Digimon Encore

by Darkiceflame

When an evil force rises up in an attempt to take control of the Digital World, two heroes are summoned to defend it. But in a world where nothing is as it seems, can Dallas and Jason rise through the darkness to become true Digidestined?

1. Dream Debut The Digimon Appear!

Ch.1 Dream Debut. The Digimon Appear!

A shadowy warrior stands in the moonlight, prepared to enter into battle with an opponent he cannot defeat.
The enemy is an enormous green monster which appears to be made up of giant eyes. These eyes are accompanied by a grinning mouth, which laughs at the warrior.
On a nearby hill, Dallas stands, watching. He observes as the heroic warrior leaps forward to engage in battle with the grinning beast. It chortles, before simply dodging out of the way. It gives another evil cackle before launching a beam of light, which explodes against the hero's armor.
"He needs you, you know" a voice pipes up next to Dallas. The boy turns to see a man in a large white cloak, topped with a matching hat. The hat is tall and ends in a single point, reminding Dallas of a witch's hat.
"What do you mean?" Dallas questions. "I can't do anything to hurt that monster!"
The man smiles. "It is your destiny, and it is mine as well."
"That makes no sense!" Dallas protests. "You're saying that I'm you?"
"Of course" the man replies. "That is why I chose you."
"Stop talking in riddles" Dallas growls. "Talk straight, what do you mean?"
The man reaches into his cloak and pulls out a great white sword, much too large to have fit within its folds.
"Embrace your destiny" the man smiles, holding the sword out.
Dallas looks at the blade reluctantly. "What do I have to do?"
The figure plunges the sword into the ground, so that it stands freely. He then retracts his hands back into the infinite ripples of his cloak. "Simply listen to one who requests your help, and you will walk the correct path."
Dallas smiled. "I will" he then grabs the hilt, and is surrounded in a flash of light.
Now, he is much taller. He bears the sword, which has become a great long platinum blade. He smiles as he rises into the air. in an instant, he is racing toward the shining hero.
The hero is not doing well. His armor is harshly dented. He needs help.
Dallas lands calmly next to him. The warrior looks at him in surprise, before a stab of recognition flashes across his face.
"Let's do this" Dallas grins. The hero nods, and the two clasp hands.
Instantly, Dallas is himself again. He smiles as his power flows into his ally and, instantly, he is the shining warrior. He stands calmly, all flaws and damage to his armor repaired. He shines brilliantly. He turns to the monster with a sneer.
The beast is not fazed. Its only intent is to destroy Dallas, but that will not happen today.
He lifts his great sword and rushes forward to destroy the beast.
He darts around, sword flashing like a beam of light, striking faster than the eye can see. He darts in for the final blow...
Then, everything goes wrong.
A searing pain wracks his body. He is covered by an invisible shroud, injecting his body with horrible emptiness. He would never see the sun again.
The great beast made a sound that was part laugh, part snarl. Its spherical heads began to rattle. The verdant cables holding the spheres together split and began to retract. They vanished into the globes, save for one small mass of cables. These remaining cords shrank and began to writhe. They warped and twisted, taking on a new form that bore a strong similarity to some sort of full-body cloak.
The giant metal orbs shrank to the size of grapefruits and began to orbit its form. A reflective shield and metal sword appeared, and it grasped them.
Dallas heard a scream of "NO!" and a small form jetted forward to stop in midair before him.
The being looked at it in minor amusement. Almost casually, it brought the blade down and sliced through the being. It vanished instantly in a shower of black particles.
At the sight of the destruction, the blood began to boil in Dallas's veins. Rage built up. He was furious.
Instantly, he tore through the barrier, and split. This was different than before though, the separation was painful.
Dallas screamed as his own body seemed to act of its own accord. He brought his hand up, and a flash of light ensued.
With a howl of anguish, Dallas woke from the nightmare. He shot straight up from the bed like a bullet. His heart was hammering like a kettle drum, and his entire body was covered with icy sweat.
Groaning to himself, Dallas pulled back the covers, got out of bed, and walked out of the room. He strode into the bathroom and pulled the handle on the shower, allowing the water to gradually raise in temperature while he waited.
After removing his pajamas, he stepped under the spray. Hot water hit his skin, feeling like fire after the icy cold he had felt only moments ago. But, slowly, his body adjusted, and the stream turned from a harsh scalding heat, to perfectly warm. The steam and water soon cleaned his body and cleared his head.
After toweling off, he retrieved his night clothes, put them on, then returned to his room. He walked over to his desk, grabbed a comb which he'd put into his pencil holder, and brushed his hair back. His hair was caramel-brown, but was streaked with gold. Dallas didn't know why this was, some kind of pigment defect his father had said, but he thought it was cool.
His evergreen eyes scanned the room, finding his dresser and extracting his favorite outfit: A plain black T-shirt, faded blue jeans, and a deep green jacket. He put these on, leaving the jacket open in the style that many boys were following, and went downstairs.
Upon reaching the kitchen, Dallas practically broke his neck as he slipped on the floor. At the last second before he hit the ground, a hand lashed out and stopped his fall.
Dallas picked himself up before turning to see that his older sister, Hannah, had saved him.
"Mom spilled some soap as she walked in" Hannah said casually. "She was going to use it to fill up the pump by the sink, but she tripped and it spilled all over. I didn't see it and..." Hannah trailed off as she showed Dallas a purple bruise on her elbow. "I was just about to clean it up. Keep clear of it."
Dallas nodded. Hannah was seventeen, and she loved helping anyone with whatever problem they happened to have. But, sometimes she could be a little bit of a control freak in Dallas's opinion. She had dark brown hair, which she streaked with blue highlights. She wore a simple blue shirt with long sleeves, despite the fact that it was warm outside, and a jean skirt.
"Why are you wearing a shirt with long sleeves?" Dallas asked. "It's plenty warm outside."
"You're wearing that jacket" Hannah pointed out. "So then why can't I wear long sleeves?"
"Touche " Dallas admitted. But it was true that he had his own reasons. Even though he had done everything he could to warm himself up, he was still feeling chills because of the odd dream he'd had. So, he was wearing a warm jacket.
As Hannah finished cleaning the soap away with a wet rag, their mother walked into the room. She was a shorter woman who both children got their brown hair from. She had deep blue eyes, and was wearing a floral-pattern shirt and jeans.
"Dallas, after school, I need you to pick up the bouquet I ordered from Tammy's flower shop. You know where it is, right?"
Dallas nodded. "It's over on Harbinger Street, right?"
His mother beamed. "That's the one. But make sure you don't take any shortcuts. You know that the back alleys in that part of town are like a giant maze, right?"
Dallas rolled his eyes. Everyone knew about the labyrinth that existed, not two blocks from the high school, formed from the many back alleys and streets in that district. It was an ideal place for thugs and cults, because they were able to vanish into the streets in an instant to hide from police.
Last summer, Dallas and his friend Jason had taken the risk of attempting to map out the streets. They took turns holding onto a long rope which was attached to a winch. The rope could be "reeled out" while held by someone, allowing them to follow it back when they finished mapping an area. The two had mapped out only a fraction, but they had a map that extended a good two miles into the maze.
Dallas slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked outside to wait for the bus. He took a few granola bars, since he hadn't eaten breakfast.
"Within a few minutes, the bus arrived, and Dallas hopped aboard. He immediately moved toward the back to sit with his best friend Jason. The boy wore a light blue wide-brimmed hat, which was complemented by a navy vest and long-sleeved white shirt. Apparently, many people whom he knew wore long sleeves today. Maybe he had started some sort of trend.
Jason had been Dallas's best friend since the day he moved to New York. The boy had been born and raised in the city, and was able to help Dallas become familiar with the town.
Dallas himself was born in the States, but his family moved to Quebec, Canada when he was very young. Here, Dallas had learned French, and was soon able to speak it just as well as English.
Then, just last year, Dallas's family moved back to the U.S. to live in New York City. Fourteen year-old Dallas had been completely alone before Jason befriended him.
Dallas was jostled from his thoughts as Jason shook his shoulder.
"We're here" Jason informed him. "Let's get to class."

"Welcome, class" Mr. Matsuki greeted. "Today, we will be discussing one of my favorite subjects: Alternate Universes."
Dallas sat up in attention. This was a subject which he himself was quite interested in.
"Now, scientists have been speculating for years about the potential existence of alternate universes" Matsuki continued. "The theory is that there are other universes just like ours, existing in the same time and place, but separate. These dimensions are supposed to overlap, so you could be sitting in a desk in class right now. But, in an alternate dimension, you might be somewhere in Tasmania being swallowed by a python. Does everyone understand?"
The whole class nodded, so Matsuki continued.
"Now, there is a theory that two alternate dimensions which overlap could, on occasion, bump together. It might even be possible to tear a hole between two dimensions. This is known as a dimensional rift, which could remain for years, or it could remain for only an instant. Of course, nobody has actually proven the existence of Alternate Universes, so these are still only theories. The possibility of opening a rift to another dimension is slim. But some say, given the right tools, objects, and even people could traverse two dimensions at will..."
The lesson continued. Dallas listened intently. Mr. Matsuki was his favorite teacher, and he enjoyed the class. Matsuki had a very vivid imagination, and once even created a story about a time when he met a fire-breathing dragon back in Japan, where he was from.
The class soon ended, and everyone moved to their next period.
"Do you think it's possible?" Dallas asked Jason as they walked out.
"That Alternate Dimensions could exist?" Jason replied. "Nah. I don't see how that could happen. It's just science fiction."

The school day ended, and the two boys left the school.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Dallas exclaimed. "I have to pick up my mom's order of flowers!"
"I'll go with you." Jason said excitedly. "Sounds like it could be fun!"
The two departed toward Tammy's flower shop.
As they walked down the street, a loud crash came from the alleyway nearby.
"What do you think that was?" Jason asked.
"Somebody who shouldn't be in there" Dallas replied simply.
"Heeeeelp!"
The two boys turned, having heard the scream. Both were concerned.
"Should we go check it out?" Jason asked.
Dallas was about to say no, but something he had heard somewhere came to his mind.
"Simply listen to one who requests your help, and you will walk the correct path."
He didn't remember where he'd heard it, but he knew the person who had told him meant now.
"C'mon" he said as he approached the back street. "Let's go see who needs help."

Two dark figures ran for their lives across a far away plain. They were being pursued by a monster more horrible than description.
"Is he still after us?" The first asked the second. Said character turned to look behind him.
"I don't see anything" the second replied. "Maybe we lost him."
Instantly, a figure leapt from the bushes. Its stance and the two mirrorlike weapons it held confirmed who it was.
"Run!" the first being shrieked.
The two took off as quickly as they could, the unknown mercenary slowly closing in behind them.
"There's gotta be something we can do to get away" the second figure panted.
The first suddenly beamed. "Maybe there is a way."
Quickly spinning around, the first runner cried "Bunny Bubble!" It opened its mouth and launched several blue spheres from it.
"What are you doing?" the second one shrieked. "You know what he can do!"
"Exactly" the first smirked.
The mercenary quickly raised its two shields and caught the spheres on one of them. They simply seemed to pass through the surface.
"Dark Reflection!" the pursuer announced. Several dark orbs, the same size and number as the projectiles which the victim had launched flew from the opposite weapon.
"Now!" the first runner cried. His companion took in a huge breath and launched a sphere of compressed air. The two attacks collided not five feet in front of the two runners.
"Let's go!" the first runner insisted. The two quickly leapt into the chaos of the explosion.

IN the middle of the explosion, a single point of light was expanding. The energy of the opposing forces fed it, causing it to grow continually. The two runners were able to jump through the ring of light.
Instantly, they were in a dark alley in a very different place. The portal had opened in the center of a wooden beam, which held up a load of bricks. Without the support, the bricks crashed to the hard floor.
The two began to run. They darted down the alley, and the first spared a glance behind them, just in time to see their pursuer pushing through the portal.
"Heeeeelp!" he screamed.

Dallas raced through the alleyways. He was determined to find and help whoever was calling for them.
Rounding a corner, he saw the strangest sight in his life.
Two figures were dashing down the alley. One was quite similar to a rabbit. It was a bit larger than a regular rabbit, and its eyes were large, a piercing green color. Other than those two features, it looked like a normal brown rabbit.
The other was much more unique seeming. It looked like an oversized hamster of some sort, with orange fur on its back, and creamy white on its belly. It had large blue eyes, but its most interesting features were the two appendages on the sides of its head. They looked like a combination of ears and enormous orange bat wings.
The most interesting aspect of the two creatures was that they were both screaming.
"Help us!" the rabbit one screamed. "He's going to kill us!"
"Who?" Jason asked "Who's after you?"
It was the bat one who answered. "The most powerful bounty hunter in the Digital world."
There was a clang as a beam of energy blasted away the rubble at the end of the alley. A creature which looked like a metal man ambled out of the resulting cloud of dust.
"Mercurymon" the bat creature finished.

Within seconds, the foursome was bolting down the hallway.
"Fill us in" Jason puffed. "Who are you two, and why does that Mercury-man guy want you dead?"
"His name is Mercurymon" the rabbit creature corrected. "We don't know why he wants to kill us, but he's never lost his prey. Nobody has ever survived while he was on the hunt."
"Great" Dallas gasped. "And who exactly are you two?"
"We're called Digimon" the bat one replied. "I'm Patamon and this is Lepumon. Mercurymon is also a Digimon, as are all the creatures from our world."
"You're world?" Jason sought. "Are you guys from another planet or something?"
"Technically, no." Lepumon replied. "Our world and this world exist in the same place but in-"
"An Alternate Dimension." Dallas finished. "Just like Mr. Matsuki was telling us about in class today."
"So you guys are monsters from another dimension who are being chased by a metal bounty hunter who's never failed in destroying his victim" Jason summed everything up. "Well that just happens every day, now doesn't it?"
"More often than you might think" Patamon smirked.
A beam of energy launched toward them, nearly hitting Dallas in the head. This reminded them all of the circumstances they were in.
"So, what do you know about this Mercurymon guy?" Dallas asked. "Does he have any weak points?"
"None that I know of" Lepumon replied. "He's covered from head to foot in armor. It's not Chrome Digizoid, but it's super strong. He uses his Irony no Tate or Irony Shields to absorb any projectile attack and reflect it back with twice the power. Physical blows do nothing to the shields, only projectiles can do any damage, and the Irony Shields are large enough to defend his entire being at once."
"So, he's untouchable while he has those shields?"
"Pretty much."
"Then we may not be able to beat him, but we can definitely get away from him."
"How?" Jason asked, turning to look at Dallas.
Dallas smirked. "Get out the map. We're going to lose him in the alleys."
Soon, The boys and Digimon were dodging and weaving through the streets. This made Mercurymon angry.
"Come out and face me!" he roared. "You are assisting two convicts sentenced to death!"
Dallas ignored the angry Digimon and continued weaving through the streets. His goal was to make a loop around Mercurymon.
"Why are we trying to get back to where they came out?" Jason whispered.
"Remember what Mr. Matsuki said? When a rift is torn open between two dimensions, it can remain for a while" Dallas explained. "Mercurymon will never expect us to take them back to their world. He'll assume we're hiding them here."
"Great idea" Jason complimented, looking at his map. "Turn left here."
At length, they made their way back to the portal accompanied by the frustrated shrieks of Mercurymon. The Steel Digimon was disorientated by this new foreign world.
Dallas grinned as he realized that the portal was still in the carnage of the bricks.
"Yes!" he cheered. He attempted to walk through the rift, but an unseen force blocked his passage.
"Why can't I get through?" Dallas grunted.
Lepumon gasped in realization. "You two don't have Digivices, you can't cross."
"How do we get Digivices?" Jason asked.
Lepumon looked at Patamon for a moment. An unheard realization passed between them.
"Are you sure about this?" Patamon asked.
"Of course" Lepumon confirmed. "It's the only way." He then turned to Dallas. "What is your last name?"
"Finch" Dallas replied. "Why?"
Lepumon nodded. "I accept Dallas Finch as my human partner and grant him access to the full rights of a DigiDestined."
Dallas began to feel odd as a strange light appeared in his palm. He looked down to see a small object forming in the center of the light. It resembled most closely a stopwatch with a green strap attached at the top. It had a green, circular display, and a small slot on each side. The slots were thin, about large enough for a piece of paper, or possibly a trading card to slide through. It had several buttons on the display, and a small rotating knob on the backside of it.
"That is a Digivice" Lepumon informed him. "A D-Power, if I'm not mistaken. But I've never seen the little dial on the back before."
"Now me" Patamon spoke up. "Jason, your last name?"
"Thompson" Jason replied.
"I accept Jason Thompson as my human partner and grant him access to the full rights of a DigiDestined." Patamon recited.
The same type of light as that which had appeared for Dallas manifest itself in his palm. When it cleared, a similar Digivice rested in his hand. It started large at the top. and tapered off at the bottom. The display was only in the top half of this one, with larger buttons below. A short antenna extended from the top, and its color scheme was blue instead of green.
"A D-3" Patamon said approvingly. "You two are now allowed to enter the Digital World."
Dallas nodded. "Let's do it."
Stepping forward, Dallas found that his way was no longer hindered. He felt as if gravity was in two places at once, pulling lightly on his body. He knew that one more step would hurl him into the unknown.
Jason stood beside him, Patamon sitting on his cyan hat. He wore an expression that seemed to be a combination of anxiety, fear, and excitement.
Dallas looked down at Lepumon, who stood on his other side. He realized that everyone was waiting for him to take the first step.
Taking in a deep breath, Dallas lifted his foot and took another step. He leaned forward, and was instantly snatched up by the void.

Mercurymon stalked through the streets in a rage. He had lost the humans, and they were probably miles away by now.
He angrilly kicked a garbage can into the air. It soared fifty feet before crumpling against a wall.
The master was going to be furious. Mercurymon had never lost his prey. They would pay.
Suddenly, a beam of light rose up like a pillar into the air. Mercurymon looked skyward to see an emerald hued ray slicing into the air. After a moment, it vanished. A second later, another beam sliced into the air, this time, a deep sapphire color. Both beams came from the direction of the portal.
Mercurymon cursed. Of course! In a total blindside tactic, the humans had simply doubled back. Now, the Digimon had partnered themselves with the humans, giving them access to the Digital World.
Mercurymon dashed toward the portal in rage. He would have to act fast, or the convicts might close up the portal. In their current states, neither one had enough firepower to do it, but that Lepumon was resourcefull... part of the reason why he had been perfect at his previous occupation.
Mercurymon practically flew toward the portal. The convicts would be brought to justice. They would pay dearly for what had been done...

A flood of sensations overwhelmed Dallas. He felt joy, sadness, and other emotions which he could not describe. He was flying down a multicolored shaft of light, moving toward a large white plane which he assumed was the barrier between this magnificent place and the world which Lepumon and Patamon hailed from.
He reached toward the wall of light, and passed through it, finding himself in a grassy clearing in the middle of a forest.
Seconds later, Jason and the others had all arrived. Jason also looked around in amazement at this remarkable place.
"We can't stay here" Lepumon warned. "Mercurymon is likely to realize our deception. He will return here to search for us, and we must not be here when he does."
The others concurred, and the group set off into the forest.

Mercurymon arrived at the wreckage around the portal. The rubble had shifted, preventing him from being able to pass through. This did not bother him, however. He simply raised his Irony Shields together.
"Reflector Cannon!" he commanded. The two shields began to glow with white energy, which lanced forward as pure beams of light, tangible enough to slice through the rubble and clear a path.
Mercurymon smirked as he passed into the portal. He soon arrived, but his prey was nowhere in sight.
Instead of falling into despair, Mercurymon began to make calculations. Unlike many others, he was relentless. He would follow his targets untill they could run no more.
With a metalic shriek, he performed a Summon. This was a type of magnetic wave which vibrated out from its body and drew Digimon of the Metal Empire family to him.
Soon, several Digimon crowded around him: Five Gotsumon and one Golemon. The Gotsumon were humanoids which looked as though they were constructed from boulders stacked atop each other.
The Golemon was a large creature, with large, oversized fists, and a large, blocky head. Two hornlike rocks rose from its back, from which it was able to launch its devestating Sulfer Plume attack.
Mercurymon smirked. "Follow the humans. Do what you want with them, but the convicts are mine. Bring them back to me once you deal with the human scum."
Golemon nodded. With a bellow, it plunged forward and burrowed into the ground.

Dallas and company trudged along through the terrain. They had left the forest behind, and were now following a railroad line to its source.
"It is vital that we're not discovered by any Digimon who are Champion level or above" Patamon warned. "If we are, they won't hesitate to destroy us. We wont have enough power to fend them off."
"How can we get Champion Digimon to help us?" Dallas asked.
"Some Digimon can transform into more powerful forms through the process of Digivolution."
"What about you two?" Jason asked. "Can you digivolve?"
"I can" Patamon replied. " Lepumon doesn't know, he's never tried. But it's not an easy process. Digimon have to have lots of energy to Digivolve. The only ways to do that are to obtain large ammounts of data, or have large ammounts of energy given to them from an external source."
"Like these?" Dallas asked, holding up his Digivice.
"Precisely" Lepumon replied. "Digivices produce huge ammounts of energy, allowing Digimon who's partners use them to Digivolve. But, mastering the Digivice is no simple task. It usually takes a long time to unlock higher levels of evolution."
"Higher levels?" Jason asked. "How many levels are there?"
"It starts from the lowest" Patamon replied. "A newborn Digimon usually starts in Fresh form, which is basically like a newborn child in human terms. Then, they move on to In-Training form, which is your equivalent to a toddler."
"Then, you move on to Rookies, like us." Lepumon added. "Rookies are basically your older child/teenager stage in a Digimon's life. Next is Champion, which is where they start getting pretty strong. Champions and Rookies are the most common Digimon in the wild."
"Next comes Ultimate" Patamon picked up "If you're alone with no protection and you run into an Ultimate Level Digimon, you don't stand a chance. They're rarer than Champions, but not as rare as Mega levels."
Lepumon shuddered. "Mega Level is the top of the top. They knock down mountains for sport. They change the course of rivers like we'd draw a line in mud."
"Of course, there are more specific Levels than those. There's Armor, Hybrid, other things which you don't need to worry about right now."
Dallas and Jason were silent. This was a lot to take in. Not only were there amazing creatures here, they could transform into other, more powerful beings.
Just then, a tremor shook the ground. Dallas, assuming the worst, quickly spotted a heavy iron mallet which had been discarded on the side of the tracks. He grabbed it and faced the approaching force.
They approached like space aliens in UFOs, except that they rode atop their hovering vehicles instead of within them. Their rocky complexion allowed Lepumon to recognize them easilly.
"Gotsumon" he verified. "We can take them."
It was then that the ground rumbled, and the leader of the stirkeforce sprang from the earth.
If it's possible for a Digimon covered in fur to grow pale, Lepumon did just that.
"Golemon" he reported quietly. "Him, we can't take."
Golemon roared haughtilly. "Humans! Turn the convicts over to us, and you shall die quickly and painlessly!"
"And if we don't?" Dallas challenged.
A plume of super-hot air shot from Golemon's smoke stacks toward a lone tree. Upon contact, the tree shriveled up and burst into flames.
"If you don't then we broil you alive."
Dallas smirked. "You first."
With a sudden movement, Dallas lashed out with the hammer, striking a heavy blow to one of the Gotsumon. The Gotsumon in question subsequently had his arm blown off.
"Rock Fist!" ONe Gotsumon cried. Instantly, a section of the ground at his feet began to break away from its source. This formed a floating disk, which seemed to be what the Gotsumon had all been traveling on before.
Before Gotsumon could drop his enormous boulder, Lepumon jumped into the air.
"Bunny Bubble!" he cried, launching the small blue spheres from his mouth. Gotsumon easilly manouvered out of the way, but he did not expect the bubbles to change direction and strike him in the back.
"Oops" he orated, before exploding into a cloud of data.
The four remaining Gotsumon crowded together a bit closer after that.
"Let's use our combination move!" One Gotsumon suggested. The others nodded, and all immediately knelt to the ground.
"Crazy Crusher! They all called simultaneously. The ground began to shake as cracks appeared on the surface. Huge chunks broke apart, nearly causing the Digidestined to fall. "What do we do?" Jason panicked.
"I'll get us out of this!" Lepumon cried "Bubble Charger!"
Lepumon began to blow out. As he did, another azure bubble began to expand, only this time, the four partners were caught inside it. Lepumon now lifted his hand, and the bubble began to rise.
"No fair!" A Gotsumon called from below. "Now our combination wont reach you!"
"It will if they don't have that floating thing!" Golemon declared. "Sulfer Plume!"
Lepumon gasped as a jet of heat zoomed upward. The pure warmth coming off the wave caused the bubble to pop.
All four crashed to the ground, and the Gotsumon cheered.
"Rock Fist!" the one-armed one cried. He caused several medium-sized stones to rise into the air. These were flung toward the DigiDestined, who leapt out of the way.
"Boom Bubble!" Patamon cried. With an enormous intake of air, he sent the compressed projectile toward the one-armed Gotsumon, slicing clean through it and destroying it.
The remaining Gotsumon growled, and prepared to avenge their comrade. But, a growl from Golemon stopped them.
"Even if the three of you attack together, you will be destroyed" Golemon remarked simply. "But, let's see what these humans make of my own power! You who dare to call yourselves Digi Destined, let us see what you make of Golemon!"
With a hoot of excitement, the Gotsumon all stood back to watch as Golemon approached.
"What are our chances?" Dallas whispered.
"In this state? Almost nothing" Lepumon replied.
Sulfer Plume!" Golemon cried. a let of heat shot toward the DigiDestined, but fell short.
"It doesn't aim well" Patamon noted. "We may be able to use that to our advantage."
"How?" Jason sought. "That thing is huge!"
Dallas took a step forward. "Yeah, it's big. But we've got something it doesn't."
"What?" Jason asked.
"Dallas whipped out his Digivice. "These." Jason looked at the object and gasped. An emerald aura surrounded it. The same light that had manifest itself when the object first appeared.
"Let's do this." Dallas grinned. "Lepumon, are you ready?"
Lepumon nodded. "Do it."
"Without a word, Dallas lifted the digivice and pointed it at Lepumon. The action felt so normal, he knew what to do next. He concentrated his will and power into the device, and it happened. The light exploded from it and hit Lepumon.
Lepumon instantly rose into the air. "Lepumon! Digivolve to..." Light flashed. Arms and legs grew longer, more muscular. Wings sprouted, and scales appeared. Ears vanished, and were replaced with horns.
"Phasedramon!" Bellowed the new creature. It was a dragon, about the height of a man. Its green scales flashed in the faing light of evolution. It's legs were powerful, easilly able to kick down a tree. Its arms were also strong, making it look like a cross between a bodybuilder and a deadly beast.
Its claws were huge, but appeared to be retractable. They looked like steak knifes, but, strangely, didn't seem out of place or too long. When coupled with its huge and powerful wings, they looked magnificent. This was a predator. And it was good at what it did.
"Thanks" Phasedramon growled. "Now things get interesting."
The two Champion Digimon stood opposite each other: the brawny, yet clumsy, Golemon and the slender, yet powerful, Phasedramon. Both waited for the other to make a move.
Golemon lost the stalemate. He rushed in with a roar.
"Rock Punch!" he cried. His feet were immediately engulfed in earth, giving him stability as his fist swung forward.
Phasedramon didn't even move to dodge or recieve the attack. At the last instant, he seemed to shimmer. The rocky fist connected, and went straight through him.
"Sad" Phasedramon smirked "It looks like your armor isn't Digizoid. This will be fun."
With a movement almost too fast to see, "Untouchable Strike!" declared Phasedramon as he sidestepped and raked his clawed hand upward. For a single instant, his hand became tangible once more, slicing Golemon's arm clean off.
"Oops" Phasedramon grinned. "I guess I broke your favorite arm. Here, let me give you something even better: Drago Kick!" He ducked low, balancing on the palm of one hand and sweep-kicked Golemon's opposite leg, shattering it.
"Really puts the expression 'paid for with an arm and a leg' into perspective, now doesn't it?" Phasedramon laughed.
Dallas was speechless. Was this really the same Digimon who had cowered at the mere mention of Golemon's name? He realized that Digivolving had given Phasedramon so much confidence that that other side of him, which Dallas had seen only brief flashes of, emerged. That humorous, yet strong side.
Golemon was having difficulty balancing on one leg. "Golem Pummel!" he cried, attempting to strike Phasedramon with several quick blows. Sadly, the effort caused him to tip over and crash to the ground. He struggled back onto his one leg.
"Well, it's been nice, but we should really start wrapping this up" Phasedramon decided, pulling a handful of small green orbs seemingly from thin air.
Golemon gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"
Phasedramon simply gave his trademark grin. "You have a lot to learn about what I will and wont do." With that, he beat his huge wings and shot toward Golemon.
"PhaseDrago Bomber!" Phasedramon cried, becoming intangible as he passed through Golemon's chest. The Digimon gasped in sudden pain, and Phasedramon emerged again without the small orbs.
"That's gotta hurt" Jason commented.
Golemon's expresion was a combination of horror and surprise. Before he could even move an inch, he exploded in a pyro-kinetic display of verdant flames. Data flew in all directions, before magnetizing back to Phasedramon, who absorbed it all.
The Gotsumon who remained stood in horrified shock for a second before turning to run, but Phasedramon wouldn't allow it.
"Drago Beam!" he called. Jets of light shot from his eyes, cleaving two Gotsumon in half. Patamon quickly finished off the remaining Gotsumon with his Boom Bubble technique.
"Well" Phasedramon said casually. "Now that I can fly, what say we ge going?"
Dallas and Jason simply stood in shock. After a few seconds, a grin spread over Dallas's face.
"That was awesome. But, there's no way you can carry all of us."
"I can just fly" Patamon offered.
"But, only one person would be able to fly on his back" Jason pointed out to Patamon.
Phasedramon grinned. "Who said anything about riding on my back?"
Dallas looked at him in confusion before Phasedramon grabbed him. He struggled for a moment, but soon stopped when he realized what Phasedramon planned to do.

"Wahoo!" Dallas cried at the top of his lungs. "This is AWESOME!"
Jason, who was riding on Phasedramon's back, rolled his eyes as he looked down. Dallas was hanging from Phasedramon's claws, soaring along with nothing between him and the ground far below. He spread his arms with absolute elation.
"I'm the king of the world!" he couldn't resist calling. "This is the most amazing thing ever!"
"Next time" Jason called "I get to be down there!"
The group soon landed, and Phasedramon reverted to Lepumon. The four walked the streets of a deserted city.
"Let's find a place to set up camp" Dallas reccomended. "And when we wake up, I'll decide whether or not I'm going insane."

"I appologize, master" Mercurymon bowed. "I thought that the forces I sent would be more than sufficient to take care of them."
"Yes, and you were mistaken" the figure sitting on the throne replied. "You underestimated your foes, Mercurymon. At least one of the children now holds the power to Digivolve his partner. This complicates matters greatly."
"I will not do so again, master" Mercurymon assured.
"And what will you do if they gain the power to defeat you?"
"They will not" Mercurymon spat. "But, sire, just to be certain, would you consider bestowing my other half upon me? If I had my full strength..."
"No" the frigid response came. "You are not ready for it. I appointed you my high lieutenant because you are level-headed and calculating. Taking in your full power before you train yourself to resist its power could reduce you to the savagery of some of our lowest sycophants."
Mercurymon nodded. "Yes, master. I will not underestimate the humans next time."
With that, he bowed and exited the room.

First, let me clarify that Lepumon is not a new idea. There are several "Lepumon" ideas in existence. I did not know of the existence of any of these before creating my Lepumon design. Also, I did not base Lepumon off of any other Digimon, despite his very generic appearance. Just needed to clarify that.
Hooray! This is now my official longest chapter of any story I have written so far. I will celebrate with a cracker and a can of Sprite.

Also, if you read this story, please review it. I have recently developed a case of depression because of my lack of reviews. So everyone please do me the favor.

Even Fire and Ice have a Dark side...