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Strangers in a Strange Land, Pt. 2 (Open)
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Post by Judah and Agnusmon on Aug 11, 2018 0:17:12 GMT
OOC: This is a continuation of THIS thread. It's open for any who want to join in. Though, since my post count is pretty low at the moment, it would probably best fit Rookie and below users. Either way, Judah is up for the company. IC: Judah's world was replaced by a buzzing background of light and swirling colors. Just as the teenage boy was inches from splashing into the muck-filled Shibuya river, the strange device he had found moments earlier flashed to life and then bathed him in rippling, kaleidoscopic light. Shibuya was gone, and Judah found himself falling through a strange space. There was no ground, no sky, just tantalizing swirls of color that seemed oddly...pixelated against the contrasting black background. When one of the light-pixels seemed to burn out, it faded back into the background static of darkness. Judah reached out at what seemed like a spiraling galaxy of colored data but, as he did, it seemed like his own flesh was starting to glitch and pixelate. He opened his mouth to scream just as the light overtook him. He woke to the feeling of heat against his face. Judah groggily pried his eyes open and then quickly slammed them back shut as rays of scintillating light jammed their way into his weakened pupils. It felt like he had just looked straight up into the sun. And, by the gentle warmth blanketing his skin, he might just have. Did he pass out? Was the Shibuya river so polluted that it caused him to hallucinate? Might as well find out. He turned to his side then opened his eyes once again. Judah found himself laying on a grass-covered hill. It looked to be mid-day, and a great sphere of light burned bright in the sky. The familiarity faded from there: what looked to be beams of pixelated light were dancing across the land, thankfully nowhere near him. The sky itself looked to be lined with streams of data cloaked by a beautiful aurora. Judah's mouth fell open at the sight--he wasn't in Georgia (or Shibuya!) anymore. Yet, this new land was strangely beautiful in spite of how surreal it was. Judah Fairweather sat upright. He looked himself over and pat himself down before nodding triumphantly. "It looks like I'm all here," he said after paying particular attention to the contents of his pants. It was a slight victory, at least. His pack was with him, and it started dawning on him that he may need all the snacks he had packed earlier in the day. How long would he be here for? He grimaced, and he calmed himself by thumbing over the metallic cross necklace he wore. The golden device that seemingly transported him to this new, strange land began to beep again. "Oh, what now?" Judah groaned. "Got one of them Digivices, huh?" A voice called out from behind Judah. The preacher's kid whipped his body around and stared out behind him and found...nothing. He looked around and found nothing but rolling hills and green pastures. "Who's...who's there?" He muttered, wondering if he was going crazy. Suddenly, Judah felt a membranous thing slap the back of his head lightly. He howled, then rolled away before jolting to his feet in as much awkward grace as he could muster. Looking up this time, Judah saw a strange creature floating in the air. It was shaped like an overgrown guinea pig with large, bat-like wings for ears, which it was using to fly. The creature was a violent shade of violet with a pallid underbelly. "Check your Digivice, you dingus," the bat-guinea-pig said matter-of-factly. Judah cocked his head, confused, then did as the creature instructed. He pulled out the gold-rimmed device and, as predicted, the screen was now glowing with information on the creature. "Tsukaimon: Rookie level Mammal type Digimon. Tsukaimon is a considered a subspecies of Patamon with the Virus attribute and is a member of the Nightmare Soldiers and Wind Guardians families. It can devastate foes with its Friendly Fire, Purple Haze, and Evil Spell attacks." "Tsukai...mon?" Judah whispered aloud. "Hey! The boy can read? Must have found me a prodigy!" Tsukaimon laughed, mostly to himself. Judah furled his brow. "Rude," Judah batted back, casually. "What is this place? What are you...I mean, besides a Rookie level, Mammal type...guinea pig with bat wings?" "Rude. Don't you think you shouldn't be insulting your Digimon partner?" Judah blinked, confused again. "Should I break it down by the syllable? Di-Gi-Mon Pa--" "No, please...Todd, no. You're my partner? In what?" "Well, it ain't in holy matrimony, bub," Judah sighed. "Todd dammit...what have I got myself into?" "Who's Todd? And who are you, anyway? I mean, I need to know the prodigy that is going to help me reach the heights of Digivolution, of course," Tsukaimon beamed pridefully. "I say 'Todd dammit' instead of "God' because I don't want to use the Lord's name in vain." "Sounds exhausting. What's your name, bub?" "I'm Judah. Judah Fairweather, actually, but I just go by Judah." "I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but you've interrupted my hunt. Now, if we're done chumming up to each other, you need to help me Digivolve so I can take on some Champions. I need to get more data, you see." "I don't see, no," Judah felt about as bright as he did in remedial math class as a Sophomore in high school before his family moved. None of this made sense. "That thing in your hand. That is a Digivice. It's a thing that you--a Digimon Tamer--gets before they come to the Digital World, this place. I'm your Digimon partner, obviously. Check your Digivice." Judah did. It remained idle. He shook his head: "nothing." "Don't doubt me, ding-dong. I'm the expert here," Tsukaimon shot back defensively. "Let's go, we need to head back to the forest to hunt before it gets too late. I'm itching for a fight." Judah sighed, shrugged, and resigned himself to the craziness going on around him. It would make for a good story, at least...if he survived. He thumbed over his cross-necklace again instinctively. Hiding away, just out of sight, was another small creature. This one walked on all fours and had a healthy layer of pristine white wool cover its brass-colored body, much like a sheep. A single, crooked horn also made of brass jutted out of its forehead. It hugged the grass meekly and whimpered at the sight of Judah walking away with Tsukaimon. As they left, it began to follow, always just out of sight. OOC: Don't worry, mods: Tsukaimon isn't Judah's partner (since it's a Rookie level and I'm a newb). That will play out in the next few posts. As always, feel free to join in. |
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Post by Judah and Agnusmon on Aug 14, 2018 2:00:36 GMT
"What is this place?" Judah asked as he and the violet-colored Tsukaimon roamed over the rolling hills. They were headed toward the green pastures below, toward the Village of Beginnings. At least, toward its outskirts. Tsukaimon was quick to inform Judah of the Leomon that guarded the Village proper from attacks. "Leomon protects the weak widdle baby Digimon after they hatch. Sure, Elecmon helps raise them, but it's Leomon we've gotta worry about," he mentioned on at least two occasions as they walked.
Tsukaimon cast a look back to Judah and scoffed. "Do I need to be your guide and your partner? Sheesh!" He chuckled to himself. "You're in the Digital World, kid. It's where us Digimon live. We're in the Mainframe Hills right now. The Server Woods are up there, and we're headed toward the Village of Beginnings. I'm a Digimon. We're basically the you-guys of the Digital World, except we're able to Digivolve to get stronger...that's where you come in."
Judah remained silent, taking in the information.
"Confused again? Alright. We've established that we're partners, right? Bravo, you've got the first step. Digimon usually need human partners to help them reach the highest levels of evolution. I mean, yeah, I could probably harvest enough data to get there myself, but that would take....well, way too long for my tastes. You're my ticket to the bit time, kid!" Tsukaimon cheered. Judah tried, in vain, to rationalize everything that he was being told; it made sense by itself, but it was still so foreign and surreal that he couldn't shake the feeling he had fallen into a very vivid dream. Or, maybe a nightmare.
* * *
Judah followed Tsukaimon for what felt like an hour before, out of nowhere, the flying guinea pig did an aerial 180 degree spin and tackled Judah to the ground. He let out a heavy oof! as he fell into the grass, but Tsukaimon held his mouth shut with his overgrown purple ears. "Shut up!" He hissed at Judah. "Up there, it's a Digimon. See it?" He said, then slowly pointed one ear in the direction directly in front of them. Sure enough, another strange creature was minding its own business munching on an overgrown leaf. It was a large, yellow centipede looking Digimon with a dark stinger at its back and a heavy beak. "Kunemon," Tsukaimon whispered. "It's an insect type Digimon, and it should be easy to squash with its back turned."
"Squash?!" Judah muttered behind Tsukaimon's flap-like ear.
"I'm a predator, kid. I need to eat, and it's got what I need: raw, juicy data!"
Judah was at an impasse. He knew the natural order of things in the Real World: predators hunted prey. It wasn't pretty, but it was how the world worked. Maybe some things transcended world. He eased up against Tsukaimon's grapple, assenting. Internally, Judah still didn't like the prospect.
Tsukaimon rose into the air slowly, stealthily. It hovered into the air and positioned itself right above the unsuspecting Kunemon. Then, like a vengeful mouse trap slamming down, Tsukaimon roared "Slamming Attack!" and descended on the bug Digimon. It crashed into the creature's body with a sickening crack! and knocked it off balance; Tsukaimon dug its feet into the grass, puffed up its chest and expanded its cheeks like it was holding in an unnaturally large breath, then screamed "Friendly Fire!" as a bolt of violet flame escaped its maw. The flames engulfed the Kunemon before it could react and, within moments, it began to dissolve into bits of pixelated energy. Tsukaimon strode toward the stream of data, opened its mouth, and drank it in with one gulp. He looked to Judah then flashed a triumphant, devilish grin.
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Post by Judah and Agnusmon on Aug 15, 2018 0:19:14 GMT
Judah looked away just before Tsukaimon's flame attack scorched the unsuspecting Kunemon. The preacher kid barely had time to pull up more information about the Digimon on his D3 before it had been stripped to raw data. As Tsukaimon hungrily devoured the data, Judah couldn't help but point the digivice toward the remaining Digimon in hopes that it would reveal something, anything that could help him. What was he supposed to do as a Tamer? Was this sort of thing normal? The deepest recesses of his soul screamed out at him that it wasn't, but Tsukaimon seemed to know what he was talking about. Judah thumbed through the menu screens on his D3 hoping for more information on this Digimon taming business, but the device kept him in the dark. What if Tsukaimon wasn't his partner?
If that was the case, then Judah was out in the Digital World by himself. Who knew what danger lurked beyond the hills.
"That was fun!" Tsukaimon shouted with glee. He looked back to Judah with that same devilish smile: "you should give it a shot one day...but, you're not a Digimon, so maybe not. Oh, and don't you go thinking about Biomerging with me, either!"
"Not before marriage, at least," Judah cracked.
Tsukaimon scoffed. "Well, kid. I say it's about time to find our next kill. Maybe I can get the drop on a Champion. Wouldn't that be great--I'd have data for days!" He laughed to himself, his ears twiddling maniacally at the thought.
Judah's stomach growled.
"Oh! A Digimon's near by!" Tsukaimon landed and hid in the grass, scouting out the area like a thief. Judah sat down, unzipped his bag, and withdrew a wrapped snack bar.
"Sorry to break it to ya, but that was just my stomach. I need food, and data won't cut it for me." Judah began munching on the snack bar, hoping the nourishment would help him think. He was blissfully entranced by the dry grains and chocolate when a sudden blast of pain seared through his tongue--he'd bitten it accidentally. Acting on instinct, he pulled the bar away and went to nurse his wound only to find that the bar was gone. Confused and frustrated, he looked to Tsukaimon, who was observing the bar with skepticism. Before Judah could complain, the Digimon hurled the bar into his mouth and chomped it down with a second thought.
"Hey! That is pretty good! Probably empty calories for a Digimon though," Tsukaimon announced as if he was the first to try the food.
"Hey, jerk!" Judah called out, anger brimming up on his face. "Where I come from, if you want to something, then you need to ask for it. Politely. I didn't mind sharing..." Judah's voice trailed off. He was bullied by the kids in Shibuya, and even after being transported to a fantastic realm of whimsy, he was still being picked on, by a flying purple guinea pig, no less. He humphed and thumbed his cross to help abate the frustration, but he was left mostly with a reminder of just how hungry he was.
Tsukaimon yawned. "That's nice," he said dismissively.
Judah tried to react but found himself overtaken by a yawn as well. "Todd dammit..." he cursed to himself. He and Tsukaimon had agreed on one thing, even if implicitly: it was time for a nap. The two found a tucked away spot and let their exhaustion out. As sleep took them both, a creature--the same from before--inched closer to their camp. It walked meekly forward carrying a leafy-wrapped bundle of berries and laid them next to Judah. It looked him over with a subdued whimper before retreating out of sight as Tsukaimon rolled over in his sleep.
* * *
Judah awoke well before Tsukaimon. It must have been well into the afternoon, or at least that's what the level of light meant in the Real World. Here, in the Digital World, Judah hadn't a clue--he could only assume nightfall would be much more...dramatic. He rolled over and stopped quickly as he felt something pressing against his side. It looked like a crudely assembled package made of folded leaves. Judah opened it and found roughly two dozen berries inside. They were plump, too. Judah cast a glance back to Tsukaimon to see if he was still asleep, then devoured the berries in a rush. His stomach thanked him, and he found himself thanking the spirit who provided the extra food.
Tsukaimon yawned lackadaisically. "I'm hungry. Let's go hunt before nightfall."
Judah sighed. "Don't you think we should find somewhere less out in the open to set up camp?"
"And don't you think I can handle it? I"m your partner--relax!" Tsukaimon condescendingly reassured him. "Let's get moving." The Digimon didn't give Judah a chance to respond before taking flight and heading toward the woods.
* * *
"Shut up!" Tsukaimon suddenly said as he and Judah began ascending a particularly large hill close to the nearby woods. Like before, the Digimon tackled Judah to the ground and covered his mouth. "Up there, see those big leafs? Those are Tanemon! There must be at least 3 or 4 up there, maybe more. See how they're swaying back and forth: they're probably dozing off drinking up the data from the light rays. Oh boy, they're sitting ducks!" Tsukaimon was practically shaking with excitement.
Judah's D3 vibrated. It had pulled up the data entry for Tanemon: Tanemon: Bulb Type Digimon, In-Training."
"In-Training?" Judah whispered.
"It's the level below Rookie, my level. There's Fresh--they hatch from Digi-Tama, or DigiEggs--then In-Training, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and Mega. Plus some other stuff--it's complicated, see?"
"So, you're wanting to slaughter a bunch of babies to eat? I thought you were a predator, not a scavenger?" Judah hissed.
Tsukaimon whacked Judah with his ear. "Don't be rude. They're not babies--you weren't paying attention. These are In-Training Digimon, they can defend themselves. Well, when they're not lazing about like this," Tsukaimon laughed.
"I don't think I can get behind this. It just feels wrong. Why do you need to eat other Digimon anyway? If everything's made of the same data, then eat some berries or find some other food!" Judah pushed Tsukaimon off of him and stood.
"Get down, you idiot!" Tsukaimon headbutted Judah in the gut causing the preacher's kid to cough out his air and tumble to the ground. He collapsed and began to roll down the hill. "I don't need your permission!" He hissed as Judah fell away.
"HEY!" Another voice called out. It was meek but stern, and the mere sound made Judah feel better as he skidded to a stop at the base of the hill. Judah looked up and saw a small creature at his side and moving to protect him. The creature was small, maybe the size of a growing lamb, and appeared much like one except more squatty and could speak a human language. It had a single brass horn curling up from his head that looked like a metallic shepherd's staff. "I won't let you pick on him--or anyone else--any more!"
Tsukaimon hovered into the air and laughed. "Ohhh, what type of Digimon are you: a Tough Guy type? Go back where you came from, unless you want to be my appetizer!"
Judah stood. "Back off, Tsukaimon."
The purple-coated Digimon huffed. "Hey, you're my partner. You're supposed to take MY side!"
Judah's D3 began to vibrate. He withdrew the device and felt a strange resonance move through his body, as if he knew on some unspeakable intuitive level, that something was different about this Digimon. He felt bold, hopeful. Judah looked to the small Digimon standing to protect him then looked to Tsukaimon: "Are you sure about that?"
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Post by Judah and Agnusmon on Aug 15, 2018 2:55:09 GMT
"Croziermon. Miniature Sheep Digimon, In-Training level." Judah's D3 read as he examined the stalwart (if not scared) Digimon before him. Unlike the other readings, there was a certain background to the D3's data entry, as if the data entry was bookmarked, connected to the digivice itself.
Judah beamed. "Croziermon..." he whispered. The small, sheep-looking Digimon looked back at him and gave a warm smile before turning back to face Tsukaimon.
Tsukaimon, in turn, hovered in the air higher up the hill. His demeanor had grown dark; the silence around him was deafening. "Judah! What are you doing down there? Don't make me come down there and make a nice coat outta your new friend!" the Digimon roared. "We're partners! You have to take my side!"
"Judah can do whatever he wants!" Croziermon shouted back.
"You come up here or else I'm going to start tearing through those Tanemon, leaf by leaf, until they're nothing but data. I'm going to do it slow, too. Just you watch, Judah--just try me! And when I'm done, I'm going to come for your little friend here!" Tsukaimon spat, putting extra venom in the word "friend." On cue, he swept himself higher into the sky and began flying toward the Tanemon.
Judah shot a glance to Croziermon who nodded in silent agreement. Then, the two bounded up the hill in unison toward the wayward Digimon. "Tanemon!" Judah shouted, waving his hands frantically. "Get out! Run away!"
"You're making it worse for yourself, human!" Tsukaimon hissed, no longer trying to keep his position hidden. As he flew above the dozing Tanemon, they immediately were roused awake by the shouting and sudden rush of wind. Four leafy Digimon, each the size of Croziermon, sat in a rough circle. Tsukaimon began laughing maniacally before he started spitting bolts of purple fire down at the frantic Digimon. When Judah and Croziermon topped the hill, their hearts sank: the Tanemon were using themselves to guard a handful of even smaller Digimon.
"They...they've got babies with them!" Judah howled up at Tsukaimon, who dive-bombed close by and scorched a patch of earth with violent flame.
"They're FRESH! They aren't babies, they are Fresh level Digimon! AND NOW I'M STARVING!" Tsukaimon shrieked, casting aside all sense of moral control. A lust for data had overtaken the Digimon, and Judah had to do something or those innocent Digimon were going to be toast.
"Pick up the babies and run toward the woods. The Tanemon will follow you!" Croziermon shouted to Judah, its eyes following the rampaging Tsukaimon. The Tanemon had been driven to shock, their small, leafy forms quivering, save for one. It stepped forward and shouted "Bubble Blow!" and then expelled a fast-moving bubble toward Tsukaimon, who spat out a bolt of fire that easily countered the attack.
"Stupid move!" Tsukaimon shouted, then bellowed: "Friendly Fire!" and coated the Tanemon with scorching flames. It howled in pain, then fell horrifyingly silent. A second later, Judah collapsed near by--he had tried to stop the attack but failed. Before his eyes, the poor Tanemon began to dissolve into disparate pieces of floating data that Tsukaimon fiendishly drank in. "See that? That's what's going to happen to--wait, come back!"
Judah was running down the hill, his arms nearly overflowing with baby Yuramon. The three remaining Tanemon were keeping pace as they raced toward the nearby woods.
The purple-coated Tsukaimon hissed, flapped its large ear-wings, and took to the air...before collapsing back down with a pained "oof!" Croziermon had rammed it from behind. "You're a big bully, and I don't like bullies!" The sheepish Digimon spat. He and Tsukaimon squared off atop the hill, their powers clearly uneven, yet Croziermon couldn't help but smile.
"What's so funny, chump? You thinking about how good I'll look in a new wool coat?" Tsukaimon shot back. Croziermon didn't answer, but his eyes were trained on Judah and the Tanemon as they crossed the halfway point to the woods. They just needed a bit more time...
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Post by Judah and Agnusmon on Aug 15, 2018 3:34:14 GMT
"Headbutt!" Croziermon shouted as he lowered his head, curved horn facing outward, and charged toward Tsukaimon. Tsukaimon, in turn, simply flapped its wings and dodged into the air; Croziermon skidded to a halt a foot or so behind its target, turned about, and charged again. Each attack made by the In-Training Digimon was easily dodged or parried by the higher-leveled Tsukaimon, and each failed attack only seemed to elicit more sadistic glee from it.
"Oh, this is great!" He laughed, intentionally landing behind Croziermon to give him a false hope of actually landing a hit. Sure enough, the stubborn Digimon charged in again, and again the attack zoomed on by without landing. "Ha! You're cracking me up. I should keep you around just for cardio workouts! I'll need it after I--" he paused long enough to dodge another attack.
Croziermon didn't break stride. He simply kept charging, forcing the Tsukaimon to continue dodging, to keep his mind focused on him. He knew he didn't have a chance in battle, but maybe Judah and the others could get away and stay safe...
Meanwhile, Judah made a mad dash toward the forest line. The woods ahead were dense. Large trees of indistinct type grew up in rows with crisscrossing branches forming a sort of tangled several feet up. The canopy would be tough for large flying creatures to navigate. Judah smirked, then pushed forward, praying Croziermon could hold his own for just a bit longer.
"Get a load of this idiot!" Tsukaimon announced to no one in particular, his fiendish sights still fixed on Croziermon. "You think you can actually bring me down? I'm above your level, and you don't even have any ranged attacks! Those Tanemon were more'f a threat than you! If it wasn't so pathetic it would actually be kind of cute," the Digimon shouted and continued bounding back and forth, to and fro as the miniature sheep Digimon continued its relentless onslaught of ineffective attacks. "Here, I'll go easy on you since you're so brave!" Tsukaimon landed inches behind Croziermon.
Croziermon stopped in his tracks, then slammed his small hoof into the ground, screaming "Ground Stomper!" As he did, a shock-wave rippled through the hill and causing Tsukaimon to be knocked off balance. The Rookie Digimon's arrogance turned to surprise when he felt the full force of Croziermon's headbutt slamming into his own face. Tsukaimon grunted and rolled over, wincing.
"You think that--?!" He growled, then groaned in pain as Croziermon headbutted him again, this time in the ribs. Croziermon dodged to the side narrowly missing a purple bolt of fire spat by Tsukaimon. The Rookie Digimon roared incoherently, eyes bulging with fury, and bounded into the sky.
"Alright, Tanemon..." Judah started, his breath heavy from the run. He had just crossed into the forest's edge and unloaded the baby Yuramon onto the ground. Three Tanemon were huddled up behind him, shivering. "You need to listen to me. We need to fight back. I know you can do it. Tsukaimon can't take on everyone, not in the forest. I'm going to lure him back this way--you need to hide and, when he crosses the tree line, fire at him with everything you've got. Got it?"
The Tanemon looked to one another before turning back to Judah. "Got it..." they affirmed. Judah gave a quick thumbs-up then dashed back toward the hill.
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Post by Judah and Agnusmon on Aug 16, 2018 2:21:49 GMT
Judah raced up the hill, away from the Tanemon, toward the battling Tsukaimon and Croziermon. The preacher's kid cheered when he saw the miniature sheep Digimon landed two consecutive headbutts against the rampaging Tsukaimon, but felt his stomach sink when the winged creature ascended into the air. By the looks of it, the attacks had done little more than making the Tsukaimon even more angry.
"Evil Spell!" it yelled and, as it did, several scintillating runes of arcane energy manifested before it. They buzzed with raw, evil power and then coalesced into a black beam that zapped Croziermon's horn like it was a lightning rod. "Now you're done for, punk! Suffer and cry before I finish you off!" As the black energy blasted the sheepish creature, he went as white as a guy, his eyes darting back and forth between his attacker and Judah. His face contorted and, seeing that, the flying Tsukaimon howled with laughter and then began to dive bomb the helpless Digimon, screaming: "Fluffy Attack!"
Croziermon began to weep uncontrollably. The black, viscous energy seeped into his wool, into his pores and began tainting his mind. The poor Digimon was buffeted by images of despair, of Judah abandoning him into the forest, never to return. In a mere matter of seconds, Croziermon practically begged Tsukaimon to finish it off to end its mental anguish.
Tsukaimon screamed through the air, paws extended for maximum damage, but found itself, instead, crashing to the ground nearby. It scoffed, looking up. Both he and Croziermon looked around to figure out what had happened. Their eyes found the stone a few inches away just as Judah rounded the top of the hill. "Yooou're outta there!" Judah shouted, throwing his hands into the air like he had just struck out a baseball batter.
"You!" Tsukaimon hurled itself into the air. "You traitor! We had something going. We was gonna be the most powerful Digimon and Tamer around. We coulda controlled the whole Digital World, but you had to go be a boring ol' hero. I'll show you what happens to heroes around here!" The fuming Digimon dove toward Judah.
Croziermon shook itself free of the debilitating effect, with the help of Judah's presence, and charged toward Tsukaimon. Judah, in turn, turned away and began flailing down the hill to get away from Tsukaimon. He dashed down the hill, gaining momentum, pulling away from the flying Digimon just as Croziermon reached the hill's peak. He leaped into the air, horn pointed at Tsukaimon, and let fate take him. Sure enough, he crashed down hard against the flying Digimon sending them both rolling down the hill past Judah, who skidded to a halt. Without missing a beat, he picked up Croziermon, hugged him tight, and began charging toward the forest line.
"Sorry for leaving you back there, buddy," Judah started. The small Digimon looked up from Judah's arms and smiled. He was home. "We--the Tanemon and I--have a plan. We're gonna bring Tsukaimon--"
"--Get back here!" Tsukaimon interrupted, leading an aerial charge at the escaping Tamer and partner.
"--we're going to bring him into the tree line. He won't be able to fly around in there. The Tanemon will give it all they have," Judah finished. Croziermon beamed. Croziermon felt insecure that it hadn't learned a ranged attack to defend itself. It didn't need one until this moment, but Judah...Judah seemed to know what he was doing. He was confident, and it made the small Digimon confident too.
The duo raced ahead and passed the tree line before tripping over a serpentine branch hidden beneath a pile of leaves. The Tanemon began to chitter with worry, but Judah gave them a quick thumb's up as he and Croziermon righted themselves. They two looked up and saw the charging Tsukaimon break into the forest. It had to dive low to avoid the tangling mass of canopy overhead. Tsukaimon grinned, completely unaware of the trio of Tanemon all prepping for their unified attack just behind him. It was now or never.
"Fire!" Judah commanded
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Post by Judah and Agnusmon on Aug 18, 2018 3:25:23 GMT
"Bubble Blow!" the Tanemon shouted in unison. From less than a foot away, a trio of leafy Digimon opened their mouths and fired out pink, pressurized bubbles that whizzed out and smashed into the low-flying Tsukaimon. It groaned as bubble after bubble slammed into his form. He whipped his head around in a vain attempt at a counter attack before a particularly fast bubble popped against his face. Tsukaimon dropped out of the air and collapsed into the ground, then stay still.
Judah cast a glance from the Tanemon, to Croziermon, and then back to the still Tsukaimon. The violet-colored Rookie Digimon winced, noticeably in pain after the bubble based ambush. It tried to move, to hiss and spit and curse all to no avail, but he quickly found his body no longer willing to cooperate. "Woohoo!" Judah unceremoniously shouted, leaping into the air with a fist pump."That was awesome, you guys!" He cheered, then high-fiving the Tanemon on their leaf. He slowed down when he came close to Croziermon, slowly extending his palm toward the sheepish creature. "Thanks, buddy," he smiled. Croziermon's bronze cheeks turned the color of copper for a moment.
After briefly celebrating, Judah stepped close by Tsukaimon, lowering himself down to check on the downed Digimon. "Tsukaimon, are you okay?" Judah asked. The Digimon turned away. Judah repositioned himself until Tsukaimon couldn't easily look away anymore. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you do that to th--"
The evil Patamon subspecies flashed a sadistic grin, then hopped onto its feet and faced two of the three Tanemon. Color drained from their form, fear creeping in. The last thing they saw was Judah's mercy turned against him in the form of two vile, purple motes of flame. The two Tanemon dissolved into data, their death knell eclipsed by Tsukaimon's baying laughter.
Judah toppled over, his balance physically wavering in light of the fiendish surprise attack. "I...I tried..." Judah muttered, shock glazing over his eyes as he tried in vain to go back in time.
"You what? You gave me an opening? I know you did, partner!" Tsukaimon gave a devilish wink, then drank in the floating data slowly, savoring every bit. "You don't think I could pull a fast one on ya? I invented that move, you just got lucky with it earlier. I forgive ya, though. I get stronger with every Digimon I kill, so do me a favor and hold onto that sheep, would ya--partner?"
"He's not your partner," Croziermon said as he stepped in front of Judah. "He is not your Tamer. I'm going to put a stop to you before spread your darkness even further into the Digital World. I won't let you hurt the Tanemon or any of us anymore. I won't let you hurt my friend, my..." Croziermon paused, feeling a shadow suddenly looming over him from behind.
It was Judah. He had stood to his feet, Digivice in hand, and it was glowing. "Your Tamer. We're a team," Judah reminded, like it had been etched in stone from the dawn of the Digital World. Judah cast a glance toward his D3. Croziermon's data entry page had been pulled up, and a notification had been overlaid on the screen automatically.
"DIGIVOLUTION"
Judah thumbed over the button much as he did his cross and then let the light overtake Croziermon. The miniature sheep's form was blanketed in buzzing opalescent light. Judah watched as his partner's form became one with the digital light, watched its coded skin dissolve into data only to be upgraded; data streamed down from the Digivice, amplified by Judah's own faith in his partner, and Croziermon was rebuilt with a newer, better, stronger form.
"Croziermon digivolved to...Agnusmon!" a voice called out from the light. The D3 flared for a second,then dyed down. In the wake of the radiant flash, Judah saw that Croziermon was no more; standing where the Digimon had been was a new Digimon: Agnusmon. It was larger, even larger than Tsukaimon. The Digimon, now a Rookie, appeared much in the same way that Croziermon had but with stronger features. It now stood confidently on two legs and bore two crooked, brass horns instead of one.
"That was supposed to be for me..." Tsukaimon muttered with eyes still transfixed on the afterglow of Agnusmon's digital evolution. The evil Digimon twitched with rage before blasting the ground with its wings and ascending a few feet into the air. "That was supposed to be mine!" He roared, purple flames pouring out of his mouth like hateful saliva.
"I hope that you can be redeemed in your next form," Agnusmon said solemnly.
The fight was on.
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Post by Judah and Agnusmon on Nov 28, 2018 1:32:31 GMT
"Go Agnusmon!" Judah cheered, his pride in his Digimon partner swelling. Agnusmon furled his golden brow, his eyes fixed on the hovering, violet Tsukaimon that was out for blood (and data). With his Tamer's command, Agnusmon dove to the side just as a bolt of deep purple flames licked the ground he had stood a second earlier. Obviously, Tsukaimon wasn't going to play fair.
Tsukaimon flapped its bat-like wings and rose higher into the air breathing out tongues of sinister flame; Agnusmon dodged and deftly avoided the attacks. The sheep-like Digimon dug its hooves into the verdant ground and charged between the bolts of flame, though finding an opportunity for attack became increasingly more difficult the more Tsukaimon peppered the ground around Agnusmon. Judah, keeping his eyes focused on the battle, shouted out to Agnusmon: "Come on, buddy! You've got this! Teach him a lesson he won't soon forget!"
Agnusmon looked back to Judah and flashed a grin. Tsukaimon took the opportunity and bellowed out a blast of violet flame directly at the sheep-mon; Agnusmon faced the oncoming attack and shouted: "Pebble Pepper!" As he did, he stomped on the ground and a jagged rock floated up and then darted toward Tsukaimon. The dagger-like pebble pierced through the purple flames, evaporating them with its whirling speed. Tsukaimon tried in vain to dodge, then cursed louder than he had before. A terrible tearing sound rang out, and then the purple-Patamon tumbled to the ground with a feint thud.
"Oof!" Tsukaimon grimaced upon falling back to the earth. The evil Digimon looked up, seeing stars for a moment, and then shouted in fear when his eyesight finally focused again: Agnusmon was charging him full-force. "Earth Charger!" Agnusmon roared, lowering his horned-head before slamming into Tsukaimon. The purple Digimon was batted backwards before slamming into a sturdy tree trunk, knocking branches full of leaves free. Tanemon recoiled in fear, darting behind Judah, when Tsukaimon was knocked near it. Agnusmon charged toward the descending Digimon again and slammed against it while its back was still pressed against the tree. Tsukaimon cried out in pain as the bark behind him cracked and crumbled from the force of the attack.
"You're beaten, Tsukaimon," Agnusmon proclaimed. Tsukaimon, still splayed out on all fours and reeling from the battering, looked up and spat.
"Don't fool yourself, sheep," Tsukaimon shot back.
Agnusmon looked the battered, tattered Digimon up and down: "No, I'm pretty sure you're beaten. Your wing is torn and you can hardly stand."
Tsukaimon laughed, a trickle of data oozing out of its mouth. "That's not what I meant. That human. He's not your Tamer. It's only a matter of time before he comes crawling back. And, when he does, I'll crush him like the worthless bug he is."
"Not while I'm around."
The two opposing Digimon peered at each other with loathing in their eyes. Judah had never considered himself all that special, and now these two incredible monsters were literally fighting over him. This was turning into quite the day, alright.
Silence began to set in between the two. Tension mounted. Would Agnusmon break? Was he going to let Tsukaimon off easy?
"Dark Twis--!"
"--Ground Crumble!"
Tsukaimon tried a quick attack, but just as it began to exhale a tornado of evil wind, Agnusmon stomped the ground causing Tsukaimon to collapse a few inches into the ground; Tsukaimon finished his attack, but instead of hitting Agnusmon, the sheep Digimon's attack forced Tsukaimon's head into the ground and its attack to divert into the dirt. Agnusmon reared up and stomped on Tsukaimon's head just as the evil attack dug into the earth. There was a sickening crunch followed by an uneasy, sorrow-filled silence.
"I...I had to..." Agnusmon whimpered, looking back to Judah and Tanemon. But, just as Agnusmon's actions became clear, the consequence of those actions changed--just as Tsukaimon's body also began to change. Light began to fill each pixel of the bested Digimon until it was little more than an amorphous blob of bright data, which then reshaped itself into a glimmering egg. The light faded, leaving behind a white egg striped with deep purple.
(To be continued!)
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Post by Judah and Agnusmon on Dec 1, 2018 5:48:23 GMT
Gathered round the edge of the Eastern Timberwoods, Judah Fairweather and his Digimon Partner, Agnusmon, stood in silence. The last remaining Tanemon stood behind Judah still anxious and afraid even once the light of Tsukaimon's demise and rebirth as a DigiTama faded away. Their rival, and Judah's self-appointed "first Partner," was defeated. Yet, the victory felt hollow. Several Tanemon were killed, their data consumed by the evil Tsukaimon, but Tsukaimon was reborn as a DigiTama while the Tanemon were, simply, gone.
It didn't make sense. None of it really made sense still, at least not to Judah. The Digital World was a spectacular, dangerous place, and Judah had the sneaking suspicion that he had only witnessed the tip of the digital iceberg. Despite all the chaos, if there was something Judah did know, it was feelings. He was a naturally intuitive, empathic person, even if he had a big mouth and the occasion Machiavellian spell.
Judah picked up the shivering Tanemon and held it close, calming it with his touch. He then approached Agnusmon, who remained silent and entirely focused on Tsukaimon's DigiTama; he placed his hand gently against the sheep-like Digimon and said: "It might not feel like it right now, but you did the right thing. I'm proud of you." Agnusmon sat, his back still turned to Judah, and rubbed the DigiTama lightly with a cloven hoof. "What do you want to do with it?" Judah asked, not entirely sure exactly what--or who--the egg was at this point. "We could smash it. Maybe cook it for breakfast tomorrow--is there Digi Salt or Digi Pepper around here?"
Agnusmon and Tanemon looked back at him, mortified.
"It's a joke. Don't worry!" Judah threw his hands up, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"No," Agnusmon started, exhaling with moral exhaustion. "Whatever is in here now, it deserves a new chance. Revenge is poison. It will linger even after the pain from the bite fades. Tanemon, do you remember the way to the Village of Beginnings?" Tanemon nodded. "Then we'll bring it there. It will start fresh, and maybe then it will be a better Digimon."
Judah and Tanemon looked to each other apprehensively. "Well, it's not like I've got much say in the matter--I have no idea what's going on here," Judah shrugged.
Agnusmon looked back, his brazen face looking concerned once again. "Of course you do! You're my Partner, after all." Judah smiled. Despite the craziness, those words felt right. This bond they now shared, it was indescribable. The surviving Tanemon seemed to pick up on the sentiment as well, her morale becoming more visibly morose. "I can explain the Digital World along the way. Oh, and Tanemon, there will be food and protection back at the Village, just like we used to remember when we were all babies. It'll be safe there for as long as you need." Tanemon nodded again, looking as as consoled as possible given the circumstances.
"Wait, babies? Did y'all know each other when you were little?" Judah asked, suddenly immensely curious about the Digital life cycle.
"Y'all?" Agnusmon shot back, a sly grin creeping across his face.
Judah blinked for a moment before realizing that his culture and life style are likely as equally alien as the Digital World was to him. "'Y'all,' it's basically the only plural possessive in the English language. It's also totally a Southern thing. Wait, you speak English?!"
"We speak our own language. You just hear it as English."
"Well, that's convenient."
"Anyway, Tanemon and I didn't know each other, specifically. All Digimon, no matter how big or small, start at the Village of Beginnings, also called the Primary Village. It's a place full of these eggs, DigiTama, and it's fiercely protected from dangerous outsiders. Tanemon can rest there, and the caretakers can watch the egg just like any of their own. It's what they do."
Judah nodded, slowly, still piecing together all the parts in his mind. Then, his stomach growled, and Tanemon nearly leapt from his shoulder in fear. "Alright, well whatever we do next, it better involve food."
(to be continued)
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