Ryoko just stared at the silver-clad warrior standing there. "Kouji..."
Wolfmon stared back. Of all the people to find him, why HER? Kouji wondered.
"No, you have to leave NOW!"
==
Digicross Frontier Episode 11
'Turning Point'
==
"Junpei and Tomoki..." Yashamon gasped, sickened. "I can't accept that! How
could that have happened? Gigasmon and Arbormon were both defeated!"
Suddenly, another hybrid digimon appeared. "You told." Mercuremon taunted
Wolfmon. "Now, how shall I punish you?" Wolfmon, barely coherent, drew both
swords and lunged at Mercuremon. The attacked was blocked, and Wolfmon was
sent flying, reverting to Kouji as he landed. "No need, I suppose. Seeing
your friends like this should be torture enough."
"You MONSTER!" Ryoko yelled. "How could you do this to them?"
"It is hardly my fault." Mercuremon replied. "They were so eager to gain
Grottomon and Arbormon's spirits, I merely let them have them. Of course, they
had to surrender their other spirits. Fair trade, really. I think they look
the better for it, don't you?"
"DIE!" Yashamon roared. "Yashamon, slide evolution...RAIDRAMON! Lightning
Claw!" The armoured digimon charged, claws swiping at Mercuremon, who blocked
the attack with one of his shields. Mercuremon's trademark smirk faltered when
he saw a slight crack appear on his shield. "Let's see how you like being
shredded, Mercuremon!" With a roar, Raidramon increased the power to his claws.
His power...SERAPHIMON! Mercuremon realized. "So, you're drawing on the power
of Seraphimon, are you? Cherubimon will appreciate this information!"
"Not as much as he'll appreciate my claws tearing through him! Stand and
fight, freak!"
"I think not...OFFSET REFLECTOR!" Raidramon was thrown back, his own power
sent back at him. "I look forward to meeting you again, Raidramon. Come,
Gigasmon!" Mercuremon hopped back, and he and the rock hybrid vanished,
swallowed up by one of Mercuremon's mirrors.
==
Jet Sylphimon was enjoying this. After all this time, she finally had a
chance to find Tomoki and Junpei. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw
Arbormon, being chased by Ankylomon and Hiroki. "If you won't tell me, maybe
Arbormon will!"
"Oh, I'll tell, alright. You know I am just *horrible* at keeping secrets.
JEALOUSY RAIN!" With a gesture, Ranamon summoned up several storm clouds, all
releasing acid rain on everyone in the area. Ankylomon quickly got Hiroki to
cover, while Jet Sylphimon was forced to pull back. Motioning, Ranamon called
Arbormon over. "You wanted to know where your friends were? Well, here's one
now." With that, she snapped her fingers.
Jet Sylphimon watched, confused. Then she saw Arbormon's body glow, and seem
to shrink in on itself. She saw the H- and B- spirits of wood, and then...
"Junpei..."
"Isn't he just adorable in this form? I had so much fun 'convincing' him."
Jet Sylphimon dropped to the ground, reverting to Izumi. For all the
nightmares and dreams she had of this moment, she hadn't imagined that
something this awful would have happened... she felt numb, unable to move or
say anything.
Ranamon gave a triumphant leer. "Oh, is that your only response? Not even a
'hi, how have you been?' Don't worry, I didn't rough him up too much." With
another snap, Junpei turned back into Arbormon, never once blinking or saying a
word. "Well, how about I just finish this now? Arbormon? Kill her." Slowly,
Arbormon advanced. Still stunned, Izumi didn't move, unable to accept Junpei's
fate.
Before Arbormon could attack, Izumi was snatched away. Raidramon had arrived,
and had managed to slide-evolve, and grab Izumi and throw her clear, parrying
Arbormon's fist with one of his blades.
"Oooh! You DO look sharp!" Ranamon squealed.
"And you I can fight! SHADOW LASER!"
Ranamon dodged. "Ranamon, slide evolution...Calmarimon!" Ranamon's form
shifted, turning into a grotesque cross of a humanoid female and a giant squid.
Idly, the Beast hybrid flicked Yashamon away with a tentacle. "Well, this has
been fun, but I really must be going. I hope I'll see you again, cutie!" She
picked up Arbormon and, using the enslaved hybrid as a shield, retreated.
Ryoko and Kouji ran over, finding Izumi on the ground. Izumi looked at Kouji,
lost. "What happened?" she asked, tears starting to flow. "WHAT HAPPENED?"
==
It took about two hours for everyone to calm down. Sneasel had been all for
going after Mercuremon and Ranamon right off, and only Hiroki and Armadillomon
were coherent enough to stop him. Ryoko, Izumi, and Kouji all sat around a
hastily constructed campfire, just staring.
Kouji suddenly spoke up. "It was...just after we fought Duskmon the second time..."
Izumi nodded. "I remember everyone staying behind to fight off the other hybrids.
Junpei told me to go get help and come back..."
Kouji didn't hear her. "After I came to..."
==Some time back
Kouji woke up, his last memory that of Duskmon trying to slice him in two.
"Junpei...Tomoki? Takuya? Izumi?" He looked around. Checking, he found that his D-Scanner was gone. He saw that he was in some sort of jail cell. In the distance, he heard cries.
"So, you've woken up, boy?" Kouji whirled around, but saw nothing. He then blinked as a shadow on the wall moved, eyes glowing a demonic red. "There's two of you still missing. Where are they?"
"Who are you?"
"I ask the questions!" the shadow thundered, driving Kouji against the wall. "Tell me or I will take the information from you! You have no hope of escape, brat, and I intend to pay you back fully for your actions against me!"
"Cherubimon..." Kouji gasped.
"Yes. Now, where are they? Talk, or the brat and his oversized friend will suffer!"
"Tomoki...Junpei...! Let them go!"
"Or what? I hold your precious spirit."
"I won't need it to tear you apart!" Kouji snarled.
"Your anger is wasted, you have no power here. Perhaps the child will be more...pliant." Horrified, Kouji said nothing, just staring. "I will return for you."
==
In the grand hall of his castle, Cherubimon looked over the spirits he now possessed. Earth, Wood, Water, Darkness, Thunder, Ice, Light...wait. Checking more closely, Cherubimon found that the H-Spirit of light was missing!
==
Kouji sat on his cot, shattered. Takuya was gone, probably dead, Tomoki and Junpei were being tortured, no doubt. Izumi...no idea, he could only pray that she made it out somehow. But with Cherubimon holding nearly all the spirits now, he didn't see any way to win.
Briefly, his mind thought of one possible hope, but he almost immediately buried the idea. He would not drag Ryoko into this, no matter the stakes.
Angrily, he brought his fist down on the small pillow. The fist hit something hard. Curious, Kouji checked the pillow, finding a small, hastily stitched hole in it. He tore it open and found his D-Scanner! "How...?"
==
Ranamon strode down the hallway, almost dancing. There were only two humans left to capture, and one of them was that bratty female. "Maybe wolf-boy has an idea." She thought, deciding to try questioning him.
The wall in front of her exploded just then, and Wolfmon came out, saber drawn.
Panicked, Ranamon ducked and hid, not ready to face Wolfmon in a fight here. The Light hybrid looked around, and then ran down the hall. Recovering her composure, Ranamon followed him. "This should be good to watch."
==
Wolfmon blasted through a wall, already hearing the alarms. He saw Petaldramon
lumbering around, get yelled at by Mercuremon for nearly stepping on him, and slide-evolve back to Arbormon. Mercuremon ran off, trying to find Kouji.
Wolfmon saw Arbormon walk down the hall, not really paying attention. Eyes
narrowing, he drew his saber and attacked, striking Arbormon as he hit the ground, not giving the plant hybrid a chance to recover. "Where? Where are they?" Wolfmon demanded, jabbing his arm-laser into Arbormon's torso.
"T...take the next junction going left, and three doors down." Arbormon said, panicked. He recovered and, realizing that he had just given vital information to the enemy, attacked. "But you'll take that knowledge to your grave!" The port in his chest opened. "Machine Gun Dance!"
Wolfmon whirled around the barrage, coming up underneath the gun's firing arc. "You first." He whispered, driving his sword through the open port. He withdrew it, and ran down the hallway. So focussed on his friends, Wolfmon didn't stop to scan Arbormon's digicode, or take his spirits.
He was soon to regret that oversight.
==
It actually took over an hour for Wolfmon to find his way through the castle; Arbormon's directions had been frustratingly vague. For all the wood hybrid's talk, he was not the brightest Digimon around. Finally, following his own enhanced senses and instincts, Wolfmon found the door he was looking for. It came off the hinges after one shot. Wolfmon ran in, ready to fight, but stopped at the sight that greeted him.
Tomoki and Junpei were there, unconscious and strapped to two steel tables. Hovering in front of them were their D-Scanners, both glowing darkly. "Ah," Mercuremon said casually, as if welcoming a friend, "you're just in time. You know, if you wanted the other spirits so badly, you really should have asked."
"Let them go!" Wolfmon ordered, aiming his laser.
"I intend to. But first, a little parting gift. Oh, nice work on Arbormon, by the way. I really didn't know you had it in you. Perhaps, if you had been that aggressive from the start, none of this would have happened."
"What are you talking about?"
"This." Ranamon said, stepping into view from behind Junpei's table. In her hands, she held the two spirits of wood. "I guess you got Arbormon to give you directions. He never could tell left from right. Oh well." With that, she tossed the two spirits at Junpei's digivice. At the same time, Mercuremon sent the two Earth spirits to Tomoki.
Wolfmon felt sick as he watched what happened. As the spirits entered his friends' D-Scanners, Tomoki and Junpei started writhing, digicode rings appearing around them. Then the rings were sucked in, and the two humans transformed.
Into Grottomon and Arbormon. Wolfmon stepped back, stunned.
"A word of advice." Mercuremon sneered. "Start running. Unless you want to fight your friends. Maybe you could show us the technique you used on Arbormon?" Kouji stepped back, not sure what to do. Seemingly in slow-motion, Arbormon and Grottomon got up, standing stock still, waiting for orders. Unable to take any more, Kouji ran.
Mercuremon walked over to the two. "Find the humans and take any spirits they have from them. If they resist, kill them."
"Yes." Arbormon moaned, striding forward. Silently, Grottomon followed.
Mercuremon nodded, satisfied with his nigh-satanic work. However, something troubled him.
How had Kouji retrieved his D-Scanner?
==
Izumi stared at Kouji. "You ran." She said quietly.
"Izumi..." Ryoko started to say.
"YOU RAN!" Izumi yelled, grabbing Kouji by his shirt and hauling him up. "HOW
COULD YOU?" Her fist reared back, ready to beat Kouji into a pulp. "HOW COULD
YOU LEAVE THEM BEHIND?" she screamed.
Ryoko grabbed Izumi's fist. "Stop it!" she shouted, spinning Izumi around. "What was he supposed to do?"
"SAVE THEM!" Izumi shouted back. "Not run away...just...like...I..." Izumi stopped, fell down, and started crying.
Hiroki looked at Ryoko helplessly.
==Next day
Ryoko woke up, and noticed that Kouji had already left. Izumi, Hiroki, and Armadillomon were still asleep. She glanced at Sneasel who nodded, and the two left.
They caught up with Kouji a few minutes later, he having tried to sneak out of the camp. "And where do you think you're going?" Ryoko demanded.
"I have to find them." Kouji said. "Izumi was right, I shouldn't have run off."
"There was nothing you could have done!"
Kouji stopped, and looked at Ryoko. "Go home." he said. Confused, Ryoko stopped, speechless. "Go home. It's not safe for you here."
"You can't do this yourself." Sneasel replied. "You'll need our help."
"No! I won't have what happened to Tomoki and Junpei happen to you. Take Hiroki and Izumi and go back to your world."
"It won't." Sneasel said darkly, staring right at Kouji.
"You didn't face Duskmon." Kouji replied. You didn't see what happened to..." Kouji trailed off.
"No, I didn't." Ryoko replied, looking away.
"Right. There's a Trailmon station two day's travel from here. Go there and-"
CRASH!
Kouji whirled around, and saw that Ankylomon stood in his way, Hiroki standing beside him. "I'm not leaving Tomoki this way." Hiroki said, determined.
"And what can you do?" Kouji demanded.
"*We*," Ankylomon answered, "can do the same thing digidestined always do. Stop them, free them, and make sure Cherubimon never does this to anyone else, ever again!"
"And we know where Bokomon and Neemon might be." Ryoko told him. At that, Kouji looked up. "We were on our way to the Autumn Leaf Festival when we found the other hybrids. If we can find Takuya, that'll make five of us."
Kouji desperately wanted to believe her. However, his instinct still told him to push her away. He started to answer when Jet Sylphimon landed in front of him. Kouji didn't recognize her at first, having only briefly seen the A-Hybrid yesterday. There was a flash, and Izumi was also looking at Kouji. "Besides," she said, "there's no way I'm letting you walk away from the best thing that ever happened to you, you self-righteous jerk."
"Scoundrels!" a red Digimon yelled, charging at them. "I shall avenge the insult you have given to lady Ranamon!"
Sneasel blinked. "F...Flawizarmon?"
Ankylomon sighed. "Mine." He said, sending the attacker flying with a well timed Tail Hammer.
"This is not oveeerrrr...." Flawizarmon yelled, sailing away. Two more Digimon, both hybrids, came into view.
"He never was the brightest one, but he was devoted. Don't you think that's so useful?" Ranamon asked, riding atop Petaldramon. Ankylomon turned to face the two, but was stopped by Hiroki.
"Is there a reason you're here?" Izumi asked. "Or should we just take you out now?"
"Really, how droll. Petaldramon, if you would be so kind?" Ranamon hopped off, glowing as she did. "Ranamon, slide evolution...Calmarimon!"
"Calmarimon's mine." Izumi growled. "Double Spirit Evolution...Jet Sylphimon!"
"Double...Spirit...?" Kouji gasped.
"Later." Sneasel replied. "Ryoko, digivolve me to Sorcerimon. I have an idea." Ryoko nodded, holding up her digivice. "Sneasel, digivolve to...Sorcerimon!"
"Spirit evolution...Wolfmon!" Without waiting, Wolfmon jumped at Calmarimon, who was already busy fighting Jet Sylphimon.
"Ankylomon, be careful!" Hiroki yelled, as the giant Digimon advanced on the plant hybrid.
"Don't worry, Hiroki!" Ankylomon faced Petaldramon. "Alright, Junpei, I know you're in there. Don't make this hard on yourself!" With a roar, Petaldramon reared back, and started firing razor sharp leaves from his snout. In addition, he slammed his tail into the ground, causing a mass of thorny vines to spring out and grab Ankylomon.
"Hiroki, digivolve me to Pteramon!" Ankylomon called, making himself change back to Armadillomon.
"Digiarmour energize!"
"Armadillomon, armour digivolve to...Pteramon, the wings of love!" The vines moved in, trying to catch the smaller Digimon, but were quickly shredded by Pteramon's wings and beak, all razor sharp. He flew up, driving back Petaldramon with missile barrages.
Sorcerimon jumped on Petramon's back, and the two flew up several meters. Sorcerimon jumped off, ice already forming on the tip of his staff. "Hyo-Retsu-ZAN!" he shouted, swinging the ice spear as he fell, tearing a long but shallow gash in Petaldramon's side. "Keep firing!" the ice wizard yelled. "Try to force him back to his H-Spirit form!"
"Will do! Pteramon, slide evolution...Chameleonmon!" Hiroki's partner thrilled at this new ability, then realized he made one tactical error.
Never, EVER slide-evolve in mid-air.
"WAHHHH!" Chamelonmon yelled, landing on Petaldramon's head. Recovering quickly, he started blasting away with heat beams, dodging Petaldramon's clumsy attempts to throw him off.
Finally, Petaldramon decided enough was enough. He glowed, and switched to Arbormon, Chameleonmon hopping off as the Digimon shrunk underneath him. "NOW!" Sorcerimon yelled. "Crystal Cloud!" He summoned up a massive blast of icy wind, trying to freeze Arbormon solid. After a few seconds, the plant hybrid was locked inside a block of ice. "Now...Aquarius Fill!"
Ryoko blinked, confused. As much as she wanted Junpei freed, she didn't see how...then she realized, as the ice broke and Arbormon began struggling. "He's trying to remove the dark power that's controlling Junpei!"
"That won't do! Now, Gigasmon!" Calmarimon shouted, slamming the ground with her tentacles. Gigasmon erupted from the earth, and went straight at Sorcerimon. Sorcerimon was forced to break off his spell, and dodge the earth hybrid's powerful blows.
"Tomoki, snap out of it!" Sorcerimon yelled. But Gigasmon paid him no heed, continuing his attacks. Wolfmon saw Sorcerimon's plight, and broke off to try and push back Gigasmon.
"I think this has gone long enough!" Calmarimon said, realizing that she couldn't win against Jet Sylphimon in her current form. "Get me out of here!" she commanded, switching back to Ranamon. Arbormon recovered, grabbed Ranamon, and carried her off, with Gigasmon waving his arms, threatening anyone who got too close. Neither hybrid wanted to risk attacking, and Sorcerimon had drained most of his power trying to free Junpei. With a flash, he switched back to Grottomon, and tunneled away.
==
Ranamon finally got free of Arbormon's grip after an hour of running. "Stop here." She slumped down, exhausted.
"I see things went well." Mercuremon said sarcastically, appearing in a flash of reflected light.
"We have a problem." Ranamon answered, pushing her annoyance back.
==
Between the physical exertion and emotional stress, it took a while for everyone to recover. Sneasel looked out in the direction Arbormon had gone. "I almost had him free, I could feel it." he said firmly. "If I just had another minute..."
Kouji nodded. "So now what?"
"We go after them." Ryoko said. "Now that we have a way to free them." She glanced at Kouji. "If you'll let us."
Kouji snorted. "You probably wouldn't listen to me if I told you no, so we might as well."
"Men." Izumi sighed, then saw Hiroki's hurt look. "Excluding you, Hiroki-chan. Kouji, you could be a bit more considerate. And you do need us."
"Without my Beast Spirit, yeah, I guess." Kouji shrugged. Izumi made a point of not laughing as Kouji tried not to look at Ryoko.
==Next day
Izumi and Kouji looked at their D-Scanners. They had reached a range of mountains, and the road forked, separating into two paths. "Well, left or right?" Armadillomon asked.
"Both." Izumi replied. "We split into two teams of two, and stay in contact with the pokegear." Ryoko and Hiroki nodded. "If one of us finds Junpei or Tomoki, we call the other team and try to link up as fast as possible."
"So, who goes with who?" Hiroki asked. Kouji started to say something, but was interrupted by Izumi.
"I'll take Ryoko." Izumi said, hooking her arm around Ryoko's. "I promised that I'd keep an eye on her. And I'm not leaving you two alone for a minute." Hiroki looked confused, while Kouji and Ryoko's faces both turned crimson.
Sneasel and Armadillomon sighed. "When you're older." they said in unison.
==Next Episode
On their search, Kouji and Hiroki find an ancient shrine, dedicated to the Royal Knight, Alforce V-Dramon. There, they find that Digimon loyal to Cherubimon have gathered there, waiting for the call to battle. Next time on Digicross Frontier:
'Soldier of Justice, Armormon.'
Wolfmon stared back. Of all the people to find him, why HER? Kouji wondered.
"No, you have to leave NOW!"
==
Digicross Frontier Episode 11
'Turning Point'
==
"Junpei and Tomoki..." Yashamon gasped, sickened. "I can't accept that! How
could that have happened? Gigasmon and Arbormon were both defeated!"
Suddenly, another hybrid digimon appeared. "You told." Mercuremon taunted
Wolfmon. "Now, how shall I punish you?" Wolfmon, barely coherent, drew both
swords and lunged at Mercuremon. The attacked was blocked, and Wolfmon was
sent flying, reverting to Kouji as he landed. "No need, I suppose. Seeing
your friends like this should be torture enough."
"You MONSTER!" Ryoko yelled. "How could you do this to them?"
"It is hardly my fault." Mercuremon replied. "They were so eager to gain
Grottomon and Arbormon's spirits, I merely let them have them. Of course, they
had to surrender their other spirits. Fair trade, really. I think they look
the better for it, don't you?"
"DIE!" Yashamon roared. "Yashamon, slide evolution...RAIDRAMON! Lightning
Claw!" The armoured digimon charged, claws swiping at Mercuremon, who blocked
the attack with one of his shields. Mercuremon's trademark smirk faltered when
he saw a slight crack appear on his shield. "Let's see how you like being
shredded, Mercuremon!" With a roar, Raidramon increased the power to his claws.
His power...SERAPHIMON! Mercuremon realized. "So, you're drawing on the power
of Seraphimon, are you? Cherubimon will appreciate this information!"
"Not as much as he'll appreciate my claws tearing through him! Stand and
fight, freak!"
"I think not...OFFSET REFLECTOR!" Raidramon was thrown back, his own power
sent back at him. "I look forward to meeting you again, Raidramon. Come,
Gigasmon!" Mercuremon hopped back, and he and the rock hybrid vanished,
swallowed up by one of Mercuremon's mirrors.
==
Jet Sylphimon was enjoying this. After all this time, she finally had a
chance to find Tomoki and Junpei. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw
Arbormon, being chased by Ankylomon and Hiroki. "If you won't tell me, maybe
Arbormon will!"
"Oh, I'll tell, alright. You know I am just *horrible* at keeping secrets.
JEALOUSY RAIN!" With a gesture, Ranamon summoned up several storm clouds, all
releasing acid rain on everyone in the area. Ankylomon quickly got Hiroki to
cover, while Jet Sylphimon was forced to pull back. Motioning, Ranamon called
Arbormon over. "You wanted to know where your friends were? Well, here's one
now." With that, she snapped her fingers.
Jet Sylphimon watched, confused. Then she saw Arbormon's body glow, and seem
to shrink in on itself. She saw the H- and B- spirits of wood, and then...
"Junpei..."
"Isn't he just adorable in this form? I had so much fun 'convincing' him."
Jet Sylphimon dropped to the ground, reverting to Izumi. For all the
nightmares and dreams she had of this moment, she hadn't imagined that
something this awful would have happened... she felt numb, unable to move or
say anything.
Ranamon gave a triumphant leer. "Oh, is that your only response? Not even a
'hi, how have you been?' Don't worry, I didn't rough him up too much." With
another snap, Junpei turned back into Arbormon, never once blinking or saying a
word. "Well, how about I just finish this now? Arbormon? Kill her." Slowly,
Arbormon advanced. Still stunned, Izumi didn't move, unable to accept Junpei's
fate.
Before Arbormon could attack, Izumi was snatched away. Raidramon had arrived,
and had managed to slide-evolve, and grab Izumi and throw her clear, parrying
Arbormon's fist with one of his blades.
"Oooh! You DO look sharp!" Ranamon squealed.
"And you I can fight! SHADOW LASER!"
Ranamon dodged. "Ranamon, slide evolution...Calmarimon!" Ranamon's form
shifted, turning into a grotesque cross of a humanoid female and a giant squid.
Idly, the Beast hybrid flicked Yashamon away with a tentacle. "Well, this has
been fun, but I really must be going. I hope I'll see you again, cutie!" She
picked up Arbormon and, using the enslaved hybrid as a shield, retreated.
Ryoko and Kouji ran over, finding Izumi on the ground. Izumi looked at Kouji,
lost. "What happened?" she asked, tears starting to flow. "WHAT HAPPENED?"
==
It took about two hours for everyone to calm down. Sneasel had been all for
going after Mercuremon and Ranamon right off, and only Hiroki and Armadillomon
were coherent enough to stop him. Ryoko, Izumi, and Kouji all sat around a
hastily constructed campfire, just staring.
Kouji suddenly spoke up. "It was...just after we fought Duskmon the second time..."
Izumi nodded. "I remember everyone staying behind to fight off the other hybrids.
Junpei told me to go get help and come back..."
Kouji didn't hear her. "After I came to..."
==Some time back
Kouji woke up, his last memory that of Duskmon trying to slice him in two.
"Junpei...Tomoki? Takuya? Izumi?" He looked around. Checking, he found that his D-Scanner was gone. He saw that he was in some sort of jail cell. In the distance, he heard cries.
"So, you've woken up, boy?" Kouji whirled around, but saw nothing. He then blinked as a shadow on the wall moved, eyes glowing a demonic red. "There's two of you still missing. Where are they?"
"Who are you?"
"I ask the questions!" the shadow thundered, driving Kouji against the wall. "Tell me or I will take the information from you! You have no hope of escape, brat, and I intend to pay you back fully for your actions against me!"
"Cherubimon..." Kouji gasped.
"Yes. Now, where are they? Talk, or the brat and his oversized friend will suffer!"
"Tomoki...Junpei...! Let them go!"
"Or what? I hold your precious spirit."
"I won't need it to tear you apart!" Kouji snarled.
"Your anger is wasted, you have no power here. Perhaps the child will be more...pliant." Horrified, Kouji said nothing, just staring. "I will return for you."
==
In the grand hall of his castle, Cherubimon looked over the spirits he now possessed. Earth, Wood, Water, Darkness, Thunder, Ice, Light...wait. Checking more closely, Cherubimon found that the H-Spirit of light was missing!
==
Kouji sat on his cot, shattered. Takuya was gone, probably dead, Tomoki and Junpei were being tortured, no doubt. Izumi...no idea, he could only pray that she made it out somehow. But with Cherubimon holding nearly all the spirits now, he didn't see any way to win.
Briefly, his mind thought of one possible hope, but he almost immediately buried the idea. He would not drag Ryoko into this, no matter the stakes.
Angrily, he brought his fist down on the small pillow. The fist hit something hard. Curious, Kouji checked the pillow, finding a small, hastily stitched hole in it. He tore it open and found his D-Scanner! "How...?"
==
Ranamon strode down the hallway, almost dancing. There were only two humans left to capture, and one of them was that bratty female. "Maybe wolf-boy has an idea." She thought, deciding to try questioning him.
The wall in front of her exploded just then, and Wolfmon came out, saber drawn.
Panicked, Ranamon ducked and hid, not ready to face Wolfmon in a fight here. The Light hybrid looked around, and then ran down the hall. Recovering her composure, Ranamon followed him. "This should be good to watch."
==
Wolfmon blasted through a wall, already hearing the alarms. He saw Petaldramon
lumbering around, get yelled at by Mercuremon for nearly stepping on him, and slide-evolve back to Arbormon. Mercuremon ran off, trying to find Kouji.
Wolfmon saw Arbormon walk down the hall, not really paying attention. Eyes
narrowing, he drew his saber and attacked, striking Arbormon as he hit the ground, not giving the plant hybrid a chance to recover. "Where? Where are they?" Wolfmon demanded, jabbing his arm-laser into Arbormon's torso.
"T...take the next junction going left, and three doors down." Arbormon said, panicked. He recovered and, realizing that he had just given vital information to the enemy, attacked. "But you'll take that knowledge to your grave!" The port in his chest opened. "Machine Gun Dance!"
Wolfmon whirled around the barrage, coming up underneath the gun's firing arc. "You first." He whispered, driving his sword through the open port. He withdrew it, and ran down the hallway. So focussed on his friends, Wolfmon didn't stop to scan Arbormon's digicode, or take his spirits.
He was soon to regret that oversight.
==
It actually took over an hour for Wolfmon to find his way through the castle; Arbormon's directions had been frustratingly vague. For all the wood hybrid's talk, he was not the brightest Digimon around. Finally, following his own enhanced senses and instincts, Wolfmon found the door he was looking for. It came off the hinges after one shot. Wolfmon ran in, ready to fight, but stopped at the sight that greeted him.
Tomoki and Junpei were there, unconscious and strapped to two steel tables. Hovering in front of them were their D-Scanners, both glowing darkly. "Ah," Mercuremon said casually, as if welcoming a friend, "you're just in time. You know, if you wanted the other spirits so badly, you really should have asked."
"Let them go!" Wolfmon ordered, aiming his laser.
"I intend to. But first, a little parting gift. Oh, nice work on Arbormon, by the way. I really didn't know you had it in you. Perhaps, if you had been that aggressive from the start, none of this would have happened."
"What are you talking about?"
"This." Ranamon said, stepping into view from behind Junpei's table. In her hands, she held the two spirits of wood. "I guess you got Arbormon to give you directions. He never could tell left from right. Oh well." With that, she tossed the two spirits at Junpei's digivice. At the same time, Mercuremon sent the two Earth spirits to Tomoki.
Wolfmon felt sick as he watched what happened. As the spirits entered his friends' D-Scanners, Tomoki and Junpei started writhing, digicode rings appearing around them. Then the rings were sucked in, and the two humans transformed.
Into Grottomon and Arbormon. Wolfmon stepped back, stunned.
"A word of advice." Mercuremon sneered. "Start running. Unless you want to fight your friends. Maybe you could show us the technique you used on Arbormon?" Kouji stepped back, not sure what to do. Seemingly in slow-motion, Arbormon and Grottomon got up, standing stock still, waiting for orders. Unable to take any more, Kouji ran.
Mercuremon walked over to the two. "Find the humans and take any spirits they have from them. If they resist, kill them."
"Yes." Arbormon moaned, striding forward. Silently, Grottomon followed.
Mercuremon nodded, satisfied with his nigh-satanic work. However, something troubled him.
How had Kouji retrieved his D-Scanner?
==
Izumi stared at Kouji. "You ran." She said quietly.
"Izumi..." Ryoko started to say.
"YOU RAN!" Izumi yelled, grabbing Kouji by his shirt and hauling him up. "HOW
COULD YOU?" Her fist reared back, ready to beat Kouji into a pulp. "HOW COULD
YOU LEAVE THEM BEHIND?" she screamed.
Ryoko grabbed Izumi's fist. "Stop it!" she shouted, spinning Izumi around. "What was he supposed to do?"
"SAVE THEM!" Izumi shouted back. "Not run away...just...like...I..." Izumi stopped, fell down, and started crying.
Hiroki looked at Ryoko helplessly.
==Next day
Ryoko woke up, and noticed that Kouji had already left. Izumi, Hiroki, and Armadillomon were still asleep. She glanced at Sneasel who nodded, and the two left.
They caught up with Kouji a few minutes later, he having tried to sneak out of the camp. "And where do you think you're going?" Ryoko demanded.
"I have to find them." Kouji said. "Izumi was right, I shouldn't have run off."
"There was nothing you could have done!"
Kouji stopped, and looked at Ryoko. "Go home." he said. Confused, Ryoko stopped, speechless. "Go home. It's not safe for you here."
"You can't do this yourself." Sneasel replied. "You'll need our help."
"No! I won't have what happened to Tomoki and Junpei happen to you. Take Hiroki and Izumi and go back to your world."
"It won't." Sneasel said darkly, staring right at Kouji.
"You didn't face Duskmon." Kouji replied. You didn't see what happened to..." Kouji trailed off.
"No, I didn't." Ryoko replied, looking away.
"Right. There's a Trailmon station two day's travel from here. Go there and-"
CRASH!
Kouji whirled around, and saw that Ankylomon stood in his way, Hiroki standing beside him. "I'm not leaving Tomoki this way." Hiroki said, determined.
"And what can you do?" Kouji demanded.
"*We*," Ankylomon answered, "can do the same thing digidestined always do. Stop them, free them, and make sure Cherubimon never does this to anyone else, ever again!"
"And we know where Bokomon and Neemon might be." Ryoko told him. At that, Kouji looked up. "We were on our way to the Autumn Leaf Festival when we found the other hybrids. If we can find Takuya, that'll make five of us."
Kouji desperately wanted to believe her. However, his instinct still told him to push her away. He started to answer when Jet Sylphimon landed in front of him. Kouji didn't recognize her at first, having only briefly seen the A-Hybrid yesterday. There was a flash, and Izumi was also looking at Kouji. "Besides," she said, "there's no way I'm letting you walk away from the best thing that ever happened to you, you self-righteous jerk."
"Scoundrels!" a red Digimon yelled, charging at them. "I shall avenge the insult you have given to lady Ranamon!"
Sneasel blinked. "F...Flawizarmon?"
Ankylomon sighed. "Mine." He said, sending the attacker flying with a well timed Tail Hammer.
"This is not oveeerrrr...." Flawizarmon yelled, sailing away. Two more Digimon, both hybrids, came into view.
"He never was the brightest one, but he was devoted. Don't you think that's so useful?" Ranamon asked, riding atop Petaldramon. Ankylomon turned to face the two, but was stopped by Hiroki.
"Is there a reason you're here?" Izumi asked. "Or should we just take you out now?"
"Really, how droll. Petaldramon, if you would be so kind?" Ranamon hopped off, glowing as she did. "Ranamon, slide evolution...Calmarimon!"
"Calmarimon's mine." Izumi growled. "Double Spirit Evolution...Jet Sylphimon!"
"Double...Spirit...?" Kouji gasped.
"Later." Sneasel replied. "Ryoko, digivolve me to Sorcerimon. I have an idea." Ryoko nodded, holding up her digivice. "Sneasel, digivolve to...Sorcerimon!"
"Spirit evolution...Wolfmon!" Without waiting, Wolfmon jumped at Calmarimon, who was already busy fighting Jet Sylphimon.
"Ankylomon, be careful!" Hiroki yelled, as the giant Digimon advanced on the plant hybrid.
"Don't worry, Hiroki!" Ankylomon faced Petaldramon. "Alright, Junpei, I know you're in there. Don't make this hard on yourself!" With a roar, Petaldramon reared back, and started firing razor sharp leaves from his snout. In addition, he slammed his tail into the ground, causing a mass of thorny vines to spring out and grab Ankylomon.
"Hiroki, digivolve me to Pteramon!" Ankylomon called, making himself change back to Armadillomon.
"Digiarmour energize!"
"Armadillomon, armour digivolve to...Pteramon, the wings of love!" The vines moved in, trying to catch the smaller Digimon, but were quickly shredded by Pteramon's wings and beak, all razor sharp. He flew up, driving back Petaldramon with missile barrages.
Sorcerimon jumped on Petramon's back, and the two flew up several meters. Sorcerimon jumped off, ice already forming on the tip of his staff. "Hyo-Retsu-ZAN!" he shouted, swinging the ice spear as he fell, tearing a long but shallow gash in Petaldramon's side. "Keep firing!" the ice wizard yelled. "Try to force him back to his H-Spirit form!"
"Will do! Pteramon, slide evolution...Chameleonmon!" Hiroki's partner thrilled at this new ability, then realized he made one tactical error.
Never, EVER slide-evolve in mid-air.
"WAHHHH!" Chamelonmon yelled, landing on Petaldramon's head. Recovering quickly, he started blasting away with heat beams, dodging Petaldramon's clumsy attempts to throw him off.
Finally, Petaldramon decided enough was enough. He glowed, and switched to Arbormon, Chameleonmon hopping off as the Digimon shrunk underneath him. "NOW!" Sorcerimon yelled. "Crystal Cloud!" He summoned up a massive blast of icy wind, trying to freeze Arbormon solid. After a few seconds, the plant hybrid was locked inside a block of ice. "Now...Aquarius Fill!"
Ryoko blinked, confused. As much as she wanted Junpei freed, she didn't see how...then she realized, as the ice broke and Arbormon began struggling. "He's trying to remove the dark power that's controlling Junpei!"
"That won't do! Now, Gigasmon!" Calmarimon shouted, slamming the ground with her tentacles. Gigasmon erupted from the earth, and went straight at Sorcerimon. Sorcerimon was forced to break off his spell, and dodge the earth hybrid's powerful blows.
"Tomoki, snap out of it!" Sorcerimon yelled. But Gigasmon paid him no heed, continuing his attacks. Wolfmon saw Sorcerimon's plight, and broke off to try and push back Gigasmon.
"I think this has gone long enough!" Calmarimon said, realizing that she couldn't win against Jet Sylphimon in her current form. "Get me out of here!" she commanded, switching back to Ranamon. Arbormon recovered, grabbed Ranamon, and carried her off, with Gigasmon waving his arms, threatening anyone who got too close. Neither hybrid wanted to risk attacking, and Sorcerimon had drained most of his power trying to free Junpei. With a flash, he switched back to Grottomon, and tunneled away.
==
Ranamon finally got free of Arbormon's grip after an hour of running. "Stop here." She slumped down, exhausted.
"I see things went well." Mercuremon said sarcastically, appearing in a flash of reflected light.
"We have a problem." Ranamon answered, pushing her annoyance back.
==
Between the physical exertion and emotional stress, it took a while for everyone to recover. Sneasel looked out in the direction Arbormon had gone. "I almost had him free, I could feel it." he said firmly. "If I just had another minute..."
Kouji nodded. "So now what?"
"We go after them." Ryoko said. "Now that we have a way to free them." She glanced at Kouji. "If you'll let us."
Kouji snorted. "You probably wouldn't listen to me if I told you no, so we might as well."
"Men." Izumi sighed, then saw Hiroki's hurt look. "Excluding you, Hiroki-chan. Kouji, you could be a bit more considerate. And you do need us."
"Without my Beast Spirit, yeah, I guess." Kouji shrugged. Izumi made a point of not laughing as Kouji tried not to look at Ryoko.
==Next day
Izumi and Kouji looked at their D-Scanners. They had reached a range of mountains, and the road forked, separating into two paths. "Well, left or right?" Armadillomon asked.
"Both." Izumi replied. "We split into two teams of two, and stay in contact with the pokegear." Ryoko and Hiroki nodded. "If one of us finds Junpei or Tomoki, we call the other team and try to link up as fast as possible."
"So, who goes with who?" Hiroki asked. Kouji started to say something, but was interrupted by Izumi.
"I'll take Ryoko." Izumi said, hooking her arm around Ryoko's. "I promised that I'd keep an eye on her. And I'm not leaving you two alone for a minute." Hiroki looked confused, while Kouji and Ryoko's faces both turned crimson.
Sneasel and Armadillomon sighed. "When you're older." they said in unison.
==Next Episode
On their search, Kouji and Hiroki find an ancient shrine, dedicated to the Royal Knight, Alforce V-Dramon. There, they find that Digimon loyal to Cherubimon have gathered there, waiting for the call to battle. Next time on Digicross Frontier:
'Soldier of Justice, Armormon.'
