| Chapter Fourteen: Action and Intention |
| Andrea sat down by a small lake she had found in the forest and placed Salamon carefully at her side. She looked around at the quiet scenery surrounding her; the tall trees blocked out all but some of the midday sun, and the few rays that did get through played on the water with beautiful effect. The small waterfall in the area created a high volume of sound, but Andrea found this sound relaxing, so, she thought, it could hardly be called noise. At the opposite side of the lake, a stream flowed out of the lake and into a river, where it flowed off, eventually to meet the sea. This is when she thought about Elecmon�s words. The Digidestined have to work together, so does this mean that the eight of them were destined to regroup? Even if she didn�t feel that it was appropriate? It was just like the stream; the water was destined to accumulate, and so were the Digidestined. She sighed at the inevitability of it all; was her decision to leave the group pointless? No, not pointless. If she had been present when Dracomon first attacked, she may not have saved Audrey and Adrian, or any of the people she had saved, and she wouldn�t have found her crest. Dracomon wouldn�t have attacked at all if I was there�He would have been too scared. Andrea giggled despite her ignorance of the situation and took the Crest of Selflessness from her pocket. She inspected it, and then looked down at her own Crest of Emotion. She then thought about Adrian�s Crest of Knowledge. Were Sam and Adrian worthy of their crests? Yes. Was she? I still don�t know. Shaking herself out of this decidedly pointless train of thought, Andrea realised that she was bored. She cupped her hands and dipped them into the pool. Smiling evilly, she threw the water over Salamon. The rookie Digimon awoke with a start and growled at Andrea. �Andi!� Salamon shouted. �What did you do that for?� �I was bored.� Andrea replied. �Dammit!� Salamon cursed. �I was having a dream too.� �What about?� �I dreamt�I needed to pee.� Salamon said, before running into the bushes. Andrea laughed. It must have been the sound of the waterfall that encouraged this. Andrea looked the water over; it was some of the cleanest water she�d ever seen. She decided to take a swim. She took off her tag and Digivice and laid them nearby. She then took off her top, shoes, trousers and socks, leaving her in her underwear, and slipped into the pool. Salamon emerged from the bushes and looked down at Andrea. �What are you doing?� Salamon asked. �Swimming.� Andrea replied. �Hey Salamon�� �Yeah?� �Could you take the Crest of Selflessness to Sam for me?� Andrea requested. �Do I have to?� Salamon replied. �Well, it�s just that I can�t really be bothered.� Andrea explained. �Look at the radar on my Digivice, it�ll tell you where he is.� ��Fine�� Salamon agreed finally, pressing some buttons on Andrea�s Digivice. She eyed the radar; it revealed that Sam was to the south of their position. Salamon grabbed the Crest of Selflessness in her mouth and bounded off, leaving Andrea to float horizontally on the water, gazing skyward. |
| Abdulmon landed with a skid along the forest floor and allowed his passengers to get off. He then glowed white and shrunk down to his Eaglemon form. �Where did Dracomon go?� Kerri asked the group. �I think Gatomon attacked him.� Sam informed. �What!� Kerri exclaimed. �Andi and Gatomon can�t fight Dracomon alone! We have to go back!� �Hang on guys�� Sam said. They looked at him and saw that his tag was glowing. �My crest is nearby!� �Who cares!� Kerri shouted. �We have to find Andi!� The entire group looked down as the nearby bushes rattled and Salamon crawled out from under them. �Salamon!� Kerri said. �Where�s Andi?� Salamon spat out the Crest of Selflessness, which was glowing, and looked up at Kerri. �She�s alright.� Salamon said. �Is that my crest?� Sam asked. He bent down, picked it up and slid it into his tag. �Where is Andrea, Salamon?� Khalid asked. �I can�t tell you�� Salamon replied. �Tell us!� Kerri shouted. Salamon turned and ran off. �Salamon!� Kerri called. She started to run after the small Digimon, but Sam stopped her. �Let her go.� Sam said. �What? Why?� Kerri asked. �I don�t know how, but Andrea and Gatomon faced Dracomon alone and survived.� Sam reminded her. �I get the feeling they can handle themselves.� �But Sam�� Kerri trailed off. �Kerri, he does have a point.� Khalid concurred. Kerri looked down at the ground. �I guess�� Kerri submitted. |
| Salamon bounded back to Andrea. �Done, Andi.� She said. �Thanks, Salamon.� Andrea replied, smiling at Salamon. Salamon jumped into the water near her Digidestined and paddled towards her. Andrea shifted her position so she was treading water vertically and looked at her Digimon. �Salamon, do you think I should go back?� �Back where?� �To the others.� Andrea said. �Elecmon said that we need to get together eventually. Do you think I should just save time and go back?� �It�s up to you, Andi.� Salamon replied. �Whatever you decide is best, I�ll follow you.� �Why?� �I was born to protect you.� Salamon answered. �I waited my entire life for you to arrive in the digital world. When you wait that long for someone, and they finally arrive�� �Salamon�� �I was so happy when you came, Andi.� Salamon continued. �I was happy, but I didn�t know why. I can�t explain it.� �Salamon�� Andrea repeated, hugging her Digimon. Salamon smiled and nestled into Andrea�s shoulder. �You�re here now.� The two stayed like this for a while, Andrea slowly petting Salamon. Then she held her Digimon in front of her. �How will we dry ourselves?� Andrea asked. �I don�t know.� Salamon answered, looking around. �We�ll have to wait.� |
| Sam picked some apples off of the tree and handed them to the group. �Here guys, have an apple each.� Sam offered, and the others each took an apple and ate it as they walked down the forest path. �Why did you only pick five?� Kerri asked when she saw he didn�t have one himself. �I�m not hungry.� Sam lied. He glanced down at his crest. It wasn�t glowing. �You are hungry, aren�t you Sam?� Tridemon whispered, jumping up onto Sam�s shoulder. �I�m starving, Tridemon!� Sam admitted, holding his Digimon in place with one arm. �I�m trying to make my crest glow.� �Since when was your crest the crest of starvation?� �No, I�m trying to be selfless.� �Starving yourself isn�t selfless, it�s stupid.� Tridemon replied, jumping down to the ground again. �Well, what can I do?� Sam asked him. �Don�t worry about it.� Tridemon told him. �It�ll glow eventually.� �I want it to happen now!� �You�re too impatient!� Tridemon argued. �I know�� Sam said, looking around, and seeing something of interest on a rocky ledge above. �Hey Tridemon, look at that!� �What?� Tridemon replied, looking up. He saw a boulder resting on the ledge. �It�s a big rock.� �Big enough to squash us?� �I suppose, yeah.� �Wouldn�t it be a selfless act if that boulder was rolling down the hill towards Kerri and Khalid, and I pushed them out of the way?� �What!� Tridemon exclaimed. �Sam, don�t be stupid! What if you don�t push them out of the way in time? They�ll be killed!� �Don�t worry Tridemon, I can save them!� Sam assured him. �Now, hurry and set that ball rolling.� �No, Sam! I�m not doing this!� �Come on Tridemon, you have to!� Sam answered. �How else will our crest glow?� Tridemon sighed. ��Alright.� �Good boy!� Sam said. �Let�s get ready.� |
| Andrea slipped on her tag and clipped her Digivice back to her belt as she and Salamon prepared to move on. But what they didn�t account on was a pair of evil, hungry eyes watching them from beneath the water. |
| Sam smiled at Tridemon and the small rookie Digimon nodded back as they approached the part of the mountain in front of the boulder. Sam prepared himself, standing in a position where he could push Khalid, Kerri and their Digimon out of the way simultaneously. As soon as they crossed the point with the boulder, Tridemon slid his trident underneath the rock and used it as a lever to lift it up and set it rolling. Khalid and Kerri looked around as they heard a low rumbling sound. �What�s that, guys?� Khalid asked. Then Kerri looked up and saw the boulder. She screamed, but Sam dove forwards, pushing his two friends and their Digimon out of the way. Tridemon landed beside the group, lying down to make it seem as though he had dove forwards. Kerri and Khalid got up. �You saved us�� Kerri trailed off. �Hey, safe Sam!� Khalid thanked, patting him on the shoulder. �It�s okay�� Sam said, looking down at his t-shirt. He saw a black glow. Taking his tag out from under it, he saw that the crest was glowing, but instead of emitting light, it was absorbing it, making the crest appear black. Sam scowled; what did this mean? Tridemon looked up at Sam while Kerri and Khalid weren�t watching. Sam shook his head. �Help!� A voice screamed. �That was Andi!� Kerri exclaimed. �Let�s go!� Khalid shouted, and the three set off with their Digimon to the source of the noise. Eventually they reached a lake, where they found a set of tentacles dragging Andrea underwater. Gatomon was trying her hardest to pull Andrea the other way, but she was too weak, and she knew she couldn�t attack the source of the tentacles as long as its body was underwater. �Guys, Digivolve now!� Khalid screamed. �Slipmon Digivolve to�Hereticmon!� �Eaglemon Digivolve to�Abdulmon!� The two champion Digimon approached the lake. Hereticmon grabbed Andrea with all four arms and, with Gatomon�s help, pulled the young girl away from the water. The group looked on as the tentacles rose from the lake, lifting out the body. It was a red and black octopus, which wore a stone helmet with a crown on top. In one of its tentacles it carried a cutlass, and in another, a gun of some sort. �It�s Octomon!� Gatomon cried. �He uses his spurting ink attack to blind his prey, then drags them underwater with his tentacles to eat them!� �That�s not happening to Andi!� Kerri exclaimed. �Go, Abdulmon!� �Mega Wing!� Abdulmon shouted, releasing a red ball of energy at Octomon. It hit the mollusc in the helmet, which didn�t seem to do much damage. �Spurting Ink!� Octomon cried, firing some black ink from his gun at Abdulmon. It hit the bird Digimon in the eye, blinding him and sending him back to his rookie stage. �Sam!� Tridemon called. �Tridemon, why haven�t you Digivolved?� �I can�t!� Tridemon informed. �I don�t have the energy!� �Are you hungry?� �No, it�s not hunger! It�s something else!� �Something else�� Sam mused. �Can you attack as a rookie?� �I�ll try! Trident Flame!� Tridemon shouted, firing a string of flames at Octomon. Again, it didn�t seem to do much against his helmet. �It�s that helmet!� Hereticmon said. �We have to find a way around it!� �Lightning Claw!� Gatomon cried, scratching Octomon on one of its tentacles. The octopus screamed and turned to Gatomon. �Spurting Ink!� Octomon called, firing ink at Gatomon. It hit, and the cat Digimon was downgraded to her Salamon form. �It�s only Hereticmon now!� Khalid cried, as his Digimon ran towards Octomon. �Spurting Ink!� Octomon shouted, firing ink at Hereticmon. Hereticmon rolled forwards, dodging the attack, and grabbed four of Octomon�s tentacles, one in each hand. He swung the octopus Digimon around in circles above his head, eventually letting go, throwing the foe into the air. Hereticmon aimed for the mollusc�s sensitive underbelly. �Darkness Grenades!� Hereticmon cried, releasing a volley of dark balls of energy that impacted with Octomon�s underbelly. The evil Digimon screamed, until eventually, he split into dust. |
| �Somehow, that wasn�t right�how could she be so easily trapped by that?� Dracomon reflected, watching the Digidestined from near the lake. �It must be that she has not yet learned�humph! I was a fool to be afraid of that girl!� With these words, Dracomon flew back to his hideout. |
| �Guys, I�ve been thinking.� Andrea said, looking down at the ground as she spoke. �I�m sorry I left, but now I want to go with you again.� �You should be sorry!� Kerri screamed. �Do you know how worried we�ve been?� �We know.� Salamon spoke, walking out from under Andrea�s feet. �We know what we did could have been called selfish, but Andrea needed to find her path.� �Find her path?� Khalid repeated. �What the fuck? You left us just so you could find your path?� �Well, yeah.� Andrea replied. �You see, I didn�t know if the Crest of Emotion was right for me. I had to find out.� �And was it?� Sam asked. �Yeah.� Andrea replied, smiling. �I was hugging Salamon and I realised that I feel so strongly for her, even though I just met her. �And Kerri�� Andrea continued, approaching the other girl. �I feel strongly for you too. I love you, Kez.� �I love you too�� Kerri replied, and the two girls hugged. After a while, Andrea turned to Sam. �Sam�� Andrea said, hugging him. Sam hugged back, until Andrea pulled back and turned to Khalid. �And Khalid� Err�� Andrea leaned towards him and patted him on the shoulder. �What! I just saved your life!� Khalid objected. �No, Slipmon did.� Andrea said, bending down and hugging Slipmon. She then stood and looked down at her crest. It was glowing. She smiled and looked down at Salamon. �You did it, Andi.� Salamon said. �Your crest is glowing!� �Yeah!� Andrea said, smiling. Sam looked down at his own crest; the black glow was only just disappearing. What was it? |
| �Tridemon?� Sam asked, as the group were falling asleep for the night. �Yeah?� Tridemon replied. �Why weren�t you able to Digivolve?� �I couldn�t seem to build up enough power.� Tridemon answered. �I�m sorry.� �It�s alright�� Sam replied. �I think it has something to do with my crest glowing black.� �It glowed black?� Tridemon said, approaching him. �Yeah. I don�t know why.� �I think I do�� �What was it?� Sam asked. �I mean, I think I�ve been pretty selfless today.� �No, Sam, you�re wrong. You�ve been selfish.� �What?� �Don�t you see?� Tridemon figured. �You may have saved Kerri and Khalid, but that wasn�t because you were being selfless, it was because you wanted your crest to glow. Even though your actions were selfless, your intentions were selfish.� �My intentions were selfish�� Sam repeated. �You�re right! That must be why you couldn�t Digivolve!� �Hey�� Tridemon cried. �You mean, counteracting a crest negates a Digivolution to champion?� �Seems so.� Sam figured. �So your action and your intention must match the quality of your crest�� �Yeah.� �Great.� Sam said sarcastically. �That means my crest will never glow.� �Why not?� �Because�� Sam explained. ��Because I�m not courageous enough to be selfless.� �What do you mean?� Tridemon asked. �Every time one of my friends is in danger, I want to help, but I can�t�� Sam said. �I just can�t muster up the courage to stand up to the danger that�s threatening them.� �How do you know that?� Sam sighed. �I remember one time�Tim was about to be attacked by a little Pikey kid. I saw it, but� I couldn�t stop that kid from attacking him.� �Did Tim get hurt?� �No.� Sam said. �Barry told the Pikey�s friend about it, and he stopped it. But that�s haunted me ever since. What if the case arises where I have to really put myself in danger? I won�t be able to� because my legs will just turn to jelly. I know they will.� �That�s not true!� �It is.� Sam answered. �I failed then, I failed today and I�m always gonna fail.� Tridemon hit Sam over the head with his trident. �Ow!� Sam cried, rubbing his head. �Snap out of it!� Tridemon exclaimed. �You can make that crest glow. I know it!� Sam smiled and sighed. �Thanks Tridemon. I hope you�re right.� �Of course I�m right. Now get to sleep.� Tridemon said, and the two rolled onto their sides and closed their eyes. �Sam, one thing before I sleep.� �What?� �What�s a Pikey?� �Believe me, you don�t wanna know.� |