26. Rough Waters

Baromon held up a white orb of light, allowing everyone to see. Not that there was much to look at.
The group was entirely surrounded by the colourful bodies of fish. The makeshift pod wasn't entirely waterproof, as trickles of liquid seeped through the tiny gaps between them.
Still the group could breathe and, aside from some dampness, they were fairly comfortable.
"Gah! That's cold!"
Well, most of them.
Kartik rubbed the back of his neck where a drop of water had hit before running down his shirt. He was kneeling near the "wall" of their transport, trying to avoid the shallow pool that had formed in the middle.
"Did Gomamon say how long we were going to have to travel like this?" He asked.
"It shouldn't be too long." Tarumon was keeping an eye on Relemon who was happily splashing through the water. "Aquatic digimon can swim at great speeds. And these fish are pretty agile too."
Loogamon was walking around sniffing at the fish.
"I've never been wet before today." He shook out his fur. "It feels heavy, but also kinda refreshing."
"That's what travel does. It lets you experience new things." Tigremon was lying down with her hands behind her head.
She looked over to Shinyu.
"Come on. Even you have to admit this is pretty cool. I bet you couldn't travel in a fish pod in the Physical World."
"We don't have to. We have boats." Shinyu answered. "Have you guys not built have any form of transport?"
"W-Well, we have digimon that c-can ferry others around, like Whamon and L-Locomon." Kumomon was sitting on a sleeping Charlie's lap. "But, t-typically, we don't really b-build things."
"Wait, what?" Kartik looked up from wringing water out of his trouser leg. "There are so many buildings in File City. Not to mention the fortress we just came from. Plus we're travelling through a tunnel that Gomamon built."
"Well, digging a tunnel is one thing," said Coredramon. "But the buildings kind of form themselves."
Shinyu and Kartik stared at him in silence, prompting him to clarify.
"Just like how our environment can affect our digivolution; sometimes when a big group of digimon settle in one place, we can have an effect on the environment.
When I first came to Login Mountain, it was pretty sparse; but as more digimon joined us, the landscape started to change. Caves started to grow and form walls and roofs. After a while, we had a whole bunch of buildings we could furnish for our uses."
"Furnish them with what?" Shinyu asked. "Where do you get your furniture or machines if you can't build them?"
"It's not that we can't build things. It's just that our options are a lot more limited than yours," said Tarumon. "In your world, you can take materials like wood and sand and fashion them into something else like paper or glass. We can't do that here. Wood is wood because that's what it's data dictates. We can shape the data to make a wooden table or chair, but we can't alter it into a different material."
"Complex machines, like computers, are pretty rare here." Blitzmon added. "I was amazed at the technology we found in File City. It must've taken you guys years to fashion all that stuff."
"We have a business relationship with Factory Town." Tarumon told him. "They provide us with materials in exchange for funding for their inventions."
Shinyu noticed Baromon looking from Blitzmon to Tarumon to Kartik with apprehension in his eyes. He was probably worrying about the different groups sharing information so freely with each other.
As Shinyu was trying to think of a way to convince him that this was a good thing, the fish around them started to thrash.
"Whoa, whoa! What's going on?!" Tigremon struggled to get to her feet as the 'floor' beneath her bucked and heaved.
Gomamon's head popped up in front of her.
"We've reached the end of the tunnel. One more push and we're in the river. You all may want to hold on."
"To what?!" Kartik called as the digimon disappeared again.
A violent shudder shook the pod. The fish forming the roof and walls fell away, leaving the group on a makeshift raft with Gomamon leading from the front.
Water frothed all around them and the landscape sped past them in a blur.
"Urp! I think I'm going to be sick!" Coredramon's face had turned a paler shade of green.
"Don't you dare! You'll send our ride running!" Baromon shouted over the roar of the river.
"Just try to focus on something solid." Blitzmon rubbed his partner's back. "Like that boulder up ahead."
"What?!"
A huge chunk of rock stuck out of the water in their path. The river split around it, but the channels were too narrow for all the fish to get through together.
"Brace yourselves!"
Gomamon swung his flippers up into the air and a mighty wave rose under the fish; from which they collectively leapt. The group screamed as they sailed through the air and landed with a splash on the other side of the boulder.
Relemon was knocked into the air as they hit the water, but Tarumon caught her on the way down. He gave her to Kartik and then pulled his horns from his head.
"Everyone grab hold!"
Everyone passed his chains along until they were all holding on; except for one.
"Oh, f-for the..."
Kumomon crawled up to Charlie's still sleeping face and slapped her.
"Ow! Que diable, Kumomon?!" Charlie sat up rubbing her cheek. Kumomon pushed Tarumon's horn into her hands.
"H-Hold this! And try to st-stay awake long enough n-not to drown!"
The current seemed to zigzag across the river. Gomamon and his fish sped from one bank to the other while their passengers lay flat across them.
"Uh, oh." Gomamon raised his head to look further downstream. "Whirlpool coming up!"
Shinyu dared to lift his head and his jaw dropped.
The whirlpool took up almost the whole river and was far too wide to jump.
"Hold on tight! We're gonna ride the rim!"
Gomamon led his fish to the very edge of the whirlpool. They slipped into the circling current and the raft shape turned almost vertical as they were carried along the perimeter.
Tarumon was on his stomach, holding on to the dorsal fins of two determined looking blue fish. Everyone else was clinging to his chained horns.
Baromon had a horn clutched in his hands. The chain was looped around Jazardmon's neck. As water splashed over them, Jazardmon started to slip over the fishes' scaly backs. Baromon tried to push his partner back away from the edge of the raft but he couldn't get a grip on the slippery surface.
Suddenly his feet slid out from under him and the horn fell from his grasp. The chain uncoiled from Jazardmon and the two of them fell off of the raft.
"Baromon!"
Coredramon reached out and managed to grab Baromon's wrist, pulling him back aboard. Looking down, Baromon saw Jazardmon disappear into the circling water.
"No!"
No sooner had Baromon cried out for his lost partner than a flash of orange sped by him.
Grabbing the horn Baromon had dropped, Tigremon dived into the whirlpool.
"Tigremon!" Shinyu could only watch as she vanished; the chain dragging behind her the only thing marking her position.
"Gomamon, we can't leave the whirlpool yet!" Charlie called out as she saw that they were reaching the opposite side. "We've got 'mon overboard!"
Gomamon took in the situation and led his fish back into the spinning water.
"We can only go around one more time!" He called back. "We can't fight the current any longer than that!"
As if to emphasise his point, the fish under the group shuddered and small gaps started to appear in their formation.
Everyone watched the chain leading into the water. Tarumon tried to pull more from his head but it had reached it's limit. Instead he leaned over the side of the raft as far as he could with Blitzmon holding his waist.
Suddenly the chain started shaking back and forth in the water like someone was tugging on it.
"It's Tigremon! Pull her up!"
Shinyu joined Blitzmon in holding Tarumon as he reeled in the chain. He knew his strength probably wasn't making much of a difference compared to the armoured digimon, but he needed to do something!
After a few agonising seconds, Tigremon's head broke the surface. She was soon revealed to be holding onto Jazardmon. The chain was looped around his body.
The fish were wobbling underneath Blitzmon as his weight bore down on them.
"C-Come on! Hold it t-together!" Kumomon's legs trembled as she tried to encourage the fish. "We're n-nearly there!"
They'd almost completed the circuit around the whirlpool but the fish were noticeably tiring.
With a grunt, Gomamon raised a flipper out of the churning water.
"Giant Water Current!"
A funnel of water shot up under the raft, carrying the fish and their passengers into the air. Jazardmon was dragged after them with Tigremon clinging on for dear life.
With a splash they landed on the far side of the whirlpool. The water still flowed swiftly but was much calmer allowing the fish to relax and let the current carry them.
Tarumon pulled Jazardmon up to the raft. Blitzmon and Coredramon hauled him up between them. Tigremon flopped down off of him and lay on her back, taking in big gulps of air.
Baromon ran his hands over Jazardmon's body. He was solid with no sign of his data breaking down.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Baromon looked over his shoulder at Tigremon.
"Thank you."
Tigremon pulled down her goggles and gave him a small nod.
Shinyu settled down next to her.
"I can't decide if that was the dumbest or bravest thing I've ever seen."
Tigremon chuckled.
"I'd say it was about half and half."
Shinyu put his hand on her head and stroked her fur with his thumb. He thought back to his dream of Smilomon turning her back on him. The distrust he'd felt seemed to fade from his chest. Tigremon may be reckless and thoughtless sometimes, but she would never abandon him.
"Is everyone still here?"
Gomamon was swimming around his fish, counting them with a claw.
"Phew!" He drew a flipper across his forehead. "All present and accounted for."
Tarumon's horns had returned to his head and he was sitting massaging his temples.
"Are you okay?" Kartik asked. Relemon poked her face out of his bag with a concerned squeak.
"I'm fine. Just a little headache. I've never extended my horns that far before."
"Say, where do the chains go when you reel them in?" Charlie looked up from patting the heads of every fish in her reach. "Do they just coil up inside your head? That sounds really uncomfortable."
Tarumon gave an amused snort.
"No. They break down into data, then reform when I need them. A lot of digimon's attacks work that way."
"Man, I keep getting surprised by how differently your bodies work compared to ours." Charlie turned over onto her back and put her hands behind her head. "You really are aliens. No offence."
"T-Technically, you're the aliens h-here." Kumomon pointed out. "And your b-bodies are pretty freaky to m-me. All those squishy p-parts held in by skin that is r-ridiculously fragile. How are h-humans alive?!"
Shinyu's shoulders shook and he put his hand over his mouth. Soon he couldn't stop the laughter that was bubbling up from his chest.
The relief at having escaped yet another dangerous situation combined with the absurd conversation going on around him was all just too much.
Charlie was the first to join in with his mirth, followed closely by Tigremon. Tarumon sat up chuckling with Relemon squeaking in his lap. Even the fish seemed to be wiggling with humour beneath them.
Baromon looked around at the group giggling like In-Trainings. He laid a hand on Jazardmon, who he would've lost were it not for this strange band, and allowed himself to be a part of the merriment.

-

Plotmon was pacing again.
BlackPawnChessmon could hear the 'pit-pat' of the creamy white puppy digimon's feet as she moved back and forth across their prison space. The other digimon were either sleeping or staring into space, occupied by their own thoughts.
The Akatorimon guarding them was leaning against the far wall looking equally as listless.
City Hall wasn't exactly equipped with holding cells and the basement was apparently occupied by the humans, so Baalmon had had to improvise.
There were talismans placed on the floor and walls of the back half of the main hall. Any attempt to cross them were halted by an invisible forcefield. Fortunately, food could still be passed over by their jailors and the bathroom was included within the makeshift prison.
The banner welcoming the visiting humans to the Digital World was still hung up, almost like a mockery to the captive digimon.
BlackPawnChessmon poked at the nearest talisman with his spear. He'd done this three times a day since their imprisonment, checking if the talisman's power had weakened with time.
Once again, the tip of his weapon was halted before it even reached the marked paper. If there was a time limit to it's effectiveness, it was still a ways off.
Bringing his spear back to his side, the small armoured digimon stood to attention. He scanned the room from behind his visor, looking for anything that could be used to escape.
He had failed to protect his human during the attack. He would not allow himself to rest until he was back at her side.
A muffled thud sounded out from the direction of Akatorimon. He straightened up and turned to face the wall where the sound had come from.
A large chunk of material shot from the wall; smacking straight into Akatorimon and carrying him through the air to collide with the invisible barrier surrounding the prisoners. The red-crested digimon slid down to the floor before collapsing in an unconscious heap.
Standing in the opening in the wall, with her palm outstretched, stood a familiar figure.
"Babamon!" Plotmon almost knocked BlackPawnChessmon over as she joyously rushed to see their leader. She put her round paws up on the barrier and her stubby tail wagged rapidly back and forth. "We thought you'd gotten egged!"
"Ha! As if I'd go down so easily!" Babamon strolled across the hall with her broom resting casually over her shoulder. "I was just taking a breather. I don't have the energy you young ones do. Now stand back."
Holding her broom like a baseball bat, Babamon swung it through the air. A small shockwave spread out from the bristles and blew the talismans from the floor and walls.
Plotmon stretched out a paw to find the barrier was gone and ran at the head of an exuberant crowd of digimon to jump into Babamon's arms.
"Okay! Okay! Let an old 'mon breathe!" Babamon chuckled as the digimon crowded around her. She was just as relieved to see that they were unharmed.
Looking up, she saw Ogremon standing patiently at the edge of the crowd with Ballistamon beside him. The machine digimon had his hands clasped together at his chest and his glowing eyes were wobbling with emotion.
Freeing herself from the crowd, Babamon approached her old friends.
"I'm glad to see you both well, but there's no time for catching up." She said urgently. "I need you two to take these digimon to safety while I get the humans."
Ballistamon nodded, but Ogremon stepped up to Babamon holding his bone club.
"I'm not letting you fight alone again. I'll come with you."
Babamon wanted to argue but time was running out.
"Fine. The rest of you get away from the city. Head for the farmlands. You should be safe there."
"Hold on!" Plotmon approached, followed by a group of Rookie digimon. "If you're going to rescue the humans, then we're coming too. I'm not leaving without Dafydd!"
BlackPawnChessmon nodded and tapped the floor with the butt of his spear. The other Rookies with them called out their agreements too.
Babamon sighed. Her frustration battled with a sense of pride at seeing her digimon so committed to the cause they'd signed up for.
"Alright. Everyone who has a human, come with me. The rest of you, get out of here. We'll regroup later."
Ballistamon led most of the digimon out the hole in the wall that Babamon had created. They passed the unconscious forms of several guards and managed to disappear into the surrounding city without incident.
Babamon gripped the handle of the door leading out of the main hall and turned to face her group.
"Listen carefully. Our goal is to rescue the humans and get them out of here. Ogremon and I will cover you, so focus on protecting your partners."
"What about Baalmon?" Plotmon asked. "Now that you're back, we can take him down!"
"Baalmon's not our biggest concern." Babamon replied. "I promise I'll explain everything later. Now we need to hurry!"
She threw the door open and led her band out.

-

Birdramon's vision was blurring. She'd flown without rest ever since leaving Blitzmon in Sunshine Canyon the previous night.
Even now, the knowledge that he had allowed those humans to turn him against Baalmon still stung. She'd thought they were comrades; maybe even friends.
Shaking her head to clear it of those depressing thoughts, she looked around to get her bearings.
She'd flown directly over the wastelands to avoid being seen by MetalTyrannomon's forces. Looking down, she saw no sign of them or anything to indicate that they'd passed through Optimal Forest.
Birdramon allowed herself to feel some triumph. She must've passed those prehistoric pinheads. Now she just needed to warn Baalmon of the impending attack and he would take care of the rest.
She hadn't decided what to tell him about Blitzmon and the others. Maybe, once they'd arrived, she could convince them to hand the humans over to Baalmon. As long as their initial mission was a success, he didn't need to know about their wavering loyalty.
Her eyes widened as a familiar shape came into view ahead of her. The sound of rushing water reached her ears at the same time that the bridges of File City became clearer in her eyes.
Relief gave her a new burst of energy. Flapping her wings, she sped through the air. It only took a few minutes for her to reach the North Bridge.
Some digimon on guard duty looked up at her approach. Recognising her, they gave waves of greeting as she passed.
Finally being back among her own digimon made Birdramon feel at ease. She slowed to a glide and casually glanced at the farmland below her - to see a group of digimon running from the direction of the city; many of which she knew to be Babamon's followers!
Numerous scenarios flashed through her mind. The File City digimon had revolted; Babamon had escaped and attacked Baalmon; MetalTyrannomon had beaten her here after all and the prisoners had escaped during the fighting.
Whatever was going on; there was a welcome clarity in Birdramon's head.
The digimon below her were Baalmon's enemies, and she was is wings. Her duty was clear.
Opening her mouth wide, she let out a warcry that would summon any of Baalmon's digimon with hearing range. She then drew her wings in and dived down towards the fugitives; her feathers lighting up with the fire of battle.