Disclaimer: Although the severely warped and twisted imagination is my own, Digimon Xros Wars and its characters are the property of Akiyoshi Hongo, Bandai, Toei Animation, and TV Asahi.
| Digimon Xros Wars | Xtra | Part 16 |
Crystal eventually reached the foot of the tower, gathering up the rest of her scattered team along the way. The going was slow because Baihumon had insisted she give her digimon time to rest in her Xros Loader and had volunteered to transport her down himself. Baihumon was probably the biggest digimon Crystal had seen in the time she had spent in the Digital World, larger even than Imperialdramon, but still the tower was even larger. It took a lot longer to climb down all those rickety steps of broken clocks than it had taken to fly up them on Gryphomon.
Eventually though, they did reach the bottom. When they got there, what could only be described as the Clockmon Elder was there waiting for them. Of course, the only difference between him and the other Clockmon was the presence of a white beard and mustache, and the fact that the hands of his clock face had also been grown over with thick white hair.
"Well done young general," the Clockmon Elder addressed Crystal. "The Bagra Empire has finally withdrawn from our damaged city and we will be able to rebuild thanks to you."
Baihumon crouched down so that Crystal could slide down from his massive back more easily without bringing harm to herself in the process. Crystal did so and continued the rest of the way to the Clockmon Elder on her own two feet.
"Unfortunately my success here is only temporary until I can retrieve the Code Crown," she explained to the Clockmon Elder. "I know for a fact that as long as the Code Crown for this Zone remains unclaimed it will continue to be a target of the Bagra Empire."
The Clockmon Elder nodded. "What you say is undoubtedly correct. I will show you the way into the chamber that rests beneath Temporal Tower."
The floor of the tower looked, at first glance, to be a completely solid construction made from countless metal gears. In fact, even a second glance wouldn't have made the presence of a passage to a lower chamber particularly obvious. However, the large gear at the center of the floor was in actuality a humongous door that could only be moved by reversing the time around it so that it became raised into the air. The whole process kind of reminded Crystal of a certain video game.
Once the passage was open, Crystal followed the Clockmon Elder down the steps into the lower chamber. What awaited her down there was something totally unexpected. It was a huge, circular room with a seemingly infinite number of monitors built into the surrounding wall. And, as Crystal entered the room, many of the monitors lit up with graphical representations of the digimon contained within her silver Xros Loader during various stages of their collective life cycles, past, present, and future.
Panels on the floor, also constructed from countless metal gears like the floor above, were engraved with representations of highly varied geographies.
"These 108 here at the center represent all of those Zones that constitute our Digital World," the Clockmon Elder explained. "Our ancestors who built this Temporal Tower passed on a legend that the rest of these engravings are representations of the other Digital Worlds strewn throughout the multiverse transcending both space and time, not unlike your own Team Epoch."
"That has to be a coincidence," Crystal found it hard to believe that the lame catchphrase she had come up with to describe her team had any relevance in the room she was standing in now.
"Young general, I hope that someday you might come to realize there is no such thing as coincidence," the Clockmon Elder answered in response.
"I feel like I've heard that somewhere before," Crystal scratched behind her ear. "Anyway, I'm interested to know why it is that these monitors appear to show the life cycles of all the digimon on my team, but they don't display any Digi Xros variants."
"The ability to Digi Xros isn't governed by the flow of time," the Clockmon Elder explained. "Now come, we must still go down another floor."
As they descended the steps to the next floor down Crystal could swear that the staircase was moving. Sure enough, it was constructed onto a swinging pendulum so that she and the Clockmon Elder had to jump across onto the main staircase with careful timing so as not to fall all the way to the bottom of the circular chamber. Fortunately, they were both able to make it without incident, although it wasn't quite as much of a challenge for the old digimon as it was for the young human who still had to adhere to the laws of physics.
This place is like one of those platforming video games where the architecture is out to get you every step of the way, Crystal thought once she felt confident in her footing on the solid, unmoving staircase that was actually bolted to the floor of the room instead of swaying haphazardly from the ceiling. She followed the Clockmon Elder to the bottom of the stairs and was finally privileged with the sight of the golden glow of the Code Crown levitating over a pedestal of gears and clocks. And, also there, fitted into the central gear at the top of the pedestal was a single Digi-Memory.
"Go on and take it," the Clockmon Elder urged her forward. Crystal nodded slowly and moved toward the pedestal. The Code Crown shined brightly so that it momentarily illuminated the entire chamber before finally floating away from the pedestal to settle before Crystal. The girl reached out her hand to take it and once she had it in her grasp the golden diamond that surrounded the inner cartridge rapidly dispersed. An image of a silver shooting star covered the front of the cartridge.
"Well, I guess that wasn't so hard," Crystal heaved a sigh of relief that there were apparently no more challenges for her to overcome inside of Temporal Tower. The Time Zone had accepted her as its new master. She approached the pedestal to also retrieve the Digi-Memory. "Chronomon Holy Mode, huh? He looks like he must have been a very powerful digimon."
"He was the guardian deity of Temporal Tower before this Digital World was broken into separate Zones," the Clockmon Elder explained. "I hope his power will be of use to you as you continue your journey to liberate our world."
Crystal was knocked to the floor as a sudden jolt caused a massive tremor to rock the whole tower. No longer content with resting off the fatigue from the last battle, Zapmon quickly emerged from the girl's Xros Loader.
"That didn't sound good," noted the small dragon as the Clockmon Elder helped Crystal get back on her feet. However, the next tremor sent them both toppling to the floor again as bits of the ceiling started to crumble loose. "Let's get out of here before we're all buried alive!"
"Good idea," Crystal struggled onto her feet a second time and held up her Xros Loader. "Zapmon, Slashmon, Digi Xros!"
"Digi Xros!" The two digimon came together taking on the form of a somewhat larger dragon. "X-Zapdramon Dragon Mode!"
Crystal hefted herself onto X-Zapdramon Dragon Mode's back as the dragon prepared to rise from the ground. Then, as soon as X-Zapdramon was off the ground, the dragon lifted the Clockmon Elder using its strong forearms before navigating up past the first set of stairs and then up past the stairs mounted on the swinging pendulum into the room full of monitors. After that they just kept flying up until they emerged into the bottom floor of the actual tower. However, when they got there it quickly became apparent that Temporal Tower was no longer standing and Baihumon was once again in a crumbled heap amidst the rubble. And there, standing over the fallen white tiger, was Dark Knightmon.
Crystal had never actually encountered him before, but just being in his presence was enough to give her a bad feeling. And, of course, the army of Kyuukimon that were accompanying him definitely help that feeling. Crystal quickly slid down off the back of X-Zapdramon Dragon Mode as the Digi Xrossed digimon set down the Clockmon Elder and flew higher into the air.
"Air Blade!" X-Zapdramon Dragon Mode flapped rapidly flapped its wings sending of blades of highly pressurized air to cut down several of the Kyuukimon, but it was clear that there were far too many of them for the attack to put much of a dent in their overall numbers.
Crystal sighed, closing her eyes and trying to clear her mind so she could focus on the situation at hand. She hadn't come to liberate the Time Zone just to watch it become conquered again. Still, she couldn't see how she was going to win against these odds either. Alright, then I'm just going to have to stall for time instead. She held up her Xros Loader. "Reload, Black Fladramon!"
She placed a restraining hand on his forearm before he could charge into battle. "Hold it, there's something else I need for you to do."
"But we're already at a disadvantage," Black Fladramon protested. "Surely you can sense that this enemy is powerful."
"Believe me, I noticed," Crystal answered hurriedly. "That's why I need you to go find Taiki and the others. Since I know you can handle traveling in the digital space between Zones, I need you to tell them that we're in desperate need of backup here. Go back to the Resort Zone and take Imperialdramon if you have to. Just make it quick."
"I understand," Black Fladramon nodded solemnly. "Please be careful until I return."
"I'll do the best I can," Crystal held up her Xros Loader again. "Now, Zone Transfer! Get moving!"
Black Fladramon vanished through the resulting portal, leaving Crystal to cope with the situation as best she could with what remained of her team of digimon. At least they'd all gotten a little rest since the last battle, although she wasn't at all certain how long that was going to sustain them.
"Alright then, let's start by making a diversion," Crystal held up her Xros Loader again. "Reload, Waspmonz!"
"Turbo Stinger!" Each of the Waspmonz swiftly opened fire on the army of Kyuukimon with their laser cannons.
"Piercing Meteor!" X-Zapdramon Dragon Mode flew high into the air and then swooped down with the sharp claws of its forearms extended in front as it rammed sharply into Dark Knightmon to knock him away from the wounded Baihumon. That bought Crystal time to make her way over to the white tiger to gather him into her Xros Loader.
"You should leave this place while you are still able," Baihumon began to protest.
"Sorry, but I can't do that," Crystal responded. "I've already made up my mind to defend this place until help arrives."
"In that case, we could use a little more firepower, don't you think?" X-Zapdramon Dragon Mode suggested.
"Sure thing, just don't tire yourselves out before the others get here," Crystal nodded. She held up her Xros Loader once again. "X-Zapdramon Dragon Mode, Gururumon, Lighdramon, Ryuudamon, Digi Xros!"
"Digi Xros!" The selected digimon came together to take on the familiar form of X-Slashdramon, this time adorned in the samurai armor typically worn by Ryuudamon and wielding a massive katana in each hand. "X-Slashdramon Samurai Mode!"
"And, while we're at it," Crystal didn't stop there. "Waspmonz Digi Xros!"
"Digi Xros!" The nine Waspmonz quickly became three enormous Cannonbeemonz. "Cannon Beemonz!"
"Sky Rocker Infinity!" The Cannon Beemonz simlutaneously opened fire on the army of Kyuukimon with a continuous barrage from the hexagonal compartments on each of their respective backs. That would probably keep the Kyuukimon busy for awhile leaving X-Slashdramon Samurai Mode free to concentrate on Dark Knightmon.
"Triple Blade Lightning!" X-Slashdramon Samurai Mode's body became surrounded by a prismatic electric field that quickly became concentrated along the blade extending from its right arm as well as the blades of the two katanas it held in either hand. X-Slashdramon went after Dark Knightmon, not hesitating to swing the crackling, intensely electrified blades at the evil knight digimon.
Dark Knightmon parried each blow effortlessly, eventually striking X-Slashdramon Samurai Mode back with a sharp blow to the chest from his twin spear.
"This is unexpected," Dark Knightmon turned to Crystal while her primary attacker was momentarily stunned. "I had heard that the girl wielding the silver Xros Loader had joined forces with Xros Heart and yet, here you are."
"I did," Crystal answered automatically. "I just decided we might be able to cover more ground separately is all."
"You are a long way from your friends," Dark Knightmon continued. "And fighting very recklessly."
"Yeah, well, considering who my opponent is, I wouldn't last long by being careful," Crystal retorted.
"You said it!" X-Slashdramon Samurai Mode had made a miraculous recovery and the surface of the warrior's body appeared to have caught fire. "X Supernova Strike!" The flames became white hot as X-Slashdramon Samurai Mode crossed its twin katanas in front of it to form an x-shape as X-Slashdramon Samurai Mode promptly slammed into Dark Knightmon again as the flames exploded outward to engulf him.
Dark Knightmon brushed it off and sent X-Slashdramon Samurai Mode reeling back with a sharp blow from the huge axe on his left shoulder.
"I can see that you do indeed have some skill," Dark Knightmon acknowledged his opponent. "However, those skills won't save you. Darkness Loader Forced Digi Xros!"
The remaining Kyuukimon were instantly fused into a single massive Kyuukimon with an extra pair of scythe-bladed arms. It was even larger than the huge Cannon Beemonz that had been holding off all of the smaller Kyuukimon up until that point.
"Huge Blade Twister!" The massive Kyuukimon spun in place and simultaneously struck each of the Cannon Beemonz with the scythe blades on each of its four arms so rapidly they didn't even feel it until after the Digi Xros that had sustained them was forcefully broken and the original 27 Fan Beemonz that had been Digi Xrossed suddenly fell from the sky. The exhausted insects were quickly drawn back into Crystal's Xros Loader. With that done, the massive bewitching beast rounded on the slowly recovering form of X-Slashdramon Samurai Mode.
"Heated Crescents!" X-Slashdramon ignited the surface of the twin katanas it wielded in white hot blames before swinging them both at the massive Kyuukimon to produce flaming crescent shaped projectile shockwaves in an effort to incinerate the scythe-armed digimon before it could get any closer. It had absolutely no effect at all. X-Slashdramon Samurai Mode didn't feel it when the spinning beast started cutting into the warrior's body with the four massive scythes, but the composite digimon knew they must have been hit when their Digi Xros rapidly came apart and they were strewn haphazardly to the ground before being drawn into Crystal's Xros Loader.
"And now, my dear, you have no chance at all," Dark Knightmon assured the human girl. Crystal could only look on in horror as her whole strategy was breaking down in front of her.
To Be Continued...
Author's Notes: This chapter took a little more time to fully flesh out, in part because there have been quite a lot of other distractions in town such as the state fair last week, but also because I realized there were so many possibilities for how I could have taken it and this is the version that won out.