Hey guys! Coming to you again with another chapter. This one will be short. It will end on a cliffhanger, so if you do not like cliffhangers, don't read it until the next month's chapter comes out. You have been warned.
Guest IG: Have you thought about writing your own fanfiction? Just from reading your reviews, you seem passionate about Digimon. Also, do you have any ideas on how to let other Frontier fans know about my fanfiction? I've gotten likes but not enough reviews from people. If the story is good enough for you to write essays on for each chapter, I would think more people would comment on it. Let me know if you have any ideas!
Shibuya Station first opened around 1885 and is now known to be the second busiest train station in Japan. Every day, around 3 million passengers ride the railways to their destinations. Some people even had to go underground just to get to the right train.
The interior was completely stunning. The walls were decorated with abstract artwork from different people. Pillars underground lit up in different colors guiding passengers to their trains. There was even a touch screen that had a map of the whole station with directions. They had everything: shops, restaurants, and even a tiny bookstore. It might as well have been a small airport or mall.
In one part of the area was a soba noodle* restaurant. It was a pretty simple, convenient place with booths and counter tables. Customers would just come in to get a quick bite of the Japanese noodles before heading to their next destination.
One of the booths had 5 high schoolers and 1 college student. They were enjoying a wide variety of chilled, stir-fried, and hot soba noodles. It was the six legendary warriors: Takuya, Kouji, Tomoki, Izumi, Junpei, and Koichi.
When everyone was together, they each shared their recent battles and opinions in more detail. In the end, they were able to deduce three main factors.
The first was the weird area covered in fractal code. Only the Legendary Warriors and a select few would be dragged into it. Everyone else was exempted. Whatever that fractal code did, only Digimon were allowed to be in it. The teenagers tried to spirit evolve outside of it but to no avail. They couldn't even turn their cellphones back into Digivices. It looked like they were only able to transform in that place.
The second was the time. According to Junpei, time seemed to completely stop there. It was why the bodyguards were so shocked when he and their lady disappeared. To them, only a second passed by when Junpei and Saya stayed there for 10 to 15 minutes at most.
The final factor was the space. From Kouji and Tomoki's experiences, any damage or loss of clothing on the body would be immediately repaired and healed after returning to the Real World. Their appearance would return to the first time they entered the fractal world.
Unfortunately, that was all they could figure out. Kouji deduced that the Digimon were taking over animals or objects, and Koichi could feel that something evil trying to break through to the Real World. The question was why. Who was doing all these things and attacking them? What is causing the weird fractal phenomena? And more importantly, what was happening in the Digital World?
There were so many questions but very little answers. The gang was at a dead end, so they did the only thing they could do. They ordered food.
"Whew, I needed that," Takuya said after slurping down a mouthful of hot soba noodle ramen. Although the boy frequently came here, he felt the food here was especially good after his battle with Gorillamon. "I might have to order another helping."
"Takuya," Junpei said, eating his stir-fried noodles. "As much as I like soba noodles, why are we here?"
"I'd like to know that too," Izumi said, munching on her side of shredded carrots. Although she was with Takuya when the Digimon came attacking, he didn't tell her the reason why everyone had to meet at this specific place. She and the others were quite curious too.
"Well," Takuya started to say. "'I'd thought we might find some answers here."
"In a soba noodle restaurant?" Koichi questioned.
"Yes in a soba noodle restaurant," Takuya answered, looking around the restaurant. "You guys remember, don't you? This was the place where it all started for us."
Before this area became a Japanese noodle restaurant, elevators were stationed here. Elevators that led to a secret underground train terminal. It was the place where all the Legendary Warriors, except for Koichi, took the train and entered the Digital World.
Even after the elevators were gone, everyone still had a big connection to the place. When they all gathered again under another mysterious message and ate at the restaurant for the first time, they were greeted by their spirits again 2 years later after departing from the Digital World.
Turns out, the spirits sent the message for the meeting. They wanted their partners to see and talk to each other again. It was quite the surprise but they took it in stride as they chatted and ate for hours that day.
Now, the teenagers make this restaurant one of the places to meet when gathering. Their spirits don't communicate with them anymore, since it was a one-time thing, but it didn't matter. The connection established here was enough for them.
"Since our spirits talked with us here for the first time," Takuya continued. "I thought we would find some clues or for them to communicate with us like before, but I guess I was wrong."
Takuya let out a defeated sigh. They've already been at this restaurant for over 2 hours, and nothing abnormal happened. He thought they could get some answers here.
"Considering what little information we have," Kouji said, dipping his chilled soba noodles into the sauce before eating it. "It's not a bad plan. It's more surprising you came up with it."
"Hey!" Takuya shouted, offended.
"Takuya, relax," Tomoki said, calming his easy-to-trigger friend. "Kouji is just messing with you like always. Don't put too much of it to heart."
Takuya gave Kouji a look but dropped the subject to finish the rest of his food. Tomoki looked at both of them and shook his head. Why were they almost always like this when meeting?
Although Kouji and Takuya have been best friends for years, they still butt heads from time to time. Their friends usually have to intervene before it gets worse. They were so used to it now that they each decided to take turns. It was Tomoki's turn today.
"Besides fighting, why don't we think of another plan somewhere else like places we were attacked? There might be some clues," Tomoki raised his hand to signal a server. "Waiter, check please."
That check would have to wait as fractal code appeared again and covered the whole restaurant. When it disappeared, there was only an empty restaurant and the sounds of noodles being left on the grill. Six cellphones lit up and changed into Digivices. It looked like Takuya's hunch was right.
Everyone quickly gripped their Digivices and got into fighting positions. They looked around their surroundings anticipating an attack. A few minutes went by, but a Digimon never appeared. Everything seemed quiet and normal.
"Koichi," Kouji said signaling his brother. He wanted him to use his power. If anyone could find someone from a mile away, it would be him.
"I'm not seeing anyone," Koichi replied scanning the area. "There's no one here. At least not one with malicious intentions."
"Takuya... Kouji..." A voice said near them. It was coming from their Digivices. Looking at their screens, all it showed was static, but they knew someone was trying to communicate with them.
"Tomoki.. Izumi.." The voice became more pronounced. The static started to go away and a picture appeared. It looked like some weird animal face emoji. It had a white face with pointed ears, a single horn above the head, black, beady eyes, small thin eyebrows, and a black mouth. "Junpei! Koichi! Can you guys hear me?"
"Bokomon!" Everyone said. They all knew this face and voice too well. It was their companion and guide in the Digital World.
Bokomon: A rookie-level, vaccine-type Digimon who is known to be a scholar. Although he is not a combative Digimon, his knowledge more than makes up for it surpassing most ultimate-level Digimon. He carries a green book in his pink waistband called the Monoshiri Book or Book of Knowledge. The book has a lot of information about the Digital World and Real World. Some of it was recorded by him, while the rest were from his past predecessors.
"Thank goodness, I was finally able to get in contact with you guys," Bokomon said happily. "It's good to talk to you again, my friends."
"Friends?" Someone else said. The screens then changed to an emoji that looked like a yellow rabbit. "What friends? I don't see anyone."
"Neemon!" Everyone was excited. They knew the other Digimon as well. He was their other Digimon companion who looked like a two-legged rabbit with red pants on.
Neemon: A rookie-level, data-type Digimon who is the companion of Bokomon. He is known for his carefree personality and bumbling antics. Despite his appearance and vacant personality, he's fast when it comes to escape. He's also a surprisingly well-informed person, but his information isn't helpful most of the time.
"Of course, they're not here," Bokomon said. "They're in their world, and we must talk to them using this device. We talked about this, remember?"
"Are you sure it's them?" Neemon questioned. "They don't sound like our friends. These voices sound much deeper."
"Of course it's them! Humans grow differently from Digimon. They have to go through a thing called puberty."
"What's puberty? Sounds delicious! Can I eat it?"
"No, you idiot!" Bokomon shouted. A sound of a rubber band snapping was heard followed by an ouch from Neemon.
Everyone on the end of their Digivices couldn't help but laugh. Those two haven't changed at all even with their new status.
When their spirits first communicated with them at the restaurant, they learned about Bokomon and Neemon's new life. Bokomon took in the three baby archangels Digimon and raised them like his own children while becoming a traveling scholar. His main expertise was history, research, and exploration. He wanted to record everything he experienced, so Digimon could learn more about their world: past and present. It was thanks to his research that the spirits could communicate with them back then.
Neemon became Bokomon's assistant, a very lazy assistant. Instead of helping, he would be either asleep or falling on something. Bokomon lost count of how many times he waistband slapped the yellow rabbit. Despite those shortcomings, he made a pretty good uncle. Whenever Bokomon was busy with research and recording, Neemon would play with the kids to keep them occupied. The children always loved having him to keep them company.
As for the three archangels Digimon, Patamon, Salamon, & Lopmon were very happy. The last thing the Legendary Warriors heard from them, they were about to Digivolve into their champion forms, and this was 5 years ago. It made everyone happy to hear their friends in the Digital World living well.
It was especially good to hear from them now. Weird things were happening here in Japan, and they needed answers. Their knowledgeable friend might just have them.
"Bokomon," Kouji said, getting right to the point. "We need your help. Strange things recently happened, Digimon attacked us, and we don't know why."
"Tell me everything," Bokomon said.
Everyone then told their stories and theories. They told him about the fractal-covered world similar to their own, and about how the Digimon turn into animals or objects after being scanned. Not a single detail was left out. Bokomon listened without interrupting.
"I can't believe it," Bokomon said after everyone told their story. "They did it. They sacrificed their bodies, and you each entered a fractal field! I thought it was just a theory, but from what you all said, it happened. This is unbelievable!"
"Sacrifice themselves?" Takuya said, confused. "Who are we talking about and what's a fractal field?"
"There's a lot to explain," Bokomon answered. "I'll have to start with our two worlds."
Bokomon then proceeded to talk about the Real World and Digital World. Thanks to his diligent research, he was able to find a lot of things. Although they were similar in appearance, both were created differently. The Real World was made from actual life with its inhabitants being flesh and blood. The Digital World, on the other hand, was made from data as well as the Digimon who lived there. Different worlds had natural rules and laws that governed them to prevent imbalance.
If inhabitants from either world tried to enter the other, the rules and laws of that world would descend upon them. Depending on the circumstances, the world would either change the person or prevent them from entering.
The laws of the Digital World were the former and very lenient. Whenever someone entered the Digital World, their body would be converted into data similar to the Digimon. This way, the body composition will match to the Digital World causing no imbalance. When they want to return, their body will return to its original state.
The laws of the Real World were the latter. They were much harsher and more demanding than the Digital World. There was a reason Digimon couldn't survive in the Real World. Besides the strong barrier preventing them from entering, the Real World's laws wouldn't convert their bodies. They would be stuck as data.
If Digimon, especially strong ones, could enter, the world's natural laws would do everything in its power to reject and destroy them. This includes destroying part of the world to do it. It was the reason Digimon never bothered to enter the Real World. It wasn't worth the risk of their life. Only Digimon as prideful as the Royal Knights or Lucemon was stupid enough to attempt it. Besides, the Digital World was enough for them.
It seemed impossible for Digimon to live in the Real World, but there was always a loophole. When Takuya returned from the Digital World by himself, he returned as Flamemon. He was a Digimon at the time, so how was he able to survive in his world without it rejecting him?
During the trip to stop Lucemon from entering Japan back then, Takuya told Bokomon about it, and the little Digimon surmised that it was because of him.
In the Digital World, Digimon are born from Digi-eggs and grow up in the area around them to become stronger. The Legendary Warriors, on the other hand, were only spirits or relics. They were made of the last fractal code of the Ancient Legendary Warriors and needed vessels to become Digimon. Takuya was the vessel at the time, and since he was originally from Japan, the natural laws wouldn't reject him as much.
If that were the case, wouldn't the same apply to other Digimon? Weren't Digi-eggs just another sort of vessel for them? Thanks to Bokomon's research and some powerful influences, Digimon figured out a way to enter the Real World. They would have sacrificed their bodies and left their Digi-eggs behind. Their powers, thoughts, and bodies would all be transferred into fractal code and enter the Real World.
The fractal code would be perceived as sending data like an email, so the Real World's natural laws didn't reject it much. Once in, they would then search for a suitable vessel similar to their digital biology and take it over. This was the reason why animals or inanimate objects appeared when the Legendary Warriors scanned their defeated foes.
An albino chimpanzee as Gorillamon. A black cat like MadLeomon. A ball of fire as Meramon. A saw stag beetle as Kuwagamon. A doberman as Dobermon. And a samurai action figure as Mushyamon. All of these animals or objects had characteristics that were similar to their counterparts. Fractal code would then enter the animals or objects turning them into their Digimon forms. With things from the Real World as their vessels, they were safe from the natural laws.
Unfortunately, they underestimated how harsh those laws were. Although the natural laws didn't reject them anymore, their power levels were still too strong for the Real World. Rookie-level Digimon were safe since their strength was slightly superior to a full-grown adult or wild animal. They could roam freely with their suitable vessel. It was the champion level and above Digimon that was the problem.
Their strength was too strong, and their attacks could cause real devastation. The Real World would never allow such a power to exist alongside its inhabitants. To combat this variable, the Real World borrowed some data from the Digital World to stop it. And thus, the fractal field was born.
A fractal field was created when a champion-level Digimon or above first entered the Real World. Fractal code would appear and cover a certain perimeter around them creating a different area. It would be the exact replica of the original. Not only that, but time would completely stop in that place. This was because time in the Real World and Digital World ran differently.
In conclusion, the Real World would create a separate mirror world for Digimon to roam freely. Damage done in the mirror world wouldn't affect the original, and humans wouldn't be in there either, so balance was maintained. Animals and inanimate objects could be there since most of them were perfect vessels for Digimon. This was the temporary solution that the natural laws created.
Only people touched by the Digital World could enter a fractal field. This explains why Takuya and the others appeared in one. They were the Legendary Warriors. Teppei too. Although he wasn't a Legendary Warrior, he's entered the Digital World like other children. He was part of this list.
There was also another way to enter. Data would still be a part of people even after returning. If a person spends a long enough time with another who has been in the Digital World, some of that data would transfer to that person making them enter the fractal field as well. This was how Junpei's opera partner was able to go into the fractal field with him. She at least spent 8 hours a day with him in school studying or doing vocal exercises.
Once one entered a fractal field, they would be stuck there. There were three main ways to get out.
The first option was for the Digimon to leave and return to their world. It wasn't a very popular option as they didn't have a Digi-egg to return to. Their fractal code would be returned to the soil of the Digital World and be reborn again.
The second option was that Digimon had to suppress their strength to that of a rookie level. They would change into their vessel form and walk around unimpeded, but if they unleashed even a little of their true power, the fractal field would immediately appear. They could suppress their strength again to make it disappear but a long time was needed.
The third and final option was to defeat and scan the Digimon. The Digi-destined had experience on this one. Once scanned, the vessel would regain its freedom. Their memories as a Digimon would fade away or be a bad nightmare at most.
If one of these conditions were met, the fractal field would disappear, and the surviving inhabitants would be returned to the Real World. Any injuries or loss of clothing would revert to their original state when entering, and time would resume. People outside had no clue a phenomenon happening just a few feet near them.
When Bokomon finished his explanation, everyone went quiet taking in all the information. Everything matched what they experienced, but it was still shocking for them. Digimon found a way to enter their world. It was a lot to process.
"I don't get it," Takuya said, breaking everyone's thoughts.
"I'll give you the downgraded version later," Kouji replied.
"Not that," Takuya retorted. "What I mean is why. Why are Digimon entering our world? What reason do they have in coming here now?"
What Takuya asked made sense. Earlier, Bokomon said that the fractal field was all theoretical. Testing the theory would involve actual live Digimon with a chance of death, so what changed? What would cause Digimon to risk their lives just to enter the Real World?
"Bokomon," Takuya continued. "What's going on in the Digital World? Is it in danger again?"
The Digivices were silent for a moment before Bokomon spoke in a gloomy tone. "Yes, Takuya. The Digital World is once again in peril and this time, it's even worse than the last one."
No one liked the sound of that.
"But how?" Kouji asked. "Even if the Digital World faced danger again, our spirits and the three archangels would've stopped it."
Although it would take a lot of time for the 3 archangel Digimon to regain their previous mega-level forms, it's been 7 years. With the time acceleration in the Digital World, the angels should've been back to full strength.
"I- It's difficult for me to tell you," Bokomon's tone got even sadder. It felt like the little guy lost something really important to him. "The details would also be fragmented if they were coming from me. It might be better if they showed you."
Suddenly, the Digivices' screen shone a bright light and filled the whole restaurant. Takuya and others shielded their eyes as the light engulfed them.
We now know how the Digimon are entering the Real World, but who's sending them? Tune in next time on the next Digimon Frontier 2: Fractal Fusion.
*Soba Noodles- A thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. They can be served chilled with a dipping sauce or hot in a soup.
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