EMAIL

Cold. That was a way to describe the night-freezing, icy, chilly, frigid.

The full moon’s gray-flecked face was present in the inky sky above Earth. The stars surrounding it held their own, glittering silently on the sleeping world below.

But not all was sleeping. When other creatures slept, some were in awakening. Not just beast-humans as well were keeping themselves from sleep.

And there, beneath the black canvas of the night sky, two in particular were concerned over the pasts. Fate would bring them together . . .

. . . And would eventually tear them apart.

She was silent as she sat in her room, engrossed in thought. Her waist-length blond hair fell gently across her back as it shimmered in the moonlight.

Why was life so hard on her? It bore down on her, sometimes making her wish that she was not alive at all.

But, inwardly, she was glad that she was living.

Everyone at school had teased her, taunted her, made fun of her.

But that would all change.

Right now, it was summer. She was freed from the harshness of her schoolmates. And she loved it.

But lately, things had been strange. For one thing, she had been having dreams: odd dreams that seemed to have nothing to do with her.

The truth was, they had more to do with her than her adopted parents did.

The darkness . . .

He floated a foot above the ground, deep in thought. His dark blue eyes reflected the glittering stars in the sky above, as it was one of the rare times that he was above the surface. Of course, he was hidden in the shadow. He did not want to be discovered by any human . . . They would never understand him.

Never.

They had reason for wanting to destroy him, if they ever discovered who and where he was. He was causing many to be taken by anemia in order for himself to live.

It wasn’t his fault that that was how his existence was. Perhaps, if he had been able to choose what he could be, he would decide on something else.

Being a vampire was not always pleasing.

But he merely had to accept how life was, and go on with it.

He turned around, and floated back towards his lair. Sunrise would be coming, soon . . .

The day was not his time. He looked over his shoulder, at the rapidly lightening eastern sky, before heading underground.

Tai Kamiya rolled lazily out of bed onto the floor, and awoke with a thud as he

hit. He yawned, stretched, and picked himself up before stumbling into the kitchen for breakfast.

His little sister, Kari, and his dad were watching TV. Some funny cartoon must have been on, because they were laughing a lot of the time.

As usual, his table manners were appalling. His mother could only sit and stare as he literally stuffed his face. Occasionally, she shuddered, and wondered, Have they been feeding him at those camps?

When Tai finally got back in his room, Agumon started groaning.

"Oh, what is it now?"

Pulling himself out from under the bed, the Digimon answered, "I’m hungry, Tai. Is there anything to eat?"

Tai hit himself in the forehead with the heel of his palm.

Akati, who called herself T’narshii, pedaled slowly along. She was going to her secret place, where she went when she needed to be alone. No one else knew where it was . . .

Or so she thought.

Upon arriving, she hid her bike in the bushes after putting her lock on it.

Her golden waist-length hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and three stray bangs fell over and slightly away from her face, sometimes gently fluttering when she walked. Her dark blue eyes scanned the green before her in search of anyone that might try to listen to her problems, which she sometimes muttered to herself. There was no one around.

She sat herself down on the grass, and pulled her knees up to her chin in thought. Lately, no one had really been bothering her.

Except for Josh.

She shuddered at the memory. Josh, with his close-cropped blond hair and squinty brown eyes. Josh, who made it his business to torture her every day.

Josh, who always hid a secret that he didn’t even tell his only friend.

She shook her head, and thought of other things. For instance, she had been having dreams lately . . .

They seemed odd, as though they had nothing to do with her.

But they held more about her than she thought.

She stood up again, thinking that she heard something.

There it was again: the distinct sound of someone talking.

Akati focused, putting her sharp hearing to the test. Yes, there was someone conversing nearby. It sounded as though it were coming from the ground . . .

She pressed her ear against the Earth, and could just barely make out one phrase: "The Lost One."

Pulling herself up, so that she was sitting on her heels, T’narshii sat it amazement. But, as soon as that had worn off, she ran over to her bike, undid the chain, and took off at top speed towards her house.

The creature stalked silently through the darkened landscape. She was searching for her lord, Myotismon. He was a powerful being, though brooding and hardly ever in a good mood. He simply refused to come out during the day, so night was the only time to have a chance to actually speak with him.

She stopped for a moment, and began shape-shifting to a creature not easily seen. She did not want to be found, not until she herself had actually found Lord Myotismon. He was the only one that she ever revealed herself to . . .

She picked up her pace again, covering much ground in little time. She was hardly tired by the time she reached Myotismon’s castle.

Upon coming to the innermost of his castle, his personal chamber, she did not find him.

A half-smile spread across her lips, baring the fangs present in any form. She knew where he was . . .

She of course did not use her fangs, except to threaten. She was not blooded, and would not be until the time was right. Then, prophecies would be fulfilled: The Other one should return. She was the Other one, for she was to be the other being of the night that preyed upon the blood of others.

And yet, she hated life not. Perhaps it was because she still was tied in to the normal Digimon of the Digital world.

But, as she did not know, her Master hated his life more than anything else.

She ran silently out of the stone chamber, out of the castle, and across the surrounding land. She silently called out, <Sraemparnhu! Shytiru!> Sraemparnhu was what she called Lord Myotismon when she did not want any other creature to know of whom she was speaking to.

She turned around, sensing the other creature approaching. "Yes, T’narshii?"

Even in the darkness, she could see him clearly: the dark vampire lord of the continent of Server, in the Digital world.

Akati pedaled furiously down the street, stopping only when she hit a pothole and fell off her bike. Luckily, she was wearing a helmet and pads, so she only got a few bruises.

As soon as she had found herself sitting with a sore rear end on the street, she had noticed someone running to her. "Are you okay?" they asked. She nodded her head. She was a little dazed, but she was okay.

"What’s your name?" they asked now. "I think I’ve seen you some where before."

"My name is Akati, the one always picked on." She pulled herself up and brushed herself off.

"My name’s Sora, Sora Tekanouchi. Nice to meet you, Akati." Then: "Are you sure you’re okay?"

"Yes. I am doing fine."

Sora smiled. "If you’re okay, then I guess I better be on my way. Bye!" She waved.

"Bye!" Akati waved back. Soon, Sora was out of sight.

The strangest thing was, one thing popped into her head right when she saw Sora: I need to tell the Master.

And she had no master.

"Sraemparnhu. I have discovered something that might be of interest to Your Lordship."

She bowed, and shape-shifted back to her true form. Then, she held out a human-like hand, as she was a human-like Digimon. In it dangled a Tag and Crest.

"It is the one that the Digidestined will never find. It is the eighth, that of Light."

Lord Myotismon slowly took it from her. "Good work, T’narshii. As usual," he praised. T’narshii inwardly smiled.

Looking upwards, she saw a three-quarter moon staring down at her.

"Master."

"Yes?" He looked up from the eighth Crest.

"When will it . . . be time?"

Lord Myotismon, too, turned his dark blue eyes skyward. "Soon, T’narshii. Soon."

Sora walked along, as usual searching for the eighth Digidestined. This time, though, she was alone, except for Biyomon.

She couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened, for some unknown reason: she had just helped someone who fell off their bike. All the time that she had been around the other person, who identified herself as Akati, she has a strange feeling, like the other girl had been her enemy or something.

But that had now passed. So she kept walking along, constantly looking down at the screen on her Digivice to see whether or not the eighth Digidestined was near.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. She sensed that something was not right . . .

She turned around, and ran as fast as she could to the waterfront.

Akati stopped, and for unknown reasons decided to turn her bike around. She found herself heading back to her secret place in the park. All the while, something kept turning over and over in her head:

"Master."

"Soon, T’narshii. Soon."

The creature stirred as it sensed something approaching . . .

It was his job to guard the Master’s lair by day as well as night.

He hefted his scythe, and waited silently just below the surface. Only his pale blue eyes could be seen within the darkness that hid his face, wrapped in a red hood. Flanked by two Bakemon, he could have scared the living daylights out of anyone that stumbled across him.

Phantomon silently waited for the intruder to arrive.

Akati, upon arriving, got off her bike and quickly chained it. She then ran over to where she had been sitting earlier, after making sure no one was around.

Yes. There were the muted sounds of conversation going on beneath the earth.

And suddenly, she stumbled into the mouth of an invisible opening.

"What . . ."

She looked up at a somewhat small, phantom-like creature. Amazingly enough, she didn’t scream, even though she was very afraid.

"Shadow Scythe!"

Akati rolled out of the way just in time.

"Oh, this is a nice welcome," she muttered.

She dove further into the shadow, thinking that she would be hidden from Phantomon. She was wrong; Phantomon found her easily.

And, at the last moment, two words popped into her head: "Shytiru, Sraemparnhu!"

He stirred. Someone called him . . .

Akati looked up as the phantom-like creature drifted closer, flanked by two ghosts.

And suddenly, there was another presence in the room.

"Phantomon."

The first creature turned around.

"What have you found?"

The first creature said, in a voice that rose and fell like the ocean tide, "I have found an intruder, my lord."

The new creature stepped into view, and Akati tried hard to remain silent.

They were tall, between six and seven feet high, and surrounded by many small black shapes: bats. A dark cape flowed behind them, and their dark blue eyes soon locked their unwavering gaze onto her. They had blond hair, with three stray bangs that sometimes fluttered when they walked. When they walked, though. They were presently floating.

She finally had to say something. "Uh . . ."

"Silence."

Akati instantly fell silent.

"Who are you, human?"

Replied she, "I am called Akati by many. But I call myself T’narshii."

T’narshii . . .

"Show yourself."

Akati picked herself up, and stepped forward, even though the other creature could already see her.

"And who are you?" she asked.

The human-like creature turned away momentarily, making something catch the pale light from the surface. She didn’t know what, but it sent shivers running up and down her spine.

Turning back around, the creature answered, "If you are truly T’narshii, then you know who I be."

And she did . . .

"What the . . ."

Sora had sensed something was wrong; indeed, it was.

Upon arriving at the waterfront, she had caught a glimpse of a large, serpent-like creature.

"I don’t know, Sora."

Akati took another silent step forward. She took in a deep breath, and explained herself to the creature before her.

"I be human; that, I suppose, would make me prey for you. But, if I be not a creature to feed upon, then I be a loyal servant to Your Lordship."

She put one knee on the ground, and bowed her head.

"Your wish is my command, Lord Myotismon."

The full moon blazed with a fierce light as she sat and stargazed. She somehow felt . . . that the night was her home.

But she was human. She was of light. Why did she feel drawn to the darkness?

She stood up, and walked back towards her house. It was time she settled down for the night . . .

The girl still felt a tugging at her soul, something telling her to remain outside, to hunt.

To hunt?

But she ignored it, and made her way back to her home.

The thing that had made Sora sense something shot out of the water, head held high.

"What . . . MegaSeadramon?"

"Who is it, Biyomon?"

"MegaSeadramon. But he hardly ever shows himself! Something must have frightened him . . ."

Sora looked down at her Digimon. "Let’s go for it," she said.

"Biyomon Digivolved to . . . BIRDRAMON!"

The fiery Digimon flapped towards MegaSeadramon, eyes blazing.

"Meteor Wing!"

It was not enough . . .

Realizing that it was being attacked, MegaSeadramon answered.

"Thunder Chain!"

Birdramon suddenly dropped out of the sky, into the swirling depths of water. Down, down, down . . .

"Birdramon!"

Sora’s Crest of Love was glowing brightly.

"Birdramon Digivolved to . . ."

A wall of fire shot up, bringing her quite suddenly out of the water.

And then, she stepped through: tall, proud, magnificent. Her hair fluttered gently, as did the feather protruding from it. She spread her wings wide, their colors blazing in the sunlight. Yes, she truly did look majestic . . .

"Garudamon!"

Garudamon soared high, and MegaSeadramon let out an angry hiss-roar. He dove deep into the water, then came shooting up like a rocket.

"Thunder Chain!"

He attacked, but this time, Garudamon dodged it.

"Wing Blade!"

A fiery bird emitted from her head, and let out a piercing cry. Upon making contact with MegaSeadramon, the serpent-like creature fell below the surface.

He would return, under the command of his Lady . . .

She swept herself up to her full height, somewhere between six and seven feet tall. Her golden hair shimmered in the pale moonlight, casting a sort of glow around her. Her dark cape, also, flowed behind her. Her dark blue eyes were set upon the small creature before her.

"What news do you bring, Bakemon?"

The ghost bowed as best it could.

"There are new Digimon attempting to take over a small island off our coast. They call themselves the Dark Masters, my Lady." His hardly audible-to humans-reply was heard clearly by Lady Metamorphismon.

"And how is Lord Myotismon faring in the human world?"

"All I have heard is that he is surviving."

"You have my leave to go."

The Bakemon floated off, leaving Lady Metamorphismon by herself atop the

lonely hill.

She looked up at the moon, remembering that prophecies still had not been fulfilled. They could only come true if Lord Myotismon was there.

Looking back out over the landscape, in the direction of the coast, she thought, You shall never gain control of what is Lord Myotismon’s, Dark Masters. And I will make sure of that.

Myotismon looked down at the human before him. She was unusually brave, for someone from the real world.

But she called herself T’narshii. Somewhere, hidden in his fading past, Myotismon remembered a creature that called itself T’narshii . . . A then Champion-form serpent called Blackmon . . .

But Blackmon had Digivolved into something that later became his partner: Lady Metamorphismon.

Lady Metamorphismon. She had been a fighter to the core. The last thing Myotismon had heard of her was that she was patiently waiting for him back in the Digital World, upholding his claim in it.

Momentarily lost in thought, he remembered something she once said: "The Darkness is yours, Lord Myotismon. Thrive within it. Live under its shadowed light-but never try to take it. The Darkness belongs to all who inhabit it-you, I, even the lowly Bakemon. It is something that protects hated beings like us, those who cause pain without meaning to, wanting to. Never leave its shelter."

Pulling out of thought, he floated over to the human girl, Akati.

"What makes you think that I would prey upon you?"

"Young blood." She apparently had noticed his fangs.

He gave his trademark smile, letting all see his fangs. "But why you, Akati, if that is your name? What makes you think that I would feed upon your blood?"

"I do not know, Lord Myotismon. I have long been puzzled over those in hospitals for anemia. But I now know the reason."

Yes, she is bold. But I doubt that she is T’narshii, Myotismon thought.

Floating back down to earth, he asked, "Why do you call yourself T’narshii?"

"Something about my past . . ." Akati’s voice trailed off.

"Your past. And do you know anything about it?"

Akati shook her head. "No. It was long lost to me."

All the while, Myotismon kept turning one prophecy over and over in his head:

The Lost

For some reason, it simply would not go away. Could it perhaps be that this human, Akati, was the Lost? But, is she was the lost, then it meant that she was also the Other one . . .

"Akati. What could you do for me?"

She bowed once again, and answered, "I could get information from other humans that would be hard for a Digimon to find. Of course, that is not meant as offensive to Your Lordship."

She remained bowing as Myotismon once again started floating, this time even closer to her. He lifted up her head with a gloved hand, and told her, "You can join my ranks. For now. If you betray me . . ." He let the sentence hang, as his fangs were glittering very noticeably. They all knew what had been meant to finish the threat.

He turned, and floated back towards his chamber. "You begin now, human." And, with no more sound, he disappeared into the darkness.

Akati stood erect once more, and looked at Phantomon. "I take it that I am under your temporary command, as are the ghosts."

Phantomon just told her one thing: "Go, and do what the Master has ordered."

And she did.

Night. Darkness enveloped the world, causing man and animal alike to retreat into sleep. Man pulled into his artificial light, attempting to drive away creatures of the darkness. But it did not work for all . . .

She stepped lightly down the sidewalk, amazed that she could walk at all. She was tired. It had been a long day, starting early in the morning when her team had gone to a tournament. They had not won, though. Their defeat had been hard on them, causing them all to withdraw from the rest of the world for then.

Her shift at the restaurant had brought down an even harder burden on her. Not many people had been coming lately, and she was afraid that the restaurant would fail. She certainly hoped not . . .

She suddenly stopped short, coming to an abrupt halt because of a sound. Though she didn’t know, it was meant to be; it did as it was supposed to, because it sent her blood coursing through her veins in near fright.

Out of the shadows lining the pavement stepped a tall and slender form, dark, with an aura of power surrounding them. A dark cape flowed behind them, the collar of it rising around his head, framing his features. He had blond hair, with three stray bangs that fell over and away from his face. His dark blue eyes seemed to hold her in place, his deep midnight blue eyes that held pain and sorrow behind them . . .

She moved not, standing transfixed as he silently moved closer. She made no resistance as he drew her into his arms. She shut her eyes, and inched her lips closer to his. He did, too, and bared his fangs.

Akati, walking home from her friend’s house after dark (her friend lived about a block away from her own house), thought she heard a small scream that was quickly smothered by the night air.

She turned around, half expecting to see someone. There was no one behind her.

Akati-called T’narshii-started walking again. After about five minutes, she spun around once more, sensing that someone now followed her. This time, she was right.

"Lord Myotismon." She bowed, hidden by the shadow.

The vampire lord acknowledged this, and asked her, "What have you discovered, Akati, if anything?"

"Nothing thus far, my lord."

Myotismon nodded his head.

"And what have you been up to?" Akati asked, making a bold move. She knew that Myotismon did not have to answer, unlike her.

The vampire lord smiled, showing his fangs. "I’m sure that you would not want to hear. Humans are not the most . . . accepting creatures." He lightly ran his tongue over his dark purple lips.

He soon left to who knows where, and Akati continued her way home. But one thing kept turning over in her mind:

"Blackmon Digivolved to . . ."

A wall of darkness shot up around the twisting serpent, hiding it from all those watching. But only two were present . . .

The black wall closed in on the serpent-like Digimon, leaving only a narrow beacon that still blocked it from sight.

And suddenly, the wall parted. A beautiful creature floated through, tall, slender, with dark blue eyes. She was dressed all in black, the color of the darkness that she was to come to. Three stray bangs of golden waist-length hair fell over and away from her pale breathtaking face. A dark cape flowed behind her, the Other one, the one to be the Lost . . .

"Metamorphismon . . ."

"My lady . . ." The other, more powerful one present gave a large waist bow, and took Lady Metamorphismon’s dainty hand in his own gloved one. He then pulled himself erect, and let go of her hand.

Lady Metamorphismon, too, bowed in a show of respect. "My lord."

Her slender form was drawn to its full height as she confronted the Dark Masters.

"Dark Masters. I have heard that you are attempting to control the Digital World. Is it true?"

"Of course it is, Lady Metamorphismon." WereDracmon had stepped forward, to his lady’s side.

"Let them speak for themselves."

Piedmon did not answer, and neither did any of the other Dark Masters. And suddenly . . .

He apparently had no intention of letting Lady Metamorphismon put an end to his siege of the Digiworld, for one of his swords was now drawn.

"You wish to battle me, Piedmon? So be it."

Lady Metamorphismon began floating, and a dark globe-acting as a shield-grew around her.

WereDracmon bared his gleaming teeth, his blood red eyes blazing. "Do you dare try to destroy my Lady?" He took a fighting stance, and then . . .

He leaped at the leader of the Dark Masters, jaws open wide.

"Um, Tai?"

"Yes, Izzy?"

"I need for you and the others to come to my house right away. Gennai has sent me an important message. If we do not decipher its meaning, we may lose the battle against Myotismon."

Tai stood silent for a moment, causing Izzy to wonder if he was even on the phone anymore at all.

"You call Matt and Joe. I’ll call Sora and Mimi. I think you can get Matt to bring T.K."

"Okay. I’ll try to get everyone to come."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Piedmon was unusually calm. There was good reason for that . . .

He threw his sword at WereDracmon, catching the dragon-like Digimon in the throat, in the dark-green-scaled throat, the most vulnerable part of him . . .

Lady Metamorphismon floated over, coming down to Earth by his side.

"WereDracmon . . ."

WereDracmon had always been there for her. He had guarded her since she was a baby Digimon, then when she had been a Kuromon, and then a Schwarzmon. He had never left her . . .

She whispered something, and her right hand glowed with a dark light. She positioned it over WereDracmon’s throat, right where the sword had hit.

WereDracmon moaned something in his tongue, Nlitahae, and looked up at Lady Metamorphismon. "No, my lady. Do not even try to heal me. I am too far gone. My time is ended . . ." And was still . . .

"Beast." Lady Metamorphismon looked up at the Dark Masters and spat out the word as it was meant to be, an insult. "Creature. You deserve your destruction. And I will give it to you."

"Lord Myotismon." Akati bowed to the vampire lord before her. "I have discovered something."

"And what is it?"

"The Digidestined are dangerously close to finding you. But I know a way you can stop them."

Myotismon was neither shocked nor indifferent. His emotions remained neutral. "Tell me what it is."

Akati, still bowing, very calmly told her Master, "There is a prophecy. I am sure that you have heard it, my lord. I believe it has to do with your siege of this city, in a way."

So saying, she launched into it:

"The Lost

"Shall be the Found

"And to the Darkness return

"As the Unknown finds himself."

Myotismon nodded his head. "I have known that prophecy for some time, before I even became what I am now. And it has always haunted me." Because of what might happen to my Lady if it comes true, he silently added.

"Everybody, SHH!" Sora made a valiant attempt to bring their meeting to order. It worked, like something out of a movie: everybody instantly fell silent.

"Okay. Izzy has something to say," Sora told everyone, "and he’s going to tell us right now. Izzy, it’s all yours."

"Thank you, Sora," said Izzy, stepping forward. "Now for what I have gathered you all here for.

"Gennai has sent me a profile of a new, to us, Digimon for my Digimon analyzer. If you will come over here, I will show you."

He turned and walked to his lap top, placed on his wooden desk. Everyone silently shuffled, crept, or just strode behind him.

"Okay, here goes," he said, and began typing feverishly away. In about one minute, he had a Digimon’s profile on the screen of his laptop.

"This is Lady Metamorphismon, said to be the partner of Myotismon. She has an unusual number of attributes, for an Ultimate-just like Myotismon; she has three. They are: Hand of Darkness, Moon Light, and Power of the Shadow. She also has numerous other unnamed attacks, defensive as well as offensive, including one in which she can heal both creatures of the Darkness and Light."

They all stood, transfixed, by the image of this so-called "Lady Metamorphismon." She was tall, slender, with glittering dark blue eyes and waist-length shimmering golden hair. Three stray bangs fell over and away from her face as she stood, arms spread before her with palms turned upwards in plea. Dressed all in black was she; the color of the Darkness of which she was to come. A dark cape flowed behind her, just like that of Myotismon.

"Whoa. Never seen anything like that before," Tai said, still staring at the screen. Matt nodded his head, as did Joe and T.K. Even Sora and Mimi kept staring at the image of Lady Metamorphismon.

"But I thought evil Digimon weren’t supposed to be pretty," half joked T.K. But was he really joking, or did he mean it?

"Anyhow, Gennai told me that there is a prophecy in which someone like Lady Metamorphismon is mentioned. It goes something like this:

"Full moon’s light brings sorrow

"For them yet to rise

"But one Shall come,

"The Other one,

"And rule beside the One.

"Yes, I know that it doesn’t make much sense. But Gennai said that we needed to figure out what it means for ourselves; not even he knows its definition."

"Uh, could you put that in plain English?" said Tai. "I mean, it was like your mouth was moving, but I didn’t know what you were saying."

"I agree," added Matt.

"It was about as clear as a crystal that was rolled through mud."

"Yep. You got that right."

"But . . . There’s one more thing."

"Why do I always want to throw up when you say that?"

"Well . . ." Izzy started. "It seems like a human has allied herself with Myotismon. I overheard her talking to someone that I couldn’t see, someone hidden in the shadows, when I was walking home last night."

"And who could it be?" asked Tai.

"I recognized her as a girl from school. She used to be in my class. I believe her name is Akati."

Sora gasped. "But . . . I helped her up when she fell off her bike the other day. How could she be . . . evil?"

Izzy shook his head. "It’s quite possible, Sora. But she could just be with him because she does not want to be destroyed. We all know what Myotismon is . . ."

"A vampire."

"Yes. He is a vampiric Digimon."

Lady Metamorphismon. The very mention of the name brought sorrow to his dark heart.

He had just gotten news that she was missing-missing after confronting the Dark Masters of File Island.

He would destroy them someday, destroy them for destroying his Lady.

Yes.

Her dark cape fluttered behind her, as did her shimmering golden hair. Her dark blue eyes narrowed in anticipation.

The Time. Yes, it was almost the time, almost the full moon, the time when prophecies would be fulfilled. She, the Other one, the one to be the Lost.

But the Lost would become the Found.

In a more flowing tongue, Nlitahae, the prophecy of which she was so fond sounded beautiful:

M’skarn tursae mreas snahroe s’karnhii

It sounded breathtaking as her own silver voice sang it on that moonlit night. Those who heard it had no idea of its meaning, but, if asked, would all agree that it was beautiful.

She walked silently along, mind roving. Why was life so hard on her?

Looking up, she noticed the moon nearing its full. That meant something, something in her past, something in her future . . . .

"M’skarn tursae mreas snahroe s’karnhii

Somewhere, hidden in mystery-shrouded memory, those words rang out.

Ke Starha slaern.

The Other one.

Darkness. The uttered syllables of its name could send the minds of some reeling in fear. The darkness was a thing to be conquered, a thing to be overtaken-but, when it fell at night, no one dared meddle with it.

No one, that is, but creatures of its shadowed light.

Creatures of its shadowed light . . .

The hunt was on. The foolish humans, those he preyed upon at the moment, were always trying to push his darkness away. It was foolish, very foolish, to try to drive away the darkness. It was ever present on the minds and hearts of creatures of the Light as well as of the Shadowed Light.

The Shadowed Light . . .

He heard a sound, the sound of soft footsteps, approaching where he hid in the shadow, and tensed. Looking through the darkness like day, he saw the girl, Akati.

But how could a human be so silent that a hunter by the darkness, such as he, could hardly hear them? Did it have to do with her past?

Her past. It was forgotten to her, as his was to him. Shrouded in mystery, yes-all but the memory of her.

His Lady.

Lady Metamorphismon.

Akati walked back towards her house. It had been exactly two days since she had met Myotismon. And now, he was the only thing ever present-except for her forgotten past-on her mind.

As she walked past one shadowed spot in particular, she instantly tensed. Was it because it was almost the full moon? Perhaps . . .

Quite suddenly, Myotismon stepped out of the shadows.

"And what are you doing here, Akati?"

"I was merely returning home from an errand for my mother, Lord Myotismon."

He nodded his head. "Then go. But never disturb my hunting again."

His hunting, yes, never again, no, never again . . .

She bowed, and was on her way.

"Moon Light!"

None of these creatures were of the darkness. Moon Light might kill them; it was quite possible . . .

She raised her powerful arms above her head, tilted her head back, felt the moon’s rays falling upon her beautiful and pale face . . .

"Augh!" MetalSeadramon moaned in pain, as did the other Dark Masters. They were being burned, mentally, physically, by the moon’s pure white rays.

She brought her arms and head down, undaunted by the sudden brightness of the moon. MetalSeadramon blinked many times, trying to regain sight, and his evil partners did, too. Even Piedmon, crafty leader of them all, was momentarily blinded.

"Hand of Darkness!"

She could see her right hand glow with a dark light. But this was not a healing attribute . . .

Suddenly, Piedmon winced, and clutched at his stomach. To him, it felt as though he had been punched, hard, knocking the very breath from him . . .

Lady Metamorphismon bared her fangs in threat. Of course, the Dark Masters did not know that she was not blooded, she only used her fangs to frighten her enemies . . .

"Dark Masters. First you attempt to take over what is rightfully that of my Lord. Then you destroy the one who has been with me for all my life." She shot a glance at WereDracmon’s still form. "And I must now destroy you. For all, those of darkness and light, you will meet your demise . . . At my hands, Dark Masters, at my hands."

Tai stared blankly out the window of his room. Somewhere out there was his enemy-and somewhere out there was a lost human girl, one who allied herself with Myotismon.

Myotismon. The mention of the name made Tai burn with a passion to the destroy the Digimon. Myotismon, who caused the suffering of innocents. Myotismon, who didn’t care whether or not he hurt anyone in his search for the eighth child.

Myotismon, who, unbeknownst to Tai, had lost his past.

Tai sighed, and recalled a mental image of a new Digimon that Gennai had told Izzy about. Lady Metamorphismon, he thought was her name. She was beautiful. He couldn’t see how even a Digimon like Myotismon couldn’t go mad over her.

She was tall, slender, and pale. She had shimmering waist-length golden hair and glittering blue eyes.

And she had ties with this world, though the Digidestined did not know it . . . The Lost, to be the Found, and still the Other.

Ke Starha.

The Other.

Could this girl, Akati, have anything to with the prophecy that Gennai had sent to them? Quite possibly yes, or else Gennai wouldn’t have sent it at all. But how?

The thoughts ran through the Digidestined’s mind constantly. They never stopped, always went, kept the great wheels in his mind turning.

So, still staring at the wall, a realization hit Tai. He immediately jumped up and called Izzy.

The full moon was soon to be. It was a three quarter moon, and something about it struck a feeling of anxiety in her heart. Why, though?

Indeed, why. It all had to do with her past, her forgotten past . . .

Ke Starha slaern. The words turned over and over in her mind. What did they mean?

Ke Starha slaern.

The Other one.

Suddenly, Akati shut her blue eyes tight and let out a long stream of words in Nlitahae-a tongue that she thought she knew nothing about.

"Maernsku tasrahaa pur’ tansiin!"

"The Time draws near!"

She opened her eyes again, but they held a different expression behind them: one of knowing your past, her past, her forgotten past.

And the human called Akati regained her past as she realized why the full moon was so important to her . . . At exactly midnight under the pale moon’s face, the One would be present, the Lost the Found, and the Other arrived.

She was Lady Metamorphismon, lost Digimon of the prophecies.

"Okay, I have once again called you here because of something Tai told me," Izzy began as soon as the ruckus had stopped. "He told me a theory of his. And now he’s going to tell the rest of us." He stepped back, letting Tai come forward.

"Than you, Izzy. As Izzy was saying, I have a theory. It has to do with that prophecy Gennai sent us . . . And Akati. And Lady Metamorphismon, too."

She was tall and proud in the moonlight, if any could see her. But none but her lord knew who she truly was.

She had shape-shifted into the form of a small tabby cat, so that she would be safe from spying eyes. None would be suspicious of a feline at night. Night was when they prowled.

Upon reaching her lord’s lair, she reverted to her true form. She could not guess his emotions upon seeing her again . . .

As luck would have it, he was there. He had apparently decided not to hunt for the night, or not for then, at least. He was pacing back and forth in his chamber, never expecting this visitor to arrive.

But she did.

"I think that that girl, Akati, might have something to do with that prophecy because she has actually allied herself with Myotismon-and has not yet been destroyed. We all know good and well what happens to most who encounter Myotismon." Everybody else grimly nodded their heads.

"But where Lady Metamorphismon fits in has to with the girl, too. Think about it. They look almost exactly alike. And both had something to do with Myotismon."

"Don’t jump to conclusions, Tai!" Matt cut in, stepping forward. "That doesn’t mean a thing. How could a human actually be a Digimon?"

"I remember one thing that Izzy told us all some time ago," Tai said. "Gennai also told us that Lady Metamorphismon could shape-shift."

"So what you’re saying is that somehow this ‘Lady Metamorphismon’ shape-shifted to human, apparently got amnesia or something, forgot her past, and came to the human world?"

Tai nodded his head.

"It’s actually quite possible," informed Izzy. "Think about it. How did we get to Digiworld in the first place?"

"A dimensional rift."

"So why couldn’t a Digimon get to the human world through a dimensional rift?" No one answered him. "My point exactly."

"Lord Myotismon."

He started at the sound of that silver voice. The vampire lord recognized it . . .

"Lady . . . Metamorphismon?"

He turned around, and began floating. He came silently over to where the other creature was standing.

"Could it . . . be you?"

"Yes, my Lord Myotismon. It is I."

She stepped forward, revealing herself. She was as beautiful as before, perhaps even more so; her blue eyes glittered and her golden hair shimmered softly, radiating a gentle glow in the air about her.

The full moon. It shone beautifully in the night sky, rising over land, over water, over the sleeping world. The stars surrounding it also blazed, bright as Lady Metamorphismon’s "Moon Light."

And there she was. She stood not alone, but with the One by her side; and anybody that saw would have sworn that they saw the shadowy form of a humanoid dragon standing on her other side.

A smile spread across the Lady’s lips, an expression not at all evil, baring her fangs. She threw back her golden-haired head, as though using "Power of the Shadow," in an expression of joy at seeing the full moon again. But this time, it was to end differently . . .

The hour neared midnight.

Ten seconds, nine seconds, eight seconds . . .

She closed her eyes, still facing the full moon.

Seven seconds, six seconds, five seconds, four seconds . . .

She could sense the shadowy form alongside her nod its once scaly head.

Three, two . . .

And it gave a glittering smile . . .

One . . .

Tai was sprawled lazily onto his couch, one arm thrown over its back as he watched TV. Agumon hid under the coffee table, even though his parents were elsewhere on a short errand. They felt that he was responsible enough to watch himself and Kari while they were away.

"The number of young women in the hospital is growing each night. It has health officials shocked by the fact that all are there for severe anemia. What makes it even more surprising is that the number brought in each night has nearly doubled since about two days ago. Some victims have been able to give a fuzzy picture of what might be going on."

The man stopped for a moment, as if to catch his breath, then went on.

"One said that she was walking home one night, from work, and she was down before she knew what hit her. Before the ambulance arrived, she thought she saw ‘a person, tall, dressed all in black with a dark cape flowing behind them.’ They identified the attacker as a female, though they didn’t know who they were. One thing that kept them from calling for help, they said, was ‘the fact that she was so beautiful.’ They informed officials that they had blue eyes and waist-length golden hair. That is all they could recognize."

Then, breaking the mysterious mood, they said, "Now, onto the weather."

Tai flicked off the TV. Something in the report had sent his mind reeling into thought . . .

He got up, and ran to his room. He began digging through its mountains of junk before he found what he wanted. "Oh, man, I think the others need to know about this . ."

"Myotismon must be stopped."

Those were the words that started the meeting the next day. The next ones were . .

"Like we didn’t know that, Tai." Matt.

"But a new evil has risen. And I have proof."

He held up what he had been searching for the previous night. "This is something that me cousin gave to me. She travels around the world. This goes along with a story she once heard."

It was a golden pendant, small, with something written in flowing scripts on it.

"The natives of where she was told her that it had belonged to a dragon-like creature that ‘fell from the sky’ one night. He identified himself as WereDracmon. But"-he paused, and looked everyone in the eye-"according to Gennai, WereDracmon was recently destroyed in the Digiworld. Gennai also said that once WereDracmon reported to them who he was guarding that he fell into the human world for a short time." Silence. "And he was the guardian of Lady Metamorphismon."

<Arise . . .>

Her silent command brought a shadowy creature from the depths of the sea. It was said that it would rise again, rise under the command of its lady . . .

"Okay, that gives me a headache."

Suddenly, he heard a cry from his living room. "Tai! Come look at this!" It was Kari.

They all ran into the living room, where Kari was watching TV. The image of a giant sea serpent filled the screen, before the signal turned to static.

Izzy began searching through his Digimon analyzer. "That, my friends, is MegaSeadramon," he informed them. Sora was shocked.

"But . . . Biyomon beat him earlier!" she exclaimed. Izzy started typing again, then said, "This is the same Digimon. But there is one odd thing about it." He brought up a file in his computer, and an image of MegaSeadramon popped up. "I believe this is the one that you battle earlier. Look closely and you may see something . . . out of the ordinary."

They all looked hard, but couldn’t see anything. When Izzy made the picture larger, though, they all noticed a mark just above its right eye.

"What the heck is that?" Matt asked. Tai looked down at the golden pendant he held in his gloved palm, then back at the image on the screen of Izzy’s laptop. "It’s the same design that’s on my pendant."

Izzy nodded his head. "Yes. It says here that one MegaSeadramon would ‘rise again’ at the command of his lady."

"And just who is his lady?"

"Think about it. You know the answer."

"Lightning Ball!"

The Digimon blew a huge ball of electricity at the sleeping city. It hit a pier, causing it to explode into millions of splinters of wood, which rained upon the water like a thunderstorm.

It lifted its head higher out of the water, briefly making the symbol over its right glimmer. There were humans approaching.

But not just any humans. These were Digidestined. His Lady had warned him about them . . .

"Agumon Digivolved to . . . GREYMON!"

"Gaubumon Digivolved to . . . GARURUMON!"

"Biyomon Digivolved to . . . BIRDRAMON!"

"Tentomon Digivolved to . . . KABUTERRIMON!"

"Palmon Digivolved to . . . TOGEMON!"

"Gomamon Digivolved to . . . IKKAKUMON!"

"Patamon Digivolved to . . . Angelmon!"

The Champion-forms flew, swam, and ran to the Ultimate-form sea serpent. They were no match for Saetasru, sea-serpent of the Lady. Not even Angelmon, the powerful heavenly Digimon, could best the creature.

"Nova Blast!"

"Howling Blaster!"

"Meteor Wing!"

"Electro Shocker!"

"Needle Spray!"

"Harpoon Torpedo!"

"Hand of Fate!"

Saetasru gave a slight shudder as Hand of Fate made contact, but nothing more. Then, with an angry hiss-roar, it charged.

"Lightning Ball!"

It blasted Togemon, Greymon, Garurumon, and Ikkakumon away. Angelmon, Birdramon, and Kabuterrimon all evaded the attack, because they could fly.

"Thunder Tail!"

It whipped the Digimon that had escaped his previous attack with its special two-tipped tail.

"Thunder Tail!"

It slapped the water before the Digidestined, causing a tidal wave that washed over them, soaked them, pulled them struggling into the water.

Joe saw a piece of driftwood left over from the exploded pier, and grabbed onto it. But, upon seeing T.K. pass by, he let go of it and pushed it over to the youngster.

"Here, T.K. Grab onto this."

But, he wasn’t a good swimmer. He began sinking, sinking . . .

And his crest began glowing.

"Ikkakumon Digivolved to . . ."

The furry water Digimon grew bigger, before being enveloped by a huge wall of water. It spiraled around him, blocking him from view . . .

And then, it parted. A lightning bolt cracked suddenly down from the black night sky, forming a hammer that he gripped tightly in his clawed hand.

"Zudomon!"

Zudomon charged Saetasru, hammer held high.

"Vulcan’s Hammer!"

He brought it down with a might crash on Saetasru’s scaled head. Saetasru sank below the waves, to lie in deep slumber once again, until his Master had need.

The Ultimate-form Digimon stuck one clawed hand deep into the swirling oceanic waters, coming up with a wet and bedraggled Joe on his palm. The Digidestined sputtered, coughed a few times, and came to.

"Thanks, Zudomon . . ."

As soon as he was set down on shore, Joe stood up, with the help of Tai and Matt. "Well, that went nicely," he joked, a weak smile playing across his face. "Now, let’s go home."

"We have come to defeat you once and for all, Myotismon."

It was night, one after the reawakening of Saetasru, who was then defeated by Zudomon.

The vampire lord nodded his head. He accepted the challenge. "Then you may begin, Digidestined."

Their Digimon were already in their Champion forms. It seemed as though they could Digivolve on command; so the Digidestined used this and prepared to fight Myotismon.

"Go get him, Greymon!"

"Greymon digivolved to . . ."

His face was covered in a metal helmet, as was his left arm. Fiery red hair sprouted from the back of his neck, and purple wings grew from his scald orange back.

"MetalGreymon!"

He roared, and charged Myotismon.

"Garurumon Digivolved to . . ."

He reared onto his hind legs, as fingerless gloves appeared on his paws. He clenched them into fists as torn and ragged blue jeans formed on his striped legs. A belt slapped diagonally across his chest, staying in place as he brought his paws to his head.

"WereGarurumon!"

A full moon rose behind him, and he howled. Then, he went to join MetalGreymon.

"Birdramon Digivolved to . . ."

A wall of fire rose around her form, engulfing her in flame and hiding her from sight.

She stuck first one clawed hand out, unclenching it from a fist, and then the other, before stepping majestically through. Her hair fluttered in the wind, as did the feather standing upright in it.

"Garudamon!"

She, too, joined the fray.

Soon, Lillymon, Zudomon, and MegaKabuterrimon were in the vast battle. But they were still being beaten by Myotismon.

He stopped, took, or evaded each attack. He constantly sent the Digidestined Digimon crashing into the ground, or nearby buildings. And he seemed to be enjoying it all.

But suddenly . . .

"Gatomon Digivolved to . . ."

The cat-like Digimon grew taller, as her tail shrunk into her form. Wings sprouted from her back. Her glove-like front paws transformed into slender human hands, and a helmet covered her blue-eyed face.

"Angelwomon!"

"Myotismon. You have caused the innocent to suffer. How do you justify yourself?"

"Why do I need to?" He looked upward at the heavenly being.

The Digidestined were busy being amazed. Someone broke their stunned silence as Kari Kamiya came running up. "Hi, guys!" she said, waving her hand. "Guess what? I’m the eighth Digidestined!"

Tai was agape. His jaw dropped a sizable distance before he closed his mouth again. "But . . . Who found it out?"

Just then, Wizardmon came over the hill. "It was Gatomon and I. As you have seen, Gatomon just Digivolved."

Angelmon floated over and joined Angelwomon.

"Justify yourself, Myotismon."

"I do not need to, Angelmon."

"So be it. Heaven’s Charge!"

Angelwomon lifted her arms above her head; a halo of golden light emitted from them.

"Everyone, give Angelwomon your power!"

"Giga Blaster!"

"Wolf Claw!"

"Wing Blade!"

"Horn Blaster!"

"Flower Cannon!"

"Vulcan’s Hammer!"

"Hand of Fate!"

The attacks went into the portal, as though drawn there by some otherworldly force. The portal changed to a dark green color, and crackled with what appeared to be electricity.

"Celestial Arrow!"

It turned into a blazing arrow, to bright to look at. Angelwomon’s right glove took on the appearance of a bow, with her index and middle fingers pointing straight out. She put the arrow on it . . .

. . . And let go . . .

It flew swiftly towards the vampire lord. But there was a creature swifter than it . .

Lady Metamorphismon, knowing what would happen to her lord if she did not act, threw herself in the way.

"No."

Myotismon fell to his knees, where Lady Metamorphismon lay. Making a bold move in his love for the Lady, he pulled the arrow from her. There was no blood; it was an arrow of light, fatal for creatures of the Darkness, but it had no substance to draw blood.

"No . . . My Lady . . ."

The Digidestined could actually see tears welling up in Myotismon’s blue eyes. All the Digidestined Digimon floated down to earth, but remained beside their Digidestined partners.

Lady Metamorphismon smiled weakly upwards at Myotismon, an expression not at all evil. "My Lord. I could not let you die . . ."

The smile faded as pain briefly wracked Lady Metamorphismon’s body. But it grew back as she began to speak again. "Please . . . Take me . . . If I . . . have to die . . . then I would rather meet . . . my demise . . . to help a friend."

More pain went coursing through her body. She grimaced, shutting her eyes, but she opened them again. "Take me . . ."

"I could never harm you, my Lady." Myotismon’s words were barely a whisper, but it was so silent that all could hear them.

Myotismon picked up Lady Metamorphismon gently, wrapping both himself and her in his dark cloak. Head down, holding her head to his chest, he stalked off, taking her home, home . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

None of them forgot her. It haunted them so much later that Lady Metamorphismon would actually give herself to save Myotismon. And Myotismon? They never heard from him again. All that they knew was that Gennai said Myotismon returned to the Digiworld in great sorrow, vowing to turn away from evil for all time . . .

And it was brought on by the death of his beloved, Lady Metamorphismon.

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