Chapter 10 - Old Reliable (Pt.2)

The digimon pulling the sleigh sped up, faster and faster, until they were past the Frigimon. Tara turned around to stick her tongue out at them as Davis shouted:
"We made it!"
"Aim for that hill!" The Digimon Emperor ordered. The Frigimon shot at the snowy hill the sleigh was racing towards.
"They missed!" Davis shouted.
"I don't think they were aiming for us!" Emi said as the attack caused an avalanche. The digimon narrowly avoided it, pulling the sleigh into a right angle at the very last second only to find a crevice in the ground. Ashley and Ashi squeezed their eyes shut tight as the sleigh went sailing over it. The digimon pulling it made it, but the sleigh didn't. The digimon scrambled at the ice to pull it up and were on their way again.
This time the land suddenly stopped and the ocean began. The sleigh and its pullers skidded to halt only inches in front of the waterline. Cody went flying off the side and into the water.
"Cody!" Ashi screamed.
"I've got him!" Gomamon shouted. He dove in after Cody and hit the water with a splash.

It was dark inside their shelter. Lucky for them that Joe was with them and able to start a fire. Cody sat shivering by it with Ashi hovering nearby, doing her best to keep him comfortable.
"Warmin' up yet?" Armadillomon asked as Joe brought Cody some herbal tea.
"It's 10 percent herbal and 90 percent tea." Joe assured him.
"Thank you, Joe." Cody stammered. Rikumon curled up near him to keep him warm. Ashi nodded her appreciation.
"Joe really comes prepared." Yolei observed.
"That's nothing." Kari said.
"Wait until you see him in hay fever season." Emi said with a laugh.
"We'll have to leave Cody here." TK said. Everyone nodded but Davis.
"What?!" He demanded.
"TK is right," Joe said, "I'll stay back here and take care of Cody."
"Do you mind if I stay and help?" Ashi asked.
"If you're sure you don't want to go with them, I'll be glad to have your help." Joe answered. Ashi smiled and settled down next to Rikumon and Armadillomon.
"Thanks Joe." The girls chorused. Everyone got up to leave, but Cody stood up.
"I'm coming, too." He announced, "My grandfather told me if I rely on myself and try my hardest I won't let any of you down."
"You're not letting us down." Kari assured him.
"And besides, you need to conserve your strenght." Joe told him.
"That's right, Cody," Armadillomon said, "We've got a long fight ahead and we're gonna need ya."
"You're an important member of the team. We can't do it without you." Ashi said.
"I guess you're right." Cody said relunctantly and then turned to the rest of the group, "I'll stay here and wait. Don't be gone long."
"We'll be back quicker than you can say 'Digimon Emperor'." Davis said. They said their goodbyes and left. It wasn't long before Cody started shivering again.
"You okay?" Joe asked.
"A little tired."
"Me, too." Armadillomon said, "I could really use a little nap. I vote we take this opportunity to get some shut eye."
"You always want to sleep, Armadillomon," Rikumon chuckled.
"I couldn't sleep. I feel I should be out there helping the others." Cody said.
"I know exactly what you're feeling." Joe said, "I used to feel that way, too, but I thought it was nusea. But I slowly began to realize something. All of are here for a reason. There's a big picture that we don't see yet, but I don't mean in a wide screen TV. So the three of us staying behind is for a reason."
"But what?" Cody asked. But Joe didn't have time to answer. The cave they were in began to shake a bits of rock started raining on their heads.
"We have to get out of here!" Joe said. They ran out, Joe cradeling Gomamon in his arms. When they got out of the cave, they were met by a huge pink turtle-like digimon and the Digimon Emperor.
"It appears I've discovered your secret hide-out." He said smugly. Joe took one look at the Control spire behind them and then addressed Gomamon.
"Gomamon, I think I know the reason we were supposed to stay behind: so the others would have time to destroy the spire. I need you to create a diversion. Keep him busy with some of that great Gomamon charm of yours."
"Gotcha." Gomamon leapt from Joes arms and landed in front of the Shellmon, "Why did one Shellmon take the other Shellmon's lunch? Because it was shellfish!" The Shellmon growled and lifted one stubby hand to smash Gomamon. He dodged, "Guess you heard that one already."

The others had finally made it to the Control Spire. Davis got up quickly and ran to it.
"Time to get to business! Veemon, let's do it! Digi-Armor Ener-gize!"
"Veemon Armor-Digivolve to...Flamedramon, the fire of courage!" The line of Frigimon attacked again, but Flamedramon dodged and shot an attack of his own. The fire rockets hit three of them and they toppled over.

"You don't have much of a sense of humor!" Gomamon chided as another one of his jokes fell short and the Shellmon made a grap at him.
"Try the knock-knock jokes!" Joe suggested.
"Or physical humor!" Ashi called. Cody turned to his digimon.
"Are you ready?"
"You bet!"
"Wait for me!" Ashi said.
"Digi-Armor Energize!" They shouted.
"Armadillomon Armor-Digivolve to...Digmon, the drill of power!"
"Rikumon Armor-Digivolve to...Mikarimon, the warrior of innocence!"
"Armor, huh?" Joe asked, "Not too bad!" Shellmon's large pink fingers knocked Gomamon over. Just as they were about to grab him, Digmon got in front and the hands clasped around him instead.
"Thanks Digmon." Gomamon said as he retreated.
"You're welcome." Shellmon began squishing Digmon.
"Hey, leave him alone!" Cody said, stepping forward. Mikarimon stopped him with her shield.
"You'll just get in the way and that will hurt him more." She said.
"Aqua-Blaster!"
"CODY!" Joe and Ashi shouted together. Digmon got in front of Cody, taking the part of the blow that wasn't stopped by Mikarimon's shield.
"Don't worry, Cody. I'll protect you." said Digmon.

"Strike three!" Davis said as Flamedramon made another sucessful attack.
"Flamedramon can handle this by himself so it's up to us to destroy the tower." TK told the rest of the group.
"Okay, but I think we're going to have to do it from the air." Kari said.
"Got it." Yolei said.

"Hold on tight, Cody." Digmon warned as the Shellmon tried again. At the last moment, Digmon flipped over and shot two drills at the Dark Ring. It shattered and the Shellmon roared.
"Alright!" Gomamon, Joe, and Ashi cheered. They didn't have long to celebrate, however, as another water digimon flew out of the water.
"Ebidramon, destroy them all!" The Digimon Emperor commanded. The ebidramon grabbed Mikarimon and Digmon and took them below the surface of the water. All three humans looked over the edge.
"Digmon!" Cody shouted.
"Mikarimon!" Ashi screamed.
"If only there was some way you could digivolve..." Joe told Gomamon, looking back at the Control Spire, "What's taking them so long with the Spire?"

Halsemon, Leodramon, Pegasusmon, and Nefertimon, along with their riders, were attacking the control spire as hard as they could. With a final tempest wing from Halsemon, the spire crumbled in one place and then fell over.

"They did it! They destroyed the Control Spire!" Joe cried, "Now you can digivolve!"
"What?!" The Digimon Emperor snapped.
"He said, 'They've destroyed the Control Spire, now you can digivolve." Wormon explained.
"It's just a figure of speech!"
"Gomamon digivolve to...Ikakumon!" The shaggy beast dove head first into the water and wrested the two Armor-Digimon from the ebidramon's grip. They floated to the surface while Ikakumon and Ebidramon continued their battle. From the shore, Mikarimon and Digmon shot their own attacks.
"Finish it!" Joe cheered.

"Well, Gomamon, you're in charge here now." Joe said once they were done and they were all together again and their starting point.
"Great, my very own frozen waste land." Gomamon said, "Just what I've always wanted."
"Hey, you'll have plenty of time to practice you're strokes."
"Very funny."
"I guess we should be heading back home." TK said.
"Before we go, there's just one thing I have to finish." Cody said.
"Oh really? What's that?" Joe asked.
"Our introduction. Hello, my name is Cody Hida."
"I don't get it," Davis said, "What's the big deal?"
"My grandfather says that, next to prune juice, manners are the most important thing a man can have."
"You know, Cody reminds me an awful lot of Joe." Kari said, "Always honest and stick to the rules."
"I think he reminds me of Izzy." TK said, "Just loaded with curiousity."
"Part Izzy and part me? That's a scary combination."

"Blast! They destroyed another control tower!" The Digimon Emperor shouted, "And that was a freshly conquered area, too! All right then, I'll just have to go to plan B. Wormon, what is plan B? Well?!"
"We all become friends?"
"That's not plan B you fool!"
"Well I can't spell."

"I bet he's home crying!" Davis boasted when they were all home safe in the real world, "'Mommy, those kids broke another one of my Contorl Spires!'"
"It's not over yet." Kari reminded him.
"Joe, will you come back and fight with us?" Cody asked.
"Sure. Who knows? Maybe I'll even find a Digi-Egg of my own some day, like Azukia. But I have to watch my cholesterol."
"Watch it, Joe." Azukia warned.
"I was wondering if you'd like to come over to my house some time. I think you'd like my grandfather and I know he'd like you."
"Sure. I love prune juice!"
"Is it okay if I come over, too?" Kari asked, "I would just love meeting your grandfather."
"If Kari's coming, I'm going too!" Davis butted in.
"You always have to everything I'm doing?"
"But you and I are partners!"
"Sorry, Davis. But you already HAVE a partner." Davis looked over at Demiveemon.
"Um...him?"
"Yeah." Demiveemon said, "You got a problem with that?"
"It's just not the same..." Everyone laughed.

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment