"If you are hearing this message, then we have failed. To call this a final gambit would be a gross understatement for the situation we have forced you into. If I could apologize an infinite number of times, it will never be enough. But I AM sorry. Unfortunately, I—and by proxy, you—have little time. You must wake up! I left clues, but you must search for them! Befo—"
"Wake up!" The voice belonged to a young but energetic being. Yet, the tone held so much panic and danger that it forced young Arshan Dillon to snap open his eyes.
The young teen deserved so much more than to wake up in what was essentially a ditch with hard, cold, dirty stones, a dark sky, and a land that looked as unwelcoming as it was decaying, but the owner of the voice that awoke the teen sighed in relief.
"Great! You're awake!" Arshan was a naturally fearful and skittish teen, but his anxiety and confusion left him a second to look at the owner of the voice. It... it wasn't human. But it didn't inspire negative feelings looking at it. It was more of the opposite: the creature was some combination of a bipedal cat on fire but something one would see in a fantasy story for children and loyal adults. Yet, its motif looked centered around flames in an almost honest and pure way. The light on the creature and his eye shine calmed Arshan, if for a moment. But then, the eyes sharpened. "We gotta get out of here! Those things will come back soon!"
"W-What?" Those were the first words Arshan tried to say. However, questions and feelings prevented him from even saying a word properly as the bipedal cat helped him out of the ditch.
"No time, Arshan!" The bipedal cat—maybe a lion cub, only caused more confusion as he somehow knew Arshan's name without the teen revealing it. But whatever questions the brunette with dark green eyes had were smothered when he heard the sound of something combining dead static with nails on a chalkboard. Being taller than the cub and part of a baseball team, Arshan picked up the fire lion and ran in the opposite direction of where the noise came from.
"Where are we going!?" Arshan looked around; whatever his eyes fell upon did not show signs of safety. Dried-up rivers, husks of trees that once were, cracked pale earth, and even the mountains looked sickly. However, Arshan spotted what looked like a temple entrance around the base of the nearby cliff. Maybe ruins? But Arshan's heart sank. When he thought he saw a hiding zone, the inhuman sound returned.
And it was following after them.
"Uh oh!" The lion cub shouted as he struggled to balance himself, making Arshan look back.
If the lion cub was something out of a child's fantasy story, what he saw next was akin to an eldritch horror. It didn't even look like a creature, but a mass of black and white tentacles with a single red eye... that locked onto him and the cub.
"That Eater saw us! Alright, let me fight it off!" Arshan heard this, but fear overcame him as he ran into the ruins, even as the little one in his arms became warmer with his protests.
The messy-haired brunette ran into the ruins, passing by rubble and ignoring odd symbols. Yet, Arshan made the mistake of trying to look back again, making him not spot the rubble that imbalanced him and sent him and the cub falling forward. Arshan paled as he turned back, the... thing... was flying towards him with tentacles outstretched—
"Corona Knuckle!" More lion than a cub, the small creature unleashed a fire punch into the center of the tentacle monster. The speed and power of the fire cat betrayed his appearance as the attack sent the tentacle creature away. But for one instant, Arshan felt off. He didn't know about the cat's power, but it felt like it did not belong to him. Or at least, that he shouldn't have been that strong. But that feeling left as soon as it came since it was saving both of their lives. The Eater refocused itself, unleashing a combination of static and screeching with its limbs focusing toward Arshan's protector.
"Pick on someone who can fight back, Eater! Like me! Coronamon!" The proud little one pounded his chest as he declared his name. His tail flared as fires covered his body, and he dashed at the rushing monster. "Petit Prominence!" Coronamon moved faster than before, avoiding tentacles that moved at the speed of viper bites and burning tentacles he hit. However, the flames on the abomination died, and soon, it looked like it was adapting to the Coronamon's movements as its attacks got closer with each strike.
Arshan panicked as he tried to balance himself up. Looking at the Eater caused the teen to hyperventilate. Despite all the air he was gasping for, he found it hard to breathe. Fear and anxiety were overwhelming as thoughts of Coronamon losing looked more and more like a reality. Luckily, something distracted him again before he could spiral further. Something around his waist made him realize that he still had his Duffle Bag from baseball practice.
Coronamon grunting caused Arshan to look back. He had finally been hit and swatted to a wall. The amalgamation shook off the flames from the creature's attacks but made its way to the downed lion cub.
Arshan's mind sped up enough to slow time to a crawl. As he saw Coronamon struggling, his mind overlapped the present with a memory from his past. A cat was injured in the street and left alone. He wanted to help, to pick it up and heal it, maybe even befriend it in his lonely life, but he knew his mother would be furious, even if she was sober. He stepped back, fear of his parent overriding his compassion.
Not even an hour later, when Arshan escaped his house to check on the cat, he instead saw a coyote. He dared not look further past the streak of red his eyes glanced. But the smell and soft noise of chewing painted the image regardless.
In the present, Arshan saw the cat and Coronamon in the same place while the Eater/coyote stalked towards him/them. Arshan hated his fear, hated how scared he was.
But he abominated the idea of letting the hurt creature die alone by his inaction again. Arshan was afraid, but glancing back at his baseball gear, he spurred into action, even if he knew it wouldn't work.
The Eater was on the cusp above Coronamon until a baseball slammed into its lone eye. It turned to Arshan as he stood back from a pitcher's form.
Arshan stammered, trying to get a word out. "L-Leave him alo-alone," his hands and knees shook; he gasped for air. With the Eater focused on him, Arshan's fear froze him in place.
But Coronamon found his second wind, grabbing one of the tentacles and slamming the whole thing down with his fires burning brighter than before, especially around the gem on his forehead. Whatever was about to happen, Arshan recognized that this next attack would take all of Coronamon's energy, so he quickly ducked behind a pillar.
"Corona FLAME!" With a lion's roar, fire exploded outwards from Coronamon. The attack lit the ruins like a flash bang before smoke filled the air.
"C-Corona-mon? C-Coro!?" As he made his way out of his hiding spot, Arshan covered his mouth with one of his baseball hats and looked for anything orange and red.
A groan made him find the Coronamon, sprawled on the floor looking darker in his colors.
"C-Coro! Coro!" Arshan shortened the name as he ran for the lion cub. "A-Are you alright!?"
The lion cub opened his eyes. Despite how low his flames were, the light in his eyes didn't fade. But he did smile. "Coro? Huh, I like it." Coronamon said as Arshan helped him up this time. "Man, I knew that was my strongest attack, but boy, does it leave me tired...!"
Again, the pair heard the sound the Eater made. Both paled at the thought it could survive even that, but as the smoke cleared, the two saw the Eater, burned only to its red, cracked core, seemingly fading away.
"W-What is that thing?" Arshan finally asked.
"All I know is that they're called Eaters," Coronamon shrugged. "A bit on the nose, but when they get you..." He trailed off, not needing to spell out why they were called that. But it didn't stop Coro from standing up. "I'll finish it off."
Arshan looked back at the red core that he thought was an eye. It was an abomination... that much he knew... but... with how its core seemed to flash desperately? It also looked scared.
"Wait," Arshan didn't know why he stopped Coro. The thing was going to eat the both of them. It didn't even seem like it would eat them for survival! But, something called to Arshan. It was scared: and that was a feeling Arshan knew his whole life and hated.
Arshan found himself walking over to the Eater. "I uhh... I am sorry."
"Why? It was trying to eat us?" Coro's voice came from behind him. He was confused, but he was too tired to do much other than prepare to protect Arshan if it tried something.
"I-I don't know! I just..." Arshan looked back at Coro before turning to the fading Eater. "... It looks scared. And I do know that sucks."
Arshan felt something shining in his duffle bag. As he searched for the light, he was surprised to see an odd device he didn't recognize. An odd, sleek, rectangle with a miniscreen, and it was styled in gold. But the screen had a message.
"Restoration Program initiated. Y/N?" Arshan read aloud the odd prompt before he pressed on the yes button. The light of his device shined, and he felt the need to shine it down on the Eater.
The gold light of Arshan's device seemed to change the dying Eater, its form shrunk more but it changed and shifted until it looked like a strange being of pure light. Yet, it looked more like Coro now than it did a monster.
"Whoa! A Digignome!? I thought those things were a myth!" Coro cooed as he walked up to Arshan to look at the fairy-like creature.
"What's a Digignome? In fact, what's going on? Coro, how did you know my name?!" The sequence of events had finally caught up on Arshan now that he was relatively safe. However, the more questions he had, the more confused he was.
"Ahh," A familiar voice made the pair look down on the small fairy. When they did, it started to glow a green light. "I see. So you found this Digignome as I thought you would."
"Hey, wait a second," Arshan pointed over to the fairy as it floated into the air. "I know that voice."
Although there was a voice, it took a second for the pair to realize that the voice wasn't coming from the fairy's mouth. It was more like an echo, coming out of its being. "Yes, you do. I was the one who messaged you. If you are hearing this message, that means you and Coro have met and restored a Digignome. I prepared this Digignome a long time ago, and I prayed that this message would never be heard by you. But if you are hearing it... I have much to explain. But first. Mind the light."
Coro and Arshan were confused until the Digignome flashed with a green light that blinded the two. When they regained their sight, they opened up to see a void except for two planets. One, Arshan recognized, was Earth.
"I will explain to both of you. The blue and green planet is Earth, the home of humans and where Arshan is from. The second planet, the one that looks chunked and incomplete, is called the Digital World. And it is where the two of you are currently in."
Arshan noted that. He couldn't quite believe what was happening, but his survival instincts going into overdrive did not feel like some burst of insanity.
And to be honest? Arshan had a miserable life and luck even before this. So while it was new, some part of Arshan just expected this horrible thing to happen.
"Currently, the Digital World is in a crisis: it's dying. Even darkness and evil are not exempt from this decay. That is where you come in, Restorer. The Digital World is heavily tied to computers and the internet of the Human world, perhaps we even spawned from its echoes. But because it's based on devices and computers, it has built-in fail-safes. You are the last Failsafe. The fact your Digivice, the item you found, turned an Eater back into Digignome is proof that the Digital World has stolen you from your home and brought you here to fix this dying world."
Arshan could only stare in shock. This was starting to sound like a book plot to him. And more importantly, "M-Me!? I-I can't be the chosen one! I-I am still seeing my therapist! I had the worst first day of school in my new home! My parents didn't even love me! I have no idea what to even do or go in life, and now you're expecting me to be this world's savior!?" This may have been how myths and stories began, but Arshan did not believe in himself at all. And the sad thing was he had proof to believe in those doubts.
"I am sorry, Arshan," The voice sighed deeply. "I did not choose, I only foresaw the system choosing you and others. And, even before you came, I attempted to guide others, other human and Digimon pairs to save our world. But your appearance and this message only proves everything else I've tried to set up has failed."
Arshan felt more afraid that there were other, possibly better, attempts to save this dying world but all of them failed. "W-Who are you?"
"I am... well by the time you hear this I may be long gone... I am AncientWisemon. I am a powerful Digimon who can see both the past and future as if it were the present. This is a recorded message, but I know or at the very least, have a guess at what you are going to say and respond accordingly."
"Whoa?!" Coro's eyes shined. "Really!?"
"Yes. Really. And yes, Arshan, I know what you're about to think of to test me: 4, 3, 7, 7, 9, 1."
Arshan froze where he stood but understood that was more than proof.
"Usually, I may sound more like a raving lunatic, but I knew I had to pull myself together for you since I knew—know—will know—how scared and alone you feel." As the voice spoke, a figure appeared in front of the two planets. He was more mirror than being, using a large green cloak to cover other parts of him aside from the mirror where a body should have been.
He had two glowing yellow eyes, but even though they were obscured by the green cloak, Coro and Arshan could feel how heavy the being's eyelids were. Even if he could choose to make himself look better in this vision, he still seemed too exhausted to try.
"Hey," Coro spoke up, catching the attention of the vision. "Why is the Digital World dying?"
"It is because of its current ruler: Ragna Lordmon. He is a Digimon that appeared almost out of nowhere, usurping all the most powerful Digimon with uncanny strength and impossible invulnerability," AncientWisemon's vision looked down in shame. "I thought I gleaned what caused his mysterious power with my visions, but sadly, his survival defied even that. But with his power, he drove the Digital World into conflict. Not even for conquest, but to perpetuate an endless war. Our world is killing itself, and the mad tyrant only forces us to fight each other as our home dies." AncientWisemon shook his head, trying to stay on topic and not lose himself to anger.
"Wait, you can see the future and past, and still couldn't find a way around his invulnerability?" Arshan asked.
"That is the problem. The visions I gave the others before you were my best hopes at beating him. But they split. In the hopeful ones, he does finally fall vanquished and it makes sense. But in the ones he does survive, I am baffled at how. There is a mystery behind his power that all I know is tied to a ring that Ragna Lordmon wears that is different from the rest of his kind. Removing it should kill him permanently, but for reasons I cannot fathom, it is a coin flip on whether it does or not! There is a mystery behind it that I can not find even with all the future visions I've seen!" AncientWisemon ranted and screamed, making Arshan step back while Coro stepped forward to protect the taller teen. The vision of the Digimon realized this as his eyes softened. "I-I am sorry. I'm so tired. I did not mean to scare you."
Arshan calmed a bit, there was a genuine tiredness and frustration that he could relate to the alien creature. "I-I am sorry. But what hope do I have of stopping him if you, all of you with help from Future Sight, couldn't stop him?"
"..." The silence of Ancientwisemon did not inspire hope in the teen. "Because you were not meant to stop him."
"What?!" Coro shouted.
"As I said, the Digital World is dying, young Arshan," The Digimon turned to the pair. "You were brought here with the intent to restore it. In other words, the Digital World is forced to try and heal itself even with its current "king" attempting to do the opposite."
"I-I have to fix a world? Me!? B-But I am the absolute worst person to do so!" Arshan yelled. "Not to mention, how can I if there's an invincible king that will continue to kill it!?"
"I won't let anything bad happen to you!" Coro's flames burned as he declared that. "I promise I won't!"
"W-Why?" Arshan seemed taken aback despite the attempt at being courageous. "W-We just met."
"Because!" Coro huffed before he suddenly scratched his head. "Huh. I don't know why. Honestly? But I do like you, and I don't wanna see you hurt!" After saying that, the cat's eyes shined brighter. "So, I guess that's good enough for me! I'll protect you Arshan! And help you on your quest!"
Ancientwisemon's features relaxed. "As simple as that sounds, trust me, Arshan. His vow is as iron-clad as the metal element I represent. The Digital World is not foolish enough to send a lone human into its harsh lands. It assigns its residents as both bodyguards and dear, dear friends to whichever human enters here, and it has never faltered on that. The Digital World has chosen Coro to be your partner, and you will not regret it. In fact... it is odd that in my vision of your first battle, Coro has shown the power of a Champion Level rather than a Rookie... but I imagine that only means the Digital World is trying to ensure your survival."
"Levels?" Arshan repeated as that interested him.
"That will be explained later, but maybe not by me," AncientWisemon looked away distantly.
Arshan blinked as his mind processed that last line. "What did you just say?"
Ancientwisemon, and the void they were in started to glitch and only grew more frequent with each passing second. "I have put as much essence as I could in this Digignome. But even then, it's not enough for me to be there to guide you beyond simply pointing in the direction you need to go. Because of my ability to predict the future, I put other echoes of myself in other places you should travel next. For now, head deeper into this temple. In its center, you will find what I hope is my next message for you."
As the light started to fade, AncientWisemon said. "Again, I can only apologize for you being chosen. But that doesn't change the fact you are our only hope left. Please, help us."
And with that, the vision faded, returning the pair to the ruins entrance with only the Digignome returning to a pure white color. It cooed happily, swirling around the two as if to thank them, and flew out of the ruins.
The brunette wished he could do the same. He wanted to go home, to wake up on his bed and think of this as just some nightmare.
But...
Memories of Coro, AncientWisemon, and even The Eater in pain entered Arshan's mind. He wanted to leave, yes. He wanted to get out of there and avoid everything.
... But he would still feel their pain as if it were his own.
Arshan cared, and he hated that he did soooooooo much. With a combination of both a sigh and a groan, he fished his duffle bag for his wooden bat and held it like a weapon if he didn't shake as he held it tightly. "O-Okay. We-We just gotta go in the temple for that next message, right?"
"Yeah! That sounds easy enough!" Coro exuberantly shouted, not realizing that he may have jinxed them.
Arshan smothered his instinct to break down crying. He could do that later. (He hoped.) And so, the two were off, journey deeper into the temple.
[Elsewhere.]
Had Arshan paid more attention to his surroundings, or was given the time to do so, he would have noticed a giant tower that stretched beyond the clouds that seemed to be in the center of the Digital World. Even the farthest corners could see this tower.
At the top, looking into the sea of clouds, a Digimon with overwhelming pressure quietly raised his hand and rubbed a glowing green ring.
"... I will find you again. And I will keep my promise..."
[Back with Coro and Arshan.]
"So, Coro?" Arshan held his bat out in front of him, jerking it in any direction that promised danger. "Uhh, I have a lot of questions. Are you sure you want to dedicate your life to mine? I mean, I appreciate it, but I can't help but feel like... it might be a waste."
"Huh?" Coro turned back, taking the front as Arshan's bodyguard, and the only source of light they had. "Why do you think it'll be a waste?"
"Y-You're pretty strong. I-I just might get in the way during a fight."
"I think you can be strong too! We just gotta get it out of you!" There was an obvious disconnect between the two. Coro seemed to misunderstand Arshan's subtle anxiety and lack of confidence. But at the same time, the Digimon sounded as if he fully believed Arshan was strong enough to fight abominations like the Eaters.
Arshan didn't know if that was a good thing or not. "I-I don't think you'll find much."
"Then we'll make it! And I bet we will be able to even stop and beat Ragna Lordmon!"
"I'm not so sure. If AncientWisemon and the others...before... huh," As Arshan trailed off, his mind connected something that he overlooked. AncientWisemon did say he and the others tried before him, but it was only now that the teen realized what that meant: there were other humans like him here?
"Ah!" Coro shouted as he pointed to a light ahead. "Come on! I bet that the next message is,"
As soon as the two reached the end of the tunnel, Coro's eyes sharpened and he tackled Arshan out of the way of a giant fire ball.
"W-What was that!?" Arshan tried to find himself before he saw something in his Digivice. It projected a screen that showed a Digimon that the teen didn't recognize.
"Geo...greymon?" Confused, Arshan tried to look for Coro, only to spot his friend dashing out of cover, ready to fight whatever attacked them. "Wait! Coro!"
In the center of this room was a giant orange dinosaur that oozed primal aggression. His smoking, shut maw indicated the attack came from him.
Yet that didn't stop Coro at all as the Coronamon sprinted at the dino. "You'll pay for attacking Arshan! Corona Knuckle!"
"Listen, kid, you don't want," Whatever the Geogreymon was about to say got interrupted when Coro's attack made contact... and it hurt?! The champion Digimon almost lost his footing as that attack was beyond rookie was capable of.
"Wait-what!?"
A new voice came from the shadows behind Geogreymon that sounded as surprised at Coro's feat. However, Geogreymon shook his head and focused, whipping his tail at the incoming Coro. The attack caught the rookie off guard and sent him flying like a skipped stone until the lion cub regained his composure mid-air and landed with a slide.
Arshan also heard that voice and followed where it came from. His eyes widened when he saw and recognized the figure in the shadows.
"Hey! You!" Arshan screamed as he got out of his hiding spot. "You're human!"
The teen knew he was human, he looked exactly like one even if he wore a full cloak. Arshan confirmed he was a male and tall, but couldn't see anything beyond his mouth and chin aside from those goggles. But while Arshan was happy to meet someone else like him, the quick frown showed this person did not share the same sentiment.
"Who are you!?"
"We should be asking you that! You attacked us!" Coro hotly shouted, his body heat rising.
Sensing a power spike, steam flowed out of Geogreymon's mouth. "The only ones who would come here are the Paladins! If you're one of them, we'll beat you up!"
"Whoa! Whoa!" Arshan raised his hands and stepped forward, surprising everyone else. "L-Let's not fight! Coro and I have also been chosen by the Digital World! Like you two! Kinda like... Digi-chosen?" Arshan offered.
The Geogreymon turned to the figure. "What will we do, Tai?"
"...Zero, keep your guard up," The figure walked forward, removing his hood and stepping into the light. Arshan had very short and messy brown hair, but this guy had messy, floofy brown hair. But despite not looking that much older than Arshan, his eyes showed as if he had lived a thousand years.
"If you mean no harm, step forward and keep your hands up." The one named Tai commanded. But even though they attacked first, Arshan and Coro couldn't help but feel the weight of a leader behind those words.
Arshan gulped but did so. The other teen was tall and imposing, but he fished for something in his cloak and pointed it in front of Arshan.
The teen only raised his brow in confusion. "That's... a nice... sun...?" He said as he looked at the odd necklace.
"That's an honest reaction. I didn't even see a millisecond of a face trying to twitch," He seemed to sigh in relief before smiling. "Good! You must be a Wild One then!"
"W-What? I-I don't understand," Arshan looked confused but felt Coro eyeing the guy suspiciously.
"Sorry about that, newbie. I just had to know if you were with Ragna Lordmon's people," The man called Tai made his smile smaller. "There's... a lot of them lately."
"Wait. What?" From those cues, Arshan pieced together something he did not like. "A-Are you saying that some humans JOINED Ragna Lordmon!? B-But he's the reason we're in this mess!"
"You're either a good actor, or you are a newbie," Tai said as he put the odd necklace back into his cloak. "If you are the former, then I must be losing my edge because you sound too sincere." Tai took a second to pause. "Let's try to compare notes and start again. I'm Tai Kamiya, and that there is my partner, Zero, currently the Geogreymon."
"How the heck did a rookie hurt me as I am!?" The big dino looked down at Coro. "I'm part of the 100 percent combination! That can't happen! Ugh! I hate this body!"
"Zero," Tai chided.
"Well," Arshan inhaled. "I'm Arshan Dillon. And this is Coro. He's a Coronamon. I think? I don't have a lot of context about the Digital World. Ancientwisemon didn't exactly give me the best..."
"Ancientwisemon?" Tai's voice turned sharp as he grabbed Arshan's shoulders, making the boy wince and Coro flare up. "What color were his eyes!?"
"Y-Yellow! W-Why!?" Arshan sounded scared by the sudden change. Even Zero seemed to grow tense again hearing the name of the Digimon that helped them.
Tai let go, sighing deeply as he did. "Just like you, Ancientwisemon greeted us when we came into the Digital World," There was a noticeable frown on Tai's face. "He also gave us the rundown and the chance at defeating Ragna Lordmon..."
Coro and Arshan sensed the other Chosen pair tense at the surge of memories the name brought.
Tai continued. "But we learned too late that the one who killed Ancientwisemon long ago was Ragna Lordmon himself. He gained a fraction of Ancientwisemon's power, and sent his own messages mixing with his."
The new pair's eyes widened with shock. "T-That means I could have been speaking with Ragna Lordmon instead?!"
The older chosen shrugged his shoulders. "The only one who knows is Ragna Lordmon. The first crucial attempts at usurping him may have just been to ensure his rule. But the sad thing is that there were times when AncientWisemon's messages helped, tampered or not. Very few times, you can tell it's Ragna Lordmon by the vision's eyes. But otherwise, we can't tell the difference. By now, I and many others avoid his messages unless we're desperate. Some might destroy signs of his messages outright... not that I blame them."
"B-But he told us he had another message for us in the center of this temple!" Coro blurted out.
"Huh. I didn't see it when I was there. Then again, they do appear at the right time and place."
"Ours was in a Digignome." Arshan looked over to Coro.
That made both Tai and Zero turn sharply to Arshan. "What!? How did you find a Digignome!? They've all been turned into Eaters when..." Tai shook his head. "Ugh. I did not miss the headaches his visions caused."
"Wait, can't you do that?" Arshan raised his brow. "My Digivice could turn an Eater back into a Digignome."
Both Zero and Tai stared wide-eyed at what Arshan just said. The newer chosen pair could see the utter disbelief in their eyes.
"Show me your Digivice."
With Tai's word, Arshan obeyed again and showed him his device. Quickly, the older teen took a closer look at it, even holding it.
"This just looks like a normal 5th generation Data Link Digivice." He said after a few seconds of inspecting it.
"S-Should I know what those words mean?" Arshan looked to his partner, who only shrugged his shoulders.
Tai handed it back to Arshan, which the teen took back. "Okay, you both are off and full of questions, but I don't think you two are out to get us. You might even be able to help us. So, welcome aboard the Digi-Destined Crew!"
"Digidestined?" Arshan repeated, taking note of another new word he had to learn and adapt.
"Okay, you have to be a newbie. Even a spy couldn't play as dumb as you."
"Oooh," Arshan slouched at the insult, making Coro sneer at Tai.
"Haha, sorry! Sorry. I guess you're one of those types huh? But come on, let's get to the center of this temple. You can power down now, Zero."
"I hate that I have to now," With a groan, Arshan and Coro watched the giant dino turn into a smaller, friendlier-looking dino. Arshan saw his Digivice project another screen: Agumon.
"Digivices do that early on," Tai noticed that. "They automatically give you information about a Digimon you see. If there's a lot, it'll compile it for you to read at a later time. When you see enough, they stop doing it unless it's one you haven't seen before."
Yet, while that explained one thing, Arshan found himself looking at the once-giant dinosaur. "H-How did Zero do that?"
"Oh," Tai blinked as if realizing what his friend did wasn't normal. "Right. You'll probably get access to it later too. It's called Digivolution. I'll tell you more later, but there are levels, and Digimon like Zero and Coro here can transform into and reach those higher levels."
"I didn't have to transform constantly in my old body," Zero mumbled.
"Ooo, I can transform into a bigger thing too!?" Coro gasped in delight.
"Yes, but that will require both of you to work. Now come on, there's someone I need to check on."
So Tai and Zero filled the pair on what they could. They talked a lot about Digimon: the various species, levels, and areas. Specifically, they mentioned a lot about when they arrived early on when there was still hope to stop Lord Ragnamon. Arshan noticed they avoided saying the names of other humans. And he could tell there were scars that the fighting gave the older chosen.
But it didn't take long before the four entered what looked to be the center of the temple. It was an even larger area than where Zero and Tai ambushed the pair, but it also looked... barren. It looked like the temple also doubled as some oasis with a pool that housed a fountain at the center. However, now it was desolate and empty aside from a small tent near the edge of the pool.
"Wizardmon, I have guests!" Tai shouted as out of the tent, a creature that looked human-like but dressed more like a Halloween spirit exited.
"It's good to see you return, and with..." The Digimon looked over to the new pair. "I have not seen them before."
"They're new Digidestined."
Wizardmon gave a look that combined surprise with sadness. "Ah. So the Digital World is still sending more against Ragna Lordmon? Good thing you found them first."
"Yeah, they got some weird powers this time. Then again, the next generation always got weird powers after ours. Wished I could use those cards or fusions..." But Tai's face turned serious. "How is she?
"..." Wizardmon said nothing, but his silence made Tai head towards the tent.
It wasn't closed, so Arshan and Coro spotted another human lying down on a sleeping bag, seemingly very ill. But that didn't stop Tai from kneeling to her and holding her hand with a gentleness the newcomers hadn't seen before.
"W-Who is she?" Arshan asked Wizardmon as he walked closer.
"Tai's sister, Kari. She was chosen after Tai's group failed the first time to defeat Ragna Lordmon. Tai and... another... were very vocal about them being dragged into this world, especially more when their group failed as well."
Arshan knew that there were attempts to save the world before him. But seeing the aftereffects of those failures from his seniors... it hit his confidence even more. Tai and Zero looked powerful and competent, but even they and the other generations couldn't stop Ragna Lordmon? No wonder the Digital World seemed to give up trying to stop him and just stole him here.
"Why is she sick?" Coro asked.
Wizardmon looked over at the two. He seemed to fight himself on whether or not he should say why until he sighed. "Because her chosen partner died."
Instinctively, Arshan put his hand on Coro's head. He knew times changed very quickly, but Coro calmed him even when he should have been losing his mind to the speeding insanity around him. The thought of losing him now, even when their friendship just started, made him scared and ill.
Wizardmon continued. "You'll understand later, but as you two grow stronger together, you'll be connected more than just in bonds. Gatomon... we were attacked by a strong enemy that shouldn't have been in the area. She sacrificed herself to save Kari. But even with Kari physically safe, Gatomon dying, alongside the failing Digital World, has made her ill." Wizardmon forced himself to stop talking. He had the feeling if he continued, he would make the situation even more somber.
"We have to do something!" Coro cried out, passionate to help. Arshan wasn't as vocal, but he wanted to help too.
"It's why we came here. We heard rumors of a healing spring in this area, but as you can see..." They saw how desolate the area was. Even if there was a drop of these healing waters, it would have already been dried up by the dust.
Arshan looked over to Tai and Kari. He did not know them... and he did not have his own siblings.
But... family... those ignited complicated feelings in the teen that he could never ignore.
Arshan slid into the empty pool walking towards the fountain in the center, causing Zero and Wizardmon to watch in surprise as Coro followed after him.
"Okay, you said you have a message for me here. So where is it?" Arshan took out his Digivice. However, even as he brought it out, the device didn't react. "Come on! Come on! Where did you hide it!?"
As the two made their way, the earth started to shake. Cracks started to appear as something geysered out of them. It was not water, but tendrils.
"Oh no! Eaters!" Wizardmon readied his staff as Zero ran into the tent.
A large cluster of Eaters formed outward, surrounding Arshan and Coro.
"Well! I did not expect this to happen!" Arshan yelled as he and Coro stood back-to-back to the best of their ability.
"Alright, you take the ones on the right, and I'll take the ones on the left!" Coro ignited his fists.
"I don't think I can! But thanks for the vote of confi—move!" Arshan and Coro ducked away from two attempting to eat them both. Luckily, Wizardmon backed them up with his staff.
"Thunder Cloud!"
His attacks struck true, hitting the creatures with the raw power of the elements. However, the inhuman beings shrugged off an attack that would have downed even other Champion Digimon and turned to the cloaked attacker.
"Corona Knuckle!" Coro seemed more practiced than in the first fight, instead of firing wildly, his attacks were focused, aiming for the red cores of the Eaters. This slowed them down and encumbered them more than attacking their formless tendrils.
Tai came out, seeing both Coro and Wizardmon fight off a wave of Eaters. He looked over to Zero with a Digivice attached to his arm. "Warp Digivolve!"
"Zero! Warp Digivolve to... Rizegreymon!" If there was anything more overkill than a giant, fire-breathing dinosaur, then a giant, fire-breathing dinosaur cyborg with a magnum cannon for an arm was on that list. But overkill was necessary when considering the involvement of the Eaters.
Zero did not hesitate to point his magnum in the general direction of his enemies.
"Trident Revolver!" Zero shouted as he began to shoot. Pure, firepower blasted from his cannon, one shot erasing four or even six of the incoming eaters.
"Whoa! That's a lot of power!" Coro shouted as he jumped off an Eater and landed near Wizardmon helping Arshan up.
"Yes, Ultimate Levels are fierce," Wizardmon noted. "Quick, with Tai and Zero focusing on them, we must protect Kari!"
Luckily for them, Zero made quick work of the remaining Eaters. But he was too powerful. The attacks destroyed what was left of the fountain, making whatever clue they could find to cure Kari...
"Ah!" Coro pointed over to the destroyed fountain. "Something is sticking out!"
Everyone quickly ran to the remains of the center. Inside the fountain, something was trapped beneath the rubble. Arshan squinted his eyes as he lowered himself to get a good look at it. "Hey! Is that?"
Being skittish and nervous, no one expected Arshan to move the rocks away pulling out a familiar box.
"Is this a violin case? Here!?" Arshan cried out as he opened the latch, revealing the instrument in question. He gasped as he delicately brought it out. "It's... in great condition too." Tai noticed how Arshan's body changed when holding the instrument in the same way his body stance would change for playing soccer. That meant Arshan was trained to use the instrument, and with how he postioned himself, it was to the point where it would have been second nature to him.
"Why would there be a violin," By instinct, Arshan began to play the violin and interrupted Wizardmon. Not that he and anyone seemed to mind. Arshan played a song that was harrowing, harsh, but oddly soothing. Tai suddenly remembered, back on Earth, where he and a friend would play this game of an adventurer trying to stop the moon from destroying a town while in search of a long-lost friend. This music... the game called it the-
"Song of Healing..." Tai had almost forgotten what video games were until Arshan played the song. All the fatigue he, Zero, and Wizardmon felt slowly left them. And as Arshan played the song, his Digivice began to shine.
A soft light glowed in the area. The runes of the broken fountain began to light blue. At the same time, the corpses of the Eaters shifted and formed, returning into the lights of the Digignomes.
"He wasn't lying..." Tai stared in awe as the Eaters they defeated returned to their true forms. But more than that, the song in tandem with the Digivice, seemed to spark life into the dead room. The dead plants and palm trees regained their lost vigor, appearing in their primes.
When Arshan finished the song, he calmed down and relaxed. When he did, the five felt movement beneath them once more. However, it was not violent like the Eaters. Instead, water started to spill out of the holes, prompting Tai to lead everyone else back up at the edges as clear water filled the once-empty and dry pool.
"I-I can't believe this!" Wizardmon held his head. "The fountain was dried up! It was abandoned, but-but you!" He turned to Arshan, who looked as confused as he felt. "How did you do that!?"
"... I-I don't... I just wanted to play..."
"Gatomon?" The five looked up to see Kari, up from bed, looking out to the pool. "I-I heard Gatomon."
"Kari!" Tai, Zero, and Wizardmon tried to stabilize the girl. Wizardmon did not hesitate to pick up the water and give it to Tai's sister.
"Drink some water, you'll feel better," Wizardmon told the girl.
"I-I heard music," She said as she drank the water. "Then I heard Gatomon's voice."
"Rest first," Tai told her while he and Wizardmon felt bitter about reminding her that her partner was gone. "Then we'll..."
"Kari!" Arshan and Coro raised their brows. They searched for where that new female voice came from. Zero, Tai, and Wizardmon froze where they were. They knew that voice.
"There!" Kari tried to stand again, only to fail without support from Zero and Wizardmon. "I heard her!"
Try as they looked, they didn't see the source of the voice, only seeing the slowly healing oasis.
"Hey, do you think the voice came from this egg?"
Kari, Wizardmon, Tai, and Zero turned to the pool edge as Arshan and Coro looked down on a floating egg with strange color patterns.
"Is it cracked? Wouldn't it be sinking then?" Arshan took out the egg from the pool.
But as soon as he held it, it broke completely, revealing a creature that looked like a yellow mouse if not for its feline features. The creature locked eyes with Arshan and Coro before looking over to the others and focusing on the only female.
"Kari!"
"G-Gatomon!?" Kari stood up, tears in her face.
Without hesitation, the small creature leapt towards the girl, who caught the small creature in her arms in a hug as they both began to cry. "I missed you!" Kari said through sobs. "Don't ever do that again!"
"Wait. That's Kari's partner?" Arshan walked up to an equally stunned Tai and Wizardmon. "I thought she was dead!"
"She was. Or. Supposed to be." Wizardmon put a hand on his head and sat down on a nearby chair. "You're new, so I'll be quick. Digimon do not truly die. When we are killed, our data gets shifted and we reincarnate into that egg and baby stage you just saw. We all get reborn in these Beginning Villages, good and evil Digimon. But Ragna Lordmon razed these sites to the ground, perverting our cycles of life and death. Now, Digimon sometimes appear almost out of thin air at random times, only to die as quickly if not faster in the most obscure places. If a Digimon was killed now, their fate meant they would spend an eternity of death in the countless warring and dying lands. And that's not even including if the Eaters were to get them."
"Wait, so Digimon come from eggs? Like me? I don't remember waking up from an egg. And do you mean eggs like those?" As Coro pointed back out, everyone followed his finger. To the shock of many, more and more eggs appeared from beneath the surface of the healing waters.
"Arshan," Wizardmon stood up and stared at the impossible sight before him. "You just created a new Town of Beginnings!"
Arshan didn't know how to deal with compliments, but still felt nervous as he looked away. "R-Really? I-I mean AncientWisemon said I was a Restorer."
"A what?" Now Tai looked over to Arshan in confusion. "What's a Restorer?"
"Perhaps," Wizardmon pointed his staff beyond Kari. "We should ask AncientWisemon."
Everyone turned to a Digignome with glowing green eyes looking straight at Arshan. Even Kari and the one called Gatomon found themselves eyeing the creature as Arshan and Coro made their way to the fairy.
"Okay... um... how does this work again? Do I use my Digivice? Play a," As Arshan began to be awkward, the Digignome flew and blinded everyone with a green light.
"That's new!" Tai shouted before everyone's eyes adjusted. They were back in the void, but a familiar figure stood before all of them.
"Ahh, this future. It's... promising. But I digress. Hello Tai and Kari Kamiya."
"Whoa. Ancientwisemon? Since when do you not sound insane?" Kari, regaining more of her strength, sounded more sassy when she wasn't sickly.
The vision shrugged his shoulders. "I had to 'pull myself together' when it comes to my messages about Arshan and the Restorers."
"Couldn't you have done that in any of ours?" Both Tai and Kari asked at the same time.
"Wait, how does he usually sound?!" Arshan asked.
"I throw in random phrases that may or may not pertain to the situation at hand. You have to forgive me. After seeing over a thousand versions of Kari crushing on TK, you'd be surprised at how many variances there are despite being the same future."
"I'm never going to stop asking questions, am I?" Arshan realized this as he had no idea who this TK was.
While Kari was looking scandalized that her dirty laundry was aired out to a complete stranger and her brother, AncientWisemon continued. "But a more serious reason why I'm "stable" in Arshan's messages is because he and the other Restorers are the last Digidestined the Digital World will send. After them, no more."
Arshan gulped. "Y-Yeah. He told me I was this world's failsafe."
"You and perhaps others. Though, aside from you, I am unsure of who else will be chosen. It's blurry and there are more variances in those than in others," He turned to Tai and Kari. "Digidestined. This message means that all of my previous plans to defeat Ragna Lordmon have failed. The Digital World has given up on attempting to stop him. Arshan and others will be brought to fix the dying world. You saw how." The older group knew this. The power Arshan and Coro had was unlike anything they had seen before.
"Wait, how do we know this isn't Ragna Lordmon now?" Coro put up his fists in case he had to fight.
"Ah yes. Despite all my work, he undid it by adding his own and mixing it with mine. I'm sorry I did not warn you, Kamiyas. I was so focused on finding the secret to his ring that I overlooked him killing me and obscuring my plans. And this may also explain why I cannot see certain futures and past events. So even I am not immune to hindsight. But whether you believe me or not, it seems that Ragna Lordmon's goal are the Restorers. I see more visions of him being active after Arshan's appearance than I ever had with all the others."
"Ooooooohhhhh nooooooo," Arshan whined after hearing the Invincible King was after him.
"While you have reason to be afraid, Arshan. That also means Ragna Lordmon's mysterious immortality is tied to you. I can see it in the glimpses: he is desperate to get you and the others. That desperation may finally reveal what makes him untouchable."
"No offense, but it's hard to believe that when you were hopeful the last plus 6 times before this." Kari hugged her partner tighter, as if to subconsciously say that she didn't want to lose more friends than she already did.
Ancientwisemon turned to her. "The Restorers are also the key to saving some of those that were lost. Do you not hold one in your arms at this very moment?"
"I admit, I was so happy to hear Kari's voice again after the attack from that stupid horse," Kari's partner spoke up. "I was so afraid I would have found myself on one of the moons!"
"What's on the moons?" Arshan also noted that there were multiple here. Maybe he should start taking notes.
"Newbie, you're only learning that when you reach Ultimate level with your partner and not a second before." For being just reborn, Gatomon's voice held a firm finality to it.
But Ancientwisemon sighed. "Look, I'm unsure if Ragna Lordmon tampered with this message. Or if you're even hearing this properly. But please believe me when Arshan and the others might be our last hope. Because all events after him if he and the others fall... is utter darkness. And not the evil kind. I mean no more future. The Digital World dies fully. And unlike Digimon, no being rebirth. I'm not stupid. I know the older ones have lost faith in me, and I do not blame you. However, that will not stop me from telling you Arshan's direction. The power of a Restorer is not to be underestimated. He can free and heal one of the Ancient Titans."
Tai's eyes widened as Kari gasped. "You mean he can save Takuya and the others!?"
Arshan didn't like the sound of that. He didn't know who those were or why they needed saving, but he was painfully aware that it was going to take far more effort than he had already imagined.
"Only if you prepare him. First, get back to Shadow City. One of your allies will tell you of Gatomon's killer. That will be the first great hurdle."
"Aww, what?! We just barely escaped that guy and we have to face him again!?" Gatomon screamed.
"Restoring the Warrior of Wood will help you in the long run. But you will also need to teach Arshan and Coro how to Digivolve."
Tai looked over at the new pair. They only bonded just today, yet they already seemed close. "That doesn't sound too hard."
"...Good luck." Ancientwisemon turned to Arshan. "Again, Arshan. I want to say... thank you. Even though it was just restoring one small area, you have healed a piece of the Digital World that was thought to be lost forever. I know you still do not believe in yourself, and I know why. So, even at the risk of speaking to Ragna Lordmon, please. Come and find me when you need someone to speak to."
The vision faded, returning everyone back into the pool, now filled to the brim with other Digi Eggs.
"... Well, you heard Ancientwisemon. Let's bring Arshan and Coro to Shadow City." Kari looked at her brother. However, Tai couldn't help but smile. The girl who was sickly in a sleeping bag was now standing as tall as she used to be. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, even if Zero could quietly tell, he was losing hope. Hope in saving his sister, and surviving in this dying world. But now? After so many horrible losses. Just once. Just this once: they won with everyone in tact, even gaining new friends. And a weight lifted off his shoulders.
"I have to stay here," Wizardmon perked up. "This place will need a guardian. And until one is officially appointed, these baby Digimon need to be protected."
"Aww, but I understand. Stay safe!" Gatomon's baby form said that in an almost threatening manner.
"Man," Arshan slumped. "I feel so overwhelmed. I'm still so confused about the intricacies and details of this new world, but there's a stupid long and very dangerous journey before us!"
Tai patted the teen's back. He smiled, but it was one that he didn't think he had in him anymore. It was a smile full of hope.
And for this world? Hope couldn't arrive soon enough.
[Author Notes]
Welcome to Failsafe Digimon SYOC! I don't know what to say, really. I know I technically did one before, but quit. But now, I'm... huh... I do not think I've changed all that much.
Screw it. I'm giving this another shot! Screw you anxiety!
Now, I'll post the Submission Form here and in my Profile. But before I do that, I'll also include my Discord ID: Phantomgalaxy13! I'm far more active in there, and if you add me as a friend, I can easily get you into the discord I made for this story. But here's the forum! I hope you are interested in this dying world of Failsafe!
Failsafe DIGIMON SYOC!
Name:
Age: 8+
Appearance:
Personality: (How they act)
Description: (Different from appearance, and I got this from another SYOC that I liked, describe your OC with three words.)
Gender:
Sexuality:
Digimon Partner: (Evolution route here.)
Digimon Partner quotes: (A few lines here on how they speak. At least 3 would help me.)
Digivice: You are allowed to pick whatever Digivice you want among the existing ones. To keep it easier for me, please use the anime ones. And if you want to use the obscure ones, please put in an explanation on what they are and what they do. For example, I'm allowing those who pick the Tamers and Fusion Loader Digivices their abilities. (To a certain extent.) So if one of the games or books, or novels, has an odd digivice power I am obviously not aware of, please give me a summary.
Likes:
Quotes: (Make a few sentences here of your character speaking, so I have an idea of how they talk. 3 at least please.)
Dislikes:
Hobbies:
Comic Trait: something silly or funny about your character and their Digimon. If you can't think of something, you can leave this blank.
Backstory: Who they were before they were stolen into the Digital World.
Fears:
Character Arc: So, this is technically the most important one. And the hardest to really grasp. I'll try to tell you what I want as best as possible in a simple way.
"Who is this character? What is their deepest desire? And how is it different or not from what they NEED to change into the person they were meant to be?" If you could also fit this with the theme of "healing". That would also be great. Honestly, good luck, since I won't know what's needed until I see what you put in.
Last: Due to the darker nature of this story, there may come a time for your character to get hurt in a way that's uncomfortable. I don't think I'm doing anything needlessly gory, but the ideas I have for this story can be demoralizing, as it's up to a fresh new group to somehow survive with beaten but powerful cynics. There's a lot of trauma going on even from the healer's side. So, it's a fair warning that there can be some miserable things, and I hope you're okay with subjecting your character through that.
Other than that, I hope you have fun. With how I'm shaping up this world, there isn't technically a limit. But that doesn't mean everyone is going to share the limelight. Some others will shine more than others for reasons of my choosing, and I do hope no one will hate it. But if they do, I tried an Idea and it didn't work. I will share, but I may hint at it more to surprise people. Anyway, good luck!
Edit: Hot DANG! You guys have come out of nowhere! The slots are all full not even a week in. You guys are kinda scary. Anyway, thanks for submitting and I wish I could have included everyone, but like...
Hmmm...
EDIT EDIT: CORRECTION! I made a mistake in my notes! I DO NOT have all slots filled like I thought I did! I've got 2 open slots left! (Preferably one boy and one girl.) So, it's back to being open!
Well, I'll see you all later!