ZAFT: We remembered to update this time!
DarkFoxKit: We forgot to update on Friday though.
ZAFT: Whoops! Well, we can do it this week. I will need a reminder though.
DarkFoxKit: Maybe set some kind of alarm on your phone or something?
ZAFT: Yeah, I think I will.
DarkFoxKit: In any case, you guys finally got to meet a certain character last chapter, right? That being Tommy, of course. I'm honestly disappointed in the lack of reviews, so I have no idea what people think of Tommy right now. Here's hoping we get more opinions on the little guy soon.
ZAFT: Oh, they will respond soon. ^^' Now let's get on to the chapter!
(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 shadowed 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 39: The Legendary Training
Takuya and Tommy were walking to the castle when the White KnightChessmon stopped them.
"Halt. Unknown players are not allowed in this castle," KnightChessmon stated.
"Wait! I'm not a player. I came here with Valerie, a friend of mine." Takuya said. "And if you want, get Sorcermon. He knows me as well."
"I am aware of you, Takuya," KnightChessmon replied. "It's the boy I don't recognize."
"Oh! Don't worry about him. This is Tommy. He's just a lost kid who needs some help." Takuya replied. "He doesn't mean anyone any harm."
"If that is true, then he must allow me to search him for any possible items that could harm a Digimon or enslave them before I allow him to enter," KnightChessmon stated.
Tommy frowned. "Is that absolutely necessary?"
"It is if your story is to be confirmed." KnightChessmon replied. "We do not take security lightly here."
Takuya gave Tommy a reassuring grin. "See? No one will harm you while you are here."
Tommy didn't look so sure, he looked more nervous than he did before.
"Is something wrong?" Takuya asked.
"I just don't know if I…" Tommy hesitated. "I don't have anything like a slave collar or a taser or something like that, but… there is something I want to keep private…"
Takuya frowned. What could he want to keep private? It's not like he has anything to hide… right…? Takuya wondered.
"Sadly, we cannot take your word alone to prove your story." KnightChessmon said somberly. "If we took an unknown player's word alone, then they could sneak in the slave collar or taser or whatever could harm or enslave a Digimon."
Takuya wasn't sure what to do. He knew Tommy needed to be kept somewhere safe, but if Tommy didn't cooperate, then Takuya couldn't take him into the castle.
However, Tommy stepped forward. "Then check me. Just… please don't announce what it is that I have. I can guarantee that it's nothing that'll threaten the Digimon, I just… don't want it to be known."
KnightChessmon frowned, but nodded. "Very well." He said, but he was skeptical at best about Tommy's claims that the thing he wanted to hide didn't mean any harm to Digimon.
KnightChessmon began to search over Tommy using a special digital scanner, only to pause when he saw something on the scanner's screen. He then understood what it was that Tommy wanted to hide, and decided if Tommy wanted to hide it, then that was fine.
"Your story checks out." KnightChessmon informed. "You are clear to enter the castle."
"Thank you," Tommy replied, grateful that KnightChessmon didn't say what it was he found on Tommy.
Takuya was curious now, but he knew he couldn't push Tommy about it. If the kid wanted to keep it a secret, he would respect that for now.
"Alright, let's get going then," Takuya said as he and Tommy went into the castle.
Tommy looked around, seeing Digimon moving around the place. There was a sense of unease, but also peace in this place.
"Takuya, I see you've returned," Sorcermon spoke up when he appeared in front of the two. "And… uh… did you shrink Koichi?"
"No, this is Tommy. I found him when Koichi and I were chasing a food thief." Takuya replied. "Although… I probably should go look for Koichi, considering I just kinda left him in the dust…"
"Yes, but… it's unusual to bring in an unknown player," Sorcermon noted, looking at Tommy. "I trust you, and Koichi, as well as Valerie. But why did you bring this little one here?"
"He… is on the run from a former friend who wants to do him harm." Takuya replied grimly. "This is the safest place in the area, so he wanted to come here."
Tommy looked down.
Sorcermon studied Tommy for a moment. "I see… Well, in that case, he's your responsibility, Takuya."
"What?" Takuya blinked.
"You brought him here, so he's your responsibility. I'll summon Koichi to come over here," Sorcermon replied. "But you are not leaving him alone."
Takuya blinked before he groaned. "Fine… I'll be this kid's babysitter…" He grumbled. I thought this would be simpler…
"I don't need, or want, a babysitter." Tommy frowned.
"You either stick together, or you can leave," Sorcermon replied. "Until we know we can trust you, you need to stick with Takuya."
Tommy looked back at Sorcermon. Tommy didn't seem too happy about the arrangements, but he didn't want to go back out and face his former friend again, not when he finally found some safety. "Fine, I'll stay with this hot head for now."
"Hey! I'm not that much of a hot-head!" Takuya exclaimed before pausing. "Err… I just…" He then grumbled. "Me and my big mouth…"
Although, if I'm a hot head, then Tommy is cold like ice. Takuya grumbled to himself.
"Good, I'll summon Koichi," Sorcermon said. "You remember where the dining hall is, right, Takuya?"
"Yeah, I do." Takuya replied. "Kinda hard to forget where that is, what with all the good smells and all. But, uh, why do you ask?"
"It's clear this boy needs food," Sorcermon replied. "I want you to take him to the dining hall and get him some food."
Takuya grinned. "That I can do." He replied before looking at Tommy. "C'mon, Tommy. Let's get you a good meal."
Tommy actually gave a small smile. "That… sounds good."
Koichi was relieved, and a bit frustrated, when Sorcermon summoned him. Apparently Takuya already made his way back to the castle. So Koichi made a beeline back to the castle. He was told that Takuya went to the dining hall, so Koichi headed there as well.
Koichi was about to give Takuya a piece of his mind for leaving him behind, but stopped when he saw a boy sitting at the table with Takuya. The boy looked like he had a plateful of food, and just finished eating.
"That was the best meal I've had in 2 weeks," The boy said happily.
"Glad you liked it." Takuya grinned before he turned and saw Koichi. "Oh, hey Koichi! You made it back okay!"
"Yes, but who is this boy?" Koichi asked as he walked over to Takuya. "You left me in the dust and now you brought this boy here? What about the food thief?"
"Uh… I lost the food thief and came across this kid." Takuya replied sheepishly. "He was so scared, I couldn't just take him with me to find you, so I brought him back here."
"What?" Koichi looked at Tommy.
Tommy looked down, unable to look at Koichi in the eyes.
The boy looked to be 9 years old, maybe 10 or 11 if he was stretching it.
"You said you found him in the forest?" Koichi asked.
"Yeah, I did." Takuya replied before frowning. "Why do you ask?"
Koichi frowned for a moment, wondering if this was the boy Michael had been looking for. But the boy looked younger than 12, in fact, he looked like he could be 9.
"Someone was looking for a boy, but I'm not sure if it was him," Koichi answered. "He has his hat."
Tommy winced, which confirmed that this boy at least knew Michael, or the hat.
"Um… You know, Tommy, you never did say who your former friend was." Takuya realized.
Koichi frowned a bit more at hearing the word 'former'. Something is definitely wrong. This kid… he's scared… but if Michael is looking for him, or at least knows this kid… then he could be in danger.
"I'd… rather not talk about it…" Tommy replied. "But if you must have a name… he calls himself Sir Michael, and his Digimon partner is a black PawnChessmon."
Koichi froze when he heard that name. Crap… And I just met that guy! Oh, this is definitely bad!
Takuya frowned at hearing that name as well. "I know of him. I actually met him a while back. He's such a jerk."
"'Jerk' is putting it lightly…" Tommy muttered.
"Hey… Tommy, don't worry, I'll keep you safe," Takuya reassured. "You're my responsibility now, and I'll make sure you stay safe."
Tommy looked hopeful, but he was also skeptical. "Thanks for the offer, but you can't keep me safe forever. Besides…"
Tommy raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't look like you or… Koichi, was it? It looks like neither of you have your own Digimon partners either."
Takuya and Koichi both looked at each other awkwardly, unsure of how to explain things to Tommy regarding that.
"We… have our own ways of defending ourselves." Koichi finally answered.
Takuya realized since Tommy was now stuck with him, he wondered how the heck he was going to train with his Beast Spirit.
Crap… Now what? It's not like I can just say I'm a Legendary Warrior… Takuya realized with a sweatdrop.
"Well, have you both had enough to eat?" Koichi asked.
"I don't think I could eat another bite," Tommy replied.
"Yeah, me neither," Takuya answered.
"Good, now we should move on to our actual training. Sorcermon should've finished preparing the training room now," Koichi stated.
"Great!" Takuya said before he paused when he remembered Tommy was with them.
Takuya leaned over to whisper to Koichi. "Um… speaking of…" He gestured at Tommy. "How are we going to explain things to him?"
"I don't think you have to worry about that right now," Koichi said before pointing at Tommy.
Takuya looked over at Tommy and saw the boy's head was laying on the table. Tommy's eyes were closed, and he looked to be asleep.
Takuya blinked. "Huh… I guess that takes care of one issue." He said with a small sweatdrop. "But we can't just leave him here."
"There's a few bedrooms near the training room," Koichi explained. "You can have him sleep in the bedroom nearest to the training room. With how tired he looked, I doubt he'll wake up any time soon."
"Yeah. I doubt so too." Takuya admitted. "When I found him, Tommy looked like he was skin and bones, not to mention on high alert for an attack for some reason."
"If you were being chased, you'd be on high alert 24/7 too," Koichi replied.
Takuya walked over and picked up Tommy, slipping the younger boy onto his back. "C'mon… I think Tommy would want to be sleeping in a nice bed instead of at the table."
Koichi couldn't help but smile a bit as he watched Takuya carrying the sleeping Tommy. "You seem to be a natural at this."
"Well, I have a younger brother, and my twin cousins are younger than me as well, so it kinda makes sense I would know how to handle younger kids." Takuya admitted sheepishly.
Koichi chuckled. "So you're a good babysitter then~"
"Why does everyone say I am a babysitter?" Takuya grumbled as he followed Koichi to the bedrooms near the training room.
After Takuya went into one of the bedrooms, he gently put Tommy down on one of the beds. "We'll be back soon, Tommy."
Despite knowing Tommy couldn't hear him, Takuya just felt like he needed to comfort the boy a little bit. He then walked out of the room, following Koichi.
The room Koichi led Takuya into looked very much like one of those simulation rooms that Takuya would see on TV. There was a window glass, and a control panel. There was a door that would lead into the big, white room that was on the other side of the glass.
"Wow! This is some set up!" Takuya whistled. "Tucker would like it here; this is like a techno-geek's heaven!"
Koichi chuckled. "That is your techno-geek friend, I take it?"
"Yep." Takuya replied with a grin. "Guy knows technology like no one else."
"Well, let's get to the training then." Koichi said as he gestured to the white room beyond the glass.
"So what will we be doing?" Takuya asked.
Koichi began to type in something on the control panel. "I'll set up a large environment, so that'll give us plenty of space. I want to see your Beast Spirit first, so I can see what would be the best way to help you control it. Sure, trying to control your instincts is a good way to go about it, but there's more to it than that, and it can be different for every individual."
Takuya frowned. "Like right away? I've never just evolved right into my Beast Spirit before. It's always been from my Human Spirit to my Beast Spirit. I think it's called 'Slide Evolution' or something."
"Not here, obviously, in there," Koichi pointed at the window. "If you should lose control, I can stop you with minimum damage. If it gets really bad, the simulation room will knock you unconscious."
"Ah… right…" Takuya muttered.
"And yes, you can directly evolve into your Beast Spirit as a human," Koichi added. "But… um… I'll warn you, it can be… overwhelming to go from human to beast."
Takuya grimaced. "I… will keep that in mind…" He muttered before making his way to the door leading into the simulation room. Takuya entered the room and looked around, seeing the area before him turn into a big wasteland. Takuya sighed and took out his D-Tector. "Well… here we go…" He muttered before he called forth his fractal code around his left hand. Takuya was surprised to see a ball of code appear around his hand. "Whoa… that's new."
Deciding to not dwell on the new appearance of his fractal code, Takuya invoked the power of his Beast Spirit. The red outline of his second Spirit roared and appeared on the screen of his D-Tector as he invoked the ball of fractal coding on his left hand again. Takuya swiped the D-Tector over the coding and called out the phrase he would come to know by heart. "Execute! Beast Spirit Evolution!" He felt the primal power of his Beast Spirit flowing into him as his clothes ripped away and his body became surrounded by the coding. Takuya cried out as the power flooded into his body. His body grew in strength and power as well as size, with red, yellow, black, and white armor forming on his body. A tail extended out from the base of his spine as two large orange wings appeared on his body. His head became like a dragon's almost, but not exactly, and the top of his head was white. His eyes turned sky blue, but had a feral edge to them as well. He landed, crying out his name. "BurningGreymon!"
Now evolved into his Beast Spirit, BurningGreymon could feel his control slowly waning away, but that wasn't the only issue on his mind. Geez… Koichi warned me it would be overwhelming, but that was just… painful!
"Okay, Takuya, can you hear me? I'm using the speakers to talk to you," Koichi's voice rang from the sky. "How do you feel?"
"Like I'm slowly losing control…" BurningGreymon muttered. "I can feel it… the Spirit… It wants to rampage…"
Takuya felt the burning call to go wild, to fly free, to roar loudly and proudly, to hunt down anyone who would try to hurt him or get in his way.
"You must try to control it, Takuya. If you give in to the beast, you'll lose yourself," Koichi's voice warned.
"I know that! I had control during that… Megadramon… fight, but it slowly faded…" BurningGreymon growled. He tried to push down the instinct to roar loudly. Darn it… This is much harder than I thought…
Takuya could feel the instincts of the beast coming out more and more. He knew he had to stay in control, but it was just so darn hard! "How can you… control this form? It's… like I… can't get it to listen… to me…"
Koichi said something to Takuya, but Takuya couldn't quite understand the words anymore. It was like his mind forgot how to comprehend the language.
Suddenly, there was a Megadramon in front of him. It wasn't neon green like the one he fought, this one was a normal red color. But Takuya couldn't tell the difference. He just saw an enemy in front of him.
Takuya knew he had to attack, that was all he could think. He lunged forwards, claws out to slash the enemy Digimon to data bits and teeth bared as a loud roar finally escaped him. His eyes were now a purple color instead of blue.
Koichi frowned as he saw this. Interesting… His eyes change to show how much control he has. It's an interesting development, but he is still losing control. He is losing himself to the beast…
Takuya wasn't sure what happened next. At one moment, he was fighting against Megadramon, and the next… he was lying on the floor with Koichi standing over him.
"You're finally awake, Takuya?" Koichi asked in concern.
"Yeah… but what happened? I know I was in my Beast form, but then… after I lost control…" Takuya groaned as he realized what the lack of memory meant. "I hate it when I lose control… I can't even remember what happened after attacking that enemy in front of me!"
"You started burning yourself out," Koichi answered. "I managed to stop you with my own Beast Form before you could do anymore damage to yourself. Your Beast Form is powerful, but with a lack of control, it was easy to catch you off guard and knock you out."
"Thanks… for that." Takuya replied after a few moments of silence. "I just… I thought I would have better control somewhat after a couple of uses, but apparently not… I didn't even last longer when I did have control…"
"It's… not unheard of to lose control quicker than before, especially when you see something that reminded you of a bad experience," Koichi said softly. "You mentioned how you took on a Megadramon before, so I created one in the simulation room to see how you'd react to it. Seeing how you lost control, it confirmed that you definitely had a bad experience with a Megadramon. So your natural instinct was to tear it apart."
"Yeah… That Megadramon I fought before coming here… it was a hybrid of a ghost, a human, and a Digimon. With the ghost in control." Takuya admitted. "And it attacked my family and friends. Can you blame me for wanting to just go after the simulated one after that?"
"Of course not, but I had to confirm something," Koichi replied. "I sensed a lot of darkness in your heart when you looked at the simulated Megadramon. I would imagine that didn't help with your control over your Beast Spirit."
Takuya blinked. "You sensed… darkness in my heart? What is this, Kingdom Hearts?"
Koichi rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll give you that one. But it's due to my element. My element is Darkness, so… I'm able to sense darkness in people. I can tell if they have ill intentions for something or someone. It's rare that I would meet with someone who would be aware of their own darkness enough to hide it from me, but those people do exist, and they scare me the most."
Takuya frowned. "I… guess that makes sense…" He admitted. Takuya ran a hand through his hair. "But geez… I didn't think that this darkness… it would make control difficult…"
"Every living being has darkness in them somewhere," Koichi replied. "But the trick is not to try to get rid of it, or control it, but to embrace it, and work with it. You don't need to be evil to have darkness. After all, I'm not evil even though I wield the Darkness…"
Koichi frowned a little when he said that before shaking his head. "Think of it as your anger, and drive, to want to hurt the one who hurt you and those you care about. That can be seen as justice, nobody would blame you for feeling the way you do. But it's what you do with that anger and drive that could be seen as justice or vengeance."
"So… my Beast Spirit wants vengeance if I lose control." Takuya realized. "I guess I need to find a way to channel that drive into helping protect my friends and family."
Koichi smiled. "Yeah. Trying to control it won't help you, since it would be like trying to control a wild tiger. You can't ever truly control such a wild animal. Instead, you work with it. You become that animal, while at the same time, keeping your humanity and your mind. If you can do that, you'll truly become an unstoppable force."
Takuya blinked as he realized that Koichi had knocked him out quite easily with his own Beast Spirit, despite Takuya going on a rampage, which took just about everything the others had just to stop him. If what Koichi said was true, then Takuya could believe it.
"We'll keep trying to work on controlling your Beast Spirit," Koichi said. "But I think we'll need to work on you first. After all, you'll never be able to truly control your Beast Spirit as you are now."
"You mean… trying to find a way to help me channel my darker drive to hurt into a drive to help others?" Takuya asked at last.
"Yes, that would be a key factor in helping you control your Beast Spirit," Koichi replied. "But how to do that is the question, isn't it? Like I said, it's different for everybody. What can we use to help you channel your drive?"
Koichi thought for a moment before an idea hit him. "Well, I may not have the definitive answer, but I can tell you what helped me control my… um… Beast Spirit."
"Oh? How did you gain control of it?" Takuya asked, curious now.
"My brother, Koji," Koichi replied. "We're twins, but I'm slightly older than he is. When I was… not in control, it was my love for Koji that helped me finally gain control of myself. Remembering that Koji was in danger and that he needed me kept me sane when I was trying to control myself, until I eventually managed to finally remember who I was and take back my… uh… humanity, yeah. My humanity."
Takuya grinned. "Hey you found what worked for you, so that's good." He then looked down. "I hope my own drive is something similar… I mean… I can't stand it when my cousins and friends get hurt or put in danger…"
"But they're not here right now, right?" Koichi replied.
"No, they're doing something important right now," Takuya answered back.
"Well… how about Tommy?" Koichi suggested.
Takuya remembered the younger boy and frowned slightly. "Well… I did say I would help him… and that I would keep him safe… But… he doesn't seem that willing to trust me yet…"
"He's a scared child, and I don't blame him. I met up with his former friend earlier, and I could sense ill intentions in his heart when he asked me if I had seen a boy who was 11 or 12, and he held up the boy's hat to show me. I don't know the story between them, but…" Koichi looked at Takuya. "I think if you two were to bond, and he eventually opens up to you, that could be the drive to help you control your Beast Spirit. You would want to protect him, and those you care about, instead of wanting to harm others."
"That's true…" Takuya admitted, looking down in thought. "Yeah… I think that could work. I mean, I don't have anything else to lose, and I can't be a wild card each time I use that Spirit."
"I agree, it's never good to be a loose cannon, especially when you need that power," Koichi agreed. "Since Tommy is sleeping, we might as well call it a night then. Your body is definitely tired after using your Beast Spirit."
Takuya felt a yawn escape him. "Ugh… Who knew such a powerful Spirit would be so draining?" He muttered around said yawn.
Takuya began walking to the door to leave the simulation room when Koichi spoke up. "Takuya."
"Yeah?" Takuya asked.
"Sometimes it's easy to forget about things like… your life outside of the Digital World, but… when do you have to go back to the real world?" Koichi questioned.
Takuya frowned before he began to look a bit pale in the face. "Crap… I don't even know how long I've been here!" He exclaimed. "My aunt and uncle must be worried sick about me!"
Takuya then realized something else. Due to the time difference between the Digital World and the real world, if he were to leave now, there was a good chance he wouldn't get to see Tommy again for a while, if at all if the kid decided to leave and never come back. Koichi likely realized it too, which was why he brought up the question in the first place.
"If you're that worried, you could go back… but there's no guarantee Tommy will stay," Koichi said softly. "If you think you can afford to stay here longer… I'd suggest bonding with Tommy before you leave, so he has a reason to come back later too. As of right now, considering how poorly he was being treated, he may not want to come back once he decides to leave the Digital World."
Takuya frowned. He knew he had to get back, but… at the same time, Tommy needed his help. If he was to be a Legendary Warrior, he couldn't just leave the poor boy alone without anyone to help him. Takuya groaned. Ugh… this is getting to be so much more complicated than I thought…
The boy ran a hand through his hair. "I… suppose I could stay longer… But… I will have to get back sooner or later…"
"I'm sorry you had to make such a choice in the first place, but…" Koichi sighed. "Sometimes… you'll have to make hard choices like this. Just… something to keep in mind for the future."
Takuya nodded. Geez… this is much more involved than I thought… being a Legendary Warrior… But… I have to adapt. I just hope I don't have to make a really hard choice down the road…
Takuya wondered what kind of things Koichi had to go through. Koichi sounded like he was talking from experience. Takuya realized he didn't know what kind of things Koichi, Zoe, JP, and Koji went through to be where they were today, and he wasn't sure if he should ask.
Koichi gave Takuya a smile. "Maybe someday I can tell you what we went through, but for now, you should get some rest."
"Wait, what? How did you know what I was thinking!?" Takuya asked in shock.
"Oh, didn't you know? I can read minds," Koichi replied.
Takuya looked a bit freaked out at that. "You're messing with me, right?"
"Do I look like I am?" Koichi gave Takuya a very serious face.
"I'll… keep that in mind…" Takuya replied, looking very nervous now.
Koichi then laughed softly. "Actually I was just messing with you. I just have good intuition. You were giving me a curious but worried look. I figured you were wondering about my story, as well as the other kids who became Legendary Warriors here."
Takuya sweatdropped. "Geez… what is it with twins and messing with me?" He muttered. "Andy and Danny I can get, but is it really a thing with twins to mess with people?"
"You just make it easy." Koichi grinned.
Takuya grumbled. "I'm going to get some sleep…"
The next morning, Takuya began stirring from his dreamless sleep. He heard his alarm clock beeping annoyingly on the nightstand.
Takuya reached out to hit the alarm, only for his hand to hit nothing. The beeping continued, so he groped around and grabbed what he assumed was his cell-phone, which was vibrating. He grabbed it and pulled it off, slowly opening his eyes. But it wasn't his cell-phone that was beeping; it was his D-Tector. Takuya's eyes shot open fully as he sat up, memories of the previous days coming back to him.
Ah… right! I'm in the Digital World right now, and I have been getting training on how to use my Beast Spirit. Takuya recounted to himself as a way to reassure himself he was not dreaming.
It was weird, being here again in the castle. It was like when Ember pretty much threw him into the Digital World the first time. That felt like it happened a lifetime ago now. He wondered how Andy, Tucker, and the others were doing in the Flame Terminal. And if Danny got back from the real world yet. Takuya rubbed his head as he realized he had a full day ahead of him. He was supposed to bond with Tommy today to see if that would help him get control of his Beast Spirit.
Takuya stretched as he got out of the bed. Great… Well… may as well see if Tommy is awake yet… Maybe we can get some breakfast together and I can see if I can get to know Tommy better… as well as what is bothering him so much… Takuya thought as he finally stopped stretching.
Takuya opened the door to leave the room he was staying in, only to come face to face with Koichi. Koichi blinked, he had his arm raised, ready to knock on Takuya's door.
"O-oh, good morning, Takuya," Koichi greeted awkwardly. "Uh… sorry, I didn't expect you to be awake already."
"Nah, it's fine. I just woke up recently." Takuya replied. "I was just going to see if Tommy was awake yet."
"He's already awake. I saw him exploring the castle earlier," Koichi said. "But I wanted to wake you because I wanted to let you know that Zoe should be coming into the Digital World some time this afternoon. She's coming home from school right now, and her house isn't too far from her school. So by the time she gets home, it'll be around late afternoon here."
"Really? That's great." Takuya smiled.
"But that's not all," Koichi awkwardly replied. "Um… you see, the only reason I was here before was to make sure nobody tried to take over the Forest Terminal and invade Seraphimon's castle while Zoe was gone. But once she's here, I'll be heading back to the real world for a bit. I need to get in contact with Koji."
Takuya frowned a bit. "Really? Aw man… Just when I was getting to know you too…"
"Well, since we're all Legendary Warriors, I'm sure we'll be able to meet again before long." Koichi smiled. "It's nice to have another Legendary Warrior on our side. It's only been the 4 of us for a while. Then we have the rogue Legendary Warriors summoned by Cherubimon before the players finished him off."
"So it's been the 8 of you? Wow… I guess it is good that I found my Spirits then." Takuya realized.
"Not exactly. The rogue Legendary Warriors aren't exactly with us, they're against us. They think we've tainted our Spirits with our humanity," Koichi sighed. "It's unfortunate, but usually if we don't antagonize them, they leave us alone. Though I have a bad feeling they may not stand by forever… though it could just me being paranoid. Still, watch yourself if you find a Legendary Warrior that isn't one of us."
Takuya nodded. "I will. Although, I did have a fight against Grumblemon a while back, so I know to watch myself when around them."
"Grumblemon?" Koichi frowned. "That's a bit concerning…"
"Why?" Takuya asked.
"It's… probably nothing… but…" Koichi shook his head. "Anyways, you should go get breakfast. I'm going to get ready to get back to the real world. I need to let Koji know what's going on."
Takuya nodded. "Okay. I'll see you again soon, hopefully." He said with a grin.
Koichi gave a soft smile back. "Same here."
It didn't take long for Takuya to get into the dining hall to get some food. He was thinking about what he should do. He didn't really know Tommy, but he remembered how he managed to get Tommy to stop crying when he ran into the poor boy earlier. Takuya didn't always get along with Shinya, but he always tried to be a good brother to the boy. So maybe Takuya could try using his knowledge as a big brother to try to get Tommy to open up to him.
Yeah… I mean, I made Tommy laugh with my funny faces yesterday. Takuya thought as he ate his breakfast. But I can't rely on that all the time. Maybe… I could ask Tommy what video games he likes. That seems like a good starting point.
When Takuya finished eating breakfast, he decided to go look for Tommy. Koichi only said that Tommy was exploring the castle, but not where the boy would be. Now if I were a 9 year old boy, where would I go?
Takuya began looking around the castle, but he didn't see where the boy could be. After a while of looking, Takuya realized he could ask Sorcermon or another Digimon if they had seen Tommy.
Takuya decided to find a Digimon to help him out, since he was sure Sorcermon was busy with other things and wouldn't want to be disturbed.
Eventually, Takuya came across a Lillymon.
"Oh yeah, I saw a young boy earlier. He went upstairs to near the top of the castle," Lillymon answered. "He seems worried about something."
Takuya gave a nod. "Okay, I'll see if I can find him. Thanks!" Takuya gave a wave as he began to wander away from Lillymon to head up to the roof of the castle.
Tommy himself was facing the window in one of the taller towers of the castle. He was looking at a strange device in his hand that used to be his cell phone.
Takuya eventually made his way to Tommy's location and saw the younger boy by the window. "Hey, there you are, Tommy!" Takuya called out to Tommy.
Tommy jumped when he heard Takuya's voice, nearly dropping the device in his hand and he quickly turned around to face Takuya while having the device behind him. "Ah! What are you doing sneaking up on me like that!?"
Takuya, for his part, had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry… I was just looking for you. I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that…" He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Tommy sighed. "I guess I'm just a little jumpy is all. Did you need something?"
"Um… well… I was hoping we could, well… get to know each other. I mean… you know… bond or something…" Takuya said awkwardly. Aw man… this is so weird…
Tommy furrowed his eyebrows. "What's in it for you? You must have some reason to want to 'bond' with me. Or is it another assignment for your training or whatever?"
Takuya frowned, wondering if Tommy was always going to be distrustful of everyone he met. Then again, I can't blame him. His former friend is after him, so it's logical Tommy would be distrustful of people after being around a person like that. He realized.
"No… It's… just… I have a little brother, and you're about his age. You… kinda remind me of him, actually." Takuya said, trying to break the ice.
Tommy's expression softened at that. "Is that true? I remind you of your little brother?"
"Yeah… well, I mean I wouldn't say you're both exactly alike since I don't know you that well yet, but…" Takuya said, hoping Tommy didn't take that as an insult. "I just want to try to help you too. I don't want you to be scared of other people because of what happened between you and your… former friend."
"I see…" Tommy appeared to be thinking about something. "I guess that makes sense, if you actually care. But… you are training in something, aren't you? After all, that Digimon has you responsible for me as long as I'm here, right?"
"I do care, Tommy." Takuya sighed. "Look… just because I'm in training it doesn't mean it's all for me. I want to help you, and others I care about. That's why I'm undergoing training… to get stronger to help others. But… I also want to help you because I… don't like seeing you scared, because I don't want to leave you to face your former friend alone…"
Tommy looked down for a moment. "... He said the same thing…"
"O-oh… are you talking about your… former friend?" Takuya winced.
"No," Tommy replied. "I meant… my older brother. He… can be pretty harsh with his words sometimes, but I think he meant well for me. In fact, maybe if I had listened to him more, I wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place…"
"What situation?" Takuya asked, with concern on his face now.
"Being hunted by my so-called 'friend', and feeling like I can't trust anyone…" Tommy admitted.
So I was right… This is related to his former friend. Takuya realized with a frown on his face. The older boy then shook his head. "Well, don't worry. He can't get to you here, and if he somehow manages to, I can help keep you safe." Takuya reassured Tommy.
Tommy looked at Takuya. "But you don't even have a Digimon partner, how would you keep me safe from him and his Digimon if they were to find me?"
"I have my ways." Takuya said, not sure if Tommy would believe him if he revealed he was a Legendary Warrior.
"You said that before, but I don't know what that means," Tommy sighed. "And… I don't want to be stuck in this castle forever… The other Digimon here are… polite, but I can tell they've been pretty uneasy around me."
"They're not used to you yet," Takuya said. "They were a bit uneasy with me too for a while."
"I guess, but still…" Tommy frowned. "I don't want to feel like I have to hide out here all the time… and my so-called friend is smart, he'll find a way to get in here if he has to…"
Takuya frowned. If that's the case, then Tommy may learn what I can do anyways… He thought nervously. Takuya then shook his head again.
"Look, if your former friend does get in here, there… are… some powerful Digimon who can help us." Takuya said, trying to reassure Tommy. "It's just… well… they aren't here right now per say… but they will show up if things get bad."
Takuya decided maybe it would be best to get off this topic and try to talk to Tommy about video games like he planned before, he just hoped Tommy actually liked video games.
"So… um… my cousins and little brother are kind of video game nerds… I tend to get roped into some of their games sometimes…" Takuya began awkwardly. "One of my cousins likes RPGs and the other likes arcade style games."
Tommy actually perked up when he heard this. "Really? They like video games too?"
Tommy was pocketing something, though Takuya didn't get a good look at it.
Takuya decided to focus on the thing Tommy pocketed later. He nodded. "Yeah. They do. Andy is more the strategist, and Danny loves the old school arcade feeling."
"They're your cousins?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah, they're also twins," Takuya confirmed.
"Personally I like both genres," Tommy replied. "Video games are the one thing I could beat my big brother at. Boy does he get frustrated whenever I get the better of him."
Takuya laughed. "I know that feeling! My own little brother gets the better of me when we play video games as well. But Andy and Danny are much more skilled than my brother is. I can never get the upper hand on those two! And yet Sam is somehow better than both of them. I have no idea where the girl gets her skills."
"You'd be surprised," Tommy chuckled. "I once beat the high score in an arcade. A lot of my classmates were cheering for me."
"That's great!" Takuya smiled.
"Of course… some of the kids didn't like that I beat their score and tried to bully me… a lot…" Tommy frowned.
Takuya groaned. Wow… Tommy really just ruined the mood… I gotta find a way to cheer him up again…
"Well, they're just jealous you beat their score, and they don't know how to deal with it in a mature way." Takuya stated to Tommy. "Some people can act like little kids despite being older."
"My parents said the same thing. Though it doesn't help when I have to keep facing those immature kids," Tommy sighed. "But… well… I mean I still love video games. That's why I'm even in the Digital World to begin with. But I wasn't focused on trying to be the very best. I wanted… I was hoping that I could make friends online. Work together with them or something. I've been in a few groups now, but I couldn't stay for long because I couldn't find a Digimon to be my partner. Nobody wanted to keep someone who doesn't have their own Digimon to raise and contribute after all. But I thought I finally found a group I could stay in until I found my Digimon partner."
Tommy looked down. "He seemed to genuinely care about me… the group had some pretty supportive people too, but…"
Takuya frowned before he reached out and put a hand on Tommy's shoulder reassuringly. "H-hey, it's okay… Some people can be like that, nice at first but deceiving the next. But my own group is not like that. Heck, I don't have a Digimon partner, and yet I have contributed to my own group in many ways." Takuya then paused. "Well… granted my group is made up of my friends and cousins, but you know what I mean…"
Then something occurred to Takuya. Koichi was right, it was easy to forget that they had a life outside of the Digital World. "If things were bad for you here, why didn't you just log out of the game?"
Tommy looked nervous at the question. "Log out?"
"Yeah… I mean… wouldn't it just be easy to log out of the game and take off the virtual helmet?" Takuya asked.
"Um… yeah… I guess…" Tommy replied. "Um… I just… didn't want to give up and go back home, crying to my parents… it's embarrassing."
Takuya frowned. "You… don't want to be… embarrassed? It's not embarrassing to cry when you're upset…" Hold on… Why is Tommy so nervous?
"I mentioned I have an older brother. He's older than you," Tommy answered back. "And like I said, he's pretty harsh with his words. If I came back home crying over something like other players being mean to me, he's going to get on my case for sure. I don't really want to face that."
Takuya sighed. "I guess that makes sense, but then again, I wouldn't know much about that since I only have a younger brother. Although, my other cousin Jazz is like an older sister to me, so I guess I kinda understand, in a different way."
Tommy was relieved that Takuya said that. "So, um… what're we going to do then? Is there anything to do in this castle?"
"Aside from going to the library and reading, not a lot really, unless you like talking to the Digimon here. Most of them are very friendly once they get used to you." Takuya replied.
"Actually… Maybe reading some books may not be a bad idea. In some video games, reading books gives you knowledge on what to do in the game, or at least gives you lore, that's always cool," Tommy said, looking to be a little more at ease with Takuya.
Takuya grinned. "Well, let's go hit the library then! Who knows? You might learn something new about this world." He said with a smile.
Takuya led Tommy to the castle's library. Takuya noticed some of the Digimon were bowing to him in respect before moving on. Takuya hadn't noticed that before, but he wondered if it was because they knew he was a Legendary Warrior now. It seemed Legendary Warriors were a big deal around here after all. He wondered if Tommy noticed it too, though Tommy didn't say anything if he did.
When they were in the library, Tommy and Takuya began to look at some of the books that they might be interested in reading.
Takuya's eyes fell on a book that was titled 'The Legend of the Legendary Warriors'. Come to think of it, he didn't actually know that much about the Legendary Warriors, other than they were strong Digimon in the past that helped the Celestial Digimon. And this could be good knowledge for Tommy in case Takuya would have to show him his evolution.
"Hey, Tommy? I think I found a book for us to read." Takuya said as he took the book off the shelf. "It might have some lore for us to read up on."
Tommy walked over to Takuya and gave a smile. "Alright, that looks like it could be an interesting read."
Takuya led Tommy to a nearby empty table. They sat down next to each other as Takuya opened the book. "I'll read it out loud, okay?"
"Why do you get to read it?" Tommy asked.
"Do you not want me to?" Takuya asked.
Tommy paused before crossing his arms. "... Just read it…"
Takuya turned to the first page. "Let's see… 'Back in the ancient days of the Digital World, there was a war between the Humanoid Digimon and the Beast Digimon. This war raged for years before an angelic Digimon by the name of Lucemon came down and pleaded with the warring factions to cease their fighting. In time, the two factions came to an understanding, and peace was achieved. Lucemon was made ruler of the Digital World, and all seemed happy and bright. But all good things have a dark lining, and Lucemon was no exception. While his reign seemed peaceful, it slowly became tainted by the dark side that hid inside Lucemon. He was slowly abusing his power, and began to torment the Digimon who had once been driven to peace by his words.'"
Takuya took a moment to take a breath. He looked at Tommy to see if the boy was still listening. Tommy seemed to be paying attention, and was interested in him continuing.
"Eventually, 10 Digimon came together to put a stop to Lucemon. Lucemon's power had become far too great, and the 10 Digimon struggled to defeat him. Without the 4 Digimon Sovereigns, or the Royal Knights to put a stop to Lucemon, the 10 Digimon knew they would have to be the ones to take him down. The 10 Digimon, after a long and grueling war against Lucemon, finally managed to take him down. To prevent him from being reborn and starting the cycle anew, the 10 Digimon sealed away Lucemon deep into the core of the Digital World. These 10 Digimon were christened as the 10 Legendary Warriors. But their battle didn't come without sacrifice.'" Takuya continued.
Tommy seemed very interested now. "These 10 Digimon were called the Legendary Warriors? Wow! They sound so strong!"
Takuya chuckled. "Yeah, they were." He agreed before returning to the book to continue reading. "'With the deed done, the 10 Legendary Warriors didn't have enough energy to return to Digi-Eggs, thus signaling their demise. Knowing their power would be needed again one day, the 10 Legendary Warriors split their power into two artifacts, one a Humanoid Digimon and one a Beast Digimon, and their essence split as well, giving these artifacts a sentience. Known as Spirits, these artifacts were entrusted to the new rulers of the Digital World, the Celestial Digimon. With the hope the Legendary Warriors would one day return, a new era of peace began.'"
"Wow… that's so cool that these Legendary Warriors came together to stop such a powerful Digimon," Tommy said in awe. "Does the book say who these Legendary Warriors were?"
"Yes, it does." Takuya said as he flipped a few pages further. "'The first of the 10 Legendary Warriors was their leader, AncientGreymon. A powerful Mega-level Digimon with power over fire, he was the first to rise up against Lucemon.'"
Looking at the image of AncientGreymon, Takuya noticed some similarities to Agunimon's Spirit as well as BurningGreymon's Spirit.
Tommy got up from his chair and walked over to Takuya to look at the book himself. Tommy noticed something. "Hey, it looks like these Legendary Warriors have their own symbols. Like this one on AncientGreymon."
Tommy pointed at the symbol, which Takuya recognized.
"Yeah, it does." Takuya agreed. That's the symbol that is on Agunimon's Spirit! Wow… This is very impressive as well as informative.
Takuya began to flip the pages to look for these symbols. If he could memorize these symbols, then he would know if a Digimon they meet was a Legendary Warrior. While he was doing that, Tommy walked away a little bit, thinking to himself.
If these Legendary Warriors were brave enough to stand up to someone who was bullying them for such a long time… maybe… I could too… I can't keep living my life afraid… and I'll never be able to really stop being scared as long as Sir Michael is hunting me. Tommy thought to himself.
Takuya found a page that showed all 10 of the Legendary Warriors' symbols. If he remembered right, Zoe had the Legendary Warrior of Wind, JP had the Legendary Warrior of Thunder, Koichi had the Legendary Warrior of Darkness. He didn't know what Koji had since he never met the guy, but he could guess maybe he would have Light since his twin brother had Darkness. Takuya himself had the Legendary Warrior of Flame… So that left… about 5 more.
I wonder who will have the other Spirits… There's Ice, Water, Steel, Earth, and Wood… I know Grumblemon has Earth… So that leaves four more to be uncovered… Or at least met with… Takuya thought. It's likely though, that those 4 uncovered elements would be against us, since Cherubimon summoned them to attack players. So I better keep my eyes out for these Legendary Warriors specifically.
Takuya then sighed. At least I now know who to be keeping an eye out for. I just hope I was able to help Tommy, or at least bond with him a bit more…
"Hey, Takuya?" Tommy spoke up suddenly, surprising Takuya. Tommy sounded pretty nervous.
Takuya looked up. "What's wrong, Tommy?" Takuya asked in concern.
"Hearing that story about the Legendary Warriors… I know I'm nothing like them, I'm not strong or anything, but…" Tommy hesitated before he began to steel his resolve. "I want to follow their example. I don't… want to keep hiding and running. I want to face up to him, the one who's been chasing me."
Takuya's eyes went wide. "A-are you sure?" He asked, a bit worried now. "I-I mean… I get it, but… if he's been after you, hurting you…" Takuya trailed off. He didn't want Tommy to get hurt, just because he wanted to be able to stand up to this former friend.
"Maybe you're right, maybe facing him is a stupid idea because he could hurt me more if I tried to stand up to him," Tommy agreed. "But if things stay the way they are, I either have to keep fleeing and hiding while he keeps coming after me until he finally catches me, or I can confront him and fight back on my own terms. And besides that, he has my hat! My mama gave me that hat, and I'd like it back!"
Takuya sweatdropped. Geez… this kid really likes his hat… Well… I can't say I blame him. I would be the same way if I lost my goggles…
Takuya then paused as he realized something. "Wait… how is your hat related to your avatar? As far as I know, the hat shouldn't be real…" He trailed off, slowly coming to realize something else. Unless… No… It can't be… Is Tommy really here? Not with an avatar, but physically? I can't assume that unless he confirms it though…
Then Takuya had another horrible realization. If… he's really here… like me… then him getting hurt… means he actually got hurt! It's not mental pain, it's real pain!
Tommy hesitated, realizing what he said about the hat came off as strange. "Even if it's not really my hat… it's still precious to me. But mainly, I want to stop running and hiding… and maybe I can do that now… if you come with me. You said you had your ways to fight back even without a Digimon partner, right? Maybe now's your chance to prove it to me then."
Takuya paled a bit, but he realized what he had to do. He steeled himself before nodding. "Yeah, I did…" He admitted. "If you're sure about this… then I'm coming with you."
"Thanks," Tommy replied, though he gave a nervous expression. "Sorry… about putting you on the spot like this."
It was difficult to tell how much Tommy trusted him. Tommy seemed to want to confront his chaser, but he also still seemed a bit uneasy with Takuya. Still, Tommy suggested Takuya came with him, so he must trust Takuya on some level.
"It's alright. I've been put on the spot before by Andy and Danny, so I'm kinda getting used to it." Takuya admitted sheepishly. Although, now that I think about it… wouldn't it be better to wait until Zoe comes? At least she could back us up in case something went wrong. Still though… I don't want to back down now, not when Tommy seems determined to try to confront his former friend.
Takuya knew he had a difficult decision to make. If he went with Tommy alone, then there would be no backup from Zoe, but if he waited until Zoe came, then Tommy was likely to confront his pursuer on his own. Takuya then had an idea. What if I explain to Sorcermon I am going with Tommy to confront his pursuer and to send Zoe out to find us when she gets here? This way we can get backup, but I can also go with Tommy to confront this former friend.
"So are we going or what?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah, let's go," Takuya said as he stood up, leaving the book on the table. "But let me tell Sorcermon first. It would be foolish to go out without letting someone know in case something happens."
Tommy thought for a moment before he nodded in agreement. "Okay."
Takuya looked at Tommy. "I'll meet you by the entrance when I am done, okay? Can you find the entrance on your own?"
"I can, yeah. The castle is big, but not complicated to navigate through," Tommy replied.
"Okay, I'll meet you there then." Takuya promised before he turned and ran out of the library. He had a feeling Sorcermon would be in the big throne room, since the icy wizard Digimon seemed to be the one in charge of the castle right now.
Takuya's intuition was right, he found Sorcermon in the throne room. Sorcermon appeared to be reading a book.
"Sorcermon!" Takuya called out as he reached the wizard Digimon's location.
"You don't need to shout, Takuya, I heard you walk in," Sorcermon replied without looking up from the book. "What do you need?"
"I just wanted to let you know Tommy, the kid I found and brought here, and I will be going to confront his pursuer. I wanted to let you know just in case Zoe came here. When she gets here, can you send her out to find us? We could use the backup if things go down the gutter for us." Takuya asked.
Sorcermon looked up from his book to look at Takuya. "Are you sure that's wise? After all, if you confront this pursuer, you'll likely have to evolve to fight them. Tommy will know of your identity."
"Yeah, I know that. But it's a risk I have to take. Tommy can't do this alone, and it may help him feel more at ease if he knows I am a Legendary Warrior." Takuya admitted. "Even if Tommy is a player… I can't just ignore this… And… I think… Tommy is physically here… Like I am…"
"Was… that not obvious?" Sorcermon asked.
"Huh?" Takuya blinked.
"Why do you think I made him your responsibility? It's true that we don't trust players we know nothing about, but if that were the only case, we would've put Tommy into a jail cell until we knew more about him," Sorcermon replied. "But the fact he's here means that would only hurt him more. He needed food and comfort. If he was just an avatar, he wouldn't need those things."
Takuya blushed. "I… just kinda assumed…" He admitted. "Wow… I really need to use my head more…" But that begs the question, how did Tommy get here physically then? Normally one would need a D-Tector or a D-Arc to get here physically.
Takuya then shook his head, forcing himself back on track. "Look, I know this would expose me to Tommy, but… if I think about it, it would help him… If he knew I was here, like he is… maybe he wouldn't be so distrustful of me."
Sorcermon gave a sigh. "Well… maybe… I'm also worried about you exposing yourself to his pursuer as well. They will not take you turning into a Digimon as kindly as Tommy. But if you feel you must do this, I won't stop you. The Legendary Warrior chose you for a reason, and you wouldn't be you if you didn't follow your heart. I'll be sure to send a backup your way."
Takuya smiled. "Thanks, Sorcermon. That means a lot."
Tommy was waiting for Takuya by the castle's entrance. He was looking down at his device again, remembering how he got it and how he got here in the first place.
Tommy had been hearing about this very cool game called Ruler of the Digital World. It was apparently an MMO where players would be able to go into the world with a virtual helmet. They could raise their own monsters called 'Digimon', and become the top players in the game. There was a free website that gave people a Digimon partner that would match their personality, so when they got the game, they could partner up with the Digimon they raised for an early advantage.
Tommy was interested in this website, though he doubted his parents would get the game any time soon. So he decided to log into his computer and check out this website. The website didn't ask personal questions, likely because people could fake their answers, or wouldn't be accurate, instead, the website asked to scan the user at the computer. Tommy was surprised at how high tech this website was as it scanned his eyes.
Tommy waited to see what his soul Digimon would be. He put his cell phone on his table, as he was planning to take a picture of his first Digimon to show his classmates at school later. However, after a minute or two of waiting, Tommy was beginning to wonder if he lost internet connection, because it shouldn't be taking this long. But then… a flashing error message came up on his screen.
It had disappointed Tommy that the screen had only given him an error message. He had been about to quit when instead of a Digimon, an odd figurine had appeared on the screen before him. Then his cell phone had reacted to the figurine, almost as if it was drawn to it. The holographic figurine had entered his cell phone, and then the next thing Tommy knew, his phone had changed into the device he now had. Then, Tommy had been sucked into his computer and ended up in the Digital World.
He had been so confused, he didn't know what happened, or how he got there. All he had on him was the strange device his phone turned into. He wondered if this was somehow part of the game, but he thought he would need a virtual helmet to enter the game's world. For a while, Tommy decided to just go along with it. He didn't know how to get back home, but he couldn't worry about that right now. He hoped maybe if he learned how other players got out, he could get back home too. He decided to try to find a Digimon to bond with, and maybe travel with other players in a group for safety.
Tommy shook his head to get out of memory lane. He didn't want to think about what happened, especially not when he finally had the resolve to face down Michael. The one player he actually thought cared about him. Takuya seemed to care about him too, but… Tommy was still worried that Takuya would turn on him too… if Takuya ever found out what Tommy was. Tommy didn't even know what he was. After all, this whole mess started because…
"Because of you…" Tommy said to his device. "It's your fault I'm even here in the first place."
Tommy wanted to just throw the device away and forget about it. But he couldn't, since he didn't have a Digimon partner, and he didn't know if Takuya was telling the truth about being able to handle Digimon without a partner, this… thing in his hand was his only line of defense.
It made Tommy feel awful about what was to come, but he wasn't about to back down from facing down Michael. Not after hearing the story of the Legendary Warriors. It made him want to be like them, to stand up to those who bullied others.
Finally, footsteps could be heard as Takuya made his way to Tommy. Tommy stuffed the device into his pocket before Takuya came into view completely.
"Hey, Tommy. I'm here. I just let Sorcermon know where we were going." Takuya said. "So, are you ready to do this?"
"I'm… as ready as I'll ever be," Tommy replied, still feeling unsure, but wasn't willing to back down now. "I wonder if he's even still in the Forest Terminal since he couldn't find me at all yesterday night."
"Well, guess we'll only find out once we get out there," Takuya said, hoping to ease the tension a little. "Come on, even if he's not there, I can at least teach you how to fish."
Tommy couldn't help but snicker a little as he imagined Takuya's frustration when a certain little thief took 3 of his fish.
"What? What's so funny?" Takuya asked with a frown.
"Oh, nothing." Tommy replied. "Let's get going."
Takuya raised an eyebrow, but didn't question it as they walked out of the castle.
The sunlight hit through the trees, but the breeze felt nice as Takuya and Tommy walked together. While they were walking in silence, Takuya noticed Tommy was back in his alert mode. Tommy was looking around, trying to keep an eye on danger.
Deciding to try to break the tension, and to get more information, Takuya decided to ask Tommy a question. "Um, Tommy? How did you get here? In the Digital World?"
"Huh? What kind of question is that?" Tommy nervously asked. "I mean… I came in the same way you did, with a virtual helmet and all."
Takuya frowned. It didn't sound like Tommy wanted to be honest with him. "Tommy… if you were here with a virtual helmet and using an avatar, you wouldn't need to eat. I mean… it could be possible, but…" He trailed off, not sure how to best approach this without throwing Tommy into an even higher alert state.
Tommy frowned as well. "Then let me ask… how did you end up in the Digital World?"
"Huh?" Takuya blinked.
"The fact you even have to ask me how I got here in the first place tells me that you know there's a different way to get here other than with the virtual helmet," Tommy pointed out.
Shit! Why did I ask that? Takuya tensed up. "Well… because you were here and as far as I know, you don't have a virtual helmet." Crud… Way to go, Takuya. You had to open your big mouth and possibly reveal yourself…
"How would you know if I didn't have a virtual helmet?" Tommy questioned. "We've never met in the real world before."
"Um…" Takuya trailed off, feeling sweat running down his face. Crap… I messed up big time… "I… I don't… Um… Crap…"
Tommy couldn't help but laugh at Takuya's blundering, which surprised Takuya since he thought this would make things worse between him and Tommy.
"Well… I'll give you this much, you seem like a pretty bad liar," Tommy chuckled.
"Yeah… I get that a lot from my friends and family…" Takuya admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Andy is a way better liar than I am…"
"I'm not sure if that's a good thing," Tommy replied. "But, uh… seeing how you're a bad liar, or really good at making it look like you're a bad liar, it means that I can trust you're being genuine."
Tommy paused for a moment. "Not lying to me, I mean."
"Well… That's good… I think…" Takuya said, a sweatdrop running down the side of his head. Wow… I didn't think being a bad liar would come in handy…
"Some people can't handle just being their honest selves," Tommy sighed. "I think… what you have is good. People only get good at lying because they're always lying to themselves, and what they want others to see…"
Takuya frowned a little before sighing. "Let's just see if we can find your former friend. I don't think you want to put this off any longer."
"I am talking about my former friend," Tommy explained.
Takuya blinked.
Tommy sighed. "Since you're helping me look for him… I should tell you more about him, or what I know of him at least…"
Takuya blinked again, but nodded. "That… would be a good idea." He admitted. Especially if it confirms what Koichi told me…
"When I was… in the Digital World, I joined with a lot of group of players, like I said before. But nobody wanted to keep me since I didn't have a partner Digimon, and haven't been able to find one," Tommy sighed. "I thought I would be alone forever in this world, when I end up running into my former friend…"
Flashback
"What are you doing here, kid?" He asked.
"I'm… looking for a partner…" I replied timidly.
"Don't you know it's dangerous around here? You might as well go home." He grumbled.
"I… can't…" I frowned, realization starting to hit me pretty hard, and tears began to well up in my eyes. "I… please, don't leave me alone! I don't want to be alone anymore!"
He looked back at me. "You're alone here? Well now, we can't have a kid just running around here." He seemed to be thinking for a moment before he seemed to come to a decision. "How about you come with us, kid? I'm planning to make one of the strongest guilds here in the game, and we would be able to protect you, at least until you get your own Digimon partner."
"R-really? What if… what if I never find my Digimon partner? Wouldn't… I just be a burden to you and your group?" I asked, not wanting to be kicked out of the group again because of my lack of ability to get a Digimon partner.
"Nonsense. We would help you find your partner, and in the event you don't, we will still find a way for you to help us out in our quest." He replied. "What do you say, kid? Want to be a part of my group?" He asked, holding out a hand.
I felt happy when I heard that. Unlike the other kids, they only let me join them reluctantly, until they got tired of me not contributing. But he sounded genuine, he sounded like he really wanted to help me. He sounded like he cared. I took his hand and he helped me to my foot.
"Great. Allow me to introduce myself. You may call me 'Sir Michael', and this is my partner, PawnChessmon," He introduced.
I looked at PawnChessmon, surprised to see a Digimon that was covered in armor like a knight, but was shorter than Michael. "Uh… hello, I'm Tomoki Himi."
"Oh? So you're Japanese?" Sir Michael asked in surprise.
"Y-yeah, I am," I replied.
"Hmmm… that's cool, but your name might alienate my group… so, would it be alright if we just called you 'Tommy'?" Sir Michael suggested.
"Tommy?" I blinked.
"Yes, a… nickname if you will. It is easier to say for my group, and it holds the first three letters of your name." Sir Michael replied. "It's a more American name as well, but only for my group's convenience."
"Oh… if it'll make it easier for you and your group to remember… then yeah, call me Tommy," I replied.
I hadn't expected to get a nickname, but I liked it. Maybe 'Tommy' would have better luck than 'Tomoki'.
"Alright, Tommy, let's go meet with the group. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you." Sir Michael grinned.
The group were a bit unsure about me when they met with me. They all thought I looked too young to be a good gamer. And they all already had their Digimon partners.
"I mean how old is this kid?" A buff looking Asian teen asked.
"I'm 11…" I answered.
"Really? You look more like you're 8 or 9," A girl snickered.
"I'm just a bit short for my age," I sighed.
"Now, no need to be mean to our young guest. It's not nice and does not give off a good first impression." Sir Michael scolded his teammate.
"Hey, maybe your partner could be a rare Digimon, that's why you've been having trouble finding one," The buff Asian teen suggested with a smile.
"You… think so?" I asked.
"Sure, not all of us got our Digimon partners right away. I mean, at least one of us has a rarer Digimon than some others." The teen replied.
"My partner Digimon is a PawnChessmon, and those are more on the rare side." Sir Michael explained. "Usually you'd only see them on guard duty for some big palace or something."
I smiled, seeing how I had some hope, and getting some people who were excited who my partner could be. "Then let's find my partner!"
"Patience, Tommy, we'll look for your partner in good time. But first, we need to prepare ourselves," Sir Michael stated.
"For what?" I asked curiously.
"We've been invited to stay at a place called the Candlemon River. Supposedly they want to make peace with players, but we know it's a ruse. They want to try to trap us," Sir. Michael explained.
"But we're going to stop them before they can hurt any other players." The buff Asian teen added. "This will help the other players in the long run."
I wasn't very close to any Digimon, which was why I have yet to have a partner, but I wasn't sure if just fighting the Candlemon was the best idea. However, I didn't want to be left alone again, and Sir Michael was clearly the leader of this group.
"What can I do then if I don't have a Digimon?" I asked.
Sir Michael looked down as if in thought. Then he grinned as he looked up. "You could go with one of the group. You look young enough that the Candlemon may not be able to resist letting you and another into the camp."
"Uh… really?" I blinked.
"Of course. Now don't worry, we'll be nearby in case something goes wrong. You can trust us, Tommy~" Sir Michael said with a kind tone in his voice.
"Okay," I replied.
*End of flashback*
"He really seemed nice, but I guess I should've had a red flag when he told me he planned to take on the Candlemon," Tommy sighed.
Takuya frowned. So this former friend is Sir Michael. It seems Koichi's intuition was right… And my own experience with Sir Michael didn't help my first impressions either…
"I… can't understand how hard it must've been after the betrayal he gave you…" Takuya said slowly. "But I'm not him. I wouldn't betray you like he did."
Despite his comforting words, Tommy still looked unsure.
"You say that now… but…" Tommy looked away.
"... Why do you think I would betray you like he did? Michael is a jerk," Takuya pointed out.
"Sir Michael… he's not…" Tommy hesitated to say. "He's not… that bad of a guy…"
"How so? He seemed pretty mean to me when I met him." Takuya said, folding his arms. "He didn't even think Digimon were living beings. And he's hunting you down, a little kid. That's pretty bad if you ask me."
"I'm not that little, I just look it," Tommy grumbled. "And I don't know what the history is between you two, but I don't think Sir Michael was lying… at least about helping me before… It's just…"
Tommy fell silent, not seeming to want to say anything else.
Takuya sighed. "Tommy… you can't just… keep hoping he will change. It's not that simple… What he did to you… whatever it is… it can't be allowed to just happen…"
"Y-yeah, you're right. No matter what the excuse is, it's bad what he's trying to do," Tommy agreed.
The two of them walked in silence for a while. The forest seemed so lively before, but now it felt empty and creepy. Knowing there was someone out there looking for Tommy, it made Takuya feel a bit tense himself. He hoped Zoe would come by soon.
"Takuya," Tommy spoke up, breaking the tense silence. "You and Koichi mentioned training before, right? Could you tell me what it is you're training for? You don't seem to have any Digimon on you, so are you training yourself?"
"You could say that." Takuya replied. Technically it is true… I'm just using my Beast Spirit… "But it's not really going so well in some respects. It's… hard to explain…"
"I see… well, maybe you can help me train too?" Tommy requested. "I know I'm not exactly… strong, but… maybe it might help… you know, in case I would need to defend myself."
Takuya felt himself sweating a bit. Crap… This is so awkward! I can't just say I am able to become a Digimon…
"Um… I…" Takuya trailed off, unsure of how to respond to that.
"Like maybe you could teach me how to fish?" Tommy suggested. "That would be helpful."
Takuya perked up. "Oh! Sure! I can do that." He said, trying to hide the obvious relief in his voice. Whew… Thank goodness he didn't suggest I teach him how to fight…
Takuya led Tommy to a nearby river, thankful that he remembered where it was when Koichi showed him. Tommy was still looking around to make sure they didn't get ambushed. Surprisingly, there was still no sign of Michael or his partner PawnChessmon. It was making Tommy feel a little more anxious, wondering where they were or if they were planning to strike when they least expected it.
Takuya, seeing how Tommy needed a break from being on high alert, decided to try to casually chat with him while he showed Tommy how to make a fishing rod. "You know, it's pretty tough going to school, especially when you're not familiar with a lot of people there. I'm taking classes in America, with only my cousins to show me around."
Tommy looked at Takuya. "Really? You're in America right now?"
"Yep. I'm on an exchange program. It can be pretty tough at times, but it's also exciting in a way." Takuya chuckled. "But I'm lucky in that I have my family to help me, so it works out in a way. Not everyone is as lucky as I am though."
Tommy gave Takuya a curious look as he held out a branch while Takuya began tying a vine to it. "But… don't you miss home? And your own parents? I know I d- I would if I was away from home for a while…"
"I do, but I know I can call my parents at any time. And they encouraged me to do this. It would be good growth for me, they said. Imagine my surprise when I found out I would be going to Amity Park for the program. I had family there, so I was staying with them." Takuya continued. "It was pretty fun to see everyone again, although Andy and Danny did threaten me with pranks…"
Tommy chuckled at that. "Sounds like you have a lively family. My parents like to spoil me since I'm the youngest child in the family. Although my brother doesn't approve of it."
"At least we both have people who care about us. Speaking of, my older cousin likes to think she is a know-it-all, and it can be so annoying. But she means well when she does her psychoanalysis of each of us." Takuya said as he finished tying the vine to the stick. "It can get on my nerves though."
"What older sibling wouldn't get on your nerves?" Tommy chuckled.
Takuya and Tommy put some earthworms on the end of their fishing vines before tossing the vine out into the river.
While they were waiting, Takuya decided to bring up more light hearted things they could talk about to keep Tommy from falling back into anxiety.
"Hey, do you want to hear some of the pranks my cousins have pulled on me?" Takuya asked as he looked at Tommy. "I mean, most of them are pretty harmless, but no less annoying."
Tommy looked at Takuya in curiosity. "But isn't that embarrassing to talk about?"
"Not really." Takuya replied with a shrug. "The more embarrassing ones I keep to myself. But it's kinda fun to talk about, even if it may seem embarrassing at times. It makes me feel better to talk about it at times."
Tommy gave a small smile. "Alright then, let's hear it."
For most of the day, Takuya and Tommy were talking to each other, while also catching some fish. Zoe was watching them from the trees. She saw how the two boys were getting along.
Aww, they're so cute together, it's almost like they're brothers. Zoe grinned to herself.
After fishing, Takuya began teaching Tommy how to make fire with some firewood to cook their fish. Though this time, Takuya was the one keeping a look out for the potential maybe-bear thief coming back to steal his fish again. Tommy was slightly snickering to himself when Takuya told him that he was making sure the food thief didn't come back.
After they ate their fish, Takuya and Tommy decided to walk around the Forest Terminal again. The afternoon sun was starting to go down.
Titanic X: ZAFT: That's great you liked the talk with Koichi, but what did you think of Tommy's introduction? ^^'