Zero Unit: If you guys remember from last time, we were looking to the Adventure gang to find out how they were reacting to Digimon Tri since by all means, that's the canon and this is not. And… well… Ken is kind of having an existential crisis because he just watched the most recent one.
Ken: I don't understand… Why would I be the Digimon Emperor again?! It doesn't make sense!
Yolei: At least you showed up! I don't get it! Where are the rest of us?! Are we not as important to the team?
Cody: From what the beginning of the first movie told us, it looked like we were "killed" or something that would be almost synonymous to our demise. It's a possibility that we lost to an enemy in between the two year time skip.
Henry: We can also assume that you guys are alive seeing as Tri is teetering towards making the 02 epilogue canon. Don't know why they wouldn't. But with Tai's realization of wanting peace between the worlds and Sora's display of talent when she designed the clothes, shows you guys heading towards your future professions. Granted, we still can't explain Matt becoming an astronaut of all things.
JP: Then how do we explain Meiko's absence in the epilogue? She seemed pretty important to the story.
Thomas: The simplest explanation is that she was busy that day and the reason why TK would leave her out of the story he was writing is because he wasn't narrating the story. The end of his book is that Oikawa protected the Digital World.
Davis: You guys are thinking way too hard about this. It's an anime, we should just enjoy it and let the audience enjoy it as well.
TK: Davis has a point. People have been complaining about the absence of the other Chosen Children like the writers aren't going to explain it at all. I mean, the next movie is called "Confession" so it'll probably happen there. And if not, it's not like it's a question that can be avoided forever.
Kari: True. Oh, but did you guys hear? Kouji recently passed away.
Kouji: I'm right here.
Zoey: Not you! Wada Kouji! The guy who sang a ton of songs for the Digimon franchise. "Butterfly" for Adventure, "Target: Akai Shogeki" for 02, "The Biggest Dreamer" for Tamers, "Fire!" for Frontier, "Hirari" for Savers, and "We are Xros Heart" for Xros Wars.
Nene: You will be missed Wada, rest in peace. Thank you for everything.
-X-
December 21: Aokigahara Forest – 10:18 AM
MetalTyrannomon had left behind a fractal code thanks to the charm that Dorbickmon held. The Dark General gobbled up the data of the fallen friend right in front of Tagiru's eyes which were red with rage and tears. He wanted to take revenge on the bipedal dragon but he couldn't even push himself out of the pile of Voidlings.
"Bastard!" Marcus shouted. "Let me out of here so I can fight you man to mon!"
Dorbickmon didn't seem fazed by this declaration which shouldn't have been a surprise. No matter how strong a human was, they could never be a match for him since they would never be on equal ground. It was about time that he finished this battle once and for all.
"Gumdramon, ShineGreymon, it's such a shame to watch two dragons as powerful as you two be destroyed," Dorbickmon told them as he drew his blazing blade. "But you've made your decision to work with these biological fools. Pity."
"If you're going to destroy us then do it!" Gumdramon snapped.
"Just know that you and the Demon Lords will never succeed in your evil schemes!" ShineGreymon roared.
The leader of the Fire-Fury army frowned at the two dragon Digimon. He never liked it when his prey had the last defying words, it just gave them this air of confidence despite the fact that they would be killed in a matter of seconds. It irked him. "Silence!" With a swing, the sword came down and would've cut their heads off if it didn't come in contact with the curved blade of a bisento.
"What the–?!" Marcus blinked before the Voidlings were suddenly sent flying off their bodies.
In front of them stood a young foreigner with thick blond hair and goggles hanging around his neck, clad in a samurai-style armor. He was the one holding up the giant spear, about as tall as he, to block Dorbickmon's weapons. And from behind, stood a Japanese man with dyed blond hair, he seemingly appeared out of nowhere with his midnight blue cape flapping in the wind and a scythe in his hands. If he didn't know any better, Marcus would've thought that this was the Grim Reaper.
"Who do you two impudent humans think you are?" Dorbickmon snarled.
The man in the front was struggling to keep the hot blade from touching him. "The name's Robert McCoy, the Samurai of Willpower," he answered. Marcus and Tagiru were surprised to see a middle-aged man suddenly looking not much older than the Data Squad member. "And my friend there is Gorou Mizuno, the Reaper of Dedication."
"As in I'm dedicated to take down these Voidlings," Shibumi smirked before spinning his weapon around, slicing through the shadowy creatures like he was chopping onions with a knife. "Are the two of you all right?"
"We're good," Marcus huffed. "But how are you guys able to hit them?"
ShineGreymon clutched his arm which was pretty much broken. "And how are you guys so young?"
"We'll explain later," said Robert, leaping backwards and away from their enemy. "For now, let's retreat. There's no way that even Shibumi and I together can take this guy down. We need to heal your wounds and partners before trying again."
"No!" Tagiru snapped, preventing them from doing anything. "We can't wait. This guy… We can't let him do what he wants."
Gumdramon nodded in agreement with his partner despite what everyone else was advising them. Even Marcus saw that they didn't stand much of a chance against the General. He was strong, no denying that, but he had gotten multiple wounds thanks to that creature's minions. It was a pretty good idea to replenish their strength.
"I don't like the idea of retreating either but there are some cases where we have to," Marcus coughed. "Come on, let's go."
"If Tagiru doesn't want to go, he doesn't have to," Gumdramon told him.
Robert shook his head though he could understand where the middle schooler was coming from. If he were up against a Digimon that had destroyed his partner, he would probably lose sight of what was important as well. "You're letting your feelings blind you from the current situation. If we stay, we'll be demolished!"
Shibumi didn't even wait for a reply, he just hid his weapon somewhere inside his cloak and then picked up Tagiru and Gumdramon and started running. The pair started pounding wildly onto the man's back while they fled, heading towards the city. According to Robert, auxiliary DigiDestined would be meeting them halfway and block Dorbickmon's path.
"I'll try to stall him!" ShineGreymon huffed. He flew up higher into the sky and turned to face the rampaging dragon coming at them at full speed. "Glorious Burst!" Unfortunately, the attack was brushed to the side and it exploded on the side of Mount Fuji. "I don't think I have any energy left in me."
Marcus watched as his partner suddenly returned to being Koromon and fell into his arms. The poor little guy was completely wiped out. "Why is this freak of nature so strong? If he didn't have the ability to control the battlefield, we would've gotten him already!"
"Put us down!" Gumdramon shouted.
"We need to fight!" Tagiru added.
They suddenly skidded to a stop just as Kentaurosmon leaped over their heads and collided with Dorbickmon, sending the Dark General flying backwards a few feet. The two older Chosen stopped running and Shibumi reluctantly let down his passengers to take on the approaching Voidlings that had followed in the dragon's wake.
"Marcus! Are you okay?" Samson asked, running over to his subordinate.
"I'll be fine after Thomas checks out my wounds," Marcus huffed. "I'm more worried about Koromon though."
"After a good night's sleep and dinner, I'll be good," Koromon mumbled into his partner's chest. "I'm sorry I couldn't defeat Dorbickmon. We're supposed to be the ultimate team and yet…" The In-training nuzzled in closer to Marcus. "I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was."
Marcus couldn't help smiling. Even now, his little partner was worried about Marcus's thoughts. "Don't be ridiculous. You did great. We'll just have to train harder after this. And hey, being part of the ultimate team doesn't mean one takes all the blame."
They turned back to watch the fight between the Dark General and the Royal Knight. Kentaurosmon fired a hailstorm of incandescent arrows which were all deflected thanks to Dorbickmon's blade and with a single stomp, an earth wave was sent towards the Royal Knight. The centaur leapt over the wave with ease and landed in front of his opponent, the two of them clashing with a sword against a crossbow.
"Goldramon Reload!" Tagiru called. The new Digimon left the X-Loader and picked up the humans, lifting them up into the sky so they could avoid being crushed by the wave. But they had to watch as the trees were being uprooted and the environment get destroyed.
Marcus looked below, moving his head from right to left. "Where are Tai and Matt?"
"Over there," said Samson, pointing out an area in the forest that had been set ablaze. "Yushima's already gone to retrieve them. I just hope they're okay."
Kentaurosmon and Dorbickmon bashed skulls as they both kicked each other in the gut, causing them both to become airborne for a moment. But Kentaurosmon wasn't taking any chances seeing as a pair of powerful Digimon could barely put a dent in him. The Royal Knight knew that he had to take every opening and hit them as hard as he possibly could. So as they were falling back to the ground, Kentaurosmon pointed his legendary shield at his foe.
"Odin's Breath!"
The dragon was frozen solid when they landed Kentaurosmon already had an extra-powerful arrow charged up with Dorbickmon's name on it. But right after firing the projectile, Dorbickmon melted the ice with an insanely hot exhalation.
"Dragon Infernal Fire!" The blaze not only allowed him to break free but it engulfed the forest and his opponent, even destroying the arrow that was coming for him. "Do you really think you can defeat me just because you're a Royal Knight? Dragon's Fury Blade!"
"Kentaurosmon!" Samson called out.
The commander's partner jumped into the air, flying right past Goldramon which left the dragon's passengers to gape at the six-legged mythical creature with wide eyes. They always knew never to underestimate a Royal Knight but that jump was ridiculous. The creature didn't even have wings!
"Goldramon! Move out of the way!" Kentaurosmon called before pointing his crossbow downwards. "Inferno Frost!" It was like watching a meteor shower come down except instead of flaming rocks, they were glowing arrows moving at light speed.
Dorbickmon smirked, feeling satisfied to find such a worthy opponent to face. "I see, so this is why the Sovereigns employed your kind to be their personal bodyguards. You are certainly a strong foe. But, not strong enough! Burning the Dragon!" He stabbed the earth with a claw and a stone dome surrounded him, blocking the arrows which each bounced off and stabbed the crust. "Infernal Dragon Fire!"
The top of the dome suddenly rocketed upwards with smoke and fire trailing behind it. Kentaurosmon, in midair, was unable to dodge it as it collided with him head on, making a loud cracking noise to resonate through the air.
Samson called out to his partner again, worry set in his brow. "Kentaurosmon! Stay with us!"
"Goldramon, help him out!" Tagiru called out.
The dragon nodded as he splayed out his hands, firing countless rays of golden rays from his palms which were easily blocked by Dorbickmon's blade. But it at least gave Kentaurosmon the time to shake off the disorientation and land on his feet instead of his face.
"Now!" Kentaurosmon bellowed. "Inferno Frost!"
Dorbickmon's attention became split between the rays of golden flame and the frozen arrows but to make things worse for him, seven other Digimon flew out from the trees where they had been staying hidden. Ginryumon, Waspmon, Darcmon, Seadramon, and Wizardmon which were all partners of the very first Chosen Children, Robert's team. Even without their keys, they could evolve to their Champion forms on their own at the very least. And two more, Dobermon and Submarimon, who were partners of Hideaki and Mizuki, two of Tagiru's fellow Hunters, respectively.
"Metal Armor Blade!" "Bear Buster!" "La Pucelle!" "Ice Blast!" "Thunder Ball!" "Gray Noise!" "Oxygen Torpedo!"
Dorbickmon clicked his tongue as all the attacks were sent flying at him from every direction and there was no way he could evade or block them all so he did his best with defending himself from just Kentaurosmon's attacks, the biggest threat. But he was barraged from all sides by the other attacks.
The Dark General had a smug grin on his face when the smoke cleared. "Do you really think–?" It faded away when he saw a flying locomotive suddenly barrel right into his chest, pushing him backwards. From inside the vehicle, Tagiru watched in amazement as Hideaki, Kiichi, and Mizuki all shouted in unison as the dragon was being pushed backwards, towards the mountain.
"We got you now!" Hideaki shouted over the whistle of the train.
"You got this, Locomon!" Kiichi cheered his partner on.
"We won't let you mess with our world!" Mizuki added.
Dorbickmon glanced back and saw the mountain coming towards him at full speed, if he didn't do something, he was going to crash. So he wrapped his hands around the train and lifted his feet off the ground for a second before grinding his feet into the earth. "Burning the Dragon!" The ground shifted and pillars started rising from the earth and stabbing themselves into Locomon, causing the wheels to stop turning and for the train Digimon to tip over.
"Hideaki! Guys!" Tagiru called out to his friends as they fell out of vehicle with screams.
"I guess this means all humans are fools," Dorbickmon huffed as he watched the three middle schoolers pick each other up. "Allow me to show you what I do to creatures like you." He lunged forward, claws ready to impale the three teenagers and in slow-motion, every Digimon was shooting towards them in an attempt to save them. But to their surprise, a dirt wall was erected between them so they couldn't make it.
"No!" Samson shouted. If there was anyone he wanted to be safe, it would be the youth.
Dorbickmon's hands were less than a meter away from their targets when two fists found a spot right on his face to pummel. The dragon tipped backwards and in his shock, he could see Marcus and Tagiru right in front of his eyes, their punches making contact with his scaly cheek.
"Tagiru!" Kiichi gasped.
"He's surrounded by a crimson DigiSoul!" Mizuki stated.
Koromon and Goldramon found spots beside their partners to glare at Dorbickmon. The two brunets clenched onto their digivices until their knuckles turned white and when Dorbickmon shook off the bewilderment that was two humans knocking him backwards, he narrowed his eyes on them.
"How long do you think it'll last?" asked Tagiru.
"Not more than twenty seconds," Marcus answered. "But if you ask me, that's plenty of time."
Tagiru nodded. "Agreed. But what do you guys think, do you want to go for one more round?"
Koromon evolved into Agumon on his own and started growling at the much more intimidating dragon despite the injuries he had sustained. Goldramon was switched out with Gumdramon who also bared his fangs and looked ready to fight again.
They only had twenty seconds to sustain their strongest form and Dorbickmon stood back to his full height as Arresterdramon Superior Burst Mode made an appearance. He's obviously seen better days but the only way to defeat a monster of Dorbickmon's caliber was something on this level. The fused dragon charged up for an attack as Dorbickmon was charging forward, only to get stopped by several Digimon flying into his face though he was able to knock each of them away with one hand.
"Odin's Breath!"
Dorbickmon's eyes widened in shock as he glanced down at his feet, frozen to the ground. He tried to break the ice with his fists when two more flying humans drop kicked his wrists, causing him to fall onto his back once more. Shibumi spun his scythe and used the blade to pin down the dragon's right hand while Robert stabbed his spear through the General's left hand.
"Now's your chance!" Shibumi called out as he jumped out of the way.
"Give it everything you've got!" Robert added as he tucked and rolled.
Samson could only watch as an Omnimon cracked the finishing blow to Alphamon from afar and Arresterdramon fire his Final Prism Burst attack right down on Dorbickmon. With two explosions resounding through the suicide forest and water from the two Whamon in the sky falling on their heads, the battle was finally over.
"Digimon… capture complete," Tagiru huffed as Gumdramon padded over to him.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to Hunt him?" the stretchable Digimon asked. "After all, he's… he's the one who destroyed…"
"I know," Tagiru cut off. "But I want Dorbickmon to atone for his sins and he can't do that by dying. Besides, he has MetalTyrannomon's data running inside him, in a way, this is like bringing him back home to the X-Loader."
Gumdramon stared up at his best friend who was biting down on his bottom lip. "Are you… crying?" It was hard to tell because of the rain. But before today, Gumdramon had never seen his partner cry. It didn't even seem to be within the realm of possibility. Although, he supposed every human and Digimon partner felt that strongly about each other.
The boy sniffed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand as Hideaki, Kiichi, and Mizuki looked at him with worried eyes. Wondering if he was going to be okay. After all, the only other people they knew that had lost their partners were Yuu and Ryouma and neither of them had taken it well. It was hard enough just to watch someone cry about losing their partner.
Marcus walked over with Koromon tucked under one of his arms, his free hand patting the younger boy's head. "You did good, kid. Taiki, and MetalTyrannomon, would be proud of you. I know your friends here are, including me. So go ahead and cry, you can smile on this victory at another time."
Tagiru looked up just as the Whamon were finished spouting water, leaving behind a rainbow. Now, there was nothing to be confused about because tears were definitely rolled down his cheeks. "Thank you, Marcus," Tagiru sobbed.
December 21: Flame Area – 9:55 AM
Risa watched as Agunimon was being swarmed by an army of Meramon while she hid behind a large rock. In any other case, she would be complaining about the accursed heat and how the humidity wasn't good for her hair. But the primary worry was on the humanoid fire people trying to kill them. Lucky for her, Agunimon, being the Warrior of Flame, was completely unaffected by their fire-based attacks. Unlucky for her, he couldn't hit them with his own so he settled for martial arts.
"The more I knock down, the more that show up!" Agunimon grunted as he kicked a Meramon in the chest. "Where are they all coming from?!"
Risa wasn't a Chosen Child, unlike her sister. She shouldn't even be in this dangerous world in the first place! But now that she was, she had to find some way of helping her schoolmate. She wasn't quite sure how but maybe if she found the source spitting out these Champion Digimon…
"There!" she gasped when she saw a few of the flaming men leap out of a crater. Unfortunately, she gained the attention of two Meramon. "Eek! Stay away!" One of them flipped over the boulder and landed in front of her, lunging forward with the intent of grabbing her throat in his blazing hands.
"Risa!" Agunimon shouted, pushing the mob out of his way.
Instinctively, Risa pulled out her bottle of pepper spray from her purse and shot it right in Meramon's eyes with a terrified shriek. When she opened her eyes, she saw that it had been very effective seeing as the Digimon was wailing in pain whilst covering his eyes.
Risa had never been so grateful to her mother's words of wisdom. "Huh, so it doesn't just work on perverted stalkers."
"Look out! Behind you!" Agunimon called out to her.
The teenage girl turned around in time to see another Meramon running towards her so she broke off into a sprint in the opposite direction. Another thing she was grateful for was that she chose to wear flats instead of heels. But even so, she wasn't nearly as athletic as her sister so the enemy was catching up to her.
"Takuya!" she yelled, regardless of the fact that the air in her lungs were thinning rapidly. "The source is in the craters! They're coming out from there!"
Agunimon glanced over to where she was frantically pointing while in a panicked run. It was just like when Davis and his team decided to stay in the Digital World until they defeated the Digimon Emperor. Those things were just making appearance after appearance and it wasn't slowing down in the least. Was it the lava in the bottom that was producing them? It was a possibility, right? But first things first, he had to save Risa.
"Slide Evolution!" Agunimon bellowed before taking off into the air with his new wings. He rocketed towards his human companion and sent a flying kick on the Meramon chasing her, knocking him out of the way. "Are you okay?"
"Other than the fact that I've realized I need to work out more, I'm good," Risa huffed. "But how are we going to get rid of the source?"
BurningGreymon scanned the area before lifting up the girl in his arms. He took off and landed on the rim of a volcano, setting her down and telling her to stay up there. "Just leave everything to me." It was weird, this Digimon was far scarier in appearance compared to the Meramon and his snarling voice was quite intimidating. Yet, he was able to make her feel safe. Was it because she knew it was Takuya that was speaking to her? Or did all the Legendary Warriors exude this protective aura?
"Be careful!" she called as BurningGreymon flew right for the crater.
The beast Digimon didn't need to be told that although his teammates sometimes felt like they did seeing how reckless he's been in the past. But even they will have to admit that he's grown up over the years since his first adventure. Will he still laugh at the most immature of jokes? Probably. But in a fight, when it really counts, he'll give it his all.
BurningGreymon used his Rudriya Darpana superweapons attached to his arms to get the attention of the many Meramon, keeping them from climbing up the side of the volcano to get to Risa. Once he was certain that they all had their sights on him, the winged dragon dived into the crater and dipped into the lava. His tough skin can naturally take on high temperatures and he had the ability to move through lava like it was just a lake.
Once he hit the bottom, he saw how the Meramon were being mass produced. Little orbs littered the floor and they would gather up heat, giving it a physical form until it became a Champion humanoid made of flames. They would then be shot out of the crater to wreak havoc on the over world.
"It would probably be a good idea to destroy those orbs," BurningGreymon's voice recommended. "But that doesn't change the fact that there are hundreds up there to take care of. If only there was a way to destroy them all simultaneously."
Takuya, from inside, couldn't help grinning to himself. It wasn't just levels of maturity that had increased for him, but control. Fire was his element, and while it scared him, when he's united with his spirits, he had absolutely no reason to fear. "There's a reason why I told Risa to stay where she was. This is a bit of a gamble, but it'll do the trick if it works. And if it doesn't, hopefully we and Risa won't get hurt in the blast."
Agunimon sighed from somewhere inside his thoughts. "Still as reckless as ever."
Just like the orbs, BurningGreymon began gathering the heat from the lava. The density, intensity, and material makeup was vastly different from flames but if he wanted this to work, he had to be in control of this element. "Wildfire Tsunami!"
In an explosion that would've rivaled Volcdramon, the crust of the earth shattered as the world went up in flames in front of Risa's eyes. Since when did he have this much power?
When BurningGreymon flew out of the wall of fire, he landed next to Risa as they watched the Meramon data float upwards with the eruption. The Legendary Warrior had to admit that he hadn't expected it to be this destructive but he supposed that's what happens when he's in his element. Unfortunately, the properties of lava are slightly different so he could feel the repercussions of absorbing it into his body.
"Takuya!" Risa gasped when the Digimon returned to be a human boy. The teenager stumbled and nearly fell off the rim and into the volcano if he hadn't been caught by Risa. "I told you to be careful! None of that was careful!"
The boy's skin was hot to the touch, probably because he had been swimming in lava just moments ago. But she was still able to pull him away from the scorching death trap that was underneath him. Even though they were safe and they had defeated all the Digimon there, Takuya was dazed and tired out. It took a lot more out of him than he thought.
"Why do I have the feeling you say that to Rika all the time?" Takuya smirked.
Risa rolled her eyes though she was smiling a little. It's easy to tell that humor meant that he was going to be okay. "This isn't the time for jokes. But yes, all the time."
"We should get going," Takuya huffed. "I have a feeling that we won't be getting out of here until we've completed all the trials in each of the Areas. At least, that's how it was last time." He looked skywards. "If it's anything like last time, Mercurymon will be waiting for me at the top."
The brunet tried to stand up but ended up wincing and dropping to his knees. Risa placed a hand on his back to keep him upright as she pulled out a canteen from the backpack he had asked her to hold when he spirit evolved.
"You shouldn't push yourself," she told him.
Takuya chuckled weakly. "How are you and Rika twins?"
Risa shrugged as she helped him take a sip. "I could ask the same about Kouji and Kouichi."
"They're more alike than you think."
"Well, the same goes for me and Rika."
After a mild protest, Takuya ended up relenting as the two of them decided to sit for a while and rest. Besides, if they were to enter another sphere without thinking, they might end up against an extremely powerful foe. And Takuya didn't have the strength to handle another fight just yet.
But just as they were feeling a little more relaxed, a spongy hand grabbed onto their ankles and flicked them into the volcano. They let out yelps of terror as they found themselves falling right into a floating eyeball. Only the Legendary Warrior knew that this would take them somewhere else. Where? He didn't know yet.
December 21: Ice Area – 9:55 AM
Keenan and Falcomon had woken up in a snowy area that wasn't all too different from how it was outside. They had already figured out that they had been dropped into Baihumon's sector, which they now knew as their home. This is the world where they had grown up together with Frigimon.
Frigimon was like Keenan's mother. She was cold to the touch, practically freezing, but whenever she would give the little orphaned boy a hug and sing him lullabies, he would feel warm. Was that just the kind of feeling that mothers gave to their children? He knew that was how Sarah Damon was to Marcus and Kristy and how his human mother was to him.
At the current moment, Falcomon was flying through the blizzard, squinting his eyes and yelling his partner's name. Because the avian Digimon hadn't seen the boy in a while after he took off running in a random direction, desperation in his voice and eyes. Somewhere along the way, he lost sight of the teenager.
"Where did he go?" Falcomon muttered to himself. "Doesn't he know how dangerous it is to be on his own?"
As for Keenan, when he had woken up in the white landscape, he thought he saw a bear-like figure in the distance though it was hard to see through the blizzard. Even so, he felt like he had to get closer to the figure. So he and Falcomon moved towards the silhouette but suddenly, whatever it was started running away from them and Keenan broke away from his partner in a sprint. He caught her face. One he saw all the time in his dreams filled with warmth and nightmares stuffed with heat.
But there was no doubt in his mind that the Digimon he had seen was Frigimon, his Frigimon. The one he always saw as his mother because she took care of him for the first couple of years in his life before she was cruelly taken away from him by humans. Not all humans, of course. Just a select few madmen working under the assumption that Digimon knew about nothing other than destruction.
People still have that assumption, don't they? No matter how much positive publicity they give the digital creatures, people are still going to be afraid of what they cannot understand. It even happens among the humans themselves.
In the five years he's lived on Earth, he's discovered just how discriminatory humans can be. In just the classroom, he's learned about the wars that have been started because of fear of another country and the fight for civil rights because some people aren't even seen as humans by others.
One thing humans have in common is that they wish for human survival. The question is, what kind of people do they see as human?
Keenan shook his head in the biting cold. This didn't matter right now, he could think about this dilemma afterwards but right now, he had to find Frigimon. Assuming that she is the same one he had known for most of his life.
"Frigimon?" he called out. "Where are you?"
Suddenly, her voice reached his ears through the rush of the wind and he whipped around, trying to pinpoint the source. "Keenan? I'm here! Keenan!"
"Frigimon!" he continued shouting.
The boy hoped he knew what he was doing as he ran in the direction where he believed he had heard her voice. But not even seven steps later did he find the ground give way below his feet and an endless drop right below him. If it weren't for Falcomon grabbing the boy by the back of his down jacket from above, Keenan would've certainly died.
"What were you thinking?" Falcomon chided as he struggled to keep them airborne.
"I thought I heard Frigimon," Keenan confessed.
The bird's eyes widened for a moment as he lowered them down to the edge of the gorge so they could have a conversation on the ground instead of several meters off it. "Keenan, you know that's impossible. We saw her…" He trailed off, unable to continue.
"I know it's impossible," Keenan muttered. "Just like how Merukimon can never come back either."
"Keenan…"
They weren't his biological parents but the fact is, they had no obligation to take care of him. Especially since they knew that he was a human and it was because of his species that so many of their kind were permanently deleted without remorse. Yet, they treated Keenan like he was their son and he saw them as his parents. Just because there was no blood connecting them, did not change that fact. And any child would be heartbroken after the deaths of their parents.
"I saw them both die right before my eyes," Keenan whispered, his words hidden by the howl of the wind. "I was helpless to save either of them."
Falcomon placed a wing on his partner's back. "No one is at fault for their deaths except for Kurata, remember that."
Of course Keenan knew that. But he couldn't help thinking that he was a bringer of demise for the people closest to him. He pushed himself up into standing position as he glanced around for a way out of this place. But it didn't seem like they were any closer to the end of the landscape.
"I hope everyone else is okay," Keenan sighed.
Falcomon wanted to tell him that they were but he couldn't know that for sure until they were out of their own predicament. Their comrades were strong, but as of that moment, three of their friends were kidnapped by a Dark General, one doesn't even have a Digimon partner, and another can only reach the Champion level with his partner.
"We can ask them when we find them," said Falcomon. He flapped his wings and flew up. "Now, let's–!"
"Subzero Ice Punch!"
Keenan grabbed his partner's talon and pulled the bird down, narrowly avoiding the blast of cold air that swept by them. Not that they could tell the difference between the Digimon attack and the weather. But they both knew what Digimon's voice and attack that was.
"Frigimon?" Keenan gasped as they turned around.
There she was, the Digimon that had taken care of human for years even though she never had to. It was his kind that slaughtered so many of hers yet she never showed malice towards him, or even other humans. As a matter of fact, she was such a kind creature that it didn't make sense that she would ever use her signature attack on anyone at all.
"Why did you attack me?!" Falcomon snapped.
"Are you okay… Frigimon?" Keenan broached.
"Subzero Ice Punch!"
That time, the Frigimon that their eyes were on hadn't said it. Dozens of others had appeared from all sides and punched the air, sending blasts of freezing air towards them and if Keenan had been a second too slow, they wouldn't have been able to dodge it.
The clusters of snow-people watched as Peckmon leapt high into the air with Keenan mounted on his back as their attacks collided with each other, leaving an ice sculpture of a blob where their attacks had intersected. When Peckmon landed, he ran towards the ledge and then jumped over to the other side of the gorge where their enemies couldn't reach them.
"What's going on?" Peckmon murmured.
Keenan scanned the crowd until he found his Frigimon. "I don't know," he shook his head. "But I bet the Demon Lords had something to do with this."
"If they did then it's a dark sense of humor they have," said Peckmon. "Keenan, if it comes down to it, I might have to protect us by attacking them. I need to know that you are mentally prepared in case I have to destroy Frigimon."
No one wants to see their loved ones die, especially not for a second time. But Keenan understood what was at stake here. The Frigimon that had once taken care of him was gone, she had died years ago, the creature with the same warm eyes and gentle aura was an abomination using her presence to mess with their minds and hearts. Keenan wouldn't let that go on.
"If it comes down to it, then we won't have much of a choice," Keenan nodded.
The ground suddenly shook and the snow underneath Peckmon's feet shifted. Even through the storm, they could hear the thundering footsteps of a behemoth approaching them from the opposite direction of the Frigimon. The pair turned around and what they saw before them left their hearts locked in an iron grip and their stomachs churning.
From the pine tree forest in the distance, a massive humanoid shape emerged dressed in leather armor from head to toe. The mask he had adorned over his face appeared to have belonged to a wolf and he wielded a knife that looked about twice Keenan's height. The hilt was a bone and the blade glinted in the winter light.
"You would kill your own mother, Keenan?!" the monster bellowed.
"Merukimon…," Keenan stared.
Digital Analyzer: Merukimon is a member of the Olympos XII who is said to be the God of Genius. He boasts of being the fastest in the entire Digital World and it is warranted as he can outstrip the fastest runners, becoming impossible to perceive by the naked eye. It is said that all recorded images of Merukimon are only afterimages while his true form is already long gone as he is known to despise staying in one place for too long. He is constantly wandering the Digital World and is difficult to encounter. Just don't get on his bad side or you'll get a taste of his knife, "Aztec," which is said to be able to cut through space.
True to the encyclopedia description, in the blink of an eye, Merukimon was throwing a punch straight down towards them even though he had been several meters away from them just a second ago. Of course, Peckmon was pretty fast himself so he was able to dodge the attack by leaping into the sky.
"Kunai Wing!"
To Merukimon's kinetic vision, the sharp bladed feathers were coming at him at one frame per second so he was able to spin Aztec in his hand and block all of the blades individually in the span of two seconds. But that wasn't all those projectiles were capable of as they exploded, shrouding the Olympian in smoke.
"He's too strong for us to take on in battle," said Peckmon. "We should retreat."
Keenan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea."
In a fight, Merukimon always held back because he knew just how powerful he was. Even when he had been up against three Ultimate Digimon five years ago, he was using maybe ten percent of his power and he was still beating them senseless.
"Don't think that you can run away."
Keenan swore underneath his breath when he felt the sudden change in the wind. Without having to around to face forward, he knew that Merukimon was there, having jumped into air and was twisting his body so that he could land a kick on Peckmon.
"DNA Full Charge!"
In the split second before the foot made contact with the bird, he evolved into Crowmon and narrowly dodged the attack by flying a little bit higher. The massive avian had to turn his body around midflight, with his partner clinging onto his back tightly, in order to evade a swing of Merukimon's knife.
"I don't think he'll let us go scot-free," Crowmon grumbled. "We might have to fight back."
"Let's try the blinding sun tactic," Keenan advised.
Crowmon nodded. "It's a bit underhanded but if we want to survive this battle, we'll have to. Black Feather!"
Merukimon landed in the snow just as the world went dark around them. By emitting a dark light from his jet black feathers, the Ultimate was able to cover everything in the surrounding three kilometer area in night.
"Has it already been so long that you've forgotten how good my night vision is?" Merukimon scoffed.
"That's what we're counting on," Keenan mumbled.
Crowmon shot downwards but stopped short just a centimeter away from Merukimon's face. As the warrior reached his hands up to take hold of the bird, Crowmon unleashed a bright wave of light and heat right in the enemy's face. "Sun Bird!"
Merukimon had the advantage in terms of raw power but it was Keenan who knew all the weaknesses of the one he saw as his father. The reason why Merukimon lived in a castle made of ice was because he always liked the cold and he would perspire excessively in extremely hot temperatures. The climate was also suitable for his eyes which he depended on as he as excellent kinetic and night vision. Damaging them with a miniature sun right in his face was sure to do some good for Keenan and his partner.
"My eyes!" Merukimon roared in pain.
"Now! Before he recovers!" Keenan ordered.
"Right!" The weapons on both his wings and his foreleg started spinning rapidly as energy began gathering in those spot. "Savage Emperor!" With an explosion that lit up the Area they were trapped in, Merukimon was blown backwards and stumbled into the gorge.
"You Digimon murderer!" was the last thing Merukimon shouted before disappearing into the trench.
The churning in his stomach had turned into bile rising up into his throat. He hadn't eaten much that morning for breakfast since he had been too nervous about returning to his first home after half a decade in the human world. But now he felt like every meal he ever had in his life was trying to make a comeback.
"Sakkakumon is just trying to play with your mind," said Crowmon.
Keenan refused to look up. He was too afraid that he would make eye contact with the revived Frigimon still watching from the other side. "I know… But it doesn't make me feel much better. Come on; let's just get out of here."
In the gorge, Merukimon hadn't actually fallen that far yet as he had stabbed the side of the wall with Aztec to keep himself from plummeting. As Crowmon was changing direction, the warrior pulled himself out and threw himself into the air.
"I'm sorry Keenan!" Crowmon called out as he spun around in a spiral, causing Keenan to fall off of his partner.
In midair, Merukimon twisted his body around and slammed his foot into Crowmon's back. "Crowmon!" Keenan shouted as he watched his partner rocket past him and into the ground. The Ultimate had returned to his Rookie state at that point and Keenan landed in the snow, the cold making its way through his clothes and into his skin. "Falcomon! Are you okay?" Where did he land?
Merukimon made it back to the ground, looking as intimidating as he had before. Except this time, he looked angry. "Keenan Crier, as a human, you will pay for the crimes of your kind with your life. Prepare to die, boy."
This wasn't Merukimon. It just wasn't possible. This impostor, this abomination, this was nothing but a bad nightmare and Keenan desperately wished to wake up.
-X-
Tagiru and Marcus were able to take down the Dark General of the Fire Fury Army and Takuya seems to be doing well for himself. You know, aside from the fact that he and Risa have fallen into an eyeball without any knowledge as to where they will pop up next. But Keenan is definitely in a tight spot. He has to fight one of the Olympos XII who also happens to have been one of his caretakers when he was a child in the Digital World. Will Keenan be able to overcome this hurdle or will his fate be death at the hands of the one he once called Father? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!
IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ: I hope you guys enjoyed and thank you all, again, for your support. Also, to those of you who don't review very often or just don't review, please do. As much as I love writing this story, I appreciate knowing how people are receiving it. If you're following or have this in your favorites, there must be reasons, right? I just want to know if there's stuff to improve upon or the kind of material that people enjoy. It'll help me provide you guys with the best content. Thank you for reading this author's note. I hope to see you guys in the next one.