"Wee!" Coronamon squeals as he is tossed up into the air. He lands back in Whispered's large paw before being tossed right back up. I lean against a tree as I calmly sit down. Guilmon leans against me and Lalamon sits in my lap.
"Don't drop him now." I warn Whispered as he continues to toss Coronamon into the air.
"I'm not stupid." He chuckles and sits down across from me. Coronamon lays in his lap. Whispered softly strokes the smaller lion's fur, essentially petting him.
"You know what?" I say, looking at Whispered.
"What?" He asks.
"We haven't seen Myotismon or Axeknightmon for a bit. Do you think they've stopped trying to get Coronamon?" I say bluntly before covering my mouth. Coronamon's eyes shoot awake and he sits up quickly. His eyes are wide.
"Axeknightmon is after me?!" He starts to tremble. Whispered holds him closer.
"Not on my watch he isn't." Whispered says. He glares at me for a second. I realize how many times I've sealed him away, but now he knows. Coronamon wiggles out of the stronger lion's grasp. He stands up.
"If I could digivolve, we'd be unstoppable." He says, the little fire on his tail growing along with the flame on his head piece.
"I wonder why you haven't digivolved yet. You would've at least been Firamon by now…" Whispered says, losing himself in thought.
"Maybe he's a slow grower. I know I was when I was little." I chuckle, remembering all my baby photos and how I still had the same cheeks until I was 11.
"Yeah, maybe!" Coronamon exclaims, looking triumphant. My fusion loader screen glows and Lalamon and Guilmon emerge.
"Slow grower? Maybe that's what's wrong with Whispered's brain." She giggles and Whispered growls.
"I'll cook you where you stand." He threatens playfully.
"You mean, where I fly?" She snaps back. The two engage in banter while Guilmon sits near me.
"Lalamon is weird." He says as he leans into me. I scratch the crimson scales on his head, which elects a purr or a lizard noise of some sort.
"Seed Blast!" Lalamon yells, spewing seeds into Whispered's eyes. He groans and glows, turning back into a rookie. "Hah, you got beaten by a flower." She mocks.
"I was just tired, that's all." Whispered growls, leaning into Coronamon."
"Sure, buddy."
(Meanwhile)
"They're all ultimate level, boss." Myotismon says, giving some treats to his pet Tsukaimon. Piedmon walks in, clear boredom etched onto his features.
"The dragon has mommy issues, who would have guessed?"
"Whispered has daddy issues." Myotismon says. Piedmon cocks an eyebrow.
"That degenerate ain't got no daddy." The clown says, standing beside Myotismon before giving him a slap on the back of his head.
"I thought AxeKnightmon was his dad." Myotismon says, looking to his leader. AxeKnightmon sighs and turns around.
"Can you two shut up?" He commands and Myotismon stiffens while Piedmon scoffs.
"Over my dead body." The clown chuckles and turns to his side. "Say, why'd you even give that kid a fusion loader?"
"To trust me enough for the first step of my plan."
"You are already out, so…?" Piedmon trails off. Axeknightmon snickers.
"The fusion loader I have bestowed to Derin is a real one no doubt, but a tampered one. I have placed a tracking device on it and everytime he encounters a digimon's code I have in my system, I send you out to get them. How do you think I was able to locate Gravimon."
"Or Splashmon, or Olegmon!" Myotismon says.
"Olegmon is a given, anyone can find a pirate as loud as him." Piedmon sneers. "And I still hate you for making me fight him." Piedmon scowls. "Though it is nice to be with a leader with such a brilliant mindset.
"Wow, never knew you could say nice things." Axeknightmon says before continuing. "But yes, I knew most of the generals would hide away, either from their past or…from me. Splashmon in his little cave."
"With that bitch" Piedmon scowls again, remembering how wet he got after fistfighting a fish with an attitude. "That whore wouldn't go down, she should've been the dark general." Axeknightmon chuckles.
"If my predictions are correct, the other three generals should be near. Those brats aren't moving though." Axeknightmon complains.
"Well, my lord…how about I toy with them. Give this poor little bat a break." Piedmon grasps Myotismon's chin and gives him a peck on the cheek. Myotismon blushes but then shakes it off.
"Go ahead, you'll do more damage."
"Hey!" Myotismon complains but is silenced by one look from Piedmon.
"Well, wish me luck." Piedmon blows a kiss and walks off. A distant yell can be heard from another room.
"Go shut them up. Especially Gravimon." Axeknightmon orders Myotismon, turning away.
"Does Gravimon ever shut up?" Myotismon inquires. Axeknightmon shivers as he remembers all those long…boring meetings.
"No."
(Meanwhile)
We've made it to a small field not far from earlier. The four digimon play tag as I watch.
"Tag! You're it!" Lalamon taps Whispered and flies away.
"You little…" Whispered trails off as soon as he looks at Coronamon. "Hey Coro…" He slowly approaches.
"Uh uh, back up." Coronamon says, backing up. The two cat digimon stare at each other for a few minutes. I watch intently. Suddenly, the two cats move and Coronamon quickly dodges Whispered. Whispered goes to chase him but is stopped by a sword. My gaze darts around frantically until it meets this colorful thing floating down towards us. It's…a clown?
"Well hello there boys and girl!" The clown exclaims as he sets foot on the ground. "I see we're engaged in a game of tag! How fun! May I join?" Whispered growls getting in front. I run up to join him.
"Who are you?" I demand to know. The clown laughs.
"My, where are my manners? My name is Piedmon, or the friendliest clown you'll ever meet." He exclaims.
"Says the guy who almost decapitated one of my digimon!" I snap back at him. Those red lips twitch for a moment before frowning.
"Well maybe I meant to do that." he says, flicking his wrist, the sword that was perched in the ground flying to his hand. He snaps the sword back into place. "Why don't y'all be some dears and fight. I've been so bored lately." He smirks. I pull out my fusion loader and before I can say anything, Piedmon blasts it out of my hand and far to the right corner. "Such a pathetic general." The clown quickly moves and kicks Lalamon and Guilmon away. He kicks Whispered towards them. He turns to me and Coronamon.
"You're one of Axeknightmon's lackeys!" I sneer.
"Ding ding ding." He smirks coldly as he slowly walks up to us. His hand glows with a large clear energy ball.
"Clown Tri-"
"NO!" Whispered yells as he runs up. He jumps on Piedmon's back and claws at his face!"
"Agh!" The attack goes straight into the ground, causing a blinding light. I take Coronamon and run, I don't know where.
(Afterwards)
My mind reels. I look up and notice we are in a most dingy and swampy part of the forest. "Coronamon?" I look around and see the orange cat nuzzles against me. He snaps awake.
"Hi Derin…"
"Where are we?" I stand up and look around. Mud stains my boots as I look at the dreary trees and sad excuses for bushes. We keep on walking through the damp environment.
"Looks like a swamp of some sort." He says but then stops. "Wait, your fusion loader!" I quickly realized as well.
"We're screwed." I say. I look around. "Best thing to do is to find shelter."
"Right." The small lion digimon follows me. We walk around the mushy place for ages until finding a small hut. Outside of it is a target with a few arrows stuck in it. The hut has a few steps. I climb up the easy feet and knock on the door. No one answers. The door creaks open. I walk inside the cold hut, Coronamon following me. No decoration, just arrows. Tons of them and…honey?
"Damn, whoever lives here just hunts and eats." Coronamon says.
"Better life compared to ours." I say as I trace my hand along the wooden surface of the shack. Right before my hand leaves the old surface, an arrow stabs into the wall right in between my fingers.
(With the others)
"Jesus…we lost the clown." Lalamon sighs.
"We also lost Derin, and Coronamon!" Guilmon exclaims. Whispered slowly gets up, groaning. Lalamon looks over at him and gasps.
"Whispered!" The small black lion digimon leaks data from his side. He grips it tightly.
"I've withstood greater, Lalamon." He says as he slouches and walks slowly. "We have to find Derin and Coronamon. It's not safe for them…" Whispered gasps out, already out of breath. He pulls the dark blue fusion loader out and places it near the tuft of fur on his chest, the fusion practically disappearing. He chuckles and sneers, his grip tightening. He collapses to the ground and a bit of data pours out.
"How did this happen?" Guilmon asks, going to Whispered's side.
"That…Bastard…" Whispered remembers it clearly. He went to go scratch at the clown so the other two could escape. That cursed clown had quickly dug a dagger into his side to pry him off. Then the coward flew off.
"We need to get under some sort of safety, we can't have him leaking data everywhere. Piedmon could return at any moment and without Derin, none of us can digivolve." Lalamon says, trying to drag Whispered away by the arm. "Let's head over there, a lot of plants in a marsh would be good replacements as bandages." Guilmon grabs Whispered's legs and they drag him away.
"Don't worry about…me…find…" And with that Whispered passes out, his other arm going limp.
"Hurry!" Lalamon and Guilmon rush off into the swamp, praying Whispered stays with them.
(With Derin)
I slowly turn around to see a stout elf digimon. Yellow and green armor hide his form. A long white cloth meets the two pieces of armor at his legs. He has orange-tan skin with long purple hair. One eye is covered, the other, an angry black pupil. Arrows deck his armor just like the hut. His yellow boots clunk against the wooden floor as he approaches me. A tail with a hand on it swings behind him. Two teeth spew out of the right side of his mouth. His green hat has a hunter theme to it as well. One of his thin striped yellow arms moves up and the tip of a crossbow finds purchase under my chin.
"You're not Kudo…" He says, his accent is weird to me. Gremlin like. He looks to Coronamon who doesn't falter at all.
"Hi Zamielmon!" He smiles, setting a jar of honey down. This apparent Zamielmon's eyes widen.
"How do you know my name? Many new rookie digimon don't know who I am."
"Well, I'm certainly not new." Coronamon smiles. "Seems you changed from the last time I saw you in prison land, just like the others." Zamielmon's mouth hangs open agape.
"APOLLOMON?!" He yells, his more high pitched voice echoing in the hut. I stand there frozen as these two have a sorta friendly reunion. "Damn…I…" He trails off, looking guilty. "You said the "others?"'
"Yep! We saw Gravimon, Splashmon, and Olegmon!" He exclaims, all happy.
"Trying to form a reunion? It's going to be difficult to make the other two join." He chuckles. Coronamon frowns.
"There is a real reason for our travels…"
(The others)
Lalamon quickly bandages Whispered's wound and lays him down on the ground. "Keep his head secure." She orders Guilmon as she goes to find some herbs.
"Do you think Piedmon will return?" Guilmon asks, watching the small flower digimon fly around their area, grabbing whatever looks useful. "How'd you learn all of this?"
"My dad owns a huge library, so I read a lot." She undoes the bandages and quickly puts over a freshly made paste. Guilmon wraps it back up and lifts Whispered onto his back. "We've gotta find the others." Lalamon leads in front of Guilmon.
"Lalamon?"
"What is it, Guilmon?"
"What if war breaks out? I've only heard vivid tales of the last one." Guilmon says, his snout facing the ground. Lalamon looks back before continuing.
"My dad told me stories about the war. We'll prevail, the good side always does."
"I just have a feeling things aren't gonna get any easier."
"I do too, Guil. But with Derin and all of our allies' help, we can defeat that What's-his-name-Knightmon any day." Lalamon turns to Guilmon as she begins to fly backwards.
"If you say so, Lalamon."
(Piedmon)
"Yeah, I lost em" Piedmon speaks into a small device.
"I put you on that mission for a reason." AxeKnightmon sighs and Piedmon sneers.
"Well, your little creation decided to claw at my eyes!" Piedmon rubs his cheek, which now had a nasty gash, the top half of his mask having claw marks. "I'm going to need to fix this now." He huffs.
"Hi Piedmon!" Myotismon says through the device before being pushed away by AxeKnightmon.
"Well, it seems the little bugs have found another key digimon." AxeKnightmon sits on his throne and clicks on the code, revealing a picture of Zamielmon. "Ah, Zamielmon. It's an easy fight, Piedmon. That bee-brain is the weakest of the seven. I'll send you the coordinates." AxeKnightmon types away, sending Piedmon's communication device the location.
"Got it." Piedmon smirks and looks west. "Not too far from me. Should I grab Coronamon as well?"
"That would be excellent, and it would get those twerps moving." AxeKnightmon smirks. "Keep going, Piedmon, I can smell victory."
"Well I can smell your breath from over here." Piedmon scowls and hangs up, putting the device into his pocket.
(Derin)
"AxeKnightmon is back?" Zamielmon asks, looking angry. He walks past me and pulls out the arrow that's jammed in the wall.
"We need to warn all the generals, you know how conniving and sick that digimon is." Coronamon says, looking down then back up at the ex-general. "We need all the help we can get."
"Well, consider an addition to the help." Zamielmon smiles and places the arrow among the others. "That man has done way too much damage. He's more evil than Bagra himself." Zamielmon opens the door, me and Coronamon following him. I slowly walk out of the door and look at the marsh place.
"We've got to find the others." I tell Coronamon.
"Others?" Zamielmon's ears perk up as he turns around. "Is Apollomon or Coronamon not your only partner?"
"He is, he's the only one that can't digivolve. I have three other partners. Guilmon, Lalamon, and Whispered." As soon as I finish my sentence, Zamielmon tenses as his pupils shrink.
"Whispered…?" He scowls and an arrow loads itself into the crossbow. His fists clench, including the one on his tail. Coronamon steps up front.
"Zamielmon, Whispered is good now. He's not a jerk like he used to be."
"Yeah right." Zamielmon stiffens and looks at me. "He was only in it for himself." He turns around at the sound of distant voices. I see a small patch of pink, green, and red and immediately realize.
"Lalamon! Guilmon!" I shout and run over to them.
"Derin!" Lalamon runs up and headbutts me in the chest. I hold the small flower digimon close as Guilmon trots up to us, Whispered on his back.
"Whispered!" I pick him up and grab my fusion loader from where it was stuffed in his fur. Zamielmon walks to the side of me.
"Whispered…" He looks at the weak and damaged rookie digimon and sighs. "Maybe you can change." He turns to his side, still eyeing Whispered.
"Whispered, return." My fusion loader glows and his bruised body goes in. "We need to stay hidden, we can't have Piedmon finding us, we aren't strong enough." I say, looking down.
"Well, little human! I can certainly agree with that!" A voice yells above us. We all turn to look up at Piedmon.
"You!" I grip my fusion loader tightly. Zamielmon steps in front of us.
"Who are you?" He demands to know.
"Your replacement, and your future enemy!" Piedmon answers, hopping down from the thick branch he was on. Zamielmon looks at me while putting something on an arrow.
"When I shoot this, you gotta run. Run in that direction" He points with his tail, "Until you reach the Baby Isles. You'll be safer there." Zamielmon looks back at Piedmon.
"Lalamon, digivolve!" Lalamon glows and turns into Lilamon. I make Coronamon and Guilmon hop in the fusion loader. We stay quiet for a moment as Piedmon and Zamielmon glare at each other. Suddenly, Zamielmon shoots an arrow into the ground and a huge burst of smoke explodes out.
"Go!" He yells. I hop onto Lilamon's back as we fly into the air, Lilamon not looking back. Before the scene is out of sight, I witness Zamielmon get stabbed in the abdomen and Piedmon staring at our retreating forms, smiling crookedly.
"Keep going, Lilamon. Just keep going."