Part 1: The Five Generals

Chapter 8: Home Truths II – Best Friends

"I hate this!" Taiki vented, pacing a rut into the ground. Ever since Akari had left in tears, followed shortly after by Dorulumon, he had taken to the practice, finding himself unable to just simply sit still.

Shoutmon watched his General pace while he lay against the stone wall, resting himself after their strenuous battle against the Bagura Army. "Taiki, you need to rest," he advised, knowing that if Taiki felt half as exhausted as he looked, he'd be just about ready to pass out. When Taiki didn't respond, Shoutmon sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "You aren't going to be of any use to Akari if you're drained," he said reasonably.

"Shoutmon is right, kyu!" agreed Cutemon who had taken a seat next to Shoutmon, except he was lying on his back, looking at the clouds drifting by, not a care in the world. Little did he know that later that same night, Dorulumon would mirror his actions, except he would gaze at the stars.

Taiki merely continued to stew, his hands clenching into fists only to unclench the next second. He couldn't settle down, even though his eyes were heavy and his body desperately craved rest. His mind was feverish, his thoughts dominated by Akari.

It's my fault she's here in the Digital World, he agonised. I'm supposed to be protecting her...

"Taiki!" snapped Shoutmon, his patience worn thin by Taiki's constant movement. Taiki looked up at him, surprise written all over his face. "Worrying yourself into a frenzy will not help anybody." He stood and walked to Taiki; putting a firm hand on his back, Shoutmon led Taiki to the wall and forced him to sit. "You need to sleep. After you've recovered your strength, we'll go look for Akari and Dorulumon, so there's no need to be concerned, okay?"

Taiki was quiet, so Shoutmon felt relief course through his veins. Perhaps, once Taiki settled, he would be able to get some sleep himself. He could certainly use some. After the battle with MadLeomon, his body was on the verge of collapse. He moved to Taiki's side and sat back down. Cutemon had managed to fall asleep, despite their words, his even, steady breathing oddly soothing to him. I'm so sleepy... he thought as his eyes began to close of their own volition.

"I can't lose her," said Taiki suddenly, disturbing Shoutmon's attempt at slumber. Opening one frustrated eye, Shoutmon squinted at Taiki. The human boy hadn't moved, but his face held a determined expression and his fists were clenched tight.

"You won't lose her," said Shoutmon wearily. "You're just overtired and your mind is free to imagine the very worst scenarios. You haven't forgotten that Dorulumon is with her, have you? Trust me, he is very strong. He'll keep her safe."

"I know that, but..." Taiki exclaimed before falling into silence.

Shoutmon studied the brooding human boy for a moment before venturing to speak his thoughts, "She is...important to you, right?"

Taiki looked at him in surprise. "She's my best friend," he said unashamedly.

Shoutmon nodded at his words. They were what he honestly expected to hear. "I understand how you feel." Taiki looked as though he might argue with Shoutmon's words. "My best friend is missing as well."

Taiki's expression instantly thawed into a more subdued one. "Who is it?" he asked.

"Ballistamon," stated Shoutmon, his mouth turning into a small smile at the memory of his friend.

"How did you meet one another?" asked Taiki, legitimately interested in finding out more about Shoutmon's past.

"I fixed him." When Taiki simply tilted his head in confusion, Shoutmon decided to elaborate. "It was just like any other day. I was out, scouting the area surrounding the village. There had been strange noises reported by others in the area," he explained.

"Okay," said Taiki, following Shoutmon's tale thus far.

"So, there I was, walking through the forest – this forest, to be exact – and I could hear low moaning."

"Shoutmon, are you trying to tell me a scary story? I'm not really in the mood for something like that," Taiki retorted.

"No! I'm just telling you what happened. Anyway, as I got closer, the moaning became a random assortment of sounds."

"What was being said?"

"Even now, I still haven't a clue what they meant. Sounds like 'leg' and 'mast.'"

"Leg?"

"I know. It doesn't make any sense, right? But that's besides the point. I finally discovered the source of the strange sounds, and it was a Digimon. He couldn't move. All he could do was whine these words over and over, like he was stuck on repeat. I could see that he had been badly injured and some parts weren't in the right place. He's kind of mechanical by design, you see."

"Like a robot?" Taiki suggested.

"Not sure what you mean by that, but either way, he needed help. So, I took it upon myself to fix him as best I could. I can always remember the first thing he said when he woke up."

"What did he say?"

"'You are my best friend. Thank you for saving me.'" By the end, Shoutmon's voice was thick with emotion. "You know something? He was so right. He is my best friend...and I failed him."

"What do you mean?"

"You remember when you saved me, back in your world, right?" Shoutmon asked. Taiki nodded his agreement. "I never explained to you why I was near death." He cleared his throat while Taiki settled himself into a more comfortable position. "I challenged MadLeomon."

Taiki started. "You challenged MadLeomon? But why?"

"It was discovered that MadLeomon and his army would be coming to the Village of Smiles to destroy or enslave its population. I couldn't let that happen. It's my home and the Digimon who live there are my family. I decided that I would challenge MadLeomon. My thinking was that if I could defeat the strongest enemy, the rest of his army would run in terror."

"I understand what you were thinking, but you must have known he was going to be powerful," Taiki expressed.

"I did know that," Shoutmon answered. "I was fully prepared. I knew that I would either succeed or die. What I didn't realise is that I wouldn't be allowed to go on my own. As I reached the archway leading out of the village, Ballistamon stopped me. He told me that if I thought I was going to face the enemy alone, I might as well think again, because he wouldn't let his best friend fight by himself without support."

"He sounds like a true best friend," said Taiki, feeling awe at the level of their friendship.

"He is," smiled Shoutmon before his face became serious. "We headed for the Bagura Army. Even though we knew that it could end in our deaths, we were determined to see it through."

Cutemon gave off a loud snore, bringing the storytelling to a brief standstill. "I didn't even realise he'd gone to sleep," admitted Taiki, looking at the rabbit Digimon with a slight smile.

"He was exhausted," stated Shoutmon. "I could tell as soon as I Double Xrossed with Dorulumon that he was physically drained. They must have travelled far and fast to help us out of that situation." He gave a light smile of his own before he refocused on Taiki. "Where was I?" he mused. "Oh, yes. As we approached the Bagura encampment, their sentries spotted us."

"What did they do?" asked Taiki, feeling fearful despite knowing that Shoutmon was right there beside him.

"They ignored us." When Taiki looked towards him, incredulity on his face, Shoutmon continued. "I guess they thought us too below their ability. Either way, we were unchallenged on our approach. We marched into the centre of the camp and ordered the commander to appear. That was when MadLeomon appeared."

"He looked at us for the briefest second, then he attacked without warning. I could feel his claws cut into me deep, and I thought for sure he was going to slice me into pieces."

Taiki grit his teeth as he listened to Shoutmon dispassionately describe his past battle – if that was what it could be called – against MadLeomon. "How could he attack like that?"

"If you didn't notice from the battle earlier, Taiki, MadLeomon doesn't care about things like honour and valour. The sooner he kills his enemies, the better. That is his way of thinking. I remember he looked at us with a bored expression, spat at us, then kicked me out of the encampment. I rolled for a while until I was left face-down in the dirt, just waiting to die. That was when I heard your voice, Taiki. You know the rest."

"What about Ballistamon?"

"I don't know. He was just as badly hurt as me. More, maybe, because he tried to shield me. As much as I don't want to think about it, it's more than possible that MadLeomon..." He trailed off, not needing to voice his thoughts. Taiki understood well enough exactly what Shoutmon was saying.

"...I'm sorry, Shoutmon," said Taiki finally. Shoutmon looked at him, confused. "With all my fretting over Akari, I must have been reminding you of your friend."

"You weren't to know, Taiki," said Shoutmon genially. "Besides, I know that Ballistamon wouldn't want me feeling down. Who knows? He may still be alive, somewhere," he added with a wishful lilt.

"I'm sure he is," agreed Taiki who felt an awful lot more relieved since his discussion with Shoutmon. "We should rest, Shoutmon."

"That's what I told you before," grumbled Shoutmon, but unbeknownst to Taiki, he had a slight grin on his face as he said it.

Taiki lay on his back, looking up at the stars for a short while longer. Don't worry, Akari. I'm coming for you. I will protect you. I swear it.

oOo

Little did any of them know, the General of Static Flash was looking at a similar sky, albeit it one from a different Zone. He wasn't alone either. His partner Digimon was sat by his side, a contemplative expression on his face.

"What is troubling you, General?" he asked, looking to the human for his answer.

The General breathed deeply before sighing. "It's been a long time since I was home."

"You're feeling homesick?"

"I'm...not sure," he admitted. "I'm just feeling a little unnerved by her visit."

"The human girl?"

"Yes," he answered. "I had heard rumours of other humans being in the Digital World, but hearing rumours and actually seeing one are two completely different things. I wonder if she knows a way home..."

"I hope you aren't thinking of abandoning me, General." Although there was a teasing quality to the words, the underlying threat was still evident. The General simply laughed it off.

"Of course not!" he replied. "There's no reason to be concerned. Static Flash's goal is the same it has always been: defeating the Bagura Empire and bringing peace to the Digital World."

His apprehension sated, the Digimon settled himself once more to looking at the stars. "...The stars are pretty tonight."

The General paused for a moment, looked once more, then smiled. "They sure are."

To Be Continued...

oOo

A/N: Taiki's worrying is - for the moment - appeased, thanks to Shoutmon and his tale. With the dawn of the new day, Taiki, Shoutmon and Cutemon will head out in search of their comrades. When they meet again, will everything remain the same? Or will a metamorphosis have occured? Answers, as always, inupcoming chapters.

P.S. I thought I should thank you all. Together, we have breached the 1,000 hit mark. For me, this is quite the achievement and is a very real way of seeing the support that this story is receiving. I would like to thank those who have reviewed and those who have added/ alerted. Most of all, I would like to thank everyone for reading this story and giving it a chance. Your support is greatly appreciated. Here's to another 1,000!