I'm glad to be back, all of you, and am pleased to present: Digimon Academy 02: Return of the Demon Lords!
Disclaimer: I own the plot, and some of the human characters. The others belong to: Rambonata, Skullmasta, Zel Nightale, Da-Tenshi Setsuna, Orig, Westlyking, JonnyKlutch, Hellion Prime, JediPadawanJess, Reddisk, YaoiCupcakeluver, littlelilygirl1, Ein Sof Ish, and DoubleCrescentMoon. Thank you for all of your submissions. PS: This is sort of a 'prologue episode', so there won't be any new Digi-Destined as of yet, though some Ocs may appear briefly.
Chiharu:"It's been ten years since our fight with Millenniummon. We managed to seal it back in the Millennium Gate, but at a price. We lost one of our fellow Digi-Destined and close friend, Hideaki Kokawa. He had to give up his life to become the seal on the Gate. As soon as Tsukiko graduated, two years afterwards, she left the country to be a teacher in America. I think she just wanted to get away from a place with such bad memories… Satoru, who graduated at the same time, left for England. Yuichi, graduating after us, studied becoming a teacher early, and now he's in the British branch. Mayu and I stayed, though. Aoki-sensei went into early retirement, and I took her job as the Digimon History teacher. Mayu took Nishimura-sensei's job as the teacher of Technical Abilities. It's been ten years since that fateful day, and we all hoped, and still hope, that that was the end of it. Still, even now, I can help but worry that this isn't over yet…"
" … and when the Digi-Destined arrived to try to stop Apocalymon, what happened?" twenty-three year old Chiharu Miura asked her class. Several students raised their hands. "Yes, Reddisk?"
Kisa Reddisk, a 13 year old girl with black hair and golden eyes, answered, "Apocalymon sent all of the humans into their own nightmare worlds, where they had to face their fears and pasts until their Digimon came to save them."
"Very good," Chiharu said with a small smile. She'd taught her class well. They'd all learned by now to speak as though Chiharu herself had never been one of the Digi-Destined. It was too painful to think about, sometimes, and she was blessed with students that happened to be very understanding of this fact. "And how, exactly, did they get out? Basset?"
Xavier Basset, a boy with black hair and green eyes, replied, "When their Digimon showed up, X-Antibody cards appeared, and they used those to get out."
Chiharu nodded, pleased. Her C-Class this year was full of bright students, making her job much easier. The bell rang, signaling the dismissal of class for the day. "Have a good day, everyone, and remember, chapter 18's homework is due tomorrow." As soon as the students were all out of the room, the brunette woman let her cheerful smile slip.
"Ya can't keep beatin' yerself up over it," Beelzemon told her for the twelfth time that day. "You know it's what we had to do."
"There had to be some other way…" Chiharu protested. They'd had this conversation every year, on the same day for ten years. It was anniversary of the day they'd won… and lost.
"We can't change what happened," the Demon Lord of Gluttony said, exasperated. When would his partner learn that it had never been her fault? "Anyway, you think Tsukiko's gonna make it this year?"
"I hope so," Chiharu said softly. "Of course, she hasn't shown in the last four."
"All we can do is hope, I guess," Beelzemon muttered.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"Here we are…" the twenty-six year old woman said, stepping outside of the airport. She felt a large hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" the large Digimon behind her asked. The woman hesitated.
"I have to be," she told him. "It's been too long." She turned her gaze in the direction she knew Digimon Academy was. "I need to face it some day."
"I'll always be here for you," the Digimon said supportively.
"I know," the woman said softly, starting to walk. "I know…"
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"Is it just me, or did Miura-sensei seem a little… off, today?" Xavier asked, walking with the other C-Class students to their next class. Kisa and another C-Class student, Jun Okamoto, stopped and stared at him for a second. "What?" Xavier asked.
"You mean you don't know?" Kisa asked, incredulous.
"You don't know what today is?" Jun asked, startled. He usually stayed out of other people's business if he could help it, but the kid needed to know.
"Tuesday?" the black-haired boy asked, confused.
"Today's the tenth anniversary of the battle with Millenniummon!" Kisa exclaimed. "Now, I know you haven't been here for a full year yet," she started, "but Miura-sensei is always a little off on the anniversary."
"It's no wonder, since she was the leader, and could have stopped him from doing it!" Dracmon, Kisa's sometimes loudmouthed partner said.
"Dracmon!" Kisa hissed. "You've read the chapter, you know there wasn't any choice!" She smacked him lightly on the head.
"Owww," the Digimon said.
"Drama queen."
"Hey!" Dracmon said. He sighed. "I meant, that's probably what she feels like, so of course she's going to feel guilty."
"Then why didn't you say that in the beginning?" Centarumon, Jun's partner, asked.
"Sorry," Dracmon muttered.
"Alright, break it up, you two," Dobermon said good-naturedly.
"So, Midorikawa-sensei is probably feeling the same way, then?" Xavier asked.
"For the most part, but not nearly as intensely," Jun informed him.
Xavier looked back at the door they'd just exited. "Poor Miura-sensei…"
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Mayu watched the clock, waiting for the school day to end so that she could meet up with the others. Her classes were done for the day, but Chiharu had a class during the last period, so there would really be no point in leaving.
"I wonder if Tsukiko's going to show up this year…" the blonde muttered, completely unaware that her friend had had this conversation with her own partner earlier.
"Who knows?" Lucemon replied with a sigh. "It was harder on her than it was on most of us. He was her best friend, after all."
"I hate this," Mayu said softly. "I hate that we all just had to split up like this."
"Tsukiko would have been miserable," Lucemon reasoned. "She had to get away from here."
"But what about Satoru and Yuichi?"
"Well, Kono picked up on people's feelings easily, and Motonari was too young to handle it," a voice said from the doorway. Mayu looked up to see her old teacher, Makoto Nakayama. He still held his job as the Math and Battle Strategy teacher, even after all these years. And he still remained both Mayu's and Chiharu's favorite member of the staff.
"When did you get here?" the younger teacher asked.
"Just a minute or two ago," Nakayama replied. "I just wanted to remind you that grades are due tomorrow."
Mayu looked at her old teacher for a moment. "Liar," she said simply. "You just wanted to know how I'm doing."
Nakayama laughed. "Busted." He turned serious. "So, how are you?"
"It still hurts," the woman admitted, "but I'm sure it's nothing compared to what Chiharu's going through. Have you talked to her yet?"
Nakayama shook his head. "I haven't had the chance to." The bell rang. "And now I guess you should be off." He gave her a sad smile. "Tell the others I said hi."
"Will do."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Chiharu leaned against the wall next to the gate of the Academy, Beelzemon right next to her. She checked her watch just as Mayu ran over.
"We good?" the brunette asked, earning a nod. Both women, followed by their Demon Lord partners, headed out, going to the park.
On occasion, people would stare, and it was no wonder. For many, many years, Digimon from the Academy never went outside the school's walls. Many people feared Digimon, and thus, it was only natural that, to avoid conflict, they were kept separate. However, after the incident ten years ago, people were a little more accepting. Digital Gates had opened all around the world, and the Academies from all different countries helped to subdue the threats. There was a news report when the Chosen Children came home, and so everyone recognized the Digi-Destined and Digimon that had saved both worlds. Thus, the world became at least a bit more accepting to Digimon, and welcomed those partnered with the Digi-Destined with open arms.
"There they are!" Mayu said, pointing, and sure enough, there sat twenty-six year old Satoru Kono with his partner Lilamon, and twenty-year old Yuichi Motonari with his partner Wizardmon. The women walked over to them.
"Still no Tsukiko?" Chiharu asked, causing both men to shake their heads.
"Haven't seen her yet," Yuichi replied. "But we're trying to be optimistic."
The leader sighed. That meant that, more likely than not, Tsukiko Takaki was going to be a no-show again this year.
"So, how have you been?" Mayu asked. "How's life abroad?"
"Well, it's pretty cool," Yuichi said with a smile. "I'm having a little trouble getting the students to listen to me."
"I can understand why, Mr. 'I Graduated Early To Get My Ass Out Of Here Sooner And Became A Teacher When I Was Nineteen,'" a familiar female voice said. All present looked up to see a teal-haired woman walking toward them, followed by a large black wolf Digimon on two legs.
"Oh my god, you made it!" Mayu exclaimed with a bright smile.
"Yeah," Tsukiko said with a small smile, but they could all tell it was forced. It was hard for her to come here, but it had been far too long, and she missed the others even more than she despised being back in Japan. She needed this. "So, how have you all been?"
"We were just talking about that, actually," Satoru informed her. "Apparently, none of the British kids are taking Yuichi seriously."
"The older students treat me like I'm their classmate," the black-haired man said.
Tsukiko laughed. "Well, that's what you get for becoming a teacher this young."
Despite being a grown man, the younger adult stuck his tongue out at the woman.
"Oh, real mature," Satoru said with a small laugh.
"How's America been treating you these last four years?" Chiharu asked, trying to hide the bitter edge to her voice. She knew Tsukiko had her reasons for leaving, but that didn't mean she wasn't still angry that she had stopped coming altogether.
"Pretty good," Tsukiko replied. She could tell Chiharu was a little pissed, but if the brunette wasn't going to bring it up, neither was she. "American food is the best. I would have brought some, but you know airport security…"
"Yeah," Lilamon said. "They almost didn't let me on the plane." She frowned, but everyone else laughed.
"I had to show them my old student ID," Satoru said with a small laugh. "You should have seen them when they realized who we were!"
"I can imagine," Mayu said with a laugh.
"So what have you guys been up to, here in Japan?" ShadowWereGarurumon asked.
"The usual," Chiharu replied. "Nothing too exciting on our end."
"How's Hiroshi?" Lilamon teased.
Despite her current mood, Chiharu blushed. "He's with his family. His sister was in a bus accident."
"Is she okay?" Wizardmon asked, concerned.
"Well," their old leader replied, "she's stable now, but it's going to take a long time to recover." She sighed. "He's probably going to be gone for another couple of months."
Beelzemon watched his partner carefully. She was getting really good at pretending that she was happy, but, having been partners for a little over ten years, Beelzemon was pretty damn good at being able to tell how Chiharu was feeling, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. And while she was being nice, and even laughing, the Demon Lord of Gluttony knew that she was still very pissed at Tsukiko. They'd had no communication with her for four years. Chiharu and Hiroshi had gotten married two years ago, even though Chiharu kept her last name. She'd sent an invitation to the older woman, but she never showed. That had really upset her.
They felt an ever-so-slight tremor beneath them, and when Chiharu's D-Agent beeped, the five adults gave each other concerned looks. Chiharu answered. "What's up?"
"We have a problem," Nakayama's voice carried through the Digivice.
"Let me guess," she groaned. "A Gate opened?"
"Got it in one," the older teacher replied.
"How many?"
"Ten SaberLeomon," he informed her.
"We're on our way," Chiharu replied before hooking the D-Agent to her bag and standing. "Alright, guys, let's go."
Luckily, the park wasn't too far from the school. If this had been back in the day, they'd have been able to travel like they did in the Digital World. But Yuichi was too big for Wizardmon's staff, and while Lucemon and Beelzemon were probably strong enough to carry the weight of their partners, the humans didn't want to burden them like that.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
When they arrived, the students were making their way to the dorms. There had been enough drills, coupled with the fact that two former Digi-Destined were there, that the students of Digimon Academy could handle a crisis like this with at least a decent level of calm.
"There are ten of them, so we each take two?" Chiharu asked.
"You got it, Fearless Leader," Mayu replied with a small smile, using her old nickname for the brunette.
Chiharu took out her D-Agent to see where their opponents were. "Alright," she started, "Satoru, you can take the two by the cafeteria. Yuichi, the ones closing in on the dorms. Mayu, I want you to go after the two by the Science room. Tsukiko, you take the gym, and I'll take out the two by the Team Battling room."
"Got it," they all said before going their separate ways. They were falling back into their old rhythm again.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Satoru and Lilamon made it to the cafeteria easily. As soon as they got there, they saw that it was trashed. It would take days to clean up. Satoru glanced down at his Digivice as the two large Digimon turned his way. "SaberLeomon," he read. "Mega Level. Attacks: Howling Crusher and Twin Fang."
"Piece of cake," Lilamon said with a smile.
"Just to be on the safe side…" Satoru started, slipping a card out of his pocket. "Digital Enhancement. Digivolve: Connect!"
"Lilamon Digivolve to… Rosemon!"
Rosemon watched the two Mega Digimon in front of her as they sized her up. While they did so, she couldn't help but feel the nostalgia from the old days. Digimon breaking through into the Academy, Chiharu taking charge… It was almost like they were kids again. Except… "Rose Spear!" she yelled before they could attack first. The whip wrapped itself around the neck of one of the SaberLeomon, but the other sank its jaws into the whip, pulling on it. Rosemon let go before it could pull her, too. Of course, now she was without her weapon.
"Twin Fang!" the first SaberLeomon, now free of the whip, attacked. Rosemon dodged to the side just in time as it missed by mere inches.
"These guys are fast!" she informed her partner.
"I got that," the man replied, pulling out another card. "Digital Enhancement. Speed: Connect!" As soon as the beam of light from his D-Control made it to Rosemon, she could feel every byte of data in her body vibrate at nearly impossible speeds. She burst forward and picked up her whip before either SaberLeomon could figure out what was going on. She spun to gain momentum and shot the whip out at the second SaberLeomon.
"Rose Spear!" she attacked again. As soon as the whip wrapped around the Digimon's neck, she spun circles around it, making the grip tighter by the moment. But, just as she was about to delete it, the other Mega slammed into her side, sending her crashing into a wall. She rubbed her head as the Speed card wore off, and looked at her hand to see the data fizzing in and out. She was out of practice, and her Mega form wasn't going to hold. She Degenerated back to Lilamon.
"What happened?" Satoru asked his partner worriedly.
"I'm just out of practice," she replied, standing.
"I thought you said this would be a piece of cake," the violet-haired human commented. He received a glare from his partner.
"Maybe it was a piece of fruit cake, then," she retorted, causing the man to laugh.
"Well, then let's pound this fruit cake!" Satoru said with a smile, once again holding a card. "Digital Enhancement. X-Antibody: Connect!"
Lilamon grinned as the strength returned to her. She turned back to the two SaberLeomon that were giving her so much trouble. "Lilac Dagger!" she yelled, and what looked like a glowing dagger with a lily on the end slid out of the pink layer on her arm into her hand. She spun and tossed it at the Mega that she'd almost deleted before. It hit the mark, right between its eyes, and destroyed it. "How do you like me now?" she taunted the remaining one.
"Howling Crusher!" it yelled, darting forward and reaching both front paws out. Lilamon backed up at the last second, sticking her tongue out.
"Gonna have to do better than that!" she yelled.
"Lilamon," Satoru started.
"Sorry, Satoru," she said. "Marvel Shot!" The attack hit the mark, making SaberLeomon jump back. "Lilac Dagger!" As soon as the X-Antibody exclusive attack hit, the Mega disappeared.
"I hope the others aren't having too much trouble," Satoru commented.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Yuichi and Wizardmon headed straight for Dorm D, where the D-Agent showed the SaberLeomon were. Of course. They would have to pick the weakest students to attack. When they arrived, they saw the Megas barring the path for one R-Class student and his partner, Veemon, to the dorm. The kid had shaggy sky blue hair that had clearly been dyed. He tried to put on a brave face, but it was clear that he was nervous about this two on one Mega vs. Rookie match up. Veemon looked like he was ready to attack.
"Come on, Wizardmon, we gotta hurry!" Yuichi said, pulling out his D-Agent. "Digital Enhancement. Warp Digivolve: Connect!"
"Wizardmon Warp Digivolve to… Pharaohmon!"
The fifteen year old boy looked back, startled. He didn't recognize the young man, but he knew that Pharaohmon was the Mega form of one of the Digi-Destined's partners.
"You're going to want to back away," Pharaohmon warned the boy and his Digimon. Both complied, and the SaberLeomon eyed them as they moved. "Fist of Nile!" he attacked, finally drawing the attention of the enemy. He hit one straight in the face, which sent it back, crashing against the dorm. The building was solid enough, but Yuichi knew that the impact would probably be terrifying the students.
"Hey, Pharaohmon?" he called. "Try to get them away from the building. We're trying to save those kids, not drop the building on them!"
"When did you get to be so sarcastic?" Pharaohmon commented. When his partner had still been just a child, he was so sweet an innocent. Now, while he was still kind, he'd somehow picked up the sarcasm of the others, even though they'd spent years away from them all, only reuniting once a year. He blamed that M-Class student from England, Piper.
"Talk later, fight now," the young teacher suggested. "Digital Ability. Andromon's Lightning Blade: Connect!"
The energy gathered in Pharaohmon's hand, forming a blade the protruded from his arm. "Lightning Blade!" he yelled, shooting the energy forward, straight at the second SaberLeomon at just the right angle, sending it sliding to the side, away from the dorm building. The first was on its feet again, and clearly pissed off.
"Twin Fang!" it yelled, rushing straight at Pharaohmon, biting him in the shoulder. The Mega hissed in pain, but despite his predicament, he let out a small chuckle.
"You made this much easier," he told it. "Necromist!" At such a close range, the black mist seeping from Pharaohmon's body entered SaberLeomon's mouth and nose. It was forced to let him go, being sent into violent coughing fits. Its data fazed in and out, and Pharaohmon turned toward the second one, knowing that it was only a matter of time before his first opponent succumbed to the power of his devastating attack.
"Howling Crusher!" it yelled, firing its attack not at Pharaohmon, but the boy from before and his partner.
"Get out of the way!" Yuichi yelled, running straight for them and pulling them out of harm's way without a moment to spare. "The path's clear, now go inside, and don't leave until the announcement comes on, alright?"
"Y-Yeah," he said, obviously a bit shaken by that near-death experience.
"Thanks for the help!" Veemon called over his shoulder as they started running.
Yuichi smiled a little. His smile dropped, however, when he turned back to the remaining SaberLeomon. "Why do you guys always go after the weak ones?" he asked, but as expected, he didn't receive an answer, just a loud and angry growl. He sighed. "So, it's going to be that way, then?" He shrugged. "Your loss." He turned to his partner. "What do you say about a little Antibody?"
Pharaohmon nodded and Degenerated back to Wizardmon. "I think that that would be a splendid idea."
"Alright, then," the black haired male said, pulling out the desired card and sliding it through the D-Agent, holding the device at such an angle that the card slid through the air diagonally. The data produced by the activation flew toward Wizardmon, changing him into his X-Champion form.
"Thanks, Yuichi," Wizardmon said, dodging out of the way as SaberLeomon came charging at him. "Thunder Ball!" The smaller attack hit the Mega in the back, doing enough to keep it stunned. It wasn't his strongest attack, but it would work for now. "Mystical Aura!" he called, and the air around SaberLeomon glowed in a swirling rainbow light. The Data attributed Digimon's eyes crossed slightly as the aura drew its energy from its body, using the Digimon's own strength against it. Once the aura was charge enough, the colors stopped swirling, almost as if the aura had frozen. Without warning, lights stabbed through its body in countless places, destroying the enemy.
"Phew," Yuichi said. "Glad that's over with."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Tsukiko headed for the gym at top speed, gritting her teeth. Why did this have to happen? Why today, of all days? Her first day back in years, and almost instantly, her mind was thrown back ten years, when they used to be a team. A full team. She hated how easily Chiharu had slipped into the role of leader again, as though Hideaki had never left. Or, worse, as though his sacrifice didn't matter.
What if it didn't? What if it was for nothing? She shook her head. No, she thought. It wasn't for nothing. He saved all of us.
"Are you gonna be okay?" ShadowWereGarurumon asked, picking up on his partner's mood easily.
"Do you want the truth, or one of those little white lies that won't hurt anyone?" she asked.
"The truth," her partner replied.
"Then, no," she answered. "No, I'm not. But we don't have time for that." She pushed her dark feelings down for now, leaving just enough fury and anger to fuel herself in the battle. "We've got some ass to kick."
ShadowWereGarurumon laughed. "That's what I want to hear," he said with a grin.
When they reached the gym, Tsukiko stopped dead in her tracks. The gym…
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Hideaki went to punch her, but she grabbed his fist, and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground.
"Remember how you said that I have no idea what you've been through?" she asked, looking down at him. "My mom died giving birth to me. When I was in first grade, my dad came to pick me up to go to the dentist, when a shooter made their way into my school. He killed my dad. In my first foster home, the family abused me, and I had to stay there for about a year before anyone realized what was happening. In my next 'home', I was neglected even worse than you were. Your parents just left you alone, right? Well, my second set of foster parents would lock the cupboards and the fridge when they were away, so that I couldn't get anything to eat. I was lucky if they fed me more that three times a week. The family after that actually wasn't all that bad. When they found out what happened, they taught me how to fight, in case I ever got in a nasty situation. They were pretty nice, but then they both died in a bus crash. That's how I wound up here. So, try to find out all the facts first before accusing someone of not knowing what it's like to feel completely alone." She reached a hand down to help him up. When he took it, she smiled a little. "If you ever need to talk, kid, I'm always here. You can trust me, alright?"
He nodded, standing up. "Thanks," he said quietly. "And… I'm sorry."
"It's fine," she told him. "Hey, we didn't hit Pagumon too hard, did we?"
"No, he's okay, I think," Hideaki told her. "A little beaten down, but nothing that's too serious."
"Good," Tsukiko replied. She patted him on the back. "I get the feeling you and I are going to be good friends, kid."
"Can you do me one favor, then?"
"Sure. What's that?"
"Can you stop calling me 'kid'?" he asked.
"Sure thing," Tsukiko laughed. "Kid."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
She shook her head, trying to push the memory out of her mind. This was where she had first really become friends with Hideaki… But again, this wasn't the time for that. She cracked her knuckles. "Let's make them regret coming here today."
"You got it," ShadowWereGarurumon replied, settling into a fighting stance as the SaberLeomon caught sight of them. As expected, both charged. ShadowWereGarurumon ducked, and as soon as one went flying over him, he attacked. "Shadow Claw!" The Mega was thrown into the air, and while it was airborne, ShadowWereGarurumon stood. As it made its way back down, he wound up for another attack. "Full Moon Kick!" he yelled, delivering a devastating crescent kick, hurling it to the side, into the other one, which Tsukiko had dodged away from. Both SaberLeomon lay piled on the ground for a moment.
"Digital Ability. Meramon's Fireball: Connect!" Tsukiko yelled, holding her D-Agent horizontally and swiping the card through.
ShadowWereGarurumon put both hands together, touching at the wrists, with his palms out. A small ball of fire appeared in front of them, growing larger and larger by the second. "Fireball!" he yelled, thrusting it forward when it had grown enough. It hit his target dead center, singeing the Megas' fur.
Both managed to stand, clearly not going to go down all that easily. "Twin Fang!" one yelled, charging him again. The other held back, clearly waiting for its moment to strike. ShadowWereGarurumon stayed in place, trusting his partner to maker her move fast enough.
"Digital Enhancement. Hyper Wings: Connect!" The data quickly made its way from Tsukiko's Digivice to her partner, forming six glowing wings one the Ultimate's back. Just as he was about to be hit, he jumped back, using the wings to propel him into the air. "Digital Ability. Birdramon's Meteor Wing: Connect!"
ShadowWereGarurumon felt the wings fold in front of him as two fireballs formed in front of them. They hurtled down at the first SaberLeomon, destroying it. ShadowWereGarurumon touched down just as the wings vanished. The second SaberLeomon, which had stayed back, was now heading his way. "Howling Crusher!"
The Ultimate tried to dodge out of the way, but this time he was just a moment too slow, having been swiped with both claws.
"ShadowWereGarurumon!" Tsukiko yelled. "You okay?"
"This is nothing," her partner replied, standing, albeit a little shakily. But it was true. A simple attack like this was nothing compared to the constant drain of energy he and the others had suffered during their final battle ten years ago. He would be fine. "Full Moon Kick!" he attacked, aiming right at the Mega's face, hitting his mark. SaberLeomon was sent back a few feet.
"Twin Fang!" it yelled, and at this close range, the attack would do much more damage than normal.
"Digital Enhancement. Digmon's Drill: Connect!"
ShadowWereGarurumon, catching on to his partner's plan, waited for his opponent to charge him. Just as it was about to bite down, though, he aimed the drills at SaberLeomon's fangs. "Just like going to the dentist," he commented, causing Tsukiko to laugh a little. It was good to hear her laugh. ShadowWereGarurumon could count on one hand the number of times he had heard her genuinely laugh since… the incident. Once the drills had broken both fangs, the Mega thrust them into the Digimon's mouth, breaking through to the back of its head. It was a bit ruthless, but at least it worked. SaberLeomon was destroyed.
"You would have traumatized the kids with that," the woman commented.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"Dominion Blade!"
Mayu and Lucemon raced to the Science room to see the Science teacher, Nishimura, defending his classroom, as well as the students who had been unable to escape. The SaberLeomon were in the hall just outside the room on either side, making escape impossible. Class was over, but the Science room occasionally housed multiple after school clubs. Among the students trapped were Kisa Reddisk and Alexander Jackson, both in C-Class.
"Midorikawa-sensei!" Kisa yelled as the blonde woman took the risk of ducking by one of the Megas to help.
"Nishimura," the younger teacher started, looking at her old teacher. "We're going to try to clear the way here. Can you get the students out?" The man looked like he was about to say something. "We'll be fine, I promise," she added.
"Alright," Nishimura relented, leaving it to the old Digi-Destined. "But be careful."
"Like she said," Lucemon replied, "We'll be fine." He turned to the SaberLeomon to the left, the direction that provided a much shorter route to the exit. "Grand Cross!" The Mega stumbled back, clearly damaged, but it wasn't enough to be able to get the students out.
"Dominion Blade!" they heard again, and got out of the way just in time to avoid Minervamon's attack.
"Digital Ability. Sandiramon's Treasure Lance: Connect!" Mayu yelled, swiping the card she'd gotten from her time in the Digital World.
Four glowing lights formed around Lucemon, molding into the shape of spears. Each one shot at the Mega, destroying it. This had clearly been the one Minervamon had been focusing her attacks on before. It was just too easy.
The students started running out of the room, and Kisa was about to follow when she saw one of the younger kids, still terrified to leave the room. But they couldn't stay here much longer. "It's okay," she told the young boy, an R-Class student with a Botamon. The kid was clearly new, and hadn't heard the stories about how the Digi-Destined had constantly stopped Digimon that had broken into the Academy. Meaning that he didn't know that everything would be okay. "I promise. Midorikawa-sensei will take care of everything." She reached out her hand, and the young boy slowly took it.
"We gotta hurry!" Dracmon warned. He knew that Kisa often helped people without really thinking. It was good that she was trying to save this kid's life, but she needed to think this through more. She couldn't just coax him out, she should have just grabbed the kid and started running. Now there was a much bigger chance of her getting hurt, and Dracmon didn't want that. When they were still in R-Class, and still fairly new at the whole partner thing, she'd taken a hit for him, and was hospitalized for a few weeks. Since then, Dracmon had promised himself that he'd keep her safe. And every second she spent in here, she was put in more and more danger.
"Right," the black-haired girl said. She pulled out her D-Power and a card. "Digital Enhancement. Digivolve: Connect!"
"Dracmon Digivolve to… Sangloupmon!" The Champion approached his partner and the boy. He knew Kisa's plan. As a Champion, he was able to carry both of them on his back, making their escape safer. So she was thinking a little…
"Up you go," the C-Class student said, helping the boy up. As soon as he was safe, she climbed up with him, placing her hands on his shoulders to reassure him as they made their escape.
Unfortunately, by the time they made it out, the remaining SaberLeomon had gotten closer to the door.
"Dammit!" Mayu yelled when she saw the kids leave. The Mega's eyes locked right on the two students and their Digimon. "Lucemon!"
"I see them," he replied, moving between the kids and SaberLeomon. As he checked behind him to make sure that they were out of harm's way, a large paw slammed into him, slamming him into the wall. Mayu glared at the Mega.
"Digital Enhancement. Reapermon's Burning Cyclone: Connect!" Mayu held her D-Agent straight out in front of her. She slid the card straight down, activating it.
As Lucemon stood, he began spinning rapidly, creating buffeting winds that threw SaberLeomon back, while also hurrying the students on their escape. When he stopped, he approached his opponent. He didn't have to worry about losing energy in another battle, since this SaberLeomon was the only one left, so he did the one thing he could to guarantee their success. "Ultimate Sacrifice!" he yelled, and the affectionately called 'Square of Death' surrounded the Mega, destroying it instantly. The expense of energy caused the Demon Lord of Pride to drop to his hands and knees.
"The others had better be doing okay…" Mayu muttered. Lucemon was in no shape to help them if they needed it.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Chiharu and Beelzemon reached the Team Battling room in record time. She couldn't let them enter it. If they managed to get a Gate open, they could escape. And she couldn't let that happen.
They were just outside the doors, trying to break their way through. After the Digi-Destined had returned to the Academy, they found some sections of the building demolished. To prevent this from happening again, engineers and scientists had come in, finding a way to bond Chrome Digizoid to steel, making it a solid and permanent substance in the Human World. Once they had accomplished this, they rebuilt the entire building with the new materiel, dubbed 'Steel Digizoid'. Because of that, the only way into any building or room would be through the door.
"Double Impact!" Beelzemon yelled, drawing their attention. Both turned to look at the Demon Lord of Gluttony and his partner. As both human and partner expected, they charged. Beelzemon jumped over them, and Chiharu ducked to the side, pinning herself against the wall so that they blew right past her. When both realized they had missed their targets, they turned, but Chiharu was ready.
"Digital Enhancement," she started, holding her D-Agent above her head. "Blast Mode: Connect!" She swiped the card downward. Beelzemon glowed for a moment, and when the light subsided, he had wings, a large cannon on his right arm, and his blood red eyes had turned emerald green.
"Corona Blaster!" the Demon Lord yelled, firing at both. One took the brunt of the attack, while the other was barely scratched. Beelzemon decided to focus on the injured one first. Using his left hand, he grabbed one of the Berenjena and fired. "Double Impact!" Both bullets fired hit their target as well, causing Beelzemon to smirk. This was almost too easy.
The injured SaberLeomon stood, still looking ready for a fight. Both charged Chiharu. "Howling Crusher!" they both yelled.
Like he said. Too easy.
"Corona Blaster!" he fired again, hitting the Megas. They slowed, but didn't stop their pursuit.
"Digital Ability," he heard Chiharu say, though his view of her was obscured. "Kumbhiramon's Deva Clone: Connect!"
Three clones of the Demon Lord appeared around him, and all four smirked. "Corona Blaster!" they all yelled together, two firing at the first SaberLeomon, two firing at the second. The original Beelzemon quickly made the cannon on his arm disappear, making both arms usable. "Double Impact!" he attacked, firing both Berenjena repeatedly. He managed to destroy the first, but the second was still alive and kicking. Luckily, though, he'd managed to draw its attention away from Chiharu. The three clones vanished, but with this one-against-one battle, it was going to be easy. He holstered both guns and tucked his wings, rocketing down toward the other Mega. "Darkness Claw!" he yelled, and the attack knocked his opponent off its feet. It had been taking minor damage from every attack thrown at the other one, having been close enough. But all that minor damage had built up, making it weak. All it would take was one more attack and it would be over.
"Wait," Chiharu said, walking over. She stood right in front of the SaberLeomon, facing it with crossed arms. "Why now?" she asked it. "Why wait ten years to attack us again?"
She hadn't expected a response, so both she and Beelzemon were surprised when it spoke. "Revenge," it growled. "Revenge for ten years ago."
"Wh-what…?" the brunette woman asked, taken aback? The Digimon were thankful for what she and the others had done… weren't they?
"The Master still has followers, and he grows stronger with every passing day," SaberLeomon said. "He will return…"
"I've had enough of this," Beelzemon growled, putting one of the Berenjena in SaberLeomon's face. "Double Impact!"
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
Chiharu lay on her bed, thinking. She had met up with the others afterward, confirming that they had each taken down their targets. After making sure that they were all okay, they went their separate ways: Mayu and Chiharu to their rooms in the teachers' housing, and Satoru, Yuichi, and Tsukiko to a nearby hotel. They would say their goodbyes tomorrow.
"Still thinkin' about what SaberLeomon said?" Beelzemon asked, leaning against the wall, crossing his arms.
"Yeah…" she replied softly.
"You know it had ta be lying just ta get under yer skin," he told her.
"But what if it was telling the truth? I mean, why else would they attack now, when we've had peace with the Digital World for ten years?" the woman asked. "What if what we did back then wasn't enough?" What if Hideaki's sacrifice meant nothing?
"Then we'll just kick their asses again," he told her. "We're stronger than we were then. We can take anything."
Chiharu glanced at the goggles lying on her dresser. She hadn't put them on for years, but perhaps it was time to get back in the saddle. "I hope you're right…"
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"You guys take care, now," Mayu told the others at the airport. It was time for Yuichi, Satoru, and Tsukiko to catch their flights.
"We'll see you next year, then?" Chiharu asked, masking the feeling of dread she'd had since yesterday. She wasn't going to tell them what had happened. They didn't have to know. At least, not yet.
"You know it," Yuichi said with a grin.
"Hopefully we won't get interrupted next time," Wizardmon commented.
"True that!" Satoru said, causing everyone to laugh.
Chiharu hugged Yuichi and Satoru, and when she turned to Tsukiko, she paused. She still hadn't gotten over the woman missing her wedding, and she was sure that Tsukiko still hadn't stopped blaming her for letting Hideaki be their sacrificial lamb. After a moment, she offered her hand, which Tsukiko took.
"Stay safe," she told her old teammate.
"Yeah," the teal-haired woman replied. "You, too."
Next time:
Shinji: Someone's inside Sealed Room.
Beelzemon: Hey, kid, what do you think yer doin'?
Rei: Oh, crap.
Botamon: Hey, Beelzemon. Long time, no see.
Beelzemon: Oh, boy…
Mayu: This is bad…
This was so weird to write! All my babies are all grown up. *sniff sniff* But other than Yuichi, they haven't changed much. I mean, Chiharu's all internally angsty, but she usually hides it pretty well. And DON'T say she's 'overreacting' or anything, because if you remember from season 1, she held herself responsible for every death around her, even those she had no control over. And Hideaki's loss hit her hard, because she, as the leader, felt it was her job to keep everyone safe, and she failed. And Tsukiko's not really helping. She blames Chiharu for it, and while it wasn't Chiharu's fault, can you really blame her? She lost one of her best friends in the whole world (second only to ShadowWereGarurumon, of course) and needed someone to place the blame on.
Yes, Chiharu and Hiroshi lasted through school and got married. This is rare, I know, but those two were so cute together that I couldn't stop myself. And while Mayu took Nishimura's job as the Technical Abilities teacher, he did not retire, he simply let her take that half of his job. Now, when he doesn't have a class, since he has much more free time, he works as a substitute when needed, and also helps Shinji with security.
Return of the Speed card!
Sorry I took so long getting to this (and sorry the A/N is so long. I just have a lot I have to share), but it's just been one thing after another, and I wanted to get far enough ahead that I wouldn't stress so much about trying to finish a chapter in time. And don't tell me "it's okay, you don't really need to have that once a week deadline and put that much pressure on yourself." Yes, I do. Otherwise, it would never get done. That's the only way I was able to finish season 1. So… here you have it! New Digi-Destined start to appear next time, starting with Rei Higurashi, a submission from Da-Tenshi Setsuna.
And if you have any other questions about what's happened over the course of these ten years, feel free to ask~