What's that coming over the horizon? Why it's another chapter, of course! Now it's Blanc's turn to get some of the spotlight. Before we can get on with the chapter, though, there are a few things I want to address.
First off, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving this year. Mine was okay, but not as eventful as the other times a few years in a row. Hopefully it'll be a little better next time. Secondly, I also want to apologize for the long wait for a new chapter. This wasn't intended to take so long, but I had a lot of things to do IRL. I was in the middle of relocating to a new house with my brother, and I haven't had a lot of time time to write my story, as I had been helping him out since moving in with him. After the move, I thought I'd wait a month or two before I get back to work on my story. Then, something unfortunate happened...
Without going into too much detail, a huge storm had hit where I lived, and everything was brought into a state of chaos. Houses were torn up (ironically mine survived, but we lost a plastic shed lol), power was out for 2 to 3 weeks, and me and my brother were pretty much caught flat-footed. We weren't even halfway prepared for the storm. Still, if it weren't for our generator, we wouldn't have made two weeks before our power came back. I don't want anyone to worry, though. We're quite alright now. We're just glad that things are returning to normal. Hopefully we'll be better prepared in the future. Now with that explanation out of the way, let's make a quick recap.
Blanc and Blucomon were last seen in a frozen wasteland called Frost Zone, unsure of where their friends are. Luckily for them, they managed to land in the ice Digimon's homeland, and he happens to know a friend who might be able to help the pair. But can they even find this ally before they turn into frozen popsicles? Well, I wouldn't be too worried about Blucomon. Blanc, on the other hand...
Well, I'm sure they'll be fine. Anyway, let's see how they're doing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or the Hyperdimension Neptunia series. Both franchises belong to their respective companies.
Chapter 32: Cold, But Gold
It had been at least two or three hours since both Blanc and Blucomon have entered the Digital World. They had been wondering how they got split up from their friends and if they were in the same situation as they were. Both of them could only hope that the others were having much better luck than they did, and if so, that everyone else was alright.
Right now, the pair were traveling through a cold wasteland of ice and snow called Frost Zone. This was Blucomon's homeland in the Digital World, a place similar to Lowee in terms of snow and temperature. However, the brown haired CPU noticed that it was a lot more cold than that of her home in Gameindustri. It was quite an interesting fact, but she wasn't too keen on turning into an icicle. Despite having a coat built for winter environments, the harsh winds were going right through her warm clothing. She shivered as she felt the freezing temperatures flow around her body. As they journeyed onward, Blanc moved closer to her partner.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?", she asked.
"We're on the right track. I know Frost Zone like the back of my claw", replied Blucomon.
"I hope you're right. I may be used to the winter cold, but the weather here is much more harsh than Lowee", the brown haired girl said.
As she said that, she felt a sneeze coming, and she was unable to hold it back. The noise from her sneeze made the ice Digimon stare back at her. Blanc just sniffed and shrugged it off.
"I'm fine...", she said.
"Are you sure? You know that you don't have your CPU powers, so-", said Blucomon before his partner interrupted him.
"I said I'm fine", Blanc said more sternly.
The ice Digimon simply blinked at her in surprise before continuing on his way, not wanting to push it further. Blucomon couldn't help but grow worried for the brown haired girl. He knew that the Lowee CPU could take care of herself with no trouble, with or without powers. In his mind, though, he could only hope that his partner wasn't just putting on an act and that she was feeling worse than what she letting on. Still, he would be there for her should she ever need his assistance.
Another hour had passed as they ventured onwards towards a snowy incline. Blanc could feel herself getting colder and colder with each minute as she trudged up the slope. Her coat was no longer helping her keep warm due to the intense cold. She was even shivering, but she tried her best to hide it from her partner. After about another few minutes of marching through the snow, the pair had reached the top of the incline. As they looked around for any signs of life, Blucomon perked up. It looked like he saw something.
"Look! We're almost there!", he exclaimed.
He then pointed to a clearing just down below the other side of the incline. Looking down, they could see some sort of an icy beach. There were many broken platforms of ice and snow near a sort of ocean. On the icy beach, there were many structures that looked like they were either igloos or huts. Blucomon jumped up in excitement.
"It's Iceberg Beach! This is where my friend lives! We're almost there! Let's go, Blanc!", he said.
The icy Digimon started to rush towards the direction of the snowy village. Then he turned back to see that the brown haired girl wasn't following him. This concerned him a bit.
"Blanc? Are you okay?", he inquired worriedly.
She couldn't respond even if she wanted to. She felt herself getting weak, and her vision started getting blurry. It felt like the air was getting more cold, and her legs felt heavy. Suddenly, she fell face first into the snow, alarming Blucomon. He rushed over to his partner, flipping her over face up.
"Blanc! What happened?! Stay with me! Blanc!", he shouted.
That was all the Lowee CPU heard before she blacked out...
Blanc groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, a bright light shining at her face. If she didn't know better, she would've thought that she had perished in the snow. Luckily, she could see that it wasn't the case. When her vision started to clear, the brown haired girl could see that she was in some sort of bedroom, wrapped in a warm blanket. There was a ceiling lamp, a small table, and the bed she was in was big enough to fit a single small human being. There was also what appeared to be a metal fireplace, complete with a long pipe connecting it to the wall. She could even see an entrance leading to the room that she was in. On top of that, all of the walls, floor, and ceiling looked like it was made of ice, like they were part of an igloo.
"Ugh... What happened...?", Blanc groaned.
She then went into a coughing fit for a bit before trying to remember what happened before she blacked out. The Lowee CPU remembered that she was on the top of the snowy hill with her partner Blucomon, and that the icy Digimon was calling out to her. That's where everything went blurry. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened afterwards. Did she pass out from the cold weather? And if so, did Blucomon carry her to this place? If he did, she owed him her thanks.
Blanc coughed again, a little louder than before. She felt her head hurt and clutch it with her hand, groaning in pain a little. Then, as the Lowee CPU held her head, she heard something coming into the room, as if checking to see what the noise was. Peering through the entrance, the brown haired girl could see that it was Blucomon. His face brightened up when he saw that his partner was awake.
"Blanc! You're okay! Hahaha!", the icy Digimon cheered.
He rushed over to her bed and hugged her tightly, his eyes a bit teary eyed. The Lowee CPU was very surprised by his hysterical outburst, but she couldn't help but return the hug back to her partner.
"I'm so glad you're okay! I thought you wouldn't wake up again!", the icy Digimon exclaimed.
"Hey, easy there, Blucomon. What's going on?", Blanc said, trying to calm him down.
"When we were near Iceberg Beach, you lost consciousness. You felt so cold I thought I'd lose you. But I knew you were tougher than that", Blucomon explained.
"She wouldn't have made it either if you didn't bring her over when you did, old buddy", said a voice.
The pair turned to look back at the entrance to find another being standing before them. They saw what looked like a small bird-like creature staring at them. It had a purple body with a white belly with purple markings, a pair of yellow eyes, and a yellow beak with a black tip. It also had two yellow feet with three red claws, a pair of flipper-like limbs with the same colored claws, and two antennae-like protrusions on it's head.
Blanc stared at the newcomer in surprise. She wondered if this was the friend that Blucomon had mentioned. Her train of thought was then broken by yet another cough. It was another few seconds of staring at each other before the bird-like creature spoke up.
"Ey, what the matter? You never seen a Penguinmon before?", he asked.
"Huh?", said the Lowee CPU.
"Allow me to introduce you", said Blucomon. "This is Penguinmon, a long-time friend of mine. He lives here in Iceberg Beach, catching digi-fishies every day."
"No autographs or photos, please. I'm just a Digimon making an honest living", said Penguinmon happily.
He outstretched one of his limbs to the CPU, offering what appears to be a handshake of sorts. Blanc reached out to him and responded in kind, grasping his flipper lightly and shaking it.
"I'm Blanc, a CPU from Gameindustri. Pleased to meet you", she said.
"Gameindustri? I never heard of that place", said the bird-like Digimon.
"It's another world that she's from. I was just about to explain the whole thing to you", said Blucomon.
"How's about we chat over my Digi-Fish Soup? Nice and warm too. C'mon", Penguinmon said.
He then waddled through the entrance, signaling the pair to follow him. Both the icy Digimon and the Lowee CPU decided to accept his offer to join him and walk behind him. Slowing getting out of the small bed, Blanc coughed a bit as she started to move around. Her felt her legs shake, and her arms were trembling a bit as well.
"How long was I out?", she asked.
"You've been passed out for about the whole day. You would've turned into a digi-popsicle if Blucomon hadn't saved you", Penguinmon explained.
"I see. Thanks, Blucomon", said the brown haired girl, smiling at the icy Digimon.
"No problem! I don't know what I'd do without you", Blucomon replied.
The three then reached another room. It looked like a small mixture of a dining area and a kitchen. There was a small dining table in the middle of the room, while at the far end, a small metal stove stood underneath a cabinet. They could see that there was a pot on the stove, and that was a bit of steam coming from it. The brown haired girl assumed that Penguinmon was still in the middle of cooking when she woke up. Nearby was a refrigerator, to which Blanc wondered why one would need a refrigerator in the middle of a frozen wasteland. Waddling up to the dining table, Penguinmon pulled out a chair, offering a seat for the Lowee CPU.
"Have a seat and I'll bring in the soup momentarily", he said.
"Of course. Thank you... *COUGH!*", Blanc replied before coughing.
She then sat down and moved up to the table, while Blucomon took his own seat. Penguinmon then walked over to the stove and then reached up towards the cabinet. Opening the cabinet doors, he then pulled out three bowls of the same size, along with a big serving spoon. Next, he turned to the heated pot and pulled the top off, then the bird-like Digimon placed the serving spoon in what seemed to be the soup that he had been cooking. Using the spoon, he poured a good portion into each bowl until they were all filled. After that, he grabbed three spoons and then took the bowls of soup over to the pair, who were waiting patiently.
"Here you go! Digi-Fish Soup, freshly made. Nice and warm, too", said Penguinmon.
He handed a bowl to Blanc and Blucomon, who thanked him for his hospitality. Then he took a seat and sat at the table with his own bowl. The Lowee CPU stared at here soup. It looked different than any that she had seen before in Gameindustri. Then again, this was the Digital World, so of course things would be different.
"Go on. It won't bite", said the bird-like Digimon.
The brown haired girl wasn't what to make of it what first. She wasn't sure if it was palatable for human consumption. Seeing Blucomon dig in, though, made her stomach growl. In the end, she took her spoon and blew on the soup a bit, making sure it was not too hot to eat. Then she placed the bit of soup in her mouth and tasted it. Her face widened in surprise as her taste buds lit up. Swallowing the soup, she sighed with satisfaction.
"It tastes good. You're quite the cook. Impressive work", said Blanc.
"Thank you. Help yourself to as much as you like. After all, a friend of Blucomon is a friend of mine", Penguinmon replied.
Blanc smiled at this. She never knew that there were Digimon who had such friendly manners and neighborly hospitality. She was lucky that she and Blucomon were able to run into a Digimon like Penguinmon. She gladly dined on more of the soup, tasing more of it's texture.
"I'm sure it'll help make you feel a lot better after being in that freezing weather", the bird-like Digimon continued.
"My thoughts exactly. Is it alright if we stay here for a while? At least until we figure where we'll be going from here?", Blanc asked politely.
"Of course! But you still haven't told me how you got here in the first place", said Penguinmon.
As they dined on their soup, both Blanc and Blucomon explained in detail their situation to the bird-like Digimon, who listened on with amazement and awe. They told him how the brown haired girl was one of many CPUs from a world called Gameindustri, and how they were protectors of their world. Then they explained how the pair had met, from how the icy Digimon ended up in the Lowee CPU's world to how they defended Gameindustri from other Digimon who threatened to cause all sorts of havoc, such as SkullSatamon and the D-Brigade.
As the pair went on, they also explained how they ended up in the Digital World, only to be separated from their allies due to an elaborate trap that was set to trigger the moment they entered a portal leading out of a pocket dimension, which led to their current predicament. Penguinmon could only stare and listen on to the pair as he ate his soup. He was confused by some of the details, but he started to make sense of what was going on. He was even sure that they had quite an adventure so far. When the pair finished their explanation, he wasn't sure of what to say at first, but after taking another slurp of his soup, he finally spoke up.
"I see. No wonder I couldn't find you anywhere, Blucomon", said Penguinmon.
"You were looking for me?", the Digimon in question asked.
"Yeah. When you disappeared without a trace, I tried looking for you as best I could", the bird-like Digimon explained. "But I had rotten luck, you see. I even tried looking for you at the edges of the Frost Zone, but you were nowhere to be found. For all I knew, I thought you were sent to some place that you would melt at."
"Well there's no need to worry now, cause I'm back now. And it's thanks to Blanc that we made it this far", said Blucomon.
"Hey, stop that. Praising me like that feel embarrassing", said the Lowee CPU.
"If you ask me, though, I say it's because you two work well together as a team", Penguinmon remarked.
"You really think so?", the pair asked.
"Yep! If you two got this far together, then you're pretty much a perfect match. But that alone wont be enough", said the bird-like Digimon.
"What do you mean by by that?", Blucomon asked.
"If you guys are really up against these D-Brigade guys, you won't be able to beat the way you are now", stated Penguinmon.
"Hey! We got through some tough scraps so far!", the icy Digimon exclaimed.
"Are you saying we're not good enough?", Blanc inquired.
"What I'm saying is that your teamwork alone won't be enough to help you out. You also need to have something to strive for. Something that keeps ya going. Something that's worth fighting for. You know what I mean?", Penguinmon said.
The Lowee CPU stared into space for a moment and thought about what the bird-like Digimon had said. Was he truly right? Is teamwork alone not enough to help her and her friends? And if so, what else is there? What else is there that's worth fighting for? She thought about her friends, her sisters, even her own world. None of them, however, didn't seem quite right to her. The brown haired girl thought that there was probably something more to it than that, something that she may have missed. As she thought more on this, she started to go in a coughing fit again.
"Easy there. You don't really have to answer right away. It's something you have to find for yourselves", said Penguinmon.
"Something to find for ourselves, eh?", Blanc thought.
"Hey, how about this? When your feeling better, why don't I give you a tour of Iceberg Beach?", the bird-like Digimon offered.
The Lowee CPU turned to Blucomon, who looked at her with expectancy. Then she turned her gaze back to Penguinmon and smiled.
"Sure. I guess we can spare the time", said Blanc.
"Yay! There's so much to show you around here, Blanc!", cheered the icy Digimon.
"Hehe. Alright, finish up your soup and get some rest. Night's approaching, and I don't think you want to be up during the coldest time in Frost Zone", said Penguinmon.
"Alright. And thanks again for helping us", said Blanc.
"Ah, no problem. I'll grab some extra blankets for ya," Penguinmon replied.
He then got up from his seat and waddled out of the room to go find some warm blankets, while both Blanc and Blucomon resumed with their soup. As the brown haired girl started to finish her dish, she wondered what would await for them tomorrow or when her cough would get better. Whatever the case, the only think thing she could hope for right now is getting well soon. After finishing her soup, she went back to the bedroom she woke up in and laid down to rest, eventually falling asleep for the rest of the day.
Later that night, out in the cold wastes of the Frost Zone, the cold winds howled and the snow blew hard. Hardly anyone who was out in the snow could see anything past their face. However, there was one thing that would pierce the darkness of the night. A faint blue glow could be seen in the distance, moving forward through the snow. Marching through the drifts, a humanoid being whose body was entirely covered in blue flames wandered across the landscape, burning imprints of his tracks in the white fields.
A disgruntled look had formed on the fiery being's face. Despite the glow of his blue flaming body illuminating the world around him, it wasn't quite enough to give him a clear way forward. It was quite frustrating to not know where he was going. As his temper started to grow, the flames around his body slowly flared up, intensifying the glow emitted from his body.
"Grrr, what a lousy night for some miserable weather! What's a Digimon gotta do to get some data here, eh?", said the fiery being.
As he pressed on, he started to notice something in the distance. In the darkness, he could make out a few buildings past his own light. Judging by the placements of the structures, he had reason to believe that there was a small village just a short distance away. The burning blue humanoid smirked deviously, a sinister idea taking place in his mind.
"Well, what do we have here?", he pondered aloud. "Hehehe! Looks like I got some quick and easy pickings, ripe for the taking..."
His body burned brighter with excitement. The very thought of heading to the village with devious intent made the flames surrounding his body melt some of the snow. Suddenly, the melting snow started to freeze up again, turning into hardened ice. The ice spread across more of the snow, creating a wide patch of frozen land.
"Though it's a little on the small side... Still, it's not like anyone will miss it. Hehehehehe!", the burning humanoid laughed.
He then marched onward once more towards the small buildings, plotting a scheme that would possibly put the small village in grave danger...
The next morning, it was a little less cold than the day prior. The snowstorm had passed, and the tiny village of Iceberg Beach had started to stir again. Blanc and Blucomon had a nice night's rest in Penguinmon's home. After having a nice breakfast, the bird-like Digimon decided to give the pair a tour of the village. The pair could see some other Penguinmons just like their guide. However they were not quite like their friend that helped them. Still, Blanc could see that they were nice Digimon, and some even waved at her and her partner, while both of them waved back.
The brown haired girl was quite amazed by the lifestyle of the small village. Some of the buildings were either made entirely of ice much like igloos, or they were a mixture of other materials like wood or metal. There were even a few small stands that looked like shops. They mostly offered frozen food or preservatives. She even saw one that looked like it offered popsicles. Blanc was quite impressed that these Digimon could live like this in such harsh conditions.
"This village is quite a nice place. Although it doesn't seem like much", she commented.
"It may not be a big place, but our village of Iceberg Beach is a place where anyone who wants to be here is welcome to call this place home", said Penguinmon.
"It's true. I stayed here myself for quite some time before ending up in your world", added Blucomon.
"Yeah. Whether they're from Frost Zone or not, we'll always provide hospitality to those who need it", the bird-like Digimon continued.
"Even for a human like me?", Blanc asked.
"Of course! Digimon or not, we like newcomers", Penguinmon said. "Plus, it also helps us out whenever people comes by for trade, though not many come for that either."
"Yeah. The Frost Zone isn't exactly inviting to those who can't stand the cold, especially this far out", stated Blucomon.
"I can understand. Some parts of my homeland, Lowee, aren't exactly what you call 'hospitable.' But we still choose to live our lives there as normally as can like anywhere else", Blanc commented.
As the three marched on, the three heard a scream coming from up ahead. This startled them and everyone else who was in earshot of the scream. Sensing that trouble might be brewing, both Blanc and Blucomon rushed towards the direction of the scream.
"Hey! Wait for me, you two!", Penguinmon exclaimed as he waddled after the pair.
After a few seconds of running, the pair reached the spot where the scream occurred. Near the edge of the village, they could see a few other Penguinmon trying to help out another creature. It was big and was entirely as white as the snow, and it had what looked like two red buttons on its chest. It also had big arms and legs, as well as a pair of black eyes and a nose of the same color, and short ears. It looked like a mix between a snowman and a bear.
As the pair approached the scene, they could see that the creature of the snow looked like he was hurt. There were burn marks and other injuries all over it. They were shocked by what they seen, while the Penguinmons were scrambling to help it out any way they can.
"Someone get him some help! He's hurt! Frigimon's been hurt badly!", a Peguinmon exclaimed.
Blanc pulled out her Digivice, then she started scanning the injured Digimon. Soon a holographic image of the creature appeared from her device, displaying some information.
"Frigimon, a Champion level Digimon whose Sub-Zero Ice Punch will give you more than a cold shoulder if you cross him", said Blanc.
"He's a friendly Digimon who stops by our village sometimes to help us out or bring us some extra food. But who would want to hurt him?", said Penguinmon worriedly.
Blucomon went over to the fallen Frigimon, who was still conscious, but still hurting badly.
"Hey, can you hear me? What happened? Who attacked you?", the ice Digimon asked frantically.
"P... Please... run... away... He's coming... to... to... destroy us...", said Frigimon before he fell into unconsciousness.
Everyone who was around just stared on in utter shock. Just who would be so cruel as to attack a Digimon that was a friend of the Penguinmons? The answer was about to make itself known. A sinister laughter sounded out, catching the attention of everyone that was in earshot. Looking towards the direction of the laughter, they could all see a blue glow moving towards the village. When the glow got closer, both Blanc and Blucomon could make out a shape. It looked like a humanoid covered in blue fire all over his body. He was smiling through his stitched mouth and his red eyes burned brightly in the glow of his burning body.
"Well, looks like your friend over there isn't doing too good. I'd say he's a little hot under the weather. Or was that cold? It's hard to tell the difference sometimes, but they all burn and freeze all the same! Hahahahahaha!", the flaming humanoid cackled loudly.
The pair looked back towards the unconscious Frigimon, who was now being dragged to safety by the Penguinmons, then they angrily turned their gaze back to the blue burning being. Judging by his tone and maniacal laughter, they could easily deduce that he was the one behind the attack on Frigimon. But why? Pointing her Digivice at the flaming creature, she scanned the newcomer, then a holographic image appeared with information.
"BlueMeramon, a wicked flame Digimon who can somehow manipulate both hot and cold temperatures. Oh no... He's an Ultimate level!", Blanc exclaimed.
"Hey! What's the big idea, hurting Frigimon like that?! He's done nothing to you!", Blucomon growled.
"He got in my way, so I thought I'd give him a bit of the cold shoulder. But never mind him. I'm here for your village", said BlueMeramon.
"Our village? What could you possibly want with our home?", said the Penguinmon who helped Blanc and Blucomon.
"Why, for a nice heaping helping of data, of course. I got to keep my fire burning, after all, and the only way to do that is to acquire a large amount of data. And I think ransacking this place will do just nicely", said the blue burning Digimon.
"But you can't! This is our home! We'll have nowhere to go!", said the bird-like Digimon.
"Not my problem if you decide to stay. Besides, the more fuel to the fire, the better!", said BlueMeramon.
His fists then started to glow in bright intensity as flames started to swirl around. A cold feeling swept over everyone's shoulders, and it wasn't just the weather in the Frost Zone. It was more of a feeling of dread and impending doom as the burning Digimon was preparing to attack. He had his sights set on some of the buildings, as well as some of the Penguinmons who were still there. Suddenly, both Blanc and Blucomon rushed right in front of him, blocking his line of fire. BlueMeramon squinted down at the pair, annoyed by their defiance.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of my way", he said.
"Not a chance. These are our friends, and we won't let you harm them or their home!", Blucomon exclaimed.
"He's right. They took us in during a blizzard yesterday, and we'll be damned if we don't return the kindness", added Blanc.
"Ha! Don't start thinking you can beat me, little boy. Unless of course you want a nice taste of frostbite", the blue flaming Digimon said .
A vein mark appeared on Blanc's head, and a dark veil cast over her eyes as they glowed red with fury. Blucomon looked at his partner with worry.
"Uh oh. Here we go again...", said the ice Digimon.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A LITTLE BOY?! I'M A FREAKING GIRL, YOU BURNING PIECE OF TRASH!", the CPU yelled angrily, her anger now exploding into a rage.
With that said, she summoned her hammer and rushed at BlueMeramon, who was surprised by her sudden aggressiveness and burst of speed. Swinging down fast and hard, Blanc slammed her hammer down right on top of the flaming Digimon's head, an audible "Bang!" sound ringing out to those whose heard it. Everyone was in shock and awe at what had just transpired, even Penguinmon, who was amazed by the brown haired girl's might. Even without her powers as a CPU, Blanc was still able to wield such strength. Either that, or it was the sudden rage at being called a "boy."
"So this is the strength of a CPU? Remind me not to get on her bad side!", Penguinmon thought.
The sudden and powerful attack left BlueMeramon dazed and surprised. He staggered backwards, and he was almost certain that he was seeing stars. As soon as he came out of his stupor, the blue fiery Digimon shook his head and felt nothing but pain, a throbbing headache forming as a result from the hammer blow. His anger then boiled as his flaming body started flaring up in intensity.
"Arrgh! Alright, I was going to save you for last, but just for that, you'll go first!",BlueMeramon roared.
"Bring it on, you flaming turkey!", Blanc exclaimed.
"We'll take you on together!", added Blucomon.
Penguinmon saw that a battle was about to erupt in the village. This was not, however, what he and the others would have in mind. He felt that if things got out of hand now, parts of the village, or perhaps even the entirety of it, would be destroyed in the process. Something had to be done, and quickly. Then, an idea formed in the bird-like Digimon's mind. Waddling quickly, Penguinmon got in between the three before their battle could ensue.
"Please, wait! There's no need for this to result in violence!", he exclaimed.
"And why should we bother listening to you?", BlueMeramon inquired.
"In case you didn't notice, your village is in danger of this psychopath", stated Blanc.
"And we're the only ones who might be able to stop him!", said Blucomon.
"In our land, we settle disputes in a more civilized manner", said the bird-like Digimon.
The group all just stared at him as if he had gone mad. They had no idea what he was talking about. This moment of confusion would not remain for long, however...
After a few painstaking minutes of trying to convince them to listen and follow him, Penguinmon lead Blanc, Blucomon, and BlueMeramon to a nearby ice cave that was close to the village. They were puzzled as to why they were lead there. When they entered inside, everyone could see that the cave was much more spacious than it looked like on the outside.
"Woah! What is this place?", Blucomon asked aloud.
Inside the cave was a pair of racks that held a series of disc-like objects with handles, each varying of shape and size. There was also a long yellow line just a few feet away, stretching from one side of the ice cave to the other. Past the yellow line, in the center of the cave, there was a large blue circular ring, and in the center of the ring was another circle with the word "GOOD!" on it. At the end of the cave was another pair of circles. On the left circle was yet another "GOOD!" zone, while the one on the right had the word "BAD!" written on it. Judging by what everyone was seeing, it seemed like some sort of room for a certain sport.
"Welcome to our Digimon Ice Curling Arena!", said Penguinmon excitedly.
"Digimon Ice Curling? I don't have time for games, bird brain", said BlueMeramon.
"Now hold on, this is not just a game", said the bird-like Digimon. "This is a time honored, traditional sport that any Digimon is able to enjoy! It's also a good and friendly way to settle arguments and disputes instead of fighting."
"I've heard of ice curling before. We have a similar sport in Lowee", said Blanc.
"Bah! I don't see what's so special about this. I just feel like fighting! And what makes you think I'm willing to play this?", said BlueMeramon angrily.
"Well, think of the bragging rights, for one thing. Plus, we're offering a challenge to you. You have to accept!", Penguinmon said.
"Oh? And just what are your terms then, should I be willing to accept your so-called 'challenge?'", the burning humanoid Digimon inquired.
"If we win, you'll leave our village alone", Penguinmon explained. "But if we lose... you can do with our village however you see fit."
"What?!", Blanc exclaimed.
"Penguinmon! You can't be serious! Please, don't go through with this!", Blucomon protested.
"Hehehe. Well, since you put it that way, I accept your challenge", said BlueMeramon deviously. "I'll prove that I'm better than you lot, and then I'll destroy you all."
Both the CPU and the ice Digimon were worried. The look in the flaming Digimon's eyes told them that he might not keep his word even if he loses. And even then, they weren't sure if they could be able to stop BlueMeramon if he were to go on a rampage. He was an Ultimate, after all, and Blanc's Digimon partner has not reached that level yet. The fact that they didn't have any of the other CPUs and their Digimon for backup didn't help either. They were at a loss at what to do. As they were trying to think of a plan, Penguinmon spoke up again.
"And these two will be your challengers", he said, referring to both Blanc and Blucomon.
"Huh?!", they both exclaimed.
"These two? Ha! I'm not afraid of them", said BlueMeramon.
"But we don't even know how to play this sport", said Blanc.
"Don't worry. I'll explain the rules just before we begin, so pay attention.
Blanc just stared back at BlueMeramon, who just grinned sinisterly and made a swiping motion across with his thumb across his neck. The Lowee CPU was never usually worried about any situation, but this was different. Usually with her powers as a CPU, she could possibly mop the floor with the flaming Digimon with the help of her partner Blucomon. But this was the Digital World, not Gameindustri, and there was no Share Energy for her to use to become a Goddess. Though she showed a brave face, deep down she was nervous.
"I don't know about this. I'm not sure if we can win this. And even then, if that punk decides to break his word...", she thought.
Blucomon could see the look of worry in her eyes. He placed his hand on his partner's leg, causing Blanc to turn her gaze upon him.
"Don't worry. We can do it. We'll show this hot head what we're made of!", the ice Digimon said reassuringly.
The brown haired girl looked on with awe, her confidence rebuilding. She then nodded, smiling with her friend.
"Yeah. Let's do it!", she said.
"Then it's settled!", said Penguinmon. "Choose your pucks and get ready. The match is about to begin!"
"You losers are going down, cold and hard. Hahahaha!", BlueMeramon laughed.
The three split up to the two racks that held the series of curling stones. One side had blue markings, while the other had red markings. Blanc and Blucomon picked the blue stones, leaving BlueMeramon to choose red. After gathering a random set of five stones of different sizes, the three stepped behind the yellow line. Penguinmon then cleared his throat, preparing to explain the rules of the match.
"Each player will stand behind the yellow line. You must toss your stones on the ice without going over the line yourself, and get the highest score as you can. If your stone stops somewhere in the blue ring, you will get one point. If your stone stops on one of the 'GOOD!' zones, you'll get two points. That's where you'll want to aim for the most. But watch out, for if you land on the 'BAD!' zone, you'll lose two points. If your stone exits either the blue ring or one of the "GOOD!" zones, you'll also lose whatever points you had for that zone. You can also knock each others stones around or out of the way, but you may also knock your own stones in the process, so be careful."
"So almost anything goes in terms of scoring. Though I have a feeling that BlueMeramon will have something up his sleeve...", Blanc thought.
As she glanced at the blue flaming Digimon, she noticed that one of the pucks he had looked like it had four stubs on it.
"Is there something wrong with one of his stones?", she wondered.
"Each of your stones vary in shape and size", Penguinmon continued. "The grey stones are your standard puck, so it has a balanced weight and speed. The white stones are flat, so they're not that heavy. It doesn't take much force to make them go fast or be easily pushed by other stones. The black stones, however, are the exact opposite. They're fat, heavy, and hard to toss fast. But that also makes them harder to be knocked away by other stones. There was one more other curling stone I should mention, but I completely forgot what it was. Well, I'm sure it won't impact the game too much. So with that out of the way, let the Digimon Ice Curling match begin!"
Blanc and Blucomon took a quick look at their stones, as well as the ones that BlueMeramon had. They had one black stone, two whites and two greys, while the flaming humanoid Digimon had three greys and two whites. The Lowee CPU cursed herself silently that she may have chosen wrong with her selection of stones, but she knew there was no turning back now. She and her partner have to win this match if they ever hope to protect Penguinmon's village. As soon as the match started, BlueMeramon made his first turn.
"This'll be a cakewalk. Yaa!", he said, tossing one of the grey stones he had.
The stone slide across the ice floor at a steady pace, aimed for the "GOOD!" zone within the blue ring. Blanc and her Digimon noticed that the stone he threw was the one that had the four strange stubs on it. They had no clue why it had them, but they were soon about to find out. The stone started to slow down to a crawl as it entered the blue ring. Soon it slowed to a snails pace, eventually stopping on the center "GOOD!" zone, earning BlueMeramon two points. The instant the stone stopped, however, the four stubs on the stone sprouted out and stuck themselves to the ice floor, holding the stone permanently in place. Both Blanc and Blucomon were shocked and outraged by what they saw.
"Hey! That's cheating!", the brown haired girl exclaimed.
"Yeah! You never said anything about that in the rules!", added Blucomon, scolding the bird-like Digimon.
"Oh yeah. I figured that was the stone I forgot about", said Penguinmon. "Unfortunately, we're still trying to outlaw that type of curling stone so it's still legal to use..."
BlueMeramon laughed as the Lowee CPU and the ice Digimon scowled under their breath. They could not believe that he now had a permanent two-point advantage over them, and there was nothing they could do about it. The pair, however, were not willing to stoop to his level, even if it meant having a disadvantage in the process. Now it was their turn to make a move.
"Why don't you do it, Blanc? I don't exactly have the arm strength for it", said Blucomon.
"Alright. Here goes something...", Blanc replied.
She was now holding her one and only black stone that she picked. She felt that she wanted to get it out of the way due to its heavy weight. She also figured that BlueMeramon would have a bit of trouble moving it out of the way if he decided to bump it. Observing the field in front of her, it seemed to Blanc that there was enough space to wedge her stone next to the flaming Digimon's stone and get two points. She readies her throw.
"Go for it, Blanc!", Blucomon cheered her on.
"Let's hope all those games of Lowee Bowl with Ram and Rom paid off... Haa!", said the brown haired girl.
She threw her stone across the ice with great strength, but with it's heavy weight, it doesn't take long for it to start slowing down. It skids into the blue ring before inching ever close to the "GOOD!" zone. Blanc sweated a bit as the heavy stone started to come to a stop, just barely touching BlueMeramon's stone. Finally, it came to rest in the center zone.
"That's two points for Blanc and Blucomon. The score is now even", said Penguinmon.
"Yeah! Way to go, Blanc!", said the ice Digimon.
"Hmph. Big deal. You haven't won yet", BlueMeramon snorted.
Now it was his turn to score. He picked out a second grey stone and started to take aim. As soon as he was ready, he threw his stone on to the ice. The angle he aimed his was directed at one of the ice walls. Both Blanc and Blucomon were puzzled as to why he would do such a thing, but they were about to find out why. The stone slide its way towards the wall, then bounces off and keeps going. Now it was going in another direction, towards the blue ring. The stone slowed down, soon coming to a stop inside the blue ring. The burning humanoid Digimon was now one point ahead of the pair again.
"That makes one point. Three points for BlueMeramon, two points for Blanc and Blucomon", Penguinmon announced.
"Beat that", said the blue flaming Digimon.
The pair was a bit stunned by his move, but Blanc quickly figured out what had happened. Looking back at the field, she surmised what had transpired.
"Now I get it. Because of the way his pegged stone is permanently placed, he has to angle his stones in a way so that he can get as close to the center mark as possible. Luckily, he didn't come close. Still, not a bad strategy...", she thought.
"We can't let a pushover like him beat us!", said Blucomon.
"Watch your tongue, little guy. I can flash freeze you and your friend anytime, you know", BlueMeramon threatened.
"Just try it. But you'll have to go through me first", hissed the icy Digimon.
Both he and the blue burning Digimon growled at each other, staring down one another. Fearing that a fight was about to break out, Penguinmon got in between them before things got out of hand.
"No! There will be no violence in this match! You will not tarnish this sport over a petty grudge!", he said.
Both Blucomon and BlueMeramon just stared at each other before turning away from each other with a "Hmph!" and moving back to their respective positions. Blanc placed a hand on his head.
"Let it go, Blucomon. We won't stoop to his level. We'll beat him in this game, and we'll do it without resorting to any cheap tactics", she said.
Her partner Digimon looked up at her and nodded, know that she was right. They can beat him if they just give it their all. As the pair prepared for their next turn, the bird-like Digimon watched them and their opponent from the sideline. He wondered if he had made a mistake in counting on the pair with winning this sport. He was getting the impression that BlueMeramon would not be willing to play nice after all. Unfortunately, all he can do was to watch on as the game moves forward. Penguinmon had to put his faith in both Blanc and his friend Blucomon.
Now it was time for the pair to take their turn. Blanc held a grey stone in her hands. Noticing that their opponent hasn't made a move for the other "GOOD!" mark yet, she decided to take advantage of the opportunity. She readied herself, preparing her throw as she focused on the far away mark. Then she makes her move.
"Yaa!", the CPU shouted.
She tossed her stone on the ice, its speed going near full force. If Blanc had any hope of reaching the far away "GOOD!" zone, she had to throw a little harder than she did previously. The stone sped towards the mark, slowing down when it got near. However, it wasn't slow enough to stop completely, as it ran over the intended destination. Both Blanc and Blucomon almost had an internal panic attack, but another look showed that it was going to hit the wall. Bouncing off, the stone slowly moved back towards the zone. Finally, it came to a stop on top of the "GOOD!" zone. The pair sighed in relief, much to BlueMeramon's annoyance.
"Two points go to Blanc and Blucomon. That's four points for them, and three points for BlueMeramon", shouted Penguinmon.
"That was close", said Blucomon.
"Yeah. I've got to get a grip on this sport...", added Blanc. four points for them, and three points for BlueMeramon."
It was now the burning humanoid Digimon's turn. With his last grey stone in hand, he had a plan in mind. He aimed for his other grey stone in the blue ring area. Taking aim, he released his grey stone as it slid on the ice. He didn't throw it as hard as Blanc did, so it slowly sped into the blue ring area. The stone then bumped into the other one, the force pushing it into the center "GOOD!" zone. The other stone soon stopped in the blue ring area. Now he had two stones in the center zone, and one stone within the blue ring.
"And that's two more point's for BlueMeramon", said Penguinmon. "The score is now five points for BlueMeramon, and four points for Blanc and Blucomon."
"Hehehe! At this rate, you'll be history!", the blue flaming Digimon chuckled triumphantly.
"We're not done yet. We'll win this no matter what", said Blanc.
Now holding one of her white stones, Blanc readied her next throw. With the speed that it offered, she had to be careful how hard she makes her toss. She also considered tossing her stone at BlueMeramon's stone in the blue ring, but decided against it. Though she would be able to make the blue flaming Digimon lose a point, he would possibly retaliate with a stone of his own, and with the way it is positioned, he could potentially knock her stone into the "BAD!" zone. In the end, she decided to go for another two points. Tossing her white stone as gently as she could, she aimed for the far away "GOOD!" zone again. The Lowee CPU managed to get lucky as the stone stopped right next to her grey stone on the zone.
"Blanc and Blucomon gain two points, and are now ahead with six points", Penguinmon announced.
"Pah! You'll never win! Not while I have anything to say about it!", BlueMeramon exclaimed.
He then grabbed a white stone and then took aim, this time at Blanc's stones on the far away "GOOD!" zone. He was going to attempt to knock them off and make her and her Digimon lose points. Furiously, he threw his tone almost at full force, causing his stone to speed off across the ice. Bouncing off the side wall, it rushed its way towards the direction of the mark. Both Blanc and Blucomon looked on with horror in their eyes as they witnessed one of their stones get bashed by his white stone. The hit caused it to slow down and stop on the "GOOD!" zone. As for Blanc's stone, it stopped outside of the zone. Now BlueMeramon was ahead of them again.
"Two points for BlueMeramon", said Penguinmon. "That makes seven for him, while Blanc and Blucomon have four."
"Oh no!" the Lowee CPU exclaimed.
"You see that? You can't best an Ultimate level Digimon like me", the burning humanoid Digimon said fiendishly.
"We can't give up yet. C'mon, Blanc, work up a miracle!", Blucomon said, trying to encourage his partner.
The brown haired girl looked towards her partner as he said this. Although she was now worried about losing, a part of her told her to snap out of it. Her partner was right. They had to win this no matter what the odds were.
"We have to win this. But what can we do? That cold hearted pyromaniac isn't not about to let us get a win. Blucomon's right. We DO need a miracle", the CPU thought.
It was Blanc's turn again. Picking her second white stone, she took aim. She was going to bounce it off the wall at the end of the field, thus making it so that her stone will end up in the center "GOOD!" zone. The brown haired girl tossed her stone, its speed carrying it across the ice. It went past the blue ring area, then towards the rear wall, bouncing off of it, and finally coming back into the blue ring. Slowly it crawled into the center zone, coming to a complete stop just shortly after, barely getting in between both it and the blue ring area.
"Two points again! Six points for Blanc and Blucomon, seven points for BlueMeramon", the bird-like Digimon said.
"We almost have it, Blanc! We can do it!", the icy Digimon cheered on.
"Hear that, hot head? Once we win, you will leave Penguinmon's village alone", said Blanc.
BlueMeramon growled angrily at the two of them. He was now starting to worry that he was going to get beaten, by a human no less. He could see the look of determination in their eyes. His body started to flare up again as his anger boiled over. He was not about to let the pair defeat him in this sport, and he too was determined to win no matter what it takes.
"You will not beat me! I'll do away with you all after I beat you here!", the blue flaming Digimon hissed.
Both teams now had only one stone remaining. BlueMeramon still had one last white stone, while Blanc and her Digimon had one more grey stone. The outcome of the match now hinged on whichever stone gets the higher number. Still seething with fury, BlueMeramon held his last white stone, resorting to try and knock off one of Blanc's stones again. Both the Lowee CPU and her Digimon could only watch as their opponent was about to win He geared up, ready to throw at full force.
"This farce ends here and- Bwuah?!", he exclaimed.
As he got ready to throw his stone, the blue flaming Digimon suddenly slipped and fell flat on the icy floor, causing him to drop his stone, right on to the field. Horrified, he could only watch as his stone slid across the ice to nowhere in particular, eventually stopping in the middle of open space, in a spot between the "GOOD!" and "BAD!" zones.
"Oh dear! Tough luck for BlueMeramon!", said Penguinmon.
"No! This can't be!", the burning humanoid Digimon said.
This was the moment both Blanc and Blucomon was waiting for, the "miracle" they were hoping for. There was nothing that the burning humanoid Digimon could do to stop them now. The pair now had a chance to win the game.
"Go it, Blanc! Do it now!", said her partner.
"This is it! Yaaa!", Blanc exclaimed.
Taking aim at BlueMeramon's lonely stone, she tossed her grey stone, intent on bumping it into the "BAD!" zone. Sweat start t drip down on everyone's face as the stone slid its way towards its target. This toss would determine the outcome of the match. Though it started to slow down, it managed to bump into the blue flaming Digimon's stone, pushing it towards the "BAD!" zone. Slowly it inched its way to its destination, while everyone watch on, anxious to see the results. At last, the stone came to a complete stop, right on top of the zone. BlueMeramon's jaw dropped, his stitched mouth almost coming undone.
"Nooo!", he exclaimed angrily.
"BlueMeramon has lost two points!", announced Penguinmon excitedly. "And with no more stones to use for each team, the final score is six points for Blanc and Blucomon, and five points for BlueMeramon! Both Blanc and Blucomon win the match by one point!"
The pair cheered loudly, giving each other a high five. They had won a game of Digimon Curling against an Ultimate level Digimon, ensuring that their friend Penguinmon would be able to keep his village. Meanwhile, the burning humanoid Digimon was fuming with rage.
"I do not accept this! I was tripped! Something had tripped my leg!", he exclaimed.
"Tough luck, pal. Don't go making excuses for yourself", said Blanc.
"Yeah. Don't be a sore loser. Just hold your end of the deal and leave my friend and his village alone", added Blucomon.
Suddenly, BlueMeramon roared furiously, his burning body glowing and his flames growing bigger. He was now beyond angry, and his red eyes glowed with intensity.
"Never! The deal's off. I will not admit defeat to the likes of you. Especially if there aren't any 'witnesses' that know about it...", he said sinisterly.
Everyone could not believe it. He never intended on keeping his word to begin with. BlueMeramon was dead set on laying waste to everyone and everything that got in his way, including them. They could not believe that there was a Digimon who had no sense of honor whatsoever. As they continued to look on in shock, the blue burning Digimon's fists started to glow brightly. He was gearing up for an attack.
"Everyone, run for it!", exclaimed Penguinmon.
They all quickly ran for their lives, trying to escape BlueMeramon's wrath. As they exited the cave, the burning humanoid Digimon roared as he unleashed a blast of superheated cold flames inside the arena, either flash freezing or melting anything and everything within the vicinity. The three managed to escape successfully, but now they were out in the open snow. It wouldn't be long before BlueMeramon would come after them.
"Can I count on you two to stop him before he destroys us and my village?", Penguinmon asked the pair.
"You bet! We're not gonna let him bully us around", said his friend Blucomon.
"That's right. Now it's time we play by our rules", added Blanc.
With that said, Penguinmon retreated to a safe location away from the battle zone. Afterwards, BlueMeramon exited out of the cave, his blue burning body emitting a fiery frost, freezing even the snow itself. He angrily stared down the pair that stood before him, who were making a defiant stance.
"Okay, you runts! I hope you've had your fun while it lasted, because now its my turn to have some fun for a change. And I'll start with turning you into ice sculptures!", he threatened.
"Don't count on it, Even if you're an Ultimate, we can still beat you", said Blanc.
She then pulled out her Digivice and aimed it at Blucomon. Then she shouted the pass code.
"Digivolve!"
A white light shot out from the Digivice, engulfing the icy Digimon, beginning his Digivolution sequence.
"Blucomon, Digivolve to...!", he said.
He started to get larger in size and grew wings made of ice, and his entire body was now almost covered in ice. The white fur around his neck grew a little longer, he had blue claws on his hands and feet, and it looked like he had a bracelet on his left arm and a white bandage on his left leg.
"Paledramon!", the ice dragon Digimon bellowed.
Blanc then summoned her hammer, ready to take on the blue burning Digimon with her partner. He smirked, impressed that the Lowee CPU's partner could Digivolve. Though he believed himself to be mightier than they were.
"Nice little trick. Now here's mine!", BlueMeramon said as his fists glowed again. "Cold Flame!"
Blasting cold flames from his fists, he launched his attack at the pair. They quickly dodged it, barely avoiding the attack. As it flew past them, they could feel a burning and cold senation all at the same time.
"Yikes! Don't let that hit you!", shouted Blanc.
"Right!", Paledramon replied.
They then rushed towards BlueMeramon, who stood his ground, waiting for them. Paledramon tried to swipe at him with his claws, the blue flaming Digimon just kept his distance and backed away from the ice dragon Digimon, then blasting him away with his hot flames. Just then, Blanc leapt up and came down at him with her hammer, hoping to bash him in the head with it. However, he managed to catch with his flaming hands. Though he was a little surprised by the brown haired girl's brute strength from before, it wasn't really enough to do any real harm to him.
"Ha! And just what were you going to do with this? Play Whack-A-Mon or something? Not this time!", he cackled.
The burning humanoid Digimon then started to freeze Blanc's hammer in solid ice with nothing but his grip. This caught the brown haired girl off guard. Reacting quickly, she released her hold on her hammer before the ice could reach her. Soon enough, BlueMeramon had completely frozen her hammer solid. He then tosses it away, the hammer turning into particles as it shattered. Now all of a sudden Blanc wasn't so confident about winning anymore.
"Pathetic. Frost Knuckle!", said BlueMeramon.
His fist then becomes as hard as ice and he hits the Lowee CPU, knocking the poor girl off of her feet and into the snow. She yelled in pain as she was sent back by the cold punch.
"Now you just hang back and watch me take care of your friend here", the blue flaming Digimon said.
"Blanc!", Paledramon exclaimed.
Now furious, he charges towards BlueMeramon, intent on taking him down before he does any more harm to anyone else. The ice dragon Digimon chomps down on one of his arms, only to let go immediately due to the fiery sensation in his mouth. BlueMeramon then swung at him with an uppercut, hitting him square in the jaw. Paledramon yelled in pain as he stumbled backwards.
"Why don't you eat this instead? Ice Phantom!", shouted the burning humanoid Digimon.
He then blasted a wave of dark flames at the ice dragon Digimon. Although they were supposed to be cold, Paledramon could feel his body being burned alive. He wasn't used to this sheer amount of cold temperature. Gritting his teeth, he tried to power through it, but it wasn't enough. He was blasted off of his feet as the flames overwhelmed him.
"Arrrggghhh!", he roared in pain.
"Hahahahaha! What's the matter? Where'd all that talk of beating me go?", BlueMeramon laughed maniacally.
Getting herself up from the previous attack on her, Blanc could see what the blue flaming Digimon was doing to her partner. Horrified that he would end up destroying her friend, she grabbed some snow in her hands, hoping that she could at least distract their attacker long enough for Paledramon to recover.
"Leave my friend alone, you burning creep-a-zoid!", the Lowee CPU exclaimed.
She then started throwing balls of snow at BlueMeramon's body. They melted instantly upon making contact, but he could still feel them hitting him. Turning his gaze towards the brown haired girl, he smirked.
"Oh, a snow ball fight now, is it? Well mine's bigger", he said.
The burning humanoid Digimon then raised his hands in the air as glowing blue flames swirled around his hands, creating a large cold fireball. Blanc gulped at the sight of it.
"Ice Bomb, coming at ya!", BlueMeramon shouted.
He tossed his large ball of destruction at the Lowee CPU's direction. Running for her life, Blanc moved out of the way of the attack, but the force of the explosion hitting the snow blasted her off of her feet again. BlueMeramon laughed as he went to finish her off. But as he stepped forward, Paledramon, who managed to get himself back up, stood in front of him, determined not to let the blue flaming Digimon harm his partner.
"Ice Age!", he exclaimed as he blasted a wave of freezing air at BlueMeramon from his mouth.
"Ice Phantom!", the blue burning Digimon yelled, matching his own attack with the ice dragon Digimon.
Both of their attacks connected with one another, becoming locked in a power struggle. However it was short lived, as BlueMeramon's attack was much stronger than what Paledramon could muster. The cold flames soon overtook the ice dragon Digimon's freezing breath and engulfed his whole body. Paledramon yelled in agony as he felt his whole body burn and freeze all at once.
"Paledramon, no!", Blanc exclaimed.
Watching from afar, Penguinmon could only watch as BlueMeramon mops the floor with the pair. The very thought of his friend and his partner getting torn to shreds was truly unbearable. He wished that there was something he could do to help them out, but not even he could against such a savage being such as him. He could only hope that they hold their ground and turn the tides in time.
"Oh please, stay alive you two...", he whispered worriedly.
When the attack was finished, Paledramon collapsed to the ground with a thud. BlueMeramon laughed maniacally at the fallen Digimon, who struggled to get back up. But the freezing burns inflicted on his body had weakened him to the point of near exhaustion.
"Hahahahaha! No one can stand against my might! Not even you! Hahahahahahaha!", BlueMeramon laughed on.
Blanc rushed over to her Digimon's aid. Place a hand on his body, she could still feel a pulse, much to her relief. But the fact that her friend was gravely injured did not make her feel any better.
"Paledramon, are you okay?", she asked.
"I... I've been better...", the ice dragon Digimon replied weakly.
"I feel like such a fool... I thought that even without my powers, I thought I could still fight. But I was horribly wrong...", said the Lowee CPU sadly.
"Blanc... you don't always have to be tough to help someone... That's why you have friends who can help you, no matter what...", Paledramon said.
"Friends... Like you, right?", Blanc asked.
"Exactly. And it's not just me. Penguinmon, your sisters, the other CPUs, and even their Digimon", Paledramon replied.
"But they're not here right now... And if I can't find my sisters...", said the brown haired girl, starting to self-doubt herself.
"Don't forget. No matter how far apart you are from one another, they'll always be with you in spirit...", said the ice dragon Digimon.
His words rang true to her. Her partner was right. Even if her friends and allies were not there to help her and her Digimon right now, she knew that they are still out there somewhere thinking about her and supporting her, if not physically then by other means. She knew she will find them all again soon. But to do that, she must first have to get through this fight and protect the inhabitants of the land they were in. A spark of determination ignited in her eyes once more.
"You're right, Paledramon. They may not be here, but you- No, WE, can still do this. We're in it to the very end. And I'll keep going, too, all the way! For my sisters, my fellow CPUs, and all of my commrades!", Blanc exclaimed.
Suddenly, a white light was starting to surround both her and Paledramon. BlueMeramon noticed this too, confused and irritated by the intense glow.
"What the hell is that light?! Make it stop!", he said as he shielded his eyes.
Blanc looked down and saw that her Digivice was glowing brightly. It was as if it was resonating with her soul and had responded to her unyielding spirit. The light felt warm too, comfortable even. Paledramon felt this too, and he could no longer feel the pain all over his body. It was like he gained a second wind. Slowly he started to rise, eventually getting back up as if nothing had happened to him. Instinctively, they both knew what this light meant. The pair looked at each other and nodded as they smiled.
"You ready for this, partner?", asked Blanc.
"I always am, friend", Paledramon replied.
Taking out her Digivice, she aimed it at the ice dragon Digimon and shouted out to the high heavens.
"DIGIVOLVE!"
The white light shot out from her Digivice, completely covering her partner Digimon in a blinding flash.
"Paledramon, Perfect Digivolve to...!", he exclaimed.
As his next Digivolution began, his body grew to twice his original size, and his icy wings became larger as well, becoming more like that of thrusters blasting cold air. Parts of his body were now covered in what looked like pieces of blue armor with pieces of hardened ice. He now had a more dragonic-like face with silver colored hair, and on his arms were large gauntlets in the shape of ice claws. Soon his Digivolution was complete.
"CrysPaledramon!", he exclaimed, roaring in superiority.
Blanc stood there in amazement. She was now partner to an Ultimate level Digimon. The Lowee CPU now felt like she could take on anything now, with her friend by her side. Pulling out her Digivice, she scanned her partner's new form. A holographic image soon appeared out of the screen.
"CrysPaledramon, an Ultimate level frost dragon Digimon. His Callous Dimension can cause unbelievable white outs that freeze his foes solid, and his Frozen Claw can cut through even the toughest of objects", she read aloud.
The Lowee CPU was impressed. She now knew that with this, there was no way that they could lose. Meanwhile, BlueMeramon stood there in bewilderment as the frost dragon Digimon stared him down. He thought his own eyes were deceiving him, but they weren't. The Digimon he was fighting before had become completely different somehow, but he couldn't understand why. Whatever the reason, he now knew that he was not prepared to face this kind of advesary. Still, he managed to put on a brave face before breaking out of his momentary stupor.
"You think just because you got bigger, you can take me? You don't scare me! Raaah!", he exclaimed.
He went in for a Frost Knuckle, but CrysPaledramon blocked it with one of his ice claws, catching the blue burning Digimon by surprise. What stunned him even more was the fact that his burning body had no effect on him at all. The frost dragon Digimon simply smirked.
"Believe me, you should be running scared right about now", he said.
CrysPaledramon then bashed BlueMeramon away with his other ice claw, causing him to fall flat on his face. The force of the impact nearly knocked the wind out of him. The brown haired girl pumped her fist in excitement.
"Yeah! Go get him, CrysPaledramon!", Blanc cheered her partner on.
As he got back up, the burning humanoid Digimon's body then started to glow more intensely as his rage came back to him, his body flickering even more than ever. He then raised his hands in the air and gathered glowing blue flamed around him, eventually turning them into a glowing ball of fire.
"Take this! Ice Bomb!", he exclaimed.
He tossed his attack straight at the pair. Blanc braced herself for the blast, but CrysPaledramon was there to shield her. Taking the full brunt of the blast, an explosion of dust and snow filled the air. BlueMeramon smirked, thinking he had just destroyed them both. But to his total shock, when the smoke settled, he could see that they were both fine. Now he really WAS scared out of his wits.
"Face it. Your bag of tricks won't help you anymore!", shouted CrysPaledramon.
Now panicking, BlueMeramon started charging up his fists, desperately trying to destroy the frost dragon Digimon by whatever means necessary.
"Ice Phantom! Ice Phantom! Ice Phantom! Ice Phantom! Ice Phantom!", he exclaimed, as if he were a broken record.
CrysPaledramon shielded himself with his ice claws, the dark flames becoming extinguished the instant they reached his armored body. Watching from afar, Penguinmon could hardly believe what he was seeing. A moment ago, BlueMeramon had the pair on the ropes. And now here he was having the tables turn on him. The bird-like Digimon couldn't be more proud of his comrades, especially for his icy friend. As soon as the blue burning Digimon was finished with his panic attacks, it was now time for the frost dragon Digimon to finish this fight.
"Callous Dimension!", he said, blasting a gigantic cold wave from his icy thrusters.
Suddenly, a snow squall started to form around BlueMeramon, causing a white out for his field of vision. All he could see was nothing but snow.
"What is this?!", he exclaimed, unsure of what was going on.
Then he felt his body starting to become slower. Looking down in horror, the burning humanoid Digimon could see that his body was starting to become frozen in ice, even though his body was entire made of flames. He struggled to break free from the ice that was surrounding his body, but soon realized that there was no way out for him.
"No! This isn't happening! Let me out of here! Nooo!", he screamed.
Soon his body became completely frozen in a block of ice, cutting him off mid sentence. As soon as the miniature snow squall disappeared, they could see what had happened. The Ultimate level Digimon was now nothing more than a blue ice sculpture. Now it was time to finish the job.
"Frozen Claw!", CrysPaledramon roared.
Rushing in, he extended his ice claws, ready to strike. Slashing in a cross formation, he broke the frozen Digimon into pieces of ice fragments. Once that happened, BlueMeramon's body started to disappear, turning into zeros and ones. Soon enough, he became nothing but digital particles. Blanc cheered in triumph.
"Way to go, CrysPaledramon!", she said excitedly.
Turning towards her, the frost dragon Digimon smiled and nodded, knowing that the ordeal is now over.
"How's that for an Ultimate?", he said.
Just then, they saw Penguinmon waddling towards them. He was quite impressed by what he saw.
"That was the most spectacular fight I have ever seen! I almost thought you would lose", he said.
"What can I say? Though I couldn't have asked for a better partner", said CrysPaledramon.
"Same here", added Blanc.
"And I couldn't have asked for better friends to help me out", said the bird-like Digimon.
Suddenly, CrysPaledramon's body became engulfed in a bright light. He then started to shrink in size, becoming the size of Penguinmon himself. When the glow disappeared, the frost dragon Digimon had now returned to being Blucomon. Penguinmon waddled up to his friend, raising one of his clawed flippers. The icy Digimon raised his claw as well, giving his friend a Digimon high five. Blanc just smiled as she watched the pair.
"Well done, Blucomon", she thought.
After the battle was over, both Blanc and Blucomon spent another day helping Penguinmon rebuild the Digimon Curling arena in the cave, as well as tending to Frigimon's injuries. When he was back to full strength, he thanked them for their help. In return for their generosity, he offered to help both the Lowee CPU and her Digimon partner on their way out of Frost Zone. Penguinmon and his fellow villagers also offered some supplies not only for the pair's journey, but also as a way of offering their gratitude for saving their village from destruction.
They loaded up a big sled that Frigimon used for his travels, packing any necessities for the trip. When it was finally ready to go, the Penguinmon villagers all said their thanks and started to give their good-byes, to which both Blanc and Blucomon returned in kind. As they were about to leave, the icy Digimon's friend waddled up to them again.
"I just want to say thanks again for saving us. I guess sports don't always end up the way you think they would", he said.
"Yeah. Though I do have to wonder...", said the brown haired girl before trailing off.
"What is it, Blanc?", Blucomon asked.
"BlueMeramon said something about getting tripped by something when he was going to make his final throw", she replied.
"Yeah, that was bugging me, too", the icy Digimon commented.
As they thought about it more, they slowly started to realize something. They both looked at each other, believing to have the same same thought in mind.
"You don't think...?", they both said to each other.
They then both turned to Penguinmon, who just stood there whistling and staring off in another direction. He noticed them staring at him and he just giggled.
"Why, I haven't the foggiest ide as to what had happened myself. I almost can't quite put my 'flipper' on it", he said, heavily emphasizing the word "flipper."
The pair then suddenly realized what Penguinmon meant, looked at each other, and then just laughed. Eventually, even the bird-like Digimon joined in the laughter. They concluded that Penguinmon had sneakily tripped up BlueMeramon with his flipper when he wasn't looking, causing him to lose the match, though he more or less feigned ignorance. After they stopped laughing, they all waved each other good-bye. Blanc and Blucomon got on the sled, with Frigimon readying the ropes.
"Know that you are always welcome to our village", said Penguinmon.
"Thanks, Penguinmon. Maybe we'll come back again someday", said Blanc.
"Yeah, but for now, we gotta go look for our other friends. They may need our help, after all", said Blucomon.
The bird-like Digimon nodded, understanding the situation. When the pair gave Frigimon the thumbs up that they were ready to leave, he nodded in response and began pulling on his rope, dragging the sled through the snow.
"Good-bye, my friends!", said Penguinmon as he waved at them with his flipper.
"Good-bye, Penguinmon!", both Blanc and Blucomon said.
As the pair went on their merry way, the Lowee CPU couldn't help but be thankful that she had met Blucomon in the first place. Without him, who knows how events may have turned out. She still didn't know where her sisters or her fellow CPUs were at in the Digital World. But one thing was for sure, she knew that no matter how far apart they were, the bond they all share with each other will never be broken. The brown haired girl knew it was only a matter of time before she would find them all again. Where ever they are, she wished them all the best of luck.
I once again have to apologize for how long it took to get this chapter posted. I have no excuse for being this late without giving so much as a notice. I will try harder to get more chapters posted sooner, though I can't guarantee that it'll be quick either. All I ask is to be as patient as possible.
With that said, I hope you enjoyed this very long chapter, as well as a good reference to a mini game seen in the original Digimon World game, as well as getting to witness Blanc becoming the next CPU to get an Ultimate level Digimon. And there's more fun where that came from, so be sure to stay tuned for the next chapter.
Until then, I wish you a good rest of the year. I will see you next time.