Hey everyone, and welcome back to another chapter.
When we last left our stranded trio, after being attacked by an angry sea serpent, Nisa and Linda had got into a heated argument, resulting in them separating for a while. But that was just the beginning of the trio, as a fierce typhoon threatened to ravage the island, and them along with it. In her haste to find the former criminal and the slime Digimon, our Heroine of Justice was pinned under a tree. It took the combined strength of her, Numemon, and a reluctant Linda to free herself from her predicament.
Seeing that there was no escape from the storm, they seeked shelter underneath a small rock formation, developing an unlikely but mutual bond in the process. But even after getting past their differences and staying safe from the storm, can they ever find a way off the island? Let's find out, shall we?
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or the Hyperdimension Neptunia series. Both franchises belong to their respective companies.
Chapter 44: Serpent Of Water And Air
The typhoon that had hovered over the island had raged on the entire day, tearing apart trees and even flooding the lower parts of the island as a result, from the beachline to some parts of the inner forest. By the time the next day arrived, the great storm that threatened to tear the island apart had finally passed. Where the the sound of howling winds, pounding rain, and booming thunder and lightning once ruled over the small land and surrounding ocean, now there was only the ambient hum of trees and leaves brushing against one another, water droplets falling on to other leaves and branches before hitting the ground as well, and the echos of waves gently frothing to and from the sandy shores all around. With the danger passed, calm had returned to the island once more.
Bits of sunlight pierced through the thick tropical canopy and peered into the makeshift shelter of where Nisa, Linda, and Numemon had taken cover in to ride out the fierce storm. All three were still asleep, their bodies huddled together as they peacefully slumbered. But their journey through their own little dream worlds would come to an end when the small rays of the Digital World's sun shined into their faces. The two girls were the first to stir as they slowly opened their eyes, followed by Numemon, who apparently slept with his eyes open. At least that's what he told Linda once.
Both girls yawned at almost the same time before their eyes fully opened. Then they slowly faced each other, wondering what had happened to them yesterday. But then they soon remembered what had transpired. They smiled a bit as realization started to come to their minds. All three of them had just survived a nasty ordeal in the most harsh of circumstances. They were never more thankful to be alive than they they were now. From rescuing the blue haired girl from a fallen tree to surviving a typhoon that threatened to turn the island into a parking lot, and flatten them along with it. But despite the odds staked against them, all three of them had managed to live long enough to see the light of day again.
Under normal circumstances it would've been a time for celebration. But as the two were still waking up, both girls realized something else. They were a little close to one another, to the point where they were practically pressing against each other's shoulders. Apparently they had shifted throughout the night, whether they were conscious about it or not. Both the Heroine of Justice and the former criminal blushed almost immediately before they scooted away from each other, turning their faces away from one another. The pair then just sat their in silence, unsure whether or not to bring up the topic of how they managed to get so close to each other in the middle of the night. In the end both of them decided against it, believing it to just be mere coincidence and nothing more.
"Uh, g-good morning!", Nisa stammered, being the first to break the awkward silence.
"Uh, ye-yeah. G-Good morning to you too, I think...?", Linda replied, who felt just about as awkward as the blue haired girl.
They didn't dare look at each other for the longest of times, as they just wanted the moment to pass in silence and never speak of it. Numemon, however, was looking at the both of them with confusion in his eyes.
"Are you okay, pretty ladies?", he asked innocently.
"I-It's nothing!", both girls said at the same time.
The slime Digimon just tilted his head in confusion, but just decided to go along with it. Both girls found it best to get out of the small shelter right then and there, before things get even awkward between them. Stepping out into the open, both Nisa and Linda stretched their limbs, groaning as they let their arms and legs finally move about after spending the night in such an uncomfortable position.
After taking a moment to move around, everyone looked at their surroundings. Bits of branches, leaves, and even some trees had fallen to the ground after losing their battle against the storm. The dripping water droplets and the rustling of the tall trees that still stood intact were the only sounds they could hear at the moment. Yet they were still amazed by how much damage the storm had did to the small land. They wondered what the beach looked like now.
"Yikes... That storm really tore the place up", Linda remarked.
"It doesn't look as bad here. We may have the trees to thank for that", stated Nisa.
"Thank you, trees!", exclaimed Numemon, referring to the tropical brush all around the trio.
"Don't go literally thanking the trees. Besides, they don't talk back", said the green haired girl.
But just as she said that, an unfamiliar groaning sound echoed through the woods spooking the former criminal and the others. They looked all around to see if they weren't hallucinating, only to find that they weren't when they heard the noise again.
"You were saying?", said Nisa.
"You see? You should apologize to the trees", the slime Digimon said.
"I don't think that was the trees...", Linda stated.
"Did the storm become a monster and make a home here?", asked Numemon frantically.
"Calm down, friend. Let's just go and see where that sound's coming from", the Heroine of Justice said.
They all nodded and started trekking their way out of the thick tropical brush, making their way towards the beach. After a few minutes of this, they made it to the shoreline. There they made an unexpected discovery, as an unwelcome visitor was revealed.
Looking across the beach they saw, to their horror, that the groaning noise they were listening to belonged to none other than a creature that they had only just encountered yesterday. It was the giant sea serpent that had attacked them and nearly turned them into his next meal.
"I-I-It's t-t-the s-s-sea m-m-m-monster!", Numemon panicked as he hid himself behind Linda.
"Not much of a monster any more. Look", Nisa pointed out.
Looking at what she was referring to, they could see what she meant. The sea serpent was now laying on the beach, unable to move at all. It's very own body, which had served it well in the deep waters around the island, now betrayed it as it laid on the beach helpless and suffocating under its own weight, with the rays of the Digital World's sun beating down on its body.
The trio approached with slow and extreme caution, not knowing whether or not that it would lash out suddenly at any moment. Even though it looked helpless on the land, its jaws were still more than capable of ripping them to shreds. Getting a better look at the creature's body, they could see that it was as big as a semi, and just about as long as three of them put together, but got thinner further down its tail. They could also now see that in addition to having a pair of large flipper-like fins, it also had two pairs of smaller fins that went down its light blue body, and at the end of the tail end was a red leaf-like tail fin, which probably acted like a paddle tat could propel it through the water.
It turned its yellow head a little bit as it glared at them with one of its blue eyes before groaning loudly, making the trio step back in response. At least they figured out the source of the sound echoing throughout the island. But now they were faced with a new problem. How did the sea serpent get on the island? and more importantly, would it still want them as a last meal? The answer would make itself known, however, as the creature made an unexpected noise.
"Uggghhh... Please... help me...", it said.
Everyone could hardly believe their ears. The might sea creature had spoken to them. And not only that, it was asking them for help. Then a wave of realization dawned on them all. This creature was actually a Digimon. But how it ended up on the beach was still a mystery to the group.
"Who or what are you?", asked Nisa cautiously.
"I'm Seadramon... I was washed ashore here last night... by a big and powerful storm...", the sea serpent Digimon explained.
Now it all made sense to the trio. Apparently the violent storm had tossed and churned the waters around the island so badly that it sent the sea creature moving out of control and ended up getting washed ashore as a result of the waves. With the storm now passed, the waters that had flooded the beach have since receided, resulting in the sea serpent Digimon becoming stranded on the island, just as the group was.
"Hmph. I'd say that serves you right for trying to eat us", Linda remarked rudely.
"Linda! Show some respect", Nisa scolded her.
"Yeah, just look at him. Poor guy's trapped here now just like we are", added Numemon, now more brave after seeing what had become of Seadramon.
The green haired girl then took another look at the creature and saw just how sad he looked as he sat there on the beach, unable to move at all. Now the former criminal felt guilty about her comment and decided to say nothing further about it. Nevertheless, it did feel ironic to her, that this once fearsome predator of the ocean was now just as helpless as they were.
"Please... help me...", he begged once more.
Both Linda and Numemon were unsure of what to do, as they didn't know what they could do with a giant sea serpent Digimon like the one that laid before them. But Nisa, not wanting to let this creature suffer, approached it, a sure fire in her eyes. The former criminal and the slime Digimon looked at her like she had lost her mind as she walked towards the creature.
"Hey, are you insane?", Linda called out to her.
"He tried to eat us, remember?", added Numemon.
But the blue haired girl didn't respond as she drew closer to Seadramon, who stared at her unblinkingly. When she got close to him, she placed a hand on his yellow face, while the sea serpent Digimon hummed in what sounded like a mixture between purring and growling. The Heroine of Justice looked back at his eye, a look of sympathy forming on her face, before the spark in her eyes ignited again as she turned back around to face her friends.
"He may have tried to eat us before, but even sea monsters like him deserve a chance to live", she said heroically.
"Okay, moving a tree is one thing, but this is an entirely different thin we're dealing with here", stated the former criminal.
"Yeah, and for all we know, he could be lying just so he can try and eat us again", added Numemon.
But Nisa just shook her head, undeterred by their comments. She already set her mind on helping the poor Digimon, and that was what she was going to do no matter what.
"I can see it in him. He's not really a bad monster. He was just doing what he could to survive, just like we were", the blue haired girl said.
"She is right... I attacked you out of hunger, and I apologize deeply...", Seadramon said sorrowfully.
Linda didn't know what to think about the whole situation before her. She didn't want to spend anymore time on this island, and she certainly didn't trust a sea serpent that tried to eat her yesterday. But the serious look on Nisa's face told her that they had to do something to help the monster in any way they could. She finally sighed, knowing that there was no way she was going to talk the Heroine of Justice out of it.
"If there's one thing I learned about you, it's that there's no point in stopping you at all when you set your mind on something.", the former criminal stated.
She then approached the blue haired girl before giving her a light bump on her arm with her hand before smiling.
"But what the hell? We've got nothing better to do, so, I guess I can help. But you owe me for this and the tree incident from yesterday", said Linda.
Nisa stared before smiling back at her, while Numemon approached the group from behind.
"If both pretty ladies are gonna help, then I wanna help too!", he said, no longer afraid like he was earlier.
Seadramon looked at them all with his eye before blinking, as if it were his way of smiling.
"Thank you... Even if you can't get me back in the water, it's nice to know you will try...", he said to them.
"But just what can we do? He's too heavy for us to lift or push unlike with the tree", stated Linda.
Nisa looked all over the sea serpent Digimon for a moment, observing him from top to bottom, before a confident smirk formed on her face.
"Maybe we don't need to do either", she said.
"What do you mean?", asked the former criminal.
"I think with enough force, I can kick him right back into the water", said the blue haired girl.
Linda could only just look at her like she had just lost her mind, but didn't try to stop her. In fact, she secretly wanted to watch her fail at her task. Stepping back by a yard, the blue haired girl angle herself to where she could move the creature back into the water. She then started gearing herself up for her signature move.
"Brace yourself, Seadramon. This might tickle a bit", she said.
The sea serpent Digimon did just that, preparing itself for whatever Nisa had in mind. Once she was ready, she charged forwards for a few seconds before leaping high into the air, much to everyone's amazement.
"Justice Kick - Maximum Drive!", she exclaimed as she stuck a leg out in a kicking motion.
Though it sounded like an ultra powerful attack, it was really a hyped midair kick that had a lot of power put into it that the Heroine of Justice could put into as best as she could. Raining down towards Seadramon, her foot made contact with his body, a resounding impact echoing everywhere. Everyone looked on in shock at what had just happened... or rather what didn't happen. The sea serpent Digimon didn't move a single inch. It was only when a few seconds passed before Nisa finally fell down to the sand in comical fashion, who then proceeded to clutch her leg as she cried in pain.
"Ow ow ow ow ow! That smarts!", she exclaimed.
She yelled in pain as she rolled around in the sand, tending to her leg as if it were her baby. Both Numemon and Seadramon couldn't help but sweat drop at the blue haired girl's misfortune. She didn't look very heroic now than she was earlier. Meanwhile Linda just shook her head, a hand in her face.
"Somehow I knew that was gonna happen...", she said to herself.
But the injury that the Heroine of Justice brought upon herself wasn't the biggest issue at the moment. Even with all the force she could put together into a single strike, the sea serpent Digimon just barely even budged. After the girl in question finished tending to her hurt leg, she stared in total disbelief at the lack of handiwork that had happened before them.
"I can't believe it. My best attack and it didn't even move him by a few feet", Nisa said, her voice filled with disappointment.
"Well, it was worth a try...", Seadramon said.
Linda just smirked as she chuckled at Nisa's failure to move the sea serpent Digimon.
"For a so-called Heroine of Justice, uh, I don't see much of the heroism", she remarked.
"Oh hush, you", deadpanned the blue haired girl before placing a hand on her chin. "Maybe the problem is that only I was doing it... Hmmm..."
She then turned her attention to the former criminal, who felt like her life just became placed at risk.
"Oh no, don't you rope me into that nonsense. I am not doing that stunt with you", she said.
"Oh come on, give it a chance. Think of it as your first true test as the Sidekick of Justice", Nisa insisted.
"No way! I'm not about to break my leg over pushing a sea monster back into the water. And I told, I'm not a sidekick", Linda replied.
"I know!", said Numemon suddenly. "Maybe we can use-"
"NO!", both girls scolded at once, not letting the slime Digimon finish his sentence.
His eye stalks drooped down, his "idea" shot down once again by the pair. As they all pondered on what to do next, Seadramon just stared at them, unsure if they can actually get him back into the water. Although he was thankful that they were willing to try their best, he feared that their best efforts may not be enough.
Much to the sea serpent Digimon's fears, the trio were very unsuccessful with their attempts at returning him into the water. First they tried pushing together all at once, hoping that their combined weight would be able to at least move Seadramon a few feet at least, but to no avail. Then the trio attempted to pull him from the other end. Grabbing the sea serpent's tail they thought that they could drag him into the water. But still the large Digimon remained stationary.
Then the Heroine of Justice attempted to use her signature kick again, only this time both Linda and Numemon would try to pull on Seadramon's tail, while Nisa would try to push by kicking the head of the sea monster. All they accomplished, however, is wearing themselves out, as well as leaving a bruise on the creature's snout, which the blue haired girl apologized profusely for.
At last, exhausted from their efforts to push Seadramon back into the water, eventually had to call it quits. Nothing they tried worked, and everything they did try either hurt themselves or became too tired to continue. They spent all day trying to figure out how to get the creature back to the ocean where he belonged. And it looked like the condition of the monster in question wasn't getting any better either. Needless to say, the trio was running out of time, and so was Seadramon.
"Sorry, Seadramon... We tried everything we could think of...", Nisa apologized.
"The problem is we're just not strong enough. If we had a bulldozer or a crane, maybe we could do it", stated Linda.
"Yeah. Sorry, Mr. Sea Monster", added Numemon sympathetically.
"That's alright... At least you... did your best...", the sea serpent Digimon said.
His voice was weak, and his body was starting to dry up. Even when everyone splashed some water on him to keep him wet, the heat from the Digital World's sun was relentless. The trio suddenly felt like they wanted the storm that passed over the island to come back, if only to keep Seadramon from drying up. At the rate things were going, he wasn't going to last for much longer. He coughed roughly as he could feel himself starting to fade.
"No... This can't be the end...", said the Heroine of Justice. "We've got to think of something. Anything. Surely we must've missed something. We just need to-"
She was then interrupted by Linda, who placed a hand on her shoulder, a sad look on her face.
"We tried everything. We just can't help him", said the former criminal.
Nisa just stared at her like was crazy. Although she wasn't speaking like she had given up. Her words were that of acceptance, to which the blue haired girl sighed at. She knew that Linda was right. Despite their best efforts, there was just nothing that they could do for the stranded sea serpent Digimon. For the whole day, from the very beginning, they were fighting back against the inevitable. It was only a matter of time before Seadramon would perish from heat exhaustion, and all they could do was watch. Turning her attention back to Seadramon, Nisa tried to put on a strong face, but even he could see that she was struggling to not look sad.
"I'm sorry. We've failed..", she apologized.
"Don't grieve... At least... I've lived a long life...", said Seadramon.
"Is there anything we can do in your last moments? Any last requests before... well, you know...", the Heroine of Justice said grimly.
The sea serpent Digimon thought for a moment before an idea came to him.
"Yes... I'd like one more meal... before I fade away...", he said.
Everyone tensed up a bit at this, remembering what happened the last time he tried to make a meal out of them.
"Don't worry... I don't want to eat you... especially after you tried... to help me...", he continued. much to everyone's relief.
"Then what do you want? We can't seem to catch any fish around here", stated Linda.
"I want... some more of... that...", he said, eyeing something up in the trees.
The trio looked up to where he was looking. There were still some Orange Bananas hanging on to the trees, even after the storm ravaged the island.
"Orange Bananas?", asked Linda.
"Is that what it's called? It's so delicious...", the sea serpent Digimon said, his mouth watering a little.
"I didn't take you for a fruit lover", added Nisa.
"Yes... I love that fruit... It was unlike anything I ever tasted before...", Seadramon stated, his eyes gleaming.
"You see, pretty lady? Even Mr. Sea Monster likes them", said Numemon.
"Alright, alright, I'll try them later if we have time...", said Linda begrudgingly.
"I was only using one as bait for fishing. I didn't think anything would bite though", said the Heroine of Justice.
"You tried using something as bait even knowing that something might not actually take it? Man, you're impossible...", the former criminal deadpanned.
"Can you please get some for me? I want to try some more one more time... before I go...", said Seadramon.
"Of course. We can do that much for you. Right guys", Nisa said as she faced her comrades.
Both Linda and Numemon nodded, knowing that they should also help the sea serpent Digimon not go hungry. They set to work at once, spreading out to find as many Orange Bananas as possible. While the green haired girl and the slime Digimon looked for any that were scattered on the ground as a result of the storm, the Heroine of Justice would climb some of the trees in an attempt to find any that still clung to the tops of the tropical canopies. The trio had to find quite a lot, as the sea serpent Digimon was quite a big Digimon who required a lot of food.
Finally, they returned with arms full of Orange Bananas, and then proceeded to feed them to the dying Seadramon. He enjoyed them immensely, as the flavor and texture entered his mouth. Strangely enough, though, a part of him could feel some of his energy returning to him, although it wasn't going to do him any good at getting himself off of the dry beach. Once he was full, the group sighed in relief, know that their task was done, while the sea serpent Digimon had a satisfied look on his face.
"Was that good?", asked Nisa.
"Yes... They were so tasty", Seadramon said happily.
"You got that right", said Numemon, biting down on an Orange Banana himself.
Linda could be seen taking a bite out of one as well. She had expected tit to not taste that great. But once it had entered her mouth, she was surprised to see that she was wrong about her initial thoughts. In fact, it didn't taste bad to her at all.
"This is good", she said, still surprised by the texture. "Sorry I ever doubted you guys."
"See? It's nice to try new things", Nisa said before taking a bite of her own Orange Banana.
The trio enjoyed their little snack break, feeling quite energized. The Heroine of Justice then wondered what she could make with these digital fruits. Perhaps a Digital World version of a banana pudding? Or a digital banana pie? But as she was wondering what exactly she could do with them, they heard a strange noise. She turned around to find Seadramon spasming, his eyes going wide. A look of horror formed on her face, as she realized what was about to happen.
"Oh no, Seadramon!", she exclaimed.
Linda and Numemon stopped what they were doing all at once as they saw what was happening. They all rushed over to the sea serpent Digimon, who continued to shake violently. Although their was nothing they could do for him now, they still felt that they wanted to save him, even if they felt helpless to do so.
"C'mon, stay with us, Seadramon! Stay strong!", encouraged Nisa.
"You-You're too... kind! I- I- Aaahhh!", Seadramon managed to say before jerking his head upwards, unable to control himself.
Everyone could only watch as the great creature of the ocean was about to fade from existence. Though they did not know him for very long, they still felt very sad for him. In their hearts they wished that things didn't have to end the way they did.
"Damn, this sucks...", said Linda quietly.
"I can't look...", Numemon commented, retracting his eye stalks into his body.
But as everyone braced themselves for the inevitable, something else strange started happening. Instead of Seadramon's body fading from existence, he started glowing in a bright light. This confused everyone at first, who were expecting the sea serpent Digimon to turn into digital particles. But this was different. Something else was going on, and yet none knew what.
"Somethings happening!", exclaimed Nisa.
"Yeah, but what?!", added Linda.
They didn't have long to wait and find out. As the glow grew brighter and brighter, the trio shielded their eyes, not wanting to blind themselves from what was happening before them. Something very strange was taking place, and it didn't seem like what normally happens when a Digimon is deleted. They could only speculate, however, as they knew very little about how Digimon live and die.
When the light finally cleared, everyone opened their eyes to see what had happened, they gasped in shock. Something miraculous had just occurred. Instead of Seadramon dying before them, he had become something else. He retained his long blue body, but much of him was way different than before. For starters, instead of a leaf-like tip on his tail that was used like a paddle, there was now a feathery tip colored like that of a fire. In place of his yellow head and light blue eyes, he now had red eyes, a bone-like head with two horns, and fire colored feathers growing out of the back of his head. On top of all of that, the large and small flippers that allowed him to traverse the Digital World's oceans were gone, but instead he had a pair of large red wings with a few holes in them.
Flapping his wings, he roared loudly, letting the whole island hear him, before taking flight and flew around the beach in delight, all while Nisa, Linda and Numemon just watched in shock an awe. They were wondering what had just happened to the sea serpent Digimon that they knew. Did he perish, or did he become this new winged creature? Was this a form of Digivolution that they didn't know about? They only assumed that Digivolution was possible via the Digivices the CPUs had for their partners. It was quite strange to them, and they were unsure as to what to do. The winged Digimon then turned his gaze at the trio, who just stood there with dumbfounded looks in their eyes.
"S-Seadramon? Is that you?", asked Nisa cautiously, expecting him to attack like he did before from yesterday.
But the winged Digimon simply smiled at them, flapping his wings happily in acknowledgement.
"I'm Airdramon now! I've Digivolved from Seadramon! I feel like a new Digimon, both figuratively and literally!", he said happily.
Everyone was amazed by this. They did not know that such a feat was possible outside of an evolution powered by a Digivice, let alone that a Digimon could become completely different like this.
"Well I'll be damned", Linda remarked.
"But just how was this possible? We thought you were dying", the Heroine of Justice inquired.
"I don't know either. I was at death's door, but then a surge of energy sprang to life within me", Airdramon explained.
"Maybe it was all of those bananas you ate?", the former criminal suggested.
"I heard my kind can become Airdramon if they lived long enough. But I've only seen it happen a few times to others of my kind", the winged Digimon explained.
"So it's like some sort of mutant evolution?", Nisa pondered aloud.
"Who cares what it is? I like Mr Air Monster!", Numemon commented.
Airdramon then lowered himself towards the trio, who just smiled at him. They were all very worried moments ago, fearing that his time had come. But a miracle on the beach had transformed the beached Seadramon into the majestic Airdramon. The power of Digivolution was quite the remarkable thing in the Digital World.
"Thank you s much for trying to help me, and being there for me when I needed help", he said.
"We didn't really do nothing other than give ya food. But sure, I'll take the compliment", said Linda.
"Yeah. If it were anyone else, we would've done the same thing regardless. You don't need to thank us", added the blue haired girl.
"Oh no, I must insist. I am so grateful for your help. I must do something to return the favor", the winged Digimon said.
"Hey, if he insists, I'd say we let him do something for us", suggested the former criminal.
Nisa pondered for a moment. She wasn't one to turn down someone who was willing to repay her and her allies for their help, even if their efforts weren't good enough to do something like help a creature get back to the ocean. Naturally, she decided to take up the winged Digimon's offer, and she believed there was one way that he could help them.
"There may be a way for you to help us", said Nisa.
She then explained to Airdramon how they had came to the Digital World in order to resolve a conflict between them and a group called the D-Brigade, only to find themselves separated from their allies and trapped on a deserted island. The winged Digimon, understanding their plight, now felt even more sorry for attacking them the previous day.
"I see. And you'd like to find your friends again?", he asked the trio.
"Yes, we do. We can't stay on this this island. We don't belong here", Nisa replied.
Airdramon then pondered for a moment. He wasn't sure how much help he could be in finding their friends, but he was more than willing to give it a try.
"In that case, I will help you. I don't know anything about others like you, but I can help you get off this island", he said.
"That would be great. I don't want to be here when another storm comes", Linda commented.
"But just where will we go from here? From what we've seen there's nothing but a bunch of water all around us", stated the Heroine of Justice.
"There's a larger land mass not too far away. I've seen it before when I was still Seadramon. I can take you there if you'd like", said the winged Digimon.
"Oh yes, please! I don't wanna keep eating these bananas for the rest of my life", exclaimed Numemon.
"I thought you liked them, Numemon?", asked the blue haired girl.
"Guees he and I have similar opinions on fruit after all", the former criminal remarked.
All three of them laughed, even Airdramon, who couldn't help but chuckle at the interaction between them all.
"Alright then. Just hop on my back and we'll get going", he said.
The winged Digimon then lowered himself down to the sandy shore, just enough for everyone to climb on his back. Before they did so, Linda stopped the blue haired girl for a moment.
"Listen, uhhh... I'm not really good with... apologies and all... But for what it's worth... that argument on the beach we had yesterday... I... I, uhhh...", she said, unable to find the words in her mouth.
But Nisa shook her head and smiled before placing a hand on the green haired girl's shoulder, which confused the former criminal, who thought that the Heroine of Justice was still cross with her. Instead, however, her face was that of both understanding and forgiveness, with a warm smile that showed that she too was also sorry for their spat on the beach.
"Don't worry. It's all in the past now. There's no need to apologize", she said.
Linda just didn't know what to say, but for some reason, she too started smiling warmly, though she didn't know why. Nevertheless, she was grateful for her former rival's understanding.
"Thanks", was all she managed to say.
"Sure thing", the blue haired girl replied. "Now c'mon. Adventure awaits us, Linda."
Hearing her own name coming from Nisa's mouth still felt odd to the former criminal. But she didn't let her bother her too much. She was just glad that she wasn't called by the name of Underling anymore. Following the Heroine of Justice closely behind, she and Numemon carefully climbed aboard Airdramon's back, making sure that they were secure so as not to fall off mid-flight. Once they felt they were ready, they gave their new ally the go ahead for take off.
"Hold on tight! We're off to the mainland!", he exclaimed.
The winged Digimon then flapped his red wings before he slowly levitated upward from the sandy shore, rising to the air and hovering above the tree line of the island. When he was high enough, with a sudden jerk, he moved forwards through the air. The trio almost fell off, but they still maintained their grip on Airdramon's back, preventing them from slipping and plummeting into the water.
Everyone was struck with awe and amazement as they looked all around themselves, seeing nothing but open ocean and sky everywhere. Below them was the island that they were trapped on for a few days. They were quite relieved that they were now going to be able to leave this lonely patch in the Digital World's ocean. But at the same time, they would also remember it as the place where their unlikely alliance grew stronger with one another. Although Nisa and Linda would never truly get along with one another at times, they could learn to tolerate each other despite their differences. And Numemon was just glad that they weren't fighting one another anymore. As they watched the island grow smaller and smaller the further they moved away, the blue haired girl thought for a moment, thinking about the CPUs and their Digimon allies.
"I wonder where the others are right now?', Nisa pondered aloud.
"Who knows? Probably just as stuck as we were", Linda replied.
"Well, lets just hope we don't run into any more problems along the way", the Heroine of Justice stated.
"Don't jinx us now!", the former criminal exclaimed. "We just left the island. I don't want to run into anymore trouble than I have already."
"What's a jinx?", asked Numemon.
Secretly Linda was also wondering what the others were up to, and wondered if they too were just as lost as they were. When they had been separated, she felt that something was entirely wrong about the whole situation. It was as if someone or something knew they would arrive in the Digital World. Was their previous encounter in the path between worlds all a setup just to split them apart the moment they entered the gateway to the Digital World? Or was it all just coincidence? Being the former criminal that she was, she was inclined to believe that they were split up on purpose, as that was something she could've come up with. The whole series of events felt fishy to her, and she was certain that they would all get the answers to their dismemberment soon enough.
As the island that the trio landed on drew farther and farther away, the winged Digimon they rode on flew onward to the direction of where he had seen the mainland. They could only hope that they would find their friends along they way, even more so when they finally reach their destination.
Inside her Digi-Lab within her pocket dimension, Mirei Mikagura had been trying desperately to see whether or not she could make contact with the CPUs and their allies. She still had no such luck, though, and she was growing increasingly worried for their safety, especially for those who did not have a Digivice to trace their movements.
For her, it had only been a few hours since their departure to the Digital World. But time flows differently than that of her world and Gameindustri, and as such, the CPUs and their Digimon could be in the Digital World for at least a few days by now, which was just enough time for them all to run into trouble themselves. It was only a matter of time before things could go wrong for them all. She had to try and make contact with them as soon as she could. But her efforts were still being hindered.
"I guess there are still a few bugs n the system. Damn him...", Mirei cursed under her breath.
It hadn't been that long since Mr. A. - otherwise known as Analogman - had attacked her Digi-Lab with a virus, causing it to malfunction for a while. She was able to quickly repair much of the damage that was done to her home in pocket space, but there still may have been a few bugs here and there that she may have missed. But then, as she was rechecking her systems throughout the lab, a thought occurred to her, one that she was surprised had not come to mind until now.
"Bugs... bugs...", she repeated.
The word bothered Mirei as she pondered on it. Something within her gut told her that she needed to check her Digi-Lab's computer systems again, as if she had completely missed something very important. And over the years she had been alive and encountered other "special people" like her, she had learned to trust her gut feelings.
"Hmm... I wonder what else he left behind when he gave me a call?", she said aloud.
The purple haired woman then reached for her laptop, then with some inputs from her keyboard, she started typing away a command sequence into her computer. A new window soon activated, which was an advanced self-diagnosis program that she had designed for her Digi-Lab, as well as any other instances in the rare event she needed to enter the Digital World herself. Soon she started running the diagnosis program, looking for any sign that confirmed her gut feelings. Once the program was finished, her eyes squinted at what she saw.
"I knew it. He did leave something behind", said Mirei.
The report from the self-diagnosis showed her that there was something interfering with her lab's internal systems, mainly communications with outside forces. And it wasn't just some virus or malware that had infiltrated her lab's network. From what she could see, there was something that was attacking her communications every time she tried to make contact with the CPUs and their allies. And judging by the pattern between her attempts and the interference, this wasn't a random glitch. This was the work of another computer program playing havoc with her Digi-Lab's systems.
"Clever. He used his viral attack on my lab as well as our chat with on another as cover for him to attach a bug to my communications", the purple haired woman remarked.
This simply would not do for her. With her communications being effected by this unknown bug, Mirei would not be able to make contact with no one until its fixed. And from what she was seeing from the diagnosis and the pattern between her attempts and the resulting attacks, she suspected that a Digimon was responsible. And if that was the case, then conventional anti-virus measures would not be enough for her to solve this issue. And who knows what else this "bug" in her systems might damage if left unattended.
"Well then how shall I deal with this matter?", Mirei said as she pondered on her options for a bit. "Hmmm... I wonder if I should give them a call on the other line?"
The purple haired woman wondered if she should ask for some assistance from someone she knew. There was an acquaintance she knew about who worked at a detective agency, along with a prodigy youth that worked as an assistant. They have dealt with similar issues like this in the past, and the very person she was thinking about was an expert at dealing with cases like this, especially when it comes to a more direct approach. But after pondering on this idea, she soon dismissed it entirely, believing that she didn't need to involve them with something she believed was a a minor problem.
"No. I believe that I'm more than capable of handling this on my own", said Mirei, her glasses shining from the light reflecting off of them.
She then reached into her pocket and then pulled out something. It was a device which was similar to the Digivices that the CPUs used for their Digimon, but it was different in design. It also had black and white colors, which split down the middle, with a light blue screen in the center. She then looked around the Digi-Lab, two individuals on her mind.
"Come on out, you two. I need you for something", she said.
She then heard two distinctive meowing sounds coming from behind her. Turning around, the purple haired woman looked down to see two cats staring right at her, as if they had heard her summons. One cat was black, and the other white. There was something odd about them, however, as if they were smarter than what they appeared to be. Mirei smiled as she gazed down upon them.
"Okay, you two. I need you to do something for me. It is of the upmost importance", she said.
The black and white cats, nodding as if they understood what she was saying, sat down, ready for what was about to happen. The purple haired woman then pointed her Digivice at the pair, before a beam of light erupted from it and hit both cats. Their bodies glowed brightly before slowly starting to grow, changing shape. Moments later, their true forms would be revealed.
The white cat had transformed into that of an angelic woman with four pairs of white feathery wings, long blonde hair, and a helmet with two mall angel wings on both sides that covered her eyes. She wore a white body suit that had only one legging, specifically for her left leg, that reached all the way to her foot, with two zippers that stretched along her thigh and foot, with a golden ring around her ankle. On her right thigh were two black belts, and on her right foot was a boot adorned with feathers. Wrapped around her mid section were two more black belts, and she sported a pair of golden breast plates on her chest. Her left arm had a white sleeve that act like a glove, with two small angel wings on it, while her right arm was bare. Wrapped around her arms, as well as hover above her head, was a long pink ribbon, with became feathery on each end.
Meanwhile, the black cat had undergone a more drastic change. It had also taken on the appearance of a woman, but was quite different than that of the holy angel. Her skin was a pale grey unlike that of her counterpart, and she wore a black body suit that had stitches all over it, as well as some red markings that looked like either red eyes or bat symbols. The suit covered most of her body, except for her left arm and leg, which had become torn and separated from the rest of her body suit. A black belt wrapped around her waist, and a skull mark was seen on the right side of her chest. She also wore a black mask with stitches over her face, her red eyes peaking through the makeshift eye holes, and long grey hair also flowed from the back of her head. Wrapped around her right arm were a series of metal chains, which extended to other parts of her body, while her left arm, which was longer than her right, had a series of silver bracelets sported a large claw that was as big as her head. On top of all that, there were two black wings behind her, and hovering beside her looked like a black spirit with a sinister face.
With their true forms now revealed, Mirei smiled at them both, who responded in kind as they bowed their heads to her as if she was their master of sorts. In a sense she was to them, but to her, she was more like their own tamer. These two who had taken on the appearance of two unlikely cats before were in actuality two Digimon that always accompanied Mirei. They were known as Angewomon and LadyDevimon. To her, they represented two halves of her personality, the holy angel Digimon being her kind and heartful nature, while the fallen angel Digimon, despite her appearance befitting that of an evil being, actually represented her mysterious and aloof side. Mirei always kept these two on standby, never really needing them unless the situation was absolutely necessary. And right now, that time has come.
"Angewomon, LadyDevimon, I have reason to believe that our Digi-Lab has been compromised by a rogue Digimon tampering with our systems", the purple haired woman explained.
"We suspected as much ourselves", said Angewomon.
"We felt the presence of another entity somewhere in the Digi-Lab, but we couldn't confirm it until now", added LadyDevimon.
"Then I shouldn't have to explain much", said Mirei, adjusting her glasses. "You two will need to deal with this problem, and quickly, before it gets out of hand."
"Yes, Madam Mirei, right away", the holy angel Digimon said politely.
The purple haired woman then type in another command sequence into her laptop. A few second later, her transport pad lit up, indicating that it had becoming active again.
"I have just entered the coordinates of where our little 'bug' might be. Venture into the Digi-Lab's systems and see if you can't do some pest control", she stated.
"It shall be done, Madam", the fallen angel Digimon replied.
"And please, stop calling me 'Madam.' It was bad enough when you both started calling me 'Mistress' for a while", Mirei deadpanned.
"Aww, but we thought you'd like it", said Angewomon said teasingly.
"Perhaps she really has become too old for nicknames", added LadyDevimon.
Both angel Digimon giggled as they went on their way, much to Mirei's own irritation. She knew they meant well, but sometimes they could be a bit mischievous. Nevertheless, she still liked them very much. Once both of the angel Digimon had stepped on to the transporter pad, their bodies soon glowed in a bright light before suddenly disappearing, leaving nothing but a few particles of light behind. Once they were gone, a concerned look formed on the purple haired woman's face.
"They better get to that 'bug' in time. Otherwise I fear that I might not be able to reach those Goddesses in time...", she said to herself.
With that said, Mirei returned to her duties, making sure that nothing else was wrong with her Digi-Lab, and seeing if she can continue to try and make contact with the CPUs and their allies in time...
That does it for this mini arc with Nisa, Linda, and Numemon.
I know there wasn't much in terms of action here, but sometimes it's nice to see a problem be solved through something else instead of battle and a new Digivolution. Speaking of, I read that Birdramon or Seadramon can slide evolve into Airdramon if they lived for a certain amount of time, and that there was a small chance of it happening. And since this could happen in Digimon World 1, I thought I'd explore that detail a bit here, which in turn gave our trio a way off the island.
Also, I couldn't help but through in a Kamen Rider reference or two in this chapter. Over the past few years I've become very interested in the series thanks to a friend of mine. If any of you have seen any of the shows, then it shouldn't be too hard to spot them. Think you can figure it out?
Hint: They are two quotes from two different Kamen Riders in the Heisei era.
I also wanted to make a scene with Mirei real quick before ending this chapter, as we've hardly seen her in a while. So with everyone else still scattered in the Digital World, our favorite observer is still stuck with trying to do her own tech support at the Digi-Lab. Let's just hope she gets it done in time.
If you liked this chapter, then do leave a review, and follow this story if you want to see more in the future. Until then, have a great day and I'll see you again next time.
Oh and keep on Nepping everybody! I always forget to say that.
Neptune: Did someone mention little ol' me?
No, Nep, not you. Now get going. We're about to end this chapter.
Neptune: Aww...
Anyway, catch you guys around. Bye!