Digital Phantom

by ZAFT Convoy

DP Rebooted: Twins Danny and Andy have their lives torn upside down when Danny gets into an accident with the Fenton Ghost Portal. Takuya Kanbara just wanted to have a normal high school life until he found an odd figurine. The three boys have to navigate high school, ghosts, and Plasmius's plans while trying to master their unique powers.

38. An Uncertain Ally

ZAFT: We missed an update, but it can be excused since I was slowly getting strep last week. ^^'

DarkFoxKit: And I was figuring out how to record my gameplay for the first time. We do apologize about missing out last week though.

ZAFT: But this week we will make up for it! Expect an update on Friday as well! On to the story now! :3

DarkFoxKit: I hope Andy and Takuya appreciated their day off…

---

(Two symbols, one red, and one blue, spin before colliding and flaring with light as they do so, showing the title)

Digital Phantom!

(Shows several forms in shadow before they are revealed to be Danny Fenton, Sam Manson, Tucker Foley, Takuya Kanbara, Andy Fenton and Lopmon, 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, his twin brother Danny Fenton 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, a shadowed form behind him)

Let's go… EVOLUTION

(Sam is shown with her Fenton Lipstick, firing it at a different ghost, a shadowed form behind her)

As our worlds collide

(Jazz is shown beside Andy, the form of Lopmon behind Andy while a shadowed form is behind Jazz)

We stand as one

(Jack and Maddie Fenton are shown, with the Fenton Works logo behind them as it glows green)

Growing strong

(A red draconic form is shown with blue eyes and wings before fire flares from it, covering the form's visage in flames)

As we move along

(Danny is shown walking down the street with those closest to him appearing one by one; Andy and Lopmon, 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, Lopmon, 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 38: An Uncertain Ally

After Andy, Tucker, Takuya, and Valerie made it back to the Flame Terminal, Turuiemon had to put the man and Kunemon down before reverting back to Lopmon. Lopmon felt quite strained after holding his Champion form for so long.

"We'll have to let someone take care of this man and his Digimon partner for the time being, there's no telling when they'll wake up. Being fused with a ghost may have caused some mind damage," Salamon grimly stated.

"Yeah, but who? It's not like we can just walk up to a Digimon and ask them to take care of a player." Takuya grumbled.

"You know, he has a point. Most Digimon here don't like players." Tucker noted.

"We can't just leave him unattended," Kokuwamon said.

"Would there be any Digimon here who would take care of them?" Lopmon frowned.

"Hey, you guys came back!" Sam smiled as she rushed over to the group.

"Hey Sam, looks like you and Biymon were able to help out with rebuilding a little while we were taking on Megadramon." Takuya smiled.

"We gathered some supplies and wood, but the actual construction will take some time," Biyomon said as she flew in, carrying some lumber with her talons.

"Who's that?" Sam asked when she noticed the unconscious man and Kunemon.

"That's the guy who fused with Technus," Andy answered. "But we don't know when or if he and Kunemon will wake up. We need someone to look after them. Do you know anyone who would?"

"Not really, but… maybe you could ask Labramon. She lives here after all, she might know someone," Sam answered.

"That may be our best bet." Valerie admitted. "At least we don't have to just leave this guy here."

"Let's see if we can find Labramon." Takuya suggested.

"Do you know where Labramon is?" Lopmon asked.

"She's around…" Biyomon replied. "So since that man and Kunemon are here, I take it that means you managed to defeat Megadramon and the ghost that made him?"

"Yeah, though it wasn't easy," Tucker answered.

"We had one problem after another," Kokuwamon stated. "The good news is that I was able to digivolve."

Sam grinned. "Really? That's awesome!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, but it really hurt…" Takuya grumbled, rubbing his back.

"Takuya had a… bit of trouble too." Lopmon sweatdropped.

"Which is why I want Valerie to take Takuya, and return to Seraphimon's castle," Salamon stated suddenly.

"What? Why?" Takuya frowned.

"You need to learn how to control your Beast Spirit. We got lucky this time, but what would happen the next time you had to use BurningGreymon?" Salamon asked. "You may do something that you won't be able to take back. We're going to have the other Legendary Warriors train you."

Takuya paled. "You mean I have to get used to using that form?" He squeaked out, not really wanting to rely on such a powerful Spirit again.

"You can't just ignore it, Takuya. BurningGreymon refuses to leave, as proven when Tucker tried to get it out of you before," Salamon pointedly stated. "And if you truly want to save the Digital World from the players, you're going to need your Beast Spirit's powers."

Takuya frowned before he looked at Andy.

"Do… Do you think I should…?" Takuya asked Andy. "I mean… I could… still lose control even if I… do learn to use it effectively…"

Although Andy had said earlier he shouldn't doubt himself anymore, he wasn't quite as full of self confidence as he let on. He frowned when Takuya asked him, but he didn't want to make the same mistake as he did when he let Megadramon go to fight the players at the Rose Morning Star's castle.

"I think… I have to agree with Salamon," Andy said. "There's no guarantee that you won't use BurningGreymon's power again. Look at what happened when we were backed into a corner with Megadramon earlier. Would you rather take that risk of losing control again when we need your Beast Spirit's power? Or would you minimize that risk by learning how to control it in a more controlled environment?"

Takuya had to admit, Andy had a point. He sighed. "I'd… rather take minimized chances over actually hurting someone." He admitted at last. "I… I'll go do the training thing… If only to not lose control again."

"Okay, I'm glad you see reasoning," Salamon said. "Valerie…"

"Yeah," Valerie said. "I think it's about time I took you to meet with your fellow Legendary Warriors anyways."

"You know about them?" Takuya asked.

"Yeah… Why do you think I wasn't that surprised when I found out you could become a Digimon?" Valerie pointed out. "I mean yeah, I was surprised it was someone I knew, but other than that, you're definitely not the first Legendary Warrior I've met since I got here."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Takuya admitted with a chuckle. "I'd like to actually meet the others as well. It would be interesting to say the least."

"While you do that, we'll stay here and see if we can help with rebuilding the station," Andy said. "While I had… ulterior intentions when I mentioned fixing it before, I still meant what I said about getting around the Digital World being a lot easier if the Trailmon were running again."

Valerie and Takuya nodded.

"Okay, I guess Valerie and I will be off then." Takuya said. "Let us know when you guys have gotten the Trailmon station up and running again. I'd like to see the results."

"You'll be the first to hear about it." Tucker promised as Valerie helped Takuya up onto her hoverboard.

"Take care out there, and play nice with the other Legendary Warriors!" Lopmon waved with his hand and ear.

"We hope to hear from you as well," Kokuwamon said as Valerie had the hoverboard fly up higher.

"The next time we see you, you better be stronger!" Sam said.

"Good luck," Biyomon waved.

Takuya nodded as he waved to them before Valerie had the hoverboard fly away. It had been a while since Takuya talked to Zoe, and seen that other kid who's name he didn't remember, they didn't even really talk. The kid just sort of acknowledged Takuya before.

"Do you know what these Legendary Warriors are like?" Takuya asked Valerie.

"I haven't really talked to them much. Salamon usually talked to them," Valerie admitted. "But I know one of them is a girl, she seems to be about my age. She's nice. There are two who, I think, are twin brothers. They don't seem to like to talk very much though. Then there's a chubby one who's stationed at Ophanimon's castle, so I don't get to see much of him."

"Twins?" Takuya blinked, his attention piqued. "That's kinda cool, having twins as Legendary Warriors." He then looked down in thought. "I wonder if they are close like Andy and Danny are."

"I couldn't tell you," Valerie shrugged.

"There's quite a story behind them," Salamon chuckled. "But you can ask them yourself once we get there."

---

"Labramon, there you are!" Lopmon smiled.

"Hmm?" Labramon blinked. "Oh, Lopmon. I didn't realize you returned."

"Yeah, we came back. And we were wondering if you knew anyone who would be willing to look after an unconscious player and his Digimon," Lopmon requested.

"Yeah, do you know anyone here who would?" Andy asked, having been behind Lopmon.

Labramon gave a sheepish smile. "Um… well, I think I might know someone who might."

"Great, could you take us to them?" Andy requested.

"Sure. He usually lives a little bit away from everyone else," Labramon answered. "Which is good, since he avoided getting burned by Firamon's… tantrum attack."

"Then can you lead us to this Digimon?" Lopmon asked.

Labramon walked away while Lopmon and Andy followed after her. They went to a small house that was a little bit away from the rest of the village. The house looked to be a little scorched, but not destroyed. Labramon scratched at the door.

"Oh, who could it be now? Can't you see I'm reading the history of the Digital World? I'm at a very important part!" A voice spoke from the other side of the door.

"You've been in your house for the past 3 days. Don't you think it's about time you came out and see what's been going on?" Labramon grumbled.

"No! I refuse. This is far more interesting than I expected." The voice replied.

"Um… does this Digimon not know what happened when Firamon was burning everything down?" Lopmon sweatdropped.

"I doubt it, since he hasn't left to try to help the others rebuild," Labramon groaned. "Hey, Bokomon! If you don't get out here, you'll miss your chance at seeing an actual player that Coronamon hasn't turned into part of the land!"

"A player?!" The voice, most likely this Bokomon, exclaimed. "Let me out! I need to see this player!"

There was shuffling around before footsteps were heard running to the door.

The door opened, showing a Digimon Andy hadn't seen before. The Digimon was white all over with a gray mouth area. The ears were pointed, and the eyes were black beads in a way. There was a pink belt around his waist, and the Digimon had gray claws on his hands and feet. There was even a small horn-like extension from his head at the top.

The Digimon that Labramon called 'Bokomon' was staring at Andy with wide eyes. "Oh my gosh, it really is a player!"

Bokomon suddenly began examining Andy, making Andy feel quite self conscious. "He's just like the children who came here and became the Legendary Warriors! I never thought I'd get to see another human here again, especially after Coronamon began that awful plan of his!"

"If you didn't like what Coronamon was doing, why didn't you stop him? You're both Rookie levels, aren't you?" Andy questioned.

"Well, not all Rookies are made equal," Bokomon explained. "I'm not a fighter, I would get roasted the moment I tried to stand in Coronamon's way. So I locked myself in my house and just studied all my books to see if there was another way to fix our land that didn't involve killing the new humans who come here."

"I'm guessing you didn't know what Labramon did with Coronamon, do you?" Lopmon asked.

Bokomon looked at Lopmon and was fascinated once again. "Oh my! So this is what happened to you after you were defeated by those players?"

Bokomon was poking Lopmon's side, and rubbed his ear, and was looking at his hands. Lopmon was self conscious and didn't know what Bokomon was trying to do.

"H-hey, stop that!" Lopmon squeaked.

"I never thought I'd see you like this. This is so interesting, and alarming." Bokomon said as he poked Lopmon's left ear.

"Knock it off!" Labramon snapped.

"Oh, sorry, did you say something?" Bokomon sheepishly asked.

"You're such a shut in," Labramon grumbled. "Did you even know Coronamon is gone now?"

"What?! Who defeated him?" Bokomon asked. "Was it a player, or someone else?"

"It was a player, and it was me," Labramon answered.

"What?" Bokomon blinked.

"I decided to stop Coronamon from killing another player, and… that player and I began bonding after that. To make a long story short, the player helped me digivolve and I was able to… stop Coronamon," Labramon informed. "But Coronamon digivolved before I could stop him, and went on a rampage, destroying most of the village. So we've been trying to rebuild."

"Oh my! That must've been horrible for you to do such a thing!" Bokomon exclaimed. "And you were such close friends once."

"Um…" Andy spoke up. "We actually have a request for you."

"Oh?" Bokomon perked up. "Do you need me to come with you? I could be a partner Digimon, and I could write out our journey. I actually traveled with the Legendary Warriors before they became Legendary Warriors, and wrote a book about their journey here!"

"No, you didn't," Labramon sighed. "You wrote what you thought they did on their journey, you never actually traveled with them."

"What makes you so sure?" Bokomon huffed.

"You added in The Warrior of Flame and the Warrior of Ice when the kids never had those Spirits!" Labramon pointed out.

Lopmon snickered. "Someone is a fan boy for the Legendary Warriors it seems~"

Labramon sighed. "Oh, very much so."

"H-hey! I thought they would find more Spirits, okay?" Bokomon grumbled. "Everyone's a critic…"

Andy was trying not to laugh, he wondered how Bokomon would react if he knew about Takuya then. "Erm… um… getting back on topic, I already have a partner, but thanks for the offer."

"Wait, you do?" Bokomon blinked, before a look of surprise came on his face. "Wait, is it Labramon? You two were the ones who defeated Coronamon?"

"No, my partner is actually helping rebuild the village." Labramon replied.

"Really? Then who's your partner then, boy? Are they helping the village as well?" Bokomon questioned.

"Uh, hello? The only other Digimon, right here?" Lopmon pointed at himself.

Bokomon looked at Lopmon. "What? Is such a thing even possible?"

"Why are you acting like this is such shocking news?" Lopmon frowned. "Players have Digimon as their partners. I am a Digimon, Andy is a human, and we're partners. Nothing strange about that!"

"But you're a Celestial Digimon. I just didn't think Celestial Digimon could be partners with a human," Bokomon replied.

"... I think you've read too many books…" Lopmon replied.

Labramon looked at Lopmon. "You don't know?"

"I don't remember my past." Lopmon replied. "Celestial Digimon usually remember their past when they're reborn, right? So that means I can't be a Celestial Digimon."

Labramon frowned, and Bokomon was silent.

Andy hadn't been sure if Lopmon really was a Celestial Digimon reborn, it just seemed very unlikely that a Celestial Digimon would become his partner.

"I wonder if the memory loss came from what happened with the players…" Bokomon wondered.

"We're not talking about that anyways, we wanted to ask for your help," Lopmon spoke up, getting rather annoyed now.

"Oh, right. What is this request?" Bokomon asked, feeling sheepish now.

"We saved a player and his Digimon from being fused with a ghost," Andy explained. "But-"

"Wait a minute, did you say a ghost?" Bokomon frowned. "An actual ghost? Not just a Digimon who looks like a ghost?"

"Yes, we mean a genuine ghost," Andy answered.

"Oh my! Ghosts are dangerous! How did one get into the Digital World?! This is bad news, very bad news indeed!" Bokomon began to panic.

"We don't know how he got in here," Andy sighed. "But we think it may have something to do with the green fog that's been appearing in some places of the Digital World."

"Green fog?" Bokomon blinked. "I'm afraid I really have missed on what's been going on lately…"

"I told you you should come out more often," Labramon grumbled. "There's this green fog that seems to swallow up whatever goes into it. I think some Pagumon ended up getting engulfed by the fog, and we never saw them again."

Bokomon frowned. "This is definitely bad news. Oh, those poor Pagumon…"

"Um… we're getting off track again…" Lopmon said with a sweatdrop.

"Oh yes, of course, please continue," Bokomon blushed.

"So, uh… after we saved the player and his Digimon from that ghost, they've been unconscious," Andy explained. "We don't know if or when they'll wake up. But we can't just leave them out here. And we don't know if anyone else would take them in. Labramon said you might be able to take care of them, but would you? This player wasn't exactly the nicest guy ever when we first saw him."

Bokomon frowned a bit, but since it seemed this player was in trouble, he wasn't about to turn the request down. "I don't see why not, as long as this player doesn't cause any trouble."

"We can't promise that, since we don't know anything about this guy," Andy admitted. "But we don't want to just abandon him."

"I'll see what I can do," Bokomon said. "I want to help any way I can, especially since I wasn't aware of what happened to Coronamon."

"Great, then we'll be right back." Lopmon smiled.

Andy, Lopmon, and Labramon had to work together to carry the man and his Kunemon. Andy had to carry the man's shoulders, while Labramon had the man's feet on her back. Lopmon was carrying Kunemon over his head, trying not to drop the big caterpillar on his three horns.

Bokomon opened the door to his house to let them in.

"Just set the player on that couch over there," Bokomon instructed. "You can have Kunemon on the floor next to him. Insectoid Digimon usually don't mind sleeping on the floor."

Lopmon gently set Kunemon down on the floor while Labramon and Andy set the player on the couch.

"Thanks for doing this, Bokomon." Labramon said as she turned to face the other Digimon.

"I just hope this young man doesn't cause trouble when he wakes up," Bokomon replied. "I'll see what I can do to try to help them recover and wake up. But until then, you should go ahead and help with the village."

"Yeah, we will," Lopmon agreed. "Just don't go poking and prodding your visitors again."

Bokomon blushed at that. "Ah… right. I won't do that again, I promise."

Labramon shook her head, knowing Bokomon would very well do it again if something had his interest.

The group left Bokomon's house, and Andy looked at Labramon.

"Hey, Labramon?" Andy spoke up.

"Yes?" Labramon looked back at Andy.

"If we're going to be working together to fix up this place, then I think it's about time we met your partner," Andy stated. "We can't work well together if we don't at least meet with each other."

Labramon frowned, looking a little nervous. "I get what you're saying, but… I don't know if… I should…"

"Since we'll be in the same area, chances are, we'll run into them sooner or later," Lopmon pointed out. "Wouldn't it be easier to just meet with them now instead of bumping into them later and being confused?"

Labramon frowned some more, but she could not deny Lopmon made a good point. "That's true… I just… don't know if… now is a good time…"

"Is your partner that shy?" Andy asked.

"It's not a matter of being shy…" Labramon sighed. "I'm just not sure if… my partner is ready to…"

"To what?" Andy frowned.

"Meet with you," Labramon finished.

Andy raised an eyebrow. "Does your partner… know me?"

Labramon hesitated, which told Andy more than he cared to know.

Who would be too nervous to meet with me? I'm like one of the biggest losers in school. If it's one of the nerdy kids, they don't really care about me. If it's one of the average students, they don't care either. If it's one of the popular kids… if anything, I should be the one who's nervous about meeting them. Andy thought to himself. "Can you at least talk to them?"

"I'll ask," Labramon granted.

Labramon ran ahead to get to her partner. Hoping that her partner could work something out with Andy, because working together would be far more beneficial than trying to hide from someone who was trying to help.

It didn't take long for Labramon to find Dash. Dash was currently painting on one of the more finished houses.

"Dash," Labramon spoke up, approaching him. "Andy wants to see you… do you still… not want to face him?"

Dash looked at Labramon in surprise. "Seriously?" He asked before looking down in thought. As much as he wanted to avoid meeting with one of the Fenton twins, he knew he would have to meet with them sooner or later, and that would be very awkward if it happened later. He couldn't put it off forever, no matter how much he wanted to.

Finally, Dash sighed. "As much as I don't want to, it would be best to just confront the issue and get it over with."

"I'm glad you think so."

Dash and Labramon jumped when they turned around, shocked to see Andy and Lopmon there.

"Sorry, Labramon, I ended up following you," Andy sheepishly apologized. "I wasn't sure if you would let us meet with your partner. Although… I really didn't expect your partner to be Dash Baxter of all people."

Dash grumbled a bit before sighing. "Yeah, I'm Labramon's partner." He confirmed at last. "I just… didn't expect you to follow her."

Lopmon and Labramon could already sense the tension in the air as Andy walked closer to Dash before he stopped a few feet away from the jock.

"Was it true then? You really chose to help Labramon take on Coronamon when he went on a rampage?" Andy questioned. "Did you have an ulterior motive? Like you just did it so Labramon could get stronger?"

Dash frowned. "What? Can't a guy just do something because it's the right thing to do?" He countered.

"When was the last time you actually did something for the right reason?" Andy countered back. "Don't think I've forgotten all those times you took me, my brother, my friend, and other students to the bathroom to beat the living tar out of us, and then stuffing us in our lockers to make sure we would be late for our next class."

"I'm not proud of that, I will admit." Dash grumbled. "I thought it was fun, but then something happened that made me question whether it was the right thing to do or not." Dash could clearly recall that very incident with the dragon costume Andy had pulled out. "After that, I began to consider things, and how it all felt. I began to think maybe it wasn't worth making others miserable."

"So you decided to change, just like that?" Andy questioned skeptically.

"It wasn't 'just like that'," Dash replied. "I have been… thinking about this for weeks now… I know that I didn't make things better between us or anything, but…"

Andy had noticed that Dash hadn't been bullying them as much as he used to, and lately he seemed to have stopped, though Andy didn't want to get his hopes up.

"So what made you start changing your mind?" Andy asked. "It must've been something big for you to want to give up the crown of being the king of Casper High."

"I'm still the king of Casper High! I just… don't want to beat up kids for it anymore," Dash grumbled.

"You didn't answer my question," Andy stated.

"It was around the time of my usual party." Dash sighed. "Or maybe even before that, at the dance. I don't know which affected me more to be honest. You pulling that dragon prank at the dance, or the one at my party."

"You're still thinking about that?" Andy questioned. "Everyone else just put everyone who was involved with that prank at the bottom of the food chain in revenge for that prank and pretty much moved on from it, but you're still thinking about it? Did it really affect you that much?"

"Of course it did!" Dash pointed out. "Whether it was fake or real didn't matter, but during that time when I thought it was real… I knew what it felt like to be helpless against a being who was much stronger. I was at your mercy… and I hated it. And sometimes I wonder if it really was a prank or not… and if you'd pull something like it again if you felt the need to."

Andy paused for a moment before he started laughing. "Are you being serious right now? Hahahaha! It almost sounds like you're scared of me! Hahahaha! Come on, that's silly!"

"H-hey! I really was scared! Heck, you could pull an even worse prank if you wanted to!" Dash protested.

Andy stopped laughing and blinked, he was waiting for Dash to say a punchline, or say 'psyche!' before punching Andy in the face or something 'Dash-like'. But there wasn't a punchline. Dash didn't start laughing, nor did he move to punch Andy. He just stood there, looking a little uncomfortable.

To say Andy hadn't expected this would be an understatement. All these years, Dash had bullied him, his brother, and Tucker. All these years, they were always scared of running into Dash at school, especially if Dash was in a bad mood. And yet here Dash was, telling him that he was scared of Andy pranking him.

"You're… being serious?" Andy asked just to be sure. "You're scared of what pranks I would pull on you? Is that why you didn't want to bully us anymore?"

"Well… that and because I now know how the nerds must feel… facing down someone much stronger than them…" Dash admitted. "That's… not a very fun feeling… or position to be in…"

Andy wasn't sure what to say to that. He had years of resentment for what Dash had done to him, Danny, and Tucker. But now he couldn't bring himself to really snap at Dash, or get revenge on him. He always thought Dash was nothing but a muscle head, like with the other jocks. He wasn't very smart, he was only passing school because of the nerds he forced to do his homework for him, and his winning streak in football was granting him unfair favors with the teachers. Dash just seemed like one of those stereotypical bullies he would see on TV, someone who could never change, and didn't want to change. He was just there to bully the characters, and even if he gets his karma in the end, he would return the next day as unchanged and as big of a bully as ever.

To say the Dash that was standing before him felt like a completely different person than the Dash he knew from school would be very accurate to Andy right now.

"You're really trying to change?" Andy finally asked after trying to get his mind to wrap around what Dash was saying. "You're not going to go back on your word and start bullying us again just to hide what you said you want to do here? Or to protect your image at school? Or to show your 'friends' that you're still the 'top dog'?"

Dash had to admit, what Andy was saying did sound like something the old him would do, and it was tempting, but he really did want to change, and he would not let himself fall back into his old habits. He shook his head. "No. I will admit the idea is tempting, but the results would not be worth it." Dash admitted at last. "I don't want to have others feel that helplessness they would normally feel when facing me down. It… that can change a person if they think about it long enough."

"I believe a person can change if they really try," Andy admitted. "It's just… you, and most of the popular kids, I hadn't been sure about. You never showed any signs of wanting to change before. And you didn't have a reason to."

"I didn't have a reason to before," Dash corrected. "That feeling of being helpless and powerless increased when I was facing with Coronamon, and Labramon was trying to protect me. Labramon… helped me realize what it means to have a real friend. Don't get me wrong, I still think Kwan is a good friend too, he's not like the other jocks. He's someone I feel I can be more myself with… but I don't think he understands me like Labramon does. As great as Kwan is, he wouldn't stand up for me when things start getting tough."

"I know Dash is trying to change," Labramon spoke up. "He didn't have to stay here and help me fight off Firamon. He didn't know if we would be able to defeat him. But he stayed to help regardless of the outcome, and that helped me digivolve. I know it won't be right away, but I know Dash will do everything he can to be a better person."

Andy frowned, though he had no reason to doubt Labramon's words, it was still difficult to wrap his mind around the fact Dash Baxter wanted to stop bullying and become a better person. "Alright… fine. I'll give you a chance to prove to me that you really want to change. If you end up reverting back to the same, bullying Dash Baxter I knew from school when we leave the Digital World… well, let's just say you'll finally get to see what other pranks I can be capable of."

Dash actually looked uncomfortable, but he nodded. "I… I understand. It won't be like it was." He said, feeling a bit nervous, but also a bit… braver too, like he wanted to prove to Andy he could change.

"Sam already knows about you, doesn't she?" Andy asked.

"Yeah, she does," Dash answered.

"What about Tucker?" Andy questioned.

"He hasn't seen me yet," Dash replied.

"Alright then, I suggest you talk to Tucker as well, then we can really start working on the Trailmon station," Andy said. "The village will get rebuilt much faster once we have the Trailmon running. We'll be able to get more help and supplies that way."

Dash nodded. "That would be best." He agreed. "It's been hard to get supplies, so the Trailmon running would be a big help." I didn't think about that until Andy brought it up.

"Okay then, I'll go get Tucker and Kokuwamon," Andy said as he and Lopmon began walking away.

"Were you really going to prank him if he reverts back to being a bully?" Lopmon questioned.

"No, that was a bluff," Andy whispered before chuckling. "I don't like pranking the popular kids. It was… necessary when I did it before, not because I wanted revenge. But Dash seemed genuinely scared, so I used that to my advantage to make sure he doesn't go back on his word. I want to see him actually be a better person too."

Lopmon nodded. "I get it. You want to make sure he is being truthful." He noted.

"Yup. Besides, my pranks are usually reserved for the people I care about," Andy chuckled.

"Really? Why?" Lopmon asked.

"Because they know me. They know I do it out of love and passion, and not malice like the popular kids do," Andy answered. "I meant what I said when I said the popular kids put me and my friends at the bottom of the food chain because of that prank we pulled on them. And who knows what else they would do if I kept trying to prank them. It would do more harm than good, so I just don't think it's worth it."

Lopmon smiled. "At least you know when you go too far." He said. "But pranking those you love must mean you love them a lot."

"I do," Andy chuckled. "I don't do it nearly as often as I used to, but I may do one or two pranks if I'm feeling motivated enough. But for now, let's get Tucker, and let's finally fix up that Trailmon station."

"Yeah!" Lopmon agreed.

---

Valerie finally landed in front of Seraphimon's castle. Takuya felt like he hadn't been here in forever.

"We're finally here." Valerie said. "It's been a while since I was last here."

"Yeah, same for me." Takuya chuckled. "In fact, this was the first place I stayed. Sorcermon was nice when I met him."

"The Legendary Warriors should either be in the castle or roaming around the Forest Terminal," Salamon explained.

"Shouldn't they also be going to school or something?" Takuya asked. "Don't they ever return to the real world?"

"They do," Salamon answered. "But they usually have at least one of them stay in case they're needed. The twins are homeschooled, so they don't need to worry about going to school as much. Sometimes they would go to the real world to check on something there."

"Really? Huh… Must be handy to be homeschooled." Takuya muttered. "Well, at least I know someone else is here who can help me with my Beast Spirit."

Little did Takuya know, someone was watching them from the bushes.

"Well, come on, let's go meet up with them and have them teach you how to handle your Beast Spirit," Valerie said. "I'd rather you didn't go on another rampage."

Takuya nodded in agreement with a wince. "Yeah… I'd rather avoid that too. It's not fun…"

Takuya's back was still sore from when Turuiemon had to stab his gauntlet claw into his back.

Valerie, Salamon, and Takuya began walking to the castle's entrance. A White KnightChessmon was guarding the entrance. The White KnightChessmon bowed to Salamon as they passed by.

The being who was watching the group came out of the bushes and started to follow them, but then…

"Hey! There you are!"

The being gasped, turning to the side, seeing Sir Michael there with his black Pawnchessmon standing beside him.

"You thought you could sneak away?"

The being quickly turned in the opposite direction and began running.

"You can run, but you can't hide forever!" Sir Michael shouted.

---

"Oh, Lady Salamon, forgive me, I didn't realize you would be coming here today," Sorcermon bowed when he saw Salamon walking in with Valerie and Takuya.

"I'm sorry for the unexpected arrival, but we have someone who is in need of training." Salamon replied, looking at Takuya.

Valerie nodded. "We can't afford to take any chances, considering the Beast Spirit of Flame was found."

Sorcermon blinked as he looked at Takuya. "The… Beast Spirit of Flame? Wait… you hold the Warrior of Flame!?"

Tajuya rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah… I do. I found the Human Spirit of Flame in the real world some time ago as well." He confirmed, feeling a bit embarrassed he hadn't mentioned it earlier.

"And you did not think to inform us about this earlier?" Sorcermon frowned.

"He's got a secret identity complex," Valerie grumbled. "Only reason Salamon and I found out was because he was going on a rampage as his beast form."

"Hey! It's not my fault I can't control it! That Spirit is like a wild animal!" Takuya protested.

"That is neither here nor there," Salamon sighed. "Sorcermon, are any of the other Legendary Warriors here right now?"

"Yes, I believe one of them is here. The Warrior of Darkness to be precise." Sorcermon replied. "His brother is out on patrol right now."

Takuya sweatdropped a little. He had only met with the Warrior of Darkness once, when Zoe introduced him. Koichi only gave Takuya an awkward wave before leaving. He wasn't sure how well he would get along with Koichi.

"Ah, so that must be… Koichi Minamoto," Salamon realized. "Where is he now?"

"He was patrolling the Forest Terminal," Sorcermon answered.

"Anything to report?" Salamon questioned.

"There were some sightings of a player, but the player hadn't really done anything to cause trouble yet, so no actions were taken at this time," Sorcermon replied.

Salamon gave it some thought. "Alright, if this player isn't causing problems right now, then we can afford to summon Koichi here. He needs to talk to Takuya."

Sorcermon nodded. "Of course. Training Takuya on how to use his Beast Spirit is just as important."

"Heh, I wish you luck with that," Valerie chuckled at Takuya. "That boy rarely says anything."

Sorcermon lighted up his wand, letting it glow. "Koichi Minamoto, Warrior of Darkness, you are needed in the castle."

A dark purple symbol appeared above the glowing wand. "I'm on my way." A male voice replied. "I will be there in a few minutes."

The symbol then faded away as Sorcermon's wand stopped glowing.

"Koichi will be here soon." Sorcermon said to Takuya as he lowered his wand.

"Great… I get to be trained. I hope this will actually help me with my Beast Spirit…" Takuya muttered before he looked at Valerie and Salamon. "You think I'll be able to do it?"

"I believe you can. The Warrior of Flame chose you for a reason," Salamon replied.

"Let us know how it goes," Valerie said as she began to walk away.

"W-wait! Where are you going? You aren't going to stay with me?" Takuya asked in worry.

"Salamon and I need to check on the Digital World to see if any more of that green fog is still coming in, and if that ghost did any other damage," Valerie replied. "Besides, why do I need to stick around? I don't have a Spirit. Or do you need me to babysit you?"

Takuya winced at Valerie's tone. "Yeah… no… I think I'm good…" He said, although he was nervous about using that Beast Spirit again.

Valerie softened up a little. "You'll be fine, Takuya. Another Legendary Warrior will be able to handle your Beast Spirit if you lose control again. It's better than putting Andy and the rest of us in danger if you lose it again, isn't it?"

Takuya nodded, feeling his resolve on controlling BurningGreymon growing. "Yeah… It is. I'd rather have control than just be a loose cannon all the time." And I can't risk hurting anyone if I use it. I need to gain control, if not for Andy and Danny, then for the others and for myself.

"Then there you go, work on that goal." Valerie grinned. "Work on getting stronger."

Salamon looked up at Valerie.

"Come on, Salamon, we should get going," Valerie said. "I need to take this thermos out anyways, I don't want to risk setting the ghost out into the Digital World again."

"Yeah, I agree." Salamon nodded.

"Oh, Valerie?" Takuya spoke up. "Um… about that ghost you have in that thermos… are you going to release it in the Ghost Zone?"

"How would I be able to do that? It's not like I have a portal in my house that would connect to the Ghost Zone like my computer," Valerie deadpanned. "I'm just going to keep the ghost in the thermos until I can figure out what to do with it."

"Um… just as a suggestion… Why not give it to Andy or Danny? They would know what to do better than anyone else." Takuya offered. "Their parents are specialized with ghost hunting after all."

"... I'll think about it," Valerie replied. "Is that all you're worried about?"

"I think I'm good now. I just wanted to offer a suggestion." Takuya replied. Although, the idea of eliminating Technus doesn't sit well with me…

"Then good luck with your training," Valerie replied.

"Believe in yourself, Takuya," Salamon encouraged as she and Valerie walked out of the castle.

Valerie summoned her hoverboard, and Salamon hopped onto the hoverboard before they took off into the air. Takuya pouted for a moment to himself. Must be nice to fly…

Takuya then shook his head. What am I saying? I should be able to fly! At least… once I get control… of… Crap… My Beast Spirit can fly, and in order to fly, I need control… Well, it's another reason to gain control of BurningGreymon, I suppose.

"How's… Patamon been?" Sorcermon asked Takuya.

Takuya looked back at Sorcermon. "He's been good. Just… kinda a grump." The boy replied.

"That's not surprising. He's become… well…" Sorcermon shook his head. "Nevermind. I just had a bad feeling about Patamon, which was why I felt uneasy."

Before Takuya could ask, he saw a familiar, lion-man wearing the black armor coming into the castle. Takuya didn't remember what the Digimon was called, but he knew this was the Warrior of Darkness. It had such an ominous name, and it made Takuya a little uneasy.

"I'm here, Sorcermon," The Warrior of Darkness stated. "What was I summoned for?"

"Ah, Lowemon, good to see you're here," Sorcermon greeted. "That boy there, do you remember him?"

Lowemon looked over at Takuya. "You were… that boy Zoe introduced, right?"

"Um… Yes…" Takuya squeaked out. "I'm… Takuya… W-Warrior of Flame…"

"The Warrior of Flame?" Lowemon stared at Takuya. "You are… a Legendary Warrior?"

Takuya took out his D-Tector and held it up. "Yeah… I am. I just found my Beast Spirit recently and well… I… haven't had a good track record with controlling it…"

"You are here to help train Takuya in controlling his Beast Spirit, and what it means to be a Legendary Warrior," Sorcermon informed.

"Are you sure… I'm the right guy for such a responsibility?" Lowemon asked, sounding uncertain.

"You also had trouble with your own Beast Spirit before, so it makes sense you would be the best to help Takuya." Sorcermon replied.

"It was more than just my Beast Spirit…" Lowemon sighed. "But… I will see what I can do."

Lowemon turned back to Takuya before fractal code surrounded his body, shrinking him. When the fractal code disappeared, a young boy stood in front of Takuya who appeared to be roughly the same age as Takuya.

The boy had black shoulder length hair and blue eyes. He wore a gray hoodie over a light-gray shirt and had black pants on that had a golden line running down the sides. His shoes were gray and gold with white accents as well.

"You… were Lowemon…" Takuya muttered. "Koichi… right?"

"Yes, that's me." The boy, Koichi, confirmed.

Takuya felt awkward when Koichi didn't say anything else. "So, um… how about that training?"

"Oh… did you want to train now?" Koichi asked.

"Well… I'm here, right? I kinda want to get started as soon as possible, since I have friends and family who may worry about me. And… I don't want to have another loss of control." Takuya admitted.

"Forgive me for asking this, as it probably shouldn't be my place to… but… when was the last time you had something to eat?" Koichi questioned. "I… didn't think you'd want to train on an empty stomach."

Takuya's stomach decided to growl loudly at that point. "Um… not for a while…" Takuya admitted, blushing beet red.

"I figured, you looked like you were almost skin and bones when I saw you as Lowemon," Koichi replied. "You shouldn't use your Beast Spirit while hungry, that'll guarantee you would lose control, because then you'd be looking for food. Sorcermon, would it be alright if we gathered some food before training?"

"Go on ahead, I'll need some time to prepare the training room anyways," Sorcermon answered.

"Thank you," Koichi politely replied.

Takuya sighed. "Well, I guess some food may help. I didn't really eat after the fight with an unstable Megadramon."

"Megadramon? Why would you fight against such a powerful Digimon without being able to control your Beast Spirit?" Koichi questioned.

"Long story short, my friends and family were in danger, and being backed into a corner, I had no choice." Takuya summarized.

"I see… I suppose that makes sense…" Koichi frowned. "Well, come with me then. We'll start your training now."

"Huh? I thought we were going to eat first?" Takuya blinked.

"We are," Koichi replied. "Um… well, I guess I didn't make it very clear. I'm not just training you to control your Beast Spirit. Sorcermon asked me to help you with being a Legendary Warrior. And that means you'll likely be out in the field a lot. You wouldn't be able to stop at a restaurant or something, you'd be out, hungry. So the first lesson is teaching you how to forage your own food."

Takuya blinked before he rubbed the back of his head. "That does make sense…" He admitted sheepishly. "I guess I'll be learning all over the place today."

"It's okay. It took me some time to learn how to forage my own food without relying on my brother," Koichi sheepishly replied. "But you look like you might be a natural so… I'm sure you won't have to worry too much."

Takuya grinned sheepishly. "Heh… Thanks. So… where do we begin looking for food?"

"Not in here," Koichi replied.

Takuya blushed. "Ah… I knew that…"

Koichi sighed. "Just follow me please."

Takuya nodded before he followed Koichi. Koichi led him outside of the castle, heading further into the forest.

"This should be a good spot to start looking for food," Koichi noted after a while of walking.

"Um… okay… So… what am I looking for exactly?" Takuya asked, looking around the area. "I'm pretty sure food is food, right?"

"Indeed. You can try looking as you are now, or you can try using your Human Spirit's enhanced senses to find food," Koichi answered. "I'll stay with you to make sure you don't pick up something poisonous or inedible."

Takuya nodded. "Well, better start learning to forage as a human first." He said before he began to look around for something that looked edible.

"If you can find a river, you can try fishing for food too, your foraging doesn't just have to be on land," Koichi informed. "Oh wait, maybe you're supposed to learn that on your own…"

Takuya found what looked like a mushroom and pulled on it before he fell back onto his butt, the mushroom in hand. "Ugh… Dang, this thing was stuck…" He muttered before he looked at the fungus. "Huh… This thing looks edible…"

Takuya wanted to bite into the mushroom, but he decided it was probably best to ask Koichi first, so he held it up. "Um… is this edible?"

Koichi looked at the mushroom. "Um… technically it is, but it's kinda… poisonous. It doesn't kill you, but it makes you… forget things."

Takuya paled before he threw the mushroom away. "Well, that one is out." He grumbled. "Jeez… this is harder than I thought…"

"Try not to focus too much on mushrooms," Koichi said. "Most of them tend to have weird effects on non-player humans."

Takuya nodded. "So mushrooms are out. Got it." He said as he stood up. "Hmmm…" He looked around again. "What else is there…?"

Takuya began walking around. He hadn't noticed he was hungry until Koichi had pointed it out, and now all he could think of was food. The leaves around him were starting to look tasty enough to eat.

Takuya then ended up running into a tree.

"Are you okay?" Koichi asked.

"Ow… Yeah… I'm fine. It's not the first time I ran into a tree…" Takuya grumbled as he rubbed his face.

Koichi looked up for a moment, and hesitated. He picked up a stick that was on the ground and threw it at another tree nearby. "Oh? Looks like that small twig broke off when you ran into the tree, and it seemed to have landed near that tree over there."

Koichi pointed it out, and Takuya looked at where Koichi pointed. Takuya's eyes went wide when he saw apples growing on the tree.

"Apples? Awesome!" Takuya grinned as he ran to the tree. He began to climb up the tree to get at some of the apples.

When Takuya was at the level of the nearest apples, he blinked. "Huh? These apples are more… tan…"

"What's wrong?" Koichi called from the bottom of the tree. "You allergic to apples?"

"No, it's just that these apples are more tan than green or red." Takuya replied as he took one of the apples off of its branch.

"That's-" Koichi began to say when suddenly a swarm of insectoid Digimon flew at the tree. "Look out!"

Takuya yelped as the swarm began grabbing the apples, taking them all until the tree was bare, and Takuya fell off of the tree.

"Aw, c'mon! I just wanted some apples!" Takuya whined. "Did those Digimon have to take all the apples?!"

"You have one in your hand." Koichi pointed out.

"But one isn't enough…" Takuya grumbled.

Koichi sighed. "Sorry, sometimes Digimon can get a bit… wild with food."

Koichi saw how depressed Takuya looked before he gave a smile. "Oh? I think I hear a river nearby."

Takuya looked over, and grinned. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" He grinned as he got up and ran over to the river. There were lots of fish in the river, making Takuya's eyes sparkle. "Look at all the fish!"

"Um… Takuya…" Koichi spoke up. "That's… not a river…"

Takuya blinked, seeing nothing but grass and inedible flowers.

"Uh… I think the river's sound is this way," Koichi spoke up, trying to salvage the situation.

Takuya decided to follow Koichi, who began to head further down into the forest. Takuya's face was red with embarrassment. Aw man… This is so awkward…

Takuya noticed that they were walking quite the distance, he was surprised Koichi even heard a river at all with how far away it was.

Finally, the two boys reached the river's edge. "Here we are." Koichi said as Takuya looked around at the river.

"I'm surprised you heard this river so far away." Takuya noted. "That's pretty impressive."

"Uh… yeah… um… comes with mastering one's Spirit," Koichi nervously replied. "Do you… uh… think you'll do better with fishing for food?"

"I think so." Takuya replied with a grin before he chuckled. "You know, it's funny. You're the Warrior of Darkness, and yet you are just this socially awkward kid who is sweet and kind."

Koichi stared at Takuya, his whole face going as red as a tomato. "Y-you… really think so? I-I mean… don't I just… seem awkward or weird?"

"Nah. I know a kid who is just as awkward socially." Takuya replied. "He's also the biggest techno geek I've seen, so it's not that weird."

Koichi awkwardly poked his fingers together. "Well… uh… t-thank you… for saying such nice things. Other than… Zoe and my brother… and JP, I don't have… many friends. Most think I'm… just weird… or snobby… or scary… I don't know why they'd think I would be scary… Must be Koji… he tends to scare people off with his… attitude…"

Takuya chuckled again. "I have twin cousins, and they can be downright terrors when they put their minds together, especially Andy. He can get scary with his pranks."

"A prankster, huh? I used to prank Koji all the time when we were kids," Koichi chuckled. "Oh, um… you mentioned how it's funny that I'm the Warrior of Darkness, right? Actually, it's not that funny… When I first came here, I… well… wasn't exactly myself… But that's a long story. You should focus on getting some food before you keel over."

Takuya was interested in Koichi's story, but his stomach growled again, reminding Takuya he needed food first. "Right. Food first." Takuya muttered as he looked at the river. The fish were swimming about, looking quite tasty. "Hmmm…" Takuya knew he needed a fishing rod first; he was not trying to catch a live fish with his hands. "I need a branch and maybe some string… or something long to catch the fish…"

Takuya looked around before he saw a branch on the ground. It looked long enough to use as a fishing rod. Takuya picked it up, glancing around for something to use as a line. "Now, what can I use for a line…?"

After a while of looking around, Takuya frowned. "Hey, Koichi, isn't there a vine or something I could use?"

"Um… you could look at some of the trees further back there," Koichi suggested.

Takuya groaned, not wanting to walk more before he could finally start eating. He began to climb up one of the trees, finding some leaves and whatnot. After about half an hour, Takuya finally found a vine that looked like it would make a good line for his makeshift fishing rod.

"Finally!" Takuya exclaimed as he grabbed the vine and pulled it off the tree. Takuya then took the vine into his hand and slid down the tree trunk. "Jeez… this is harder than it looks. Although, I can't really object to this since this could come in handy down the road…."

"I'm glad you were able to find something that works for you," Koichi smiled.

Takuya made his way back to the river, grabbing his makeshift fishing rod and tying the vine to the end of it. Takuya knew he needed bait as well, but that was easy to find. He dug up an earthworm and tied it to the end of the vine.

"There! Fishing time!" Takuya grinned. He cast the line into the river, eagerly awaiting his first fish to bite the line.

Takuya then realized something as he was waiting for a fish to bite. "If we're in the Digital World… how come this place has normal animals like non Digimon worms and fish? Or… are they Digimon that just look like ordinary earthworms and fish?"

"I can guarantee that they're not Digimon," Koichi chuckled. "They're indeed just non-intelligent animals. Some Digimon prefer not to hunt each other, and hunt regular wild animals instead. There… isn't a lot of normal animals here, as most of them are Digimon, but fish and non-Digimon insects are the most common animals in the Digital World. The fish may even have a spawning point since there's usually enough to feed all the water dwelling Digimon, and there are some big ones like Whamon and Seadramon."

Takuya looked down in thought. "Well, that sounds like a good explanation." He admitted. "I'm still trying to get used to this world, even though I've been here a few times before by now."

"The Digital World is definitely a different place than our world. Heck, you can grow meat in this world, or food that normally isn't meat can be meat too," Koichi chuckled. "Just like that meat apple you got."

"Wait, that apple was a meat apple?" Takuya blinked. "I remember I had one when I was at Primary Village, and boy, was that good, but also weird."

"Yeah. There are regular, non meat apples too," Koichi replied. "But meat apples tend to be more popular since they're tastier than regular apples. And come in with different meat flavors. The insectoid Digimon swarm must be trying to gather meat for a harvest party. Talk about rotten timing that they found the tree while you were foraging though."

Takuya grumbled. "Tell me about it…" He was still a bit miffed; he only got one meat apple from that tree. "Harvest party? There's a harvest party?"

"Yeah. it's kind of like… uh… that holiday in America… um… Turkey Day or something," Koichi replied. "Digimon gather a lot of food for a feast, then have a huge party in the evening."

It just occurred to Takuya that they were speaking in Japanese rather than English. Not to mention, 'Koichi' was a Japanese name.

"Wait… Hold on… How am I speaking Japanese right now? I thought I was speaking English. And… how can I understand you if we're speaking different languages?" Takuya asked, a bit confused now. Wait… I speak Japanese normally…

"I thought you were Japanese. 'Takuya' is a Japanese name, isn't it?" Koichi pointed out. "Did you think you were speaking English then?"

"I did… I actually speak English when around my cousins, but right now… I'm speaking Japanese…" Takuya frowned a little.

"Okay, I guess you didn't realize you switched languages…" Koichi remarked. "That's actually not that surprising. In the Digital World, every language is translated to the player's native language. So if I were to speak to someone who only spoke in English, they would hear English words coming out of my mouth. Not only that, but it localizes the language, so the language doesn't sound strange or broken to the player either."

"I guess that makes sense." Takuya noted, but he was a bit lost on the more technical side of things. "So it's like an automatic translator."

"That's a good way of putting it." Koichi said with a small smile.

Takuya felt a tug on his fishing rod, and he quickly pulled. He managed to get a nice sized fish, but it wouldn't be enough for him, so he was going to have to fish for more. That was fine, it gave him time to talk to Koichi more. Koichi seemed to be talking more as well.

"Well, this wasn't a bad first catch." Takuya grinned as he held up the first fish. He cast out the line again with a new worm on the end of the vine.

"I can gather up some fire wood so you can start cooking up the fishes, and the meat apple," Koichi offered.

"Sure, that would be great. I don't want to leave the fishing rod in case something else snatches my food before I can get it in." Takuya smiled.

After a while of fishing and preparing, Takuya caught quite a lot of fish, enough to make a fish dinner for 2 people. He and Koichi put the fish, and the one meat apple, on some sticks. Takuya rubbed some sticks together to create a fire on the firewood. Making a small campfire. They placed the fish and meat apple near the fire to let them cook.

"You're not bad when it comes to fishing and preparing to cook the fish," Koichi noted. "Though your foraging skills for finding food in a forest without water could use some work."

"I guess they could." Takuya sighed. "I really had bad luck with that meat apple tree, and the mushroom thing is more up Andy's alley since he loves biology."

"Not necessarily, biology is more about the human body than it is about the wild life," Koichi explained. "Although it sounds like you and this Andy guy are pretty close. You brought him up twice now."

"Andy's my younger cousin. Well, one of them." Takuya explained. "He has a twin brother too, named Danny."

"Really? You have cousins who are twins?" Koichi blinked, surprised. "I can't say I've met any other twins before. School has… always been hard for me, not because the assignments were difficult, but because… people don't really get along well with me or Koji. So our parents ended up homeschooling us."

"Nothing wrong with that." Takuya shrugged. "Sometimes public school is not the best place for everyone. Sometimes people do better in homeschooling or private schools." He then bushed a bit. "Oh geez… I sounded like Jazz right then…"

Koichi actually laughed at Takuya's reaction. "That isn't something I expected from you!"

"That's because I just sounded like Jazz, my older cousin. She's a real bookworm, and she likes to psychoanalyze everyone in the family." Takuya grumbled.

"She sounds like she can be annoying, but… she also sounds helpful," Koichi chuckled before sighing. "I could've used someone like her in my life actually. Things are a lot better now than they were back then, but… it's complicated."

"It's okay. We've got time." Takuya smiled. "It will take time for the fish and meat apple to cook, so may as well pass the time with a story or two."

"Maybe you could tell me how you came across the Warrior of Flame," Koichi suggested. "I thought… I thought it was lost forever when the Spirit fell into an inter dimensional hole while we were fending off a powerful enemy."

"Actually… I found it hidden in a piece of frozen meat in my high school." Takuya began. "There was an attack by a ghost of all things, and I was hiding in the frozen meat locker with my cousins and friends. And yes, I am not joking when I say a ghost attacked. But not the kind of ghosts you hear about in horror shows or even real life stories. These things can do some real damage."

Koichi's eyes went wide. "A ghost?! I didn't think a ghost would attack your school!"

"It was… an interesting day for sure when that happened." Takuya admitted. "Anyway, I was hiding under a stack of boxes and I found the Human Spirit of Flame in a slab of frozen meat. I took it out and well… I've had it ever since."

"I see… I would say it was lucky you found it, but… maybe it wasn't luck, maybe it was destiny," Koichi wondered. "After all, after you found it, the Spirit never left you, right? And you even found your Beast Spirit."

"Yeah, but my Beast Spirit was a complete mess when I tried to claim it. I lost control right away, and… It was not fun." Takuya sighed. "I could've hurt my friends and cousins…"

Koichi frowned for a moment. "It's… actually not unusual for that to happen. Koji lost control when he found his Beast Spirit too. He kept hitting walls and buildings when he was trying to get control of himself. JP wasn't any better, he was a tank when he got his Beast Spirit. It took a lot to restrain him. The only one in our group who had better control was Zoe when she got her Beast Spirit, and even then she had some… moments where she tried to grab us in the air. The Beast Spirit is difficult to control because it brings out your innermost animalistic instincts, humans weren't trained to control such instincts, we've lived most of our lives suppressing such instincts, unless something brings them out like when we're afraid, being chased by someone, or put in a stressful situation. People tend to not control themselves very well in those situations."

Takuya sweatdropped. "That last part sounds like something Jazz would say as well… But I can't disagree. I certainly felt that power myself." He admitted.

"Well, that's why we're doing this training, foraging for food also helps you think like how an animal would," Koichi explained. "It'll be easier for you to get control of your Beast Spirit once you've learned how to use your instincts rather than letting your instincts use you."

Takuya looked down in thought. "So control my instincts, I control my Beast Spirit…" He mused. "That may explain why I had no control. I was… being overwhelmed by the power enough to where my instincts were overpowering me."

"Yup. Try not to think about it too much," Koichi chuckled. "Instinct doesn't require you to use your brain. You just do it. Speaking of which, the fish and meat apple look ready now, any longer and they'll start to burn."

Takuya reached over and grabbed one of the fish while also grabbing the meat apple. "Alright! Chow time!" He grinned before taking a bite of the fish.

The fish was hot, but it tasted wonderful. It wasn't anything spectacular, after all, there wasn't any seasoning on the fish. But for what it was, it was good, and Takuya being hungry made the fish taste even better.

While Takuya was eating, someone moved some of the leaves of the bush nearby. They could smell the fish that was cooking, and they saw the campfire. They saw Takuya sitting nearby, as well as Koichi. The being looked around for a moment, before they moved away from the bush, trying to get closer to the two without getting spotted.

Takuya was now eating the meat apple, and it tasted like steak. "Wow! This meat apple is like eating steak!" Takuya exclaimed with some drool running down his mouth as he chewed.

"I'm guessing you really like steak," Koichi chuckled.

There was the sound of rustling leaves. Koichi stopped and looked.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Takuya asked, noticing Koichi was suddenly looking around.

"I thought I heard something," Koichi replied.

Takuya frowned. "Really? That doesn't sound good. What could be trying to sneak up on us?"

The being looked through another bush, closer to the boys this time.

"I'm not sure. It could be a Digimon that smelled food, or it could be a player…" Koichi theorized.

"Then… we need to be on alert." Takuya said as he gripped his D-Tector in his pocket. The boy looked around, trying to find out who or what was creeping up on them.

The being looked around for a moment before picking a rock and tossing it at the fire. The rock caused the firewood to split apart, causing some of the burning wood to roll on the ground.

"Quick, put out the fire before it could spread to the forest!" Koichi quickly instructed.

Takuya didn't need to be told twice. He threw dirt on the fire, making sure it was covering the flames thoroughly. "Geez! That was close…" Takuya sighed once the flames were put out. "What could've made the firewood roll out of the fire?"

The being quickly ran out of the bush while Takuya and Koichi had been busy putting out the fire. The being grabbed some of the fish and began bolting away.

Koichi pointed. "There! Someone's running off!"

Takuya looked over and saw the same thing, but he also saw what the being was carrying. "Hey! That's my fish!" Takuya exclaimed. "The little thief!"

Takuya rushed after the being, not wanting his hard earned food to be stolen just like that. Koichi ran after Takuya. The being looked back, seeing that they were being chased. The being rushed into the bushes, hoping to lose their pursuers.

"Oh no you don't!" Takuya growled as he ran after the figure that was trying to lose him and Koichi. "Get back here, you thief!"

"Wait up!" Koichi called, not wanting to be left behind.

Takuya jumped at the being and managed to grab something. Takuya blinked when he saw his gloves grab something white and kind of squishy. He looked up, seeing what looked like an almost cartoony bear looking back at him.

Takuya didn't have a chance to get a good look, because he was suddenly blown back by ice cold wind, and slammed into Koichi while his shirt was covered in snow.

"Ugh… That sucks…" Takuya grumbled before he felt Koichi moving around beneath him. "Oh! Sorry, Koichi!" Takuya apologized as he rolled off of the Warrior of Darkness.

"Just… don't go running off ahead again…" Koichi coughed as he sat up.

Takuya frowned as he looked down at his clothes. He only got a glimpse of the little thief, but he was sure it was a bear, and it blew him away with some kind of ice attack. He knew Lopmon had something similar with his Blazing Ice, but this one felt much stronger.

"What happened?" Koichi asked, noticing the snow on Takuya's clothes.

"I got blown back by an ice attack." Takuya replied. "Somehow… It felt strong too…" He began to wipe the snow off of his shirt. "But man… that packed a punch!"

"An ice attack… Then it was a Digimon that was observing us…" Koichi realized with a small frown of his own. "But why did the Digimon feel the need to steal from us?"

"I don't know, but if I see that punk again, I'm going to make sure they understand the consequences of stealing food…" Takuya grumbled.

Koichi frowned. He knew a lot of Digimon in the area, they normally wouldn't just steal food. Even if they were hungry, they usually would try to ask for food. The Digimon could be new, however, and didn't know them and thought they were players. But it was still odd that a Digimon would try to steal food from players, that was a risk most wouldn't take.

"We need to find that Digimon." Koichi said seriously. "Not many Digimon would steal from players… It's not worth the risk to most of them."

"So you think something is wrong?" Takuya asked.

"Possibly, but I can't know for sure." Koichi admitted. "Let's at least try to find them. If they are just troublemakers, we have to find them anyway before they get themselves into trouble."

Takuya grumbled. "Fine."

If nothing else, at least Takuya would be able to give this thief a piece of his mind.

The two of them ran into the forest. Takuya frowned, he wasn't sure how they were going to find this bear. Bears were usually pretty big and hard to miss, but the shadowy figure that took their food was pretty small.

Is it a bear Digimon? If so… why is it so small? It could be a bear-like Digimon that is young, but… there's no way a young Digimon would have an ice attack that strong. Takuya thought to himself. And with this forest being so dense, it'll be difficult to find this Digimon.

Meanwhile, the figure stopped running. The figure was out of breath, and hungry. Fractal code surrounded them for a moment before dissipating. The figure plopped down on the ground before looking down at the fish they stole. They began eating the fish, unable to stop. They felt like they hadn't eaten in days.

As the figure was working on their third fish, feeling better as they were getting food in their belly, they stopped when they heard something coming towards them. They quickly looked around like a rabbit on alert for a predator.

A spear came out from the bushes, and the figure quickly jumped away, barely avoiding getting stabbed by the spear. The figure panted, their heart racing. The black PawnChessmon slowly came out of the bush. The figure began to back away, their half eaten fish dropped to the ground.

"There you are." Black PawnChessmon said. "Sir Michael will be pleased I found you."

The figure turned around to run, but stopped when he saw Michael walking up to him from that direction.

"I think you've run around enough," Michael stated. "Don't you think it's about time you surrendered?"

Michael held up a slave collar. The figure backed away.

"Please… don't do this…" The figure begged, sounding like a little boy.

"Oh, I will. You know what awaits you now for defying me. I will have your power on my side again." Michael stated, slowly walking closer to the figure.

The figure, however, wasn't ready to give up just yet. The figure grabbed a handful of grass and dirt before tossing it at Michael's face. The figure then jumped and kicked the taller man's chest, making Michael lose his balance. BlackPawnchessmon ran over at Michael in concern while the figure quickly ran to the side, trying to get away as quickly as they could.

"That little sneak… I will get him for sure the next time I see him." Michael grumbled as he sat up. "I will not be denied with my plans… And I need that power back on my side…"

Michael and BlackPawnchessmon ran after the figure, they weren't going to let them escape that easily.

After about a minute or two, Takuya and Koichi found the area the figure and Michael were just in. Takuya stopped when he noticed the half eaten fish on the ground.

"Aw man! That little thief just ate most of our fish!" Takuya groaned. "That's it! We need to find out where that thief went!"

Koichi was looking around the area, as if trying to find something that could give them a lead. "We can't just run off in any direction though."

Koichi looked down, noticing some footsteps. He saw some of the bushes looked disturbed, and some excess leaves had fallen to the ground. "That way!"

Takuya looked at the direction ahead of him and nodded. "Let's go!" He exclaimed, running on ahead. Koichi groaned, but followed after Takuya.

"Wait up!" Koichi called, chasing down the other boy.

Takuya kept running, he didn't even notice a tall figure he passed by. His attention was to find that bear that stole his lunch.

"What was that?" Michael blinked when a red blur ran past him and his Digimon partner. "That couldn't have been our target… our target isn't red."

Koichi groaned, unable to keep up with Takuya. "I'm… not… athletic…"

Michael turned around, surprised to see another boy. "And who are you?"

Koichi looked up. "Huh? Oh! Uh… um… hello…" Guess Takuya's on his own.

Meanwhile, Takuya was still running. Thankfully the meal he was able to eat had re-energized him, and he could see someone up ahead.

Found ya, you food thief! Takuya thought with a grin as he finally found what he thought was that bear Digimon. He was about to jump to catch the food thief.

The figure turned around when they heard fast footsteps closing in on them. Takuya's eyes went wide when he saw what looked like a little boy looking at him in shock.

"Wha-what?" Takuya skidded to a stop.

Unfortunately, Takuya's skid didn't come to a complete stop, and he and the boy both fell down a slope. Takuya ended up crashing into the boy as they landed at the base of the slope. The boy began crying.

"H-huh? H-hey! Calm down. I'm sorry I slammed into you!" Takuya began to apologize. "Are you okay?" Aw man… This is so not my day!

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The boy kept apologizing while crying.

Takuya didn't know what the boy was apologizing for, but he needed to get the boy to calm down. He remembered what he would do whenever Shinya started crying. And that was to make funny faces.

"H-hey! Check this out!" Takuya said as he began to make funny faces. He rolled one eye back and stuck out his tongue. "Doofus face!"

The boy stopped crying as he looked at Takuya making silly faces, and rubbed his eyes. The boy couldn't help but laugh a little.

Takuya smiled inwardly when he saw the boy was calming down somewhat. Whew… looks like I still have it! He thought in relief. He stopped making funny faces and smiled a bit. "Hey… are you feeling better, kid?"

Now that Takuya got a better look at the boy, he could see the boy had brown ash hair and green eyes. He wore a white T-shirt with dark green ends on the sleeves and a dark green neck collar as well. He wore orange-ish pants and had teal and green sneakers on as well as orange socks on his feet. Wow… this kid looks like he could be Shinya's age.

"Y-yeah, a little bit…" The boy answered, sniffling.

Takuya noticed the boy was practically skin and bones, it looked like he hadn't eaten in a long time.

"H-hey… look… I'm sorry I slammed into you, but… I was chasing down a food thief. Someone stole my fish that I and a friend worked to catch, and…" Takuya trailed off. "Were you upset I thought you were the food thief?"

The boy frowned before he looked alarmed about something and quickly scrambled to get back to his feet. "I… I have to go."

"W-wait! Why do you have to leave? Is someone after you?" Takuya asked, concerned now. He got to his feet as well.

The boy didn't reply, but he was shaking. That was enough to give Takuya an answer.

So someone is after this boy… Takuya thought with a small frown. But why? He's just a kid… Takuya shook his head and smiled softly at the kid. "Hey, don't worry. No one will get to you. I'll help you out."

"... W-will you really?" The boy asked, looking skeptical. "Are you sure you want to? What if I'm not just this innocent little boy you see right now? Would you still want to help me?"

Takuya blinked before frowning again. Something isn't right. This kid… why is he so defensive? Shaking his head again, Takuya had to answer, he knew.

"If you need help, I will help you." Takuya reassured the boy. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

"I don't know about that… But… I'm running out of options…" The kid muttered. "That castle… is it safe from… people… uh… players who want to hurt someone?"

Takuya blinked, but nodded. "Yeah, as far as I know. I've been there before, and no one has hurt me while I was there." But Takuya had to wonder why the boy was asking such a question.

"Then could you take me there?" The boy requested. "Please?"

"Sure. I don't see why not." Takuya smiled. "Let's just find my friend and then we can head to the castle."

Takuya then realized he hadn't introduced himself yet.

"Oh! I'm such an idiot! I forgot to introduce myself." Takuya grumbled as he smacked his head with his hand. "Sorry about that. My name is Takuya, Takuya Kanbara."

The boy hesitated for a moment before he replied. "I'm… Tomoki Himi… but most just call me Tommy…"

"Nice to meet you, Tommy." Takuya smiled. "Now, why don't we go find my friend, Koichi, and head to the castle?" Takuya held out a hand to Tommy.

Tommy looked at Takuya's hand before he looked away. "I can walk without holding your hand."

Takuya blushed. "Sorry…" He muttered, pulling his hand back. Okay… maybe I need to watch how I act around this kid. He seems defensive for some reason, and I don't want to set him off for whatever reason… I wonder what his story is…

Takuya and Tommy began walking back, having to walk around the slope they fell off of earlier.

"Jeez, how far back did I leave Koichi?" Takuya grumbled. I guess he's not used to running around as a human.

Tommy hadn't said anything back. He just looked nervous and timid.

"So… um… What were you running away from?" Takuya asked, trying to strike up a conversation. "I mean… a kid like you wouldn't be running away from something for no reason."

Tommy didn't reply for a moment, making Takuya wonder if he needed to say something else to try to get the kid to open up, but then Tommy said something. "A… former friend…"

Takuya gave a wince. "Sorry I asked…" He muttered. "That's definitely a good reason to run. Um… if they were trying to hurt you that is…"

Tommy looked down, covering his chest with his arms like he was cold. Clearly whatever this former friend of his was doing, had hurt and scared the poor boy.

Okay… I need to learn to keep my big mouth shut… Takuya thought with a sweatdrop. But… at least I know a bit about what he was running from now…

Takuya reached out and put a reassuring hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Hey… it'll be okay. Your former friend won't be able to get to you at the castle. I mean it. The Digimon there are strong. They will keep you safe."

Tommy didn't look at Takuya. Takuya frowned. He wanted to find Koichi, but this kid was definitely afraid of staying out here. If Tommy wasn't looking down, then he was looking around like he was expecting an attack to come at any second.

"Let's get you to the castle. I can look for Koichi on my own," Takuya decided. "You look like you could use a meal, and somewhere safe to hide out for a while."

"Y-yeah… that… would be nice," Tommy agreed.

I hope Koichi can handle himself for a while. This kid needs help, and like now. Takuya thought, feeling a bit bad for leaving Koichi in the dust like that.

"C'mon. The castle is not far from here." Takuya said as he began to lead Tommy back in the direction of the castle.

Meanwhile, Koichi was dealing with Michael and BlackPawnChessmon.

"Are you a player?" Koichi questioned.

"Is that not obvious?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "I'm Sir Michael, this is my partner, PawnChessmon. I will one day be the leader of my own guild, and we'll overthrow those who are at the Rose Morning Star and make that into our guild."

Koichi tensed up. He had heard of the guild at the Rose Morning Star, and what they had done. "Do you think you can take on players of that level? I heard they were strong enough to take down a Celestial Digimon." He noted, his hand in his pocket on his black and gray D-Tector.

"Of course not, at least not yet. That's why I'm in training, gathering up other players to be a part of my group for my guild-to-be. And why I'm looking for strong Digimon," Michael replied. "Speaking of which, I'm looking for one that's been running around the Forest Terminal. You wouldn't have happened to see a white bear Digimon, have you? One that may be about the same height as my Digimon partner?"

"No, I can't say I have." Koichi admitted. He knew all the Digimon in the area, and not one of them looked like what Michael was describing. "I've… been looking for a… friend of mine, so I haven't really paid much attention to any Digimon in the area."

"Then have you seen a boy who may be at the age of 11 or 12?" Michael asked before holding up an orange hat. "I believe I may have something of his."

Koichi frowned. Something about this seemed off to him, but he replied anyway. "No… but I could give that hat to him if I ever see him." He offered, trying to stay as calm as possible.

The thing about being the Warrior of Darkness was that he could sense the darkness in people's hearts. Takuya had very little darkness, most of him was burning bright. But Michael… Koichi sensed darkness in his intentions.

"No, I think I'll keep it until I find him. He's… a friend of mine who got lost," Michael replied. "So it's only right I should be the one to return the hat to him. But thanks anyways."

"Ah… If… If you're sure…" Koichi stammered out, not liking the fact Michael was insistent that he be the one to return the hat. I don't like this… something is wrong… I… I can't let him search for this friend. His intentions are… too dark…

"Do you not have a Digimon partner?" Michael asked when he noticed a lack of a Digimon partner with Koichi.

"Um… I'm… a new player…" Koichi lied, hoping his socially awkward nature would hide his nervousness at being asked that question.

Michael frowned for a moment. "Then go find one. Anyways, PawnChessmon and I need to look for that Digimon, we don't have time to babysit a noob."

"Ah… right… I will do that…" Koichi said, trying to act sheepish and embarrassed at not having a Digimon partner. "Just… good luck…" He said before turning and running off; he wanted to get away from Michael; the darkness he sensed in his heart was too intense to be around for long. I need to find Takuya.

---

Titanic X: ZAFT: Thanks! I like it when we can end it with Kitty and Johnny being civil with one another!

pokemon fan 1991: DarkFoxKit: Well, maybe not intentional antagonists, but that doesn't mean Danny can't get caught up in their little spats from time to time. They don't usually go after Danny themselves anyways.

What's the Tamer's reference? You might have to point that out to me before I can confirm if it is or isn't. But I am basing the partner system with Andy and the others off of Tamers.

It's a mystery how the ectoplasm infecting Danny's D-Arc will affect Patamon, so I can't tell you if it will affect him in a negative way yet, you'll just have to wait and see.

Yeah, I like to think Danny is a reasonable guy. He shouldn't just imprison a ghost if they don't mean any harm, not when negotiation is still possible. No need to make more enemies than you already have.

Son Sandy: ZAFT: Yeah, inner doubts and insecurities can have people grow, and I am glad you like it! :3

Yeah, poor Tucker gets the shaft in most fics, even in canon. But those fics that focus on him and his technological skills are a joy to read, and to be honest, I think Tucker would be the first line of defense against people like the Guys in White when it comes to Danny's safety.

As for Andy… I wish he was canon too! XD Thank my co-writer for creating him! That boy is such a lovable one! X3 I love Andy's abilities too. It shows he's not just some weak human. XD

And that sounds interesting, for Andy and Danny with time and space powers. XD I can see why it works. :3

Titanic X: ZAFT: Thanks! I like it when we can end it with Kitty and Johnny being civil with one another!

pokemon fan 1991: DarkFoxKit: Well, maybe not intentional antagonists, but that doesn't mean Danny can't get caught up in their little spats from time to time. They don't usually go after Danny themselves anyways.

What's the Tamer's reference? You might have to point that out to me before I can confirm if it is or isn't. But I am basing the partner system with Andy and the others off of Tamers.

It's a mystery how the ectoplasm infecting Danny's D-Arc will affect Patamon, so I can't tell you if it will affect him in a negative way yet, you'll just have to wait and see.

Yeah, I like to think Danny is a reasonable guy. He shouldn't just imprison a ghost if they don't mean any harm, not when negotiation is still possible. No need to make more enemies than you already have.

Son Sandy: ZAFT: Yeah, inner doubts and insecurities can have people grow, and I am glad you like it! :3

Yeah, poor Tucker gets the shaft in most fics, even in canon. But those fics that focus on him and his technological skills are a joy to read, and to be honest, I think Tucker would be the first line of defense against people like the Guys in White when it comes to Danny's safety.

DarkFoxKit: Unfortunately, it is hard to come up with something for Tucker to do in this fic, because of all the characters we have to juggle, not to mention Valerie and Dash we have to add into the mix as well.

ZAFT: As for Andy… I wish he was canon too! XD Thank my co-writer for creating him! That boy is such a lovable one! X3 I love Andy's abilities too. It shows he's not just some weak human. XD

DarkFoxKit: I've been working with Andy for years now. I've had more than enough time to fine tune him into these stories. Believe it or not, this is a different iteration of him. The original, first Andy I made was back in My Brother's a Ghost. And in any rate, while it would be nice to have Andy be canon, I'm not sure if the writers, and especially Butch, would've done Andy justice. If anything, he would be severely watered down if he was canon, and maybe even become more one-note, because it's 'funny'. Just the paranoid boy who's worried about everything, instead of being the voice of reason for example.

ZAFT: And that sounds interesting, for Andy and Danny with time and space powers. XD I can see why it works. :3

DarkFoxKit: It's always been my intention for Andy and Danny to be stronger together. As for becoming rulers of the Ghost Zone, that one's still up for debate. After all, a fanfic writer named FiveRivers is already working on something like that. But I will say we take inspiration from their DP fanfics.