Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Shuffle ❯ Changing the Rules of the Game ( Chapter 13 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lord Archive 
Takeru, Daisuke and Iori struggle through their challenges as Daisuke, Mimi, and Takeru respectively.
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Hentai / Sci-fi / Romance / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.31.2007 | Pages: 6 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 966 | Status: Completed
Takeru, Daisuke and Iori struggle through their challenges as Daisuke, Mimi, and Takeru respectively.
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Hentai / Sci-fi / Romance / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.31.2007 | Pages: 6 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 966 | Status: Completed
The Shuffle
Chapter Thirteen - Changing the Rules of the Game
The concept and characters of Digimon belongs to Toei Animation and Akiyoshi Hongo. They are used without permission or the intent of profit.
Who's who:
Taichi is in Sora's body, Sora is in Taichi's, Mimi is Ken, Ken is Yamato, Yamato is Iori, Iori is Takeru, Takeru is Daisuke, and Daisuke is Mimi. The remainder have been switched back.
Reminder, I will be referring to the characters per the body they are in. For example, if Mimi in Ken's body thinks about Daisuke in Mimi's body, then Mimi thoughts will regard that body in the masculine possessiveness, that Tachikawa's body is HIS real body since Mimi is currently male and will be referred to as such. When Hikari, in Jyou's body, is talking she will be referred to as Jyou. The only exception is dialogue where the characters are the ones to refer to each other.
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Takeru's Journal:
If any of the Chosen was to fail, Mimi with her distaste for violence and Ken without a partner would've topped their votes. However, those two managed to succeed through cruel methods, managing to dark evolve Hawkmon to destroy a Chimeramon while Mimi choked a Garbamon to death without aid of a digimon.
Yamato had an 'easier' time of things, facing against the Jureimon who had tricked him to fight Taichi during their first adventure. Secrets came out in front of Armadimon that Yamato would've liked to remain hidden.
So far the Chosen are five-for-five on defeating Piemon's challenge. And even if everyone succeeds, the demon clown can easily kill off all the kids and the digimon in their weakened freshly changed states.
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Takeru stared in dismay at where a large cylinder holding Patamon was. Right in the middle of a minefield of traps. He wouldn't have noticed them if it wasn't for the fact that placing Patamon's prison had set off a few of them.
Treading as carefully as he could, Takeru edged closer to the container. Each step was tested before placing his full weight, fearing instant death should he trigger an unseen trap. It was taking too long, but there was no other choice.
Takeru yanked his leg back and tried not to fall backwards as a large blade ripped from the ground next to him. Had he been less than a half-meter over, it would've sliced him in half, vertically. His heart then skipped a beat seeing the blade arc toward Patamon's container. It slid halfway down the cylinder before coming to a metal screeching stop.
The door suddenly sprang up, lifting straight up into the blade and shattering into data.
"Huh? Wha?" Patamon blearily looked up.
"Carefully fly towards me," Takeru ordered desperately.
Patamon blinked at his partner, wondering what was going on. Then he looked up and saw the blade perched over his body. He let out a scream before launching himself into the air.
"Shit!" Takeru cried out. "FASTER!"
Patamon didn't need more encouragement as a dozen more giant blades erupted from the ground and reduced the metal cylinder to scrap before the structure deleted.
"I take it Piemon hates you," Takeru muttered sarcastically, breathing a sigh of relief.
Patamon let out a hollow chuckle before he remarked sarcastically, "I wonder why. I only trapped him within Heaven's Gate for the past six years."
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V-mon huffed. "Well, there was Mimi's exit."
Daisuke gazed at the opening leading to freedom. "There's no digimon."
"Think Mimi actually killed him?" V-mon wondered.
"Looks like it." Daisuke rubbed his chin, gazing at the digital shit oozing down a wall. "Must've fought a Garbamon. I think Lilymon did kill one during the first adventure."
"Garbamon, huh?" V-mon shook his head. "That would be an easy kill. Possibly too easy."
Daisuke nodded. "Not much we can do about that now."
"You know we could just leave now," V-mon pointed out.
"I want to see who my opponent would be," Daisuke replied. "All the foes we've seen were selected specifically for us. Vamdemon and Garbamon were the first kills Hikari and Mimi had, while Etemon was someone Jyou killed in vengeance. Devimon was my first kill, and he's an evil I have to make sure stays down. If it's someone else, I want to know who it is."
A giant top hat floated to the ground before them. As the hat touched the ground, it raised back up revealing Piemon underneath. "You really want to lose?"
Daisuke had to hold himself in check. He could potentially fight Piemon with Paildramon, but his chance of winning would take a miracle and he wasn't foolish enough to rely on his fake crest to win. "I know your plan. You're going to torture and kill us after we finish your maze. And if we all succeed, we'll have no chance to survive."
Piemon clapped. "You are more clever than you look. Though I guess that doesn't mean much."
Daisuke crossed his arms. "You made sure of that."
"Of course," Piemon chirped happily. "Though I certainly wish you suffered more. As it stands only Taichi, Sora, Iori and Daisuke remain in the maze. The rest have all won. Even dear sweet Mimi evolved Wormmon to Perfection to beat an Archnemon inside the maze and then won her fight by choking Garbamon to death with his own hands. Being in the Kaiser's body must've really mess him up. As for Ken, he had no crest and dark evolved Hawkmon to beat Chimeramon."
Daisuke frowned. "They've all won?"
"Yes, and in case you haven't realized it, unless Daisuke loses your body will still be switched either to another loser or to your own body if they all win. You may just end up being Sora." Piemon laughed dementedly before disappearing.
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While most of the other digimon partners had a hard time accepting that the person they were with was not who they appeared, Gabumon was not under such dispersion. There was no way this was Mimi. While the girl had some violent reactions to unwanted suitors of the slug digimon sort, Mimi had never gone as far as hitting a guy where it really hurts.
Betsumon looked a lot like Tailmon but more human in appearance. And unlike other digimon, that fact he was male was quite obvious. "I'll take that as a 'no,'" the feline moaned out, clutching his visible scrotum sack.
"I'm a guy! I would never let a gross digimon, like you, touch me!" Mimi howled.
"Point, painfully, made," Betsumon groaned. "Wait? A guy? You're a cross-dresser?"
"Not my choice. Piemon did this to me," Mimi hissed. "I'll be back to normal as soon as I find my way out of this stupid fucking maze."
Definitely not Mimi, Gabumon confirmed mentally. Of course, Daisuke and Mimi had little in common. It made the discrepancies rather easy to spot.
"Let's go," Mimi ordered. Memories of the girl kept popping up that she didn't like at all. This wasn't the first time the proclamation of a 'gross digimon' never touching her cross these lips. And the girl had punctuated her words with painful violence to Sukamon. Had there been the more obvious means of hurting the shit digimon, Mimi would've done it then as well.
"Right." Gabumon waddled after her. "Do you have a plan to deal with the challenge?"
"I'll think of something when I get there," Mimi asserted, grasping onto how 'Daisuke' would approach this.
"Any idea who we'll have to face?" Gabumon asked.
Mimi shrugged. "Not a clue." Her hand smoothed out her hair. "Ugh. It's all in tangles now." She shook her head. "I NEED to get out of here."
Gabumon nodded. He wanted this done so he could be reunited with Yamato.
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"Hurry," Takeru pressed, while being held firmly in Angemon's hand.
"There's no need to tell me twice." Angemon dodged a few traps that sprung in front of him. Evolving to this level had been to test their power and to see if they could fly over the walls. He had crashed into an invisible barrier doing so and brought the unwanted attention of their pursuers.
Demented giggles from a flock of Harpymon chased after them.
"What's gotten them so riled up?" Takeru wondered.
"I don't want to know," Angemon retorted.
"Oh, crap," Takeru almost cursed.
Up ahead was Daisuke and V-mon, looking at them in mild surprise. The diminutive dragon digimon turned around just as Angemon passed over them and called out, "Hey, digi-whores! Kiss it!" V-mon slapped his ass, before bolting down a different path with his partner than the one Angemon had used.
"Looks like we lost half of them," Takeru commented, seeing the Harpymon split into two groups.
"Still leaves too many to deal with. Especially if we don't want to kill them," Angemon replied.
Takeru nodded gravely. "They haven't really done anything wrong, nor are they dark digimon."
"I still don't want to know why they're after me," Angemon asserted.
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V-mon began to pant as he pushed himself to run harder. "That had not been one of my better plans."
"You think?" Daisuke remarked sarcastically. If it weren't for the numerous turns and possible passageways they could take, the Harpymon would've been on them already. Their screeching attack had come too close to hitting them as it was. Taking a couple sharp turns, they found a shadowy area to hide in for the moment.
"Any plans?" V-mon asked.
Daisuke scowled. "Can't keep running like this. And I'd rather not have you go to XV-mon again until we make it to our exit."
"You wouldn't happen to have the Digimental of Friendship, do you?" V-mon wondered.
"Nope. I still have the Digimental of Hope, with the idea that it would help me get Patamon," Daisuke admitted.
"A whole lot of good that did," V-mon gripped.
"There you are! Wind Seeker!"
The pair dodged the incoming attack, which tore into the ground.
"Don't see much more choice. Digimental up!" Daisuke called out.
The small blue dragon felt power surge into him. "V-mon armor evolve!" A golden egg encased him and shattered to reveal a blue scaled draconian centaur. "Sagittarimon!"
Daisuke wasted no time jumping onto his partner's back. "Get moving!"
"I'm not a beast of burden!" Sagittarimon complained, but followed his orders.
"You're not getting away!" a Harpymon screeched.
Sagittarimon saw a Harpymon appear further down the path he was on. He gritted his teeth and raised the bow on his right arm. "Judgement Arrow!" The attack flew on target and pierced clean through the wings of his target, sending her crashing to the ground.
"The arrow didn't even slow down." Daisuke gaped at the damage the attack did not only to Harpymon but in making holes in the wall behind her as well.
"These arrows would pierce even the armor of Metal Seadramon," Sagittarimon boasted.
"Well, that's good. If we have to fight at the exit, this would be a good form to do it in," Daisuke observed.
The Harpymon following behind the pair then paused at the damage Sagittarimon caused her sister, and moved to help her rather than continue the chase.
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"Looks like this is our exit," Gabumon observed, looking upon a giant door with the Crest of Friendship emblazoned on it.
Mimi huffed. "And just how are we supposed to open it?"
"Off hand, I'd say figuring out the puzzle lock on it," Gabumon offered.
Mimi had to look up to see the strange lock mechanism. "This isn't going to be easy. Why the hell do we have a puzzle? Koushiro and Miyako should deal with this kind of crap."
"Because Piemon is an ass," Gabumon replied.
Mimi stared at her temporary partner for a moment. "You absolutely right about that. Well, standing here won't get us anywhere." She then grimaced. "Just what the hell is something 'a human who needs it can't buy it then, while a human who buys it doesn't need to use it then, himself?'"
"You're asking me? I'm not human," Gabumon retorted. "Why is this kind of riddle in the Digital World?"
"Whoever put it here is a sadist. Still, it's one of the riddles on the lock," Mimi grumbled in annoyance.
"Your guess is better than mine," Gabumon pointed out.
Mimi sighed. "We're going to be here a while." She was so going kill Piemon after he turned her back into a boy.
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"Super Sonic Voice!" howled the mythical Ultimate, Gryphomon. The blast wave traveled beneath Angemon before continuing on to set off numerous traps ahead. The great beast ran down the path, far too large to fly even in the wide passageways of the Labyrinth.
Takeru wasn't sure if Gryphomon was helping them or trying to annihilate them. What he didn't understand was the lack of damage the Ultimate caused the maze. Angemon's staff had been able to smash through and destroy traps, while Gryphomon only set them off. He tried not to think too much about it as the giant digimon wasn't the only one behind him, with a numerous Harpymon, Hippo Gryphomon, Cyclomon and other digimon giving chase.
"This is not the kind of lesson on Greek mythology I ever wanted," Angemon gripped.
"Just keep moving!" Takeru ordered, not wanting to know what those digimon intended to do to them.
A sharp turn and Angemon finally let himself smile. "It's our exit!"
"Go for it!" Takeru pressed.
The digimon pursuing them all echoed the word, "Exit."
Angemon scowled at what stood in their way, the tentacled evil of Marine Devimon. A ball of black energy began to form in front of the devil, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.
Takeru glanced back at the digimon following them. "Don't let him get that attack off!"
"Heaven's Knuckle!" Angemon cried out, striking one of the devil's tentacles and destroying it. The holy blast continued on and struck some sort of barrier at the maze's edge.
"Guilty Black," Marine Devimon hissed out in pain, but found his attack countered and overpowered by Gryphomon's sonic attack. "You shall pay for that!"
"I think not!" Angemon reared his fist back. "Heaven's Knuckle!" His fist connected with Marine Devimon's head, blowing it right off the digimon's body. The golden rays generated from Angemon's attack slammed again into the barrier, which broke as if it were made of glass.
"We're free!" chorused the digimon as they all made a mad dash out of the labyrinth.
"You have our eternal thanks," Gryphomon told Angemon as he ran out of the maze and immediately took to the sky.
Takeru stared at where the devil digimon had stood. He now half-wished the digimon chasing after him would fight them. His opponent had fallen, but Angemon had failed to evolve to Perfect level. "What am I going to do now?"
"Hope for the best," Angemon told him as comforting as he could. "If everyone else succeeds, he will have to change you back."
Takeru closed his eyes. "I guess so."
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Daisuke looked at his exit in confusion. "Who is this supposed to be?"
A giant panda bear looked up and blinked at him. "Is that really you, Takeru?"
Daisuke jumped. That voice was unmistakable. That was Pinnochimon reborn. "Er. Yes."
Sagittarimon looked at their promised opponent warily. "Who is this?"
"He was the Dark Master Pinnochimon," Daisuke answered nervously.
Sagittarimon didn't like the sounds of that.
Pandamon clapped his paws in glee. "Shall we play a game?"
"What kind of game?" Sagittarimon wondered.
"Tag, of course!" Pandamon announced happily. "You run around and hide, then I'll chase after with this!" He pulled out a bazooka that he had hidden behind himself.
"That doesn't sound like fun," Daisuke groused.
"What? Of course it's fun!" Pandamon protested.
Daisuke folded his arms. "Fun for you maybe, but not for us. And that's not the point of a game. Games are intended to be fun for all players."
"Bah!" Pandamon waved him off. "Games are fun only for the winner."
"I won't deny games are usually MORE fun for the winner, but you can still enjoy a game and lose." Daisuke glanced at his partner. "Or would you rather play 'tag' with him being the one hunting."
Sagittarimon took the hint. "Judgement Arrow!" He sent forth an arrow that pierced the wall of the Labyrinth as if there was only air in its way.
"That's not playing fair," Pandamon whined.
"Neither is playing with a bazooka," Daisuke returned. "I'm perfectly willing to play games, but not so-called games that stakes the life of anyone, even yours."
"But that's the game Piemon wants us to play!" Pandamon protested.
"And what did listening to Piemon get you in your last life? Dying, alone, with no one caring that you were gone. Most were happy," Daisuke pointed out. "You don't have to do what that nutcase says."
"And what sort of game do you suggest we play?" Pandamon huffed.
"There are lots of games we could play. How about a race?" Daisuke offered. "We'll start at the wall here, and run for the exit. First out of the Labyrinth wins."
"And what's the prize?" Pandamon asked. "Winners get rewards."
Daisuke smirked. "Bragging rights. You can tell other that you beat me in a fair race."
Pandamon pointed at Sagittarimon. "Racing against him isn't fair."
Daisuke held out his digivice and devolved his partner. "There, he's no longer a centaur."
"Now we're at the disadvantage," V-mon complained.
"You game?" Daisuke asked.
Pandamon frowned. "You sure we can't spice this up a bit? Add landmines or something?"
"And how fun is it if you hit it and die?" Daisuke shook his head.
"That wouldn't be fun," Pandamon admitted. "Fine, I'll try it your way."
Daisuke smiled brightly. "Great, now everyone get to your marks."
"Marks?" Pandamon questioned.
Daisuke laughed sheepishly. "Get into position to start running at the wall."
"Oh." Pandamon quickly followed his opponents.
When all three of them looked ready, Daisuke cried out, "Get ready! Set! Go!"
Pandamon easily took the lead being more than twice Daisuke's size. His longer strides were a definite advantage. As he ran out of the maze, he cheered, "I won!"
Daisuke grinned. "Yep, you won. Aren't you happy?"
"Of course I'm happy. I beat you!" Pandamon chirped.
"You had fun and no one was hurt," Daisuke observed.
Pandamon blinked. "Yeah. I didn't think that was possible."
"I want a rematch!" V-mon huffed. "Evolve me to XV-mon! Then we'll be the same size."
"It would be a foot race. No flying," Daisuke stressed.
"I know!" V-mon huffed.
"You're on!" Pandamon agreed to the race.
-----------------
"I give up!" Mimi whined whipping out her digivice.
"Gabumon evolve!" A pillar of light encased the fur-wearing lizard, which then faded to reveal a giant wolf. "Garurumon!" He then looked at his partner. "What do you expect me to do now?"
"Blast that stupid door open!" Mimi ordered.
Garurumon sighed. They had only opened half the locks in the past hour, and the other half were insidiously difficult to answer. "Fine. Don't know if this will work. Fox Fire!" He spat flames at the door, setting it aflame. He repeated his attack a few times before it exploded into nothingness.
"Finally!" was chorused by two voices.
Mimi had been one of the two, and she stared in morbid shock at the other.
A giant skeleton with black and red bones strode forward. "I was getting sick of waiting for you."
"This is so not good," Mimi complained.
"That's entirely the point. Nail Bone!" Skull Satamon pointed his scepter at the girl, firing numerous energy spikes at the girl.
Mimi tried to dodge, but there was too many. A spike sank into her side before exploding. She struggled to stand, but the pain was unbearable.
Garurumon wasted no time. He leapt toward the girl and bit the back of her shirt before making a mad dash for the exit with her.
Skull Satamon hissed. "You're not getting away that easily!"
Garurumon knew he didn't have much time as Mimi struggled to remain conscious. Once she slipped, he would be back to Gabumon and would be even easier pray. He gave a prayer of thanks seeing XV-mon and a digimon he didn't know nearby.
"Oh, shit," Daisuke cursed seeing the skeletal fiend chasing after Garurumon and Mimi. He knew there was no choice. "XV-mon, save them!"
"XV-mon super evolve!" The draconian stretched out his arms as insectoid armor slammed into place over much of his body. "Paildramon." The newly evolved digimon glanced over. "Want to help me out, buddy? That guy certainly doesn't play fair."
Pandamon debated for a second. "Sure, buddy!"
"Desperado Blaster!" Paildramon fired off a pair of cannons at Skull Satamon, distracting the fiend from his target.
"More fresh meat," Skull Satamon cackled. "Nail Bone!"
Paildramon leapt out of the way of the energy spikes.
"Try these nails on for size. Animal Nail!" Vicious claws extended from Pandamon's paws while he ran up to the fiendish skeleton and sliced into red ribs.
Skull Satamon clubbed Pandamon upside the head with his scepter, but then screeched in pain as Paildramon fired a volley of energy pellets into his back. "I will kill you all."
There was a chorus of 'Sonic Voice' and a 'Super Sonic Voice' as screaming energy descended upon Skull Satamon, obliterating him.
"Thanks for the help!" Daisuke called out to the Gryphomon and the numerous Hippo Gryphomon flying overhead.
Gryphomon shook his head. "We are the ones in dept to Angemon and his friends."
"Can you see where my other friends are?" Daisuke asked.
"Most of them are that way." Gryphomon pointed with his claw. "Though some one seems injured just as she is. I'll send medical help that way."
"Great! Thanks!" Daisuke turned around and then sighed seeing that Paildramon had devolved to Chibimon and Garurumon had returned to being Gabumon. "Pandamon, could you carry Daisuke to our friends?"
"Our friends?" Pandamon repeated with a laugh. "Yeah. I like that." He carefully picked up the now slumbering girl. "Let's go!"
Daisuke picked up Chibimon and ran to the larger group of his friends with Gabumon and Pandamon running alongside him.
No sooner than when they arrived at where most of their friends were, a tiny clown car honked it's way into the middle of the assembled digimon and humans. The car door opened and a foot larger than the whole care emerged. Slowly Piemon pried himself out of the car and saw nothing but glaring faces directed at him.
"My. My. My. Such a surprise you've all given me. After the ones least likely to succeed killed their opponents in cruel fashion, I began to wonder if my challenge was too easy. But then three of you lost! Then even Pinnochimon decided to stab me in the back." Piemon reached behind himself and pulled a dagger out as if it had been shoved there. He promptly threw it at Pandamon, but a Hippo Gryphomon swooped down and grabbed the weapon before it could've hit.
"Mind your manners," Gryphomon warned with the flock of Hippo Gryphomon surrounding him.
"Fine." Piemon shrugged as if the Ultimate and all the Perfect digimon didn't even remotely intimidate him. "A deal is a deal. Though I guess it sucks to be you, Mimi and Yamato."
Iori grimaced, knowing that he would soon be experiencing the injuries his real body had incurred.
"I deserve it," Ken convicted himself.
"So you may believe." Piemon threw the cards at Iori, Mimi, Ken, and Yamato.
Each of their digimon slipped a level lower.
Iori swooned and instinctively clutched at his side. "What happened? Last I remember was Skull Satamon attacking and..." He patted his body. "I'm a boy. I'm..." He saw Daisuke standing a short distance away and then studied his hands knowing he was not in his real body. "I'm Iori?! What happened?"
"I'm afraid we both lost, and so did Iori," Daisuke explained.
Ken let out a long sigh of relief after confirming he had been successfully switched back to his real body. He then glanced at Ishida. "Sorry."
"I owe you," Yamato hissed in pain, but he wasn't truly upset. Being in the body he was born in was worth a little pain.
Mimi seemed to spasm briefly, but did not awaken.
"Well, looks like Taichi and Sora are finally nearing their exit. Laters!" Piemon dived into the tiny clown car, and a rocket emerged from the trunk, launching the diminutive car out of sight.
Jyou ran over to Mimi and began to tend to her wound.
"You failed?" Hikari questioned.
Daisuke shook his head. "I'd say winning Pinnochimon over as a friend is victory enough."
"Pinnochimon?!" was chorused by many of those present.
Pandamon nodded happily but then frowned at the gathered humans and digimon. "What kind of game can I play with baby digimon? They aren't fast enough to race me. You guys have any suggestions?"
"I taught him the value of playing real games," Daisuke whispered to Hikari. He then sighed looking at their weakened digimon. "Now we can only hope Iori and his friends can deal with Piemon after Sora and Taichi defeat their challenge."
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Author's Notes:
Coming Next: Chapter 14 - Courageous Love
Taichi and Sora fight there way out of the maze, and reach beyond the challenge presented.
Chapter Thirteen - Changing the Rules of the Game
The concept and characters of Digimon belongs to Toei Animation and Akiyoshi Hongo. They are used without permission or the intent of profit.
Who's who:
Taichi is in Sora's body, Sora is in Taichi's, Mimi is Ken, Ken is Yamato, Yamato is Iori, Iori is Takeru, Takeru is Daisuke, and Daisuke is Mimi. The remainder have been switched back.
Reminder, I will be referring to the characters per the body they are in. For example, if Mimi in Ken's body thinks about Daisuke in Mimi's body, then Mimi thoughts will regard that body in the masculine possessiveness, that Tachikawa's body is HIS real body since Mimi is currently male and will be referred to as such. When Hikari, in Jyou's body, is talking she will be referred to as Jyou. The only exception is dialogue where the characters are the ones to refer to each other.
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Takeru's Journal:
If any of the Chosen was to fail, Mimi with her distaste for violence and Ken without a partner would've topped their votes. However, those two managed to succeed through cruel methods, managing to dark evolve Hawkmon to destroy a Chimeramon while Mimi choked a Garbamon to death without aid of a digimon.
Yamato had an 'easier' time of things, facing against the Jureimon who had tricked him to fight Taichi during their first adventure. Secrets came out in front of Armadimon that Yamato would've liked to remain hidden.
So far the Chosen are five-for-five on defeating Piemon's challenge. And even if everyone succeeds, the demon clown can easily kill off all the kids and the digimon in their weakened freshly changed states.
-----------------
Takeru stared in dismay at where a large cylinder holding Patamon was. Right in the middle of a minefield of traps. He wouldn't have noticed them if it wasn't for the fact that placing Patamon's prison had set off a few of them.
Treading as carefully as he could, Takeru edged closer to the container. Each step was tested before placing his full weight, fearing instant death should he trigger an unseen trap. It was taking too long, but there was no other choice.
Takeru yanked his leg back and tried not to fall backwards as a large blade ripped from the ground next to him. Had he been less than a half-meter over, it would've sliced him in half, vertically. His heart then skipped a beat seeing the blade arc toward Patamon's container. It slid halfway down the cylinder before coming to a metal screeching stop.
The door suddenly sprang up, lifting straight up into the blade and shattering into data.
"Huh? Wha?" Patamon blearily looked up.
"Carefully fly towards me," Takeru ordered desperately.
Patamon blinked at his partner, wondering what was going on. Then he looked up and saw the blade perched over his body. He let out a scream before launching himself into the air.
"Shit!" Takeru cried out. "FASTER!"
Patamon didn't need more encouragement as a dozen more giant blades erupted from the ground and reduced the metal cylinder to scrap before the structure deleted.
"I take it Piemon hates you," Takeru muttered sarcastically, breathing a sigh of relief.
Patamon let out a hollow chuckle before he remarked sarcastically, "I wonder why. I only trapped him within Heaven's Gate for the past six years."
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V-mon huffed. "Well, there was Mimi's exit."
Daisuke gazed at the opening leading to freedom. "There's no digimon."
"Think Mimi actually killed him?" V-mon wondered.
"Looks like it." Daisuke rubbed his chin, gazing at the digital shit oozing down a wall. "Must've fought a Garbamon. I think Lilymon did kill one during the first adventure."
"Garbamon, huh?" V-mon shook his head. "That would be an easy kill. Possibly too easy."
Daisuke nodded. "Not much we can do about that now."
"You know we could just leave now," V-mon pointed out.
"I want to see who my opponent would be," Daisuke replied. "All the foes we've seen were selected specifically for us. Vamdemon and Garbamon were the first kills Hikari and Mimi had, while Etemon was someone Jyou killed in vengeance. Devimon was my first kill, and he's an evil I have to make sure stays down. If it's someone else, I want to know who it is."
A giant top hat floated to the ground before them. As the hat touched the ground, it raised back up revealing Piemon underneath. "You really want to lose?"
Daisuke had to hold himself in check. He could potentially fight Piemon with Paildramon, but his chance of winning would take a miracle and he wasn't foolish enough to rely on his fake crest to win. "I know your plan. You're going to torture and kill us after we finish your maze. And if we all succeed, we'll have no chance to survive."
Piemon clapped. "You are more clever than you look. Though I guess that doesn't mean much."
Daisuke crossed his arms. "You made sure of that."
"Of course," Piemon chirped happily. "Though I certainly wish you suffered more. As it stands only Taichi, Sora, Iori and Daisuke remain in the maze. The rest have all won. Even dear sweet Mimi evolved Wormmon to Perfection to beat an Archnemon inside the maze and then won her fight by choking Garbamon to death with his own hands. Being in the Kaiser's body must've really mess him up. As for Ken, he had no crest and dark evolved Hawkmon to beat Chimeramon."
Daisuke frowned. "They've all won?"
"Yes, and in case you haven't realized it, unless Daisuke loses your body will still be switched either to another loser or to your own body if they all win. You may just end up being Sora." Piemon laughed dementedly before disappearing.
-----------------
While most of the other digimon partners had a hard time accepting that the person they were with was not who they appeared, Gabumon was not under such dispersion. There was no way this was Mimi. While the girl had some violent reactions to unwanted suitors of the slug digimon sort, Mimi had never gone as far as hitting a guy where it really hurts.
Betsumon looked a lot like Tailmon but more human in appearance. And unlike other digimon, that fact he was male was quite obvious. "I'll take that as a 'no,'" the feline moaned out, clutching his visible scrotum sack.
"I'm a guy! I would never let a gross digimon, like you, touch me!" Mimi howled.
"Point, painfully, made," Betsumon groaned. "Wait? A guy? You're a cross-dresser?"
"Not my choice. Piemon did this to me," Mimi hissed. "I'll be back to normal as soon as I find my way out of this stupid fucking maze."
Definitely not Mimi, Gabumon confirmed mentally. Of course, Daisuke and Mimi had little in common. It made the discrepancies rather easy to spot.
"Let's go," Mimi ordered. Memories of the girl kept popping up that she didn't like at all. This wasn't the first time the proclamation of a 'gross digimon' never touching her cross these lips. And the girl had punctuated her words with painful violence to Sukamon. Had there been the more obvious means of hurting the shit digimon, Mimi would've done it then as well.
"Right." Gabumon waddled after her. "Do you have a plan to deal with the challenge?"
"I'll think of something when I get there," Mimi asserted, grasping onto how 'Daisuke' would approach this.
"Any idea who we'll have to face?" Gabumon asked.
Mimi shrugged. "Not a clue." Her hand smoothed out her hair. "Ugh. It's all in tangles now." She shook her head. "I NEED to get out of here."
Gabumon nodded. He wanted this done so he could be reunited with Yamato.
-----------------
"Hurry," Takeru pressed, while being held firmly in Angemon's hand.
"There's no need to tell me twice." Angemon dodged a few traps that sprung in front of him. Evolving to this level had been to test their power and to see if they could fly over the walls. He had crashed into an invisible barrier doing so and brought the unwanted attention of their pursuers.
Demented giggles from a flock of Harpymon chased after them.
"What's gotten them so riled up?" Takeru wondered.
"I don't want to know," Angemon retorted.
"Oh, crap," Takeru almost cursed.
Up ahead was Daisuke and V-mon, looking at them in mild surprise. The diminutive dragon digimon turned around just as Angemon passed over them and called out, "Hey, digi-whores! Kiss it!" V-mon slapped his ass, before bolting down a different path with his partner than the one Angemon had used.
"Looks like we lost half of them," Takeru commented, seeing the Harpymon split into two groups.
"Still leaves too many to deal with. Especially if we don't want to kill them," Angemon replied.
Takeru nodded gravely. "They haven't really done anything wrong, nor are they dark digimon."
"I still don't want to know why they're after me," Angemon asserted.
-----------------
V-mon began to pant as he pushed himself to run harder. "That had not been one of my better plans."
"You think?" Daisuke remarked sarcastically. If it weren't for the numerous turns and possible passageways they could take, the Harpymon would've been on them already. Their screeching attack had come too close to hitting them as it was. Taking a couple sharp turns, they found a shadowy area to hide in for the moment.
"Any plans?" V-mon asked.
Daisuke scowled. "Can't keep running like this. And I'd rather not have you go to XV-mon again until we make it to our exit."
"You wouldn't happen to have the Digimental of Friendship, do you?" V-mon wondered.
"Nope. I still have the Digimental of Hope, with the idea that it would help me get Patamon," Daisuke admitted.
"A whole lot of good that did," V-mon gripped.
"There you are! Wind Seeker!"
The pair dodged the incoming attack, which tore into the ground.
"Don't see much more choice. Digimental up!" Daisuke called out.
The small blue dragon felt power surge into him. "V-mon armor evolve!" A golden egg encased him and shattered to reveal a blue scaled draconian centaur. "Sagittarimon!"
Daisuke wasted no time jumping onto his partner's back. "Get moving!"
"I'm not a beast of burden!" Sagittarimon complained, but followed his orders.
"You're not getting away!" a Harpymon screeched.
Sagittarimon saw a Harpymon appear further down the path he was on. He gritted his teeth and raised the bow on his right arm. "Judgement Arrow!" The attack flew on target and pierced clean through the wings of his target, sending her crashing to the ground.
"The arrow didn't even slow down." Daisuke gaped at the damage the attack did not only to Harpymon but in making holes in the wall behind her as well.
"These arrows would pierce even the armor of Metal Seadramon," Sagittarimon boasted.
"Well, that's good. If we have to fight at the exit, this would be a good form to do it in," Daisuke observed.
The Harpymon following behind the pair then paused at the damage Sagittarimon caused her sister, and moved to help her rather than continue the chase.
-----------------
"Looks like this is our exit," Gabumon observed, looking upon a giant door with the Crest of Friendship emblazoned on it.
Mimi huffed. "And just how are we supposed to open it?"
"Off hand, I'd say figuring out the puzzle lock on it," Gabumon offered.
Mimi had to look up to see the strange lock mechanism. "This isn't going to be easy. Why the hell do we have a puzzle? Koushiro and Miyako should deal with this kind of crap."
"Because Piemon is an ass," Gabumon replied.
Mimi stared at her temporary partner for a moment. "You absolutely right about that. Well, standing here won't get us anywhere." She then grimaced. "Just what the hell is something 'a human who needs it can't buy it then, while a human who buys it doesn't need to use it then, himself?'"
"You're asking me? I'm not human," Gabumon retorted. "Why is this kind of riddle in the Digital World?"
"Whoever put it here is a sadist. Still, it's one of the riddles on the lock," Mimi grumbled in annoyance.
"Your guess is better than mine," Gabumon pointed out.
Mimi sighed. "We're going to be here a while." She was so going kill Piemon after he turned her back into a boy.
-----------------
"Super Sonic Voice!" howled the mythical Ultimate, Gryphomon. The blast wave traveled beneath Angemon before continuing on to set off numerous traps ahead. The great beast ran down the path, far too large to fly even in the wide passageways of the Labyrinth.
Takeru wasn't sure if Gryphomon was helping them or trying to annihilate them. What he didn't understand was the lack of damage the Ultimate caused the maze. Angemon's staff had been able to smash through and destroy traps, while Gryphomon only set them off. He tried not to think too much about it as the giant digimon wasn't the only one behind him, with a numerous Harpymon, Hippo Gryphomon, Cyclomon and other digimon giving chase.
"This is not the kind of lesson on Greek mythology I ever wanted," Angemon gripped.
"Just keep moving!" Takeru ordered, not wanting to know what those digimon intended to do to them.
A sharp turn and Angemon finally let himself smile. "It's our exit!"
"Go for it!" Takeru pressed.
The digimon pursuing them all echoed the word, "Exit."
Angemon scowled at what stood in their way, the tentacled evil of Marine Devimon. A ball of black energy began to form in front of the devil, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.
Takeru glanced back at the digimon following them. "Don't let him get that attack off!"
"Heaven's Knuckle!" Angemon cried out, striking one of the devil's tentacles and destroying it. The holy blast continued on and struck some sort of barrier at the maze's edge.
"Guilty Black," Marine Devimon hissed out in pain, but found his attack countered and overpowered by Gryphomon's sonic attack. "You shall pay for that!"
"I think not!" Angemon reared his fist back. "Heaven's Knuckle!" His fist connected with Marine Devimon's head, blowing it right off the digimon's body. The golden rays generated from Angemon's attack slammed again into the barrier, which broke as if it were made of glass.
"We're free!" chorused the digimon as they all made a mad dash out of the labyrinth.
"You have our eternal thanks," Gryphomon told Angemon as he ran out of the maze and immediately took to the sky.
Takeru stared at where the devil digimon had stood. He now half-wished the digimon chasing after him would fight them. His opponent had fallen, but Angemon had failed to evolve to Perfect level. "What am I going to do now?"
"Hope for the best," Angemon told him as comforting as he could. "If everyone else succeeds, he will have to change you back."
Takeru closed his eyes. "I guess so."
-----------------
Daisuke looked at his exit in confusion. "Who is this supposed to be?"
A giant panda bear looked up and blinked at him. "Is that really you, Takeru?"
Daisuke jumped. That voice was unmistakable. That was Pinnochimon reborn. "Er. Yes."
Sagittarimon looked at their promised opponent warily. "Who is this?"
"He was the Dark Master Pinnochimon," Daisuke answered nervously.
Sagittarimon didn't like the sounds of that.
Pandamon clapped his paws in glee. "Shall we play a game?"
"What kind of game?" Sagittarimon wondered.
"Tag, of course!" Pandamon announced happily. "You run around and hide, then I'll chase after with this!" He pulled out a bazooka that he had hidden behind himself.
"That doesn't sound like fun," Daisuke groused.
"What? Of course it's fun!" Pandamon protested.
Daisuke folded his arms. "Fun for you maybe, but not for us. And that's not the point of a game. Games are intended to be fun for all players."
"Bah!" Pandamon waved him off. "Games are fun only for the winner."
"I won't deny games are usually MORE fun for the winner, but you can still enjoy a game and lose." Daisuke glanced at his partner. "Or would you rather play 'tag' with him being the one hunting."
Sagittarimon took the hint. "Judgement Arrow!" He sent forth an arrow that pierced the wall of the Labyrinth as if there was only air in its way.
"That's not playing fair," Pandamon whined.
"Neither is playing with a bazooka," Daisuke returned. "I'm perfectly willing to play games, but not so-called games that stakes the life of anyone, even yours."
"But that's the game Piemon wants us to play!" Pandamon protested.
"And what did listening to Piemon get you in your last life? Dying, alone, with no one caring that you were gone. Most were happy," Daisuke pointed out. "You don't have to do what that nutcase says."
"And what sort of game do you suggest we play?" Pandamon huffed.
"There are lots of games we could play. How about a race?" Daisuke offered. "We'll start at the wall here, and run for the exit. First out of the Labyrinth wins."
"And what's the prize?" Pandamon asked. "Winners get rewards."
Daisuke smirked. "Bragging rights. You can tell other that you beat me in a fair race."
Pandamon pointed at Sagittarimon. "Racing against him isn't fair."
Daisuke held out his digivice and devolved his partner. "There, he's no longer a centaur."
"Now we're at the disadvantage," V-mon complained.
"You game?" Daisuke asked.
Pandamon frowned. "You sure we can't spice this up a bit? Add landmines or something?"
"And how fun is it if you hit it and die?" Daisuke shook his head.
"That wouldn't be fun," Pandamon admitted. "Fine, I'll try it your way."
Daisuke smiled brightly. "Great, now everyone get to your marks."
"Marks?" Pandamon questioned.
Daisuke laughed sheepishly. "Get into position to start running at the wall."
"Oh." Pandamon quickly followed his opponents.
When all three of them looked ready, Daisuke cried out, "Get ready! Set! Go!"
Pandamon easily took the lead being more than twice Daisuke's size. His longer strides were a definite advantage. As he ran out of the maze, he cheered, "I won!"
Daisuke grinned. "Yep, you won. Aren't you happy?"
"Of course I'm happy. I beat you!" Pandamon chirped.
"You had fun and no one was hurt," Daisuke observed.
Pandamon blinked. "Yeah. I didn't think that was possible."
"I want a rematch!" V-mon huffed. "Evolve me to XV-mon! Then we'll be the same size."
"It would be a foot race. No flying," Daisuke stressed.
"I know!" V-mon huffed.
"You're on!" Pandamon agreed to the race.
-----------------
"I give up!" Mimi whined whipping out her digivice.
"Gabumon evolve!" A pillar of light encased the fur-wearing lizard, which then faded to reveal a giant wolf. "Garurumon!" He then looked at his partner. "What do you expect me to do now?"
"Blast that stupid door open!" Mimi ordered.
Garurumon sighed. They had only opened half the locks in the past hour, and the other half were insidiously difficult to answer. "Fine. Don't know if this will work. Fox Fire!" He spat flames at the door, setting it aflame. He repeated his attack a few times before it exploded into nothingness.
"Finally!" was chorused by two voices.
Mimi had been one of the two, and she stared in morbid shock at the other.
A giant skeleton with black and red bones strode forward. "I was getting sick of waiting for you."
"This is so not good," Mimi complained.
"That's entirely the point. Nail Bone!" Skull Satamon pointed his scepter at the girl, firing numerous energy spikes at the girl.
Mimi tried to dodge, but there was too many. A spike sank into her side before exploding. She struggled to stand, but the pain was unbearable.
Garurumon wasted no time. He leapt toward the girl and bit the back of her shirt before making a mad dash for the exit with her.
Skull Satamon hissed. "You're not getting away that easily!"
Garurumon knew he didn't have much time as Mimi struggled to remain conscious. Once she slipped, he would be back to Gabumon and would be even easier pray. He gave a prayer of thanks seeing XV-mon and a digimon he didn't know nearby.
"Oh, shit," Daisuke cursed seeing the skeletal fiend chasing after Garurumon and Mimi. He knew there was no choice. "XV-mon, save them!"
"XV-mon super evolve!" The draconian stretched out his arms as insectoid armor slammed into place over much of his body. "Paildramon." The newly evolved digimon glanced over. "Want to help me out, buddy? That guy certainly doesn't play fair."
Pandamon debated for a second. "Sure, buddy!"
"Desperado Blaster!" Paildramon fired off a pair of cannons at Skull Satamon, distracting the fiend from his target.
"More fresh meat," Skull Satamon cackled. "Nail Bone!"
Paildramon leapt out of the way of the energy spikes.
"Try these nails on for size. Animal Nail!" Vicious claws extended from Pandamon's paws while he ran up to the fiendish skeleton and sliced into red ribs.
Skull Satamon clubbed Pandamon upside the head with his scepter, but then screeched in pain as Paildramon fired a volley of energy pellets into his back. "I will kill you all."
There was a chorus of 'Sonic Voice' and a 'Super Sonic Voice' as screaming energy descended upon Skull Satamon, obliterating him.
"Thanks for the help!" Daisuke called out to the Gryphomon and the numerous Hippo Gryphomon flying overhead.
Gryphomon shook his head. "We are the ones in dept to Angemon and his friends."
"Can you see where my other friends are?" Daisuke asked.
"Most of them are that way." Gryphomon pointed with his claw. "Though some one seems injured just as she is. I'll send medical help that way."
"Great! Thanks!" Daisuke turned around and then sighed seeing that Paildramon had devolved to Chibimon and Garurumon had returned to being Gabumon. "Pandamon, could you carry Daisuke to our friends?"
"Our friends?" Pandamon repeated with a laugh. "Yeah. I like that." He carefully picked up the now slumbering girl. "Let's go!"
Daisuke picked up Chibimon and ran to the larger group of his friends with Gabumon and Pandamon running alongside him.
No sooner than when they arrived at where most of their friends were, a tiny clown car honked it's way into the middle of the assembled digimon and humans. The car door opened and a foot larger than the whole care emerged. Slowly Piemon pried himself out of the car and saw nothing but glaring faces directed at him.
"My. My. My. Such a surprise you've all given me. After the ones least likely to succeed killed their opponents in cruel fashion, I began to wonder if my challenge was too easy. But then three of you lost! Then even Pinnochimon decided to stab me in the back." Piemon reached behind himself and pulled a dagger out as if it had been shoved there. He promptly threw it at Pandamon, but a Hippo Gryphomon swooped down and grabbed the weapon before it could've hit.
"Mind your manners," Gryphomon warned with the flock of Hippo Gryphomon surrounding him.
"Fine." Piemon shrugged as if the Ultimate and all the Perfect digimon didn't even remotely intimidate him. "A deal is a deal. Though I guess it sucks to be you, Mimi and Yamato."
Iori grimaced, knowing that he would soon be experiencing the injuries his real body had incurred.
"I deserve it," Ken convicted himself.
"So you may believe." Piemon threw the cards at Iori, Mimi, Ken, and Yamato.
Each of their digimon slipped a level lower.
Iori swooned and instinctively clutched at his side. "What happened? Last I remember was Skull Satamon attacking and..." He patted his body. "I'm a boy. I'm..." He saw Daisuke standing a short distance away and then studied his hands knowing he was not in his real body. "I'm Iori?! What happened?"
"I'm afraid we both lost, and so did Iori," Daisuke explained.
Ken let out a long sigh of relief after confirming he had been successfully switched back to his real body. He then glanced at Ishida. "Sorry."
"I owe you," Yamato hissed in pain, but he wasn't truly upset. Being in the body he was born in was worth a little pain.
Mimi seemed to spasm briefly, but did not awaken.
"Well, looks like Taichi and Sora are finally nearing their exit. Laters!" Piemon dived into the tiny clown car, and a rocket emerged from the trunk, launching the diminutive car out of sight.
Jyou ran over to Mimi and began to tend to her wound.
"You failed?" Hikari questioned.
Daisuke shook his head. "I'd say winning Pinnochimon over as a friend is victory enough."
"Pinnochimon?!" was chorused by many of those present.
Pandamon nodded happily but then frowned at the gathered humans and digimon. "What kind of game can I play with baby digimon? They aren't fast enough to race me. You guys have any suggestions?"
"I taught him the value of playing real games," Daisuke whispered to Hikari. He then sighed looking at their weakened digimon. "Now we can only hope Iori and his friends can deal with Piemon after Sora and Taichi defeat their challenge."
-----------------
Author's Notes:
Coming Next: Chapter 14 - Courageous Love
Taichi and Sora fight there way out of the maze, and reach beyond the challenge presented.