"Enter Athenamon" 

By

Jennifer Morton,

Shelli-Jo Pelletier

and

Skye Galbraith  

* * *

~~~ Cheekomon’s P.O.V. ~~~  

Erica and I got stuck working at Starmon’s Saloon to pay off our meal, since Erica didn’t have the right kind of money. Meanwhile, Emily and Huntermon were out looking for the rest of the group and, lucky for us, all that walking around made them hungry. They stopped by the saloon and boy were we happy to see them! Emily seemed to really get into the whole situation, I guess, since she is into all that old Wild West stuff. Anyway, she offered to help us pay off our debt and was so busy living out her dream, she forgot about the work portion of her job and started loosing focus. Pretty soon she had her own debts to deal with. After she and Huntermon returned to work late, Starmon fired them. Emily came back though, and made a deal with Starmon. If she could beat him at a game of Digi Poker, he would let me and Erica go. But if she lost . . . well, you get picture. Emily kicked digi-butt of course and now we’re on our way to find our friends! I sure hope we find them soon though, I don’t know what’s worse: waiting tables or this desert heat! 

* * *

Nose to the ground, Sunemon tread softly across the short grass. Using her eyes would be useless. This particular island was well known for its case of perpetual blue fog. The thick clouds never seemed to lose their intensity here, not during the day anyway, and it made it very hard to see. But it was here that she had to search, for it was here that the Divermon had told her the Digimon Princess had washed ashore. And she would not fail her mistress again. She couldn’t afford to.

Catching a faint strangeness on the breeze, the fox Digimon changed direction. Suddenly something crunched underfoot. She lifted a paw and made out crushed blue petals of a squashed flower. Lip curling in disgust, Sunemon rubbed her paw on the grass and returned her attention to the odour in the wind.

* * *

"KRISTINA! KRISTINA! Oh, where ARE you!?" Jaymon could barely contain her panic. She had woken on the shore with no one in sight. Well, it was hard to see anything through the thick mist. She was all alone! And where was Kristina? Was she safe? Was she still in the water? Had she been attacked by evil Digimon!?

Unable to think of anything but her duties to her best friend, Jaymon took wing and sailed through the blue fog, crying out for her Digi-Destined. She was lucky she hadn’t flown into anything yet and injured herself, but the only thing on the little bird’s mind was her partner.

Just as Jaymon took a breath to shout again, she saw movement ahead. "Kristina!" Overjoyed, the Rookie plunged forward and wrapped her wings around the vague figure. "I found you! I found you!"

"Huh?" a grumbling voice grunted. A large head pushed through the blue fog and into Jaymon’s view. It was a large, yellow, beaked, spiky head. The Tortoismon glared at her. 

"Oh. Um, heh heh. I’m sorry. Uh, I thought you were . . . yeah, sorry. Well, have a nice day!" Blushing madly, the pink and yellow bird backed away. She hit something and squeaked in surprise, whirling around. This time the shape through the fog was a little bit clearer. Just to be sure, she asked hesitantly, "Kristen?"

"Jaymon! I can’t believe it!" The brown-haired girl swooped down and gathered her Digimon up in a tight hug. "I’ve been looking everywhere for you! I was so worried! Do you know where we are? Have you seen any of the others?"

"No, and no." Jaymon slumped dejectedly, realizing that her relief at finding her friend unharmed would be short lived.

Kristina looked around, but couldn’t see anything but clouds of mist. Which had been the only scenery she’d been graced with since awakening. The girl sighed. "Don’t feel too bad, Jaymon," she said, knowing her partner felt just as lonely and worried as she did. Neither of them liked not knowing where their other friends were. "Now we can search together."

Jaymon brightened considerably at that. "Sounds good, Kristina. Let’s go."

"Carefully."

* * *

"Skye. Skye, wake up."

"Hhrum? It’s summer, Mom . . . don’t have to get up. . . ."

Magimon sighed and rolled her blue eyes heavenward. "I’m not this Mom person, Skye."

"Huh? Oh-oh! Magimon!" Skye sat up quickly, realizing finally that her Digimon was trying to wake her up. "What happened?"

"Not sure." The feline looked around. "The last thing I remember is the ocean." She made a disgusted face. "And this place doesn’t really look that much better. . . ."

Skye looked around, taking in their location for the first time. It wasn’t much. Blue mist covered everything as far as the eye could see. Immediately the girl with sky blue hair smiled. "I know where we are."

"You do?" Magimon asked, surprised. "Where?"

"I made this place up for my fic," she said confidently.

"Uh . . . it looks pretty real to me."

Skye giggled. "It’s pretty strange, all right. Well, we won’t find anyone else just sitting here. We should start looking for the others. I wonder if anyone else noticed this place is from my story?" She put her hands on the ground beside her body, ready to push herself to her feet. Suddenly her hand rubbed against something soft. When she looked down there was a small blue flower in her hand. Skye smiled and picked the blossom, bringing it to her face to smell the sweet scent. These flowers too were a part of her story.

Again she marveled at her situation. It felt like so long, but really it was such a short time ago that she was a normal kid in Canada, just making stuff up because it was fun and a good way to meet friends on the Internet. Now suddenly she was a true princess with a destiny to save an entire world. It was a little scary to think about, but mostly she was just determined to make a happy ending come true, just like her story. Man, if things like this happen often, people should be careful what they make up! thought the girl.

"Are you okay, Skye?" Magimon watched in concern as her partner held the flower with a dreamy look on her face.

"Yup, I’m fine." Skye tucked the flower behind her ear before she stood up and brushed off her pants. "Come on, we’d better get going."

Magimon agreed, and together they cautiously set out to search the island of blue mist.

* * *

In the shadows of her lair, the Digimon Queen sat peering into her dark crystal with a spiteful interest. As the blue-haired Digidestined and her partner made their way through the soft, damp grounds of the forest, a scowl fell upon the Queen’s face. How easily the magical cat Digimon’s allegiance to the Digimon Queen had failed once word had come of Magimon’s duty to the Digidestined. Once as loyal as her own Digimon, but now . . . how quickly things had changed.

As soon as Magimon had turned from her to perform her so called ‘higher calling’ things had turned against them. After a battle with a demon Digmon and a pathetic loss on Sunemon’s part in all accounts in her mind, the Digimon Queen had developed a thirst.

A thirst for the destruction of the Digidestined.

Again and yet again she affirmed and reaffirmed that if it had not been for them, Magimon would have been by her side the day of the fateful battle, and she would have won. But that was the past, and it could not be changed. . . .

But the future could. Torn with physical and emotional pains, she had sworn vengeance on the digital world and all of its inhabitants. Every living soul would pay and feel the pain that coursed its way through her.

Starting with what they held most dear: their beloved Princess and her vigilant Digimon.

* * *

The fog wasn’t as bad as it had first been, Skye was forced to admit, but it was still difficult to see anything more than a few feet away. Maybe it hasn’t improved, she thought. Prrhaps I’ve just adapted to it. Genetic engineering in my fic, remember?

Her transformation into her character had not been as quick as the others’ had. It had taken more than a few days before she felt any difference. And then faintly at first, but stronger now she knew. When they had built the raft she had been able to lift a weight of logs that had surprised her, and now after the shipwreck she was completely healed. No cuts, bruises or any sign she had ever been injured, in a matter of hours. Talk about super powers, she mused with a small grin. But it hadn’t just been the recent increase in strength or healing that surprised her, but the thoughts that seemed to pass through her mind.

Strategies, formulations and tactics. And now, in the middle in the endless forest, she put them to good use. Although conversation between Skye and Magimon was not always like a river, they seemed to have finally found a common ground. They stalked the foggy forest in silence and stealth that reminded her of a James Bond movie. Now all I need is a martini, shaken not—

A branch snapped behind them, to the left. Skye did a neat, tight spin, ready to fight. Her fists were clenched, although in the back of her mind she knew it would be useless. Out of the corner of her eye Magimon had taken the attack stance as well. Be ‘en garde,’ she thought.

And then, through the bushes and trees she spotted a familiar head of brown hair, pulled into a ponytail and swept off a forward by a purple headband.

"Kristina?" she said surprised.

"Skye?! Magimon?" The brunette echoed the same surprised tone. "Oh my gosh!" Over come with a sudden feeling of idiocy and happiness at the same time Skye’s face broke into a smile as the two girls hugged giddily. It was obvious that while the two might not have always gotten along, they were happy to have found one another.

"I was beginning to think we were here alone," said Kristina.

"I’m just glad you two are both okay and, well, here!" Skye said. "Have you found the others? Are they here?"

"We haven’t seen any sign of them," said Jaymon, "but we’re hopeful."

"I’m sure they’re okay," said Kristina reassuringly. Unconvinced, Skye nodded nonetheless.

"We should keep moving," Magimon advised. With Jaymon and Magimon in the lead,the two girls followed cautiously. Time passed and, feeling much more confident now that they had found Kristina and Jaymon, Skye found herself humming quietly.

"What’s that?" Kristina finally asked.

"Hmm?" Skye looked over. "Just a song I can’t get out of my head. ‘Home is behind/the world ahead. . . ."

"No, not that," said Kristina, who then pointed to the glowing symbol engraved in one of the trees off to the side. "That! Is that what I think it is?"

"Well, have you ever seen a tree glow before?" Skye asked with sarcasm. Kristina approached the tree and watched with wide eyes as her Crest appeared, and then shot like a beam of light into her tag.

"Whoa," she breathed as Skye walked towards her. "Take about déjà vu." She watched as Kristina gazed at her encased Crest with amazement.

"Protection," she murmured, so quietly she barely heard herself.

"Wow, that’s great! You’ve got your Crest! That’s amazing!" Jaymon said excitedly. Skye watched as Kristina smiled proudly as her Digimon hugged her. She turned to Magimon, who merely nodded.

"Congratulations," Magimon said with a nod. "But we’d best find shelter soon. Night’s coming."

Skye gazed up at the sky although she felt no need. "That it is," she agreed. Kristina looked around into the sky of trees and fog.

"How can you tell?" she asked jokingly, but the answer sent chills down her spine.

"I can feel it," Skye answered.

* * *

"Maybe we should try making a smoke signal or something?" Magimon asked the group, as she scooted closer towards the campfire.

Skye was busy pondering their surroundings. The fog had lifted a bit so now she could have a chance to admire her creation. She hadn’t heard a word Magimon said. The cat Digimon looked over at Kristina and Jaymon, whose eyes were wandering as well. "Maybe not," she sighed, resting one gloved paw against her cheek.

"Hey you know what might be fun?" said Kristina.

"Eating?" Skye groaned.

"Noooo. A scary story!"

"Great idea, Kristina!" Jaymon twitched her tail feathers happily.

"I know a good one, too," Kristina began as she set the mood with a crooked smirk and a creepy gleam in her eye. "It all started on a dreary and quiet night, just like this one." Jaymon propped herself of Kristina’s knee, as she was getting really into it. Magimon lay across Skye’s lap and yawned. Skye just rolled her eyes, thinking about how corny and childish this was. Kristina didn’t notice this, since her focus was on Jaymon at that moment. "A little pink parrot named Jaymon went out for a flight. Suddenly she was trapped by the evil Digimon Queen and locked in the dungeon."

By this time the little bird’s eyes were as wide as frying pans. "Then what happened?"

"Well, the Digimon Queen forced her to wear this ring around her neck which controlled Jaymon and made her obey every order she was given."

"Gee, where have I heard this story before?" Skye replied sarcastically.

"So, does she escape?" Magimon asked, covering for her partner’s rudeness.

Kristina just ignored them and kept talking. "Anyway. . . ."

The story went on for about ten minutes. When Kristina finished Jaymon was hiding under her wing, shivering. "That story didn’t come out as good as I thought it would."

"That’s because it was cheesy and unoriginal!" Skye replied.

For a brief animated moment, Kristina’s head expanded in a flood of rage. "GET OFF MY BACK! YOU TRY COMING UP WITH ANY FORM OF CREATIVITY IN THESE CONDITIONS! WHO THE HECK DO I LOOK LIKE, STEVEN FREAKIN’ KING?!!"

Skye just about fell backwards in reaction to the outburst. "Okay, now that was scary!"

The Digimon laughed at the two humans. "Maybe we should just call it a night," Magimon suggested.

"I don’t think I can go to sleep now." Jaymon shuddered.

"Jaymon, relax. It was just a story," Kristina assured her.

"Yeah, but you weren’t in it!"

"Oh, just get some sleep." Kristina lay on her side and curled up in a ball in an attempt to keep warm. The two human girls didn’t take long to slip into unconsciousness. It was an emotional and exhausting day for them both, as well as their Digimon.

Jaymon lay awake for a while, trying to convince herself once and for all that there was nothing to be afraid of. Just as she was starting to get comfortable, a sudden rustle was heard in the bushes nearby. Jaymon jumped and squealed, amazingly not waking up the others. After thoroughly trying to convince herself that it was a probably just a small Digimon or something, she flew onto a tree branch above where Kristina was sleeping and nestled into a birdlike position, burring her beak beneath her wing and finally finding the courage to shut her eyes.

Magimon had offered to stand watch for that night, and although she wasn’t at all affected by Kristina’s story, she was a bit suspicious of the constant rustling. A strange feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed her. She decided to investigate. Waiting to be sure the others were fast asleep, so as not to worry them, the Champion headed off into the brush.

"Show yourself!" she demanded, violently swiping leaves and branches out of the way. She turned around and spotted Sunemon.

"Hello, old friend," the fox Digimon said with a devilish gleam in her eye.

"So, it WAS you!" Magimon growled.

"Oh, you really think you’re something, don’t you?" Sunemon barked. "It’s your fault you know?"

"What are you talking about?"

"This whole thing is all your fault," the brown and purple fox taunted. "All your precious friends lost and in danger. The Digiworld corrupted. The Digi Princess without her kingdom. All. Your. Fault."

Magimon’s whiskers bristled in anger. She didn’t believe her. "I’m not a supporter of evil like you, Sunemon. You’re much more at fault for this than I am."

"At least I do not desert my mistress like you. I am loyal. If you hadn’t abandoned Sonomi she would never have turned to evil! You’re to blame!" The canine’s eyes flashed as if she might attack at any moment.

Magimon held up her claws, prepared for anything, but inside her mind spun. Did Sunemon really mean that? It couldn’t have been that one little thing that started the Digimon Queen’s reign. Could it? "My Digi-Destined had come to Digiworld. I had to be with her."

"No, it was your choice!" Sunemon countered. "And your decision had these consequences." Her broad tail swung in an arch, encompassing their whole environment. "A bad choice it was too," she continued. "You may be a Champion, but it was the darkness inside you that gave you the power to digi-volve that far. Aren’t you afraid of digi-volving to Ultimate? Do you think you’ll be able to control it?" Sunemon’s red eyes shone craftily.

Magimon could no longer say anything in defense. She was caught up in all of Sunemon’s taunting words, plagued by her own personal doubts as well. Sunemon saw this and smirked. Magimon was no longer a threat, for the moment. Just to be spiteful she threw one last comment over her shoulder, as she turned to leave. "Watch yourself, Magimon," said the fox Digimon. "The Digimon Queen is targeting your partner for her wrath. I would get back to camp if I were you."

Magimon’s blue eyes opened wide, and she turned and ran back to camp quickly. But all was well. Jaymon slept in a tree nearby, and both girls were sleeping soundly as well. Magimon frowned, stared at the silent bushes again, then settled down to stand watch more seriously.

* * *

Magimon stared up all at once, looking around widely. The last thing she remembered was the darkness of night, but now the light around her told her it was early morning. She had fallen asleep! How could she?! And Magimon’s worst fears were coming true. The camp was empty!

Magimon took a deep breath to call for her Digi-Destined, but suddenly the rustling in the bushes returned. Magimon turned her head as a familiar blue-haired girl walked through the blue fog. She had a wide leaf filled with berries in her hands. "There you are!" the feline Digimon breathed in relief.

"Sorry, Magimon." Skye could tell her Digimon had been worried. "We were hungry, and we didn’t want to wake you since you stayed up all night on guard. Kristina and Jaymon went to do some fishing." She smiled. "Ready for breakfast?"

Magimon was about to reply when there was a scream in the distance.

The two partners stared each other in the eye in shock, then Skye dropped the berries and they both bolted toward the sound.

The scene was revealed to them as they parted the azure mist. Jaymon and Kristina stood back to back on the shore, surrounded by a pack of Gizamon. At the lead was Sunemon, and she looked triumphant. She noticed Skye and Magimon’s approach and bared her fangs.

"Now, Digi Princess! Come with me or your friends are toast! Ring of Fire!" The Rookie Digimon breathed out a ring of flames that came very close to burning Kristina. The brown-haired girl muffled a scream of fear.

"Stop it!" shrieked Skye. She wouldn’t let her friends be put in danger. "I’ll do what you say, just don’t—" Suddenly a blinding white light cut off the girl. She squinted her eyes. It was her locket!

The light didn’t hurt her eyes, but Sunemon cried out in pain and recoiled away from Jaymon and Kristina. The fox Digimon lost her footing and tumbled into the water they had been fishing from.

The locket wouldn’t stop glowing. Magimon stood up straight as she felt a strong power shoot through her body.

"Magimon digi-volve to . . . Athenamon!"

Everyone watched in shock as the panther Digimon arched her wings once, and then with a leap took to the air.

"I don’t believe it," an awestruck Skye mumbled. She gazed with astonishment as Athenamon soared through the misty sky. Athenamon opened her mouth wide and let out a roar.

"Cosmic Blade!"

The bright blue light shot out and hit two of the Gizamon who were particularly close to Kristina and Jaymon. The Digi-Destined felt their spirits rise as the Ultimate took on Gizamon after Gizamon relentlessly. Skye rushed over to Kristina and Jaymon, dodging the Gizamon that were running away and the attacks of the ones that remained.

But then something went horribly wrong.

Athenamon’s head shook, and the light that shone brightly in the dark morning sky shot out everywhere, completely out of control.

"Skye! Look out!" Kristina cried. But it was no use, the blue beam’s farthest most extremity gashed cuts into the Digi-Destined’s arm.

Kristina watched in horror as Skye cried out and her knees gave way. She fell to the ground. Kristina ran amongst the sea of terrified Gizamon who had all seen Athenamon attack her own partner. "Retreat!" they shouted, frightened. Kristina made it to Skye. Turning her back to the Gizamon, Kristina shielded the Princess from the onslaught of terrified Digimon. She could feel the cuts on her friend’s arm, and the blood seeping down.

Athenamon’s head turned towards them. Realizing her Digi-Destined had been hit, she wrestled with and overpowered the darkness in her heart. She aimed a last few shots at the retreating Gizamon as she swooped down to the Digi-Destined and Jaymon.

"Is she hurt?" Athenamon asked in her rolling voice.

"I think so," said Kristina softly, looking up. With Jaymon’s help she started to lay the other girl down. "She’s bleed—" Kristina stopped and watched as the cuts on Skye’s arms slowly finished closing themselves. All that remained were small scars.

"Impossible," Kristina gasped.

"Not if you’re a Digi Princess," said Skye faintly though closed eyes and a weak, lopsided grin. "Geez Athenamon, de-digivolve," said Skye. "You’re sorta giving me the creeps with that voice." The group broke out into smiles and laughs as they helped her to her feet.

Meanwhile, in the bushes not a dozen feet away Sunemon watched cautiously. She watched as they made their way slowly back to camp. Waiting until Magimon had done her habitual last gaze around, still not sure if Sunemon was gone or not, Sunemon spoke a single word.

"Interesting. . . ."

* * *

"Well that battle’s ended," said Jaymon.

"For now," added Kristina, before popping a berry into her mouth.

"Are you worried about another attack?" Jaymon asked, wide-eyed.

"Worried? No. But I don’t think we’ve seen the last of the Digi Queen’s armies," said Kristina wisely. She gazed over to Skye, who sat on a small hill as she gazed at the sky with reverence, streaked with the afterglow of the rising sun. The scars on her arm remained, but Kristina had the sense her fellow Digi-Destined did not see them as necessarily bad. They were more so a reminder of the power an Ultimate Digimon possessed.

"How are you feeling?" asked Magimon, approaching her.

"Incredibly tired," Skye replied. "I don’t know whatever possessed me to get up so early."

"Time and destiny wait for no Digimon," said Magimon sagely.

"I suppose it’s the same for ‘Destined," Skye added.

"Yup." Magimon paused. "Skye, before you came to the Digiworld, I . . . I worked for the Digimon Queen." Magimon looked to her Digi-Destined, expecting a look of utter shock, but saw none. She merely continued to watch the sun rise.

"I figured you might have," said Skye with the same wisdom Magimon had spoken with earlier. The feline Digimon’s eyes opened wide. "When I created you I gave you a dark past, something to differ you from most Digimon. In all this time I’ve been here, you never once mentioned Lordessmon, the Digimon in my story that you served.

"At first I figured it was because you were different, yhat you had never worked for the bad guys. I mean, there are small things I’ve noticed—not only about you—but about all of us. We’re not exactly as we’re supposed to be.

"But then I saw the way you acted whenever the Digi Queen was mentioned. Or when we were attacked. You knew most of our adversaries’ weaknesses, but you rarely ever acted on them. I couldn’t understand . . . I thought . . . I don’t know." A tear formed in her eye. "I came to the only conclusion I could. You must have known more than you were telling us."

Magimon could only look at her Digi-Destined in surprise, and pride. "Well, that was very astute of you."

"Yeah, it was wasn’t it?" Skye smiled, amused, and then she turned to her Digimon. "Plus, the whole thing when I over heard you talking to that Sunemon."

A smile crept its way onto Magimon’s face. "Ah, I see."

"But don’t worry about it," said Skye. "It’s all good. I know you’ve got my back."

"Got your back?" Magimon repeated, ever so slightly confused by the lingo. But her Digi-Destined continued.

"And I’ve got yours. I just don’t recommend target practice on me." Skye grinned, and then in a sincere tone finished, "We don’t ever have to talk about it again if you don’t want to."

"All right." Magimon nodded. Now that the sun had completely risen they rose to return to camp.

And then Skye spoke again. "But you wouldn’t by any chance know where the Digimon Queen keeps a secret stash of real food would you?"

"What?" Magimon asked taken aback.

"What can I say," said Skye sheepishly with a grin. "I’m craving a Big Mac."