d'Arcmon crossed her arms. "So... you expect me to stay patient after everything that just happened? That my baby has been kidnapped yet AGAIN, that she's the living incarnation of Pride? That everything that's happening is supposed to be the result of a GAME?"
Kei just shrugged. "Well, it's the truth."
Impmon grimaced. "I've heard many things, but you really haveta admit that everything you say sounds a bit crazy, kid."
They were sitting together in the living room of the twins' parents, and Impmon, Mako, Phascomon and d'Arcmon were listening to Kei's tale while her husband was repairing the front door.
Alice had insisted to come along, but she agreed that it was more important to bring the other kids back home. After all, neither of them was able to remember anything they had done after BioCalumon's control over them had worn off.
Kei spread the remains of the tiny MCTs across the table. "See, this is all that's left of the device they used to control the children. I don't really know how Bio did it, but he managed to change their digivolution as well as make them act as he wants to. If I didn't know better, my guess would be that he's getting his powers back... but I'm getting ahead of myself. What's important now is that you have to trust me, all of you!"
d'Arcmon huffed. "Excuse me, dear, but you are just a child, like them. Who says they haven't brainwashed you as well? And a few fragments of high-tech junk don't convince me to believe you."
"If you came here searching for that main program you mentioned, how could your friend back outside know that they'd use that gadget, and even have a counter-gadget for it?"
d'Arcmon might be upset at the little imp for failing to protect his female Tamer/her daughter once again, but this time, she felt that taking his side would be better, so she nodded. "Yes, I'd like to know that as well."
"To be honest, I didn't know," Kei sighed. "But after what that machine did to poor Phascomon here..." She gestured at the Rookie who was sitting next to her. "I couldn't let something similar happen again, so I made the RPG Maker create a counter-device, logically invented by the same man who created the MCT itself. Meeting up with Alice was just a coincidence... I still don't know where she came from, she just told me that we had to hurry to save someone, so I followed her, even though we never met before. Still, I felt that I could trust her."
"Just like that?" Impmon wondered. "I must say, I'm impressed by your naiveté, girl..."
"She's a mercenery," d'Arcmon shouted. "A criminal, even... she worked together with that villain Yamacus! Why should we trust her?"
"I already told you..." Kei groaned. "What Yamaki did was just because of that game... he couldn't help himself. If anything, you should be angry at me... I was the one who came up with all these things..."
"What nonsense!" the angel woman grumbled.
"M-mom..." Mako stuttered. "I don't know why, but... I believe her."
"Yeah, me too," Phascomon nodded.
Kei smiled, even though she knew it would be harder to convince Mako's mother. And if she couldn't do that, she couldn't use the RPG Maker that was on her husband's computer...
Just then, her husband entered the room, accompanied by Alice, who was back in her human form. "The door's fixed," he said. "Your friend here arrived while I was busy and she insisted on helping me."
"It was no problem at all," Alice smiled.
d'Arcmon glared at her. "You... you dare show your face after all you and your group of mercenaries have done? You've got some nerve..."
"Excuse me, but I don't think that's the way you should talk to the daughter of your Sovereign," Alice stated in a cool voice. "For your information, I am here on my parents' behalf."
"Your parents..." d'Arcmon grumbled. She didn't say it aloud, but in her eyes, the Hybrid was no more a child of her Sovereign than Impmon and Kei were. She may be adopted, but she still felt that Azulongmon should have abandoned her...
"But wait a minute..." Kei murmured. "How could Azulongmon have sent you? last thing I knew was that you accompanied Yamaki and his girls to... to... well, wherever they are now..."
"Well, that's true," Alice nodded. "After delivering the MCT to Mr. Wong, Kouki, Ivan and I decided to follow Yamaki and my sisters. They are fine, but they prefer to stay in hidden for now."
"I can imagine that," Impmon huffed. "Half of Japan is probably looking for them..."
"Well, as long as they don't find them..." Alice smirked. "Still, our Dad somehow managed to find out where we were heading, and he contacted us... or me, rather. He told me everything about that game and asked me to help Kei. He also advised me to make a stop at grampa's lab to fetch the CHT..." She patted her hip, where the device she used to free the corrupted children was hanging from her belt.
"CHT?" Mako scratched his head. "What's that?"
Alice grinned. "Why, the Clear Head Thingy, of course!"
"Of course..." Impmon grumbled. "Dang, now I don't know which one of these two girlies is more nuts..."
"Is there ANY good reason why I should believe you two?" d'Arcmon asked bitterly. "My baby's gone, and your dangerous tools might just be the reason."
"Honey..." her husband sighed.
Alice looked at the Angel Digimon for a while, then she pulled out a white envelope. It was so white, it was almost painful for their eyes. A pair of angelic wings was on it.
d'Arcmon froze. "Th-that's the angelic emblem..." She looked at Alice. "Did your... did Azulongmon give you this?"
"No," Alice replied sternly. "My mother did. And she asked me to tell you, she's not too happy with the way you're acting towards Impmon and Phascomon."
d'Arcmon winced. A direct message from Azulongmon couldn't have been worse than this... Magnadramon was her supreme supervisor in the angelic ranks of the Digital World, even though she was not just an Angel Digimon, but a Holy Beast... Still, hearing Magnadramon's message from her adoptive daughter was like a slap in the face for the angelic soldier.
"Very well..." she finally sighed. "I believe you... you may use our computer, Kei."
'YES!' Kei cheered inwardly, although she was surprised. She almost forgot that she and the game's 'main characters' weren't the only ones that knew about the RPG Maker's powers. It was always nice to have a powerful ally like the Digimon Sovereigns.
"So..." Kei finally spoke up. She was a bit uncomfortable, which was no surprise. It was one thing to hear about persons you never met before in your life, or writing about them at the computer... but actually meeting them was definitely something else.
Alice smiled. "Don't worry, I made sure the kids got home safely. Without the MCT, I doubt they will try to use them again. And even if they somehow manage to remake it, there's no reason for them to use the same children again. After all, I doubt they will trust them after what happened."
"And what about me?" Phascomon asked meekly. "Will they still be after me?"
"I doubt it," Kei replied. "They were only after your sin data, remember? Barbamon decided not to rely on his old allies anymore. Did you see those glowing crystals on the circlet he was carrying? I think that means that he already absorbed the sin data from his old companions."
"Betamon and DemiDevimon," d'Arcmon shouted with surprise. "Of course! In the news, they said that a stranger in a trenchcoat had paid them a visit and left them in a very weak state... as if something was drained from them."
"But... I didn't feel the same when he drained the sin data from my body," Impmon pointed out.
"That's because you already accepted Beelzemon as part of yourself," Alice told him. "Not the evil Beelzemon, but the new, salvaged Beelzemon, created by the love of your Tamers." She winked when Impmon looked at her in bewilderment. "Don't be so surprised, my parents told me the whole story."
"It was because of Mako's present..." Impmon murmured, recalling the day when Mako gave him his toy gun. "And Ai's..." He blushed a bit when he remembered his female tamer's kiss on the cheek.
"That's right," Alice nodded. "But Betamon and DemiDevimon never wanted to be like you. They accepted the evil within their sin data, turning them intro true Demon Lords... until Barbamon took it from them. By that time, the sin data had already merged with their core programs, their souls, leaving them in a weak state..."
"And I... have already accepted that I don't want to be evil," Phascomon spoke up.
Mako grinned. "I can always give you something as well, Phascomon! I have more toy guns like that!"
"Mako, what did I tell you about toy weapons?" his mother frowned, but Phascomon smiled. "That would be... great, thanks, Mako!"
"Um, I don't want to sound rude, but... I really should get back to the RPG Maker," Kei said. "My friends might be in trouble and I wouldn't even know it..."
"Yes, of course!" d'Arcmon's husband nodded. "Here, it's this way..." And he showed the young Palmon the way to his office, where the computer was standing.
Alice looked after them. "Well, I hope it won't blow up this time..." she murmured, then she turned to leave.
"Hey!" Impmon shouted. "Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?"
"My mission's not over yet," Alice explained. "Helping Kei was just one part of it. There's still someone else I need to pay a visit..."
"But... but what about Ai?" Impmon asked. "We need to find her... save her... won't you help me?"
"I'm sorry, Impmon," Alice sighed. "Even if I had the time, I couldn't do it."
"But why not?" Mako asked in a disappointed voice.
Alice walked over to him and took his hand. "Because I promised my Mom not to do it. Now don't worry, she'll be fine. Mom said that she made the decision because she knows they would never harm her. She is just to important for Barbamon's plans."
"But... but couldn't he just absorb her data and find another host for Pride?" d'Arcmon wondered.
Alice shook her head. "No, that's not possible anymore. Lucemon's spirit has merged too much with her soul, even more than Betamon and DemiDevimon have merged with their respective Demon Lord selves."
"But... but..." d'Arcmon was horror-stricken. "But does that mean there is no hope for my poor baby left? That she will become a Demon Lord, no matter what? Please tell me it isn't true..."
"Well, her situation is special..." Alice tried to explain. "Pride may be one of the Seven Sins... but... Lucemon was a Fallen Angel. Only after reaching the Ultimate level did he become one of the Seven Demon Lords. As long as Ai holds on to the light within her own heart, she won't succumb to evil. The sin data of Pride is linked tightly with Lucemon's soul, so we can't remove it anymore... but just look at you, Impmon! You were able to live with your sin data without actually succumbing to it, weren't you?"
"But... there's still the danger that they might... might trick her again..." Impmon muttered uncertainly.
"Maybe," Alice said. "But do you honestly believe Ai would fall for the same trick twice? You must believe in her, Impmon! She's your Tamer, after all."
"Yeah," Mako nodded. "I believe in sis. She can do it. She always was more stubborn than me." He chuckled.
"I really wish I had the same strength as you children..." d'Arcmon murmured. "Please excuse me, I need to think..." And she too, stood up and left the room.
"Well then, I have to go as well," Alice said. "Please make sure that Kei and the RPG Maker will stay safe, Impmon."
"No problem," Impmon smirked.
"Where are you going now?" Phascomon asked.
"Well, my Dad told me to visit others... others that have to learn about what's going on... and to learn to work with each other."
'Oh yes,' she thought after she had left the house. 'They really need to learn that. Their children can do it... so they have to pull themselves together as well.'
She knew there would be no trouble with Compsomon, Sheperdmon and Leomon... but she was far more worried about Taomon and Mr. Wong. If those two couldn't put their differences aside, they could never help their children. Also, they shouldn't just leave everything to Takato and the others just because they saved the world once.
After all, they were busy with another villain right now, and that one could be almost as dangerous as BioCalumon...
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(Posted Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:54)
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