I don't own digimon
Things get slightly intense, so be careful if you're young and afraid of clowns.
The Phantasmagorical Chaos Piedmon
888
"Justice Burst!" Justimon groaned as he lifted his arm up and fired at Chaos Piedmon. The clown hopped backward as the lavender blaze flew past.
"Hah, you are still trying those old tricks!" laughed the clown as he turned. He pulled a sword from the sheath on his back. "Trump Sword!"
Chaos Piedmon flicked his wrist and flung the sword at Justimon. Justimon fell back as the sword flew past. The cyborg laid on the ground and took deep breaths. Chaos Piedmon smirked and walked toward the incapacitated cyborg. The clown's blade glided back to Chaos Piedmon's hand and he twirled it playfully in his hand.
"Get…away from him…" heaved Anubismon between gasps. The god strained his hand forward, "Amemit!"
A trickle of golden lightning snapped through the air; Chaos Piedmon chuckled and grabbed the sword he'd thrown at Justimon and spun around and slapped the streak into nonexistence.
"This isn't even a show!" Chaos Piedmon chuckled quietly, "You are hardly worth my talent!"
"Rinkazan!" GaiOumon grunted as he dropped to his knees and swiped one of his swords forward. A flickering red blade cut through the air. Chaos Piedmon spun around and sliced through the blade.
"Really, half hearted attempts, you aren't suspending my disbelief at all!" chuckled Chaos Piedmon as he looked around at them.
Valkyrimon lunged forward and grabbed her sword from the floor. She rose up on all fours and struggled to lift her sword. She looked up and Chaos Piedmon was on top of her and with a sweeping kick he sent her rolling across the sandy surface.
"Human Emotion!" a blaze of white light slammed Chaos Piedmon in the gut. The evil clown grunted as he slid backward.
"Pandora Dialog!" a streak of white lightning cracked into Chaos Piedmon's face. Chaos Piedmon snarled as he covered his face.
"We must get them out of here," growled Asuramon as the four armed digimon flew towards Valkyrimon and GaiOumon. "They are in no condition to fight…"
"Yes," Wisemon nodded. "I'll get Anubismon and Justimon…"
"You are going no where!" shouted Chaos Piedmon loudly. The clown was glaring at the two Ultimate digimon. "You tried to change the delicate plot of my story by blindsiding me! I won't allow that!" Chaos Piedmon threw his hand forward, "Clown Trick!"
A burst of spiraling energy shot forward toward Asuramon. Wisemon swept forward and materialized her spell book and opened it wide in front of the blast, "Eternal Nirvana!" The spiral of clown magic twisted and spun in the book. Wisemon's eyes narrowed, "I…can't hold it…." The book exploded and flung Wisemon and Asuramon backward.
"Fool, to think your slight of hand could match my honed talents!" laughed Chaos Piedmon, "I'm almost insulted…" Chaos Piedmon gently slid a sword from his sheaths. "You untalented hacks have been in my way for much too long. This is your curtain call, stop padding the plot, and accept the fact that your song and dance is over!"
"Pit Bomb!" There was an explosion and a black bat bomb flew forward and exploded into Chaos Piedmon's side. The clown staggered to one side.
"Piximon!" Asuramon and Wisemon looked up as the winged, ball of pink fluff hovered by. Gatomon and Gotsumon were behind him.
"Go, get the other digi-destined, get them out of here," Piximon commanded, "You have to go find the Child of Responsibility and Love, yep, yep!"
"Fool, Piximon, this is the second time you've tried to rise up against me to protect these so called saviors, the last time you tried to stop me as Piedmon, and you were trounced! Now you are attempting the same thing, and this time I am much more powerful than I ever was in the past!" Chaos Piedmon swung his sword forward, "You will not survive, when I am done with you, you shall never work in this World again!"
"Go!" Piximon shouted, "Take the others and go!"
Asuramon nodded and rushed to GaiOumon and Valkyrimon and hiked them up under his arms. The four armed digimon then flew up to the balcony where Mark and Michelle were hiding and grabbed them. Wisemon flew over to Justimon and Anubismon and hoisted them up under her. The two Ultimate digimon then rushed for the exit. Chaos Piedmon roared in frustration and threw his arms forward releasing a spiral of clown magic towards Asuramon. Piximon buzzed in front of the attack and took the brunt of the blast. The fairy twisted and rolled through the air until he crashed into the wall of the stadium.
"Piximon…" Wisemon stopped.
"Go…" Piximon gritted through his teeth. "I'll hold him…"
"Go," Gatomon and Gotsumon demanded, "We'll help him, just go!"
"But…" Wisemon looked at the digimon.
"Wisemon, let's go!" shouted Asuramon as he rushed through the doorway. Wisemon looked back at the three digimon that had saved them and then pushed forward.
"Well, well, well," Chaos Piedmon glided forward, inches above the ground. He gripped his sword tightly.
"Don't underestimate me," growled Piximon as he hovered forward with his staff.
"Ha!" Chaos Piedmon shook his head, "You really do think highly of yourself, such a shame, you would make such a nice pet, but you're far too unruly!"
"I would never be a servant to you Chaos Piedmon," shouted Piximon loudly, "The digi-destined will defeat you, yep, yep! You have no idea of their power!"
"Pah," Chaos Piedmon glared down at the fairy, "You said that the last time, and look, I came back, what makes you this will be any different?"
"Because, this world will not allow a scourge like you to take over!" replied Piximon as he glared at the harlequin.
"This world, will listen to me, and won't argue!" shouted Chaos Piedmon, "And you will also!" The clown launched forward his sword drawn. Piximon held his staff up defensively. Chaos Piedmon's sword sliced cleanly through the metal and wood rod. Piximon looked at his halved staff in shock. Chaos Piedmon smirked quietly, "And you'll like it, too…"
888
"Lay them on the ground…" Wisemon whispered as they came to a stop in the rose maze. "I'll give them a rejuvenation spell…"
Asuramon nodded and laid the biomerged digimon on the ground. Wisemon lifted her hand up and materialized a book in her hand.
"I thought…" Asuramon whispered.
"Magic," murmured Wisemon's answer as she flicked through the book, "Ah, here it is…" Wisemon lifted her index finger and gently touched it to a spot between the eye brows of Anubismon, Valkyrimon, Justimon and GaiOumon. She slowly drew a circle on their foreheads from that point and made chords and diameters across the circles and then drew up, "Soma of Hikari, restore the strength to these warriors of destiny!"
Wisemon then clapped her hands and gently pressed the epicenter of each of the circles. The circles flared brightly and streams of energy churned through their bodies. The biomerged digimon shook their heads and sat up slowly.
"What…happened?" whispered Valkyrimon as she looked around. "What happened to Chaos Piedmon?"
"Piximon is trying to hold him off so we could escape," replied Asuramon.
"What?" Valkyrimon glared up at Asuramon, "And you let him? He can't win?"
"Neither could've we, but if Chaos Piedmon had destroyed you, then there would have been no chance," replied Mark quietly.
"We need to find Jason and Janet," whispered Michelle, "We have to…if we don't then he'll just pick us off…"
There was a loud explosion from the palace and the digi-destined looked up in shock. A humanoid figure rose from above the hedge-line. Valkyrimon gulped and looked down.
"Piximon…" Mark whispered and looked down. "No…"
"We have to run," Michelle whispered, "We have to keep moving…"
"What?" Justimon glared down at Michelle, "Are you nuts?"
"She's right, we can't face him like this, if we couldn't defeat Rosemon, what makes you think we have a chance against Chaos Piedmon?" asked Anubismon quietly. "We need to get the others, we need to contact GrapLeomon and his friends; we need all the strength we can muster!"
"So we're just running away, like cowards?" growled Justimon.
"We don't have a choice," snapped Anubismon, "I don't like it either, but this is the only way we're going to survive long enough to actually gain the support needed to stop him!"
"Justimon…" GaiOumon looked up at the lithe cyborg. "You know he's right…it would be meaningless to run into battle against him; there is no cowardice in retreating from a superior enemy to regroup…"
Justimon clenched his fists tightly and growled. "Right then, let's go."
"We can't, this maze is so thick, we could be trapped in here forever," Valkyrimon looked at the others, "We only have one chance…we have to fly…"
"Great…" grumbled Justimon as he looked at the others, "He'll see us, and then we'll be toast…"
"Not necessarily," whispered Anubismon, "If you rode on my back, you could shoot back at him, that should slow him down enough to give us a chance to escape…"
"That sounds like a plan," Asuramon replied as he picked up Mark. "Wisemon and I should fly ahead of you, seeing as we'd been obvious targets for Chaos Piedmon."
"Yes, we'll provide a rear guard for you," nodded GaiOumon as he looked up. "If we're going to do it, we better do it, because Chaos Piedmon is closing in…"
"Justimon, get on my back," Anubismon knelt down and opened his wings.
Justimon got on Anubismon's back, piggyback-style and held Anubismon from under his wings and wrapped his legs around Anubismon's waist. Justimon let go with his cyborg arm and morphed it into a cannon.
"On three we launch in unison, he can't hit us all," said Wisemon as she helped Michelle onto her back.
"One, two, three!" Valkyrimon counted and together the digi-destined launched upward.
As soon as they were clear of the roses Justimon turned his head and pointed his cannon arm at the quickly approaching humanoid form of Chaos Piedmon. Rapid fire lavender bursts of energy ripped through the air swarming around Chaos Piedmon's figure. The clown dodged and weaved as the bursts flew by. One of the lavender streaks hit the clown and Chaos Piedmon spun backward and crashed into the rose bushes below.
"Bull's eye, baby!" cheered Justimon as Anubismon and the others opened the gap between them and Chaos Piedmon.
888
Mud Frigimon, the Gotsumon and Tentomon walked along a dusty trail, buffered to the north by a forest and to the south by scrub bush. They weren't far from Metal Puppetmon's mansion and they stepped cautiously.
"This is insanity, we should leave this place!" whined Tentomon as he hovered next to Mud Frigimon. "We don't know what kind of traps are around here…"
"Deadly is the kind of traps there are!" shouted Tentomon loudly, "I really don't see why we're doing this, the digi-destined were captured, why are we coming here!"
"Because, if we want to save the digi-destined we'll need help," Mud Frigimon sighed quietly.
"Halt! Do not move!" grated a voice. Tentomon froze in place and his eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted.
"Who's there?" Mud Frigimon turned in a slow circle gathering the Gotsumon close to him and scooped up Tentomon.
A tall, humanoid figure appeared out of the shadows of the forest. Metal armor covered its chest and arms. The creature's cranium was covered by metal, but its lower part of its head was organic.
"Andromon!" cheered the Gotsumon. Mud Frigimon sighed in relief.
"It's me, Mud Frigimon, boy are we glad to see you Andromon," chuckled the mud digimon quietly.
"As am I to see you, Mud Frigimon. GrapLeomon and the others will be most pleased to see you…" replied the robot as he turned, "Come this way, we have a camp approximately one tenth of a kilometer to the north, north west…"
"What are you doing here? The last I heard you were captured…" Mud Frigimon ran behind the metal digimon.
"The digi-destined saved us, the Chosen of Sincerity and Knowledge, they have gone to search for the remaining digi-destined," replied Andromon flatly. "We were tracking them until they disappeared somewhere in the north. Since then we have been sitting at camp. My probability circuits are producing numerous disturbing figures…I fear they have been captured…or worse…"
"Then why are you sitting around here," growled Mud Frigimon as he ran next to Andromon, "You should have ran after them!"
"We have no postulates as to where they have gone, to follow them may be impossible," replied Andromon. The metal digimon continued forward but stopped suddenly. "Confirming signal…."
"What's going on?" Mud Frigimon and the Gotsumon looked up at the Metal digimon.
"I am picking up Brendan's signature…it is faint…and there is much digital interference but the signature is confirmed…He is traveling towards us, at considerable speed," Andromon relayed the information with no emotion. "We must alert the others…they will be over us in several minutes." Andromon ran off into the forest.
"Hey, wait for me!" shouted Mud Frigimon as he ran after the metal digimon with the Gotsumon.
The forest blurred past as Mud Frigimon ran behind Andromon. They ran into a clearing. Around a small fire was a group of digimon, ranging from Rookie to Ultimate. On the right was GrapLeomon, an armored lion man; next to him on the left was the four legged centaur digimon, Centaurumon. Next in line was the white, frozen counterpart of Mud Frigimon, Frigimon, with his white, round body and red buttoned front, next to Frigimon was his closest friend a white furred, gnomish digimon named Mojyamon. Next to Mojyamon was the fiery Meramon and next to Meramon was the scowling face of Ogremon. The small, red rodent digimon, Elecmon was looking worriedly into the flames and in the back ground the winged unicorn, Unimon was looking around.
"GrapLeomon, I can detect Brendan, he is moving quickly this way," announced Andromon loudly. The digimon looked up in shock, "In fact, he should be passing overhead…right about…."
Asuramon, Wisemon, Anubismon; carrying Justimon, GaiOumon and Valkyrimon passed overhead. The digimon at the camp stood up and looked at Andromon.
"We must follow them!" GrapLeomon looked at the others, "They may need us…"
"Can you contact them, Andromon?" asked the winged unicorn stoically.
"Yes, I will send a message to Brendan's computer," confirmed Andromon as he looked down and closed his eyes, "Message has been sent…"
"Well?" Elecmon said with his gruff voice and hopped forward.
Andromon turned slightly and his chest compartment opened and two, catfish looking missiles flew forward. "Chaos Piedmon is approaching…"
888
"We're getting paged," called Anubismon loudly as he glided forward, "Andromon, has contacted me, says he is tracking us…"
"Well?" Justimon scooted forward on Anubismon's back, "Did you warn him about Chaos Piedmon?"
"Yes," Anubismon nodded slowly. "In fact…" Anubismon seemed to tone out the universe for a second. His fingers seemed to be slightly mimicking the actions of typing. "He's fired upon Chaos Piedmon, he and the others we saved from Metal Puppetmon's mansion are engaging Chaos Piedmon as we speak…including Mud Frigimon, three Gotsumon and Tentomon…"
"They can't; he'll murder them!" shouted Valkyrimon as she stopped. "We can't let this continue!"
"Tell them to run!" shouted GaiOumon, "No…I have a better plan…" GaiOumon looked over the tree tops to a long stretching prairie, "Tell them to follow us, we'll regroup and attack Chaos Piedmon as a group."
"What about Janet and Jason?" asked Asuramon as he glided next to Wisemon.
"They'll just have to find us," remarked GaiOumon, "We can't keep running like this and let every digimon between us and him get destroyed. We're going to make a real stand, and now is better than later…" replied GaiOumon.
The dragon samurai narrowed his eyes and pushed onwards. The four biomerged digimon dropped down on a hill that overlooked the periphery of the forest. The prairie below them was remarkably peaceful, even though the forest just north of it was ablaze. Scattered explosions called to the fore the fact that the group of resistors were fighting for their lives as they tried to reach their destination. Justimon swept his scarf ends behind his shoulder and lifted his cybernetic arm, morphing it into its cannon mode. After arguing with GaiOumon and Justimon, Asuramon and Wisemon took Mark and Michelle somewhere safe, somewhere where Chaos Piedmon wouldn't hurt them.
Valkyrimon unhitched her crossbow from her back and pointed it towards the area of the forest where the most recent explosions had erupted a few seconds before. They were coming, with any luck they would all make it, but in truth, no one believed that any of the resistance survived the brutal insanity that was Chaos Piedmon. Anubismon was standing poised, with his arms outstretched and his palms together, lightly cupped to create a large golden burst of holy energy. GaiOumon was hovering slightly above the rest, red, jagged, blades crossed slightly.
The periphery of the forest exploded and several shapes were staggering forward from the blast. The canopy ejected a winged equine digimon. A lion and an ogre hobbled from the forest, carrying each others' weight. A hulking, glinting metal digimon staggered out of the forest, one of his legs was sparking and he weakly dragged the foot of that leg across the dirt. Lastly a small group of digimon rushed out of the forest. The largest, a rounder digimon was shielding smaller digimon as he put his back to falling, burning tree limbs. Dark laughter of a mad man erupted from the forest seconds later as the ragtag group of refugees retreated from the forest. A single, human form seemed to materialize into existence at the edge of the forest. The figure, glided forward, silently, slowly, as if he was stalking the straggling survivors.
"He's going to attack them from behind…" Justimon growled and his arm cannon glowed soft lavender, "Justice BURST!" volleys of lavender exploded forward.
"Lightning Arrow!" streaks of lightning flashed across the ground.
"Gaia Reactor!" the streaking tail of a blue comet blazed across the valley illuminating the faces of the refugees.
"Amemit!" A swarm of golden energy ripped forward.
The resistance forces scurried forward as the valley exploded in energy and fire. The laughter roared again; it was an insane, arrogant laughter. The flames twirled upward as a single form escaped the hellish flames in the valley. Its elegant rise only made the digi-destined shudder as the figure stopped its ballet in the air and slowly glided forward.
Justimon lost it and started to fire his cannon wildly at the figure. Lavender bursts were lobbed through the air at the figure as it moved closer. Arrow after arrow of lightning streaked the sky and burst after burst of pyramid shaped lasers flashed into the figure as Valkyrimon and Anubismon joined the cyborg. GaiOumon launched forward and swung his jagged swords forward. Bloody blades of energy sliced the sky open, trying to cut the clown in half, but the clown was undeterred.
The clown swooped down. The hulking, metallic digimon whirled around sweeping its arm upward. An arc of electrical energy snapped at the clown but only laughter reached the digi-destined. There was the flash of metal in the moonlight and every once and a while a loud clank cut through the clown's chuckles. The harlequin put a foot to the metal digimon's chest sending it reeling backward and falling on its posterior. The digi-destined ran forward. Weapons raised, attacks were sent flying forward. The clown dismissed the attacks with an aristocratic flick of the wrist. He slowly stalked forward, towards his prey. The metal digimon swiped forward with a blade formed from its claws. The clown sliced downward with one of its swords. The digi-destined halted in mid step. The metal digimon's blade arm came off and dropped to the ground. There was a sharp 'ha' and then the clown lunged forward with its sword. The android digimon arched its back and then slumped forward dispersing into dust.
The clown turned slowly and looked at the digi-destined. Its eyes glowed blood red as he glared forward at the digi-destined. The moonlight slid over his face revealing a ruby smile cut across a white face. Seconds later the clown was humming towards the lion and the ogre. The lion turned and sliced its foot across the ground, releasing a torrent of cutting wind toward the clown. The dark harlequin only continued to hum as he glided through the tornado.
Valkyrimon unsheathed her sword and ran to intercept the clown. The harlequin twisted and in one, single, smooth movement unsheathed his sword, blocking Valkyrimon's blade and lifted a foot to kick the female digimon in the stomach. Valkyrimon crashed to the ground and clutched her abdomen, trying to regain her breath.
The clown chuckled quietly and turned back to the ogre and the lion. He continued forward, slowly taking one step luxuriously after the other. The lion roared loudly and punched his fist forward releasing a twisting stream of plasma. The clown lifted a hand and simply slapped the attack away. The harlequin continued forward and resumed his humming; it was a nameless, tuneless stream of notes that ebbed and flowed with each step.
The lion growled and started to rush forward but the ogre grabbed the lion's arm and pushed him back. The ogre then roared and leapt forward. The clown stopped, leaned back and let the club of the ogre fly wildly past his head and then swiped forward with his sword. The ogre hung in the air for a few seconds before friction finally lost the battle with gravity and forward momentum, and let the ogre's torso and his legs fly from each other causing both to dissociate into dust separately but at the same time.
The clown watched the ogre fade away and a mirthful sound of glee wafted over to the digi-destined. The clown's face turned and his blood red eyes gleamed at them. Justimon clenched his fist and ran down towards the clown. GaiOumon zoomed in along his side, the dragon warrior's swords poised to slice the clown in half. Justimon morphed his arm into a sheath that had a lavender energy blade jutting out of it. The clown gingerly leapt backward as the two biomerged digimon sliced and swept forward. The harlequin laughed again and stopped. The two biomerged digimon lunged forward, ready to slice the clown to bits but were shocked to see that they sliced into empty air.
Justimon and GaiOumon swept around to see the clown already at the lion. The feline warrior was punching and kicking at the clown's sword. The clown only hummed to himself as he nonchalantly sliced his sword forward and parried kicks and punches. The lion leapt backward and rolled as the sword became more insistent. The lion punched forward releasing another flare of plasma. The clown just lifted his hand and let the attack blow across his gloved palm like a warm wind.
The lion leapt back as the clown sliced forward. The harlequin leapt forward after the lion and seamlessly lunged forward as he touched ground. The lion hadn't time to react and the sword dove straight through his armor and left the warrior impaled on a blade. The lion warrior's arms fell to its sides and its head lolled to the left slightly. The harlequin then smoothly turned his hips to one side and drew the sword cleanly from its victim, all the while humming a soft, innocent tune. The clown turned and looked at the digi-destined, slowly scanning the remains of the prairie.
"You won't get away with this," shouted Justimon loudly. The cyborg's words wavered slightly as the clown pushed off the ground and glided towards him. "We will destroy you, you monster…"
"Child…I've been waiting an eternity for this…" breathed the clown quietly as he touched down a mere five feet in front of GaiOumon and Justimon. The clown tilted his head slightly to the left, "and I shan't have a couple of runny-nosed ragamuffins stop me…" The clown lifted a gloved hand, "Stand still, and I may be mercifully quick with your destruction…"
"Fenrir Sword!" a twisting strike of fire and ice slammed into the gray harlequin's back. The clown stumbled forward half a step and grimaced.
"I see, you haven't learned your lesson," breathed the clown in annoyance as he flashed his sword arm back and, without turning to see, blocked Valkyrimon's attempt to slice the clown in half.
GaiOumon lunged forward with his sword only to have his attack matched by a dagger in the clown's other hand. Justimon leapt forward and plunged his Voltage Blade forward only to have the clown disappear into thin air.
"Damn it…" growled Justimon as he looked around for the clown. Justimon found the clown fighting with Anubismon. "Brendan!"
Anubismon was leaping back from the clown's blade as he tried to mount an offense against the clown. Justimon and the others rushed towards the scene. The clown was laughing and lunging forward and swiping to the side. Anubismon was feverishly backing away. He used the large golden bracelets on his arms as shields and used them to slap the blade of the Trump Sword away from his body.
The clown leapt back as GaiOumon and Justimon lunged forward to tackle the phantom. Valkyrimon swiped her sword forward and felt it strike the clown's blade. The harlequin just parried and let the female digimon push him back. The clown started to chuckle again and his red lips curled up and he laughed.
"What's so funny?" growled Valkyrimon.
"This…" murmured the clown as he faded slightly and Valkyrimon fell through him. A fist landed hard into Valkyrimon's lower back. Valkyrimon arched back and collapsed on the ground groaning in pain.
"Valkyrimon!" Anubismon leapt forward and brandished his claws.
The long talons of the godly digimon swept through empty air as the harlequin shifted to the left. Anubismon turned to strike again only to find a foot crashing into his chest. Anubismon rolled across the ground and laid motionless his wings haphazardly spread out. One of his hands clutched his chest as he let out an agonizing whimper.
Justimon and GaiOumon ran to Anubismon and then glared up at the clown. The samurai dragon man growled softly and stood up.
"I'm tired of you hurting my friends!" roared the dragon man as he rushed forward. "You're going to pay! RINKA…."
Justimon looked up in horror as GaiOumon halted in mid-step. The dragon samurai staggered back. The hilt a sword was showing from above the dragon's shoulder.
"…zan?" the clown looked at GaiOumon a smile played across his lips. The clown flicked his hand over and dramatically rolled his fingers through the air. A soft whisper floated through the air, "Clown Trick…" GaiOumon flew into the air in a shallow arch and crashed down at Justimon's feet. The harlequin looked up at the grey cyborg. A cloud must have flitted across the moons because soon there was nothing but the persistent crimson glow of the evil clown's eyes that lit the prairie, but even those disappeared into darkness. "You know, I have to commend you," whispered the harlequin's voice from what seemed all directions, "you really are powerful, but you lack panache, pizzazz, or any kind of class in the work you do…"
"We don't need theatrics to win…" Justimon replied as he circled slowly trying to ascertain where the clown was.
"I beg to differ," replied the voice. The humming started again. "You just aren't in my league…" Justimon looked around him as the humming seemed to get closer. The cloud shifted the three moons illuminated the field. "You just don't understand good drama at all…"
Justimon's blood ran cold and he turned. The clown was standing behind him with its back to him. Justimon spun around and lifted his arm, morphing it into its cannon form, but the clown was quicker and Justimon felt a surging pain rip up his cybernetic arm. A long sword with hearts on its hilt stuck out of his cybernetic appendage. The cannon sparked angrily around the offending object. A quick movement brought the back of the harlequin's hand crushing across the chin of Justimon and the cyborg flew sideways twisting in a tight spiral before crashing onto the ground. Another cloud passed over the moons and the prairie was bathed in darkness.
888
"Two of them are right below us!" shouted WarGreymon X. Kuzuhamon nodded and they swept down into the forest below.
Kuzuhamon touched the ground and looked around, "This way…"
"Right," WarGreymon X walked after her.
"Fire Fist of Asura!" roared a familiar voice. Instantly fire balls roared from the shadows. WarGreymon X swept in front of Kuzuhamon and lifted his gauntlets letting the fire blasts bounce off their metal.
"Asuramon! Stop attacking us!" shouted Kuzuhamon loudly, "It's us, Janet and Jason! Well, it's Renamon and Otamamon too…"
"How can we know?" growled Asuramon loudly as he walked from the shadows.
"It has to be them," chirped Marks' voice, "They have Jason and Janet's digivice signals…they must have biomerged too…"
"Mark, you were supposed to stay hidden!" shouted Asuramon loudly. The boy ran from the shadows.
"We shouldn't hide from our friends," returned Mark as he ran towards WarGreymon X and Kuzuhamon.
"Where are the others?" Asked the fox priestess as she kneeled down and hugged Mark.
"They went to make a stand against Chaos Piedmon, they've been gone for a long time though," Mark looked down, "Chaos Piedmon…killed Piximon and some of our other friends and even his girlfriend, Rosemon…"
"Where's Michelle?" WarGreymon X looked around, "Is she with the others?"
"No, only the biomerged digimon went, Michelle is still hiding, she's with Wisemon," replied Mark quietly. "We're supposed to be the trump cards, but I think that's just Steven's way of saying we'd get in the way and we should just hide while the others protect us…"
"Then why are you out here?" Kuzuhamon looked at the boy.
"Well, I was worried about Asuramon and then I heard him attack, I thought Chaos Piedmon had come and I was going to come and help him," Mark looked up at the two, biomerged digimon. "I want to help him biomerge like you guys…"
"You will, when you need to," smiled WarGreymon X as he tilted his head.
"Do you think they could be winning?" Kuzuhamon asked to WarGreymon X.
"No…" gasped a voice from the forest. The two biomerged digimon swirled around and prepared to attack when a rotund digimon, an insect digimon and a group of rock digimon and a small rodent digimon emerged from the shadows. The rotund digimon was deep brown colored and was holding his arm, "It's a massacre…he deleted Ogremon, Andromon, and GrapLeomon…Unimon barely escaped the flames with his life…and we ran…but he's beating the digi-destined badly…"
"They need our help…" growled WarGreymon X.
"He's just taunting them now…" the rotund digimon walked forward, "As soon as they stand; he rushes towards them and punches them down. GaiOumon's armor was cut off of him and…Justimon…" Mud Frigimon shuddered.
"Mud Frigimon, are they still alive…?" Kuzuhamon leveled a sharp look on the rotund digimon.
"They were when I left," Mud Frigimon looked down, "I wish I was strong enough to fight him…but I'd just get in the way…"
"It's ok, we'll save them," WarGreymon X extended his arm and the claws on his gauntlet extended, "and we'll bring them back safe…"
"Do you need my help?" Asuramon asked as he walked forward.
"No, it's best you stay back here and protect Mark and Michelle," Kuzuhamon said as she lifted off the ground. "They are our last line of hope if we fail; we must protect them as best as we can…"
"They are to the north, there is a prairie, you can't miss them…" called Mud Frigimon as WarGreymon X followed Kuzuhamon.
The two biomerged digimon nodded and rocketed to the north. Mud Frigimon and his entourage looked at Asuramon and Mark.
"Come on, let's take you to our hiding place, you guys need the rest," whispered Mark as he took Mud Frigimon's hand.
888
Valkyrimon crashed to the ground as Chaos Piedmon touched elegantly to the earth. The clown turned and looked at his other actors and smirked. GaiOumon was lying on the ground motionless with daggers sticking out of his stomach like darts. Justimon was sitting on the ground numbly looking at his shattered cybernetic arm, which was lying in metal chunks on the ground. Anubismon's wings were sliced off and the godly digimon was kneeling on the ground holding them. Valkyrimon was struggling to her knees. Her sword was snapped in half at her side. Her crossbow was lying in shards of wood and metal on the ground ten feet behind her.
Chaos Piedmon slid his hand through his hair quietly and smiled. "The show can't end now, we've just started!"
"Shut…" Valkyrimon lifted the remains of her sword, "up…"
"Ah…" Chaos Piedmon smirked quietly as the swordswoman shakily stood on her feet. "But dear you're sword is broken…"
"I don't need a sword…to…fight you," Valkyrimon hissed between her teeth.
"I know, my dear, you could barely fight with it at all…" chuckled the clown. He looked at the shattered parts of the blade. "Such a fragile thing…"
"I said…shut up…" growled Valkyrimon. The swordswoman glared up at the harlequin.
"Tut, tut, tut, don't let that temper get to you…" replied Chaos Piedmon as he wagged a finger forward, "You wouldn't want me to think you were being hostile…"
"I told you to be quiet!" Valkyrimon started to staggeringly run forward. Her undulating and unbalanced steps stomped across the prairie grass; her sword fragment was pointed forward.
Chaos Piedmon tsked, quietly and grabbed Valkyrimon's hand as she lunged forward. The clown smiled softly and pushed back and Valkyrimon fell backward. As she fell, Chaos Piedmon swept his leg under her feet and dropped her on her back.
"Not very creative…" Chaos Piedmon whispered as he knelt down putting his knee on Valkyrimon's sternum. "No, indeed not at all…"
"Get off me…" Valkyrimon growled as she struggled.
The clown smiled softly and put a gloved hand under her chin, "You didn't ask nice…"
"Get off me!" shouted Valkyrimon as she squirmed even more. She lifted a clenched fist but the clown grabbed it before she struck.
"Tsk, such a sloppy, sloppy move," critiqued the harlequin. His grip tightened around her fist. Valkyrimon bit her lip as the fingers in her hand cracked.
"You're hurting me…" Valkyrimon growled as she struggled.
"Am I?" Chaos Piedmon breathed in a calm, sultry voice, "I do believe, my child, that was the point…" The grip synched down and twisted and Valkyrimon screamed as the bones in her wrist snapped. "Oh dear…I seem to have done it again…'tis a pity…I believe that was your sword hand, too…"
"Bastard…" spat Valkyrimon loudly. She collected saliva in her mouth and spat, striking the clown in the eye with the loogie.
"Oh dear…you'll pay for that…" whispered Chaos Piedmon sternly as he drew a handkerchief from his shirt and wiped his face. "One cannot forgive poor manners…" Chaos Piedmon reached back and pulled a sword from one of the sheaths and let the moonlight glint down the sharp edge, "I believe you shall be my first actor to get…written out…"
"Reverse Rice Cord!" Shouted a voice in the distance. Chaos Piedmon sneered and looked up only to be tackled by a horde of galloping fox spirits. Seconds later a woman was at Valkyrimon's side. The woman was in lavender armor and had long, silvery hair that fell from a head covered by a lavender helmet shaped like the head of a fox. "Amy, is that you?"
"Who…are you?" Valkyrimon responded quietly.
"It's us, Renamon and Janet, we've come to save you…my god…" the armored woman replied as she scanned the scene, "What happened?"
"He's…too strong, you have to run away, he'll just beat you into a pulp…" whispered Valkyrimon, "We tried to fight him, but he's too strong…he's just too strong…"
"Please, run away…" Justimon whispered numbly. The cyborg was still staring at the shattered stub of his arm, "run away, please…just run away…"
"We tried…to fight him," Anubismon spoke. He was hugging bloodied wings to his blue furred chest, "he's so strong, there is no way to defeat him, we tried…"
"We won't let you give up!" shouted another digimon. Valkyrimon looked up and saw a dragon man, not unlike GaiOumon, with sharp, jagged armor covering his body. A well pronounced snout horn jutted upward from a glinting helmet. "Chaos Piedmon, did you do this?"
"Ah, admiring the handiwork; are you a connoisseur of masterpieces? I believe this is my best work, I call it, The Perfect Ending," replied the clown with a smirk. WarGreymon X growled loudly but the clown only smiled, "What can I say? It's my art, my true calling…"
"It's disgusting," growled the dragon man loudly as he walked forward. Long claws slid from burnished bronze gauntlets. "This is not art; it's obscene; you'll pay for this pasty face!"
"Oh yawn," replied the clown as he rolled his eyes, "I swear you digi-destined all learned the same set of lines…but then again, we're just going to replay the same scene over and over again until you're all finished off…"
"WarGreymon X…be careful…" said the woman in the lavender armor.
"Kuzuhamon, don't worry, we can handle this joker," returned WarGreymon X.
"Joker?" the clown smiled quietly. "That gives me the most fantastic idea!" The clown clapped his hands together and looked at Kuzuhamon and WarGreymon X, "How do you two like card tricks?"
"I don't believe in magic…" growled WarGreymon X.
"Oh, 'tis a pity," whimpered the clown as he flicked his hand up, "I have one hell of a trick for you…" The clown twisted his wrist back and forth and theatrically splayed his fingers out and showed both Kuzuhamon and WarGreymon X his palms. "Now there is nothing in my hands…" The clown drew his hands down and pulled at the sleeves, "and there is nothing up my sleeves…"
"I don't have time for this!" growled WarGreymon X as he lunged forward.
The dragon warrior sliced forward with his claws but the clown simply leapt around the armored warrior. The clown landed lightly on the ground in front of Kuzuhamon, who was kneeling next to Valkyrimon.
"But what is behind your ear…?" Kuzuhamon looked up in shock as the clown flitted his hand behind the ear prongs of her helmet. The clown smiled and flicked his hand up and a fan of cards appeared in his hands. "Now for the rest of this trick to work properly, I will need an assistant…" Chaos Piedmon turned and smiled at WarGreymon X. "How about you, sir, please…if you would come forward…"
"I'll come forward, and bash your painted face in!" shouted WarGreymon X as he roared forward his gauntlets raised.
"Oh good," replied Chaos Piedmon darkly as he watched the dragon warrior rushing towards him. The clown swept his hand out, holding a single card. He then sliced it forward and Kuzuhamon gasped as it grew and swept right across WarGreymon X. The card then shrunk down and the clown smirked. WarGreymon X was no where to be seen. He turned and smiled at Kuzuhamon, "I give you, the Ace of WarGreymon X…"
The clown flashed the card in front of Kuzuhamon. The corners were occupied by large A's, but in the middle was an image of WarGreymon X rushing forward with his gauntlets up.
"Turn him back now!" shouted Kuzuhamon.
"Oh don't worry; you and your romantic entanglement won't be far away from each other…" chuckled Chaos Piedmon quietly. Kuzuhamon moved to leap back but the clown was faster and a blank card flew into her face. The clown chuckled quietly, "Ah, the Queen of Kuzuhamon…" Chaos Piedmon looked down at Valkyrimon. The swordswoman was trying to scoot back but with only one wrist she was moving very slowly. The clown slowly stalked forward and lifted a card. Valkyrimon disappeared in a flash of light. "The Jack of Valkyrimon….interesting…" The clown looked up and slowly walked to Anubismon. The godly digimon looked up meekly at the clown. He fell back in fear and the clown smiled softly, "'tis time…" Another card flashed down and Anubismon was caught up and Chaos Piedmon looked at the small piece of card board. "Awe, only the Ten of Anubismon…he was the weak side of this royal flush…"
The clown started to walk towards GaiOumon. He was humming again. The song was matching his footsteps in rhythm.
"Get away from him…" rasped Justimon. The cyborg struggled to his feet, "Get away from him…don't you think you've done enough?"
"Dear boy, one can't leave the audience hanging, it's not the ethical thing to do," replied the clown, "now if you will, the show must go on…"
"NO!" Justimon ran forward. He lifted his remaining arm and clenched his hand into a fist. "Leave him along!"
Justimon threw the punch, but Chaos Piedmon caught it in his hand as he deftly spun into the attack. Justimon was staring the clown in his white, face. The harlequin's red eyes shined quietly in the darkness.
"Now, dear boy, I've already ruptured one of your arms, do I need to do the same to the other…?" Chaos Piedmon said calmly with a confident smile on his lips, "because I can if you wish it…"
"I'll kill you…" growled Justimon as he pulled his hand back, but the clown held his grip.
"I doubt it," Chaos Piedmon replied, ice filled the clown's words. A white card flicked up in Chaos Piedmon's free hand. The clown pushed Justimon back and threw the card forward. He watched as the card fell to the ground and the image of Justimon, wearing a jester's hat and carrying the staff of a jester alighted on the earth, "Of course, the Joker, Justimon…" Chaos Piedmon picked up the card. He turned and smiled at GaiOumon. The samurai dragon grunted as he tried to move. The clown stepped forward. "Oh, don't get up for me; after all you are royalty…" Chaos Piedmon flicked a card down and laughed as GaiOumon was absorbed. "The King of GaiOumon…how fitting…" The clown stopped smiling and frowned, "but that is only six, there are still two more…now…" Chaos Piedmon flicked his hand out and a top hat appeared. The clown dropped the cards into the hat and rolled it over his fingers and it disappeared. "I best find them…"
The clown gently touched off of the earth and glided into the darkness. A slowly, rolling tune filled the air as he disappeared in the night sky.
888
I had at the beginning of this chapter envisioned it to go longer, but I think, the next chapter will be much more appropriate with the stuff as it is. The plot doth thicken. Oh, starting next week, there will probably not be an update for about a week, I'll be away, I'll try and push out a chapter by Monday…but…I may not. Oh, as to those digimon that didn't reappear from the forest post Chaos Piedmon…yeah…you can assume…DOA….sorry wasn't sure if I made it obvious enough or not.
Alforce: Well, Rosemon and her little clique were kind of on my bandwagon of bad guys, but not unredeemable bad guys. Rosemon is maybe the most evil, though LadyDevimon and Pajiramon run a close second and third. (That's why Pajiramon gets her neck snapped and LadyDevimon get ran through) I never thought of Bastemon as cruel, more of over-exuberantly playful with her prey…bit like a cat in that sense…Well, if Rosemon is the Rosemon from V-Tamer, which she is, in case some of you didn't get the memo, she's been a Mega Digimon since the rebuilding of this Digital World, which would put her at Piedmon's class of power, when he was a Dark Master, plus as she says she has the home field advantage. Yes it did miff me that WarGreymon got a lot of the killing blows, but this was more of a, need to work together thing to defeat the Chaos Master… (It happened with Metal Puppetmon Michelle + Mark's crest powers forming Magna Angemon and Anubismon taking strength from Valkyrimon to become uber Anubismon and smiting AndroDramon, this is not a clue of what will happen next chapter, because I haven't written next chapter, but I know what will happen, loosely)
Blue: I believe Zero returned to being a pendulum when the children returned to the Human World, Taichi watched the pendulum tournament, he couldn't compete due to the illegal nature of Zero's existence, with Rei and Zero made a short cameo at the end, in some form. Neo won the tournament though…but he was a reformed bad guy by then…
Dark Qiviut: I don't know if it will get much more interesting as the battle with Chaos Piedmon happens. It may, but you never know…