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Butter-Fly Effect

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Why Following Ominous Noises is a Bad Idea
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    • 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!
     
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    • [X] Send Biyomon to snipe it. It's right out in the open, and can't be that sturdy.

    Lets NOT get up close to a Drimogemon.
     
    [x] Best of both worlds- have Biyomon carry your Digivice. You're pretty sure the thing's indestructible, anyway.
     
    [X] Um.... Birdramon!

    What do you mean this is literally the dumbest decision possible? That's why it's great!
     
    Keeping in mind if the digivice isn't on us we might not be able to digivolve. Please don't put it where we can lose it.
     
    In times like this, we need to think - WWTD? (What would Tai Do)


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

    CHAAAAARGE
     
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    Coping
  • Sidestory
    • 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.
     
  • Sidestory
    • Trying to use the Digivice involves getting close up with a giant nose drill and drill claws which we have next to no room to avoid due to being trapped in a tunnel. Sending Biyomon out to use it... can she even use the Digivice that way? Does she know how, if she can? Can she press any of the buttons involved with her wings/talons? We don't know. And Birdramon in a tunnel only big enough for three people to stand next to each other to walk is a terrible idea.

    That said, Drimogemon doesn't have much room to maneuver either, and with the way its body is composed and the attacks it can use, if Biyomon gets over its head there's not much it can likely do about it beyond tunnel away. Think that's our best shot, particularly if Tentomon and Palmon can help distract/keep it still.

    [X] Send Biyomon to snipe it. It's right out in the open, and can't be that sturdy.
     
    [X] Send Biyomon to snipe it. It's right out in the open, and can't be that sturdy.
     
    Inserted tally
    Adhoc vote count started by SeekerofDreams on Sep 24, 2018 at 11:46 AM, finished with 1345 posts and 10 votes.
    • [X] Send Biyomon to snipe it. It's right out in the open, and can't be that sturdy.
      [x] Best of both worlds- have Biyomon carry your Digivice. You're pretty sure the thing's indestructible, anyway.
      [X] Um.... Birdramon!
      [X] Do it the simple way- get up close use Digivice. Dangerous, but nobody can say it isn't effective.
    Click to expand...
     
    Well, this seems simple enough.


    -Vote Closed!-
    ​


    This should get the 'episode' over with pretty quickly, actually. Barring something really stupid happening, anyway. And Tai's not here.
     
    So, Let's Not Do That Again
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    • 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?
     
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