Winning Vote:
[] Agility Focus (3 Agility, 1 Strength, 1 Endurance)
===
It is under the evening sun that you set out from the village and begin making your way towards Flamemon's location. Considering Gramps' answer, there's only one place he could be; the grassy hill where you'd trained for the first time. Traveling without any companions is still a frightening experience, especially this late when the lengthening shadows could hide any number of terror inducing things. Many a time you flinch, seeing glimpses of imaginary threats in the spaces just out of clear view, but no matter how scary the surroundings might become, you still grit your teeth and persevere onward.
Guilt, heavy and hard like a large stone in your belly, constantly urges you to keep traveling the lonely path. You can't just sit and do nothing right now; Auger's injuries, his current state - all of it is your fault. For once the urge to get stronger actually resonates within you. Unlike Gnaw or Flamemon you've never truly liked training or fighting. The stress of forcing yourself to the very limit time and time again didn't give you a rush and the incremental gain of power increase never filled you with pride; it's something you've had to force yourself to do. First to make Flamemon proud of you, and then because the village was in danger, but without those factors you'd have been happy to just spend your days digging. Deleting other digimon was never something you wanted to do or even see but... It's almost like you can still faintly hear the screams of Gnaws victims.
Not that there isn't a second, not-so-selfless reason for your trek beyond the factor of training. Another faint part of you hopes that maybe Flamemon can help somehow, that he'll tell you that it isn't your fault or find a way to reassure you like always.
With the speed you'd gained over the past weeks it doesn't actually take long to reach Flamemon's training area. What would have been several hours turns to easily less than a third of that. However upon arriving, you're immediately met with the sight of two massive blasts of fire bursting into existence in the sky overhead. Once you've regained your faculties a few moments later, you're greeted to the sight of your best friend standing at the grassy hill's summit with a grin on his face.
You scramble up the hill hoping to catch the tall rookie before he does it again, and you're successful. Flamemon spots you a few seconds later his, grin faltering as the mon blinks, taken aback in surprise.
"Verge?" He questions before looking around. "Did you come here by yourself?"
"Ye-yeah", you sheepishly reply, trying to figure out how to go about this.
"Ha! Ha!" Your best friend pumps a fist into the air with a triumphant laugh. "Great work! I'm proud of you Verge!"
You shouldn't be. Auger, devolving, a-all of those Goblimon being deleted. I should have… If I was better then…
Then with your head hanging low, you launch into an explanation of the day's events for a second time. Flamemon never interrupts, he doesn't comment as the tears roll down your cheeks, all the mon does is stand there listening intently to your words.
When it's all out, he comes forward and places a single comforting hand on your shoulder. He gives you a shaky smile, doing his best to handle the situation the only way he knows. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened, Verge, there wasn't anything you could've done."
"Flamemon I… I'm not like you." The melancholic words coming out of your mouth are soft, barely audible. "I'm not brave or strong or inspiring. I'm just-just a weak coward."
"... You're right" Flamemon replies after taking a moment to think on it, lightly squeezing your shoulder with his hand. "You're not like me. I can't remember ever truly being afraid in this life Verge, for me it's easy to take a stand and do the right thing. But for you..." The fire type digimon gives a low chuckle. "For you it's a struggle. With every step you're not only fighting against others; you're fighting against yourself too!" Flamemon mouth widens into a grin once again. "And that means you can be braver than I ever will"
"I-W-what?!" What Flamemon's saying doesn't make a lick of sense to you. How could someone like you ever be better than him at anything?
"I was born to be a hero Verge, all I have to do is follow my instincts. But Verge, in order to become one you'll have to overcome yours." Now gripping both of your shoulders, Flamemon lets out a dazzling smile, full of all the bravado and arrogance in the world, but more comforting to than anything else. "And believe me now, I know that you can." The rookies takes a step away from you. "Back during the cave in I almost panicked. I was almost scared for the first time ever, but I didn't, because I knew there was something that meant we were all going to be fine."
"You... You had s-something?" As embarrassing as it is, you honestly can't help but hang off the older mon's every word, utterly enraptured.
"We had you Verge. I knew that I could depend on you to carry on despite the danger." Flamemon hammers a fist into his empty hand. "And you did! You found a way out and saved everyone, just like how you saved that digimon before the Goblimon could delete it."
"I know you get frightened sometimes Verge, but listen up! There's a fire within you hotter than anything I can make! Believe me even if you don't believe in yourself, with it you can accomplish anything!"
"Really? You-you really believe that?"
"Yes! One day - and while it may not be soon it will come- you'll wake up, and find that you're not scared anymore. But until then..." The taller rookie slams a closed fist against his chest. "I'll protect you Verge. From the moment you hatched I've known that it was important that I help you."
"Flamemon..."
Tears bloom from you eyes once again, though this time for a distinctly different reason.
"Come on Verge!" Flamemon shouts, literally flipping through the air to reach you once more "Let's get to training!"
"Yeah!"
=== In the Morning Does Verge Buy Breakfast? (Choose One)
[] Yes (-50/5150 bits)
[] No
=== Stat Changes: (Training, + Point from Demenos)
- Strength: 67.25->69.0
- Fortitude: 67.0
- Endurance: 59.50->61.25
- Agility: 45.5->50.0->51.5
===
Authors Note:
Wow, this one was a doozy to write. I've had the scene in question between Flamemon and Verge in mind since before the quest started, but writing this update itself proved to be a very difficult task. No idea why, but I had a difficult time both staring it and forming the sentences into structures that didn't completely suck.... Also may not help that I had to redo the first couple paragraphs because they were too edgy initially. If there's one thing I don't like its pointless wangst. Now I'm glad I was able to get to about a thousand words for this update, as initially it was going to be much bigger continuing on with the morning as well. But I decided that to split it up in an attempt to give this individual update itself more *Weight* so to speak.
Beta'd by @no. 
