All of Magnolia was in an uproar, panicking over the storm and the strong magic that had struck ground just beyond their borders.
Was it just an anomaly of the weather?
Was it Fairy Tail, letting a brawl get out of hand?
Or was it a dangerous mage instead, a dark guild threatening war?
Looking out over the northern forest from his second-story office window, Makarov watched the clouds suddenly dissipate back into clear blue sky, frowning in thought.
It was like the Anima, a spell that had breached the veil between Earthland and Edolas twice before to his knowledge, but swifter and seemingly benign.
Besides the light show, no damage had been wrought or threats revealed, and now everything seemed completely normal again.
"Is everything alright, master?" Mirajane worried, her gaze running over the sky in a wary arc. "Do you know what that was?"
"Unfortunately, I do not." He admitted, arms cross as he took in the heavy scent of magic still in the air. "This is unlike anything I have ever witnessed before."
That alone was disconcerting; Fairy Tail's guild master had been around for many years, and was at least familiar with most forms of magic available to mages.
For him to not even have an inkling…
"Gather up anyone who's available." Makarov decided, turning back to his desk with a thoughtful furrow to his brow. "Natsu and Gajeel are still hanging around, and we'll need their noses to track down whatever or whoever did this."
"Yes, master." Mirajane replied, already going through possible candidates. "I'll bring them up right away."
As the young S-class mage exited, rushing to inform the older Dragon Slayers and anyone else not currently on business, the diminutive guild master sent another glance out towards the forest.
Could it be…?
"Okay, let me get this straight…" Casey voiced, rubbing the bridge of her nose as if fighting back a headache. "So you guys are…Digimon? And you come from a place called the Digital World?"
"Yup!" Koromon replied, giving that same toothy grin from her lap.
"Where is the Digital World?" Ma questioned, cradling Yokomon in her arms.
"The Digital World is in what you call the Archive." Motimon informed them, finally looking up from his intense comparison of his hand with Bee's. "The Digivices brought us here because you're our Bonded."
"Yeah, you're our partners!" Bukamon agreed, flying circles around Faye's head.
"Bonded?" Kim noted, dark blue eyes narrowing.
"It means we're connected now, two halves of the same whole." Tsunomon explained, calm. "The Digivices opened us to each other, so now you are my Warrior and I am your Digimon."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Faye cut in, holding Bukamon's mouth closed with both hands now that she had caught hold of the slippery Digimon. "So you're inside my head?"
Shaking and pulling his head free, Bukamon rubbed his snout with a playful glare.
"Course not!" He replied, pouting. "Our souls and magic are linked, but I'm not a mind-reader!"
"So how do you know we're connected?" Ally wondered, hugging Tanemon close as she played with the leaves sprouting from the Digimon's head.
"We just feel you." The sprout-like Digimon explained, humming contently. "Like being connected by a string from the inside."
"Wh-Why are w-we linked?" Bee pondered, voice soft as thoughts pulled her mind away from the present. "D-Did you ch-chose us? H-How? W-Was it th-the Digivices? A-Are they s-some sort o-of beacon?"
"Even we don't know everything." Motimon admitted. "All I know is that you're part of me now, and I'm part of you. There was no choosing or finding, just knowing."
"But why us?" Casey demanded, frowning. "Aren't there people in the Digital World for you guys to…Bond with?"
"Sure there are." Koromon assured, the ribbons on his head twitching like ears. "But we never felt the urge to Bond with any of them. Just you."
There was a brief spark of content, a warm little flash, and the red-haired teenager fell silent.
"If the Magic Council discovers this, we will likely be held for research." Kim noted, careful fingers petting down orange fur as Tsunomon shifted anxiously. "Removal of our Digimon is a high probability."
"What?" Ally squeaked, curling protectively over Tanemon. "Why?"
"We're not exactly part of any guild…" Ma admitted, running gentle fingertips over the petals blooming atop Yokomon's head. "The Council wouldn't want something like this out of their control, would they?"
"It doesn't matter!" Koromon insisted, bristling. "We're Bonded, and that's that! If anyone tries to take me away, I'll make 'em sorry!"
"But they're right." Casey cut in, quieting the group's nervous whispers. "We're on the edge of the law as it is. Without a guild, we're about two steps away from being dark mages and arrested. They wouldn't take that chance."
The others fell silent, unable to argue the point despite knowing they were far from being evil.
"S-So wh-wh-what d-do w-we d-do?" Bee whispered, hugging Motimon closer.
Frowning in thought, the redhead shared a look with Kim and Ma, a silent conversation passing between the trio.
"It seems there are only two options." The stoic girl finally stated, turning cool blue eyes on her companions as Tsunomon shuffled closer, fur puffing. "We either join a legal guild willing to protect us from the council's likely machinations, or we fall further off the grid to ensure no one ever discovers our secret."
A heavy silence followed her words as the other girls realized there was not much of a choice, since no legal guild they knew of would go against the council for a group of girls they had never met before.
Sighing gustily, Faye ran fingers through her messy hair, silver eyes locking on Bukamon's before she forcibly perked up.
"Well then, who wants lunch?"
Grinning toothily at the confused, unimpressed looks thrown her way, the eldest girl settled back easily, Bukamon flopped on her shoulder in breathless laughter.
"What?" She whined theatrically, holding her belly with both hands. "I have the rumblies! That only ham can satisfy!"
A chain smacked the multi-colored teen square in the forehead, knocking her back with a yelp.
Kim barely batted an eye as the magical weapon retreated into the glowing circle on her palm, stony as ever.
"Baka."
"We don't have to decide now." Ma soothed, tension leaking from her shoulders as a soft fragrance wafted up from the flower on Yokomon's head. "Let's find a place to sleep tonight, and discuss this more reasonably tomorrow?"
"I-I'll n-need s-some t-t-time t-to st-study th-the A-Archive…" Bee agreed, gaze flicking up for a moment before returning to Motimon's hands resting in her own.
"And I am kinda hungry…" Ally added shyly, smiling as Tanemon perked up at the idea of food.
Softening as her thoughts turned away from their likely future, Casey shrugged.
"Guess we can stop by a restaurant once we pick up the munchkins."
A chorus of agreements rose from the girls and their Digimon, eager to fill their stomachs after such a long day.
Casey paused as she started to stand, hair prickling across her arms as a low buzzing drone caught her notice.
Koromon bristled in her arms, practically vibrating with tension, and everyone went silent as their own partners did the same.
"Yokomon?" Ma whispered, a sense of uneasiness falling over her heart.
"What's going on? Bukamon?"
The buzz grew louder and louder, closer, and it sent a prickle of dread into each of them.
What was that?
Motimon jerked upright, dark eyes wide in sudden terror.
"It's Kuwagamon! RUN!"
There was no need to ask from what, since a massive red form crashed through the trees a moment later with such an earth-shaking roar that Casey, being the closest, actually felt her ears pop.
"GET AWAY FROM MY GIRL!" Koromon roared back, leaping straight at the towering red beetle without a moment's hesitation. "BUBBLE BLOW!"
The pink little spheres spattered on the larger Digimon's exoskeleton with a hiss, like acid searing into metal, and Kuwagamon reared back with a screech, the scissor-like pincers protruding from his mouth smacking Koromon out of the air as he flailed.
Pain crackled through her chest, aching as if the blow had been to her own flesh, and Casey lunged forward to catch the small Digimon before he hit ground.
Tucking herself in to roll underneath another swipe from those elongated mandibles, the redhead skidded on the upturned soil to find her footing, Koromon tucked close to her chest.
Taking advantage of this distraction, Kim rose to her feet in one fluid motion, Tsunomon tucked under one arm as the other yanked a startled Ally up as Casey dodged another, purposeful swing.
"GO!"
Kuwagamon roared as his prey fled into the trees, a signal, before tearing after them without heed of the thick trunks and tangled undergrowth in his way.
Weaving through the forest, Ma chanced a look over her shoulder to check if everyone was keeping up-
"LOOK OUT!"
The brunette yelped as gravity suddenly increased around her, landing on her knees and avoiding the thick tail that swung through the air right where her neck would have been.
Instinct took over, magic glowing in her palm as gravity snapped back to normal.
The snake-man jerked back as her palm struck his chest dead-on, the burst of magic that followed sending him flying back in a tangle of arms and tail on the grass.
Pulling back as her assailant rose with a fang-baring hiss, Ma almost stumbled as Yokomon leapt from her arms with a battle-cry.
"Bubble Blow!"
Eyes forced shut from the spray of acidic bubbles, the snake humanoid lashed out with claw-tipped hands, just barely missing the pink plant-like Digimon with his wild swings.
"Yokomon!"
Chains wrapped around the reptilian man's torso, pinning those flailing limbs, and tossed him back as the brunette leapt forward to catch her partner.
Bukamon and Tsunomon pressed the advantage as their partners stayed by Ma's side, fiercely protective.
"Bubble Blow!"
Flinching back as the double-spray of bubbles exploded against his face once more, the snake-man swung his tail in a heavy arc, smacking both diminutive Digimon away with bark-cracking force.
Kim paused, sucking in an audible breath, as Faye flinched, jaw tensing at the phantom pain that shot through her.
"Bukamon!"
Casey swore as the trees just behind her exploded in a spray of sharp splinters, skidding on the soft dirt to spin around and raise one hand, a seal flaring to life.
"Fire Magic: Fire Bullet!"
The magical flame struck Kuwagamon head-on and dissipated like smoke, failing to so much as slow the massive beetle Digimon down.
Practically crushing Koromon to her chest, the redhead leapt sideways to avoid the long mandibles that swung down at them, digging deep trenches into the grass.
"A-Archive Magic: F-Force Shield!"
Bee cried out as Kuwagamon's next blow shattered the magical screens, knees giving out as Motimon squeaked, clinging to her heavy purple sweater with both hands.
"Got ya!" Faye called, leaping forward to catch the smaller girl before she fully hit the ground.
Falling back into a familiar defensive position, the six young mages stood almost back-to-back, completely out of options.
The Digimon bristled, growling at these threats to their new Bonded, gazes flicking between the snake-like Warrior on one side and the hulking beetle Digimon on the other.
All their attacks did was delay the inevitable.
Koromon decided that wasn't good enough.
Casey jerked back at the force of his jump, gold eyes widening in sharp realization as the other Digimon followed Koromon's lead.
"Yokomon, no!"
"M-M-Motimon!"
"Tsunomon!"
"Bukamon! Dude, get back here!"
"No, Tanemon!"
"Damn it! KOROMON!"
The whole world seemed to slow down at that moment, as if waiting on baited breath, and the six little bodies burst into light, like exploding stars.
"Koromon, Digivolve to…Agumon!"
"Yokomon, Digivolve to…Biyomon!"
"Motimon, Digivolve to…Tentomon!"
"Tsunomon, Digivolve to…Gabumon!"
"Bukamon, Digivolve to…Gomamon!"
"Tanemon, Digivolve to…Palmon!"
And just like that, the tide of battle shifted.
"Pepper Breath!"
Kuwagamon screeched as the flames struck his exoskeleton, taking a step back as Gabumon and Biyomon joined the charge.
"Blue Blaster!"
"Spiral Twister!"
As they drove the beetle Digimon back with pained roars, the other three Digimon converged on their own target.
"Poison Ivy!"
Wrapping around one of the snake-man's arms, Palmon tugged him off-balance and made an opening for Gomamon to leap in, digging his teeth and claws into the opposite shoulder.
"Super Shocker!"
A flicker of movement caught Ally's eye then, but she was immediately distracted when Palmon threw the reptilian Warrior towards his Digimon partner, Gomamon falling and twisting through the air to land on his feet with the others as they came together for one last assault.
"Pepper Breath!"
"Blue Blaster!"
"Spiral Twister!"
"Super Shocker!"
The pair shrieked as their hides cracked and shattered under the strain, falling apart before their eyes into stardust and drifting away on a soft breeze, as if neither Soul or Digimon had ever been.
"Whoa…" Faye breathed, grey eyes wide.
"What the hell was that?!"
Casey felt her heart drop at the sight of other mages in the fresh-made clearing, guild marks stark against exposed skin.
So much for not letting anyone figure out our secret.
There was only one thing she could think to say.
"Fuck."