Pre-Author's note: Hello? Hello? Hmm this place looks familiar; I know I've been here before. It's kind of creepy though, it looks like it's been uninhabited for ages. I wonder what's under this layer of dust?...it looks like…no it can't be…it is! It's a story! That's right, I'm back…almost. When I went on hiatus it was only supposed to be for a month (I think, it's been so long I can't really remember) but then I got really wrapped up in track (we had an awesome season we were second in the district and my 4x200 relay went to regionals but I digress.) But in the mist of the season my laptop crashed. I lost a few chapters as well as all the quotes I was going to use for the top of the chapters. I also lost loads of "half-chapters" (they weren't even half-chapters they were more of scenes that I'd write out before I got to that specific chapter.) anyway…I lost everything and I was really unmotivated to start over but I have. (I've actually written them out on paper, I've learned not the leave things sitting on my computer.) I'm not to the point of constant updates yet but I felt bad for leaving you all out to dry. But I promise I'll start updating regularly soon.
Author's note: Personally I hate this chapter and not only because I've written it three times; it's just kind of a filler/ information chapter. And I really dislike those but I will admit they're needed. So here's a boring chapter for you all (in all honestly that's probably not the best way to start a chapter, but I don't lie.) So here it is without further adieu: chapter 5
Disclaimer: I've been gone for nearly eight months if owned Digimon don't you think i'd have updated sooner?
"Friends show their love in times of trouble..."
- Euripides
"So how are we going to do this?" J.P. asked as the group huddled in the park afterschool; it had been about a week since their last trip to the Digital World.
"Well," Kouji began, keeping his voice low as to not draw the attention of any passerby. "We need to find the leaders of the human and beast types. Once we find them then they might tell us what started everything."
"Then we can go and stop it!" Takuya interrupted enthusiastically.
"No," Kouji said firmly.
"No?"
"If we do then we'll mess up the timeline and the war will just begin another time, we'll be back at square one."
"You really think there's a third party involved?" J.P. asked skeptically.
"There has to be, they wouldn't be fighting over the same thing as last time without something provoking them," Kouji continued.
"If we don't stop the war from the start, how are we going to fix everything?" Takuya asked looking annoyed.
"We need to unite the human and beast type," Kouji began.
"And the only way to do that is to prove someone else is involved," Kouichi said, finishing his brother's thought.
"I hate when they do that," J.P. whispered to Tommy.
"Let's go to the beast digimon," Takuya said quickly as he stepped in front of Kouji who was shooting daggers at J.P.
"We can't just go whenever we want. Time's evened out, we'd worry our parents," Kouichi muttered as the others nodded in agreement.
"That's why we lie. Come on Kouichi, think outside your morals," Takuya chuckled. "Everyone tell your parents you're spending the weekend at my house and I'll say I'm at Kouji's. Z will just make up a name, right Z?...Z?
"Sorry," Zoe muttered sheepishly. "I've just been a bit distracted."
"Well it's time to find our old friend Bearmon," Takuya said, cutting off Zoe.
"A beast type," Kouji whispered to his brother who looked slightly confused.
"Ok, meet me at my house in an hour," Takuya said as the parted ways.
--
"If we get caught we're dead," Kouichi complained to his brother as the two walked towards Takuya's house.
"Don't worry, for some reason Takuya's actually pretty good at covering our asses, he won't let us get caught."
"I guess," an unconvinced Kouichi muttered as the two made their way through Takuya's backyard as they we instructed to.
"Finally," Takuya whispered as he gestured the two inside. "Is everyone ready?"
"Yep," J.P. answered for the lot. "Two days and three nights worth of supplies and food, we're set. Let's go!"
--
"This is ridiculous!" Takuya nearly yelled after the group had been wondering for over two hours without coming in contact with any digimon whatsoever.
"Then can we take a break?" J.P. whined, "I'm exhausted."
"No," Kouji said flatly as he turned to glare at his friend. "We need to find Bearmon."
"But if we do find him and we can't form coherent sentences then there's no point," J.P. moaned as Tommy nodded in agreement.
"Fine," Takuya sighed, throwing his backpack into a clearing. "But you have to set up camp."
--
"This reminds me of the night Tommy when bat-shit crazy," Takuya mused once they had finished setting up camp.
"It wasn't my fault," Tommy whined. "Besides you did it once too."
"Can you believe we were only here a few months ago, it seems like a lifetime has passed," J.P. sighed, interrupting the impending argument.
"I almost don't recognize the person I was when I came here," Takuya chuckled as he fiddled with his D-tector.
"Do you ever wonder where we would be if we didn't answer those texts?" Zoe asked with a slightly nostalgic smile.
"Well with it being a Friday night we all know where I'd be," J.P. chuckled, nudging Takuya in the side.
"At home watching soap operas?" Kouji said with a smug smile.
"My favorite moment," Tommy began quickly before J.P. could get another word out, "was when I made those amazing hamburgers."
"Oh jeez, don't bring those up," Takuya groaned, "I can still taste mine and Kouji's."
"Whatever," Kouji grumbled, "I will admit it was kinda fun to use my kendo training on those Pagumon."
"I liked playing with the digimon at the school," Zoe sighed, looking into the distance.
"Well," Takuya laughed. "I'd do the Trailmon race again in a heartbeat."
"Designing the boat was fun, not that you guys used my ideas but it was still fun," J.P. said, looking slightly annoyed.
"I miss the whole beginning," Zoe said with a far-off look, "you know before the whole Duskm-" she stopped abruptly looking terrified. "That's not what I meant," she stammered quickly.
"No it's ok," Kouichi said quietly, avoiding everyone's gaze.
"I'm so, so sorry."
"Don't be," he mumbled. "I did kinda mess it up for you guys."
"That's so not true though," she squeaked before Takuya interrupted.
"Ok," he chuckled uneasily, "I think it's about time we get some sleep. Who wants first look out? Or should we flip a coin?"
"I'll take it," Kouichi said quickly. "And seriously Zoe, it's ok," he added when he saw her anxious expression.
"I really didn't mean it," she said in a small voice as they laid out leaves for makeshift beds.
--
"You ok? Or are you upset with what I said?" Zoe asked from her bed of leaves once everyone else was asleep.
"I'm fine," Kouichi muttered without taking his eyes off the fire.
She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was lying so she quietly, as to not wake the others, made her way to him. "Kouichi…" she whispered, taking the stick he had been using to poke the fire out of his hand and laying it on the other side of her.
For a moment the two sat in silence before Kouichi finally spoke up. "I guess I'm still not completely over what I did. I don't think I ever will be."
"Kouichi you've more than made up for your little stint as Duskmon," Zoe laughed before noticing that Kouichi wasn't so much as smiling.
"Zoe I've killed. I intentionally took another living beings life without so much as a second thought. Nothing will ever make up for the evil inside me," he whispered, looking pained.
"Kouichi…" Zoe muttered before pulling him into a hug, her means of communication when she couldn't find the right words. "You were willing to give up your life to save us; an evil person couldn't do that."Kouichi didn't respond, instead he gently pushed Zoe off of him and began staring into the fire again.
The two sat in silence that was only broken by the faint snoring of the others until a deafening explosion rang through the air. Kouichi and Zoe were quickly on their feet holding their D-tectors as the others woke and followed suit.
"Finally I get to be Agunimon," Takuya said triumphantly as his hand began to glow with data.
The moment his hand lit up though another explosion nearly knocked the gang off their feet as a Grizzlymon burst into the clearing. After a moment they could tell that he didn't pose a threat by the fact that he looked just about as frazzled as they were.
"What's going on?" Kouji yelled the roar of a growing battle.
For a moment the digimon simply observed the group but then quickly motioned for them to follow him. "Shouldn't we stop the fight?" Tommy called over the sound of falling trees.
"We need answers," J.P. yelled as the quickly gathered their bags, "besides we definitely can't stay here."
With a simultaneously nod the group took off after the fleeing digimon. They continued their chase until they reached a small cave on the outskirts of the forest. They hesitantly followed the digimon inside where they sat silently and listened to the distant explosions and muffled screams.
"They took it too far," Grizzlymon said, shaking his head and staring at his paws.
"How did this start?" Takuya said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.
When he heard Takuya's voice Grizzlymon looked up suddenly to get a better view of the group. "Zoe! Kouji!" he said excitedly as he pulled Kouichi and Zoe into a hug.
"I'm…I'm not Kouji," Kouichi stammered as Takuya and J.P. stifled their laughter.
"Sorry," Grizzlymon laughed as he let go of the two and pulled Kouji into a bear hug. (Bad pun intended.) "It's me!" he said warmly as the group just looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"I'm the Bearmon you helped, remember you helped me and Kote-"
"Yeah yeah we remember." J.P. interrupted harshly. "But we fixed it, why are you guys at war again?" At this Grizzlymon simply hung his head in shame.
"We can help if you let us," Tommy said gently, placing his hand as close to the digimon's shoulder as he could reach as the others nodded.
"I don't think you can this time," he said in a voice almost inaudible over the distant battle.
"Why not?" Kouichi muttered.
"It's more complicated this time," he said, punching his paw against the cave wall and causing everyone to jump slightly.
"Just tell us," Takuya coaxed, "we're here to help."
"Oh cut the crap and tell us!" Kouji growled once Grizzlymon didn't respond.
"Fine," he sighed. "The human type murdered HippoGryphomon."
"Not to sound heartless or anything but," Takuya began after an awkward silence, "how is that a problem? Aren't digimon reborn?"
"They destroyed his digi-egg," he said in a surprisingly calm voice. "They said they were superior and they were gonna take their "rightful place" as ruler of the Digital World. Needless to say we don't exactly agree."
"How'd it happen?" Tommy squeaked.
"Don't know," Grizzlymon muttered. "I was visiting Dinohumon, the Kotemon that you helped, and when I came back it was chaos. They left a note in HippoGryphomon's home saying, and I quote: "We are tired of living with your mediocrity and we refuse to continue as equals. This marks the beginning of the restoration of the natural order of the Digital World."
"Long note," J.P. whispered only to receive a jab in the stomach by Zoe.
"The next day," he continued. "A whole town of ours was wiped out on the Ice Continent."
For a moment there was silence apart from the sounds of the approaching battle until J.P. spoke up, "Well. Do you know who led the attack?"
At this question Grizzlymon let out a pained growl and walked to the back of the cave. "If you know you need to tell us," Kouji said in a low voice.
"It was Dinohumon," he mumbled as the others exchanged shocked glances. "I trusted-we trusted him."
"Grizzlymon we promise we're gonna fix this," Takuya said, his voice dripping with sincerity.
Grizzlymon just stared at the group for a moment before nodding slowly with a glint of hope in his eye that they hadn't seen before.
Author's Note: I hope that I didn't disappoint you :/ anyway hopefully I'll start the regular updates by the end of September.