Slade and Candlemon got sent up into the mountains, where it was colder than LadyDevimon's heart. "Dang it... why are we the ones getting sent to cold locales all the time, Candlemon?"
Candlemon looks at him and says, "Cause hot spirits need a good cooling off?"
"Very funny, Candlemon... now come on and let's find some shelter..." Slade begins to trudge through the snow, listening and looking for anything he can find for shelter for his partner Digimon and himself...
Everything was a blur--the flash of weapons, a crazed digimon and the other children screaming and then... nothing... Tsukaimon nudged at Aen with his nose, pawing and whining for her to get up. She blinked.
"Where are we, Tsukai?" sitting up, she dusted the snow off her 'mon and hugged him, "A mountain? Covered in snow?"
"I don't know," Tsukai sneezed miserably, "I'm cold."
"Ya, me too..." she stands, noting unhappily that her clothes were soaked from lying in the snow. Bitter, bitter cold... She shrugged it off and started walking. And stopped.
"Hey, Tsuk--who's that?"
"Er... " he fluttered up high to get a better look, "HEY! It's that new guy! C'mon, Aen!" He zipped foward, Aen doing her best to keep up.
"Tsukaimon, wait! Yer gonna--"
The 'mon crashed right into Slade and Candlemon.
Slade was trying desperately to see in the blizzard, when a flying Digimon crashes right into him. "Oof! What the..." He gets up, his belt chains clinking and rattling as he gets into a defensive stance. "What the heck are you?" He slowly gets up and says, "Aren't you another child's digimon?" His digivice beeped at him, and then he saw Aen. "You... you were that person watching me weren't you..." Slade tried to see a bit better through the snow and wind, but he said, "We'd best find a cave for shelter... we can get formal introductions out of the way later!" Slade began to trudge through the snow and wind, with determination to find shelter for this girl and her 'mon...
She followed behind him without a word, shivering. Tsukaimon nodded in response to the boy's questions, shook himself, and leapt into the air. It was a bad situation. The digidestined children Tsukaimon knew instinctively he was born to protect could easily die here, yet he was unable to see any immediate shelter. The wind made flying hard, and the snow made visibility even more so... he could leave to find shelter for them, but there was a good chance he'd never find them again if he left... And during all this thought, the lil 'mon's yellow eyes were locked on the flame on Candlemon's head. Flame... candlemon... fire... not enough to do any good in this form, but maybe... "C-candlemon," Tsukaimon addressed him through chattering teeth, "Y-your n-n-next form is M-meramon, right? A g-giant fire d-d-digimon?"
Candlemon's flame flickered a bit and grew a bit bigger. "I'm sure it is, but I haven't digivolved yet. I wish I could..." Candlemon slowly trudged along behind Slade, who seemed to be feeling his way without his eyes, which were hidden behind his sunglasses. Slade himself was thinking of how he was going to save them all from freezing to death. He felt a cave in the vicinity. He started off in that direction, and almost fell off a ledge. He looked down the cliff face and shouted, "Well I found shelter... the problem is getting to it..." He indicated the cave about forty feet down a sheer ice wall...
"Haha," Aen knelt, untrusting of her numb limbs to keep her upright against the wind. "Hmm... I-I don't think we c-can do this without rope... even with rope, it would be nearly impossible... D-do we have any other options?"
"...I'll check it out!" Tsukaimon dived over the edge. Aen grabbed for him, missed, and bit off a scream as she felt herself slip a little too close to the edge. Gulping, and steadying herself, she leaned over the cliff. "Ts-tsukai?"
The 'mon hovered in the chasm, cast her a strange look, and darted down to get a look at the cave. The depth dizzied her... she backed away, pulling Slade with her, "D-don't stand so close to the edge, ok? It's a long drop..."
Slade held onto her, and growled a bit, his vision was getting blurry. "Snow blindness... setting in... not good..." Slade huddled to Aen for warmth and said, "You know... I almost feel like I know you... do you go into chatrooms at all?" Candlemon stay close to them, trying to help keep them all warm...
"Ya, I do. My name's Aen. What's yours?"
Down below in the cave, Tsukaimon noses around the cave's insides. He mouths a rope, and sniffs at what appears to be climbing gear... however, there is no sign of any climbers, and the cave has no back. It just extends into darkness, seemingly endless. Nervously, the little mon gathers as much equipment as he can carry, and launches himself back into the blizzard.
"I'm Slade... Slade Hattori... I thought you seemed a bit familiar..." Slade's vision went completely white. "I can't see.... Snow Blindness... darn it!"He closes his eyes and takes out a blindfold his uncle had him use for blind-fighting training, and puts it on...
"...Snow blindness?" Aen frowned. She opened her mouth to say more, but a sudden high-pitched squeal cut her off. Tsukaimon crashed into the snowbank beside them. She pulled the mon out, and it lay panting in her lap.
"I have-rope!"the little 'mon gasped, "And-whatever this other stuff is... I looked at the cave. There's a dark hole in the back that seems to go on forever, but it's much warmer than up here. Can you guys climb? I'll fly around and-"
"You're too tired to be fighting this storm all the time, Tsukai... But I can climb. I can tie knots too." She stands, taking the rope, and stumbles through the snow. Somehow managing to secure it to a nearby tree, despite numb and freezing fingers, she then sets about figuring out the other supplies...
"Aen, I can barely make you out... Uncle taught me blind-fighting, so I can make due, but this isn't good..." Slade lays his hands on some of the equipment, and says, "Candlemon... warm Aen up a bit... I can try to make heads or tails of the equipment here..." He begins to run his hands over the gear, memorizing each detail, and thinking of what it is most similar to from his ninjutsu training...
Aen held her hands over Candlemon's flame, watching Slade finger the equipment. The only pieces she was absolutely sure of were the metal clips, which were for securing a climber's harness to the rope he was using. And there was a harness, though it looked too large for Aen to wear. Still, it seemed strange to her that such things would be lying around a cave. Had the previous owner discarded them? Climbing stuff is handy gear, it's not the sort of thing you just discard... Tsukaimon flapped his head-wings irritably. "Are you done with that stuff yet?" he sneezed. "What do you think, Slade?" Aen yawned, "Can we use this stuff?" Slade brushed his hands over the harness and said, "Think we can both fit in this? I have the reflexes to rappel us down..." He fingered a few pitons, "And these can strap to my boots, to use like gripping spikes as I rappel us down. Tsukai... think you can fly close for safety? Candlemon... I'll strap you to my chest so you don't fall..." Slade's mind envisioned the climb, and thought, "Any mistake on our part, and we're goners..." "Okay, Slade... j-just don't let me fall..." The little fiery 'mon stutteredly replied. Slade thought a bit more, and finally said, "Aen... you will have to be my eyes... think you are up to it?" He slowly began to arrange the gear as they'd need it... Aen adjusted her glasses, and looked over the cliff-edge. The depth made her more than a little dizzy... "Ya, no sweat, Slade." She gritted her teeth a little, as she started helping him with the harness, "I hope this thing holds... There. We're ready." She sighed, and flashed a thumbs up to Tsukaimon. "Let's go." Slade drove the grappling hook he felt earlir into an icy cliff-face, and said "Well... here goes... nothing!" Slade jumps off into the blank void in his perceptions, waiting for Aen to signal him to stop and come back into the cliff-face... Tsukaimon hovered below them, watching and gritting his teeth. "Now!" Aen yelped. Slade tugged the rope as she signaled, and they dropped back in to the cliff-face... He took another leap out, but as he swung back in and planted, he felt a twinge of pain, as though he hit too hard. He rapelled out one last time, but when he planted is feet onto the icy wall he heard a dull, dry Crack sound, and felt pain shoot up and down his right leg, he growled in anger, pain and frustration, and lowered them to the cliff the cave mouth was on. Once he planted on the ground and tried the leg, he fell face first into the snow nad howled in sheer agony. His leg had broken... Aen cringed, quickly getting up and rolling him off Candlemon. Just the sound of his pain hurt to hear. "Candlemon, Tsukaimon, quick, start a fire," She unclipped the harness and froze, suddenly realizing that she had next to no medical experience, and she had no idea how to fix his leg. And no doctors anywhere, as far as anyone knew... Shock. She had to keep him from going into shock. Somehow, she needed to set and bind his leg. And, more importantly, she had to keep these procedures from making her ill... "Slade? Slade, say something quick..." Slade gritted his teeth through the pain, and said, "Argh... Aen... it's just a s-s-simple fracture. It isn't an open break... bone didn't pierce my flesh..." Slade thought about his survival training, said, "P-P-Pull on my leg... t-t-to set the bone. O-o-otherwise... it'll get infected and w-w-won't heal right..." Slade gripped his upper right leg, and began to try to meditate, so as to dull the pain of it... Aen set her hands on his leg, looking at Slade's face for signs of further pain, or relief. Swallowing nervously, she refocused her eyes to her hands, and pulled. Slade growled in pain as the bone slid across itself, and then he slapped his hands over the point it stopped at, setting it with an audible pop. He had unknowingly began crying, as he undid his belt and tied the four pitons around that point with it and his belt chains to keep it straight. "Aen... h-h-h-help me int-to t-t-the cave..." Slade's body was beginning to go into shock as he tried to get up of his own power, only to slip in the snow and fall back down... Aen flinched at the sound, and caught him as he fell. "Come-on... here."She half-dragged him to a nearly dry spot and set him down. Tsukaimon had gathered some dry... what looked like rags and twigs. A small fire now crackled shyly. If only there was food... Aha! She rummaged through her purse and pulled out a water bottle and a half-eaten bagel from her last breakfast in the real world... "Slade, here." She pushed the items into his hands. Tsukaimon sat near the dark passage at the cave's back, staring into it. Something about it bothered him... Slade ate a little bit of the bagel, and said, "Aen... why does your name sound familiar? Do you use the online chatrooms? I-I remember someone very much like you..." He reaches back as he takes a drink of the water, and pulls out an old picture of her, from about a year or so ago. "Is this you?" He asked, his face looking up near where hers was... Aen blinked, staring at the printout photo. For a moment she fought an embarrassed grin, then remembered he couldn't see her anyway. She took and studied the photo. "Y'know... I usedta daydream sometimes about meeting my online friends... but this is not how I had it figured. At all." She mussed his hair and returned the image, "That's me, alright. I thought I recognized you back at that house..." She paused, debating inwardly as she pulled a printout picture from her purse... Holding it up, she compared the image to the wounded boy in front of her, and said slowly, "So... why do you carry a picture of me around?" Slade smiled weakly though a bit of pain and the cold as he slid his wet shirt off and got a bit closer to her, "Because I hoped so hard to meet you, Aen-chan... hoping against all hope..." He shivered a bit, but managed to keep his voice steady. He touched her cheek lightly, almost wanting to see her smile... Aen froze as he touched her, suddenly very glad he couldn't see her blush. "I... uhh..." "A-AEN!" Tsukaimon barked, staring at the darkness, "Something moved! I saw something move!" Slade heard Tsukai's warning, and he looked back, saying, "Candlemon...get over here with us..." Candlemon hastened to obey, as he bounded over, he said, "Okay Slade..." Slade tried to interpose his body in front of hers, protective of the new friend he had just acquired... "What do you see, Tsukai... anything at all?" Aen blinked, realizing abruptly that Slade was still trying to protect her, despite his injuries. And smiled. He was obviously in no shape to protect anyone. She quietly changed her seated position to that of a crouch, and set one hand on his shoulder. There. Equal. She could let him defend her, and still be ready to protect him, if necessary. She watched Tsukai sniff at the shadows, disturbed at how the darkness grew around the 'mon as Candlemon left him and came towards her and Slade. "Tsukai-maybe-" Tsukaimon stepped forward, and for just an instant a pair of gigantic eyes glared at him. Something struck him, and he went flying backwards into the snowbank at the cave's mouth. "Tsukai!" Aen jumped to her feet, just as Tsukaimon, growling, shot through the air again. He crashed through the dark. Silence. Then a high-pitched whine, followed by sobbing... "That HURT!" "S-sorry!" came Tsukai's sheepish response. Slade looked back towards Aen and Tsukai, not really looking, but rather sensing where they were. "Aen-chan... are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you?" Just then, he felt something in the shadows. Something very big. "Aen-chan... we may not be in the best of places right now..." Slade quietly said, as his face still was pointed in the direction of the darkness... Tsukaimon backed out of the shadows, as a small creature, a blue poyomon, rolled after him. "I'm... fine..." Aen frowned at the creature, certain she'd just seen something much larger in the dark... "What are you?" "My name's Poyomon," it looked at her with large, blank eyes, "I was running from a mean digimon. If you'll protect me, I'll lead you through the cave..." Aen blinked slowly, staring at the creature's eyes. And slowly, she sank back down to the floor, leaning on Slade. "Yeah... sure..." her eyes closed. "Well, then, if that's settled," the poyomon bounced over to the fire, "You guys should follow your friend's example, and get some rest. It's a long walk tomorrow!" Slade felt Aen leaning on him, and gently put his shirt over her
shoulders, and hugged her lightly for warmth. He settled his head down on his other arm, and drifted off to sleep. Candlemon nestled in his arm, as they used to sleep... The poromon's blank eyes flickered dimly in the firelight. Tsukaimon attempted to make conversation, but his voice soon fell off, dismayed by the new 'mon's silence. Soon after he was asleep, curled up on Aen's shoulder. Darkness beyond the cave's mouth, then light, and the fire that had kept the kids warm died. The chill woke Tsukai, who turned his yellow eyes on Poromon. It stared back. "Good morning, good morning," it smiled, "Wake up, wake up. Long walk today. Deep cave. Dark. Wake up wake up." Slade heard the racket and woke up, his arm gently around Aen, to keep her safe and warm. "Okay, okay... No need to wake my ancestors up... gods alive..." Slade gently nudged Aen and said, "Sleeping beauty... please wake Aen-chan... it's time to start moving..." Aen sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. Cold... her vision seemed
blurred somehow. The new 'mon... its eyes were so bright... Tsukaimon yawned and stretched and watched Aen stand. She helped Slade up, smiling. And the group, led by poyomon, started into the dark passage. Slade hobbled along being helped by Aen. He kept his mind sharp, and his senses even sharper. He held onto Aen for both comfort and security for both of them. He silently listened for anything out of the ordinary. Candlemon bounded along silently, his candle flame casting odd shadows about them... Seemingly completely unaware of its performance the previous night, the poromon bounced along in perfect spirits, even whistling. Tsukaimon winced everytime its bottom hit the rock with that resounding "poing!" Aen staggered a bit under Slade's weight, but managed along decently, focusing her attention on the light of candlemon's flame and the flutter of herown 'mon's wings. Hopefully the walk would be brief... Even now she could see that the poromon was bouncing a touch too fast for the pace of Slade and her. It was slowly widening the distance between guide and injured followers. However, just as she opened her mouth to speak, it hopped into a patch of darkness-and began to squeal. "YEEEAAAGH! HIDE!" it dived out of sight just as a massive white-tusked mon materialized before them. Slade saw the giant mon, and shouted, "Get down Aen-chan!" He shoved her away, to safety, and tried to jump aside. He landed roughly, and looked back towards Aen, aided just barely by the sound of Tsukai's wings. "Aen-chan? Are you all right? Say something..." Slade struggled to his feet, and collapsed back down almost immediately. His leg was still weak from the break, but seemed to be stronger than it was before... The monster smashed the floor with its tusks, trumpeting angrily. Aen tumbled, catching herself and turning. On the other side of the cave, she saw Slade struggling to stand. "I'm fine!" her eyes flashed, made clear and focused by the sudden attack. "Tsukai!" The 'mon whirled in the air and spat "Purple fog!" The area darkened and swirled hazily. The only thing Aen could see now was the dim, now-lilac glow of candlemon... Slade could barely distinguish where Aen, Candlemon or Tsukaimon were because of the noisy oversized 'Mon's trumpeting. He tried to get close to Candlemon, while the monster stomped and trampled anyting in its path.... "OMG!!! Seikimon! You can do that... Digigrow... thingy..." said Hikaru. "Fishing Rod!!!" shouted Divermon. He threw his fishing rod at EeeeeeeeeeeevilDekumon. "Well, your attacks sure don't LOOK good, do they?" said Hikaru. "Oh, shut up! I'm saving your darn life ya know!!!" said Divermon angrily. EeeeeeeeeeeevilDekumon started to fade... "What's going on...?" asked Hikaru. "EvilDekumon is defeated..." Hikaru went up to Divermon and hugged him. "You're much better than that old Seikimon!!!" she shouted. "I'm still Seikimon you know," said Divermon, "I just what you humans call 'Evolved.' Or Digivolved." "But it took humans thousands of years to do that..." "So now my name is Divermon," said the Digimon. "Wow..." Divermon started to fade. "OH NO! Don't be defeated too!!!" shouted Hikaru. Out of the fog appeared Seikimon. "Great. You're back to that stupid Dragon Digi-thingy." After EeeeeeeeeeeevilDekumon was killed, Hikaru and Nazia began to search through the forest. That annoying song was still through the air. Hikaru angrily searched her pockets for earplugs, but no luck. "Man," said Hikaru, "This song really annoys me... Maybe it would have been better to bring my recorder. It at least would have been more enjoyable to try and learn this song that just listening to it..." She turned to Nazia. "Well, I haven't really told you about myself... Well, I love to draw and play music. Except the piano." Hikaru and Nazia kept walking through the strange forest. The strange music was still as loud as ever. Hikaru growled. "Stupid music!" shouted Hikaru, "THIS IS REALLY ANNOYING!!!!!" Suddenly she saw three forks in the road. "Man," said Hikaru, "Which way should we go to get outta here?" She looked around. She looked towards one way. Suddenly the music got softer. "Huh?" She turned towards one way and the music got even softer. At last she turned the other way and the music was louder than ever! "Whoa! That's some loud music." She turned to Nazia. "Which way should we go? I think this music is giving us a clue. Should we go towards where the muisc is softer or louder?" "Well, I think we should go towards the music. Maybe it'll lead to the others or give us some clue where they are." "Well," says Hikaru, "I guess that music was useful for something." She looks at Seikimon and Patamon. "Wow," she says, "You two have been awfully quiet." She goes towards where the music is the loudest. They go to another room alike the last one. They listen for the music and keep on following it. They finally get out of the forest. At least, they think so. "This doesn't look like a Forest anymore... More like... a meadow." says Hikaru. She looks around. Suddenly, out of nowhere pops up a Wolf-like Digimon. "It's Lupmon!!!" shouts Seikimon. "AHHH!!!" said Nazia. "But who is Lupmon?" she said with a confused look on her face. "Well, who cares! Patamon go 'em! Boom Bubble!" "Water Bubbles!!!" Hikaru giggled a little, then stopped to press the button on her Digivice. "Lupmon, an Animal Type Digimon," she read, "Rookie Level. Its attacks are Scratch and Jump." "Patamon," says Seikimon, "He's only a rookie, so if we attack together, we'll probably beat him." Patamon nodded. "Ok," said Seikimon, "Water Bubbles!!!" "Great! Ok Let's go! We can defeat it! BOOM BUBBLE!!!" said Patamon. Nazia magically changes from regular clothes to cheerleading and cheers, "GO PATAMON! GO! GO SEIKMON!!! GO!!!" Then magically changes into regular clothes again.
