Last Week: Things got bad in the Digital World, as ChaosGallantmon had ran off farther than anyone thought. He had ventured off towards the dueling restaurants belonging to Digitamamon and Devitamamon. Stingmon tried to fight him along with Henry and Terriermon who had Biomerged into MegaGargomon, but ChaosGallantmon proved to be too powerful. Even Ken got caught in the crossfire. Tai and Sora had a long talk about the meaning off all the time that has passed while cheering Tai up. Meanwhile, Kari and Rika both continued on, looking over their shoulders for any signs of the Delta Gamma alumni. Kari ran into TK and thought about days past, while Takato and Guilmon were dragged off by Izzy leaving Rika alone…with Ryo. Kari was finally able to get off campus, with the undercover Hypnos agents keeping close surveillance. But the agents spotted something on the horizon. It's Mephistomon!
Digimon: The College Years
Episode 26- Sisterly Love
Kari knew she'd develop a coffee addiction if she continued at this rate. But she had a lot to think about and since she was at a coffee shop, she figured she might as well take advantage of her resources. She was on her third latte at this point, but just as she was to take a drink, she saw everyone stand up and point to the sky. The points were followed by screaming and fleeing. Kari couldn't believe her rotten luck.
"I…really should start bringing Gatomon with me."
Kari turned around and, just as she suspected, spotted a Digimon walking her way. He was a very big Digimon, his body covered in dark blue and purple colors. He had thick legs and forearms along with a set of ram's horns on his head and black wings on his back.
"Child of Light! I have come for YOU! Show yourself, otherwise I shall plunge your city into darkness and chaos through massive destruction!"
Kari knew it would be madness to come out, so she ducked under her table. Without Gatomon here, she was totally defenseless. But this guy looked like he wouldn't hesitate to start trashing Odaiba. She couldn't let him do that.
The Digimon looked over at a crowd of people running from the town square. He held up his arm and aimed for them.
"Foolish humans! Your lives can be spared once I have the DigiDestined of Light, but until then you shall all perish!"
"STOP!" Kari shouted.
It was Kari's biggest soft spot. She couldn't stand to see innocent people get hurt. Ever since she was a little girl, she would always willingly sacrifice herself if it meant saving innocent people.
With that thought in mind, Kari stepped out from underneath the table. "Who are you? And what do you want with me?"
"I am Mephistomon! And I have been sent to retrieve you to those who hired me! Now make this easy on your world and come along."
Kari wasn't the type to just comply and go along with whatever any evil Digimon told her. But with innocent lives at stake, she had no choice. Kari walked forward, but Mephistomon started to cringe.
"AAARRGH!! THE LIGHT!! I can't stand the light!! I must be surrounded by DARKNESS!!"
Mephistomon raised his arm and the Odaiba sky turned black as the darkest night. Kari, who had been bothered by darkness practically her whole life, was starting to get scared. She didn't know what was about to happen now.
"Come with me, but keep your distance," Mephistomon ordered. "My employers shall soon bring us into their headquarters."
Kari hung her head down. Without Gatomon here to protect her and with innocent lives being threatened, she had no choice but to comply.
She suddenly started to feel the darkness reaching out for her again.
Talley wished she could do something to help the Kamiya girl, but she had another job to do. She looked around with her binoculars searching for any sign of the mysterious mole. There was nobody around. And while she did that, Riley reached for her cell phone and called Yamaki.
"Sir, we've got a wild one! And he's got the Kamiya girl cornered. … No sir, there's no sign of the mole anywhere. Whoever it is must have sent out this lackey from another location. … I understand that, sir. But what can Talley and I do? We're not exactly equipped for this task. … Understood."
Riley hung up the phone and that made Talley anxious.
"Well? What do we have?"
"We've got nothing. There's nothing we can do. We aren't trained for this sort of thing."
Talley clenched her fist. "We can't just leave her there!"
Riley shook her head. "I know. I just hope someone who CAN do something comes soon."
As Tai rode down the empty street, he noticed the sky suddenly turn dark. He slowed his motorcycle down and stopped by a sidewalk. He checked his watch and saw that it wasn't nighttime just yet. This was an odd phenomenon.
"Who turned out the lights?" Tai asked curiously.
Sora, who was riding in the back, gasped. "Tai!"
Tai suddenly noticed he had stopped by an electronics store. Sora was pointing at a series of television screens which were all turned to a breaking news broadcast from the news studio.
"Another in a string of monster attacks is happening at this very moment near the Odaiba town square. People have fled the scene and we will bring you full details as they come in."
"A Digimon," Tai muttered. "I guess that's our cue."
"Us?" Sora asked.
Tai smirked. "Ready for one more adventure?"
Sora nodded. And with his friend's approval, Tai revved his motorcycle and rode out towards the Odaiba town square. The old DigiDestined were about to ride again.
Finally, Rika had made it off campus. After the near-disaster with the Gammas, she was just glad to get away from Odaiba University for a while. And she was happy to be walking down a lone downtown Odaiba street with the one she could REALLY trust.
"I can't believe Ryo had the gall to try and make me look bad in front of the sisters. Who does he think he is? I want this more than anything and Ryo came THAT CLOSE to messing everything up for me! What possessed him to do that?! And I can't BELIEVE he tried to paint ME as the bad guy because we never ended up together. HE'S the one who moved away to Hong Kong before our senior year of high school! I never got to take him to homecoming or prom. I never got to graduate at his side. He's the jerk, not me! And that…that…EGO! He just thinks he's SO perfect. I wish you could have seen how he carried himself off with the sisters. He tried to look like God's gift to women.
"And Takato? Wait until I get my hands on that Goggle Head! How could he just abandon me like that?! He promised to watch me and make sure I didn't lose my temper! And he just ran off without even a warning! When I see him and Guilmon…ARGH! For their own safety, they'd better stay away from me, because so help me, if I see them, they're going to SUFFER!
"I'm glad you came out with me. I could always trust you. You would never abandon me. And you would definitely never make me look bad. You've always been my friend and I appreciate you always being around."
Rika was glad to have her friend around. The one friend she could always trust through thick and thin was Renamon. And indeed, Renamon was right there walking with Rika. Of course, Renamon had gone invisible so as to go unnoticed by the general public.
"I shall always be there for you, Rika," Renamon said. "But wouldn't people find it odd that you are seemingly talking to yourself?"
Rika thought about it. Since Renamon was invisible, it would look like Rika was talking to herself and that would look rather strange to the average passerby. But she shrugged that off and kept walking.
"It's not like I've ever cared what people thought of me before. Why would I care now?"
"If that is the case, then why are you so concerned about what those sorority girls think of you?" Renamon pointed out.
Rika stopped walking. "T-That's different. I told you that my reasons for being in that sorority are totally personal."
"You've never hesitated to share anything with me before. Why can you not tell me your reasoning for joining this sorority?"
Rika thought about that. Renamon made a good point. Rika had never hesitated to share anything with her friend. And she wasn't about to start now.
"Well, ok. I guess I can tell you. I………hey! Renamon, look up there!"
Without warning, the sky suddenly turned dark. Rika checked her watch and noticed that nighttime hadn't arrived yet. She hadn't even noticed the sun set. Something was wrong.
"I sense a Digimon nearby," Renamon noted. "A familiar presence."
That got Rika's attention. "Where?"
Renamon made herself visible and pointed east. "That way!"
Rika took out her Digivice and got ready for battle. "Then let's go!"
Rika let Renamon take the lead. And they both ran over towards wherever this Digimon was. After the way her day was going, a battle would be sure to make Rika's day better.
Kari walked with Mephistomon to wherever he was leading her. She didn't even know where she was being taken. They were about to reach an alley before Mephistomon pulled out a tiny communicator.
"I have her. You may open a port now."
"I haven't exactly perfected the process of bringing a Digimon back HERE from the real world," a voice from the other end said. "But she is a DigiDestined. Have her open a port here herself."
Mephistomon cut off the communications link and dropped the communicator to the ground before stomping on it.
"If you want your world to be spared, you will open a Digiport!" Mephistomon boomed.
Before Kari stepped forward, she saw a pair of headlights from the distance. Something was approaching and the sound of it was getting louder. It sounded like a motorcycle. And sure enough, a motorcycle soon came into view and Kari knew who was on it.
"Tai!" Kari looked up at the big Mephistomon. "Deal's off! I'm not alone anymore!"
"Meddlers shall be destroyed!" Mephistomon shouted.
Tai brought the motorcycle to a skidding halt. He stepped out with Sora coming out of the backseat.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll back away from my sister, you overgrown goat!" Tai said defiantly. "If you hurt her, then I'll make sure you've chewed your last tin can!"
"I have been hired to take her and nothing shall stand in the way of my bounty!" Mephistomon declared.
"We'll see about that!" Sora shot back.
Biyomon, who was also riding in the back, took that as her cue to spring into action.
**Biyomon…Digivolve to…Birdramon!**
The champion Birdramon was bigger, fiercer, and more intimidating than her good-natured rookie form. The fiery bird took to the sky and swooped down from above towards Mephistomon, but the dark Digimon quickly surrounded himself with fog. Birdramon stopped in her tracks and looked around, not seeing where the fiend went. Out of nowhere, Mephistomon emerged from the fog.
"Dark Cloud!"
Mephistomon's Dark Cloud attack enveloped Birdramon and knocked her all the way down to the ground. The bird cringed while Mephistomon's evil laugh echoed throughout Odaiba.
"Is that it? Such a weak showing!"
Birdramon rose up again. "Meteor Wing!"
The Meteor Wing attack merely bounced off the laughing Mephistomon.
"That tickles! But enough of these games. It's time to clip your wings!"
With that, Mephistomon also took flight. He caught up to Birdramon and grabbed her in a bear hug and started squeezing the life out of her. He then tossed Birdramon down to the pavement, nearly cracking the street.
Sora was in disbelief. "Birdramon!"
Mephistomon slowly flew back to Earth. "Are you quite finished?"
Birdramon responded by getting right back up.
**Birdramon…Digivolve to…Garudamon!**
Mephistomon looked surprised to see the sudden Digivolution. Now in her ultimate form, Garudamon wanted one more go with Mephistomon and flew forward. A shoulder tackle shoved Mephistomon into a nearby building, bringing rubble down upon them. Mephistomon fought back by tearing a streetlight out of the ground and slamming it over Garudamon's shoulder. The ultimate-level bird staggered and Mephistomon continued his onslaught.
"Dark Cloud!"
Once again, the Dark Cloud attack enveloped Garudamon. There looked to be no escape from this relentless assault.
Rika kept following Renamon until they finally reached the scene of the fight. They were right by the Odaiba town square where two Digimon were in the midst of battle. Rika held out her Digivice.
"Garudamon, ultimate level. Her Wing Blade attack crushes her enemies and cracks them like an egg. Renamon, do you recognize the other one?"
Renamon was also in disbelief at the sight of the other Digimon. "Mephistomon! But I thought we did away with him years ago!"
"He must have been reconfigured. But still, I never thought I'd see him again! And if he's just as dangerous as he was last time, then we'd better get in there now!"
"This is not the time to take chances," Renamon noted. "We must Biomerge."
Rika held up her Digivice. "Then what are we waiting for?"
Biomerge Digivolution
"Biomerge activate!"
**Renamon…Biomerge to…Sakuyamon!**
It was a feeling Rika hadn't experienced in many years. Once again, she felt the power and the grace of being Sakuyamon.
She couldn't wait to go into battle now.
Davis couldn't believe he was going into the frat house by himself. He didn't want to think his friends had abandoned him after a mere skydiving incident, but Kazu and Kenta had indeed ditched him. Davis was left all alone for his initiation. But he knew he wouldn't regret it once he was finally in.
Davis carefully knocked on the door before gently pushing the door open. The lights were out, so Davis turned on the switch. Once again, the same two Alphas were waiting for him on the couch.
"We're glad to see you made it through the skydiving ritual," the buzzcut said. "Apparently, your two friends couldn't hang."
"Eh, don't worry about it," the ponytail continued. "If anything, this weeds out the wannabes. That's the whole purpose of the initiation rituals. We find out just who IS serious about becoming a member of our prestigious fraternity. And you're showing us that you CAN hang and we're proud of you, Travis!"
"Davis."
"That's what I said. Anyway, we've got some good news and some bad news. You're initiation rituals are done for the next few days."
"Uh…that's good."
The buzzcut took a pitcher of ice water and poured it over Davis's head. "WRONG ANSWER! You are supposed to ENJOY your initiation rituals! Now what was it you MEANT to say?"
Davis shivered. "I meant to say…darn…no more initiation rituals?"
The ponytail chuckled. "No, Damon…"
"Davis."
"…there are no more initiation rituals for a couple of days. That's the bad news. The good news is, you won't have to wait long before your next chance to pledge your loyalty to Alpha Zeta. And here is your next ritual."
The ponytail handed a slip of paper to Davis that had specific instructions on it. When Davis saw the instructions, he sweatdropped. He couldn't believe what they were asking him to do.
"Your mission is top secret," the buzzcut said. "If anybody finds out, even your own roommates, you will be disqualified as a brother and you will be denied membership into our fraternity. So it's in your best interests to keep this all to yourself until the time comes."
The ponytail started pushing Davis towards the exit. "In the meantime, we'll give you time to prepare for the enviable task ahead. Man, how I wish I could be you and be lucky enough to do all this again. Good luck, Dayton!"
"It's…"
Davis didn't even get the chance to correct him before getting shoved out the door. On the upside, at least he didn't have to do anything else today. He could use the rest just hours after having to skydive.
Of course, once Davis looked at the paper and what he had to do next, he didn't know how he'd be able to do it. This looked like it was too much.
But on the other hand, he was willing to do anything to make it into Alpha Zeta. He knew it would be worth it.
Kari cringed as the fight commenced. Garudamon wasn't holding up well as Mephistomon continued to have his way with her. Garudamon tried to get up one more time, but Mephistomon once again swung the streetlight like a baseball bat, knocking her down. With Garudamon down, Mephistomon once again turned to Kari.
"It's time for us to GO!"
"Back off!"
Someone leaped in between Kari and Mephistomon, swiping down a staff. It was a Digimon with black and yellow armor with purple gloves and boots. She had a yellow helmet with ears that fell to her shoulders and two long locks of hair that fell to the small of her back. She carried herself off with a combination of ferocity and elegance that Kari hadn't felt since Gatomon had Digivolved into the ultimate- level for the first time.
The Digimon turned around to face Kari. "Get out of here, now!"
The two voices that came from that Digimon made Kari curious. "Rika? Renamon?"
"Take a hint and get out before…AAH!!"
With the Digimon's back turned, Mephistomon couldn't resist but get in a cheap shot. The Digimon fell down as Mephistomon slowly stalked her. The Digimon struggled to get up.
"I thought we finished you forever, Mephistomon!"
"For as long as there is light, there shall always be darkness," Mephistomon stated. "And as long as there is darkness, I shall always return. I recognize that voice. The fox and her Tamer, correct?"
"The name's…Sakuyamon! And we are one! And we're here to put an end to your darkness! What do you want with Kari?"
"If you must know, I am no longer in the business of destroying the pitiful human race," Mephistomon explained. "From the rumors spreading in the Digital World, someone out there shall complete that task for me. Someone whose power eclipses even my own. I have now become a bounty hunter…and my latest bounty comes once I retrieve HER!"
"I won't let you!" Sakuyamon growled. "She may be sickeningly perky, but she's still my friend!"
Kari smiled. "Rika? You consider me a friend?"
"DON'T…push it!"
"Your useless gesture of friendship shall prove futile! You CANNOT defeat me!"
Sakuyamon rose to her feet and twirled her staff. "You've been beaten once…and you WILL be beaten again, Mephistomon!"
Mephistomon responded to that by swinging the streetlight again. Sakuyamon responded to that by slicing it in half with her staff. With the streetlight no longer being a viable option, Mephistomon reached for the nearest weapon handy. He found a certain vehicle.
Tai's eyes widened. "NO! Anything but that!"
Mephistomon picked up Tai's motorcycle. He held it over his head and tossed it at Sakuyamon. In an act of self-defense, Sakuyamon sliced the oncoming bike in two pieces. Once Sakuyamon was distracted for that split-second after avoiding the motorcycle, Mephistomon ran forward and knocked her back with a flying tackle. Sakuyamon landed on one of the motorcycle halves, breaking it even worse than it already was.
Mephistomon chuckled and stepped towards his prey. Kari could only stand there and watch, but once again started to feel the darkness start to clutch her very soul.
And it was coming closer to taking her away again.
Sora ran over to her fallen partner. "Garudamon! Are you ok?"
"Stay back, Sora!" Garudamon shouted. "His Dark Cloud is still looming! It's dangerous!"
Tai was enraged. "He's after my sister…and he's destroyed MY BIKE! I'm gonna destroy him! Uh…it's times like this I wish I had Izzy around so he could tell me how to destroy him."
"Psst…Tai! Sora!"
Tai and Sora looked around once they heard their names being called. They finally looked over at a nearby computer shop. All of the computers were shut off with the exception of one lone Compaq in the display window. And a familiar face was on the monitor.
Sora couldn't believe it. "Gennai?"
"I figure you guys could use some help. So here's a pick-me-up from Zhuqiaomon!"
A red light came from the monitor and it went straight to Garudamon. Soon, everyone saw exactly what pick-me-up Gennai was talking about.
**Garudamon…Mega Digivolve to…Phoenixmon!**
The light from the monitor resulted in something Sora had never seen. Her partner had Digivolved a step further. Taking flight now was a golden bird with wings as bright as the sun. Her beak was a bright yellow and her tail feathers were a fiery red.
Sora had to cover her face to keep from being blinded by the bright light shining from Phoenixmon. She had never seen anything like this before.
A new Mega had emerged and her name was Phoenixmon.
Kari was nearly blinded by the light coming from the sky. She squinted and managed to make out a large bird in the sky, emitting a bright light from her feathers. And Sakuyamon and Mephistomon were also squinting. Mephistomon, in particular, was perturbed by the brightness.
"AAAAGH!! THE LIGHT!! I CAN'T STAND THE LIGHT!! WHO DARES SHINE LIGHT ON ME?!"
The bird spoke. "I am Phoenixmon, the noble, mythical bird of rebirth and love! I shine down upon my foes with my Crimson Flame and Starlight Explosion attack!"
Mephistomon outstretched his arm. "Dark Cloud!"
Phoenixmon countered. "Crimson Flame!"
The Dark Cloud headed straight for Phoenixmon, but it quickly evaporated once it reached the powerful Crimson Flame attack. The light was too powerful and Mephistomon's dark attacks couldn't penetrate it. The dark Digimon didn't have anywhere else to turn, as he was surrounded on both sides.
Sakuyamon took this chance to move in. "Spirit Strike!"
Sakuyamon swiped forward with her staff and attacked with the spirits within it. Once struck by Sakuyamon's attack, Mephistomon stumbled forward…right towards Phoenixmon.
"Starlight Explosion!"
Phoenixmon's attack completely overwhelmed Mephistomon. With no way to defend himself from such an awesome attack of fire and light, the evil one was deleted instantly. The battle was over as Phoenixmon spread her wings and screeched to mark her victory. As the remains of Mephistomon's data scattered, the sky began to clear. The blackness faded and the sky was restored to its normal color.
Kari felt relieved. With her friends at her side, she had narrowly averted another abduction. But this was really starting to worry her. Somebody wanted her badly…but she didn't know why.
Sakuyamon put her staff down in relief. "It's over. I hope we won't have to deal with him again for a long time." She then walked over to Kari. "Are you ok?"
Kari nodded. "I'm fine. I just wish I knew where he came from."
"NOW do you believe in saving every Digimon?"
Kari hesitated. "I still don't believe in killing Digimon. But I don't think there was anything else we could have done."
Tai walked over and looked back towards a computer shop. "I just wish Gennai stuck around long enough to give us some answers." Then he looked up at Phoenixmon. "But man, did he ever help."
Sora looked on in awe, too, but reiterated Kari's question. "But who brought that Mephistomon in? And why was he after Kari?"
Kari suddenly remembered what he told her. "He said he was hired by some employers."
"Employers?" Sora asked. "As in plural? Izzy told us there was only one we had to worry about."
Tai pounded his fist on what remained of his motorcycle. "I want to know who's after my sister! And I'll find out myself if I have to!"
"That's noble and all, Tai, but maybe we should talk to Izzy on this one," Sora suggested. "We can come up with a plan."
Tai sighed deeply. "Sounds just like old times."
Takato waited comfortably in Izzy's apartment as Izzy continued to examine Guilmon. He had his laptop plugged to the wall while he had some wires strapped onto Guilmon's ears, back, and chest. There were diagnostics running all across the computer screen and papers were coming out one-by-one from the printer.
In the meantime, Joe, Izzy's roommate, was doing some studies of his own. He was working on a major project and was surrounded by medical supplies and an inanimate human mannequin. Joe was conducting some studies for his big thesis and he even had an assistant. Cody Hida was assisting Joe with whatever he needed.
"Cody, hand me my scalpel."
Cody handed the sharp tool to Joe, so he could make an incision to the mannequin. While Joe and Cody were hard at work, Tentomon and Gomamon…were not. They didn't have major college assignments to worry about. They were able to relax and watch TV while their partners were hard at work.
Izzy took the papers from the printer and looked through their results. He sorted through them and froze for a moment. He examined them closer before finally nodding.
"Interesting. I don't know how else to describe these results. I don't have a word for what I'm seeing."
"Not even 'Prodigious'?" Tentomon cut in.
"Prodigious doesn't fit in this context," Izzy replied. "In fact, I don't think I have a word to describe this other than…strange."
"What do you see?" Takato asked curiously.
"I had a theory that Digimon belonging to Tamers would differ from the structure of Digimon belonging to DigiDestined," Izzy explained. "And I had a feeling that Guilmon would somehow prove that, based on what you told us about where he came from. He's different alright, but I had no idea."
That got Joe's attention. "What do you mean, Izzy?"
"All of these reports are coming back completely inconclusive," Izzy answered. "With any other Digimon I've studied, I've gotten at least different sets of data and algorithms along with signs of life. With Guilmon, I'm getting binary numbers, data, and algorithms that I've never seen in any other Digimon before. He's thoroughly unique. Takato, where did you say Guilmon came from again?"
"He came from a drawing I made," Takato replied, recalling the day he first got his partner. It was so many years ago, back when he was simply drawing in the middle of class.
"I really don't know what to say about this," Izzy said in disbelief. "There's absolutely no logical explanation for the diagnostics I'm getting."
"Has this been the case with all the Tamers' Digimon?" Joe asked.
"Actually, that's the other thing! None of the other Digimon belonging to the Tamers have returned these results."
"Other Digimon?" Takato repeated curiously.
Izzy grinned. "I'm also in the midst of studying certain other Digimon. Allow me to show you."
Izzy led Takato into another room of the apartment. Takato was surprised to see Guardromon and MarineAngemon there. Like Guilmon, they also had wires hooked up to their ears, back and chest.
"Is it getting hot in here or am I just malfunctioning?" Guardromon pondered.
"These results are coming back relatively normal," Izzy explained to Takato. "Their diagnostics are very similar to those I get from the rest of the Digimon I've examined. And that leads me to believe that the difference between DigiDestined and Tamers come with the human partners and not the Digimon themselves.
"There was only one thing that had me curious. Guardromon came back relatively normal as we've run into our share of Guardromon before. We've also made friends with an Andromon in the past, so we're familiar with their line. However, I was very curious about MarineAngemon. What intrigued me about him was the fact that he was a Mega. I didn't think any Digimon other than Gatomon could stay past their rookie level, but these two have proven me wrong. That prompted me to conduct more studies, but nothing conclusive has come up yet. MarineAngemon, in particular, has me curious because I've never seen a Mega so small. I can't even conclude what line he comes from. Where did they come from, Takato?"
Takato thought about that. "I remember Kazu telling me he met an Andromon back when we went into the Digital World. After a long battle, he devolved into Guardromon and he's been that way ever since. MarineAngemon just fell out of the sky…literally. We have no idea where he came from and we don't know how he stays strong enough to remain at the Mega level."
"It's certainly a phenomenon I'd like to know more about," Izzy stated. Suddenly, some machines started functioning. "Prodigious! We've got something!"
Izzy ran over to his printer, which was going crazy. It started printing out papers at a fast rate. They came out faster than Izzy could pick them up. As he caught up to the pile, Tentomon and Gomamon came into the room, obviously curious about the sudden pickup in production.
"Something new, Izzy?" Tentomon asked.
Izzy read through the papers. "We've got new information on MarineAngemon. His data's been completely cross-referenced through the archives on my laptop. His image has been run through the archive of every single Digimon we've seen since our first days in the Digital World and a lineage has been determined. In other words, the computer's determined MarineAngemon's rookie form."
That intrigued Takato. "Really? What is it?"
Izzy picked up his laptop. "All I have to do is press this button and we'll find out." He pressed the button and the answer came up. Izzy promptly gasped. "Unbelievable!"
"What is it?" Tentomon asked eagerly.
Izzy refreshed the results. "This must be some kind of error." He refreshed the page and gasped again. "Same results! This is no computer error!"
"What is it?" Tentomon asked again.
Izzy tried to piece the words together. "MarineAngemon's rookie form is…is…is……GOMAMON!"
That fascinated Takato. A longtime question had finally been answered for him. Likely, it'll fascinate Kenta in the same way. He had always wondered about where MarineAngemon Digivolved and he could never get the little one to tell him, because he hardly ever talked. This would be sure to answer that question he had since he first got his partner.
Someone else, on the other hand, wasn't fascinated. That was Gomamon.
"T-T-That's…a joke…right, Izzy? You never were much of a kidder, but keep trying. Maybe you'll get it someday."
"It's no joke, Gomamon. MarineAngemon is really a Digivolved version…of YOU!"
"Y-Y-You're serious?! You mean, after Zudomon I turn into…into THAT?!"
MarineAngemon smiled angelically and chuckled playfully. Gomamon was in disbelief.
"This is all so exciting!" Izzy exclaimed. "I wonder what other incredible information I'll get?"
Gomamon sweatdropped. "THAT'S exciting to you? Doesn't sound that way to me."
Joe and Cody suddenly burst into the room. Izzy looked totally eager to tell them what he discovered, but Joe quickly cut him off.
"Izzy, Tai just called…"
It was just like it was before. Ken was walking Yolei back to her room, with Wormmon on his shoulder, just like he did when this school year started. After their adventure in the Digital World, Ken was just glad to be back in one piece. But he was also happy he got to clear everything up with Yolei.
"You know, I'm starting to wonder what came over me," Yolei said sadly. "I must have made Henry feel completely awkward. Look, I'm sorry, Ken. I'm big enough to admit that I was just going out with Henry just to make you jealous. I shouldn't have put him in that position and I know when I'm wrong."
Ken was feeling better having heard that admission. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Yolei."
Of course, Yolei wasn't about to admit she was 100 percent wrong. "But I don't want you to think you're completely innocent, Ken Ichijouji! I should still be mad at you!"
Ken was in disbelief. "STILL mad at me? B-But why?"
Yolei didn't even have to answer that question. She just gave Ken a cold stare. Ken knew exactly what was coming. He turned around…and saw Rosa, who proceeded to give him another hug.
"Great to see you, Ken! I've been looking for you all day! Where've you been?"
Ken stammered. "I…I…I…"
"You can tell me later. I'm sorry I've been so busy lately, but I have to go again. Life isn't easy, you know. Bye-bye, mi amor. Bye Gusano."
Wormmon waved calmly. "Bye Rosa."
Rosa leaned over and kissed Ken on the cheek before skipping off merrily again. Ken didn't even know what hit him. He just didn't know what to make of any of this.
Yolei stared a hole right into him. "Ahem…like I said, I should STILL be mad at you. You know, you'll have to deal with her eventually…or else you'll have to deal with me and TRUST ME, you don't want that."
Ken nodded solemnly. "Yes'm."
"But…I'm willing to forgive you…for now," Yolei sighed. Then her eyes brightened like the boy-crazy Yolei of days past. "Besides, you know I can't stay mad at you!"
Yolei wrapped her arms around Ken and gave him an unexpected liplock, nearly knocking Wormmon off his perch on Ken's shoulder. And in the middle of the kiss, a flash went off from a nearby bush. The kiss broke that quickly and both Ken and Yolei turned to the bush…where Terriermon came out with a camera in his hand.
"Just had to give Henry some proof that this is all over," Terriermon grinned. "You two ok now?"
"We will be as soon as we get some privacy!" Yolei growled.
Terriermon shook his head. "I don't know how you'll get privacy out here around the building, but then again, you're the girlfriend. I'm outta here."
Terriermon went into the bush and, assumedly, headed back to his room. Ken signaled to Wormmon to follow. The little Digimon jumped off his perch and followed Terriermon out, leaving Ken and Yolei alone together. Yolei dipped Ken down and gave him another kiss.
Things looked to be normal again.
A week after the attack by Mephistomon, Kari was settling back into her college life and getting back into her groove. But the week didn't go by easily for her. She remained on the lookout, constantly looking over her shoulder for any signs of the alumni. For all she knew, they could have been watching the entire week and she may not have even realized it.
And with the seven days up, Kari met back in the sorority house as stipulated. But before she walked in, she noticed she arrived at the same time as Rika. There was something different about Rika on this day. She looked…nervous. She didn't look like herself.
"Rika? What's wrong?"
Rika shook her head. "Nothing. None of your business."
Kari smiled. "You know, you said last week that we're friends. Come on, Rika. You can tell me."
"And I told you last week not to push it!"
"There really IS something bothering you, isn't there?"
"There's nothing bothering me! It's just…well…I'm nervous. I really want this bad!"
Kari didn't know what to make of this. This wasn't like the Rika she knew. She had never been so passionate about anything as she was about getting into this sorority.
After that brief meeting, both girls walked into the sorority house together where the sisters were waiting for her. A podium was set up and Leezel walked up on Kari and Rika were seated in the middle of the room.
"A week has passed and now it's time for us to make our decision as to which one of you will be the final inductee into Delta Gamma. Last week, we determined that two Delta Gamma alumni would watch you two throughout the week and report to us which one of you would be better suited to our sorority. But…we've hit a snag. You see, the alumni…never reported back.
"So with that unfortunate setback, the decision fell upon all of us. And we'd like to inform you both that we've made…a very difficult decision, because you see…it really wasn't easy to come to this consensus…"
Kari couldn't hear anymore and timidly raised her hand. "Permission to speak, Leezel?"
"Permission granted, Kari."
Kari stood up and cleared her throat. "This past week has been very stressful with the idea of alumni watching over me and possibly watching my every move. But I'd gladly do it over again if it meant an opportunity to be a part of Delta Gamma. I'm very honored that you decided to give me this much consideration. But I have to be honest with you and make this decision easier for you. I'd like to decline as of right now so that Rika may allowed into Delta Gamma."
That got a gasp of shock from the entire room. But nobody was more shocked than Rika. She was speechless.
Leezel blinked. "Kari…do you realize what you're saying?"
"I do. I would love to be a part of Delta Gamma, but Rika has shown this entire week the kind of desire and heart that you're all really looking for. And I would be honored if she would take the final spot. She would make a much better sister than I would."
Rika was completely taken aback. "Kari…I…"
Leezel pounded her gavel. "Well, I guess that does make our decision a lot easier. Rika Nonaka, welcome to Delta Gamma."
The sisters cheered and Leezel handed Rika her sorority sweater. Rika was still in a state of shock. Kari, satisfied with seeing Rika get what she desired more than anything, decided to let the girl have her moment and walk out. She turned around and started walking out the door, but not before seeing Danielle give her a thumbs up, commending her for her actions.
Kari walked out the door and figured it was time to head back to her room, but a couple of seconds later…
"Kari! Wait!"
Kari stopped and turned around, just in time to see Rika, in her new sweater, running towards her.
Kari giggled. "That's a good look for you."
Rika shrugged off the compliment and got down to the heart of the matter. "Kari, why'd you do that? Why stand up for ME? You wanted this, too!"
Kari shook her head. "But I didn't want it as bad as you did. I could feel it. You wanted this more than anything in the world. And I was more than happy to let you have it."
"Kari…I hope you didn't do this because I helped save you last week. I already told you, you don't owe me for that."
Kari shook her head again. "I didn't speak up because you saved my life. I spoke up because you're my friend."
Rika tried to keep her tough façade, but a tear did roll down her face. "You didn't have to do that, Kari. Thank you." She briefly reached forward for a hug, but quickly broke it and smiled. "But this doesn't mean I like you."
Rika started to turn and walk away, but there was one more thing that was bothering Kari.
"Rika…?"
Rika turned around. "Yeah?"
"Can you answer me one last question?"
"What's that?"
"Why DID you want to be in Delta Gamma so bad?"
Rika sighed. "I guess I do owe you an explanation." She walked over to Kari. "It's a family thing. My grandmother was a Gamma and so was my mom. When I was younger, I never got along with my mom. I didn't like that she was a model and I always gave her a hard time because she wanted me to be one too. It wasn't until shortly after I became a Tamer that I realized just how much my mom really loved me. And after everything with the D-Reaper, I wanted to make up for being such a brat to her. I wanted to start over…and be the kind of daughter she deserved to have. And after a while…I actually wanted to be more like her.
"But don't get me wrong. I would never be a model. No way! But…there was one way I could take after my mother…and that was by being a part of this sorority. It's a total family thing. That's why I wanted this so bad."
Kari smiled. "I think that's wonderful. Why keep that a secret?"
Rika chuckled. "Doesn't fit my personality. So I trust you won't tell anybody? I'm confiding in you as a friend, Kari."
"I won't tell a soul."
"Thanks, Kari…for everything."
As Rika started walking away, Kari was wondering if she was in an alternate universe. She had seen Rika smile more in the last few minutes than she had all year. And what was even weirder…was the fact that the two had seemingly become friends. The impossible had seemingly happened.
"Wow…Jeri won't believe this."
Next Week: A new week has started and things are about to take a new turn. Davis is getting ready for his next initiation ritual. What does the frat have him doing this time? Takato gets a new assignment for his art class. And you won't believe what he does! Kari and Rika have seemingly patched up their differences and are on a new path towards friendship. Will Renamon and Gatomon follow suit? Not if Impmon can help it! Come back to see what happens on the next Digimon: The College Years!
Author's Note: For those unfamiliar with the backstory, Mephistomon was indeed a thorn in the Tamers' side once in the past. He was the main villain in one of the Digimon Tamers movies, all of which have yet to be released in the United States. No spoilers here (since even *I* haven't seen it), so that's as much of an explanation I can give.
Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!