Digimon Frontier: The Warrior's Return

Chapter 21: I'm Some Kinda Mole Now

Chapter 21: I'm Some Kinda Mole Now

~Tomoki POV~

"Come on, guys!" I urged. I was pulling rocks from the wall as fast as I could without hurting myself but Bokomon and Neemon seemed to be struggling with the size of some of them. "We have to get Ally-san out as fast as we can!"

"We're trying, Tomoki-han! But the rocks are so heavy!" Bokomon replied.

"And Bokomon keeps dropping them on my toes!" Neemon complained.

"How would you know, Bakamon?! Did it feel like this?!"

KLUNK! "Eek! Yes, it felt just like that!"

"Bokomon, Neemon! Focus!"

"You heard him, Neemon!" Bokomon snapped Neemon's waistband and the force sent him reeling back into the rock pile. A smallish one from near the ceiling came dislodged and fell, hitting Neemon in the head.

Suddenly there was a cracking crumbling noise above them and we all leaped back as more of the ceiling collapsed down. Now the pile was even bigger!

"Ahh! Look at what you did, Bakamon!!" Bokomon started snapping his waistband repeatedly while Neemon squealed in pain. "We'll never get through at this rate!"

I could tell there was a look of hopelessness on my face as I stared at the rubble. It felt like this was impossible!

"Oh... I just hope Ally-san is still okay..." I mumbled. I put my hand on the rocks, wishing I could just talk to her and know she wasn't hurt.

~Your POV~

You had stood up - with your smaller stature you could almost stand up straight unlike the two spirits - and gotten yourself oriented facing the wall separating you from Grumblemon's spirit. After a talk with Mercurymon and Dramon you had a pretty good idea of what to expect. And Mercurymon had stressed that you would have to move fast; the cave was already weakened and if Dramon took out a wall it would all come down on top of you.

You took a deep breath. "Okay. You both ready?"

"Ready," Dramon said.

"Get on with it," Mercurymon growled.

"Execute! SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon!" Without thinking you tried to stand up straight and smacked the top of your head against the stone. "Ouch!"

"Good lord, we're doomed," Mercurymon groaned.

"Knock it off!" you growled, rubbing your horned head. Then you aimed all of your concentration at the wall and flexed your claws. "I sure hope this works. Spirit Claw!"

You stabbed your claws into the wall clear up to your knuckles and dragged them through the rock with all your strength. It was similar to when you had used your Spirit Claw on Preciomon except much harder; if cutting through Preciomon had been like slicing through water then cutting the rock was like running your fingers through wet sand. Every tendon and muscle you had was standing out against the tiny green scales of your Digimon body. Your first swipe tore away the outer covering of the rock, exposing the digicode beneath. It looked normal and healthy, flowing past steadily and with its normal digital humming, unlike Preciomon's.

Without pause you jabbed the claws of your other hand into the exposed code and slashed through it again. It was no less difficult but this time the data started to peel back and flake away. You struck once more and the data dissolved even faster, until a rough hole was eaten in the wall.

"Hurry now," Mercurymon said. "The hole will bring down the roof before long."

"It's not big enough yet," you complained. The initial cracks were spreading faster than the hole through to the other side.

"Try!" he demanded. "Even you can hear the rock giving way!"

It was true, you could hear shifting in the walls and ceiling as the cracks you had created spread all over. You hesitated only a second longer and then dove for the growing hole. Fortunately it was just big enough for you to fit into right then - mostly. Your hips got stuck when you were halfway through with the hovering spirit finally in sight.

"Dammit puberty!" you hissed. You pulled twice and then gave up on that line of thought and instead reached and stretched, trying to get your talons around the spirit.

It was close; more than once stones tumbled from above and bounced off your scales and armor while your fingers were still coming up millimeters short of your glowing target. But right as there was an almighty rupture in the surrounding rock you got hold of Grumblemon's spirit and felt his energy rush through you.

"ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Grumbledramon!"

This new form was so different from our previous ones that for a moment you were disoriented. For one thing you were tiny now - you slipped into the hidden cave with no trouble after shifting. For another thing, your senses had changed - you still couldn't see and your hearing was only average but your sense of smell was incredible. It was practically like seeing with your eyes! You could differentiate between all the separate types of rock surrounding you, their composition, their hardness, and their fault-lines. You sensed the cave above you giving way but to your infinite relief there was a dirt-clogged hole to your right. For most Digimon this would be yet another obstacle, but Grumblemon and Dramon didn't think twice about charging into it.

You were digging as soon as you fell into the dirt and to your amazement there wasn't the slightest pause as you passed from air to soil. Your first thought was that it was just like swimming, albeit down an unlit tunnel underground, but with your new senses it might as well have been the wide open ocean at midday. The tunnel curved up and away towards the main mineshaft and you followed it eagerly.

~Tomoki POV~

Almost as soon as I put my hand on the rock pile a paw burst out right next to it. Instinctively I cried out and reeled back, frightening Bokomon and Neemon too. But it didn't look like the paw had been trying to catch me - it and its spade-shaped claws pressed flat onto the rocks as another paw emerged and the two of them together levered out a small, thickly armored head.

The jaws opened and in a deep female voice the Digimon said, "Awesome!"

"Ally-san? You're okay! And you got Grumblemon's spirit!" I was so relieved! Junpei and Kouichi were going to be overjoyed.

"Tomoki!" She also sounded happy to see me but suddenly she looked afraid. "How are the others?! Are they okay?!"

"I don't know," I replied. As I spoke, the tunnel shook and more roars echoed. But the tremors continued after the roaring stopped and I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Um, what's going on?"

She looked up. "Uh oh." Quickly she pulled herself out of the dirt and scuttled over to me and the two little Digimon. "We gotta move! I took out a wall to get the spirit so this whole place is going to come down!"

"You what?!" Bokomon and Neemon squealed.

"It's not like I had a choice! It already caved in on that side!" she yelled as we started to run.

"This is just great!" Bokomon howled. "This is the thanks we get for trying to dig you out!"

"Well so-o-o-o-o-orry!"