Note: This story takes place only a few days after the Digidestined came back to the Digi-World after defeating Myotismon.

**********

Piedmon stood in the darkness of his grand Citadel, looking over the notes before him silently. They were files stored from Devimon and Myotismon, ones that hadn't been lost after their deletion at the hands of the Digidestined. A particular scroll caught his eye, and he reached for it. The scroll was ancient and falling apart, and the writing was difficult to make out. Piedmon scanned the page over quickly, then did a double take as a tinge of familiarity welled up in his mind. He had heard of the legend written on the scroll, but never had he fully understood it...until now.

"And the skies shall darken, and the world will scream as the destined ones fall to the masters grasp. But out of the darkness shall be born a greater evil, one so powerful that it shall not be able to withstand even itself, and will refuse it's own evil, and bring light through into the darkness, that shall light the path to the masters soul" Piedmon read it over a couple of times, trying to understand it. He shook his head and his eyes darkned. Not even the colorful costume, made of the brightest silk and velvet could hide the evil inside him.

"So...there will be another!" He whispered, his voice filling with anger. "No matter, once I am through with this destined one, the curtains will fall. The show will be applauded to me," He hissed as he placed the scroll over a fire that burned in a torch hanging on the wall. He watched it burn and soon fall into a pile of ashes on the floor of the Citadel.

"No digi-destined will stand in my way, not even a dark one...."

**********

Aterra Hakiriwa raced through the streets of the city. Tokyo was as crowded as usual, and trying to get through to her school, especially on a working day wasn't the easiest thing in the world to accomplish. Especially when one was very late. "Oh...I'm dead!" She gasped as the arrived at the school. Taking a quick glance at her watch revealed that she was more then fifteen minutes late. "Great..." she muttered. No matter what, she would now end up with an after-school detention. She walked into the school and stopped off at the bathroom, fixing her makeup. After the spring to school, it was smudged and she looked odd.

Aterra, or "Terra" as her friends called her, was seventeen years old, with curly red hair that fell in pretty bangs around her shoulders. She wore a red tank top, partially covered by a yellow shawl. She also wore a long yellow-red dress that reached down to her ankles, with a slit down the middle. Her eyes were a very clear brown, almost a tinge of gold.

But perhaps the oddest part of her ensemble was the medallion on her forehead. It was a black crystal shaped into a thick tridant-like shape. Whenever the light shone onto it, it took on a blue tinge. Terra always wore it. Perhaps because it was the only thing she had left from her natural parents. In truth, she was adopted, and the orphanage had found her at the doorstep to the building when she had been about seven years old. She had been wearing the crystal with her then. She didn't remember anything from back then. The doctors had said that it was because it had been a traumatic experience for her.

One thing that she hadn't told anyone was that since she could remember, Terra had been having nightmares she couldn't really explain. Each time she had them they got more and more vivid, sometimes she felt what was happening, both emotionally and physically. All she could remember when she woke up were these feelings, and faces with no names, and creatures with no possible definitions. She could remember nightmares of a great war, and feel it's losses and gains. Recently, she had been having new nightmares. In them, there was always someone in the shadows.

Whenever she had this dream, she felt afraid, knowing that whoever this was wanted to hurt her...badly. But he never did. He just stayed in the shadows and spoke to her, and she's listen. But she could never remember what he had said, or what she had said in return.

**********

"LadyDevimon!" Piedmon called out, waiting for his minion. In a moment, the tall, sleek form of LadyDevimon appeared, and she bowed in his presence. "Yes master! You called?" She asked respectfully. She knew that it was best not to cross Piedmon at this time. Not only was he the most powerful of all the Dark Masters, but he was her boss, and he was angry.

Piedmon turned to her, the anger showing clearly on his pale face. "Have you located this...Dark Digi-Destined?" He asked. Upon reading the prophecy, Piedmon had immediately ordered LadyDevimon to search all of the Digiworld to find the ninth Digidestined. LadyDevimon looked uneasy, and hung her head. "No master. We have searched all of the Digiworld...the only possible place this child could be is the human world!" LadyDevimon spoke.

Piedmon reflected on the thought, then summoning up his powers, opened a temporary rift into the real world in front of LadyDevimon. "Find and bring the child back here! GO!" He bellowed as LadyDevimon quickly dissapeared through the portal. "I will not let some brat stop me...not when I am so close. This little program...will be sure to bring the house down!"

**********

"There...she is..." LadyDevimon said to herself as the watched the school empty. It had been easier to find this ninth child then expected. Though, the had been expecting someone younger. She had picked the girl off by chance when she had seen her wander out of the school silently and start walking by herself. It had sperked her interest, and as soon as she got close enough, she knew that the girl was the one. LadyDevimon could sense it.

LadyDevimon didn't waste anymore time, and the time was limited. She swooped down and grabbed the girl, who cried out in fear and panic when she saw the creature that had a hold on her. "WHAT...LET ME GO...HEEEEEELP!" She screamed as LadyDevimon lifted her off the ground. "Silence child!" LadyDevimon hissed. Terra's eyes widened as she heard LadyDevimon speak, and as they dissapeared through the portal in the sky, she fainted.

Terra woke up to darkness. She could feel the cold stone floor which she lay on, and strained her wrists against the strong metal shackles that held her against a wall. "Welcome to the Digiworld child!" She heard a voice from the darkness. Terra stiffened. "I know you..." she trailed off slowly, fear everpresent in her eyes.

"Oh god...I know you..."

**********

"Yes! I suppose you do!" Piedmon hissed as he stepped out of the shadows and into view. Terra gasped, and pressed her back up against the wall. She would have ran, if the shackles on her wrists hadn't kept her in place. "I am Piedmon, the most powerful of all Dark Masters, welcome to the Digitalworld!" The creature in front of her said. Terra tried to stop the fear inside her, yet somehow, she knew he could sense it. At first sight, she could see that he had an almost human-like figure. He was tall and lean, and was wearing the weirdest costume she had ever seen. Covering the upper part of his face was a mask, and from the holes in the mask shone a pair of evil-looking eyes.

**********

Meanwhile, in another part of the Digiworld, Izzy and the other Digi-Destined were crowded around his small laptop, looking at a generated image of Gennai. His aged face was creased with worry, and beside him, he had called up an almost-missing file.

"This is something that I came upon quite by chance. It is a portion of a prophecy that was regained into the files before it was destroyed by the Dark Masters. It speaks of a ninth child!" Gennai spoke. The children's mouths dropped open, and Tai stepped forward. "Another Digi-Destined?" He asked. Gennai paused momentarily, seeming to be in throught. His next answer placed worry in all the Digi-Destined minds. "Not quite...a Dark Digi-Destined!"

"What's a Dark Digi-Destined?" Izzy asked, a look of curiosity showing on his face. Gennai took a deep breath, and enlarged the file with the prophecy, making it more visible. "A Dark Digi-Destined has been believed to be a mere legend up until now..just a story! But it seems that it may be more real then I suspected. A Dark-Digidestined is not like you...the child is different, unique in a way!" Gennai said. Matt sensed that Gennai was stalling, and he stepped forward, balling his fists. "How different?" He asked. Gennai watched him momentarily before answering. "Evil!"

Kari and Gatomon exchanged glances. "But...why?" Gatomon asked Gennai. "No ones knows for sure. All we know, it that the Dark Digi-Destined is meant to have some sort of increadibly strong bond with one of the Dark Masters. If united with this Master, the child will come to full power...and destroy you and the Digiworld. The rest of the prophecy is missing!" Gennai concluded. "So...which Dark Master is it?" Tentomon asked, standing near Izzy. "We..don't know!" Gennai replied. "All we do know is that the child...whoever he is..must be kept away from the Dark Masters at all costs...or we're all doomed!"

Agumon and Tai looked at each other, then to the other Digi-Destined. Joe seemed to understand, as he hung his head sadly. "I know, I know...off we go to stop the deranged Digimon from destroying the world!" He huffed.

**********

"What are you?" Terra asked, frightened of Piedmon. "I am a Digimon, a Digital monster..and as I usually get the right to boast, I am by far the most superior!" Piedmon smiled evilly, watching Terra. "Superior, yeah right!" a voice echoed from the darkness. Before Terra, another creature appeared, floating in the air. It was smaller, and seemed to be made out of wood. It was wearing a redhelmet, and holding a large metal hammer. "I...am Puppetmon!" The creature said, as he bowed in exchagaration. "She's not here to watch you embarass youself Puppetmon!" Piedmon replied. Puppetmon didn't pay him any attention, and appeared next to Terra.

"So...your the Dark Digi-Destined," he said in partial wonder and malevolance. He turned to Piedmon, who sat floating in the air watching the scene. "She's cute!" He gushed. Piedmon smiled wryly. "I've noticed Puppetmon," he answered. Terra cringed in fear as Puppetmon came closer. "Why don't we just kill her now?" He asked, raising his hammer.

"NO!" Piedmon cried out suddenly, suprising both Puppetmon and Terra. Puppetmon would have pouted, had he not been made of wood. "Why not?" Puppetmon whined. Piedmon was silent, then seemed to regain himself. "I...I need to review the scoll. I need more information on this..Dark Digi-Destined. We must not be haste, lest you want this little show to be a distater for all of us," Piedmon hissed. Puppetmon throught about the reason, then shrugged. "Okay, I guess your right!"

With that, Puppetmon vanished. Piedmon seemed to contemplate what he had said. Lying to Puppetmon had not been his intended course of action. He had, after all, destroyed the scroll bearing the legend of the Dark Digi-Destined. If Puppetmon was to find out that Piedmon had lied, he may take it as a sign of treason. The last thing Piedmon wanted was to be taken for a traitor by the other Dark Masters. He had fought too long and too hard to be knocked from his place of power so swiftly.

Piedmon turned to Terra, raising a gloved hand. "You will remain here child...until I can figure out how to dispose of you adequetly. Until then...." He waved his hand and the shackles dissapeared. Terra lowered her arms and rubbed her wrists, which were sore. "You may roam this place all you like! You won't be able to escape no matter where you turn," Piedmon spoke. "So don't even bother trying!"

With that, Piedmon dissapeared, leaving Terra alone in the darkness. She looked around, gazing to see some door, window, or any sort of opening that could mean a way out. She could barely see, and whatever light shattered the darkness of the room reflected from the torches hung up on the walls. Escape looked unlikely.

"We're almost there, so we better keep a lookout! There's no way the Dark Masters would leave this place un-guarded," Tai commented as they neared the Dark Master's Citadel. It loomed grand into the Digi-World sky, and caused a shadow to fall in all directions. "What do we do once we get there?" Joe asked. "Uh..I really hadn't thought that far ahead," Tai said reluctantly. "WHAT? We're going into the lair of the most powerful and psychotic evil Digimon in the Digi-World and you don't have a plan?" Jose cried out. "Calm down Joe!" Sora said as they finally made it close enough to the large structure before them. Matt looked down at all the Digimon, and frowned in worry. "You guys better be ready for anything, there's no telling what the Dark Master's have in store!"

They set out to find a way into the Citadel, but could find no visible entry. Tai looked down at Agumon, who looked back at him with the same question in his eyes. "Tai...what are we going to do when we get there....really?" He asked, already knowing the answer. "I don't know Agumon...I just don't know!"

**********

"ARGH! Isn't there any way out of here?" Terra yelled in frustration. She was shaking, partly from fear, anger, and the cold of the Citadel. She held the torch out in front of her and spun around in a circle. She had come to a section of the Citadel which was a large room, with dark tunnels leading off in various different directions.

She had been in this room before!

Terra hugged herself and sighed. "It's hopeless...I'm walking in circles..." she trailed off, and leaned agaist the wall of the room. "Ya got that right!" A familiar voice said, as Puppetmon appeared out of the darkness. "Puppetmon!" Terra gasped, pushing herself up against the wall as the evil Digimon smiled cruelly. "That's my name!" He spoke. "By the way...what's yours? I won't to know what I should carve out on the tombstone other then *another one bites the dust*," Puppetmon giggled, proud of his own morbid sense of humor. "Oh, why don't you bite me Pinnochio!" Terra suddenly growled out, getting off the wall. "HUH?" Puppetmon gasped, his eyes widening in suprise at her boldness, then narrowing in anger. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" He screamed, holding his hammer a bit higher.

"YOU HEARD ME YOU PATHETIC PIECE OF WOOD!" Terra screamed back. Something started to happen right about then, as her eyes took on a different shade then her usual warm brown. "I don't care who you are...or what you are...I..just..WANNA...GO...HOME!" She screamed. Puppetmon actually backed up, especially upon noticing that not only did her eyes turn a different shade, but they had begun to almost...glow?

It was true. Her eyes had begun to grow a brilliant flash of white, and as she narrowed her sight to the Mega Digimon in front of her, they focused in on him like the headlights of a truck. Puppetmon cried out and blocked his eyes, as the light seemed to almost burn through his line of vision.

"ALL I WANTED WAS A CHANCE FOR A NORMAL LIFE. BUT WHAT DO I GET? KIDNAPPED BY SOME FLYING FREAK, CHAINED BY SOME CLOWN FROM HELL, AND TAUNTED BY A WALKING PIECE OF FIREWOOD!" The screamed in fury. "ARGH! Stop it....PUPPET PUMMEL!" Puppetmon cried out, sending his attack blindly and in all directions of the room. Many of the attacks missed Terra, but one his her dead-on, and knocked her to the floor. Within seconds, the room was reduced to it's natural darkenss, and Terra lay on the floor, up against the wall which she had smashed into as the blow had lifted her clear off the ground. She tentavly touched a hand to the side of her head, and found that she was bleeding.

"THAT...is it!" Puppetmon tried to control his screaming, as his ears still ringed. "I don't care what Piedmon has in store for you...PUPPET PU..."

"CLOWN TRICK!"

A small knife came flying out of nowhere, and ended up pinning Puppetmon to the wall by his helmet, leaving his strangling to get down. "I thought I made it perfectly clear she was not be be harmed for now!" Piedmon hissed as he appeared out of the shadows of a tunnel. "BUT SHE...." Puppetmon began. "I don't care if she had mangled you and used you to burn marshmallows, I TOLD YOU, SHE IS MINE!" Piedmon screamed, nearing Puppetmon, who actually cringed. "I want to find out exacly what her role is, and then destroy her...is that understood?" Piedmon watched Puppetmon struggle silently, daring him to oppose his wishes. Puppetmon said nothing, but hung his head.

Without a word, Piedmon walked over to Terra, still lying painfuly on the floor from Puppemon's attack, and picked her up easily. Without another word, he carried her away.

**********

"NOVA BREATH!" Greymon cried as he sent a mighty surge of fire towards a part of the Citadel's wall. Finding no actual way in, the Digidestined had decided to make one. The fire cracked the old stone, and Matt kicked it in, creating a hole big enough for all of them to climb into. "Here we go guys, let's keep out eyes open!" Sora commented as they climbed through the hole, and entered the darkness of the Citadel.

"Oh, I hate it here, it's so dark.." Mimi whimpered as they walked through the tunnels. Palmon held her hand, and tried her best to soothe Mimi's fear. In truth, Palmon herself was afraid. There were no sources of light in these parts of the tunnels, not even torches. So the children had to feel against the walls to get around. "It's too dark...I think we may be lost!" Kari spoke in barely a whisper.

T.K. squeezed her hand in reassurance, and she smiled, despite her own fear. "OH!" Izzy suddenly cried out. "WHAT?" Tentomon reacted, ready to battle. "Now...why didn't I think of this before..." Izzy shook his head, and stopped. Kneeling, he placed his laptop gently on the ground and opened it. The power from the screen created a small lightsource, and the kinds crowded around it. "Wait just a moment!" Izzy spoke, as he typed away at the keys. Soon, what looked like a map appreared on the screen, and a bright red dot flashed off to one side. "Now, I think I managed to scan our present surroundings to a certain radias, so that my computer can act like a map, and show us where we are going!" Izzy said. "Great, that way we can't get lost!" T.K. said happily. Izzy frowned, slightly worried. "Uh..not exactly! This place is huge, and has many twists and turns. And like I said, the map covers only a small portion of our radias...we can avoid dead ends...however we may be going in circles!"

"It's a chance we'll have to take!" Gatomon said. "Yeah! We have to find this Dark-Digidestined, we can't let the Dark Masters harm him!" Gabumon said as he watched the screen of the computer. Izzy nodded, and holding the computer screen in front of him, the group followed down the dark tunnel.

**********

"How did you manage to make Puppetmon so furious?" Piedmon asked as he watched Terra intensly. There was something....something about her he couldn't comprehend, couldn't understand. Each time he was near her, he felt like some missing part of him had suddenly been revealed, and was trying to tear it's way out of him. He couldn't explain it..or understand it for that matter.

Terra sighed, feeling less afraid to be away from Puppetmon, but still afraid. "I...don't know...I got angry, really angry...and then...." She trailed off, looking down at her hands. After Piedmon had saved her from Puppetmon, who would have "mangled her beyond recognition" as colorfuly as Piedmon had put it, he had ended up carrying her, bleeding and hardly concious, to one of the back chambers of the Citadel. Her head was still spinning from the impact she had taken after being blown into the wall from Puppetmon's Puppet Pummel. At least the attack lived up to it's title.

Piedmon had then proceeded in stopping the bleeding, and placing her down on the bed she was sitting now. The change of face he was capable of suprised her. He had gone from psychotic clown from the bowells of hell, to what seemed to be a worried friend. It was strange...but somehow, it felt right. At least to her.

"Anyway, I'm glad you have decided to co operate for now..." Piedmon said, as he seated himself next to her. To him, the feelings and thoughts he was experiencing were entirely new. Something he had never felt before was slowly beginning to creep up on him. He just wasn't entirely sure what. Could it be admiration? Yes, perhaps it was. He had to admire the scare she had given Puppetmon. For a human, it was quite impressive. There was also a feeling of familiarity, as if he had once known her before, but he couldn't remember from when or where.

"Do you know what your destiny is child?" He asked her, smiling in what looked like a fairly safe way, not his usually half-smile, half-sneer, "I'm about to kill you" gaze. "Maybe...I'm not really sure! Should'nt you know? You mentioned...the first time Puppetmon appeared, that you would be looking at something, talking about a prophecy..." Terra trailed off, as she watched Piedmon's smile turn nervous.

"Well...the truth is...there are no files on it left to look over, I destroyed them after I read them. I lied to Puppetmon to keep him from killing you!" He stated, watching her reaction with curiosity. Her eyes widened slightly. "But...I thought you wanted to kill me...." She trailed off, looking at his eyes. For a moment, they seem less cold and evil, and were almost..soft? Piedmon leaned closer, his gloved hand almost touching her cheek.

Without either of them noticing, the pendant on her forehead began to glow lightly, a faint blue piercing the black. Suddenly, Piedmon pulled back, rising quickly and striding to the door. The dark look had returned to his eyes as he spun around and faced her. "No matter! Don't think I won't dispose of you once I have figured this prophecy out!" He said harshly. With that, he stormed out the door in anger, and slammed it behind him. Sitting on the bed, Terra was barely aware of the faint "click" of the lock.

**********

Why didn't I just kill her? WHY?

Thoughts raged through Piedmon's head as he sat before his telescope, looking over the Digital World. He had tried in vain to locate the Digi Destined, but it was as if they had dissapeared clear off the face of the Digi World. "WHERE ARE THEY?" He screamed, balling his fists and standing.

She's so powerful..... He stood there momentarily, his shallow breathing being the only sound in the otherwise empty room.

Who is she? "She's the Dark Digidestined!" Piedmon muttered, answering his own question. What is her destiny?

"To destroy....." he trailed off. He couldn't understand the meaning of the prophecy, and it frustrated him like never before. Him. Piedmon, who had never taken the Digidestined prophecy to be more then a game, a show in which the curtains would drop as fast as they had risen...and he would be there to take the bows.

"....bring light through into the darkness, that shall light the path to the masters soul.." Piedmon trailed off, trying to understand. The prophecy spoke of a greater evil, but the ending twisted it around completely.

What does it have to do with...me!?

**********

"Finally! Some light!" Sora sighed as they exited one of the darker tunnels of the Citadel. They had been wandering around in the darkness, with nothing to guide them but Izzy's computer, for what seemed like hours. They had come into a room filled with torches, hanging on the walls like morbid guides through the darkness. The entire scene had a very depressing aura clinging to it.

Tentomon spun around, trying to determine which tunnel would be the fastest way to get to the Dark Digidestined. They had many options, thanks to the fact that the entire room was filled with tunnels leading in all directions. "Well...pick a tunnel, any tunnel!" He commented in a dry voice, hanging his head. Izzy watched him sadly, then a high pitched 'beep' sound caught his attention. It took him a moment to realize that the sound was coming from his computer. He noticed that a new dot had appeared on the screen.

"Hey guys! Look at this!" He cried, and waited for his friends to crowd around him. "What is that?" Mimi asked when she too, noticed the dot. Izzy smiled, excitement building up in his mind. "It means there is another life form in the close proximity! A human one!"

**********

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T KILL HER?" Puppetmon screamed, but fell silent at the icy gaze he recieved from Piedmon. "I told you, leave...her...alone!" Piedmon hissed menacingly, drawing a sword from behind him. He shifted it beneath Puppetmon's wooden neck, and smiled malevolently. "I wan't to find out what this girl has to do with the prophecy...and how I can use her against the Digi Destined!"

Puppetmon backed away slowly, and nodded. He didn't dare oppose him, at least not yet. This was unlike Piedmon, and Puppetmon didn't like the double face he was showing one bit. Opposition would come later, in the forms of Machinedramon and MetalSeaDramon. Once Puppetmon could figure out exactly what was causing Piedmon to endanger their plans by keeping her alive.

**********

Why was he suddenly being so nice...and then so mean?

Terra sat on the large bed of the chamber that Piedmon had locked her in almost an hour before, the same questions still rang through her mind. There was still the obvious ones, such as "what the hell is going on around here?" But she had somehow come to understand exactly how the Digital World worked, and what Digimon were. But what's my part in all this? Why am I here?

"NOVA BLAST"

A hoarse voice emmited out a cry before the door that had kept her a prisoner was rediced to kindling. Terra screamed and scrambled off the bed, backing herself up against a wall for what seemed to be the tenth time that day. At least this time, she wasn't in chains.

A large Digimon, resembling a dinosaur with a wodden mask covering it's head, stepped into the room. When the dust finally settled, she could see the people and Digimon that followed. There were now sixteen occupants in the room. Eight Digimon, and eight humans. There were five boys, and three girls. As the large Digimon spotted her, he began to yell out again. "NOVA BRE..."

A boy with spiky brown hair stepped forward, stopping the Digimon. "Wait Greymon! It's just a girl!" The boy cried. The Digimon did a double take, then relaxed. "Oh...sorry!" It said in a growl-like voice. Terra smiled nervously, and watched as a girl wearing a blue helmet, with spiky hair sticking out from underneath, approched her. "Hi! I'm Sora!" The girl said, extending her hand. After a moment's hesitation, Terra accepted the friendly gesture and shook her hand. "Terra! I'm Terra...and I am so glad you...look...human! Please tell me your human!" She pleaded. Another girl, wearing a large pink hat, came up and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, we're human...except our Digimon that is!" She laughed.

"Who...who are you?" Terra asked. "We could ask you the same question," the boy with the brown spiky hair replied. Sora shook her head, frowning at him. "Ease up Tai! Anyways, these are my friends, Mimi, Tai, Matt, Izzy, Joe, Kari, and T.K. These are our Digimon, Greymon, Biyomon, Gabumon, Tentomon, Patamon, Palmon, Gatomon, and Gomamon. We're the Digidestined!" She said, somewhat proudly. Joe, looking less enthusiastic, just waved. "Yeah..lucky us, huh?" He commented.

"What...what are Digidestined?" Terra asked, backing away, despite the friendly faces she was receiving. She couldn't be sure about anything anymore. "Don't be afraid! Digidestined are kids chosen to protect the Digital world from evil forces, like the Dark Masters!" Sora commented. Upon seeing the clue-less look on Terra's face, she added, "you know...Machinedramon...Puppetmon...Piedmon?"

Terra gasped, and sat slowly on the bed. "I guess you've seen them?" Joe asked, watching her intensly. The same thought was going through his mind over and over again. He had a hunch it was also coursing through the mind's of his friends.

Is this the Dark Digidestined?

**********

"WHERE IS SHE?" A scream echoed through the tunnels of the Citadel, causing it to vibrate. Small chunks of rock and dirt flew through the air from the noise caused by the scream, which belonged to Piedmon. "I don't know! She was right here...." a Meanmon stuttered in fear. It's red face got even brighter as Piedmon approached it slowly. "TRUMP SWORD" was the last thing it heard before Piedmon shoved one of the swords hanging from his back into the mass of fat which was it's stomach, and it was deleted. Piedmon gazed around the room. Chunks of the heavy wooden door lay in small splinters all around him, and the place was completely trashed.

There's no way she could have done this on her own..unless I underestimated the extent of her power....

Piedmon shook his head. No, he hadn't been that naive. Too much was at stake. Even with everything he was, everything he thought he knew about himself. How much did he really know? He was a Dark Master, and had fought for years to get where he was now. He had killed hundreds to achieve his place, and his destiny. But everything before that was a blank. All Digimon usually had memories that reached back to their early years, or back to their Digi-childhoods. Piedmon didn't have any of these memories. Everything was dark and alone since he could remember.

Now, as Piedmon walked out of the room in fury, even he couldn't sense the small feeling welling up inside him. A feeling that was gradually getting stronger every moment. As he walked away, worried about his position and power over the Digital World, he didn't realize that who he really was worried about, was Terra.

**********

"Man, I am glad we got you out of there!" Matt spoke as the Digidestined and Terra walked away from the Citadel. Getting out had been suprisingly easy. But that was mainly because Piedmon and Puppetmon had been in a heated argument, and the other Dark Masters had been out terrorizing the Digital World. All they had ran into was a few evil flunkies, and they had been disposed of easily.

"So...do you guys really think I'm this...Dark Digidestined?" Terra asked, walking along side Joe. She had found that in the short time they had been together, Joe was easiest to talk to. Maybe that's because he didn't talk much except for worrying now and again. Terra prefered silence. She wasn't in the mood to open up her feelings over the present situation to anyone.

Izzy shrugged, gazing at his open computer. "We're not sure. But it you were the only human in there, then the chances are good!"

"What's a Dark Digidestined anyway?" Terra asked as she walked. "Well...from what Gennai has told us. The Dark Digidestined holds a lot of power, and once united with a certain Digimon, I suppose this power will come to. The only problem is, the prophecy about the Dark Digidestined speaks of a great evil...but you don't seem like evil material!" Izzy said in what he could only see was compassion. Terra had obviously been through a lot in the last while. Who knew how long she had been a prisoner of the Dark Masters before they had gotten her out of there. He shook his head, thinking to himself.

**********

Piedmon's face lit up in a malevolent smile as he looked through the giant telescope at the world below. Over the acres and acres of Digital land, he could see the Digidestined, and one more girl walking along side them.

"Got you!"

**********

Terra stopped suddenly, hugging herself as a chill passed her, and crawled up her spine, coming to rest on the back of her neck. "Is something wrong?" Kari asked her, seeing her sudden discomfort. "No...nothing, I'm okay!" Terra forced a smile, and kept on walking.

**********

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Well.....should we go get her?" Puppetmon asked impatiently, watching the clown-like Digimon in silent resentment.

Piedmon closed his eyes briefly, and sat back in his chair, thinking. Finally, his eyes opened, and the gaze he gave Puppetmon left the wooden creature cowering. "No!" Piedmon responded, his throat gaining an edge that made the answer sound more like a growl.

Puppetmon opened his mouth to speak, but shut it abruptly as he caught the look on Piedmon's face. His eyes had narrowed and were shifting left and right, as though he were in a deep, animated thought. His lips formed a thin line, which looked un natural, as though it had been cut into his face with a knife.

Puppetmon left the dark room, consumed in his own thoughts of what could be a future rebellion. Piedmon had turned back to his telescope, and silently watched the group of children moving away from the large Citadel. He wondered momentarily if they even knew what they had taken from him. He caught himself, and his eyes opened a little wider. What they had taken of him!

With not another thought, he slowly stood, casting one last look at the direction that he had seen the group of Digidestined move, and then disappeared in a flash of smoke.

*****

"I still cannot understand what possible intention Piedmon had with you!" Izzy piped up, while the Digidestined stood beneath the shade of a tree. "I mean...I would have thought he would have just gotten rid of you if you were somehow in the way!"

Terra shrugged helplessly. "I really don't understand anything myself ever since I got here!" Terra sighed sadly. Mimi came up to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry....we felt just like you do now....but it'll be all right!"

Terra smiled, and nodded. "You know....I wonder if it's possible...." Izzy spoke, as he watched Terra. "What?" Joe asked. "Well....you all remember what we were told about the....DarkDigidestined?" Izzy asked, looking around the group. Joe laughed, and shook his head. "Oh come on! You can't actually think that Terra could be evil enough to be the DarkDigidestined do you?"

Izzy laughed back, but his smile turned to a thin line on his lips as he watched Terra walk ahead of them, talking to Mimi.

Suddenly, in a flash of light a smoke, a figure materialized out of thin air, and Terra gasped in fright. Yet as her eyes firmly rested on the figure, she couldn't help but feel a little...glad! "PIEDMON!" Sora screamed. Piedmon looked down at them and scoffed. "Obvisously...now if you don't mind...first I'll destroy you all....with the exception of you my dear..." He faltered as he saw Terra, now cowering behind Joe and Izzy. "You leave her alone you ugly clown!" Tai called out! "SHE IS NONE OF YOUR CONCERN DIGI-DESTINED!" Piedmon screamed. "CLOWN TRICK!" A great wind descended on the group of children, and they fell on their backs, full force. Piedmon took the opportunity to grab Terra, and hauled her off her feet forcefully, and into the air. He crushed her against him and looked at the small group below him furiously. "Your intrusion on me may have been easy the first time....but mark my words you brats...I WILL DESTROY YOU!"

Before any of the Digimon could Digivolve, Piedmon had vanished. Izzy looked about, and sighed. "I think we can be sure that Terra is the Dark DigiDestined...or else Piedmon wouldn't want her back so badly!" Mimi nodded. "But she's no nice....how could she be evil?" She asked. Tai stood motionless, looking back at the place where Terra and Piedmon had disappeared to. Sora came up beside him, and narrowed her eyes in thought. "You know...call me crazy but it's almost as if he...." She hesitated, and shook her head. "...never mind!"

Tai nodded, and turned back to the group. "Alright...looks like we gotta head back and think of a better plan!"

**********

"Why can't you just leave me alone..." Terra whimpered, cowering at the corner of the large, dark room. Piedmon stood in front of her, exposed in the single ray of light that shone into the darkness. "Your friends may have saved you once....but they will not be so lucky next time!" Piedmon half-hissed, half-boasted. "What do you mean?" Terra asked fearfully. "I mean....I know they are coming to find you...and when they get here...." Piedmon broke into a low, sadistic laugh, that sounded like a growl.

Terra gasped, and her eyes began to glow slightly. However, Piedmon intercepted the power building up by the force of her mix of fear and anger. "Oh, I don't think so!" He said with what could only be described as pure enthusiasm. He grabbed her chin gently, and tapped her cheek with his finger. "I don't think we'll be doing any more of that tonight dear girl! You may get away with it when dealing with Puppetmon...but you will find me to be much less....forgiving!"

Terra closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the dull light had vanished, and she found to her discomfort that she had locked eyes with Piedmon. For a moment, nothing happened, then Piedmon's eyes slowly traveled away from hers, as if he were forcing himself to look away from a state of hypnotism.

"Well....I think it's time for you to rest!" He commented, finally backing away from her. "But I..." Terra started, and was cut short as Piedmon lay one hand over her eyes, and she passed out into sleep. With that, he carried her to a deeper part of the Citadel, where the carpet and lining was a blood red, and the assortment of furniture which was limited to a grand bed and a table with chairs was black. He placed her down on the bed slowly, and allowed himself a short look at her.

Then, without another word, Piedmon left his bedchamber, and locked the door behind him.

To Be Continued...

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