[] Visit Ardat. You kind of forgot about her because of your earlier funk of anger and depression, but that's passed. She'll undoubtedly be impressed by your new form and… some relaxation might be a good idea before the mission to save your family.
===
Shrugging the disappointment aside, you take a moment to pause and think about what action to take next. Beat
is right here so you could very well ask him for a spar… however that might not actually be a good idea, at least not at this current point in time.
Your friend isn't weak, far from it in fact. He's one of the very strongest Ultimates you've met by far. And yet that isn't enough, you've simply grown
past him to the point where any fight would end his swift and sudden defeat. You'll need time to learn how to properly control this frame's newfound speed and strength. Until that time comes, fighting him would be too risky to try.
Plus… he is in the midst of training right now and interrupting him would be most rude indeed.
Instead you
could inquire with the Angewomon assigned to be your *attendant* about finding a higher quality workout facility. After all you'll be leaving tomorrow and squeezing out any last vestiges of strength could be important. Not to mention the fact it it would actually allow you to test your limits.
But while that notion is vastly appealing, there's one more factor you have to consider. Or rather
a mon, to consider.
Your lady-Ardat.
=
"Halt denizen of darkness! Your kind has no business within these hallowed halls!"
Oof.
The Angemon's rather hostile challenge nearly makes you flinch. However day's recent events have seen you grow *used* to such words, awful though they be. You glance down at the two champions and their raised staves, then take a breath, ready to respond, but MagnaAngemon's assistant beats you to the punch.
"Enough of that foolishness, pause from your biases and take a second to look at whom you are addressing." Your robust companion admonishes.
"What?" The leftmost doorguard is taken aback by her order, but nonetheless follows her order, peering up towards your face. His fellow angel suddenly snaps his fingers and gives a short cry of surprise. "The Gryzmon! His height, that fur, he's even got that scar on his face! That's… *Berge* was it?"
"Verge." You cough softly into a fist, *discreetly* correcting him.
"Verge right… wow. You're… different now. Congrats on digivolving and uh… sorry about that." He murmurs apologetically.
"It is fine, worry not for the mistake."
That is… merely an attitude I must grow to accept.
"Evolution or not… you come here often enough that we really should have recognized you." The first
Angemon responds again, his mouth curled down into an ashamed frown.
"Yeah all of that." His companion says, head bobbing rapidly up and down. "But what I want to know, is why you feel… almost like a Devimon? Eh… that's not quite it, but close."
My aura is… similar to that of a Devimon? That bodes ill, why would...
"That is… I lack an answer for that question, for now at least." You murmur, nose wiggling in annoyance. This is one more mystery… and you despise not knowing the answer to it.
"*Ahem* go ahead on in Gryz-GrappLeomon." The leftmost angel states, stepping away from the fort's entrance. "Though… you may need to hunch a little."
You eye the portal's height carefully, standing at just over two stories tall, your Gryzmon form had been able to walk through without trouble, so long as it was on all fours. Now however… your fully bipedal posture means simply trying to walk in would lead to your head hitting the stone archway.
"There is another entrance for uh… *larger* mon." The rightmost Angemon notes. "If-"
"It shall be fine."
After all, all this will require is bending my knees.
=
Upon reaching the entrance to Ardat's cell, you find it guarded not by angels or warriors, but by a …
small pink orb with wings and a short spear. Despite being rookie-like in both size and appearance, your sense picks out its power as clearly belonging to that of an Ultimate. It's… a little unnerving to be honest, but you shrug it off and make ready to ask him for the right of visitation.
Only, your *attendant* is already in the midst of handing the
Piccolomon a small note. One second of reading later, it nods and begins unlatching the locks on your
mistre-
friend's door.
By the Ten… having a mon around to handle these interactions is useful.
"Head right on inside!" The tiny digimon pipes up as he pulls on the handle.
"Indeed… my thanks, both of you." With those words, your eye comes to a close for the sake of concentration. One deep breath later you *reach* for the sensation of sliding down to Drimogemon and…
Nothing.
Your data, the frame compression and reversion… it's all
completely different now,
Digivolving to this form it… did it undo my training? No this is different. I trained how to slide down from Gryzmon, not GrappLeomon. The differences are-
Your thoughts are cut off as Piccolomon lets out a squeak a protest.
"I can't keep the door open all day!"
Hmm, I see then… I must get inside some other way.
"Ah, my apologies…" You gaze down at the comparatively small entrance and start forward. As a Gryzmon your body was too bulky to squeeze through in any capacity, but now… your shallower chest and narrower shoulders meant that now it just
might be possible to enter. Providing you shifted properly that is.
With that in mind, you drop down onto your fingers and rear-claws, then reach an arm through the frame. From there you twist around to put your shoulders parallel with the sides and scramble on in using your extremities. A small *clunk* sounds out as your pauldron smacks against one side, but you wiggle around a little to course correct. Several moments later, all that's left to do is tug both feet past the portal and you're finally fully inside the familiar cell.
A victorious grin rolls over your face at that, petty victory though it may be and you quickly swing around to a kneeling position-coming face to face with your smirking, friend in the process.
"We see that you have finally deigned to pay us your dues." The LadyDevimon tries to regard you coolly, but that effect is lost due to her body's excitable
jiggling *ahem*
shaking. "Yes, we wondered when you would come to show us your evolution and it is quite coo-charming, yes charming." The womon says before coughing into a fist. Her lilac eyes travel up and down your armored body, before finally settling down your mane.
"We are glad that you have achieved such a powerful form, as expected of our foremost serv-friend…" She trails off with a slightly disappointed frown.
Why is she… oh. She sees that my journey on the path of fluff has grown narrower.
It's an understandable opinion, now that you think about it, this
is a travesty. A most dire and heart-breaking situation indeed. Your once proud and luscious coat of fur has been for the most part lost in your most recent evolution.
"I… have lost much." You admit shamefully. "But not all, now I possess a great mane." To emphasize that murmur you reach up to touch the dense patch of purple hair… which seems to be much longer than you first believed. Indeed, a cursory check reveals that it doesn't just stop at your shoulders, but actually travels all the way down to the small of your back.
While the impracticality of having it at such a length is clear… you find yourself not caring overmuch for that particular fact. If anything, the mass of fur existing at all is a relief. You twist turn about to present the veritable rug to Ardat, but pause as her earlier words register with your mind.
Hold, did she say that she was expecting you Verge?
"You… felt my evolution?"
"Yep!" The LadyDevimon announces proudly, puffing out her sizeable er, assets in a show of pride
. "To the forbidden librarian's demonic senses it was quite of note. A tornado of darkness amidst this sacred city of light!" The womon unable to contain herself any longer, breaks out into a well practiced pose, tilting to one side and draping her spread claws across her face whilst her wings extend out fully on both sides.
"In the light of morn we bore witness to your fourfold transformation! A pity upon my enemies! A pity upon the Gloaming! Cower in fear before the leading lady's magnificent knight!"
… right. The time has come to move on.
"I would ask, how has your path of life been progressing?"
"Path of life? Oh! Nihihihi! we've got fantastic! Great! Awe-inspiring news Verge! In time short we will take our leave of this place. The Grand Miko Sanzomon herself has assured us that our time of healing has nearly come to an end. Soon we shall be *graduating* from the Host's clutches and striking out to bring the foolish and pathetic Gloaming to heel!" Ardat's tirade pauses as she claps a hand on her arm for emphasis.
"We were even writing you a letter about it Verge! It was going to go on about sidestepping social land mines and using what the Host taught us to think like holy beings and how we were finally breaking free from her gilded cage!..." She trails off in disappointment again, but this time you don't think it's because of your lacking fluff.
"We… really wanted to send it to you."
"I… you still very well can milady."
"No. That is one thing we can no longer do." Your friend murmurs, her lips turning up into a sad smile. "
For you see the effect of awe my writings would have once held have already been lost! The digital world's leading lady shall not send redundant information to her friends for the reason of self satisfaction. For we could use our time for more productive endeav….things. Instead! We must know how you're doing serv-friend!"
"I am… well enough. In truth I would have visited earlier, however… certain things kept my mind occupied until evolution cleared it."
"Certain things?! We must know what they were!" The womon exclaims, crossing both her arms behind her back and leaning forward to puff out her, er, assets. You pointedly look away from them, deflecting the sudden urge to cough and ponder about how to respond. On the one paw, you're not sure if it's alright to tell her about this mission… but on the other, it's not like HolyAngemon
told to keep this a secret from her either, right?
I dislike keeping secrets… spirits above, I hope this is alright.
"Tomorrow, Sparks, Beat, and I will be leaving this place to embark on the road of vengeance. Our *vacation* will be spent hunting Count and saving my family from his clutches." You pause after that, suddenly remembering Beat's previous words.
But… can I truly save them?
Ardat gasps in wonder at your words, then darts forward to wrap a sudden, but not painful hug around your neck.
"That's wonderful! news Verge! You shall finally carry out our shared will in driving the fiery stake of vengeance into Count's despicable core!"
"Aye…"
"Don't think too much about it Verge! You're strong now! We beat him up back in the north and now you're like… twice as strong as we were then!"
She defeated him ?… ah, I remember.
You can't help but smile wryly at the demonic mon's statement. It was… *twisting* things about quite deliberately, but her intention with it was to make you feel better. So you'll leave that inaccuracy regarding her sneak attack unspoken for now.
"Ack! We want to come with you!" Ardat groans, burying her face in a claw.
"Why couldn't this have happened next week?! Then the mistress of wind sorcery would come to see him deleted! Stupid Sanzomon and stupid Host rules. We're fine now!... *Sniff*." You reach out a comforting had towards Ardat's shoulder, but she intercepts the offending limb with claw and brings it to rest against the soft surface of her... chest.
"I hereby charge you in our place with the defeat and execution of Lord Count of the Gloaming. Avenge… avenge Sir Scratch's deletion."
You return Ardat's serious look and slowly nod in agreement.
"I hereby swear it upon my life milady. Your vengeance and my own shall be carried out against him. I will
end his path."
"Good!" Ardat announces, letting go of your hand and stepping backwards.
"Now it's been a while since we played Uno! We've deciphered out some more of the rules with Frigimon and added some custom cards! Like the reverse, pick up-" you can't help smile by at the womon's excited rambling, comforted by a palpable sense of nostalgia.
You could worry about everything else later, but for now… now it's time to relax a bit.
=== That Afternoon:
[] You decide to check for the most recent newspaper… and try visiting a Trading Post. Maybe Grip has finally sent you another letter?
[] Try a bit of exercise, then focus on meditating. Finding out how to slide down to Gryzmon would be a good idea.
===
Authors Note: Wow… this update was a long time coming. RL happened and I ended up being pretty busy over the last few days. Finally got the time though. Originally this draft had some more discussion on Verge's family and even Ardat scanning Verge, but it got cut out since things didn't flow that way when writing.
