Dark Qiviut: I went to read your profile after receiving your review, and it really made me think about what was written there. I can promise you that I shall continue writing this at the best of my abilities. I just hope that I live up to expectations.
WolfGeneral: It's okay if you haven't reviewed in a while. Just so long as you've been reading the fic and enjoying, I'll be satisfied. And don't be saying you don't know who's going to get the spirit…
dark672: Thanks.
Cyrus Arcanum: Riiiiight…
Gemmanigirl: I certainly found time during vacation. Hope you like this one.
Digi fan: You don't have to worry too much about that.
Kara: Well, you might call it a plot twist. Depends on your point of view, I guess. As for the Dark Knights getting new spirits, you'll just have to wait and see. (thinks to himself: God I love it when they squirm!)
Anonymous: What, no identity? How will I know whom I'm talking to? Anyway, yes, the exact time is given during chapter one.
goldsilver-dragoness: A new reviewer! Thanks for the compliments. Don't worry, I have a Knight of Darkness in mind. You'll find out his (or her) identity soon enough, but for now I won't be giving details. And no, I don't think you're an overly obsessed freak.
Requiemkei: I know I took forever on last chapter, but like I said before I had things to do other than writing this story. And you're one to talk, someone who takes months to get out a chapter! Just kidding.
Vulpix1000: Another new reviewer! I appreciate your comments. And you won't know about the Knight of Darkness until much later in the story. Sorry to keep you in suspense…really…maybe…a little…
Enough reviews! Onto another action-packed, comedy-packed, suspense-packed (how far am I going to drive this out?) chapter!
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Digimon: Frontier Legacy
Chapter XII: Fly to Your Dreams! Jetdramon's Memories!
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The portal opened to the other side, and the Chosen stepped onto new ground. They had landed in an alley with a metallic floor. When they looked up to the sky, they were taken aback, finding that the clouds were much closer than they had ever seen.
"What is this?" Leo asked.
"Oh my," Archivamon said. "We're at Point Adler!"
"Point Adler?" Ryan asked.
"It's a trading post that's artificially suspended a mile above the surface," Archivamon explained. "It's the home for both traders and mercenaries alike. Not exactly the place to hang out at."
"You mean you've been here before?" Asuka asked.
"Twice, both on, how shall we say, exchange assignments. My masters needed me to deliver goods to a certain individual here and get the payment in exchange. While I didn't mind this, I still felt uncomfortable being in a place like this, and I still do, now."
"Gives us all the more reason to find the spirit and get out of here," Aaron said.
"No better time to start looking than now," Snow commented. The rest of the group nodded.
"Better evolve, first," Archivamon warned. "We don't exactly want to make a scene." A bright light filled the alley, and a moment later six Digimon walked out and joined the flow of travelers.
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In another part of the trading post was a bar made specifically for machine-type Digimon. The chairs and stools were made of metal and had no kind of cushioning; then again, when did a machine Digimon ever feel anything? Smoke hung in the air, mostly from exhaust given off by some of the anonymous faces. At the bar, instead of alcoholic beverages, there were literally hundreds of different brands of oil and gasoline. The Barmon that was waiting on his customers was wearing a gasmask, and with the horrific smells that were floating around, one couldn't blame him.
Two machine-types are the main focus out of all the Digimon in the bar. They were each about eight feet tall, with armor that resembled that of fighter craft. A pair of metallic aircraft wings flared out of their backs. On their arms were unusual looking rifles. Their human-like faces and red eyes carried serious tones. Their bodies looked exactly the same, except in color; the first was jet black and gray, while the second was light blue and army green. At the moment they were sitting quietly at the bar, taking small sips of what appeared to be gasoline.
"Messerschmimon," the Barmon said, his voice slightly muffled by his gasmask.
"Ja," the blue and green Digimon replied in a German accent, looking up from his drink.
"Your payment has just come in," the Barmon said, sliding a small data pad in his customer's general direction. "From what I have heard from your clients, the two of you did an extraordinary job wiping out that outpost."
"Did you expect anything less from us?" The black and gray Digimon asked, also speaking in a German accent
"No need to get cocky, Fockemon," Messerschmimon said. He tapped a button on the data pad and the payments were slowly listed until it came to a grand total. His eyes became slits when he saw it. "What's this load of crap?" He asked angrily. "This is not the amount we agreed upon!"
"What?" Fockemon exclaimed. "Let me see!" He snatched the data pad away from his partner and looked it over himself. Two seconds later, he violently threw it to the ground, the piece of metal shattering when it hit. "Verdammen sie!" He swore out loud.
"You better have a damn good explanation for this," Messerschmimon threatened, pointing one of his rifles at Barmon's head, "or this place is going to need a new bartender."
Barmon put his arms in front of him and waved his hands in a scared fashion. "Whoa whoa, hang on a minute! I only pass out the assignments I get from the mainliners! I have no say in how much you guys are paid! There was probably something you guys did or didn't do, and that may be why you weren't paid the full amount! Now come on, put the gun down!" Messerschmimon stared Barmon down five seconds more, then lowered his rifle, much to the relief of his intended target.
"I can't believe it!" Fockemon roared. "Every time we successfully pull off a big job, those bastards up top keep pushing us down!"
"I know," Messerschmimon replied. "Calm it down, Fockemon. Ranting isn't going to help the situation." His partner sat back down, still fuming. "There's got to be someone out there who won't cheat us out of hard-earned money."
"Actually," Barmon said quietly, "there just may be." The two machine Digimon turned their attention back to the bartender, their interest caught. Barmon brought out another data pad, this one of a different make. The image on the screen was the symbol of the one whom all Digimon knew and feared.
"The Dark Force?" Messerschmimon exclaimed. "Why would someone like him be posting common bounties?"
"Because the bounties are put on, how shall we say, pests, that need to be exterminated." Barmon tapped a button on the data pad, and the image switched to that of a Wanted poster and the face of the Knight of Fire. It quickly switched again to the face of the Knight of Wind, and went down the list.
"The Legendary Knights, eh?" Fockemon said. "I figured Mr. Almighty would have found a way to kill them off by now."
"Well, up to now, he hasn't," Barmon replied. "I haven't shown this or told it to anyone else, yet. These bounties are going to be posted across the planet starting at sunrise, and you know that everyone is going to want to get their hands on them."
"So, how much are we talking?" Messerschmimon asked. Barmon brought out a calculator and typed in various values. Once his calculations were done, he passed the device over to the machine Digimon. The machine Digimon whistled his astonishment. "Wow, that's a lot of zeros."
Fockemon's eyes bulged out of their sockets when he saw the total. "That's insane!"
"And that's just for one of them," Barmon added. Messerschmimon and Fockemon stared at him with you've-got-to-be-kidding-me looks in their eyes.
"So…why are you telling us this," Messerschmimon asked, "especially when it's going to go global tomorrow?"
"Because I believe that you two can get the job done before anyone else can," Barmon replied. "Besides, everyone needs a head-start, right?"
"And what do you get in all of this?" Fockemon asked, a hint of uncertainness in his voice.
Barmon sweat-dropped. "Well…it'll make great publicity for the bar if its best customers pull off this job." He laughed nervously.
Messerschmimon chuckled at this. "Well, Fockemon, what do you think? Should we make it big and get this poor fool some advertising?"
"Hmm…" Fockemon thought for a moment. "Why not? It's not like anybody new is going to come, anyway."
"Alright, then. Now, where can we find these Knights?"
"Hard to say," Barmon replied. "They could be anywhere."
"Might as well have a look around here," Messerschmimon told his partner. He and Fockemon got to their feet and threw a few bills onto the bar.
"Better get your advertising ready," Fockemon said. A moment later the two Digimon made their way out of the building, intent on collecting the money they felt deserving of…
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The streets of the trading post were crowded with Digimon of all types. The buildings all had the looks of age and disrepair. The Chosen had to watch their step, for the ground was littered with all kinds of garbage and debris. Not only that, but the artificial ground looked like it was filled with scorch marks and bullet holes.
"So how exactly do we find a spirit in a place like this?" Devonmon asked Archivamon. "I mean, we know you can't directly locate spirits, and I doubt there's going to be a life-threatening situation here right now."
"All good things come to those who wait," a mysterious voice said. The group turned to find an short elderly Digimon sitting on a blanket with his legs crossed. One could not see his face, for it was covered up by his white fur. He was dressed in a messy brown cloak, and to his side was a staff with a top in the shape of a cat's paw.
Archivamon did a scan of the new Digimon. "Jijimon, an Ancient Digimon at the Mega level. He may look old, but with great age comes great wisdom; listen to what he has to say."
"Listen, old man," Dragoonmon said, "we don't have time for paraphrases. We have to find something before someone else does."
"No need to keep it all a secret," Jijimon said, stunning the group. "I already know about your quest for the Dragon spirits."
"Wait a sec, how the heck would you know about something like that?" Wufeimon asked.
"I didn't," the Ancient Digimon told the Knight of Thunder. "You just told me."
"Crap," Wufeimon groaned, looking down.
"It's alright, for I want to help you." Jijimon got to his feet with help from his staff and took a few steps forward. "I can tell you everything you need to know, except where to find this elusive spirit, since I don't know where it is."
Dragoonmon laughed. "Yeah, right, like you can actually help us."
"For example," Jijimon called out angrily, pointing at the Knight of Wind, "you need to learn when to keep that big mouth of yours shut!"
Dragoonmon opened his mouth to protest, but he got a whack on the head from Jijimon's staff. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"
"Quiet, you!" The Ancient Digimon said. "Didn't you hear what I just said?"
Samuraimon could only chuckle. "Well, we already knew he had a big mouth."
Jijimon whacked the Knight of Fire in the head with his staff. "And you need to learn how to control that fiery temper of yours!"
"Wait a minute," Samuraimon said, "I can do that already!"
"But not perfectly! Just because you think you can control doesn't mean that you really can."
"He's got a point there, Leo," Wufeimon said in agreement.
"Don't think patronization is going to save you from my wrath!" Jijimon said to the Knight of Thunder, hitting him in the head. "Your goals need to be straightened out before you do anything else."
"But…but…how would you know about my goals?"
"I have my ways," Jijimon replied, turning to Halomon, next. "As for you, the door to your heart may be open a crack, but if you wish to move on in life, it needs to be opened all the way." The Knight of Light could only look back in amazement. Before she could say anything, Jijimon had turned his attention to the Knight of Ice. "You, on the other hand, are on the right path to spiritual healing. It's going to take the strength of all you hold dear to truly make that happen."
"Hey! How come you don't go all out on them?" Dragoonmon asked. He received another whack on the head.
"Quiet, you! Didn't I tell you to keep your mouth shut? As for your question, it's against my codes to use my forms of training on such delicate Digimon."
"Gee, you're too kind," Devonmon said.
"Oh, this is so incredible," Archivamon said in excitement. "Jijimon are always known for their astounding words of wisdom! I say, what would you say about me?"
"Hmm…" Jijimon stared the machine Digimon down for a few seconds. "Gee, what is there to say about an old bucket of bolts with no taste or class?" The Ancient Digimon giggled at his own remark.
Steam came out of Archivamon's ears as his oil boiled. "How dare you talk that way about the most up-to-date archive on the planet!"
The dreaded staff connected with its next victim. "Quiet, you!"
"Alright," Samuraimon said, breaking up a potential brawl, "now that we have heard your words of wisdom about all of us, how else can you help us?"
"Oh, I can't help all of you out," Jijimon said. "My prophecy only abide to one of you." He pointed his staff forward and began moving it around until it was pointed at one of the Chosen in particular. "Congratulations, Knight of Wind! You are now my apprentice!"
"What!" Dragoonmon said in surprise. "I can't be your apprentice!"
"You can and you will!" Jijimon said, hitting Dragoonmon in the head again. "The prophecy clearly states that 'a golden warrior with power over the wind shall come to gain new strength'. I believe that you fit the bill nicely."
"But there could be others out there who are gold and can control wind," Dragoonmon protested.
"But the prophecy also states that 'the golden warrior is modest and denies the claims made about him.' That's all you've been doing for the past few minutes!"
"Can't argue with that," Devonmon said, elbowing the Knight of Wind in the side. "Looks like you've got some training to do."
"What about you guys?" Dragoonmon asked.
"Don't you worry about a thing," Samuraimon replied. "We'll just keep looking for that spirit while you deal with your 'issues'." He turned to the rest of the group. "Come on, let's get going before he decides to bring more of us into his little session." They nodded with small grins on their faces and headed out.
"Hey! You can't leave me here with this nutcase!" The Knight of Wind called out. But it was too late, for they were already out of earshot. He slumped down against one of the buildings and sighed. Another whack on the head got his attention, again. "Cut that out, would ya?"
"Not until you complete your training!" Jijimon replied. "Now let's go!"
"What did I ever do to deserve this?" Dragoonmon asked quietly to himself.
"Quiet, you!" Jijimon yelled, his staff connecting with Dragoonmon's head once again.
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Some time later, not too far away, Messerschmimon and Fockemon were making their way through the crowds.
"How the hell are we supposed to find these guys?" Fockemon asked. "Like Barmon said, they could be anywhere!"
"Will you stop your complaining?" Messerschmimon said to his partner. "They may be someplace else, but keep in mind that they are the only Digimon of their kinds."
"What good will that info be if we can't even…" Before Fockemon could finish his sentence, the tracker on his wrist began to beep loudly. "…find them…" He activated it, and it did an area scan. Four different-colored blips appeared on the screen, each symbolizing a target.
"You were saying?" Messerschmimon asked in a mocking tone.
"Alright," Fockemon said, taking a closer look at the scan. "I have confirmation of four of our targets. Guess one of them decided not to show up."
The green machine Digimon rubbed his chin for a moment. "What would they be doing in a place like this? It would have to be for a very good reason…wait a second…a spirit."
"What?" Fockemon asked.
"There has to be a legendary spirit up here. Why else would they be here?"
"Good point, but does that really matter to us?"
"Of course it does! If we can get our hands on that spirit, we'll become even stronger than we are, now!"
"Or, we could sell it and become even richer than before!"
"That's the way to think!" Messerschmimon said. "Let's say we collect the first bounties, first, and worry about that spirit later?"
"Lead the way!" Fockemon said excitedly. The two suddenly began to change shape, their arms disappearing into their bodies. Their heads also disappeared, and their chest plates folded upward, turning into what appeared to be cockpits. Their legs folded inward, and the wings on their backs flipped around. Their transformations into fighter planes complete, the two Digimon took off vertically, their jet engines roaring loudly…
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"This isn't going to do us any good." Samuraimon said to no one in particular. The group had been searching for quite a while with no luck whatsoever. The Knights of Fire and Thunder were doing the direct searching, looking in every possible nook and cranny, while the Knights of Ice and Light were asking around for any kind of clue as to the spirit's location. With both processes came no results.
"What else can we do?" Wufeimon asked.
Samuraimon sighed. "I'm starting to think that Aaron was right about the spirits, how they won't show up until they are extremely needed." The girls then came back from their search. "Have better luck than us?"
"Not a bit," Devonmon said. "For people who know the legends of the spirits, they sure don't know how and where to get them."
"So, what do we do, now?" Halomon asked.
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"So, what do I do, now?" Dragoonmon asked. He and Jijimon had relocated to a small metal shack in another part of the outpost. The Knight of Wind had decided to follow the advice given to him by the Ancient Digimon and had (mostly) kept his mouth shut, lest he get hit in the head again. It seemed to be working out just fine, for the moment at least. At the moment he was made to stand in an awkward position, with his arms sticking out in different directions and his legs crossed and bent at the knees.
"Patience," Jijimon said. "Concentrate. Clear your mind of all idle thoughts. Think only about what you want to accomplish." The Knight of Wind sighed, but complied. He closed his eyes and breathed out deeply. His cape began to flap in the newly-developed wind, and the source of power began to flow around its creator in a circular pattern.
"Your winds are powerful," Jijimon continued, "but power is nothing unless you know what it truly is and how to fully control it. That is what you must do." The winds picked up in strength, albeit slowly but surely, but one could easily notice the difference.
"Good, now combine your winds with your other attack." On command, Dragoonmon's hands clenched into fists as energy was built up within them. Smaller versions of his Dragon Fist attack came out of his hands, and they joined the winds in the wavy motions. The energy dragons growled softly as they wrapped themselves around their master, suddenly shooting out and exploding above him.
Dragoonmon opened his eyes when he heard clapping. "You liked it?" He asked.
"It was good," Jijimon said, "but not perfect. Now don't feel discouraged. I must say that you have most certainly improved your concentration and skill in such a short span of time, but as I said before, it's going to take time to truly master them."
The Knight of Wind knelt on the floor. "You seem to know a lot about my powers."
"Well, there may be many Jijimon out there in the world, but I just so happen to know a lot about the wind element. Many wind-bearing Digimon have come here to learn how to better wield their powers, and I have helped them every step of the way. All of these years I have been searching for the one true heir to the power I have to give."
"What kind of power would that be?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Not until I am absolutely sure that you are the one. You certainly fit many of the lines of the prophecy, but so have others I have worked with in the past." Dragoonmon sighed to himself. Jijimon suddenly changed the subject. "Enough about that for right now. Tell me about yourself."
"What do you want to know?"
"Well, first of all, I can sense that you have had a troubled childhood, based on your earlier behavior. Perhaps there is a major cause behind all of this?"
"Do I really have to tell you?"
"No, you don't have to, but it might help in your training if you let go of the biggest thing on your mind."
"Yeah, I guess…alright. I guess it would have to be my dad. He was an ace pilot, flying in dozens of operations overseas. He was rarely home, but he more than made up for that when he was home on leave. We'd do everything together, not giving a damn in the world what it was."
"It sounds like you were quite attached to him."
"You might say that. It was thanks to him that I began to dream of joining the Air Force and becoming a top fighter pilot just like him." Dragoonmon sighed in almost sadness. "Then came that afternoon when I learned that he suddenly died. From what I heard, his plane crashed during a test run. Some said that it was a freak accident, but no one really knows for sure. I was devastated by the news. It was as if my entire world died in an instant."
"Did your dream die along with it?"
"I don't think so. It didn't die, but I guess that for a while it was pushed into the back of my mind. Recently it has come back, stronger than ever. I still want to fly. I still want to make my dreams a reality."
"'Dreams of taking to the skies fuels his desires and help him to overcome all obstacles'," Jijimon mused to himself.
"Did you say something?" Dragoonmon asked.
Jijimon quickly reacted. "Just mumbling to myself, that's all. Why don't we go back to your training? You still have much to learn."
The Knight of Wind got back to his feet. "Alright, let's give this another go…"
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Meanwhile, as the other Knights continued their search for the spirit, a high-pitched sound hit their ears. Everyone in the streets turned to the source of the noise. A combination of gasps and screams followed as two fighter jets shot across the sky above.
"Everyone run for it!" A passing Digimon called out. "Get off the streets! The Nemesis Hunters are here!"
"Nemesis Hunters?" Wufeimon asked. "What kind of cruddy name is that?" As if one of the jets heard his comment, it made a u-turn and dove towards him, firing its machine guns.
"LOOK OUT!" Archivamon yelled out, and the Knights got out of the line of fire just in time. Sadly, not everyone made it out, for several Digimon were shot up by the attack. The instantly-killed creatures, filled with bullet holes, dropped to the ground and slowly dissolved into data. The Knights were hidden in one of smaller buildings. By now, the streets were empty, everyone finding refuge wherever they could. This didn't stop the two jets from making passes on the streets, adding to the damage they already had.
"Hey, look," Devonmon said, "it looks like one of them is landing!" She was right, as one of the jets came to a halt, hovering in the air above the ground before suddenly transforming into a machine Digimon. "What is that thing?"
Archivamon stealthily scanned their attacker. "Messerschmimon, a Jet Digimon at the Ultimate level. There is no Digimon alive that can match his incredible speed or his cunning." While he was at it, he managed to get a scan of the other jet passing by. "Fockemon, a Jet Digimon at the Ultimate Level. While Messerschimon excels in speed, this Digimon is an excellent marksman, both in long-range and strafing attacks."
"Legendary Knights!" the green Jet Digimon called out. "We have come to collect on your heads. Surrender yourselves to us, and we will make your deaths quick and painless."
Fockemon transformed and landed on the ground next to his partner. "Or you can fight us, and then we'd make them nice and slow!" He laughed at this.
"Hiding won't do you and good," Messerschmimon added. "We'll go through every building and kill off all in our way if we have to."
"This is crazy!" Devonmon whispered. "They're putting the lives of innocent Digimon on the line, and for what!"
"We can't go out there," Samuraimon said, "not without some kind of plan, and protection from those kind of attacks."
Halomon touched the Knight of Fire's shoulder, getting his attention. "I might be able to form shields around the four of us," she suggested, "but I don't know how strong they will be, or how long they will last."
"Best not to risk it," the Knight of Fire responded.
"Don't believe us?" Messerschmimon called out. He grinned, stretching his right arm out. The cannon on his arm charged up energy, and it shot out at the base of a nearby building. It exploded, and in a few seconds the entire structure collapsed.
"My turn!" Fockemon said, firing his own shot of energy. His hit a refueling station across the way, and in an instant the area was engulfed in flames. "This is so much fun! It'll be more fun when you come out!"
Samuraimon began to growl as more innocent lives were taken by the two lunatics after them. His temper raged, and the fires within him grew stronger and stronger. "That does it!" He yelled.
"Leo," Halomon said, but it was too late.
The Knight of Fire leapt out of his hiding place and charged up his energy. "STOP IT!" He yelled, fired a full-power Incendial Stream, striking Fockemon square in the chest. He was sent backwards, hitting the side of a nearby building hard.
"About time one of you willed up the courage to fight us," Messerschmimon said.
"I'll fight you," Samuraimon responded, "but don't get anyone else involved! If you want us, then come and get us! No one else is a part of this!"
"You made us resort to these methods," the Jet Digimon replied. "You're to blame for the deaths of those innocent."
"I'VE HEARD ENOUGH!" Samuraimon drew his sword and charged in at full speed. Messerschmimon responded by getting into a defensive pose. The Knight of Fire then dematerialized, reappearing on his opponent's right side. The Jet Digimon anticipated such a maneuver and kicked to his right, sending Samuraimon back. Messerschmimon then fired his cannons, the red energy hurtling towards his target at an incredible speed. Samuraimon blocked the lasers with his sword, then countered with a volley of Incendial Streams. Messerschmimon leaped into the air, dodging the attacks, and transformed back to his jet mode, soaring into the sky. He came down quickly, strafing the ground with machine gun fire. The Knight of Fire rolled out of the way and tried to shoot his adversary down with more shots of fire, but to no avail. Samuraimon barely dodged a laser blast, not knowing that Fockemon had recovered from his hit. This moment of distraction was all Messerschmimon needed to strafe Samuraimon again, this time with no time for his enemy to escape. Unfortunately, he wasn't counting on a clear shield appearing around the Knight, the bullets bouncing off of it. Samuraimon turned to see Halomon several feet away from him, also with a shield around her. She looked up into the sky and began firing white energy from her eyes. Samuraimon followed suit with his Incendial Streams, both Knights attempting to bring down the flying menace.
Unknown to anyone, Wufeimon was slowly making his was towards the other Jet Digimon. Fockemon was so concentrated at attacking the other Knights on the ground that by the time he realized where he was, the Knight of Thunder was in the air twirling his staff around. In one fluid slash he sliced off the end of the cannon Fockemon was just using. The black Jet Digimon roared in anger and began punching forward. Wufeimon avoided the punches, then a roundhouse kick. He ducked down and swept the legs of the machine Digimon. A split second later he side kicked him, making him hit the ground a few feet away. Fockemon was quick to recover, firing the cannon on his other arm multiple times. With the grace of a dancer, Wufeimon wove his way out of harm's way, all the while getting closer and closer to his opponent. The Jet Digimon got back to his feet and stepped back, shooting his gun while doing so. Once again he should have been watching his back, for he was struck in the back by a blast of snow and ice. Devonmon grinned as her Blizzard of Demise worked perfectly, freezing Fockemon solid. She and Wufeimon were about to breathe a sigh of relief, until the new ice sculpture began to move and crack in multiple places. The two Knights dove out of the way as it exploded, sharp fragments of ice shooting out in all directions. Fockemon, free from his prison and extremely angry, went on a rampage, firing his cannon everywhere, not caring where they went so long as he hit his targets.
"This isn't doing us any good!" Devonmon called out, dodging the onslaught. "They're too strong for us to handle!"
"We have to hold out for as long as we can!" Samuraimon called back, still concentrated on bringing Messerschmimon out of the skies. "We have to hope that Aaron gets back here in time!"
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Dragoonmon and Jijimon had noticed the battle as soon as the two Jet Digimon made their big scene. "Who the hell are they?" The Knight of Wind asked.
"They are the Nemesis Hunters," Jijimon replied. "They are notorious bounty hunters who aim high but usually score low. They're famous for always getting the job done and leaving nothing unchecked. I just wonder why they're fighting up here."
"Oh no…" Dragoonmon trailed off. "They're after us…after my friends and I…I have to go help them!"
"But what about your training? You haven't completed it, yet!"
"I don't care! If I had to pick between this and the safety of my friends, you can be damn sure that I'd go help them!"
"You're absolutely certain, now?" Jijimon asked, sounding extremely serious.
"Positive."
"In that case…" Jijimon turned around and went into his private room. A second later he came out, a small wooden chest in his arms. "I am now certain that you are the one."
"What? What do you mean?"
"The final verse of the prophecy. 'He who values the needs of others before his own rightfully deserves the power of the wind.' You are more than willing to stop your training to save the lives of those who care about. Because of this altruism, I can see that you are the best suited for this power." Jijimon opened the chest, and both were blinded by a bright golden light. Almost immediately, Dragoonmon's device began to beep wildly.
"The Dragon spirit…" The Knight of Wind held out his device, and in an instant the spirit was absorbed by it. The 'wind' kanji appeared on the device's screen, and Dragoonmon felt new energy flowing through him. "Thank you…for everything," he said sincerely.
"Don't mention it," Jijimon said, smiling underneath all his fur. "Now go and help your friends before I decide to change my mind." Dragoonmon chuckled and gave a thumbs up before exiting the shack and running towards the battle in progress.
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The battle wasn't going well for the Chosen. They hadn't been able to land a clean hit on the speedy and agile Jet Digimon, and it appeared that the bounty hunters had yet to break a sweat. Messerschmimon was still flying in the air, and once again he dove towards Samuraimon and Halomon. This time, however, he launched a small missile from his wing. The missile exploded in front of the two Knights, and the force of the explosion sent them to the ground, the shields disappearing from lack of concentration.
On the other side of the battlefield, Wufeimon was down for the count. He may had been faster than Fockemon, but the Jet Digimon packed a stronger punch. A strong punch was all he needed to knock the wind out of the Knight of Thunder and send him to the floor. Fockemon winced when he was stabbed in the back by cold spikes. Devonmon had used her Ice Blades to pierce through her enemy's body, but it didn't seem to have much effect. She didn't anticipate Fockemon to quickly turn around and grab her by the throat. She was lifted into the air, and she gasped for oxygen as the powerful grip on her windpipe tightened. "It was nice knowing you," Fockemon said, preparing to utterly crush Devonmon's neck. However, he never noticed the changes in the wind.
"Aerial Strike!"
A sharp weapon came down from behind Fockemon and sliced off his arm. With no connections to his brain, the arm automatically released its grip on Devonmon. She hit the ground and began to take deep breaths to replenish the air she had lost.
"Aaron!" Samuraimon called out.
"He made it!" Halomon added.
Fockemon, meanwhile, was screaming in pain as he held onto the stump where his arm used to be. Black fluids sprayed out of the wound as he turned to face the Digimon in golden armor who had disarmed him. "BASTARD!" He roared, letting go of the stump and firing his still working cannon. Dragoonmon moved his head to the side and thrust his arm forward, firing a Dragon Fist. The energy dragon his Fockemon head-on, blowing its way through his chest. The Jet Digimon opened his mouth, but all that came out was smoke and more black fluid. His red eyes glowed for a second, then shut off completely as he fell over hard. The body turned black as Fractal Code surrounded him. Without a word, Dragoonmon absorbed the data.
Messerschmimon didn't notice this until his partner was already dead. "Nein!" He called, transforming to his Digimon form and turning his attention to the new scene. He dove towards his new target and opened fire.
"Aaron, look out!" Wufeimon yelled.
Dragoonmon was already prepared, for he jumped into the air, dodging the bullets and the one who had fired them. He hung in the air for a moment before bringing out his device and holding it above his head. Fractal Code surrounded him as he performed his new transformation.
"EXECUTE! DRAGON SPIRIT EVOLUTION! JETDRAMON!"
The Fractal Code vanished, and a truly colossal creature was revealed hovering in the air. The new Dragon Digimon was robotic, his body streamlined and covered in seamless gold armor. The wings were large and solid, each with a jet engine underneath. Each wing also had what appeared to be missile launchers. His legs also had their own engines - on their backs and on the soles of his feet. His head had a built-in cockpit on top. His red eyes glowed as he roared out loud.
"Amazing…" Devonmon said.
"He found his Dragon spirit…" Samuraimon said.
"But can he control it?" Wufeimon asked.
"You believe your new form will help you against me!" Messerschmimon asked angrily. "Think again! I'm going to send you down to the pits of Hell for what you did to my partner!" Jetdramon only roared his reply before spreading his wings and taking off. "A duel in the skies, eh? You're on!" Messerschmimon transformed back into jet mode and took off in pursuit.
The Jet Digimon fired his machine guns, but Jetdramon barrel rolled and easily dodged them. He then launched a pair of missiles, but he never anticipated the dragon's maneuverability. Jetdramon pulled up and decelerated, letting the missiles fly by. A panel on his chest opened up, revealing a small set of gatling guns, which he used to destroy the missiles before they could turn around. Almost instantly he sped up again to not give his opponent any opportunity to strike. Mersserschmimon oil boiled as he accelerated, firing off a barrage of machine gun and missile fire. Jetdramon suddenly did the unexpected. His wings folded inward, and his jet engines roared to new life, sending him shooting across the sky. He was going so fast that Messerschmimon couldn't even see him anymore.
"How is that possible?" The Jet Digimon asked. He transformed and scanned the skies for any sign of his adversary. He then heard the sounds of a high-speed aircraft heading right for him - or in this case, a high-speed dragon. The Jet Digimon had no time to evade as Jetdramon's wings spread out, and he proved how sharp they truly were by slicing off Messerschmimon's legs at the knees. He screamed in pain, surprise, and horror as he lost his ability to hover and fell downward.
Jetdramon was right below him as he opened his mouth. "VACUUM BLAST!" He roared, and a jet of hurricane-quality wind shot forth. It trapped Messerschmimon, sending him into the air in a column of fast-moving air. The panels on Jetdramon's chest opened, and the missile launchers on his wings opened up. After getting a target lock, he roared again. "WIND SEEKERS!" The gatling guns opened fire as his missiles were launched simultaneously.
Messerschmimon turned to see the approaching barrage, but there was no escape. He screamed out loud, but it was cut off when the missiles and bullets hit their mark. The column of air disappeared as the Jet Digimon was destroyed in a massive explosion. What was left of Messerschmimon plummeted to the ground below. Jetdramon roared in triumph as he slowly made his way back down to the trading post.
The crowds cheered loudly in appreciation as the Dragon Digimon landed softly. Jetdramon suddenly bellowed in pain as he de-digivolved. The Fractal Code vanished to reveal Aaron laid out on the ground. The other Knights returned to human form as they rushed towards Aaron. Snow and Ryan were the first on the scene as they propped him up.
"You ok?" Snow asked.
Aaron was breathing heavily. "Yeah, I guess so," he replied weakly. "I tell you, turning into a Legendary Dragon takes a lot out of you."
"But at least you brought down those Nemesis guys," Leo said. "That dragon form of yours really kicked some ass! Uh…Aaron?" Aaron wasn't listening, for he had fallen asleep from exhaustion.
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It was almost sunset before Aaron had woken up. He was right - the battle had almost completely drained his energy. A little rest was all that would be needed to get him back to full strength. At the moment they were back at the shack where Jijimon lived.
"I am glad that everything turned out alright," Jijimon said, "and I'm also glad that you were able to control the power I entrusted to you. I hope that your experiences today further strengthen your will and your dreams."
"Thanks," Aaron said.
"Well, now that our mission here is accomplished…" Archivamon tapped a button underneath his screen. "We're ready, masters. Bring us home." A few seconds later, a white portal appeared behind them.
"Guess this is where we part ways," Leo said. "Thanks for everything, Jijimon."
"You've very welcome," Jijimon replied. "And all of you be sure to heed what I have said about you. Let my words guide you through the rest of your quest."
"Trust me," Ryan said, holding his aching head, "I doubt we're ever going to forget you." The Chosen laughed before saying their goodbyes and jumping into the portal.
"Good luck, you little buggers," Jijimon said as the portal vanished.
To be continued…
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A new tournament offers new opportunities for the Chosen, but are the gains worth more than the costs? Ryan's strengths are put to their limits as he struggles to prove himself to his friends, both old and new. When the time is right, a new power shall be awakened…
Next time: Lightning Strikes Twice! Raydenmon's Fight for Survival!
