"I'm sorry for making you indulge in my selfishness." Mimi looked apologetically at Joe, who was sitting next to her stuffing himself with the berries that Palmon and Gomamon had gathered.
"Yeah, I bet you are." Theo scoffed.
Joe swallowed down the contents in his mouth with one huge gulp and said, "No that's not selfishness. What you say is absolutely right. Fighting only gives way to more fighting and that never solves anything.
Yui piped up, "Maybe not in practical matters but this is a different case."
"Especially when you just abandon everyone and your responsibilities altogether." Theo sneered, lighting and relighting a lighter.
Mimi was resolute on her decision, and even Yui hadn't been able to change her mind.
"Besides, you don't have to rush. Um… think through this carefully, Mimi. Until you've come up with an answer that you agree on. There's plenty of time. "
She meant that in terms of the flow of time being different between Earth and the Digital World. But whenever she looked up and unavoidably at the sky, she couldn't help but feel that they did have to hurry.
Yui turn and drags Theo aside. "We're not getting anywhere like this! Were supposed to convince them to go back to the others!"
"Then why not plan B: trickery?"
"Fist of Domination!" The green goblin, Ogremon, used all of his power to attack the Woodmon.
The response was effective. The Woodmon's body crumbled into splinters. But it wasn't a single Woodmon that he was facing. Because they were attacking him in a large swarm, they kept coming and coming no matter how many times he took them down.
When they kept coming in swarms like this, not even Ogremon whose life revolved around battle could handle them.
"Damn it! I'm gonna have to run!"
In the end, Ogremon ran off. But there was no chance that the Woodmon would quietly overlook him. He was their long-awaited prey. They shook their withered branches as they chased after Ogremon. If the event was seen from the skies, it would probably have looked as if the entire forest was moving.
They were in Puppetmon's domain, the region of forests. Ogremon had only just arrived in this world, having wandered through the other worlds previously in search of Leomon. To Ogremon, Leomon was his eternal rival. Defeating Leomon was Ogremon's reason to live. "That's why I can't die until I've achieved that! I can't let nobody Digimon like Woodmon kill me!"
The Woodmon moved slowly, so Ogremon thought that he could outrun them. However, while he knew the forests of File Island like the back of his hand, he was now in an unfamiliar land. When he pushed out of the forest and thought that he'd found the exit, he instead found himself at a dead end, face to face with the bottom wall of a precipice. He tried to turn back, but it was too late. The head of the Woodmon pack had already reached him. Ogremon took a step back. The Woodmon surrounded him, leaving him with no other means of escape beyond scaling the precipice.
"I–Is this it? Is this where it all ends…?!" He wasn't moaning out of fear of death, but at how he had pathetically allowed himself to be cornered like this.
A big shadow fell over them they looked up to see a great black mass briefly before seeing it turn into a red burning object.
"That's a meteor!" cried Joe
"AND it's headed downwards!" yelled Yui.
The meteor struck a ridge causing an explosion and a brief earthquake. In another section of the forest, the other five children and six fairies were trembling, clinging to trees and what they could grab in alarm.
"What the heck!?" Beth screamed.
"I feel... I feel something, dark!" Kylie cried out, rubbing her forehead as something washed over herself.
"Kylie?" Tai cried out in surprise.
"Something is here, something powerful..." Kylie grimaces. "Oh, I know this feeling, it's like...one of the dark masters!"
"A meteor!" Tentomon flew back down. "And a huge meteor at that! It came crashing down here!"
"Never mind that, let's go back to what we were talking about." Sora reminded them, even though something about the meteor nagged at the back of her mind.
"Yeah. I say we go to Puppetmon's mansion." T.K. insisted.
"Likewise." Dana agreed.
"We can take you there, let's go!" Patamon chimed in.
"What you're saying that instead of waiting, we should make the first move and challenge him to a battle?" asked Izzy.
"I agree. Besides it's a waste of time to sit around and wait in the first place." Gatomon said seriously. "If we don't hurry it'll be too late for our world and yours."
"Words of wisdom Gatomon." Kylie says soberly. "I trust your judgment."
"Got a point, a lot better than moping around in the forest and ditching everyone out of selfish pride." Beth said with a curt nod.
Haruna discreetly whispered to Beth. "Don't you think you're being a little inflexible regarding Mimi and Matt?"
"Maybe I am, but this is important. It doesn't just involve us but our families too, we can't stop for one minute otherwise it's all over." The redhead tomboy replied sternly.
"W-Wait a minute, guys! Puppetmon is a Mega Level, remember? We won't win that easily against him!" Sora voiced her concern.
"But we have to fight him sooner or later, don't we?" T.K. said to Sora looking stern.
"That's right!" Patamon chimed in.
"Why don't we take a vote?" Izzy suggested. "All who think we should go to Puppetmon's mansion!"
Everyone else all raised their hands along with the Digimon. Tai had been thoughtful wondering what Matt would do when Kari got his attention then he said. "All right, I got it. Why don't we take a look at the place before we figure things out?"
"Fair enough." Beth agreed.
"Follow me, everyone." T.K. urged them, he and Dana ran on ahead. Zaira stayed where she was, as if listening for something.
"Sora?" Tai noticed she wasn't moving.
"I guess there's no other choice, if that's what you've decided."
"That's not what I meant! If we find any danger there, the girls, Koromon and I will stop the enemy's attacks. That way you can lead the others to safety while we distract him." Tai the noticed Zaira. "Z?"
"Just had a premonition about that meteor, it's all fuzzy but something about it feels all wrong."
"Whatever it may be, we can solve it after this!"
Far off, Lady Despair stumbled, trying to keep herself upright with her scepter as Puppetmon grabs her to steady his mother.
"Mama, what's wrong!?" Puppetmon asked worried.
"For a moment, I thought..." Lady Despair was stunned, dragging her fingers through her golden strands. "I felt something call out to me, like my..." Lady Despair shakes her head. "No, it's not possible." She looked around frantically, and saw the smoke rising from far off. "My Son, observe!" Lady Despair grabs his arm to point frantically. "It is! It has to be!" Lady Despair grins wildly. "ONE OF MY SONS CAME BACK!"
She drew her arms over her head, and immediately became Devimon, or a facsimile of him, her bright pink eyes still glowing, and flew off into the air.
"Ah! Mama, wait for me!" Puppetmon called out.
In the meantime, Theo, Joe, Mimi and Yui were on the trail of the meteor only to notice that Digimon lay fallen on the ground, camouflaged within the heap of branches over it. Palmon began to clear away the branches to help the poor Digimon. As the branches cleared, they saw the familiar ugly green face albeit injured and bleeding from the forehead.
"It's Ogremon! " Palmon backed up. "He's not, moving maybe he's dead?"
The green ogre stirred a little alarming the group.
"He looks hurt!" Mimi started.
Joe cried. "Let's get outta here, Mimi! If he attacks us as he did in File Island, we'll be in big trouble. It's best to leave him here."
Mimi, however, went to treat Ogremon's wounds of all things as did Yui.
"Don't be crazy!" Theo rebuked them.
Ogremon regained consciousness to see Yui, Mimi and Palmon, his enemies lending him a helping hand. He looked at them like he couldn't believe what they were doing."Wh–Why? Why are you helping me…?"
"Keep still! You'll open your wounds! " Mimi chided. She promptly told Gomamon to bring water and for Palmon to bring medicinal herbs.
But Mimi's way of wiping around Ogremon's gaping wounds with her handkerchief lacked some delicacy, so Joe, watching this, said, "Let me. I am a doctor's son, after all."
He didn't know any special training, despite being a doctor's son. The most he ever did was look through his father's medical textbooks and play doctor with his older brother Shuu, as a child. Still, he knew a bit more than the average child.
He asked Mimi to be his assistant. Ogremon's left arm appeared to be broken, so he put a splint against it and used the toilet paper that he'd brought from Earth as a sling around Ogremon's shoulder.
Ogremon looked down at his dressed injuries. "Why did you help me? I tried to destroy you on File Island. It won't be a surprise to anyone if you finished me right now."
"But you were the one that attacked us first when you worked for Devimon." Theo points out only to get elbowed by Joe.
"Actually, I've never met you until today." Yui interjected lightly. "I got no grudge with you."
"Again, with the destroying us or not don't you know any nicer words than that?" Mimi demanded putting her hands on her hips.
"Nicer words?" Ogremon stood up
"Don't strain yourself. Well take care." Mimi intended to walk away.
"W-wait!" Ogremon called after them then struggled with the words, "Th-th-thank you!" tears were welling in Ogremon's periwinkle colored eyes.
Yui shrugged with a confident smile. "No problem. After all: Never underestimate the power of a kind act."
"Ogremon's crying!" exclaimed a surprised Gomamon.
"So that's what they mean when they say even ogres can cry." Joe remarked.
Ogremon quickly wiped his eyes, "Uh, there's just something in my eye."
"Ogremon, you wretched little virus!"
The group turn, and gasp on seeing the bat like figure descend from the sky with a vicious glare.
"Devimon?" Ogremon asked in shock.
"No, look at the eyes," Joe said. "It's really Lady Despair!"
"What...who is that?" Ogremon asked.
"The mother of the Dark Masters and Myotismon, Etemon and Devimon." Mimi accused.
"Wha...really!?" Ogremon was stunned.
"So, you're just going to sit there, and not even attempt to strike back at them!" Devi-Despair hissed.
"Let's play! another horribly familiar voice taunted down to them. They glanced up to see Puppetmon. " Let's play Riddle me this! What am I missing? Hurry up and tell me! If you don't answer the riddle, I'll kill you."
"I'll tell you: Your mind! You lost your mind Puppetmon!" Theo shouted.
"A little late for that." Yui said sarcastically.
Puppetmon scowled. "Hey what's that supposed to mean?!"
"Impertinent Brat!" Lady Despair spins to point her scepter. "Come forth, serpent of Earth!"
And a beam of red shot out of the scepter's skull mouth, which hit the ground, and a huge dragon like serpent made of Rock burst out of the ground, it roared, before it charged at the fairies.
"Starlight Beam!" Yui points her palm, and shoots a beam of yellow magic at it. It became a burst of yellow sparks. That was when Gomamon joined into help fight.
"Gomamon digivolve to... IKKAUKMON! Harpoon Vulcan!"
"Mimi, let me evolve!" Palmon urged her partner.
"But…!" Mimi was hesitant. But what if Togemon lose her life? She thought.
"Don't leave me out of this!" Theo said before transforming. "If magic won't work, then we get physical!"
"Wretched pests! " Lady Despair aims her scepter at Theo. "Let's see you get all high and mighty, when you're wiggling in the mud as a worm! "
Lady Despair waves her hand over her scepter, which began to glow red from the skulls eyes. "Ancient Spirits, I call on you, if you have mercy, answer these wretched peons' prayers. As I..."
Suddenly a white sparkling light, the same one that foretold Sirene's presence, suddenly appears in front of Despair causing her to cry out. "What!? What is this!?" Lady Despair hissed and swings are the lights.
~The spell, Yui. Speak the spell!~
The voice of Sirene spoke out to Yui, who felt magical knowledge fall into her mind. "I call upon you, fall from the heavens and pierce the darkness to create a shadow to enclose! SWORDS OF REVEALING LIGHT!"
Yui raised her arms upwards, and immediately, three broadswords of yellow light shot from the sky, and as Sirene's presence disappeared, the swords fell in front of her and Lady Despair froze immediately.
"Yui, what was that...isn't that the spell the Dark Spectre Queen used?" Theo said. "That's high-level magic! "
"I know, and it'll keep her trapped for 13 minutes, so let's hurry! " Yui said.
It reached a peak when Ikkakumon became Zudomon, he, Yui and Theo charged towards Puppetmon using their attacks all at once. However, the force of it send the heroic three backwards. Theo and Yui remained in Digix mode but Zudomon changed back to Gomamon.
"I'm not hearing an answer." Puppetmon jeered. "Then I guess I'll have to kill you."
Suddenly a wild call as heard. Then something silvery landed on a branch just above them.
"Don't you know a superstar when you see one? Now applause, applause!"
Theo facepalmed, "Oh no, not this guy again!"
Yui made a face, "Who is this show-off?"
"Remember that oversized monkey-man pain in the butt we told you about?"
"Oh." Yui blinked.
"You're… Etemon!" Joe shouted in near disbelief.
The monkey digimon looked much different now. He was now completely covered in silvery metal and had the word 'Stronger' on his chest in red kanji. "Etemon is old news. Now I've been reborn into the new and improved MetalEtemon! I know, I know, it's unbelievable," Metal Etemon tries a pose, thrust out his chest to bounce his pecs. "But this Manly Monkey just became a Silver Stud!"
"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Yui took one step back.
Theo scowled, folding her arms with a scoff. "Yeah, if that was supposed to be your own version of the 'smolder'! I'm NOT impressed."
"And well, well, looks like I got super lucky," The maniac monkey leers. "Cause not only do I come back with ultra, super powers, but I find the pesky pixies that spoiled my chance to win the good graces of the mad artist!"
"We thought you died, how did you come back?" Palmon asked.
"Thank you for asking." Suddenly, music started to play.
"Oh great, he's gonna sing." Theo rolled her eyes.
"~It's a tale that makes both its listeners and storyteller weep with emotion! After my battle with MetalGreymon, you are all aware that I was sucked into a black hole, yes?" MetalEtemon sings out.
True, the same one that sent Tai and Theo back to Odaiba.
"But by the divine, dark, Despair Blood coursing through me, I did not die!"
Unfortunately.
"No, by my Dark Queen's magic, within the dark realms my body was broken down and regenerated, over and over again. But I survived, and why is that? Because of My Mad Artist Mama's black blood that was the base of my existence, and because her powers grow with negative emotions. The only thought running through my mind, was that I would get revenge on the Chosen Children and Sirene's heir for making me suffer like this! After I was finally reborn into MetalEtemon, I have returned, on this very day, to this world!" He bends his microphone over to purr into it. ~ "My deep and utter hate allowed me to return from the underworld. So, I can get my revenge on you~"
He finally stopped singing only to point at Yui dramatically, "And as the New King of Metal, I deem you to be the one to be my metal queen!"
"Your- what?!" Yui looked back in forth in disbelief, before hiding behind Theo.
They were pretty sure Joe and Mimi facepalmed with a mix of horror and pique.
"Not another one!" Joe muttered.
Ogremon just made a face, expressing disgust. And even if he was their enemy, Puppetmon seemed to look just as repulsed. "Eww!"
Theo laughed nervously, "Dude, uh, you wouldn't wanna get with Yui. The thing is, she's, well she's, very difficult." she muttered out of the corner of her mouth to the others. "Help me out here."
"And she's not very organized." Joe offered.
"She doesn't know a thing about computers and just as soon as break one just by typing." added Mimi.
"She's pretty clumsy too." Palmon added
Gomamon chipped in, "And she's easily distracted..."
Yui finally stamps her foot in annoyance. "OK, that's enough!"
"What's going on over there?!" Despair's voice shouted.
"At least he finally stopped singing." Puppetmon griped loudly.
"There's still more tunes where that came from, little boy." MetalEtemon retorted, jumping down from the branch onto the forest ground.
"Who you calling little boy?!" Puppetmon charged.
"Banana slip!"
As expected, Puppetmon slips on the banana peel. Theo actually snickered, "OK that was SO lame!"
"What's wrong, little boy?"
"Stop calling me that!" Puppetmon hit MetalEtemon right on his right shin with the mallet. The area turned pink at once as he hopped in pain. "How dare you hit me with that!?"
"Drill Nose!"
"Hekoki Attack!"
Ugh! The group was more than sure their brains resented our eyes and noses for witnessing MetalEtemon's nasty attack. Joe, Mimi and their Digimon were holding their noses, while Ogremon waved a hand in front of his face.
"Yeech!" Theo almost threw up. "Worst reek ever!"
"Ew! It's in my nose!" Yui shrieked then begun shaking Joe and Mimi. "I can't get it out of my nose!"
"I'm not a little boy, I'm mama's sweet sapling!" Puppetmon stuck out his tongue.
"Wait...are you saying, you're my little brother?" MetalEtemon lifted his shades to peer at Puppetmon – yet from where they were standing, the group couldn't see what his eyes looked like.
"I'M OLDER THAN YOU, MAMA HAD US FIRST!" Puppetmon ragged.
"Oh, well, your shorter than me, and I'm shinier, so clearly I am the better son!" MetalEtemon declared.
Now this was change of pace: MetalEtemon is greedy and power-hungry while Puppetmon is just a psychopath.
"Oh lord, are we watching two mama boys, fighting over Mad Mama..." Yui cuts herself off from speaking like the monkey. "Over Despair?"
"It appears so, but we can't let this chance to escape pass us by!" Theo said and gestures at the others.
Joe quickly pushed Mimi to get her moving. "Exactly, let's take this chance to escape!"
"Sounds good to me!" Ogremon agreed
"BULLET HAMMER!" Puppetmon yells and blasts at MetalEtemon.
The monkey lifts his hand with a gleeful grin, as the blasts were deflected off them.
"Number One Punch!" MetalEtemon shouts, before sucker punching Puppetmon.
The Dark Master was sent flying back, and tears of sap leaking from his eyes.
"Now you've done it! I'm telling Mama you hit me!" Puppetmon growled, holding his hammer up threateningly.
"Mom'll agree, little children should act like little children. And as her bigger, better son, it's in my right to discipline the unruly brats that are her spawn." MetalEtemon brags, hands on hips and leaning forward with a smug grin.
"MAMA LOVES ME, NOT A BUTT UGLY MONKEY LIKE YOU!" Puppetmon shrieks in childish tantrum.
He swung the hammer down at MetalEtemon, both completely unaware of Ogremon, Joe, Palmon, Gomamon, Mimi, Theo and Yui fleeing the scene.
Meanwhile the other group had arrived to Puppetmon's mansion, Tai was observing the area through his mini-telescope.
"There's two guards." Tai note then handed his digivice to Izzy, "Look them up."
"The first one is Floramon. A Child-Level plant Digimon who has evolved into the shape of a reptile. Her special attack is Allergy Shower. The other one is Deramon. He's a Perfect-Level that looks like a bird at first glance, but he is a strange Digimon with vegetation growing out of his back. His special attack is Royal Nuts."
"Aww, they're kind of cute." Haruna commented
"The second one's a Perfect-Level?"
"Yes."
"But I doubt we'll have a problem beating these two." Tentomon believed. "Let's go on ahead, everyone."
Back in the forest…
"What the heck… is this?" MetalEtemon had kept hitting himself. "Ouch! Ow ow ow!"
Puppetmon had started the strings manipulation on his opponent. "Take that!"
"Stop! It tickles!"
"Now while I have him occupied; I'll get … Huh?!" Puppetmon had just noticed that the smaller group had run off during the scuffle. "They're gone!"
"What did you say?!" MetalEtemon angrily tore himself free from the strings upon overhearing his would-be victims and queen have gone AWOL.
"This is all your fault!" Puppetmon accused.
"No, it's yours!" MetalEtemon tried to tackle him again only to slam into a tree.
"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!" an angry woman's voice thundered, causing the two digimon to pause and look over.
Lady Despair had finally gotten free of the Swords of revealing light. "Enough of this petty sibling fighting!" she seethed. "This is no time for silly banter, the humans and guardians are still at large!"
Puppetmon threw up his hands defensively. "Okay, okay! I was just on my way to start hunting them down myself!" He grumpily started to walk back towards his mansion.
"Well, he's on the actual track." Sierra quipped then she turned to MetalEtemon. "And you ought to get hunting too! This is the last time I'll tolerate two of my offspring fighting amongst themselves over petty matters!"
"What a brat! Somebody ought to educate him." Metal Etemon grumbled about Puppetmon. "But good, at least I won't anyone else interfere with me anymore." He turns left and begins to track down the escapees. "Just wait! You'll regret having made light of me!"
Before MetalEtemon could take a step further, he was grabbed by the ear, and pulled closer to Sierra.
"Oh no, you don't! I don't see you for eight years, and this is how you greet me?" Lady Despair scolds.
"Ah! Mad Artist Mama! I...uuh...how are you?" MetalEtemon asked nervously. Only to be crushed, as she hugged him tightly, kissing the top of his head.
"Oh, my darling, I thought you were gone," Lady Despair said. "I almost gave into grief, if your hourglass didn't still keep running. And you're back, I missed you terribly, even your songs."
MetalEtemon blushed, as she pulled him away, and caressed his face happily.
"I'm...I'm happy to see you too, Mama." MetalEtemon declared. "And I'm all pumped, powered up, and ready to pound those punks for disrespecting you!"
"And that you will, but you shouldn't be quarreling with your siblings!" Lady Despair said wagging her silver, talon finger.
"But he..." MetalEtemon starts to argue.
"Don't talk back!" Lady Despair scolds. "There are plenty of those fairies and children to eliminate, in fact they've split into two groups. But Beware, My Child. Those miserable brats destroyed your Brother Myotismon, MetalSeadramon," Lady Despair warns. "Don't let yourself become another notch on my broken heart."
"Awww. But Mama, you have no heart," MetalEtemon jokes lightly.
"You know what I meant, now be careful!" Lady Despair orders.
"Petit Thunder!" "Fireball!" "Baby Flame!"
They caught the two by surprise then the Deramon snapped. "What do you guys think you're doing attacking us out of nowhere?!"
"I think that's obvious! You're Puppetmon's minions, aren't you?" Agumon answered.
"That's where you're wrong!"
"We're not his flunkies at all." Floramon explained.
"Then what are you?" T.K. ran up to them.
"I don't know…" Deramon shrugs, "He thinks of us as his playmates, but we don't share the same feelings! Don't tell him I said this … But the truth is, we really hate Puppetmon! He's the most insufferable digimon ever!"
"And that 'Mother' of his..." Floramon shuddered. "There used to be more of us in the forest, but she used them to build the mansion, and when they complained, or tried to escape she..."
"We don't know what a mother is...but we wouldn't want her as one." Deramon. "And those that survived, she forced us to be Puppetmon's playmates, to add insult to indignity."
"Now that I remember." T.K. recalled. "Dana and I noticed that Puppetmon doesn't have any friends."
"Yeah! Yeah!" Patamon confirmed.
"Really?" Kari questioned. "Poor Puppetmon, he doesn't know the value of a true friend."
"Oh please, there's no need to encourage it." Gatomon lightly chided.
Kari just laughed.
"Well? Is Puppetmon inside?" Tai asked.
"No." Deramon informed them. "He's out."
"What should we do, Tai?" inquired Agumon.
"I say we sneak inside Puppetmon's mansion."
"So long as we're here, Deramon, could you take us there?" Kylie requested.
"Very well. Follow me." Deramon nods before turning to the group. "Ah, let me ask you one favor first. Please keep this a secret from Puppetmon."
"We got it." Everyone agreed.
In the meantime, the rest were hiding from MetalEtemon in the hollow of a tree. Mimi asked Ogremon, "Do your wounds still hurt?"
Ogremon replied. "I'm fine but I promise you, I'll return the favor for this one day."
"You don't have to. "
"No I must!" Ogremon pounded at his chest once with his right fist. "Otherwise I won't be at peace with myself. That's the code of honor every lone wolf upholds."
"Lone wolf?" Joe questioned, "By 'code of honor,' do you mean that policy about never leaving their benefactor until they've returned the favor in full?"
Mimi commented. "That's so old school."
Theo rolled her eyes. "So you claim, a lot of us witches and wizards follow that code if someone saves our life."
Ogremon looks away. "So what? I'm an old fashioned Digimon."
"Look, Ogremon is sulking!" teased Gomamon, causing the group to laugh.
Floramon and Deramon opened the front doors, allowing the group to walk in. In the main the foyer, sitting on the stairs was a wrapped present only for it to open like a jack in the box. Except instead of a jester there was a soldier with a M1A1 Thompson submachine gun and the bullets happened to be genuine!
This caused the heroes to shout and split up into two different groups: Deramon with Kylie, Tai, Kari, Gatomon, Haruna, Sora and Piyomon while the others were with Floramon.
"Wh-What the hell was that?!" Tai hollered. "You're not trying to lead us into a trap, are you?"
Deramon was greatly taken aback. "N-Not at all! We're too transparent to be as mean and underhanded as Puppetmon! Please believe me!" He bowed briefly.
"Onii-chan, let's believe him." Kari pleaded.
"Alright, but I've got my eye on you."
In the meantime, T.K.'s walked down the hallway where they found a seemingly harmless fire truck lying on the floor.
"It's a fire truck." Patamon observed.
"Don't touch it!" Floramon warned.
Haruna quickly used her magic to conjure vines to toss the firetruck out the window, where it exploded violently.
"Geez!" Beth rants as they reunited with the rest in the hallway. "What the hell kind of house is this to give to a child, let alone Puppetmon!?"
"Did Despair ever...indulge you in such ways with murderous gifts, Gato-sis?" Kylie asked cautiously.
"No, I believe this is just her indulging her child's whims, and preferences." Gatomon replied. "When I wanted to learn to fight, and sharpen my claws, Sierra gave gifts that helped to expand my talents. Sadly, I feel this is all Puppetmon knows, and being her children born of her black blood, they were rotten even if she was a mother like Sirene with them."
Kylie nods, sighing sadly.
"You don't think it was Puppetmon who..." Kari started to say, but sealed her lips.
"My thoughts are he would've bragged about it a long while ago," Sora spoke up. "It isn't him, nor was it MetalSeadramon, which leaves only those remaining two."
Kylie nods grimly.
Floramon gulps. "Be careful, of the dark masters, those two are the strongest, and most unrelenting," Floramon said. "But worst of all is the Jester."
"Piedmon is known for giving horrible plays, where torture and death are the norm, and the actors often perish." Deramon continue.
Back inside the empty tree Mimi had asked Ogremon a question.
"You want to know why I fight with Leomon?"
Theo and Yui perked up, this oughta be good.
"Yes. I want to know the reason behind why you two fight." Mimi insisted.
"Having a reason and all, that just complicates things! My destiny is twisted together with Leomon's. We're like eternal rivals."
"Then what will happen when one of you wins?"
"What'll happen when someone wins? I guess we'll cheer and feel happy to know who's stronger."
"And after that?"
"What d'ya mean after that?"
"What will you do if your rival was gone?"
"If Leomon was gone…? Don't go there! I don't even wanna think about that! Defeating Leomon is the only thing that has meaning in my life. If Leomon was gone, then I'd… I'd…"
"What you're saying is a logical contradiction. Think about it more carefully!"
"Shut up! Even if I am contradicting myself, I'm still going to beat Leomon! What happens afterwards… doesn't matter! I'll just think about that after I've beaten him!"
There was a sound outside, so they went to investigate. Then Theo's cellphone sounded off! She grabs it to see a text message from her crush Evan.
"Evan again?!" demanded Mimi.
"Now he's asking me if I'm at the beach!" Theo yelped.
Yui glanced around furtively. "Let's not jump to conclusions. Maybe nobody heard it."
"Found you~!" MetalEtemon was clinging to a vine right above them!
"Run!"
"Who should I play with next?" Puppetmon mumbled as he walked back to his mansion. However he was in for an unpleasant surprise.
"He's coming this way." Tai watched through his telescope.
They found a canon in front of one of the windows but didn't know how to work it. Deramon and Floramon agreed to use it but once again pleaded not to tell Puppetmon.
"It's all ready." Floramon noted.
Deramon nodded and pointed. "FIRE!"
The canon went off and began shooting the cannonballs all around Puppetmon, who was caught by complete surprise.
"Wh-What?! What's happening?!" He panicked and dove behind a tree root, before looking up to see. "Someone's shooting the cannon..." then Puppetmon glared. "It must be those Chosen children and their guardian friends!" He jumped out from his hiding place and charged.
"Where did you go~?" MetalEtemon called out.
This time the group was under bushes and foliage, however this hiding spot wasn't going to last long. They needed to find a better place to hide.
Just then they heard a growl behind them. Out from the bushes came a beast type Digimon, he had brilliant yellow fur with red stripes, two long fangs that protruded out of its mouth, and a tight small waist framing a ferocious-looking body frame. The claws on all four of its limbs gleamed like steel.
"Wh-Who is that?" Mimi asked.
"Is it friend? Or foe?" Joe asked nervously.
"We're gonna find out." Theo said determinedly.
To be continued…