Me: Okay, people-fellow writers, Tamers and Digimon, here it is: the battle that should've gone on until the bitter end-Beelzemon against Gallantmon! I don't own Digimon, by the by.
Rika: (raises eyebrow) You get us all hyped up for those few sentences? Someone please tell me he's brain dead.
Me: (irritated) Someone please hold me back before I go against everything I've been taught! (lunges forward; Takato and Henry hold me back)
Terriermon: That's it! Give everybody a preview-DC against Rika! Winner take all! A no-holds barred match!
Takato: Hold on! Just relax-she didn't mean anything by it.
Henry: Yeah. Momentai already!
Me: (calms down) And people say Tamers can't learn stuff from their Digimon! If you guys thought the flashbacks from the previous chapter were long, wait'll you see the length of Takato's thoughts when he...(grows silent; Rika steps forward, hands clenched to her sides)
Rika: When he what? What are you planning to do to my Gogglehead?!
Me: Nothing, nothing at all.
Terriermon: Except put Takato and Guilmon through the wringer!
Henry, Me: Terriermon!
Terriermon: She did ask what he was planning to do.
Me: Rika wasn't asking you, Terriermon! (sighs; closes eyes) Go ahead-hit me.
Rika: Mm...maybe later. (looks around) I've gotta go coax Gogglehead out of the linen closet. (leaves)
Terriermon: Coax him out or invite herself in? (grins evilly)
Henry, Me: (groans)
Me: Oh, before I get started, those who have the Star Wars: Episode II soundtrack should
program it to play "Across the Stars", but you should play it when I give the word; you probably
won't listen to a guy like me, but anyway...
Digimon Tamers: Tamers V.S. Dracula
Chapter XVI-The Ultimate Battle
"Just so you know, Metal Mouth, when I'm done with you, I'm gonna finish your friends off one by one!" -Beelzemon
"You're wrong...You're the one who's finished!" -Takato Matsuki, "Lionheart"
Dracula approached Beelzemon as he was heading home and told him he'd kidnapped his
Tamers, Ai and Mako! The only way he would get them back safely would be if he'd defeat
Gallantmon in a battle. Easier said than done, right? Since most of the Tamers and the Digimon
had all met up at the same place, it was easy for Dracula to activate a portal and send them all
into the Digital World. Once they got there, Rika was reminded of the promise Takato had made
to her a long time ago, a promise that she would never be as alone as her mother was. Now, both
combatants have nothing to gain and everything to lose-watch out, world! The battle between
Gallantmon and Beelzemon's gonna rock this joint up!
Biomerge Digivolution!
"Biomerge, activate!" Takato yelled out as he transformed into data and merged with Guilmon once again.
"Guilmon Biomerge to...GALLANTMON!!!"
Beelzemon grinned evilly as he stared at the Exalted Knight Digimon, who stood before him with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Looks like we both have someone special we care about, Pineapple head-your Tamer has his girl waiting behind us because of a stupid promise, and I have my Tamers captured by that blood-sucking fiend back home! All the chips are down, so it's now or never."
Without responding at first, Gallantmon rose his right arm up to the sky, where it changed into his lance-the shield appeared in his left hand a moment later. Calm as ice, the Mega Digimon replied, "So be it!"
Growling deeply, Beelzemon started things off with a brisk run before leaping up into the air and firing his guns off!
"Eat this, Holy Knight! Double Impact!!"
"That can't stop us!" Gallantmon retorted while raising his shield to bear instead of the lance. Instantly, the bullets were deflected back into the air. Grunting loudly, Gallantmon willed his lance to change back into his arm, then pulled it back and just as Beelzemon reached arm's length, lashed out and...
WHAP!! The Virus-type grunted in surprise as he was flung backward and hit the ground, his opponent standing above him with a confident look in his eyes.
"That was for Rika!" Takato thought, a smile plastered onto his face while inside the sphere.
"Ha! I didn't know Takato would get the first hit. I thought it would've taken him at least a few more minutes of dodging bullets."
"Terriermon." Henry warned, raising an eyebrow up to show that this wasn't the time.
Unlike the others, Renamon was deep in thought, wondering about what Beelzemon had said before the battle had started. Noticing that her partner wasn't focused on the two warriors, Rika turned to her with a curious look.
"Renamon? What is it?"
"It's just something that Beelzemon said. He just said that his Tamers-"
"You mean Ai and Mako? Unlike Impmon, they're fun to be around!" Terriermon interrupted.
"-were captured by Dracula. This sounds to me like a certain someone is being used...again."
"In other words, Beelzemon doesn't want to fight Takato and Guilmon, but he has no choice in the matter."
Stepping up to where Henry was at, Leomon responded, "I've been a warrior all my life. What I saw earlier in Beelzemon's eyes clearly states that, like Gallantmon, he truly does want to fight. This is a battle that has been put off for too long, and unless somebody can stop it, it will only end in tragedy."
Holding onto Calumon tightly, Jeri was still focused on Gallantmon and Beelzemon. Even though she was with Henry, that didn't excuse the fact that she was worried about Takato's well-being.
"Be careful, Takato..."
"Try this on for size, kid! Darkness Claw!!"
Gallantmon rose his shield upward, preparing to be blasted backward into the air. To his surprise, the attack never came! Lowering the shield down, he saw that Beelzemon had vanished. "Where'd he go?" the Mega Digimon questioned, attempting to sense where his opponent would attack next.
"Let's see how you deal with this new and improved attack!" laughed Beelzemon as he skyrocketed from the skies above, aiming directly at Rika with his claws outstretched!
"What? NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Takato cried out from inside Gallantmon. "Rika, get out of the way!!!"
"Say goodbye, redhead!"
Renamon suddenly leaped up and grabbed Rika, barely managing to jump to safety just as Beelzemon struck the ground she'd been standing at! Seconds later, the ground started to split and crack, spewing up rocks and hot blasts of molten lava and fire. Jeri, Henry and their Digimon were separated from each other at that instant!
"HENRY!!!!"
"Jeri...NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"
"Hang on!" Gallantmon cautioned as he flew over to where Henry and Terriermon were. "Climb on-I'll fly you to Jeri."
"You don't have to tell us twice!" Terriermon said as they both got on. Seconds later, they were reunited, with the exception of Rika and Renamon.
"Get to higher ground. I've got to find Rika!"
As Gallantmon flew off, Leomon picked up Henry and Jeri-who was still holding onto Calumon-while leaping to safety.
"Rika! Where are you?" Takato called out worriedly.
"Hey, Gogglehead!" Turning sharply to his left, Gallantmon looked relieved to see Rika and Renamon, unhurt by their experience and safely away from the cracks that separated the Digital World from itself.
"Are you two okay?"
"We're fine." Renamon noted calmly. "What happened to the others?"
"They went to higher ground. Now, if we could only find out where Beelzemon went to..."
"Don't look any further than right in front of you, dino breath!" Beelzemon reappeared in front of Gallantmon before kicking him in the face, sending him spiraling down to the ground in one shot!
"Takato! Come on, get up! You can do it-you can beat him!" Rika yelled out confidently.
Groaning lightly, Gallantmon got back up, his weapon and shield at the ready.
"That was a cheap shot, Beelzemon!"
"Oh, really? And punching a guy when he's in the air isn't? Let's find out!" Moments later, Beelzemon flew effortlessly in the air while holding onto a single gun in his right hand.
"Even though I worked with you guys, I always stayed true to myself-power is what makes you a somebody. Not having power makes you a nobody. With this power, I am somebody! Corona Blaster!!"
"Get down!" Gallantmon quickly leaped in front of Rika and Renamon, protecting them both as the attack reverberated off of the shield! "Stay down, you two-it's almost over!"
"Thanks, Takato! Renamon, can you find out where the others went to?" Rika quickly asked.
Without responding, the Rookie Digimon picked her partner up before vanishing. "We'll both
find out where they went to."
Staying close to the battle, but not close enough as to fall into any of the cracks, Henry, Jeri and the Digimon were safe where they were at.
"Jeri, I've just thought of something, and you can help out."
Eyeing her boyfriend with a curious look, Jeri couldn't help but smile. "I can? What is it?"
"Hopefully, you did hear about what happened to Beelzemon's Tamers, right?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Well, they've got to be hidden somewhere in the Real World, and with Leomon helping you out, you should be able to find them and rescue them." Henry explained.
"Can I go too, Jeri? Huh? Can I, can I?" Calumon piped up excitedly.
"Sure! The more, the merrier."
"I'm not so sure about that last statement." Terriermon whispered into Henry's ear.
"Be grateful I'm not leaving Calumon with us."
"Touche."
"There you guys are! What are you talking about?" Rika asked irritably as she and Renamon appeared in front of them.
"Jeri, Leomon and I are gonna see if we can find Impmon's Tamers so he'll stop beating up on poor Takato and Guilmon!" Calumon interjected before anyone else could. Turning to eye Jeri, Rika held out her hand for her to grab.
"Don't be gone too long."
"Ruff! We'll be back before you can say, 'Guilmon bread!'"
Terriermon and Rika sighed as Jeri, Calumon and Leomon left in an attempt to return to the Real World.
"And she's gonna live with us for the rest of our lives? Henry, I'm not sure how much more torture I can take."
"Think of it this way-you could be back at home with Susie and Lopmon, playing 'Princess Pretty Pants' and have to wear a dress and some other odds and ends."
"That's a cheap shot, Henry!"
Narrowing his eyes, Gallantmon leaped up into the air and vanished from sight. He'd been on the defensive side for too long. It was his turn to go on the offensive!
"Where'd you go to? Coward! Come out and face meeeeeee!!!"
"LIGHTNING JOUST!!!" Gallantmon roared loudly while aiming directly for Beelzemon in a kamikaze move, his lance charging up for attack.
"That puny sword doesn't scare me, and neither do you! Corona Blaster!!"
"I should!" growled the Virus Digimon while blocking the attack with his shield. Grunting,
Beelzemon barely got out of the way before he was blasted to the ground by the intensity of the
attack! Rika, Henry and the Digimon raced back to the battleground, amazed by the explosion
they'd just heard.
"It's a good thing the portal that brought us here ended up bringing us back, huh?" Calumon piped up as he, Leomon and Jeri found themselves back in Shinjuku once more.
"Yes, Calumon. It is a good thing."
"Can you find out where Ai and Mako are at, Leomon?" Jeri asked, concern that she would fail Henry crossing her mind.
Without saying anything, the Champion Digimon turned to the right and lightly sniffed the air. "As long as I've been here in the Real World, you humans have a distinct smell. It isn't a bad one, but it allows us Digimon to keep tabs on you when we aren't with you, like when you are at school. If you weren't there, we would be able to find out. Now, if I'm correct, Beelzemon's Tamers should be...that way!" Leomon pointed in a direction completely opposite from where he was facing before.
"Hey, Jeri, can we get some cream puffs on the way there?"
"Not now, Calumon! Maybe on the way back, we can."
"But I'm hungry now!"
Beelzemon shook off the tiny rocks from his jacket, and like Gallantmon, narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "I never thought I would say it, but he's even stronger now than he was then! His moves are literally like lightning. I'm lucky I haven't been picked off yet. But, he shouldn't underestimate me. That's usually what brings the hero down in the end, and then I'll be able to save Ai and Mako from that pale-faced vampire."
"This wasn't easy before, and it sure isn't easy now." Gallantmon stared at Beelzemon while keeping his lance and shield in front of him. "I've gotten stronger ever since our previous battle, but so has he, if not stronger! I can't let my guard down, even for a second. No matter what happens, I can't let Rika down. I've got to keep my promise to her."
"Prepare yourself, Beelzemon!"
"Oh, I'm 'prepared,' kiddo. The question is, are you prepared to be annihilated?! Corona Blaster!!"
"Takato, watch out!"
Gallantmon barely blocked the attack with his shield, but he knew he wouldn't be able to hold off Beelzemon's defenses forever. The battle had to end, and it had to end now.
"Beelzemon, in order for me to keep my promise to Rika, I must do the one thing I never thought I would do-I will sacrifice any good Ai and Mako could've done as Tamers by destroying you!"
"And in order for me to be a good partner, I've gotta take you out of the game, Pineapple head! Your girl can always find herself another fish in the sea. What about that Akiyama boy? His partner is a handful, but in his Mega form, he's pretty tough."
Whereas Henry had to hold Rika back from Biomerging with Renamon, Takato was seething with rage and jealousy inside his sphere!
"Looks like I struck a nerve. What's wrong, kiddo-afraid the Legendary Tamer's gonna take your girlfriend away in the blink of an eye?"
"YAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Takato screamed with anger as he rose his left arm up. In response, Gallantmon did the same thing.
"Finally-it's time to see which one of us has the power! Prepare to be eliminated, Pineapple head." With his gun, Beelzemon drew a pentagram before firing his main attack through it. "Corona Destroyer!!"
"Shield of the Just!!" The triangles on the shield glowed before the one in the middle did. Once
that happened, the attack was launched at Beelzemon's own attack.
"Why would Dracula hide Impmon's Tamers in an abandoned warehouse district? It's daytime, so he can't come anywhere near it."
Agreeing with Jeri's assessment, Leomon nodded while continuing to figure things out. "It was probably at night that the vampire brought them here. He knew daylight would come eventually, so he quickly put them inside and bolted the door."
"That door won't be a problem for Leomon, hero extraordinaire!" Calumon announced excitedly.
Laughing quietly, Leomon stepped up to the door and used his main attack on it!
"Fist of the Beast King!!"
WHAM!!! The door was sent flying off its hinges as the three of them walked inside.
"Impmon, is that you?"
Calm as ever, Leomon shook his head. "I'm afraid not, but if you want to see your partner again, we'd better hurry."
Recognizing Jeri and Calumon, Mako shook his head. "We can't move!"
"What do you mean? We've come all this way to free you." Jeri insisted. "And one of our friends is in trouble!"
"We would, but-" Ai pointed to a device a few meters away from them. "-he said some weird stuff and that appeared. Then he told us if we tried to escape, it would explode!"
"That's not nice." Calumon whined sadly as his ears retracted.
"Henry didn't mention anything about a bomb being in here!" Jeri exclaimed.
"Calm down, Jeri. Just use the comlink he gave you, and try to contact him."
"O, okay."
The two attacks passed each other entirely before hitting their opponents with ferocity! Gallantmon roared in pain as the attack not only destroyed his shield, but it disintegrated his cape and sent him flying backward in the air...with nothing to catch him but the cracks in the ground and the protruding lava.
"NO! TAKATO!!!!!!!!"
Beelzemon roared in agony as Gallantmon's attack not only destroyed his gun, but caused him extensive damage as well. He was also sent flying backward, but he landed onto some rocks that had been pushed up by the lava pits.
"Takato! Answer us!" Henry cried out, barely acknowleging the fact that the comlink was activated. Terriermon tore himself away from the sight of two good friends, who were probably as good as dead, if they hadn't come up by this time, to grab the comlink.
"Henry! It's Jeri, and she sounds as wound up as we are."
"Yeah, Jeri?"
"Henry, you do know how to dismantle a bomb, right?"
That question had stumped him to no end! "Uh, I know some specific ideas about that kind of stuff, but actually dismantling a bomb? That really isn't up my alley. Why?"
"There's a bomb in the warehouse, where we've found Impmon's Tamers. If they tried to escape, it will go off!"
Henry had to stay focused. He tore his gaze away from Rika, who's eyes were brimming with unshed tears. "From what my dad's told me about stuff like that, you have to remove the protective casing around the bomb."
"Okay. Calumon-you should be big enough. Go for it!"
"Me? Why me?"
"Leomon is too big, I have to watch Ai and Mako, and they can't move!"
"Ohh...you guys owe me big time!"
While seeing various spouts of lava shoot up, Henry listened for any sounds of trouble and was pleased to hear Calumon's tiny scream, which meant that somehow, he'd gotten the casing off.
"Great job, guys! Now, there should be a timer on it and three wires. What color are they?"
"Um...red, blue and green."
Jeri heard a hand striking something, but chose to ignore that. "Okay. How much time is left on the clock?"
"About 1:00 left." Leomon's voice boomed out.
"Jeri, do you have any wire cutters on you?"
"I don't think so-wait! I do. My dad accidentally left it in here when his attempt to fix the power in our buildings failed one time, so he must have put it in my bag."
"Once we get back-if we get back-I will thank your father! Now, pick a color-red, blue or green?"
Jeri gulped loudly. Usually, this didn't happen to girls like her, at least not on TV. But, this was real life, and through some blessing or a curse, she now had less than a minute in which she could save lives or end them, as well as her own.
"Be brave, Jeri. No matter which wire you cut, remember-you have a lion's heart."
Inspired by Leomon's confidence in her abilities, Jeri reached forward, chose a color and...
(A/N: Now is the time you should play "Across the Stars.")
Beaten to the point of deletion, practically defenseless since his weapons were destroyed, and with all hope lost, Gallantmon helplessly dropped farther and farther away from reality to his grave in the lava pits below the bowels of the Digital World. Doomed to share his partner's fate with him, Takato saw his entire life flash before his eyes. True, he couldn't remember all of it, but the moments in which he was a Tamer, he could remember. Some of the times weren't that good, but they were eventful. The best times were when he and Rika had barely started their relationship, or even before that time...
"I don't understand why I can feel any attack that hits WarGrowlmon-and I mean any attack! It defies every law of science-if I understood science from the start."
"Well, Guilmon's not your normal Digimon-I know that and you know that. Even Guilmon knows it, especially if you created him. Maybe you and Guilmon have some sort of connection whenever he reaches his Ultimate form."
A tiny smile came to Takato's face as he saw the lava reaching up to grab him and to pull him down inside it, never to return again. It hadn't gone high enough, and it just splashed around him. That's what reminded him of his own connection between himself and Rika.
"Takato! Where are you?"
"Right here, but it looks like you could use some help."
"I could say the same about you, Gogglehead. What-"
Time had passed as they looked each other over and saw that their injuries, however painful, were similar in every way.
"Are we connected?"
Against their clones, the connection had been put to the test, endlessly!
"Takato, what happened? Rika's clone kicked her, not you." Henry said in shock.
"We're connected! Any pain Rika feels, I feel, and vice versa."
But, it was battling against Beelzemon and his own clone, here, in the Digital World, that their relationship had been put to the test...and they'd nearly failed it!
"I don't want to be with you anymore! I just can't handle the link any longer, alright? You get hurt, I get hurt. I get hurt, you get hurt-what does that mean, anyway? If I understood it, I probably wouldn't do this, but I don't understand it, and if you can't explain to me why us having this link-other than the Digital Plane-is any good, then I see no point in us being together."
"What do two people do when they're in love?"
"Uh...make out at movies and sneak off against their parents' wishes?"
"They share everything, Gogglehead. That's why we had the link, Takato. What good is being in a relationship if you can't share everything equally with the one you love?"
While battling the D-Reaper, Takato had nearly given up, if Rika hadn't helped him see what she had always known about him.
"You are a good Tamer, one of the best, if not the best! You brought me out back into the light when no one else would give me the light of day or a second thought back at my school. Even my mom didn't care about me that much-or so I thought. You taught me that emotions don't make you weak-they give you strength, friends, family, people who care about you...and people you've grown to love."
The best time Takato could remember was when he'd taken a chance and had proposed to Rika in front of the other Tamers.
"Um...Rika? There's something I've got to say."
"Yeah?"
"Ever since we saved the Real World from Daemon and had to stop the D-Reaper from causing all kinds of havoc and chaos, I've wanted to ask you something, but I never thought I'd have the opportunity to do this until now, with everyone still looking at me. I know this isn't something a hero would do, which kinda caught me off guard when you called me your hero earlier, but I just wanted to know...Rika Nonaka, sometime in the future, when we've grown up a little bit, will you marry me?"
"Takato...this is something that a hero would do, and even though you've gone through a lot of turmoil during our adventures here, in the Digital World and beyond, you were able to pull through. You even tried to be my friend time and time again, even if I didn't want you around before. You trusted me after I broke up with you in the Digital World when we were fighting your clone off. I'm sure my mom will definitely want to pay for this and I'd have to wear a dress, but if I could be with you for the rest of my life, one day would be worth it. Takato Matsuki-my own Gogglehead...yes, I will marry you."
As Takato broke himself out of his reveries-which hadn't lasted that long, really-the lava was close enough to pull him in! His last thought was of the promise he'd made to Rika, and how he hadn't been able to keep it...
"Rika, I promise you...I won't leave you alone..."
"I can't believe it...he didn't keep his promise..."
Rika shook with pain and torment as she fought to keep the tears from showing. Henry, no longer talking to Jeri, simply sat there in shock.
"He beat Gallantmon...that wasn't supposed to happen!"
The rocks finally exploded to reveal Beelzemon, beaten to near deletion as well, but unlike Gallantmon, he was laughing.
"At last, I have proven that I am the stronger Digimon! That means no one can take me-no one! NO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!"
A second later, a scream of agony and pain, along with a gigantic splash of lava shooting up onto the cracked ground, was heard. At that instant, Rika felt something deep inside her heart die away, and the tears finally flowed down her cheeks.
"Why him...? Anyone but him...Why not me instead?!"
The Virus Digimon grinned evilly as he turned towards the remaining Tamers and their partners.
"So much for love and companionship, huh, redhead? Guess his Exalted One wasn't as tough as he made out to be...?"
The second Beelzemon stated that, a powerful blast of hot lava shot out from behind him, sending him back to the ground. Almost immediately, Henry and Rika's Digivices started glowing, but not their normal colors of green and blue...rather, the color of blood.
A voice spoke from the lava, yelling out, "It's not over yet, Beelzemon-not by a long shot!"
Mode Change Digivolution!
"Gallantmon Mode Change to...CRIMSON MODE!!!"
The lava parted to reveal Gallantmon, covered once again from head to toe in red, the eight wings adorning his back, a sword in place of the lance-which was wielded in his left hand-and in place of the shield was yet another sword in his right hand.
"Rika...I kept my promise."
The tears still continued to fall down her cheeks, but they were now tears of joy.
"He kept his promise...Gogglehead, take him down!"
Beelzemon regained his footing long enough to see Gallantmon fly toward him and strike out at him with one of his two swords!
"What does it take to get rid of you?!"
Landing in front of Beelzemon, Gallantmon rumbled, "Not much, but I'm like the Energizer Bunny-I just keep going, and going, and going, and going..."
"Hey! It's great that you guys aren't dead, but do you have to take my best lines?" Terriermon retorted cynically.
"Now you must pay the ultimate price, Beelzemon! Invincible Swords!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Beelzemon roared in pain as he was sent flying back to the ground, dangerously close to the cracks like Gallantmon had been earlier.
"Time to say goodbye, Beelzemon! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Takato, stop!!!"
Just as Gallantmon was about to deliver the death blow, Jeri, Calumon, Leomon, Ai and Mako came into view.
"Thanks to Henry's help, I dismantled the bomb Dracula used to keep them from escaping. And now you guys won't have to finish this." Jeri explained.
Takato grinned inside his sphere. "Way to go, Jeri..." A second later, Gallantmon: Crimson Mode deDigivolved into Takato and Guilmon. Rika chose that time to run up and embrace him.
"See, Rika? I kept my promise."
"Yeah, but you almost didn't."
As for Beelzemon, he managed to fly over to his partners before deDigivolving back into Impmon.
"You gotta believe me, guys-I really didn't wanna take him on again, but when that Dracula told me he had captured you-"
Without even responding, Ai and Mako both hugged the stunned Rookie Digimon as tight as possible.
"I guess you guys forgive me then, huh?"
"People and Digimon, can we go home and get something to eat? All this action's making me hungry."
"Yeah, Takatomon-can I have some Guilmon bread?"
"Terriermon!"
"Guilmon!"
(A/N: Now is the time when the song should come to an end; if it doesn't, then it doesn't.)
Wow! At least no one was permanently taken out...(sniffs) It's nothing, just something in my eye. To find out what the big, bad vampire's up to, you'll just have to check out the next edition of Digimon: Digital Monsters!
