Chapter Twenty Five: Two Weeks Ago
"Rika, how long are we going to keep walking?" Izzy moaned as he struggled to drag himself and the sleeping Terriermon on his shoulder after Rika and Renamon, who were bridging the gap between the two of them as they walked along the river that cut through the sandy desert they were in.
"Until we find somewhere comfortable to rest for the night Izzy," She growled, "If you have a problem with that then go back to the Colosseum." Izzy groaned in reply.
"Rika, the Colosseum is almost five hours back that way," Izzy tossed his tired arm in a backwards motion, "Besides, I came with you so you wouldn't have to be out in the middle of the digital world alone."
"So you didn't come with me because you agree with me then?" Rika stopped and turned to Izzy, seeming more annoyed than angry.
"No." Izzy struggled to say.
"Figures," Rika rolled her eyes and continued walking. "Besides, me and Renamon can take care of ourselves."
"You know that's not true Rika," Renamon spoke from her partner's side, "There are possibly hundreds of ultimate level digimon here that I cannot handle by myself. If we are to have any chance of surviving this continent, then we must have at least one of our friends with us. Maybe you should be a little more grateful that he was concerned about you." Rika sighed, seeing Renamon's logic, then twisted her head to speak to Izzy.
"It's okay, I heard." Izzy smiled from his exhausted position behind them. "You don't have to say anything just for my benefit."
"Still, maybe we could walk faster later if we took about an hour break to get some food and water." She suggested, calming down from her furious march into the desert.
"I thought we'd never get to stop!" Terriermon popped his head up and tugged on Izzy's head, directing him towards the river. "Let's get going, I'm starving!"
"Ow, Terriermon that hurts!" Izzy winced was he was dragged over to the river.
"Stop crying, you big baby. I'm hungry, and when a digimon's hungry, there isn't much that can stop him. Now get to fishing!"
"Come on Renamon, let's get some food and rest." Rika slipped off the makeshift fishing pole strapped to her chest and walked over to the river.
"At least she's calmed down." Renamon whispered to herself as she followed the girl over to the river.
***
"Oh god..." Rika stared at the inconvenient site in front of them, groaning as she slapped her palm to her face and let it slowly slip downwards.
"At least something good came out of it, we made it out of the desert." Izzy tried to comfort the girl, who turned to him with a fire in her eyes.
"At least something good came out of this?" Rika threw her hand in a wide sweeping motion, revealing the three raging rivers that were all converging into the one waterway that they had been following the past couple days. "Nothing good can come out of this Izzy. Datamon said 'follow the river' to get to the evil tamer's base. There are three rivers!"
"I see that."
"So which one do we follow?" Rika looked over the rocky terrain they were now in, they now lost as each new river obviously flowed down from somewhere.
"Maybe we could try each one."
"Is that a serious suggestion? Do you have any idea how much time that would take?"
"No, and a very long time."
"Exactly!"
"Izzy, we could try asking them." Terriermon tugged at the boy's neck, pointing with one ear at an object on the shore of the far left river in the distance.
"Is that... a town?" Rika asked excitedly.
"It sure is," Renamon replied. "Me and Terriermon could go in there and try to find some reliable directions."
"How do we get over there?" Izzy questioned.
"We take a ride!" Terriermon jumped from Izzy's shoulder to Renamon's head. Izzy and Rika then turned to the fox, who sighed in compliance.
"You constantly find new ways to annoy me, don't you Terriermon?" Renamon grunted as she tossed the bunny-dog off of her head.
"It's my hobby." After a half a minute of Terriermon's torturous taunts at Renamon, Rika evolved the rookie to Kyubimon. The two humans and Terriermon then leaped onto the fox's back, and she took a running jump at the deep river, crossing it with ease. She then ran up to a point about fifty yards away from the stone wall that surrounded the town, and made her cargo disembark before returning to Renamon.
"You'd better wait here, we don't want any sort of incident to occur." She and Terriermon then took off towards the town, entering a large archway that led into the city, disappearing around a corner.
"So..." Izzy began speaking as the two pre-teens stood there in wait, "Have you given any thought to what we're going to do next?"
"What do you mean?" Rika responded.
"With the evil tamers; how are we supposed to take them on and purge the dark needles out of them when we can't even digivolve our partners to ultimate?"
"I... I figured we would work it out when we got there. Besides, when I initially left I figured T.K. would come with us."
"So you just figured Angemon would take care of it? Don't you think that if it was that easy to get things done around here then we would have defeated the Devimon and the evil digidestined by day three?"
"Izzy-"
"Besides, remember Eric told us that in the few hours that the dark needle was barely in him it had branched out a few inches. The ones in Joe, Matt, and the others are probably even deeper, I doubt Angemon has the ability to purge such deep evil roots."
"Dammit Izzy-" Rika began to yell back, but she was interrupted by a call from Renamon behind them.
"Rika, Izzy, you should come see this!" Renamon yelled to the two, who were surprised to hear Renamon tell them to come into the city. They warily complied, stopping at the arched gate where the fox digimon was waiting for them.
"What's wrong Renamon?" Rika questioned her partner.
"Come inside, you'll see." She led the two through the arched passageway that was the city gates. They came face to face with a building upon entering the city, so they rounded the corner to get onto one of the main streets of the mysterious village.
"What's wrong Rena-" Rika stopped mid sentence as she looked over the scene in front of her. The village on the other side of the building was a disaster area. Houses and streets had been blown to shreds, and there was not one sign of life within the broken town. The three walked across the relatively small village to the town center, where Terriermon was pushing through rubble to see if there were any survivors.
"What happened here?" Izzy asked solemnly.
"We're not sure." Renamon replied.
"It looks like there was a fight." Rika placed her palm against one of the few intact villages. The wall looked charred, as if a fiery attack had landed there.
"Someone probably came here and destroyed all of the digimon." Terriermon joined the conversation, having given up his shift through the rubble. "Bastards..."
"Who do you think it was?" Rika questioned.
"I doubt it was the DBDW, they don't seem like the type of group to turn on their own people." Izzy observed.
"It was probably the evil tamers, destroying the digimon here to absorb their digi-cores, or at least try to." Renamon sighed.
"How could the evil tamers do so much damage?" Izzy asked the fox.
"They've probably reached ultimate by now." Terriermon replied instead, jumping back onto Izzy's shoulder.
"At the very least we're on the right track." Rika sighed.
"Yeah, but if the evil tamers are destroying digimon and absorbing their digi-cores, then we won't stand a ghost of a chance against them. We'll need help." Izzy said.
"Don't start with me Izumi."
"Rika, you can't still-"
"Look out!" Renamon snatched the two tamers and leaped from the spot, narrowly avoiding the rocket blasts that crashed into the spot they were just in. Renamon then dashed behind one of the intact buildings and dropped the two tamers, peering her head around the corner to see who had shot at them.
"Come out of there," The mono-tone voice commanded. "There is no escape." Renamon then pulled her head back into the alley.
"It's Kazu and Guardromon." She quivered.
"That's just great." Rika growled.
"Can we handle him?" Izzy questioned.
"Not if he can reach ultimate." Terriermon replied.
"We don't have much of a choice," Renamon said, "We're under one of the few pieces of cover in the town. We won't escape easily."
"I'm giving you one more chance," Kazu commanded from the square they had just fled from, "Come out here or Guardromon will come in there after you."
"Okay Renamon, go for it." Rika swiped the digivice from her hip.
"You too Terriermon." Izzy grabbed the device clipped to his laptop bag.
"Renamon digivolve to... Kyubimon!"
"Terriermon digivolve to... Gargomon!" The two champions leaped from the alley, facing off against Kazu and Guardromon who were stationed in the center of the square. Izzy and Rika came up behind the nine-tailed yellow fox and the large bunny-dog with blue jeans.
"Give up, you can't win." Kazu stated with no emotion.
"We outnumber your metal head partner Kazu," Gargomon pointed his Gatling gun at Gargomon, who just kept staring at them without fear, anger, or confidence.
"Is that your choice, to fight me?"
"Damn right it is!"
"Very well then." Kazu tapped the screen of the digivice on his hip with his index finger, activating the device and sending a stream of data/energy towards Guardromon. A second, darker light then came out of Kazu's chest, also enveloping the machine.
"Crap."
"Andromon!" The new silver humanoid stared at them with a contemplative look on his face, analyzing both of his opponents.
"Get somewhere safe Rika." Kyubimon muttered as she prepared to strike at the android.
"What?" The fox's partner responded.
"Get out of here, I don't want you getting hurt."
"But Renamon-"
"Rika don't argue!" Izzy snatched the girl's wrist and ran back to the alley they had hidden in, clearing the way for Gargomon and Kyubimon to commence the battle.
"Dragon Wheel!"
"Gargo Laser!" Kyubimon and Gargomon jumped straight in, launching their powerful attacks at the android, who stood still for a second as the attacks approached, then leaped into the air and let the lasers and the windy dragon crash into the earth where he once stood. Kazu had also dodged, placing himself also behind one of the intact buildings.
"My turn, Lightning Blade!" Andromon sliced his arm through the air, sending a wave of electric power speeding towards the two champions. They quickly rolled out of the way, letting the beam mash into the ground.
"Bunny Pummel!" Gargomon bounced off of the ground, thrusting his arm into Andromon's chest. The attack did nothing but crunch the metal in Gargomon's fist, knocking the bunny-dog backwards onto the ground.
"Fox Tail Inferno!" Nine flames suddenly slammed into Andromon, who shook off the attack easily before turning to Kyubimon.
"Gatling Attack!" Andromon's chest panel opened up in a similar fashion to MetalGreymon and fired two fleshy missiles from his chest. The two fish-like weapons opened their mouths and began automatic fire at Kyubimon. The champion leaped out of the way, running across the courtyard as the two missiles chased her.
"Damn!" She spun around, preparing an attack. "Dragon Wheel!" Kyubimon raced towards the two missiles as they fired into her flaming body.
"They don't stand a chance," Rika muttered from the alley. She watched as Gargomon picked himself up a few feet in front of her and Izzy. "What do we do?"
"You need to go." Gargomon stated, surprising the girl.
"What?"
"You two need to head back down the river and try to find Tai and the others. That's the only way we're going to be able to stop this guy."
"We can't leave you and Kyubimon here by yourself!" Izzy objected. "You'll be creamed!"
"We'll all be destroyed if Andromon finishes us off and leaves you with no protection, now get going." Rika tried to object.
"But-"
"No, he's right, let's move!" Izzy ran down the opposite side of the alley as Gargomon leaped back into the battle.
"But-"
"Rika!" Izzy's scream drew the angry girl over to him, and together they made their way back to the city gate. They could still here the screams and crashes of the three digimon in battle in the city behind them once they dashed into the desert and made their way to the river.
"We need to find a way back across." Izzy said, looking across the river in observation.
"Even if we find Tai, there's no guarantee that we'll be able to stop Andromon. Tai doesn't have his partner anymore, and even if he did he would probably just digivolve the poor guy into SkullGreymon again. We should just go back in there and handle this ourselves."
"That wouldn't happen, and you need to stop blaming him for that." Izzy seemed only half invested in what he said, as he then ran over to a nearby palm tree on the banks of the river.
"Why shouldn't I blame him, it's his fault."
"No it's not, Devimon was controlling him and SkullGreymon, he wasn't able to control his actions once Devimon got loose." Izzy was now pressing against the tree in an effort to see how well rooted it was.
"Devimon was in him?"
"Yes, his anger over the death of Datamon and his need to protect us corrupted Agumon's evolution." Izzy now had to focus more on his conversation with Rika and less on a way across the river.
"So it is his fault, if he hadn't let his anger get the best of him than it wouldn't have happened."
"It's not. Do we have to talk about this right now?"
"Yes we do. I don't want to go back and partner with someone who's going to get me or anyone else killed! So who's fault is it then?"
"It's yours Rika!" Izzy now forgot about the tree and was fully invested in the conversation.
"What? How the hell do you figure that?"
"You're the one who pushed him into the big leader roll. You're the one who convinced him that he needed to protect us until we could find our crests and digivolve to ultimate!"
"We all did that!"
"But you're the one that convinced him most!"
"Why would I have any influence over Tai's thinking than anybody else, he doesn't-"
"Because he likes you Rika! Any idiot can see that!" These lasts words shocked the girl, who stumbled backwards a few feet, then tried to speak.
"What... how do you-"
"He likes you, so when you asked him to be the leader, when you told him you needed his help, that affected him more than me, or Eric, or T.K."
"I didn't..."
"What? You didn't know? Maybe that's because you're so caught up in your own anger that you can't see what's happening around you. Our partners are getting their asses kicked, and they need help. Now Salamon can digivolve to ultimate, and I'm going to find those four somehow and get them here!" Izzy began kicking the tree in a desperate attempt to knock it down. "Damn, stupid tree."
"I'm sorry," Rika spoke, "I didn't mean to be so stupid."
"It doesn't matter, just help me get this thing down so we can use it as a raft."
"Right." Rika came to the boy's side, and together they began to ram into the sand rooted tree. Their efforts were in vain however.
"This one's too webbed into the ground, we'll have to go down river to find a looser one." A series of bursts from under them surprised both Izzy and Rika, who leaped away from the river to find out where the sound had come from.
"What the-" Both tamers stared as two glowing tablets hovered in front of them, and then slid into their digivices.
"This is convenient." Izzy observed.
"It doesn't matter, let's go help Kyubimon and Gargomon." Rika ran off towards the walled village.
"No arguments here." Izzy ran after her.
***
"Gargo- agh!" Gargomon was knocked back down to the ground as Andromon swung his metal arm into the rabbit's stomach. The champion doubled over, landing next to the defeated Kyubimon.
"I told you that you were no match for me, you should have listened." Andromon stated in a victorious yet sterile tone.
"You're not gonna win, we have something that you don't-" Gargomon tried to taunt the digimon.
"And what would that be, your friends? After I destroy you, tracking them down will be easy. You might as well give up now."
"Never..." Kyubimon lifted herself up, propping Gargomon to his feet as well. The two battered digimon stared at Andromon with contempt as he began to speak, but was interrupted.
"Kyubimon!" Rika and Izzy appeared to the left of the died down battle, prompting stares from the three digimon.
"We told you to get out of here!" Gargomon yelled at them tiredly.
"You should have listened to them." Andromon stated, turning to the two tamers. "Since I don't have to track you down, you'll die much sooner."
"You sure about that?" Izzy and Rika pressed the lone button on their digivices, and a stream of light then appeared from both and poured into Gargomon and Kyubimon. A second light then emerged from the two children's chests.
"Damn."
"Gargomon digivolve to..."
"Kyubimon digivolve to..."
"Well this just isn't fair, lightning blade!" Andromon rebelled against the two digimon, firing his electric attack at the two shining creatures. The process was finished before he could hit, however.
"Rapidmon!"
"Taomon!"
The two new digimon leaped out of the way, the beam slamming into the ground harmlessly. Andromon then looked up at his new enemies. Rapidmon had taken on a new look, his body more rabbit-human than rabbit-dog, and green cylindrical armor covering all but his legs and arms. A large double sided missile launcher was strapped to his back, covered in the shadow from the digimon's enormous ears. Taomon was also more human-like than her previous form, her tail covered by the ancient clothing she now wore, while a very large paint brush rested in her palm.
"Congratulations, you made it to ultimate, but you still will not defeat me. I have absorbed too many digi-cores to be defeated-"
"Less talking more fighting, Rapid Fire!" Rapidmon sprung into battle, lifting his gauntlet covered arms and firing an attack similar to his Gargo Lasers at the android, who tried to leap out of the way. He wasn't fast enough, his leg bombarded with the ultimate rabbit's lasers. Andromon leaped off of the ground from his good leg and retreated to an intact building across the square.
"You won't defeat me, I've absorbed too many digi-cores to-"
"Digi-cores don't mean crap when stacked against a fresh evolution," Rapidmon grabbed the cannon on his back and twisted it onto his waist. "Miracle Missile!"
"Talisman of Light!" Taomon then joined the battle, drawing a symbol in the air with her brush and throwing it at Andromon.
"Lightning Blade!" Andromon deflected Rapidmon's missiles, but was caught off guard by the symbol in the air that crashed into his side. "Gah!" Andromon fell over in pain, grasping the building desperately as the symbol on his stomach began to burn.
"Let's finish this loser off." Rapidmon leaped into the air next to Taomon.
"Walk all over him Taomon!" Rika cheered to her partner.
"It will be my pleasure: Talisman of Light!" Taomon formed her attack.
"Tri-Beam!" Rapidmon shaped himself into a triangle, energy spheres forming on in his arms and feet. The three beams then formed a prism and fired at the weakened Andromon along with Taomon's attack.
"Agh!!!!" The two attacks shattered Andromon, degenerating him to Hagurumon.
"Ha! Too easy." Rapidmon smiled, victorious.
***
Two Weeks Later
"Who the hell are you?" MegaSeadramon lifted his throbbing head to match the gaze of the armored rabbit and the robed fox hovering in front of him.
"Does it really matter?" Rapidmon smiled. "You're not going to remember us in a few minutes anyway, because we're going to beat you to a bloody pulp! Bunny Pummel!" Rapidmon dashed over to the sea snake and slammed his fist into the ultimate."
"Talisman spell!" Taomon then fired a stream of red symbols from her long sleeves.
"Who are they?" Kari questioned from below the battle.
"I don't know but the green one knows Bunny Pummel, just like Gargomon." Gatomon replied.
"Is that Gargomon's ultimate form?" Tai muttered as he escaped the grasp of the now stunned Zoe, who was looking up in fear as MegaSeadramon was beaten easily by Rapidmon and Taomon.
"You're damn right it is!" A voice from behind them cheered. Tai turned his head to see two familiar faces running into the cavern from the passage that led to the dark night outside.
"Izzy! Rika!" Tai and Kari cheered as the two tamers rejoined with the brother and sister, who had regrouped at the frozen statue that was Hakase.
"Sorry we're late, it took a while to find you guys." Rika laughed.
"The big mountain popping up in the middle of the desert was a big help though." Izzy smiled.
"You think just because you've gotten reinforcements that you've won?" Zoe laughed as she amazingly appeared on the other side of the cavern. "I'm not just sitting I here by myself you know: Yolei! Ken! Joe!" Just then three digidestined came out of the back cavern with their digimon right behind them.
"Well that just sucks." Tai groaned.
"Mushroomon, warp digivolve to... Cherrymon!"
"Wormmon, warp digivolve to... Paildramon!"
"Gomamon, warp digivolve to... Zudomon!"
"Looks like we're going to need some help!" Rapidmon flew to the opposite side of the cavern to face against MegaSeadramon and its friends, who had regrouped and were staring them down. Rapidmon had grabbed the unconscious Agumon on the way and dropped him in Tai's arms.
"Okay, let's do this!" Rika cheered. "Walk all over them Renamon!"
"It will be my pleasure!"