Chapter 1: Purpose
Spoiler:
The streets of Kiowata Town had been deserted, as they always had been this time of night. A gentle breeze rolled between the houses, rustling and swaying the trees. The streetlights burned on unflinchingly as the stars twinkled patiently in the sky. The stillness and tranquility of it all at two thirty in the morning would not have been suspect in any other town. But Kiowata Town was not any other town.
If one were to pay careful enough attention, the illusion would come apart at its seams. Take more than a glance at the sky and one would see the shimmer of a wireframe. Stray pixels would float through the air like fairies. If one were to take a stroll through Kiowata Town, distant houses would “pop” on the horizon, as if they weren't there at all until one walked right upon them. Kiowata was nothing but data. Bits and bytes downloaded onto some server. But Kiowata was real, or at least it had been.
Back in the physical world, Kiowata had been a suburb of Tokyo until it vanished off the face of the planet one day three years before. What the people of the physical world believed happened, one could not say. Some residents of Kiowata Town doubted that anyone even really noticed they were gone. Or what if Kiowata Town itself had never really disappeared in the first place? What if this Kiowata Town was merely a digital reproduction, a simulation of sorts? What if everything had been for nothing?
Taeru Kumogawa was existentialist to a fault. Who could blame him? Three years ago, he was going to high school for the first time, planning five, ten years of his life in advance. He was going to graduate in the top twenty or thirty percent of his class, then get into Nihon University, or somewhere of similar prestige. He wanted to be an architect, though not of residential or commercial buildings. Taeru was more interested in stuff like wind turbines and solar complexes, stuff with more of a purpose. If there was one thing Taeru had faith in, it was the concept of purpose.
Unfortunately, the Crossing left him without so much as a shred of purpose. One day he was living out his life plan with no noticeable snags, and the next, he was a couple hundred kilobytes of data. No one really knew what happened that day, but what would come after the Crossing would prove far, far more troubling.
Taeru stood alone in the street. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it was a peaceful night. But then he heard the roar, and his sword was drawn.
“I've got visual!” a voice crackled in panic on the other end of Taeru's transceiver.
“Status report, Daichi,” a more commanding voice barked.
Shimura Daichi practically pissed his pants as a towering creature loomed over him.
“I-I've been spotted, sir,” Shimura whimpered as the beast roared menacingly.
“What species is it, Daichi?” the commander asked. “Answer me, Daichi!”
“N-n-nice Digimon,” Shimura took a step back, trembling, fearing for his life. Then he bolted in the opposite direction.
“Daichi, report!” the commander continued to shout. “What's going on out there?”
“I'm running for my life, sir!” Shimura wailed as he took off, the Digimon giving chase. “I'm running south! It's coming south!”
“That's my quadrant, sir,” a female voice added on the other end of the device.
Anju Chizurumi closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She could hear the rampaging Digimon drawing ever closer. As she exhaled, she opened them back up, filled with confidence and determination. Before the Crossing, Anju lived near a hot spring, her family deeply involved in meditation and yoga. Anju's clearheadedness certainly put her a head or two above Shimura in composure.
Shimura's screaming became audible just seconds before he rounded the corner into Anju's field of vision. Behind him. the towering Digimon tore through power lines in its pursuit.
“I've got visual,” Anju said assuredly as she nocked an arrow into her crossbow. “It's a Monochromon. Champion Level. I am no match, sir.”
“Excellent observation, Chizurumi,” the commander replied as Anju smiled inwardly, certain that would score her points in something. “What's your next move?”
Anju then loosed her crossbow, striking the Monochromon in the face. It bellowed, then turned to her.
“I've caught its attention,” Anju reported before she began running in the opposite direction. “I'm luring it west, away from more heavily populated areas. I'm taking it right to you, Shuuda.”
“Do you copy, Kimimura?” the commander added.
Shuuda Kimimura grinned as he heard the sound of the Digimon drawing near. In a moment, it would all be over.
“Do you copy, Kimimura?”
Shuuda unsheathed his sword, then started walking east, inching towards the coming Digimon.
“Kumogawa, get over to Kimimura's quadrant at once,” the commander boomed over the transceiver.
“Yes, sir!” Taeru replied enthusiastically.
“No need,” Shuuda finally replied, soft and slow. “I don't need your help, Taeru.”
“What kind of response is that?” Taeru shouted back. “After all we've been through, you want to just start playing the loner game?”
“Taeru's right, Shuuda,” Anju added, breathing heavily. “We're dealing with a Champion, but the four of us can neutralize it together.”
“D-did you say four of us?” Shimura moaned over the walkie talkie.
“Get over there too, Daichi!” Commander Tsuruka barked from command central. “Show this Digimon what D-Fense is all about!”
“Right,” all but Shuuda affirmed.
Taeru was the last to arrive on the scene, but the Monochromon was still alive and kicking when he got there. Shimura trembled in the corner, shooting his gun when he had an opening. Taeru shook his head as he recalled the first rule of D-Fense training: guns don't work on Digimon. Anju had been flanking with her crossbow while Shuuda took a head-on approach. Taeru swung around back, then leaped onto the Monochromon's tail.
“I'm on the Monochromon's back!” Taeru reported as he struggled up the tail. However, the Digimon lifted off its forelegs in retaliation, knocking Taeru back to the ground.
“Get back, everyone!” Anju shouted as the beast prepared to stomp on them. Shuuda and Shimura obliged, putting distance between themselves and the Monochromon.
“Tch, wait!” Taeru scrambled to stand back up. “Don't make this a long range battle!”
Anju, realizing her mistake too late, turned to Shuuda in horror.
“Shuuda, watch out for Volcanic Strike!” she cried as the Monochromon fired a series of fireballs at the boy.
The fireballs exploded on impact, obscuring everyone's field of vision as Taeru turned in the opposite direction, dragging his goggles down to his eyes. He ran past Shimura, who was trembling at the sight of the massive Digimon.
“H-he burned Shuuda to a crisp,” he mumbled, crestfallen by the display. “W-we're not gonna beat this thing.”
Shimura fell to his knees. He wasn't cut out for this. He didn't have the willpower or the synergy the other three had. He had been friends with Taeru since before the Crossing, but the things they all endured had changed him, along with Shuuda and Anju. Shimura hadn't lost to the degree that the three of them had. The only reason he even applied for D-Fense was to stay close to Taeru and the others. He didn't want to lose his friends after all this.
“Hey, you big ugly dinosaur!” Shimura picked himself up, drawing upon that desire to preserve himself. “I'm the one you want! Remember? This all started with me.”
“Shimura, what are you doing?” Anju asked as the Monochromon shifted direction to the scared boy. Taeru saw his chance as the Digimon's tail swayed past him.
“Yeah, that's right,” Shimura waved his arms frantically. “Do you know who I am?”
The Monochromon roared as it finally towered above Shimura once more. This time, he wasn't afraid.
“Of course you do.” Shimura cracked a victorious smile. “That's right.”
“Shimura...,” Anju watched on in fright.
“I'm the decoy!” Shimura raised a thumbs-up, hoping he had bought Taeru enough time.
Taeru had finally reached the crown of Monochromon's head while Shimura distracted it. He drew his sword, ready to impale its skull, while the Monochromon roared in preparation to attack, but a flash and the sound of ringing metal stopped it dead in its tracks. Shuuda emerged from the smoke, then sheathed his sword. The Digimon writhed around violently, having met Shuuda's blade. Taeru lost his balance, then fell from the creature's head to the street below. The beast let out a final bellow, then faded away to data in an instant.
“Hmph,” Shuuda smirked. “That's how you do that, Taeru.”
Taeru had fallen face first into the asphalt. He lifted his head, then spit rocks from his mouth.
“What the hell, Shuuda?” Taeru screamed, back on his feet in an instant. “That was my kill.”
“You were slow,” Shuuda replied bluntly.
“I was climbing that thing's back!” Taeru flailed his arms around in distress.
“It doesn't matter who dealt the finishing blow,” Anju shook her head. “We completed our exam.”
“Yeah, we did, didn't we?” Shimura laughed, still visibly shaken.
“Let's report to Commander Tsuruka, then,” Taeru sighed, still upset that once again, Shuuda had one-upped him.
As the four of them headed for the center of town, Taeru heard something whisper behind him. He turned around quickly, but saw just flickering streetlights and rustling trees. Then atop a nearby roof, he saw her.
She was a girl roughly his age, though she looked exotic. Her dress was very unkempt and primitive. He could not see her eyes, but they didn't really seem human In fact, her posture and demeanor barely registered to him as human either. She seemed something other.
“Come on, Taeru,” Anju called back to him. “It's getting late.”
Taeru turned to Anju and nodded, then turned back. The girl was gone. “Yeah,” Taeru replied distantly, confused by the girl's appearance, before following his friends home.
* * *
Word traveled quickly to the camp. Monochromon had been deleted. Shockmon shook his head at the news, disappointed that the humans took out their fourth Digimon that week. Word from the others was that the humans had been training recruits for their anti-Digimon army. Shockmon knew that war was coming, he just didn't have any intention of losing.
Shockmon was a Rookie-level Digimon, though he was rather large for his power level. He stood five and a half feet tall, and had a thin, humanoid frame. He was reptilian, with dark blue skin, and yellow and ice blue lightning bolt markings. He had pointed bolt-shaped ears, big yellow eyes with a deep scar over the left one, and a small muzzle filled with sharp teeth. On his chest was a ring-and-lightning-bolt insignia, and on his left forearm, he bore a black trident-shaped crest, that of Asmodemon's warriors.
Clouded by anger, Shockmon barely had time to react when a flurry of shuriken barely missed the Digimon. He was alert, though hardly startled.
“Why the long face, Shockmon?” a female voice came from the shadows.
“Leave me alone,” Shockmon grumbled, walking away.
“Don't shut me out like that,” the voice sighed as its owner emerged from the shadows. She was a raccoon Digimon in crimson ninja garb. She covered most of her face in a mask, though her eyes and the crown of her head were exposed, Asmodemon's insignia atop her head. She took a seat on a rock next to Shockmon.
“It's not fair, Shinomon,” Shockmon sighed. “Those humans think they can just come along and slaughter us one by one.”
“All in due time, though,” Shinomon replied. “Asmodemon has big things in store after all.”
“Yeah, but...”
“Don't tell me you plan attacking them head-on yourself?” a voice echoed from the trees.
“Show yourself,” Shockmon spun around quickly.
A black fox Digimon appeared out of thin air with a wide grin across its face. It stood perhaps a full head taller than either of the other Rookie Digimon.
“No need to get so worked up, Shockmon,” the fox Digimon spoke with a sharp and somewhat effeminate, but distinctly male voice.
“What do you want, CobaltRenamon?” Shinomon interrupted.
“I have orders from Lord Asmodemon,” he grinned, somehow wider than before. “You're gonna want to hear this, Shockmon.”
* * *
All throughout the following day, Taeru could not think of anything else but the girl he saw that night. He started to wonder if she was really even there in the first place. He had hit his head not even a few minutes before he saw her, so she could have just been a figment of his imagination.
Taeru stayed lost in thought until supper at the mess hall, when Anju's bickering at Shuuda over his grump tendencies brought him back down to earth. Anju and Shuuda were close friends of Taeru's, but they had known each other longer than that. Anju and Shuuda lived in the same neighborhood as small children, while Taeru lived across town, only meeting the two other children once school started. Anju had a tendency to nag at Shuuda, though Taeru hardly blamed him for his more reserved disposition.
Shuuda had once been as much of a goofball as Shimura. He was laid back and gentle, perfect foil to Taeru's frantic and perfectionist personality. However, after the Crossing and the events that took place immediately thereafter, Shuuda became cold and distant, and rightfully so. It made things difficult between them, but in many ways, it changed Taeru as well.
“What's the matter, Taeru?” Anju finally asked. “You've been in your own little world all day.”
“Oh,” he looked up from his food distantly. “It's nothing.”
“Of course it isn't,” she looked at him darkly, then dropped the subject. “So, did you hear? We might be graduating after last night's show.”
"Whoa, seriously?" Shimura shouted loudly as he took a seat next to Taeru.
"I overheard Commander Tsuruka talking with Kuyura," Anju winked mischievously. She was a bit of an eavesdropper. Not to mention a brown noser. "Tsuruka, in his infinite wisdom, was telling Kuyura that he felt like some of his students proved themselves ready to graduate. And I'm certain that that's me. Er, us."
"So, you're just going by conjecture?" Shimura frowned in mild annoyance. "How typical of you."
"Huh, what's that mean?" Anju glared at Shimura with killer intent.
"Scary!" Shimura whimpered, nearly falling out of his chair.
Taeru laughed at the exchange, but Shuuda was more stoic.
"Aren't you forgetting something, Anju?" he finally spoke up.
“Are you going to mock me, too?” Anju asked him, her eyes growing more sinister than before.
“Hang on a minute, Shuuda's right,” Taeru added, pointing. “Over there.”
The group turned towards the object of Taeru's point. He was a thin young man with glasses and long black hair. He sat alone, and ate quietly. Something about him was solitary, yet graceful, and warm. Come to think about it, Taeru had never heard him speak.
“Kenji Shirazaki,” he said.
“Isn't he the guy that stopped a dozen Digimon three nights ago?” Shimura asked in bewilderment.
“That has to be an exaggeration,” Anju replied.
“Says the queen of overstating her abilities,” Shimura shot back, but his head was met with Anju's fist, knocking him out cold.
“What's impressive is he's a year younger than us,” Taeru explained. “I heard some boys talking last night, and they were calling him the Digimon Whisperer.”
“Digimon Whisperer?” Shuuda chuckled in condescension.
“There's no way one guy could take out twelve Digimon at once,” Anju shook her head. “But... If he could have made them turn tail and run, I'd believe it. But what kind of person would have that power?”
“I don't know, but...,” Taeru began to trail off, pausing for a brief moment before continuing. “I'm willing to bet a guy like that gets to be a full-fledged D-Fense operative before we do.”
Taeru watched on as Kenji ate silently. Shimura came back to consciousness and the rest of the meal was uneventful. After eating, Taeru returned to his dormitory. His suite was shared with four other guys: Shuuda, Shimura, Kijiro Ayabusa and Sajin Hozuki, two boys he rarely ever saw. Kijiro and Sajin were tight-knit with the boys across the hall, and rarely fraternized with he and his friends. If Taeru were to become a D-Fense operative, that might change.
As Taeru lay in bed, he thought about what being a part of D-Fense really meant. D-Fense was an anti-Digimon defense force formed not long after the Crossing. Members of D-Fense not only led the charge against attacking Digimon, they also dealt with evacuating civilians and performing reconnaissance. Taeru was interested in the Digital World beyond Kiowata Town, but civilians were barred from ever leaving town.
Beyond his curiosity, however, being a part of D-Fense meant that Taeru was a part of something. He was a cog and something bigger than him, a necessary part of a larger machine. This urge to belong is what fueled him, satiating his existentialist thoughts. It made everything worthwhile.
* * *
“This is not a drill! All D-Fense members and candidates please report to the town square. A Garurumon has been spotted inside the defense perimeter. I repeat, this is not a drill!”
Taeru did not remember falling asleep, but the shrill sound of the intercom jolting him awake reminded him that he had done so. He slipped into his gear, as Shuuda and Shimura quickly shuffled out of bed as well.
“It's like they're coming every night now!” Shimura moaned.
“Let's go,” Shuuda sighed impatiently as Shimura and Taeru struggled to put on their uniforms.
“Right,” Taeru nodded as the three boys rushed from their room out into the cold night air. They approached the courtyard of the dorms before stopping.
“Taeru,” Shuuda commanded. “Go find Anju.”
“Huh?” Taeru asked.
“We'll wait for you at the square, just do it,” he insisted.
“Why don't I do it?” Shimura asked. “I'm no good on the battlefield.”
“Nonsense, you're a good decoy,” Shuuda replied coldly.
“Warning!” the intercom blasted, audible even outside. “More Garurumon spotted in the defense perimeter. We're estimating about two dozen! Garurumon are Champion-level Digimon. Do not engage them whilst alone. I repeat, do not engage them whilst alone.”
“Go find her, now!” Shuuda barked, his voice growing with unusual distress. “She could be in trouble.”
“Right,” Taeru nodded, then ran in the direction of Anju's dorm. However, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it.
A wolf Digimon stalked the streets to his right. Taeru thought it was a Garurumon at first, but upon closer inspection. It lacked the ice-blue stripes of a Garurumon. It was yellow-green, and looked majestic as the moon. Judging by its size, Taeru wagered that it was a Champion-level Digimon. He thought about approaching it, but thought better, opting to find Anju first.
As he turned however, so to did the wolf Digimon. It moved away from him, into the shadows. Taeru felt irresponsible for letting it stalk around unnoticed, but finding Anju was a priority... until he saw her.
Behind the wolf, it was followed by the strange girl that he had seen the night before. She was still too far away to make out. But it was definitely her. And judging by her proximity to the wolf Digimon, she was in trouble.
“Dammit,” he growled as he drew his sword, then charged in that direction. “Get away from there!” he shouted, trying to get the girl's attention.
Unbeknownst to Taeru as he charged away, he was being watched by Kenji. The strange, silent boy gave a quizzical look in Taeru's direction, then began to follow him.
* * *
Ten minutes had passed, and Shuuda was growing impatient. Already, squads were being mobilized, and already, half of the Garurumon had entered the town proper. Yet, Taeru and Anju were nowhere to be found.
“What's taking them?” Shimura moaned.
“There might have been trouble,” Shuuda posited though not before witnessing a figure rush in his direction.
“Sorry!” Anju panted as she rushed to greet her friends. “I was attacked, but Tayuka was there and helped dispatch a Garurumon.”
“Thank goodness you're alright,” Shimura shouted. “You had poor Shuuda worried for a second there.”
“Hey, where's Taeru?” Anju looked around, puzzled.
“He's not with you?” Shuuda asked as annoyance crept over him. This wasn't the first time Taeru would just up and disappear on them in times of crisis.
“I haven't seen him since dinner,” Anju said. “You think he's alright?”
“Maybe he's looking for you still,” Shuuda calmed down a little. “Let's give him a few minu-”
Before he could finish, Anju watched in shock as a Garurumon took them by surprise, hitting Shuuda directly with a Fox Fire attack.
“Shuuda!” Shimura screamed as he and Anju rushed to his side. He was knocked unconscious by the attack.
“Get him out of here!” Anju shouted to Shimura. “Now!”
“What about you?” he asked as Anju drew a sword from her hip. “You're not gonna take this one on alone, are you?”
“Of course not,” Anju replied. “I'm going to hold it off until you get him to safety.”
“Be careful!” Shimura shouted as he lifted Shuuda from the ground and took off running.
“Don't underestimate me,” Anju smiled with determination. “I may be a bit of a braggart, but I just might surprise you: I don't boast lightly.”
Anju charged the Garurumon as it, too, charged her, preparing a Slamming Attack against her, but she dodged with grace. The attack left the Garurumon open, allowing her to run her sword across its right legs, debilitating its movement for the time being.
* * *
Outside the humans' so-called “defense perimeter”, Shockmon and Shinomon watched the ensuing battle in silence. Silence that was broken by the shadowy arrival of CobaltRenamon, who joined them atop the rock they sat upon.
“Told you this would be fun,” CobaltRenamon smirked, his eyes blood red beneath his pitch black fur.
“The humans weren't expecting an attack on this scale,” Shockmon said smugly.
CobaltRenamon's grin widened. “That's what they get for letting some of our Digimon come back to us. We know now just how weak and pathetic they actually are.”
“I don't know if underestimating them is wise,” Shinomon added. “They've got numbers.”
“But it takes several of them just to defeat a Champion,” CobaltRenamon smirked. “We've not even lobbed an Ultimate at them. Until now, that is.”
“That wasn't part of the plan,” Shinomon looked at her fox Digimon companion.
“Wrong,” he beamed sadistically. “I just thought I'd make that part a surprise. Come out and play, WereGarurumon!”
A piercing howl echoed behind the three Digimon, which caused the ground to tremble. It was then that Shockmon saw the human, a few hundred feet away, nearing the edge of the humans' defense perimeter.
“Well, well,” Shockmon grinned wickedly. “I've always wanted to see one of these humans up close and personal, so it looks like it's my luck day. Shinomon, CobaltRenamon, I'll meet up back at camp. I've been itching for a fight.”
“Don't forget that you're just a Rookie,” Shinomon warned, though not coldly.
“If I keep worrying about stuff like that, I'll never digivolve,” Shockmon replied. “But don't worry, I'll be careful.”
Shinomon nodded, then she and CobaltRenamon disappeared into the shadows. Shockmon began running in the direction of the human. “Lightning Speed!” he shouted as he began to glow a deep yellow.
* * *
Taeru followed the girl out of town, but she never came within earshot. Taeru was aware that citizens were barred from leaving, but the girl just kept going. He risked his own neck for her safety, but as he followed her and got further and further from town, he began to wonder if she was even from Kiowata Town in the first place. Could there be other humans trapped inside the Digital World?
Before Taeru could finish his pursuit, a bolt of lightning stopped him dead in his tracks. Before him stood a blue and yellow Digimon he had never seen before. It was smaller than the Champions he had seen, but it stood roughly the same in height as he. The Digimon did not look happy to see him.
“So you're one of those humans?” Shockmon asked as he approached Taeru. “You don't look so threatening.”
“Y-you can talk?” Taeru asked in bewilderment.
“Of course I can,” Shockmon replied. An electric charge began to envelop his fist. “The question is: how does a scrawny little thing like you take down Champion-level Digimon with ease? You look like you could even harm a Kunemon.”
Taeru drew his sword and raised it at the attacking Digimon. “Don't underestimate me. And why do we have to fight anyway? I can talk. You can talk. Let's talk about this. Why are you attacking us?”
“The time for talk is long since past,” Shockmon growled. “And you're the ones attacking us!”
Shockmon charged, leaving Taeru little time to defend.
“Blitzkrieg Uppercut!” Shockmon shouted as the attack followed, though Taeru narrowly dodged it. Taeru scrambled to regain his balance and maintain composure.
“We're only trying to defend ourselves!” Taeru shouted. “We don't want to be here any more than you want us to be.”
“Then let me show you the door,” Shockmon grinned wickedly, channeling even more electricity than before.
* * *
Anju had successfully stopped the Garurumon's assault by immobilizing it, but getting close was a struggle, thanks to its Ice Wall. She knew that she needed backup, but she wasn't about to let this one go free. She just needed an opening.
Unfortunately, a second Garurumon had found her and was poised to attack. There was no way she could fend off both of them without putting civilians in serious danger. She needed to hold the off, somehow, some way.
Thankfully, the sound of steel on bone stirred her resolve. The wounded Garurumon faded into data, as its attacker revealed herself: Lieutenant Tayuka.
“You okay, Anju?” the bobbed-haired woman with glasses asked.
“I am now,” Anju nodded. “Help me take this one down?”
“You got it,” Tayuka grinned, though not before a third attack stabbed it in the chest, turning it to data as well.
“Sorry, I was careless,” Shuuda panted, having just arrived on the scene, though still injured from the previous attack.
“Shuuda, you're hurt!” Anju cried as she rushed to his side.
“Sorry, Anju!” Shimura panted as he ran towards his friends. “He woke up and insisted on going back and-- uh... guys?”
Anju frowned as she noticed Shimura's face flush of color. A piercing howl caught her attention and she spun around. The group was standing in front of a smaller, but more nasty looking Garurumon, this one on two legs.
“Not good,” Tayuka sighed.
“What?” Anju frowned. “It's smaller than the others, right?”
“Yeah, but...” Tayuka shook her head nervously. “That's WereGarurumon, an Ultimate-level Digimon.”
“U-ultimate?” Anju shrieked as the Digimon charged at them.
“Yeah,” Tayuka grunted as she blocked the attack. “No human has ever defeated an Ultimate-level. This is about to get really bad.”
* * *
Taeru and Shockmon continued to trade blows as their battle raged. Shockmon's attacks were faster, forcing Taeru onto the defensive.
“What the hell is your problem?” Taeru growled, pushing back another blow with his sword.
“You are!” Shockmon retorted between punches. “You come here and make us fear for our lives!”
Taeru frowned, finding himself sympathizing with the Digimon. Big mistake. He took a Blitzkrieg Uppercut almost immediately and was knocked back several feet.
“You make it so we have to cling to our friends just a little bit tighter every time we see them because we're afraid we'll never see them again!” Shockmon bellowed. “You make it so we have to band together just to survive! We never let the smaller Digimon leave the villages, because you've made our world unsafe.”
“That's not true!” Taeru challenged, though a little halfheartedly. He could feel the pain in Shockmon's voice.
“I should thank you, though,” the Digimon narrowed its eyes and charged as much lightning as it could muster. “I've been searching a very long time for a meaning to my life, and now I know what that is.”
“Huh?” Taeru gasped as the light started to change color.
“Because of you humans, I have a purpose in life!” Shockmon shouted with all the volume he could muster. “I have to protect the Digimon I care about most from monsters like you!”
Shockmon's lightning disappeared in a flash, to both of their surprises, but still the light never ceased. It grew more intense until it took material form. A white-hot chain of energy burst from Shockmon's chest and punctured straight through Taeru's. He wanted to dodge, but part of him knew there was no way he could. This wasn't an ordinary attack. Something made him think it wasn't even an attack at all.
The last thing Taeru remembered before going unconscious was the sheer look of horror upon Shockmon's face.
* * *
The boy who pursued her and the Digimon who battled him both lie unconscious on the ground as she approached. Howlmon stalked close behind her as the girl knelt down and touched the boy's forehead.
“What should we do, Miss Merumi?” Howlmon asked quietly, gently.
“We have to get them someplace safe,” the girl, Merumi, rose to her feet, then grabbed hold of Taeru by the arms. “They'll hurt each other out here when they wake up.”
“No kidding,” Howlmon shook his majestic head. “That was the most bizarre Spirit Link I've ever seen.”
“You think?” Merumi asked. “I thought we had it pretty weird.”
“A little,” Howlmon smiled. “But, fate didn't bring us together from polar opposite sides, either. These two may never see eye-to-eye, but their hearts now beat on the same wavelength.”
“So that means...”
“They're partners for life,” Howlmon said as he helped Merumi get Shockmon onto his back.
* * *
Kenji arrived at the sight of the intense white-hot light he had witnessed, but the boy he pursued was nowhere to be found.
“Someone's cleaned up here,” Kenji said distantly. “And that kid... that was definitely a Spirit Link.”
“Is it safe to come out now?” a voice echoed from the shadows.
“Of course, Robomon,” Kenji smiled warmly as the small robot Digimon emerged from the shadows. “We're alone here. No one will see us together.”
“How come we gotta hide all the time?” Robomon asked with a defeated tone.
“Because we're partners,” Kenji replied. “And right now, the only other person I know of in the Digital World who can understand that has just disappeared on me.”
Robomon nodded slowly, pretending to understand. Kenji smiled at his partner, then turned his attention elsewhere. He needed to find Taeru and fast. There was a lot to explain.