Disclaimer: I do not own the actual monsters of Digimon, but the DigiDestined and their Mythic Knightmon alter-egos are mine. I know the disclaimer can get boring reading it again and again each chapter, but its something that just has to be done. Now it's done, so let us continue the story…
Digimon HeroesBy DigiScanner-Shonen
Legend Four: Aquatic Adventure
Water…Everywhere was water…
No! No, get me out of here!!
She wanted to scream, but that would let out what breath she had. And she needed it to get to the surface. Moving her arms through the water, she began to propel herself to the top where there was air.
Arms and legs, don't fail me now, she thought as she kept moving through the water, trying to keep the breath she held. A few bubbles escaped from her mouth and nose. The air was leaving her. She wouldn't have enough. Her mind was a panic.
No!!
She sealed her mouth as best she could and tried not to use her nose while moving upwards through the water. But the bubbles were still coming through and almost half of her air was gone. She was so close though to freedom. The closer she got, the more she was panicked. She had to hold it in! She couldn't let all of her air leave!
Her arms and legs began to tire from moving so frantically through the water. So close to the surface now. She had to go all out. She made her appendages move once again and she was almost there. Just a little further, she thought as she noticed that almost all her air was gone, A little further!
She felt something grab her leg and pull her down. As she was pulled back down, every last bit of air she had escaped from her. The darkness pulled her in and wasn't about to let go as it dragged her deep into the water. Alexa wasn't just scared now. She was terrified.
Nooo!! Let me go!!Finally, the last bubble of air escaped and the girl breathed in water.
"NOOOOO!!!"
Alexa Hidoyuki woke up with a start. She was in her bed in her room. She wasn't underwater drowning. Her bedsheets and her night-clothes were soaked with sweat. She was shaking all over, gasping for air. Gripping the covers, she shook her head of the nightmare, trying to feel safe and warm in her room.
"Alexa!!" came a man's voice. In a moment, a man in his fifties with wavy silver hair, blue eyes, a kind wrinkled face and a beard appeared in Alexa's doorway in a dark blue housecoat and holding a baseball bat in his hand, "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, Grandpa…I'm fine…" she said taking a deep breath to calm herself, "Just a bad dream."
"What was it about?"
"…I'd rather not say…"
"All right, Alexa. Do you need anything?"
"Maybe a glass of warm milk?"
"Sure. I'll be right back," Alexa's grandfather said as he left the doorway and went to the kitchen. Alexa hugged her knees, still shaking a little after the dream. It felt so real to her.
Alexa's biggest fear was water. When she was four and was just learning how to swim, some big kid pushed her in the water just to be mean. She wasn't wearing any kind of life preserver so she sank underneath the surface. She tried to remember what she learned when this happened, but her mind was blank and she was terrified. She didn't have much air and she thought she was going to die, but a lifeguard dove in and rescued her. The boy who pushed her in got a good talking to, but after that Alexa always felt uneasy around the water.
She hadn't taken swimming lessons since then. Everytime her grandparents tried to put her in, Alexa had refused and would try anything possible to get out of it. Whining, screaming, even disowning them at times. Nothing would make her get into the water. So her fear of water increased, as she couldn't swim.
"Here's the milk," Alexa's grandfather reappeared with a glass of warm milk. Alexa looked up from where she was and took the milk. She took a sip and she felt a bit better.
"Thanks, Grandpa."
"You want anything else?"
"No, I'm good."
"Okay. But if you feel uncomfortable at any time, just knock on my door and I'll be there for you," the grandfather said as he moved to leave, "I've got a lecture on logarithms tomorrow. If you're still feeling uneasy in the morning, you could come with me."
Alexa's grandfather was a professor of sciences and math at the university. He, his wife; Alexa's grandmother, and Alexa lived on campus in one of the larger residences. Alexa's parents had been killed in a plane crash when she was very little, so her grandparents took her in and raised her as their own. Alexa's grandfather was as close to her as any real father could be.
"No, Grandpa. I've got things to do with my friends. They'd be disappointed if I didn't show up," she replied.
"Fine. Good night, Alexa," he said as he left the room.
"Night, Grandpa," Alexa said as she dropped onto her back on the bed and tried to get back to sleep, but kept remembering the dream she just had. Sipping some more of the milk, she soon fell asleep and her new dream was better than the previous one.
But that dream would remain fresh in her mind for the rest of the night.
"Good morning!" Loren Takara chimed as Alexa came upon the school, "Have a good night's sleep?"
"Kind of…" she replied, remembering the water dream.
"I slept great! I dreamt that I was Sirynmon again and I was whipping Digimon to and fro! One of them was attacking DJ, so I let my Hurricane Crossbow rip and the Digimon was gone like that. DJ wanted to thank me with a kiss so I leaned and…woke up kissing my pillow. What'd you dream about?"
"…"
"Alexa, come on! I just told you my dream!"
"…water…"
"Oh…Alexa…" Loren suddenly grew gentle and understanding. Other than her grandparents, Loren was the only other person who knew about her phobia of water, "You need a hug?"
"No, I'm fine…" Alexa reassured her, "It just caught me off guard, that's all. I'm fine, really."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Let's just get in. Maybe Taylor and Noah are already inside waiting for us," Alexa said as she moved past Loren and into the building. Loren followed her, either to make sure she was really fine or to suddenly bump into DJ. She'd never tell Loren, but the dream really shook Alexa up. Her phobia was that bad.
Just leave it, Alexa, the DigiDestined girl told herself, It's over. You don't need to dwell on it. If you do, everyone's just going to worry about you all day and you don't want that. You're DigiDestined now. You're supposed to be brave and not let much bother you. A silly phobia can't faze you…
Right?
"Ow, ow, ow…" Taylor Motosuke repeated over and over as he held his cheek after school by the school shoe rack, "I didn't think that big lug Adam could hit that hard…"
"It's your own fault, man," Noah Ito said, "You thought he was just blowing smoke to scare people. So did I when I first met him in elementary. Now you know he isn't."
"Why didn't you stop me!?"
"He can't fight all your battles for you. After all, the Mythic Knightmon of Fire can handle everything that comes his way," Loren teased.
"That's only in the Digital World, you moron! Out here, I'm just Taylor!"
"Speaking of which, why don't we head back there today?" Noah said, "I swear, the next Armour's all mine."
"We need to wait for Alexa."
"What's she doing again?"
"Last I checked, she was looking for DJ to come with us this time."
"We don't need him! I told you guys, we don't need him!"
"I just think you're jealous, Noah," Loren said.
"I'm not!!"
"So you say…Hey! Here they come!"
Down the hall came Alexa dragging DJ Yoshida by the hand, trying to look nonchalant about going back to the Digital World, but was actually quite excited at the thought of it.
"All right, so we're all here," Taylor said as he looked at Loren, Noah, Alexa and DJ, "Shall we go?"
"Actually, guys…" Loren suddenly jerked as if she remembered something, "I gotta go. Sorry!"
"But Loren, it's the Digital World!"
"I know, but…I'm busy," she said with a bit of a hurried tone.
"This isn't like you, Loren," Noah noted, "You're usually as psyched as me to go to the Digital World."
"I'd like to go to the Digital World with you guys and DJ, but I just can't! I'm really sorry!" Loren said as she grabbed her backpack and started running off, "Really, I am!!"
With a quick wave, she ran out of the school.
"Ooookay…what's with her?" Noah asked.
"I don't know, but we're going to find out," Taylor said, "Come on, let's follow her."
"We're going to tail her?" Alexa questioned.
"She didn't really give us a reason why she can't come with us and she'd be stoked at coming with us, especially with DJ coming. Something must definitely be up. So, we're going to find out what. Maybe we can help."
"So we're spying on her," DJ said.
"I wouldn't call it 'spying'. I'd call it 'background surveillance'."
"It's still spying."
"Whatever. You coming or not?" Noah asked as he, Taylor and Alexa moved out.
"I'm coming, just let me get my shoes first," DJ said as he quickly put his shoes on and joined the small group. They saw Loren as she turned past the fence that separated the school from the street and headed in pursuit of their friend.
"Alexa, you're okay, right?" Noah asked as the group jogged along the trail that Loren was leaving.
"Hmm?" Alexa wondered as she was shaken from her thoughts, "Yeah, of course I'm fine."
"Well, it's just that you've been kind of preoccupied since the day started. Being so distracted isn't like you. You want to talk?"
"I'm fine! Why does everyone keep asking me about how I'm feeling? Will you concentrate on what Loren's doing and just leave me alone?!" Alexa practically screamed at Noah. He was taken aback and seemed a little shocked, "No…Noah, I'm…just kind of…"
"Fine. You need some time alone. I can respect that. Just let me know if something's bothering you," he said as he jogged ahead of her, caught up to Taylor and DJ and left Alexa at the back.
Smooth move, Hidoyuki, Alexa thought as the group turned yet another corner, Noah tries to help and what do you do? You push him away! Has this water thing got you so shaken up?
"Duck!!" Taylor suddenly called out as he hid behind a garbage can, DJ did his best to hide behind a large telephone post, and Noah grabbed Alexa and dragged her into an alley between two houses. Alexa was about to ask why they ducked when she saw out of the corner of her eye Loren turning back to see if there was anyone behind her. Shaking her head, she picked up her pace and ran off.
"That was close," Noah said as the others came out of their hiding places, "I think we're almost there since she just picked her pace up."
"Then let's do the same," Taylor said as they regrouped and again followed.
Turning a corner, they came upon a familiar sight. The park was just across the street with the train station above it. In front of them was a corner street café with glass that let you see through to the inside. Tables and chairs outside were littered around the entrance. People were seated at small round tables within as some of the waiters/waitresses served food and drinks while others were sitting at a kind of bar counter with a person taking orders at a cash register. Above the table was a menu of drinks and food items with certain prices. To the wall was a large bookcase of magazines and newspapers for one to read. A stage was in one corner of the café, next to a hallway with restrooms. The name of the café was in large neon letters on a window and just a few inches from the group's feet was a sign with daily specials and the café's name again: Tagokuya Café.
"Hey," DJ said, "Isn't this the new café that opened a couple days ago?"
"That it is," Noah answered.
"Why would Loren be in such a hurry to get here?" Taylor wondered.
"I say we find out," Noah said as he pushed open the door that led in. The group marched in and saw some people glance quickly at them, then return to their business, be it drinking, reading the newspaper or talking. The smell of coffee and all kinds of tasty foods found in a café greeted the kids and made their mouths water a little.
"Got any money?" Taylor asked, "I got about 680 yen."
"300 yen for me," Noah counted.
"1000 yen is my count," Alexa added.
"1200 yen is mine," DJ finished.
"Why don't we see if they have okonomiyaki or something here? I've got a bit of a fetish for them," Noah said, "But I barely have enough to get home. DJ, I hate to ask this, but could you lend me a few yen?"
"No way."
"Dude, come on!!"
"I hope they have yakisoba or takoyaki. Those are always good," Taylor said as he headed to the counter with his money as a young woman bent behind the counter to fix something, "Hope its not too expensive…Excuse me? Hello?"
"Just a sec…" the waitress' voice mumbled in response, "Okay, that's finished. Welcome to Tagokuya Café. Can I help you, sir?"
The waitress got up to face Taylor and his face was contorted with shock. Noah soon came to ask what was the deal and when he saw, his face twisted in surprise. DJ and Alexa did double takes when they came to see the waitress. But none of their faces could match up to their waitress' which had shock, horror, anger and embarrassment all mixed up.
The waitress…was Loren.
"Loren! How could you!?" Noah asked as the five of them sat at a table outside the café an hour and a half later.
"…" was Loren's response. She sat uncomfortably in a short pink blouse, black mini-skirt, a green apron and a matching little hat with her hair tied back into a ponytail at the table with her fellow DigiDestined. She clutched her mini-skirt and her head was hanging low.
"After school jobs are against the rules! You could get expelled!" Taylor told her. He hadn't been at the school long, but he had gotten most of the rules. One of which was no after school jobs, "You know how serious this is?"
"Yeah…"
"Then why?"
"…It's for my family…"
"What's family got to do with it?" Noah asked.
"My Mom's hoping to get promoted at her work," Loren said, "My family is just managing to scrape by right now. Ever since Dad divorced her, she's been trying to make a good life for my sister and me. She's doing overtime, night shifts, you name it, she's doing it. Until then, my family's pulling back on pleasantries and such. This job is helping us in the meantime. My family can eat here at the cost of a deduction of my paycheque, and I get some allowance money."
"Your family's…poor?" Taylor asked.
"Not poor, Taylor. Just managing to make ends meet right now. Dad was the main source of our income money, so when he left…"
"Ah…"
"I need this job, guys!" Loren said as her voice began to crack, "It's helping us so much right now! Please, don't tell anyone! Please, I beg you! This means so much to me! Don't tell anyone!"
She was about to start crying, but Noah put his hand on her shoulder.
"Relax, Loren. We're not going to tell anybody," he comforted her.
"Really…?"
"Yeah. You're our friend and a fellow DigiDestined. We're supposed to keep secrets like this," Taylor added, "We swear not to tell anyone, right guys?"
"Right," the others replied.
"Guys…" Loren felt tears come from her eyes, "Thanks…"
"No problem," Taylor said as he got up, "I guess we'll be going to the Digital World without you then."
"No, wait! My shift's over, so I can come! Just let me change!" Loren said as she regained her composure and went back inside. Alexa had watched the scene play out and remembered what she was keeping secret from the others.
I want to tell them, but…I can't. I'm so embarrassed. I want them to do the same thing they did for Loren, comfort me and tell them that they'll keep it secret. But Loren came forward with it after she kept it a secret. Well, we found out first, so she kind of had to. I can't do it so easily. I'm not too keen on admitting I'm wrong or afraid. I just can't do it. I want to…but I can't…
"Okay!" Loren said as she emerged from the café in her regular attire and her hair out of the ponytail and marching with the group, "Let's get going!"
"And this time when we find it, the Armour's mine!" Noah proclaimed.
"I'm not so sure. It could be Alexa's," DJ pointed out.
"You just love to burst my bubble, don't you?"
"Yes, kind of."
"Well, what if I leaked some information about you to Loren?"
"Try it, Ito. You got nothing on me."
"What about that comment you made about Loren's outfit looking cute?" Noah whispered to DJ and his eyes went wide.
"You wouldn't dare…" DJ whispered back.
As Noah playfully began to tell Loren what DJ thought of her working outfit, and DJ in turn began to hit him on the arm, Alexa still kept the image of the water in her mind, the fear she felt and how she'd like to confide in the others.
Alexa's fear of the water only increased from the moment they got off Buffalo, one of the Trailmon who escorted the DigiDestined to the Digital World. They were now at a terminal…
Surrounded entirely by water.
Water as far as the eye could see. There seemed to be no end in sight. The tracks that Buffalo trailed along were underwater. The only dry places were the platforms on which the terminal floated. The sign overhead read: Lyos Ocean Terminal.
"Who'd have thought they'd stick a terminal way out here?" Loren asked as she looked around and noticed Alexa shaking like a wet cat with her face frozen in fear, "Alexa? You okay?"
Alexa gave no response as she continued to shake in fear.
"Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Let's get a move on," Taylor said.
"To where in particular?" DJ asked, "There's nothing here!"
"Under the water, of course," Taylor said as he looked at his Digivice, which read the Lyos Ocean map. The map showed some things, but they appeared to be blurry. Maybe it was because they were above the water. After a few seconds of reading it, Taylor jumped off the platform and into the ocean curled into a ball while yelling, "CANNONBALL!!"
He left a big splash as the water hit some of the DigiDestined as they waited for their friend's emergence. After a moment, the DigiDestined boy surfaced and shouted, "YOW!! That's cold!!!"
"Serves you right," DJ said, "You're in there with your clothes on."
"Y-yeah, s-so?" Taylor shivered, "I-it's r-re-refreshing to do s-something l-like this! B-besides, we c-c-can't go under in o-our u-underwear."
"Point taken. The reason you're shivering is because you went in all at once. I, on the other hand, take it nice and slow," DJ said as he slipped his feet into the ocean, "Just a wee bit at a time. First, the feet. Give it a few seconds. Then, the legs. Give that a few seconds. Then, the--HEY!"
DJ was pushed into the water by Noah, who couldn't take any more of DJ's 'bit-at-a-time' approach. DJ surfaced a moment later, shivering the same as Taylor.
"HA!!" Taylor laughed.
"S-so c-c-cold…" DJ shivered.
"Wait for us!" Loren called out as she gracefully dove into the water while Noah somersaulted off the platform. As the two came up, they stared back at Alexa, who was still afraid.
"Come on! It's only water!" Taylor said as his body warmed to the ocean's temperature.
"Yeah…w-water…" Alexa stuttered as she stepped a bit toward the edge, "W-water c-can't hurt y-you…u-unless you run out of…a-air…"
"Come on, Alexa! Time's a-wastin'!" Noah said, too excited at finding a new Armour to be concerned with being cold.
"D-don't r-rush her…" Loren told Noah, "She j-just g-gets tense around w-water, t-that's all."
"I-I'm o-okay…it's j-just w-water…it w-won't hurt y-you…" Alexa said to herself as she turned around and began to dip her foot in, "J-just like D-DJ s-said…a w-wee b-b-bit at a t-time…"
"I can't take this…" Taylor said as he swam toward Alexa, grabbed her foot and pulled her in all the way.
No! It's just like the dream! Alexa panicked underneath the water, I have to get out!
She swam quickly to the surface and broke through in a gasp of air.
"Taylor!!" Loren bopped the boy on the head.
"Oww!! What was that for?!" he asked.
"I said 'don't rush her'! She's just not that good as the rest of us at swimming!"
"Okay…Sorry, Alexa."
Alexa, however, was too busy trying to get out of the water to hear Taylor's apology.
"Alexa, how about you hold onto me as we go under, 'kay?" Loren offered.
"F-f-fine…" Alexa complied as Loren swam over and Alexa grabbed hold of her.
"Okay, we ready?" Taylor asked as he put his goggles over his eyes and the others nodded, "Big breaths, everybody. Let's go!!"
Taking a giant breath, Taylor dove under the surface with Noah following him and DJ following Noah. Loren turned back to face Alexa, still shaking.
"Just hold onto me and you'll be fine, okay?" the blonde DigiDestined said, "On three, we'll breathe deep and dive down. One…"
This is it…J-just hold onto Loren a-and you'll be fine…"Two…"
It's n-now or n-never…although I wish it was never…"THREE!!" the girls filled their lungs with air and dove underneath the surface of the water. Alexa clung to Loren as Loren swam to the boys and they dove underneath the water. The light of the sun and sky reflected in the first few metres under the water. The farther down they went, the less the light. Further and further down, the DigiDestined travelled underneath the water until the leader, Taylor, started to run out of air and signalled that they should head back up with his hand. Pulling double time, the five children swam back up to the surface and broke into the air.
"HAH!!" Noah gasped, "We didn't get very far, did we?"
"I think that's a given," Loren said as she checked on Alexa, who was glad to get back into the air, "It gets dark the farther we swim and we can't really go too far with our breath capacities."
"We just wasted the time coming here," DJ added, "We should just call Buffalo and head home."
"Well, I'm not one to give up so easy!" Taylor said, "I'll see you in a few seconds!"
Taking another breath of air, Taylor dove under the surface again.
"What the heck's he up to?" Noah asked.
"Guess we'll just have to wait and see…" Loren answered.
Alexa clung to Loren, still shivering in the water, hoping that if whatever Taylor was doing didn't work, they could go home. When Taylor broke out of the water a minute later, however, her hopes were shattered.
"All right! It worked!" he cheered as he regrouped with the others.
"Wh-what did?" Alexa shivered.
"I scrolled through my Digivice to see if it could light up the way under the water, and it did! I was bathed in light! Not only that, but as soon as I almost ran out of air, I breathed in water!"
"So you're lucky to be alive," DJ huffed.
"No, you don't get it! I was in the light of the Digivice, and I could breathe underwater!"
"Dude, are you on something?" Noah asked.
"NO!! I used the light of the Digivice to guide the way and while I was bathed in the light of it, I could breathe underwater! It's so cool!!"
"So the light's like a kind of breathing mask…" Loren ran over the thought in her mind.
"Exactly! Now we can reach the ocean floor without worrying about oxygen! Isn't that great!?"
"N-n-n-no…" Alexa stuttered.
"What's with her?"
"Let's just do this, Taylor," Loren changed the subject, "How did you do it?"
"I pressed the top two grey buttons," Taylor said as he cleaned his goggles and called out just before he disappeared under the water, "See you guys underneath!!"
"Top two buttons…" DJ said as he pushed the both of them and dove under the water.
"Wanna try again?" Loren asked as she pressed the buttons on her Digivice while Noah dived underneath.
"I-I guess…" was Alexa's reply.
"I'll press it for you," Loren pressed the buttons on Alexa's Digivice to activate Taylor's descriptive light, "Ready? Here we go!!"
Diving again into the water, Taylor was waiting for the others. The light of the five Digivices illuminated the group. The goggle-headed boy motioned for them to breathe in. Still a little uncertain the others hesitated, but then took in a breath of water. Scared of drowning, Alexa tried not to, but in her attempt to let go of Loren, she breathed in as well.
Oh, no! I breathed in water! I'm gonna drown!! Her mind panicked and as she waited for the end to come…
She found herself breathing the water as if it was oxygen.
Wh-what!? Water shouldn't do this!"Pretty sweet, huh?" Taylor grinned, "We can also talk! The Digital World is the coolest!!"
"No way we could do this back home!" Loren added excitedly.
"I'm never going to look at going to the pool the same way again!" Noah cheered.
"All right! Let's go!" Taylor said as the group swam down, using the Digivices' light to guide them.
"Do you want to let go, Alexa? Or would you feel better if you kept holding on to me?" Loren asked.
"The latter," Alexa said. She was more calm now in the water, but still anxious. Having Loren to hold onto was a kind of lifeline that she had and wasn't quite ready to give up yet.
"Fine."
The group swam deeper and deeper and saw all kinds of things under the digital ocean. Aquatic Digimon such as Dolphmon swam by, wanting to play with the DigiDestined. A Whamon swam past the group and they almost lost sense of direction as they fumbled in his wake. Encounters with aquatic Digimon continued until the group finally reached the ocean floor. With all the colour, different shapes of coral and friendly Digimon swimming past, the DigiDestined didn't know where to look first.
"This is probably the Digital World equivalent of the Great Barrier Reef," DJ noted.
"Anyone besides me have the sudden urge to sing 'Under the Sea'?" Noah asked.
"It's just you," Loren stated.
Alexa starred in marvel at all the beauty and life under the water. It was unbelievable for her, seeing this for the first time!
I never knew there was so much underneath the ocean! This is incredible! I've been missing out on all this just because I'm afraid to drown? Compared to my phobia, my fear of water is nothing! I can't believe I'm actually down here!
Alexa let go of Loren and floated among the Digimon in the digital reef. She felt strangely at home underneath the water, with all that was happening. It was as if the ocean was welcoming her home, having everything before the team's eyes just for Alexa. She closed her eyes and could almost feel a connection to everything just then and there.
"I think we should move on," DJ suggested, "As much as I'd like to gawk at everything down here, we came here for a reason, right?"
"Oh, yeah, yeah. Come on," Taylor said as Alexa latched back onto Loren and the group swam on. Alexa didn't really want to continue on, but DJ was right; they came here for a reason.
A few minutes as the group swam across the digital reef, a small white mammal with a red mohawk started swimming desperately towards them.
"Hey, you there!" the Digimon called out as his speed increased.
"Huh?" Loren wondered. The Digimon got closer and closer until it looked like it was about to crash into the kids. The group braced themselves, but the Digimon stopped an inch in front of them.
"Hold on a second…" the Digimon puffed as he took a moment to gather himself, "You five…how did you…air-breathers…get down here…?"
"Why should we explain to you why we're here when you don't even have the curtsy to tell us who you are?"
"Oh…sorry. I'm Gomamon, a servant of the Lyos Empire."
"Empire?" Taylor gawked.
"Don't worry, it's just a name. I'm the king's right-hand 'mon, so I'm sent out to do a whole bunch of stuff," Gomamon said, "Anyway, the king has had a vision of five air-breathers coming down to save Lyos Ocean from disaster."
"What kind of disaster?" Noah questioned.
"An evil Digimon sent by the Dark One has come to claim the Armour once worn by the Mythic Knightmon of Serene Water. He has been laying siege to the castle! We've refused to give in to his demands and have been fighting him for days now."
"'Cause you're fighting for your freedom?" Alexa asked.
"No, 'cause we don't know where the Armour is."
"So, you're basically a bunch of cowards?" Loren asked.
"If it means saving our kingdom and our necks…yeah."
"We are so there!!" Noah proclaimed.
"So you'll help stop the Digimon?"
"Of course! Now we know there's an Armour here! I can't wait to Knightmon Digivolve! I'm sick of sitting on the sidelines while Taylor, Loren and DJ risk their necks! And I bet I'll turn into a really cool aquatic digital knight! What're we waiting for? Let's go!!"
"Follow me to the castle!" Gomamon said and the group followed his lead with Noah in front beside Gomamon. The others had to fight to keep up with Noah and Gomamon because they were moving so fast.
"Slow down, guys!" Taylor called out.
"Can't! My Armour's a-callin'!" Noah replied.
About six minutes of hurried swimming and the group came upon a ruined castle made of silver, almost half demolished by a dark Digimon to be reckoned with. Large debris surrounded ruined watchtowers, a steel gate was crumpled like a paper ball and thrown to the side, towers were bent and from inside were sounds like people screaming.
"That Digimon's going down!" Noah stated as the group swam through the ruined gateway and followed the sound of the screaming. Swimming past debris, injured Digimon trying to escape and ruined towers, the DigiDestined and Gomamon eventually came to a large hall with a large hole to one side that led out of the castle and a large evil Digimon terrorising and destroying both Digimon and the castle. The Digimon didn't notice the DigiDestined or Gomamon yet.
Alexa's Digivice activated and the statistics of the monster appeared on the screen which was then read off by an electronic voice, "MarineDevimon, an Ultimate Viral Sea Animal Digimon. Said to be one of the vilest Digimon in the deep seas. Attacks include Darkness Water and Evil Wind."
"Wait a second! Did it just say 'Ultimate'?" Taylor gulped.
"All we've been facing are Champions! I don't think we're strong enough yet to take on an Ultimate!" Loren added.
"We are if we take him together!"
"But we need to lure him outside to prevent more Digimon from being hurt," DJ said.
"I'll do it," Gomamon said, "This is my home! I must defend my friends and my kingdom!"
"Right. We need some kind of attack plan," Taylor started, but then saw Gomamon swimming out to MarineDevimon, "No, Gomamon! Not yet!"
"Hey, big baddie!" Gomamon whistled and the Viral Digimon turned around to face the Rookie, who gulped but held his ground, "Come on and follow me!"
"Why, pathetic little Rookie?" MarineDevimon's voice boomed, "Have you found the Armour my master wants?"
"Ah…yeah…Yeah! I found it! Now follow me and I'll lead you to it!"
"Fine, but it'll be the last thing you'll ever do," MarineDevimon followed Gomamon outside.
"Oh, perfect!" Taylor said, "He's so impetuous!"
"I think he may steal that crown from you, Taylor," DJ said.
"Back off, DJ…"
"Guys! Now's not the time!" Loren told them, "Gomamon's just pulled MarineDevimon out into the open, away from the innocent Digimon. If we're going to attack him, it'd better be now!"
"Fine! We'll just make up a plan when we get there!" Taylor said as he got his Digivice ready, pressed the button he wanted and yelled out, "Knightmon Digivolution, Activate!! Courageous Flame!!"
But instead of fire shooting out of the screen, nothing happened.
"Come on! Knightmon Digivolution, Activate!! Courageous Flame!!"
Again, nothing happened.
"Work, darn you! Knightmon Digivolution, Activate!! Courageous Flame!!"
"It won't work!" Alexa suddenly said.
"Why!?"
"It's because your Digivolution requires fire, you're the Knightmon of Fire and we're underneath the water. Water extinguishes fire! You can't become PyroKnightmon while you're down here!"
"So I have to sit this one out?! This blows!!"
"Then I guess it's up to DJ and me!" Loren said with a smile on her face at the thought of fighting with her crush, "I've always wanted to fight beside you, DJ. I can't believe this is actually happening! I'm so happy!!"
"Loren, don't go all schoolgirl on me now!" DJ told her.
"Okay!" Loren agreed as Alexa moved away from her friend. While DJ thrust his arms out and brought one over to press the required button, Loren raised her arms over her head and brought her arm over to press the button. As they hit the buttons, they called out:
"Knightmon Digivolution, Activate!!"
"Solid Earth!!"
"Elegant Wind!!"
A stream of rocks flew out of DJ's screen while a stream of clouds flew out of Loren's. The rocks and clouds surrounded the boy and girl, forming rings which then stripped the kids of their clothes and briefly came together to form the armours of two long past gone heroes. In a moment, DJ Yoshida and Loren Takara had transformed into:
"Gaiamon!!"
"Sirynmon!!"
The two Mythic Knightmon then headed outside to battle while Noah and Taylor helped Alexa to swim over with them. Upon coming outside, they saw Gomamon being beaten by MarineDevimon.
"Oh no! Gomamon!!" Noah cried.
"Yo! Big and ugly!" Gaiamon called to MarineDevimon, who immediately turned to face the three human DigiDestined and two transformed DigiDestined with an angry look on his face.
"And you two wishing for annihilation are…?" MarineDevimon asked.
"The name's Gaiamon, Knight of the Solid Earth!!"
"And I'm Sirynmon, Knight of the Elegant Wind!!" the Wind Knightmon added, "We're here to stop you!"
"Really? Let's see you try! Darkness Water!!" the Ultimate Digmion called out as he opened his mouth and breathed out what looked like a dark cloud. Gaiamon and Sirynmon braced themselves for the hit while Alexa, Noah and Taylor went to help Gomamon. The two Knight Digimon vanished from sight, but their cries of pain were heard. The Darkness Water wasn't just meant to block their sight, but also to inflict pain.
"Loren!! DJ!!" Alexa cried.
MarineDevimon proceeded to move in and strike the Mythic Knightmon with all four of his long arms. The transformed boy and girl's cries of pain grew louder as the other DigiDestined tended to Gomamon's injuries.
"This sucks! If only we weren't underwater, I could help them…" Taylor clenched his fist in anger.
"Gomamon, you okay?" Noah asked as the Rookie Digimon sat up from where he was.
"I'm fine…just let me back at him…" Gomamon replied with a slight hint of pain in his voice.
"You wouldn't stand a chance. He's Ultimate! The only chance we have to help Loren and DJ is to find the Armour he wants!"
"And give it to him?"
"No! So I can Digivolve with it to kick his butt!"
Alexa looked on as the dark water cleared and Sirynmon and Gaiamon emerged looking worse for the wear.
"We have to take the offensive, DJ!" Sirynmon said as she opened her mouth to let out her attack, "Sonic Siryn!!"
Sirynmon let out her screaming attack, but it didn't come out as it was supposed to. It came out as a bunch of bubbles with little or no indication of Sirynmon's usual scream.
"What the…!? Why didn't it work?" Sirynmon demanded.
"Sound doesn't pass as well through water as it does with gases in the surface world. You're at a complete disadvantage!" MarineDevimon said, "Your little sound attack won't work against me here!"
"Then try this!" Gaiamon said as he wound up his fist through the water with some difficulty and aimed it as best he could, "Richter Fist!!"
What emerged from Gaiamon's hand was a clear looking blast of energy to which MarineDevimon easily avoided.
"Energy attacks are the same as sound attacks here, Earth Knight. You can't beat me here! The ocean is my domain! I can do all kinds of things here that you can't even begin to fathom! Like this…Evil Wind!!" the enemy shouted as he put his four arms together like a windmill and began spinning them very fast. The spinning of the arms created a whirlpool aimed directly at the two Knightmon. Gaiamon tried to create a Geo Shield to protect himself and Sirynmon, but it was too late and they were both hit by the whirlpool.
"ARG! I can't take this!!" Taylor growled in frustration, "Noah's right! We have to find that Armour!"
"R-right…" Alexa said as she reached for her Digivice and used its map function to show Lyos Ocean. She spotted a blinking light blue dot just a little ways from them, "I think I found it!"
"Where?" Noah asked, primed to find it. This was his time to shine, he knew it.
"It's over…" Alexa began, but was cut off by MarineDevimon shifting his attack to Alexa's group. The Evil Wind blew the group in different directions, before MarineDevimon used each of his arms to smack them down into the reef.
"NO!!" Gaiamon yelled as he saw his comrades being pummelled.
"GUYS!!" Sirynmon screamed in fear of losing her friends.
Taylor was crushed into the backside of the reef floor, Noah was stuck in a piece of reef that formed a kind of tunnel, Gomamon lay on his back on a large rock and Alexa was pushed right through the reef into its foundation.
"You…You…" Sirynmon growled as she plucked a feather from her wing and put it into her crossbow while Gaiamon raised his arms to make another Geo Shield. MarineDevimon saw this and breathed another Darkness Water onto them and began thrashing them again.
From where she was, Alexa picked herself up as best she could and made sure she was all in one piece.
MarineDevimon. He's too evil to appreciate the beauty of the water and its underwater world, Alexa thought, Seeing the majesty of this place has helped me to realise how stupid my phobia of water is and made me want to defend it. I've become one with the ocean. I won't let someone like him destroy it!
As she thought this, she sensed something beneath her feet and moved to the side to uncover it. It was glowing bright blue and it rose up for Alexa to see fully. It was an almost mermaid-like costume, if it wasn't that it looked more like something to fight in than to attract people with. Dark blue arm and leg-guards, a breastplate made of shells that covered only the private area of the chest and a mask that covered the top part of the face and looked like some kind of mythical beast of the sea was seen by Alexa's eyes. Her Digivice activated and the Armour was scanned into the watch.
A look of determination came on Alexa's face as she swam out of her hole and back to the battle. No one seemed to notice her until she called out to MarineDevimon.
"Leave them alone!"
"Hmm?" the Dark Digimon glanced at Alexa, "You just don't get a clue, do you? You can't beat me! This whole ocean is my domain and while I'm here, no one can challenge me!!"
"Well, that's about to change!" Alexa said as she stretched her arms forward and moved her right hand to press the button on her Digivice to initiate the transformation as she called out, "Knightmon Digivolution, Activate!! Serene Water!!"
A long stream of water, different from the water that surrounded them now, shout out of the Digivice. The water split into rings that circled Alexa's body as she rested her arms on top of her chest. The aquatic circles washed the girl's clothes off her and came together briefly at the different parts of her body, forming the armour. The leg guards attached to her legs, her feet now looked like flipper-shoes, tight pants decorated in gills covered her legs, bare arms except for the arm-guards and round shoulder-pads, and the girl's belly was tattooed with yet another strange symbol that none of the group could make heads or tails of. The final water rings circled the girl's head and she closed her eyes as they came together and broke off to reveal the helmet now on her face. Curled brown hair protruded from the helmet's lower half, pointed ears that looked like a nymph's and pink eyes looked out from underneath the mask. Snapping her fingers, a long trident with the end shaped in the same shape as the tattoo on the new Digimon's belly appeared. Grabbing it, the Digimon twirled it around and stood tall as she announced herself.
"Aquarimon!!"
The Serene Water Knightmon stood before the others, practically shining in glory.
"WHAT!?" Noah cried in disbelief, "Alexa got to the Armour before I did?!"
"So…the Mythic Knightmon of the water has come out to play," MarineDevimon taunted, "She needs a host body in order to take form. A mere shadow of her former self."
"Oh, really?" Aquarimon asked in a voice that was, and yet was not Alexa's.
"Yes, really. You cannot measure up to me here. It's been too long. Let me show you! Evil Wind!!" MarineDevimon created his arm-windmill again and created another whirlpool aimed at the new Digimon.
"Aquarius Maelstrom!!" Aquarimon yelled as she spun her trident in the opposite direction of MarineDevimon's arm-windmill, creating a counter whirlpool. The attacks collided and created a violent blast as everyone who wasn't battling held onto something to prevent from flying off into different directions again. A moment later, the two whirlpools finished colliding and both MarineDevimon and Aquarimon's attacks had cancelled each other out.
"We're dead even…" MarineDevimon snorted, "Big deal. That's still not enough to stop me."
"Who said it was the only trick I had up my sleeve?" Aquarimon questioned, "You've been keeping us at arm's distance, attacking us from away. Let's see how you do when someone's up in your face!"
Aquarimon then leapt forward, baring her trident, ready to defend her friends.
"You think that small, insignificant fork can stop me!?" MarineDevimon demanded.
"YES!! Poseidon Trident!!" the Knight Digimon cried as she preceded to swim very quickly around MarineDevimon, cutting him with her trident wherever she could. In the water, she was moving almost as fast as PyroKnightmon did when he first used his Dragonforce Sword. In almost no time at all, the evil Digimon was bruised heavily.
"I'm still standing, Knightmon! You cannot stop me! My master, the Dark One, sent me! I cannot be defeated here by you! Evil Wind!!" the Digimon formed again his arm-windmill and created a dark whirlpool.
"Aquarius Maelstrom!!" Aquarimon spun her trident to counteract MarineDevimon's attack, "Loren! DJ! Now!!"
"Oh, right! Hurricane Crossbow!!" Sirynmon plucked a feather from her own wing, placed it in the crossbow, and fired it at MarineDevimon.
"Geo Shield!!" Gaiamon brought his fists down upon the reef, which formed a protective rock sphere around him. He broke it and hundreds of rock pieces were fired at MarineDevimon as he cried out, "Rock Shrapnel!!"
"RAAAGGHHH!!!" the enemy screamed as the two attacks hit him while he was attacking Aquarimon, "This can't be happening!!"
"Sorry, it is!" Aquarimon said as she swam across to the weakened MarineDevimon and stood in front of him, "You can never understand something as beautiful as the world under water. How could you? You're full of evil, created by the Dark One to destroy and corrupt this area for your master. You've caused so much pain to the Digimon who lived here. You're destroying the beauty of this place. As the protector of this underwater Digital World, I will punish all those who threaten it!!"
"Alexa…" Sirynmon stared in awe.
"Was she always this…determined?" Taylor asked to no one in particular.
"It's the Armour…I think…" the Knightmon of Elegant Wind replied.
"You don't have the guts to go through with it! You're just a scared little human girl in the body of a Mythic Knightmon," MarineDevimon taunted, "You can't destroy me!"
"To defend this place and claim my destiny as the Knight of Serene Water, I will!!" Aquarimon readied her trident, "Poseidon Trident!!"
Leaping forward with the pointed end aimed straight at the enemy, Aquarimon thrust it straight into MarineDevimon's trunk. The viral Digimon choked as the trident penetrated his skin and screamed a final time, cursing Aquarimon's name as he deleted. Taking her weapon that now glowed, Aquarimon absorbed all of MarineDevimon's data into her weapon, adding to her strength. When all of it was absorbed, Aquarimon herself glew and was surrounded by the water that transformed her earlier. In a moment, Alexa Hidoyuki, a bit tired from the fight replaced Aquarimon.
"Thank you, Aquarimon," Gomamon said as he swam up to Alexa as best he could and bowed, "I'm sure I'm not the only one grateful for what you've done."
"Yeah…no problem…" Alexa said as she checked her Digivice and saw that the Serene Water Armour was now in storage to be used whenever she needed it.
"You were pretty cool back there, Alexa," Taylor told his friend, "I don't know if it was you or the spirit of the original Aquarimon saying all that stuff!"
"You were so heroic back there," Sirynmon used her wings to propel herself to Alexa, "I'm pretty sure this helped conquer your…you know…"
"Not entirely, Loren," Alexa said, "I still need to do one more thing when we get back home…"
"But first, let me guide you back to the castle! I'm sure the king will reward you for saving all of Lyos Ocean!" Gomamon said as the group swam back to the castle and into the thanks of many grateful aquatic Digimon.
It was later back in the Real World, or more precisely, the Hidoyuki apartment in the university.
"Grandma! Grandpa! I'm home!!" Alexa called as she opened the door to her home.
"Welcome back, Alexa!" Professor Hidoyuki welcomed his granddaughter back as she took her shoes off and put on some slippers nearby, "How was school?"
"It was good, Grandpa. How was the lecture?"
"The usual mood from the class. I still don't get how logarithms can put people to sleep…"
"Ha ha ha," Alexa laughed as she put her backpack in her room, "What's dinner?"
"Your Grandma's special okonomiyaki. It should be ready in a few minutes."
"Great! I can practically taste it…um…Grandpa?"
"Yes?"
"Can you enroll me in…swimming lessons?"
"Swimmng lessons!?" the professor asked in disbelief, "But you're scared to death of water!"
"I know, I know…it's just…well, I…it's always good to be prepared in case I fall off a boat or something, you know?"
"A-are you sure?"
"…yeah."
"Honey…you won't believe this!" Professor Hidoyuki called out as he rushed off to talk to his wife about Alexa's request. Alexa, in the meantime, went off to her room to get a good start on her homework.
As she did some math problems, she kept thinking about her Knightmon Digivolution to Aquarimon and how serious she was when she said she'd protect the underwater world and punish those who threatened it. She had revealed to the others her fear of water and it was cool with them. They'd help her through it if she needed help. It looked like she'd overcome her fear of water by witnessing the beauty of the underwater world. She was completely past it except for one small thing…
In order for her to become a better warrior, she'd have to learn how to swim.
TO BE CONTINUED…Another chapter has come and gone. Did you like it? Hate it? Don't care? Send me a review to tell me what you think. And for those of you who read Digimon X, it's on hiatus. I'm not sure when I'll put out another chapter for it or if I'll put another out for it at all…