Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Digimon Tamers: Reconfigured ❯ Ring of Terror ( Chapter 12 )

DIGIMON TAMERS RECONFIGURED

Disclaimer: I don't own much, In fact, I only fully own one thing in this chapter.

Pre-fic Note: I don't do these often, but this chapter will spoil any and all surprises in the movie "The Ring". If you haven't seen it yet, I advise you to either see it, or wait for the next chapter and read the brief summary at the beginning.

Narrator: Suzie and Mikiko were left alone while their siblings and the other Tamers went off to fight Alice's Digital army. Mikiko discovered that there actually was a monster in his closet, Leomon. Adam was stalled a bit by Jake, who then called someone and said that he had tried to delay Adam. Then, it looked like Leomon was doing some shadow-boxing, but he was really fighting Poltermon, an invisible ghost-like Digimon. Suzie used a card to digivolve Lopmon to her Champion form, Turuiemon, Mikiko got his D-Power, and they finished off Poltermon together.

THEME

"Ring of Terror"

(Sadakomon's deadly look. Cult horror come to life!)

(Takato and Ryo are having a conversation)

Ryo: You told Ashley?

Takato: Yeah, why does it matter?

Ryo: Henry called me and said that Ashley had left on somewhat unfriendly terms.

Takato: Ashley left? But, where's she going to live now?

Ryo: I don't know.

Takato: Well, that makes two of us.

(The doorbell rings)

Takato: I'll get it.

(Takato opens the door and sees Ashley standing there)

Takato: Ashley? What are you doing here?

Ashley: Well, after I left Henry's house, I was thinking about some things. Like how I felt yesterday when we were talking and we discovered the whole Digimon-connection thing.

Takato: Oh yeah, or the "life-changing experience" moment.

Ashley: Anyways, I got to thinking, I know somewhere that there's an empty house.

Takato: Really?

Ashley: Yeah, the previous owners left a week ago under… unusual circumstances.

Takato: What? Ashley, sometimes I don't know what you're thinking. I mean, that house isn't exactly in the safest neighbourhood in Tokyo. It's not safe for you to live there alone.

Ashley: (slyly) Who said I would be living alone?

(Takato nods, then does a double-take)

Takato: Uh, I'm not sure how I feel about that. I mean, I'm just getting over heartbreak now, and I'm that much more likely to do something stupid.

Ashley: Takato, the only stupid thing you do is occasionally letting your anger get the best of you. Besides, it's a big house, there's plenty of rooms.

Takato: I don't know. Ryo, what do you say? What should I do?

(Impmon, Guilmon, and Monodramon are already packing Takato's bag in the background)

Ryo: Well, I don't want to pressure you one way or the other…

Impmon: (heard from background) Ya don't need dat much bread, Pineapple Head. We live above a bakery!

Guilmon: (heard from background) It's for the trip over.

Ryo: But it seems they've made up your mind for you.

Monodramon: Hey, I was under the impression that he had decided to go. Believe me, I'm not happy to be packing for him.

Guilmon: Impmon started packing and he asked me to help, so I did.

(All eyes fall on Impmon)

Impmon: What, like he was really gonna do anything else.

Takato: You got lucky with that guess. Really lucky.

Impmon: Not as lucky as you're gonna…

Takato: (interrupting Impmon's crude comment) Ryo, it's been a great week, but I've got to get going now. See ya.

Ryo: Bye, Takato.

(Takato picks up his bag and heads out the door with Ashley, followed by Impmon. Guilmon is the last one to leave.)

Monodramon: (sadly) Goodbye, Guilmon.

[Taomon: Commercial Break!

(Taomon sweeps her brush along, creating the Digimon logo instead of a Yin-Yang)]

COMMERCIALS

[Impmon: Whaddayaknow? We're back!]

(Cut to the Wong house. Henry is watching the TV.)

Voice: (from TV) We will return to The Ring on our Horror marathon after this.

Henry: Great. I don't care how many times I see this movie, it's still great.

(Henry's phone rings)

Henry: Now what?

(Henry picks up the phone. Screen switches to a split-screen, with Ashley on the other end.)

Henry: Hello?

Ashley: Hello, Henry. It's me.

Henry: Oh, hey. What are you calling about?

Ashley: Just letting you know that I'm doing fine for myself.

Henry: That's good to know.

Ashley: In fact, I'm doing pretty damn well.

Henry: Where are you living?

Ashley: I'll give you a hint.

(Ashley holds the phone away from herself.)

Guilmon (OS): Ow, burny!

Takato (OS): I told you, it's too hot to eat right now.

(Ashley holds the phone back to her head)

Henry: You're living with Takato in the bakery?

Ashley: No, we're living above the bakery.

Henry: Well, that's great. See ya.

Ashley: Bye.

(Both hang up, the screen turns back to just Henry)

Henry: There we go, now back to…

(Henry's TV screen is covered in static)

Henry: Dammit. The cable's out.

(The static slowly starts clearing)

Henry: Ah, it's going back to normal. Good.

(The static clears entirely, leaving an image of a well with a hand coming out.)

(Henry starts freaking out, until the TV cuts away from the well and shows a young boy sitting transfixed.)

Henry: How stupid can I get? It's just a movie. A movie I've seen a hundred times. I should have remembered what point it was up to.

(Suzie walks into the room)

Suzie: Henry, what was all that yelling about?

Henry: The cable went out, and it came back on just in time for the end of the second showing of the Tape.

(Suzie blinks)

Henry: The first sign of Samara's presence. The emergence of the arm.

Suzie: You're weird, Henry.

Henry: Maybe, but imagine this. You're still a little jumpy from a prank relating to The Ring, then you're watching The Ring and the cable goes out, causing static to cover the screen, you get a phone call from the person who set up the prank last time, and then when the cable comes back on, you see the well with a hand reaching out. How would you react?

Suzie: Okay, fine Henry, it's normal to freak out over a scene in your favourite movie. Now, Lopmon and I are going out to practice-battle with Mikiko and Leomon.

Henry: Fine, sharpen those skills.

(Suzie leaves the house, with Lopmon on her shoulder.)

Henry: There we go, now…

(Static covers Henry's TV screen again)

Henry: Not again!

Terriermon: That cable is more unreliable than a Devimon with a Dark Spiral.

Henry: Thank you, Terriermon.

(The screen quickly clears, showing a close-up of a ringed-eye.)

Henry: I don't remember this, must be a new director's cut.

(The camera seems to back up on the TV screen, moving backwards until what looks like Samara is fully visible.)

Henry: This is definitely new footage.

"Samara": Henry Wong, your time has come.

Henry: Okay, now I think I can freak out.

(An arm reaches through the screen. Henry backs up.)

Terriermon: Actually, I'd say that's right about now.

(The arm grabs Henry and starts pulling him into the screen. Terriermon grabs Henry's arm. The two of them are pulled in. Screen fades to black. Fade back in on what appears to be a ranch with a large barn and a lighthouse visible in the background.)

Henry: Where are we?

???: (Female voice) Welcome to my nightmare.

Henry: That's reassuring.

Terriermon: Henry, this place is giving me a serious case of the creeps. Do you have any idea where we are?

Henry: Well, we just went through a TV set, so I'd guess we're in the movie being shown on TV.

(Henry looks around)

Henry: On the Morgan Ranch to be exact.

Terriermon: Someone, please cue a commercial.

???: You were close, Henry, yet so far away. Welcome to the ranch.

Henry: Okay, this is getting seriously creepy now. So, if I'm not in the movie, where am I, the actual location it was shot at?

Terriermon: Nah, it's too unnaturally clean.

Henry: Okay, we're not in the movie, we're not in the real world, which leaves one possibility…

Terriermon: Which is?

Henry: We must be somewhere in the Digital World. Which means that we were pulled in by…

(Henry pulls out his D-Power)

Henry: Long range scan.

(The radar screen appears above Henry's D-Power. A blip is seen, and Henry zooms in on it until the identification screen appears. The Digimon identified looks almost exactly like Samamra herself.)

Henry: No way!

[Rika: It is in the cards that Digimon will be right back]

COMMERCIALS

[Henry: This is no game of chance, Digimon is back.]

Terriermon: Well, what are we up against?

Henry: (Reading) Samaramon, an Ultimate level Cursed Digimon. Attacks are Ring of Terror and Fatal Glare.

Terriermon: Should I…

Henry: What do you think? Digimodify! Digivolution activate!

DIGIVOLUTION

Terriermon: Terriermon, digivolve to…

Gargomon: Gargomon!

Henry: Alright, now we're…

Samaramon: …Doomed. Your Digimon is a mere Champion, he can't stand up to me.

Henry: You're right, let's even the odds. Digimodify! Kimbhiramon's Deva Clone activate!

Gargomon: (from multiple directions) I never thought that rat would come in handy. Gargo Laser!

(The Gargomon surround Samaramon and start firing)

Samaramon: What is this, a tickle torture? Ring of Terror! Now your suffering begins.

(Samaramon's attack starts as a small ring around her, then expands outward, hitting all of the Gargomon and destroying the fakes)

Henry: Oh no!

Samaramon: Oh yes.

Henry: We're not beaten yet. Digimodify! Hyper-Wing activate!

(Gargomon grows a pair of wings and flies into the air.)

Gargomon: Let's see what your ground-level attack can do way up here. Gargo Laser!

(Gargomon fires down towards Samaramon, hitting her repeatedly in the head)

Samaramon: You are a pesky little fly. I'm just going to have to clip your wings. Final Day Projection!

(Samaramon disappears)

Gargomon: What was…

(Henry thinks for a minute, before seeing that there are mirrors floating all over the place.)

Henry: Gargomon, look out!

Gargomon: For what? I'm flying fr…

(Samaramon emerges from the mirror closest to Gargomon)

Samaramon: One more time, Ring of Terror!

(Gargomon loses his wings and crashes down.)

Samaramon: Honestly, what do you hope to accomplish? Your tricks won't work when I have home-field advantage.

Henry: I've still got one more to go. Digimodify! Bakemon's form-shift activate!

Samaramon: What is that supposed to accomplish? You know I won't stop.

Henry: You'll see. Gargomon, you know what I'm thinking?

Gargomon: I think so.

(Gargomon's appearance changes to that of a Pegasusmon. Samaramon smirks.)

Samaramon: You hope to use the sight of a horse-like Digimon against me? I suggest you reconsider what you know.

Henry: You're right. Gargomon, just change into a normal horse.

(Gargomon's appearance shifts)

Samaramon: What, the same trick, only a version from your world? I'll be doing you a favour by ending your life. Ring of Te…

Henry: Not so fast, a form-shifted Bakemon can also impersonate the voice of its current shape.

Gargomon: Got it.

(Gargomon neighs, startling Samaramon)

Henry: (mocking) She says the horses keep her up at night… (normal) Now that she's distracted, back to normal.

Gargomon: Got it, concentration broken.

(Gargomon shifts back to his normal form)

Gargomon: Bunny Pummel!

(Samaramon is hit in the face.)

Samaramon: Your distraction can't last long. Deadly Glare!

(Samaramon reaches up to her face and starts to pull her hair to the side.)

Henry: Gargomon, look away!

Gargomon: I can't.

Henry: Gargomon, if you don't look away, you're doomed!

Gargomon: No, I mean I really can't.

(Cut back to Samaramon, whose eye is fully exposed. Gargomon is still stuck staring. Gargomon's face seems to start warping.)

Henry: There has to be something I can do…

Samaramon: It's over, you lose.

Henry: I've got it. Digimodify! Datamon's cloning activate!

Gargomon: What, you actually want a second one? Isn't this one bad enough?

Henry: Trust me, this is the only way to survive!

Gargomon: Here goes nothing…

(Gargomon's arm glows and he suddenly faces two Samaramon.)

Gargomon: I hope you know what you're doing…

Henry: The only way to escape Samara's curse was to make a copy of the tape. Since there's no tape, you had to make a copy of Samaramon herself. And, since I gave you the ability, I technically made a copy too.

Samaramon: Actually, you're still screwed, Henry.

(Samaramon turns to face Henry)

Samaramon: Deadly Glare!

(Henry turns away before the attack starts)

Henry: Not only are you dealing with the smartest Tamer, but also the one with the most knowledge of your origin. And I know you don't have any mirrors on the ground.

Samaramon: Clever, but you've designed your own doom.

Gargomon: Oh no, the clone!

(Samaramon suddenly rises up in front of Henry)

Henry: I've used everything I know about you and it hasn't done anything!

[Calumon: Where are you going? I promise we'll be back]

COMMERCIALS

[Terriermon: Momentai, we're back]

(Fade in on Henry trapped between the two Samaramon.)

Gargomon: Henry, look out.

Henry: I'll be fine as long as I can keep my eyes closed.

Samaramon: (both) Which isn't long.

Henry: It's long enough. Now, all it takes is faith and…

(Henry picks up a card, which changes to a Partner Swap card at his will.)

Samaramon: You're kidding.

(Henry pulls out a second card which changes to a card of Samaramon.)

Henry: Now, if this worked properly then… Digimodify! Partner Swap activate! Samaramon!

Samaramon: So, you have me, big deal. I can still get you.

Henry: I think not.

(Henry pulls out a thiid card, which changes to an Alias card)

Henry: Digimodify! Alias activate!

Gargomon: Alias? Henry, isn't two enough for you?

(Henry opens his eyes, and stares directly at Samaramon.)

Samaramon: You're just asking for this. Deadly Glare!

(Samaramon exposes her eye and looks straight into Henry's. Henry, however, isn't even slightly phased.)

Henry: (still holding his Alias card) Guess what, I made a copy.

Samaramon: But, that means…

(Henry slashes two cards through his D-Power without saying anything)

Henry: It's not just what you know, it's knowing how to use it.

(A card appears in Henry's hand)

Henry: And speaking of what you know…

(Henry lifts the card up, revealing it to be the Crest Card of Knowledge.)

Henry: Digimodify! Crest Digivolution activate!

CREST DIGIVOLUTION

Gargomon: Gargomon, digivolve to…

Rapidmon: Rapidmon!

Samaramon: (all) No, it can't be.

Rapidmon: It can and it is. Rapid Fire!

(The two (weaker) copies are destroyed by the attack)

Samaramon: Calm down, Rapidmon, you don't want do destroy me…

Rapidmon: (mocking) But I do. And I'm sorry. It won't stop. (normal) Tri-Beam!

(The triangular-shaped energy beam hits Samaramon, destroying her.)

Samaramon: (while deleting) It doesn't matter that you defeated me, you're still trapped where no one can find you.

(Rapidmon dedigivolves to Terriermon)

Henry: Wrong again. If this is an exact replica of the Morgan Ranch, then I know exactly where I can find an exit.

(Henry runs into the barn and climbs up the ladder that is leaning in the exact same place as in the movie. Sure enough, the TV is in the loft, in front of the "burning tree" wall.)

Terriermon: Okay, what good is this?

Henry: Trust me, I know what I'm doing.

(Henry holds his D-Power up to the screen.)

Henry: Hold on tight, Terriermon. Here we go.

(The TV screen glows and in a flash Henry and Terriermon are brought back to the Real World. Suzie and Lopmon are waiting in the room.)

Suzie: Great job, Henry.

Henry: Uh, thanks. How did you…

(Henry turns around and sees that his TV is currently showing the loft as it would be seen from the TV.)

Henry: You mean you watched that entire fight?

Suzie: More or less. I got back in time to see the ring of Gargomon get blasted away. It didn't seem like anything else had happened before then.

Henry: Did you tape it?

Suzie: (smiling) I was afraid of what might happen if I did.

(Suzie starts laughing, followed by Terriermon, then Lopmon, and Henry finally joins in.)

Narrator: Well, I'll never watch a movie the same way again. But if Henry had to take that on his own, what's in store for the other Tamers? I'll bet we'll get some idea on the next Digimon: Digital Monsters.

Well, there we go. That wasn't so bad. Despite my twice having to reposition the breaks (for reasons of either length or the Fourth Wall), I actually found this one pretty easy to write. Oh, and by the way, 25%. Counting the hidden Chapter 39, I am 25% finished writing this story. I hope to finish it up shortly after the English version of Frontier ends in Canada. (approx. Jan 2004)

And now that you've read through the entire chapter, you can see the reason for my pre-fic note. Everything from the horses to the copying solution to the TV in the hay loft was spoiled big time. Granted Samara's m.o. was revealed in "Hidden Truths", but this one was just too much to not warn about.

Having written this entire chapter should be able to keep my Ring obsession down until I buy it on vid… no, on DVD. However, you may (keyword: may) see sprinklings of very subtle references through the fic later on. What can I say, an obsession is an obsession.

For those of you looking for some reason for the Japanese title, The Ring is a remake of a Japanese cult-horror film. The cursed girl in the original Japanese version was named Sadako. Thus, Samaramon was an Americanization of the name Sadakomon.

A lot of this chapter was based somehow around the backstory of Samara. I would like to stress that the backstory on Sadako was completely different, and I confess that when I put out "cut scenes" after this fic is completed, there will be an alternate version of this episode based on the events of "Ringu" (which is now available in Canada, so I will be able to view it).

I'm not entirely sure why, but in this chapter I gave the first hint of Digimon romance. Whether I'll actually go anywhere with the concept is still very much in question, but I've rooted myself firmly in the "Digimon have genders" camp, so it's possible. In this chapter, however, it was just an unexpected twist to surprise you.

And, just for the hell of it, I threw in a reference to Adventure near the end. The reference wasn't actually in Henry's return plan, that was too obvious, it was in what he said to Terriermon. "Hold on tight, HERE WE GO." As you probably remember, "Here We Go" was the `song' (and I use the word as loosely as I would use the word `comedian' to describe Carrot Top) that played when the Digidestined went through the Digiports.

I'm sure at least one of you is wondering about the shift in Henry's personality. In four short episodes, I've taken him from a total hentai obsession to a horror-fan. I'll explain this as I saw it explained by someone at a board. "Porn is for those who can't get any real (censored to maintain "R" rating), Hentai is for those who can't get any real porn." Need I say more? As for the recent `horror' bit, who's to say that Henry couldn't have had both to start with, but the focus was only on one?

NEXT EPISODE: "Heart of Darkness" (Bakemon's remorse. Revelations of the Past.)