Chapter 18
They were split up in the Digital World, looking for the Digimon Emperor's base. Yumi was with Izzy and Cody, who decided to climb up the side of a cliff. Miharumon was more sure-footed than the others, and often had to stop and help them along. When they reached the top, they saw the base, along with a barren valley full of Control Spires and free Digimon. Darktyrannomon and Kuwagamon came out of the base, attacking the other Digimon. Yumi kept low, saying, "Maybe they haven't seen us…" That's when a Kuwagamon appeared, and Miharumon Armor-Digivolved to Michiyomon, jumping on Kuwagamon as a piece of scrap metal slid under Yumi and another under Izzy and Cody. They started sliding down the hill as Armadillomon Armor-Digivolved to Digmon and helped Michiyomon. Cody and Izzy were sitting on their piece, but Yumi had to act like the piece of metal was a snowboard.
Good thing she had learned how to snowboard. They slid down the mountain, when a Devidramon showed up, with the Digimon Emperor on his back. Yumi glared at him, and Tentomon tried to Digivolve, but it was useless. "Time to destroy you." Ken said, but before Devidramon could do anything, and Howling Missile struck him, and a hole appeared below Yumi, making her fall into the ground. She found them in a tunnel made by Digmon, and Michiyomon flew in.
They traveled back to the TV, and went back to the real world. Everyone else was already there, and Yumi said, "Guess what? We found the base!" "Really?" Everyone was happy. After some thought, Obana said, "It'll take more than one day to destroy the base. We need more time than that." "We'll go camping!" Tai said, happy. "How's that supposed to help?" Yumi questioned, mad. She loved camping, and she wasn't going. "We'll tell our parents that we're all going on a camping trip, and us older kids will actually go." "That's not fair." Yumi said, pouting. "Then you shouldn't have gotten a Digiegg." "Maybe you shouldn't have an attitude." She snapped.
Matt said, a hand on her shoulder, "It's okay. We'll save you some marshmallows for when you get back." "Okay…" She said, still grumpy. They all headed home, and Yumi started packing for a camping trip. She got a first-aid kit, clothes, plenty of food, and bottles of water. She packed it safely, and told her mother they were going on a camping trip, and that Matt's dad was taking them. Her mother agreed, and Yumi took a shower before crawling into bed, sighing with relief. Iinomon cuddled close to her, and they slept soundly. The next morning, Yumi changed and pulled her shoes on before putting her hair into a ponytail.
She shouldered her bag, scooping Iinomon into her arms, and headed out. They all met at Izzy's house, and Yolei seemed to have gone off the deep end. Matt, Tai, and Izzy watched with silent amusement, and Yumi gave Matt a goodbye kiss, saying, "Remember, save me some marshmallows." He nodded, and an impatient Yolei dragged her to the computer.
Once in the Digital World, they started climbing the Cliffside again. Once at the top, Yumi saw that the spot where the base was was just an empty hole. They went towards it, and Yolei, still acting crazy, started yelling at Tentomon, who had been watching the area. After Hawkmon apologized for Yolei, Yumi saw the girl start climbing a Control Spire.
She guessed that it had flown away, but Hawkmon dismissed the probability. Yumi had an anime sweat drop as she saw Yolei prepare to go down into the hole on a rope. "She's…energetic today." Yumi commented, giving Yolei a funny look as she sat down. Hawkmon went down to stop her, and they got into a heated argument when Dokugumon appeared. Yumi heard Yolei scream, and jumped to her feet. She ran towards when she heard Dokugumon use Poison Thread. She heard an impact, but saw an injured Hawkmon when she looked over the edge. While Flamedramon dealt with the giant spider Digimon, everyone else pulled Yolei and Hawkmon up. Yolei was devastated, and was crying as they bandaged Hawkmon up.
Yolei asked for the others to go as she stayed behind with Hawkmon. Kari and Yumi stayed behind, neither wanting to leave Yolei behind on her own. Gatomon went to get some catnip, and Miharumon went to sleep, curled up with her bushy tail as Hawkmon's pillow. Hawkmon woke up, and Yolei was overjoyed. Yumi got up, as did Kari, and they left, giving them their alone time. Miharumon wouldn't be moved, so they left her where she was. After the moment, Gatomon gave Hawkmon the catnip, and it made him feel much better. A strange sound came to Miharumon's ears, and they went out onto a ledge to see the base flying through the air, with lights blinking on and off. "So…it did fly away." Yumi said, as Hawkmon removed his bandages.
It was nighttime, so they went back to find the others had already arrived. They slept, though it was hard with Davis snoring so loudly. Yumi woke up to find that T.K. and Cody were gone, and everyone else was asleep, except some of the Digimon. Miharumon awoke, and asked, seeing Yumi standing, "What are you doing?" "T.K. and Cody left. I'm gonna wake Obana, Kari and Yolei, and then we're gonna go." Miharumon nodded as she stood, gently waking Hawkmon. After waking Obana, Kari and Yolei, the girls set off on their Armor-Digivolved Digimon. After a while, Yumi asked, "Do you think Davis will be mad that we left him behind?" "He'll be fine. He's a good sport." Obana said, patting Masahiromon's head. After a while, she saw a strange Digimon appeared out of the floating base.
She tried to see it clearly, but it was strange, to say the least. Michiyomon said, "I've never seen a Digimon like that before! It looks like he's pieced together from other Digimon…" At that moment, he fired. Michiyomon used a Howling Missile, and the attacks collided in midair. Masahiromon used Jackal Claw, but the attack bounced off the hard head. "What is this thing?" Yumi asked as Michiyomon barely dodged a smack by one of the arms. "Devimon's arms?" Yumi questioned, but Michiyomon was hit, and she flew off. She didn't fall very far before Michiyomon stabilized herself and caught her. She shot another Howling Missile, and he held up an arm, making it explode and do minimal damage.
Michiyomon flew forward, gripping an arm with her teeth. Through her grip, she said, "Yumi, jump on Masahiromon!" She jumped off, and Yumi landed on Masahiromon's back. "Michiyomon! Be careful!" Michiyomon nodded as she dodged, and shot a Howling Missile at his chest. It struck before he could react, and he flinched. She saw Pegasusmon and T.K. come out of the base, and saw Cody and Davis on an island with saved Digimon.
Yumi yelled, "Michiyomon! Retreat! We'll deal with him later!" Michiyomon seemed reluctant at first, but flew next to Masahiromon, allowing Yumi to jump onto her back, and they flew away. They landed on the joined islands, and Michiyomon Dedigivolved to Miharumon. She lay down at Yumi's feet, sleeping soundly. Yumi smiled, and said, "I wonder what that monster was…" "Kimeramon." She turned to T.K., confused. "He said he made it. He named it Kimeramon." "He can't just make a Digimon!" Yumi said forcefully. "If you can't make a human however you want, and you can't do that to a Digimon."
"I know." He said, his eyes downcast. Yumi looked back, and said, "I'll destroy that monster. It should have never been created." Yumi looked down at Miharumon. "And the Digimon Emperor needs to learn that Digimon are real creatures, and what happens when you attack my friends." They soon reached land, and rested until nightfall. The Digimon Armor-Digivolved and they followed the Digimon Emperor and Kimeramon. They watched as the monster destroyed a city, and Yumi said, "I…I can't believe it. How can he feel nothing…after ruining all these lives?" "Because he has no heart." Michiyomon said. "Everyone has a heart, but maybe…his is just…buried." "I don't care. We need to stop him!" "I know." They e-mailed Izzy, and he had a plan. They waited at the top of a canyon, and a stream of fire erupted from an oil pipe. As the base began to burn, it slowed, and they went in through a door.
They soon found a room that overlooked a large room, with the engine room below them. That's when Bakemon came in. Michiyomon said, "You guys save your energy. I'll take care of this." Everyone else left except Yumi and Michiyomon. Michiyomon shot a Howling Missile, hitting at least five at once. In a few minutes, all the Bakemon were defeated, and a blinding gold light seemed to seep through everything. Michiyomon felt the strength, and said, "The Golden Radiance. Just like Wizardmon said." "You're right." The building shook, like something was plowing through it, and Yumi was thrown off her feet. Michiyomon helped her up, and Yumi jumped on her back. "They need our help!" "I'm on it!" Michiyomon started running down the stairs, when she saw the others talking with Ken, and poor Wormmon, hurt on the floor.
Without thought, Yumi jumped off Michiyomon's back and ran to the hurt Digimon. She held him gently, asking, "Are you okay, Wormmon?" "I've been better." She smiled, saying, "I'm just glad you're alive." The building shook violently, and an elbow slammed through the wall, smashing Michiyomon against the wall with such force that she Dedigivolved to Miharumon. "MIHARUMON!!!" Yumi cried out, though she shielded Wormmon from the debris. Ken made a run for it, and Wormmon followed. Yumi ran to Miharumon's side, and lifted her onto her back. They made it out, with Yumi and Miharumon on Masahiromon's back. They landed, and Kimeramon caught Magnamon in a deadly grip.
Miharumon struggled out of Yumi's grip, and said, "It's time I Digivolved, Yumi." Yumi nodded, holding the Digivice. Miharumon Warp-Digivolved to Ayumimon, her bright light almost blinding now. Wormmon had freed Magnamon, and Ayumimon flew in, using Ice Sword. She slashed Kimeramon across the head, making him fly back. "Magnamon, stay out of range. I'll be fine." Ayumimon used Lightning Strike, and Kimeramon cried out in pain.
Ayumimon needed to end this, and used Fire Bomb. It struck hard, but he wasn't defeated. She was starting to run low on energy, but she wasn't about to give up now. She used Water Whip, Rock Fist, Wind Blades…none of them brought the strange Digimon over the brink. She knew there was only one move left, and it would leave her drained of power and utterly defenseless. She'd have to risk it. She used Elemental Converge, where all of her elemental attacks went out and converged on the target. Before the attack struck, Kimeramon shot Heat Viper, and was annihilated by the attack. Ayumimon was weakened the moment the Heat Viper struck. As she disintegrated, the prophecy flashed through her mind. Yumi, on the ground, couldn't believe it.
Her friend…her friend was dying. "AYUMIMON!!!" She yelled, tears coming down her cheeks like rivers. Ayumimon looked at her, and smiled, thinking, As long as Yumi's safe…I'm happy. And she was gone. Yumi stood, in disbelief, the world was quiet and sad as she saw what was left of her friend blow away in the wind. "Ayumimon…AYUMIMON!!!" She cried out, falling to her knees. She half-expected Miharumon to come and comfort her…but she was gone now. The rivers overflowed on her cheeks as sobs wracked her chest and throat. "Ayumimon…Ayumimon!"
She was devastated. Her friend, the one she always thought would be there, was gone. She saw the Digimon Emperor, and her grief was replaced by anger, rage. She stood, and walked over to him. He didn't know what she was going to do, and neither did the others. She slapped him, hard, across the face, and said, "Look what you've done! You took my best friend away from me! What else do you want from me? My soul? You ripped my heart out already!" Tears were streaming down her cheeks faster than before. "She was the most precious thing in the world to me, and your monster destroyed her!"
She raised her hand to slap him again, but Obana grabbed her arm, saying, "Yumi! Stop!" Yumi broke down. "Miharumon! Why'd you have to leave?! You said you'd never leave me!" She fell to her knees again. A strange thing happened before her. The elements converged there, making an egg-shaped object. It glowed white before showing a pure-white Digiegg, with a silver snowflake on the front. "Miharumon's…Digiegg?" Obana nodded, surprised, and Yumi picked the Digiegg up gently, and cradled it in her arms, like she'd do to Iinomon, and held it to her heart.
Obana stayed by her side as the others went to talk to Ken. He realized that he'd been hurting innocent Digimon, and saw Yumi hugging the Digiegg, fresh tears still on her face. He took off the clothes he was wearing, reverting to something else, and everyone ran to an injured Wormmon. He hugged his friend, receiving the Crest of Kindness, and Wormmon disintegrated. Yumi had stood, wiping her tears away, but still holding the Digiegg to her heart. "Ken…" He expected her to say something scornful, but, instead, he felt a warm embrace. She hugged him tight, saying, "I know…it hurts. Just let it out."
He cried, and her own tear landed on the Digiegg in her hands. "Ken…there are still people who care about you." He shrugged off her embrace, and said, sobs wracking his throat, "I've…I've gotta go." He stood, and started walking away. Davis tried to convince him to join them, but Yumi didn't try. She sat on the ground, holding the Digiegg close. She promised herself that she wouldn't let it out of her sight, no matter what. They started walking to the nearest TV, and Yumi tripped, half-expecting Miharumon to soften the fall…but she couldn't. She fell, hard, shielding the Digiegg from harm. Everyone turned around to help her up, but she politely said no.
They made it to the TV, and were soon in the real world. They were walking with Izzy to find Davis's sister, June, there. Yumi glared at her, but made no move to harm her. Matt found that odd, until he saw the Digiegg in her arms. He stood, walking closer, and asked, "Yumi, what happened?" "The prophecy happened…" Yumi said simply, and Izzy understood in a moment. He whispered it to Matt, who gave her a big hug. She hugged back, still holding the Digiegg, and said, "I just want her back…" They started getting into the van, and June wanted to get in.
Yumi said, simply, "Take the bus." Matt's dad was about to object to it, when he saw the tears in her eyes. "Well…someone at least go with her. Matt…you go." "NO!" Matt and Yumi yelled in unison. "Well, SOMEBODY'S gotta go with her!" "Not Matt." Yumi said simply, sitting back. It was decided that Matt go, no matter how forcefully Yumi and Matt didn't want him to, and they left the two behind. Yumi felt like she was nodding off, but she refused to sleep. Miharumon needed her to protect her Digiegg, and she wasn't going to sleep on the job. Eventually, sleep was too overwhelming, and she fell asleep, an iron grip around the Digiegg, protecting it from the world.