"Here's how you play the new game!" Puppetmon exclaimed. He had the old soccer ball taken away by a group of Mushroomon who returned shortly after. The Dokugumon soon began to surround the field and mark up the boundary lines before they sat down to watch. A group of four Woodmon also came out and stood on the side of field that Puppetmon stood on. "Your digimon partners will be the goal that you have to protect," he told the humans. A large Cherrymon came and stood behind Puppetmon's team. "And this Cherrymon will be the goal that we protect."
"Okay," Hope said, a little unsure.
"Sounds like a piece of cake!" Brian exclaimed confidently.
"Maybe not, Brian," Gabbie cautioned. "Puppetmon has some sort of trick up his sleeve. I'm sure of it."
It was then that one of the Mushroomon brought out a small, round object and placed it in the middle of the field. Puppetmon and the Woodmon got into a huddle and began discussing a plan. The Tamers followed suit. As they did so, the unconscious partner digimon were hung from a tree on the Tamers field.
"So who here knows how to play this game best?" Brian asked right off the bat. "I've never really played before today."
"I've been playing for seven years," Gabbie said immediately, very proud.
"About the same," Hope said as well.
"Anybody else?" Brian looked at the other two. They all shook their heads no. "Alright, that makes you two girls the heads or whatever for this. Tell us what to do."
"Okay, well I think we should have two forwards, two midfielders, and a goalie," Hope began.
"Okay, I think I know what the goalie is for," Duane said. "But you should refresh my memory on what forwards and midfielders are.
"The forwards will be able to go where ever they want on the field," Gabbie explained. "They will be the ones scoring points and running around. Midfielders can only be on their half of the field and should act as a line of defense against the opposite team's offense."
"Right," Hope agreed. "We should have our fastest players be the forwards."
Gabbie looked around at them and thought for a moment. "I think that you and I are the fastest here," she said to Hope. "We should be the forwards."
"I'll be the goalie," Brian said. "I don't think I'll be much good out there on the field."
"That leaves you and me as midfielders, Stina," Duane surmised.
She nodded back at him with determination. "Right. I'm ready."
"Okay, so we're all agreed then?" Brian made certain. Everybody nodded and put their hands in the middle. "Okay, on three."
They pumped the mass of hands three times and yelled, "Tamers!"
"Okay!" Puppetmon cried as they broke their huddle. The Woodmon walked to different areas of the field. Puppetmon appeared to be playing forward position. There was a Dokugumon with a black and white striped shirt standing off to the side with a whistle. "When the whistle blows, we begin playing! No cheating!"
The two forwards from each team stood facing the strange ball. When the whistle blew, Puppetmon, a Woodmon, Hope, and Gabbie all ran at the ball. Hope struck it hard with her foot and chased it down to the other side of the field.
The other three forwards followed her down. Gabbie caught up and was running parallel to her, several feet to her left. Hope passed Gabbie the ball just as a Woodmon dove in front of Hope. Gabbie caught the ball and continued to kick it down the field. She got close to the goal and stopped. The other teams midfielders had closed in on her and she couldn't move.
Gabbie kicked the ball up into the air and used her head to pass it over the Woodmon. Hope did a front-flip and kicked the ball straight at the other team's goalie. It looked like it would make it at first, but the ball suddenly exploded.
Puppetmon reached out to grab the cross that he had thrown at the ball. He grinned as Hope fell down onto her butt after her kick.
"You didn't tell us that ball was a bomb!" she yelled at him.
"Woops," Puppetmon responded indifferently. "Mushroomon! We need a new ball!" he called to the rookie level digimon off to the side. The horde of Dokugumon spectators yelled in delight as Puppetmon raised his arms in triumph.
"It seems they aren't going to play fair," Duane growled to Brian and Christina.
"Yeah," Brian agreed. "So let's play a little dirty ourselves." Duane looked at him quizzically. Brian shot a mysterious grin back and said, "You'll see what I mean."
The new "ball" that a Mushroomon had supplied was given to the opposing goalie who threw it back into play. Another Woodmon, one of the midfielders, caught it as if gently slammed against his chest. After the bomb dropped back to the ground, the digimon passed it to Puppetmon who was already running down the field.
"He's coming, guys!" Gabbie yelled as she and Hope chased after the digimon. A Woodmon wasn't that far behind. The grass was a blur beneath their feet as they ran down the field.
It wasn't hard for the much faster Puppetmon to out maneuver Duane and Christina and quickly reach the goal. Brian waited, staring Puppetmon down as the others caught up. The digimon wasted no more time and quickly kicked the ball right at Brian.
The Tamer held up his hands and summoned his DigiBlade to deflect the bomb. The ensuing explosion singed his clothes and blew wind all around him. He felt a great amount of pain, especially on his hands. As the smoke cleared, he realized that his hands had digitized slightly, and were flickering.
"Whoa," Duane said. "I always wondered, but never really knew."
"Knew what?" Hope quickly asked, a little scared for Brian.
"We must be made of data while we're in the Digital World. I wonder if our bodies stay in the Real World until we need them again." He paused and then added, "That doesn't mean we can't die though. We're still us and I'd rather stay on the safe side of things."
As his data stabilized, Puppetmon said, "Those bombs disrupt data. Approximately three hits and you're deleted!" He laughed maniacally. "Looks like you have a choice to make!"
"What kind of choice?" Christina asked, fearing the answer.
"He means," Brian explained, "that if I let three balls through, then it's game over for our digimon." Everybody was suddenly aware of why Puppetmon had put the partner digimon as the goal behind Brian. "But if I keep deflecting the bombs," he trailed off. He didn't want to say it.
"Then he dies!" Puppetmon exclaimed excitedly.
The Tamers all looked at him with mixed emotions of shock and loathing. "You can't do this, Puppetmon!" Gabbie exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Hope agreed. "We won't play!"
"You have to!" Puppetmon told them. Three Dokugumon positioned themselves around the digimon partners hanging from the tree behind Brian. "If you don't, then your digimon will die! Make your decision."
"I'll be fine," Brian called to the others. "I won't let anything happen to our digimon!"
"What about you?" Hope asked. "You aren't being brave! You're being stupid-brave!"
"If I don't, then the digimon will die."
"And if you do then you will die!" Gabbie yelled.
"They're right Brian," Duane told him. "You don't have to do this."
"Look," Brian said, suddenly getting an idea. "After two hits, I'll alternate out with somebody. Does that sound better?"
The others grudgingly agreed and the game resumed. Brian was handed a new bomb, which he tossed in to Christina. "Try to think of ways that we can use the DigiBlades," Brian told them. "Puppetmon can use his powers, so can we."
Christina hurled the ball with her foot to Duane who deflected it up the field to Gabbie. A Woodmon intercepted and ran back towards them. Hope ran and skidded in front of the digimon, stealing the ball. Gabbie got it back and rushed up the field. Hope stood back up, ignoring the dirt on her, and ran after her.
Gabbie passed the ball to Hope when she caught up and weaved between two of the Woodmon. Puppetmon was right on Hope's tail when she caught the ball. She ran as fast as she could while still controlling the ball and faked a kick at the goalie. The defending Woodmon took the bait and dove downward. Hope passed the bomb back to Gabbie as he hit and she launched it into the goal zone. The bomb exploded against the trunk of the Cherrymon, who moaned at the pain. The Cherrymon's data disrupted for a moment and then stabilized again.
"That was cheating!" Puppetmon accused.
"How?" Gabbie cried.
"I don't know! It just was!" the digimon accused as a new bomb was put into play. The Woodmon goalie threw the ball to Puppetmon. The Dark Master ran up the left side of the field, kicking the ball forward with each step. A Woodmon ran parallel to Puppetmon up the right side, Hope and Gabbie were trying to keep up. The girls had exhausted a decent amount of their energy trying to score that first point though.
"Duane!" Brian yelled. "Stop Puppetmon! Use your DigiBlade!"
Duane summoned the halberd that he wielded and used the blunt end to trip up Puppetmon as he passed by. Puppetmon kicked the ball over to the Woodmon and jumped over the shaft of the DigiBlade and yelled, "Puppet Pummel!" Puppetmon pulled the large mallet off of his back and struck Duane in the back with it. The gunpowder inside the mallet ignited and blasted Duane forward.
He cried out as he hit the ground, his data flickering. Gabbie ran past Duane and caught up to Puppetmon. She ran along side him, hoping to keep the Woodmon from passing the ball back to the Dark Master. "Get out of my way!" Puppetmon told her.
"No!"
Puppetmon charged full speed at Brian. "Christina!" Brian yelled. "You have to keep the Woodmon from getting to me!"
Christina summoned her chakram DigiBlade and threw it at the Woodmon, but not before the digimon kicked the ball ahead of him and right at the goal. Brian stood in the goal, prepared to take the explosion full on, but Puppetmon advanced and swung his heavy hammer at his head. Brian ducked instinctually and the bomb went right over his head, exploding on contact with the partner digimon.
They heard a whimper of pain from the digimon and the data flickered a little. Hope and Gabbie skidded to a halt. Puppetmon grinned and ran back to protect his own goal. A Mushroomon handed Brian the new bomb and he threw it back into play. Gabbie caught it and passed it to Hope, who was already halfway up the field. The two ran up opposite sides of the field. Hope passed it back to Gabbie and struck a Woodmon in the torso with her short-sword DigiBlade, knocking him over with the blow.
Puppetmon threw his cross at Hope in anger but she dodged it skillfully. Cornered again by a Woodmon, Gabbie stopped and placed her foot protectively over the ball. She quickly glanced around at her possibilities. Puppetmon advanced on her from behind and she knew she had to act fast. She kicked the ball upward into the air and slammed her forehead into it, propelling the ball right at the Woodmon in front of her.
The ball toppled the other digimon over and she bolted to retrieve the ball. Gabbie caught it again and continued down the field, Puppetmon moving quickly behind her. Hope ran up beside Puppetmon and she sliced at him with her sword. The Dark Master fought back with his revolver-style hammer, blocking and striking back. As the two exchanged blows, Gabbie managed to gain distance and she was soon right there at the goal.
"No!" Puppetmon yelled as she kicked the ball hard into the goal. The Woodmon defending the Cherrymon inside took the blast and was flown backwards as his data flickered. A Mushroomon quickly put another bomb into play and the ball was passed to Puppetmon before the girls had a chance to get back to their own side of the field.
Christina stood in front of Puppetmon as he advanced and she threw her chakram at him. Duane was in combat with the Woodmon forward. Puppetmon dodged the chakram and swung his hammer at her, knocking her out of his way.
Puppetmon threw his cross at Brian who deflected the attack with his DigiBlade. "Gotta try harder than that!" the boy yelled. Puppetmon growled and kicked the ball at him. Brian stood right in the way, ready to take the blast and protect the digimon behind him.
It went in the goal.
A sideline Dokugumon had used its web to adjust the path of the bomb, moving it right passed Brian and into the goal. The explosion engulfed the digimon.
XXX
"Puppetmon is no longer obeying your orders, Billy." The old man looked at him sternly. "He is a dangerous ally and does not play well with others."
"Well he's too powerful to control with the Black Splinters, Gennai," the boy shot back at him. "You called me here. Why?"
"I've told you before that the Dark Masters cannot be tamed, no matter what Tamer decides to give them orders. They always have motives of their own. There is a reason that Puppetmon agreed to work with you. And it isn't because he deludes himself into thinking you're his friend."
"Then what is it?"
"He wants the DigiBlades, Billy. Open your eyes." Gennai's stare was intense and Billy seemed to shrink underneath it. "The DigiBlades are the reincarnation of the Crests. They reshaped themselves and chose the Eight to come to the Digital World and wield their power. Even you must succumb to the reason that they want you. You are supposed to save our worlds."
"Don't get caught up in that," Billy told him. "That isn't what we are discussing. I will rule the Digital World after my competitors are out of the way."
"Does that include Lilithmon?"
"Yes. She is a means to an objective. She will fall at my blade same way you and Daemon will."
"Is that why you don't kill me? Am I a means to an objective?"
"Yes." Billy shifted his weight. They stood in one of the ancient forests of Monitor, near a wizened old tree. The shade was cool on Billy's face.
"And what will you do when Daemon becomes a means to an objective? Will you keep him alive as well? Uncertainty will surely bind you to him the way it has bound you to Lilithmon and I. Face it Billy, you are a slave."
"I am not!" He yelled as he drew his sword and laid the point against Gennai's throat. "I will kill you right now!"
"You will not. If you were going to then you wouldn't have hesitated. You wouldn't be listening to what I have to say."
"Get to the point!"
Gennai paused for a moment. He was sure that Billy wouldn't kill him at the moment. A hunger for purpose burned in the boy's eyes. As long as Gennai, Lilithmon, and Daemon lived, he would hunt them saying that he would kill them. He would never kill any of them, however. Gennai foresaw that it was the other Tamer's fate to kill Lilithmon and Daemon. He also foresaw his own death, but not at the hands of Billy.
Gennai cleared his throat and spoke, "Kill Puppetmon. Join Brian and the others and help them kill the Dark Masters. You cannot defeat them alone."
"I can! I will! And then I will kill the Tamers!"
"Then use it as an excuse to examine them close up. Learn their weaknesses. Catch them when they're off guard. But you will need them to defeat the Dark Masters. They were only defeated through the power of the Eight long ago. That is how it must happen this time as well."
Gennai disappeared suddenly. Billy blinked and looked around. He was nowhere to be seen. "C'mon, Sakuyamon. We have work to do."
The tall digimon walked out. Her armor clanged together as it rubbed. She planted her staff into the earth with each step and she exited the shadows. "Yes, my master." Her eyes glowed red.
XXX
A large wooden arm collided with the side of Duane's face as he ran alongside the Woodmon with the ball. As Duane hit the dirt, the digimon passed it to Puppetmon. Hope was running next to Puppetmon and the two were exchanging blows. They were both distracted however, as Puppetmon was trying to catch the thrown ball and Hope was trying to intercept it. Puppetmon knocked Hope in he head with his cross and she was knocked off balance. He caught the ball and sped down the field, Gabbie close on his heels. Christina dove in front of him in an attempt to grab the ball. She missed but managed to stumble him enough for Gabbie to catch up.
Puppetmon threw his cross at Brian who was forced to jump out of the way. The Woodmon had him pinned down before he even knew what had hit him. With no goalie and everybody else either laying on the ground or running behind him, Puppetmon had nothing to stop him from kicking the bomb into the goal, winning the game and killing all five of the partner digimon.
Puppetmon pulled his leg back and kicked the ball right at his target. "No!" Gabbie yelled. "Dobermon! I can't lose you! I love you!"
Suddenly the ground rumbled and cracked apart. Reddish pink light shot out of every crevice that had suddenly been created and a giant block of metal burst its way through the dirt in front of the unconscious partner digimon. The nearby Dokugumon were knocked off balance and one of them accidentally cut open the webbing that held the digimon captive. Their unawake bodies sprawled out over the ground.
The bomb collided with the giant block of metal that now protected the digimon. "It's been here the whole time!" Puppetmon shrieked.
It took Gabbie a second to realize what he was talking about. Then she saw the small digivice shaped indention in the face of the block. "No way," she muttered. Suddenly, she bolted at it.
"Stop her! Don't let her get to that DigiDoor!" Puppetmon yelled in desperation. Woodmon suddenly rose up out of the ground in front of her, blocking her path. There was no time to stop. Instinctively, she leaped up into the air and pounced on one of the Woodmon, knocking him over. One of the others suddenly had her hair and pulled her up.
She kicked and yelled and did whatever she could to get free, but remained a captive. Puppetmon looked at her in disgust. "That DigiBlade will be mine," he snickered.
Dobermon, awakened by his best friend's screams, stirred from his dreams. "Black Beam!" he yelled. The beam of pure darkness shot out across the field and struck the Woodmon who had a hold of Gabbie's hair. The digimon burst into data and Gabbie dropped to the ground.
"Meddlesome pup!" The Dark Master yelled. Gabbie stood up and ran again for the DigiDoor. Her digivice fit perfectly and she smiled as she heard a tiny click. The doors spread apart, letting the brilliant reddish pink lights flow from the crack.
The DigiBlade floated out and rested right in her waiting palms. The DigiBlade took the shape of a Khopesh, a sickle-like Egyptian weapon. Everything felt perfect; the size, weight, and balance. All of it felt as if it were made for her.
The DigiDoor closed and her digivice floated back to her, the heart shaped Crest of Love burned into the back. The screen of the DigiBlade glowed that now-familiar reddish pink light and showed the crest. It came and clicked itself into place on the hilt of her new blade.
XXX
A note from the author: Hey guys! Don't forget to vote for who your favorite Digimon: Light Tamer is! Also, if you feel that I haven't developed any of the characters enough, PM me and ill try to fix that. I appreciate everybody who reads my story! Thank you so much!