Something shines down on my face from above, gently coaxing me from slumber.
Mmm... morning already...?
Slowly opening my eyes, I find myself gazing up at a distant circle of soft, sparkling blue light. Its rays fall upon me like the gentlest of feathers, yet it ripples like the surface of a struck pond, casting hypnotic-looking patterns on all that lies below.
Thinking it rather beautiful, I smile, feeling as though everything is right with the world.
I don't think I've ever been so comfortable before. It's as though I'm floating on air, cushioned on all sides by a miniature cloud. However I fell asleep last night, I want to make sure I'm positioned exactly like this every night from here on out.
Far too relaxed to even think about getting up right now, I shut my eyes again and sigh lightly in contentment, feeling a few small bubbles escape my mouth as I do.
...wait. Bubbles?
A tinge of confusion breaks past my blissful drowsiness, whereupon I realize I don't usually wake up to this much light. Also, I can't actually be floating on air right now. Even were that not impossible, whatever is truly supporting me at the moment is too dense, and all-encompassing, and... wet.
Am I underwater?!
My eyes fly back open as I snap into full awareness, my belated recognition and confusion at not being in my bed nigh-instantly shoved aside by my panic at the thought of drowning in the crystal clear liquid all around me. How in the hell-?!
Spurring my limbs into half-hysteric motion, I swim up towards the circle of light above, which I now realize is actually the water's semi-reticulated underside. A few seconds that feel like a few minutes later, my head breaks the surface, and I gasp in relief, my breaths coming fast and heavy for want of air.
...or, not? My breathing is pretty even, actually. The only strain I can feel on my lungs right now is fairly minor, seeming more like it's from the sudden frenzy I just sent myself into than from any genuine lack of oxygen. Huh...?
Blinking the water from my eyes, I look around, and realize that I'm in a pool. A tiny, perfectly circular swimming pool, barely large enough for one to even swim in. Its walls are made of smooth, near-white stone, and are illuminated from below by some unknown light source, strong enough to make the surface of the water literally glow.
...oh, and it's somehow been carved directly into the floor of a cave.
My mouth falls open of its own accord, my surroundings only growing stranger the longer I stare at them. I can't actually see the entirety of the cavern, as the only apparent source of light in here is the tinted teal glow being emitted by the pool — or maybe that's actually the water itself, given the several independently-glowing puddles of it pooling on the floor nearby — but it's still enough to make out the numerous huge, pitch-black holes scattered across the ceiling, each more than large enough for a person to fall through, and uncomfortably reminiscent of the hollows of a skull. They're clustered around tree-trunk-like columns of rock dispersed all throughout the cavern's interior, connecting the floor to the roof like a hundred stalagmites and stalactites grown together.
What... is this...?
My perplexment at my apparent location lasts up until my eyes happen to drift south, at which point I realize I have bigger questions to answer. Namely, why it is my fingers currently appear to be a rather fetching shade of green, and are poking out of a pair of bulky, oddly-shaped gauntlets, which extend all the way up to my similarly green elbows. There's also something on top of my head that definitely isn't hair, and I can feel several tiny trickles of water slowly dripping from the tips of my ears... nearly half a foot further from my head than they should be.
Teetering on the verge of complete mental disarray, I whirl around, only to spot a computer of all things sitting near the edge of the pool. Like everything else I've woken up to, it's fairly bizarre-looking, featuring a pair of fin-like decorations jutting from the sides of the casing, a snorkel-like antenna sprouting from the top of the monitor, and a keyboard in possession of way too few keys to be functional, none of which seem to bear any actual letters — but at the moment, I don't care about any of that.
All I care about are the large, slit-pupil red eyes looking back at me from my reflection in the computer's darkened screen, set within a familiar, yet equally unfamiliar face.
Glancing down at myself proper for the first time since I awoke, I find myself staring at a considerably sleeker, curvier body than the one I normally possess, clothed in a form-fitting sky blue swimsuit. Despite technically going down past my knees, the suit is actually rather revealing, large panels of fabric having been cut away to expose teardop-shaped stretches of aquamarine skin, as well as to leave room for the literal fins sticking out of me just above my hips. Which, glancing back at the computer screen, appear quite similar to the ones now growing out of my head, having seemingly replaced my ears entirely.
Reaching up with one gauntlet-covered hand, I gingerly pinch the tip of one of my ear... fins between my fingers. It twitches beneath my touch, sensory input coming through clearly from both ends. I continue my brief inspection with the pair positioned over my hips, finding them just as tangible and attached to me as the ones on my head, then let my hands drop back down.
...I'm not dreaming, am I. I thought for a moment there that I might be, but with how real everything feels... no.
Somehow, some way, some why, I'm Ranamon now.
And this is the lair of the five evil Legendary Warriors, from Digimon Frontier.
...oh HELL no.
I clutch at the sides of my head, fingers pressing into what I now recognize as Ranamon's helmet-like swim cap. Setting aside all questions as to why I'm both here and her for the moment (not that doing so is particularly easy, because just... what?!), if this truly is the world of Digimon Frontier, then this is really, really bad. The last time I watched the show was probably a solid decade ago, if not longer, so my memories of it are more than a little vague, but I definitely still remember that this is the season where the primary villain isn't just a literal fallen angel, but one whose overall goal unexaggeratedly entails tearing the planet apart. Cherubimon is almost stereotypically evil in both appearance and methodology, but given that the Digital World in Frontier had continent-sized chunks of itself missing before the series proper even started, I'd say he was doing a pretty good job of it regardless.
My grip on my swim cap tightens further, a continuous stream of curses running through my mind. Just suddenly finding myself in a world undergoing an active, if gradual apocalypse would be bad enough on its own, but no — Ranamon, AKA me, somehow, is under Cherubimon's direct command, being one of the "legendary spirit" Digimon that he subverted into working for him after said fall. They're his primary attendants; the five highest underlings through which the tainted angel carries out his will, and each one is, or at least acts fanatically loyal to him, so devoted to their lord and master's cause are they.
...and as such, they will almost certainly have no compunctions about killing me, should they find out that "Ranamon" suddenly isn't.
My breath quickens. I- I can't stay here. I need to leave, and leave now, before anyone realizes that something's wrong-!
Panic flowing through me anew, I hoist myself out of the water, stepping up and into the cavern proper — only to immediately cringe at the sensation of cold, unforgiving stone floor beneath my utterly bare feet.
"Ugh..." I wince, glancing down again, "couldn't I have at least woken up as something with shoes-"
I pause for a moment upon hearing my own voice. Yeah, that's Ranamon alright, albeit without the ridiculous 'Southern Belle' accent the English version of the show gave her. I suppose I should be thankful I'm at least not stuck embodying that aspect of her being as well... small mercies.
Shoving that subject to the mental back-burner, I resume frantically looking around for an exit. Unfortunately, beyond the tiny portion of the cavern within the pool's immediate vicinity, I can barely see any of it. Why are there no lights in here?!
"Gotta calm down..." I whisper to myself, desperately trying to regain some measure of composure. "I don't actually know this is Frontier... maybe it's some other continuity...?"
While it's a nice thought for all of the moment it lasts, I can't really bring myself to believe it. My surroundings seem like fairly damning evidence on their own, and if this isn't Frontier, then why would I have woken up as Ranamon of all Digimon, who pretty much only exists for the purpose of fulfilling her role as a mid-tier villain in said season's plot? Even if she was ever featured anywhere else, I'll bet she didn't sound like this.
Unable to find any openings in the portion of the cave I can actually see, I suck in a breath, place my hand on the nearest wall, and carefully walk into the darkness, praying that there aren't any holes in the floor like the ones in the ceiling, lest I end up falling even deeper into this cavern. To my surprise however, as I leave the light of the pool behind, the seven large red gems scattered across my "outfit" begin to brighten, illuminating the blackness in my immediate vicinity with a dim, crimson incandescence.
Apparently I now glow in the dark. Lucky me — and all for the low, low price of changing bodies, species, and universes with zero apparent warning or reason.
I shake my head. Still, while it's not much, and the almost blood-red coloration of the light is honestly pretty creepy in the darkness, at least I can see where I'm stepping now.
"There has to be a way out of here..." I mutter under my breath, still trying to reassure myself as I carefully continue forward. "There has to be..."
God I hope so at least, because the more I think about this situation as I'm assuming it to be, the worse it somehow gets. Ranamon is the owner of the Human Spirit of Water, which is supposed to eventually be taken by Zoe, the sole female member of Digimon Frontier's five main characters. That would be fine, since all that normally does is let someone turn into Ranamon, and it's not like I have any particular aspirations of staying like this for any longer than I absolutely have to — except, unlike the show's human protagonists, Ranamon doesn't have anything "underneath" her outward appearance. When one of the kids uses a spirit, they essentially just become armored in it, gaining all its power while remaining human at their core. Ranamon, however, was never human, being more akin to the spirit itself made flesh... which, I suspect, I now am too. Meaning, having said spirit taken from me and "purified" would likely just equate to straight-up death.
I pause. Well, maybe not? I suppose it is technically possible that my human body still exists beneath my presently fishy, feminine exterior. That is the central conceit of this season after all, what with the main characters — the "Digidestined", even if I don't think these ones ever actually call themselves that — not having partner Digimon, but instead turning into Digimon themselves to fight.
And if so, then perhaps...
Stopping for a moment to lean against the nearest wall, I close my eyes and concentrate, attempting to forcibly "de-digivolve" myself. If I'm capable of doing so at all, then this should be fairly simple — so far as I recall, it was never really a problem for anyone in this season, even the normally human kids, who wouldn't have naturally had any idea how to do so. Just need to find and flip that mental switch...
Come on... come ON...!
…
...nothing.
I can't form a proper fist with these gauntlets on, but my fingers still do their best to curl into something roughly approximating such as I reopen my eyes and scowl into the darkness.
"Figures."
Guess that's not happening then. Not that I didn't already kind of assume as much, given all evidence at the moment seems to point to this being the original Ranamon's body, with the only real difference being who's driving it. My own body most likely isn't part of this equation at all. Might be for the best that didn't work anyways — I don't remember exactly how this lair was constructed, but I'm fairly certain Ranamon wasn't the only one living in it, and like hell would I have wanted to find out I can become human again in a place where merely existing as one would likely be tantamount to suicide.
Sighing, I resume making my way around the cave, doing my best to avoid any errant rocks.
Seriously, what could even cause this, and why like this? Digimon as a franchise isn't exactly a stranger to the idea of tossing people into other worlds, but this definitely isn't the norm in any way, shape, or form. Even in this season, the kids still arrived in the Digital World as themselves; they weren't just shoved into Digimon bodies on arrival, especially not ones that were already in use. Which isn't even addressing how Digimon just in general is supposed to be, you know, fictitious. Granted, just being where I am right now makes for some pretty strong evidence that isn't entirely the case, but that really only makes this even more-
My train of thought slows to a halt as I abruptly realize that the light from my gems is fading away, their luster rapidly dimming back down to normal — because the floor in front of me is already lit up, bathed in the bright blue glow of the water.
...I'm back at the pool. I just circumnavigated this entire cavern, and somehow, in spite of all logic, there's no exit to this place.
I'm trapped.
"Damn it," I snarl, forgetting myself for a moment, "this isn't fair! I don't know what's responsible for this, but you could at least give me a chance of making it out of this alive-"
"Wilt thou kindly quiet down?"
I stiffen in place as a resonant, metallic-sounding voice sounds out from above me — one that I unfortunately recognize.
Turning towards one of the nearby pillars, I watch in semi-resigned horror as a green, almost robotic-looking being drops through one of the holes in the ceiling, slowly floating downwards as though descending in an invisible elevator. His upper half is shaped like an upside-down crossguard, and a pair of rounded mirrors are attached to each of his arms, contrasting with the stadium-shaped one set into his stomach. Where his head should be, there's nothing but yet another small, rounded mirror, bearing no indication of facial features beyond a pair of lip-like markings painted onto its polished surface.
Mercurymon. The Warrior of Steel... and possibly the worst of the bunch to have gotten caught by.
"Tis awfully noisy down here." he says as his feet come to rest on the floor. "Pray tell, what has our precipitous princess in such a snit?"
My heart — or whatever Ranamon has in place of one — skips a beat. He could hear me? Damn it, I knew I might not be alone in here, why the hell was I talking to myself?! Even if he didn't hear anything immediately incriminating, given that he's talking like a renaissance fair reject, he's probably wondering why "Ranamon" doesn't exactly sound like herself right now... though, maybe he didn't hear any of it particularly clearly? I mean, if he actually heard anything *immediately* incriminating then surely he'd have just led with that-
"Well?" Mercurymon speaks again.
Belatedly realizing that he's expecting an actual response, I frantically wrack my brain for something appropriate to say. Unfortunately, I don't exactly recall that much about how Ranamon typically interacted with the other evil warriors. All I really remember is that she was usually presented as excessively prideful and vain, thinking rather highly of herself in spite of never really accomplishing anything of note.
...I suppose I'll just have to aim for something in the general ballpark of that, and pray that my impression is somehow good enough.
"A- ah hardly see why it's any a' your business." I say, now actually wishing Ranamon's accent was inherent as I hurriedly slap on my best approximation of it and cross my arms in faked irritation. "Ah'll talk to myself if ah want to."
"Thy pacing and prattle can be heard from two floors up." Mercurymon intones, thankfully seeming to buy my imitation for the moment. "Hence it hath become my business."
A shiver runs down my spine. By all rights, the fact that Mercurymon speaks like this, on top of having no actual attacks of his own beyond reflecting those of others, should make him fairly unintimidating. Right now however, I'm finding those factors to be severely mitigated by how he quite literally stands head and shoulders above me. My eyes are only level with his torso mirror — though, I'm trying not to look at it, as seeing the fear undoubtedly resting in my gaze right now reflected back at me would likely only make it worse.
"That's not- ah ain't..."
I trail off without really saying anything, causing Mercurymon's painted lips to quirk up in apparent amusement.
"How rare to see milady so tongue-tied. Perhaps she hath finally admitted the truth of mine words?"
I blink. Words? What words? Damn it, I have no idea what the context of that statement is- though, maybe if I say it right...
"And what words might those be?" I testily reply, trying my best to both look and sound irritated.
Mercurymon frowns.
"Hast our prior conversation somehow slipped thy mind? I refer, of course, to the relative paltriness of thy capabilities, owing to thine interminable lack of a beast spirit."
If I was actually Ranamon, that would probably greatly offend my pride. I'm not, but I'm still stuck playing the part for the moment, and thus plant my hands on my hips and glare.
"My 'lack of a beast spirit' ain't gonna stop me from kickin' you around this cave if ya don't take that back."
An empty threat, and Mercurymon clearly knows it, as his fake lips curl upwards again.
"Such bold words from one so hesitant mere moments prior." he chides, wagging a finger back and forth. "Didst thou not just freely admit thy chances of surviving against, let alone defeating those children remain slim to none at present?"
"A- ah said no such thing!" I sputter, genuinely unsure what Mercurymon is even referring to. Something Ranamon said before I got here...?
Mercurymon scoffs. "You fool none with such blatant lies. Regardless, I fear thy pleas for 'fairness' shall go unanswered."
...oh. So, he did actually hear my complaint about "making it out of this alive", but misinterpreted its meaning? I'll take it; that's way better than the alternative.
"Tis almost a pity." the Warrior of Steel continues to mock me. "In truth, I had expected thy future efforts to prove at least slightly more skillful than Grumblemon's brutish bumblings, but if thou art truly this unsure underneath thy constant boasting, then it seems I thought too much of you."
I growl in faux-offense, though internally I'm just growing increasingly desperate to end this conversation, before I go too far with this act and either slip up, or genuinely piss Mercurymon off.
"Don't you dare compare me to that oaf." I snap, spinning on my heel as if in a huff and starting to walk away. "Now if ya don't mind, ah got better things to do than stand around here listenin' to 'prattle', as you ya'self put it."
"Hmmph." Mercurymon hums indifferently. "Very well. Continue to prance and parade thine imaginary competence to thy heart's content. Simply keep such errant tantrums somewhat quieter in the future, and we shan't have further issue."
Mercurymon snaps his fingers, and I can't help but startle as he abruptly winks out of existence, gone in the blink of an eye.
AN+Patrons: I mean, I already have both a Pokemon fic and a fic based solely on an inside joke about my forum title, so why NOT a Digimon fic based solely on a dumb pun on my username? Flairanamon was bound to happen eventually.
A huge thanks to @Pheonix14, @Warclam, @ScorpioBot, @Captain Skipjack, Leaf, Bertucchi, BlackEagle91, Jordan Juengel, Alxariam, and my eight other Patrons not named here, as well as an extra special thanks to a certain generous patron who wishes to remain unnamed. Each of them receives a container of glowing digital water fashioned into the shape of a lamp. I'm not sure what actually causes this water to glow, so I wouldn't really recommend opening it, but it's a neat effect! Comes in desk lamp, pool light, and lava lamp variants; feel free to pick whichever you prefer. 🏊♀️💡
After taking a minute to calm down from the nail-biting performance I was just forced to put on, I find myself staring up apprehensively at the pitch-black holes in the ceiling. AKA, my way out.
...in theory.
I swallow. While Mercurymon's interruption thankfully at least demonstrated to me how one enters and exits this cavern, I don't particularly want to go up there and potentially run into him again. Unfortunately, escaping this place just became even more important, and this appears to be the bottom floor, making the ceiling shafts the only apparent way to go anywhere at all.
I think I'm just going to have to risk it.
Slowly, hesitantly, I make my way over to the shaft that Mercurymon descended from. Stepping underneath it, I brace myself and wait for it to lift me aloft.
Nothing happens.
I wait another ten seconds or so before disbelief begins to overtake my nerves. Oh come on, the effect surely can't only work one way, right? I'm pretty sure Mercurymon can't just float around at will, so that can't have been his doing. Is there some sort of secret evil password I'm not using? Do I need to swipe a membership card somewhere? Come on already, just LET ME UP-!
My body lifts off the ground, gravity abruptly seeming to simply fall away. I flounder in the air for a moment, caught off guard, before ceasing my flailing as I find myself being steadily carried towards the hole in the ceiling.
...okay, so the effect is thought-activated. Good to know.
Floating upwards under no power of my own, I'm tempted for a moment to question how or why this works. But this is the Digital World — an artificial dimension connected with, but separate from the human world, where the physics and logic governing any given location can sometimes be loose at best. I'll need to try and keep that in mind from here on out.
As my head passes through the hole in the roof, my vision is briefly obscured by an intangible fog of deepest black, causing my gems to flare with light. The murk vanishes just a scant moment later, and I find myself rising into a large, open cavern that's... really quite similar to the one I just came from, honestly. The only immediately obvious differences are that there's no similar pool of water present, yet I can now actually see the sanguine red shade of the rock all around me, as the space is considerably better lit.
...specifically by a large, wide open gap in the nearest wall, the light streaming in from outside all but blinding after my time in the dark.
Hope spiking at the prospect of escape, I hop out of the gravity effect and quickly make for the gap in question, raising an arm to shield my eyes as I step outside-
"Yeeeep-!!!"
-and barely manage to stifle the shriek that escapes my lips as my foot sets down on nothing at all. Luckily still close enough to the wall to catch myself on it, I throw myself backwards in sheer panic, just as my vision finally adjusts enough to the light to see what lies beyond it.
Turns out, I definitely wasn't wrong in thinking that I don't remember much about the evil warriors' lair. At the very least, I've forgotten some rather crucial bits of information, since I most certainly do not remember this structure being suspended what has to be more than a thousand feet off the ground, to the point that I'd wager it easily outsizes most skyscrapers. What the hell...
Exercising considerably more caution than before, I poke my head back through the yawning gap in the wall, gazing down at what lies below. The surrounding scenery is actually rather picturesque, particularly the dark green mountain rising in the distance, surrounded by a massive profusion of fluffy white clouds. A carpet of vibrant trees extends outwards from the mountain's base, the greenery spreading as far as the eye can see... at least, up until it reaches the enormous pseudo-canyon this structure seems to be situated in, at which point the green abruptly dies off in favor of yellowish-brown rock and a field of drifting mist.
All but digging my fingers into the edge of the wall to keep myself anchored in place, I carefully twist my neck around to look up at the lair's sloped, towering exterior. It's roughly the same color on the outside as it is inside, and is covered in numerous large holes, much like the one I'm currently peeking out of. With the way it narrows near the top, it almost looks like some sort of giant mushroom — an impression only helped along by the equally giant red "roots" that seem to be holding the structure aloft, the entwined tentacular growths cascading upwards into the sky like Jack's proverbial beanstalk.
Slowly backing away from the edge, I let out a small, quiet sigh of relief at having avoided walking to my doom — though it turns rather forlorn halfway through. Unless I want to risk what amounts to climbing down a near-vertical mountain without handholds, safety equipment, or shoes, this is not a viable way to leave. There has to be some other way to get down from here...
Guess it's time to go exploring, and simply pray that no one else is home.
As I walk around the rest of the cavern in search of literally anything else of interest, my thoughts turn inward again, concerns still running wild through my mind. Honestly, is escaping this place even a viable plan? All things considered, it seems rather unlikely that Cherubimon would let one of his valuable spirit warriors simply cut and run. At the very least, he'd presumably send the other four after me, and not only are all of them doubtless a lot more familiar with this world than I am, but as Mercurymon so recently reminded me, one of them can literally teleport. Realistically, the likelihood of my finding somewhere I can actually, permanently hide from them is slim to none.
My jaw clenches, but I force it to relax a moment later. No, stop that. Surely there are places in this world even Mercurymon can't reach — or, better yet, perhaps somewhere outside of it entirely? Pretty much every version of the Digital World I know of contains at least one naturally occurring method to cross over to the human one, after all. This season even has one of the easiest to access, since you can get to and from this world simply by boarding a Trailmon, which are practically everywhere on this side of things...
I scowl. But then again, if this really is the show, a Trailmon on that route would just ferry me to the version of Earth that the main characters came from, not my own. Plus, I'd still be Ranamon — maybe even a downgraded version of her, given what happened to Takuya when he tried something similar — so my appearance would undoubtedly draw massive unwanted attention at best, and get me shot on sight at worst. Not that it wouldn't potentially still be preferable to dealing with the situation here, but leaving the Digital World behind entirely would also mean giving up any chance of figuring out what brought me here, or of ever reversing the process — which, given I have relatively little desire to be stuck as a scantily-clad fish woman for the rest of my life, I very much do want to do.
Having determined this floor is somehow even emptier than the one below, I move beneath another ceiling hole and have it pull me up to the next level... which turns out to be just as spartan and barren as the last one, and nigh-identical in structure, beyond the specific position of the holes in the wall. Starting to sense a pattern here.
I glance around, fins twitching anxiously at my sides. Mercurymon implied he was on this floor earlier, and I was kind of expecting him to have returned to it when he left, but I don't see him anywhere. Maybe he went out? Given how little this place seems to have in way of amenities, I certainly wouldn't blame him.
Once I've determined to my satisfaction that I'm indeed still alone and begun my increasingly-cursory floor inspection, I sigh, suck in a breath, and firm my resolve.
Alright then. If I can't run, can't hide, and can't leave, then what exactly do I need to do to survive this world while I'm here?
...well, since Cherubimon never actually leaves the Continent of Darkness, I suppose in the short term I just need to not get myself killed by any of the other evil warriors. If I'm shelving my escape plans for the moment however, then my only real alternative is keeping up the charade of actually being Ranamon long enough for the chosen children to remove my various "coworkers" from the picture. Which doesn't really feel like an ideal plan itself, given it's dependent on my questionable acting skills managing to fool the other four warriors for an extended period of time.
I raise a teal-tinted finger to my cheek. Then again, two of those four aren't exactly all that bright. Mercurymon is arguably the savviest of the group, and if he didn't think anything was off enough to act on it even after overhearing me, I genuinely doubt the others will either — if I just keep my head down and make sure the accent doesn't slip, that might actually work. Ranamon isn't the last of her group to go down in canon though, so even assuming events proceed exactly as expected, I don't want to just move in lockstep with them... is there anything I can do to facilitate a more rapid removal of the other evil warriors from the picture? Besides trying to get on the heroes' good side at least, which would also be helpful in avoiding my own "scheduled" death at their hands...
I frown. Not that I have any guarantee I'll even have the chance to meet said heroes before then, given I have no idea where they currently are, or when in the timeline I even am. Mercurymon mentioned Grumblemon's "efforts" with respect to the kids, and I apparently don't have my beast spirit yet, so I suppose I have to be at least fairly early on in the plot? It's been so long since I watched Frontier that I'm not sure I'm even remembering events in the right order though, and from what I do remember, the progression of time wasn't always all that clear to begin with. I'm pretty sure that Ranamon's final moments occur inside of one of Sakkakumon's miniature worlds or something, and that won't happen until after the kids reach the Continent of Darkness, but that in turn could take place anywhere from days, to weeks, to months from now...
I shake myself. Whatever the case, I still need to find a way out of this place, because Mercurymon wasn't actually wrong — no matter what I do next, finding Ranamon's beast spirit almost certainly should be my highest priority. Not only is it the perfect excuse to not be around while not breaking cover, but obtaining a second spirit is likely the best precautionary measure I can currently take, since it means I won't necessarily just die if someone swipes the only one I have right now. I certainly wouldn't say no to the general power up it offers either, considering how outmatched Ranamon is by just about everyone who might want to kill me in the near or far future. Can't say I remember exactly where said spirit was, but I know it was somewhere near a tropical island where a group of Toucanmon live, which seems like a pretty solid starting point.
...though, with the entire Digital World to search, I might be overestimating how helpful that actually is.
Doubt begins to creep back in. This plan is seeming less and less feasible with every little detail I add to it. Wouldn't it be simpler to just, find the kids and flat out "defect" to their side, then rely on them to protect me from reprisals...?
I toss that thought around in my head for maybe half a minute, only to discard it as I float up to the fourth floor. As convenient as that concept sounds in theory, actually following through on it would be a terrible idea, because the protagonists of this season actually lose with a startling degree of regularity. First they lose to Grumblemon just on his own, then to four of the evil warriors working together, and then especially to-
I round a pillar, and abruptly freeze as I find myself staring at the back of a figure dressed in black, skull-like armor. Staring out of one of the structure's exterior holes, he silently looks out at the cloud-filled sky, his long blonde hair swaying in a passing breeze.
Duskmon... or rather, Koichi Kimura. The only actual "human" among the five evil warriors, albeit an amnesiac one, and by far the most powerful of the group. Unlike me however, he was Duskmon from the very start, in that Cherubimon literally created him by corrupting the Human Spirit of Darkness and merging it with Koichi's lost, dying soul — which is perhaps why Duskmon is also the most loyal of Cherubimon's servants. And on a team where all five of its members are constantly clamoring to prove themselves to their master, or at least paying massive lip service to the idea, that's really saying something.
I immediately start to retreat- then pause. Come to think of it, if I could remind Koichi of his true, human self earlier than it would otherwise happen and get him out from under Cherubimon's thumb, he'd be an absolutely incredible ally to have. With a walking juggernaut like him on my side, I could probably ditch all this tenuous planning entirely... except that I don't have even the slightest idea how I'd pull that off without potentially getting a sword shoved through my throat in the process. Human at heart or not, this is still the guy who ultimately kills Arbormon, his ally, simply because he eventually decides that said ally is useless. I don't know if I even dare approach him.
...in fact, I don't think I do dare. From what I recall, Duskmon is essentially a walking mess of complexes, and is probably too volatile for me to even risk approaching, much less attempt un-subverting. This idea has no legs; I'll just have to let the heroes sort him out themselves.
Doing a quick about face, I quietly tiptoe away-
"Did you want something?"
I flinch worse than if someone just slid a full tray of ice down the back of my swimsuit. Slowly turning back around, I find that Duskmon doesn't actually seem to have moved, or even turned around himself — yet he still very clearly knows I'm here.
"N-no, not really..." I shakily reply, hastily throwing Ranamon's accent on again. "Ah was just headin' out, actually-"
"You were staring."
The enormous eyeballs embedded in Duskmon's shoulder armor swivel around to face me, causing me to shudder even as I silently curse myself. Of course he noticed I was here, he's got eyes all over his body!
"Why?" he intones.
"Ah... suppose ah was just wonderin' what you were lookin' at?" I hazard, babbling out the first thing to come to mind. "There's nothin' to really see out there, so are ya just... cloud watchin'?"
Duskmon's head turns fractionally in my direction.
"I know not the answer to that myself."
...what the heck is that supposed to- no, don't ask, don't engage, just leave.
"Ah see." I hastily reply. "Well, ah'll uh... leave you to it then. Ah'm gonna go see if ah can't find my beast spirit-"
"Oh?" Duskmon interrupts, nearly monotone. "Remind me. How long have you now been searching for that spirit?"
It takes everything I have not to bolt, knowing that won't help me. This guy basically never talked to any of his teammates in the show proper, why has he suddenly decided he's feeling chatty?!
"A... a while. Ah've been tryin' my hardest-"
"Have you? Truly?"
As terrifying as that implicit accusation is given who it's coming from, a flash of irritation still runs through me upon hearing Duskmon dismiss me so completely.
"It's not as if ah'm not-"
"If so, I find myself forced to question your ability to follow through with anything else you claim to be capable of."
...would it kill him to let me finish one sentence?
"Look, ah-"
"Cherubimon may tolerate the excessive time and resources you've spent on this endeavor..."
"Could ya just-"
"...but you are now falling behind human children."
"Now wait a second-"
"Time and patience both wear thin. However elusive your beast spirit may be, I suggest that you obtain it soon, else-"
"Then MAYBE let me go find it already!" I snap. "It's not like you have your beast spirit yet either!"
The moment the words leave my throat, I regret them a thousandfold. What the hell is wrong with me?! Am I seriously that short-tempered?! I already know this guy will murder for less reason than I just gave him and has more than enough power to easily do so; why am I seemingly incapable of shutting my damn mouth?!
Before I can even attempt to hastily apologize, not that it would likely do me any good, Duskmon speaks again.
"...I suppose that much is true."
Silence falls. I'm left waiting on tenterhooks, but Duskmon doesn't move, nor say anything further.
Am I... really going to get away with that...?
"R- right." I stutter. "Well then... like ah said, ah'm headin' out."
I start to turn back around-
"Would it not be easier to do so from your own quarters?"
I scream internally. Would you just let me LEAVE ALREA-
Wait, from my own quarters?
"Oh, ah... just thought ah might get some air first," I reply, not daring to contradict him again, "but you're right. Ah'll be headin' back down now."
To my relief, Duskmon just nods this time, finally allowing me to escape the conversation as I all but throw myself back down the nearest hole in the floor. The anti-gravity effect helpfully kicks in automatically to slow my descent, preventing me from snapping my legs on stone as I furiously berate myself.
Great job, me. Just stick around and "keep my head down" — that lasted all of, what, five minutes? Thank goodness Duskmon didn't take that as poorly as he could have; that was at least thrice as stressful as my chat with Mercurymon was before my mouth decided to play eyeball roulette.
I shudder. Note to self: do not approach, be seen by, or speak to the unstable ultra-powerful maniac ever again if at all possible. This may not be my body, but I'd still vastly prefer that it remain in a whole, un-skewered state whilst I'm stuck occupying it.
My gaze moves towards the floor. I've also been tacitly sent back to the "room" I just came from, but perhaps that's actually for the best. Even if I have no idea how leaving from there is even possible, given its previously noted lack of exits, Duskmon presumably had something in mind. Maybe I need to give Ranamon's living space a second look? I'm not sure what there even is to double check though, other than maybe her computer, and of course...
Hmm...
The juxtaposition between the evil warriors' base as seen from the front vs. as seen from the back is actually kind of hilarious. Okay, so we're in a giant canyon- no, wait, we're actually above the clouds! Guess that's just the Digital World for you.
A huge thanks to @Pheonix14, @Warclam, @ScorpioBot, @Captain Skipjack, Leaf, Bertucchi, BlackEagle91, Jordan Juengel, Alxariam, and my eight other Patrons not named here, as well as an extra special thanks to a certain generous patron who wishes to remain unnamed. Each of them receives a personal, portable gravity hole. Lay this thing on a surface and create not just an instant doorway, but provide an option to levitate between the now connected spaces!... and however tempting, please use responsibly and not for crime? I might still be liable for these things. 🕳️
Staring down once more at the pool I so recently climbed out of, I can't help but think to myself that it somehow looks even tinier than I initially thought. While I know from experience that it's quite deep, in terms of width, you couldn't even fit three of me stacked head to toe in this. Honestly, it's more of a bath than a pool, or even just an oversized fish tank... which I suppose would really only be appropriate.
I scowl. Not only the prettiest belle at the ball, but also the prettiest fish in the bowl. Joy.
Granted, it's at least a nice bowl. It wasn't exactly my focus earlier, but the edge of the pool is ringed by a stylish design of engraved bubbles, which feels like a surprisingly nice touch given how utterly rough and unadorned everything else around here is. There's also a faucet on one side of the pool that's continually pouring new water in, and is shaped like the head of some scaled, vaguely-humanoid fish man, but that's less nice, and more just... weird.
Regardless.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I hop into the water feet-first. As I slip beneath the surface, that same strangely right feeling from when I first woke up here returns, the pressure of the surrounding water enveloping me like an all-encompassing hug.
...yet I still find myself unconsciously holding my breath.
Tensing against my will, I try to make myself breathe in, but some part of me stubbornly continues to resist. Specifically the logical part, which hasn't yet fully adjusted to this rather illogical situation. In theory, I'm fully aware that Ranamon should be capable of breathing underwater, but in practice, it's hard to make myself believe that I can simply take in water like air, especially since I'm not exactly seeing any gills on me. Attempting to override that very basic survival knowledge is like trying to assure myself that I could claw my own eyes out and still be able to see — it just doesn't really compute.
My chest begins to burn, my body growing increasingly desperate for oxygen, or whatever this world's equivalent of that might be. Can't wait much longer...
Desperately trying to assure myself that I would have just drowned in my sleep if I couldn't breathe down here — and my isn't that a cheery thought — I forcibly pry my jaw open and suck in a small gulp of water. It instantly rushes in past my teeth, my tongue, pouring down my throat so fast that for a moment I'm certain I was wrong-
Until my lungs abruptly stop burning.
Relieved more than I probably should be, I take another strange, heavy-feeling breath of liquid, letting myself adjust for a few moments longer before sighing in relief and opening my eyes.
"Phew..." I sigh- before realizing that my voice came out sounding perfectly clear, despite my being underwater at the moment. "...huh. Neat."
I look around. As before, the interior of Ranamon's pool both looks and feels startlingly peaceful for what it actually is. The water seems to almost dance around me, the sourceless light suffusing it creating a natural spectacle that could undoubtedly entrance me for ages if I let it. It's almost enough to make me forget that I'm essentially just floating in a giant hollow cylinder right now, empty aside from the water it contains.
...or is it?
Inverting my position, I begin kicking my feet, swimming down towards the bottom of the pool. At a glance, I'd guess it has to be at least fifty feet deep... and consequently, the water pressure begins rapidly rising around me as I go, first doubling, then tripling, then more than quadrupling before I lose the ability to accurately estimate it. Were I still human, my ears would undoubtedly be hurting like hell by now, and I'd likely be developing a pretty bad headache — but bizarrely, the extra pressure only seems to make me more comfortable now, rather than less.
At least this body comes with a few perks, I suppose.
Putting that out of mind for the moment, I keep my gaze on the pool's distant floor — but I don't even need to reach it before I can confirm that it isn't as featureless as I thought. Not completely at least, as a large, intricate, vaguely circuit-like symbol appears to have been carved into the exact center of the space, surrounded by three thin rings of unknown script. Promising...
Setting down above the floor proper, I lean over to inspect the odd symbol. Seeing no obvious way to interact with it, I slowly brush my fingers over the stone, searching for a hidden latch or the like-
The instant my fingertips meet the rune at the center of the carving, the entire thing lights up, as though empowered by my touch. As the crevices of the digital glyph flash with color, the portion of the floor it covers literally vanishes, revealing another water-filled chamber below.
...hah. Thank you, Duskmon.
Easily slipping through the newly-revealed trapdoor, I slowly sink down into a large, open, and surprisingly colorful nexus of underwater tunnels. Patches of technicolor sea grass decorate the sand-covered floor, while shattered seashell fragments and glistening pearls make the smooth stone walls seem to almost glitter. The tunnels stretch out in all different directions, their destinations a mystery — or would be, if not for the square metal plaques embedded in the wall over each one's entrance, inscribed with geographical designs that I'm heavily inclined to assume represent specific parts of the Digital World.
I smile. Seems I've found my exit... not that it makes any physical sense that this little secret hub can exist, since I already saw that there's nothing underneath this towering "treehouse" other than giant roots, but again, Digital World. No real sense in questioning these things.
Now I just need to figure out which of these will get me closest to that island with the Toucanmon...
Deciding to try and make use of one of my few available resources, I pull myself back up through the trapdoor, idly noting it revert to its original state as soon as I'm all the way out, and swim upward until I've breached the surface of the pool again. The switch back to regular, non-liquid "air" feels a bit strange, but only takes me a brief moment to readjust to as I paddle over to Ranamon's computer, shaking my hands off as best I can before setting my fingers on the keys.
Conveniently, the moment I do so the monitor lights up, and I find myself presented with exactly what I was hoping to find — a literal map of the Digital World. Somewhat less conveniently, the map in question appears to have had large swathes of itself cut out for some reason, which on a physical map I could maybe understand, but on a digital one seems utterly nonsensical. What kind of glitch-
My expression thins as I realize the answer before I've even finished formulating the question. Right, probably not a glitch, or even incorrect — those areas likely just literally don't exist anymore, thanks to Cherubimon.
...well. At least I know where I want to go should still be intact.
It takes me a couple of minutes to figure out how to work the computer's basic functions, as it isn't exactly a normal one. Lacking a mouse, the squid-shaped cursor is instead controlled by a quartet of keys, which in a show of flagrant disrespect for common sense aren't even situated next to each other on the keyboard — though, that admittedly may be due to Ranamon's gauntlets making a closer spacing slightly awkward for her fingers. Further experimentation leads me to discover another pair of keys used to zoom in and out, one that serves as the replacement for left click, several more that type mysterious red O, X, and Δ symbols into the top left of the screen — Digicode, presumably? —, and one that brings up innumerable semi-transparent colored ovals to overlay parts of the map.
My discovery of the latter function causes me to squint, a long-buried memory slowly dragging itself out of storage. I think Ranamon used this to mark the parts of the planet she had already searched for her beast spirit? In fact, I think that might be the entire point of this map, and possibly the computer in general. Which... wow, nearly every single landmass is covered; no kidding Ranamon has been looking for a while. I'm not entirely certain the spirit didn't ultimately turn out to be in an area she'd already searched though, so...
I turn the function back off and go back to scanning the map for my intended destination. The planet appears to be divided into ten continents and "areas" named after this world's ten elements, which is simple enough. Less simple are their extremely vague boundaries, which lack any concrete delineations, and the far more esoterically-named towns, cities, and presumed landmarks sprinkled about within them. Thankfully, I'm currently looking for an island completely separate from any of the larger land masses — which, after a little searching and a lot of zooming in, I'm eventually I'm able to find.
...I can't imagine the vaguely fish-shaped land mass in the middle-left corner of the map labeled "Toucan Paradise" to be anything else, at least.
I do my best to quickly commit the portions of the map near the island in question to memory. I don't really know how long or hard this trip is going to be, and I really would prefer I not make it longer by getting lost along the way. That would be just what I- ow!
Hurriedly opening my mouth, I prod my tongue against the spot where I unconsciously bit down on the inside of my lip. It's a nervous habit that I've never quite broken, but...
I draw my tongue back and carefully run it over the rest of my mouth. Yep, no real choice but to break it now — Ranamon's teeth don't feel too different from a human's on the whole, but her canines are quite sharp, to the point I'd bet they look almost shark-like when she smiles. Feeling them now, I'm surprised that they don't seem to inhibit my speech, or that I didn't notice them before I cut the inside of my mouth with one.
...although... for as deep as it feels like I just bit into myself, I don't seem to be tasting any blood...?
My eyes drift down to my fingers again — my smooth, completely nail-less fingers — as I process the ramifications of that. I haven't really thought about it much yet, but... what exactly does my now being "digital" imply? Other than the fact that my essence can be absorbed by another Digimon if I'm injured badly enough, what does this actually mean for me? Ranamon may be humanoid, but I have no idea how accurately her body reflects the needs and functions of a physical one. I don't bleed, yet I need to breathe? Why? I probably don't even have internal organs anymore; am likely just raw code beneath my surface appearance, so what's the point? Do I still need to eat? How about sleep? I'd assume those are still necessary, as I think they are for most Digimon, but Ranamon is also a normally-inanimate spirit made manifest, so how can I be sure? I guess the fact that I "woke up" like this does imply the latter is still at least possible, but-
I squeeze my eyes shut and clap my hands to my cheeks a few time, feeling the lure on the end of my swim cap bounce up and down a bit with the motion. No- stop, I'm getting distracted. I can worry about all this stuff later, once I'm hopefully in at least slightly less danger.
Shoving my assorted smaller concerns to the back of my mind for the moment, I plunge back down into the pool, vanishing the trap door with another touch and reentering the nexus below. Even after looking over the map in detail, some of the plaques look unfamiliar — but I do recognize one that shows what appears to be a finger-shaped peninsula, which I'm pretty sure is just to the east of Toucan Paradise. It's not in the island's immediate vicinity, but it's probably as good as I'm going to get.
Hoping I'm right about where this leads, I enter the tunnel in question and begin slowly making my way down its length. The passage isn't completely straight, twisting and turning several times along the way, sometimes even straight up or down, and the walls don't remain smooth for very long, becoming rough, gouged-out rock after only the first hundred feet or so. It's actually rather eerie, as even with the sourceless light of the water itself remaining constant, I can't help but keep in mind that I'm basically in an underground shaft right now, with no way out that isn't forward or back.
If this tunnel happened to collapse right now, with me inside of it, no one would ever know...
I wince, the thought speeding me forward until I finally come to an actual feature — namely, a dead end. Before I can be too crushed about that though, I notice another circuit-like symbol carved into the ceiling just above the end of the hall, identical to the one from my pool, save for being a bit smaller. Swimming upwards, I brush my fingers over it-
The ceiling around the glyph shines with light, then disappears just like the first one did, revealing open water above.
I smile thinly, then brace myself. Here goes...
Pushing my way out of the tunnel, I find myself rising up out of the center of a massive coral reef, perched upon the zenith of an underwater hill. Draped in scintillating rays of sunlight and all but exploding with vibrant color, the sight of it all briefly stuns me — especially when combined with all the other Digimon I suddenly find myself surrounded by. A small pod of Bukamon passes me by even as I watch, a number of wary Betamon following in their wake like some sort of amphibious protection detail. A massive school of small, sharp-toothed fish Digimon I don't personally recognize dances along the currents, several shadows cast upon them by the manta rays elegantly "flying" not far above. There's even a bunch of coral-like Digimon scattered about the area, having obviously made their habitat along the reef itself.
...a portion of which appears to be composed of the either abandoned or unmoving homes of some rather large Shellmon, now that I look.
Slightly unnerved by that last one given how aggressive the one I remember from the first season was, I manage to pull myself away from the sight, swimming upwards until I finally can poke my head back above the water. Just as hoped, the evil warriors' lair is no longer anywhere in sight, the tunnel having seemingly dumped me out smack dab into the middle of the ocean. The only thing that is in sight is a large chunk of land a ways in the distance that I'm pretty sure is the northern edge of the peninsula, a tiny island slightly less in the distance that I think I recognize from the map, and...
Well. Nothing.
Literally.
I can't help but stare, despite the quite non-figurative lack of anything to stare at. Beyond a certain point not far behind me, the water simply... ends, hovering on the edge of a desolate canyon that seems almost to stretch on for eternity. The walls of earth in the distance, presumably belonging to the next continent over, are only visible due to being of a size beyond imagination, so massive that I can scarcely even comprehend the scale of their existence. Every layer of the planet is fully exposed and visible, like the end of a freshly amputated limb, while a thick black fog boils up from the abyss below — a thin, obscuring curtain over a wound bored straight to the planet's heart.
The edge of the Digital World's destruction, as things stand.
I nervously paddle back a bit, despite being nowhere near it. I really shouldn't be so shocked, I suppose. I already knew that a good amount of this world had already been destroyed, the data that composed it forcibly torn away by beings that were once its heroes... but I don't think the sheer scope of that destruction fully sunk in until just now, seeing it in person. This void probably goes on for dozens, if not hundreds of miles, and it's only one of many...
Not wanting to linger any longer on the sight, I turn away, trying to look on the bright side — at least the water having a literal edge should help me navigate. However reduced it may be, there's no road signs out here in the ocean, and I couldn't exactly bring Ranamon's computer along with me. While the island I'm trying to get to isn't yet in sight, I know at least roughly which way it has to be.
...though, if I can't even see it yet...
I sigh.
Better get swimming.
Genuinely, I think Frontier's world having literal continent-sized holes carved out of it is a really cool worldbuilding detail. I just wish that would have turned out to have any actual relevance while the kids were circumnavigating the planet — you'd really think the giant gulfs and literally erased locales would have proved a significant impediment at some point. Ah well.
A huge thanks to @Pheonix14, @Warclam, @ScorpioBot, @Captain_Skipjack, Leaf, Bertucchi, Jordan Juengel, Alxariam, and my eight other Patrons not named here, as well as an extra special thanks to a certain generous patron who wishes to remain unnamed. Each of them receives a Tamagotchi based off of Ranamon's computer, complete with fin and antenna accessories! These things are so cute... and also technically contain proto-Digimon, come to think of it? Wait, does that make it immoral for me to distribute these, or...? Eh, I'm doing it anyways; just be conscious how you treat the tiny digital beings that live inside them. 💻
The one who was now Ranamon looked at 'her' computer. There had to be more in there. A diary maybe? Hints at other things. If not of stuff that wasn't in the anime, then stuff she just couldn't remember.
Information that she could use to fake her new position. Maybe something the original Ranamon overlooked, while searching for her beast spirit. Some reference that would only become significant knowing some other bit of information. Or from a different perspective.
And hopefully not something that it was already too late to grab, having been… removed from easy access. If not destroyed entirely. At the very least, narrow down more specifically where in the timeline she was. She did get the feeling she was forgetting something important. Bah, it'll come to her later.
Ooh, that was promising, a text file. The displaced Flairina opened it up, and skimmed through it. It actually was a diary. But nothing too interesting. Until mentions of a 'strange file' the original Ranamon found. And put onto this computer. Something Human made, as far as the original could figure out.
And complaining about how 'buggy' it was, where one of the characters almost immediately started talking over others, making the dialog garbled. And saying things like how they're 'real' and not someone. Original Ranamon didn't seem to have put down that detail.
But Flairina in Ranamon got a creeping dread. This was somehow familiar. She couldn't quite place it. And the rest of the diary wasn't much help either. Vague enough to be unclear as to why she seemed to half remember this. And not helped by the fact that Ranamon searching for her beast soul cut into her messing with this program, this unknown game.
Even coming to the end of the entries, she couldn't find enough details. Which meant finding where it actually was. On a computer inside the Digital World. It thankfully didn't take too long.
But she did recognize what that unknown program was. And why mentions of it was so familiar.
Doki Doki Literature Club. Not that 'Plus' version that got released later. The original. Which still got released after Frontier came out. Strictly speaking, that shouldn't be here.
And the creeping dread crawled onwards. Because now that her memory was refreshed, she realized where the details were so familiar. She wrote those events. So long ago, but she still wrote them.
About a self-insert. Meaning she… might have actually had a real effect, given that it apparently did happen? She carefully didn't think of any implications that she's also in some other self-insert story. She was real. She had to be.
She wasn't sure how to handle the Monika version of herself. Could she bring the digital 'up' a layer, back with her. Should she? Would they become 'one' again, after touching? Count as her 'human' self, giving her more options. And protection.
More worrying was if she would overwrite herself. In either direction.
And she didn't even know where to start with, with the others trapped in there. Just because they weren't aware of they were a program; just because they were forced to follow a script, much like she was. At least that's what the human turned Digimon thought. She didn't even know if her other self was actually still in there. If there's a Monika hidden there as well, either.
She checked the 'last modified', of the most recently changed files, in all of the DDLC folder/subfolders. And did a quick calculation. It seemed to be right around when she woke up in the Digital World. Which had implications.
Would there be a Ranamon stuck there in the files?
And if so, what should she do?
She wasn't sure if she should boot up the game, either. Sure, having it off was horrifying, if what she wrote is what was actually going on here. But it meant making it more obvious that something was going on. And could she really trust that no one would go in and mess with that computer? Delete random files, stick new ones in, or just rewrite them?
A similar issue was there if she managed to bring out those trapped in the game. With the added complication of trying to sneak them out. And being much harder to hide.
She'd ask when life got so complicated, and had so much existential dread, but she'd chalk it up to 'when she found herself as Ranamon'. And apparently she could add those other Self-Insert stories as well. At least one of them, but knowing what she knew now, the others are somewhere out there as well.
…Was there another her that stuck her in here as well? Did she even want to know? If there was, she could only hope she had mercy on herself.
So this suddenly came about because I realized, well, DDLC is also a digital world. From there, a 'what-if' popped into my head, and wanted to be written. And just sort of flowed.
Sorry if I got the 'voice' wrong for the Ranamon SI version of you, Flairina. But, well, there's not really any other perspective for this situation. Also a big part of not using first person perspective.
Since it didn't come up/probably wouldn't regardless, I'm just going to assume that Ranamon!Flairina has no idea about Monika!Flairina's situation, other than at most what Flairina has already written of Stand-In. And for convenience sake, 'what was publicly posted'. I mean, it's not like I'd know that Monika!Flairina ends up coordinating a defense against some yet unrevealed threat, teaming up with other Flairina SIs in the process. To save Christmas.
It doesn't take me more than a couple minutes of breaststroke to realize that there's something I should probably address sooner rather than later- well, actually there's many things that statement could potentially apply to right now, but the one I have in mind is likely the most immediately relevant.
Namely, I should really figure out how to use Ranamon's basic attacks and abilities, before I end up in a situation that might actually require them.
I skirt around another group of fish Digimon, the thought only growing stronger as I do. Much as I'd like to hope that I can avoid ever ending up in a serious fight, that doesn't seem particularly likely. Not all the inhabitants of this version of the Digital World are hostile — in fact, I'd wager the majority usually aren't — but some of them definitely are, and I've got something an inherent disadvantage in that regard, seeing as I'm now part of the group that's been going around ripping up continents. Thankfully, I don't think the average Digimon is aware of precisely who that group is composed of, but it still doesn't exactly behoove me to remain near-clueless about how to defend myself.
...though, if I'm perfectly honest, even were absolutely none of that true, I'd still want to take at least a little time to try this.
I shift my gaze to one side, feeling bizarrely guilty. For all that I don't really want to be Ranamon, she is still a Digimon, with all the fantastical abilities that entails, which is... well, cool. It's probably the biggest upside to all this that I'm currently seeing in fact, and given everything else that comes with it, I've really got to find the positives in my situation where I can.
I stop for a moment to glance up at the tiny island in the distance I noticed earlier. That'll probably work well enough as a practice ground, right? Not that I'm exactly flush for other options here, considering I'm presently out in the middle of the ocean, but-
Nevermind, yeah, that'll do.
Angling myself in the island's rough direction, I make for land.
~ ꕀ ꔛ ꕀ ~
~ ꕀ ꔛ ꕀ ~
...a rather significant length of time later, I've finally just about arrived at the island in question, and have also decided that I officially hate water. Sure, it did a lot of good for me back when I was in a world where biology still had a major say in things, and yeah, I'm technically the warrior of water right now, and am thus perhaps almost obligated to like it for that alone. However, I've discovered that when you wind up having to swim a distance that even triathlon competitors might balk at, for what feels like literal ages, you start rather rapidly despising the element as a whole anyways.
I huff, which exits my mouth as several small bubbles. Thankfully, Ranamon's body seems much less prone to tiring than an average human's — I've little doubt that if I had to swim this long or this far as my normal self, I'd have been exhausted before I even got halfway.
Setting aside my private complaints, I turn my attention back to the island. From above, the land mass at large appears rather empty, but as I approach it from just below the surface, I can see that there's another expansive coral shelf leading up to the shallows, and much like the last one I visited, it's teaming with all sorts of digital life. A good amount of the reef seems to essentially be serving as a hive for a bunch of little pink clam Digimon — Syakomon, or something like that? — along with still more of those coral-like Digimon from earlier. There's also a scattered bunch of Crabmon crawling on the sloping sand below, and a trio of Archelomon paddling around near the shore, though they swim away before I can get particularly close.
Trying not to bother too much of the surrounding sea life with my passing, I slowly swim up into the shallows before standing and making my way up onto shore, thin rivulets of water dripping off me as I walk. The sand is hot beneath my bare feet, but not so much as to burn, and there's a gentle breeze combating the heat of the sun overhead. By all appearances, it's a near perfect day to spend simply relaxing on the beach.
...shame I can't really afford to do that.
Approaching the treeline a little ways inland, I do a quick once over of the area, trying to make sure I won't be at risk of angering any other Digimon by practicing potentially destructive attacks in the equivalent of their backyard. I don't see anyone else up here, and they're not making themselves known, so I think I'm probably alright?
Hoping that's indeed the case, I turn back to the shore and slowly breathe in. Okay, I've got some space now. Let's start with...
...
Er. What attacks does Ranamon even have, again?
Belatedly realizing I hadn't actually thought about that, I wrack my brain for answers, only to come up embarrassingly short. The only one I can even vaguely recall from the show is that energy-sapping rain cloud she used a few times, which I guess is at least something? Though from what little I remember of it, it never really had all that much impact...
I sigh. Still, beggars can't be choosers.
Selecting a small nearby tree as my target, I raise my hands over my head, press my fingers together — which takes me a moment to properly line up, since I can't actually see them in that position — and speak the move's name.
"Draining Rain~"
A tiny gray cloud about six feet across instantly condenses over my fingertips, which swiftly drifts over to the tree in question and proceeds to dispense an equally tiny rainstorm over it. The leaves of the tree rapidly wilt as the water saps the life from them, until the cloud abruptly loses steam, dispersing just as quickly as it formed.
Slightly surprised, I look over the now rather-shriveled tree with an approving gaze. Huh, that was easier than I expected. I didn't even really have to direct the attack, it just sort of naturally went where I wanted it to.
I frown. Do I have to do that pose every time though, or say the name of the attack aloud to use it? Because both of those seem like they'd be more than a little inconvenient in an actual combat situation. I didn't even mean to do the latter, let alone with that lilt to my voice, it just felt... natural, I guess?
Figuring I might as well test it, I adjust my position, switching to holding my hands out in front of me with my fingers splayed apart. Keeping my mouth firmly clamped shut this time, I attempt to will another cloud into existence.
Nothing happens.
I click my tongue. Tch, okay, that's annoying. What about...?
I try once more, keeping my position much the same, but this time grudgingly allow myself to speak the attack's name again, albeit without the oddly airy tone that crept in the first time.
"Draining Rain."
...still nothing.
My frown deepens. Ugh, seriously? Do I really have to do it the exact same way that Ranamon did, every single time? Even in the middle of a potentially fraught battle, I might actually be stuck repeatedly posing like I'm about to be photographed for a magazine spread?
Irritated by the mere idea of that, I press my fingers together just under my chin and all but snarl the attack's name this time- and miraculously, the rain cloud reappears.
And promptly envelops most of my head.
I cry out and fall backwards while frantically wiping at my face, not wanting to end up like the tree I previously targeted did. Ack-!!!
I continue frantically scrabbling for another moment or two, before abruptly realizing that I don't actually seem to be in any pain. Dropping my hands, I look around, and realize that despite the way the droplets are sizzling when they hit the sand, they don't seem to be doing anything to me, even with some having gotten directly in my eyes.
Watching as the rest of my own attack runs right off of me, I sigh in quiet relief. Evidently I'm fortunate enough to be immune to my own idiocy... thank goodness.
Grateful that no one was watching that, I stand back up and brush myself off as the cloud I summoned evaporates, having remained utterly stationary for the entire span of its existence. I suppose I forgot to actually think of a target that time — which might actually explain why it chose to simply stick itself to my face instead.
Shaking my head in embarrassed dismay, I refocus. Obvious mistake or not, I might actually be getting somewhere now...
Approximately ten minutes of testing and roughly the same number of desiccated trees later, I'm feeling much more comfortable with this attack, and have reached a few tentative conclusions about it. The most important one being that in order to summon a rain cloud at all, I need to first perform some sort of relatively rapid gesture. Said gesture can be nearly anything, but must ultimately result in at least two of my fingers touching in order for the cloud to form, as it will always do so directly over them, regardless of where my hands or arms are positioned at the time. It's a rather awkward requirement, but so far as I can tell, there's not a lot I can do about it. The restriction seems all but set in stone, likely built into the technique itself.
...thankfully, it also has a rather simple loophole.
I smirk. Turns out, the digits in question don't actually have to be on separate hands — meaning, this prerequisite is technically possible for me to fulfill by literally just snapping my fingers. Granted, that's a bit harder than it used to be, owing to the way these gauntlets all but force my fingers apart, but it's still considerably faster and easier than basically any other option.
I've also confirmed that while calling the attack's name seems to help me focus or spark it, it isn't an absolute requirement either. In fact, it's more just that it feels almost strange not to use it — despite the fact that I've been deliberately trying to stay silent, the words "Draining Rain~" keep threatening to bubble up past my lips anyways. It's a rather annoying compulsion, as calling my attacks would essentially just be giving any theoretical opponents advance notice of what I'm doing, but it at least seems fairly manageable so long as I stay mindful of it. And if I can't... well, I suppose most Digimon do it anyways, so I guess it's not really that big a deal.
That being said...
My smirk disappears, reverting to a more neutral expression. Even if I've figured this out, a single move isn't really enough to universally rely upon, and I still can't remember if Ranamon even has any others. She almost certainly must, since I'm pretty sure even baby Digimon have a bare minimum of two, but if she ever used them in the show, I have absolutely no recollection of what they were.
...I suppose that means I'll just have to work them out myself then. Or, failing that, go by simple trial and error — I assume I'll feel something if I'm on the right track.
Idly drumming my fingers on the surface of my gauntlets, I cross my arms beneath my chest and take a moment to think.
Let's see... Ranamon's teeth are quite sharp, as I've already discovered, so I suppose they could theoretically lend themselves to some manner of offensive use. I kind of doubt she ever bit anyone in the show though, and speaking from my new position as her, I don't feel like I'm really meant for physical, close-up combat. So, perhaps not.
I glance down at one of the gems built into my gauntlets. Do these maybe do anything other than glow in the dark? Based on general Digimon design principles, it seems plausible that they could maybe produce some sort of energy beam, or something along those lines. Though, given these gems are scattered across my entire "outfit", I have no idea how I'd aim something like that, and I imagine if Ranamon actually had an attack that used them, I would remember it.
Frowning, I turn back to the beach, watching a small wave break upon the sand. Or maybe I'm overcomplicating this. On the most basic level, Ranamon is the Legendary Warrior of Water, right? Ergo, she should have a natural affinity for it, and is likely to have at least one or two attacks based around using or manipulating it.
...and, well, you can't get much better access to water than the ocean itself, now can you?
Stepping closer to the gently-lapping tide, I attempt to simply... feel for some sort of connection with it. Some sense, some link, some mental something-or-other that could signify I'm at least in the right mental ballpark. I can't be that far off with this, surely?
I stand there for a minute or two with my eyes closed, searching inwardly to the point that I almost feel I'm in a trance... yet once again, absolutely nothing happens. Other than being Ranamon, I feel perfectly normal right now. So far as I can tell, no additional senses seem to have been included in this package, beyond the ones inherent to my new appendages.
Scowling, I re-open my eyes. This is dumb — I'm essentially trying to exercise a muscle that I've never once used before, not knowing what it feels like or if it even technically exists, so of course I'm not going to be able to "find" it. Besides, the attack I've managed already didn't require me to know or feel out how it actually functioned, it just sort of... happened, once I fulfilled the physical requirements. Why would this one be any different?
Realizing I probably should have been working off this notion from the start, I reach an arm out towards the sea, splaying my fingers apart from each other. Then, as though clutching at the water, I close my hand into a fist and slowly pull it back-
The tide suddenly swells, washing thrice as far up the sand as the previous wave did. A surge of excitement washes through me along with it- only to quickly dissipate as I realize that wasn't nearly strong enough to be an actual attack.
I rest my other hand over my left hip fin, humming thoughtfully. Still, that was a good sign! While I couldn't feel the water itself just now, I could feel the semi-intangible "hold" that I very briefly had over it. I'd wager what I managed there wasn't nearly the extent of what it could have been either — not only was that a rather reserved first attempt, but something about my sway over the water felt strangely limited, restrained in a way that I can't quite articulate.
Maybe if I just...
Walking forward, I dip my feet back into the water proper, wading in until it's back up to my knees. Then, tugging hopefully on that same ethereal connection, I thrust my arms towards the sky.
The surface of the ocean in front of me promptly erupts. Surging upwards like a sudden tsunami, the hundreds of thousands of gallons of water I've inadvertently called upon tower over the shore as an oceanic monolith, looking like the impending wrath of an angry elemental god — at least until I process what I just did, and the resulting shock utterly wrecks my concentration, causing the entire thing to abruptly collapse.
...a large chunk of which proceeds to crash down onto the beach, centered right over where I'm standing.
I yelp in dismay as I once again end up as the first live target of my own move, the water easily knocking my feet out from under me and sweeping me back out to sea. I'm thankfully at no risk of drowning anymore, but the weight of the wave alone threatens to crush me, and by the time I manage to get my head back above the now heaving surface of the ocean, I've been dragged a considerable distance from the shore.
Trying to regain my bearings, I shake myself as I idly tread the suddenly-cloudy water. For as huge of a success as that was, it may have worked a little too well. Depending on how deep I pulled that up from, I may have just disturbed the entire local ecosystem.
I nervously look around at the numerous branches and oddly-shaped leaves now floating on the surface of the sea, forcibly torn from the trees of the tiny island behind me. There's even a humongous red leaf drifting around in the middle of them, and I don't see any red trees around here, meaning I must have somehow dredged that one up from below. Man, I really did overdo it-
The crimson leaf quivers, then suddenly vanishes back beneath the water, leaving me blinking at the now-empty space in confusion.
That... was way too quick to have sunk naturally. Did something just-
The surface of the sea abruptly explodes again, and this time not because of me. I scream and throw myself backwards as a Seadramon at least six stories tall and climbing rises up out of the ocean in front of me, wordlessly roaring at the sky. The motions of its towering body send ripples out through the surrounding water, throwing 10-foot-tall waves in every direction.
And behind it...
Dread overtakes me as I get a better look at the serpentine Digimon's whip-like tail — or, more accurately, the crimson decoration attached to the tip of it. That wasn't a leaf, it was a fin-
Before my thought process can proceed any further, the Seadramon lowers its head and narrows its gaze, glowering down at me with obvious fury.
"Uh-" I stutter. "S-sorry! My bad! No need for-"
The Seadramon screeches in uncaring rage, a massive jet of water already bursting forth from its maw.
Before you accuse me of throwing softballs for once, here's a fun fact about Frontier's early battles — because all the kids' human spirit forms were also roughly human-sized, all their enemies stayed below a certain size as well. The largest one was actually Raremon, at about the size of a shed, and even later on they don't really face anything particularly huge until Sakkakumon and Velgemon show up. Meanwhile, practically every other season you've immediately got Digimon the size of apartment buildings rampaging about, which the heroes' partners can only really scale up to match via digivolving.
...Ranamon!me does not have that option, meaning facing down this Seadramon is not unlike facing down Godzilla, and there is, perhaps, a slight intimidation factor in play. Let's see how that goes, shall we?
A huge thanks to @Pheonix14, @Warclam, @ScorpioBot, @Captain Skipjack, Leaf, Bertucchi, Jordan Juengel, Alxariam, and my eight other Patrons not named here, as well as an extra special thanks to a certain generous patron who wishes to remain unnamed. Each of them receives a coral sample from the tiny island's reef, vibrant pink and glowing and smiling so wide with those little sharp teeth and- wait, no, this is just a Sangomon. Er, anyone up for a new Sangomon partner? They're honestly quite friendly, and I'm guessing they'd really like to be somewhere else right now... 🪸
A sharp yelp escapes me as I dive back underwater and hurriedly swim to one side, leaving the sea serpent's attack to strike the surface of the ocean behind me — or rather, pierce it, as the pressurized water jet spears down through the water like a solid object, strong enough to agitate the ocean around it all the way down to the sand below.
I stare in shock for a moment, even as the local, smaller Digimon who weren't already driven off either leap into hiding or flee in all directions. Syakomon duck into their shells as Crabmon scuttle into tiny caves, and a school of the tropical fish Digimon speeds off into the distance.
Suspecting that I should perhaps do the same, I promptly put all I have into swimming away at top speed. The Seadramon slips back below and immediately gives chase, undulating from side to side to propel itself through the water. It's a surprisingly graceful method of motion for a creature whose fang-filled mouth is currently accelerating towards me like a giant mulcher, ready to crunch down on my legs the moment it gets close enough to do so.
A continual stream of curses runs through my mind as I watch the sea dragon steadily gain on me from the back of my vision, the feeling of its teeth ripping through my skin all too vivid in my mind. It's too big, and too fast, there's no way I can escape like this!
Unless-
There's no time for me to consider if it will work, so I just act. Grabbing hold of the water around me, then grabbing myself with it in turn, I force the liquid forward-
My speed, or at least the slowness thereof abruptly stops being my prime concern as I find myself shooting through the water like a particularly fish-shaped bullet. I scream, but the sound is left far behind as I rocket forward, moving so quickly that I can barely even keep track of my own surroundings.
...which might help to explain why I end up smashing into and through several large chunks of coral scarcely a few seconds later. Losing my grip on the water, I end up ingloriously thrown out of my own wake, spinning end over end until I crash down onto the shallow seafloor a couple dozen feet below, landing back-first with a surprisingly soft impact — at least when compared to the previous three I just experienced.
Dazed and in not a little pain, I groan, feeling like I just went several rounds in a tumble dryer. I suppose I can't really say that was my worst idea, as it at least kept me from becoming an oversized chew toy, but the execution could have used some work-
A bone-chilling screech reverberates through the water, leaving me scrambling to reorient myself. I manage to get the sky above me again, just in time to see the Seadramon winding towards me from my left. It's already caught back up?!
Before I can move, the sea serpent opens its jaws again, and this time vomits up what looks like a javelin made of pure ice. The projectile streaks towards me like frozen lightning, so cold that it's visibly flash-freezing the water around it... but that very property seems to slow its movement slightly as well.
Enough so that I have time to hastily grab the water around me again, and shove both it and myself straight upwards.
The javelin streaks by and decimates a portion of the local seabed, but misses me entirely as I break through the surface at top speed, my own frantic actions launching me into the sky like a cannon shot. I shriek as gravity promptly pulls the water I'd surrounded myself with away, and I begin to plummet from the air-
Instinct takes over as my fingers reach out, and I mentally yank at the surface of the ocean.
"Whipping Waves!"
The water below rushes upwards, pulling itself into a spiraling pillar that quite literally reaches up to catch me. My mind still playing catch up with my own actions, I land atop the construct with surprising grace, breathing hard from a combination of surprise and terror. Holy hell, I nearly did myself in there-
The Seadramon, evidently not willing to tolerate even a short lull in its current activities, lunges back out of the water and tackles the base of my pillar. As my construct's connection to the ocean breaks, so too does the rest of it, and I suddenly find myself falling again, not even having the time to cry out before-
*!-SPLASH-!*
I hit the water headfirst, but my swim cap takes the impact so unexpectedly well that I barely feel it, granting me a chance to try and tug myself away again — but in my haste, I just wind up sending myself spinning through the water like a top, with one ill-positioned arm left briefly feeling like it's being yanked out of its socket. Losing focus nigh-immediately, I'm left to dizzily bob back up and face the building-sized Digimon still glaring at me from scarcely thirty feet away. Damn it, I don't have enough control over this technique yet to not just hurt myself with it, but I don't think I have any other way to get away from this thing!
The Seadramon rears up again, its open mouth already leaking water as it readies another titanic jet of- wait, can I-
I seize my chance and quickly reach out, grabbing for control of the water that should be surging up the sea serpent's throat — and fail, only managing to latch onto the tiny streams still trickling from the side of its mouth. An instant later, those streams are blasted away as another rock-crushing rush of liquid erupts from the Seadramon's maw, at which point it's all I can do to yank a tiny rising geyser up beneath myself and let the pressurized torrent slice through the surface of the ocean behind me. Why didn't- do I need line of sight, or is that attack just still code until it's actually out in open air?!
I've no time to consider it further, as the Seadramon's already-extended body slams down into the water, sending a tidal wave that nearly matches the one I made earlier rushing towards me. Gritting my teeth, I manage to grab hold of the entire massive swell of water and force it to a halt, warring against its momentum for a moment before shoving it back down where it belongs... just in time to spot the flurry of icy arrows spat forth in its wake.
I fall back onto my geyser in reflexive panic, my watery construct nearly losing all cohesion as the projectiles pierce through the space my head occupied a brief moment ago, at which point my fear abruptly flips over to anger. Enough of this, I have to start actually fighting back!
Straightening up, I glare at the towering Seadramon and snap.
"Draining Rain!"
Nothing appears over my fingertips, causing me to immediately blanch. What did I do wrong?! I thought I'd figured this out, did I miss-
A shadow suddenly falls over me. I reflexively glance up to try and spot the source — and gasp as I see the huge, dark gray storm cloud now hovering overhead, nearly twenty times the size of the ones I managed previously.
A silent moment passes before a deluge promptly pours down from the heavens. With as large an area as the cloud I've summoned covers, the rain ends up pelting nearly every part of the Seadramon currently above water, the droplets hitting with such loud and audible impacts that I'd swear they also turned to hail at some point. The Seadramon screeches and reels back, trying to escape the rain's reach, but the sheer breadth of its body only means more surface area to impact, such that after only a few seconds, it collapses. Its body crashes down limply into the water, sending a multitude of tiny waves in every direction as it slowly sinks back into the sea.
I remain frozen in place, too shocked to move, even as the looming cloud slowly dissipates.
Did I... win? I don't know how I did that — maybe it's just because I'm over open water right now, or in actual combat? — but even so, that seemed almost too-
Before I can even complete the thought, I'm proven right as the Seadramon lunges back out of the ocean, moving significantly slower, but by no means down for the count. Thankful I didn't drop my guard, I manage to swerve my geyser to one side before it can impact, letting the serpent's giant head sail past-
An equally giant red tail fin whips around through the air and crashes into my back, forcibly lashing itself around my waist. Before I can even so much as process the impact, the Seadramon's continued forward momentum rips me off my perch, fast enough that the force would probably have broken my normal self's neck. Ahhhhh-!!!
As the Seadramon falls back onto the water, I'm flung down in turn onto the rest of its body, crashing down upon a thick plane of curving scales. Scrambling to my feet, I try to slip back to the water below, but don't make it more than two feet before those same scales start constricting themselves around me.
The serpent, finally ensnaring its prey.
I cry out in pain as the pressure of the Seadramon's coils rapidly begins to crush me. My hip fins are forced up against my sides, while my hands are trapped between two lengths of scaled muscle, the gauntlets encasing them likely the only thing keeping them from being crushed outright.
As I struggle, the Seadramon lowers its head, moving closer and closer. Its enormous eyes take a moment to leer at me, before its mouth suddenly opens, hissing out the only two words I've heard from it thus far.
"Mind Freezer."
The surrounding temperature drops a solid sixty degrees in the span of an instant, chilling me to the bone. At the same time, tiny glimmers begin appearing in the air all around me, and my frantic thoughts begin to slow, as if now being dragged through sleet to reach the forefront of my mind.
Wha... what is... this...?!
The Seadramon slows and calms, seemingly no longer regarding me as a threat. Looming overhead, it languidly observes me, appearing to almost smile as its coils grow ever tighter.
My eyelids begin to drift shut, even as the life is slowly squeezed out of me. I'm fully aware of my current situation, and know that I need to do something about it before I end up as nothing but data, but my thoughts seem almost buried under ice, refusing to come to me any quicker.
Can't... lose...
Can't... die...
Can't...
Breathe...
A burst of panic breaks through my frozen thoughts, and with the last of my air, a slurred, stuttering scream makes its way past my lips.
"D- Dark Vapor...!"
I feel something change, an additional sense of pressure suddenly building up around my trapped hands. The Seadramon lets out a snarling hiss and abruptly rears back, its coiled body loosening slightly in the process — just enough to let me quickly suck in a dearly-needed breath, as well as release a slow-moving tide of boiling black fog, now flowing unceasingly from the center of my palms. Where it pools, the Seadramon's scales begin to bubble and warp, like a wall exposed to fast-acting paint stripper.
The Seadramon hisses again, louder, angrier, and with more than a little evident pain as it makes an effort to re-tighten its hold on me. While I'm still too slow to react however, or to even have withdrawn my arms while I had the chance, the fog has already begun to surround and spread over the rest my body. The snake-like Digimon's attempts to fortify its constriction thus only cause my attack to come into contact with even more of its skin, which continues to eat away at it like acid... even as I, now almost completely enveloped in the caustic mist, remain utterly unharmed.
The Seadramon begins thrashing in place, clearly unwilling to release its prize, but inevitably the blistering vapor becomes too much for it to contain. The glimmers vanish as the sea serpent screeches in agony, the temperature normalizing as it rapidly uncoils and plunges back down into the water, dragging me along with it. As my thoughts return to normal speed, I hastily pull away, slipping from its grasp and pushing myself back up to the surface proper.
With my faculties returned to me, I pull another watery pillar up underneath myself. As I do, the Seadramon bursts out of the sea once more, surging upwards with enough force to completely break free of the water this time. Scales are sloughing off of its body with every movement, but its head is still intact, its fang-filled mouth open wide in rage.
...just like mine as I scream in fury, geysers erupting all around me as more black, acidic fog boils up out of my palm, condensing into an almost-solid sphere. Raising it to the Seadramon's descending head, I force the sphere upwards like a shot put, directly into the serpent's gaping maw — before another geyser bursts forth from below, and forcibly slams its massive mouth shut.
The Seadramon chokes on its final roar of agony as it slows to a halt, all momentum somehow draining out of it in midair. As it comes to complete stop, its body turns black, like a three-dimensional silhouette, and a ring of code spills out of it, encircling and spinning around its middle.
I narrow my eyes at the sight, knowing that this marks the true end of the battle... and while I might otherwise be slightly torn about what now needs to be done, I know full well that if I don't, this thing might just recover and attack me again.
There's no time to overthink this.
Holding out one hand, I beckon the Seadramon's fractal code to myself. Obediently unwinding like a giant spool of thread, the code streams towards me, feeding itself into my palm. A buzzing, not-unpleasant tingling sensation washes over me as I absorb the data, leaving me feeling both soothed and slightly jittery... if not actually any less mentally fatigued for it.
I allow myself to fall back onto my geyser, my breathing finally starting to normalize again. Well... training complete, I guess? Trial by water dragon wasn't exactly my first choice, but I suppose I can't say it wasn't technically effective, even if that was way too damn stressful for what it actually was. However large, Seadramon are still only Champion level, and unless I somehow magically stumble upon the solution to all my problems within the next day or so, there's essentially no chance I won't end up facing far worse eventually. Not to mention I was quite literally in my element here, yet I still nearly got myself killed multiple times by a Digimon that I theoretically should have countered near-perfectly. Even if it was only because I barely knew what I was doing for most of the fight, that's not a great sign...
As the last of the Seadramon's code slips into me, its shadow begins to rapidly dissolve. The lingering remnants surge inwards, condensing together into an oversized blue and green egg with a wave-like design on the shell — which then promptly takes off towards the horizon like a miniature rocket.
I blink, watching on as the egg vanishes into the sky. Ah, right, those literally fly off to the Village of Beginnings in this season. Convenient, if absurd to actually see in action. I suppose the tangible reminder is nice all the same, as I'd probably be more freaked out about having just killed another presumably-sapient life form if I didn't know it was just going to be reborn eventually anyways.
...if possibly only after the data I just sucked up like spaghetti is released, going by how I seem to recall that working with Seraphimon.
Feeling a tiny bit guilty now, but unable to do anything about it, I drag my pillar over to land and allow it to collapse as I step back down onto the beach, letting myself simply lay back on the sand for a minute as the fizzy feeling beneath my skin gradually settles. What a strange sensation...
I idly glance down at my palm, still tingling where the stream of data entered it. Come to think of it, I wonder if I can use any of that Seadramon's attacks now? That's how this worked in Tamers, at least.
Sitting back up, I make a brief effort to replicate the attacks the Seadramon used earlier, just to test the theory, but my efforts ultimately end up being more comical than anything else. I can sort of replicate that water blast attack I didn't get the name of via my newfound abilities, but not with the same sort of laser-focused pressure that made the attack so dangerous, and certainly not from my mouth, so I chalk that up as a failure. My attempts at its ice javelin move go similarly, and I don't even bother with "Mind Freezer" beyond repeating the attack name aloud a few times — it doesn't work — before promptly giving up on that as well.
...strike that idea then. Seems if I want more options in that area, I'll need to get back to questing for Ranamon's beast spirit.
I look out over the ocean. Much as I'd like to take a little more time to recuperate, that battle was just business as usual for this world, and I have to treat it as such. Physically speaking, I didn't even actually come out of it in bad shape, so I should probably get moving again... I think I can just barely see a few isolated specks of land on the horizon now? Though at that distance, they're still essentially forever and a day away. There's seriously got to be a way to speed up my pace a bit-
Oh... right. Duh.
I honestly didn't know "Mind Freezer" (or "Chill Brains") had an official description until after I already wrote this, but frankly I don't care. An attack called that has no right to literally just be an icy wave, so we're sticking with this interpretation — it's not like depictions of the same attack don't vary depending on the season, or even within the same season anyways. There was also a paragraph that I really wanted to put in this chapter, but after actual hours of fiddling around trying fruitlessly to fit it in, I just straight up gave up. Perfect is the enemy of progress; I'll fix/add it later if I have to.
A huge thanks to @Pheonix14, @Warclam, @ScorpioBot, @Captain Skipjack, Leaf, Bertucchi, Jordan Juengel, Alxariam, CCBubba, and my eight other Patrons not named here, as well as an extra special thanks to a certain generous patron who wishes to remain unnamed. Each of them receives a Betamon egg, to eventually hatch and pal around with the Sangomon I gave away last chapter. Turns out the latter are highly social, so it only seemed right to- hang on, I'm getting a call- what? No, giving away living sapient creatures to random people is not potentially unethical. Besides, they're not random, they're nice people who- what do you mean it's a faux pas at best?! I would have loved a Digimon partner, let alone two- whatever, it's too late, they've already left my hands! 🌊🥚🌊
While my first, initial uses of Whipping Waves did manage to get me out of the immediate danger I was in, they were also... less than controlled, to put it mildly. In the throes of my panic, I ultimately ended up slamming myself into a reef and catapulting myself over forty feet into the air, which definitely contributed to the stress of the overall situation.
Thankfully, without the pressure of being actively attacked all the while, this ability is turning out to be much easier to both use and limit to a reasonable speed. My initial method wasn't really the best, but pulling and pushing myself through the water, with the water is surprisingly simple now that I've got the hang of it, and still way, WAY faster than I was going before. Why I didn't think to try something like this sooner I don't know, because now that I have, I'm realizing just how stupid an idea it was to try and swim across an ocean by hand. Getting to that island wasn't exactly tiring, but it still took a sustained and constant effort, whereas now I'm barely exerting myself at all, Ranamon's inherent hydrokinesis only feeling increasingly natural the more that I use it.
I laugh as I launch myself out of the water like a dolphin, do a three-quarters front flip, and land back upon the surface feet-first, using a tiny plane of constantly-rising water to surf atop it for about ten seconds before letting myself slip smoothly back below.
...and on top of that, it's genuinely just quite fun. I've never really been that fond of swimming before, but assuming this counts, I think I may have just found myself a new favorite hobby.
With my newfound skill, the remainder of my trip to the islands on the horizon ends up being much more enjoyable than the first bit, if still fairly uneventful. I do spot an absolutely enormous silhouette way down in the deep at one point, looming out of the abyss below like the passing shadow of a titan, and a chittering pack of Dolphmon tries to follow me a few minutes later, seemingly wanting to play. Thankfully however, my current speed causes me to rather rapidly outpace both of them anyways, allowing me to avoid any unwanted interactions or distractions.
Soon enough, the island chain draws near, close enough that I can now distinguish individual trees and rocks. Doing my best to recall the location of the one I'm looking for with respect to the others around it, I adjust my trajectory, heading for the land mass at the center of the bunch. It doesn't look particularly different from its neighbors, and I can't tell what its overall shape is from here — but if I'm right, I think I'll be able to identify it pretty easily anyways.
Slowing to a stop roughly a hundred feet out from land, I rise out of the ocean atop a miniature wave and begin circumnavigating the island's perimeter, visually scanning the beach as I go. If I have the right place, there should be a rather noticeable landmark somewhere around here...
I end up having to go all the way around to the opposite shore to find it, but find it I do — set up on the beach, exactly as I'd hoped, is a small but well-built wooden building, situated next to a small stone hut. The sign built into the metal roof proclaims it to be "Toucan Paradise", AKA, the Toucanmons' tropical cabana and shack.
...all four occupants of which are currently rushing outside, having evidently spotted me.
"Ranamon...? Lady Ranamon?!"
"Is that really her?!"
"Oh, look over here, please look over here!"
"We're your biggest fans!"
I blink at the quartet of large, cartoonish toucans now furiously waving at me from shore, the huge, bright red half-eggshells they wear standing out like sore thumbs against the sand.
Ah, right. These were those guys that had that... "fan club" for Ranamon. A very dedicated, passionate, and proud fan club... or, perhaps more realistically, an "obsessed to the point of it being slightly creepy" fan club. A "you could really use some other hobbies" fan club. An "I probably should have been a bit stealthier about this to prevent them from seeing me in the first place" fan club... but too little, too late for that.
As the group continues to all but beg me to come closer, I quite deliberately ignore them, not particularly wanting to deal with Ranamon's fanatical devotees right now. That being said, I also can't seem to make myself simply dive back underwater to escape their gaze, possibly because... well... they obviously want this more than anything. To meet Ranamon in person, I mean.
And even though I'm not really her, I'm not sure I have the heart to simply blow them off.
I struggle not to bite my lip again. I know they're hardly the nicest Digimon around, being highly judgmental at best and mostly just out for themselves, but do I really have it in me to simply ignore them? To take their dreams and snap them over my knee? From what I remember, to dismiss them as things stand would crush their hearts as assuredly as if I took them each in hand and squeezed until they popped...
I sigh.
I'll give them two minutes.
The Toucanmon cheer wildly as I pull myself to shore, running up as I alight on the beach in front of them, though not coming so close as to crowd me.
"Hiya..." I greet them, waving a little awkwardly.
"Lady Ranamon, this is such an honor!" one of them excitedly squawks.
"We had no idea you'd be passing by our island today!"
"We've wanted to meet you for so very long!"
I plaster on a smile.
"Well, it's nice to meet you all too."
One of the Toucanmon tilts their head at me.
"Huh... you sound a bit different than I thought you did."
"You idiot, don't be rude!" one of the others immediately scolds them. "A thousand apologies, Lady Ranamon!"
...what? Why would I sound any different from her when I literally am- oh, right. Ugh, fine.
"Ah'm afraid ah'm not quite sure what ya mean."
The Toucanmon who spoke up blinks, then laughs. "Nevermind! I must've just been imagining it!"
"Of course you were!" another rebukes. "Lady Ranamon has the voice of an angel!"
"And she's even more beautiful up close!"
I try not to fidget at the overly-complimentary comments — not that they're really about me to begin with, but it's odd being treated like this by complete strangers, let alone enormous cartoon birds.
"So, um, what exactly brings you here, Lady Ranamon?" one of them asks.
"Yeah! Did we get selected from some sort of fan sweepstakes?"
How the heck do they know what a sweepstakes is- nevermind.
"Nothin' like that." I reply with a small shrug. "Ah just happened to be in the area, and saw you boys wavin' at me. Pure coincidence."
The Toucanmon preen for a moment at their good fortune, until one of them abruptly bolts upright.
"Oh, how ill-mannered of us to make you stand out here! Please, come inside!"
"Yes, yes! We have so much to show you!"
Before I can even respond, I'm ushered from the water and up into the large, open-walled cabin a little ways up the sand. The inside is actually more spacious than I realized from afar, including a small dining area, a combination bar and kitchen, a changing room, and even what looks like a small, sectioned off souvenir shop. I find myself seated at one of the tables in short order, while the Toucanmon... pose?
"Welcome to the Toucan Paradise Sea Shack!" they announce in obviously-practiced tandem.
"Service is of course free for you, Lady Ranamon!" one of them follows up as they drop out of their stance.
"After all..."
They pause, running behind the counter and huddling up for a moment, before abruptly springing back out — plus or minus a few accessories.
"...the chance to gaze upon you is payment enough!"
My smile grows slightly more brittle as I take in the headbands they've adorned themselves with, which have characters scrawled on them that I'm pretty sure are Japanese, despite the sign on the front of the shack having notably been in English. Though I can't read the text, the tiny hearts surrounding the words give me a pretty good idea of what they say anyways — especially in tandem with the large buttons sporting Ranamon's face that the Toucanmon have stuck to their eggshells, and the small paper hand fans now gripped between their feathers, which bear similar illustrations.
Slightly uncomfortable, I allow my gaze to drift elsewhere, landing on a nearby wind chime — which I then of course notice has a thin strip of paper attached to the bottom of it, from which Ranamon's image once again stares back.
My image.
"Well now, ain't ya'll sweet..." I say a bit weakly.
Even as I say it, I can't help but wonder... why do these guys like Ranamon so much, exactly? I mean, they're treating me like some sort of celebrity, which I'd assume isn't because they're just big fans of the planet being deleted piece by piece, but if the Toucanmon don't know about Ranamon's "job", what do they know her for? Was it ever explained? What exactly does Ranamon do in her off time that would bring them to make merchandise of her in the first place?
"Just sit tight Lady Ranamon!" one of them says before I can dwell on it for too long, popping a chef's hat on and hurrying into the kitchen. "We'll fix you up the best meal you've ever had!"
"Yes, we've got the finest cuisine this side of the ocean!"
"We also happen to have a variety of beach and surf toys if you'd like to-"
"She doesn't need toys you birdbrain!" another one squawks. "What do you expect her to do with those? Tell her about the swimsuits!"
"Huh?! Hers is perfect as is, she doesn't need one of those either!"
Despite myself, I find myself laughing a little at their antics, relaxing slightly as I do. Off-putting as it is to have these four hanging on my every word and action, panicking at the mere thought of offending me, it's also... oddly flattering? Combined with how nice this place already smells, presumably from whatever they usually cook in here, it almost makes me want to stick around a little longer after all.
...but I really shouldn't. And two minutes is definitely up.
"Sorry boys," I demur, standing back up, "but ah'm afraid ah'll have to decline your generous offers."
The Toucanmon with the chef hat nearly throws the frying pan he's holding into the ceiling, while the rest comically rear back and spread their wings in shock.
"What?" the Toucanmon with the highest voice exclaims, looking utterly crestfallen.
"Did we do something wrong?!" the chef desperately pleads. "If our menu isn't to your liking, we can-"
"It ain't that!" I hurriedly reassure them, holding up a hand. "Ah'm sure your food and shop are wonderful, and ah'd gladly stick around if ah had the time. But ah really do need to get back to what ah actually came here for."
"...what's that?"
Right, I suppose I didn't actually tell them. How to frame this...
I make a quick show of looking around, then beckon the Toucanmon closer.
"Can ya'll keep a secret?"
Their eyes collectively light up.
"Of course we can!"
"You can count on us!"
"Our beaks are sealed!"
I give them a quick, close-eyed smile. "Good. Ah'm lookin' for an... ancient artifact, of sorts. Ah'm afraid ah still can't tell ya all the details, but it's real important that ah find it before someone else does, and-"
"Ooh, wait! Do you mean the beast spirit?"
The other Toucanmon turn and glare at the one who interrupted, who shrinks back at their clear irritation — conveniently causing all four of them to miss how utterly taken aback I find myself in that moment.
"Yes..." I say, slowly. "That's actually it exactly... ya wouldn't happen to know where it is?"
"Ah- no." the Toucanmon who spoke up mutters, still looking chastised by his fellows.
"We don't even know what it looks like, or what it does." another one elaborates. "Just that you've been looking for it for a while now."
'How?', I don't ask, held back only by the fact that I'm pretty sure Ranamon should already know that. Seriously, what...?
"Well, ah'm pretty sure it's hidden somewhere around this island," I continue after a moment, "ah'm just not sure exactly where."
The Toucanmon perk up in unison.
"Really? We can help you find it then!"
"Yeah, we're experts at finding stuff!"
"Or we can be experts at finding stuff!"
"Whatever the case, we're at your service!"
Though their enthusiasm is still a bit much, I do take a moment to actually mull it over, genuinely considering their offer. It would be nice to have some extra eyes on hand, and apparently they already even know what I'm looking for... but then again, keeping the Toucanmon around would require keeping up this act as well. Not to mention, I seem to recall them turning on Ranamon as soon as she actually found her beast spirit, owing to Calmaramon being comparatively "ugly" in their eyes? Granted, part of that might have just been down to how Ranamon also dropped any and all airs at that point (and gained a really grating voice in the process), but I'd still rather not have to deal with that myself.
...not to mention, with the way these four seem to look at me like I hung the stars in the sky, I'm actually kind of reluctant to ruin their image of me.
"Ah appreciate the offer," I finally say, "but the spirit is most likely somewhere underwater. Ah don't think ya'd be much help there, so ah'd better stick to lookin' for it myself."
Four equally despondent "Aww..."s ring out as the Toucanmon slump in place, all looking more than a little downcast.
"W-well, in that case," one of them stutters, "we wish you the best of luck, Lady Ranamon!"
"Yes!" the high-voiced one rallies. "We have the utmost faith you'll succeed!"
"And please do come back if you change your mind! About our help or being hungry!"
"Will we ever see you again...?"
I turn away from them and lift my chin a little, tapping on it with a finger.
"Hmm... you might," I say, vaguely, "and ah'll still be around for at least a little while longer. For now though..."
Walking back outside, I pull a small wave up over the shore and step onto it, letting it lift me into the air — then, on a lark, look back over my shoulder and wink.
"Seeya~!"
With that, I have the wave sweep me off the beach and smoothly deposit me back into the ocean, giggling to myself as I dive back down beneath the surf.
Heh, that was surprisingly fun once I relaxed a bit! I don't know how long I'd have been able to keep that up, but without the stress of potential discovery and subsequent deletion thrown into the mix, playing into Ranamon's role was actually almost enjoyable — even the Toucanmon's absolute adoration was strangely nice, once I got used to it. They were so incredibly eager to please that I almost couldn't help but want to strut a little at the end there.
...I sure hope I'm not turning into a tease.
Laughing a little at the absurdity of that thought, I turn my focus back to the vast, watery expanse before me. It's not like I was lying to the Toucanmon about needing to get moving — that spirit won't find itself, and while I know I've got the right area, I've still got a lot of potential ground, or rather, sea to cover, and who knows how much time to explore it.
I firm my expression.
Let's get to it!
I am fascinated by the fact that Ranamon has a full-on fanbase in Frontier — one that's implied to be quite widespread, at that. The implications once you extrapolate a little are actually kind of incredible... but more on that later. This ended up being more of a connecting chapter than intended, but that's mostly because it ended up getting split in two, so expect to see the second half soon.
...oh, and for the record, this chapter is named after the saying "bring sand to the beach". Not the other thing that may have leapt to mind. o(^ω^; )o
A huge thanks to @Pheonix14, @Warclam, @ScorpioBot, @Captain Skipjack, @CCBubba, Leaf, Bertucchi, Jordan Juengel, Alxariam, and my eight other Patrons not named here, as well as an extra special thanks to a certain generous patron who wishes to remain unnamed. Each of them receives one to three pieces of merch of their choice from the Toucanmon souvenir shop. They don't get a lot of customers on their isolated island, so all the good stuff is still in stock, and since I'm the one asking, they're perfectly happy to give it all away for free. Have at it! 🩱🛶🏂
My eyes, long since glazed over, continue to nonetheless scrutinize the barren seabed below. I kind of thought that once I came within a certain range of the Beast Spirit of Water, I'd be able to... I don't know, feel it? Even if I'm not the real Ranamon, I suppose I still assumed that embodying her would grant me some sort of link to the other spirit that shares her element; some manner of bond or inherent connection that would ultimately draw the two together.
Obviously this was a stupid idea based in nothing but vague hopes, because that's not what's happening at all. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if I somehow misremembered where the spirit in question was canonically found in the first place. I'm pretty sure I haven't, but you can only futilely search a given area for so long before you start doubting that what you're looking for isn't actually there.
I've primarily been concentrating my search around the southern side of the island, where the seafloor is shallow and relatively easy to survey. The area isn't nearly as populated as its equivalent on the last island I visited, as it lacks its own coral reef. Here, it's just a bunch of rocks and rotting wooden debris scattered along the sandy slopes leading up to the shore. There's a few bits and pieces that look like they could have once been part of something larger, but that's about it, and I'm not about to go digging down through ten million tons of sand in the vague hope of finding buried treasure when I'm fairly certain that shouldn't be necessary.
Unfortunately, the rest of the local undersea landscape is far, far harder to actually search. To the east, back the way I came, there's a steep drop off leading down into pitch dark depths. Given the kind of digital horrors that could undoubtedly be down there, paired with what I can only presume to be an utter lack of visibility even with my gems, I'd prefer to refrain from delving that abyss until I've at least run out all my other options first.
Meanwhile to the north, there's a vast kelp forest obscuring everything more than ten feet or so below the surface. Not only is is stupidly huge, but the kelp moves and flows so frenetically that I could barely tell up from down whilst inside it, making it nigh-on impossible to even move within, let alone systematically comb for hidden ancient artifacts.
And as for the west...
I wince. I've been doing my utmost to avoid that side of island since my very first probing pass, as I'm quite wary of the rather large school of exceedingly savage-looking fish Digimon I spotted there, which almost looked like nightmarish versions of the smaller, more tropical fish mons I saw earlier. Maybe I'm just unfairly judging a book by its cover, but literally every aspect of those things' appearance screams dangerous to me, and I don't particularly feel like risking that assessment being wrong.
So yeah, turns out it's pretty hard to find an extremely specific, relatively small item hidden out in the middle of the ocean. Who'd have thought?
A long, frustrated sigh escapes my mouth. I don't remember canon Ranamon having this much trouble finding the spirit once she actually got here. Then again, I don't remember how she found it at all. Honestly, I'm probably going to have to just pick my poison at some point and-
I come to a sudden halt, sensing something strange in the water around me.
It's subtle, but... there's a gentle tug in the currents...
Hopeful, not to mention slightly desperate for any sort of sign at this point, I break from my somewhat-aimless path in favor of following the elusive pull, which seems to be beckoning me further south. Not wanting to lose track of it, I deliberately leave Whipping Waves out of the equation, resigning myself to simply swimming at a normal speed again for the moment.
...a moment that stretches on for longer than expected, as by the time I feel the current I'm following grow even marginally stronger, I can see the trees of the next island over coming into view, a muddled profusion of greenery atop looming cliffs peering down through the surface of the water.
No, this can't be right. I'm way too far off-course, aren't I?
Starting to reconsider if there was any point to this, I glance to my left, where the current seems to be drawing me, and notice something odd. The water looks... agitated? Almost like someone stuck a giant straw into it and started swirling it around-
Wait.
Swimming upward, I poke my head above the surface of the water, confirming my suspicions as I see it from above — pressed up against the entrance to the island's bay are over two dozen large, violent whirlpools. Clustered against each other so tightly I'm surprised they haven't merged together, the underwater twisters rage and gyre against each other, battling for dominance like living creatures. One particularly massive vortex sits at the center of the rest, gaping wide as the maw of Charybdis.
I duck back underwater, grimacing. Well, guess I should be glad I didn't just gormlessly follow the pull directly into those. Man, I really can't catch a break today-
My train of thought stutters halfway out of the station.
Hold on. Some of the spirits had tangible effects on their surroundings, didn't they? I don't think all of them did, and I can't remember if the Beast Spirit of Water was one of them, but... if it did, wouldn't a cluster of massive whirlpools make an awful lot of sense?
Deciding I need to investigate further, I swim forward, carefully approaching the outer edge of one of the vortexes. Even from outside the whirlpool itself, I can feel it trying to draw me in, the swirling currents a threat to nearly any water-dwelling Digimon foolish enough to encroach on their territory.
Thankfully, I am a rather clear exception.
Taking hold of the water in front of me, I forcibly part the whirling curtain and slip inside its eddies. As I do, I swear I hear something behind me, sounding almost like a distant voice — but by the time I look back, the whirlpool has already reformed, the distortion of the rushing water obscuring everything beyond it.
Shrugging internally, I swivel back around and continue, my burgeoning dominion over the water leaving my path to the center of each whirlpool clear and calm. It's not as easy as I'd like — while the water bends easily to my will, the speed and size of each vortex is such that I can't really stop any of them in their entirety, and what I do stop whips right back into its previous state as soon as I release it — but it's enough for me to keep moving forward, ensuring that I'm never truly at risk of being torn away.
After passing through more than half a dozen other whirlpools, I finally come to the central one, easily identified even from below for being more than twice the size of the rest. Deep within its core, I can see something giving off a bright, inviting glow, though any specific features it might have are impossible to see beyond the raging waters obscuring it.
I smile. At this point, I'm more than convinced. If this utterly unnatural phenomenon isn't being caused by a spirit, I'll eat my own swim cap.
Pushing my way into the vortex this time is a real struggle, the current of this one so fast and strong that it feels almost angry. It's almost like I'm battling against a living force, steadfastly determined to swallow up and spit out any who would intrude upon its underwater sanctuary, no matter who they might be.
With a gasp of effort, I manage to force the currents aside just long enough to squeeze inside, though they reform so fast that they catch against my trailing ankle and nearly drag me away anyways. I yank my foot in quickly, feeling like I just lost a couple layers of skin off the outside of it, and sigh in relief as I slowly look around.
Unlike the other whirlpools, the interior of this one is quite large, as well as unnaturally calm. The pull of the surrounding waters is almost completely absent, the only sign of it a gentle swirl at the very center, suffused with innumerable bright blue specks that almost look distant stars. The water itself is crystal clear all the way down to the seafloor, where an enormous pink clam shell sits, shining rays of light leaking from within its closed lips.
My grin threatens to split the sides of my face. This is it!
Seemingly reacting to either my presence or my emotions, the clam suddenly trembles. Slowly, dramatically, it pries itself open, revealing a statue I'm surprised to realize is at least as tall as I am — no, a fair bit taller, actually — made in the image of a harpy. Its lower legs are pressed flush to the hexagonal pedestal beneath it, while its wings are swept back, as though caught in mid-flight.
My joyful expression falters.
Is that... the Beast Spirit of Wind? Why would that be-
I groan aloud. Oh, damn it, that's right! Ranamon and Zoe's beast spirits were both hidden not only underwater, but in the same general area as each other. I'm pretty sure they were even discovered in successive episodes, if not the exact same one. I've no idea why a spirit of wind was concealed in such an antithetical location, but apparently it's the one causing these vortexes, not the one I'm actually looking for. Gah...
My eyelids droop in disappointment as I turn away from the now-apparent red herring. Just my luck. I suppose that's at least some assurance that I'm looking in the right general area, even if the only spirit I've found thus far has turned out to be the exact wrong one.
Er, speaking of which. Do I just, leave this here, or...?
I glance back at the spirit again, uncertain. My immediate thought is that I probably shouldn't mess with this thing, as it's definitely not meant for me. However, Zoe will eventually need her beast spirit, and if I think about it, I'm pretty sure the events that led to her finding it in the first place were ones that Ranamon herself was responsible for? I still don't recall the specifics, but I think she showed up and attacked the group while they were trying to get to the nearby island, which somehow resulted in Zoe getting dragged into this whirlpool. I certainly don't intend on doing that myself however, and even assuming the kids still end up coming this way, I doubt they'll ever find a spirit hidden this far underwater without outside intervention...
I waffle over it for another half a minute or so before ultimately deciding yes, I should probably take this thing, if only to act as its backup delivery system. For all that canon often wrote Zoe off, it's still important that everyone has their beast spirits going forward, so I can't really risk this one potentially being missed. If it was ever actually confirmed that the kids were explicitly drawn to their spirits or vice versa, I'd probably just leave this be, but it certainly doesn't seem to be working that way for me, so I can hardly trust that it does for them. With any luck, I'll be able to hand this thing off to its intended owner in fairly short order anyways.
This logic in mind, I start paddling down towards the center of the glimmering pool.
-and promptly get sucked right back, the surrounding whirlpool surging and tugging at its own interior just long enough to pull me away.
Huh?
I try again, but despite already being beyond the dangerous part of the whirlpool, it apparently hasn't given up the fight just yet, managing to yank me around with near impunity despite my theoretical control over the water composing it. It's almost as though the spirit itself is pushing me away... which, given that it seems to be the source of the vortex, is actually entirely possible now that I think of it.
"Come on..." I grumble, trying to move down towards the idol again. "It's not like I'm trying to take you for myself-"
The whirlpool surges once more, sending me tumbling backwards through the water, flipping end over end. I right myself as quickly as I can, fighting to regain my equilibrium.
"Could you just let me-"
Bubbles batter at my chest.
"I'm only trying to-"
Liquid bursts against my legs.
"This really isn't-"
Ethereal whips of impossible wind lash out to strike at the sides of my face.
"Alright, alright, I GET it!" I snap.
Swiping the insubstantial tendrils away, I fix the glowing spirit with a terse, irritated glare... then sigh, my annoyance washing away with the current.
"I can take a hint." I mutter. "I was just worried you wouldn't be found at all if I didn't hand you over to who you're meant to be with, since you're kind of in an out of the way spot, especially for a spirit of wind. If you're really that confident though, then fine... I'll leave you alone."
If the ancient, apparently semi-sentient spirit code thing feels that it has things well enough in hand, who am I to protest? I've got to get back to looking for the spirit I actually came here for. Hopefully it'll be at least slightly more welcoming than this one has been.
I do a quick about face, preparing to part the vortex again- only to lose focus as the whirlpool's current abruptly reverses, this time shoving me back towards the shell at its center rather than away. Oh for-
"Alright, make up your mind," I growl as I swivel back around, now legitimately irritated, "do you want me to leave or no-"
I cut off upon realizing that formerly motionless spirit is no longer sitting where it was, having floated out of the shell it was housed in and begun moving upwards in a straight diagonal line, heading directly towards me.
...heading towards me kind of fast, actually. Wait, is it trying to-?!
Balking at the sight of the seven-foot-tall idol now bearing down on me like an underwater car, I yelp and quickly attempt to pull myself out of the way. The vortex again works against me however, and the spirit just speeds up even more to compensate, leaving me nigh-on helpless to actually evade it.
The Beast Spirit of Wind slams into me like a statue-sized bullet, with what feels like a roughly equivalent level of impact. I feel something surge through me like a live wire, and hear myself cry out in shock and pain before the world goes white-
.
.
.
[...I suppose you'll do. For now~]
.
.
.
-and I abruptly find myself erupting out of the water, droplets flying off extremities that didn't exist a moment ago as they automatically spread themselves wide.
It takes me a few seconds to get my bearings back, the sheer unexpectedness of what just happened preventing it from immediately sinking in. It's only once I realize that I didn't hit the water again that I glance down and notice I'm not only floating a solid thirty feet over its surface, but that my body looks rather thoroughly different than it did a minute ago.
I try not to gape, not that my mouth is even visible right now. Ooooo... kay, I guess the Beast Spirit of Wind decided my argument had merit after all?
I shake my head, feeling a pair of foreign extremities flapping around on either side of it as I do. Well, that's a relief at least. I didn't expect the spirit to activate on contact, so I honestly thought it was just trying to crush me. Was the process supposed to be that painful though? The beast spirit evolution sequences always did look kind of agonizing — I distinctly remember the kids all screaming pretty loudly during them — but I don't think they ever actually mentioned that if so.
I glance down at my newly clawed, three-fingered hands, examining the gleaming silver metal that now covers them. Truth be told, I'm kind of surprised I'm able to use this spirit at all, given it's not "mine". I suppose Shamanmon did briefly end up transformed by the Beast Spirit of Fire when it was first discovered? I just wasn't really expecting that principle to apply to me as well, given nothing of that nature ever happened again.
Twisting a little, I take a more complete stock of my current self. Even ignoring my changed body and outfit — which is annoyingly even skimpier than Ranamon's swimsuit, though inexplicably no less flexible — there's a pretty noticeable difference. Just hovering here, I feel powerful, like a giant bird of prey, and likely at least as fast. Something tells me that if I chose to, I could probably fly back to Toucan Paradise even more quickly than I could swim there before. My reflexes feel like they've been significantly dialed up as well, probably in order to keep up with said speed.
...and oh yeah, I'm literally flying, and it's not even hard.
A sudden giddiness overtakes me, and I do a few gleeful loops and twists in the air, reveling in the sensation. I don't even need to flap my newly-gained wings to stay in a seemingly eternal hover, which is pretty damn awesome on its own.
I frown, coming to a dead halt. That said, I also feel kind of... off? Despite everything I just listed off, I can't help but feel that this somehow just doesn't quite fit. It's like I'm wearing a set of clothes made out of really nice, high-quality fabric, but which very clearly weren't tailored for me, and are thus sort of uncomfortable anyways.
In retrospect, it's a little disconcerting that this same feeling has been completely absent from my Ranamon form. It's not like that body is any less foreign to me, after all.
I tense a little, before my muscles relax as if on their own. Still, I suppose I can't really complain. Even if I haven't located my own beast spirit yet, this is a pretty big find. Don't I maybe deserve a break?
Yeah... that sounds really nice, now that I think of it. What would I use it for though?
I tap a claw against my chin as a devilish thought slithers into my mind. Those Toucanmon... didn't they have something of an instant "admiration" for Zephyrmon when she first appeared? If I show back up like this, while Ranamon is seemingly nowhere to be found, I bet I could get them real wound up~ Spend a little while teasing them, make them worry about being disloyal to their "lady" and get them all torn up and anxious inside, then switch forms in front of them and watch them fall all over themselves in confusion and embarrassment. I can already imagine their expressions, it'd be great...!
Mirth begins to grow in my chest... then dies away as I shake myself, wings beating needlessly as I do so. No, no, I can't. Time is limited, and teasing the Toucanmon wouldn't pay off fast enough to be worth it anyways. At least, not if I wanted to do it right.
I sigh through the mask now covering my face, feeling more than a little reluctant to resume my incredibly boring and increasingly pointless-seeming task. Why couldn't this have just been easy? I don't want to go back to swimming around for hours on end. Honestly, I'd kind of like to fly off and chase the horizon for a while, or maybe just lie back on the beach and relax, like I didn't get to do earlier...
Something between a whine and a groan escapes my throat as I somehow find myself feeling put upon by my own priorities.
Ugh, fine, let's get back to it... I'll need to change back first, I suppose. However unintuitive the wind spirit's location was, I'm still fairly certain the Beast Spirit of Water is underwater, so searching from the air is basically pointless. Stupid thing.
Eh, how do I...?
I concentrate on changing back, doing much the same as when I attempted to de-digivolve myself back at the lair, and this time a cocoon of code successfully forms and envelops me, cutting off my view of the outside world. I can't see myself through the light, and there's no pain this time, but I can still feel as parts of my body rapidly compact, even as other areas stretch and swell. My wings recede and my talons vanish, replaced by uncovered flesh as fins and toes take their place. Metal flows backwards into nothing as my fingers shrink and thin, dividing themselves from three back into five. It at once lasts an age and takes no time at all, but when the cocoon finally vanishes what seems like an endless moment later, I'm Ranamon again.
...and am also now falling out of the air.
My second instinct is to scream. My first instinct thankfully overrides it however, as I immediately pull a pillar of water up from below to catch myself with. The construct reaches me before I can fall even half the distance, cradling me gently as I land within its clutches.
I glance down at my own hands, a little surprised at myself. Huh, I really am getting better at this... now I just need to get better at thinking things through ahead of time. I've had more than enough of plummeting from on high for one day, thanks.
I slowly lower myself back to sea level, made simpler by the fact that the whirlpools have now vanished, and the water has calmed. Once I'm only standing about two feet over it again rather than twenty, I release my mental grasp on the pillar, and allow myself to fall back below the gentle waves.
...where I immediately find myself smack dab in the center of an enormous pack of absolutely delighted Gomamon, many of them embracing each other with tears in their eyes that are somehow staying put underwater. What the-?
I swivel in place for a moment or two, exceedingly confused about where all these little not-quite-seals even came from, before a group of about half a dozen take notice of my presence in their midst and swim up to me.
"Are you the one who stopped the whirlpools?" one of them asks, eyes shining.
"Huh?" I intelligently reply.
"We saw you get sucked into the field, but were too late to warn you before you went in-" another one breathlessly elaborates. "We didn't even think you'd come back out, but then they- they stopped — all of them just, stopped, and you're still here, and-!"
"We've been separated from our friends and families by those vortexes for many years." a third, somewhat older-sounding Gomamon takes over when the second seemingly becomes too choked up to continue. "If you truly managed to get rid of them, then we cannot thank you enough, stranger."
Oh.
"Well... yes." I hesitantly admit. "I removed the item that was causing the whirlpools, so they shouldn't be coming back-"
I don't even make it all the way through my sentence before every Gomamon near enough to hear me cheers in tandem and begins thanking me profusely, swarming around me in an underwater hurricane of purple and white.
"Y- you're welcome?" I sputter, wishing I knew what to do with all this gratitude. I didn't even realize they were here, let alone that I was doing them such a huge favor, so this is really rather overwhelming.
Although... I could leverage this, couldn't I? At this point, I'll take all the help looking for the Beast Spirit of Water I can get, and if the Gomamon are truly this grateful, surely at least a few of them would be willing to help me in that regard? They even live in the area, so if I'm lucky they might even already know where-
"Hey, wait a second! That's Ranamon!"
The celebration dies down a little as a particularly loud voice makes itself known over the din, many of the Gomamon turning to the source. It's just another of their own, though this Gomamon looks quite mad.
"Who?" someone in the crowd asks.
"Don't you recognize her?!" the angry one yells. "She's one of Cherubimon's followers! The one responsible for deleting more than half the ocean!"
My eyes widen at the accusation, though less because I was just recognized by someone evidently not in Ranamon's fan club, and more because of the figure that the Gomamon just listed off. I guess it makes sense that of the five evil legendary warriors, Ranamon specifically would be the one tasked with stealing the fractal code of the Digital World's seas, but that she's actually succeeded to that degree? Even if that's an exaggeration — and I don't think it is, thinking back to the map on Ranamon's computer — where was that competence in the show proper?
"Is that what she looks like...?"
"I think it is-!"
"What's she doing here?!"
The cries of celebration turn to cries of fear as about three quarters of the Gomamon quickly turn and flee in all directions. The remainder... seem to be metaphorically reaching for the nearest knife block, glaring at me with such white-hot hate that I'm surprised the water isn't boiling around them.
"What do you want?" one of them demands. "If you're here for our home, you won't get it without a fight!"
"Yeah! We may not be strong, but there's a lot more of us than there are of you!"
"Why don't you run back to Cherubimon and-"
"Stop!"
Another small group of Gomamon suddenly interposes itself between me and the aggressive ones.
"Cut it out!" one of them cries. "Even if she is Ranamon, she got rid of the whirlpools for us! She can't be all bad!"
"Of course she's all bad! You can't get worse than working for Cherubimon!"
"Then why hasn't she attacked us yet?"
"Because-!"
As the squabbling begins in full, I stop paying attention, turning my gaze outward again.
I should... probably just be going, I think.
Silently excusing myself from the argument I accidentally caused, I propel myself away from the area before anyone can actually object. Once the Gomamon are no longer in sight, I allow myself to simply drift for a minute, pouting.
Well, so much for getting help. I suppose I should've known Ranamon's line of work couldn't possibly be unknown to everyone. Hell, even if it was, it's not like every Digimon was going to have the same sky-high opinion of me as the Toucanmon.
Speaking of which, maybe I should take up said Toucanmon on their offer of assistance after all? I really am getting a little desperate at this point, and while I still don't think searching by air will be of much use, they might at least be able to point me towards potential areas of interest. I haven't seen anything else quite like those whirlpools yet, but they've been around here a lot longer than I have, so they might still know something.
Figuring it can't hurt, I swim upwards until my torso breaks the surface, grabbing some water to help propel myself back over to the adjoining island.
...whereupon I spot a group of five human children and two shorter, bipedal Digimon disembarking from the back of a Whamon in the distance. Stepping down onto the rocky section of the island's left shore, they turn and wave goodbye as the massive cetacean slips back below. Huh?!
Panicking a little, I hurriedly shove myself back underwater, hoping that no one spotted me.
What's going on? The kids aren't supposed to be here yet, it's too early! My memory of the show may be spotty, but I'm pretty certain they only ended up here after Mercurymon killed Seraphimon, which...
Poking my head back above water just enough for my eyes to peek out, I pan my gaze around the beach until I manage to re-locate Bokomon's diminutive form. While he's not much more than a tiny white-and-pink outline from this distance, I can still see what looks like a large, egg-shaped bulge stuffed down the band he wears around his stomach.
...apparently has already happened.
Ducking back below, I curse internally. Damn it. I'd thought, or maybe just hoped that I was earlier in the timeline than this, but if Seraphimon is already dead and data... now what do I do? Is there anything I can do? I've already apparently missed what was, in retrospect, probably my best chance to change things for the better...
Grimacing, I lightly slap my face, or rather prod myself with my fingertips. No, stay positive. Encountering the heroes this early is technically still a good thing, so let's just make the best of this. Even if it now feels a little pointless for me to have picked up in the first place, Zoe still needs her beast spirit, and there's no one around right now to stop me from telling the group what they need to know in order to not fall victim to the same things they did in canon... not to mention perhaps more effectively take care of my unwanted "teammates" than they otherwise would. I don't know that I fully trust them to pull any of it off, since they weren't always the most capable or cohesive bunch, but it's a good first step.
Guess I'd better go introduce myself.
Interested to see what reactions to this one will be... I think only one person even brought up that Zoe and Ranamon's beast spirits were practically hidden on top of each other in canon, so hopefully you're not all readying pitchforks. ^^;
A huge thanks to @Pheonix14, @Warclam, @ScorpioBot, @Captain Skipjack, @CCBubba, Leaf, Bertucchi, Jordan Juengel, Alxariam, and my eight other Patrons not named here, as well as an extra special thanks to a certain generous patron who wishes to remain unnamed. Each of them receives a miniature reproduction of the Beast Spirit of Wind, made from the highest-quality available materials. So high-quality in fact that I strongly advise watching out for any unnatural air-based — and apparently water-based — phenomena within their immediate vicinity. They can be a bit mischievous, you see... 🦅
By the time I make it back to the island's shore, the kids have made their way down off the rocks and onto the adjoining beach. I don't immediately surface to greet them, still trying to work out exactly what to say to them, and how to go about saying it.
This is going to be more difficult than I'd have liked. If I'd met the kids before they ever encountered Ranamon, they'd have relatively few preconceptions that I'd need to work past in order to reach a point of relative trust. However, Seraphimon is already an egg, and barring the possibility that happened within the past several hours where I've been conveniently absent, Ranamon was part of the group that participated in that event. Meaning the kids likely already know by this point that I'm nominally their enemy, and it may be a bit of an uphill battle to get them to believe that's not actually the case.
...still, I have to try, especially as this is probably the best chance I'm going to get to do so. At the point in the plot when the kids arrived on this island, I'm pretty sure most of them had lost the ability to spirit evolve — again, because that happened like four or five times in this season — such that when the *actual* Ranamon attacked, Zoe was the only one available to fight her. Hence why she was also the one that later got smacked into the whirlpool cluster, I imagine. If that holds true here, then even in the worst case scenario I should only have to deal with an angry fairy woman, and I think I can at least handle that much, especially since handing over her beast spirit should make for a pretty good olive branch.
Here goes...
Dragging a small pillar of water up around my feet, I let it gently rise from the depths, pushing myself up into open air.
Seven pairs of eyes turn to face me.
"Hi..." I say, raising a hand to nervously wave at the group. "If you all could spare a bit of time, I need to talk to you."
"Ahhh!" JP yelps, stumbling backwards.
"It's her!" Tommy cries.
Takuya and Kouji say nothing, but their expressions harden into glares, and Zoe's isn't far behind. The only one who doesn't react negatively is Neemon, who just cluelessly tilts his head to one side.
"Her? Her who?"
Bokomon breaks from his wide-eyed panic for a moment to look over and comically glower at his companion.
"Ranamon, you nincompoop!"
"Who's Lanamon?"
Bokomon's glower intensifies. "The legendary warrior of water? One of the five ancient spirits that serve Cherubimon? We first met her yesterday, when she and her allies reduced Seraphimon to this?!"
He thrusts his stomach and the giant egg strapped to it forward for emphasis. I wince, despite having known this was likely how I'd be initially received.
"I know how it must have looked to you, but that's not quite true." I say with as much audible sincerity as I can muster. "I promise, I'm not here to-"
"Looked?!" JP interrupts. "How could you attacking us have possibly only 'looked' bad?"
"...it's hard to explain, but it wasn't what it seemed." I say, trying not to grate at being cut off. "Believe it or not, I'm on your side-"
"On our side?" Kouji repeats, crossing his arms. "Is that what you call helping your friend steal Seraphimon's fractal code?"
My eyes half-lid themselves as I try to suppress my irritation. Why does everyone feel the need to talk over me lately?
"I understand why you're angry, but I didn't actually play a part in that."
"Oh?" Kouji asks, a speck of what I hope might be genuine curiosity lingering in his otherwise deadpan delivery. "Then who did?"
"I told you, it's- look, it'll take some time to explain." I sigh. "If you'll stop interrupting me and hear me out though, I've got a little peace offering to-"
"Like we're gonna trust that!" Takuya shouts. "We've heard all we need to!"
My rebuttal dies in my mouth as a code cocoon envelops him, with the rest of the group following suit a moment later — bar Kouji, who takes an extra second to look annoyed with his own friends before sighing and doing the same. Huh?! They aren't supposed to be able to spirit evolve right now! I know I'm not wrong, I distinctly recall Zoe being the only one available to fight Ranamon at this point, because-
...because... in the show, she was the only one who still had her D-Tector after the Toucanmon stole the rest, hoping to curry favor with Ranamon. Which obviously hasn't happened yet, because not only did the group literally just arrive, but I didn't ask that of the Toucanmon in the first place. Why would I? I'm not Ranamon, and I didn't even know the kids would be here at the same time as me, not that I'd have ordered their transformation trinkets stolen even if I had. But that, in turn, means that of course they can all still...
"Be very careful!" Bokomon warns, rapidly flipping through his reference book. "At the beach, her power will be exponentially greater than what you witnessed before!"
"Yeah, but there's five of us and only one of her!" Beetlemon confidently replies. "She can't fight all of us at once!"
"I don't want to fight you!" I shout, panic welling up within me as the situation slips further and further out of my control. Of all the times to misremember the specifics-!
"Then maybe you and your buddies shouldn't have done what you did to Seraphimon!" Agunimon shouts back. "Come on guys, we can take her!"
"Slight problem with that," Lobomon cuts in, eyes narrowing at his teammate, "have you forgotten that none of us can walk on water?"
At the reminder, I relax, if only slightly.
"That's right," I reply with cautious relief, "you can't, so-"
Kazemon abruptly kicks off the ground, darting towards me at a speed only barely slow enough for me to react. I yelp, swerving my water pillar out of the way just in time to avoid a kick that would have otherwise smashed directly into my jaw.
"Doesn't really matter when you can fly." she smirks.
"N-now wait a minute-"
Kazemon does not wait a minute, nor does Beetlemon, who I'm forced to frantically dodge around as he flies forward as well, both hands balled into fists and crackling with electrical energy. Kumamon starts freezing a path out into the water, while Agunimon and Lobomon begin taking pot shots, launching darts of fire and tiny lasers at me from their wrists. How has it all gone this wrong this quickly?!
I swoop under a howling gale of wind and past a literal lightning strike, straining to regain a moment to breathe, only to take a hit across the chest from a fire dart. It thankfully more just stings than burns, but it's enough to prompt me to quickly dive back underwater. A few more fire darts strike the surface moments later, but extinguish themselves almost immediately, though the lasers keep on coming. If I can just get a moment to breathe, maybe I can still salvage-
The sea around me suddenly darkens, and I look up just in time to see Beetlemon slam a ball of electricity down onto the surface of the water, causing a rather large amount of it to fountain upwards while the current is released into its surroundings. The majority of the voltage disperses in the surrounding liquid, which there's simply too much of to properly electrify, but that's not enough to stop at least part of the attack from running over me, drawing a small scream from my throat as I experience what feels like a full-body static shock.
I recover quickly enough to duck under another round of laser fire, only to realize Beetlemon didn't retreat. Instead, he dove underwater himself — and is now all of five feet away from me, one hand reaching out towards my exposed throat.
My mind flashes back to the Seadramon crushing the life out of me, and panic instantly takes over. Grabbing hold of the water around Beetlemon, I shift it into a small whirlpool, trapping him inside.
"...uh oh."
I hear what sounds like a muffled realization of a bad idea a split second before I enlarge the whirlpool and have it spit Beetlemon back onto land like a bug-shaped missile. I then swim into the vortex myself and invert it, pulling it up into another small tower before spiraling up and out the top. By chance, this breaks Kumamon's growing ice bridge in the process, forcing him to retreat back to land.
"Would you all please calm down?!" I yell, struggling to retain any semblance of calm myself. "It wasn't me that attacked you before!"
"Then who was it? Your evil twin?" Agunimon sarcastically demands.
"Essentially, yes!"
"Oh, get real!" Beetlemon shouts as he pulls himself out of the sand I tossed him into.
"Yeah, you seriously expect us to believe that?" Kazemon follows up.
"We're not babies you know!" Kumamon adds.
I grit my shark-like teeth. Damn it, this isn't working! Seraphimon's death is obviously still too fresh in their minds... and if they won't believe I'm not out to get them, then they certainly won't believe anything else I have to say either.
I curse internally as I realize I truly can't fix this. Not here, and not now, at least. In which case, the best thing I can do right now is either just surrender, which I'm not sure they'd even accept with emotions still running this high, or...
Well. Skedaddle.
"Fine!" I call out as I shove myself away from a concentrated surge of wind flung from Kazemon's fingers. "You win! Hope to talk to you all again when you're ready to actually listen!"
I dip back down towards the water proper, drawing liquid up from my pillar and having it flow over me as I prepare to jet away-
"Beak Twister!"
-then startle as one of the Toucanmon suddenly leaps out of the trees behind the three ground-bound warriors, snapping his giant beak shut around Lobomon's torso. The wolf-like warrior cries out in shock as the bird Digimon barely half his size proceeds to pivot on one foot, tossing him into a nearby trunk with surprising strength.
"It's an ambush!" Kumamon yelps as the other three Toucanmon rush out of the treeline.
"Don't worry Lady Ranamon, we'll protect you!" one of them calls out, their crests seeming to swell as they lunge as well.
"No, DON'T!" I cry.
I watch on in horror as Agunimon, having had several seconds more warning than Lobomon did, swiftly kicks away the pair of Toucanmon that jump at him, sending them both sprawling. They weren't suppose to get involved-!
Distracted by the sudden melee, I fail to notice Beetlemon beelining towards me again until it's already too late to dodge. I watch as though in slow motion as his horn crackles with light-
"Marching Fishes!"
-which then blinks back out as upwards of ten separate voices simultaneously call out the same two words, and a small army of colorful fish begins leaping out of the water at high speed, smacking themselves against Beetlemon like living projectiles.
"Ah- ow, ow, hey, quit it!" Beetlemon yelps, reversing course as dozens, if not hundreds of tiny bodies launch themselves into his face. "Watch the eyes!"
As he retreats back to land, a dozen Gomamon suddenly surface in a rough circle around my now-stunted pillar.
"We're here too!" one of them calls to me. "No matter who you are, you helped us out, so we're returning the favor!"
If I still had any actual hair to rip out, this would undoubtedly be the moment. This isn't the kind of "help" I need right now!
"Crystal Breeze!" Kumamon cries at the same time Agunimon screams "Pyro Tornado!", the former breathing out a gust of sparkling air that ices over the sand one of the Toucanmon is charging forward on, freezing his feet in place, while the latter becomes a tornado of flame that gyres over the frozen patch with ease. A moment before it can reach its target, the flames go out, just in time to reveal Agunimon as he roundhouse kicks the trapped Toucanmon in the side of the face. The ice around the Toucanmon's legs breaks as he screams in pain, the force of the kick nearly sending him straight into the sea, and my anger flares like wildfire.
"Don't you DARE hurt them!" I screech, my pillar surging upwards again. "They've got nothing to do with this!"
Seeing Kazemon about to unleash an attack on one of the downed Toucanmon, I raise one hand and furiously snap.
"Hurricane- ahhh!!!"
Kazemon fails to complete her attack as, instead of a rain cloud, a small cyclone abruptly whips up around her, instantly tearing her from the sky and sending her plummeting down into the water below.
"Zoe!" Beetlemon and Kumamon cry in tandem.
I freeze, my hand still outstretched as my attack continues to rage. What the- even when I was fighting the Seadramon it didn't do that, how the hell-
A painful blast of solid light strikes me across the side of the jaw, hard enough to nearly knock me off my feet. Damn it!
I draw myself back up just in time to see two of the Toucanmon leap and latch onto Agunimon and Lobomon's arms, seemingly trying to keep them from aiming at me.
"Man, you guys sure are persistent!" Agunimon complains as he struggles to throw off the oversized bird.
"We'd do anything to protect Lady Ranamon!" the Toucanmon cries. "You'll never-"
"That's ENOUGH!" I yell at the Toucanmon, as well as the Gomamon still trying to harass the warriors from the water with projectile fish. "All of you, get away from here, now!"
The Toucanmon clinging to Lobomon gets thrown off, flapping his wings to pause his fall as he looks up at me in shock. "But Lady Ranamon-!"
"I don't want you getting hurt on my behalf!"
Not to mention what you're doing right now is incredibly counterproductive!
"But-"
"GO!"
I shove a roughly eight-foot tall wave up over the beach, driving the warriors backwards while simultaneously catching the Gomamon that swam up near land to drag them back out to sea. Please take the hint this time!
Having bought myself a moment or two with that, I swivel back around, forcibly dispersing the still-raging cyclone I just caused as I make to dive down and save Zoe. She hasn't come up yet, and even with how poorly this has all gone I hardly want her to drown-
Something suddenly starts glowing beneath the surface, looking almost like an underwater sunrise. Before I can even fully take that in, the glow swells, and the water above it bursts outwards as a gigantic tentacle breaks through the surface and smacks out the lower third of my pillar.
My control over the watery construct experiences a hiccup as the liquid composing its base is suddenly flung over fifty feet away, leaving me to scream as it destabilizes completely and scatters in all directions, sending me careening down in an ungraceful freefall for the third or fourth time today. I try to pull myself together fast enough to catch myself with the ocean again, or at least enter a basic diving pose-
*!-SMACK-!*
-and fail. This time, my left shoulder ends up bearing the brunt of the impact, taking it much worse than my cap did earlier.
Owww... what the hell is it now...?
Planting my hands on a small square of water, I shakily push myself upright— and find myself staring up at a woman with bluish-white skin, a shark-like helmet, and an absolutely furious expression, paired with a lower body consisting of an huge, upside-down, multi-eyed cephalopod.
"Aw, come on, weren't all these other ones enough already?"
The squid woman's glower intensifies, even as she turns half of it towards the beach.
"It's me, you guys."
Her voice is considerably harsher than it was before, but not nearly as grating as the Calmaramon I remember — not that it stops the others from reeling back as realization strikes.
"Zoe?!"
"That's really her?"
"Guess so..."
"Uh- wow! That spirit sure is, er-"
"DON'T say it." Calmaramon growls, shutting down Beetlemon's stuttering comments in an instant.
"That... that's mine!"
I barely even realize I was the one who spoke, even as everyone's attention turns back to me. Indignance and disbelief course through me in equal measure, combining to leave me feeling like I've just been beaten and robbed on the side of the road.
"That's MY beast spirit!" I all but shriek. "Give it back!"
Calmaramon smirks.
"Funny. Why don't you have it then?"
She abruptly surges forward, tentacles thicker than tree trunks reaching out to bind and grapple me. I dive below to evade, but Calmaramon simply follows, her many limbs pushing her forward at shockingly rapid speed. Seething, I grab at the ocean, certain I can at least still outpace her with Whipping Waves-
"Titanic Tempest!"
Calmaramon's voice reverberates clear as day through the water, and I look back just in time to see her upper body duck into her mantle, her larger tentacles extending outwards as she begins spinning like a giant propeller — an apt comparison in more than one way, as her already rapid speed immediately more than triples. I throw myself backwards, trying to halt her charge by holding the water around her in place, but if it has any effect whatsoever, it isn't obvious as Calmaramon continues to spiral towards me like a torpedo the size of a small building, smashing through everything on the seafloor in her way. Luckily, she can't seem to turn very well in her current state, allowing me to just barely avoid getting swiped by one of her massive tentacles as she careens past me — but the sheer force generated by the attack's passing still hits me through the water itself, evacuating most of the contents of my lungs as the shockwave washes over me like a miniature sonic boom.
Sucking in more water to regain my breath, I force myself upwards, riding a shallow wave back up through the surface. Calmaramon rises back up along with me, smirking confidently as she reemerges from her mantle.
"Ready to give up yet, sugar?"
Something snaps, and it isn't my fingers this time.
"Fine!" I spit. "If you really want to keep my beast spirit so badly..."
I burst out of the sea as it spikes beneath me, allowing the water to carry me high into the air-
[ S L I D E - E V O L U T I O N ]
-then let it fall back to the ocean below, no longer under my control as my suddenly-extant wings flare out behind me.
"...then I guess that I'll be keeping yours." I finish, a smirk of my own forming behind my mask.
Just like a minute ago, everyone present cries out in alarm. This time though, I'm the exception, allowing me to savor the sight of Calmaramon's expression twisting into utter shock.
"Wha- where did you get-"
"Aww, not so fun when it's your spirit being dangled in front of you, is it?" I ask, possessed by a sudden impishness as I lie back on the air itself, Zephyrmon's innate connection to the wind keeping me aloft without any actual effort. "But you know, maybe this is for the best! I mean, you don't have this spirit, so I guess it just wasn't meant to be yours... that is what you just said, isn't it?"
Agunimon and Lobomon manage to collect themselves and send another wide spray of light and flame in my direction. I lazily float away from the barrage, deliberately making the movement look nigh-effortless, which it very nearly is already.
"Is it me, or did you guys just get a lot slower?" I say, moving a clawed hand to my face and pretending to yawn.
Kumamon suddenly comes flying off the front of an icy ramp he attached to a tree while I wasn't watching, shouting "Blizzard Blaster!" as a barrage of frigid snowballs erupts from his miniature missile launcher. I dash out of their path, moving at speeds far greater than I bothered to show before, and stop scarcely two feet in front of Calmaramon, causing her to flinch back in surprise as I casually perch atop her mantle.
"What's the matter?" I ask, half-lidding my eyes and teasingly running a claw down the side of my cheek. "Jealous, perhaps?"
Calmaramon's expression shifts from startled back to furious as she inhales and spits a concentrated stream of pitch black ink at me. My claws move to slash through it as I leap back into the air, dispersing the caustic fluid into naught but mist as the surrounding wind scatters the lingering droplets all but automatically.
"You know, I didn't really want this fight-"
Beetlemon attempts to lunge at me from behind, his horn glowing yellow with a chained electric charge. He gives himself away by yelling "Lightning Blitz!" a half-second beforehand however, and ends up passing just inches underneath me as I send myself into a midair flip — allowing me to lash as my rotation completes and land a vicious kick to the back of his head, drawing a strangled-sounding cry from the robotic bug man as he's sent careening down to the ocean below.
"-but I have to admit, this is kind of fun!"
Despite my words, a part of me still winces at Beetlemon's pained yelp. Huh, that seemed a bit... harsh... oh well!
"How about a quick fortune?" I almost giggle. "I predict..."
I move my clawed hands in a circle, and a funnel of slicing wind erupts from them, glowing purple feathers ripping themselves from my wings and adding themselves to the gale before it tears across the beach, sending my prey diving in every direction to dodge.
"...that you're all about to be scattered to the winds!"
My gleeful tone seems to almost grate against my own ears, but I've no time to wonder why as a sudden change in the wind draws my attention down and left, just in time to catch an enormous spinning drill directly on my palms — or try to, but the hardened tip of Calmaramon's mantle simply has too much weight and force behind it, the inverted Titanic Tempest nearly boring straight through my armor. It only takes a scant instant for her to completely overpower my efforts, drawing a piercing, hawk-like screech from my mouth as I'm slammed backwards through the air, dropping like a stone. I manage to regain my bearings and resume my interminable hover just in time to see Calmaramon fall back to sea, reentering the water in a dive far smoother than a being that large should be capable of.
My eyes narrow to furious slits. She dares try to strike me from the skies? My own territory?! I'll rip her from the ocean! I'll tear her from the air! I'll-
...I'll...
...what the HELL am I doing?!
Another barrage of fire and light comes surging up at me from below, which I notice too late to be ready to avoid — yet my body moves anyways, and I swoop around the projectiles just as effortlessly as before.
"Annoying..." I hear myself hiss.
My outstretched claws glow crimson red before tearing through the spot where Kumamon was lining up another shot a moment ago, neatly severing the top half of his improvised ski slope in his place as he tumbles wildly off the back of it. Which... I meant to do? But I also- no, what's going on?! I was angry, sure, but I was still just planning on using Zephyrmon to run away! Yet not only am I not doing that, it's like I'm not even in control of myself anymore! I've somehow gotten stuck on autopilot, as if everything I'm saying and doing is being guided solely by-
It hits me like a dropped anvil. Instinct... I didn't even consider it because I wasn't planning to actually use her, but Zephyrmon is still a beast spirit, which are nearly impossible to control at first! Pretty much every time someone found one in the show, the user got caught up in the spirit's wild nature at first, and had to figure out how to push back its instincts so as to not go totally berserk-
Beetlemon suddenly flies up at me from below, evidently having recovered from the kick to the head I gave him. I dart around behind him before he can react, wrapping my arms around his shoulders before shoving him straight into Agunimon and Lobomon's latest volley, eliciting an even louder cry of pain than before as he falls like a rock and crashes back down onto the beach.
"Oops~"
Hah, teach him to- wait, no, ahhHHH this is even worse than it should be though! When the kids found their beast spirits, they mostly just tunnel-visioned and started attacking things around them at random, they didn't also start taunting whoever they were fighting at the time! Not to mention Zephyrmon was the one beast spirit that didn't have this issue! Was that just because Zoe was the one using it then, or-
My body jerks to one side as an entire tree suddenly whirls past me, countless droplets of corrosive ink flying off its already-dissolving leaves. Down below, Calmaramon rips another pair from the ground and applies the same effect, then twirls in place and launches them up at me like oversized acid-tipped javelins, fast and on point enough that even my wind-sped reflexes struggle to evade.
...well, she certainly doesn't seem to be having any issues with a beast spirit she's not even meant to have, so yes, apparently Zoe is just really personally suited to reining these things in. Unfortunately, I quite apparently am not, and can really only imagine this going from bad to worse to worst the longer this continues. I need to regain control...!
"Frozen Tundra!" Kumamon yells, his lower body transmuting into an enormous icicle before accelerating towards me at an upward diagonal — but with nowhere near the speed or force of Calmaramon's similar effort not even a minute prior. My right hand reflexively lashes out and catches him, claws digging deep into the icicle's tip before I find myself tossing Kumamon back down at the others, laughter bubbling up in my throat again as he spins end over end, his cries fading in and out with each rotation.
"You guys really need to stop yelling out your-"
With a surge of effort, I manage to rein in my mirth and slam my mouth shut before I can finish the sentence, forcing my covered lips to stay sealed against my body's own impulse to loosen them. This is in stark contrast to Agunimon, who glares up at me and literally growls as Lobomon leaps ten feet up to catch Kumamon, setting down next to a still prone and groaning Beetlemon.
"We don't care how many spirits you have! We're not gonna lose!"
The response that leaps to mind for that nigh-instantly pries my mouth back open.
"And how exactly do you... plan..."
My hand twitches as I pour every bit of focus I'm not dedicating to preventing further snarky remarks into moving my arm. It's like trying to force aside sleep paralysis, some part of me screaming that we're not through here, but somehow I manage it, clumsily yanking the limb in a wide circle to forcibly spin myself around.
The moment I'm no longer facing the beach, my body actually seems to relax, my earlier, half-remembered urge to simply fly off into the sunset suddenly returning in force. Maybe I should've-
"...to keep me from just leaving?"
-damn it, lost focus on my mouth again!
Utterly furious with myself, yet feeling paradoxically satisfied, I flap my wings and force myself into motion. It starts more like a glide than actual flight, and my angle is such that I nearly shove myself straight into the water in the process, but after a couple of seconds I pick up speed, managing to pull up enough that my talons are just skimming the surface of the water rather than trailing through it. Come on-
"A little like THIS!"
My neck snaps around just in time to see a burnished-red bipedal dragon spread its fiery wings and kick off from the beach in pursuit. Guess Takuya finally remembered he could do that-!
Though I'm certain BurningGreymon's top speed can't match mine, the comparative force of his take off gains him enough ground to at least briefly get him into range. Growling in a low, guttural tone, his diamond-shaped arm attachments spin around to face me, revealing the miniature gun barrels hidden beneath.
"Pyro Barrage!"
Hundreds of small, red, and extremely hot energy beams fire across the distance between us, faster than even Zephyrmon can fly. I pull upwards, but a number of the searing lasers still end up grazing my lower torso, bouncing off my armored calves yet scorching my exposed stomach and thighs. I cry out in pain, the sound still shrill and bird-like-
"Wind of Pain!"
-and snarl through my mask, more feathers spilling from my wings and whipping themselves into a spiraling tempest that drives itself directly into the oncoming dragon's face.
BurningGreymon screeches, blinded by the scything wind as it pelts his eyes and extinguishes his flames, my glowing feathers tearing holes into his own. Damaged and bereft of their fiery coating, his wings briefly cease to beat... which, unlike mine, are apparently actually necessary to provide him lift, as he promptly drops into the water all of a few feet below.
Part of me exults, while the rest of me slows in concern as the dragon resurfaces with a sound somewhere between a roar and a sputter, suddenly seeming a lot less intimidating. The ocean steams around him as he furiously flaps his waterlogged wings — but as they are now, they'd no longer be capable of lifting him off the ground, much less out of the sea.
"Sorry about that~"
The lilting, sarcastic-sounding tone that my attempted apology comes out in would bring my hands to my face if I had full control over them right now. Instead, having completely given up on trying to smooth any of this over, I direct the entirety of my will into simply forcing myself, or rather, forcing Zephyrmon to just fly away already.
...and, to my everlasting relief, she finally does. I shoot off into the distance like one of the birds I now half-resemble, leaving the island, the beach, and the transformed kids still standing on it far behind. Soon, they're little more than tiny specks in the distance, already vanishing beyond the horizon.
...
Well.
That could have gone better.
Understatement of the century there, I know. Sorry to those who were hoping for Ranamon!me to make a better first/second impression, especially since this is by far the largest set of disaster dominos I've ever had occur in a fic, but I couldn't find fault in the chain of logic that led to them even upon repeated review, so... yeah, just a complete natural catastrophe, in more than one sense. Hope you at least enjoyed the fight scene...? ^^;
A huge thanks to @Pheonix14, @Warclam, @ScorpioBot, @Captain Skipjack, @CCBubba, Leaf, Bertucchi, Jordan Juengel, Alxariam, and my eight other Patrons not named here, as well as an extra special thanks to a certain generous patron who wishes to remain unnamed. Each of them receives five technicolor talking(?) fish created from Marching Fishes, since we seem to suddenly have a lot of them spare. I don't recommend cooking them, since they may or may not be made out of water, but they can also apparently talk, so they make great pets to go with the-
-Sirens wail from outside, and I'm suddenly swarmed by police, who proceed to arrest me for the repeated sale and distribution of intelligent alien lifeforms. They confiscate all the fish I'd gathered while they're at it, leaving only baskets of fish-shaped bath and pool toys behind in their stead.- 🐟🐡🐠
Zoe sighed. As much as she would have preferred a different phrasing, there really weren't any better words for it. She'd been powerless for what felt like weeks after Grumblemon stole her spirit, unable to do anything to meaningfully help the group during any of the dangerous situations they'd subsequently run up against. Unable to fight back against the Golemon, unable to help stop BurningGreymon when he went out of control, unable to prevent Seraphimon from being struck down by his own attack...
She glanced down sullenly at her D-Tector. And now, courtesy of JP, she finally had her spirit back... only to discover almost immediately thereafter that her beast spirit had been taken as well, found by one of the evil warriors before she'd even had a chance to see it.
So now, she was stuck with Ranamon's, which felt... unpleasant, at best.
Zoe's gaze dropped to her shoes. When the beast spirit had first emerged from that underwater shipwreck, seemingly unearthed from the sand-covered seafloor by the cyclone Ranamon had summoned directly above it, she had thought that she was saved — and in a way, she had been. While the five of them hadn't managed to conclusively beat Ranamon, they'd still driven her off in the end, not losing any spirits or taking any lasting damage between them beyond a few bad bruises and a headache. Yet the entire time she'd been Calmaramon, she'd felt subtly wrong, overly-bulky and strangely-shaped... not to mention ugly, given her friends' initial reactions to seeing her as such. They hadn't mentioned it since then, and Calmaramon wasn't even technically her, but that didn't entirely take the sting out of it.
Shame swept over her like a breaking wave. Why did this world so seem to revel in kicking her while she was down? Had she even once been the slightest help to anyone? Won a single battle she'd been involved in? She'd beaten that trio of Mushroomon back in Breezy Village, but then they'd collectively digivolved to Woodmon and beaten her right back, forcing Kouji to jump in and save her. She'd distracted the Goblimon at the Wind Factory, but there had been too many of them to actually fight, and they'd have shot her down if JP hadn't taken care of Snimon before they could. She'd tried to assist against Gigasmon, only to end up having her spirit stolen from her entirely. And now, even with a beast spirit of her own, Ranamon had still escaped with hers...
As quick as the shame had come, indignance surged up to swallow it. No, she'd definitely helped! Distracting the Goblimon was all she'd been meant to do at the Wind Factory, and she'd done her part just fine! She'd saved her friends back on the mountainside, not to mention freed all of Grumblemon's hostages! She'd kept Tommy from having his own spirit taken, rescued Seraphimon's egg before the ones that killed him could get their hands on it, and just now she'd managed to control a beast spirit on her first try, which was more than any of the boys could claim. Besides, even if Ranamon had her real beast spirit, Zoe had hers too. This wasn't anywhere near a loss!
She just... wished it felt more like an actual victory.
Trying to summon the optimism to put it all out of mind for the moment, Zoe turned and looked back down the beach. She'd moved away a few minutes ago, wanting a bit of time to get herself back together, but the rest of the group was still situated right where they'd de-digivolved, trying to figure out how to proceed.
"How would you know?"
...and evidently getting nowhere fast, if what she could hear from here was any indication.
Shaking her head, Zoe walked over to rejoin them. Takuya, Tommy, and JP were standing relatively close together, while Kouji had distanced himself slightly, leaning up against a nearby palm tree.
"Look, Whamon wouldn't have just stranded us here, right?" Takuya was saying, gesturing animatedly at the air. "So there has to be a way off this island."
"Yeah, well where is it then?" JP asked. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm not seeing a boat anywhere, and I don't think the Trailmon tracks run through the middle of the ocean."
"Well, uh..." Takuya mumbled, thinking it over for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Got it! Did anyone see where those Toucanmon went? Not sure how we'll make them tell us yet, but they should know how to get back to land."
JP shook his head. "Not me."
"Me neither." Tommy said.
"They weren't exactly our highest priority at the time." Kouji pointed out.
"Same here." Zoe chimed in, implicitly announcing her return. "I'm not sure what happened to the Gomamon either."
She assumed they'd fled while she was underwater, accidentally grabbing the wrong spirit.
"Hmmph, I don't really wanna know where those guys went." JP muttered, kicking at the sand and wrinkling his nose. "My face still smells like fish..."
"Yes, for a warrior on the side of evil, Ranamon certainly seemed to have a lot of additional help on hand." Bokomon remarked.
Takuya rolled his eyes. "Seriously though, did you hear her? 'Wasn't how it looked', my foot. I know bad guys aren't always the brightest, but did she seriously think we were gonna listen to her?"
"...maybe we should have."
The others turned to Kouji in surprise.
"Huh? What do you mean?" JP asked.
"I mean that we barely know anything about our enemy right now." Kouji said, crossing his arms. "All we really know is what's written in Bokomon's history book, which tells us nothing about how Cherubimon's warriors actually operate in the present day. We don't know where they're based out of, we don't know how they get around, and we don't know how they seem to keep finding us."
"Yeah, so?"
"So, if we'd let Ranamon keep talking, we might have been able to get some of that information directly from her." Kouji elaborated. "Even if she was lying about being on our side, we still could have leveraged that to learn more about how her group actually functions... but we didn't, and now we might never even know if she was telling the truth or not."
Takuya balked. "Wha- come on man, you don't seriously think she's got some kinda evil doppelganger, do ya?"
"I can confirm that there is only one copy of each legendary spirit in existence." Bokomon cut in, raising a finger in objection. "For instance, there is no possibility of a second Agunimon appearing elsewhere in the Digital World, as Takuya already possesses both legendary spirits of fire."
Takuya nodded. "See? It was just a dumb trick."
Zoe frowned. Had it been...? Takuya seemed sure, but Takuya was a bit of a hothead at the best of times. As much as Zoe agreed that Ranamon having an "evil twin" seemed pretty unlikely, if she had been faking, she'd been completely committed to the act.
"Bokomon says everything that comes out of my mouth is a dumb trick!" Neemon commented.
While Bokomon habitually snapped Neemon's waistband against his side, Tommy began fidgeting with his hands.
"She did sound kind of different..."
Zoe nodded in silent agreement. While she still wasn't exactly in any hurry to stand up for Ranamon, the obvious change in tone and cadence would have been hard not to notice.
"It wasn't just that." Kouji said. "Did you notice she only really started fighting back after those other Digimon showed up?"
Tommy nodded. "She was yelling that she didn't want them getting hurt."
Takuya rolled his eyes. "So she sounded a little different than last time and maybe isn't a total jerk. She still had Zoe's beast spirit, so it's not like we were wrong to strike first for once."
"And if we'd known that beforehand, I might have agreed." Kouji said pointedly. "What actually happened though is that you, knowing nothing, decided to attack on your own, and in doing so basically forced everyone to follow your lead."
"Wha- hey!"
"Do you ever think these things through? You didn't even remember that BurningGreymon could fly until Ranamon was already leaving-"
"Hey, I didn't see you tagging in! And I didn't forget, I just didn't want to risk-"
"Come on guys, let's not fight." Zoe interrupted, holding back another sigh. "Don't we have more important things to be doing?"
"Yeah, I thought we were trying to figure out a way off this island." JP pointed out, lifting a hand to his chin. "Maybe if we built a raft?"
"Well if we knew where the Toucanmon went..."
"They have wings Takuya, they probably already flew off-"
"Then why don't we just do the same thing? Half of us have wings too!"
"And half of us don't! And even if we did, do you seriously think flying out over the ocean in a random direction and just hoping we find land before exhaustion sets in is a-"
"Um, I have a question?"
The group quieted and turned to Tommy.
"Yeah? What's up?" JP asked.
"Well," Tommy said, "I was just thinking. If Zoe can use a beast spirit that isn't hers, then... does that mean any of us can use any spirit?"
...
"Ah... huh." Takuya rubbed the back of his head as he turned to Bokomon. "I dunno. Can we?"
Bokomon hummed thoughtfully, taking a moment to flip through the book that he always seemed to pull out of nowhere.
"Hmm... I'm not sure." he admitted after a moment, scratching the top of his head. "There's nothing in here that would say otherwise, so I suppose I don't see why not? You were all chosen by Lady Ophanimon, and Zoe has obviously already proved it possible."
"Wait, so-" Takuya fished his D-Tector out of his pocket and pushed a few buttons before turning the screen outward, allowing the group to see the Beast Spirit of Earth now displayed on the screen, "-you're saying I could become this guy if I wanted?"
"It appears so, yes."
"Aww, what good is that though?" JP sulked. "The only other spirit I have is Grumblemon's, and I don't wanna be him."
"Yeah, but... that means if one of us loses our spirits again..." Tommy started.
"...we'll have others to fall back on." Zoe finished for him, sharing an understanding glance with the youngest of the group.
Kouji nodded, seeming thoughtful. "It would give us more options as well, especially if we used them in tandem with the spirits we're already accustomed to."
"Well, let's try it then!" Takuya cheerfully exclaimed, fiddling with his D-Tector some more. "Just gotta..."
A code cocoon abruptly enveloped him, prompting everyone to take a sudden step back. A muffled scream was audible for a moment, before the cocoon dispersed to reveal Gigasmon in all his brutish glory, causing everyone to recoil even further. Zoe's hand instinctively flew to her own D-Tector, wary despite herself that this was somehow the real one, back for more-
"Oh man, my nose is huge!" Gigasmon exclaimed, raising one hand to rub the protruding appendage. "Just look at this thing!"
-then let her hand drop back to her side. Yep, that was Takuya alright, rougher voice or not.
"Hey, calm down guys, it's only me." Gigasmon laughed, turning to a still unsettled-looking JP and Tommy. "Watch!"
He immediately began making exaggerated muscle man poses, somehow only made more comical by the beachside setting and Gigasmon's legitimate musculature. JP and Tommy both quickly broke down laughing, and Zoe even found a small smile returning to her own face. A few seconds later, Gigasmon vanished, Takuya reappearing in his place.
"Sweet, that worked!" he grinned, punching a fist into his other palm. "I'd like to see those guys try to take us on again when I've got two beast spirits to-"
"Actually Takuya," Zoe cut in before Takuya could get too carried away, "maybe you should give that to Tommy? He doesn't even have a beast spirit yet, after all."
Kouji nodded in agreement.
"Things have only been getting more dangerous lately. Tommy needs it more than you do."
"I wouldn't mind..." Tommy mumbled, fidgeting again.
Takuya deflated a bit.
"Guess you've got a point there." he admitted, holding out his D-Tector just a little reluctantly. "Ready Tommy?"
Tommy nodded, raising his own device to face Takuya's.
A moment passed.
"Uhhh, how do I...?"
As Takuya began haplessly fiddling with the device's buttons, Kouji sighed and stepped forward to help. Roughly half a minute later, one of them finally seemed to figure it out, as the Beast Spirit of Earth abruptly ejected from Takuya's D-Tector, hovering in the air for just a second or two before siphoning down into Tommy's. The small boy held the screen up a moment later to showcase the spirit now displayed on the device.
"It worked!"
"So we can mix and match?" JP said, grinning widely and raising his hand. "Ooh, let's try out each others' spirits next! I call first dibs on BurningGreymon!"
Kouji shook his head. "No. Those of us that have our own beast spirits should stick with them for now. There's too much risk of one of us going out of control again if we start trading them around like toys."
While Zoe internally agreed, she wouldn't exactly have objected to trading the beast spirit currently in her possession for a different one — though, she supposed Calmaramon was still technically preferable to Gigasmon.
"Aww, come on!" JP pouted. "Zoe didn't have any trouble controlling Calmaramon."
"...come to think of it, yeah, you're right." Takuya said, turning to her with dawning surprise. "How'd you do that, Zoe?"
Doubtless he was thinking back to his disastrous first experience with his own beast spirit. While Zoe remained proud that she hadn't had a similar episode, she also wasn't really in the mood to tout her accomplishment given the reality overshadowing it, and so simply shrugged.
"Just luck, I guess."
...that, or an overabundance of righteous fury overriding any inherently beastly instincts, especially after Ranamon revealed what she'd taken.
Takuya shrugged, apparently dismissing it once Zoe refused to elaborate further, and turned to everyone with a smile.
"Alright then! We've got some new tricks, and we're back on track! Let's get moving you guys!"
The rest of the group just stared at him with identical flat expressions.
"...juuuuust as soon as we build that raft!"
Not as much Zoe dialogue as I'd really like for a Zoe interlude, but I felt it was more important to establish her headspace at the moment than anyone else's. And of course there's some obvious butterflies...
A huge thanks to @Pheonix14, @Warclam, @ScorpioBot, @Captain Skipjack, @CCBubba, Leaf, Bertucchi, Jordan Juengel, Alxariam, and my eight other Patrons not named here, as well as an extra special thanks to a certain generous patron who wishes to remain unnamed. Each of them receives a "theoretical raft", delivered in the form of ten to fifteen large palm tree logs. Some assembly required I'm afraid, it is only theoretical after all... okay yes I didn't manage to prepare anything in advance this time. Forgive me? I've been in solitary for the last week or so on the grounds of distributing digital lifeforms like candy. ^^; Cut me some slack and I'll try to have something better next time. 🌴🪵
