Digimon Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Digimon: Silver Star Story Season One ❯ Episode 13 ( Chapter 13 )

Digimon: Silver Star Story
Episode Thirteen: Lightning strikes

Tentomon reflected on their change of fortune as he hovered in midair, taking in every area of Vane he could see. Not only were they all hale and hearty, as well as being able to enter and leave Vane without having to going through that damn Trial again, they were also going to go on a mission that would either save or destroy the legacy of the Dragonmaster, and all those who had held the mantle over the years, forever.
Still, no Trial ever again. Once was enough in his opinion.
Palmon sidled up next to him. "So, what do you think?" she asked quietly. "Is the time right?"
Tentomon pondered the question a bit. "No," he finally replied. "I mean, you have noticed the very simple fact that we only have three Digimon who can digivolve to champion. For some reason, I don't think that that's going to be enough."
"What do you mean, digivolve?" Mina asked. "And what are you two talking about?"
Tentomon sighed. He had met little kids who were less nosy than Sailor Venus. "We have the ability to evolve into stronger creatures by manipulating the digital data in our bodies. And to answer your other question, we're trying to get Izzy and Mimi together. We've finished developing the plan, but we've run into a small problem. You see, Mimi is quite deadly with magic, and has one hell of a punch. Izzy is very proficient with a bow and arrow."
“Yeah, so we really don’t want to move too quickly,” Palmon added.
Mina grinned. "Ah, so you're playing matchmaker. Can I help? This is my area of expertise."
"Feel free. Now, if you'll excuse me." Tentomon buzzed over to where Sora was standing. "How can you stand her?" he asked. "I've only known her for two hours, but she's already getting on my nerves."
Sora giggled, understanding what he was going through. It had happened to her, too. “It's a long story. Suffice to say, when my mom and I visited London a few years ago, we were set upon by…something. It said something about wanting our energy, then tried to take it. Mina came and stopped it before any serious damage was done. That was back in the day when she was Sailor V. Then, she moved here to Tokyo. So I got to know her very well over the next year."
"So, you knew she was Venus?"
"Well, it took me a while," Sora replied, "but I eventually figured it out. It wasn't exactly difficult, but Mina just can't be…sad."
"So I've noticed. It just seems like she's a tad…loopy. Nowhere near Gomamon's level, just…loopy."
Biyomon began giggling. "Nice way of putting it," she said.
Sora smiled. "Well, look at it this way; she's still alive, so she must be doing something right."
"Good point." Tentomon looked to her right. "What about Lita and Mimi?" he asked.
"They're not speaking to each other," Biyomon replied, "so we don't have an all out war erupting right now."
"Hmm, progress already," Sora muttered. "I didn't expect that so soon."
"Oh he…heck yeah," Tentomon chimed in hastily.
Sora grinned. "Nice save, Tento."
"Thank you."
Tentomon buzzed on, locating Matt and the majority of the now extremely large group. They had just finished getting their equipment repaired, and in the most part, purchased new armor and weapons for the new members of the group. At least, those members that needed the stuff.
It constantly amazed Tentomon how the armor would mold itself to their specific body structure, especially over their clothes. However, it no longer surprised him, so he didn't give any more attention than usual.
The Six, as the group had begun to call T.K., Kari, Mercury, Greg, Patamon and Gatomon, were speaking to Tai. Tentomon guessed that they were asking him about Racc and the Katana he now possessed. To be honest, he was curious about it too. He had never heard of a blade that actually had sentience.
Looking up, he saw Mimi practicing aerial maneuvers several feet above the air, apparently pushing her magical powers to the limit. It looked like she hadn't reached those limits, though. 'Makes you wonder if she has any limits,' the insect thought.
Mimi had become something of a mystery to him, as well as to the rest of the team. She had always been a cheerful, easy going, emotional, and extremely unwilling to fight. She had also been the stereotypical spoiled airhead as well, which didn't really surprise them in the least. She was, after all, the daughter of a businessman. They didn’t give it much thought, and accepted her for what they saw at face value.
That had vanished, slowly but surely, over the last month and a half.
The new Mimi was a bit more somber, the enthusiasm and endless good charm tempered with a touch of pessimism. The flakiness had disappeared entirely, being replaced by a perceptiveness that was equal to Izzy. She didn't speak of home as much as the rest of them, but her expressive eyes spoke of a secret. A secret that even she didn't know about. But they also spoke of other secrets, secrets that she willing kept from them. It also was surprising to see her with an extremely formidable temper. They had long came to realize that the spoiled rich brat was just a façade, hiding the real girl within.
'Oh well.' Tentomon shrugged. 'We Digimon have a secret as well, one that we don't remember.' He noticed Izzy staring at Mimi with the eye of someone who hadn't even blinked for a few minutes. Tentomon chuckled for a few moments before buzzing on.
Ghaleon walked out of the Magic Guild, his ever present monotone expression on his face. He stepped up to Sailor Pluto, and began speaking with her. Pluto nodded once, before turning to head over to Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars. She spoke to them for a moment, which ended with Mars and Sailor Moon nodding once. They also began turning around, preparing to head over to Sailor Jupiter.
"Help!"
Everyone's heads snapped around at that desperate voice. Tentomon turned one eighty in the air. His eyes widened at what he saw.
A mage, battered and bloody, his robes torn, fell to the street, unconscious. Another mage, in slightly better condition, went to his knees, trying to cushion his fall. Both looked like they had been to Hell and back, which was reinforced by the broken arm that the conscious one was cradling to his chest.
Tai and Sailor Mercury ran up to them, with the others not far behind. Mercury immediately pulled out her computer, and began taking readings on the two of them. "They have taken a great deal of damage. I'm getting readings of cracked ribs, and some hairline fractures along their collarbones. And of course, the broken arm." She looked up. “They need immediate medical attention.”
Tai kneeled down next to them. "What happened?" he asked.
The mage looked up, and grunted. "We were…attacked…by some kind of monster. He kept…" He bent over in pain.
The next sequence of events happened all at once.
Mercury swiftly gathered the conscious one up, and tore for the Statue. Tai picked up the other one, and followed her. Izzy headed in the opposite direction, an arrow notched in his bow, Matt and Mars quickly following him. Sora ran to tell Joe, who immediately followed Tai and Mercury.
Tentomon buzzed around, completely confused. What had just happened? What had done that type of damage to them? How did they manage to escape? He watched as Izzy, Matt and Mars reached the Transmission Spring, and teleported down to the surface.
Mimi touched down next to him and Gabumon, her gaze shifting in every direction. "What the hell just happened?!" she asked.
Gabumon shrugged helplessly. "We don't have a clue, except that two mages were seriously hurt. Izzy, Matt and Rei went to check it out."
Mimi's gaze flew to the Transmission Spring, her body tensing with worry. 'Izzy, please be careful,' she thought. Enough of her friends had already fallen. She wasn’t going to lose him too.
As if to soothe her fears, the three of them rematerialized, and ran back in their direction. Izzy had a look of extreme concern on his face, while Matt and Rei had equally grim expressions.
"Well?" Alex asked.
"It was definitely a monster of some kind," Mars reported. "Izzy was unable to get any confirmation as to what it may be…but, he thinks it may have been a Digimon."
Tentomon almost fell from the sky. "What?! More Digimon, here?!"
"Yes. Here." Izzy turned to stare back at the Spring. "And it looks like it's a big one."
Gomamon groaned. "Great. More good news! And I thought we had enough problems!"
For a moment, silence reigned as everyone thought of the ramifications of what Izzy had told them. A renegade Digimon, on Lunar. It brought a whole new set of questions and problems.
"Let us hope," Pluto began, using the same even tone she always used, "that it isn't a Digimon…for all of our sakes."
----
"It was…huge," the mage explained, drinking a glass of water, "about the size of a gulag giant. It had pincers on both sides of its mouth, as well as razor sharp teeth. It had a peculiar pattern on its exo-skeleton, and was mostly reddish pink in color. It was definitely an insectoid of some kind. One that I’ve never seen before."
After he had been healed, Joe had wanted him sent to bed immediately, but Tai had stated that they needed to know what exactly they were dealing with. So they were now sitting in the Guild's cafeteria, listening to his report. And unfortunately, it confirmed Izzy's assessment of the situation.
Izzy got his computer out, and typed in a request. When the picture and bio of what he wanted came up, he turned it around so the mage could see it. "Is this the monster that attacked you?"
"Yes! That's exactly it!"
"Thank you." Izzy turned around. "We are dealing with Kuwaguamon, ladies and gentlemen," he stated turning his computer around so they could see.
Tai shook his head, feeling a headache coming on. “Why oh why couldn’t he have stayed gone for just little longer?”
Kuwaguamon: A champion level virus type Digimon. It is primarily located on File Island, although members of its kind have been reported on the continent of Server. Strong physically, and packing exceptional defense due to its exo-skeleton, it is a formidable warrior against creatures of equal level or lower.
Agumon sighed. "Guess we'll have to let Birdramon have a go at him."
"Does…she possess any type of lightning or thunder attacks?"
"No. She's a fire/wind type."
The Mage sighed. "Then she would be wasting her time. The creature is invulnerable to all types of attacks and magic with the exception of lightning spells. And mine weren't strong enough to do any lasting damage."
Jupiter grinned. "Mine are," she said.
Mimi stood up. "So are mine."
"I'm a lightning elemental Digimon," Tentomon threw in.
"And my primary element is electricity." Nash turned to Ghaleon. "Request permission to delay our mission to Lann to deal with Kuwaguamon, sir."
"Permission granted. I suggest that only lightning based beings head out, though. There will be fewer bodies that this monster can go after, and it will allow all of you to strike more frequently."
"Good idea." Tai spoke a little louder. "Izzy, you'll be in charge."
Izzy sputtered out in shock for a second, unable to form a coherent sentence. He couldn’t have heard Tai correctly. It wasn’t possible. "W-what?!” he finally got out. “Tai, I'm no leader! I don't know the first thing to being a leader. I don't even have one quality to being a leader!"
Rini giggled. "Don't worry. Just be like Sailor Moon, and make decisions by the seat of your pants."
“I don’t always make decisions by the seat of my pants, Rini!” Sailor Moon replied rather testily.
"So get some leadership qualities on the road," Alex added. "Tai thinks you can do it, and so do I."
Nash thought about it, and reluctantly didn’t challenge their decision. He didn’t want to get Alex on his case about this as well. "Well, if you don't think you're up to it…" he began.
"I'll do it! Thanks!" Izzy stated quickly, knowing very well that if Nash was put in charge, they were never going to hear the end of it. "Now, do you know which way he went?"
The Mage shook his head regretfully. "Unfortunately no. I was unconscious after the first ten minutes of battle. I have no idea which direction he went.”
“Which means we’re going to have to locate him first.” Sailor Moon turned to Mercury. “Ames, how far does your scanner go to?”
“Close to eighty kilometers in every direction.”
“Begin scanning the surround. Look particularly at any nearby forested areas. There is a good chance he took refuge in one of them.”
“You got it.”
Izzy turned to face them all. “In the meantime, I want everyone coming with me to stock up on food and other supplies. We have no idea how long we’ll be out there, if we can even locate him. Nash, you’re in charge of gathering the appropriate supplies.”
“Of course, Sir.”
“Jupiter, I will be preparing a presentation concerning Kuwaguamon. Even if he’s been modified to withstand most things, there are still structural weaknesses that can most likely be exploited. You and Nash are going to be getting a crash course in that.”
Jupiter nodded. “No problem.”
“Tentomon… see if you can’t get a power boost from one of the mages here. We’re going to need all of the power we can get.”
“No problem, Izzy,” Tentomon replied, saluting.
“And in the meantime,” Izzy finished, starting to walk away, “I am going to find a quiet, solitary place to collapse.”
Mimi grinned. “You do that, Izzy.”
----
“Tai is putting a lot of faith in Izzy, Mimi,” Palmon noted as they scoured the local food store, being careful as to what foods they bought. “I mean, Izzy is our resident brainiac. He usually stays out of danger, and gives us information on whatever we’re facing. We can’t just have someone untried in charge of something as big as this.”
Mimi shrugged, grabbing a bushel of apples. “Izzy is a formidable genius, Palmon. Besides, he has been known to give out orders that make perfect sense. And let’s not forget that Tai has an instinct for this. If he thinks Izzy is capable of leading, then we should give him the benefit of the doubt. I definitely think that he is capable of leading us into battle with Kuwaguamon.” She smirked. “It’s not like he’ll ever lead us into battle against endless hordes of evil, right?”
“Do you really want an answer for that? That could be exactly what happens.”
“Since when did you become a pessimist?”
Palmon looked at her. “Since we arrived here, and almost had our collective asses handed to us on at least a dozen occasions,” she replied. “That tends to change anyone, regardless of how optimistic you are.”
Mimi nodded, having no retort for that sound logic. “That is true,” she murmured, thinking back to a more innocent time. “A lot of things can change someone, no matter how much they hope that it doesn’t.” Her head came up, eyes staring at some point on the wall that only she could see. “One day, perhaps when we find the way to be at peace with some of our decisions… but I doubt it will be within our immediate future.”
On that, her partner had to agree. “And what about love?” she asked.
“… I don’t know. Maybe one day… when I have the courage to tell someone everything there is to know about me. When I can trust someone with my heart and soul not to hurt or betray me.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Palmon had the distinct feeling that that day would be very long in coming.
----
Nash shifted through all of the rods in the Armory, looking for the one that he could use against Kuwaguamon without using his own magic up too rapidly. If there was one thing he had learned over the years, it’s that one could never be too prepared for a potential threat… and that there was a Magic Rod for every occasion.
Of course, the rods that they used were simply branches that were shaved, stripped of their bark, and with ancient elemental charms placed on them. They were also designed to augment the magic when it was used, giving it a much stronger kick. That way, they could get the same kick that they got whenever they cast the same spell twice, and with half of the effort.
He was doing this to discipline his mind, carefully compartmentalizing his thoughts concerning Tai’s and Alex’s decision to appoint Izzy as the leader of their little force. It was obvious to all of them that he was no leader. He was the one that fought from afar, who provided them with intelligence and backup. He didn’t belong in a leadership role, where he would be making the immediate decisions. Decisions that would decide whether or not they succeeded.
Well, when Izzy finally screwed up, Nash would be there to take over. With his greater understanding of how to properly lead, they would have no problem taking out this monstrosity.
Finally finding the staff he wanted, he quickly grabbed a quiver of arrows, all tipped with a special compound. They would simulate a lightning strike if they managed to hit their target. Izzy would have a better chance surviving with them.
Just because he didn’t think Izzy was the right for choice to lead the mission, didn’t mean he wanted to see him get hurt.
----
In a small, isolated corner of the Magic Guild, within their lavatories, the sound of someone heaving could be heard.
Izzy had done exactly what he had said; he had found a quiet place to collapse. He had hoped that if he just had some time to think, then he would be calm enough to do this.
Unfortunately, being alone seemed to have the opposite effect on him. He was even more unsure of himself. Having watched Tai over their journey through the Digital World, he knew that a leader had to make life and death decisions every time there was a battle. They had to make themselves seem emotionless, because emotion was a deterrent to the ultimate goal; to win.
It all finally came to be too much for him, hence his need to empty the contents of his stomach into the nearest waste disposal unit.
Finally accomplishing that, the young man made his way over to the sinks, turning the faucets on. Dousing his face with water, he also rinsed his mouth out, getting rid of the rancid taste. The moment he did so, he looked at himself in the mirror. “All right, pull yourself together Izzy,” he muttered. “They placed a sacred obligation on you. You can’t let them down.” With those words of self encouragement, he made his way out of the lavatory. He wouldn’t let them down, no matter what.
Now, he had to make sure he didn’t let himself down as well.
----
Racc stared as Knowledge, Sincerity, Sailor Jupiter, Ghaleon's apprentice, and Knowledge's Digimon stepped out of the Magic Guild, all of them speaking in subdued tones. He silently approved. You never knew if someone could be listening in. 'Knowledge is learning fast. Just like his predecessor,' he thought. 'He's probably more dangerous than Royce believes him to be. And Sincerity! Why my brother finds her attractive is beyond me. She's too… soft. Though I can see what the physical attraction is. They do not build them like that on the Frontier anymore.' If she bent over for even a second, he had the feeling her bosom would spill out of both dress and shift easily.
Suddenly, as if she knew they were being watched, Mimi's head slowly rose up, looking around. Racc immediately melted back into the shadows, closing his glowing eyes so he was completely submerged. 'She has developed her sixth sense, and more rapidly than anyone could have anticipated. At least she hasn’t had time to refine it.' That would have been a little more problematic than they had anticipated.
His own senses were highly developed, but he had spent close to a century developing them. That meant that Sincerity was unusually gifted in the mystical arts, if Royce’s report was of any indication. With a little training, she could easily become a threat to them all.
His eyes were also a problem. Though they allowed the Uruk-Hai to see at night perfectly, they also could make them easy to spot during the day, especially if they were standing in the shadow of a building.
He felt their magical and digital signatures fade away as they moved farther away, and then suddenly disappear. He took that to mean that they had teleported to the surface. He opened his eyes, and stepped out into the sun. Pulling out a communicator, he toggled it on. "Kuwaguamon, Knowledge and Sincerity are heading in your direction, alongside Sailor Jupiter, Nash of Vane, and Knowledge's Digimon. Give them a painful death if possible, but kill them, nevertheless."
“Got it, boss!"
Racc turned off the communicator, then activated it again, switching it towards another source. "Mistress," he said. "I have some news for you and our allies. Mimi's physical powers are becoming refined at an accelerating rate. The prophecy surrounding her is true. I will continue my mission until I have enough knowledge on Koushiro Izumi to make an accurate judgment. But I believe that he is the other one. Have our benefactors begin a scan of the Big Ten to find this 'boy who lived,' and that blasted genius girl, that they say is as intelligent as a Guardian. Find the others as well, if possible. Racc out." Snapping it shut, he grumbled to no one in particular, "This job is starting to become aggravating. All the more reason to find this boy, and kill these Digi-Destined before they become too much of a nuisance."
Somehow, though, he figured that it wasn't going to be that easy.
----
Two hours later saw the lot of them, with the notable and obvious exception of Tentomon, were on horseback, heading in the general direction of the Digimon contact. As they rode, all of them had personal thoughts that they entertained on the way.
Sailor Jupiter's thoughts were surprisingly simple. Her butt was already starting to kill her. "Why couldn't we have walked?" she grumbled. "I feel like I'm riding a donkey."
Mimi didn't say anything. She wasn't going to get into an argument over this. It wasn't worth it.
Izzy smiled slightly. “Don’t worry, Lita. I felt the same way when I first started riding. You’ll get used to it by the end of the day.”
“So please do not insult the horses.” Nash turned his gaze to her. "Are you always judgmental?" he asked. "It's just a simple creature. It did nothing to you."
"It isn't just a 'simple creature,'" Mimi interjected, unable to remain quiet a moment longer. "It can be your best friend, or your worst nightmare. Once you get to know your horse, it will be one of the most reliable creatures in your life. It will understand its rider's emotional stress, among other things, and try to reassure you. And it's a great creature to talk to."
The brunette turned her head to stare at Mimi. "How do you know so much about horses?" she asked, surprised.
"Yeah, Mimi." Tentomon slowed down until he was right next to her. "How do you know so much about horses? Last I recall, you were a mall rat."
Mimi hesitated a little before answering. After all, what would they think of her? Would they laugh, or would they not believe her? Finally, though, she decided that she should answer that.
"When I was younger," she began, "I used to volunteer at a horse ranch that used to be near Highton View Terrace. Of course, they only had ponies, but I didn't complain. My mom taught me everything I needed to know on horse handling, and the owner of the ranch showed me how to treat a horse. I even learned how to ride one. She was spirited," she added, her gaze wistful. "Then the Highton View Terrace battle took place, destroying the ranch, and Dad decided to move us to another part of the city. Afterwards, the only time I ever set foot on a ranch was when Dad took us on a business trip to America."
Izzy was wide eyed when she finished speaking. "I never knew that about you," he said quietly. "You never told any of us. Did you tell Palmon?"
Mimi sighed. "I know, and no I didn’t. It's just a small bit of the past that I think about sometimes, when I'm alone. I never told any of the girls I went to school with, because I wanted to fit in."
Nash grinned, a grin that surprisingly free of arrogance. "Well, I'm glad you told us," he declared. "It shows maturity, and a great deal of trust in your friends. Maybe, as you all grow closer, you'll tell them more about yourself."
Tentomon felt a feeling of happiness go through him as Mimi smiled. "So, now then, we're in agreement that the mystery surrounding Mimi has decreased a little?"
Everyone else grinned at this. Mimi felt a surge of real joy going through her. With the exception of Jupiter and Nash, these were her friends. One day, when she had the courage, she could tell them more.
She might even start trusting Jupiter, once she let go of the hostile attitude.
----
Tentomon felt his blood grow cold as glacier ice. "It was definitely Kuwaguamon," he said. "No other Digimon's pincers could cause this much damage."
Before the small group, scattered haphazardly over a fifty foot radius, were the remains of a large number of monsters, as well as a large number of trees looking like they had been physically uprooted. The monsters themselves had been sliced in half, or crushed like a bunch of crackers. Some had their limbs ripped off, and one didn't even have a head. Drying blood and gore gave the battle field a blaze of color reminiscent of black ichor. It wasn’t a place for the squeamish.
Tentomon gagged as they all dismounted, looking considerably green… which was impressive, considering that he was an insect type Digimon. "I think I'm gonna be sick."
Nash looked nauseous as well, though not as green. "I'm going to be nauseous, and then I'm going to be sick."
“Be sick somewhere else,” Jupiter stated, having seen such scenes before. “This isn’t too far from where those mages were attacked. About a mile or so, if this is of any indication.”
Mimi nodded, looking around as well. “He was definitely on the ground for most of the fight,” she mused, taking in the scene. “His footprints are all over the place, and there’s very little wind damage.”
Izzy looked around as well, nose crinkling slightly from the stench. “Judging from all of this, the monsters probably attacked first. Kuwaguamon fended them off, then went on the offensive.”
“How can you tell?” Tentomon asked.
“Because of some of these bodies. There were smacked aside like they were feathers. The force of the impact would have broken quite a few bones. He tore the rest of them apart with his pincers, teeth and hands. He either swallowed what he chomped off, or tossed the carcasses every which way. And that can mean only one thing.”
Nash nodded at that, impressed despite himself. He had come to the same conclusion, and had been about to say it. “He’s leaving us a trail to follow.”
Izzy nodded. “That is my thought as well. The question is; where will he set his trap up? Somewhere where he has the advantage?”
“What about an aerial assault?” Jupiter asked.
“Won’t work,” Mimi replied almost immediately. “We can dodge faster than he can dive bomb, and it takes him several seconds to recover, which means we can counterattack before he reorients himself.” She looked around. “It would have to be in a forested area. The trees would hide him from view just long enough for him to grab one of us up.”
Tentomon quickly turned around. “Nash, where is the nearest patch of forest?”
“About three days travel from here.”
“Then that’s where he’ll set up the ambush.” Izzy on back on his horse. “Saddle up, guys. We’re moving out.”
----
For the next few days, they rode, following the path of destruction that their nemesis had left for them. And the damage was considerable. Outposts had been demolished, villages had been trampled on, and lives had been brutally taken. They were unable to find anyone that was willing to face Kuwaguamon again.
They passed travelers who had seen him flying overhead, all of them pointing towards the forests with obvious fear in their eyes. That meant that Izzy was right.
The damn bastard was already there, ensconced within the trees, and probably waiting for the inevitable counter attack. That meant that by the time they reached him, they had to have a strategy that could defeat him.
So what did they do against a foe that was at the Champion level of digivolution, and whose only weakness was probably dulled by his exoskeleton?
----
“I have to be able to digivolve to Kabuterimon,” Tentomon stated at the end of the first day. “That’s our best chance.”
“We could always fight him until we break through that exoskeleton of his,” Jupiter stated. “Then we could hit him with everything we’ve got.”
Mimi nodded. “As much I don’t want to agree with her, she’s got a point. We need to be able to take him down, and unfortunately, we have to get through that armor. Otherwise, we’ll run out of magic before we’ve managed to seriously injure him.” She turned her attention towards Jupiter, who looked rather pleased with herself. “Now tell us, how do we go about doing that? We have to get close to him, and he is fast for a bug close to twenty feet tall.”
The look she got from the other girl had the potential to be truly scorching. It was obvious that Jupiter hadn’t even come close to putting together a workable plan, and that she usually went in, fists swinging… kind of like she wanted to do now.
“Ladies, please don’t try and kill each other,” Izzy requested, as he caught sight of the two getting ready to fight. “Right now, we need to put together a working strategy, and one that gives us a chance at victory. And to do that, we will need a strong, united front.”
Nash just looked at him. “You do realize that a strategy will only be successful so long as the opposite side hasn’t made their own, and it is superior to yours.”
“I hadn’t known that, Nash. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.”
“So… what is the first step?”
Mimi grinned, as if the answer was obvious. “We lure him out.”
----
"I've got a question," Jupiter said suddenly, a good hour after they put together the beginnings of a plan, "and it has nothing to do with horses. How'd you figure out that we were Sailor Scouts? I mean, myself and the other girls."
For a few moments, Mimi was silent, but it wasn't because she was trying to find an answer. The answer was remarkably simple in its scope. "I didn't immediately, and no one told me. After a few weeks, I began noticing similarities in hairstyle and personality between Sailor Moon and Serena, as well as Mars and Rei, so I began putting the pieces together. And when you girls were on the television, I recorded your images, and began looking through my old school photos. You, I have to admit, show the same joy in your cooking as you do fighting. Mina…well…I would have to dumb and deaf not to make the connection. She isn’t exactly shy when it comes to showing off. Amy and Mercury both use their heads, not to mention the fact I recognized that little hand held computer of hers. And let's face it, battling you for the title of Junior High champion chef of Japan is a highlight of my recent life."
"Aside from being a Digi-Destine?" Nash asked.
"Aside from that, yeah."
Tentomon immediately realized something, and almost slapped himself for being so stupid. "You're not really a ditz, are you?"
Mimi shook her head, still amazed that they hadn’t figured it out sooner. "No, I'm not," she replied. "It's really a disguise that I use in public, and around the other rich snobs."
"But why?"
"Well, you know what I mean when I say this, Izzy. Try having an I.Q. greater than most children your age, which is about age nine. Try reading a book when the other children play on the playground, and the boys bully you. I was also a tad bit pessimistic toward life. Still am, now that I think about it." She hesitated. "Then there are the body defects," she added quietly.
“Defects?” Nash inquired.
“Well, I can’t really see at close range for whatever reason. I was born like that, and as you can guess, it has been a royal pain in the ass.” She looked around. "As a result, I have reading glasses," she added quietly. “There are other ones, but those were only skin deep, and they faded when I hit twelve.”
For a second, no one said anything.
"That's what you're embarrassed about?" Tentomon asked. "I'd be more embarrassed if I had acne."
"Well, I don't have acne, so I must be embarrassed about something." Mimi stuck her tongue out at him in mock annoyance. "So don't criticize me!"
Jupiter laughed, her hostility for the younger woman fading into distrust. It would take a while, but that would fade too. "Now, about that hair…"
"Not a chance in Hell, Lita."
Nash chuckled. "That was fast," he murmured to Izzy.
"Better sooner than later," Izzy replied.
----
"Izzy, why couldn't you be wrong for once?" Mimi asked resignedly.
The forest showed definite signs of a large creature walking through it. Several trees had branches snapped off, which meant he had just mowed on through without stopping once. But other than that, there was no movement.
Probably nothing left alive in there.
"I share the same thought, Mimi." He looked up. "Okay, a recap on the plan. Kuwaguamon is a flying type, so he'll probably attack from the air as his first strike." He turned his attention to the others. "Mimi, I want you and Tentomon in the air for reconnaissance. Nash, you and Jupiter are going to be our heavy hitters on the ground. I'll try to hit him in his throat, as a Digimon normally has to shout out his attack before it can be used multiple times. It will also neutralize his primary mode of attack. Any questions?" he asked.
Tentomon raised a claw. "I do; what am I supposed to do to him? Annoy him to death?"
Izzy grinned. "No, I expect that at the right moment, you'll be able to digivolve. Until that happens though, annoying Kuwaguamon seems right up your alleyway."
"Glad to be of help." Tentomon looked up. "Actually, now that I think about it, I'd say that he was waiting for us."
"Huh?" Mimi looked up as well, and immediately wished she hadn’t. "Oh, shit," she muttered. "Get out of the way!"
Immediately, the others heeded her warning, and urged their horses into a gallop. Even Jupiter, who was now holding on for dear life, was moving… just as the giant insect in question slammed into the ground, raising a cloud of dirt into the air.
A second later, Kuwaguamon got back up on his two clawed feet. "Hello," was all he said. "Glad you could come, boys and girls."
Mimi glared. "Glad to be here. You do realize that we are going to have to kick your giant insect ass, now."
"Feel free to try!" Kuwaguamon lunged forward instantly after saying those words.
Jupiter immediately kicked the sides of her horse, and jumped off. Startled, her mount tore off in one direction. Now airborne herself, the Senshi of Jupiter waited until the Digimon's head was underneath her, then brought her feet together. Falling straight down, she drove herself like a spear down upon Kuwaguamon's head. With a roar, Kuwaguamon slammed into the ground quite against his will. Jupiter leaped up again, landing a few feet away from where she had drilled Kuwaguamon.
"Nice," Tentomon stated. "I don't think I could have done as well."
Jupiter nodded, then turned around. "Jupiter…Thunder…Crash!" she intoned.
A small lightning rod appeared on her tiara, extending upward. Its purpose; to collect the charged ion particles in the air, concentrate it all into one area, and transform it into one powerful attack. One that was so powerful, it could vaporize just about anything in its path.
And at that particular moment, it was solely concentrated on the cloud of dirt where Kuwaguamon was currently residing in.
The attack released itself in the form of a lightning bolt, collecting power as it flew through the air. Nash's hair actually crisped for a moment.
Kuwaguamon exploded into the air as the blast struck the spot he had originally occupied, causing the cloud to expand by factor of two. The Digimon immediately flew at Jupiter. She jumped out of the way, causing him to collide with the ground. "Hey! Stand still!"
"Not a chance in Hell!" Jupiter shot back. “Do I look remotely stupid?!” She leaped again as Kuwaguamon snapped at her with his pincers.
Izzy released an arrow at the Digimon, who simply let it bounce off his shell. "Gotta do better than that, Digi-Destine! SCISSOR CLAW!"
"Aw, Hell." Nash once again urged his mount into a gallop, heading in another direction. He turned around as Kuwaguamon's pincers snapped closed, missing Izzy by an inch. "Alright, if that's how you want to play. Check this out! Thunder Bomb!"
"SUPER SHOCKER!"
Kuwaguamon, who had just leaped, got the collective attacks in its leg, causing it to spasm uncontrollably for several minutes. He let out a slight grunt of pain.
Tentomon gave a shout of surprise. "Well, looks like the information was right. This one's weak against electricity!"
“But its shell dissipates most of the energy before it can hit!” Nash added.
Outside Kuwaguamon's range, Mimi dismounted, a plan percolating in her mind. "Everyone dismount!" she shouted. "Tentomon, drive them away from the battle!" With that, she shot into the air, heading right at their much larger adversary.
"And how'd ya like me to do that! Feed them hay? Shoot lightning at them…hold on. SUPER SHOCKER!"
Tentomon, acting on his accidentally realized idea, shot his attack at the ground next to the horses, forcing them into a panic. And as all animals do, they ran for their lives. Another Super Shocker stopped them when they reached the new edge of the forest. "Now stay," he said, heading back to the area of battle.
"Lightning Strike!"
"Jupiter…Thunder…Dragon!"
Mimi's lightning bolt was even more pronounced than before. Sailor Jupiter conjured up a massive Japanese-style dragon, completely made of electricity. Both flew through the air with authority.
"Whoa! Massive Charge!" Kuwaguamon, knowing that if they hit he was toast even with his armor, practically sprinted into the air again.
Mimi's attack split into multiple strikes, forcing the Digimon into evasive maneuvers, while Jupiter's struck him in his shocked leg. His grunt of pain was more pronounced than before.
Tentomon flew back into the fray, preparing to make a flying pest of himself, pun and all. He brought his own diminutive pincers down upon Kuwaguamon's head, and started to pick.
Kuwaguamon's fist caught Nash as he passed him, throwing him several feet through the air into Jupiter. Both fell to the ground, stunned. Then the Digimon try to grab his smaller counterpart, though with no success.
Izzy notched another arrow, and took careful aim. 'I only get one chance at this,' he thought, his mouth becoming a thin line. One eye closed, and he concentrated with every ounce of his being.
"SUPER SHOCKER!"
The Champion level Digimon barely flinched as Tentomon hit him with another attack. "What was that?! A mosquito?!"
"Yeah!" Tentomon retorted. "You got a problem with that? You're welcome to try and shut me up!" Kuwaguamon turned, and in that one moment, his throat was exposed.
Izzy released!
Like a hawk, the arrow flew through the air, hitting its target perfectly. Kuwaguamon gagged for a second, before pulling the little weapon out of his throat. "No fair!"
"Hey, we're not the ones who attacked first!" Izzy shouted. "Jupiter, teach him what it's like to be a cripple!"
Jupiter obliged, ramming her fist into the Digimon's leg. Her Amazonian like strength, and sheer nastiness in battle allowed her to do a considerable amount of damage. In this case, it involved the snapping of Kuwaguamon's leg.
Now the first shriek of pain in the entire battle was heard for miles around. Travelers stopped in their tracks, looking around in confusion.
The pain quickly turned to rage, the shriek into a roar, and Kuwaguamon, now hobbling on one foot, turned his attention to Lita.
The next sequence of events were almost too fast for anyone to track.
All Lita knew was that one moment, the Digimon was trying to clutch his broken leg, the next, she was caught in his pincers. 'Oh, boy, I'm in trouble,' was what she thought.
Kuwaguamon growled. "I may not be able to use my attacks," he rasped, "but I can still crush you like a can!" With that, he began to squeeze.
Now, any ordinary person would already be dead now. However, Jupiter was anything but. Her enhanced endurance allowed her to take more punishment, and thus, make it more difficult to kill her. Still, it would also make it more painful as well.
Izzy's mind raced as he tried to come up with a half workable plan, some last ditch solution to save his new friend. However, every plan he did come up with was useless against this type of monster. Kuwaguamon was too large to try and attack head on, and with Jupiter in his grasp, it would be impossible to shoot an arrow into his mouth.
Jupiter grunted as her body began to compress slightly. She put more of her power into her frame, but it wasn't going to last.
Izzy looked at Tentomon, then back at Jupiter, then back at Tentomon. Suddenly, something clicked, and he pulled out his computer. 'Of course! Tentomon digi-volved the first time when I boosted his electrical power using a power core! And that was powered by electricity!' A quick plan began forming, and it was so crazy, that he didn't even believe that he was considering it. But it was all he had.
"Nash!" Izzy shouted. "Hurtle a Thunder Bomb at Tentomon!"
"What?! Have you lost it?! I'll destroy him if I do that!"
Mimi landed quickly. "Nash, Tentomon is an electrical type Digimon," she reminded him. "He can use the power to digi-volve to Champion, and save Jupiter!" Her head snapped around as Jupiter groaned in pain. "She won't last much longer, and we don’t have any other options! So just do it!"
Nash nodded, his eyes conveying what he actually thought of the plan. However, he agreed with them. They had to do something. The use of a spell like that, one which was created solely for combat, for another use was extremely difficult. And even Nash wouldn't brag about doing that, even if he could. Muttering a quick prayer to Goddess, he braced himself.
"Check this out! Thunder Bomb!"
Once more, a powerful sphere of electricity formed above their heads, crackling with unleashed power. However, Nash, applied his will power to it, and forced it to move to a different target.
Tentomon, instantly realizing what Izzy had planned, held his wings protective covering up like a set of lightning rods. Electricity from a technological area was one thing. Electricity from a mystical source was something else entirely. 'Izzy,' he thought uneasily, 'if this doesn't work, I'm never speaking to you again!'
The Thunder Bomb hit Tentomon's wings, followed by the usual explosion.
Tentomon was near Kuwaguamon, so all he thought about it was that Nash had lousy aim at that time. He glared at them. "You missed."
Nash grinned. "Actually, I didn't!"
Izzy's Digi-vice activated just as he said that. With a grin the genius held it up. “Now it’s our turn.”
TENTOMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…KABUTERIMON!
Kuwaguamon's pincers separated, dropping Jupiter in surprise. Then they were closed forcibly by a giant blue insect’s fist.
Nash looked up. "Whoa."
Kabuterimon stood tall and proud…well, as tall as an insect could on two legs. His color had changed too, becoming a deep blue. His head was now protected by a hard blue skull helmet, complete with a giant horn on his head. And he was now the same size as Kuwaguamon.
And he was currently staring at his fellow insect with a look of irritation on him.
Jupiter stretched every muscle out of her body, feeling every ache. "Talk about the big squeeze. Any problems with me deleting him?"
Mimi gestured. "Give him Hell."
Jupiter's feral grin appeared on her face as she turned around, her hands crackling with electricity. "Jupiter…Thunderclap…Zap!"
Using her hands this time, she created a sphere of energy, made more potent by her irritation. With an underhand motion, she tossed it at him.
Kabuterimon slammed himself into Kuwaguamon, forcing him to stagger, then flew up into the air, out of the way. Jupiter's attack slammed into the Digimon, not only knocking Kuwaguamon back several feet, but also electrocuting him so badly that, if he actually had a skeletal structure inside his body, it would have been visible for a moment.
Kuwaguamon shook it off rather quickly, before taking off into the air, aiming at the hovering Kabuterimon. Kabuterimon went into motion as well, heading at his opponent.
The two insects collided head on, not even bothering with finesse. Kuwaguamon's pincers snapped around Kabuterimon's neck. Kuwaguamon's fists were slamming into Kuwaguamon's face.
For a few seconds, the two monsters fought viciously in the air, disengaging and doing an awkward fist fight. Izzy and the others watched from the sidelines, wishing they had some popcorn.
"Do we help them?" Nash asked nonchalantly.
"Not really. I'm kinda enjoying this," Mimi replied.
"SCISSOR CLAW!"
Kabuterimon grabbed the two pincers before they could close, holding them open. Then he pulled…hard.
Kuwaguamon practically screamed in pain as his pincers were literally torn off. He was silenced when Kabuterimon slammed both of his feet into his face. He plummeted to the ground.
Kabuterimon brought his hands together. "ELECTRO SHOCKER!" he roared, creating a sphere of energy, similar to Jupiter's, though not as powerful. With a growl of exertion, he released it, hurtling it at Kuwaguamon's falling form. "Have a jolt, punk!" he smirked.
Kuwaguamon's roar of pain echoed as his already frazzled nervous system took another giant shock, decimating most of its power, and almost destroying it right then and there. He slammed into the ground, half dead and looking like a cooked lobster.
For a moment, the small group was tense, as they waited for the Digimon to get back up. Kabuterimon was hovering above Kuwaguamon, waiting for him to try and attack again.
But there was nothing. Their fallen enemy breathed in and out raggedly, trying to push himself up to his feet, but falling back down. He turned his head to glare at them.
Izzy stepped forward, another arrow ready. "Alright, we know that you couldn't have gotten here by yourself. So you tell us how you did get here, and I'll ease your suffering."
Kuwaguamon laughed, wincing every other chortle. "How I got here is none of your business, Izumi," he spat. "Why I am here is obvious."
"Actually, it isn't. So why don't you enlighten us?" Kabuterimon landed, keeping his gaze on the defeated Digimon.
"You mean, you don't know?" The Digimon laughed again, beginning to cough up blood. "Gennai didn't tell you, Izumi, or you, Tachekawa? And here I thought he would have told you two the second you met. I mean, any Digimon with a stitch of intelligence saw in the two of you." He managed to get himself up to a kneeling position.
Mimi stared at him. "Saw what?" she asked
"That you're not exactly…normal. Even for Digi-Destined."
Mimi's eye's widened, then narrowed. "You're lying."
"Am I?"
Jupiter stepped forward. "Gee, what was your first clue?" she snarled. "I'm not exactly normal either! Now why are you here?"
Kuwaguamon finally staggered to his feet. "To kill you!" With that, he lunged, mouth open.
Izzy, moving faster than he had ever moved before, had rolled out of the way, landed on one knee, had aimed his bow, and released. Nor was he the only one. The others had struck at the same time, a deluge of lightning that rivaled that of a small thunderstorm.
For a second, the enemy was like a transparent version of himself, as more than ninety thousand volts ripped through his body. Izzy's arrow embedded itself deep in his windpipe, acting as a conductor.
Kuwaguamon was out before he hit the ground, quite dead, before disintegrating into a billion shards of data, vanishing into the Lunarian air.
Nash was unnerved upon watching this. "Umm, where's the body?" he asked shakily.
"Being reformatted," Izzy replied.
"When a Digimon is destroyed, their digital data is returned to Primary Village in the Digital World, where they're reborn," Kabuterimon explained. "Though, now that I think about it, they just come back, ready to kick our asses."
"Now that brings new meaning to the term 'never ending war," Jupiter stated grinningly.
"Pretty much. Right, Izzy…Izzy?"
Izzy was silent.
"Yo, Izzy!"
Izzy snapped out of it. "Yeah, sorry. Just thinking. Let's get our horses, and head back to Vane."
Nodding, his partner de-digivolved, rather perplexed. 'Wonder what Kuwaguamon meant by that,' he thought. 'I mean, Izzy is as normal as everyone else. And Mimi knows for a fact that she isn't normal. So what's the big deal?'
He shunted that thought to the back of his mind. It wasn't even worth considering. After all, Kuwaguamon was nothing more than a creep who loved to hurt people. Lying was right up his alley.
"Hey! You coming?" Jupiter shouted. "Or do you happen to like it here?"
Tentomon snapped out of it. "Sorry, coming!"
----
The shadow watched from afar as they began their long trek back to the magic city as he pulled out a communicator. "Racc, they have defeated Kuwaguamon. Tentomon has regained the ability to digi-volve. We will need to observe them more, though he did place doubt in their minds. I shall call Kiurk to observe them as they head to Lann. I am returning to the Frontier. My services are required."
He shut off his communicator, staring at them for a few seconds longer. "Impressive," he murmured. "Most impressive."
----
Racc growled, deactivating his communicator. "I hate those Digi-Destined and Sailor Scouts," he growled.