Digimon Adventures and Guardian Belief

Shielding Koromon against her chest, Casey took a few deep breaths before she could relocate the ability to speak English while looking up at those-really pretty-green eyes.

“Please tell me you’re friendly and not going to eat me.”

The large rabbit could not help but be confused by the seemingly-random statement.

“Why would I eat ya, sheila?”

The ground quaked violently underneath them, and Kuwagamon’s shriek came from down the street.

“You see, I’ve been having a problem with that today…”

Jack would have ribbed his fellow Guardian, both on the compromising position and the sarcasm, but there were more urgent things that needed to be taken care of.

Mostly the man-eating bug.

A blast of ice from his staff distracted Kuwagamon from closing it’s jaws on the black-haired girl’s head, and both Tsunomon and Tokomon took the opening.

“Bubble Blow!”

The little pink bubbles smacked into the hard carapace with little effect, but Kuwagamon still reared back, startled by the sudden offensive maneuvers.

Kim pulled her younger sister back protectively, one arm darting out to snatch the two Digimon partners as they fell, while Ma quickly caught her breath, fear making her heart race more than the impromptu run.

“Casey?”

“I’m okay!” The redhead assured as she sat up, Bunny standing with boomerangs in hand next to her. “You good, Koromon?”

“Yup!”

Kuwagamon faced it’s new foes with what looked like a snarl, and roared loud enough to shatter some of the nearby windows.

Without a flinch, the Pooka threw one of his egg bombs into the open maw, smirking as it exploded between the jagged teeth.

Stumbling back, Kuwagamon coughed and shrieked, head bowing under another blast of cold.

As it crashed to the ground, seemingly defeated, Jack grinned.

“Ha! That’s what you get for messing with the Guardians, you overgrown-”

Said Digimon rose like lava from an erupting volcano, and everyone flinched at the hail of debris that fell over them.

“I hope that’s not the best you two have.” Kim voiced, tone neutral.

At the somewhat sheepish expressions that crossed the pair’s face, she sighed.

“Apparently so.”

“Anyone else up for another wild sprint through the streets?” Ma suggested, eyeing Kuwagamon as he scraped the colored ice off his heavily-armored head.

“I can totally do that.” Casey agreed, a slightly shaky laugh in her words.

“No!”

The redhead could only look down at a determined Koromon in confusion.

“What?”

“I’m done running!”

“You’re not even the one running!”

Before the two could start an argument, or Kuwagamon could fully free himself, a scream caught everyone’s attention like a bolt of lightning.

The girls froze as they recognized the voice.

Ally!

The spirits were rather startled by the sudden shift in mood among the older girls.

No longer panicked and frazzled, or completely blank, their expressions hardened into something determined and protective before they took off after the scream.

For a moment, Bunny wondered if they should go after them-

Then Kuwagamon shrieked, finally free, and he figured there was no reason to stick around.

Jack apparently agreed, since he refrained from making any jokes as they raced after the girls and their strange little pets, Kuwagamon hot on their heels.

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“Bubble Blow!”

The serpent-like humanoid hissed as the acidic bubbles popped along his face, arms coming up to shield his scaled face as the long tail came around to smack the offenders away.

“Tanemon!” Ally shouted in worry, scooping the plant-like Digimon up as Bee cradled Motimon in her arms like one would a child, whispering softly to him.

The serpent-creature shook the fuzziness from his vision, baring long fangs in preparation to sink them into someone, when Faye jumped onto his heavily-muscled back.

Locking her arm around his neck in a choke-hold, the teenager grunted as her opponent thrashed, very nearly bucking her off.

Bukamon, seeing his partner in trouble, puffed up his body in indignant rage.

“Bubble Blow!”

Flinching as the pink bubbles got into his slit eyes, the snake reared up, but paused in his thrashing to try and rub the blurriness away.

Seeing this, the grey pterodactyl-like Digimon did not relent for a moment.

“Bubble Blow! Bubble Blow! Bubble Blow!”

Finally fed-up, he whipped his tail around to smack Bukamon to the ground, and Faye winced as if struck.

“Bukamon!”

The momentary distraction was all he needed, and the teenager was flung off with a snap.

Before she could hit the asphalt-face first, mind you-, something grabbed the back of her t-shirt and stopped her in midair.

Blinking at the ground two inches away from her face, Faye twisted her neck to look up-

And her jaw dropped.

“Santa?”

The large Russian could not help a laugh at the awed look on the teenager’s face.

“Call me North!”

“You can be whoever you wanna be, big guy…”

Greatly amused by this multi-colored teenager, North set her down gently and faced the upset serpent-man with both sabers drawn.

“Are you okay?” Tooth fussed, helping a bewildered Bee to her feet.

Overwhelmed by the attention, the girl could only nod in reply, curling over Motimon and into herself self-consciously.

Staggering to her feet, Ally flinched at a foreign touch, whipping around at the soft tap on her shoulder.

Sandy floated back sharply at the sudden movement, but smiled apologetically for frazzling her nerves even worse.

Blinking once or twice in surprise, the blonde felt guilty at having been so jumpy.

“Sorry! I didn’t know-I mean-I just-”

Tripping and stumbling over the words that tried to escape her mouth, she flushed bright red at the new feeling of not knowing what to say.

More at ease, Sandy motioned for the girl to calm down, the smile on his face assuring her that it was fine.

A stream of Russian curses caught their attention then, and both turned to see North hacking ineffectively at the thick, scaly tail winding around his body like a boa constrictor.

“North!” Tooth shouted, zipping in to slice the strange humanoid creature with her fast-beating wings.

The attack deflected off the armor-like scales, and the fairy cried out as she was thrown off-course from the impact.

A whip made of golden dream-sand wrapped around the snake-man’s neck, stopping him from taking a bite out of North, but not doing much beyond that.

The three teenagers backed away from the fight, holding their Digimon close, and Bee worried that there was no way to keep the serpent from it‘s goal.

And it’s goal was apparently to eat them alive.

“GUYS!”

Casey’s shout was followed quickly by a roar, which shattered the momentary relief they had felt at their friends’ arrival.

The two groups converged, caught between the hissing serpent humanoid and Kuwagamon, and the girls found themselves in the center of a protective circle.

As their enemies prowled around, looking for an opening, Faye looked up at the very large beetle, completely silent, before turning to Casey with a seriously hopeful look.

“Can we keep him?”

…

SMACK!

The others ignored the-rather typical-exchange, much more focused on the two creatures trying to eat them.

The two creatures that had obviously planned this whole thing.

After all, they were far too coordinated to be coincidental allies.

Kim suspected that they had been herded, like cattle to the slaughter, and that not even this unexpected intervention would be able to save them.

This was the end of the line.

But it seemed their Digimon were not willing to accept that.

Even Bee squeaked when Motimon leapt from her arms, purple eyes widening in a spike of terror as the little Digimon charged.

All of their hearts dropped like stones, shouts tearing into the air.

“Yokomon, no!”

“M-Motimon!”

“Tsunomon!”

“No, Tokomon! Don’t!”

“Dude, get back here! Bukamon!”

“Tanemon!”

“Damn it! KOROMON!”

It was as if the entire world slowed down, and then light burst from the seven little bodies like they were exploding stars.

“Koromon, Digivolve to…Agumon!”

“Yokomon, Digivolve to…Biyomon!”

“Motimon, Digivolve to…Tentomon!”

“Tsunomon, Digivolve to…Gabumon!”

“Tokomon, Digivolve to…Patamon!”

“Bukamon, Digivolve to…Gomamon!”

“Tanemon, Digivolve to…Palmon!”

And just like that, the tide of battle suddenly shifted.

“Pepper Breath!”

Kuwagamon shrieked as the ball of fire struck his armored head, reeling back.

“Blue Blaster!”

“Spiral Twister!”

“Boom Bubble!”

As the massive beetle stumbled back under the assault, the other three Digimon converged on his smaller assistant.

“Poison Ivy!”

The snake-man hissed as the whip-like vines wrapped around his arms and neck, securely holding him in place.

“Super Shocker!”

Gomamon slid under the thrashing coils of their opponent’s tail, digging his little teeth between the scales.

Noticing this, Tentomon flew around in a circle, not giving the serpent a chance to retaliate.

“Super Shocker! Super Shocker!”

With one last effort, the Digimon finished it.

“Pepper Breath!”

“Blue Blaster!”

“Spiral Twister!”

“Boom Bubble!”

Kuwagamon shrieked as he burst into flame.

“Super Shocker!”

The serpent humanoid let out a grating hiss as it’s muscles contracted from the overload of electricity.

Then, as if their bodies could no longer take the strain, the duo disintegrated, the grains floating up into the sky and disappearing like smoke.

…

The Guardians turned to the equally-confused teenagers with incredulous looks.

It was Casey who voiced all of their thoughts.

“We didn’t know they could do that.”