The walk through the hot desert did little to lighten their moods…
"I say we find out how to use the crests before we start relying on 'em." Rach stated irritably.
"It's probably the same as Digivolving to Champion. One, they must have enough energy. For example, they can't Digivolve if their hungry. And two, their partner must be in some kind of danger."
Don's explanation seemed right, so Rach just shook everything off.
"But what's with the meaning?" Raph questioned gruffly.
"…I don't know…" Don admitted.
'Maybe it has something to do with finding that trait in yourself…' Elisa mused, following the others.
She'd never voice such thoughts, however.
It was only a theory.
They stopped when they saw an oasis, the water and fruit looking inviting.
Too bad Leo was in 'Leader Mode', and most of their food was stuffed into poor Agumon's stomach.
"…Does he usually get like this?" Rach asked.
"He only does things like this because he cares." Don retorted.
But he couldn't help feeling that his older brother may have gone too far…
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After eating and drinking their fill, they set off again.
As the sun rose higher into the sky, showing the time as noon, Rach's tag started blinking a glowing grey.
"My crest is nearby…"
She bolted, following the tug of the glowing trinket around her neck as the others tried to keep up. A coliseum came into view, and Rach followed her tag into the arena.
There was a soccer field in the center, with two large flat-screen TV's on either end.
"Since when did the ancient coliseum have TV's?" Gio asked, looking around.
"Everything's different in the Digital World." Don answered.
Mikey fell down on his bottom in exhaustion, Tokomon on his lap, with Elisa and Agumon not far behind.
"Ya guys take a break. The only clue to my crest is my tag, so me an' Gomamon will go look." Rach stated, walking off with Gomamon.
Leo watched her warily, as if feeling something might attack out of nowhere.
A soccer ball rolled up to Gio, and she smiled.
"Who's up for a game of soccer?"
She kicked up the ball, keeping it in the air with well-placed kicks.
Elisa nodded, a smile on her face, and her foot shot out, stealing the ball.
"Where'd ya guys learn ta play?" Raph asked, following the soccer ball as it moved through the air and over the ground almost too fast to see.
"Sensei taught us so we could build lower body strength." Gio answered, watching as Mikey tried to steal the ball from the fast-footed, pink-banded turtle.
Elisa had always been quick on her feet, after all.
But when Mikey fell back, Elisa stopped maneuvering the ball at once, helping him up and making sure he wasn't hurt. After he'd assured her that he was fine, she smiled almost motherly, handing him the ball.
"Go have fun."
He smiled innocently up at her, trying to maneuver the ball as she had. As she taught him how, the Digimon looked questioningly at their partners.
"How do you play?" Biyomon asked.
Don decided to explain…
"You have to get the soccer ball into the goal without using your hands, and whoever has the most points wins."
"Oh…can we play?"
Tokomon looked eager enough, and the idea perked the others curiosity.
"Then let's play. Turtles vs. Digimon." Raph answered.
Before they could start, Leo kicked the ball up into the stone bleachers.
"This is no time for playing around!"
Even Agumon, who'd been trying to sleep the food off, looked up in surprise.
"Cool it, Leo! We were just having some fun!" Geo reasoned, a bit shaken from the shout.
She'd never heard him sound like that before…
Rach looked behind her at the shout, but she didn't move. The once blinking glow was going so fast the glow was nearly constant.
She looked at the large soccer net before her.
'Now, if I were a crest, where would I hide?'
The TV screens flickered to life, and Etemon's face made fear ripple through the group.
"RUN!!!!!"
As they ran towards Rach, no one noticed Agumon lagging behind…
Rach spun around, and would've bolted if the net hadn't fallen, trapping them.
"Do you REALLY think a net can stop us-!"
Tentomon was cut off as he flew into the netting, getting shocked.
"Tento!!"
Don caught the Digimon, getting knocked over and accidentally falling on Elisa.
"Sorry, El…"
She blushed from the contact.
"I-It's okay…"
Leo looked out of the netting.
"Agumon!!!"
Etemon sent out a dark-looking Greymon, and everyone looked worriedly at Agumon.
"Agumon, Digivolve to…GREYMON!!"
He seemed sluggish, slow, and he was getting whooped for it.
"Nova Blast!"
No fire escaped his mouth, and the worry grew.
"What's wrong with him?!"
"He ate too much, Leo. It's making him sluggish." Elisa answered.
"I say we dig our way out! I ain't sittin' here to just watch 'em fight!" Raph stated, pulling away rocks.
With everyone's help, they were soon on a smooth rock, a symbol carved into it.
"Could this be…?"
Rach took her still glowing tag and put it on the stone. There was a bright glow, and a grey crest was in the gold trinket.
"My crest-!!"
Rach was cut off as they fell down a shaft, landing in a pile.
"…Ow…"
Tentomon found a horizontal shaft further up, and they used it to climb out into the open, in front of the bleachers.
Greymon wasn't doing too well, but he got some good hits in.
"Greymon, Digivolve!"
"Leo, he CAN'T!" Elisa stated again, a hand on Biyomon's head.
"Then I'll just have to make him!!"
Everyone was surprised when he jumped the short wall before them, running across the arena.
"Leo, don't!" Gio called out.
"Protect him."
Gabumon nodded, jumping forward.
"You too, Biyo."
Biyomon nodded, flying up.
"Gabumon, Digivolve to…GARURUMON!!"
"Biyomon, Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!"
Leo had already caught the dark Greymon's attention when the two Champion Digimon reached him.
Greymon had been thrown into the bleachers, and rose slowly, a dark aura evident.
"…Greymon?"
"Greymon, Dark-Digivolve to…SKULLGREYMON!!"
'Is THIS Agumon's Ultimate form?'
The large Digimon grabbed the dark-looking Greymon, throwing him at a TV screen before shooting the orange missile on his back, destroying both.
"Skullgreymon!!"
The dark Digimon turned to look at the blue-banded turtle.
"If you're really Agumon, you won't hurt me!"
Skullgreymon stomped, nearly squishing him, and Leo knew he'd made a grave mistake.
As Garurumon and Birdramon fought him back, Don turned to his own Digimon partner.
"They need your help out there, Tento."
The bug Digimon nodded.
"Tentomon, Digivolve to…KABUTERIMON!!"
He flew in, but Skullgreymon still beat them rather easily, heading out of the coliseum through a wall.
Leo ran to the destroyed wall, and saw Skullgreymon glow, Dedigivolving to Koromon.
"KOROMON!!!!!"
Leo ran out, hugging the Digimon to his chest.
"I'm sorry, Leo…I did some bad things…"
"No…it's my fault…" Leo retorted as the others caught up.
Leo turned to them, eyes downcast.
"I'm sorry for what I did…I just thought…"
"Its okay, Leo. No real harm done." Gio assured, patting Koromon's head softly.
"…Are you guys sure?"
Leo looked at Koromon first, who nodded with a smile.
"Yeah. Ya might be annoyin', but yer still my big bro." Raph assured as the others nodded in agreement, smiling.
'I'm so sorry…I can't be sure I won't do this again…'