Digigirls-The Tale of Druidimon pt. 3

The Primal Jungle Calls!  
Nature's Wild Daughter!
Part 3
By Panahinuva

Marcus returned to DATS early to check on Yoshi.  He'd had a nearly sleepless night, attempting not to think about what horrible things they were doing to her.  When he arrived, he made directly for the science division.  To his shock, he found that the door had been sliced open.  He hurried inside and found unconscious scientists sprawled on the floor and a tube sliced open.  He shook one of the scientists.  "What happened?"  He demanded.
The man awoke slowly.  "Wha...?"  He asked.
Marcus yanked him up from the floor and slammed him against the wall.  "Where's Yoshi?"  He demanded angrily.  
The man's eyes were wide with fright.  "I don't know!  We were running a few routine tests and suddenly she went crazy!  Sliced open the examination tube with some kind of fan and then knocked us all out with pollen!"  Marcus cursed and pulled out his phone.
Ten minutes later, the commander, Thomas and Keenan had joined Marcus in the lab.  "Naturally, this is highly concerning."  The commander stated.  "We can only assume that that ritual had some kind of delayed effect on Yoshino that is showing now."
"She escaped into the digital world."  Keenan added.  "Falcomon's tracking her right now, making sure she doesn't get away.  She doesn't really seem to have any sort of agenda, she's just wandering around in the jungle."
Thomas sighed.  "The jungle again.  Well, I suppose that makes sense since she's a plant digimon."  He turned to the commander.  "So what do we do about this?"
The commander smiled slightly.  "Fortunately, Kudamon knows of a powerful mystic who may be able to reverse Merukimon's ritual.  We've arranged for him to meet you at the digital gate."
Thomas nodded and Marcus slammed his fist against his palm.  "Well, let's get going!"  He said impatiently.  "The longer we wait the more likely it is Merukimon will track Yoshi down and grab her again!"  He turned and ran off.  
Thomas and Keenan followed him and the three entered the digital gate.

In the digital world, Keenan and Thomas found Marcus talking to a digimon in a white coat and large, white pointed hat, holding a wand with a snowflake on the top.  Marcus waved to them.  "This is Sorcermon."  He explained.  "He's the magical guy the commander mentioned.  
Sorcermon bowed.  "I must admit, I was intrigued when Sl...I mean Kudamon contacted me."  He said, his voice low with an odd accent.  "I have never heard of the particular ritual that was used, but I have seen similar rituals and I believe I can undo it."
Keenan punched the air and Thomas actually cracked a smile, before turning to the younger boy.  "Do you know where she is?"  He asked.  Keenan nodded, holding up his digivice.  "She's about an hour's walk in that direction."

An hour later, Keenan held up a hand.  "We're here."  He said, indicating a clearing.  They peered into it and saw Yoshi sitting on the root of a tree, eyes shut and looking happy.  
Sorcermon considered her.  "Yes, I can definitely lift the spell she's under."  He said, nodding.  "I've lifted several similar ones.  This one is just slightly more complex."
Marcus grinned and stepped out into the clearing.  "Yoshi!  We found someone who can turn you back to normal!"  He said.  
Yoshi's eyes flashed open and she hissed at him.  "Human bad!"  She growled, leaping to her feet.  "You no hurt Druidimon family!"
Marcus frowned.  "What...what are you talking about?"  He demanded.  "You're a human!  And who's Druidimon?"
"Me Druidimon!"  The green girl replied.  "Me no human, me digimon.  Humans bad!  Hurt nature!  Nature Druidimon's family."
Sorcermon and the other two followed Marcus into the clearing.  "This must have been what the rest of the ritual was for."  Thomas commented.  "To make her a human hater like the rest of Merukimon's group.  But it must not have worked properly since it was interrupted."
Sorcermon stepped forward.  "Druidimon, I am Sorcermon.  You are under a terrible spell and I am here to free you.  These humans are your friends, as am I."
Druidimon glared at the wizard digimon.  "You all leave now."  She said definitely.  "Otherwise, Druidimon make you leave."
Marcus stepped forward.  "Yoshi, please listen.  We're trying to help-"
He was cut off as Druidimon leaped to her feet, her staff growing in her hand.  "Druidimon make you leave!"  She yelled, pointing the flower at them.
"Scatter!"  Thomas yelled and all of them dived in different directions, managing to avoid the burst of pollen that was emitted from the flower.  Keenan and Thomas activated their DNA charges, while Marcus simply looked dismayed.
"I can't do it...I can't hit her."  He said, looking ashamed.  
"Don't feel bad."  Keenan said encouragingly.  "It's not like we have to beat her, we just have to knock her out long enough for Sorcermon to do his thing."
Marcus nodded as Machgaogamon and Yatagaramon launched attacks on Druidimon, only to have them be deflected by Druidimon's cry of "Palm Fan!" and the materialization of a fan composed of palm fronds in her free hand, which she used to bat the attacks away.
Agumon glanced up at Marcus.  "Are we really just going to stand by and let them fight her?"  He asked, looking unhappy.
Marcus frowned.  "What choice do we have?"  He asked.  "I can't activate my DNA charge without hitting Yoshi and I'm not going to do that."  He said definitely.
Agumon nodded, watching with sadness as the other two attempted to land a hit on Druidimon, only to be fended off by her fan or waving vines.  
Suddenly, one of the vines broke off from the rest of the pack and turned to lunge towards Sorcermon.  "No you don't!"  Marcus growled, lunging out and slamming his fist into the vine.  As he did so, the DNA charge flashed into life around his hand.  Marcus grinned and scanned it.  "Alright, RiseGreymon, don't hurt her, but keep her still so Sorcermon can do his work."  The huge dinosaur nodded and charged into the fray.

Between the three of them, RiseGreymon, MachGaogamon and Yatagaramon were barely able to restrain Druidimon, MachGaogamon holding her hands open so she couldn't produce any further staves after RiseGreymon broke the first four.  Sorcermon moved into position.  "I will first undo the mental alterations.  It will make the rest of the process simpler if you're not forced to immobilize her the whole time."  He said, pointing his wand at Druidimon.  He started to murmur a spell and Druidimon slowly stopped struggling.  When Sorcermon finished the spell, a zap of energy shot across and hit Druidimon right between the eyes.  She flinched and then went limp for a moment before blinking.
"What's going on?"  She demanded.  "Get off me!  This is the worst!"
"Yoshi?  Are you back?"  Thomas asked concernedly.
"What do you mean, back?"  Yoshi asked.  MachGaogamon released her arm and she rubbed her head.  "Ooooo my head hurts..."
Thomas explained to her what had happened and she nodded.  "I see.  Well, I'm glad you guys were able to figure it out."  She turned to Sorcermon.  "Can you get me back to normal?"  He nodded and pointed his wand at her again, starting a faster chant.  However, as he reached the climax of the spell, a black blade erupted from his forehead and he collapsed, exploding into data, which reformed into an egg...but only for a moment.  The egg then exploded, vanishing completely.  As he fell, a tall figure was revealed.  He was alarmingly tall, nearly as tall as MachGaogamon, with long white hair, a black suit with a green, scaly coat and boots with an identical pattern.  Long, pale fingers clutched a snake head tipped handle of the sword he slid back into its sheath, which he then placed the tip of against the ground, revealing it to be a cane.  His face was thin and covered by a large, ornate mask of a snake's head, with long fangs emerging from the bottom.  On his back were a pair of large bat wings, which were currently folded, and poking over his shoulder was the tip of what seemed to be an old fashioned machine gun.  
The demonic digimon smirked.  "Well, he very nearly ruined my fun.  I wasn't aware there was anyone here who had enough knowledge of old magiks to interfere with my plans.  Well, he's gone now, so we can proceed as planned."
All four stared in horror at the digimon.  "Who...who are you?"  Marcus stammered.
"The name's Adamon.  Feel free to keep the girl, I have no need of her yet."  He turned, waving to them over his shoulder before vanishing in a blast of darkness.

Yoshi sank to her knees, tearing up.  "I was so close...I was almost human again..."
Lalamon came to her side.  "Cheer up, Yoshi.  I'm sure the guys at DATS can get whatever this is figured out.  Magic might not have worked, but science still has a shot."
Yoshi nodded tearfully.  "You're right, Lalamon.  Can't give up hope, no matter how bad it looks."
Keenan smiled.  "You can stay here with me in the digital world when they're not examining you.  I suspect that you'll feel better in the digital world than in the human world."
Yoshi nodded again, drying her tears.  Marcus offered her a hand up and she took it.  "Don't worry Yoshi, we'll get it worked out."  He promised.  "If I have to hunt down that demon guy and punch him until he tells us how to fix this, I swear I will."  Thomas and Keenan nodded in agreement.
Yoshi finally smiled properly.  "Thanks Marcus.  I really appreciate the sentiment."  She glanced around.  "We should probably get back.  The commander will want to know what happened."

As they walked back to the gate, Marcus continued to walk next to Yoshi.  "How are you feeling?"
"Confused."  Yoshi replied.  "This body feels simultaneously right and wrong and...older, if you know what I mean."  
Marcus glanced down.  "Yes, I think I do."  He replied, grinning.  "How do you feel, as yourself?"
"Worried, but also really excited.  I'm a new person, and I'm strong.  I'm ready for whatever the world will throw at me."  Yoshi replied.
Marcus grinned.  "So now you know how I feel all the time."
Yoshi laughed.  "I suppose I do."