A/N: Tai and Agumon arrive on the other side. They meet the Digiverse's versions of King Enma and the legendary Snakeway.
Oh, and the masked man introduces himself.
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(Cue Dragonball Kai Opening (TV Size) – Dragon Soul)
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Digimon Fusion Kai
Season 1, Act 1: The Digital Invaders
Episode 4: The Long Road! Two Weeks Time!
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Digital World/August 3, 1999 (Digital World/Real World Times Unsynchronized)
Alarmed, Tai shot back the masked man. "Hey, how do you know my name?"
"Don't worry. I'm going to save your Digimon's life."
"How? You're not some sort of miracle god."
"Just what do you think you're going to do to save him, mister?" TK asked.
(Cue G-Gundam OST – Strongest Card ~ King of Hearts)
The masked individual said, placing his palms over WarGreymon's fading body. "I'm no god, but I still have the power to prevent Digimon from dying as long as their bodies aren't completely erased."
The goggle boy wasn't sure if he could trust the man and neither could everyone else. Everyone, except Sora, that is. She stopped Tai and put a hand on his right shoulder.
"Tai. Just go ahead and let him," Sora assured her friend.
"But..."
Izzy interjected. "It's better than to save Agumon now before we lose him, Tai! Then, we can question this guy. Whoever he is..."
Tai gave in. "Alright, go ahead, but you're going to tell us who you are when you're finished. I still don't completely trust you."
"Believe me, I get that every time," the masked man solemnly shook his head. "I'm thankful you are allowing me to do this."
The masked man murmured a chant akin to a Buddhist's mantra. Then, a bright golden flash of light gleamed around his hands, scanning the Digimon's chest whilst retrieving the lost data. He immediately restored it to WarGreymon, reconfiguring his body. His wound was initially healed, shocking everyone. A tiny smile smeared across Tai's face as he watched his Digimon completely restored from deletion.
"WarGreymon!" TK and Kari cheered in unison. "You... you saved him!"
"Oh, thank goodness," Mimi smiled, clasping her hands together. "I'm so glad."
"I thought he was a goner. Tai, you ought to thank this guy for sure," Joe let out a sigh of relief and wiped his forehead. "Man, what a day..."
With rapid succession, WarGreymon's wound was completely healed and de-digivolved back into Agumon. Tai raced over and scooped Agumon into his arms. The masked man lifted himself off the ground and folded his arms.
"Agumon! I thought I was going to lose you!" Tai exclaimed, laughing and hugging his Digimon partner.
"Ack...! TAI! You're CHOKING me!" the reptilian responded, gagging.
Tai glaring at the masked man, bowing. "Thank you, Mr. Mask Guy. I owe you."
"Now, with our friend saved, you owe us a question. Who exactly are you?" Leomon demanded from the mysterious man. "I've never seen you before. Were you a witness to this battle?"
The masked man nodded. "Yes. I did watch the battle."
"Why didn't you help us?" asked Kari. "We could've used your help."
"I am merely a watcher. I wasn't assigned to defend this sector from outsiders or take part in any conflict involving warfare."
"Then, what are you doing here and why conceal your identity?" Izzy asked.
"Yes, he does seem rather suspicious hiding behind a mask," Kabuterimon replied.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot reveal my true identity," he answered. "However, you may call me by my guardian title: X."
"X, huh? Cool, so why did you watch us?" TK inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"I did watch your battle and I was impressed with your teamwork. I was shocked you were willing to sacrifice yourself, WarGreymon. Tai, you have a loyal partner."
"So, how do you know my name?"
"I've been monitoring you and the other Digi-Destined since your first arrival on File Island. Your Digimon have advanced. Two of which recently became Mega-level. You defeated Devimon on File Island, stopped Etemon on the Continent of Server, and saved your world from Myotismon's dark hand. Daimaomon was vanquished. Just now, NeoDevimon was soundly beaten. However, you only defeated a weaker outsider. NeoDevimon was just the tip of the iceberg. Moreover, he told you that three more invaders would arrive. He speaks the truth. Three warriors will indeed come here in two weeks."
"Damn! Then, how do we prepare for them!" Tai asked, frowning. "Tell us. They had training with Piximon and they've gotten stronger after each fight they've been involved in. We barely beat NeoDevimon and he was just a weakling compared to these invaders?!"
"That is why I have come to seek you and WarGreymon. I saved WarGreymon's life because I sense potential in his power. Not just in him but you specifically, Taichi Kamiya. The Crest of Courage is all the proof I need to convince me that you are the one I have been searching for. However, like any latent power, it must be unlocked. I am here to help Agumon and your crest unlock your hidden potential."
"Unlock our hidden potential?" Tai repeated what X told him.
"Yes, Tai. Angemon has already proven that. However, TK, you must help Angemon to control his full potential. Kari, too, has an unlocked power through her Crest of Light," X explained and cleared his throat. "Now, I've decided. Agumon. Tai. I would personally like to invite you two to join me in my realm. I will prepare you two to prepare for these invaders."
"You want us to come? But what about the others?"
"Tai, the only others with your and Agumon's level of potential are Leomon, Kari, Gatomon, TK, and Patamon. The others, too have potential, but they won't be able to draw them out as much as the aforementioned. Leomon, I ask for you, TK, and Kari to train Gatomon and Patamon," X shifted his view toward TK and Kari. "You two will need to monitor your crests As the Children of Hope and Light, your time will eventually come." He turned back toward the Child of Courage. "Tai, you possess the Crest of Courage. You and Agumon will definitely be the one that can stop them. If you're willing to accept, I would like to invite you two to my sanctuary on the other side."
"Should I do it?" Tai asked, looking down at his Digimon partner.
"Yes," Agumon responded without hesitation. "We should accept his offer. I mean he did safe my life and I'm indebted to him."
"Alright, then. If you say so, then I can't argue with you," the goggle boy smiled, facing the masked man. He approached X and shook his hand.
(End theme)
"Are you leaving, Tai?" TK asked, approaching the leader.
Kari wiped the dry tears from her cheeks. "Tai, you're not really going to leave us?"
The gogglehead knelt over, smiling and hugging Kari. "Yeah, but don't worry. Agumon will get the proper training from X. I might even get my crest to reach this potential he's hinting at. We'll be back. You guys just stick together. I might not be around, but you guys should take care of yourselves." He pulled away, wiping tears from Kari's eyes. "We have friends here in the Digital World." Facing Matt's brother, Tai smirked. "TK, I trust that you'll take care of my sister?"
"You can count on me!"
"Sora. I leave you in charge of the others," the gogglehead approached the tomboy. "I'm sure I'll get some sort of message from you."
"Tai, I..."
"Don't say anything. I know you won't let me down. If you see Matt, make sure to tell him everything that's happened and let him know about the invaders," Tai faced, turning around as he made eye contact with his friends. "I won't forget you guys. X, will I still get a chance to communicate with my friends in your realm?"
"Yeah, I can reach the minds of those throughout the Eastern Quadrant, including this world," X nodded. "It's long distance. So, it's gonna cost you."
"Pfft, I knew there would be some kind of charge," Tai rolled his eyes. "Well, everyone... I guess this is goodbye? You take care of yourselves. Don't you worry. Agumon and I are coming back stronger than ever to kick those invaders' butts off this world!"
"We'll be waiting for you, Tai!" Mimi said.
Tai and Agumon placed their hands on X. Sora rushed toward the gogglehead, opening her mouth as she called out. Embracing him, she released a few tears. Tai pat her back and wiped the tears away from her eyes. She looked up and noticed the trademark Kamiya smile on his face.
Sora murmured. "Take care, you two. Good luck with whatever training X has prepared for you. Get strong is all I ask."
"I just hope it isn't as tough as Piximon's training," Tai reassured his closest friend. "I'm counting on you to take care of our friends and finding Matt."
Turning away from Sora, Tai and Agumon placed their hands onto X as they were instantly teleported from the spot.
Sora wiped her years away and turned around to confront the remaining Digi-Destined. This was her time to prove herself as a leader since her last mistake prior to Tai's departure to the real world. Sora couldn't afford any failure now.
"Remember that Tai will be coming back, you guys. What we need to do is use these remaining two weeks to prep ourselves for the worst to come," Sora announced, making sure everyone got the memo. "Now we're lucky time runs differently here than in our world. Let's not forget we've survived staying here once before and we can do it again. We're more familiar with our surroundings and have Digimon friends to depend on. In the meantime, we're going to search for our Digimon friends and prepare. Leomon, I understand you're going to train?"
"Of course, but I will take Patamon and Gatomon to train them," the brave warrior replied. "You hear that, you two? This training will be nothing like Piximon's."
"Oh, nothing that I can't handle," Patamon said.
Gatomon cleared her throat. "Ah, but I never trained under Piximon. So, I can't say for sure how tough he was and surely can't compare him to Leomon. This will be a treat."
"Don't worry. Kari and I will be watching you guys," TK assured the two. "Right, Kari?"
"Yeah..." the young Kamiya slightly nodded.
"Just one question," Joe spoke up and raised his right hand. "How was NeoDevimon able to find you guys so easily?"
"Yes, that's a concern in itself," Zudomon said.
"To answer your question, Joe, there is a device mounted on his face that seems to track an opponent's power and position," Leomon stated, pointing to NeoDevimon's corpse and the scouter mounted on his face.
"So, there are Digimon with advanced technology never developed in our world. Prodigious!" Izzy's interest piqued, racing over NeoDevimon's corpse. His eyes lit up at the scouter device. "Beautiful. I'm going to have a field day with this."
Mimi tip-toed over to NeoDevimon's corpse and gagged. "Izzy? You... You mean that? Yuck! I'm not touching that! Joe, why don't you pick that scouter-thingy and give it to Izzy?"
"No way. You're asking me?!" Joe freaked out. "What if he like... comes back to life or something? Like one of those slasher horror movies?"
"Oh don't be such a scaredy cat," Mimi sighed, folding her arms and frowning. "I'm not touching it because corpses have germs!"
"Oh, Mimi..." Lillymon sweat-dropped.
"Here let me do it," Sora said.
The redhead knelt over and unhooked the scouter off the fiend's face. She mounted it on her face and pressed a button to activate it. Suddenly, an advanced mathematical numbers flashed on the glass screen. She attempted to read it as Birdramon, who de-digivolved to Biyomon, approached her.
"What do you see, Sora?" Biyomon queried.
The awe-struck tomboy gasped. "Wow! This is advanced technology! I really wish we had one of these back home!"
"Can I see it, Sora?" Izzy asked, extending his right hand.
"Sure, here you go."
She took off the device and handed it to Izzy. The young tech put it on and read the calculations.
"I can't even read this language, but I think I can have this thing repaired. I'll tell you guys what. I'm going to go see Gennai," the Child of Knowledge proclaimed. "I'm sure he can help me repair this and guide me in deciphering the language. Perhaps even decode some messages?"
"That's a good idea," Joe nodded.
TK walked over toward Patamon and picked him up. "You alright, Patamon?"
"Just a little weak from expending all that power to stop NeoDevimon..."
"You did great, Patamon."
" We'll probably get some better readings out of it, Izzy," Sora replied. "I'm sure Gennai can figure it out somehow. As for me, I'll be out looking for our Digimon friends. Mimi? Joe? Will you guys be doing the same?"
"Well, we were thinking of exploring this area a little more," Lillymon said. "Right, Mimi?"
"Um... Yeah! We'll just head on out of here by morning. I mean after everything that's happened today. I can't believe all of that just happened over the last hour... or so."
Zudomon concurred. "You got that right."
"I agree with these three," Joe said, offering an idea. "We'll just find some shelter here until we can decide what we want to do."
"Ok then. I guess I'm on my own with Biyomon then. We'll see if we can find and use these Digicores like Leomon said?"
Leomon nodded, grabbing a hold of the arm he used to launch his attack. Everyone watched as he twisted his arm back into its right position. The children cringed from the bones popping and the shoulder being put back into its place.
"Yuck! That has got to hurt!" Mimi cringed, covering her ears. "Did you HAVE to do that here?!"
"Forgive me, Child of Sincerity," Leomon apologized. "Children, I don't know the whereabouts of the Digicores, but I will search any clues and forward them to you. In the meantime, I'll be taking Gatomon and Patamon. TK and Kari, let's go."
"Yay! We can come!" TK cheered, jumping up excitedly.
"Yeah, that's good to know," Kari nodded, smiling.
(Cue Dragonball Kai OST – Unforeseen Circumstances)
"Yes. These two Digimon will become a powerful asset once properly trained under my wing. We'll need their combined holy force to drive off invaders, who will be here in two weeks time. For now, only I can train them properly."
"Isn't that too big of a burden on your part?" Sora asked the brave warrior.
"I understand, but it must be done. Granted, TK and Kari need to come to offer support for their Digimon. Moreover, the Crests of Hope and Light need to reach their potential. If they do have latent power inside them too, then they must unlock that hidden potential."
Leomon scooped up Gatomon and Patamon under his arms. He bent down and let both TK and Kari to ride on his back. Before he departed, he gave one final notice to the other Digi-Destined.
"In two weeks, we'll be back to see you. I'm sure you'll be prepared and have gathered as many allies as you can. By then, Tai will have returned. Take care everyone and come prepared."
With that, Leomon ascended into mid-air and flew off with Kari, TK, and their Digimon partners. The other children looked on and gathered together their friends depart until they return within the two weeks.
"Something tells me these two weeks are going to fly by fast," Joe groaned.
"And that's a good thing?" Zudomon said. "I sure hope that's not what you meant, Joe."
Biyomon blinked and looked up at the redhead. "Sora. Are you okay?"
Ignoring her Digimon partner, Sora glanced at the heavens and hoped for the best for her departed friends. Tai. Kari. TK. Matt. Please come back soon. We need to be together if we have any hope of stopping the invaders.
"Sora..."
"I sure hope everything turns out right for them, Biyomon."
xxxxx
Outer Realm/Paradise Gateway & Passage
Awestruck at their foreign surrounded, Tai and Agumon scoured through a dimension, shrouded with mystery. They looked up to find a long road of floating orbs in a line formation. These 'orbs' are the soul cores of the dead Digimon from the Digital World. Any Digimon killed were sent here regardless of who they were: good, evil, angel, demon, alien, dinosaur, android, etc. It didn't matter.
(Cue G-Gundam OST – Spanning the Globe)
X walked ahead of the duo, politely passing by the floating soul orbs. He noticed that Tai and Agumon were still standing with dumbfounded looks on their faces.
Sighing deeply, X waved his hand over to them. "C'mon, you two! We don't have any time to sight see!"
"Hey, it's not everyday we come to an afterlife world!" Tai called out, pushing through the floating orbs and dragged his Digimon partner along. "Besides, I see you're already accustomed to this?"
"Of course, I also help guide the dead Digimon souls," the masked man answered, leading the Child of Courage and the dinosaur Digimon down the road.
"So, how do you judge the good and bad Digimon?" Agumon asked with curiosity.
"Ha, well, that's not my job. You see we're about to meet the Judge himself toward that temple ahead of us," X said, pointing toward a magnificent structure.
All Tai and Agumon could do was gasp and gape simultaneously. "WHOA!"
As the trio walked down toward the entrance of a large, temple structure resembling the Shaolin temple. The outer layers were darker though with some gothic features to make up for the 'Underworld' theme.
"So, this is it, huh?" Tai asked the masked man. "The big man is in there?"
X nodded. "That's right and I really advise you show him the highest regards. He really wants all of subjects to acknowledge him."
"You still haven't told us what he does to with the dead Digimon souls."
"Well, Agumon, to answer your question. You're aware of Primary Village?"
The Digimon eagerly nodded. "I am."
"Well, when all good Digimon are judged, he turns them into a Digi-Egg as you may like to call it, and sends them back to the living world to any Primary Village available. Unfortunately, the living world has had to deal with powerful enemy forces and many of the Primary Villages were destroyed. So, the good souls are contained here until those villages are somehow restored. It's going to take a while for them to recover all that was lost."
"That's too bad," Tai said. "I didn't think the Digital World had to suffer so much during our absence."
"Well, that's another story for another time, and you ask what happens to the evil Digimon? Well, just now, you've managed to defeat NeoDevimon. Those evil Digimon are condemned to the Dark Area and imprisoned in Digital Limbo. So NeoDevimon is going to be confined for eternity in that specific area. You and your friends will never have to deal with him again."
"That's great!" Agumon exclaimed.
"Yes, it is and that is one invader defeated. However, we must prepare for the next three coming within two weeks. After we have a brief chat with the Judge, we'll be taking a journey to my sanctuary."
Tai and Agumon both nodded in reply as the masked man walked opened the doors. There was a sudden brightness inside the room which stung the eyes of Tai. He quickly shielded his eyes with his goggles and let out a deep sigh.
"This is too bright," Tai remarked, adjusting his goggles.
"You're telling me! Maybe you should have given me a pair of goggles when we were on Earth, Tai," Agumon said, having to his use claws to cover his eyes.
(End theme)
The trio stopped by a large desk table. It appeared to be forged out of solid black crystal and stood nearly thirty feet tall. Sitting at the desk was a large Digimon that even Tai and Agumon appeared to be intimidated of. X stood tall and cleared his throat without any hint of fear in his eyes. It was hard to tell his facial expressions with the mask concealing his face.
The Digimon was massive in size (specifically height), but with a slender build. He had the outward form of the Egyptian God of Death, Anubis. The face resembled that of the jackal. His outfit consisted of the ancient Egyptian attire. He wore a golden necklace, which covered nearly his entire neckline; golden bracelets adorned his wrists and a tan dress covered his lower section of the body (including his legs). His skin was light blue with darker blue tinted stripes around his arms and chest. The claws are sharp and colored dark blue. Unlike the legendary Anubis, this Digimon had golden eagle-like wings sprouting out of his back, which spanned out and was considerably larger than nearly his entire body size. He also had noticeable long dark blue hair tied down at the very end of the hair.
"Now that is what I call an Underworld lord!" Tai exclaimed. "He sure does live up to his name!"
"No kidding!" Agumon added.
X glanced at the duo and cleared his throat. "I thought I told you two to show some curiosity? Ah, what the hell, this is your first time seeing the great Anubimon!"
(Cue Dragonball Kai OST – The Gods' Bolero)
As the Underworld lord's ears perked upon hearing the mention of his name, he looked down at the trio standing yards away from his table. His intimidating glare softened as he immediately confirmed X's presence.
"X! Good to see you, my friend!" Anubimon responded with a loud.
"The honor is mine, Lord Anubimon. I have brought along two of the subjects I have requested to take with me to my sanctuary," X introduced the two. "This is Taichi Kamiya and his Digimon partner, Agumon. This boy holds the Crest of Courage and already his partner can digivolve into the Mega level."
Anubimon nodded and studied Tai carefully. "Yes, I have been keeping an eye on you and your friends. Your accomplishments thus far are worthy of praise from me. It's an honor to have one of the Digi-Destined standing before my presence. So, you wish to take him under your watchful training, X?"
"Yes, him and Agumon. I truly believe these two can stop the incoming invaders."
"That's right and with only two weeks to spare," Anubimon sighed, opening his Book of the Dead. "Already our holding cells are flooded with good souls ready to be sent back to the living world. Our spaces are wearing thin. I'm hoping there's at least a few Primary Villages available so these souls can be restored."
"We're sorry for what happened, Anubimon. If we hadn't gone to stop Myotismon back in our world..."
"Don't fault yourself, Child of Courage. It was your responsibility to stop that menace and prevent him from killing the Eighth Child. We're grateful you managed to do so."
Agumon interrupted. "I don't mean to be rude, sir, but can you really judge Digimon from other realms?"
"Of course he can, Agumon," X replied. "The dead of ALL worlds come here for relocation."
"Well in that case. Sir, can you tell us if a guy named NeoDevimon came by here?" Tai asked.
Skimming through his book, Anubimon confirmed. "You mean the villain who arrived from that stargate? He did. I sent him to the Dark Area of course. Yeah, he's already in sitting his little bum in Digital Limbo as we speak."
"Wow and did he try to fight you?!" Tai exclaimed, looking enthusiastic.
Anubimon smirked proudly. "Well, he tried, but I got him in my submission grip and forced him to submit! Yep, I overpowered that fool!"
"Really?! You beat him easily?! Wow, you've got to be insanely strong!" Tai appeared excited and faced X. "Hey, X, let Agumon train with this guy instead!"
"Yeah, well, Lord Anubimon is too busy to accept any pupils," X confirmed. "He's already hard at work... iksnay on the Anubimon stay..." The masked man whispered into Tai's ear. "I'm way stronger than he is. Trust me. You'll get better training results from me."
Anubimon's ears once again perked as he grinned. "I heard that! X, you little weasel! How about you and I go at it like old times?"
"Sorry, Lord Anubimon but I think my 'best' would probably kill you," X bowed in respect to the Underworld judge. "With all due respect..."
"They're your responsibility. Besides, two weeks will be plenty to prepare for these invaders. I just don't want to end up with a pile of more paperwork and more souls to judge when they do arrive. I'm reaching my limit here."
"Yes, Lord Anubimon, just you watch and see. Agumon become a killing machine when I get through with his training. You won't even need to judge anymore souls! That's a watcher's promise!"
"Alright then. Taichi and Agumon, I bid you farewell from this point on and good luck with your training," the Underworld judge stated, pointing to a door on the left corner of the room. "That door will lead you down the road to X's sanctuary. But, I'm afraid X already has become accustomed to flying there on his own. You will need to do the best you can to keep up with him."
"Don't worry, Lord Anubimon. We're going to stay with him no matter how long it takes us," Tai reassured the lord.
"Yeah and I'll do my best to slow down for you guys to catch up," the masked man replied. "Agumon, just don't overexert yourself while traveling on this road. Likewise with you, Tai."
The Digimon quickly confirmed. "Got it!"
"Thanks for everything, Lord Anubimon. You may resume with your work," X waved farewell to the judge and flew off to the door.
"See ya, Anubimon! We'll see you again once our training's done and we manage to stop those invaders!" Tai called out. "Let's go, Agumon."
"Right!"
With that, the duo followed X out the door and left Anubimon to resume his work with more souls waiting to be judged. A smile crossed the Underworld lord's face as he sensed new hope upon studying Tai.
"Good luck, my friends."
(End theme)
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Two miles off from the temple, the trio faced a pathway leading to a large three-headed snake structure. Each head was structured with gaping mouths, revealing long fangs. X led Tai and Agumon toward the snake, which seemed to stretch out across the clouds in the distance. Naturally, the gogglehead and his partner were flabbergasted.
"Wow, first the temple and Anubimon... And now this!" Tai exclaimed. "How are guys able to afford all of this?"
X shrugged and replied. "Well, we higher-types do tend to keep all of the luxuries to ourselves. I mean, how else could he hope to manage to make the 'Other World' look fancy?"
"Makes me wish the Digital World could have all these luxuries," Agumon said.
(Cue Digimon Adventure OST – Saa, Hashiridasou!)
X stopped and noticed a dog-like guardian standing beside the 'snake road.' It sat up and appeared to have three heads. It's appearance was strikingly similar the legendary hound of Hades: Cerberus. Its steel-like fur was noticeably black with a silver mane around its neck and three blades protruding through the top of the shins of each leg. The feet were equipped with silver, sharp claws. The lower jaw of the middle head was brown and seemed to be the only head that could speak.
"Ah, Cerberumon, aren't you supposed to be guarding the front gate?" X asked, kneeling over to pet the hound's central head.
"Yeah, I forgot this wasn't my position. Thanks for the reminder!" Cerberumon responded. "By the way, you're going to be crossing the great Orochimon Road?"
"Well, these two are, but I'll be flying. Unless Agumon becomes WarGreymon, that is..." X said.
"Orochimon Road? And how far does it go out, Cerberumon?" Tai asked the hound.
The dark hound Digimon spoke. "I heard it was a 40,000 digi-kilometers. The last time I checked..."
Naturally, Tai freaked out. "40,000 DIGI-KILOMETERS?! Has anyone ever made it this far?!"
"Only two have. Lord Anubimon and X standing before you," Cerberumon pointed to the masked man. "Shoot, I couldn't even cross twenty miles. I was too pooped out after crossing that far. Word of advice: Watch where you are going or you'll end up falling off. The Dark Area and Digital Limbo are down there. Once you fall off, there is no way out."
"Right! We'll keep that in mind," X nodded. "Hear that you two?"
"Yes..." Tai and Agumon groaned at once. "But… 40,000 KILOMETERS?!"
"C'mon, you two! This should be fun!" X laughed, hopping atop of the middle Orochimon head.
Tai held his stomach as it started to rumble a bit. "But, what about food?"
"Even a Digimon needs his meal..."
"Don't worry. There are pit stops along the way and you'll get free food as long as you're with me," X reassured them. "Not to mention some hotels along the way to sleep in. Remember, we're still technically in the Digital World. Then again, I really don't have to eat or sleep much. Only when I feel like it."
The Child of Courage sighed. "Gee, well, that's reassuring."
"Time runs much slower here than in the Digital World or Real World. You guys won't even age for a long time if you remain here. 40,000 or even a million digi-kilometers… we'll get to my realm in a week. Of course, I have to slow down for you guys. I can get there four hours tops."
"Couldn't you just teleport like you did earlier?" Agumon asked.
"Actually, I still haven't been able to master teleporting off my realm. I can only adeptly use it when I'm in Lord Anubimon's palace and there I can probe powerful energies from many realms."
"Well, nuts to that," Tai said. "Though, I must feel good to be a watcher. I wish I could be in your position."
X proceeded to pull Agumon up as well. "Believe me, Tai. It's a hell of a lot of work. Everyday you'll have to answer to prayers and respond to a certain crisis. We have to maintain a status quo of peace as we watch every occurrence in the living worlds, but the forces of darkness are always screwing with the order. Just like NeoDevimon did and the villains who attacked the Digital World in your absence. Bad things happen everyday just like in your world, Tai."
"I know how you feel."
"Well, Tai and Agumon, this is it," X said, pointing to the long road ahead. "40,000 digi-kilometers to go..."
(End theme)
The goggle boy stood on top and looked into his miniscope. "My little scope can't find anything in the far distance! This road looks endless!"
"If we put our minds to it, we'll cross this road," Agumon reassured his partner
Tai drooped his head and sighed. "Two weeks. Man, I wish I had my driver's license or we'd be driving down this road!"
"There's no time to waste. Now, lets get started."
With that, X levitated off the ground and slowly glided over the road.
Agumon tapped Tai's right side. "Just make sure not to fall off this road, Tai. We'll be serving burgers down in Digital Limbo for eternity."
"That's a scary thought. We better keep our minds focused then. Let's go, buddy. WarGreymon should be up for the job!"
"You got it!"
X watched as Tai's crest and digivice emitted beacons of light. Cool, I'm getting to see Agumon digivolve again. WarGreymon has excellent flight speed but I doubt even he can make it past a 40,000 digi-kilometers without fatigue.
"Agumon… WARP SHINKA! WarGreymon!"
"Good, now stay with me, WarGreymon," X instructed the Mega Digimon.
WarGreymon scooped up Tai into his arms and flew up to meet with X. He watched X soar off and rocketed after the masked man.
xxxxx
Digital World
Kari smiled as her eyes were awe-struck at the beauty of the land. "Wow, how pretty! This is beautiful scenery."
TK looked up to Leomon. "Will this be where our Digimon will start training?"
"That's correct, TK," the veteran confirmed.
"You picked a good spot," TK said. "This is more than enough room."
"Yeah. I mean, we are watching our Digimon train for two weeks, right?" Tai's little sister inquired to the brave warrior.
"Yes, and you two will need to carefully harness your crests' powers. The crests are what give your Digimon the power to digivolve. Yet, TK's crest has yet to glow and Patamon has not digivolved into Ultimate-level. My training should enable him to boost his own energy to a maximum."
"So, we have to rely on my crest then?" TK's face was smeared with determination. "Alright, Mr. Leomon."
"TK..." Kari murmured, smiling at the boy.
(Cue Digimon Adventure OST – Bolero)
"Today, we shall start with the basics. Patamon. Gatomon. This two weeks worth of training will be extremely harsh and difficult. If you are weak of heart, then I suggest you back down and walk away. Do you think you have what it takes to endure MY training?"
"You know that I'm up for it. I'll get as strong to protect TK. I won't let him down."
Gatomon nodded, putting her game face on. "Likewise for Kari. Do what you have to do, Leomon!"
"As you know, Taichi and Agumon departed with X on the other side. They will be training for two weeks from I understand. I recall Gennai telling me of a peculiar man who once in a blue moon finds a potentially strong warrior. When Tai returns, he and his Digimon will perhaps be more than enough to defeat the three invaders. The three villains have been confirmed to be more powerful than NeoDevimon. We endured an extremely difficult and emotionally-driven front against an Ultimate-level monster. Yet he was powerful enough to push WarGreymon and I to our limits. I can't imagine how powerful the trio will be. That is why we'll need more than just WarGreymon and Tai's help to surmount this adversity. You two are next in line in the power hierarchy. After all, the Child of Friendship and his Digimon partner have been missing in action since the battle on Earth."
TK addressed to the brave warrior. "Mr. Leomon, do you know where my brother could be?"
"I'm sorry, Takeru. I have not seen him," the warrior sighed sadly. "His sudden disappearance is a mystery to me."
"I wonder if he left because of me. I've always been too much of a crybaby and he probably got fed up with me. DemiDevimon was probably right after all," TK sadly felt dejected.
Kari looked at the boy with sympathy.
"Takeru. Don't say that," Leomon knelt in front of the boy, staring at his eye level. "I'm sure that your brother needed to clarify his position. He probably needs time to himself. But believe me, he would never abandon you. Brothers always stick together through together."
"Until now... he's gone and he's never coming back."
"TK..." Kari whispered to the boy's ear. "TK?"
"Yeah?"
"I think we should have a talk sometime."
"A talk?"
Kari smiled softly. "Mmhmm. Is that okay?"
"Thanks, Kari."
"You and Angemon saved us, TK. I'm very grateful. If it weren't for Angemon, we would all be taken away by that creep."
"Okay. We'll have a talk. Where do you want to meet?" TK asked the Kamiya girl.
"The forest ahead of us," Kari pointed toward a dense forest ahead of them. "For now, let's watch our Digimon train."
"Don't know but I'm interested to find out myself, Kari."
"So, I assume that you two have heard about the four legendary Digicores?"
"Not very much except from what you've told NeoDevimon," Patamon said, nodding. "I overheard you talking about them when I was Angemon."
"Well, you should know that they can restore Digimon back from the dead, except unless it was from a natural cause. That means they are immediately revived without the need to reverting back to a Digi-Egg."
"So, death has to have been a result of a battle or through any physical harm?" Gatomon asked.
"Yes. Lets say that I were to die in a battle, you could use them to resurrect me."
The feline smirked curiously. "How cool."
"Yet I do not know the whereabouts of the four Digicores. That is the problem. If only we had them in our possession," Leomon clarified to the four. "Now, onto the phase of our training. WarGreymon will be back, but that still won't be enough to defeat the three invaders. He and I alone will not stand a chance. The others will be searching for allies to aid us. We need the power from you two. You must learn to unlock your true potentials. The key to unlocking them will not only be through your training but it all depends on the will power of your partner's crests. TK and Kari possess the Crests of Light and Hope. The children will help you unlock your true potentials."
"No problem. So how do you want us to start our training?" Patamon asked.
"So we have hidden powers?" Gatomon said, pointing to herself and Patamon. "I guess Myotismon was too stupid to even realize that."
"Myotismon was a fool. He ignored what potential you had, Gatomon. If you had unlocked your hidden power before, you would have crushed him easier than you did when you battled him. You two have power hidden within you that you couldn't hope to imagine. The training will bring them out."
"So I would have kicked batty's butt while still in my champion form?"
"In a way, yes and no. You still would be required to digivolve into your Ultimate-form," Leomon replied. "If you had trained as hard as I did, you would have stood up to Myotismon in your champion form."
Gatomon grinned mischievously. "Heh and what the heck was I doing hanging out with bat boy when I could have been with you, Leomon."
"Tell us what we should do now. I'm eager to know," Patamon stated, standing on his hind legs.
This prompted the brave warrior to grin widely. "You really want to know? All right, step one..."
(End theme)
With that, Leomon grabbed Patamon by this wings and tossed him up with one hand before catching him. TK quickly got up and prepared to stop Leomon, but Gatomon was able to hold him back.
"Don't do that to him!" TK protested, his eyes narrowing angrily.
"Trust me. Patamon will be fine," the feline Digimon reassured the Child of Hope. "Leomon knows what he is doing."
"But..."
Kari placed a hand on TK's shoulder. She then set TK down on a rock. TK was left with no choice, but to watch Leomon physically toss Patamon.
Glancing over behind him, the veteran scanned toward a small canyon slope and an idea came to mind.
Without effort, Leomon hurled Patamon toward the slope. The Rookie flung across the slope with tremendous force. Patamon howled out of horror as he was flung across. TK was about to spring in until Gatomon stopped in front of him.
"Let me go after him, Gatomon!"
"No! You're only going to ruin the demonstration!" Gatomon hissed. "Leomon knows what he's doing and I believe him!"
Kari covered her mouth. I really hope you're right, Gatomon!
Patamon screamed as he came ever so closer towards the slope. This was the Rookie's fate. It was either unleashing his hidden power or become splattered jelly all over the slope.
TK couldn't take it anymore. If he couldn't save him, he would at least cry out for his Digimon partner and use the power of his digivice.
"PATAMON!"
As soon as the boy cried out, his digivice shone off a beacon of illuminating golden yellow light and this served as the necessary catalyst to grant Patamon a tremendous amount of power. The Rookie's form released a powerful aura glow over his body and he quickly snapped back to reality.
His eyes looked across the mountains. The tiny Rookie charged up and expanded the aura of light all around his body. The light assumed the shape of the familiar form of Angemon but the end of the 'right hand' had a 'blade-like extension' at the end of it. The 'shape' around Patamon released a powerful beam of light and shot directly at the slope ahead of him.
Both Leomon and Gatomon were astonished as the blast fired at the slope. The initial blast made contact with the slope, leading to a destructive explosion.
KA-BOOM!
A powerful gust of wind from the explosion blew against Leomon and Gatomon. The feline hid behind Leomon, who shielded himself by crossing his arms out. TK and Kari hid behind the rock to steer clear of the incoming rock debris.
Was this all the result of that boy's digivice?! Leomon thought, reminiscing the event a moment ago. My assumptions were correct. They can unlock their true potential from their partner's devices. These children will be the catalysts to unlock the true potential of these two Digimon.
As the dust slowly dissipated, the entire canyon slope was left a pile of debris and with a streak of unearthed trail in the far distance.
(Cue Dragonball Kai OST – Unforeseen Circumstances)
"All that from TK's digivice but his crest didn't glow yet?!" Gatomon gulped, glancing at the children. If little TK can do that, I can't imagine what Kari will do with BOTH the digivice and the crest!
TK was visibly trembling. "No way... I did that for Patamon?"
"Patamon. I can't believe you did that," Gatomon muttered, looking at the trail and the debris of the ravine.
"Wow, you've got one strong Digimon, TK," Kari commended the child.
Leomon concluded. No, it wasn't Patamon who destroyed that canyon. It took TK's digivice to grant him that force of power. However, that shape I saw. I've never seen anything like it. Are we looking at a glimpse of what that little creature will eventually become? And that was just the boy. I can't imagine what the girl's Digimon can do.
"Way to go, Patamon! That's the way!" TK rushed by his Digimon's side and hugged him. "We'll surprise those three bullies when they come! They won't expect that from you!"
The Rookie Digimon stammered, still overwhelmed with shock. "I... I did all that...?"
"It begins to become clear, doesn't it?" Leomon asked, approaching TK and Patamon.
"Well... Sort of..." Patamon lowered his head. "That's not even my own power. TK also..."
"No, it has become quite clear. Your power bursts loose only when the boy's and your emotions are at their peak. There was another force that allowed you to pull this off, Patamon, but, I will teach you to harness that ability again. TK serves as the necessary catalyst to releasing your full power. Gatomon, this goes for you, too."
"You can count me in," the feline replied. "How about you, Patamon?"
TK's partner objected. "What about TK? Will he be in the right frame of mind?"
"Takeru? How about it?" Leomon asked the younger brother of Matt.
"Please, TK. We really need you for this one," Kari spoke up, pleading to the boy. "Tai didn't just leave for his own sake. He and Agumon are with X to prepare themselves for whatever training they will need. It's only right that we should too. You have to be strong about this, TK."
The child glanced over at Kari, who had a rather pleading look.
Smirking with confidence, the boy cleansed any doubt from his mind. "I'm in! I'm not going to cry anymore. Even if Matt isn't here, it doesn't mean I can't stick up for myself. You guys… I'll do everything I can to help Patamon in his training. I'm so in!"
"Thanks, TK," Patamon smiled, rubbing the side of TK's right leg.
"I'd knew you'd change your mind," Kari stated. "I can't wait until my brother comes back to stand by us! TK and I will bring the best out of our Digimon, Leomon!"
"Mmhmm," Gatomon nodded in agreement. "Kari, you're so becoming like your brother."
"Let's begin," Leomon said.
"Right!" The four responded in unison.
(End theme)
xxxxx
Next episode: The Wilderness Survival! Prepare for the Invaders!
xxxxx
A/N: Preparations begin. Instead of six months, I made it two weeks. I know the Digital World's time runs differently, but six months is too much of a drag to wait. Especially, in this situation.
A small Takari moment, but nothing too major. They're still little kids.
Next chapter, Izzy meets Gennai. Mimi, Joe, Gomamon, and Palmon meet an old friend. TK and Kari watch Gatomon and Patamon. A rock 'n roll metal reject hits the scene. Two Dark Masters make their next move. All this in a nutshell. Yeah, I'm incorporating a Puppetmon/Metal Etemon mini-arc into this. It's just to keep the group preoccupied until the invaders hit the scene.
Send a review and stay gold.