Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Donkey Madness ❯ Danger Zone Valor ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Started: November 12, 2000
Finished: November 13, 2000

Part 4:
Danger Zone Valor

"Umm. . . Okay. . ." T.K. Takaishi scratched his head, frowning as he surveyed the fiery area again. "What happened to Ken?"

". . . I'm over here. . ."

Ken Ichijouji crawled into view from behind a rock before collapsing, coughing as dust invaded his lungs. The five kids hurried forward, Yolei Inoue supporting the emperor as he tried to speak. "What happened?" demanded Davis Motomiya.

". . . Get out of range. . ." Ken winced and pointed off to the other side of the river. "Tendromon. . ."

Wormmon, again in Cody's arms, gasped. "Get behind the rock!" he screeched, flailing his tiny arms wildly. "Get behind the rock!"

Confused and unnerved by Wormmon's cries, the Digidestined dragged Ken behind a large rock. The next thing they knew was the rock they were behind shaking, as if something of considerable size had crashed into it. Yolei shrieked, clutching onto Ken in fright as the others tried to brace themselves.

"Wormmon, what is that?!" Cody managed, looking at the digimon he held.

"Tendromon," whimpered Wormmon, wincing as the boulder shook again. "He's a plant digimon that attacks from afar with his incredibly long vines. . . Ken-chan, did you get hit?"

"I took it in the back," Ken grunted. "My cape absorbed most of impact."

The kids glanced at the Digimon Emperor's blue cape, remembering just how resistant the material was to damage; it had survived fire, rock, and lightning attacks in the past. Kari tightened her grip on her backpack's straps, breathing slowly as she pressed herself against the rock. "What do we do now. . .? We need to keep going, but we're sitting ducks to that Tendromon if we cross the bridge."

Everyone was silent as they thought, Ken pushing himself to his feet and standing with the rest of the children. "What if we. . ." T.K. frowned and shook his head, trailing off and dropping his suggestion.

"How about. . ." Yolei also stopped, already finding faults to her plan. The rock shook as Tendromon's vines struck it again.

Davis grumbled angrily. "It wasn't anything like this on the game!" he complained. "Geez, if Veemon was here I'd--"

"He isn't here, so stop complaining," Ken interrupted, his hidden eyes on the shorter boy.

"Jerk!" Davis spat, glaring at the emperor. "You don't appreciate anything, do you!? That's why you don't have any friends!"

Ken looked at the Digidestined of Courage and Friendship in the only way he presently could. "I have no use for friends."

The four other kids watched the two fight, Davis screaming and Ken replying emotionlessly. T.K. shook his head and stepped between the two other boys. "Stop it!" he ordered. "We've got bigger problems right now, you two!"

"Yolei! Yolei!!"

"What?!" Kari, Davis, Ken, and T.K. averted their attention to Cody, who was screaming. Yolei, who had been standing near the edge of the rock, was nowhere to be seen. Kari rushed forward, grabbing Cody and hauling him towards the center of the rock. "Cody, what happened!?"

"Tendromon grabbed her!" He pointed helplessly at where Yolei had previously been standing. The Digidestined looked sickly at each other, their faces becoming panicked when Yolei screamed from beyond the rock. "What can we do?!" Cody was almost hopping up and down in anxiety. "We need to help her!!"

Davis, being who he was, threw caution to the wind. "We're not losing anyone now!" he growled, launching from behind the rock and after Yolei. He didn't notice a second person follow him out.

"Davis!!" Yolei was clawing futilely at the ground, trying to slow the vines that were dragging her towards the river of lava. Her eyes went past Davis and widened. "Ken?!"

Davis was surprised to discover the other boy was hot on his heels, but he managed to keep his eyes focused on Yolei. "Hold on, Yolei!" He dove and grabbed her wrists, adding his weight to her own to slow the creature. In turn, Davis felt Ken latch onto his ankles.

"This isn't going to stop it!" Ken shouted, coughing again as dust was blown into his face. "Any ideas?"

"What're you asking me for?!?" Davis screamed, a vein appearing on his forehead. "You're supposed to be the brain, remember?! I was just being courageous!"

"So this is courage?! You mean stupidity!"

Davis and Yolei's eyes widened at the sudden vehemence in Ken's voice. "What the--" Yolei began, staring at the blue-haired boy. She was interrupted by the sound of something beeping.

Yolei held Davis' wrist in two hands as the boy reached into his pocket, pulling out his beeping D-terminal. "That's weird. . .," he managed. "Usually it's the digivice going off. . ."

"Yolei, catch that rock with your free foot!" Ken screamed, interrupting Yolei's thoughts. The beeping still resounded . . .but from another source.

The violet-haired girl complied, gasping as all three of them were slammed into the side of the rock. Out of the corner of her eye, Yolei was able to see the other three Digidestined running towards them. "I can't hold it!" she cried, tears of pain springing to her brown eyes. She let go of Davis' hands and was again dragged from view.

"Yolei!" Ken and Davis' screams mirrored each other.

Ken struggled to his feet, running from the shelter of the rock and pulling out the Black Digivice. It beeped loudly in his hands, much to his confusion. Davis was immediately at his side. "It's yours!" he gasped in realization. "Ken, Wormmon can Armor Digivolve!" Another thought occurred to the boy. Armor Digivolve with what? He doesn't have a D-terminal. . .

That was all Ken had to hear. He spun around and faced Wormmon, who had climbed out of Cody's arms and was looking at his master in determination.

"Digi-Armor, energize!"

Davis blinked in surprise as his D-terminal flipped open, a beam of energy shooting from it to Ken's digivice. He blinked hard when he noticed his D-terminal had accessed the Digimental of Courage. He blinked even harder when he realized that Wormmon was digivolving with his Digimental!

"Wormmon Armor Digivolve to . . . Shadramon, the winged inferno!"

Every single Digidestined -- from Davis to Ken -- stared at the new digimon that stood before them in silent wonder. Butterfly wings speckled yellow and red grew out of the creature's back, giving it a grandiose appearance as its red armor gleamed. It stood on two legs and held a stance similar to Flamedramon, seeming to frown at all times. It took to the air effortlessly, diving at Yolei as she was dragged down towards the river.

"Yolei!!" chorused the children as the girl disappeared from view.

"Psychic Wave!" A burning aura emanated from Shadramon, singeing everyone's hair slightly and frightening the Tendromon enough to release Yolei. Not letting up from his dive, Shadramon continued downward and right over the cliff, catching Yolei as she fell.

"Are you all right?" he quietly queried, flying back upward and setting the girl down.

"I'll be fine. . . Look out!" The girl pointed at something behind the digimon.

Shadramon flew up immediately, watching Tendromon's long vines snap through the air and strike another boulder close to where he had been standing. From down below, he could hear Ken's voice. "Shadramon, take it out!"

"'Sounds like a good idea," agreed the digimon, heading right for digimon that was rooted to its place. He darted out of the way as the digimon's vines shot out at him, wings glistening in the light emitted from the fire river. "Flare Buster!"

The Digidestined watched in awe as Shadramon's butterfly wings began to glow extremely bright, flames leaping wildly at his will. Shadramon yelled out as the flames wrapped around him and funneled out in an intense barrage, striking Tendromon violently and repetitively. It screeched inhumanly, writhing in agony before finally dying, becoming bits of data that dissolved into nothingness.

Shadramon flew back to the side of the river the children were standing on, landing just before the power of Armor Digivolution wore off and was drawn back into Ken's digivice and Davis' D-terminal. Kari took it upon herself to state the obvious. "I didn't know that you could use the Digimentals, Ken. . ."

"Neither did I," murmured the boy.

Davis whistled lowly as he pocketed his small computer, glancing from Wormmon to Ken and back. "Geez, I didn't know you had it in you, Wormmon," he chuckled, grinning. "That was pretty cool!"

"I didn't know you were that strong either." Ken looked down at his digimon, then bent down. "How did that happen?"

"You were unconsciously being brave, Ken-chan," Wormmon reported happily. Pride could be seen in the digimon's eyes. "That's how you used the Digimental of Courage!"

Ken's eyes twitched under his sunglasses. "That wasn't bravery -- that was pure idiocy!" He shook his head, running a hand through his hair unconsciously. "Actually, that probably makes sense . . . considering who the Digidestined of Courage is now. . ."

Davis flushed red in anger, but was unable to voice his rage due to other people speaking up first. "Did you just make a joke?!" T.K. sputtered, blue eyes widening by the second.

"I think he did!" cried Kari, unable to keep the surprise off of her face either.

". . . But that means. . ." Yolei looked hard at the Digimon Emperor, then walked up and pulled off his glasses before he could protest. She bit her lip and expected to be unnerved by the colorlessness of Ken's eyes, but was surprised to see the slightest tinge of blue in his irises. "Ahh! I can see color!"

Ken frowned slightly, snatching his sunglasses and putting them back on. "Apparently I have some emotions back, but I still can't feel annoyance." He stuck a finger between his face and Yolei's. "Consider yourself lucky; I'd be on you in a second if I were normal right now." With that said, he picked up Wormmon and started towards the bridge.

The other Digidestined glanced at each other. "I don't know whether to be thrilled or shocked by what he just said," declared Yolei, smiling lightly at her friends before walking off after the blue-haired emperor.

"Things just get weirder and weirder. . .," sighed Kari, walking after the two and adjusting her grip on her pink backpack as she did so.

In a moment of agreement, both T.K. and Davis muttered, "No kidding."



Hurrah! The Digimental of Courage is released! And Ken-chan isn't an emotionless emperor anymore! *grins* For those that don't know, Shadramon is the real name . . . and, if the information I'm getting is right, those are the correct attacks. Cool, ne? ^_^ What do you think? Please review!