Fading Light Diaries

EP : 1 Child of a Darker Destiny

darkangel98s

"I'v woken now, to find myself in the shadows of all I have created."

        "Away from Me" Evanessence 

Medical attention was difficult to come by in Burundi, even had his mother and 
father had been inclined to find some, and they certainly were not. Sebastion 
had crawled away from his father's angry voice, the cruel sting of his belt and 
his words, feaver wracking his body and taking his strength. The injuries to his 
face had opened again, but he did not even notice the blood that trickled down 
from the edge of his bandages. He had to get away, had to find peace, had to 
find a place where he could die.

"Child of the Devil!!!" Another lash from his father laid him flat, and he did 
not have the strength to try and rise again. This would be the end, and it was 
one he deserved, corrupted as he was. Agent of darkness, servend of the devil, 
as both of his parents had deemed him to be. As more lasheds fell, and and 
darkness began to take him for what he hoped was the final time, something 
unfelt before swirled up, briefly, a flicker of emotions never felt before. 
Rage, hate, and lothing rolled up in him, and promised death for those that had 
done this to him even as he succumed to the darkness.

****************************************************************

Patamon had tried his hardest, had done all his little body could do against 
their foe, and it had been for nothing. He lay spent and beaten at the feet of 
the monster that called itself Devimon, unable to fight any longer. Sebastion 
could only watch as the monster, something akin to a beast from hell, kicked his 
companion and friend sending the poor patamon into a lazy arc that landed it 
into a nearby wall.

"Foolish Children..." Devimon shook his head, and looked over at Sebastion. "Why 
is it that ALL of you try so hard, even against hopeless odds?"

Long legged strides began to close the distance between the child and his 
monsterous foe, and Sebastion looked over at his friend and protector, and felt 
anger and sadness. How could someone so strong pick on someone so weak? How 
could such evil be allowed to hurt so many? 

His eyes blazed with inner determination, and his hand reached into his shirt, 
grasping to the one thing he had always believed in, his symbol of hope, 
goodness, and light. His cross came free from the chain around his neck, and 
shone in the faint light of day as he brandished it like a shield before him.

"WE STAND AGAINST YOU BECAUSE WE HAVE FAITH, DEMON!!! WE BELIEVE IN SOMETHING 
BETTER THAN WE ARE, A HOLY SPIRIT THAT CAN NOT BE DENIED!!!" For a moment the 
cross seemed to shine with it's own inner light, and even Devimon stopped, 
feeling the power of the boys faith seem to take almost physical form. The two 
of them were a mere arms reach from each other.

"YOU HAVE NO POWER HERE DEMON!!! BEGONE FROM THIS PLACE, OR BURN IN THE POWER OF 
FAITH!!!" Sebastion's voice echoed across the ruined buildings, echoing far and 
wide. He had total faith, he believed absolutely in the power of his god, in his 
holy protection. 

He nearly cried, even among all of the fear and the pain from the sudden tight 
grip crushing his hand around his cross. He believed in the God, he believed in 
his love and protection more than anything else in this world. How could 
something so evil, so obviously of darkness stand against it?

"You are a fool, even for one of your lot. How can someone like you wave a piece 
of metal at me and yell a few words, and expect me to leave? You have no power 
against me, little boy. You never have and never will."

Devimon looked into his eyes. "What was it you said? Burn in the power of faith? 
Let me show you real power, and see how you like burning in it." The cross 
suddenly felt like it was made of fire and smoke began to rise from his hand 
clenched inside Devimon's. He screamed, his voice a harsh, shrill knife in the 
wind. But his eyes met Devimon's and he could not look away. He felt the demon 
crawl withing his mind, sliding through all the pain that filled it, like a slug 
that left it's slimy taint all across his thoughts, and he screamed harder 
still.

Devimon smiled. And Sebastion felt something crawl deep within him, and his 
voice fell away. 

"Now that was a suprise. I had no idea someone like you would have such a well 
of evil to draw upon. So much darkness and hate deep down inside your heart. So 
much anger, so much evil, restrained by the religion your... father instilled in 
you from birth." He released the boys hand, and despite the smoke rising from 
his flesh, Sebastion simply fell down without a sound , sitting hard on the hard 
stone beneath him, and looked up at the monster standing over him. 

"What did you do to me?"

"I released the demon within you, let your true self free, set you loose to 
follow your destiny." His grin was horrible in it's unrestrained pleasure. "I 
have let you free to be the monster you always should have been, oh child of 
darkness." 

"NO!!! I AM GOOD!!! I AM NOT LIKE YOU!!!" 

"We will see very soon won't we... Brother." 

Sebastion screamed, a new sound, not of fear or pain, but of pure rage, of a 
hate that rose up so fast, so viciously that he could not contain it, had to 
release it. The cross, burned to his flesh tore, free as he clawed his way to 
his feet, as he tore at the dark figure before him. Devimon backhanded him 
suddenly, with force like a sledgehammer, and send Sebastion sprawling into a 
building near Patamon. Laughter followed down into darkness as did the sound of 
his father and others arriving.

*********************************************************************

Sebastion jerked awake, and felt the world spiral in and out of darkness, as 
pain wracked his body in waves. His movements were almost seizure like in it's 
movement, and he barely had the air in his lungs to whimper. He felt someone, 
who he did not know, lay hands on him, and restrain him. They spoke one of the 
African dialects, one Sebastion did not know, then switched over to a heavily 
accented english. 

"Sit still, please. It will ease the pain and help you breath better. Try as 
hard as you can, little one." Sebastion tried as hard as he could, but the pain 
was too great, and finally he felt someone hold his arm, and a needle pierce his 
flesh. "I was loth to give you drugs little one, but had no choice. You will 
relax quickly."

Within moments, Sebastion felt his pain ease and his body slacken. His breath 
came in short gasps. His vision had cleared and he found himself looking into 
the eyes of a tall black man, wearing the uniform of one of the Burundi 
Military. He was looking in Sebastions eyes with something that resembled 
concern. 

He pulled a penlight from one of his chest pockets, and shined it in each of 
Sebastions eyes in turn, and sighed. "You understand English, yes, little one?"

Sebastion tried to nod and felt the waves of nausea return. "I will take that 
for a yes. Do not move your head, just try and speak. You are one of the 
missionaries, yes?"

It took a few tries for him to form the words, but finally he did. "Yes."

The man was silent for a long time, before speaking again. "They will not accept 
you back. For whatever reason they will not even admit you are one of them. One 
of them was seen dropping you off in front of this medical station, and leaving 
without a word. And when we questioned them, they said they had found you on a 
street, and wanted nothing to do with you."

He looked deep into Sebastion's eyes. "You are a child, and I see the look of 
the Missionaries leader in you. I do not undedrstand why they would cast you out 
like this." He smiled, though weakly. "They believe EVERYONE can be saved under 
their God, and that no one is beyond it. Especially the one that has the look of 
their leader." He paused for just a moment. "He is your father, yes?"

Sebastion nodded, and turned his head away away. He did not want to talk about 
what had happened when he had awoken from being struck down by Devimon.

He sat there, with this strange soldier watching him for several minuites. It 
was the stranger who broke the silence. "YOu can stay here until you are better, 
and I will try and get things straitened out with your father and the 
missionaries. There are laws, even here, about how you treat children. If I can 
do nothing, then I will call the U.N. and they will certainly do something." He 
rose from where he had been sitting beside Sebastions bed. "Rest now, you have a 
fever, and the wound on your face is infected. You need sleep to help the 
medicines work." He walked away, and Sebastion watched him go, feeling suddenly 
too tired even to continue watching for more than a few seconds. He fell into 
deep sleep, and darkess swam up around him, and for the second time he wished 
death, for himself or someone else, he had not the energy to contemplate.

**********************************************************************

The sudden rush of voices awoke him, and while he felt his face was freezing and 
his body beneath the sheets was on fire, he felt better, stronger. He slowly 
rose onto his elbows, and watched as numerous gurneys rolled past the door to 
his small room, surrounded by doctors and nurses as they rushed off to other 
destinations inside the hospital. There were ten in all, and he saw the familiar 
Burundi military uniform on more than one of those on the gurneys. 

He felt almost detached at seeing these injured men. Before encountering 
Devimon, he would have been concerned, but now he did not care either way. 
Something deep inside of him even felt glad at the pain they must be feeling, 
and he shivered as he felt that pleasure, so dark in it's origions. He pushed it 
out of his mind as the soldier who had spoken with him was passing his door, and 
glanced sideways. He saw Sebastion's eyes open, and paused, looking down the 
hallway, before changing direction and entering his room, to sit beside 
Sebastion. Both looked into the hallway for a long time.

"What happened?" Sebastion turned and looked up at his companion.

"An ambush from the Rebels. Most survived with minor injuries or field medical 
attention. Being the militarty medical liason here, I had to be present when 
they arrived." 

"Will they die?"

"If it is their destiny to die here, then it will be."

They were silent for long moments. The mention of destiny brought back dark 
memories, and he lowered his gaze. For long moments he thought about what had 
been said to him by Devimon. "You believe in Destiny?"

The man turned to him, and looked him in the eyes for a long moment. "Ya. I 
believe in destiny. If I didn't if I though life was just a bunch random things, 
then I would not be able to go back out there and do the work I do." He leaned 
back. "I do my best, on the path that life has choosen for me, with no regrets, 
and that lets me find peace within myself."

Sebastion was silent for a moment more. "Can you change your destiny?"

The soldiers response was swift this time, sure and steady. "You can walk off 
the path of your destiny. You can do that surely. But what kind of Life would 
you lead? What if I had gone to America when I had the chance, gone to school 
and become a doctor, and never returned here? My life would be diffrent. But I 
did not follow the plans others laid down for me..."

Sebastion thought he was done, and they set quietly for several minuites, and he 
nearly jumped when the soldier spoke again. "If I had gone, lived the life my 
father had decided for me, then who would be here, in my stead? Someone else 
certainly, but not me. Not the man who turned around at the airport, and walked 
out onto the streets, only to end up in the middle of a rebel bombing, there to 
use his medical training to save the lives of many men and women." He reached 
out and gave a squeeze of Sebastion's wrist, right above his burned and bandaged 
left hand. "I would not have been here to save you, my little friend."

*So much anger, so much evil, restrained by the religion your... father 
instilled in you from birth.* Those words echoed in Sebastion's head. His father 
had chosen his destiny as well.

"But what if your destiny isn't good like that. What if it is evil? What if it 
is to do bad things to good people?" His voice took on a strong passion, and he 
looked pleedingly at his companion. 

Again there was a long silence before he spoke. "Bad men show us what evil is, 
as well as good. Without one there can truely not be the other." He sighed. "We 
need evil to be good, do you understand? Like your god would not mean very much 
if their was on Satan to challange him. It would all mean nothing." He looked 
down and Sebastion. "I know I ramble, but do I make any sense?"

Sebastion looked worried but nodded. 

"Do not let these thoughts trouble you, my little friend. You have your god to 
shelter you, as I do my beliefs. You will be what you are supposed to, so never 
look back." He gave his hand another squeeze. "I must look in on how the men do, 
but I will look in on you soon. Sleep now and do not let these things worry your 
mind any longer." He rose and left the room without a glance back.

********************************************************************

Sebastion did not sleep again, but stared at the darkness on the wall across 
from him. He felt it growing free within him. The world seemed to be shifting 
slightly off center for him. His body burned with fever, and the bandage across 
his face seemed to burn with it's own private fire. His hand also ached and he 
could barely move it. Each failed attempt to fully open his hand, each ache sent 
a flicker of rage through him. And he began to swear revenge on those that hurt 
him. He tried to rationalize that his thoughts were evil, but for whatever 
reason they seemed to feel right. It was tearing him apart inside, whatever it 
was that Devimon had released inside of him.

He did not even notice until Patamon had lept onto the bed, and climbed up 
beside him. "Sebastion, are you all right? I could not find you after I woke 
up." He looked at Sebastions injuries. "His did all of this to you? Oh NO!"

Memories of his father's beating flared to the surface, and hate swam up from 
the darkness like a shark, closing it's jaws around his mind, and he saw red for 
a few moments. Patamon was hit with something, and anger seemed to flare up 
within it's heart, and it's mouth snarled up. It would kill whomever did this. 
It would teach them to suffer. The feeling passed slowly, and it was left staing 
confusedly around the room, not understanding what had just happened.

Sebastion began to drag himself free from the covers, and after a staggery 
moment, caught his balance, and began to look for his things. He found his 
cloths and his digivice in a small wardrobe in the rooms corner, and shakely 
dressed himself. He felt more strength flow into his legs as he walked to the 
bathroom, and looked at himself in the mirror for the first time. He was a mass 
of bruises, and his face had a bandage that covered part of his face, starting 
at the right eye, and heading down across his cheek. He touched the bandage 
gently, peeling it off only to look at the puffy, clean cut that ran underneah. 
Devimon had done it with his final blow, and it would certainly scar. Another 
thing he needed to pay him back for.

He turned the lights off, and left his room as stealthfully as he could, walking 
down abandoned late night hospital floors, following signs until he was through 
a wide pair of double doors in into the chill night air, Patamon watching around 
him, following on his heel.

He was met by his friend, the soldier standing back away from him, a cigarette 
hanging loosely from one hand. He glanced back over his shoulder. "You don't 
have to go back to them, you know. We can find you help here. They will not hurt 
you again."

Sebastion quelled a sudden angry flash, how dare this man question him... "I 
have to go back. It is the answer to my destiny." 

The soldier nodded, and Sebastion moved to go past him. His arm stopped him, and 
he put the cigarette to his lips and slid off the jacket he was wearing. He 
handed it to Sebastion, who looked at him questioningly. "You have a fever, and 
it is cold out. You will get sicker." Sebastion looked at him for a moment 
longer, before taking the jacket, and slipping the too large garment on. He felt 
a heavy weight in his pocket, and slipped his hand in, closing it around a 
heavy, cold metal object. His eyes widened.

"They will not beat on a helpless child again, my friend. You are a man now, and 
deserve a man's right to protect himself." Sebastion tried to say something, but 
the soldier turned away and walked back towards the doors.

"I would help you if I could, but the U.N. would have my hide. But you always 
have a friend here, it you need one. You and your... Funny little dog." The 
doors opened and his new friend disappeared behind the silent whooshing as they 
closed.

"Thank you." He prayed he could come back here, and say it to he new friends 
face, but after tonight, one way or another he did not think he would be able 
to, or his friend would want him to.

********************************************************************

He entered the chapel of the mission his father had build, turning the lights on 
as he went past the door. He strode down the path between the pews, and knelt 
before the great cross at the churches back wall. His good hand surrounded his 
burned one, and he lowered his head.

"Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name. On Kingdom Come, thy will 
be done, on Earth as it is in heaven..." The words echoed in the silent chapel, 
and he felt as if he were truely alone, despite Patamon's presence. He felt as 
if there was no God here with him, even in this holy place.

"God, why have you abandoned me? I have tried to walk your path as truely as I 
could. I have tried to never falter, to hold all you are close to my heart. I 
loved you will all that I am." His breath caught in his lungs, and tears began 
to roll donw his cheeks. "I am your eternal servant. Why did you Abandon me?"

Anger welled up, from that place Devimon had set free, and he embaced it. "WHY! 
Is this how you treat your loyal followers? IS THIS HOW YOU TREAT THOSE THAT 
LOVE YOU!" His tears rolled in a torrent down his face, and his body shook with 
anger. "HOW DARE YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON ME, YOU BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU!!!"

"He dares because you have walked away from his path, child of the Devil!" He 
did no turn at his fathers voice. Simply wept. He heard his father walk down the 
very path he had followed to get here.

"You will speak no more blasphamey in the house of the Lord, heathen." He 
fathers steps were heavy and slow. He was taking his time. "This is a holy 
place, and your corruption is unwelcome in it!"

"I am welcome whereever I want father" He rose, more and more anger flowing 
forth from his rapidly blackening heart. "I am damned father. What should I care 
about God's House?"

He did not see the blow that sent him sprawling, but he did se the kick that 
doubled him over, gasping for breath. Patamon was suddenly there, "YOU WILL NOT 
HURT HIM ANY LONGER!!!" Despite the ferocity, his father gave Patamon a kick of 
his own, and sent the little digimon rolling away. 

"Another Demon. You prove yourself damned, even more than the words of Satan 
himself."

Another kick, and Sebastion rolled away. "He told us you were the child of the 
devil and that you were here to destroy all of us. That you were protected under 
his power, and that any of us who harmed you would suffer."

Another kick made Sebastion cry out, and rage flooded his pain and fever racked 
brain. Hate unlike anything he had ever even heard of filled him, and he felt 
that hate roll out around him, his digivice, clipped to his belt, suddenly 
flared to life, and darkness seemed to fill the chapel, and he felt for just the 
briefest of moments Patamon and he joining, mingling spirits, and Patamon 
drawing strength from him. When the darkness faded, his father had staggered 
back, and Sebastion rose. 

"What sorcery have you done, heathen?" His father stepped in, trying to land 
another blow, when a hand seemed to simply appear, catching his fathers fist, 
and with unnatural strength threw his father over a dozen feet away, back 
towards the main doors. Sebastion turned slowly, to look at his savior.

What stood there could only be described as an angel, but nothing about it 
seemed holy. Six wings of shiny jett black feathers hung from it's back, and 
it's body was covered in deep grey leather that seemed molded to flesh. The left 
arm had a spiral of thick rose thorns spiraling around it, and his right wore a 
heavy band of cold iron. It... No he, turned his head towards Sebastion. The 
mirrorlike black helm it wore allowed only for a glimps of cold black eyes 
beneath. It's voice brought to mind dark, dank places, and slide across his 
flesh like a fog. 

"What would you have of me, my master?" It then knelt and his feet, and still 
towered over him.

"YOU ARE THE ANTICHRIST!!! YOU ARE NO SON OF MINE!!! FELL GODS MIGHT< AND RETURN 
TO HELL WHERE YOU BELONG!!!" His father had withdrawn something from his shirt, 
and rushed forth, and Sebastion felt power fromwhatever it was. Nothing that 
could harm him, but power none the less. 

His father was but a few steps away, when Sebastion spoke. "Stop him." The dark 
angel seemed to blur, and he clothlined Sebastions father, dropping him to the 
floor in a heap. Darkness was filling him, and hate was singing in his ears for 
blood. He stomped on his fathers wrist with all of his might, and heard his 
father squeel. He knelt, wobbled as his head suddenly felt light, steadied 
himself, then pried open his fathers hand, to retreive the bastards most 
presious posession. A small wooden chip, barely the size of his thumb, came free 
and into his hand, and at a touch Sebastion could feel a kind of power buzz 
through him. He rose, and kicked his father in the side of the face. 

"This really is a piece of the true cross, isn't it 'Father'." He placed great 
emphasis on the single word, expressing in it all of his new found dark deisres 
and hate. "You call me the antichrist? So be it 'Father', I shall become that 
which my destiny has made me for." He tossed the piece of the true cross un and 
down for a moment, as his father tried to crawl away. He looked and the wood as 
it made small arcs up and down, then at his other hand, burned with the shape of 
a cross in it's palm, then up at the crusifix on the chapels back wall. 

He looked down at his pathetic abuser, this fool man of god, and felt as if his 
flesh was hot enought to start melting from his bones. He made on final toss and 
snatched the cross piece from the air, and listened to the dark impulses flowing 
up from deep within himself, which seemed quite reasonable to his fever ridden 
mind. "All of these crosses give me an idea." 

**********************************************************************

They had come at the screams, and had to bring the door down to get in, and what 
they found made all of them step back. The Father had been crucified, hung from 
the very cross he had preached under, and the crusifix itself had been hung 
upside down. The fathers screams had died down to whimpers. A single figure 
stood inside, the Father's son, whom that had all seen beaten, and hear the 
tales of the demon that had claimed him. Most had not believed until this very 
moment. 

"Oh..." Sebastion looked at them, and smiled sadly. "I guess our time together 
is over now, 'Father'" Sebastion leaned forward and gave his father a gentle 
kiss on the forehead, then backed up a step, and pulled the gun the soldier had 
left in his coat free, and placed one bullet cleanly in his fathers face.

Several screams tore free from diffrent people present, and a few that had 
brought weapons expecting rebel raiders, raised them, and fireing without 
hesitation. Their bullets never connected, as the newly evolved Fallen Angemon 
moved so fast that he seemed to simply appear between Sebastion and the gunfire. 
The bullets seemed to bounce right off the soft looking wings he had wrapped 
around himself, and the locals stopped firing, to stare dumbfounded at what had 
appeared.

"What do you want done master?"

"Kill them all... Leave none who know of us alive. The world should not know of 
my coming just yet."

Then the true screams began in earnest.

***********************************************************************

Devimon watched from a distance, smiling. The child had swung from purity to 
evil so fast it still amazed him. He would need to be brought to heel and serve 
him soon, but he still had time. More than enough time to bring this weapon 
under his control. He slipped back into the shadows, faintly chuckling. Let Her 
try and stop him now...

THE END

NEXT

E.P. 2

Dark Messages...