Darkness Reborn

Chapter 1: Hail the new Emperor

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Digimon's creatures, characters, or general storyline.*

            Author's Note: This story will be using American names with a few exceptions. Largest of these exceptions is how I spell the name of Veemon's Champion form. I don't like the spelling "ExVeemon," so I use the Japanese spelling, XVmon.

            One important note about this story is that it assumes that the digieggs are gone. Some Digimon fans think that the digieggs/digimentels were destroyed in the battle with MaloMyotismon. Since each digiegg turned into an Armor Digimon inside the strange dimension, people assume that the digieggs vanished along with the Armor Digimon as the Digidestined left the dimension. Other people doubt this because it's never expressly stated that the digieggs were destroyed. However, this story assumes that is what really happened, so you have to keep in mind that the digieggs have been destroyed and none of the Digimon can armor digivolve now.

            That said, the only thing I can add is that I hope you enjoy my story.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            White-hot light burned all around him as feathers continued to rain down. In the searing heat he could see a figure falling from up above. The silhouette had six wings and clung to a staff in its right hand. As the figure fell ever closer, it resolved into a white-suited humanoid wearing a helmet and a blue cloth around his waist. The figured plummeted strait past him and continued his unwilling descent into nothingness. The being, who looked like an angel, stared directly at him before exploding into a cloud of tiny bits. "Angemon, NOOO!"

            Takeru "TK" Takashi sat bolt upright in bed. His body was drenched in cold sweat and his hands were trembling. His bed sheets had pulled away from their tucked positions and were wadded up into clumps. He'd obviously been tossing and turning a lot. He looked to his left and saw Patamon sleeping soundly on his pillow. Good, I didn't wake him.

            TK leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. "That dream again," he whispered. "Always the same dream…" He quietly slid out of bed and crept towards the bathroom on weak legs that felt like rubber. Down the hall, he could hear his mother snoring slightly as she slept soundly. TK turned on the faucet and splashed some water on his face. His hands just wouldn't stop shaking. He gripped the edge of the sink with his hands until his whole body calmed down.

            TK had been having that dream for almost seven years now. He was fifteen and in his final year of junior high. Even though it had been four years since the end of his battles in the Digital World, TK still had the same horrible dream of when he lost Angemon in the fight with Devimon. Maybe I'll never be rid of that terrible memory. He sighed. Lately, the dreams had been coming more frequently, and they had lasted for longer periods of time. Even though he always got a long sleep, TK woke up feeling even more tired than when he went to sleep. He shook his head to clear his mind and went back to his room. The clock on the nightstand showed that he had only about an hour and a half left before he'd have to wake up and go to school. Might as well make the most of it. TK slipped back into bed and nestled down against the pillow. He ran a finger gently down the back of Patamon's spin. The little Digimon giggled and stirred, but didn't wake up.

            TK smiled. His friend was still with him and they had peace. There weren't anymore threats to the Digital World that would separate them. TK figured that a little sleep depravation was tolerable in exchange for peace.

                        *            *            *            *                      *            *            *            *

            TK had closed his eyes for what felt like two seconds before a loud buzzing sound, twice as annoying as the buzz of a Flymon, woke him up again. "Grrr…" He brought his fist down on the alarm clock and silenced its maddening shriek. He swiveled his legs onto the ground, then let out a small moan. His head was throbbing.

            Patamon stood up on the pillow. "Morning, TK."

            "Gugh…" TK felt like someone has shoved cotton balls into his mouth and down his throat.

            Patamon asked, "Bad night's sleep again?"

            TK nodded, "I'll live." With that, he trudged over towards his closet and pulled out his usual attire. This was the last year he could wear regular clothing to school. Next year it would be school uniforms and ties, just like his brother had had to wear. TK wasn't looking forward to that.

            TK showered and then dressed. He now wore blue jeans and a light green T-shirt with a white strip running across the middle. He'd given up wearing his white hat a long time ago, even though is hair was stilly slightly messy and unkempt. TK picked up Patamon and walked down the hall towards the kitchen. His mother was in her office typing at a story, as usual. "Morning, Mom."

            TK's mother took a moment to look up from her computer. "Good morning, TK. Did you sleep well?"

            TK replied, "I slept okay." Then promptly stifled a yawn.

            Ms. Takashi frowned, "You've been having nightmares again, haven't you? This has been going on for weeks! Are you sure you're alright?"

            TK nodded, "I wouldn't get worked up over it, Mom. I'm fine." He continued towards the kitchen and ate a quick breakfast. "Gotta go, see you later!"

            "Have a good day, and don't push yourself too hard!"

            "Right, right." TK nodded as he headed out the front door with Patamon. TK ran to the elevator and waited for the doors to open. This was where he usually hooked up with Yolei and Cody.

            Just like clockwork, the doors opened and there was Cody and Yolei with their backpacks. "Good morning, TK." Cody had shot up like a weed. His head now reached almost as high as TK's chest, which was considerable considering how much TK had grown in four years. Cody still wore clothing similar to when he was younger, a purple long sleeve shirt with docker pants, but his expression and loosened somewhat. He had learned to lighten-up slightly, even though he was still one of the most serious kids TK knew.

            Yolei now wore a school uniform because she was in her first year of high school. It was the same design as Sora's old uniform except that it was colored navy blue with white stripes. She still walked with TK and Cody towards their school, but had to leave them halfway to get to her own classes.  Yolei still wore huge round glasses that reached up to her eyebrows, but she had styled her hair into a ponytail.

Cody and Yolei carried their Digimon, Upamon and Poromon, in their arms. Since there had been no threat to the Digital World in over four years, the Digimon hadn't needed a reason to stay in their Rookie forms. Thus, Veemon, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon had reverted back to Demiveemon, Upamon, and Poromon, respectively. It was much easier to conceal the in-training forms from the rest of the world. Even though Digimon were slowly become a part of society, the Digidestined had decided that it would be safer for them to hide their Digimon for the time being. People still had to adjust to the very existence of Digimon.

Yolei asked, "Ready to go?"

            TK nodded, "Let's get going." The three of them walked along at a brisk pace. Before too long, Yolei and Poromon split off to head towards Yolei's high school. Less than three block later, TK and Cody reached their own school. Patamon grabbed hold of Upamon and flew up into a nearby tree. "See you guys later." The schoolyard was bustling with kids, especially on the soccer field. TK saw Davis playing on the field as he scored a goal.

            Davis had changed his appearance as well. He no longer wore Tai's goggles. Instead, he had found a more unique pair that he thought suited him. They were square, just like his original pair, and the lenses were tinted light red. It was definitely a different look from Tai's old goggles. Davis had also borrowed a little of Matt's fashion sense and added it to his own. Davis now wore black pants and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He then wore a blue sleeveless vest over his shirt, and black and white shoes. TK had to admit that Davis actually looked pretty cool in his new look, but how he stayed cool in the summer was beyond comprehension.

            Davis spotted his friends and waved, "Hey, Cody! Hi, TS!"

            TK grinned. Davis had once gotten TK's name wrong as a sign of disrespect, but now it just a running joke between the two of them. TK waved back, "Nice shot, goggle head!" Davis smiled and went back to playing soccer.

            "Good morning, TK." TK turned around to see Kari standing behind him. Kari had grown even more attractive over the years. She now wore white Capri pants and a hot-pink sundress top that left her slightly tanned shoulders and arms bare. Ever the fan of pink fashion, he shoes were also pure pink. "Did you sleep well?"

            TK shrugged, "I slept alright. A few bad dreams, but nothing too bad."

            Kari nodded, "Feeling ready for the test in math today?"

            TK smiled, "Never, but I'll manage." The school bell cut off their conversation. "Here we go." He and Kari walked toward the building.

                                   

*            *            *            *                      *            *            *            *

            The Digital World's full splendor could be seen from the side of Mount RAM. The forests and rivers spread out as far as the eye could see, but such beauty was currently lost on the small Digimon that resembled a green eggplant with feet. Datirimon hopped over a stone as he followed a trail of shimmering butterflies up the side of the mountain. The tiny In-Training Digimon was tired, but he knew that he couldn't afford a break yet. His partner needed him to be strong. Oikawa Yukio, the guardian spirit of the Digital World, had alerted him to a new threat and was leading Datirimon to the site of the disturbance.

            The butterflies flew ahead slightly and began to circle over the top of the mountain. Datirimon continued to run up the slope, wishing all the while that he'd digivolve and grow some arms!

            Finally, Datirimon reached the top and surveyed the landscape. "What am I looking for?"

            Oikawa's voice drifted down from the butterflies. "You will know when you see it."

            Datirimon puzzled at what his friend meant, but the truth behind the statement became all too clear as Datirimon continued to gaze at the scenery. A tall black monolith stood out against the lush green landscape like a cancerous sore. Datirimon's mouth fell open. "A control spire?"

            Oikawa replied, "Yes. Someone has created a new control spire. This one feel different, however. It possesses more power than the control spires that Ken used. I also sense a darker presence behind it. Even now I can feel the spire warping the fabric of the Digital World, and it is trying to confine both myself and the Guardian Digimon like Azulongmon."

            Datirimon asked, "Can you get rid of it?"

            If Oikawa was in human form, he would have shaken his head. "No. I do not possess the power to do so."

            "Then what can we do?"

            "We must call the Digidestined. They have dealt with this menace once before. I am sure they will be able to defeat it once again."

                        *            *            *            *                      *            *            *            *         

            TK, Kari, and Davis were out of math class the very second the bell rang. TK rubbed his neck. "Another day and not a single dollar. That test took forever."

            Kari nodded, "I know. If I never have to count beyond 5, I'll die a happy woman."

Davis remained silent. TK looked at him suspiciously, "Davis? How did you do on the test?"

Davis kept his eyes fixed to the ceiling. "Well… I did pretty well… I mean-"

Kari said, "Just spit it out, Davis."

Davis' expression turned sour, "I'll be lucky if I get a 'C.' There, you happy?"

TK and Kari laughed. "Don't let it get you down, Davis. There'll be plenty of other tests."

Davis slumped, "That's supposed to be encouraging?"

A beep sounded from TK's pocket. He pulled out his D3 and saw that the screen was flashing a distress signal, just as it once had whenever one of other older Digidestined's Digimon was in danger. Kari and Davis' D3s were also signaling the same message. "Let's get to the computer room."

            *          *            *            *                      *            *            *            *

Cody and Upamon were already waiting for the others when they arrived after collecting their Digimon. "Did you three get the distress signal too?" TK nodded. Cody said, "Yolei and Ken have already e-mailed me. They got the message and they're on their way to the Digital World now. And you won't believe what's waiting for us." He pointed towards the screen.

TK and the others crowded around the monitor. Cody had pulled up the familiar map of the Digital World. Every square on the map was white, except for one black dot in the center.

Davis' mouth was the first to fall. "A control spire? Where'd that come from?"

Kari frowned, "You don't suppose we missed one while battling Arukenimon and BlackWarGreymon, do you?"

Gatomon glanced at her, "We missed one for four years? I don't think so."

Kari shrugged, "Can you blame a girl for being hopeful?"

Davis said, "All right, let's just go there and knock the stupid thing down. It'll be easy."

"It'll just be like old times." Demiveemon said excitedly.

Cody pointed out, "But what if it's active and blocking digivolutions? We don't have our digieggs anymore, so we could be putting ourselves in danger."

            TK nodded. One of the aftereffects of MaloMyotismon's attack was that the Digidestined had discovered that their digieggs had vanished when they left the strange dimension where all their digivolved forms had appeared at once. None of their Digimon could armor digivolve now, which meant that they might have more trouble with this control spire then they had in the past.

            Davis said, "We'll never know unless we go there and find out. It's not like we've got a choice!"

            TK agreed. "Davis is right. No matter what happens, we'll just have to deal with it."

            Cody said, "That's what Yolei and Ken said too. Izzy is monitoring the situation from college, so he can alert Tai and the others if anything goes wrong."

            Davis held up his D3. "Then let's get to work. Digiport open!" The four of them and their Digimon were sucked into the computer.

            TK blinked as the residual light from the digiport faded. A quick check revealed that everything was in order. Demiveemon and Upamon had digivolved into Veemon and Armadillomon. The Digital World hadn't changed from what he remembered. There were still plenty of trees and crystal-clear skies. But the control spire ruined the view as its dark point sliced through the scenery.

            "Hey, guys!" Yolei and Ken came running up to the group with Hawkmon and Wormmon. Ken wore the same gray school uniform he had worn when he had first met the other Digidestined. The only big change was that Ken was slightly taller.

            TK noted with some surprise that Davis, Cody, and Yolei were still wearing the same clothes they had worn on Earth. I guess they don't feel the need to look cooler anymore. TK and Kari's clothes hadn't changed either.

            Davis said, "Let's get going. I want to rap this up quick."

            Yolei arched an eyebrow, "Why? Got a big date this evening?"

            Davis rolled his eyes, "Ha-ha, very funny. Flamedramon and I knocked down more control spires than I'd like to remember. This getting really old." He grinned at Yolei. "You're not in any big hurry, so I guess you don't have a date either."

            If glares could kill, Yolei would have taken out half the Digital World with the expression on her face. Even though she and Davis were best friends, they still had odd arguments now and then.

            The Digidestined walked towards the control spire at a semi-leisurly pace. Kari asked, "Do you think someone is trying to copy the Digimon Emperor's technology?"

            Ken's voice was bitter. "Whoever is doing this is a fool. They have no idea of what their dealing with."

            Cody said, "I wonder if there are any dark rings or dark spirals near here. Whoever is doing this might be using the same techniques as before."

            "Branch Drain!" Several vines shot out of the forest and reached for the group. The Digidestined and their Digimon dived to the side as the vines wrapped around a nearby tree. The tree began to wither instantly and soon after that it dissolved into a cloud of broken data.

            A tree on root legs with a carved face stepped out of the forest. Veemon identified it. "That's Woodmon! He pretends to be a normal tree, but then drains unsuspecting Digimon of their energy as they pass." A dark ring encircled Woodmon's trunk just above his glowing red eyes.

            Cody said, "I guess this answers my question. There are dark rings nearby."

            Veemon said, "This is a little too much like old times."

            "Not quite." Gatomon jumped forward. "Lightning Paw!" Gatomon's claws sent a slice of pure energy at Woodmon, which knocked him back into the woods. Gatomon smiled, "I have my tail ring this time."

            Davis held up his D3. "Veemon, let's see if you can digivolve."

            Veemon nodded, "Right! Veemon digivolve to…" The light from the D3 faded. "…Veemon? Aw, nuts." The blue Digimon slumped his shoulders.

            TK said, "I guess that control spire is just as powerful as the old ones. Our Digimon can't digivolve."

            Ken said, "That means that Gatomon is our best chance for knocking the control spire down. She's the only Champion we have right now."

            Woodmon reemerged from the forest. "Lightning Paw!" Gatomon brought her claws down on the dark ring, shattering it.

            Woodmon blinked as his eyes returned to their normal blue color. Gatomon asked, "Feeling better now?"

            Woodmon shrieked and began to run away from the forest. "Run away! Run as far away as you can! The Chaos Generals are coming!"

            Yolei frowned, "Chaos Generals? Could they be the ones who made the control spire?"

            Hawkmon said, "I am not familiar with that term. They must be a new group of troublemakers."

TK said, "Let's keep going."

They continued towards the control spire without any further interruptions. The black tower was located in a small clearing. TK checked their position on the d-terminal's map. There was a set of canyons nearby, as well as a lake and, of course, more forest. TK blinked as he looked at the map. "Guys, look at this!" He showed the screen to the others. Over two dozen sectors now showed control spire activity, with more appearing by the second.

Ken said, "The spires are appearing faster than when I put them up. This must be the work of more than one person."

Davis cracked his knuckles. "Okay, we'll knock this spire down first, then have our Digimon digivolve. After that, we'll take care of the other spires and look for whoever is doing this."

Kari nodded and looked down at Gatomon. "You ready to knock that thing over?"

Gatomon nodded, "It'll be my pleasure." She took one step towards the spire.

The ground in front of Gatomon cracked and burst open as a small metallic disk protruded from the ground. All of the Digidestined jumped back in surprise. A light shown on the disk, and an image appeared in the air. It was a three-dimensional image of a human boy who looked to be about fifteen years old with dark blond hair. He wore a costume similar in design to the Ken's old Emperor costume, but with some significant changes. His costume was primarily gray with white patches and black lines. His small shoulder pads were light gray, as were his gauntlets. While the cape of Ken's costume had settled underneath his shoulder pads, the black cape on this boy's costume draped over his shoulders and fastened in the front. A black V-shaped visor covered the boy's eyes and the top of his nose. There was no way to see his eyes, which gave his face a soulless expression to it.

The boy spoke in a cool, deep voice. "Greetings, Digidestined."

Davis stepped forward. "Who the heck are you?"

"I regret not being able to deliver this message to you in person, but I am on a very tight schedule. I'm sure you understand."

Ken said, "It's a recording."

The image continued, "This message is programmed to go play only in the presence of a digivice, so I know you will see it sooner or later. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the new Digimon Emperor. From this day on, I shall be the one who maintains order in the Digital World."

"Not likely." TK growled.

"I am sure that all of you will try to stop me, but I would advise against it. Unlike the former Digimon Emperor, Ken Ichijouji, I have prepared for your arrival. I already have a small army of controlled Digimon, and you no longer have your digieggs, so I doubt you'll have an easy time getting around the dampening effect of my new and improved control spires. I would advise you to quit now while you still have your health."

Cody glanced at the others. "How'd he know about our digieggs?"

Kari said, "Maybe he was one of the dark spore children who saw us fight MaloMyotismon. Only someone with a D3 can open a portal to the Digital World."

The Emperor continued, "In addition to my army of controlled Digimon, I also have several key leaders under my command. Allow me to introduce one of them now."

As if on cue, the ground behind the Emperor's image exploded in a hail of dirt and pebbles. The Digidestined shielded their eyes from the downpour of soil. A faint growl could be heard over the sound of falling dirt.

TK opened his eyes first, and quickly began to question his sight. The figure before them reminded him of BlackWarGreymon, except that this "type" of WarGreymon had a much crueler look to him. While WarGreymon and BlackWarGreymon's armor had been fashioned with curves, this creature's armor was cut with sharp angles. His armor was black with large gray sections and red trim. His head was triangular in shape, and the horn on his nose was fashioned more like a blade. He had blood red eyes and hair. Red four-pointed stars were fixed to the center of his chest. The two spikes on his shoulder pads curved upwards, and his claws were much more jagged than WarGreymon's. The shield on his back was also fashioned with cruel-looking curves that gave it the appearance of demonic wings. Everything about him screamed pain and torture. There was a look in his eyes that seemed to be the reversal of BlackWarGreymon's. This WarGreymon's eyes showed no sign of a soul, or compassion. 

Emperor held a hand up to indicate the strange Digimon. "This is one of my three Chaos Generals, ChaosWarGreymon. He is a Mega Digimon that is far superior in strength to any other Greymon form. I'd wager that he'll have very little trouble dealing with all of you. He'll give you one chance to leave peacefully but after that he has orders to destroy all of you. I do hope you'll make the smart decision. Goodbye." The image faded from sight.

ChaosWarGreymon stepped forward. "In compliance with the orders of my master, I am to give you one chance to depart without battle. Will you surrender and leave here peacefully?"

Davis stepped forward. "Not a chance!"

ChaosWarGreymon nodded. "Very well. You will not receive any further warnings in the future." He raised his claws.

"Lightning Paw!" Gatomon sprang forward. ChaosWarGreymon held up his shield claw and bounced away Gatomon's attack like a pebble being shot of a cement wall. ChaosWarGreymon raised a claw to strike Gatomon down.

"V-Head-Butt!" Veemon slammed his forehead against ChaosWarGreymon's chest. The attack didn't phase the Mega, but Veemon was sent sprawling on the ground with a big red welt on his forehead.

"Silk Thread!" Wormmon's net didn't slow ChaosWarGreymon down one bit. But while he was busy throwing the silken thread aside, Davis and Kari ran in a scooped up their Digimon.

"Feather Strike!" Hawkmon's feather didn't make a dent in his opponent's armor.

"Diamond Shell!" Armadillomon bounced off ChaosWarGreymon as well.

"Boom Bubble!" Patamon's attack struck the evil Mega's head, but he still showed no sign of even feeling the attacks.

TK said to the others, "He's too strong for us. We need to get outside the control spire's range and have our digivolve!"

ChaosWarGreymon replied, "That is unlikely. I will not allow you to escape. And, besides, you will have to get at least ten sectors away from here before you can digivolve."

"Ten sectors?" TK felt ill. They'd put up that many control spires in such a short amount of time? TK quickly considered all his options. Unless they escaped ChaosWarGreymon in the next few seconds, they'd all die. To the north lay a large lake, to the west the forest became thicker, and to the east there was a long series of canyons. They couldn't go back the way they came, because that was where ChaosWarGreymon would expect them to go. If we split up, ChaosWarGreymon will only be able to chase one of us. While the Digimon continued to distract ChaosWarGreymon, TK spoke to everyone in a hushed voice. "Guys, we'll have to split up so that some of us get away."

Davis looked at him, "Some of us?"

TK nodded, "We can't all escape because ChaosWarGreymon will chase at least one of us, but that'll give the others time to hide."

Ken asked, "What about the one person he chases?"

Davis said, "No problem. I'll get him to follow me. I can take care of that rust bucket!"

TK said, "No, Davis, not yet! If you simply run off, he'll be on you in no time. We have to distract him first so that we can get a running start."

Kari asked, "And just how do we do that?"

TK wasn't sure how to answer that. "I… don't know."

Suddenly, something bright flash in front of TK's face and flew in towards ChaosWarGreymon. "What the?" A cloud of glowing butterflies swarmed around the Mega's head and began to dive in at his eyes. ChaosWarGreymon growled and slashed at the butterflies that blinded his view, but they continually avoided his attacks.

A voice came from the butterflies. "Run! I will hold him as long as I can!"

Ken's voice was filled with disbelief, "Oikawa?"

"RUN! I am losing strength and will soon be unable to help you. You must escape and save both worlds. Please, hurry!"

Davis nodded, "Let's go, guys! Everyone split up and we'll find each other using the D3s." The Digidestined scooped up their Digimon and took off in different directions. Cody and Yolei headed north, towards the lake. Davis and Ken ran deeper into the forest. TK and Kari ran towards the canyons. Things were looking anything but hopeful.

            *          *            *            *                      *            *            *            *

With a howl of annoyance and rage, ChaosWarGreymon released blast of pure energy from his body. The butterflies scattered and vanished into thin air. "Annoying pests." The guardian spirits of this world would soon be sealed away forever. ChaosWarGreymon looked around the forest. The scent of Digidestined was strong, but they had eluded his wrath, for now.

ChaosWarGreymon sent out a mental signal to every dark ring and dark spiral in the area. Find the Digidestined and bring them before me. Given the number of controlled Digimon in the area, there was no way the Digidestined could elude detection forever. And since they only had one Champion available while the others could not digivolve, it would be a small task to destroy them.

There was a momentary feeling of regret that accompanied that realization. Such a pathetic challenge should not be worth his time. But his master had ordered him to finish the Digidestined once and for all, and that was what he had every intention of doing, challenge or no challenge.

ChaosWarGreymon took to the air and flew towards the canyons that lay in the west. He could smell a Gatomon and a Patamon heading in that direction. I will eliminate the Gatomon myself, thus removing the highest threat. He allowed himself a brief moment of pleasure. He always enjoyed a good hunt. It was just as the Dark Master Machinedramon had said, "Ask any rat catcher; the chase is part of the fun."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's a seemingly hopeless situation, but there are a few surprises in next chapter of "Darkness Reborn."

           

            Author's Note: I'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but I'm writing this in conjunction with another fic, "The Outcast." I'm writing two separate stories at once so as not to become bored with one plotline. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Please feel free to write a review.