The Adventures of Impy and Leky - Part 5 [MPC#34] [WiC]
Nov 15, 2016 4:43:11 GMT
Post by Colin, Luke & Bellamy on Nov 15, 2016 4:43:11 GMT
The Story So Far:
Impmon and Elecmon, two Rookie level Mercenary digimon, had made their way North on the advice of a friend in order to do jobs there. As expected in the middle of winter, it is a desolate place, with few hours of sunshine and freezing cold snowstorms and blizzards. However, for the two friends, they find it fairly lucrative. This is part 5 of their story.
It was astonishing how bitingly cold the winter wind was. While it was something to be expected here in Snowflake Village where the best friend mercenaries Impmon and Elecmon were staying at, the wind was simply unbearable for any outdoor work.
Even as the two of them were relaxing in the Tavern, they were pretty much crowded around the fire with all of the other tavern patrons, dressed heavily in coats, scarves, gloves and other winter equipment. It was probably the only time either of them had considered wearing pants, but lamented that due to Elecmon's electric tail spikes and Impmon's long tail that it was impractical for the both of them. Nonetheless, they kept warm through their predicament, the room eventually warming up as the logs on the fire caught alight and began burning brightly.
"Whew, that's better" Impmon said, taking a seat in a berth by the fire. Even though he could conjure fireballs, the blizzard happening outside was a little too much for him to cope with. "I think I might just have a pick-me-up"
"Hold on, Impy" said Elecmon. "We can't have a drink before we do a job"
"Eh..." Impmon kind of didn't like that, but, Elecmon was right. He needed his wits sharp for this kind of work. "Yeah, you're right. So! Let's get some sort of job in order then while we're here"
Following a nice hot soup for lunch, the two of them made their way to the job notice board in the tavern. Which to their surprise was absolutely overflowing with tasks.
"Yeesh, you guys up here haven't been goin' well have you?" Impmon asked a bystander, who was looking at them with an eager expression. The two digimon deduced that the Labramon was the client for at least one of these jobs.
"Yeah that's right" the Labramon said, lifting one of his earmuffs so he could talk to them. "This winter has simply been so bitterly cold that most mercenaries and casual workers have moved south".
"Ah, right" Impmon said, putting his hands on his hips. "And I guess you'd like us to do one of your jobs, eh?"
"Well... yes please, now that you mention it" Labramon said, a bit sheepishly. "It's kind of urgent, but, basically, a Snowgoblimon's... pretty much taken over my house. And I'm not very good at fighting, so, I can't get home. I was wondering if you two could maybe help get him out?"
"Hah, piece of cake" said Impmon. "As soon as this blizzard dies down, we'll get that bugger out of there, don't you worry about that!" he slapped the Labramon hard on the back, making him gasp a little.
"Thank you so much. I'll pay you a bonus if you get it done by tonight" Labramon said. "I've... been pretty much having to sleep here since I was kicked out, so, if you can do that, thank you"
So it was simply a matter of time to wait for the blizzard to die down. And, thankfully, after a couple of deadful hours where the wind outside was so strong that the windows shook and the roof rattled, the wind cooled down to a strong breeze. Impmon and Elecmon took a look outside the door. The afternoon sky was even clear, even though the ground and roofs all around were drenched with snow.
"Okay then, this looks good" Impmon said. "Well, bunny-boy, can you feel everything down there?"
Elecmon chuckled. "Well, yeah, I can feel my feet" he said, wearing wool wrappings on his feet to protect them from the chilling cold of the ground below. Impmon was the same. Even though neither of them wore shoes, neither of them were game to walk through this frozen wonderland barefoot.
"Alrighty then, let's go teach that Orc kid a thing or two" said Impmon, marching in the direction where Labramon's house was, with Elecmon by his side.
It wasn't far to Labramon's house. It seemed to be the only building on top of a small hill in the middle of a flat frozen plain. Impmon and Elecmon looked up at it with impressed expressions. No wonder their client wanted it back so badly. It looked like one of the warmest buildings in town.
"Well then" said Impmon. "Should only take a couple of attacks from us to take him down" he said, scratching his chin as he tried to remember how Snowgoblimon fought. "They're Melee fighters so we should take him out from a distance with our attacks"
"And does he have any distance attacks in return?" Elecmon asked.
"Just Ice elemental ones, but we're already dressed thick enough to not worry about that" Impmon assured him. "If we can survive a blizzard in these things then we can surely deal with whatever peashooter snowball attacks he has, heh heh! Ah, speak of the devil..."
It seemed their advance did not remain un-noticed. A blue digimon wearing a white woolly snow outfit advanced from the building, glaring down at them.
"Hey, ya trespassing punk!" Impmon shouted at him. "Ya got two choices. Get outta there quietly, or we can kick your ass! Your choice!"
"Ah, I see!" the Snowgoblimon said in response. "Well... I've got three choices actually. And the third, you two might not like, unless you enjoy swimming..."
These words made Impmon and Elecmon nervous. Neither of them could swim. They looked down, and saw that the ground below was not a plain, but actually a layer of frozen ice. They were standing on the surface of a frozen lake. And somehow, both of them knew that SnowGoblimon was planning this the whole time.
"Snow Gob Club!!" he shouted, and made a flying jump from the 'island' where his house was. He landed and slammed his club into the ice near Impmon and Elecmon's feet. The ice shattered and cracked. Impmon struggled to keep his footing. To his horror, he heard a splash next to him, and saw Elecmon disappear into the dark water.
"Leky No!!" he screamed. He bared his teeth at SnowGoblimon, preparing a fire attack, but the sneer he got in return unnerved him too much. And the bubbles in the water where Elecmon had fallen into were making him panic too much.
"Your choice, Impmon" said SnowGoblimon. "We can dance... but if we do, your friend drowns"
Impmon cursed him with the worst words he could muster, then did the only thing he could do. He plunged into the water after his friend. As he did so, he saw a look of worry in SnowGoblimon's face for some reason. But, immediately, he felt like every part of his body was instantly on fire. The water was simply so cold that it was absolutely unbearable. He screamed, but only bubbles came out of his mouth. But... no... he couldn't succumb to this. He had to save Elecmon. Where was he?!
He finally felt him. Something soft below him. Impmon lunged toward it and pulled it close to his body. He was so grateful to see that it was Elecmon. He could see his blurred face in the water - so cold that it hurt to see him. But, that was the first step in his rescue operation. Impmon only now had to bring him back to the surface.
...It was then that Impmon realized he could not swim.
He struggled and thrashed in the water, trying to propel himself to the surface, but his body didn't know how to. His instincts couldn't help, not when he had to drag someone weighted down with heavy winter clothing as well. He could feel his lungs bursting. He cried out at the injustice of it all, resulting in nothing more than gurgled noises and bubbles. It wasn't supposed to end this way! He only wanted to do good here, and now he and his friend were going to die for it?!
It wasn't fair... it just wasn't fair.
Well... if they were going to die, they'd do so together. Impmon pulled Elecmon close to him, feeling his paws hug him tightly in return, although almost instantly, he felt that grip weaken.
He wished he could speak, to apologize for the mistake they had done. But of course, the water made it impossible.
As Impmon's consciousness began to fade, he could have sworn he felt something strong grip his shoulder. He assumed that was just Elecmon. But, whatever it was, the next thing he experienced was nothingness and darkness.
"Good. You're awake. Come on, get up, Impmon"
That voice... why was it so cold? And so familiar? Impmon opened his green eyes. Considering what had just happened, he thought this was probably where dead digimon would face their judgement. In that case... he understood. In his nasty, terrible life, of course this would be the reception he'd get in the end.
His vision slowly focused toward what he thought would be the arbiter of digimon lives, when instead he realized what that grey and white face with big blue eyes meant. This was... a Bearmon. One that Impmon knew. It seemed that he was in someone's house again, and that he was currently resting in bed. His fur was dry, it seemed that he no longer had to worry about the water.
"Oh..." Impmon said when he realized who it was. "It's... you"
"Yeah. It's me" Bearmon said, scowling at him. "So, Impmon, since I just pulled your vile ass out of that pond and your friend as well, I don't suppose you'd tell me what the hell you did with the musical instruments you stole from me?!"
Impmon's heart sank when he realized what this story meant. He had stolen from this Bearmon before, back in the bad days. Musical instruments in the digital world often sold for large amounts of money. And he had stolen from him several months ago... attacking him and taunting him in the process.
"I'm... so sorry Bearmon" he said. He coughed when his voice hurt his throat, feeling the chilling water still raw in it.
"Sorry won't pay for them" Bearmon said, coldly, but his expression did soften a little. "What the hell were you doing in there anyway?! You idiot, you should've seen that he had a freakin' ambush just waiting for you!"
Impmon couldn't answer this. Of course it was so obvious to him now, but, at the time, he hadn't registered that they were making their way across a frozen lake. But... Elecmon. Was he still alive? Did he make it?
"E-Elecmon..." he murmured. Bearmon's expression softened a little.
"He took in a lot of water, but, he's still alive" he said. "He hasn't regained consciousness yet" he tilted his head. "Who is he anyway? Your thieving partner in crime? Or some idiot you got to trust you?"
"...You shut the fuck up!" Impmon spat with sudden ferocity. Bearmon's eyes widened momentarily.
"I see... so he's a real friend, huh?" he deduced correctly. Impmon said nothing. Bearmon took his silence as confirmation. "Well... I know the water was cold, but, why couldn't you bring him back up?"
"Because I can't swim" Impmon said, lowering his head in misery.
"Why did you jump in after him if you can't swim then?!" Bearmon asked, exasperated. "I could've saved him quicker-"
"Because I love him damn it!" Impmon shouted. Bearmon stared in silence as Impmon stood with disbelief at what he had just said. His mouth moved soundlessly as he struggled to follow that up. Was it the truth? Did he say that just to shut Bearmon up? No... he didn't. These feelings... they were real.
"You mean that?" Bearmon asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah..." Impmon said, eventually. "I know what I did was stupid. I know if it was any other digimon I wouldn't have done that, but... Elecmon's been probably the only digimon in the world that's been really nice to me... and Homeostasis damn it, I was NOT going to let the last thing he ever experienced drowning alone in that frozen pit! And what the hell kind of a friend would I be if I didn't do anything, huh?! Aren't friends meant to risk their lives to save each other?! Isn't that what you goody-two-shoes digimon are always goin' on about?! That I'm too selfish to understand real friendship?! Well, Bearmon?!"
Impmon had grown so angry over this speech that his shouting was reverberating around the room. He dared Bearmon to provoke him further.
"...you really have changed, huh, Impmon?" said Bearmon, quietly.
"Hmph, so what if I have?" Impmon asked, folding his arms, disappointed that he had no reason to continue yelling.
"It's just... if someone like you can learn to love someone... maybe the digital world's a better place than I thought it'd be?" Bearmon said. "And well, Elecmon barely survived as it was. With what you did, jumping in after him, keeping him at least halfway to the surface, he probably wouldn't be here now. So... I'm sorry for scolding you earlier" he made his way to leave the room, but paused just before he left, sparing one last thought. "That's probably the bravest thing I've seen anyone do, Impmon. For that, I admire you". He then left them alone.
They were in a room with two beds. Impmon got up out of his own, then walked over to the one where his friend was resting in.
Impmon watched after Bearmon for a moment, then looked back down at Elecmon, breathing softly in his sleep. Impmon sat beside him, gently petting his cheek with his hand, realizing just how soft the Elecmon's fur was. He then realized what a mistake he had done. Someone this soft, gentle and precious to him didn't belong in the job of a mercenary. If Elecmon ever awoke, Impmon wanted to apologize and tell him that they shouldn't be in this job anymore.
The minutes lulled by, until eventually, Elecmon moved, shivering a little. Impmon immediately paid attention to him. Slowly, his eyes opened, and the two digimon saw each other.
"Heya" Impmon said. "You've been out for a bit, Leky" he remarked.
"Heh... no kidding eh?" Elecmon said. Impmon was so happy to hear his voice again. "Er... well... I have a confession to make" he said. "Mainly that... I was awake a little earlier"
"Oh, really?" Impmon asked, nervously.
"Yeah. I... uh... heard your conversation with Bearmon" Elecmon said. Impmon felt his stomach fall at least three inches. But he didn't leave, he simply waited for what Elecmon had to say about it.
"Did... you say you loved me, Impy?"
"You heard me?" Impmon asked, momentarily embarrassed and ashamed. However... as he thought about it, the shame wore off. The look on Elecmon's face... he was, happy. Was Impmon's feelings reciprocated? Impmon smiled back. "Yeah, you heard me right, Leky".
Elecmon looked like he'd been hit hard in the head and just looked at the house floor, seeming dazed. Impmon was starting to feel very uncomfortable in the silence. He wanted to know how his friend felt about this.
"Everything okay, Leky?" he asked, prompting him to answer.
"Uh... I think so" Elecmon said, realizing his silence had been awkward. "I guess... I don't really understand why you'd love someone like me" he admitted. "Why anyone would, in fact..."
"Hmm, I dunno..." Impmon said, his voice drawling with sarcasm. "Maybe because you're an adorable, soft, big hearted, friendly, nice, caring, smart little fuzzball who's tough enough to take down a Guilmon with a single lightning bolt from your butt, what could possibly be there to like about you other than that?"
"Heh..." Elecmon was smiling broadly. His blue eyes were a little moist with tears of joy as he leaned back against his pillow. "I... dunno what to say" he admitted.
"Ya don't have to say anything" Impmon answered, laying down beside him, and put his arms around him. "I dunno what I did to deserve you... but... we got each other now, okay?"
Elecmon returned the hug, holding Impmon tightly, resting his head on his chest. "Yeah..." he said. "...Always"
They remained like this for some time. Impmon hadn't realized how exhausted he was until he felt someone shaking his shoulder. He then realized he had fallen asleep while embraced with his friend.
"Oh! God, sorry, I didn't mean to do that" Impmon said, immediately letting go of Elecmon.
"That's actually the most comfortable nap I've ever had" Elecmon said, a little sheepishly. Impmon grinned nervously.
"Well, regardless, I'm just checking up on you two" said Bearmon. "Feeling alright? Do you need anything?"
"Actually... yeah" Impmon said, sitting up. "I was wondering if you had any jobs that need to be done... that don't need jobs as mercenaries? I don't think we can do that anymore".
"Wait. Impy" said Elecmon suddenly sounding fierce. Impmon looked at him. He sat up with a look of determination on his face. "That's not the attitude I want to see from you" he said in a scolding tone. "We promised that Labramon we'd get his home back, right? And we're not gonna let that SnowGoblimon get away with what he did to us. We're going to finish the job and bring him to justice"
Impmon was surprised to hear that. But he looked at the window. It was almost pitch black outside. "Well... that's good and all, but how can we work in this light?" he asked.
"Um. Impy. I use Lightning to attack. You use Fire" Elecmon said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We make our own light. I've been thinking about it while you were asleep. We can approach the house by stealth, then catch him by surprise attack"
Impmon grinned. "Heh. You're right" he said. "Okay then. But this will be our last job as mercs, right?"
"Agreed" said Elecmon. Impmon smiled, then turned to Bearmon, who had remained silent through this exchange.
"Hey, Bearmon..." he said. "I'm sorry I stole your equipment. But... I'll repay you for them. I swear"
"...Thanks, Impmon" said Bearmon, by now fully aware of his eagerness to repent for his crimes. "And honestly? You can do that by just taking down SnowGoblimon. That guy's caused enough damage to this village, so, once his blue ass is in jail, you don't have to repay me anymore, okay?"
"Okay" Impmon said, grinning. So it was decided.
SnowGoblimon was pleased at the genius behind the defence of his new home. Of course, that Impmon and Elecmon weren't the first ones to try. All he had to do was keep some sort of vigilance on the approaches to his house, and simply smash the ice if anyone approached. With Snowflake Village essentially abandoned by its Champion levels, only Rookies challenged him, and it was simply so easy to get away with.
In addition, he knew he could sleep easy tonight. The lake's surface was still broken from his actions earlier. And surely no fool would cross the broken lake in the pitch darkness.
The goblin digimon fell asleep beside the warm fire, dreaming of what he could do with his new found fortune.
When he awoke, it was almost pitch black still. The fire in front of him was reduced to embers. He yawned, supposing now was the time for a midnight snack.
However, when he stood up, he found that his legs weren't working as they should. He fell with a loud thud on the floor. He struggled to push himself back up, but realized his hands were tied and could not do so. His legs were tied too.
"Hello, maggot" said a voice. SnowGoblimon looked up, and saw someone seated in the chair opposite him. An Impmon, who illuminated himself and the room dimly with a fireball in his hand. "This is payback"
"Y-you!!" SnowGoblimon gasped. Impmon stood up and shut him up with a kick. SnowGoblimon tried to struggle free, but he felt something jump on his back.
"Thought you'd seen the last of me, eh?" Elecmon asked, gripping his bound hands tightly.
"Enjoy your last few moments outside jail, you punk" said Impmon. The two digimon then dragged him out into the night, straight toward the justice that awaited him.
As Impmon and Elecmon counted their bounty from Labramon, as the grateful client returned across the frozen lake toward his home the next morning, the two of them felt a little numb at the decisions they had made.
It was decided, they would no longer be mercenaries. But... what could they do now? They still didn't have much money, they were only rookie levels, and they didn't have much in the ways of skills. Except... maybe... for their old jobs.
"You know, Leky" Impmon said, putting his arm around his companion. "Somehow... I kind of want to be a courier again"
"You too, huh?" Elecmon asked him, smiling. "Even though it doesn't earn us that much money?"
"Well... I think some wise savings on the side might help us out a little there" Impmon admitted. Elecmon chuckled and nodded.
"Alright, pal" he said. "If that's what you really want, then let's do that".
With that, the two digimon made their way south from Snowflake Village, making their way back to their old lives in the central-west. Hopefully this time around, they would have some better luck.
[The End]
[Requested reward: Post Counts]
Impmon and Elecmon, two Rookie level Mercenary digimon, had made their way North on the advice of a friend in order to do jobs there. As expected in the middle of winter, it is a desolate place, with few hours of sunshine and freezing cold snowstorms and blizzards. However, for the two friends, they find it fairly lucrative. This is part 5 of their story.
It was astonishing how bitingly cold the winter wind was. While it was something to be expected here in Snowflake Village where the best friend mercenaries Impmon and Elecmon were staying at, the wind was simply unbearable for any outdoor work.
Even as the two of them were relaxing in the Tavern, they were pretty much crowded around the fire with all of the other tavern patrons, dressed heavily in coats, scarves, gloves and other winter equipment. It was probably the only time either of them had considered wearing pants, but lamented that due to Elecmon's electric tail spikes and Impmon's long tail that it was impractical for the both of them. Nonetheless, they kept warm through their predicament, the room eventually warming up as the logs on the fire caught alight and began burning brightly.
"Whew, that's better" Impmon said, taking a seat in a berth by the fire. Even though he could conjure fireballs, the blizzard happening outside was a little too much for him to cope with. "I think I might just have a pick-me-up"
"Hold on, Impy" said Elecmon. "We can't have a drink before we do a job"
"Eh..." Impmon kind of didn't like that, but, Elecmon was right. He needed his wits sharp for this kind of work. "Yeah, you're right. So! Let's get some sort of job in order then while we're here"
Following a nice hot soup for lunch, the two of them made their way to the job notice board in the tavern. Which to their surprise was absolutely overflowing with tasks.
"Yeesh, you guys up here haven't been goin' well have you?" Impmon asked a bystander, who was looking at them with an eager expression. The two digimon deduced that the Labramon was the client for at least one of these jobs.
"Yeah that's right" the Labramon said, lifting one of his earmuffs so he could talk to them. "This winter has simply been so bitterly cold that most mercenaries and casual workers have moved south".
"Ah, right" Impmon said, putting his hands on his hips. "And I guess you'd like us to do one of your jobs, eh?"
"Well... yes please, now that you mention it" Labramon said, a bit sheepishly. "It's kind of urgent, but, basically, a Snowgoblimon's... pretty much taken over my house. And I'm not very good at fighting, so, I can't get home. I was wondering if you two could maybe help get him out?"
"Hah, piece of cake" said Impmon. "As soon as this blizzard dies down, we'll get that bugger out of there, don't you worry about that!" he slapped the Labramon hard on the back, making him gasp a little.
"Thank you so much. I'll pay you a bonus if you get it done by tonight" Labramon said. "I've... been pretty much having to sleep here since I was kicked out, so, if you can do that, thank you"
So it was simply a matter of time to wait for the blizzard to die down. And, thankfully, after a couple of deadful hours where the wind outside was so strong that the windows shook and the roof rattled, the wind cooled down to a strong breeze. Impmon and Elecmon took a look outside the door. The afternoon sky was even clear, even though the ground and roofs all around were drenched with snow.
"Okay then, this looks good" Impmon said. "Well, bunny-boy, can you feel everything down there?"
Elecmon chuckled. "Well, yeah, I can feel my feet" he said, wearing wool wrappings on his feet to protect them from the chilling cold of the ground below. Impmon was the same. Even though neither of them wore shoes, neither of them were game to walk through this frozen wonderland barefoot.
"Alrighty then, let's go teach that Orc kid a thing or two" said Impmon, marching in the direction where Labramon's house was, with Elecmon by his side.
It wasn't far to Labramon's house. It seemed to be the only building on top of a small hill in the middle of a flat frozen plain. Impmon and Elecmon looked up at it with impressed expressions. No wonder their client wanted it back so badly. It looked like one of the warmest buildings in town.
"Well then" said Impmon. "Should only take a couple of attacks from us to take him down" he said, scratching his chin as he tried to remember how Snowgoblimon fought. "They're Melee fighters so we should take him out from a distance with our attacks"
"And does he have any distance attacks in return?" Elecmon asked.
"Just Ice elemental ones, but we're already dressed thick enough to not worry about that" Impmon assured him. "If we can survive a blizzard in these things then we can surely deal with whatever peashooter snowball attacks he has, heh heh! Ah, speak of the devil..."
It seemed their advance did not remain un-noticed. A blue digimon wearing a white woolly snow outfit advanced from the building, glaring down at them.
"Hey, ya trespassing punk!" Impmon shouted at him. "Ya got two choices. Get outta there quietly, or we can kick your ass! Your choice!"
"Ah, I see!" the Snowgoblimon said in response. "Well... I've got three choices actually. And the third, you two might not like, unless you enjoy swimming..."
These words made Impmon and Elecmon nervous. Neither of them could swim. They looked down, and saw that the ground below was not a plain, but actually a layer of frozen ice. They were standing on the surface of a frozen lake. And somehow, both of them knew that SnowGoblimon was planning this the whole time.
"Snow Gob Club!!" he shouted, and made a flying jump from the 'island' where his house was. He landed and slammed his club into the ice near Impmon and Elecmon's feet. The ice shattered and cracked. Impmon struggled to keep his footing. To his horror, he heard a splash next to him, and saw Elecmon disappear into the dark water.
"Leky No!!" he screamed. He bared his teeth at SnowGoblimon, preparing a fire attack, but the sneer he got in return unnerved him too much. And the bubbles in the water where Elecmon had fallen into were making him panic too much.
"Your choice, Impmon" said SnowGoblimon. "We can dance... but if we do, your friend drowns"
Impmon cursed him with the worst words he could muster, then did the only thing he could do. He plunged into the water after his friend. As he did so, he saw a look of worry in SnowGoblimon's face for some reason. But, immediately, he felt like every part of his body was instantly on fire. The water was simply so cold that it was absolutely unbearable. He screamed, but only bubbles came out of his mouth. But... no... he couldn't succumb to this. He had to save Elecmon. Where was he?!
He finally felt him. Something soft below him. Impmon lunged toward it and pulled it close to his body. He was so grateful to see that it was Elecmon. He could see his blurred face in the water - so cold that it hurt to see him. But, that was the first step in his rescue operation. Impmon only now had to bring him back to the surface.
...It was then that Impmon realized he could not swim.
He struggled and thrashed in the water, trying to propel himself to the surface, but his body didn't know how to. His instincts couldn't help, not when he had to drag someone weighted down with heavy winter clothing as well. He could feel his lungs bursting. He cried out at the injustice of it all, resulting in nothing more than gurgled noises and bubbles. It wasn't supposed to end this way! He only wanted to do good here, and now he and his friend were going to die for it?!
It wasn't fair... it just wasn't fair.
Well... if they were going to die, they'd do so together. Impmon pulled Elecmon close to him, feeling his paws hug him tightly in return, although almost instantly, he felt that grip weaken.
He wished he could speak, to apologize for the mistake they had done. But of course, the water made it impossible.
As Impmon's consciousness began to fade, he could have sworn he felt something strong grip his shoulder. He assumed that was just Elecmon. But, whatever it was, the next thing he experienced was nothingness and darkness.
"Good. You're awake. Come on, get up, Impmon"
That voice... why was it so cold? And so familiar? Impmon opened his green eyes. Considering what had just happened, he thought this was probably where dead digimon would face their judgement. In that case... he understood. In his nasty, terrible life, of course this would be the reception he'd get in the end.
His vision slowly focused toward what he thought would be the arbiter of digimon lives, when instead he realized what that grey and white face with big blue eyes meant. This was... a Bearmon. One that Impmon knew. It seemed that he was in someone's house again, and that he was currently resting in bed. His fur was dry, it seemed that he no longer had to worry about the water.
"Oh..." Impmon said when he realized who it was. "It's... you"
"Yeah. It's me" Bearmon said, scowling at him. "So, Impmon, since I just pulled your vile ass out of that pond and your friend as well, I don't suppose you'd tell me what the hell you did with the musical instruments you stole from me?!"
Impmon's heart sank when he realized what this story meant. He had stolen from this Bearmon before, back in the bad days. Musical instruments in the digital world often sold for large amounts of money. And he had stolen from him several months ago... attacking him and taunting him in the process.
"I'm... so sorry Bearmon" he said. He coughed when his voice hurt his throat, feeling the chilling water still raw in it.
"Sorry won't pay for them" Bearmon said, coldly, but his expression did soften a little. "What the hell were you doing in there anyway?! You idiot, you should've seen that he had a freakin' ambush just waiting for you!"
Impmon couldn't answer this. Of course it was so obvious to him now, but, at the time, he hadn't registered that they were making their way across a frozen lake. But... Elecmon. Was he still alive? Did he make it?
"E-Elecmon..." he murmured. Bearmon's expression softened a little.
"He took in a lot of water, but, he's still alive" he said. "He hasn't regained consciousness yet" he tilted his head. "Who is he anyway? Your thieving partner in crime? Or some idiot you got to trust you?"
"...You shut the fuck up!" Impmon spat with sudden ferocity. Bearmon's eyes widened momentarily.
"I see... so he's a real friend, huh?" he deduced correctly. Impmon said nothing. Bearmon took his silence as confirmation. "Well... I know the water was cold, but, why couldn't you bring him back up?"
"Because I can't swim" Impmon said, lowering his head in misery.
"Why did you jump in after him if you can't swim then?!" Bearmon asked, exasperated. "I could've saved him quicker-"
"Because I love him damn it!" Impmon shouted. Bearmon stared in silence as Impmon stood with disbelief at what he had just said. His mouth moved soundlessly as he struggled to follow that up. Was it the truth? Did he say that just to shut Bearmon up? No... he didn't. These feelings... they were real.
"You mean that?" Bearmon asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah..." Impmon said, eventually. "I know what I did was stupid. I know if it was any other digimon I wouldn't have done that, but... Elecmon's been probably the only digimon in the world that's been really nice to me... and Homeostasis damn it, I was NOT going to let the last thing he ever experienced drowning alone in that frozen pit! And what the hell kind of a friend would I be if I didn't do anything, huh?! Aren't friends meant to risk their lives to save each other?! Isn't that what you goody-two-shoes digimon are always goin' on about?! That I'm too selfish to understand real friendship?! Well, Bearmon?!"
Impmon had grown so angry over this speech that his shouting was reverberating around the room. He dared Bearmon to provoke him further.
"...you really have changed, huh, Impmon?" said Bearmon, quietly.
"Hmph, so what if I have?" Impmon asked, folding his arms, disappointed that he had no reason to continue yelling.
"It's just... if someone like you can learn to love someone... maybe the digital world's a better place than I thought it'd be?" Bearmon said. "And well, Elecmon barely survived as it was. With what you did, jumping in after him, keeping him at least halfway to the surface, he probably wouldn't be here now. So... I'm sorry for scolding you earlier" he made his way to leave the room, but paused just before he left, sparing one last thought. "That's probably the bravest thing I've seen anyone do, Impmon. For that, I admire you". He then left them alone.
They were in a room with two beds. Impmon got up out of his own, then walked over to the one where his friend was resting in.
Impmon watched after Bearmon for a moment, then looked back down at Elecmon, breathing softly in his sleep. Impmon sat beside him, gently petting his cheek with his hand, realizing just how soft the Elecmon's fur was. He then realized what a mistake he had done. Someone this soft, gentle and precious to him didn't belong in the job of a mercenary. If Elecmon ever awoke, Impmon wanted to apologize and tell him that they shouldn't be in this job anymore.
The minutes lulled by, until eventually, Elecmon moved, shivering a little. Impmon immediately paid attention to him. Slowly, his eyes opened, and the two digimon saw each other.
"Heya" Impmon said. "You've been out for a bit, Leky" he remarked.
"Heh... no kidding eh?" Elecmon said. Impmon was so happy to hear his voice again. "Er... well... I have a confession to make" he said. "Mainly that... I was awake a little earlier"
"Oh, really?" Impmon asked, nervously.
"Yeah. I... uh... heard your conversation with Bearmon" Elecmon said. Impmon felt his stomach fall at least three inches. But he didn't leave, he simply waited for what Elecmon had to say about it.
"Did... you say you loved me, Impy?"
"You heard me?" Impmon asked, momentarily embarrassed and ashamed. However... as he thought about it, the shame wore off. The look on Elecmon's face... he was, happy. Was Impmon's feelings reciprocated? Impmon smiled back. "Yeah, you heard me right, Leky".
Elecmon looked like he'd been hit hard in the head and just looked at the house floor, seeming dazed. Impmon was starting to feel very uncomfortable in the silence. He wanted to know how his friend felt about this.
"Everything okay, Leky?" he asked, prompting him to answer.
"Uh... I think so" Elecmon said, realizing his silence had been awkward. "I guess... I don't really understand why you'd love someone like me" he admitted. "Why anyone would, in fact..."
"Hmm, I dunno..." Impmon said, his voice drawling with sarcasm. "Maybe because you're an adorable, soft, big hearted, friendly, nice, caring, smart little fuzzball who's tough enough to take down a Guilmon with a single lightning bolt from your butt, what could possibly be there to like about you other than that?"
"Heh..." Elecmon was smiling broadly. His blue eyes were a little moist with tears of joy as he leaned back against his pillow. "I... dunno what to say" he admitted.
"Ya don't have to say anything" Impmon answered, laying down beside him, and put his arms around him. "I dunno what I did to deserve you... but... we got each other now, okay?"
Elecmon returned the hug, holding Impmon tightly, resting his head on his chest. "Yeah..." he said. "...Always"
They remained like this for some time. Impmon hadn't realized how exhausted he was until he felt someone shaking his shoulder. He then realized he had fallen asleep while embraced with his friend.
"Oh! God, sorry, I didn't mean to do that" Impmon said, immediately letting go of Elecmon.
"That's actually the most comfortable nap I've ever had" Elecmon said, a little sheepishly. Impmon grinned nervously.
"Well, regardless, I'm just checking up on you two" said Bearmon. "Feeling alright? Do you need anything?"
"Actually... yeah" Impmon said, sitting up. "I was wondering if you had any jobs that need to be done... that don't need jobs as mercenaries? I don't think we can do that anymore".
"Wait. Impy" said Elecmon suddenly sounding fierce. Impmon looked at him. He sat up with a look of determination on his face. "That's not the attitude I want to see from you" he said in a scolding tone. "We promised that Labramon we'd get his home back, right? And we're not gonna let that SnowGoblimon get away with what he did to us. We're going to finish the job and bring him to justice"
Impmon was surprised to hear that. But he looked at the window. It was almost pitch black outside. "Well... that's good and all, but how can we work in this light?" he asked.
"Um. Impy. I use Lightning to attack. You use Fire" Elecmon said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We make our own light. I've been thinking about it while you were asleep. We can approach the house by stealth, then catch him by surprise attack"
Impmon grinned. "Heh. You're right" he said. "Okay then. But this will be our last job as mercs, right?"
"Agreed" said Elecmon. Impmon smiled, then turned to Bearmon, who had remained silent through this exchange.
"Hey, Bearmon..." he said. "I'm sorry I stole your equipment. But... I'll repay you for them. I swear"
"...Thanks, Impmon" said Bearmon, by now fully aware of his eagerness to repent for his crimes. "And honestly? You can do that by just taking down SnowGoblimon. That guy's caused enough damage to this village, so, once his blue ass is in jail, you don't have to repay me anymore, okay?"
"Okay" Impmon said, grinning. So it was decided.
SnowGoblimon was pleased at the genius behind the defence of his new home. Of course, that Impmon and Elecmon weren't the first ones to try. All he had to do was keep some sort of vigilance on the approaches to his house, and simply smash the ice if anyone approached. With Snowflake Village essentially abandoned by its Champion levels, only Rookies challenged him, and it was simply so easy to get away with.
In addition, he knew he could sleep easy tonight. The lake's surface was still broken from his actions earlier. And surely no fool would cross the broken lake in the pitch darkness.
The goblin digimon fell asleep beside the warm fire, dreaming of what he could do with his new found fortune.
When he awoke, it was almost pitch black still. The fire in front of him was reduced to embers. He yawned, supposing now was the time for a midnight snack.
However, when he stood up, he found that his legs weren't working as they should. He fell with a loud thud on the floor. He struggled to push himself back up, but realized his hands were tied and could not do so. His legs were tied too.
"Hello, maggot" said a voice. SnowGoblimon looked up, and saw someone seated in the chair opposite him. An Impmon, who illuminated himself and the room dimly with a fireball in his hand. "This is payback"
"Y-you!!" SnowGoblimon gasped. Impmon stood up and shut him up with a kick. SnowGoblimon tried to struggle free, but he felt something jump on his back.
"Thought you'd seen the last of me, eh?" Elecmon asked, gripping his bound hands tightly.
"Enjoy your last few moments outside jail, you punk" said Impmon. The two digimon then dragged him out into the night, straight toward the justice that awaited him.
As Impmon and Elecmon counted their bounty from Labramon, as the grateful client returned across the frozen lake toward his home the next morning, the two of them felt a little numb at the decisions they had made.
It was decided, they would no longer be mercenaries. But... what could they do now? They still didn't have much money, they were only rookie levels, and they didn't have much in the ways of skills. Except... maybe... for their old jobs.
"You know, Leky" Impmon said, putting his arm around his companion. "Somehow... I kind of want to be a courier again"
"You too, huh?" Elecmon asked him, smiling. "Even though it doesn't earn us that much money?"
"Well... I think some wise savings on the side might help us out a little there" Impmon admitted. Elecmon chuckled and nodded.
"Alright, pal" he said. "If that's what you really want, then let's do that".
With that, the two digimon made their way south from Snowflake Village, making their way back to their old lives in the central-west. Hopefully this time around, they would have some better luck.
[The End]
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