Plotline - The Search For Mu-kun

Mukuroyukihime didn't have a childhood that could be considered "normal". Whisked away from the Village of Beginnings when she was but a fresh Digimon, Mukuroyukihime was raised by her mentors and fathers in a small, secluded village in the Southern Tropics. There, she was raised to be a ninja, and despite being a child-level Digimon, she grew adept in its arts. She even began to develop the ability to alter her data at will, a technique only the greatest of masters could perform.

Unfortunately, her... judgment and focus were still lacking, and instead of remaining in the village and training, she was sent out on a mission despite her inexperience. With luck, she would develop the practical experience first-hand, and truly become a ninja master. But instead, Mu-kun met... her.

It's a tale as old as time. Bird meets girl. Bird stabs girl with a feather-shaped dagger. Girl saves bird from a rampaging dinosaur despite their first meeting. Bird falls in love with girl, and devotes her life to protecting her at all costs.

But sadly for Mukuroyukihime, a happily-ever-after with her beloved wasn't meant to be. For the young girl Nanami Hanabana was moving to greater heights on her adventures, alongside her two partners, Mocha and Cream. And those were heights that the rookie-level wasn't able to keep up with. But... if Mu-kun could no longer adequately protect the one person she wanted to protect no matter what... what purpose did she serve? 

Mu-kun wasn't sure, but she knew that if she remained by her Lady Nanami's side, then she would only be a burden to her. And the prideful Falcomon wasn't going to do that. So... Mukuroyukihime's true journey began. She abandoned her beloved without even saying goodbye. 

But after that, the Falcomon had no place to return to. She essentially abandoned her mission to instead accompany Nanami in her travels, and wouldn't dare show her face in her home village. And she wanted to go to a place where Nanami wouldn't be able to find her, no matter how hard the pink-haired girl looked. 

So Mu-kun set out for the Dark Area. Perhaps a trifle too great for the young Falcomon, but it was the only place she could think of. But it was there that Mu-kun's wish would be granted, but in a nightmarish, terrifying way. He called himself Shademon, a being of darkness that was little more than a shadow. And yet this many-eyed blob of darkness promised the Falcomon great power if she accepted its invitation.

Shademon needed a being with a malleable Digital frame such as Mu-kun's, and despite her better judgment, the promise of gaining strength was too great for her to ignore. She couldn't dare show her face to Nanami ever again; not after abandoning her, but being able to protect wasn't the same as being her companion. If Mu-kun could protect Lady Nanami, if only from afar, she could be content, regardless of what she looked like.

So Mukuroyukihime accepted Shademon's offer, and merged with the being of shadows. But she didn't fully expect what this being of resentment and hatred was capable of. So Mu-kun indeed gained a great power. But she had lost herself as a result.

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Other Characters

Nanami Hanabana - After having just triumphed over a great battle, unlocked her partner's Ultimate-level evolutions, and became a captain of her own pirate crew, Nanami had been feeling great about her adventure thus far. But the very next day she discovered that one of her closest friends had gone missing. And had left of her own accord. Was it... her fault? Nanami had been so wrapped up in the battles and adventures thus far that she hadn't even begun to think about how everyone else felt about their adventure! 

But... leaving wasn't allowed! Nanami wasn't allowed to lose any friends on her adventure! Because... Nanami had to be the one to go away! Not the other way around! So Nanami set off on her own journey to find Mu-kun and bring her back. It was selfish of her, but Nanami had to do it. Because Mu-kun was too precious a friend for her to lose. 

Ultimately, Nanami's journey through this arc will be one of "maturity". Whether she likes it or not, she's the leader of their merry little band, and if she's going to truly lead others on her adventures, then she needs to hold herself accountable for other people's suffering. She had begun to take Mu-kun's devotion for granted, and what began as a journey to bring her friend back will become a journey to find her friend and apologize for her selfishness.

Mocha the Lopmon - Having constantly ridiculed and mocked the Falcomon's uselessness for some time now, and after a brief exchange before taking her leave, Mocha can't help but feel a little guilty. Maybe if she tried a little harder, the damned bird wouldn't have left and her partner, the person she swore to protect, wouldn't be as devastated. Mocha couldn't care less about whether Mu-kun left or stayed, but the fact that Nanami was hurt by something that Mocha could have prevented... it just doesn't sit right with the Lopmon. 

So among the group, Mocha is one of the most driven to find their missing feathered friend. And she's even willing to get a little serious to do it, too. Mocha's journey is one of accountability. For too long did the Lopmon say and do whatever she pleased, and have little to no consequence. But Mocha is no longer with just her sister, where she could just be herself. Now she has an impressionable human partner, and a number of people who see Mocha not for who she is underneath, but the things she says and does. 

Cream the Terriermon - To be perfectly honest, Cream doesn't agree with searching for Mu-kun at all. She left of her own free will... why should they go look for her? Surely if Mu-kun wanted to come back, she could track them down again. It wasn't like Nanami was hard to find or anything, now that she was leading a pirate crew or something. But seeing Nanami so hurt, and seeing Mocha serious about something... it's unsettling for the Terriermon. She has never seen these behaviors from either of them, and Cream is worried about what's going to happen if they stay down whatever road they're heading into. 

While Cream has the least stake in this entire adventure, her journey is one of "normalcy". She's concerned that Nanami and Mocha aren't acting like themselves, and she tries to go out of her comfort zone in order to bring the pair back to their senses. But with each passing day, it seems like Nanami and Mocha are reaching for a new normal, and Cream isn't sure if this is maturity at work, or something far, far worse.

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Other Mercs: While the bond between Mu-kun and Nanami is the main focus of this storyline, this will also introduce several new mercs as well. They're more relegated to support-characters, but I'd like to exemplify their strengths as characters however I can. 

Polas the Blizzarmon and Shiroku the Chakmon will be in the background, and won't be present during Nanami's journey. If their captain is going off on an adventure the day after becoming captain, it's up to Polas and Shiroku to keep their crew in line until they come back. It's unfortunate because they would have just been introduced at this point, but they'll get their chances to shine, though I doubt to the scale of this storyline. Sorry, you two. But I'd be down for threads with them on the side.

Nico the Terriermon Assistant and Ferryweather the Locomon will be introduced early on in this storyline. Nanami's going to need someone to transport them to the Dark Area eventually, and luckily for them, helping this duo on the road is going to lead to that. After that, Nico will serve as the resident "smart person" while Ferry will... be a train. Since Ferry's an Ultimate-level, they might be good for a couple fights, but big ol' train can get kind of cumbersome eventually.

Kumiho the Youkomon will serve as Nanami's guide to the Dark Area once they arrive. She's a little down on her luck, but as a Champion she's strong enough to help out without being strong enough to decide a battle on her own. And it's possible she might know a thing or two about the true enemy of this plotline...

And finally, there's Black Feather Assassin X. A mysterious Ravemon that appears whenever Nanami seems to be in danger, it's possible that this birdman Digimon is the key to it all... but one can only conjecture at this point. 

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The Antagonist 

So I'm gonna be honest here. I'm really, really bad at writing external villains that go beyond "mwahahaha take over the wurld lol", so Shademon might be a bit basic. 

But as far as Shademon's backstory, I was thinking something along the lines of... being a shadow of a Digimon long since forgotten. All the resentment and malice its former host built up during their long life was cast out into this being, and it's sole purpose in life is to find someone who can make it complete once more. Shademon can merge with another Digimon, and coexist with them. But Shademon is initially unable to manipulate its host's actions without their consent. However, Shademon can eventually overwhelm them with its negativity, and once they fall into their deepest, darkest despair, it offers them a helping hand... "You're not alone anymore... so just relax, and let me do this for you!" And one choice becomes another, and eventually Shademon consumes its host until their Digital Body wastes away, where Shademon searches for its next host. 

But Shademon has tired of finding host after host. Living in different bodies is disorienting, and there's only so many times it can play the same charade without getting bored. So it wants to find someone... special. And along came Mukuroyukihime. A young, impressionable, outright foolish entity plagued with self-doubt. And an unusually malleable digital frame. This was something Shademon could work with! With a body like this, Shademon could eventually become whatever form it wished! And perhaps, one day, if it remembered what it once belonged to... it could return to being itself once again. 

Shademon isn't an ambitious villain, and it has no enemies it wishes to slay, either. Shademon is simply a Digimon wishing to be complete, and happens to lack the morals to restrain itself. 

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List of Threads Planned 

Sayonara - (Northern Prominence) Solo. As Mocha and Mu-kun share a brief but heated conversation underneath a moonlit night, Mu-kun makes a decision that will forever change the course of her beloved.

In Need of a Lift - (Network Plains) Small thread. Group encounters a broken down Locomon, with a Terriermon Assistant on the verge of a mental breakdown. After receiving their help, and making the repairs, Nico and Ferryweather join the party.

Home is Where the Heart Is - (Southern Tropics) Group Thread. Thanks to Shiroku's intel, Nanami manages to locate and discover Mu-kun's home village - one comprised entirely of ninjas! If she wants to get any information from them at all, Nanami and her friends are going to need to overcome feathered friend's family trials!

In A Dark Place - (Dark Area). Solo. Mu-kun is wounded, lonely, and struggling to survive in the harshness of this land, but a strange shadow offers a helping hand. And a promise for something much greater. Mu-kun makes one more bad decision. 

To Another Land - (The Forsaken Wasteland) Group Thread. Having just touched down in the Dark Area, Nanami and co. struggle to find their bearings before receiving a not-so-warm welcome. Nanami is endangered, but a strange being covered in black feathers rescues her before wordlessly vanishing into the shadows. The group meets Kumiho, who guides them towards the most civilized place in the Dark Area.

City of Darkness - (Deeplane City) Small Thread. Having made their way to the first signs of civilization, Nanami causes something of a ruckus within the city's borders, on a frantic search for her friend. Member of Deeplane Council preferred.

A Fiendish Feast - (Dark Area) Small Thread. Back on the dark road, Nanami and co. encounter a strange castle emerging from black mist. Its owner, Vamdemon, welcomes them with open arms, preparing a feast in their honor. Only, it's his guests that are on the menu! Before she can get eaten, Nanami is saved once again by the mysterious Black Feather Assassin X, but after she leaves Vamdemon Digivolves and strikes out again. Cream Digivolves to Ophanimon. 

A Curious Encounter - (Fragment Village) Group Thread. While recovering from their previous encounter, Nanami and co. travel to Fragment Village, in the hopes of locating any more leads to Mu-kun's location. However, they're side-tracked by the village's... unusual inhabitants, instead. 

Shadow of Her Former Self - (Forsaken Wasteland). Group Thread. Having exhausted all options, the group decides that the only one who seems to know anything about Mu-kun is the Black Feather Assassin X. So the group sets a trap to capture her. Unfortunately, the shadowy Ravemon goes berserk, and they must fight the mysterious assassin. Meanwhile, after having relented control, Mu-kun struggles to regain her body once more. Mocha Digivolves to Dianamon. Good guys win, everyone gets pizza.

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So... yeah. That's what I got planned and whatnot. If anyone's interested in helping me out with this plotline, or have any advice or recommendations, hit me up. It's a tad bit ambitious for my tastes, but it's also something I've always wanted to try.