Chapter IV: Dramon rush in...
Kari, TK, Gatomon, and Patamon dashed along through the ever-growing darkness. The undergrowth was thick and twisted, and the going was difficult. Difficult for the humans that is, the larger digimon pursuing them had no such problems.
It had been difficult going for a while after they parted from their comrades, but they were both lucky and skilled, and evaded detection. They finally thought they were almost in the clear, when one of the digimon caught the glint of Gatomon's tail ring. A long chase ensued, lasting for several torturous minutes, winding through stretches of dark forest, always towards the mountain looming off in the distance.
Gatomon was worried, though they were widening the gap between them now, for she and Patamon went ahead of their human partners and cleared a pathway for them. Her claws were especially suited to clearing paths large enough to speed the movement of the humans and yet small enough to provide no aid to their larger pursuers. No, there seemed to be nothing to fear there. A few more minutes, and they would be in the clear. And even if they were caught and surrounded, they had a last resort; they could still digivolve and take their chances in the air.
No, Gatomon wasn't afraid of that. It was the behavior of their pursuers that bothered her. Gatomon had spent her share of time with unruly mobs, particularly after having worked as Myotismon's captain (although at the time she felt `emancipated', and preferred others to call her a `captainess'). These Digimon should be frustrated, angry, and upset at having lost their quarry. Instead, the prospect of losing those they were chasing didn't seem to bother them at all. Losing a chase could have easily meant death in Myotismon's army, a death I sometimes dealt out, Gatomon thought. No, what this felt like was a trap.
A trap! "Stop!" Gatomon yelled. She suited action to word, and jammed her fleet paws into the ground. She nearly skidded to a stop before she felt herself falling over the edge of a cliff. Slowly, she teetered on the edge, trying desperately to regain her balance, and then she felt herself falling.
"Gatomon!" she heard Kari cry. But it was too late; she and TK were too far behind to catch her. Suddenly, she felt two small paws settle on her tail, and then a sharp yank. She let out a sharp cry of pain, but knew better than to struggle. Air whooshed passed her face, courtesy of Patamon's wings. The pain on her tail was excruciating, but she held her tongue and simply waited. TK ran up behind Patamon and together the two of them pulled Gatomon to safety. They all lay on the ground, TK and Patamon breathing hard, and Kari stroking Gatomon's fur. Once Gatomon found her voice again, she said, "Thanks Patamon, thanks TK."
"Don't mention it," Patamon said.
"Yeah, you would've done the same for us. Besides, how many times have you two saved our lives?" TK added.
Gatomon got back to her feet. Her fur was suddenly standing on end. "Uh, guys, I think we've got a bigger problem here."
It was true. In all the excitement, they had forgot about the pursuit. They heard cackles of laughter from a dozen different voices around them. Deep in the forest, dozens of pairs of red eyes provided an eerie backlight. Slowly, steadily, they moved in on the trapped humans and their Digimon.
TK looked down at his friends. "Alright guys, it's time to fight! Let's show `em what were made of! Let's go!"
"Patamon digivolve to...Angemon!" "Hand of Fate!"
"Gatomon digivolve to...Angewomon!" "Celestial Arrow!"
The two angel's attack split the ranks of oncoming Digimon, sending them scattering for cover. TK saw two Bakemon be reconfigured, and Kari saw a DarkTyrannamon fall to Angewomon's blazing arrow. Now they came on as a large crowd.
"Angemon! Cover me!" Angewomon's hands began to glow pink as she said these words. Angemon got the message and stepped in the path of two overzealous Phantomon, who had outdistanced their fellows. He ducked their sickles, and knocked them both away with his staff.
"Angemon! Get out of the way!"
"Heaven's Charm!"
A wave of pink energy blasted through the forest. Angemon used his wings to drive himself out of the way. There was no time for anyone else to react. Trees split and cracked under the barrage, and those unlucky enough to be hiding behind them were cut in half. The wave continued out and dissipated in the distant forest. The area was clear.
"Quick, Angewomon, let's get Kari and TK and get out of here!"
"Right!"
They swooped down to pick up their partners. Kari leaned on Angewomon's arm as they sped up and away from the cliff. She looked back down on the space they'd left behind. "Oh no! TK, what's that!?"
She could see no Digimon left on the platform, but there was something there. The area around it was twisted and warped; it seemed as though everything around it swirled down into this one place. The center itself was dark and, though Kari could not physically feel it, she knew it was cold. It made her whole body go cold and numb just to look at it.
TK, however, did recognize it. "Kari! Don't look at it! It's just like what Pegasusmon and I saw in the Dark Whirlpool! It's just some dark energy, Kari, just fight against it, it'll go away!"
Oh I will, will I? The words rang in their heads. They thought they had heard it, but they knew they couldn't have, it was all in their heads. Isn't it? Kari thought.
Suddenly, Angemon and Angewomon fell from the sky. There had been no flash, no attack, nothing at all that Kari could see. But now she plummeted back to the cliff below. Angewomon had the strength to keep her hold on Kari despite the attack, but Angemon was not so lucky. TK was falling to the earth below. "TK!" Kari cried. She saw him steady himself as he fell. A look of calmness seemed to pass over his face. A flash off to her left attracted her attention.
"Angemon digivolve to...MagnaAngemon!"
His strength renewed, MagnaAngemon dove towards the ground and gathered the falling TK in his arms. But once again, he was blasted back onto the cliff. The dark disturbance drew closer to them. MagnaAngemon and Angewomon were lying heaped against each other. Kari was doing a little better than TK, who had a large gash opened across his forehead and many on his exposed arms. His breathing was rough and ragged, but he was alright, and was able to sit up.
Why, it seems to me that all these trees are getting in the way of your meeting each other. When that statement was finish, every tree on the cliff, for hundreds of feet around them, plucked itself out of the ground and floated into the air. Kari could see a few Digimon up there as well, Digimon with red glowing eyes. They were deleted along with the upraised forest.
Kari and TK gasped in amazement. Now a shape was beginning to take form in the dark cloud before them. It was man-shaped, but larger and broader than any man Kari had ever seen. His muscles bulged against his cloak, which was made of a crimson-red material and was darkened with purple trim. A sword was strapped to his side. Dark energy wrapped around him, causing his cloak and hair to ripple and sway with its breeze. Death was in his gaze; his power exuded from every pore.
"Greetings, son and daughter of that which is and children of that which is not. I am Majinmon. Welcome to my world. Say your last goodbyes to both."
He drew his sword and, with lightning-quick speed, stopped before Kari. An evil glint flashed in his eye as he raised his sword above his head, intending to split her from head to navel. Kari cowered in fear. All is lost, she thought. I've lost everything, Gatomon, Tai, TK...Oh, TK! Why did I never tell you? What have we missed out on? All this flashed through her head, and more, all thoughts of what she had lost. She looked up again to see Majinmon's wrist begin to flick. Time seemed to stop for her. Two white, glowing butterflies slid past Majinmon's head. He did not seem to notice, and they landed on Kari's ear and quietly spoke in her head.
Light shines brightest in deepest night.
Light and Hope, they are forever together.
Believe Child of Truth, believe.
Kari could feel a new strength surging through her. A light shone on Majinmon's face; an artificial light. Kari realized it was coming from her chest. It was her crest! It shone as brightly as ever. Her crest grew and grew, and it left her chest, and moved between her and Majinmon. It grew ever more, as wide as Kari was tall and the same in height. Majinmon's sword drove into the crest, sending dark and white energies cackling and surging about the newly cleared cliff. Slowly, little by little, Majinmon's sword broke through Kari's crest. Finally, the crest split under the power of the sword, and Majinmon drove the sword down at Kari again.
Or he would have, if there had been any sword left. From the hilt up, the sword had disintegrated into digital data. Majinmon sighed and dropped the hilt of his sword. Dark energies gathered into his hand, and he prepared to fire them at Kari. It was just then that a miracle happened.
Angewomon jumped to her feet. She could feel her power surging again. More and more power drew to her now. It filled her up, and her face began to glow, and then her hands, and then her entire body. The power made her shake and quail. It burst from her in an explosion of white light, covering her, and then shooting out from her in all directions. She drew back her head and yelled as the energy surged through her.
"Angewomon digivolve to...MagnaDramon!"
Kari, TK, Gatomon, and Patamon dashed along through the ever-growing darkness. The undergrowth was thick and twisted, and the going was difficult. Difficult for the humans that is, the larger digimon pursuing them had no such problems.
It had been difficult going for a while after they parted from their comrades, but they were both lucky and skilled, and evaded detection. They finally thought they were almost in the clear, when one of the digimon caught the glint of Gatomon's tail ring. A long chase ensued, lasting for several torturous minutes, winding through stretches of dark forest, always towards the mountain looming off in the distance.
Gatomon was worried, though they were widening the gap between them now, for she and Patamon went ahead of their human partners and cleared a pathway for them. Her claws were especially suited to clearing paths large enough to speed the movement of the humans and yet small enough to provide no aid to their larger pursuers. No, there seemed to be nothing to fear there. A few more minutes, and they would be in the clear. And even if they were caught and surrounded, they had a last resort; they could still digivolve and take their chances in the air.
No, Gatomon wasn't afraid of that. It was the behavior of their pursuers that bothered her. Gatomon had spent her share of time with unruly mobs, particularly after having worked as Myotismon's captain (although at the time she felt `emancipated', and preferred others to call her a `captainess'). These Digimon should be frustrated, angry, and upset at having lost their quarry. Instead, the prospect of losing those they were chasing didn't seem to bother them at all. Losing a chase could have easily meant death in Myotismon's army, a death I sometimes dealt out, Gatomon thought. No, what this felt like was a trap.
A trap! "Stop!" Gatomon yelled. She suited action to word, and jammed her fleet paws into the ground. She nearly skidded to a stop before she felt herself falling over the edge of a cliff. Slowly, she teetered on the edge, trying desperately to regain her balance, and then she felt herself falling.
"Gatomon!" she heard Kari cry. But it was too late; she and TK were too far behind to catch her. Suddenly, she felt two small paws settle on her tail, and then a sharp yank. She let out a sharp cry of pain, but knew better than to struggle. Air whooshed passed her face, courtesy of Patamon's wings. The pain on her tail was excruciating, but she held her tongue and simply waited. TK ran up behind Patamon and together the two of them pulled Gatomon to safety. They all lay on the ground, TK and Patamon breathing hard, and Kari stroking Gatomon's fur. Once Gatomon found her voice again, she said, "Thanks Patamon, thanks TK."
"Don't mention it," Patamon said.
"Yeah, you would've done the same for us. Besides, how many times have you two saved our lives?" TK added.
Gatomon got back to her feet. Her fur was suddenly standing on end. "Uh, guys, I think we've got a bigger problem here."
It was true. In all the excitement, they had forgot about the pursuit. They heard cackles of laughter from a dozen different voices around them. Deep in the forest, dozens of pairs of red eyes provided an eerie backlight. Slowly, steadily, they moved in on the trapped humans and their Digimon.
TK looked down at his friends. "Alright guys, it's time to fight! Let's show `em what were made of! Let's go!"
"Patamon digivolve to...Angemon!" "Hand of Fate!"
"Gatomon digivolve to...Angewomon!" "Celestial Arrow!"
The two angel's attack split the ranks of oncoming Digimon, sending them scattering for cover. TK saw two Bakemon be reconfigured, and Kari saw a DarkTyrannamon fall to Angewomon's blazing arrow. Now they came on as a large crowd.
"Angemon! Cover me!" Angewomon's hands began to glow pink as she said these words. Angemon got the message and stepped in the path of two overzealous Phantomon, who had outdistanced their fellows. He ducked their sickles, and knocked them both away with his staff.
"Angemon! Get out of the way!"
"Heaven's Charm!"
A wave of pink energy blasted through the forest. Angemon used his wings to drive himself out of the way. There was no time for anyone else to react. Trees split and cracked under the barrage, and those unlucky enough to be hiding behind them were cut in half. The wave continued out and dissipated in the distant forest. The area was clear.
"Quick, Angewomon, let's get Kari and TK and get out of here!"
"Right!"
They swooped down to pick up their partners. Kari leaned on Angewomon's arm as they sped up and away from the cliff. She looked back down on the space they'd left behind. "Oh no! TK, what's that!?"
She could see no Digimon left on the platform, but there was something there. The area around it was twisted and warped; it seemed as though everything around it swirled down into this one place. The center itself was dark and, though Kari could not physically feel it, she knew it was cold. It made her whole body go cold and numb just to look at it.
TK, however, did recognize it. "Kari! Don't look at it! It's just like what Pegasusmon and I saw in the Dark Whirlpool! It's just some dark energy, Kari, just fight against it, it'll go away!"
Oh I will, will I? The words rang in their heads. They thought they had heard it, but they knew they couldn't have, it was all in their heads. Isn't it? Kari thought.
Suddenly, Angemon and Angewomon fell from the sky. There had been no flash, no attack, nothing at all that Kari could see. But now she plummeted back to the cliff below. Angewomon had the strength to keep her hold on Kari despite the attack, but Angemon was not so lucky. TK was falling to the earth below. "TK!" Kari cried. She saw him steady himself as he fell. A look of calmness seemed to pass over his face. A flash off to her left attracted her attention.
"Angemon digivolve to...MagnaAngemon!"
His strength renewed, MagnaAngemon dove towards the ground and gathered the falling TK in his arms. But once again, he was blasted back onto the cliff. The dark disturbance drew closer to them. MagnaAngemon and Angewomon were lying heaped against each other. Kari was doing a little better than TK, who had a large gash opened across his forehead and many on his exposed arms. His breathing was rough and ragged, but he was alright, and was able to sit up.
Why, it seems to me that all these trees are getting in the way of your meeting each other. When that statement was finish, every tree on the cliff, for hundreds of feet around them, plucked itself out of the ground and floated into the air. Kari could see a few Digimon up there as well, Digimon with red glowing eyes. They were deleted along with the upraised forest.
Kari and TK gasped in amazement. Now a shape was beginning to take form in the dark cloud before them. It was man-shaped, but larger and broader than any man Kari had ever seen. His muscles bulged against his cloak, which was made of a crimson-red material and was darkened with purple trim. A sword was strapped to his side. Dark energy wrapped around him, causing his cloak and hair to ripple and sway with its breeze. Death was in his gaze; his power exuded from every pore.
"Greetings, son and daughter of that which is and children of that which is not. I am Majinmon. Welcome to my world. Say your last goodbyes to both."
He drew his sword and, with lightning-quick speed, stopped before Kari. An evil glint flashed in his eye as he raised his sword above his head, intending to split her from head to navel. Kari cowered in fear. All is lost, she thought. I've lost everything, Gatomon, Tai, TK...Oh, TK! Why did I never tell you? What have we missed out on? All this flashed through her head, and more, all thoughts of what she had lost. She looked up again to see Majinmon's wrist begin to flick. Time seemed to stop for her. Two white, glowing butterflies slid past Majinmon's head. He did not seem to notice, and they landed on Kari's ear and quietly spoke in her head.
Light shines brightest in deepest night.
Light and Hope, they are forever together.
Believe Child of Truth, believe.
Kari could feel a new strength surging through her. A light shone on Majinmon's face; an artificial light. Kari realized it was coming from her chest. It was her crest! It shone as brightly as ever. Her crest grew and grew, and it left her chest, and moved between her and Majinmon. It grew ever more, as wide as Kari was tall and the same in height. Majinmon's sword drove into the crest, sending dark and white energies cackling and surging about the newly cleared cliff. Slowly, little by little, Majinmon's sword broke through Kari's crest. Finally, the crest split under the power of the sword, and Majinmon drove the sword down at Kari again.
Or he would have, if there had been any sword left. From the hilt up, the sword had disintegrated into digital data. Majinmon sighed and dropped the hilt of his sword. Dark energies gathered into his hand, and he prepared to fire them at Kari. It was just then that a miracle happened.
Angewomon jumped to her feet. She could feel her power surging again. More and more power drew to her now. It filled her up, and her face began to glow, and then her hands, and then her entire body. The power made her shake and quail. It burst from her in an explosion of white light, covering her, and then shooting out from her in all directions. She drew back her head and yelled as the energy surged through her.
"Angewomon digivolve to...MagnaDramon!"