Digimon: Digidefenders


Episode 6: I Want To Fly/Airdramon Appears

Ashley Hillard galloped through the Australian Outback on her horse, Puka. A little penguin-type
creature sitting in front of her. They were chasing a lizard monster.

------------------Digimon--------------------------------------Database-----------------------

Name: Chameleonmon
Level: Armored
Type: Reptile
Attribute: Virus
Attack: Tongue whip, Heat Eye

Ashley: Chameleonmon can change the coloring on his skin to blend in with his surroundings.

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"Tongue Whip!" Chameleonmon lashed onto a tree and pulled himself up to a lower branch.
The penguin creature leaped off the horse and landed at the base of the tree.

------------------Digimon--------------------------------------Database-----------------------

Name: Penguinmon
Level: Rookie
Type: Bird
Attribute: Vaccine
Attack: Eternal Slapping, Slide Attack

Penguinmon: For those of you who don't know me, I'm Penguinmon. My Eternal Slapping attack will
slap you silly.

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"Stupid Bird Digimon," Chameleonmon insulted. "Let's see you try to catch me up here."

"Hey, Penguinmon, need a boost up?" Ashley asked.

"Yup." Ashley picked Penguinmon up and still on Puka, hoisted him onto the same branch that
Chameleonmon was on.

Chameleonmon gulped and let out a meak "Help."

"Eternal Slapping!" Penguinmon's wing was like a purple blurr as it slammed into Chameleonmon's
head. This process repeated itself several times. Finally, Chameleonmon fell off the tree.

Suddenly, the tree started to topple. Holding onto the trunk, Penguinmon prepared for impact.
The tree landed squarely on Chameleonmon and he dissolved.

Penguinmon leaped back. Ashley caught him.

"Good job, Penguinmon," Ashley congratulated.

"Thanks. But I can't take all the credit. This tree couldn't handle the action."

Ashley laughed. It was a light-hearted chuckle that sounded like wind chimes. She looked down
at the timer function on her D-4.

"5:00? Oh my God, I'm late for dinner."

"Then go eat. See ya' when I see 'ya." Penguinmon transformed back into a card which took its
place inside its case around her neck. Ashley tucked the case into her turtleneck to keep
anybody from finding it out. She also covered up her D-4.



Ashley rode Puka back to her Grandfather's farm. She tied him up in the barn and ran inside.

"I'm home," she called to her Mother and Grandfather.

"Ashley, where have you been?" Her mother asked. "I've had dinner ready for the past ten
minutes."

"Sorry, Mom, I was out exercising Puka."

"Oh, well that's all right. Go wash up." As Ashley ran her hands underneath the water, her
Grandfather looked up from the newspaper he was reading. "Hey, Ash, I was thinking. Summer
vacation is almost here for you, isn't it?"

"Yes it is."

"Well I'd like you to take charge of the flock this summer. All by yourself."

Ashley dropped the soap bar she was using on her foot, but she ignored the throbbing of her foot.

"Grandfather... you always tend the sheep in the summer time. You look forward to it every
year. Why do you want to give it up to me now?"

"Oh Ash," her Grandfather said using his affectionate nickname for her. "I'm getting too old.
I'd like to be sure that the flock is in good hands when I'm gone."

"I... I don't think I'm ready, Grandfather."

"Of course you're ready. I haven't been taking you on those herding trips when you were a kid
just to babysit you, I was preparing you for the day where you will assume the roll of family
Sheephearder."

Ashley didn't know how to respond to that. Luckily her mother did. "Don't worry, Ashley, you
still have time to prepare. By the end of the summer, you will be the best Sheepherder in
the Northern Territory."

Ashley's Grandfather chuckled at her daughter's comment.


That night, Ashley sat in front of her vanity mirror in her nightgown. She undid the plait that
she usually put her blonde hair in during the day and began brushing it out. As she did, she
thought.

{What's wrong with me? This is what I wanted all my life. So why do I feel like I'm at the
Dentist waiting to get my teeth pulled? Come on, Ashley, get a grip.}

Ashley absentmindedly scrunched up her hair as if she imagined it short, choir boy-like.

{When I was a little girl, I always looked forward to the day my Grandfather would take me on
one of his trips. I thought they were so exciting, so adventurous. Why don't I have that same
excitement now that I did back then?}

Ashley looked at her D-4 and card pouch which laid on the table. {Could being a Digidefender
change the way I think? That day Rick and Seadramon battled Frigimon, that day we first
became the Digidefenders, that day was more exciting than any trip my Grandfather could've
brought me on. Now that that has happened, the whole level in which I judge life has changed,
as I bet it has done with the others.}

Ashley gave her hair one more brush then climbed into bed. {Should I accept my Grandfather's
wishes or not? Oh well, too late to worry about it now. I'll decide on it some other day.}
And she allowed sleep to inhabit her body, as she had for every night since she was born.



The next day, while Ashley was getting dressed, she reached a decision. She would not don her
D-4 today. Today, she was Ashley Hillard, the Sheephearder, not Ashley Hillard the Digidefender.
She left her D-4 and card pouch on her vanity table.

Ashley stampeded down the stairs, two at a time.

"Whoa, take it easy, Ashley," her mother said as the girl slid into her seat at the breakfast
table. "The sheep aren't going to leave without you."

"Sorry, Mom," Ashley said as she dove into the pancakes laid out before her. "I'm just eager to
get out there."

Ashley's Grandfather chuckled from his easychair. "That-a-girl, that's what I like to see."

"Take it easy, Ashley," her mother laughed as her daughter dove into her third pancake. "I
swear, you're eating like a little monster."

Ashley paused in mid-bite. "What... what did you say?"

"I said you're eating fast, like a little monster."

"Right... eating." But why did Ashley tense up at the mention of the word "monster?"

Shrugging it off, she finished off her breakfast. "Come on, Dinga." The dog let out a happy
yip as she followed her owner out.

Ashley mounted Puka and she and Dinga set out. The sheep were in a field about three hundread
yards from the house. There were about half-a-dozen of them so it made things a whole lot more
easier for her.

Ashley on Puka and Dinga began urging the sheep north-bound. A barred fence was set up to keep
the sheep from wandering too far off course.

{This is great,} Ashley thought as Dinga chased a straggler. {I've almost forgotten about
being a Digidefender. Maybe I should quit being a Digidefender. I mean, there are seven others,
what difference will one person make?}

Ashley looked to the sky and spotted something unusual. A piece of the sky was becoming
distorted, like a pond after a stone is thrown in it. Suddenly something appeared in a flash
of numbers. It was long and serpentine-like with two large red wings. It swooped down like a
jet and actually gobbled up one of the sheep.

"What are you?" Ashley asked.

------------------Digimon--------------------------------------Database-----------------------

Name: Airdramon
Level: Champion
Type: Serpent
Attribute: Vaccine
Attack: Spinning Needle, God Tornado

Airdramon: I am Airdramon. When it comes to aerial combat, nobody can surpass me.

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"You're a Digimon," Ashley asked.

"Yes, and I have chosen this to be lunch. God Tornado!" A small whirlwind kicked up, blowing
the sheep every which way but up.

Ashley picked up a stone that was lying on the ground. "Hey wormy, stay away from them." She
threw the stone and it bounced off his head.

"Why you pitiful human. Spinning Needle." Dozens of tiny darts flew at Ashley. A couple of
them struck her shirt sleeve tearing a hole in it.

"You want me, come and get me!" She turned Puka around and started running away.

"You can't defeat me," Airdramon said as he took off after her.


Dinga watched as he chased her down. The dog turned and ran in the direction of her house.

Ashley's mother was bringing out a watering plot to take care of her flower bed when Dinga
burst through the door like the hounds of hades was after her.

"Dinga? What..." Dinga booted up to Ashley's room and grabbed her D-4 and card pouch off her
vanity table.

Dinga burst out the door again. Ashley's Grandfather had been reading the paper.

"What's wrong?" He asked as his daughter came in.

"Don't know. Dinga just came through here, she left carrying something."

"It's probably nothing important."


Dinga tried to sniff out Ashley's scent and followed it two miles out from the wire fence.

Ashley was huddled up against a cliff face. Her shirt was torn in several places and her hair
was all frizzled. Puka was lying on its side.

Dinga dropped Ashley's D-4 and card pouch and barked.

Ashley and Airdramon both saw her. "Dinga, you brought my D-4." But Airdramon was already
moving in for another attack. When he was low enough, Dinga leaped onto his back and started
clawing and biting on him. "DINGA, NO!"

"Pathetic weakling." Airdramon twirled his body and threw Dinga to the ground. Ashley ran to
see if her friend was all right. Dinga was wimpering, but she was alive.

Airdramon turned towards Ashley again. Ashley rolled forward and grabbed her D-4 and card pouch.

"All right, you sack of numerical data, you'll pay for what you did to my friend. Penguinmon,
digimerge!" Ashley slid her card through her D-4. The card immediately took on a life of its
own.

"Penguinmon, it's time to show him what you're made of."

"I'm ready whenever you are, Ashley. Let's rumble."

"You fool! I clearly have the advantage here," Airdramon boasted flapping his wings.

"That's what you think. Penguinmon, digivolve."

DIGIVOLUTION

"Penguinmon, digivolve to... Saberdramon!" Saberdramon was similar to Birdramon in every way
except for the color of his feathers which were a charcoal black.

"What? What are you?" Airdramon asked.

------------------Digimon--------------------------------------Database-----------------------

Name: Saberdramon
Level: Champion
Type: Giant Bird
Attribute: Vaccine
Attack: Black Saber, Black Talon

Saberdramon: I was once known as Penguinmon, now I digivolved to my champion level. Possibly
my best features are my wings which I can use to increase my agility.

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Saberdramon rose into the air and hovered above Airdramon. He put his wings together, then
spread them apart.

"Black Saber!" Black streams of energy shot into Airdramon. Airdramon disintegrated.

"You did it, Saberdramon," Ashley cried.

"No, we did it. I couldn't have digivolved without your help, Ashley."

Ashley laughed.



That night, Ashley came home exhausted. It had been a busy day.

"So how was your first round?" Grandfather asked.

"I'm sorry, Grandfather, but I lost a sheep."

"Just one sheep?"

"Yeah."

"That's good."

Ashley looked up in surprise. "But Grandfather, I expected you to be upset because you wanted
me to get all of them safely."

"Ashley, nobody gets it right on their first try. It took me fifteen years to get it pact
down."

"Fifteen years?"

"Yup. So relax, I'm not mad."

Ashley let out a sigh and went up to her room. Plopping down on her bed, she thought, {It's all
my fault. If I hadn't chosen to leave my D-4 at home, I would've been able to fend off
Airdramon sooner. I guess I learned a big lesson from all this. You can never quit being a
Digidefender, you can only readjust your life to accomodate it.}


------------------Digimon--------------------------------------Database-----------------------
----------------------------------Digidefender Profile----------------------------------------

Name: Hillard, Ashley
Nickname: Ash (only called by her grandfather)
Age: 15
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 105 lbs.
Hair: Blonde, long, usually in a plait or pony tail
Eyes: Blue
Skin: White
DOB: 9/14/1987
POB: Northern Territory, Australia

Digimon: Penguinmon
Saberdramon

As the oldest of the Digidefenders, Ashley feels it's her responsibility to make sure that
nothing happens to the others. She sort of acts as the "big sister" of the group. She was
in training to inherit her grandfather's sheep-herding profession. But ever since she first
became a Digidefender, she's been wondering if this was what she actually wanted to do.

Ashley lives with her mother and grandfather on a farm in the Northern Territory of Australia.
She also has a variety of pets including a horse named Puka and over three dozen sheep which
are taken to market every month.

Over the series, Ashley will question whether or not she is worthy to become a Digidefender and
try her best to aid her new friends in battle.

Digi-Download Data
Airdramon

Saberdramon received Airdramon's data while saving Ashley. Giving Penguinmon
Airdramon's data gives him the ability to fly in his rookie form.


Chameleonmon

Penguinmon received Chameleonmon's data on the same day that he battled Airdramon.
The data from this Digimon gives Penguinmon the ability to camuflage himself to hide
from those who wish to find him.