We continued to fire from the top floor at Puppetmon, who had just returned to his mansion. The digimon ran up to the mansion, his hammer in hand and his face in a scowl.
"Take that!" Deramon shouted as he fired off the next cannonball, "Here he comes! He's getting closer.
"Well, we are firing at him." Floramon said as she loaded the next round.
We stood behind them as they fired, watching both amazement and confusion.
"I bet they don't invite Puppetmon to their birthday parties." Tai commented.
"I think it's a good thing they're releasing their hostility." Sora added. I nodded and smiled at the digimon. It was good to have new allies in this fight for the digital world.
Suddenly, the wave of dizziness washed over me again, this time, a little stronger than before. I held my hand to my head, feeling the warmth my skin was giving off. Was I getting sick?
"Raya, are you all right?" Tk asked, looking up at me and seeing my shaking fingers held to my head. I looked down at the small boy and nodded, smiling best I could.
"Dont worry, Tk. It's just a headache. Nothing to worry about." I said, hoping to calm his worries. I couldn't tell him about what I was feeling. We had bigger things to worry about. It can wait, and I just hoped I wouldn't be an inconvenience to the team.
Puppetmon ran closer and closer to the house, his rage so hot that his wooden body would've probably burst into flames.
"Get out of there now!" He shouted.
Deramon and Floramon looked out the window, then screamed before running away in terror.
"Guys, we'd better take the fight downstairs." I said. Everyone nodded in agreement and we ran down the stairs as fast as we could.
"You guys know you're not allowed upstairs, my room is off limits!" Puppetmon yelled, "Plus I hate sharing my toys!"
Gatomon jumped onto the cannon and looked down at Puppetmom with a catty smirk.
"I say you need to learn a little more about good manners." She taunted, "We're not hurting anything except maybe you."
Tai and Agumon kicked the door wide open, putting us face to face with Puppetmon.
"We've had it with you Puppetmon! You're toast!" Tai yelled.
"So now you wanna play, huh?" Puppetmon asked, "How 'bout a game of follow the leader?" He turned around and began running away.
"Come back here you puny toothbrush!" Tai shouted as we ran after him. I had a bad feeling about us following him, but I knew we had to catch him to beat him. He always had tricks up his sleeve, and I didn't want anyone to be in the other end.
Only after a minute of running, we came face to face with some ugly red digimon. They sprouted from the ground like weeds, laughing at us as they came to the surface and surrounded us.
"Huh? It's a trick!" Agumon exclaimed.
"Not our best move." Gatomon mumbled.
"Luna, who are these digimon?" I asked.
"They're Redvegimon, nasty little weeds that love to cause mischief. They're chili pummel attack will leave you with serious heartburn." Luna answered with a harsh bite in her words.
Puppetmon fell to the ground and laughed at his successful trap.
"Well put, punk!" He shouted with joy, "See, Tk? I have friends after all. Problem is, they dont like you. And what they don't like, they destroy."
Tk turned around and glared at the wood digimon, determination to defeat Puppetmon shining in his eyes.
The Redvegimon circled closer, surrounding us and making our group come closer. Our digimon digivolved to champion, while I took on Lekismon's form to help in the fight.
"Electro Shocker!" Kabuterimon shouted, firing off his attack at the Redvegimon. The digimon screamed as they were thrown far from the electric blast.
"Meteor Wing!" Birdramon shouted from the sky, sending balls of fire raining down from the sky and frying the Redvegimon.
"Hand of Fate!" Angemon cried, punching the air and sending a wave of light at the enemy.
"Lightning Paw!" Gatomon shouted as she swiped at the enemy.
"Double Tear Arrow!" Lekismon and I yelled, shooting our arrows and finishing off the rest of the Redvegimon.
"You guys are about as useless a load of stinky, rotten vegetables. I've had it with you!" Puppetmon shouted in anger.
Tai ran up close to Puppetmon and held up his digivice.
"Try to stop us now!" He shouted, Agumon being showered in light as he digivolved.
"Agumon! Warp digivolve to.... WarGreymon!"
The now mega digimon stood tall, ready to fight. I looked up at Lekismon, who nodded as she understood what I wanted to do.
I turned back to normal and quickly change to WarGreymon form. I didn't ask how I could do it without touching him. I had no time for it.
I flew onto the air just as WarGreymon did the same.
"Terra Force!" We shouted, raising our clawed hands towards Puppetmon and flying down at high speeds to strike.
But Puppetmon was prepared, he lifted up his hammer and shouted, "Puppet Pummel!"
Our claws met the large hammer, causing a small explosion and pushing all of us away from each other.
"Think you're so smart! No one toys with me!" Puppetmon shouted as he raised his hands and connected small strings to our limbs.
We tried to move our arms and legs, but his strings were too strong for us to resist.
"He's got us strung up!" WarGreymon said.
"I can't move anything." I added.
"The enemy is that way~~" Puppetmon said, turning us around and facing the others, then throwing us on the ground.
"WarGreymon! Raya!" Tai shouted, worried for our safety.
"Don't come any closer to us. I dont know what he'll make us do." WarGreymon said.
"Just stay back and let us handle this." I added.
Puppetmon threw us into the air and then slammed us back to the ground, our clawed arms facing down as to hit the others with a critical blow.
Puppetmon picked us up and made us attack the others. Just then, Kari tripped and fell on the ground, making her a prime target for destruction.
"Kari, move out of the way!" I shouted as our bodies were set behind her for the attack.
WarGreymon and I held our arms back before we could attack, when all of a sudden, Gatomon digivolved into Angewomon and grabbed Kari just in time.
Our friends ran away fast.
"Keep running! Don't let us catch you!" I yelled as we continued to chase after our friends.
Suddenly, I felt my chest thump hard, a sharp pain following and lingering for a minute. I looked down and saw a single string attached to my chest, right where my heart was supposed to be. And it was moving slightly.
Birdramon and Kabuterimon were covered in a bright light as they digivolved to ultimate. I smiled in relief when I saw the newly digivolved digimon fly towards Puppetmon behind us.
"Horn Buster!" Megakabuterimon shouted, shooting off a powerful blast of thunder and lightning at our enemy.
The area around Puppetmon was covered in a thick layer of smoke and dust, leaving him blinded and his hammer being blown into the air, picked up and crushed in Garudamon's grasp.
In the confusion, he let the strings holding us go, freeing us from his control. I sighed, relieved to not have that strange string near my heart anymore.
WarGreymon and I flew up into air and hovered in the sky, glaring down at the enemy digimon as the rest of our friends and digimon came and circled around him on the ground.
"I'm-I'm not afraid of you." Puppetmon stuttered, putting up a strong fearless front, "I'll get you!"
"If I were, I'd reconsider." Tai said, walking up next to his partner.
"Fools!" Puppetmon shouted in his shaking rage, "I'm never gonna lose to you! Watch!"
Suddenly, his eyes began to glow white, shining brightly and blinding us for a second. When our vision was clear again, we were blinded by another layer of dust caused by something rising from the ground.
"What the heck is that?!" I shouted when I looked up and saw Puppetmon's mansion on legs, standing tall and looking down on us. The house growled at us, walking closer and lifting its foot to crush us all.
"Everyone get out of here!" I shouted, running with WarGreymon to the descending foot and holding it up with all the strength we had.
"We'll keep you covered." WarGreymon added.
The pressure from the stomping floor became too much for us, so we quickly pulled back and Angewomon, who had been fighting off the hand from above, was flicked away like a bug.
"Wing Blade!" Garudamon shouted, sending a flaming bird in the air and down at the walking house. However, the flames dissipated upon impact.
"It fizzled out!" Sora exclaimed, surprised by the ineffective attack. The house swiped away Megakabuterimon with a single move.
"Megakabuterimon!" Izzy cried out in worry for his partner.
"Tk, hurry and run!" Angemon shouted, warning Tk who agreed to run and wished him luck.
All of the digimon and I surrounded the walking house, but I saw Puppetmon run away from the corner of my eye.
I knew that this was my chance to defeat him. Take down the source, you beat the enemy.
I flew over to where Puppetmon was as he ran away.
"Take me with you!" A Redvegimon begged Puppetmon.
"Are you joking? Do I look like I want your company? Take this! Puppet Pummel!" Puppetmon took the crossed wood from his back and threw it at Redvegimon. I acted quickly, flying down as fast as I could, I grabbed Redvegimon and flew him out of danger just as the attack hit the tree behind him.
"What?" Puppetmon asked confused when he didn't see Redvegimon turn to pure data.
"How dare you!?" I shouted, landing on the ground and setting Redvegimon down.
"Redvegimon, I want you to run away as fast and as far as you can. Hide where the Dark Masters can't find you." I said. Redvegimon thanked me repeatedly and then ran away as I stood glaring at Puppetmon.
Suddenly, I felt a familiar crest from behind me. I didn't even have to look behind me to know that MetalGarurumon was standing behind me in the shadows.
Puppetmon turned to face us, and smirked when he saw the two of us together.
"Well, look who it is." He said playfully, then turned and pointed at his talking treehouse, "Get them, do some major damage and I want no foul ups."
But MetalGarurumon didn't budge. This made Puppetmon angry. He shot his strings past me and attached them to MetalGarurumon, commanding him to attack our friends again. And just like last time, the metal wolf didn't do as he was ordered.
"Hey, this is supposed to be working here. Remember, you're supposed to obey me. I'm the boss."
"Think again." A voice said from the shadows. I turned around and smiled when I saw Matt walk out from the dark shadows behind us.
"You're washed up, Puppetmon. No one's gonna want to be on your side because you don't care about them." Matt said.
"It's time to end this silly game. You're time is up." I said, touching MetalGarurumon and changing form again.
The silver metal covered me in curves over my yellow leotard. Several wires and pipes wrapped around me and missile holders were on my shoulders, resting near my wolf-like helmet.
Matt smirked, "Nice change. It suits you."
"Thanks." I said, smiling at him with my now crimson eyes.
"I'm still strong!" Puppetmon said, whining like a spoiled child, "And it doesn't matter what they say, they're still gonna listen to me!"
Puppetmon ran up to us in fury, ready to attack with the wooden cross on his back.
I looked up at MetalGarurumon, the two of us nodding, knowing exactly what to do.
"Double Metal Wolf Claw!" We shouted, attacking Puppetmon with a blast of cold ice.
It was quick and painless for him, but, as he lay there in the grass, his gears slowling coming to a stop, I heard him speak his final words.
"Cherrymon... what do those kids got that I don't?" He asked.
I changed back to normal and walked up to Puppetmon, sitting on my legs and gently pressing my hand on his cold head.
"We have friends, Puppetmon." I said, "Hopefully when this battle is over and the Digital world is safe, you'll be reborn as a good digimon."
"Will I? Will I have lots of friends?" He asked.
I smiled and nodded. Puppetmon sighed and turned to data. Matt walked up behind me as I stood up and turned around to face him.
"Are you leaving us again?" I asked. Matt nodded, kissed my forehead and walked away from me.
"Thank you, Matt!" I heard Sora shout from behind us. Matt looked over at our friends and shied away, turning back around and walking away with MetalGarurumon.
As soon as Matt was gone, the ground shook and the forest began to turn to data.
We ran as fast as we could to find a safe spot, but as we ran, my heart thumped loudly and my eyes filled with tears. I had a sense of dread and sadness and it didn't go away until we made it to a desert with a road leading further into it.
I held my hand close to my heart, the sense of sadness still barely lingering inside me.
It was a sign.
Someone close to us was lost.
Who it was....
I don't think I want to know.
It would be too much.