Digimon Savers International: RELOADED
Digimon Tamers, Digimon Savers/Data Squad, etc. ©1999-2013, 2017 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, Studiopolis, Disney-ABC Domestic Television etc.
All Rights Reserved
Recap
(Marcus) Greg recovered from his fainting and grabbed me by the throat! Of course, I did kinda slap him around a little. Anyway, this girl named Rika showed up at the base, reunited with that Wong guy, and then did some sort of Peter Allen number. Gummymon hatched from his DigiEgg, and all was going well. Not for us. I finally reunited with my dad, but the weird thing is that he claims he's King Drasil and that he wants all humans dead! That's totally whack! Just as we thought we were finished, Kentaurosmon came to save us. Turns out he's the Mega form of Kudamon and had been King Drasil's spy for a while, but decided to side with the humans. Heh, that little weasel always was sneaky. Mom and Kristy got the shock of their lives when they found out what happened to Dad, and I had to explain the whole thing to them. Meanwhile, Greg was getting all angsty about whether we'd be able to defeat Gallantmon without killing his old buddy Takato. UlforceVeedramon accused him of not completely understanding the concept of hope. After some meditation and one of those 80s songs, Greg saw the error of his ways and unlocked UlforceVeedramon's Burst Mode. Greg used his trust in his partner to give him a power boost and finally beat that Knight! Now, ShineGreymon and I are going out alone to the Digital World. Hold on, Dad! I'm coming for you!
Chapter 44: A Norstein Family Affair
["Beaujolais"
Written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson
Performed by The Satsuma Rentarō Project
Lead Vocals by Takato Matsuki (singing voice by Johnny Yong Bosch)
Backing Vocals: Johnny Yong Bosch, Chris Rainbow]
As this dream sequence starts, we find a more adult Takato running from something. This something happens to be Gallantmon. Just as he's about to be attacked, he runs through a door marked with the Crest of Hope. Takato then seems to "wake up" in his room thanks to the sound of his cell phone. He looks around the room, gets up, and seems to be hung over. (Beaujolais is actually a very light-bodied red wine, with relatively high amounts of acidity.)
Takato:(VO)
No clock beside my bed
Don't try to wake me
No phone upon my wall
Who's going to call?
No knock upon my door
No news to shake me
Nights like the one before
I can't take no more
After getting dressed, Takato turns on the TV to the news, and making the morning headlines are Gallantmon's battle with the rest of the team. Takato just can't stand to watch it, but for some reason, can't turn away from the screen, even while making breakfast. He nearly slices his finger while slicing tomatoes for a salad. Yes, some Japanese people typically make salads for breakfast.
Takato:
Beaujolais goes straight to my head
Beaujolais puts me to shame
And I don't know why I'm in this place or how I came
Beaujolais and I go crazy
Beaujolais I can't explain
But it helps me to forget the past and ease the pain
Noticeably absent from this scene is Guilmon, but not his bread. In a separate area of the kitchen, Takato kneads and folds some dough into Guilmon's head a few times. But when he looks at what he's made, visions of Gallantmon and what happened last night flash in his head. He ends up punching the wall.
Takato:
One race that I can't win
With an alter ego
One chance to sink or swim
What am I to do?
One tail that I can't shake
Wherever I go, he go
One circuit I can't break
It's a catch twenty-two
Beaujolais goes straight to my head
Beaujolais' the one to blame
And I don't know why I'm in this place or how I came
Beaujolais will be my ruin
Beaujolais I can't complain
Cause it helps me to forget the past and ease the pain
Takato becomes restless, wandering around his parents' bakery. He decides the one thing that can best get his mind off what happened would be to work, so he starts in a large order of wheat loaves. But as he's kneading and forming the dough, he discovers to his horror that he instinctively makes bread shaped like Guilmon's head. He's panicked by these feelings of sudden disgust towards his partner. Suddenly, visions of his past self and Guilmon loom over him as if they were projected on TV screens that will not turn off.
Takato:
Beaujolais
Beaujolais
Beaujolais goes straight to my head
Beaujolais puts me to shame
And I don't know why I'm in this place or how I came
Beaujolais and I go crazy
Beaujolais I can't explain
But it helps me to forget the past and ease the pain
Beaujolais goes straight to my head (Backing: goes straight to my head)
Beaujolais' the one to blame
And I don't know why I'm in this place or how I came
Beaujolais will be my ruin (Backing: goes straight to my head)
Beaujolais I can't complain
Cause it helps me to forget the past and ease the pain
Beaujolais (Backing: goes, goes straight to my head)
Beaujolais
Beaujolais
Beaujolais (Backing: goes, goes straight to my head)
Beaujolais
Beaujolais
As the song continues to fade, we find Takato in this dream filled with agony.
Greg
We quickly rushed back to the base after Marcus left, just in case Takato decided to wake up. We made it just in time because he started moaning and groaning. Needless to say, two years had done a number on his wardrobe. I don't know how King Drasil kept the Biomerge active so long, but we saw the result.
He finally stirred and spoke. "...Guilmon?" He sat up and looked around. "Huh? Greg, Anya, Rika, Henry... oh man... what happened?" Rika walked up to Takato and slapped him in the face. "Huh?"
"That was for keeping us worried for two years!" she stated. Then, she hugged him. "And this is just to show how glad we are that you're OK." "Uh, gee... thanks," Takato said. That didn't make Rika any happier as her eyebrows went way up. "Is that it? Is that all you have to say? Rrrgh, I don't know whether to kiss you or tear you from limb from limb!"
She slumped into a chair. "Wow, and I thought Rika was happy to see Takato," a confused Veemon said. Gaomon explained it to him, "Well, I personally think she's excited, but her hormones may be saying something different." "Oh yeah, Tentomon told me about it," Veemon said as a grin came over his face.
Meanwhile, Takato continued his search for Guilmon until he saw the DigiEgg. "Oh no! Guilmon!" He rushed for the egg and held it close to him, like a parent who had just recovered his child from a police officer. "Oh, I'm just so glad you weren't destroyed like last time. Oh, Guilmon... I'm so sorry, boy."
"Um, Takato... it's going to hatch soon," I said reassuringly. He let out a sigh of relief. As he walked around looking at the place, it quickly became apparent that he needed a new outfit. "What is this place?" he wondered. Just then, Sampson walked in with Kudamon around his neck. He noticed Takato.
"Ah, you must be Takato," he said as he briskly walked down the stairs. "Huh? How do you know my name?" Takato asked curiously. "Ahem... I've heard so much about you from the Monster Makers and from the agents here. My name is Commander Richard Sampson, formerly of DATS. This is Kudamon." I took it upon myself to introduce him, "Takato, this is Commander-"
"We've already met," Kudamon said. I went on, "Oh. Commander, this is Takato Matsuki, the goggle head I was telling you about so much."
"Wow, you know the Monster Makers?" Takato asked. Sampson explained, "Yes, they used to work for DATS before the base exploded. They're now scattered around the world." "OK... so, I've been gone for two years, right?"
"Right," I said. "What was I doing? All I remember is Guilmon getting up in the middle of the night and following a strange light. I went with him, the light sucked us in... and that's, all I remember." "Well, to cut a long story short, a lot has happened since you were away, but we'll talk about that after a good meal. Commander, you wouldn't happen to have any spare DATS uniforms, would you?" I asked. He stroked his chin thinking about it. "Hmm... most of them were destroyed in the explosion, but I think I may know where to get some more. I'll see what I can do." And so, he left.
We eventually introduced him to everyone. The Bodysuit Police seemed to take a liking to him, but the first person he asked about was Jeri. Apparently, the two had been dating for some time. I went to her Facebook page, something I hadn't checked in a long time. Apparently, her tastes in music had changed, as well as her religion. She was now a Christian, and particularly enjoyed the work of Newsboys and MercyMe. Jeri never really had recovered from Leomon's death and the D-Reaper incident, so I figured she must've turned to religion for comfort. I sent her a message and read it as I typed it. "'Jeri, this is Greg. I got a good feeling you'll be praising God tonight, we found Takato.' Sound good?" Takato nodded, so I sent it.
Sampson came back about half an hour later with some measuring tape, and we got his measurements. "I've got something that'll work for now, but we'll have to do some shopping tomorrow," the commander said. "But I thought everyone was underground," Gary countered. "Hmmm... right. We'll have to scrounge around, then." We got whatever sleep we could get that night.
The great thing about this particular section of Tokyo was that there were numerous choices of restaurants. However, it didn't mean a thing now that everyone had evacuated for safety. So, Sarah and Kristy Damon became part of our support team. They kept everyone fed and happy. We went back to the Matsuki residence in Shinjuku, but it seemed Mr. and Mrs. Matsuki had already evacuated. Thankfully, Takato still knew how to make Guilmon bread, even being two years out of practice. After packing up a number of loaves for later, we checked all of his wardrobe, and found some hoodies and pants that still fit him. We went back to the thrift store in Shibuya (the manager had decided to stay with her shop) and brought in a fashion consultant, Yoshi Fujieda. She'd been one of the first employees hired at DATS, and was an alternate member of the Test Unit (supposedly testing the Spirits of Water). She was an OK girl, I guess. I never really saw much of her, except at lunch or company meetings. She ran through a pile of shirts like it was nothing. "Too black, too basic, too chic, too modern, not modern enough... you know what? Come with me, Takato. We're gonna figure this one out." She took Takato to a dressing room and picked out some outfit combinations, some of which were pretty good. For a joke, Gary and I picked out a Shinji Ikari outfit (you know, white button-up shirt, black undershirt, black pants, white tennis shoes). Tom was nice enough to charge it all on his credit card.
Takato decided to keep his classic look, albeit with slacks instead of long shorts. He kept the goggles, like I figured he would.
We kept a vigilant guard up for any Digimon attacks, but there weren't any that day. Maybe they needed to rest as well. We made it back to the base where Yoshi continued her analysis of Takato's apparel. Gary went in to make sure Yoshi didn't have his way with our buddy. The rest of us watched and waited for Guilmon's DigiEgg to hatch. Gaomon and Veemon did some more sparring, with Veemon showing a lot of improvement. At least, that was as far as I could tell. I went into a spare room and took up some video games. Right in the middle of a level, an idea came to mind. I paused the game and thought it over. Perhaps I could use the powers of my Crest to hatch Guilmon's DigiEgg.
Doug
One of the perks of being a voice actor for this show, or any show for that matter, is that toy companies feel obligated to give you free toys of your characters and other merchandise. Wendee Lee really seems to enjoy it. Since I was voicing two DigiDestined, Bandai gave me two action figures; one of T.K. and one of Greg. They were the "Extreme Biomerge" kind, the ones with all the attachments that allow you to transform them into their Mega-level monster forms.
Greg's went straight to Imperialdramon Fighter Mode, because anything else would've been just weird. I had both of them set up on my desk and was playing with both of them. I even did my own voices. "Now, Greg, prepare yourself to face the true power of hope! Ready, Patamon?" I asked in T.K.'s voice, wearing the hat. "Ready!" I squeaked in a bad impression of Bridget's Patamon voice. Then, I slipped back into T.K.'s voice. "Biomerge Activate!" Then, I took off the head and stripped off the body casing, revealing nothing but a black figurine. I was just in the middle of putting all the Seraphimon parts on, when I got an alert. I answered it. "Yo." "Mr. Erholtz?" I took off my hat. "Enough with the formalities. I'm essentially you. What's up?" I asked. "Well, I was wondering if I could use my Crest to hatch Guilmon's DigiEgg. Takato's back, and we may need Gallantmon."
I thought about it. "Um... yeah, it doesn't work like that. DigiEggs take time to hatch, and you've already completed your Awesome Quota for a while." "I have an Awesome Quota?" Greg asked. I went back to my work of assembling Seraphimon while I explained it to him, "Not really, but you probably want to give some of your friends a chance to shine, ya know? It'd be boring if it was all about you. It's like Marcus punching out every single enemy Digimon he can lay his fists into. After a while, it'd become predictable." "He does that kind of thing anyway," Greg pointed out.
I snapped on the plackart. "...True. Anyway, you're the only one with a Crest, which technically makes you part of Adventure continuity. I wouldn't exhaust myself." I put on my bucket hat. "He's right, you know," I agreed in T.K.'s voice, then I took the hat off. "...All right. Thanks," Greg said. "Any time, any time," I answered in my normal voice. Then, I went back to assembling Seraphimon.
"...Kids, you give 'em a Crest and they think they can do anything," I grumbled to myself.
["La Sagrada Familia"
Written by Alan Parsons & Eric Woolfson
Performed by The Spencer Logan Project
Lead Vocals: Spencer Logan (singing voice by DavidPack)
Backing Vocals: Valerie Logan (Wendee Lee), Uncle Tom (Chris Rainbow), Grandpa Logan (singing voice by Eric Woolfson), Other Relatives (a group of L.A.-based SAG-AFTRA vocal contractors)]
The action shifts to a church inside Atlanta. The Logan Family is watching TV as they see their own children fight for their lives against Gallantmon. The mood is somber and low. Aunt Beth pulls out a keyboard and starts playing. Spencer pours himself a glass of water.
Spencer:
Who knows where the road may lead us?
Only a fool would say
Who knows if we'll meet along the way?
Follow the brightest star as far as the brave may dare
What will we find when we get there?
Backing:
La Sagrada Familia
Spencer:
We pray the storm will soon be over
Group:
La Sagrada Familia
Spencer:
For the lion and the lamb
Spencer paces the floor, occasionally looking out the window, wondering when the chaos caused by Dr. Kurata will reach their area.
Spencer:
Who knows where the winds may blow us?
Only a fool would say
Who knows if we'll ever reach the shore?
Follow the rising sun with eyes that may only stare
What kind of fire will burn us there?
What kind of fire?
Oh, only a fool would say
The scene quickly shifts to the chapel. All the male are up on the stand in their suits, much like an LDS priesthood choir. By the side, an uncle strums a chord on his electric guitar as an unnamed family orchestra joins in below them.
Spencer:
La Sagrada Familia
the wind has changed, the storm is over
La Sagrada Familia
for the lion and the lamb
Group:
La Sagrada Familia
Spencer:
We thank the Lord the danger's over
Group:
La Sagrada Familia
Spencer:
There's peace throughout the land
The parents look on a big screen in the chapel as the fight is slowly turning in their favor, at least for now. UlforceVeedramon Burst Mode is taking charge in this battle, and the TV footage switches over to Sakuyamon and MegaGargomon.
Spencer:
Under clear blue skies
our voices rise in songs of glory
And for all those years our eyes and ears
were filled with tears
Oh, filled with tears
Suddenly, the women come in wearing traditional flamenco dresses and tapping castanets around the orchestra while the horn and timpani sections play. They appear to be quite graceful, as is fitting. Valerie comes up to the center and takes the lead.
Valerie:
Who knows where the world may turn us?
Only a fool would say
Who knows what the fates may have in store?
Follow the light of truth as far as our eyes can see
How should we know where that may be?
Uncle Tom:
...where that may be?
Valerie:
How should we know? (Uncle Tom: How should we know?)
The orchestra starts up again as they see more of the fight. The battle is intense as MegaGargomon fires off more missiles. Gallantmon continues to slash and shock away. A saxophone comes in later on just as UlforceVeedramon Burst Mode and Gallantmon charge up their "beams".
Spencer:
Then the angry skies,
the battle cries, the sounds of glory
And for all those years our eyes and ears
were filled with tears
filled with tears
And if you're wondering why this is lasting 7:30 seconds or longer, it's because Alan Parsons likes his instrumental bridges. Later, the mothers join in with their castanets. Spencer takes the center spot and the lead .
Spencer:
Who knows where the road may lead us?
Only a fool would say
Who knows what's been lost along the way?
Look for the promised land
in all of the dreams we share
How will we know when we are there? (Uncle Tom: ….when we are there?)
How will we know? (Uncle Tom: How will we know?)
Spencer:
Oh, only a fool would say
An organ joins in as we're about to reach the final climax. The men look like they're really getting into it. Ultimately, the castanets join in.
Group:
La Sagrada Familia
Spencer:
The war is won, the battle's over
Group:
La Sagrada Familia
Spencer:
For the lion and the lamb
Group:
La Sagrada Familia
Spencer:
We thank the Lord the danger's over
Group:
La Sagrada Familia
Spencer:
Behold the mighty hand
Group:
La Sagrada Familia
Spencer:
The night is gone, the waiting's over
Group:
La Sagrada Familia
Spencer:
There's peace throughout the land
Grandpa:
Until the next time
Until the next time
Grandpa offers that somber and sobering reminder that stifles the mood a bit. Of course, there's one last bit. As Spencer belts out the last line, the family gathers around him.
Spencer:
La Sagrada Familia
Meanwhile, still watching the battle footage is Brianne, Aunt Beth's daughter and Greg and Gary's cousin. She's seven years old, has brown hair, blue eyes, and looks a bit like her mother. At this point, she's wearing her Sunday best, a pink dress with long sleeves, and a white collar with red borders and a red ribbon attached to it, cream colored stockings, and brown shoes. Jesus wants her for a sunbeam. She's kind of like Jeri in a way, except she doesn't become all psycho. A rogue Digi-Gnome appears from nowhere and gives her a pink-and-gray D-Arc and a Blue Card. She sniffs. "What's this?" she wonders as she looks at the card and the D-Arc. She thinks about it... "Ohhhh, I remember now! This must be one of those really cool Digivices Greg showed me once. So, if I just scan this card through this slot..." So, she scans the card through the slot and suddenly, a white light comes out of the screen. Emerging from the white light is a small flying guinea pig-like creature with light blue eyes and bat-like wings, which could possibly be his ears. He has a short, stubby tail. His underside is a light cream color, while his back and head are orange.
Brianne is in awe. Like Greg and Gary before her, she grew up watching Digimon as well. "Patamon!" she gasps. "Hi, Brianne. You don't know how long I've waited to see you," he answers. The two laugh and embrace each other. "I don't believe it, my very own Digimon!" Brianne says in joy. Unfortunately for her, guess who walks in at just the wrong time.
Greg's Dad
I couldn't believe it. "Oh God... not you, too!" I moaned. Little Brianne looked concerned. "What's wrong?" she innocently asked. "Well, you've got one of those Digiman thingeys. Looks like a little rat," I answered.
Just then, the little rat spoke up. "I'm not a little rat. My name's Patamon, and Brianne's my Tamer." "Tamer?" Brianne asked. And while the rat explained exactly what a Tamer meant, I yelled down the hall. "VALERIE! BETH!" Soon, my wife and sister arrived. When they laid eyes on whatever Patamon was, they let out a big "Awwwww, isn't that cute!" I felt a migraine coming on.
"See, see? I've got my own Digivice and everything," Brianne went on. She was so proud of herself. I was about to lose my breakfast.
I took Valerie out into the hall. "This is madness. First Greg, then Gary, now Brianne... pretty soon, everyone in the whole damn family's going to have one! And then I'll never be able to show my face in the office again." "...I wouldn't mind having a Digimon," my wife responded.
I couldn't believe it. "Oh God..." I moaned again. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I doubled over and tossed my cookies. Valerie shot me a look of absolute disgust. "...I'll clean it up, dear," I volunteered.
Greg
Eventually, Guilmon's DigiEgg did hatch in Takato's arms. It kind of helped that Gary put it in the microwave on low for about 10 seconds in one of his usual experiments. It was at about 10%, but it did the trick. I'm surprised nobody's given him the Crest of Knowledge. Then again, they'd have to give everyone crests. Marcus would get Courage, Rika would get Love (again), Gary would get Knowledge, Tom would probably get Reliability, I already have Hope, Keenan might get a tossup between Friendship and Kindness, Sincerity would go to Anya, and the Bodysuit Police would have to fight over Light. Or maybe I'd just give that to Tom's kid sister Relena, even though she didn't have a Digimon.
It was a beautiful moment, but aren't all DigiEgg hatchings beautiful? Takato was absolutely overjoyed, and after a good meal, Gigimon Digivolved back to Guilmon. He looked around the room, smelling all over. It seemed Takato didn't remember what happened, but Guilmon did. When Miki asked him about it, he told his story.
Guilmon
Well, it was about two human years ago. Takatomon just graduated from high school and was registering for a new place they call college. I think he called it Lakeland College, and it had something to do with "liberal arts". It was going to be in this place called Herman, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.
Anyway, one night, he had just finished working on some more drawings and was dead tired. He was even more tired than when I chase him around the park. He fell onto his bed and went right to sleep. He didn't even change his clothes or anything. I curled up beside him, and was just about to doze off when I saw a strange light in front of me. It was really little, but bright for its size. I woke Takato up. "Takatomon," I said, nudging him. "Huh? Wha- what is it, boy?" he asked. I pointed to the bright light, and then it started floating away. We went chasing down the light until we hit an alley. All of a sudden, the light became bigger until it covered the entire alley. We got sucked in, and the next thing we knew, we were in a dimly lit chamber.
We were met by this guy wearing a hood and long robes. He spoke in this weird voice, it was kind of staticy. However, I recognized it. "So, Guilmon, you thought you could leave the Royal Knights, did you?" I kneeled before him. "Um... yes, I did, my king," I said. "You should have known better than to desert your post. Now, who is this human you brought with you?"
Takato looked concerned. "Wait a second, who are you? And where are we?" he quickly asked. King Drasil silenced him. "Silence! I am the ruler of the Digital World, King Drasil. And you are in my court, so kneel down before me!" My Tamer got taken back by this and was forced to kneel down. "Um... this is Takato, my Tamer. Together, we can Biomerge to become Gallantmon," I explained.
King Drasil thought it over, then said, "Hmm... this seems rather unconventional. However, it'll have to do. Now, Takato... I hope you don't have any plans, because you'll be here for quite a while." He snapped his fingers and a group of black lights surrounded my partner.
Takatomon looked around, all confused. "Wait, w-what's going on here?" he asked in panic. Then, they went inside of him and he screamed. Seconds later, something had come over him. His eyes were more blank, and his whole expression changed. It didn't look good at all. "Come on, Guilmon. We've got to help our king," he said, as if in a trance. He summoned his D-Arc and held it up. "Biomerge Activate." A field of black and crimson energy covered us, and I became brainwashed too. We were in King Drasil's control for those two years. That is, until you freed us, Greg.
Greg
I was impressed at all this. "Wow... your memory's improved so much, Guilmon," I said. "Thanks," he said with a smile as he put his claw behind his head.
"So that means we've got three Royal Knights on the team now," Megumi concluded. Just then, her computer went off. "Oh!" She rushed to it. "And it's a good thing too. We've got huge Digimon signatures somewhere in the city. I'm sending the coordinates to your Digivices now," she urgently said, typing away at the keyboard.
I checked my Digivice, and saw the coordinates. "Megumi, you know I can't read these," I protested. "It's downtown," Miki sighed. "Right."
I turned to Takato. "You have a Digivice?" I asked him. He pointed down to his belt and held up his D-Arc. "That ought to work for now, right?" "Yeah. Come on." So, we made our way out downtown. I went with Takato and Guilmon separately, trying to get them ready for the roll call. Takato didn't see the point in it, so I just let it go.
When we arrived, everyone was ready to go. It looked like a large number of Knightmon were attacking the city. We realized our Digimon and then got into position. "Ready?" I asked, thrusting my Digivice forward and thrusting my hand out to the side. The others replied in the affirmative, and we were off. To speed things up, all humans that could get their Digimon to the Mega level by DigiSoul Charge Overdrive went first. "DigiSoul, CHARGE! OVERDRIVE!"
"Veemon Double Warp Digivolve to... UlforceVeedramon!"
"Gaomon Double Warp Digivolve to... MirageGaogamon!"
"Lalamon Double Warp Digivolve to... Rosemon!"
"Tentomon Double Warp Digivolve to... HerculesKabuterimon!"
"Terriermon Double Warp Digivolve to... MegaGargomon!"
"Renamon Double Warp Digivolve to... Sakuyamon!"
"Falcomon Double Warp Digivolve to... Ravemon!"
"Kudamon Double Warp Digivolve to... Kentaurosmon!"
Next, it was Takato's turn. He looked to his partner. "Ready, boy?" he asked. Guilmon nodded, but Takato didn't follow through. "Bio- Oh, who am I kidding? I can't use Gallantmon. If what you say is true, then we've done a lot of damage." Takato was losing his nerve, I could sense it. But did I call him out on the carpet for it? No. I realized that I shouldn't. I mean, if I had gone through half the stuff he had, I'd have been a wreck. I just looked at him with empathy. "It's OK, Takato. Go on back to the base and cheer us on until you're ready," I said. So, he left.
I looked to the others, but Tom cut me off before I could say anything. "We should skip the roll call. We're not fighting ourselves," he said. "All right, we'll have a shorter one," I relented, "Who are we?" "DIGIMON DATA SQUAD!" everyone except Takato shouted. Then, I pointed the way. "Move out!" And so, the Digimon went on the move, slashing and whipping and who knows what else they do. I stood there, putting my complete trust in UlforceVeedramon. Now and then, I'd offer encouraging words to him, like "Give it all you've got!". Most of the time, we watched. There must've been hundreds of Knightmon, and they all kept coming. I kept watch for when some of them decided to fight from the ground. That would be their fatal mistake. Sure enough, a number of them landed on the ground. I grinned. Marcus would've loved this. The others looked slightly panicked. "Looks like some of them decided to land. Shall we welcome them?" I asked Tom. He looked to me, and then got a confident look on his face. "I think we should," he agreed. Then, I looked to Anya. "Anya, you want a piece of the action?" "With pleasure," she replied, cracking her knuckles. Gary already took his Digivice out and was ready to go. I took out my Digivice and got in position as we set up for Aura Mode. "DigiSoul Aura Mode, ON!" we called in unison as our hands went over the lights. As soon as it kicked in, I put my Digivice back in my pocket and went into action.
[BGM: "Run Around" by Jasan Radford]
It was so good to be fighting again. The Knightmon were a bit tougher because they were Ultimate and armor made from heavyweight Chrome Digizoid. They were pretty fast with their swords, too. We needed to think fast, so I hid behind a fallen building and fooled around with my Digivice. After about 10 minutes, I figured out how to adjust the stats of Aura Mode. By pressing the Signal Port down, I changed the focus from General to Speed, Attack, Defense, and back again. Now, the only good answer to a good defense is a good offense, so I upped the attack. I showed it to the others, and they did the same thing. Gary went to the beat of a different drum and decided to go with Speed. That fit his style just a bit more, and it worked! Soon, we found ourselves in a groove that we just couldn't get out of. It was great. Our Digimon fighting Knightmon in the air, us Tamers fighting them on the ground. The Data Squad was in the house, as they say. Just then, I got a phone call. I excused myself and went behind a building, then looked at the caller ID. It was Mom, so I picked it up.
"Hi, Mom." "Honey? We're underground, and Atlanta's being demolished. The CNN Center's been cut to shreds, and Peachtree Avenue looks like a war zone. How are things in Japan?" "Not much better, Mom. Gary and I are in the middle of a battle right now, and it just won't stop. I'll have to talk to you later." "Oh, one other thing. Your cousin Brianne got one of those Digivice thingys too. Her partner's this little guinea pig with wings." "A Patamon?" "Yeah." "Well start praying, Mom. You might get touched by an angel." Dad started yelling into the phone, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. "Love you too, Dad. Bye," I quickly said before I hung up.
"I thought I was the only one with the Crest of Hope," I muttered, shaking my head. Then, I went back to the battle at hand.
When I caught back up, Tom had just gotten off the earpiece and was just about to rush out aboard MirageGaogamon. "Tom, what's going on?" I asked. "My father's trying to take off in our family jet while the airport's under attack." "Need any backup?" "No. This is a Norstein family affair. You don't see me trifling with your family." "We invited you to Thanksgiving in Atlanta, you invited my family to Japan for Christmas. Tom, we've practically adopted you." "I'm going alone," Tom insisted.
Then, he said those magic words, "You're in charge until I get back." I perked up. "In that case, tell Relena I said hey," I said. He gave me the thumbs up as he climbed on his partner's shoulder. "Will do. Let's go, MirageGaogamon!" "Sir, yes, sir!" MirageGaogamon said as the two sped off.
Unspoken toku law dictates that you don't go back and do the roll call in the middle of a battle. So, we forgot the whole thing and went back to fighting. "So, who was that on the phone?" Gary asked, roundhousing into a Knightmon's chest. "That was Mom. Peachtree looks like a warzone, the CNN Center's been decimated, and little Brianne's got herself a Patamon," I said, laying in a few punches. "A Patamon? Wow. It's like the first season all over again."
I should mention something about Commander Sampson. The man didn't have a Digivice Burst, but he did indeed have excellent control over his DigiSoul as he managed not only to cover his fists with it, but also his feet. Even for a man pushing 50, he hadn't completely let himself go in the fighting department.
Thomas
What was Father thinking? He knew very well about the worldwide order to shut down all air traffic. The least he could've done was stand by my side, or at least be in the same country as I was. MirageGaogamon and I flew to the airport, which was under attack. My partner took out a number of Knightmon as the plane was forced into the grass. I forced myself aboard and watched as our private medical team put Relena to bed. I closed the curtains and then turned to my father.
"Why didn't you evacuate? It's not safe anymore! You suddenly have the urge to fly your plane through a war zone?" I angrily asked him. He came up with one answer. "I must return to Austria to protect the family estate." "You know there's a worldwide order grounding all planes!" I protested. My father stood there, arms folded. "So what if there is? I'll get authorization just by dropping my name." "You mean the last name I'm ashamed of having!?" I snarled, walking towards him. "How dare you say that!"
Gaomon quickly came in to pull me out of the fight. "We've got to go," he said. I just glared at him, and then mentally counted to three to calm myself down.
"We have reports of another attack. You had better seek shelter," I advised my father. "Absolutely not! I'm fueling up another jet and departing for Austria within the hour." I felt more veins pop in my head. "But I just told you why you can't do that!" "Then you will act as our escort." I started shaking as I closed my eyes, doing everything in my power to keep myself from exploding in rage. "No, I won't." "I thought you were worried about protecting your sister's life. I guess not." "Well then... I can say the same thing about you, Father," I growled back. "What?!" "That's right. What have you ever protected in your whole, selfish life?"
My mind raced back to after Mother's funeral. Father had just flown in from Austria to pick me up. The courts had determined that he could rightfully gain custody of me. Everything had been cleared out of the house, and all that was left was a picture of her. I carried it as Father shut the window. "Thomas, it's time," he firmly said. I slowly followed him out until I noticed something. It was a long board that she had used to measure how tall I was. I wanted to stare at it one last time. "One second, Father," I had called. But, it was to no avail. His manservant had shut the door.
We were on the plane to Austria that very night and arrived a few hours later. When we arrived at the mansion, I was told to sit outside while Father attempted to clear me with Grandmother Norstein. "But why, Mother?" "For the last time, Franz, no! I'm not under any obligation to meet that child!" "But he's my son, and your grandson." I could hear what they were saying, so I cracked the door open to listen in. "He might share our blood, but he won't share our name. There isn't any way that boy can be considered a true Norstein." So that was how they felt about me. I must've cracked the door a bit too loudly, because they turned toward me. "Thomas," Father said. He cleared his throat. "Where are your manners? Introduce yourself to your grandmother." I walked up to her, not sure what to say. "How do you do, Grandmother?" I managed to utter. She got a good look at me, holding up my chin. "He certainly does have his mother's eyes," she observed. Then she turned back to Father. "This is how you repay us, Franz? By bringing such common blood in our family? And Japanese, no less. You should be ashamed of yourself." Then she turned back to me. "Young man, you are part of the Norstein family, and yet you are not part of the Norstein family. You'll do well in remembering that." There I was, ostracized by my own grandmother. I tenderly looked to Father, who did nothing but turn away and grunt. He should have defended me. He should have stood up for me, his own flesh and blood. But he didn't. He never has. My mind went back to the present.
"I will never forgive you for what you said on that day. Or rather, for what you didn't say. By keeping silent, you completely insulted my mother," I said. Father breathed in. "You don't know anything at all. Anything."
Gaomon got my attention. "Sir, you better take a look at this," he said. I looked out the side window, and saw more Knightmon heading in our direction. "Well don't just stand there, Thomas. If you really want to be considered a Norstein, then do something!" Father barked. I turned back to him, baring my teeth. Just then, the doctor parted the curtains. "Mr. Norstein, your daughter's going into shock!" he urgently reported. "Well, save her!" We both rushed into the hospital wing of the plane.
"My brother... I want my brother..." Relena moaned in her sleep. I was holding onto the bed, and she reached out for my hand. My thoughts went back to her natal day. Father had remarried, this time to an Austrian noblewoman. I never really knew my stepmother that well. She seemed kind and caring, but a bit... distant. I supposed I carried some feelings for her, but I never truly accepted her as a replacement for my mother. That distance was expanded by Father, who always apologized whenever I entered the room. I was always a liability, a wild branch in the Norstein family tree. My stepmother didn't give birth in a hospital because Grandmother insisted that they were only for commoners and not for aristocrats like us. I was kept to the side with my homework, but the mansion was full of commotion.
Father and Grandmother walked to the doctors moments after Relena was born. "Well, Doctor?" "Congratulations, Frau Norstein. It's a girl!" the doctor said. "Is it?" "Uh, yes, but there were some complications. Maybe even, some permanent damage." "Well, I suppose she'll have to do. Save her, Doctor. This child must carry on the Norstein bloodline." My stepmother had died from the complications. A few days after the birth, the very best medical equipment was placed in Relena's nursery and a medical team was hired to work in-house on a permanent basis. One day, I snuck into the nursery and approached the crib. I thought I'd at least introduce myself to my new sister. I held onto the crib. "So you're Relena, huh? Everyone's really worried about you." Just then, she started crying and found comfort in my hand. I pulled it away, and for some strange reason, she resumed her wailing. If anyone caught on, I would be in trouble, so I put my hand inside the crib and she grabbed the two opposite fingers. She looked happy and relaxed. It was then that I realized we had a bond. I silently vowed to do everything I could for her. That's why I pushed myself academically and graduated at the top of my class.
My mind went back to the present, and I searched for a spare guitar case. I had acquired a number of skills for Relena's sake, including musical abilities. I found the guitar case and opened it up to reveal an acoustic guitar. After I quickly tuned it, I sat down on the bed and began to play. The number I chose was from the Gaudi album and was a personal favorite of Relena's. I had sung it to her a number of times.
["Inside Looking Out (Acoustic Guitar Version)"
Written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson
Performed by The Satsuma Rentarō Project
Lead Vocals by Thomas H. Norstein (Crispin Freeman)]
Thomas starts gently strumming the tune on his guitar.
Thomas:
To touch the sky
A dreamer must be
Someone who has more imagination than me
To reach the stars
A dreamer must fly
Somehow he must live more of a lifetime than I
For sands of time won't wait
And it may be too late
Now is the hour and moment
Don't let the chance go by
Your ship is sailing with the high tide
And all your dreams are on the inside
On the inside looking out, on the inside looking out
Looking out, looking out, looking out, looking out
And as Gaomon looks out, he sees Yushima fully charging his DigiSoul, Digivolving Gwappamon into Shawjamon for the fight against the battalion of Knightmon. Shawjamon is a Demon Man Digimon whose name and design are derived from the fictional Sha Wujing and is Kamemon's Ultimate level. Although he is a calm and collected Digimon, it is said that a certain DigiCore was sealed among the nine beads of his necklace, and if even one bead is lost he will be transformed once again into a terrifying Digimon. He wields the astonishing super-heavyweight class "Kouyoujou" staff . Right now, he's using his Hydro Descent attack to shatter the ground and release a raging current. In the meantime, chicken noodle soup is being served on the plane. Franz, who isn't a complete monster, takes a bowl and begins to spoonfeed the soup to Relena, making sure to take off the mask. One by one, Franz and the doctors gather around the bed. Thomas continues his heartfelt lullaby.
Thomas:
To change the world
A dreamer must be
Someone who has more determination than me
To free his soul
A dreamer must fly
Somewhere he must find a better reason than I
The hands of time won't wait
And we may be too late
Now is the hour and moment
Don't let a day pass by
Your ship is sailing with the high tide
You could be standing on the inside
On the inside looking out, on the inside looking out
On the inside looking out, on the inside looking out
Looking out, looking out, looking out
Thomas slowly winds it down as the bowl is completely drained. Relena, having been very content with the song, not to mention the soup, yawns, and falls asleep. Her condition becomes stable as Franz secures the mask. The camera pulls back slowly until the plane looks quite small. Then, we fade into the next scene.
Thomas
I finished the song and put the guitar away. "All right then, I'll save us. For Relena, and not because my last name just happens to be Norstein," I said, walking through the curtains. I caught up with Gaomon. "Uh, sir, are you all right?" he asked. "I'm perfect," I answered as I motioned for him to follow me.
Greg
Gary grunted as he laid the last punch into the last Knightmon on the ground, but we kept seeing more coming from the sky. I turned off Aura Mode and called up to UlforceVeedramon. "Hey! Are you ready to take it to the limit one more time?" "Yeah! Bring it on." I smiled. "Oh, I'm bringing it, all right." With something of a flair, I charged my DigiSoul to just the right limit for Burst Mode, then waited for the display on my Digivice to switch from "ULTIMATE EVOLUTION" to "BURST EVOLUTION". When it was cleared, I slanted it horizontally, slowly bringing my free hand into the light of the Signal Port. "CHARGE! DigiSoul... BURST MODE!" After the Digivice beeped, an orange light rippled from my body as I thrust both hands fully out to my sides and fired the beam of orange light particles. The beam hit UlforceVeedramon and powered him up. "UlforceVeedramon, BURST MODE!" He drew out his Ulforce Saber and went to work on the remaining Knightmon, slicing and dicing them up with great speed and accuracy. I cheered for him. "Yeah! Make shish kabobs outta them!" I started punching the air enthusiastically, going left to right, cheering him on. Henry caught my fist and gave me one of those looks that read, "For crying out loud, would ya knock it off?" I rolled my eyes and went back to cheering him on. Finally, it was all over as my buddy used a supercharged Ray of Victory to take the last two out.
That was probably the greatest battle any of us had fought in a long time. The best part was that Marcus and Tom weren't there, so I was the alpha guy. This is why I have maintained my enthusiasm throughout most of the experience. It just keeps getting better and better. I was bummed out that Takato lost his nerve, but who could blame him? I surveyed the area, as did Henry. "OK guys... I think that's the last one," the Chinese young man announced. The Digimon complemented and high fived each other. "Who's the mon?" UlforceVeedramon asked. "You are," MegaGargomon answered. "No, you are," my partner insisted. After a few minutes, everyone was playfully arguing over who was "the mon".
We went back to the base where everyone took a shower and did some laundry in shifts. After everyone was cleaned up, Sarah, Kristy, and Takato made a nice after-battle meal. We broke bread and told our friend about all the amazing stuff that had gone down while he was away. Takato didn't have his usual enthusiasm. Henry was the first to say something. "What's the matter, man? Usually this kind of stuff would make you geek out." Takato put down his chopsticks. "...Yeah. I've been thinking, guys. When I first Biomerged into Gallantmon, it was to right wrongs and avenge evil. Guilmon and I had this goal, but now that we've caused so much destruction... I don't know if I can feel right becoming him again."
Tears started to roll down his face. "I mean, what if we haven't been purified? What if... well, what if there's still a part of me that wants to take innocent lives and destroy and cause chaos that's just waiting to come back the next time we Biomerge?" he rambled before bursting into more tears. It was a tough moment. For a long time, nobody said anything while Takato wept. After swallowing, I stood up.
"That's just not possible," I said, looking directly at the gogglehead. "Hmmm?" "Takato, I know what I did. I used Esperanza Soul Therapy to heal you and Guilmon, to eternally seal the darkness away from your hearts. Do you know what Esperanza means?" I asked him. He shook his head, and I went on, "It's Spanish for 'hope'. The good part of you, the part I know so well, reached out for that hope. All I did was unlock and open the door. You decided to step through and accept the light. If you hadn't, well, you probably wouldn't be here right now. I don't fully understand it myself, but I'd like to think that would be the case."
Anya spoke up next. "He's right, Takato. I can understand why you'd feel guilty for your past sins as part of the Royal Knights, but it isn't your fault. You were controlled. In my eyes, you cannot be held responsible, so you're innocent." "We all wanted you to pull through," Terriermon added.
Just then, the system went off. Someone was at the door upstairs. I went up and answered it, and it was Jeri. She was taller, more curvy, more like a woman, and yet had gained a pure and religious look about her, much like Alice did all those years ago. Even without saying a word, she made it perfectly clear she could not be tainted. I couldn't do it, even if I had wanted to, which I wouldn't. She wore a small crucifix around her neck. "Oh... Jeri. Hi," I said. She bowed. "Hello, Greg. It's been a long time." "I know, too long." "So this is it, hmm? Are you sure Miki and Megumi gave me the right directions?" "Oh, everyone's downstairs. Follow me."
I led her downstairs. When Takato saw her, he gasped and rushed to her side, giving her a big hug. "Jeri!" "Takato..." The two embraced for what must've been two minutes straight. Jeri broke out of it for a second. "Takato, I have an important message for you. God loves you." "What does that have to do with anything?" Takato asked.
It seems Jeri came prepared as she thought of a sermon off the top of her head about Simon Peter and the struggle he faced after denying he knew Jesus three times. Finally, she summed it up. "All you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And it is this moment right now that you can choose to make everything new." Takato didn't know how to take all this, so Jeri did the only thing a supportive girlfriend could do. She took him in her arms and kissed him. From what I could observe, it was one of the holiest, purest, and most sincere displays of affection I'd ever seen before. Not wanting to be left out, I looked to Anya. She must've had the exact same idea because we kissed as well. We held out for a nice long one. Now, I think P.D.A. has its place, but if Jeri and Takato could get away with it, why not us?
"Uh, guys, this isn't really the time for that," Gary said. I brushed him aside. "That's the strange thing about humans. In times of distress, they tend to treasure their relationships more," Tentomon wisely observed. We finally broke out of our embraces, and Takato looked like a new man. But was he convinced? We'd have to wait for another battle to find out.
Thomas
I didn't waste any time in exiting the plane and pulling out my Digivice. Even in mid-run, I was able to pull it off. "DigiSoul, CHARGE! OVERDRIVE!" "Gaomon Double Warp Digivolve to... MirageGaogamon!" "Go after them!" I ordered. "Sir, yes, sir!" And off he went. He used a Full Moon Blaster in a Knightmon's face while he was fighting another Digimon. I assumed he was Commander-General Yushima's, and my presumptions were affirmed when I saw our Hawaiian shirt-clad leader in the distance. I looked him up, and it was Shawjamon. "Thank you, MirageGaogamon," he said with gratitude. He nodded. "Let's get this done!" "Right!" The two went out to battle. I rushed out to Yushima. "I'm sorry about my father, sir," I apologized. "Hmm? It's not your fault. You're just his son." I looked to the battle. "You're right," I admitted.
MirageGaogamon reverted two Knightmon to DigiEggs with his Double Crescent Mirage. "That's it, MirageGaogamon! Now, finish the rest of them." "Sir, yes, sir." All of a sudden, they fell back. "They're falling back?" I asked. I soon discovered the reason why. There was a storm brewing in the sky, which meant there must have been one in the Digital World as well. That was the only way I could logically explain what was going on. Dropping theatrically out of the sky was a pink knight. I looked him up on my Digimon Analyzer. "'Crusadermon, a Mega-level Digimon. One of the "Royal Knights", he is a monarch who presides over all Knightmon. Even more than to morality, Crusadermon is faithful to what he personally regards as "Justice", and those ends justify their means. If it will bring about lasting peace, Crusadermon will find merit in it, even in regards to "Ruling through Strength".' A-another Royal Knight!" He spoke. "Traitor! You will pay for betraying your king!" he vowed. His voice reminded me of Jim J. Bullock's. Crusadermon was absolutely flaming, I was sure of it. I had enough. "Let's go, MirageGaogamon!" "Sir, yes, sir!" "No, don't! Thomas!" Yushima shouted. We soon found out the reason why. "Spiral Masquerade!" Crusadermon not only evaded the attack, but also attempted to chop up MirageGaogamon with the four body-sash blades which extended from his armor. My partner crashed in front of me, causing me to fall as well. "You fools," he scoffed. "He's strong," I noted, stating the obvious.
Yushima
Thomas isn't his usual, focused self. Something must be bothering him. Could it possibly be that his family is causing him to become flustered?
Franz
I stayed in the airplane with Relena and the doctors while nervously holding onto my soup. I put the bowl down and grabbed my head, feeling a headache coming on. "Was everything, all my fault?" I asked myself.
My mind went back to early in Relena's life. I've always been closely tied to my mother's apron strings, in a manner of speaking. I thought I was a good, dutiful son. She may be overbearing, but she always knew best. As we walked down the hall, she made her thoughts known. "Thomas will succeed as the heir to the Norsteins." "Since when?" I asked in surprise. She answered quite simply and dismissively. "Relena won't do. She was simply born too sickly. There's no choice. I want you to start looking for a young lady of suitable pedigree for Thomas to marry. Choose one that is above prejudice so people won't be talking behind our backs." "I won't do this, Mother," I firmly stated. She turned her head. "Yes, you will." I growled and relented. "Fine." We continued on down the hall. "In the meantime, why don't you pass the time with a game of solitaire?" she suggested.
Just then, something in the present caught my attention. It was Dr. McIntyre. "Mr. Norstein, the plane is ready for takeoff. We must get Relena to a hospital as soon as possible." I came to. "Huh? Oh, right." "Please, hurry! We must go while Master Thomas is still distracting those Digimon!" "Thomas..."
Thomas
Soon, both Shawjamon and MirageGaogamon were on the ground, beaten badly. It was so bad that the former had reverted back to Kamemon. Yushima rushed to him. I couldn't figure out why we were getting beaten. We had tried Battle Formations Alpha through Zeta, and everything in between. Maybe it was the fact that my family was there that was making me lose my edge. "Hmmm... I admire your spirit, brave Digimon, but unfortunately it will not change the ending to your sad story," Crusadermon sneered. Then, he charged up an attack. "Fist of Fear!" He instantly came into point-blank range, then started shooting MirageGaogamon in the chest with sonic booms from the Pile Bunker on his right arm. It created a medium-sized explosion and brought him down on the asphalt again. "MirageGaogamon!" I cried.
As I was running towards him, suddenly I heard another voice. "Tommy, don't go! Tommy, please don't go!" I turned around, and there was Relena, running towards me as fast as she could. Just then, a Knightmon decided to attack her! The blast was headed in her direction. "Relena!" Father shouted. He was ready to protect her, but he tripped. I had to dive in and protect her from the attack. MirageGaogamon protected the both of us. As I held my baby sister in my arms, I saw Father on his stomach, weakly lifting his head. "Thank you, Tommy," she breathed out. Then, she went back to sleep, or fainted. Perhaps it was both, I couldn't tell at the moment. I tried getting her attention. "Relena! Relena!"
Father stood up, walked towards me, then fell to his knees. I looked into his eyes. For the first time ever, I believe, they were full of remorse and regret. "I'm sorry, for treating my children like I own them," he said slowly and methodically, "I've spent my whole life trying to protect our family name. And for what?" He started to slowly break down. I didn't know what to say at that moment. That was the first time I had ever seen him cry genuine tears of remorse. "Don't cry," I started, but then thought against it. I remembered when I was in Austria, outside the family manor. I, too, had wept deeply because I thought I wasn't accepted into the family. That apology was all I needed. Now there was no way I could disappoint him. No way at all. I knew what I had to do. "Father, please take Relena," I said, giving her to him. "Huh? Thomas?" I stood up, determined. "Don't worry, I'm going to protect you. I promise you I will. And I won't let them lay a finger on Relena," I vowed, leaning my hand against my partner's foot. "Ready when you are, sir," he said. I nodded to them both and then turned to face my foe.
[BGM: "Paseo de Gracia" by The Alan Parsons Project]
I threw down the gauntlet. "Crusadermon! It's time for you to leave the human world. I swear on behalf of the Norsteins, I will win!" "You're going to defeat me? I find your joke quite insulting. You won't be laughing when I delete you and your Digimon partner." With that, he flew down and prepared to strike. MirageGaogamon secured himself and stood his ground, ready to defend. One of my favorite movies growing up as a child was The Secret of NIMH. One scene that particularly stood out in my mind was when Mrs. Brisby's stone house was sinking in the mud. She and the rats did everything she could to bring her children out. Unfortunately, it didn't amount to much for the timid little mouse until the amulet rose up from the mud. She flinched at first, but when she grabbed it the second time and allowed the power to flow through her, she was miraculously able to bring the block from the sinking depths. It was her will to protect her children that gave her that power, and now I had that same will. Nothing was going to stand between me and my family, nothing! It was then that my Signal Port on my Digivice Burst lit up. As I felt the power surge through me, I became covered in a rising blue aura of DigiSoul, and I let out something of a restrained yell. I attempted to maintain dignity throughout the whole thing. Always dignity. That's just how a Norstein is. An aura covered MirageGaogamon as well, as Crusadermon was deflected. "Get ready, MirageGaogamon!" I ordered. Then, I swung my hand around and went into position.
I shifted the Digivice to the side, slowly bringing my free hand into the light of the Signal Port. I noticed the aura being drawn in as I swung it. "CHARGE! DigiSoul... BURST MODE!" I called. After the Digivice beeped, an orange light rippled from my body as I thrust both hands fully out to my sides and fired the beam of orange light particles. My partner took the energy and gracefully accepted it, gaining wing-like decorations on his shoulder pads. He brought his hands up and apart, creating what looked like a crescent moon. As it expanded, he brought his hands up again, like he was about to execute a Spirit Bomb, and then drew out a crescent energy blade. "MirageGaogamon, BURST MODE!"
I stared in amazement as I looked him up on the Digimon Analyzer. "You did it, sir! You were able to help me achieve another level of power. In this mode, my Meteor Shackle and Final Mirage Burst attacks will propel us to victory!" my partner said.
Then, I put my Digivice away and my proverbial game face on. I had already developed a strategy in seconds. "MirageGaogamon, show them what the Burst Mode can do! Attack Pattern, 15-A!" I called out. "Sir, yes, sir!" He went right to work as he deflected a Knightmon with his globe. "
I'll put you in your place!" Crusadermon swore, but the globe broke his weapon. "What?"
MirageGaogamon growled, then sped up for a melee. "Spiral Masquerade!" The two fought intensely in a giant ball of light, going back and forth. It was too fast for me to follow, but I had my will, and that was all that mattered.
In the end, Crusadermon got hit with the globe. "What kind of new power is this?" he wondered. "Time for you to leave the human world for good, Crusadermon!" my partner said. That only made him angry. "Oooh, how dare you speak to me in such an insolent manner! I'll teach you. Fist of Fear!" "Meteor Shackle!" MirageGaogamon struck his enemy with a globe of light that has the energy of a planet. Pink light scattered around the sky. "Impossible!" the Royal Knight shrieked. He let out a roar of pain before finally reverting into a DigiEgg. The other Knightmon soon left the scene. When all was said and done, MirageGaogamon reverted back to Gaomon, leaving him looking very small and very tired. I put him back in the Digivice to recover. "Well done, Gaomon. Well done." Father was quite relieved.
We managed to get Relena secured in a spare, undamaged room in the airport. "I see, so you're leaving," Father said. "Yes," I affirmed. "What's the prognosis?" "Relena's fine. The doctor said she was over the worst of it." "I meant you." "Hmmm?" "Are you coming back? Because I worry when you're away."
I gasped at that. This was the first time I had ever heard of any concern from him. He was surprising me all the time. I tried to hide it as we sat down. "I'll be fine, don't worry," I reassured him, "After all, I am a Norstein, right?" "You are." We embraced shortly, and then I left, closing the door. Yushima and Kamemon had been waiting outside, so I turned to my commander-general. "Thank you for everything, sir," I said. "Eh, don't mention it." I nodded, then pulled out my Digivice. "Gaomon, realize." Gaomon came out of his Digivice and walked with me down the hall. "Let's go. Marcus needs us," I said. "Yes, sir. Whatever you say, sir," Gaomon obediently responded.
Yushima
Interesting guy, that Thomas H. Norstein.
Takato
It's so good to be back, but I'm just not sure. I mean, I've missed so much since I was gone, and I've caused so much damage. I believe what Jeri said, but will it be enough? I've got to find the will to fight on.
Author's Notes:
One of my favorite movies growing up was The Secret of NIMH. I attempted to recreate that feeling for Tom's lullaby. I thought "Inside Looking Out" was the best match for that. Plus, it's a gender swap from the original "Flying Dreams Lullaby" scene.
"Why don't you pass the time with a game of solitaire?" is a repeated line from The Manchurian Candidate.
Special thanks to ShadowLDrago for the Aura Mode Changes.
No, Takato hasn't become a coward. A bit more Shinji-esque, maybe, but certainly not a coward. Gallantmon will fight in a future chapter.
Finally, who's to say Doug Erholtz doesn't play with his own action figures?
