DarkFoxKit: Hope you guys had a good time with the holidays, but now they're over, and we must deal with the winter season. Story's going a bit slow right now, but with how unpopular it is, I didn't think it mattered.
ZAFT: Oh, the story has a few readers, some have left comments on AO3 and we have our two on . It's just what happens sometimes. '
DarkFoxKit: Would be nice to see what they think of the story. But oh well. Let's just get on with the chapter.
ZAFT: Yep!
Chapter 21: Beach Crashers
Mercurymon was watching the battle between Grumblemon and the children through his mirror. He was actually surprised at how much the Rookie Digimon were fighting back, despite being much weaker and injured. Lopmon and Patamon had his interest, of course, but he wondered why they were fighting so hard to protect the children. Well, he could understand Patamon, but he didn't know why Lopmon was. In the end, Grumblemon was destroyed, and his Spirit was taken.
"Tis sad. His mouth far outstripped his technique." Mercurymon grumbled, seeing Grumblemon's defeat.
"You said what was on my mind, sugar." Ranamon snickered. "But now that Grumblemon is gone, it's up to us now. Though I still don't understand why you were so interested in those small Digimon, the Patamon and Lopmon was it?"
"The Lopmon and Patamon both have Celestial Digimon data within them." Mercurymon explained. "That should be impossible, but it appears there is something about those two Digimon that has given them that data."
"Surely you jest," Ranamon said. "You took Seraphimon's data, so I doubt he would've been able to give that little Patamon his data. And why would he entrust a Lopmon with his data?"
"Lopmon does not hold Seraphimon's data," Mercurymon replied. "You should knowth what data he holds by just looking at him. We feel that data every time we must report to Lord Cherubimon."
Ranamon looked like she thought Mercurymon was joking. "But that can't be… He wouldn't place his data into a random Lopmon!"
"Tis my belief that that is no ordinary Lopmon," Mercurymon replied. "I do not claim to understand, but Lopmon may be Lord Cherubimon himself, in his Rookie child form."
"Now hold up there, that really doesn't make any sense. Why would Lord Cherubimon go through all this trouble just to attack his own Legendary Warriors to protect those kids? If anything, he would want us to take care of those annoying brats so he could use their Legendary Warriors for his own purposes. And going back to his Rookie form? That's an insult to Lord Cherubimon." Ranamon frowned. "Maybe that little Lopmon thief stole some of Lord Cherubimon's lingering data, that makes more sense than that utter nonsense you just said."
"Truth you speak." Mercurymon agreed. "But that cannot be the reason. Lord Cherubimon is far too careful with his own data for some Lopmon to steal some of it. Tis a mystery… a mystery of intrigue."
"Oh sugar, don't tell me you're going to pull a Sherlockmon on me." Ranamon grumbled. "We have more important things to worry about, and it's not some mere Lopmon or Patamon."
"It would be wise to at least study them, so we know for sure. They could be of use to us," Mercurymon said. "Besides, with Grumblemon gone, our might has dropped considerably. Especially since thou art just the Warrior of Puddles."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Ranamon frowned.
"I only speakth the truth, though I am still your loyal ally," Mercurymon said. "Thou still suspects me since I have yet to give Lord Cherubimon Seraphimon's data."
"Maybe you should prove it then," Ranamon replied. "Your fancy little mirror only showed Grumblemon's death, but Arbormon is still out there. Maybe you should find and bring him back, I don't have time to look for that wooden head."
Mercurymon just grinned. "Methinks there is subterfuge, milady."
Ranamon glared at Mercurymon. "And what does that mean? Try speaking English, you metal head."
"Tis thine lack of a Beast Spirit. Doubt plagues thy mind." Mercurymon said.
"What are you trying to say?!" Ranamon snapped.
"I'm saying you're scared!" Mercurymon retorted. "You're afraid you'll end up just like Grumblemon! Thou does not want to retrieve thy Beast Spirit lest thou suffer the same fate!"
"That's ridiculous!" Ranamon shouted as she got up in Mercurymon's face. "I think you polished your face one too many times, sugar! Of all the nerve… How dare you compare me to that incompetent rock head!"
"I dare because I know it to be true," Mercurymon boldly pointed out.
"You guys are so loud that it's impossible to get any sleep…" BlackGatmon grumbled as she walked in, rubbing her eyes. "Did something happen?"
"Only that rockhead getting what he deserved." Ranamon grumbled. "And now this shiny twit is claiming I'm too scared to retrieve my Beast Spirit!"
"Tis but the truth." Mercurymon sneered at Ranamon.
"Just you wait! Those twerps will never defeat me! The little darlings will beg me to take their Spirits once I'm done with them!" Ranamon snapped.
"Wait… Did you say Grumblemon died?" BlackGatomon asked. "When did this happen?"
"Tis happened half an hour ago," Mercurymon answered.
"Oh… aren't you worried, or sad, that we lost a comrade?" BlackGatomon questioned.
"There's nothing to be sad about, but we have lost our numbers and our might due to this," Mercurymon stated. "He was a failure, so he got what he deserved."
"So that's how you see things, huh? Useful until they fail," BlackGatomon remarked. You're a horrible influence to Duskmon.
"Tis the truth. Might is what rules this world." Mercurymon replied with a smug grin."Does thou not agree?"
"I have my own perspective on things," BlackGatomon shrugged. "Though I can see why you would think that way." After all, Cherubimon is powerful, and he's currently the one in charge.
"Excuse me, I'm going to head to my pool to relax," Ranamon grumbled. "I got some thinking to do."
"Don't hurt yourself,"BlackGatomon said.
"Do whatever you want, milady." Mercurymon grinned.
Ranamon was relaxing in a pool of water. This was her element, this was where she wanted to be whenever she felt stressed.
"So… why am I here again? You know I'm not too fond of water, right?" BlackGatomon grumbled as she was sitting on the edge of the pool.
"I need another girl to talk to," Ranamon answered as she was floating on the water on her back. "And you're the only other girl here."
"Oh, I see, you need to share your thoughts with someone who isn't Mercury, or a bonehead, or a strong silent kind of guy like Duskmon," BlackGatomon noted. "I gotcha, I used to share my thoughts with some girl friends of mine too back at school."
"Oh you did, did you?" Ranamon asked with a slight grin. "It's always nice to have another girl to talk to to vent, you know what I mean?"
"Yeah, it is," BlackGatomon admitted. "So, what do you need to talk about?"
"Mercurymon is just so frustrating. He knows I always do what I wish, and I don't like the way he talks about me," Ranamon grumbled.
"Is it because of what he said about you lacking your Beast Spirit?" BlackGatomon asked.
Ranamon twitched and grumbled. "Yes! As much as I hate to admit it, Mercurymon is right! I may as well be a lawn sprinkler with the amount of damage I can do without my Beast Spirit… And I can't find it! I've looked everywhere, but nothing is found!"
"Have you been looking for it much?" BlackGatomon asked, she didn't remember Ranamon leaving the base very much, unless she left whenever she and Duskmon went out on their strolls.
"Well, not myself exactly, but I've got all of my fan clubs around the Digital World looking for it. They've been searching high and low for my Beast Spirit, but nobody's found anything," Ranamon answered before she swam over to her waterproof computer that was on the edge of her pool.
Curious, BlackGatomon went over to the computer herself to see Ranamon had a world map pulled up. There were highlights covering the continents and islands of the Digital World.
"Before you joined, I also searched everywhere," Ranamon continued. "There's been nothing. Rivers, streams, ponds, nothing. It's really quite embarrassing. Honestly, even 3 of those baby brats have their Beast Spirits. And I, the queen of the sea, the darling of the deep, the prettiest pearl in the ocean's oyster… have nothing."
"I see you also lack modesty…" BlackGatomon sweatdropped. "Have you tried searching there?"
"Where?" Ranamon asked.
BlackGatomon used her tail to point at a small island that hadn't been highlighted. "Considering you're the Legendary Warrior of Water, your Beast Spirit is most likely gonna be under the ocean, maybe near an island potentially."
Ranamon's eyes lit up. "Girl, you saved my butt!" She exclaimed happily. "All I have to do is find the local devoted fan club, and hopefully they can find my Beast Spirit for me!" Ranamon began typing away eagerly.
"Your fan club?" BlackGatomon asked.
"Oh yes, I have many around the Digital World," Ranamon answered. "And these guys are the Toucanmon fan club. Those boys would trade all of their tail feathers for a simple wink. They'll definitely keep searching the area until they find my Beast Spirit. Oh how I adore being adored. It's so much nicer than working~"
"You know, the worst part is I can understand that feeling…" BlackGatomon sighed. I was once popular, adored by many boys. Maybe not as much as… her, but I was still pretty up there. And now I feel like I'm seeing that part of me in Ranamon right now, even if it is… more exaggerated.
"Oh, I knew you'd understand. After all, you certainly have Duskmon wrapped around your little kitty claws." Ranamon grinned.
"I do not," BlackGatomon huffed. "He just sees me as a friend, that's all."
"Oh, sugar, I can see it, heck even Arbormon can see it~ Duskmon adores you! He will do anything to ensure you're safe!" Ranamon giggled. "After all, you're a cat, and cats can get others to do what they wish~"
I'm more surprised she knows what a cat is. BlackGatomon sweatdropped. "But it's not like that."
"Sugar, please. Before you arrived, Duskmon wouldn't ever look at anyone, let alone speak to anyone. He would always just look up at the moons in the night sky. Then he just kinda disappears for a while, doing who knows what," Ranamon pointed out. "You have no idea how deep you got your claws in him, do you?"
BlackGatomon frowned. This could be a problem then… especially considering my role here… "Oh, that place you're looking at… where is it from here?"
"Oh? Thinking about taking a beach vacation?" Ranamon asked. "There is a nice beach house there run by the Toucanmon."
"It wouldn't hurt. It's been a while since I was at the beach myself," BlackGatomon replied. And if I'm right, that's where the others will be soon. I think it's about time I reunited with them for the time being and talk about our plans… especially if Ranamon's right and 3 of them found their Beast Spirit.
"Then why don't you think of this as a girl's day out?" Ranamon grinned. "You and me enjoying the sunshine, surrounded by adoring fans, and I will get my Beast Spirit! Oh, and the food there is simply divine~ Fresh from the ocean~"
"That definitely sounds tasty, I'm a pretty big fan of seafood after all," BlackGatomon admitted. A girl's day out with Ranamon? That's… unexpected. But… not completely unwelcomed. This could also be a good thing. Ranamon isn't just pure evil. She's got her own personality. "When do we leave then?"
"I'd say we leave tomorrow morning," Ranamon answered. "That way the Toucanmon can have time to look for my Beast Spirit. Oh, but you should let Duskmon know this is a girl's day out, so he can't come."
I wouldn't want him to come anyway. It'd be bad if he saw Koji too early after all. BlackGatomon sweatdropped. At least, I think it would be. I'm not sure what would happen if he did. But Tapirmon and the mastermind wouldn't be happy, that's for sure. "I'll talk to him then."
"You're going to a beach without me?" Duskmon questioned. "Why?"
"Like I said, it's supposed to be a girl's day out," BlackGatomon replied. "You're not a girl, so it'd be awkward to bring you with us. And it's a vacation, so it's not a mission you have to complete. So… it shouldn't bother you, right?"
"But…" Duskmon looked unsure. "Are you sure you'll be okay with Ranamon?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" BlackGatomon asked. "She's one of our allies, isn't she?"
Duskmon seemed hesitant to answer.
"Hmm? Are you worried about me, Duskmon?" BlackGatomon asked.
Duskmon looked down, giving a somber nod. "I am…" He admitted, his voice quiet and soft.
"... Well, that's sweet, but I'll be alright. I think you're also worried about being alone," BlackGatomon noted. "Maybe I have been by your side a little too much. It might do you some good to spend a day without me." Because I won't be able to stay by your side forever.
Duskmon nodded. "If you say so. If this will do each of us some good, then I suppose it's not a bad idea."
"Maybe you can try bonding with the guys?" BlackGatomon suggested before remembering how much of a bad influence Mercurymon was. "... Maybe not Mercurymon… but… Arbormon might be a good… uh… conversationalist?"
"No offense to him, but he seems to be more… eccentric than the others." Duskmon grumbled.
"Maybe you'll find something you two could talk about. If not… just try to survive until I come back," BlackGatomon chuckled sheepishly.
"I'll… do my best I guess…" Duskmon pouted.
BlackGatomon never knew she would live to see the day that someone as stoic as Duskmon pouting. I wish I had a camera. My friends would totally never believe me…
Meanwhile, Whamon just dropped off the children and their Digimon on the island. The kids were waving to Whamon.
"Goodbye, buddy!" Takuya called.
"Bye-bye! Thanks for everything!" Tommy called.
"Ciao, Whamon!" Zoe called.
"Enjoy your life in the ocean!" JP waved.
"You were a big help!" Koji complimented.
Whamon responded by spouting water from his blowhole in the distance, then he dived underwater, leaving the children and their Digimon to their own devices.
"Well… there he goes." Koji said as the group stopped waving.
"Way to point out the obvious." Takuya grumbled as he huffed.
"Oh, don't be such spoilsports!" Zoe exclaimed. "We're on an island! The tropical breeze is just nice!"
"And let's not forget who got his Beast Spirit too!" JP smiled proudly.
"Yaaaay… so glad you guys are so enthusiastic…" Biyomon grumply said.
Though Biyomon was more grumpy at the fact that JP reminded them that their time was ticking down.
"Don't be such a grump, Biyomon." Zoe giggled. "We're on a tropical island! We should enjoy it for a bit!"
"Though I can't blame her. She and the other Digimon are still tired and hurt." Tommy frowned.
"Kinda hard to enjoy the tropical island when you're not feeling too good," Koji agreed.
"That's okay, we can fix them right up once we find some food." Takuya smiled, wanting to be positive.
A lot of bad things had happened, but a lot of good things happened as well. They were able to finally defeat Grumblemon once and for all, and JP found his Beast Spirit, not to mention they were able to help Whamon and escaped from that underground cavern.
"That's true." Zoe agreed. "Let's start moving. Maybe we can find a place to rest for a while."
"Am… I… too heavy for you… JP?" Kokuwamon asked, his body was still rusty from all that ocean water.
"Nah, you're good. Don't worry about it," JP replied.
The group continued walking along the path, not really sure where they were going. They wanted to find a place to settle down and rest, but they also didn't want to be out in the open in case they got attacked.
Lopmon lifted up one of his ears to his face, the sun was shining brightly and it was getting hot. It didn't mix well with his dark colors.
"Are you okay, Lopmon?" Tommy asked in concern.
"I'm… fine… I'm just hot…" Lopmon answered.
"Come to think of it, it definitely feels like summer here," JP noted.
"Well, it is a tropical island." Koji replied. "Of course it's gonna feel like summer here."
"It feels like when I would be on summer vacation when I lived in the US." Takuya grinned.
"You know what that means? This could be more than just our time to rest, this could also be our summer vacation." Tommy grinned.
"Admittedly that would be nice!" JP agreed. "We've been fighting and focused on going to the Forest Terminal for so long that we definitely deserve a bit of a vacation."
"A vacation…" Labramon blinked, before realizing what that meant, more time to spend with the kids. "Yes, that's a good idea. A vacation sounds really good."
"Y-yeah, we need to take it easy, so… we should take our time with this," Patamon agreed, likely thinking the same thing as Labramon.
Biyomon smiled. "Then what do you guys say? A vacation is in order?"
"Definitely!" Kokuwamon agreed, also thinking the same thing as the other Digimon, more time with the kids. "I have to get rid of all this rust too, that could take a while."
"Wait a minute guys, we're on a mission here. We'd be stupid to let our guard down," Koji spoke up. "We still need to talk about what happened to Seraphimon's egg and what to do from there."
"Relax, Koji." Labramon said. "It's not good to be on guard all the time. Remember what Sorcermon said? It's not good to be on alert at all times, only when necessary."
"And you know we all definitely could use a break, so don't be a spoilsport and lighten up!" Takuya grinned as he was tickling Koji's side.
"Yeah, the rest of us are also tired! We should have a little fun!" JP agreed as he joined in on the tickling.
Koji started laughing, unable to get away from the other two boys. "S-Stop it!" He cried out.
"If you don't relax, Koji, you might make Tommy cry, and we wouldn't want that, now would we?~" Lopmon oh-so-innocently said from Tommy's arms.
"H-hey! You're s-suddenly f-feeling b-better, aren't you!?" Koji yelled.
"Aww… are we really not gonna even try to have some fun?" Tommy frowned, giving his puppy dog eyes to Koji.
"Besides, don't you think we and our Digimon friends earned a break?" Zoe added.
"O-Okay! W-We'll t-take a break!" Koji conceded. "N-Now st-stop tickling me!"
JP and Takuya finally gave Koji some mercy and stopped tickling him when he conceded. Koji wasn't completely against the idea of relaxing, he just wasn't sure if it was wise. A lot had happened, and they had a lot to discuss. But then again, maybe that was why everyone wanted a break, to get away from all that stress and pressure of being Legendary Warriors being hunted down by other Legendary Warriors.
As the group walked down the path they were on, they were looking for any buildings that could be seen. "Are there any places we could rest?" Tommy asked, starting to feel even more tired than he already was.
"Hey… look ahead!" Patamon exclaimed from Takuya's arms. "I see some kind of building ahead of us."
Everyone looked up and saw what looked like a decently sized shack. They hurried closer to it, and saw the name of the shack was apparently called 'Toucan Paradise'.
"Is that… a beach house?" Biyomon asked.
"I think it is." Koji noted. "Maybe we can rest there for a while. Although it seems a little too convenient if you ask me…"
"Any place to rest would be ideal…" JP grumbled. "And it is a beach house, and we're on a beach, it makes sense."
Koji grumbled, knowing JP had a point. "I still don't like it…"
"You're always such a spoilsport." Takuya huffed. "You need to lighten up. Besides, look at how poor Labramon is doing, she can barely stand up right now."
Koji frowned as he looked down at Labramon, he had been carrying her because she was too injured and tired to walk on her own. It would be nice to find a place to stay.
"What about money? Surely we can't stay there for free, right? Do we have enough from when we worked with Sepikmon to stay for a while?" Koji asked.
"Welcome to our beach house!" Several voices suddenly greeted them.
The group looked up, seeing about 4 bird-like Digimon coming out of the beach house to greet them. The bird-like Digimon had black feathers on their heads and blue beaks with yellow stripes going down the blue part and a yellow tip. They had a purple crest emerging from their heads. The Digimon had a red and yellow lower body, almost as if wearing an eggshell's remains, and matching shoes. Their wings were black as well.
"Whoa, who are they?" Zoe asked.
"Toucanmon," Biyomon answered. "They're bird-like Digimon like me, though they're not usually flyers due to their… extra weight with the armor eggshells."
"Honored guests, we welcome you to Toucan Paradise!" The front Toucanmon greeted before he gave a bow.
"Uh… thank you, Mr. Toucanmon," Tommy answered back. "But we don't have a lot of money, so we're not sure how long we can stay here."
"Oh, don't worry about the payment! You're our first guests for our first anniversary of opening! Consider your stay on the house!" The front Toucanmon replied with a big smile.
"Really? Are you sure?" Takuya asked.
"Really, really, really!" The Toucanmon happily said at the same time.
"It looks like some of you are pretty hurt too," One of the Toucanmon noted. "How about you all step inside? We'll prepare a big meal for you all."
"Awesome!" The group, save for Koji, exclaimed as one.
"Yeah, sure…" Koji grumbled, only for his own stomach to growl in agreement with the others.
It may be a trap, but the group decided to take the Toucanmon upon their offer. They needed to rest, and they needed food, badly. They all went into the shack and sat down at a large table that looked to be prepared for a large group.
In a matter of minutes, the Toucanmon brought out a large assortment of different foods. The kids and Digimon all looked at the buffet with eager looks in their eyes. Strangely, most of the food appeared to be Japanese cuisine. There was a bowl of ramen, some curry, omurice, and the like.
"Oh wow! Everything looks so good!" JP exclaimed eagerly. "Let's chow down already!"
"Oh wow… look at this stuff," Labramon said, surprised.
"I've never seen food like this before," Kokuwamon said.
"I have, it's a lot of really good stuff." Biyomon smiled. "But… uh… some of us can't use chopsticks or… utensils, how do we eat?"
"Oh, don't worry! We have stuff prepared for you guys as well!" Another of the Toucanmon grinned as more food was placed down in front of the Digimon. "On plates easy for Digimon to use!"
There now bowls of delicious looking food, like standard fresh fruits, vegetables, and cut up chunks of meat. The Digimon didn't hesitate to dig in, shoving their faces into their food.
"Wow, it felt like it's been a lifetime since we had such a meal like this!" Lopmon cheered.
"I agree, I'm feeling a lot better already!" Kokuwamon agreed as some of the rust was starting to disintegrate from his body, leaving behind new looking metal.
"Wow, this food tastes just like food from back home!" Takuya exclaimed as he enjoyed the ramen in his bowl. "And it even smells like it too!"
"Well of course! It's real food, not rabbit food that tastes like meat." JP grinned. "It's been a while since I've had real food like this!"
"But you liked those rabbit food that tastes like meat, don't pretend you didn't," Biyomon huffed.
"True, but it's still nice to eat food we used to eat back home," Tommy chuckled.
"Yeah, there's a nostalgic feeling to it." Zoe smiled.
"It's definitely not the best tasting food, but it's the most… normal," Koji admitted. "And it still heals after being eaten, so that's good too. Our Digimon friends are starting to look a lot better."
"Not only do we look better, but we feel better too." Patamon agreed. "Kokuwamon is looking so much better, you probably wouldn't even know he was rusty beforehand."
"Don't remind me of that…" Kokuwamon grumbled. "Water and metal are a bad combination."
"It's like he's shedding all that rust," Labramon noted. "That's kinda cool. Good thing you're a Digimon then, if you were actually made of metal you wouldn't be getting rid of that rust so easily."
"Yeah, I know," Kokuwamon sighed. "Thank my lucky stars Digimon heals much faster than normal objects then."
It seemed like everyone was enjoying their meal, and nobody was complaining. They were at a beach house, eating food, feeling better, and just chatting about random stuff. It was really nice, and it made the group feel normal for a time.
Once everyone was finished eating, they all felt nice and full. The Digimon definitely felt a lot better, and most, if not all, their wounds were finally gone. Kokuwamon looked as good as new.
"Man, you never know how much you miss moving your arms around until you lose the ability to," Kokuwamon remarked as he was swinging his arms around with ease again.
"Yeah, but you look like new! I mean, your metal is so shiny now!" Tommy exclaimed. "It's like you just evolved or something!"
"But that's good. It means you've recovered." Patamon added with a smile.
"I think shedding all that rust gave me the equivalent to new skin. Like how humans shed their old skin after being sunburnt," Kokuwamon explained.
"That sounds about right." Lopmon nodded.
"Boy, that was a good meal!" Takuya sighed as he patted his full belly. "I am stuffed!"
"Tell me about it!" JP agreed with a pleased look. "We got to eat more than enough!"
"Not only that, but the Digimon are all looking better too." Tommy smiled.
"It's amazing how much food could do for Digimon," Zoe noted, glad to see any wounds Biyomon had earlier seemed to be gone.
The Digimon definitely looked a lot better, and their tummies looked full too.
"It feels like it's been too long since we had a full meal like this." Lopmon smiled, leaning against the chair.
"We better cherish this moment, it's most likely gonna be a while again before we get to eat like this," Patamon stated, who was also leaning against the chair.
"Of course, only the best for our guests!" One of the Toucanmon spoke up as the other Toucanmon were cleaning up the empty plates and bowls.
"But now what?" Koji remarked. "We're stuck on this island with no way off."
"I'm sure there's a way we can get off the island," Labramon said. "How about building a raft?"
"Would a raft be able to carry us to where we need to go?" Koji questioned.
"Well, it's better than nothing," Labramon answered.
"And if need be, JP and I could try carrying you guys across the ocean," Zoe suggested.
"But have you guys flown for that long?" Tommy asked. "And carrying all of us while flying over the ocean?"
"That's why a raft would work here," Lopmon stated. "We only need to get to land with it, right?"
"Yeah, building a raft might be a good idea," Takuya agreed. "There should be plenty of wood to work with."
"Before that, we should also discuss on what we'll be doing next," Koji spoke up. "Now that everyone's been able to recover, we shouldn't waste too much time."
"Yeah, that's true." Zoe agreed. "We still need to find Tommy's Beast Spirit as well as mine. Then all five of us will have our Beast Spirits."
"But then what? What do we do after we all have our Beast Spirits?" Koji asked. "We need to figure that part out as well."
"Hey guys… have you noticed the mood changed a bit?" JP asked.
"What do you mean?" Koji questioned.
The group noticed the Digimon were all looking down, and practically had rain clouds over their heads.
"Uh… yeah, they certainly seem down all of a sudden," Zoe sweatdropped.
"Hey, Lopmon, are you okay? Is your stomach hurting?" Tommy asked in concern.
"... Nah, just… tired from everything, that's all," Lopmon said with a tired looking smile.
"I'm also a bit troubled, since we lost the… uh…" Patamon looked at the Toucanmon for a moment. "... important egg and it's my fault."
"That's right." JP remembered. "What did happen to that egg anyway?"
"From what we saw, it looked like the egg disappeared while Patamon was holding it, and we saw that… important symbol on Patamon's belly for a few seconds before that disappeared too," Zoe stated.
"What does that mean? Patamon absorbed the egg somehow?" Tommy frowned.
"I think so." Takuya admitted. "I mean, that's the only explanation I can think of that works to explain what happened. I just don't know if that is normal for Digimon or not."
"It's not, Digimon don't just absorb eggs when they hold it. Otherwise nobody would get reborn," Biyomon sighed.
"It's why what happened to Patamon is a shock to all of us," Kokuwamon added.
"But if I had to hazard a guess," Lopmon started. "If he really did absorb the egg, then that means S-, erm, the uh… Digimon that was in the egg likely granted Patamon his data and power."
"That would make sense." Koji remarked. "But why would the Digimon do that? Was there a reason?"
"We… might have some theories…" Patamon frowned. "Though we're still… kinda processing it ourselves…"
"It makes me wonder what else about them we didn't know about…" Lopmon grumbled.
"They? Who's 'they'?" Tommy asked.
"Oh… just some friends of our's," Lopmon said. "You… uh… probably don't know them."
"Really? You must have some very special friends then." Zoe remarked. "There's still a lot about Digimon we don't know ourselves, so maybe some Digimon have different abilities from others."
"Good point." Koji agreed before he scowled. "And then there are those strange enemies we have fought before… But who and what are they? They certainly don't act or look like any Digimon we've seen before."
"We haven't seen them in a while either, maybe they've just given up?" JP asked.
"Let's hope so, for all of our sake," Kokuwamon replied.
"It might be best to at least stay on our toes just in case they plan to strike again," Labramon warned. "Things are never easy as we've learned."
"As for the… important egg, let's just say it's with Patamon for the time being," Lopmon suggested. "It's better than thinking the egg is gone forever now. Surely if it's possible, we might be able to extract the egg from Patamon's data at some point if we truly need his help again."
Patamon looked at Lopmon, wondering what he was thinking. Because they knew the truth, it was likely not possible to bring the Seraphimon of this world back anymore… at least not unless the loop returns them back to the beginning. Lopmon likely made that up to keep the kids from losing hope that Seraphimon was gone for good.
"Yeah, that's true. Digimon are made of data after all!" Kokuwamon agreed, even though he was fairly certain it wasn't possible at all. He wasn't about to crush the hopes of the children either.
These words seemed to make the kids feel relieved, which was good since they didn't need to worry about if Seraphimon was gone for good right at that moment anyway.
"For the time being, it might be best to just focus on finding the last two Beast Spirits for you guys. And after that, I'm sure there'll be a path leading you to your destiny," Biyomon stated. Because if we stray from this path too much, the mastermind might take us out, and erase any chance we have of saving you guys.
"Yeah… I still can't believe it's just two left…" Patamon said softly.
Labramon and Kokuwamon nodded, seeing how they and Patamon already went through this drama with Koji, Takuya, and JP. Biyomon and Lopmon looked at them for a moment, before turning to the humans they were sitting next to. Biyomon looked at Zoe, and Lopmon looked at Tommy. Those two were the only reasons they had left for why they were still here with them.
It seemed odd that soon their time with the Legendary Warriors would be ending. It seemed like it was just yesterday they had met up with the children, and now they were so close to having to leave the kids. It made the Digimon feel down again, but they hid it as best they could.
"You guys seemed worried about something," Tommy noted with concern, picking up on their down feeling.
"Hey, no need to look so down." Zoe smiled as she rubbed Biyomon's head. "We're at a beach. We've already worked hard and survived up to this point. We might as well take a break and have some fun, right?"
"But-" Koji started to say before Zoe glared at him.
"Right, Koji?~" Zoe smiled sweetly at Koji, but Koji could tell it was a warning smile.
Koji gulped, but agreed. "Y-Yeah, sure!" He exclaimed. "It's never good to be on guard all the time."
Zoe gave Koji a real smile after that. "Great! I'm glad you agree!"
Who knew Zoe could be scary like that? Koji thought with a sweatdrop running down the side of his head.
"She's just as scary as you are…" Kokuwamon whispered to Biyomon.
"You bet she is~" Biyomon proudly stated.
"Oh… but we're at a beach, and I don't have a swimsuit…" Zoe realized and frowned.
"Hey, no need to worry about that!" Toucanmon spoke up.
"If it's the beach you want to have fun in, then we've got you covered!" Another Toucanmon grinned.
"Yeah, you can take advantage of our super summer special!" A third Toucanmon stated with a smile. "Today only, we'll lend you everything you need for beach fun for free!"
"Huh?" The kids and Digimon all watched as the Toucanmon went over to a curtain.
The Toucanmon pulled on a string with its wing, and the curtains folded back, showing swimsuits and swim trunks, floaties, a blow up boat, some paddles, sun hats, flippers, and more.
Everyone got excited as they hurried over to the selections, checking things out.
"Wow, I'm impressed, they really have everything here!" Labramon noted. "Haven't seen a selection this big since the country club I went to for summer vacation."
"You went to a country club?" Lopmon asked, surprised.
"Yeah. But this selection seems bigger than what I saw when I was there." Labramon replied.
"Boy am I jealous! And I can't swim or I'd rust again!" Kokuwamon whined.
"You could always have fun in the sand," Patamon suggested.
Kokuwamon pouted, but he did admit Patamon had a point. Not everyone went to a beach to swim only. "I guess building a sand castle wouldn't be a bad idea."
"With these, I won't have to worry about not knowing how to swim." Tommy smiled as he picked up a few floaties and water wings.
"Maybe you could even use this opportunity to learn how to swim. I can teach you how," Takuya offered.
"Really?" Tommy smiled. "I'd like that."
"No problem, buddy!" Takuya grinned. "It'd be fun!"
"We have changing rooms for boys and girls as well," The fourth Toucanmon informed. "So feel free to use those to put your belongings in while you go out and have a good time."
Lopmon and Patamon looked back at the Toucanmon for a moment before giving small chuckles to each other. They both looked at each other.
"You know why this is all too good to be true, right?" Patamon said quietly to Lopmon.
"Yeah." Lopmon nodded. "I'm sure Biyomon, Kokuwamon, and Labramon know too."
"So… what do you want to do? Do you want to try to stop it?" Patamon asked. "It might… slow them down from finding the next Beast Spirit."
"We could, but this is the path the mastermind wants for them. If we don't let it happen, they won't find the last Beast Spirit," Lopmon said. "And while I would prefer that… I also don't want to risk getting kicked out of this world."
"True." Patamon admitted. "We'd be back at square one again if we did interfere. But we can't just let them continue to go down this path either. This is what will corrupt them."
"That is why…" Lopmon started before sighing. "Actually… maybe we'll talk about this later. I don't want to risk them overhearing us."
"Okay. Then let's try to relax while we're here, yeah? Really enjoy these precious moments we have with them while we can," Patamon suggested.
"Yeah… yeah, I'd like that," Lopmon agreed.
The boys had all changed into their swimming trunks rather quickly. They were all excited to get into the water. Lopmon, Patamon, and Labramon joined the boys into the ocean. Kokuwamon began building a sandcastle meticulously.
JP was lying on the inflated boat, enjoying himself as the ocean moved him slowly and gently. Koji was swimming around. Takuya was helping Tommy get used to swimming with his water wings first.
"That's it, Tommy, you just keep moving like that while keeping your head above water," Takuya encouraged, staying in front of Tommy and in the shallows.
Lopmon and Patamon were swimming nearby, just in case they would need to help them.
Labramon was doing the doggy paddle as she swam over to Koji, splashing him.
"Hahaha, gotcha~" Labramon laughed.
Koji turned to Labramon. "Be glad I'm in a good mood, or I'd splash you back." He grinned.
"Are you saying you won't fight back?" Labramon grinned mischievously.
The two of them ended up in a splashing contest.
"Man, I can't remember the last time we went to a beach like this," Lopmon smiled. "Our… family was always too busy with their big project to drive us to the beach."
"Yeah, but it also means going to the beach becomes more special when we are able to go," Patamon said.
"That's true. And it feels even better with friends after all the crap we had to put up with to get here," Lopmon chuckled.
"I think when this is over, we should try to plan a beach vacation for our upcoming summer vacation, with just our family." Patamon suggested. "It would be fun to get away from all the… well… ghostly going-ons."
"Among other things," Lopmon added before he looked over at the beach, seeing Kokuwamon building his sand castle. "I wonder how long Zoe and Biyomon are going to take. Though it's not like we as Digimon need to change."
"Do you want to go and check on Zoe? Who is a girl?" Patamon asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's just asking for trouble."
"Don't put words in my mouth, bro. I have no interest in causing that kind of trouble," Lopmon grumbled. "I'm just wondering when crap is going to hit the fan."
"You've always been… uninterested in girls in that way, kinda makes me wonder if you're just weird," Patamon chuckled.
Meanwhile, in the girl's dressing room, since Zoe was the only female human among her group, she had the dressing room all to herself. Well, Biyomon was with her, but Biyomon made it clear she was a feminine Digimon, so Zoe was fine with her being there. Zoe wondered if it was awkward for Labramon to be in the boy's dressing room. Then again, these were Digimon, who were just naturally naked, so perhaps it was just not the same for them to see a naked human, no matter the gender.
Zoe was going through a few swimsuits. The first one she had in her hands was a nice white and red striped suit. "Ooooh! With this one, I'd look like a racing queen!" She giggled. "The colors match one of the racecars back in Italy!"
"I don't know." Biyomon remarked. "The red stripes are nice, but white is just too bright, and it also looks kinda dull to be honest. I don't think it would be a good fit for you."
Zoe sighed. "True… Now that I look at it, it does seem kind of dull."
Zoe then held up a nice black swimsuit. "How about this one? I would look like a super athlete!"
"It's nice, but that looks like it would be for more of a swim meet kind of suit." Biyomon replied.
"Yeah. It wouldn't be much of a fun in the sun kind of suit." Zoe admitted before she held up a red bikini. "How about-"
"Remember how you look when you Spirit Evolve and what your Digimon form is wearing?" Biyomon pointed out. "Do you really want to wear that?"
Zoe blushed. "Okay, next one!" She exclaimed as she put the red bikini back.
Zoe then picked up a pink one piece swimsuit. "How about this? It's my favorite color, and it's pink like you too! This has gotta be perfect!"
"I'm not really a huge fan of pink," Biyomon stated. "I prefer black and dark purple. But I think pink works better on you."
"Huh… I never knew that about you," Zoe said, surprised.
"Yeah… just because I'm a certain color doesn't mean I like that color," Biyomon chuckled sheepishly. "But even I can appreciate pink when it works."
Zoe snickered. "I guess that's true. I'm more of a light lavender girl myself, but pink also works with me. I guess I just like brighter colors."
"Ironically, we seem to get along well even if we have opposite interests," Biyomon noted.
"They say opposites attract," Zoe remarked. "Alright, I'm going to change now."
"Okay. Once you're done, let's join the others," Biyomon said.
Zoe began to take off her clothes, humming while she was doing so. However, as she was, she caught sight of a shadow moving, and it wasn't Biyomon.
Slowly, Zoe turned around, only to let out a scream as she saw someone was peeking in on her.
Outside, the boys could hear Zoe's scream all the way to the water.
"Was that Zoe?!" Takuya exclaimed in worry.
"C'mon! We have to go help her!" JP declared determinedly.
Kokuwamon looked over at the dressing room, he was the closest one there since he wasn't in the water. But he knew better than to run into the dressing room, especially with Biyomon there.
Takuya and JP ran past Kokuwamon.
"W-wait, guys!" Kokuwamon called.
Koji and Tommy were behind. Labramon, Lopmon, and Patamon were behind them as well.
"Zoe! What happened!?" Takuya asked as he and JP opened the door to the dressing room.
Both of them stopped short when they saw Zoe just in her underwear, and she had her shirt in front of her. Biyomon was quick to react, and flew up in front of Zoe to block her. "Uh… you guys should get out. We'll inform you of what happened when Zoe gets her clothes on."
Both boys immediately moved out of the dressing room to avoid getting hit by stuff that could be thrown at them.
"Um… Okay… that was awkward…" Takuya muttered, trying to hide his blush.
JP was grinning like an idiot though, having seen Zoe in that state. "Zoe cute…"
"Dude, get that look off your face, you look like a perv…" Takuya groaned.
"Um… so is Zoe at least okay? And Biyomon?" Koji asked, feeling awkward.
"Yeah, what was that scream all about?" Tommy added.
"We don't know yet, we're just waiting for Zoe to get dressed so she could tell us," Takuya replied.
"Then let's wait here for her," Lopmon suggested after catching up to the boys.
After a few minutes, Zoe and Biyomon came out of the dressing room. Zoe was back in her normal outfit, blushing. "I'm sorry about screaming earlier. Biyomon really saved me by covering for me."
"So why did you scream?" Koji asked.
"Someone was a peeping tom." Zoe grumbled. "I was just trying to put on my swimsuit, and I saw someone peeking inside!"
That got all the boys on alert.
"What?!" Takuya exclaimed in anger.
"Let me at that creep!" JP shouted.
That was when Koji, Tommy, and Takuya all began to stare at JP with suspicious eyes.
JP took notice and frowned. "Hey! Why are you all looking at me for!?"
"You have to admit… you are the most likely culprit," Koji pointed out.
"And you did have that look on your face earlier." Takuya added. "That also makes it suspicious."
"Hey! I didn't do it, okay!?" JP snapped.
"Of course he didn't, he was swimming with us earlier, remember?" Lopmon pointed out.
"Besides, I was at the shore the whole time, all of you were together when this happened," Kokuwamon confirmed. "Biyomon was the only one who was with Zoe."
"So then we all have the same alibi." Koji noted with some suspicion. "That can't be right."
"And just so we're clear, Lopmon and I were watching Kokuwamon build his sandcastle, so he couldn't have been the peeping tom either," Patamon added.
"I doubt Kokuwamon would've been interested anyway, since he's a… well, robot," Zoe said.
"You'd be surprised…" Biyomon muttered.
"But if none of us did it, then who did?" Tommy asked. "The Toucanmon? They're the only ones we haven't seen since we started playing on the beach."
At Tommy's words, the other kids remembered the Toucanmon.
"Let's see if we can find them." Takuya suggested. "Maybe they saw who peeped in on Zoe."
The gang went into the beach house they were in earlier. But when they arrived, it was empty. There wasn't a single Toucanmon to be found.
"Now this is suspicious. Where are they?" Takuya frowned.
"Are they relaxing on the beach too?" JP asked.
"I doubt it," Patamon said as he was looking around. "We would've seen them if they were."
Labramon was sniffing around. "Hmm… they mixed a lot of salt in the air, it's hard to distinguish their smell."
Koji then had a jolt of realization rush through him. "Oh no!" He exclaimed as he turned and ran back to the dressing room.
"What's wrong, Koji?" Tommy asked.
"Quick, follow him! He must've figured something out," Lopmon quickly suggested.
Everyone hurried after Koji, seeing him going into the boy's dress room. "Those bird brains tricked us! They took our D-Tectors!"
The boys were scrambling around their clothes, trying to find the precious D-Tectors they kept with them since they arrived in the Digital World.
"At least they didn't take their clothes too… how awkward would that have been?" Kokuwamon remarked to the other Digimon.
"Yeah… but this is still a problem…" Labramon frowned.
"Aw man, this is awful!" Takuya exclaimed in his anger as he saw he was also missing his D-Tector.
"My D-Tector is gone too!" JP groaned.
"We've lost our Spirits!" Tommy pouted.
"I can't believe they tricked all of us so easily!" Koji growled.
"I still have my Spirit," Zoe noted, feeling her D-Tector in her pocket.
"That must've been the 'peeping tom' we saw earlier. It must've been the Toucanmon trying to take your D-Tector," Biyomon noted. "I guess they didn't realize we were still in the dressing room."
"At least that's some good news, but the rest of us are pretty much defenseless now." Koji grumbled. "We have to get our D-Tectors back!"
Tommy frowned. "I can't believe I lost Kumamon again…"
"Don't worry, we'll get them back," Takuya promised.
"Okay, let's all calm down," Lopmon spoke up. "You guys get changed, the rest of us will start looking for the Toucanmon. You can join us when you're ready."
"Right." The boys agreed before Koji, Takuya, and JP all slightly blushed, as did Zoe upon realizing Zoe was in the dressing room with them.
"I'll… leave you to get dressed then!" Zoe exclaimed before darting outside the dressing room to wait.
As Zoe and the Digimon were outside, Labramon was trying to sniff out the Toucanmon.
"I can't believe this is happening. It feels like everywhere we go, we just get into some kind of trouble…" Zoe sighed.
"I guess that's just the life you guys live," Kokuwamon remarked.
"I'm sure we'll find those Toucanmon, they're not very great flyers so they couldn't have gone too far," Biyomon reassured.
Zoe sighed. "I guess that's some reassurance at least. But it still means I'm the only one who can fight back. Well, out of us kids anyway."
"With how strong the enemy has gotten though, I'm afraid we're not much help either," Lopmon sighed. "We were nearly taken out in that last battle against Grumblemon and his Golemon army."
"We still got out of it alive though, try to show some confidence, bro," Patamon said, hoping to get Lopmon out of his funk.
"Yeah, and we'll get those D-Tectors back." Kokuwamon agreed. "It's not like we haven't done so before. We got Tommy his Spirit back, so we can do the same again."
"Yeah, that's right, we've managed to get this far despite everything, we shouldn't give up so easily," Biyomon nodded.
"That's true, there's still a chance." Zoe smiled.
"I think I might've gotten something," Labramon said. "Those bird brains left some of their feathers behind as they were running. I can use that to pick up on their scent and which way they went."
Not long after Labramon said that, Takuya, Koji, JP, and Tommy came out of the dressing room, back in their normal clothes.
"Good, you guys are done. Labramon picked up on the Toucanmon's scent," Zoe quickly informed.
"About time!" Koji exclaimed. "Let's go hunt down those bird-brains already!"
Everyone followed Labramon as she was leading them down the beach. As they kept moving, they began seeing fresh footprints on the sand.
"The Toucanmon started getting lazy getting rid of evidence of where they were going," Koji noted.
"Makes it easier for us then," Takuya stated.
"Just be careful, it could also be a trap," Tommy warned.
"I agree. After all, they were smart enough to trick all of us earlier, they could be smart enough to set up a trap for us too," Lopmon added.
"We'll be careful." JP reassured Lopmon.
The group continued to follow the footprints the Toucanmon left. It was clear the bird-like Digimon were heading away from the beach house.
"Where could those bird-brains be going?" Koji asked as he narrowed his eyes. "There's no way off this island."
"Listen, I can hear voices up ahead!" Lopmon spoke up.
Sure enough, the group began hearing the Toucanmon's voices, then they began singing all together.
"OUR RANAMON IS RATHER RAVISHING!"
"Ranamon!?" Zoe said in shock.
"So they work for Ranamon? One of the evil Legendary Warriors?" JP frowned.
"It certainly sounds like it," Kokuwamon said.
"Sounds more like they worship her than just work for her," Biyomon grumbled.
"It doesn't matter! We have to get our D-Tectors back!" Koji exclaimed angrily.
"Yeah, those don't belong to them. And we need the D-Tectors to protect ourselves anyway!" Takuya agreed. He then shivered. "I feel like a part of me is missing, now that I think about it…"
"Less talking, more action! They'll get away at this point if we keep talking and gawking," Patamon spoke up.
"Right!" Takuya ran ahead and shouted. "Alright, hold it right there you thieves!"
The Toucanmon stopped and looked back at them. "Uh-oh."
"Just what do you mean by 'Ranamon the Ravishing'!?" Takuya questioned, feeling rather disgusted.
"Ranamon is the most beautiful Digimon to ever live!" One of the Toucanmon exclaimed, feeling insulted.
"Just give our D-Tectors back to us right now!" Koji snapped.
"No way, no how!" The first Toucanmon replied. "These little babies are our ticket to a date with Ranamon!"
"Hah, trust me, I've tried to wow a girl with tech before, it never ends well," Kokuwamon bitterly stated.
"And take it from me, you guys are delusional," JP added. "Now give them back!"
"I'm detecting a hint of bitterness from you two when it comes to girls…" Zoe muttered.
"Besides, no girl is worth taking on a date if you had to steal from someone in order to get it," Tommy scolded.
"That's rich, coming from you, little boy. You don't even know what it's like to want to go on a date with girls! You probably think they just have cooties or something!" One of the Toucanmon argued with Tommy.
"H-hey! That has nothing to do with it! And I'm already past the whole cooties phase!" Tommy snapped, his cheeks flushing red.
"Wait, so you actually thought girls had cooties?" Lopmon asked with a sweatdrop.
"N-no way!" Tommy quickly said, flustered.
"Besides, you can't make us give these back!" One of the Toucanmon huffed. "So scram!"
"And if we don't?" Koji challenged. "Just because we don't have our D-Tectors doesn't mean we can't fight."
"And our Digimon have fought with stronger Digimon than you 4," Takuya warned.
Patamon, Lopmon, Kokuwamon, Biyomon, and Labramon all crouched down and growled or hissed at the Toucanmon.
The Toucanmon actually looked afraid of the lower-level Digimon, which was unusual.
"H-Hey! L-Let's calm down here!" The second Toucanmon pleaded. "T-There's no need to fight, right?"
"If you won't give us back our D-Tectors, then we may need to take them back by force," Koji warned.
"And these little guys took on Legendary Warriors, Champion, and Ultimate level Digimon," Takuya added. "You sure you want to mess with them?"
"You know what?" One of the Toucanmon from behind the other Toucanmon began. "I think we should be the ones to scram here."
With that said, the Toucanmon darted off. "Bye!"
"Hey, get back here!" Koji snapped.
The group quickly ran after the Toucanmon.
"This is so dumb!" Takuya groaned.
"Dang, these Toucanmon can run!" Patamon frowned.
"At this rate, we'll never catch up to them!" JP groaned.
"Hey, can you Digimon run and fly faster to catch them?" Zoe asked.
"We could try… will you guys be okay if we leave you behind?" Biyomon asked in worry.
"We'll be fine." JP replied.
"I can Spirit Evolve to protect the boys if I had to." Zoe added. "After all, I still have my D-Tector."
"Hurry, catch up to them before they get away!" Tommy spoke up.
"Alright, you guys be careful," Lopmon agreed.
With that said, Labramon and Lopmon ran ahead, while Biyomon, Patamon, and Kokuwamon flew ahead. Biyomon looked back at Zoe and the others for a moment, looking worried, before she flew on ahead.
"Do you think they'll be able to catch up to the Toucanmon?" Koji asked.
"I'm sure they will, they've proven to be able to handle themselves when they need to," Takuya said.
"We'll catch up to them soon," Tommy reassured.
However, before they could run any further, water suddenly shot out at them, stopping them in their tracks.
"Um… I don't think we're alone here!" Takuya exclaimed as he looked back at where the water was coming from. "Something is in that water!"
"I think we can tell, Takuya," JP grumbled.
Suddenly, a figure came up from the water. Water geyser flew out from the ocean, and a familiar Digimon was riding on one of the geysers, standing on it like it was a stage.
"Hi ya'll!" Ranamon greeted. "This is quite a surprise. I just wanted to come here for a vacation with a friend of mine. Talk about luck that you brats would be out here too."
"You sure have lousy timing then," Koji hissed. Our Digimon already ran ahead, and most of us don't have our D-Tectors!
"You know, I'd hoped to have my Beast Spirit to show you first, but I suppose everything happens for a reason~" Ranamon giggled. "We can't have everything, so just be good little children and hand over your Spirits. I'd love to stay and chat, but my friend and I really want to get to our vacation~"
"Who is this friend of yours? One of the other Legendary Warriors?" Takuya frowned.
Does that mean we'll have to face two Legendary Warriors without our Spirits? Tommy paled at the thought, they barely won against Grumblemon, and they didn't stand a chance against all 4 of the evil Legendary Warriors when they had their Spirits.
"It's not any of your business, children!" Ranamon snapped.
"I'll handle her," Zoe spoke up. "Unlike with Grumblemon, I don't have an elemental disadvantage against her. And I'm the only one who can fight back right now."
Ranamon gave a sinister grin. "Oooh, this sounds like it will be a treat then~" It was like she was ecstatic to fight Zoe. "While I don't have my Beast Spirit yet, I know you don't either. So this should be fun!"
"This is bad, Zoe…" Tommy frowned. "Since she's the Warrior of Water… I don't know if you'll be able to fight her alone, especially since she's in the ocean. She's got a lot of power at her disposal." If I had Kumamon, I could freeze a lot of that water…
As if to show off, and prove Tommy's worries valid, Ranamon summoned two waterspouts and the wind around them turned into a typhoon. The kids had to crouch down to not get blown away or sucked into the waterspouts.
"Zoe! You can't take her on by yourself!" JP yelled over the winds in concern.
"Look, I haven't been able to fight at my best with Grumblemon! So I need to make it up!" Zoe shouted over the winds. "Don't worry! While water is her element, wind is mine! I've got this!"
The magenta outline of her Spirit appeared visible on the screen of her D-Tector as she held it up. Fractal coding appeared on her left hand and she slammed the D-Tector against it as she brought the two together. Zoe then called out the familiar phrase she knew by heart. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" Her body became data as her clothes ripped away. Coding surrounded her in a cocoon of sorts and the power of her first Spirit flowed into her. Her hair became longer, flowing past her waist and turning a purple color. Her body grew in height, increasing her strength and speed. A bikini-like outfit appeared on her body as gloves, and high boots formed on her arms and legs, with shoulder guards appearing as well as a visor that covered her eyes. Butterfly-like wings appeared on her back and she landed, letting out a cry as she unleashed a kick before she came to a stop and said her name. "Kazemon!"
Now evolved, Kazemon was able to dispel the winds around her, and was ready to fight Ranamon. Ranamon looked at Kazemon.
"Sugar, do you really think you can fight me alone?" Ranamon questioned like it was the most preposterous thing in the world.
"Of course, I do… sugar." Kazemon retorted with a bit of a sassy grin.
"Don't you dare start mocking me!" Ranamon hissed.
"Of course not, I'd rather fight!" Kazemon snapped as she flew at Ranamon.
Meanwhile, Lopmon, Labramon, Patamon, Kokuwamon, and Biyomon stopped chasing after the Toucanmon after they were out of sight from the children.
"Are you sure we shouldn't keep chasing them?" Kokuwamon asked.
"If we catch them, we'll greatly alter the events that are supposed to happen. And who knows what Tapirmon and the mastermind will do if we did that…" Lopmon frowned.
"So why aren't we going back to the others? Ranamon is there right now!" Biyomon pointed out.
"Biyomon, try to use your brain a little more. We'd just get in the way, remember how well our fight with Grumblemon went?" Lopmon pointed out.
"Besides… even if we did try to help them fight…" Labramon frowned. "Ranamon will drag us into the water and the kids will put themselves into danger just to save us. Grumblemon was one thing, but Ranamon out in the ocean is… suicide. I know it's not cool to run and hide from battle, but we also can't afford to die here."
"Wow, Labramon, I never knew you could sound so wise," Kokuwamon remarked.
"Hush! While you guys may be used to running up to ghosts back home, I know when to get the heck out of there. Danger's danger, and while I try to act tough, I know my limits," Labramon grumbled.
"Everyone has their limits, I guess." Patamon chuckled. "But Labramon is right. We can't afford to put ourselves at risk if we want things to play out the way they are supposed to."
"I really dislike the mastermind and Tapirmon right now…" Biyomon grumbled. "We're basically here to guide the kids so they then get brainwashed? That's so stupid!"
"We didn't have a choice, it was the only way to have the mastermind allow us in here in the first place," Lopmon said. "And when our roles are done, when the children no longer need us, we're supposed to leave. But no way in heck that's happening. We're only following our roles so we don't get kicked out by force. But we're here to save them from the programming, and that's what we'll do."
Biyomon gave a grin that would be better suited on a larger predator Digimon. "So we play by the rules for now, then turn the tables on them~"
"Biyomon, you're actually scaring me right now," Kokuwamon sweatdropped.
"Hmph… you can blame the Toucanmon for that. They're giving bird Digimon a bad name," Biyomon grumbled.
"You're also getting antsy because you know that Zoe's next to get her Beast Spirit, aren't you?" Patamon frowned.
Biyomon sighed. "You could say that… it won't be long…"
"Hey, no need to sound so depressed about it." A familiar voice spoke up.
Everyone perked up when they heard that voice, they turned to the source of the voice, seeing a familiar black cat Digimon approaching them.
"Hey, everyone, it's been a while, hasn't it?" BlackGatomon chuckled.
"Hey! It's-" Lopmon began to say when little white flakes came out of his mouth. "... I mean it's BlackGatomon!"
"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be back at the bad guy's place?" Labramon asked, surprised.
"I was, yes, but Ranamon insisted I come with her on a vacation to this place." BlackGatomon replied. "I can't say it was a bad idea, since I got to meet up with you guys again."
"It's good to see you again, and that you're in one piece." Patamon smiled. "I guess that means you were accepted then."
"Yeah." BlackGatomon nodded. "Looks like you guys have been doing fairly well despite all the setbacks."
"We're doing well enough," Kokuwamon said.
"While you're here, we might as well report what's been going on lately," Lopmon suggested.
BlackGatomon nodded. "I'd like to know what you guys have been up to as well."
So the Digimon began telling BlackGatomon what had been going on, and BlackGatomon told them about her little missions and strolls with Duskmon.
"Wow, so Duskmon actually has a bond with you even in his… current state?" Lopmon asked in surprise.
"Yeah, it surprised me too," BlackGatomon admitted. "I kind of thought while he was… you know, Duskmon, he couldn't really feel anything until he saw Koji. I only went on those strolls and missions with him because I was getting bored, and I figured it would be a good way to keep an eye on him. I didn't expect him to actually get attached to me."
"But it shows he's not beyond saving either." Patamon noted. "Who knows what could happen now? For all we know, things may be changing for the better."
"I wouldn't count on it just yet. Other than the Legendary Warriors getting attached to us, nothing's really changed," Lopmon sighed.
"What about Seraphimon's egg? That thing disappearing into Patamon is a big freaking change to me!" BlackGatomon pointed out.
"Oh, yeah, about that…" Patamon frowned. "We… think maybe Patamon… uh, not me, but my partner… may be… Seraphimon… outside of this world I mean."
"Wow, I didn't think you'd come to that conclusion." BlackGatomon whistled. "But then again, with what happened to the egg, I can't say it's impossible either."
"It's practically the only conclusion that makes sense," Patamon grumbled. "I haven't spoken to Patamon myself about it yet, since… well, I can't really talk to him while I'm conscious. And we haven't had a chance to sleep since all of that happened."
"Yikes! You guys really need some rest then." BlackGatomon remarked with a slight wince.
"You're lucky, you get to stay in one place for a while. We have to travel through the Digital World, forge for food, and find places to sleep in shifts," Kokuwamon grumbled.
"I think it's been fun, but it does wear us out quite a bit," Biyomon sheepishly said.
"Oh, BlackGatomon, you've been able to keep in contact with your partner when you sleep, right?" Lopmon asked. "Have either of you figured out why you became BlackGatomon when we entered this world?"
"Oh yeah, that is weird. The rest of us stayed as Rookie level, but you're Champion level, and… the darker kind, right?" Labramon noted.
"Yeah…" BlackGatomon frowned. "Some things happened, and Salamon ended up dark digivolving into BlackGatomon. I haven't been able to get her to digivolve into her true Champion form yet… but as for why I became BlackGatomon here, we're not really sure either. But we speculated that it's probably because of my role here, being a guide to Duskmon. A Digimon that's been corrupted by darkness, and I'm also near Cherubimon, who's also filled with darkness. My guess is that I became BlackGatomon due to either the dark energy around me, or to protect myself from it. Kind of 'hide among the shadows as a shadow' kind of thing."
"That would make sense, and it would explain why Cherubimon and the other evil Legendary Warriors don't sense anything off about you," Lopmon remarked, looking at BlackGatomon with a suspicious yet intrigued look.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" BlackGatomon asked, raising an eyebrow.
"In order to successfully get the kids out of here, we need the help of all 3 Celestial Digimon," Lopmon explained. "We… sort of, have Seraphimon's power. But we also still need Ophanimon and Cherubimon's powers. If Ophanimon dies like she does in the original path, then we are screwed. Unless… we already have a Digimon with Ophanimon's data. The same could be said for Cherubimon."
"So… you suspect Salamon may be connected to Ophanimon?" BlackGatomon asked, curious and intrigued.
"Well, I can't say if she is or isn't, but considering Patamon is Seraphimon, or at least has his data within him… well, I'm just saying the possibility is there," Lopmon said. "And trust me, I'm not feeling too great about the possibility my partner could be Cherubimon. Because that would imply he was evil at some point, and… I just can't see him being like that…"
"And yet look at Duskmon in his true form." Patamon pointed out. "He's just too sweet a kid to have done stuff like what he is doing now, and yet he is."
"Anyone is capable of being good or evil," BlackGatomon said. "Look at Labramon, she used to be quite the bully herself."
"Guilty as charged," Labramon admitted.
"But she's trying hard to change for the better. And I also let my own hate drive me to do evil things, and look at what it turned my partner into…" BlackGatmon sighed as she looked down at her gloved claws for a moment. "I've learned… after meeting with the ghost kid, and truly understanding, anyone, even ghosts, are capable of being good or evil. It's not just one or the other."
"Yeah… that's true." Lopmon nodded. "But I guess my question is why then? Why did Cherubimon turn out the way he did? And… why would the Celestial Digimon choose us as their partners?"
"I have the same question… and it's why I want to talk to Patamon as soon as I'm able to," Patamon sighed.
"Although you two definitely had a rocky relationship at the start," Biyomon pointed out.
"You don't need to remind me," Patamon huffed.
They suddenly saw a big white squid thing flying in the air, spinning around with little to no control, disappearing into the horizon.
"Uh… what was that?" Kokuwamon asked.
"If I had to guess, that was probably Calmaramon," BlackGatomon sighed. "The Beast Spirit of the Warrior of Water. I guess Ranamon finally found it, but she lacks control."
"Heh, so it's not just the kids that have trouble controlling their Beast Spirits for the first time," Labramon chuckled sheepishly.
"It must be hard trying to control the Beast Spirits." Biyomon frowned.
"Don't you remember when Takuya tried to control BurningGreymon?" Patamon asked, raising an eyebrow. "Both here and… out of this world?"
Biyomon shivered. "Don't remind me. That was an experience I don't want to repeat. But I'm just surprised that even the evil Legendary Warriors, who apparently don't have a human form at all, are not able to control their Beast Spirits."
"That must mean the battle with Ranamon is over for the time being, and the kids are probably looking for us and the Toucanmon," Kokuwamon concluded.
"What should we do then? Should we go back and tell them the Toucanmon got away?" Labramon asked.
"That's probably our best course of action," Lopmon sighed. "We don't want to suddenly go missing on them… well, at least not yet."
"Yeah, we may as well." Patamon sighed as well. "I just wish it wasn't so close to us having to leave the children yet…"
"You guys have been pretty torn up about this, huh?" BlackGatomon noted.
"We may have gotten attached to them," Kokuwamon admitted.
"Even though I did try to suggest we kept our distance from them at the beginning," Lopmon sighed. "To avoid this problem. But… things just didn't work out that way. Somehow, I ended up getting pulled into their problems directly… literally… and it kinda escalated from there."
"Well, I'd say it worked out for the better, since the kids seem to be stronger here." BlackGatomon chuckled.
"But that caused us to get attached to them." Kokuwamon pointed out. "Because we were helping them train and get stronger, we bonded more."
"And that makes it harder for us to leave them when it's time," Labramon added somberly.
"What about you? Aren't you worried about having to leave Duskmon?" Lopmon asked.
BlackGatomon frowned and sighed. "I'll be honest, I also grew attached to the big guy. He took care of me when I wasn't feeling well, and he's surprisingly a good listener when I was feeling down or lonely. I'm also worried how he'll react when I do leave, since right now, he sees me as the only reason to care about anything."
Patamon winced. "That doesn't sound very healthy mentally." He noted with some concern. "He needs to have a better mental state so he doesn't start freaking out when you do have to leave him. Such attachment will only hinder his mental growth as a Legendary Warrior when the time comes for him to join the others."
"Oh? What's this? Have you finally taken a page from our sister, bro?~" Lopmon grinned teasingly. "And you always complain when I do that."
Patamon blushed. "I… I have not! I'm just saying it may cause complications down the road!" He tried to explain.
"Look, I'm not saying I disagree with you there," Lopmon said. "Though none of us expected Duskmon to get attached to BlackGatomon."
"I did try to get him to be nice and get along with Mercurymon and Arbormon before I left. Though mostly Arbormon, Mercurymon would just be a bad influence on him, and likely manipulate him," BlackGatomon sighed. "So it was either the clever megalomaniac, or the simple guy who craves burgers every now and then."
"Yikes… Neither of those sound like good choices of interacting with." Biyomon grimaced. "But if I had to choose, I'd go with the simple burger guy."
"Exactly," BlackGatomon agreed. "Although… speaking with Ranamon, I also think it's not impossible for even the evil Legendary Warriors to be saved. Though that's not happening here, but…"
"You're thinking there's a chance we could do that in our world?" Lopmon asked.
"Yeah, I do." BlackGatomon replied. "It makes sense. And… if we can save them in our world, then our numbers will be bolstered as well."
"That's true, that is if it's really possible to save them in our world. I think they're less evil in our world though, since they were made to hunt down players rather than cause trouble and absorb fractal code from the Digital World itself," Patamon stated. "They're a lot more evil here than they are out there."
"It doesn't help that they're corrupted from the evil Cherubimon as well in this world. I guess the mastermind wanted to make them more evil here to raise up the Legendary Warriors more," Biyomon sighed.
"That is how video games do it, at least RPGs," Kokuwamon added.
"But that's later, we should focus on the here and now," Labramon pointed out.
"Yeah, let's get back to the kids." Patamon agreed. "We have been gone long enough."
"But what will we tell them when they see we don't have the D-Tectors?" Biyomon asked.
"Just tell them that we lost the Toucanmon, like we said," Lopmon answered before lifting up his ears for a moment. "I can hear them calling us. We should hurry. BlackGatomon, what do you plan to do?"
"I'll just hang around here for a bit. Ranamon will come back before long," BlackGatomon said. "And even if she doesn't, Duskmon will likely find me and take me back."
"Okay." Patamon said before looking at BlackGatomon again. "Just be careful, BlackGatomon. Who knows when we will meet back up again, so stay safe until then."
"Oh don't worry about me, I can take care of myself," BlackGatomon reassured. "We'll meet up again before long."
"We'll see you then," Lopmon said.
Titanic X: ZAFT: Glad you liked that! XD
pokemon fan 1991: DarkFoxKit: Yeah, Kokuwamon having to deal with rusting was not fun for him. JP being close to Kokuwamon definitely helped him snap out of his beast-like state.
It's fine to talk about Multiverses, I was just giving my personal opinion on the Multiverse theory in general.
Indeed, none of the Digimon are able to digivolve as they are now.
ZAFT: But you will see how they work around it as the story goes on! XD