Restoring Pride [Beast Fraction Hunt, Complete]

    Feeling the need to explore the Digital World on his own terms, Asher had collected Meicoomon and dragged her off to the train station for an adventure. Somehow having a ridiculous amount of luck, the teen had received a less talkative train than on his first day, and intended to spend the entire ride taking a nap.

    "Nya! Is it a good idea to come here alone?" Except for the part where, apparently, Mr. Whiskers intending to keep up a conversation! And, who could really blame her? The cat was going to get so bored if her human just slept through an entire train ride! "Mew should have called Elliot and Isaac and asked fur-"

    "-No." Abruptly stopping the feline's sentence, Asher stared at Meicoomon, pressing his lips tightly together. They couldn't just rely on other people. It wasn't right. "I really don't want them here." At all, ever!

    Ears drooped a little, as cross-pupils shifted, trying to search her human's face for some sort of indicator as to what was going on. "Did mew guys get in a fight?" This was the first that she was hearing of any of this! What had happened? Maybe, Isaac had pressed Asher's buttons, but Elliot too? Then again, Elliot was rarely without Isaac, and nobody could imagine one going to the Digital World without the other.

    Either way, Asher didn't seem interested in answering, instead looking off to the side. Deflating, the cat flopped into a sitting position on his lap, and began examining the train. How awkward. Were they going to legitimately be silent with one another this entire ride? Nobody liked silences like this!

    It remained quiet until after they had gotten off the train, and wandered off into a random direction. Whiskers didn't even want to ask where they were going, at this point! Not like the spirit user would know an answer, anyway. And, because of this, they ended up in the middle of a forest that neither were particularly familiar with. After all, the Meicoomon hadn't been in the Digital World for a long while now! In Human World time, at that! Even if she thought she knew where they were, it wasn't guaranteed in a place that was coated in ever-growing foliage. "Do mew know what you're doing?"

    Pulling his digivice from his pocket, the teen flashed it at his partner, while some sort of map was displayed. "This." Wow, the enthusiasm! Was Asher in a bad mood, or what? On top of that...

    "You're looking fur a spirit, alone?"

    "Not alone!" Trying to shake the tired expression, the redhead gave a smile, while shoving his free hand into a pocket. "You're here, after all!"

    Horrible logic, as always!

    "How are mew finding all these things, so close togethfur? I thought spirits took time to find!" It really hadn't been too long since they'd found Kinkakumon, after all!

    Asher shrugged at the question, trying not to think too heavily on it. "Maybe the spirits like me?" That seemed unlikely. It wasn't like many people actually liked him. Heck, Meicoomon probably didn't even like him! She was just forced to come along for some reason or another! But, that was fine. At least someone was tolerating him.

    "Nobody can make traps that purretend to be spirits, right?" That would be a worrying concept! Especially as, when the duo went to take their next step forward, they seemed to hit an invisible wall. Literally!

    Asher found himself stumbling back, only to reach out and touch the barrier. Were they headed in the right direction? Checking the D-Tector, it seemed like the item should really only be a little distance past the barricade. Was he supposed to go around?

    "What do you seek?" A voice whisked through the trees, though remained unseen by Digimon or human.

    Eyes shifted to his pet, trying to establish how to answer. Elliot and Isaac had skirted around the real answer before. Should he not say it? Ah, hell. Who cared what those two did, anyway? If Asher was going to do anything, he was going to try to do it the right way first! "A spirit?" Is that really what they were called?

    Still, it seemed the barrier remained, and the voice repeated itself. "What do you seek?"

    Ugh, didn't he just answer this question? Stupid creepy spirits in a stupid alternate world.

    "Is it not the spurrit?"

    Then, what else would he be looking for? Crossing arms, the young man looked around. There was a high chance that if he tried to walk around the barrier, it would just continue on forever. But, why did this feel like one of those cheap movies, where you were supposed to answer riddles? Hopefully not, because Asher was awful at riddles!

    So, if not the spirit... What was he looking for? Well, as of right now... "A reason?" The question was blurted almost as quickly as it was thought, not even giving himself enough time to ponder on what kind of reason he was searching for, if elaboration was requested. But, sure enough, the barrier flickered and, when reaching out to touch it, had vanished entirely.

    Meicoomon looked to her human, curiously. "Reason for what?"

    Scooping up the cat, the teen played one of his many happy-expressioned masks, while quickly stepping through before whatever entity could decide his further explanation was insufficient. "I have no clue!" Of course he didn't! What kind of person would Asher be, if he had the desire to have a reason for anything? That just wasn't how he worked!

    But, it seemed that it had been wise to carry his pet close. As the trees seemed to hum with lonely tunes of varying octaves, a smog began to rapidly coat the ground, and rise to obscure their vision. Soon, it was almost impossible to see one another, let alone anything a foot ahead of them! With every two steps Asher took, he swore he could hear another behind him.

    Were they being hunted? Or, perhaps it was the voice's owner, staying close to it's prey.

    Rather than digivolving in the potential face of danger, Asher pulled one hand away from supporting Whiskers, and brought his digivice close enough to his face to read. All around them, whispering words posed the next question. "And, what will you do with It, once you have found It?"

    The steps drew closer, unwarranted. Feet sunk into damp soil, thumping as it pulled itself forward. Yet, Asher continue to move throughout the smog. Bristling, Meicoomon twitched her ears, straining to try to keep track of the sounds. "Do mew remempurr when I said something about this being a trap? Fur people like mew?" At this point, it would be easy to believe. After all, they'd entered an essentially locked area, only to be trapped in a smog with someone watching their every move!

    "Sh," the teen hushed, following the map as closely as he could. Why couldn't he be better at map-reading? But, the further he moved, the closer the creature behind him felt! At one point, Asher swore he could feel breath on the back of his neck. Okay, that was not alright.

    But, without answer, the voice was growing impatient. "And, what will you do with It, once--"

    "You're really annoying," Asher hissed, cutting off whatever had been speaking. "I'm gonna use it. Apply it? Whatever!" And, he would do all of this by himself. Without Isaac, Elliot, or stupid creepy voices in the woods! Who needed anyone?

    But, with the answer, suddenly the footsteps stopped. The breathing halted, and it seemed that Asher was given a few moments of peace, before the predator would continue it's hunt. If only he could get rid of this black cloud that coated the area.

    Now, the trees were only whispering unintelligibly, allowing Asher to move for a while without the fear of something snapping him up. Meicoomon squirmed rapidly in the teen's hands, trying to find a better position to be in. But, Asher wasn't letting go, and she found herself stuck. Ears pricked, as the window of calm was quickly fading. "Ashfur," the cat meowed at the first thud of soil.

    Another. And another. And it was growing close, rapidly.

    "It's moving. Ash-"

    "I know! I know! Stop talking! I can take care of myself!" Asher was strongly regretting bringing his cat on this adventure. Maybe, the feline should have just stayed at home!

    With the adventure continuing forth, the voice was sounding less wispy and more alarmed. Angered. The monster was approaching. It needed it's answers, or it would consume the silent. This was the inevitability of the trap. Many entered, few would humor long enough to delay the hunt, and none would exit the smog. "Who are you?"

    But, there was no answer. Did Asher know how to respond? The creature didn't want his name. It couldn't be that simple. Soon, breath was heavy on his back again, and Meicoomon began to rapidly attempt to climb her human's shoulder. If Asher wouldn't evolve, at least Whiskers could try to fend off whatever it was! As the cat tried to alert her human to the threat again, the voice repeated, "Who are-"

    "I heard you the first time! Stop repeating yourself!"

    "Then answer, Human," the voice seethed, almost close enough to touch the young man's skin.

    There was another pause, as he shifted forward for one final step. "I'll be honest, I really don't know," he admitted. Just like he really didn't know where he came up with most of the answers that had pacified the beast! But, the monster paused, pondering if the answer was sufficient enough to silence itself for a moment. No, surely, that couldn't work!

    "Answer!"

    "Yeah, I really don't have one of those," the teen pointed out with a huff, as he seemed to grab and pull something that was concealed in the darkness. "I guess I'm just some stupid In-Between something. But, what are you?"

    Wait. The predator looked around, as feathers began to flutter through the haze. Oh. Oh no. It had become so absorbed in the hunt that it had lost track of where they were! The focus point of it's trap, which had lured many treasure hunters and naive children in, had successfully been collected!

    Little could prepare the predator for the day that someone had actually reached the prize. Now what could it do? Watching black and purple wings spread, even with the haze dampening it's view, the beast took a heavy step back. Fight, or flight? Nothing would return his lure now, and fighting ran the risk of injury, even it was was a fragmented Ultimate. An injured hunter was easily turned into a dead one.

    Breeze was lifting, as the wings opened up. "Should we find out?" The window for escape was closing rapidly. The hunter felt like it was now the hunted. Unless it planned to stay, and determine who was actually stronger, a decision needed to be made immediately.

    And, with that thought process, the creature chose to abandon hope. As a wind blade rippled out from the Spirit User's wings, the area was cleared, and a black portal flickered out of existence with it, successfully concealing what had once stalked the grounds.

    Slowly, the Yatagaramon lowered it's head, to look at Meicoomon, who was sitting on the ground now. "I did well on my own, didn't I?" Oh no, his pride was back. Whiskers was starting to enjoy sullen Asher! Darn it! So much for the planned peaceful evening!

    "You're a bird, and instinct dictates to eat mew," the feline notified, trying not to give anything for her human to work off of. No ego boosts! It wasn't allowed! Either way, the cat began to climb up the Nightmare Soldier's face, to try to find a comfortable seat for whatever ride they would surely be going on. "Can we go home meow?"

    With a click from it's throat, the Digimon debated. "Mmm, no." Way to crush Whisker's dreams! "I think I'm ready to explore now, though."

    Oh. Just what Meicoomon wanted to hear. Why couldn't they just go home and have some tuna sandwiches or something? Instead, the cat was trapped on her Spirit User's alarming roller coaster called 'Asher's learning how to operate wings, in the air.' What a joy.