Chapter 34 – New Strength
"DAVIS!," Veemon screamed, jumping into the lake.
He wanted to save his best friend. But he, too, lacked any strength due to the short, unequal battle with Alphamon. He also knew where Davis was thrown into the water. The blue dragon swam with its remaining power. He had to save the red-brown-haired man. He had to!
When he reached the spot where he suspected his friend, he took a deep breath and dived down. The visibility was poor because of the night and he couldn't even identify Davis at first. Then his brown eyes saw him and he swam to him. His arm reached out to his friend and he tried to reach him. Eventually, he could get Davis's wrist. The red-brown-haired man smiled happily and wanted to close the blue dragon in his arms.
But he couldn't because of the pain caused by Alphamon's attack. Veemon realized what Davis wanted and swam to him with a powerful move before putting his narrow arms around his friend's body. The red-brown-haired man closed his eyes with delight. Slowly, his air became scarce. He was already a good two minutes under water and slowly his breath became too short. The rising panic in him was easily resolved by the presence of his partner. Against his will, Davis opened his mouth to gasp for air. However, only water entered his lungs.
/Davis.../, Veemon thought: /Damn! I can't help him... I'm too weak to bring it to the surface!/
/Veemon... let go... otherwise.../, again the mouth of the red-brown-haired man opened and again he swallowed water.
Both sank deeper and deeper and further away the surface.
/I can't do anything... We both will die.../, the blue dragon crunched with his teeth.
No! This is not the end!, Veemon suddenly heard his voice: It is the beginning of something new, of a miracle! The time is ripe. You have gathered enough energy. Now that energy is unfolding.
/What? But I don't know how./
Just do it!, pressed the voice: It's like a normal digivolution.
Veemon wrapped himself in a golden light that shone so brightly that even the water surface illuminated. The light even enveloped Davis, who looked at the blue dragon with his eyes wide open. And then he saw it: the appearance of his partner changed. He grabbed him with one hand and shot out of the water. The red-brown-haired man struggled for air and coughed several times while his partner looked at Alphamon with angry eyes.
"That's..." Ken broke off, because he couldn't believe his eyes.
"Veemon digivolved to..." Yolei also broke off.
"Magnamon!" cried Cody.
Shortly Veemon's new digitation looked at the three DigiDestined. His brown eyes drifted away from them to Davis, whom he held with one arm pressed to his body, then to Alphamon. His golden armour covered his forearms and legs, shoulders, feet, hips, chest and head. Although the feet were also covered by the golden armour, the hands were not and revealed three light grey claws on each of the hand. The muscular upper arms were embroidered with blue scales like the hands, back, thighs and knees, the neck, the back of the head and the tail. On the abdomen and neck were white silvery scales and stood in stark contrast to the light, golden armour. On the hip protection was a symbol that bore similarities to a spearhead. On the helmet sat a large, golden V, while two ears could be seen from the blue back of the head.
It had been four years since Veemon had digivolved to Magnamon. Back in the fortress of the Digimon Emperor when they tried to fight Kimeramon, a fusion of several Digimon. Davis and DemiVeemon with the help of Wormmon got to the DigiMental of Kindness, which was transformed into a golden DigiMental by the Sovereigns. As the red-brown-haired man approached the DigiMental, his partner was able to digivolve to Veemon and then to Magnamon, who was eventually able to defeat Kimeramon with Wormmon's further help. But unlike four years ago, this time he felt a tremendous power that was not possible for an Armour-Digimon. And yet. He was an Armour-Digimon, he drew his strength from a DigiMental. Where did this power come from? Magnamon recalled. In Davis's communication device was a "new" DigiMental the DigiMental of Miracles.
"Alphamon!" growled Veemon's "new" digivolution: "I'll never forgive you!"
Magnamon raced towards Alphamon, but shortly after he flew over the DigiDestined, he let Davis go. He plunged into the depths, but was caught by Ken, who fell to the ground by the weight of his friend.
"Are you... alright... Davis?" asked Bancho Stingmon's partner.
"Yes..." he nodded to him briefly and then looked at his partner.
He tried to hit the black knight with his fist, but Alphamon caught his fist with his hand. Magnamon reacted quickly and gave the opponent a kick in the stomach, causing him to bend. Flaps opened on the shoulder plates and two torpedoes shot at Alphamon. He fended off the torpedoes with green lasers.
/Even that doesn't work.../, Davis's partner thought: /Nothing else I expect from him./
Magnamon wrapped himself in a golden light as he closed his eyes.
"Extreme Jihad!" he cried, letting a golden light circle from his body.
The black knight was hit by the attack and sank to his knees. Davis' partner crept up and also sank to his knees.
/Damn.../, he cursed: /I'm not used to this power level yet... I can fight for just two minutes at most. In this case.../
Magnamon quickly ran to Alphamon, forming a black sphere in his right claw, which he rapidly reduced, enlarged and reduced again. When he rammed this sphere into the enemy, a gold-coloured explosion was created, which hurled both opponents several meters away. Alphamon slammed his back into the rock face, while Magnamon was hurled at BanchoStingmon, turning to Minomon. Davis' partner immediately got up and fired several torpedoes at the black knight. Then Magnamon shouted:
"Ornithmon! Can you still fly?! If so, get Yolei and the others on your back and flee! Spinomon you give him your back!"
"Understood!" said Ornithmon, who immediately went to his friends.
"Wait. What will become of you, Magnamon?" asked Davis anxiously.
"Don't worry," he replied, "We'll come after."
Davis' partner took Minomon and hurled him toward Ken, who was able to catch him. Then the young man, like his friends, climbed on the back of the bird. He unfolded his wings and flew up before rushing away. Meanwhile, Spinomon began to growl. Then he fired blue flames at the black knight. As the flames died down, Alphamon straightened up and tried to shoot a green laser at the dinosaur, but Magnamon was faster and kicked him firmly in the stomach. The black knight bent over in pain, but managed to grab Davis' partner by the arm and hurl him away from him.
"Magnamon... I can't keep my level anymore," Spinomon said before turning back to Upamon.
"Don't worry. I'll do the rest," he said, firing several torpedoes at the black knight.
He dodged to the side, causing the torpedoes to hit the ice wall. Magnamon reckoned that Alphamon used another attack to attack him, instead he raced towards him and summoned the OwRyuken blade. Davis' partner narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his head to block the blade with his arm guards. Suddenly, the black knight paused just before his arms crossed and growled furiously before a distortion appeared behind him. Alphamon jumped into the distortion, leaving Magnamon and Upamon alone.
"Why... has he withdrawn?" asked Upamon, astonished.
"I don't know. But..." Davis' partner raised the in-training digimon with the help of his left claw.
"But?"
"We were lucky. I'm pretty sure OwRyuken would have beaten me if Alphamon had done the blow," Magnamon said, flying into the air.
Then he rushed after Ornithmon, whom he caught up with a good thirty seconds later. Davis' partner dropped Upamon, who fell into Cody's arms. Finally he flew in front of the bird and said:
"There is a cave some miles away. That's where we can rest."
"Understood, Magnamon." he confirmed.
"Good. I'' fly ahead. I can barely hold this digivolution any longer." Magnamon flew away and landed at the cave entrance before he turned back to DemiVeemon. Moments later, Ornithmon reached the entrance, and after everyone had climbed off his back, he also turned back to his in-training level.
"Wow... Wow! DemiVeemon!" exclaimed Davis, delighted, and lifted him up, before hugging him tightly: "Wow! You can digivolve to Magnamon again! Wow! Awesome! Great!"
"Davis... Can't… breath…," DemiVeemon moaned.
"Oh, sorry," he loosened his grip and smiled at him.
Then the red-brown-haired man started laughing before his friends also started laughing. Finally, even the small blue dragon had to give in to the cheerful emotion.
"Great!" said Upamon, jumping up and down: "You can finally get back to normal."
"It's not a normal digivolution... It's an armour-digivolution, but it can take on ultimate-level Digimon," DemiVeemon said after Davis let him go and he jumped to the ground.
"But still! I'm glad you can keep up with us now.", Minomon hopped to the little blue dragon.
"You can't keep up with me," DemiVeemon said.
"Why?" asked Poromon.
"Yes, why?" Ken's partner asked.
"Like Omnimon and Dynasmon, I am also a Royal Knight," said the little blue dragon.
"Oh, so that's why..." Cody replied.
Yolei nodded as Ken folded his arms in front of his chest. Meanwhile, Davis' mouth almost hit the ground.
"WHAT?!" cried all those present in the cave except DemiVeemon.
"You... You... you..." stuttered the red-brown-haired man.
"You're a..." the boy broke down and looked at him with his eyes wide open.
"A Royal..." Minomon's partner also broke off.
"Knight?" the young woman ended the sentence.
The little blue dragon answered it in the affirmative, causing everyone to shout what again.
"By King Drasil!" cursed DemiVeemon: "My ears!"
"King Drasil... Are you working for... King Drasil?" Davis asked hesitantly after he got caught.
"Of course not! Why should I?! After Alphamon almost killed you and our friends?! Who do you think I am, Davis?!" he turned away from the other way, somewhat offended.
"W-W-W-Wait a minute!" Yolei stuttered: "Why are you a Royal Knight, DemiVeemon? I mean. Davis had found you in the DigiMental of Courage."
"Like Dynasmon, Jesmon and Alphamon, I was also a survivor of the fight against an extremely nasty Digimon. Like Dynasmon, I suffered severe wounds in the fight against this Digimon. I knew where the DigiMental of Courage was and sealed myself in it until I recovered. This happened a good 10,000 years ago. But because I was there for too long, my memories were a bit blurred and I didn't know how to get out of the DigiMental. Then I heard the voice of the Sovereigns, who offered me a deal. They would seal my complete memories as a Royal Knight... for this they would seek a way to free me. In other words,. They were looking for a human partner for me." DemiVeemon said.
"That means... You have the same age as Dynasmon?!" cried Davis in shock.
"Yes. And? What's the problem?" was the somewhat offended question from him.
"There's no problem," Ken replied, trying to settle before he came up with something: "You've digivolved in the fight against Kimeramon to Magnamon, or am I wrong? So why were you weaker than Imperialdramon?"
"Well..." the little blue dragon sighed: "It was the DigiMental of Kindness, which was necessarily changed by the Sovereigns to a golden DigiMental. In other words,. I was only a little stronger than Paildramon, for example, and could only defeat Kimeramon with the help of Wormmon's life energy."
"That means your current digivolution Magnamon is much stronger, isn't it?" suggested Cody.
"In what ways stronger?" asked Davis.
"He was able to fight Alphamon much better than we did," Upamon said.
"Exactly!" Poromon agreed.
"Which means that he is even stronger than we all are together. Wow..." Minomon marvelled.
"But I still have to practice a little bit until I find my old strength... By the way, that also applies to you." DemiVeemon laughed a little.
"How?" blinked Ken's partner digimon in amazement.
"You used to be stronger and you could certainly have beaten Alphamon with good teamwork and strategy," explained the small blue dragon.
"Used to?" the young woman repeated, "Does that mean you knew Upamon and the others?"
"Yes, of course." he confirmed: "They were my friends and companions. By the way, they suffered the same fate as me. They had severe wounds and with the help of my abilities I sealed them into the appropriate DigiMentals."
"I didn't know we were friends with a Royal Knight," Upamon marvelled.
"Are... We are friends with DemiVeemon," Minomon corrected him.
"Right! We are friends with him!" cried Poromon.
"What about Quetzalmon, by the way?" Davis suddenly asked.
"Quetzalmon? Like Spinomon, Ornithmon and BanchoStingmon, she was also a loyal companion," DemiVeemon said: "She helped me convince the three of them that they joined me."
"Do you please tell us how this happened?" Yolei asked him.
"What?" he looked at her, a little bewildered.
"She thinks you should tell us how you met Quetzalmon, Spinomon, Ornithmon and BanchoStingmon and persuaded you to join you," Ken explained.
"Hm... Let me think for a moment...", DemiVeemon tilted his head briefly to the side and thought: "Ah! Now I can remember."
"Great!" said Cody: "Can you tell us, please? We would like to know about this."
"Sure. Sit down and make yourself comfortable." the little blue dragon closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening his eyelids again and began to tell.
With her blue eyes, Quetzalmon looked at Magnamon. He had closed his lids and thought. Normally, no normal Digimon was allowed to enter the digital space. If anyone did this anyway, the one was killed on the spot. But the white snake was an exception. She was one of the few Digimon who were allowed to enter the room accompanied by a Royal Knight. This Royal Knight was Magnamon, who had known her for a long time.
"What is on your mind, Sir Magnamon?" asked Quetzalmon cautiously.
The white snake knew that if you asked him at the wrong time, he could be very angry.
"Hm?", Magnamon turned to her and looked at her, "What was your question Quetzalmon again?"
"I asked you what you were thinking, Sir Magnamon," she said.
"About companions."
"Huh?" she blinked in amazement: "Companions?"
"Yes, companions." Magnamon nodded and then walked past her: "I think it would be a good idea if I had companions to support me, similar to Crusadermon and Dynasmon."
"Hm... It would indeed be a good idea... But... who?"
"I've been thinking about it before." he said optimistically, "there would be three Digimon."
"Already three? If you allow me to ask who?"
"Spinomon, the Ornithmon on File Island and BanchoStingmon."
Quetzalmon swallowed the name of the last Digimon. She had heard of BanchoStingmon before. He was a wanted criminal who absorbed the data of other Digimon.
"BanchoStingmon?! Are you sure? He's a criminal!" she shouted.
"I. Am. Sure!" he replied harshly: "Quetzalmon. How many times have I told you that everyone has a reason to act as they do?!"
"That's probably now-"
"I don't expect an answer!"
The white snake growled quietly and turned around. Then she flew away angrily, while Magnamon sighed heavily. He sometimes had trouble controlling Quetzalmon's temperament. And he himself did not want any other companions beside her. However, his mentor advised him to do so. The golden knight himself had deep admiration for his mentor Omnimon, who had the idea to make him a Royal Knight. Magnamon respected him and did not doubt the decisions of the fused Digimon. If Omnimon said that he needed more companions, he would need some. Even if Quetzalmon didn't like it. She was just an adult-level digimon and therefore weak, although she could quite resist a ultimate-level Digimon.
Quetzalmon flew over the steppe at a rapid pace. There was only one thought in her. She would find this BanchoStingmon and beat him. Then Magnamon would call her more than just a simple companion. She would get his full confidence and he wouldn't doubt her any more. What did the golden knight think of wanting a serious criminal as his companion?
Quetzalmon's ears shrugged when she heard a hissing sound. Before she could react, however, an energy charge hit her. The white snake plunged into the depths and hit the ground with a loud bang. Quetzalmon wheezed and straightened up. Her attacker, a Megadramon, landed in front of her and looked at her aggressively. The white snake breathed deeply.
"Toltecan Wind!" she shouted.
The Megadramon, however, grabbed her by the neck with his claws and pushed her to the ground. The attacker hissed and fired a missile directly at her. Quetzalmon cried out in pain before losing consciousness. The Megadramon grinned and wanted to kill her, but the next moment it broke into data. It couldn't even be surprising who attacked him. A Digimon with a cape stepped up to the unconscious snake and took her in his arms. Then he went into a nearby forest and laid her on moss so that she at least had it cosy. The stranger Digimon left her briefly to collect wood before returning and setting fire to it. After the fire had been burning for an hour, Quetzalmon awoke again and looked through the area in amazement. Where was the Megadramon she had attacked when she was looking for this BanchoStingmon?
"You're awake?" a voice asked her.
The voice had a strong accent, so Quetzalmon had her problems understanding him at all.
"Y-yes... Where's the Megadramon?" was her counter-question.
"Dead. I killed him and absorbed his data," Digimon replied.
"What?!" her eyes widened.
The initial relief turned into panic. The white snake completely straightened up, but because she did it too fast, her surroundings turned and she collapsed.
"Woah! Calm down, calm down. You have serious injuries," he tried to reassure her.
"You want to absorb my data, don't you?!" she screamed angrily, screaming.
Her body was still hurt by the attack.
"No. I only absorb data from others if they have absorbed data from others. I know that data absorption is a crime. So... calm down."
The white snake breathed deeply and closed its eyes.
"Who... are you?" she asked.
"My name is BanchoStingmon."
"What?!" her eyes widened and again she panicked.
"I said, calm down," BanchoStingmon said.
"Sorry. You're hard to understand because of the dialect," she said.
"I know. Others also have problems understanding me. I'm already trying to train the dialect. But it doesn't work out so well."
"Why? You seem to be very kind to me."
"Thank you. But many don't want to help me because of the dialect. They recognize me as a stranger."
"Hm..." she began to think, forgetting that Magnamon wanted this Digimon as his companion: "How about you try to talk to me. Try to imitate my pronunciation."
"Okay!"
Quetzalmon started to pronounce some words which BanchoStingmon tried to say it correctly. After a while the training was interrupted by a call.
"Quetzalmon! Where are you?! Quetzalmon!" a voice shouted.
"Here! I'm here, Sir Magnamon!" she said aloud.
Magnamon flew down to Quetzalmon and landed next to her on the ground. His eyes rested on BanchoStingmon, who did not know that there was a Royal Knight standing in front of him. The golden knight himself, however, was very angry about the white snake. She walked out of the digital space on her own. If one of the other Royal Knights had seen her, she would now be dead and her data absorbed.
"Quetzalmon. How many times have I told you that you can only move into the digital space in my company," he said.
"Sorry, Sir Magnamon. My actions were ill-considered," she said, humiliatingly bowing her head down.
"And who is that?" the insect man asked.
"This is Sir Magnamon... One of the thirteen Royal Knights," Quetzalmon told him.
"I see. My name is BanchoStingmon. I'm wandering around to prevent data absorption," he said.
"I know," Magnamon replied calmly: "I've been looking for you, BanchoStingmon."
"Yes? Why?"
"I want you to be one of my companions."
"Why? I like to be free."
"I can understand that. But if you become my companion, you have the opportunity to help Digimons even better."
"Okay? I don't quite understand."
"Lord Yggdrasil has a vast network that can be used by Royal Knights and their companions to arrest or kill criminals."
"Okay! I'm in. Under one condition."
"And that would be?"
"Quetzalmon will teach me in pronunciation."
Magnamon sighed but eventually agreed.
He looked at him in question. Why would Quetzalmon want to teach him?
"I want to teach him our pronunciation of words, Sir Magnamon," the white snake declared, "so that others can understand him better."
"And how did we meet you?" asked Poromon curiously, after DemiVeemon stopped telling.
The small blue dragon looked at Hawkmon's in-training level and sighed heavily.
"Unfortunately, I can't remember that yet," DemiVeemon apologized.
"What?!" Upamon exclaimed angrily.
"Hey... I've only got a little bit of my memories back." the little blue dragon shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't think I'd ever spoken with such a dialect..." Minomon said, "How did it come that I'm now speaking like you? Is that because of Quetzalmon?"
"She only played a small part in it," DemiVeemon explained, "Basically, you've always listened to us closely."
"Okay." Ken's partner nodded.
"But please don't try to pick up on this weird dialect, Minomon," Ken asked.
"Why?" he asked.
"Well... Then we have trouble understanding you," Davis laughed.
"That's right." Yolei folded her arms in front of her chest and nodded, "We could understand you wrong."
"I don't think so. But we always have to listen to you very carefully," Cody said, before laughing.
The group talked for a while until everyone fell asleep. Outside, it finally started to rain. Two hours later, DemiVeemon woke up again. This time, he was back to his rookie level. The blue dragon briefly looked at his partner, who slept next to him, before gently shaking him.
"Hm... Kari...", he muttered: "Your cake is delicious..."
"Davis!" Veemon spoke softly: "Wake up."
"Hmph?" the red-brown-haired man opened his eyes: "Veemon? You know what time it is."
"I'd like to collect flowers for Quetzalmon," he said earnestly, causing Davis to fully awake.
The red-brown-haired man straightened up and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Normally, he would have laughed at the proposal, but Davis noted that Veemon was serious. Nevertheless, he wanted to continue sleeping.
"Can't we do this tomorrow?" was his question.
"No. I don't want the others to be there." he also looked to the side: "I want to fly in the rain so that I can remember my new... old digivolution."
"Okay..." Davis straightened up and followed his partner outside.
"Good..." Veemon nodded: "Then just say: DigiMental of Miracle, up."
"Okay..." said the red-brown-haired man slightly annoyed: "DigiMen-"
"Not here!" he snapped: "Do you want to wake up the others?"
"No, of course not…"
"Good. Then let's go outside."
The two of them walked outside of the cave and down a little path. Then they came to a stop and Davis shouted:
"DigiMental of Miracle, up!"
"Veemon armour-digivolve to... Magnamon!"
Magnamon took Davis on his arm and flew into the air. Rain hit them as the golden knight flew through the night. After a while it stopped raining and the two reached a forest clearing. Magnamon landed on the ground and dropped off his partner before Davis began looking for flowers. While he watched him, the golden knight thought where to lay the bouquet. Maybe above the ocean, because Quetzalmon died above the ocean. In the human world, but still above the ocean.
"Say, Magnamon," Davis began.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I wonder which side you are on now. On King Drasil's or on the Homeostasis' side?"
"On none. Like Dynasmon and Omnimon, I am on your side. I just want to protect you humans."
The red-brown-haired man smiled and shouted:
"The bouquet is ready. Where do we want to lay it?"
"We throw it into the ocean. As you know, Quetzalmon died over the ocean."
"Good." Davis walked back to his partner before he lifted him up again and flying both to the ocean.
When they reached the beach, Magnamon dropped off his partner and said:
"Please give me the bouquet of flowers. I want to do it alone."
"Okay," he nodded firmly, and placed the object in the outstretched palm of the golden knight.
He closed his hand and rose in the air before flying away from Davis. Under Magnamon, gentle waves hit. The golden knight sighed and dropped the bouquet. He threw it into the ocean.
/I hope you like the flowers, Quetzalmon... Goodbye. You were my most faithful companion and a my best friend./, Magnamon thought wistfully: /I know you would have faced King Drasil if you had learned what he was doing. Even if I had been on his side, you would have done everything so that I would change sides... But now you are dead and you cannot be reborn... But I promise you... I will never forget you, Quetzalmon... My best friend./
The golden knight closed his eyes to suppress the tears that wanted to escape his eyes.