9. Hitting the Road

"Are you sure this is safe to eat?"
Kartik was sat cross legged on the ground with Relemon asleep in his lap. He looked at the cabbage that Tigremon was shredding with her claws. It was dark purple with yellow veins along it's leaves. Typically, plants with those colours fell under the 'Do Not Consume' lists in survival guides.
"Of course you can eat it. It's food." Tigremon answered, looking at him like he'd asked if water was wet.
"I mean, is it safe for humans to eat." He clarified. "Food that's okay for you may be toxic to us."
"I was able to eat the food in your world just fine." Tarumon pointed out as he used a smooth rock to crush some carrot-like vegetables into a paste.
"I guess, but human stomachs can be pretty sensitive. There're all sorts of allergies and aversions that we can have."
"I-I'm amazed your sp-species has survived so l-long." Kumomon remarked from her perch on a tree branch, where she was picking cherries. "H-How did you manage to a-avoid being poisoned by e-everything?"
"By setting all our food on fire." Charlie answered as she caught the dropped cherries in her hat.
"That's an oversimplification but, basically, yes." Shinyu added as he leaned down to fill the group's water bottles from the river.
Straightening up, he looked into his bottle at the water shining with multicoloured light. He turned a questioning eye on Tigremon.
"Yes! It's safe to drink!" She cried out. "Sheesh! It's just data! Everything here is made of data! What do you think you're breathing right now?"
The three humans all paused as the realisation of what she just said hit them.
Tarumon shot Tigremon a reprimanding look before addressing the humans in a calming tone.
"What she's trying to say; is that, in our world, data functions like what you call atoms. It makes up everything." He pointed to the foodstuff. "I promise, nothing here is going to poison you. The purpose of food is to be eaten. Think of it as a computer program that's designed to provide energy to it's consumer."
He picked up a piece of cabbage and dipped it into the orange paste he made. He then popped it into his mouth and ate it with a crunch.
"Mmm, that's good data."
Charlie laughed and put a cherry in her mouth.
"Oh, c'est juteux!" She picked up a handful and started gobbling them down.
"Hey! S-Save some for the r-road!" Kumomon called down to her. "W-We've still got a long way to g-go!"
"How long will it take us to get to Saurus Fortress?" Shinyu asked.
They'd already spent a whole day travelling through Optimal Forest, following the river per Tarumon's instructions, before spending another cramped night in a holographic tree. The food they'd brought from the Physical World had run out, so they'd stopped to forage.
Tarumon picked up the guidebook and consulted the map.
"Let's see. If we keep up a steady pace; factoring in stops to eat and sleep; we should get there in six days.
"S-Six days?!" Kumomon jumped down from the tree. "I-I could make it th-there in half that t-time."
"Well, the rest of us aren't as fast as you." Tarumon pointed out.
"Speak for yourself." Tigremon dumped the shredded cabbage down in front of him. "I bet Smilomon could get us there in no time."
"What? Carrying all of us?" Tarumon replied, raising a sceptical eyebrow.
"Absolutely!" Tigremon's face split with a confident grin. "Smilomon's strong enough to throw other Champions around like rag dolls. I'm sure she could handle your weight."
"Sounds like a great idea to me." Charlie said around a mouthful of cherries. "The sooner we meet this MetalTyrannomon; the sooner we can get File City back."
She swallowed.
"And honestly; riding a sabre-toothed tiger is something I would love to add to, and cross off, my bucket list."
Tarumon saw looks of agreement on the others' faces. He shrugged his shoulders.
"Okay, if you say you can handle it. Let's finish up here, then get going."
He rolled the shredded cabbage in the orange paste, making sure every piece was coated, before wrapping it up with large leaves.
"There we go. The ginseng will keep the cabbage crisp, and add a sweet flavour."
"Who knew we had a chef in our midst?" Kartik remarked as he took the wrapped cabbage and placed it in Shinyu's bento box, alongside the gathered cherries. A yawning Relemon was perched on his shoulder.
"I just know a few recipes." Tarumon replied modestly. "The In-Trainings would get bored if every meal was the same."
His face fell as thoughts of Primary Nursery filled his head. He pictured Ganimon stood protectively in front of the frightened little ones as big shadowy figures closed in on them.
Kartik's hand gently gripped his shoulder, breaking him out of those terrifying thoughts.
"We're going to save them, Tarumon." He promised.
Tarumon laid his hand over Kartik's and gave his friend a grateful smile.
"Okay! Let's hit the road!"
Tigremon waltzed into the center of the clearing and spread her arms out.
"You all may want to stand back!" She announced before dropping to all fours.
"She's not milking this much." Tarumon whispered to Kartik.

Tigremon digivolve to... Smilomon!

Smilomon let out a thunderous roar.
"G-Great idea! Tell every d-digimon in the area where w-we are!" Kumomon berated her.
"Well, we won't be around here much longer." Smilomon answered with a grin. She hunched down. "Climb on."
Shinyu got on her back first, followed by Charlie with Kumomon in her hood. Tarumon climbed up behind her and Kartik took up the rear; slipping Relemon into his bag and holding it in front of him.
"Are you okay, Smilomon?" Shinyu leaned over her shoulder.
The tiger stood up straight with a slight grunt.
"Just fine." She answered. "Now everyone hold on tight."
She started off with a brisk walk, getting used to the weight on her back. Before long, she felt comfortable enough to speed up.
The trees began to whisk past her, faster and faster. She could see each one coming and, with a slight adjustment, alter her path to avoid it with ease. It was starting to feel like a game.
Before she knew it, the trees began to thin out. Smilomon could run straight without having to mind trunks in her way. With a few more bounds, she cleared the forest entirely and was faced with wide open grassland.
Seeing the clear space before her; Smilomon felt a rush of energy run through her body. She stretched her legs further, pushed harder off the ground and relished the seconds when she was just sailing through the air.
She truly was a Champion. The whole Digital World was hers to explore, and she could fight off anyone who tried to stop her going where she wanted.
"...lomon. Smilomon!"
A hand rapped her head several times and Shinyu's voice cut through the wind in her ears.
"Smilomon! Stop!"
Her claws scored lines in the soil as she skidded to a halt. She sank to her haunches, letting her passengers tumble off of her.
Shinyu looked even paler than normal and he lent against Smilomon's shoulder on shaking legs.
Kartik had his head in a patch of long grass and was making retching sounds while Tarumon was rubbing his back. Relemon hopped out of his bag. Her fur had a greenish tinge to it, and she quickly joined Kartik in the foliage.
Meanwhile, Charlie was trying to pry a petrified Kumomon off of her head.
Smilomon took in the group's condition and looked to Shinyu.
"Was I going too fast?"

-

Baalmon stood back as Baromon searched through the files in Blucomon's computer. The ice-covered Rookie was just behind Baromon, looking over his shoulder and making tut-tutting sounds.
"General files? You really think I would store such groundbreaking information along with weather pattern algorithms? You're clearly more used to working a crystal ball than a computer network."
Baromon whipped around and advanced on Blucomon. The third eye on his forehead opened wide.
"You will give us the information we want. I have already foreseen you doing so. It's just a matter of when and how much pain you're willing to endure. You're better off just telling us now."
Blucomon gave an amused snort and folded his arms.
"Nice try. Clairvoyance is nothing but a huckster's ruse. It's impossible to see the future because it doesn't exist yet. At best, you can make educated guesses based on the information you already have. But, given the element of chaos inherent in existence itself; even the most logical conclusions are by no means a certainty. BAWK!"
Baromon jerked back at Blucomon's sudden outburst. The little blue dragon snickered and pointed at him.
"My point exactly. You didn't foresee that because there was never any indication that it was going to happen. Just like how my giving up the information you want is never going to happen."
Baromon flicked his red cape over his shoulder in an effort to compose himself. He raised a hand which promptly burst into flame.
"Well, if you're so scientifically minded; you should have no trouble telling me what happens when ice is exposed to high temperatures."
Blucomon instinctively took a step back, unable to stop his eyes from flickering to the fire held before him.
Baromon took another step forward, enjoying seeing the smug look drop off the upstart's face.
He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"That's enough, Baromon." Baalmon said, evenly but firmly.
Baromon stepped back, extinguishing the fire with a flick of his wrist. Baalmon took his place in front of Blucomon.
"I understand you feel a sense of loyalty to Babamon, but what I'm trying to do here is for the good of all the Digital World." He spoke in a gentle tone and kept his arms out of his cloak to show he wasn't concealing anything. "It's the influx of data from the Physical World that led to the Overloading. Inviting humans into our world and telling them our secrets will only add to the damage."
Blucomon was still a bit shaken from Baromon's threat, but he lifted his head to look Baalmon in the eye.
"So, you think you can see the future too? Then tell me; what will save the Digital World?" He straightened up and glared at the much taller digimon defiantly. "You're so quick to shut down Babamon's attempts to find a solution, but have yet to provide a more viable option. The humans are responsible; albeit indirectly; for the existence of the Digital World in the first place. To not investigate this potential wellspring of knowledge would be utter foolishness."
"There is some knowledge that the Digital World isn't ready for." Baalmon's voice took on an edge.
"And who gets to decide that? You? All you do is horde knowledge for yourself; refusing to share it with anyone, therefore rendering the knowledge itself useless!" Blucomon pointed an icy claw at the Demon Man digimon. "Well, this is one piece of knowledge you're not going to hide away from the world. When Babamon wakes up, you'll be facing quite the reckoning. I'll tell you that, and nothing else."
Baalmon stood in silence for a while, staring down at Blucomon. Finally, he sighed and waved his hand through the air.
A pair of talismans flew out from under his cloak and wrapped around Blucomon's wrists. They joined together, forming a pair of metal cuffs.
"Take him down to the basement." He ordered Baromon. "Keep him guarded at all times and don't give him any food. We'll talk again tomorrow. In the meantime, keep searching for the information."
Baromon nodded and grabbed Blucomon by the white fur around his neck, dragging him out of the room.
Left alone, Baalmon walked over to the metal table that stood in the center of the room. Grabbing it with one hand, he raised it above his head and brought it crashing down to the floor. The table bent and one of it's legs flew into the window, lodging itself halfway through the glass.
He stood panting with frustration for a moment, before bringing his hand up to his face and falling to his knees.

-

Blitzmon rubbed his finger along the orange stain on the flat stone before him. Lifting his helmet slightly, he stuck his finger in the gap and licked it.
"Mmm, ginseng. And fresh too. They can't be far."
Birdramon was drinking from the river close by. She raised her head as the armoured digimon approached her.
"Looks like you were right about them heading for MetalTyrannomon." Blitzmon said, kneeling down to scoop up some water for himself. "Given the distance they've travelled already, they should get there in less than a week."
"Then we should hurry."
Birdramon stood up straight and spread her fiery wings. Blitzmon's posture visibly slumped.
"Can't we get some rest first? My batteries need recharging." He held up a hand and emitted a weak arc of electricity.
"We can rest when the job's done."
Birdramon held out her left leg towards Blitzmon. The right had a small cage strapped to it, for transporting the humans when they found them.
Blitzmon sighed and climbed onto her foot, wrapping his arms around her ankle.
With a flap, Birdramon rose above the treeline and flew, following the river. Blitzmon held on tight, narrowing his eyes against the wind. Birdramon was fast alright, but she wasn't the most comfortable ride.

-

"I vote we never do that again."
Charlie sat rubbing her head where Kumomon's legs had wrapped around it. The gray spider was lying on her back beside her; her legs splayed out on the ground. She weakly raised one into the air.
"S-Seconded."
"So I got a little carried away. You don't have to be such drama queens about it." Smilomon lay nearby, stretching her legs and kneading the grass under her paws. "Besides, look at how much ground we covered. That must've knocked at least a day off of our travel time."
"She's got a point." Tarumon admitted, looking at the guidebook. "If I'm reading this right, then we should reach Sunshine Canyon by tomorrow."
"Does that mean we can take a break?" Kartik asked.
He was coming back from the river where he had been splashing water over himself to recover from his nausea. His hair was still damp and stood up in tufts. Relemon was on his shoulder; her fur was wet and messy as well.
"W-We shouldn't hang a-around out here in the o-open." Kumomon said, flipping herself the right way up. "B-Baalmon's followers could be h-hunting us down as we sp-speak."
"Oh, come on." Charlie gestured to the area around them with a sweep of her arm. "There's no one around for miles. I think you're suffering from a bit of paranoia, buddy."
"O-Of course I'm paranoid! It's the b-best way to survive in the D-Digital World." She pointed towards Smilomon and Tarumon. "N-Not all of us are l-lucky enough to be born in a s-secure place like File City. I spent y-years running from one shelter t-to the next, and now I'm d-doing it again!"
"So you've done a lot of travelling then." Shinyu was sitting with his back resting against Smilomon's body, snacking on some ginseng cabbage pieces. "That's how you knew about the holographic trees. That knowledge really helped us out. Any tips for moving through grasslands like this?"
Kumomon looked surprised at the respectful way Shinyu spoke to her. She answered him in a more bashful tone.
"W-Well, now that I th-think about it..."
She started roaming around, poking at the grass.
"Nice going, Shinyu." Smilomon grinned at him. "You found a way to shut her up."
Shinyu gave his partner a reproachful look.
"She's got good reason to be scared. We barely escaped from File City and who knows what could be lurking around here. The Digital World, and the digimon in it, have proven to be much more hostile than you said."
"Oh, so we're back on that again! I said I was sorry!"
"No, you didn't!"
"Because I was too busy saving you from Baalmon's cronies! A little gratitude would be nice!"
"Oh yes! Thank you, Smilomon! Thank you for saving me from the danger you put me in!"
Shinyu and Smilomon's faces were mere centimetres apart. A pair of hands pushed between them and Kartik knelt down in the gap he made.
"Please calm down, guys. You're upsetting Relemon."
He gestured over his shoulder where Tarumon was holding the baby digimon and making soothing noises while she buried her face in his chest.
"F-Found it!"
Everyone turned to look at Kumomon who was waving her legs excitedly in the air.
"C-Come take a l-look at this! I-It's just what we n-need!"
Shinyu and Smilomon pointedly avoided looking at each other as they gathered around Kumomon. Kartik threw a questioning look to Charlie, who simply shrugged in response.
"W-Watch this."
Kumomon crouched down in the grass and crawled forward, suddenly disappearing from sight.
With confused exclamations, the others looked around for her. Then a small bump appeared in the ground before them.
Kumomon's head poked out and they realised that she was under some sort of covering patterned to look like the surrounding grassland.
"S-Surprise! What do you th-think?"
Kartik stared at the tent-sized covering in confusion.
"Well... that's amazing but... why is it here? What's a camouflaged blanket doing out in the wilderness?"
"T-To give weaker d-digimon a way to hide f-from stronger ones." Kumomon answered as if it was obvious. "J-Just like the holographic t-trees. We believe Yggdrasil cr-created them in the early years of the D-Digital World to keep older digimon from w-wiping out the newer w-weaker ones."
She gripped the edges of the covering and dragged it over to Smilomon.
"I-If we drape this over y-you and stay close t-together, we'll be camouflaged f-from any faraway digimon. I-I'll keep lookout for any c-coming closer."
"That's a really good idea, Kumomon." Tarumon patted her on the back. "We're lucky to have you with us."
"Oh. W-Well... happy to h-help." Kumomon's legs wiggled bashfully.
Smilomon let out an irritated sigh.
"So, I'm a walking tent pole now. I don't suppose I'm going to get any thanks for this either."
Kartik reached up and put a hand on her shoulder.
"We really appreciate everything you've done for us, Smilomon. The past couple of days have just been a lot and everyone's a little on edge."
"I'm not. This is the best adventure I've ever had." Charlie took a hold of an edge of the covering and held it above her head. "Come on Smilomon. It's time for stealth mode."
Together, the group hoisted the camouflaged sheet over Smilomon. There was room underneath for them to walk close to her, while holding it up, and the material was thin enough to let them see where they were going. Kumomon was perched on Smilomon's head, keeping her eyes on the sky.
"Do digimon fight each other a lot?" Kartik asked Kumomon. "You made it sound like any digimon we met would attack us. But the digimon in File City were so friendly."
Kumomon maintained her lookout as she answered.
"W-Well, they can afford to be p-peaceful. They've got p-plenty of food, w-warm places to sleep and friends to pr-protect them. I had none of that gr-growing up." Her eyes lowered as her head filled with memories. "W-Where I hatched, there was n-no one to look after newborn d-digimon. I had to compete w-with the others for food. I soon l-learned that I was weak; that my only hope of s-survival was to stay hidden. I'd only c-come out when the others were a-asleep and eat whatever morsels were l-left over."
She held her front two legs out before her.
"Th-That's probably why I b-became this. Small, w-weak but very fast. E-Even my attack doesn't d-do much damage. It just i-immobilises my opponent and l-lets me run away."
Realising how much she'd been talking, Kumomon looked down at the others. There were looks of surprise and sympathy on their faces.
"I didn't know things were that bad out here." Tarumon looked down at Relemon, who was napping in his arms. "I'd heard it was a bit more wild, but baby digimon having to fight each other just to eat? That's awful."
"I guess that's why you're so nervous all the time." Charlie fiddled awkwardly with her hat before offering her hand to Kumomon. "Sorry I blew you off earlier."
Kumomon just sat and looked at Charlie's hand for a moment. She couldn't recall ever being apologised to. She slowly placed the tip of her leg in the human's palm and Charlie gently shook it.
"Th-That's okay. I suppose it's not s-so bad out here if we - g-get down."
Charlie raised a surprised eyebrow.
"Well, a dance party wasn't the first thing that came to mind, but if you're offering -"
"N-No! I mean, everyone get down!"
Smilomon threw herself flat on the ground; the others quickly following suit.
A strong wind swept over them. They gripped their camouflage tightly to keep it from being blown away. Through the material they saw a large bird-like digimon, covered in flames, flying above them.
"That digimon was with Baalmon during the attack." Said Shinyu.
"Birdramon." Smilomon growled. She narrowed her eyes. "And I think that's Blitzmon on her leg."
"They're heading the same direction we are." Kartik pointed out. "Could they have business with MetalTyrannomon too?"
"More likely they've figured out where we're going and are trying to get ahead of us." Tarumon replied. "My guess is they'll set up an ambush in Sunshine Canyon."
"Can we go around the canyon?" Charlie asked.
Tarumon shook his head.
"Sunshine Canyon runs through a wasteland. There's no food or water there. Just ancient unused data. The ground's unstable. It could disappear from underneath your feet without warning. It would take us several days to traverse it, even with Smilomon. The canyon's the only part of the area with fresh solid data."
"So our choices are either A; walk into an ambush, or B; give up and try one of the other, much further away, Guardians." Smilomon snorted with frustration.
"W-Well..."
Everyone turned to look at Kumomon.
"Th-There is a third o-option."

-

Blucomon sat on the floor in City Hall's basement blowing cold breath onto the cuffs on his wrists. Aside from a sprinkling of frost, the metal seemed unaffected so far. Still, he kept at it. It wasn't like he had anything else to do, and he needed a distraction from his growling stomach.
"Pssst!"
Blucomon raised his head and looked around. He could've sworn he heard something but there was nothing new among the cluttered boxes piled around the room.
"Pssst! Up here!"
It was a hissing whisper coming from above him.
He looked up at the air duct on the ceiling. A pair of yellow eyes were looking at him through the grill.
"I've brought you some food."
A shower of digibytes began to fall through the gaps in the grill. Blucomon held out his hands to catch them, his stomach grumbling harder in anticipation.
Once all the snacks had fallen, the voice spoke out again.
"Don't give up. We're working on a plan to save you and all the others held captive. I'll be back."
"Wait." Blucomon called up. "Who's 'we'? What are you going to do?"
But there was no answer.
The rattle of a lock from the basement door caught Blucomon's attention. He held his hands close to his chest, hiding the digibytes, and placed his tail in front of the ones that had spilled onto the floor.
An Akatorimon stuck his head into the room and looked around before resting his orange eyes on Blucomon.
"Who were you talking to just now?
Blucomon gave the red-crested rooster a withering look.
"Who do you think? I was talking to myself. Goodness knows it's the only decent conversation I'm going to get around here."
Akatorimon narrowed his eyes and pointed a wing feather at the prisoner.
"Unless it's you saying you're gonna tell Baalmon what he wants to know; I don't want to hear another word out of you. Y'got that?"
Without even waiting for an answer, he slammed the door shut and locked it again.
Blucomon gave a little snicker as he lifted his hands, full of digibytes to his mouth.
"Don't hold your breath."