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Lost In Thoughts All Alone (Beast Fragment Hunt)
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Apr 8, 2016 20:58:33 GMT
Normally, the Trailmon ride on the way to the Digital World was a joyous occasion for Elliot and Isaac. They would excitedly chatter among each other about how they’d spend their day, plan their latest adventures in the world of limitless possibility, and try to think of what new sites and experiences to share with their friends. There seemed to be a new person to meet, a new fight to flee from, and a new place to discover every time they turned a corner, and speculation about these events made each day more exciting than the last. Even without that, it was a time for the two brothers to bond. Whether they would tease each other or confide in their fears, the two brothers were closer than they had been in years thanks to these Digital World excursions.
That’s what made Elliot’s silence all the more unnerving. The boy gazed down at his feet, refusing to even look his brother in the eye. The normal jubilant atmosphere of the journey was replaced with the most frigid silence Isaac had ever experienced. Even the Trailmon seemed to realize something was different about the duo. Its voice seemed to boom through the walls of the train, a half-concerned and half-judging utterance of “Yikes. Awkward.” If anything, that only made it all the more awkward for the two brothers. Was it possible to make silence even more silent? Against all odds, this train had managed to do that. “You kiddos want to talk about it any?” Only more silence answered. “Yeesh, blame a guy for trying to help.”
The train finally shut up and let family business be handled by the family again. Isaac turned to his silent brother, asking “Do you think this is going to change anything?” He should know from experience. When he was younger, and the baby Elliot seemed to be hogging all of their parents’ attention, Isaac was the world champion of importantly holding his tongue in protest. He would refuse to eat, refuse to sleep, and at times even refuse to breathe if he felt like his voice wasn’t being heard. It usually amounted to that man he refused to call a father calling him a jackass and telling him to man up. Yeah, sure. He was the one supposed to man up, when every time Elliot so much as stubbed his little toe Terrence would put out a manhunt on the rock responsible. “I just want to help. Come on, Elliot, you can talk to me.”
Now here Elliot sat, the one whose opinion fell silent while their family completely restructured their lives. He didn’t answer Isaac’s question any, instead huffing slightly and turning away. Isaac sighed, wondering why the heck Elliot had to be so stubborn. Coming from someone who was normally always so agreeable and peaceful, it was all the more jarring. “Look, I didn’t know about this either,” he added, trying to reason with his younger brother. “You don’t see me throwing a tantrum, do you? We’re too big for that now, Elliot. Life throws you a curveball sometimes, but that’s when we have to stand tall and try to push through it. I’m being forced to leave a lot behind too, but I’m doing my best to move on. And we can do this together, okay?”
“You promised we’d be going back soon,” Elliot said. His voice sounded so different without the usual warmth that bubbled through it. Like some kind of ice sculpture, it was all cold and jagged. Even such a simple statement sounded like an accusation aimed directly at Isaac, and he had to admit it was hitting hard. “I’ve been so homesick this week. I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.” Elliot wore his heart on his sleeve at practically all times, and Isaac knew pain in the boy’s voice when he heard it. Normally, that meant fighting whoever was responsible. Who was he supposed to fight now? Mom? That was ridiculous!
“Why did you keep lying to me? Why?” Elliot demanded. His voice was reaching volumes Isaac frankly didn’t know he was capable of. Frankly, Isaac was starting to get worried that he’d throw a fit on the train. He shot his brother a pleading look, begging him to wait until they were off the train. He could let all that emotion out later, but it needed to be somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t here. Maybe once they reached the Digital World proper, he could have a good, long cry, screaming a little if need be, and then everything would be okay. That would be later, though. For now, Isaac needed to handle the situations of the present, not just hoping for the solutions of the future.
“I didn’t know! What do you want from me?” Isaac shouted back, voice pleading. It felt so foreign to him being on the defensive. If anything, Elliot was the one who usually had to ground him back to earth. Now he was the one who was pushing back the hardest. “We’re going to a really cool jungle today. I thought we were going to go exploring, but we can just find somewhere nice to sit and talk about this. It’ll be better than screaming at each other in a train, right? So come on, just please be quiet and then we can go-“
“No!” The force behind Elliot’s protest left Isaac stunned. “I don’t want to go to the stupid jungle! And I don’t want to go to the Digital World anymore! We’re always getting attacked, and shot at, and stuck in these death traps. I mean, it was kind of fun as a vacation, but doing this for the rest of my life? I can’t handle this. I thought I could just put this behind me. Be a kid again. I didn’t want this.”
“Neither did I,” Isaac muttered. “You’re saying this like it was my idea to drop everything, go to Japan, and become a goddamn superhero. I never asked for this either!”
“Whatever. You’re fine with it if you get to see your girlfriend,” Elliot replied, sullenly.
“What? She’s not my-“ Isaac shook his head and tried to refocus on what was important here. “Look, we’re stuck here now, like it or not. You can try and make the best of it like I am, or you can keep carrying on. Is this really how you’re going to waste your day?”
“This is the first time I’ve complained about anything since we came here!” Elliot protested. “Why do you get to do that all the time, but the second I’m unhappy you get like this?”
“Because you’re being a total brat about it!”
“Well, I think-“
“Nobody asked you!” For the first time today the two brothers were in sync again, this time shouting down the train during his sudden interruption.
“You kids are lucky you’re paying customers,” it grumbled in response, shutting up as it continued the journey. With that little outburst the train car fell silent, and remained that way until the brothers reached their stop. Isaac drummed his fingers on the side of the seat just so at least there’d be some noise. Elliot stared out of the window as if expecting every answer he needed to just fall from the sky and onto his lap. Nobody was happy about this.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Apr 8, 2016 21:00:57 GMT
Today’s stop was the Southern Tropics, a scenic little spot at the border of the jungle. As soon as the boys were off of the train it immediately pulled out to go back to the Terminal. It didn’t even stop to wait for a “thank you,” intent on getting away from these stupid, overdramatic kids as soon as possible. That left Elliot and Isaac alone, far sooner than either brother had anticipated. The awkward silence seemed to leave the train and follow them, hanging over their heads as Isaac struggled to think of something, anything to say. How could you reach a brother who simply didn’t want to be reached? At the same time, Isaac wasn’t about to just ditch his brother when he was needed most. Or, was he not needed at all today? Even thinking about it hurt Isaac’s head, and frankly he just wanted Elliot to shut up and start seeing sense again. Yelling wouldn’t solve anything. Instead, he just opened his mouth to speak. “Elliot, I-“
That’s when Elliot ran for the hills, making a beeline for the trees before Isaac even had a chance to react. Normally Isaac would be able to catch his brother any day of the week, being a fairly fast sprinter while his brother was stuck with a bad leg. However, this time the element of surprise was strongly on Elliot’s side. Isaac dashed in the direction he thought Elliot had run in, but Elliot must have been trickier than he looked. No matter where he searched, or how far he ran, he couldn’t see any sign of the boy. The thick jungle foliage was too haphazard for any proper tracks to be left behind, and there was no way someone as clean as Elliot would’ve dropped a marker that Isaac could use to find him. A desperate shout of “Elliot? Where are you?” went completely unanswered, and for the second time since entering the Digital World Isaac felt well and truly alone.
Elliot knew Isaac wouldn’t listen. It was why he had to shout, even though he hated it so much. It was why he had to run, even when his own leg wouldn’t let him at more than a speedy hobble. He knew Isaac would just act like staying in Japan was going to be their fate forever, not even caring that they’d never see their old friends again. He wouldn’t even care that they’d never see their father again. How could he just turn his back on their entire life? He wouldn’t even try and find an alternate solution. Sure, the problem wasn’t Isaac’s fault in the first place, but the fact that he’d just give up so easily? That was where Elliot really got annoyed. This was the Digital World! They could travel through data! Surely finding a portal to California wouldn’t be that hard, would it? If Kuu said they could make it happen, then it had to be true. He’d find it, and he’d show Isaac, and then they’d be able to see his dad and friends again at long last. Maybe getting their mom to the Digital World would be the hard part, but when she found out they wouldn’t have to move surely she’d be able to come with them. Right?
So lost in his thoughts, he didn’t even notice himself sprinting into the side of a large, temple-like building. He clattered to the ground, rubbing his head to try and ease the pain, before hearing the familiar beep of his Digivice. A spirit? Here? No, no more. He didn’t want anything to do with those awful things anymore. He’d get kidnapped by some kind of big bully Digimon and forced to keep fighting. Why did it always come down to fighting big, scary monsters in the end? However, as he turned away from the temple, he couldn’t help but notice a word scratched over the top of the entrance archway. Home. Such a simple word, and yet one he couldn’t bring himself to ignore. Wasn’t this what he was trying to find all along? Maybe it was wishful thinking talking, but maybe the portal would be in here after all. Taking in a deep, sighing breath, Elliot prepared his nerves and walked into the archway.
One door closed, and another door opened. Isaac jumped up slightly when he noticed his Digivice picking up a distant signal. Much like Elliot, he found himself being sidetracked from his journey by the sudden appearance of the spirit. Unlike Elliot, he found himself urged to find it for different reasons. If he and Elliot were going to be staying in Japan, and by association staying so close to the Digital World, he knew he needed to be prepared. Yasyamon was a great form, but it didn’t have the sheer firepower of some others. GreyKnightsmon, for example. Now that was a real beast! The closer he came to such heights of power, the closer he’d come to being able to defend those he cared about. This included Elliot, especially if his stupid little outburst lead to him being snatched up by some evil Digimon. As he neared the source of the spirit, that same temple structure, he noticed a word over the arch of the doorway. “Escape.” Strange. Why would the only entrance be marked like an exit? Not wanting to let it get him too confused, Isaac shrugged and made his way in.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Apr 8, 2016 21:01:19 GMT
As Elliot entered the chamber, he felt a soothing voice surround him. It wasn’t exactly a voice that was heard, but instead one that seemed to fill the space around him as if it always existed. “Ah, young one, so weary and far from home,” it crooned, the voice seeming to enclose more tightly around Elliot. “Are you scared, Order? Are you alone?” Elliot nodded in response, and the voice chuckled so warmly that the room around him seemed to glow. “Ah, worry not, child. Through these doors, you shall find everything you seek and more.” Unfortunately, said doors were locked. On a small table before said door sat a series of colored lights. Elliot walked up, hesitantly pressing one, and a pleasant note chimed through the room. He touched it again, smiling a little as it reverberated. His smile only widened as he found out the different switches made higher or lower sounds. Soon the boy’s worries were lost as he began tapping out little songs on the lights, giggling between plays.
A slightly uncomfortable cough interrupted the boy’s joy. Right, this was probably a puzzle of some sort. As delightful as his idea was, it certainly wouldn’t be leading to a solution any time soon. Elliot pressed the notes in order, listening to the sounds and trying to figure out what made them distinct. It took a few replays of each note, but soon Elliot had figured out an answer. It was the tones! He hunted down each button, starting from the lowest tone and working his way up to the highest. Once he had gotten them in order, the door opened with a flourish. “Excellent work!” the voice said, Elliot feeling a bit warmer inside. “Of course, this is merely the first of your trials. Two more await you before you can find what you seek.”
To Elliot, the next room seemed simple enough. A jeweled, egg-like object sat atop a wheeled pedestal. A door on the other side bore an indentation that looked exactly like the egg. Easy-peasy puzzle, right? Elliot got behind the pedestal and began to roll it over, only to find himself shocked and dismayed when the pedestal suddenly took a sharp right turn. The jeweled egg went crashing to the floor, erupting into shards of crystal. “A pity,” the voice said, Elliot feeling a strange comfort as it coiled around him. “And yet, the world does not always respond as we’d like. Would it be a better place if it did?” Elliot remembered his fight with Isaac and felt a little sick to his stomach. Thankfully, another egg rose from the pedestal. Would Isaac be as generous with second chances as this rock was?
This time caution and patience were of the essence. Sometimes the pedestal took a sharp turn, and forced Elliot to quickly wheel it back into the right direction. Sometimes it seemed to suddenly dip, Elliot sticking a hand out to prevent the egg from tipping over. At one point it sunk down and flung the egg into the air, making Elliot frantically dive after it to successfully catch it. He considered moving it with his own body, but found it far too heavy to walk with while carrying. He needed the pillar, even if it veered around as if caught in an invisible maze, and the pillar needed him. Eventually he made it to the door, gently nestling the egg into its socket and smiling as the door began to open. “Well done, young Order,” the voice said. “See how you must be the guidance others lack?”
For the last of Elliot’s three trials, he found himself standing in a completely featureless room. It was an octagon, with each wall covered in illegible symbols and absolutely nothing between the walls. A small hole in the ceiling allowed light to shine through, illuminating a platform in the center. All Elliot had to do was cross the room and reach that platform, as far as he could tell. Too easy! Of course, as he started to walk, he promptly found himself bumping face-first into an invisible wall. “Oh, have we not just discussed this?” the voice asked, a bit of exasperation layering onto its usual warmth. “Life is not as simple as you’d like it to be. And such concerns do not go away after you’ve bypassed them once. Come, now. I’m sure you can handle this.”
At first, Elliot tried to stumble through the maze, feeling for the walls with his hands and walking stick. If anything it just got him even more confused than before, often sending him down dead ends and tripping over his own feet. It was at one of these dead ends that he finally noticed the secret. The symbols on the walls distorted slightly from the invisible walls’ refractions, forming arrows where before they formed strange squiggles. Now with a plan in mind, Elliot began excitedly rushing through the maze. Whenever he was stuck he made sure to peer through the walls, looking to check for arrows that would help recalibrate his direction. It took a long while to make it through the maze, but soon he triumphantly hopped onto the beam of light in the room. What started as a thin beam expanded into a wide spotlight, which shone on Elliot as he was lifted to the roof atop the ascending platform.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Apr 8, 2016 21:03:28 GMT
Isaac found himself in a similar entrance, but whereas Elliot’s was pristine and empty his looked like a tornado had hit it. Cloth scraps, upturned jars, broken shelves, and flickering torchlights filled the room, making walking through the chaos incredibly difficult. A similar music table was broken in half, the colored lights scattered across the floor in a mad scramble. Naturally, upon seeing a locked door surrounded by a ton of clutter, Isaac began searching everywhere to try and find the exit key. As he shook down cloths and tossed shelves out of his way, mocking voices seemed to slither out from every part of the room. “Idiot.” “Lost?” “Confused?” “Good.” “So are we.” “We’re always confused.” “That’s how we like it.” “That’s what we learned to live with.” Isaac simply grit his teeth and tried to ignore them, even as they haphazardly laughed over each other to kick up a very distracting cacophony.
There wasn’t a key anywhere in this forsaken temple, was there? He turned to go back, but the door had already sealed behind him. Trapped between two locked doors, he figured it was time to do something drastic. He held his Digivice high and turned himself back into an Impmon, staring down the keyless door pensively. If he teleported, he could possibly end up stuck in solid stone or get clobbered by a waiting enemy standing behind it. Instead he had a far better idea, kicking up a small Imp-losion between his fingers and letting it loose at the keyhole. It collapsed in on itself just as it slipped into the hole, exploding and taking a good chunk of the door with it. Isaac grinned as he stepped through it, basking in a rattling applause that seemed to come from nowhere. “Bravo.” “Yes.” “Bravo.” “There are no keys but those we make ourselves.” “Of course, of course.”
The next room was not so peaceful for Isaac. As soon as he stepped into the room, he found himself surrounded by needle-like spikes that erupted from the floor. They stood at an intimidating ankle height, just tall enough to risk shredding his calves into bits if he tried stepping on them. A low ceiling both kept his head down and prevented him from just flying over the trap. For a while he stood, paralyzed with fear. Then the cacophonic choir started anew, Isaac clutching his head to try and block them out. “You think too much.” “Fear too much.” “Worry too much.” “It’s like you’re already dead.” “Think new!” “Exciting!” “Impulsive!” “Do what nobody would expect!” At first Isaac figured it was a stupid idea. If he did something stupid and got skewered on a bunch of spikes, how would he be helping anybody? As if testing the trap, he reached out and pricked his finger on the spikes. Yep, really sharp!
However, he felt his inhibitions start to wane as he spent minutes doing absolutely nothing but standing still. This puzzle clearly wasn’t going to be solving itself. Either he needed to think outside the box, or he was just wasting his time starving to death in a literal death trap. Taking in a deep breath to catch his composure, Isaac let out a berserker’s cry and began running across the hall of spikes. Much to his surprise, he found the spikes being shoved down by the pressure of his heavy footsteps. Slowly he found himself gaining confidence, his hesitant charge turning into a victorious sprint as the door got closer and closer. It was covered in spikes as well, but by now Isaac wasn’t afraid. He launched through the door, shoulder-first, and sent it flying open with a dramatic thud. “Heh. Wish Elliot was there to see that one.” Isaac remarked, the voices all murmuring in agreement. Today, fortune favored the bold.
Isaac’s problem required a lot less thinking. The voices snickered among themselves as he entered the room. “Never see it coming.” “Chaos reigns.” “Be the king of the pile.” “No more running.” “No more hiding.” “Time to stand and fight.” Isaac looked around, still irritated by the strange whispers.
“Stop hiding!” he demanded, shifting forms from Impmon to Yasyamon. “If you’re gonna keep taunting me, at least show your damn faces!”
The laughter turned uproarious. “Soon.” “Soon.” “Soon.” The whisper echoed and bounced, but then started to fade. At this point, Isaac just grit his teeth and tried to ignore them, focusing on the layout of the room instead. It was mostly featureless, besides 8 pipes haphazardly jutting from the room’s walls, a disk-shaped platform sitting in the room’s center, and an ominous red button. Immediately, Isaac knew what must be done. He hit the button and waited for the room to react.
With a churning sound, strange creatures began pouring from the pipes. They weren’t quite Digimon, at least not ones Isaac recognized. They seemed more like some variety of AI sentry, resembling flying, metal cyclops skulls. They immediately converged on Isaac’s location, jaws gnashing as they tried to bite into his flesh. Naturally, it was time for fight or flight. Isaac used his Explosive Warp to try and get away from them as they closed in, the resulting blast scattering them as he appeared a safe distance away. Upon re-stabilizing themselves, they aligned into a V-Shaped formation and swooped down to chomp at Isaac some more. He slid beneath them as they passed high, then leaped to avoid them as they passed low, but it was clear that they would keep persistently chasing him until he did something about it. With a cry of “Shadow Ascent!” Isaac took to the air, prepared to evade them through the skies while coming up with a plan.
The dogfight was fast and furious. Desperately flung Imp-losions sent the skulls flying back whenever they got too close, but they always course corrected and resumed chasing Isaac down like homing missiles. The leader of the pack at one point got too close to Isaac and gave him a bad bite on the arm, the boy yelping in pain and desperately warping away. He landed, clutching his arm in pain, and only then noticed that the disk platform had sunken into the ground. So that was the exit! Isaac quickly dove onto the descending platform, firing more Imp-losions at the skulls to stave off their approach. By the time the platform fully descended, the floor started to seal shut and leave the sentries behind. He gave them a mocking wave as their teeth impotently gnashed against stone and air.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Apr 8, 2016 21:04:37 GMT
Both boys would find themselves face to face with altars, large, elaborate statues sitting upon each. Elliot’s was that of a large white snake, coiled in a perfect conical shape. Atop its head was a purple turtle shell, giving it the overall appearance of a cobra. Isaac’s was far more haphazard, heads extended in all directions off of a single central body. They seemed to twitch and turn despite the stillness of the statue. Central to the figure were a rattle and a blackened central head, which seemed to point directly at Isaac despite any angle he stood at. The two brothers simply stared, confused, before walking forward to approach the spirits.
“Ah, young Order. Prepare to rest your head, for your long journey has finally come to an end.”
“He arrives.” “About time.” “We were getting bored.” “So bored.” “He’s shorter than we thought.”
“You seek home, do you not?” Elliot nodded, the spirit’s voice taking on a bit more morose of a tone. “I apologize, child. I do not have what you seek.” The boy’s face fell in response.
Isaac looked around, trying to find an exit to the room. He was not found of these voices. “Leaving already?” “So rude.” “Too soon.” “Stay and chat.” “Come on, weren’t we helpful?” That last one caught Isaac’s attention. He stopped and looked the central snake’s head in the eye, pensive.
“Yet, have I not done much to help you prepare? Today, you have learned to see beyond what’s right in front of you. You’ve learned to slow down and think about life, instead of just charging full speed ahead. And you’ve learned that the world won’t just stop and do what you say.” The last sentence hit Elliot the hardest. Was it really fair of him to lash out at Isaac? Or even at mom? It wasn’t their fault. There had to be some reason for this vacation extension he wasn’t seeing. Maybe that was what all of these puzzles were for. Maybe he needed to be a more thoughtful person.
“You think too much.” “Too fast.” “Too slow.” “Never just right.” “Life’s not all about the brain.” “It’s about feeling.” “Experiencing.” “Don’t question it.” “Embrace the chaos.” “It’ll drive you mad if you don’t.” Isaac wasn’t exactly the most comfortable with what the spirits were saying. It sounded reckless, even downright stupid. At the same time, if he kept thinking too hard about everything, wouldn’t he just get lost in the shuffle? At least in these rooms, he would’ve still been trapped back at the spike chamber. “Make your own fate, kid.” “Life’s not gonna do it for you.” “Quit overthinking it.”
The two seemed about ready to accept the advice, taking further steps closer to the spirits. As they approached to touch them and incorporate them into their Digivices, each spirit began to shake and quiver. Then they exploded into light, leaving behind only a fraction of their original forms. A shard of Sandiramon’s shell remained for Elliot, and a cracked half of Orochimon’s jaw remained for Isaac. They aimed their Digivices at the fragments, downloading the new spirits. They weren’t about to try out the new forms today, though. It was way too tiring of a day for that. When the download finished, the altar-attached wall began to sink into the ground.
It turned out the two rooms were actually one. Elliot had been on one side of the retractable wall, and Isaac had been on the other. Upon seeing his brother, Elliot immediately charged over and tackle-hugged him. Considering Isaac was an Impmon currently, and Elliot was still human, this lead to him embarrassingly being lifted into the air by his younger brother. “Jeez,” Isaac said, laughing a little as he wormed out of the grip. “What’d I do to deserve this one?”
“I’m really sorry, Isaac,” the boy pleaded. “I was just so scared. I wanted to try and find a way back to California. I just don’t think I’m ready yet, you know?”
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Isaac responded. “I was being a butt about listening to you, too. You shouldn’t have to bury your worries just because we can’t change them. But hey, if we keep taking this on as brothers, I know we’re gonna get through this. You ready for us to handle this together?”
“Together!”
“That’s the spirit!”
The two brothers walked back to Elliot’s platform, because Isaac sure as heck wasn’t going to be going back into the skull room. There were too many thoughts racing through the brothers’ heads to even consider, but now wasn’t the time for dwelling on them. Frankly, both Elliot and Isaac were getting tired of harboring thoughts instead of actually talking about them. It was starting to hurt their heads and hurt their unity. If they kept on keeping how they felt a secret, would they really be able to be good brothers to each other? No, right now these stresses were concerns for another day. They could discuss them later, once they got home. They could discuss them as a family, instead of constantly hiding worries and secrets from each other. It was step one towards making things right.
Maybe then everything would finally be okay.
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Kal
Rookie
Supermod Burst Mode
Don't mind me, crushing your dreams and drinking your tears. All part of a healthy breakfast!
Posts: 10 
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Post by Kal on Apr 8, 2016 21:15:19 GMT
Loved it!
Approved!
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