(Author's Note: This chapter turned out to be really long, so I've divided it into two parts. I'll post the first part now and the second part in a week or so? Enjoy!
Also, one of these days I'm going to go through the two fics and make some of the terminology I use more consistent. I'm generally using Japanese names, but for some reason I went with English levels and names for certain Digimon like Fanglongmon. I'll be changing those. Though in some cases I'll be using English names that are pretty much like the Japanese names except without the Engrish (Phantomon over Fantomon) or names that I prefer more (Craniamon over Craniummon))
Chapter 8: The Aloof Hermit (Part I)
The mechanical, rhythmic chugging of wheels on rails reverberated across the yellow plains. A deep hoot of steam pierced the air, interrupting the steady, continuous noise of locomotion.
A Locomon rolled across the landscape on a pair of sturdy, metal train tracks. At the very front was a large, dark blue railcar with a pair of yellow eyes and steam spout. This part of the Locomon carried the multiple coach cars that were hooked on behind it. Inside those carriages were multiple passenger Digimon who used the Locomon as transportation.
Each passenger car was long and wide, and it had rows of connected, bench-like seats with green cushions on each side of the aisle. Each seat could support roughly two humanoid-sized Digimon, although it depended on their sizes. Larger Digimon were generally expected to revert to smaller forms if they weren't able to fit inside one of the carriages.
"Attention, all passengers, we'll be reaching our next destination of New Terminal shortly," a calm, deep, friendly voice echoed throughout the train. It belonged to Locomon, who continued to drive along the tracks. "For now, please enjoy the scenic landscape of the Republic of Node."
Among these passengers were Alphamon, Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon, Ouryumon, and Paildramon, who all sat in the same car. Alphamon and Ouryumon sat side-by-side on the right side of the car. Paildramon sat on her own on the seat in front of them. UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon sat together on the seat behind them.
Both dragon Royal Knights were fast asleep. UlforceVeedramon was in the window seat, leaning against the pristine glass as he used his broad, blue and pink wing as a pillow. Dynasmon, who had previously been leaning comfortably against UlforceVeedramon's wing and shoulder, had somehow collapsed onto Ulforce's lap. His wings were bunched up against the Royal Knight's body, but Dynasmon slept contently, and a steady rivulet of saliva trickled from his mouth onto UlforceVeedramon's blue leggings.
Ouryumon was semi-coiled up on his seat and busy munching on a sandwich that he bought from one of the on-board food vendors. Alphamon, however, was staring out the window. Instead of looking at the scenery, he seemed to be lost in thought. The sunlight reflected in his distant ruby eyes as it shone through the windows of the Locomon.
Paildramon was a bit ill-at-ease, although it would be hard to tell by looking at her usual calm demeanour. She looked over her shoulder at Ouryumon. "Captain?" she asked, formally addressing her superior, since she was an over-sergeant of the Strike Forces.
Ouryumon swallowed the bite of meat sandwich that he had in his mouth and looked over at her. "Yeah?" he asked her, comparatively informally.
"Is it okay for me to be here?" she wondered. "This is a diplomatic mission. I'm just an over-sergeant and yet I'm here with three Royal Knights and yourself. I think this is above my station, if I can be honest."
"Oh, it's fine, Paildramon," Ouryumon assured her with a friendly grin. "Don't worry about it."
Paildramon frowned faintly. "I wouldn't like to think that I'm getting special treatment compared to my comrades, just because of who my father is…" she added knowingly.
Ouryumon raised a hand to begin thumbing the ornamental dragon above the red gem on his decorative headpiece. "We're not giving you special treatment, over-sergeant," he assured her. "If anything, we're bringing you for selfish reasons. Your dad is Councillor Imperialdramon, so bringing you along will hopefully make him more sympathetic to our cause."
Paildramon sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "I'm not sure if that's much better…" she said with a hint of exasperation.
Ouryumon smirked. "Okay, let me put it this way… You never complain about any of your other missions or duties, so why should this one be any different?" he said to her. "In other words, you're under my direct orders to join us, so I don't want to hear any complaints, got it, over-sergeant?"
The dragon woman Digimon managed a faint smile. "Yes, sir," she complied.
"Besides, you know how the Council of Seven operate," the Captain of the Strike Forces added. "You must have inherited all of that bureaucratic know-how from your dad, right?"
Paildramon nodded in response. "I know more than I'd like," she admitted. "I was supposed to go into a governmental career while my younger brother was supposed to go into the military."
"I know how that is," Ouryumon said with a smirk. "You planning to visit your brother while you're home?"
"Only if I get some free time," Paildramon answered dutifully.
"Of course," the ryu assured her. "We're staying for at least a night – a few days at the most – so there's plenty of time. I was planning to visit my parents, so 'course you can visit your dad and brother too."
"Thank you," she told him with a nod. "That's right. I forgot you and Sir Alphamon were from New Terminal, Captain."
Ouryumon grinned. "Well, New Terminal's our hometown and we were raised here, but neither of us were exactly 'born' here. We're both adopted. We were born as 'roaming digi-eggs'. We weren't born from reproduction or reincarnation; we just appeared, I guess, and our eggs were found and put up for adoption. Not at the same time, though."
Paildramon blinked with mild surprise. "Oh… Really? Aren't roaming digi-eggs really rare?" she asked him curiously.
"Yeah." He raised his claws and tapped the crimson gem on his forehead emphatically. "Alphamon and me are both prototype Digimon, too. We've got these Digicore Interfaces. Might be why we can jogress together. Maybe it all means something, but who knows for sure. Right, Alphamon?"
Ouryumon looked over at his friend for his input. He had been kind of surprised that Alphamon hadn't said anything earlier, but, then again, he had been pretty quiet since before they boarded the Locomon. When he turned his head, he saw that Alphamon was still staring out the window. It didn't look like he even heard him.
Ouryumon cocked an eyebrow. "Alphamon?" he asked, hoping to get his attention. "Digital World to Alphamon…"
Alphamon blinked and looked over. "Pardon…? Sorry, I was miles away," he sheepishly answered. "What were you saying?"
The gold and brown drake frowned. "Nothin'… Are you okay? You've been quiet since we left," he pointed out to him.
"I'm fine," Alphamon answered. "I was just thinking."
"About what?" Ouryumon quizzed.
Alphamon gave him a side glance. "Nothing important," he said calmly, trying to subtly tell him not to pursue the issue.
Ouryumon wouldn't be deterred that easily. "You're not worried about DORUgoramon, are you?" he asked his best friend.
The black Royal Knight rubbed his forehead, which also contained a red, gem-like interface on it. "No…"
"Councillor DORUgoramon?" Paildramon asked.
"We've got history with him," Ouryumon told her. He looked back at Alphamon. "So what is it?"
Alphamon sighed and turned to look at Ouryumon fully. "I'm fine, Ouryumon. Really," he insisted emphatically. "I appreciate the concern, but I was just thinking about the matter at hand. I'm formulating what I want to put forward to the Council of Seven."
Ouryumon furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Alphamon lingeringly. "Well… okay," he responded, although he still had some doubts.
Alphamon turned away and went back to looking out the window. In the distance, he could see the majestic city of New Terminal. The whole city seemed to gleam with splendor in the sunlight. New Terminal was one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities on the continent, behind, perhaps, Saversburg, which was further north. The city spanned dozens of kilometers and it has several different boroughs.
It was the capital of the Republic of Node, which was a cultural and economic hub, as well as a regional powerhouse. The Council of Seven were the leaders of the Republic and they were the ones who made policy decisions. However, the Republic of Node was very much a federation, and the major regional cities had a lot of autonomy. The burgmasters – essentially, mayors - of the cities all had votes when electing new councillors for the Council of Seven. Likewise, the Digimon citizens of the Republic of Node all voted for the burgmasters, so in a way, they had a say in who was elected to the Council of Seven.
The Council of Seven itself consisted of seven councillors: Imperialdramon Dragon Mode, Rosemon, Butenmon, DORUgoramon, Okuwamon, Angewomon, and MegaSeadramon. They each had different aims, ideals, and influences, as well as varying opinions of the Royal Knights.
Alphamon continued to watch as the city grew nearer. He would normally be pleased at the prospect of returning home to visit, but something was weighing on his mind. There were things that he needed to do there. Things that he felt obligated to do.
"Attention, all passengers," Locomon spoke up again in his deep, relaxed voice. "We will be arriving in New Terminal in several minutes. Please do not attempt to exit until I have reached a full and complete stop. For now, please enjoy the picturesque scenery. To the right, you can see the sea of gold and emerald fields, and, to the left, you should be able to see the Argent Mountain-scape. It may be small, but it is rather beautiful."
Alphamon heard a grunt of discomfort coming from behind himself and Ouryumon. He turned and looked over his shoulder to see that UlforceVeedramon was waking up, disturbed from his sleep by Locomon's announcement.
"Mrgh, wha…?" UlforceVeedramon asked groggily, pushing against his wing to sit up straighter. He rubbed his eyes with a hand, trying to wake himself up. He wasn't sure why he felt a pressure on his lap.
UlforceVeedramon yawned and blinked the sleep from his red eyes. Beginning to orient himself, he looked down and saw Dynasmon asleep on his lap. He stared at him for a several moments.
"Guh, Dynasmon!" the cobalt Royal Knight complained, grabbing Dynasmon's shoulder and shaking him. "The heck are you doing?! You're drooling on my crotch! That had better just be drool!"
Dynasmon awoke with groans of complaint and annoyance, waving his arms around to try to push UlforceVeedramon away from him. "Ugh, lee'me alone! Damn it… I'm sleeping…!" he growled, annoyed that his pillow was suddenly trying to shake his head off. "Rrrgh. Cut it out!"
"Hey! Don't move your head like that! That's not- DYNASMON!"
"…GAH! What the hell?! Get away from me!"
"I should be telling you that, you pervert!"
Ouryumon rested his arms on the backrest of his seat and watched with amusement. "If only Rhodo were here to see this…" he said with a laugh, although he was secretly liking the view for other reasons.
Paildramon flushed beneath her helmet. She supposed it was a good thing that they were the only passengers on this particular car.
Meanwhile, Alphamon sighed and glanced back out the window.
The Locomon began to decelerate as they approached the sprawling city of New Terminal. The train Digimon entered the city with a bellow of his horn, and the buildings soon began to roll by the windows.
Alphamon closed his eyes and stood to his feet, preparing to disembark as they pulled to a stop at the rail station. He was home.
After about fifteen minutes passed, the group of five left the Locomon rail station. The station was a partially open-air one, and there were loads of Digimon going to and from it.
Once they were out of the station, they were able to take in their surroundings. New Terminal was bustling with energy and life. There were Digimon of all shapes, sizes, and species. Unlike places that were mostly monocultural, like the Metal Empire or the Mesozoic Kingdom, New Terminal was very multicultural and cosmopolitan. There were avian Digimon, insect Digimon, humanoid Digimon, beast Digimon, dragon Digimon, and the list goes on. This diversity was very much reflected in the Council of Seven.
Digimon walked down the middle of the streets, usually with larger Digimon in the middle of the street and smaller Digimon walking along the sides. Aerial Digimon flew in the sky in an orderly fashion. A big river flowed down from the Argent Mountains and ran straight through the middle of the city. It was called Fountain River, and many aquatic Digimon used it as a means of transportation through the city.
The group of five decided to fly through the city, since it was faster and they were all able to do so. They soared above the buildings of New Terminal which were of varying shapes and sizes as well. Alphamon led the way, followed by Ouryumon and Dynasmon, and then Paildramon and UlforceVeedramon.
"Where to first?" Dynasmon asked, looking ahead at Alphamon.
"The council hall," Alphamon answered, looking over his spread wings to Dynasmon. "We should tell the Council of Seven that we're here so they can prepare."
"Try not to get too catty with DORUgoramon, okay, Alphamon?" UlforceVeedramon said with a gentle laugh.
Alphamon turned and gave him a look. "Maybe you should tell that to Ouryumon first."
"I won't say anything if he doesn't," Ouryumon told them, folding his arms as he glided on the air currents.
"I'll believe that when I see it," Dynasmon said with a chuckle. "So, what do we do after that? It probably won't take long."
"We'll likely have to wait. I suppose we'll have quite a bit of free time…" Alphamon said with a thoughtful frown.
UlforceVeedramon gave his wings a flap and looked over. "Are you three going to visit your parents, then?" he questioned.
Alphamon didn't reply immediately. Instead, he deliberated quietly.
"I probably am," Ouryumon stated.
Paildramon nodded in agreement. "I'll visit my brother, if that's alright."
"Sure," Ouryumon told her. He looked over at Alphamon. "What about you?"
"Hm? I suppose so, yes," Alphamon said, looking over after a few seconds.
Ouryumon looked at him suspiciously. Alphamon was definitely acting oddly. He began to wonder if it had something to do with his coming out about his sexuality. However, Alphamon was generally pretty comfortable with that part of his life now, so Ouryumon wasn't entirely convinced of this argument, but he wasn't sure what else could be bothering him. Perhaps it really did just have to do with the Dark Area.
"Do you think we can expect any resistance from the Council?" UlforceVeedramon asked, dipping down, veering to the side, and speeding up to fly beside Alphamon. "We don't always see eye-to-eye with them."
"I don't think so. We may disagree at times, but I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't want to help secure the Dark Area," Alphamon responded. "If any of those prisoners were to get out, we would all suffer from it."
"That's true," UlforceVeedramon admitted. "But politics and bureaucracy can get in the way of commonsense, at times."
Dynasmon nodded. "Plus, I don't trust that Gaioumon guy they have hanging around," he said with a suspicious glare. "He's as slippery as an eel."
UlforceVeedramon glanced at Dynasmon. "You're just saying that because you're friends with KaiserGreymon. He and Gaioumon hate each other."
"I don't trust him either," Dynasmon asserted. "Just watch once we're there. He looks like his brain's always thinking of something."
"Unlike yours, right, Dynasmon?" UlforceVeedramon teased him with a wink.
Dynasmon give him a sideways leer. "Shut it, Ulforce."
"Permission to speak freely?" Paildramon spoke up.
"You don't have to be so formal, Paildramon," Alphamon assured her.
Paildramon nodded. "I've met Gaioumon before, at a formal party that all of the council members attended. He seemed pleasant enough, and he came off as quite intelligent about a lot of things. From what I've heard, he has a wealth of political, military, historical, and diplomatic knowledge. I suppose I can see why he's the sitting advisor for the Council of Seven."
"Yeah, well, I know what KaiserGreymon's told me about him too," Dynasmon responded, closing his eyes. "Apparently he can be really cunning, conniving and ruthless, when he wants to be."
"I can't say I've heard that about him," Paildramon stated. "Although I don't doubt your source, Sir Dynasmon."
"It's getting the councillors on side that we need to worry about," Ouryumon mentioned. "They're the ones that make the decisions, not Gaioumon."
Alphamon nodded and began to descend. "There it is," he told them, looking ahead to a large building. The council building in question was one of the larger ones in the city. It had to be big enough to support large Digimon like MegaSeadramon and Okuwamon. That's why it was built with only two storeys, but was fairly long and wide to compensate. Although the outside had ornate decorations and statues, the building wasn't extravagant like a palace; it was more administrative and practical. There was a tall fence around the perimeter of the building, along with military personnel who acted as security at both at the gate and the doors.
Alphamon hailed the security as they grew closer to the entrance. He flew down and landed at the front of the gate. The two security guards were a VictoryGreymon and a WarGreymon."Greetings. We need to see the Council of Seven," Alphamon told the VictoryGreymon.
The VictoryGreymon, who had been shouldering his massive Dramon Breaker sword, suddenly dropped the blade to the ground as he stared at Alphamon with astonishment. His jaw dropped when he saw UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon land behind him as well. "S-Sir Alphamon!" he exclaimed, his deep voice becoming high with excitement.
Alphamon blinked and smiled sheepishly, scratching his cheek with a finger. "Uh… Hello…?"
The VictoryGreymon seemed to be giddy with excitement and glee. "Remember me?" he asked, looking at Alphamon with big, expectant, green eyes, and a massive, dorky grin on his face.
"Er…" Alphamon paused. He didn't recognize him at all, but he didn't want to hurt the feelings of somebody who was obviously a big fan of theirs. "You're… VictoryGreymon," the leader of the Royal Knights remarked, attempting to bluff.
VictoryGreymon turned and looked at his WarGreymon friend with excitement. "He remembered my name!" he told him with a happy voice, his cheeks growing scarlet red with embarrassment.
The WarGreymon rolled his eyes. "He knows what a VictoryGreymon looks like. It wasn't a hard guess," he sarcastically told the VictoryGreymon in response. He then looked a bit sheepish and looked at Alphamon. "Uh, no offence, Alphamon, sir."
VictoryGreymon turned to Alphamon and the others, just as Ouryumon and Paildramon landed behind the three Royal Knights. "We met at the Spring Festival in Aurum," he said, again with big, hopeful eyes. "You gave me your autograph?"
Alphamon thought back to that event. Most of what happened that day was completely overshadowed by DarkKnightmon's arrival after the festival. However, he vaguely remembered being swarmed by fans when they first arrived, and one of them was a VictoryGreymon. "…Oh yes. I remember now. You had a ShineGreymon friend?"
VictoryGreymon's face lit up. "Yeah! That was my best friend!" he exclaimed, grinning broadly and rubbing the back of his neck with embarrassment. "WarGreymon here is a good friend of mine too. But wow, I can't believe three of the Royal Knights and Captain Ouryumon are visiting here in New Terminal today of all days! It's just our luck, WarGreymon! Hahaha!"
UlforceVeedramon exchanged a look with Dynasmon. "Major fanboy," he mumbled with a grin.
"So, can we get in?" Dynasmon asked with an amused smile.
"Oh, of course!" VictoryGreymon exclaimed, immediately moving out of the way and picking his sword up so that they could get through the gates. "You guys must be very busy with official business, so I won't keep ya."
As the Royal Knights began to file through the gate, followed by Ouryumon and Paildramon, WarGreymon blinked upon seeing her. "Paildramon? Is that you?"
When Ouryumon moved out of the way, she was able to recognize both of the Ultimate level Greymons. "WarGreymon?" she asked. "VictoryGreymon?"
"Hey, Paildramon," VictoryGreymon greeted with a warm smile. "You get to go on missions the Royal Knights? That's so cool! I wish I got to join their Order too."
"This is just a one-time thing," Paildramon assured them.
UlforceVeedramon turned around. "Do you know them, Paildramon?" he asked her curiously.
"Yes, Sir," she responded. "We were in the same unit for awhile before the restructuring of the Republic's military. That was when I was transferred to your Order with a bunch of the others."
Alphamon looked over his shoulder at her. "You're free to wait out here and catch up with them, over-sergeant," he said to her. "We're really just going in to make ourselves known and to see when the Council will be ready to have us."
"Thank you," she said to him, giving Alphamon a salute before turning to talk with the two Greymons. "Were you two moved around in the restructure too?"
"Yeah. We're actually in a more prestigious group now," WarGreymon responded, puffing his chest out proudly. "Me, VictoryGreymon, ShineGreymon, BlackWarGreymon, and KaiserGreymon are an elite, specialized shock squad now. We're called the Greymon Five."
"Then what are you doing on security detail?" Paildramon asked, raising an eyebrow.
"They were short-handed…"
As they started chatting, Alphamon, Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon and Ouryumon continued towards the council building.
Around them was a wide, stone courtyard. Across the area were benches that rested beneath stone and marble statues of famous councillors and historical figures in the Republic of Node's history. The front of the building was decorated with a tall, striking, colonnade of ornate, stone columns that held up the front of the council hall and provided a horizontal avenue of shade just in front of the building's entrance.
The four walked up to the colonnade and passed through the gap wide enough to allow even dinosaur Digimon to enter. They were spotted by the two guards standing in front of the massive double doors. The guards immediately turned around and used a pulley system to open the tall, wide set of doors behind them. The weighty doors creaked open, giving them an ancient-yet-durable feel to them. As the Royal Knights entered, they were greeted by a gentle blast of cool air and a faint scent that had notes of paper and stone in it.
They stepped into the large, marble-floored lobby. Over to the left was the front desk as well as seating for those who needed to wait.
"I'll go speak with the secretary," Alphamon said to his three companions.
Just as he began moving his leg to walk towards the desk, he was halted by a voice.
"No need," the voice, strong and deep, spoke.
The four turned and saw a Digimon walking out of the wide opening on the opposite side of the room. It was a dragon man Digimon. He was clad from head to toe in flexible metal that made a heavy, clattering noise with every step that he took. His metal body was primarily grey in hue, with the exception of the deep, violet stripe that went down the Digimon's neck and the underside of his chest and tail. The violet colouring was also located on the orbs on the broad pauldrons that made up his shoulder armour. The purple colouring also lined his armour and coloured the spikes on his knees, but, more prominently, it also coloured the leathery fabric that made up the dragon man's wide, fearsome, metal wings. In contrast to this was a gold trimming that lined the edges of his boots, tail, and shoulders.
His long tail flicked behind him as he strode over. His draconic head lifted up proudly, causing the light in the room to reflect off of his long horns which were both jagged yet ornate. Just above the nose of his snout was a shimmering, crimson gem that had a rounded, triangular shape. It was exactly like the Digicore Interface that Alphamon and Ouryumon both possessed on their foreheads as well.
"DORUgoramon," Alphamon stated, turning to face him fully.
"It's been awhile, Alphamon, Ouryumon," DORUgoramon spoke, stopping in front of them.
"Yes, it has," Alphamon answered, politely offering his hand.
DORUgoramon looked down at the knight's hand and then reached out to take it, shaking firmly. "It's nice to see you have some free time to visit New Terminal again," he said with a half-grin at the corner of his draconic mouth.
Ouryumon gave DORUgoramon a suspicious look, but he kept his cool.
Alphamon returned the handshake just as strongly. "It's nice to be back home. You're right, I don't get to come here as often as I like," he responded. "How have you been?"
"Busy. Being a councillor eats up a lot of my free time. It isn't like it was, back during my adventuring days," DORUgoramon mentioned. "I guess you also know how that feels, huh?" Before Alphamon could respond, he turned his head and looked at UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon. "Hello to you both, as well."
Dynasmon waved his large, clawed hand. "Hey."
"Good timing," UlforceVeedramon said with a smile. "We just caught you."
"I'm afraid not," DORUgoramon corrected him. "We received your letter, but it's going to be a few hours until we can talk with you. The Council isn't convening until late this afternoon. The only reason I'm here is because I forgot some documents in my office." He held up his satchel for emphasis.
"I knew he'd make us wait," Ouryumon thought to himself, giving the silver-armoured dragon a sideways leer as he sighed through his nostrils.
"It's fine, DORUgoramon," Alphamon assured him. "We expected as much. When would a be a good time for us to return?"
DORUgoramon shouldered his bag and looked at Alphamon with his narrow, gold eyes. "Two hours before sunset?"
Alphamon nodded. "That's fine. We'll keep busy until that time and then return here," he told him.
"I look forward to it," DORUgoramon answered, striding past them and making for the exit. "I'll tell the guards to expect you."
"Later," Ouryumon told him, eyeing him as he left.
"Captain," DORUgoramon said to him frigidly, glancing over his wing and shoulder before walking out the doors.
After the councillor left, UlforceVeedramon looked from Ouryumon to Alphamon, and then at Dynasmon. "How come I always detect an atmosphere with you two and him?" UlforceVeedramon wondered aloud. He grinned. "Even when you're all trying to be polite."
"We have a history," Alphamon responded vaguely.
"You don't say," UlforceVeedramon sarcastically said while folding his arms. "What history, exactly?"
Alphamon sighed. "I'll tell you later, Ulforce. We should get going," he said to them.
"Are you and Ouryumon going to visit your parents?" Dynasmon asked him.
"Yeah. I think I'll surprise Dad at the smithy," Ouryumon stated. He looked at Alphamon with a grin. "You can come along and then we'll go see your parents."
Alphamon frowned. "I suppose so…" he said contemplatively.
UlforceVeedramon smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "That's great, but what about us?" he asked. "I doubt you want us hanging around for your family thing. Especially Dynasmon. He's embarrassing."
Dynasmon elbowed him in the arm. "We'll look around the city, Ulforce. I know some good places."
"We'll meet back at the gate," Alphamon said to them. "Does that sound fine?"
UlforceVeedramon rubbed his sore arm and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go then. I'll tell Paildramon the news."
The Royal Knights and Ouryumon walked out and split off into two groups to go their separate ways. As Dynasmon and UlforceVeedramon walked down the courtyard towards the front gate where Paildramon was, Alphamon and Ouryumon began to take to the air.
Ouryumon glanced over his shoulder at the black knight lingered behind him. He couldn't understand it. He was happy to be visiting New Terminal, but Alphamon didn't seem to be. The Royal Knight was thinking a lot – that much Ouryumon knew – but about what? The gold dragon wondered. He wondered if Alphamon was worried about something, or if he was simply feeling nostalgic about old times. He wondered if it was both. Ouryumon speculated about what it could be. A part of him was beginning to feel hopeful. Maybe Alphamon was quiet because he was beginning to reconsider his feelings about Ouryumon, and this trip was what made him change his mind. He stifled a smile at the prospect.
Whatever it was, Ouryumon intended to find out.
Ouryumon and Alphamon soared through the warm New Terminal air towards the northeast part of the city. They passed over the Fountain River, which flowed below them with a dynamic pattern of blue and white as bodies of marine Digimon cut through the water.
"Hasn't changed much, huh, Alphamon?" Ouryumon asked as he flew beside him. He turned his head and was somewhat surprised to see Alphamon staring at him.
Really, Alphamon was looking past Ouryumon, at the Argent Mountains behind him. However, it was hard to tell.
"Oh, uh, yeah," Alphamon responded, looking forwards again.
Ouryumon's gaze lingered on him. "You okay, Alphamon?" he asked him.
Alphamon nodded. "We should descend now. It's only a few blocks until we reach the smithy," he told him evasively. He began to angle his body forwards and tilt his wings backwards to dip down in his flight.
Ouryumon followed after him, flying down towards the streets.
There were fewer Digimon around their destination than there were where they first arrived. North of the river wasn't as commercial and busy as south of it was.
They flew over the roofs of a few shops before gently landing on the street. The two looked over to the corner of the street, where there was a stone building with a wide, smoking chimney. There was a small yard in front of the forge. From there, they could hear the sound of metal clashing against metal. It was a familiar sound to both of them.
Ouryumon began to walk towards the building, followed by Alphamon. The nostalgic, pungent smell of smoke and metal teased his nostrils, and as he grew close to the building, the warmth of the forge washed over him. Ouryumon walked into the yard, passing by a long, sturdy table with various blacksmith's tools – tongs, fullers, chisels, hand hammers - scattered across it. He walked to the wide, open door of the forge and knocked firmly.
"Just a minute!" a deep, bass voice with a growly tinge called back.
Ouryumon and Alphamon waited at the door and looked in. The forge was filled with more tools, a long, metal table, an anvil, and a big, smouldering hearth. The walls displayed a multitude of finely-crafted weapons and suits of armour to show off the blacksmith's craftsmanship. A large, muscular, grey dinosaur stood at the other side of the forge with his back to them. His back was broad and had green plates running down his spine to his thick tail. He manoeuvred his long arms carefully, clutching a glowing, red-hot sword in his claws. He dipped the new, tempered blade into a long quench tank, which released a surge of hissing steam as soon as the hot metal touched the water.
The MasterTyrannomon let go of the sword so that it could cool in the water. "Okay, coming," he said, turning around to reveal a heavy, leather, heat-resistant apron over the front of his body. Upon seeing who it was, the dinosaur Digimon's eyes lit up with surprise and joy. "Ouryumon!"
Ouryumon smiled sheepishly and walked inside the forge as his adoptive father hurried over. "Hey, da- AH!" He released a yell of surprise as his dad pulled him into a big, warm hug.
Alphamon grinned as MasterTyrannomon squeezed Ouryumon's thin body, and watched the dragon return the hug.
"Alphamon, you're here too!" the blacksmith said, grinning widely and letting go of Ouryumon to walk over and give Alphamon a big hug as well.
Alphamon managed a chuckle as he returned the hug lightly. He and Ouryumon had been so close throughout their childhoods that Ouryumon's parents were kind of like an uncle and aunt to him. "Hello, Sir."
"Now, now, I should be calling you that," he told him with a grin. MasterTyrannomon stepped away and looked at the two of them. "This is a surprise! What brings you two here? If I had known, I would have told your mom, Ouryumon."
"We're here on business. It was a bit short notice," Alphamon said with a smile. "But we didn't want to come to New Terminal without visiting. We're going to my parents' next."
"They'll be happy to see you," MasterTyrannomon said. "But what are your guys' plans? What sorta business?"
"We're meeting with the Council of Seven around sunset," Alphamon told him. "Then we're going to find a place to spend the night."
MasterTyrannomon laughed. "Don't be stupid! You can stay at our place!"
"We didn't want to presume… Besides, there's only one free bedroom, isn't there?" Alphamon said sheepishly.
"That's never stopped you two before," he answered.
Alphamon and Ouryumon exchanged embarrassed, awkward glances. "What?" Ouryumon asked lamely as his face began to heat up.
"Sleepovers?" his dad asked innocuously. "You had those all the time as kids."
"Oh…" Ouryumon said, relaxing a bit.
MasterTyrannomon smirked and turned away, going to tidy his table. "So, how about it?" he asked them.
"Thank you for the offer, but my parents will probably want to have me around. It's been awhile since I last visited," Alphamon told him politely.
The dinosaur blacksmith chuckled. "Okay, but you're coming over for a barbeque lunch tomorrow. And that's non-negotiable, okay?" he told him, looking over his shoulder with a grin.
Alphamon smiled with resignation. "I'd love to."
"Good! So, have you been looking after my son, here?" MasterTyrannomon asked him, smiling as he took the cooled sword out of the trough and placed it on the nearby table.
Ouryumon folded his arms. "Dad, I can look after myself…" he told him.
"Yeah, but Alphamon does a better job of it!" MasterTyrannomon told him with a hearty laugh. "The only reason I let you go adventuring was because I knew he was going with you. Otherwise, you'd be my mouthy assistant right now. Scratch that – my mouthy, useless assistant; you'd probably still be practicing with swords instead of helping me make them."
Alphamon managed a soft chuckle. "I've done my best, under the circumstances," he said, turning his head and giving Ouryumon a playful look. He looked back at the blacksmith. "To be honest, he's matured a lot over these past years."
Ouryumon rolled his eyes but smiled. "Thanks, I guess…"
Alphamon shot him a smirk. "I think the Order's been good for him."
"I've noticed a general improvement too," MasterTyrannomon agreed. "But I think it's been because of the company that he keeps, rather than the Order itself," he added with a knowing smile.
"You guys make it sound like I was a delinquent," Ouryumon indignantly muttered.
Alphamon grinned. "You had your moments." He turned back to MasterTyrannomon. "Anyway, we'll let you get on with your work. You're busy."
MasterTyrannomon nodded. "Okay, but will you two come by the house later? I'm sure your mom will want to see you, Ouryumon."
Before Ouryumon could reply, Alphamon spoke up. "Ouryumon will, and I'll try to if I have time to spare. If not, I'll definitely be there tomorrow. You have my word as a Royal Knight on that," he assured him.
The dinosaur Digimon let out a laugh. "Okay, well when you put it like that!" he chuckled.
Ouryumon gave Alphamon a curious look. He looked back at his father. "Okay, later, Dad," he told him. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."
"Bye, son. Bye, Alphamon," the MasterTyrannomon said to them as he took the sword in his claws.
"Bye, Sir," Alphamon responded, nodding and walking out of the forge.
Ouryumon turned and followed him out. Once they stepped out of the forge yard, the two Digimon began to walk down the street towards Alphamon's parents' house, which was only a few blocks away.
The dragon Digimon turned his head and looked at Alphamon. "So, you said that you might be busy this afternoon. With what?" he asked him.
"It's nothing, Ouryumon," Alphamon responded, subtly increasing the length of his strides.
Ouryumon folded his arms and looked at Alphamon with a flat stare. "It's something. This is me you're talking to. You can tell me."
Alphamon glanced away. "I know I can. I'd just rather not right now. That's all," he informed him.
The gold ryu frowned and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, okay…"
The black armoured Royal Knight paused. "…I'll tell you later, Ouryumon," he told him, more conciliatingly. "I'm just trying to get my head around it right now."
Ouryumon felt a flutter of hope inside of him. "Okay, sure," he responded, not wanting to push him.
The two walked together quietly as they turned the corner and headed into a residential area. The houses ranged from small to large, based on the needs of the occupants. However, no matter the size, they all had a pleasant, easeful feel to them. Many of the houses had warm, vibrant gardens, and a couple even had swimming pools.
"I guess this place hasn't changed much," Ouryumon observed, looking around the streets with a nostalgic smile.
Alphamon nodded. "It feels like ages since we've been back here… and cycles since we were kids and you were sneaking into Mister Anomalocarimon's pool," he replied with a slight smile.
Ouryumon grinned. "Hey, you didn't stop me."
"I was never able to."
The two chuckled and turned down the next corner. When they did, Alphamon gazed at the third house down from the corner. That was his house. There was plenty of space between each of the houses, so they weren't cramped together. It was a relatively large house with a big backyard, which made it accommodating for larger Digimon.
Alphamon approached the familiar house and walked up to the tall, broad, front door. He raised his hand and rapped his knuckles firmly on the reinforced wood.
After a few moments, the door opened and a tall, orange dragon man stood in the door. He looked very much like a WarGreymon, but he was clad in thick, pointed armour that was different from the armour that regular WarGreymons wore. There were several glowing points on his armour. This was because he contained the X-Antibody.
Upon seeing Alphamon in front of him, the WarGreymon X-Antibody grinned broadly. "Look who's home," he stated in a voice that understated his excitement. He took a step forwards and pulled Alphamon into a hug.
Alphamon smiled and returned the embrace. "Hey, Dad."
WarGreymon X-Antibody patted Alphamon's winged back and then released him. He turned to Ouryumon, who was standing behind Alphamon, and went over to hug him as well. "Good to see you too, Ouryumon."
Ouryumon's cheeks tinted a bit and he hugged him back. "Thanks, Mister WarGreymon."
WarGreymon X-Antibody grinned and turned around. "Honey! Alphamon and Ouryumon are visiting!" he called inside.
After a few seconds, a second figure emerged. It was a wolf that was clad in blue, purple, and gold armour. Unlike regular MetalGarurumon, she stood on two legs instead of hour and wore more futuristic armour. She smiled and went to hug both of the visiting Digimon at once.
"Hi, Mom," Alphamon said to MetalGarurumon X-Antibody, returning the hug.
"Hey, Misses MetalGarurumon," Ouryumon said as well.
"Hey, you two," she said to them warmly, releasing the pair.
WarGreymon X-Antibody ushered them inside and closed the door. "What brings you guys here?" he asked them.
"Business," MetalGarurumon X-Antibody answered her husband before Alphamon could get a chance to.
"How did you guess?" Alphamon asked sheepishly.
"I am a bookkeeper for the Council. I saw that there was a meeting penned for either today or tomorrow," she responded matter-of-factly.
Alphamon smiled. "Not a lot gets past you, Mom," he said to her. "We did want to visit while we were here, though."
WarGreymon X-Antibody folded his arms. "Well, we're glad to see you, whatever the reason. How's everything been going at the Order?" he asked them.
"Busy," Alphamon told him.
"Is it ever not?" he asked with a small grin. "Busy with what?"
"Don't be nosy, WarGreymon," MetalGarurumon X-Antibody told her husband. "You know it's probably confidential information."
"Come on. Not even a hint?" WarGreymon X-Antibody urged.
Alphamon smiled slightly. It was typical of his father. "I'll just say this. We're trying to diffuse tensions…"
"…Can I get another hint?" he asked.
"Ignore him, Alphamon," his mother told him. "Did you come with anybody else?"
The Royal Knight nodded. "Dynasmon and UlforceVeedramon, and one of the soldiers from the Strike Forces," he responded.
"Will you all need somewhere to stay?" she questioned.
Alphamon shook his head. "Paildramon has a home here and the rest of us can always sleep in an inn."
WarGreymon X-Antibody stepped forwards. "There's plenty of room. Besides, we don't get to see you much lately."
Alphamon rubbed the back of his neck guiltily. "Well, if you put it like that…" he forfeited.
"I already told my parents that I'd stay at home," Ouryumon told them. "Thanks for the offer though."
MetalGarurumon X-Antibody nodded. "Why don't you two relax in the backyard and I'll brew up some tea?" she suggested.
"Alright. Thanks, Mom," Alphamon said to her. "I could use some tea."
"Yeah, thanks," Ouryumon added, beginning to head through the house to the backyard.
She nodded and headed to the kitchen. "What sort of tea would you both like?"
Alphamon looked at Ouryumon. "Red?"
Ouryumon nodded. "Red."
"I'll help," Alphamon's father said as he followed in after her.
That left Alphamon and Ouryumon to walk out into the backyard alone. The backyard was spacious and covered with rich, vibrant grass. However, it was fairly vacant except for a few chairs around a table, and a curved, stone bench that sat in front of a small pond. The pond was tranquil and contained some colourful, exotic flora, as well as a few fish swimming around in it.
However, the beauty of the pond was somewhat overshadowed by the picturesque background. There was a great view of the Argent Mountains. While they were small mountains – only a couple kilometers high – there were a few of them and they made for a beautiful, scenic view. They stood against the backdrop of the pale azure sky, dotted with a few clouds. The majestic peaks were green and brown, and they were gradual enough in their steepness to allow for walking trails.
The mountains were, in fact, well-travelled as one of the mountains was a pilgrimage site. The very end of one of the World Tree's three roots extended out of the side of one of the thick, stone peaks. The long, serpentine root coiled around the rock before curving and reaching its wooden tendril into the sky. It was the same root that passed through the Chasm of Creation, stretching all the way from the World Tree further north. The peak in question was called Yggdrasil's Mount. However, recently it began to be colloquially known as the Wise One's Peak. If one were to walk up the mountains, they'd be able to look over the whole of New Terminal. The mountains stood sentinel over the outskirts of New Terminal and provided the city with a bountiful amount of minerals and water.
Alphamon took a seat on the stone bench and leaned back against the backrest. Ouryumon sat beside him but made sure not to sit too close.
The black Royal Knight gazed at the pond in front of them, watching as three fishes swam around energetically.
Ouryumon grinned as his violet eyes rested on the tranquil water as well. "I see that Phi, Chi, and Psi are as energetic as ever," he observed, watching the fish in question swim around.
"Yes…" Alphamon responded, smiling a bit. However, the smile disappeared and his eyes turned up to look at the distant mountain. He leered at the giant, natural landmark, and grew deep in thought.
The gold dragon turned his head and looked at the Royal Knight. "Hey, remember when I fell in the pond while trying to feed them? Then I accidentally pulled you in when you tried to fish me out?" he said with a laugh.
Alphamon turned towards him and chuckled, as if welcoming the distraction. "You were moving around too much," he remembered.
"It seems so long ago. We were only Champion levels at that point. Damn, how old are those fish?" Ouryumon asked with a smile.
"They're a very long-lived species. Wind-tails," Alphamon told him.
Ouryumon leaned his long, serpentine back against the stone backrest and relaxed his posture, coiling up slightly on the bench. "Oh… But we have a lot of good memories here, right?" he asked his friend.
Alphamon smiled and nodded. "Yes, we do…" His crimson eyes turned down to the pond in front of them, which still managed to reflect the distant mountain in it. "I'm glad that I have a great friend that I can share them with…"
Ouryumon turned his head to look at Alphamon, his heart warm and fluttering at this words. His eyes rested on Alphamon's face. The Royal Knights eyes stared down thoughtfully. The strength and serenity of Alphamon's eyes always made Ouryumon feel at ease. He could tell from looking at them that Alphamon was always thinking. This stood in contract to Ouryumon, who was a Digimon of action. Ouryumon felt obligated to make the first move, knowing that Alphamon was likely overthinking his feelings.
Alphamon, as the leader of the Royal Knights, had to be decisive. However, over the past couple years, he had become more cautious, and less willing to make the first move in discussions and even sparring. Ouryumon knew that it had to do with what happened with DarkKnightmon and Omegamon. Alphamon felt like he had acted too rashly in regards to both of them. It ended up with Omegamon being turned against him, and DarkKnightmon nearly killing people that he cared about. In the end, Alphamon was forced to kill DarkKnightmon, and there had been something different about Alphamon ever since.
Ouryumon knew that the guilt was still there. It was a large reason of what kept him from being more aggressive in trying to rekindle his relationship with Alphamon. He wanted to take things slowly for Alphamon's sake. He didn't want to rush him back into it while they were on their break. For awhile, he was content to just be Alphamon's best friend. However, it made him happy to know that they could still talk casually and reminisce like this. There was no air of tension anymore. It was far different from the first month after their argument and break up. After DarkKnightmon's defeat, they had been on good terms, but there were still a few unspoken words between them that sometimes caused an atmosphere.
The Captain of the Strike Forces was relieved and happy. Everything felt just like it used to now. He gazed longingly at Alphamon, his emotions urged on by the nostalgia of the setting. The mood felt right, and the atmosphere felt right. He felt like this was the time to act.
The golden ryu sat up straighter on the bench. He moved his arm down and gently put his gloved claws on top of Alphamon's hand, which pressed against the smooth, flat face of the bench. He softly pressed the palm of his hand against the back of Alphamon's hand.
Alphamon was immediately pulled out of his thoughts and his eyes widened with shock. He turned his head and looked down to see Ouryumon's hand on top of his own. He turned his head up to look at Ouryumon with stunned, questioning eyes. "Ouryumon…?"
Ouryumon looked at him with a warm smile. "It feels right, doesn't it?" he asked him.
"What…?" Alphamon responded, stunned by the action.
"You and me," Ouryumon told him, squeezing Alphamon's hand as he moved a bit closer to him. "Back together like this… I like us being able to relax together like this."
Alphamon's face heated up and his eyes stared at Ouryumon with shock and confusion at the seemingly abrupt action. On instinct, he slid his hand out from under Ouryumon's and pulled it away. He stood to his feet to put distance between himself and Ouryumon. Contrary to what Ouryumon thought, their relationship was the last thing on Alphamon's mind at the moment. In fact, his mind was somewhere else, and he had been taken completely off guard by Ouryumon's actions. He was not in the right frame of mind to reciprocate or even think about the issue. "O-Ouryumon…" he spoke in a breath. "I don't…"
Ouryumon's eyes widened with alarm at Alphamon's sudden and unexpected rebuff. He didn't understand. Alphamon seemed so receptive just a minute ago. Fear and horror started to flood through him. He felt his heart beginning to sink down his long body. "Wait… I thought… You were…" he stammered.
The Royal Knight grimaced and looked at Ouryumon. "I'm… sorry, Ouryumon. I don't know what you thought, but I don't think this is a good idea right now. I… I really can't be dealing with this at the moment. I have a lot of things—"
Ouryumon's gold and brown face turned bright red with embarrassment and mortification. "I-I get it," he said hurriedly, immediately springing to his feet and turning away with a bitter expression. "Sorry. I guess I misread the signals. I just thought that… Ugh, fuck!"
Alphamon's eyes softened when he saw Ouryumon's humiliated, agitated, and insecure body language. He saw the dragon readying his wings as he started to walk away from Alphamon, making no sign of turning back. Pangs of guilt began to assault Alphamon's heart. "Ouryumon, wait…"
"Forget it," Ouryumon responded, continuing to walk away and beginning to head around the house. "Just forget that this ever happened. I've got a lot of stuff to do too."
Alphamon half-heartedly made to go after him. "Ouryumon…"
"I'll meet you later, I guess," Ouryumon told him in a curt, deflated voice. There was a grimace on his face as he crouched down and lunged into the air. He flapped his metal wings and began flying away before Alphamon could stop him.
The Lord of the Empty Seat watched sadly as Ouryumon flew into the air and disappeared behind the roofs of the houses. He brought his hand to his face and rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "Damn it…" he whispered with frustration. Alphamon knew that going after him wasn't a good idea in their states.
The sound of the backdoor opening behind Alphamon prompted him to glance over his shoulder.
WarGreymon X-Antibody walked out with a tray of two cups of tea, biscuits, cream and sugar. He headed towards the table but stopped abruptly when he couldn't see Ouryumon anywhere in sight. "Alphamon? Where did Ouryumon go?" he asked him, looking over at his son.
"He remembered that had to be somewhere…" Alphamon responded, turning around to face him, although his eyes lingered on the ground.
WarGreymon X-Antibody wasn't entirely convinced. "Did something happen?" he asked him.
Alphamon shook his head. He looked over his shoulder and stared up at the Argent Mountains. "Actually… there's something I need to do as well," he told his father as he gazed at the rocky peaks. "Sorry to leave suddenly, but I'll be back in a few hours. I just feel that I need to get it over with…"
The dragon man frowned and placed the tray of tea on the nearby table. "Well… Alright. I trust your judgment," he told him. "Although, at least have your tea first."
Alphamon turned his head and opened his mouth, beginning to decline. However, he stopped himself and decided that it would be impolite, and that he also needed the tea to calm his nerves. "Very well…" he complied, walking over and sitting down at the deck table with a soft sigh.
"Are you sure everything's alright, Alphamon?" WarGreymon X-Antibody asked him.
Alphamon closed his eyes and took the steaming cup of red tea in his hand. "It will be…" he responded, opening his eyes and gazing down into the red liquid. "I hope."