'I have told Mako that Ai is dead... but that is not quite true.'
Lucemon stood in her personal chambers, looking into the big mirror that hung on the wall.
'I know that through the sin data within me, the soul of the original Lucemon has become one with me,' she thought. 'I am, for all intents and purposes, Lucemon reborn. But... there's still some of Ai left within me, isn't there? I still have all of her old memories... I am in her body, transformed...
I... even have some feelings left for d'Arcmon, no matter what I told her and Mako... even though she's my daughter now instead of my mother. I... admit that I would feel proud of her, would she embrace what I have become and follow in my footsteps. To see her... as another fallen angel would fill me with pride.'
She stepped closer to the mirror. 'But... where did those feelings come from? I know I never gave birth to her, so she isn't my real daughter. So... can it be that these are the remains of Ai's feelings for her mother? And if they are, can it be true that there is more of her left inside me?'
Her thoughts wandered back to Twilimon. 'It's... it's true that I wanted to force Mako to turn to the dark side, but... did I really only want to do it because of the corruptive act itself? Or because I still see him as my brother?'
Slowly, she raised her hand and touched her mirror image with her hand. "Who... am I?" she whispered. "Am I just Lucemon, sin of Pride reborn? Or am I also a loving mother and sister? Is a being like me allowed to feel love?"
She turned away from the mirror and instead stepped in front of a window. She let her gaze sweep over the changed town. "This... is my domain," she said. "I made it. And everyone in it is happy. I wouldn't want to change that, ever. In a way, Ai's dreams are now fulfilled. And... it fills me with satisfaction to see all those children, those former adults under my control... under my control, but still happy. Yes, this is what true emperors should strive for: For loyal subjects that also love what they are and what they have done. Sure, they fear my Disciplinary Squad... but for the most part, I managed to create an utopia."
She looked at a bunch of former adults that were cheerfully playing in the street. "The Lucemon of old... would have never wanted something like this. It is true, I am using them for my advantage... but I am still filled with pride. Pride... This is my nature..."
Then her thoughts wandered back to the other Demon Lords. "I wonder..." she murmured. "Would the old Lucemon want to share his dreams with the other Lords? I know that Barbamon, Daemon and all the others never followed the same dreams as I... they only used me, similarly to how I am using all the people of Japan. I can't really blame them, they were only following what is their nature..."
Suddenly, the door opened, and a Succubimon entered. "My lady Lucemon, I have an urgent report."
"Manami..." Lucemon smiled when seeing her most loyal follower. "Please, come in..."
"Yes, my lady!" the former pre-schooler said and closed the door behind her. "Listen, something disconcerting is going on... we managed to detect an unusual source of heat that is rising up to the surface, just beneath our tower. We believe that..." She then noticed the musing look on her mistress' face. "Mistress Lucemon? Is something the matter?"
"Tell me, Manami," Lucemon said, still looking out of the window. "When you take a look into the mirror, who do you see?"
Taken aback by this sudden question, Manami stepped in front of the mirror. "Um... I see myself, mistress! Manami, a Succubimon in your services... and I wouldn't want to be anything else!"
"Yes, I know that!" Lucemon smiled as she finally turned around to look at her servant and friend. "But who are you really? Are you still the human child, Manami? Or are you the Succubimon that had once been in the services of the original Lucemon?"
"I... I am..." Manami hesitated. She realized that she had to choose her next words carefully. Not only to not upset her mistress, but also to soothe the worries that were obviously going through her friend's mind.
"I am Manami," she then said. "But I am not a human child anymore... I have received the soul and memories of a Succubimon, so I am both. As a Succubimon, I want nothing but to please you, Mistress! And as Manami, I want nothing but to be your friend... Ai!" She knelt down in front of Lucemon. "I know that the Manami of old would have had never done several of the acts I have committed, but... I don't have any regrets! I would follow you into the pits of hell, if necessary! I mean, take a look outside... isn't this what we all wished for? A world in which we have control? A world in which everyone is happy? There are no wars, no crimes, no natural disasters and no pollution... nothing had filled me with more pride than being a part of this."
"Yes, Pride..." Lucemon nodded. "It's Pride again, isn't it? It's always Pride! Every time..."
"But Mistress..." Manami stood up from the ground, visibly confused. "Isn't Pride what you stand for? You are one of the Seven Great Demon Lords..."
"And I am also a little girl who turned her parents into her children," Lucemon sighed. At this moment, Manami could see a lot of her old friend Ai seep through the facade of the evil Demon Lord. "Don't get me wrong, I love this new world! And I love what we have accomplished... but... by chasing away Mako... did I really do the right thing? I... I should have convinced him with more passive ways... I could have shown him the joys of this new world, instead of forcing him to accept his new role..."
Manami walked up to her mistress and did something that no other servant of hers would ever have dared: She put a hand on Lucemon's shoulder for comfort. "Give him some time," she smiled. "I'm sure he will return to you. I mean, what choice does he have? All of Japan belongs to us... he can't get away from here! And he can't fight you... and as soon as you see him again, you can welcome him as a sister should welcome her brother."
"Yes..." Lucemon smiled. "I will show him the beauty of darkness... and as soon as we found my son, we will be one, happy family again..."
"That's what I wanted to hear," Manami smirked. "You are Lucemon, Mistress of Pride, Empress of Japan... you can do it! You can do anything!"
"Thank you, Manami," Lucemon said. "Whatever would I do without your aid...? But, let's not get ourselves distracted by this. You said you have a report to make?"
"Yes, mistress!" Manami nodded, falling back into her role as a loyal vassal, dropping down to her knee. "The abnormal heat rising from underneath our tower... it can't be natural. We believe that someone is planning to ambush you... from below."
"I see..." Lucemon murmured. "I haven't been able to find my former father, the former Demon Lords Leviamon and Belphemon, and neither could I find a couple of the Digimon Tamers I once was part of... and there are still those outlaws that have managed to elude our Disciplinary Squad... or maybe it's someone completely else. Well, whoever it is, they will be in for a surprise when they try to break in here... strengthen the defenses on the lower floor and install a force field generator!"
"At once, my lady!" Manami said, bowing her head.
And after the Succubimon had left, Lucemon looked back into her mirror and smiled. 'I think I will go and speak with my daughter now... I will have to apologize for what happened earlier. And after that... I will have to go and see where these runaway students from the sight-seeing group have vanished to. I don't want them to run into - or CAUSE - any trouble...'
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(Posted Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:12)
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