Gargomon raised his gauntlets in preparation for the monster coming from Rosemon's base. Even with his weapons, Gargomon could feel his confidence diminishing. His legs were shaking, and he struggled to keep his gauntlets aimed straight. Whatever was in that base had him shaken.
Stingmon had returned, which made him feel a little better. With the two of them working together, they stood a chance. But with how big the monster appears, he has some doubts.
"Do you have a clue of what Digimon that is?" Gargomon asked. There were a few plant-based Digimon he knew had vines, but he was drawing a blank regarding this one.
"I might have an idea," Stingmon said. Stingmon took to the air and readied his blade.
More vines broke free from the cactus wall. These had flowers growing on the ends of them. They had orange petals, sharp teeth, and a permanent smile on each floret. Their sinister smiles shook Gargomon to his core.
"What's wrong?" A teasing voice said behind him. "Where's that bravado from earlier?"
Gargomon grit his teeth. He wouldn't stand around and be mocked by someone too scared to fight their battles. He would show her that he wasn't a Digimon to be messed with. He aimed and opened fire on the unidentified Digimon.
Gargomon's pellets rained down on the monster. He didn't miss a single shot. He could picture the look of disbelief on Rosemon when she watched him beat her monster. He'll cherish it right before he blasts her.
But something didn't sit right with Gargomon. No matter how many times he shot the monster, he didn't hear them react. It might have been because he couldn't hear them over the sound of his gauntlets, but he knew that wasn't the case. He heard bigger monsters roar when he shot them.
He was too curious not to check. So, lowering his gauntlets, Gargomon saw something that shook him to his core. There wasn't a scratch on the monster, and the flowers looked happier than before. It was unnatural.
Letting out a guttural yell, Gargomon opened fire once again. He aimed straight for the flowers because they were the bigger threat. He wouldn't stop until they were all gone.
Gargomon then felt Stingmon lifting him in the air. He thought his friend was helping him get a better angle, but he was proven wrong when he looked down. There was a tornado of rose petals spinning around where he was previously standing. He thanked his friend for saving him.
"What happened to being too tired to fight?" Gargomon tried to goad the Mega Digimon. All he got in response was a shrug. Gargomon growled, and Stingmon was quick to calm down his friend.
"Stop letting her get to you. All you're doing is letting your guard down, and she's taking advantage of it."
Gargomon took what Stingmon said to heart. He took some deep breaths to calm down and clear his head. Getting upset wasn't going to help them, but hinder them. Only a level head was going to get them through this.
Gargomon thanked Stingmon, and the bug Digimon moved to a different area to let him down. But before Gargomon could place his feet on the ground, Rosemon pulled something between her bosom and threw it right underneath Gargomon. Rose thorns instantly sprouted, creating a viney and spikey terrain. Stingmon flew up to avoid the growing thorns.
Stingmon tried flying to a safer place to land, but Rosemon was quick to plant thorns beneath them. The whole area was almost covered in thorns. The growing vegetation swallowed the Apemon. Stingmon and Gargomon watched them try and fail to shield the children Digimon with their bodies.
The children Digimon's horrified screams filled their ears as some of the Apemon either reverted into their rookie forms or became data. Some of the children weren't lucky either. Gargomon and Stingmon watched and felt their data blow past them.
It was sickening.
Gargomon tried to remain calm, but hearing the children Digimon crying for help had him seeing red. He shot a barrage of pellets at Rosemon. He didn't bother aiming for a direct hit, only to have his gauntlets pointing in her direction. He didn't care who or what he hit, just as long as she took the brunt of the attack.
Stingmon flew him away to get Rosemon out of his range.
"What are you doing!?" Gargomon asked, not bothering to hide the anger in his voice.
"You're hitting MagnaAngemon!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Just look!" Stingmon shouted at him.
Gargomon took a second to look at Rosemon. He saw MagnaAngemon standing in front of her. No, not standing. He was hovering a few inches off the ground.
Looking closer, Gargomon saw MagnAngemon wasn't hovering on his own accord. Rosemon was holding MagnaAgemon in front of her by his neck. He saw the cuts that were caused by his blind shooting.
"I told you, you need to calm down!" Stingmon chastised him.
"Did you not hear what's happening down there?" Gargomon argued. He never liked being reprimanded. He certainly didn't like it when it pertained to innocent Digimon getting hurt or losing their lives.
"I do, but you being angry is only going to hurt you and the people around you," Stingmon said, trying to sound sympathetic but focused on the task.
Gargomon understood what Stingmon was telling him, but it was hard. Rosemon had hurt his sister. Willis always said to them that they needed to protect each other. When Rosemon caused Turuiemon to revert into Lopmon, he felt like he failed her and Willis.
It didn't expect Stingmon to understand. It was a bond that only a few Digimon felt.
Stingmon sighed.
"I have a plan, but I need you to promise me you won't go into a blind rage when Rosemon does something," Stingmon pleaded with Gargomon.
Gargomon nodded, and Stingmon relayed his plan to him. Stingmon flew over to Rosemon, and his gauntlets were locked onto her. Rosemon raised MagnaAngemon before her, but Gargomon hadn't shot yet. It wasn't the right time.
Stingmon then started flying sporadically. He didn't stay in one spot for too long. Gargomon watched Rosemon try to keep up with their fast-paced movement. It wasn't until he saw her guard down that he shot her.
He could get a few shots off before she used MagnaAngemon to shield her, but he made them count. She tried hitting them with her whip, but they were out of her reach. For the first time, they had the advantage.
"It's working!" Gargomon cheered.
Suddenly, Stingmon made a hard turn to the right. Gargomon was confused by the sudden movement until he saw the cause of it. Smiling up at them was one of the flowers coming from Rosemon's base.
Gargomon turned and saw a sinister purple flower exploding from the giant cactus. He knew who that Digimon was.
"It's Bloss–!"
Gargomon couldn't finish his thought. He felt a painful surge of electricity flowing through him. He and Stingmon were soon in a free fall, heading straight to the thorns. The last thing he remembered was hoping for MagnaAngemon to wake up because he was the only one who could save them.
The boys looked on in horror as they not only watched Stingmon and Gargomon get electrocuted from the sky but also watched Rosemon's base collapse. They frantically checked their Digivices for their friends' signals, hoping they managed to escape, but all signs said they didn't.
"They got out, right?" Ken asked. The desperation in his voice was palpable. Ryo also looked at him with an expectant look while holding both injured Digimon.
TK couldn't answer. What could he say to make this situation better? He was almost glad Lopmon was knocked out because he didn't know how she would react.
The giant flower Digimon continued to destroy what remains of Rosemon's base. With each step it took, more rubble was made. It looked as if a bomb exploded. TK's Digivice lit up, showing him who that Digimon was. It was a Blossomon, an Ultimate-level Digimon with sharp flowers that could cut through anything, but he doubted that information would help them.
TK swallowed hard.
"We need to, uh…" He couldn't find the right words to say. He didn't know what to do in this situation. He wanted to go help his friends, but there was a whole field of thorns to cross, and even if they managed to get past it, an Ultimate-level Digimon was waiting for them.
What they needed was for MagnaAngemon to wake up.
"MagnaAngemon, do you hear me!?" TK shouted at his partner. "You need to wake up! You're our only hope!"
TK continued to yell at his partner. He hoped for any sign that showed him his partner was waking up, but MagnaAngemon didn't move an inch. He didn't give up, though. If there was one voice MagnaAgemon could hear, it would be his.
"MagnaAngemon!"
TK then felt someone tugging on his arm.
It was Ken.
He was confused as to why he would do that until he saw Blossomon towering over them with Rosemon on their shoulder.
"Don't waste your breath, boy. Once someone's under my Rosy Petal, they aren't getting up," Rosemon laughed. She then pointed at the group, and Ken pulled TK's arm harder. "Now, get them my pet."
TK didn't remain stationary after that. He and Ken ran as fast as they could to get away from the plant Digimon. Ryo was further away because he ran the moment he saw Blossomon and Rosemon coming at them. But it didn't matter with Blossomon's reach.
They scooped TK and Ken up shortly after they started running and got Ryo and the Digimon shortly after. TK tried to squirm his way out, but Blossomon's hold was airtight. All he could do was yell at his partner for help.
"MAGNAANGEMON!"
As ruble slid off her back, Chloe slowly got on her hands and knees. Her whole body was sore, her head was pounding, and there was a loud ringing in her ears. She broke into a coughing fit as dust flew around her. She brought a hand up to her face to clear her eyes.
Then she saw the carnage.
Broken walls, flooring, and ceiling tiles were crumbling around her. Random items she saw while running through the building were everywhere. She could see the surrounding desert and feel the hot sun beating down on her skin. It wasn't hard for her to figure out that Rosemon's base was destroyed.
"Chl-Chloe…"
Chloe looked down to see Dolphmon. She had managed to shield her with her body when she heard the building going down, but that didn't stop the dolphin Digimon from getting a few cuts and bruises. She picked up her partner and held her close to her chest.
"Are you OK, Dolphmon?" Chloe asked. She felt Dolphmon nodding against her body, giving Chloe some relief.
She heard someone coughing close by and saw Willis slowly getting to his feet. He tried walking over to her, but he had trouble putting pressure on his right foot. She walked over to him and lent him her shoulder for him to support himself.
"Thanks."
They then took the time to take in their surroundings. They were able to see the thorns covering the surrounding area. They also saw the Apemon and the children Digimon trapped. Chloe had to hold back some tears while listening to their cries for help.
She wanted to help them, but she couldn't. She was too hurt and was putting all of her strength to help Willis stay on his feet. Her heart went out to them.
Willis lightly nudged her shoulder to bring her back to reality.
"Let's go. The only way we can help them is if we beat Rosemon."
Chloe nodded, and she slowly helped Willis walk away from the debris.
Even though they were slow, it didn't take long for them to find Rosemon. She was standing on the shoulder of the recently Digivolved Kiwimon, who is now Blossomon, according to Dolphmon. They also saw Blossomon holding all of their friends in her vines.
All of the Digimon were out cold. Ken and Ryo almost appeared as if they had given up and relinquished themselves to their fate. The only one who was showing any fight was TK. He was trying to wiggle his way out of Blossomon's vine while screaming at MagnaAngemon to help them.
They saw MagnaAngemon lying motionless on the ground. He almost appeared as if he were dead, but the slow, subtle rising of his chest let them know he was breathing.
"Oh no," Chloe concernedly said. She wanted to go and help them, but Willis was nudging her toward one of the thorns.
"We need to hide. They haven't noticed us yet," he told her, and she listened.
Chloe guided him over to one of the thorns and got behind it. They kept their heads poking out to keep an eye on their enemies.
"So, what's the plan?" Chloe asked, and Willis hummed while looking at Blossomon, then MagnaAngemon, before finishing off at the field of thorns that were in front of them.
"We're going to try and wake up MagnaAngemon. We won't stand a chance against Blossomon or Rosemon in our current state."
"How do you suggest we do that?" Chloe asked, and Willis started pointing out a path in the thorns.
"Sneak through the thorns and figure it out when we get there," Willis said. He then placed a firm hand on Chloe's shoulder and gave her a longing stare. "But we need to be fast. That's why I'll stay here and you and Dolphmon will go."
"No, we should stick together," Chloe argued. She didn't want to leave him alone while he was hurt. He wouldn't be able to defend himself from Blossomon or Rosemon.
"I'll only slow you down. We need to save our friends as fast as we can before Rosemon can do anything to them," he told her. He then hugged her and rubbed her back. "I'll be fine. I'll be right here when you get back."
"And I'll be with you the whole way," Dolphmon added.
Chloe wanted to argue, but Willis' determination stopped her. He believes in her, and she'll let him down if she doesn't try. And it wasn't only him who was relying on her, but also her friends. They needed her now more than ever.
Taking a deep breath and finding her courage, Chloe and Dolphmon set off for MagnaAngemon. They used the path that Willis pointed out. They remained low and tried to be as small as they could to not be spotted by Rosemon or Blossomon.
Their path was blocked by thorns in certain areas, making them change directions. Sometimes, they had to walk toward Rosemon and Blossomon. During those situations, they were extra careful not to make any noise and find a path away from the two as quickly as possible. They were also quiet, which was easy to do because of the sand.
It took longer than they had hoped, but they were coming up on MagnaAngemon. All they had to do was make a B-line for him, and they were there. It would help if TK wasn't constantly drawing attention to the angel Digimon, but that will be another problem they'll deal with later. Right now, they were about to finish their first task with no hiccups.
"Please, you got to help me!"
Chloe froze in her tracks when she saw the Gazimon reaching out for her. They were tangled in the vines with multiple thorns digging into their sides. Chloe wanted to help them, but there was nothing she could do at the moment. She needed to wake up MagnaAngemon so he could defeat Rosemon and get rid of all the dangerous vegetation that littered the field.
She tried walking away, but the Gazimon started screaming out to her.
"NO, DON'T LEAVE! HELP ME! IT HURTS!"
Chloe started panicking. She saw Rosemon and Blossomon looking over in her direction. She tried shushing the frantic Digimon and even tried moving the vines to alleviate the pain, but that only made it worse. Chloe panicked even more when she saw Blossomon slowly trudging over to her.
Chloe didn't know what to do. She was so close to MagnaAngemon, but she didn't think she'll wake him up in time to protect her. There was also no safe place for her to hide. She was trapped and was going to be captured like her friends.
Dolphmon tried breaking free from her arms to defend her, but Chloe held her close. There was no point in letting Dolphmon try. She was already hurt and greatly disadvantaged against the two high-level Digimon. There was nothing they could do, but wait until it was over.
"HEY! Over here, you ugly flower!"
Chloe watched Willis walk out from his hiding place, waving his arms. She begged that neither Rosemon nor Blossomon heard him and for Willis to go back into hiding, but she wasn't so lucky. The giant plant Digimon stopped coming at her and went after her friend. She tried screaming out to him, but he gave her a subtle look that told her to go.
She did what he quietly asked her to do. She made a break for MagnaAngemon, ignoring everything around her. It hurt her, but she'll feel a lot better when Rosemon is finally gone.
When she finally got to MagnaAngemon, she fell on top of him and started pounding on his chest. Dolphmon joined her by using her flippers to slap his face and shoot him with her Pulse Blast. But it wasn't working. MagnaAngemon was out cold.
Chloe took a quick look over at Blossomon. Their back was turned away from them, meaning they hadn't noticed her yet. She quickly grabbed MagnaAngemon's legs and tried pulling him over to the thorns. If she was able to hide him, then that might buy them some more time before either Blossomon or Rosemon notices them.
But it was hard to do. MagnaAngemon was heavy, and Dolphmon's added weight didn't help. She wouldn't give up, though. Her friends needed her, and she wouldn't let them down.
"You can do it!" Dolphmon encouraged her. Chloe forced a smile. She was thankful for her partner's support, but she wished she would help with moving MagnaAngemon. But she knew she was more useful as Dolphmon than Penguinmon at the moment.
"Thanks, Dolphmon, but could you keep your voice—!"
A loud whip crack froze her in her tracks. Slowly walking up to them was Rosemon, and she looked displeased.
"There you are, you pitiful girl."
Chloe backed away from her, and Dolphmon flopped in front of her partner. She did her Pulse Blast attack, but Rosemon whipped it out of the air. She then chuckled at the attempt.
"Still useless as ever."
"What do you want!?" Dolphmon growled. Rosemon responded by kicking her beyond MagnaAngemon. She landed with a hard thud and skidded a few more feet.
Chloe called out to her partner and tried to go after her, but Rosemon caught her with her whip. She then slowly pulled Chloe to her. She cowered with fear as Rosemon lightly touched her face and slowly caressed it.
"You know, I tried grabbing you first, but your sister got in the way," Rosemon whispered, and Chloe gulped.
"What did you do to her?" Chloe asked in an angry and frightened tone. Rosemon gave her an unimpressed look as she clicked her tongue and pushed her away.
"Don't try to act tough. Besides, you have much bigger things to worry about."
Chloe wondered what she meant before Rosemon whistled loudly, and Blossomon padded over to them. She heard her friends begging her to save them. It broke her heart because she knew she couldn't. Rosemon only made it worse when she smiled devilishly at her.
"I already have your friends, and I could have Blossomon grab you too, but I won't. You're just too pitiful that'll make me sad having you as a prisoner," Rosemon mocked her. "So, I'm giving you the chance to leave."
"Don't do it, Chloe!" TK yelled, and Rosemon frowned before ordering Blossomon to cover his mouth.
"That should keep you quiet. I probably have a headache from all your hollering," Rosemon said with a sigh of relief before turning back to Chloe. "So, do we have a deal?"
Chloe didn't know what to do. Neither she nor Dolphmon were in any state to fight and were at a great disadvantage. Rosemon was giving them a chance to run. She would be stupid not to take it.
If she runs away she'll have a greater chance of seeing her parents again. She missed seeing them every day and feeling their love through their kind words, hugs, and kisses. She also missed sleeping in her bed and hanging out with her friends after school. If she took Rosemon's offer, then she'd be able to do all that.
But then she looked at her friends and saw their forlorn looks and heard their begging. They all wanted to go home just as badly as she did. They missed their friends and family just as much as her.
And after everything they've been through together. Hanging out with Ken while he, Wormmon, and Monodramon fish. Helping Ryo cook and joking around with TK, Patamon, and Terriermon. And Willis sticking by her whenever her emotions get the better of her. She couldn't abandon them in their time of need.
She then thought about Catherine. How could she leave and tell her parents, family, and friends that she abandoned her big sister? She couldn't do that.
It also wasn't her friends who were captured, but Dolphmon's as well. Her friend wouldn't run away while their friends were in danger. She wasn't programmed like that, and neither was she.
Chloe glared defiantly and spat in Rosemon's face.
"No!"
Rosemon wiped the spit off of her face before roughly shoving Chloe to the ground.
"Fine, but don't say I didn't give you a chance," Rosemon said with her anger showing in her voice. She marched away and snapped her fingers. "Blossomon, make an example out of this insubordinate girl."
Blossomon loomed over Chloe with their flowers ready, but Chloe wasn't scared. She had a fire in her heart; she knew it would protect her because she had her friends with her. She gripped her Digivice as the fire burned brighter inside her.
"What's happening?" Chloe heard Ryo ask.
"Look!" Willis exclaimed.
A light blue light emerged. It was so bright, it was almost blinding. The boys had to look away, but they could see a symbol inside the light on Chloe's chest. It was a pikorua symbol.
Blossomon wasn't fazed by the light show. They reared back a flower and threw it at Chloe. But she didn't move. She raised her glowing Digivice and screamed.
"DOLPHMON!"
There was another blue light shining behind Chloe, and it was growing. It grew so big that it was able to swallow both MagnaAngemon and Chloe while barely moving. It was also able to catch the flower in its mouth. Soon, the light faded, revealing a large blue whale with a brown shell and no eyes.
"Woah, Dolphmon, just Digivolved," Ryo said with both disbelief and amusement.
"We might have a chance!" Willis cheered.
"It doesn't matter. She's still useless outside of water," Rosemon said behind gritted teeth.
Rosemon whipped the ground and ordered Blossomon to attack the newly Digivolved Digimon. The plant Digimon was going to throw another flower, but the whale Digimon had another surprise. She shot a short burst of water through her blowhole, and something flew out of it at a high speed. It flew directly at Blossomon and sliced off all of their vines that held the Digidestend and the Digimon, and the whale Digimon caught them in her mouth.
When the being landed, Rosemon was able to see it was MagnaAngemon.
"Thanks for the assist, Whamon," MagnaAngemon said with a smirk. Whamon nodded in response, and MagnaAngemon turned to Rosemon with a serious frown. "It's over, Rosemon."
"Oh, it's far from over, handsome," Rosemon said confidently.
She whipped at MagnaAngemon, but he was able to catch it with his hands and cut it with his sword. He used his wings to lunge at Rosemon and tackled her to the ground. Blossomon's vines grew back and prepared to throw a flower at the angel Digimon. Whamon was there to stop them.
She flopped on the ground, creating a huge sandstorm. The storm covered the surrounding area, blinding Blossomon and causing them to miss their target. The plant Digimon started swinging wildly, hoping to hit someone. And they did, but not who they were hoping for.
MagnaAngemon saw Blossomon acting sporadically and used it to his advantage. He grabbed Rosemon and threw her at Blossomon. They made direct contact and sent Rosemon flying through the air. She landed straight into the thorns, trapping her.
MagnaAngemon looked at Whamon and nodded toward Blossomon.
"Would you like to do the honors?"
Whamon smirked and positioned herself.
"Blasting Spout!"
High-pressured water blasted from her blowhole and hit Blossomon in the face. It pushed her back a few feet before sending her in the air. She landed on top of Rosemon and killed any chance of escaping.
MagnaAngemon then smirked and flew high in the sky. He watched try to wiggle out from under Blossomon, but try as she might, she was trapped. It gave him the perfect opportunity to use his Gate of Destiny.
"Hey, Rosemon! You're about to get what you wanted!" MagnaAngemon shouted. He saw her look of horror as he created the gate. She was more desprate to get out from underneath from Blossomon, but it was fruitless. The gate was complete and her fate was seeled.
The gate opened, but nothing was being sucked into it. Instead, a bright light of energy was forming in the center of it. More and more energy was building up until it shot a high powered beam directly at Blossomon and Rosemon. The beam exploded on impact, kicking up a huge dust cloud.
As the dust settled, there were no more thorns growing across the desert. All there was were the remaining Apemon and children Digimon, and two knocked out plant Digimon. One was a Tanemon, and underneath it was a Palmon.
