Digimon: Forever - New Beginnings
Swindon, 2011. Digimon - Digital Monsters - have become little more than myth and games in the eyes of children. However, things in the Digital World have once again gone awry, and Gennai has been forced to send digivices to the Real World in the search for a new team of DigiDestined...
Be advised: The dramatis personae (see below) is likely to change! This is not the final draft of it, so just go with it!
Oh, and where the original kids (Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, TK, Kari, Ken, Davis, Yolee, and Cody) appear, they're not the main characters! Just some filler to bring their series up to date with mine... so please bear that in mind!
Dramatis Personae
Darrell "Dazz" Sanders (18 year old Human male)
Botamon (Baby-level Digimon; Darrell's partner)
Simon "Sy" Holloway (18 year old Human male)
Punimon (Baby-level Digimon; Sy's partner)
Rosie Peat (18 year old Human female)
Nyokimon (Baby-level Digimon; Rosie's partner)
Jorge Crinson (17 year old Human male)
Pabumon (Baby-level Digimon; Jorge's partner)
Venetia Polizzi (20 year old Human female)
Yuramon (Baby-level Digimon; Venetia's partner)
Harry "Jeff" Bishop (17 year old Human male)
Pichimon (Baby-level Digimon; Jeff's partner)
Ashley Lambert (19 year old Human male)
Poyomon (Baby-level Digimon; Ashley's partner)
Alicia Gear (18 year old Human female)
SnowBotamon (Baby-level Digimon; Alicia's partner)
Lucas Gillett (18 year old Human male)
Zerimon (Baby-level Digimon; Lucas' partner)
Simon "Horse" Davies (18 year old Human male)
Relemon (Baby-level Digimon; Simon's partner)
Gennai (Digital Human male)
Mekanorimon (Champion-level Digimon; Gennai's partner)
Elecmon (Rookie-level Digimon; Caretaker of Primary Village)
Devimon (Champion-level Digimon)
Numemon (Champion-level Digimon)
Sukamon (Champion-level Digimon)
Historian's Note
The prologue takes place toward the end of Digimon Tamers, during the outbreak of the D-Reaper between 2001 and 2002 ("Azulongmon Explains It All" - "Such Sweet Sorrow"). The vast majority of this tale takes place in September 2010, and is set approximately 9 years after the conclusion of Digimon Adventure 02 ("A Million Points of Light").
PROLOGUE
It was their first good meal in a week. The sun, which was now nearing the edges of the horizon, was blazing a red trail throughout the dark blue sky. Gatomon, her snow-white fur tinted red from the sunset, had always believed a red sunset - for in the Digital World, they were rare indeed - to be a prelude to a period of strife. Thus, Gatomon had now taken it upon herself to guard the group while they ate and slept through the night.
"Come on, Gatomon, you've got to keep your strength up," said Gabumon, his voice soft as a whisper, purple fur highlighted by the fire, as padded over to Gatomon's side. "We can't expect you to take up guard duty all by yourself. Take a break."
"I don't need one, not while that thing is chasing us," she replied briskly. They'd been running for days from an enemy so implacable that they had barely survived their first encounter. The D-Reaper, as Azulongmon and the other Sovereign had been calling it, had completely consumed the continent of Server, destroying thousands upon thousands of innocent Digimon. According to Ebonwumon, another of the Sovereign, Gatomon and the others had it lucky; whole digital worlds had been consumed and deleted by the D-Reaper, while the Sovereigns' own world was under heavy assault. In short, the digital plane had seen nothing like this since its very creation.
Hikari 'Kari' Kamiya, Gatomon's Human partner, looked over as Gabumon sighed in disappointment. Hikari, or simply Kari as everyone knew her, got up, traipsed over, and crouched down beside Gatomon. Her usual assortment of pink and white clothing had been torn at the waist, and the laces in her boots had come undone. "Ni nokosa reta enerugī o motte inaideshou made wa D - shinigami ni chokumen shita toki, kore o tsudzukereba Gabumon no kenri." Kari was speaking in Japanese, however Gatomon's digital matrix, located inside her DigiCore, contained the algorithms responsible for translating Kari's language to DigiCode, "Gabumon's right, if you keep this up you'll have no energy left for when we face the D-Reaper."
Gatomon looked at her partner. "I'm sure there'll be plenty of data packets blowing around for me to use."
Kari's face became concerned. "You can't keep relying on them, Gatomon. Sooner or later, you've got to get some rest."
Gatomon felt her tail begin to wag - a sign of her frustration - but controlled it enough that it wasn't noticeable. Fine, I'll do it later - but only because you asked, Kari. "Five more minutes, Kari, then I'll eat."
"And get some sleep?"
Gatomon simply nodded.
It seemed it was all Kari needed. "Ok, then." And with that, she was sat back by the fire next to her brother.
"I wish she'd be less stubborn sometimes," said Kari. "I can stop her from chasing mice, and yet I'm almost always powerless to make her stop being...well, herself."
Her older brother, Taichi 'Tai' Kamiya, replied as he held his hands close to the fire. "That's just who she is, Kari, and I doubt it'll ever change."
"I guess it's just one of the constants of the Digital World - that, and beings bent on annihilation every few years," joked Kari. She and her brother laughed together for a few moments, before returning to endlessly staring into the heat of the campfire. "First Devimon, then Myotismon, the Dark Masters and Apocalymon, then the Dark Rings, Arukenimon, and Myotismon again with his Dark Spores. Now we're facing a rogue program. Will it ever end, Tai? Truly end?" She looked at Tai. His eyes took on a glazed appearance, and Kari knew he was dealing with a difficult answer.
"I don't know," his head swiveled round slowly to face her. His hair, which had been kept swept into a tall and slightly-manic style, was now burnt off. Only about an inch or so remained to cover his scalp. "I'm sorry, but I just don't know, Kari."
Just then, Kari heard footsteps approaching fast from behind, and she stood. Her best friend, Takeru Takaishi - or simply T.K. - was standing with his hands on his knees, clearly out of breath.
"What's wrong, T.K.?" asked Tai.
"Trouble," T.K. said between heavy breaths.
"Boom Bubble!"
Patamon's primary attack flew through the air and hit the red mass hard.
"It didn't even make a dent!" Patamon, flapping his orange wings harder than ever, sailed through the Digital World's air until he was hit from behind by the mass itself. Painfully, he landed in a nearby tree.
On the ground, Agumon, his orange scales almost blazing from sheer determination, threw Pepper Breath after Pepper Breath at the D-Reaper, but to no avail. "It's not working! Without the ability to digivolve, we can't even fight this thing; we're sitting ducks!" Tai, Kari, and T.K. - along with their friends Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, and Joe - had given up the ability for their partner Digimon to digivolve in order to save the Digital World once before. Now that decision had come back to bite them in their collective ass.
Next to him, Paildramon - the combination of ExVeemon and Stingmon - let loose with his Desperado Blaster attack. The D-Reaper absorbed the Ultimate-level barrage just as easily as that of the Rookie's. "Then I guess we'll just have to up the ante! Paildramon warp digivolve to...Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"
Paildramon's small white wings became enlarged, tinting to a deep shade of red. His black armour appeared to devour his body as it grew, once-separate pieces amalgamating to form a solid suit of Chrome Digizoid - an inpenetrable barrier between devastating attacks and soft, pliable flesh.
Imperialdramon soared high into the atmosphere in order to get a good look at the top of the D-Reaper. What he saw wasn't good. "Davis, can you see this?" he said to his Human partner on the ground below.
Davis Motomiya, Veemon's partner and leader of the second generation of DigiDestined, looked to his D-3 Digivice. It produced a holographic image of everything Imperialdramon was seeing up from above. In the immediate foreground, he saw what appeared to be a structure made up of the same red mass as the D-Reaper. The top of the structure however, was a dark blue colour, and an enormous, cavernous mouth bisected the tip. Dozens of scythes were continuously emerging from the hideous creation. "What is that thing?"
"I'm not sure," replied Imperialdramon. "But whatever it is, it looks like it's part of the D-Reaper itself. Maybe it's the central programming hub, or something."
Davis shouted back at his old friend. "Well don't just hover there, destroy it, quickly!"
"No need to tell me twice," replied Imperialdramon. He turned to face the massive digital abomination, and yelled at the top of his voice.
"Positron Laser!"
A bright, white beam of high-energy particles spewed forth from the weapon installed between the wings on Imperialdramon's back. With dizzying gusto, the attack shot from the Mega-level Digimon toward the D-Reaper, hitting it squarely in an explosive flare of digital molecules.
"Did it work?" asked Davis open-mouthed. He looked to his Digivice. It showed the structure recoiling from the assault, then just as easily springing back to its original stance. Davis let out an astonished breath. "No way! Not even a scratch; what does it take to bring this thing down?"
"Whatever it is, we obviously don't have enough firepower," Imperialdramon called from high above. "We're gonna need help for this, Davis - more than we have here."
Suddenly, a bolt of electric blue lightning pierced the sky and hit the D-Reaper's central mass at light speed. The sound produced was almost deafening to the ears. The light diffused after a moment, leaving Davis and Imperialdramon ever-so-slightly dazed. A thunderous voice boomed overhead.
"You are not strong enough to fight this being alone; it is beyond your power. Leave now, while you still can!"
Imperialdramon looked to Davis. "Well?" he asked. "Yay or nay? It's your call, Davis." His Human remained silent. "Davis, isn't it rude to ignore someone?"
Davis just stood there, rooted to the spot as his brain struggled to come up with the answers. With the minutes ticking away, and Davis apparently unable to decide, Imperialdramon gazed up at the new arrival. "What are you? And what do you know of the D-Reaper?"
The massive being burst into flame at the questions, a piercing screech ringing from its head. "I know that you are not strong enough! Do not dare defy me, for I am one of the Sovereign. I spare little patience for your kind!"
"And what about Azulongmon? Does he know you're here?"
"Azulongmon?" the Sovereign cackled. "Putting such blind faith in him; you're just like the other group of Humans."
This got Davis' attention. "Other Humans? There are other people here, now?"
"You feign ignorance! I warn you, child, I do not cower to Human trickery. Of course you know about the others; you come from the same world, after all."
"Listen, you big ugly birdbrain!" Davis shouted. "We don't know about any other group of DigiDestined! So quit talking crap, and either help us, fight us, or leave!"
"Er...Davis? Please try not to upset him; he is a Sovereign," Imperialdramon said warily.
"I don't care who he is, he's pissing me off!"
The Sovereign stared at Davis with utter malice. "I will not be spoken to like some pet! You and the rest of your pitiful little band of 'Tamers' will leave this world immediately. Azulongmon may be convinced that you're helping our world, but I am not so blind; with your left hand, you would use me as a shield against this new threat, and with your right, you'd seek to supplant me."
"We have no wish to replace you, Zhuqiaomon!" shouted Ken Ichijouji, boy-genius and Wormmon's partner, as he ran to join the argument.
"Huh?" said Davis. "Ken, you know who this guy is?"
Ken ignored him. "Zhuqiaomon, we simply wish to annihilate this new threat and return the Digital World to peaceful existence; attempting to supplant the Sovereign is not a part of that!"
"You are like the others, Ken Ichijouji," spoke Zhuqiaomon. "They also speak of peace. Perhaps you are more connected than you realise... nevertheless, this threat is beyond any you have fought previous. Apocalymon, MaloMyotismon; they were nothing compared to the Reaper. Even we, the Sovereign, have been unable to destroy this 'being' since its creation."
Imperialdramon became concerned. "What do you mean? The Sovereign are four of the most powerful Digimon in existence, and you're telling us you can't defeat it...?"
"If you can't do it," began Davis, "then who can?"
Everyone remained silent in thought and confusion. In the distance, the D-Reaper continued to take a pounding from the offensive efforts of the other DigiDestined; Davis could barely see Greymon, Garurumon, and Silphymon combining their attacks to assault the giant red mass.
"There is a way," said Zhuqiaomon. "The children and Digimon in your world have the power to digivolve to their Mega forms; not something all of you are capable of. They have no Digi-Eggs, no crests. Their power came from Azulongmon."
Davis turned to see Tai, Kari, and T.K. walking up to join them. T.K. held an injured Patamon in his arms, as did Kari with Gatomon, while Greymon and walked behind them. "Glad you decided to join us! This guy's finally starting to talk some sense! Well...not much, but still!"
Ken spoke before Davis could continue his rant. "You're talking about other children, other DigiDestined! Do you mean the ones that helped us defeat MaloMyotismon?"
"No," replied Zhuqiaomon. "These children are unknown to you. The other Sovereign believed it necessary to conceal your identities from each other in order to keep the Reaper distracted."
Tai placed his hand firmly on Davis' shoulder before speaking. "So you're saying Azulongmon gave the power of his Digi-Core to these other kids? Why not to us this time?"
Zhuqiaomon continued to hover in the air. "He chose the ones with the greatest chance of success. He... felt you deserved time away from the Digital World considering all you've done for it." He made a show of his hesitation. "For us. I believe he was wrong in that decision, as with many others in the past."
"Meaning what?" asked Kari.
"I shall give you the power of my own Digi-Core." Zhuqiaomon lowered a single wing, and the original Digi-Destined - and their partner Digimon - began to glow in a soft red light. "You are the saviours of our world, and our world can only be saved by you and your Digimon. This threat is like no other; you must destroy it."
Davis looked down at himself. I'm glowing! Wait...my digivice? He held his digivice up to his eyes to find that it was also giving off a bright light of its' own. He had the strangest sensation, almost as if he'd drunk too much Red Bull.
"Tai!" Greymon yelled, cutting through Davis' thoughts. "Tai, I feel energised! Like after you took me to that Indian restaurant in London!"
The light from the Humans and their Digimon partners grew brighter, eventually conglomerating to form a blindingly dazzling spectacle...