`Digimon Adventure
X
Chapter Four: Biyomon Gets Firepower
The sun was rising higher in the sky as the group marched slowly away through the forest. The events of the previous night were one of the few current topics of discussion. Tai was retelling what he could remember of the battle with Boogeymon to Izzy, whilst Gabumon was telling his version of events of the battle between himself and Seadramon to Agumon.
The rest of the group was talking to each other about themselves. The world of Digimon was exciting, but they had exhausted all talk of the possibilities as to why they were there (though Izzy still adamantly stuck to his alien theory). It was far more interesting to learn about each other.
Sora stuck to the back of the group, not talking much. It was she who first heard the strange, whirring screeching sound from high above. She stopped and looked up. When she realized that no one else was hearing it she frowned.
"Hey!" she called. Everyone stopped and looked at her. "Listen," Sora said, looking back to the sky. Everyone else followed suit, listening for what Sora had heard. Some people closed their eyes to better hear the sound.
The sound was growing nearer, the sound of air ricocheting across the ground as whatever was coming reached supersonic speeds. Sora kept on looking; wanting to see what was coming. A black object shot across the skies. It was so fast that it left after images. It was flat from what Sora could see briefly, and was shaped like a black, shadowy gear.
And then it was gone. The noise that followed it faded away into the distance. Sora realized that she was holding her hands to her ears. She slowly lifted them from the sides of her head and looked at the rest of the group. They too appeared to have been holding their hands to their ears.
"What was that?" Mimi asked in bewilderment.
"I think it was some kind of aircraft," Matt said slowly.
"Looked like a big flying gear to me," Tai commented, still looking at the sky. Izzy stepped forward, looking slightly smug.
"Admit it," he said. "My alien theory is becoming more and more plausible."
"Yeah," T.K. muttered, his voice dripped with false excitement. "They could have hit with an anti-gravity ray and made us all crooked." He cocked his head and looked at a nearby sign. "Or maybe it's just that sign that's crooked."
"Funny T.K." Izzy muttered.
"Okay!" Sora said loudly, sensing a fight as T.K. opened his mouth. "Now that that's over with I think we should get going again."
"That would be fine if we knew where we were going," Matt said looking around. "We don't even know where we are."
"That kind of thinking is kinda dumb Matt," Tai said. "I say we just pick a direction and hope for the best. Maybe we'll be able to find some other form of intelligent life here."
"Good thinking," Izzy mused. "But which direction should we go in?"
Biyomon looked up and appeared to sniff the air. After a few moments she pointed into the tree line.
"That way," she said.
"What's so special about that way?" Joe asked.
"Trust me," Biyomon answered. And she started walking swiftly in the direction that she had pointed. The group quickly followed slightly perplexed. Upon catching up to Biyomon, the bird Digimon slowed down. She idled to Sora's side as Matt looked around. There were more signs in this part of the forest than there were before. All of them road signs. Some were 'No U-Turn' signs. Others were speed-limit signs.
"Moving right along then folks," Matt said slightly amused. "Keep it moving please, we are now passing through the Forest of Irrelevant Road Signs."
Tai laughed and joined in. "No pictures please!"
Sora sighed and rolled her eyes. 'We're lost and these guys are making jokes' she thought. Then she looked at Biyomon. 'Well,' she conceded. 'Almost lost.'
"Hey wait up!" Joe called. "My shoelace is broken."
"You need new shoes," Mimi said. She gasped and smiled dreamily at the thought. "New shoes."
"Hey look!" Matt cried. He was pointing through a break in the tree-line through which he could clearly see an array of telephone poles, erected (A/N: If you laughed at that then you are probably just as immature as me) in a vast savannah of white sands.
"Telephone poles?" Tai muttered slightly confused. Only slightly. He shrugged as he remembered that he was in a different world now.
"We're getting closer," Biyomon chirped happily.
"Closer to what?" Sora asked.
Before Biyomon could answer there came a familiar sound from overhead. A sonic, rumbling whirring noise. The black object shot out high above the tree line and sailed high over the desert its slipstream kicking up dust in its wake. Now that Sora had a more prolonged look at it she realized that Tai was right. The flying object, whatever it was, looked like a big, black, spiked gear.
"There it is again!" Izzy breathed.
"Yeah, the alien saucer," Tai joked.
"And it's heading for a close encounter," Matt added, a touch more seriousness in his voice. He was right. The black gear was spiralling towards a huge, mountain like hillside, nearly completely covered by forest canopy. Its top was a flat plateau. The gear disappeared from sight and the sound left in its wake soon faded.
The group stood in silence for a few minutes before Biyomon ran out in front again, beckoning them along behind her.
"Come on!" she called, sounding more chipper than usual if it were possible. She turned to give them all a twinkling smile. "It won't be too long now."
Sora was the first to follow her partner. She had now resigned herself to accept the fact that Biyomon would not rest until she had shown them what she wanted to show them. It was clearly meant to be a surprise.
(D)
The Black Gear sailed through the air, slowing down, its revolutions coming into more discernable vision. Then it sped up again and crashed into the mountain, nearby to the lake that boasted the cleanest water in the Digital World. There it waited, sentient, for the guardian who protected these shores.
(D)
The heat was sweltering in the desert. It was illogical that such a temperature difference would occur just from walking out from underneath the canopy. Yet a few minutes from exiting the shade of the tree line, the group was all sweating profusely. Izzy wiped his hand across his forehead and let out a quiet groan. He could see that everyone else was feeling the pressure.
"It's so hot," T.K. murmured, to himself more than anyone else. "I can feel the heat coming up through my socks…"
Patamon looked down from where he rested on T.K.'s head, his wing-ears drooping in the heat. He smiled feebly.
"Maybe you should put your shoes back on then," he muttered. Mimi had other worries.
"This desert air is destroying my complexion," she moaned. She looked across at Biyomon. "How much further is it?"
"Is that all you're worried about Mimi?" Joe asked with an irritated edge to his voice. "We'll be lucky if we even survive this hike!"
Mimi looked down at the ground, slightly ashamed. Sora looked around herself, trying to see any form of shade. It was then that her heat confused brain noticed the obvious.
"Hey," she called. "Does anyone else notice that these telephone poles don't have any connecting wires?"
Izzy looked up at this and looked around at the telephone poles.
"You're right," Izzy conceded. "I wonder if these are telephone poles. Perhaps they're some odd alien equivalent."
"Does anyone else remember the phone booths and the trolley car?" Mimi asked wearily.
"Yeah?" Izzy said slowly. "What about them?"
"Nothing," Mimi sighed. "I just wanted to see if anyone else remembered."
"That's it!" Joe cried causing those near to him to jump and look at him. "Doomed! The heat is melting our brains! We're all going to end up like roasted piglets!"
"Just remain calm Joe," Izzy soothed. "We've only been walking for five minutes."
"Izzy," Tentomon whispered. "I think we need to find some shade for Joe… and quick."
"Hey," Mimi said suddenly. "You know I said my compass wasn't working?"
"Yeah?" Tai said hopefully, praying that Mimi's compass was now in full working condition.
"Well now it's acting weird," she said, showing the group. The compass needle was spinning rapidly around the face of the device. It paused for the briefest of moments but then it would set off again.
"That is weird," T.K. muttered. Izzy bent down and allowed the sand to sift through his fingers. He brought a small handful up to eye line.
"This sand contains small particles of metal which could affect the compass needle," Izzy said in mild surprise.
"This world is getting more messed up as we go along," Sora said. "I don't like it at all."
(D)
The Black Gear twitched slightly as it felt the presence of its nearing target. The hulking flaming form was walking slowly around the lake side, taking his time. His worried growl was just audible from where the Gear rested, though it had no real sense of hearing or sight to speak of. All it had was a sense of malicious duty and a sinister agenda.
(D)
"I've taken a soil sample, measured the barometric pressure and analysed the relative humidity," Izzy said as the group moved on behind Biyomon.
"And what did you find out?" Sora asked, interested.
"It's really, really hot," Izzy said with a touch of disappointment in the simplicity of his reply.
"Hang on just a little longer!" Biyomon called cheerily. She was the only member of the group that didn't appear to be affected by the heat of the mini-savannah. "We're almost there, don't give up!"
Palmon didn't seem to here her. The plant Digimon was weary, turning a nasty shade of yellow underneath the heat of the sun. Mimi kept giving her nervous glances.
"We're gonna be okay," Mimi assured Palmon, though she felt nervous for her Digimon.
"My head is baking," Palmon moaned. "If this keeps up much longer, I'm gonna look like a wilted salad."
Mimi bit her lip when she felt something nudge her in the side. She looked and saw T.K. offering her his hat. Mimi took it gratefully and put it onto Palmon's head.
"Thanks T.K." she said smiling thankfully at the younger boy. He smiled back and waved off the compliment.
"She needs it more than I do," he said simply. Patamon smiled tiredly before taking a breath through his nose. He coughed.
"What's that smell?"
T.K. looked down at his feet and blushed.
"So that's why they call them sweat socks," he muttered to himself.
"Okay that's it," Gommamon panted, flopping over dramatically onto his back. "Give me five guys. I can't go any further."
"Again?" Joe asked exasperated. "That's like the fourth time in as many minutes."
"Let's try thinking positively," Sora suggested. "Let's just pretend that it's raining."
Gommamon perked up slightly but remained in his flopped position on his back in the sand. Matt looked at Gommamon and felt like doing the same thing.
"Although I think everyone's up for make-belief," he said, wiping the sweat off of his brow, "I think it's time for a reality check. This doesn't show any sign of getting any better. It might be a smart move to turn around and get of here right now."
"You mean before we all have a power outage?" Tentomon queried. "I'd vote for that."
"But we're so close!" Biyomon cried, pointing in the direction they had been walking in. "It would be must faster to get there than to go back."
"Get where?" Matt asked.
"Hold on a sec guys," Tai muttered walking up to and past Biyomon. He lifted his mini-telescope to his eye. He had seen something far in the distance reflecting in the light of the sun for a while. He had dismissed it at first but as they grew nearer and showed no sign of deviating from whatever it was Tai decided this might be what Biyomon wanted to show them.
As the focus became clearer in the lens of the telescope he began to see something. Thatched roofs of small brown houses. A small, clay brick well. And then there was the glistening expanse of sparkling crystal blue water.
"Water," Tai breathed. Gommamon perked up instantly.
"Water?" he asked hopefully, rolling onto his front.
"What do you see Tai?" Izzy asked coming up to Tai's side.
"A village," Tai said, lowering the telescope and putting it into his pocket. "And a lake."
"Perfect," Mimi said clapping his hands. "All we need now is some lemons, sugar and some big fat ice-cubes."
"Maybe there we can find some friendlier Digimon to help us," Matt suggested.
"And some shade," Palmon cooed.
"And food," T.K. said, his stomach grumbling to add emphasis to his statement. He smiled embarrassed. "I'm hungry enough to eat broccoli."
"What's broccoli?" Patamon asked, confused.
Sora looked at Biyomon. "This is what you wanted to show us."
Biyomon nodded. She was looking wistfully at the spot Tai had said the village was at. Sora saw a haunting look in Biyomon's eyes. Almost longing.
"That's your home isn't it Biyomon?" Sora asked, suddenly realizing why Biyomon had been so anxious to get there. Biyomon nodded fervently.
"Well now there's no choice in the matter," Tai said beaming. "We're going."
"As if you need to tell us twice," T.K. said smiling.
Biyomon looked so happy Sora thought that her partner might cry.
"Alright guys!" Tai called. "Let's get outta' here!"
(D)
The Black Gear span where it was lodged into the rocky ground, loosening its constraints, ready to strike. The fiery guardian of the mountain plateau grew every nearer. A tall, human shaped figure at least twenty feet tall, fashioned out of living, writhing red and yellow flames. His very presence generated such immense heat that water in the lake steamed constantly and the ground at his feet cracked and bubbled. His eyes were of a pale blue however and his mouth had loose stitches through his upper and lower lips, connecting them together, though still enabling him to open his mouth.
The Digimon that was Meramon took another step, and another, searching the ground for where the Black Gear had landed. The Black Gear waited patiently. Meramon took a final step. The Digimon was within striking range.
The Black Gear launched from the ground. Meramon had a single moment to react before the Black Gear embedded itself within Meramon's stomach. The Black Gear began to spin, carving its way into his body. Meramon roared in pain, blazing white blood spattering the ground at his feet as the Black Gear ate its way into Meramon's body.
Then it was inside him, the wound closing up behind it. Meramon screamed all the louder however and clutched his head, his palms grinding into his eyes, the flames that made up his body raging wildly out of control, the lake beside him beginning to boil and the ground beneath him started to smoke, as he collapsed in a crumpled heap, screaming in agony. The Black Gear was carrying out its predestined task. Its own malicious thoughts clawing their way into Meramon's own. And then it began to assimilate Meramon's mind.
Meramon would soon become a simple extension of the Black Gear that now began to take in Meramon's memories and experience. Everything Meramon had been and everything he had ever wanted to be. Everything he was. The Black Gear would take it all and would use Meramon as the vessel to implicate its will. No matter how hard Meramon struggled mentally and physically. In the end, the Black Gear would have its plaything.
(D)
Sora hadn't know what to expect when the reached Biyomon's home village. Tai had given the best description he could of what the village actually looked like but nothing quite prepared her for what she saw. Buildings only about as tall as they were, with thatched roves and walls made of simple wooden poles, caked in dried mud for extra insulation. In the centre of the village was a stone well with a bucket on a rope standing beside it.
Sora assumed that some of the villages in Africa must look similar to this one. The only difference was the occupants of the village. Yokomon waddled in an excited rush to meet them, squealing with delight at the sight of visitors to their village. They were especially excited when they saw Biyomon. They 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the sight of her.
Biyomon looked close to tears at the sight of her home and embraced her old friends the way a mother would their child. Her friends looked like they were each about to cry as well. Tentomon on the other hand, remained focussed on the important matters at hand.
"All right question?" he asked over the hubbub, landing on the roof of one of the houses, drawing most Yokomon eyes to him. "Would it be at all possible if you could provide us with a drink? I'm afraid we've been walking throughout the day and had little to keep us nourished."
"And what do they drink?" asked one Yokomon, indicating Izzy and the other humans. "What sort of Digimon are they?"
This was chorused by multiple Yokomon across the village. Izzy looked at Tai then cleared his throat.
"Actually we're not Digimon," Izzy said smiling, he was about to continue when Tentomon beat him to it.
"My friend Izzy and company are what is know as a human," Tentomon explained. "They may not look similar to us, but they mean you know harm."
"What's a human?" asked one Yokomon.
"If they're not Digimon how are they in the digital world?" asked another.
Izzy meanwhile had wandered off, inspecting the village. He frowned as he saw each house. They were almost the same height as him, and could easily fit about three Yokomon in each, possibly four in the larger ones. But there was not conceivable way that Tentomon could fit in one of these, let alone a human being.
"There is no way we're all going to fit in here," Izzy said as he returned to the group.
"Relax Izzy," Tai said calmly, "At least the natives here are friendly."
"There so cute and tiny!" Mimi cried happily. "How I'd love to take one home and put it with all my other stuffed animals!"
"There she goes again," Matt said rolling his eyes. "Do you think Mimi hears what we hear? I'm not sure anymore."
"Maybe she's an alien spy?" Izzy suggested. Mimi either ignored these comments or didn't hear them.
As this was happening, Biyomon was walking over to the rest of the group, surrounded by her old friends who looked at her with a look of awe.
"Alright listen guys," she said to her friends in hushed tones. "My friends are tired and hungry. I'd most appreciate it if you could feed and provide shelter for us."
There was silence for a few moments before one of her friends piped up: "Biyomon! Just when did you Digivolve?"
Biyomon smiled when she heard this question.
"When I met Sora," she replied, her eyes twinkling slightly. "We share a special… well… bond. It's kind of magical."
"You don't sound like you used to," one Yokomon pointed out. "Is that how all Biyomon talk?"
Biyomon paused. She didn't really know any other Biyomon so any vocal inflections she must have picked must have come from her Digivolution. Either that or she picked it up from Sora.
"I think I must have picked it up from Sora," Biyomon said at last, as Sora walked closer to hear what Biyomon was saying. "She is a wonderful person and I feel like I've already learnt a lot from her."
Sora smiled at this. Hearing Biyomon talking about her in such a way was shocking and surprising, hearing the way that Biyomon thought of her. It was quiet touching to see that though they had barely known each other for a day, they had already created a firm bond.
"How did you manage to Digivolve?" asked one of the Yokomon suddenly. "Is there something about being around humans that makes it happen?"
"Well," Biyomon said slowly. She didn't know if being around humans made Digivolution. All she knew was why she Digivolved. "Sora needed me," she said at last. "I had to protect her."
This took Sora aback. 'She had to protect me?' she thought to herself in confusion. Then suddenly it hit her. 'That's why she's always following me around! And when Tai needed him Agumon Digivolved into Greymon in order to protect him and Gabumon into Garurumon for Matt! They Digivolve for us!'
She smiled at the thought of having her own little guardian angel. Especially one as caring as Biyomon. Biyomon moved away again, surrounded by the chattering Yokomon. Sora was going to follow her when she decided against it. This was Biyomon's home and she was with her friends. Doubtless she would probably want a private conversation.
"That's weird." Sora looked up and saw Tai standing beside her. He was looking at something through his telescope.
"What is it Tai?" Sora asked, following where his telescope was directed. It was the mountain range that they had seen the gear fly towards.
"There's something burning up there," Tai explained slowly. "Something big."
Sora held out her hand and Tai passed her the telescope. There was thick black smoke coiling in great clouds to the sky, with billowing clouds of white steam rising and mixing towards the sky.
"It might be a volcano," Sora suggested offering the telescope back to Tai.
"Guys," said a voice from behind them. Sora and Tai turned to look. Biyomon was standing in the middle of the group of humans and had that twinkle in her eyes to show her joy.
"We're invited to have dinner with the Yokomon," Biyomon said brightly. "They're willing to share their food with all of us."
The group of humans and Digimon all gave a small cheer at this news.
"It will take a while to prepare you dinners," said one Yokomon. "In the meantime, feel free to explore our village."
(D)
'I wonder what they will be serving,' Izzy pondered as he sat against one of the Yokomon house's which was, mercifully, a source of decent shade. Izzy began to wonder about his deepest food desires at this moment in time. 'Ribs in sauce maybe? Or perhaps some salmon in lemon juice? What I wouldn't give for some-'
"Water!" T.K. cried breaking Izzy out of his food based fantasies. Izzy looked up sharply. T.K. was running not to the rough brick well that Tai had seen earlier but towards a more delicately crafted water fountain. The fountain spewed water into a small pool from two jets set into a central dais. Izzy was on his feet and stumbling to the water quickly, suddenly realizing that he was desperate for a drink.
As Izzy reached the fountain, a Yokomon hopped up onto the rim and handed him a small glass. Izzy took it gratefully and plunged the glass into the water and out again, filling it to the brim. Izzy lifted the glass to his lips and downed the water in several large gulps. He hadn't expected much but the tastes he was met with was unlike anything he had every expected to come from water.
"The water here is pumped down from a spring lake on Mihirashi Mountain," she explained to Izzy as he and T.K. plunged their respective glasses into the water for a second drink. "It's the best water you can find on the island."
"Forget the island," T.K. said, his second drink finished. "I wouldn't be surprised if this was the best water in the world."
"Where's Mount Mihirashi?" Izzy asked.
"There," the Yokomon told him, pointing into the desert. Izzy turned to face the direction the Yokomon was pointing in and saw the forest covered mountain that they had spotted earlier. Izzy frowned as he looked at it. The Digital World might not be identical to the real world, but if his geography was right…
"That's a live volcano isn't it?" Izzy pondered.
"Yes but the heat boils away all the germs," the Yokomon explained, "So our water supply is very sterile."
(D)
Meramon straightened up, his once blue eyes now blazing with white fire. He looked at his hand with a mixture of interest and surprise. He smirked, an evil grin that did not belong on his face. He looked at the water of the lake and gave a disgruntled snort, before roaring with all his might. The fires of his body raged out of control, distorted flares of red and orange flames licking the surface of the water.
In less than a moment the lake had been vaporised, and the ground Meramon stood on had turned to glass.
(D)
"Hey," Tai said, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "Is it me or did it suddenly just get even hotter out?"
"It does seem to be warmer," Izzy conceded.
As they spoke, the water stopped pouring form the fountain's spouts and the water in its bowl started to bubble.
"The water's stopped," T.K. observed.
The water in the bowl evaporated in a burst of steam, rising high into the sky as a boiling cloud. The twin spouts of the fountain released super hot jets of boiling steam that seemed to melt the air.
"What just happened?" Tai asked, shocked.
"The water supply must have evaporated," Izzy rationalized.
"The lake is always full of water don't worry," one of the Yokomon said.
Tai looked over to the lake, ignoring the prow of the ship that emerged from the lake's bed beneath the water's surface and jutted out into the open air. As Tai looked, the water in the lake began to boil, tendrils of steam rising off of its surface. Bubbles as tall as Tai was were growing on the water's surface before they popped; sending droplets of boiling water everywhere. The lake surface soon became a writhing mass of huge bubbles, with clouds of steam rising quickly to the sky.
Tai got to his feet and ran to the well in the centre of the village. Next to the well stood a wooden bucket which was tied by a rope. Tai threw the bucket into the well and watched as the rope spiralled into the abyss. Far beneath him, there came the sound of wood striking stone.
"Dry as a bone," Tai whispered. Then he frowned, catching sight of a light down at the bottom of the well. A yellow orange light. And then it rushed up towards Tai with a roar.
Tai leapt back as a column of fire burst from the deeps, scorching the air. Black smoke billowed around the blazing torrent of red and orange. Tai coughed as he got to his feet and staggered away from the burning well.
"Looks like we're all outta water," Tai spluttered.
"What caused all this to happen?" T.K. asked. No one gave an answer straight away.
"What about that flying gear?" Matt said slowly.
"I can only assume that it crashed," Izzy said, trying his best to recall in a much detail as he could the trajectory of the Black Gear. Sora however twigged first.
"It crashed straight into Mount Mihirashi," Sora said with alarm.
"That's the source of the Yokomon's water supply," Biyomon chirped in horror.
"If a gear crashed near the lake on Mount Mihirashi, it could be very damaging to our water supply," one of the Yokomon said in despair.
"Damaging," Tai said, looking to the burning well and the now empty lake. "I doubt a single gear could cause all this damage."
"Even so we can't do very much about it," another Yokomon said. "We don't ever try and climb Mount Mihirashi. Our water supply is protected by a fiery Digimon named Meramon. He is hideously dangerous and doesn't take kindly to trespassers. Even us."
Tai pulled out his mini-telescope and brought it to his eye, turning to the mountain and twiddling with the focus.
"I want another look at that mountain," he murmured. "I wanna see what this Meramon character looks like."
As he looked, a small, golden light appeared near the top of the mountain. The light moved further and further down the mountainside, leaving a golden after trail. This trail spread across in a line. It took a moment for Tai to realise that the golden light was some sort of fire and it had set the forest ablaze.
"There he is," Tai breathed. Tai increased the focus to its highest intensity, straining his eye uselessly to try and catch some glimpse of Meramon.
"You see him?" Matt asked.
"Barely," Tai admitted.
"Well what's he doing?" Matt asked, slightly impatient.
"He's…" Tai suddenly lowered the telescope, a sudden ominous feeling settling over him. "He's coming… He's coming this way."
"What?" cried a Yokomon.
"Meramon never comes down from the mountain," said another Yokomon. "To leave his post would be unacceptable for him."
Tai didn't need to look through a telescope anymore. The golden light that was Meramon was almost blinding in intensity. The fires that rolled up Mount Mihirashi nearly enveloped the entire mountain's forests.
"This is wrong," Biyomon said sadly. "Meramon has never lost control of his powers like this. There must be something terribly wrong with him."
"Well whatever's wrong with him we've got to think of something fast," Matt said. "He's already reached the base of the mountain."
He was right. The golden light that was Meramon had disappeared behind the forest tree line and as the group watched, the tops of the trees burst into flames.
"I've never seen anyone move like that," Tai said, his voice a mixture of horror, and admiration.
"We should retreat," Joe said. "Get as far away from him as possible."
"Out in the desert?" Izzy said, incredulous. "Even if we could outrun him, I don't think we'd last long without proper sustenance."
"What're our other options then?" Joe snapped. "Fight?"
"If it comes to that Joe then yes," Tai said slowly. Joe looked at Tai, dumbfounded.
"How do you propose we stop that?"
"You don't," Tai said, looking at Matt. "We will."
Matt nodded, understanding immediately.
"Gabumon," Matt said, looking to the tree line. Gabumon stepped up beside Matt, his eyes locked onto the now visible glowing shape emerging from the trees that was Meramon.
"You're going to take on Meramon by yourselves?" Sora gasped, shocked.
"Agumon and Gabumon can Digivolve to Greymon and Garurumon," Tai replied smiling confidently. "No matter how you slice it, Meramon is toast."
"So what do we do?" T.K. asked, looking to Matt. "Sit back and watch?"
Matt looked back to his brother and shook his head.
"The village needs to be evacuated," he said. "I don't like the feel of any of this."
"So we run away while you guys fight?" Sora asked. "What if you lose?"
"We won't lose," Tai said, smirking.
Sora looked out across the desert, ignoring all the sudden movement around her as the others began to move the Yokomon out of the village. Meramon was running closer and closer, a line of fire following him as he moved. The sand he trod on blazed white hot, turning to glass in an instant.
"Sora!"
Sora jerked and turned to the source of the voice. Joe was standing a few feet away, Yokomon bobbing away from Meramon around his ankles.
"Come on," he said. "We have to go."
Sora looked back at Tai and Matt who stood side by side, Agumon and Gabumon visibly tensed for the fight. She knew that she couldn't help with this fight. Agumon and Gabumon were the only ones who had managed to Digivolve and if she stayed then she would only get in the way.
(D)
Meramon felt the sand bubble and burn beneath his feet as he ran. He breathed in deeply, the warm air of the desert a cool breeze to the flaming Digimon. His white eyes leaked flames as he ran towards the Yokomon village, painfully aware of the presence of the human children. He was awash with new sensations but above all, he craved destruction. He wanted everything to burn, burn… BURN.
(D)
Tai swayed slightly on the spot and held a hand to his head. The air felt like it was on fire it was so hot and he hadn't had a drink since he had awoken that morning. Not the best conditions considering he would be in the middle of a heated battlefield very soon. He looked at Matt and could tell that the other boy was thinking something similar.
"Here he comes," Agumon said his voice low.
Tai looked up and saw for the first time what Meramon looked like. He was as tall as Greymon Tai reasoned, and was comprised entirely out of fire. Flames of red yellow and orange leapt and danced out of control all along his body. His lips were loosely stitched together and his eyes were a blazing white. A long black crack was visible on Meramon's stomach.
"He's been wounded by something," Tai said with surprised realization.
"That'll make this all the easier," Gabumon growled. Agumon nodded.
Meramon was slowing a he began to enter the village. As he drew closer to Tai and the little band who stood against him he slowed to walking pace. Tai gulped as he looked up at Meramon, who Tai realized was perhaps even taller than Garurumon is he was standing on Greymon's shoulders. And the heat? It was unbearable; it was like he was standing in the heart of a furnace. He could feel blister popping up all over his skin, either that or he was delirious.
"Well, well," Meramon chuckled. His voice was strange to Tai, like his words were burning in his mouth. When Meramon spoke again, Tai caught sight of a forked tongue made of glowing coal: "Aren't you brave for staying behind to stop me. But then again, bravery is the kindest word for stupidity."
"Why are you doing this?" Agumon asked.
"Why?" Meramon asked, surprised as if it were obvious. "Because I can!" He raised one hand, middle finger resting on thumb. "Just like how I can do this."
Meramon snapped his fingers and a spark flared into life. The spark grew into an orb of yellow fire, Meramon bending and flexing his fingers around it, cultivating it. When it was about the size of a beach ball Meramon opened his hand and allowed it to hover above his palm for a moment before his thrust his open palm at Tai and Matt.
"Roaring Fire!" he screeched. The ball of fire turned in a stream that blazed at Tai and Matt. The two boys dived aside, Agumon and Gabumon leaping backwards. Tai hit the ground hard and scrambled to his feet, only to be hit with the stagnant smell of smoke and fire. Tai looked around him and saw some of the houses had been set ablaze by Meramon's attack.
Tai looked back to Meramon as the Digimon threw fire in Tai's direction. Tai leapt aside once again the flames catching the hem of his shirt on Tai's back. Tai cried out as the flames scolded his skin and he rolled as he hit the ground. As he did so he was overcome with a familiar surge of energy.
He began to crawl to his feet, determined to use some of his newfound energy before it inevitably left him. Standing unsteadily on his feet he began to run as fast as they could carry him, Meramon's flickering laughter ringing in his ears behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Agumon fire a sphere of flame at Meramon's chest, seemingly unaffected by the fires and smoke all around him.
Meramon however seemed equally unaffected by the small ball of fire the erupted against his chest. He chuckled darkly as the orange fires of Agumon's attack were absorbed into the greater flames that were Meramon's chest.
Tai stumbled, suddenly drained. He collapsed onto his knees and clutched his chest, coughing madly. Behind him he heard the familiar growl of Greymon as the now larger Digimon stepped towards Meramon.
"Oh now this is interesting!" cackled Meramon. "Come on! Show me what you've got!"
"Nova Blast!" Greymon roared. The ground shook with the force of Greymon's attack as the white hot sphere erupted into being.
Meramon thrust his hands out as the ball of fire drew close to him. He slid backwards across the sand and his face wrinkled up in effort. He flexed and bent his fingers, twisting his hands, grinding his palms into the inferno. As Tai looked on in horror, Meramon slowly drew Greymon's attack into himself. He watched as the flames of Greymon's attack made Meramon grow in size, becoming twice the height of the other Digimon.
(D)
As soon as they were outside the Yokomon village the sun seemed to make it twice as hot. Sora wiped her brow and flicked the sweat away. She followed slowly behind the long line of Yokomon, who were nervously whispering amongst themselves, some of them were even weeping.
The other members of the group weren't fairing any better in terms of moral. Sora often caught Digimon and human alike throwing nervous glances back at the Yokomon village. Sora herself couldn't stop herself casting her eyes back every couple of minutes.
Then the explosion filled the air.
Sora whipped around and saw fire roaring into life. Even from her current distance she could vaguely see the shape of a huge, human-like figure made entirely of fire.
Yokomon began to wail in despair as they saw their home set ablaze. Sora was frantically scanning the village for Tai and Matt, even though she knew they would be too small to see from this distance. The entire party had frozen solid, looking at the chaos Meramon had wrought.
"I can't take this!" a small voice cried.
Sora looked to see a Yokomon hoping madly towards the village, tears streaming down its face. Sora stepped out to stop the tiny Digimon when Biyomon rushed out and caught it in one feathered arm. The Yokomon cried and struggled but Biyomon soothed her with quiet noises. The small scene was heartbreaking to watch, Sora forcing herself to look away.
She was sorry she did.
Meramon seemed to have doubled in size and was now easily visible, towering over the comparatively miniscule Greymon. She saw Garurumon leap out of the flaming village and latch onto Meramon's arm, fangs digging into the fiery flesh. Meramon barked in pain and flung Garurumon off of him.
"This is bad," T.K. whispered.
"We have to go back and help them," one Yokomon said.
"How?" asked another. "What can we do?"
Sora couldn't tear her eyes of Meramon and the devastation he delivered. She heard a small sniffle by her feet and turned to look. Her throat went dry.
It was the Yokomon who had attempted to run back to the village, the one Biyomon had comforted. Except there was no bird Digimon beside her to offer comfort. Sora looked up to see Biyomon racing across the desert, back to her village. Sora was frozen for a full second before she began running.
"BIYOMON!" she screamed, charging after her smaller friend. She heard other calling for her to come back but she ignored them. Not until she had Biyomon with her.
(D)
For the second time in as many minutes, Matt was shoved to the ground hard. The attack that might have killed him sailed over his head and crashed into one of the Yokomon homes, crushing the already blazing building into kindling. Matt looked at Tai, the one who had forced him down, lying in the dirt beside him.
"We're just getting in the way!" Matt shouted over the noise. "We should go!"
Tai shook his head defiantly.
"We can't leave them here!" he yelled back, jerking his head to Garurumon and Greymon.
"We can't stay here!" Matt argued, indicating the colossal Meramon.
Tai opened his mouth to reply, looked up and rolled. Matt looked up too and rolled desperately in the opposite direction as a ball of fire dropped onto the spot where they had been lying. Matt felt the heat race up his sides in sweltering waves. He looked back to where he last saw Tai and saw the other boy climbing to his feet unsteadily. Tai looked in Matt's direction and gave him the thumbs up, though he looked as though he was about to pass out. Matt couldn't exactly blame him, Tai looked as bad as he felt.
Matt forced himself to his feet as well and swayed dangerously on the spot. He coughed a deep, wracking motion from deep within his chest, the smoke all around finally getting to him. Something brushed past his leg. He glanced down, but whatever it had been was now gone.
A huge wall of heat rammed into Matt. He staggered back, aware that Meramon had most likely taken another step closer to him. He turned and began to stagger away from Meramon, his vision blurry as his eyes began to tear up due to the smoke. Behind him he heard something large hitting the ground, followed by a grunt of pain. He hoped that it was Meramon but given how this fight was going so far, that seemed unlikely. Then he heard Meramon speak.
"Well, well," he chuckled. "What do we have here?"
"Meramon you have to stop this!" cried a familiar voice that was neither Greymon, nor Garurumon.
"Oh but why would I want to do that?" Meramon scoffed. "I'm having so much fun."
"Meramon don't you remember? We're your friends!"
"I have no use for your petty friendship now," Meramon growled. Matt looked back through the smoke and fire to see Meramon swat his huge hand at something in a vicious backhand slap. The something screamed and tumbled end over end in the air before it righted itself.
"Alright if that's the way you want it!" it shouted back at Meramon. "Spiral Twister!"
Matt's eyes widened as he realised that it was Biyomon who had come back to help fight against Meramon. He watched as a spiral of green fire cut through the orange and struck Meramon on the chest. The larger Digimon merely shrugged the attack off with a bark of laughter.
"That all you got?" he laughed, swatting her aside once more with a back hand that sent Biyomon crashing into a Yokomon house.
"Biyomon!"
Matt winced at the cry that came from behind him. He turned, seeing Sora rush past him. Obviously she had come to aid her partner. Unfortunately she had also attracted some unwanted attention.
As Sora raced through the burning village to Biyomon's side, Meramon heard her cry of anxiety and looked at her. He smiled lazily and summoned fire in his hand. With a lazy flick of the wrist he sent the ball of fire flying at Sora.
Sora looked up as Meramon threw fire in her direction. For a moment she was paralysed. Her whole body was overwhelmed with a crushing sense of fear. This feeling of terror was then, quite suddenly, quashed by a surge of energy. Sora instinctively dived aside, the ball of fire missing her by inches. She landed heavily on the ground, bruised but alive.
Still full of the strange energy that overwhelmed her, Sora scrambled to her feet and raced to where Biyomon lay. The small bird Digimon looked to be in some pain, lying on the broken and splintered wood in the middle of such a raging fire. As Sora reached out to pick Biyomon up, the energy she had felt vanished. She felt drained and nearly collapsed to her knees.
Biyomon sat upright. Her eyes seemed sharper than before, and she was quivering from head to toe. And she also appeared to be growing. Her feathers were changing from pink and blue to orange and gold. Her beak was becoming longer, more like a reptilian snout. Long, pointed fangs grew from the end of her beak and the finger like digits at the end of her wings regressed, her wingspan growing far larger than before. Her red talons became razor sharp and gold in colour and the silver band on Biyomon's ankle snapped off.
Biyomon's Digivolved form towered over Sora, though she was still not as tall as Meramon. She growled and beat her wings in one powerful stroke, taking her airborne. Meramon turned to face this new pho as she soared into the sky. He laughed as she began to circle overhead.
"What's the matter Birdramon!" called Meramon. "Afraid of me? Come back down here and fight!"
He conjured fire in his hand and threw it at Birdramon. Birdramon dodged aside and dived at Meramon, before pulling up and beating her wings with such force that the fires around the village were instantly snuffed out. Meramon growled and threw another fireball at Birdramon. The other Digimon dodged once more and flew at Meramon, racking her sharp talons at his chest before taking off higher into the sky.
"Last chance to stop this Meramon!" she called her voice much deeper than Biyomon's. Meramon barked.
"Stop?" he cried incredulous. "I'm having the time of me life!"
On the word 'life', he threw a much larger ball of flame at Birdramon. She merely beat her wings and sent the ball of fire spiralling into the desert. Sora couldn't hear what Birdramon said next but she could guess: "So be it."
She spread her wings out as far as they would go for the longest time, before she folded them, screeching, "Meteor Wing!"
A hail of fire balls flew from where Birdramon's wings met, all aimed at Meramon. Meramon took a shocked step back as the first of the fires struck him. The rapid attack and the speed at which the fires dispersed after the struck Meramon rendered it impossible for him to absorb the flames. Several struck the long black scar on Meramon's stomach. This seemed to hurt him the most. He doubled up in pain and roared in agony.
Birdramon folded her wings once more and fell into a dive, aiming straight at Meramon's chest. As she drew close and her speed reached terminal velocity, she began to glow. Her body shrinking back into Biyomon. As the process completed, Biyomon dived straight at Meramon's wound, her beak slamming straight into Meramon's stomach.
The other Digimon screamed in pain and fell back. White blood spattered onto the ground as Biyomon fell, Meramon staggering, shrinking, his palms pressed into his eyes. He crumpled into a ball, screaming his agony into the ground. And then something burst out of his back. A black something the rocketed into the sky. It stopped its upward momentum for a moment and simply hung there, before it shattered into fragments.
For several moments everything was still. Eventually even Meramon's screams became quiet whimpers. Sora walked slowly to Biyomon's side, kneeling down and wrapping her in a tight hug.
"Don't you ever do anything like that again Biyomon," she whispered firmly.
She felt Biyomon nuzzle up to her and smile. Sora couldn't help but smile back. Concerned whispers began to seep into the village as the Yokomon's and the rest of the team crept back into the ruined village. When they saw Sora and the others, when they saw how Meramon was curled up, the tension was released in a single collective exhalation of air. A particularly brave Yokomon waddled up to Meramon, very, very slowly.
"Meramon?" he asked slowly.
Meramon uncurled slowly, rolled onto his back. As he rolled everyone watching gasped as they saw the brutal hole in Meramon's back. The edges were jagged, and were even now being covered by a black and red charcoal substance, akin to a scab for a human wound. As Meramon rolled onto his back he gasped and moaned in pain. His eyes opened after a few moments and were back to being a sky blue colour.
"Meramon, are you okay?" the Yokomon asked.
"I'll live," he mumbled. Tai raised an eyebrow. Before Meramon's voice had had a blazing touch to it. Now it seemed to fire in his voice had died down.
"Why did you attack our village Meramon?" Yokomon asked. Meramon's eyes widened in shock.
"I what?" he asked aghast, pulling himself as quickly to his feet as he could. He surveyed the damage to the village that he had caused in his rampage with horror in his eyes.
"I did this?" he asked.
"You didn't seem like yourself Meramon," Biyomon spoke up. "You were acting very strange."
Meramon placed a hand to his face, shame written in his features.
"You mean you don't remember anything?" Biyomon asked.
"The last thing I remember I was attacked by something," Meramon said. "Then I woke up here."
Meramon looked around at the devastation he'd caused once again, looking if possible, even worse.
"Did I really do all this?" he whispered. Biyomon nodded sadly. Meramon placed a hand to his head and turned away slowly.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, slowly staggering away back through the desert. Biyomon could hear the tall Digimon mumble apology after apology.
"Poor guy," Gommamon said quietly.
"He'll be fine," Biyomon said. "Meramon always bounces back."
"You sure about that?" Tai asked, holding a weary looking Agumon.
"Positive," Biyomon said smiling slightly. She then looked at the village and then her friends.
"You can rebuild it right?" Biyomon asked.
"It's been through worse," one Yokomon said. "We can rebuild it in a few days."
"That's good," Biyomon sighed, relieved.
"The food store seems okay!" one Yokomon called.
"We still owe you dinner," another Yokomon said. "It's the least we can do for helping our village and Meramon."
The group looked at each other for a moment.
"It has been a long day," Sora said smiling.
(Okay this episode has been a LONG time coming. I just keep getting distracted.)