Part 6: Marina Beam
The new digidestined gathered in the computer room after school, waiting for Ken to get there from Tamachi Elementary. The others were busy--Matt at a concert, Sora, Tai, and Mimi with schoolwork, Joe helping out at the hospital as a volunteer, and Izzy out on a date with some girl. Amazingly.
Suddenly Mr. Fujiyama stuck his head into the room. "Kamiya, Takaishi, Motimiya, Hida, Inoue!" he barked. He had started acting like a football coach recently for some reason. "Drop and give me 120!"
Miyako accepted his challenge, typing an average of 124 words per minute. Mr. Fujiyama grinned at her. "My star pupil, Miyako Inoue!" he said happily. "You kids seen Mimi Tachikawa anywhere?"
"Why?" Iori asked.
"Her mother called long-distance to the office since she didn't know where to reach her. She'll be staying in Odaiba for three more weeks and getting her homework via email. Where can I find her?"
"Kinomoto Hotel," T.K. answered promptly. "Cool! Mimi's staying!"
Mr. Fujiyama left to find Mimi, and the five digidestined sat down to wait for Ken. Almost ten minutes later he flew in, panting.
"S-sorry g-guys, it was my s-soccer coach--he w-wants me to st-start practicing m-more..." He inhaled deep breaths. "Just barely g-got away..."
Daisuke laughed. "So, my worthy adversary is too good for practice."
Ken blushed slightly, still attempting to breathe normally. "Yeah, whatever...let's go!"
The six help up their digivices to the computer screen, which glowed. They spoke in perfect unison:
"Digi-Port, open!"
Moments later, they dropped to the ground in the Digiworld. Only it wasn't ground. It was water. Had they known where they were, they would have enjoyed the coolness and the beautiful aquamarine blue of the water.
But they didn't know for sure.
Miyako spluttered and tried to grab at Hawkmon, who was flying in the air above her. "What happened, where are we, I'm all wet! Hawkmon, get me outta here!"
Iori coughed and moved his arms up and down wildly. "Armadillomon! Where are you?"
"Veemon!" Daisuke yelped before a small wave drove him under for a second. When he came up, he immediately shouted again for his fire digimon.
Kari was clinging to T.K. tightly. Patamon flew above their heads, while Gatomon perched on Kari's head and tried to remain dry. That was when the sky darkened above them and the waves grew choppier. None of the kids except Ken managed to stay up long enough to scream, "Digi-Armor Energize!"
And of course, Wormmon was gone, so Ken didn't say it.
"So, digidestined. You're back." The children glanced up to see Ai standing on a cliff, Notomon at her side. Ai snapped her fingers, and the storm stopped. An evil grin lit her face as her blue-streaked blond hair blew in a gentle breeze. It was mere seconds after that when six voices yelled, "Digi-Armor Energize!"
Byrimon sped upwards to face the five other armors. "Fang Arrow!"
The arrow hit Pegasusmon, who crashed into Nefertimon. Both dedigivolved. Two Darkness Cloaks reverted Halsemon and Flamedramon.
"Back to the drawing board!" T.K. said. "We should fight in a better place!"
Then they heard something that sounded like "Marina Beam!" None could tell where it came from, but the blue-green beam hit Digmon and forced him into the water. The digimon and their humans alternately swam or flew to the portal, which sat on a rock. Then they were home.
"I can't believe it!" Chibimon said, trying to regain his breath. "That fight lasted a few minutes, and we LOST!"
"The DarkDestined are different from anyone we ever fought before," Kari said. "Sure, they're human like Ken was, but think about it. There's more of them. They have armor digimon. It isn't gonna be easy, but it shouldn't be THIS hard!"
Ken nodded. "However, keep in mind that we STILL have more digimon, even if six of them are younger forms."
"Who yelled 'Marina Beam'?" Gatomon asked. "I've never heard of a digimon with that attack, and I don't think Byrimon has it."
"Chingomon?" Patamon asked wearily.
"We would've heard its name," Iori said.
"But we DID," Kari said quietly. "Marina IS a name."
Daisuke sighed. "For now, let's go home. There's nothing we can do about Ai or the other DarkDestined right now. Let our digimon rest, that's what I say." Noticing the wide-eyed stares of his friends, he asked, "What?"
The others laughed and separated. Kari headed home to feed Miko. Daisuke started toward the field for soccer practice. Miyako and Iori set off together for their apartment building, Iori to practice kendo, Miyako to try once more to fix his computer. T.K. started off for the place where Matt was giving his concert, Ken following him. Eventually T.K. turned around.
"Where you going, Ken?"
"Matt's concert." He grinned evilly. "Daisuke's sister will probably be there."
T.K. smiled. "Yeah."
A few minutes later they entered the auditorium. Matt's band had just finished a song and were starting another one. The two young boys fell immediately into the rhythm.
"I'll keep on running without looking back, sunshine
day
I won't give in to the pain of skinned knees,
adventure
I'll face my future, there's nothing to be afraid of
Your smile moistens my dry throat
I'll say good-bye to that coward who lives
Deep in my heart, and become a little stronger
This time I'll take off with courage
Spread the wings of my heart and fly to the unseen
future
Now I'm headed towards an endless sky
This dream adventure has only just begun
La la la...la la la...
I'll hold your hand, let's fly away, blue sky height
Your cheerful voice and smile are dazzling, paradise
Even if I get lost in the darkness, I won't give up, I
won't lose
I know I'll be able to find that ray of light
I don't have time to show my tears!
From now on I'll try not to show my tears
I'll open the eyes of my heart and head for the unseen
future
This time I'll believe and have strength
I'll have the courage to stand up again
La la la...la la la...
If I hang my head and droop my shoulders I'll never
arrive
At the wonderful, hope-filled goal
I'll keep on running, keep on trying, I'll get stronger!
This time I'll take off with courage
Spread the wings of my heart and fly to the unseen
future
Now I'm headed towards an endless sky
This dream adventure has only just begun
La la la...la la la...
La la la...la la la..."
Matt struck the final chord on his guitar. "That, my friends, was the song Keep On. I wrote it with the help of my friend Maeda Ai! Okay, so maybe SHE wrote it and I perform it, but still..."
The cheering was deafening. T.K. looked around for Jun, but didn't see her. Instead he saw a girl around his age, dressed in torn jeans and a faded leather jacket. Her eyes sparkled, but from here he couldn't see their color. He did see her hair, long and auburn...
...and then her ice green eyes flickered in the light.
"KEN!" T.K. shouted over the cheering. "Ken, it's HER! It's Asha! She's here!"
"Here? Where?" He peered around. "WHERE, T.K.? I don't see her!"
"Right there!"
Ken's eyes focused on the girl. She hadn't seen them and was shouting with everyone else. Unseen by anyone else, a small bluish-green head peeped out from under her legs.
Matt launched into a song called Bottom of My Heart, unaware of who was in the room. Soon after, the two boys saw Casia and Tashino in a corner with their digimon, as well as Ai near Asha and Erek with a group of tough-looking youngsters.
"They're all here! The DarkDestined!" Patamon said fearfully.
"This can't be!" Ken whispered. "How can the DarkDestined be at a concert like--like NORMAL people? And at MATT'S concert? How much you willing to bet this isn't a coincidence?"
T.K. opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a soft rumbling noise. "What was that?"
The noise grew louder. Matt stopped playing and looked up at the ceiling like everyone else. Then came a sharp crack and a brief rain of plaster. Like everyone else, T.K. covered his face, but he noticed that Tashino was protecting his cousin.
The roof was completely lifted off, and a strange face appeared in the hole. It looked almost like Myotismon, only different. Very different.
"Let's do it!" T.K. shouted as people began to scream. His digivice activated itself and an ear-piercing shriek filled the air.
"Patamon, digivolve to...Angemon! Angemon, digivolve to...MagnaAngemon!" The angel covered with purple metal flew up into the air. "Prepare to be defeated, Yasukemon!"
"Yasu-what?" T.K. asked.
Ken answered him. "Yasukemon. He is slightly related to Myotismon. He's an ultimate. His mega form is VenomYasukemon...how fitting."
"Gate of--"
"Blast of Ice!" The brilliant beam hit MagnaAngemon and froze his wings. He began to fall, and several shrieking people raced to get out of the way.
"Digi-Armor Energize!" three voices shouted. Within seconds, Kodrimon, Byrimon, and ArmorNodesumon stood before the stunned crowd. Byrimon zipped upwards, grabbing MagnaAngemon and struggling to keep him airborne.
"Jeez, MagnaAngemon, lay off the burgers!" she groaned, unable to shoot a Fang Arrow.
"Giga Fist!" ArmorNodesumon shouted.
"Dragon Fire Wind!" Kodrimon yelled.
"They're...helping us?" T.K. asked, startled. Still, he couldn't help noticing that Tashino was holding both Kodamon and Chieko back while Casia looked on in shock.
"Blast of Ice!"
ArmorNodesumon's legs froze, and the ice slowly crept upwards until it reached her wings. She fell, dedigivolving and landing in Asha's arms. The same thing happened to Kodrimon. Ken groaned.
"Oh, man! MagnaAngemon can't attack, and Byrimon has to hold him up! Dang, this really bites!"
The crowd was slightly thinner since several people had decided it would be wise to get out. T.K. was able to take a few steps forward and call out, "MAGNAANGEMON!"
"Blast of Ice!"
Ken, Matt, every digimon in the place, and all the DarkDestined except Tashino screamed. The attack was clearly aimed straight at T.K., and it hit its target. T.K. managed to cry out before freezing completely.
Matt jumped off the stage, but another blast froze him as well. The lethal cannon was next aimed at Casia...
"CASIA!" Ken shouted. He flew forward and knocked her out of the way just in time. They landed together on the floor just as the other people decided that this place was dangerous and started shoving their way out.
"What do we do?" Erek asked. All except Tashino seemed to have forgotten that they were enemies--the boy stood back and watched with narrowed eyes.
"Here's my plan," Ken said softly so that Yasukemon wouldn't hear. "If Byrimon can distract him, MagnaAngemon can use his attack--whatever THAT is. Bakarumon, are you still a fire type?"
"I have a Fire Wind attack."
"Good. Fire Wind is good. Unfreeze MagnaAngemon's wings at the EXACT SAME TIME Byrimon lets go of him and attacks." Ken turned and looked up at the vampire. "Byrimon, let go and attack!"
She obeyed instantly, and just as her gloved fingers left MagnaAngemon's arms, Bakarumon jumped onto Erek's head and yelled, "Fire Wind!" The attack hit MagnaAngemon's wings, and the ice melted. Yasukemon was very weak, and the Darkness Cloak was just diminishing...Yasukemon prepared to attack...
"Marina Beam!"
"Gate of Destiny!"
The beam of azure light hit Yasukemon and forced him into the portal, and all the children cheered. Then Ken remembered his friends. "Matt! T.K.!"
Bakarumon had already defrosted Matt and was blasting away at T.K. Matt blinked and then flew forward. "Stop it! Stop hurting my brother!"
"It's all right. We're unified...for the moment," Ken said. He walked over and pulled T.K. to his feet. By the time he turned, the DarkDestined were gone.
"I heard it again," Ken said as the three boys walked home a few minutes later.
"What?" Tokomon asked from his perch on T.K.'s hat.
"Marina Beam. Now, let's count off. None of the DarkDestined are named Marina. And they're all humans as far as we know, right?" The other two nodded, though Matt was confused-looking. "You two were frozen. I didn't do it. Yasukemon wasn't there the first time. All the other people were outside, and the beam came from inside. It's not MagnaAngemon's attack, and the other digimon aren't Chingomon." He paused. "Where did it come from?"
"Ai and Byrimon were there both times," T.K. said. "But Byrimon isn't a Chingomon, and Ai isn't one, either. It must have been a digimon who was there, but wasn't seen."
Tokomon looked slightly put out, but nodded.
Then Matt gasped and pointed upwards, where something that looked like a star was falling towards them, shining with a deep purplish light. "It's--it's a tag and crest!"
The two seemed to glow brighter as they fell straight into Ken's hands. He peered down at them and could only inhale sharply when he saw the symbol. "That's the symbol I put on my glasses!" Another intake of breath followed when the tag shot upwards and settled around the boy's neck.
"A real tag and crest!" T.K. said. "But we use DigiMentals now!"
"Cool," was Matt's only reply.
The next day all the digidestined met after school, Ken proudly wearing his crest, although he knew without Wormmon it was useless. He held out the Dark Digivice and shouted, "Digi-Port, open!"
This time they were graced to land ON the cliff near the water instead of IN the water itself. Izzy breathed a sigh of relief. "Prodigious, we're at an advantage here!"
In a few minutes all of the digimon, fully evolved, stood protectively near their respective partners. "Any minute now, she'll show," MetalGreymon said in a hushed voice. He and WereGarurumon had refrained from going mega--for the time being. However, Gatomon was Nefertimon, and Patamon--who had digivolved after a good meal--was Pegasusmon, not to mention that Flamedramon was Raidramon for a change.
"Is she coming? I'm cold," Daisuke said soon after.
"Be patient," Raidramon growled.
At that moment, a poison-tipped arrow struck him and forced him down to Veemon again. The arrow was accompanied by a cry of, "Fang Arrow!"
"Raidramon!" Daisuke cried. He ran forward and looked up at Ai and Byrimon. Ai was in her digimon's arms. She leapt off and landed before the digidestined.
"Hello, my dear little friends. I'm afraid since Yasukemon's threat is gone, we are enemies once more." She smirked. "Byrimon?"
"Darkness Cloak!" Both Digmon and Nefertimon were absorbed by the cloak. The remaining digimon quickly attacked.
"Wind Mane!"
"Tempest Wing!"
"Giga Blaster!"
"Garuru Kick!"
"Wing Blade!"
"Flower Cannon!"
"Vulcan's Hammer!"
"Horn Buster!"
The many attacks were too much for Byrimon. Mumbling one last, "Fang Arrow," she disintegrated. The arrow hit Lillymon and made her dedigivolve.
Ai bit her lip and took a small step backwards. A sudden noise from behind the group made them whip around. Yet another Marina Beam hit Garudamon and MegaKabuterimon in the back.
"Who keeps doing that?" Miyako asked, frustrated.
"Me." The digidestined whipped around to see Ai grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "You didn't see it?"
Suddenly Tai did see. The blue all over...the fact that it had to be a Chingomon...it all fit. But there was still one point of confusion left...
"Your name isn't Marina!"
Ai smiled wider. "Nope. I AM a Chingomon, that I admit, but my name is Ai. You missed it." She raised her arms to her forehead and flicked her fingers across it. Then she quickly stretched her arms forward and released the blue energy, shrieking very plainly, "Ai Marina Beam!"
"We can kill her," Joe whispered. "She'll be rejuvenated in Primary Village like all the other digimon!"
Instantly the remaining digimon attacked, but Ai was faster. Like all Chingomon, she had wings, large indigo ones. She spread them and flew upwards, sending her own attack out again and again. Soon only Halsemon and MetalGreymon still stood.
"Rob Dynamite Blast!"
Ken gasped and looked upwards. "Rob!" he yelped with glee. The Chingomon had spread dark yellow wings and shot a red blast of light at Ai. She barely ducked, but her wings were grazed and she crashed to the ground.
"Tempest Wing!"
"Mega Claw!"
Energy spent, the last reserves of the digidestined fell. Rob had already disappeared, for some reason. Luckily, Ai was in no position to attack. One attack, just one attack, even an In-Training's, would destroy her. But the digimon couldn't do it; they were bruised and cut too badly. If only they had one more digimon...just one...
"Bubble Blow!"
The little pink bubbles smashed into Ai, who twitched and lay still. None of the digimon was in their In-Training form, so who was it?
"Bubble Blow!"
Ai dissipated and the digimon who had attacked hopped forward. "Yay! We WON!"
"Who--" Tai started to say. Then he stopped. Ken had taken a shaky step forward and knelt to welcome the digimon. Eyes shining with tears, he held it close and whispered one word:
"Wormmon..."
