Hey, everyone! Your friendly author here, fresh from watching the latest Digimon Hunters episode (which is awesome, BTW [don't worry, I won't spoil it for you]). On to the story!
Disclaimer: Have I mentioned yet that I don't own Digimon? I should hope so. I've only put these things up like... oh... 26 TIMES BEFORE!
LAST TIME:
KIYOKO: LadyDevimon crashed through the barrier and restarted her attack. The battle took us to where Swanmon had taken the baby Digimon to safety. Gatomon tried to fight LadyDevimon off, but that demon stole her Holy Ring. Suddenly, Poyomon came up and tried to fight. LadyDevimon attacked him, but I got in the way just in time. Turns out caring about Poyomon's safety activated that Digi-Egg of Kindness, allowing Gatomon to Armor Digivolve to Opposumon and really stick it to her. Wizardmon sent her out of the village and even showed us the way to my crest.
Chapter 27
Willpower
Kiyoko and Gatomon followed Wizardmon's trail of magic for the rest of the day. As they continued to walk, the trail would evaporate over them from where they started. This evaporation ceased whenever the two stopped to rest. As night fell, they constructed a shelter that kept them out of sight from anyone. They were careful to stay away from the line above them, in case anyone, LadyDevimon or otherwise, used the trail to possibly find them.
By morning, the duo started walking with the trail once more. Both frequently looked in all directions to make sure they were not followed. Assuming Opossumon's virus hadn't killed her yet, LadyDevimon would not rest until she found and destroyed them both.
Finally, they reached the end of the trail. Kiyoko looked around, but couldn't find anything. All that was there amongst the trees was a series of rocks designed to look like a link of five chains. Gatomon bent down and searched the rocks carefully.
"Why would these rocks be shaped like this?" Kiyoko wondered aloud. "Hey Gatomon, do you Digimon have religion? You think maybe this is a shrine?"
"We do have some shrines dedicated to the Sovereign Ones," Gatomon replied, "but nothing like this. I don't know what this is."
The two searched fruitlessly for a while until Kiyoko got an idea. "I just realized something. My D-Power found the tag; maybe it'll find the crest too."
"Worth a shot," Gatomon said. Kiyoko reached into her pack and pulled out the D-Power. She held it in front of her and rotated in place, waiting for a glow. Nothing happened.
"Nothing," Kiyoko said to herself.
Gatomon walked up to her. "We'll find it, Kiyoko," she said.
"Oh, isn't this sweet?" a sickeningly familiar voice said. "I hate sweet." They both turned to find LadyDevimon floating toward them. "I'll give you this, little girl; nobody has ever lasted this long against me."
"What can I say? We're survivors," Kiyoko said as calmly as possible.
"But you realize that's not exactly a good thing for me," LadyDevimon continued. "It makes me look weak."
"You don't need our help for that," Gatomon taunted.
"This time, you won't escape," LadyDevimon said. "By the end of this day, there will only be one side standing."
Kiyoko took out her Digi-Egg card and reached behind Gatomon. She grabbed the Holy Ring and slipped it off the tail smoothly.
Digi-Modify! Digi-Egg of Kindness, activate! Gatomon Armor Digivolve too… Opossumon, Fun-Loving Kindness!
"Time to give you some real pain," Opossumon said. "Balloon Blast!" She threw some of the balloons at LadyDevimon.
"Not this time," she said. "Evil Wing!" She released a swarm of bats and they flew at the incoming balloons, destroying them. "Black Wing!" LadyDevimon's hand transformed into the dark blade and she charged at Opossumon. Using her balloons, she flew to safety, but the demon-lady pursued.
"Kiyoko!" Opossumon yelled. "Hurry, find that crest! I'll hold her off." Kiyoko did as instructed and went back to the rock design.
"That crest should be around here somewhere," Kiyoko said to herself. "But how do I find it? My D-Power can't pick it up, so where…?" Kiyoko stared at the rocks before her. Curious about them, she bent down to touch one of the rocks. She placed her hand on it and tried to remove it to see if anything would happen. Despite the fact that they didn't seem to be lodged into the ground very firmly, the rock wouldn't move, even to roll over. She reached into her pack again to get her D-Power and noticed a faint, pink glow coming from it. She grabbed the D-Power, but it wasn't glowing. Despite this, the pack still was.
She looked into it and saw her tag; the charm was the source of the glow. She pulled it out and held it near the design. The tag started to glow brighter. Suddenly, the rock design and the area around it began to glow as well.
Meanwhile, up above, LadyDevimon noticed the glow and stopped her pursuit to observe it. What she saw almost terrified her. "The Crest of Willpower," she whispered to herself. "Evil Wing!" She held up her hand toward Kiyoko and released her swarm of bats
Opossumon saw this and yelled out to warn Kiyoko. The human got out of the way just in time. The bats flew past her and collided with the rocks before flying up again. They dived once more and struck the rocks again. Opossumon realized that LadyDevimon was trying to destroy the design. Before they could come around for a third attempt, she sent a Balloon Blast down to the bats and destroyed them.
Kiyoko knew she didn't have much of an opening, so she thrust the tag forward and the design began to glow again. The area shrank, taking the rocks with it, and became a small pink plate in the shape of a trapezoid, with the design made by the rocks becoming a set of outlines. The plate flew over to her, turned so that the chain design faced away from her, and slid into a slot in the tag behind the sheet of glass. The tag glowed one last time and stopped altogether.
"My crest," Kiyoko whispered.
"It will do you little good," LadyDevimon said, almost frantically. "Darkness Wave!" She fired the dark aura at Opossumon and made a direct hit. Opossumon let go of her balloons and fell, De-Digivolving to Gatomon when she hit the ground.
"Gatomon!" Kiyoko cried out as she ran to her partner. "Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine," Gatomon said.
Kiyoko took out Gatomon's Holy Ring. "Here," she said as she slipped it on her tail, "you may need this."
"So," LadyDevimon said tauntingly, "ready to give up, little girl?"
"Sorry," Kiyoko said, "I don't think that's in our best interests." Gatomon jumped up with a Lightning Paw, but was repelled by the back of LadyDevimon's hand.
"Digi-Modify!" Kiyoko said as she used another card. "Renamon Diamond Storm, activate!" A ring of diamond shards appeared around Gatomon and launched themselves at LadyDevimon. "Nefertimon Cat's Eye Beam, activate!" Gatomon's eyes shown and fired a beam of light, which hit LadyDevimon.
"Evil Wing!" LadyDevimon sent down more bats at Gatomon, but she used her Holy Ring to disperse them.
As the battle continued, Kiyoko looked down at her new crest. Okay, how do I make this work? She tried thrusting her chest outward, hoping some of the crest's energy would shoot out at Gatomon, but nothing happened. This is supposed to represent my strongest trait. But what is that? She looked back up at the battle. Forget it. Gatomon needs my help, and if the crest won't work, then that's just fine. We'll take that witch down without it!
"Digi-Modify! Greymon Nova Blast, activate!" Gatomon opened her mouth and shot out a fireball at her target. LadyDevimon barely blocked it with her left hand.
"I don't get it," she said at last, agitated. "How can you keep fighting like this?"
"Maybe because, like you," Gatomon said, "we don't give up."
"As long as you're around," Kiyoko added, "we'll fight to our last breath." Kiyoko's chest began to glow. LadyDevimon moved back in shock.
"The Crest of Willpower," she said to herself, but loud enough for the other two to hear. "It's glowing!"
"Willpower, huh?" Kiyoko wonder aloud. "That's my strongest trait?"
"Sounds like you," Gatomon said.
Kiyoko nodded. "Then let's show her what our willpower can do." She held the glowing tag in her hand and a card materialized in it; it bore an image of the chain-inscribed crest. Knowing how to use it, she brought it to her D-Power. "Digi-Modify! Crest Digivolution, activate!"
"Gatomon Crest Digivolve to…" Gatomon's body grew to the height and shape of an adult female human. Her gloves slipped off her, her left hand bearing a new one, and a large purple ribbon wound itself around her arms and back. Blonde hair appeared and her head was covered by a metal helmet obscuring her eyes. Her back grew eight wings and she appeared in white clothing, with her Holy Ring moved to her left ankle. "Angewomon!"
"Gatomon?" Kiyoko said in amazement. Although the idea of Digimon changing form had been a relatively easy concept to accept, she was astounded that Gatomon, a cat-like Digimon, had become something that resembled, if not was, human.
"Call me Angewomon, Kiyoko," the angel Digimon said.
"Or you can call her dead!" LadyDevimon cried as she flew in to attack. "Evil Wing!" Angewomon's Holy Ring glowed and she kicked into the crowd of bats coming toward her; they were destroyed instantly. "Black Wing!" LadyDevimon revealed her blade and slashed it at Angewomon; the angel caught it in both hands by the sides. LadyDevimon backed away. "Darkness Wave!" Angewomon spread her arms out. "Heaven's Charm!" A cross design made of light appeared and blocked the aura, dispersing it.
LadyDevimon growled. As Angewomon dropped her barrier, LadyDevimon flew up to her and slapped her across the face with her left hand. Angewomon reeled back and felt her cheek. Suddenly, she moved forward and slapped her using her uncovered right hand. Both Digimon traded slaps for a while. Kiyoko couldn't help thinking to herself, Wow, this is almost like watching two girls fighting over a prom dress.
After some more slapping, the two Digimon finally separated themselves. They both panted. "Let's finish this now," LadyDevimon said.
"Now that's the first good idea you've ever had," Angewomon returned. LadyDevimon held up her left hand. "Black Wing!" Angewomon pointed her left index finger at LadyDevimon and brought her right hand to the opposite wrist, pulling back to make an arrow of light. "Celestial Arrow!"
LadyDevimon flew toward Angewomon with her blade ready. Angewomon let go of the arrow. LadyDevimon swiped at it, but the blade shattered on contact. The arrow continued to fly until it pierced LadyDevimon's chest, causing her to fall.
Although she struggled to get up, LadyDevimon's strength, as well as her body, was quickly disappearing. She looked up at Kiyoko, who was still standing there. "You haven't won," the demon-lady said, struggling through her words. She held up her left hand and a swarm of bats came pouring out of it. They all headed straight up through the canopy and disappeared.
"Wow," Kiyoko simply said. "You've got lousy aim."
"That wasn't an attack," LadyDevimon said as she continued to disappear. "That was a message. One of the other Digi-Agents will find it. They will know what happened, and they will know who was involved. They will come after you. And when they destroy you, they will rule the world."
"Too bad you won't be there for that," Angewomon said as she landed next to Kiyoko.
"Knowing you will meet your end," LadyDevimon continued, "that is enough for me… little girl." She finally vanished, leaving only raw data behind.
Angewomon De-Digivolved and stood next to Kiyoko. Kiyoko fell on her knees and supported herself with her hands. "Kiyoko? What's wrong?" Gatomon asked.
Kiyoko sighed. "Just relieved, that's all." After a few minutes, she finally stood up. "Come on."
As she turned to walk away, Gatomon asked, "Where are we going?"
"Somewhere to rest," Kiyoko said. "And prepare for the next challenge. Like she said, they'll be coming for us."
Looks like Kiyoko had a pretty interesting start here in the Digital World. Wanna bet it'll get more interesting? Stay tuned for more Digimon: Digital Monsters!
In case you hadn't guessed yet, this ends the Kiyoko arc. Yeah, I kinda miss Daichi, Isamu, and everyone else, so I think this is a good place to get back to the boys. See you next time.
BTW, sorry, but the No-Prize takes on a whole new meaning in that there are none. No one got the answer to Kiyoko's crest. Don't despair folks. It happens to the best of us. And it was a little more ambiguous this time around. I'll stop talking now.
This is CF signing out.