Hope and Light: Silver Star Story Season 2
Episode 2, Part 1 Meribian Assault
(One and a half weeks after Alex and his group head for Burg)
The city of Meribia seemed the same as morning came. It arrived the same as it always did, with the sun rising over the horizon. Shops began to open. Citizens started going about their day. Students were laughing and talking as they made their way to school. All in all, it was like nothing was different.
But things were different. So very different.
Some more observant citizens noticed a decidedly marked increase in city patrols. Businesses were busy placing orders for additional weapons and healing items. Visitors coming to the city were scrutinized more closely, undergoing complete checks. Food was being stocked for a possible siege.
These very observant citizens knew what this meant. After all, some of them had seen this happen almost fifteen years ago, though it was under a different mayor.
Hell Mel was preparing for an attack from some enemy.
And if all of this information wasn't enough proof, the fact that there was a twenty-foot lizard standing guard outside the city and an equally large bird creature flying overhead would put any lingering doubt to rest.
Of course, there was also the fact that those creature's very human partners were also here, training and helping out wherever they could. It gave many of them some much-needed hope and relief.
For one of those partners, though, there was nothing but determination never to be weak again… and a fear of sleep.
D:SSSC
Sora looked at herself in the mirror.
Her mirror stared back at her, hiding nothing.
She had had trouble falling asleep ever since the Star Tower. The battle within continued to weigh heavily on her mind, and it was beginning to take its toll on her. She needed to talk to someone about this before it destroyed her.
It wasn't all doom and gloom, though. Her body was definitely in far better shape than it had ever been. And she was maturing.
A few days after arriving in Meribia, Sora approached one of the soldiers about learning hand-to-hand combat (which she almost regretted immediately after the first day of strenuous exercise). But she bounced back almost instantly, to her and the soldier's surprise. No stiffness, no soreness, no loss of mobility. It didn't make any sense… at first.
Two days later, Sora got an answer after a bath one day… and found that she was a few inches taller than before, and her body was beginning to fill out. She didn't know how that was possible, as she hadn't been born of Lunarian parents. She'd have to bring it up with Jessica when she could.
Shaking herself out of her melancholy, the Keeper of Love grabbed her training clothes, dressing quickly. She wanted a few hours of exercise before she got twisted into a pretzel.
D:SSSC
Tai was already halfway through his sword practice when he saw Sora enter the training hall, making her way over to where all of the exercise equipment was. She wasn't limping, to his relief, meaning she had recovered from yesterday's training regimen. (He would never admit it to anyone, but he was glad the instructor wasn't trying to teach him. He was a brutal instructor.)
Thankfully, his instructor was nowhere near as forceful. Thanks to Katana downloading a lot of combat knowledge into his brain, he could finally properly train with all that knowledge. He had escaped every situation he had been in so far, but that had been luck. He wanted to have a chance against any future encounters.
(Perhaps you should talk to her,) the sword suddenly suggested. (You have been wanting to for a while now. And she could use a sympathetic ear right now.
'Yeah, good idea. Just one problem. I have no idea what to say. And Sora is focused on becoming stronger and has ignored all the looks the other guys are sending her way.' Of course, it was easy to see why. Sora was already turning into quite a beauty. He had always known she was cute, but that was changing. His feelings were beginning to grow.
The sword hummed in his mind, already aware of all of this. (I would probably recommend asking her out on a date.)
'Thought about it. I'm not sure she's ready.' And he had thought about it. But every single time he tried to gather the courage to do just that, something came along that distracted him. Frankly, it was becoming annoying.
(You will only know once you try.)
'… … Alright.' He sheathed his blade and started over to her. He could take her to lunch even if it weren't a date.
"Excuse me, Mister Kamiya."
Tai stopped, sighing. He wasn't going to catch a break today. "Yes?" he asked, resigning himself to being denied.
The messenger nodded. "Master deAlkirk would like to speak with you. It didn't seem important, but it does seem to have a small time window."
"… I'll go see what he wants, then." Hopefully, it wouldn't take too long. He might be able to talk to Sora before the instructor found her.
D:SSSC
Mel finished his morning reports, before leaning back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. This was one of the things about his job that he hated: the paperwork. It was so… monotonous, and repetitive. It was usually the basics; food stock, night guard reports, and maintenance requests. Very rarely did anything exciting cross his desk. In times like this, he found himself missing the good old days, when it was him, Dyne, Ghaleon, and Lemia against the world. He missed the thrill of adventure the freedom of his choices.
On the other hand, if he had continued on the life of an adventurer, he would never have married or had Jessica. He wouldn't trade that for all the world.
But for now, Jessica was doing some remedial studying while she was here, and his morning was open. So he wanted to enjoy some physical activity. And in light of everything that had happened, he decided to share that with some young blood.
As if to give him exactly that, someone knocked on the door. "Enter!" he barked out, praying it wasn't his secretary with yet another missive. To his utter joy and relief, Tai entered his office, closing the door behind him. "Ah, Tai. Glad you could make it!"
Tai shrugged gamely. "You wanted to see me," he replied. "And judging by your reaction, it's not too serious. You're not going to try and get me to do paperwork, are you?"
"No. I wouldn't ever submit anyone to this." Mel grinned. "This more of a personal request. Ya ever gone huntin'?"
Tai blinked. "Ah… not really. The Digital World wasn't really a great place for that, and Tokyo's a little too urban for wildlife to run free."
Mel had to grin at that. "Well, we'll be leavin' the city for a few hours fer this. I like ta keep my skills as sharp as possible, and the cooks like havin' fresh meat occasionally. Besides… you'll probably need ta hunt fer your food at some point, This will be a lesson fer ya." He waited to see what he would say.
Tai finally nodded after thinking about it. "You know, as much as I don't want to kill any more than necessary… it's not a bad skill to have. I'm in."
That was the best thing he had heard in a long while. And it had been a while since he had had a new hunting partner. This should be fun. "Well, let's go grab some huntin' gear and rations! We don't wanna be hungry while tryin' to find our meal!"
D:SSSC
Jessica wandered into the Training Arena, looking for Sora. She was getting quite bored, and it wasn't like she could talk to her Dad. He thought she was doing some remedial lessons in Black Rose Street. Besides, she felt like the young Digi-Destine needed a break from learning how to fight. So finding her instructor, she asked if she could take her out for the day. The instructor agreed, having expressed her own concerns about Sora's single-minded, almost obsessive focus.
She caught sight of the young girl as she went through a series of exercises designed to help her focus on her speed. She was relieved to see that. For a moment, she had been afraid Sora would cut the lessons short after the first day.
On the other hand, Sora had been pushing herself far too hard, far too fast. The most important lesson any combat instructor had given was that everyone needed to take some time to relax and avoid burnout for a few days. So far, Sora had been going ten hour training periods for a whole week. While she wanted to be ready for battle as quickly as possible, it was never a good idea to continue at her current pace for an extended period.
Jessica was going to make sure that would happen today. "Hey, Sora!" she called out.
Sora soon stopped, turning in her direction. "Hey, Jessica," she replied in greeting. "I'm just about ready for today's lesson, so I don't know how long I have to talk."
"I'm sure you are. But today, you're going to take a break." the priestess smiled. "We're going to wander the city, shop, and enjoy lunch outside."
"Sounds good, but…"
"But nothing. You need to relax and this is the best way to do it. I already cleared it with your instructor. You can pick up tomorrow."
Sora blinked a little at that, which kind of surprised the other woman. One would think she would enjoy having a normal day, especially after the few months of traveling she had done, and the threats she faced. Perhaps she needed this more than Jessica realized. "Uh… I'm not sure we have that time. The Vile Tribe could attack at any moment."
"Well, we're making that time. Taking a day off and doing nothing productive actually helps a lot."
"...Alright."
Jessica grinned. She knew that she could get Sora to agree to this. She just didn't think she had to put in this much effort.
D:SSSC
Unbenownst to either of them, they were being watched. And the person wasn't watching them because of their good looks.
Bara watched as Jessica managed to coerce Sora in taking a day off, and nodded in approval. She had been watching the young human for a week… had been watching her since Vane, actually. The Digi-Destine of Love, keeper of one of the greatest powers Creation had ever made. She had been expecting a goddess made flesh in their first meeting, and… was somewhat right. She wasn't that goddess yet, but she was already showing signs of becoming a great beauty. She was also starting to show the signs of accelerated growth, proving that Lunar and the Goddess Althena's magic had made it so, not the population.
She found that she quite liked it.
What she had liked less was Sora's current mindset; one forged from a traumatic event. Her first kill. She had faced a similar ordeal early on in her life, and had been forced to deal with it. True, she still saw the faces of those she killed in her nightmares, but she endured.
She had to.
Master tolerated no weakness from his warriors. A point he drilled into her brutally, and in every way during training… and still did on occasion.
Sighing quietly, the Uruk-Hai slipped out of the room. She would keep her eye on Sora for a little longer, before she delivered her report to Xenobia and Master. She would need to ensure it was complete and relevant to their mission.
But for now… she would also take a moment to watch Tai. Perhaps she would learn something about him as well… like how good of a hunter he was.
D:SSSC
Tai was starting to have a good idea of how much hunting involves being absolutely quiet while remaining on the move.
They had managed to set up a main camp near the forest's edge as they checked on their equipment, before their hunting party entered. Mel had given him a few pointers on what to do and not to do. To not shoot until you were absolutely sure that it was an animal and not another person. And finally, don't get too big in your head.
'Sound advice,' he thought to himself, knowing full well that he had been like that in the past, though the circumstances were very different. It was something he still had to deal with every now and then.
However, there was one thing that he wasn't comfortable with. Namely, the use of a bow. He just didn't have a whole lot of experience with it. Add in the fact he had never hunted before in his life, and you had the makings of a potentially embarrassing showing.
Thankfully, Mel stayed close by, a steadfast pillar of support in this most uncertain bubble. At least he wasn't going to screw up royally.
"So," Mel stated quietly as they stalked through the foliage as quietly as possible, "Ya never hunted in this Digital World before? I figured ya would have at some point."
Tai shook his head. "Ninety percent of the animals there are sentient," he told him. "They were also digital data. We did fish whenever we could, but our diet for nearly a year was fruits and veggies." He grimaced. "I never felt such animosity toward a carrot in my life until I got back to Tokyo. I ate only burgers for a whole week for lunch."
The beastman winced in sympathy. His wife had made him eat vegetables for nearly a full week after he had screwed up one day. He had never been so happy to see a steak in his life afterwards. "I know the feeling. Vegetables are the bane of existence." Both shuddered at that.
"How did you and your wife meet?" Tai asked in return, trying to get his mind off of the terror that was healthy living.
Mel grinned as he recalled those days, when everything was still young and new. "Aye, it was just after me seven day battle with Dyne. We had gone to Meribia to get some supplies before headin' fer the Nanza Outpost. She was the daughter of the Weapons Shopmaster, and I accidentally bumped into her." He sighed. "I was hooked from the start, and went to see her whenever we were in the city. She wasn't afraid of me, and knocked me down a pegs when she thought I was getting' too big fer me britches. Her old man… threatened to castrate me if I ever hurt her before giving me his blessing to court her. We married a few weeks before our final battle with the wizard Eiphel and the five Princes of the Black Star."
"And Jessica was born?"
"Aye." He sighed. "Unfortunately, she died a few years ago due to one of the few incurable diseases we have on Lunar. It was the worst day since Dyne's death, and I don't think Jessica recovered from it."
Tai nodded in understanding at that. He almost lost Kari in the Digital World during their fight with Machinedramon, and he still had nightmares of that day, especially when they had gotten separated. And there was also the incident at the playground when she had fallen unconscious. Mom's words still echoed in his brain to this very day, even though she had apologized for being so harsh.
A slight movement in his peripheral caused him to stop, and he tapped Mel's shoulder, pointing in that direction. Mel looked as well, his gaze sharpening. They waited, watching.
Suddenly, a deer walked into the opening, a powerful looking male. He wandered about, unaware of the danger as he grazed.
Mel nodded, bringing his bow up. Tai followed suit, taking careful aim. It was time to see if he had any capability to hunt.
D:SSSC
"I'm surprised you're not laughing," Tai noted as they hauled their prize onto a nearby wagon, the rest of their party busy with tying it all down. "I missed the deer by at least a foot… twice."
Mel grinned. "Laddie, I couldn't hit the broadside of a building with an arrow when I was yer age," he replied cheerfully. "That's why I usually hunt with a party these days. I'm better, but not by much."
Now that, he could understand. So with a little practice, he could actually contribute in a way outside of combat. "How long did it take?"
"...Uh… I think I actually got a deer after three years."
On second thought, never mind. He would leave the archery work to Izzy from here on out.
To take his mind off his possible hunting ineptitude, he focused on something he was equally clueless about, but felt he could be more successful. "So, Mel… when you were trying to woo your wife, what exactly did you do?"
"Thinkin' about yer lady companion, are ye?"
"Pretty much. I want to show her a good time, take her mind off of everything that's happened. But the last time I tried something like that… it didn't end very well." He still wasn't sure how she forgave him for accidentally throwing up in her hat… and not telling her.
Mel laughed heartily, slapping him on the back with enough force to make him stagger. "Just take her out ta lunch, and go from there!" he declared. "Just… don't try to rush it. That's the best way to ruin it."
"Oh… okay. Thanks for the advice… and the possibly dislocated shoulder blade."
The other hunters laughed at that last bit, knowing how he felt. Hell Mel had done the same thing with them all at some point. Even Tai cracked a smile at that.
D:SSSC
Bara watched from her spot in the trees, trying very hard to convince herself that she was doing this to learn of any potential weaknesses in this man. (Not because she found him attractive. Because she didn't. Not. One. Bit.)
It didn't matter to her that the Warrior of Courage was built like a Hero of Legend, that he radiated charisma like a small sun. And she certainly wasn't jealous of all of the lustful stares he was getting from the eligible ladies of Meribia (which she was pretty certain he didn't notice. Of course, if Sora had done the same, she probably wouldn't have minded. And no, she wasn't starting to deny the very same things about Sora as well.)
And while she was busy telling herself that, she also wanted a dragon as a pet and to ride a unicorn.
Sighing internally, she watched as Tai promptly tripped over a branch, one of the others grabbing him before he could face plant. 'Built like a hero of legend, can fight like a hero of legend… but can still have embarrassing moments,' she thought, a dual thrill of excitement and humor shooting through her. 'He's perfect as is… and unattainable for someone like me.'
She remembered a time when she was young and optimistic. When she believed that, even in the cold barren Frontier, she could find love. And in the beginning, she thought she had found it in Racc. He was built similarly to Tai, and was a great warrior of their people.
Oh, how wrong she was. Within a few short years, the young, optimistic soul was gone, crushed under the pain of servitude and duty. If she ever tried anything to defy him, he would swiftly put her in her place. He was Master, she was slave.
That was all she could ever be.
But here, fighting her nascent feelings concerning two people who were supposed to be her enemy, she could at least pretend for a few seconds that she was that woman once again.
D:SSSC
Jessica watched Sora as they sat in the park, her brow furrowed. She was very concerned with what she was seeing.
They had had a perfectly wonderful day. They had gone shopping at Sere's shop (the owner was out at the time) and bought themselves some clothes that were not up for the rigors of travel and a spa to get pampered. They had lunch at a deli, then spent the afternoon in the park. Jessica spent the time pointing out all the hottest men and women she could, with Sora giving each a passing glance.
Despite all that effort to get her to relax, the younger girl was still on edge, almost on the verge of leaping up. It was like she was expecting another attack to occur. Vane was still influencing her.
She probably shouldn't be surprised. One week wasn't enough time to recover from something like that. Still, she needed to make sure that she didn't destroy herself.
"So, Sora," she began, acquiring the aforementioned girl's attention, "aside from today, have you done anything outside of training?"
Sora frowned briefly as she thought about it, before shaking her head. "I do spend some time with Biyomon and Agumon every night," she finally replied with. "Other than that, I've been too busy preparing for the upcoming war."
"Uh huh. I figured that out for myself, hence why we're here trying to enjoy this day. But I figured you would spend at least a few minutes with Tai."
"Tai's been pretty busy too. I haven't seen him a whole lot."
Jessica sighed. "I think I saw him for a few seconds in the Training Hall, and he looked like he was going to talk to you before my Dad's messenger interrupted. He's even gotten to know the other soldiers." She thought about it for a second, before deciding to go for broke. "You know, you're getting a little too tightly wound up. You need a good fucking."
Sora promptly did a spit take, looking at Jessica in shock. That was the bluntest, and most perverted thing she had ever heard come out of anyone's mouth in her entire life. "You know, I might be starting to join the Lunarians in terms of physical development, but I'm not going to go find some random guy and have him screw my brains out." She held up a hand at Jessica possible retort. "And no, I don't have any sex toys, and I'm not going to jump Tai."
"Well, you're going to have to do something. Otherwise, someone else is going to get him. And you'll start forgetting what you represent." Jessica leaned back. "I might even take him for a spin. He so freakig hot."
"Please. Just stop. I get it. Lunarian culture is pretty liberated when it comes to sex."
The priestess grinned at Sora's exasperated tone, as she also detected a hint of jealousy in it. 'Good, she hasn't cut herself off. I can work with this. Time to start planning.'
If she was lucky, she'd have them tangling up in the sheets in no time.
D:SSSC
Greymon sighed as he stood outside of Meribia, watching the surround. Despite knowing that this was necessary to at least prepare for a siege, he was bored.
They had been here for over a week, trying to shore up the city's defenses. And having a Champion-level Digimon standing at the main entrance was a pretty good way to deter thieves and spies from entering the city. (The few that had tried were quick to confirm that point.) Finally, Biyomon looked downright badass flying over head. (They had to tell the children she wasn't available to ride.)
But despite everything that was needed… all Greymon was useful for in this instance was just that; standing there looking like a scary dinosaur. He couldn't even lean against the wall… mostly because his body wasn't designed to lean back like that.
He was beginning to nod off when a bell started going off. He perked up. Just what he was waiting for. He looked up. "Hey, Birdramon!" he called out. "Lunchtime!"
The giant bird landed before the gates, reverting to Biyomon. "Thank you," she chirped, shaking her wings out. "Flying around in circles for four hours is pretty tiring."
"At least you're doing something. I'm standing here, completely bored." Greymon shrank back down to Agumon. "I thought I was going to fall asleep."
"You could have walked around."
"You mean a twenty foot lizard can walk around without causing the ground to quake?"
"...Hmm, good point."
Chuckling, the two Digimon entered the city, heading for the bazaar. Everyone was used to seeing the two talking creatures by this time, so no one even batted an eye. For just a little longer, peace would reign.
Sadly, that wouldn't be that way in the next few minutes.
D:SSSC
Ramus grinned as he watched his customers move around the store, happy to see that his business strategy was a success, even in the short term.
He had cut back on the prices to his inventory, as he wasn't that greedy. That had helped a great deal. He had had Dross teach him everything he knew about business, and quickly chose the practices that, to him, weren't trying to take advantage of the customer.
Finally, he hired some new sales clerks… some very cute lady sales clerks. And those sales clerks were wearing very tight fitting bunny costumes.
It was those last two points that had helped bring customers in.
Looking around, he noted that it was about noon and turned to his cashier. "Hey, Julie," he called out. "It's lunchtime, and you haven't gone on your break yet. You should probably get it in before we get the afternoon rush."
Julie nodded, grinning. "Sure thing, boss!" She quickly flagged down one of the other girls to take over. "Well, I'll be back in an hour. Want me to get you anything, sir?"
Ramus grinned, grabbing his money sack and pulling some silver out. "Just my usual sandwiches. I gotta watch my weight, after all." He didn't see a need to become any rounder than he already was.
"The usual. Got it. See you in a bit." She made her way out of the store.
Chuckling, he started to walk through the store. It was always a good idea for the owner to mingle with the customers. It showed that he actually cared about them. He even knew a few of his more frequent customer's names. Today was turning out to be a good day.
But as he made it onto the main floor, a sudden burst of white light appeared to his right. Thankfully it didn't last, but it seared his eyes for that moment. And once it vanished, he had to spend a few seconds to get the spots out of them.
Once he recovered his sight, what he saw in its place surprised him… and definitely reminded him what he had heard in Burg.
There was a woman here, clothed in a blue dress. She was breathing, which was good to see, but was otherwise unconscious.
Ramus quickly looked around, stabbing a finger at one of his employees. "Get a Healer, and find either Tai or Sora!" he ordered. "They're going to want to know about this!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Satisfied, the chubby boy quickly gestured for everyone to back up. He wasn't going to risk moving her until he was certain that it was safe to do so.
His only questions were; who was she? And how did she get here? He guessed he would have to wait for her to wake up before he got any answers.
D:SSSC
Frontier
Xenobia frowned at the report. "So another dimensional incursion has happened?" she asked.
"It has," a shadowy form replied. "We do not know who it is, but the Negaverse is tracking it across Existence. They can confirm that it started in the Big Ten."
"Thank you. Inform me when you have an identity." Waving her hand to dissipate the screen, she sat back, frowning. If this new person was a threat, they would have to eliminate that threat before they realized what was going on. Vane was still a sore point, but at there there, they had accomplished their goal.
She would have to wait for Ghaleon to finish his part of the mission, but she could at least prepare here. She grinned.
Mel did look like he needed a visit…
D:SSSC