Butter-Fly Effect

[SeekerofDreams]

...No. No, you won't. You're supposed to be keeping watch, and that's what you're going to do, because while closeness to the city is a good deterrent for most attackers, you don't want to take any chances with a group that only has two Champions and four Rookies between them.

You don't even bother counting Bukamon. At his level of power, he's really a nonentity when it comes to that kind of fighting.

"Sora!" Biyomon greets you when you duck back into the clearing. "What happened? You took longer than I thought you would."

You shrug. You don't really have the energy to go into your encounter with the Bakemon right now. Which means that you really need to focus on the job at hand, which you even volunteered for. You'll mention the Bakemon if it ever becomes relevant, but at the moment, you have work to do.

...For a given definition of 'work', anyway. The night around you is surprisingly quiet, the nearby shape of File City providing the only source of noise, even that at a low volume.

It's nice. Peaceful. Quiet. So much so that you catch yourself nearly falling asleep a number of times. But you always stay awake in the end, until your Digivice's clock ticks over and it's time for you to wake up Matt for his shift.

"It's been pretty nice out, so far," You tell him. "Some Digimon may still come in and out of the city, but we're far enough off the beaten path for them not to notice."

He nods, and reaches over to Gabumon, his partner immediately responding to his touch. "Hmm... Matt? Is it our turn already?"

"Yeah. Gabumon, you take the south side, got it? I'll watch to the north." You think they've got it covered.

Secure in the knowledge that nothing is going to take you by surprise as you sleep, you lean against a nearby tree and finally let the tiredness you've been feeling all night overcome you.

---

It can't last. Of course it can't.

Not due to any incompetence on your part, or that of your friends. But because, apparently, the Kuwagamon from earlier has decided that it really doesn't have anything better to do than follow you around and try to attack you, despite the concussion that it suffered earlier at the hands of Angemon.

Which you discover when you're woken up during Tai's shift to see the red beetle, still sporting injuries from earlier today, locked into combat with a Greymon, while several of the nearby trees have been flattened.


[ ] ...What?

[ ] Flee into the city.

[ ] Does Biyomon have the energy to help fight?
-[ ] Check for Birdramon.
-[ ] Stick with Biyomon.

[ ] ...No, seriously. What?!

 

[SeekerofDreams]

You blink. Shake your head. Blink again. Pinch yourself. Nope, not dreaming, this is really happening.

...Of course it is. Well, it could be worse, you suppose. It could be another Ultimate. That wouldn't be much fun at all.

"So is this kind of thing... normal?" You ask Bukamon, who is huddled behind Kari, in turn sheltering behind Tai. He shakes his head, the only In-Training Digimon you've ever met that can actually do so, being more than just a head.

"No, not at all! They're aggressive, but knocking them out's usually enough for them to stop!"

"What happened, anyway?" You pause and wonder by it was Biyomon to ask that question and not you. Probably to do with the fact that you're working with roughly two hours of sleep.

"We dunno," Patamon tells you, struggling with one of his partner's candy bars, likely in an attempt to gain access to Angemon again. Not that it works too well- his stubby paws can't quite pull hard enough. "He just showed up a few minutes ago and was really loud. I'm surprised you didn't wake up then."

No, you are definitely far too tired for this. What is with your life and important things happening involving a Greymon at two in the morning?

Oh, well. Tai seems to have this handled pretty well, actually. Either he's been paying attention to what you and TK have been doing, or he's been spending more time with your older friends than you'd realized.

"So... how did that turn into a wrestling match?" Just to be sure. And make sure that it never happens again.

"I think that happened because Tai hit the Kuwagamon with a stick," Matt tells you. "Maybe. It was all really stupid." You decide to take his word for it.

At this point, Kuwagamon successfully manages to knock Greymon back, only to be rendered incapable of movement by some vines shooting out of the bushes. "Oh, good. Mimi's okay," Izzy comments.

"Okay, seriously, what did we miss!?"

Not that you ever get an answer to that, because Greymon takes the opportunity to ram the incapacitated Kuwagamon, knocking it back. You're not really sure, given the lighting, but you think something dark-colored explodes behind it.

Not that the particulars matter to you at the moment. You're still trying to process.

Either way, the insect's demeanor immediately changes to one of confusion, and the Digivolved Tanemon's vines retract, letting it fly off into the forest again.

"Well... that happened," Gabumon remarks, as Greymon glows and reverts to Agumon again. "Now what?"

A very good question, actually. The area immediately surrounding you is sort of... trampled... crushed.... and you think a little bit may be on fire, but the light's dimming more and more by the second, so if it was, it won't be for long.


[ ] Keep sleeping here anyway. The noise will have scared off any other wild Digimon, probably.

[ ] Move to a few clearings over or so. Something that looks a bit less... totaled.

[ ] You know, maybe exploring File City at night wasn't such a bad idea after all...

 

[SeekerofDreams]

Some people, in this situation, would decide to get as far away from here as possible. On some days, you might count yourself among them. Just not today.

Today, you are working off of two hours of sleep, and really couldn't care less where you drop, so long as you actually get some rest. The others seem to feel the same, the newly-Digivolved Palmon flat-out refusing to move from her current spot.

You don't complain about this, instead just lying down and dozing off while listening to the sounds of the world around you. The rustle of leaves in the trees... the crashing waters in the river... The odd whirring of the ground beneath you.

You are content. And so you doze, and find your eyes closing faster than you would even have expected.

---

Your sleep goes uninterrupted until morning. Morning, when the sunlight cuts through what's left of the trees- not a lot- landing directly on your eyelids. You don't even need Biyomon to wake you up this time.

Another part of it might be the hunger, but Mimi and Palmon seem to have been gathering the nearby edible plants during their shift, so you at least have breakfast. It's not the best tasting, but honestly, you can't afford to be picky.

Besides, Agumon toasted the mushrooms. They're as good as they're ever going to get.

"So, we should probably go into the city at some point today," Izzy states. "If only to see if there's any way to earn money while we're here. Our Digimon make us well-equipped to survive in this world, but every little bit of help counts. Tentomon, what do you know about the opportunities that File City provides?"

His partner is quick to answer. You wish Biyomon could be this cooperative, but you honestly don't know what you'd do if she suddenly stopped stealing your winter clothes. "Well, there's the obvious restaraunts and houses, of course. There's likely at least one medical clinic, and I've heard good things about their training facilities!"

"So... they have everything, then?" Tai asks. When the ladybug nods, he grins. "Great! We're set, then!"

"You're forgetting that we don't have any money," Matt reminds him. "But I suppose it couldn't hurt to check it out. Unless you plan on offending a powerful Digimon or something."

"Tai doesn't plan, though," Kari points out. "He just acts, and things happen!" Yeah, that's basically your friend in a nutshell.

The important thing, however, is that you've all come to an agreement. You're going to properly visit the city.

---

It doesn't take you long to find a map. You all just kept heading through the town, and there it is, on one of the boards on either side of a fairly impressive plot of farmland.

"Oh, are you new here?" A Palmon walking through the fields asks. "Oh, of course you are. You're humans. And it's been a long time since I've seen the one that lived here, but I'm positive she was taller than all of you."

"You've seen a human before?" Patamon pokes his face out from his spot on TK's head.

"There's only a tenth or so of the town that hasn't," the Rookie of the same species as Mimi's partner points out. "She's sort of one of the founders."

"Yeah, I remember hearing about that," You state. The others turn to you in surprise. "I saw a couple of Bakemon last night. Apparently, a human used to visit them."

"She visited everywhere," The Palmon tells you. "I'm sure you'll understand why after a while. Anyway, I'd best get back to work. Enjoy your stay here!" She walks off into the rows of meat.

Conversation over, you gather around the map. Soon, you've all found someplace you're interested in visiting, at least if you can beg something off the owners, in some cases.

"I'm going to visit the clinic," Izzy says. "Make sure Tentomon's in good condition, if possible. If he's not, or we don't get service, I can force the issue, but I'd rather not mess around with his source code if at all possible."

"That would be appreciated," Tentomon replies, with an air of relief in his voice. Privately, you agree with him. Izzy's a great programmer and all, but you'd rather not have him mucking around with the things that make up your very being.

"Tai, do you think the mayor's office might have information on my Digimon?" Kari asks.

"Great idea! We'll go there right now!"

"I'm going to the training fields," Matt decides. "TK, I'm going to need your help with this."

"You want me to help teach Gabumon to Digivolve?" He checks.

"That's the plan."

"Palmon, come on, let's go window shopping!" Mimi grabs her partner's hand and drags her away, the little plant girl facing the rest of you with a face full of terror. You sort of feel bad for her, but you can't really be friends with Mimi without the hellish shopping experience.

This just leaves you. What's your plan?


[ ] Go with Izzy. While Biyomon seems healthy, it's important to get a second opinion on these things, especially when the first opinions were all human.

[ ] Go with Matt and TK. You've thought up an interesting exercise regimen for Biyomon, and want to see how she does.

[ ] Go with Tai, Kari, and Bukamon. If the mayor will see you, it's likely that he will answer at least some of your questions.

[ ] Go with Mimi. You may as well help spare poor Palmon some of the agony that is the Mimi Tachikawa shopping experience.

[ ] Stick around the meat farm. You're interested in how it grows.

[ ] Wander out of File City. Where was it the Bakemon said that he lived? The Overdell?

[ ] Talk to random Digimon around town. You may learn a few things.

[ ] There's a spot on the map listed only as 'Dino House'. You're honestly kinda curious.

[ ] An arcade? Maybe you can find bits on the ground or something.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

You follow Tai and Kari for a ways, before stopping as you notice a nearby supply of water. "Could you guys go ahead for a bit?" You ask them. "Biyomon and I will catch up with you later."

The two of them agree and walk off, Bukamon apparently deciding that Agumon's head is a good place to perch. You watch them go for a moment, before sitting down at the edge of a beautiful marble fountain.

Without really thinking about it, you find yourself reaching into your pocket, where you've kept the small rectangular object you found since yesterday. It's so covered in dirt, most people would think it's just a random rock. You've considered the possibility, as well, but there's something about it that seems important.

You can't really place it, but it feels sort of like the Digivices. One in particular.


"So, what do you think it is, Sora?" Your partner asks you, her head tilted ever so slightly to the side.

"I don't know," You admit. "That's what I plan to find out." With that, you reach behind yourself and scoop up some of the ice-cold fountain water in your hand, before pouring it over the object.

It doesn't wash away all of the dirt- far from it, in fact. But you can make out the definitive shape now, though getting farther would be rather difficult with simple fountain water. Right. Soap. That'll probably help. Fortunately, you remember passing a public restroom on the way through the town. From there, it's a simple matter of backtracking and finding a sink that means your standards of hygiene.

One bit of rigorous cleaning later, and you're holding a light pink tablet with a mark on it that looks like the sun. It's probably worth something, you think, in a cultural value if not monetary.

Not that it matters at the moment. You said you would meet up with Tai and Kari, and that's what you're going to do.
As you walk, your pocket starts to feel marginally warmer.

---

While File City itself is large, as is likely needed to fit so many Digimon, a number of buildings are surprisingly small. You're not sure if the mayor of this town has anything against bulky Champions or anything, as the building he operates from- you're not sure if it can even be called an office, really- is such a small building. Smaller than most, even, squeezed into the gap between two larger ones.

Or maybe the larger ones sprung up around it. Yeah, that seems a bit more likely.

Of course, it's easy to tell what the reason for it being in use for this is- it's old. Probably the oldest building you've ever seen in person, if you were to be entirely honest. Despite that, it seems to be well cared for.

"You know, I'd imagined it would be more... impressive," Bukamon comments. "I mean, with all we've heard about the city, the place that runs it should be just as amazing, right, Agumon?"

"It looks cozy, though," Tai's partner points out. "Sure, I wouldn't work here, but it seems livable."

"So, this is the mayor's place?" Biyomon asks.

The Digimon at the door, a lion with two long teeth, nods. "That is correct. This is the workplace, and home, of Mayor Jijimon. Though, sometimes we don't call him 'mayor' so much as 'poor sap we forced the position on a long time ago', but either works."

"A long time, huh?" Kari muses. "How long would that be?"

"Roughly since the city's beginning," The lion tells you. "There were just four of us back then. I was In-Training, so I couldn't take the position even if I wanted it, while the other two tended more towards exploration of the island. Staying home and doing paperwork would probably have driven them insane."

"SaberLeomon?" A voice, reminiscent of an old man's, calls out from inside the building. "Who are you talking to?"

"Ah, Jijimon. I was just explaining a few things to our new visitors. An Agumon, a Bukamon, a Biyomon, and three humans." Given what you've heard so far, it comes as no surprise that the large Digimon recognizes your species.

"Humans? Well, in that case, send them in!" Jijimon responds. "They'll probably be able to deal with our problem a lot easier than we can ourselves, after all..."
"Very well." SaberLeomon dips his head and moves to the side. Suddenly, it occurs to you that you're likely about to meet the oldest Digimon on File Island, if even half of what you've heard is true.

Do you have a plan?


[ ] Let Tai take the lead.

[ ] Let Kari take the lead.

[ ] Take the lead yourself.
-[ ] How do you handle yourself?
--[ ] Formally, Daigo taught you that etiquette for a reason, after all.
--[ ] Casually. It's just another Digimon, right?
-[ ] Specific questions? (Write-in)
-[ ] Any important concerns to bring up? (Write-in)

 

[SeekerofDreams]

When SaberLeomon told you how old Jijimon was, you sort of expected some kind of impressive figure. He's not entirely a disappointment on that front, you do feel power from him, but he's... shorter, than you'd imagined he would be.

The little old man glances around from behind a stack of paperwork as tall as Biyomon, slipping out of his chair and drawing himself up to his full height- again, not very visually impressive, though Biyomon tenses behind you, and you can tell that Bukamon and Agumon are doing the same thing.

"Humans," He greets you. "And partner Digimon. Welcome to File City. Is there anything that I can do for you?"

"It is good to be here," You reply. "We come seeking shelter, and answers to our questions." This was the form you were supposed to use, right? Daigo only really glossed over how to deal with powerful Digimon like this, more than likely due to the fact that he never expected you to end up in this kind of situation. Even Haruka only taught you Digicode as preparation for an absolute worst-case scenario.

Or maybe it's due to the fact that all the Mega Digimon he'd ever met were either enemies or partnered. It could be either, really.
(Sora's Diplomacy roll: 62+20= 82)
Either way, Jijimon nods and accepts your answer. "Then ask, children. If the three of you are truly DigiDestined, it is an honor to assist you." Okay, now that's out of the way... priorities, right.

And you consider keeping with your main priority of surviving long enough to find a way home, but there's something you're curious about. "Well, first of all, I have heard tales about there being a human in this world besides myself and my friends. I am wondering how much of that is true."

"Well, unless you tell me which stories you've heard, I cannot confirm or deny them, but yes, I do know of another human in this world, though I have not seen her in quite some time. Her name is Maki Himekawa, and it is through her efforts that this city stands today."

Maki Himekawa. Daigo's friend Maki. The one that helped you contact the other DigiDestined, before vanishing into a portal, never to be seen again. Someone that your older friends still miss, though they seem to have moved on, for the most part.

The same Maki that sent a distress call to your Digivice back at the start of February, and likely everyone else's.

"Do you know what happened to her?" The question comes out of your mouth before you even know what you're saying. He sighs and looks to the side.

"Unfortunately not. The last I saw of her, she was leaving for Server to assist her friend Myotismon in his experiments. She is quite the capable young woman, however, so I wouldn't worry too much. Most likely, she finally decided to go on that world tour she kept joking about!" All things considered, you doubt that.

Not that you say so out loud. This Digimon clearly holds a great deal of faith in his friend, and you wouldn't want to ruin that.

"Well, that's something, at least..." Tai mutters. You make a move to shush him, but Kari gets there first, so you turn back to the mayor and continue.

"Thank you for the explanation. I am sure that Maki's old friends will be glad to hear that she was doing alright the last time you saw her." If you can see them again.

No. No, you're not going to let yourself doubt. You will get home, no matter what.

But to get home, you need resources, and that ties in to your next question. "Moving along, the six of us are actually part of a group of fourteen- sixteen counting Kari's and Bukamon's partners, who are not present in this city. Having arrived in this world yesterday afternoon, we don't really have much in the way of supplies, and no currency accepted by your world. We wish to know if there is a way we can rectify that."

"Hmmm.... You want to make enough Bits to get by, yes?" You don't like that tone.

"That would be nice," Agumon agrees. "Roast mushrooms are good, but I left the jungle! I don't want to go back!"

"Well, in that case, perhaps we can help each other. You see, long before I hatched from my DigiEgg, several evil Digimon would roam freely. One of them, a Machinedramon, came up with something called a 'Black Gear', able to sink into a Digimon's skin and turn it feral. In addition, he- or likely any Digimon of a Virus Attribute with a proper affinity for the code of the world- could control any Digimon under the gear's thrall."

"That sounds awful!" Biyomon remarks.

"It is. And the residents of File City know this all too well, as this island is where he stashed all of them. It's not that big of a problem, most of the time- individual Gears are easily found and quickly destroyed. However, sometimes the earth opens, and a large number of Gears comes spilling out, controlling any Digimon within reach. And even lone Gears have the power to possess Ultimate level Digimon."
(Sora's Knowledge: Digital World skill has increased!)
"How do we play into this, though?" Tai asks before you even get the chance.

"Well, Digivices have the power to exorcise Black Gears from the controlled Digimon, which is a lot easier than trying to just smack them around without killing them. And they can destroy Gears on their own as well. A large number of rifts have opened up recently, and it would be greatly appreciated if you would help to contain the threat."
(Sora's Digivice skill has increased!)
Honestly, you're not really sure about this, but it does seem like a good way to earn money. You'll have to think on this later.

---

The rest of the meeting goes smoothly. Jijimon doesn't know where Kari's partner might be, but promises to keep an eye out, SaberLeomon bids you farewell as you walk out the door, and you meet up with everyone else near the fountain in the center of town.

They've got some good results as well- Matt can Digivolve Gabumon to his Champion form of Garurumon, Izzy was able to swap some of the poisonous mushrooms you'd kept as a diversion for wild Digimon in exchange for a checkup for Tentomon- completely healthy, and Mimi and Palmon apparently had a blast with various market stalls and their free samples.

Still, what you said earlier was entirely correct. You can't really do much of anything without money. And while you could, technically, attempt to find employment the regular way, you can all generally agree that hunting and destroying evil gears would be a lot more exciting.

But where to search?


[ ] Go back to the jungle. From what you've heard, the Kuwagamon was clearly infected, so there may be others nearby. Of course, with how close it is to the city, it's more likely to have been just a lone Gear. (Travel time: Less than an hour uninterrupted. Low threat level, low chance of success.)

[ ] Visit the Overdell. You're interested in what stories the Bakemon have to tell, and they don't seem strong enough to fight anything possessed. However, they likely have the ability to quickly destroy lone Gears, so if there is a fight to be had, it'll be a tough one. (Travel time: Six hours uninterrupted. Get to talk to the Bakemon about things. Low chance of finding anything, any opponents would be in a large group of low- to middling Champion power.)

[ ] The Drimogemon often come across clusters of Gears in their tunneling, but are afraid to touch them, and for good reason. You may as well take them out before they can activate, according to Digimon around town, it's a routine job. (Travel time: Two hours uninterrupted. High chance of success, lower value rewards. High chance of at least one party member getting lost in the tunnels.)

[ ] Actually, two of the city's members, a Leomon and an Ogremon, have gone missing on the Gear Savanna. It's not necessarily a Gear-destroying mission, but you never know... (Travel time: Three days uninterrupted. Medium possibility of at least one Champion level opponent. Possibility for multiple opponents. Medium chances of success.)

[ ] Apparently, a lone Gear has gotten hold of the Andromon that lives in the 'factory' to the northwest. Not a lot of Digimon go out that far, so you're unlikely to have too much competition. (Travel time: Five days uninterrupted. High possibility of one Ultimate level opponent. Takes you through Gear Savanna, so high chance of interruption by Leomon and Ogremon. High risk, high reward.)

 

[SeekerofDreams]

You and your friends talk for a while, and you quickly come to the agreement that, while adventure is fun and all, you'd really rather not go trekking across the entire island without some form of supplies. Of course, getting supplies requires money, but that's not as big of a problem as most would think, for one reason alone.

The Drimogemon. Large mole-like Champions with drills for horns, they are proficient diggers, preferring to live their lives mostly underground. And Machinedramon's Black Gear stash is mostly underground, though the largest clusters are on Infinity Mountain, hence why nobody digs there.

According to the Digimon, they don't actively search for the Gears, they just show up. And Drimogemon are close-contact fighters, which really doesn't mesh well with an insidious object that implants mind control through direct contact.

No, they are not suited for destroying those Gears at all, which is where you come in. Every now and again, someone has to go down the tunnels and clear out the deposits before they activate, and with your Digivices, it may as well be you.

You're all in agreement on that part. It's just that the general definition of 'you' is significantly more difficult to decide on.

"But you're letting TK go with you!" Kari complains. Her brother sighs.

"TK has Angemon, and besides, he's Matt's responsibility, not mine. If you find your Digimon, or we leave the island, you can come around, but you can't do anything right now."

Kari waves her Digivice in front of her brother. Tai doesn't budge.

"It's probably not going to be that much fun, anyway," Biyomon points out. "I mean, we're going to be in a dark cave for most of it. Where's the fun in that?"

"I can think of a few things," Gabumon volunteers. "Of course, most of them would likely get one of us lost..."

"Yeah, let's not do that," Matt tells his partner. Meanwhile, Kari sighs, having given up on getting to explore the tunnels.

"Don't worry, Kari! I'm not going, either!" Bukamon points out. "So you aren't the only useless one!" You sigh. Once Joe meets his partner, he's going to have to teach the little thing the meaning of the word 'tact'. You don't envy him.

Still, you sort of feel bad for her. She has just as much stake in this world as the rest of you, yet doesn't have any say in it due to her lack of a Digimon.

Your hand slips into your pocket, and suddenly, you have an idea. The object you found at camp feels a bit like Kari's Digivice, and giving her something to look after would probably make her feel better.

"Hey, Kari," You start, and she turns to you, still pouting a little. It'd be more effective if you didn't know just how smart she is for her age. "I found something earlier, and I only just got it clean. Taking it into the tunnels would just make it dirty again, so..." You slip the object out of your pocket and hand it to her. It's glowing faintly.

She takes it, staring at it with wide eyes. "It's so pretty!"

You smile. "It is, isn't it? So take good care of it, okay?"

She nods fiercely. "I will!" And that's the end of that. Tai shoots the two of you a betrayed look. You just grin at him and try to look innocent.

All things considered, you probably fail.

---

The first two hours or so in the tunnels pass mostly without incident. The Gears closest to the surface on this part of the island have all been destroyed, as far as anyone could tell, but as the things seem to have minds of their own, there's no way to know for sure.

Of course, telling exact time in these tunnels is difficult. You are in almost complete darkness the whole way through due to Drimogemon having sensitive eyes, the only tunnels that are lit up being the ones that Digimon use to travel to Gear Savanna. And you aren't exactly planning on heading there at the moment.
(Safe tunnel navigation DC: 50. Tai, Matt, TK: Pass. Sora, Izzy, Mimi: Fail)
Of course, it doesn't last that way for long. Mimi pauses to talk to Izzy for something, you turn to tell them to keep up, and suddenly the other three have disappeared.

"We should keep going down the tunnel," Tentomon suggests. "They can't have gone far!" But maybe you take a wrong turn somewhere, because at some point the ground gives out from underneath you and you fall to the next level down.

Still unlit, of course. Which doesn't make things better. Not that there's a way for them to be good, what with the pain you're feeling from your arm right now. Still, you're not the worst off. That one probably goes to Mimi, who you're pretty sure is trying to stand up and failing.

Tentomon and Biyomon fly down to meet you. "Sora! Are you okay!?" Your partner asks, panicked. And for good reason. You've never fallen from a great height before without Birdramon to catch you, and there's just no room for her in these tunnels.

"I'm fine," You lie, and you doubt she's able to tell, what with the total darkness and all. "But we need to get out of here."

How, though?


Sora's HP: 28/35

Izzy's HP: 23/28

Mimi's HP: 20/28



[ ] Wait around. Somebody's probably going to come this way eventually, right? (Doesn't strain Mimi's leg. Decent chances of rescue. Loses a good amount of time.)

[ ] Suddenly, room constraints don't matter to you so much. Is Birdramon available? (Results depend entirely on your Trigger check. Izzy and Mimi may also make Trigger checks, but there is very little that Togemon would be able to add to this situation.)

[ ] Try and find your own way out. (Just as likely to get you even more lost. Strains Mimi's leg. Good chance of finding or doing something cool either way.)

 

[SeekerofDreams]

In most cases, common sense would dictate that you stay put. And, in most cases, you would listen to your common sense. Most cases. There are exceptions, such as today.

You know you're lucky your arm isn't that badly hurt, likely just a sprained wrist. Izzy's mostly okay, which strikes you as horrifically unfair, while Mimi... in these conditions, it's not much of a surprise that, when Biyomon comes up with the idea of actually moving, she's hesitant about it. You end up supporting her with your good arm, and movement is slow, but you like to think that you've made some amount of progress.

Think. It's hard to tell, what with the near complete darkness of the tunnel, and the only signs of change being when Palmon trips over rocks or Tentomon flies into a wall... wait.

"Tentomon, how long do you think you can make electricity for?" You ask.

"Well, I'm not meant to without there being something to fire it at, but it should be fine as long as I stop to cool down every few minutes." The ground shifts under your feet, ever so slightly.

"Can you make a light for us, then?" Biyomon suggests, having long learned to catch the same trains of thought that you do. Huh. You wonder if that counts as a good or bad influence. There's certainly plenty of evidence for either.

"Izzy, what do you think?" The ladybug asks his partner.

"A source of light would be rather helpful, if only so I can inspect my laptop for damage," He admits. "Just try not to short yourself out or overheat. The closest place to fix that is the clinic, and that's all the way back in the city!"
Whirr.... whir...
"But doesn't Mimi have a first-aid kit in one of her bags?" Palmon points out.

She does. You know this. You're helping to carry them. "I don't have Digimon medicine, Palmon," The girl in pink responds. "I didn't even know that Digimon existed until yesterday. Let alone how to fix one that was hurt by his own attack."

"Oh, right. Sorry... it's just that, well..."

"We were all waiting for you our whole lives," Tentomon explains, a spark starting to form between his wings. "So it never even occurred to us that you might not have felt the same, especially since most of you knew who we were once you woke up, if not our exact species."

"I'm guessing the 'exact species' one was Tai?" Biyomon checks.

"Who else?" Izzy sighs. "He's not very good at the whole 'subtlety' thing."

"I've noticed," You reply. Either way, now that you have a source of light, your pace greatly increases.

---

"Does anyone hear that?" Mimi asks after a few minutes of walking. You all pause and listen.

There. Beneath the steady buzz of Tentomon's electricity is an odd whirring sound. It seems to be coming from down the tunnel.

"What do you think it is?" Palmon questions. You all shrug, none of you having any idea what it could be.

Well, besides Izzy, anyway. "Isn't that the sound that gears make? I think we're near a deposit of them or something."

"Should we get closer, then?" You turn to him, unsure as to what to do here.

"That is what we're getting paid for," He points out. "Digivices out, just in case." You can agree with that. You turn the next corner in the tunnel, and then-

You need a few moments to take it in. The tunnel is reasonably large, enough for you to walk in groups of three while standing straight up, and yet... yet the world in front of you is made of Gears. In every size, and rotating in every direction, yet so quiet that you wouldn't even know they were there if Mimi hadn't been paying attention. While the light from Tentomon's electricity casts the nearby world in shades of gray, yellow, and brown, the artificial wall before you is nothing but solid black.

If you didn't know they were tools of evil made by one of your predecessors' old enemies, you'd probably be impressed. You still are, just a little bit.

"So, what do we do now?" Biyomon asks. "Just break them and go?"

You shrug. "Seems good to me." With that, you raise your Digivice as well as you are able when supporting Mimi, while just behind you, Izzy does the same.

And the world explodes into a large flash of black and white, with the odd speck of purple. For a moment, the darkness is almost choking you despite your Digivice, and then the six of you are standing in an empty tunnel. You can still hear a faint whirring noise.

Now what?

Sora's HP: 28/35

Izzy's HP: 23/28

Mimi's HP: 20/28



[ ] Continue down the tunnel. If the Gears were blocking it, there must be something worth seeing, even if it's only more cave.

[ ] Stick around for a bit. You're a bit tired from walking, and you should probably rest so Mimi's leg doesn't get any worse.

[ ] Head back the way you came. You're getting a bad feeling about this...

 

[SeekerofDreams]

Well, you've come this far. No real reason to turn back now, and while you could wait to catch your breath... curiosity gets the better of you. Tentomon sparks his powers back to life, and you all move on, going farther into the deepest part of the cave.
The whirring is slowly getting louder.
Izzy has his Digivice out, and you're sure Mimi would as well, if she weren't leaning on you, assuming someone bothered to teach her about the tracking function. You know you haven't, but given that a number of you have grown up around Digivices, you assume someone else has picked up on it.

"The others don't seem to be very far away," He notes, "At least on the x-axis. There's a good amount of vertical distance, but... maybe we'll be lucky and the tunnels will connect somewhere soon."

"That would be nice," Palmon agrees. "I was getting kind of tired of walking like this."

"We all are," Biyomon points out. "I can't even fly because I'm scared I might hit Tentomon! I don't want to be fried bird!" The ground below you starts to rumble.
You sort of agree with your partner, but privately, you think it's not that bad. A lot of the problem likely comes from the fact that she has wings. It's certainly why she's happier outdoors, and was so excited for the camping trip, though you've gotten more out of it than she ever could have expected.

"Do you really think I would do that?" Tentomon sounds offended, but you're pretty sure he's just faking.

"I met you yesterday," She replies. "How should I know what you would and wouldn't do?"

"That's pretty smart," Palmon notes. "I sort of wish it had been you waiting with us and not Agumon. Do you know how much trouble he's gotten us into because of that?"

"No, and I'm not sure I want to." Probably something you all can agree on. "Do you feel that? Does the ground normally move here, or-?"

Biyomon doesn't get to finish her question, because a large purple mole emerges from the earth in front of you, a Black Gear sticking out of its back.

Plan?


[ ] Do it the simple way- get up close use Digivice. Dangerous, but nobody can say it isn't effective.

[ ] Send Biyomon to snipe it. It's right out in the open, and can't be that sturdy.

[ ] Best of both worlds- have Biyomon carry your Digivice. You're pretty sure the thing's indestructible, anyway.

[ ] Um.... Birdramon!

 

[SeekerofDreams]

Returning to their own world was... a challenge. To the eyes of the world, they hadn't been gone for long, and were still the same kids that had met each other for the first time that morning, innocent and in no way ready to face the truth of the world. To them, it had been a year and a half, in which they had grown up and learned a lot- some things about the worlds, some things about each other, and even more things about themselves.

They had changed, even if their home world wasn't ready to accept it. Even if they weren't ready to accept it sometimes.

Even if they weren't ready to accept things in general. The Dark Masters had been defeated not six hours ago, and the marks were... fairly obvious. Which, in this case, meant that Maki was on the verge of crying again and the rest of them had no idea what to do.

Then again, Daigo mused, they'd never had any idea what to do before, so at least some things didn't change.

He wanted to say something, but... well, if there was one person he'd ever be unable to reassure, it was Maki. He could bend others to his will with but a sentence, even a number of Champion Digimon helpless against his way of words, but Maki... she'd see through him instantly.

"So, what do we do now?" Riku asked. Kaz shrugged, while Haru had a slight grin on her face.

"Well, first I'm going to go home and find my glasses. Then I'm going to come back here so I can finally see what you guys look like properly!"

"Your eyes aren't that bad," Daigo found himself pointing out. "I think he meant about Kaz and Maki." And her smile vanished. Right. She was looking for a distraction. But he had been elected leader, so it was his job to say these things, even if he'd rather pretend they weren't there.

"It- it's fine," Maki choked out, the lie painfully obvious to him in the way that they almost always were. Not that anyone else ever picked up on them. Or was he imagining things? How could he ever tell?
"If you say so..." Kaz trailed off, before shaking his head. "Anyway, I think if I just tell them I had a change of heart, it'll be fine." Well, he supposed they'd gotten away with more ridiculous things than saying that the mean-spirited kid had spontaneously decided to become a kindhearted cook. "That settled?"

And they said it was, and the group separated for the day. Well, mostly.

"Maki... I just wanted to say, if you ever need anything-"

"It's fine," She said, more forcefully this time, and Daigo almost found himself believing her. Almost. Not that he could call her out on it in public.

He'd just have to hope things turned out okay. It had generally worked before, after all.

---

It wasn't fine. At two in the morning a lot of nights, Daigo would find himself woken up by a ringing phone. He really wished that the others had never found out that he was a light sleeper, but they had, and he'd promised Maki he'd do anything he could to help her. So when the nightmares came, he was always the first one she turned to.

"Hey," He mumbled into the phone. "It's been a while since the last one, hasn't it?" A whole week of uninterrupted sleep. Something he wouldn't have been surprised by six months ago, or maybe two years, or however you decided to calculate it. Between random Digimon attacks, brushfires caused by random Digimon attacks- including Guilmon's and Otamamon's- and now this, he wouldn't be shocked if it never happened again.

"A week's not that long," Maki's voice was quiet, as befitting someone who was trying not to let anyone know about her problems, despite how obvious they would be if someone found her using the phone at two in the morning.

"Depends on what side you're talking about, isn't it?" Choked laughter from the other end.

"Sorry... I know I'm just causing you problems..." She muttered, and he sighed. What he wouldn't give to be normal, or at least not the person that everyone else listened to. What would they do if he made a mistake?

Hopefully, they wouldn't listen to him. But they would, wouldn't they? He couldn't control it, after all.

"It's not a problem, really," He lied. Of course there was a problem. He hated seeing a friend hurting like this.

"...You know I'm the one person that could see through that, right?" He wished she was just a bit more like the others, the ones that listened to his every word without too much question. But she was more perceptive than just about everyone else, and that made it harder, in a way, to make her feel better than it should have been.

Not that it would ever have been easy. But he'd have to try.

---

The moment that he got a call at two in the morning from someone besides Maki was the beginning of the end. The girl on the other end had been panicking, and if she knew these things, she was a DigiDestined, and he was the leader of the DigiDestined, so he was sort of obligated to help.

Even if she hadn't been, there was still an Agumon involved, so he felt that the point still applied. Even if Maki was a bit less than thrilled about it.

"Do you really need me for this?" She grumbled. He didn't, not really. But he thought a walk to clear her head might be good for her, and besides, her not having a partner didn't really matter when Baihumon was a world away. Besides...

"You're the one that lives around here." She nodded, and he found himself holding back a sigh of relief. If she thought he was pitying her, that was never going to end well.

"You couldn't have let me change out of my pajamas first?" And this was the other reason he enjoyed having her around. She was actually capable of pointing out his mistakes, reminding him that he was still human despite others going along with whatever he said without question. "So, you actually sleep in those goggles? I thought the Digital World was just messing with your head."

And then there was this. "Sh-shut up!" Nothing anyone else said had a chance of getting under his skin like this. He'd take it, though. Because the more she questioned him, the less he had to be right all the time.
The conversation had to be abandoned there, however, because they had to avoid 'Guilmon on coffee' flashbacks, even if they ultimately were doomed to fail.

---

Daigo was used to people listening to him. Even Maki went along with him more often than not, and she'd just pick apart his plans in order to suggest something better. They never unflinchingly disobeyed.

Until now. A portal was open, hanging above their heads, debris from the bridge was flying everywhere, and Maki was walking through it without hesitation.

No. No, he couldn't lose her. He couldn't lose the one person who didn't listen, his one safety net in case he screwed up.

"...Maki? Maki, what are you doing!?"

"I've always wondered... was it really worth saving?" What was she saying? The fact that they'd succeeded was really the only reason he could still sleep at night! "Was that battle... really worth it? The Digital World... did we really make things better?" Her Digivice was out.

"Maki, wait!" For a moment, he fumbled for his own Digivice, before realizing that there wasn't enough time. He was too far away to make it through.

A flash of light, and Greymon, Parrotmon, and Maki Himekawa were nowhere to be seen.

---

He pretended it didn't matter. It worked for a while, too- years, even.

It helped that he could distract himself. One of the kids, Tai, had decided that he was cool enough to copy- or beg etiquette lessons from. Or even just to tell stories. Which he did, sometimes, but he tried to focus on convincing the boy to talk to others, to listen to their concerns, and to never grow complacent in his ability to sway others to his side. He had, in a way. He'd thought she'd always listen. Scratch that- he'd thought she was getting better. But she wasn't.

He pretended Maki didn't exist, a lot of the time. It hurt less, that way, than thinking he'd failed. Just a little.

But it wasn't enough. He was sick and tired of running from his problems, but there wasn't anything else he could do, because he certainly didn't see a way he could fix them. Even if, by some miracle, she was still alive, how would they ever get in contact?

No, Daigo was resigned to the idea of never figuring out what happened to her. And being familiar with grief in the way that they all were, he had to conclude that it was worse, in a way, than just being told she had died. At least then, he'd be able to move on.

He was broken out of his thoughts by the ringing of the phone. He picked it up without thinking. "Hello?"

"Hey, Daigo? We need to talk." He didn't like it when Haru got that tone. It was always the sign of something that he wouldn't like.

"This... this is going to be important, isn't it?"

"Of course it's important!" She sounded offended that he'd thought she'd call him for anything frivolous. "My apprentice found something, and I need to ask you." She paused, as if uncertain.

"Haru, you need to ask your question first," He reminded her. She sighed, as if all possible hesitation had disappeared.

"Tell me... what exactly happened to Maki?" He was sort of surprised she was the first one to ask him that, and that it had taken so long. But there really wasn't a lot to tell.

"Well... there was a portal by the bridge that collapsed. Parrotmon and Greymon were pulled into it. Maki... she jumped." And it still hurt to think about, even now, that when the rest of them had done all that they could for her, she'd still thought that the best option was to run to another world.

A click on the other end of the line. And he was left wondering just what that could have all been about.

---

Izzy and Haru's project was slow going. A good part of that was probably due to acting on extremely outdated information. But the closest thing they'd had to actual contact with the Digital World in years had been Maki's disappearance.

Daigo didn't expect a lot of progress on that front. Closure would have been nice, but at this point, he'd gone for nearly three years without it. It would be fine. Maybe.

But one day his green-haired friend showed up at his doorstep with a huge smile on her face. "We found something!" She cheered. "I mean, it's not Maki, but it's amazing and you have to see it!" She shoved a piece of paper in his face.

On it was a circle with an email address written on specific points, exactly one quarter along. "Is this-"

Haru grinned. "Yeah. I've only contacted Ebonwumon so far, and it may have startled him a little, but I think we can both agree it was worth it. Just don't get too caught up on the fact that you'll get instant responses, and try not to stay up too late talking to Baihumon, okay?"

Well... it was something, at least. More than he would have ever hoped for, even with that bet... wait. He'd actually have to help her ask Riku out, wouldn't he? Oh, well. It was probably worth it. Maybe.

...She was hopeless, and this was going to be hell, but at least he'd be able to joke with his partner about it once it was over. So it all evened out in the end.

---

Seven months. That was how long the good things had lasted. Because of course they couldn't last forever.

He'd asked Baihumon if he knew what had happened to Maki. The negative answer meant that either the Sovereigns weren't paying that much attention- knowing them personally, Daigo wouldn't put it past them- or she had fallen into the section of the Digital World belonging to Zhuqiaomon and Azulongmon, who had never gotten along that well and were probably avoiding their shared territory as often as possible.

It didn't matter, though. Because his partner was the grounding point he'd needed for years, and even if he limited the conversations to an hour or so a day, being able to talk to someone on equal ground was doing him a world of good.

And then, almost seven months to the day, it all fell apart. He hated being a light sleeper, but sometimes it was worth it. His Digivice was on his bedside, and while he only knew a few words of Digicode, it was enough to be concerned.

Help us! -Maki

Without a second thought, he scrambled out of bed and towards his computer. Three and a half years of radio silence, and now a call for help? That could only mean trouble, and while he might not have been able to handle it personally...

'Baihumon, Maki's alive and in your world. She just sent a distress signal to my Digivice, I don't know where she is. I don't care how, just help her, and tell me if she's safe. Please.'

And on his Digivice, sending it directly to Maki's the way he used to in emergencies...

What's wrong? -Daigo

He waited until the first light of dawn seeped in his bedroom window.

Neither message ever got a response.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

There's not really a lot of options, stuck in a dark tunnel as you are. You've got Tentomon providing light, but he can't do that and fight at the same time, at least not effectively. And Palmon... Right behind Mimi, would take time to get at the Drimogemon, time that you really don't have.

Which leaves one option. Well, okay, you can think of multiple, but only one good one. And it's based on a series of quick observations, the first one being the fact that Drimogemon is low to the ground and unlikely to have any attacks that reach straight up.

"Biyomon?" You start, and your partner is already taking flight.

"Got it, Sora!" She's surprisingly quick, even for somebody that grew up with her.

Drimogemon doesn't seem to notice that she's there. Or maybe that's just how focused he is on you, that he stalks forward without stopping. You step back, hoping that Biyomon's aim is good enough- she's probably only got one shot at this.

Mimi tries to back up as well, but trips and falls backwards, knocking into Izzy and Palmon. Well, it could be worse. She could have landed on Tentomon. That would have hurt a lot more, and at this point, you need all the good things you can get.

One stream of green fire is all it takes. And then the Black Gear explodes, the fragments vanishing into nothingness the same was as the ones before. The whirring stops.
It's you, Izzy, and Mimi in a silent tunnel, your partners not leaving your sides for a second, just in case. Tentomon stops producing electricity, plunging you into blackness as the Drimogemon comes back to his senses.

On the bright side, you have someone who can probably get you out now.

---

The results of your trip to the tunnel are mixed. On one hand, you have enough money to easily get by for a few days now, especially since your group and Tai's both found separate deposits, though you'll need to hunt down more Gears if you hope to stay for any longer than that.

On the other hand, you're going to need all of those days to wait until Mimi can walk without pain again, and you're pretty sure that she and Izzy have agreed to never go very far into those tunnels ever again. You've also stayed out later than you expected, and Kari's been... less than thrilled about it.

"S-sorry about that," Tai apologizes to his sister. She doesn't reply, instead biting into a piece of meat. You're not sure where she got it from.

"Just be glad we found a place to stay for the night!" Bukamon tells the rest of you. "It's not that nice a place, but we can at least enjoy not getting rained on!" The sky does seem fairly cloudy, even if the water hasn't started falling yet. "You don't mind Kunemon, do you?"

Patamon answers that the best way that any of you can. "What's a Kunemon?"

---

A treehouse. They found you a giant treehouse. "Nobody comes to stay here anymore..." The yellow caterpillar who owns the place sighs. "They prefer all the fancy hotels, or just getting an apartment. No appreciation for nature, those Digimon."

You glance out the window to see the lush forest in every direction that's not to the north, particularly the group of what looks like Champions coming back carrying several bags worth of fish and mushrooms just below the tree. You decide against mentioning them to Kunemon, however. No need to set her off.

"It's nice of you to let us stay here," Izzy tells her. She hops up onto the windowsill, apparently planning to make her escape through the trees.

"It's not a problem. Need to make money somehow, since nobody's willing to just hand out mushrooms anymore. Those were the days..." She disappears, lost in her reminiscing.

"Was this really the only place you could find?" Matt sighs.

"She was the only one that didn't ask for money up front and was willing to pay attention to a kid and an In-Training Digimon," Bukamon confirms. "Trust me, we tried."

"She's not that bad," Kari defends her. "Just a bit odd, that's all."

"I don't think I've seen a Rookie Digimon that old before," Gabumon comments. "I know we don't normally have room to talk, but..."

"Bring it up in front of her at your own peril," Izzy reminds him, though looking just a bit more closely at Agumon and Tentomon. "She might just be a Rookie, but so are you, most of the time. And she's been one for longer."

"I know..."

Either way, you've got a place to stay for the next few days, and you're not in a hurry to leave before you have to, especially as the team would be down to five or so.

What will you do until Mimi recovers?


[ ] Explore the nearby forests. There's not that many powerful wild Digimon around, and you might find something interesting. Besides, more edible mushrooms makes the money last longer!

[ ] Talk to Digimon around town. There's something you've been wanting to learn about... (Write-in subject)

[ ] Visit the Overdell. You have an open invitation, after all.

[ ] Help Izzy try and establish communications with your own world. Well, not so much 'communications' as 'letting everyone else know what happened if we don't get back anytime soon', but same basic deal.

[ ] Colosseum? What's that?