Chapter 33: Tip of the Tongue

Rumbling, bubbling sounds echoed across the caverns as molten rock flowed down the stream. Amid the hazy redness, Homare saw...spiky protrusions from the ceiling and the ground.

What was this? Of all things, how did he end up at Lava Cave again, as Vritramon? Strangely, he couldn't sense the stench of...uh, rotten eggs? What did people call that foul-smelling gas again?

His body moved by itself across the air as his eyes darted left and right. Eyes? He could swear that he had an injured eye... Well, anyway, as long as nobody was around, things should be fine.

No.

Down there on the rocky outcropping Guy lay, motionless. Shiny golden particles escaped from his body.

Homare's arms moved to point the guns at his helpless friend.

No, please no!

Whatever he did, he couldn't redirect his arms away from Guy. He could only watch as the blazing bullets reduced his friend to dust.

He tried to scream, but what came out of Vritramon's mouth was only a bloodthirsty roar.

"Arisu!"

As if sensing a prey, his body moved towards the source of the noise. Homare screamed in his heart, trying to stop the advance, but Vritramon only roared and thrashed. A flaming shock wave burst out of him.

"Arisu, wake up!"

Pain shot up from his chest, and his vision rippled.

"Arisu!"

His vision stabilized, and he saw Tsumugi, Azuma, Hisoka, and Agumon looking at him with worried faces. The surrounding was white and clear instead of red and hazy, although he saw nothing but darkness on his left side. Despite having a feeding tube clogging up one of his nostrils, he could sense the sterile smell clearly.

Tears and sweat trickled down his face as he breathed rapidly and winced at the pain from his chest. Hisoka wiped the fluid off with a...square-shaped piece of cloth.

"You moved a lot and screamed while you slept," Hisoka asked. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Homare nodded. "It was...Lava Cave again."

Hisoka wrapped his arms around his limp, sweaty body. "It won't happen again, Arisu. We already got the Fireball."

"It'll still happen..." Homare sobbed into the collar of Hisoka's coat. "It'll still happen...as long as I can't control Vritramon!" He coughed, and sharp pain burst in his chest. More tears escaped from his eye as he pulled away.

Hisoka placed his glowing hand on Homare's chest, and a wave of gentle, soothing coolness washed away the pain.

"Calm down, Homare!" Tsumugi called out. "Tell us everything. We'll do our best to help you."

Homare remained silent. Oh, no, he wouldn't want to do anything remotely related to that nightmare again if possible!

"It'll take a load off your shoulders. Trust me, I've been there," Azuma encouraged.

Homare gulped. If Azuma said so, perhaps he should give it a try.

"In my dream I…" Homare paused. "I was Vritramon. I couldn't control myself and killed Guy."

For a moment, there was only silence. Then Tsumugi began, "I'm sorry if I sound nosy, but...are you afraid of hurting us?"

Homare nodded.

"Arisu, do you still remember what Tasuku told you before you went to Lava Cave?" Hisoka asked. "'If you ever evolve and run wild, please don't be afraid to approach us. You might hurt us, but we'll still love you. We'll find a way to save you.'"

"But Vritramon is strong. I might kill you."

"You underestimate what Guy and I are capable of. We've been fighting in actual combat since we were young. Even if we're weak, we can find a way to take down strong enemies." Hisoka smiled gently at him. "Didn't Guy defeat you in Lava Cave?"

"Y-yeah."

"Also, Guy has taught Tasuku and I to control our Beast Form. We went a little wild for a bit, but nothing serious," Tsumugi said. "When you've recovered, we'll teach you. Don't worry, Guy and Hisoka can keep things in check."

They had a point, and it comforted Homare a bit. He doubted he'd have the courage to evolve into Vritramon later, though.

"Now that you're up, how about composing a few poems?" Azuma suggested. "You can always use some exercise for your brain."

"Oh, right, we planned to include your poem in the letter to Tasuku and Guy, but you were sleepy earlier," Tsumugi added.

"I…" Homare felt like his brain had stuttered many times when he tried to think of a particular word, but maybe it was just his exhaustion speaking. He'd also received a drug that'd made him sleepy earlier.

Now that he'd rested up a bit, that problem should've disappeared.

"Do it, Arisu."

This was the first time Homare saw a very sweet, supportive smile from Hisoka at the mention of him composing a poem.

He blinked. "Hisoka? Has hell frozen over?"

"Didn't you hear Azuma? It's good for you." Hisoka patted his head. "Do it."

"Are you strong enough to write?" Tsumugi asked. "If not, I'll write them down for you."

Homare raised his shaky hands and put them down a moment later. "I doubt I can hold a pen."

"Then I'll go get-"

Agumon interrupted Tsumugi, "Give me a sec!" It dashed through the blue curtain. "I'll get you the stuff!"

"Okay, let's wait for a bit." Tsumugi smiled at Homare. "I think you can start preparing."

"Would you like a prompt? I can think of a few," Azuma offered.

"Sure."

"Let's go with 'winter.'"

Ah, winter! Homare had composed many winter-themed poems especially after joining the Winter Troupe. This should be easy.

Just as Homare thought of a more specific theme, Agumon returned with a pen and a piece of paper on a plastic…writing pad? Was that what people call the item?

Oh, well, time to start!

"Whirling, twirling snowflakes drift down, people turn their frowns upside down, for the season of-" Homare stopped right there, his eye widening in shock. Did his vocabulary shrink? He could swear that there was the word for an important event or occasion with a lot of bright, cheery activities!

"Arisu?"

"I shall compose another." Homare opened his mouth, but no words came out of it. How could he not know the word for those hanging, tapering pieces of ice on skeletal trees?

He started to feel that his vocabulary had indeed shrunk.

"Maybe you're still tired?" Tsumugi asked. "We can try again later."

"Or perhaps you'd like another prompt?" Azuma offered.

"Another prompt please," Homare replied. Maybe those slip-ups happened because of the theme; not that he'd never experienced such phenomenons when composing a poem for his column.

"'Owls.'"

His favorite animal! This time things should go a hitch.

"Wise ol' bird," Homare recited, "in the dead of night your eyes glow like-"

Blast it! He swore, the word was on the tip of his tongue! Chill ran down his spine when he racked his brain for the word and found nothing.

As he remained still with a widened eye and a gaping mouth, everyone quirked their eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" Hisoka asked.

Homare tried again, but no words came out of his open mouth. How could this be? Had he, a master of wordcraft, truly lost his skill?

Hisoka waved a hand at his face. "Arisu?"

"The words…" Tears flowed out of Homare's eye. "I knew what I wanted to say, but I also didn't!" Sharp pain shot up from his chest again, and he jerked back and grimaced.

"Why don't you rest up again?" Tsumugi suggested. "You didn't sleep very well earlier."

"But... It was so close! I could feel the words on the tip of my tongue!" Homare yelled. "I shall try-" Pain exploded in his chest, forcing more tears and sweat out of him. His vision spun and blurred as he gasped for breath. Hisoka's cold hand barely did anything to relieve the pain.

"Homare, you need to calm down!" Tsumugi shouted. "The more you panic, the harder it is to think clearly."

Tsumugi was right; now Homare's mind didn't even have any random words. It was simply a mess. A chaos. And it gave him a headache. His bandaged face and eye hurt worse as well.

Hisoka wiped the fluid off his face and body with the square-shaped piece of cloth again. "Just sleep, Arisu. Don't think too much about it, okay?"

Yeah, maybe he'd better sleep again. Unfortunately, he had a hunch that no amount of rest would fix this issue.

He was done for. A poet without an extensive vocabulary was like a tiger without claws and fangs.