Want to know something ironic? I just checked on Digimon Wiki about a certain digimon's attacks and a newly updated detail matches something I thought made sense. I'll explain better at the end of the chapter, but it was kind of cool. Anyway, here is another chapter for your enjoyment. It has quite a few interesting developments in it.
The green, humanoid champion flitted towards Minervamon, his red eyes locked on her oversized blade. She wore a cheerful grin and flicked one of her braids over her shoulder as Stingmon quickly approached the mega. The spunky female allowed Ken's partner to draw near before reacting. Minervamon performed a back flip and managed to block the champion while performing her aerobatics.
"This is fun," she giggled. "Try this one. Strike Roll!"
Having seen this attack before and being quite agile himself, Stingmon dodged to the left before taking aim at his fellow virus type.
"Spiking Strike!" called the champion, a pinkish-purple spike forming on his arm as he swung at her.
Though the assault reached her, Minervamon simply snickered and knocked him away. She then leapt up into the limbs of the tree. The green digimon flew after her, weaving through the branches after her. He followed her through the twisting vegetation, her cheerful sing-song voice taunting him.
"I'm bringing home a baby Stingmon," she giggled. "Won't my leader be so proud of me? I'm bringing home a baby Stingmon. Oops, I squashed him!"
At that point, she reversed directions and leapt towards the champion with the intention of smashing him under her boots. The green digimon dove out of the trees and dashed out from under Minervamon. When she landed in the spot he'd occupied seconds before, Stingmon retaliated with his own attack.
"Spiking Strike!"
"That tickles," commented the mega. "I like playing with you. Too bad I have to destroy all of you. You know, because of the human thing. Cause they're stupid."
Stingmon narrowed his eyes at the insult to Ken and the others. The viral mega was only toying with him and he couldn't do anything about it. Minervamon could likely wipe him out without trying, but as long as she paid attention to him, she wouldn't be after the Digidestined, the tamer, or the knocked-out Veemon.
While his partner weaved through the treetops, Ken scrambled over to where his friend had dragged Veemon. Two battles were occurring simultaneously: one between Stingmon and Minervamon, and the other between Rapidmon and Dianamon. Fortunately, both conflicts were primarily taking place in the air above their heads, which made the ground-bound humans vaguely safer from being caught in the cross-fire. Henry remained firmly planted where the metallic rabbit left him, his eyes glancing between the vaccine ultimate and his deck of cards.
"Come on, Veemon," Davis coaxed his knocked out rookie. "Now would be a great time to wake up."
"Face it," sighed the Digidestined of Kindness as Davis gently shook the limp, blue shape. "Even if he woke up, he wouldn't be in any condition to fight."
"Well, considering we're facing two megas with a champion and an ultimate," he pointed out, "we better hope for a miracle."
"Miraculous victories are a specialty of ours."
The goggle-wearing boy smiled faintly, "True, but we still need an idea."
As Stingmon landed on the ground and dodged Minervamon's attempt to stomp him under foot, Ken turned quickly to watch his partner and felt something swinging around his neck. The boy remembered the tag his crest now rested in and recalled that, in theory, he should be able to activate it to have Stingmon digivolve to ultimate. All he needed to do was truly understand what kindness means and to be able to display it. Then, they might be able to pull off the miraculous victory after all.
He knew what the word "kindness" meant. It was the state, quality, or habit of being kind. "Kind" was an adjective meaning sympathetic, gentle, or benevolent. And yet there had to be far more to it. Ken felt that the dictionary definition was not nearly enough. He needed to know what kindness meant to him.
When he thought of it, the dark-haired Digidestined remembered standing on the balcony of his home blowing bubbles. His brother, Sam, used to say that the reason Ken could blow bigger bubbles than him was because he was a kind, gentle child. Sam's would pop because he would blow too hard. Ken could succeed where his older sibling, who excelled in all he tried, failed for the simple reason that he was kind.
And though his benevolent nature was nearly drowned out when he fell into darkness of the Digimon Emperor persona, the same trait returned when his old self reappeared. He joined the other Digidestined to help make up for his past mistakes and also to help protect against the same darkness that tried to consume him. It was just part of his nature to help others, regardless of whether it was his current friends or Ryo when he was just a child upon his first journey to the digital world.
And even earlier that day, he demonstrated he was both gentle and sympathetic. He managed to get Impmon to open up about his painful past, even after Davis' ill-chosen words. The dark-haired boy eased the rookie's guilt that the Digidestined of the Digi-Eggs of Courage and Friendship accidentally brought up while simultaneously reducing his own pain of past actions. Of course, getting the purple virus to open up took a little gentle persuasion.
Gentle. Sympathetic. Benevolent. He smiled softly to himself. Just like Kari seemed to personify the very essence of light and T.K. was always filled with hope, it seemed like he was the definition of kindness. It appeared his partner was right when he suggested that Ken would find it natural to activate his crest. It was who he was. He was the gentle child who watched shimmering bubbles float over the city. He was the sympathetic boy who listened to the regretful admissions of a remorseful killer. He was the benevolent Digidestined who protected both worlds.
"I think your crest is glowing," commented a stunned Davis, pointing at the light now coming from around Ken's neck. "That's generally a good sign."
Nodding, the dark-haired boy turned his attention back to his partner. Stingmon was striking at the cheerful mega while dodging her half-hearted attacks as best he could. He was currently out-matched, but things were about to change. The insectoid digimon and the Digidestined were about to do something that hadn't occurred to anyone beyond Tai's group. They were about to use a crest to reach the ultimate level.
"Minervamon," Ken called, "I know you and the others believe that humans are cruel and malicious creatures. You think we are heartless and dangerous to those around us."
Distracted briefly from her earlier target, she giggled, "And don't forget useless and annoying."
"But even if some examples of humanity might be like that, not all are simply pure evil," explained the boy. "The greater our potential for cruelty, the greater our potential for good. And in this circumstance, being kind and gentle does not mean being weak."
With those final words, the glow from the Crest of Kindness intensified and was matched by light emerging from his dark-colored D-3 and a similar light engulfed Stingmon. Minervamon shielded her face from the glare of the three sources, frowning slightly.
"Stingmon digivolve to… JewelBeemon!"
The newly formed ultimate was still a humanoid insect, but traded his normal green hue for shimmerier, colorful, shining shades. His jewel-like tones reflected light in a multitude of colors, though green remained the most prominent. In his hands, he held a long spear with a razor-sharp, red, star-like tip. His wings were iridescent things that gave off a beautiful rainbow radiance. His prism-like armor gave him a larger build than he possessed as Stingmon, along with a giant spike on each arm that extended beyond his hands. The vaccine smiled slightly as he gave his new body a quick inspection.
"Aw…" grinned Minervamon. "How pretty and colorful! I love it. After all, you're all shiny now. Too bad I still have to destroy you."
JewelBeemon twirled his spear like a baton between his fingers before commenting, "It won't be that easy. Now you see me," remarked the insect digimon before vanishing from sight, "now you don't."
When Rapidmon engaged in combat with the lunar-style mega, Henry began selecting useful modify cards to help She was a mega, a data type, and had the overall advantage over the ultimate vaccine type. They couldn't become MegaGargomon because of his size, so they would have to depend on strategy to win this. Their biggest advantage was the extreme speed the robotic rabbit was capable of in the right circumstances.
"I'm sorry it has come to this," Dianamon apologized, her sapphire eyes soft and regretful. "You should have taken our deal."
"What? Abandon Henry and renounce humanity as pure evil?" asked the vaccine. "No thanks. I don't think so. Do you want to admit you and your boss could be wrong?"
Her expression twisted into fury, "Insolent fool. You defy our cause and offer mocking requests in return. Prepare to suffer. Arrow of Artemis!"
"That wasn't insolence," defended Rapidmon as he dodged the icy projectiles. "I'm honestly telling you to get over whatever prejudice you have about humans. If you want insolence, talk to Impmon."
"Digi-Modify! Power Activate!" announced Henry, working out his strategy.
"Rapid Fire!"
The enhanced rounds reached their target, but only served to enrage her further. Taking her dual-bladed weapon, she twirled it around her in a frenzied dance of death. While the sharp-edged object spun around her body, she attempted to close the distance between her and her opponent in order to bring her close-ranged weapon into play. Unfortunately, the dark-haired boy knew his partner was better at mid-range to distant combat.
"Don't let her get too close," he warned the vaccine.
"Hold your tongue, vile human," she snapped. "Your kind does not deserve to exist in our world, let alone speak. Already you poison the minds of your slaves to do your bidding and protect your defenseless forms from harm. You are a plague, an infestation, a disease to digimon that spreads and corrupts even as you plan our downfall. It is a pity your brainwashed pets no longer have the will to defy you or else they could have been saved. There will be no mercy on you, just as your kind has none to offer digimon." Unable to draw Rapidmon into a close-quarter's fight, she grabbed a handful of icy projectiles from her back and shot them at the green rabbit in quick succession, "Arrow of Artemis!"
"Tri-Beam!" called Rapidmon, forming a triangle and firing the energy blast at the frozen arrows and their source. When the force of his attack actually knocked the mega back, the ultimate asked, "Okay, now I've heard all this propaganda before with the Devas and Sovereign guy, but what's your excuse? Where's your evidence about the 'undeniable, unforgiving, undiluted evil that is humanity'? You keep listing off insulting descriptions of them without giving any specific examples of their cruelty."
"I know you don't understand how completely blind you are to the true nature of the parasitic creature that has bound you to him," Dianamon sighed, once more sounding sweet and understanding. "It's not your fault," her eyes darkened and her tone shifted down to a dangerous level, "but I can see you're not going to see the light of reason." Then, her sapphire gaze softened again, "Still, there is no reason not to try."
"She's shifting moods so fast, she's going to get whiplash," the vaccine muttered.
"Our master, a protective guardian of those in need, found a barely alive, wretched digimon trapped between the two worlds and could hardly keep a baby-level form together," she explained. "After nursing the broken individual back to health, the lost soul described how he came to be in such a condition and hidden in the computer systems rather than the digital world." Swinging her weapon at Rapidmon swiftly, she snarled, "Humans."
"Watch it," shouted the vaccine as he dodged the sharp-edged object. Once he increased the distance between him and his attacker, he asked, "So you're basing all of this off one digimon's word? Isn't that an extreme over-reaction?"
"From his location between the two worlds, accessing the stream of information that flows through computers and other human technology, he showed us evidence of humanity's inability to be trusted," she continued in her calmer, serene voice. "Only the least cruel and most open-minded children merely bind us to them rather than try to harm us, though the number of them snaring us into mindless servitude is increasing. Large groups of humans greet us with reactions ranging from distrust to outright hatred and scorn. Others have even reacted with violence, which means they are the ones to blame instead of us." Selecting another frozen arrow from her back, she continued in her sweetest tone, "He showed us that the humans you are so eager to defend are creating weapons specifically designed to do one thing: destroy digimon." The increasingly-familiar shift to a more furious mood occurred, causing her to stop her narrative and open fire once more, "Arrow of Artemis!"
"Digi-Modify! DarkTyrannomon's Fire Blast Activate!" announced the tamer.
"Fire Blast!" Rapidmon yelled, using the flame-based and viral attack to his advantage against the icy threat. The mega's attack evaporated and she was forced back. "Oh yeah! Now that's more like it."
Henry allowed himself a moment of pleasure that his card choice worked so well. It would have been better if Stingmon and Rapidmon switched opponents, but it would be dangerous to try now. Distracting the champion virus could cause Minervamon to land a blow on the lower-level digimon that could be deadly. As long as the agile insect could dodge the sword-wielding girl, he would be alright.
"If left alone, it is clear that humans will either enslave or destroy us all," she continued, her calmer voice sound vaguely annoyed by the scorching fire. "He gave our leader all the evidence he needs. So we much separate the two worlds to preserve our way of life."
"I don't like that idea," remarked the vaccine. "Let's try Plan B and work something out with the human world rather than shut it out. Or we keep this until I knock some sense into you. Rapid Fire!"
He wanted to ignore Dianamon's words, to shove them aside. But Henry could see her, and her leader's, reasoning. They thought that, if humans were so great a threat for a variety of reasons, it was far better to protect the digimon by keeping the two worlds divided. They didn't want to destroy all humans; they only wanted to be left alone by mankind. The tamer could see how, if he possessed this evidence and knew little else about Digidestined and other people, he might come to a similar conclusion. Henry knew that not all humans were evil monsters, but he could also understand why Dianamon might think that.
"Please listen," the boy begged. "Not everyone is like that. Some humans are cruel, but others can be benevolent. Others are just people, neither good nor evil. Humans are just as diverse as digimon. I understand why you don't believe that, but you should try seeing things from our view."
"Silence," she snapped, but she was quickly distracted as Stingmon was engulfed in light.
The tamer would have been watching the digivolution of Ken's partner too if he wasn't experiencing a similarly important event. The white rectangle, his crest, began to glow around his neck. Green lines began to form on the surface of the card-like object, creating two small circles with a pair of sideways S-like shapes that Henry recognized as the mathematical symbol for "approximately" or "similar to." Meanwhile, the boy could feel power radiating off the small object and could hear an odd ringing that was quickly shifting to an echoing voice.
Empathy. The ability to share another's emotion, thoughts, or viewpoints, even if they differ from those you hold. A powerful gift that many lack and even more refuse to use.
Though you do not necessarily agree with their ideas and beliefs, you can see the world through their eyes. You can understand the "why" of others' choices and know how your actions will affect them. No matter how different they may be, you can still find a connection to them.
Guard against losing your own emotions and views by being over-whelming by those held by others. Even when you understand the beliefs of another, remember your own and keep it firmly protected. Sharing the views and feelings of others brings understanding, but does not mean you must change yours to match.
Empathy.
"That was weird," muttered Rapidmon. "But kind of cool too. Please tell me you understood what that means, Henry."
"Your insectoid ally seems to be more powerful now," Dianamon commented, apparently oblivious to whatever the tamer and robotic rabbit had just experienced. "But Minervamon is not one to be careless of."
"Neither are we," Henry replied before sliding the card-like object through his D-arc. "Digi-Modify! Crest of Empathy Activate!"
The ultimate briefly reverted t his rookie form before once again being consumed in intense light. The mega data type shielded her sapphire eyes as her opponent changed.
"Terriermon Crest Biomerge to… MegaGargomon Empathy Mode!"
The change in size was not as great as he expected. Instead of being nearly size of a skyscraper, he was just a little taller than Sakuyamon and Gallantmon in height. But the mega did still retain his bulkier build, though slightly more streamlined than previously. Green armor, rocket launchers on his shoulders, and a canine face were present in this form, but his eyes felt different. They felt even more robotic and mechanical than before, which was odd considering they had been robo-dog before this point. Attached to his arms, instead of the giant machine guns that once encircled his wrists, was a pair of smaller guns on the back of his hands. Across the compartment on his chest that hid more artillery, the green lines standing out against the now grey covering, was the symbol of Henry's crest.
"We've shrunk," complained Terriermon.
Henry answered calmly, "Momentai."
"No using my catch praise," the digimon half of the mega ordered. "Especially against me."
It was almost time. The moment to unleash the true nature of the Guardian program was drawing near, but the Digidestined were a potential problem. They could, in theory, prove a threat to his plans. They had a habit of discovery a way to undo perfect plans. They could find a way to stop him again if not kept busy and out of the way.
He needed to handle the most dangerous ones specifically. At one point, it was the human partners of Agumon and Gabumon that needed to watched. But after his last attempt three months ago, it was clear that Omnimon was no longer the greatest threat.
The humans known as Davis Motomiya and Ken Ichijouji were a potential hazard, but one that could be delayed. They were in the digital world currently and vulnerable. And he could take advantage of it.
He turned his attention towards where his soft-hearted "rescuer" was "visiting the poor trapped victim." The idea that he would miss the digital world was foolish since he never set foot there. But as long as he kept the trust and sympathy of the vaccine, he could use him to further his plans.
"You're allies are doing well for the most part," he remarked, "but I worry two of them considering who they face."
"Which ones?" asked the kind-hearted protector.
"Dianamon and Minervamon," he answered. "As dangerous as all the humans who enslave our kind, those who captured the wills of a particular powerful Veemon and Wormmon are truly devious. They were the ones who led to my nearly-complete destruction you saved me from."
Nodding, the vaccine asked, "If you fear for my allies, I will go to them myself. Will you be alright here on your own?"
"Yes, I will. I shall put the finishing touches on my plan, GuardiAngemon, and finally have the means to handle our problem," he replied. "When I finish, you will never encounter another human."
First off, as stated before, the crest modes belong to my imagination. I thought them up and no one else.
Second, JewelBeemon was not originally connected to the Wormmon digivolution line when I first found him, but now he is. I was already planning on making him the ultimate for Ken's partner before then, but one of the games has made it officially an ultimate for him. Hope you like him.
Third, I want your final guesses on the villain's identity. I've revealed his unknowing accomplices to the coming chaos, but not the main guy's. You have plenty of hints now (almost too many), but I want your thoughts on who it is.
Fourth, and final, if you want to see what the new crest look like, take the link on my profile page to Impkat's deviant art page. She was kind enough to post it, along with a couple of other pictures connected to my stories. Beware, there are some slight spoilers with crest picture.
I need input from you guys. Reviews are what makes me happy and speeds me up. For faster updates, send more feedback.