Episode 7: Stuck In the Mountain Zone
Nikolai tried to keep himself calm. How he had gotten here didn't matter anymore; what mattered was how he was going to get himself out of here. He hadn't much room to move, and upon looking at the face of the rock behind him, there wasn't much purchase for his hands or feet. He suddenly regretted not taking that rock-climbing class that his mother had suggested he take.
Still, he had to try. He was able to lift his own weight and more fairly easily, thanks to his habit of lifting weights nearly every morning and afternoon. He'd wanted to join sports when he'd come to school in Japan, but he wasn't allowed – his eyesight was poor, and he used to wear glasses. Now he had converted to contacts, but it still rendered him a liability on any field. Weightlifting just seemed like a more logical option.
He pawed at the rock gently, unsure if it would crumble beneath his hands. It didn't – it was fairly sturdy, actually. He tried to get a grip, but the face was almost completely smooth. He'd have to grow wings to find a way out of this place.
I can't stay on this rock forever, he reflected. I need to get off and figure out where I am... Jumping down wasn't an option – the ground was hundreds of feet down, not to mention it looked like it was some sort of forest. Even if the trees managed to catch him, the force of the impact would break bones.
Nikolai pounded a fist against the side of the cliff and swore. How was he supposed to get out of this mess now? He looked up and saw, ironically enough, that the cliff's edge was not much further up than the reach of his arm.
I can jump, he thought, but I don't know about the integrity of what I'm standing on. If he landed hard enough, he didn't know if what rock he was standing on would crumble beneath his feet. If it fell out from beneath him, then he's have nothing to stand on. However, jumping up seemed to be the only option that he had right now.
Nikolai gave a little hop. The cliff held him without crumbling. He hopped again, reaching for the cliff's edge this time. He missed, his fingers grazing the rock. Swearing, Nikolai put all the strength he had behind his jump. A sense of triumph coursed through him as his hand and the surface of the cliff connected. He immediately placed his other hand on top as well, planting one foot against the side of the cliff.
Taking a deep breath, Nikolai pushed up with that one foot and nearly slipped. He banged his knee against the wall and he swore very loudly. Still, though, he tried again. He planted both feet on the wall and pulled with his arms, throwing an elbow over the edge of the cliff. He pushed harder with his feet and was able to get another elbow over. He forced his head to look over the edge, where he caught sight of a scraggly little bush within arm's reach. He reached for that and grasped a clump of branches. He gave it a tug, finding that its roots held.
He used the bush to help him out the rest of the way, pulling himself onto the cliff's surface. He lay there on his stomach, panting, trying to catching his breath. The skin of his hands and knees felt raw and ripped, but he was grateful to be off of that cliff. Now he could figure out where he was!
Nikolai pushed himself up, arms shaking, to look around. He seemed to have pulled himself up onto some sort of mountain trail. The mountain was much taller than he could have imagined, the trail spiraling up and up and up until its peak. Caves, hardy trees, and scraggly bushes dotted the mountainside. Looking behind him, he found blue skies and a vast forest. The sunlight was strong, but not too hot; very balmy. Looking beyond the mountain he was sitting on, he found more mountains, all of varying sizes and shapes. A few had flat tops, like a plateau.
"Whoa..." Nikolai breathed. I am not in Japan anymore... in fact, I don't think I'm on Earth anymore... It was a far-fetched idea, but very possible upon having looked at the terrain. Nowhere he knew of had mountains that looked like this, nor forests. So, if I'm not on Earth, where am I?
Nikolai stood and brushed his clothes off. He reached into his pocket and found his cell phone. Perhaps the phone's GPS interface could be of use? He tapped the screen on his phone only to find that it displayed a blank screen, as if the phone had been reset. It displayed nothing but a background full of what appeared to be data. He shook the phone and swore again, cursing. He'd heard of no service before, but nothing like this.
For the first time in what felt like forever Nikolai thought of the girl who'd disappeared in the computer lab before he had entered. Was she here, too? If so, where? Maybe they could get back together... or maybe she knew the way back? Had she been here before?
I suppose that I should try looking, he thought. But this place looks so... vast. So big. Like it's an Earth in itself. How am I supposed to find one person here? Maybe there's someone else I can talk to here...
He sighed and started down the trail. Though he had never taken those rock-climbing courses, he knew a thing or two about hiking. His mother was fond of nature trails and they would often go hiking in the mountains, or go camping. She claimed that it was peaceful. If he worked his way down he should be able to reach some sort of station, or...
"What the hell are those?" Nikolai gasped.
They looked like birds, but they were bigger than any bird that Nikolai had ever seen. Much bigger – both stood up to Nikolai's midsection. One was pink, very feminine-looking, with yellow legs and a purple-striped crest atop her head. A silver ring was attached to her left foot, and three red claws were at the end of each wing. She looked up at Nikolai with wide, pretty, blue eyes.
The other was red with a white head, kind of like a bald eagle. Like the pink bird, he had blue eyes and yellow feet. His wings were longer and broader, with black claws instead of red. He wore a black belt around his head, with a red-and-yellow feather attached to the back. Red markings zig-zagged beneath his eyes.
"Oh, no!" the red bird gasped. "Biyomon, look – could it be?"
The pink bird – Nikolai assumed that her name was Biyomon – blinked at Nikolai. She put a wing to her beak and breathed, "It could be, Hawkmon... and if it is..."
"We'll just have to be sure!" Hawkmon decided, his blue eyes looking determined.
"Right!" Biyomon agreed. "Hurry – before he gets away again!"
Wait, gets away again...? Nikolai thought. "Hold on here, I just -"
"Hold your tongue!" Hawkmon snapped. "Biyomon, hurry!"
"Spiral Twister!" Biyomon shouted. She opened her beak and a thin, spiraling tongue of green flame poured out, reaching out to Nikolai.
Nikolai let out a surprised shout and ducked, the flames just missing his hair. Biyomon shouted, "Hawkmon – get him!"
"Right! Feather Strike!"
Nikolai stood up just in time to catch the feather off of Hawkmon's belt with his stomach. How a feather could be so hard and heavy, Nikolai had no idea – but he landed on his back, breathless. Biyomon, with a few flaps, landed on top of him, pressing down with all her weight. Hawkmon flew to her side, and they both glared down at him.
"We've got him, Biyomon!" Hawkmon declared. "We've got the one who's been terrorizing the Digital World!"
"Wait, what?" Nikolai gasped. "I don't understand what's -"
He didn't get to finish his sentence, as Biyomon placed one of her feet over his mouth. Choking on bird foot, Nikolai was left to struggle and try in vain to think of what was going on or where the hell this Digital World was in relation to Japan.
"Let's get him to Strabimon," Hawkmon decided, "so he can pay for his crimes!"
My crimes… he thought frantically. What have I done?
He was dragged up the mountain for about three miles. The walk was quiet, but for the occasional jibe from Biyomon or Hawkmon. Nikolai ground his teeth and bore through it, though, realizing that these little creatures were much more powerful than he was. They had power that he couldn't comprehend. His only hope would be that he could reason with this Strabimon, if he were capable of reasoning, that is. The birds had found some sort of rough vine and tied his hands behind his back, making walking rather difficult.
Nikolai was practically breathless by the time Biyomon and Hawkmon ordered him to stop walking. He looked ahead and found that they were slightly off the trail, facing a small outcropping of rock. A lean, thin shape stood there, more humanoid than the birds. Hawkmon parted from Nikolai and Biyomon to approach this being.
"Strabimon, we've found him," Hawkmon announced. "The one who's been destroying the Mountain Zone."
This is Strabimon? Nikolai thought. He doesn't look like much…
Strabimon stepped into view, and Nikolai took back his thought. Strabimon was almost as tall as Nikolai himself, if not a head and a half shorter. He was a beast-like creature, with a wolf-like face covered in periwinkle-colored fur. His red eyes bore into Nikolai, sending a shiver down the human's spine. Strabimon wore white clothing with black belts looped about his limbs and torso every which way, making him look dangerous. A black scarf was tied around his neck, the tails of the scarf trailing on the ground. His feet were covered with white armor with three blue claws coming out. His hands bore gloves armed with long knives at the ends of each finger.
"So, you're Zen, are you?" Strabimon drawled. His voice was wild and intelligent at the same time, and hearing it stirred something within Nikolai. As he looked into this digimon's eyes, he could see a light that he had never seen in himself… and yet it seemed to be Nikolai's own reflection.
"No," Nikolai replied. "My name is Nikolai Miles. I come from the United Kingdom, but my Mum and I moved to Japan about four months ago. This is my first time here… I don't even know where here is! I got stuck on a rock on this mountain and as soon as I got myself off of it these two caught me and brought me to you."
Strabimon frowned. He crossed his arms, tapping one long nail against the mix of clothing and armor on his arm.
"I don't know anyone named Zen… and I am certainly not this person!" Nikolai insisted.
Hawkmon and Biymon blinked at one another, and then they looked at Strabimon, as if awaiting his decision. Strabimon narrowed his red eyes and flattened his ears. He stepped closer to Nikolai and bent near, his nose twitching.
After a moment, Strabimon straightened. "You are not Zen," he concluded. "But I don't trust you. You're a human, and the only human that we have seen so far has not made a good impression." He curled his lip, baring sharp teeth. "I know not whether you are one of them or if you are as innocent as you claim… and no digimon within this Zone will trust you if they were to see you."
"We could take him to the Princess," Biyomon suggested calmly. "I mean… she would be able to tell whether or not he was telling the truth."
Princess? Nikolai thought. They have a Princess?
Strabimon looked at Biyomon, regarding her with an even, cool tone in his piercing red eyes. "We could," he mused, "I will consider that option… but first things first – we cannot leave this Zone. The Dark Area is a long journey and I don't trust this human to follow us. I think I have a way of mine own to discern whether this human is unrelated to Zen and his cohort's activities or not."
"But the Princess still needs to be informed," Hawkmon pointed out, "if she doesn't know of our plight already."
Strabimon flicked his ear. "We will decide this after," he told them. "I am sure that the Princess knows of our Zone's troubles… and the troubles of the other Zones. We cannot allow this Zen and his companions to destroy the Digital World. I will not allow it!"
Hawkmon and Biyomon looked at each other with smiles on their beaks. Nikolai frowned, still trying to process all of this. He was being given no explanation and he expected none – he would have to infer the details on his own. Apparently this Zen person was a human and destroying the mountain and somehow trying to destroy the entire world these creatures – digimon? – lived in.
"Untie him," Strabimon decided, pointing with a sharp nail. "He won't trouble us, will he?"
"No," Nikolai answered. He could sense the threat. Strabimon was dedicated to protecting this Mountain Zone, and if Nikolai were a threat he would be dispatched. Nikolai understood that – and he wanted to ensure that Strabimon knew he wasn't a threat.
Biyomon stepped behind him and with a flick of one of her claws the ropes were laying on the rocky ground behind Nikolai. He flexed his wrists and rubbed where the dry plant matter had chafed.
"Come," Strabimon ordered. He turned and began to work his way further up the mountain. His movements were expert and swift, as if he had lived here all his life and knew every dusty rock, scraggly tree, and dried-up bush. Biyomon and Hawkmon flanked Nikolai as the young man began to follow.
He didn't know what he was going to see, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be pretty.
Wild and Agunimon arrived at the castle, Dinohyumon's Digiegg in tow, just in time for Agunimon's strength to fail. Wild turned and watched as Agunimon began to glow red and shrink. When the glow disappeared, he was Flamemon once more.
"Welcome back," Wild joked.
"I never left," Flamemon chuckled back. "My appearance may have changed, but I didn't."
"I know," Wild breathed. "I'm just glad we made it back safely."
"Yeah; I think I scared them all away as Agunimon!" Flamemon bragged, smiling and baring his teeth.
Wild smirked and laughed at that. Her laughter died, however, as a thought occurred to her – she hadn't laughed like that for a long time. If Meg were to hear her just then, she would probably think that Wild got possessed by some demon or something. Wild swallowed the laughter, unsure. She thought of the Human World and some part of her shivered inside.
Flamemon noticed her pause and wondered, "Something wrong, Wild?"
"Nothing," Wild insisted. "Don't worry about it. Let's just go and show the Boss this egg and explain what happened with Aws."
"We won't have to go far," Flamemon pointed out. He pointed with one finger into the courtyard of the castle. The Boss was sitting on the wall of a fountain, seemingly deep in thought. Digimon of all shapes and sizes flitted around and about him, acknowledging his presence with a respectful nod or even a bow. Otherwise, they left him alone.
Wild adjusted her grip on the Digiegg and sighed, saying, "Well, we'd better go tell him, then."
"Yeah," Flamemon agreed. He flicked his tail and commented, "Is it just me, or is there something on his mind?"
"Looks like there is," Wild agreed. "We'll see."
"Look at the damage that Zen has caused us," Strabimon growled. He gestured before him. "Do you understand now why we are suspicious?"
Nikolai took a step forward, speechless. Before him was supposedly the rest of the mountain's trail… but it wasn't there anymore. A huge chunk of the mountain looked to have been carved out to the mountain's core, almost as if someone had taken a spoon to a mountain of ice cream. The empty space lasted until the base of the mountain, and it even swallowed some of the forest below as well. Bits of black and yellow energy floated up here and there from the edges of the destruction. Seeing it all made Nikolai somewhat sick inside.
He looked to Strabimon, who looked upon the destruction was great emotion in his red eyes. Nikolai sensed that it made him sick, too. Hawkmon and Biyomon sniffled behind him, seeing the ruin and weeping for it.
"These were digimon's homes," Strabimon growled. "They had barely any warning at all… Do you see now why we mistrust you, human? What right does your kind think they have, to destroy digimon's homes and ruin their lives?"
Nikolai breathed, "I have no idea… but Strabimon, it wasn't me…"
"I knew that upon seeing your reaction," the blue digimon admitted. "If you had something to do with this, you most likely would have felt nothing… but do you see? This will happen to the rest of the Digital World if something isn't done. The Mountain Zone is the target now, but what about the other Zones? The forests, the oceans, the canyons, the deserts, the taigas, the volcanoes, the islands, even the clouds will fall to this sort of ruin. I will not allow this Zen to destroy my home!"
"Us, either," Biyomon insisted.
"We're all fighting back!" Hawkmon added.
Nikolai clenched his fist. An anger welled up from deep inside. How could someone destroy something like this so willingly? The creatures… these digimon… they had every right to live here. Nikolai looked to Strabimon and felt something break away inside, something powerful. Strabimon glanced his way, his eyes widening a little.
"I'll help you," Nikolai decided. He raised his fist, and it burst into white flames of data, tinged with blue at the ends of the plumes. "I promise."
"N-Nikolai…" Strabimon breathed. "You…"
"Strabimon!" Hawkmon shouted. "Look!"
Strabimon looked to the sky. He flattened his ears and cursed, "You!"
Nikolai looked up to find someone else grinning down at them. It was a human - that Nikolai was sure of. They wore a dark cloak around their body, hiding all their features but the bottom of their face. They stood on a platform made of black-and-yellow data; the color combination was hard to look at for Nikolai. He glimpsed a bit of green, and guessed that it belonged to the person's hair. Seeing this person made Nikolai's blood boil in his veins – he could feel the darkness surrounding them.
"He's back…" Biyomon squeaked, covering her beak in fright.
"Zen," Strabimon snarled. "You'll pay for what you've done here, Zen!"
Zen gave a chuckle from up above. Strabimon crouched and was prepared to strike, but Nikolai grabbed the digimon by his shoulders, preventing him from launching himself recklessly at Zen. Strabimon struggled and growled, but Nikolai held him.
"Stop!" Nikolai insisted. He leaned in and whispered into Strabimon's ear, "I know that you're upset and you want revenge, but not like this. It's what he wants. Let me see what I can do."
Strabimon stopped struggling, allowing Nikolai to set him down on the ground without worry. Nikolai stepped before Strabimon and opened his mouth to speak.
Zen jumped right down his throat before he could even begin. "Nikolai Miles," Zen giggled. "So, you're one of the fabled Digidestined? I didn't think that I'd be meeting one of you so soon… but since Aws already ran into one of you pesky meddlers I guess it was only a matter of time…"
"Digidestined…?" Nikolai repeated.
"Oh, so you don't even know what a Digidestined is?" Zen laughed. His laughter was quite annoying to Nikolai, but he imagined that it would grate on other people's nerves more than anything. "Wow!"
He said that someone else was here, Nikolai thought. Another Digidestined… could that have been that girl?
Zen sighed. "Well, this is getting boring," he decided. "I just wanted to see if the rumors were true, like Aws said… you don't look all that strong. I have other places to be, other things to do. Don't worry, though; I'll be back soon to lay ruin to this Zone!"
"Hey, you bastard – wait!" Nikolai shouted.
Zen laughed before disappearing within a cloud of black-and-yellow data. Nikolai swore some more and looked to Strabimon. "I'm sorry," he offered.
"It's not your fault," Strabimon reasoned.
"He knows you," Biyomon managed.
"But I don't know him," Nikolai growled. "I know that I don't like him, though. Strabimon, what do we do now?"
"We can't follow him," Strabimon sighed. "But we'll have to watch out for his next appearance. I suppose that we can take you to see the Princess."
"Whatever will help you," Nikolai reasoned. "I'll do it."
Strabimon gave him an even look. "He called you Digidestined," he realized quietly. "It has been a very long time since there has been Digidestined…"
"What are the Digidestined?" Nikolai wondered.
"Humans!" Hawkmon piped in. "Humans chosen by fate to enter the Digital World to save it and the Human World from peril alongside a partner digimon."
Nikolai looked back at Hawkmon and asked, "Really? That's happened before?"
"Yes," Strabimon answered. "But we should go, before he returns."
"Uhh… Strabimon…?" Biyomon piped in. "That might be a bit harder than you think…"
Strabimon and Nikolai turned around to find the trail down the mountain blocked by a massive pile of stone. The stone was huge, bigger than anything Nikolai had seen yet in the Digital World. Metal plates covered its head and smoke stacks came out of its back and head. It glared down at the group with red eyes flaming with a madness that made Nikolai's heart pound to see.
"What is that?" Nikolai wondered. "And when did it get behind us?"
"My guess is that it's a little gift from our friend Zen," Strabimon snarled, flexing his fingers.
"That's a Golemon!" Hawkmon discerned. "Oh my Yggdrasil!"
"It's in our way," Biyomon squeaked.
"Its heart it shrouded in shadows," Nikolai realized. "We have to help it somehow!" He looked to Strabimon and asked, "Can't you feel it?"
Strabimon frowned and replied, "Yes, I can. You're right; first we help Golemon… then we take you to the Princess." He looked ahead and shouted, "Biyomon! Hawkmon! Are you fighting or fleeing?"
"Fighting!" Biyomon insisted.
"Most definitely fighting!" Hawkmon agreed. "We won't leave you to face a Champion digimon alone, Strabimon."
"Alright," Strabimon decided. "Let's do this."
Nikolai planted his feet and raised his fists, unsure of what good he could do against such a massive monster – yet there was something within that said he could help. He wanted to help. He wanted to go home, but he didn't want to leave these digimon to a dying world.
He didn't know what he got himself into, but he was planning on fighting his way out.
