Hello, friends~ I missed you all~ I was on a school trip, so good god, it feels like so much longer than a week since I last saw you all! Anyway, without further ado, shall we start~?
Beelzemon: "So, we met Antylamon again, but there was one little problem. After she hatched, Makuramon fed her a bunch of lies, making her think we were her enemy, so she attacked. Luckily, we were able to bring her back to our side, but Hideaki saw it, and like Makuramon did all those years ago, he killed her for it. Now Chiharu's in a pretty bad place…"
Chiharu was almost literally sending off waves of anger, causing the students to hang back, not wanting to get too close. They'd never seen her this angry before, and so there was no telling what the woman might do.
"I will make Hideaki pay," the brunette in question growled through gritted teeth. All of her fury came from what the white haired male had done to Antylamon, just as she'd gone back to their side. She clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides. She knew that this probably wasn't the best behavior for a leader, but at the moment, she could do nothing to stop it. She was too angry, and for now, she had nothing to take it out on.
"You're beginning to sound like Beelzemon," Lucemon commented, which would usually put the Demon Lord of Gluttony into a huff, but he ignored it due to concern for his partner. It was true, she was beginning to act more like him, and it was more than a little concerning.
"If that's what it takes…" she said, quieter this time. "If that's what it takes…"
The students watched the exchange from behind, though there were unable to hear what was being said.
"I'm worried about Chiharu," Tsucasa said.
"You're not the only one," Tanya agreed.
"Mikage can understand why," the boy with the puppet said. "Come on, an old friend turned evil killed another old friend? Wouldn't you be pissed like that?"
"Well, yeah," Karuto said, "but it's way out of character for her."
Rei nodded. "She's usually trying to be so peaceful about everything. I've never seen her go off like this. And I'm not sure even Mayu, Lucemon, or even Beelzemon have, either."
"We have to take care of this quickly," Lilithmon suggested. "Otherwise, we may not be able to get her back to normal. And I don't like this new Chiharu."
"Me, either," Daemon, in his cloaked form, put in. "It's just creepy."
"If she's our leader, and she's like this, then we're all screwed," Barbamon said plainly.
"Barbamon!" Karuto hissed, angry that his partner had said something like that out loud. Of course, he and the others had come to learn that the Demon Lord of Greed had a big mouth.
"What?" he asked. "I'm only telling it like it is."
"Well, you didn't have to say it out loud," Tanya chastised. "I mean, what if Chiharu had heard you?"
"So what?" the Demon Lord of Greed asked.
"Do you really want to get on her bad side when she's like this?" Rei asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Mikage wasn't aware she had a good side right now," Mikage said dryly.
"Seriously not helping," Karuto warned.
"Mikage is just speaking the truth," the boy replied with a simple shrug.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x
"So, where are we headed next?" Rei asked that night as they set up for camp.
"We were discussing that earlier," Mayu started, "and we're close enough to the Valley of Ebonwumon to make it there tomorrow. There's a village there, though I'm pretty sure it's on the other side. There, we'll be able to get a good rest in relative comfort. But for now," she smiled softly, "let's get some sleep while we can. Tomorrow's going to involve a lot of walking."
As soon as the blonde returned to the fire, most likely to have a conversation of some sort with Chiharu, the children turned to each other.
"The Valley of Ebonwumon…" Karuto mused. "Think we'll run into Sandiramon? I mean, it was his territory."
"Yeah, was," Tanya emphasized. "But remember that Mihiramon patrolled the Mountain of Azulongmon, and we ran into him in that wasteland. They aren't following their old pattern anymore."
"So we have no idea if we'll be attacked or not, then," Tsucasa commented. "That's a little unnerving."
"Hey, how do you think they felt?" Rei asked. "I mean, think about it. We know more about this than they did. They were practically coming in here blind. At least we have their experience to learn from."
"Good point," Karuto said with a small nod. "Well, I'm turning in. See you all in the morning. Night."
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"Strike while they're still weak," Hideaki commanded the Digimon in front of him.
"Yes, Sir," the dog-like Digimon said with a bow.
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"Looks like we're almost there," Mayu commented as the valley came into view. "Now, let's stick together, and be very careful. We don't know how stable the pathway down is."
"Right," the children and their partners said with a nod.
"Good," the blonde woman said with a small smile. "Let's go, then."
Mere moments later, they were at the edge of the valley, where they could see a long, narrow path down. It was obvious that this was the safest way down, so the group formed a line and began to descend. First were Chiharu and Beelzemon, followed by Mayu and Lucemon, Tanya and Daemon, Karuto and Barbamon, Mikage and Lilithmon, Tsucasa and Leviamon, and Rei and Belphemon brought up the rear.
"Everyone, be extra careful," Chiharu warned, but the softness that may have otherwise been in her tone was gone. The path was slightly slippery with loose gravel, so one wrong move from just one of them could send all of them tumbling to their death.
Many minutes passed in silence, because everyone was concentrating on the task of making the trip down safely. However, that peace was disturbed when the ground underneath them began to shake.
"Everyone, watch out!" Rei yelled, and Tanya stopped abruptly, causing those behind her to stop as well. Mayu and Lucemon, already being further ahead, were forced to lightly push Chiharu and Beelzemon forward, creating a large gap between them and the rest of the group. A large boulder rolled off the top of the valley and into the middle of the path, destroying it and creating a large hole. The impact caused some of the rock wall to crumble away, revealing that it had been hiding a cave.
"Now that that heart attack's over, let's take a look," Tanya suggested.
"Wait," Chiharu told them. "We'll come over there, so don't enter without us. And with that, she pulled out her Blast Mode card, but was unable to use it as more rocks began to fall, these ones heading straight for the children.
"Everybody, move!" Rei yelled, taking charge and quickly pushing everyone inside, just in time. As soon as Rei herself made it inside, the large rocks landed, building upon each other and sealing them inside.
"Well, shit," Karuto said plainly.
"Now what?" Leviamon asked.
"Well," Daemon began, after attempting to push on the rocks that sealed them. "We're stuck here, so I say we go forward and see where we end up."
"That sounds like a good idea," Tanya agreed. "Rei?"
"What?" the brunette asked, thrown slightly off guard that she, specifically, was being asked.
"Well, you were at the Academy before the rest of us, so it makes sense, right?" the purple haired girl pointed out.
"Wait, are you saying you want me to lead us out of here?" the teen asked incredulously.
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Tanya replied. "All in favor, say 'aye'!"
"Aye!" all other Digi-Destined and their Demon Lord partners agreed.
"Even you, Mikage?" Rei asked, stunned that the boy that liked to follow his own rules would agree to have someone else as leader.
"Why not?" the puppet using boy asked. "Mikage doesn't want to have to make the hard decisions. That's what you're for."
"Thanks, that really means a lot," Rei said sarcastically. She sighed. If she was going to be the leader for now, she might as well do it right. "Well, we can't just stand here all day, and the rocks won't budge, so I guess we need to find a way out." Her D-Agent immediately beeped, and even in the total darkness, she was able to find it and answer. "Yeah?"
"Rei, are you and the others alright?" Mayu asked, sounding very concerned.
"Yeah, don't worry," Rei replied. "We made it into the cave in time, so we're okay. We're locked in, though. We're going to look for another way out."
"Be careful," the blonde told her. "We'll head to the bottom of the valley. Meet us down there as soon as you can."
"Right," the temporary leader said with a nod. "We'll see you as soon as we can." After placing her Digivice back where it belonged, she said, "We're going to need some light if we want to get moving."
"Good luck with that," Barbamon said, rolling his eyes. He began moving forward slowly. "It's pitch black in—" He was cut off as he hit a rock on the ground that suddenly began to glow with a soft, blue light. Immediately afterward, small rocks on the walls, floor, and ceiling of the cave began to glow, giving the group a dim lighting, though it was just enough to see by.
"You were saying?" Lilithmon asked.
"Okay, so I was wrong," the Demon Lord of Greed grumbled. "First time for everything."
"Come on, guys," Rei said, ignoring the idiotic exchange. "Let's just get going."
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"We're lost, aren't we?" Daemon asked after twenty minutes of wandering.
"No," Rei told him. "We can't be lost, the cave only goes one way." She sighed. "But I guess this is getting a little annoying."
"A little?" Tanya asked. "We've been walking for twenty minutes with no sign of getting outside."
"We're not going to be trapped in here forever, are we?" Leviamon asked, irritated.
"Will you guys just shut up for a minute?" the stand-in leader hissed. "I need to think." As a result, they walked in silence.
However, they soon came upon a large, open cavern with larger glowing rocks, making visibility much clearer. A large stone, almost like a pedestal, sat in the middle of the cavern, flat and as large as one of the dorm rooms. Branching off from the cavern were many paths like the one they had just come down.
"Oh, come on," Rei muttered, putting a hand to her face in annoyance. "Give me a minute," she said before anyone could ask which way they would go. In the following silence, they could hear quick, heavy footsteps coming down one of the paths, though it was impossible to tell which one.
"Where's that coming from?" Lilithmon asked quietly, but she received no response from the others. A moment after she said that, a large form dove out of one of the pathways and landed on the pedestal.
"Caturamon," Mikage said. "Right?"
"Right," Tsucasa replied with a nod, remembering each and every one of the twelve Devas from the textbook. "If I'm right, his attacks are Treasure Hammer and Howl of the Heavens."
"You guessed right on that one," Leviamon replied. "And it must have been his Howl of the Heavens that brought down those rocks and trapped us in here."
"You are correct," the dog Deva informed him. "I was the one who trapped you here, so that I could finish you off without the interference of those other two."
"Because you knew that they'd destroy you without batting an eye, right?" Daemon asked.
"Why you…?!" Caturamon began, but was stopped when a rock hit his head. He snapped his head in the direction it came from to see Mikage standing there, already holding a rock and testing its weight.
"Mikage's sick of hearing you talk," the boy said. "You overestimate yourself too much. Lilithmon?"
"Right," the Demon Lord of Lust replied. "Nazar Nail!" she yelled, diving forward to attack. Caturamon, however, knocked her to the side with his tail.
"Still so inexperienced," he said calmly. His gaze turned back on the human that had thrown the rock at him, but Mikage looked completely unfazed, despite the fact that his partner was currently trying to right herself after being knocked into a wall. "Why do you not cower?"
"To a small fry like you?" Mikage asked through his puppet, raising an eyebrow. "You don't scare Mikage. It's five against one. You're outnumbered and outmatched."
"We'll see about that," Caturamon said darkly. "Howl of the Heavens!" He let out a loud roar that resonated in the cavern and began to crack the stalactites overhead.
"Hey, watch it with that!" Leviamon said. "If those fall, you're going down with us!"
"At least I will have taken enemies of the Master down with me!" the Deva yelled.
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Chiharu's head shot up when she heard the dull rumble of something inside the valley wall. She and Mayu had made it to the bottom of the valley with Beelzemon and Lucemon and were now waiting for the children to find a way out and join them.
"I don't like this," the brunette stated. "I don't like waiting here while something could be happening to them."
"Relax," Beelzemon told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "They'll be fine. Ya taught them well."
"And then when they get down here, they can tell us what happened, and we can be on our way," Lucemon added.
"Right…" Chiharu said, but she wasn't sure she believed them. If they had to wait much longer, she might just start searching for a way in on her own.
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"Dark Inferno!" Barbamon yelled, attacking the Deva in front of them, but the dog Digimon just jumped out of the way, as he had with all the other attacks. He may not be as quick and agile as Makuramon or Antylamon, but Caturamon definitely knew how to dodge effectively.
"I'm getting sick of this," Daemon, no longer in his cloaked form, growled. "Hammer Knuckle!" Caturamon looked like he was about to move out of the way, so in response, Leviamon wrapped his tails around both of the Deva's back legs, securing him in place. The impact of Daemon's attack caused Caturamon to stumble, and Leviamon took advantage of that lost of balance and threw him into one of the cavern walls.
"Weren't you the one telling us to be careful?" Belphemon, having been woken up and switched into Rage Mode, asked the Demon Lord of Envy. "Lampranthus!" he yelled, attacking with his fellow Demon Lords.
"Nazar Nail!"
"Evil Inferno!"
"Pandemonium Lost!"
"Duo-Tail Strike!"
The combined attacks caused the dog Deva to stumble even more, obviously very close to keeling over, but refusing to accept it first.
"I will not be defeated," he growled. "Treasure Hammer!"
"I swear, he's trying to bring this whole place down on us!" Tanya hissed as she and the others moved out of the way.
"I think he is," Tsucasa agreed.
"Like he said, he doesn't care if he dies, as long as we do, too," Karuto added.
"Well, I don't know about you," Rei started, "but I don't have any plans to die today." She pulled out her D-Agent. "Digital Enhancement. Speed: Connect!"
Belphemon, as soon as he received the power from his partner's card, dove at Caturamon, grabbed him and pinned him to the wall. He placed one hand over the Deva's mouth to ensure that he wouldn't let out another Howl of the Heavens. "You're really starting to piss me off, you know that?" the Demon Lord of Sloth asked. "I was having such a nice nap, and then you have to go and ruin it." He pulled back his other hand. "Gift of Darkness!" he yelled, slicing through Caturamon faster than the eye could follow. As soon as the dog Deva was destroyed, the Demon Lord of Sloth shifted back into Sleep Mode, and Daemon returned to his cloaked form. "Can I go back to sleep now?" Belphemon asked.
Rei laughed a little at the bipolarity of her partner. "Of course you can," she told him. "You definitely earned it." She turned to the others. "Now, let's get out of here."
"But we still don't know which way is out," Karuto informed her.
"Oh, yes we do," the brunette said with a grin. At the questioning looks she received, she pointed down the passage that Caturamon had come from. "You didn't think he just appeared in here, did you?"
"You're right," Tanya said. "If he came in that way, then that means there must be a way out for us!"
"Well, troops, let's march!" Rei joked, already making her way to the passage.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Mikage said, rolling his eyes.
"You know," Tsucasa started, "if we had more time to ourselves in this world, I think I'd like to look through this cave more. It's really interesting, and I want to know more about these rocks."
"After we defeat Millenniummon, we can see about taking a trip back here," Karuto said confidently. "I kinda wanna know, too." He touched one of the glowing rocks. "It's warm…"
"Let's think about the rocks later," Rei told them. "Right now, we have to move, before they get worried enough to blow a hole in the side of the cliff."
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"I can't take this any longer!" Chiharu yelled. She and Mayu had been waiting for several hours, and there was still no sign of the children and their Demon Lord partners. She was about ready to have Beelzemon blow a hole in the side of the cliff.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down there, captain!" Beelzemon told her. "We ain't got a clue where to start lookin'."
"Beelzemon's right," Mayu told her friend. "And if we just try to force our way in there, we might hurt them. Besides, we don't even know where the cave leads." As soon as those words left her mouth, they heard a rock shifting, and turned to see the kids exiting a cave that had previously been covered by a large, flat rock. "Are you kids okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, no sweat," Rei told the women with a smile. "We even took care of Caturamon while we were in there."
"It was his fault we were trapped in there in the first place," Leviamon added.
"He caused the cave in with his Howl of the Heavens," Mikage informed them.
"But everything's alright now, see?" Rei said, holding up the card she had received from the battle. "That's one less Deva to worry about."
"But we still have to deal with Sinduramon, Majiramon, Sandiramon, Vajramon, Pajiramon, Indramon, Vikaralamon, and…" Tanya began.
"Makuramon," Chiharu finished, her voice dripping with venom and hate. Many things about her had changed throughout the past weeks, but one thing that remained the same, even from ten years ago, was her burning, deep hatred of the monkey Deva.
Next time:
Beelzemon: Well, now what?
Rei: Isn't there that village on the other side of this valley?
Mayu: Right. Let's start there.
Majiramon: So our information was correct. Well, then, it's time you face me!
Lucemon: So, you finally get to be more than a bus or a guard dog, then?
Well, that was interesting. I'll have you know, I wrote this entire thing in four hours. Why did I do that? Like I stated before, I just got back from a school trip, so I was only able to start today. So, y'know, me being me, I crammed. That's why it may not be too interesting, or the fight seem appeared a little anticlimactic. I'm quite frankly exhausted, and I spent 23 hours on a bus with an injured knee, so give me some credit here, guys. Be happy with what you get. Also, thank you for all the reviews last week~ Please keep up the good work, and so will I~
Alright, everyone, please remember to review, and I'll see you again next week~