Disclaimer: Digimon Savers is the property of Toei Animation, Bandai of Japan, and Akiyoshi Hongo. This is merely a work of fan-fiction, and is not meant to infringe upon their copyright. The portrayals in this work are mine and mine alone. I seek no profit from this work of fiction.
Digimon Savers – The Path a Man Walks
By: Megaraptor the Scribe
Author's Note: This story is set around a year after the end of episode 48 of Digimon Savers.
"Aniki! My head is stuck!"
Daimon Masaru sighed as he heard his partner, Agumon's, words. Since he had joined him and the others in the Digital World, he had experienced a number of moments like these. It wasn't that he regretted his decision – far from it, in fact. It just didn't make Agumon's tendancy to get himself into trouble any less aggravating.
"Gotsumon, get Agumon's head out of that tree, wouldya?" Masaru said, standing up. "I wanna go for a walk."
Gotsumon, the rock-skinned Digimon that had served as his and Agumon's dutiful companion for nearly a year now, stood, his eyes lighting up happily. "Yes, right away, Daimon Masaru-sama!"
Masaru let out a bemused sigh, taking one moment to look back and see Gotsumon started tugging on Agumon's tail. He left the three of their's camp, and started to trek through the forest that had surrounded their campsite. Since Gotsumon had decided to travel with them, he had taken to calling Masaru by a much more... grandoise honorific than the one Agumon had chosen for him. Masaru had found it satisfying at first, but he had become annoyed with it before long.
As he walked, the young man took a moment to breathe in the air around him. He had become used to the feel of the Digital World. He had learned to survive on his own more easily – or at least, to live comfortably with the land. What was more, and he was sure that Touma and Yoshino'd both be amused by this fact, he had begun making less foolish decisions. He of course, still made brazen and grandoise proclamations to would-be opponents, but he at least thought about what he'd be getting into when he did it.
His mind turned to his adventures years ago. In the last few days, he had felt himself missing his companions in the human world. It wasn't that he didn't derive enjoyment from his time in the Digital World, or from being with Agumon, but for the longest time, he couldn't help but feel a lack of direction and purpose.
The digimon had returned to help rebuild their world, but as they had discovered, this was not so much a responsibility for Japan's number-one street-fighter. Slowly, after he, Gaomon, Lalamon, Falcomon, Piyomon, Kudamon, the PawnChessmon, and his two companions entered the Digital World, they began to separate, each one of them falling in with groups of digimon that needed direction after the crisis that had nearly caused the Human and Digital Worlds to collide. Kudamon in particular had rejoined the Royal Knights, and had taken Gaomon with him.
And so, Masaru, Agumon, and the dutiful Gotsumon had wandered from fight to fight. The problem was, it just wasn't as satisfying. He was Agumon's partner, but the two of them had reached the boundaries of a digimon's ability to evolve – hell, they had exceeded them. It was left that there was nothing left for Masaru in this, or any world. Nothing left to prove his own strength.
Well, they had faced a God in battle, and won. Perhaps such a thing was to be expected.
Masaru's eyes then widened. Thinking of Yggdrasil... it suddenly made him take notice of his surroundings. He felt as if he knew this place... knew this forest. And when his eyes settled upon a burned mass of detritus, he began to realize where he was.
This had once been Yggdrasil's domain – the site of the gigantic "world tree" from whence Yggdrasil "controlled" his world. The entire location was now overgrown, the forest canopy had covered the charred, nearly unrecognizable of the god's once massive domain. Even someone like Masaru could appreciate the significance of such a thing – how did the saying go? Ashes to dust, or something?
Masaru stood there, staring at it for a moment. Then, he let out a sigh, and moved to begin walking away...
... When suddenly, he found himself ducking to the side, as a yellow blurr wizzed out of nowhere. Masaru grit his teeth and rolled, as whatever had leapt at him collided with the ground that had been behind him. He growled, and summoned his digi-soul – an act he found now came more naturally. "Alright, who thinks that they... can...?"
Masaru's voice trailed off when he saw the creature laying before him. It growled, and pushed itself up onto its four legs. It was a yellow, cat-like digimon, wearing a golden collar with a jewel dangling from it. It had a tuft of red hair on its head, and a definate sneer on its lips.
"Who do you think you are!?" Masaru cried. "Attacking someone from behind? What are you, some kind of coward!?"
"My name is Leormon!" the so-called-cat growled. "And you're messing around on my turf!"
Masaru balked at what the digimon said. There was something... familiar about those words. However, his mind was quickly focused on the digimon's challenge, and he sneered back at him. "Oh yeah? You think this whole forest is your turf, you little kitty?!"
"Leormon" bared his fangs. "I'm strong enough! I have the power to defend this entire forest from strange creatures like you!"
Masaru pounded a fist into his palm. "You think someone like you has the power to defend people? If you're so sure, prove it!"
The Leormon made a sharp roar, that sounded more like an intense growl, and charged Masaru. Once he was close enough, he leapt up, and raised his claws to swipe at Masaru. "Leo Cl-"
In between calling out his attack, Masaru slammed his non-energized fist into Leomon, knocking the cat-like digimon several feet away. Leormon fell in a heap, and several moments later, tried to get back to his feet.
"I won't... let you hurt the digimon of this forest!" Leormon growled, feeling a sharp pain in his side. "I'm a fighter... I'm strong enough! This is my turf!"
Masaru scoffed... and eased back, crossing his arms. The power of the digi-soul faded, and Leormon could only look on in confusion. "You attack someone just because they're different? I think you have a lot to learn about being a fighter if you do. Your power isn't just for attacking anyone you might be scared of, after all..."
Leormon blinked. "Aren't... aren't you going to fight me?" he asked, digging his claws into the dirt.
"I don't need to," Masaru replied, turning his back to the digimon. "There isn't anything you can do to hurt me – I've already shown that. I don't want to beat up some guy who won't even put up a decent fight. I've ran into too many like that since coming back to this world."
Leormon's mouth fell open a bit, and it was all he could do to watch as the human began walking away.
"Wait..."
Masaru stopped, and looked back at Leormon, raising an eyebrow. "Whataya want now?" he asked.
Leormon took a step forward, and could only growl at Masaru before speaking. "I'm... I'm gonna follow you! Just to make sure you don't come back to my turf and mess it up! A-And if you do...!"
Masaru grinned. "You'll beat the crap out of me?"
"YEAH!" Leormon cried, bounding up beside Masaru. Then, once he was at the young man's side, he turned his head up in an indignant grin.
Masaru just chuckled. "Suit yourself," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. He began to walk, and Leormon fell in step beside him. As they walked, it was all Masaru could to to keep himself from just laughing out loud.
He knew now who this was, and the fact that fate had brought them together suddenly seemed to change everything. He could see the echoes of someone he once knew in this young digimon.
"Hey you... just what are you anyway?"
Masaru couldn't help it – he chuckled again. "You haven't heard of humans? Man, you are kind of thick, even for a digimon."
Leormon growled yet again. "Yeah... well, you got a name, human?"
Masaru nodded.
"Masaru. Daimon Masaru."
Leormon stopped walking. When Masaru realized the cat-like digimon was no longer following him, he looked back. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Daimon..." Leormon said, quietly. "There's just something... never mind, forget it." The digimon then shook his head violently, as if purging himself of some troublesome thought, and bounded up to Masaru's side.
Masaru couldn't help but smile. "Well, whatever," he said, and began to walk more quickly. "You better hurry if you want to keep up."
And besides, Masaru said to himself. There's a lot Agumon and I have to teach you...
Author's Note – Heh, well, I hope everyone enjoyed that. I got the idea for it soon after watching the series' finale. I hope the rest of you out there managed to figure out the significance of Leormon.
Nothing more to say, really. Again, I hope you enjoyed my story.
- Megaraptor the Scribe