisdramon!”

“…Whatever. Let’s just get back to NeoDevimon.” The two were now helping each other to stand, and turned to walk away. When they were out of sight, I turned to Mihiramon.

“Track them down,” I said. “Find out where they’re headed. When Lucia gets back, we’ll head out.”

“What about Fenrirmon?” Hawkmon asked.

“…Let’s wait for Lucia to get back. We’ll decide from there,” I said. “They said they were allies of Fenrirmon; if we do decide to track them over Fenrirmon, at least we won’t be completely be abandoning our original mission. Besides, I can always get Hawkmon to follow him, you know?”

“…Fine. I’ll get started,” Mihiramon sighed.