"…You've got to be KIDDING me…"
Jenny groaned, dropping down to sit on her butt, overlooking the entire island.
"There isn't much to see, is there?" Steph agreed, sighing.
"We didn't walk around the whole planet, at least."
"I think this is worse…" Tonya admitted, putting a hand on her partner's head.
"I can't believe we risked our lives for THIS!" Jenny griped, looking down at her partner.
"This isn't fair!"
"It's the journey that counts, right?"
"Only for dorks…"
"HEY!"
"Well, if you hadn't come up here, you wouldn't have gone through your first Spirit Evolution." Steph reminded, smiling as Biyomon leaned against her hip.
"That's about all the good that came out of this…"
"We just need to wait for the others to meet us up here..." Tonya reminded, sitting down on a rock.
"Hope they don't run into any trouble."
"They won't. It's always just one CRISIS at a time!"
Steph and Tonya almost laughed at Jenny's frustration, turning when they heard footsteps racing to meet them.
"What's up with her?" Meg wondered, quirking an eyebrow at Jenny.
"Look for yourself."
TJ seemed eager enough to check out their surroundings, and paused at the sight…
"Is that normal?"
"No…" Lizzy answered, squinting.
"It's like the climates are overlapping…I wonder…"
"It sure looks cool, though." Mel pointed out, smiling.
"I guess we walked around the whole thing. Where else is there to go?" Tonya wondered.
"We could go around again…Just for shits and giggles…" Jenny replied morosely, chin in her palm.
"Don't get mad, Jen." Gomamon stated, climbing onto her head.
"At least we know you're not crazy."
"…Gee, THANKS…"
"We could stay up here." Steph noted.
"Yeah, if we wanted to be attacked by Digimon and their Spirit Evolutions." Meg replied.
"Or we could leave and walk around the island again." Mel reminded.
"Maybe we haven't seen everything on the mountain…W-We could take a look around…" Lizzy suggested.
"Yeah. Maybe there's caves and stuff to investigate!" TJ agreed.
"Let's at least take a break first." Tonya decided.
"We've had a rough night, so let's just relax for a bit."
A strange sound echoed from the group's back, and everyone tensed, TJ hiding behind her sister…
"PLEASE tell me that was someone's stomach…"
"Normally, I'd lie to you, Jen…But not today…"
"Thanks for the honesty, Goma-Goma…NOT!"
"SH."
Meg's eyes narrowed as she stared at the path they'd just traversed, and Mel took hold of her partner's hand.
"M-Maybe we should run…"
"We shouldn't just stand here." Steph agreed, scooping Biyomon up in one arm.
Still, no one could seem to move, as if the threat rounding on them was using dark tendrils to hold them in place.
A large humanoid lion Digimon followed the curving path, eyes a misty white, with a Clouded Leopard partner on his shoulder.
She seemed almost pretty, with her dark skin, wiry frame, and dark-furred extra appendages.
The only thing unnerving, almost creepy, was her glazed white eyes…
"Oh, it's Leomon and Claw." Patamon noticed, seeming to relax.
"They're good Digimon." Gabumon assured.
"Are you sure about that?" Mel worried.
"They don't seem too friendly…" TJ agreed.
"They're just leaders and role models for all Digimon and their partners." Tentomon informed.
"The children…"
Leomon's voice came out in a growl, and Claw tensed on his shoulder, her long blue hair almost floating with some sort of primal power.
"I want the children…"
"…You're sure they're not rapists, right?" Jenny joked, smile strained.
"Not now, Jen." Meg scolded.
"I think I have an idea…"
Everyone gave Tonya a curious look, and she took hold of her partner's shoulder…
"RUN!!!"
With yelps, they followed her path, going faster when they heard Leomon and Claw catching up.
Lizzy kept close to the wall on their right once they hit a path carved into the rock, and skidded to a halt, grabbing hold of Mel at the sight of danger.
A large green Digimon blocked their path, raising his club, as his partner, a green-scaled cobra girl, grinned evilly to show her fangs.
With the scales covering her form fully, her tail swayed dangerously, and a cobra's well-known head-flaps spread menacingly.
"Oh no! It's Ogremon and Poisontail!" Biyomon shouted, flapping in a panic.
Looking back where they'd come, the group found that Leomon and his own partner blocked their exit.
"Oh MAN…"
"We can't get out of here…" Steph grumbled.
"Teamwork really DOES work for everyone…" Lizzy muttered.
"We've got to do SOMETHING…" Mel insisted.
When their enemies pounced, the elder girls leapt into action…
"Tiger!"
"Wolf!"
"Rabbit!"
The bright light hindered Leomon and Claw as they skidded to a halt…
"Tonya, Spirit Evolve into…TAWNY!"
"Megan, Spirit Evolve into…FANG!"
"Melanie, Spirit Evolve into…LUCKY FEET!"
They hit the ground a beat before…
"Agumon, Digivolve to…GREYMON!!"
"Gabumon, Digivolve to…GARURUMON!!"
"Palmon, Digivolve to…TOGEMON!!"
Claw was surprised by a lightning strike as Greymon head-butted Leomon back, and the six partners stood back, ready for battle.
"Eagle!"
"Ferret!"
"Dolphin!"
The light had both Ogremon and Poisontail crying out in something akin to pain…
"Stephanie, Spirit Evolve into…TALON!"
"Elizabeth, Spirit Evolve into…TECHIE!"
"Jennifer, Spirit Evolve into…TRICKSTER!"
They hit the ground hard, and then…
"Biyomon, Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!"
"Tentomon, Digivolve to…KABUTERIMON!!"
"Gomamon, Digivolve to…IKKAKUMON!!"
Talon flapped her wings powerfully, surprising Poisontail, as Ikkakumon knocked Ogremon away with his horn.
TJ shuddered in fear, hugging Patamon to her chest and pushing her back against the rock.
The air crackled with tension, Spirit Evolutions and Digimon facing off against each other and ready for a fight.
Tawny seemed ready to strike in sync with her partner when something cracked above, and eyes snapped upwards.
The lip of the mountain cliff above them shattered, and boulders tumbled through the air towards them…
Fang's first thought had her running, eyes wide.
"TAMMY!"
TJ cried out, crouching over her partner at the sight of a rock heading straight for her, and closed her eyes tight.
Fist meeting the stone, it shattered beneath Fang's knuckles, and she skidded, lifting TJ into her arms.
The Digimon blasted the debris to dust, and everyone shielded their eyes from the sand as the light returned them all to normal.
Tonya gave a soft, exhausted sound before falling back on her butt, looking to her partner with half-lidded eyes.
"You alright, Agu?"
"Just tired…"
Steph managed to keep her feet, legs shaking as she helped Biyomon to her feet, and breathed out.
"Is everyone alright?"
"Just peachy…" Jenny replied, sitting up and lifting Gomamon onto her shoulder.
"Where'd they go?" Mel wondered, leaning against Palmon for support.
"Th-They must have been knocked off by that rockslide…" Lizzy informed, looking over the edge with Tentomon.
"Unless they could fly, I'm pretty sure they're long gone." Meg informed, putting down her sister and trying to contain her exhaustion.
"We should keep moving, nonetheless."
"Right…"
Tonya managed to pull herself back up, lifting Agumon onto her back so she'd at least FEEL rested.
"Come on, guys. We can at least find a warm cave to sleep in again."
Groans filled the air as the other five stood up, and the group began to move slowly along the path.
The weariness went bone-deep, and they were soon trudging through a forest as the sun began to set in beautiful colors across the sky.
"I can't believe we did that twice in one day…" Steph admitted, rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck.
"We couldn't do it before…" Lizzy noted.
"Maybe our bonds are growing stronger or something…" Tonya muttered, covering her mouth in order to hold in a yawn.
"Or its something like we bring something out in each other that makes us stronger…"
"That's a distinct possibility…"
"We need to find someplace to sleep soon." Mel informed, yawning.
"It's getting dark, and I'm TIRED…"
"There's nowhere to sleep around here…" TJ noted, rubbing her eye cutely.
"We'll find something." Meg assured.
Jenny hit the brakes suddenly, staring at something to her left in shock.
After a moment, she rubbed her eyes and gazed at it again, her stillness catching the weary group's attention.
"What is it?" Mel wondered.
"I think I'm seeing things…Is that a hotel?"
All eyes turned to the sight before them, and surprised silence hung in the air…
"I hope we're all not going crazy, because I see it, too…" Tonya admitted.
"It isn't a mirage." Steph informed, stepping onto the asphalt driveway.
"I'm not sure about this." Meg informed, crossing her arms.
"We just need to check it out…W-We'd be better off in a building than out here…"
"She's got a point." Tonya agreed.
"Maybe they have beds!" TJ stated, smiling.
"Fine, fine…We'll check it out."
Meg didn't seem too happy about it, but the group was practically RACING to the front door.
Steph reached it first, and looked along the handle and doorframe curiously.
"There's no doorbell."
"Then it's a hotel. And we don't NEED a doorbell if it's a hotel, right?" Jenny replied.
"I guess…"
"Then let's open it!"
Mel grinned, pulling on the handle so the heavy door swung outward, letting light into the dark entry room beyond.
Stepping in, they all felt a strange chill enter their spines, even though the late-day sun warmed them.
"It's kinda spooky in here…" TJ admitted, hugging Patamon for reassurance.
"I'm sure we're just paranoid…" Lizzy assured, stepping fully inside, still holding Tentomon's hand in a death grip nonetheless.
Tonya gathered her courage and followed, inspecting the spacious room and the hallways on the second floor.
There were doors branching off from the main room, and even Meg was wondering where they led.
"Maybe this place isn't so bad…We're just jumpy because of the attacks." Jenny reasoned.
"We should see if they have food." Mel informed.
"I say we check out the whole place first." Steph replied.
Tonya sighed, nodding.
"The sooner we do that, the sooner we can eat and go to sleep…"
"Hey, look!"
TJ grinned, the uncomfortable feeling lifting off her shoulders as she raced towards the picture hanging on the opposite wall.
"It's so pretty!"
"What is it?" Patamon wondered, hovering a bit over her outstretched arms to get a better look.
"It's an angel. Something that watches over you, I guess."
Gold eyes sparkled as she looked up at the light drawing, seeing the contrast between its dark wood and the wall.
"Kind of like you, Pat."
"Really?"
Gabumon perked from his half-drowse, and tugged on his partner's hem.
"I smell something, Meg."
Sniffing the air, Meg seemed to study the scents before a smile crossed her face.
"It's food."
Everyone seemed to jolt back to life, wide eyes on the pair still sniffing.
"WHERE?!"
"This way."
A stampede went through one door, and TJ blinked as she realized she was alone with her partner.
"Hey, wait up!"
Snapping her partner out of his trance, she ran after the others, stomach grumbling.
She almost slammed into Jenny, and found that the entire group had stopped at the sight of a long dining table.
It was full of food, plates and platters and bowls covering the entire length, and the Digimon seemed eager to dig in.
"Th-This seems a little suspicious…"
"It COULD be a trick." Tonya agreed, holding onto Agumon's shoulder so he didn't run into the table.
"…Maybe it's nothing." Mel suggested.
"Someone could have just left it out before leaving."
"They must have left in a hurry." Steph replied, holding a hand over the pizza.
"All this food is still warm."
"I think they'd have a good reason for leaving." Meg agreed.
"You know what, it would be rude to let this great food go to waste!"
Jenny grinned, jumping into a chair after Gomamon.
"So I say we eat now and worry later!"
There was silence as the group decided between their caution and their grumbling bellies…
"I want the pizza!"
"I'll take the pudding."
"Ice cream for me!"
"I-I'll just have a milkshake…"
"OOOH, chocolate strawberries!"
"Is that a double latte?"
"MMMMM, bubblegum ice cream!"
As they all dug into the feast, which was, strangely enough, all their favorites, the Digimon joined them.
Tonya leaned back, still chewing on her fourth slice, and tried to identify what was making her skin crawl…
"You feeling okay?"
Turning her eyes towards Agumon, she chewed thoughtfully…
"I'm not sure…Something just doesn't…FEEL right…"
"I'm sure everything's fine. And besides, I'll protect you."
"I know you will, Agu."
TJ grinned, some chocolate syrup from her ice cream staining her lips brown, as she pulled Patamon out of the punch bowl.
Meg sighed, pushing the bowl away as she scooped up a spoonful of pudding for Gabumon to try.
Lizzy sipped at her milkshake, smiling at Tentomon's need to devour everything before him, as Mel popped chocolate strawberries into her mouth.
Jenny was enjoying bubblegum ice cream, and Steph was glad for her latte, enjoying the caffeine boost amid the chips and cookies.
Within the hour, the table was almost completely cleaned off, and everyone was feeling the comfort of full stomachs.
TJ patted her belly, and looked up at the ceiling…
"Do they have bathtubs?"
Jenny perked at the thought, and grey eyes turned to the whole group.
"…Wanna check it out?"
…
"Let's go."
As chairs squealed and footsteps sounded, they headed out into another hallway, and Biyomon flew ahead to search.
"I found a hot spring!"
"HOT SPRING!"
Mel zoomed past the startled Digimon, and the others followed, stopping to see the sight more clearly.
The room was large, with a semicircle of large, warm stones taking up a majority of the space.
They held in the gently steaming water, and a waterfall poured gently from the wall, as towels and robes and hangers were laid out on a table beside the door.
There were plenty of soaps and conditioners and sponges to use, and the white steam gave the room an ethereal, beautiful look.
"OOOOOH…It's gorgeous!"
"Stunning." Lizzy agreed, smiling at Mel's awestruck look.
Meg sighed, spotting a row of eight changing stalls, and walked towards one, nabbing a towel on her way.
"Might as well use them, right?"
The others shared a look before shrugging and grabbing towels, following Meg's lead.
Coming out in towels to see the Digimon, other than Gabumon, enjoying the warmth, the girls slipped into the water.
TJ immediately began playing with Patamon, splashing and swimming around.
Mel slid into the water with Palmon, hidden up to her chin as the warmth loosened her muscles.
Meg leaned back, soothing her flustered, embarrassed partner by patting his head softly.
Lizzy held the towel tightly over her chest, embarrassed even as her muscles relaxed and Tentomon leaned on her shoulder.
Steph was helping wash Biyomon's back, being gentle around the feathers and pushing the suds away.
Tonya sat on a warm rock, feet in the water, watching the water move as the others cleaned themselves off.
"DIGI-TACKLE!"
"AH!"
Being tackled from behind, she fell into the water with a hearty splash, and she surfaced quickly, glaring at Agumon…
"Um…Tonya?"
"…"
"…AH!"
Splashing ensued as the chase began, and laughter rang off the walls once Agumon was caught.
It took more than half an hour for them to get clean, and even longer to dry off and change into fresh underclothes and robes.
Collecting their folded clothes, the group proceeded to look for bedrooms.
A drowsy Palmon was the one that found the room, the light and airy feeling soothing them closer to slumber.
There were eight beds, four against each wall across from each other, with light blue silk sheets and thick comforters.
Meg yawned, hiding it against her hand as she placed her clothes on the foot of one, lifting Gabumon onto the mattress.
"We should get some sleep."
"Yeah, it's late…" Steph agreed, looking out at the pitch-black night through a window as she held Biyomon on her back.
Lizzy crawled into a bed, pulling Tentomon in after her and snuggling into the soft sheets.
TJ jumped onto another, giggling as Patamon landed on her side and tickled her with his wings.
Mel pulled Palmon onto the bed with some difficulty, and hopped on after, yawning deeply and falling onto the pillow half-asleep.
Jenny rubbed her eyes as she pulled back the covers, smiling sleepily as Gomamon jumped off her head and curled up on the soft sheets.
"Alright, alright…Just let me get in…"
Tonya, placing her clothes and partner on her own bed-space, looked down at the familiar structure and remembered home.
Remembered the smell of chocolate and summer breezes, a soft voice and wide, innocent blue eyes…
"Tonya?"
Blinking at the green eyes of her Digimon, she smiled sadly, almost imagining that they were blue…
"I'm fine, Agu."
Clambering into bed after closing the door soundly, she pulled the covers over both bodies before settling into the soft mattress.
Everyone seemed to have settled into quiet, trying to slip into dreamland, when Mel shifted.
"Guys?"
"Yeah?" Jenny slurred, almost too far gone.
"…Do you think they're still looking for us?"
"…I'm sure they are, Mel." Steph assured, hugging Biyomon tightly to her chest.
"They wouldn't stop looking…" Lizzy agreed, grip tightening around her partner's shell as if to hold something back.
"Mommy wouldn't stop…Right, Meggie?"
"No…No, she wouldn't stop."
Meg sounded like she was trying to convince herself of that…
"No one would stop looking for us. We just…need to hold in there until we can find a way back." Tonya insisted, fingers curling into her pillow.
"How can you be so sure?" Jenny wondered, looking up from the Digimon curled up on her pillow.
All of the Digimon shifted, restless, seeming to feel the anxiety filling their partners at the concern for their homes and families.
"…I just am."
Smiling, trying to seem sure and strong and not shake, Tonya put an arm around Agumon.
"Family doesn't give up on each other. No one gets left behind."
"I guess we're family now, huh?" Mel joked, smiling slightly.
"Yeah…We're family."
Everything seemed to calm, and a smile, a real smile, graced Tonya's face again…
"No one gets left behind…"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Tonya?"
A shake to the shoulder, and she grumbled in her sleep…
"Tonya, you gotta wake up. This is an emergency."
Waking up at the thought, she shot up, vision swimming at the suddenness of it.
Shaking her head to clear it away and return her hearing to normal, Tonya looked around to see what was wrong.
"Tonya."
Turning her gaze down to Agumon, who stood on the bed and seemed strangely fidgety, she yawned, rubbing her eyes.
"What is it, Agu?" She slurred quietly, careful not to wake up the others.
"I have to…you know…"
Blinking at him tiredly, she tried to stay upright…
"I can't think straight in the middle of the night…You'd better tell me before I fall asleep…"
"I have…BUSINESS…"
After a moment of processing that as her brain continued to boot up, she nodded.
"You can go on your own, can't you?"
Seeing the slight fear in his eyes, and feeling it niggling in the back of her head thanks to their young bond, she sighed.
"Sorry…I'm up."
Swinging her legs over the side, Tonya stood up, and looked back at her partner expectantly.
"I don't think I can…"
Shrugging, she offered her back, hefting the Digimon onto her back and shaking her red hair over her shoulder.
Heading out the door as silently as possible, and closing the door to a sliver, she walked down a hallway before it opened on her left to the main room.
Turning into a bathroom, she set Agumon in a stall and closed the door, leaning on the one next door.
"Sorry, Tonya…"
"It's alright…Reminds me of when Kitty would do the same thing…"
"Who's Kitty?"
Smiling a bit as she remembered that Agumon couldn't read her mind, Tonya sighed.
"She's my little sister. A little younger than TJ, sweet as can be."
Her smile fell a notch…
"…I miss her…"
"…I'm sorry about that…"
"Wasn't your fault." The redhead assured, gold eyes flickering.
"Besides, what were you afraid of? The boogieman?"
"Ogremon and Poisontail…"
"You could take them."
"But I can't fight without you, Tonya. I can't even walk very far from you."
"…We'll take them on, Agu. Don't worry."
The door opened, and she smiled as he looked up at her.
"Really?"
"As long as I'm around, I won't let anything happen to you or anyone else."
The happy moment was shattered when a door was busted open, and they were faced with Ogremon and Poisontail, ready to strike.
"CRAP!"
Picking up Agumon around his middle, Tonya raced out into the hallway, skidding harshly and barely avoiding the railing.
Feet pounding, she headed for the hallway opening, heart racing.
"GUYS, YOU'VE GOTTA GET UP!!! OGREMON AND POISONTAIL ARE HERE!!!"
A dark shadow blocked her path, and Tonya hit the brake, using the railing to slow her run.
It was Leomon and Claw, and the redhead hissed warningly like a tiger, backing away as the Spirit Evolution approached threateningly.
"We must obey…"
"Destroy them…The children…"
"Why do you guys want to kill us?!" Tonya demanded, almost bristling.
"They want to kill you because I commanded them to kill you."
The new voice almost made her jump out of her skin, and Tonya whirled around to see a dark-looking, winged Digimon standing on the railing across from them with his bat Spirit Evolution.
"Get ready, Tonya. Now the REAL trouble starts."
"Agu, who are they?"
"That's Devimon and Bloodtongue."
'Devimon…Devil…'
"These are the guys who invented the nightmare…"
"Yeah, THAT'S comforting…"
"We have no further use for this imaginary building."
Before she could demand what Devimon meant by that, the walls and railing and floor began to disintegrate like smoke.
Cracks and missing pieces, debris and crumbling floor, replaced the once magnificent building, leaving only half-destroyed ruins.
Screams and yells echoed from the bedroom, and her pupils dilated as adrenaline rushed through her.
"Because together you are strong, we will use my Touch of Evil to scatter you throughout the Digital World!"
'I can't let him hurt the others!'
Fight reflex it is, then…
A strange dark glow escaped Devimon's hand as he lifted the beds into the air, his dark-winged partner grinning to show sharp fangs, and Tonya fisted her hands before something weighed on her shoulders.
"Tonya…"
Turning a bit to face her partner, concern filled her expression at his pained look.
"I can't seem to stand up, even after all that food I've eaten…"
"What…?"
She felt almost dizzy, a steadily growing feeling as Agumon fell to his knees, and Tonya gripped the railing to steady herself.
"The food, the bath, the building…None of it was real. We created all of it in your imagination."
"Look, you're messing with the wrong girl! If you don't leave my friends alone, you'll regret it!"
"That's amusing. Our concerns are much more important than your friends."
"And my friends are more important than YOU TWO!" Tonya hissed, charm beginning to glow.
"BRING-THEM-BACK-NOW!"
"You impudent brat! You DARE to order us?! Allow us to show you who's REALLY in control here!!"
Everything began to shake, and Tonya caught her partner as she hit the ground on her knee, trying to keep both of them upright.
"You see, we have discovered the secrets of the Black Gears from below! We call them forth to do our bidding!"
'They used Black Gears to make those partners evil… Made them attack us. Tried to KILL us.'
The dark-haired bat Spirit Evolution spread his leathery wings, his claws digging into the worn railing as if holding himself back.
"Such a beautiful neck…I'd love to suck the blood out of you…"
Glaring and almost baring her teeth like an angry cat, Tonya held Agumon closer.
"Oh, feisty…"
The mountain was cracking open, revealing Black Gears from its depths, as the island began separating into harsh pieces.
Like a broken plate hitting the floor, the pieces flowed away from their center into the open ocean.
"Bloodtongue."
He seemed to back off, clearly obeying his Digimon, and Tonya's eyes narrowed.
'It's like they're not partners…It's more like they're master and servant…'
"You and your friends happened upon this tiny island, which is just a fragment of the whole world, scattered across an enormous ocean."
"You pretend you are strangers, who know nothing of this, but we are aware that you are the Digidestined, who were sent to save this world from our domination."
"That's not it. We were just sucked here by some hole. We're not here to cause trouble."
"Your little act no longer amuses us."
"It's time to bring an end to the Digidestined!"
"We will destroy them."
Leomon's deep voice startled her, and Tonya berated herself for forgetting about him and Claw.
"Everyone."
"Pepper Breath!"
A spark of orange flame escaped Agumon's mouth, but no ball of fire, and Leomon seemed ready to show who had the power now.
"Fist of the Beast King!"
As Agumon was struck to the ground, Tonya winced, crying out as Claw charged her into a crumbling wall.
Sliding down as it fell away into the water, the redhead clenched her teeth as she tried to stand, Claw smacking her towards her partner.
Sliding on the worn wood, she stopped just beside him, and Agumon tried to shield her as best he could.
They were too weak to fight back, to change, and could only watch as Leomon and Claw stood over them, white eyes emotionless.
Something crashed near them, but Tonya didn't turn to see what it was when something skidded towards them…
It glowed brightly once it landed between the towering pair, and both realized it was the device that had brought Tonya to the Digital World…
Leomon and Claw cried out, and Tonya managed to sit up as a strange shadow escaped their bodies.
"We are free of Devimon's powers!"
Claw's bright blue eyes sharpened, and she released her claws as she glared at Bloodtongue.
"We need to get them out of here, Leomon!"
"Wait!"
Tonya managed to stand, helping up her partner before scooping up the helpful little device.
"What about-?"
"You need to go. The Digivice marks you as a Digidestined, and he will destroy you!"
"That's right, but you are no match for us!" Devimon retorted.
The beds, which were once floating in the air, began to fall towards the ground, and everyone screamed in fright.
"NO!"
"Do not harm them! Fist of the Beast King!"
Claw leaped towards Bloodtongue, tackling him to the ground and hissing.
The beds flew up once more, and Tonya wasn't sure if she should relax or not as Bloodtongue smacked Claw back towards her partner.
"This isn't over! Or have you forgotten your old friend?"
Leomon blocked Ogremon's club with his sword, and Claw tackled Poisontail with precise ease, growling.
"Your soft hearts are your weakness!"
"We will never join as allies, and you will never know true power!"
"You may defeat US-!"
"But the Digidestined will be out of your reach!"
"NO-!"
"Go now!"
Leomon's sword sunk into the floor, and a piece fell away, sending Tonya and Agumon tumbling through the air.
Landing on a sliver of ice-covered land, she was breathless a moment before managing to lift her head.
"Leomon! Claw!"
"You're our last hope! Without you, our world doesn't stand a chance of survival!"
"Our lives are insignificant in comparison!"
"Fist of the Beast King!"
Claw snarled, striking Poisontail away as well.
"But you guys can run!"
"We must prevent Devimon and Bloodtongue from pursuing you!"
Gold eyes widened at the sight of Devimon and Bloodtongue descending upon the pair from behind as the beds flew in different directions…
"Touch of Evil!"
Devimon's claw-like hands sunk into Leomon's flesh, and Bloodtongue's fangs slipped into the delicate skin of Claw's neck…
The screams were torturing her…
"NO!!!"