| Chapter Eight: Gatomon's Lightning Claw |
| Salamon lazily opened one eye the next morning. She saw a crowd of people, but thought nothing of it, and closed her eye again. Then she jumped up in shock as she realised that all of the group were standing around her and Eaglemon! She turned to Eaglemon. �Eaglemon!� Salamon shouted. �Get up!� Eaglemon awoke with a start and looked around. Salamon jumped off of Eaglemon�s lap. �Aww, isn�t Digimon love cute?� Sam teased. �Shut up Sam�, Salamon threatened, �or I swear when we find your Digivice I�m gonna shove it straight up your�� Salamon was cut off when Eaglemon covered her mouth with his wing. �I think Salamon meant to wish you all a good morning.� Eaglemon said. However, Eaglemon got the surprise of his life when Salamon sunk her teeth into his wing! Eaglemon screamed and shook his wing frantically for a few seconds in an attempt to shake off the puppy Digimon. The others couldn�t contain their laughter at Eaglemon�s plight. Eventually, Salamon let go. �Wish that, Eaglemon!� Salamon shouted, running over to Andrea. �Ow�� Eaglemon moaned in pain, clutching his wing. |
| The group continued down their path through the seemingly endless forest. Eventually, they came to a tall mountainside, with a cave dug into it. The party peered into the cave slowly. �Hello?� Darren called, his voice echoing throughout the hollow. There was no answer. The group started to walk into the cave. Kerri walked to the right wall of the cave and bumped into something. She turned to face it, only to see a Digimon facing her! She let out a scream, earning the attention of the others, then realised it was a statue of a Digimon. �It�s just a statue, Kerri!� Khalid informed. �I know�� Kerri said. �It�s just scary�� �Why would someone put a statue like that in here?� Salamon asked. �I dunno�� Andrea trailed off, examining the statue. It was a cross between a horse and a human, which wore a metal helmet and metal hands. On its right hand was some sort of gun. Suddenly, they heard a bird call. �Oh no, don�t tell me Swoopmon�s come back!� Darren exclaimed. �No!� Kerri screamed, clutching her head. She obviously was still shaken from her fall into the ravine. �No, it�s not�� Tim trailed off, looking down into the back of the cave. �Look!� The others looked into the bottom of the cave and could see a tall bird Digimon with a white plumage. It cackled at the group. �Hey, it�s Kokatorimon!� Slythamon shouted. �Really?� Audrey asked, looking down at her partner. �Looks like a giant chicken to me.� �Kokatorimon is a bird Digimon capable of turning others to stone!� Slythamon said, before making nodding motions towards the statue. �That must have been what happened to that guy.� �Ah, you all must be the Digidestined!� Kokatorimon shouted, approaching the group. �The digi-what?� Khalid replied, dumbfounded. �Don�t play dumb, stupid brats!� Kokatorimon screamed. �I know you�re here to destroy my master, Davimon! Well, I won�t let you!� �What are you talking about?� Darren asked. �We don�t know anyone called Davimon!� �Ah, but we have your Digivices!� Kokatorimon continued, ignoring Darren comments. �DemiDevidramon gave me one just now! It looks very nice on me, don�t you think?� Kokatorimon lifted his feathers and, surely enough; one of the Digivices was secured to his left talon with a piece of string. �Hey, that�s ours!� Kerri shouted. �Damn you, give it back!� Kokatorimon began to laugh. �You Digidestined aren�t too bright, are you?� The bird Digimon taunted. �Without your Digivices, you�re nothing, and my boss will rule the Digiworld!� �The digi-what?� Khalid repeated. �You fool!� Kokatorimon insulted. �Frozen Fire Shot!� A missile of energy shot out from Kokatorimon�s eyes and flew towards Khalid. �Slipmon Digivolve to� Hereticmon!� Khalid�s Digimon announced, changing into his larger form. Hereticmon pushed Khalid down to the ground and the attack flew over their heads. �What?� Kokatorimon cried in disbelief. �How could you Digivolve without your Digivices�� Kokatorimon examined Khalid and saw the Digivice clipped to his jeans. �No! You got your Digivice back?� �Yeah, I did!� Khalid announced proudly. �Go, Hereticmon!� �Darkness Grenades!� Hereticmon threw his dark balls of energy quickly at Kokatorimon. �Frozen Fire Shot!� Kokatorimon launched his attack, and it flew past the balls of energy, destroying them, before hitting Hereticmon. The large Digimon was surrounded by energy for a second, then the energy faded, leaving Hereticmon a statue. �Hereticmon!� Khalid exclaimed. �Oh shit!� Suddenly, Kerri had a bright idea. She pulled out the Digivice in her pocket, the one that Eaglemon had recovered from Swoopmon, and waved it at Kokatorimon. �Hey Kokatorimon!� Kerri called, and the bird Digimon faced her. �You want one for the other leg?� �Where did you get that?� Kokatorimon shouted. �Give it to me!� �Catch!� Kerri shouted, throwing it to Adrian. Adrian looked up and saw Kokatorimon running towards him. Quickly catching on to Kerri�s plan, Adrian threw it to Sam. Sam caught it and watched the screen as Kokatorimon approached him. There was no reaction, so he threw it to Audrey. Audrey did the same, and once again, there was no reaction, so she passed it to Andrea. Kokatorimon approached Andrea, and the Digivice came to life, its screen lighting up! Salamon glowed a brilliant white light, lighting up the entire cavern. �Salamon Digivolve to�� The dog Digimon announced, growing larger, but only a little larger. ��Gatomon!� Andrea looked down at the new Digimon. It was a little white cat, with a purple and white striped tail that had a gold ring around the end. She also wore a pair of yellow gloves with claws on them. �Gatomon?� Andrea repeated. �You�re kinda small, aren�t you?� �Hey, don�t underestimate me!� Gatomon said. �I may be small, but I can still beat Kokatorimon into kitty litter!� �Yeah, right!� Kokatorimon taunted. �Frozen Fire Shot!� The attack flew towards Gatomon, but the cat Digimon jumped and avoided the attack. Kokatorimon wondered where Gatomon had gone for a second, before feeling something fall onto his back and grab the feathers on his scruff. �Hey, get off!� Kokatorimon screamed, bucking wildly. Gatomon smiled and jumped up again. �Hey, where have you gone?� �Here I am!� Gatomon affirmed, jumping onto Kokatorimon�s head. The bird squawked and shook himself again, but Gatomon held on tightly. She jumped off again. �Stop messing about and fight me!� Kokatorimon ordered, visibly angry. �Alright then!� Gatomon shouted. �Lightning Claw!� Just as Kokatorimon had turned to face the source of the voice, he felt a sharp set of claws scratch his face. He screamed in pain and looked around. �You stupid cat!� Kokatorimon shouted angrily, looking around the cave for his foe. Then, he felt a gust by his left leg, and then saw a device fly through the air to Andrea, who caught it. �Look after it, Andrea!� Gatomon shouted. �No, not my Digivice!� Kokatorimon exclaimed. �Damn you Gatomon!� Gatomon stood right in front of Kokatorimon and smiled. �I�ve got you now! Frozen Fire Shot!� Kokatorimon beckoned, shooting the petrifying energy beam at Gatomon. The cat Digimon calmly jumped out of the way as the attack hit. �I�m here now!� Gatomon called, standing behind Kokatorimon. The large bird turned, and fired his attack again, but he missed, as Gatomon jumped out of the way again. This went on for some time, Kokatorimon firing his attacks and Gatomon dodging them with her exceptional agility. Eventually, Kokatorimon doubled over in exhaustion, gasping for breath. �My turn now! Lightning Claw!� Gatomon screamed, jumping at Kokatorimon and scratching him. The bird Digimon let on a final scream of pain, before splitting into dust. Gatomon licked her paws and cleaned her ears cat style as white energy surrounded her. She was still licking her ears as Salamon. Andrea approached her. �Who�s kinda small now?� Salamon remarked, looking up at her companion. �Okay, I guess you were pretty good.� Andrea replied. �Huh� what happened?� A voice called. They all turned to Hereticmon, who was recovering from Kokatorimon�s petrifaction spell. �Where�s Kokatorimon?� �Salamon Digivolved and got him.� Tim informed him. �What? So I Digivolved for nothing?� Hereticmon shouted. He glowed white and shrunk down to his Slipmon form. �Not for nothing.� Sam informed. �You did save Khalid.� Slipmon thought about that for a moment. Then he just scowled and shook his head. �Hey, what about that Digimon?� Kerri asked referring to the statue she had bumped into. Suddenly, the figure groaned and shook his head. The grey colour of the statue turned orange and purple, and in his helmet a red eye was visible. �Welcome back, Centarumon!� Onomon welcomed. �What�s his name?� Audrey asked. �Centarumon is a really wise and peaceful Digimon.� Onomon informed. �He knows more about the Digiworld than anyone else!� �Well, almost anyone.� Centarumon corrected. �Welcome, Digidestined. As Onomon said, I am Centarumon. I�ve been waiting for you all here, as I have information for you all.� �What kind of information?� Tim asked. �Allow me to start from the top.� Centarumon began. �This world is the digital world, or the Digiworld. It was created by eight great Digimon gods millions of years ago. However, eventually evil Digimon started to rise up and rebel against the eight gods. They were powerful enough to handle the scourge�at first.� �At first?� Darren repeated. �Yes.� Centarumon continued. �Eventually, the evil grew too great in power for even the eight gods to handle. They knew they had to do something. They knew they needed help. That�s where you all come in. The eight of you make a group that is collectively known as the Digidestined. You are destined to save the Digiworld, and the Digivices, as well as the Digimon that accompany you, are there to help you.� �The Digivices were stolen from us, though�� Kerri trailed off. �I�m well aware of that fact.� Centarumon told them. �I, myself, managed to defeat one of Davimon�s servants and recover this Digivice.� He held out one of the small machines for the party to see. �Hey, thanks, Centarumon!� Khalid shouted. �But, whose is it?� Kerri asked. �It�s�� Centarumon began, tapping the buttons on the device. ��Darren�s.� �What? How did you know that?� Tim asked. �Simple.� Centarumon explained. �You just press this button, and this button, and their details come up on the screen.� Centarumon threw the device to Darren, who caught it and clipped it to his belt. The others looked on in disbelief. �You mean all this time we didn�t need to worry about whose Digivice is whose?� Andrea screamed. �No.� Centarumon said. �Why? Have you?� The group did not speak, but simply exchanged incredulous glances. Andrea took out the device Gatomon had stolen from Kokatorimon and pressed a few buttons, discovering it was Sam�s. �Sam!� Andrea called, and Sam turned to her. She threw the device to him and he smiled and clipped it to his trousers. �Well, in any case, your Digivices are extremely important tools.� Centarumon revealed. �They can be used as watches, calendars, identification, a radar to find other Digivices, and probably most importantly of all, to enable the Digivolution of your Digimon allies. But they do have a much more valuable use. You cannot consciously use this function, it will be activated when needed.� �Okay�� Sam replied. �One last thing, Centarumon.� Audrey begun. �Who�s Davimon?� �Davimon is one of the evil Digimon that has caused the chaos here in the Digiworld.� Centarumon disclosed. �He is the one that is responsible for the loss of your Digivices.� �He was the one Tapirmon was talking about!� Shocamon exclaimed. �Correct, Shocamon.� Centarumon said. �Listen, Digidestined, you must destroy Davimon! The cleansing of the digital world cannot begin if he still exists!� �Where is he?� Sam asked. �This cave is part of a tall mountain. He lives atop the mountain, near the peak.� |
| �Farewell Digidestined!� Centarumon called. �And good luck!� �Bye Centarumon!� Audrey called back. �Laters Centarumon!� Adrian shouted. �Great, now we have to climb this mountain�� Kerri remarked, looking up at it. �Well I�m alright, I can fly.� Eaglemon said. �You all might slow me down, though.� |