Forgotten Friendship(77X/61A)(COMPLETE)
Jul 17, 2020 11:59:52 GMT
Post by ricochet6-Mandrake on Jul 17, 2020 11:59:52 GMT
MPC Name:
Wild Card / What's a "Digimon"?
MPC Number:
77X / 61A
Reward Requested: Bits
"Mandrake! Mandrake!" Lothar called out desperate to awaken his unconscious friend. Though why Mandrake was in that state was unknown and it worried him. One moment the two friends were walking along heading for a nearby town and the next Mandrake had suddenly lost consciousness and began tumbling face first toward the ground. Fortunately Lothar had caught his friend and was now trying to wake him by calling out and gently shaking him but Mandrake had remained completely unresponsive.
Now Lothar was getting even more worried. Though Mandrake was breathing and otherwise seemed fine, he couldn't wake the magician up from his horrifyingly coma like state. When Lothar heard Mandrake utter a soft groan, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Mandrake groans continued for a few moments later before his sapphire blue eyes began to slowly open. His vision was blurry and, at first, he could only make out the blurry shape of a larger being than himself. Slowly his vision cleared and he saw what looked like a lion man leaning over him. 'Who is that? What does he want with me? For that matter who am I?' he thought as his eyes became wild with fear and he scooted away from Lothar until his back hit a tree. "W-Who are you? What do you want with me?" Mandrake asked his voice quivering with fear.
Now Lothar was more worried than ever. It seemed his childhood friend didn't remember him. Remaining where he was and trying to remain calm, he replied "I'm your friend. My name is Lothar and we've known each other since childhood." Keeping his posture unaggressive, he slowly moved towards his clearly terrified friend.
Spotting his staff laying on the ground not far from where he sat, though Mandrake didn't know it was his at the time, he pushed himself to his feet and scrambled for it taking ahold of it and pointing it at Lothar. "Stay away from me! Why should I believe you when I don't even know who I am?" Mandrake said though his fear was still obvious as he had begun shaking like a frightened chihuahua.
Lothar stopped moving seeing as his efforts to calm Mandrake weren't working. Grabbing the sheathed sword at his hip and lifted it from his belt without unsheathing it. He then threw the sheathed sword at the ground at Mandrake's feet before raising his hands in surrender before he said "You can lower your staff now I'm unarmed. I know you don't remember me but I don't want to hurt you. Your name is Mandrake and I'm just trying to help you." Though still trembling Mandrake moved forward and picked up Lothar's sword. Looking the Leomon in his brown eyes he slowly moved away from the tree but looked like one wrong move from making a mad dash into potentially life threatening danger so Lothar knew he had to handle what he did next very carefully. "Before you lost your memory we were heading for a town to rest. Maybe if we get there we can find someone who can help you with your condition. I don't blame you for not trusting me but, I assure you, I mean no harm."
Mandrake didn't know why but something about this stranger that called himself Lothar seemed safe. That didn't make sense though since he didn't even know who he was, never mind Lothar. "I'll go with you for now." Mandrake said in a voice so subdued that it made Lothar's heart ache. Before the two began walking, Mandrake looked at Lothar sword, which he was still carrying, and hesitantly asked "Do you want your sword back, Lothar?"
"Don't worry about it, Mandrake, you can carry it for now." Lothar answered in a calming voice as he removed his weapon belt and offered it to Mandrake. "You can use this to carry the sword much easier just in case you need a free hand." Though still fearful, Mandrake watched as Lothar moved slowly toward him and fasten the belt around him before carefully backing away. That done Mandrake set Lothar's sheathed sword into the belt and the two started walking toward the town Lothar mentioned.
The walk to the town was uncomfortably quiet for Lothar as he silently observed Mandrake. The Wizardmon was gazing nervously around with his blue eyes as if worried something would leap out and attack them at any moment. Though Lothar had a feeling that what ever caused Mandrake's amnesia wasn't far, seeing Mandrake without the confidence he usually had felt wrong. Hopefully someone in the upcoming town could help his old friend.
Soon the two of them came upon their destination. Though it was a town, it was still very small with digimon of many shapes and sizes going about their business. Lothar glanced at Mandrake seeing how his friend had grown very rigid in his body language while grasping his staff tightly. Mandrake looked like one false move from turning and fleeing from the town itself. As Lothar asked various villagers about where to find medical treatment, Mandrake seemed to subconsciously move closer to Lothar as if trying to utilize the Leomon as some kind of shield. He didn't know why but something deep within was telling Mandrake that Lothar was no threat. Maybe Lothar had been telling him the truth the whole time.
Soon the two of them had gotten instructions to a large hut where a Babamon tended to the sick and injured. It seemed the town was not quite big enough to have a hospital yet. That was probably for the best since Mandrake's condition would have had him likely refusing to enter such an establishment. Soon they arrived at the mentioned hut and, after Lothar gained permission for them to enter, Babamon gently guided Mandrake to a room in the back of the hut while assuring the nervous Wizardmon that everything would be alright. Since Lothar wasn't allowed back in there because the Babamon shooed him away from the room, he decided not to argue with her since she was a mega level digimon. Lothar decided to wait as he walked over to a nearby wall and leaned against it waiting for news pertaining to Mandrake's amnesia.
An hour later Babamon exited the room and spotted Lothar still leaning against the wall. Approaching him, she said "Your friend seems to be in good health but his amnesia is what stumps me."
"Why? Have you figured the cause? Do you know how long he'll be like this?" Lothar asked rapidly firing one question after another.
Babamon kept her voice calm since she expected some degree of impatience as she said "He seems to have no symptoms that could cause such a condition under normal circumstances so I used my magic to tap a little deeper. It seems his memory isn't gone but blocked by what seems to be a telepathic block. Unfortunately the only way that block can be removed is by digivolution to his next level. Armor digivolution won't help him."
"Digivolution to his next level but we haven't been champion level digimon for long so that means he could be like this for years." Lothar said sadly gazing at the direction of the room Mandrake was in.
"If you can get him to a powerful telepath there is a chance that he or she can undo the telepathic block. At least he knows he's a digimon now since I've spoken to him but try not to drag the poor thing into battle. He'll likely be killed since he has no knowledge of how to battle as a digimon should." Babamon said.
"I know of a telepath that may be able to help him but he is a little over a week away via Trailmon. Is it okay if I see him?"
"You may see him and, since he's otherwise healthy, you two can begin your journey. Just please be careful." Babamon said as she headed for the front of the hut leaving Lothar alone.
Pushing himself off the wall, he headed for the room Mandrake was in. Not wanting to startle Mandrake, Lothar asked "Mandrake, can I come in?"
"Yes." Mandrake answered quietly. Lothar entered and saw Mandrake sitting on a cot looking nervous but seemed to calm down a bit when he saw Lothar. "Babamon told me that I am a digimon and what digimon in general are. She also mentioned that my memory is being blocked." Mandrake sobbed. As Mandrake spoke he curled in on himself making the normally small Wizardmon look smaller.
In an effort to calm Mandrake, Lothar said "We may have a chance of having the telepathic block removed. We can go to your home village that is a little over a week away by Trailmon. I know you don't remember that village but luckily I remember the way." Mandrake uncurled and looked at Lothar with a faint look of hope in his eyes as he quietly nodded in agreement.
Mandrake and Lothar silently left the town heading for the nearest Trailmon station which was a little less than a day's walk away. As they left the town, Mandrake seemed a little calmer even though he still wasn't talking much. Suddenly Lothar came to a stop his ears twitching causing Mandrake to stop and move behind Lothar. From the trees a shadow appeared and slowly stretched along the ground in front of Mandrake and Lothar before coming to a stop beneath Lothar's feet. Then shadowy tendrils began enveloping the Leomon's legs. Before either of them could say anything the shadows completely enveloped Lothar leaving Mandrake alone with the shadows vanishing shortly after.
Mandrake didn't have much time to reflect on being by himself before a voice was heard in his head. 'Don't be afraid, Mandrake, I have simply come to save you from that brute.' the unknown voice resonated in Mandrake's mind.
"W-Who? Where are you?" Mandrake asked out loud with a tremor of fear in his voice. Since he had no idea he was a telepath, it was the only form of communication he had available.
'It seems you don't remember me. Not surprising considering that when that Leomon kidnapped you while you were on a mission. It seems he has tampered with your memory somehow.' the voice said.
"I work for you? If that is the case, why would Lothar so adamantly insist that he was my friend?" Mandrake asked. This unknown entity made Mandrake uneasy but considering the owner of the voice wasn't visible, it was easy to understand why.
'I see he has been trying to manipulate you but here is not the place to discuss this.' the voice said as a shadowy portal appeared in front of Mandrake. 'Do not be afraid, Mandrake, this portal will lead you to the throne room of my castle.'
Though afraid, Mandrake wanted answers and this being was a telepath so maybe he could lift the telepathic block. Clutching Lothar's sword that was still strapped to his waist, he nervously entered the portal. Upon exiting the portals other side he glanced around a shadowy throne room soon spotting a cloaked figure with glowing red eyes sitting on a throne. Before Mandrake could say anything, however, the cloaked figure spoke out loud to him. "Glad to see that you've returned to me, Mandrake. I'm sure you want answers." At Mandrake's nervous nod the figure continued "Your family has been in my service starting with your mother. Unfortunately she died not long after you were born. I have been training you to use your unique gifts ever since."
"What about Lothar? I was told that my memories were blocked by a telepath. If he has been trying to manipulate me, wouldn't he of had to have access to telepathic powers like yourself?" Mandrake asked his eyes filled with suspicion.
"That Leomon known as Lothar was the one who manipulated a telepath to have your memories blocked in the first place. He is currently imprisoned in the castle's dungeon until the local law enforcement picks him up in the morning. Until then, my student, I want you to stay away from him and the dungeon itself." The figure stood from his throne, walked over to Mandrake, and placed a clawed hand on the Wizardmon's shoulder causing Mandrake to shudder in fear. Something about this being made Mandrake's skin crawl but the being continuing to talk snapped his attention back to the creature's glowing eyes. "One of my guards will escort you to your room, Mandrake, and in the morning I will attempt to remove the memory block on your mind." With that the being removed his clawed hand from Mandrake's shoulder causing a sense of relief to flood through the Wizardmon. Shortly a Fugamon appeared and began escorting him to a room that had not much more than a bed and a desk with some books. As the door shut behind him he heard another guard speak to the Fugamon.
"When is the Leomon scheduled for execution?" The voice asked causing Mandrake to freeze in dread as he kept listening. Apparently the guards had no idea that they could be heard.
"He'll be put to death at dawn. Though I wonder why the master even plans to unblock the Wizardmon's memory. Maybe he just enjoys the process of making his defiantly natured recruits suffer. I wonder what makes this Wizardmon different from others anyway?"
"Who knows? We should get back to work since our new recruit is in his room for the night."
Mandrake shuddered as the footsteps of the guards vanished down the hall. Approaching the door to the room he slowly opened it and peeked out. Judging by what the guards said this place would not be ideal for him but he decided he had to free Lothar from the dungeon first so he began walking the halls sneaking around while searching for the dungeon. Soon he reached the dungeon and snuck his way inside. He then began roaming the inside of the dungeon looking for Lothar.
Meanwhile, Lothar had been sitting in the dungeon since he had been snagged by the shadows. He had attempted to knock the cell door off with his attacks but it seemed these cells were made to contain champion level digimon at least so he sat down deciding to bide his time so he could escape the cell and find Mandrake. Little did he know that Mandrake had just acquired the keys to the cells of the dungeon and found Lothar moments later. Despite not having his memory, Mandrake had a feeling that Lothar was trust worthy and the owner of this dark place was not. "Lothar!" Mandrake loudly whispered causing the Leomon to glance in his direction.
"Mandrake? How did you get here?" Lothar asked as Mandrake used the keys to unlock the cell.
"I was invited to this castle by the owner. Come on, I have to get you out of this place. They plan to execute you at dawn." Mandrake said as he threw the cell door open dropping the keys on the ground.
"And you trust me?" Lothar asked as they made their way to the exit of the dungeon.
"Let me put it this way, you're the only one in this castle that doesn't give me the creeps. I don't know why but I feel I can trust you." Mandrake replied making Lothar feel relieved Mandrake was acting more like his normal self.
The duo managed to not only slip out of the dungeon but outside the castle which, ominously enough, seemed to be made of shadows. "I don't like this, Mandrake. It was too easy to escape and something tells me we aren't out of danger yet."
As the ground suddenly began to shake before them, Mandrake replied "Seems as if your instincts are quite sharp, Lothar. We should hurry."
Before any further movement could be made a SkullGreymon burst out of the ground in front of them but before either of them could move, Lothar was snatched off the ground by the SkullGreymon and held in the large monster's grasp. Before Mandrake could say anything shadows stretched out from the ground taking shape of the ominous being from the castle. Then the being stretched his arms out and plucked Mandrake from where he stood and pulled the Wizardmon to him effectively restraining the illusionist since Mandrake dropped his staff in shock. "I was going to spare you the sight of your friend's execution but since you decided to openly defy my orders, you'll have to watch as he is killed by SkullGreymon."
"Are you the one responsible for the telepathic block on my memory?" Mandrake asked as he tried to struggle free of his captor's grip but to no avail.
"Not that it matters but, yes I am responsible. I figured it would be an easy way to capture you since you would be vulnerable. What I didn't expect was that you would stick with that Leomon named Lothar." the foul creature said smugly.
"What do you want with me? If I am as unique as you claim, how can I be of value when I don't even remember how to use my powers as a digimon?" Mandrake asked as a shadowy limb grasped his head forcing Mandrake to look in SkullGreymon's direction.
"I'm going to remove the memory block after your friend is gone. Will make breaking your will much easier." he chuckled.
Tears rolled down Mandrake's cheeks as he gripped the sheathe of Lothar's sword since that was as far as he could move. Lothar's cry of pain caused Mandrake to shout "No!" What happened next was a surprise for not only the shadowy being but Mandrake as well. Mandrake suddenly felt a jolt of power as his body and Lothar's sword was engulfed by light. The bright light had caused his captor to drop Mandrake and scurry back into the castle despite the foul creature being a super mega. "Wizardmon digivolve to Mistymon!" Mandrake while digivolving seemed to copy the data of Lothar's sword which likely explained his new form. As the transformation finished it was as if a fog was lifted in Mandrake's mind as his memories burst forth causing the Mistymon to clutch his head in pain. Lothar's second pained cry caused Mandrake to snap his attention to the SkullGreymon. Glancing at the sword he now wielded it became alive with magical fire. Clutching the sword in both hands he leapt at the hand SkullGreymon was using to crush Lothar and shouted "Blast Fire!" Bringing the flaming sword down on the skeletal dinosaur's hand caused it to release Lothar. Lothar landed in a heap as SkullGreymon howled in pain as it tried to put out the fire that engulfed its hand.
As the SkullGreymon thrashed and howled trying to put out the fire, Mandrake ran to where Lothar landed and knelt down as he heard his friend groan. "Lothar, are you alright?"
Groaning Lothar slowly sat up and looked into Mandrake's sapphire blue eyes noticing his friend's new appearance and then said "Mandrake, you digivolved into Mistymon. How is your memory?"
"It has been restored, old friend, but I'm afraid I have a nasty headache from the flood of memories." Mandrake said.
Before he could say anything more SkullGreymon's roar was heard and its tail was heading swiftly for Mandrake. Lothar grabbed Mandrake as his body began glowing. "Leomon digivolve to GrapLeomon!" Lothar said. With his new found strength and speed he was able to snatch Mandrake and leap away from SkullGreymon's tail.
"It seems I'm not the only one who has digivolved." Mandrake said as Lothar leapt for the SkullGreymon.
The turbines on Lothar's arms begun to rotate at high speed and as Lothar reached SkullGreymon's face he drew back his fist. "Gravity Punch!" Lothar roared as his fist made contact with SkullGreymon's face. The impact distorted the gravity in a radius of ten feet. Mandrake was standing currently outside the radius of the attack since he rose to his feet when Lothar leapt to attack. Lothar, meanwhile, after striking SkullGreymon he sprang off the digimon's head landing alongside Mandrake. The distorted gravity was giving SkullGreymon trouble so the two friend's nodded at each other as if knowing what each other had in mind.
"Blades of Illusion!" Mandrake said as four flaming blades appeared hovering over Mandrake before the magician launched them. Much to SkullGreymon's surprise, only one sword was real and it hit the undead dinosaur in the back while the other three vanished.
Meanwhile, a familiar pale blue aura formed around Lothar as the turbines on his arms spun again. "Aura Bullet Stream!" Lothar exclaimed as, like the attack name said, a stream of aura bullets launched at SkullGreymon. Between the two combined attacks the large digimon collapsed in an unconscious heap.
Mandrake looked in the direction of the dark castle to find it gone. It seemed the castle's master had moved it again and, not knowing if the dark being would return shortly, the two friends began leaving the area. Along the way the two of them returned to their champion forms but Mandrake had an foreboding feeling that the shadowy being would return. It was only a matter of when.
Word Count: 3550
Wild Card / What's a "Digimon"?
MPC Number:
77X / 61A
Reward Requested: Bits
"Mandrake! Mandrake!" Lothar called out desperate to awaken his unconscious friend. Though why Mandrake was in that state was unknown and it worried him. One moment the two friends were walking along heading for a nearby town and the next Mandrake had suddenly lost consciousness and began tumbling face first toward the ground. Fortunately Lothar had caught his friend and was now trying to wake him by calling out and gently shaking him but Mandrake had remained completely unresponsive.
Now Lothar was getting even more worried. Though Mandrake was breathing and otherwise seemed fine, he couldn't wake the magician up from his horrifyingly coma like state. When Lothar heard Mandrake utter a soft groan, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Mandrake groans continued for a few moments later before his sapphire blue eyes began to slowly open. His vision was blurry and, at first, he could only make out the blurry shape of a larger being than himself. Slowly his vision cleared and he saw what looked like a lion man leaning over him. 'Who is that? What does he want with me? For that matter who am I?' he thought as his eyes became wild with fear and he scooted away from Lothar until his back hit a tree. "W-Who are you? What do you want with me?" Mandrake asked his voice quivering with fear.
Now Lothar was more worried than ever. It seemed his childhood friend didn't remember him. Remaining where he was and trying to remain calm, he replied "I'm your friend. My name is Lothar and we've known each other since childhood." Keeping his posture unaggressive, he slowly moved towards his clearly terrified friend.
Spotting his staff laying on the ground not far from where he sat, though Mandrake didn't know it was his at the time, he pushed himself to his feet and scrambled for it taking ahold of it and pointing it at Lothar. "Stay away from me! Why should I believe you when I don't even know who I am?" Mandrake said though his fear was still obvious as he had begun shaking like a frightened chihuahua.
Lothar stopped moving seeing as his efforts to calm Mandrake weren't working. Grabbing the sheathed sword at his hip and lifted it from his belt without unsheathing it. He then threw the sheathed sword at the ground at Mandrake's feet before raising his hands in surrender before he said "You can lower your staff now I'm unarmed. I know you don't remember me but I don't want to hurt you. Your name is Mandrake and I'm just trying to help you." Though still trembling Mandrake moved forward and picked up Lothar's sword. Looking the Leomon in his brown eyes he slowly moved away from the tree but looked like one wrong move from making a mad dash into potentially life threatening danger so Lothar knew he had to handle what he did next very carefully. "Before you lost your memory we were heading for a town to rest. Maybe if we get there we can find someone who can help you with your condition. I don't blame you for not trusting me but, I assure you, I mean no harm."
Mandrake didn't know why but something about this stranger that called himself Lothar seemed safe. That didn't make sense though since he didn't even know who he was, never mind Lothar. "I'll go with you for now." Mandrake said in a voice so subdued that it made Lothar's heart ache. Before the two began walking, Mandrake looked at Lothar sword, which he was still carrying, and hesitantly asked "Do you want your sword back, Lothar?"
"Don't worry about it, Mandrake, you can carry it for now." Lothar answered in a calming voice as he removed his weapon belt and offered it to Mandrake. "You can use this to carry the sword much easier just in case you need a free hand." Though still fearful, Mandrake watched as Lothar moved slowly toward him and fasten the belt around him before carefully backing away. That done Mandrake set Lothar's sheathed sword into the belt and the two started walking toward the town Lothar mentioned.
The walk to the town was uncomfortably quiet for Lothar as he silently observed Mandrake. The Wizardmon was gazing nervously around with his blue eyes as if worried something would leap out and attack them at any moment. Though Lothar had a feeling that what ever caused Mandrake's amnesia wasn't far, seeing Mandrake without the confidence he usually had felt wrong. Hopefully someone in the upcoming town could help his old friend.
Soon the two of them came upon their destination. Though it was a town, it was still very small with digimon of many shapes and sizes going about their business. Lothar glanced at Mandrake seeing how his friend had grown very rigid in his body language while grasping his staff tightly. Mandrake looked like one false move from turning and fleeing from the town itself. As Lothar asked various villagers about where to find medical treatment, Mandrake seemed to subconsciously move closer to Lothar as if trying to utilize the Leomon as some kind of shield. He didn't know why but something deep within was telling Mandrake that Lothar was no threat. Maybe Lothar had been telling him the truth the whole time.
Soon the two of them had gotten instructions to a large hut where a Babamon tended to the sick and injured. It seemed the town was not quite big enough to have a hospital yet. That was probably for the best since Mandrake's condition would have had him likely refusing to enter such an establishment. Soon they arrived at the mentioned hut and, after Lothar gained permission for them to enter, Babamon gently guided Mandrake to a room in the back of the hut while assuring the nervous Wizardmon that everything would be alright. Since Lothar wasn't allowed back in there because the Babamon shooed him away from the room, he decided not to argue with her since she was a mega level digimon. Lothar decided to wait as he walked over to a nearby wall and leaned against it waiting for news pertaining to Mandrake's amnesia.
An hour later Babamon exited the room and spotted Lothar still leaning against the wall. Approaching him, she said "Your friend seems to be in good health but his amnesia is what stumps me."
"Why? Have you figured the cause? Do you know how long he'll be like this?" Lothar asked rapidly firing one question after another.
Babamon kept her voice calm since she expected some degree of impatience as she said "He seems to have no symptoms that could cause such a condition under normal circumstances so I used my magic to tap a little deeper. It seems his memory isn't gone but blocked by what seems to be a telepathic block. Unfortunately the only way that block can be removed is by digivolution to his next level. Armor digivolution won't help him."
"Digivolution to his next level but we haven't been champion level digimon for long so that means he could be like this for years." Lothar said sadly gazing at the direction of the room Mandrake was in.
"If you can get him to a powerful telepath there is a chance that he or she can undo the telepathic block. At least he knows he's a digimon now since I've spoken to him but try not to drag the poor thing into battle. He'll likely be killed since he has no knowledge of how to battle as a digimon should." Babamon said.
"I know of a telepath that may be able to help him but he is a little over a week away via Trailmon. Is it okay if I see him?"
"You may see him and, since he's otherwise healthy, you two can begin your journey. Just please be careful." Babamon said as she headed for the front of the hut leaving Lothar alone.
Pushing himself off the wall, he headed for the room Mandrake was in. Not wanting to startle Mandrake, Lothar asked "Mandrake, can I come in?"
"Yes." Mandrake answered quietly. Lothar entered and saw Mandrake sitting on a cot looking nervous but seemed to calm down a bit when he saw Lothar. "Babamon told me that I am a digimon and what digimon in general are. She also mentioned that my memory is being blocked." Mandrake sobbed. As Mandrake spoke he curled in on himself making the normally small Wizardmon look smaller.
In an effort to calm Mandrake, Lothar said "We may have a chance of having the telepathic block removed. We can go to your home village that is a little over a week away by Trailmon. I know you don't remember that village but luckily I remember the way." Mandrake uncurled and looked at Lothar with a faint look of hope in his eyes as he quietly nodded in agreement.
Mandrake and Lothar silently left the town heading for the nearest Trailmon station which was a little less than a day's walk away. As they left the town, Mandrake seemed a little calmer even though he still wasn't talking much. Suddenly Lothar came to a stop his ears twitching causing Mandrake to stop and move behind Lothar. From the trees a shadow appeared and slowly stretched along the ground in front of Mandrake and Lothar before coming to a stop beneath Lothar's feet. Then shadowy tendrils began enveloping the Leomon's legs. Before either of them could say anything the shadows completely enveloped Lothar leaving Mandrake alone with the shadows vanishing shortly after.
Mandrake didn't have much time to reflect on being by himself before a voice was heard in his head. 'Don't be afraid, Mandrake, I have simply come to save you from that brute.' the unknown voice resonated in Mandrake's mind.
"W-Who? Where are you?" Mandrake asked out loud with a tremor of fear in his voice. Since he had no idea he was a telepath, it was the only form of communication he had available.
'It seems you don't remember me. Not surprising considering that when that Leomon kidnapped you while you were on a mission. It seems he has tampered with your memory somehow.' the voice said.
"I work for you? If that is the case, why would Lothar so adamantly insist that he was my friend?" Mandrake asked. This unknown entity made Mandrake uneasy but considering the owner of the voice wasn't visible, it was easy to understand why.
'I see he has been trying to manipulate you but here is not the place to discuss this.' the voice said as a shadowy portal appeared in front of Mandrake. 'Do not be afraid, Mandrake, this portal will lead you to the throne room of my castle.'
Though afraid, Mandrake wanted answers and this being was a telepath so maybe he could lift the telepathic block. Clutching Lothar's sword that was still strapped to his waist, he nervously entered the portal. Upon exiting the portals other side he glanced around a shadowy throne room soon spotting a cloaked figure with glowing red eyes sitting on a throne. Before Mandrake could say anything, however, the cloaked figure spoke out loud to him. "Glad to see that you've returned to me, Mandrake. I'm sure you want answers." At Mandrake's nervous nod the figure continued "Your family has been in my service starting with your mother. Unfortunately she died not long after you were born. I have been training you to use your unique gifts ever since."
"What about Lothar? I was told that my memories were blocked by a telepath. If he has been trying to manipulate me, wouldn't he of had to have access to telepathic powers like yourself?" Mandrake asked his eyes filled with suspicion.
"That Leomon known as Lothar was the one who manipulated a telepath to have your memories blocked in the first place. He is currently imprisoned in the castle's dungeon until the local law enforcement picks him up in the morning. Until then, my student, I want you to stay away from him and the dungeon itself." The figure stood from his throne, walked over to Mandrake, and placed a clawed hand on the Wizardmon's shoulder causing Mandrake to shudder in fear. Something about this being made Mandrake's skin crawl but the being continuing to talk snapped his attention back to the creature's glowing eyes. "One of my guards will escort you to your room, Mandrake, and in the morning I will attempt to remove the memory block on your mind." With that the being removed his clawed hand from Mandrake's shoulder causing a sense of relief to flood through the Wizardmon. Shortly a Fugamon appeared and began escorting him to a room that had not much more than a bed and a desk with some books. As the door shut behind him he heard another guard speak to the Fugamon.
"When is the Leomon scheduled for execution?" The voice asked causing Mandrake to freeze in dread as he kept listening. Apparently the guards had no idea that they could be heard.
"He'll be put to death at dawn. Though I wonder why the master even plans to unblock the Wizardmon's memory. Maybe he just enjoys the process of making his defiantly natured recruits suffer. I wonder what makes this Wizardmon different from others anyway?"
"Who knows? We should get back to work since our new recruit is in his room for the night."
Mandrake shuddered as the footsteps of the guards vanished down the hall. Approaching the door to the room he slowly opened it and peeked out. Judging by what the guards said this place would not be ideal for him but he decided he had to free Lothar from the dungeon first so he began walking the halls sneaking around while searching for the dungeon. Soon he reached the dungeon and snuck his way inside. He then began roaming the inside of the dungeon looking for Lothar.
Meanwhile, Lothar had been sitting in the dungeon since he had been snagged by the shadows. He had attempted to knock the cell door off with his attacks but it seemed these cells were made to contain champion level digimon at least so he sat down deciding to bide his time so he could escape the cell and find Mandrake. Little did he know that Mandrake had just acquired the keys to the cells of the dungeon and found Lothar moments later. Despite not having his memory, Mandrake had a feeling that Lothar was trust worthy and the owner of this dark place was not. "Lothar!" Mandrake loudly whispered causing the Leomon to glance in his direction.
"Mandrake? How did you get here?" Lothar asked as Mandrake used the keys to unlock the cell.
"I was invited to this castle by the owner. Come on, I have to get you out of this place. They plan to execute you at dawn." Mandrake said as he threw the cell door open dropping the keys on the ground.
"And you trust me?" Lothar asked as they made their way to the exit of the dungeon.
"Let me put it this way, you're the only one in this castle that doesn't give me the creeps. I don't know why but I feel I can trust you." Mandrake replied making Lothar feel relieved Mandrake was acting more like his normal self.
The duo managed to not only slip out of the dungeon but outside the castle which, ominously enough, seemed to be made of shadows. "I don't like this, Mandrake. It was too easy to escape and something tells me we aren't out of danger yet."
As the ground suddenly began to shake before them, Mandrake replied "Seems as if your instincts are quite sharp, Lothar. We should hurry."
Before any further movement could be made a SkullGreymon burst out of the ground in front of them but before either of them could move, Lothar was snatched off the ground by the SkullGreymon and held in the large monster's grasp. Before Mandrake could say anything shadows stretched out from the ground taking shape of the ominous being from the castle. Then the being stretched his arms out and plucked Mandrake from where he stood and pulled the Wizardmon to him effectively restraining the illusionist since Mandrake dropped his staff in shock. "I was going to spare you the sight of your friend's execution but since you decided to openly defy my orders, you'll have to watch as he is killed by SkullGreymon."
"Are you the one responsible for the telepathic block on my memory?" Mandrake asked as he tried to struggle free of his captor's grip but to no avail.
"Not that it matters but, yes I am responsible. I figured it would be an easy way to capture you since you would be vulnerable. What I didn't expect was that you would stick with that Leomon named Lothar." the foul creature said smugly.
"What do you want with me? If I am as unique as you claim, how can I be of value when I don't even remember how to use my powers as a digimon?" Mandrake asked as a shadowy limb grasped his head forcing Mandrake to look in SkullGreymon's direction.
"I'm going to remove the memory block after your friend is gone. Will make breaking your will much easier." he chuckled.
Tears rolled down Mandrake's cheeks as he gripped the sheathe of Lothar's sword since that was as far as he could move. Lothar's cry of pain caused Mandrake to shout "No!" What happened next was a surprise for not only the shadowy being but Mandrake as well. Mandrake suddenly felt a jolt of power as his body and Lothar's sword was engulfed by light. The bright light had caused his captor to drop Mandrake and scurry back into the castle despite the foul creature being a super mega. "Wizardmon digivolve to Mistymon!" Mandrake while digivolving seemed to copy the data of Lothar's sword which likely explained his new form. As the transformation finished it was as if a fog was lifted in Mandrake's mind as his memories burst forth causing the Mistymon to clutch his head in pain. Lothar's second pained cry caused Mandrake to snap his attention to the SkullGreymon. Glancing at the sword he now wielded it became alive with magical fire. Clutching the sword in both hands he leapt at the hand SkullGreymon was using to crush Lothar and shouted "Blast Fire!" Bringing the flaming sword down on the skeletal dinosaur's hand caused it to release Lothar. Lothar landed in a heap as SkullGreymon howled in pain as it tried to put out the fire that engulfed its hand.
As the SkullGreymon thrashed and howled trying to put out the fire, Mandrake ran to where Lothar landed and knelt down as he heard his friend groan. "Lothar, are you alright?"
Groaning Lothar slowly sat up and looked into Mandrake's sapphire blue eyes noticing his friend's new appearance and then said "Mandrake, you digivolved into Mistymon. How is your memory?"
"It has been restored, old friend, but I'm afraid I have a nasty headache from the flood of memories." Mandrake said.
Before he could say anything more SkullGreymon's roar was heard and its tail was heading swiftly for Mandrake. Lothar grabbed Mandrake as his body began glowing. "Leomon digivolve to GrapLeomon!" Lothar said. With his new found strength and speed he was able to snatch Mandrake and leap away from SkullGreymon's tail.
"It seems I'm not the only one who has digivolved." Mandrake said as Lothar leapt for the SkullGreymon.
The turbines on Lothar's arms begun to rotate at high speed and as Lothar reached SkullGreymon's face he drew back his fist. "Gravity Punch!" Lothar roared as his fist made contact with SkullGreymon's face. The impact distorted the gravity in a radius of ten feet. Mandrake was standing currently outside the radius of the attack since he rose to his feet when Lothar leapt to attack. Lothar, meanwhile, after striking SkullGreymon he sprang off the digimon's head landing alongside Mandrake. The distorted gravity was giving SkullGreymon trouble so the two friend's nodded at each other as if knowing what each other had in mind.
"Blades of Illusion!" Mandrake said as four flaming blades appeared hovering over Mandrake before the magician launched them. Much to SkullGreymon's surprise, only one sword was real and it hit the undead dinosaur in the back while the other three vanished.
Meanwhile, a familiar pale blue aura formed around Lothar as the turbines on his arms spun again. "Aura Bullet Stream!" Lothar exclaimed as, like the attack name said, a stream of aura bullets launched at SkullGreymon. Between the two combined attacks the large digimon collapsed in an unconscious heap.
Mandrake looked in the direction of the dark castle to find it gone. It seemed the castle's master had moved it again and, not knowing if the dark being would return shortly, the two friends began leaving the area. Along the way the two of them returned to their champion forms but Mandrake had an foreboding feeling that the shadowy being would return. It was only a matter of when.
Word Count: 3550
