Dreams and Reality
Story By Tigertae
"Okay." Silver turned and followed the insect digimon towards the others. Tai had a really confused look on his face. "There are two beings? You mean, like two people? This is confusing. Oh, hi Silver."
Izzy shrugged. "Sora seems to understand well enough, but Tai can't grasp the concept."
"Hmm…How did you explain it?"
"I merely stated that two beings were joined in both mental and physical forms."
"That would probably be why he didn't understand. Tai, what he tried to say was that-well, geez, I guess it really is kind of hard to explain without using large phrases." Silver paused to think.
"Why don't you just show him? I think I've heard that symbiotes can separate for a short period of time." Sora suggested.
Silver smacked herself in the forehead. "Duh. Okay, here goes." A silvery figure stepped away from Victoria and stood there.
Sora turned to Tai. "That silvery blob and Victoria are sharing brain space, and a body."
"Oh. They're kind of the same person, but not quite."
Izzy and Silver looked stupefied. "Such a simple tactic. I feel like an idiot for not thinking of it."
"Let's just go. We can't find our friends standing around." Tai said. Silver rejoined with her symbiote and Izzy resumed the lead. They followed the signal for the rest of the day and just as the sun was setting, came upon Myotismon's castle. Tai accidentally set off a trap and summoned two dinosaur-like digimon.
"It's Stegomon!" Tentomon yelled, terrified. The two beasts rushed toward the net that had captured Tai.
"Koromon digivolve to: Agumon!"
"Pepper Breath! Pah!" The small fireball did nothing to the Stegomon except annoy it.
"Tentomon!" Izzy started.
"I'm on it, Izzy!" The digimon yelled, glowing. "Tentomon digivolve to: Kabuterimon!"
"Electro-Shocker!" Kabuterimon's attack hit the other Stegomon and they battled.
"Yokomon digivolve to: Biyomon!"
"Spiral Twister!" Biyomon tried to help Agumon, but even together they were just too weak. Kabuterimon was having enough trouble with one Stegomon.
Silver surveyed the situation. "My turn. Battle mode." The symbiote began to reveal itself, changing from the color of skin to a dark silver color as she removed the coat and shorts she had been wearing. "Can't get blood on these." It was obvious where her nickname came from. As soon as she was fully silver colored, she jumped into action. A three "fingered" grappling hook attached to a cable shot out from her right wrist. It hit the Stegomon that Biyomon and Agumon were trying to deal with. The cable began to retract, bringing Silver with it. Another cable shot out from her left wrist and wrapped around the beast's neck. It responded with a fiery attack from its mouth.
"Fire Tornado!" The spinning flames whirled around Silver's body. She reached the Stegomon's neck. She grabbed a handful of flesh with her right hand.
"Hmm…really thick. I guess I'll try all the weapons I can at once." Silver reached down to her hips and removed a sharp circular disk from each. She threw both of the disks, which kept circling and slicing. The hand that was grasping flesh suddenly began to spark and glow. The Stegomon howled in pain and rage.
"What's she doing?" Tai asked as Sora cut him out of the net.
"I'm not sure." Sora replied. Izzy looked at the image on his computer.
"Incredible. The tips of her fingers are emitting a high powered laser and a fifty thousand volt electrical current."
Silver pressed her left palm against the Stegomon's neck. This hand too began to spark and glow, but the glow was different. In seconds, burned skin fell away from the Stegomon.
"A flame-thrower! She has a flame-thrower contained in her palm. Absolutely fantastic."
Agumon and Biyomon had stopped attacking and were watching, stunned. "This is not cutting it!" Silver told herself, frustrated. "Wait, I can still cut some more!" Four one-foot-long claws slid out of the back of each arm and stabbed in the Stegomon. Blood began to seep out of it neck, as all the weapons began to affect it. The beast finally sank to the ground, slowly bleeding to death. Silver jumped off. The energy weapons instantly cut off.
The claws retracted as the disks returned to their places on her hips. Silver returned to the color of human skin after she put her clothing back on.
Kabuterimon flew back into sight. "What happened?" He asked, returning to Tentomon form. Tai and Sora looked at Silver, unable to say anything. Even Izzy remained quiet. They had fought many battles in Digi-world, but they had never killed. Silver was panting, strained from the fight. I don't think they've killed before. They couldn't have, not from the reaction I'm getting. Come to think of it, I've only killed once before, and that was unable to be helped. I'm not so sure I'm up to this. I'm used to fighting humans. My weapons were designed to fight humans, not big impossible monsters that shouldn't possibly exist.
Still silent, the others began preparing to set up camp. Silver went off by herself and fell asleep. She expected nightmares, but her sleep was so deep she dreamt nothing.
"None of us has ever killed before." Sora said. Tai and Izzy nodded. It was hours later, after everyone had gotten over the shock. The digimon were asleep.
Izzy swallowed and said. "I think, perhaps, another reason she was chosen is the fact that she would kill. Although I don't think she particularly enjoyed doing it."
"I didn't, but it was necessary." Everyone whirled to see Silver standing there.
"Silver! I didn't mean to imply-" Sora started. Silver cut her off.
"Don't worry about. I did what I did and now its over. I'll admit, this is only the second time I've killed, but if necessary, I will do it again. My weapons were designed for human opponents, so I'm not quite sure if I'm up to this, but I can try. My job is to protect you, and help fight Myotismon to get your friends back. I will use any means possible or available to do my duty." Silver swayed where she stood, still somewhat weak from the battle. How long has it been since we have eaten? Nearly two days by our estimation. Ah, yes, we felt that the food should be reserved for those who are not invincible. However, we do need to eat, otherwise our strength will be depleted. That would not be good, because then we would be unable to protect the Digi-destined. We will do some foraging when we set off again. Yes, we shall.
Tai stood up. It was nearly morning and he wanted to start early to find the others. "Okay guys, now that that's cleared up, let's go."
Izzy picked up his laptop as Sora stomped out the fire. Tai woke up the digimon as Silver took some time to evaluate the layout of Myotismon's castle. A moat most likely filled with some bad fish-type digimon. Very high walls coated with a very slick moss. I wonder. Silver's eyes became tinted slightly red. What a difference infrared, x-ray sight can make. That's odd, the moss is emitting faint heat traces. There are several heat emitting guards, and the x-ray reveals several more posted.
Multiple creatures, some sort of radioactive moss, a moat, high walls that would be nearly impossible to scale. This guy has a serious delusion about security. I wonder what else he has in store? Let's think this out. He knows about burrowing, flying, swimming and all sorts of other digimon and he must have prepared for all of them. How on earth can we get through?
Tai's too impulsive; he wouldn't think it through. Myotismon is heavily guarded against that. Sora is a little too cautious; her hesitation would cost her. Izzy plans too much and wouldn't move until he had it all figured out. I just think too much. Argh! There has to be a way to get through this.
Tai interrupted her thoughts. "C'mon Silver, let's go!" Silver raced to catch up, still thinking. They reached the edge of the moat quickly. Tai got ready to jump in, but Izzy and Sora grabbed him.
"That would be highly irresponsible, not to mention dangerous." Izzy told him. Silver leaned her head back, looking at the sky as she thought. How can I-okay, I know this is off the subject, but why aren't those clouds moving? There is a good breeze and most of the other ones are moving. Unless…it's not a cloud. Maybe it wasn't off the subject after all.
"I think I might see the way in. However, I can't be sure. It's very high, and I can't jump that high."
"I'll check it out. Where do you want me to go?" Biyomon asked. Silver pointed to the unmoving clouds.
"Okay, I'll see what it is." Biyomon flapped up and flew to the area in question. She returned after a few minutes and reported, "It's a platform."
Silver nodded. "I thought as much. That's the way in. I think I can transport one person, but I have no idea how to transport the other two."
"I can do it." Tentomon said. "Tentomon digivolve to: Kabuterimon!"
"Climb on." Kabuterimon said. Izzy, Tai, Sora, and Agumon complied. Biyomon was still in the air. They flew up to the platform and after everyone was off his back, Kabuterimon devolved to Tentomon. Silver was still on the ground, but Tentomon didn't have the strength to digivolve again.
"How are you supposed to get up here?" Sora called down.
"I've got it covered!" Silver yelled back. She went through the forest for a few minutes, collecting food. She ate some as she went along, until she felt her energy levels boosting. Then she gathered more and carried it directly beneath the platform. A pair of vertical tubes emerged from her back as her skin changed color to her nickname once again. Flames propelled her upward until she reached the platform. As soon as she stepped onto the platform, the jetpack disappeared into her back and her skin became human colored once again. She passed out the food and everyone ate.
After a brief rest, Tai looked around. "I don't see how we're going to get in."
Silver grinned. "Leave that to me." Using her grappling hooks, she probed around the center of the platform. At the exact center, her grappling hooks went through. "This is the entrance." She lowered herself in. Tai shrugged and followed her, as did everyone else. They found themselves in a dank room, barely lit and covered with fungus. Silver looked around. There were two doors on every wall.
"How do we choose the correct door?" Izzy asked. Silver switched to battle mode while they thought. Her vision switched to infrared and x-ray capable. "Those doors are false. Only that wall has real doors." She said, pointing to the darkest corner. She moved forward to examine the doors. "These symbols are odd."
Tai glanced at the door she was looking at. "Hey! That's the symbol on my Crest!"
"Allow me to examine the door." Izzy said. Silver stepped out of the way. Izzy looked at the symbols on both doors. "Tai is right. This does have the symbol for the Crest of Courage inscribed upon it. The other door has the symbol of the Crest of Reliability."
"That's Joe's Crest!" Tentomon exclaimed.
"So does that mean we should go that way, since he was one of the ones taken?" Sora asked.
"Sounds good to me." Izzy said. He opened the door slowly. Silver went in first, followed closely by her friends. They saw the others, suspended in a cage above a pit of blackness.
"Just like in the dream." Tai and Sora whispered at the same time.
"Such a variety of digimon." Silver's gaze fell on Joe. "The one with the glasses, who is he?" I wonder why he attracted my attention. He's not particularly cute, although he's not bad looking. Very confusing. Still,Oh yes, now we remember. He was part of the dream. But why can we not recall what his relevance was?
"Huh? A digimon with glasses?" Tai asked.
"I believe she was asking about Joe." Izzy answered. She looks as confused as I am about why she asked about him. Maybe he was part of the dream that she had.
Silver's attracted to Joe? That's a somewhat odd attraction. But, hey, whatever works. Sora thought as she looked at her friends crowded into the cage. We have to get them out of there.
"WELL, ISN'T THIS AMUSING? MANY FAILED, BUT I HAVE THE DIGI-DESTINED IN MY POWER! THE LEADER DEAD, THE GENIUS ALONE, AND THE CREST OF LOVE RENDERED USELESS! FACE YOUR LAST, DIGI-DEAD!
"Myotismon!" Tai hissed.
The chain holding the cage snapped, sending it plunging into the pit below. Silver instantly jumped forward and released both grappling hooks at the same time. One seized the cage and the other dug into the ceiling, preventing both the cage and Silver from falling. Silver used the remainder of her momentum to swing the cage back towards solid ground and released it. The cage rolled once, then came to a stop. Silver retracted both grappling hooks, still hanging onto the ceiling.
Everyone else tried to break open the lock on the cage, but was unsuccessful. Silver dropped down next to the cage. She tapped the metal.
"Pathetic. Not even a challenge." The claws on her right arm came out.
"Back up." Tai told his friends. They complied and Silver sliced the metal bars into bits of scrap metal.
"WHAT IS THIS INTRUSION?" Myotismon's voice boomed from everywhere at once. He materialized on the other side of the room. "THE LEADER IS ALIVE? BUT THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE! I KNOW HE DIED! AND YOU ARE NOT OF THE DIGI-DESTINED!" Myotismon's wrathful gaze turned towards Silver. Silver glared back.
"No, I'm not one of the Digi-destined. But I was brought here to protect them, and that is what I shall do!" She jumped into a fighting stance.
"Hey, no one's fighting without us!" Gomamon said.
"Agumon digivolve to: Greymon!"
"Gabumon digivolve to: Garurumon!"
"Tentomon digivolve to: Kabuterimon!"
"Biyomon digivolve to: Birdramon!"
"Gomamon digivolve to: Ikkakumon!"
"Palmon digivolve to: Togemon!"
The digimon charged forward and Silver leapt as well. She bounded ahead and landed behind Myotismon.
"Nova Blast!"
"Harpoon Torpedo!"
"Howling Blaster!"
"Needle Spray!"
"Meteor Wing!"
"Electro-Shocker!"
"Boom Bubble! POW!"
Silver decided her energy attacks would be more effective. Raising both hands, she activated every laser and electrical weapon she had. Myotismon pulled his cloak tighter, but that didn't prevent him from being injured by the multiple attacks.
Using a calculated move, Myotismon attacked. "Crimson Lightning!" His attack was not aimed at any of the digimon, nor even Silver.
It swept across the far ledge, hitting the humans. Joe, showing remarkable bravery, leapt in the way and took the brunt of the blow. Each digimon instantly turned to help its friend. Myotismon moved forward to take advantage of the situation.
"Crimson-Aaaaa!"
Silver had jumped onto Myotismon's back, sending her claws through his chest. The evil digimon stumbled away and turned to face her. "Grisly Wing!" The swarm of bats circled Silver. Many of them broke their teeth trying to bite her.
Silver grinned. "Sorry, you'll have to do better than that."
Myotismon boiled. "Crimson Lightning!" The red electricity wrapped around Silver. She laughed, absorbing the energy. "Good, I needed a recharge." She grabbed the disks from her sides and threw them. Myotismon dodged-only to have the razor-sharp circles come at him again.
While Myotismon attempted to evade the disks, Silver kept aiming at him with her energy weapons. When she missed, chunks of wall blew away. Very soon the walls began to sag and collapse.
"I tire of this." Myotismon said.
Stopping suddenly, he released a tremendous burst of energy. It knocked Silver back, giving the cowardly digimon enough time to teleport out of harm's way. The disks instantly returned to their places on Silver's hips as she jumped to where her friends were.
"Get them out of here!" Silver yelled to the digimon. After staring at her for a moment, Greymon nodded. Each digimon grabbed his or her partner and ran or flew out of the rapidly crumbling room. Silver followed, occasionally having to slice her way through falling masses of stone. Upon reaching safety, the digimon collapsed, exhausted. Most of them were completely oblivious as they returned to their smaller forms.
Silver looked over her injured friends. Though unconscious, everyone but Joe seemed fine. Joe was badly hurt, having many burns for his bravery. Silver looked down on his unmoving form. Why is it only now that we are able to recall his part in the dream? An instant love, and now he lies before us, dying, with nothing that we can do for him.
"But there is something you can do. But only if the love is true." A voice said. Silver looked around, but could find no source of the voice. She gave up looking and asked, "What can I do?"
"Reach into the left pocket of his pants. There should be a silver-banded ring there. Slip it on the middle finger of your left hand. Remove the dragon pendant necklace from the pocket in which you keep it. Slip it around his neck."
"But, but how did you know I had a dragon pendant necklace in my pocket?" Silver asked, amazed by the accuracy of the information.
"I know many things about many people. Now, are you willing to switch places with him? Are you willing to die in his stead?"
Silver glanced at Joe's face. "Yes."
"You have one minute of life left. Say whatever you wish." The voice said. Silver took at last look at the people she had helped to save.
"Farewell, my friends. I hope this does not affect your futures in a negative way." She paused and took a deep breath. "Joe, I hope we will meet again sometime. Please do not forget me."
"Your time is over." The voice said. Silver watched as she began to dissipate, somewhat painfully. She fixed her eyes on Joe for as long as possible.
"Ah!" Victoria sat straight up. She was in her bed, in her own home. "Huh?" What's this? I'm alive? It was all just a dream? But it was so real. It is possible that it actually happened, but only my mind was actually there. Then, when I 'died' there, my mind came back to the real world. No, just wishful thinking. Silver rolled over to go back to sleep. Something on her hand glinted in the moonlight pouring in from her window. Silver looked at it. A silver-banded ring.
Back in the Digi-world, Tai and Sora were quietly talking. "Do you think it actually happened, Tai?" Sora asked.
"I don't know. No one remembers but us, Silver's gone, and we're in the spot we started from. Joe isn't even hurt, and he should be." Tai answered.
"You sure? He's rubbing his chest a lot." Sora said. Tai laughed. "Yeah, but knowing him, he's got a rash from an allergy."
"You're probably right." Sora laughed too. They returned to camp.
Joe was turned away. Why? He was thinking. He hid something under his shirt, rubbing where the cold metal hit his skin, making sure it hadn't been a dream. I'm going to have an imprint soon if I keep doing this. Unable to resist, he looked again. The dragon pendant shone.
