Warriors and Keepers Unite

Chapter 25

"Are you saying that deleting your friend was a bad thing?" Pharaohmon mocked. "Well then, perhaps you'd like me to bring her back. Even though she never left this chamber. And she never will."

BurningFolamon and TerraPerromon tensed, unsure of Pharaohmon's meaning.

"Let's just attack and finish this!" BurningGreymon snarled.

Pharaohmon chuckled. "Attack all you like. It sounds like such a fun game. But first we'll need another player." He spread his arms at shoulder-width apart, then brought his hands together quickly, using his index fingers to point at BurningFolamon. "Come little pony."

BurningFolamon reared in protest, but to no avail. Her form darkened and broke into particles, which soon disappeared as well.

"That's it! I've had enough!"

KendoGarurumon devolved back to Koji and BurningGreymon reverted to Takuya. Both raised their D-Tectors anew.

"Execute now…Fusion Evolution!"

"Execute…Fusion Evolution!"

"Aldamon!"

"Beowolfmon!"

"No, wait!"

"Go on. Fight me!" Pharaohmon yelled, overpowering TerraPerromon's caution.

"Solar Wind Destroyer!"

"Frozen Hunter!"

The attacks rocketed toward Pharaohmon who, at the last moment, snapped his fingers.

The entire arena was covered in a thick haze as a result of the attacks hitting home.

"Finally, we got him," Beowolfmon growled triumphantly.

"Are you so sure about that?"

The three remaining Warriors tensed at the unhindered sound of Pharaohmon's voice. The dust slowly seeped away from Pharaohmon's throne. Pharaohmon was completely unscathed.

"No way! How could he have survived?!" Aldamon exclaimed.

Pharaohmon smirked as FlaDiiamon and Folamon reappeared and dropped to the ground, limp as rag dolls.

"Sao, Lisa, no!" TerraPerromon yelled in horror, dashing towards the unresponsive forms of her friends.

"Ah, the final piece is falling into place," Pharaohmon said slowly. With a dangerous grin he disappeared, only to reappear behind TerraPerromon. "Tut Ank Rail!"

Terra Perromon whirled around to face her opponent and unleashed her attack. "Metallic Yuumei!"

Despite the force of TerraPerromon's strongest attack, Pharaohmon prevailed. His attack sliced cleanly through the stream of silvery mist and struck TerraPerromon head-on. The final Keeper collapsed and rolled several feet, propelled by the force of the attack. When she came to a stop she was lying beside the other two Keepers and just as weak.

"Excellent. Now for you pesky Warriors, I have a gift." Pharaohmon announced.

Aldamon and Beowolfmon tensed, unsure of what to do. Should they run away or stay and fight and most likely be captured?

"Oh, do stay for a spell Warriors. You wouldn't want to leave without your parting gift." Pharaohmon raised his arms and the three Keepers were lifted into the air. In mere seconds their bodies were on the verge of deletion, flexing wildly out of form before reforming. They dissolved into particles and were replaced by new bodies, shrouded in blackness. "Now my Keepers of Shadows, attack!"

"Glaive Horn!"

"Solar Roar!"

"Midnight Aerial Attack!"

Aldamon and Beowolfmon leapt clear of the attacks just before they hit. Three evil-looking Digimon landed in a line before Pharaohmon, glaring dangerously at the two Warriors.

"Bad Keepers, you're supposed to introduce yourselves before destroying your prey. Oh well, allow me the pleasantries. Warriors, allow me to introduce SkullBarukimon, formerly known as Leonard and Gryphonmon, formerly Sao. And let's not forget about ShadowUnimon previously Lisa. Funny how alliances can change, isn't it?"

"What?" Aldamon breathed unbelievingly.

"That can't be! It's a lie!" Beowolfmon snarled.

"Believe it. You see, when the Keepers were first created they served evil. And now they have returned to their rightful place…servants in my court!"

"Liar! Frozen Hunter!"

"Legendary Blade!"

The two attacks met and cancelled each other out.

"Do not insult the master, weaklings!" Gryphonmon snarled in Sao's distinctively cold voice.

"So…it is you?" Aldamon inquired hesitatingly.

"But of course," ShadowUnimon replied simply, flipping her mane to one side with a toss of her head.

"But why? Why would you join up with him?" Aldamon pressed.

"Foolish Warrior of Flame, questions like that will be your doom," Gryphonmon hissed.

"Suffice it to say that to him we owe our allegiance." ShadowUnimon concluded.

"Enough talk, Keepers, you know what you must do!" Pharaohmon ordered.

"Deadly Fear!"

"Solar Roar!"

"Midnight Aerial Attack!"

Aldamon and Beowolfmon dared a glance at the swirling vortex that was created by the opposing attacks. SkullBarukimon landed in front of the Warriors, facing off against her comrades.

"SkullBarukimon, what are you doing?!" Pharaohmon demanded in astonishment.

In a spray of data SkullBarukimon reverted to TerraPerromon. "Let's just say I am incorruptible. So sorry."

"But you—you were under my power! I could feel it!"

"Could you now? Well that's just too bad. Sao, Lisa, we need to defeat him whether or not you want to. Light Glare!"

Gryphonmon and ShadowUnimon closed their eyes tight against the brilliant beams of light.

When the light dimmed, Gryphonmon, ShadowUnimon, and TerraPerromon were nowhere to be seen. In their place stood a rearing winged unicorn, surrounded in a radiant rainbow-colored light.

"Amalgamon."

"Um…I'm lost. What just happened here?" Aldamon asked slowly.

The mysterious winged unicorn turned to face the Warriors with a wise expression in her eyes. "It is beyond your understanding wimps," Sao's voice said coldly. "Just trust us," the creature said in Leonard's voice.

The rainbow aura spread from the new Digimon and engulfed Aldamon and Beowolfmon. Slowly, so slowly that the change seemed gentle, the Warriors were drained of their energy and the excess power was delivered to the mystical Digimon known as Amalgamon. Aldamon and Beowolfmon sank to the ground and reverted to Takuya and Koji. The two humans didn't stir even as Amalgamon turned and broke into a gallop toward Pharoahmon.

"No Amalgamon, stay away! I am your master! You must obey me!" Pharaohmon ordered.

Amalgamon skidded to a neat halt and reared, flapping her many-colored wings in the air. When she touched down she spoke in the collective voices of the three Keepers. "Sorry Pharaohmon. The Keepers may have served your court at one time, but not any longer!" She broke into a gallop again and took flight, soaring menacingly over Pharaohmon and his throne. "Nature's Fury!"

Pharaohmon was barely able to bring his arms up to shield himself from the attack's force before it hit. When the dust cleared he had a few scratches on his person and it was more than obvious that the attack had had an effect.

"Will you surrender now, Pharaohmon? You know that you are less powerful than the combined Keepers. Why do you continue to stand against us?"

"I am not weak! Necro Mist!"

Amalgamon folded her wings before her and blocked the attack, making it look weak in comparison to her power. "Give it up," Sao's voice growled. "Goodbye Pharoahmon," all the Keepers said as one. "Elemental-"

"No! Why would you do this?!"

"Devastation!"

As the attack surrounded Pharaohmon and began to delete him, he cried out. "Dense Keepers! If you had stayed in my court and served me you would not be sacrificing yourselves at this very moment!" With that he disappeared in a spray of data.

Amalgamon split into the three human Keepers who dropped to their hands and knees and gasped for breath after expending a large amount of their energy.

"We're not…done yet…" Sao breathed harshly as the last bits of Pharaohmon's data disappeared.

"Takuya? Koji?"

The three Keepers tensed at the new voice and looked in the direction from whence it came. They were greeted by the four other Warriors and a herd of Unimon with Zoe in the lead.

"Takuya Kanbara, answer me." Zoe ordered, walking toward the Warrior of Flame. When he didn't move or respond in any way her irritation lapsed into worry. She sank down onto her knees beside him and placed an unsure hand on his shoulder, giving it a small shake. "Takuya? Are you okay?"

"This is our fault you know," Leonard whispered to the other Keepers.

"Yea…" Sao and Lisa agreed slowly.

"You know what we have to do then." Leonard said levelly. "Just so long as we don't get split up again. Right?"

"Takuya! Takuya, wake up!" The three Keepers looked over at the others only to find that Zoe was holding Takuya in her arms while the others were also trying to wake Koji.

"Right." Sao and Lisa agreed with grim smiles.

"Let's do it."

ZZZZZ

"Hey, Takuya, wake up."

Takuya's eyebrows twitched but that was all the movement he made. Zoe and the others looked down at him and Koji with concern written across their faces.

"Oh…come on you two! Wake up!" Zoe snapped at the two motionless Warriors. Her outburst drew the desired effect as Takuya and Koji finally opened their eyes and looked groggily around.

"Where…are we?" Takuya managed to ask weakly.

"Still in Pharaohmon's realm," a Unimon answered solemnly.

Takuya and Koji sat bolt upright at the name.

"Pharaohmon,"

"That's right. Where is he?" Koji asked.

"He is gone, the Keepers destroyed him." Unimon answered gravely.

"I don't think I'm going to like the answer, but where are they? Where are the Keepers?" Takuya asked slowly.

All the Unimon and the other Warriors lowered their heads.

"They…sacrificed themselves," Zoe answered quietly. "You guys were almost dead…it was their only choice, since they put you in that situation-"

"When they drained our energy," Koji supplied in explanation.

ZZZZZ

The Warriors sat silently at their lunch table, all lost in their own thoughts. The fact that they had won and once again saved the Digital World was indeed wonderful, but the glory did not belong to them. It belonged to three Keepers who had deleted themselves to save Takuya and Koji.

Takuya was resting his chin on a fist and staring blankly out the window. His uncharacteristic grim mood was setting a feeling of depression on everyone around him. Three girls exited the school and headed down the sidewalk. At first Takuya passed them off as everyday, common schoolgirls but when he caught a glimpse of their distinctive garments a memory clicked.

With a fresh interest he picked his head up and looked out the window, following the girls with his steady hazel gaze. Once he was relatively sure of the girls' identities, he rose and dashed out of the cafeteria and down the sidewalk, following them. His sudden disappearance did not go unnoticed and the other Warriors followed him outside.

"Eh...hey!" Takuya called somewhat awkwardly as he caught up with the girls.

The three turned to face him and with relatively cold glints in their eyes.

"So it is you…"

"What do you want kid?" Sao snapped, her cold eyes flashing.

"I have a name y'know," Takuya returned.

"Whatever."

"Takuya, what-" Zoe cut herself off when the others joined Takuya and realized to whom he was speaking.

"Um, listen Keepers, thanks. We owe yah one." Takuya said quietly.

"Get lost little boy." Lisa growled. She and Sao turned their backs on the Warriors and continued down the sidewalk.

"Welcome," Leonard whispered before she broke into a jog after Sao and Lisa, leaving the Warriors dumbfounded on the sidewalk.

FIN