Post by legendhiro on Sept 16, 2008 14:35:37 GMT -5
Contents: Chapters 6 - 8
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Chapter 6
Jeremy is Suspect;
Manipulamon’s Greatest Pawn
“Welcome fellow Digidestined,” said Jeremy, waving us through a gap in the brush, “to my digital home away from home, the Hidden Amphibian Village!”
We stepped through and found ourselves in a village of small huts built of reeds, barely as tall as me, scattered around a much taller open structure made of log pillars covered by a reed roof. There were several long logs, cut in half, placed inside the structure, flat side up. I figured immediately that this was the village dining hall, and probably the village equivalent of a town hall as well. Behind the main village was a large, Lilly-pad-filled lake rimmed with green algae. Suspended above the lake, on wooden stilts, was a much larger hut for the chief. There was a large reed built gondola positioned out front.
At first we saw no Digimon, but then they started stepping out of their huts tentatively, stepping close to us to get a look. There were three distinct types; tadpole-like Digimon with stubby fin/legs that came either red or blue, and gangly green frogs that stood about two feet tall on their hind legs, each carrying a brass horn on one of their shoulders. There were about fifty of them altogether.
Jeremy introduced the Digimon to us. “The green ones are Gekomon, Adult Level,” he said, “and the blue and red ones are Otamamon, Child Level. Their color depends on their type.”
Just then an eight-foot-tall fat red frog with a horn on each shoulder emerged from the hut above the lake and stepped into the gondola and rowed across using his broad webbed hands as rowers. Upon seeing their chief emerge, the Gekomon and Otamamon bowed, waiting to rise until their chief had reached us. “And this,” said Jeremy, gesturing to the new arrival, “is Chief ShogunGekomon. He’s the one who gave me my Crest and Digiplayer and told me about my quest and where to go next.”
“It is good to see you again Jeremy,” said ShogunGekomon in a booming baritone, “and it is good to see that you have found the others. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what, or who awaited you at the bridge, but trust that I had my reasons.”
“Its cool. Don’t worry about it.”
“Now please,” said ShogunGekomon, “I already know your names, so let us skip the introductions. Please join us for evening meal and the night’s meeting. We have much to discuss.”
ShogunGekomon turned away from us and let out a bellowing croak. When he did, Gekomon and Otamamon came running from their huts with large, green mats that they set out along the flat-sided logs. A few of the Gekomon then ran back to some of the huts close to the central structure that I now noticed were longer and taller than the others. They ran strait inside and re-emerged almost immediately with extra mats for my team and myself, as well as various bowls and platters covered in leafy veggies, mushrooms, fruit, bugs, and algae. Another group retrieved enough wooden bowls and plates for everyone, passing them down the length of the log tables. I have to admit, there precision impressed me.
ShogunGekomon sat at the end of the longer table behind a large tree stump upon which sat a bowl and two plates. We were seated near him. “Normally,” ShogunGekomon said, “I eat more than my fellows, for reasons that I’m sure are quite obvious. But today, I share what little food I have with you.”
“Actually,” I told him, opening my over shirt sack to reveal our remaining supply of mushrooms and meat apples, “its us who will share with you.” I handed him one of the larger of the apples, “For your hospitality.” Then I turned to my friends and divided the rest of the food amongst us.
“Your kindness is greatly appreciated,” said on of the Gekomon across the table, “but please, there is plenty of fruit and algae and mushrooms to go around. Please have some of whatever you want!”
“Well,” I said, taking a mushroom from the plate in front of me, “if you insist.”
Once the meal was over and the sun had begun to set, ShogunGekomon called a meeting to order. “I’m sorry to report that the affairs of our world have grown even more complicated my friends,” he said, Speaking more to us than to his people. “Recently, as most of you know, we have been allowing those who fight or flee Manipulamon to use our hidden village as a safe place to regain their strength. In doing so, we have been able to learn many things about current Digital World affairs. There is a rumor,” he said, speaking now only to us, “of a new presence in Manipulamon’s ranks with the power of a Digidestined. A Digimon with the power to Digivolve at will, and at least one companion that seems to call the shots. He has been hunting down fighters and tagging or destroying them for about a week now. No Digimon who has gotten close enough to see his face has escaped to tell of it, but all who have had the displeasure of meeting him in battle claim that he is an enemy easily as dangerous as Manipulamon himself. This is all I know, but I thought that my Digidestined allies should know all that I know.”
“Thanks,” I said, scowling at the theory forming in my mind. “We’ll sleep on this, and we’ll decide how to act on this information first thing tomorrow.”
With the meal out of the way, my team and I were lead to one of the taller longer huts. The one that the Gekomon didn’t bring food and dishes from. I noticed a group of Digimon taking the dishes from dinner to the pond to wash up. I would have offered to help, but I honestly didn’t want to. “You can sleep here,” our Gekomon escort said. “You’ll find bedrolls and blankets inside against the back wall.”
“Thank you,” said Jen, once she saw that I wasn’t going to say it. We ducked into the hut, and she elbowed me in the ribs, “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been distracted since the end of dinner.”
“Sorry,” I replied, “I’m just tired.” She seemed skeptical, but she excepted my answer, at least for now.
I stepped inside the hut and pilled on if the bedrolls down from stack against the wall. It consisted of a mat, a stuffed cloth cylinder, and all blanket. The cloth was green and sturdy, though obviously made of interwoven leaves. The texture was different to say the least, but not at all uncomfortable.
The others were asleep fast, except for Mechmon who left to walk by the pond. I guess being a machine means you don’t have to sleep. Once I was sure they were all out, I sat up and removed the Digicomp from the tattered bad we had found with it and opened it up, turning the volume down to a whisper, and accessing the A.I. program.
“How can I help you?” the computer voice asked.
“Just one quick question.” I replied. “What can make a Digimon able to Digivolve at will?”
The answer was simple and sweet, and exactly what I didn’t want to hear. “The only thing that can give a Digimon the ability to Digivolve at will is a Digivice operated by a Digidestined.”
“Yeah,” I said, “that’s what I thought.”
“John, wake up!”
I shot up into a sitting position, startled, and saw the others running out of the hut. I leapt up and ran for the door. I stepped through to find three Kuwagamon and six Flymon flying back and forth over the village, tearing huts apart as they went. The sun was only a quarter risen.
“Crap!” I said. “I didn’t expect this. Okay guys, go to work!” Amanda and I raised our Digivices. “Initiate Digivolution!”
“Serpentmon, Digivolve to! Dragonterramon!”
“BlackColtmon, Digivolve to! BlackStaliamon!”
“Chickomon, Digivolve to! BrauntoPhoenixmon!”
BrauntoPhoenixmon leapt up and took to the sky, careful to avoid crushing any of the remaining huts. There were Gekomon and Otamamon running into the forest. One of the Kuwagamon gave chase, and was cut of by BlackStaliamon. The Digimon kept the enemies occupied until the Gekomon and Otamamon were all safely away.
“You gonna help?” I asked Jeremy.
“Yeah,” he said, “right. Initiate Digivolution!”
“Mechmon, Digivolve to!” He grew until he was a good 7’6” with a more human posture and rocket boosters on his back. He had folded up treads attached to his legs, and closed panels in his chest. Laser guns extended from his plug-shaped hands. “Mechamon!”
“Take them out!” growled Dragonterramon, charging ahead. BrauntoPhoenixmon flew low just behind him. BlackStaliamon ran with them at first, but veered to the right, while Mechamon veered left.
Dragonterramon called out his attack, spewing flames over one Kuwagamon, blowing it to bits. He was then immediately pelted by Flymon stingers, pumping him full of enough poison to bring him down. Meanwhile, before the Flymons’ stingers had had a chance to grow back, BrauntoPhoenixmon did a barrel roll strait through their ranks, slinging flames from his wings and incinerating them. Then BrauntoPhoenixmon spun mid-air, slamming a Kuwagamon with his tail. It fell from the sky, landing hard on its back, and was immediately crushed by BlackStaliamon’s attack.
Nearby, Mechmon was fighting against a single Kuwagamon, one on one. He fired several shots at point blank range, missing each time. He was hit by one of Kuwagamon’s Scissor Claw attacks and de-Digivolved to Mechmon. We were now only two strong.
It was then that three more Kuwagamon and six more Flymon rose up out of the surrounding trees. The Flymon launched their attacks, giving the Kuwagamon enough cover to get in close. BlackStaliamon could avoid the stingers easily, but the much larger BrauntoPhoenixmon was sure to be hit.
The stingers were only a few yards away when ShogunGekomon, back from showing his people to safety, jumped in the way, taking the hits himself. Then he was hit by Scissor Claw attacks from all three Kuwagamon at once. He fell over and broke apart.
“No!” I cried.
“Destroy those Digimon now!” Jen commanded, her face flushed with anger. Coltmon and Ponymon ran forward and called out their Hoof Tornado attack. The swirl of purple and red wind rose up, destroying two Flymon and drawing the rest together. Serpentmon leapt up and destroyed one with his Serpent Strike, while BrauntoPhoenixmon’s Dino Fire finished the rest.
BlackStaliamon kicked and destroyed two Kuwagamon with his back hooves, and smacked the third with his front hoof, knocking it onto its back. Then he called his attack, slamming the ground. Waves of concussive energy hammered the fallen foe, and it reverted to data as well.
“Dangit!” I screamed. The Digimon de-Digivolved and moved to where myself and the other humans were standing. I turned around and punched the tightly woven wall of the hut behind me. “ShogunGekomon just gave his life for us!” I yelled. By now the Gekomon and Otamamon were returning from the surrounding forest. I turned to face Jeremy and said, “This is all your fault!”
I ran strait at Jeremy and punched at his face. He raised his arms to absorb the blow, so I swung my other fist, catching him in the gut and dropping him to his knees. I was about to hit him again when Jen, my unnaturally strong cousin, grabbed my arm, “What are you doing?!”
“Don’t you get it!” I said. “The one who’s been working with Manipulamon the past few days is Jeremy! The Digicomp says that the only way a Digimon can freely Digivolve back and forth is with the help of a Digidestined, yet Manipulamon’s new general can freely Digivolve. And this is an enchanted village. You can’t get here unless you’re lead by someone who has already been shown the way, and yet the village was ambushed almost as soon as we arrived!”
By now the Gekomon and Otamamon, teary eyed over the loss of their beloved leader, were surrounding Jeremy, preventing his escape.
Jen, looking stunned, said in a low voice, “Check him for an M-Tag.”
“Here!” said one of the Gekomon, lifting Jeremy’s left sleeve. Sure enough, there was a tag attached to his arm. I reached forward to remove it, and stumbled, hit in the back by a wave of electricity. I turned abruptly to see Mechmon standing there, his eyes glowing red. Immediately Serpentmon and BlackColtmon were standing between Mechmon and myself, Serpentmon’s jaws wide, BlackColtmon’s hooves ablaze.
“Heh,” said Jeremy, “the only times you’ve ever seem my Digimon fight its been staged. You have no idea how powerful he really is. Mechmon, go! Initiate Digivolution!”
“Mechmon, Digivolve to, Mechamon!”
“That poison hit me hard,” said Serpentmon. “I need more time before I can Digivolve again.”
“I don’t,” said BlackColtmon.
“And we’ve got some fight left too,” said Coltmon. He and Ponymon stepped up beside Serpentmon and Chickomon, ready to give everything they had.
“Then let’s go,” I said. “BlackColtmon, Initiate Digivolution!”
“BlackColtmon, Digivolve to! BlackStaliamon!”
Mechamon jumped back, up into the air, and aimed his guns at BlackStaliamon. He fired, but BlackStaliamon leapt out of the way. He jumped into the air to tackle his foe, but was kicked out of the air before his attack could connect.
“Serpent Strike!” called Serpentmon. He launched his attack strait at Mechamon’s back, and one of his rockets sputtered and burnt out. The other overcompensated and blew out, causing Mechamon to cry out in pain. But his pain wasn’t passed. Only moments later he was hit by a Hoof Tornado and tossed through the air, landing a good ways away in a crumpled mess, blasting clouds of dust in every direction. When the dust cleared, he was already up, but seemed damaged.
Mechamon leapt to Jeremy’s side, picked him up, and jumped away.
“Follow him!” I ordered. We took off running, determined to save our friend, no matter the cost. If I hadn’t been so angry, I probably would have realized that we were running right into a trap.
Chapter 7
Battle Manipulamon!
I ran, following in the general direction of Jeremy’s escape. As I ran, I wrestled the portable Digicomp unit from my pocket and searched the programs folder for a way to track Jeremy and his damaged Digimon. I discovered a tracking program, locking onto Mechamon’s signal. Serpentmon slithered along at my left, BlackStaliamon trotted along at my right, and the others followed close behind.
Then I got a lock. “This way!” I yelled back to my team. I curved to the right at about a fifty degree angle. The others followed my path as best as they could. I was tired, thirsty, and out of breath, but if I stopped I’d lose Jeremy, and I’m a sore loser.
Then, as I ran, Jeremy’s signal suddenly stopped. As I rushed to catch up with him I vaguely noticed the trees beginning to change. Becoming less like the denser trees of the deep forest, and more like the thinner, more scattered trees of the forest’s edge. I yelled back to the others that Jeremy was just ahead, and suddenly the forest gave way to a rocky area ringed by cliffs, mostly enclosed with no cover anywhere. The perfect place to lay a trap. My Digimon erupted from the forest at my side, followed by the rest of my team. We stood together, staring down a figure that we had hoped not to see for a long time.
A week ago, when we’d arrived in the Digital World, we found the Digicomp. The Digicomp showed us the face of our enemy, a gray-skinned creature with a humanoid body and a dinosaur-like head and tail. Here that figure stood. Our ultimate enemy, Manipulamon.
“Oh crap,” I said, juggling fear and anger.
“Hello Digidestined,” Manipulamon said in a massive booming voice. “So we finally meet! I’m sorry children, but I cannot let you continue to exist in this world. You are too great a threat to my endeavors. Since none of my minions so far have had any luck in destroying you, I’ve decided to test your powers for myself and, ultimately, destroy you.”
Manipulamon waved his hand in a wide arc and called, “Manipulate Wind!” Ripples of air, thickened by Manipulamon’s unique powers, rolled strait at us at high speed. I threw up my arms in anticipation of the impact. The ground shook and I lowered my arms, and I could see that Chickomon had Digivolved, using his wings to shield us from the attack. He threw open his wings and cried out making a booming sound somewhere between a whale song and an eagle’s cry. With a flap of his mighty wings, BrauntoPhoenixmon soared along the ground, rushing his foe at full speed. It looked like he would hit his mark, until Manipulamon raised his hand, stopping the airflow along BrauntoPhoenixmon’s wings, causing him to crash face first into the rocky ground.
“That’s enough!” I cried. Manipulamon was trying my patience. I ran strait at him, catching him off guard, jumped and punched him in the face. He was shocked.
“How dare a human assault Lord Manipulamon!” He cried. He flicked his wrist and I went flying, landing hard on my right arm and sliding several feet along the hard ground. I’m lucky my arm didn’t break.
Manipulamon waved his hand, “Manipulate Wind!” The wave of air flew strait at me, and I was to shaken up to move. It would kill me. I closed my eyes and waited for the end to come, but it never did. I looked up and saw Dragonterramon, spinning in mid air. He deflected the attack with his tail and landed nearby, standing over me, protectively, BlackStaliamon at his side. Several yards away BrauntoPhoenixmon rose to his feet and spread his wings. The flames around his wings flared up to three times their usual intensity as he focused his energy into his attack.
“Dino Fire!” He cried, and spirals of flames shot from his wings with such force that they tore up the ground along their path. The flames were inches away from Manipulamon’s face when he redirected them. They crossed, curved, and hit the ground. There was a massive flash and an even more massive explosion that blinded the Digimon long enough for Manipulamon to attack unhindered.
In the period of a second and a half, Manipulamon flew forward, skimming the ground, and motioned with his and, tossing BrauntoPhoenixmon over his head, slamming him into the ground and sliding him into Dragonterramon and BlackColtmon, flipped to face them, landed on his feet, and fired another wave of air that sent the Digimon toppling over each other. They were hurt, almost too much so to move.
“He’s too strong!” I said, pounding the ground.
“Not if we all work together,” said Jen.
“Ponymon, Coltmon,” said Sarah, “time to get in the game!”
The two small horses ran and jumped at Manipulamon. He blocked them with his arm and threw them back. They landed on their feet and ran in a circle, kicking up their Hoof Tornado attack. It bent and flew strait at Manipulamon. He motioned and the attack changed course, dispersing in the open air.
“Hoof Stomp!” called BlackStaliamon. He lunged at Manipulamon from behind, but Manipulamon was too fast. He spun and backhanded BlackStaliamon out of the air. He landed sprawled on the ground.
“Terra Flame!”
“Dino Fire!”
Manipulamon was engulfed in flames, but when the attacks ended and the fire fell away, Manipulamon stood unharmed, protected by a cocoon of hardened air.
Manipulamon cried out and the cocoon shattered like glass into dozens of razor sharp shards. The shards exploded outward in all directions. Any one of them could slice any one of us humans in half.
“Nooo!” screamed Dragonterramon. He and the other Digivolved Digimon rushed to protect us, but it was too late. Unless something changed, we were dead.
Chapter 8
Celestial Digivolution
That’s when something miraculous happened. Sarah and Jen’s Digivices came online for the first time since the battle against Serpenterramon. Coltmon and Ponymon leapt into the air between us and the shards, glowing like small stars.
Without a moments hesitation, Jen and Sarah called out, “Initiate Digivolution!”
Coltmon grew until he was the same size as BlackStaliamon, but with smaller, more proportionate hooves. He wore a military quality saddle and four curved blades, one attached to the outside of each horseshoe. He sprouted a pair of white feathered wings and his voice rang out, “Coltmon, Digivolve to! BattleStaliamon!”
Ponymon glowed even brighter than Coltmon. She grew until she was almost his size, sprouting a pair of silvery angelic wings. Her hooves became a silvery color, and her coat glistened with a brilliant silvery sheen. Her voice was lyrical, like a harp, “Ponymon, Digivolve to, Fillimon!”
BattleStaliamon and Fillimon shone with a bright light and called, “Celestial Ring!” Spheres of light spread from their glowing forms, merging into a single wave of light that vaporized the shards. Then the two Digimon took off, rushing strait at the foe.
“Those two Digimon,” I said, looking up from the handheld, “are both Celestial Beast Digimon. They exist to destroy Evil and Dark Digimon. They could actually win!”
“I’m impressed by your luck and timing in Digivolving, but you know that the area around me is a no fly zone!” He waved his hand, trying to make them crash by halting airflow across their wings, but they stayed in the air, continuing toward him.
“Wrong,” said Fillimon in her beautiful, lyrical voice. She and BattleStaliamon began to circle their foe. “Our wings don’t use air for lift. We fly by channeling our angelic auras along our wings, letting us interrupt gravity and levitate, pushing off of the ground to climb or to move. You are a resourceful Digimon, Manipulamon, but the one thing that you cannot manipulate is our auras.”
The two Celestial Beasts charged at the foe once again. Manipulamon spread his arms wide, releasing a wave of thickened air in their direction. “Hoof Blades,” called BattleStaliamon, releasing two curved energy blades from the blades attached to his front hooves. “Filli-Beams!” called Fillimon, firing twin beams from of shining light at her hooves. The two attacks hit the air wave, canceling it out. The two Digimon fired their attacks again, this time aiming for Manipulamon himself. He hardened the air around him again, but BattleStaliamon’s blades, which were a millisecond ahead of Fillimon’s beams, spread along the surface of the barrier, canceling it out. Fillimon’s beams continued through, hitting Manipulamon square in the chest. He was thrown backward, landing hard on his back and sliding several feet before he finally stopped.
The Digimon positioned themselves to strike the finishing blow. BrauntoPhoenixmon took flight and dropped waves of flame onto Manipulamon. Dragonterramon launched his own flame, and BlackStaliamon stomped the ground, unleashing a wave of seismic energy. BattleStaliamon and Fillimon circled around and fired their attacks again from above. If the five attacks connected, Manipulamon would likely die, higher level or not.
Manipulamon, in a last ditch effort to survive, levitated himself up into an upright position and threw up another barrier, summoning all of his strength, using all of his concentration to keep it strong. The combo attack hit, and though the barrier was shattered, Manipulamon remained unharmed. There was an explosion, and before the smoke had even cleared, A battered Manipulamon shot into the air at supersonic speed. Before we could react, Manipulamon was gone.
“So…tired!” said BrauntoPhoenixmon
“Can’t…move!” Dragonterramon growled.
The two Digimon collapsed and de-Digivolved to there Baby II forms, Snakemon and Chomon. BlackStaliamon, BattleStaliamon, and Fillimon became BlackColtmon, Coltmon, and Ponymon.
“We have to get to Jeremy,” I said, “he was just here before the fight.” I started walking, brandishing the handheld. Jen grabbed my arm to stop me.
“John,” she said, “Jeremy wasn’t here. It was Manipulamon. He made himself look like Jeremy on that scanner and made Jeremy look like something else so he could lead us here. The whole thing; the attack on the village, Jeremy running away. It was all part of Manipulamon’s plan. I mean, you heard Jeremy. He said Mechamon was stronger than that. The only reason for him to run would be so we would follow him. So Manipulamon could test our strength.”
“No!” I said.
“Yes John,” said Jen. “If I see it, then I know you do too. I’m right-.”
“I know!” I screamed back at her, yanking my arm from her grip, “but it doesn’t matter. I’m the leader of this team. I have to save him!”
“Rushing blindly into the forest isn’t the way to do it!” Jen yelled back. “Manipulamon wants us dead, and as long as we have Coltmon and Ponymon, he can’t do it himself. He’ll send Jeremy back sooner or later to finish what he started!”
I may be a sore loser, but I know when to concede defeat. Jen may not be the least emotional person I know, but, unlike me, she knows how to set her emotions aside and look at the big picture. I dropped to my knees, sat back on my heels, and punched the ground. I punched it again and again, until my knuckles were bloody and raw. The I put my face in my hands and cried in frustration.
That night we made our way back to Gekomon village. I was asked to speak at a memorial service for ShogunGekomon, and my team and I were asked to witness the coronation of a new chief, an older, slightly larger Gekomon who was thought wise enough by his fellows, and who seemed close to Digivolving. He promised to lead with compassion and heart, and to do all he could to keep the village safe and whole, honoring the memory of ShogunGekomon. Everyone clapped, and several of us, including Sarah and Amanda, cried.
That afternoon and evening we helped the Gekomon and Otamamon rebuild there huts and repair damage to the huts still standing after the attack. It was hard work, but none of us minded. We were glad to help, and even gladder to be among friends. The Gekomon and Otamamon allowed us to stay with them again that night, and this time we slept late a woke up well rested.
The Gekomon and Otamamon used their skill at making plant-based cloth to make each of us a pack and bedroll of irregular green, brown, and yellow patches. They gave them to us just as we were leaving. “Thank you,” I said to the new chief as he presented us with our gifts. “I don’t know what we would have done without your help.”
“It is the least we can do for our new friends,” said Chief Gekomon. “We wish you luck and a safe journey.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Jen asked.
“Yes,” Chief Gekomon answered. “I have already altered the enchantment that protects this village to prevent Jeremy and Mechmon from finding it again. I hope that one day soon such a precaution will no longer be necessary.”
I thanked him again, and with that we were off once again into the forest. Our new friends bid us goodbye, every one of them painfully aware that we were their only hope.
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Three chapters next time too
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Chapter 6
Jeremy is Suspect;
Manipulamon’s Greatest Pawn
“Welcome fellow Digidestined,” said Jeremy, waving us through a gap in the brush, “to my digital home away from home, the Hidden Amphibian Village!”
We stepped through and found ourselves in a village of small huts built of reeds, barely as tall as me, scattered around a much taller open structure made of log pillars covered by a reed roof. There were several long logs, cut in half, placed inside the structure, flat side up. I figured immediately that this was the village dining hall, and probably the village equivalent of a town hall as well. Behind the main village was a large, Lilly-pad-filled lake rimmed with green algae. Suspended above the lake, on wooden stilts, was a much larger hut for the chief. There was a large reed built gondola positioned out front.
At first we saw no Digimon, but then they started stepping out of their huts tentatively, stepping close to us to get a look. There were three distinct types; tadpole-like Digimon with stubby fin/legs that came either red or blue, and gangly green frogs that stood about two feet tall on their hind legs, each carrying a brass horn on one of their shoulders. There were about fifty of them altogether.
Jeremy introduced the Digimon to us. “The green ones are Gekomon, Adult Level,” he said, “and the blue and red ones are Otamamon, Child Level. Their color depends on their type.”
Just then an eight-foot-tall fat red frog with a horn on each shoulder emerged from the hut above the lake and stepped into the gondola and rowed across using his broad webbed hands as rowers. Upon seeing their chief emerge, the Gekomon and Otamamon bowed, waiting to rise until their chief had reached us. “And this,” said Jeremy, gesturing to the new arrival, “is Chief ShogunGekomon. He’s the one who gave me my Crest and Digiplayer and told me about my quest and where to go next.”
“It is good to see you again Jeremy,” said ShogunGekomon in a booming baritone, “and it is good to see that you have found the others. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what, or who awaited you at the bridge, but trust that I had my reasons.”
“Its cool. Don’t worry about it.”
“Now please,” said ShogunGekomon, “I already know your names, so let us skip the introductions. Please join us for evening meal and the night’s meeting. We have much to discuss.”
ShogunGekomon turned away from us and let out a bellowing croak. When he did, Gekomon and Otamamon came running from their huts with large, green mats that they set out along the flat-sided logs. A few of the Gekomon then ran back to some of the huts close to the central structure that I now noticed were longer and taller than the others. They ran strait inside and re-emerged almost immediately with extra mats for my team and myself, as well as various bowls and platters covered in leafy veggies, mushrooms, fruit, bugs, and algae. Another group retrieved enough wooden bowls and plates for everyone, passing them down the length of the log tables. I have to admit, there precision impressed me.
ShogunGekomon sat at the end of the longer table behind a large tree stump upon which sat a bowl and two plates. We were seated near him. “Normally,” ShogunGekomon said, “I eat more than my fellows, for reasons that I’m sure are quite obvious. But today, I share what little food I have with you.”
“Actually,” I told him, opening my over shirt sack to reveal our remaining supply of mushrooms and meat apples, “its us who will share with you.” I handed him one of the larger of the apples, “For your hospitality.” Then I turned to my friends and divided the rest of the food amongst us.
“Your kindness is greatly appreciated,” said on of the Gekomon across the table, “but please, there is plenty of fruit and algae and mushrooms to go around. Please have some of whatever you want!”
“Well,” I said, taking a mushroom from the plate in front of me, “if you insist.”
Once the meal was over and the sun had begun to set, ShogunGekomon called a meeting to order. “I’m sorry to report that the affairs of our world have grown even more complicated my friends,” he said, Speaking more to us than to his people. “Recently, as most of you know, we have been allowing those who fight or flee Manipulamon to use our hidden village as a safe place to regain their strength. In doing so, we have been able to learn many things about current Digital World affairs. There is a rumor,” he said, speaking now only to us, “of a new presence in Manipulamon’s ranks with the power of a Digidestined. A Digimon with the power to Digivolve at will, and at least one companion that seems to call the shots. He has been hunting down fighters and tagging or destroying them for about a week now. No Digimon who has gotten close enough to see his face has escaped to tell of it, but all who have had the displeasure of meeting him in battle claim that he is an enemy easily as dangerous as Manipulamon himself. This is all I know, but I thought that my Digidestined allies should know all that I know.”
“Thanks,” I said, scowling at the theory forming in my mind. “We’ll sleep on this, and we’ll decide how to act on this information first thing tomorrow.”
With the meal out of the way, my team and I were lead to one of the taller longer huts. The one that the Gekomon didn’t bring food and dishes from. I noticed a group of Digimon taking the dishes from dinner to the pond to wash up. I would have offered to help, but I honestly didn’t want to. “You can sleep here,” our Gekomon escort said. “You’ll find bedrolls and blankets inside against the back wall.”
“Thank you,” said Jen, once she saw that I wasn’t going to say it. We ducked into the hut, and she elbowed me in the ribs, “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been distracted since the end of dinner.”
“Sorry,” I replied, “I’m just tired.” She seemed skeptical, but she excepted my answer, at least for now.
I stepped inside the hut and pilled on if the bedrolls down from stack against the wall. It consisted of a mat, a stuffed cloth cylinder, and all blanket. The cloth was green and sturdy, though obviously made of interwoven leaves. The texture was different to say the least, but not at all uncomfortable.
The others were asleep fast, except for Mechmon who left to walk by the pond. I guess being a machine means you don’t have to sleep. Once I was sure they were all out, I sat up and removed the Digicomp from the tattered bad we had found with it and opened it up, turning the volume down to a whisper, and accessing the A.I. program.
“How can I help you?” the computer voice asked.
“Just one quick question.” I replied. “What can make a Digimon able to Digivolve at will?”
The answer was simple and sweet, and exactly what I didn’t want to hear. “The only thing that can give a Digimon the ability to Digivolve at will is a Digivice operated by a Digidestined.”
“Yeah,” I said, “that’s what I thought.”
“John, wake up!”
I shot up into a sitting position, startled, and saw the others running out of the hut. I leapt up and ran for the door. I stepped through to find three Kuwagamon and six Flymon flying back and forth over the village, tearing huts apart as they went. The sun was only a quarter risen.
“Crap!” I said. “I didn’t expect this. Okay guys, go to work!” Amanda and I raised our Digivices. “Initiate Digivolution!”
“Serpentmon, Digivolve to! Dragonterramon!”
“BlackColtmon, Digivolve to! BlackStaliamon!”
“Chickomon, Digivolve to! BrauntoPhoenixmon!”
BrauntoPhoenixmon leapt up and took to the sky, careful to avoid crushing any of the remaining huts. There were Gekomon and Otamamon running into the forest. One of the Kuwagamon gave chase, and was cut of by BlackStaliamon. The Digimon kept the enemies occupied until the Gekomon and Otamamon were all safely away.
“You gonna help?” I asked Jeremy.
“Yeah,” he said, “right. Initiate Digivolution!”
“Mechmon, Digivolve to!” He grew until he was a good 7’6” with a more human posture and rocket boosters on his back. He had folded up treads attached to his legs, and closed panels in his chest. Laser guns extended from his plug-shaped hands. “Mechamon!”
“Take them out!” growled Dragonterramon, charging ahead. BrauntoPhoenixmon flew low just behind him. BlackStaliamon ran with them at first, but veered to the right, while Mechamon veered left.
Dragonterramon called out his attack, spewing flames over one Kuwagamon, blowing it to bits. He was then immediately pelted by Flymon stingers, pumping him full of enough poison to bring him down. Meanwhile, before the Flymons’ stingers had had a chance to grow back, BrauntoPhoenixmon did a barrel roll strait through their ranks, slinging flames from his wings and incinerating them. Then BrauntoPhoenixmon spun mid-air, slamming a Kuwagamon with his tail. It fell from the sky, landing hard on its back, and was immediately crushed by BlackStaliamon’s attack.
Nearby, Mechmon was fighting against a single Kuwagamon, one on one. He fired several shots at point blank range, missing each time. He was hit by one of Kuwagamon’s Scissor Claw attacks and de-Digivolved to Mechmon. We were now only two strong.
It was then that three more Kuwagamon and six more Flymon rose up out of the surrounding trees. The Flymon launched their attacks, giving the Kuwagamon enough cover to get in close. BlackStaliamon could avoid the stingers easily, but the much larger BrauntoPhoenixmon was sure to be hit.
The stingers were only a few yards away when ShogunGekomon, back from showing his people to safety, jumped in the way, taking the hits himself. Then he was hit by Scissor Claw attacks from all three Kuwagamon at once. He fell over and broke apart.
“No!” I cried.
“Destroy those Digimon now!” Jen commanded, her face flushed with anger. Coltmon and Ponymon ran forward and called out their Hoof Tornado attack. The swirl of purple and red wind rose up, destroying two Flymon and drawing the rest together. Serpentmon leapt up and destroyed one with his Serpent Strike, while BrauntoPhoenixmon’s Dino Fire finished the rest.
BlackStaliamon kicked and destroyed two Kuwagamon with his back hooves, and smacked the third with his front hoof, knocking it onto its back. Then he called his attack, slamming the ground. Waves of concussive energy hammered the fallen foe, and it reverted to data as well.
“Dangit!” I screamed. The Digimon de-Digivolved and moved to where myself and the other humans were standing. I turned around and punched the tightly woven wall of the hut behind me. “ShogunGekomon just gave his life for us!” I yelled. By now the Gekomon and Otamamon were returning from the surrounding forest. I turned to face Jeremy and said, “This is all your fault!”
I ran strait at Jeremy and punched at his face. He raised his arms to absorb the blow, so I swung my other fist, catching him in the gut and dropping him to his knees. I was about to hit him again when Jen, my unnaturally strong cousin, grabbed my arm, “What are you doing?!”
“Don’t you get it!” I said. “The one who’s been working with Manipulamon the past few days is Jeremy! The Digicomp says that the only way a Digimon can freely Digivolve back and forth is with the help of a Digidestined, yet Manipulamon’s new general can freely Digivolve. And this is an enchanted village. You can’t get here unless you’re lead by someone who has already been shown the way, and yet the village was ambushed almost as soon as we arrived!”
By now the Gekomon and Otamamon, teary eyed over the loss of their beloved leader, were surrounding Jeremy, preventing his escape.
Jen, looking stunned, said in a low voice, “Check him for an M-Tag.”
“Here!” said one of the Gekomon, lifting Jeremy’s left sleeve. Sure enough, there was a tag attached to his arm. I reached forward to remove it, and stumbled, hit in the back by a wave of electricity. I turned abruptly to see Mechmon standing there, his eyes glowing red. Immediately Serpentmon and BlackColtmon were standing between Mechmon and myself, Serpentmon’s jaws wide, BlackColtmon’s hooves ablaze.
“Heh,” said Jeremy, “the only times you’ve ever seem my Digimon fight its been staged. You have no idea how powerful he really is. Mechmon, go! Initiate Digivolution!”
“Mechmon, Digivolve to, Mechamon!”
“That poison hit me hard,” said Serpentmon. “I need more time before I can Digivolve again.”
“I don’t,” said BlackColtmon.
“And we’ve got some fight left too,” said Coltmon. He and Ponymon stepped up beside Serpentmon and Chickomon, ready to give everything they had.
“Then let’s go,” I said. “BlackColtmon, Initiate Digivolution!”
“BlackColtmon, Digivolve to! BlackStaliamon!”
Mechamon jumped back, up into the air, and aimed his guns at BlackStaliamon. He fired, but BlackStaliamon leapt out of the way. He jumped into the air to tackle his foe, but was kicked out of the air before his attack could connect.
“Serpent Strike!” called Serpentmon. He launched his attack strait at Mechamon’s back, and one of his rockets sputtered and burnt out. The other overcompensated and blew out, causing Mechamon to cry out in pain. But his pain wasn’t passed. Only moments later he was hit by a Hoof Tornado and tossed through the air, landing a good ways away in a crumpled mess, blasting clouds of dust in every direction. When the dust cleared, he was already up, but seemed damaged.
Mechamon leapt to Jeremy’s side, picked him up, and jumped away.
“Follow him!” I ordered. We took off running, determined to save our friend, no matter the cost. If I hadn’t been so angry, I probably would have realized that we were running right into a trap.
Chapter 7
Battle Manipulamon!
I ran, following in the general direction of Jeremy’s escape. As I ran, I wrestled the portable Digicomp unit from my pocket and searched the programs folder for a way to track Jeremy and his damaged Digimon. I discovered a tracking program, locking onto Mechamon’s signal. Serpentmon slithered along at my left, BlackStaliamon trotted along at my right, and the others followed close behind.
Then I got a lock. “This way!” I yelled back to my team. I curved to the right at about a fifty degree angle. The others followed my path as best as they could. I was tired, thirsty, and out of breath, but if I stopped I’d lose Jeremy, and I’m a sore loser.
Then, as I ran, Jeremy’s signal suddenly stopped. As I rushed to catch up with him I vaguely noticed the trees beginning to change. Becoming less like the denser trees of the deep forest, and more like the thinner, more scattered trees of the forest’s edge. I yelled back to the others that Jeremy was just ahead, and suddenly the forest gave way to a rocky area ringed by cliffs, mostly enclosed with no cover anywhere. The perfect place to lay a trap. My Digimon erupted from the forest at my side, followed by the rest of my team. We stood together, staring down a figure that we had hoped not to see for a long time.
A week ago, when we’d arrived in the Digital World, we found the Digicomp. The Digicomp showed us the face of our enemy, a gray-skinned creature with a humanoid body and a dinosaur-like head and tail. Here that figure stood. Our ultimate enemy, Manipulamon.
“Oh crap,” I said, juggling fear and anger.
“Hello Digidestined,” Manipulamon said in a massive booming voice. “So we finally meet! I’m sorry children, but I cannot let you continue to exist in this world. You are too great a threat to my endeavors. Since none of my minions so far have had any luck in destroying you, I’ve decided to test your powers for myself and, ultimately, destroy you.”
Manipulamon waved his hand in a wide arc and called, “Manipulate Wind!” Ripples of air, thickened by Manipulamon’s unique powers, rolled strait at us at high speed. I threw up my arms in anticipation of the impact. The ground shook and I lowered my arms, and I could see that Chickomon had Digivolved, using his wings to shield us from the attack. He threw open his wings and cried out making a booming sound somewhere between a whale song and an eagle’s cry. With a flap of his mighty wings, BrauntoPhoenixmon soared along the ground, rushing his foe at full speed. It looked like he would hit his mark, until Manipulamon raised his hand, stopping the airflow along BrauntoPhoenixmon’s wings, causing him to crash face first into the rocky ground.
“That’s enough!” I cried. Manipulamon was trying my patience. I ran strait at him, catching him off guard, jumped and punched him in the face. He was shocked.
“How dare a human assault Lord Manipulamon!” He cried. He flicked his wrist and I went flying, landing hard on my right arm and sliding several feet along the hard ground. I’m lucky my arm didn’t break.
Manipulamon waved his hand, “Manipulate Wind!” The wave of air flew strait at me, and I was to shaken up to move. It would kill me. I closed my eyes and waited for the end to come, but it never did. I looked up and saw Dragonterramon, spinning in mid air. He deflected the attack with his tail and landed nearby, standing over me, protectively, BlackStaliamon at his side. Several yards away BrauntoPhoenixmon rose to his feet and spread his wings. The flames around his wings flared up to three times their usual intensity as he focused his energy into his attack.
“Dino Fire!” He cried, and spirals of flames shot from his wings with such force that they tore up the ground along their path. The flames were inches away from Manipulamon’s face when he redirected them. They crossed, curved, and hit the ground. There was a massive flash and an even more massive explosion that blinded the Digimon long enough for Manipulamon to attack unhindered.
In the period of a second and a half, Manipulamon flew forward, skimming the ground, and motioned with his and, tossing BrauntoPhoenixmon over his head, slamming him into the ground and sliding him into Dragonterramon and BlackColtmon, flipped to face them, landed on his feet, and fired another wave of air that sent the Digimon toppling over each other. They were hurt, almost too much so to move.
“He’s too strong!” I said, pounding the ground.
“Not if we all work together,” said Jen.
“Ponymon, Coltmon,” said Sarah, “time to get in the game!”
The two small horses ran and jumped at Manipulamon. He blocked them with his arm and threw them back. They landed on their feet and ran in a circle, kicking up their Hoof Tornado attack. It bent and flew strait at Manipulamon. He motioned and the attack changed course, dispersing in the open air.
“Hoof Stomp!” called BlackStaliamon. He lunged at Manipulamon from behind, but Manipulamon was too fast. He spun and backhanded BlackStaliamon out of the air. He landed sprawled on the ground.
“Terra Flame!”
“Dino Fire!”
Manipulamon was engulfed in flames, but when the attacks ended and the fire fell away, Manipulamon stood unharmed, protected by a cocoon of hardened air.
Manipulamon cried out and the cocoon shattered like glass into dozens of razor sharp shards. The shards exploded outward in all directions. Any one of them could slice any one of us humans in half.
“Nooo!” screamed Dragonterramon. He and the other Digivolved Digimon rushed to protect us, but it was too late. Unless something changed, we were dead.
Chapter 8
Celestial Digivolution
That’s when something miraculous happened. Sarah and Jen’s Digivices came online for the first time since the battle against Serpenterramon. Coltmon and Ponymon leapt into the air between us and the shards, glowing like small stars.
Without a moments hesitation, Jen and Sarah called out, “Initiate Digivolution!”
Coltmon grew until he was the same size as BlackStaliamon, but with smaller, more proportionate hooves. He wore a military quality saddle and four curved blades, one attached to the outside of each horseshoe. He sprouted a pair of white feathered wings and his voice rang out, “Coltmon, Digivolve to! BattleStaliamon!”
Ponymon glowed even brighter than Coltmon. She grew until she was almost his size, sprouting a pair of silvery angelic wings. Her hooves became a silvery color, and her coat glistened with a brilliant silvery sheen. Her voice was lyrical, like a harp, “Ponymon, Digivolve to, Fillimon!”
BattleStaliamon and Fillimon shone with a bright light and called, “Celestial Ring!” Spheres of light spread from their glowing forms, merging into a single wave of light that vaporized the shards. Then the two Digimon took off, rushing strait at the foe.
“Those two Digimon,” I said, looking up from the handheld, “are both Celestial Beast Digimon. They exist to destroy Evil and Dark Digimon. They could actually win!”
“I’m impressed by your luck and timing in Digivolving, but you know that the area around me is a no fly zone!” He waved his hand, trying to make them crash by halting airflow across their wings, but they stayed in the air, continuing toward him.
“Wrong,” said Fillimon in her beautiful, lyrical voice. She and BattleStaliamon began to circle their foe. “Our wings don’t use air for lift. We fly by channeling our angelic auras along our wings, letting us interrupt gravity and levitate, pushing off of the ground to climb or to move. You are a resourceful Digimon, Manipulamon, but the one thing that you cannot manipulate is our auras.”
The two Celestial Beasts charged at the foe once again. Manipulamon spread his arms wide, releasing a wave of thickened air in their direction. “Hoof Blades,” called BattleStaliamon, releasing two curved energy blades from the blades attached to his front hooves. “Filli-Beams!” called Fillimon, firing twin beams from of shining light at her hooves. The two attacks hit the air wave, canceling it out. The two Digimon fired their attacks again, this time aiming for Manipulamon himself. He hardened the air around him again, but BattleStaliamon’s blades, which were a millisecond ahead of Fillimon’s beams, spread along the surface of the barrier, canceling it out. Fillimon’s beams continued through, hitting Manipulamon square in the chest. He was thrown backward, landing hard on his back and sliding several feet before he finally stopped.
The Digimon positioned themselves to strike the finishing blow. BrauntoPhoenixmon took flight and dropped waves of flame onto Manipulamon. Dragonterramon launched his own flame, and BlackStaliamon stomped the ground, unleashing a wave of seismic energy. BattleStaliamon and Fillimon circled around and fired their attacks again from above. If the five attacks connected, Manipulamon would likely die, higher level or not.
Manipulamon, in a last ditch effort to survive, levitated himself up into an upright position and threw up another barrier, summoning all of his strength, using all of his concentration to keep it strong. The combo attack hit, and though the barrier was shattered, Manipulamon remained unharmed. There was an explosion, and before the smoke had even cleared, A battered Manipulamon shot into the air at supersonic speed. Before we could react, Manipulamon was gone.
“So…tired!” said BrauntoPhoenixmon
“Can’t…move!” Dragonterramon growled.
The two Digimon collapsed and de-Digivolved to there Baby II forms, Snakemon and Chomon. BlackStaliamon, BattleStaliamon, and Fillimon became BlackColtmon, Coltmon, and Ponymon.
“We have to get to Jeremy,” I said, “he was just here before the fight.” I started walking, brandishing the handheld. Jen grabbed my arm to stop me.
“John,” she said, “Jeremy wasn’t here. It was Manipulamon. He made himself look like Jeremy on that scanner and made Jeremy look like something else so he could lead us here. The whole thing; the attack on the village, Jeremy running away. It was all part of Manipulamon’s plan. I mean, you heard Jeremy. He said Mechamon was stronger than that. The only reason for him to run would be so we would follow him. So Manipulamon could test our strength.”
“No!” I said.
“Yes John,” said Jen. “If I see it, then I know you do too. I’m right-.”
“I know!” I screamed back at her, yanking my arm from her grip, “but it doesn’t matter. I’m the leader of this team. I have to save him!”
“Rushing blindly into the forest isn’t the way to do it!” Jen yelled back. “Manipulamon wants us dead, and as long as we have Coltmon and Ponymon, he can’t do it himself. He’ll send Jeremy back sooner or later to finish what he started!”
I may be a sore loser, but I know when to concede defeat. Jen may not be the least emotional person I know, but, unlike me, she knows how to set her emotions aside and look at the big picture. I dropped to my knees, sat back on my heels, and punched the ground. I punched it again and again, until my knuckles were bloody and raw. The I put my face in my hands and cried in frustration.
That night we made our way back to Gekomon village. I was asked to speak at a memorial service for ShogunGekomon, and my team and I were asked to witness the coronation of a new chief, an older, slightly larger Gekomon who was thought wise enough by his fellows, and who seemed close to Digivolving. He promised to lead with compassion and heart, and to do all he could to keep the village safe and whole, honoring the memory of ShogunGekomon. Everyone clapped, and several of us, including Sarah and Amanda, cried.
That afternoon and evening we helped the Gekomon and Otamamon rebuild there huts and repair damage to the huts still standing after the attack. It was hard work, but none of us minded. We were glad to help, and even gladder to be among friends. The Gekomon and Otamamon allowed us to stay with them again that night, and this time we slept late a woke up well rested.
The Gekomon and Otamamon used their skill at making plant-based cloth to make each of us a pack and bedroll of irregular green, brown, and yellow patches. They gave them to us just as we were leaving. “Thank you,” I said to the new chief as he presented us with our gifts. “I don’t know what we would have done without your help.”
“It is the least we can do for our new friends,” said Chief Gekomon. “We wish you luck and a safe journey.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Jen asked.
“Yes,” Chief Gekomon answered. “I have already altered the enchantment that protects this village to prevent Jeremy and Mechmon from finding it again. I hope that one day soon such a precaution will no longer be necessary.”
I thanked him again, and with that we were off once again into the forest. Our new friends bid us goodbye, every one of them painfully aware that we were their only hope.
_______________________
Three chapters next time too