Sorry I haven't updated in over a month. Inspiration struck in my other fics. Go to my profile page to check out two of them. If I can remember to put them on my library disc, I'll have one or two more up next week.
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Jesse and Heromon travel away from the other DigiDestined at a fast pace.
"Tell me why we're leaving the others?" Heromon demands when they finally stop.
"You've seen how the Crests and Crest Weapons work, what causes them to light up," Jesse says, "each of them is tied to an emotion or feeling. Integrity, Courage, Spirit, Compassion, Faith, Wisdom, Perseverance, and Honor. They are all personifications of parts of the human psyche."
"What of it?" Heromon asks.
"My Crest is an impossible Crest," Jesse says sullenly.
"Impossible Crest?" Heromon asks, "what do you mean?"
"I mean its impossible to make it light up!" Jesse replies, "my Crest is the Crest of Life. How is that part of the human spirit? How is that part of a person's personality? Tell me!"
"I don't know," Heromon says, "but I do know that we won't learn on our own."
"I didn't leave just to deal with that," Jesse replies, "I left to give Brian a chance at being a leader without me. He needs it desperately. He's unsure of himself, but his abilities are sound and without fault."
"You're still working to make the team better?" Heromon asks, surprised.
"But of course," Jesse says, mock indignant, "you can be the single mightiest being in all of creation, but a decently strong, well-worked team can take you down if they are determined enough."
"Then why don't you stay and guide them?" Heromon asks.
"Because they must come into their own on their own," Jesse replies, "if I hold their hand, then they'll choke at the worst possible moment because they won't have complete trust in their abilities."
"Are we gonna keep an eye on them?" Heromon inquires.
"No," Jesse replies, "we must try and find the meaning of my Crest. It may seal the fate of the Digital World."
"You honestly believe that?" Heromon asks skeptically.
"Of course not," Jesse scoffs, "but it might make a difference if we can figure out how to make it work. At least we know it has something to do with life. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine."
"If not better," Heromon says loftily.
Jesse just looks at Heromon with an odd expression on his face, but doesn't say anything more.
~The next day, the main DigiDestined group~
"Man, these nights shifts sure are longer," James says, stifling a yawn.
"Well, we are short one watcher," Samantha says grumpily. The difference twenty minutes of less sleep made was astounding to her.
"Even so, we have to keep on going to the Dark Castle," Pixiemon says, "we have to stop the Beast of Darkness when he emerges."
"Even if we get there in time," Samantha says, "how are we gonna stop him when we're short one ally?"
"Jesse said he would meet us at the Dark Castle," Daniel says, "I have faith in him to keep his word."
Samantha's hard expression softens.
"Of course you have faith in him," she says softly, "your faith is your geatest strength. You have faith in people as a whole."
"And you don't," Daniel replies, "why?"
"He's just so darn arrogant!" Samantha exclaims, "why didn't he put more effort into his fighting?"
"That's just not like him, Samantha," James says, "he wanted us to be able to take care of ourselves. I'm not sure, but I have a feeling he knows better what may happen than the rest of us."
"He has been acting more independent from the rest of us since his trip to the Dark Ocean," Brian says, "maybe he wants us to be prepared for what is to come. He has seen evil in its most pure form."
"But he's so alone," Tapirmon says, "its just not right."
"He has things he has to sort out for himself," Pixiemon says, "he will return to us."
In another part of the Digital World, Jesse and Heromon were finishing up lunch.
"Heromon, how exactly did you come across a fish that big?" Jesse asks.
"Ah, well, if a Tortomon comes running this way, follow my lead and run like a bunch of Bakemon are after you," Heromon says.
"You stole a Tortomon's lunch?" Jesse demands incredulously.
"Well, yeah," Heromon says after taking another bite.
"Heromon, what am I ever gonna do with you?" Jesse asks.
"Shadow of the Beast King!"
A tremendous blast of fiery dark gray energy hits the ground just a little bit away from the two eating partners, causing a large explosion.
Jesse and Heromon both leap to their feet, their swords now gleaming in their hands.
"What was that?" Jesse demands, looking around for any signs of their attacker.
"I'm not sure," Heromon says as he looks around for any signs of the attacker as well, "all I know is that that was no ordinary attack. Its power was incredible."
"What level do you think the attacker is at?" Jesse asks.
"At least Champion," Heromon replies, "probably Ultimate, maybe even Mega."
"If it's a Mega, then we may be in trouble," Jesse says, "but its unlikely that the Beast of Darkness would waste a Mega level Digimon on the two of us. You can only digivolve to Ultimate."
"Maybe so, but if I could digivolve to Mega I would be a major threat to him," Heromon says.
"I doubt you ever will if the previous Crests have been any indication," Jesse says dryly.
"What do you mean by that?" Heromon asks.
"Think about it," Jesse says, "all of the Crests and the Crest Weapon respond to a virtue. Courage, Perseverance, Compassion, a strong Spirit, Faith, Integrity, Honor, and Wisdom. My Crest is the Crest of Life. What does life have to do with virtues?"
"So you think you have an impossible Crest?" Heromon asks.
"Impossible to use," Jesse says.
"Maybe it means something more," Heromon says.
"Like what?" Jesse asks crossly.
"Like maybe what we're fighting for," Heromon says, "we're fighting to stop the Beast of Darkness from plunging both worlds into Darkness. Maybe we're fighting to protect life."
Before Jesse can make a reply, they are attacked again. "Shadow of the Beast King!"
Another dark gray blast of fiery energy explodes behind them.
"Man, what is attacking us?" Heromon demands.
"I don't know, but lets get moving," Jesse says. He takes off in the direction of the Dark Castle with Heromon close behind.
After running for about five minutes, Jesse and Heromon stop to rest on a strange-looking mound.
"Man- that was- not fun," Jesse pants.
"You're- telling me," Heromon remarks.
"Um, you mind getting off of me?" a pained voice asks.
"What the?" Jesse yelps as he jumps off the hill, closely followed by Heromon.
"Who, or what, are you?" Jesse asks.
The hill moves and dirt and gravel shift as a form appears. It has the body of a tiger, stripes and all, but had leathery wings. Its front paws were like the talons of a great eagle or falcon or even a hawk and it had the head of an eagle but with an armored helmet.
"It's a Gryphonmon," Heromon syas, "a Mega level Mythical Animal Digimon. Don't worry, he's a good guy. His Legendary Claw is powerful."
"That's good to know," Jesse says, "but he appears to be hurt."
"I am hurt," Gryphonmon says irritably, "I got into a scuffle with a couple of the Dark Masters and lost. They thought they destroyed me, but they didn't."
"You are pretty banged up," Heromon muses, "I'm sure you've seen better days."
"Would you mind helping me?" Gryphonmon asks, "I think my left wing is broken."
Jesse cautiously walks over to Gryphonmon and examines his left wing. After a moments inspection, Jesse winces.
"Okay, I'm know next to nothing about healing, but I'm fairly sure 'broken' would be being extremely nice when describing the condition of this wing," Jesse says grimly, "I think 'shattered' would be a much better description."
"I know I have no feeling in my left wing," Gryphonmon says.
"Jesse, are you sure about that?" Heromon asks.
"Wanna come and examine him for yourself?" Jesse snaps.
"No thanks," Heromon says, eyeing Gryphonmon's rather large teeth.
Jesse chuckles in amusement. "Okay, this wing is totally useless. I don't know if it'll ever heal properly."
"Can you do anything for it?" Gryphonmon asks.
"Maybe," Jesse says, "but I doubt it. The best I could do would be to set the bones back in place as best I can. How fast do you Gryphonmon heal?"
"Faster than humans is all we know," Gryphonmon replies.
"That describes Digimon in general," Jesse says dryly, "I've noticed that Heromon and the other Digimon I've been around heal fast unless they are destroyed."
"What are you?" Gryphonmon asks, peering at Jesse, "I've never seen a Digimon like you."
"I'm not a Digimon," Jesse replies as he tries to set bones back in place in the Digimon's wing, "I'm a human. One of the DigiDestined."
"A DigiDestined!" Gryphonmon yelps, "then its finally come. Where are the others?"
"I'm no leader, but they kept looking to me to be their leader," Jesse replies, "so I left them. Heromon and I are strong enough to survive most anything that gets sent at us."
"Heromon?" Gryphonmon asks, eyeing the Rookie, "the only Warrior type Rookie?"
"Whats it to ya?" Heromon demands.
"If Heromon is your partner, then you have the power to take on the Beast of Darkness on your own if your Crest has lit up," Gryphonmon tells Jesse.
"My Crest Weapon has lit up," Jesse replies.
"What about your Crest?" Gryphonmon demands.
"It can't light up," Jesse says, "the Crest reflect an attribute of the spirit or the spirit itself. I possess the Crest of Life. Since I'm alive and its not lighting up, it will never light up."
"You're afraid of something," Gryphonmon states.
Jesse glances at Gryphonmon's face, then back to his work patching up the wing. "What makes you say that?"
"The way you talk," Gryphonmon responds, "you may not consciously know what you are afraid of, but you are afraid of something."
"I fear nothing," Jesse says, "Heromon, go and find something to use for bandages."
"What would work best?" Heromon asks.
"Nevermind, I'll go look," Jesse says, standing up, "Heromon, you keep Gryphonmon company."
"Do I have to?" Heromon whines.
"Would you rather be his dinner?" Jesse asks with a saccharine smile.
Heromon shudders. "No thanks. I'll stand guard over the wounded."
Jesse walks away in search of bandaging material.
"He is afraid of something," Gryphonmon says.
"He fears to live," Heromon says, "he lives in worlds of fantasy. He knows the joys of friendship and faith. He is smart and honest. He is almost a living example of honor and integrity. His courage is incredible for a human. He is as reliable as it is possible to be. He is kind, but he is also practical. He has already learned the lessons of the other Crests. But he has yet to embrace his own. He lives in fear of rejection if he tries to live, so he stays with what is safe and comfortable."
"Being a DigiDestined is not safe and comfortable," Gryphonmon says.
"He should be the leader of the DigiDestined," Heromon says, "he's more than capable of it. But he fears the responsibility. I don't know why, but he just refuses to accept responsibility for anyone other than himself."
"Usually a smart philosophy, but not in this case," Gryphonmon says, "he must join up with the other DigiDestined or all will be lost."
"He himself is lost," Heromon says, "he doesn't see a purpose for himself."
"How sad," Gryphonmon remarks, "I hope he finds a purpose to go on."
"So do I," Heromon says softly, "so do I."
"I'm back, but I'm not sure if this stuff will help, but it is the best that I could find," Jesse says, walking up with a bundle of leaves.
"Man, why is it so hot?" Brian demands, wiping some sweat from his eyes.
"Because there's no breeze, no cloud in the sky, and the sun is right over us," Samantha says irritably.
"Can't Phoenixmon fly over us and provide us shade?" James asks. Phoenixmon had chosen to walk for some reason and would not fly.
"It'll take up a lot of energy," Phoenixmon says, "I need to be ready for battle in case we are attacked."
"Yeah, without Heromon we're down by possibly our strongest fighter," Brian says.
"Jesse hasn't gotten his Crest to light up yet," Samantha says, "he's useless."
"But he is the best of us for fighting against the Beast's strongest minion's," Pixiemon says, "remember, Warriormon, a single Champion, was able to take on Vilemon when the five of us, four Champions and me, an Ultimate, could not defeat him. Warriormon is not only strong for a Champion, he is almost in the same class as Angel Digimon. This means he is very effective against evil Digimon. All of your Digimon at their Mega forms are much the same in that regard, but Heromon is like that in all of his forms."
"And what if that isn't true for his Mega form?" Samantha asks.
"Then if his past is any example, then he'll be so strong he'll make up for that," Pixiemon replies.
"And if he turns out to be a complete wuss?" Samantha asks.
"Then we're likely gonna die," Pixiemon says bluntly.
As Jesse finishes dressing the Gryphonmon's wing, Heromon finds them something else to eat since he and Jesse's had had their meal interrupted.
"You didn't steal this from another Digimon, did you?" Jesse asks Heromon warily.
"Oh come on!" Heromon protests, "I hunted this up myself."
"Don't believe him," Jesse jokes, "he probably stole this from the same Tortomon he stole our last meal from."
"Hey!" Heromon protests, "nothing bad came from stealing that Tortomon's supper."
"Other than a hungry Tortomon," Jesse chuckles.
"You're making me into a bad guy here!" Heromon whines.
"Ease up, buddy," Jesse says soothingly, "I'm just kidding around with ya. Just like when we were stuck in the Dark Ocean. We had to keep up the jokes or be swallowed up by the evil that permeated that place."
"Still, you don't have to sound so hurtful," Heromon pouts.
"Cheer up, buddy," Jesse says, "have an extra helping."
"Yay!" Heromon cheers, ripping into the fish.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to watching a Digimon eat," Jesse mutters.
Gryphonmon tears into the fish that was set before him. Heromon, seeing Gryphonmon tear into the fish, nervously inches away from Gryphonmon. A fact that does not go unnoticed by Jesse.
"What's the matter, Heromon?" Jesse asks with a malicious smile, "afraid that the fish is just an appetizer for Heromon Flambé?"
"No!" Heromon answers in a nervous shout, "I just don't want to mistake me for that fish."
"If he was eating a chicken, then you might have cause to worry," Jesse teases.
"And just what do you mean by that?" Heromon demands.
"He wonder which one to eat: the one in feathers or the one in armor," Jesse replies with an evil grin.
"Hey!" Heromon protests, then grumbles, "I get no respect."
"Oh come on, buddy," Jesse says, "I'm just teasing you."
"Sure sure," Heromon grumbles, "whatever."
They finish their meal in silence. Afterwards, Jesse and Heromon alternate guard duty between each other, with Gryphonmon sleeping the whole night undisturbed.
The next day, Jesse checks Gryphonmon's wing and replaces the bandages.
"I wish I knew more about what I was doing," Jesse grumbles, "but I don't. I just hope I don't screw up and cripple you."
"I trust you," Gryphonmon says, "if an evil Digimon had come along, I wouldn't have been able to defend myself. Thank you."
"It's nothing," Jesse says, "just glad I can help."
The group hits the road, with Gryphonmon walking beside Heromon and Jesse. The trio walks in the direction that Pixiemon said the Dark Castle was.
After walking for a few hours, Jesse stops them so he could get a drink of water.
"Jesse, why are we stopping here?" Heromon asks.
"We're being followed," Jesse replies softly, "have been since we broke camp this morning. I think its who attacked us yesterday. If we're attacked, you'll be hard pressed to protect me and Gyrphonmon."
He finishes getting his drink and they join Gryphonmon again.
"Gryphonmon, why did you pick a fight with the Dark Masters?" Jesse asks.
"They are evil and they were destroying innocent Digimon," Gryphonmon replies, "I protect those who cannot protect themselves. I protect all living things who cannot protect themselves."
Jesse is stunned by Gryphonmon's statement. It made sense. If you had the power to stop the pain of others, then it was your responsibility to try and stop it. As it was with the comics he was fond of reading, 'With great power comes great responsibility'.
"Shadow of the Beast King!"
A blast of dark fire hits the Gryphonmon, knocking him unconscious.
"Heromon!" Jesse calls out, pulling out his Digivice. A beam of light erupts from it and hits Heromon.
"Heromon digivolve to Warriormon!"
The Crest Weapon of Honor lights up at Jesse's indignation of their enemy attacking a defenseless Digimon. Warriormon begins to glow with the light of the Crest Weapon.
"Warriormon digivolve to MagnaWarriormon!"
MagnaWarriormon draws his sword and prepares for a fight.
A large, shadowy figure leaps in front of MagnaWarriormon, a thick broadsword in its right hand.
Jesse gasps when he recognizes the figure. "Leomon?"
"Close, but not quite," the large Digimon growls, its voice sounding a lot more menacing than Leomon's ever could, "I am ShadowLeomon, a Champion Level Beast Digimon. I am like Leomon, only I am everything he is not. I am one with the Powers of Darkness. The Beast of Darkness created me by corrupting a strand of Leomon's data and separating it from the rest of him. I then formed my own body. My Shadow of the Beast King, as you can see, is quite powerful. I can take on a Mega level Digimon and win."
"Well, you won't be able to defeat me if you're evil," MagnaWarriormon growls as his sword begins to glow, "Magna Beam!"
A blast of pure energy erupts from the tip of MagnaWarriormon's sword and hits ShadowLeomon in the chest.
"Beast Sword!" ShadowLeomon roars, charging at MagnaWarriormon with his sword. The two Digimon enter into a fierce swordfight.
Jesse runs to Gryphonmon's side to access the damage. It was not a pretty sight. Gryphonmon's uninjured wing was completely gone. Data particles were breaking off of him.
"Jesse, you must rejoin the other DigiDestined," Gryphonmon says, his voice racked with pain, "if the DigiDestined are not united in their stand against the Beast of Darkness, then they cannot win. You are one of the DigiDestined. You must join up with the others before they reach the Dark Castle or all wil be lost. It may already be too late."
"I cannot," Jesse says, "they may try to make me the leader. I cannot lead them into battle. I cannot be more responsible for anyone other than myself and my Digimon."
"You must not live your life in fear," Gryphonmon says sternly, "if you do, then you are not really living."
With that, Gryphonmon disintegrates, leaving Jesse to think about his words. He had been living in fear. Fear of being responsible for the other DigiDestined. But they were each taking care of themselves. They each chose to continue the journey and fight against the Powers of Darkness. And they were all ready for the consequences. They may not fully understand what the consequences of their failure to stop the Beast of Darkness would be, but they knew it was not good.
Unknown to Jesse while he was in his silent reverie, the Crest of Life was beginning to glow a faint silver. It begins to pulsate with silver light and an aura of silver energy begins to surround MagnaWarriormon.
ShadowLeomon steps back in alarm from MagnaWarriormon.
"MagnaWarrior Mega Digivolve to Paladinmon!"
MangaWarriormon is swept up by the light of digivolution. He barely changes, but changes were evident. His shoulder armor shimmers and changes to armor like the shoulder armor of Imperialdramon Fighter Mode. His armor completely changes to match Magnamon's, though it is silver in color, while his helmet matches MagnaAngemon's.
"Who are you?" ShadowLeomon demands in a snarl.
"I am Paladinmon," the newly digivolved Mega says in a low, dangerous voice, "I am an Exalted Knight Digimon. You will pay for destroying a helpless Digimon."
With that being said, Paladinmon draws his sword. It was a fearsome blade, wider than MagnaAngemon's and it has a cross on the blade.
"Paladin Sword!" Paladinmon leaps at ShadowLeomon, slashing down with his sword. ShadowLeomon blocks with his own blade, but Paladinmon's blade shears through ShadowLeomon's Beast Sword, destroying it.
ShadowLeomon leaps back and raises his right fist. He then brings it forward. "Shadow of the Beast King!"
Paladinmon raises his right hand and blocks the attack with a single hand. He cocks his head in amusement. "Is that all you got?"
ShadowLeomon roars and charges Paladinmon.
Meanwhile, the other four DigiDestined, their Digimon, and Pixiemon were all heading for the site of the battle.
"We must hurry," Phoenixmon says, "everyone, get on my back. I will fly us there."
"But you need to conserve your energy for the fight!" Samantha protests.
"If we don't arrive in time, Jesse and Heromon will be destroyed," Phoenixmon says.
"Let's do it," Brian says, hopping on Phoenixmon's large back. Daniel, Digitamamon, Tapirmon, James, Wizardmon, and Pixiemon all climb aboard. Sighing, Samantha climbs on and Phoenixmon takes to the sky.
They quickly arrive at the sight of the battle.
"Is that MagnaWarriormon?" Daniel asks upon seeing Paladinmon, "he's changed."
"That's not MagnaWarriormon," Jesse says from behind them, "that's Paladinmon, his Mega form."
"Jesse!" Daniel cries out, "are you alright?"
"I'm okay," Jesse says, "but ShadowLeomon won't be when Paladinmon gets done with him."
"Why is Paladinmon fighting with Leomon?" James asks, "isn't Leomon on our side?"
"That is not our friend Leomon!" Jesse growls, "that is ShadowLeomon, an evil Digimon. He's been haunting Heromon and myself since yesterday."
"Shouldn't we help him?" Tapirmon asks.
"No!" Jesse says firmly, "he will fight this fight alone. He is in no danger of losing."
"Still stubborn," Samantha grumbles.
"It's only been a couple of days," Jesse replies, "and why are you here?"
"We thought you might need help," Brian says.
"I appreciate your concern, but Heromon and I can take care of ourselves now," Jesse says.
Paladinmon raises his right hand in front of ShadowLeomon's face. His voice is ice cold. "Game over. Paladin Beam!"
A beam of brilliant multi-colored light blasts from Paladinmon's hand. The beam rips through ShadowLeomon like a hot knife through butter. ShadowLeomon falls to the ground, headless. He disintegrates almost immediately.
Paladinmon reverts to Heromon and walks over to Jesse.
"Good job partner," Jesse says, "let's go. It is not yet time."
"I understand," Heromon says wistfully.
Jesse and Heromon calmly walk away, heading for the Dark Castle.
"Rest assured, I will meet you again before you reach the Dark Castle!" Jesse calls out over his shoulder as he walks away, "just don't worry about me. With Heromon being able to reach the Mega level, we'll be a-okay."
With that, Jesse and Heromon break off into a run, leaving the other DigiDestined, their Digimon, and Pixiemon stupefied.
So what do you think of this chapter? I got the idea of ShadowLeomon from the Season 3 episode "Shadow of the Beast King", in which Beezlebumon uses Leomon's 'Fist of the Beast King' to rescue Jeri. The phrase 'With great power comes great responsibility' is from Spiderman. Comics, movie, various TV shows, it doesn't matter. It comes from Spiderman.
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Jesse and Heromon travel away from the other DigiDestined at a fast pace.
"Tell me why we're leaving the others?" Heromon demands when they finally stop.
"You've seen how the Crests and Crest Weapons work, what causes them to light up," Jesse says, "each of them is tied to an emotion or feeling. Integrity, Courage, Spirit, Compassion, Faith, Wisdom, Perseverance, and Honor. They are all personifications of parts of the human psyche."
"What of it?" Heromon asks.
"My Crest is an impossible Crest," Jesse says sullenly.
"Impossible Crest?" Heromon asks, "what do you mean?"
"I mean its impossible to make it light up!" Jesse replies, "my Crest is the Crest of Life. How is that part of the human spirit? How is that part of a person's personality? Tell me!"
"I don't know," Heromon says, "but I do know that we won't learn on our own."
"I didn't leave just to deal with that," Jesse replies, "I left to give Brian a chance at being a leader without me. He needs it desperately. He's unsure of himself, but his abilities are sound and without fault."
"You're still working to make the team better?" Heromon asks, surprised.
"But of course," Jesse says, mock indignant, "you can be the single mightiest being in all of creation, but a decently strong, well-worked team can take you down if they are determined enough."
"Then why don't you stay and guide them?" Heromon asks.
"Because they must come into their own on their own," Jesse replies, "if I hold their hand, then they'll choke at the worst possible moment because they won't have complete trust in their abilities."
"Are we gonna keep an eye on them?" Heromon inquires.
"No," Jesse replies, "we must try and find the meaning of my Crest. It may seal the fate of the Digital World."
"You honestly believe that?" Heromon asks skeptically.
"Of course not," Jesse scoffs, "but it might make a difference if we can figure out how to make it work. At least we know it has something to do with life. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine."
"If not better," Heromon says loftily.
Jesse just looks at Heromon with an odd expression on his face, but doesn't say anything more.
~The next day, the main DigiDestined group~
"Man, these nights shifts sure are longer," James says, stifling a yawn.
"Well, we are short one watcher," Samantha says grumpily. The difference twenty minutes of less sleep made was astounding to her.
"Even so, we have to keep on going to the Dark Castle," Pixiemon says, "we have to stop the Beast of Darkness when he emerges."
"Even if we get there in time," Samantha says, "how are we gonna stop him when we're short one ally?"
"Jesse said he would meet us at the Dark Castle," Daniel says, "I have faith in him to keep his word."
Samantha's hard expression softens.
"Of course you have faith in him," she says softly, "your faith is your geatest strength. You have faith in people as a whole."
"And you don't," Daniel replies, "why?"
"He's just so darn arrogant!" Samantha exclaims, "why didn't he put more effort into his fighting?"
"That's just not like him, Samantha," James says, "he wanted us to be able to take care of ourselves. I'm not sure, but I have a feeling he knows better what may happen than the rest of us."
"He has been acting more independent from the rest of us since his trip to the Dark Ocean," Brian says, "maybe he wants us to be prepared for what is to come. He has seen evil in its most pure form."
"But he's so alone," Tapirmon says, "its just not right."
"He has things he has to sort out for himself," Pixiemon says, "he will return to us."
In another part of the Digital World, Jesse and Heromon were finishing up lunch.
"Heromon, how exactly did you come across a fish that big?" Jesse asks.
"Ah, well, if a Tortomon comes running this way, follow my lead and run like a bunch of Bakemon are after you," Heromon says.
"You stole a Tortomon's lunch?" Jesse demands incredulously.
"Well, yeah," Heromon says after taking another bite.
"Heromon, what am I ever gonna do with you?" Jesse asks.
"Shadow of the Beast King!"
A tremendous blast of fiery dark gray energy hits the ground just a little bit away from the two eating partners, causing a large explosion.
Jesse and Heromon both leap to their feet, their swords now gleaming in their hands.
"What was that?" Jesse demands, looking around for any signs of their attacker.
"I'm not sure," Heromon says as he looks around for any signs of the attacker as well, "all I know is that that was no ordinary attack. Its power was incredible."
"What level do you think the attacker is at?" Jesse asks.
"At least Champion," Heromon replies, "probably Ultimate, maybe even Mega."
"If it's a Mega, then we may be in trouble," Jesse says, "but its unlikely that the Beast of Darkness would waste a Mega level Digimon on the two of us. You can only digivolve to Ultimate."
"Maybe so, but if I could digivolve to Mega I would be a major threat to him," Heromon says.
"I doubt you ever will if the previous Crests have been any indication," Jesse says dryly.
"What do you mean by that?" Heromon asks.
"Think about it," Jesse says, "all of the Crests and the Crest Weapon respond to a virtue. Courage, Perseverance, Compassion, a strong Spirit, Faith, Integrity, Honor, and Wisdom. My Crest is the Crest of Life. What does life have to do with virtues?"
"So you think you have an impossible Crest?" Heromon asks.
"Impossible to use," Jesse says.
"Maybe it means something more," Heromon says.
"Like what?" Jesse asks crossly.
"Like maybe what we're fighting for," Heromon says, "we're fighting to stop the Beast of Darkness from plunging both worlds into Darkness. Maybe we're fighting to protect life."
Before Jesse can make a reply, they are attacked again. "Shadow of the Beast King!"
Another dark gray blast of fiery energy explodes behind them.
"Man, what is attacking us?" Heromon demands.
"I don't know, but lets get moving," Jesse says. He takes off in the direction of the Dark Castle with Heromon close behind.
After running for about five minutes, Jesse and Heromon stop to rest on a strange-looking mound.
"Man- that was- not fun," Jesse pants.
"You're- telling me," Heromon remarks.
"Um, you mind getting off of me?" a pained voice asks.
"What the?" Jesse yelps as he jumps off the hill, closely followed by Heromon.
"Who, or what, are you?" Jesse asks.
The hill moves and dirt and gravel shift as a form appears. It has the body of a tiger, stripes and all, but had leathery wings. Its front paws were like the talons of a great eagle or falcon or even a hawk and it had the head of an eagle but with an armored helmet.
"It's a Gryphonmon," Heromon syas, "a Mega level Mythical Animal Digimon. Don't worry, he's a good guy. His Legendary Claw is powerful."
"That's good to know," Jesse says, "but he appears to be hurt."
"I am hurt," Gryphonmon says irritably, "I got into a scuffle with a couple of the Dark Masters and lost. They thought they destroyed me, but they didn't."
"You are pretty banged up," Heromon muses, "I'm sure you've seen better days."
"Would you mind helping me?" Gryphonmon asks, "I think my left wing is broken."
Jesse cautiously walks over to Gryphonmon and examines his left wing. After a moments inspection, Jesse winces.
"Okay, I'm know next to nothing about healing, but I'm fairly sure 'broken' would be being extremely nice when describing the condition of this wing," Jesse says grimly, "I think 'shattered' would be a much better description."
"I know I have no feeling in my left wing," Gryphonmon says.
"Jesse, are you sure about that?" Heromon asks.
"Wanna come and examine him for yourself?" Jesse snaps.
"No thanks," Heromon says, eyeing Gryphonmon's rather large teeth.
Jesse chuckles in amusement. "Okay, this wing is totally useless. I don't know if it'll ever heal properly."
"Can you do anything for it?" Gryphonmon asks.
"Maybe," Jesse says, "but I doubt it. The best I could do would be to set the bones back in place as best I can. How fast do you Gryphonmon heal?"
"Faster than humans is all we know," Gryphonmon replies.
"That describes Digimon in general," Jesse says dryly, "I've noticed that Heromon and the other Digimon I've been around heal fast unless they are destroyed."
"What are you?" Gryphonmon asks, peering at Jesse, "I've never seen a Digimon like you."
"I'm not a Digimon," Jesse replies as he tries to set bones back in place in the Digimon's wing, "I'm a human. One of the DigiDestined."
"A DigiDestined!" Gryphonmon yelps, "then its finally come. Where are the others?"
"I'm no leader, but they kept looking to me to be their leader," Jesse replies, "so I left them. Heromon and I are strong enough to survive most anything that gets sent at us."
"Heromon?" Gryphonmon asks, eyeing the Rookie, "the only Warrior type Rookie?"
"Whats it to ya?" Heromon demands.
"If Heromon is your partner, then you have the power to take on the Beast of Darkness on your own if your Crest has lit up," Gryphonmon tells Jesse.
"My Crest Weapon has lit up," Jesse replies.
"What about your Crest?" Gryphonmon demands.
"It can't light up," Jesse says, "the Crest reflect an attribute of the spirit or the spirit itself. I possess the Crest of Life. Since I'm alive and its not lighting up, it will never light up."
"You're afraid of something," Gryphonmon states.
Jesse glances at Gryphonmon's face, then back to his work patching up the wing. "What makes you say that?"
"The way you talk," Gryphonmon responds, "you may not consciously know what you are afraid of, but you are afraid of something."
"I fear nothing," Jesse says, "Heromon, go and find something to use for bandages."
"What would work best?" Heromon asks.
"Nevermind, I'll go look," Jesse says, standing up, "Heromon, you keep Gryphonmon company."
"Do I have to?" Heromon whines.
"Would you rather be his dinner?" Jesse asks with a saccharine smile.
Heromon shudders. "No thanks. I'll stand guard over the wounded."
Jesse walks away in search of bandaging material.
"He is afraid of something," Gryphonmon says.
"He fears to live," Heromon says, "he lives in worlds of fantasy. He knows the joys of friendship and faith. He is smart and honest. He is almost a living example of honor and integrity. His courage is incredible for a human. He is as reliable as it is possible to be. He is kind, but he is also practical. He has already learned the lessons of the other Crests. But he has yet to embrace his own. He lives in fear of rejection if he tries to live, so he stays with what is safe and comfortable."
"Being a DigiDestined is not safe and comfortable," Gryphonmon says.
"He should be the leader of the DigiDestined," Heromon says, "he's more than capable of it. But he fears the responsibility. I don't know why, but he just refuses to accept responsibility for anyone other than himself."
"Usually a smart philosophy, but not in this case," Gryphonmon says, "he must join up with the other DigiDestined or all will be lost."
"He himself is lost," Heromon says, "he doesn't see a purpose for himself."
"How sad," Gryphonmon remarks, "I hope he finds a purpose to go on."
"So do I," Heromon says softly, "so do I."
"I'm back, but I'm not sure if this stuff will help, but it is the best that I could find," Jesse says, walking up with a bundle of leaves.
"Man, why is it so hot?" Brian demands, wiping some sweat from his eyes.
"Because there's no breeze, no cloud in the sky, and the sun is right over us," Samantha says irritably.
"Can't Phoenixmon fly over us and provide us shade?" James asks. Phoenixmon had chosen to walk for some reason and would not fly.
"It'll take up a lot of energy," Phoenixmon says, "I need to be ready for battle in case we are attacked."
"Yeah, without Heromon we're down by possibly our strongest fighter," Brian says.
"Jesse hasn't gotten his Crest to light up yet," Samantha says, "he's useless."
"But he is the best of us for fighting against the Beast's strongest minion's," Pixiemon says, "remember, Warriormon, a single Champion, was able to take on Vilemon when the five of us, four Champions and me, an Ultimate, could not defeat him. Warriormon is not only strong for a Champion, he is almost in the same class as Angel Digimon. This means he is very effective against evil Digimon. All of your Digimon at their Mega forms are much the same in that regard, but Heromon is like that in all of his forms."
"And what if that isn't true for his Mega form?" Samantha asks.
"Then if his past is any example, then he'll be so strong he'll make up for that," Pixiemon replies.
"And if he turns out to be a complete wuss?" Samantha asks.
"Then we're likely gonna die," Pixiemon says bluntly.
As Jesse finishes dressing the Gryphonmon's wing, Heromon finds them something else to eat since he and Jesse's had had their meal interrupted.
"You didn't steal this from another Digimon, did you?" Jesse asks Heromon warily.
"Oh come on!" Heromon protests, "I hunted this up myself."
"Don't believe him," Jesse jokes, "he probably stole this from the same Tortomon he stole our last meal from."
"Hey!" Heromon protests, "nothing bad came from stealing that Tortomon's supper."
"Other than a hungry Tortomon," Jesse chuckles.
"You're making me into a bad guy here!" Heromon whines.
"Ease up, buddy," Jesse says soothingly, "I'm just kidding around with ya. Just like when we were stuck in the Dark Ocean. We had to keep up the jokes or be swallowed up by the evil that permeated that place."
"Still, you don't have to sound so hurtful," Heromon pouts.
"Cheer up, buddy," Jesse says, "have an extra helping."
"Yay!" Heromon cheers, ripping into the fish.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to watching a Digimon eat," Jesse mutters.
Gryphonmon tears into the fish that was set before him. Heromon, seeing Gryphonmon tear into the fish, nervously inches away from Gryphonmon. A fact that does not go unnoticed by Jesse.
"What's the matter, Heromon?" Jesse asks with a malicious smile, "afraid that the fish is just an appetizer for Heromon Flambé?"
"No!" Heromon answers in a nervous shout, "I just don't want to mistake me for that fish."
"If he was eating a chicken, then you might have cause to worry," Jesse teases.
"And just what do you mean by that?" Heromon demands.
"He wonder which one to eat: the one in feathers or the one in armor," Jesse replies with an evil grin.
"Hey!" Heromon protests, then grumbles, "I get no respect."
"Oh come on, buddy," Jesse says, "I'm just teasing you."
"Sure sure," Heromon grumbles, "whatever."
They finish their meal in silence. Afterwards, Jesse and Heromon alternate guard duty between each other, with Gryphonmon sleeping the whole night undisturbed.
The next day, Jesse checks Gryphonmon's wing and replaces the bandages.
"I wish I knew more about what I was doing," Jesse grumbles, "but I don't. I just hope I don't screw up and cripple you."
"I trust you," Gryphonmon says, "if an evil Digimon had come along, I wouldn't have been able to defend myself. Thank you."
"It's nothing," Jesse says, "just glad I can help."
The group hits the road, with Gryphonmon walking beside Heromon and Jesse. The trio walks in the direction that Pixiemon said the Dark Castle was.
After walking for a few hours, Jesse stops them so he could get a drink of water.
"Jesse, why are we stopping here?" Heromon asks.
"We're being followed," Jesse replies softly, "have been since we broke camp this morning. I think its who attacked us yesterday. If we're attacked, you'll be hard pressed to protect me and Gyrphonmon."
He finishes getting his drink and they join Gryphonmon again.
"Gryphonmon, why did you pick a fight with the Dark Masters?" Jesse asks.
"They are evil and they were destroying innocent Digimon," Gryphonmon replies, "I protect those who cannot protect themselves. I protect all living things who cannot protect themselves."
Jesse is stunned by Gryphonmon's statement. It made sense. If you had the power to stop the pain of others, then it was your responsibility to try and stop it. As it was with the comics he was fond of reading, 'With great power comes great responsibility'.
"Shadow of the Beast King!"
A blast of dark fire hits the Gryphonmon, knocking him unconscious.
"Heromon!" Jesse calls out, pulling out his Digivice. A beam of light erupts from it and hits Heromon.
"Heromon digivolve to Warriormon!"
The Crest Weapon of Honor lights up at Jesse's indignation of their enemy attacking a defenseless Digimon. Warriormon begins to glow with the light of the Crest Weapon.
"Warriormon digivolve to MagnaWarriormon!"
MagnaWarriormon draws his sword and prepares for a fight.
A large, shadowy figure leaps in front of MagnaWarriormon, a thick broadsword in its right hand.
Jesse gasps when he recognizes the figure. "Leomon?"
"Close, but not quite," the large Digimon growls, its voice sounding a lot more menacing than Leomon's ever could, "I am ShadowLeomon, a Champion Level Beast Digimon. I am like Leomon, only I am everything he is not. I am one with the Powers of Darkness. The Beast of Darkness created me by corrupting a strand of Leomon's data and separating it from the rest of him. I then formed my own body. My Shadow of the Beast King, as you can see, is quite powerful. I can take on a Mega level Digimon and win."
"Well, you won't be able to defeat me if you're evil," MagnaWarriormon growls as his sword begins to glow, "Magna Beam!"
A blast of pure energy erupts from the tip of MagnaWarriormon's sword and hits ShadowLeomon in the chest.
"Beast Sword!" ShadowLeomon roars, charging at MagnaWarriormon with his sword. The two Digimon enter into a fierce swordfight.
Jesse runs to Gryphonmon's side to access the damage. It was not a pretty sight. Gryphonmon's uninjured wing was completely gone. Data particles were breaking off of him.
"Jesse, you must rejoin the other DigiDestined," Gryphonmon says, his voice racked with pain, "if the DigiDestined are not united in their stand against the Beast of Darkness, then they cannot win. You are one of the DigiDestined. You must join up with the others before they reach the Dark Castle or all wil be lost. It may already be too late."
"I cannot," Jesse says, "they may try to make me the leader. I cannot lead them into battle. I cannot be more responsible for anyone other than myself and my Digimon."
"You must not live your life in fear," Gryphonmon says sternly, "if you do, then you are not really living."
With that, Gryphonmon disintegrates, leaving Jesse to think about his words. He had been living in fear. Fear of being responsible for the other DigiDestined. But they were each taking care of themselves. They each chose to continue the journey and fight against the Powers of Darkness. And they were all ready for the consequences. They may not fully understand what the consequences of their failure to stop the Beast of Darkness would be, but they knew it was not good.
Unknown to Jesse while he was in his silent reverie, the Crest of Life was beginning to glow a faint silver. It begins to pulsate with silver light and an aura of silver energy begins to surround MagnaWarriormon.
ShadowLeomon steps back in alarm from MagnaWarriormon.
"MagnaWarrior Mega Digivolve to Paladinmon!"
MangaWarriormon is swept up by the light of digivolution. He barely changes, but changes were evident. His shoulder armor shimmers and changes to armor like the shoulder armor of Imperialdramon Fighter Mode. His armor completely changes to match Magnamon's, though it is silver in color, while his helmet matches MagnaAngemon's.
"Who are you?" ShadowLeomon demands in a snarl.
"I am Paladinmon," the newly digivolved Mega says in a low, dangerous voice, "I am an Exalted Knight Digimon. You will pay for destroying a helpless Digimon."
With that being said, Paladinmon draws his sword. It was a fearsome blade, wider than MagnaAngemon's and it has a cross on the blade.
"Paladin Sword!" Paladinmon leaps at ShadowLeomon, slashing down with his sword. ShadowLeomon blocks with his own blade, but Paladinmon's blade shears through ShadowLeomon's Beast Sword, destroying it.
ShadowLeomon leaps back and raises his right fist. He then brings it forward. "Shadow of the Beast King!"
Paladinmon raises his right hand and blocks the attack with a single hand. He cocks his head in amusement. "Is that all you got?"
ShadowLeomon roars and charges Paladinmon.
Meanwhile, the other four DigiDestined, their Digimon, and Pixiemon were all heading for the site of the battle.
"We must hurry," Phoenixmon says, "everyone, get on my back. I will fly us there."
"But you need to conserve your energy for the fight!" Samantha protests.
"If we don't arrive in time, Jesse and Heromon will be destroyed," Phoenixmon says.
"Let's do it," Brian says, hopping on Phoenixmon's large back. Daniel, Digitamamon, Tapirmon, James, Wizardmon, and Pixiemon all climb aboard. Sighing, Samantha climbs on and Phoenixmon takes to the sky.
They quickly arrive at the sight of the battle.
"Is that MagnaWarriormon?" Daniel asks upon seeing Paladinmon, "he's changed."
"That's not MagnaWarriormon," Jesse says from behind them, "that's Paladinmon, his Mega form."
"Jesse!" Daniel cries out, "are you alright?"
"I'm okay," Jesse says, "but ShadowLeomon won't be when Paladinmon gets done with him."
"Why is Paladinmon fighting with Leomon?" James asks, "isn't Leomon on our side?"
"That is not our friend Leomon!" Jesse growls, "that is ShadowLeomon, an evil Digimon. He's been haunting Heromon and myself since yesterday."
"Shouldn't we help him?" Tapirmon asks.
"No!" Jesse says firmly, "he will fight this fight alone. He is in no danger of losing."
"Still stubborn," Samantha grumbles.
"It's only been a couple of days," Jesse replies, "and why are you here?"
"We thought you might need help," Brian says.
"I appreciate your concern, but Heromon and I can take care of ourselves now," Jesse says.
Paladinmon raises his right hand in front of ShadowLeomon's face. His voice is ice cold. "Game over. Paladin Beam!"
A beam of brilliant multi-colored light blasts from Paladinmon's hand. The beam rips through ShadowLeomon like a hot knife through butter. ShadowLeomon falls to the ground, headless. He disintegrates almost immediately.
Paladinmon reverts to Heromon and walks over to Jesse.
"Good job partner," Jesse says, "let's go. It is not yet time."
"I understand," Heromon says wistfully.
Jesse and Heromon calmly walk away, heading for the Dark Castle.
"Rest assured, I will meet you again before you reach the Dark Castle!" Jesse calls out over his shoulder as he walks away, "just don't worry about me. With Heromon being able to reach the Mega level, we'll be a-okay."
With that, Jesse and Heromon break off into a run, leaving the other DigiDestined, their Digimon, and Pixiemon stupefied.
So what do you think of this chapter? I got the idea of ShadowLeomon from the Season 3 episode "Shadow of the Beast King", in which Beezlebumon uses Leomon's 'Fist of the Beast King' to rescue Jeri. The phrase 'With great power comes great responsibility' is from Spiderman. Comics, movie, various TV shows, it doesn't matter. It comes from Spiderman.