ZAFT: Another Monday update. I hope everyone enjoyed last chapter~ XD
DarkFoxKit: People seem to be more interested now that we finally brought the Digimon into it.
ZAFT: And we have a plot for involving the Digital World too, so that helps as well. XD
Takuya: But being marketed as a video game? That's devious if not ingenious.
Andy: The video game idea kinda came at the last minute. Truth be told, these two didn't really know how to bring in the Digital World before then.
DarkFoxKit: You shush, are you trying to make us look bad?
Andy: You mean like how you two do every time you update?
ZAFT: For that, Andy, expect some serious torment next time Kit and I write together… :3
Andy: You do that anyways, so I don't care anymore.
DarkFoxKit: Alright, Mr. Grumpy Pants. I'll take you to the 'treatment' while the readers read the chapter.
Andy: … No… no, no, no, don't you dare!
(Two symbols, one red, and one blue, spin before colliding and flaring with light as they do so, showing the title)
Digital Phantom!
(Shows six forms in shadow before they are revealed to be Danny Fenton, Sam Manson, Tucker Foley, Takuya Kanbara, Andy Fenton, and Jazz Fenton)
Falling into destiny
(A swirling green portal is shown, followed by the sky and cities of the living world before a computer monitor is zoomed in on, revealing another world of lush greenery through that)
Reaching across new boundaries
(Andy Fenton appears with Jazz beside him. Takuya Kanbara appears behind him as well, the form of Agunimon appearing behind Takuya himself)
Let our stories come together
(Andy is shown with the form of Phantom beside him, a black-haired boy with blue eyes behind the ghost boy)
Growing stronger
(Andy looks on at Phantom fighting before running to help the ghost boy by taking out his Fenton Rod)
Our pasts intertwine
(Six glowing orbs of light are shown, each of a different color (red, teal, lavender, dark purple, white, and yellow) before the red orb speeds towards Takuya)
Showing our future
(Takuya holds up his D-Tector before fractal code surrounds him, dissipating as fire erupts from it, revealing him as Agunimon, lunging out from the fire as Plasmius fires off ecto-rays at him, only for a glowing orange orb to appear around Agunimon and deflect the beams)
As we evolve
(The blasts speed past the screen as Tucker is shown with a Fenton Wrist ray being fired at a ghost)
Let's go… EVOLUTION
(Sam is shown with her Fenton Lipstick, firing it at a different ghost)
As our worlds collide
(Jazz is shown beside Andy, her hand on his shoulder as Andy looked shell-shocked by something)
We stand as one
(Jack and Maddie Fenton are shown, with the Fenton Works logo behind them as it glows green)
Growing strong
(A shadowed form is shown with blue eyes and a glowing white blade erupting from what looks like a giant weapon in the form's hands)
As we move along
(Danny is shown walking down the street with those closest to him appearing one by one; Andy, Tucker, Sam, Takuya, and Jazz.)
CHOU… SHINKA!
(Fractal code is shown before it dissipates to reveal Agunimon lunging out of the dissipating data, fire around his left fist)
Let's go… EVOLUTION!
(The group is shown facing down Plasmius, who looms above them with hands outstretched as a dark form appears behind Plasmius himself.)
Nothing will stand in our way!
(Andy, Danny, Tucker, Sam, Jazz, and Takuya all appear with ribbons of fractal code streaming out from behind them, a swirling green orb behind the ribbons of fractal code.)
Digital Phantom!
Chapter 26: The Digi-School
"Please tell me again why we're going through a sunflower field?" Andy grumbled. "And are you sure we're not lost? Everything is starting to look the same to me."
"This is the way JP pointed in." Takuya grumbled. "Not to mention Patamon is leading us through here."
"It's not much further." Patamon said from just a few feet ahead of Takuya, Andy, and Lopmon.
"Is there a reason why we have to walk through this forest of flowers?" Lopmon grumbled.
"The schools are usually put in secluded places. It's in places that are great for a learning environment for different types of Digimon," Patamon answered. "And it gives the little ones freedom to roam around and explore."
"Doesn't it increase the chances of the kids to get lost though?" Andy asked.
"Usually no." Patamon replied. "The little ones know to not venture too far from the school, not unless there is a stronger Digimon with them to keep them safe."
"Usually, huh?" Andy raised an eyebrow.
"Admittedly… there have been a few incidents where some of the little ones run off," Patamon sighed. "But usually the teacher would find them."
"It just seems like a design flaw to not have some kind of gate around the school so the kids can't just run off on their own," Andy remarked.
"Admittedly, while that has been proposed before, the teachers each determine whether or not they want that, and so, some schools have gates, others do not." Patamon admitted. "It's usually not considered an option because the young Digimon want to wander around and explore."
I know Patamon said he's been to a school before, but he acts like an adult that knows how the system works rather than a kid who just came out of school. Takuya noted. I wonder if Andy's noticed it too.
"Are we going to be there soon? My legs are hurting from all this walking," Lopmon complained.
"Maybe I should carry you," Andy offered.
"That's nice, Andy, but you're getting pretty tired yourself. I don't want to be more of a burden to you," Lopmon replied.
Andy frowned. I haven't been able to get any sleep since the Ember incident, and I had been pretty tired then. I do hope we can find a place to rest soon at the very least…
Takuya frowned as well, seeing how tired Andy looked, and how tired Lopmon was getting as well. "Well, just hang in there a bit more. I'm sure the school's not that far away." He said as he grinned, trying to be optimistic about things.
"We're pretty much already there, take a look." Patamon grinned.
Takuya, Andy, and Lopmon could see the end of the sunflower field. They walked out of it, and saw a huge valley below them. There was a small building down there.
"Is that the school?" Andy asked, surprised by how tiny it was.
"Yep! That's the school!" Patamon said as he flew down next to Andy. "That's where you will learn about the history of the Digital World and other helpful things."
The Nasty Burger is bigger than that tiny place. Andy sweatdropped. "Well… I guess a school's a school."
"Now we just have to get down there," Lopmon chuckled.
"There's a pathway leading down to the bottom of the hill," Patamon pointed out. "It shouldn't take you too long to get down there."
Takuya grinned. "It looks like a straight shot down there." He said as he looked at Andy. "You want to race down there?"
Andy looked at Takuya. "You want a race?"
"Yup!" Takuya smiled.
"Hmmm… loser buys the winner their next Nasty Burger meal?" Andy grinned.
Takuya grinned as well. "You're on then!" He said with a chuckle. "I accept that challenge!"
"Okay, then on your marks, get set, go!" Andy shouted.
Takuya took off running down the path. While Andy had been getting a lot of dodge training in, he still wouldn't be a match for Takuya when it came to athletics. Andy had only started physical training a few months ago, Takuya had been doing this for years.
"Aren't you going to run after him?" Lopmon asked after Takuya took off.
"If I did, he'll easily beat me," Andy said.
"Then why did you accept his challenge?" Lopmon frowned.
"Lopmon, can I ask you something?" Andy replied, looking down at the little rabbit.
"Hmm?" Lopmon blinked.
Meanwhile, Takuya was still running. He looked back, but didn't see any signs of Andy.
"H-huh?" Takuya came to a stop, wondering where Andy was. "W-where's Andy? I was sure he would be behind me…"
Takuya then frowned. "Wait… Did Andy trick me or something?"
Takuya shook his head, he had no idea what Andy would gain by tricking him. They both would need to take this path down to the school anyways, right? The fact that Andy couldn't keep up wasn't Takuya's fault. Maybe Andy overestimated his own physical abilities.
Takuya decided to just continue down to the school, but without running this time. Maybe Andy just needs time to catch up. I mean, I did kinda take off quickly on him.
"Here we go!" Takuya heard Andy yelling.
Takuya turned his head and was shocked to see Andy jumping off of the cliff, holding onto Lopmon. "What the!?"
Lopmon's ears suddenly blew up like a couple of balloons, and the two began to glide down towards the school.
"H-hey! No fair!" Takuya whined when he saw this. "You sneak! You are so cheating!"
"Hey! You never said we couldn't use our Digimon!" Andy called back. "And yes, I'm talking about Agunimon for you!"
Patamon rolled his eyes as he flew after Andy and Lopmon.
Takuya growled. He held out his D-Tector and the blue digital form of his first Spirit appeared visible on the screen of his D-Tector as he formed the familiar fractal coding on his left hand. He swiped the D-Tector over the coding, calling out the familiar phrase he knew by heart. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" His clothes ripped away as his body became digital, and the process began. Coding surrounded him as the power of the Spirit flowed into his body. Red armor formed and latched onto his body as his hair changed to blonde and became long and wild. His height increased, as did his strength and agility. His eyes snapped open, now a brilliant blue instead of brown, and his canine teeth were sharper than a human's as well. He landed, crying out his name. "Agunimon!"
Now evolved, Agunimon gave chase, running as quickly as he could on the path to try to catch up. We'll see who wins now, Andy!
Agunimon was fast, though Andy and Lopmon had the advantage since they had jumped off the cliff, and were directly gliding to the school. Andy looked over at Agunimon.
"Time to pick it up a bit, Lopmon," Andy said.
"Are you sure?" Lopmon asked.
"Yeah, just be prepared to inflate your ears again," Andy replied.
"Okay," Lopmon deflated his ears, making them both start to fall towards the ground at a much faster rate.
Agunimon saw Andy and Lopmon beginning to drift down closer to the ground and grinned. Heh, maybe Lopmon didn't have enough lift to maintain his flight~ He thought with a chuckle.
Agunimon began to close the gap between them quickly, getting closer to Andy and Lopmon as they drifted lower and lower.
"Now, Lopmon!" Andy shouted.
Lopmon shot out a Blazing Ice on the ground while inflating his ears again. This caused ice to cover the ground in front of Agunimon. Agunimon's eyes went wide as he couldn't stop before his feet touched the ice.
Agunimon wound up slipping and falling on his back with a loud grunt. "Ugh… Andy's being quite the sneak here…" He groaned as he sat up, rubbing at his head. Looking ahead of him, Agunimon frowned when he saw the pathway was covered by ice for a fair distance in front of him.
This might be risky, but this gives me an idea! I can use that ice. Agunimon grinned.
Agunimon heated up his feet, then he braced himself before he ran forward. His feet were able to melt the ice enough to moisten them up, and make them a lot more slippery. This caused Agunimon to start skiing down at a fast rate.
Agunimon grinned as he saw he was now reaching Andy and Lopmon's flight path. Hah! Andy forgot I can use fire! That will cost him this race!
Andy and Lopmon looked down when they heard Agunimon skiing past them.
"Hah! Looks like I'm winning this one, Andy!" Agunimon grinned.
Andy frowned when he saw a rather large tree up ahead. "Takuya! Look out for that tree!"
Agunimon looked ahead of him and actually grew pale in the face. Shit! Agunimon thought as he suddenly realized he couldn't stop. There was no way to avoid the tree, and he was moving too fast to slow down.
Agunimon ended up flailing around until he smacked into the tree.
"Oooh… that looked painful," Both Andy and Lopmon winced.
Agunimon groaned before he rolled off of the tree, and onto the grass. Lopmon and Andy landed beside Agunimon.
"Are you okay?" Andy asked in concern.
"Yeah… I'll live…" Agunimon replied at last, sitting up and rubbing his head. "I've definitely been worse though."
"Well, on the plus side… at least you'll get your next Nasty Burger meal free," Andy chuckled. "You made it here before we did."
Agunimon blinked before he grinned a bit. "Well, that stunt I did seemed to have paid off anyway." He chuckled. "But it was kinda stupid, considering I couldn't stop in time before I hit that tree."
"I didn't expect you to use the ice to ski down like you did," Andy chuckled. "Maybe I am rubbing off on you."
Agunimon blushed a bit, his red facial markings slightly vanishing. "I guess you are…" He admitted sheepishly.
Patamon landed beside them. "I hope you three had your fun, because now it's time to get you enrolled for school."
"Aww, come on, Patamon, don't be such a party pooper," Lopmon pouted.
Agunimon chuckled. "Well, that is why we came here. We just wanted to have a bit of fun first."
"You might want to go back to being Takuya," Andy suggested. "You might scare the kids with your big, armory, hairy face."
Agunimon frowned at the comparison, but he did revert back to Takuya. Fractal code surrounded Agunimon before it dissipated, showing Takuya in his human form once again. "I guess that makes sense, but still… I'm not that scary as Agunimon, am I?"
"I don't think so, unless you count the fact you almost took Andy's head off with your fiery punch," Lopmon remarked. "But sometimes kids and babies can be sensitive to big, sharp things."
Takuya sighed. "Yeah, that makes sense." He conceded. "I just didn't think about that, I suppose."
Andy, Takuya, Lopmon, and Patamon looked at the building. Takuya walked up to it first to knock on the door.
What answered the door, Takuya hadn't been expecting. It looked like a giant cactus with feet, and red boxing gloves.
"Um… hello…" Takuya began with a wave, trying not to look threatening. "Um… we're here with two of our Digimon friends for the Digi-School…"
The cactus Digimon began speaking. "Are you two players?"
"No, no, no, we're not players," Andy quickly spoke up, not wanting another misunderstanding to occur. "We're here to learn about the Digital World, and the Digimon. These two are here to learn with us."
"Oh, I see… it's unusual to have humans here who aren't players," The cactus remarked. "But if you're truly here to learn, then I won't turn you away. Everyone is welcome to learn here. I'm Togemon, I'm the teacher of this school."
"H-hi… I'm Takuya, and this is my cousin Andy and his… um… friend, Lopmon. And Patamon is the little guy next to me." Takuya said, introducing himself and the others. "We're sorry we just came here unannounced. We didn't mean to make you think we were players."
"Says the one who wanted to race down here." Patamon chuckled.
"H-hey! The path was going straight to the school! I wanted to have a bit of fun first before we began learning!" Takuya pouted.
Togemon chuckled. "Well, it's rare to have non-player humans come here with actual interest in learning. Come in, come in, we were just about to start our history class."
Well, at least the teacher here is very inviting. Hope she… I think it's a she judging from her voice… doesn't drone on like Mr. Lancer does. Andy noted.
Takuya, Patamon, Andy, and Lopmon walked into the building. They were pretty quickly bombarded by small, limbless Digimon who were looking at them curiously.
"Oooh! What are these Digimon?"
"Are you sure they're Digimon? They look more like those human players we see sometimes!"
"Oooh, are we getting players to show us how dangerous they are!?"
"Children! Children!" Togemon called out. "Don't crowd them! These 4 will be enrolling in our school for… how long did you say you'll be staying here?"
"Um… just to learn this world's history, and about these Legendary Warriors we've heard about." Takuya replied. "I've heard they are really tough to face down."
"Alright, then these are our temporary students for the time being. You should be nice to them, class," Togemon stated.
"Do we have to sing that welcome song to them, Ms. Togemon?" A pink, radish looking Digimon, with a blue flower on top of its head asked.
"That would be a wonderful idea, Yokomon!" Togemon said.
Takuya deadpanned. Great… We came here to learn history and get a welcome song before we can even learn…
Yokomon pouted, she likely asked because she didn't want to do the song. Togemon clapped her gloves together. "Okay, everyone, get into position!"
While Yokomon didn't seem to like having to sing, the other young Digimon didn't seem to have an issue with it.
"Welcome students to our school, where we learn and play all day. We think our teacher's really cool, so we hope you'll want to stay! Welcome students to our school where we learn the Digi-Rules! Play and play, that would be cool!~" The student Digimon sang happily, all except for Yokomon, who was just pouting and waiting for the song to be over.
"Awww, that's so adorable." Andy smiled.
"Yeah, I feel really welcomed now!" Lopmon agreed.
"Now then, students, I want each of you to introduce yourselves to our new students," Togemon stated.
From what Takuya could tell, there were about 8 small Digimon here. So the school was definitely small.
A pink blob looking creature, with arms and small black fingers, moved up first. "Greetings, I'm Motimon!"
"I'm Tanemon!" A light green plant like Digimon with black eyes, two lives sticking up from its head, and small limbs said.
"Chibomon!" A small blue blob with black eyes and one antenna sticking up from its head grinned.
A small light gray Digimon with red eyes and large ears grinned in a sketchy way. "I'm Pagumon! Nice to meet you!"
A small dark gray and white Digimon with red hair sticking up from its head, blue eyes, and small flippers was smiling. "I'm Bukamon!"
A little black ball with yellow eyes and small stubs for ears bounced up and down. "Botamon!"
A small red ball-like Digimon with small bat-like ears and black eyes bounced as well. "I'm Jyarimon!"
The pink plant-like Digimon pouted. "I'm Yokomon…"
"I see all their names end in 'mon'," Andy whispered to Takuya.
"So, what are your names?" Bukamon curiously asked.
"I'm Lopmon," Lopmon greeted.
"You can call me Patamon," Patamon stated.
"I'm Andy," Andy introduced, deciding his last name may just confuse these kids.
"And I'm Takuya." Takuya finished with a grin. "It's nice to meet you all."
"It's nice to meet you too!" Most of the other students cheered, save for Yokomon.
Huh… I wonder what that one's problem is. Andy wondered. She's been acting pretty sour the whole time.
"Now that the introductions are over, we can begin our history lesson. Which is just as well since we have new students who need to learn about our world's history." Togemon stated. "You may take your seats."
Andy and Takuya looked down, seeing little stumps that were big enough for these tiny children to… 'sit' on. But they looked uncomfortable for Andy and Takuya to sit on.
"Maybe we should sit on the floor," Andy said.
"Um… yeah… we would probably hurt our rumps sitting on those… um… nice chairs…" Takuya said as well. "It would be more comfortable for us."
"I apologize, we don't normally have students that are bigger than these stumps," Togemon apologized. "I shall bring you two a mat for you to sit on."
"Thanks," Andy said gratefully.
After Togemon took out the mats for the boys to sit on, Lopmon sat on Andy's lap while Patamon sat on one of the stumps himself. He was small enough to be able to sit on it just fine.
"It kinda feels like we were taken back to kindergarten," Andy chuckled to Takuya.
"Yeah… it kinda does." Takuya agreed with his own chuckle. "But at least we'll get something useful out of this."
"Oh, we definitely will." Patamon agreed with a grin.
"Alright, everyone, pay attention!" Togemon called, getting the other children to pay attention. "You all know the basic history of our world already, but a refresher couldn't hurt. And our new students would need this information if they are to survive in this world."
"Can't we take a nap since we already know about this? It's not our fault they don't know nothing about our world," Pagumon grumbled.
"Don't be such a spoilsport, Pagumon!" Tanemon scolded Pagumon. "A refresher would do you some good since you got some of the events mixed up on yesterday's test."
"I did not!" Pagumon snapped. "And don't go shouting that to everyone, you annoying, chatty vegetable!"
Tanemon pouted as Takuya chuckled. "It sounds a lot like human school with the way those two argue."
"We do not!" Tanemon and Pagumon protested.
"AHEM! Tanemon, Pagumon, if you two are finished, I would like for us to get started," Togemon spoke up.
Pagumon and Tanemon went silent, each pouting at the scolding.
Yup, definitely like our school. Andy chuckled to himself.
"Now then, to start from the beginning," Togemon began as she pulled down a chart of some kind. "When the universe was still young, a planet was created within the solar system. That planet was called 'Earth'. Like all young planets, it was born primitive and wild. However, as time went on, eventually the planet, and the inhabitants had evolved into intelligent species. But this caused the planet to begin to split into a separate reality. The inhabitants didn't live forever, so when the time came and their life expired, instead of being reborn like Digimon, their spirits left their body. Nobody knows for sure where the spirit usually goes once they shed their living coils, but many had speculated they had been stuck on the planet for thousands of years, unable to interact or be seen by anyone. This caused their spirits to become restless, and things began to change on Earth. The overabundance of spirits eventually caused the Earth to create a new dimension, one that couldn't be easily seen by those who were still alive. The spirits would call this dimension their new home as it was made by, and for them. If a living being were to find themselves in that dimension, they would eventually die due to the lack of proper nutrients, atmosphere, and the deadliness that is ectoplasmic poisoning."
Andy and Takuya were surprised, they hadn't expected to hear about how the Ghost Zone came to be, or how it was speculated to be. Togemon did mention that 'nobody knew for sure'. Though Andy and Takuya wondered what this had to do with the Digital World.
"Wow… this is very interesting now…" Takuya noted with some interest. "I didn't think we would hear about how the Ghost Zone was supposedly formed…"
"It may not be true, but it's widely believed," Patamon stated. "At least it is among Digimon."
"So ghosts aren't just a myth in the Digital World?" Andy asked.
"No, they are very well known to us," Pattamon confirmed.
"Some speculate that undead Digimon types were likely created from ectoplasm that may have fallen into our world, and leftover fractal codes surrounded it, creating the undead Digimon," Togemon continued. "Because undead Digimon have similarities to these ghosts, many believe they have traces of ectoplasm in their Digi-Core."
Andy raised his hand, assuming that raising his hand meant he could ask the teacher a question in this world.
"Yes, Andy?" Togemon acknowledged.
"Sorry to cut in on the lecture, but what is a Digi-Core?" Andy asked.
"Ah, good question." Togemon praised. "A Digi-Core is what keeps a Digimon 'alive' in a sense. The Digi-Core is our soul, it's our heart and our brain, in human terms. If a Digimon becomes a Digi-Egg, the Digi-Core compresses into the form of an egg, and gains a hard outer shell to protect it until the Digimon is strong enough to reform. If a Digi-Core gets damaged or corrupted, the Digimon can either disappear for good, or become evil as the source that corrupted their Digi-Core. A Digimon's Digi-Core is found where the heart would be, for a human, but in some cases, a Digimon's Digi-Core may be exposed, depending on how strong the Digimon is."
Togemon paused for a moment before continuing. "In the case of undead Digimon, their Digi-Core may be infected with ectoplasm, as many believe, thus contributing to their undead state. Although it is possible for non-undead types to evolve into undead types, such as an Agumon becoming a SkullGreymon. In these instances, they have activated a corrupted evolution that badly affects their bodies. It's been believed that since ectoplasm had been leaking into the Digital World, it's possible that some Digimon species had absorbed this ectoplasm, thus allowing them to become undead type should they activate such an evolution in their life cycle."
Togemon then pulled up the chart and began to draw something on the blackboard. "But getting back on topic about the worlds themselves, the Earth only had two dimensions for a while. Its original dimension, and the ghostly dimension. But, over time, the living beings that had evolved into intelligent beings, began to start living in an era of devices that created digital data. That's right, what we Digimon are made out of. Combined with the human imagination, the digital data they constantly use, and a rift between the two dimensions, eventually a third dimension was created. Our Digital World's creation was both a slow and speedy process. The Digital World was nothing more than wild data, there was no solid foundation. However, as humans began to shape the world with their minds and imagination, as well as feeding that perception of the world into the devices they use, the wild data began to take shape, turning more and more into the world you see around you now. The data that began to take form is called 'Fractal Code'. Our entire world, including ourselves, is made from Fractal Code."
Wow, when they said this is a Digital World, they really meant it. Andy thought with interest. So everything here, right now, including the air I'm breathing, is made up of data? That's so… weird to think about. How am I able to breathe in data? Or walk on it? Or interact with it like I am?
Takuya was also interested. "Wow… That's kinda cool actually! We're in a real digital world! Talk about awesome!" However, Takuya also had some thoughts running around in his mind. And actually… Now that Andy and I are in this Digital World, does that mean we are made of data as well? Now that I think about it, that's… kinda creepy. Cool, but creepy…
"Yes, although it's very unusual to have humans here that aren't put into a digital body," Togemon admitted. "There have been cases of humans coming to this world before the players began… well… playing this world like a game."
"I'm just surprised flesh and blood beings like us are able to interact with data like normal," Andy admitted.
"Are you sure you're not made of data too?" Lopmon asked. "You don't feel that different from me."
Andy stopped for a moment to think about how he ended up in this world. It was through a vortex the monitor summoned when it pulled him in, not to mention it changed his outfit. "I mean… it's possible that the vortex I went through made me… uh… digital. But… I don't… feel like I'm made of data."
Takuya looked at one of his hands. "Same for me, although… since I came here in a… unique way… it may have turned my body into data as well. Yet I still feel like me, like I'm flesh and blood still." Was it because I was Spirit-Evolved when I got sucked into that portal Ember created?
"Whatever the case may be, we should move on with the lesson," Togemon stated. "Now, the Digital World began to take shape due to the humans of the living dimension's usage of data and their perception of the world. Of course, every individual sees the world in their own way, so that's why our world is not quite the same as the original Earth. Then the inhabitants, the Digimon. Once the Digital World took shape, the fractal codes that were left began to grow intelligent, just like the humans did when they evolved. So, instead of taking shape to be another part of the world, they took the shape of monsters. Capable of moving and showing expression. The shape of the monster could be similar, the same, or vastly different from one another. But even if the monsters look the same, or have the same name, the individual was different. Over time, as the fractal codes grew stronger, and the humans' devices became more advanced, and more data began to carry over to the Digital World, the world grew bigger. So the monsters had to grow as well, they began to absorb the data, and soon, their smaller forms couldn't keep their forms anymore. In order to combat this, their bodies underwent a transformation, becoming stronger, oftentimes bigger, and more complex. This process is now known as evolving, or digivolving."
"It sounds like digivolving is a power boost of some kind then." Takuya said with a grin on his face. I wonder if I could do that…? … Nah, I can't just evolve like these guys can. I have a Spirit I tap into to evolve anyway.
"No poop, Sherlockmon, where'd you get that idea?" Pagumon grumbled.
Yokomon used one of her tentacles to slap Pagumon upside the head.
"Why'd you do that for?!" Pagumon snapped.
"You're supposed to be nice!" Yokomon grumbled "It's not the human's fault that he knows nothing about Digimon!"
"Maybe not, but you'd think even a human would know that digivolution is a boost of power and strength! It's pretty freaking obvious!" Pagumon hissed.
"Forgive my cousin, he has terrible wording sometimes," Andy sighed. "English isn't exactly his primary language."
"Hey!" Takuya pouted. "I didn't ask to move away 6 years ago!"
"Ahem… I know this must be so interesting, but we have a lesson to review." Togemon said sternly, almost like a scolding mother.
Everyone went quiet.
"Now then, continuing," Togemon began. "The stronger the Digimon became, the more likely they are to digivolve. They can digivolve in many different ways. No Digimon is just locked into one type of evolution. And it's up to the individual on how, and what, they will become when they get strong enough to digivolve to the next level."
Andy raised his hand again.
"Yes, Andy?" Togemon asked.
"You said 'level', right? How many levels are there for digivolution?" Andy asked.
Togemon seemed to smile at Andy's questions. "You have a drive for learning I see." She said with pride before answering Andy's question. "And to answer your question, there are 7 stages of digivolution. The first is the basic Digi-Egg, which all Digimon hatch from. The next stage is the fresh/baby stage, or the In-Training I stage. Then after that is the In-Training state, sometimes referred to In-Training II. Then we get into the more complex evolutionary forms, starting with the Rookie stage, which is where a Digimon learns their first real attacks. The next stage is the Champion stage, and this is the first digivolution stage that has a real power boost. The next stage is Ultimate, where a Digimon is considered at peak form and power. But the final stage is the Mega stage, where a Digimon has more power than an Ultimate level Digimon. Mega level Digimon are mostly avoided by other Digimon due to their strength and power, but sometimes can get help from those same powerful Digimon if the need arises."
Togemon then sighed. "Of course, that's not to say evolving a Digimon into Mega is easy. Obtaining the Ultimate level is also very difficult. Most Digimon would live out their entire life cycle as a Champion level Digimon before they die of old age and are reborn again."
"But if that's the case, then why are the Digimon with those player humans digivolving into those higher forms so quickly when it takes even a prodigy Digimon years to even obtain Ultimate?" Yokomon asked, frowning.
"Ah, well the Digimon partners to these players share a bond with them. I don't know a lot about it, since the last time a Digimon formed a bond with a human was hundreds of years ago, but according to legends, if a human and a Digimon were to bond, their spirits and hearts are linked. This can cause the Digimon to evolve depending on how the human partner is feeling. Distress, anger, and other heightened emotions affects the Digimon's ability to digivolve," Togemon answered. "However, because the Digimon partner uses unnatural means to evolve, they often revert back to their natural forms after the danger has passed."
"So it's like what happened with me and Andy." Lopmon noted. "I evolved from my In-Training state into my Rookie level because of Andy's emotions."
Takuya looked at Lopmon, curious now. He knew Lopmon had evolved because of Andy's emotions, according to what Andy told him anyway, but to hear that it was common with other partner Digimon was interesting as well.
"Huh… but wouldn't that mean you would revert back to Kokomon?" Andy asked.
"Usually when a Digimon partner digivolve because of their human partner, they can stay in their Rookie forms. But higher forms are something they can't hold forever," Togemon explained.
"Ah, I see," Andy remarked with interest before he looked at Takuya and Patamon. "Well, Patamon digivolve with you around earlier… so does that mean you and Patamon are partners?"
"Wha- N-no! No, I… I don't know!" Takuya exclaimed at last. "All I know is that he digivolved! It… I have no idea how he digivolved, just that he did!"
"We're friends, but I wouldn't consider us bonded like partners," Patamon intercepted. "I digivolved because I reached that part of my life cycle. And… his… special case may make bonding with him like a partner very… difficult."
Takuya sighed in relief. Thank you, Patamon! You're a real benefit to have around…
Takuya then looked at Andy. "Yeah… Patamon has a good point." He admitted at last.
"Wow, you really needed Patamon to bail you out of a simple question," Lopmon snickered.
"So that means I could be a lot stronger a lot quicker if I bonded with a human? Interesting~" Pagumon grinned mischievously.
Takuya frowned a little, since he didn't like the way that Pagumon was grinning. Oh boy… That little gray guy may be trouble…
Togemon cleared her throat, getting the attention of the class again. "Anyway, beyond the 7 levels I told you about, there are other means of digivolution. In fact, there is the means of digivolving through what is known as a Digimental, or a Digi-Egg that allows for a new evolution. This is known as Armor Digivolution."
"So there are items to help Digimon digivolve as well?" Takuya asked, perking up now. That sounds a bit like my Spirit Evolution in a way…
"Yes, the Armor Digivolution is its own type of evolution. Depending on how powerful the Digimental is, the Armor Digivolution could be stronger, or weaker, than the 7 levels. Some Armor Digivolution could be stronger than a Champion, but weaker than an Ultimate. Some could be stronger than an Ultimate, rivaling the prestigious Mega levels," Togemon explained. "Of course, the Digimental are very rare and difficult to find, so not many Digimon can Armor Digivolve, and even if they can find a Digimental, they would have to figure out how to use it to Armor Digivolve, which is quite the feat in itself. But Armor Digivolutions allows the Digimon to become any element they wish to be if they are able to find what they're looking for and are able to unlock the secrets of Armor Digivolution."
Takuya grinned a bit. "That sounds so interesting. I had no idea there were so many digivolution forms." He said with a smile. I hope I can learn more about how Spirit Evolution works. That would be so cool to experience first hand!
"So, now you know how the Digital World came to be," Togemon stated. "Next, we will be discussing the history of the Celestial Digimon, and the Legendary Warriors."
Takuya perked up when he heard the mention of 'Legendary Warriors'. The Legendary Warriors? Hey, this is just what I was waiting for!
Togemon noticed Takuya's interest and smiled to herself. "Well, it seems you have an interest in the Legendary Warriors, I take it?"
"Hey, if these guys are called 'Legendary' Warriors, then they must be crazy strong, right?" Takuya replied with a grin.
Togemon chuckled. "Now hold your enthusiasm until we get into the lesson." She said before facing the class again.
"Now, the Legendary Warriors and the Celestial Digimon are two of the most important groups in the history of the Digital World." Togemon began to explain. "As our world evolved, so to speak, so did we. Some of us Digimon became humanoid, and others became more beast-like. While at first there was a tense peace, it didn't last, and the Beast-Human Digimon War began. This war, between the humanoid and beast-like Digimon, wreaked havoc on our world, and so many Digimon became Digi-Eggs during this time, only to be reborn before even reaching Champion form."
"That sounds harsh." Takuya noted with a frown.
"It was." Togemon said sadly. "But hope came in the form of an angelic Digimon, called Lucemon. Lucemon was able to bring peace to the two sides, and it seemed like things would be truly peaceful at last. Lucemon was made ruler of the Digital World, and for a time, he was a just leader. The Digimon that had fought each other began to rebuild, both sides helping one another. But sadly, it was never meant to last."
Takuya was entranced now, and that was saying something since he sometimes fell asleep in class if it was too boring. "So, what happened next?"
"Lucemon began to go mad with power." Togemon explained. "He began to torment the very Digimon he had begged to stop fighting. Now, Lucemon was not an average Digimon. He was a Rookie level Digimon, but one that had the power to match a Mega level Digimon. It is not unusual for that to happen, but it is extremely rare for a Rookie to have that level of power."
"Could anyone stop Lucemon?" Lopmon wondered.
"The Legendary Warriors did." Togemon replied to Lopmon's question. "Ten Mega level Digimon, each representing an element, rose up to combat Lucemon. They fought him, and while they were able to stop him, they did so at the cost of their own lives, and I do not mean they became Digi-Eggs after the battle."
"So what happened to them if they didn't become Digi-Eggs?" Andy asked curiously.
"The Legendary Warriors used the last of their power to transfer their energy and consciousness into two artifacts called Spirits. One is the Human Spirit, and the other is the Beast Spirit." Togemon explained. "The Legendary Warriors did this because their Digi-Cores were too drained to even compress into Digi-Eggs. It was their way of being reborn so to speak."
"So are these Legendary Warriors stuck in these artifacts?" Lopmon frowned. "How would they be able to use their powers if they're needed?"
"That's an excellent question," Togemon stated. "You see, the artifacts the Legendary Warriors put their energy and consciousness into does hold their essences. But they can't unleash their powers and forms on their own. They would need a body to bond with, and be able to use their form and powers. Unfortunately, the artifacts can't tell the differences between good and evil until their powers are taken. If the being is evil, usually the Spirit can resist them, but there have been times where the evil being was able to overpower the Spirit, or even corrupt the Spirit themselves. So the artifacts were put into hiding across the Digital World, in hopes of someone worthy finding them and using their powers if they are needed once more."
Takuya blinked in realization. Human Spirit… That woman's voice… it mentioned Agunimon was the Warrior of Flame, and the Spirit looked human-like… So I do have a Legendary Warrior's Spirit! I mean, I kinda assumed as such, but this only confirms it.
But Takuya was confused, Togemon mentioned that the Spirits were put into hiding across the Digital World… So why did I find mine in the real world?
Takuya then spoke up. "Um… I know you said the Spirits were put into hiding across the Digital World, but… is it possible a Spirit could be… um… transported out of the Digital World somehow? This is just a theoretical question of course."
Togemon blinked as she looked at Takuya. "I… wouldn't be able to say for sure, but it is possible if an evil being found the Spirit and another being that had the Spirit had to send it away to hide it again, though it would be difficult for anyone to be able to open a portal to the human world. So, yes, it is possible, just not very likely."
Then who sent Agunimon into my world? Takuya couldn't help but ponder.
Patamon looked at Takuya for a moment.
"Moving onto the Celestial Digimon in the history lesson," Togemon spoke up. "After the fall of Lucemon, and the Legendary Warriors, everyone in the Digital World realized that now that Lucemon is gone, it would only be a matter of time before the Digital World fell into chaos and war once more. Lucemon had brought everyone together, but now that he was gone, and the Legendary Warriors, who would have continued the peace had they survived, were gone as well. A decision needed to be made. 4 powerful beast Digimon, and 13 powerful humanoid Digimon banded together to discuss who would maintain the peace and order of the Digital World. While beast Digimon were usually more powerful than humanoid Digimon, they were often more wild and unpredictable than humanoid Digimon, which was why only 4 beasts were chosen to partake in this important discussion. Even so, these 4 Digimon were commendably powerful. They were known as the 4 Sovereign Beast Digimon."
Togemon took a moment to take in a breath before continuing. "The 13 humanoid Digimon would later be titled as the 13 Royal Knight Digimon, because of the role they played once the Digimon were chosen to maintain order and peace of the Digital World. Before we continue, are there any questions?"
Takuya shook his head. "No, I think I am following you pretty well." He admitted. "And I'm not feeling the urge to fall asleep in class this time." Takuya added jokingly.
"I'm surprised Mr. Lancer never caught you falling asleep in class if you did." Andy rolled his eyes.
"Well, I'm glad that you're not falling asleep and enjoying the lesson." Togemon giggled. "The discussion for who would maintain peace and order in the Digital World between the 13 Royal Knights and the 4 Sovereign Beasts went on for almost an entire day. A few were more decisive about who would maintain peace and order, but most were worried about choosing a single Digimon, because they may create another Lucemon situation. Finally, a decision was made that there wouldn't be just one Digimon maintaining peace and order, but three. Originally, they were going with two, but they realized that having two would cause a different kind of power struggle, especially if one was a humanoid and the other was a beast. If both were humanoid or beast, then the other Digimon would start to feel alienated and that could cause more fighting. Four would've been too much. So three became the best decision. Two would be humanoid, since humanoids were usually ideal for creating peace, reason, and order. The last would be a beast Digimon. The beast would keep the humanoids from creating too much order, and allow the Digimon to maintain as much freedom as possible without everything going into chaos. And the three Digimon-"
"Ooh, I know! I know!" Bukamon cheerfully raised his fin for attention.
"Yes, Bukamon?" Togemon chuckled.
"The three chosen Digimon were later called the Celestial Digimon!" Bukamon answered.
"Very good, Bukamon, I'm glad to know you've been paying attention in class," Togemon praised while Bukamon beamed.
"Everybody knows that, don't get a big head over it," Pagumon rolled his eyes.
Bukamon pouted. "You don't have to ruin the mood…"
Takuya rolled his eyes at Pagumon's comment. Leave it to the sketchy one to ruin another's good mood…
"Now… Can anyone tell me why they're called the Celestial Digimon?" Togemon asked.
Motimon raised a small hand. "Oh, oh! I know! The three Celestial Digimon are known as such because they are all angelic Digimon!" He said happily.
"Excellent, Motimon!" Togemon said with a smile. "Yes, the three Celestials are all angelic Digimon, as their name implies. Now, can anyone tell me the names of the three Celestial Digimon?"
Yokomon appeared to be ignoring everyone and was using one of her tentacles to draw something on her desk. Andy couldn't help but note that reminded him of Sam a little, she would often draw doodles in her notebook whenever the teacher was giving a long lecture.
"I think one of them was called… uh… Sapphiremon?" Chibomon said hesitantly.
"No, no! It was Seraphimon!" Jyraimon corrected while bouncing up and down in his seat.
"Yes, that is correct." Togemon said proudly. "One of the humanoid Celestial Digimon is called Seraphimon. Can anyone name the other two?"
Tanemon bounced on her stump. "Oh! Me! Me!" She said as Togemon looked at her.
"Yes, Tanemon?" Togemon asked.
"I know the other humanoid one is called Ophanimon! She's my favorite~" Tanemon said with pride.
"Why? Because she's a girl like you?" Pagumon grumbled.
"Well, she's really nice, and often takes care of kids like us when we need her," Tangemon replied, pouting.
Takuya watched this with interest. Huh… So this Ophanimon is female… I do remember that voice I heard over my D-Tector was female… Could it be her? I guess we'll have to figure it out as we explore this world more.
"That's lame," Pagumon said. "If you want a real Celestial Digimon, you should like Cherubimon, the beast one. Now he gets stuff done! He actually went out and fought with those players himself instead of just sitting back at the castle in hiding while everyone else did the fighting for them!"
Patamon huffed, looking like he was pouting, and whispered to nobody in particular. "And look at what happened to him."
Takuya's eyes went wide when he heard that information from Pagumon. Takuya remembered being told one of the Celestial Digimon had fallen in battle already, and he had suspected it was someone, but to hear it was Cherubimon… Takuya also remembered how everyone had reacted to Kokomon being 'kidnapped' and the reaction that even got JP involved. Okay, I knew one of the Celestial Digimon fell in battle and became a Digi-Egg again, and Lopmon being 'kidnapped' only reinforced the idea that he is a Celestial Digimon, but to hear it again from these kids, it sounds like the defeat of Cherubimon was a big thing.
"I'm not sure why, but hearing Pagumon say that about Cherubimon makes me happy." Lopmon smiled.
"Maybe you like this Cherubimon?" Andy suggested.
"Maybe. I don't even know what the Celestial Digimon look like though," Lopmon replied.
"Alright, settle down everyone!" Togemon spoke up, getting everyone to quiet down. "Yes, the 3 Celestial Digimon who were chosen to maintain peace, order, and balance in the Digital World were Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and Cherubimon. The Royal Knights were to keep them safe from any strong being with ill intentions, while the 4 Sovereign Beasts headed to the north, south, east, and west to sleep until they were needed. Their powers were so great, that if they were to go on a rampage, that could tear the Digital World apart. Nobody has seen them since, however. It's unknown if they ever reached the end of their life cycle and had been reborn, or if their aging had been halted when they put themselves to sleep and are still sleeping at their altar to this day. For a time, the 3 Celestials were able to maintain peace, balance, and order. But another tragedy struck. Lucemon managed to be reborn, and his memories of his past life came back. He wanted nothing more than to rule the Digital World again."
Everyone was quiet as Togemon continued with the story. "Since the Spirits of the Legendary Warriors were hidden, and it had been so long since they were hidden, nobody knew where they were to summon them. So the 13 Royal Knights took it upon themselves to fight with Lucemon before he could reach his full power. Even though Lucemon wasn't at full power, he still took out several of the Royal Knights, until there were only 2 left. The Celestial Digimon knew they had to do something. So they banded together in order to use their powers to seal away Lucemon into the core of the Digital World, hoping he would never be released. Killing Lucemon wouldn't stop him forever, as he would just be reborn like all Digimon would, and eventually his memories would come back as well, which would put everyone in danger. So sealing him away was the best option they had. The 2 Royal Knights who survived the battle ended up disappearing after that, nobody has heard from them since. The other 11 Royal Knights who had fallen in battle have likely been reborn and no longer remember who they were, so they were essentially gone for good. So it had just been the Celestial Digimon left to not only maintain peace, order, and balance, but they were also now tasked to keep the Digital World safe from evil forces."
Takuya took this in with interest. "Huh… so the Celestial Digimon were then the strongest in the Digital World."
"They are strong now, but they used to be a lot weaker when the Royal Knights were still around," Togemon informed. "Back then, it was the Royal Knights' duty to protect the Digital World. The Celestial Digimon, while strong in their own right, were a lot weaker than they are now. They had powerful magic, which was why they were able to seal away Lucemon, but physically they didn't hold a candle to the Royal Knights. But it was only after the Royal Knights were gone did the Celestial Digimon become as powerful as they are now, to keep the Digital World safe while also doing their original duties. The Celestial Digimon definitely deserve our acknowledgement and appreciation for pushing through after losing the Royal Knights."
"What about the 4 Sovereign Beast Digimon? Why didn't anyone try to find them and wake them up when Lucemon was on the loose again?" Andy questioned. "Or have them take over for the fallen Royal Knights?"
"As I've seen before, nobody had seen the 4 Sovereign Beasts since they had left. Nobody could find them at their resting place. It was possible the Sovereign Beasts sealed themselves away when they went to sleep, or they finally reached the end of their life cycle and were reborn in Primary Village," Togemon explained.
"Seems like a flawed system," Andy grumbled.
"It can't be helped." Togemon said sadly. "If the Legendary Warriors hadn't been killed, then they could've stepped up to help the Celestial Digimon after the Royal Knights fell, but alas, that isn't what happened."
I mean weren't the Royal Knights there to step in for the Legendary Warriors in the first place? Andy raised an eyebrow.
"So wait… what happens if the Celestial Digimon falls?" Lopmon asked. "Would that mean the Digital World would no longer be able to have anyone to protect them or maintain balance and stuff?"
Takuya had been wondering that too. "Yeah, I mean… wouldn't the Digital World be in trouble if that is the case?"
"Normally yes, it would be," Togemon agreed. "And despite their long lifespan, even the Celestial Digimon can't live forever. However, the Celestial Digimon knew this. After the Royals Knights had fallen, they decided they would need to take action if they were to prevent the same thing from happening to them. So Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and Cherubimon gathered up their magical powers and cast a powerful spell on themselves. The Blessing of Reincarnation. Although, it could also be seen as a curse. You see, normally when any Digimon dies and are reborn as Digi-Eggs, they lose all memory of their previous lives, allowing them to start anew. There have been incredibly rare cases where a newly hatched Digimon was able to maintain their memories of their past life, but it's so rare it's considered to be a phenomenon. Only Lucemon had been documented to remember his past life. The Blessing of Reincarnation will allow the Digimon to retain their memories once they end their life cycle, whether through natural or unnatural means. By retaining their memories, they also retain the ability to digivolve back into their original form before the rebirth. This is how the Celestial Digimon were able to keep protecting and maintaining the Digital World since the early era of time."
Takuya looked at Lopmon. If Lopmon truly was the fallen Celestial Digimon, that made him ask a question. "Is it… possible for a Celestial Digimon to be reborn and not retain their memories?"
"It could happen, but the Blessing of Reincarnation usually allows a Digimon to retain past life memories and abilities." Togemon explained. "If a Celestial Digimon was reborn without their memories, then the manner in which they were defeated would have to have been quite traumatic. While the Blessing of Reincarnation allows for retaining of memories and abilities, it is not perfect, and the memories could be trapped somehow if the end of the Celestial Digimon was too traumatic. It's possible the Celestial Digimon will regain their memory over time if that were to happen, the Celestial Digimon have been very specific on how the spell would work, thinking of every possible scenario. The only true way for a Celestial Digimon to cease to exist is if something happened to their Digi-Core, which, thankfully, is very well protected even if they lose their bodies."
So that means Lopmon could regain his memories, just like JP suggested. Takuya realized as he took in this information. "I see. So the Celestial Digimon tried to consider all angles for their own safety then." He mused with some interest. "Talk about smart."
"Yes, but it can also be a curse," Togemon sighed. "Always being forced to remember your past life when you just hatched as a baby again. Never really able to be a child again, to relearn the world, to make new connections with other Digimon, it can be a sad and lonely existence, especially since the Celestial Digimon live far away from each other, and only get together for an important meeting."
Patamon looked at Togemon from the corner of his eye before he huffed and muttered something to himself under his breath.
Lopmon looked over at Patamon in surprise, though Takuya and Andy didn't know why Lopmon looked surprised.
"What's up?" Andy asked.
"Oh… uh… nothing," Lopmon replied, frowning a little. I should keep it to myself for now. I might be misinterpreting it.
Takuya then frowned a little. "So… with these players coming into the Digital World now… I mean, I heard rumors that one of the Celestial Digimon fell in battle with the players." He said before he added to it. "Um… but those are just rumors I heard."
"Those are no rumors, it's pretty well known," Yokomon grumbled. "The players made sure to announce it to the entire Digital World after they defeated Cherubimon."
Takuya frowned some more. So it appears everything I heard was correct then. Cherubimon fell in battle, just like Leomon and Swanmon implied. And add in JP's information, and what Zoe told me as well, it appears this is a dire situation.
Then a thought hit Takuya. "Wait… what about the other two Celestial Digimon? Wouldn't they have noticed Cherubimon fell in battle as well? What are they going to do about these players?"
"They've been very quiet since Cherubimon's fall," Togemon answered. "But I have no doubt in my mind they are well aware of what happened to Cherubimon. They must be planning something, but they can't risk letting the public know because then they'll have a target painted on their backs if the players found out."
"Yeah… that makes sense." Takuya said at last after a moment of silence in thought. "They would have to remain hidden for the time being. But then that means they can't do their jobs of protecting and running the Digital World, so they're kinda put in a tight spot."
"You can say that again," Patamon agreed.
"But if the Celestial Digimon have practically disappeared, how has the Digital World not fallen to chaos yet?" Lopmon asked.
"We've advanced enough to follow the rules the Celestial Digimon set up for us," Togemon answered. "And dealing with the players has kept the humanoid and beast Digimon too busy to go to another war with each other, but these players are definitely causing problems. We can no longer take Trailmon to get anywhere. We have to be careful if we want to leave the safety of our homes because a player could attack us at any moment. And the enslavement rings, those are always a concern, especially for the young ones as they are the most vulnerable."
Takuya frowned as he remembered that information as well. "Yeah, it sounds like it is." He agreed. I wonder if those rings would affect me in my Digimon form. I assume they probably would, or maybe not, considering I'm really human instead… Either way, I don't want to test it out.
"Um… is there any way to remove the enslavement rings?" Takuya asked. "I mean… I assume there is but…" I mean, I know Leomon told me the rings were able to be removed, but I can't just say I learned that from another Digimon.
"Didn't Leomon tell you?" Patamon asked, surprised Takuya would ask something he already knew.
"Crud… So much for playing dumb…" Takuya grumbled. "Yeah… Leomon told me." He admitted at last.
"You could've just said you asked for my sake since I didn't know about these rings," Andy stated.
"Yeah, sorry, Andy. I didn't think about that." Takuay said as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"It's fine if someone else already told you. I don't expect you to learn everything here," Togemon chuckled. "But to answer your question anyways, yes, there are ways to remove the rings. The most common way is to aim a powerful attack at it to break the ring. Though that does come with the risk of hurting the Digimon. The rings are usually locked to the owner who used it."
"I see. Are there any other ways?" Takuya asked, not sure if he liked the idea of hurting another Digimon. And if I'm a Legendary Warrior, then it stands to reason my power would be stronger and could really do some damage.
"Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to that. I've never seen these rings in action before, only heard of them," Togemon confessed. "I'm afraid that's something you'll either have to find out for yourself or ask someone else who might know. But, there is some good news. The Legendary Warriors have said to be returning lately."
"I… did actually see one of them." Takuya said cautiously. "And he was really strong too." Not to mention I fought him…
"Didn't they help the Celestial Digimon not that long ago?" Motimon asked. "I think I met with a nice one, a girl named Zoe, I think. I was a Pabumon back then."
"I've heard they helped my cousins when they got stuck on the mainland," Bukamon said. "Because of the whirlpools keeping them from coming back to our home island."
"Yeah, I've heard that too!" Tanemon said. "I never met one, but I'm excited that you guys have!"
Takuya blinked. "I remember meeting Zoe when I first got here as well." Takuya admitted. "But I didn't think she was a Legendary Warrior. I just assumed she was a normal girl." But that does explain why she was so evasive on how she could protect herself…
"Isn't 'Zoe' a human name?" Yokomon asked. "How could that be a Legendary Warrior? Even Tacky over there said he met with a girl named Zoe, not a Legendary Warrior."
Andy tried not to snicker at the fact Yokomon just called Takuya 'Tacky'.
"Good question." Jyarimon noted. "I was wondering that too."
"Maybe the human is a Legendary Warrior," Botamon suggested.
"Don't be stupid! A human could never be a Digimon, let alone a Legendary Warrior, everyone knows that!" Pagumon snapped, making Botamon shy away.
Takuya frowned at Pagumon's words. Man, that little guy can be so rude. He mused to himself. Takuya had 'never' felt tempted to just evolve outside of battle before, but now he was feeling that temptation, for the 'first' time. And no, the race with Andy did not count!
"You don't have to be so rude about it." Lopmon frowned.
"Yeah? Wanna make something of it?" Pagumon taunted.
"No, I don't, I just didn't want you to snap at Botamon over that," Lopmon replied.
Pagumon grumbled, turning away from Lopmon.
"Why does he have to be so mean?" Lopmon frowned.
"Some people, or I guess Digimon, are just like that," Andy sighed. "I've had to deal with more than a few bullies at my own school."
"Alright, class!" Togemon spoke up. "It's time for recess! We'll resume the lesson later."
All the kids cheered happily before they all hopped down from their seats, eager to go outside and play. Except for Yokomon, who was just trudging her tentacles.
Takuya watched this with concern. "What's with Yokomon? She seems kinda… moody, if that even fits her right now."
"Yeah…" Lopmon agreed.
"I don't know, you can ask her," Patamon replied.
"So… since this is recess, I'm guessing we'll be going out too, right?" Andy asked.
"You can, yes." Togemon said. "I think the students would be more than happy if you were to join them."
"Hey, I'm game." Takuya said with a grin as he stood up. "I've been sitting on my butt for too long already." He then looked at Andy. "Are you coming, Andy?"
"Of course, you think I'm gonna stay in an empty class… school all day?" Andy chuckled.
Andy, Takuya, Lopmon, and Patamon followed the kids and Togemon outside. Although the school building was about the size of a classroom, the rest of the valley was huge, and gave them more than enough room to be able to run… or rather, bounce around to their heart's content.
There was some playground stuff for the kids to play on, but they were mostly monkey bars for the kids to squeeze in and out of. The kids were excited to play on Takuya and Andy since they were so tall, and didn't have needles sticking out of them like Togemon. Lopmon was having a fun time playing with the smaller kids like Chibomon, Botamon, and Jyraimon. Though they were small, they were full of energy. Lopmon, despite having legs, had some trouble keeping up with them. Patamon was roosting on the school's roof, watching almost everyone playing together. He was kind of envious that they could all play so carefreely, especially Lopmon.
Takuya looked up at Patamon. "Hey, you want to come down here and join us, Patamon? It doesn't look fun to just be sitting on a roof all day."
Patamon just looked down at Takuya before looking away from the boy.
Takuya frowned. "Geez, you'd think he would want to be around other Digimon…" He grumbled.
Andy looked up at Patamon before frowning. "I don't think he's the only loner here."
Andy pointed at a large rock with Yokomon leaning against it, and appeared to just be giving a sour look.
"Wow… two grumpy Digimon. What's their problem?" Takuya grumbled as he looked at the sulking Yokomon. "Those two would be perfect as friends if they just talked."
"We could try asking Yokomon what's wrong, she's a little easier to reach than Patamon," Andy suggested.
Takuya sighed. "Yeah, may as well." He conceded as he began to walk over to where Yokomon was sulking.
"Hey there…" Takuya greeted Yokomon. "Um… what are you doing all the way over here by yourself?"
"Why does that matter to you?" Yokomon asked. "I just don't like playing with the other kids."
Takuya frowned. "Well, yeah but… don't you get lonely on your own over here?"
"No, I'm just fine over here, thank you for asking." Yokomon grumbled.
"Is there a reason why you don't like playing with the other kids?" Andy asked.
"They only want to do kid stuff. It's not very fun. And Pagumon plays too rough most of the time. Last week, he tried to bite one of my petals off because I wasn't used to playing Digi-Ball," Yokomon grumbled. "Besides, it's not like anyone really wants to play with me anyways."
"Why would no one want to play with you?" Takuya asked with a frown. "I mean, it's not like you're mean to anyone, right? Or did something happen to make you not want to play with the other kids?"
Yokomon frowned and hesitated before she grumbled. "It's none of your business. Just go play with them and leave me alone."
Takuya shook his head. "Nope. You looked lonely, so Andy and I decided to come keep you company." He then grinned. "You're stuck with us like we are leeches~"
"Just go away…" Yokomon huffed.
Andy grumbled. "Don't pay Takuya any mind. If you really want to be left alone, we'll leave you alone. But our offer still stands if you want to… have someone to at least accompany you."
Takuya huffed at Andy's words, but he did let Andy lead him away from Yokomon. "Wow, she was quite fun to be around. Yokomon reminds me of Sam in a way."
"Yeah, me too. Which is why I said we would leave her alone if she really wants, because forcing yourself on someone when they don't want it would only make it worse. And it's also kind of seen as harassment," Andy explained.
"Yeah, it may have been seen as that…" Takuya admitted at last. "But you'd think Yokomon would be more open to someone being at her side…"
"Maybe, but if Yokomon isn't willing to talk about what happened, we shouldn't force her," Andy said before smiling a little. "After all, Sam was the same way. She only opened up to us because Danny walked away, and she decided to-"
"Hey…"
Takuya and Andy turned around, seeing the little pink plant monster behind them.
"I don't really want to talk, but… I'll take you up on your offer to at least… have some company," Yokomon said quietly.
Takuya grinned. "That's great to hear!" He said happily before he became a bit calmer. "Err… What made you change your mind about accompanying us?"
"You two are pretty much strangers here, the only humans in a Digimon school. And the other kids aren't playing with you. So I figured you might be a little lonely," Yokomon replied.
"That's nice of you, Yokomon," Andy said. "We'll just enjoy having your company if you don't want to talk then."
Takuya smiled at Andy. He gave Andy a nod before settling back down beside Yokomon. "This world is pretty cool if you think about it. Um… to us humans anyway…"
"I think we've been lucky that we haven't run into any players yet, or at least any tough players. There was that one guy with the Dracomon who tried to take Lopmon when he was Kokomon," Andy remarked. "Of course, Kokomon ended up digivolving and taking care of them."
The comment made Takuya think back on when he met with that particular player, and how scared Takuya was to meet with the one who kidnapped Lopmon. Thinking about it now made him feel silly since he knew the 'kidnapper' turned out to be Andy.
"Yeah, and then I met the kid and his Dracomon as well. Everyone was in a panic at the time and well… I kinda got roped into it." Takuya added. "The kid assumed you were a player and had 'hacked his Digimon' or whatever at the time, so I was scared I would encounter this 'super strong player'. Boy, was I an idiot in the end, because things turned out to be a misunderstanding that got out of hand."
Andy began laughing. "I so wish I could've heard what you were thinking when you thought I was this mysterious, big, super strong player. Maybe I should become an evil mastermind for Halloween this year. If it could scare you, it could scare everyone in Casper High~"
"Oh, no thanks! It's bad enough you scare me with your pranks at times, I don't need you scaring everyone at Casper High!" Takuya grumbled.
"I think you're a little too late for that. Everyone calls me 'dragon boy' now, and I'm like… 90% sure Dash is still avoiding me out of fear," Andy pointed out.
" Of course you scared quite a few people…" Takuya groaned. "I can't believe I forgot about that dragon prank we pulled…"
"What was this prank?" Yokomon asked in curiosity.
"It was quite the epic prank." Takuya chuckled. "Andy and his twin brother Danny decided to pull a prank with a dragon costume and crash a party so to speak."
"What's a dragon? What's a 'twin brother'? What's a Danny?" Yokomon asked.
"The cultural differences…" Andy sighed to Takuya before turning to Yokomon. "A dragon is… uh… a big, scaly monster, usually with a long neck, long tail, really sharp teeth, and claws, and a pair of wings on its back. It's… I guess, kind of like a Digimon, because it can breathe fire, is really strong, and can shred through buildings pretty easily. A twin brother is… um…" Do Digimon not have siblings? "Someone who's related to you, about the same age, and looks identical to you, usually. Danny is just the name of my brother."
"So Danny is the same as you?" Yokomon asked.
Andy almost broke down laughing. "No… no, he's not. It's… like what Togemon said, he looks similar to me, but isn't me. It'd be like if there was another Yokomon beside you, but that Yokomon isn't you, and you aren't them. That Yokomon could digivolve into a different Digimon, while you're still a Yokomon."
"Oh, so this Danny has different abilities compared to you, yet he is like you." Yokomon said as if getting it before tilting her head to the side, which was pretty much her whole body. "I don't get it."
Takuya burst out laughing. "Oh gosh! That's too funny!"
After a couple of minutes of laughing, Takuya calmed down. "Let me explain it this way, Yokomon. Danny has similar looks to Andy, but with some subtle differences. Andy's eyes are green, Danny's eyes are blue. That is their physical difference. Aside from their personalities being different, Andy and Danny look the same save for their eyes."
"So you're still the same," Yokomon said.
"Takuya, stop talking," Andy grumbled. "Well, if you ever saw him with me, maybe you'll get it… And that's not important right now."
Patamon was watching them from the roof. It must be nice… If only they understood the dangers that lay ahead. If I don't find that ghost boy soon… the prophecy will come to fruition.
Titanic X: ZAFT: Glad you got a kick out of that! XD It was fun!
pokemon fan 1991: DarkFoxKit: Interesting. Maybe we might do something with Star and Danny in reference to some of these fanfics. Nothing big, more like a one-off thing. It might be interesting to write out more of Star's personality, who knows?
ZAFT: It seems everyone liked the misunderstanding that occurred in the last chapter! XD And yeah, the whole thing with the Digital World being seen as a game is kinda a shout out to Tamers, but also a few video games as well. And good to know we inspired you with the video game Digital World idea!
DarkFoxKit: Ah… so it was you who sent those stuffed teddy bears in Andy's room. I guess I now know why the boy committed arson in his own room. Danny had been quite peeved about that since that was his room too.
Gammamon? Ah… it's one of those new Digimon. I guess if I had known more about it, I might've given Danny that. Unfortunately Danny was limited to the Digimon I have knowledge of, so… no Gammamon unfortunately. ^^' And besides, I already have plans for Danny's partner.
ZAFT: But we may use Gammamon as a cameo at some point, who knows? :3
Son Sandy: ZAFT: I agree with you, Lopmon seems to fit Andy better. It seems lots of readers loved that misunderstanding. That was the whole point, for some humor and drama, not to mention a great way to introduce Andy to the Digital World. XD
DarkFoxKit: Andy joking about that meeting with Takuya is definitely a bit of a running gag.
Kittylover05: ZAFT: And we have another meaty review from Kitty~ XD
DarkFoxKit: Yes, though you don't have to say that every time Kitty reviews. Anyways, I'm glad you're excited for the new content, Kitty, it's always nice to know people are looking forward to more of our story. I'm glad you decided to take the time to look at the story before reviewing to try to avoid more mistakes like thinking Kokomon was Ophanimon. I've had to deal with a constant reviewer in a different story who constantly repeats themselves when they ask questions, questions I already answered, or had nothing to do with the story or characters, and they go on and on. Heck, they even answer their own questions as they ramble on. It gets very annoying. But thankfully, we haven't had an issue with that in this story.
ZAFT: Oh, you will like how that little Digimon comes into play as the story moves along~ :3 As for the other Warriors coming in, yeah, it will be fun to see how everyone interacts as the story progresses. :3
DarkFoxKit: In this case, the anime and cartoon people aren't all that different from each other, as we tweaked the more cartoony people to be more realistic, and more similar to the anime people. I always wondered how Danny would look as an anime though.
ZAFT: There is anime art of Danny Phantom on DeviantArt to check out if you want! XD
DarkFoxKit: Oh I know about that. Where do you think I got Corrupted Danny from? XP But continuing the review, the Digital World always had a faster time zone than the real world, and we wanted to reference that. It does come in handy for certain plot points too. Though we try not to make it where the Digital World's time zone is absurdly faster than the real world's, like in most of the Digimon anime, because then years would pass by in the Digital World while our characters are doing things in the real world.
ZAFT: I'm glad you like the fact our humor is better suited for the anime part, but the Danny Phantom part we are trying to make not as childish, or we have the characters point it out for sarcasm. XD And yeah, the cultural differences can be fun!
DarkFoxKit: Andy's clothes description should've been described when he got transported to the Digital World, it's back at chapter 24 if you need a refresher on what clothes he's wearing. And it's also in reference to the Digimon anime season 2. The kids there always got new clothes whenever they go into the Digital World.
ZAFT: Expect that kind of thing each time they go to the Digital World here. XD And I'm glad you could pick up that we had fun with this chapter! The last chapter was a blast to write. XD
And as for Takuya's fellow Warrior, he will be seen again soon. :3 And I agree, going in blind is kinda fun, because it's an experience unlike any other; you learn as you go~ As for the training, that will occur down the road, so you will get a kick out of it when we get to that. :3
DarkFoxKit: Adding on to that, it is a bit weird to have a reader reading a fanfic I wrote and not know much about one of the things I'm writing. I've had one other reviewer who told me they read my Danny Phantom fanfic, and didn't know anything about Danny Phantom, which surprised me as the stories were written with people who are fans of the show in mind. They told me they loved the story, and were very disappointed when they watched the actual show and Andy never showed up. XD Yeah, I had to explain that Andy was my original character, he was never in the show. But it is also interesting to hear about what someone who doesn't know anything about the show or lore thinks about the story.
ZAFT: That sounds like quite the experience! XD On to Lopmon~ Yeah, the poor little guy has some issues with self-esteem. If only he knew more about himself~ X3
DarkFoxKit: Explaining a little bit more about Lopmon inheriting Andy's self-esteem issues, as was said before, the Digimon partners share a soul link with their human partners. They are basically a mirror image of their human partners. Including Digimon who normally wouldn't have human partners, they can still form a bond with a certain human because they share a lot of similar traits with each other. But yes, Lopmon and Andy both need to stop putting themselves down. XD
It's naturally for Andy and Danny to think of Jazz as the genius of the Fenton children, because of her high grades at school, how the teachers love to use her as the shining example of what students should be like. That's especially true when Mr. Lancer used Jazz to show how she got the highest score in the history of the C.A.T. instead of, you know, bringing an actual adult who actually succeeded in life by pass the C.A.T.. I like to think Jazz is a genius in her own right, just like how Danny and Andy are geniuses in other ways. Andy is interested in psychology, which is why he's able to manipulate people with rather frightening ease at times, including his own sister, but he has terrible math skills.
ZAFT: And Danny has the math skills as well as the smarts to read the stars with ease, so he isn't dumb either. XD And the four kids of the Fenton family do have some esteem issues, which is kinda fun to write out~ :3
DarkFoxKit: I've never liked school. And I agree, school forces you to think one way, and that any other way is just wrong. I will say though, each of the kids in the Fenton household have their own strengths. Takuya probably has the biggest heart. Jazz is more about booksmarts, and analyzing her brothers who have trouble figuring out themselves. Danny shares Takuya's big heart, and he's very resourceful. Andy is the most tactful of the group, he's got low self esteem, but when he's confident in something, he never fails at what he's doing.
ZAFT: You will love the Digimon school stuff as well~ :3 It is really fun! XD
SkiesEagle: ZAFT: Ooooh, a new reader! Nice to have you reviewing! XD
DarkFoxKit: It's nice to see someone comparing this story with our old one. You think Dorumon fits Andy more? Could you explain why? And while I liked Dorumon too, I just thought Lopmon would fit Andy more.
ZAFT: You will have to read for Danny and Sam's Digimon partners. That will be revealed in time. :3 And don't worry, the boys will find a way back home. XD
DarkFoxKit: I mean since the Digital World's time goes by faster than in the real world, they could've easily studied for the test in there. But eh, who wants to study when you have a digital monster to train for some battling and conquering, right?
ZAFT: Glad you're looking forward to the next chapter, because here it comes~ XD