First off, I want to say congratulations for helping this story reach over 100 favorites! I cannot thank you all enough for making this possible. Although we are all going through some trying times it truly makes me happy that you are all enjoying this story as much as I am. And even though my sense of timing with uploading chapters is pretty much crap, I still appreciate that people are still willing to read this story and taking their time to take a look at the latest chapters whenever they can. I hope you'll continue to help support this story in the future as we progress further on.
Now then, the last time we saw Noire and Dracomon, they had ended up in the middle of some grassy plains, with Noire taking charge and leading the both of them to a direction she believes will take them to civilization. Let's see where they go, shall we?
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or the Hyperdimension Neptunia series. Both franchises belong to their respective companies.
Chapter 39: Meat Farm
"This is the worst...", said the Lastation CPU.
It had been a few hours since they had landed in the Digital World. Noire and Dracomon did not know where they were other than the fact that they were wandering through a vast land of grassy plains. They had been separated from the other CPUs and their Digimon and had no way of communicating with their allies. Forced to go on their own, the raven haired girl and her Digimon partner ventured on through the grassy plains.
The tall fields grew as high as the Lastation CPU's legs. She could feel the blades of grass brush past her thighs, tickling her and giving her goosebumps. She was not used to moving through such thick plant life. Her Digimon partner didn't seem to mind, however, as he playfully leapt through the grass, hopping out of it and then disappearing into the brush before reappearing and repeating the process.
While Noire found the little dragon Digimon's antics a bit amusing, she did not have time to fool around. She wanted to get out of this place as soon as she could, find the other CPUs and their Digimon and figure out a way to help the inhabitants of the Digital World. So far, however, she could not see any sign of civilization anywhere. It would seem that the raven haired girl's sense of direction had failed her, much to her denial. The fact that she was in an unknown land that she had no clue about didn't help her case either.
"Cheer up, Noire. We'll be alright", said Dracomon, attempting to brighten up his partner's spirits.
"Easy for you to say. You never had to go through what I went through when I was on my own", said Noire.
She could still remember the day when when and the other CPUs were beaten by the Gold Third during the CPU Shift Period, and that she and the others were blasted away, with the people forgetting about their Goddesses for a short while. Not only could she not transform into her Goddess form for a while as a result of the loss of the people's faith, but she also was falsely accused of being a criminal and was hunted down by her own forces. She had to go on the run for a while all on her own, all while avoiding dangerous monsters at every turn. Being separated from her comrades like this heavily reminded her of those times. Suffice to say, the Lastation CPU felt like she was reliving that time, and she was not fond of it at all.
After another hour of moving through the fields, they noticed that the grass was getting taller, to the point where it was now taller than even Noire. Seeing that they were now completely lost, the raven haired girl screamed out loud in frustration, causing the little dragon Digimon to jump in surprise.
"Damnit, I just want to get out of here! I don't want to be trapped in this place!", she yelled out suddenly.
Dracomon was worried for her. He wondered if he should do something for his friend. But then, as he was thinking about what to do about Noire's situation, a scent in the air caught his attention. Sniffing the air and catching a whiff of the order, he quickly recognized what it was that he was smelling.
"I smell meat in the air!", the little dragon Digimon said.
When Noire heard this, it was like a breath of fresh air hade just waved upon her. If what her partner said was true, then it could only mean one thing: Civilization. If there was a small of meat cooking nearby, that meant that there was either a fire going or a barbeque happening nearby, which meant there were people nearby as well. Her mood perked up very quickly.
"You do? Where?!", she asked frantically.
Dracomon sniffed the air again, trying to get a feel for where the scent was coming from. He then ran towards a random direction, leaving Noire to chase after him.
"Hey, wait!", she called out.
She trailed after her partner, not wanting to lose sight of him for a moment. After almost half a minute of running through the tall grass, she finally reached what seemed to be the end as she made it out of the tall fields. However a new sight awaited her the moment she stepped out into the open. Ahead of her was what looked to be a tilled landscape. Looking around the whole area, she quickly deduced that she had stumbled upon a sort of farmland. But upon closer inspection of the fields, she could see that this was no ordinary farmland at all. In the tilled dirt mounds were what seemed to be... pieces of meat on a bone?
The Lastation CPU swore that she was seeing things and shook her head in disbelief, unable to process what her eyes were showing her. Her hopes that she was hallucinating was were dashed, however, as she clearly saw the fields of meat in front of her. She even pinched herself in the arm to check and see of she was dreaming, which of course she wasn't, as she felt the pain when she did so.
"Okay, so I'm not hallucinating, and I'm not dreaming... Yep. I've gone insane from being here on my own. That's got to be it", Noire said in utter denial.
But all the same, staring at the rows upon rows of meat was intriguing to her. Why were they growing here? In fact, how were they growing here at all? Though she was used to seeing some things that were out of the ordinary in Gameindustri, the mere thought of meat growing from the very earth she stood upon never once occurred to her because such a thing never existed in her world. But then again, this was the Digital World, where anything could happen. Still, it was unbelievable to to her that something like a meat field could exist. Then, she realized something that she should've thought of sooner.
"Where's Dracomon go? Hey, Dracomon!", the raven haired girl called out.
"Over here!", her partner responded.
Noire looked to see the little dragon Digimon next to one of the rows of planted meat. He was staring hungrily at the tender pieces of meat lined up in the dirt.
"So tasty!~" he said, some droll coming out of his mouth.
"Dracomon, leave it alone. We don't know if it's edible or not, let alone how it's even growing here", stated Noire.
"Aww, but I'm hungry! Just one bite wouldn't hurt will it?", Dracomon replied.
He then reached out to one of the pieces of meat, against the Lastation CPU's wishes not to. But just as the little dragon Digimon was about to reach his claws out to the piece of meat, something landed right in front of his limb, causing him to jump backwards in shock and surprise. An arrow had landed right in front of him, cutting him off from the piece of meat. This sudden attack had caught both Dracomon and Noire off guard, as they didn't expect to get attacked by anyone out here.
"That's 'bout as far as y'all get, ya varmints! Stay away from my meats!", called out a voice from afar.
Both of them turned to see who it was that was addressing them. Then they saw a figure approaching them cautiously. It looked like a walking scarecrow with a ragged green outfit, tan pants, brown gloves and boots, a gold locket around its neck, and a straw hat with what looked like a head lamp wrapped around it. It had a strange face that looked like it was drawn on, and there was what looked like a stuffed blue crow perched on the scarecrow's right arm. It seemed to the pair that the crow was staring at them intensely. But what really caught their attention was the fact that the scarecrow was wielding a bow and arrow, aiming it directly at them, causing them to freeze where they stood. But then came the most unexpected thing of all...
"Now I know y'all heard me loud and clear! No one trespasses on my meat farm and tries to eat my stock!", the crow spoke.
This really caught the pair by surprise. The scarecrow was moving, but the crow itself was talking. Was the scarecrow the body and the crow the voice, or was the crow itself in control of the body? Alas, there was no time to dwell on this, as both Noire and Dracomon had to diffuse the situation quickly.
"Hey, wait a minute! We're not 'varmints' or whatever! We come in peace!", Noire exclaimed as she held her hands out.
The scarecrow and its talking companion "looked" at each other, not sure of what to make of the situation, before lowering the bow and arrow.
"Then what are y'all doing in my meat farm?", the crow asked.
"We've lost contact with our friends, and we don't know where we are", Dracomon elaborated.
"Yeah. We didn't come looking for trouble. Please don't hurt us", added Noire.
The scarecrow and its talking companion, now feeling sorry for the pair, holstered the bow and arrow, believing that their meat crops were no longer in danger.
"Well, now I feel silly fer attacking y'all like that. Sorry fer the fuss", said the crow.
"No worries. Sorry for trying to steal your meat", Dracomon apologized.
The scarecrow then reached its hand out to greet the Lastation CPU, much to her relief.
"My name's Nohemon, a scarecrow Digimon. What are yer names, strangers?", it asked kindly.
"I'm Noire, the CPU of Lastation. And this is my partner, Dracomon", the raven haired girl replied, shaking the scarecrow Digimon's hand.
"CPU? I don't know what that is, but it does sound purtty important. Pleased to meat ya!", Nohemon said.
"Uh, don't you mean 'meet?'", Noire asked as she shook his hand.
"We're standin' in a meat farm. What'cha expect? Hahahaha!", the scarecrow Digimon laughed.
Even Dracomon couldn't help but laugh at the pun. Noire, however, failed to see the humor in it.
"So what exactly is this meat farm, if I may ask?", said the Lastation CPU.
"It's where we grow all kinds of meat for Digimon all over the Digital World. Let me show y'all around!", Nohemon said eagerly.
He waved the raven haired girl and her partner Digimon over to follow him. Seeing nothing better to do other than stand around all day, they kindly obliged. They walked with him as the scarecrow Digimon showed them around, explaining the different kinds of meats that were growing in the fields.
"We got all kinds of meat for every kind of Digimon there is. Small meats, big meats, cubed meats, meats made of meat, sirloin, and even the occasional rainbow meat", Nohemon explained.
The Lastation CPU was quite amazed by the many different meats they had in the Digital World, while Dracomon just drooled uncontrollably at the thought of eating every single piece of meat they had. A question did plague the CPU's mind, however.
"How exactly do you grow meat from the ground?", Noire asked curiously.
"Why we just plant some bits and pieces in the ground, pour some water on 'em, let 'em sit in the dirt fer a day or two, and when they're plump and ready, we pick 'em outta the dirt and get 'em ready for the market", Nohemon explained.
"Uhh... I see...", said Noire, unsure on how to react to the information she was told.
"Hm? Somethin' wrong, missy?", the scarecrow Digimon asked her.
"It's just... how can meat grow from the ground? Is there some sort of magic to it or something?", the raven haired girl inquired.
"I don't really know. They just do. Do y'all not grow yer own meat where you come from?" Nohemon asked.
"We do. Just not the way you think...", Noire replied.
The scarecrow and the crow companion looked at each other, confused by her answer, but shrugged it off, not wanting to press any further. As they moved on, the three could see what appeared to be a large barn up ahead, and a few yards away was what seemed to look like a meat-themed house. The Lastation CPU and her Digimon both assumed that this was where their guide lived.
Then a pair of smaller creatures came running out of the house. One of them looked like a green walking plant with a head, small arms and legs, a tiny tail and small bumps lining its back. It had black eyes, large root-like feet, and foliage-like hands, with each hand having three purple-tipped vines which held the pair in place, and the top of its head was adorned with a pink flower.
The other creature was a lot smaller, as it looked like a big head with no body. It had a sandy-white face with red eyes, while the rest of its body was green as grass. It stood on four small feet, each one having three toes, and the top of it's body had what looked like a sprout growing from its head. It actually looked kind of cute to Noire.
The two creatures rushed over to Nohemon excitedly, their faces beaming with big smiles.
"Nohemon, Nohemon! You're back early!", they cheered as they hugged the scarecrow Digimon.
"Hehe! Easy there, little scamps. We got's a pair of visitors here at our farm", he said.
The two plant-like creatures looked at both Noire and Dracomon, who smiled at them. However the two hid behind Nohemon, their faces now full of nervousness.
"Are they strangers?", asked the taller plant creature.
"Nope. Their names are Noire and Dracomon. They dun' got lost and wandered on our farm. Caught one of 'em trying to eat the meat", Nohemon explained.
"Hey, I said I was sorry!", stated the little dragon Digimon.
"Don't worry about it, Dracomon", said Noire.
She then knelt down to the two plant creatures and held out her hand to greet them. But they nervously backed away a bit. Noire could tell that they were sort of shy around her and her partner, but she put on a brave face and smiled warmly.
"I'm Noire, the CPU of Lastation. What are your names?", she asked.
The two plant creatures soon moved away from their hiding spot that was Nohemon and approached cautiously. Then they grew bold and grasped the raven haired girl's hand with their small limbs, bravely smiling back at her.
"I'm Palmon. Nice to meat ya!", the taller plant Digimon said.
"And I'm Tanemon! Nice to meat ya, too!", the smaller plant Digimon added.
They both giggled excitedly, causing Noire to giggle herself.
"They're just so adorable!", she thought.
"I'm her partner, Dracomon", the little dragon Digimon introduced himself. "Wanna play? I feel like doing something right now."
The two plant Digimon looked to Nohemon expectantly, hoping that he would let them play with their new friend.
"Can we, Nohemon?", they asked kindly.
"Alrighty then. But don't mess around the meat patches, and don't wander off too far, 'kay?", he replied.
"Yay!", Palmon and Tanemon cheered excitedly.
Both the plant Digimon and Dracomon then ran off to a random direction to play a game with one another. While Noire was glad that her partner had something to do for a while, she couldn't help but be a bit worried, as she didn't know these Digimon well enough. Still, if anything were to happen, they were in safe hands with her Digimon partner. Just then, she felt a rumbling in her stomach before an obvious growl made itself known to the world. Her cheeks turned a bit red in embarrassment as a result. Nohemon chuckled as well, much to her disapproval.
"Y'all must be hungry. Wanna grab some grub? I'll make ya somethin' good", he said.
"Oh, you don't have to do that. I'll be fine", Noire replied.
"Naw, I insist. At this here farm, we have a saying: Never look a piece of gift meat in the bone", the scarecrow Digimon said.
"Well, if you insist on it, then I'll gladly take you up on your offer", the Lastation CPU relented.
"That's the spirit! Right this way, missy", Nohemon chirped. "And be sure to take yer shoes off, 'kay? Don't wanna track any dirt inside."
He then led the raven haired girl inside the meat-shaped house. She wasn't sure what awaited her inside, but from the way the owner of said house was offering his hospitality, she wasn't about to turn him down. After all, she was in an unfamiliar land, and she needed all the help she could get if she ever wanted to find her allies again.
Even though the outside of the house was themed in the style of meat, Noire was quite surprised to see that the inside looked completely normal, like that of an old western cottage, complete with furniture and household items of the same style. She thought that the rest of the place would be meat themed as well, but to her, this was a welcome sight for her tired brain. The Digimon who lived here was quite hospitable as well, for a farmer growing meat in who knows where in the Digital World she was. It was certainly not what she expected when she ended up here.
"This is... quite a unique place", Noire complimented.
"Thank ya! It's not much, but home is where the heart is at", Nohemon replied.
"The heart also being a piece of meat, technically", stated the CPU jokingly.
"Hehehe! I never thought of it that way! That's a good one!", the scarecrow Digimon chuckled.
They then reached what appeared to be a dining table, with a kitchen nearby. The scarecrow Digimon led the black haired girl over to a seat at the table.
"Now you just wait here while I cook ya up something nice fer ya", he said before walking away.
After being seated, Noire waited patiently for Nohemon to make her something to eat. Although she appreciated his hospitality, she thought it to be a bit unnecessary, as she wasn't really here to sample dishes. Still, she couldn't bring herself to argue about it after his insistence on offering her some food. She then wondered how someone who is not from the Digital World would even be able to eat something that was just made from digital code. What would it even taste like? Although she knew that her Digimon partner felt and sounded real, she didn't know whether or not that whatever she would be consuming would work the same way like in the world she came from.
After a few minutes of waiting, the scarecrow Digimon brought her a nice hot meal on a dinner plate. It looked like some pieces of meat, like the ones she saw in the fields. However they looked like they had been cooked to perfection, and without any bones inside either.
"Here ya go, missy. Dig in", said Nohemon as he set the plate on the table.
"Thank you", said the Lastation CPU.
Noire stared at the hot meal before her. Although she was hungry, she was unsure about eating something that wasn't from her world. Still, she had to admit, the aroma from the cooked meat did smell good, and the texture looked just right. Even so, she was still a bit hesitant. It was only when her stomach growled again that she decided to give it a try.
Taking a fork and knife that were handed to her by Nohemon, the raven haired girl cut a piece of the meat off and placed it in her mouth, tasting it as she chewed it up. When the taste hit her tongue, her face beamed with amazement. The flavor was incredible! She had never tasted meat this good before. Even her taste buds were enticed by what seemed to be a few spices that were added to the meal, almost akin to that of pepper. It was quite exquisite. Once she swallowed the piece, the Lastation CPU looked at the scarecrow Digimon, impressed by his home cooking.
"This is delicious!", she exclaimed in amazement.
"Hehe! Thanks, missy. Nothing better than a homecooked meal after getting lost in a meat field", Nohemon chuckled.
"I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical at first, since I've never eaten anything from another world like this. But this is actually really good", Noire commented.
"Y'all must've been missing out then", that scarecrow Digimon said. "This here is one hundred percent, genuine, freshly grown, pure Digi-Meat. No fat, pure organic, and full of all the proteins a Digimon needs."
Noire couldn't help but be impressed. For a piece of meat grown from the ground, it was quite edible. And with what Nohemon described, it sounded like the perfect thing for all sorts of dishes and recipes. She wondered how she could implement this into her diet, as well as have the people of Lastation try it out for themselves.
"Or", Nohemon continued, "in this case, a... uhh... What'chu say you were again? Y'all are a human, right?"
"I may look like an average human, but I'm actually a CPU, or Goddess, whichever suits you best", Noire replied.
"A G-G-Goddess?! Well I'll be a pork rind in a barbeque cooking contest on a hot summer day! I didn't know I was standing in front of royalty!", the scarecrow Digimon stammered, removing the hat from his "head" and bowing in respect.
"Ehehe~ Please, don't revere me so highly. Here in this world I'm just a normal human", the raven haired girl said.
"What do ya mean?", Nohemon asked.
"Better pull up a seat. This is going to be a long story", said Noire.
He did so, sitting down at the table with the Lastation CPU. She then went on to explain the situation to the farmhand and how she got to the Digital World.
Nearby the meat fields, Palmon, Tanemon, and Dracomon were playing a game of hide-and-seek. They were being careful not to wander too far away from the farm house. The three Digimon were running around in an open field filled with a few trees and large rocks, tagging one another whenever they found each other. For about ten minutes, they were having fun, especially Dracomon, who enjoyed a break from the adventures and battles he had faced with his partner thus far. However, after a while, their game of hide-and-seek soon became a bit tiring.
"Okay, let's play another game!", said Palmon excitedly.
"But what else can we do?", Dracomon asked.
Tanemon thought for a moment before an idea came to her.
"I know! How about we play a game of tag?", she suggested.
"Alright. But who's going to be it?", her plant Digimon friend pondered aloud.
Both of them slowly turned to stare at Dracomon, who looked confused as to why they were looking to him for answers. Then they grinned, and before the small dragon Digimon could offer a reply, both plant Digimon ran away giggling.
"Not it!", they exclaimed.
"Hey! Come back here!", Dracomon called as he gave chase to the pair.
He ran through the grass chasing after both Palmon and Tanemon, trying to keep up with them. The two then ran into a patch of trees, running through some brush. The small dragon Digimon went in after them, determined to keep up the pursuit. None of them realized, however, that they were heading further away from the farmland than they had expected, and were about to run into trouble.
As Dracomon continued to give chase, he lost sight of where Palmon or Tanemon went, but he could trace their scent. Although his nose wasn't as strong as Dorumon's, he was still able to catch a whiff of the plant Digimon's scent, more notably the odor that emanated from Palmon's flower. He believed that if he follows the smell, he would be able to find the pair.
A few minutes went by and there was still no sign of either Palmon or Tanemon. Dracomon was now beginning to worry. He realized that they now might be wandering too far from the farmland and that they should turn back before they end up getting lost.
"Palmon? Tanemon? I think we should head back now. We might be going too far", he called out.
There was no reply, except for the rustling of the leaves and branches. He grew even more concerned for the safety of both plant Digimon. He looked all around for them, but found nothing.
"Hey! Palmon! Tanemon! Where are you guys?", he called out louder.
Just then, the small dragon Digimon heard something behind him. Some bushes were rustling fiercely. Dracomon knew it had to be either Palmon or Tanemon sneaking around in the brush somewhere.
"Palmon? Tanemon? Is that you?", he asked.
Unfortunately for him, this was not the case, as two new bodies emerged from the brush. They looked akin to that of large wolf-like creatures, with black fur with white stripes and large claws. Their orange eyes stared daggers at Dracomon, and their big teeth showed that they meant business. They growled menacingly as they approached the small dragon Digimon, who started backing away nervously.
"Ehehehe, uhh, nice doggy Digimon?", he said, trying not to sound scared.
But as he continued to back away from the wolf-like creatures, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. As a result, he bumped into something with a thud. He turned around to see what he ran into. His face turned pale, however, when he saw what had blocked his path...
While she enjoyed the meal the scarecrow Digimon had made for her, Noire told Nohemon all about how she and Dracomon had met, and how Digimon had been appearing in her world. She was finished eating by the time her explanation had ended. She was very satisfied with how it tasted.
"So y'all came to the Digital World to find out why y'all are being invaded by these... uhhh...", said Nohemon before he trailed off, trying to remember the adversaries she and her friends were up against.
"The D-Brigade", the Lastation CPU stated, helping the farmhand regain his train of thought.
"Right", he continued. "Well, I don't know much about this here D-Brigade. I've just been making meat here and getting them ready for the markets far away."
This caught Noire's interest. Markets meant more people. And more people meant the chances of finding the rest of her friends would increase.
"Do you happen to know the direction of these markets? It could help quite a lot", Noire inquired.
"Of course, but, y'all aren't gonna leave right away, are ya? You and your little critter friend just got here, after all", Nohemon said.
"I wish we could, but we don't have a lot of time on our hands", the black haired girl insisted.
Suddenly, they could hear some noise outside. It sounded like a struggle was going on outside. Getting up from their seats, the pair went to the door to see what was happening. But when they opened up and went outside, they were horrified by what they saw.
Standing outside were a pair of black wolf-like creatures standing in front of them, growling menacingly. In their jaws were both Palmon and Tanemon, who were panicking and trying to break free from their kidnappers. Both Noire and Nohemon were shocked by what they were seeing.
"Hey! What do y'all think yer doing?!", Nohemon asked angrily.
"Put them down now!", demanded Noire, taking a step forward.
"Not a chance", said a voice.
The two wolf-like creatures then stepped aside to make way for a third creature. He looked like the other two, but he was more bipedal, almost like that of a werewolf. He wore a pair of military green cargo pants that had a skull and crossbones on one leg, as well as a pair of brown pads over where his knees would be, with the one on his right knee adorned with three sharp spikes, and a white bandage on his right foot. He had a silver bracelet on his right arm with a brown belt on his right hand, while a single brown sleeve and series of belts covered his left arm and hand, and another brown pad adorned his left shoulder.
In his right hand was Dracomon, who looked like he was beat upon, and was being held by his head. Noire was horrified by what she was seeing. Her Digimon partner was at the mercy of this mysterious werewolf creature, and the two plant Digimon were in just as much trouble. Just who were these creatures? And what kind of trouble did they bring with them? Pulling out her Digivice, she quickly scanned the three newcomers before a holographic image of the wolf-like creatures appeared over her device.
"BlackGarurumon, a Virus type wolf Digimon. Their blue Foxfire can burn someone very badly", she read aloud.
Then a second image appeared over her Digivice. This time the holographic screen showed an image and description of the werewolf monster.
"BlackWereGarurumon, an Ultimate level werewolf Digimon. His Shadow Claw and Full Moon Kick combined with his devious nature make him a dangerous creature of the night,", the Lastation CPU read.
Things had now gone from bad to worse for everyone involved. Not only were their Digimon friends in the hands of some unsavory thugs, but one of them was an Ultimate level. They were now in an extremely dangerous situation that could turn ugly at any moment. And BlackWereGarurumon in particular looked ready to make his point clear to them all.
"Now if you know what's good for you and your friends here, you'll keep your distance", he said.
He then raised his left fist, aiming it towards Dracomon, a brass spiked knuckle at the ready. This angered Noire greatly, but there was nothing she could do at the moment. Any action she takes now would put her partner, Palmon, and Tanemon at risk of retaliation. She was just going to have to wait it out until an opportunity presents itself. BlackWereGarurumon snickered at the predicament before he spoke again.
"We caught your kids wandering a little too far from home. And it seems like they made a new friend here", he said, referring to the wounded Dracomon.
"What did you do to my partner?!", Noire scowled.
"Oh, this little guy belongs to you? Could've fooled me. Hehehehehehe", the werewolf Digimon laughed sinisterly.
"If y'all lay a hand on my kids, I swear I'll tan yer fur and skin it off of ya alive!", Nohemon threatened.
"Am I supposed to be frightened by a farmhand? Don't make me laugh", BlackWereGarurumon replied.
"Answer us you creep!" Noire barked.
"Alright, alright, no need to shout. We simply found your friends and wanted to... "help" them back home", the kidnapper explained.
"We were playing tag when they cornered us, and wouldn't let us go!" Palmon exclaimed.
In response, the BlackGarurumon holding her bit down harder on her body, causing her to scream in agony as she was being crushed. It only lasted a few seconds, though, before he loosened his grip on the plant Digimon. Noire and Nohemon could not believe that such cruelty could come from a sentient creature.
"Keep quiet kids! The adults are talking", BlackWereGarurumon ordered.
"Why you...!", growled Nohemon, holding himself back from lashing out at the kidnappers.
"As for your friend here", the werewolf Digimon continued, "he tried to be a brave little Digimon and save his pals. So I took it upon myself to show him where he stood in the pecking order."
"You horrible creature! Let them go now!", Noire demanded.
"Sorry, no can do. See, we have some business that only the farmhand can handle for us", BlackWereGarurumon replied.
"What do ya mean?", asked Nohemon.
"Me and my boys here feel like we got overcharged for when you last brought your meat to the market, and quite frankly, that just won't do", the kidnapper explained.
"All of this over some meat that's allegedly 'overpriced?' If you ask me, he must make some very good products, for what it's worth", Noire commented.
"Oh, it's good alright. But at the rate it goes for, I don't think we got enough for what it's worth", BlackWereGarurumon.
"Y'all should be thankful ya ever got any at all. Had I known about ya and your underhanded devilry beforehand, I woulda never have had them sell ya anything", the scarecrow Digimon retorted.
"Well, with the D-Brigade starting to take over the trade routes and many of the big markets, we all gotta do what it takes to get some grub", said BlackWereGarurumon.
Nohemon was taken aback by what he said. He knew what Noire told him about the D-Brigade was bad, but he didn't think it was so bad to the point that many parts of the Digital World like the markets he sells his meat to were being taken over. Even Noire was a little shocked by this news.
"Tarnation... Guess that explains why I've been getting less and less money fer my meat for a while", said the farmhand.
"While I can sympathize your situation to an extent, it's still wrong to resort to kidnapping to get what you want", stated Noire.
"On the contrary, when it comes to the survival of you and your comrades, all options are acceptable", BlackWereGarurumon replied.
Noire could see that there would be no reasoning with someone as crazed as he was. If a creature like him is capable of resorting to kidnapping innocents, he was capable of anything. She had to figure out a way to save her her partner and the plant Digimon, and fast.
"But", the werewolf Digimon continued, "I'm not without a bit of mercy. So I'm willing to give you a chance to save them."
"And what do you propose? That we fight over the farmland? Cause I'm more than happy to fight you to get our friends back", the Lastation CPU stated.
"You, fight me? Please. A lonely weakling like you couldn't even hold a candle to a Digimon as powerful as me", BlackWereGarurumon scoffed.
"What did you just say to me?!", Noire exclaimed, ticked off by the loner comment.
But before she could do anything rash, Nohemon placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. He didn't want to start a fight they couldn't win, especially when their friends lives were now on the line. Seeing the look he was giving her, the black haired girl backed down, sighing in frustration. The werewolf Digimon snickered before continuing.
"Still, I prefer not to get my hands dirty with a pointless brawl. No, I'm actually willing to make an exchange", he said.
"An exchange?", Noire inquired.
"That's right. In exchange for the lives of these little guys, you'll bring to me and my pack, let's say... 50 tons of meat by the end of the week", BlackWereGarurumon suggested.
"50 tons?! That's more meat than I can grow in a month!", Nohemon exclaimed.
"If your meat really is of high quality, then surely producing 50 tons wouldn't be a challenge for a Digimon like you, now would it?", the kidnapper replied.
"Even if I could do it, the end of the week is the day after tomorrow", the scarecrow Digimon said.
"He's right. There's no way he can meet such a crazy demand!", added Noire.
"That's not my problem though, now is it? I suggest you figure it out, or else you can kiss these kids and your farm goodbye", said BlackWereGarurumon.
At that moment, finding a newfound sense of strength, Dracomon wriggled free from the werewolf Digimon's grasp. This caught the kidnapper off guard, who had thought he had knocked the wind of out the small dragon Digimon. Once he was freed, he quickly limped back to Noire.
"Noire!", he cried as he ran over to his partner.
"Dracomon!", the Lastion CPU replied as she grabbed hold of him out of concern for his safety.
The BlackGarurumon were about to take him back, but their pack leader growled at them and held out his hands to stop them, causing them to stand down almost immediately.
"Alright. You can have him at least, if it means you'll be able to meet our 'crazy demands', as you call it", he said.
He then gestured the two BlackGarurumon to return to the woods with him. They nodded and started making their way back to the woods, taking both Palmon and Tanemon with them.
"Nohemon! Please, help us!", Palmon exclaimed.
"Don't let them take us away!", cried Tanemon.
Nohemon could only watch as the wolf-like Digimon carried them away. There was nothing he could do to help the plant Digimon. Noire, who was equally angry, was holding him back from lashing out at the werewolf Digimon for doing such a horrible thing. Before he left with his pack, BlackWereGarurumon turned back to the pair, raising two fingers indicating the number of days the pair had.
"Remember: 50 tons by the end of the week. That's two days you got. Fail by then, and you'll never see your little Digimon again. Hahahahaha!", he laughed before turning away.
All three could only watch as the werewolf Digimon went away, as the crying screams of Palmon and Tanemon grew more distant. Dracomon wanted to chase them down and stop them from getting away, but he was too hurt to do anything at the moment. Once BlackWereGarurumon and his pack moved out of sight, Nohemon fell to his knees in defeat, nearly crying himself as he pounded a fist into the dirt.
"That no-good, vain, wolf in meat's clothing... I swear I'm gonna-", he said before Noire place a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll get them back. Don't worry. We'll do whatever it takes, but we will get them back", she said soothingly.
The farmhand looked at the black haired girl, with tears in his eyes, as if she were an angel that descended down from the heavens to comfort him in his darkest time. He then wiped the tears off of his eyes as Noire helped him back up on to his feet.
"Are y'all sure about this? This ain't really yer place to fight for or nothin'. I wouldn't blame ya fer leaving right away, with something like the D-Brigade out there and all", he said. "I can try and handle this myself and-"
"No way", the Lastation CPU cut him off. "The D-Brigade can wait a little longer. Right now we'll do what we can to make sure we get Palmon and Tanemon back home."
The scarecrow Digimon was unsure of what to make of it. Even though this human - this "Goddess" - from another world is on a mission to deal with a militant organization of Digimon that is threatening the safety of the Digital World and her world, she would still find the time to help him bring back his two friends. The crow on the puppets shoulder could only smile, while his puppet offered the black haired girl a handshake, who gladly responded in kind.
"Thank ya! Thank ya kindly, madam!", said Nohemon.
"Sure thing. Now, where do we start?", asked Noire, eager to start helping him immediately.
"First thing we'll need to do is start preparing the meat that's already ready for picking. I hope y'all don't mind getting down and dirty for a while", said the scarecrow Digimon.
"Personally, I wouldn't even think about doing anything like that at all back in my world. But if it means getting Palmon and Tanemon back, I suppose I'm willing to learn a thing or two", said Noire.
"Alrighty then! Now follow me. We're gonna need some tools to help pick the meat", replied Nohemon.
He then started making his way over to the large barn building, with the Lastation CPU trailing after him. But as she went to follow him, she noticed that Dracomon wasn't coming with them. This made her concerned, wondering if there was something wrong with her partner.
"Hey, Dracomon? Are you coming?", she asked.
The small dragon Digimon looked at her for a moment before offering a reply.
"Why don't you go on ahead. I'll catch up...", he said.
Noire wondered if what happened just a moment ago had bothered him that much, but didn't want to press into it at that time. She then went away to find Nohemon and see what he had in the barn that could help them with the meat field.
Meanwhile, Dracomon looked back ate where BlackWereGarurumon and his pack had gone to. A sinking feeling swelled up inside of him as he stared out into the open space. In his mind he wondered what he could've done differently to save both Palmon and Tanemon from the werewolf Digimon, and if there was any way he could go back for them. Of course, there was nothing he could do for them at this moment of time. He felt powerless, and he hated both it and himself for it.
"Palmon... Tanemon... I'm so sorry...", he thought sadly.
And that's the end of this chapter.
Apologies if this feels a tad abrupt, but I wanted to get this next chapter out after leaving this story alone for so long yet again. I admit, this is becoming a bad habit, but just because I haven't updated in a long time doesn't mean I have abandoned it. I just don't have many ideas for this story, and everything that I've come up with at this point is pretty much on the fly. IRL issues also don't help matters either.
Still, as much as I want to pre-plan some future plots, I feel like it'll take that much longer to work them out than coming up with them as I type up paragraphs. But I don't know. At best I can probably pre-plan some major plot points for future chapters, but that's about it really. Maybe one day I can curb this bad habit of mine and probably come up with chapters a bit sooner, but for now, I can't guarantee anything.
Anyway, if you liked this chapter but haven't followed or favorited it yet, please do so if you want to see more like this one in the future. And don't forget to leave a review, as I appreciate any feedback.
And once again thank you all for helping this story reach over 100 favorites. This means a lot to me, and I hope we'll be able to see that number rise even higher.
Until next time. Keep on Nepping!