14Takuya groaned as he opened his eyes, unsure of how much time had passed since he was last conscious. He slowly pushed himself off the ground, feeling dirt and grass below him. The light from above was overpowering, and it took him a moment or two to gather his bearings after his vision was shrouded in darkness for so long.
He could hear murmurs from all directions, but he didn't have the slightest clue who could be making those sounds. Confusion hit him at first until he heard a grumble from Junpei off to his right. Everything that had happened the day before came flooding back to his mind, and a light gasp left his lips.
That was right. They were running from the Candlemon after being attacked the night before, but his power had run out while he was Agunimon, and he crashed on the ground. The others had all gone down with him too, though he didn't know where specifically they were. He remembered seeing a large tree nearby when he was falling, but everything else was fuzzy.
Takuya managed to sit up despite the ongoing complaints of his muscles, and he rubbed at his eyes. His goggles had fallen down onto his neck during the crash, and he reached down to put them back on top of his head as he glanced around at his companions. Junpei was sitting up already, and Tomoki had Bokomon and Neemon hanging off his shoulders as he got to his feet slowly. Izumi pushed herself off the dirt, shaking her left arm through the air to dispel some invisible pain that had appeared in it during the night.
Good. They're all alive, Takuya thought distantly. The murmurs returned to his mind as he became sure without a shadow of a doubt that the voices didn't belong to his friends.
Takuya's gaze fell on a crowd of Digimon that had come to surround his party. They all appeared to be different copies of the same creature. Their bodies were a pale green color, and their legs were green and appeared to be made of roots. Their spiked tails followed a similar pattern. Their arms were connected to their bodies at green shoulder pads, though the limbs themselves were pale purple that got darker at the root-like fingers. A curly yellow strand protruded from each hand at the center. Their heads were yellow and connected to their torsos with a pattern of red petals with pink centers. Their eyes were as blue as the sky itself, and red helmets sat atop their heads.
"Floramon," Bokomon explained, though Takuya figured that it was more of an observation for himself rather than a definition for the humans of the group.
One Floramon stepped forward from the crowd. "Who are you?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.
"We're travelers," Junpei replied simply. "We were attacked in the night, and it seems we crashed here."
"I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience," Izumi told the Floramon, rising to her feet and bowing her head in apology.
"You all look pretty badly hurt," the Floramon remarked, examining the four humans before looking to Bokomon and Neemon.
At these words, Takuya found himself looking to the rest of the group, and he realized that she had a point. Bruises littered everyone's skin, and a few cuts could be seen here and there. Izumi's blonde hair had grown dirty from the crash, and she was forced to tear a clump of mud away from her tresses.
"Yeah... I guess so," Tomoki remarked. He swallowed nervously as he brushed some dirt away from his knee.
"Would it be alright if we stayed here for a day to recover our strength? I promise that we'll be out of your hair as soon as possible," Izumi said gently, taking a small step forward towards Floramon.
Floramon hesitated at first, something Bokomon noticed, prompting him to speak up. "We are agents of Seraphimon looking to rid this world of Cherubimon's tyranny," he explained. "Cherubimon has hurt far too many innocent creatures, and we would like to do what we can to change that."
Floramon's features relaxed at these words. "You work for Lord Seraphimon?" she questioned. "Why didn't you just say so? We Floramon are eternally loyal to Lord Seraphimon! Please, come inside!"
Floramon turned around, and the rest of the surrounding creatures followed her lead. The chatter, which had previously seemed somewhat tense and heavy, grew excited, and Takuya couldn't keep a smile off his face. They certainly seemed kind, and if they were in service of Seraphimon, then they likely wouldn't wind up betraying the group as the Candlemon had. Takuya couldn't believe the bar was already set so low on his second day there, but he assumed that being somewhat uneasy was par for the course after the night before.
The Floramon who had spoken to them gestured for the group to follow her, and they did so silently. Floramon took them to a large tree that seemed to stretch so high into the sky that it could vanish into the clouds. Takuya craned his neck to look at it, and he still couldn't catch a glimpse of the branches up at the top. "Wow," he muttered in awe.
"Welcome to Breezy Village!" Floramon exclaimed, holding one arm up to show off the tree. She started walking towards it, and Takuya realized that a staircase was carved out of the center of the wood. Floramon began the trek upwards, and Takuya followed after her, the rest of his companions not far behind him.
"Breezy Village is a home for those loyal to Lord Seraphimon. We make our homes in this large tree that was said to have been planted by Lord Seraphimon himself in ancient times," Floramon continued. "He set the seed here as a sign of good faith towards the future after the war against Lucemon ended. Ever since then, we Floramon have lived here, enjoying the quality existence that Seraphimon has provided us with."
"It's beautiful..." Izumi whispered, letting out a small sigh. "Something about this place feels so cozy and homey."
"I don't know what you mean," Junpei admitted. "I mean, I guess it's a bit windier than the average place, but..."
"Something about it just seems perfect to me," Izumi insisted, a smile creeping onto her face. "Thank you for letting us stay here, Floramon."
"Thank you for fighting back against Cherubimon," Floramon replied, smiling herself. "We lack the raw power to oppose him, but we are in full support of what you and your friends are doing. If you need anything while you are here, all you need to do is ask."
Bokomon cleared his throat before speaking up. "As a matter of fact, we could use some food. Would it be possible for us to get a meal?" he questioned.
Floramon nodded. "Of course! You must have been exhausted beyond imagination to crash land so suddenly, and I'm happy to do what I can in order to help you all to feel better again," she answered, practically beaming with excitement. She started to walk away from the staircase, instead finding a path in a nearby branch that was set apart from the tree. "Watch your step!"
Takuya looked down briefly, and he cringed upon realizing just how far off the ground he was. He bit his lip and shook his head, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other to keep from paying attention to the grass and branches below. Floramon opened the door to a small house resting at the edge of the branch and gestured for everyone to walk inside. Takuya stumbled in and began to glance around.
Even if the home was rather small, something about it felt sweet and comfortable. There was more than enough room for the group to all fit inside, and they all took seats around a table that rested at the center of the main room. The chairs were a bit too small for Takuya's liking, but they didn't seem to bother Tomoki or Izumi, likely since they were shorter than he was. Bokomon and Neemon didn't mind much either.
"You have a lovely home," Izumi told Floramon with a smile that could light up a thousand worlds. "Thank you again for inviting us here. It really does mean a lot."
Floramon grinned in response. She crossed the room to where a cupboard was propped up on the wall, and she opened it before pulling out a stack of bowls. "It's truly my pleasure," she insisted. Floramon began to walk around the table, setting down a bowl in front of each member of the group. She moved towards another cabinet shortly afterwards, pulling out a pitcher full of yellow soup. She poured some of the gentle broth into each of the bowls until it was empty. "Eat up, everyone!"
"Thank you," Tomoki said sweetly before picking up his bowl and tilting it to his mouth. After a moment of sipping, he set it back down. "This is delicious!"
"I figured you would like it," Floramon told him. "It's a specialty of Breezy Village." She walked over to the door once again. "I'm going to check on everyone else to make sure your arrival didn't cause too much of an upset. Enjoy yourselves! Our home is your home!"
Floramon left, and the door tapped shut once it was fully closed. As soon as he was sure they wouldn't be disturbed once again, Bokomon pulled out his book. "Now would be the perfect time for me to give this a bit more attention..." he murmured.
Takuya finished taking a drink of some of the soup before setting the bowl down and rubbing at his mouth with the back of his hand. "That reminds me... Tomoki and I figured something out after we went to find the Spirit of Ice last night," he declared. "We think that the voice we hear through our D-Tectors belongs to Ophanimon."
"That wouldn't surprise me," Bokomon remarked. "She's a prominent figure in the Digital World with a voice on the higher side... I've never met her, so I couldn't say for sure, but I believe it's safe to make that assumption as of now."
"I wonder where she is... What do you know about her?" Neemon asked, looking to Bokomon with a small tilt of his head.
Bokomon sighed and shook his head. "I know just as much as you do. She's a Celestial Digimon. She came to Evergreen Dawn to speak with Seraphimon. I saw her once just before Seraphimon sent us off, but that's all there is to it. We've never actually had a conversation," he answered.
"I'm sure that we'll see her one of these days... Our quest right now is to go and find Seraphimon, but if something happens to him, then we'll need to turn our sights for her," Izumi pointed out.
"Don't talk like that!" Bokomon cried. "Seraphimon is an incredibly powerful Digimon! He will not be defeated by some degenerate like Cherubimon. It doesn't matter how powerful Cherubimon becomes. He will not find a way to defeat Seraphimon no matter how hard he tries."
"I noticed something else since we arrived here," Junpei frowned. "Everyone else here calls him Lord Seraphimon, but you don't use the title." A light smirk appeared on his face. "Perhaps you aren't quite as loyal to Seraphimon as you're letting on, Bokomon."
Bokomon gasped, shocked at the audacity Junpei had to say such words. "Quiet, you! I'll have you know that I called him by the title for many years. It wasn't until he personally requested that I stop that I dropped the prefix of lord. He insisted we were equals while I acted as a worker in his library, and who was I to turn against his will? He is incredibly powerful, and if he wanted me to treat him as my parallel, then I had no choice," he explained, letting out a huff afterwards. "Honestly! So rude..."
Takuya finished drinking the rest of the soup in his bowl and set it down. He was feeling better already, and the soup was much better than he expected. So far, the Digital World was two for two as far as great meals were concerned. "Maybe we should plan a way to get out of here sooner rather than later. It would be best for us to have an outline ready for when the time comes to set out for Evergreen Dawn again," he suggested.
Junpei nodded his agreement. "You're right. If we stick around here for too long, we might bring trouble to the locals. We haven't run into any fighters Cherubimon deliberately sent after us yet, but it's only a matter of time before he figures out what we're up to and tries to get rid of us. I would rather we avoid having innocent Digimon wind up caught in the crossfires of that chaos," he said.
Izumi let out a small sigh, setting down her bowl after draining it completely. "I don't know how to describe it, but this whole place feels nice... Ever since we got here, I've felt amazing. I can't say I particularly know why, but it's great," she remarked, closing her eyes and looking up to the ceiling.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Neemon commented. He took another drink of his soup before setting down the bowl once more. "It just feels like another village to me."
Izumi shrugged before rising to her feet and stretching her arms over her head. "I think I'm going to take a short walk. I want to see what else this place has in store. I'll be back soon," she explained. She gave the group a brief wave before opening the door and leaving the small home behind.
Takuya watched as Izumi left before looking back to the group. "Bokomon, do you happen to have a map with you? We could certainly use something like that right about now," he commented.
Bokomon nodded. He flipped to the very front of his book, and carved into the inside of the cover and onto the first page was a map of the Digital World. "This isn't in too much detail since it's zoomed out, but it might be able to give us some sort of idea," he murmured. He showed off the book, and Takuya saw that the inside of the cover was a map pressed flat of the global Digital World, but the other side of the map was zoomed in on each of the different regions.
"Fancy," Junpei murmured. "Now, let's get down to planning what's next. I really don't want to have to stay here overnight. The sooner we can go to find Seraphimon, the better. The Floramon shouldn't be tied up in our messes just because we stuck around here for a while."
"I agree," Bokomon said. He began to point to a small segment of the zoomed-in map. "Alright. Let's start from here, our current location..."
Izumi was surprisingly agile as she navigated the large tree at the heart of Breezy Village. She hummed to herself, allowing her senses to take her wherever they willed. She closed her eyes after finding herself on a particularly thick branch that extended outwards from the center of the tree. She pressed her hand against the wood, a light sigh leaving her lips as the wind ruffled her hair. There was no way for her to describe that feeling aside from magical, though she didn't know quite why.
Ever since they arrived in Breezy Village, or, to be more specific, the tree at the heart of the town, Izumi had felt oddly light. Given what happened the night before, she had all rights to feel exhausted. She had barely slept, and even when she did rest, it was after a horrible crash landing. Then there was the matter of the hostage situation since Tomoki found his Spirit. Despite all of this, Izumi felt on top of the world, though she couldn't figure out why for the life of her.
Still, she didn't bother to look into it further. Did it really matter so long as she was enjoying herself? She didn't think so. Izumi tilted her head up to the sky, and the sunlight that filtered in between the trees kissed her delicate cheeks. There was something about Breezy Village that seemed like the embodiment of perfection, and she loved it.
Standing on the tree roots only increased this feeling tenfold. Back on Earth, she had been a star gymnast of the high school she attended. Come to think of it, the others all went there as well, though they rarely saw each other due to the difference in grade and social circle. Only Takuya was in her age group, and they would never have interacted if not for the Digital World forcing them together.
Izumi had grown talented when it came to propelling herself through the air. It was a gift she had been taking advantage of ever since she was little, and it was where she enjoyed herself most. Perhaps standing on these roots, which were similar in length to the beams she had grown so used to, made her feel more at home than one would have expected. After all, gymnastics had been her hobby to fall back on when times got rough back at home, and that surely applied still even when they were in the Digital World.
However, she knew that this feeling would not last forever. Soon enough, she and the others would have to leave. As much as she hated to admit it, Junpei had a point about how their presence could put the people of Breezy Village in danger. It would be best if they avoided sticking around anywhere for too long to ensure that Cherubimon didn't send his lackeys after them. The instant he figured out that the Legendary Warriors were human children, he would undoubtedly attempt to pursue them.
But until then, Izumi was going to do what she could to enjoy the time she had. Breezy Village gave her the best feeling since she was back home, and she wasn't about to take it for granted when she had so little time to enjoy it.
"I'm sure they came this way..."
Meramon, Wizardmon, and FlaWizardmon walked through the woods near Breezy Village, all searching high and low for any traces of the humans who had escaped the night before with their precious Spirit of Ice. It was vital that they got it back as soon as possible. They couldn't allow those punks to escape with the artifact that their village had treasured for so many years. If they had to use deadly force, then so be it.
"I doubt they got far on so little sleep. Humans are feeble creatures," FlaWizardmon said, following up on Meramon's statement. He turned to look up at the taller fiery Digimon. "They were all exhausted when we picked them up, so they must have run out of steam somewhere around here. We just need to figure out where..."
Wizardmon continued to look around silently, growling bitterly under his breath. He could see something in the distance, though the sun kept him from seeing it clearly. He raised one hand to shield his vision and allow him to figure out what was casting such a commanding silhouette on the horizon.
"It looks like a village..." Wizardmon murmured. Suddenly, it dawned on him, and a small smirk appeared on his face. "What do you want to bet that they're in there? They have to be. If they aren't in the woods, then chances are they've taken up residence with whoever owns that village."
"Who even lives there?" asked Meramon with a harsh frown. He looked down at FlaWizardmon for an answer.
FlaWizardmon paused briefly as he attempted to come up with an answer. "Floramon, I believe... The large tree indicates that it is likely Breezy Village," he answered.
"Floramon are loyal to Seraphimon... They would undoubtedly want to protect anyone who they believed would help out their lord," Meramon remarked. "If I had to guess, they used their statuses to sneak right in, not telling the Floramon of how devious they were to steal the Spirit right out from under us."
"If the Floramon are harboring those traitors, then we'll have to get rid of them as well," Wizardmon said, his voice laced rich with determination. He looked over to his comrades. "What do you say to that?"
FlaWizardmon smirked in response, his stitched mouth barely showing at the edges around his cape. He held up one hand, and flames crackled along the surface of his palm. "I hope that the Floramon are ready to see sparks fly, because that's all they'll be witnessing so long as they continue hiding those traitors from us," he replied, his smirk slowly transitioning into a grin that showed nothing short of madness.
With those words, the trio continued pressing forward, all with one goal firmly in mind. They were going to do whatever they had to in order to get that Spirit back, and those who got in their way would surely pay for their hubris...
Bokomon closed his book with a firm nod. "Alright. We've found our path to Evergreen Dawn," he declared. "With that out of the way, all we need to do is wait until we've recovered our strength. After that, we can set out and see what awaits us there."
"What are we going to do in the meantime?" Junpei questioned. He was leaning one arm against the table, fiddling with the strings at the chest area of his hoodie.
"I'm going to continue looking through the book to see if I can find any other information on the Legendary Warriors. Perhaps we can find locations for the Spirits of Wind and Thunder. They may not belong to anyone in our party, but it wouldn't hurt to double-check and make sure," Bokomon replied. "As for the rest of you, do whatever you wish so long as you don't get into trouble. I don't know how much more chaos I can stand to deal with."
"I wonder where Izumi got off to," Takuya remarked. He was cleaning off his goggles with the bottom of his jacket. He held them up to the light to make sure there were no smudges before propping them up in his hair once again. "She's been gone for a while."
"I'm sure that she'll be fine," Neemon told him. "She's a big girl. She knows how to take care of herself."
"We're safe here. No need to worry," Tomoki agreed, a weary smile appearing on his face. The longer Takuya looked at him, the clearer it became that Tomoki was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to persuade Takuya. No matter how much he tried to hide that fact, it was glaringly obvious.
Takuya let out a small sigh. "I sure hope that you're right..."
Izumi wasn't sure how much time had passed since she first left the rest of the group behind, but she didn't particularly care either. It was far too nice just standing there in the gentle breeze of the village for her to bother thinking about it. She could worry when they had left this place behind, but for that moment, she might as well enjoy the peace. It likely wasn't going to be lasting long, so she deserved to take advantage of it.
Sure enough, she was correct about the peace being fleeting. A scream cut through the air, and she gasped. Izumi glanced around furiously, trying to figure out what had happened. In the end, her gaze fell on one of the higher branches, and a small fragment of data was growing weak and shaky. Hanging from the tree was a young Floramon, much smaller than the one that had treated herself and her companions to such kindness.
Izumi gasped before starting to navigate herself towards the stairs. She ran up as fast as she could, adrenaline coursing through her. She couldn't think of anything aside from how scared that Floramon had to be, vulnerable and hanging there with no knowledge of if they would survive the fall. Izumi swallowed back her concerns, focused only on getting there in time. If she worried, she would only psyche herself out, and that was the last thing she needed when someone was in trouble.
Eventually, she arrived on the proper level, and she looked to the poor Floramon. They were groaning under the stress of having to hold themselves up, and Izumi slowly started to move closer, balancing herself on the branch effortlessly. She thanked her younger incarnation for being smart enough to enroll in gymnastics. Even if she hadn't enjoyed it, it all would have been worth it if she was able to use her skills in a key moment like this where someone was in need of saving.
Soon enough, she found herself standing next to the Floramon's hands. She crouched down, doing her best to keep herself balanced as she picked up Floramon and tucked them under her arm. She started the trek back to the tree, setting down Floramon once they were on safer grounds.
"Are you alright?" Izumi questioned, leaning over so that her eyes were parallel with the Floramon's face.
Floramon nodded violently. "Thanks!" they chirped. Their voice was clearly youthful and strained from fear. Izumi looked closer and saw that they were shaking gently.
Izumi sat down next to Floramon, a kind smile appearing on her face. "It's okay. You're safe now," she cooed, opening her arms in case the Floramon longed for a comforting embrace after the traumatic event.
Floramon hesitated at first before settling into Izumi's grasp. She smiled to herself, thinking of how familiar the Floramon was to her.
Back on Earth, Izumi had a younger sister, Masae. Perhaps there was something about the way Floramon's voice was touched delicately by youth that reminded Izumi of her sister. She wasn't entirely sure, but she could say that she wasn't going to let anything happen to Floramon as long as she was around.
Izumi's features fell into a brief frown when she remembered Masae, and she was thankful that Floramon couldn't see her face. She didn't want to scare them so soon after they had survived a traumatic experience, after all, but she couldn't stop thinking of Masae once she started.
Her sister had to be worried sick back on Earth. Masae had always admired Izumi, and the feeling was most certainly mutual. The idea of making her sister so nervous made Izumi feel sick to her stomach, though she did her best to stifle her fears for the sake of Floramon. She couldn't afford to think of Masae when there were more important subjects to focus on. Worrying about her sister would only weaken her morale, and that was the last thing she needed as a Legendary Warrior destined to save the Digital World.
Floramon's tremors slowly came to a halt, and they pulled away from Izumi, a nervous smile on their face. "Thanks again, stranger," they told her before dashing off to the treetop stairs and disappearing from view.
Izumi watched them go, her hair rustling gently in the wind. She touched her golden tresses, thinking of the way Masae had once braided them back at home. Instinctively, she began to fiddle with the strands, pulling them into the hairstyle that she had come to know so well. Once she was finished, she slid her scrunchie off her wrist and wrapped it around the edge of her hair, letting out a light sigh.
The light filtered in through the tree's many leaves, getting in Izumi's eyes. She cringed and turned away, shrouding her expression in shadow. She looked to the staircase once again before looking down and over the edge of the tree branch at the ground below. Her friends were undoubtedly waiting for her, and if they were going to be leaving soon, then she didn't want to be left behind. Izumi sighed and rose to her feet slowly, holding tenderly to her braid as she navigated towards the staircase that would take her back to them.
Her steps were slow and somber, but she still felt oddly alive. It was good to know that the reminders of Earth hadn't dampened that magical feeling the Breezy Village gave her. Izumi touched the side of the tree, and an oddly electric sensation rushed through her. Despite her moment of sadness, she felt alert and ready for something, though she wasn't quite sure what it was in particular.
Izumi was about halfway in between the branch where Floramon had dangled for dear life and the hut where her friends were when she stopped. She felt something swell in her chest, a feeling of peculiar pride she didn't understand. It simply felt right, though she wasn't sure where it had come from or why it was activated by this particular spot.
Izumi leaned up against the wall, allowing herself to enjoy it while she had the chance. Much to her surprise, the wall began to cave in beneath her elbow. She jumped back in surprise, and she realized that she had accidentally hit a switch that blended in with the wood of the tree.
She hesitated at first before reaching out her hand once again to touch the switch. This time, she pushed down harder, and the tree began to hum softly. Izumi frowned to herself, wondering what the switch could have hidden. Why was it there in the first place? Did anybody else know that it existed? Was there a specific reason that it had remained untouched for so long? She was sure that she would have the answer soon enough. It was just a matter of time.
Takuya, Tomoki, and Junpei were walking through the rest of Breezy Village, exploring the area that wasn't connected to the imposing tree at the center of the town. Floramon were bustling around everywhere, all smiling and chattering happily. With how lively the air was, it was hard to believe that a war was raging on with Cherubimon outside of the borders of the village. The difference between Flame Terminal and Breezy Village was only a few miles, but one would have expected them to be worlds away given what had happened within them both.
Takuya had his hands tucked behind his head as he looked around the tow. The trio of boys had left behind Bokomon and Neemon in the house they had stayed in before, giving Bokomon the extra time he needed to flick through the pages of the book. Neemon, when asked if he wanted to look around or not, decided to stay with Bokomon. Takuya didn't ask him why this was the case, figuring it was since Neemon and Bokomon had grown attached to each other since their escape from Evergreen Dawn.
"It's so nice to be here, I must say," Tomoki remarked, a light smile on his face. "It almost feels like life is somewhat normal... Well, as normal as things can be when you're in another universe. It's not what I'm used to exactly, but this is much closer to regular life than everything we've been through leading up to this point."
"We can't stick around here for too much longer though," Junpei reminded him. "Taking out two of Cherubimon's soldiers in a small area in such a short span of time... That's bound to arouse some suspicion, and the instant he figures out that we're responsible, he's going to send someone after us."
Tomoki sighed. "I know... I wish that wasn't the case, but you're right. We're going to cause problems for those we see until we can get rid of him..." he murmured. "I guess that's just another reason for us to find our Spirits and then go after him. I hope that Bokomon is able to find the Spirits' locations soon from that book of his. The sooner we can get going, the better."
"He has to find something," Junpei whispered. "A lot of people are counting on him to find the truth. Even if those Spirits don't belong to us, then it will make it easier for us to find the rest of the Legendary Warriors. After all, they have to figure out where their Spirits are sooner or later, and that will help our party to get larger."
"I want to get this out of the way soon... We're in danger here, and until we take care of Cherubimon, we're going to be at risk," Tomoki said next. "Maybe we can see the Digital World in peace after all of this is over. You know, before we have to go back home... That could be nice. Just imagine it..."
Takuya knew that this was going to take a lot longer than Tomoki seemed to be implying. This was going to be a long and difficult operation, and it wasn't going to be easy to take down Cherubimon. He was the equivalent of a demigod, if not something greater, in the Digital World. Being asked to fell a god before even turning eighteen was not something Takuya ever would have expected, but he didn't really see much of a choice. He knew that what he had heard up to that point rang true, and if he wanted to save everyone he cared for, he was going to have to follow through with it, no matter how long it took or how difficult the task turned out to be.
Takuya looked to the entrance of the village as they got nearer to it. He could see the dirt disturbed from their crash landing the night before, and he couldn't help but thank the Floramon again internally for their kindness in taking the group in. He didn't even want to imagine what condition he and the rest of the group would be if not for their generosity.
Suddenly, Takuya felt a tug on the edge of his jacket. He looked down to the side, seeing Tomoki standing beside him. The younger boy had grown incredibly pale all of a sudden, and he was pointing beyond the entrance of the village with his free hand. "Takuya... Look over there..." Tomoki whispered, fear tinging his voice.
Takuya frowned, wondering why Tomoki could be so nervous. He looked at what the younger boy was pointing to, and a gasp left his lips. Standing on the horizon was a trio of figures, and even if they were far away, Takuya would recognize them anywhere after the night before.
"They followed us here?" Takuya questioned as he identified Meramon, Wizardmon, and FlaWizardmon in the distance. "I thought that we lost them after we escaped the Candlemon village."
"I guess not," Junpei sighed. "The Floramon are a peaceful people as far as I can tell. I don't think that they're going to be much help as far as defending this place. It seems that the duty has fallen to you two once again."
Tomoki looked back and forth between Takuya and Junpei nervously. "Are we sure that's going to end well? We weren't able to defeat them last night, and they can hurt the Floramon here," he said fearfully.
"We don't have much of a choice," Takuya pointed out with a frown. "We're going to have to fight if we want to keep the Floramon safe. This is the least we can do for them after what they did to help us earlier today. Besides, we have more energy today than we did before. We've actually gotten some rest, even if it was because of a crash landing, and we were able to get more food in our systems too. We aren't going to let them take us out this time. Promise."
Tomoki nodded slowly. "Alright... If you think that we'll be okay, I trust you," he told Takuya. He took in a shaky breath before exhaling. He pulled his D-Tector from his pocket and looked at it. The symbol of Ice flashed on the screen, and he turned his attention to Takuya.
Takuya looked to Junpei. "Could you help to evacuate the Floramon from the area? We don't want them to get hurt in the crossfires of this fight," he said. Intensity flared in his eyes, and if one looked close enough, it was easy to see the fiery reflection in them.
"I'm on it," Junpei replied with a nod. He dashed away from the pair, leaving Takuya and Tomoki alone at the entrance to Breezy Village.
Takuya and Tomoki met gazes. Takuya's eyes were filled with determination, and he nodded with certainty. Tomoki was far more hesitant, and it was clear that he was nervous, but he returned the gesture anyways. Both their fingers found their way to the proper button on their respective D-Tectors, and rings of data appeared around their hands.
"Execute!" Takuya and Tomoki cried as they scanned the rings of Fractal Code along the sensors of their D-Tectors. Cocoons of data formed around both of their bodies, leaving them to shift forms. "Spirit Evolution!"
The data disappeared with the completion of the transformation, and Agunimon and Kumamon were standing where Takuya and Tomoki had been a mere few moments beforehand. They exchanged a knowing glance before facing the entrance to the town. Meramon, Wizardmon, and FlaWizardmon would be there any minute, and they would have to be ready.
The sliding door in the tree at the heart of Breezy Village groaned as it showed its contents. Izumi coughed and swiped her arm at the air to get rid of the dust that threatened to swallow her immediately. She closed her eyes against the onslaught until she was sure that it was gone.
When she opened her eyes once again, she found herself staring directly at a small carving. A gasp left her lips, and she realized what it was without needing to think. It was clear as could be to her, even if she hadn't seen anything like it.
"A Spirit..." Izumi whispered. Her hand instinctively went to where her D-Tector was resting at her hip, clipped onto her waistband thanks to the holder on the back. She pulled it off, and the device beeped at her. She held it up to the carving, and the shrine began to shrink before it completely disappeared into the device.
"It is time."
That voice sounded familiar, and Izumi realized belatedly that it belonged to the woman who had summoned her to the Digital World in the first place. It was Ophanimon; it had to be. Ophanimon knew what she was doing, and Izumi would have to trust her. After all, it appeared that her Spirit was finally in her grasp, and who was she to avoid its call?
A ring of data appeared around Izumi's free hand, and she slashed it along the sensor at the top of her D-Tector. "Execute!" she cried, not caring who heard her. Fractal Code burst forth from the device's screen, surrounding her swiftly. "Spirit Evolution!"
The most notable change that Izumi underwent involved her height. She grew taller, coming to about the same height that Agunimon and Lobomon had been before when they Spirit Evolved. Her hair was dyed violet, growing long enough to reach her knees. A white visor appeared over her eyes, obscuring them completely from view, and pale green translucent wings sprouted from either side of the mask.
Lavender fabric appeared at her neck, and pale purple shoulder pads appeared on either side. A purple with pink tints created fabric at her chest. The space between her neck and chest was covered by sheer pink fabric that sparkled in the light. A purple belt was wrapped around her waist, the same color as the shorts that covered the tops of her thighs from view. Purple strips of fabric ran down from the sides of her chest to the front of her boots.
The boots that appeared were mostly purple, matching the rest of her outfit in color. A small segment near the top was a white circle, and sea green areas extended to the back of the shoes from there in a curved pattern. Her soles were the same sea green color, attached to purple heels that had small transparent wings sprouting from them.
Her gloves were such a light purple that they appeared white if one wasn't looking close enough. Pink circles could be seen at the top of her hands, and the symbol of Wind was carved into them. Green wings could be seen coming from the circular areas.
To complete the look, large wings sprouted from her shoulders. They were pale green and white, patterned with the visuals of a butterfly from behind. They flapped gently in the cocoon of data, and they showed with certainty that the transformation from Izumi into a Legendary Warrior had completed.
"Kazemon!"
That's who I am now, Izumi, or Kazemon, thought to herself. Her D-Tector had disappeared fully from sight now, and she realized that it must have been absorbed in the process of Spirit Evolution.
A quick glance to the back of her gloves showed that she was the Legendary Warrior of Wind. Kazemon nodded to herself at the recognition, further coming to this conclusion when she realized where her name came from. It was Japanese for wind, so it only made sense that she had dominion over air.
Kazemon immediately started down the stairway, heading out through the bottom since she figured she would get out faster that way. When she reached a branch, she stepped outside, glancing around with a small sigh. It was unbelievable to her that she had pulled off something as impressive as turning into a Digimon.
Kazemon looked out over the front of the village, frowning when her gaze caught Agunimon and Kumamon. They were fighting with three figures, but who could they have been?
Kazemon took in a sharp breath when she realized who they were. Meramon, Wizardmon, and FlaWizardmon had somehow found them after their escape from the Candlemon village the night before. She didn't know how the trio had managed to track them down, but it didn't matter much to her. She just knew that she had to help her companions.
She looked back to her wings experimentally, a frown on her face. She was going to have to try out these new wings and pray that they were the right size. If she wanted to get there as soon as possible, she didn't have much of a choice.
Kazemon kicked off the tree and found herself floating. She looked down and realized that she was suspended in midair. She was flying, and it felt incredible. The way the wind whipped around her was simply magical, and it felt as if there was no better feeling in the world.
However, there was no time for her to be caught up in her joy at flying for the first time. Her friends needed her, and she wasn't going to let them down.
Friends? She surprised herself by referring to them as such. Back on Earth, Izumi hadn't made many meaningful connections, but she had somehow managed to find a group that she was comfortable right off the bat in the Digital World. How strange. Regardless, she had to focus if she was going to rescue from the oncoming fighters, and if they were really friends, she couldn't let them down after all that had already happened. Turning back wasn't an option, not that she would have even if it was.
Agunimon dealt a swift kick to Wizardmon, sending his foe sliding backwards. Wizardmon raised his staff, firing a blast of energy directly at the Warrior of Fire. Agunimon managed to dodge it by ducking down and to the side, though the attack struck a nearby building. Agunimon gasped as the smell of smoke filled his sinuses. He turned to see where the energy made contact, and he realized that a small hut had caught fire.
Luckily, Kumamon was on it. The Warrior of Ice let out a frozen breath, cooling the fires and extinguishing them before they could spread. After he was done, Kumamon dashed up to stand next to Agunimon. "I don't think we're going to be able to beat them like this. We have to play damage control, so we can't focus our full strength on attacking them like we would like to," Kumamon told him quietly.
Agunimon's hands clenched into fists. As much as he hated to admit it, Kumamon had a point. Even if that was the case, it didn't mean that he was going down without a fight. If anyone thought he was going to be giving in, they were sorely mistaken.
Meramon took advantage of this lull in activity to charge at Agunimon. The Warrior of Fire sunk into a combative stance, ready to handle the threat as soon as it came to him. However, Meramon never got the chance to collide with him, instead distracted as ice sprouted from the ground to cover his feet.
Kumamon had pointed one hand at the grass where Meramon touched it, freezing the lower legs of his foe in place. Meramon struggled against the confines that had him held in place, but it didn't work in the slightest to free him, giving Kumamon the chance to strike once again. The Warrior of Ice propped his blaster up on his shoulder and fired a barrage of snowballs at Meramon, making the other Digimon groan in pain.
FlaWizardmon saw that Agunimon was distracted with watching the fight between Meramon and Kumamon. FlaWizardmon took this as a chance to attack him, raising his two matchsticks. Fire sparked between the two surfaces before hurtling through the air at Agunimon.
The Warrior of Fire threw up his arms at the last second to try and defend himself from the attack, but it wasn't enough, and he began to slide backwards. He tripped over himself, tumbling to the ground. FlaWizardmon stood above him, pointing both his matchsticks at Agunimon's vulnerable form. He let out another blow, and Agunimon barely managed to roll to the side to avoid it. Instead, the flames hit the dry grass, starting up the flames anew.
Kumamon gasped upon smelling smoke and retreated from attacking Meramon to extinguish the flames near Agunimon with a chilling exhale. Agunimon nodded his thanks to the smaller Warrior as he got to his feet, launching himself towards FlaWizardmon and tackling him to the ground. FlaWizardmon's matchsticks were lost in the fall to the grass, and Kumamon went to kick them away.
Both Kumamon and Agunimon were caught off-guard by a sudden attack by Wizardmon. Two quick blasts of energy hit them, forcing the Warriors into piles of frustration and pain on the ground. This gave FlaWizardmon the time he needed to recover his two matchsticks and get ready to fight once again. He and Wizardmon began to walk closer to the fallen Warriors. Meramon pried his feet free from their icy prison, sending crystals flying in all directions, before joining his fellow fighters. Smirks appeared on all three of their stitched lips.
Suddenly, thin lines of pink darted across Agunimon's vision. The Warrior of Fire realized that the pale threads were thin tornadoes after a few seconds, and he wondered where they could have come from. After all, the Floramon were passive creatures, and even if they did fight, Agunimon somehow doubted it would be with wind power. But if it wasn't any of them, then who could it be? He couldn't think of any reinforcements coming in for either side, and his mind was swimming with confusion as he attempted to identify the truth.
Agunimon saw a new figure appear in the sky, one that he didn't recognize. It was a girl with lengthy purple hair and pale green wings to keep her afloat. Agunimon frowned at the sight of her, unsure of how to react. "Who in the...?" Agunimon whispered, the words dying before they could fully form a sentence.
Kazemon clapped her hands together, a grin appearing on her face. Agunimon realized why she was so happy, seeing that Meramon had fallen to the ground once again under the weight of her attacks. "Bullseye!" the fairy proclaimed. Her voice was familiar, though Agunimon didn't realize where from at first.
However, when it did hit him, the blow came with the force of a truck. "Izumi?!" he cried out in surprise as he pushed to his feet.
Kazemon grinned in his direction, shooting him a giggle. He suspected that she was winking behind the mask. "That's Kazemon to you!" she told him. "And we can take care of the formalities later. First of all, let's take care of these guys!"
Kumamon got to his feet at her suggestion and fired another round of icy blasts at Meramon. The fiery Digimon stumbled backwards in surprise. Before he got the chance to correct himself, Kazemon dove forward, her leg outstretched. She dealt a swift blow to Meramon's chest, and he fell to the ground.
Agunimon took this as his chance. He launched himself into the air, surrounding himself with fire on the way down. His toes rammed into Meramon's chest, and he heard a mighty roar from the Digimon below him. When he looked down, he realized that Meramon's outline had gone dark, and a ring of Fractal Code had surrounded him. Agunimon grinned to himself in response and held up one hand, prompting the data to flow into his palm. "Fractal Code Purify!" he exclaimed, watching as a white egg floated into the sky from where Meramon had been a few short moments ago.
One down, two to go, Agunimon thought to himself. He let out a small sigh of relief before turning his attention to the remaining two fighters. The tides were truly starting to turn with the arrival of Kazemon, and he was going to do as much as he could to take advantage of it. After what happened the night before, he was itching to get his revenge against the other two Digimon as well.
Wizardmon sent an attack at Kazemon, but she intercepted it with a well-timed tornado blast. The energy exploded on impact, and Kazemon grinned to herself, firing yet another twister at him. Wizardmon attempted to dodge it by jumping backwards, but he was ultimately sucked inside by the force of the wind. Wizardmon was thrown into the air, and his eyes went wide in surprise as his hat flew from his head.
Agunimon jumped up to intercept Wizardmon midair, and he dealt a swift punch to the enemy. Wizardmon yelled in pain as his course was changed. He continued to fly through the air, though his trajectory now had his body heading directly for Kumamon.
Kumamon grinned when he saw such, and he jumped towards Wizardmon, forming his right hand into a jagged icicle. The sharp blue pierced through Wizardmon's ribcage, and the enemy Digimon didn't even have the chance to scream before his outline turned black and his Fractal Code appeared. Kumamon scanned it without a moment of hesitation. "Fractal Code Purify!" he announced boldly.
Only FlaWizardmon was left, but it was clear that he wasn't going down without a fight. He raised his matchsticks, sending fire spiraling out from them. The flames flew towards Kazemon, but Agunimon jumped in front of the attack, redirecting the fire to travel back at FlaWizardmon.
Unfortunately for him, FlaWizardmon was not able to regain control of the attack before it hit him, and he slid backwards through the grass, creating notable skid marks in the dirt. Before he could recover and attack once more, Kumamon threw one arm forward, and rough spikes of ice formed from nowhere, hitting FlaWizardmon and tearing at his clothing. His matchsticks were knocked out of his hands. One of them flew towards Agunimon and the other to Kumamon. Both of them picked up the fallen objects and snapped them in half effortlessly.
Kazemon approached FlaWizardmon from behind, kicking him once and forcing him to the ground before summoning more wind to aid her. The air tore wildly at FlaWizardmon, not letting up until cuts had formed all over his body. He was unable to fight back in this state, giving Kazemon the perfect chance to deal a mighty punch to his head, causing his Fractal Code to appear.
Kazemon smirked to herself and held up one hand, allowing the Fractal Code to flow into it. "Fractal Code Purify!" she exclaimed, watching as the third and final egg flew into the sky. She smiled to herself, nodding gently.
Now that the battle was done, data of purple and blue appeared from nowhere, encasing Agunimon, Kumamon, and Kazemon in the blink of an eye. When it faded, Takuya, Tomoki, and Izumi were standing in place of their other forms.
"You Spirit Evolved!" Tomoki cried out, approaching Kazemon with wide eyes. "Did you find your Spirit somewhere around her?"
Izumi nodded. "It was inside the tree at the heart of the village... I think I see why Seraphimon had the tree planted here. He was using it as a way to hide the Spirit in plain sight. I stumbled upon it by accident when I found a switch inside the tree," she explained.
"I suppose it's not too farfetched to think that there could be something of that nature inside the tree... After all, this is the Digital World, so everything here was spawned from electronics," Takuya murmured. "I'm impressed. You certainly fought well."
Izumi grinned at the compliment, pink creeping into her cheeks. "Thank you," she told him. "Now, where are the others? I suppose we should tell everyone that things have been taken care of."
"Is the fighting over?"
Takuya turned upon hearing the familiar voice of Junpei. The boy walked out from behind the large tree at the center of Breezy Village, his hands shoved in his pockets. He glanced around, and upon seeing no traces of Meramon, Wizardmon, or FlaWizardmon, showed himself fully to the group.
"We're all safe now," Izumi assured him. She held up her D-Tector, still smiling brightly. "I found my Spirit! It was inside the tree!"
Junpei grinned in response. "Great going," he commented before jabbing his thumb behind the tree. "All the Floramon are back there. Bokomon and Neemon are with them. I'll have to give them the good news that you were able to take care of those three assholes."
"I feel bad for wreaking misfortune on the Floramon," Tomoki admitted. "They happily took us in when they heard that something bad had happened to us, but we wound up bringing trouble right to their doorstep."
"We couldn't have known that they were going to follow after us," Takuya pointed out. "Besides, we took care of everything in the end, so it all turned out fine."
Izumi heard her D-Tector beep, and she gasped to herself as she held up the device towards the sky. The Fractal Code that made up the tree showed itself briefly before the brown of the bark appeared once again. This time, the tree's colors seemed bolder and more vivid.
"I remember the Fractal Code growing unstable earlier... I suppose that was able to balance it out," Izumi murmured. She tucked the device back on her waistband. "We should give the Floramon the good news. Plus, we can hear details from Bokomon and Neemon about Kazemon. I know I'm itching to know more."
Takuya nodded his agreement, and the group started walking towards the tree. They curled around it, seeing countless Floramon huddled together in the space between the branches. Bokomon and Neemon were with them, and both of them were looking into the book Bokomon was taking care of.
"Everything's safe now!" Takuya exclaimed jovially, tucking his hands up behind his head as he smiled. "You can come out now and look around the village again. We took care of Meramon, Wizardmon, and FlaWizardmon before they could cause too much trouble."
"I think I was able to stabilize the Fractal Code by accident too," Izumi piped in. "Everything is fine now."
One of the Floramon stepped forward, and Takuya recognized her as the same one who had taken them in upon their arrival in Breezy Village. "Thank you all so much for your help!" she chirped excitedly. "You've saved our town! To thank you, we would like to welcome you to a night's stay here in the village!"
The four humans looked together, all uncertain. The idea of bringing trouble to the Floramon once more was hanging over their heads, but at the same time, the fight had tired Takuya, Tomoki, and Izumi out. They wouldn't be able to make much progress in their current states, so perhaps staying in the village for an extra night wouldn't hurt.
"We would be honored," Izumi finally said, bowing her head to Floramon. "Thank you so much for your generosity. I don't think we could ever thank you enough."
Floramon shook her head. "It is we who should be thanking you. If you find that you need anything, then all you need to do is ask, and we will provide what we can," she told them firmly. "Until then, continue to enjoy your time in Breezy Village!"
Chatter broke out among the Floramon as they dispersed. Soon enough, only the four humans were left alongside Bokomon and Neemon. Silence covered the group of six at first, but Izumi broke it. "I found my Spirit," she remarked cheerfully. "It was hiding inside the tree. I suppose that's why Seraphimon planted it in the first place... And it would explain the fuzzy feeling I got from being here. I was reacting to my Spirit without realizing it since we were so close to it."
Bokomon looked up from his book with a gasp. "Truly? You were able to find your Spirit?" he questioned. When he realized that she was serious, he began to flick through the pages. Images flashed by wildly, and Takuya felt his head spin the longer he stared at the pictures appear and vanish in the blink of an eye.
"Wait, go back a few pages!" Izumi suddenly exclaimed, prompting Bokomon to comply. A sketch of Kazemon could be seen among the milky white paper. "That's her! Kazemon!"
Bokomon read, murmuring under his breath as he did so. "The Warrior of Wind... It seems we're only going to have to find the Spirit of Thunder now," he remarked before rising to his feet. "What do you all say to going to find a more comfortable place to relax? I've had enough of sitting on the ground."
Takuya, Tomoki, and Izumi all agreed without a moment of hesitation. They walked away first, leaving Junpei to help pick Neemon off the ground. The two were left alone in the small area behind the tree, and Junpei let out a small sigh. "I wonder when I'm going to find my Spirit... It came so easily to the others," he murmured.
Neemon tilted his head to one side. "I have to wonder about things too... Seraphimon gave me some of his power, but I don't know what it could mean," he commented with a shrug. "I'm sure we'll both figure it out soon enough."
Junpei nodded, though uncertainty was still clear in his unfocused eyes. Neemon began to waddle away, and Junpei frowned before following after him. He hoped that he found his Spirit sooner rather than later, because after four battles, he had grown pretty damn tired of being as close to useless as it got. He wanted to join his companions in taking names and kicking asses. Was that really too much to ask? Junpei wasn't sure, but he hoped that he got his answer as soon as possible.
Another chapter done!
We're getting closer to jumping into the uncharted territory of this rewrite where things stop matching up with canon, and I'm really excited. My new Legendary Warriors are lots of fun to imagine/scheme about, and I can't wait to show them off to you. I'm hoping to have chapter five out in about a week, and then we'll get into chapter six and everything that awaits past that. Until then, I hope you enjoyed!
-Digital
