Wanderer D's side-note to Domino's story.
Hello, everyone! ^_^'
Well, you're probably wondering why I am posting this story if it was written by Hikari in the first place. well, we decided that it would be better to have all of the story archived in the same place. And it was decided (Hikari insisted) that it was to be my portfolio. I didn't write ANYTHING in this document other than this side note. So, if you like it and post reviews be reminded that they're for her. I WILL send her the reviews you put here, or you can email her.
Anyway, carry on.
-D
Konnannachi wa! Hey, all, I finally got my computer to cooperate long enough to get this posted. ::sigh:: Sorry for the long wait...I hope you find it was worth the idle time. Sempai, gomen ne, I never meant for it to take this long. -_- Hoeee...I wish DJ would hurry up and build me my new computer. Oh well. In any case, I'll shut up now so you guys can read. You will probably recognize a lot of the stuff that will be happening in my half of the story, since my character was intent on following the kids and finding them...but read carefully anyway, you might just find something you weren't expecting. ^_~ Double points if you can name the episode!
Enjoy!
~~hikari, who finds it exceedingly weird to be posting something under someone else's account... O_o
Disclaimer: Digimon does not belong to me. Domino does. Any questions? O_o I dunno, I ran out of funny ones... ~_~
Domino's Story
A full day would pass before I really started to miss the Primary Village...before I really started missing Elecmon and the babies... An entire day before I missed the only home I had ever really known.
But not five minutes had passed before I regretted leaving Dice.
I found I felt this strange attachment to him. Not love, not really. Not romantic love, anyway. It wasn't like that at all. It was more like a... Well, I was not even sure how to describe it. I felt like he was...I dunno, like a brother to me or something. All I knew was, I missed him terribly. Already.
But, I pressed on, I had to. There was this nagging in the back of my brain that told me there were a hundred wonderful adventures out there in the Digiworld, just waiting for me to happen upon them.
I had this overwhelming desire to meet the Digidestined Elecmon and Leomon had told Dice and I so much about. These children who had saved our world from such a powerful and destructive evil as Devimon were certainly worth searching for. I wanted to have a grand adventure; to do something important.
The Digidestined, it would seem, excelled in doing both.
So, I headed North, toward where the forests of the Digital World gave way to snow- capped mountains and caves of solid ice...to the place I had first heard of a Digidestined being seen. I decided that I would follow their trail, no matter where it would lead me. I was determined to meet these remarkable children, no matter the cost...
* * *
Frigimon glanced up in time to get beaned on the head by a small quadrupedal creature that resembled a puppy. With a yelp, the little Salamon bounced off Frigimon's rounded head and landed in a soft snow drift by the larger digimon's feet.
"Raining digimon again?" Frigimon asked, holding up one mitten-like hand. "I knew I should have brought my umbrella..." He looked down at the Salamon. "You all right there?"
"Yes, I'm all right," the Salamon replied, shaking snow from her head. "I'm so sorry, Frigimon, I didn't mean to fall on you... I was trying to climb that tree to get a better lay of the land...but it would seem gravity got the better of me."
"It's all right," Frigimon laughed, "I've gotten rather used to it by now..." He paused. "What was it you were looking for?"
"Digidestined, actually," the Salamon replied matter-of-factly, brushing the last of the snow from her coat. She suddenly noticed that Frigimon seemed to be staring at her.
"What are you looking at?" she asked him, genuinely curious as to what Frigimon found so very interesting.
"Your coat," Frigimon replied. "Why, I have never seen such a Salamon before. You're all spotted!"
Clearly this was not the same Frigimon that had helped Elecmon with the babies in Primary Village. She smiled.
"That I am," she said. "I am called Domino."
"Pleased to meet you," Frigimon said, taking a seat in the snow on the ground. "So, you say you're looking for Digidestined, ey?"
Domino nodded.
"Well," Frigimon went on, "they haven't been here for quite a while." He almost sounded apologetic. "There were two of them here not too long ago...a tall blond boy and his Gabumon, and a shorter boy with brown hair and an Agumon. But they took off, headed East, I believe. They were going toward where File Island has come back together now, saying they had to meet up with the others."
"East..." Domino repeated, and cast her green eyes toward the far horizon. "Thank you, Frigimon."
With that, she started forward again.
"Domino," Frigimon called after her, and she turned. "Domino, what will you do once you have found those kids?"
She gave him a small, cryptic smile.
"Perhaps I shall find my own destiny," she replied, and started Eastward again, toward the horizon that seemed so very far away...
* * *
I found that the cold and snow didn't really bother me much at all. The wind howled all around me, but I felt no chill. It was strange, I thought. The fur of a Salamon was not long and thick like that of an Ikkakumon...nor was it dense like that of a Mojyamon... I was not a cold-weather digimon, really, so it didn't really make much sense that I should not be bothered by the extreme weather around me.
Not that I was complaining, mind you. It was just as well that my own well- being was not hanging in jeopardy.
And so, counting my blessings, I continued through the snowy lands of the Northernmost parts of the Digiworld, headed gradually Southeast, toward File Island, headed closer to the destiny I was certain awaited me somewhere out there...
* * *
As hours turned to days, and days to weeks, the little spotted Salamon made her way through many lands in the Digital World. From the snows of the North and the helpful Frigimon to the Tropical jungles of the East, with the overenthusiastic Sukamon and Chuumon, who had been reluctant to give her any Digidestined information without first demanding a kiss. Plus, she had gotten another hint from a Centaurumon who had seen two of the children headed South. From there, she had continued South, as Centaurumon had directed, where she met up with some troublesome Bakemon. After she showed a demonstration of her skill by defeated three of them easily with a special attack none of the Bakemon had ever seen a Salamon use before, they were a little more willing to tell her that the two Digidestined they had seen were headed back to File Island, to meet up with the others.
Domino began wondering just how many Digidestined there were out there... She was quite sure Leomon had said there were a total of seven, but she wondered if there might not be more... Regardless of how many or how few, Domino was determined to find them, but her travels always managed to leave her just a few steps too far behind them.
But she did not lose hope. If there was one thing Domino could be described as, it was tenacious. She knew what she wanted, and was determined not to give up until she had achieved her goal.
Her thoughts often drifted back to Dice. She wondered what he was up to...wondered what he was doing...if he was all right... However, preoccupation was something she could not afford if she was to keep going, so she forced herself to think about her quest, pushing the concerns for her childhood friend to a far corner of her mind.
The children were last seen headed for File Island, she had been told. So Domino headed to File Island. But she was a little startled when the only thing she managed to find on the deserted beach was a very upset Leomon...
* * *
"Leomon?" I called, recognizing the great muscular beast on the beach of File Island as none other than Dice's own idol and hero. I ran toward the gentle giant. "Leomon!" I shouted. "Leomon, it's me, it's Domino! Oh, Leomon, you and Dice would be so proud of me! I learned a new attack! It's called Denki Claw! Oh, you should have seen how I creamed those Bakemon, and--"
He regarded me with sad eyes, and I immediately stopped in my tracks.
"Leomon?"
"Hello, Domino," he said to me. There was great sadness in his voice, and I felt a sort of crushing sensation around my heart.
"Leomon, what's the matter?" I asked, concerned by the deep regret in the digimon's kind and caring eyes. "What happened?" I glanced around, and the crushing sensation suddenly became excruciating. "Where's Dice? He said he was going to find you, now where is he?"
Leomon broke eye contact with me, and I gasped sharply. I ran over to where he sat in the sand of the beach and placed my soft paws on his shin.
"Where's Dice?" I cried. "Where is he, Leomon? What happened?"
I remember going numb after hearing him say the words, "A storm capsized our raft."
Capsized? It sank? Did that mean--?
"No!" I cried, jumping back. "No, it can't be! I can't believe it!"
I felt tears sting my eyes. Funny, how the same tears that seem so welcome during laughter would burn so in grief.
Grief was something I had never felt before...and the first time one feels it is, by far, the worst, I have to say... Grief, though it never really gets any easier to bear over time, does seem less shocking as each heartbreak hits you...sort of like the pain after a hard workout. The first time, you feel like you're going to die, you hurt so badly.
Then, each subsequent time, though it hurts just as much, it doesn't startle you so. I was positively stricken, and what made the whole situation worse was that I had no idea what had overcome my heart. How does one describe grief to one who has never felt it before?
"I won't believe it!" I continued, shaking my head quickly, as if my very words of denial could have changed the facts. "He can't be gone, Leomon, he just can't!!" Leomon gave me a stern look.
"I do not know what to tell you, Domino," he said slowly. "The storm was too much for our boat, it was reduced to kindling... I remember seeing Dice pitched overboard by a huge wave before I was hit with part of the splintering wood and fell unconscious. I was lucky that Whamon happened by when he did, else I might not have made it..."
I looked at the ground as I squeezed the sand between my toes.
"Leomon...did you see him drown?"
Leomon shook his head.
"No, I did not."
I looked up.
"Then there is still a chance he may be alive!" I cried. "We can't just sit here when--"
"It's too dangerous, Domino," he interrupted, and I collapsed into the sand, too weak to stand any longer.
I felt as though all strength had left my body. It was amazing...I never knew how your body could just abandon you like that. I had always felt so in control, I had been so confident, I had been so self-assured...
I had been so naïve.
"We can't brave the sea again," he went on, "not while the storm cells remain. Had it been safe to do so, don't you think I would have already gone out looking for him? Perhaps once Whamon returns with a report of clear weather, we can--"
"By then it may be too late for him!" I wailed. "There must be something--"
"There is nothing we can do right now, Domino!" Leomon shouted, and then he suddenly looked ashamed for having raised his voice. "There isn't anything we can do."
"We're not doing any good just sitting here!"
He regarded me severely.
"We will do even less good if we are dead at the bottom of the sea, Little One," he replied bluntly, and I dropped my forehead onto the sand. I felt his mammoth hand stroke the back of my head. "Your courage and loyalty to your friend are commendable, Domino, and I am sure he would thank you for it..." he said, "but I fear there is nothing we can do right now, except hope."
"Hope..." I whispered, and the word tasted horribly bitter on my tongue.
Hope? I thought. What good will that do? What is the use of hoping? No one listens to the prayers of a single digimon... What's the use of sending your prayers to the heavens if nobody hears?
And so, I left File Island, and the ghosts I feared dwelt there. Suddenly my quest seemed unimportant and fickle. It paled in comparison to the broken promise laid out before my eyes...
Domino, if you are ever in trouble, look for me, okay? And promise me...promise me that we'll meet again someday. Friends forever, right?
Those were the words we had sworn by...the pact we had vowed never to break. We had made a promise that day, not so very long ago, to remain forever comrades, to always be there for the other, no matter what.
But, Dice, how can I be there for you now?
How can we be friends forever...if you are no longer here with me...?
So, with a heavy heart, I continued onward. Anymore, it was not so much to find the end of my quest...as it was to find an explanation and a reason for the single incident that had torn my soul in two...
* * *
Days passed, and I wandered rather aimlessly. It seemed I had lost sight of my destination. Or perhaps the destination just didn't matter anymore. I found myself focusing more on what I did than where I was going. I began training harder, honing my skills. I pushed myself to my very limits--and beyond them. One never truly knows what they are capable of until they do all that they can--and then do more. You never know just how much you can take until you take just a little more than you believe you can. It often turns out that you can keep going long after you can't, and you can keep fighting long after you think you've given up. I figured that was what Dice would have done. It was sort of my way of keeping his memory alive. I wondered if he saw it. I wondered if he knew...
I was slowly turning myself into a machine...a fighting machine. I had no time for emotion any longer, I was too tuned into training to become stronger. I was
determined to become the strong and powerful digimon Dice wanted to badly to be, but never got the chance to before his life was stolen away by the savage hands of the sea. I fought against any digimon willing to spar, and frequently walked away feeling guilty for having beaten them so badly. I was no longer a Salamon...for no Salamon would have ever been able to defeat the digimon I had beaten. Maybe it was because I fought so recklessly anymore... I did whatever it took to emerge victorious. I had become so detached from the living part of myself that it really didn't matter to me any longer if I survived the next battle or not.
And then came the day that changed me completely...
* * *
"Why hello there, Little One. My, but you're a ways out in the middle of nowhere, aren't you?"
Domino glanced over her shoulder at the strange pink puffball of a digimon that was addressing her.
"Just leave me be," she said sourly, and continued walking.
"Now, now," the digimon said with a chiding click of his tongue, "personal loss is no excuse for rudeness to others."
Domino stopped, and whirled around to face him.
"What did you say?" she demanded.
Piximon stopped fluttering his tiny white wings and landed in the sand of the desert with a soft thumping sound. He pointed the tiny staff he carried at Domino's nose, and gave her a severe look.
"You look in need of some help, Child," he said, a coy smile crossing his lips, "and I may be just the digimon to give it to you." He began to weave around her in a slow circle. "You're feeling lost...confused..." he paused, and looked pointedly at her, "and very alone." He continued walking. "You've lost someone close to you, and you have lost your direction because of it..." He fluttered his wings again and lifted to her eye level. "Am I right?"
Domino's eyes widened at the accuracy of the strange little digimon's prediction, and then she lowered them to the sand.
"You're correct, my friend," she said softly, sitting down on her haunches. "I don't know where I'm going anymore..."
Piximon crimped the corners of his mouth in an impish grin.
"I do," he said. "You're coming with me."
Domino lifted her head.
"Pardon?"
Piximon dropped back to the ground.
"Piximon's my name, and Personal Training is my claim to fame," he boasted. "Come with me, Salamon, and I will help you get back on your feet."
Domino frowned.
"And you want what in return?" she asked cynically.
Piximon looked abashed.
"Must everyone expect reciprocation?" he asked, starting forward. "Training is what I do. It's my life. You've obviously lost the meaning in your life, so why not let me help you find it?"
Domino hung her head, and reluctantly started to follow, deciding she really had nothing better to do anyway.
"Your confidence is admirable," she said, "but I don't think you can help me, Piximon... Not unless you can change the past..."
Piximon continued flying forward, but said quietly back over his shoulder, "You cannot change the past, Salamon, you can only change your reaction to the future."
"Domino."
He stopped.
"Huh?"
She walked past him. "Domino," she repeated, pausing to look at him, one forepaw lifted. "It's my name."
"Ah..."
Piximon nodded his head slowly, then fluttered off ahead of her again.
"Well, Domino," he went on as they walked toward his home, "I get the feeling you're going to take to this training quite well..."
* * *
"Piximon, this is ridiculous!" I complained. "How is scrubbing your floor supposed to help me find direction??"
Piximon folded his arms across his chest and looked at me indignantly.
"Well, I've always said that a clean house is a sign of discipline," he said slowly, "and, in order to get anywhere in life, you must have that."
I flattened my eyes.
"But, Piximon, I have discipline already..." I protested. "If I didn't, I never would have come far enough to defeat those digimon I fought before." I paused. "Besides, this is your house that needs cleaning...you clean it... Then you can talk to me about discipline."
He scowled.
"Domino, you'll never get anywhere with that attitude," he told me strictly. "You're too rebellious. You have to learn to listen to what you're told." I did not respond, merely glared down at the sponge and bucket of soapy water by my feet. Piximon's tone softened as he went on, "Domino, what happened to you?"
I snapped my head up. "I don't think that's any of your business," I said shortly, then looked away again.
"Domino, you've gotta stop this," he said to me. "If I'm to train you, you have to tell me things... You'll never be a warrior if you keep letting your past preoccupy you... You have to move on." He paused. "What are you so afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid of anything!" I shouted furiously. Who did this creme-puff think he was, asking me something like that??
"Then what is holding you back?" he shouted in response. "Something is keeping you from being the best of the best, Domino! Your fighting skills are superb! When you first challenged me to spar yesterday, I thought you were going to be a joke! But, oh, boy, was I wrong! Imagine, the great Piximon, nearly taken out by a mere Salamon. Imagine what you will be able to do once you hit your Champion stage. You're that good, Domino..." He paused, and eyed me strangely. "But it's not you...is it? That isn't what you want..."
I looked at him.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're not a warrior, Domino...it's in your eyes..." He frowned. "You don't want to fight, you don't want to hurt people...but something makes you feel like you must. Something happened to you that changed your whole outlook on life, and, unless you tell me what it is, I may never be able to help you get past it." He fluttered down and landed on the rim of the water bucket. "Why, Domino?" he asked me. "What's making you do this? Why are you so hell-bent on strength? You're not the power- hungry type... So what gives?"
I narrowed my eyes unpleasantly.
"Stop with the stupid metaphysical nonsense, Piximon," I snapped. "You're a Personal Trainer, so stick to training. If I wanted a damned psychic tarot reading about my inner soul, I would have called a 900 number and asked Dionne Warwick!"
He blinked.
"Who?"
I blinked. What was I talking about?
I shook my head quickly.
"Nevermind," I sighed. "I really don't want to talk about it, Piximon..." I said softly, and he frowned.
"Then...I guess I can't help you..."
There was a moment of tense silence, and I looked up at him. He regarded me with a sly, expectant look.
I folded.
I told him the whole story...I told him everything. I told him about the village, about how Dice and I were different from all the others, about how he had so wanted to become the greatest and strongest digimon there was. I told him how I had wanted to meet the Digidestined, and how I had then given up that quest after Dice's death. I was nearly in tears again by the time I finished, and Piximon looked a little chalky.
"That's it, huh?" he said after a brief pause. "Wow...that's impressive... You're doing this...all for him?"
I shut my eyes.
"I thought that, maybe if I could become the strong digimon he so desired to be... I thought maybe if I could realize the dream he could not...that maybe...maybe it might..." I didn't finish my sentence.
It was closure that I sought, really... Dice had left this world without even saying goodbye, and I found that terribly unfair. I thought that perhaps if I could achieve his dream for him, it might be enough to set his soul at ease. Well...and there was one other thing...
"The truth is, Piximon..." I looked up at him again. "The truth is, I'm lonely... I miss him terribly..." I sighed. "I'm sure there are plenty of other digimon out there I could meet and become friends with, but...I don't want to... I don't want to replace him, Piximon...I want Dice back..." I scowled down at the sponge again. "And no amount of floor-scrubbing will ever be able to do that..."
Piximon smiled.
"You remind me of them," he said vaguely.
I looked at him.
"Remind you of who?"
He jumped down from the edge of the soap bucket.
"I gave the Digidestined the same training regimen... Man, my floors never sparkled so brightly, either..."
My eyes opened wide.
"The Digidestined?" I asked eagerly. "They were here?" It seemed that, though the fires of my quest had burned out with Dice's death, they were not beyond being rekindled.
Piximon nodded.
"Aye, they were here not too long ago...they gave me the same complaints, Domino... They didn't understand it either..."
"Did it help them?" I asked, wondering if this wasn't all just some clever trick so he could slack on his Spring Cleaning.
"Did it help?" he repeated mockingly with a laugh. "You bet it did! Why, I daresay, if it had not been for my careful guidance, those kids might not have walked out of here the champions they are now."
"Wow..." I said, awed by the respect the tiny pink digimon demanded. I looked into his beady eyes.
"Could I do it, too?"
"Do what?"
I got quickly to my feet and spun in a tight circle.
"Could I be a champion, like the Digidestined?"
Piximon twitched his wings.
"Domino, I believe there isn't anything you can't do, as long as you put your mind to it."
I beamed.
"Will you help me?"
He laughed and launched himself into the air.
"That's the spirit, Child!" he exulted. "Now you're talking... By the time I'm done with you...why, you might even be able to give those Digidestined a run for their money."
I puffed out my chest. Suddenly, the fires of purpose had re-ignited within my heart. I had a new quest...and it was rather a combination of both quests I had been following before. Now, not only would I be able to satisfy my own heart's desire...perhaps I could satisfy Dice's too.
Piximon crimped the corners of his mouth again, and I felt a sudden sick feeling of dread as he said to me, "Now get scrubbing," before he flapped his tiny white wings and headed off to his study, to come up with a training syllabus, I would have to assume.
I hefted a sigh, and looked at the sponge at my feet. Then I looked at the expanse of wooden floors within Piximon's abode.
"Well, Sponge," I groaned, "looks like it's just you, me...and the floor..."
* * *
Domino hefted a sigh as she flopped down onto the ground. "Good fight, Piximon," she said. "You're a really good teacher, you know that?"
Piximon smiled as he sat down beside her.
"You've only told me that after every spar we've had, Domino."
She laughed.
"Well, it's the truth," she admitted, "I feel like I could do anything now."
"And you probably could," Piximon told her. "Your skills are about as top- notch as I can get them, the rest will be up to you from now on."
Domino lifted her head.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that you are ready," Piximon said, getting to his feet. "My job is done. You're about the most advanced Salamon out there, I'll bet. I wouldn't be too surprised if you reached your next stage soon." He flapped his wings and lifted into the air. "What are you still hanging around here for?" he asked after a moment. "Go and find those Digidestined! Go and find your destiny, your niche! There's a big adventure waiting for you, Domino, and you won't find it here..."
She got to her feet and drew in a deep breath, held it for a second, then exhaled audibly.
"Thank you, Piximon," she said. "I don't know how to thank you enough."
"You scrubbed my floors till I could see my reflection in them, Domino," he laughed, "I think that's thanks enough for now."
She smiled at him as she followed him toward the front door.
"You go find those kids, Domino," Piximon said, "and you tell them Piximon sent you." He laughed. "Show them how it's done, go kick some evil ass."
Domino grinned wickedly.
"I fully intend to."
She headed back out into the sands of the desert.
"Thanks again, Piximon!" she called over her shoulder as she ran toward that ever- elusive horizon. "I won't forget you!"
He watched her go, and sighed. Another fine graduate to add to his repertoire.
"Make me proud, Domino...make me proud..."
* * *
So I made my way through the desert. The sun scorched down on top of me, but I pressed on. I had come too far to turn back now. Piximon had told me that the Digidestined had been there not even a week ago, so I knew I was getting close. Plus, I had a new purpose now. Not only would I find the Digidestined, I would help them in their fight for the Digital World, becoming stronger as I did so. As I continued through the desert, the fire within me grew until it burned nearly as bright and hot as the blinding daystar above me.
I felt a surge of strength within me now, a renewed reason for my travel. Not only was I doing this for me, I was doing this for him.
I hoped that he could see that.
* * *
So what did everyone think? I'm probably going to be posting mine in more chapters than Sempai did...simply because I talk too much to cram everything into one or two chapters. -_- Anyone who is familiar with my work will attest to this. ^_^ So lemme know what you think, minna! Ciao!
~~hikari
hikari_san@hotmail.com
Hello, everyone! ^_^'
Well, you're probably wondering why I am posting this story if it was written by Hikari in the first place. well, we decided that it would be better to have all of the story archived in the same place. And it was decided (Hikari insisted) that it was to be my portfolio. I didn't write ANYTHING in this document other than this side note. So, if you like it and post reviews be reminded that they're for her. I WILL send her the reviews you put here, or you can email her.
Anyway, carry on.
-D
Konnannachi wa! Hey, all, I finally got my computer to cooperate long enough to get this posted. ::sigh:: Sorry for the long wait...I hope you find it was worth the idle time. Sempai, gomen ne, I never meant for it to take this long. -_- Hoeee...I wish DJ would hurry up and build me my new computer. Oh well. In any case, I'll shut up now so you guys can read. You will probably recognize a lot of the stuff that will be happening in my half of the story, since my character was intent on following the kids and finding them...but read carefully anyway, you might just find something you weren't expecting. ^_~ Double points if you can name the episode!
Enjoy!
~~hikari, who finds it exceedingly weird to be posting something under someone else's account... O_o
Disclaimer: Digimon does not belong to me. Domino does. Any questions? O_o I dunno, I ran out of funny ones... ~_~
Domino's Story
A full day would pass before I really started to miss the Primary Village...before I really started missing Elecmon and the babies... An entire day before I missed the only home I had ever really known.
But not five minutes had passed before I regretted leaving Dice.
I found I felt this strange attachment to him. Not love, not really. Not romantic love, anyway. It wasn't like that at all. It was more like a... Well, I was not even sure how to describe it. I felt like he was...I dunno, like a brother to me or something. All I knew was, I missed him terribly. Already.
But, I pressed on, I had to. There was this nagging in the back of my brain that told me there were a hundred wonderful adventures out there in the Digiworld, just waiting for me to happen upon them.
I had this overwhelming desire to meet the Digidestined Elecmon and Leomon had told Dice and I so much about. These children who had saved our world from such a powerful and destructive evil as Devimon were certainly worth searching for. I wanted to have a grand adventure; to do something important.
The Digidestined, it would seem, excelled in doing both.
So, I headed North, toward where the forests of the Digital World gave way to snow- capped mountains and caves of solid ice...to the place I had first heard of a Digidestined being seen. I decided that I would follow their trail, no matter where it would lead me. I was determined to meet these remarkable children, no matter the cost...
* * *
Frigimon glanced up in time to get beaned on the head by a small quadrupedal creature that resembled a puppy. With a yelp, the little Salamon bounced off Frigimon's rounded head and landed in a soft snow drift by the larger digimon's feet.
"Raining digimon again?" Frigimon asked, holding up one mitten-like hand. "I knew I should have brought my umbrella..." He looked down at the Salamon. "You all right there?"
"Yes, I'm all right," the Salamon replied, shaking snow from her head. "I'm so sorry, Frigimon, I didn't mean to fall on you... I was trying to climb that tree to get a better lay of the land...but it would seem gravity got the better of me."
"It's all right," Frigimon laughed, "I've gotten rather used to it by now..." He paused. "What was it you were looking for?"
"Digidestined, actually," the Salamon replied matter-of-factly, brushing the last of the snow from her coat. She suddenly noticed that Frigimon seemed to be staring at her.
"What are you looking at?" she asked him, genuinely curious as to what Frigimon found so very interesting.
"Your coat," Frigimon replied. "Why, I have never seen such a Salamon before. You're all spotted!"
Clearly this was not the same Frigimon that had helped Elecmon with the babies in Primary Village. She smiled.
"That I am," she said. "I am called Domino."
"Pleased to meet you," Frigimon said, taking a seat in the snow on the ground. "So, you say you're looking for Digidestined, ey?"
Domino nodded.
"Well," Frigimon went on, "they haven't been here for quite a while." He almost sounded apologetic. "There were two of them here not too long ago...a tall blond boy and his Gabumon, and a shorter boy with brown hair and an Agumon. But they took off, headed East, I believe. They were going toward where File Island has come back together now, saying they had to meet up with the others."
"East..." Domino repeated, and cast her green eyes toward the far horizon. "Thank you, Frigimon."
With that, she started forward again.
"Domino," Frigimon called after her, and she turned. "Domino, what will you do once you have found those kids?"
She gave him a small, cryptic smile.
"Perhaps I shall find my own destiny," she replied, and started Eastward again, toward the horizon that seemed so very far away...
* * *
I found that the cold and snow didn't really bother me much at all. The wind howled all around me, but I felt no chill. It was strange, I thought. The fur of a Salamon was not long and thick like that of an Ikkakumon...nor was it dense like that of a Mojyamon... I was not a cold-weather digimon, really, so it didn't really make much sense that I should not be bothered by the extreme weather around me.
Not that I was complaining, mind you. It was just as well that my own well- being was not hanging in jeopardy.
And so, counting my blessings, I continued through the snowy lands of the Northernmost parts of the Digiworld, headed gradually Southeast, toward File Island, headed closer to the destiny I was certain awaited me somewhere out there...
* * *
As hours turned to days, and days to weeks, the little spotted Salamon made her way through many lands in the Digital World. From the snows of the North and the helpful Frigimon to the Tropical jungles of the East, with the overenthusiastic Sukamon and Chuumon, who had been reluctant to give her any Digidestined information without first demanding a kiss. Plus, she had gotten another hint from a Centaurumon who had seen two of the children headed South. From there, she had continued South, as Centaurumon had directed, where she met up with some troublesome Bakemon. After she showed a demonstration of her skill by defeated three of them easily with a special attack none of the Bakemon had ever seen a Salamon use before, they were a little more willing to tell her that the two Digidestined they had seen were headed back to File Island, to meet up with the others.
Domino began wondering just how many Digidestined there were out there... She was quite sure Leomon had said there were a total of seven, but she wondered if there might not be more... Regardless of how many or how few, Domino was determined to find them, but her travels always managed to leave her just a few steps too far behind them.
But she did not lose hope. If there was one thing Domino could be described as, it was tenacious. She knew what she wanted, and was determined not to give up until she had achieved her goal.
Her thoughts often drifted back to Dice. She wondered what he was up to...wondered what he was doing...if he was all right... However, preoccupation was something she could not afford if she was to keep going, so she forced herself to think about her quest, pushing the concerns for her childhood friend to a far corner of her mind.
The children were last seen headed for File Island, she had been told. So Domino headed to File Island. But she was a little startled when the only thing she managed to find on the deserted beach was a very upset Leomon...
* * *
"Leomon?" I called, recognizing the great muscular beast on the beach of File Island as none other than Dice's own idol and hero. I ran toward the gentle giant. "Leomon!" I shouted. "Leomon, it's me, it's Domino! Oh, Leomon, you and Dice would be so proud of me! I learned a new attack! It's called Denki Claw! Oh, you should have seen how I creamed those Bakemon, and--"
He regarded me with sad eyes, and I immediately stopped in my tracks.
"Leomon?"
"Hello, Domino," he said to me. There was great sadness in his voice, and I felt a sort of crushing sensation around my heart.
"Leomon, what's the matter?" I asked, concerned by the deep regret in the digimon's kind and caring eyes. "What happened?" I glanced around, and the crushing sensation suddenly became excruciating. "Where's Dice? He said he was going to find you, now where is he?"
Leomon broke eye contact with me, and I gasped sharply. I ran over to where he sat in the sand of the beach and placed my soft paws on his shin.
"Where's Dice?" I cried. "Where is he, Leomon? What happened?"
I remember going numb after hearing him say the words, "A storm capsized our raft."
Capsized? It sank? Did that mean--?
"No!" I cried, jumping back. "No, it can't be! I can't believe it!"
I felt tears sting my eyes. Funny, how the same tears that seem so welcome during laughter would burn so in grief.
Grief was something I had never felt before...and the first time one feels it is, by far, the worst, I have to say... Grief, though it never really gets any easier to bear over time, does seem less shocking as each heartbreak hits you...sort of like the pain after a hard workout. The first time, you feel like you're going to die, you hurt so badly.
Then, each subsequent time, though it hurts just as much, it doesn't startle you so. I was positively stricken, and what made the whole situation worse was that I had no idea what had overcome my heart. How does one describe grief to one who has never felt it before?
"I won't believe it!" I continued, shaking my head quickly, as if my very words of denial could have changed the facts. "He can't be gone, Leomon, he just can't!!" Leomon gave me a stern look.
"I do not know what to tell you, Domino," he said slowly. "The storm was too much for our boat, it was reduced to kindling... I remember seeing Dice pitched overboard by a huge wave before I was hit with part of the splintering wood and fell unconscious. I was lucky that Whamon happened by when he did, else I might not have made it..."
I looked at the ground as I squeezed the sand between my toes.
"Leomon...did you see him drown?"
Leomon shook his head.
"No, I did not."
I looked up.
"Then there is still a chance he may be alive!" I cried. "We can't just sit here when--"
"It's too dangerous, Domino," he interrupted, and I collapsed into the sand, too weak to stand any longer.
I felt as though all strength had left my body. It was amazing...I never knew how your body could just abandon you like that. I had always felt so in control, I had been so confident, I had been so self-assured...
I had been so naïve.
"We can't brave the sea again," he went on, "not while the storm cells remain. Had it been safe to do so, don't you think I would have already gone out looking for him? Perhaps once Whamon returns with a report of clear weather, we can--"
"By then it may be too late for him!" I wailed. "There must be something--"
"There is nothing we can do right now, Domino!" Leomon shouted, and then he suddenly looked ashamed for having raised his voice. "There isn't anything we can do."
"We're not doing any good just sitting here!"
He regarded me severely.
"We will do even less good if we are dead at the bottom of the sea, Little One," he replied bluntly, and I dropped my forehead onto the sand. I felt his mammoth hand stroke the back of my head. "Your courage and loyalty to your friend are commendable, Domino, and I am sure he would thank you for it..." he said, "but I fear there is nothing we can do right now, except hope."
"Hope..." I whispered, and the word tasted horribly bitter on my tongue.
Hope? I thought. What good will that do? What is the use of hoping? No one listens to the prayers of a single digimon... What's the use of sending your prayers to the heavens if nobody hears?
And so, I left File Island, and the ghosts I feared dwelt there. Suddenly my quest seemed unimportant and fickle. It paled in comparison to the broken promise laid out before my eyes...
Domino, if you are ever in trouble, look for me, okay? And promise me...promise me that we'll meet again someday. Friends forever, right?
Those were the words we had sworn by...the pact we had vowed never to break. We had made a promise that day, not so very long ago, to remain forever comrades, to always be there for the other, no matter what.
But, Dice, how can I be there for you now?
How can we be friends forever...if you are no longer here with me...?
So, with a heavy heart, I continued onward. Anymore, it was not so much to find the end of my quest...as it was to find an explanation and a reason for the single incident that had torn my soul in two...
* * *
Days passed, and I wandered rather aimlessly. It seemed I had lost sight of my destination. Or perhaps the destination just didn't matter anymore. I found myself focusing more on what I did than where I was going. I began training harder, honing my skills. I pushed myself to my very limits--and beyond them. One never truly knows what they are capable of until they do all that they can--and then do more. You never know just how much you can take until you take just a little more than you believe you can. It often turns out that you can keep going long after you can't, and you can keep fighting long after you think you've given up. I figured that was what Dice would have done. It was sort of my way of keeping his memory alive. I wondered if he saw it. I wondered if he knew...
I was slowly turning myself into a machine...a fighting machine. I had no time for emotion any longer, I was too tuned into training to become stronger. I was
determined to become the strong and powerful digimon Dice wanted to badly to be, but never got the chance to before his life was stolen away by the savage hands of the sea. I fought against any digimon willing to spar, and frequently walked away feeling guilty for having beaten them so badly. I was no longer a Salamon...for no Salamon would have ever been able to defeat the digimon I had beaten. Maybe it was because I fought so recklessly anymore... I did whatever it took to emerge victorious. I had become so detached from the living part of myself that it really didn't matter to me any longer if I survived the next battle or not.
And then came the day that changed me completely...
* * *
"Why hello there, Little One. My, but you're a ways out in the middle of nowhere, aren't you?"
Domino glanced over her shoulder at the strange pink puffball of a digimon that was addressing her.
"Just leave me be," she said sourly, and continued walking.
"Now, now," the digimon said with a chiding click of his tongue, "personal loss is no excuse for rudeness to others."
Domino stopped, and whirled around to face him.
"What did you say?" she demanded.
Piximon stopped fluttering his tiny white wings and landed in the sand of the desert with a soft thumping sound. He pointed the tiny staff he carried at Domino's nose, and gave her a severe look.
"You look in need of some help, Child," he said, a coy smile crossing his lips, "and I may be just the digimon to give it to you." He began to weave around her in a slow circle. "You're feeling lost...confused..." he paused, and looked pointedly at her, "and very alone." He continued walking. "You've lost someone close to you, and you have lost your direction because of it..." He fluttered his wings again and lifted to her eye level. "Am I right?"
Domino's eyes widened at the accuracy of the strange little digimon's prediction, and then she lowered them to the sand.
"You're correct, my friend," she said softly, sitting down on her haunches. "I don't know where I'm going anymore..."
Piximon crimped the corners of his mouth in an impish grin.
"I do," he said. "You're coming with me."
Domino lifted her head.
"Pardon?"
Piximon dropped back to the ground.
"Piximon's my name, and Personal Training is my claim to fame," he boasted. "Come with me, Salamon, and I will help you get back on your feet."
Domino frowned.
"And you want what in return?" she asked cynically.
Piximon looked abashed.
"Must everyone expect reciprocation?" he asked, starting forward. "Training is what I do. It's my life. You've obviously lost the meaning in your life, so why not let me help you find it?"
Domino hung her head, and reluctantly started to follow, deciding she really had nothing better to do anyway.
"Your confidence is admirable," she said, "but I don't think you can help me, Piximon... Not unless you can change the past..."
Piximon continued flying forward, but said quietly back over his shoulder, "You cannot change the past, Salamon, you can only change your reaction to the future."
"Domino."
He stopped.
"Huh?"
She walked past him. "Domino," she repeated, pausing to look at him, one forepaw lifted. "It's my name."
"Ah..."
Piximon nodded his head slowly, then fluttered off ahead of her again.
"Well, Domino," he went on as they walked toward his home, "I get the feeling you're going to take to this training quite well..."
* * *
"Piximon, this is ridiculous!" I complained. "How is scrubbing your floor supposed to help me find direction??"
Piximon folded his arms across his chest and looked at me indignantly.
"Well, I've always said that a clean house is a sign of discipline," he said slowly, "and, in order to get anywhere in life, you must have that."
I flattened my eyes.
"But, Piximon, I have discipline already..." I protested. "If I didn't, I never would have come far enough to defeat those digimon I fought before." I paused. "Besides, this is your house that needs cleaning...you clean it... Then you can talk to me about discipline."
He scowled.
"Domino, you'll never get anywhere with that attitude," he told me strictly. "You're too rebellious. You have to learn to listen to what you're told." I did not respond, merely glared down at the sponge and bucket of soapy water by my feet. Piximon's tone softened as he went on, "Domino, what happened to you?"
I snapped my head up. "I don't think that's any of your business," I said shortly, then looked away again.
"Domino, you've gotta stop this," he said to me. "If I'm to train you, you have to tell me things... You'll never be a warrior if you keep letting your past preoccupy you... You have to move on." He paused. "What are you so afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid of anything!" I shouted furiously. Who did this creme-puff think he was, asking me something like that??
"Then what is holding you back?" he shouted in response. "Something is keeping you from being the best of the best, Domino! Your fighting skills are superb! When you first challenged me to spar yesterday, I thought you were going to be a joke! But, oh, boy, was I wrong! Imagine, the great Piximon, nearly taken out by a mere Salamon. Imagine what you will be able to do once you hit your Champion stage. You're that good, Domino..." He paused, and eyed me strangely. "But it's not you...is it? That isn't what you want..."
I looked at him.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're not a warrior, Domino...it's in your eyes..." He frowned. "You don't want to fight, you don't want to hurt people...but something makes you feel like you must. Something happened to you that changed your whole outlook on life, and, unless you tell me what it is, I may never be able to help you get past it." He fluttered down and landed on the rim of the water bucket. "Why, Domino?" he asked me. "What's making you do this? Why are you so hell-bent on strength? You're not the power- hungry type... So what gives?"
I narrowed my eyes unpleasantly.
"Stop with the stupid metaphysical nonsense, Piximon," I snapped. "You're a Personal Trainer, so stick to training. If I wanted a damned psychic tarot reading about my inner soul, I would have called a 900 number and asked Dionne Warwick!"
He blinked.
"Who?"
I blinked. What was I talking about?
I shook my head quickly.
"Nevermind," I sighed. "I really don't want to talk about it, Piximon..." I said softly, and he frowned.
"Then...I guess I can't help you..."
There was a moment of tense silence, and I looked up at him. He regarded me with a sly, expectant look.
I folded.
I told him the whole story...I told him everything. I told him about the village, about how Dice and I were different from all the others, about how he had so wanted to become the greatest and strongest digimon there was. I told him how I had wanted to meet the Digidestined, and how I had then given up that quest after Dice's death. I was nearly in tears again by the time I finished, and Piximon looked a little chalky.
"That's it, huh?" he said after a brief pause. "Wow...that's impressive... You're doing this...all for him?"
I shut my eyes.
"I thought that, maybe if I could become the strong digimon he so desired to be... I thought maybe if I could realize the dream he could not...that maybe...maybe it might..." I didn't finish my sentence.
It was closure that I sought, really... Dice had left this world without even saying goodbye, and I found that terribly unfair. I thought that perhaps if I could achieve his dream for him, it might be enough to set his soul at ease. Well...and there was one other thing...
"The truth is, Piximon..." I looked up at him again. "The truth is, I'm lonely... I miss him terribly..." I sighed. "I'm sure there are plenty of other digimon out there I could meet and become friends with, but...I don't want to... I don't want to replace him, Piximon...I want Dice back..." I scowled down at the sponge again. "And no amount of floor-scrubbing will ever be able to do that..."
Piximon smiled.
"You remind me of them," he said vaguely.
I looked at him.
"Remind you of who?"
He jumped down from the edge of the soap bucket.
"I gave the Digidestined the same training regimen... Man, my floors never sparkled so brightly, either..."
My eyes opened wide.
"The Digidestined?" I asked eagerly. "They were here?" It seemed that, though the fires of my quest had burned out with Dice's death, they were not beyond being rekindled.
Piximon nodded.
"Aye, they were here not too long ago...they gave me the same complaints, Domino... They didn't understand it either..."
"Did it help them?" I asked, wondering if this wasn't all just some clever trick so he could slack on his Spring Cleaning.
"Did it help?" he repeated mockingly with a laugh. "You bet it did! Why, I daresay, if it had not been for my careful guidance, those kids might not have walked out of here the champions they are now."
"Wow..." I said, awed by the respect the tiny pink digimon demanded. I looked into his beady eyes.
"Could I do it, too?"
"Do what?"
I got quickly to my feet and spun in a tight circle.
"Could I be a champion, like the Digidestined?"
Piximon twitched his wings.
"Domino, I believe there isn't anything you can't do, as long as you put your mind to it."
I beamed.
"Will you help me?"
He laughed and launched himself into the air.
"That's the spirit, Child!" he exulted. "Now you're talking... By the time I'm done with you...why, you might even be able to give those Digidestined a run for their money."
I puffed out my chest. Suddenly, the fires of purpose had re-ignited within my heart. I had a new quest...and it was rather a combination of both quests I had been following before. Now, not only would I be able to satisfy my own heart's desire...perhaps I could satisfy Dice's too.
Piximon crimped the corners of his mouth again, and I felt a sudden sick feeling of dread as he said to me, "Now get scrubbing," before he flapped his tiny white wings and headed off to his study, to come up with a training syllabus, I would have to assume.
I hefted a sigh, and looked at the sponge at my feet. Then I looked at the expanse of wooden floors within Piximon's abode.
"Well, Sponge," I groaned, "looks like it's just you, me...and the floor..."
* * *
Domino hefted a sigh as she flopped down onto the ground. "Good fight, Piximon," she said. "You're a really good teacher, you know that?"
Piximon smiled as he sat down beside her.
"You've only told me that after every spar we've had, Domino."
She laughed.
"Well, it's the truth," she admitted, "I feel like I could do anything now."
"And you probably could," Piximon told her. "Your skills are about as top- notch as I can get them, the rest will be up to you from now on."
Domino lifted her head.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that you are ready," Piximon said, getting to his feet. "My job is done. You're about the most advanced Salamon out there, I'll bet. I wouldn't be too surprised if you reached your next stage soon." He flapped his wings and lifted into the air. "What are you still hanging around here for?" he asked after a moment. "Go and find those Digidestined! Go and find your destiny, your niche! There's a big adventure waiting for you, Domino, and you won't find it here..."
She got to her feet and drew in a deep breath, held it for a second, then exhaled audibly.
"Thank you, Piximon," she said. "I don't know how to thank you enough."
"You scrubbed my floors till I could see my reflection in them, Domino," he laughed, "I think that's thanks enough for now."
She smiled at him as she followed him toward the front door.
"You go find those kids, Domino," Piximon said, "and you tell them Piximon sent you." He laughed. "Show them how it's done, go kick some evil ass."
Domino grinned wickedly.
"I fully intend to."
She headed back out into the sands of the desert.
"Thanks again, Piximon!" she called over her shoulder as she ran toward that ever- elusive horizon. "I won't forget you!"
He watched her go, and sighed. Another fine graduate to add to his repertoire.
"Make me proud, Domino...make me proud..."
* * *
So I made my way through the desert. The sun scorched down on top of me, but I pressed on. I had come too far to turn back now. Piximon had told me that the Digidestined had been there not even a week ago, so I knew I was getting close. Plus, I had a new purpose now. Not only would I find the Digidestined, I would help them in their fight for the Digital World, becoming stronger as I did so. As I continued through the desert, the fire within me grew until it burned nearly as bright and hot as the blinding daystar above me.
I felt a surge of strength within me now, a renewed reason for my travel. Not only was I doing this for me, I was doing this for him.
I hoped that he could see that.
* * *
So what did everyone think? I'm probably going to be posting mine in more chapters than Sempai did...simply because I talk too much to cram everything into one or two chapters. -_- Anyone who is familiar with my work will attest to this. ^_^ So lemme know what you think, minna! Ciao!
~~hikari
hikari_san@hotmail.com