Some news: On my profile, you will be able to find links leading to images of the Digimon who appear in this story. This should save you the trouble of trying to look up every Digimon manually.
Disclaimer: Digimon is not in any way owned by me. I only own this story, which is unofficial in every sense of the word.
LAST TIME:
ISAMU: The egg thing I almost sat on was the Digi-Egg of Courage, used to Armor Digivolve certain Digimon. At first Daichi tried lifting it, but when he couldn't, he told me to try. Even with my skepticism, I was able to lift it, and just in time, too, seeing as a rogue Tyrannomon attacked the sanctuary. Daichi tried to fight him off, but without Digivolution, he couldn't do much. But when I realized that having courage means facing up to your fears, I was able to use the Egg to turn Wormmon into Shadramon, who charbroiled that dinosaur, but not before he let us know that some Digimon have a dislike for humans.
Chapter 4
Digivolve
The group continued their trek through the forest. Ever since Tyrannomon, no one had seen any other Digimon. And they were still amazed by Wormmon's new ability.
"But what I want to know is what happened to the Digi-Egg?" Daichi asked. "It should have gone into a D-Terminal or something, right?"
"Does he have one?" Wormmon asked.
Isamu, meanwhile, was playing with his D-3. Soon he said, "I don't think I'll need a D-Terminal, guys." He held his D-3 so everyone could see the screen; a picture of the Digi-Egg of Courage could be seen.
"Well, that's convenient," Dracomon remarked.
"And it saves me the trouble of getting two things out whenever we need to battle," Isamu added.
"Speaking of which," Daichi said, "why was a battle necessary in the first place?"
"Tyrannomon attacked first," Dracomon said, "plain and simple."
"Do you ever get lonely in there?" Wormmon asked flippantly. "Tyrannomon said these two were his targets from the start. But he must have had a reason."
"Are there many Digimon out here who hate humans?" Isamu asked.
"I know I haven't seen any," Dracomon said.
"I don't see any reason for them to eith—" Wormmon said before a sudden stop. "But there is one thing that may have a connection: the Digi-Agents."
"Now that I have not heard of," Isamu said.
"No one knows much about them, to put it bluntly," Wormmon said, "but from what I've heard, they're a mysterious organization that wants to gain control over the world, even though they have a firm grip over us already. I should also mention that whenever they say that, it's never 'Digital World,' just 'world.'"
"Odd," Isamu said.
"Well, I think it's safe to assume what we're here for," Daichi remarked.
"So you're suggesting that Tyrannomon may have been in league with these Digi-Agents?" Isamu asked.
"It's a possibility," Wormmon said. "After all, if you two are here to stop them, that would make you their primary targets."
"Always nice to feel wanted, I always say," Isamu said sarcastically.
Their conversation became interrupted by a flying object that began circling them. It moved so fast that no one could make out is shape, let alone its identity. Finally the object moved away from everyone and toward a lone figure, who was obviously another Digimon. This one looked like a wild man with a large tribal mask that acted as his face. The object, which landed in his hand, was a boomerang.
"Whoever you be," he said in a deep voice that sounded almost tribal, "know that this forbidden area to all. Be gone."
Daichi activated his Digi-Analyzer. "Sepikmon, a wizard Digimon, data type, armor level. His Spirit Boomerang attack will leave you in circles."
"What do you mean this is a forbidden area?" Wormmon said. "We've lived here for a long time and there haven't been any problems."
"Powerful artifacts lay behind me," Sepikmon said. "Powerful and dangerous. Must keep everyone from getting to them for reasons of safety."
"Safety for who?" Daichi whispered to Isamu. Isamu nodded. "Pardon me my good 'mon," Daichi said as he approached the Digimon, "but we are Digi-Destined from the human world, here to aid the Digital World against danger. Perhaps we can be of some assistance."
"None shall pass here," Sepikmon said adamantly. "Would be wiser for you to turn back now and never come this way again. Better yet to go to your own world, humans." Both Daichi and Isamu noticed that he accented the last word.
"Come on, guys," Daichi said. "Let's turn back… for now," he added in a whisper.
The group took refuge in the nearby overgrowth, watching over Sepikmon's area. Isamu got out some of the graham crackers they packed before leaving and handed some out to everyone, since it was a while since they had eaten. No matter how long they stayed there, however, Sepikmon seemed content to remain at his post.
"Do you think there really are some dangerous artifacts in the area behind him?" Daichi asked.
"I don't know," Isamu said contemplatively. "I got this weird feeling just looking at him."
"Well he is just a mask with arms and legs," Dracomon said.
"Not what I meant," Isamu said. "He's hiding something."
"How can we be sure though?" Wormmon asked. Everyone thought about this.
Daichi was looking at his D-Power. Just then, he looked up at the others and said, "You guys ever hear of a Predator plane?"
Sepikmon was pacing back and forth. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the bushes. He stood in a defensive stance and looked sharply. He saw something in the shadows that looked like one of the humans from before. "I thought I told you never come back! Spirit Boomerang!" He threw his boomerang at the silhouette and seemingly cut it in two. When it returned to him, he went to check out what had happened. But Sepikmon saw no one, just a pile of leaves. "Mind must be playing April Fool, and in middle of July, too," he said, scratching forehead of his mask. He didn't notice a small dragon flying overhead.
"He's in," Daichi said looking at his D-Power. He had activated the Digivice's holoscreen, but instead of the analyzer, it was showing a forest from above. "Dracomon, can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear, good buddy," Dracomon replied. "You getting a good image?"
"That depends," Daichi said, "is that a large rock on your left?" He looked at the screen and saw one such rock.
"Sounds right," came the reply.
"Then this will work out just nicely." Daichi smiled. "By the way, nice work on that leaf construct, Wormmon."
"Hey, if I can build a large structure out of thread, I think I can build a human lookalike," Wormmon boasted.
"I had totally forgotten about the eye-spy feature on the D-Power," Isamu said. "That was sharp thinking."
Daichi stared intently at the screen, looking for anything that might look like what would merit Sepikmon's hostility. After a few minutes of fruitless observing, he said, "Hey, Dracomon, you see anything I don't?"
"Nope," Dracomon's voice said, "I got nothing."
"Well, how are you feeling?" Daichi asked, attempting to change tactics. "Are you feeling 'off' or anything?"
"Not even slight air sickness," Dracomon replied. "I must have been around this entire area about five times, and all I'm feeling is my wings getting cramped."
"Alright, return to base," Daichi said.
"What about Sepikmon? He'll notice me coming back."
"Don't worry; by the time you get here, we'll have already had a few words with him," Daichi said darkly. He, Isamu, and Wormmon stepped out of the bushes and walked over to Sepikmon's station.
Sepikmon saw them coming and, after discerning that they were no illusion this time, said angrily, "I told you never come back!"
"We just have a few questions," Daichi said calmly. "Where exactly are these 'powerful and dangerous' artifacts?"
"I told you; artifacts in area behind me," Sepikmon said, still angry.
"That so?" Daichi said. "Because we had a little look-see from our eyes in the sky…" he pointed behind Sepikmon, who turned to find Dracomon flying toward them, "…and there's nothing to be found but trees and rocks."
Sepikmon thought nervously for a minute and said, "Well, artifacts not directly behind me, but in nearby lake, which is behind me."
"That's odd," Wormmon said as Dracomon finally touched down. "The nearest lake is at the other end of a canyon beyond the forest."
"Why not go to that lake to stop others from getting to them instead of here?" Isamu asked.
Sepikmon paused and bowed his head in humiliation. He raised it and said, "Master warn me you very persistent."
"So you work for the Digi-Agents," Daichi surmised.
"But persistence not help against Spirit Boomerang!" Sepikmon threw his weapon at the Digi-Destined. They all ducked before it could reach them.
"Wormmon, you ready to take this guy out?" Isamu said, holding his D-3.
"Let's do it!"
Digi-Armor, energize! Wormmon Armor Digivolve to… Shadramon, the Inferno of Courage!
Shadramon pointed his arms at Sepikmon. "Flare Buster!" Two streams of fire flowed out of them. But without warning, the boomerang flew to Sepikmon and started spinning in place, blocking the fire.
"How did he do that?" Isamu asked.
"Flare Buster! Psychic Wave!" Shadramon shot out a fireball and began to control its movement. But no matter which way Shadramon aimed, the boomerang would follow, as if it had a mind of its own.
"I think I know," Daichi said, holding his Digi-Analyzer. "His Spirit Boomerang is connected to him mentally, allowing him to control it like an extension of his own body." He turned to Dracomon. "Shadramon's going to need back up. Feel like Digivolving?"
"Are you forgetting that it doesn't work?" Dracomon reminded him.
"Oh, yeah. Well, we still have these." Daichi held up a few cards. "Digi-Modify! Gabumon Blue Blaster, activate!" Dracomon ran into the battle and opened his mouth. "Blue Blaster!" A concentrated blue energy shot out of his mouth and flew toward Sepikmon. The masked Digimon didn't see it in time and was hit. "Let's go for two. Digi-Modify! Dolphmon Pulse Blast, activate!" Dracomon activated his new attack, screeching loudly and causing Sepikmon to reel in pain.
Meanwhile, Shadramon was still attempting to move his flame past the boomerang. Soon the flame's movements started to become sluggish, and Shadramon looked as though he was struggling. "What's wrong?" Isamu asked.
"I can't keep this up much longer," Shadramon answered. "All this pryokenisis is draining my strength." Finally, he collapsed and the fireball disappeared.
"That easy," Sepikmon said as he finally recovered from Dracomon's attack. The boomerang flew back to him. "Now for you!" He threw the boomerang in Dracomon's direction. The little dragon dodged the weapon with little trouble. "You may be able to outrace Spirit Boomerang…" he looked at Daichi, "…but can he?" The boomerang changed direction and headed for Daichi.
Dracomon saw it and immediately flew to Daichi's aid, but could not move fast enough. That didn't stop him from trying though, as he pushed himself harder.
Then Daichi, for reasons he did not know, pulled out his Digivice card. "This better work," he said to himself. "Digi-Modify! Digivolution, activate!"
Dracomon started glowing. "Dracomon Digivolve to…" His form began to grow; all his features had grown to a much larger size. When he stopped glowing he looked like a larger version of himself; the only things that had truly changed were the new horn on his face and the color: green. "Coredramon!"
Coredramon ran faster, using his large wings to catch up to the boomerang and flapped them to blow it back to Sepikmon. "If you insist on throwing your playthings around, I'm afraid I'll have to take them away."
"Flippancy not help you win," Sepikmon returned. "Spirit Boomerang!"
"I warned you," Coredramon said as Sepikmon tossed his weapon. He jumped up and flipped over. "Strike Bomber!" He lowered his tail and crushed the boomerang, leaving only two halves before it disappeared.
"Let's see how powerful you are without that thing," Daichi said. "Digi-Modify! Birdramon Meteor Wing activate!" Coredramon's wings glowed bright orange and red. "Meteor Wing!" He flapped his wings and a salvo of fireballs flew out of them. They all landed on an unguarded Sepikmon.
But the masked Digimon stood back up and said, "Now you in for it. Time for some Charmin' Dancin'!" He started to move around in a way that looked like a ceremonial dance.
"Is that supposed to scare us out of our wits or something?" Isamu asked, kneeling over a still weakened Shadramon.
"Yes," Daichi said, looking at his Digi-Analyzer.
"That was a rhetorical—"
"You don't understand; if he's allowed to complete that dance, we'll be up to our ears in dead spirits."
"Then let's cut in," Coredramon said. "Green Core Blast!" He opened his mouth and shot out a green fireball. The ball hit Sepikmon's mask and it ignited into green flames. He stopped dancing and started flailing around, trying to brush the flames off, but with no success. Finally, he stopped and stood still. His form began dissolving like Tyrannomon had done: from his outline to the center.
"This not over!" he yelled. "Digi-Agents will rule world!" With that, he disappeared completely.
Both Coredramon and Shadramon De-Digivolved to their rookie forms. "Well, that guy was annoying," Dracomon said.
"Yeah," Isamu interjected, "but I think we know what to do now." Everyone turned to him with confused looks. "Sepikmon was trying to keep us from reaching the lake, right? How much do you want to bet that there really are objects at that lake that Sepikmon didn't want us to get?"
"Are you saying that whatever's at that lake…?" Daichi started.
"…is probably going to help us defeat these Digi-Agents," Isamu finished. "Why else would they keep us from moving on?"
Daichi turned to their Digimon. "Think you guys can get us to that lake?"
"Like I said," Wormmon answered, "it's just on the other side of the canyon."
"Then let's move!" Dracomon said confidently.
"I do have one question, though," Daichi said. "Why did my Digivice card work this time around?"
Isamu rolled his eyes and said, "You can remember a D-Power's features, but you don't remember how Digimon Digivolve?" He sighed heavily and walked away.
"Maybe we should have packed the DVD player, after all," Daichi said to himself as he followed Isamu, "then we could just watch the Digimon show just so I can get some answers."
"Plus," Dracomon added, "I think it would be interesting to see what I look like."
"Uh, hate to break this to you, buddy," Daichi said, "but you're not even in the series."
"Nuts."
Objective obtained: find that lake. But who are these Digi-Agents? And what will they do to keep our heroes from their goal? Stay tuned for Digimon: Digital Monsters to find out!
BTW, I am aware that Dracomon was a character in the recent Xros Wars anime. But when I was writing this, that hadn't been the case. It's only mentioned once, so don't let it bother you.
This is CF, signing out.