Birds of a Feather 2: Electric Boogaloo (Unica & Birdie)

It was so nice being back in the digital world. But before the duo coule enjoy their return, they needed to do some shopping; namely, for something that would prevent Unica from losing the digivice again and a holosuit for Birdie to wear next time she went to the human world. "We should head to Terminus Mall. It's got all kinds of stuff for sale," Birdie grumbled.

Unica's entire face lit up upon hearing that they would be going to a mall. "I'm gonna ride the horses!" the young girl giggled, remembering the mechanical ponies that her mommy and daddy would always let her ride when they visited the mall in Shibuya.

The avian eyed her tamer with a hint of disgust, but she said nothing condescending... though she may have wanted to. Instead, she remained silent and slowly led the way through the crowd. Unica continued to muse excitedly about shopping and buying a lot of junk food because there were no adults around to tell her not to. Birdie's narrow, angry eyes revealed the rage that was boiling up inside of her as a direct result of having to hear the child's persistent ramblings, but she continued to bite her tongue. The only times she spoke were to say, "This way."

When they were finally on the street where the mall was located, Birdie glanced at Unica and motioned to a building's rooftop that could be seen over the heads of the Ultimate and Mega Digimon that wandered the streets. "It's there. See it?" she asked.

Unica stood on her tiptoes and craned her neck. "Nuh-uh."

"It's right there," Birdie said, a sharpness to her tone. "It's the biggest building on the street."

"Oh, yeah!" Unica exclaimed, suddenly overcome with excitement again. "I'm gonna ride the horses!"

"You said that already."

The girl giggled, "I know." Most people who were fond of children may have found her giddiness adorable and contagious, but Birdie was no such individual. Unica's voice was like nails on a chalkboard and everything she said just highlighted how stupid human children were. Birdie would've given her tamer every last cent she had in exchange for 24 hours of silence. That's how much she despised Unica. And yet, she still remained silent. She didn't go out of her way to upset the young girl, and she didn't speak her mind because she knew it would be considered "rude." Birdie's fierce attempt at being kind was likely a major reason why she didn't recognize Kaya and Hawkeye walking on the opposite side of the street, a short distance away.

Birdie was annoyed, but she was doing a decent job biting her tongue and staying couth, all things considered. She'd promised her young tamer that she would try to behave herself and be a friendly 'mon, which was in direct opposition with her life goal to rule the digital world, but Unica didn't need to know that. All she needed to think was that Birdie had turned over a new leaf, and that was easy enough to do by staying out of trouble and keeping her head down until she was strong enough to overcome all who opposed her. The darkness was still bellowing inside her tiny, fluffy form, but as long as it stayed bottle up and no one else had to feel her wrath, it would be okay.

Well, Birdie's temper and patience was soon tested when a familiar pair walked up to them. The peeved Biyomon instantly sighed and turned her head away from the Hawkmon and pre-teen girl. "Just perfect," she spat under her breath. Unica was puzzled at first, but upon hearing the red bird's short monologue about the avians' previous encounter, she looked to her partner for answers. The Hawkmon smirked and crossed his wings over his chest, clearly feeling proud of himself for having the upper ground. Birdie shot a frustrated look back at Hawkeye, pure rage and a violent urge clear as day on her face. And yet, she didn't move. She didn't speak. She just stood there beside her tamer, her breathing shallow and her muscles quivering with the desire to get her revenge.

It was Unica who eventually broke the silence. "Hi! Are you Birdie's friends?" she asked, either not understanding Hawkeye's recap of their previous skirmish or intentionally choosing to ignore the tension in the air. After all, Birdie was a different person now. She'd learned from her mistakes! Well, no, not completely. Unica wasn't so foolish to think that Birdie had completely reformed. She still saw how angry her partner got over little things, and she still caught the Biyomon muttering insults when she thought no one was listening. But recognizing her temper and not lashing out in public were good first steps. It was good enough for Unica, at least.

The young girl smiled and bowed slightly; she may have looked American, but her handle of the Japanese language was pretty good and her knowledge of custom Japanese etiquette spoke to her cultural upbringing. "Hi! I'm Unica!" she chimed, a wide smile still on her face. Her eagerness and joy at the idea of meeting new people and making some friends stood in polar opposition to Birdie's fierce, stern glower. "What are your names?" she went on to ask. The Biyomon opened her mouth, as if to say something, but she instantly shut it and continued to stare daggers at Hawkeye in silence.

"No, she tried to kill us," Kaya stated rather matter-of-factly after laughing at the girl's question about whether the duo were Birdie's friends. The Hawkmon seemed to understand that this wasn't something you could just say to a seven-year-old, for he scolded his tamer but ultimately conceded that neither one were too good at sugarcoating difficult news. And yet, this fact did little to soften the blow. Unica felt her chest tighten and her eyes water. She shot a look at Birdie, but the Biyomon refused to meet her tamer's gaze. The two had their fair share of difficult history, and Unica knew that her partner had a violent streak, but the fact that she was once again caught in the middle of it made her feel terrible.

She tried to remember what her friend Tetsu had said. It wasn't her job to parent Birdie, and so she shouldn't feel responsible when the avian made bad decisions... especially when she wasn't around to do anything about it. And yet, it still felt like a slap across the face. Birdie was her partner, so whatever Birdie did reflected on her. After all, what was the purpose of a tamer if not to "tame" bad behavior? Unica swallowed hard, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and turned back to the strangers. The older girl introduced herself as Kaya and her digital partner as Hawkeye. Had Unica been more into superheroes, she may have commented on Hawkeye's namesake, but she was largely unaware of superhero culture, so no mention of it was made.

Instead, she responded to Hawkeye's comment about it being a pleasure to meet Unica but not Birdie. "Yeah, she can be a really meanie sometimes, but she's getting better!" the young girl exclaimed, not feeling entirely confident in the words she spoke. Birdie huffed, tore her gaze from Hawkeye, and scanned the crowd for any officers. Although she wasn't planning to start a fight, knowing how much time she had to get in a few hits would ultimately be for the best, she though. Before, Birdie wouldn't have had any reservations about getting in a few hits and fleeing when the going got tough, but she needed Unica. The hit-and-run strategy wouldn't really work anymore because she had the girl to look after. Still, she kept an eye out for paroling officers.

No one really believed Unica's comment about Birdie "getting better." It was nothing more a nice lie that the young tamer repeated to herself and to anyone who would listen. In a way, she hoped that by saying it enough, it would eventually become a reality... and it seemed to be working on some level. Maybe the reason why Birdie wasn't acting hostile was because they were in the city and there guards loomed around every corner, but Unica chose to believe that it was because the avian was learning to bite her tongue and mind her manners. After all, the first time the two had met, Birdie got in a fight with a Cutemon and screamed profanities at the young girl. But now? She didn't even utter an insult. She avoided engaging in the conversation for fear of losing her temper. And that was a sign of progress.

...Right?

Fortunately for Unica, she didn't have to defend her faith in Birdie because Kaya and Hawkeye changed the topic of conversation by asking about a RedMagnamon. The young tamer furrowed her brows together and made a face of utter confusion as she repeated the creature's name, slowly and deliberately emphasizing each syllable in the hope that it would spark some recognition. As she wracked her brain for an answer, Birdie spoke up. Though the Biyomon looked annoyed and on the verge of violence, her tone was rather calm and inquisitive. "Magnamon are usually blue," she said, stating the obvious. She didn't say it to be condescending or imply that the duo were lying, but rather, she said it with a hint of uncertainty and intrigue in her voice.

"I've met a white Renamon and a blue Tinkermon before, so I guess it's not that crazy to think a red Magnamon exists somewhere, but we've never seen one," Birdie explained. There was still a sharpness in her tone; it wasn't cruelness or hostility, exactly--just a bit of a cutting edge to her tone that would've intimidated more anxious beings. Perhaps it was caused by the lingering resentment she felt toward Hawkeye and Kaya, or perhaps it was how she naturally spoke. Either way, in that moment, Birdie was a strange enigma which displayed both a silent danger and a desire to help.

Unica perked up then, lifted her hand in the air as if waiting to be called on, and bounced on the balls of her feet. "Oh, oh!" she exclaimed. Birdie closed her beak and looked in her tamer's direction, quietly giving the girl permission to go ahead and speak. "I know a red Digimon! He has a really pretty tail," she pantomimed a peacock-like tail using her hands, "and blue stripes and REALLY long ears!" She once again used her hands to mime what she was attempting to describe.

Birdie huffed in irritation, "You mean an Elecmon? That's not what we're talking about. Why don't you just keep quiet and let the Digimon talk?" Unica dropped the cutesy act mere seconds and shot the Biyomon an exaggerated glare. Birdie sighed heavily and look away from the group, seemingly ashamed by the silent scolding she'd just received. Unica smiled, proud of herself, and turned back to Hawkeye and Kaya.

What Kaya had to add to the conversation had little bearing on Birdie's comment about letting Digimon talk. Kaya and Hawkeye already knew what the Biyomon thought of humans and digital monsters teaming up, so it really shouldn't have come a surprise when she intentionally excluded the elder tamer from the conversation. Unica refused to let the quip slide, however. While she had been told plenty of times to "let the adults talk" or "go play with the other children" as a way to be dismissed from a conversation, it was different with Birdie. Unica was just as much a part of this discussion as her partner, and she refused to be pushed aside. Had she dared scold Birdie before their recent reunion, it would have likely ended with verbal insults and possibly even physical abuse, but not now. After all, the Biyomon promised to be on her best behavior!

When complimented by the red avian, Unica giggled and twisted side to side in a bashful way. She only stopped when Kaya asked how the two became partners. Birdie scoffed at the question but was silent otherwise. "Oh, I was going to school with my mommy and I got lost in a big desert and I was really scared and I found Miss Lady and Doggy." She brought an index finger to her chin as she thought back to that day. "Doggy turned into a big kitty! And Bunny was there! She was my pretend partner." The girl smiled at the memory. "We ran really fast, all the way to a big city! Like Shibuya, but different. There were scary monsters, and we were counting. Then Birdie bumped into me!" Unica explained, though her smile vanished at this part of the story.

"Birdie was really mean. Birdie and Bunny started fighting and I was crying and Doggy turned into the police and made them stop." Birdie sighed and crossed her wings over her chest, either annoyed by Unica's rushed story-telling or irritated at the girl's interpretation of events. Either way, she continued to watch the streets instead of the group standing so close nearby. Unica continued, seemingly unaware of her partner's frustration toward her. "I was crying really bad, but my backpack was glowing and making lots of noise," the girl said as she pulled the white and lavender digivice from her pocket. "It was a phone!" she exclaimed proudly.

"It's a digivice!" Birdie screamed, whipping her head around and glowering at her tamer. "How many times do I have to say it?!"

Though Unica recoiled at first in response to the outburst, she was quick to recover. Instead of crying or cowering, she instead giggled weakly and said, "I know, I was being silly."

Birdie was trembling with frustration. She knew that she needed to leave or risk losing her temper... more than she already had. Through gritted teeth--or gritted beak?--Birdie excused herself with a quiet "I'll catch you guys later." With that, she beat her wings twice before ascending. She circling the group a few times then flew off down the street. If anyone watched where she really went, they would've seen that she stopped flying upon reaching the mall and was currently perched upon its roof. It was far enough away for her to cool down, but it was still close enough where she could rush in if there was trouble.

The young girl, however, wasn't finished with her story. After Birdie took to the skies, Unica continued, "The digivice made Birdie really nice." She looked down at the digivice in her hand with longing. "She said she was my guardian angel, but I think she was lying. Miss Lady, Doggy, and me got in a train and went back to mommy, but I was really sad. I didn't want to leave Birdie or Bunny. But when I met Birdie again, she was really mean." There were clearly some details and facts missing from the girl's story, but she had provided Hawkeye and Kaya with the basic timeline of how things had transpired.

Unfortunately for Unica and her two new acquaintances, what she failed to realized was how little sense she was making. Her flimsy storytelling abilities and the sheer lack of details she provided made it difficult for anyone who hadn't experiences the events first-hand to follow along. Regardless, she still tried her best to explain, and that effort was rewarded with nods and feigned smiles. If this were a '90s anime, there certainly would have been comedically large sweat droplets forming on both Kaya and Hawkeye's heads.

In response to Birdie's claim about being the young girl's guardian angel and Unica's belief that the avian was lying, Kaya explained that, in a way, Birdie was telling the truth. Partners, in some sense, were bonded to each other and were meant to be each other's guardian angels. Unica considered this for a moment before frowning, though she didn't press the issue. She was uncomfortable with the idea that such a rude and abusive creature could be her gift from above--whether the deity in question was a human construct or a digital one remained to be seen--but she had to admit that Birdie had protected her from some real mean Digimon in the past.

They needed each other. Unica needed Birdie for protection and Birdie needed Unica to get stronger. It was just a shame that their relationship hindered on their usefulness to one another rather than love and appreciation. Their strained partnership seemed to be atypical, and that fact upset the young tamer more that it did Birdie. Every Digimon/human duo Unica met were friendly to one another. Yes, they had their own unique dynamics, but she couldn't remember meeting a single partnership that had such a dysfunctional relationship as she had with Birdie. And for that reason, she was reluctant to call Birdie her "guardian angel" as she had in the past.

By the time Unica finished her story, the trio were near the front entrance of the mall. Birdie eyed them from on high and swooped down when Kaya motioned her over. The pink avian descended with talons bared and narrowly missing striking the elder girl in a display of hostility. For anyone who noticed, it seemed to be an obvious reminder that Birdie still had unresolved aggression directed at Kaya. And yet, the threat was subtle enough for Unica not to notice, and so the Biyomon was not scolded for the act.

When questioned about some of the finer points in Unica's story, Birdie scoffed. "Yeah, well, it's like she said. I guess she was on her way to school in the human world or something, but the digivice in her bag acted up and opened a portal that teleported her to the Folder Desert. She claims that it bumped against something, but I dunno. I wasn't there. While lost in the desert, she met some people. A mute tamer named Yuu. Her pet, a Plotmon named Kyo. And an annoying Cutemon who insisted on being called Coolmon." The acidity in Birdie's voice had returned again as she spoke about the three strangers.

"They brought Unica to the city 'cause they wanted to use Trailmon Station to get her back to the human world, but they ran into me. Long-Ears wasn't happy about that and tried picking a fight, so ya know, I did what I do and I fought back." Birdie rolled her eyes and waved a feather in the air dismissively. "Look, it doesn't really matter. All you've gotta know is that Unica was crying like a little baby and that's what caused the digivice in her backpack to start glowing. Call it fate or whatever, but it was then that we realized I was her..." the Biyomon made a face of disgust and practically choked on the word, "...partner."

When Kaya snapped and demanded to know what Birdie's problem was, she was met with a look of disgust, confusion, and judgement. From the way the Biyomon was staring, it was as if the preteen had something offensive written on her face, smelled disgusting, or had started speaking a foreign language. The girl may have had a point, but the pink and blue avian behaved as if the outburst was utterly uncalled for. The problem, Birdie decided, was not with her but was instead with Kaya and Hawkeye. In reply to the preteen's words, Birdie rolled her eyes and scoffed in disapproval before flapping her wings, lifting on the ground a few feet, and gliding to Unica's side. Although she hated the idea of being around either human, she at least knew how to handle her own tamer.

An awkward silence fell between the four as they entered the mall, but that silence was quickly shattered by Unica clasping her hands together and gasped in amazement. Her blue eyes grew wide and began to shimmer with excitement. The mall was so big! It made sense, since it needed to make accommodations for larger Digimon, but for Unica--a girl who'd only ever seen human-sized malls--the sight was something to behold. Though she stopped to admire the interior of the building they were all walking into, Birdie kept going, unfazed and unamused by Unica's awe-inspired state. Instead, the avian immediately approached a directory map that was on display on a large bulletin board. She scanned the text silently before nodding once to herself and looking back at her young tamer. "C'mon or I'm leaving you behind," Birdie snapped.

"Coming!" Unica chimed as she tore her eyes from the ceiling and jogged after her partner.