The Defenders
Chapter 5: A New Digimon
The sun rose, but Ryo kept lying on the dewy grass. He just stared at the clouds as they passed lazily by.
"I found his trail!" He noticed Guilmon call out in the distance.
"I see him." He heard Cyberdramon respond.
"They'll be here soon, and wonder why I acted like I did. I guess I'll have to explain a lot to them now." He told himself.
Ryo just sat there quite still. He remained where he was even after he knew they were behind him.
"Are you okay?" Suichion asked.
Ryo just sat there looking away from her and that pleading question
How can I ever be 'okay'. Ryo thought to himself
"Don't be so quiet Ryo." Cyberdramon said.
"I'm sorry about walking out last night." Ryo sighed.
"It's okay. Koji and Cyberdramon told us everything."
Everything huh? How can they know 'everything' about me when they don't really know me.
"How can someone tell you everything about me when I never told them many things about who I am?" Ryo asked, as he stood up and faced them. He noticed that the Leomon and Guardromon, who'd fought with them, had come as well.
Everyone just stared at him in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" Cyberdramon asked.
"Let me put it this way, not even you know where I'm from. "
"You said you lived in a small village outside of Shinjuku."
"A year ago, yes. But I wasn't originally from there. I guess it is time to tell all of you, so that when this poison kills me, you will tell my family." Ryo hesitated slightly, and continued slowly. "I was born in the country of Akiyama, which borders Shinjuku. My name is Ryo, but what you don't know is that I am the son of King Kokoro."
"You- you're the Lost Prince of Akiyama?!" Said Takato shocked.
"I'm not really 'lost', I just haven't been home in a long time."
"Why did you leave?" Kenta questioned.
"I had a terrible argument with my father, so I ran to Kimasu, the small town on the boarder where I later had my first run-in with the Forgotten Army. After they attacked I ran here to Shinjuku. Too much sadness and pain were back in Kimasu. "
"Why not go back?" Juri asked. "I bet your parents miss you."
"Maybe they do, but I can't go back."
"Says who?" Ruki asked.
"I want to, but I know I wouldn't make it back. I'd be dead long before then. Anyways, enough about me. We should be getting on with our search so we can find and stop the rest of the Forgotten Army."
"So where should we start then?" Asked Leomon.
"You're coming too?" Ryo asked the two digimon.
"Leomon is my soul-partner. It happened just like when their eggs hatched." Juri stated.
"Yeah. Guardromon and me are partners too!" Hirokazu said proudly.
"Unfortunately." Ruki mumbled.
Renamon glared at her partner. Ruki just rolled her eyes.
"So which direction should we head in?" Cyberdramon asked.
"I saw them advancing from that direction." Guardromon said pointing to the East.
That scum better not have attacked my family! Ryo mentally yelled, for the country of Akiyama was to the East.
With that Ryo's small army advanced east. They found many obliterated villages and cities on the way. Ryo spoke only a few words during the three-day march. On the third day they found another scout army, similar to the one they'd found in Aiko. This one was a bit smaller though.
They fought harder than they had before even though there were less of the Forgotten Warriors.
During the battle Ryo could feel the poison spreading more. Suddenly he realized why.
I never feel it when I do anything else, only when I'm fighting the Forgotten Army. That's why I'm not dead yet! It only spreads when I fight them. That must be why so many people died from poison. They just kept fighting and died, but I've only been fighting them lately, and I'm still alive. I can make it home! I can survive it! Ryo thought as he fought.
When finally they defeated them all and set up camp for the night. Juri, Ruki, Suichion, and Lopmon went to find firewood, while Renamon, Cyberdramon, and Leomon searched for food. Kenta, Hirokazu, and Guardromon had gone to get some water from a nearby stream. Takato, Guilmon, Jenrya, and Terriermon were just talking and waiting for the others to return. Ryo had gone off by himself on a small survey mission to see where the Forgotten Army had troops located.
Suddenly there was a loud noise from the direction of the stream. It was Kenta calling for bandages. As the boys got the strips of cloth prepared, Kenta came running towards them with something small and pink in his hands.
"What is that thing?" Jenrya asked upon seeing it.
"I don't know, but its hurt pretty badly." Kenta said as he wrapped up one of its little wings.
"I- I am MarineAngemon. Thank you for saving me." The pink fish-like digimon weakly replied, then became unconscious.
The other children and digimon came back to the campsite shortly after that. Ryo, of course, was the last one back.
"There are four companies off to-" Ryo announced
"Shh. He needs his rest." Kenta replied, still holding the small Mega.
"Oh. Sorry." Ryo whispered. "There are four companies about 20 kilometers off to the northeast. We can sneak around them if we continue going east."
"Why not fight them?" Terriermon asked.
"We can stop them if we save our strength for when we go against their commander."
"Their commander?" Jenrya questioned.
"They don't think for themselves. Someone must be giving them orders. I'm pretty sure that it'll be easy to figure out who that is once we face them."
"It wouldn't be too hard to destroy them all if they were all as big as Cyberdramon." Ruki stated.
"For the most part they will get that big, or bigger when their experience goes up, but size doesn't mater all the time. For example, that MarineAngemon Kenta has there has more experience than Cyberdramon and is at a higher level, though this one in particular seems smaller than most." Ryo explained.
"That thing is a higher level than Cyberdramon!?" Takato was shocked.
"Yes, but as I was saying, the strength of our members is not what is important, it is what strategy we use to defeat the enemy. Besides MarineAngemon is injured. We shouldn't fight an enemy when someone is injured, even if they aren't part of our group. When the sun rises we will continue east." Explained Ryo as he got ready to sleep.
To be continued