Takato and Rika in Termina
By Ganondorf8
Prologue, the Second.
Author's Note: The portion at the beginning of the last part will be mentioned here again. Oh, and the T rating is there for a reason due to some of the content that will exist in this story.
Takato's POV
Rika and Renamon had gone after the robed figure on the horse without even thinking about who this guy was and what he was doing in the middle of a forest. Guilmon and I did go after him as well just because we didn't want to feel left out of the picture, but I suggested that we walk instead of run as we had no idea as to where we were going...well, I did have some ideas but I needed to be sure about it first.
" Why aren't we running after them Takato?" asked Guilmon.
" Why run after someone whom we know nothing about? I figure that it's much safer for us to walk after that figure," I replied.
" We always ran after Digimon whenever we had to deal with them during their biomerge craze back when we first met," said Guilmon. He had made a good point which made me realize that we usually run after this sort of thing anyway, but then this wasn't the Digital World or anything like that so what he said doesn't have any kind of merit attached to it. After a while I had gotten fed up with arguing with myself over whether to walk or run after this figure, but either way we did have to catch up to Rika and Renamon as they should be way ahead of us by now.
" Did your mind make a decision?" asked Guilmon.
" We have to run after them instead of walking which means that you were right," I replied.
" Perhaps I should digivolve so that we can run faster." Guilmon suggested and that was something that I hadn't even thought of until that point. I took out my D-Power from my pocket in the hopes that Guilmon would either digivolve to Growlmon, or that we would biomerge together in order to become Gallantmon...but something went wrong that neither of us had expected which changed our plans.
My D-Power wasn't able to make any kind of signal which was strange as it has always worked before even in the strangest of locations. Perhaps this forest we are in somehow prevents technology from being used due to some kind of weak signal, or maybe there is more to this than what we can see.
" I guess we're running," I sighed as I put my D-Power away while Guilmon looked rather upset as he wanted to digivolve. The two of then ran into the darker area of the forest in order to follow our friends who just so happened to be lying on the ground in front of us, and while Guilmon ran over to see if they were okay, I stopped to take a closer look at our surroundings in order to see if I could gather my bearings. As soon as I saw an entrance that was in the shape of a tree I knew that this was no ordinary forest that we had wound up in.
" It took you long enough to get here goggle-brain!" moaned Rika.
" Are you okay?" I asked.
" If I were okay then you wouldn't have seen Renamon and me lying down on the ground when you two finally managed to show up. We were chasing that strange character on the horse and while I managed to grab onto the horse's tail, I wound up being dragged around for quite a distance until my hand let go of the tail and I crashed into Renamon. Neither of us did get to see the face behind those robes but whoever he was will need to remember that the two of us are going to find him again," replied Rika.
" That's just so coincidental," I began.
" What are you on about?" asked Rika.
" You being dragged around this forest whilst holding onto the tail of a horse...is exactly what happened during the beginning moments of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Remember that Link was traveling through a forest similar to this one and that he wound up losing his horse and ocarina to a child wearing a strange mask? He grabbed onto the tail of his horse in order to keep up but they ended up letting go and found himself lost in an area that he had never been to before," I replied.
" Again with the video game references," moaned Rika.
" While Guilmon was attending to the two of you I was busy observing our surroundings, and I've come to the conclusion that we are in the exact same forest that Link was in," I said.
" Takato, I really think you've lost it this time," said Rika.
" See that tree shaped entrance over there? That is the exact same entrance that Link used in order to move onto the next area of the forest and there are the various tree stumps he used as stepping stones. This forest is a deep area of the famous Lost Woods of Hyrule which means that we have been transported straight into that world," I said.
" You mean that we are in that video game of yours?" asked Rika.
" I don't think that this is a game anymore," I replied.
" Obviously this is a video game Takato as how else would you explain why we ended up stranded in the middle of a forest? Video games are made of data so if I were to kick this tree as hard as I could with my boot, it would make a dent where data can be seen flowing inside of it which would prove that this is just a game." Rika said and she kicked the closest tree as hard as she could but when the bark from the tree snapped off and scattered about the area, there was no data coming from within the tree but instead there was just more bark. " Okay, maybe the data in this particular game is of a really fine quality that doesn't seem to be affected by my kicks."
" Perhaps this is real," I suggested.
" And maybe you need to wise up and realize that we are trapped inside of your video game!" Rika shouted.
" Then how do you explain that robed figure who practically dragged us this far into the forest?" I asked. Rika found herself stumped over what I had just said and the blushing on her face indicates to me that she didn't want to believe that this could be in fact a real world instead of a game. To me this all felt like a real world as I could feel the flow of the forest all around me, but then it could be some kind of powerful piece of technology at work making it happen which would mean that Rika was right and that it was a video game.
We managed to come to the conclusion that we needed to follow the robed figure as it seemed that he might know something about what was going on. Rika and I walked on in front of our Digimon who decided to stay back in order to give the two of us some breathing room as they felt that we needed it what with our arguing.
" Takato thinks this is real while Rika thinks it isn't," began Guilmon.
" Normally, I wouldn't go against what Rika says but I am starting to believe that there is more to this place than what we are seeing. When the two of us were following the robed figure earlier, I sensed a strange power flowing all about him which made me suspect that he was someone who wielded much in the way of power. I did try to confer this with Rika but she was more obsessed with wanting to find out who we were chasing. There are some things that both she and Takato have said that make sense, but I have a strong feeling that the robed man will know more than both of them," said Renamon.
" All of this real and not real ideals make my head hurt," sighed Guilmon.
" It is a very complicated matter with which we find ourselves in, but maybe we'll find some answers as we get further along into this forest," said Renamon.
" So long as Takato and Rika don't end up making things worse," said Guilmon.
" I don't think any world would be able to handle the two of them if they were to allow their attitudes to run out of control," said Renamon. The four of us walked into the next area of the forest which consisted of even more tree stumps to which we decided to use in order to reach the next entrance. Rika and Renamon were able to make their way up without even the slightest trouble while Guilmon and I struggled the entire way due to our lack of balance being a hindrance.
" You just never cease to amaze me do you?" asked Rika.
" It's not like that we have to do this every single day," I replied.
" That's why you two need to get in on the training that Renamon and I do on a daily basis," said Rika.
" I'll be sure to remember that," I sighed.
" All jokes aside Takato there is something that I have been meaning to ask you about. I tried to have Renamon digivolve using my D-Power but nothing happened which made me wonder if it had somehow gotten damaged when we fell through that strange tunnel. We then tried to perform biomerge digivolution but then that didn't do anything either, so I was wondering if you and Guilmon had any better luck than we did." Rika said.
I shook my head which told her that our efforts to use my D-Power had failed as well which made her think a lot harder. " Our Digimon are unable to digivolve which means that either someone has blocked our signals in some way, or there could be a more powerful force at work."
" Does that mean?" I asked.
" You could actually be right for a change although I won't pass judgment until I know for certain," replied Rika. At least that was a better response from her than any of her previous ones so at least I knew that we were starting to think along the same lines. We soon entered yet another area of the forest yet for some reason it was a lot darker than the previous areas which made me wonder just how far we were traveling into the Lost Woods.
I knew from my video game playthroughs that these woods were well-known for causing people to become lost within its sea of trees hence why they gave it that name. Renamon was able to detect horseshoe prints in the ground which meant that the robed figure had come this way recently, and so we followed the prints which lead us all the way to yet another entrance, yet this one didn't lead into a new area but rather it lead us into some kind of dark cave that had no signs of any light.
" Where are we?" I asked.
" We should be still in the forest although I don't like the looks of this place," replied Rika.
" Could this be the part where Link fell down into a deep pit and found himself in a strange cave?" I asked.
" You are really taking the whole video game references a little too far." Rika replied as she took a step forward and plunged straight into a large hole which made me react quickly by grabbing her hand in order to stop her from falling. I struggled to pull Rika back up but something was forcing her down to which I then fell into the hole with Guilmon and Renamon taking their turn to try and stop us from falling.
That proved to be a bad decision as the strange force pushed them over the edge and we all found ourselves falling through another tunnel, but unlike the first one this one featured all kinds of strange symbols that flashed before our eyes to which none of them made any kind of sense. Soon we ended up landing hard in some kind of strange cave that consisted of a pair of candles that lighted up the room in a weak effort, and before us stood some kind of large door that appeared to be impossible for us to open.
" Are you alright Rika?" asked Renamon.
" I'm okay but what were all of those symbols that we saw when we fell through that tunnel?" asked Rika.
" Those symbols to me looked like some kind of faces that each expressed a different kind of emotion," replied Renamon.
" Well, I guess we'll just have to accept that as an answer until we can figure out where the heck we are." Rika then stopped when she remembered playing through this part of Majora's Mask while I was busy downstairs with Guilmon before all of this happened. Could it be that she was finally starting to believe the same thing that I was which is that this could not be a game but rather the real thing? " Takato, I think that this is where Link encountered the Skull Kid and was transformed into some kind of strange creature."
" Are you starting to believe me now?" I asked.
" I still need more proof before I start believing," replied Rika.
" So you still think that this is all a part of your imagination?"
" That is what I've been saying Takato," replied Rika.
" Rika, that wasn't me who said that," I said.
" Then who was it?" asked Rika.
" It seems to me that the four of you are confused as to where you have wound up during your journey to this place? I had thought that you would have long accepted the truth that exists all around you, but I see that you still show signs of not believing in what you are seeing all around you. This makes me feel bored as I was expecting all of you to be happy that you have managed to make it all the way here on your own."
" Did you bring us here?" asked Rika.
" That is something that you will need to discover on your own as why would I want to tell you and spoil the entire surprise?"
" Do you think that this is all a game?" asked Rika.
" I just wanted to see what kind of reaction you would have if I were to lead you all this way into this quaint little cave because I was bored and wanted to have some kind of entertainment. Don't give me that look my young lady for that look could actually become permanent if you know what I mean. In fact, that look of yours is nothing short of boring so why don't I make some kind of improvement to it by changing your appearance to something that's more fitting."
" If you do that then I am going to be re-arranging your face using my boot!" shouted Rika.
" You are quite the feisty one when you have to be don't you?"
" Then you haven't seen just how feisty I can get and that goes for Renamon as well," said Rika.
" Ah yes, your strange companion who loves to live in the shadows just so that she can protect you from harm. Not even her power will be able to help you once I have made my adjustment of your appearance, so just relax for a few moments and everything will be over in a matter of moments." It was at that moment when Rika felt as though she were being hit by some kind of invisible force to which Renamon was struggling to remove it from her partner only to find herself being forced back into the wall.
Guilmon and I covered our eyes for there was a sudden flash of bright light, and once we could see each other again, Guilmon noticed that Rika had gone and standing in her place was some kind of small creature that looked like a small child.
I didn't catch onto what happened at first but when I saw that this creature had the exact same hairstyle as Rika, I realized that she was the creature that was standing in front of us; a creature that was a cross between some kind of plant and a human which I knew was a Deku Scrub thanks to my excessive Majora's Mask playing.
" Rika? Are you okay?" I asked.
" What does it look like to you goggle-brain?" Rika shouted when she realized what she had become.
" You've been turned into a Deku Scrub!" I shouted.
" Thanks for stating the obvious so how am I supposed to change back to normal?" asked Rika.
" Oh this is a permanent fixture my dear young lady so I advise to you that you quickly learn just how a scrub lives. You needed a new look in order to get rid of that old look that you were giving me, and I think that this has turned out rather well. Don't be sad at all my young man for you shall be given the exact same adjustment that your friend has been given. There is no need for one of you to have all of the fun while the other just sits there and does nothing. The thought of seeing two Dekus together just brings tears to my eyes, and it also makes me wonder just how you two are going to handle your new way of life."
I then felt my body being changed due to the strange force that was now hitting it; images of Deku Scrubs danced around my head and were trying to bury me deep within their collective numbers. I tried to get out of the gathering of scrubs but they proved to be too much for me to handle, and so I wound up blacking out with the images of the scrubs fresh in my mind.
When I woke up a few moments later after having been knocked out by what my visions had been telling me, Rika pointed a finger towards a small lake that was inside the cave and so I checked out my reflection which is what she was getting at. I almost screamed at the top of my lungs when I realized that I had become a Deku Scrub as well while Rika just stood there in disbelief over what she had become, and tried to pinch herself thinking that this was just a video game rather than being the real thing.
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That is how we ended up becoming Deku Scrubs so now you know how it all lead up to this point so now the story can continue with my explanation having come to an end.
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" Now this is what I would call a vast improvement for the pair of you."
" Why have you done this to them?" asked Renamon.
" Because I wanted to see what kind of reaction I could get from both of them, and I am pleased with the overall results so I think I will have them stay this way just because I find it all to be amusing. You two strange creatures should actually be lucky as you appear to have some kind of immunity to my power, but that is a problem which I will fix soon enough so you don't have to feel bad over being left out. You two scrubs look like you were made for each other so I think that I shall take my leave of you now so that you can spend some time getting used to your new lives."
" Come back!" shouted Renamon.
" We shall see each other again if you manage to figure out what to do."
" He's gone," I sighed.
" I tried to pinch myself thinking that this was all just a dream, and all I did was give myself a painful experience on my butt which means that you and I have been changed into Deku Scrubs. I liked the thought of playing as one when I played that game of yours, but I didn't actually want to become one in real life!" Rika then looked at her reflection in order to see what she had become. Her hairstyle was the same as always and she was wearing her jeans, but it was the rest of her body that resembled that of a Deku Scrub which made her turn away from what she had been looking and burst into tears.
I walked over in order to comfort her as while I did like the idea of wanting to walk around as a Deku Scrub, all of this came onto us in a way that neither of us had expected, and what made all of this worse was that our Digimon were now the partners of plant-like creatures.
" So what are we supposed to do now?" I asked.
" You're the expert of this game so you come up with something," replied Rika.
" But you played a lot faster than I did so really you are the true expert and not me," I said.
" Okay, we need to find some way of getting through this door as it is the only exit that we have in this cave. I hope that you know to lift heavy objects goggle-boy as we are going to need a lot of it if we're going to be stuck like this for a while," said Rika as she walked over to the door in a flurry of steps that left me amazed and her in embarrassment. I walked over in the same fashion and as we stared up at the large door, it certainly looked really big, but then I guess that everything else is going to be bigger than normal due to being of a much smaller height.
We both decided that we were going to try and lift the door up together with Guilmon and Renamon acting as the extra power we needed, but as soon as we touched the door with our hands it opened up just like that without any real effort involved. The way ahead consisted of a long passageway that resembled the inside of a giant log which made us think that things would only get stranger from here.
" Shall we carry on?" I asked.
" We have no other choice so the answer is rather obvious. On a side note Takato, I hope that those goggles on your head don't make you stand out too much as your hair alone is more than enough to get people to notice you," laughed Rika and a few moments later I started to laugh as what she said was true to some extent. This laughter of ours continued as the four of us walked into the passageway which could be our only means of finding some way of getting out of here.
To Be Continued.
Second Author's Note: Strange that this is at the end, but I will be providing some kind of disclaimer starting in the next chapter. After all it is being done by everyone else.