(Chapter Four: Familiarity)
It was odd.
The small girl with almost golden-like hair, in a long braid, walked down the set of stairs from her home. Down to the man-made waterways called canals. They were common around here, and the waters used to be so clear... as her father used to say.
It wasn't a wise idea to eat the fish out of it now. Though, it was still fun watching them swim! The seven-year-old clapped happily, watching the different-sized snappers swim and fight for the bread she'd throw down.
From time to time, some things would float down the stream. Soccer ball, Volleyballs, Coconuts, and large Palm leaves. Though, Today... was rather... different. It was too oblong shaped to be a ball and it wasn't a coconut... too... colorful.
In a hurry, the child ran for the net on the side of the limestone wall that surrounded one side of their boat dock. Net in hand, she jumped over styrofoam blocks and just about snagged the odd object with the tool.
"...got you-!" She smiled, pulling the large net back up to her. With a huff, she placed the strange object down. White, yellow, orange and red. That was the colors of this thing. Now that she looked at it more...
It kind of looked like an egg...
A voice from the house, the child's parent called out for her to come back inside, it was getting late and the sun was getting low.
She couldn't show this to her father... something in the pit of her stomach told her not to. How would she hide this...?
Today was another day, the small girl walked down the stairs again, there, hidden under some bushes was her strange egg. Its color reminds her of an Easter egg; she smiled as she watched over it from time to time. She made it seem like she was looking out at the canal almost every day, or just sitting and watching the sky.
What would this thing hatch into? If it was a big chicken... chickens weren't allowed in their neighborhood...
She was eating one half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as she watched the egg; a sudden cracking noise made her stop mid-way as she turned her eyes to the egg before her. It shook, and cracks started forming around it.
It had only been three days since she found it, was that a good or bad thing?! She obviously had no idea what she was doing!
The egg hatched.
What popped out confused the small child even more. It was just... it was a small Smokeball... cloud? It had yellow glowing eyes and a small burning flame on the top of its head.
Despite the fire, it didn't seem to be burning anything... but the small being was scared. It huddling down near the ground as the human child looked ever closer.
In a whisper, she asked, "what... are you...?" But then she smiled "...want my sandwich?"
The little being must be hungry...
Her eyes snapped open. Sabrina felt like she had a dream, but most of it was too obscure like most of the dreams she's had. Though, it wasn't the dream that had disturbed her sleeping, no, it was the bruises on her arms from taking such a hard hit from when she was defending herself from Goblimon.
The more time she thought about it, the more she worried about her friends. Are they okay? Are they alive? Did Ogremon get them?
What happens when a Digimon dies?
Rolling up her sleeves to get a better look at herself, the human can see just how fragile she looked. Her pale skin wasn't doing her any favors. All she could do was hum at herself in disappointment.
"Nothing much I can do now..." she muttered, looking around.
Meramon was gone, where to? She wasn't sure. The sun was barely shining through the horizon. Heck, barely through the trees, but it didn't stop her from thinking of what she should do next. Perhaps when Meramon comes back she should ask him about any leads to follow.
'If he comes back.'
The thought scared her.
'What if he doesn't come back?'
'What if-'
Meramon returned from behind the brush of the forest to the human who seemed to be having a crisis. He just left to go patrolling, the forest seemed to be more dead than normal, but for a moment he thought he heard shuffling of leaves and had to check it out.
Like they were being watched.
Meanwhile the human, He never did ask for her name, was hyperventilating, and looked to be panicking. Confused, he approached her carefully; in his memory, he remembered his human friend crouched down and crying. They were lost and scared.
He was just a rookie back then, and in her place, he saw his human. Subconsciously reaching out "S-"
A sharp gasp left Meramon as he snapped out of it, backing away. Both he and the human were startled by each other.
"How- how long have you been there...?" She asked, rubbing her face. It was a thing Sabrina always did when anxious or sad... basically a habit after feeling intense negative emotions.
"N-Not too long..." he muttered, looking away from her "you... are you okay?" He took notice of how she was banged up a little.
"Since coming here or in general?" She asked, looking down "because the answer will be no."
Meramon stood there for a moment, a great pause; he was unsure how to continue the conversation. He rubbed the back of his head looking at her now "if... I'd known you'd have a panic attack, I would have warned you before I left-"
The human stood up and stretched out her arms trying to get ahold of herself, sleeves rolling down to cover her bruises. She wasn't hiding them, gravity just took its course. "No, it's fine.. you don't have to... you don't need to." She ruffed her messy hair a bit, "I was just thinking... I've been doing that a lot recently."
There was that eerie silence, Meramon was pretty sure he heard something move in the distance. Looking out at the tree line, then back at the human... he couldn't just leave her alone now. Not after that episode.
What... what would his friend say if he did leave her? He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.
"You want to go patrolling with me?" He asked turning to the side.
Sabrina looked up, a questioning look on her face, maybe slight worry as well.
Meramon looked back at her "don't worry; no Digimon, not even a Rookie or under, would even attempt to fight us." He pointed out, trying to reassure her "I'm a champion level Digimon. Also fire." He stated that last part with a pause that made the human chuckle.
He didn't show it, but Meramon smiled at that.
"Watch out..." Meramon halted the human's walking, pointing out a rather steep hole in the floor.
Sabrina looked down, if she had kept going she would have fallen in. "Thanks..." she muttered.
In the distance, she could see a few Digimon wandering around, pointing them out she asked "what Digimon are they...?"
It was a band of small little green slug-looking blobs, Meramon made a face as he looked at them as they left. Thankfully the group didn't notice the two "those were Numemon. Disgusting little things. You don't want to know what their favorite attack is."
If Meramon doesn't want to talk about it, it must be bad. The human nodded and once it was clear to continue walking, stepping around the hole, they walked onwards.
"Hey, Meramon..." Sabrina asked, glancing at the Digimon "do you... know anyone that might be able to... you know..." she fumbled with the spear in her hands, "take me home?"
Meramon stopped and looked at her, she never looked back up from her hands "you mean, the human world?" He saw the girl look up at him with hope "no." He said bluntly, looking away.
Sabrina's shoulder sagged, that tiny bit of hope she had left flew away like a bird. "Oh..."
"If I did know, I would have made my way back already." He growled out in frustration "sorry."
All the girl did was nod.
Suddenly, an explosion disturbed the silent awkwardness, both heads looked off to the left of the woods. A commotion, frantic shuffling, and eventually a few Digimon came rushing out of the brush screaming and flailing.
"Why are all the Digimon here nuts!?" It was one of the Agumon yelling as a large yellow Ape like Digimon came crashing after them. "Why is everyone so angry here!?"
"You-!" Meramon called out with venom in his voice. He charged and intercepted the other Digimon, allowing the three Agumons to bolt away once more.
Sabrina gasped, shouting out "Guys!" She waved them over with a smile.
Gaining their attention, the trio shouted out with glee "Sabrina!" Running into her open arms in a hug.
This made Meramon turn around for a split second in shock, unbelieving of the name those Rookies just yelled. He let himself get distracted by accident as a large bone hit him across the face.
"Meramon!" Sabrina yelled out as she watched the Fire Digimon get flung back.
She was about to run to him when the Ape Digimon yelled out "it's been some time Meramon!" He pointed at him with a sneer "still looking for a way back? Or have you finally given up?!"
Meramon flared up, setting a bush ablaze in the process, "Blazing Flames!" He shot out fire after fire, he seemed to be losing it.
"This was the Digimon..." Sabrina noted, watching them fight. Something seemed familiar about this, the Digimon, the fighting... but her brain couldn't rack as to why.
The monkey had jumped into a closer range and yelled "Magical Monkey Punch!" And a barrage of punches kept hitting Meramon one after another.
Meramon was getting his ass kicked.
"Sabrina, we should go-" one of the other Agumon tried to say but Sabrina didn't want to. Not again.
"No!" She ran ahead, a little closer to the fight but not too close. These two were duking it out and Meramon needed help. She looked at her hands that held the spear she made, and then thought:
Was she really going to do this? Again?
This was an absolutely terrible idea, no doubt, but she already left her other friends when they needed help... she was not going to do that again! With a yell, the human charged forward with her spear in hand.
The ape Digimon was fast, catching her immediately, and blocked her attack. Sabrina was pushed back, but she smiled that her spear was alright "still holding together!" She held it up... only for the ape to karate chop it in half "Fuck!".
"Human! Stay out of our fight!" The ape glared at her, bearing their teeth. "The last Human who interfered ruined our first honorable battle!"
Gritting her teeth back at the Digimon, she then tossed the non-tipped side at him as a distraction while Meramon came back around and landed a flaming punch directly at its face.
"Honor my ass!" She yelled out, pointing at the Digimon "you're the reason Meramon got separated from his friend!"
"It was not I who caused the separation!" The ape then shouted out, "Angry Spike!" Curling into a semi-ball and just like that the Digimon's body was turned to metal and out fired spikes. A few spikes nailed Meramon as he growled in pain.
Pushing the human over once again, the Ape Digimon dashed forwards and lunched the large bone out directly at the downed fire Digimon. Sabrina could hear the pain in Meramon's cry as she looked on horrified.
Just as the standing mon was unleashing another barrage of punches to the already downed Meramon, the Ape was interpreted once more.
"Pepper breath!" The trio of Agumon shot out fire like canons, they couldn't stand to watch this anymore. They had to help Meramon, they're the ones who accidentally lead this Digimon here. The two other Agumon charged while the other kept firing. Claws extend out, the two slashed while the Ape blocked the blow while backing away.
Meanwhile, while the three distracted the attacker, Sabrina ran over to the downed mon. She didn't care if she was too close to him, but she was afraid to start dripping tears on him. Rubbing her face to get rid of the water, she called out to him.
"Meramon- you gotta get up!" She called out
Why was this so familiar...
"You got to stand up!" She cried
Why?
Glitching out, Meramon looked at her, Heavy breathing and eyes drooping. He was supposed to be strong, what was wrong with him? Something was wrong!
"Please don't leave-" she whispered, just barely audible.
Her odd device started going haywire, beeping and humming, and eventually a blinding light. He wasn't digievolving, something else happened.
At age nine, it was normal for this child to be playing with a large candle the size of herself; it was her friend, and it talked back. Though her parents have never seen this, their child kept playing it off as if this was a large art project.
"Candlemon!" The child laughed, As she watched him spit wax out "that's gross, Ahah!"
However, whatever short-lived fun they had, ended. Quickly looking up out the window, the two saw something shoot across the orange sky. Young Sabrina was at her mother's house; it was her mother's turn to watch over the children while their father was flying airlines.
Candlemon sniffed at the open window, outside the apartment their human's mother lived in. "Sabrina... I smell a Digimon." He growled, jumping out the one-story window.
"Candlemon-!" Sabrina shouted, "wait, you can't just leave!" Looking back and forth, Sabrina clumsily crawled out the window after her hopping friend. Not caring if people were staring at her for chasing a large candle monster. "Candlemon, wait!" She called again.
Something, however, made Candlemon not respond to his friend's words, like he was looking for a fight, that or protecting territory. This place was his friend's home, His home; he wasn't about to let a bigger Digimon take that from him.
Running down the sidewalk, across a heavy street, and down to the beachside; that's where Sabrina, for the first time, witnessed something that would change her life forever.
The sun was already gone, just a dim hue in the sky, and the moon rose equal to the horizon. The beach was closed, no more visitors allowed, it was a clear field of soft and hard sand. The waves crashing in the distance as the child looked on.
Candlemon glowed, spotting him was easy, but on the other side stood a large ape-like monster, wilding a large bone bigger than its body. Yellow-Golden fur and red markings, it let out a warning cry.
"Candlemon, what are you doing-!" Sabrina cried out "get back here, that thing looks dangerous!" Worried glances shifted back to her friend and the larger being.
"All Digimon are dangerous, Sabrina!" Candlemon snarled, but not at her.
"Don't tell me you're gonna fight them-!?" She hoped her little heart out that he doesn't. That he won't. Taking just a slight step forward, another voice called out; gruff and wild.
"Human!" It was the ape Digimon "Don't you take another step; This is between me, and the rookie!" He twirled his bone weapon around. "Stay out of it. A battle for honor and territory should not be trifled with-!"
At the moment, a fight broke out; Sabrina called out despite Candlemon ignoring her. Tears fell out of her eyes as she watched Candlemon get struck with the bone.
"Bone Strike!"
Getting pushed back and bounced a bit, Candlemon got back up, "Lava Loogie!" He yelled, shooting out wax towards his opponent that exploded on contact, two of the attacks hit while the other shots missed.
However, due to this Digimon being a level higher than him, it barely did much damage as it walked closer.
"Angry Spike!" It yelled, after its body turning to metal; It glistened in the moonlight as multiple spike shots were sent forward.
"Stop it! Stop, Stop, Stop!" The child ran forward, she wasn't going to watch her friend get killed in front of her, she wasn't going to sit back and be useless. "Leave Candlemon alone-!"
But what could a child really do?
She was there, right with him... crouched down. It all went slow on her end, as she held the dim candle in her lap. With a sniff, she cried for him "you... can't fight... like this..."
"Don't... you have... faith in me?" Candlemon looked up, tired out "Sabrina...?"
The child bit her lip, but she nodded. She did. She did have faith in her friend, but she never liked watching people get hurt, even if she always fought with her brother.
This was different though, on a huge scale.
"I believe in you..."
A blinding light shoots forth, back at the spikes, obscuring the other Digimon's visuals. Then fire.
So much fire.
A ring formed around the two, melting the metal that was shot at them. What used to be a candle, grew to a man that was made of fire. In his arms, a child... His child... sat safely despite the destruction that he is made out of.
"...Candle...mon...?" The child questioned.
A smile spread across his stitched mouth "The names Meramon, Kiddo."
Amazement was in the child's eyes, her friend was bigger now, he looked stronger too. He placed her down, feet safely planted to the ground.
"Go get him." She whispered, holding her chest in anticipation.
With a roar, Meramon charged.
The fire flaring up as each step lead him closer to the other, Meramon yelled "Fire Fist!" He punched the ape with a flaming hit. The two kept exchanged hits, if one were to compare, the two Digimon looked like pro boxers.
He wasn't Candlemon anymore, he was bigger, he could take hits without being thrown around like paper, she couldn't help herself;
In all the excitement, Sabrina cheered him on.
Knocking back the enemy, Meramon raised a hand to the sky in the last effort to get rid of this invasive Digimon "Magma Blast!" Though, reaching Champion level for the first time, he wasn't quite ready for that scale of the attack. Haphazardly, flaming rocks rained down everywhere.
It looked like a meteor shower hitting earth but on a smaller scale. Sabrina was getting scared, Meramon got too worked up...
And it took out both of them.
"Meramon!" Sabrina screamed.
One last explosion knocked the child off her feet, and she was out like a light.
That was it. The fight was over.
Once the small child woke, the sun had just taken the moon's place on the horizon, a sad orange glow lit the field as sounds of firefighters and cops surrounded the area. The beach was covered in glass from the fires and the child was being taken away in a medical roller.
"Meramon... where did you go...?" She whined quietly.
With a roar, Meramon got back on his feet, the device in Sabrina's hand finally ceased its commotion and she watched her friend get back in the fight. She cried, she remembered him... she remembered what happened.
That pit in her heart, why she felt so empty, like she was missing something... someone.
It was him.
And he never forgot her.
"I believe in you- Meramon! Kick that ape's ass!" She stood up, looking like a mess. Red-faced and a vice-like grip on the thing that gave her friend that second wind.
Jumping up, Meramon shoots forward "Fire Fist!" Meramon shouted, ducking to the left to dodge a punch, and sacked the Ape in the lower jaw. The trio of Agumon jumped out of the way and stepped back from harm's reach.
The two were locked in hand-to-hand combat, just like before, but it really did seem like Meramon was winning this time! The ape was caught off guard when the fire Digimon suddenly grabbed his face and used his blazing flame attack, burning his face up.
This caused the ape to screech out, backing up once more while holding the burns left behind. One last punch from Meramon knocked him down, and the group watched the ape glitch out and attempted to keep himself together.
With a huff of smoke, Meramon spoke "it's over Apeman." Looking down at the crouched Digimon.
When Apemon looked up, he wasn't angry, but he bared his teeth with a smile and said "how honorable it is to be partnered with a Digidestined..." he looked over at the human "honorable to stick by your friend's side..."
With a content smile and closed eyes "Until we meet again..." was his final words as they all watched the Digimon evaporate and vanish.
Once the danger was over, Meramon swayed on his feet, falling over. Another light, this time it engulfed him and before Sabrina knew it, Meramon was Candlemon again! She choked on her won words as she ran up to her old friend, Hugging him.
Tears dripped down on the Rookie Digimon as he tiredly opened his eyes. "Don't cry anymore... It's okay."
"I missed you- I missed you so much when you vanished." She held tighter onto him. "I thought... you died."
It made him cry as well, realizing that this was his human. "You've changed so much Sabrina..." he smiled "no wonder I didn't recognize you..." he closed his eyes to rest for a bit "you still cry a lot though." He smiled.