"Goodbye Butterflymon." Ari said as the group prepared to leave. "Thanks, For everything."
"No problem." She said "Good luck, you're going to need it."
She watched as Patamon lead them down the path towards the river. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. 'They're going to be fine. It's not like they're completely helpless.' She tried to convince herself. She ran a hand through her antennae and turned to look at the small crowd that had gathered to say farewell to the group.
"What are you looking at? They're gone already. If you aren't wounded, get to work on fixing the temple already!" She snapped.
"Yes M'am!" was the collective chant from the group. They quickly got to work, not wanting to risk their leader's ire.
"Well, here we are." Patamon said brightly, gesturing to a moderate sized boat bobbing in the swift moving river.
"We're uh, supposed to get in that thing?" Katimon said, glancing nervously at the boat. "Isn't there a way to get there that, uh, doesn't involve water?"
"Well, unless you can fly, this is the fastest and safest way to get to the village." He said.
Katimon merely nodded, looking none too pleased at the prospect of getting in the vessel. Ari put a hand on her digimon's shoulder in what she hoped might be a comforting manner. Katimon grinned at her, though she still seemed nervous.
They climbed into the boat. It seemed much larger than what it had looked like from the bank, seating them all quite comfortably. A moment later the boat took off of it's own volition.
"So, uh, how do we steer this thing?" Nani asked, looking around the boat.
"It steers itself." Patamon said cheerfully.
Katimon swallowed and stared down at the ground.
"Do not worry Katimon onee-sama. I will not let anything happen to you." She said quietly
"Thanks." Katimon said, smiling at the seal digimon.
Later on the sun had begun to set, the water reflecting the fiery red orange color of the sky. The ride downriver was rather uneventful. Nani was curled up asleep against Kitsunemon. The fox sat rather rigidly, as though unsure what to do.
"We should be there soon." Patamon said from his perch on the prow of the boat.
"Good." Kenta said. "I'm starving" There was an audible growl from both his and Ryudamon's stomachs.
Suddenly the smooth water became choppy and the boat began to rock violently.
"Waah!" Katimon cried, gripping the side of the boat. A great blue serpent shot out of the water, snarling at them. A large wave crashed over the boat, knocking Katimon into the water. She thrashed about in the water for several seconds before sinking below the surface.
"KATIMON!" Ari shrieked.
Butterflymon was helping a Tapirmon and a Hagurumon repair part of the roof. They had gotten quite a start on the repairs, though it would still take a few weeks before it was complete. She glanced out over the trees. The wind shifted and she felt a familiar presence nearby.
"Can you finish this?" She said. "I need to check something."
"Of course." Tapirmon said, giving her a cheerful smile.
Butterflymon nodded and took off. She flew over the forest for several minutes before landing in a small clearing.
"Come out Garurumon. I know you're here." She said coolly.
The wolf padded out into the clearing. "Sharp as always Butterflymon." he growled quietly.
"What do you want?" Butterflymon said, glaring at him.
"The humans, where have they gone." He lashed his tail from side to side in agitation.
"Why would I tell you that?"
"If you don't I'll kill you." He growled.
"Oh my, how cliché." She said wryly.
"I'm serious!" He charged up to her so he was centimeters from her. "It wouldn't matter if I killed you anyway. They already think you're dead."
Butterflymon's expression hardened. "So kill me then. But, think about what you're doing. You should know, you can always come back." "I can't!" he snapped. "He'll kill them both! You don't understand what kind of power he's got. You haven't seen what he keeps sealed in his chambers!" He began to pace back and forth frenetically.
Butterflymon crossed her arms over her chest. "Garurumon, calm down! We can get them back. We will get them back!"
"Really?" He snarled, pausing briefly. "You sound confident, yet, why would you not have done so sooner!"
"It would be difficult without having someone as a double agent." Butterflymon said coolly.
"So you just want to use me is that it?"
"That's not it at all," Butterflymon sighed. "You are not the digimon I remember you to be. At least think about it Garurumon." She said before taking off, leaving Garurumon on the ground to deal with his thoughts.
Garurumon padded down through the dungeon caverns in Avismon's fortress.
"What'chya doin' Growlie?" Came a cheery voice from above him. There was a soft thud as he felt something land on his back. He growled deeply and turned to look at Impmon who was standing on his back.
"Get off." He snarled."Aww Growlie is no fun, Impmon only wanted to make him feel better." She chimed.
Garurumon shook his shoulders vigorously trying to dislodge her.
"Whee! Impmon thought Growlie was in no mood to play!" She laughed as she grabbed on to one of the spines sticking from his shoulders.
"I'm not." He said coldly. "Doesn't Avismon-sama have something for you to do?"
"Nope! Impmon has no orders from Avismon-sama at the moment."
"Well, you certainly must have something better to do?" He was quickly growing tired of Impmon's attitude.
"Of course not. Growlie is Impmon's absolute favorite!" She crawled up onto Garurumon's head and peered down at him.
"Is Growlie going to visit the humans?" She asked.
"What business is it to you what I'm doing down here?" He shook his head vigorously and finally managed to dislodge the small demon.
"Well, Avismon-sama said it was a big no-no for Growlie to see the humans." She said, landing a few feet away.
"I said leave. Now." He snarled.
"Oh, fine." She pouted. "Growlie was starting to become boring anyway." She skipped past him, humming to herself.
Garurumon shook his head and continued down through the bowels of the mountain to the deepest part.
"Garurumon, is that you?" Came a hoarse voice from the gloom.
"It's me Yamato." Garurumon said padding up to the cell. Inside were two humans, both men in their early thirties. The one who had spoken had untidy dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. His jaw was dark with stubble and his clothing ragged. The other man was in much the same state as the first, though he had brown hair that stuck up at impossible angles and brown eyes that were currently narrowed in suspicion.
"What are you doing here?" Yamato said a hint of concern in his voice. "I thought Avismon forbade you from seeing us."
"He's probably come to tell us that the bastard's finally going to execute us." The other man said bitterly.
"Taichi!" Yamato cried, glaring back at him. "I don't think he's there for that." He cast a glance at his partner and the wolf shook his head.
"I just needed to talk to you." He said, pressing his head against the cell bars.
"I see." Yamato said, stroking the wolf's head with his thumb. "What about?"
Garurumon sighed. "I ran into Butterflymon earlier. She tried to convince me to go over to their side, as a double agent. She said we'd be able to get you guys out of here."
"What did you tell her." Yamato said, his blue eyes meeting his partner's golden ones.
"I didn't give her an answer. I don't know what I should do. I don't want to get you guys killed, but I hate what I've become." He looked down at the ground, unwilling to look at Yamato any longer.
"Listen Garurumon. You do what you feel is right. Don't worry about us, or Avismon or Butterflymon. It's your choice that matters." He smiled and looked down at his friend.
"T-thanks, Yamato. I'll think about what you said. I have to go now, or Avismon will get suspicious." He gave the two humans one last glance before turning and running back up the hallway.
"Avismon-sama please forgive me!" Shrieked Quetzalmon as she was knocked into the cavern wall of his chambers. Four long slashes on her chest oozed blood down her chest, pooling in a spreading puddle before her. She weakly righted herself and gazed up at her master with both fear and adoration.
"I do not forgive failure." Avismon said coldly, shaking the blood from his claws as if it were water. "Especially after I so kindly gave you a dark crystal to amplify your abilities. It should have been easy for you to kill them all"
"M-my lord," She stammered, "It should have been easy, yes. But, I fear that their power, It might almost be equal to yours Avismon-sama."
Avismon began to laugh, a cruel mirthless sound. "How foolish." He glared down at Quetzalmon with his pitiless amber eyes. "It seems, perhaps you are no longer of use to me.""N-no!" She gasped in fear. "P-please, Avismon-sama. Have mercy! I- I can prove I am your most loyal servant!" She pleaded.
"Enough with your incessant babbling!" He stretched his wings to their fullest extent, the air was full of an almost tangible tension as the air began to stir, though no wind was blowing outside. "DEADLY TEMPEST!" He cried, bringing his wings down, along with a great maelstrom of winds that began to slice through Quetzalmon's flesh. "AVISMON-SAMAAAAAAA!" She shrieked as her body was sliced to pieces. The winds stopped and her head dropped to the ground with a sickening thud. It rolled for a few feet and stopped at Avismon's talons. Her eyes, were fixed up at Avismon wide with the pain and terror she felt just before her death. "Worthless." He muttered as her head, along with the remnants of her body disappeared into millions of particles of data.
"Avismon-sama." Impmon said, stepping into Avismon's chambers, bowing low. "This unworthy one's most humblest apologies for entering uninvited. However, she has most disconcerting news for her great and all powerful master. Garurumon has been to see the humans. He speaks of deceit and betrayal towards you. I fear it is time that he, as well as those foul humans be disposed of for good."Avismon looked down at Impmon. "Thank you for telling me this Impmon. I shall personally see to it that the problem is taken care of."
