Me: I don't own Digimon-mostly because if I did, Rukato would've become true during Saturday's latest episode, "Give A Little Bit." I also don't own "In The End" by Linkin Park; true, this is the second song I'm using from that group, but as I was thinking about it, that song really fits with this chapter.
Rika: What are you talking about? I don't mean the song, of course.
Me: Don't think I didn't catch what happened-you yelling for Takato to get out of the way of Beelzemon's attack, then everyone else suddenly decided to join in! (grins wickedly)
Rika: It wasn't like that! He was in danger, and I didn't want to see him get hurt.
Me: Right...anyway, onward to the story, and one of the quotes for this chapter come straight out of the aforementioned episode.
Takato: Just one question-what's "aforementioned" mean?
Me: (groans) Rika, find him a dictionary, then hit him in the head with it.
Digimon Tamers: Takato V.S. Takato
Chapter VI-"Trust in me, Takato..."
"Takato, watch out!" -Rika Nonaka, "Give A Little Bit"
"Your own opinion matters! Don't pay attention to anyone who doubts you." -Takato Matsuki
"Act as aggressive as possible! No one can push you around." -Rika Nonaka
To put it bluntly, things weren't looking so hot for Takato and the team when Leomon was
deleted. Takato's anger and despair allowed WarGrowlmon to Digivolve into the powerful
Megidramon! And, while he was trying to defeat Beelzemon, Takato was being tempted by his
own personal demon-his clone! Takato was given the opportunity to help his clone and
Beelzemon take over the Digital World, with the exception of the other Tamers. Takato even
considered doing it, until a pep talk from Jeri on how badly he'd let her down brought him back
to Earth. Then, Rika finally got the chance to explain the real reason why the link between the
two of them existed in the first place-couples who belong together share everything, from pain
and agony, to trust and faithfulness. That alone, plus an amazing kiss forced a beaten
Megidramon to deDigivolve back to Guilmon and the data Beelzemon absorbed to exit his body
and reformat itself inside Jeri's Digivice, completely restoring Leomon entirely! Now, as
Gallantmon and SaberLeomon start the biggest battle the Digital World's ever known, there's
only one thing to say-good luck, and watch out for the cracks in the ground!
"If you two think you're gonna take us down, you must be dreaming! We've got all the power, and we hold all the cards." Beelzemon laughed, rushing forward to meet SaberLeomon and Gallantmon head-to-head.
"We've got truth, justice and the American way on our side-I think. Your evil brand of justice shall endure no more this day!" Gallantmon declared.
"Jeri, time to go to work! Howling Crusher!!" SaberLeomon howled, sending Beelzemon flying backward to the ground.
"Lightning Joust!!" Gallantmon's sword rang true, striking his clone and sending him into the dirt alongside his partner, Calumon cheering in the background.
"Yay! Go get 'em, guys! Show these phonies they don't have what it takes to be tamed by a Tamer!"
"Oh, really?" Calumon gulped as he suddenly found himself being glared at by "Takato," hatred burning in his eyes.
"Um...if I said 'yes,' would you try to hurt me?"
"Check it out-Gallantmon, Virus-type, Mega level! His courageous attributes are defined only by his Lightning Joust and Shield of the Just attacks."
"Are you just saying all this 'cause Takato's your boy-toy again?" Kazu mocked. Not even trying to hide her blush, Rika made a fist and aimed for Kazu's head-Kazu was lucky he ducked.
"Don't ever call Takato that! If anyone's gonna make any kind of condescending remarks about him, it should be me-and they would only increase his ego."
"Aren't you forgetting there's a new Mega Digimon out there, Rika? SaberLeomon, Ancient Animal Digimon, Mega level and a Data-type. This rarely seen Mega Digimon has two attacks that could put Imperialdramon to shame-Howling Crusher and Twin Fang."
Kazu and Kenta both rounded onto Henry, disbelief and irritation shown clearly across their faces.
"Are you kidding? Sure, Jeri's new Mega Digimon's awesome and all, but there's no way SaberLeomon's more powerful than Imperialdramon." Kenta insisted.
"I normally don't agree with my pal, but he's got a point. Being Jeri's new confidant has probably gone to your head, or your heart." Kazu replied.
"Guys, I would love to hear the rest of this argument, but we've got an increasingly huge problem with the ground-it's splitting in two!" Gargomon yelled out.
"Huh?" Confused, the Tamers all looked down at the ground and saw that the Champion Digimon was right-the ground was still breaking up, shooting hot bursts of lava and rocks from below.
"If we don't do something-and we don't do it fast-we're all gonna be seriously toast!" Kazu
exclaimed.
With every thrust and parry, the two Gallantmon were forcing each other closer to the lava below.
"Why would you side with a Digimon who only cares about destruction, pain and agony? Join with us, and we'll help-"
"Never! Final Elysian!!" Gallantmon grunted as a powerful beam of light struck, forcing him back a few feet, but not back enough to send him into the lava.
While the Tamers were all trying to stay away from the cracks and stay near the battlefield, Rika felt something against her stomach. It had felt like a mosquito bite, but she'd felt it!
"What's wrong, Rika?" Renamon asked.
"I'm not sure. I thought something hit my stomach, but it only felt like a mosquito bite."
"When did this happen?"
Rika looked over at the two battling Gallantmon, and she put two and two together. A grin,
albeit tiny, appeared on her face.
(It starts with one...) One thing, I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try-keep that in mind
I designed this rhyme to explain in due time (all I know!)
Time is a valuable thing-watch it fly by as the pendulum swings, watch it count down to the end
of the day; the clock ticks life away (it's so unreal!)
"Digimodify! Power activate!" Jeri yelled out.
"Howling Crusher!!" Beelzemon growled, feeling blood flowing from his rib cage and feeling nothing but anger toward SaberLeomon. He eyed his motorcycle, sitting idly by, not a scratch on it and jumped onto it, starting it up.
"Let's have a race, you and me, kid! Come on-are you strong enough?"
Jeri knew she hadn't wanted to fight anymore when she'd lost Leomon, but thanks to a miracle of sorts, her partner had been returned to her, and thanks to an old friend, she'd been given the ability to have Leomon Digivolve to his Mega form. Despite everything she'd said to Takato earlier, she still didn't want to let him down.
"You're on! Digimodify! Hyper Speed activate!"
The second Beelzemon shot off toward the cracks that separated the Digital World from itself, SaberLeomon was right on his heels. Surprisingly enough, they were headed for Calumon and Takato's clone.
"I was planning to use you as a bargaining chip, trade you for my 'other' self, but we can't have Megidramon reappear, can we? Now, since I seem to have lost my dagger somewhere, we'll just have to improvise." The second "Takato" picked up a rock, poor Calumon all but completely blurted it out.
"Wait a minute! I don't remember what happened to it other than the fact that Takato found it and-" Calumon stopped there, remembering that Takato had wanted to surprise his clone. The In-Training Digimon held back a cry of pain as Takato's clone picked him up by his head, the rock mere inches from being smashed upon it.
"And what? What did my other self do with it?!"
"Let him go!" Jeri demanded angrily, racing toward them atop SaberLeomon.
"Try and make me!"
"I'll do more than that!" Jeri grabbed another Modify card and swiped it.
"Digimodify! Digital Clone activate!"
"'Digital Clone, activate?' What kind of card's that?" A second later, three SaberLeomon appeared with the first. The four of them roared with power, forcing "Takato" down to the ground and making him drop the rock and Calumon, who immediately ran over to Jeri.
"About time you remembered me!"
"It took a while, but I realized I needed to find an old friend and save him." Jeri replied.
"True, but what about me? Didja forget me? Double Impact!!"
Jeri and Calumon screamed in shock as a horde of bullets were headed directly toward them!
"After everything Leomon and I've been through, it can't end like this!"
Didn't look out below, watch the time go right out the window, trying to hold on but didn't even know
I wasted it all just to watch you go (watch you go...)
I kept everything inside and even though I tried it all fell apart
What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when I tried so hard...
Chorus: I tried so hard, and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter!
I had to fall to lose it all, but in the end it doesn't even matter...
"We've got to figure out a way to get back over there and help the others!" Rika insisted, impatient to get back into battle.
"We haven't even found Takato yet, and you're already saying we should go back there?" Kenta murmured.
"Trust me-he's over there, too. We just can't see him right now."
"You might have something there, Rika. Takato's Digivice was destroyed moments before WarGrowlmon Digivolved to Megidramon, if he didn't have a D-Power or wasn't able to use his cards, he had to find a new way to reach the Mega level."
"The gears inside Henry's heads are working again, struggling to find out what tragic thing has happened to our fallen hero." Gargomon cracked while keeping an eye over a sleeping Susie and Lopmon.
"How can those two just sleep through all this action?" Kazu spoke up.
"Susie's a child, younger than any of you. It's possible that all this excitement has finally worn her out." Renamon replied.
"Ohhhhh..." Kazu and Kenta chorused.
"And those Geckomon said I was disturbing their way of life." Andromon muttered.
"Come again?"
Andromon sighed while turning toward his partner and Kenta and said, "Never mind. It's not that important."
"I've got it! Okay-Takato's Digivice was destroyed moments before Guilmon Digivolved into Megidramon, right? And, he couldn't use any of his cards with or without the Digivice since they'd all been changed into Darkness Modify cards, then destroyed. So, my theory is this-Takato figured out the latest, and newest way to Digivolve to the Mega level-he fused himself with Guilmon and with their combined strength, Warp-Digivolved past the Champion and Ultimate levels, reaching the Mega stage and restoring Gallantmon once more!" Henry took a moment to catch his breath after that impressive speech, then waited. Only Gargomon, Kazu, Kenta and Andromon were paying attention-or trying to-and Rika was preparing to leave.
"If that was all you dug up, I've got news for you-I already figured that out, due to a minuscule amount of pain Gallantmon received. I was hit too, but it only felt like a mosquito had bitten me. If you need me, I'll be helping Gallantmon-and Takato-take these guys down once and for all."
Digimodify!
"Digimodify! Digivolution activate!"
"Renamon Digivolve to...KYUBIMON!!!"
Digimon!
Henry and the others could only observe as Rika and Kyubimon raced forward, dodging rocks and quick blasts of lava to make it to Takato's location.
"No wonder they call her the Digimon Queen."
One thing I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try-keep that in mind
I designed this rhyme to remind myself how (I tried so hard)
The clones disappeared as SaberLeomon jumped up, dodging the deadly bullets and soaring high above the cracks in the ground, which had started to shake.
"Come on-get back here and fight meeeeeeeee!" Beelzemon ranted, grabbing "Takato" and speeding up, jumped the ledge and made it to where the other Mega Digimon were fighting.
"Remember the fights we had? It was always a draw between us, win, lose, win, lose. Today-or tonight-one will win, and one will lose." Gallantmon said, keeping his sword locked with "Gallantmon's" own blade.
"Yes, and that winner is me! Final Elysian!!" Gallantmon threw his shield up, barely blocking the attack and sending it spiraling down into the lava. Seconds later, it started bubbling and oozing out of the ground, spurting up and splashing anywhere within range.
Rika and Kyubimon had made it to their destination, but were faced with a dilemma.
"Question, Kyubimon-which one of those two is the real Gallantmon?"
"Simple, Rika. Just watch which one starts heading toward Takato's clone."
Amazed that Kyubimon had figured it out before her, Rika looked to see "Gallantmon" head for "Takato" and Beelzemon's path. At that instant, Rika heard Takato's voice say, "Now, Gallantmon-now's your chance!"
This time, Rika allowed a full smile to show on her face. "I knew it had to be you, Gogglehead!"
"Shield of the Just!!" The powerful beam of light emitted from the shield made contact instantly, striking Gallantmon's clone and forcing him down, with nothing to catch him but the protruding lava pits.
"NOOOOOOOO!!" In shock and utter surprise, Takato's clone watched his partner fall into the lava, then slowly, but surely, be deleted.
"Doesn't feel so good now that your Digimon was just killed, does it?" Rika retorted, a satisfying grin on her face.
Looking into Rika's eyes with pure disgust, anger and uncontrollable rage, "Takato" pulled out his Digivice and fired a beam of dark light directly aimed at Gallantmon, hitting him and forcing him to deDigivolve into Takato and Guilmon!
Rika, Jeri, Kyubimon, SaberLeomon, Calumon, the other Tamers and their Digimon all saw
Takato and Guilmon fall into the crack that separated the Digital World from itself. Seconds
later, a gigantic blast of lava and fire shot up from that crack, landing around Rika and Takato's
clone, but the only thing Rika was focused on was that gigantic hole, which was still bubbling.
In spite of the way you were mocking me, acting like I was part of your property, remembering all the times you fought with me-I'm surprised it (got so far!)
Things aren't the way they were before-you wouldn't even recognize me anymore
Not that you knew me back then, but it all comes back to me in the end (in the end...)
You kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart
What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when I tried so hard...
Chorus: I tried so hard, and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter!
I had to fall to lose it all, but in the end it doesn't even matter...
"NO!!" Rika had to force back her tears as she leaped from Kyubimon's back and headed down the two parts of the Digital World, seeing nothing but rocks, extremely hot lava and was able to smell something that was like scorched flesh. A minute or so after falling, Rika hit a jutting rock hard on her stomach, keeping her from falling any further, but making it difficult for her to get back up.
"Rika? Is that you?" Keeping herself from blacking out, Rika peered down into the lava to see Takato and Guilmon literally hanging on a limb meters below her position.
"Well, it's not the Spanish Inquisition, so who else could it be? How'd you pull off that Fusion Digivolving thing anyway?"
"I'd love to tell you, but I actually want to live to try to have children sometime in the future, so if you'd pull us up to where your at, that would really help out right about now." Takato advised.
"Oh, right. Grab my hand!" Takato rapidly shook his head, realizing how far he and Guilmon were from Rika at that instant.
"You're kidding, right? If I tried that, I'd end up a statistic!"
"Come on, Takato-just trust me on this! I've trusted you in how many dangerous situations we've been through-about two or three, at the most."
Takato looked Rika in her violet-shaped eyes, and saw the trust she'd had in him throughout this entire adventure, even when they'd broken up for a while.
"I've got to try, even if it's only for this one time! I've got to learn how to trust Rika again!"
Takato grunted as he reached up his hand and grasped Rika's a few seconds later!
"Now-pull yourself up." Rika suggested.
"Right. Don't worry, boy-I'll get you outta there the only way I know how!" Guilmon nodded in agreement. Inch by inch, Takato used his feet to climb upward and successfully made it up to Rika and the jutted rock!
"I knew you could do it, Takato!" Not caring if anyone saw her at that moment or not, Rika pulled Takato into a hug, refusing to let go.
"Thanks, but I've gotta see if I can get Guilmon up here."
I've put my trust in you, pushed as far as I can go
For all this, there's only one thing you should know
I've put my trust in you, pushed as far as I can go!
For all this, there's only one thing you should know
"You ready, Guilmon?" Takato yelled calmly.
"Whenever you are, Takatomon."
Smiling, Takato pulled out his restored D-Power, which resembled Jeri's except for the fact that his had markings engraved inside the golden circle.
"How? Didn't Henry say your Digivice was destroyed?" Rika asked in amazement.
"Yeah, but when my darker half separated me from Guilmon, I got my Digivice back for some reason, and my cards are back to normal. Watch!"
Digimodify!
"Digimodify! Hyper Wings activate!"
Guilmon growled with ease, releasing his hold from the limb as a pair of invisible wings appeared onto his back and carried him up toward Takato and Rika.
"Brilliant, but how are we all going to get up there at the same time? Guilmon isn't that strong yet to Digivolve and I think I abandoned Kyubimon back up there. We've got to get to her!"
"Yeah, we do, but a bigger problem calls for our attention right now Rika." Takato pointed back down to show that the lava was rising at a steadily fast pace!
"I've got it covered! I'm lucky I brought this card along. Get ready, Guilmon!"
Digimodify!
"Digimodify! Digmon's Drill activate!"
A pair of drills hooked themselves onto Guilmon's forearms and he dug his way up through the ground, creating a hole big enough for Takato and Rika to fill!
"Well, in we go. I'm really eager to see what happened to Beelzemon and my clone."
"You and me both, Takato. But after this is all over with, it probably won't even matter."
Chorus: I tried so hard, and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter!
I had to fall to lose it all, but in the end it doesn't even matter...(final chords; song ends)
Beelzemon eyed SaberLeomon, Jeri and Calumon with an evil grin as he pulled out his guns and cocked them.
"This time, you'll stay dead, my 'friend.' Double Impact!!"
Just as the Mega fired the bullets at his targets, a voice cried out, "Digimodify! WarGreymon Brave Shield activate!!"
Gargomon raced in, holding WarGreymon's shield in his hand and deflecting the rain of bullets upward in the air.
"You little...Double Impact!!" Beelzemon fired at Henry, but to his surprise, he was out of bullets!"
"Ahh! What else could go wrong today?!" Seconds after Beelzemon said that, the ground under his feet was shaking hard. That's when Guilmon, Takato and Rika burst out of the rocky pit from below, hitting the ground and sending Beelzemon and his motorcycle in the air, Beelzemon's motorcycle sent down into the lava.
"That's for...deleting Leomon in...the first place!" Takato declared, standing next to Rika and Guilmon, Kyubimon and the others coming up behind them.
"Takato" and Beelzemon eyed the landscape around them and knew that this part of the Digital World was lost.
"Make no mistake, Tamers-I will be back!" That said, Takato's clone and Beelzemon raced toward another data stream and jumped inside it, vanishing almost instantly.
As Kyubimon, SaberLeomon, Gargomon and Andromon all deDigivolved back into their Rookie stages-with the exception of Guardromon and Leomon-the ground stopped shaking, the lava stopped spurting up and the cracks that had formed suddenly reconnected once again.
"Something tells me that our battle caused this part of the Digital World to go out of synch."
The Tamers all eyed Henry with a weird look on their faces.
"What?" Takato asked in shock.
"Oh, sorry. I meant that the battle between Megidramon and Beelzemon, then the battles with the two Gallantmon, SaberLeomon and Beelzemon caused the very fabric of the Digital World itself to almost be destroyed. We'd better find a way back home soon. That, and I'm not sure how much of this Susie can take."
"I'm okay, Henwy. I'm grown up now!"
"Uh-huh. Anyone got any plans on what we're gonna do for tonight?" Takato asked.
"How about we all try to avoid that data stream?" Kenta and Kazu yelled.
"Not again!" The Tamers and the Digimon all tried to outrun another data stream, but Takato tripped over a rock and fell to his knees.
"Takato, get out of there!" Rika yelled, turning back around and running to Takato's aid with Guilmon, Renamon and Calumon at her heels.
Just when you think things are going back to normal, another data stream pops up! Where will this one take the team now? Find out next time on Digimon: Digital Monsters!