Siuchon Comes into her Own
"Siuchon, please, not so hard", Lopmon protested.
"Sorry", she said, as she let her partner down. "I thought I'd never see you again. I felt so bad when you left. I didn't even get the chance to say 'Good bye'".
"I worried about you too; it was all so sudden and unexpected - the way we all left... about all of you", Lopmon said as he scanned from Siuchon to Jen and Lynxmon.
"From what Renamon told us, we really didn't know what to expect: if you were alright". Lopmon didn't need him to elaborate on that.
Siuchon, Jen, Lynxmon and Lopmon rejoined the others waiting outside the smaller Chuchidarumon home.
"It's Lopmon!"
"Good to see you again!"
"Glad we found you!"
There came a chorus of welcome and rejoicing at the reunion, and relief that they had not guessed wrong and made the entire trip for nothing. The only disappointment was that Lopmon was alone.
"I'm glad you all made it back", Lopmon told them. "I have to admit, I had my doubts about whether you could find a digiport. From what I gather, their appearances aren't exactly common phenomena".
"We didn't", Takato began to explain.
"Then how?"
"You can thank Dr Naka when we get back. It turns out he had a transporter to the Digital World all along…"
"Sure could have saved a lot of time and aggravation when we went looking for Calumon", Ruki finished the story.
"Come", invited the village chieftain, "let us celebrate this auspicious and joyous occasion". For now, there would be no further discussions of a business nature.
From their last visit, Takato, Jen, and Juri understood this aspect of Chuchidarumon culture. Despite having very few luxuries, or even necessities, they had a sense of hospitality for those few visitors who happened upon their little piece of the Digital World. To refuse their hospitality would be in very bad form, and the worst possible display of bad manners. Business could wait.
They, and what looked like the entire population of the village, followed the chieftain to his home, the largest in the village. It was a special occasion for everyone, given that nothing special happened very often in such a small and out of the way village. Nothing much had changed about either the outside or inside of the chieftain's home. Since there were more guests this time, several platters piled high with what looked like softball-sized malted milk balls were brought in.
"Feast and enjoy", the chieftain invited. This time, he knew he didn't have to apologize for the taste of the meal he was serving. There was more than they could reasonably eat. "Let us celebrate the renewal of old friendships...", as he waved to Takato, Jen and Juri, "...and the forging of new ones", as he acknowledged the new visitors, human and digimon alike.
"Chuchidarumon delicacy", Juri explained for the benefit of those who weren't here the last time. "There's really nothing quite like it back home". It was, indeed, one of the few luxuries they had. One of the few special things they could offer to honored guests.
Still, no one could figure out what it was, but all, human and digimon, agreed with Juri as to its culinary excellence. After eating their fill, Lopmon took Ikkakumon aside.
"You will always have my gratitude for looking after Siuchon and keeping her safe for me. I hereby release you from your oath, and I suppose you'll be wanting get back to a far more agreeable climate".
"I am bound by more than our Code of Honour. I care about Siuchon, and prefer to see this through, until she returns safely to the Material World. I don't know what's coming, but I suspect you'll need all the help you can find".
"If you're sure..."
"Hell, I'm even getting used to the heat", Ikkakumon lied. He would greatly prefer his own land of ice and snow, and limitless ocean to swim in, protected from the frigid waters by thick layers of fur and blubber. Lopmon wasn't about to argue the point. After all, Ikkakumon was right: they would be needing all the help they could get.
There was not much daylight left, and the chieftain had graciously offered the use of his home, and two other Chuchidarumon families did likewise. They would stay the night. Even though the furnishings were spartan, hammocks beat sleeping in the open, on the sandy ground. The other digimon, Kyukimon, Lynxmon, Harpymon, and Calumon played with the Chuchidarumon children. Devidramon gave then rides, so that they could get a bird's eye view of their village, homes, and their surroundings. They settled in around the table in the chieftain's home, awaiting Lopmon's briefing.
"I am Deva", Lopmon explained, "and I will always be Deva. After our sudden and unexpected departure from the Material World, I returned to the service of my Lord and Creator: Zhuqiaomon. Zhuqiaomon fulfilled his promise made just before we all left on the Ark: I was forgiven, and returned to my duty of guarding the Nondaimon Gate approach to Suszakumon as Antiramon. Even though I missed you guys, I was still doing what I was meant to do, even if it's largely ceremonial and routine.
"That was, until word of these traitors began to reach us. A mob of protesters came, demanding to cross to Suszakumon, and I followed orders, and cut them down. Every last one of them. I have since come to regret that, even though it was my duty as the last surviving Deva. Even though I was not part of Zhuqiaomon's 'Inner Circle', still I heard things. Being so close to the Sovereign, secrecy is highly over rated, and you hear a word here and a word there through the grape vine. This is how I discovered the plans for the elimination of all human partnered digimon. We were supposed to hate these traitors, and for a brief while, I did. We're still talking about Guilmon and the others. I may not have been with them, or the rest of you, or Siuchon, as long as all of you, and I didn't contribute very much to the fight, but I couldn't make myself believe these same digimon could possibly be traitors, regardless of what they were doing. I could do my duty to my Lord, or do my duty to my conscience. I chose the latter, and it was far from an easy choice. I got away when he was otherwise occupied with deposing Qinglongmon, Ebonwumon and Baihumon. I was able to get to Guilmon and the others to warn of the danger they were in - a danger they were not aware of at the time. I helped them conceal their identities, to go deep into hiding. Of course, this means that I am finished as a servant of Zhuqiaomon. I am the worst traitor now.
"Guilmon brought me here to this village. It seemed they owed him a favour. The chieftain was most agreeable, and willing to assist an old friend. Even though other digimon look down on the Chuchidarumon as mutant freaks they really are quite loyal to their friends, even if they don't make friends all that easily. Zhuqiaomon may hate Guilmon with a flaming rage, but my betrayal was worst of all. Zhuqiaomon holds grudges, he has an uncanny ability to hide it, even from the other three Sovereign, but he seldom forgives. He may have said so, and sometimes he acts like he does, but you can be sure of one thing: he's always plotting revenge. Let there be no misunderstanding: Zhuqiaomon hates you... all of you".
"That's why we came: we figured it would be safer here than being sitting ducks in the Material World".
"You will be... but not for long. He will figure out what happened to you, then he will come hunting you here. Never underestimate Zhuqiaomon: those who made that mistake wind up as dust packets".
"So what happened to the other Sovereign?", Ruki asked.
"Not even Zhuqiaomon has the power to destroy them. They are being held in the deepest dungeons of Suszakumon in a stasis field. That much I do know".
"So they can be revived?", Takato asked.
"I suppose so, but I don't see how that's possible. It was never easy to approach Suszakumon - or the palaces of the other Sovereign, for that matter".
"We'll find a way!", Takato declared.
"That's so like you", Ruki added. She also didn't doubt it. After all, she had seen Takato and Megalogrowlmon beat the biggest and baddest Deva. Takato stood in the middle of the street, screaming his head off. That's all he did, but it was enough as his partner tapped into an unbelievable reservoir of strength - strength enough to break out of Vikaralamon's force field, to upend the monstrous Deva so that its fireballs flew harmlessly into the air (where Rapidmon shot them down before they caused any more destruction in Shinjuku) then fire his Atomic Blaster right down the Deva's throat, exploding him to cause a huge crater in the middle of the street. All that despite the life and energy draining effects of Shaggai.
There was also a downside to the connection Takato and Guilmon shared: the dark digivolution of Megalogrowlmon into the hideous Megidramon, the resulting Digital Hazard that damn near collapsed the whole 'Net (Hypnos was barely able to hold it together until Megidramon devolved back into Guilmon) and disrupted every corner of the entire Digital World. This anger driven digivolution followed Takato's witnessing the cold blooded murder of Leomon by Beelzemon.
"Was that a note of caution from the Digimon Queen?", Ryo asked. "That is so unlike you".
"So sayeth the one who damn near barbecued himself trying to absorb all of Sakuyamon's power all at once". Ryo was also not one to always play it safe.
"What about you?", Ryo asked the village chieftain, "aren't you taking a hell of a chance, what with hiding Lopmon and helping us?" This wasn't the first time he'd been asked that, but this was Ryo's first visit to this village. His previous two years in the Digital World never brought him here.
"This is a forgotten village and a graveyard of unwanted and discarded data from which we and our village were created. We bother no one and no one bothers us. The appearance of that Iron Beast was an exception, and after it was driven off, we have lived here in peace. We don't even have that many visitors, and have heard nothing from Zhuqiaomon. I doubt he knows we exist, or bothers to care even if he does. This is why our village was such a good hiding place for Lopmon. Of the outside world, we hear little, and what we do hear we don't like. It's just fine with us if we continue to live in obscurity.
As for Takato and Guilmon, they are our friends, and their friends are our friends. We take care of those who take care of us. It is a simple fact of life for us. We do not concern ourselves about things that haven't happened yet, and which may never happen".
"Now for the main question", Jen asked, "do you know where Terriermon - where our partners - are hiding?"
"No, I do not", Lopmon explained. "This was by design: none of us would ever know where the others were. That way, if any one of us were captured by Zhuqiaomon's secret police, it would do no good to even scan us. We simply don't know where any of the others are. Guilmon brought me here to this village, but never explained why. It wasn't until much later that the chieftain told of the Iron Beast, and how Takato, Guilmon, Jen and Terriermon, and Impmon saved the village from its rampages. The last I saw of Guilmon, he was on his way out of town; never said a word about where he was going, where Terriermon or the others were, and I never asked. Actually, I'm surprised to see you here, of all places. I never expected to be the first one you found. Guilmon never told me to expect you".
"I can help you with that", Takato explained. He played the message Guilmon sent him via Lutramon, with the seemingly off-hand comment. "So you see, it looks like Guilmon wanted us to find you first. That's why I thought that you might know something that could help us".
"I agree, it would certainly seem that way", Lopmon said. "Maybe it was the most recognizable thing he could think of? We didn't have much time to plan much of anything, once I alerted him about Zhuqiaomon's plans".
"Maybe he had another reason?", Ryo asked.
The Digital World night had come, and they agreed to sleep on it. The chieftain and the other Chuchidarumon who'd lent them their homes slept outside. Takato tried, but didn't sleep very well that night. He was glad they'd found Lopmon alive and well, but disappointed he did not meet Guilmon. He was still puzzled as to what their next move might be.
The next morning, they had more of the Chuchidarumon delicacies.
"Are you sure you don't know anything else? That Guilmon didn't mention anything?", Takato asked Lopmon.
"I'm sure I haven't forgotten anything", he insisted.
"It doesn't make any sense, why would Guilmon send us here? What good did it do to send us here if he didn't tell you anything? We're not much better off now than before. Ryo, you've been here longer than anyone else: do you know where Cyberdramon and the others might go into hiding?"
"It's a big Digital World", he explained, "and I haven't seen the whole thing. I haven't a clue..."
"Wait a minute", Impmon spoke up. "Didn't Guilmon say something about not forgetting acts of kindness?"
"That's how the saying goes", Jen explained, "random acts of kindness..."
"Acts", Impmon repeated, "Plural, as in more than one. He must've been referring to more. All we need to do is figure out what that might be. What other acts of kindness did you do here?"
"I dunnow, we saved the Chuchidarumon..."
"That can't be everything", Impmon said, shaking his head. "What else did you do here last time?"
Juri thought about it for a couple of minutes.
"I got it!", she exclaimed. "That Iron Beast didn't just attack once, remember? It attacked again..."
"Yes, that's when Guilmon jumped onto it to steer it away from a group of Chuchidarumon children, then he went nuts. He even attacked Takato with a Pyrosphere, tried run us down, and I had to digimodify up Wargreymon's Great Shield so that Galgomon could protect Takato from incineration", Jen pointed out.
"And something dropped off: Metalkoromon", Juri finished for him. "That's when he told us about how that motorcycle possessed its rider, and he couldn't get off until some other rider replaced him... then Leomon knocked Guilmon out to free him from the curse. Maybe..."
"Do you remember what happened to Metalkoromon after we left the village?", Takato asked the chieftain.
"No, I sure don't, but I will ask around for you. Do you think it's important?"
"I believe so".
All they could do was to wait. Wait and hope this wasn't a dead end. Guilmon wasn't making this as easy as they figured at first. Then, he really didn't have much choice about that.
The chieftain returned with another member of the village: "I know the one you seek", he said, and indicated they should follow him.
"Very well, then", the Chieftain said as he led the way.
Takato and the others were led to another dome-shaped house, this one with an especially large pile of junk beside it and stacked up against the side. The Chuchidarumon owner sifted through his junk pile briefly, pulled out a small box, set it on the ground, and opened it.
There, inside, was Metalkoromon. The exposure to daylight was greeted by the flashing of the yellow LED that tipped his tail. That was a characteristic of the species: they go dormant in the dark.
Metalkoromon evolve! ...
... KAPURIMON!
The white-and-blue, raccoon-tailed, horned helmet wearing, In-Training digimon announced: "'How long?", he asked.
"Almost a year", Takato told him.
"'Bout damn time you showed up", Kapurimon complained.
"We came as soon as we could", Takato replied sheepishly.
"You did save me from the curse of that Iron Beast, so I can't really complain... In my Metalkoromon form, I could only move in one direction, so I thought that bike would give me the mobility I desired. Then I discovered too late that it had ideas of its own. I don't remember very much of what happened after that, until Guilmon rescued me. By the way, Juri, you never did tell us how that 'Red Shoes' tale turned out", he added.
"Ummmm...", she said, not recalling right off. "I guess we were a bit too preoccupied at the time", she explained.
"Do you know where Guilmon is?", Takato asked, hoping he wasn't seeming too impatient. After all, he hadn't waited in a state of dormancy all this time.
"No, I'm afraid not. However, I know how to find Terriermon. Perhaps he can help you?"
"Can you tell us?", Jen asked.
"No. I'm not exactly sure myself: I have to show you. I'll have to find it after the manner of my particular kind".
"How do you mean?"
"We don't see so good, and supplement our eyesight with echo-location. That's how I will need to continue the search".
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
They had said their thanks and farewells to the Chuchidarumon chieftain, and the rest of the villagers. Ikkakumon was carrying Siuchon and Kapurimon, as the latter pointed out the direction he wanted to follow. Lopmon followed alongside.
"As I recall the tale", Juri was telling the story of the Red Shoes for Kapurimon, "this poor, peasant girl was adopted by a rich old lady. I don't recall why that was, but the peasant girl kept begging her step-mom for a pair of nice, red shoes. Finally, she got her way, and wore these red shoes everywhere. Even to church, and this was considered bad form. It was even worse, in that she didn't pay attention, being more concerned with showing off her finery.
"Her step-mom got sick, but this girl decided to go to a fancy party instead. There, she meets a soldier who gives her lots of compliments on her fine dancing shoes, and they dance through the night as her step-mom lays dying. After the party, she finds out that she can't stop dancing: the red shoes took over completely. She can't take 'em off, and she can't even control where the red shoes take her, and she dances through thorn bushes and can do nothing to stop them. Rain, snow, or sunshine: makes no difference as she dances on and on, She even misses her step-mom's funeral. An angel with a sword appears before her, telling her that she will dance until she dies as a lesson for other children about vanity.
"Next, she visited the village executioner and begs him to cut her feet off. He provided her with wooden, prosthetic feet and crutches, teaches her something he called the 'Criminal's Psalm', but she still isn't free of the red shoes since these keep dancing with her severed feet still inside, following her everywhere. She tries to go to church, to ask forgiveness, but the dancing shoes always bar the door. She finally got a job as a maid at the parsonage, but every Sunday, the red shoes keep her out of church. Finally, she prays while sitting alone at the parsonage. This time, another angel appears with roses, and forgives her. Her heart fills with peace, joy and light until it bursts, and she ascends to heaven on a beam of light. Never again to be bothered by the red shoes.
"Anyway, that's how I recall it", Juri concluded.
"What a horrible tale", Kapurimon said. "So this girl burst into data, like a digimon? Then she went back to a digiegg?"
"It was written in the mid-1800s by Hans Christian Anderson, so I don't think he had digimon in mind. Actually, he was writing about his father who was s shoe maker. He'd gotten a commission from some rich lady for a pair of dancing slippers made of red silk. Anderson's father made a pair of shoes from red silk and red leather. His customer tried to screw him out of his commission, claiming the shoes he'd made were of too poor a quality. So his father destroyed them right before her eyes, rather than be cheated out of his due.
"If you think that story is bad, may be I'll tell you the original version of Little Red Riding Hood"
They had become too distracted as they listened to Juri's story. Something swooped from the sky.
"What the HELLis that?!", Kenta called out. He was the first to spot the oncoming digimon.
"Shit!", Jen had his digivice out. It was stuck on "Seek", bringing up no profile on these digimon. That meant newly created digimon, as when Ruki first met Guilmon, and couldn't pull up any data. It also meant "Deva". Jen recognized these digimon from the video game, and the cards: dorugremon. However, the colour scheme was reversed: black back and flanks with reddish-orange stripes, red-orange wings and feet. They also seemed to have some sort of red cords wound around their tails. That these were corrupt dorugremon was also a very bad sign.
"I have you now! You will answer to your God for your treason!", one of these corrupt dorugremon announced as he grabbed Impmon while the other guardians were distracted.
"Juri! Don't!", Takato ordered. He could do nothing, as he was too far away to possibly catch up.
"We nearly lost him before!", came the answer as Juri ran after the dorugremon that held Impmon with its hind legs. "Twice! We aren't losing anyone else if I have anything to say about it!"
This weighted it down just enough. Juri leaped as hard as she could ever remember, and managed to get a hold on Impmon's ankle with her left hand. She hung on, and tried to spin around, as she and Impmon were lifted above the desert.
"Dammit!", Impmon called out at the sudden burst of pain this caused him. "You have to let go!", he ordered. "I don't care what happens to me, but you have to save yourself. Save yourself for me".
Juri succeeded, and clung onto his ankles with both hands. The dorugremon didn't care. Bringing back one of the troublesome humans would increase his God's pleasure with his performance. They could do nothing but watch as both disappeared into the sky, and the distance.
"No, you're my friend!", as Juri's grip tightened to prevent Impmon's shaking her off.
More appeared, and before they realized what was going on, they successfully separated Calumon, so that he could not put up his force field. Zhuqiaomon had no further use for Calumon, but Calumon did have one thing in his favour: he was fast, despite his ungainly appearance. He out ran and dodged the larger, less nimble, corrupt dorugremon.
"More-or-Less Powerful Attack!", Calumon struck the first blow, sending forth what looked like a small, bright, glowing sphere. It detonated in the midst of a flock of dorugremon, taking them out. After accepting Qinglongmon's offer to become a true digimon, Calumon had acquired attacks, as well as the ability to put up defensive force fields.
"Harpoon Torpedo!" Ikkakumon fired multiple bursts at the incoming dorugremon. One came too close, trying to attack Siuchon.
"Howling Hertz!", Kapurimon shot it down, firing an EMP at nearly point blank range. Despite being an In-Training, his attack was powerful enough to destroy the attacking corrupt dorugremon.
"Blazing Ice!", Lopmon downed another.
Harpymon took off to strike at them from the air: "Wind Seeker!", she shot down a bunch. Devidramon joined her: "Crimson Claw!", he attacked, downing even more. This bought the rest of the guardians enough time...
Lutramon evolve! ...
... WOLVERMON!
Shadowkitsumon evolve! …
… YOUCOMON!
Kyukimon evolve! ...
... SLASHANGEMON!
Lobomon evolve! ...
... BEOWULFMON!
Mikemon evolve! ...
… ZUDOMON!
Lynxmon evolve! ...
... MIHIRAMON!
The dorugremon were not paying attention to the attacks coming from the ground. They were far more intent on putting the flighted digimon out of commission.
Mihiramon took off to join them. One was trying to slice Devidramon's wings with the blade attached to its snout. Devidramon grappled with it, intent on using it as a shield. They watched in horror as two others fired at both of them. "Metal Meteor!" they struck. The dorugremon disintegrated at once; Devidramon fell to the ground, shedding data. These dorugremon were so cold-blooded that they would deliberately destroy one of their own if it meant the destruction of the guardians... or the Tamers.
"Vimohana!", Mihiramon struck back.
Others homed in on Harpymon, forcing her to retreat to the ground, as there were just too many of them. Calumon had worked his way back, putting his defensive force field around Siuchon, Ikkakumon, and Kapurimon.
"Foxfire Dragon!", Youcomon leaped and spun, head over heels, as he dissolved into a mass of orange foxfire. With a loud roar, a dragon head appeared seconds before the attack struck these corrupt dorugremon.
"Holy Espada!", Slashangemon fired off this energy attack
"Hammer Boomerang!", Zudumon threw his hammer at the corrupt dorugremon. After taking out a few, it returned.
"Unforgiving Arctic!", Wolvermon sent torreents of blinding snow and slashing cold winds at the dorugremon.
Youcomon, Slashangemon, and Wolvermon struck to give Harpymon the cover she needed to land safely.
The dorugremon piled on Calumon, trying to get to Lopmon, but they could not penetrate his shield.
"Cleansing Light!", Beowulfmon took them out. The other guardians combined attacks, driving the rest off. The survivors retreated, taking more casualties than they figured. Though their mission wasn't completely successful, they had one traitor, one of the humans who'd defiled Zhuqiaomon's realm, and had discovered the location of the worst traitor, the Deva Antiramon. Zhuqiaomon's minions looked forward to rewards.
Calumon released his field; Ruki ran to the stricken Devidramon: "It looks... like this... is the... end", he said.
"No! We're not losing anyone!", Ruki protested.
Deep down, she knew it was no good, the injuries too extensive. Devidramon was shedding data too quickly.
"Tell me, are Impmon and Juri safe?", he asked.
Before Ruki could reply, Jen said: "He's OK. Juri and Impmon both came through unharmed".
"Take care of them for me". With that, Devidramon burst into data.
"No...", Ruki said, as she watched the disorganized bytes drift away. It was like losing Leomon all over again.
"Culu?", Calumon tried to comfort, having sensed what Ruki was feeling right now.
Harpymon wrapped a wing around her: "I'm so sorry", she said.
"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!", Takato swore. "If only I'd been more vigilant..."
"Not your fault, Takato. How could we, any of us, have anticipated when Zhuqiaomon might strike? We knew he suspected we were here, but we had no way of knowing something like this would happen. We can't waste any time bothering with second guessing and assigning blame. That's what Yamaki told my dad after Siuchon was attacked in the park".
"What about Impmon and Juri?"
"We'll go and get them", Kazu announced. "Those two are still pretty tough", he reassured.
"We'll make sure Devidramon didn't die in vain", Kenta agreed. "It's the best we can do for them. So let's get going!"
"They're right", Mikemon agreed. "Time for some righteous pay back".
"What's that?", Siuchon asked, as she pointed to a disturbance on the horizon. Another dust devil, maybe? Ruki took out her field glasses, watched whatever it was, transfixed. Takato and Jen couldn't help but notice the expression: "What're you seeing?", Takato asked.
"It's Juri... Juri's back!"
A horse sized, fox-like critter trotted to a stop, allowing Juri to climb down. Whoever this was bore a resemblance to Kyuubimon. There was one tail that was a zig-zag that ended in a large, sharp, curved blade. The color a light tan, with darker brown stockings. The flanks decorated with a black and white, yin-yang symbol. He shared a fashion accessory with Kyuubimon: a thick woolen rope, alternating red and white spirals, and a necklace with five pairs of crystals. The decorative rope ends with poofy balls instead of brass. A helmet in the shape of a fox head concealed the facial features, but not the thick, long, platinum blond hair. Ruki ran an identification:
Name: Leppamon
Type: Zooform
Attribute: Virus
Level: Champion
Attacks: Razor Wind, Rolling Tackle, Fox Claw
"And you are?", Ruki asked.
"See for yourself", Leppamon said as the Light of Evolution appeared all around him, and he became a smaller figure.
"Impmon, I should've guessed", Ruki said.
None of the Tamers had witnessed Impmon's evolutions since he had left his partners by the time they were introduced. Before the digientelechia was restored, there was no evolution without a Tamer with a digivice.
"I made that bastard release us with a Night of Fire, and evolved on the way down so's neither of us would be hurt from the fall. I took him out, and we headed back…
"Juri, you should have let go..."
"I refused to take your hand once; this time, I refused to let go. I believed you would save me this time, same as you would have saved me from the Kernel Sphere if only I had let you. Then my digivice went all sorts of nuts, like it did just once before", Juri added. "Back when there was this energy burst that broke the Kernel Sphere".
"We have some bad news: Devidramon didn't make it", Ruki informed him.
He just stood there; she couldn't get a read on him. Finally, he said: "That ugly four-eyed buzzard really grew on me. Such a shame, there aren't that many good ones, and trying to do right... got him killed. How did it happen?"
"Two of those dorugremon attacked at once; there was nothing anyone could do", she explained.
Impmon walked off, tail dragging behind him. Was this fate's balancing its books on him? He cost Juri her partner, was this pay-back: that he should now lose a guardian? Would what he'd done as Beelzemon ever be righted?
Now that the crisis was behind them, the humans and digimon set out to gather the appropriate stones: roundish ones of approximately the same size so that they would stack to build a memorial to the fallen guardian. The memorial rose from a circular base, course upon course, until it formed a conical pile roughly as tall as Takato. The design was the same as for Meramon's memorial. Takato added a crudely drawn picture of Devidramon under the final stone. Even though he liked to draw, he wasn't exactly good at it, but Impmon figured it was the thought that counted more than the execution.
"Devidramon came into my shop that day, and I was pretty upset. I didn't like being interrupted, as I was still trying to get everything set up. I tried to put the Digital World behind, after being stranded in the Material World.
"I didn't take it too well, being told that Zhuqiaomon was coming after me. I spoke rather harshly, I'm afraid. Still, Devidramon made a promise, and he was determined to keep it. If I wouldn't come willingly, he threatened to carry me. And that's just what he did, and how I arrived in the park...
"It was later that evening, after we'd gone to Ruki's that he told me about wanting to learn more about friendship, loyalty, and goodness - concepts that he hadn't been exposed to very much. He already knew my story having heard it from Cyberdramon, and hoped I could show him how to overcome the darker urges. I told him I didn't do it on my own, and told about what Renamon tried to teach me, and he said that was one of the reasons he wanted to be my guardian.
"He was always there for me, but I couldn't be there for him... I can't go on...", Impmon excused himself, as he dried his eyes with the bandanna he always wore.
They selected an area surrounded on all sides by mesas, as they figured this would be defensible, as the place to spend the rest of the day and the night. A watch was kept, though that night and the next day passed uneventfully. Kapurimon informed them they were getting close, though some unvoiced doubts about that were creeping in.
Impmon evolve! ...
... LEPPAMON!
He was the first to notice the coming attack. This time, it was a squadron of corrupted guardromon.
"Razor Wind!", he attacked. The others could remain at their usual level, but Leppamon still needed the extra help. Calumon quickly set up a force field around the most vulnerable: Siuchon, Lopmon, and Kapurimon.
"Dark Sky Horizon!", Shadowkitsumon fired the negative energy at the guardromon.
"Grand Slam!", Lutramon threw the iron ball.
"Wind Seeker!", Harpymon struck.
"Blade Twister!", Kyukimon spun and flung himself at the enemy.
The corrupt guardromon fell easily, but they realized they were only a diversion.
Barbamon appeared, having power enough to collapse Calumon's force field: the first opponent able to do so.
"Blazing Ice!", "Howling Hertz!", Lopmon and Kapurimon tried to defend, but with no effect.
"JEEEENNNNN!", Siuchon screamed out, as she and Lopmon were being carried away, towards a "cave" in the side of a nearby mesa. The guardians couldn't attack, as their attacks could possibly harm Siuchon. It was obvious they had gotten what they wanted, as the guardromon quickly withdrew.
"Siuchon! No! Let her go you bastard!", Jen called out, as he began to run, but could never hope to catch up, or know what to do if he did. He sank to his knees. "How can I ever explain to my dad..."
"I don't know, but we will get her back", Takato announced.
"We aren't losing anyone else!", Juri declared.
"No, we're not!", Ruki agreed.
"You will answer for your treason!", Barbamon threatened. "However, I will make you a deal: young human. My God will be pleased enough with the return of this traitor, therefore, you can walk away right now. Go back to your friends". He had carried them into the "cave", and was making preparations for the transport to Zhuqiaomon's palace. He figured that such a little one was no threat, and not really worth the bother.
"Siuchon, do as he says!", Lopmon ordered.
"No! Lopmon is my partner!", she declared. "He's my partner", as she pulled out her digivice. "I won't leave him!"
"Very well: if that is your wish, you can die with your 'partner'", Barbamon told her. "I don't care one way or the other".
That's when Siuchon got an idea. Something she'd seen her brother do, back there in Zhuqiaomon's audience chamber. She held out her digivice: "Matrix Evolution: Biomerge Activate!", she called out, not knowing whether this would work, or even what to expect.
Lopmon evolve! ...
The next thing Siuchon knew, she was completely naked. She seemed to be inside some sort of light pink, almost white, sphere, around which whirled several darker pink bands covered with strange, unrecognizable symbols the likes of which she could not recall ever seeing before.
"What... happened?", she asked.
"We evolved together..."
"Lopmon", she looked all around. "I can hear you, but I can't see you".
"Trust me; lend me your power. Let's defeat this enemy and rejoin our friends".
Takato, Jen, Ruki, and the others were still wondering what to do when they felt the sharp jolt of what they assumed was an earthquake.
"Whatthefuck!", Ryo called out, drawing their attention to where they'd seen Siuchon disappear. Ruki pulled up the profile:
Name: Cherubimon
Type:: Cherubim
Attribute: Vaccine
Level: Mega
Attacks: Lightening Spear, Storm of Judgment, Holy Hug, Lightning Blast
His appearance upsets the balance of the Digital World
"This is so not good", Kenta added. Not only was Siuchon missing, but now they were confronted with what they assumed could only be another one of Zhuqiaomon's soldiers. As it approached,they were considering how to attack when they were surprised to see the Light of Evolution appear around it. Its form became indistinct at first, then separated into two smaller forms. They could hardly believe what they were seeing: Siuchon and Lopmon, standing side-by-side.
"He's gone", Lopmon announced.
"We got away", Siuchon reassured.
Jen ran to his little sister to check if she really was as OK as she claimed. He couldn't see anything wrong, or different about her. She seemed to be the same innocent Siuchon he'd always known.
"Siuchon... how...?", he asked.
"I remembered what you did last year. I was terribly afraid of losing Lopmon, and that other critter was going to take him away to Zhuqiaomon. I just did like you: called for 'Matrix Evolution'", and it worked!", she explained.
"You and Lopmon biomerged?", he at once stated and asked.
"That's right", Lopmon agreed. "She refused to give up on me, or give me over to Barbamon".
As they continued, Jen was lost in thought. He didn't want his little sister in the Digital World, not now; not then. He couldn't understand the reasoning of these digignomes, for sending her to the Digital World, for partnering with one of Zhuqiaomon's servants, no less. Now that she discovered biomerging, there was even less chance to play the part of the over protective older brother.