Disclaimer: Digimon belongs to a number of large, powerful companies, who are making lots of
money off of it. I am not particularly powerful, I'm certainly not making any money off this
venture, and I don't own Digimon!
The Way to Use A Digivice
By: SilvorMoon
Jim's first thought upon awakening was to wonder why he was lying in the dirt. Then he
became aware that there was something moving around next to him, rustling and muttering. He
felt something cold and wet come in contact with his ear, and he yelped, sitting up straight and
opening his eyes. Looking around, the memory of where he was and what he was doing there
came slowly back to him: he was in the Digital World, and his Digimon had come to wake him
up.
"Morning, JimHyumon!" Kapurimon chirped. "Rise and shine!"
"Hello to you too," said Jim with a yawn. "By the way, did you know you have a really
cold nose?"
"I can't help it," said Kapurimon. "It's cold out today."
Jim reached in his pocket for his glasses so he could take a better look at the scenery. He
had only gotten a dim, firelit view of it the night before, and now he was getting a surprise as he saw
it clearly. It was, as his Digimon had informed him, a chilly morning, and grey-blue clouds hung
heavily over the land, dark with the promise of rain. Otherwise, the landscape was striking and
rather beautiful, a far cry from the wasteland he'd wandered through before. Plantlife ran wild
along the edges of the river, putting out lush grasses and other leafy plants. A few shy white
flowers peeked out along the banks, but the real colors belonged to the non-blooming plants. A
bushy thing with wide leaves was streaked in purple and red, and the grass he'd assumed was
green by night was actually tinged blue. His eyes roved through a patch of vines with pink
speckled foliage and up the trunk of what he had thought was a normal fruit tree.
"I didn't know baseballs grew on trees," he said.
"Where else would you grow them?" asked Gomamon. "We sure don't dig them like
potatoes."
"That's something we forgot to tell you about the Digital World," said Matt. "Some of the
laws of nature don't necessarily apply. Oh, and don't trust any household appliances or other
forms of machinery you might happen to run into. Things around here don't work the way they
do back home."
"Hey, Joe," said Tai, who was busy wolfing his breakfast next to a cheerfully blazing fire,
"remember those wacky telephones we ran into on the first day here? You spent all afternoon
trying to get a call through those things."
"Yeah, I remember them. You don't have to remind me," said Joe with early-morning
grumpiness. He stared down at his breakfast. "Drats. I don't like cold fish."
Gomamon's eyes lit up. "I do! Can I have it?" He dashed over to his partner's side.
"If he doesn't want it, I'll eat it," said Jim. "I'm hungry enough to eat just about anything,
even stale fish-kebabs."
"I think we can do a little better than that," said Sora. She handed him a leaf that had
grown into the general size and shape of a gravy boat. It proved to be filled with the leftovers of
last night's dinner, but also some berries, nuts, and what appeared to be roots of some sort.
"Thanks," said Jim. "Hey, Kapurimon, you want some?"
"No, thanks," Kapurimon replied. "I already hunted my breakfast while you were asleep.
Those are the leftovers."
"Gee, thanks," said Jim.
"That's rule number one for dealing with Digimon," Tai informed him. "They're always
hungry, so you've got to keep them fed. Otherwise, they won't have any strength, and they won't
be able to digivolve."
"Digivolve, huh?" Jim repeated. He'd heard the word mentioned a few times while he
was listening to the summary of the adventures to date, but he hadn't gotten a very clear notion of
what it meant yet. "Could someone give me a little clearer idea of what that means, please?"
"Ask Izzy," Mimi advised. "He understands all the technical stuff."
"It's not all that technical," said Izzy. "Come here, and I'll show you."
Jim obligingly got up and went to sit next to Izzy, who was busy booting up his computer.
Tentomon scooted over to make room for Kapurimon, who was obediently following his partner.
"All Digimon come in six stages," said Izzy in his lecturing tone. "The weakest are the
Baby or Hatchling Digimon. Digivolving is when a Digimon moves up to a higher level, from
Hatchling to In-Training to Rookie to Champion to Ultimate to Mega. Your Kapurimon is an In-
Training. See?" He punched a few buttons, pulling up his Digimon analyzer program.
"That's him, all right," Jim remarked. "So, can Kapurimon do this digivolving thing
too?"
"He sure can. He probably will, too, when the time comes," Izzy replied. "Your Digivice
helps your Digimon to become more powerful. If you're ever in danger, your Digimon can rise to
the next level to protect you."
"I've already digivolved once," Kapurimon piped up. "I was Choromon before I met you,
but when you were being bothered by the Gearmon, I turned into Kapurimon."
"So, what will you turn into next?" asked Jim.
"No idea," Kapurimon replied.
"It's a surprise," TK informed him. "None of us knew what our Digimon would be until
they digivolved."
"I know all this sounds complicated, but you'll get used to it," said Izzy. "You won't even
have to think about it anymore, after a while."
"I sure hope so," Jim replied. "This is starting to make my algebra finals look simple!"
"What's an algebra?" asked Patamon.
"You don't even want to know," answered Jim. He stared up at the sky. "Sure is gloomy
today... and chilly. Is the Digital World always like this."
"No, this is strange," said Sora. "It's usually warm here, and I don't think I've ever seen it
rain."
"The Dark Masters must be messing with the atmosphere," Izzy opined. "It looks like
we're in for a storm."
"Great," Joe muttered. "Thunderstorms give me sinus headaches."
"Aw, come on, Joe," said Jim. "A little water won't kill you."
"But it will mess up our travel plans," said Tai. He was perched on a large rock, staring
off into the distance through his telescope. "This fog is so heavy, I can't even see the mountain
we were looking for yesterday. We're going to be walking around half blind in this weather, even
if it doesn't rain."
"Mountain? What mountain?" Jim asked.
"We saw it off in the distance yesterday," said Matt. "We thought it might make a good
vantage point so we can get a look at the situation we're in."
"That sounds reasonable... but how are you going to find it if you can't see it anymore?"
Tai thought. "Well... we're a long way off. We'll just have to keep moving in the
direction we were going yesterday. We'll still be getting closer, and we can always turn around a
little if we have to, once we can see again."
At that moment, there was an ominous rumble in the distance, and a light spatter of rain
began to fall. Their fire sizzled as raindrops hit the hot wood.
"Wouldn't it be better to look for some shelter?" asked Sora.
Thunder rumbled again, closer this time, and it was answered by an unhappy murmur
from the assembled company. Subdued, they began gathering up their things and preparing to
move on. When they were packed, the doused the fire and began moving again, following the
path of the river. Within moments, there was nothing left but a heap of dead coals to mark that
they'd ever been there.
******************************
Despite hopes to the contrary, the rain did not improve. It grew steadily worse, from a
light mist to a heavy, soaking downpour, each raindrop hitting the skin like a slap. The children
shuffled along dejectedly. Those who were lucky enough to have hats pulled their headgear down
tightly. The rest trotted along with their heads hung, as if that would keep the water from
reaching them so quickly. More than one person shivered in the chill and damp. The Digimon
followed their companions determinedly, though they were clearly not enjoying the deluge any
more than their partners were. Determined, Tai continued leading the team along, his goggles
pressed over his eyes to keep out the rain.
"I've got rust in my ears!" Kapurimon complained, switching his tail unhappily. He had
long since given up the fight to keep his fluffy fur dry, and the appendage hung limp and
dripping.
"I'm sorry, but there's not much I can do about it," Jim replied, attempting to wipe away
some of the water with the hem of his sodden shirt. "All of us are wet."
"I don't like this rain. My feathers are all stuck together," said Biyomon plaintively.
"You think you don't like it? You're not the only one who can't fly right now," said
Tentomon. "I'm not used to having to walk everywhere!"
"Cats don't like water," Gatomon wailed.
"All this cold water isn't good for me," Palmon added. "I'm going to get root rot!"
Patamon said nothing, as he was busy attempting to burrow into TK's backpack.
Gabumon was bravely silent, pulling his fur closer around him and trying not to shiver. Agumon
sneezed, eradicating a small portion of the nearby plantlife in a steaming fireball. The explosion
caught Tai's attention, and he turned around. He was met by seventeen pairs of pleading eyes.
"All right," he sighed. "Sounds like we all need a break. We'll find some shelter and
camp out until the rain passes over... Um, does anyone see any shelter?"
"I'll find some!" Gomamon volunteered. Of all the members of the group, he was the one
least bothered by the inclement weather. "You all wait right here, and I'll be back before you
know it."
"I guess we can wait here," said Matt. "After all, it's not like we can get any wetter."
"This won't take long," the little seal promised, and he darted away to leap into the
nearby stream. They got a brief glimpse of his pale form sculling along close to the surface, and
then he disappeared beneath the agitated waters.
However, he was not lost from the sight of all eyes. Beneath the water, something saw a
shadow pass above it, and it moved cautiously closer to take a look. Yes, it was as he thought -
the enemy Digimon had chanced to come into his water! Grinning eagerly, the water
beast swam away to inform his master.
****************
The oceans were ruled by the great golden dragon, MetalSeadramon. He rested near the
ocean floor, a coiled streak of shimmering metal amid the blue-black darkness of the water. While
Piedmon ruled in his palace at the pinnacle of Spiral Mountain, Puppetmon presided over his
manor house, and the late lamented MachineDramon had held sway over his iron cities,
MetalSeadramon kept no fixed address. He owned the entire ocean, and he made sure his
influence was felt in every part of it, sweeping it from end to end whenever it suited him. For
now, though, he lay at the bottom of a deep crevasse, waiting.
Eventually, he caught sight of a moving dark shape, and he raised his head with interest
as he recognized it as one of his Divermon follwers. The creatures weren't much good as
fighters, but they made reasonable information gatherers. He had dispatched a small fleet of them
as soon as he'd received his orders from Piedmon, hoping that at least one of them would be able
to track down his quarry. Judging by the way this one was grinning, he suspected this one had
been successful.
"My lord Metal Seadramon!" the Divermon greeted, as soon as it came in range. "I've got
some good news for you! I found the Digidestined!"
"What took you so long?" MetalSeadramon demanded. "I sent you out looking for them
yesterday!"
"Well, it's a big ocean out there," said the Divermon. "We had to do a lot of looking to
cover all of it."
"Did you really?" asked MetalSeadramon, dripping sarcasm. "And did you happen to find
the Digidestined in the oceans?"
"Well, no, actually I saw them by the river."
"Of course you did! That's because they don't swim underwater, they walk on land!"
MetalSeadramon roared. "You've been wasting your time! I ought to have you filleted and
cooked in butter!"
The Divermon cringed. "Well, I did find them..."
"Well, where were they?"
"I told you - by the river."
MetalSeadramon made a swift movement, cracking his long tail like a whip. The double
steel tips hit the Divermon sharply and sent him spinning head over flippers, until his trajectory
was finally stopped by a large rock. He rested there as if he had been glued to it, upside down and
somewhat dazed.
"What'd I do?" he asked.
"You were hatched. Next time I ask you a question, try using your brain, if you have
one," MetalSeadramon replied. "Now, here's one more chance: which river?"
"Oh, um... the one that begins at Mystery Falls," the Divermon answered. "They're trying
to get out of the rain, I think. They'll head for the catacombs."
"Perfect!" Seadramon crowed. "I know those caves like the back of my flipper. I'll send
some Crabmon along to separate them, and once they're hopelessly lost, I can hunt them down
one by one."
"Aren't you going to fight them yourself?" the Divermon inquired.
"What? And get rebooted like MachineDramon did? You must think I'm as stupid as you
are," MetalSeadramon replied. "No. I'm being careful. If I mess this up, Piedmon will never let
me hear the end of it. Now, you get out of here. Round up the Crabmon, if you can find them
without getting lost."
"Right away!" the Divermon replied. It saluted, still upside down, and then peeled itself
off the rock face to go in search of its master's soldiers.
As for MetalSeadramon, he uncoiled himself and swam away, a long golden comet racing
towards the Mystery Falls.
****************
"I found it!"
The team of wet and dejected Digidestined were called to alertness again by an exuberant
cry. They looked up from where they rested to see a polkadotted water mammal racing toward
them as fast as his flippers could move. He was grinning hugely, clearly pleased with himself.
"What did you find?" Joe asked Gomamon.
"A cave!" Gomamon replied. "A great big one! I don't know how far it goes back, but it
looks like it has more than enough room for all of us."
"Great!" said Tai. "I'm about ready to get out of this rain."
They hurriedly followed after their guide, their pace swift now that they had a set
destination in mind and the incentive of possibly getting dry sometime soon. They scampered
along the riverbank, slogging through half-seen puddles where the river had overflowed and
tripping on the smooth stones that threatened to turn their ankles. Soon they became aware of a
distant rumbling sound that separated itself from the softer rush of rain. At last, they rounded a
bend in the river and found themselves staring up at a thirty-foot high wall of silver-white water.
"This is where we're supposed to get dry?" asked Mimi dubiously. "I don't get it."
"The cave is behind the waterfall," Gomamon replied. "You have to go through the water
to get to it."
"Great. More water. Just what we needed," said Matt.
"You can dry off on the other side," said Sora. "Come on, Biyomon."
The two of them ducked through the spill of water with a splash. Gomamon bounced in
after them.
"Hey, wait for me!" Joe shouted. Getting no response, he jumped through after his
companion.
"Well, if Joe can do it..." Matt said, and he and Gabumon followed suit. Pair by pair, the
other Digidestined followed along behind them.
Inside the cave, it was dark and damp, but not nearly as much of either as they had feared.
At least the dampness confined itself to a light mist that sprayed anyone who stood too close to
the mouth of the cave, and not a steady downpour like there was outside. They were interested
to see that the river didn't begin at the base of the waterfall, but seemed to be augmented by an
underground stream that flowed out of the cave. They even managed to find some driftwood,
possibly cast there during a flood or left by some nesting animal, and the combined efforts of
Agumon and Gabumon, they managed to get a cheerful blaze going. Everyone gathered close to
the fire, kicking off damp socks and shoes and preening their wet hair, fur, or feathers in an effort
to hurry the drying process along.
"This is a lot better than being outside," Tai admitted. "Good work, Gomamon."
"Aw, it was nothing," the little seal answered modestly.
Joe was paying no attention to what his friends were doing. He stared off into the blackest
parts of the cavern, still and tense.
"Gomamon, how far back did you explore this place?" he asked.
"Not far," Gomamon admitted. "How far back was I supposed to?"
"I don't know. I just don't like not knowing where this cave ends," said Joe. "And it's too
dark down there. If anything started trying to creep up on us, we wouldn't see it until it was
already on top of us."
"You mean you wouldn't see it," Gatomon corrected. "Us cats can see in the dark
a lot better than humans, you know."
"But still not in complete darkness," said Jim. "Joe's right - it's just not safe to spend too
much time in a place like this unless we're sure we know what's down there. Sometimes caverns
like this can branch off for miles! Anything could be hiding down there."
"He's got a valid point," Izzy replied. "Maybe we ought to explore this place a little more
thoroughly before we decide to stay for an extended period of time."
"I'm cool with that," answered Tai, who was warming his toes by the fire. "There's
nothing better to do around here, anyway."
"All right, then," Matt replied, scooping up a burning branch from the fire. "It won't hurt
to look around a bit... and maybe by the time we're done, it will have stopped raining."
A few other members of the team also collected the longer branches from the fire, plus a
few spares in case their torches burned down. Huddling close together, they began their
exploration.
The first few meters of the cave were disappointingly dull, being nothing more than a
crack in the side of a large hill, showing them lots of smooth grey stone and dark water and not
much else. However, it gradually began sloping more deeply into the earth, and the temperature
became colder. It wasn't long before they couldn't even see the end of the tunnel anymore. The
sound of the waterfall went from a thundering rush to a low growl, then to a vibration beneath
their feet, and then died out altogether, and still the cavern went on. At last, they came to a place
where the narrow crack they'd been following widened into a huge open space. The walls, what
could be seen of them, were pale shimmering white instead of the grey stone they'd seen before,
and icy-looking stalactites dangled above their heads. Stretching out as far as they could see
before them was an expanse of water, smooth as a mirror except where the water flowed into it
from the waterfall far away. The meager light from their torches wasn't enough to let them see
the far end of the room, but there did seem to be something like a pebbly beach surrounding it.
"Ooh, pretty!" exclaimed Mimi, admiring the crystal water and shimmering stone
formations.
"We've found an underwater lake," said Izzy. "I'd theorize a geological upheaval caused
a resettling of the mountain we just passed through and opened a chasm. These caves have
probably been here long before it was."
"Interesting," said Jim. "I'll keep it in mind."
The Digimon weren't as interested in admiring the scenery. They were milling around the
edge of the lake, sniffing and pawing at the water and muttering amongst themselves.
"I don't like this lake," Gomamon opined. "Something about it smells wrong."
"I don't see why it should have anything wrong with it," said Matt. "It's the same water
that was outside, isn't it?"
"I don't know if it's the water, exactly," Gabumon answered his partner, "but something's
definitely not right about it."
"There are other Digimon around here somewhere," said Kapurimon. "One of them
smells familiar."
"Well, I guess we've found the end of the tunnel," said Tai, "and we haven't found
anything more dangerous than a big puddle. I say we go back to where we came from and-"
At that moment, there was a loud bubbling noise from somewhere in the darkness of the
lake. Then, with a huge splash, the gleaming head of MetalSeadramon rose up and roared. Kids
and Digimon alike scrambled away from the water's edge. Matt, startled, dropped the torch he'd
been carrying, and it went out with a hiss into the lake.
"So, we meet again, Digidestined!" MetalSeadramon chuckled. "You might have gotten
away from me once, but now you're in my element, and you won't get away so easily!"
"We'll see about that!" Tai replied. "You don't have your buddies to back you up this
time, and we have a new member to help us!"
"I heard about that," MetalSeadramon chuckled. He glared at Kapurimon, grinning
wickedly. "Yeah, Piedmon knows all about you, you little runt. Everything. Sooner or later, he'll
be coming to get you, too, and you're not going to get away, either."
"Go sit on a sea urchin!" Kapurimon shouted back. He punctuated that remark by puffing
a stream of pink bubbles at the dragon, but they hit the sharp edges of MetalSeadramon's helmet
and popped harmlessly.
"That's real cute," MetalSeadramon sneered. "An In-Training Digimon wants to fight a
Mega! Don't make me laugh. You wouldn't have a chance against me unless you were a Mega
Digimon. Wouldn't you like to be a Mega?"
"I don't care what you are or what I am! I'll fight you if you mess with my JimHyumon!"
Kapurimon shouted back.
"Take it easy, Kapurimon," said Jim. "You're not strong enough. Let the other Digimon
handle this."
"Aw, forget it," MetalSeadramon said. "I didn't come here to fight you twerps anyway."
"You didn't?" asked TK hopefully. "You mean you're gonna give up?"
"No," the golden dragon replied. "I'm going to let my Crabmon do the work for me! Go
get them, Crabmon!"
With a series of splashes, half a dozen large crabs, mottled blue and grey, leaped out of
the water and set about surrounding the Digidestined, and the children scattered. A few tried to
bolt for the exit, but the Crabmon leaped to block the way, forcing them to run along the edges of
the lake. Despite the fact that they tried to stay together, the snapping claws of the crab monsters
forced them apart and away from each other.
"Where's TK?" asked Matt, looking around frantically. "We've lost TK!"
"And Kari!" Tai added.
"I just knew it was dangerous down here!" Joe wailed, dodging the grasp of a persuing
Crabmon.
"Don't worry, Joe! I'll save us!" Gomamon cried. He leaped for the water, shouting,
"Gomamon, digivolve to... Ikkakumon!"
He hit the surface of the lake with a splash, and a sudden burst of blue light made the
flying droplets sparkle like stars. Up out of the water rose the head of the shaggy white walrus
beast, Ikkakumon.
"Climb aboard! I'll get you to safety!" he urged.
Joe didn't waste any time - he made a flying jump and managed to grab hold of his
partner's long fur and scramble up his side. Tai and Matt followed with their Digimon in tow.
Before anyone else had the chance to make an attempt, a burst of searing blue light tore the air
between Ikkakumon and the last of the Digidestined.
"Don't think that's going to work, Digidestined!" MetalSeadramon warned. "I'm wise to
your tricks. You might be tough when you're all together, but you can't beat me when you're
separated, so I plan to make sure you all stay separated!"
"Easier said than done!" Ikkakumon boasted. "Harpoon Torpedo!"
He fired a round of explosives at the metal dragon, who simply plunged under water and
vanished. The torpedoes hit the ceiling, causing a burst of smoke and flames, as well as the fall of
several stalactites. Some of them fell harmlessly into the water, but a few more showered down
on the beach, forcing the remaining Digidestined to dodge out of their way.
"Stop it! You're going to hurt someone!" Matt shouted.
"But Matt, we're sort of in trouble right now," protested Ikkakumon worriedly, sizing
up the number of crabs that were still staring at him. "How are we supposed to get out of this if I
can't fight?"
"We'll just have to make a swim for it," said Tai.
"Rats. I was afraid you'd say that. I hate running away!" Ikkakumon muttered, but he
began paddling anyway. "Catch me if you can, crabmeat!"
Jim, Sora, and Izzy remained stranded on the beach, watching the light of Tai's torch drift
off into the darkness. They didn't have long to watch, though, because they still had some
crustaceans left to deal with. Two of the giant crabs still remained, watching them with angry
eyes and clicking their claws menacingly.
"Um... what do Digidestined normally do in circumstances like this?" Jim asked.
"Normally," said Izzy, "we run."
And they did, scrambling into the darkness with all the speed they could muster.
MetalSeadramon watched them for a while, waiting for his quarry to get themselves sufficiently
lost. After all, the game was no fun without a chase. When he sure they were well away from
him, he went on the hunt.
****************
The air was still and cool, undisturbed since almost the beginning of time. Now, however,
things were beginning to change. The lifeless air was suddenly being moved again, warmed by
the breathing of the creatures that were working their way through it and the fire that flickered in
the darkness.
Mimi was doing her best not to be frightened, and was actually having a modicum of
success. After all, she still had her torch, holding the shadows at bay, and Palmon was still here
to protect her. So were Gatomon and Patamon, who could be relied upon to deal with just about
anything. Also, she had to keep some kind of grip on her emotions, because after all, she was the
only one left to look after the youngest of the Digidestined.
"Where did everybody go?" TK wondered, clutching Patamon close to him.
"I really don't know," said Mimi. "We must have lost them when those crab-things
started attacking us. It's a good thing we managed to get away from them."
One thing MetalSeadramon hadn't taken into account was that his minions didn't know
their way around the underground caverns as well as he did. With the Digimon to provide a
distraction (it was hard to follow your prey if you had a cat clawing at your eyes or your legs
were wrapped in vines), the Digidestined had managed to slip down a crevasse and hide, and the
Crabmon had wandered down the wrong tunnel in search of them. They likely wouldn't see the
light of day for quite some time. However, that didn't leave the Digidestined themselves any less
lost.
"Do you think they'll find us soon?" Kari inquired. Her voice echoed oddly through the
dark tunnel. It sounded distant and haunted.
"Who?" asked Gatomon. "The Crabmon or our friends?"
"Either," Kari replied. "I don't like wandering around all alone like this."
"You're not alone," Palmon soothed her. "You've got Mimi and the rest of us to look
after you. Everything will be just fine."
"I know," Kari sighed, "but I still don't like it."
"Matt always told me that if I ever got lost, I should sit still and wait for someone to come
find me," TK offered.
"That's a good idea," said Mimi. "Let's stop and take a breather, huh?"
No one had any objections to the idea, so they found smooth rocks to sit on and settled
down for some relaxation. At least, most of them did. Mimi immediately took a seat, closed her
eyes, and to all appearances fell asleep, while Palmon sat by and kept watch over her. TK rested
nearby with Patamon in his lap, idly tossing pebbles into a nearby puddle and watching the
splashes. Gatomon, bothered by the chill and dampness, kept an eye on the torch. Kari, however,
seemed restless. After a few moments of sitting and fidgeting, she got up and began to prowl
around.
"Where are you going?" asked Gatomon.
"Just looking," Kari assured her. "I'm not going to go far."
Keeping within range of the torchlight (it covered a surprising area, thanks to the
reflectivity of the walls), Kari climbed around the stones and stalagmites, hopping over puddles
and small gaps. There didn't seem to be much to see other than stones. Still, it was more
interesting than just sitting still. It had been no accident that she'd been given a cat as her
companion, and she had as much curiosity as any other small child. Besides, she was getting an
eerie feeling that there was something important hiding nearby, if she could only figure out what
it was...
"Hey, Mimi!" she called suddenly. "Come look at this! I've found a fuzzball... and I think
it's sick!"
There was a scuffling sound of people getting to their feet, and soon Mimi and TK
appeared, flanked by the Digimon. They looked to find Kari kneeling on the stone floor with a
small body cradled in her arms. It was covered mostly in pale pink fur and had a pair of grey-
white wings sprouting from the top of its head like strange ears. It would have been cute, had it
not been coated with mud and blood. Its eyes were closed.
"That's Piximon!" Mimi exclaimed. "Oh, no, what's happened to him?"
"Is he still alive?" asked TK, eyes wide.
"He's still warm," said Kari softly, "and he's still breathing, but... I don't know. It's like I
can feel him hurting. There's something really wrong with him. Who is he? Is he a good
Digimon?"
"He was our friend," said Palmon. "He trained us, and helped us out when we were
attacked by a Kuwagamon in the desert."
"Poor little thing," Kari said. "He looks so little and weak. What can we do, Mimi? We
have to help him!"
"I don't know," Mimi admitted. "Joe could tell us what to do, maybe, but I don't know
anything about how to take care of someone who's hurt."
"You mean he's going to die?" asked Kari. She looked up at Mimi, her eyes dark and full
of pain.
Mimi sighed. "I don't know, Kari. I don't know what we can do to help."
"There has to be something," said Kari stubbornly. "I'm not going to just sit here and let a
good Digimon die!"
"Maybe if we cleaned him up a little?" Gatomon offered. "The water down here is
probably clean."
"I guess that wouldn't hurt," Kari agreed.
Carefully, so as not to injure the patient any more than he already was, Kari carried
Piximon over to the puddle where TK had been playing earlier. She stared at the water critically.
She'd expected it to be muddy, since most puddles in her experience were, but the water was
crystal clear and pleasantly cool. She borrowed a pink handkerchief from Mimi and went about
cleaning up the little Digimon as best she could. Her cleaning revealed a few large gashes - at
least, large considering the size of the being they were on - and several bruises that showed
through the sparse fur. Through the whole operation, he never once moved, though he did moan
softly a few times. When she was done, she dried him off as best she could and wrapped him up
in TK's vest.
"That's about all we can do," said Mimi. "Now we'll just have to wait and see what
happens."
"I feel so sorry for him," Kari whispered. "He's hurting so badly..."
"Maybe it's not as bad as it looks?" Patamon offered.
Kari shook her head distractedly. That distant look in her eyes seemed to have intensified,
making her look years older. "No. He's hurting. I can feel it inside. He's getting further away
from us. I have to pull him back, somehow."
"Kari, what are you talking about?" asked Gatomon.
Kari said nothing. Slowly, she reached for her Crest and held it up, letting it cast a soft
pink glow over the unconscious Digimon and herself, surrounding them both with a mist of light.
The other Digidestined stared in awe. It had to be just a trick of the light, but it looked like Kari
herself was glowing, too, with a cool white radiance of her own. Though the air was still, Kari's
hair was stirring slightly, as if in a gentle breeze. Then she spoke, and the others knew something
strange was going on, because the voice was one they had never heard coming out of their friend.
It was the voice of a grown woman, confident and regal.
"Wake up," she said, gently stroking Piximon's fur. "The battle isn't over yet, my friend.
We still need you here. Even I can't afford to rest any longer. We both have our battles to fight.
Come back."
As she spoke, pale pink glints of light seemed to trickle from her fingertips, wreathing
around the little Digimon and finally blotting him out altogether. Soon the lights became
painfully bright, but although Mimi and TK were forced to avert their eyes, Kari continued
staring down at her small charge unflinchingly. Finally the lights died away, leaving Piximon
without any evidence that he'd ever been hurt. The little Digimon blinked bright black eyes,
staring up at his savior's face.
"Kari?" he asked weakly. "Is that you?"
Kari blinked and shook herself. Her eyes had returned to their normal pale brown.
"Hmm?" she said dazedly. "How did you know my name?"
"Then is is - no, it isn't you, is it?" Piximon asked. "But you look so much like
her... Who are you?"
"My name is Hikari Kamiya," said Kari. "Are you feeling better."
"Yup yup! Just fine!" Piximon assured it. "Very strange, it is. You look just like the
queen did, and only she could have called me back, but you're not her! What did you say your
name was again?"
"We call her Kari," Mimi answered, trying to head the conversation in a direction she
understood. She was beginning to wonder if Piximon might still be delirious, because she hadn't
understood a thing he'd said so far. "She's Tai's little sister, the Eighth Digidestined."
"Ahhhh," said Piximon, as if a great truth had been revealed. "It begins to make sense!
So, you are the carrier of the Crest of Light, then?"
"I have it right here," Kari replied, holding it up for him to see.
"Even better," said Piximon cheerfully. "Want to thank you, I do, for saving my life. If
you hadn't come to pull me back, I would have been a goner for sure!"
"What happened to you, anyway?" asked TK. "Why aren't you in your home in the
desert?"
"Because it's not there anymore," Piximon replied.
"You mean the Dark Masters destroyed it?" asked Mimi.
"Worse than that," answered the pixy Digimon. "Do you mean to tell me that no one has
told you what the Dark Masters have done to this world?"
"No, not really," Mimi answered. "We've sorta been too busy running from them to ask
questions."
"Oh, well," Piximon sighed. "Listen up, then! This is important! The Dark Masters aren't
just holding this world their prisoner by force, as past monsters have. They've found a way to
completely reorder the world into what they want it to be! They've split the Digital World into
four quarters. MetalSeadramon rules the oceans and beaches. Puppetmon rules the forest.
MachineDramon rules the cities. Piedmon... he rules a desolate grey wasteland, crowned by his
palace at the top of Spiral mountain, where all four quarters come together. He's calling himself
the supreme ruler of the world, and claims the power to manipulate the fabric of the Digital
World any way he wants!"
"Yuck," said Kari succinctly. "But you're wrong about one thing. MachineDramon can't
be ruling over anything, because he's not here anymore."
"That's right," Gatomon agreed. "WarGreymon and I blew him up."
"Really?" asked Piximon. "Well! Good news, that is. But much work to be done, still! It
will take a lot more work than just defeating one Dark Master to set things right. They've mixed
everything up! Everything they didn't want to keep - like my home - has been deleted, and
everything else has been reprogrammed so you wouldn't even recognize it anymore! This, for
example," he added, waving a hand, "used to be the main road to the City of Light."
"City of Light?" Kari repeated, eyes bright with interest.
"Yup yup!" Piximon agreed. "It was once home to a beautiful queen, but she died many
years ago. The city still stands, though, but now they call it the City of Shadows. When
MetalSeadramon began taking over, many of the queen's former subjects fled to the city for
safety."
"Is that why you're down here?" asked Mimi. "Trying to get away from the Dark
Masters?"
"Not exactly," Piximon replied. "The Digimon were safe down here for a little while -
MetalSeadramon wasn't interested in them because they were too weak to fight, either for or
against him. However, when MachineDramon heard that there were hundreds of shadow-
dwelling Digimon living down here, he decided he wanted to take them for himself and make
slaves out of them! I came here trying to protect them. I did manage to finally drive
MachineDramon off, but it took all my strength to do it. I can't say how long I've been lying
down here in the dark."
"You poor thing!" Kari exclaimed. "And the poor Digimon, too. Are they still down
here? Can we see them?"
"You certainly can!" answered Piximon. "And you shall. I have a suspicion that the
Digimon would like to meet you, too."
****************
Meanwhile, another group of six wandered through the maze of tunnels: A redheaded
girl, a pink bird, a boy with a computer, an oversized insect, a serious-faced boy in glasses, and a
small and uneasy looking armored raccoon.
"I don't like it down here," Kapurimon complained. "I don't like it down here one bit. It's
creepy."
"Take it easy," Sora said. "None of us like it much down here in the dark."
"It's not just that," said Kapurimon. "I've just got this feeling... like I've been down here
before."
"You think you might be getting your memory back?" asked Jim. He was a little worried
about his companion's memory lapse. Something seemed strange to him that his otherwise clever
partner couldn't seem to remember anything that had happened to him more than a few days ago,
and he was even more concerned over the mysterious "something important" that had Kapurimon
so worried. Even now, the little animal was nosing under rocks and peering in puddles in a vain
attempt to find the missing article.
"Maybe," said Kapurimon dubiously, "but something tells me I don't want to remember
what happened in here. It feels bad to me."
"Interesting," said Izzy vaguely. He was only half paying attention to what they were
saying. It required concentration to walk and type at the same time, and the sound of clicking
keys told his friends more clearly than words would have how useless it would be to try to
engage him in conversation.
"What are you working on now, Izzy?" asked Tentomon, hovering around Izzy's shoulder
so he could get a look at the screen.
"Nothing much," came the offhand reply. "Just trying to get our bearings so we don't
wander around in this maze for the rest of the year. Some of these underground tunnels can go on
for miles and miles, and if we don't figure out an escape route, there's no telling how long we'll
be stuck down here."
"I'd really prefer not to spend the rest of my life under a rock, thanks," said Jim, ducking
around a low-hanging stalactite.
"Me, too," Kapurimon agreed. "It's too damp down here, and it doesn't smell right."
"You're right," agreed Biyomon, turning her beak in the air to sniff. "It smells like...
hide!" She abruptly flung herself behind a boulder, dragging Sora along with her. Jim and
Kapurimon followed their example, leaving Izzy standing confused in the middle of the tunnel.
"Where did everyone go?" he asked.
"They hid," said Tentomon testily, "and I think we should, too, before something-"
"Wait a minute! Did you hear that?" asked Izzy.
Tentomon pricked up his antennae, and he did hear. It sounded like the pounding
of a far-off ocean, the roar of a distant waterfall, all blended with the clatter of an oncoming
express train. It could only mean one thing.
"MetalSeadramon!" they said in unison, and made a wild dive for the nearest hiding
place.
They were almost too late. In the next second, the sea serpent himself came tearing
around a bend in the tunnel, his armored sides gouging scraps of rock from the walls, the sharp
horn on his head dislodging stalactites in a stony shower. They clattered loudly off his golden
scales, filling the cavern with echoing noise. The Digidestined clamped their hands over their
ears to try to block out the painful clamor. However, nothing could drown out the sound of
MetalSeadramon's roaring.
"I know you're down here, Digidestined!" he shouted. "There's no escaping me now!
This tunnel leads to a dead end! Come out and surrender now, or I'll bury you in limestone!"
His answer came in the form of a stream of green fire that splashed against his helmet,
narrowly missing his unprotected eye. His head whipped around to find Biyomon hovering
nearby and glaring at him as dangerously as a little pink bird could.
"You want to mess with Sora, you're going to have to come through me!" she asserted.
"And I'm supposed to be frightened by this?" MetalSeadramon jeered.
"You would if you knew what was good for you," she replied. "A Digimon's purpose in
life is to protect, not to destroy! No matter what you do, us true Digimon will always come out
on top!"
"Don't make me laugh!" the dragon replied. "The power of a tiny little shrimp like you
could never overcome a Digimon like me!"
"Maybe so," Biyomon agreed, "but our brains still can, because we're a whole lot smarter
than you. While you've been sitting here yelling at me, the others have run off."
"What?" MetalSeadramon cried. He glared all around, but the Digidestined were indeed
gone, leaving only the distant echoes of scrambling feet to tell him where they'd gone. He spat a
beam of blue fire at Biyomon in frustration, but she had expected it and dodged it easily. She
flew away laughing at him. He stood there stupidly for a moment, trying to figure out how he was
supposed to follow the Digidestined. The tunnel was narrow, and although there was enough
room for some children and small animals to slip by, there wasn't nearly enough space for him to
turn around. Snarling, he continued down the tunnel in search of a place to reverse himself.
"So, where are we running, anyway?" Jim shouted to his companions as they barreled
down the hall.
"Away!" said Sora.
"There was an opening in the cave further back," said Izzy. "We'll have some room to
maneuver in there! If we have to stand and fight, that would be the place!"
"Are you sure we just can't find a place to hide?" asked Tentomon.
"Negative," his partner asked, shaking his head. "MetalSeadramon will find us down here
wherever we go. It's time to show him what we're really made of."
"I'm ready to fight!" Kapurimon asserted. "I'll take him down for you, Jim!"
"No, you won't!" Jim replied. "He's way too powerful for you! Look at you - you don't
even have legs!"
"Neither does he," said Kapurimon.
"We'll argue about this later," said Izzy. "Look, here's the cave!"
They skittered to a halt in the middle of a wide open space. Aside from the presence of
numerous stalagmites and other odd lumps of rock, the floor was fairly level. The ceiling was so
high that their torches touched nothing more than distant sparkles, dim suggestions of the stone
needles above them. The walls were spaced far enough apart that the room could have easily held
ten MetalSedramons.
"I think this is as good as we're going to get down here," said Izzy. "Get your Digivices
ready, gang!"
They did so, Izzy and Sora with the confidence of veterans and Jim with a bit more
trepidation. After all, he had never actually seen the little object work, not on his own Digimon,
anyway. He wasn't sure he knew how to use it. What if he couldn't figure it out in time to do
anyone any good? What if his impetuous companion attacked MetalSeadramon and got himself
hurt because Jim couldn't make the device work?
"Don't worry, Jim," said Sora, offering him a faint smile of encouragement. "We'll be
okay, really. Our Digimon have always come through for us."
"They'd better," Jim replied, "because I think company is coming."
Sure enough, the rumble that meant MetalSeadramon's approach was drawing rapidly
nearer. The kids and their Digimon dove for cover as the golden dragon came crashing into the
room, widening part of the entrance tunnel in his haste to reach them. He was angry, the
light in his eyes bordering on feral madness as he whipped about in search of his prey.
"Trick me, will you?" he demanded. "I'll turn all of you into fish bait for that!"
"I don't think so!" answered a voice. "Horn Buster!"
MetalSeadramon just barely reacted in time to dodge an enormous red beetle.
MegaKabuterimon's attack gouged up a large chunk of the floor, spraying gravel. The dragon
snapped at MegaKabuterimon's leg and latched on, spinning him in a half circle before hurling
him at the wall. Stalactites rained down on everyone, clattering harmlessly off MetalSeadramon's
armor but forcing the children to dodge frantically. Sora yelped as a sharp bit of flying stone tore
at her leg.
"Sora!" cried the voice of Garudamon. "You're going to pay for that, MetalSeadramon!
Wing Blade!"
MetalSeadramon flinched away from the flames, but they did very little to his
impenetrable exterior. He whipped his tail at Garudamon, slicing through any nearby stalagmites
as if they were nothing more than grass. The bird creature managed to dodge the attack itself, but
there was no hiding from the flying stones. There was more than one cry of pain.
"Are you sure this is the best battleground we could find?" asked Jim. He wasn't
seriously hurt yet, but there were several bruises on his arms from where he'd been trying to
shield his face.
"Nowhere else in this maze is going to be any better," said Izzy, dabbing tentatively at a
cut on his cheek. "At least here we have a little room to dodge."
"JimHyumon! Are you hurt?" asked Kapurimon anxiously.
"I'm fine, really," Jim assured him. "Just a little scuffed up, that's all."
"I can't let him hurt you, Jim," Kapurimon said. "You're the first friend I've ever had. I
have to protect you! Let me fight him!"
"No," said Jim firmly. "I already told you, if you try it, you'll just get yourself hurt! Let
Izzy and Sora's Digimon handle it!"
"But, Jim!" Kapurimon complained.
He didn't get to finish his complaint. The voice of the little Digimon had caught
MetalSeadramon's attention, and now the sea dragon had turned his flashing gaze on Jim and
Kapurimon.
"So, you think you can fight me, do you?" MetalSeadramon asked. "Why don't you try it?
I never liked you much, anyway. No one will care if I squash you now - especially if I let
Piedmon know how you're trying to help that pathetic human!"
"Don't call Jim names!" Kapurimon shouted back. "He's my friend, and I'll punish you if
you try to hurt him!"
"Try it," the dragon sneered. "Go ahead and try it."
Kapurimon answered by making a flying tackle at MetalSeadramon. He hit the dragon's
armored body with a resounding clang and bounced off, colliding with a large rock. Jim ran to
his side.
"I told you not to do that!" he scolded. "Are you hurt? Say something!"
"Don't worry, I'll get him next time," Kapurimon said dazedly. He shook himself and
leaped back at MetalSeadramon again, but Jim tackled him and held him down.
"Stop it! You're going to get yourself killed, and that won't do either of us any good!"
shouted Jim.
"No, but it will do me plenty of good," MetalSeadramon replied. "C'mere, you little
runt." He whipped his tail at Kapurimon, trying to swat him like a fly, but Kapurimon leaped out
of the way and retaliated with a stream of pink bubbles, which MetalSeadramon ignored.
"That's one determined little Digimon," Sora commented.
"He's crazy!" said Izzy. "There's just no way an In-Training Digimon is going to take out
a Mega!"
Jim seemed to be of the same mind. He caught Kapurimon as he fell to the ground again
and carried him behind the nearest stand of rocks, ignoring the Digimon's struggles.
"Let me go! Let me go!" cried Kapurimon.
"No! I don't want to see you get hurt!" Jim replied.
"I was doing just fine until you tried to stop me," Kapurimon replied. "I'm stronger than
you think, JimHyumon!" He blinked, feeling a memory flitting around in his fogged brain. "I'm
supposed to be stronger than this. What's happened to me?"
"You'll never get a chance to find out!" roared MetalSeadramon. "River of
Power!"
The blue light hit the stones and reduced them to rubble. Jim went flying in one direction,
Kapurimon in the other, and they both landed hard in the crunching gravel. Kapurimon recovered
better than his partner, owing to his armor, and rushed to his partner's side, nuzzling him and
trying to make him move. Jim twitched and moaned, struggling to push himself up.
"Jim, are you okay?" Kapurimon cried.
"I - I think so," Jim gasped. His hands slipped on the loose stones, and he fell again.
"Don't worry, JimHyumon! I'll protect you," answered the little Digimon.
*This is awful,* thought Jim through his pain. *Kapurimon can't fight! We're
both hurt... and I can't help him. He's going to be eaten alive, all because I don't know how to
make him Digivolve!*
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Sora and Izzy standing
over him.
"Come on," said Sora. "Leave this fight to the Digimon. We'll get you to safety."
With their help, Jim managed to hobble away to shelter, and they collapsed behind a
fairly protected ring of stones. Over the tips of the stalagmites, they could still see two Ultimate
Digimon and a lone In-Training dodging and attacking the water dragon.
"He shouldn't be out there," Jim moaned.
"Yes, he should," said Izzy firmly. "Jim, you've got to stop trying to protect Kapurimon!
It's his job to protect you!"
"But he's so small, and MetalSeadramon-"
"That's not the point!" Surprisingly, it was Sora who cut him off. "He needs your strength
if he's going to digivolve, and you'll never be able to help him if you spend all your time being
afraid for him! You have to have a little faith in him. If you're afraid to let him fight, he's going
to lose."
"Exactly," said Izzy. "We made the same mistake when our Digimon were small - not
wanting to let them fight with a Kuwagamon. But they fought anyway, because they knew they
had to protect us, and you know what? As soon as we set them free and let them do what they
had to do, they digivolved, and they won the battle!"
"Really?" asked Jim. "So the way to use a Digivice..."
"...is to believe that your Digimon can win," Sora finished. "Who would have thought my
Biyomon could become Garudamon? I did the same thing with her, not wanting her to fight
because I was afraid she'd get hurt, but the first time she reached her most powerful stage was
when I let her fight a battle like this, when I didn't think she'd win."
"Wow," said Jim. "Then I've been doing it all wrong, haven't I?"
"Well, you have to make allowances for a beginner..." said Izzy.
Suddenly, there was a clang of metal on metal, and something silvery went soaring
through the air. Kapurimon hit the wall and bounced, landing a few feet away from the
Digidestined's hiding place. Jim scrambled to reach his companion's side, and Kapurimon
blinked weakly at him.
"I'm sorry, Jim," he said. "You were right. He is too strong for me."
"No, I was wrong," Jim replied, hugging the little animal. "You were only weak because I
was holding you back. But I believe in you, Kapurimon! You're a brave little Digimon, and if
anyone in the world can fight off that ugly dragon, it's you!"
"Really?" asked Kapurimon.
"Absolutely," Jim replied.
His attention was caught by a beeping sound, and he turned his attention to his Digivice,
which had finally broken its long silence. He had just enough time to notice that it was glowing
before his attention was caught by a brighter light, and in the middle of the light, something
spun... and spoke.
"Kapurimon, digivolve to... Kokuwamon!"
Jim stared, finding himself confronted by a new Digimon. His armored raccoon had
vanished, and in it's place stood something that looked more like a mechanical beetle. It was
made entirely of silvery metal, with only two bright yellow eyes that glowed from within to add
color. It had six legs, using two to walk on. The others were tipped with sharp pincers, and a
larger pair sprouted from his head, like the jaws of a Hercules beetle. Sparks snapped between
the pincers.
"What in the world?" asked Jim.
"Congratulations!" said Izzy. "Your Digimon has digivolved! I knew you had it in you!"
"So, what is he now?"
Izzy clicked away at his computer, bringing up the data screen. "Kokuwamon, the Rookie
form of Kapurimon. He's a metal-type Digimon. He uses his Spark Scissor attack to electrocute
his enemies!"
"Don't worry, though," said Kokuwamon. His voice was deeper now, but still childlike.
"I'm still the same Kapurimon on the inside... but now maybe I'll have better luck against that
overgrown lizard who calls himself a Dark Master!"
MetalSeadramon glared at Kokuwamon, hearing himself insulted. "So, you think you can
stand up to me, huh? Think again! A Rookie's no better than an In-Training when it comes to
fighting!"
"We'll see about that!" Kokuwamon replied, and charged at the dragon. "Go get him, Kokuwamon!" Jim shouted. "Show him what you're made of!"
Izzy and Sora grinned at each other.
"There's nothing more beautiful than the bonding of a Digimon and his partner," Izzy
remarked.
"You can say that again," said Sora. She winced as the battle noises re-ensued. "I just
hope there's something left of the both of them after all this!"
Kokuwamon didn't waste any time in trying to make good his threats. MetalSeadramon
whipped his tail at the beetle Digimon, but Kokuwamon leaped out of the way. When the tail
came by again, he latched on with his sharp pincers and sent several thousand volts of electricity
coursing through the beast's metal body. MetalSeadramon yelped - and then turned to deal with
the attacks of MegaKabuterimon and Garudamon, who were taking advantage of his distraction
to blast him for all they were worth. MetalSeadramon growled angrily. The attacks weren't doing
any serious damage to him yet, but this was beginning to get painful. Stalactites rained down on
everyone as he spat beam after beam of searing light at his antagonizers.
"This is getting crazy!" Sora shouted, feeling chips of rock start bouncing off her hat.
"All these falling rocks are going to bury us alive!"
"Bury us alive," Jim repeated. "Bury us alive... and bury MetalSeadramon, too! That's it!
Kokuwamon, let go of that crazy sea serpent for a minute and shoot the ceiling!"
"Shoot the ceiling?" Sora repeated. "Jim, how hard did you hit your head?"
"No, he's right!" Izzy replied. "We can't hurt MetalSeadramon, but we might be able to
bury him! It's our best chance. MegaKabuterimon, you heard what Jim said! Shoot the ceiling!
Knock some of those rocks down!"
"You too, Garudamon!" Sora added.
"You got it!" said Kokuwamon. "Spark Scissor!"
"Horn Buster!"
"Wing Blade!"
Attacks flashed all around MetalSeadramon, sending piles of rubble crashing down on
him. He tried to fight back, but his enemies stayed close to the roof, and the falling stones
confused his aim. Every shot he through at them did nothing more than dislodge yet more rocks
and send them crashing down on his head. He thrashed in frustration, but it did him no good. The
rain of stone continued, until finally, with one earsplitting crash, the whole ceiling caved in,
burying the metal monster under an avalanche of limestone. The air was filled with dust and the
sound of falling rocks hitting iron plates. Then... silence.
"Is it over?" asked Sora.
"Where are the Digimon?" asked Jim. "I can't see them! Did they get buried?"
"Just wait," Izzy replied. "Just give them a minute."
They waited, and the clouds of dust settled. Slowly, the air cleared again, and the
Digidestined could make out the shapes of a pink bird, a bug, and a small robot picking their way
through the rubble. The kids cheered in unison and ran to hug their Digimon and congratulate
them on a job well-done. Jim grinned as he embraced his partner; his Digimon had arms to hug
back with, now.
"See, JimHyumon?" asked Kokuwamon. "I told you I could do it!"
"When did I have any doubts?" Jim laughed.
"Now that we've taken care of MetalSeadramon, things will be quieter around here," Izzy
said. "Now we can explore in a little more comfort."
"Do you think we should explore over there?" asked Sora. "I think I see a light over
there!"
They all looked. In a place where there had appeared to be nothing more than a solid wall,
there was now a jagged hole, probably ripped open while MetalSeadramon was thrashing around.
"It is a light!" Biyomon chirped. "Maybe it's the others!"
"In that case, we should investigate," Izzy replied. "Come on!"
The team headed for the opening, climbing carefully over the heap of stones that covered
the fallen MetalSeadramon. They didn't notice, beneath all that rubble, that the tip of his tail still
twitched very slightly. They couldn't see his eyes slide slowly open. They were gone by the time
he began to work the stones off of his body. It was painstaking and painful work, but he would
get free sooner or later, and then someone would pay dearly.
****************
"We're lost!" stated Joe flatly.
"We're not totally lost," Ikkakumon corrected. "We know we're still under the mountain,
and we know the others are probably still down here with us. We'll find them again sooner or
later."
"I wish I had your optimism," Matt replied. "Personally, I think we're walking around in
circles."
"Swimming around in circles," Tai corrected. "Or at least, Ikkakumon is."
"I am not!" Ikkakumon growled. "I know exactly where I'm swimming. For your
information, I'm following the current. It has to lead us somewhere eventually."
"Good thinking, Ikkakumon," his partner said. "Maybe if we're lucky, the stream will
lead us out of this maze altogether."
"I wonder what's become of the others?" Gabumon mused. "It's been a long time since
we've seen them."
"Yeah, and I'm worried about TK," Matt added. "He's too little to be all alone in the
dark."
"You don't know he's all alone," said Tai. "He's probably got at least one of the others
looking after him. Hey, I don't know where Kari is, either, and you don't see me moping about it,
do you?"
"Hey, just because I care about my brother," said Matt acidly.
"Take it easy!" said Joe. "There's not enough room up here for you two to start fighting.
You'll fall in the water, and it'll be a lot of trouble to fish you out."
"Besides, I never said I didn't care about Kari," Tai added. "I care a whole bunch for
Kari. I just know she can take care of herself. She's a tough little kid, and so is TK. They've both
got their Digimon to protect them. Can you imagine anything bad enough to stop Angemon and
Angewomon when they get mad?"
"Yeah, that's true," said Matt. "Sorry, Tai. I'm just getting a little antsy being stuck down
here under a mountain and not being able to see anything and not knowing where anyone is... I
guess I got scared," he finished quietly.
"That's okay. Even I'm allowed to be scared sometimes, and I'm the Digidestined
of Courage!" Tai joked.
"Jim used to say that courage wasn't about not being afraid. It's about being afraid and
still doing what you have to do," said Joe thoughtfully. "I wonder how he's doing? When you
think about it, he's probably at more of a disadvantage than Kari and TK."
"No time to worry about that now!" said Ikkakumon. "I see lights up ahead! Could be the
others. Want me to move toward them?"
"Go for it," Matt urged. "I'd be so happy to be able to see again, I wouldn't mind even if
it was a pack of Meremon!"
"You got it! Full steam ahead," Ikkakumon agreed.
They paddled forwards. Gradually, unfelt by the children but noticed by Ikkakumon, the
current began to veer away, and the water began to get shallower. Finally, the water gave out
altogether, and the white walrus Digimon found himself standing on a pebbly beach.
"Land ho!" he announced. "Everybody off! I'm starting to get tired of carrying you guys
around on my back."
"That's fine," said Joe, sliding off onto the ground. "You can ride on my back for a while
- but only after you change back into Gomamon!"
In a few minutes, the Champion Digimon had reverted to Rookie state, and the boys and
their companions began walking toward the distant glow. It was a strange light, not orange like
their flaming torches had been, but gold-green and steady. The further they went, the brighter it
got, until they found themselves standing at the mouth of a tunnel, and they gasped in
amazement.
They were looking down on an underground city, standing at the top of a flight of stairs
that led into a stone metropolis. Not only that, but the residents were all plainly evident, milling
around in the streets and talking to each other in low, bubbly voices. Suddenly, Tai's foot
dislodged a rock, and it clattered noisily down the stairs. All the Digimon stopped to stare at the
intruders, and the Digidestined stared back at the thousands of bulbous eyes, eyes attached to
stalks that were attached to thousands and thousands of annoyed-looking Numemon.
money off of it. I am not particularly powerful, I'm certainly not making any money off this
venture, and I don't own Digimon!
The Way to Use A Digivice
By: SilvorMoon
Jim's first thought upon awakening was to wonder why he was lying in the dirt. Then he
became aware that there was something moving around next to him, rustling and muttering. He
felt something cold and wet come in contact with his ear, and he yelped, sitting up straight and
opening his eyes. Looking around, the memory of where he was and what he was doing there
came slowly back to him: he was in the Digital World, and his Digimon had come to wake him
up.
"Morning, JimHyumon!" Kapurimon chirped. "Rise and shine!"
"Hello to you too," said Jim with a yawn. "By the way, did you know you have a really
cold nose?"
"I can't help it," said Kapurimon. "It's cold out today."
Jim reached in his pocket for his glasses so he could take a better look at the scenery. He
had only gotten a dim, firelit view of it the night before, and now he was getting a surprise as he saw
it clearly. It was, as his Digimon had informed him, a chilly morning, and grey-blue clouds hung
heavily over the land, dark with the promise of rain. Otherwise, the landscape was striking and
rather beautiful, a far cry from the wasteland he'd wandered through before. Plantlife ran wild
along the edges of the river, putting out lush grasses and other leafy plants. A few shy white
flowers peeked out along the banks, but the real colors belonged to the non-blooming plants. A
bushy thing with wide leaves was streaked in purple and red, and the grass he'd assumed was
green by night was actually tinged blue. His eyes roved through a patch of vines with pink
speckled foliage and up the trunk of what he had thought was a normal fruit tree.
"I didn't know baseballs grew on trees," he said.
"Where else would you grow them?" asked Gomamon. "We sure don't dig them like
potatoes."
"That's something we forgot to tell you about the Digital World," said Matt. "Some of the
laws of nature don't necessarily apply. Oh, and don't trust any household appliances or other
forms of machinery you might happen to run into. Things around here don't work the way they
do back home."
"Hey, Joe," said Tai, who was busy wolfing his breakfast next to a cheerfully blazing fire,
"remember those wacky telephones we ran into on the first day here? You spent all afternoon
trying to get a call through those things."
"Yeah, I remember them. You don't have to remind me," said Joe with early-morning
grumpiness. He stared down at his breakfast. "Drats. I don't like cold fish."
Gomamon's eyes lit up. "I do! Can I have it?" He dashed over to his partner's side.
"If he doesn't want it, I'll eat it," said Jim. "I'm hungry enough to eat just about anything,
even stale fish-kebabs."
"I think we can do a little better than that," said Sora. She handed him a leaf that had
grown into the general size and shape of a gravy boat. It proved to be filled with the leftovers of
last night's dinner, but also some berries, nuts, and what appeared to be roots of some sort.
"Thanks," said Jim. "Hey, Kapurimon, you want some?"
"No, thanks," Kapurimon replied. "I already hunted my breakfast while you were asleep.
Those are the leftovers."
"Gee, thanks," said Jim.
"That's rule number one for dealing with Digimon," Tai informed him. "They're always
hungry, so you've got to keep them fed. Otherwise, they won't have any strength, and they won't
be able to digivolve."
"Digivolve, huh?" Jim repeated. He'd heard the word mentioned a few times while he
was listening to the summary of the adventures to date, but he hadn't gotten a very clear notion of
what it meant yet. "Could someone give me a little clearer idea of what that means, please?"
"Ask Izzy," Mimi advised. "He understands all the technical stuff."
"It's not all that technical," said Izzy. "Come here, and I'll show you."
Jim obligingly got up and went to sit next to Izzy, who was busy booting up his computer.
Tentomon scooted over to make room for Kapurimon, who was obediently following his partner.
"All Digimon come in six stages," said Izzy in his lecturing tone. "The weakest are the
Baby or Hatchling Digimon. Digivolving is when a Digimon moves up to a higher level, from
Hatchling to In-Training to Rookie to Champion to Ultimate to Mega. Your Kapurimon is an In-
Training. See?" He punched a few buttons, pulling up his Digimon analyzer program.
"That's him, all right," Jim remarked. "So, can Kapurimon do this digivolving thing
too?"
"He sure can. He probably will, too, when the time comes," Izzy replied. "Your Digivice
helps your Digimon to become more powerful. If you're ever in danger, your Digimon can rise to
the next level to protect you."
"I've already digivolved once," Kapurimon piped up. "I was Choromon before I met you,
but when you were being bothered by the Gearmon, I turned into Kapurimon."
"So, what will you turn into next?" asked Jim.
"No idea," Kapurimon replied.
"It's a surprise," TK informed him. "None of us knew what our Digimon would be until
they digivolved."
"I know all this sounds complicated, but you'll get used to it," said Izzy. "You won't even
have to think about it anymore, after a while."
"I sure hope so," Jim replied. "This is starting to make my algebra finals look simple!"
"What's an algebra?" asked Patamon.
"You don't even want to know," answered Jim. He stared up at the sky. "Sure is gloomy
today... and chilly. Is the Digital World always like this."
"No, this is strange," said Sora. "It's usually warm here, and I don't think I've ever seen it
rain."
"The Dark Masters must be messing with the atmosphere," Izzy opined. "It looks like
we're in for a storm."
"Great," Joe muttered. "Thunderstorms give me sinus headaches."
"Aw, come on, Joe," said Jim. "A little water won't kill you."
"But it will mess up our travel plans," said Tai. He was perched on a large rock, staring
off into the distance through his telescope. "This fog is so heavy, I can't even see the mountain
we were looking for yesterday. We're going to be walking around half blind in this weather, even
if it doesn't rain."
"Mountain? What mountain?" Jim asked.
"We saw it off in the distance yesterday," said Matt. "We thought it might make a good
vantage point so we can get a look at the situation we're in."
"That sounds reasonable... but how are you going to find it if you can't see it anymore?"
Tai thought. "Well... we're a long way off. We'll just have to keep moving in the
direction we were going yesterday. We'll still be getting closer, and we can always turn around a
little if we have to, once we can see again."
At that moment, there was an ominous rumble in the distance, and a light spatter of rain
began to fall. Their fire sizzled as raindrops hit the hot wood.
"Wouldn't it be better to look for some shelter?" asked Sora.
Thunder rumbled again, closer this time, and it was answered by an unhappy murmur
from the assembled company. Subdued, they began gathering up their things and preparing to
move on. When they were packed, the doused the fire and began moving again, following the
path of the river. Within moments, there was nothing left but a heap of dead coals to mark that
they'd ever been there.
******************************
Despite hopes to the contrary, the rain did not improve. It grew steadily worse, from a
light mist to a heavy, soaking downpour, each raindrop hitting the skin like a slap. The children
shuffled along dejectedly. Those who were lucky enough to have hats pulled their headgear down
tightly. The rest trotted along with their heads hung, as if that would keep the water from
reaching them so quickly. More than one person shivered in the chill and damp. The Digimon
followed their companions determinedly, though they were clearly not enjoying the deluge any
more than their partners were. Determined, Tai continued leading the team along, his goggles
pressed over his eyes to keep out the rain.
"I've got rust in my ears!" Kapurimon complained, switching his tail unhappily. He had
long since given up the fight to keep his fluffy fur dry, and the appendage hung limp and
dripping.
"I'm sorry, but there's not much I can do about it," Jim replied, attempting to wipe away
some of the water with the hem of his sodden shirt. "All of us are wet."
"I don't like this rain. My feathers are all stuck together," said Biyomon plaintively.
"You think you don't like it? You're not the only one who can't fly right now," said
Tentomon. "I'm not used to having to walk everywhere!"
"Cats don't like water," Gatomon wailed.
"All this cold water isn't good for me," Palmon added. "I'm going to get root rot!"
Patamon said nothing, as he was busy attempting to burrow into TK's backpack.
Gabumon was bravely silent, pulling his fur closer around him and trying not to shiver. Agumon
sneezed, eradicating a small portion of the nearby plantlife in a steaming fireball. The explosion
caught Tai's attention, and he turned around. He was met by seventeen pairs of pleading eyes.
"All right," he sighed. "Sounds like we all need a break. We'll find some shelter and
camp out until the rain passes over... Um, does anyone see any shelter?"
"I'll find some!" Gomamon volunteered. Of all the members of the group, he was the one
least bothered by the inclement weather. "You all wait right here, and I'll be back before you
know it."
"I guess we can wait here," said Matt. "After all, it's not like we can get any wetter."
"This won't take long," the little seal promised, and he darted away to leap into the
nearby stream. They got a brief glimpse of his pale form sculling along close to the surface, and
then he disappeared beneath the agitated waters.
However, he was not lost from the sight of all eyes. Beneath the water, something saw a
shadow pass above it, and it moved cautiously closer to take a look. Yes, it was as he thought -
the enemy Digimon had chanced to come into his water! Grinning eagerly, the water
beast swam away to inform his master.
****************
The oceans were ruled by the great golden dragon, MetalSeadramon. He rested near the
ocean floor, a coiled streak of shimmering metal amid the blue-black darkness of the water. While
Piedmon ruled in his palace at the pinnacle of Spiral Mountain, Puppetmon presided over his
manor house, and the late lamented MachineDramon had held sway over his iron cities,
MetalSeadramon kept no fixed address. He owned the entire ocean, and he made sure his
influence was felt in every part of it, sweeping it from end to end whenever it suited him. For
now, though, he lay at the bottom of a deep crevasse, waiting.
Eventually, he caught sight of a moving dark shape, and he raised his head with interest
as he recognized it as one of his Divermon follwers. The creatures weren't much good as
fighters, but they made reasonable information gatherers. He had dispatched a small fleet of them
as soon as he'd received his orders from Piedmon, hoping that at least one of them would be able
to track down his quarry. Judging by the way this one was grinning, he suspected this one had
been successful.
"My lord Metal Seadramon!" the Divermon greeted, as soon as it came in range. "I've got
some good news for you! I found the Digidestined!"
"What took you so long?" MetalSeadramon demanded. "I sent you out looking for them
yesterday!"
"Well, it's a big ocean out there," said the Divermon. "We had to do a lot of looking to
cover all of it."
"Did you really?" asked MetalSeadramon, dripping sarcasm. "And did you happen to find
the Digidestined in the oceans?"
"Well, no, actually I saw them by the river."
"Of course you did! That's because they don't swim underwater, they walk on land!"
MetalSeadramon roared. "You've been wasting your time! I ought to have you filleted and
cooked in butter!"
The Divermon cringed. "Well, I did find them..."
"Well, where were they?"
"I told you - by the river."
MetalSeadramon made a swift movement, cracking his long tail like a whip. The double
steel tips hit the Divermon sharply and sent him spinning head over flippers, until his trajectory
was finally stopped by a large rock. He rested there as if he had been glued to it, upside down and
somewhat dazed.
"What'd I do?" he asked.
"You were hatched. Next time I ask you a question, try using your brain, if you have
one," MetalSeadramon replied. "Now, here's one more chance: which river?"
"Oh, um... the one that begins at Mystery Falls," the Divermon answered. "They're trying
to get out of the rain, I think. They'll head for the catacombs."
"Perfect!" Seadramon crowed. "I know those caves like the back of my flipper. I'll send
some Crabmon along to separate them, and once they're hopelessly lost, I can hunt them down
one by one."
"Aren't you going to fight them yourself?" the Divermon inquired.
"What? And get rebooted like MachineDramon did? You must think I'm as stupid as you
are," MetalSeadramon replied. "No. I'm being careful. If I mess this up, Piedmon will never let
me hear the end of it. Now, you get out of here. Round up the Crabmon, if you can find them
without getting lost."
"Right away!" the Divermon replied. It saluted, still upside down, and then peeled itself
off the rock face to go in search of its master's soldiers.
As for MetalSeadramon, he uncoiled himself and swam away, a long golden comet racing
towards the Mystery Falls.
****************
"I found it!"
The team of wet and dejected Digidestined were called to alertness again by an exuberant
cry. They looked up from where they rested to see a polkadotted water mammal racing toward
them as fast as his flippers could move. He was grinning hugely, clearly pleased with himself.
"What did you find?" Joe asked Gomamon.
"A cave!" Gomamon replied. "A great big one! I don't know how far it goes back, but it
looks like it has more than enough room for all of us."
"Great!" said Tai. "I'm about ready to get out of this rain."
They hurriedly followed after their guide, their pace swift now that they had a set
destination in mind and the incentive of possibly getting dry sometime soon. They scampered
along the riverbank, slogging through half-seen puddles where the river had overflowed and
tripping on the smooth stones that threatened to turn their ankles. Soon they became aware of a
distant rumbling sound that separated itself from the softer rush of rain. At last, they rounded a
bend in the river and found themselves staring up at a thirty-foot high wall of silver-white water.
"This is where we're supposed to get dry?" asked Mimi dubiously. "I don't get it."
"The cave is behind the waterfall," Gomamon replied. "You have to go through the water
to get to it."
"Great. More water. Just what we needed," said Matt.
"You can dry off on the other side," said Sora. "Come on, Biyomon."
The two of them ducked through the spill of water with a splash. Gomamon bounced in
after them.
"Hey, wait for me!" Joe shouted. Getting no response, he jumped through after his
companion.
"Well, if Joe can do it..." Matt said, and he and Gabumon followed suit. Pair by pair, the
other Digidestined followed along behind them.
Inside the cave, it was dark and damp, but not nearly as much of either as they had feared.
At least the dampness confined itself to a light mist that sprayed anyone who stood too close to
the mouth of the cave, and not a steady downpour like there was outside. They were interested
to see that the river didn't begin at the base of the waterfall, but seemed to be augmented by an
underground stream that flowed out of the cave. They even managed to find some driftwood,
possibly cast there during a flood or left by some nesting animal, and the combined efforts of
Agumon and Gabumon, they managed to get a cheerful blaze going. Everyone gathered close to
the fire, kicking off damp socks and shoes and preening their wet hair, fur, or feathers in an effort
to hurry the drying process along.
"This is a lot better than being outside," Tai admitted. "Good work, Gomamon."
"Aw, it was nothing," the little seal answered modestly.
Joe was paying no attention to what his friends were doing. He stared off into the blackest
parts of the cavern, still and tense.
"Gomamon, how far back did you explore this place?" he asked.
"Not far," Gomamon admitted. "How far back was I supposed to?"
"I don't know. I just don't like not knowing where this cave ends," said Joe. "And it's too
dark down there. If anything started trying to creep up on us, we wouldn't see it until it was
already on top of us."
"You mean you wouldn't see it," Gatomon corrected. "Us cats can see in the dark
a lot better than humans, you know."
"But still not in complete darkness," said Jim. "Joe's right - it's just not safe to spend too
much time in a place like this unless we're sure we know what's down there. Sometimes caverns
like this can branch off for miles! Anything could be hiding down there."
"He's got a valid point," Izzy replied. "Maybe we ought to explore this place a little more
thoroughly before we decide to stay for an extended period of time."
"I'm cool with that," answered Tai, who was warming his toes by the fire. "There's
nothing better to do around here, anyway."
"All right, then," Matt replied, scooping up a burning branch from the fire. "It won't hurt
to look around a bit... and maybe by the time we're done, it will have stopped raining."
A few other members of the team also collected the longer branches from the fire, plus a
few spares in case their torches burned down. Huddling close together, they began their
exploration.
The first few meters of the cave were disappointingly dull, being nothing more than a
crack in the side of a large hill, showing them lots of smooth grey stone and dark water and not
much else. However, it gradually began sloping more deeply into the earth, and the temperature
became colder. It wasn't long before they couldn't even see the end of the tunnel anymore. The
sound of the waterfall went from a thundering rush to a low growl, then to a vibration beneath
their feet, and then died out altogether, and still the cavern went on. At last, they came to a place
where the narrow crack they'd been following widened into a huge open space. The walls, what
could be seen of them, were pale shimmering white instead of the grey stone they'd seen before,
and icy-looking stalactites dangled above their heads. Stretching out as far as they could see
before them was an expanse of water, smooth as a mirror except where the water flowed into it
from the waterfall far away. The meager light from their torches wasn't enough to let them see
the far end of the room, but there did seem to be something like a pebbly beach surrounding it.
"Ooh, pretty!" exclaimed Mimi, admiring the crystal water and shimmering stone
formations.
"We've found an underwater lake," said Izzy. "I'd theorize a geological upheaval caused
a resettling of the mountain we just passed through and opened a chasm. These caves have
probably been here long before it was."
"Interesting," said Jim. "I'll keep it in mind."
The Digimon weren't as interested in admiring the scenery. They were milling around the
edge of the lake, sniffing and pawing at the water and muttering amongst themselves.
"I don't like this lake," Gomamon opined. "Something about it smells wrong."
"I don't see why it should have anything wrong with it," said Matt. "It's the same water
that was outside, isn't it?"
"I don't know if it's the water, exactly," Gabumon answered his partner, "but something's
definitely not right about it."
"There are other Digimon around here somewhere," said Kapurimon. "One of them
smells familiar."
"Well, I guess we've found the end of the tunnel," said Tai, "and we haven't found
anything more dangerous than a big puddle. I say we go back to where we came from and-"
At that moment, there was a loud bubbling noise from somewhere in the darkness of the
lake. Then, with a huge splash, the gleaming head of MetalSeadramon rose up and roared. Kids
and Digimon alike scrambled away from the water's edge. Matt, startled, dropped the torch he'd
been carrying, and it went out with a hiss into the lake.
"So, we meet again, Digidestined!" MetalSeadramon chuckled. "You might have gotten
away from me once, but now you're in my element, and you won't get away so easily!"
"We'll see about that!" Tai replied. "You don't have your buddies to back you up this
time, and we have a new member to help us!"
"I heard about that," MetalSeadramon chuckled. He glared at Kapurimon, grinning
wickedly. "Yeah, Piedmon knows all about you, you little runt. Everything. Sooner or later, he'll
be coming to get you, too, and you're not going to get away, either."
"Go sit on a sea urchin!" Kapurimon shouted back. He punctuated that remark by puffing
a stream of pink bubbles at the dragon, but they hit the sharp edges of MetalSeadramon's helmet
and popped harmlessly.
"That's real cute," MetalSeadramon sneered. "An In-Training Digimon wants to fight a
Mega! Don't make me laugh. You wouldn't have a chance against me unless you were a Mega
Digimon. Wouldn't you like to be a Mega?"
"I don't care what you are or what I am! I'll fight you if you mess with my JimHyumon!"
Kapurimon shouted back.
"Take it easy, Kapurimon," said Jim. "You're not strong enough. Let the other Digimon
handle this."
"Aw, forget it," MetalSeadramon said. "I didn't come here to fight you twerps anyway."
"You didn't?" asked TK hopefully. "You mean you're gonna give up?"
"No," the golden dragon replied. "I'm going to let my Crabmon do the work for me! Go
get them, Crabmon!"
With a series of splashes, half a dozen large crabs, mottled blue and grey, leaped out of
the water and set about surrounding the Digidestined, and the children scattered. A few tried to
bolt for the exit, but the Crabmon leaped to block the way, forcing them to run along the edges of
the lake. Despite the fact that they tried to stay together, the snapping claws of the crab monsters
forced them apart and away from each other.
"Where's TK?" asked Matt, looking around frantically. "We've lost TK!"
"And Kari!" Tai added.
"I just knew it was dangerous down here!" Joe wailed, dodging the grasp of a persuing
Crabmon.
"Don't worry, Joe! I'll save us!" Gomamon cried. He leaped for the water, shouting,
"Gomamon, digivolve to... Ikkakumon!"
He hit the surface of the lake with a splash, and a sudden burst of blue light made the
flying droplets sparkle like stars. Up out of the water rose the head of the shaggy white walrus
beast, Ikkakumon.
"Climb aboard! I'll get you to safety!" he urged.
Joe didn't waste any time - he made a flying jump and managed to grab hold of his
partner's long fur and scramble up his side. Tai and Matt followed with their Digimon in tow.
Before anyone else had the chance to make an attempt, a burst of searing blue light tore the air
between Ikkakumon and the last of the Digidestined.
"Don't think that's going to work, Digidestined!" MetalSeadramon warned. "I'm wise to
your tricks. You might be tough when you're all together, but you can't beat me when you're
separated, so I plan to make sure you all stay separated!"
"Easier said than done!" Ikkakumon boasted. "Harpoon Torpedo!"
He fired a round of explosives at the metal dragon, who simply plunged under water and
vanished. The torpedoes hit the ceiling, causing a burst of smoke and flames, as well as the fall of
several stalactites. Some of them fell harmlessly into the water, but a few more showered down
on the beach, forcing the remaining Digidestined to dodge out of their way.
"Stop it! You're going to hurt someone!" Matt shouted.
"But Matt, we're sort of in trouble right now," protested Ikkakumon worriedly, sizing
up the number of crabs that were still staring at him. "How are we supposed to get out of this if I
can't fight?"
"We'll just have to make a swim for it," said Tai.
"Rats. I was afraid you'd say that. I hate running away!" Ikkakumon muttered, but he
began paddling anyway. "Catch me if you can, crabmeat!"
Jim, Sora, and Izzy remained stranded on the beach, watching the light of Tai's torch drift
off into the darkness. They didn't have long to watch, though, because they still had some
crustaceans left to deal with. Two of the giant crabs still remained, watching them with angry
eyes and clicking their claws menacingly.
"Um... what do Digidestined normally do in circumstances like this?" Jim asked.
"Normally," said Izzy, "we run."
And they did, scrambling into the darkness with all the speed they could muster.
MetalSeadramon watched them for a while, waiting for his quarry to get themselves sufficiently
lost. After all, the game was no fun without a chase. When he sure they were well away from
him, he went on the hunt.
****************
The air was still and cool, undisturbed since almost the beginning of time. Now, however,
things were beginning to change. The lifeless air was suddenly being moved again, warmed by
the breathing of the creatures that were working their way through it and the fire that flickered in
the darkness.
Mimi was doing her best not to be frightened, and was actually having a modicum of
success. After all, she still had her torch, holding the shadows at bay, and Palmon was still here
to protect her. So were Gatomon and Patamon, who could be relied upon to deal with just about
anything. Also, she had to keep some kind of grip on her emotions, because after all, she was the
only one left to look after the youngest of the Digidestined.
"Where did everybody go?" TK wondered, clutching Patamon close to him.
"I really don't know," said Mimi. "We must have lost them when those crab-things
started attacking us. It's a good thing we managed to get away from them."
One thing MetalSeadramon hadn't taken into account was that his minions didn't know
their way around the underground caverns as well as he did. With the Digimon to provide a
distraction (it was hard to follow your prey if you had a cat clawing at your eyes or your legs
were wrapped in vines), the Digidestined had managed to slip down a crevasse and hide, and the
Crabmon had wandered down the wrong tunnel in search of them. They likely wouldn't see the
light of day for quite some time. However, that didn't leave the Digidestined themselves any less
lost.
"Do you think they'll find us soon?" Kari inquired. Her voice echoed oddly through the
dark tunnel. It sounded distant and haunted.
"Who?" asked Gatomon. "The Crabmon or our friends?"
"Either," Kari replied. "I don't like wandering around all alone like this."
"You're not alone," Palmon soothed her. "You've got Mimi and the rest of us to look
after you. Everything will be just fine."
"I know," Kari sighed, "but I still don't like it."
"Matt always told me that if I ever got lost, I should sit still and wait for someone to come
find me," TK offered.
"That's a good idea," said Mimi. "Let's stop and take a breather, huh?"
No one had any objections to the idea, so they found smooth rocks to sit on and settled
down for some relaxation. At least, most of them did. Mimi immediately took a seat, closed her
eyes, and to all appearances fell asleep, while Palmon sat by and kept watch over her. TK rested
nearby with Patamon in his lap, idly tossing pebbles into a nearby puddle and watching the
splashes. Gatomon, bothered by the chill and dampness, kept an eye on the torch. Kari, however,
seemed restless. After a few moments of sitting and fidgeting, she got up and began to prowl
around.
"Where are you going?" asked Gatomon.
"Just looking," Kari assured her. "I'm not going to go far."
Keeping within range of the torchlight (it covered a surprising area, thanks to the
reflectivity of the walls), Kari climbed around the stones and stalagmites, hopping over puddles
and small gaps. There didn't seem to be much to see other than stones. Still, it was more
interesting than just sitting still. It had been no accident that she'd been given a cat as her
companion, and she had as much curiosity as any other small child. Besides, she was getting an
eerie feeling that there was something important hiding nearby, if she could only figure out what
it was...
"Hey, Mimi!" she called suddenly. "Come look at this! I've found a fuzzball... and I think
it's sick!"
There was a scuffling sound of people getting to their feet, and soon Mimi and TK
appeared, flanked by the Digimon. They looked to find Kari kneeling on the stone floor with a
small body cradled in her arms. It was covered mostly in pale pink fur and had a pair of grey-
white wings sprouting from the top of its head like strange ears. It would have been cute, had it
not been coated with mud and blood. Its eyes were closed.
"That's Piximon!" Mimi exclaimed. "Oh, no, what's happened to him?"
"Is he still alive?" asked TK, eyes wide.
"He's still warm," said Kari softly, "and he's still breathing, but... I don't know. It's like I
can feel him hurting. There's something really wrong with him. Who is he? Is he a good
Digimon?"
"He was our friend," said Palmon. "He trained us, and helped us out when we were
attacked by a Kuwagamon in the desert."
"Poor little thing," Kari said. "He looks so little and weak. What can we do, Mimi? We
have to help him!"
"I don't know," Mimi admitted. "Joe could tell us what to do, maybe, but I don't know
anything about how to take care of someone who's hurt."
"You mean he's going to die?" asked Kari. She looked up at Mimi, her eyes dark and full
of pain.
Mimi sighed. "I don't know, Kari. I don't know what we can do to help."
"There has to be something," said Kari stubbornly. "I'm not going to just sit here and let a
good Digimon die!"
"Maybe if we cleaned him up a little?" Gatomon offered. "The water down here is
probably clean."
"I guess that wouldn't hurt," Kari agreed.
Carefully, so as not to injure the patient any more than he already was, Kari carried
Piximon over to the puddle where TK had been playing earlier. She stared at the water critically.
She'd expected it to be muddy, since most puddles in her experience were, but the water was
crystal clear and pleasantly cool. She borrowed a pink handkerchief from Mimi and went about
cleaning up the little Digimon as best she could. Her cleaning revealed a few large gashes - at
least, large considering the size of the being they were on - and several bruises that showed
through the sparse fur. Through the whole operation, he never once moved, though he did moan
softly a few times. When she was done, she dried him off as best she could and wrapped him up
in TK's vest.
"That's about all we can do," said Mimi. "Now we'll just have to wait and see what
happens."
"I feel so sorry for him," Kari whispered. "He's hurting so badly..."
"Maybe it's not as bad as it looks?" Patamon offered.
Kari shook her head distractedly. That distant look in her eyes seemed to have intensified,
making her look years older. "No. He's hurting. I can feel it inside. He's getting further away
from us. I have to pull him back, somehow."
"Kari, what are you talking about?" asked Gatomon.
Kari said nothing. Slowly, she reached for her Crest and held it up, letting it cast a soft
pink glow over the unconscious Digimon and herself, surrounding them both with a mist of light.
The other Digidestined stared in awe. It had to be just a trick of the light, but it looked like Kari
herself was glowing, too, with a cool white radiance of her own. Though the air was still, Kari's
hair was stirring slightly, as if in a gentle breeze. Then she spoke, and the others knew something
strange was going on, because the voice was one they had never heard coming out of their friend.
It was the voice of a grown woman, confident and regal.
"Wake up," she said, gently stroking Piximon's fur. "The battle isn't over yet, my friend.
We still need you here. Even I can't afford to rest any longer. We both have our battles to fight.
Come back."
As she spoke, pale pink glints of light seemed to trickle from her fingertips, wreathing
around the little Digimon and finally blotting him out altogether. Soon the lights became
painfully bright, but although Mimi and TK were forced to avert their eyes, Kari continued
staring down at her small charge unflinchingly. Finally the lights died away, leaving Piximon
without any evidence that he'd ever been hurt. The little Digimon blinked bright black eyes,
staring up at his savior's face.
"Kari?" he asked weakly. "Is that you?"
Kari blinked and shook herself. Her eyes had returned to their normal pale brown.
"Hmm?" she said dazedly. "How did you know my name?"
"Then is is - no, it isn't you, is it?" Piximon asked. "But you look so much like
her... Who are you?"
"My name is Hikari Kamiya," said Kari. "Are you feeling better."
"Yup yup! Just fine!" Piximon assured it. "Very strange, it is. You look just like the
queen did, and only she could have called me back, but you're not her! What did you say your
name was again?"
"We call her Kari," Mimi answered, trying to head the conversation in a direction she
understood. She was beginning to wonder if Piximon might still be delirious, because she hadn't
understood a thing he'd said so far. "She's Tai's little sister, the Eighth Digidestined."
"Ahhhh," said Piximon, as if a great truth had been revealed. "It begins to make sense!
So, you are the carrier of the Crest of Light, then?"
"I have it right here," Kari replied, holding it up for him to see.
"Even better," said Piximon cheerfully. "Want to thank you, I do, for saving my life. If
you hadn't come to pull me back, I would have been a goner for sure!"
"What happened to you, anyway?" asked TK. "Why aren't you in your home in the
desert?"
"Because it's not there anymore," Piximon replied.
"You mean the Dark Masters destroyed it?" asked Mimi.
"Worse than that," answered the pixy Digimon. "Do you mean to tell me that no one has
told you what the Dark Masters have done to this world?"
"No, not really," Mimi answered. "We've sorta been too busy running from them to ask
questions."
"Oh, well," Piximon sighed. "Listen up, then! This is important! The Dark Masters aren't
just holding this world their prisoner by force, as past monsters have. They've found a way to
completely reorder the world into what they want it to be! They've split the Digital World into
four quarters. MetalSeadramon rules the oceans and beaches. Puppetmon rules the forest.
MachineDramon rules the cities. Piedmon... he rules a desolate grey wasteland, crowned by his
palace at the top of Spiral mountain, where all four quarters come together. He's calling himself
the supreme ruler of the world, and claims the power to manipulate the fabric of the Digital
World any way he wants!"
"Yuck," said Kari succinctly. "But you're wrong about one thing. MachineDramon can't
be ruling over anything, because he's not here anymore."
"That's right," Gatomon agreed. "WarGreymon and I blew him up."
"Really?" asked Piximon. "Well! Good news, that is. But much work to be done, still! It
will take a lot more work than just defeating one Dark Master to set things right. They've mixed
everything up! Everything they didn't want to keep - like my home - has been deleted, and
everything else has been reprogrammed so you wouldn't even recognize it anymore! This, for
example," he added, waving a hand, "used to be the main road to the City of Light."
"City of Light?" Kari repeated, eyes bright with interest.
"Yup yup!" Piximon agreed. "It was once home to a beautiful queen, but she died many
years ago. The city still stands, though, but now they call it the City of Shadows. When
MetalSeadramon began taking over, many of the queen's former subjects fled to the city for
safety."
"Is that why you're down here?" asked Mimi. "Trying to get away from the Dark
Masters?"
"Not exactly," Piximon replied. "The Digimon were safe down here for a little while -
MetalSeadramon wasn't interested in them because they were too weak to fight, either for or
against him. However, when MachineDramon heard that there were hundreds of shadow-
dwelling Digimon living down here, he decided he wanted to take them for himself and make
slaves out of them! I came here trying to protect them. I did manage to finally drive
MachineDramon off, but it took all my strength to do it. I can't say how long I've been lying
down here in the dark."
"You poor thing!" Kari exclaimed. "And the poor Digimon, too. Are they still down
here? Can we see them?"
"You certainly can!" answered Piximon. "And you shall. I have a suspicion that the
Digimon would like to meet you, too."
****************
Meanwhile, another group of six wandered through the maze of tunnels: A redheaded
girl, a pink bird, a boy with a computer, an oversized insect, a serious-faced boy in glasses, and a
small and uneasy looking armored raccoon.
"I don't like it down here," Kapurimon complained. "I don't like it down here one bit. It's
creepy."
"Take it easy," Sora said. "None of us like it much down here in the dark."
"It's not just that," said Kapurimon. "I've just got this feeling... like I've been down here
before."
"You think you might be getting your memory back?" asked Jim. He was a little worried
about his companion's memory lapse. Something seemed strange to him that his otherwise clever
partner couldn't seem to remember anything that had happened to him more than a few days ago,
and he was even more concerned over the mysterious "something important" that had Kapurimon
so worried. Even now, the little animal was nosing under rocks and peering in puddles in a vain
attempt to find the missing article.
"Maybe," said Kapurimon dubiously, "but something tells me I don't want to remember
what happened in here. It feels bad to me."
"Interesting," said Izzy vaguely. He was only half paying attention to what they were
saying. It required concentration to walk and type at the same time, and the sound of clicking
keys told his friends more clearly than words would have how useless it would be to try to
engage him in conversation.
"What are you working on now, Izzy?" asked Tentomon, hovering around Izzy's shoulder
so he could get a look at the screen.
"Nothing much," came the offhand reply. "Just trying to get our bearings so we don't
wander around in this maze for the rest of the year. Some of these underground tunnels can go on
for miles and miles, and if we don't figure out an escape route, there's no telling how long we'll
be stuck down here."
"I'd really prefer not to spend the rest of my life under a rock, thanks," said Jim, ducking
around a low-hanging stalactite.
"Me, too," Kapurimon agreed. "It's too damp down here, and it doesn't smell right."
"You're right," agreed Biyomon, turning her beak in the air to sniff. "It smells like...
hide!" She abruptly flung herself behind a boulder, dragging Sora along with her. Jim and
Kapurimon followed their example, leaving Izzy standing confused in the middle of the tunnel.
"Where did everyone go?" he asked.
"They hid," said Tentomon testily, "and I think we should, too, before something-"
"Wait a minute! Did you hear that?" asked Izzy.
Tentomon pricked up his antennae, and he did hear. It sounded like the pounding
of a far-off ocean, the roar of a distant waterfall, all blended with the clatter of an oncoming
express train. It could only mean one thing.
"MetalSeadramon!" they said in unison, and made a wild dive for the nearest hiding
place.
They were almost too late. In the next second, the sea serpent himself came tearing
around a bend in the tunnel, his armored sides gouging scraps of rock from the walls, the sharp
horn on his head dislodging stalactites in a stony shower. They clattered loudly off his golden
scales, filling the cavern with echoing noise. The Digidestined clamped their hands over their
ears to try to block out the painful clamor. However, nothing could drown out the sound of
MetalSeadramon's roaring.
"I know you're down here, Digidestined!" he shouted. "There's no escaping me now!
This tunnel leads to a dead end! Come out and surrender now, or I'll bury you in limestone!"
His answer came in the form of a stream of green fire that splashed against his helmet,
narrowly missing his unprotected eye. His head whipped around to find Biyomon hovering
nearby and glaring at him as dangerously as a little pink bird could.
"You want to mess with Sora, you're going to have to come through me!" she asserted.
"And I'm supposed to be frightened by this?" MetalSeadramon jeered.
"You would if you knew what was good for you," she replied. "A Digimon's purpose in
life is to protect, not to destroy! No matter what you do, us true Digimon will always come out
on top!"
"Don't make me laugh!" the dragon replied. "The power of a tiny little shrimp like you
could never overcome a Digimon like me!"
"Maybe so," Biyomon agreed, "but our brains still can, because we're a whole lot smarter
than you. While you've been sitting here yelling at me, the others have run off."
"What?" MetalSeadramon cried. He glared all around, but the Digidestined were indeed
gone, leaving only the distant echoes of scrambling feet to tell him where they'd gone. He spat a
beam of blue fire at Biyomon in frustration, but she had expected it and dodged it easily. She
flew away laughing at him. He stood there stupidly for a moment, trying to figure out how he was
supposed to follow the Digidestined. The tunnel was narrow, and although there was enough
room for some children and small animals to slip by, there wasn't nearly enough space for him to
turn around. Snarling, he continued down the tunnel in search of a place to reverse himself.
"So, where are we running, anyway?" Jim shouted to his companions as they barreled
down the hall.
"Away!" said Sora.
"There was an opening in the cave further back," said Izzy. "We'll have some room to
maneuver in there! If we have to stand and fight, that would be the place!"
"Are you sure we just can't find a place to hide?" asked Tentomon.
"Negative," his partner asked, shaking his head. "MetalSeadramon will find us down here
wherever we go. It's time to show him what we're really made of."
"I'm ready to fight!" Kapurimon asserted. "I'll take him down for you, Jim!"
"No, you won't!" Jim replied. "He's way too powerful for you! Look at you - you don't
even have legs!"
"Neither does he," said Kapurimon.
"We'll argue about this later," said Izzy. "Look, here's the cave!"
They skittered to a halt in the middle of a wide open space. Aside from the presence of
numerous stalagmites and other odd lumps of rock, the floor was fairly level. The ceiling was so
high that their torches touched nothing more than distant sparkles, dim suggestions of the stone
needles above them. The walls were spaced far enough apart that the room could have easily held
ten MetalSedramons.
"I think this is as good as we're going to get down here," said Izzy. "Get your Digivices
ready, gang!"
They did so, Izzy and Sora with the confidence of veterans and Jim with a bit more
trepidation. After all, he had never actually seen the little object work, not on his own Digimon,
anyway. He wasn't sure he knew how to use it. What if he couldn't figure it out in time to do
anyone any good? What if his impetuous companion attacked MetalSeadramon and got himself
hurt because Jim couldn't make the device work?
"Don't worry, Jim," said Sora, offering him a faint smile of encouragement. "We'll be
okay, really. Our Digimon have always come through for us."
"They'd better," Jim replied, "because I think company is coming."
Sure enough, the rumble that meant MetalSeadramon's approach was drawing rapidly
nearer. The kids and their Digimon dove for cover as the golden dragon came crashing into the
room, widening part of the entrance tunnel in his haste to reach them. He was angry, the
light in his eyes bordering on feral madness as he whipped about in search of his prey.
"Trick me, will you?" he demanded. "I'll turn all of you into fish bait for that!"
"I don't think so!" answered a voice. "Horn Buster!"
MetalSeadramon just barely reacted in time to dodge an enormous red beetle.
MegaKabuterimon's attack gouged up a large chunk of the floor, spraying gravel. The dragon
snapped at MegaKabuterimon's leg and latched on, spinning him in a half circle before hurling
him at the wall. Stalactites rained down on everyone, clattering harmlessly off MetalSeadramon's
armor but forcing the children to dodge frantically. Sora yelped as a sharp bit of flying stone tore
at her leg.
"Sora!" cried the voice of Garudamon. "You're going to pay for that, MetalSeadramon!
Wing Blade!"
MetalSeadramon flinched away from the flames, but they did very little to his
impenetrable exterior. He whipped his tail at Garudamon, slicing through any nearby stalagmites
as if they were nothing more than grass. The bird creature managed to dodge the attack itself, but
there was no hiding from the flying stones. There was more than one cry of pain.
"Are you sure this is the best battleground we could find?" asked Jim. He wasn't
seriously hurt yet, but there were several bruises on his arms from where he'd been trying to
shield his face.
"Nowhere else in this maze is going to be any better," said Izzy, dabbing tentatively at a
cut on his cheek. "At least here we have a little room to dodge."
"JimHyumon! Are you hurt?" asked Kapurimon anxiously.
"I'm fine, really," Jim assured him. "Just a little scuffed up, that's all."
"I can't let him hurt you, Jim," Kapurimon said. "You're the first friend I've ever had. I
have to protect you! Let me fight him!"
"No," said Jim firmly. "I already told you, if you try it, you'll just get yourself hurt! Let
Izzy and Sora's Digimon handle it!"
"But, Jim!" Kapurimon complained.
He didn't get to finish his complaint. The voice of the little Digimon had caught
MetalSeadramon's attention, and now the sea dragon had turned his flashing gaze on Jim and
Kapurimon.
"So, you think you can fight me, do you?" MetalSeadramon asked. "Why don't you try it?
I never liked you much, anyway. No one will care if I squash you now - especially if I let
Piedmon know how you're trying to help that pathetic human!"
"Don't call Jim names!" Kapurimon shouted back. "He's my friend, and I'll punish you if
you try to hurt him!"
"Try it," the dragon sneered. "Go ahead and try it."
Kapurimon answered by making a flying tackle at MetalSeadramon. He hit the dragon's
armored body with a resounding clang and bounced off, colliding with a large rock. Jim ran to
his side.
"I told you not to do that!" he scolded. "Are you hurt? Say something!"
"Don't worry, I'll get him next time," Kapurimon said dazedly. He shook himself and
leaped back at MetalSeadramon again, but Jim tackled him and held him down.
"Stop it! You're going to get yourself killed, and that won't do either of us any good!"
shouted Jim.
"No, but it will do me plenty of good," MetalSeadramon replied. "C'mere, you little
runt." He whipped his tail at Kapurimon, trying to swat him like a fly, but Kapurimon leaped out
of the way and retaliated with a stream of pink bubbles, which MetalSeadramon ignored.
"That's one determined little Digimon," Sora commented.
"He's crazy!" said Izzy. "There's just no way an In-Training Digimon is going to take out
a Mega!"
Jim seemed to be of the same mind. He caught Kapurimon as he fell to the ground again
and carried him behind the nearest stand of rocks, ignoring the Digimon's struggles.
"Let me go! Let me go!" cried Kapurimon.
"No! I don't want to see you get hurt!" Jim replied.
"I was doing just fine until you tried to stop me," Kapurimon replied. "I'm stronger than
you think, JimHyumon!" He blinked, feeling a memory flitting around in his fogged brain. "I'm
supposed to be stronger than this. What's happened to me?"
"You'll never get a chance to find out!" roared MetalSeadramon. "River of
Power!"
The blue light hit the stones and reduced them to rubble. Jim went flying in one direction,
Kapurimon in the other, and they both landed hard in the crunching gravel. Kapurimon recovered
better than his partner, owing to his armor, and rushed to his partner's side, nuzzling him and
trying to make him move. Jim twitched and moaned, struggling to push himself up.
"Jim, are you okay?" Kapurimon cried.
"I - I think so," Jim gasped. His hands slipped on the loose stones, and he fell again.
"Don't worry, JimHyumon! I'll protect you," answered the little Digimon.
*This is awful,* thought Jim through his pain. *Kapurimon can't fight! We're
both hurt... and I can't help him. He's going to be eaten alive, all because I don't know how to
make him Digivolve!*
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Sora and Izzy standing
over him.
"Come on," said Sora. "Leave this fight to the Digimon. We'll get you to safety."
With their help, Jim managed to hobble away to shelter, and they collapsed behind a
fairly protected ring of stones. Over the tips of the stalagmites, they could still see two Ultimate
Digimon and a lone In-Training dodging and attacking the water dragon.
"He shouldn't be out there," Jim moaned.
"Yes, he should," said Izzy firmly. "Jim, you've got to stop trying to protect Kapurimon!
It's his job to protect you!"
"But he's so small, and MetalSeadramon-"
"That's not the point!" Surprisingly, it was Sora who cut him off. "He needs your strength
if he's going to digivolve, and you'll never be able to help him if you spend all your time being
afraid for him! You have to have a little faith in him. If you're afraid to let him fight, he's going
to lose."
"Exactly," said Izzy. "We made the same mistake when our Digimon were small - not
wanting to let them fight with a Kuwagamon. But they fought anyway, because they knew they
had to protect us, and you know what? As soon as we set them free and let them do what they
had to do, they digivolved, and they won the battle!"
"Really?" asked Jim. "So the way to use a Digivice..."
"...is to believe that your Digimon can win," Sora finished. "Who would have thought my
Biyomon could become Garudamon? I did the same thing with her, not wanting her to fight
because I was afraid she'd get hurt, but the first time she reached her most powerful stage was
when I let her fight a battle like this, when I didn't think she'd win."
"Wow," said Jim. "Then I've been doing it all wrong, haven't I?"
"Well, you have to make allowances for a beginner..." said Izzy.
Suddenly, there was a clang of metal on metal, and something silvery went soaring
through the air. Kapurimon hit the wall and bounced, landing a few feet away from the
Digidestined's hiding place. Jim scrambled to reach his companion's side, and Kapurimon
blinked weakly at him.
"I'm sorry, Jim," he said. "You were right. He is too strong for me."
"No, I was wrong," Jim replied, hugging the little animal. "You were only weak because I
was holding you back. But I believe in you, Kapurimon! You're a brave little Digimon, and if
anyone in the world can fight off that ugly dragon, it's you!"
"Really?" asked Kapurimon.
"Absolutely," Jim replied.
His attention was caught by a beeping sound, and he turned his attention to his Digivice,
which had finally broken its long silence. He had just enough time to notice that it was glowing
before his attention was caught by a brighter light, and in the middle of the light, something
spun... and spoke.
"Kapurimon, digivolve to... Kokuwamon!"
Jim stared, finding himself confronted by a new Digimon. His armored raccoon had
vanished, and in it's place stood something that looked more like a mechanical beetle. It was
made entirely of silvery metal, with only two bright yellow eyes that glowed from within to add
color. It had six legs, using two to walk on. The others were tipped with sharp pincers, and a
larger pair sprouted from his head, like the jaws of a Hercules beetle. Sparks snapped between
the pincers.
"What in the world?" asked Jim.
"Congratulations!" said Izzy. "Your Digimon has digivolved! I knew you had it in you!"
"So, what is he now?"
Izzy clicked away at his computer, bringing up the data screen. "Kokuwamon, the Rookie
form of Kapurimon. He's a metal-type Digimon. He uses his Spark Scissor attack to electrocute
his enemies!"
"Don't worry, though," said Kokuwamon. His voice was deeper now, but still childlike.
"I'm still the same Kapurimon on the inside... but now maybe I'll have better luck against that
overgrown lizard who calls himself a Dark Master!"
MetalSeadramon glared at Kokuwamon, hearing himself insulted. "So, you think you can
stand up to me, huh? Think again! A Rookie's no better than an In-Training when it comes to
fighting!"
"We'll see about that!" Kokuwamon replied, and charged at the dragon. "Go get him, Kokuwamon!" Jim shouted. "Show him what you're made of!"
Izzy and Sora grinned at each other.
"There's nothing more beautiful than the bonding of a Digimon and his partner," Izzy
remarked.
"You can say that again," said Sora. She winced as the battle noises re-ensued. "I just
hope there's something left of the both of them after all this!"
Kokuwamon didn't waste any time in trying to make good his threats. MetalSeadramon
whipped his tail at the beetle Digimon, but Kokuwamon leaped out of the way. When the tail
came by again, he latched on with his sharp pincers and sent several thousand volts of electricity
coursing through the beast's metal body. MetalSeadramon yelped - and then turned to deal with
the attacks of MegaKabuterimon and Garudamon, who were taking advantage of his distraction
to blast him for all they were worth. MetalSeadramon growled angrily. The attacks weren't doing
any serious damage to him yet, but this was beginning to get painful. Stalactites rained down on
everyone as he spat beam after beam of searing light at his antagonizers.
"This is getting crazy!" Sora shouted, feeling chips of rock start bouncing off her hat.
"All these falling rocks are going to bury us alive!"
"Bury us alive," Jim repeated. "Bury us alive... and bury MetalSeadramon, too! That's it!
Kokuwamon, let go of that crazy sea serpent for a minute and shoot the ceiling!"
"Shoot the ceiling?" Sora repeated. "Jim, how hard did you hit your head?"
"No, he's right!" Izzy replied. "We can't hurt MetalSeadramon, but we might be able to
bury him! It's our best chance. MegaKabuterimon, you heard what Jim said! Shoot the ceiling!
Knock some of those rocks down!"
"You too, Garudamon!" Sora added.
"You got it!" said Kokuwamon. "Spark Scissor!"
"Horn Buster!"
"Wing Blade!"
Attacks flashed all around MetalSeadramon, sending piles of rubble crashing down on
him. He tried to fight back, but his enemies stayed close to the roof, and the falling stones
confused his aim. Every shot he through at them did nothing more than dislodge yet more rocks
and send them crashing down on his head. He thrashed in frustration, but it did him no good. The
rain of stone continued, until finally, with one earsplitting crash, the whole ceiling caved in,
burying the metal monster under an avalanche of limestone. The air was filled with dust and the
sound of falling rocks hitting iron plates. Then... silence.
"Is it over?" asked Sora.
"Where are the Digimon?" asked Jim. "I can't see them! Did they get buried?"
"Just wait," Izzy replied. "Just give them a minute."
They waited, and the clouds of dust settled. Slowly, the air cleared again, and the
Digidestined could make out the shapes of a pink bird, a bug, and a small robot picking their way
through the rubble. The kids cheered in unison and ran to hug their Digimon and congratulate
them on a job well-done. Jim grinned as he embraced his partner; his Digimon had arms to hug
back with, now.
"See, JimHyumon?" asked Kokuwamon. "I told you I could do it!"
"When did I have any doubts?" Jim laughed.
"Now that we've taken care of MetalSeadramon, things will be quieter around here," Izzy
said. "Now we can explore in a little more comfort."
"Do you think we should explore over there?" asked Sora. "I think I see a light over
there!"
They all looked. In a place where there had appeared to be nothing more than a solid wall,
there was now a jagged hole, probably ripped open while MetalSeadramon was thrashing around.
"It is a light!" Biyomon chirped. "Maybe it's the others!"
"In that case, we should investigate," Izzy replied. "Come on!"
The team headed for the opening, climbing carefully over the heap of stones that covered
the fallen MetalSeadramon. They didn't notice, beneath all that rubble, that the tip of his tail still
twitched very slightly. They couldn't see his eyes slide slowly open. They were gone by the time
he began to work the stones off of his body. It was painstaking and painful work, but he would
get free sooner or later, and then someone would pay dearly.
****************
"We're lost!" stated Joe flatly.
"We're not totally lost," Ikkakumon corrected. "We know we're still under the mountain,
and we know the others are probably still down here with us. We'll find them again sooner or
later."
"I wish I had your optimism," Matt replied. "Personally, I think we're walking around in
circles."
"Swimming around in circles," Tai corrected. "Or at least, Ikkakumon is."
"I am not!" Ikkakumon growled. "I know exactly where I'm swimming. For your
information, I'm following the current. It has to lead us somewhere eventually."
"Good thinking, Ikkakumon," his partner said. "Maybe if we're lucky, the stream will
lead us out of this maze altogether."
"I wonder what's become of the others?" Gabumon mused. "It's been a long time since
we've seen them."
"Yeah, and I'm worried about TK," Matt added. "He's too little to be all alone in the
dark."
"You don't know he's all alone," said Tai. "He's probably got at least one of the others
looking after him. Hey, I don't know where Kari is, either, and you don't see me moping about it,
do you?"
"Hey, just because I care about my brother," said Matt acidly.
"Take it easy!" said Joe. "There's not enough room up here for you two to start fighting.
You'll fall in the water, and it'll be a lot of trouble to fish you out."
"Besides, I never said I didn't care about Kari," Tai added. "I care a whole bunch for
Kari. I just know she can take care of herself. She's a tough little kid, and so is TK. They've both
got their Digimon to protect them. Can you imagine anything bad enough to stop Angemon and
Angewomon when they get mad?"
"Yeah, that's true," said Matt. "Sorry, Tai. I'm just getting a little antsy being stuck down
here under a mountain and not being able to see anything and not knowing where anyone is... I
guess I got scared," he finished quietly.
"That's okay. Even I'm allowed to be scared sometimes, and I'm the Digidestined
of Courage!" Tai joked.
"Jim used to say that courage wasn't about not being afraid. It's about being afraid and
still doing what you have to do," said Joe thoughtfully. "I wonder how he's doing? When you
think about it, he's probably at more of a disadvantage than Kari and TK."
"No time to worry about that now!" said Ikkakumon. "I see lights up ahead! Could be the
others. Want me to move toward them?"
"Go for it," Matt urged. "I'd be so happy to be able to see again, I wouldn't mind even if
it was a pack of Meremon!"
"You got it! Full steam ahead," Ikkakumon agreed.
They paddled forwards. Gradually, unfelt by the children but noticed by Ikkakumon, the
current began to veer away, and the water began to get shallower. Finally, the water gave out
altogether, and the white walrus Digimon found himself standing on a pebbly beach.
"Land ho!" he announced. "Everybody off! I'm starting to get tired of carrying you guys
around on my back."
"That's fine," said Joe, sliding off onto the ground. "You can ride on my back for a while
- but only after you change back into Gomamon!"
In a few minutes, the Champion Digimon had reverted to Rookie state, and the boys and
their companions began walking toward the distant glow. It was a strange light, not orange like
their flaming torches had been, but gold-green and steady. The further they went, the brighter it
got, until they found themselves standing at the mouth of a tunnel, and they gasped in
amazement.
They were looking down on an underground city, standing at the top of a flight of stairs
that led into a stone metropolis. Not only that, but the residents were all plainly evident, milling
around in the streets and talking to each other in low, bubbly voices. Suddenly, Tai's foot
dislodged a rock, and it clattered noisily down the stairs. All the Digimon stopped to stare at the
intruders, and the Digidestined stared back at the thousands of bulbous eyes, eyes attached to
stalks that were attached to thousands and thousands of annoyed-looking Numemon.