Chapter 5: She Who Seeks the Truth

Hello! Hope has returned with the fifth chapter! Sorry for the wait! Things came up, and then I was visiting a friend of mine for a week… Yeah. Today, I was sitting at home, being bored, and I was about to take a nap or something. Then I remembered I hadn't finished this chapter yet, and here I am.

"..talking.." - Speaking out loud

Thinking - thinking or reading from analyzer

'Texting' - text message

"Digimon" - evolution or important words

"Attack" - attack move

Talk - Human Spirit communicating

Talk - Beast spirit communicating

Disclaimer: *sigh* is this even necessary? I don't own digimon, okay?

Chapter 5: She Who Seeks the Truth

Kouji was having a bad day.

To start things off, he was stuck in a foreign world without his friends. That in itself is enough to make anyone grumpy. But it didn't stop there. He woke in the morning to a thunderstorm. Getting soaked with rain and pelted by the wind wasn't how he planned to start the day. To make things even better, he was starving. He managed to get a stale bagel from a small bakery that took pity on him somewhat, but that was stolen by a stray hound.

Yes, Kouji was having a very bad day.

Socks and sneakers squishing with the assaulting water, Kouji trudged along the sidewalk, glaring at the people that were happily dry inside buildings or under umbrellas.

At this point, Kouji was nearly numb. The cold had begun to settle in his bones, and he couldn't ward off the relentless shivering. His clothes did nothing to help, as they were just as wet as the rest of him. The continuous gale forced raindrops to hinder his vision, and his bandanna was glued to his head.

Seeking shelter from the onslaught of water, Kouji cursed nature before running towards an old, abandoned building. He knew he could've easily went to a house to ask for shelter, but he didn't want to jeopardize himself when they asked where he lived or who his parents were. That, and his pride was getting in the way.

It was quite dusty in the ancient structure. Dust covered almost everything, and the other areas were eaten away by termites. Making sure there wasn't a soul in sight, Kouji concentrated until there was a small ball of light in his hand. Letting it float freely in the air, he pulled a tarp off of one of the few pieces of furniture. He coughed violently with the dust that was suddenly released.

Sitting down, he tried to recount everything that had happened to him thus far.

First of all, he and his friends were enjoying a normal day before crap hit the fan. Everything went downhill after that. He didn't know where his fellow warriors were at, he was starving and homeless, and a random voice in his head taught him to create things out of light.

I'm not just a voice in your head, Kouji. I told you, I'm Lobomon. And I thought that making things out of light was pretty cool.

Balls of light don't do squat, Lobomon. Wait until you learn real techniques, kid. You'll be wielding swords and blinding people in no time.

Light doesn't need to be used to hurt others, KendoGarurumon.

Preach to someone that cares. In battle, you can't afford to play nice.

Kouji sighed, trying to ignore the bickering voices. He could understand why they were always disagreeing, though. After all, Lobomon was the more human aspect of AncientGarurumon, while KendoGarurumon was more animalistic. The values they hold are different, so the thoughts they have also differ.

Anyway, look sharp, Kouji. Someone has arrived.

Could you cut the theatrics for a second?

Shut it.

Quickly dousing the light, Kouji stood, tensed and alert. His eyes searched the scene, picking up every detail. He knew the exact moment the girl arrived.

She had a green hat on her head, and her red hair greatly contrasted it. She held an odd machine in her hand. The device had two antennae on the top.

She kept staring at the screen of her electronic, pacing back and forth around the area. She didn't even notice Kouji.

Then, a small voice called out.

"Kaoru, someone's here." A small orange thing appeared, with bat-like wings on its head. It was a Patamon. He flew quietly at his companion's side.

"Hmm?" Kaoru looked around before catching sight of Kouji. "Ah! You must be searching for the truth as well!"

Kouji was very confused at this point, but kept it away from his expression.

"Do you know what that thing is that's next to you?" he asked. Since this wasn't his world, he didn't know how much the public knew about the existence of Digimon.

"Don't you? It's a Digimon, of course!" she exclaimed. "Patamon here is my partner."

"I see," Kouji responded. These two seemed to be the only ones in the vicinity, minus himself.

"Have you been living under a rock this entire time? Digimon pop up everywhere."

"Sorry, I'm not from around here."

"I guess that makes sense. Only a few of us have the privilege of having a partner, but Digimon like to show up at random around here. Most of the public have gradually accepted their existence, but some are still skeptical. I'm just seeking the truth of the matter," Kaoru explained.

"Truth?" Kouji questioned. "What do you mean by that?" Kouji was getting ahead of himself. He shouldn't be conversing casually with a stranger. He should be finding ways out of this situation, not asking questions. Kaoru answered him regardless.

"I want to know what Digimon really are. I want to know why they are here. I want to know why people seem to have a memory lapse at the same time, myself included. All of these mysteries must be brought to light! The truth will always shine a pathway!" Kaoru exclaimed excitedly. "Patamon!" she called, "let's go find some answers!"

"Right!" her partner saluted. Both rushed off deeper into the building. Kouji was left alone, quietly wondering about the girl's sanity. Then something moved.

It wasn't caused by Kaoru or the Patamon, nor did Kouji himself do anything. It wasn't even very noticeable. The warrior of light only caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye. But the shadow was enough to prompt Kouji to move, following after where the others had gone. One thought rang clearly in his mind, echoed by the extra presences.

He and the other two weren't alone.

Darkness pooled in large shadows. Three figures stood still, waiting for their master's arrival. Black contraptions were around their necks and arms. A small boy waltzed into their line of vision, seemingly pleased.

"Finally, the time has come. The final piece has been put into play," he announced. His voice was unlike any child's. It was sinister, and slippery, and it reeked of pure evil.

Something whirred behind the three figures, before a large object was thrust into their backs. They only grunted slightly in pain.

"Just a bit more insurance, though I doubt it will be needed," he chuckled lowly. "Now the fun can begin."

To Be Continued…

Okay, I know I said that the last one was short, which was funny because it was the longest so far. But this one is really short, like, for real. I'm sorry. But I wasn't sure how Kouji and Kaoru would interact. Kaoru seemed like a straight forward person in the show, and Kouji is… well, Kouji. So yeah. I hope you liked it, and if not, I understand. This chapter was rough.