Butter-Fly Effect

[SeekerofDreams]

Well, first thing's first- you need to find Mimi. You sort of left her on her own with a new Champion, a fusion, and BlackGatomon, as well as whatever help Ogremon could possibly have to offer. You don't think it's that much, though. He seemed a bit of an idiot, even if he's Leomon's rival.

Either way, Mimi's probably upset that you ditched her. And she sort of has the only real survival kit in the world since Digimon are good at living wild and don't really need them.

Thankfully, tired and groggy though you might be, use of the Digivice is still well within your capabilities. A few expert presses of a button, and you find yourself looking at your radar, Izzy's dot beside you and Mimi's somewhere to the northeast.

...Just Izzy and Mimi's dots. No sign of Tai and Kari, or Matt and TK. That's probably a bad thing, though you'll worry about that once you've had time to process everything that's happened today- and there's a lot that's happened today.

"Mimi's over this way," You note, starting off in the same direction as her dot. "We should be able to get to her pretty quickly, right?"

"We can try," Izzy agrees. "Tentomon, how are you feeling?"

"I'm a little tuckered out, but I should be fine," The little insect buzzes. "Just don't expect me to be able to fight anything before I've had food." Fair enough. You don't really expect Biyomon to do much, either, but so long as they can fly to keep up with you, things should probably be fine. Maybe.

Okay, you have no clue. But the plains seem calm and peaceful, so you should be okay.

---

Well, you don't get attacked, at least. Well, you don't think so, your head's kind of fuzzy from not getting any sleep- and you mean any, the sun was well above the horizon when you finally reached Mimi, who, according to Ogremon, spent the night using Lunamon as a pillow, much to the white rabbit's displeasure.

Still, you manage to report your findings, and your team reacts accordingly. "So it was Devimon, huh?"

"You know that Digimon, Ogremon?" SnowAgumon asks, before trying to stretch, failing, and falling back down on her tail.

"Yeah, Leomon and I never said anything, but..." The Champion trails off, and you're not sure you want to hear the rest of what he has to say.

Not that you have a choice in the end, either. "Angemon always was the smart one of you three," BlackGatomon comments. "If anyone could figure out the Black Gears, it would be him. But you'd told the rest of the town that he'd just died."

"That's the thing! He did!"

...What?


Sora's DS: 316/462

Izzy's DS: 147/289


[ ] Ask Ogremon for clarification.

[ ] Change the subject to something else.

[ ] Forget the conversation! You want to get moving again.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

Now, for the sake of the humans in the group, let it be known that the three of us were friends for a long time. When we first met, I was a Goburimon, Leomon was Frimon, and he was Nyaromon. I'd come to the city looking for a doctor, as I was currently on the outs with my tribe. Still am, really, it's just that I've become strong enough not to mess with.

Being the oldest, and highest Digivolved, I was constantly showing off how strong I was. Frimon became Liollmon to shut me up, which I guess is where our whole rivalry started, and he and Nyaromon had known each other since Primary Village, so it was no surprise when he became Salamon soon after.

When I realized that arena fights and destroying Black Gears would be infinitely more fun than sticking around with the tribe, I asked them to team up with me, and they agreed, though we stuck close to home before becoming Champions. Leomon and I didn't surprise anyone with the forms we ended up getting. Angemon, though- people always expected him to become a Gaogamon, though his personality could lend itself to either form.

Either way, time passed, and the three of us stayed as close as ever. We kept venturing farther and farther, Leomon and I constantly competing to see who could do better, while Angemon just watched and laughed. It was never anything serious- just two friends trying to keep each other on our toes. And we worked well together- Angemon was the brains, I was the brawn, and Leomon was the leader.

It stayed that way for a long time, and that suited us. None of us ever made any attempt for the Ultimate level- we were fine as we were. There's not that many Ultimates on File Island anyway, and the only two Megas have been here basically forever. So it was safe for us to be content that way.

But even best friends have disagreements sometimes, and Leomon and I are no exception. It doesn't usually extend into violence, but that day was... that was a bad day. There was a group of controlled Digimon that we were trying to track down, I made a suggestion that was overkill as a joke... it was bad. And we almost managed to catch one, but Leomon let it escape, and we were not on form at all.

I got mad, said a few things I shouldn't have, Leomon did the same... Angemon tried to stop us.

That was a... poor decision on his part. And bad enough that we'd done it, but...

But then he reappeared as Devimon, not half a minute later. And he never used to get mad at us for long, but some things are just that hard to forgive. He left, and we lied, because we didn't want to admit to what we'd done, and we didn't think that he could seriously be a threat to the entire island.

So this whole mess is basically our fault, because we were stupid one time and our friend paid the price for it.

---

You're not sure how to react to Ogremon's story. Mostly because you don't know him that well, never got to meet your enemy as Angemon... as Angemon. You hope nothing like this ever happens to TK, since he's had Patamon for pretty much as long as he can remember. That would... that would be bad.

"I can see why you never told anyone about this," BlackGatomon comments. "But what were you going to do if he showed up again?"

"Did you really expect Ogremon to think that far ahead?" Tentomon points out. "I've only met him, like, three times before this, but I still know better than that!"

"Huh...? Oh, you were that Motimon!' Ogremon realizes. "Did Koromon ever stop messing with the Kuwagamon?"

"He ended up driving a Black Gear out of one literally the night before we left the jungle," Palmon tells him.

"I don't think this is on topic..." Izzy mutters, before yawning.

"So, back to things that are important right now," Lopmon tries to change the subject. "We can't stay here for too long. The Akatorimon are too close as it is, I don't want to be here when the Monochromon herd comes through."

"Monochromon?" Biyomon asks.

"Skin harder than diamond, breathes fire." Yeah, you don't want to mess with that.

"But where can we go? Devimon split the island," You point out.

"There's some relatively safe places on the savanna, like the Yokomon village," Lunamon tells you.

"Yokomon... like Biyomon used to be?" You check. "Little pink radishes with blue flowers?"

"Yeah, those are Yokomon."

Still, conversation aside, you need to make some sort of a plan.


Sora's DS: 316/462

Izzy's DS: 147/289


[ ] Visit the Yokomon village. They might now be much help, but they're cute, right?

[ ] Try and figure out how to pull the island back together. There's two places that the Digimon say might be helpful.
-[ ] There's a small chunk of Mount Panorama stuck here. That's a good start.
-[ ] Apparently, there's a nearby ruin belonging to an ancient tribe of Leomon. Given that this is the east, anything like that lasting so long has to be a clue.

[ ] Try and find some sort of small shelter. You can probably work things out from there well enough.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

You're not entirely sure how useful the Yokomon will be. It's been quite some time since Biyomon was one, but you distinctly remember that the most she could do was spit bubbles at people. Cute, but not necessarily helpful. Still, it's a place you know of with a half-decent population, therefore it is the best idea you currently have, at least when it comes to finding a place with a half-decent food supply.

Of course, this knowledge doesn't exactly prepare you for the journey there, under the hot sun with a Digimon that is definitely not combat-ready. Two, really- Tentomon has it worse due to not being used to his higher form.

The weather doesn't help. It's hot, dry, and you seriously hope Mimi has enough water on her, because you don't think you're going to be finding any more. And you certainly don't expect the Digimon to help- there are apparently certain species capable of drinking saltwater. Land species.

"I think I'm going to wilt..." Palmon complains. Lopmon has taken perch on SnowAgumon's head so that she doesn't have to move, Lunamon is trudging along silently, and at some point Ogremon was forced to pick up BlackGatomon.

"Don't worry, Palmon, I'm sure we'll get there eventually!" Mimi reassures her partner. You'd check on Biyomon, but it wouldn't do anything. You already know she's exhausted, asking isn't going to change anything and will just remind everyone of how bad the situation is. And you don't want to be that person.

Eventually, however, you see a sign of hope on the horizon. The village is small, as befitting a place settled solely by In-Training Digimon, but there's water nearby and maybe you'll be lucky enough for it to be something safe to drink.

Only it doesn't look like you'll be getting that any time soon, because there's an unfamiliar Meramon there setting things on fire. There's a ship floating out in the lake with all the Yokomon on it- they look just the same as you remember.

But you should probably do something.


Sora's DS: 316/462

Izzy's DS: 147/289


[ ] Sit this one out. You might be feeling fine. But Biyomon is most certainly not.

[ ] Charge in to the fight. What could possibly go wrong?

[ ] Try and get to the Yokomon somehow. You're not sure what you can do to help them, but you can certainly try.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

As soon as you're close enough to the village, your legs give way beneath you. Right. Rest. People need that, even if you've been spoiled by the ability to fly everywhere on a giant orange bird. You should probably let Biyomon rest, too. Not that it means much when you're still working on a grand total of no sleep, unless you dozed off without thinking when fleeing Infinity Mountain.

...In hindsight, that would explain how you never noticed the island breaking apart. Still, you have other things to think about now.

"Izzy, Mimi, if you're going in there, you should probably have your Digivices out," You tell them. They both nod. You've seen enough Black Gear situations to know what to do here, if only because some things really are just that easy to learn.

"We probably don't need to think too much about this," Izzy tells Mimi. "Actually- can you three DNA Digivolve?" He turns to ask the members of Team Moon.

Lunamon nods. "Yes, as long as we're capable of working together, we should be able to sync up. I assume you want us to make him fall asleep?"

"That would be the optimal strategy," He agrees. "It also means that Tentomon can safely sit this one out." You don't think the Rookie ladybug meant to cheer at that, but he's quickly silenced by an annoyed SnowAgumon.

"So we just go in, deal with the Meramon, and then finally get the rest we deserve?" She asks.

"Here's to hoping," Lopmon states, hopping off of her friend's head. "We've got enough energy for at least one good fight left in us, but we'll have to make it count. I assume we should just knock him out and bring him over to you?"

"Can you even do that without burning yourselves?" Palmon asks.

You're pretty sure she didn't expect for Team Moon to take that as a challenge.

---

Fifteen minutes later, your group, Meramon, and the Yokomon have entered negotiations. It's not a simple thing- the Yokomon are nervous around Meramon and Ogremon, BlackGatomon doesn't get along with anybody, a lot of the Yokomon are crowding Biyomon because they want to be just like her one day- it's a mess.

Still, at least you aren't entirely clueless as to what you want. You have a direction you want to go with this, you just need to make clear what it is.


[ ] You want a place to rest for a while. If only because of how long it's been since you slept.

[ ] You need a base where you can work to bring the island back together, or at least attach it to another landmass- Black Gears, hopefully, not included.

[ ] You need to hide out. This seems like a good place to do so.

[ ] ...Really, you just want food.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

It's not much of a question, really. You want to sleep, and you need a place to actually do so, because collapsing in the middle of nowhere is just asking for trouble, possibly of the Black Gear variety, but more likely involving you accidentally getting trampled by a herd of Monochromon. Which you do not want.

Fortunately, the Yokomon are more than amenable to the idea of letting you stay for a few days, though they do expect you to pay for anything that you eat while you're here. Which is fine with you, it's not like those bits in your pocket will do anything else for you.

Time passes, and nothing seems to happen while you stay there. It's just... boring, you suppose, is a good word for it, and being in the Digital World really shouldn't bore you, this is a place you've been wondering about for your whole life. The wind rustles through what remains of the savanna grass, the clouds float across the sky... and that's it.

Which is probably why Mimi insists on leaving after only two days. You don't blame her- if she didn't do this, you would.

BlackGatomon refuses to leave the shelter of the village, though. So it's the three of you DigiDestined, Team Moon, and Ogremon, and if you find the other members of Team Calico, who were with Tai and Kari, you'll have to point them in the right direction on pain of annoyed cats.

You don't want to deal with annoyed cats- you get enough of that whenever you visit the Kamiyas. You're not sure why their cat hates you so much, though Kari thinks that she might just be able to smell Biyomon.

Not that it matters right now. Right now, all that you care about is figuring out what direction to go in, now that you can think clearly again and you don't need to worry about Biyomon falling out of the sky from exhaustion.

At least Ogremon knows the area fairly well, so you've got options. Your group goes over them for a while, before eventually coming to a decision.


[ ] You're interested in what those ruins you've heard about are like, now that you're awake enough to actually appreciate them.

[ ] There's an abandoned shop in the area that apparently used to sell playing cards. You're kind of curious.

[ ] The Drimogemon tunnels extend deep beneath the island in every direction. No better place to learn about Black Gears than the place where they most often pop up!

[ ] You want to head for the sea, and try to find transport back to the main island. You may just end up bribing a Whamon, however- no need for a repeat of how you got here.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

Cards, huh? You know from stories you've been told that cards can hold a lot of power in the Digital World- can do so anywhere, if half the anime you've watched is to be believed. You're pretty sure it's not, but given where you are right now, it wouldn't surprise you all that much.

More importantly, though, it's a place where you can hide out for a bit. You're pretty sure Devimon's got controlled Digimon looking for you, even if Ogremon insists that there's no Digimon on this savanna that he can't defeat.

"Didn't we beat you?" Biyomon points out. Ogremon huffs and doesn't say anything else for another hour.

Personally, that suits you just fine. The Champion's friendly enough, but he reminds you far too much of Tai. Honestly, you're expecting him, if Devimon shows up, to just rush into battle without a second thought.

Sure, you'd expect that of a lot of Digimon, but that doesn't really change anything. It's still a bad idea.

"How much longer until we get there?" SnowAgumon complains. "It feels like I'm going to melt!'

"At least you aren't a plant," Palmon states. "I'm going to wilt out here. This is the end!"

"Mimi, your partner's being a drama queen again," Izzy sighs. "I just need to get someplace so I can charge my computer..."

"Izzy, I know the Digicode rune for power," You remind him. "And if I know it, it's a pretty good bet you do too."

"I used that rune earlier. As part of the program to Digivolve Tentomon."

"Then try the lightning rune," You suggest. "Just... maybe test it on something not your computer first?" You don't want to lose the only laptop in either world that you know is capable of working Digicode like this. You know Haruka has the program on her home computer, but you'd rather Izzy's source of godlike power remain portable.

"...Good idea. I'll do that later." You hope that giving his laptop infinite battery charge won't come back to haunt you one day. But then, it's probably not the only scary modification it has, given that he's been using the same one since you first met.

...It only now comes to mind just how much your friend's abilities completely terrify you. You wonder if this is how your older friends feel around Haruka.

---

The old card shop sits at the top of a cliff, overlooking... well, right now, it's basically the whole island. There's not a lot of hills or anything, you can see straight out to sea thanks to whatever Devimon did.

It's a pretty nice view, actually. Like something you'd see on a postcard.
(Loot total: 81.)
"Hey, what's this!?" You hear Tentomon from inside the ramshackle old building. "It's... a box of cards?"

"This place did used to sell them," Lunamon points out. "I'm more surprised that whoever owned this place didn't take them along. What kind of cards are they?"

"I'm not really sure... It's locked, but the top's transparent... I can see an Icemon on one of them, though!"

"Ogremon, are you absolutely sure this place is abandoned?" Lopmon asked.

"Sure as I can tell. We've come through this way hundreds of times, never saw it opened."

"Remind me again how long the Bakemon at Overdell have been waiting for their master to come back."

"That- is actually a good point. But yes, I'm sure."

Well, this brings up a new question, then.


What will you do with the cards?

[ ] Leave them.

[ ] Have someone carry them. (Who?)


And, of course, more importantly...

What now?


[ ] Help Izzy with giving his laptop infinite power.

[ ] Scout the nearby areas to make sure that there's no hostile Digimon or Black Gears to annoy you.

[ ] Poke around the shop some more- you probably won't find much, but every little bit counts right now.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

You adjust the box on your lap, still not sure where to actually put it given that you don't have a bag or anything- huh. Something to buy once you're back in File City, if that ever happens. You aren't entirely convinced that it will.

Izzy's computer is plugged in to an outlet in the corner. Very back of the store, covered with dust, you wonder how he can possibly be comfortable here.

And then you remember what Haruka's apartment looked like when you visited, and the fact that it's apparently worse. Right, mystery solved. You also make a mental note to never again visit Haruka's apartment.

"Right, so we need to run a few basic tests before using this on the laptop itself. Can you see if there's anything electronic here that nobody would mind breaking?"

"I've got a calculator right here." You hand him the piece of technology, and he removes the battery before typing away. You try to pay attention to what he does, just in case you need to fill in for him one day.
(Sora's Digicode Programming skill has increased!)
It's always been something you wondered about, how he could make something so complex look so simple. But he's always been that way, for as long as you can remember- technology is simply his best friend. Well, until Tentomon entered the picture, but even then, you think you see him on his computer more often than not, even when talking to his Digimon.

That's probably not healthy, but what do you know? Sometimes, when you get focused on something, it's all that your parents can do to remind you to eat. And you like food.

Eventually, the symbol for lightning appears on the calculator, and it sparks to life for a few seconds, before dying away. "Right, forgot the infinity symbol..." Izzy mutters, and starts over. "Sora, take notes in case we need to do this again."

Well, that much you can do. "Got it!" And thus, you fall back into your old friend, the realm of happy experimentation. It's been a while.

---

It takes six hours, but eventually the setup is complete. Izzy's laptop will now never run out of battery power in the Digital World. You think that, with some creative applications of coding, you could extend that to your own world, but that's probably a bad idea, even if the thing's already upgraded so far beyond factory standards that your friend could probably market it as a new technology.

...Yeah, this is definitely what most people probably feel about Haruka.

Not that you're complaining about it. Actually, it's about time that you started figuring out what you're going to do for dinner, assuming that Mimi and Palmon don't already have that covered. Trail rations are decently filling, but sort of bland compared even to the mushrooms from your first night here.

And speaking of Mimi and Palmon... here they come now.

"Sora, Izzy, we saw- we saw!" She pauses to catch her breath. "We saw Kari and Bukamon floating past us in a bubble!"


...What?


[ ] No, seriously, what!?

[ ] Catch that bubble!
-[ ] With just Biyomon/Birdramon
-[ ] With just Tentomon/Kabuterimon
-[ ] Use both flying Digimon
-[ ] Forget flying- just run!

[ ] Stay put. They'll probably be fine, really.

[ ] ...Wait, where's Tai?

 

[SeekerofDreams]

You pause for a moment. Blink. Think through what Mimi just said. Blink again. Check your Digivice. Yep, there goes Kari's dot. "...What?"

"Well, we were outside, trying to find something we can eat," Palmon tries to explain. "And then we heard her calling for us, we looked up, and... well, heart-shaped bubble."

"That sounds like something a Monzaemon would do," Lunamon remarks. "But the only one I know of lives in Toy Town. That's... pretty far away." She doesn't mention whether casting someone off like this is like him or not. On an island covered in Gears like this, it doesn't always matter, in the end. Some things just... are.

"We should probably go after that bubble," You decide. "Wait here."

Unlike before, when you were desperate for an escape, here everything comes to you instinctively. You leap from the cliff, and Biyomon flies beneath you, growing into Birdramon as she does so.

You're glad it goes well. You've never actually practiced that move before, and you're sure just about anyone who knows that would have a heart attack at seeing your first attempt, but you've always wanted to do something like this.

You see a speck at the edge of the horizon, though it mostly just blends in with the sunset. Thankfully, you have your Digivice, and you're in the air, so you can really just point and go. It's that straightforward.

"Full speed ahead, Birdramon!" You call. Like she'd ever do anything but. There's a reason she's always been your preferred mode of transportation.

---

Getting to Kari is the easy part. She and Bukamon are floating in the bubble, not really trying to make it move anywhere but where the wind takes them. Still, now that you've almost caught up, it's time to think about what you want to do next. You're pretty far above the ground, after all.


Sora's DS: 458/462


[ ] Try and pop the bubble.

[ ] Just talk to Kari. (About what?)

[ ] Follow the bubble.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

Okay... well, if the bubble's strong enough to hold Kari, it's probably not going to immediately pop if you mess with it. Still, you really don't want to leave her fate up in the air like this. Mostly because Tai would kill you if you did.

"Kari, you want to come down now?" You ask, though you're not really giving her a choice unless she has a really good reason for sitting with Bukamon in a bubble. And you're not sure a good reason for something like that even exists. It just seems dumb, that's all.

"...Yeah, that sounds good," Bukamon decides from his spot on the girl's shoulder. "Come on, Kari, talk to us."

"Huh...? Oh... we can come down? That's nice..." Something's wrong. So you should probably land as soon as you possibly can. Particularly when she looks so pale.

"Birdramon, see if we can't get her safely to the ground somehow," You instruct your partner. "Maybe with your wings?"

Not that Birdramon needs much instruction for this. You've both been watching some of the same shows growing up, after all, even if you're pretty sure that your Digimon has no taste. And you're pretty sure it will work, if only because the DigiWorld is one of those places where conventional physics tend to just curl up in the corner and die.

...Maybe you shouldn't be taking old cartoons as a lesson for how life works in this world, but you've always been told they were accurate, so it's not that big a deal, right? Right.

---

Your plan works, for the most part. Up until you get close to the ground of the savanna and the bubble pops itself on a tree. So now you need to get Kari and Bukamon down.

Bukamon's the easy part. He just leaps from the top branch of the tree onto Birdramon's head without a second thought. "Come on, Kari!" He calls back. The girl simply clings tightly to the branch she landed on, shaking her head. "Can't... scared."

Well, this could be a problem.


Sora's DS: 450/462


[ ] Try and get Birdramon closer in.

[ ] Climb up to her yourself.

[ ] Try to distract her by talking about something. (What?)

[ ] ...Maybe she can stay there a little longer? You're sure Izzy has some way to help!

 

[SeekerofDreams]

"Hey, Birdramon? Could you land for a moment?" The words are out of your mouth before you even fully realize it, and you just as quickly find yourself sliding from your partner's back.

Right. You've trained for this, as much as you can say that about anything. Regular exercise has actually made you fairly fit for your age, though you're well aware that it won't do much of anything against Digimon above a certain level. That all humans in general can do is Digivolve their partner and hope for the best.

...Huh. Maybe that's why Kari's upset. Not that you can say anything for sure until you talk to her.
(Sora's climbing roll total: 91.)
It's not the best tree for climbing. Smooth bark, not very many branches... but you've never let something being merely difficult stop you before now, so why start? You hop for the first branch, managing to haul yourself up after a few false starts. The other branches are a good bit easier to reach, but you still wouldn't be doing this if you didn't know that Birdramon would immediately move to catch you if you fell. She's helpful like that.

Kari being near the top of the tree, it takes you a few minutes to find a way up there, and you're not entirely sure you can safely get down, but... well... you have Birdramon. Safety concerns pertaining to heights are for those that aren't partnered to giant orange fire birds.

Kari is leaning against the trunk of the tree, her hands gripping the two nearest branches as tightly as possible. You linger just below her for a moment, before moving... not quite next to her, but someplace that the two of you can face each other without too much difficulty.

"Kari, how are you feeling?" You ask. It takes a few moments for her to respond.

"I'm fine..." No. No, she is definitely not fine.

"Are you sure about that? Because it looks to me like you're clinging to a tree." She winces. Right, and she just got out of a bubble, too.

If some random Digimon has instilled in this girl a fear of heights, you just might hurt somebody. Honestly, you might end up doing that anyway- you wouldn't all be so spread out if it weren't for Devimon, who also happens to control the Gears. Therefore, some of your problems can be solved by eliminating Devimon.

It's cold, you know, but you haven't been having a very good past few days.

"Look, I'm going to try to help you down, now. Just step where I step, okay?" Some of the light seems to have returned to her eyes, but she's still a bit uneasy.

"What if I fall?"

"You're not going to fall," You encourage her. "Now, come on..."
(Kari's Climb roll: 12)
She nods, and manages to pull herself to a standing position. Leaning forward, she manages to take your outstretched hand, before a sudden gust of wind sweeps across the savanna. Right behind her. While she's leaning forward.

...And that is why you are now hanging from a tree branch by only one hand while clutching a terrified girl with the other. Today just isn't your day.


Sora's DS: 446/462


[ ] It's a straight drop down... maybe you'll land okay?

[ ] ...Okay, maybe you should get Birdramon's help...

[ ] Try pulling yourself back up to safety. If you manage it, just imagine how much more faith Kari will have in you!