A Different Reality Part 15
by Cybra
A/N: Part 15…wow…I'm this far into it…Anyway, first off, I'd like to apologize to everybody for a mistake I made in my "Episode Rambles Version 3.0". I received the wrong information on Tailmon, and I repent of my sin of stating she was a guy. Thanks goes to Kat-chan for being kind enough to point it out nicely to me and not biting my head off for my mistake. Second off, I'd like to say that "Episode Rambles Version 4.0" shall not be appearing this week. I had to tape last week's episodes, and my tape ran out of space just when the recap for the second episode was starting! Grr! So, it's a waste of my time to only ramble on one new episode. If there isn't a new episode next week, I most likely won't have "Episode Rambles 4.0" up until a week after Christmas. :::ignores the people rejoicing in the audience::: Lastly, I'd like to apologize to the Daiken/Kensuke fans out there for a line that upset a few of you in my "Together At Last". I needed a name and I typed down the first one that popped into my mind. Gomen!
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, but the A Different Reality series idea is mine! All mine! Nobody else's!!! insane laughter ALA crazed Quatre
"Shimatta!" was the first word to escape my lips as I watched Machinedramon's city disappear in flurries of separated data.
I was half-pleased, half-angered by the fact that the third Dark Master had been defeated. That left only Piedmon, but I needed a pharmacy or hospital right now. Kari had gotten a little better, but she still needed medicine.
'The irony of the situation just kills me,' I thought bitterly.
Commander Yosho's voice came back to haunt me yet again. His voice boomed in my mind, "All right, Izumi, you've got a problem! Now, how are you going to solve it?!"
I reviewed in my mind what I had to work with. My satchel contained various healing items, but not one of them would be useful in this situation. They healed physical wounds, and I didn't have any that healed sickness. Kabuterimon was flying us high above the forest that used to be the Dark Master Machinedramon's city and would run out of energy soon. Gatomon could digivolve to Angewomon, but I doubted she'd take the energy required from Kari with the girl being sick. Besides, Angewomon doesn't have the "Magna Antidote" technique that I've heard about.
"Now what do we do?" Gatomon asked as Kari went into a new fit of coughing.
'Good question. Wish I had an answer.'
That's when an idea came to me. I shouted to my digital partner, "See if you can locate somewhere we can trade for medicine!"
"Will that place work?" Kabuterimon asked, pointing ahead.
It was a large building with a set of large doors. An inebriated group of Gizamon stumbled out, chattering loudly to each other. A Kuwagamon seated at a table outside swallowed the contents of a tankard of ale before he raised his arm to order another.
I smiled inwardly. "Perfect…"
~@~
When we landed, Kabuterimon de-digivolved into Tentomon. Gatomon looked at the building and back at me. She didn't seem bothered by it. Kari glanced around, then looked curiously at me.
"You mean Digimon have bars too?" Kari asked.
"Yes. Now, let's get inside. Tentomon?"
"I'm all over it," he answered as he flew on ahead.
I turned to Kari. "Whatever you do, keep calm. Some Digimon become rather violent after just one or two drinks. If you're asked to move out of the way by a drunken customer, just move. Do not, I repeat, do not try to start a fight. A drunken Digimon is twice as dangerous as it normally is. Is that clear?"
Kari nodded, her eyes taking in the sight of the Kuwagamon – now ordering his fifth ale – swaying in a nonexistent breeze. He belched quite loudly after swallowing his newest tankard. As he stood to fly off, he left the appropriate amount of digi-dollars on the table. He shakily took off into the air, hiccuping slightly.
I shook my head. Some people had no control whatsoever. I glanced once more at Kari before we walked inside the building.
The realization that I was leading the girl into one of the more dangerous – not to mention, less honorable – places in the Digital World struck me as we reached the interior of the building. Drunken Digimon slouched in chairs and on barstools. Some had passed out on the floor due to having imbibed too much alcohol. A few Nanimon were singing (or at least attempting to sing) a merry, old drinking song. Their voices were so far off key that I'm certain my hearing shall never be the same. Shouts of "Another round of beer!" and "I can handle jusht one more!" echoed off the walls.
The decor of the room looked familiar, but I dismissed that. I was more concerned with something far different. The reason that these types of places were so dangerous was because Digimon's tempers flared up at the drop of a beer mug here. If you thought fighting them when they're sober was tough, fighting against an inebriated Digimon is a hundred times worse.
'I have no choice. I just wish Kari had some type of weapon in case she and Gatomon became separated…'
As we looked for Tentomon, a large Digimon slapped me on the back with his large paw, almost knocking me over in the process.
"Koushiro! Drink with me before we battle again!" the drunken (and annoyingly familiar) voice of Grizzlosmon bellowed, the decibel level of his voice hurting my already aching ears.
If you remember Ursumon, you will probably know Grizzlosmon as well. For those of you who don't, Grizzlosmon is the previous stage of Ursumon. He is a large, fat, and powerful bear Digimon. This particular Grizzlosmon I had fought many times before. He has the most irritating habit of appearing when I wish to see him the least.
"I don't drink," I reminded him, my voice calm.
He ignored me and gazed down at Kari, his eyes cloudy. "And who is this pretty creature? I haven't seen her before."
Grizzlosmon was now breathing directly in the poor girl's face. She swooned slightly from the stench of alcohol on his breath (unless it was the small of his breath that caused it).
Much to my surprise, she held out her hand as she said politely, "My name is Kari. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
The large bear pulled her small form into a bear hug. She squirmed only a little before he let go. He turned to me.
"You take good care of this sweet little thing, Koushiro! That's an order!"
"Yes, I will do so, Grizzlosmon," I answered patiently.
Tentomon buzzed up to me and whispered, "There's a Gazimon at a booth in the back who has what we need and is willing to trade. Also, this is apparently Gary's new tavern."
Garimon – this particular one called "Gary" by friends – looks like a Gazimon at first glance. However, four major differences separate a Garimon from a Gazimon: attacks, type, color, and gender. Garimon use ice attacks and are of the Vaccine type, a turquoise blue color, and female.
"Excellent. We can ask her to keep an eye open for Kari and Gatomon if there's trouble."
"Already done. I'll keep Grizzlosmon busy while you start trading."
"Good. Just keep an eye on your drink if you order anything. We don't want a repeat of last time."
Tentomon shudder at the memory of becoming completely intoxicated when Grizzlosmon had slipped more and more alcohol into his drink. Trust me, helping a Digimon get over a hangover is no fun. You do a lot of ducking.
My partner led Grizzlosmon away from us as I turned to Kari and Gatomon.
"Gary always serves something for a thirsty or hungry traveler that doesn't contain any alcohol. You can ask her for something if you feel like it."
"Actually," Kari began, "I'd like to help you, if that's okay."
"Suit yourself, but just watch."
"Okay."
I knew without asking what Gatomon would do: She'd stay near Kari. This place was a hazard to anyone, but especially to her partner. Not only was she smaller than most of the Digimon here, but she was sick on top of that. Who knew if and when she'd get worse?
I realized it was a mistake in bringing her here. I should've made her and Gatomon wait somewhere relatively safe until Tentomon and I had returned. I'd been foolish. Very, very foolish.
'Too late for that now,' I reminded myself. 'Still, this means that I get to go through my punishment for making a mistake again so I don't repeat this mistake. Rapture…'
~@~
I admit that trading with Gazimon brings me great pleasure. They truly are the best. They accept nothing of low standards so you can guarantee that you received goods of excellent quality. They examine everything offered carefully – a technique I borrowed from them – to make sure they don't get cheated. My only problem with Gazimon traders is that they ask multiple questions about what's being offered, and if you say the wrong thing, they turn you down.
You're most likely wondering to yourself why the Gazimon traders behave more like Data type Digimon than Virus types. It's true that Gazimon are normally very mischievous and even downright malicious, but Gazimon traders have been able to overcome these natural traits. They are, in fact, benevolent Viruses. Perhaps all Gazimon traders are a completely different breed of Gazimon (maybe so much that they truly are of the Data type), like German shepherds and collies are different breeds of dogs. Perhaps the benevolent behavior they've repeated over and over has become a sort of mutation in the species, making the Gazimon traders far different from normal Gazimon.
"Hmm…" the trader in front of me said, examining my latest offer. "Very nice…"
I held my breath just as I had been doing repeatedly for the past hour. Kari shifted slightly next to me, knowing to keep quiet. Gatomon was sitting next to her, drinking a glass of milk she'd ordered.
"Deal."
I took the bunch of Metal Greymon's Hair – a sort of moss – from the Gazimon as he placed his new prize into his pack. Gary, as if by magic, appeared beside the table.
"Hello, all!" she cheerfully greeted us. "What'll it be?"
Handing her a little bit of the moss, I asked, "Could you brew some tea from this? It's for Kari."
"Sure thing." She turned to the girl beside me. "Wanna help, Kari?"
Kari smiled. "Sure!"
Turning back to the Gazimon and I, Gary asked, "Anything else?"
"A brandy," the Gazimon stated.
"Water," I told her.
"Right-o! C'mon, Kari, let's get these orders filled."
Gatomon left with Kari and Gary before returning a few minutes later, our drinks in hand and her tail wrapped tightly around another glass of milk.
"I thought you were with Kari," I stated.
"Gary's promised she'll take good care of Kari, and I think I can trust her. Besides, I thought I'd bring you two your drinks so Gary doesn't have to. She's getting swamped."
I heard a loud thump as Grizzlosmon finally passed out. I turned to see Tentomon fly over to the bar to get another glass of something. Judging from how straight he flew, Grizzlosmon had been unsuccessful in slipping any alcohol into his drink this time.
As I gazed at the bar, I noticed, much to my secret amusement, Kari writing down orders for different patrons at the crowded bar. She occasionally took a sip from a mug – logically, it must've been her tea – and would make a slight face at it. (Tea made from Metal Greymon's Hair is indeed a bitter brew to swallow. This makes me wonder how cough syrup tastes these days.) Gary looked harassed as she continued to fill mugs, tankards, and other assorted glasses.
An earlier thought came back to me unbidden. I leaned towards the Gazimon, fully aware that Gatomon was watching me. "What sort of weapons do you have?"
He blinked in surprise, but answered, "Only little things. Mostly knives."
"Show me."
He laid out each knife one by one. After the third knife, I spotted the perfect one. The blade gleamed as it was pulled out of its fine leather scabbard, the covering having a braid of leather tied on to it so the owner could tie the knife around his waist. The thin handle was obviously designed for the use of a smaller hand than that of a male's.
As I examined the knife, he was explaining the different details of each knife thoroughly. "…This one's designed especially for a female's use. They're mostly used by – "
"I want this one."
"Uh…Didn't you just hear me? This one's suited for a woman. I suppose you could use it, but male hands are generally a little larger than female ones. The handle's so small, it'd probably slip out of your hand…"
"I heard you before. Now, I'm willing to trade this…" I laid an Angemon's feather (one of the several "souvenirs" I'd collected from Takeru's partner which the angel Digimon had lost during battle) on the table. "…for that."
His eyes widened in surprise. "Koushiro…that's too much for this knife. I won't take it."
"Then, what do you want?"
"I'll take the silver band you offered earlier."
Why did he say the feather was too high a price? While the knife I wanted to buy was expensive, it wasn't anywhere as valuable as an Angemon's feather. These feathers – when ground up and used in a broth – can create a powerful healing potion that heals battle wounds. The potion couldn't heal sickness, but it can heal a broken arm twice as fast as a human body can. (I know this from personal experience.) Silver can't do that.
"Deal," I agreed, taking the knife.
When the Gazimon left, Gatomon asked, "Why'd you want the knife? No wait. Don't answer that. It's for Kari, isn't it?"
I nodded. "In the fight with Piedmon, you may become separated from her. She needs a weapon just in case."
A Gorillamon and a Scorpiomon began to battle, effectively ceasing any further conversation. I don't know what started the fight, but all Gatomon and I could do was start to dodge attacks that were way off-target. Within moments, pure chaos reigned supreme. I fired a few shots and Gatomon attacked as we pushed our way through the crowd.
"Ice Blast!" Gary shouted as she attacked, a blast of ice shooting from her mouth.
Kari stood behind Gary, hand reaching for any sort of weapon while keeping her eyes on the crowd. I recognized that as one of my moves.
"Super Shocker!"
"Lightning Claw!"
"Ice Blast!"
I managed to reach the bar as Serpentramon reached for Kari. Before I could fire a shot, she threw a bottle of Tequila in his face.
"Not bad!" I shouted as I jumped over the bar.
"Thanks! I took some pointers from you!"
"I noticed!" I handed her the knife in its sheath. "Use this to help force your way out of here! Gary!"
"Don't worry, Koushiro! I'll be fine!"
"Good! Tento! Gatomon! We're outta here!"
~@~
About an hour later, we were nursing several bruises, cuts, and other injuries.
"That was…different," Kari commented dryly. "Do you go through that often?"
"Not very often, but often enough," Tentomon stated.
"Oh. Well, you better have this back, Koushiro." She started to hand me the knife, a small look of disappointment in her eye.
I held up a hand, stopping her. "Keep it. It's yours now."
Kari's brown eyes widened for a moment. "But you'd be better with it," she protested.
"You handled yourself with that very well, Kari. Besides, that knife is designed for use by someone like you. It belongs to you."
She hesitated only a minute more before she tied the cord on the sheath of the knife around her waist. Gatomon unsheathed the knife for the briefest of moments before nodding her approval and replacing the knife.
Kari smiled at me. "Thank you. That was really nice of you to do this."
"It's a tool for your survival, Kari," I stated. There was a pause before I added, "But you're welcome."
~@~
"Izumi! Step outside with me!" Commander Yosho's voice snapped.
It was the old familiar dream I'd had many times before. I stood up, my fellow trainees staring at me. I'd made a serious blunder…
…now it was time for my punishment.
*How do I know this?* a familiar voice that was not part of my memory wondered.
I knew that voice: It was Kari's. She'd asked me what I dreamed about since I'd awoken in a cold sweat the night before. I didn't tell her, and she had said she wished she could see what I was dreaming about. Afterward, I'd seen her Crest glowing faintly underneath her shirt, but had thought nothing of it. Apparently, it did hold some meaning.
'Please don't let her see the whole thing…' I prayed silently.
My full attention turned back to the content of my dream. I stood in a secluded room with Commander Yosho. He glared at me. "We do not permit failure, Izumi! Is that clear?!"
"Yes, Sir!" I shouted.
"Then you know the consequences of a mistake…"
My mind screamed at me to run away from the man before me. He was going to hurt me again. No question about it. I should've tried to get away, but obedience had been drilled into my head by these little "lessons". I had been in the program for almost four years (about a week before I first entered the Digital World) when this punishment had originally happened.
*Run away! He's going to hurt you!*
I stood still as Commander Yosho came closer. Why fight it? It would only make it worse. These punishments were how the trainees in line. After all, the soldiers on the base were outnumbered at least four to one. Fear is a good way of making someone do what you wanted them to.
My mind reeled as my superior rabbit-punched me in the stomach. Kicks and other punches were quick to follow. I bit my lower lip until it bled in an effort not to scream. Yet, through it all, I didn't run away.
*No! No, stop! Please!*
As I lay huddled on the floor, waiting for the next brutal kick, I heard a whimpering come out of nowhere. It took me a few minutes to realize it was me. "Stop…please stop…"
Commander Yosho ignored my pleas as he continued my punishment. Instead of being a little less brutal, he became more so. My eyes squeezed themselves tightly shut as the beating continued.
The whole time, I couldn't move. Other instructors had been doing this sort of thing to me since day one of this Hell that I lived in. Kari's pleas went unheard by the participants in my memory. I prayed that she would think of this as just some nightmare.
Finally, the pain stopped as Commander Yosho turned away and walked out of the room, leaving me alone. I should've left as well, but I was still lying there on the floor in terrible pain. For the first time in a long time, I heard my own soft whimpering. It was frightening to me to be so weak, to not be able to control my pain.
That's when I finally awoke.
~@~
Kari stared at me, wide-eyed. I casually wiped my brow, hoping she didn't see the sweat there. That nightmare – despite my best efforts – continues to terrify me. No Dark Master could frighten me like Commander Yosho did.
"Koushiro…what was – ?"
She never finished her question as I began to fill some sort of pull on my body, like someone had me connected to a rubber band and was yanking me back to them. Kari yelped, obviously feeling the same experience. Gatomon awoke with a yowl of surprise, and Tentomon woke up with his talons digging into the ground. Then, remembering what he was supposed to do in the event of an attacker, he tossed me my backpack, my computer, handgun, and ammunition stowed safely away inside. Kari instinctively grabbed for something in an effort to stop the pulling. What she grabbed was my satchel.
The pulling increased. I began to feel disconnected from my body, a little light-headed. It was as if my very soul – if I had one – was being pulled out of my body.
That's when my world became darkness.
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: What happened to Koushiro, Kari, Tentomon, and Gatomon? I know, but I'm not telling! :P However, if Kyra's reading, she's going to die of happiness when she reads whose POV it is next time! Originally, it was supposed to be TK's POV, but I decided against it. ^^ Huzzah! Cliffhangers are fun! It should be a shorter wait this time because now…I'm on winter vacation!!! Huzzah!
Kudos to…
Kyra – I've got a secret, and I'm not telling! P Ha ha! Anyway, e-mail me sometime! I'm lonely!
Her Royal Weirdness – Thanks so very much for letting me bounce ideas off of you and for giving me spoilers to your series! :::bows before the Almighty HRW:::
Kelly Moon – You never write! You never call! ;) Just kidding. Anyway, thanks for being you!
Kay – Thanks for the nice (and weird) e-mails you send out every so often! I get a kick out of reading what you have to say! ^^ I forgot, do you have a website? I'd like to add it to my list of "Shameless promos". All my links were deleted when my parents got a new computer! In the immortal words of Charlie Brown, argh!
My muse Izzy – :::bows before Izzy::: I am nothin' without you! I need someone to obsess over and help me write! You're a prince!
Shameless promos (Who says I don't support my friends?)
Kyra's Fanfic Archive – An awesome site filled with fanfic goodness! Also has character shrines to Cody and Izzy! Huzzah!
World Under Ours – Another awesome fanfic site! Mostly yaoi and yuri for those types of fans! Double huzzah! (As you can see, my word processor is the program I use most often on my computer for when I read all this stuff! ^^;;;)
Power of Knowledge – The splash page to The Crest of Knowledge (An Izzy shrine! Huzzah!) and Heir to Knowledge (A Cody Shrine!)! Very nicely done! Triple Huzzah!