Tai's digivice started reacting. Without looking at it, he knew why it was going off. "Agumon, or whatever form he's in now, is nearby."
"Digivolving time," Jihan asked, her eyes wary.
Tai shook his head. "No. Wait and see what happens."
Viralmetalgreymon appeared. Tai swallowed hard. "Okay, now digivolve."
"Power of the Stars," they all cried together.
"Bordemon Star digivolve to...Stabordemon."
The auras began to appear around the other Digimon partners of the new Digidestined. "This takes too long," Tai muttered.
Slowly, though, the others digivolved.
"Aurimon Star digivolve to...Staraurimon."
"Parmon Star digivolve to...Staparmon."
"Lupimon Star digivolve to...Stalupimon."
"Geramon Star digivolve to...Stageramon."
"Sparromon Star digivolve to...Stasparromon."
"Daraimon Star digivolve to...Stadaraimon."
"Labumon Star digivolve to...Stalabumon."
"Trisermon Star digivolve to...Statrisermon."
Staraurimon had the stars wound around his throat. His scales were red, silver, blue, purple, green, pink, grey, orange, and yellow. His wings, a bird's wings, were the same colors.
Staparmon had a rainbow colored lion's mane. He had grey fur and wings. He displayed a silver blaze on his forehead. Silver stripes also adorned his body. The stars made a design on his chest.
Stalupimon had a thick ruff of grey fur. Amid the grey fur that covered the rest of her body were stripes of the colors of the rainbow and pink. Silver stripes ran fron her ears, over her eyes, and met at her nose. The stars made a small spiral on her chest.
Stageramon stretched dove grey wings. She then shook her long rainbow colored fur. The silver and pink design on her stomach was visible as she stood on her legs. The stars were set against the pattern.
Stasparromon displayed a silver feathered body. He fanned his rainbow colored tail before taking to flight. The stars, surrounded by a pink band, wrapped around his stomach. A gray band stretched across his tail.
Stadaraimon had pink fur. The stars formed a circle on her chest. A larger, silver circle, was around the stars. Streaks of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple were in her fur.
Stalabumon had a silver exoskeleton. Four stars were on each wings, with the Knowledge Star between the wings. His wings were grey. There was a circle of pink around each wrist.
Statrisermon had rainbow colored horns. The stars shone around the base of her tail. Her skin was pink, but she had grey claws and a silver belly.
"Hey guys," Allison yelled. "Destroy the Dark Star and you'll free Agumon. Plus, our Digimon will be able to help you!"
"Right," said Stabordemon.
"Dark Giga Blaster!" Viralmetalgreymon attacked without warning.
"Look out," Kari yelled. The star Digimon leapt of harm's way.
"Now," yelled Stabordemon. "Star Chain!"
Staparmon followed her example. "Starlight Smash!" Light shone from the design on his chest. He collected the light into a ball, which he held in one curved paw. Staparmon threw it at the Dark Star under the metal on Viralmetalgreymon's chest.
Staraurimon smiled grimly. "Blizzard Starlight!" The stars let off a light that permeated Staraurimon's entire throat. He took a breath, then breathed an icy blast that shone with the colors of the stars. The blast flew toward Viralmetalgreymon, hitting at the same time as the other two attacks.
Stalupimon glared at Viralmetalgreymon. "Wolf Star Blast!" The stars shot beams of light, which braided together, toward Viralmetalgreymon.
Stageramon stretched her wings again. "Star Thunder!" Nine lightning bolts, one for each star, shot toward Viralmetalgreymon. Allison noticed that each was a different color.
Stasparromon dove toward Viralmetalgreymon. "Star Hurricane!" One by one, the stars shot toward Viralmetalgreymon. The light from the whirling stars made them look like a hurricane. Again, the three attacks hit at the same time. The Dark Star was visibly damaged.
The Master of Digimon knew he needed to help Viralmetalgreymon. "Deviderimon, it's time to go."
"Yes, master."
"Bend down."
"Of course." The evil Digimon obeyed his master's command. The Master of Digimon found his perch on Deviderimon.
"Now, let's get going."
"Yes, master."
Biyomon stopped Statrisermon from attack. "Maybe we can finish the Dark Star," she suggested. Statrisermon nodded.
"Blue Blaster!"
"Boom Bubble!"
"Super Shocker!"
"Lightning Claw!"
"Spiral Twister!"
"Ice Breath!"
"Marching Fishes!"
"Poison Ivy!"
The combination of eight attacks did damage the Dark Star, but didn't destroy it.
"Looks like it's our turn," Statrisermon said. "Star Crash!" The stars leapt from her tail and hurtled toward Viralmetalgreymon.
"We don't want to hurt you," Stalabumon said. "Blazing Stars!" The stars ignited, then the fire versions of the stars shot toward Viralmetalgreymon.
"I hope you understand," whispered Stadaraimon. "Star Missiles!" Like Startrisermon's Star Crash, the stars shot toward Viralmetalgreymon. All three attacks hit at the same time.
Tai groaned when he saw that the Dark Star was still not destroyed, only severely damaged. "What will we try now," he asked himself.
"I think it should be destroyed with one last hit," Izzy said.
"Who will be the Digimon who finishes it off," Jihan asked.
"Tai should decide," Vari said. "His Digimon partner is under its control."
"Yeah," Msaada said. "So who will it be, Tai?"
Tai looked at the star Digimon one by one, followed by the other Digimon. He was silent for a moment, then said, "Go on Statrisermon. Get rid of that Dark Star and free Agumon."
"You got it!" Statrisermon leapt forward. "Star Crash!"
To their amazement, the Dark Star wasn't destroyed. It flew from Viralmetalgreymon and disappeared into the distance. Viralmetalgreymon dedigivolved to Agumon, and the star Digimon followed his lead.
As he saw the Dark Star flying toward him, the Master of Digimon reached up. He grabbed it from the air. His grey eyes gazed into the distance.
"So they've freed Agumon? No matter. They are no match for Deviderimon without digivolving. And I've still got that blocked. I'd like to see what they have planned."
Tai walked over to Agumon. As he knelt, he said, "It's good to have you back." Tears were in both their eyes.
Agumon looked at the other Digimon. "I'm sorry for hurting you Trisermon. I'm sorry I did what I did while I was under the Master of Digimon's control."
Trisermon smiled. "That's alright," she said.
Izzy looked up from his computer. "Guys, I think I know why Statrisermon didn't destroy the Dark Star."
Several of the others walked over to him. "So explain," Matt said.
"It's like this," Izzy said. "From what I have discovered, the Dark Star is ten times as powerful as any one of our crests. Thus, it takes the power of a star Digimon, such as Statrisermon, and one of our rookie Digimon to destroy it. As it is, we've merely damaged it."
"So how many Digimon do we need to destory it now," Jihan asked.
"I believe one star Digimon and a rookie, but I could be wrong again."
"I'll be the rookie." They looked up and over at Agumon.
"Are you sure," Tai asked.
Agumon nodded. "That thing made me do things I usually wouldn't. Now it's payback time."
"Exactly," Aurimon said. "Which is why I'll be the star Digimon. Agumon and I suffered under that thing."
"Trisermon and I will be your backup," Sylvimon said.
"Then it's settled," TK said. "Now we just have to get the Dark Star here."
"Wish granted, you poor fool."
Several Digidestined, including TK, whirled around to see the Master of Digimon. In his raised right hand was the Dark Star. "Deviderimon!" The Digimon suddenly burst into sight.
"Oh, no," Joe groaned.
"What?"
"He's a Mega. Stronger than any of our Digimon."
Mimi continued, "We don't have a chance until the Dark Star is destroyed."
"Then our Digimon can digivolve to defeat Deviderimon," Izzy finished.
"Seems, then, that we have to get the Dark Star," Sarran said. "So who's going to do that?"
"I will," Tai said. "I can sneak up on him."
"And me," Allison said.
"Right," Jihan said. "So it seems to me you need a distraction in order to sneak up on him."
"That's our job," the Digimon whispered firmly.
"Then I think we're set," Matt said. "Let's get moving!" They nodded, then broke the huddle they'd unconsciously formed.
"Power of the Stars!"
"Aurimon Star digivolve to...Staraurimon."
Tai and Allison started to back through the other Digidestined subtly. They knew exactly what they had to do, and they planned to do it.
"Bordemon Star digivolve to...Stabordemon."
Taki and Jihan looked defiantly at the Master of Digimon.
"Daraimon Star digivolve to...Stadaraimon."
Izzy and Msaada stared fixedly at the screen of his laptop.
"Geramon Star digivolve to...Stageramon."
Matt and Sarran, like Taki and Jihan, stared at the Master of Digimon defiantly.
"Labumon Star digivolve to...Stalabumon."
Mimi and Vari looked at each other, worried that they might not succeed.
"Lupimon Star digivolve to...Stalupimon."
Kari and TK reached out and held each other's hand for comfort and support.
"Parmon Star digivolve to...Staparmon."
Sora held Tarini's hand, supplying each other with comfort and encouragement.
"Sparromon Star digivolve to...Stasparromon."
Joe, his face resolved, looked over at Ashi, whose face was also resolved.
"Trisermon Star digivolve to...Statrisermon."
Chan held Glen's hand tightly. The younger boy was afraid of what might happen if they lost.
The Master of Digimon laughed. "This is your great plan," he said skeptically. He shook his head. "You will never defeat me."
Knowing they had to distract him, Sarran yelled, "Never? You don't realize our power! You don't understand how strong we really are!"
"Power? Strength?" The Master of Digimon answered her challenge in kind. "What you call power is what I call weakness. Your strength is merely foolishness."
He didn't realize it, but Tai and Allison were creeping toward him even as he spoke.
Jihan answered his yell. "Funny, but I was going to say the same thing about you."
"Can't you even be original?"
Allison looked over at Tai. "I think one of us should grab the Dark Star and make a run for it. The other should cover the first's back."
"I'll cover your back, Allison."
Allison looked at him suspiciously. "You aren't thinking that I can't cover your back, are you?"
Tai shook his head. "It's just I'm taller than you, and it will be easier for me to cover your back than you to cover mine."
"You had to bring height into it, didn't you," she muttered. "Let's go."
Even as Tai and Allison planned their part of the operation, Jihan and Sarran effectively kept the Master of Digimon focused on pointless banter.
Irritated, the Master of Digimon scowled behind his mask. "Will you both be quiet?"
Suddenly, he felt a tug from the hand holding the Dark Star. He looked at it, slowly realizing that the Dark Star was gone. He looked up to see Allison and Tai running across to the other Digidestined. The Master of Digimon was infuriated to see the Digidestined, at least some of them, grinning insolently at him.
Outraged, he yelled, "Stop them!"
The Digimon knew what would happen. All the star Digimon except Staraurimon and Statrisermon moved quickly to block Deviderimon, although they knew they didn't have a chance against him.
Allison knew what she had to do. Suddenly she stopped running and threw the Dark Star with all her might. "Catch, you guys!"
Matt, TK, Glen, and Taki ran toward the Dark Star. However, the only one successful in his attempt to catch the Dark Star was Joe. Somehow, he had managed to catch it. "I got it," he yelled, almost a little surprised.
Staraurimon looked down at Agumon. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah. Let's toast that thing! Joe, throw it our way."
"You got it."
Joe hurled the Dark Star toward Staraurimon and Agumon as the Master of Digimon looked on in horror.
"Blizzard Starlight!"
"Pepper Breath!"
Sylvimon and Statrisermon held their breath, wondering if they would have a chance at the Dark Star.
Together, the pair of attacks hit the Dark Star. It exploded into ten shards. Each glowed extremely briefly with one crest color, then shot away and out of sight. Every so often, one would shoot past overhead.
"Wonder what that means," Izzy mused.
"Izzy, I hate to break into your thinking, but," Msaada said, "our Digimon are in trouble."
"You're in for it now," Matt yelled. "Warp digivolve, Gabumon."
The Digimon shook his head. "I don't remember how, Matt."
Tai looked at TK and Kari, then turned to Matt. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Matt," Tai asked.
"Yeah. TK, Kari, can you have Patamon and Gatomon digivolve?"
"Sure."
"Yeah." Kari pulled her crest from under her pink t-shirt.
"Patamon digivolve to...Angemon."
"Gatomon digivolve to...Angewomon."
"The arrows! Hit us with the arrows again," Tai and Matt yelled.
"You heard them," TK called. "Do it, Angemon!"
"You too, Angewomon!"
The two angel Digimon hurled arrows of light at Tai and Matt. When the arrows struck, what happened next surprised the new Digidestined.
"Gabumon warp digivolve to...Metalgarurumon."
"Agumon warp digivolve to...Wargreymon."
"Warp digivolve," a confused Sarran whispered.
Tai turned to the others. "We have to go through what we did before to get our Megas again."
"Then it's my turn," Izzy said. He typed in Tentomon's program, then changed it the way he had before.
"Tentomon warp digivolve to...Magnokabumon."
Allison looked at Sylvimon. "Are you sure you can't warp digivolve?" The silver Digimon nodded. "Then it's time for these." She revealed pointe shoes taken from the backpack she caried. A rueful laugh accompanied the statement "I haven't used these in a while. Just keep him off my back until I'm ready."
"You got it," Vari whispered.
"Let's see if we can take him down," Staraurimon suggested.
"Good idea," Wargreymon said. "Terra Force!"
"Metal Wolf Claw!"
"Horn Buster!"
"Star Chain!"
"Blizzard Starlight!"
"Starlight Smash!"
"Wolf Star Blast!"
"Star Thunder!"
"Star Hurricane!"
"Star Missiles!"
"Blazing Stars!"
"Star Crash!"
"Hand of Fate!"
"Celestial Arrow!"
"Ice Breath!"
"Spiral Twister!"
"Marching Fishes!"
"Poison Ivy!"
Despite their past experience, the strength of the combined attacks didn't destroy Deviderimon. "What? Last time two Megas defeated him," Kari whispered.
The Master of Digimon laughed mockingly. "That's because this Deviderimon is stronger than the one you faced before. I made sure of that. Get them, Deviderimon!"
"Starfall!"
Most of the Digimon were able to avoid getting hit, but not Angemon and Angewomon. They dedigivolved to the sound of derisive laughter.
Kari reached up and held her crest. Both her crest and hands began to glow. Gatomon looked at Kari with her blues eyes as she felt the surge of energy rush through her.
"Gatomon warp digivolve to...Magnaangewomon."
Allison tied the last knot of her pointe shoes. "I'm ready. Sylvimon, be ready to digivolve."
"Got it!"
Even while Allison went to work to get Sylvimon to warp digivolve, Mimi was working on her own partner's warp digivolve. She walked forward, confident in what she meant to do.
"Hey," she yelled. Deviderimon and the Master of Digimon turned to look at her. "You're just a pair of bullies! Why don't you just leave the Digiworld alone?"
"Why should I," asked the Master of Digimon. "Get her out of my way!" Mimi stood firm, defiant even though she knew she was about to get hurt.
"No matter what you do to me, it won't change the fact that you are bullies!"
Mimi's sincerity gave Palmon enough energy to warp digivolve just after Mimi was batted to one side.
"Palmon warp digivolve to...Megalilymon."
TK looked at Deviderimon, then at the other Digimon. "We've still got a chance. You've got to have hope!" Moments later, the light of his crest shone through his green shirt.
"Patamon warp digivolve to...Griffangemon."
"Let's try and defeat him again," Megalilymon suggested.
"You got it," Stageramon said. "Go on."
"Rose's Thorn!"
"Tarot Claw!"
"Dreamflower!"
"Horn Thunder!"
"Terra Force!"
"Metal Wolf Claw!"
"Blazing Stars!"
"Star Chain!"
"Starlight Smash!"
"Wolf Star Blast!"
"Star Crash!"
"Star Thunder!"
"Star Hurricane!"
"Blizzard Starlight!"
"Star Missiles!"
"Spiral Twister!"
"Ice Breath!"
"Marching Fishes!"
Unfortunately, the eighteen attacks still couldn't destroy Deviderimon.
Allison's work to get Sylvimon to warp digivolve finally paid off. The oldest Digidestined sat down quickly once she knew Sylvimon would warp digivolve. "I'm going to soak my feet as soon as I can."
"Sylvimon warp digivolve to...Drangewomon."
Sora rushed over to Mimi. "Are you alright, Mimi?"
Mimi grimaced. "No. I think I twisted my ankle."
"Then you stay there."
"No. I have to help."
Sora held Mimi down. No way. You've got to stay down. Mimi, it's for your own good."
"Biyomon warp digivolve to...Flabiyomon."
Joe knew that Gomamon would have to warp digivolve in order for them to destroy Deviderimon. "They're counting on me," he told himself. "On me and my reliability. Zudomon won't be strong enough." Resolve appeared on his face. "I will find a way to have Gomamon digivolve," he told himself. "If I don't...I don't want to think about what will happen if I don't. It doesn't matter anyway, because I will. They can rely on me to find a way."
"Gomamon warp digivolve to...Stazymon."
"Let's make sure the Master of Digimon doesn't get away," Allison said as she slowly got to her feet.
"Alright." The Digidestined started to walked toward the Master of Digimon, Sora and Joe helping Mimi along.
"Let's get him," yelled Drangewomon.
"Yeah!"
The Digimon advanced on Deviderimon.
"Dragon Ice Storm!"
"Horn Thunder!"
"Blizzard Starlight!"
"Wolf Star Blast!"
"Seastorm!"
"Rose's Thorn!"
"Star Missiles!"
"Blazing Stars!"
"Fire Heart!"
"Terra Force!"
"Star Hurricane!"
"Star Crash!"
"Dreamflower!"
"Tarot Claw!"
"Starlight Smash!"
"Star Chain!"
"Metal Wolf Claw!"
"Star Thunder!"
This time, Deviderimon was destroyed. The Master of Digimon was surprised. "No! I can't have just lost again!"
The sound of laughter came from all around him. "Poor Master of Digimon," Allison said. "Can't figure out how he managed to lost. And I don't think he's realized that he's just lost all the power he had."
"Jihan pulled the mask from his face. In an open display of contempt, she smashed it under her heel.
The Master of Digimon looked at them furiously. "I'll be back! You can bet on that!" Then he was gone.
Tai looked at the others. "Let's go home." Nods of agreement came from all around him.
Once they were back from the Digiworld, the Digidestined started to leave. "I'll keep you updated on what happens. If we need to go back to save the Digiworld again, I'll let you all know," Izzy said.
"So will I," Allison said. "Something tells me we will."
Will the Digidestined have to save the Digiworld again? Will the Master of Digimon return? Tune in next time to find out.
