Previously on Digimon Frontier: Chaos Rising
With Beautymon by his side, BurningGreymon had no problems dealing with the Octomon and Dragomon. That is, until Calmaramon came and ruined the party. Because of the Chaos Sphere inside her body, she easily overpowered BurningGreymon and Beautymon. But just when the putrid squid was about to finish Takuya off, Sinistromon intervened and the two left without a reason. Takuya managed to save Beautymon from drowning, which definitely earned him more than a thank you. Too bad Zoe didn't like what she saw. Things got out of hand between the humans until they finally decided they won't be friends anymore.
So, without further ado, here's chapter twenty-one!
Friends No More
Normal POV:
The drawbridge lowered itself down to the ground and the gigantic doors to Malevomon's castle opened up. Sinistromon and the Warrior of Water walked across the bridge and entered the fortress. They made their up to the top floor where the Throne Room was. As they walked down the long hallway, the two
evil Digimon continued to argue with each other.
"I was this close, Sinistromon... THIS CLOSE to destroying one of those pathetic humans!" Ranamon complained. She had her thumb and index fingers a few centimeters apart from each other, symbolizing how good of a position she was in to annihilate the Bearer of Flame once and for all. The Warrior of Water would have one less problem to deal with, if it hadn't been for Sinistromon's sudden interference.
"And you just had pop in uninvited, huh Sugar! Thanks a lot for nothing!" The aquatic Digimon kept on whining.
"Hey! Take it easy, Ranamon! It wasn't my idea! Believe me, I want to get rid of those pesky humans too! They've been a thorn on my side ever since they've arrived." argued Sinistromon.
"Then why do have to sneak your nose where it doesn't belong?"
"Because it's Lord Malevomon's orders!"
"Really? Why should we keep them alive, when we could take them out in a blink of an eye? Wouldn't taking over the Digital World be that much easier without those annoying brats?"
"I don't know! Why are you asking me?"
"Well, you're Lord Malevomon's right-hand 'mon' right? Should it be your job to know the master's motives? Surely you must have some knowledge as to why Lord Malevomon wanted me to spare those worthless humans. Or is your brain too small to hold that much info?"
"Hey! Watch who you're talking to, Ranamon! You will show me some respect, for I am Malevomon's most faithful servant!"
"Hmph. Yeah, whatever..."
"Besides, if you're so desperate to know, why don't you ask him, you walking chatterbox?"
"Excuse me?"
"Go ahead! Ask Lord Malevomon why he wanted to spare the humans! Or aren't you afraid?"
"Sinistromon, are you trying to pick a fight with me?"
"So what if I am... Toots?" He grinned as he grabbed a couple of miniaturized explosives from his backpack.
"You little insect! How dare you call me that? You'll be begging for mercy when I'm done with you!" threatened Ranamon as she got ready for a fight.
The two evil Digimon stared each other down, waiting for their opponent to make the first move. Ranamon could see a bead of sweat dropping from Sinistromon's face. However, the imp Digimon noticed the muscles on the watery Digimon were tightening up. After a half a minute of angry glares, Sinistromon grinned and placed his bombs back in his bag. He continued strolling down the halls, leaving a confused Ranamon behind.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going, Sugar? Come back here, you little twerp! We haven't even started yet!" The Warrior of Water objected.
"Be quiet, won't you? I'm not going to waste my time dealing with a Legendary Warrior. Now, hurry up!" He ordered.
Ranamon gave up and followed the devil-like Digimon to their destination. It wasn't long before they reached a pair of wooden doors with dimly lit torches hanging on the sides. The tall doors opened up, and the two of them entered the circular Throne Room. Ranamon observed the large room and was kind of surprised how... evil it looked. The atmosphere sent chills down her spine. But then again, she couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Wow, it's much better than the previous hideout when I used to work for Cherubimon!" complimented Ranamon. She looked to her right and noticed Sinistromon flapping his wings and flying towards one of the windows.
"Hey! Just where do you think you're going, Honey?" The Warrior of Water asked.
"I got to organize the troops for our next battle. I'll be right back. Wait here, until Lord Malevomon arrives. In the meantime, make yourselves comfortable... if you can." Sinistromon replied. And with that, he flew out the window, leaving Ranamon alone in the Throne Room.
"Well that's rude... leaving behind a gorgeous Digimon like me all by herself." She made her way towards Malevomon's throne and took a seat. She immediately felt powerful, dominant, and in charge.
"Oh, how simply divine! I'm the Queen of the Seas... but what if I became Queen of the Digital World? Ooh, that sounds lovely! Wonderful! Perfect even! It would be a dream come true! Teehee!"
"Thy must discourage those whose dreams are bigger than reality..." A cold voice murmured. Ranamon got up from her seat and faced the shadows. The sound of clattering footsteps entered her ear. She got in a defensive stance and kept her guard up, waiting for any potential attacks. Then out of the darkness stepped one of the Legendary Warriors.
"Isn't that right... my lady?" The metallic Digimon finished with an arrogant grin on his face.
In front of her was a tall Digimon dressed in a coat of green steel. He was completely protected from his head all the way down to his feet. He had two mirror shields around his arms, one mirror on his chest and another on his back. He also has a mirror for a face, which only revealed his mouth. He approached the Warrior of Water with his signature sly smirk, telling her that he's somewhat glad to see her.
"I don't believe it! Mercurymon, is that really you?" shouted Ranamon.
"Thou hast remembered me. I'm flattered." spoke the Warrior of Steel.
"What are you talking about? Of course I remember, you metal head! You think a girl like me could forget such a lifeless face like yours? Or was it ugly? I can never really tell! Teehee!"
"Enough of this foolishness, thy Queen of Puddles. Me thinks tis time thou hast meet thy brethren."
"Mercurymon, please speak in English. I have no idea what you're trying to say."
"He's saying that he's not the only one working for Lord Malevomon." Another voice spoke, this time with more energy. Ranamon again looked to the shadows and saw a second Legendary Warrior appeared before her eyes.
Another humanoid Digimon stepped out of the darkness to join his comrades. Overall, he looked like a large, walking insect. It has a horn on his head similar to a rhinoceros beetle. The horn is where he generates electricity for his attacks. He was covered in a blue and yellow armor-like exoskeleton. There were even a set of wings behind his back protectors. The armored plates just above his knees bear the Symbol of Thunder.
"No way! Beetlemon; the Legendary Warrior of Thunder!" exclaimed Ranamon.
"Nice to see you again, Ranamon. Did you miss me?" greeted the insect warrior.
"Wait just a minute, Mercurymon!" She complained as she turned back to the Warrior of Steel. "Are you telling me that he's on our side now?"
"Spot on, my lady." answered Mercurymon. "And he's not the only that's part of this cast of evil warriors. See for yourself."
"That's right. Don't forget about me!" A third voice shouted.
A third warrior-like Digimon appeared before them. His helmet is grey with white lines on the eye holes and a black nose. His scarf is light purple with darker stripes. His shoulder pads each have the Symbol of Light on them. The gauntlets are grey and purple; with a laser blaster on his forearm. His gloves are black with a tad of purple knuckles. His chest and abdominal armor is grey with four purple rectangles. He has a pair of white pants with two grey and purple knee pads and a belt wrapped around each upper thigh. His feet are wolf-shaped, with a black upper part with a purple diamond on each foot and two pieces of the armor covering his ankles. A square sheath is where his Kendo swords are placed.
"Why... It's the Warrior of Light, Lobomon!" said Ranamon.
"And me too..." A darker voice said.
Another Legendary Warrior appeared out of the shadows. His head
had gold hair similar to a lion and his face was covered with a black mask. Only his eyes could be seen. He was dressed in suit of black armor. There was a ruby sphere at the end of each shoulder pad. His gloves were black with a tad of gold decorated all around. His boots were also covered in dark armor with yellowish stripes. His feet are lion-sharped, with gold spikes on each toe. Speaking of which, there was a lion's head on the shoulder pads, knee pads and on the chest.
"Lowemon!" Ranamon gasped. "The Legendary Warrior of Darkness."
"Well, that's everybody!" chuckled Beetlemon.
"Hold on! Does that mean that these guys are on our side too? And how am I supposed to know this isn't some kind of a trick?" asked the watery Digimon.
"Hmph! You worry too much, you murky-headed nit!" said Mercurymon.
"Hey, watch it, Sugar! Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?" shouted the female Digimon as she got a defensive stance. Mercurymon sighed before responding with the same suit.
"That's enough! All of you!" Someone ordered.
A portal opened up in the middle of the Throne Room. The five evil legendary Warriors stood before the mystical entrance way and bowed. A shadowy figure of the malicious emperor appeared. Malevomon slowly stepped out of the portal and stood in front of his servants. After giving them a small nod, he walked towards his throne and took a seat. The Legendary Warriors stood up and gathered around the Digimon emperor.
"My Lord. Your wickedness knows no bounds." said Lowemon.
"Indeed. Thou hast possess all thine power in this wretched world." Mercurymon agreed.
"No one can stand against you, Lord Malevomon. There is no other Digimon alive that can compare to your might." Beetlemon bowed.
"We will crush our enemies all in your name, master." declared Lobomon.
"Excellent!" Malevomon grinned. "With half of the Spirits of the Legendary Warriors in my possession, no one can stop me!"
"Um... excuse Lord Eldestmon?" asked Ranamon. "I don't mean to be bother, but something's been bugging me."
"Proceed..." said the evil emperor.
"Well, I was so close to destroying one of those annoying humans. But Sinistromon, your 'faithful' servant, told me that you think those pathetic creatures are more valuable to you alive. Why is that?"
"That's true, master. I don't get it. We each have a Chaos Sphere inside our bodies. That makes us twice as strong as those humans. Why can't we just take them out right now? It'll save us a lot of trouble in the future." argued Beetlemon. Malevomon looked into each Legendary Warriors' eyes. Each one of them wanted an answer from him. He took a deep breath and relaxed in his seat.
"Relax, my subordinates. You may not understand it now, but keeping them alive is all part of my plans." He replied.
"What plans? Please tell us, my Lord!" asked Ranamon
"Patience, child." Malevomon spoke. "I have way to get all twenty Legendary Spirits in our control AND take care of those humans at the same time."
"And that is?" wondered Lobomon. The wicked emperor grinned at all of his subordinates.
"... You'll just have to wait and see. Haha! Hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
As the malicious sovereign laughed maniacally out loud, the other five evil Legendary Warriors joined in with their new master. Malevomon not only had the advantage in strength and fighting abilities, but also in the Spirit count. With half of the Legendary Warriors already working for him, the evil emperor knew he's one step closer for Digital World domination. And there's not a thing in the world that can stop him. Not even the forces of good, or a pair of teenage humans.
Takuya's POV:
My day surely wasn't getting any better. I was NOT in a good mood, especially after what happened in our last mission. That was a complete disaster; a huge failure. Everything that could've gone wrong, did. And I know just who to blame for all of this. My former best friend, the one person I can count on whenever I needed help. But thanks to her, she jeopardized the mission and ruined everything.
It's so simple. Find the Spirits of Water and bring them back here before Malevomon and his freakshows could. Unfortunately, they got to the Spirits way before we did. Once when they fused them with the Chaos Sphere, it was pretty much 'game over' for us. Now the Warriors of Water are a lot stronger than us. Great, just when you think things can't get any worse.
Because of that, we've almost lost Beautymon during the battle. She would've drowned if I hadn't been there. What happened after that was a huge blur. One moment I was trying to save her life, the next thing I knew she was right on top of me. I didn't remember much after that. But whenever she's around, I get this strange feeling in my stomach.
Now that's weird. The last time I've experienced this feeling was when I was with... her.
Zoe Orimoto: my ex-best friend. What the heck is wrong with this woman? I was so worried about her after what Ranamon told me. I even tried expressing my concern for her. And how did she repay me? She gave me a huge "SMACK!" right in the face. And what sucks is my cheeks were still swollen. But after that incident, I had just about enough of her.
She's blaming me for letting the Spirits of Water get away when it was CLEARLY her fault. Zoe was the first to encounter Ranamon, and yet she refused to call for help. I could've been there for her, but her stubbornness got the best of her. Guess how did that turn out? Not so good. Because of her stupidness, Ranamon got away and attacked me and Beautymon.
Okay, so my fight with the Spirits of Water wasn't any different than Zoe's. Still, this is her fault. And that's why she'll never be my friend again. I just hate Zoe Orimoto. She's crazy, stubborn, mean, shows no respect for others, and is just downright stupid. Until she asks me... no... begs me for my forgiveness, we are through! I won't look at her, talk to her, go near her, fight alongside her or do anything with her. From this moment on, our friendship is over.
I should've seen this coming. Why is it always like this? We started off as best friends. And from there, everything just fell apart. We've had our conflicts in the past, but definitely not like this. Her screams were loud and my rage was even more intense. Believe me, I was this close to hitting her, even though she's a girl. I tried hard to resist, but Zoe knows me like the back of her hand. She knows what pushes my buttons and what makes me snap. It's only a matter of time before she unleashes the beast inside. And yet, I have to control myself. The last thing I want was to start another fight with Zoe.
But then again, Swiftmon and Eldestmon told me that I must quickly make amends with her and find a way to get along. It's like I had to... no matter what.
*Flashback*
The bright light faded away and the teleportation was complete. I looked around and realized we all made it back to the Digiporter Room. I was still disappointed that our last mission wasn't a success, but it's good to be back. My body was still a little sore from the last fight. I should definitely stop by the Hospital Wing and ask Blisseymon for help. One by one, the Digimon Battlefront warriors, plus me and Zoe, walked off the Digiporter and headed toward the exit.
From there, everyone else went their separate ways. Swiftmon, Beautymon, Zoe and I were the only ones left. I was about to head on over to the Hospital Wing, when I noticed something from the corner of my eye. I watched as Zoe hobbled towards me. It seemed as if her injuries hasn't healed yet either. However, the closer she got to me, the nastier her glare became. I countered by giving her an intimidating scowl of my own. For what seemed like hours, we leered deep into each other's eyes. But Zoe stood tall, refusing to move an inch. As expected, this girl's as stubborn as a mule.
"Move!" She ordered.
"Go around." I argued back.
"I said 'move!'"
"No!"
"MOVE IT!"
"MAKE ME!" I saw her teeth gritting on each other. Her fists were clenched tight and her eyes were filled with rage and pain. I couldn't help but grin. It seems like I do know how to get on Zoe's nerves. I could tell she had just about enough of me.
All of the sudden, she pulled her arm back, ready to give me another slap to the face. But this time, I was ready. As quick as wink, I bend my body backwards to avoid the strike. Zoe's attack was a complete miss. But just when I was about to regain my balance, she took a step forward and placed her hands on my chest. With one small shove, Zoe pushed me straight to the ground.
"MORON!" She yelled.
With that, she stomped away from the group. I sat there on the floor, shocked and defeated. Nothing's more humiliating than losing to a girl, especially Zoe. I got back to my feet and glowered back at my former best friend. However, she disappeared before I could argue with her. But my anger wasn't even close to subsiding. I was on the verge of reaching my breaking point. That girl needs to pay for embarrassing me like that.
Then I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"We need to talk. Right now." Swiftmon said.
"Whatever."
"What's going on between you two?"
"It's none of your business..." I replied, as I began to make my way towards the Hospital Wing.
But the swordsman Digimon unsheathed one of his blades and held it in front of me, immediately stopping me from moving forward. I glared back at Swiftmon. I wasn't really in the mood for arguing. But then I saw his eyes. He wanted answers and he won't budge until he gets one.
"What's going on here?" Someone asked. I turned and noticed an elderly Digimon with a wooden cane approaching us.
"Lord Eldestmon!" Swiftmon gasped, He put his sword away and saluted.
"At ease." said Eldestmon. "Give me a report."
"Yes, sir." replied the swordsman. "Well, we did find the Spirits of Water. However, Malevomon's goons got to them first. They've inserted a Chaos Sphere inside the Spirits. Now, Malevomon has five Spirits under his control, while we only got three."
"Anything else?" grumbled Eldestmon.
"Um..." said Swiftmon as he slowly shifted his attention towards me. "Yes. It seems as if something's going on between the humans."
As Eldestmon approached me, I saw his unfathomable eyes gazing deep into my soul. I felt like he's trying to connect with me, just to see what's going on.
"The bond between you and your friend has been severed." He told me. I was surprised that Eldestmon managed to get all that by just looking at me
"Says you..." I murmured.
"You can't stay angry at her forever, my boy. It blinds you from seeing what's actually ahead of you."
"You sure picked a wrong time to be a philosopher, huh Eldestmon?"
"Heed my warning, young man. The more you choose to ignore it, the harder it is for you two to become friends again."
"ZOE IS NOT... MY... FRIEND!" I shouted. My voice echoed throughout the hallways. If I were to guess, I assumed Zoe heard me screaming too.
"Here we go again..." Swiftmon sighed.
"This is unpleasant..." Beautymon whispered sarcastically.
"Not a good time, Beautymon!" Her partner argued.
"What? It breaks my heart seeing Cutie mad like this. That slimy little toad... How dare she insulted him like that? The next time I see her, I'll be sure to give her a..."
"SHUT UP, BEAUTYMON!" ordered Swiftmon before she could complete her statement. The female Digimon sighed and took a few steps back. Eldestmon looked back at me and tapped his cane on the ground.
"Our world is in peril. We need your help in order to defeat Malevomon and restore peace in the Digital World. But in order to do that, we need you two to work together, not fight each other."
"Whatever." I said to myself. "I refuse to fight alongside my former best friend. She would only get in the way. I'm better off without her."
"Such a bold statement, young man. But hear this. You can accomplish so much when you work alone. But with a friend, possibilities are endless."
"Say what?"
"Talk to your friend. Apologize for whatever you done wrong and..."
"I'm not saying anything to her, unless SHE apologizes to ME!" I demanded.
"Such stubbornness." Swiftmon mumbled.
"I think it's cute!" Beautymon giggled, which made me blush. Swiftmon glared back at her, but said nothing. Eldestmon placed a hand on my shoulder.
"It's up to you now, young man. The fate of the Digital World is in your hands now. Whether you want to get along or not... that's your choice. Be beware... your choice will impact us all."
After his informative speech, Eldestmon walked down the hallway and disappeared into the crowd of Digimon. That just leaves me with Swiftmon and Beautymon. I looked at the two Champion level Digimon, and waited for one of them to speak. So far, not one of us has said a word. I looked at Beautymon, who was trouble keeping eye contact with me. She's probably nervous about something, but I wasn't in the mood to find out. Swiftmon approached me, still with that intimidating look on his face. I could tell he was still mad at me after the way I talked back to him.
"The Legendary Warriors must work together if we want to succeed. Your power comes from teamwork, unity... and friendship. If any of those elements are missing, then the strength of the Legendary Warriors will surely falter. It's all on you now, Bearer of Flame. Make the right choice, or we will all suffer the consequences." The swordsman Digimon told me. He then walked away from me and Beautymon.
"Well, that was... reassuring." The female Digimon spoke. She placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Where are you off to, Cutie?"
"I'm heading over to the Hospital Wing to see if Blisseymon can heal my injuries. I'm kinda sore all over." I responded to her.
"Oh you poor thing..." whispered Beautymon. Then, I felt her hands gliding back up to my cheek. My eyes widened with fear and a hint of exhilaration. I had no idea what she was planning, but who's complaining?
"B... Beautymon, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like, silly boy? I'm helping you get better. After all, it definitely beats hobbling all the way over there."
"But Beautymon, I..."
"Come on, Sweetie. Don't you trust me?"
"Why, yes. Of course."
"Good!" She smiled as she glided her hands across my chest.
She leaned closer to me until she was inches apart from my face. The female Digimon stuck a hand behind my head and closed the distance. Scared for my life, I closed my eye and turned away from her. A sweet fragrance entered my nose. I looked and noticed Beautymon's lavender eyes gazing deep into mine. She drew closer to me and licked my face. She trailed her sweet tongue around my cheeks and nipped my nose with her own.
There it is again. That same strange feeling appeared in my body. Yet for some reason, it has to do with Beautymon. What is it about her that makes her so... attracting? I'm okay with being friends with Digimon. But from what Beautymon's doing, she's taking friendship to a whole new level. I don't know why she's so nice to me, or why she likes to cling onto me every chance she gets. Regardless how awkward and weird Beautymon's gestures were, a part of me kept asking for more.
"There we go. All better now, Cutie?" She said, wondering about my injuries. I did a few arm circles and body twist to see if there were any tightness on my body. I was shocked and amazed. Thanks to Beautymon, my body has never felt this good.
"Much better!" I smiled. "Wow, thanks Beautymon!"
"Anything for you, Cutie." She giggled. "But if you like, we could go again... if you know what I mean."
"Um... no thanks." I replied.
"You sure? I can make it worth your while."
"I'm fine, Beautymon. But thanks for caring."
"Oh, okay..." She sighed. Beautymon looked kinda disappointed though, but she easily shrugged it off.
"I'll see you later then, Sweetie." She gently stroke my cheek one last time before disappearing into the hallways.
*End of Flashback*
"Hey, kid! Move it!" Someone ordered me.
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked behind me. There were a lot of angry Digimon yelling at me about something. But when I turned around, I noticed there was a huge gap in the cafeteria line. It took me a while to figure out what was going on.
"NEXT!" One of the Digimon chefs cried.
I quickly got to the counter and grabbed a tray. I waited for the large creature in an apron to pile up grub on the plate. I was expecting some real food, like the ones back home. Then again, meatapples or one of Burgermon's delicious hamburgers doesn't sound too bad either. Instead, I got something else. The Digimon chef dumped some kind of porridge on the plate. It was whitish-gray and smelled like old gym socks. The porridge was still bubbling and was incredibly nasty.
I looked back at the chef, feeling disgusted and unhappy. I was about to demand him to give me something else, when I saw his eyes. With those monstrous pupils, it's like he's telling me to either take the food or take a hike. I wasn't about to start another fight. So I took the plate and stomped away.
I entered a room filled with a ton of tables and chairs. Unfortunately, each chair and table were occupied by other Digimon Battlefront members. There wasn't an open seat to be found. I looked to my right and left, but so far, no luck. Suddenly, a Digimon finished his food and got up from his seat. Now's my chance. I practically sprinted towards the open chair.
Just when I was about to take a seat, something blindsided me. Good thing I kept my balance, otherwise the porridge would have landed on someone else. I looked back at the chair and saw someone sitting on it. A blonde haired girl sat there quietly, eating the food on her plate. The worst part was, she was completely ignoring me. She didn't notice me or even apologized to me. I told myself I didn't want to talk to her anymore, but she was getting on my nerves. I was angry enough already. But after what she did, I'm on a whole new level now.
"That's my seat." I said in a threatening voice. I waited for Zoe to give me her attention, but she didn't. She kept on eating as if everything's normal. It's like I don't even exist to her anymore. I moved in a little closer, not wanting to give up my spot.
"I said, that's my seat."
"Oh, is it?" She asked. Zoe finally looked at me with those emerald eyes of hers. She's still mad at me for God knows what.
"I don't see on your name on it." She continued.
"I'm serious, Z! Move it!" I demanded.
"Sorry, little boy. This seat's already taken."
"ZOE!"
"You snooze, you lose. Now, scram!"
I slammed my tray on the table in anger. The entire cafeteria went silent. The chefs stopped serving food and the other Digimon stopped eating just to watch me and Zoe argue. Honestly, I didn't really pay much attention to them staring at me or what they were saying about us. All I can think about was how angry Zoe was making me. I wasn't going to leave until this girl gets out of my chair.
"Zoe, I'm only going to say this once. Get your butt off my seat, or else."
"Or else what, huh? What are you going to do, Takuya? Hit me? Huh? Think you're so tough picking on a girl?"
"It's tempting with that attitude of yours."
"Come on, you scaredy cat! Give it your best shot!" Zoe got up from her seat and leered into my eyes. She stuck her face out as if she's begging me to slap her.
"I'm not going hit you, Zoe. It's a waste of time and energy. I just want you to get out of my sight."
"Ooh! So, this is our fearless leader, huh? All talk, no action! You're truly pathetic! You know that, right Takuya?"
"Why you..."
"And to think... you were my best friend. Hmph! Some idiot I turned out to be! Who would want to be friends with a loser... like... you?"
With that, I had just about enough. This girl is going to continue running her mouth with no sense in stopping. I felt like I had to shut her up somehow. And what better way to do that than to humiliate her in front of all these Digimon.
I took my plate of gruel and poured it all on Zoe's head. Next, I grabbed her plate of porridge and dumped it on her. Zoe was drenched in all those disgusting foods. She smelled like puke and everything, from her skin to her clothes, was a mess. Zoe stood there with her mouth hung open.
But I wasn't done there. I grabbed a nearby tray filled with all kinds of food and garbage and dumped them all on my ex-best friend. While I was busy humiliating Zoe, I heard mixed reactions from the Digimon all around me. Some of them were laughing while others let out a few "Oohs!" and gasps. Seconds later, I backed up to admire my work.
Zoe was completely covered with filth. She took a stepped forward, but slipped on some leftover gruel. She landed hard on her butt, causing everyone else to laugh at her. The look on Zoe's face was priceless. Man, if only I had a camera to capture this proud moment of mine. Tears were forming in her eyes. It was only a matter of time before she snaps.
"Jeez, Z! I have no idea what's more rotten! You're attitude or... YOU overall!"
"You... You... I HATE YOU, TAKUYA KANBARA!" She screamed as she pushed me out of the way, but I didn't care. I had already got my revenge on her. A small smirk appeared on my face. I was too busy enjoying the win, I didn't notice Bokomon and Neemon entering the scene.
"What's going on here?" Bokomon asked me. Before I could answer, Zoe ran out of the cafeteria, crying like a baby. When she was gone, I got back to my feet and chuckled to myself.
"Hey, it's not my fault that Zoe's a terrible listener." I responded.
"Goodness, Takuya! What have you done?" He yelled at me. But before I could answer, he and Neemon took off and went after Zoe.
"Yeah, good riddance." I said. But then I noticed my seat was covered with garbage and my plate was already empty. I walked back towards the end of the line to get some more food.
But while I was waiting, I thought about what I'd done.
I said I was going to humiliate Zoe, and that's exactly what I did. I embarrassed her and made her cry in front of everybody. I'm supposed to feel satisfied and triumphant. But for some reason, I felt the opposite. Seeing Zoe run off like that made me feel stupid and guilty. It's like I've fallen down into an empty pit of darkness. Even though Zoe and I hate each other right now, a part of me still didn't like seeing her cry.
"Why? Why am I feeling this way? What is it about Zoe that makes her... I don't know... Zoe? Why does she stand out more than anyone else? What's so special about her? Why is it that every time she pushes me away, I always wind up coming back to her?"
Before long, my mind trailed off as I asked myself all these questions about me and Zoe. What I didn't realize was that there were a bunch of Digimon yelling at me for holding up the line again. They were awfully mad at me, but I didn't care. Until I figure out what these weird feelings are, nothing in this world really matters to me anymore.
Absolutely nothing.
Zoe's POV:
It's pretty easy to lose track of time when you're in the shower. What Takuya dumped on me was beyond gross. It was supposed to be some kind of porridge, but it looked strange and tasted funny. It was really disgusting and very sticky. There was a bunch of gruel stuck on my hair like chewing gum. Not only that, it had a weird smell. It was a combination of rotten eggs, moldy cheese and Tommy's sweat socks. Yuck.
"Stupid Takuya!" I said to myself as I went on to wash my hair. "Who would have thought that he's actually a big jerk in real life? And to think, I actually had a crush on him. Some fool I turned out to be." Once I finished showering, I grabbed a nearby towel and dried myself off. I went on to finish washing the rest of my clothes.
While I was doing that, I started having flashbacks of me and that half-witted goggle head. Memories of the day we first met, our first adventures in the Digital World, and the moment he confessed that he really liked me played back in my head. Other memories included celebrating Takuya's birthday at the park, returning to the Digital World, searching for the Legendary Spirits, and fighting the bad guys. Most of them were good, yet some of them were incredibly painful; physically and emotionally. Just like the time where Takuya and I lost to Malevomon. As a result, that creep stole my Beast Spirit.
But that was nothing compared to seeing Takuya getting too comfortable with that skank, Beautymon. Just thinking about her makes me want red with envy. Even the sound of her name makes me very cranky. I thought Takuya was just being nice to her because she was our comrade. But as time passed, those two grew incredibly close to each other. Not only that, but Takuya and I started to drift farther apart.
Okay, so I'm jealous of this witch for stealing my crush. I mean, a romantic relationship between a human and a Digimon is... it's just wrong! I felt like I had to try harder just to get Takuya's attention. I was planning on doing that back at Toucanmon's Paradise. It was supposed to be just me and him under the sun, enjoying our little time off. It was the perfect opportunity for me to confess how I felt about him.
And guess who decided to show up?
The rest of the story is just another bad memory. I got angry and accidentally got sand in Takuya's eyes. He got mad at me for acting like a child, which really hurt a lot. This was supposed to be a vacation, a chance for me and Takuya to take our relationship to the next level. But thanks to Beautymon, it turned out to be one gigantic disaster.
First, Ranamon showed up and beat me to a pulp. Then, I saw Takuya, MY Takuya, making out with that wretched whore! At that point, it was already over. Takuya and I had ended our friendship. I never want to see him again. I never want to speak to him again. I never want to fight alongside him again. I hate him with a passion. It's going to take a million years for me to forgive him.
*knock, knock, knock*
"Zoe, are you in there?" Bokomon asked from the other side.
"Just a minute!" I replied. I finished drying up my clothes and got changed. I opened the door and noticed Bokomon and Neemon standing in front of me.
"Hey guys." I said, trying to put on a smile.
"Are you feeling alright?" questioned Bokomon.
"Well... kinda..."
"What happened between you and Takuya?" Neemon asked. "We saw you two having an argument back at the cafeteria and we were wondering what's..."
"CAN IT, NEEMON! IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" I hollered. My voice bounced off the walls of the hallways. A few Digimon stopped and looked at me, wondering about my unusual outburst, but I didn't care. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, even my former best friend.
"Calm down, Zoe. No need to get upset!" said Bokomon.
"Upset? Who's upset?" I barked back.
"My point exactly..." The room was quite. Bokomon waited for me to say something, but I was still pretty angry after what Takuya pulled off.
"I just don't want to talk about it, okay Bokomon? Now, please leave. I want to be left alone."
"But Zoe..."
"GO AWAY!"
Again, my voice echoed throughout the building. It was even louder than my last yell. In fact, the sound of me screaming scared a few Digimon nearby. Even Bokomon and Neemon were frightened at my temper tantrum. They turned and walked away, kindly and reluctantly respecting my wishes.
"Idiots." I said to myself.
"What's going on here?" Someone asked. I turned and noticed an elderly Digimon with a wooden cane approaching me.
"Eldestmon!"
"What's wrong, my child? Why is heart so dark with rage?"
"It's nothing..."
"One simply does not yell for no reason. I can tell that something's troubling you."
"Well... you see... it's just that... Takuya... he..."
"You got in a fight with your best friend?"
"'Ex' best friend! 'Ex!' Jeez, why can't anybody get that right?" Instead of flinching, Eldestmon sighed and look me straight in the eye. He placed a hand on my shoulder and began to speak.
"Listen to me, my child. Friendship is like a thread that keeps two people attached to each other. Regardless how great the distance, that thread will forever unite those two."
"If you don't mind, would you please get to the point Eldestmon? I'm not in the mood for parables."
"The bond between you and your friend has been severely damaged. Also, it seemed as if none of you are making an effort to fix it. Something appears to be in the way of making things right with one another."
"Everything's fine!" I argued. "It's all Takuya's fault! He's the one who started this mess."
"Is that so?"
"Absolutely! And yet, he has the nerves to demand me an apology? He's such a child! Unless he apologizes to me, I don't ever want to see him ever again! EVER!"
Eldestmon shook his head and sighed once again.
"Very well then. Have it your way. But heed my warning, my dear. Until you two find a way to repair your ties of friendship, you will never achieve full strength. The fate of the Digital World rests in your shoulders, whether you are aware of it or not."
After his closing statements, Eldestmon walked passed me and disappeared into the crowd of Digimon.
I shifted my attention back to my feet. My mind was filled with all of the cruel and horrible things Takuya has done to me recently. I can never forgive him, especially after what he pulled off. I hate him more than anything in the world. Can you believe that this loser used to be my best friend? I was such a fool. My feelings towards him blinded me the truth.
But after thinking about it, maybe Eldestmon does have a point. Malevomon would have control over the Digital World if it wasn't for me and Takuya. Regardless how many times we fought, our teamwork cannot be denied. Both of us are strong alone, but together we create an unstoppable force. Because of that, we managed to recover some of the Legendary Spirits, giving us a fighting chance against the dark forces.
Will Takuya and I have the same success if we went our separate ways? Do I need him more than he needs me? Or is it the other way around?
"Stupid Takuya..." I said to myself. "I hate you, and I can't stand you. But if we're going to restore peace to this world, we're going to need each other. You don't like me? Fine! You won't apologize to me? That's perfect! I don't care what happens to you! I just want to defeat Malevomon and get this lousy mission over with. That way, I can go home and..."
"Aww, poor Blondie! How does it feel to lose someone that was... oh so close to you?" Someone said.
That voice. The sound from the only Digimon I despise on this planet. I let out a loud, frustrated groan. Why did 'she' have to come all the way here to bother me?
"What do you want, Beautymon?" I growled. "Can't you just leave me alone? I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone... especially you!" I started walking away from her, trying to avoid any kind of confrontations. But then I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Come now, Blondie. I just want to have a nice conversation between us girls. Isn't that so wrong to ask?"
"Why should I talk to you? You never say anything nice to me. What's going to make today any different?"
"Well, Lord Eldestmon gave me a long lecture on how you and I should be working together instead of bickering about whose more beautiful than the other. Of course... we all know that's me." She gave me one of those winks, which was like icing on the cake for her.
"So far, Beautymon, you're not off to a good start." I said, still looking pretty angry.
"Oops! Sorry... Anyway, the point is we shouldn't be fighting each other. We should be helping each other if we want to save this world."
"Um... Yeah, you're right!" I said with my eyes wide open.
Although I'm kind of surprised it took Beautymon this long to realize this. Is she serious? Is she willing to forget the past and focus on the task on hand? Does that mean the word 'ugly' won't be coming out of her mouth anymore?
"So, how about it, Blondie? Truce?" She held a hand out in front of me. I looked at her and then back at her hand.
"Well... I don't know..." I said hesitantly.
Something doesn't feel right. I can't seem to trust Beautymon. It's rare for her to be this nice to me. Instead of waiting for me to initiate some kind of peace agreement, she went ahead and made the first move. This is definitely not like her. I knew something was up, but I can't seem to put a finger on it.
Then again, I could always turn down her offer right on the spot. On the other hand, that would make me even lower than dirt. I would become a much worse of a being than Beautymon. She's trying to make things right. Might as well accept it instead of spitting it back at her face.
"Please, Blondie?"
"Fine." I grumbled. I looked into Beautymon's eyes and shook her hand. That made the female Digimon smile. A soft giggle escaped her lips. That small laugh of hers was still annoying, but the point is we made up.
At least for now.
"Wonderful!" Beautymon exclaimed. She started dancing around the room and jumping for joy. "Thank you so much, Blondie!"
"It's Zoe..."
"Whatever... I'm so glad we're finally friends."
"Let's be clear on something, Beautymon. You and I are not friends. We will never be friends! I'm just putting our differences aside, so we can save the Digital World."
"Whatever you say, Blondie." She sighed.
"Zoe! Jeez, what are you? Deaf or something?" I said, growing impatient with every word that came out of her mouth.
"Come on. I'm trying to be nice to you for once. Isn't that so hard?"
"You have no idea..."
"Oh, by the way, I forgot to thank you back when we were at the island."
"Thank me? For what?"
"Because of you, Cutie and I have never been closer." My eyes widened upon hearing her statement.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, even though my heart wasn't prepared for what she's about to say.
"After the two of you fought, he came to me and asked me to... how would you say... make it all better."
"No..." I gasped. "You lie! Takuya would never say something like that!"
"Oh, but he did, Blondie! You have no idea how much I've longed to hear him say those words!"
"SHUT UP!" I hollered. This Digimon was getting on my last nerve.
"Aw, what's wrong? You jealous? Are you mad that your best friend is now my boyfriend?"
I shifted my attention to the ground, feeling shocked and speechless. What Beautymon said made me sick to my stomach. The thought of humans and Digimon having that kind of relationship is just wrong. But Beautymon sure loves to relish the idea. In fact, she's going so far to shove it down my throat and make it unbearable for me.
Beautymon has no idea what I'm feeling right now. Of course I'm jealous of her! I'm jealous that she has Takuya all to herself. I'm jealous that Takuya's having more fun with her than with me. I'm jealous that... that... Beautymon was the one who gave him his first kiss. That should've been me. I could feel my eyes watering and my heart tearing up inside me.
"Takuya... how could you..." I thought to myself.
"Poor Blondie. If it wasn't for your ugly face, I would have the heart to feel sorry for you." said the female Digimon.
"THAT'S IT!" I shouted. I couldn't stand listening to this lousy wench speak.
Without hesitating, I sprang towards the female Digimon and tackled her to the ground like a wildcat.
"FIGHT!" Someone shouted. A minute later, Beautymon and I were surrounded by a large group of Digimon. However, I didn't care how many were watching us. All I can think about was getting revenge after the way Beautymon humiliated me.
I grabbed a fistful of her olive hair and yanked as hard as I could. Beautymon screamed in pain as I continued the assault. She managed to get a couple of scratches on my face, but so far I have the upper hand. After struggling for some time, Beautymon managed to loosen my grip on her hair. However, my eyes spotted another target. I grabbed her neck with both hands and tightened my grip. Feint coughs escaped Beautymon's lips.
"THAT'S ENOUGH, YOU TWO! BREAK IT UP!" Another valiant voice ordered.
Swiftmon grabbing me from under my shoulders and pulled as hard as he could, trying to get me and Beautymon to break up our little catfight. He lifted me up and managed to get me back to my feet. However, I was still kicking and screaming like an animal. I tried to break free from Swiftmon's grasps, but he was too strong.
"LET ME GO! LET ME AT HER!" I argued.
"THAT'S ENOUGH! CUT IT OUT!"
"NO! LET GO OF ME, SWIFTMON!"
But the swordsman Digimon refused. The more I struggle, the harder he gripped. Also, the longer this dragged out, the more tired I got. It wasn't long before I gave in. The moment Swiftmon sensed my anger had subsided, he finally released me. The rest of the Digimon began to disperse in different directions, leaving me behind with the second and third-in-command.
"Beautymon!" Someone cried.
I looked up and saw Takuya comforting the female Digimon. She looked back at him with tears in her eyes. All of the sudden, she fell into his arms and gave him a warm embrace. Beautymon let everything out as the tears fell uncontrollably.
"Oh, Cutie...!" She cried. But my intuition told me that she was faking it. Even though I did a pretty good number on her, she's a lot stronger than she looks.
"It's okay, Beautymon! Everything's going to be alright." He consoled her.
"Oh, come on! Give me a break! You're actually going to believe that?" An angry stare down occurred between me and Takuya. We glared at each other, gazing deep into each other's soul.
"What's your problem, Zoe? Attacking your own comrade? What were you thinking?"
"What? Are you saying that this is my fault?"
"Well, if I were to hazard a guess, I say it is your fault!"
"Excuse me? Who do you think you are, pointing fingers like that? If you don't have any idea what happened, I suggest you keep your mouth shut!"
"Oh yeah? Then explain to me what made Beautymon cry? Huh? Couldn't control your anger... as usual?"
"You don't know what you're talking about, you immature boy!" I said with my voice getting louder with each word I spoke.
"Just keep telling yourself that, you big crybaby!"
"Why you..." It was getting hard to resist smacking the living daylights out of this jerk. "Listen, you loudmouth! I am this close to kicking your sorry butt all the way to the next year!"
"I would love to see you try!" He said with a wide smirk on his face.
"OKAY, THAT'S IT, YOU JERK! YOU'VE ASKED FOR IT!"
I clenched my fist tight and was about to make my way towards him, when we heard beeping noises coming from the intercom above our heads. After a couple of squeaks, a voice came from the radio speakers.
"Attention" spoke the intercom. "Would the humans, Swiftmon and Beautymon please report to the Digiporter Room immediately? I repeat. Would the humans, Swiftmon and Beautymon please report to the Digiporter Room immediately?"
After the announcement, Beautymon got back to her feet and wrapped her arms around Takuya's. She rested her head on his shoulders and gazed into his eyes.
"Come on, Cutie! Our net mission awaits us!" She smiled.
The female Digimon pulled on his arm and the two of them walked down the hallway. When she passed me by, Beautymon stuck her tongue out at me, silently telling me that she has won. I tried not to avoid making eye contact with either her or Takuya. I still haven't forgiven him for all the things he said and did to me. After the two of them disappeared, Swiftmon placed a hand on my shoulders.
"Shall we?" He asked me.
I sighed and gave him a quick nod. Together, we walked side by side towards the Digiporter Room.
Swiftmon courteously opened the door to the Digiporter for me. After kindly thanking him, and the two of us walked inside. I noticed Bokomon and Neemon standing on the platform. Gotsumon was sitting next to a computer, waiting to teleport us on command. Eldestmon was nearby, ready to give us our next assignment.
But then I shifted my eyes a little to the left. I saw Beautymon cuddling with Takuya like she's obsessed with him or something. The moment our eyes met with each other, the atmosphere in the room has dropped. Just looking at the jerk makes me want to hurl. I wish he didn't have to come on the next mission. I can take care of Malevomon's cronies without his help.
"Took you long enough!" He grumbled. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever show up."
"Who asked you, you moron?" I argued.
"Hey! How dare you talk to my Cutie like that?" Beautymon interrupted.
"Butt out, you witch! I wasn't even talking to you!"
"YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, YOU UGLY PIECE OF..."
"SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU!" shouted Swiftmon. The three of us turned towards the swordsman Digimon, who had an angry look on his face. It wasn't the most intimidating glares I've seen, but it was enough to cause all of us to zip our lips.
"Enough of this foolishness and settle down! Lord Eldestmon is about to brief us on our next mission!"
"Thank you, Swiftmon." said the wise old Digimon. He waited until every one of us gave him his undivided attention. Finally, he tapped his cane on the ground and began with his briefing.
"Listen up, all of you! Our scouters have found the location of another Legendary Spirit."
"Which one?" Bokomon asked.
"The Legendary Spirits of Earth." He replied.
"Location, sir?" questioned Swiftmon.
"It's somewhere hidden in the Forbidden Forest."
"The Forbidden Forest?" I repeated. "I've never heard of that place before."
"The Forbidden Forest..." Bokomon educated us. "... is a very dangerous area. It is filled with all kinds of evil Digimon that hide within the shadows of the trees. Even the sunlight above our heads couldn't penetrate though the dark parts of the forest."
"Okay, so how's this place different than any other area in the Digital World?" Takuya wondered.
"It's like a giant maze in the Forbidden Forest. One wrong turn, and you could be lost forever. Not only that, but the Digimon in that area are..."
"Okay, Bokomon. We get it." I interrupted. I looked at Eldestmon and saw noticed him nodding his head.
"He's right. We need to retrieve that Spirit before Malevomon and his henchmen do. They already have five of the ten Legendary Spirits. We cannot afford any more mistakes. Find the Spirits of Earth and hurry back here."
"Yes, sir!" Swiftmon complied.
"Excellent! Stay on guard, work together and protect each other at all times." said Eldestmon. After the leader of the Digimon Battlefront finished his speech, he walked out of the Digiporter Room without another word. Swiftmon walked onto the platform and faced forward.
"Gotsumon, turn on the Digiporter!" Swiftmon ordered.
"Yes, sir!" The rock monster saluted. He pushed a red button on the side of the wall. The room was then filled with buzzing noises and squeaky whistles. I looked at the platform below and noticed it starting to glow.
"Digiporter's at 25%, sir!"
"Listen to me, Legendary Warriors. I'm only going to say this once!" Swiftmon said, staring at me and Takuya.
"Digiporter's power at 50%, sir!" Gotsumon pointed out.
"I don't care what unsettled differences you guys have with each other. But I suggest you work out right now!"
"Digiporter's power at 75% sir!"
"The fate of the Digital World is at stake. I'm not going to let one little disagreement between you two be the reason why..."
"ALRIGHT, SWIFTMON! WE GET IT!" Takuya and I shouted in unison.
"Digiporter's power is at 100%!" Gotsumon confirmed. "Ready to teleport on your command, sir!"
"Take it away, Gotsumon!"
"Entering coordinates to the Forbidden Forest." Gotsumon said, typing the numbers on the computer.
"Coordinates are set, ready for teleportation. Teleporting in five, four…"
While he was counting down, Neemon scrunched in closer together towards Bokomon. However, he got a little too close, which made the mutant Digimon uncomfortable and annoyed. Bokomon slammed his green book on Neemon's head, causing the rabbit to drop to the ground.
"Three, two…"
I couldn't help but look back at Takuya and Beautymon. As I suspected, the olive haired wench was trying to make another move on my 'former' best friend. She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and danced her fingers on his torso. Surprisingly, Takuya wasn't paying any attention to her. His eyes still were locked on to mine. It's like we could read each other's mine just by looking at each other.
"One…"
However, my anger towards him hasn't died down at all. In fact, just seeing him with 'her' made me furious. As long as he's anywhere near Beautymon, he and I... are through.
"Commence teleportation!" Gotsumon shouted.
The rock-type Digimon slammed his fist on a blue button. A white light shot out from the bottom of the Digiporter, engulfing every single one of us with its bright light. At that point, the entire room was covered with the blinding light. Before long, the entire room was covered with white, blinding light as I felt myself being teleported to the Forbidden Forest, where the Spirits of Earth were waiting for us.
Author's Notes: So, that's chapter twenty-one.
Can Takuya and Zoe put their differences aside and find the Spirits together? Or will this mission separate our two heroes even further? These questions will be answered in the next chapter. Stay tuned to find out what happens on the next Digimon Frontier: Chaos Rising.
*Don't forget to review!*