Chihiro didn't know where they were, but they absolutely hated it.
The ground below was metallic and hard, and the air smelled of smoke. The stench refused to leave Chihiro's nostrils no matter how long they remained stretched out on the floor. The sun burned brightly overhead, a scorching blaze of anger that only upset Chihiro further. They were already covered in bruises and unable to escape their own pain, but then the world just had to make everything worse. Just their fucking luck.
Chihiro had to practically pry their back from the ground, and they glanced around in curiosity at their surroundings. There were trees on all sides that were made of metal with leaves that crackled like flames. There was a large building off in the distance that resembled the Trailmon station that they had found themselves in after first arriving in the Digital World. The ground was silvery with traces of black, giving it the appearance of singed steel.
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
Chihiro practically jumped out of their skin upon hearing Neemon's voice, and they got to their feet slowly before starting to walk in the direction of his voice. Neemon repeated the cry a few times before he came into Chihiro's line of sight. He noticed their arrival immediately, and he practically threw himself onto Chihiro's legs, wrapping his arms around their calves.
Chihiro instinctively went tense at the contact before carefully removing Neemon with distasteful fingers. Their aversion to touch had remained even after the Royal Knights destroyed them. Good to know. "What's going on?" they questioned, trying not to sound too angry. All Chihiro wanted to do was find the Royal Knights and obliterate them with the full force of a thousand earthquakes, but they saw that this wasn't an option, so they remained in place instead.
Neemon, who was currently dangling from Chihiro's hands, shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he confessed before looking down to the ground once again. Chihiro took this as their cue to set him back down, so they did so without hesitation. Neemon rubbed at the space beneath his arms to disperse any tension left behind by Chihiro's grasp. "We're in Flame Terminal again."
"Flame Terminal?" Chihiro echoed, sifting through their memories to figure out where that name had first come from. They decided it was familiar, but they didn't know where from. As soon as it clicked that Takuya had been the one to say it, the pieces fell into place. This was the area where Takuya had first arrived in the Digital World alongside Tomoki, Izumi, and Junpei. From there, they met Bokomon and Neemon, and then they set off towards Evergreen Dawn, meeting Koji along the way.
Neemon nodded before starting to walk away. "I'm sure there's someone else around here..." he murmured. "The Royal Knights hit hard, don't they?" The small Digimon rubbed at a bruise that had formed on his side, whimpering when he accidentally pressed down with too much force.
Chihiro hissed their agreement, but their cheek immediately gave off a pained sensation that attracted their attention. They touched at the area and realized that they had likely hit their face on the ground when landing from Alphamon's previous attack. They could feel a few other bruises and cuts scattered throughout, and their hair was beyond messy. Still, Chihiro couldn't bring themselves to check the injuries, instead simply removing their hat and tucking it under their arm before getting to work on retying their ponytail.
Neemon suddenly took off running from his place a few feet in front of Chihiro, and they frowned before following him, adjusting their hat along the way. They weren't sure about what could have attracted his attention so suddenly, but he figured it was worth at least checking out briefly. It wasn't as if they had anything else to do. Chihiro didn't know where anybody else from the group was, and they were positive that something was going to happen sooner or later if they weren't careful. The least they could do was see if Neemon had stumbled upon something that would benefit their chances of surviving against a roaming Royal Knight.
Chihiro and Neemon slid to a stop a moment later, and Chihiro let out a gasp as they set their eyes upon a pair of figures who were sitting beneath the awning of the train station nearby. Izumi and Tomoki were positioned on a bench together, and Tomoki's head was resting on Izumi's lap. She was combing her fingers through his hair, trying to eliminate a few tangles that had found their way into his tresses. Tomoki winced, and Izumi's fingers came back stained with crimson. There was a small cut on Tomoki's cheek as well, and Chihiro bit down on their lip out of guilt that someone so young and fragile had been forced to go through something so awful.
"Hey!" Neemon cried out, closing the distance between himself and the other two in the blink of an eye. He slid his way onto the free space of the bench, taking a seat beside Izumi. "How are you two doing?"
Tomoki sat up when he saw Chihiro, gesturing for them to sit beside him. Chihiro hesitated for a moment before sliding into place, silently thanking Tomoki for his kindness. They needed something softer to sit on than the ground, and their body clearly agreed. Tomoki watched them as he touched his cheek with a dry swallow. He winced briefly before managing to cover it up, but Chihiro could still see the tears in his eyes.
"We've been waiting," Izumi replied with a small laugh, but the sound was hollow and humorless. "We weren't sure of what else to do... We don't know where anyone else is, I'm afraid. We were lucky to find each other, as a matter of fact."
"We sure as hell aren't at Abraxas anymore, that's for sure," Chihiro sighed, pressing one hand against their face. They were sure to keep from putting pressure on the bruise that was starting to make their cheek swell.
"We never even saw Abraxas in our travels in this area, and as far as I can tell, Mayumi and Haroi were moving around for a long time before they caught up with us... I bet that we're pretty far away from Abraxas by now," Tomoki said with a shake of his head. "How are we supposed to find anyone else if we're so far away from where we started? We have no way of judging how far away they were sent by Alphamon's last attack."
Chihiro reached for their hip and pulled their D-Tector free of their waistband. They pressed the button to bring up the radar, but they sighed and shook their head upon seeing nothing of note. In fact, the only signals that were showing up belonged to them, Tomoki, and Izumi. There were no signs of any of the other twelve Legendary Warriors, and Chihiro absolutely hated that. How could they reunite to defeat the Royal Knights if they didn't even know where the rest of the group was?
"They must be out of range," Izumi supplied as Chihiro huffed and put their D-Tector away. "I'm sure that we'll find a way to meet up with them again. Maybe they've already figured out a method for us to meet up once again." There was a smile on her features, a clear attempt to reassure anyone who needed it, but Chihiro could see Izumi's optimism for what it was. She was trying to stay positive because she knew that nobody else in the group had the energy to even make an attempt to given the situation.
"I guess that we should look around for some food," Neemon suggested, hopping off the bench. "We're going to need that if we want to fight back against the Royal Knights. You can't Spirit Evolve if you're too tired or hungry. You already slept a lot, so I guess that food is the next step."
Even if they had been sleeping for hours since the fight with Alphamon (or however long it had been), Chihiro didn't feel rested in the slightest. In fact, they felt as if they were about to fall apart under the weight of all that had taken place. They were tired of putting up with all of this. They had been hoping for a break after the situation with Cherubimon came to a close, and yet, there they were once again, dragged into a new conflict against an impossible enemy.
Chihiro couldn't help but long for the optimism that they had grown used to from Takuya. For countless years, he had been able to pull them out of a rut when they were having a terrible day, and Chihiro needed that given the circumstances. Still, there was no way of saying for sure where Takuya was, so they would have to make do with the others who were actually there. Chihiro was sure that Izumi, Tomoki, and Neemon all needed them anyways, so they couldn't get too distracted.
Izumi was the next one to rise to her feet, and she stretched her hands above her head. She glanced down to her wrist and let out a sigh. "That's right... I gave Hinoka my hair tie when we were on the train away from Rose Morning Star," she murmured. She felt around for the tie regardless, seeming to miss its presence. "I guess I'll just have to get it back when we reunite with the rest of the team."
Chihiro did their best to bite back a comment about if they were ever able to get back to the other Legendary Warriors. This wasn't the time to be pessimistic. If they wanted to pull through this mess, they were going to have to at least try to be positive. Ruminating in their own negativity wasn't going to help in the slightest. It was time to take a page out of Takuya's book and look at the bright side. Granted, Chihiro wasn't even sure what the bright side was of being stuck exhausted and hungry in the middle of fucking nowhere, but they were going to try and find it.
Neemon started waddling away from the bench, and the patter of his feet against the metallic ground of the train station drew Chihiro's attention away from their own sarcastic internal monologue. They trailed after Neemon, Izumi, and Tomoki towards the deeper part of the train station, and they examined the station in full as they went along. It was a nice place, they had to admit. Granted, they certainly would have preferred visiting when they weren't stuck in a life or death situation, but it wasn't as if they could be picky at that moment.
Neemon stopped walking after they had arrived at the outside of the station. It was far away from the loading dock, and a small stand was set up with a countertop. The stand appeared to have been abandoned ages ago, and Chihiro cringed at the thought of everyone in the area fleeing. They searched for a source until they found the abyss on the horizon. There was a giant patch of missing data, and given how close it was, the residents had likely been frightened into running by the idea of their home being absorbed by Cherubimon's forces.
"I bet that everyone who was here was driven away by the attack from Cerberumon," Neemon remarked as he hopped onto the counter. He was on the other side of the stand a moment later, and Chihiro could hear faint rustling sounds. Neemon was clearly rifling through the cabinets scattered throughout the front and back areas of the stand, trying to find anything that could have possibly been edible.
Then there was that. The attack from Cerberumon had undoubtedly removed any other value of tourism from the area. The threat of danger would have been more than enough to scare those who had stuck around even after the adjacent region was taken away by Cherubimon's army.
Neemon suddenly let out a triumphant cry, and he shoved one hand into the air to gesture for the group to join him. Rather than climbing over the countertop as Neemon had though, Izumi made her way to the left side of the stand before opening the gate found there. She gestured for both Tomoki and Chihiro to go inside before walking in for herself.
It didn't take long for the group to find food inside. There were a few meat apples that had already been cooked and were ready to be served. Chihiro sighed with relief at the sight of the food before retreating from the stand and sitting down on a bench near the loading platform of the station. They took a mighty bite out of the side of the apple, allowing their eyes to slip closed. This was what they needed. They were already starting to feel better after a single bite, and they were hoping that the benefits of eating would only make themselves more apparent over time.
Chihiro wasn't sure what they were expecting to happen next, but it certainly wasn't for Izumi to sit down beside them. Their eyes shot open, and they glanced over to see that Izumi was eating a meat apple of her own. "Is it alright if I sit here?" she questioned.
At one point, Chihiro probably would have said that Izumi had already sat down, so it wasn't as if they could stop her. That had been their way of keeping most people away, a defense mechanism to keep themselves from being hurt as they had been before. However, Chihiro wasn't worried about that when it came to Izumi, so they nodded instead. "Sure," they answered before taking another bite out of their apple. A quick glance around the area told them that something was missing, and it didn't take them long to catch on to what, or who, was no longer present. "Where are Tomoki and Neemon?"
"Tomoki decided to wash his hair out in the sink. He accidentally smeared some blood in his hair when he first woke up. He's going to patch up his cheek afterwards," Izumi explained. "He insisted that I come out and keep you company though. Neemon was going to help him out with it."
Chihiro nodded slowly, trying not to react too openly to Izumi saying that she wanted to be around them. It was a shock, to say the least, but Chihiro was going to be the last person to admit that. Instead, they decided to divert their attention elsewhere, closing their eyes once more as they took another bite from their meat apple. "You know, Takuya cares a lot about you," they said. In all honesty, Chihiro wasn't sure of what made them think it was a good idea to say, but it was something. Chihiro didn't know Izumi anywhere near as well as some others in the group like Takuya, Junpei, or Hinoka, but they at least had Takuya in common. That had to count for something.
"That's good to know," Izumi remarked with a light laugh. "I would be a bit worried if he didn't like me after all that we've been through together. I've enjoyed spending time with Takuya and the rest of the team. It's been nice to have a group of people who I can rely on for everything. I know that they have my back, and I feel a little less alone when I know that all of you have my back."
Chihiro considered Izumi's words for a long moment, nodding slowly once again. "It's weird," they admitted quietly. "For a long time, it was just the two of us. Me and Takuya, I mean. There wasn't a reason for us to branch out. He was used to being picked on because of factors that were out of his influence. It wasn't as if he could just decide who he was, and others hated him for it. I couldn't control my problems either, and... I guess we found comfort in each other because we were both outcasts. Having so many people around... As much as I appreciate it, I'm not used to it yet. I don't know how long it'll take me to actually understand that everything is alright now."
"Old habits are hard to break," Izumi pointed out. "Even if you feel like you'll never be able to get away now, I'm positive that you can do it. You've got all of us like you said. No matter what we've been through, we've managed to get through it together. We're going to keep helping each other for a long time too."
Chihiro swallowed dryly and sighed. "I hope so... I would like to stay in contact with all of you after we go back to Earth," they confessed. In all honesty, they would have preferred to stay in the Digital World forever. They only really liked spending time with Takuya and his family prior to their departure from Shibuya, but in the Digital World, they had the rest of the Legendary Warriors to lean on.
Plus, there was the complication of their parents finally deciding to go after them. Chihiro knew that it was a matter of them not wanting to shatter their pristine reputation. Admitting that they had abused their child enough for Chihiro to run away would break everything that they had spent years building up to in politics. Chihiro's parents absolutely hated them for not fitting into the mold of the perfect child they had always wanted, and they couldn't go back to that. They didn't even know if they would be able to survive in that hostile situation for any longer than they had managed to already. It had been quite some time since they ran away, but Chihiro knew that they wouldn't be able to force themselves to keep going if they had to go back and deal with their parents on a daily basis.
Izumi seemed to realize that something heavy was weighing on Chihiro's mind, and she reached out before placing a hand on their shoulder. Chihiro went tense at first, but they found themselves sinking into her grip a moment later. They hated being touched in most situations, but they didn't seem to mind it when Izumi did it. Somehow, Chihiro was positive that she wouldn't ever hurt them. None of the Legendary Warriors ever would. They were safe. For the first time in their life, they could actually look at their own reflection and understand that they were going to be alright if they stayed where they were.
"Is there something else on your mind?" Izumi questioned, earning Chihiro's eyes a moment later. She didn't press any further, seeming to understand that if Chihiro was ready to say something, they would go on and explain everything they needed to.
Luckily for her, Chihiro found themselves feeling as if they did want to express everything, so they took in a deep breath before letting out a sigh. "Yeah," Chihiro confessed. "I don't want to go back to Earth. My parents... We don't exactly see eye to eye. I'd prefer to stay here in the Digital World."
Izumi tilted her head lightly to the side, a clear display of her curiosity. "What happened?" she questioned, though Chihiro could tell that she was already starting to put the pieces together. Chihiro's stomach twisted into a knot, but they chose to remain silent until they were ready to speak.
By the time they were prepared, it felt as if a rock had made a home in their chest, and taking in a slow, heavy breath was far harder than it had any right to be. "My parents hurt me for a long time. I ran away a few years ago after I got tired of them. I grew up being friends with Takuya, but when his family moved out to Shibuya... I couldn't be alone, so I ran off. My parents didn't even care enough to see if they could find me again because they were just so angry that I dared to exist. I made my way to Shibuya, and I've been there ever since," they explained.
Chihiro sighed and shook their head before continuing. Izumi's gaze made it clear that she knew there was something else happening, and Chihiro figured that there was no point in hiding the truth when she would figure it out on her own anyways. "The public found out that I had run off, and my parents said that they were trying to find me. They're politicians, you see. Something like this... It would absolutely destroy both of their careers. Somebody finally managed to track me down the day that we left for the Digital World. I only got on the train to come here out of desperation. There was nothing else that I could do. If I stayed in Shibuya, they were going to find me," they continued.
"That's terrible..." Izumi murmured. Her hand shifted to cover Chihiro's knuckles. She took another bite of her meat apple, but Chihiro could tell that she was still beyond nervous on their behalf. Only the core of the apple remained, so Izumi set it down on the ground beside the bench before giving Chihiro their full attention once again.
"Yeah," Chihiro muttered. "I don't know what to do. After we defeat the Royal Knights, we might have to go back. I know that there are others here who have missed their families and want to go back at some point, but... I don't know if I can do it. As selfish as it is, I want us to stay here forever, constantly running around on adventures to save the Digital World from danger. At least we're together, and there aren't any awful people here for us to worry about. Sure, there are evil Digimon, but... It's different, I guess."
Izumi nodded her understanding. "Maybe you should tell the rest of the group about this. One of them might have an idea for a solution," she offered. "If you want my opinion, Saki would probably be your best bet for help here. I get the feeling that they know a lot about how to use information to their advantage. If you tell them about this, maybe they could do something to make sure that your parents can't cause problems for you anymore."
Chihiro wasn't sure of how to react to Izumi's words. They knew that Saki was the best person to ask, but Chihiro still wasn't positive that it was the best idea. For all they knew, Saki still hated them for the petty way they acted while they were under the control of Cherubimon. Chihiro hadn't exactly been kind to Saki in those times, and they wouldn't even blame the Warrior of Steel for being upset with them since they hadn't been able to control their anger. Chihiro had allowed their rage and stubbornness to get to them until it started to hurt others, and they had no idea how the hell Saki was going to respond.
"I don't know," Chihiro finally managed to say, though their statement of uncertainty felt like it downplayed the situation greatly. They shook their head before remembering the meat apple in their hand and taking another bite out of it. "I wasn't exactly the nicest back when we were under the control of Cherubimon. In fact, I outright hated Saki for being put in charge. I hate it when authority figures abuse their power because that's all that my parents ever did. Cherubimon practically gave them the perfect stage to do that, and they didn't have a choice in the matter. I know that I don't blame them for what happened back then, but... I'm not sure if they feel the same way about me."
"I'm sure that they're a lot more forgiving than you think," Izumi assured Chihiro. "Saki is one of us, and they care about you just like the rest of us do. We're a team, and you're both part of it. If you say that you're having issues, Saki will be happy to listen. That's what friends do, and even if you have a rocky history, I'm sure that they'll understand."
Chihiro nodded slowly, processing Izumi's words carefully to make sure that they understood and agreed with everything she was saying. "Yeah... You're right," they eventually murmured. "Thanks for that, Izumi... I've been trying to ignore the problem for a really long time now, but... I guess I can't block it out forever."
"Ignoring your emotions won't help in the slightest. Believe me when I say that I know," Izumi told Chihiro, letting out a small laugh. She glanced down to her lap, and her green eyes fluttered shut delicately. "It's... It's always been a problem for me. I always pretended that everything was fine because it was easier to act like nothing bad was going on. I was constantly putting on a show because I was scared of what would happen if I dropped the act."
Chihiro watched Izumi for a moment, and their mind was cast back to the image of the girl unconscious on the beachside sand when the search for Zephyrmon's Spirit was taking place. They swallowed dryly, trying to get around the massive lump that had formed in the back of their throat. Izumi had tried to hide too much back then, and it had nearly driven her to catastrophe.
"A lot happened around the time that I was eleven years old. My mother passed away, and I had to look after my younger sister. Our father was too busy working to try and ignore his grief, and since I was looking after Masae... I guess I just realized where my priorities had to be, and I started pretending that nothing was wrong. It was a huge issue, and I kept up the bad habit for ages. I didn't want to admit that there was something happening, so I simply acted as if everything was fine," Izumi continued. "When I first got to the Digital World, I was still doing it. No matter what happened, I just kept smiling to make it seem like nothing was happening."
"But hiding so much never helps anyone," Chihiro muttered. They were fully aware of how hypocritical they sounded, but it wasn't as if they could bring themselves to give a damn. Both Chihiro and Izumi were admitting their issues, so that had to count for something, right?
Izumi nodded her firm agreement. "In a way... I guess I'm almost thankful to Zephyrmon. Her Spirit took me over when I wasn't expecting it, but... I think I needed her to push me in the right direction. I know that's a terrible thing to say, but... If not for my Beast Spirit, I never would have actually confronted my issues. It was a dark lesson, but I had to learn it sooner or later. Zephyrmon was just what pushed me over the edge, and I'm glad that she was able to show me that I can't keep hiding everything forever," she confessed.
"You were asleep when Zephyrmon went on her rampage," Chihiro recalled. "That's what I think you said anyways. You were dreaming while she was acting on her own, and that was when you were able to confront the issues that were bothering you in the first place."
"Exactly," Izumi confirmed. "When I was asleep and Zephyrmon was acting on her own, I realized that I wasn't okay. I hadn't been fully alright with myself or what was happening to me for a long time, but I was always too scared to admit it and cause problems for others. Being with the rest of the group here in the Digital World helped me to understand that it's alright to ask for help. You aren't going to be okay all the time, and that's fine. Trying to force yourself to be happy for the sake of others won't do any good. If I didn't come to the Digital World and meet all of you, I would have kept pretending until I snapped under the weight of all the stress."
"I'm glad that you came here too," Chihiro said softly. "I'm happy that we all came to the Digital World. It's so nice to have a group of people who are there for you no matter what. Like I said before, I was so used to being alone all the time that I didn't know what to do when there were others there to take care of me. I kept on blocking out my feelings for a long time too since I didn't want to say that there was a problem. Confronting the issue seemed harder than ignoring it, and since it was too daunting, I kept ignoring everything for as long as I could."
"We've all come to understand things about ourselves and one another thanks to the Digital World. Our Beast Spirits showed us how important it was to take care of our emotions in an effective and healthy way, and we managed to get closer as a result. We've all opened up to one another by coping with our trauma together, and I think that we've become better people along the way," Izumi smiled.
Chihiro nodded their agreement. "I've spent so long blocking everything out that I could since it was easier for me than admitting I was struggling, but... I don't think I'll have to do that anymore. I let my stress grow to be too much, and that was what made me so angry all the time while I was Aeoelmon. If I had been around people like you and the rest of the group before coming to the Digital World, I'm positive that I wouldn't have slipped this far. As much as I appreciate Takuya, one person is not enough of a support system, but... I think that the full group of Legendary Warriors is perfect to handle all that we have to deal with as a team," they told Izumi firmly.
Izumi closed her eyes before tilting her face upwards. "We've all changed a lot compared to how we were, but I don't think that's a bad thing in the slightest," she murmured. "After we defeat the Royal Knights, we're going to be able to enjoy our time in the Digital World to the fullest... You know, while we search for a way to go back home. We've been here for ages, but I think that we all deserve the chance to live in peace back on Earth too. That includes you, Chihiro."
Chihiro was quiet at first before a smile appeared on their face. They let out a small laugh before shaking their head and leaning forward, pressing their elbows against their knees. "I can see why Takuya is so fond of you. You're a great person," they commented. "I'm sure that you're right about Saki too. With a bit of asking, I'm positive that they'll be willing to help me out of the situation that I've found myself in. I never would have expected it of them, but I guess that life is full of surprises that we have to find a way to deal with."
"The Digital World itself was a surprise, for example," Izumi commented with a laugh. A light blush had appeared in her cheeks at Chihiro's compliment regarding Takuya. "I think that it's the best surprise that I've ever seen too. It's not what any of us were expecting to see happen, but I still believe that it's exactly what all of us needed to become better people."
"Everyone's going to wonder what the hell happened to us when we get back on Earth," Chihiro remarked with another chuckle. "I mean, we're completely different compared to how we were. Imagine that... A group of teenagers disappears for ages, and when they come back, they're completely different people. Nobody knows what happened to them, and it's a story that they're never going to be sharing with anyone if it can be avoided."
Izumi laughed as well before glancing over to Chihiro. "It sounds like something that would happen in a book, but it's just our reality," she said. "Not that I particularly mind it, of course. If I didn't like this, I wouldn't be hanging out with all of you still. We're good for each other in a way that none of us could have seen coming."
Chihiro fell silent as they nodded their agreement. They were nowhere near as nervous about going back to Earth as they once had been, and they had Izumi to thank for that. The rest of the group was going to help them through whatever issues their parents happened to send in their direction. Chihiro would never have to be alone again as long as the Legendary Warriors were still around, and they didn't think that the group would ever be dividing.
Tomoki slowly rose back to his full height as he turned off the sink within the food stand. He shook his hair out having dried it to the best of his ability. A few stray droplets were sent flying in every direction around him, but Tomoki didn't particularly mind. Instead, he let out a sigh and closed his eyes. It felt nice to have gotten rid of the blood in his hair, and he had managed to clean off the cut on his cheek that had caused such stains in the first place.
Neemon was sitting on the counter next to Tomoki, and he took a bite out of his meat apple. Tomoki's meal was resting in his lap, waiting for Tomoki to finally take hold of it. Neemon watched as Tomoki began to run his fingers through his hair. "You sure were thorough," Neemon remarked, his tone light and airy. He took another bite of his apple a moment later.
Tomoki let out a laugh and nodded his agreement before claiming his meat apple from its place on Neemon's lap. He took a bite out of the side, immediately overwhelmed by how incredible the taste was. "It was just bothering me," Tomoki explained simply, shrugging as he offered the elaboration. "There's nothing to worry about now though, so I guess we can just focus on getting ready for our next battle with the Royal Knights."
Tomoki leaned forward against the counter so that he was facing the loading platform. He could see Izumi and Chihiro talking, and they were sitting on a metallic bench near the place where the original group of four Legendary Warriors had first arrived in the Digital World. When Tomoki closed his eyes, he could still see the way that the Trailmon had slid into place before letting them off. The station had recovered since Cerberumon's attack thanks to Takuya's efforts to solidify the Fractal Code so long ago.
Tomoki had admittedly lost track of the time that had passed since the group first arrived in the Digital World, but it was positive that it had been at least a few weeks. It wasn't as if it mattered much anyways. They were still together as a team, and that was what Tomoki cared about most. They were temporarily divided, but he had every confidence that they would be reunited once again soon enough.
"It feels like it's been years since we were last here," Tomoki murmured before he could stop himself. He had changed so much since he was at the loading dock previously. Back then, he hadn't yet realized his place as the vessel for the Spirits of Ice. Takuya had been forced to protect him because Tomoki wasn't able to defend himself yet. Tomoki could still remember how nervous and terrified he had been about the whole situation, how unsteady on his feet he had been throughout the first few days in the Digital World.
"Yeah," Neemon confirmed. He turned around so that he was looking at the rest of the train station too, and he crossed his legs as a way of sitting more comfortably. "Bokomon and I were still running from Cherubimon when we were last here." He took another bite from his meat apple, and Tomoki couldn't help but find it hilarious how nonchalant Neemon was capable of being when it came to the subject of being on the run from the army of an evil Digimon.
Tomoki never would have been alright with feeling as if he was constantly being pursued if not for the help of the rest of the group. The first day in the Digital World, the day that he fused with Kumamon's Spirit for the first time, he had been nothing short of terrified. Being in another world wasn't the part that bothered him though. Instead, it was more an issue of being reminded of Yutaka's constant presence over his shoulder back on Earth.
He hadn't anticipated opening up about Yutaka's actions either. Tomoki had been sure that he would keep everything a secret for the rest of his life because he didn't know how to face such a brutal reality. He had stilled his tongue and bit down on his lip to ensure that he was silent about his past issues with being pursued, not saying anything until Takuya and Koji managed to work it out of him through sheer determination and observation. It was a secret that Tomoki had thought he would carry close to his chest forever, and yet, it didn't take long with the rest of the group for him to open up about it and reveal everything that had him so torn up on the inside.
Bokomon and Neemon suddenly whisking him and the rest of the group into a world of wonder and danger had caught Tomoki by surprise. He didn't know what he was expecting when he got on the train to the Digital World, but he had been hoping that it would offer him an escape from the constant fear that vibrated beneath the surface due to Yutaka's past actions. Tomoki was able to get away from his brother, though he wound up in a completely different situation of danger and terror as a result.
Still, this was nowhere near as terrifying as he had once thought it would be. Tomoki had been afraid of being hurt because the group was on the run, but the rest of the team had kept him safe until he was able to stand on his own two feet. In the beginning, they had all been scared and confused, unsure as to the fragments of power that had rested inside their bodies for heaven only knew how long. Slowly but surely though, they learned how to rise on their own, and there was nothing that could stop them once they decided that they were going to accomplish a given objective.
"You know... When I first got here to the Digital World, I was really scared," Tomoki confessed carefully. "I didn't know what I was going to do. It seemed like the universe itself was trying to target me after all that I had been through. I didn't want to feel like I couldn't escape anymore. Yutaka had already pushed me too far, and I couldn't do it anymore, but... I don't think I'm as scared as I once was. For the first time in ages, I actually feel safe. I don't think that the world is out to get me anymore. I haven't felt like that since I was really young, and... I don't think that I would be in this position if not for the rest of the team."
Neemon tilted his head before looking over to Tomoki. "I didn't like it either," he admitted. "All the running, I mean. Life was normal before Cherubimon showed up, and then Seraphimon told Bokomon and me to just start running. I didn't even know what his plan was, but I guess that he had it all figured out from the start."
Tomoki nodded to himself. He certainly understood how terrifying it would have been to suddenly feel as if there was no such thing as safety after being secure for so long. He hadn't felt safe in quite some time prior to his arrival in the Digital World, but he could still remember the first time that he lost that sense of security when he was younger. It would only be more terrifying to deal with as a first experience of true fear when the enemy was an evil warmongering monster set on world destruction and domination.
"I think he knew what he was doing," Neemon continued. "He gave me his power and knew that we would come back for him. Seraphimon had a plan from the very beginning, and he knew how it was going to play out. I don't think that he expected the Fallen Warriors to show up and ruin it, but... Everything else... I bet he saw it coming."
"You're probably right," Tomoki agreed. He couldn't help but think back to their first goal when they had first come together as a group so long ago. The objective had been for them to go to Evergreen Dawn and ensure that Seraphimon was still alive after Cherubimon's invasion. Ophanimon had called upon them for help, sending a signal of distress to countless people on Earth with hopes that the fated twelve who could use the Spirits would pass over through the barrier.
Evergreen Dawn felt like a lifetime away. Somehow, it was as if there was a rift in Tomoki's mind between Seraphimon and Sorcermon's deaths and his encounter with Blizzarmon. He knew realistically that they weren't very far apart in the grand scope of all that had taken place, but it still seemed as if they were completely different situations. So much had happened all at once, and it was difficult to come to terms with even ages after the fact.
As Tomoki replayed the events of Evergreen Dawn through his mind once again, he looked over to Neemon with a frown. "Speaking of Seraphimon's power... Do you still have any of it?" he questioned. "I don't think that we ever asked about that. Your power was obviously needed to free Seraphimon and bring him back to consciousness, but... What about afterwards? Do you still feel what he gave to you?"
Neemon paused before nodding. "A little bit... But nothing has happened, so I guess that we haven't needed it," he shrugged. "Maybe that's a good thing. We wouldn't want to run into danger, huh?" He took another bite of his meat apple, prompting Tomoki to do the same.
Tomoki was quiet for a moment after that, and he considered all that had taken place once more. Life sure had been chaotic since he and the rest of the Legendary Warriors came to the Digital World. It came with the territory, he supposed. He wasn't on Earth anymore, and the situation that he found himself in made that abundantly clear.
"I think that we've all gotten better compared to how we once were," Tomoki suddenly said. "When I first came here, I was always scared of people hurting me. I didn't know how to articulate anything that I felt, so I kept it all inside, but... I'm not like that anymore. I know that Earth isn't anywhere near as dangerous as the Digital World, but I suppose that I feel more at home here. Maybe that's the part of me that Kumamon, Blizzarmon, and Daipenmon take up."
"I like it better here too," Neemon agreed. "With all of you, I mean. I had a place to belong before this, but I'm happy that I was able to meet all of you. It's nice to have so many people to spend time with. As much as I liked being at Evergreen Dawn, this is a lot better for all of us. I think that Bokomon would agree."
"None of us are the same as we once were," Tomoki declared confidently. "I know that I wouldn't be like this if I hadn't come to the Digital World, and I think that's a good thing. I don't think that I could ever go back to being the old Tomoki after all of this. The rest of you have had a huge impact on me, and I don't think I could say that enough."
"I'm better now too. I like having so many friends. I feel like I'm doing something great with my life too. It's not like everyone has the chance to travel with the reincarnations of the Legendary Warriors on a daily basis," Neemon teased, a smile spreading across his features. "We're good for each other. It's not what any of us expected, but it's exactly what we all needed. I don't want to go back to being the old Neemon ever again either."
Tomoki fell silent once again, and he turned his full attention to finishing his meat apple as he reached for his D-Tector. He pressed the button to turn on the radar, but he didn't see anything. Tomoki frowned to himself before he let out a sigh and shook his head. He didn't know what they were supposed to do if they couldn't find the rest of the group. It was important for them to meet up with the remainder of the Legendary Warriors, but reuniting was going to be way easier said than done if they couldn't use their D-Tectors to find one another again. It had been the way that they came together in the Continent of Darkness, and Tomoki didn't know any other way to reach the other Legendary Warriors.
"We're going to find them again," Neemon commented suddenly, snapping Tomoki out of his trance. He was watching the human boy before him with determination, and a small smile of confidence had taken root with no intentions of departing anytime soon. "We'll make sure that we can all come back together again. I'm sure of it."
Tomoki nodded at Neemon's words before smiling to himself as well. "Thanks," he said softly, unsure of what else he could even say. He had truly needed to hear that. His faith had been starting to slip, but he wasn't as worried about it after the act of reassurance from Neemon. They were going to find the rest of the team one way or another. Even if he had to pull them back together through sheer force of will, Tomoki was going to find the rest of his friends once again.
No, not friends. Family.
Tomoki continued to watch his D-Tector's radar hologram for a long minute after coming to the realization. He glanced up to see Izumi and Chihiro continuing to talk with smiles on their faces. He hoped that the rest of the group was happy the same way that they were, and something deep down told him that they were going to be okay.
Back on Earth, Tomoki's relationship with his family was complicated. His dynamic with Yutaka had always been clear, and the brothers hadn't ever gotten along due to Tomoki's sensitivity and Yutaka's brash nature. Even before Yutaka's attitude went sour, the brothers were far from being close, and Yutaka's mercurial shifts of personality only harmed what little positivity their relationship had garnered over the years.
Their parents were the difficult matter. Tomoki wanted to care about his mother and father the way that other children did, but he still held some quiet resentment towards them for the way that they had handled his struggles with Yutaka. Tomoki had made it clear from a young age that he was suffering due to the actions of his brother, but his parents had simply shrugged it off and said that everything would be fine. Yutaka was a fine young man in their eyes, and they weren't going to fix what wasn't broken.
That was the primary issue with the Himi family, Tomoki had found. Their parents had never punished any wrongdoing on Yutaka's part, and that left Tomoki's older brother feeling as if he was fully capable of doing anything that he wanted without facing any consequences. Yutaka never realized that there were specific lines that simply couldn't be crossed, and when Tomoki began to interfere with the life that he had grown used to, Yutaka turned to methods of brutality to try and maintain the stability that he cared for so deeply.
Tomoki thought back to his parents and what they were probably doing back on Earth. Chances were high that they had realized that Tomoki had gone missing since he had been the only of their children who they interacted with for quite some time. Still, Tomoki couldn't help the tinge of bitterness that lived in the back of his mind. He hadn't always been this upset with them, but the Digital World had changed him.
That was where his new family, the one that he had discovered on his own, came in. Tomoki had been given the chance to confront his issues instead of continuing to live in a dizzying cycle of denial that his parents had taught him from such a young age. Thanks to Takuya and Koji, Tomoki had accepted that it was alright to be upset, and his negative emotions were finally given the chance to be released into the world at large. It wasn't something that he would have ever thought that he needed, and yet, there he was, glad that he had finally been allowed the chance to explain just how hurt he was by the way that his brother had treated him.
There were no issues of denial in the Digital World. The Legendary Warriors never rubbed him the wrong way or claimed that he was somehow responsible for being Yutaka's victim. They gave Tomoki the power to feel, and they helped him to recognize that it was alright to not be fine. Tomoki didn't think that he would ever be able to fully convey the depth of his gratitude to the Legendary Warriors for all that they had done for him. At long last, he felt as if he had a place in the world, and he was sure that he was going to be okay.
Tomoki turned off the radar hologram and slipped his D-Tector back onto his waistband, and he let out a small sigh before glancing back up to where Izumi and Chihiro were sitting together. They clearly felt the same way that Tomoki and Neemon did about the team at large. Their lives had been changed completely by the Digital World, but evolution was far from being the daunting idea in practice that Tomoki had feared in theory. He was glad to be somewhere that he believed that he belonged in, and he was confident that the rest of the group agreed. Even when they were scattered across the Digital World, they cared about each other.
Before Tomoki could continue to wonder where the rest of the group could be, a shiver ran down his spine. It wasn't because of the cold, Tomoki was sure. He hadn't been cold ever since he and Kumamon had started to grow closer because the power of ice flowed through his veins and protected him from freezing temperatures. This had to be caused by something else, and Tomoki had an absolutely terrible feeling about it.
The instincts of the Legendary Warriors had grown stronger ever since they first began Spirit Evolving. They were becoming less human with each passing battle, and Tomoki was positive that his sudden rush of nerves had something to do with the newfound strength of his instincts. Something had gone wrong, and he was sure of it. He glanced around furiously to try and latch his gaze onto what could have been the cause of his nerves.
The ceiling above began to tremble, and a few stray screws from the metallic station began to fall down. A large piece of the steel awning over the loading platform collapsed, and a large chunk of it collapsed onto the station floor near where Izumi and Chihiro were sitting. Izumi let out a cry of shock before throwing one arm around Chihiro's torso out of terror. Chihiro went tense as well, and they looked down at the fallen plate with wide eyes.
Chihiro practically dragged themselves to their feet despite their moment of fear. They looked up through the hole that had formed in the ceiling of the station, and a shadow passed over their body. A gasp left their lips, and Tomoki's stomach began to sink. He already had an idea as to what was happening, and he hated the idea more than he could ever explain.
Tomoki dashed around the outside of the stall, blowing through the door to the workers' area. Neemon jumped off the counter and landed unsteadily on the metal ground outside of the stand. He hissed in pain when he made impact roughly, but Tomoki didn't give him too much time to stumble under the weight of his shock. Instead, the Warrior of Ice hooked his arms around Neemon's torso and hurled the small Digimon into his grasp. He took off running towards Izumi and Chihiro before he haphazardly set down Neemon on the ground. Neemon stumbled and nearly fell backwards in his surprise at Tomoki's bold motions before managing to correct himself.
Izumi pried herself away from the bench and stood beside Chihiro as she looked up through the hole in the roof. She cringed at the sight of the shadow that had caused Chihiro such distress, and Tomoki's terrible sinking feeling only grew worse at the sight of her ghastly expression. He didn't want to believe that his worst fears were being realized, but there was too much evidence for him to ignore it.
Jesmon was standing above the hole in the train platform's ceiling, looking down at the Legendary Warriors with a pragmatic gloss to his gaze. He glared down at the quartet below him with narrowed eyes before he shook his head. He didn't say anything, seeming to think that even addressing them would be too far beneath him.
Jesmon shoved one of his arms down towards the space beneath him, and the Fractal Code of the train station glittered for a brief moment before solidifying once again. "You should have stayed out of our way," he scoffed, finally bringing himself to say something to the Legendary Warriors. "You brought this on yourself, and if you truly wish to continue opposing us, then you will have to face the consequences."
Instead of doing anything outright violent against the Legendary Warriors, Jesmon chose to move on, his swords glinting with the promise of violence. He glided effortlessly through the air before disappearing from sight, and Tomoki couldn't help but think that Jesmon didn't expect the group to follow him.
Tomoki glanced over to Izumi and Chihiro before reaching for his D-Tector. They knew exactly what they had to do. Even if the group was far from being at maximum strength, they had to at least try to fight back against the Royal Knights. Jesmon was clearly alone and didn't have the backup of his comrades, and if there was any time to take him down, this was it. Tomoki knew that there was no guarantee they would get another chance like this. The group was separated, yes, but that wasn't going to stop them from trying.
Tomoki turned and saw Jesmon's figure streaking over the fiery trees in the distance. The idea of the Royal Knights reclaiming this area, the place where he had first arrived in the Digital World, was wrong to him. He had to defend Flame Terminal for the sake of the person that he had once been and the person that he had become. He didn't want to see anyone suffering either, and stopping Jesmon in an abandoned area such as Flame Terminal would be the group's best bet to ensuring that no other innocent Digimon were caught in the crossfire of the Royal Knights' attempts at conquest. The Digital World was counting on him, and the rest of the Legendary Warriors were in much the same category.
Tomoki pressed the activation button, and he scanned the trio of data rings that appeared around his fingers. Fractal Code exploded around him, and Izumi and Chihiro followed his lead. Blue, white, and purple light filled the area, prompting Neemon to put up one hand to shield his eyes. When the illumination finally faded, Daipenmon, Zephyrmon, and Cybelemon were standing in the terminal.
Daipenmon gave a brief look over to Zephyrmon and Cybelemon. This battle was going to be a difficult one solely because of the leveling situation that they were faced with. Jesmon was at the highest level of power and had more experience than all of the Legendary Warriors combined due to how long he had been alive. Daipenmon was a Hybrid Digimon, but Zephyrmon and Cybelemon were still stuck at the Beast Spirit level. They were clearly at a disadvantage when their lack of power was combined with the exhaustion they were still enduring due to their fight against Alphamon earlier.
Jesmon's white and red silhouette appeared once again in the sky, and he slammed his sword down against the ground below. The metal groaned under the impact, and once again, the gleam of Fractal Code spread outwards from the place where he touched down. Daipenmon frowned at his actions and realized that there was no longer time for them to wait. Jesmon was going to destroy all of Flame Terminal if he was given the chance to hit the area just a few more times, so they had to act fast.
Daipenmon was the first one to start moving, and his axe glittered in the overhead sun. He started sprinting towards Jesmon, hoping that he would be able to get in at least one hit before the Royal Knight recovered. He wasn't going to hold his breath given the large distance between them, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to try. That was another thing that he had learned since coming to the Digital World; optimism never hurt even when the world as a whole looked dark and grim. It was a lesson that he wished he had learned when he was a young child still suffering under the actions of Yutaka back on Earth, but he supposed that it was better late than never.
Zephyrmon took to the skies as soon as she was out from underneath the awning, and her powerful feathery wings continued to beat with the pulse of the world itself as she sped towards Jesmon. Cybelemon was the slowest of the three, but they still kicked off the ground and did a flip midair to find a place beside Daipenmon as they moved towards Jesmon. Their eyes had gone hard and dark under the influence of their own determination to defeat the opposing Royal Knight.
"Good luck!" Neemon called out from behind them, and Daipenmon allowed the words to ring in his mind for ages even after Neemon left his line of sight. He certainly appreciated the levity that having Neemon around brought, and he was positive that they were going to need all of the appreciation and cheering from the sidelines that they could get if they wanted to defeat Jesmon without taking significant damage.
This was it. This battle could have easily changed the outcome of the Digital World's future if they weren't careful. The Royal Knights had to fall, and this was the perfect time to begin to topple the spread of dominion that they had concocted. Jesmon was going to wish that he had never set his plans on havoc when the battle drew to a close. Daipenmon was going to make sure of it.
And here's another character chapter! Woohoo!
These character development chapters have been lots of fun to work on. They're a lot more entertaining to me than constant combat since maintaining a strong balance of action and story/character progression is at the heart of any piece of Digimon media. The Royal Knights act in particular has great character moments with rounding off character arcs in preparation for endgame.
Speaking of character moments, I'm really happy with how this chapter came out. Chihiro and Izumi seemed like a natural pair to have talk, and I think that their dynamic is nice. Plus, this offers an insight into their connection as opposites from an elemental perspective (earth and wind). Chihiro is fun to write about as always too. Their crass yet caring nature is just so interesting to me, and writing them is a joy.
Tomoki and Neemon are certainly an interesting pair, and I think it's nice to offer some depth to Neemon here. In canon, he's sort of seen as obligatory comic relief for being rather unique, but I wanted to give dimension to both him and Bokomon. Neemon was certainly the harder of the two to work on because of how similar yet different Neemon is when it comes to his canon interpretation. He's still far from being the sharpest tool in the drawer, but he's got quite a bit of emotional intelligence. Bokomon is the logical one despite his dramatics while Neemon is better with all the touchy-feely stuff.
On the subject of Tomoki and Neemon's moment, I just need to say that I absolutely LOVE the found family trope, and I think that it's right at home with Digimon. Because of the various issues that all of the characters in this story have to deal with, it feels perfect for them to assign one another as members of a giant family they're all part of. It's something that I greatly enjoy both reading and writing about, and I'm glad that I was able to use it here too.
That's honestly all there is to say about this chapter. Act four is honestly rather simple when it comes to what's taking place (up until the end, but we'll get to that later), and the character moments and battles speak for themselves for the most part. With that, I'll leave things here. Next week, it'll be time to follow through with the battle against Jesmon. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital