X Evolution: Ragnarök
Chapter 4 Dorumon & Ryudamon?
I don't understand, why do all the guys have to be like that! Always making up lies to make themselves look better... – Ryudamon
Dorumon walked out of Roachmon's Fertilizer, smelling better then he did when he walked in. "Wow, that rag is really quite remarkable." he said.
"Yeah! Remarccacbble." Tokomon X spoke out, his tongue spitting out of his mouth
Dorumon grinned, "Nice try." He picked up the in-training digimon, placing him on his head. The young rookie looked in the direction of the library. "So, Tokomon, what do we do now? I had been expecting to spend quite a few hours at the library, but now that I don't need to research Larenim, we've got a few more hours to kill."
Tokomon thought for a second, "Mmmm... tools?" he asked looking down at Dorumon.
"Alright." Dorumon said. He walked his way over to the smith shop, the same one that Ryudamon worked at. It took him a good twenty minutes to get there, the blacksmith being somewhat out of the way. It was the only building in operation for two blocks, and was on the other side of town from where Roachmon's shop had been.
As Dorumon turned down onto the street towards the place, there wasn't any digimon in sight. The ruined buildings seemed to cast a dark shadow in sunlight. "Scary..." Tokomon said, his teeth chattering and hanging on to Dorumon's ears for dear life.
"Stop that." Dorumon said as he lifted Tokomon X off his head. He rubbed his ears, which were now sore. Dorumon walked down the roads, chuckling at the broken down buildings. This area hadn't been cleared out because there was no need to yet. There were plenty more jobs in rebuilding then there were in recycling. So the buildings in the more remote area's were still in a disarray.
Dorumon walked up the stairs to the tree house, walking in, he saw Biyomon working on some papers.
Biyomon glanced up, "Oh, hey Dorumon." she said. She yawned and put her pencil down. She hopped over to her file cabinet and went through it. "Armadillomon, Baronmon, Cherrymon, Coelamon... and Dorumon." She brought out the paper and set it down on the counter. "Lets see, you ordered eight-hundred feet of metal piping... but that's not due for another two months," Biyomon thought out loud, looking up at the calender.
Dorumon's thoughts drifted to the project he had planned, he was going to run plumbing from the river to the spot were he was going to build his house. He would need more then the eight-hundred feet he ordered, as that would only be enough for one way. He had decided after looking at his dwindling bits that one way would be fine for a few years.
Biyomon continued to glance through his orders. "Lets see, a hoe, a root killer and a Steel-ChromeDigizoid plow."
"Sounds right." Dorumon said.
"Yeah... Right!" Tokomon X chirped. Biyomon smiled at him.
"Why hello Tokomon, it's good to see you."
"Yeah."
Dorumon chuckled and placed the in-training on the counter where Biyomon rubbed him behind the ears. A small sad look came into her eyes as she zoned out.
"You alright?" Dorumon asked cautiously.
Biyomon turned her gaze to him. "Yeah, I'm fine." she said, "Just remembering the past."
"Was the world really that great before the X program?" Dorumon asked. Biyomon was startled at his question, and Dorumon quickly reprimanded himself. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... it's just... I came into existence while the X program was still doing it's thing, so the only thing I've really know is horror that's come with it."
Biyomon sighed. "Take no thought, Dorumon." She said, "I am not offended by your question, just surprised. I had... forgotten, that you are as young as Ryudamon." Biyomon rubbed Tokomon on his back. Her mind drifted back, "Yes. The time before the X program was very nice. I feel sorry that you and Ryudamon have to grow up in such a harsh world." she said.
Dorumon bowed his head in reverence to her. Biyomon sat back up at the counter, "Just go on in. Agumon's already has visitors, so it's not like he's getting any work done anyways."
"Hmmm?" Dorumon said confused, but Biyomon had already turned back to her paperwork and started muttering about all the wasted metal Agumon and BlackAgumon had. Dorumon grabbed Tokomon off the counter and walked over to the door leading into the smith. As he took the first few steps down into the smith, a thought came to him.
"I wonder if Ryudamon's here." Dorumon said out loud.
A mischievous grin split Tokomon X's face.. "Oo la la." he said , shaking his body suggestively.
Dorumon looked up at the in-training, "Did you say something?" he asked, only partly hearing what the In-training said.
Tokomon X snickered, and Dorumon sighed, wondering what else the young digimon had found funny at his expense.
Dorumon walked into the smith, and was almost instantly covered with soot as his eyes caught sight of the visitors. "Gaiomon? WarrioressGreymon?" He asked incredulously.
Gaiomon was already completely turned around by the time Dorumon said those words. "Well, if it isn't little Dorumon."
WarrioressGreymon also turned around, and Ryudamon came off to the side of her. She looked up at Dorumon, then back at Ryudamon. A grin appeared on her face, "So Dorumon is the one you were talking about." she said, "Well I can't say I disagree with you on him."
Gaiomon rolled his eyes. "You already know him?" Ryudamon asked. Gaiomon nodded.
"Yeah."
"Good, that saves me from introducing him to you." Ryudamon said, relieved, not knowing how they would take to him.
Dorumon turned to Gaiomon, "Hey. I was wondering, did you guys ever take care of the problem over the dispute about what to do with the ocean?" he asked.
Gaiomon's face grew thoughtful. Dorumon was speaking of the ocean server that the other three servers were connected to. It had been brought up at their second council meeting, (the one were Dorumon was introduced to all of the mega's, and HiAndromon almost let a fece drop), that there was a chance that there was more digimon alive in this ocean server. Another set of Chosen Digimon, as well as some more X digimon. When they asked Omegamon about it, he told them that Yggdrasil confided in them in no such thing, and while it was possible that the being wished to keep some water based digimon, it was not known. They came to a general consensus that there were probably rebel digimon living in the ocean, but that they should worry about rebuilding the world before they dealt with problems like that.
"Not yet. We're going to bring it up once again in three more months." Gaiomon told him.
Ryudamon looked incredulously between Dorumon and Gaiomon, completely confused. WarrioressGreymon chuckled at her daughter's confusion. She turned to Dorumon, "Hey Dorumon. Over in Skuld we've got a place for younger X in-trainings. I was wondering if Tokomon X would like to visit us for a couple of weeks. He'd be able to hang out with some Digimon his own level and age and you could get some more of your projects done." she offered.
Dorumon was startled by this request. "Well..." He said. He hadn't been away from Tokomon X for more then twenty minutes since he was given custody of the little guy. To be parted with him really would put a jolt to his lifestyle. He didn't like the idea, but Tokomon X had other ideas.
"Yeah!" Tokomon X said bouncing on Dorumon's head, "Fun!" The in-training jumped down from Dorumon's head and ran over to WarrioressGreymon. Dorumon was surprised and about to run after him when he stopped himself.
"Well that's settled." WarrioressGreymon said bending down and picking him up. Seeing Dorumon's expression, she went on in a motherly way, "Don't worry. I'll take of him." Dorumon nodded, but it didn't ease the burden at all. WarrioressGreymon looked down at Ryudamon and got an idea. "Besides, Ryudamon can keep you company out there." she said very plainly.
"What?" Ryudamon looked at her mom, not believing her ears.
Agumon, one of the two smiths, had currently just been working on his next project and listening with one ear. "What?! You can't just steal my best apprentice!" he objected, dropping his tools.
WarrioressGreymon looked back at him, daring him to try and rebel against her decision again. Agumon looked over at Gaiomon, "You want to help me out here?" He asked desperately.
Gaiomon looked over at Agumon, "Haven't you learned, you old fart! Girls always get what they want, especially when their your mates." he said rather nonchalantly.
Agumon looked over at BlackAgumon, "Hey Black, have you nothing to say?"
Black looked up, his paw resting on the outer edge of the forge, "What is there to say?" he asked. Then jerked his paw quickly away from its resting place. "Yeeowch!" he yelled angrily. He slammed his fist up against the forge. A startled Candlemon yelped and cooled back down.
Black continued to work on the I-beam, muttering about incompetent workers.
"Well then. It's settled. Ryudamon will go and work with Dorumon for the next two weeks." WarrioressGreymon said.
"Don't I have a say in all this?" Ryudamon asked incredulously.
"No." WarrioressGreymon told her flat out. Ryudamon looked startled, then humphed. The mega turned to Dorumon, "Do you have objections?" she asked.
Dorumon, startled by the conversation, shook his head meaning yes, more out of a triggered reaction then actually knowing what he was doing.
"Well then. We need to get going, there's some things we need to go over Spinomon with. Besides, there are some things I'd like to go over with Z'D." WarrioressGreymon told them.
"What do you think Z'dGarurumon's gotten himself into this time?" Gaiomon asked speaking of the other mega. Z'dGarurumon always managed to somehow involve himself in some sort of a mess. Not all of them good.
"I'm not going to even take a guess." She said, Tokomon X riding on her head. Gaiomon walked out, and his mate stopped just inside the doorway, "I'll see you in two weeks." She said.
"Bye!" Tokomon X said, waving his little paws. He hopped down and ran over to Dorumon and jumped into his arms.
Dorumon couldn't help the tears as they started to fall out of his eyes, he hugged the in-training for a minute. Then let him down. The in-training ran back over to WarrioressGreymon and waved from her shoulders. Dorumon let out a small wave, the whole experience startling him, unable to say anything.
Ryudamon walked next to him, "So, what do you think of my parents?" She asked.
"Hmm?" Dorumon said confused looking over at her. Why would she be asking what I thought of her parents when I've met them before? hethought. Then it hit him, "Wait, Gaiomon and WarrioressGreymon are your parents?" He asked amazed. Ryudamon nodded, "What about Biyomon and Agumon... aren't they?" he asked leaving the question hanging.
Ryudamon shook her head, "No, Agumon and Biyomon just watch over me. They're my Grandparents." she said.
"Oh."
There was an odd silence, quickly interrupted by Agumon. "Here you go, Dorumon." He said, handing the purple digimon three small red boxes. "All compressed and ready to go." Agumon glared at him. "I should charge you extra for stealing away my apprentice."
"Come on Agu." Ryudamon pleaded, "Don't be like that."
Agumon glared at Ryudamon. "Run off you two. Since you're no longer bound to me, I have no use for you. Leave! Begone!"
"Alright, Alright." Ryudamon said annoyed, "We're going." She and Dorumon walked out the door, and Black slammed the furnace again, swearing.
"By Megidramon's flame." Black swore, using an extremely old style curse word, "I swear Candlemon. You burn me one more time and your data will end up in the next I-beam!"
Candlemon was startled and started to tremble a bit. Agumon looked over at his hot tempered twin brother and sighed, "How many I-beams do you have left?" he asked.
Black looked over, "Seven. I can crank them out in the next forty minutes. I'll work on the pipes after that if you need me too."
Agumon shook his head, "Nah, lets take it easy today. I don't feel like working too hard. Besides, it's been awhile since I took Biyomon anywhere romantic."
Black rolled his eyes, "Fine, you go out on a date, I'll work."
"Suit yourself." Agumon said grinningly.
Black glared over at his twin brother and pounded his hammer on the I-beam.
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Dorumon and Ryudamon walked along the road, talking. "I had no idea your mom was so... forceful." Dorumon stated.
Ryudamon laughed, "You didn't even know she was my mom."
"Still. She completely catches you off guard, and before you can recover, she's already gotten her way. " Dorumon said shaking his head. "She seems to have gotten better at it too."
Ryudamon laughed. "That's my mom for you. If you think she's bad, you should see my dad when he's going at full strength. Even my mom can hardly stand up to him."
Dorumon's laughter echoed in the nearly empty road, when a store caught his eye. He walked over to it, "I've been looking for this place." he said.
Ryudamon stared at him, "A book store? Why have you been looking for a book store?" she asked.
Dorumon looked over at her, "I don't know much about the history of our world. I have some spare time out on the farm, and I've read the few books I have been able to collect about a dozen times each."
Dorumon walked into the store, a Gomamon X was sitting at the counter reading a book, Dorumon immediately went to look at all the different books. When Ryudamon saw Gomamon sitting there and reading, she was furious, and walked straight up to the counter, "How is it that you can sit here and read books all day while this world is in such shambles!" she demanded, "I mean doesn't the existence of Digimon mean anything to you?"
Gomamon looked up from his book, "Ryudamon, right? Gaiomon and WarrioressGreymon's kid?" he asked.
Ryudamon was taken back, but used to her parent's way of speaking, recovered quickly, "What's it to you?" she asked.
Gomamon shrugged and turned back to his book, leaving Ryudamon dumbfounded. Dorumon then walked up to Gomamon with a stack of seventeen different books. The top three fell and Dorumon caught them with his tail. He placed the stack on the counter, and brought up the other three. "How much for all these?" he asked.
Gomamon glanced through them, "Well." he said as he got out a calculator, each book costing a different amount, "The total cost for all of them is going to be four-hundred sixty four bits." he said.
Ryudamon looked at her friend dumbfounded, Why on earth would he want so many books. I can understand being bored and all, but I really don't see why books are so much more interesting. She thought. Dorumon pulled out his wallet, and looked inside, he brought out his cash and looked at it sadly. "I only have three-eighty." He glanced up at the books, ever last one of them looked so interesting, and he didn't want to put any back.
Ryudamon sighed, being bored and grabbed out her wallet and placed five one hundred bit coins on the table. "Find another thirty-six bits worth of books." She told Dorumon.
"You don't need to do this." Dorumon told her, "I'll just put some of them back."
Ryudamon turned on him, "Find another thirty six bits worth of books." She told him, starting to be annoyed.
Dorumon startled her by giving her a hug, "Thanks." he said, and wandered off to find two more books. Ryudamon stood there startled, staring after him.
Gomamon turned to her, as he placed the books into a little microwave like machine. A few moments after he turned it on, the book was compacted into a little orange block. "You ask why I waste my time reading when you just payed five-hundred bits for a series of worthless books?" Gomamon asked.
Ryudamon, startled, gathered herself together before replying, "I just want to get out of here." she defended herself, "Dorumon would have taken forever to choose out which books he didn't want." There was a small ping as the data of the next book was compressed into a small block.
Gomamon X smiled, Then why didn't you just pay the four sixty four instead of telling your friend to go and get more books? "If you must know, this is were I live." Gomamon's voice startled her. "I'm a surgeon at the hospital here. I remember helping you fight the L454". He said, "I just try to earn a few more bits while I read." he told her.
Ryudamon was humbled in an instant, "You saved my parents lives." She said in awe.
"Multiple times." Gomamon retorted, "That's what I get for being a decedent of the Reliable Healer." he told her.
Dorumon walked up and placed another book on the table, Red Wisdom. Gomamon raised his eyebrows at it, "Interested in Megidramon?" he asked.
"A little." Dorumon admitted.
"More then a little." Gomamon told him, " Six of these books are about him."
Dorumon shrugged as Gomamon compacted the last of the books. He placed the eighteen compacted pieces of data into his fur, as it naturally brought itself to prevent them from falling out. "Well, what now?" Dorumon asked. Ryudamon's stomach started to growl and she looked ashamed. Dorumon laughed, "Well that answers that."
"Hey, it's not funny!" She said automatically defensive.
Dorumon backed off, "So what do you want for dinner?" he asked.
"I don't know, what are you in the mood for." she asked.
"Something fancy. You eat lot of Laemtao while your out there. It's nice to come in to town and have something different."
Ryudamon's face fell into a grin, "Alright, I know just the place, my treat." she said.
"Ryudamon... you already paid for my books, I don't want to feel worse by having you pay for my meal." Dorumon told her innocently.
"Look Dorumon. I don't mind." She said sweetly, "You have a farm to take care of, all my money so far has just been storing up, besides the fact that my parents just left me with ten-thousand bits."
Dorumon's fell back in surprise, "Ten-thousand?" he muttered to himself. Well if you're not born rich... your only other chance is to marry rich.
"You say something?" Ryudamon asked, Dorumon not realizing that he was mumbling to himself. Ryudamon's heart skipped a beat when she thought him say the word Marry.
Dorumon shook his head, "No... it's not important," he told her.
Dorumon continued to make idle chatter with Ryudamon as he followed her. When they finally arrived at the building, Dorumon was surprised to find he had never heard of it. "What is this place?" he asked when they walked into the Kamemon Club.
"It's a little place that Terriermon owns. There only open for two hours at night, and serve only fifteen digimon total." Ryudamon said taking a seat at one of the four tables. Dorumon looked around to find no one else in the club.
"Good evening." Lopmon said as she made a slight courtesy bow.
"Same to you." Ryudamon told her.
"So Ryudamon, what will you be having today?" She asked.
"I'll take a steak. I haven't had one in awhile." She told Lopmon, "Medium well and I'll take salad for the side."
"And for your mate?" Lopmon asked.
Dorumon was taken back, "We're not mates." he told her.
"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know you hadn't made it official." Lopmon said, "Will you be doing that tonight?"
"I know we will!" Terriermon yelled from the corner. Lopmon shook her head.
"Not if you don't get back to work!" she yelled back at him.
"Fine!" Terriermon told her, "You just better make it worth it."
While Lopmon and Terriermon were having their little banter, Dorumon's fur was changing to a bright shade of red, while Ryudamon was laughing her head off.
"Make that two steaks." Ryudamon told Lopmon.
"Honestly Ryudamon. I would have thought that you would have settled down by now." Lopmon told her.
"You don't have to be my mom, Lopmon." Ryudamon told her.
"It takes a village to raise a child." Lopmon retorted, and before Ryudamon could respond, "And unless you want to tell me that you're more then an apprentice, you're still a child."
Ryudamon sighed, not even wanting to try and argue anymore. "ARRGH! Why is it that everyone I know is a bunch of politicians? I'm so sick of being surrounded by many blood sucking parasites!" she roared.
Dorumon chuckled, "it could be worse. You could be surrounded by hordes of Chosen Digimon wanting to rip your data into millions of pieces."
Ryudamon glared. Lopmon brought them their food and the two digimon continued to talk. "Did you hear about the new building there putting up?" Ryudamon asked.
Dorumon shook his head, "I don't get any news out there on the farm."
"Well supposedly they want to build a CEO headquarters. A place were all the head digimon of the big corporations can meet and get together." Ryudamon told him.
"That wouldn't be a bad idea." Dorumon mused, "I mean it would allow the Olympians to keep an eye on the digimon without having to travel nearly so far and waste so much more time."
Ryudamon nodded, "So, do you think that they'll make the Olympians the official police and judges?" she asked, "They've practically been doing it for the past six months." She told him. Dorumon nodded, enjoying another piece of the steak, surprised at exactly how delicious it was.
Ryudamon stretched herself as she finished up her meal. "You ready?" she asked Dorumon. Dorumon quickly stuffed in his last bite and they went over to pay. Ryudamon brought out three hundred bits and handed it to Lopmon.
"Thank you. Now, do tell me when the wedding is planned. It would an enjoyable change of pace." Lopmon told her.
Dorumon would have blushed again, even more so then the red that crept to Ryudamon's face, if it hadn't been the fact that all the blood had rushed out of his face when he saw how much the food cost. Both digimon walked out onto the street silently. "I've got a place I need to show you." Ryudamon told her friend, seeing that it was night finally.
Dorumon followed, but he felt uneasy and guilty. "You didn't have to do that you know." Dorumon said softly, breaking the silence as they walked.
"Hmmm?" Ryudamon said confused, "Do what?"
"Pay for my meal." Dorumon told her.
"It was no big deal." Ryudamon told him.
"It was one-hundred fifty bits!" he exclaimed, "Besides the fact that you already paid for my books earlier."
Ryudamon looked over at him, "What's your point?" she asked, "I wanted to pay. I know you don't get to enjoy really good food like that. I mean, it was good, yes?" she questioned.
It had been the best food he's ever had, but Dorumon wasn't going to let Ryudamon have more fuel. "Yeah... I guess." he said.
"Then it's settled." Ryudamon told him, "Besides you're paying for my food for the next two weeks."
Dorumon let the conversation die, but it still didn't help him at all.
Ryudamon took a sudden left, and walked into a run down building. This is what she wanted to show me? He wondered.
Ryudamon took him up the stairs onto the top of the building, and to his surprise there was a layer of grass on it.
Ryudamon laid down on it and looked up at the stars. Dorumon followed suit.
"Isn't it pretty?" She asked. "It's so strange to be down here, and to think that those light out there are servers as well."
Dorumon agreed, "Yeah. I wonder which one's are the American servers, or if there's any other Japanese servers out there?" he wondered, "Perhaps there are more digimon living on them."
"Hmmm?" Ryudamon asked confused.
Dorumon chuckled, "You're not much of a reader, so I guess you wouldn't understand."
"Just because I don't read doesn't mean I'm not stupid." Ryudamon told him fiercely.
Dorumon chuckled, and the peacefulness of the sky relaxed him. "It goes like this; digimon live on servers created by the humons in the real world. We don't know what the humons use the servers for. Not anymore at least, but we know they didn't create them for us. We digimon seemed to somehow have sprang forth from the severs."
"Sounds like a load of tripe to me." Ryudamon said, "I mean we were just created from the servers?" She asked.
"I guess, the book I read didn't really give an explanation." Dorumon said, "but it did say that all those points of light out there are different servers, places were digimon once existed. That is they were until the great server appeared." he said.
"The book is fairly old, but it talks about how Yggdrasil was created to keep the great server in order." Dorumon told her. "It is my guess that this great server is the one that Yggdrasil destroyed with the X program and he moved all the chosen digimon back to the Japanese server north."
Ryudamon sighed and stared up into the sky, "So even if we do all die, then there must be digimon on the rest of those servers, if only but a few. It's comforting to know that."
Dorumon agreed, and let the cool grass seep into his back. It felt good as the dew wrapped itself around his fur.
"What do you think it would be like to live in Digital Space?" Ryudamon asked, "You know, to be a Royal Knight and have that privilege."
"I've been there." Dorumon said, "It was a different place, data seemed to run more wild."
"Oh, and what were you doing with the Royal Knights?" Ryudamon asked. And how do you know my parents as well?
"If you want the truth." Dorumon said, thinking back to that time, "I defeated a clone version of my self and seriously injured Yggdrasil, then proceeded to give my X antibody to Omegamon so that he could defeat Yggdrasil completely." he told her.
Ryudamon's mind paused as he said that. "Stupid." She muttered to herself. She got up and started to leave.
"Ryudamon?" Dorumon asked questioningly, concern in his voice.
"Why couldn't you have been different!" Ryudamon yelled at him, tears streaming down here cheeks as she stood in the doorway, "HUH! Why did I ever get my hopes up that you weren't so self centered!" she yelled at him, then took off down the stairs.
Dorumon was stunned at her sudden change in behavior. He took off after her a few moments later. When he got down to the ground floor of the building, he saw Ryudamon turn a corner. He was about to call out to her, when a clock caught his eye. 8:30.
"Oh, Baihumon it." Dorumon said, struggling between going after Ryudamon and trying to find MetalGarurumon X so he wouldn't worry.
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Ryudamon ran, and she didn't stop running. Her tears streamed down her face. Why couldn't he have been different! She screamed in her mind, Why did he have to be like that, I don't understand it. WHY!?
Ryudamon noticed in surprise that she had already arrived back at the smith. She quickly turned her tears into anger so that Biyomon and Agumon wouldn't worry so much. She walked up the stairs, fuming. When she opened the door, terror filled her mind. The room was trashed, a struggle evident. She shot towards the smith, also trashed. She walked around, filled with so many mixed emotions that she couldn't think. She saw and object and picked it up. It was Black's Katana. He never went anywhere without it.
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The Library in Neweniac is not one where books can be checked out so that all digimon might have a chance to impart on their knowledge. Otherwise, DOLE would keep all the books for themselves on planting and farming so nobody else could rival them.
Alright, for all you who have been just skipping over these first few chapters because their just a redone of X Evolution: The Ark Project, will want to pay attention to the next chapter, for there will be big changes.
Frozen Twins
Betamon X
Gomamon X