The Tale of the Dark Digidestined
By Jareth Valentine, Ann Bannon, and Hikayo Lee
Disclaimer: I didn't write this myself. We're passing this project between each other, and Jareth usually takes a very long time...anyways, here's what we've gotten down so far, about a year ago. I just got their consent to post this. Hope you enjoy it, and please review!
Jareth yawned loudly, turning over in his sleep. His long black hair in a messy tangle across his pillow. The light of the full moon poured in through his window, casting an oblong rectangle of silver light across his bed. The red, glowing numbers on his alarm clock read 5:23 AM. Only ten minutes ago he had retired to his bed, but already, he
was dreaming.
He dreamed of being pulled down a long, endless corridor. At the end of the tunnel was a strange spark...a single point that glowed with an unearthly green light. Though he was racing down the corridor at a remarkable speed, he seemed not to be nearing the light at all. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that was very important. He knew he had to reach it...but he didn't know why. Without warning, the light became brighter...much brighter. It suddenly became so bright that it hurt his eyes to look at it. It became so bright....
...That it woke him up. Startled, Jareth sat up. By the light of the eerie green glow, he....wait a minute. Green light? Jareth turned toward his window. Sure enough, the same unearthly green light from his dream was pouring in through the glass. Curious, Jareth walked over and opened his window--not the most intelligent thing to do, he thought, considering he didn't know what it was. Who knew...maybe the aliens had come to take him away.
"About time," He said quietly to himself , staring up at the green light. Jareth flinched as the spot of light flared, then fell from the sky like a shooting star, landing square in the middle of his back yard.
Acting quickly, Jareth pulled on his boots. He didn't know what that thing was, but he sure as Hell was going to find out. He pulled on his coat and ran out through the back door, grateful that his mother wasn't home.
The back yard was strangely silent, and Jareth realized that this was because the crickets in the back yard had all stopped chirping, frightened by the mysterious object. As Jareth grew nearer, he could see that it was small, about the size of a silver dollar. It was oblong and emerald green, with a circular silver screen embedded in the center. There were three small black buttons on the face, though he could not have hoped to guess what they were for. The whole thing looked like some sort of miniature computer.
Jareth bent down and picked it up...and as soon as he did, the screen began to shine a brilliant, blinding white. His hand closed tightly on the small device, and he could not have released it if he had wanted to. The world began to spin, faster and faster, until he could no longer make out the scenery around him. He felt an odd sensation, as though he were being lifted off his feet, and then....it all went black.
* * *
Jareth was awakened rather rudely by the blinding glare of sunlight shining on his face. Indeed, there were few sensations he hated more. Scowling, he reached into his coat pocket...Yes, they were still there...and pulled out a pair of polished black sunglasses. Sliding them onto his face, Jareth sat up and looked around. He appeared to be in the middle of a forest clearing. But how had he gotten here? There were no forests anywhere near his house.
Jareth got to his feet and began brushing himself off. As he did so, a voice behind him spoke, sounding both amused and menacing at the same time.
"Ah, so you're finally awake."
Jareth turned, and there before him stood one of the most bizarre specimens he had ever seen. It had distinctly clownish features, like the Joker on a playing card. It's--His? Clothing was all one piece, red on one side, black on the other. His face, too, was split down the middle, and he had diamonds painted over his eyes like a mime. Yet there was something in his nature that wasn't even remotely amusing. Even without the disapproving glare and the sinister smile, this...thing....emitted an air of distinct evil.
Moments passed, and neither spoke; both seemed to be sizing up the other. Finally, Jareth broke the silence:
"And you are....?"
The creature's grin returned. "I am Piedmon."
This cleared up a great deal. Jareth shrugged.
Piedmon sighed. "I am Piedmon, the last of the Dark Masters."
Jareth shrugged again.
Piedmon scowled. This conversation clearly wasn't going the way he had intended. "Do you mean to tell me that you have never heard of me? Of the Dark Masters?"
"Nope."
Piedmon appeared shocked. "Never heard of me! Me! The Greatest of the Dark Masters! The most terrifying Digimon ever to grace the Digital World! This is an outrage!"
Jareth watched as Piedmon began pacing, still ranting. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
Piedmon stopped pacing. "What?"
Jareth ticked the questions off on his fingers. "What's a Digimon? What's the Digital World? Who are the Dark Masters? If you're the last one, what happened to the others? How did I get here, and why?"
Piedmon stopped pacing. "My, you have quite a few questions. If you must know, I brought you here. You..." He paused, supposedly for dramatic emphasis. "Are the Dark Digidestined."
Jareth shrugged again.
"How little you know. Very well, the other Dark Masters were destroyed by the Digidestined, a group of children slightly younger than you. There are eight of them, and each has a Digimon companion."
"And what's--"
"What's a Digimon? I am a Digimon. Most of the creatures you will encounter from now on will be Digimon. We take a variety of forms, and have several different levels of power. I am a Mega. The highest level there is."
"Okay. So, you're a Digimon. The strongest level there is. You used to belong to a group called the Dark Masters, but they were destroyed by the Digidestined. You brought me here, and now I'm supposed to be the Dark Digidestined. And I supposed this," he indicated the clearing. "Is the Digital World? Have I got it all?"
Piedmon nodded. "You're very intelligent, Jareth. I would be most amused to see whether you can tell me WHY I brought you here."
"I assume I'm supposed to defeat the Digidestined."
Piedmon's grin broadened. "VERY good! Very good indeed! So...do you think you're up to it, Jareth?"
Jareth considered. `Well.....Piedmon, right?"
"Correct," said Piedmon. "And this..." Piedmon gestured down towards his legs. As if on cue, a small creature hopped out from behind him.
"Is Zekamon," Piedmon finished.
Zekamon appeared to be little more than a hopping head. His skin..or was it fur? was a dark purple, and a pair of dark green horns sprouted from the side of it's head. It also had a severe overbite, making it look vaguely vampiric.
"Hi!" Zekamon said. "Guess what? I'm going to be your partner! It'll be just me and you, versus the Digidestined! Won't that be FUN?"
Zekamon's voice was shrill, and his cheerful attitude grated on Jareth's nerves. He looked back up at Piedmon.
"So what's in it for me?" Jareth asked.
"What?!" Piedmon asked sharply, as though enraged that anyone should demand a reward for serving him.
"What's...in it...for me?" Jareth asked, more slowly. "Why should I risk my hide to kill a bunch of kids that even YOU can't handle, Mr. Highest Level There Is? What's in it for me?"
Piedmon scowled again. "If you don't, I will never send you back to your own world! You will have to spend the rest of your miserable life lost in the Digital World!"
"And just what makes you think I want to return?"
Piedmon looked astonished. "Have you no friends? No family?"
Jareth shrugged. "I haven't got a whole lot worth going back for."
Piedmon scowled yet again, considering. "Well, if you will not serve me of your own free will, then I shall just have to make other arrangements. Clown trick!"
As he yelled the last two words, Piedmon pointed at Jareth. A ring of whitish-yellow light flew from his hands and entered Jareth's head.
The world was spinning again. Jareth's thoughts were more muddled than usual. He couldn't quite...he couldn't....spinning...spinning....
He was back in the hall from his dream, and there was the green light, still shining up ahead....but as he watched, it began to change, turning from emerald green to a dark, sickly purple.....and then, he was no longer floating towards it; it was as if it had thrown him away, he was suddenly soaring in the opposite direction. As it got further and further away, the pale, unearthly light slowly faded from sight....
Suddenly, he was back in the clearing. Piedmon still stood before him, grinning once more. "That's more like it," he said. "Now, then....Good luck!"
Piedmon leapt into the air, and by the time Jareth looked up, he was gone.
Jareth looked down at Zekamon, who was also gazing up at the sky, attempting to get one last look at Piedmon.
"Well?" Jareth asked, causing Zekamon to look his way. "Are you coming or not?"
Jareth turned and began to make his way through the forest, Zekamon hopping at his heels.
* * *
"Jareth? I'm hungry," Zekamon said, hopping as fast as he could to keep up with Jareth's long strides. The pair had been walking ever since they left Piedmon's clearing. Night had fallen, and, indeed, was almost over.
Jareth sighed. Zekamon had been complaining of hunger for quite some time now, and he was beginning to feel a bit hungry himself.
"If I had known I was coming, I would have packed something. Hey," Jareth said, stopping short and causing Zekamon to run headlong into the back of his legs, "maybe I have something in here...."
Jareth began to dig through the pockets of his long black coat, grateful that he had remembered to put it on before leaving his house. Sure enough, inside the left-hand pocket he discovered a number of small, individually wrapped caramels.
Having no table or chair to speak of, Jareth sat down right on the ground next to Zekamon and unwrapped a caramel or two. He handed one to Zekamon, who sniffed it curiously.
"What....is it?"
"Candy. Food. Just eat it."
The words were barely out of his mouth before Zekamon snarfed up the caramel, almost taking Jareth's fingers with it.
Jareth enjoyed a few blissful moments of silence while the caramel most effectively glued Zekamon's mouth shut.
Swallowing his, Jareth stood and brushed his hands on his already filthy black jeans. "Well," Jareth said. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty tired. It'll be dawn soon."
Zekamon nodded, but was knocked over in mid-yawn. Jareth, too, was thrown off his feet as the earth beneath him yawned open. A large silver drill had split the ground, and a very strange creature was attached to the other end.
It looked like an extremely large purple mole, but with the sharp drill where it's nose belonged.
"Drimogemon!" Zekamon yelled.
"What?!" Jareth asked.
"Drimogemon! A champion-level Digimon. He usually dwells underground. What's he doing here?"
Zekamon gulped as Drimogemon loomed up over them, his drill spinning at an impressive speed.
Jareth's eyes searched the ground, looking for a weapon. His gaze fell on a convenient rock, and, not having a better idea, he seized it and threw it at Drimogemon with all his might.
The rock bounced off Drimogemon's hide and fell to the ground with a thud.
"He's a Champion-level Digimon!" Zekamon exclaimed again. "You can't hurt him with a ROCK!"
"Well, do you have a better idea?"
Jareth and Zekamon leapt back in different directions as Drimogemon's paw fell to the ground between them with a heavy thud.
"Bubble-blow!" Zekamon spit a stream of small bubbles at the larger Digimon. The bubbles struck home, each one causing a small explosion on contact, but Drimogemon appeared not to have even felt it.
Drimogemon swiped at Zekamon with his paw, knocking the small purple head against a nearby tree, and nearly knocking him unconscious. The large mole-like creature then turned to Jareth and started to advance menacingly.
"Ummm...Hi," Jareth said. "I'm Jareth. You're...Drimogemon, right? Nice to meet you."
Drimogemon didn't seem to want to chat.
"Riiight...Ummm...Zekamon? Little help?"
Zekamon groaned and tried to right himself, but only managed to roll a few feet.
Drimogemon, meeting no resistance, raised his paw and prepared to strike....
Without warning, the small device attached to Jareth's belt began to glow. As it did, Zekamon, too, began to glow, as if he had swallowed a flashlight. Jareth shielded his eyes against the light, but it was bright enough to be seen even through his hand. The light continued to shine, brighter and brighter until....
"Zekamon, Digivolve to....VENOMON!"
Jareth removed his hand from his eyes. Zekamon was gone. In his place stood a creature that appeared to be a small dinosaur. It stood nearly three feet tall on it's powerful-looking hind legs, and was covered from head to toe in fuzzy green fur. It had a short, stumpy tail that was tipped at the end by a short, curved, purple spike. Two wispy, featherlike antennae sprouted from the back of his head, reaching all the way back to his tail. His arms were very broad, almost like wings, and were covered by purple V-shaped markings. Three curved black claws adorned each arm, and a short golden horn protruded from his forehead.
"Venomon?" Jareth asked, confused.
Distracted, Drimogemon turned to face Venomon. Instead of the terrified look he had worn as Zekamon, Venomon face now displayed a look of grim determination. Spreading his arms, Venomon confirmed what Jareth had suspected: they did indeed function as wings.
Venomon hovered, ducking in and out of range, teasing Drimogemon and just generally having fun. Finally, when he decided he'd had enough fun, Venomon came to rest on the branch of a nearby tree. He leveled his golden horn at the larger Digimon, and shouted: "Stardust Ray!"
A steady beam of golden light emanated from his horn, forcing Drimogemon back. Finally, Drimogemon stumbled and fell over backwards into the very hole he had crawled out of.
Venomon fluttered back to the ground. Below them, they could hear Drimogemon rumbling off, presumably in search of easier prey. Venomon shot Jareth a weak smile, then collapsed. Jareth leapt forward, barely catching him in time.
"Venomon! Are you okay?"
Venomon replied in a feeble voice. "Do you have any more of that candy?"
Jareth grinned. "Sure, pal. As much as you want."
At that point, a peal of thunder split the air, and heavy rain began to pour from the sky.
* * *
Biyomon gazed at the forest around her, looking for something that would suit her purpose. Behind her, Sora searched through the underbrush, intent on the same task. It was their turn to break off from the group to search for firewood, but so far they hadn't had any luck. There wasn't much dead wood around, no fallen limbs, not so much as a twig. It didn't help that it had rained the night before.
The small, pink, bird-like Digimon flapped her wing-like arms and rose into the branches of a nearby tree. After all, they didn't call it a bird's-eye view for nothing. Biyomon gazed around, hoping to spot some wood that hadn't been soaked by the rain. Finally, she spotted something: A fallen tree that seemed relatively dry, having been sheltered by the trees surrounding it.
"Sora! Sora! I think I found something!" she called.
Sora's head poked up from out of the bushes. "Where?"
"Over here! Follow me!" with that, Biyomon swooped down from the limb towards the fallen tree.
It wasn't until they reached the tree that they noticed the small black form lying crumpled against it. Closer examination revealed it to be...a person?
Sora bent over and poked the slumbering teenager, who woke with a start. He immediately leapt to his feet, looking around wildly.
"Woah! Calm down," Sora said. "I'm Sora. This is Biyomon. What's your name?"
The black-clothed boy blinked, pulling a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and slipping them on. "Jareth...my name is Jareth. And this is...wait...Venomon! Where are you?"
Jareth began to wander around the area, apparently searching for something.
"What are you looking for?" Sora asked.
"Him," Jareth said, pointing to the branches of a nearby tree. A small, green, dinosaur-ish Digimon was burled up amongst the boughs, sound asleep. "Venomon! Wake up!"
Venomon rolled over so that he was facing the trunk of the tree, muttering something that sounded like "Mimblewimble."
"Oh, forget it."
"You know, you're the first Human I've seen since coming to the Digital world," Sora said. "You...ARE human, aren't you?"
Jareth laughed. "Well....sort of."
"Huh?"
"I don't like most humans, but I'm too conceited to not like myself, so I don't consider myself one of them. But yes, technically, I am a human. Does that make any sense at all?"
Sora looked at Jareth as if she expected a bird to leap out of his forehead on a small spring.
"I guess not," Jareth sighed.
Suddenly, a loud thud, followed by a squawk, came from behind them. Jareth spun around to see what it had been, but Sora just laughed.
Venomon had fallen out of his tree. He now sat on the ground, looking around as if he was hoping to see what had hit him. "What happened?" he asked.
"Gravity," Jareth answered.
"And who...who are they?" Venomon had noticed Sora and Biyomon.
Jareth turned back to his new acquaintances. "Oh, this is Sora and Biyomon. They're..."
But Venomon was no longer listening. "Ummm....right. Jareth? Can I talk to you?"
* * *
"What do you mean, they're the Digidestined?"
"That's them! Or at least two of them." Venomon peeked around from behind the tree, where the pair had retreated to talk. "I have no idea where the rest could be."
"You have got to be kidding me! How could those two be the Digidestined?"
"Piedmon told me all about them! I'm telling you, that's HER!"
"No way!"
Venomon flapped his arms and flew up to stand on a low branch, so as to see Jareth eye- to-eye. "Don't believe me? Take a look at her belt."
Jareth took another look at Sora. Unfortunately, he didn't have the best eyes. He couldn't see what...wait....yes! He saw it. Sure enough, a small device was attached to her belt. Identical to his own, except for the color, the presence of Sora's Digivice was proof that Venomon was right.
"Looks like you're right."
Venomon looked smug. "I'm always right."
Jareth scowled at the green-furred digimon. "Why couldn't you have been right BEFORE I went and made friends with the girl?"
"Well, what were you thinking, making friends with a human? The only humans who can even get to the Digital World are the Digidestined."
Jareth sighed.
"Now," Venomon said, hopping off the branch, "Let's go kill them."
* * *
"Stardust ray!"
Biyomon dived as Venomon's attack shot straight towards her. She couldn't believe it-- not five minutes ago, these two had been their friends. Now they were being attacked. Venomon had dived at her as soon as he and his friend emerged from the trees...and who knew what Jareth was doing to Sora.
The beam of golden light continued past her, punching a neat,
cauterized hole through the tree behind Biyomon.
She's fast, Venomon thought, flying still higher into the air, but I'm faster. Venomon dived at the pink-feathered bird, hoping to skewer her on his horn, but she dodged again....WHAM! Leaving him stuck to the tree, his short golden horn embedded in the trunk. Maybe not, he thought miserably.
"Spiral Twister!" Biyomon's attack swirled downward, directly towards the helpless Venomon. Or so he thought. Actually, the spiraling green fire struck the trunk of the tree, splintering it just below the point where Venomon was stranded. The entire top half of the tree began to tilt, the wood splintering further. The tree was going to fall...and Venomon was still stuck to it! Venomon pushed against the truck, trying to free his horn. As the tree fell further, picking up momentum, Venomon started to panic.
"Stardust ray!" The Energy of his attack was enough to free his horn, sending him flying backward through the air. Once he had righted himself, he looked around. Biyomon seemed to have disappeared.
Without warning, something very heavy slammed into him from behind.
Something heavy....with talons.
"Why are you attacking us? What did we do?"
Venomon spun in midair, knocking Biyomon away. The two faced each other, both flapping hard to stay airborne, exhausted.
"You didn't do anything. Not to us, anyway."
"Then why are you trying to hurt us?"
"Because he told us to."
"Because who--"
"Are you going to fight back or not? Stardust ray!"
"Spiral Twister!"
What happened next would have been funny if it hadn't been so painful. Venomon's tight beam of golden energy flew straight down the center of Biyomon's spiraling ribbon of green fire, and both attacks connected. The two wounded Digimon fell from the sky, crashing through the canopy to the clearing below.
* * *
"Biyomon! Biyomon!" Sora had been yelling since Biyomon and Venomon had taken to the skies, and Jareth was beginning to get annoyed. He sat in the branches of nearby trees, also watching the skies. Venomon would be returning any moment now, probably carrying Biyomon's corpse. After that....would they have to kill the girl? After all, how much harm could the human possibly be without the Digimon? But no point worrying about that now; he'd burn that bridge when he came to it.
"Biyomon!"
"Will you stop YELLING?"
Sora turned angrily on Jareth. "You! This is all your fault! Why is you're stupid lizard attacking Biyomon?" Sora marched over to Jareth's tree and began shaking it, trying to dislodge him.
Jareth leapt nimbly from the tree, landing behind Sora. "Because he's supposed to."
"What's that supposed to--" Sora stopped in mid-sentence, staring slack-jawed at the sky over Jareth's shoulder. Without another word, she went tearing off through the forest.
Jareth looked into the air....and froze. Two forms, one pink, one green were falling from the sky, their devastating impact imminent. Jareth didn't need to see any more. He went racing off through the woods, just as Sora had done.
* * *
"Gotcha!" Sora leapt into the air, catching Biyomon as she fell. Biyomon's extra weight threw her off-balance as she landed, and she twisted her ankle coming back to the ground. "Owww!"
"Sor..a?" Biyomon opened one bleary eye. "Are you okay? Did that boy...did he hurt you?"---
"I'm fine how about yo--"
CRASH!
A small green form crashed down through the trees, landing in a thorny bush and cutting Sora off mid-sentence. Moments later, Jareth came running into the clearing.
"Venomon! Where are you? Are you okay?"
A faint rustling came from the bush.
"Yeah....never...better...Owww...." Complaining loudly, Venomon emerged from the underbrush, covered head to toe in scratches.
"Sorry I'm late," Jareth said contritely.
"Maybe that'll teach you not to mess with the Digidestined!" Sora yelled.
This was not a good time to insult Venomon. He was sore, stiff, cranky....and angry.
"Maybe this will teach you to keep your mouth shut! Stardust Ray!"
Venomon's aim was true, and his attack severed a large branch from the tree just above Sora. The branch began to fall...and it was large enough to crush the human girl.
"Sora! Look out!" Biyomon yelled.
There was a flash of pink light, and before anyone knew it, Sora's Digivice was activated.
"Biyomon, Digivolve to.......BIRDRAMON!"
Biyomon was gone. In her place was Birdramon, a large bird with flaming wings and a beak full of wicked-looking fangs. Birdramon covered Sora with her wing, and the branch fell harmlessly against it. The large bird then glared balefully at Venomon.
"Uh-oh...," the small green Digimon said.
Birdramon screeched, smashing her talon against the ground, just missing Venomon. Venomon was fast, and being so much smaller made his job easier, but he was still sore and tired from his battle with Biyomon, and he was finding it difficult to dodge Birdramon's attacks. The large flaming bird snapped her beak at him, this time coming away with a few green hairs in her mouth.
Jareth watched this, but there wasn't much he could do. Birdramon's attacks were getting more accurate, and he was pretty sure she would come up next time with one of Venomon's arms.
Venomon stumbled. Before he could recover, Birdramon's talons began to fall, headed right for his torso....
The small green Digimon was surprised to be struck from another angle. Hit from the side, he rolled across the clearing. Shaking his head and looking around, he saw what had hit him: Jareth. Three great slashes on his arm bled freely where Birdramon's claws had shredded his flesh. He lay on the ground, clutching his arm and glaring defiantly into
Birdramon's surprised face, his long hair tangled and matted where his head has struck the ground.
In Venomon's eyes, the entire clearing began to swim red. The pain and stiffness vanished from his body. He wasn't tired anymore. Just angry. Very angry. So angry he didn't notice when Jareth's Digivice began to glow. All he could think about was hurting Birdramon, destroying the flaming demon that had the nerve to hurt his friend. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears, and above that....he could hear a strange, high-pitched hum.....one that he had heard only once before....and he remembered what it meant.
"Venomon, Digivolve to.....Ravemon!"
Venomon had been replaced by something that bore almost no resemblance to the small, green, lizard-like creature that he once was. He now looked like a large lion with fur black as the night sky, and a mane that shone a fiery gold. A pair of wings, covered in ebony feathers, grew from his back. His tail was tipped by two wicked curved spines. He still had the golden horn on his forehead, but it was no longer smooth. A deep, spiral groove now ran along it's length.
Surprised, Birdramon reared back, flapping her wings. Knowing that she was Ravemon's target, the flaming bird took to the sky, crashing through the branches overhead. Ravemon followed, letting out an ear-splitting roar.
"Meteor Wing!" Birdramon flapped her wings, releasing a shower of fireballs down on Ravemon's head, but he shook them off.
"Feather Edge!" In answer, Ravemon flapped his own wings. A flurry of black feathers fell, but before they had fallen far, every one turned and flew directly towards Birdramon.
Birdramon screamed in pain as the razor-sharp feathers shredded her flesh. Going into a tailspin, she fell towards the trees below.with a sickening CRUNCH! Birdramon collided with the forest, sliding along the ground and knocking over trees as she went. Once she stopped, the massive bird began to glow. Shrinking in size, the glowing silhouette faded--she was Biyomon once more.
The unconscious Digimon was awakened by a strange whirring sound. Opening her eyes, she saw what is possibly the worst sight in the world to wake up to: Ravemon. The large black lion was standing in the long, barren trench she had created in landing. His horn was spinning rapidly, it looked capable of piercing solid steel if need be.
"Horn drill!" he yelled, his deep leonine voice echoed. Slowly, slowly, he advanced, lowering his horn as he went.
----Digimon Analyzer---
Zekkamon
In-Training
Virus Type
Micro Digimon
Attack: Bubble Blow
Not much can be said of him now, but this little guy's much tougher than you might think!
Venomon
Rookie
Virus Type
Reptile Digimon
Attack: Stardust Ray
He's an aggressive little Digimon, and he'll never give up a fight, even if he can't win!
Ravemon
Champion
Virus Type
Animal Digimon
Attack: Feather Edge, Horn Drill
He's the undisputed King of the Skies! His Feather Edge and Horn Drill attacks are a deadly combination.
By Jareth Valentine, Ann Bannon, and Hikayo Lee
Disclaimer: I didn't write this myself. We're passing this project between each other, and Jareth usually takes a very long time...anyways, here's what we've gotten down so far, about a year ago. I just got their consent to post this. Hope you enjoy it, and please review!
Jareth yawned loudly, turning over in his sleep. His long black hair in a messy tangle across his pillow. The light of the full moon poured in through his window, casting an oblong rectangle of silver light across his bed. The red, glowing numbers on his alarm clock read 5:23 AM. Only ten minutes ago he had retired to his bed, but already, he
was dreaming.
He dreamed of being pulled down a long, endless corridor. At the end of the tunnel was a strange spark...a single point that glowed with an unearthly green light. Though he was racing down the corridor at a remarkable speed, he seemed not to be nearing the light at all. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that was very important. He knew he had to reach it...but he didn't know why. Without warning, the light became brighter...much brighter. It suddenly became so bright that it hurt his eyes to look at it. It became so bright....
...That it woke him up. Startled, Jareth sat up. By the light of the eerie green glow, he....wait a minute. Green light? Jareth turned toward his window. Sure enough, the same unearthly green light from his dream was pouring in through the glass. Curious, Jareth walked over and opened his window--not the most intelligent thing to do, he thought, considering he didn't know what it was. Who knew...maybe the aliens had come to take him away.
"About time," He said quietly to himself , staring up at the green light. Jareth flinched as the spot of light flared, then fell from the sky like a shooting star, landing square in the middle of his back yard.
Acting quickly, Jareth pulled on his boots. He didn't know what that thing was, but he sure as Hell was going to find out. He pulled on his coat and ran out through the back door, grateful that his mother wasn't home.
The back yard was strangely silent, and Jareth realized that this was because the crickets in the back yard had all stopped chirping, frightened by the mysterious object. As Jareth grew nearer, he could see that it was small, about the size of a silver dollar. It was oblong and emerald green, with a circular silver screen embedded in the center. There were three small black buttons on the face, though he could not have hoped to guess what they were for. The whole thing looked like some sort of miniature computer.
Jareth bent down and picked it up...and as soon as he did, the screen began to shine a brilliant, blinding white. His hand closed tightly on the small device, and he could not have released it if he had wanted to. The world began to spin, faster and faster, until he could no longer make out the scenery around him. He felt an odd sensation, as though he were being lifted off his feet, and then....it all went black.
* * *
Jareth was awakened rather rudely by the blinding glare of sunlight shining on his face. Indeed, there were few sensations he hated more. Scowling, he reached into his coat pocket...Yes, they were still there...and pulled out a pair of polished black sunglasses. Sliding them onto his face, Jareth sat up and looked around. He appeared to be in the middle of a forest clearing. But how had he gotten here? There were no forests anywhere near his house.
Jareth got to his feet and began brushing himself off. As he did so, a voice behind him spoke, sounding both amused and menacing at the same time.
"Ah, so you're finally awake."
Jareth turned, and there before him stood one of the most bizarre specimens he had ever seen. It had distinctly clownish features, like the Joker on a playing card. It's--His? Clothing was all one piece, red on one side, black on the other. His face, too, was split down the middle, and he had diamonds painted over his eyes like a mime. Yet there was something in his nature that wasn't even remotely amusing. Even without the disapproving glare and the sinister smile, this...thing....emitted an air of distinct evil.
Moments passed, and neither spoke; both seemed to be sizing up the other. Finally, Jareth broke the silence:
"And you are....?"
The creature's grin returned. "I am Piedmon."
This cleared up a great deal. Jareth shrugged.
Piedmon sighed. "I am Piedmon, the last of the Dark Masters."
Jareth shrugged again.
Piedmon scowled. This conversation clearly wasn't going the way he had intended. "Do you mean to tell me that you have never heard of me? Of the Dark Masters?"
"Nope."
Piedmon appeared shocked. "Never heard of me! Me! The Greatest of the Dark Masters! The most terrifying Digimon ever to grace the Digital World! This is an outrage!"
Jareth watched as Piedmon began pacing, still ranting. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
Piedmon stopped pacing. "What?"
Jareth ticked the questions off on his fingers. "What's a Digimon? What's the Digital World? Who are the Dark Masters? If you're the last one, what happened to the others? How did I get here, and why?"
Piedmon stopped pacing. "My, you have quite a few questions. If you must know, I brought you here. You..." He paused, supposedly for dramatic emphasis. "Are the Dark Digidestined."
Jareth shrugged again.
"How little you know. Very well, the other Dark Masters were destroyed by the Digidestined, a group of children slightly younger than you. There are eight of them, and each has a Digimon companion."
"And what's--"
"What's a Digimon? I am a Digimon. Most of the creatures you will encounter from now on will be Digimon. We take a variety of forms, and have several different levels of power. I am a Mega. The highest level there is."
"Okay. So, you're a Digimon. The strongest level there is. You used to belong to a group called the Dark Masters, but they were destroyed by the Digidestined. You brought me here, and now I'm supposed to be the Dark Digidestined. And I supposed this," he indicated the clearing. "Is the Digital World? Have I got it all?"
Piedmon nodded. "You're very intelligent, Jareth. I would be most amused to see whether you can tell me WHY I brought you here."
"I assume I'm supposed to defeat the Digidestined."
Piedmon's grin broadened. "VERY good! Very good indeed! So...do you think you're up to it, Jareth?"
Jareth considered. `Well.....Piedmon, right?"
"Correct," said Piedmon. "And this..." Piedmon gestured down towards his legs. As if on cue, a small creature hopped out from behind him.
"Is Zekamon," Piedmon finished.
Zekamon appeared to be little more than a hopping head. His skin..or was it fur? was a dark purple, and a pair of dark green horns sprouted from the side of it's head. It also had a severe overbite, making it look vaguely vampiric.
"Hi!" Zekamon said. "Guess what? I'm going to be your partner! It'll be just me and you, versus the Digidestined! Won't that be FUN?"
Zekamon's voice was shrill, and his cheerful attitude grated on Jareth's nerves. He looked back up at Piedmon.
"So what's in it for me?" Jareth asked.
"What?!" Piedmon asked sharply, as though enraged that anyone should demand a reward for serving him.
"What's...in it...for me?" Jareth asked, more slowly. "Why should I risk my hide to kill a bunch of kids that even YOU can't handle, Mr. Highest Level There Is? What's in it for me?"
Piedmon scowled again. "If you don't, I will never send you back to your own world! You will have to spend the rest of your miserable life lost in the Digital World!"
"And just what makes you think I want to return?"
Piedmon looked astonished. "Have you no friends? No family?"
Jareth shrugged. "I haven't got a whole lot worth going back for."
Piedmon scowled yet again, considering. "Well, if you will not serve me of your own free will, then I shall just have to make other arrangements. Clown trick!"
As he yelled the last two words, Piedmon pointed at Jareth. A ring of whitish-yellow light flew from his hands and entered Jareth's head.
The world was spinning again. Jareth's thoughts were more muddled than usual. He couldn't quite...he couldn't....spinning...spinning....
He was back in the hall from his dream, and there was the green light, still shining up ahead....but as he watched, it began to change, turning from emerald green to a dark, sickly purple.....and then, he was no longer floating towards it; it was as if it had thrown him away, he was suddenly soaring in the opposite direction. As it got further and further away, the pale, unearthly light slowly faded from sight....
Suddenly, he was back in the clearing. Piedmon still stood before him, grinning once more. "That's more like it," he said. "Now, then....Good luck!"
Piedmon leapt into the air, and by the time Jareth looked up, he was gone.
Jareth looked down at Zekamon, who was also gazing up at the sky, attempting to get one last look at Piedmon.
"Well?" Jareth asked, causing Zekamon to look his way. "Are you coming or not?"
Jareth turned and began to make his way through the forest, Zekamon hopping at his heels.
* * *
"Jareth? I'm hungry," Zekamon said, hopping as fast as he could to keep up with Jareth's long strides. The pair had been walking ever since they left Piedmon's clearing. Night had fallen, and, indeed, was almost over.
Jareth sighed. Zekamon had been complaining of hunger for quite some time now, and he was beginning to feel a bit hungry himself.
"If I had known I was coming, I would have packed something. Hey," Jareth said, stopping short and causing Zekamon to run headlong into the back of his legs, "maybe I have something in here...."
Jareth began to dig through the pockets of his long black coat, grateful that he had remembered to put it on before leaving his house. Sure enough, inside the left-hand pocket he discovered a number of small, individually wrapped caramels.
Having no table or chair to speak of, Jareth sat down right on the ground next to Zekamon and unwrapped a caramel or two. He handed one to Zekamon, who sniffed it curiously.
"What....is it?"
"Candy. Food. Just eat it."
The words were barely out of his mouth before Zekamon snarfed up the caramel, almost taking Jareth's fingers with it.
Jareth enjoyed a few blissful moments of silence while the caramel most effectively glued Zekamon's mouth shut.
Swallowing his, Jareth stood and brushed his hands on his already filthy black jeans. "Well," Jareth said. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty tired. It'll be dawn soon."
Zekamon nodded, but was knocked over in mid-yawn. Jareth, too, was thrown off his feet as the earth beneath him yawned open. A large silver drill had split the ground, and a very strange creature was attached to the other end.
It looked like an extremely large purple mole, but with the sharp drill where it's nose belonged.
"Drimogemon!" Zekamon yelled.
"What?!" Jareth asked.
"Drimogemon! A champion-level Digimon. He usually dwells underground. What's he doing here?"
Zekamon gulped as Drimogemon loomed up over them, his drill spinning at an impressive speed.
Jareth's eyes searched the ground, looking for a weapon. His gaze fell on a convenient rock, and, not having a better idea, he seized it and threw it at Drimogemon with all his might.
The rock bounced off Drimogemon's hide and fell to the ground with a thud.
"He's a Champion-level Digimon!" Zekamon exclaimed again. "You can't hurt him with a ROCK!"
"Well, do you have a better idea?"
Jareth and Zekamon leapt back in different directions as Drimogemon's paw fell to the ground between them with a heavy thud.
"Bubble-blow!" Zekamon spit a stream of small bubbles at the larger Digimon. The bubbles struck home, each one causing a small explosion on contact, but Drimogemon appeared not to have even felt it.
Drimogemon swiped at Zekamon with his paw, knocking the small purple head against a nearby tree, and nearly knocking him unconscious. The large mole-like creature then turned to Jareth and started to advance menacingly.
"Ummm...Hi," Jareth said. "I'm Jareth. You're...Drimogemon, right? Nice to meet you."
Drimogemon didn't seem to want to chat.
"Riiight...Ummm...Zekamon? Little help?"
Zekamon groaned and tried to right himself, but only managed to roll a few feet.
Drimogemon, meeting no resistance, raised his paw and prepared to strike....
Without warning, the small device attached to Jareth's belt began to glow. As it did, Zekamon, too, began to glow, as if he had swallowed a flashlight. Jareth shielded his eyes against the light, but it was bright enough to be seen even through his hand. The light continued to shine, brighter and brighter until....
"Zekamon, Digivolve to....VENOMON!"
Jareth removed his hand from his eyes. Zekamon was gone. In his place stood a creature that appeared to be a small dinosaur. It stood nearly three feet tall on it's powerful-looking hind legs, and was covered from head to toe in fuzzy green fur. It had a short, stumpy tail that was tipped at the end by a short, curved, purple spike. Two wispy, featherlike antennae sprouted from the back of his head, reaching all the way back to his tail. His arms were very broad, almost like wings, and were covered by purple V-shaped markings. Three curved black claws adorned each arm, and a short golden horn protruded from his forehead.
"Venomon?" Jareth asked, confused.
Distracted, Drimogemon turned to face Venomon. Instead of the terrified look he had worn as Zekamon, Venomon face now displayed a look of grim determination. Spreading his arms, Venomon confirmed what Jareth had suspected: they did indeed function as wings.
Venomon hovered, ducking in and out of range, teasing Drimogemon and just generally having fun. Finally, when he decided he'd had enough fun, Venomon came to rest on the branch of a nearby tree. He leveled his golden horn at the larger Digimon, and shouted: "Stardust Ray!"
A steady beam of golden light emanated from his horn, forcing Drimogemon back. Finally, Drimogemon stumbled and fell over backwards into the very hole he had crawled out of.
Venomon fluttered back to the ground. Below them, they could hear Drimogemon rumbling off, presumably in search of easier prey. Venomon shot Jareth a weak smile, then collapsed. Jareth leapt forward, barely catching him in time.
"Venomon! Are you okay?"
Venomon replied in a feeble voice. "Do you have any more of that candy?"
Jareth grinned. "Sure, pal. As much as you want."
At that point, a peal of thunder split the air, and heavy rain began to pour from the sky.
* * *
Biyomon gazed at the forest around her, looking for something that would suit her purpose. Behind her, Sora searched through the underbrush, intent on the same task. It was their turn to break off from the group to search for firewood, but so far they hadn't had any luck. There wasn't much dead wood around, no fallen limbs, not so much as a twig. It didn't help that it had rained the night before.
The small, pink, bird-like Digimon flapped her wing-like arms and rose into the branches of a nearby tree. After all, they didn't call it a bird's-eye view for nothing. Biyomon gazed around, hoping to spot some wood that hadn't been soaked by the rain. Finally, she spotted something: A fallen tree that seemed relatively dry, having been sheltered by the trees surrounding it.
"Sora! Sora! I think I found something!" she called.
Sora's head poked up from out of the bushes. "Where?"
"Over here! Follow me!" with that, Biyomon swooped down from the limb towards the fallen tree.
It wasn't until they reached the tree that they noticed the small black form lying crumpled against it. Closer examination revealed it to be...a person?
Sora bent over and poked the slumbering teenager, who woke with a start. He immediately leapt to his feet, looking around wildly.
"Woah! Calm down," Sora said. "I'm Sora. This is Biyomon. What's your name?"
The black-clothed boy blinked, pulling a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and slipping them on. "Jareth...my name is Jareth. And this is...wait...Venomon! Where are you?"
Jareth began to wander around the area, apparently searching for something.
"What are you looking for?" Sora asked.
"Him," Jareth said, pointing to the branches of a nearby tree. A small, green, dinosaur-ish Digimon was burled up amongst the boughs, sound asleep. "Venomon! Wake up!"
Venomon rolled over so that he was facing the trunk of the tree, muttering something that sounded like "Mimblewimble."
"Oh, forget it."
"You know, you're the first Human I've seen since coming to the Digital world," Sora said. "You...ARE human, aren't you?"
Jareth laughed. "Well....sort of."
"Huh?"
"I don't like most humans, but I'm too conceited to not like myself, so I don't consider myself one of them. But yes, technically, I am a human. Does that make any sense at all?"
Sora looked at Jareth as if she expected a bird to leap out of his forehead on a small spring.
"I guess not," Jareth sighed.
Suddenly, a loud thud, followed by a squawk, came from behind them. Jareth spun around to see what it had been, but Sora just laughed.
Venomon had fallen out of his tree. He now sat on the ground, looking around as if he was hoping to see what had hit him. "What happened?" he asked.
"Gravity," Jareth answered.
"And who...who are they?" Venomon had noticed Sora and Biyomon.
Jareth turned back to his new acquaintances. "Oh, this is Sora and Biyomon. They're..."
But Venomon was no longer listening. "Ummm....right. Jareth? Can I talk to you?"
* * *
"What do you mean, they're the Digidestined?"
"That's them! Or at least two of them." Venomon peeked around from behind the tree, where the pair had retreated to talk. "I have no idea where the rest could be."
"You have got to be kidding me! How could those two be the Digidestined?"
"Piedmon told me all about them! I'm telling you, that's HER!"
"No way!"
Venomon flapped his arms and flew up to stand on a low branch, so as to see Jareth eye- to-eye. "Don't believe me? Take a look at her belt."
Jareth took another look at Sora. Unfortunately, he didn't have the best eyes. He couldn't see what...wait....yes! He saw it. Sure enough, a small device was attached to her belt. Identical to his own, except for the color, the presence of Sora's Digivice was proof that Venomon was right.
"Looks like you're right."
Venomon looked smug. "I'm always right."
Jareth scowled at the green-furred digimon. "Why couldn't you have been right BEFORE I went and made friends with the girl?"
"Well, what were you thinking, making friends with a human? The only humans who can even get to the Digital World are the Digidestined."
Jareth sighed.
"Now," Venomon said, hopping off the branch, "Let's go kill them."
* * *
"Stardust ray!"
Biyomon dived as Venomon's attack shot straight towards her. She couldn't believe it-- not five minutes ago, these two had been their friends. Now they were being attacked. Venomon had dived at her as soon as he and his friend emerged from the trees...and who knew what Jareth was doing to Sora.
The beam of golden light continued past her, punching a neat,
cauterized hole through the tree behind Biyomon.
She's fast, Venomon thought, flying still higher into the air, but I'm faster. Venomon dived at the pink-feathered bird, hoping to skewer her on his horn, but she dodged again....WHAM! Leaving him stuck to the tree, his short golden horn embedded in the trunk. Maybe not, he thought miserably.
"Spiral Twister!" Biyomon's attack swirled downward, directly towards the helpless Venomon. Or so he thought. Actually, the spiraling green fire struck the trunk of the tree, splintering it just below the point where Venomon was stranded. The entire top half of the tree began to tilt, the wood splintering further. The tree was going to fall...and Venomon was still stuck to it! Venomon pushed against the truck, trying to free his horn. As the tree fell further, picking up momentum, Venomon started to panic.
"Stardust ray!" The Energy of his attack was enough to free his horn, sending him flying backward through the air. Once he had righted himself, he looked around. Biyomon seemed to have disappeared.
Without warning, something very heavy slammed into him from behind.
Something heavy....with talons.
"Why are you attacking us? What did we do?"
Venomon spun in midair, knocking Biyomon away. The two faced each other, both flapping hard to stay airborne, exhausted.
"You didn't do anything. Not to us, anyway."
"Then why are you trying to hurt us?"
"Because he told us to."
"Because who--"
"Are you going to fight back or not? Stardust ray!"
"Spiral Twister!"
What happened next would have been funny if it hadn't been so painful. Venomon's tight beam of golden energy flew straight down the center of Biyomon's spiraling ribbon of green fire, and both attacks connected. The two wounded Digimon fell from the sky, crashing through the canopy to the clearing below.
* * *
"Biyomon! Biyomon!" Sora had been yelling since Biyomon and Venomon had taken to the skies, and Jareth was beginning to get annoyed. He sat in the branches of nearby trees, also watching the skies. Venomon would be returning any moment now, probably carrying Biyomon's corpse. After that....would they have to kill the girl? After all, how much harm could the human possibly be without the Digimon? But no point worrying about that now; he'd burn that bridge when he came to it.
"Biyomon!"
"Will you stop YELLING?"
Sora turned angrily on Jareth. "You! This is all your fault! Why is you're stupid lizard attacking Biyomon?" Sora marched over to Jareth's tree and began shaking it, trying to dislodge him.
Jareth leapt nimbly from the tree, landing behind Sora. "Because he's supposed to."
"What's that supposed to--" Sora stopped in mid-sentence, staring slack-jawed at the sky over Jareth's shoulder. Without another word, she went tearing off through the forest.
Jareth looked into the air....and froze. Two forms, one pink, one green were falling from the sky, their devastating impact imminent. Jareth didn't need to see any more. He went racing off through the woods, just as Sora had done.
* * *
"Gotcha!" Sora leapt into the air, catching Biyomon as she fell. Biyomon's extra weight threw her off-balance as she landed, and she twisted her ankle coming back to the ground. "Owww!"
"Sor..a?" Biyomon opened one bleary eye. "Are you okay? Did that boy...did he hurt you?"---
"I'm fine how about yo--"
CRASH!
A small green form crashed down through the trees, landing in a thorny bush and cutting Sora off mid-sentence. Moments later, Jareth came running into the clearing.
"Venomon! Where are you? Are you okay?"
A faint rustling came from the bush.
"Yeah....never...better...Owww...." Complaining loudly, Venomon emerged from the underbrush, covered head to toe in scratches.
"Sorry I'm late," Jareth said contritely.
"Maybe that'll teach you not to mess with the Digidestined!" Sora yelled.
This was not a good time to insult Venomon. He was sore, stiff, cranky....and angry.
"Maybe this will teach you to keep your mouth shut! Stardust Ray!"
Venomon's aim was true, and his attack severed a large branch from the tree just above Sora. The branch began to fall...and it was large enough to crush the human girl.
"Sora! Look out!" Biyomon yelled.
There was a flash of pink light, and before anyone knew it, Sora's Digivice was activated.
"Biyomon, Digivolve to.......BIRDRAMON!"
Biyomon was gone. In her place was Birdramon, a large bird with flaming wings and a beak full of wicked-looking fangs. Birdramon covered Sora with her wing, and the branch fell harmlessly against it. The large bird then glared balefully at Venomon.
"Uh-oh...," the small green Digimon said.
Birdramon screeched, smashing her talon against the ground, just missing Venomon. Venomon was fast, and being so much smaller made his job easier, but he was still sore and tired from his battle with Biyomon, and he was finding it difficult to dodge Birdramon's attacks. The large flaming bird snapped her beak at him, this time coming away with a few green hairs in her mouth.
Jareth watched this, but there wasn't much he could do. Birdramon's attacks were getting more accurate, and he was pretty sure she would come up next time with one of Venomon's arms.
Venomon stumbled. Before he could recover, Birdramon's talons began to fall, headed right for his torso....
The small green Digimon was surprised to be struck from another angle. Hit from the side, he rolled across the clearing. Shaking his head and looking around, he saw what had hit him: Jareth. Three great slashes on his arm bled freely where Birdramon's claws had shredded his flesh. He lay on the ground, clutching his arm and glaring defiantly into
Birdramon's surprised face, his long hair tangled and matted where his head has struck the ground.
In Venomon's eyes, the entire clearing began to swim red. The pain and stiffness vanished from his body. He wasn't tired anymore. Just angry. Very angry. So angry he didn't notice when Jareth's Digivice began to glow. All he could think about was hurting Birdramon, destroying the flaming demon that had the nerve to hurt his friend. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears, and above that....he could hear a strange, high-pitched hum.....one that he had heard only once before....and he remembered what it meant.
"Venomon, Digivolve to.....Ravemon!"
Venomon had been replaced by something that bore almost no resemblance to the small, green, lizard-like creature that he once was. He now looked like a large lion with fur black as the night sky, and a mane that shone a fiery gold. A pair of wings, covered in ebony feathers, grew from his back. His tail was tipped by two wicked curved spines. He still had the golden horn on his forehead, but it was no longer smooth. A deep, spiral groove now ran along it's length.
Surprised, Birdramon reared back, flapping her wings. Knowing that she was Ravemon's target, the flaming bird took to the sky, crashing through the branches overhead. Ravemon followed, letting out an ear-splitting roar.
"Meteor Wing!" Birdramon flapped her wings, releasing a shower of fireballs down on Ravemon's head, but he shook them off.
"Feather Edge!" In answer, Ravemon flapped his own wings. A flurry of black feathers fell, but before they had fallen far, every one turned and flew directly towards Birdramon.
Birdramon screamed in pain as the razor-sharp feathers shredded her flesh. Going into a tailspin, she fell towards the trees below.with a sickening CRUNCH! Birdramon collided with the forest, sliding along the ground and knocking over trees as she went. Once she stopped, the massive bird began to glow. Shrinking in size, the glowing silhouette faded--she was Biyomon once more.
The unconscious Digimon was awakened by a strange whirring sound. Opening her eyes, she saw what is possibly the worst sight in the world to wake up to: Ravemon. The large black lion was standing in the long, barren trench she had created in landing. His horn was spinning rapidly, it looked capable of piercing solid steel if need be.
"Horn drill!" he yelled, his deep leonine voice echoed. Slowly, slowly, he advanced, lowering his horn as he went.
----Digimon Analyzer---
Zekkamon
In-Training
Virus Type
Micro Digimon
Attack: Bubble Blow
Not much can be said of him now, but this little guy's much tougher than you might think!
Venomon
Rookie
Virus Type
Reptile Digimon
Attack: Stardust Ray
He's an aggressive little Digimon, and he'll never give up a fight, even if he can't win!
Ravemon
Champion
Virus Type
Animal Digimon
Attack: Feather Edge, Horn Drill
He's the undisputed King of the Skies! His Feather Edge and Horn Drill attacks are a deadly combination.