I wonder if you're aware of what Lucemon suspects Impmon and BlackGatomon for at the end of the chapter.
Enjoy!
[Shining Dreamers by Digimon Xros Wars Hunters plays]
4. Chapter
How to beat an Enemy? The Riddle Task
"Why is Arisa taking so long... We must hurry up or we'll be late for school." said Akari. She and Zia waited in front of Arisa's house. Arisa's grandmother walked out. "Arisa is sick. She has high fever, so she won't go anywhere today." said Chiaki.
"Oh, okay." said Zia. "Greet her then and tell her we hope that she'll soon get well."
"I will." said Chiaki.
"How do ya feel now?" asked Impmon. Arisa woke up and managed to sit. She was all red in her face.
"Bit better." Arisa sighed.
"Calu! Better lie down. Calu!" Calumon took a cool rug and waited for Arisa to lye down and then placed it on her head. Arisa smiled weakly.
"Thanks. You guys are really sweet." she said. Calumon smiled, but Impmon frowned.
"And what about today's task?" asked Impmon.
"I planned out something." said Arisa with a weak smile.
Meanwhile, Gumdramon took the other 6 Demon Lords to the park where he wanted to teach them how to play ball. However, Gumdramon slowly changed the game to dodge ball.
"Here I come! Watch your head!" He kicked the ball right at Lucemon who bowed. The ball hit the tree.
"Hey, the actuall meaning of the game is to catch the ball and not to avoid it." yelled Gumdramon.
"How should I catch it when you have kicked it right at me?" replied the annoyed Demon Lord.
"It's not my fault that you cannot catch the ball." replied Gumdramon.
"Aw stop it you two!" said BlackGatomon who got annoyed by their quarrel. Candlemon took the ball.
"If you countine like this we'll have to dodge it more then catch it." he said.
"Well, the game's name is Dodge Ball." said Gumdramon.
"Dodge. Ball?" The 6 Demon Lords looked at the Dragon angrily. Gumdramon sweatdropped.
"Cheater!" said DemiDevimon.
"Anyways, I wonder where Impmon and Calumon are." said Phascomon.
"Well, Calumon would never miss a game. Maybe they're at Arisa's place." said Gumdramon.
"That's so typical. Impmon leaves us to grapple with you." said Lucemon.
"What should that mean!" said Gumdramon, insulted.
"Hey!"
They soon noticed the Shadow Tamers group running to them. Arisa wasn't with them.
"Where's our new leader?" asked Betamon. Akinari and Lucemon frowned at that.
"Arisa is sick. She didn't come today to school." said Akari.
"Well, would that mean we don't have to go on a training?" asked DemiDevimon.
"I hope so. I'd really like a day off." said Hiroshi. They heared a whistle and saw Impmon and Calumon walking towards them. Both had whistles around their necks and Calumon carried a note while Impmon had a small box with a lock on.
"I'm sorry to crush your dream but you'll have a training like usually." said the imp Digimon.
"How's Arisa?" asked Zia.
"She feels enough good to prepeare the next task." replied Impmon.
"I and Impmon are her personal helpers. Calu! Here." Calumon gave Seichi the note.
[Dead End Countdown by The New Cities plays]
"It says:'I'm sorry if you're dissapointed that you have to go again on a task, but my grandma wanted it so. And since I'm sick, Impmon and Calumon will watch over your training. Today, you'll have to solve 7 riddles. When you solve all 7 of them, you'll get an 8th which's actually a question and a key. They key opens the box I gave Impmon and in the box is the answer to the 8th question. Also, Calumon and Impmon will help you with the riddles by giving you hints. I wish you luck.' There's also the first riddle: 'I'm mostly still. If you touch me I'm gonna move. If you sit on me I'm gonna rock. Who am I? Hint: Playing makes you happy.'" said Seichi.
"What the heck should that mean?" asked DemiDevimon.
"I have no idea." said Airu.
"Need hint?" asked Impmon.
"Aw, com'n, we don't need your help in solving that task." said Lucemon crossing his arms. He looked at the others. "Right?"
"To be honest, I don't get it." said Seichi rubbing his head.
"Neither I do." said Candlemon.
"Then search at the playground." said Impmon and grined. "Ain't playing funny?"
"Playground?" said Seichi. The group looked at each other. "I'm mostly still. If you touch me I'm gonna move. If you sit on me I'm gonna rock."
Seichi put a hand on his chin.
"A swing!" he exclaimed.
"Of course. If you touch a swing it'll move and if you sit on it it'll rock, or better to say, swing." said Akari.
Let's go get it." said Damien and they went to the nearby playground. Luckily, no one was there and they started to search for it.
"It must be at the swings." said Seichi. The group looked under the swings, but DemiDevimon, who sat on the top and hang upside down like a bat, noticed that it was glued on the metal staff.
"Here's the next one." said DemiDevimon and took it. he flied to Airu who read it.
"'Reunited, but not united, the first day of training didn't went well. Things changed and a title got lost. Hint: I'm sorry, Lucemon and Akinari'." Airu turned to the two who frowned. "Don't look at me. That were Arisa's words."
"Guess we have to go back to Chiaki's place." sighed Akinari.
"Ow great, I just couldn't wait to go back." Lucemon said sarcasstically. Impmon patted his back and grined.
"Aw, stop sulking around!" he said with a grin.
"How can you be so happy?" asked Lucemon.
"Maybe because I'm enjoying seeing you getting humilitazed." replied Impmon, still smiling. Lucemon frowned.
"Why you?" He jumped after Impmon. He avoid it.
"Come back here!" yelled Lucemon.
"Try to catch me!" shouted Impmon back. Lucemon runned after him.
"This was predictable." said Akari, sweatdropping.
"Seems like they have fun. Calu!" said Calumon.
"Oh, they sure do." BlackGatomon added sarcassticaly. Meanwhile, Lucemon tried to capture Impmon to choke him.
"Alright, I wonder to what is it reffering." said Airu as the group came to Chiaki's house.
"I think it's quite obvious. It means the gym in which we were the first day." said Seichi.
"Well, let's go get that riddle." said Zia. The group entered the gym and started to search for the riddle.
"I see you're back!"
Everyone jumped in surpriese as they heared Chiaki's voice.
"You could've tell us that you're here without giving us a heart attack! Ba-Boom!" yelled Impmon at her.
"And I thought that you would hear me with those ears of yours, Little Demon." replied Chiaki with a slily smile. Impmon frowned.
"And stop calling me Little Demon!" yelled Impmon at her.
"First show me some respect, Little Demon." replied Chiaki. Impmon hmpfed and turned around. "I would show before respect to Lucemon then you." said Impmon as he crossed his arms. Chiaki hmpfed. Lucemon smiled, but then he blinked in confusion.
"What should that mean?" he asked.
"Hey, found it!" exclaimed Akari. It was stucked behind a katana sword. "'Training, training, when it's going to stop? Only hard work brings fruits, as your did. Though you will have to learn much. Hint: Thanks for the cleaning up.'"
"You're welcome." said Gumdramon.
Akari looked at the others. Everyone, especially the Digimon knew what it meaned.
"The Battle Field."
"Don't you think it might be in the yard?" asked Damien.
"Nope." replied Betamon.
The group walked slowly over to the Battle Field and looked out for the next riddle.
"Honestly, I'm happy that we cleaned that mess." said Candlemon as he checked under the bank. Phascomon and Hiroshi looked under the shovels.
"He, found it!" exclaimed Phascomon and gave it Hiroshi.
"Well, let's see what do we have." The others gathered around the boy and read it. "'The next riddle is split up in two and here's what you must do. Follow the old paths which leaded you to the yesterday's gems, one brighter then orange, other same colored as a plant. Hint: I don't want you to get lost'."
"So, where do we have to go?" asked Damien. "And what should be brighter then orange?"
"Yellow." Seichi rolled with his eyes.
"And color of plants is green. We have to go to the Eldest Tree and Silver Stone." said Akari.
"So, we're spliting up in two groups. One group goes to the Eldest Tree and the other to Silver Stone." said Akinari.
"Let's go! Calu!" exclaimed Calumon.
"Are you sure that we're going in the right way?" asked Seichi Airu.
"Sure I'm sure." she replied though not so self-confidenced. "Akari?"
"Yeah, we're going the right way." said Akari.
"Well, if you get into a trap, then yes, we're going definetly in the right way." giggled DemiDevimon.
The group made of Akari, BlackGatomon, Airu, DemiDevimon, Seichi, Candlemon and Calumon was on the way to the Eldest Tree.
Zia, Gumdramon, Hiroshi, Phascomon, Damien, Betamon, Akinari, Lucemon and Impmon were on the way to the Silver Stone.
"Where's the box you held some while before?" asked Betamon.
"I left at ol' Chiaki's house." replied Impmon. "I don't have to carry it the whole time."
"I really wonder what the heck should be in this box." said Lucemon. "Can't you tell us?"
"No way. You have to solve the last of the riddles until you can find out what's in it." replied Impmon.
"I thought already that you would give us such answer." said Lucemon crossing his arms behind his head. Impmon rolled with his eyes.
"Are we starting that again?" he asked.
"Not needed." replied Lucemon.
"Here it is." said Akari.
"Are you sure? I dosen't look to me more different then the other trees." said Seichi with a doubt.
"Well, it is. There's a note on the tree." said Airu. "Let's see what do we have." she took it. "'As you hear a continuous sound, a murmor of water, you know you're at the right place. So peacefull, so calm. Hint: And it's perfect for meditating.'"
"Does she mean a river?" asked Akari.
"Maybe a brook." suggested DemiDevimon. Seichi smiled.
"Or a lake." he said. "Maybe she meaned a lake. The Silent Lake on which I, Candlemon, Damien and Betamon were. I think that it's not far away."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go." said Candlemon,
"Here we are." said Zia.
"Are you sure Z?" asked Hiroshi.
"Well, if you could for once lift your nose from your games you would see that we're at the right place." said Zia.
"I'm believing your word." replied Hiroshi not lifting his look from the game. "Yes, highscore! I'm the be-est!"
"He's only thinking about his games." said Betamon.
"Ignore him." said Gumdramon as he looked upwards and saw the note glued on the stone. He flied upwards and took it, then giving it to Zia.
"It says: 'As you hear a continuous sound, a murmor of water, you know you're at the right place. So peacefull, so calm. Hint: And it's perfect for meditating.'" she said.
"Murmor of water... That's for sure the Silent Lake!" said Betamon excited.
"Are you sure?" asked Akinari and looked over to Impmon. He nodded.
"Then let's go." Akinari said. The group went to the Silent Lake with Damien and Betamon on the front. Only Hiroshi stayed. He didn't notice that the others were gone.
Zia saw that Hiroshi's missing and went back to the boy, sweatdropping as she saw him still playing and took away the Gameboy.
"Hey, I was batteling the final boss." he said.
"Well, he'll have to wait. Let's go to catch up with the others." she said. Hiroshi groaned and they followed the others.
"Found it!" exclaimed Candlemon as he, Calumon, Airu, BlackGatomon, DemiDevimon, Akari and Seichi came to the lake. After a few minutes, they heared some loud curses coming from nearby.
"What was that, Calu?" asked Calumon.
"I think that that's the second group." said BlackGatomon.
"And that was Damien's voice." Airu sweatdropped.
"Let's see what happened." said Akari.
Meanwhile Damien and Akinari, who fell into a pitfall trap, tried to get out.
"Hey, can someone help us?" asked Damien who was sitting on Akinari.
"Damien get down!" hissed the other boy.
"Oh, sorry." said Damien and got down.
"Hold on this!" Gumdramon extended his tail. The two boys grabbed on it and got pulled out.
"Thanks." said Akinari.
"Hey, everything alright?" asked Akari as they apporoached them.
"Yeah, but seems like here are more traps then we thought." said Damien.
"While you we're rescused, I found our next riddle." said Seichi waving with the note. Damien grabbed it.
"Now it's mine turn to read it." he said. "'The final question is at a haunted place. Beware of the ghosts. Hint: Akinari, ghosts do exist.'" "They don't." replied the boy. "And I think I know where the final question is. Follow me."
"What's wrong with him?" asked Phascomon.
"Don't ask." said Lucemon and Impmon.
"So, how do you feel? Does my medicine work?" asked Chiaki Arisa. Arisa had a more sour expression on her face.
"Yeah, it seems to work." she said. "Though it's taste is a catastrophe."
"Good. The best medicines always taste like that, even worse." said Chiaki with a smirk. "How are our little friends?"
"They're going to the Shrine." Arisa held her D-Power.
"Well, they are smart. That's sure." Chiaki then walked away.
"So, this is this so called Haunted Shrine? Why is it called haunted?" asked Seichi.
"That you should ask Arisa." replied Impmon.
"Let's go find it." Damien runned towards the shrine. "Huh?"
A thick mist covered the surroundings.
Arisa's D-Power immediantly reacted. The girl was changing her pyamas to her ordinary clothes as she took the D-Power.
"Ow, great, I just needed that." she said sarcastically. On her D-Power, she saw her partner looking around until he noticed the opponent. Or better to say a group of opponents.
"Bakemon? This was really unneeded." said Arisa and runned towards the forest.
[Sei Frei by Digimon Tamers plays]
"What the heck are Bakemon doing here?" asked Zia.
"Our Master send here to destroy a group of Digimon." said the head Bakemon.
"Should I guess who it is? GranDracmon for sure." said Lucemon.
"Zombie Claw!" The Bakemon fired giant decaying claws to slash at Lucemon. Lucemon, who was a second before calm, sweatdropped and jumped outta way.
"Hey, do you know who I am?" he asked angrily.
"Apperantly, they don't." Impmon rolled with his eyes. Two cricles appeared in front of him. "Infernal Funnel!"
He fired a ball of fire and burned down the Bakemon.
"At least, they're easy to take down." he said.
"You're right what that part regards. Candle Ring!" Candlemon fired a ring of fire which wraped around one Bakemon burning it down.
"My turn! Grand Cross!" Lucemon fired ten super-heated spheres of light arranged in a cruciform syzygy destroying a larger group of Bakemon.
"Electric Shock!" Betamon fires a 1,000,000 volt shock at the nearest Bakemon. With a cry, it got destroyed.
"Lighting Paw!"
"Bat Flutter!"
DemiDevimon and BlackGatomon punched two Bakemon towards Gumdramon and Phascomon.
"Fire Vortex!" Gumdramon stroke a single blow with his Shippodzuchi while performing continuous forward somersaults at high speed to generate flames and slashed through the Bakemon.
"Eucalyptus Claw!" Phascomon attacked with his sharp claws, cutting apart the Bakemon.
"Calu, Calu, that's right! Show'm watcha got Calu!" cheered Calumon and turned to the Tamers. "Huh? Akari watch out!"
Akari didn't notice a Bakemon behind her, until...
"Take this!" A metal staff punched the Bakemon and threw it at a tree. Akari smiled as she saw her saver.
"Arisa, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"Do you really thing I'll miss all the fun? My D-Power reacted and I runned towards here to join you." said Arisa.
"Do you feel better?" asked Airu.
"My grandmother's medicine causes real miracles." Arisa smiled and turned to Akinari. "I told ya this place is haunted."
Akinari only rolled with his eyes. Meanwhile, the 8 Digimon got encircled by the remaining Bakemon.
"Hey Impmon, I'll leave you to command us." said Lucemon with a small grin.
"Okay, fire free!" said Impmon. Lucemon rolled with his eyes while grining.
"Like I didn't know that would come." he said.
"Summon!" Impmon summoned a bunch of icicles from a circle in the ground and fired it at the Bakemon.
"Grand Cross!" Lucemon fired ten super-heated spheres of light arranged in a cruciform syzygy.
"Electric Shock!" Betamon fired a 1,000,000 volt shock at the Bakemon.
"Flame Bomber!" Candlemon fired small flames from his DigiCore fire energy that exploded as they hit the Bakemon.
"Eucalyptus Claw!" Phascomon attacked with his sharp claws. "Demi Dart!" DemiDevimon threw syringes filled with a toxin at the Bakemon.
"Lighting Paw!" BlackGatomon punched at the Bakemon.
"Ran-gum Break!" Gumdramon punched the Bakemon with his Shippodzuchi hammer.
Soon the Bakemon got deleted and the group gave a sigh of relief.
"Seems like GranDracmon really wants to delete us." said Lucemon.
"Yupp, he's afraid of you." said Arisa who walked over to them.
"Afraid? Shouldn't we be afraid of him?" asked Lucemon.
"A-a. GrandDracmon is afraid of you 7 because he knows that you have and will get the power to delete him from existance. That's why he's sending his henchmen to kill you, and us." said Arisa.
"That's cool." said Phascomon.
"If even GranDracmon is really afraid of us, then we rule." said DemiDevimon.
"Well, I hope you learned now more about teamwork. Apart you're weak, together you're stronger. And when we find the Crests you'll get stronger." said Arisa.
"You ain't that bad as I thought." said Lucemon.
"I'm glad to hear that from you Lucemon." replied Arisa. "Amm, did you found already the last question?"
"Here it is, it was glued on the door." said Akinari. He opened the riddle, taking out the key, and everyone gathered around to hear it. "'Congrants for finding the last question. I hope you had fun and learned something too. Now here's the last riddle or question and it's really important that you know it's answer: What is the best way to beat an enemy?'"
Everyone silenced.
"What is the best way to beat an enemy?" Candlemon repeated.
"I have no idea. Let's go get that box." said Akinari. The others followed him. Calumon jumped on Arisa's shoulder.
"Why don't they try to guess it? Calu." he asked.
"Why going hard when there's an easier way to find it out." replied Arisa and followed them.
"Still, they won't know the answer until we tell them." said Impmon.
As they came back to the house, Akinari opened the box. In it was a small picture of a particular Crest.
"What's this?" asked Betamon.
"It's the picture of the Crest of Friendship, but I don't get it." said Damien.
"Neither I." Seichi turned to the leader. "Arisa?"
"I think I will explain it." they heared Chiaki, who walked over to them. "The best way to beat an enemy is..."
"Is what?" asked DemiDevimon.
"Is to befriend him." said Chiaki.
"WHAT?" Now the 6 Demon Lords were truly surpriesed, just as their Tamers.
"Like I said, the best way to beat an enemy is to befriend it. If you befriend your enemy, you won't have to fight and there won't be big loses." explained Chiaki.
"There's no way we're gonna befriend GranDracmon..." started Lucemon.
"Not that enemy!" Chiaki snapped at the angel Digimon and Lucemon sweatdropped. "I meaned someone other or did you forgott that you have multiple enemies."
"I didn't." said Lucemon. He exactly knew who she meaned. Lucemon looked over to Impmon and BlackGatomon, suspecting that the two unconssiciously did that.
[Ending Song Tooi Michi no Saki de by Inuyasha plays]
Hi, Beelzemon's speaking. Next time on Digimon Shadow Tamers, the first serious battle will begin. It's me against the Fire-furry Dorbickmon. However, Shinzui will put me and Arisa on one last test. How will it end? Well find out in episode 5:~Warrior Beelzemon Fly, The Battle Against the Fire-Furry~ Don't Miss it!