Chapter Four
The Crest of Loyalty swung steadily on it's string as Matt walked relaxedly alongside the small spiderish digimon that was his new companion. Whatever he had once seen in Gabumon, or his old friends, he could not remember. Truth be told, He couldn't really remember much of anything from before meeting Atemon, though Matt didn't realize it. The further back in his life his thoughts went, the more he could remember. His childhood was mainly intact, but the past few years had blurred and mixed so that every memory ran together and could not be put to a date or an age. Matt could remember some things about the digidestined, but it all seemed vague and elusive. The only thing that stood out were faces and names, and hatred. Hatred was attached to almost every thought, seeping through his mind, overwhelming at times. Especially when his thoughts turned to Tai.
Matt really had no idea what had happened to him, he didn't realize that anything had occured, and he wouldn't have cared at the moment if he noticed. Atemon grinned up at him, and Matt grinned back. Atemon had been a good friend so far, sharing his ideas, opinions, and giving Matt gifts. Matt had accepted each present happily, the new outfit of clothes Atemon produced had been most appreciated, though Matt prefered brighter colours that black.
Atemon waddled along with his newest dupe. He's found quite a few before, though none really possessed the intelligence to use what they had been given. Atemon was not the type willing to risk his own neck. This boy though was a real treasure, already so filed with darkness and negativity, he'd been easy to win over. Having a digidestined in his thrall was the amzing part though, and it was going to pay off. It was his time now, Atemon could feel it. Energy coursed through his tiny body, almost to the point of bursting. He was finally digivolving!
Atemon digivolve to....Cronosmon!
All physical sense abruptly vanished, and a new higher sense flooded in. He had no body, no place, but he felt as though he was everywhere, filling everything. He could see nothing, but was aware of everything. He could feel limitless power surging rampant within his consciousness, and he struck out brutally with it. Nothing happened. Taken aback, the newly born Cronosmon remembered the stories of the legendary Cronosmon.
Cronosmon felt sticken. All this power he could feel within him, but without a form he was unable to use it himself. he would have to enslave other digimon to use as his vessels, as the other Cronosmon had. If he could smile, he would have. He had control of the one thing his counterpart did not, one of the digidestined. That would be the only slave he needed.
Using nothing but his thought, Cronosmon spun his power into threads, weaving them together in a tangable recpticle of his might. The finished product was a long black cloak, fashioned after the ledgends of Cronosmon. The young digidestined watched in awe as the strange cloak seemingly wove itself in the air in front of him.
~'Do you accept this cloak?'~ Cronosmon asked directly to the boy's mind. Matt nodded slowly as he gave his accent, his eyes gleaming dully, absent of thought. The cloak flared as though caught in the wind, floating downward, it sprialed around Matt, settling itself around his shoulders. The clasp locked tight with an audible 'click'.
Matt was driven to his knees, holding his head between his hands as the cloak took hold. It slithered through every crevice of his mind, erasing and destroying every pure and happy thought that laid within. Matt dimly fought against the unwanted invasion the deepest part of himself trying to save some remenent of his real self. Unaware, Matt managed to bury and seal of a small part of his true self, his only really good memories of times spent with TK and Gabumon, his love of music and cooking. The cloak rippled in a silent snarl, continuing to work through the rest of Matt's mind, erradicating and corrupting all it could reach. The cloak did not finish until any outward reminiscent of Matt survived, and a being of rage and hate had been created from what was left.
Matt stood slowly, a grin flashing across his face. He couldn't see Cronosmon, but he could feel the formless digimon all around, hear him like a constant murmuring in the back of his head. He felt more aware than he ever had before. He seemed to sense things from all around, a huge overwhelming barage of useless information from everywhere at once. He tried to concentrate on what was right before him, closing out the other sensations.
Matt rasied a hand, pointing toward a thick blue tree. Just by his his thoughts, the tree was completely obliterated, dissappearing in a digital haze. He blew an unoffending rock intoa pile of rubble before it too vanished into data. What ever was in his sight Matt destroyed without a second thought.
~'Fear...Misery...Hatred...Pain...Suffering...,'~ Cronosmon whispered, ~'that is your purpose. You will destroy the digidestined for me so that I can rule the digiworld.'~ Matt smiled, he liked the thought of obliterating the digidestined, it thrilled him. He remembered something faintly, they had somehow caused him pain, they deserved his hatred.
~'They do,'~ Cronosmon agreed, ~'and you will return that pain a hundredfold.'~ Matt nodded grimly. ~'Death and misery is what they deserve, then I can rule. Trust me. None will be able to defeat us, I am unstoppable. Not even the legendary Cronosmon will be able to stand against us together.'~ The deep voice continued to buzz in the back of Matt's mind, raving of fire and death and burning.
Matt stormed through the forset, destruction left in his wake He headed in the direction he could feel the digidestined from. Something was happening where they were, something big. There were explosions and devestation. The feeling of Death itself. ~'TK!'~ A part of his mind shouted. ~'I have to get to TK!'~ It finished desperately. He couldn't quite identify the voice, and in no way did he recognize it as his own, but he knew it was right. He had to get to TK.
Matt picked up speed, running throught the forest, the trees appearing only as brightly hued blurs. Although startled, Cronosmon did not mind this turn off events. It didn't matter that a part of the real Matt had managed to survive. The boy was taking him to another who could be his slave, this TK that the boy felt he must reach. Another Digidestined. Everything would work out fine. Nothing could go wrong, he was Cronosmon.
The man smiled deeply. "I finally get to kill you, Tai, you and the digidestined. I couldn't in the future, you were becoming too powerful." Tai shook unintentionally. The man's voice was devoid of all emotion, talking of their deaths as though he were just ordering a meal. "I will save you for last. You will get to watch all the others die, just to show you how big a failure you were."
The stranger looked at each of the digidestined, and then levelled a hand at Sora. Matt shot into the clearing, wearing a black cloak like that of their attacker's. The man didn't take notice, as he called forth his power to destroy the trembling girl in front of him. The inky beam tore through the air, seeming to cut it's way across the clearing.
Hollering wordlessly, TK ran forward, jumping between Sora and the dark light, protecting her. The shot connected, exploding into the young boy's chest. They both flew backward, TK and Sora, smashing down onto the hard blasted ground.
"TK!" The rest of the digidesined shouted with one voice. Tai, Joe, Izzy and Mimi raced over to where TK and Sora landed, worry and fear etched deeply into their faces. Sora was holding TK tightly, rocking slightly. Tears glistened as they slid down her cheeks.
"Tai, I-I think he's..." Sora trailed off disconsolately, unable to finish the sentence, as though saying it would make it true. Tokomon joined her, crying harshly, and pressing up against his human partner. TK's flesh felt too cool to the touch.
"Joe," Tai pleaded. "Can't you do anything?"
Joe shook his head somberly. "I'm sorry. Not even if we were in a hospital, there wouldn't be anything to do."
Mimi got up and walked over to where Matt was. He had fallen to his knees, shock painted across his face. She went to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he pushed her away harshly. The others stepped back from TK's still body, walking carefully towards Matt.
"I'm sorry, Matt," Joe apologized. "There isn't anything I can do for him." He hung his head down, wishing that there had been something that could have saved TK, but there had been no time. It was all done and over with in a matter of seconds.
Sora joined them as a soft mouring silence fell over everything in the clearing. There was nothing left to say. TK was gone.
The stranger walked lightly over to where TK's body lay, the man's movements stiff and halting. TK's face looked unnaturally peaceful, a calm only obtained in death. The man kneeled over the small boy, half reaching out towards him in disbelief. "TK," he whispered, his voice strained. "I'm so sorry, TK. I never wanted to hurt you." he cried quietly. "I always wanted to protect you, I had to look out for you. I forgot, I forgot everything. I hope you can forgive me." he finished, his head bowed as he pulled the hood off from over his face.
The digidestined watched the strange sceen unfold, completely confussed by the man's behaviour. As the hood came off they stood looking at the man in wonder. He was older, much older, that was for sure. Grey streaked through the blonde hair at his temples, but there was no denying it. It was Matt. The digidestined swung their heads back and forth between the two Matts in the clearing. The younger Matt still seemed completely unaware of anything around him since when TK had been struck down.
"This is impossible!" Izzy proclaimed, this whole thing deeply shocking his strict scientific beliefs.
"I would have to agree." Joe added, cleaning his glasses.
The older Matt looked up at the other digidestined, guilt and shame polluting his blue eyes. "I told you I was from the future," he said softly.
"But I don't understand," Sora said, approaching him cautiously. "How did this happen, Matt."
"Yamato," he corrected absently. "I haven't gone by Matt in years." He sighed, looking down at TK. "After I ran off one day, for me a long time ago, I wanted revenge. I found a digimon who offered to help me get it. He digivolved into Cronosmon." Yamato explained wearily."He had to give me some of his power, but later it turned out I was stronger than him. I overpowered him and he became a nothing. He's still around somewhere, but he's helpless. I just wanted to find Tai, I wanted to show him I was better than him. Now I've cost TK his life." He trailed off grief stricken, staring intensely at his younger brother's lifeless form.
~TK..~ The younger Matt thought over and over from across the clearing. His brother was dead.~Dead.~ Matt was completely ignorant of everything going on around him, only looking inward.
~'Get up!'~ Cronosmon ordered, impressing his will on Matt. He stood up jerkily, like a puppet. ~'You still have to kill them! You must do as I say!'~ Matt struggled against the command, but his own will was ensnared. He raised his hand and fired a bolt of darkness into the middle of the clearing. A huge explosion rocked the digidestined to the ground. He fired again, which barely missed clipping Tai. Tai was quick enough to dart out of the way of the black light, diving to the turf.
Getting up and brushing himself off, Tai stalked towards Matt, no longer afraid. He stood face to face with him and punched Matt as hard as he could in the face. Matt was forced back by the blow. Snarling, he leaped forward, tackling Tai to the ground. Sitting astride him, Matt grabbed Tai's neck, strangling him with his hands.
~'Kill him! Destroy him!'~ Cronosmon ordered over and over again. Matt tightened his grip, choking the life out of Tai. Despite all the bad feelings Matt had towards Tai, his real self shouted for Matt to stop. The thundering voice of Cronosmon almost drowned out the other command, but it still had an impact. Flinching, Matt pulled away suddenly, scrambling backwards off of Tai.
~'I said kill him!'~ Cronosmon hollered through his mind. Matt shook his head vigorously as if it would stop the awful voice. Matt's eyes darted around, lost and confused. How could this have happened? Everything felt wrong, but he couldn't understand how exactly.
Cronosmon struck out with his thoughts, attacking Matt's mind. The boy was struggling, trying to break free. Cronosmon could not tolerate this, he demanded absolute obedience from the boy. Focusing his attack, Cronosmon put all his power into taking complete controll over Matt's consciousness. Any stirrings of rebellion were erased as Cronosmon impressed thoughtless obedience on his slave.
A cruel grin spread across Matt's face, his eyes darkening completely as they glazed over, glossy and vapid. Still smiling, Matt struck out with an onslaught of explosions, filling the charred clearing with midnight light. The digidestined and their digimon tried to flee, unable to stand up to the assault. A black dome shimmered into view, and solidified, trapping the kids within it.
Matt channeled all of Cronosmon's power into a final devastating blow to kill the rest of the digidestined. It hurled through the air, thundering toward the kids, but they stood firm, bracing themselves for impact. The black light halted, spitting light a snake, trying to push forward toward it's prey. Yamato stepped infront of the beam, and waving a hand, the beam vanished.
Matt stared down at his older self, unaware of who it was that he faced. He launched attack after attack, but his opponent simply made the beams shatter into nothingness. Closing the distance slowly, Yamato approached his past self, striking Matt with a blow of his own.
Matt was thrown backward across the blackened grass, landing heavily in a tangled heap. Cronosmon forced him to stand, despite any injuries. As he struggled to hold himself up Matt's eyes were drawn to the ground before him. TK's dead eyes stared up at him, taunting him, accussing him. Matt jumped back as though burned, then looked up at the man he had been attacking. In Cronosmon's thrall he was not prepared to deal with certain truths which rained down upon him. ~I killed TK,~ his mind whispered. Thoughts broke through Cronosmon's barrier, flooding into Matt's consciousness. ~I killed TK,~ he repeated. Matt looked down blankly at his brother, not wanting to accept this reality. He looked again at his older self, recognizing him as the man stepped forward. "I killed TK." Matt said outloud, the words strained and bitter. The man nodded, watching Matt intently.
Yamato looked thoughtfully at the boy infront of him, it was hard to remember when he had ever been this young. He had a chance now, a chance to fix everything he had done wrong, all the mistakes he had made. He could put things right again. "You can save TK, Matt." he adressed his younger self. Hope lit momentarily in Matt's flat eyes. "Take off the cloak, Matt."
~"No!'~ Cronosmon shrieked, ~'you can't, you're mine!'~ Matt's eyes darkened and cloded over as Cronosmon grappled within him for control, trying to find a foothold. "No." Matt responded angrily, " It won't do anything. TK's dead. Nothing can change that." The words were grim and final.
Yamato smiled sadly, he had faith that he could do the right thing. "Things can change. If you take off the cloak, everything I've done can be erased, I will never exist. I couldn't have come back, and never have killed TK. Just take off the cloak." Yamato reasoned.
Was it true? Would it work? Matt silently asked himself the questions repeatedly. It sounded right, he could save TK, that was all that really mattered. TK. He could try.
Steading himself, Matt fought internally against Cronosmon's power, trying to break free of the darkness polluting his thoughts. Cronosmon growled menacingly, coiling in upon himself, possessing Matt's mind. Matt flexed his trapped will, clinging to the hope that he could still change things, he could still save TK. With an excrutiating slowness, fragments of his mind broke away, reawakening, giving Matt new strength. Cronosmon held on tightly, not willing to give up what was his, he was Cronosmon, he HAD to win.
Shaking and unsure, Matt's hands came up, gripping fiercely at the inky fabric of the cloak. Cronosmon shrieked deafeningly throughout Matt's head, throwing all his power into maintaining his control. Focussing all his energy into doing one task, Matt tore off the cloak, the shining cloth ripping apart. Writhing and shrieking as though alive, the cloak broke, unraveling into threads, each strand vanishing into nothingness as the digiworld consumed it. Cronosmon called out one last time, a wail of pure anguish that was cut off abruptly.
Yamato looked down at TK, then at Matt, smiling proudly. "Thank you," he said softly as his form began to fade, light filering through as he dissappeared, his exisistance completely erased from the universe.
TK's chest heaved suddenly, and he coughed roughly as air rushed deep into his lungs again.He sat up groggily, looking around with tired blue eyes. "Hey Matt," he said, looking up at his brother. "What happened?"
Matt glanced away, ashamed. "Nothing, TK," he lied, unable to tell his younger brother the truth of what he had done.
A light slowly flooded into the devestated clearing, shining beautifully over everything. At it's gentle touch all the damage that Yamato had caused was undone. the charred grass was green, trees reappeared, blossoming colourfully. When the white light winked out, the clearing was as it had been when the digidestined first found it.
Matt walked of silently to the far edge of the clearing, sitting down against a tree trunk, unsure of what he should do. He had just tried to kill everybody, he had almost succeeded. He had tried to choke Tai with his own hands. There was nothing he could ever say or do that could truly make things all right again. No one could forget what had happened, nor should they. Matt was guilty of the worst kind of betrayals.
The other digidestined walked over to him, crowding around. Tai shuffled forward, staring at the ground as though it was fascinating. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Matt's digivice and crest, holding them out in front of him. "I kept these for you, Matt." Tai murmured sheepishly. He sighed somewhat, closing his eyes. "I want you to come back tot he digidestined, Matt. I'm sorry I told you to leave."
Matt looked up at each of the other kids, searching their faces. They all honestly seemed to want him back, even Tai. How could they want him back after what he had done? Matt's gaze turned slowly to the objects in Tai's outstretched palm. Hesitantly, he reached out to take them. He held his crest in his hand a moment, studying it thoughtfully. The Crest of Friendship, he certainly didn't live up to it. He felt unworthy of it. He'd almost hurt everyone, but they still liked him. That was a big part of friendship, you liked someone despite mistakes they made or faults they had. He hadn't really lived up to any of those conditions. Matt slipped the tag over his head, and tucked it safely beneath his shirt. He could try.
The others around him let out a collective sigh. "Good to have you back, Matt." Sora smiled happily. Mimi bent down and hugged him tightly. The others all murmured over top of each other that they were glad he was back and would join them again.
Joe cleared his throat, ending the quiet chatter. "Now that everything is all right again, why don't we get some sleep?" The idea was well accepted, there hadn't been much time for resting last night.
Gabumon grinned up at his partner, patting his shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay, Matt." the little wolf digimon gave him a quick hug and walked over to sleep with the other digimon.
The digidestined all moved off toward the center of the clearing, lighting up a new fire. The digimon had all reverted to how they were before the fight, which still meant dead tired either way.
Matt stayed behind, leaning back against his tree, looking up at the paling sky. It would be morning soon. Joe had said that now everything was all right. Was everything right? Matt wondered. Was he?
He had no answer.
