This is a side-story to The Dead Princess, so please give that a read.

The Fall of Light

Chapter VI

Black Dawn

Sora had wanted to see Hikari the day after their failed attempt to find Taichi, but she was told through a Burgermon servant that, "Lady Hikari did not want to receive guests."

Sora nodded. "Where's Floramon?"

The Burgermon shook her head. "No one has seen her."

Sora should have gone to Hikari anyway, talked to the young girl, but the remaining Dark Masters had begun to regroup. Sora lead the forces of Myotismon's army against the invading Metal Empire. They held their position on the outskirts of the kingdom for months, and their resources were running out.

And then the enemy was gone. Scouts reported back to Sora that the Metal Empire had withdrawn and were marching back to MugenDramon's area. She held their position for another few days before receiving word from their intelligence; the Chosen had defeated MugenDramon.

"There's only one left," Sora told Piyomon.

The pink bird nodded. "Yeah, the strongest one."

"But they've won so far," she grinned, "But with their limited resources, Piedmon can't try to invade us. We can go back to Hikari!"

Once back at the castle, Sora expected to be brought to the throne room, but the Bakemons instead brought her and Piyomon to the dining hall. Myotismon and Hikari were enjoying breakfast. "Please join us," Hikari said.

Her eyes turned to Myotismon, but he only returned a bemused smile. "Um, n-no, no thank you," Sora bowed, "I am not dressed for it." She still wore her armor, sweat and rain pasted her hair to her face.

"Continue your report," Myotismon ordered.

"Yes, sir," she bowed again, "Our intelligence indicates MugenDramon has been defeated. Piedmon will be busy dealing with the other Chosen Children…"

"Yes," the vampire continued, "But we cannot take that chance." He motioned to Phanotmon, "Double the guards."

"At once Master."

Myotismon rose from the table. "I have business to attend to."

Hikari jumped from the chair and raced to his side. "But, you're going to miss our time together."

Sora's spine froze as the young girl grabbed hold of Myotismon's arm. The vampire's pale face turned a slight shade of red. He was blushing!

"Y-yes," Myotismon said.

Hikari smiled at Sora. "You are to report to my room this afternoon Commander."

Sora's mouth dropped but she could only nod in response

After making herself presentable, Sora entered Hikari's room. A dark-colored Tailmon greeted her. "Hikari's not back yet," she said in a sultry voice, "But she should be soon."

"T-tailmon?" Piyomon gasped, "Is that you?"

"Of course," she purred, "I am Black Tailmon."

The door opened again and Hikari stepped inside. "Sora," she grinned, "I'm glad you're here. We have much to discuss."

"Yeah," the redhead answered, pointing to Black Tailmon, "Like her."

"It's rude to talk about someone when they're in the room," the Digimon replied.

Hikari shrugged. "She's regained the ability to hold an Adult form."

"But a Virus?" Piyomon asked.

The young girl rubbed her partner's back. "Enough about that. I've just heard from Myotismon that the Chosen are going after Piedmon. It won't be long before they come here."

Sora's heart raced. "Then we'll be free!"

Hikari nodded. "Yes, free of Myotismon at last. And once he is gone, then I will be in charge of this kingdom, and with the Dark Masters gone, this world will be mine."

The remains of Sora's shattered heart fall into her stomach. "W-what?"

Hikari grinned wide, as if to display her fangs with pride. "We can't go back to our old lives, we can never go back." She curled her fingers, "But as strong as I am now, Black Tailmon cannot evolve past an Adult, and neither can Piyomon, but I have a way to get that power."

Sora's throat was dry. "W-what are you going to do?

The young girl grinned even more as her tongue ran over her fangs. "I'm going to steal that power." Her eyes narrowed. "Will you join me?"

Sora should have felt scared, should have felt horrified at what Hikari had become, but this was her princess; her liege. "Whatever you wish, Lady Hikari."

It was another month before the word came to the kingdom; Piedmon had been defeated. With the Chosen fast approaching, Myotismon's lax security towards the humans was taken away in a night. Sora was regulated to servant duties again, while Hikari was once more locked in her room. Save for her 'meetings' with Myotismon in his bed chamber.

"Is my brother really coming?" she asked as she lay in his bed.

"Yes," he answered, "But banish any thoughts you have of leaving." His fingers clenched, "My strength may not exceed Piedmon's, but I will fight to the death."

Hikari swallowed. "But my brother will do anything he can to save me. Even if he saw me chained up, he'd just get angrier and angrier!"

Myotismon stared at her. "He would, would he?"

Hikari nodded. "If he saw me in danger, he wouldn't even think about himself!"

The vampire lord grinned. "Leave me."

Hikari nodded and slipped from beneath the covers, a sinister smile on her face.

Hikari's birthday came and went before word came that the Chosen were closing in on the boarders. "You're ten-years-old now?" Black Tailmon asked.

"Yes," Hikari nodded, "I remembered my birthday this year." She licked her lips, "I'm so much more awake now, much more aware."

Just as she had planned, Myotismon brought her and Sora, along with their partners, into a large, circular room at the bottom of the castle. "Where are we?" Sora asked.

"This is where I once held my colosseum games," Myotismon laughed, "Before the Dark Masters took control of this world." He grinned, "But now they're gone, and once I defeat the Chosen, I will be the master of this world!"

Hikari only smirked behind his back.

Myotismon turned to her. "But the reason you are here is so your brother will see you, so his, heh, love for you will distract him."

Sora glared. "You're going to cheat like that?"

"I will take whatever advantage I can!" he snapped. He turned to the Bakemon, "Get them into place."

Hikari and Sora cast one another a knowing glance before they were parted. The younger girl was chained to the wall. A moment later, her Plotmon joined her. The Chosen would suspect something if they saw her partner's current Adult form; that secret needed to remain hidden for a little while longer.

The doors blew open as Taichi and Agumon raced inside. Through the shadows of the room, Hikari's eyes focused on her older brother. He looked older this time, much older then she remembered from the clearing a year ago.

"Myotismon!" he screamed, "Where are you?!"

The vampire lord laughed as the candles lighted themselves with a snap of his finger. "Greetings, Child of Courage. It has been some time since we last met."

Taichi gritted his teeth. "Where's my sister, you piece of shit?"

He snapped his fingers and the candles around Hikari came to life. "Oniichan!" she screamed, hate secretly dripping from her voice.

Myotismon opened his arms. "If you want to save your sister, then you need to get past me."

"We beat Piedmon," Agumon nodded, "We can beat you!"

Taichi then held up a digivice different then Hikari's own, it was oblong shaped, with gold trim along the sides. Her eyes locked onto Sora's, who was chained in the far corner of the room. "Is that the Solar Digivice?" Hikari whispered to Plotmon, "The one Sora told us Taichi had?"

Myotismon evolved to VenomMyotismon, while Agumon evolved to a Digimon Hikari had not seen before. "That's not Wargreymon," Plotmon said.

"Who is it?"

"I don't know. Agumon has a second Mega form! There's something different about this one, it's stronger, much stronger."

Hikari watched the battle; she could feel the power flowing from Taichi's partner, from the digivice at his side. The strength of his essence made her heart fluttered and she licked her lips.

And then the battle was over. VenomMyotismon's heart was ripped from his chest by Taichi's partner. The vampire beast stared for another moment before his data vanished. Hikari felt a weight lifted from her shoulders. He was gone, finally gone, and now she was free.

The door flew open again as Yamato and his mega partner, Metalgarurumon, raced inside. He focused on Sora. Good, she could handle him.

"Hikari!" Taichi cried as he ran over. He used his strange digivice to melt the chains, while his partner, who had regressed back to Agumon, freed Plotmon. Taichi's arms wrapped around his sister, his cheeks glistening with tears. "I'm so glad you're safe. I did everything I could for two years, but I finally found you."

"Oniichan," she said, faking tears, "Oh Oniichan."

"I'm sorry I left you here a year ago," he sniffled, "I saw you there, watching us, but me and Agumon weren't any match for VenomMyotismon. I was afraid we wouldn't get past him to grab you, and…and if I called for you, he'd know you were there, and…"

"It's okay," she said, "It's okay."

He closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder. Her fingers fished the knife out of the folds of her full skirt, the knife taken from her breakfast tray that morning.

"You're safe now," Taichi told his sister, "You're safe."

"Yes," she said, "Myotismon's gone, thanks to you." Her lips twisted into a smile, "And now I'm free to claim it all!"

Her hand whipped around behind him. He gasped, fingers tightening as her knife dug into his back. "You left me here!" she hissed, "You abandoned me to that…that monster! You never came for me! All you wanted was more power!" The knife jabbed even deeper, "But now I have the power! I'm strong, I'm powerful! And with your energy, I'll be unstoppable!"

"No!" Agumon cried, "Taichi!"

Plotmon tackled him as she evolved to Black Tailmon. "You're powerful," she said, "But I wonder how strong you are as a Child?"

While their partners fought, Hikari let Taichi's body fall to the floor, blood pooling around him. She pulled back her lips, her fangs displayed in the candle light. Taichi gasped. "N-no…"

"That's right, dear brother," she hissed, "You're finally here, but too little too late."

His hand threw an object across the floor; no, two objects, his digivice and his crest. It skidded to a stop next to Yamato, who was lying on his back with Sora over top of him.

Hikari turned back to her brother. His other hand pressed against her cheek. His eyes were not full of surprise, not full of anger, not full of hate.

They were full of sadness, of sorrow.

She threw his hand aside and sunk her fangs into his neck. His blood was strong; she tasted the power, the energy! She drank and drank until nothing was left. She pulled back, staring at the blank look in his eyes; the empty look in his eyes. She should have felt something at his death, but all she felt was strength, all she felt was power!

Yamato was on his feet. Sora clutching her arm; no matter, she was a good servant, and Hikari would continue to use her, but there was still the blond Chosen to deal with.

She held up her digivice and fished her crest from around her neck. "The Crest of Darkness," she snickered, "And now, with Taichi's energy within me, I truly have the might, the strength, the power!"

Black Tailmon walked away from the remains of Agumon and grinned. "Black Tailmon super evolve to Ophanimon Falldown Mode!"

A Final form, her partner was a Final form! The power, the strength was her's. Ophanimon hovered over Yamato. "Do it," Hikari grinned, "Take over."

"Y-you killed your brother!" Yamato gasped, "He came here to save you and…"

She crossed her arms. "Don't pretend like you care all of a sudden. From what Taichi and Sora told me, you and he hated each other."

Yamato growled. "That's not…"

Hikari swung her arm. "Ophanimon, kill them."

Metalgarurumon shot at the towering angel. Ophanimon Falldown Mode swung her fist to the sky, a wave of flames appearing in air, striking him on the underside. The fallen angel grabbed the wolf's snout and threw him into the ground. His missile chambers opened and fired. Ophanimon Falldown Mode held out her palm, the missiles exploded a few inches in front of her, like they were striking an invisible shield.

The angel laughed and threw forward her other palm, unleashing a wave of crystals. "Demon Crystals!"

The attack struck Metalgarurumon, throwing him in front of Yamato with a blast of energy. When the light faded, both human and digimon lay moaning on the floor.

Hikari laughed. "Even their strongest fighters fall before us!"

Sora bowed. "What shall we do with him, m'lady?"

"Throw him into the dungeon," the Dead Princess grinned, "This kingdom is now mine, and we have work to do."

End.

Continued in the Dead Princess

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Author's Note: The events at the end directly precede Yamato's flashback in Chapter 15 of the main story.