If no one has guessed it yet, the locations in this story are sort of sneak peeks at later installments of Digimon 4 Real, each chapter giving a little more back story to some of the characters from Season 1 and maybe later seasons as well.
GeninGabumon
Gabumon was not doing well.
He stood atop a very tall, rather thin pole at the Grand Ninja Training Academy as his teacher BanchoStingmon looked on from several poles away.
The large red bug had high hopes for the young trainee, but GeninGabumon didn't have as much hope.
Not as much as his friend Impmon anyway.
While trying hard not to wobble he looked up at his fellow ninja to see her doing handstands with one finger and not even wobbling on her own pole among the many around them.
She wasn't like your average Impmon, no, what was purple on a normal Impmon was dark blue, almost black, on her, and her gloves and handkerchief were pink.
Strapped to her back was a sheathed ninja sword, and on her chest, rather than a smiley face, was the butterfly shaped Digi-Symbol for freedom.
Hopping from pole to pole, she made her way closer to Gabumon.
"Come on Gabu-kun," she said, "you can do this."
"I'm trying." he said as he struggled to keep balanced seeing the eyes of dozens of other students watching him.
"We're ninja," said Impmon with a smile, "we're designed for this."
"I…know." he said as he tried again to get balanced.
"GeninGabumon," called BanchoStingmon, "do you require some help."
"I'm fine…Sensei."
"Gabu-kun," said Impmon, "just block out all the others watching you, just concentrate on me."
Gabumon looked Impmon in the face, she smiled. He gave a small smile back and then took a breath as he finally balanced himself on the pole.
"Good job Gabu-kun." said Impmon with a thumbs up.
GeninGabumon smiled.
"Now come step towards me." she said.
The nervousness came back to his face.
"Come on, you can do it."
"Go on," said BanchoStingmon from his spot off to the side, "light-footedness is a necessary ninja skill."
"Y…yes, Sensei." said Gabumon.
Gabumon, trying to go small, jumped to the nearest pole. As soon as his foot touched it, his balance was gone and he fell into the pond below.
Impmon jumped to the pole her friend had just fell from and looked down to see GeninGabumon poke his head back out of the water.
"Gabu-kun?" she called down.
"I'm fine." he answered back before releasing a loud sneeze.
"Oh, Gabu-kun." Impmon said with a frown and a sigh.
BanchoStingmon shook his head, "Let's call it a day on training, and Impmon…"
The young ninja looked up.
"…tell GeninGabumon to come to my chambers once he dries himself off."
Impmon frowned, "Yes, Sensei."
GeninGabumon sat in his room after his talk with BanchoStingmon, he was upset with the news that had been delivered.
At that moment, Impmon walked in with a smile on her face and a wooden lunchbox in her hands.
"Oh," she said, "glad you're back Gabu-kun, you missed lunch so I brought you something."
"Thank you." the genin said sadly as he took the box.
"What's the matter, Gabu-kun?" asked Impmon, noticing her roommates saddened state, "Did Stingmon-sensei give you bad news?"
Gabumon nodded, "He said that if I didn't show improvement in the next month, I will be transferred to the smaller training academy in the Data Forest."
"What?!" said Impmon, "But that's a punishment for…"
"Failures?" questioned GeninGabumon, "Isn't that what I am? They tell me my parents were members of the Freedom Clan, but no one knows who they were, nor why they didn't leave me a sword as per tradition. I was just found outside the academy as a digi-egg, but maybe I'm not meant to be…"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Impmon said harshly, "You are GeninGabumon, my clanmate of the Freedom Clan, and my best friend, I'm not letting you throw that away."
"But what can I do, how can I possibly catch up with the class in one month?"
"I…I don't know," said Impmon with a worried expression, "I'll think of something."
"Well," said Gabumon as he laid down on his mat on the floor, "wake me if it comes to you."
Impmon frowned at her friend, "Oh Gabu-kun."
Later that night, GeninGabumon found himself being woke up by Impmon.
"Wake up Gabu-kun," she said with her usual cheer, "time to train."
"It's the middle of the night," said Gabumon, "training doesn't begin for hours."
"Stingmon-Sensei's class doesn't start for hours," said Impmon, "but Sensei Impmon's class starts right now."
The genin sat up.
"What?" he asked groggily.
"Just get up and follow me." she said with her trademark smile.
Knowing it was pointless to argue, Gabumon got up and followed his roommate out to the poles they'd been training on that morning.
"Why are we out here?" he asked.
"Look Gabu-kun," she said, "I noticed during training today that you froze up when you were concerned about everyone else, but you were fine when you only concentrated on me."
"So?"
"So, we're the only ones out here. This is how you'll improve and show Sensei that you deserve to be here."
Gabumon looked at the Impmon.
"But what if I don't," he said, "why waste your time helping me?"
Impmon glared at him, "It is not a waste of time, Gabu-kun, you and I are what little pieces are left of our clan, it is our duty to uphold our name."
"Oh."
Impmon smiled as she put an arm around her reptilian friend, "Plus it helps that you're my best friend."
GeninGabumon smiled.
"Okay," he said, "I'll give it a try."
So for every night for rest of the month, Impmon and Gabumon would sneak to the training grounds and practice the techniques of the day as well as prepare for the next day.
It actually helped. In fact, after two weeks of this GeninGabumon could actually keep up with Impmon when jumping from pole to pole.
BanchoStingmon took notice, and he was very impressed.
A few days before the month was up, Stingmon made an announcement to the genin.
"You have all done well," he said, "but it has come time again for you to prove yourselves and prove that you are ready to move on."
"Oh," whispered Impmon to Gabumon, "that means a mission, I'm so excited."
"Your mission is a rather simple one," the instructor continued, "near here is an enemy digimon of the Shogun Arts. He holds a valuable Freedom Clan scroll."
"Our clan seems rather bad about leaving their things lying around." said GeninGabumon.
Impmon chuckled.
"The genin's mission is for anyone of them to collect this item and bring it back here. The mission will begin at dawn tomorrow."
After this message, Stingmon ended class and the students retired to their rooms.
Impmon and GeninGabumon didn't talk about it until later that night during a break from their special training.
"So you worried about tomorrow, Gabu-kun?" Impmon asked.
"A little," he answered, "I mean, I've never faced a student of the Shogun Arts."
"Me neither," she said, "but I hear they aren't big fans of the Freedom Clan."
They sat and looked up at the stars for a moment.
"Hey, Gabu-kun," said Impmon, "if this mission goes sideways and one of us doesn't make it back…"
"That won't happen." said Gabumon said confidently.
"It might not," she said, "but if it does, I don't want anything left unsaid between us."
"What do you…"
Impmon wrapped her hand around GeninGabumon's.
"You are the best friend I've ever had, Gabu-kun," said Impmon as Gabumon looked at their joined hands, "and it will always be an honor to know you, but in truth, I'd like to think of you as a lot more."
Impmon leaned in and kissed the reptile's cheek.
The kiss was warm, and it made his cheeks glow red.
Impmon smiled that infectious smile that had Gabumon doing it, too. She pulled her sword off her back and held it out to GeninGabumon.
"I want you to have this." she said.
"But Impmon that's…"
"It was my sword," she said as placed it in his hand, "but now it's yours. Think of it as the one who should've had in the first place."
Gabumon turned the sheathed weapon in his hand and pulled it out just enough to read the word Freedom in digi-script on the blade.
He sheathed the weapon and put it across his back.
He stood up and looked at Impmon for approval.
"Perfect," she said as she got to her feet, "now let's finish training."
"Right, Imp-chan." said Gabumon with a smile.
The next morning, all of the genin students were brought to a bridge in the forest by BanchoStingmon.
"This bridge you see before you," said the master, "crosses the border into the Shogunate Territory. Your mission is to enter with stealth, locate the scroll, fight if necessary, and make your way back to the academy, alerting your other classmates that the scroll is found with a whistle. All students who return will be promoted to Chunin, but a special gift shall be given to the one who returns with the scroll. Remember that part of this is to return together as a unit, you are not competing against each other."
"Yes, Sensei." proclaimed all of the students.
"Take up starting positions and begin," the red insect pulled out a bell, "as soon as you here the bell ring."
GeninGabumon stood next to Impmon and got ready to run, adjusting his new sword.
Impmon took a few deep breaths.
"She doesn't have to worry much," thought Gabumon, "She's one of the fastest students at the academy. I'd be surprised if she didn't get the scroll."
Next to him, Gabumon could here some of his classmates about formulating a form of strategy and watching out for the samurai that was supposed to be nearby.
But before they could converse any further, the bell chimed and all of the students were off towards the goal.
As suspected, they split into several groups after clearing the bridge in order to cover more ground, but Gabumon stayed right with Impmon.
The two had agreed the night before that they'd stay close to each other and look for the scroll together, and when they finally stopped, they found a small hut in the middle of the forest, obviously a shrine of some kind.
Sitting inside of the shrine was exactly what they were looking for, a small cylinder marked with the digi-symbol for Freedom.
"That's our goal." said Gabumon to Impmon, "You get it, I'll keep watch."
"No, Gabu-kun," said Impmon, "you get it, if you're the one who brings the scroll back, there's no way they'll send you away."
"Well," said the genin apprehensively, "alright, but stay vigilant."
Impmon smiled and nodded.
Gabumon stepped into the shrine, all was quiet, the scroll lay on the floor, but he couldn't be sure it wasn't booby trapped.
He took a deep breath, and then with a iron clad resolve he didn't know he had, he snatched the scroll.
Nothing happened.
"That's odd," said GeninGabumon, "normally things like would be…"
At that precise moment, a Mihiramon busted through the side of the shrine, and Gabumon screamed as he ran back out through the door.
Impmon was already waiting to fight, and Gabumon put the scroll on his hip as the tiger came busting out of the shrine.
"You ninja again," said the Ultimate Level, "you think you have the right to steal from a shogun!"
"Us steal," said Impmon, "this scroll belong to our clan, if anything, you stole from us."
"Right." said GeninGabumon but more nervously as he stared down the very large digimon
"You cursed Freedom Clan, I though we Shogun had wiped you out already." said Mihiramon as he readied his tail for an attack.
"You know what they say," said Impmon, "Freedom never dies, Night of Fire!"
The smiling flames shot out and struck Mihiramon, but the tiger didn't even flinch as he struck out with his tail.
"Samurai Tiger Tail!" shouted the shogun.
The tail was aimed right at Impmon, but Gabumon, with the speed he'd gained through his nightly training, pulled his sword out and expertly blocked the attack.
"Back off," said the Rookie, "catnip breath!"
He knocked the tail back towards it's owner, the genin followed up with his own attack, "Blue Blaze!"
The stream of blue fire shot out at the cat, but he seemed unaffected still.
"Pathetic ninja," said Mihiramon, "I am the mighty Mihiramon, nothing can kill me."
"That's what they all say," said Impmon, "together, Gabu-kun, Night of Fire!"
GeninGabumon understood and attacked again, "Blue Blaze!"
The two attack's combined where they met and the smiling balls of fire became butterflies that were half blue and half red.
"Freedom Style-Pixie Ring!" the genin shouted in unison.
The butterflies encircled Mihiramon and sort of danced around him while he looked on in confusion.
He then screamed as the flaming insect exploded surrounding him in smoke and dust, but the two young ninja still stood ready, suspecting the attack had only angered the Ultimate.
Without warning, the big cat jumped out of the smoke and was going straight at GeninGabumon, who ended up a little panicked at that moment and stumbled.
"Armored Samurai Tiger Tail!" shouted Mihiramon as his tail transformed and he was about to attack.
Fear overcame Gabumon in that moment as he felt he was to watch his own death…
…but then he didn't.
At the last second, Impmon jumped in front of attack and the tail went through her chest.
The look on her face once one of sorrow.
"Imp-chan?!" said Gabumon in surprise.
"Gabu-kun, looks like it'll be just you this time." said the digimon with tears falling from her face as her data started to swirl around her.
Gabumon watched with tears in his eyes as his best and oldest friend became a digi-egg in front of him.
Mihiramon laughed as he sat a foot upon the digi-egg, "A pathetic little ninja, but at least she died with honor, now…"
"IMP-CHAN!" shouted GeninGabumon as he pulled his sword from it's sheath.
"Blade Slash!" with lightning speed he slashed the tiger horizontally across the eyes.
The samurai tiger shouted as he stumbled back, "You dirty little bastard! Where are you? Come fight me with honor!"
Gabumon was already half-way out of there by the time he heard this, Impmon's digi-egg in one arm, the Freedom Clan scroll in the other.
He quickly managed to get his warning whistle out of his pocket and blew as hard as he could,
The shrill sound was quickly heard by every genin in the vicinity who soon joined him on the run back to the bridge.
Gabumon could still hear Mihiramon roaring, even after crossing the bridge, even after handing the scroll over to BanchoStingmon and telling him what happened to Impmon.
That day was promoted to Chunin, but he didn't deserve it, he knew he didn't deserve it.
He didn't deserve the Freedom Clan scroll, he didn't deserve to be Freedom Clan, he didn't deserve Impmon's sword.
The night he found himself in the shrine room where they'd placed Impmon's egg.
On one side of her, he placed the scroll, on the other he placed her sword.
He left a message to be found by the next person to come care for the eggs, it read:
Sensei,
It is with great regret, and a heavy heart that I write this message.
I do not deserve the title of Chunin, I do not deserve to be at this academy, I do not deserve to a member of my own clan.
By the time you've read this, I'll already be gone, please do not come looking for me.
This self-inflicted punishment is what I deserve, and maybe through it, I can find redemption.
Signed, GeninGabumon
P.S. When Impmon comes back, tell her, I'm sorry.
Gabumon left that night, and made his way to the place he should've gone in the first place.
About three months later, GeninGabumon was attending the Data Forest Training Academy for Ninja.
He didn't tell them where he was from, he didn't tell them what his clan's name was.
They treated him like crap, but he didn't really see the point in complaining.
That they had him out foraging, a boring job, but one where he couldn't get anyone hurt.
While out on this day, he neared a clearing where he normally stopped for a break, when suddenly, he heard someone's voice, followed by these strange words and their meanings filled his head.
The voice got louder and he could see its source.
A boy wearing a pair of brown shorts and a plain black t-shirt. He had a lot of brown hair that became a loose afro.
A name came to him, Zac.
"Your redemption awaits, GeninGabumon."
"Are you Zac?" questioned GeninGabumon.
The boy looked up.
"Whoa," he said, "well, it's seems I know were I am now."
"Umm…" Gabumon looked at the digivice in the boy's hand, "I think that means we're supposed to be partners."
"Well duh," said Zac, "I know how this works."
Just then they heard a voice from beyond the tree, and a quick peek revealed a red headed boy.
"Oh," said Zac, "this is too good to pass up."
He looked at GeninGabumon.
"What's your name?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
"I'm GeninGabumon."
"Alright Gabumon," said Zac, "you wanna help me freak out a kid I know?"
And with that another destiny began.
And there you have it, part of why GeninGabumon is who is. Maybe more will come of this, but I'm not saying. I hope this also fills any plot hole I may have missed, and hey, maybe Digimon 4 Real Season Two is right around the corner (Deliberate foreshadowing music). Well that does it for now, hope you enjoyed, Keep Reading!
