Chapter 10: The Wizards Return
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon
Before the children and their partners realized what was happening, they had been whisked away by the sphere of light. When the light faded, the children rematerialized a few feet above the ground, causing them to fall in a heap. They slowly got to their feet and observed their surroundings. They were inside a large, empty building, which seemed to be a warehouse. Evan pointed out to the group that several warehouses like this one existed along Tokyo's waterfront.
"We apologize for the rough removal, but we felt it was necessary to protect you."
Looking towards the sound of the voice, the children saw the form of Wisemon standing a short distance away from them. Standing next to him of course was Magimon. Upon seeing the two of them, feelings of relief fell over the group.
"Hey guys," exclaimed Daichi, "are we ever glad to see you. I have to ask though; what took you so long?"
"Again we must apologize," replied Wisemon. "Something unforeseen occurred and we were unable to reach you until now."
Magimon picked up his brother's speech. "As you know, shortly after you returned to this world, Queenmon sent some of her servants to pursue you. Normally when the gate is opened between our two worlds, the connection is severed as soon as the gate is shut. However; Queenmon did not sever the connection between our worlds after sending her servants across, causing our worlds to become linked. This link caused the time difference between our worlds to be all but negated."
"So in other words," began Seiichi, "the time that passed here is the same as the time that passed there?"
"That is correct, and we did not realize it until we tried to cross over. Fortunately we were able to arrive in time to save you."
"That's all well and good," remarked Ayame, "but we still have a problem. Machinedramon is a Mega level Digimon and we don't have the strength to fight him right now."
"Then we have some good news for you. As we promised, we have obtained the sacred weapons for you. With them, your partners shall regain the ability to reach their Mega forms."
The faces of the partner Digimon lit up at this news. They were all very pleased to hear that they could regain their former strength. The wizards stepped back from the children and held out their hands, which again became bathed in magical light. More magic seals appeared on the ground in front of the children. One of them appeared in front of each pair of partners; eight in total.
Within each of these eight magic seals, something began to materialize. They were in various sizes and shapes, but all had an aura of power around them. These were the sacred weapons; the very same weapons the children had used to defeat the Demon Lords three years prior. The only exception was the weapon in front of Takeshi, which they hadn't seen before because Takeshi's former partner hadn't carried one.
The weapon in front of Daichi and Dracomon was an enormous lance. It had a two pronged tip at the end of its length. At the base of the lance was what appeared to be a large turbine. This weapon was called 'Ambrosius', and it was surrounded by a bright blue aura. Daichi held his Digivice out, which shot a stream of blue light at the weapon. The light drew upon the weapon, storing it inside the Digivice.
Ren and Commandramon stepped towards their weapon. At first it also appeared to be a lance, but its tip consisted of three jointed, yet unconnected prongs, which opened up into a claw. The claw was connected to a shield and handgrip that could be placed on the upper arm. This was 'Gliepnir', and it was surrounded by a deep green aura. Ren stored this weapon in his Digivice the same way Daichi had.
The weapon belonging to Seiichi and Coronamon was the simplest of the lot. It was simply a long pole; a fighting staff. The shaft was red and had a golden tip on each end. This was 'Sol', the rod of the sun, and bore an orange aura like a wreath of flames. Like the others, Seiichi stored his weapon in his Digivice.
Ayame and Lunamon had a weapon very similar to that of their twins. This weapon was for the most part a pole as well. Instead of the blunt tips on Sol, this weapon bore a crescent shaped blade on either end. This weapon was 'Luna'; the moon sickle, and had a pink aura like pale twilight. Ayame also stored her weapon in her Digivice.
The weapon before Hanae and Labramon was also fairly simple. It consisted of three metal claws, similar to the ones Cerberumon had on his paws. The claws were attached to a gauntlet that bore a diamond shaped amulet on the underside. This weapon was called 'Amemit', and was surrounded by a shimmering golden aura. Like the others before her, Hanae drew the weapon into her Digivice.
The weapon in front of Kioko and Elecmon was the next largest after 'Ambrosius'. It was a massive sword with a broad triangular blade. Engraved on the blade was the image of intertwining white and black snakes. This sword was known as 'Gladius', and its aura was a deep purple colour.
The item in front of Evan and Betamon didn't look as much like a weapon as the others did. It was a large, gold coloured ring with sharp spikes running along the outside edge. On opposite sides of the ring was a pair of blades shaped like fins. Seadramon had not been able to read the weapon's name when he first donned it, but the wizards had later told him it was called 'Umius'. Its aura was bright red, and Evan stored it the same way the others had.
The weapons in front of Takeshi and Impmon received the most attention, since no one in the group had ever seen them before. It was a pair of identical weapons, taking the form of handheld, twin barrel shotguns. They were surrounded by an aura that was black, yet remained translucent. Takeshi looked at the guns, unsure of what to do with them.
As Ren looked at the guns, he couldn't help but feel that he had seen them somewhere before. However; he was unable to recall exactly why they seemed familiar. He let the thoughts linger in the back of his mind, but didn't say anything to the other members of the group.
Daichi was the first to make a remark about the new weapons. "I've never seen those before."
Seiichi turned to the wizards, looking for an answer. "I thought there were only seven sacred weapons. If that's still true, then where did those come from?"
Wisemon was the one to provide the answers the children sought. "It is true that the sacred weapons are only seven in number, since each one was created by one of the 'Benevolent Masters'. The weapons in front of Takeshi and his partner are different from the others. Despite this, we can say for sure that they have the power to unlock his mega form. However; there is something you should be cautious of."
Magimon continued where his brother left off. "Although the sacred weapons are powerful, the challenges ahead of you will still be immensely difficult."
"How bad can it be?" remarked Ayame unabashedly. "After all, we did defeat the Demon Lords before."
"That is true, but you are facing enemies that are much different from those you conquered before. The Royal Knights are not evil Digimon by nature, and thusly the power of your virtues will not be able to weaken them like they did to the Demon Lords. Not only that, but they are all skilled and experienced warriors, and will be a more difficult challenge for those reasons."
Ren noticed that the wizards had not mentioned the name of Takeshi's weapon, or anything else about it for that matter. He chose now to bring his curiosity forward. "Pardon me, but you didn't really explain Takeshi's weapon much. If it's not one of the Sacred Weapons; how is it going to allow him to reach Mega?"
"Ah forgive me; I suppose I did not make that clear. These weapons are called 'Beren Hena', and it is true that they were not forged the same way as the Sacred Weapons. We do not actually know much about where they came from, or who created them. We do know however that they once belonged to a very powerful Digimon."
"Whilst we were inspecting the things that Shakkoumon had left behind, we came across a journal. This journal contained a note in the front, which stated that he had meant for the two of us to find it. In this journal he had written that he knew another danger would face our world, and an additional power would be required to fight against it."
"He also wrote about this eighth weapon, and that it held powers rivaling those of the Sacred Weapons. He did not include any information about their origins or the identity of their previous owner, only telling us where to find them once they were needed. We believe he had his reasons for secrecy, and chose to respect them."
Ren was a little disappointed not to receive the answers he had been looking for. However; since the wizards didn't know anything either, he figured it wouldn't do to keep pestering them about it. He didn't say anything else about it, and instead looked to Takeshi and Impmon. The rest of the group seemed to be looking at the two of them as well, curious about their reaction to the new weapon.
Takeshi hadn't used a weapon to evolve his partner to Mega the first time, so he wasn't sure what to do with the one he had been given. He had seen the other children withdraw the weapons into their Digivices, but he wasn't sure how they had accomplished it.
Impmon on the other hand, felt a strange compulsion coming from the weapon. A feeling at the back of his mind that he couldn't resist caused him to walk towards the guns. He reached towards the weapons, but suddenly something flashed through his mind. They seemed to be memories, but Impmon was certain they didn't belong to him. The images were of a black winged angel, a dying warrior in black armour, and a hand being offered to him by a regal looking demon.
Impmon couldn't get the visions out of his mind, and clutched at his head firmly. He began to breathe unevenly and pant heavily. The others noticed his dismay, but Takeshi was the only one to approach him. As soon as he did; Impmon began to yell loudly, his tone indicating extreme distress. Before anyone could stop him, Impmon had run out of the warehouse, still clutching his head and screaming. Takeshi quickly gathered up the guns in his arms and chased after his partner.
Daichi quickly turned to the others. "I don't know what that was about; but something was definitely wrong with Impmon. I'm going after them and finding out what's up. I hope you don't mind if I leave Machinedramon to the rest of you." After that Daichi and Dracomon proceeded to run out of the warehouse as well.
The other children moved to follow after Daichi and Takeshi, but the wizards stepped in front of them.
"Before you all go gallivanting off," began Wisemon, "there is something else we wished to tell you."
"Make it quick," snapped Ayame. "Two of our friends just ran off and we still have a giant mechanical monstrosity running around downtown."
"Of course," stated Magimon. "We wanted to share with you a revelation we had about Queenmon's control, with a little help from Renamon. It seems that the data the makes up her body is somewhat unstable. Due to this fact, whenever she comes into contact with another Digimon part of her data is transferred to them. This portion of data interferes with the Digimon's own data, causing Queenmon's will to be imprinted on the afflicted Digimon."
"The energy from your new Digivices seems to purify and remove this data, thusly releasing the Digimon from Queenmon's control. Based on the fact that your partners could not be controlled by her in the first place, we believe that this same energy creates a sort of vaccine. This of course means that once a Digimon has been purified; Queenmon will be unable to control them again."
"That reminds me," piped in Seiichi. "While we were here, we were attacked by several of Queenmon's subordinates. We were able to purify two of them, and they are currently taking shelter in our home. Due to the memory loss of the time they were under Queenmon's control, they did not remember how to return to the Digital World."
"Then we shall take them with us when we return. We shall place them under our protection, as we did with Renamon when you purified her."
"Also; we won't be needing directions. We can sense the presence of other Digimon, and since there aren't many in this world, they should be easy to find."
"Fair enough, and thank you."
"Hey guys," called Evan. He was standing near the warehouse exit with Hanae, Labramon and Betamon. "We're going to split up and look for Daichi and Takeshi. With both of us looking it'll be easier to find them."
"I don't think you'll have any trouble with Machinedramon," added Hanae. "Especially since it's four on one."
With that, the four of them ran out of the warehouse together. Evan and Betamon went one way while Hanae and Labramon went in a different direction. The rest of the group turned back towards the wizards, whose hands were once again glowing with magical light.
"We figured you would want to get back to the city as soon as possible to put a stop to Machinedramon. If you have no objections, we shall transport you back there immediately."
The children nodded their agreement, as did their Digimon partners. The wizards gestured towards them, causing a seal to once again form beneath them. The seal lit up with a bright light which dissipated quickly. After it faded, the children had disappeared. Shortly after that, the wizards repeated the process on themselves; going off to finish their other tasks.
Upon their rematerialization, the group noticed a rather drastic change to the city. All around them, massive cables were strewn about, weaving in and out of nearby buildings. The partner Digimon were quick to realize that the cables were made of data, and not of any earthly material. Although they weren't sure of the exact reason, they all immediately came to the conclusion that Machinedramon was up to something.
"So, do we deal with the cables first or go after Machinedramon?" asked Seiichi, seeking the opinions of the others.
"We don't really know what these cables are doing," replied Ren. "I imagine we should sever them first, and then follow the remnants back to Machinedramon."
Upon hearing his partners, opinion, Commandramon immediately walked over to the nearest cable. A small knife popped out of his gauntlet, which he then attempted to use to cut through the cable. After a minute of vain scratching, he found that his knife was unable to cut through the cable. Coronamon and Elecmon attempted to blast the cables, but again to no avail.
"I think we might need a bit more firepower to break these things," stated Coronamon.
"Fortunately," cut in Ren, "that's something we can now provide."
Ren then held out his Digivice and pressed the third button, causing Gliepnir to emerge from it. Commandramon grabbed hold of the weapon and was immediately bathed in a bright green light. 'COMMANDRAMON WARP EVOLUTION; DARKDRAMON'! When the light dimmed, Commandramon had been replaced by his Mega level form; Darkdramon.
Darkdramon was a few inches taller than Sealsdramon, and a lot more intimidating. Gliepnir was coupled to his right arm, the claw positioned above his wrist with the small shield next to his shoulder. The rest of his body was covered in dark green armour with stripes of red and yellow. On his back were a set of four tendrils that crackled with energy, outlining the shape of a set of wings. His left gauntlet bore a seam that opened up to reveal a sizeable cannon barrel.
Darkdramon aimed this barrel at one of the cables and called out 'Lightning Cannon'. The cannon on his left arm discharged a massive blast of electrical energy. When this blast connected with the cable, there was a small explosion, and the sound of energy crackling. When the dust cleared, the cable had indeed been broken, and seemed to be slowly dissolving into its component data.
Darkdramon turned back to face the others. "Well; looks like that worked. We should hurry up and clear the rest of them out."
The other children nodded to Ren and Darkdramon, and brought out their own Digivices. They all pressed the buttons to release the weapons, which then materialized next to their respective partners. The three remaining Rookie Digimon grabbed hold of their respective weapons, and called out their Warp Evolutions. Coronamon, Lunamon and Elecmon respectively evolved into Apollomon, Dianamon, and Minervamon.
Apollomon and Dianamon were much more human like than their previous forms, although they still bore some animalistic traits. Both their bodies were covered in ornate armour, his orange and red in colour and hers blue and white. Apollomon's Sol rod was compacted and clipped to his waist, while Dianamon's Luna scythe was strapped to her back. Apollomon's most striking features were the flaming jewels on his wrists, and the large fireball ornament on his back. Dianamon bore leggings that looked like crescent moons with faces, and shoulder spikes also shaped like crescent moons.
Minervamon had retained a humanoid form similar to the one possessed by D'arcmon. The exception was that she had no wings. Her right hand bore a gauntlet that looks like the maw of a snake, while her helm bore the design of a winged serpent. Her hair was a vivid blue colour, and fell to her waist in a pair of braided pigtails. Gladius was clutched in her right hand while her left held a shield bearing a large spike in the center. A loose skirt hung about her waist, which also seemed to hold a pattern of snake scales.
The four new Mega Digimon began furiously attacking the cables that were strewn about. Minervamon and Dianamon used their bladed weapons to sever the cables, while Apollomon and Darkdramon destroyed the remnants with their blasts of fire and lightning. After a while the cables began to shake, and familiar thunderous footsteps fell upon the group. The last few cables were yanked away just as Machinedramon's shadow became visible. His head appeared around the corner and spoke to the group.
"So you have returned," he stated blandly. "Have you come to your senses enough to surrender?"
"Hardly," retorted Apollomon. "We came back to give you a serious beating!"
"What couple you have possibly gained in the past hour to allow you power enough to defeat me?"
"This!" yelled Darkdramon, brandishing Gliepnir.
Darkdramon shot the claw of Gliepnir towards Machinedramon, calling out 'Cyber Strike' as he did. The claw opened and caught Machinedramon square in the chest. A pulse of electricity surged along the cable connecting the claw to Darkdramon's arm before connecting with Machinedramon, sending the surge pulsing through its body. Machinedramon howled furiously, discovering that the electric pulse had damaged a large number of its circuits.
Darkdramon then discharged a blast from his cannon into Machinedramon's left leg, and gave a tug on Gliepnir's cable, but Machinedramon attempted to pull back. Darkdramon then blasted the other knee and gave another tug, bringing the mechanical behemoth to its knees. Machinedramon aimed his cannons towards Darkdramon and attempted to fire. Due to the electric pulse from before, the cannons crackled and backfired, causing the left one to explode.
Minervamon ran a hand along her blade, which began to glow with a bright purple light. At the same time, Dianamon began to twirl Luna in her hands, until its form became blurred. Minervamon called out 'Olympus Slash' and swung her blade forcibly, causing a crescent shaped blade of energy to fly off towards Machinedramon. Dianamon also yelled 'Crescent Harken' as she threw her spinning weapon at the foe.
The two blades connected with Machinedramon at his shoulders, separating his arms from his torso. The two large appendages fell to the ground with a resounding crash, before dissolving into masses of data. At that time, Apollomon wreathed his right fist in white hot flames and leapt at Machinedramon. He flew above the titan's head and called out 'Phoebus Blow', delivering an intense punch to the top of its head. Machinedramon howled painfully and fell forward. The Digimon grabbed their partners and leapt clear as the massive machine crashed to the ground.
As his body began to dissolve, Machinedramon let out a weakened mutter. "You have only weakened your case against her majesty Queenmon. Be warned, as you may not yet receive another chance at surrender. The Royal Knights are far more powerful than I, and will be your undoing."
As Machinedramon finished, the rest of its body dissolved into data and dispersed. The four children and their partners gathered in the center of the road and observed the damage. The rest of the cables had dissolved along with Machinedramon. Aside from the craters where it and its arms had landed, the road was undamaged. They weren't able to gauge the entire city, but at least in the immediate area the buildings were undamaged.
"Alright then," called Seiichi. "Let's get out of here before anyone else comes to investigate. I'd hate to get caught trying to explain any of this."
The children and Digimon nodded their agreement, and then began running towards the edge of the city.
Author's Notes: Well; that's one big problem out of the way. Unfortunately they're going to have to content with no less than nine more. Hopefully they have enough fight in them to contend with the Royal Knights; otherwise the human world is in big trouble.
