Digimon: Silver Star Story Season One
Episode Seventeen: Fists Of Fury
It had been a rather long morning for them. After a complete inspection of their boat, which they found had weathered the assault very well indeed, they had had a quick breakfast. That was fun, as they tried to put food in their mouth while their hands shook. In fact, out of all of them, Serena, Rini, and Mimi were the only ones who had managed to do so calmly. Though none of them cared to admit it, last night's battle had shaken them all up. If not for Gomamon being awake at the time, they would have all been killed before they could even think about defending themselves.
It was becoming apparent that they were going to have to keep eyes open at all times, regardless. So the battle had been a learning experience for all concerned.
Once their nerves calmed down enough, they continued onward. Despite everything, they still had a mission to complete, and a 'Dragonmaster' to confront.
As they approached their destination, they had detected a definite souring in the air. A strange fog had begun to appear, making it more difficult to see where they were. And the sun couldn't seem to fully penetrate the unexplainable gloom that seemed to suddenly arrive. Nobody moved for a second at the abruptness of the change.
Palmon decided that the smell alone would be able to take them out.
Mimi rubbed her arms, try to stave off a chill that didn't exist. "Okay, do any of you know anything about this place?" she asked.
Jessica frowned thoughtfully at the question, remembering that the Digi-Destined and Sailor Senshi were largely unaware of Lunarian history. "Well... the swamplands were supposed to be the site of a prison camp during the Heresy Wars," she replied hesitantly. "A secret prison camp developed by the Vile Tribe to hold their most valuable prisoners of war. It was said to have been destroyed about fifty years ago, when the forces of the Goddess finally broke through their defenses, and freed everyone there. No one knows if its true or not, but that was the rumor running around." She sighed. "Lann was established about ten years later, due to sheer abundance of fish in the lake. But very few people sailed towards the island. Those who did… refused to talk about what they saw."
Gatomon shuddered at this, a thrill of fear going through her. She didn't know why, only that it was there. "So, is there anything left of the place, if it even existed?" she asked, trying to gain her bearings.
"Haven't a clue. There may be some ruins there, but considering what the terrain is like... it'll probably be little bits and pieces. Nothing concrete. Like I said, the few that sailed there didn't talk about it to anybody." Jessica turned to look at her. "Why?"
The Digimon shrugged. "I felt... a great thrill of cold when I heard that, like I was afraid for some reason. I don't know why."
That was definitely something they all had felt. It was just an air of foreboding that they had never felt before.
Jessica nodded. "I can tell you, very few people come here as a result of that feeling... like our little 'Dragonmaster.'"
Palmon noticed how everyone nodded in agreement at that, as everyone's attention became refocused on the very reason they had come here in the first place. Focusing on this was a very good idea. The sooner they did this, the sooner they could get out of there.
The boat finally hit shallow water, close enough to be anchored, but still far enough not to scrape the bottom. The anchor was dropped, and the gang plank was set down.
"Well," Jessica began lamely, gesturing around her as everyone disembarked into the ankle high water, "here we are…"
Palmon looked around. "So we are, Jessica," she replied. A lame observation required a lame agreement.
All around them, not surprisingly, was a swampland. Wild grass grew in large fields all over the area, giving it a feeling of definite isolation. The water bubbled and hissed in a way that reminded the whole lot of them of acid. And the air that they breathed had an almost poisonous fume to it. All in all, one of Hell's prettier Outhouse's. There were no signs of any debris on the ground; no crumbling structures that showed that any kind of building had ever existed. Just swampland going as far as the eye could see.
Agumon clapped his hands together, rubbing them briskly. "So, where do we start looking for this 'Dragonmaster?'" he asked, wanting to do something other than stand there. "Because I want to find out if he's real or not."
"I hear you there," Tai agreed.
Nash grinned smugly, falling into 'Nash Mode,' as they were all now calling it. "I already know that this Dragonmaster is an absolute fraud!" he declared.
"Oh, really?" Palmon stared at him beady eyed, like her human partner. "And how would you know that, oh great and powerful one? Have you ever even met one?"
"Well, of course I've yet to see a real Dragonmaster, but I'll know it when I do."
"And how will you know when you have met one?" Rini asked, her gaze becoming as hard as diamonds. Darien shuddered slightly. He had seen that look on Serena when she actually got angry. It was enough to make grown men and youma soil themselves… literally.
Nash's chest puffed out, seemingly impervious to that stare. "The Dragonmaster's sworn duty is to protect Althena and her people from harm. So why would he be living in the middle of a swamp?"
(Tell him it's because he loves the scenery.) Ginny replied to Matt, smirking from her side of the connection. She was enjoying a free period, and was using it to do her homework.
Matt decided to do just that. "Because the Dragonmaster loves the scenery?"
The apprentice stared at him for a moment, like his suggestion was bordering on insanity. "It's absolutely ludicrous!" he shouted. "It's only because of ignorant hicks that the rumor spread as far as Vane!"
Palmon's already narrow gaze narrowed even further. "And that would be your opinion, maggot," she growled, vines flexing menacingly for a moment. "You certainly like to toot your own horn a whole lot."
Jessica's glare was just as firm, as she entered the conversation. "Just because you think he isn't the real thing, doesn't mean we shouldn't check him out," she informed him. "After all, this guy is using his power to steal food from 'ignorant hicks.'"Palmon's right; you have a nasty habit of talking before thinking."
Nash bristled a little at the criticism. "And you have a bad habit of scolding powerful magicians."
Jessica blinked a little at his tone, somewhat surprised that he hadn't backed off with that. Her hand began to inch to her mace threateningly. "Is that a threat, Nash?" she asked quietly
Electricity started crackling around Nash, just as threatening. "Want to find out?"
Now Palmon became slightly concerned. Irritating Nash was something that Agumon would do on a daily basis, just because it was against Nash's personality. Matt's little jest, however, may have been a little too much for the prideful magician to handle. It was becoming clear that he didn't handle humor too well.
And she was starting to realize that he was actually quite dangerous, so his boasts probably had a great deal of merit. She quickly started moving forward, ready to stop them before they resorted to physical/magical violence.
Thankfully, before intervention of the physical kind was required, the situation was defused by Luna Two, who managed to get in between them quickly. "Please, you two! Let's not fight with one another! We came here to find out why this man is doing what he is doing!" She smiled. "So let's go ask him!" she added cheerfully.
As expected, her words had the desired effect, as both Jessica and Nash slowly relaxed, stepping away from the brink of conflict. It never failed amaze the plant type Digimon just how good of a peacekeeper Luna Two was. She could have been a diplomat if she wanted to. Her mere presence was soothing to them all.
Venus looked around, taking in the desolate land before them. "If we can find him," she pointed out.
"Hmm… good point. Mercury?" Sailor Moon asked.
Mercury activated her visor and mini computer, and began scanning the entire island. As she was looking for a human, she immediately blocked any other life signs that showed up. It was a feasible idea, so long as there wasn't any kelbonite in the area.
Two minutes later, Mercury had him. Her cry of victory got their attention. "Find him?" Palmon asked rhetorically.
"Oh, yes!" Mercury crowed. "He's Northwest of our position, holding steady! We can reach him in two hours time."
Gabumon grinned. "And what does brainiac number two say?"
Izzy grinned. "Brainiac number two concurs, so long as we don't stop to fight any of the indigenous life here. Sadly, I don't think we're going to get that choice here." He swept the area with his computer. "I am detecting four different species of monsters here, all of them with the ability to poison or paralyze. And they are quite numerous." He turned to Nall. "Do we have sufficient Antidotes and Cleansing Waters?" he asked.
Nall felt into his subspace pocket, nodding affirmatively. "More than enough."
"Good." The archer put his computer back into his pack, pulling his sword out. While not the best, he could still handle himself in a fight with a blade. "But be on your guard. One of these monster's can absorb your life force directly if it latches onto you."
Palmon grinned, stretching her vines out for a second. As she was a plant type digimon, she was resistant to most forms of poisons. In this situation, she was probably their best kept weapon. "We always are."
She just wished she could digivolve. That would make their lives just a little easier.
-
On a small body of land near the island, something stirred.
Most of the land masses within this inland pond were avoided by the people of Lunar at large, as the stories of that mythological prison camp kept them away. As a result, they were relatively uncharted by Lann's fishers, who tended to stay closer to where the fish usually swam.
But that didn't mean that they didn't know the general geography of the area.
The main island was surrounded by four different islands, each one strangely set perfectly at North, South, East and West. Each one had thick grass and a few trees, and were thought to have been once been lookout posts. But that was all it was; a thought.
The only thing that was true was the fact that there were presences on those four islands which had kept curious people away. Presences that, in this instance, aided in letting these newcomers within the island's boundaries.
They had to, as one of their chosen was there, and she was going to need their help.
-
Joe finished off his antidote, grimacing at the bad taste. "You could have warned us," he grumbled, rubbing his arm, where there were now two pin pricks.
"I did," Izzy replied. "My computer can only do so much, though. It has to be right in front of the monster for the information to process. And that is kind of difficult to do so when you are fighting for your life. Excuse me, but duck." Joe did so, and Izzy hit another Barrel Snake with a downward slash.
Barrel Snake: A much more powerful cousin of the Grog Snake, the Barrel Snake uses the same attacks as its weaker brethren, though they are much more potent. It is also much faster, allowing it to evade certain attacks. However, it is weak defensively, meaning it can be killed with a single shot.
"I think that one got the point," Palmon noted. "Is everybody okay?"
Tai massaged his shoulder for a second. "I think one of them got a good bite out of me," he said, groaning in pain. "A herb, if you please?"
Sora looked at him. "Tai, you already had one," she said.
"I'm well aware of that. Guess they have their limitations, huh?"
Alex pulled out another herb, tossing it to his fellow leader. "They do, don't they?" he mused. "I think they can fully heal you if you have minor injuries.
"Maybe next time, you should use a Healing Nut," Izzy suggested. "They have stronger healing properties than the Herbs."
(Almost sounds simple,) Ginny noted. (I don't think Hermione could say it any better.)
(Well, I don't know this Hermione, but I think those two would get along juuuuussssst fine. Don't you need to get to the library, now?)
(I'm there already, so I'll let you go... for now. I'll talk to you later.) Matt could almost see Ginny's smirk. (Try not to break any bones.)
(Mine, or the enemies?)
(Yours. Bye, now.)
(Bye.) Matt's eyes widened. "Move, Luna One!" he barked.
"Wha-?" Luna One turned around, and dodged to the left, barely avoiding a pool of water. A green, fishlike creature passed her, waddling rather fast on two little feet. It snapped its jaws shut, obviously intending to take a bite out of one of them.
Palmon immediately grabbed it up in her vines, holding it in place. "Izzy, name that monster!" she shouted, trying to dig in.
Nightmare: The cousin of the Death Carrison, the Nightmare inhabits the swamps of Lann Island. It is identified by it's green color, and can produce a debilitating poison. Capable of walking on two stubby feet, the Nightmare is a formidable being in the water, though a little bit of a pushover on land.
Palmon tossed it into one of the puddles, watching sink underneath the water, screaming in agony. She winced. "Well, we know what the Nightmare is, as well as the Barrel Snake. And we now know for absolute certainty that the water is acidic." She looked around for a moment. So, where's this powerful monster we're supposed to be worried about?"
Mimi pointed directly in front of them. "Right there," she said, grimacing a little in revulsion. "And I must say, it is definitely ugly."
Palmon turned around, shoulders slumping. "Me and my big mouth," she grumbled, hating herself right now. "And look, they brought some friends with them."
Monoclop: The most powerful creature in the entire swamp, the Monoclop's eye also doubles as its mouth. A member of the Ghoul monster species, it possesses sheer physical strength, and an ability to paralyze its intended prey.
The Deep: A monster with no discernible body, The Deep is little more than a floating bloodsucker. It's one ability is to drain the blood from its intended victim, making it stronger while weakening it's victim for other monsters to finish off.
"Another monster with an impossible eye/ mouth combination. And a creature that sucks the blood out of a person." Izzy sighed, remembering their last encounter with such a bizarre creature. "Here we go again. At least this one doesn't regurgitate its digestive fluids."
Mercury observed the small group of Monoclop's that were fast approaching, counting them in her head. "Okay," she said. "I see six of them, as well as ten Deeps. Everyone, choose a target, and advance."
Palmon nodded. "I get the one on the far right. And be careful not to look in the Monoclop's eye."
-
Fifteen minutes later, the little cactus was helping Lilika sit up, shaking her head. "Told ya not to look," she informed her.
Lilika glared at the monster corpse, working her mouth to ensure that it was working. "I wasn't," she slurred. "I was looking at one of the Deep's, which was behind me at the time. It isn't my fault if the Monoclop's ability doesn't require eye contact."
On that, Palmon had to concede to her logic. None of them had known, having never fought the Monoclop before. Apparently, all Izzy's computer had was a very basic description of the monster, then added on as its abilities were revealed. They all were wishing that they had known this little detail beforehand.
A long, very vicious battle had erupted the second Mercury had handed out instructions. By the end of it, several of their number, including Lilika, had been paralyzed, requiring one of the others to use a Cleansing Water on them before they were set upon by hungry monsters. And that hadn't been all. The Deep's had proven extremely difficult to kill, each one requiring two blows to destroy them completely. To make matters worse, they had managed to latch onto the same person, taking their sweet time draining him. Matt now sported several teeth marks on his head to account for that, as well as on one leg, and was a little light headed as a result.
And finally, all of that fighting had drenched their clothes with sweat and blood. Mimi's arm now had a nasty acid burn on it, and all of them were tired and sore.
Alex administered a Cleansing Water to Luna Two, watching as her eyes began to track movement, and her left arm began to twitch. "They'll all be alright. They're just a little stiff."
"'A little stiff?'" Luna Two echoed, slurring slightly as she sat up. "Alex, someone could have buried us, and everyone would believe we were dead!"
"But you weren't," Mimi replied as she took her frustrations out on the last Monoclop, beating it into a bloody pulp."You were paralyzed. It's easier to recover from paralysis than death."
"Thank you for the reminder." Luna Two groaned, getting up, and observing herself. "We really need a river."
Tai shrugged. "What did you expect? That this was going to be a walk in the park?"
"Yes, actually. But this…this is normal."
Palmon looked at her, somewhat incredulously. "You live in a world of monsters, and you consider fighting them normal?"
Jessica returned her gaze. "You're a talking monster. Mimi finds you normal?"
"Girls!" the boys all shouted at once, before the two of them could drag it out any further.
The two winced. "Sorry."
Alex sighed, grateful for that. "Now that the two arguing females have stopped their pseudo-fighting, let's take a breather so we can regain our full faculties."
"Good idea," Lilika grumbled, still feeling the tingling in her extremities. She promptly began stretching her muscles in an effort to get full feeling into them faster.
Matt promptly plopped down onto the ground, grateful for the chance to relax. Of course, he was also grateful to still be alive. If it hadn't been for Palmon grabbing the Deep in her tendrils and ripping it off of his face, he most likely would be dead. He didn't even want to think about how that would affect Ginny.
Sailor Moon leaned back against Tuxedo Mask, letting her breathing slow a bit as she relaxed. Not that she was tired. If anything, she was bursting with a lot of energy still, which was confusing. But she wasn't going to think about it too much. Besides, it was good to relax for a few seconds before doing anything else
Palmon sat down next to Mimi, watching as her human partner began pulling her boots off, massaging her feet for a few seconds. "Boots not doing it?" she asked.
Mimi grimaced slightly. "They're comfortable, but one can only stand on their feet for so long before your soles cry out 'No more!'" she replied, trying to rub the soreness out of them. She moved to her ankles shortly after. "Also, those Monoclops are tougher than I thought. I want to make sure that I didn't break my ankle."
"Maybe you'll actually use your magic next time."
"I haven't learned enough to control it properly, and I don't know how much I've got. I want to conserve my power for actual emergencies and threats, not irritants."
Palmon smiled at that. "Only you would consider most monsters as irritants."
"Ah, the Digital World has taught me well when I consider such dangerous creatures as mere irritants."
Alex gave out a snort at that, though having heard about Digimon by now, he could see where Mimi was coming from. If one had to deal with a hundred different monsters that could think for themselves, and had the means to fight back, then one would think that monsters that didn't have the ability to think as much easier.
But a funny thought was occurring to him. Izzy had said that the island was filled to the brim with monsters. If that were the case, they should have run into a whole lot more than the few groups they did. Not that he was complaining, mind you, but it was still a strange thing.
"Hey, Mercury, could you do a scan, and see where the monsters are right now?" he asked. "I'm pretty sure we should have run into far more than we did."
Mercury frowned at that, before realizing the same thing. She quickly activated her visor, and did a quick scan. "Most of them haven't moved from their last locations," she muttered, confused. "It's almost like they aren't even aware of our presence. And that's pretty impossible. We're not exactly being quiet."
Nash frowned at that, looking around. "Now that you've said that… can you all feel that? That… presence in the air?"
Serena stood up, turning around in a circle for a second. That presence… it felt familiar to her for some reason, though she couldn't figure out why. "Yeah..." she murmured to herself. "I can feel that. It doesn't feel like it's a threat to us. Rei?"
Rei nodded. "Whatever it is, it doesn't feel evil. It just… exists. Probably just consciousness without emotion. But… maybe it's a defense mechanism. Maybe something left over from that purported POW camp."
Alex took a look around. He couldn't feel anything, and judging by the looks of everyone who didn't use magic with great regularity, neither could they. But if Mars wasn't reacting with suspicion, then it couldn't be a threat. It did give some proof about the stories, but that was about it. And it wasn't threatening them. If anything, it was a rather beneficial aid for them.
Deciding that he could shelve it for later consideration, as it wasn't pertinent to their current situation, he pushed some long grass out of the way.
"Hey, I think I've got something," he said, getting everyone's attention.
Serena stepped up next to him, taking a look at what he had found. "I think Alex has found the 'Dragonmaster's' domicile," she said, her nose wrinkling in distaste. "If it's even good enough to be called a domicile."
Mimi sighed, putting her boot back on. "Guess the break's over," she murmured to Palmon, who giggled at that.
-
The group was not unobserved, of course.
A shadow took note that someone had reached his domicile, and sighed. He thought he had stopped that village from going after him. So much for that hope.
Well, best to deal with them before they started messing around with his stuff. He still had a mission to complete. So it was time to make a complete arse of himself.
-
Everyone walked forward warily, stopping only when they reached the residence. And Serena was right… it didn't even have the right to be called a residence. If it were a house, it would be classified as a lost cause.
"It's a tent. A very poor tent at that." Sora practically groaned in irritation. If they needed any more proof that the man was not what he claimed to be, this was it.
"And a fire." Palmon stretched her vines out, then quickly pulled back. "A fire recently started and put out. He probably saw us coming."
"Which means he's around here somewhere," Artemis added, "waiting for us to leave."
Tai nodded. "So, I guess we wait, then. Maybe he'll come back."
They didn't even have to wait at all. Which meant either this guy was the Dragonamster and just didn't know how to pitch a tent, or he was just that stupid.
Or, more ludicrously, he had been waiting for them to arrive.
"Hey, you brats!"
The second after Tai had spoken, a new voice uttered those words imperiously. A second later, a flash of steel suddenly came out of nowhere, missing Matt's nose by the barest of margins. The boy in question jumped back in surprise, his own blade out in reflex. He barely deflected the second slash, got shoved back, and almost fell into a puddle. He was able to stop himself quickly with a quick assist from Palmon, just several inches from the water.
However, in that amount of time, he had had time to observe the weapon in question. Not exactly something someone would normally be afraid of. It was nicked, the blade was rusting slightly, and it looked like he had gotten it off of the same person who gave Jason Voorhees his machete.
The man was also something of a wreck. His clothes were threadbare and covered in monster slime. His hair was haphazard, resembling a rats nest, and there was a dirty bandage on his arm. In fact, the only two things good that could be said was that he kept extraordinarily good care of his teeth, and that he wasn't crazy.
He was, however, extremely arrogant, which was dictated by how he stood in front of his tent, chest puffed out in pride. "What business do you have bothering me, the great Dragonmaster Zoc?" he bellowed, then noted the fact that he was, in fact, talking to them. "And how did you battle through the swamp monsters to find me?"
Palmon sighed. "We had numbers, and brains," she replied, opting to leave out the presence. "And we're here to take you down. That should answer both of your questions efficiently."
Zoc took a step back, but it was in surprise. It was obvious that he found their statement somewhat amusing "What?! You're here to take me down! How delightful!" He laughed for a second in mirth, abruptly stopping and glaring at them. "How dare you invade the home of the protector of Althena, and doubt his ability to smite you?!"
"Oh, shut up!" Greg snapped, already tired of the creep. "We know for a fact that you aren't the real Dragonmaster. Real Dragonmasters would take care of their weapons a whole lot better than that."
"So here's some advice," Sailor Moon added. "Leave, or we will to have to hurt you."
Zoc raised his blade.
"Hold on," Nall suddenly said, in a very calm voice. "If you're the real Dragonmaster, then you must have met the four Dragons, right?"
"You insult me, brat! Of course I've met the four Dragons!"
"What are their colors?"
Rini turned to Luna Two. "Has Nall lost it?" she asked. "I mean, why would anyone care what their colors are?"
Luna Two grinned. "I can safely surmise that Nall has found a way to determine this man's legitimacy. Only those who have met one of the Four Dragons would know their colors, because they would have been told by that Dragon."
Zoc thought hard for a moment. "The White Dragon, the Red Dragon, the…uh…Mauve Dragon, and the…uh…Teal Dragon!" He stared at Nall. "Now do you doubt that I am the true Dragonmaster, children?"
"No… yes!" Nall smirked. "Alex, this guy is even fuller of it than Nash!"
"Hey!" Nash shouted indignantly. "For your information, I may be arrogant, but I have good reason to be, because I am what I say I am! All this guy has a blade that looks like he bought it from a thief, and one hell of an imagination!"
Zoc's eyes bulged, and a vein throbbed in his head. "That's quite enough of your verbal abuse, brats!" he hissed.
Jupiter's glare rivaled his. "Oh, we have only begun to verbally abuse you!" she retaliated. "And let me add on that Nash would be a better Dragonmaster than you! Now, can we move to the part where we physically abuse you?"
The aforementioned magician winced. "Ouch."
"You said it," Rini said, whistling. "Man, Lita can sure dish it out."
Zoc turned purple with rage, revealing that he had a very thin skin when it came to insults. Probably not exactly what a goddess looked for when selecting her emissary. "You have left me no choice but to teach you a lesson!" He turned around, and held his hands out, palms outward. "Witness my command over the Dragon of Lann Island, and regret your rudeness!" He began emitting a high octave trill.
Garurumon took a step forward immediately, tear bared. He didn't know why, but that sound was giving him the impression that something was going to happen. Something very unpleasant. "What do you think you're doing?"
Palmon was about to ask the same question, except for one thing. She felt the ground begin to shake underneath them. It was rhythmic, which meant it wasn't an earthquake, or Lilika using her power. And even as Lillymon, she didn't have that kind of power.
Lilika must have also sensed it, because she looked around as well. "What the-?" Then she saw what was making the tremors approaching rapidly. "What on Lunar is that?!" she exclaimed in surprise.
Greymon shook his head. "Not a Dragon, that's for sure."
What approached was not a dragon, so much as a giant toad. Its skin was a brownish gray, with horns sticking out all over it's back in a haphazard pattern. It had a hinged jaw, and as was absolute in its species, no teeth. It looked hungry, though, which was not a good thing. And a thing that size was not something to trifle with.
Frog Lizard: The strongest of the amphibious monsters, the Frog Lizard is powerful enough to be considered a boss, though it is weaker than most of that category. Its skin can withstand multiple blows, and its tongue more muscular than the average frog or toad. It has no debilitating attacks, though it is strong physically, and quicker than a creature its size. It does possess the ability to regenerate, though that ability is not as developed.
The Frog Lizard stopped right next to Zoc, staying there for a good thirty seconds, as if trying to decide which one of them it would try to eat first. Then, faster than the eye could see, its tongue shot out of its mouth, striking Greymon dead in the chest. With a mighty bellow of pain and surprise, the giant lizard hurtled back about twenty feet before coming to a complete stop.
The Lizard struck again, this time hitting Garurumon in his leg, much faster than the dog Digimon could react. A sound of a breaking bone echoed over the island, and Garurumon was down, his front right leg broken. He howled in pain as he de-digivolved.
Three seconds later, Kabuterimon and Birdramon took off, ready to attack from the sky. The rest of the group charged forward as well.
Mimi was ready to join the rest of them, but was stopped short when Zoc charged forward, weapon slashing at her. She ducked, hearing the blade rushing over her, then tried sweeping his legs from underneath him. He jumped to avoid it, and brought his sword down. This time, she rolled out of the way, got up, and started to run. Zoc, not willing to let her go, followed her.
"METEOR WING!"
"ELECTRO SHOCKER!"
The two attacks dispersed on the Frog Lizards hide, leaving small dark scorch marks on the points of impact. A small cloud of smoke appeared, enshrouding the Lizard. They hovered there afterwards, waiting to see whether or not they had done any damage.
The Frog, whose limitations involved the lack of a flexible neck, simply jumped up, reached a certain height, which was above the two Digimon, then, as the law of gravity dictated, he came down.
Crashingly.
All Birdramon knew was that some kind of mass had slammed into her back, forcing her to plummet back to Terra Firma. She tried in vain to flap her wings, only to be met with a great deal of air resistance.
Even that became moot, though, as both hit the ground hard. The Lizard's mass served as a secondary force, creating a sandwiching effect. Simply put, breathing became very difficult for the champion level Digimon, as all of her ribs were effectively crushed. Mercifully, she lost consciousness, de-digivolving in the process.
In the space of three minutes, an equal number of Digimon were removed from the equation.
Mimi, deciding that she was far enough from the main battle zone, finally halted, pulled her knife out, and turned around in time to block the next attack from Zoc, one that would have cleaved her in half. She pushed back, catching him off guard, then punched him in the face. When he stumbled back, she raised her hand. "Fire-"
The 'Dragonmaster', recovering faster than she thought possible for a person like him, came in, forcing her to stop. He aimed high, and when she went to block it, he kicked her in the stomach.
Hard.
Mimi literally folded in half, the air forced out of her lungs. She dropped to one knee, gasping.
Zoc raised his weapon. "Farewell, brat!" he roared, bringing it down.
Mimi, moving faster than she ever moved before in her life, rolled, the blade cutting several centimeters of her hair off. She stopped, wiping some sweat off of her brow. 'I can't keep this up!' she thought. 'I need a sword of my own!'
One of Mercury's sabers slashed out, missing the Frog Lizard as it leaped over her. She turned around, intent on following it, when her eyes fell on Mimi, and Zoc's blade barely missing her by an inch. Realizing that she was at a disadvantage, she yelled, "Mimi! Here!" and tossed her right blade to the young girl.
Mimi caught it with one hand, and turned just in time to block Zoc's next attack. She grinned at the look of surprise on the 'Dragonmaster's' face. "Now, we dance," she said, smirking.
Zoc backed off a little, before entering a battle stance. "So be it!" he snarled, before lashing out again.
The Frog Lizard once more leaped, this time aiming for Pluto and Mars. With equal yelps of astonishment, the two Senshi leaped as well, avoiding the fate that had awaited them.
"Mars Fire Ignite!"
"Pluto Deadly Scream!"
Their attacks collided with their adversary's back, causing a much more powerful explosion. But once more, the Lizard weathered them, virtually unscathed. It simply picked another target, and tried to strike that target.
However, in this time, Tai had managed to come up from behind. With no sound adhering to his arrival, he brought his katana, and swung. His aim was true, slicing off one of the main horns. Greenish blood began oozing out of the wound. Apparently, his blade was tougher than its skin.
Sora dragged Gabumon away from the battle, then ran to get Biyomon. "Biyomon!" she yelled. "Please, say something!"
"Sora…" was the only reply she received, but it was enough. She picked her up gently, relieved that she had said something, and carried her over to Gabumon. "Use a Healing Nut on yourself, then help Biyomon take one!" she shouted.
The little furred Digimon nodded. "Nall!" he bellowed. "We need two Healing Nuts, now!"
Nall flew in, dropping the aforementioned items, then headed over to the battle. "Jessica, Biyomon is going to need your help!"
Jessica nodded, then bashed one of the Lizards legs with her mace, though not doing a great deal of damage. She then turned and sprinted towards the two fallen Digimon.
Kabuterimon started beating the Lizards back with his fists, trying to do some serious damage. He wasn't doing much at all.
Alex, and all the other's wielding swords began slashing at it. Their blades simply bounced off its hide
Nash and the Scouts rained magic attack after magic attack onto it, hoping to weaken it enough for them to strike a final blow. Each attack was dispersed, sadly enough.
Izzy shot arrow after arrow into the Frog Lizards sides. Sadly, he wasn't having anymore luck than the rest of them.
Palmon grabbed boulders and the like, tossing them at the Lizard quickly. It was about all she could do, and it was worth nothing.
Greymon sat up, groaning. "What hit me?" he asked groggily.
"The Frog Lizard's tongue," Nall replied, giving him a Healing Nut. "You were out for a few minutes."
"Oh, okay." Greymon took it, and popped it into his mouth, chewing on it slowly, feeling his sore chest become pain free.
Several seconds later, he roared, "NOVA BLAST!"
The Sailor Scouts and Kari immediately scattered as a huge fireball flew on past, slamming into the Frog Lizard with extreme prejudice. Tai released one as well, which hit as well. The two combined attacks flung the boss almost twenty feet away. Along the way, it slammed into Zoc's haphazard tent, destroying it instantly.
Kabuterimon flew in after it, releasing Electro Shocker after Electro Shocker. Ten in all, and in rapid succession. A massive cloud of smoke appeared. Patamon followed, releasing a barrage of Boom Bubbles into the cloud.
The Frog Lizard hurtled out of the cloud, its skin now black as pitch, and its eyes having trouble tracking movement. It landed fifteen feet away, smoking. Undeterred, the group followed it, intent on finishing the job.
Jessica knelt down next to Biyomon, checking her injuries over first. Then, she brought her hands down, until they were a few inches from her chest. "Althena, lend me your power! Heal Litany!"
A green field appeared from Jessica's hands, similar to the glow that appeared from Althena's Statue, and headed into Biyomon's chest. Instantly, Biyomon's breathing eased considerably, and she appeared to relax, entering a deep sleep.
Gabumon limped up to them. "That was incredible," he said quietly. "How did you do that?"
The Priestess grinned from ear to ear. "It's like I said. I am skilled in healing magic. There are few wounds and conditions I can't deal with." She looked up, taking in the battle. "I need to get back into the fight," she added, getting up. "Stay with her, Sora."
Mimi and Zoc battled, their blades clanging against each other in a furious dance of steel. And surprisingly, Mimi was doing rather well. She seemed to know how to use a sword instinctively, and she proved it by meeting Zoc blow for blow.
However, the 'Dragonmaster' apparently had a great deal of experience. His blade may have looked like it had been dragged through a bush of thorns, and his general appearance that of a wild, uncivilized man, he comported himself like a seasoned soldier. He kept coming at her with a mathematical precision that was a bit disconcerting. This immediately struck Mimi as extremely weird. And she began to suspect that there was more to Zoc than at first glance.
As she pondered this, Zoc suddenly went on a furious offensive, battering her defenses and almost dislodging her grip on her own weapon. Desperately, she tried to retaliate, but he gave her no space to do so. She needed to find a way to get some distance from him, and she needed to do it fast.
She still had her dagger though, and she brought it back into the fray, slashing at him. He leaped back to avoid it, and Mimi jumped up, kicking him dead in the face. He staggered back, clutching his nose. Mimi back flipped, landed, and brought her hand up.
Zoc looked up, saw what she was going to do, and brought his own hand up, only his was in a throwing position.
"Fire Blast!" Mimi shouted. A plume of fire shot from her fingertips.
"Throwing Fire!" Zoc bellowed in retaliation, a giant sphere of flame appearing in his hand. With a slight grunt, he threw it.
The two fire attacks collided in mid air. The result; a resounding explosion for all concerned. The resultant shockwave was powerful enough to knock both of them off of their feet. Zoc was able to get to his feet quickly, though.
"Ow," Mimi groaned, flipping onto her stomach, and started pushing herself up. That was the first time she had ever been in a situation where her spell slammed into another one's.
She got herself to her knees, when she felt cold steel touch the tip of her chin. She looked up to see Zoc standing over her, a look of triumph on his face. Slowly, the blade pressed upward, forcing her to a standing position. He grinned. "You lose, brat," he said. "Now, it's time to die."
Mimi blanketed the fear in her eyes with defiance. "You better make your shot count," she said defiantly, waiting for him to make his move.
Greymon's fist connected with the fleshy underside of the Lizards throat, then grabbed its tongue as it shot out involuntarily. With a grunt, he began twirling the Frog Lizard around like a ball and chain. After a few moments of this, he released.
At that same time, Palmon felt a surge of power go through her, which meant one thing. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. She would help Mimi after she dealt with the more immediate threat first.
"PALMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…TOGEMON!"
Palmon grew until she had reached the same height as any of the other Digimon. The flower shrank, until it was just a little thing at the top of her head. Her eyes and mouth became simple holes as her body became more cactus than desert flower. To top it off, two giant boxing gloves appeared on her hands.
The Frog Lizard began its descent at this same time. Unfortunately for it, it was heading right for Togemon. And her fist was ready for use.
"LIGHT SPEED JABBING!"
Instantly, the boss was hammered by multiple blows, all thrown at the speed of light with the force of freight train, and into every part of its body. Togemon's power in boxing was well known in the Digital World, and now the Frog Lizard was feeling it first hand. It gave one last, painful croak, helpless…
…and its skin cracked open like an overripe melon.
The group took advantage of this.
"ELECTRO SHOCKER!"
"Check this out! Thunder Bomb!"
"Jupiter Thunder Dragon!"
All of the electrical power of the group was now concentrated on that opening. The second they hit, the Frog Lizard began frying like an egg as its internal fluids began to bubble and hiss. Togemon immediately used an uppercut, knocking the Lizard into the acid water. There, the corrosive liquid began eating away at its skin, making it even more vulnerable.
"Moon…Scepter…
"Light…Scepter…
Activation!"
Add two attacks from their resident scepter holders, and the Frog Lizard was vaporized, with no fuss or muss.
Tai sighed. "Well, that was disappointing." He then tensed up. "Togemon, you digivolved."
"Yeah, I know. Hold that thought." Togemon immediately turned around to Mimi's battle, remembering why that she had, in fact, digi-volved in the first place. She took in Mimi standing straight, Zoc's blade pressed against her throat. She saw Mimi tensing up, preparing to move. She saw Zoc starting to move his blade, and acted quickly.
"NEEDLE SPRAY!" she shouted, twirling in a circle. Several seconds later, a hundred needles shot outwards from her body, thrown by the strength of her momentum.
Her aim was perfect.
The needles slammed into both Zoc's sword and Zoc himself. The blade was almost knocked out of his hand, and he suddenly became a great deal more prickly on his right side. He gave a massive yelp of pain.
By this time, Mimi had moved out of harm's way, slammed her fist into his face, and brought her knife up again, pressing it against Zoc's throat. "Don't move," she hissed. "I may not kill you, but I will see to it that you never use a sword again! Now drop your weapon!"
Zoc did so, keeping the rest of his body very still. He understood that he was beaten, and he didn't want to lose the use of his arms.
Then he looked around, noting something amiss. He realized what too quickly. "My dragon!" he cried out. "What have you done to my cute little dragon!"
Nall sighed. Seriously, this guy was really stupid. "That wasn't a dragon, pal! Unlike you, we've seen the real thing!"
Jessica approached until she was standing next to Mimi, putting a hand on her shoulder. "That was a swamp monster called a Frog Lizard," she informed him archly, "and you're lucky it didn't eat you for breakfast!"
The man blinked, surprised by that. He had had no idea, apparently. "Really…uh…I guess you kids saved my life, didn't you?"
"You mean, spared your life?" Nash bellowed angrily. "You're lucky we don't slay you along with your pathetic little beast!"
"Try having it sit on you," Biyomon grumbled, having regained consciousness at around that time, "and maybe you will rethink your idea of 'little.' For once though, I agree with you."
"And how dare you make the villagers of Lann suffer to fuel your ego!" Jessica roared, her beastman heritage showing itself in full bloom.
Matt felt Ginny wince. (I never realized that listening to your friends is like listening to a muggle music box,) she mentioned. (I'm getting a headache, and I'm not even there.)
(That's a stereo you're describing, and here's a suggestion. Take two Tylenol, and call me in the morning. How's your research?)
(Almost done, actually.)
(Thank you. And I'll tell them to quiet it down. I'm getting a headache.)
(Thanks.)
Greymon had stepped forward. "For all of those reasons, we should let Mimi rip your arms off," he said calmly, quietly. This was a sure sign that he was really angry.
Togemon would have whistled, but her mouth muscles weren't designed to pucker. 'Never thought Greymon could be quiet when he was angry.'
Zoc lowered his head in shame. "You're right, I deserve whatever punishment I get!" He sat down on the ground. "When I learned magic, I let it get to my head…and I used it to get whatever I wanted. I abused the power."
"Which was a bad move," Gabumon added, limping over to them.
The man nodded. "When I came here, and found what I thought was a dragon, I decided to have some fun with the villagers. I know I was wrong, and I'm sorry."
Mimi put her dagger away, handing Amy's other sword back to her. "Yes, well, your fun almost destroyed Lann. By attacking their boats, and destroying their nets, you cut off their only supply of food."
Zoc's head slowly came up, looking Mimi dead in the face. His face was set in a mask, but his eyes betrayed him. They were surprised. And not surprised that they had found out that he was one doing it. It was the surprise that came when out found out something you didn't know. And that immediately got Mercury suspicious. She started go through with all of the evidence that she had seen when she had inspected the boats.
Zoc recovered quickly from his surprise. "Well, I know I've learned my lesson. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"
Luna Two smiled. "Just…promise that you won't use magic for evil anymore."
"I promise! I'm going back home, and mending my ways!" Zoc bowed to them repeatedly. "Thank you for bringing me to my senses! Thank you so much!" Still thanking them profusely, he sprinted away from them.
Mimi watched him go. "You know," she said, something nagging at her. "For someone whose entire wardrobe consisted of that of an egotistical idiot in rags, he was entirely too well trained to be just that. He fought like a professional soldier… who was a tad rusty, I might add."
"What else?" Togemon asked.
Mimi was silent for a moment more. "I also got the sense that he was much more powerful than he let on."
Nash though about it, and realized that she was right. "Now that you mention it, he did seem rather well trained. And he knew how to fight." He frowned. "I wonder…"
Sailor Mercury suddenly gave a sudden exclamation of surprise. "Now I know what was wrong with the damage!"
Everyone turned to her. "Okay, you found out something," Tai coaxed. "What?"
"The damage to the boats!" Mercury shouted. "It wasn't done by the Frog Lizards tongue, or Zoc, as we originally presumed. The holes were too massive for that. It was done by a heavy object. A physical, heavy object!"
Izzy grasped the concept immediately. "A cannon strike," he muttered.
"Or something of equal size and weight, coming in at regular intervals," Matt added. "Whoever is responsible for this didn't want anyone getting near here."
Alex groaned. He was really starting to get tired of this. Every single time they thought they had an answer, something came up that tossed their conclusions out the window. What the heck was going on?
Togemon stretched her arms out. "Well, we can't do anything about that right now. And, let's face it, I get the feeling that no one is going to be bothering these people anymore. They serve no purpose anymore. So, how about we get out of here, because we need to get the happy news to Lann. And we've spent enough time in this place." She turned around. "Nall, a set of Dragon Wings, if you please."
Nall flew by, and dropped one in Rei's hands. "Here ya go!" he sang.
"Thanks." Rei held them up. "Everyone, please crowd around me."
Everyone did so, vanishing a mere second later.
The four presences began to power down, returning to normal levels that they were before. Their Chosen was safe, and that was the most important thing.
They hadn't interfered directly, merely kept the majority of the creatures on the island at bay. They could not afford to draw attention to both them, and their Chosen, and they had to keep her hidden until the time had come. Her journey was not over, yet.
-
'Zoc' came to a halt several miles from his former tent, breathing heavily. "I am out of shape," he muttered to himself, his voice now holding a British accent. "Out of a coma after almost thirteen wizarding years, and my first assignment after my debriefing is to ruin my reputation." He flung his arms out exasperatedly. "I'd rather fight Voldemort again!"
Finally catching his breath after several minutes, and deciding not to rehash on ancient history, he pulled out an extremely advanced communicator from his belt. "Black Knight to White Queen. Alania, do you copy?"
"Loud and clear. Did you complete your assignment?"
"I did. And I am never going to do something like that again!" 'Zoc' informed her.
"Don't worry. I won't ever give you an assignment like that again, unless you do something to piss me off. However, we have some new information." The voice paused. "You are being reassigned to the Big Ten, realm 2." Another pause. "We've found her, my friend," Alania finished.
'Zoc' held his breath, daring to hope. "Lily…?" he asked.
"Yes. She's been working at a New York Hospital under an alias, taking care of a fallen Planeteer. She had been sent there by Guardian Landros to protect her. Also, the prophecy of Fire and Wind has been initiated. I'll send you their crests when you have reached the station. You will need to train Wheeler, though his father may have already given some to him." She seemed to sense his sudden change of mood. "Don't worry, my friend. You will see your son again…someday."
'Zoc' sighed. "I hope so." Abruptly, his tone became businesslike. "I'll head to the rendezvous point…after I get a shower and a shave…and my weapon and uniform. I feel like a horses arse."
Alania laughed over the comm. "Understood. White Queen out."
James Potter put his communicator away, breathing in deeply. "Well, thank God I never have to do that again. But now I have to get to the portal zone."
He started running again, this time with purpose. He had a chance to get his family back together now. He just hoped they would want to be a family.
He quickly disappeared with a resounding CRACK.
The group, now with the rest of afternoon to kill after their 'great' victory, had first sailed away from the island, and did a bit of fishing so the village had some food for another day. When night fell, they kicked back and relaxed, with plenty of laughing and singing… well, for the most part.
Serena and Amy spent much of the time talking about the past, regaling the group with stories from the Silver Millennium. It served two purposes; it made for some great entertainment, and it gave them all more information concerning the Sailor Senshi's past lives.
The only three who weren't taking part in the conversations was Mimi, and that was because she was busy driving the boat back to the harbor, Palmon, who never strayed too far from her partner for any reason and Luna, because she figured they shouldn't be alone.
Mimi looked over at her Digimon companion, who was presently dozing on the side of the wheel. A small smile emerged on her face as she took in the sight, as well as a simple thought that hadn't really occurred to her until last year, during Myotismon's invasion of Tokyo.
Without Palmon here, there was a good chance that she wouldn't even be alive. Her Digimon partner had made her want to become a better person, to finally break through the persona she had had to build around herself. If it hadn't been for Palmon, she would never have become friends with any of the other Digi-Destined.
Her gaze shifted over to where Izzy was busy asking questions concerning the Moon Kingdom's technological abilities, and shook her head in fond exasperation. On the one hand, his need to understand the scientific aspects of a civilization, instead of simply enjoying the story for what it was, could be a very annoying trait. She still remembered her first 'year' in the Digital World, where trying to get his attention was akin to hitting him over the head with a hammer.
On the other hand, it was also one of his most endearing traits as well. He was inherently curious of the world around him, wanting to understand when others simply scoffed at it. It was one of the reasons why she liked him so much.
Her gaze shifted to Lilika, who was presently laughing at something Gomamon had said, while Joe had just covered his face with his hands in exasperation. Shy, quiet, but brave and capable in battle, she was a conundrum that she hoped to understand one day. The fact that she was an almost perfect copy of her personally, was just another mystery. Maybe she was just an alternate version of her, living one of many possible lives?
But she was also quite kind, generous, and genuinely curious about the others. In a short amount of time, she had become quite close to the brunette. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that she was her long lost sister.
She decided that, from this moment on, she would no longer hide behind her walls. She would live as she wanted to live, love who she wanted to love. She would try and be like the Princess from her Mom's stories, the Princess who always stood for what was right.
She would try and make her parents proud.
"People of Lann!" Sailor Moon shouted from the ship, waving in greeting. "We have returned! We bring good news, and some fish for you all!"
The whole village was silent for a moment as the surprising news sank in.
And then cheers erupted from them. Then the other good news set in, and the cheering grew even louder.
The fisherman who owned the boat stepped forward. "Okay, how bad is the damage?" he asked anxiously, looking his baby over.
Jessica looked behind her. "You're going to need to replace some of the planks, since they got harpooned, but other than that, all it really needs is a good cleaning."
"Whoa, that's less damage than I thought. Nice." The burly man turned around, and yelled for eight men to help him unload the boat. He didn't want to know why his baby had been harpooned. The fact it was back under his care was more than enough for him.
Looking up at the darkening sky, Jessica rubbed her face. Now that the adrenaline rush had abated, she could feel her body head for the inevitable crash. "Hey, guys… you don't have to head out immediately, do you?" she asked.
Mimi shook her head, carrying Palmon in her arms. "Not a snowball's chance," she replied wearily, even as she watched the others slowly make their way off of the boat. "None of us are awake enough to stay on our horses, and we might as well make that there aren't any other issues for this villages. And Biyomon and Gabumon really do need to heal a little longer."
Jessica nodded in agreement. Healing items and spells could only do so much. Sometimes, the body just needed to do some good old fashion healing. And, though she didn't know much about Digimon, she assumed that it was same way with them. "Well, Lann doesn't have an inn per say, but they do have an empty hut for the few visitors they do get. We can sleep there for the night."
"I like that idea." The other girl shook her head. "I hope that's the last swamp we ever have to go through. I have this small issue of not wanting to throw up when dealing with threats to my life."
Jessica chuckled. "Sorry, but there are a few places like that."
"Drat."
The two girls enjoyed the levity for a few seconds, before Mimi turned around, looking back at the island in the distance. "That fake Dragonmaster aside, I can't help but wonder. Do you think those stories about the camp are true?"
Jessica shook her head immediately. "I don't. The Vile Tribe very rarely took prisoners, after all. They simply had no way to build any kind of prison in the Silver Star without the Goddess knowing about it. It would not have survived its first year." She sighed. "On the other hand… it's still a possibility. They may have found a way to hide it, after all. Just because I don't believe it was real, doesn't mean that it wasn't."
Mimi nodded, accepting that. What was more… it was in the past. It had no bearing in the here and now, except for curiosity. There was nothing here to worry about anymore… right?
She hoped that was case.