Open Threat
By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung
Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!
Tao blinked a few times, attempting to figure out his bearings in the Digital World. Harriermon was perched on his shoulder, fully recovered from the last battle.
"Well, this is a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon…" Tao said, Harriermon nodding in agreement. The teenager quickly disassembled the clarinet he was playing before the Digital World decided to summon him.
"I wish they would try something else instead of this…" Tao complained, placing the musical instrument pieces in a pouch he carried. The inside of the pouch was protected by sponge, so the pieces wouldn't crack with travel. "Now I know how those summoned monsters in the Final Fantasy games feel…"
"Pardon?" Harriermon asked, attempting to infer what his partner meant by the previous comment. "Final what?"
"Nothing, I didn't mean anything," Tao responded, taking his Digivice. The item in his hand failed to go off, revealing no other Digi-Destined in the vicinity.
"You play that instrument of yours well," Harriermon commented, embarrassing Tao a bit.
"No, my playing sucks," he quickly responded, patting the small pouch on his belt to make sure it was safe. "I'm not a very good musician."
"Well, I believe you are," Harriermon countered, remaining on the teens shoulder.
"Thanks, but I'm not really that good…" Tao stammered, trying to convince the Digimon otherwise.
"We could argue about this all day you know," Harriermon added.
"Oh well. Let's argue all day then," Tao spoke, walking in a random direction of the clearly flat land.
"Let's…" Harriermon continued, though falling silent as the pair began to travel.
* * * * * *
"Well, so much for an afternoon off from the Digital World," Tiberius told Lepumon, checking his Digivice for the presence of other Digi-Destined.
"And it seems like we're on our own this time," Lepumon added, noticing how the Digivice didn't go off.
"You observe well my friend," Tiberius replied, clipping the Digivice back onto his belt. "At least now we get a chance to run into Drowsmon. I'm curious about what he has to say."
"You mean about the threat against the Digital World?" Lepumon questioned, though the answer was quite clear. Tiberius nodded anyway, glancing around his surroundings, trying to figure out which way to go.
"North, south east, or west?" Lepumon asked.
"Or maybe Northwest, or northeast, or southwest, or southeast," Tiberius asked next, not answering the previous question.
"How about north northwest, north northeast, south southw—?"
"I get the point Lepumon," Tiberius interrupted, sighing. "Let's just pick a direction and go."
"Good enough for me," Lepumon agreed.
* * * * * *
"Hey Marc, I don't think we're in Toronto anymore," Xemon commented, tugging on the teen's shirt.
"What was your first clue?" Marc asked sarcastically, pulling out his shades from his pocket. "The fact that we're here, or the fact that the Digi-Port opened on my computer?"
"Um…both," the Digimon replied after much deliberation, smiling. Marc giggled a bit, trying to locate anyone else on his Digivice. Nothing was on his screen. "Well, it doesn't seem like anyone else came this time."
"Well, then we're on our own!" Xemon exclaimed, analyzing the environment. "Which way do you want to go?"
"Pick a random direction? Nah, I'd like to try something a little less…random…," Marc mused, thinking about the direction to head. Xemon waited as patiently as his patience would let him.
"Okay, times up! I say we go, that way!" he shouted, dashing in a direction of his liking.
"Hey, wait…!" Marc shouted, chasing after his dragon like Digimon.
* * * * * *
"The Digi-World beckons again," K.H. spoke under his breath. He already knew no other Digi-Destined was nearby. His Digivice failed to beep, which it usually does when the locator function is activated.
"No one else is in the area," Kinoumon informed his partner after glancing at the Digivice. K.H. didn't respond, the soft wind blowing through his hair. "K.H., what do you plan to do now?" The teenager remained silent, unsure himself of the answer.
"Just look around? See what comes up?" K.H. suggested, unable to manufacture another idea. Kinoumon nodded, happy with the thought. "Let's go then," K.H. spoke, heading towards the sun.
* * * * * *
"Hey Shas, do you have any clue where you are going?" Tigramon asked her partner.
"I don't have the slightest clue," Shastina answered for possibly the millionth time. Tigramon stopped her ruthless questioning, growing bored of making the Californian teenager frustrated. Shastina was pretty good at containing her anger, not even being fazed when the feline asked the question again just now.
"Shas, what's wrong?" Tigramon asked, her cloak of childishness turning to an aura of seriousness. "You were pretty quiet since last Friday,"
"It's nothing…" Shastina replied unconvincingly. "Nothing at all…" she repeated.
"Shastina…" Tigramon muttered, unsure of what to say to release the binds of depression surrounding her partner.
"Huh…what's that?" Tigramon asked, hearing a faint sound. At first, Shastina ignored her, but soon, the teenager began to hear the faint music as well.
"It's…a…musical instrument?" she thought, trying to identify the source. Her Digivice promptly went off, giving the location of the another Digi-Destined. She quickly followed the signal to its origin, hoping it was him.
* * * * * *
Tao sat back, blowing lightly into his Clarinet. His fingers went up and down the register of the Clarinet, pressing and depressing keys quickly to form music.
The teenager lay flatly against a hill, playing his Clarinet with nothing else to do. Harriermon stood by, eyes closed, enjoying the serenity of the music.
"You play well," Harriermon commented again, keeping his eyes shut. Tao ignored the eagle and continued to play the piece.
"You play very well," a new voice added, making both jump to their feet, ready to fight. "If I actually intended on killing you, you would already be dead," the voice continued.
The source of the new voice belonged to another Digimon, and like Drowsmon, extremely humanoid. He wore full body crimson armour, minus a helmet. His features included blond hair and crimson eyes. He also carried a weapon, though completely dissimilar from the weapon Drowsmon carried. There was a double-sided axe head, attached to a shaft the size of a spear. On the other end of the shaft was another double-sided axe head, a weapon unfamiliar to Tao.
"I guess I should introduce myself," he spoke. "My name is Axeramon. You must be Tao and Harriermon. Drowsmon told me about you two." The Digimon bowed.
"What do you want?" Tao questioned suspiciously.
"Oh, my…our leader has requested that the five Digi-Destined be brought to his home to be briefed about the current situation in the Digital World," Axeramon replied. "Three of your comrades have already been collected. I would appreciate it if you followed me to his humble abode." Tao remained silent, deliberating what to do.
Axeramon glanced up, noticing two others at the top of the hill. Shastina and Tigramon stood at the top, finding the person that the Digivice located.
"Tao!" she shouted, running down the hill and standing beside the other teenager. Tigramon followed, though not sure if this Digimon was friend or foe.
"Well, this ends our search then," Axeramon commented, turning around. "If you wish to know, then you may follow me."
There was silence as the Digimon began to walk away, slowly, allowing time for the two Humans and their Digimon to follow.
"I say we follow him," Harriermon told them. Tao nodded in agreement, quickly explaining everything to Shastina and her Digimon. She was hesitant to follow the human like Digimon, but agreed if Tao was determined to go as well.
"The Digital World isn't getting any younger." Tigramon shouted, rushing up front. "Let's go!"
* * * * * *
The multiple pair of footsteps echoed throughout the empty hallway. Despite the poorly lit corridor, the two Digi-Destined and their Digimon had a clear view of where they were heading as they followed Axeramon. The main hallway of the mansion that inhabited the a small section of the Digital World was long and empty. Feelings of loneliness and emptiness entered the hearts of the guests.
"This is so strange…" Shastina whispered to Tao, clutching his hand tightly.
"Better strange then deadly…" Tao replied, keeping a wary eye for anything threatening. Shastina nodded in agreement, glancing down at the pouch that held the boy's musical instrument.
"You play really nicely…" she told the boy. Tao gazed oddly at her, blushing slightly and then turning away.
"No…not at all…" he stammered. "I don't play that well…"
"He does," Harriermon informed Tigramon. The small feline concurred.
"Ahem…" Axeramon interrupted, standing by a door at the end of the hallway. "The Lord awaits."
Both teenagers nodded, opening the double doors and entering.
* * * * * *
The five Digi-Destined were seated across a long, wooden table. Shastina and Tao entered last, taking their places at the table, which was coincidentally together. Whether it was fixed to be like that or not was a mystery no one wished to solve at the moment.
The fact that surprised the two newcomers was who sat at the other end of the table. The leader of this 'organization'. He was similar to his two generals, except he wore white armour. His long blond hair was tied back in a ponytail. His emerald eyes examined each Digi-Destined one at a time. There was also just the tiny little detail that the leader had angel wings.
"Well, now that we are all assembled," the Angel started, standing up from his seat. "My name is Serangmon," he introduced, bowing his head. "I already know of the five of you. I knew you would be coming, and that is why I have invited you."
"To explain the cause of…us…so to say…" Tiberius spoke out. Like the other four around him, he was curious about their purpose in the Digital World.
"Yes, as stated, the Digi-Destined will appear to save the Digital World," Serangmon reintegrated, stretching out his angel wings. K.H. noticed the twin rapiers the Angel kept on his belt. "And I believe you all wish to know the cause of such a disturbance." Each Digi-Destined slowly nodded, as did their Digimon.
"To put it bluntly, the Digital World is falling apart." There were confused glances amongst the five. Tiberius was about to question, but was cut off by the angel. "Allow me to finish, please." Tiberius nodded, closing his mouth.
"Energy is being sucked from the Digital World by some unknown source. With the lack of energy, the Digital World can not support its own form. Slowly and surely, the Digital World will be deleted, ceasing to exist, unless the energy drain is stopped."
"And how do you propose we do that?" K.H. asked, disregarding Serangmon's previous request.
"Unless we find the source of this energy drain, the only other solution I can tink of is to merge the Digital World with the Real World."
"WHAT!?" four of the five Digi-Destined exclaimed at once. That solution just seemed absurd, merging two worlds together.
"Yes. Your world seems to have an infinite natural energy supply." Serangmon continued. "This energy drain will continue when the worlds merge, but it will not affect anything,"
"But…how would you do that?" Shastina asked, calming down.
"The Digital World is molded after the Real World, similar in some aspects yet different in others," Serangmon answered. "Still, since the two are basically the same, the process of moving the Digital World to the Real World is possible, albeit slow."
"So, what does this have to do with us?" Marc questioned.
"As stated before, the process will be slow. However, with your assistance, there is a way to speed up the process." Serangmon clicked on some invisible button, showing a 3-D map of the Digital World and the Real World floating atop the table. "Setting up a few 'transfer points' around your location allows the merger program to find which location in the Digital World belongs with which location in the Real World. Normally, the merger program would have to search the entire Real World for a match. The Transfer Points would send data resembling the area it was set up and inform my merger program which Digital World area to send."
"This just sounds too farfetched…" Marc commented, noticing small areas of land from the Digital World globe move over and over lay the Real World. "What would happen to the Real World?"
"Allow me to answer that…" Tiberius spoke, standing up. Serangmon nodded, knowing how fast this child could assess situations. "The Digital World will merge with the Real World. That means, this Digital-Real world will gain characteristics of both sides. Possibly less pollution then what we have now, since the Digital World doesn't seem to be tainted with such disasters."
"However, also note an increase in population, as now we have both the Human and Digimon population to tend to."
"Counter point-We are given a better environment, plus there may be certain flora and other such medical treatments only possible in the Digital World, which would then be accessible in the Real World."
"But, no one ever said Humans and Digimon would ever get along."
"In other words, if we merge, we could either end up better or worse…" K.H. observed, concluding for his friend. Tiberius nodded, taking his seat.
"It's a roll of the dice…" Tao whispered to no one in particular but loud enough for everyone to hear. He remained mostly silent throughout the briefing. Silence engulfed the room once again, Serangmon waiting for a response. "This is a big decision…I can't afford to decide yet," Tao continued, standing up. "I'm sorry, but I can not commit an answer yet." Each of the other Digi-Destined nodded in agreement.
"Give us a bit of time, and we will decide then," K.H. compromised. Serangmon, though saddened by the answer, agreed with the terms.
"When you are ready to answer, you know where to find this location," he told them. Slowly, each teenager filed out with their Digimon.
* * * * * *
The group of ten walked slowly and silently out of the mansion. After about half an hour of walking, someone finally decided to speak.
"At least we got to meet each other," Shastina spoke. "It's nice to know who our 'co-workers' will be." Introductions were swapped between those who didn't know others, and soon, everyone was back in a more cheerful mood.
"I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but what do you all think about this merger?" Kinoumon asked. Everyone stopped, thinking about the answer.
"This could change all our lives forever," Lepumon added. "Something to really think about."
"Like I said before…we need some time," Tao replied first, glancing up at the sky. "To be perfectly honest with you, I wouldn't want to see this world fall apart."
"But we don't even know how credible that Digimon's story is," Shastina countered.
"His name is Serangmon," K.H. informed, checking his watch. "But if the energy loss is causing time to go faster, then I'm willing to believe it."
"Faster time usually means more energy though," Tiberius inferred. "If there is a lack of energy, then time should be slowing down."
"Listen, I say you listen to your own advice," Xemon told them, cutting into the conversation. "Go sleep on it. Get an answer which you all can agree on in about three days." Each Digi-Destined exchanged looks, seeing the reasoning behind that. The Digital World can wait six days.
* * * * * *
"They didn't agree as quickly as you thought," Drowsmon told his leader.
"You should've just killed them" Axeramon agreed.
"Patience," Serangmon spoke. "Killing them would only make the merger go slower. Besides, we know what our intentions are. Maybe they will see it our way soon."
"And the merger program?" Axeramon asked.
"Activate it," Serangmon answered. "It may help change their minds."
"If it doesn't?" Drowsmon questioned cautiously.
"Well, then they will get stronger, maybe strong enough to truly save the Digital World."
Fin
Completed: 11/26/00
