So I actually wrote this… a while back, during digi-otp-week on tumblr. I intended to do all 5 days but I ended up only doing two, whoops. Anyway, this was the one I wrote for alternate universe, and I'm still pretty happy with it, so I thought I might as well post it.
Daiken, although it's a bit muted. Also some Veeworm.
I was trying to think of an AU I haven't seen before, and then I thought – what if it wasn't the digital world that called out to the human world for help, but the other way around?
They materialized on a bridge.
One look and Veemon could see why this world had called out for help. It was completely in ruins. On either side of the river, city skylines lay in crumbling heaps. Empty shells of vehicles were scattered all around them. It was a miracle the bridge they stood on was still mostly intact.
Veemon pushed his goggles up onto his forehead. "So, where exactly are we supposed to find these people?"
"Um…" Wormmon consulted the white and purple device clutched in his front two claws, moving it from side to side until it picked up a weak signal. "This way!"
They headed away from the rising sun – to the west, if the sun in this world worked the same as the sun in their own – and into the remains of the city.
Whatever happened to this world must have been huge. As far as Veemon could see in any direction there were signs of civilization, but no signs of life. Wormmon led the way through the abandoned streets, following the beeping signal from his digivice. They picked their way over rubble and climbed around fallen metal poles. Every so often Veemon got the sense they were being followed, or thought he saw a face behind a broken window or down a shadowy alleyway, but every time he tried to look closer there was nothing there.
Veemon edged closer to his companion. "So where are we going, exactly?"
"Gennai didn't say," Wormmon answered.
Veemon sniffed. "Right. And I'm guessing he didn't say what we're looking for?"
"No. He only said that when we found it, we'd know."
"Perfect," Veemon muttered. Wormmon had always trusted Gennai, but the guy was a little too mysterious for Veemon's liking. If this mission they were on was so important, why not just tell them exactly what they had to do?
"And we really jumped dimensions for a distress call when we don't even know who sent it? What if it's a trap? And what did Gennai say to do if we can't find these people, huh? Or what if we do find them, and there's nothin' we can do for 'em?"
Wormmon said nothing. Veemon sighed heavily. Their search was bound to take time, and the last thing he wanted was for it to drive a wedge between them. "Look, Wormmon… I trust you. You know I do. And if you think what Gennai told us is the right thing to do… then I'm with you. I'm with you all the way."
Wormmon turned to look at him with those wide, shining blue eyes that always made the dragon's heart melt a little. "Thank you."
They continued in silence after that. Wormmon had been Veemon's traveling companion for almost as long as he could remember. They were both outcasts, in a sense. Veemon were so rare many digimon didn't believe they existed. Legend said that seeing a Veemon was meant to bring good luck; to that end, he found most of the digimon who did encounter him ended up asking him for something, and when he couldn't grant their requests they moved on. He had traveled the Digital World alone until he'd found Wormmon. Wormmon had been living a peaceful life in the woods, surrounded by his fellow insect types. But unlike the others, who were content with their simple existence, his Wormmon had always yearned for more, for something the quiet woods couldn't give him. Veemon had always assumed he'd been alone in feeling that there was a part of him that was missing, somehow, had always thought that feeling had made him strange, until Wormmon confided that he felt the same way.
They were kindred spirits. And for once Veemon could grant the request of someone he'd met. He took Wormmon with him, away from the forest, and promised they could look for whatever it was they were both missing together. And if they happened to have some crazy adventures along the way, well – that was just a bonus. Veemon became Wormmon's protector, and he liked to think Wormmon made him a little kinder. They made an odd pair by Digital World standards, to be sure, but neither one had ever questioned it. Being together had always felt right.
But something about this new world was setting Veemon on edge. It just felt wrong… Wrong for it to be in this state, wrong for them to be here at all. Gennai had assured them this mission would be mutually beneficial for both worlds, but Veemon didn't see how this world had anything to offer them. It seemed much more likely that this dangerous place would drag them down with it.
After what felt like ages of picking their way down one deserted street after another, Veemon noticed the sun was beginning its descent. Bright red and yellow light flooded the space between the buildings, reflecting off glass windows and metal doors and bathing their surroundings in a fiery glow. Veemon was just about to suggest they find a safe place to make camp for the night when the beeping from Wormmon's digivice intensified.
"This way!" Wormmon bounded off down the street, Veemon jogging after him.
They stopped in front of a building that looked no different from any they'd seen so far. Most of the windows were broken, and where there should have been a front door there was only a dark entryway, blocked off in part by a yellowing curtain hung diagonally across the space.
Wormmon headed straight for the entryway but Veemon threw out an arm to stop him.
"Wait," he whispered. The sense of danger that had been buzzing at the edges of his mind had spiked. He stood stock still and listened carefully. Just beyond the curtain he could hear a faint shuffling, and… Yep. Those were definitely footsteps.
Veemon had just enough time to step in front of his partner before a strange creature burst out from behind the curtain, scowling and brandishing a weapon.
"Stay right there," the creature ordered. "You're not gettin' any closer!"
The creature had tanned skin and dark eyes. He wore a blue headband in his mass of red, spiky hair, and his shorts and vest were tattered and patched in several places. He didn't look like much, physically… but that could just be because he didn't radiate energy the way digimon did. His muscles were well-toned, his hands were steady, and… well, he was taller than them. He had managed to survive whatever had devastated his world. Veemon wanted to think he could take this creature in a fight, but the weapon he held resembled the blast cannons that some of the stronger digimon sometimes wielded, and there was no telling how the weapons of this world would affect them.
"Davis, wait!"
A second creature appeared, this one with pale skin and long, dark hair. He grabbed his companion's arm, apparently trying to get him to lower the weapon.
"Look at them! They could be answering our message!"
"It was you?" Wormmon asked, edging around Veemon's protective arm. "You sent out the distress call?"
The pale one turned to Wormmon. He went still for a moment, wide-eyed and silent, before he offered them a kind smile. "Well, not us exactly, but... I'm afraid it's a long story." He turned back to the tan-skinned one. "We have to give them a chance. Davis, please…"
"Davis" eyed them warily for several moments before he finally sighed heavily and shouldered the weapon with a roll of his eyes, turning to stare off at nothing in particular.
The pale one beamed at him. "Thank you." He turned to face the digimon and bowed deeply, his dark hair falling around his face. "Please excuse us. We've… been though a lot."
No kidding. Privately Veemon thought it was a little naïve of this creature to trust them outright. How did he know they weren't there to hurt him, that it wasn't a trick or a trap? But Wormmon was nodding and humming sympathetically.
"Of course, of course. I'm Wormmon, and this is my partner, Veemon." Veemon rolled his eyes. Leave it to Wormmon to offer up their identities without question. "You said you know the ones who sent the distress signal? Can you take us to them?"
The pale one straightened and nodded. Veemon noticed that at his full height he was even taller than the tan one, though he didn't seem to match the other's physical strength. He wore a pair of plain gray pants and a faded, loose-fitting silk shirt that also looked to have been mended in several places.
"There aren't many of us," the pale one was saying, "but at least we've managed to stay together. We finally learned of a world parallel to our own, and managed to send out a distress signal… Ah, but you must have come a long way!" He gestured behind him into the building. "Why don't you come in and rest? I'm afraid we don't have much, but I'm sure we can find you something to eat."
"Hold on," Veemon said before Wormmon could accept outright. "Just who exactly are you?"
"Oh, of course! My apologies." This pale creature was frustratingly contrite, Veemon decided. He gave another slight bow, gesturing with his whole hand to first himself, then to his companion. "My name is Ken Ichijouji, and this is my partner, Davis Motomiya."
Veemon finally looked directly up at the tan-skinned one. "Davis" looked back down at him. His dark eyes met Veemon's…
And all at once, Veemon understood.