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Wherever they were now, was a place that was nonexistent in Protocol. They touched down on the ground, rift slowly healing behind them as they were both hit by hot and humid air. It was a jungle, full and true. Brimming with life, healthy data particles in the air as trees and foliage towered far above them. Soft mists of water raining down from the rivers and waterfalls that danced across bridges of vines and grooves in rock and wood. It was beautiful.
"Wow wow wow!!" Kaguya said as she put the side of her palm to her head and drank in all the details of the surrounding area. "It's a jungle!!" She chimed, as if her partners couldn't tell for themselves. "It feels like forever since we've been in one!" The bluenette jumped up and down excitedly, unimpeded by her armor that clanked loudly as she did so.
"You're going to attract every mon in this place if you jump around like that." Lume groaned. Kaguya did not seem to care one little bit though as she turned to him.
"Do you think there's fruit??" She asked. "We've been eating rations for so long. Maybe there's Sun Peaches? Or Porcupine Durians? Or- Or Poppy Papaya's!!" She was absolutely brimming with excitement. One that... One, of her partners did not reciprocate.
"Did you already forget why we came here?" Lume asked bluntly.
'Just let her have her moment. None of us have had anything decent to eat in a long while.' Kori's voice rang in his mind.
'Yeah! I personally don't want to eat rations for the rest of my life. Those things have been in her pendant for literal y e a r s grumpy pants.' Asher's voice said with a fake gag. The rations were completely edible. They didn't exactly taste bad, but after how long they were on the run from the end of the world? The stuff had started tasting like ash after all that.
Lume let out a rather frustrated noise, and Kaguya turned her head to him with a grin. "Aaaaaasher~" She called to the Black Gatomon. "You want to go on a food hunt?"
The Mikemon opened his mouth to protest, but quickly his fur became a swirl of dark colors as the black tried to shove the warm browns out of the way. "Pleeeeeease I am dying over here!" Asher whined. Kaguya watched as there was a bit of a scuffle between the colors. A clear sign of bickering on the inside.
"Fuck- FINE!" Lume said, throwing his paws up in the air. "You are so god damn annoying!" And in a blip, all those browns were gone, replaced with black and purple. Asher let out a triumphant puff of air before rubbing his nose. "Now that that's out of the way, which direction do you think will lead to the tastiest treasures?" He asked.
Kaguya grinned, and began to take a few steps forward... Before she stopped. Putting a gloved finger to her chest.
"Whattsup?" Asher asked, tilting his head.
"I kind of felt something weird in my chest... I dunno, like something popping out?" Kaguya said with a strange look on her face, but soon shrugged. "It's gone now though! Probably just my data conversion catching up! Let's go!!" She said with a pep in her step as she began to trot down the jungle path. Asher just shrugged at what she said, and followed closely after, with a grin on his face. He was excited to find out what goodies there were hiding out in this jungle.
The first thing they found were some kind of shelf mushrooms growing along the bark of a tree. Kaguya had readied a basket, while Asher was busy counting the number of spots on the fungi. "This one is edible, but will give you headaches. Might be able to cook it out? I think it's the spores that cause it." He said, tapping his chin before moving to the next variety. "This one's safe too, but you're not going to be able to sleep if you eat it."
"I think we can find a use for that!" Kaguya chirped. And into the basket they went.
Next they found some hanging vines. Kaguya had squeezed one, and it felt a bit gelatinous. The two looked at each other, before Asher cut it open. "Aloe Jello..." Kaguya said quietly as she stuck a finger in it.
"Hey isn't that-" Asher tried to speak, but their finger already popped in the bluenettes mouth. Instantly, her face twisted.
"B-Bitter..." She rasped out.
"You gotta stop putting that stuff in your mouth. It's bitter in every server we go to." Asher said with a sigh.
"One day, it will be different!" Kaguya said with conviction, raising her fist to the air. "I am sure of it!"
"I'll eat both my gloves if you end up right." Asher mostly said it as a joke. But at the same time he hoped that this would be one of the things that Kaguya forgot so he wouldn't have to actually live up to his words. "Could take a vine though, might help with pollen burns."
And so, a vine was added to the basket.
Next, they found themselves at the base of a tree, looking far up its trunk. "I thiiink those are Keychain Cherries?" Kaguya said, squinting with her hand over her forehead.
"Yeah, looks to be." Asher said, sizing up the tree. He could just hook his claws in the bark and climb up... But where's the fun in that? "Hey Kaguya." Asher called to his tamer, who looked down at him. "Aim high would you?" He said, kicking off the ground and landing on her shoulder.
She giggled. "Okey dokey!" She helped Asher balance on her gloved hand, reeled back- and threw him with all her might. He went flying through the air, claws outstretched as he hit home and dug into one of the branches. From below, Kaguya clapped.
"Good form!" Asher said, giving her a thumbs up before unclipping the bunches of berries from their branches, and letting them fall down. Kaguya raced around laughing, catching them in her basket. Asher kept count, it was all good fun.
"Mmmm these are so good!" Kaguya said with her mouthful as she bit into one of the cherries.
Asher shoved one in his mouth, and as soon as he bit into that juicy flesh he melted and flopped backwards onto the ground. "Oh, sweet delicious food... I will never take you for granted again." Kaguya laughed at that.
Then, he stole a whole bundle from the basket. "Hey!" Kaguya said with a giggle, trying to swipe it back.
"Unlike you, I need to eat for three." Asher said it like it was almost a fact, raising his finger up as he bit into another cherry.
"You all share one stomach you silly billy!" Kaguya laughed again.
"... Ok maybe I just want to hog it all to myself." Asher said with a grin, before pointing to himself. "My body right now, my taste buds. All to myself. And certainly not for a certain sourpuss who wants to keep eating rations!"
He could feel the burning anger under his fur, but Asher didn't care, licking the fruit juice off his claws.
And soon once again, they were on the move. The basket was getting a bit heavy, but they still had some room. And if they ran out? Well Kaguya surely had another... Dozen. Asher would call her a hoarder, but after all the crap and situations they've gotten themselves into over the years? He would call her well prepared. Ready for a small army at any time. Nothing short of expected of a Princess of the Chess Empire.
They walked through the humid jungle. Asher could feel water sticking to his fur like a film. He had no clue how Kaguya was handling it with her armor. He may not sweat much as a cat Digimon, but oh man he felt like he was.
"Oh."
Kaguya stopped suddenly, and so did Asher. He looked up at her confused, and she pointed ahead of them. further down the way, shifting around in the leafy foliage were two humans, and what they assumed to be their Digimon partners. They couldn't hear them, but they seemed to be relaxed as they spoke. Which was always a good sign, that meant that the server, or at least, this area, was a rather peaceful place.
With no fear or worry in her heart, Kaguya called out to them with a wave. "Hellooo!!"
Both of the humans looked up, and one made the motion to wave back, but then went still. And in the blink of an eye, all of them scurried off further into the jungle, as if they were spooked.
Kaguya blinked as she lowered her arm. She looked at Asher. "Do I look scary?" She asked, quietly. Almost a bit hurt by the reaction.
"I don't have a good answer because I've seen you almost every day for years now." Asher said truthfully. They looked at each other for a few more moments, before looking back down the path. "Hmmm..." They both made a sound. They had to shrug it off eventually, no use just standing there just thinking about it. And so they continued their way through the jungle.
They continued their quest for food... But were soon interrupted by the rapid foot fall breaking through the foliage, straight for them. Asher was quick on his feet, adopting a fighting pose as his fur shifted to Lume's patterned orange. Kaguya didn't quite seem worried yet, so she held onto the basket. But she was alert, ready to react if need be.
Large leaves went flying as a Digimon skid onto the path. A Cerberumon.
"YOU." The large hound Digimon growled. "IDENTIFY YOURSELVES."
Kaguya pointed to herself calmly, unintimidated. "I'm Kaguya." She said, then pointing to her partner. "And this is Lume." The Mikemon didn't move from his position, narrowing his eyes at the Digimon in front of them.
"WHERE ARE YOUR RESIDENTIAL LICENSES?" the Cerberumon asked next.
Kaguya and Lume blinked. "Licenses?" Kaguya asked.
"Pretty sure that's a human world concept." Lume muttered under his breath.
"Oh." Kaguya said. "We don't have those!" She called out to the Cerberumon. "Sorry!"
"SO YOU ARE INTRUDERS!" The hound Digimon's claws dug into the ground, as flames began to spit from their maw.
"Mister-" Kaguya called out to them again. "We don't exactly know where we are--"
"LIARS! IF YOU ARE NOT FROM HERE, THEN YOU ARE FROM THE COALITION!"
Both Kaguya and Lume's faces contorted in unison. They were both upset at just being called liars. A low blow to accuse them of such heavy sin. Angry, even. But outwardly? They looked disappointed and disgusted with the dog Digimon. The Bluenette finally looked at her partner. "I don't like this guy very much." She said, flatly.
"Agreed. Let's just go." Lume said with his nose scrunched. Anyone who accused others of lying so easily was not someone they would ever want to be around. "We're leaving." Lume said curtly to Cereberumon as he and his tamer turned on their heels and began walking away.
"YOU ARE NOT LEAVING!"
Ah, great.
Kaguya and Lume turned to see the Cerberumon charging at them. Instantly, Kaguya dropped the basket. Everything they had gathered in the past hour scattered across the ground, no doubt about to be trampled over in this incoming skirmish. But they didn't matter right now. Food can always be replaced. She yanked the halberd free from its spot on her back and aimed it, as Lume readied his fists.
"STYX KILLER!" The Cerberumon announced their attack. Their claws enveloped by power as they raised them to slash.
Lume jumped to the air, straight at the ultimate level Digimon with zero hesitation. "Nikukyu Punch!" He howled as his punch began to go down, straight for its target.
But both of them could feel the energy in the air raining down before them. Cerberumon skidded to a halt, while Lume landed, and rolled on the ground and back to his feet as a barrier appeared before both of them. Kaguya raised her eyebrows, and Cerberumon seemed to grow increasingly nervous at the sight of it.
Above them, an Angel descended. Arkhai Angemon. "Cerberumon..." Their ethereal voice filled the surrounding jungle. "You are too quick to assume the worst, my friend." They said, lightly scolding the hound Digimon.
"M-MY APOLOGIES, CLAVIS."
Lume maintained his glare, unwavering. But Kaguya tilted her head. Halberd still ready, but curious. Clavis is the name belonging to another type of Angemon. And it did not appear to be this one in front of them, going by their form alone... Unless...
The Barrier dissipated, and Arkhai Angemon descended further to the ground, floating above it, just shy of truly touching the ground. "I apologize for the rude introduction to our territory. Please, may you lower your arms?" The Angemon asked.
Kaguya and Lume shared a glance for a split second, before relaxing from their battle stances. Quietly the bluenette approached to join her partner. Though, a bit uncharacteristically, she did not speak. Fidgeting with her fingers on her free hand.
"You both seem to have stumbled upon the Order's territory. I'm afraid your sudden appearance had startled a few of the tamers and caused this confrontation. You have my heartfelt apologies for this mistake." The Angemon said, lowering their head, their hand on their chest. They paused for a moment though, before looking up. "Pardon me, but is it intrusive of me to approach closer?" They asked Kaguya specifically.
The bluenette blinked, but then shrugged her shoulders. She didn't detect any malicious energy from the Angemon, but she didn't know why he wanted to get closer.
"Thank you. It will be but only for a moment." They spoke, floating close enough for their hand to hover over her chest. "It... Is faint. But I can sense it." Arkhai said, looking back to Cerberumon. "This girl is an unclaimed human, not a foreign Digimon." They told their comrade, as they retracted their hand and put distance between them once again.
Kaguya flipped up her visor. Her purple eyes staring back at Arkhai. She didn't say anything yet again, but Lume could tell. She was a bit upset that this random Digimon could somehow sense the little bit of human data she did have left. "Unclaimed?" Lume repeated back.
"Yes, highly unusual, considering you are both traveling together." Arkhai said, bringing the knuckle of his finger to his chin. "But she does not seem to be freshly fallen though." He continued. "You did not come from the human world, did you?"
"No." Kaguya finally spoke.
"We didn't 'fall' here either." Lume said.
"Oh? How did you arrive here then?" Arkhai inquired.
Kaguya and Lume looked at each other. And Lume simply shrugged. The truth here seemed reasonable. "We're here from a different server. Protocol." He said simply.
Arkhai and Cerberumon both paused. "Server travelers?" Arkhai's words held the undertones of surprise. "This is an interesting revelation... But, why would you come here?"
"We're looking for a friend, who went missing recently." Kaguya replied. "We don't know how much time dilation differences there are between the servers though..."
"I see..." Arkhai hummed. "Well, in any case. If you would like, the Order's doors are open to you."
Kaguya looked at Lume again, and for the first time in this conversation she smiled. "He seems a lot nicer!" She said. "Hey hey, what's the Order?" She asked.
"The Order of Freedom." Arkhai Angemon said with a smile upon their visage. "It is our mission to protect humans that have fallen to the Digital World from the human world, before they are subjugated by other... Less kind Digimon." He spoke the last words sadly. "Our current base of operations is not far off from here. Will you accompany us?" He asked.
Kaguya grinned at Lume, who shot a grumpy look back before sighing. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."
"We'd love to come visit!" Kagya chimed, leaning down to pick up all the fallen food back to her basket, before swaying back and forth on her legs, eager to go.
"Wonderful." Arkhaimon spoke with another smile. "Please, follow me."
Deeply nestled in the jungle, was a hub of activity. Buildings woven into the trunks of trees and waterfalls, all the while protected by thick imposing walls, as well as barriers reaching towards the sky. Covering the entire encampment like a blanket. They approached the gate, and the guard digimon did not even hesitate, as they opened it because of Arkhai Angemon's presence alone. The gate rumbled as it ground against the ground, but soon they were able to enter. Kaguya and Lume could see a few humans and digimon's stopping to watch, while children played in the distance. Those closest to the gate gave off an air of uncertainty, as though they were hesitant to trust newcomers. But with how well fortified this area was? It was to be expected.
A human did approach though, and Arkhai waved to them. "Hello Susan." He said. "Do you know where Brenda is?" He asked.
"Figured that's what you would want." The girl said with a grin, before pointing in a direction. "She's over there, hanging out with the kids."
"I thank you." Arkhai Angemon said, before motioning for Kaguya and Lume to follow. As they traveled, they got more looks... But what made Kaguya giggle, was how a child gasped in awe and pointed at her. Exclaiming about her blue hair.
Finally they arrived at a group, a little playground where baby Digimon and a few human children played. Watching over them was a dark skinned girl, who was knelt down, talking to one of the excited children. "Brenda." Arkhai called to her, and she lifted her head.
"I'll talk to you more later, ok?" Brenda said, as she ruffled the kids' hair.
They pouted for a moment, putting their hair back in order before pointing at her. "Pinkie promise!!" They demanded.
"Ok ok, pinkie promise." She said with a smile, and they joined pinkies together. The kid gave a grin, before running off to play with the others. "Patty! Are these two the suspicious threats I heard talk about?" Brenda said, one hand on her hip as she looked Kaguya and Lume over. "I'ma be real here, they don't give off the most threatening aura... But maaan that is really blue hair you got there."
Kaguya laughed at that. She always had a soft look to her, one that many had underestimated her for.
Lume though, had a sour look on his expression. "I almost feel offended." He said dryly.
"Ooooh! But this little guy is so cute! I love kitty cats so much!" Brenda said as she leaned down to look at him.
"Don't call me that ever again." Lume said, a bit more firmly.
"He is!! He's super cute!! His name is Lume! Do you want to pet him?" Kaguya asked.
"NO." Lume protested, but Kaguya was already lifting him up by his armpits. She shot Brenda a look full of sunshine as she held him out to the other girl. But Lume? Lume hung there completely stiff, with a murderous expression across his face.
"Uh." Brenda backed up a little, rubbing the back of her neck. "Maybe i'll pass? He uh... Looks like he would claw my hand off."
"He probably would!" Kaguya said with a hearty laugh, to which Arkhai Angemon and Brenda gave a worried expression at the admission. She had just held out an aggressive Mikemon knowing full well how dangerous he was. That was... something.
"Put me down." Lume growled out, and Kaguya just let him drop to the ground unceremoniously.
"SO!" Kaguya chirped. "I guess this is the part where we start talking about why we're here and all that?" She asked.
"Are you two here to join the Order? More Digimon are always welcome." Brenda asked with a head tilt.
Arkhai Angemon spoke next, as if he could tell what the girl was thinking. "She may not look it, but this girl is human."
"W-what? But her eyes--" Brenda began to point out the the bluenett's unnaturally colored eyes and pupils.
"Not exactly." Kaguya and Lume said at the same time, causing Brenda to blink. "It's complicated!" Kaguya said with another laugh. Brenda and Arkhai didn’t push it… But it would explain the blue hair and purple eyes.
"Well... How about we discuss this over food?" Arkhai asked.
"Ooooh good idea Patty! Lunch time is the best time!" Brenda said, hunger evident in her expression.
"Oh! You guys have food here? We also got all of this we can share too!" Kaguya said, showing her basket.
"I'm sure that would be lovely. The cafeteria is not far, please join us." Arkhai said, gesturing to one of the buildings woven into the bark of a colossal tree. Kaguya began skipping her way over with a pep in her step, as Brenda tried to keep up. Lume and Arkhai followed closely behind. But while Lume didn't look at the Angemon, it was clear he held an air of distrust around him. Typical of him, and understandable to the Angemon.
The Cafeteria was bustling, many humans and digimons gathered at the tables, eating various kinds of foods and chatting with each other. Brenda picked out a table for them all, and waved down a waiter, signaling that they would be wanting food.
"What's your guys's names?" Brenda asked.
"Oh! I'm Kaguya!" The bluenette said, pointing to herself. And this is Lume!" She continued, using both her hands to gesture to her grumpy partner, who didn't say a word. Kaguya always introduced him, so he never really had to do it.
"It's nice to meet you! I'm Brenda!" the dark skinned girl said with a smile. "So, what's your guys's deal?" Brenda asked. "Got a kitty with a bad attitude and a not exactly human. Don't see a duo like that around here everyday!"
"From what they have told me, they are Server Travelers." Arkhai said to Brenda. Who openly gaped at being told that.
"Wait wait wait-- You guys came from another server?!" She asked, while pointing at both Kaguya and Lume.
"Yup! We server hop quite often! Or, well used to!" Kaguya giggled.
"I-" Brenda fumbled with her words. "I- I didn't think it was actually a thing that could happen! Kind of like fairy tales and all that! But- I don't get it. Why here? Why this server? It's not exactly all sunshine and rainbows here."
"Oh, we came here looking for a friend! We were fighting a really big Digimon and then she kinda just went 'poof'" Kaguya emphasized with her hands. "So we're here now, on the hunt to look for her! And maybe that Digimon too, if we can find him."
"Hmmm..." Arkhai made a thoughtful noise. "How did you get past the firewall, if I may ask?"
"Stabbed it with a spear." "We tore a hole in it."
Kaguya and Lume both spoke at the same time. So casually, that Arkhai and Brenda just kind of stared at them. "P-Pardon?" Brenda finally asked.
"Yeah, i'm going to admit, your server's firewall is not the most sophisticated. It needs work." Lume said.
"The security system was so lax compared to our home server, I was kind of surprised we got in so easily! Wasn't hard at all for Lume to decipher." Kaguya said with a smile. "You said server hoppers are rare?"
"Indeed." Arkhai said, ignoring the fact that the two in front of him gave worrying knowledge that their firewall was not as best as it could be. "Not many would come to our server willingly, Duracell has a bit of a reputation, you see."
"Oh?" Kaguya asked, taking a bite of one of the keychain cherries in her basket.
"This server is... Let's say it's split in two, basically." Brenda said. "The Order is one of two opposing forces in this digital world. We're on the side, fighting for the freedom of humans, while the other side..." Brenda rubs the back of her neck again. "They enslave them. Force them to become batteries, with the sole purpose of powering their abusers."
Kaguya chewed on the cherry as she thought it over. "Really?" She finally asked. "They go through all that trouble because they can't reach strength on their own? That's kind of just pathetic." She said it so casually. "Slavery is also really outdated." She threw out at the end, as she took another bite.
"Even across other servers, partner Digimon reach their true potential through their bond, not by using one another. Do they not know that or is that just not a thing here?" Lume inquired.
"It is a present force here, yes." Arkhai said, resting his chin on his overlapping palms. "Tamers and Partners with unbreakable bonds may be bestowed a crest from the server itself. Allowing easy ascension to Ultimate and Mega level. Like myself."
"Oh! So it was right to assume you two are partners!" Kaguya said.
"That's right! Me and Patty are an inseparable duo!" Brenda said, draping her arm over her partner's shoulder, and pulling him closer.
"Why do humans always give the most childish nicknames..." Lume muttered to himself.
"Is it ok to ask which crest you have?" Kaguya asked.
"We got Courage! Pretty fitting for one of the power houses of the Order!" Brenda said with a proud grin.
"Ooooh one of those crests." Kaguya said, drumming her fingers on the table. "No unique ones here?" She asked next.
"Unique?" Brenda inquired.
"You know... Not like the usual nine." Kaguya gestured vaguely. "They're... um..."
"Courage, Friendship, Love, Knowledge, Reliability, Sincerity, Hope, Light, and Kindness." Lume recited. "Some worlds also have Miracles, and Destiny."
"Oh. Yeah, we got all those. Except the last two... I think?" Brenda said, unsure as she looked to her partner. He shook his head, unsure as well. "Anyway- what do you mean by 'unique' ones? Are our crests not unique or something?"
"No. They're the standard crests across digital worlds." Lume stated plainly. "Most common in Yggdrasil worlds because that's their origin, but they appear in others as well."
"Well... What are some unique ones then?" Brenda asked.
Kaguya and Lume glanced at each other momentarily. Brenda and Patty noticed but said nothing. The names themselves would cause no harm, and would mean little to the two in front of them. "Mirage, Acoustic, and Recollection." Lume said.
Brenda squinted one eye while her other eye raised with her eyebrow. "Those seem a bit... Abstract?" She said. "But i'm guessing they work the same for the most part."
"Yup! They got their little quirks, but they work pretty much the same otherwise!" Kaguya said.
Lume leaned forward, paws interlinked as he looked to the other partner duo. "I have a question." He said. "Who is the ruler of this server? The major power or super computer that runs everything."
Brenda blinked. "Uhhhhhhh...." She clearly didn't know, looking to her partner. Patty straightened up, as he searched through his memories.
"The major forces of this world are the Four Sovereign, while the server owner is Eniac. I believe."
Lume leaned back silently, and Kaguya whipped her head with the back of her gauntlet, letting out a 'phew'. "You have no idea how happy we are to hear that!" Kaguya laughed.
"Were you expecting something different?" Patty asked.
"We always gotta stay on our toes when going to new servers, ya know? Yggdrasil is not exactly best buddies with those from Iliad like us." Kaguya said, pointing between her and Lume. "But that's good news! That means we have more cards on our table if we need them. No need to worry about any Royal Knights at our throats or X-programs.... Unless Eniac has some beef with Homeros for some reason."
"I do not believe so..." Patty said. "I will be frank, most would not know of Illiad, so you should not run into any trouble here."
"That's good- OOOOH!" Kaguya cut herself off as she saw a MudFrigimon approach their table and set down a platter of brown ball-like food. "Here you go! Fresh mud balls, from yours truly!"
"Muddy- We haven't ordered anything ye-" Brenda began to say, before she could see Kaguya in the side of her vision. She whipped her head around to see the bluenette and her partner take a few of the mud balls off the plate.
"Oh these look delicious!! Don't mind if I do!" Kaguya said, before taking a huge bite out of one.
Brenda's expression was one of shock, mixed with horrified. "HUH?!" She let out a surprised noise, before her attention went to Lume, who was also eating one.
"Mmmm!! It's so good! Did you add twist cinnamon to this?" Kaguya asked as she pointed to the mud ball.
"That I did!" The MudFrigimon said. "You have a sharp tongue, little missy!"
"What do you think Lume? Pretty good right?" Kaguya asked her partner as he chewed his piece.
"It's different from home." He stated. "Unique in its own right." Was all he said.
"He likes it too!!" Kaguya announced. "Thank you so much mister!"
"My pleasure!" The MudFrigimon said proudly. "I'm glad someone around here appreciates my cooking!" They said, side eyeing Brenda, who gave a genuinely apologetic look. Eventually, MudFrigimon left, and a server came to give Brenda something else. Lume figured it was her usual, with how her expression softened immediately at the sight of it.
They ate quietly for a bit, Patty joining in on the mud balls, seemingly not minding the taste one bit. Before Lume finally broke the silence. "You said Kaguya is unclaimed, what did you mean by that?"
"What?" Brenda sputtered out. "But, you're clearly a duo! Are you not registered in her digivice?"
Kaguya blinked, before pulling out her star-like digivice from her side. She pressed around and then turned it to Brenda to show Lume's stats. "He is, see!"
Brenda narrowed her eyes at the digivice, before looking back at them. "Thats-" She tried speaking as she pointed at the foreign digivice. "That's the weirdest digivice I've ever seen." She admitted. "You didn't grow one, when you came to the server?"
Kaguya tilted her head. "You know, in your chest." Brenda said, as she poked at the clear protrusion underneath her shirt. "When humans fall to the digital world, they grow a digivice. I've never met a human without one. Did nothing happen when you traveled in?"
Kaguya put her finger to her chin as she thought about it. "You mentioned a weird feeling in your chest, but that was it." Lume said.
"Ohhhhhh right. Felt like something popped out a little, but I didn't feel anything like... Grow out of me. I don't think?"
Patty finished his mud ball, and then spoke. "Perhaps, it would be best to check to see if anything did happen. After all your energy, though faint, indicates that you do not currently have a partner... Despite the fact that you do."
"Oh, sure! Sounds fine by me!" Kaguya said, taking another bite out of her mud ball. "I just have to take my armor off, right? That's easy peasy!" She continued, showing no concern over the fact that she was going to have to go defenseless for a little bit. But Patty and Brenda seemed pretty nice, so it was no issue showing a bit of vulnerability.
She bet that she could react faster than Brenda, anyways.
"Oooooooooook. I guess we'll be doing that then." Brenda replied, finding the agreement to have come weirdly easy "Let me just finish my food first..."
...
Brenda and Patty eventually took them deeper into the building. Many doors littered the halls as they walked down them, and Lume could smell many different scents. This must have been some kind of dormitory of sorts, or perhaps apartments. It reminded him a little of their living arrangements in Protocol...
Finally, they reached a door that looked almost like any others, aside from the name plate; 'Brenda and Patty'. Guess the Angemon has had that name for a long time... He still wasn't sure why the Cerberumon called them 'Clavis', though. But he had an inkling as to why.
"Alright, here we are! Our humble abode!" Brenda said, opening the door, and gesturing for Kaguya to enter.
"Oh wow! Looks homier than the outside!" Kaguya chimed as she stepped in. Lume went to follow, but Brenda blocked his way.
"Ah ah ah!" Brenda said, waving her finger back and forth in a scolding manner. "You're both boys! You can't come in!"
Lume's brows furrowed. "What the hell do I look like, a human male?"
"You are definitely a guy which means no entry! Girls only while I check Kaguya over!" And with a final point, the door closed a bit too harshly, leaving Lume alone in the hallway with Patty.
The Mikemon looked at the Angemon. "Do Digimon have human genders in this world or something?" He asked.
"Yes, for many... Do you not?" Patty asked.
"God no." Lume said with a grumble. "And I never want to.”
...
"Ok, so now that we have some privacy, we can go take a look at that weird little 'pop' you had going on!" Brenda said. "Now I know it's going to be a bit weird, having to undress in front of someone you don't really know, but we're both girls- Whoa whoa whoa you seem a bit too ok with taking your top off in front of a stranger." Brenda said, putting her hands up as she watched Kaguya almost instantly start removing her armor without shame.
"Hm?" Kaguya made a questioning noise as she unstrapped her chest plate with practiced hands. "I've got nothing to worry about though!" She said, before giving a thumbs up. "Because i'm not naked under this armor!" She said with such conviction, that Brenda could only blink as Kaguya began taking tassets off next.
"No girlie, I assure you, you very much will be."
Kaguya pouted at that. Mumbling to herself about how humans are always so sensitive about her textures as she pulled her dress over her head. She wasn't fully nude, wearing her tights and greaves, but showing enough skin that her chest was completely visible.
"That's... a lot of scars." Brenda said, as she looked Kaguya over. The Bluenette had multiple scattered across her skin. A burn on her shoulder, slices across her torso, and so on.
"I got more!" Kaguya said, lifting her bangs to reveal the nasty stab scar she had given herself, when she gutted out the data crystal from her forehead. Brenda cringed at the sight of it, but Kaguya didn't mind, as she began to check herself over.
"You really don't have a digivice though... That's so strange." Brenda said.
Kaguya's hand moved up to her chest, and rubbed her finger over something dark, something unfamiliar. "This is new." She said.
"Hm?" Brenda said, taking a closer look. "It's not a mole?" She asked
"It doesn't look like a Drimogemon." Kaguya said seriously.
Brenda however, thought it was a joke, and laughed at that. "Man that's funny!" She said, before leaning closer, hovering her finger closer to the strange nub. "May I?" She asked.
"Go for it!" Kaguya chirped. And with a nod in response, Brenda presses the nub, and wiggles it around with her finger.
"Well... It doesn't quite feel like a mole." Brenda said. "It almost feels a bit... Rubbery? I suppose? Maybe your body tried to produce a wire and that's all it could do?" The dark skinned girl mused.
"Do the digivice's here need wires?" Kaguya questioned.
"Uhhh i'll be honest, I've never seen ones without them." Brenda replied.
"Hmmm..." Kaguya let out a little noise as she thought about it. "Is it ok, if I see yours?" She finally asked.
"Hmm? Oh, sure! We're both girls, so it shouldn't be an issue." Brenda said. Kaguya kept her 'i'm not a girl' comment to herself though, as she watched Brenda take off her jacket and her top. Kaguya didn't even need Brenda to point at it, to clearly identify that the device inside of Brenda's chest was indeed some sort of digivice. "This is what they look like. There's some little variations between them, but for the most part all digivices look kind of like this."
"Oooh, it's got a screen on it." Kaguya observed, looking closer. There were multiple wires, a speaker, small slots... Maybe for chips?
"Yeah, we can take calls on it, project images, stuff like that."
Kaguya paused, before giving Brenda a look. "But how do you see the person you're calling if it's on your chest?"
"Ahh... Us humans can't really use the screen itself much. It's mostly for the partner Digimon. But it projects a hologram that we can see and interact with!"
Kaguya stares at it for a bit longer, before straightening up. "Can I be honest about this?"
Brenda blinked, not quite getting what the other meant. "Ssssure?"
Kaguya took a breath in, before she started speaking; "The placement of the digivice seems really impractical, and feels more like a burden. You can't use the screen, and you have to press all the buttons while looking at it upside down. It has such a heavy reliance on holograms that it should probably just have been a projector and nothing else. Eniac really should have put more thought into this. If it absolutely had to be embedded in the body, the wrist would have been a much better spo--"
Brenda cut off Kaguya by waving her arms around and cringing. "Yikes--! I already got enough body horror from this! don't make me think about it on the wrist!"
Kaguya sighed, and put her hands on her hip, shaking her head. "I am rather disappointed in the creator of this server. Honestly... Were they just worried that the digivice could end up lost or something?" She didn't exactly wait for Brenda's response. "Even a data tether would have sufficed.... Homeros would never be this sloppy."
"Um." Brenda finally spoke. "Well... Anyways, you do got something going on. I don't know what, but going by what Patty said, it's enough to send out a signal." She said. "Maybe Lume can claim you if he tries? Let's put your dress back on first."
Kaguya did so wordlessly, sliding the dress back over her head. Brenda redressed as well, and went back to the door. Kaguya followed them as they opened it. "Soooo she's got like a little nub thing." Brenda told Patty and Lume. "I don't know what it is. It feels rubbery, so it might have been the start of a wire... But there's no actual digivice that I can actually see." Brenda said with a sigh.
"I see... That is intriguing." Patty said.
"I was thinking, maybe Lume could try and claim her? I don't know if it will work, but that signal she's emitting will only cause trouble in the future."
"How the hell am I supposed to claim her if she doesn't have one of your digivices. I'm already logged in our actual one."
"Just try to reach out your data to hers." Patty said. "Normally the process comes naturally."
Lume grumbled something under his breath, before he motioned for Kaguya to lean down. He put his paw on her chest and waited... waited... waited...
...
"Nothing's happening." Lume finally said.
"Yeah I can't feel anything either." Kaguya said.
"Hmmm... This is a conundrum." Brenda said, tapping her finger on her forehead as she sighed. She doesn't have a slot either, so we can't use a jammer chip..."
"Jammer chip?" Kaguya asked.
"Yeah, sometimes humans that come here don't want to be bound to a Digimon, which I totally get. So we've made a chip that jams the signal so others can't tell they're unclaimed by a Digimon."
Kaguya put her hand to her chin for a moment as she stood back up. Finally, she spoke again. "Can you get me one?" She requested.
"Why?" Brenda asked genuinely. "You can't use it without a chip slot."
"I got an idea. Please?" Kaguya asked again with puppy dog eyes.
Brenda kind of cracked under the cute expression, and looked to her partner. "Do you have one on you?" She asked.
"I believe so..." Patty said as he pulled out a storage chip, and began shuffling through the items. Before producing a small data chip, almost the size of an SD card. Wordlessly, he handed it to Kaguya. She looked at it and turned it over in her hand as she inspected its data. She looked to Lume, and nodded. Before data enveloped her hands and she began to stretch the chip.
Brenda stepped back in surprise, and Patty watched in amazement, as Kaguya turned the chip from a small and solid object, to a stretched out almost see through veil. She handed it to Lume for a moment, before taking off her dress once more, causing Brenda to make a noise of protest and Patty averted her eyes. Kaguya then took the film, and placed it across her chest. Looking at it, then looking at Patty.
It was impossible to tell behind their helmet, but Patty's eyebrows lifted, as he looked back to Kaguya. "I... Do not sense it anymore."
"Wha-" Brenda choked out. Quickly she picked up the dress and shoved it on Kaguya's chest to cover up the bluenettes' nudity. "What the heck?" Brenda finally got the words out. "That was-"
Patty nodded to his tamer. "Not commonly seen in humans... Or... 'not exactly human' as you both put it earlier. It is an impressive skill, I can tell that you have honed it well."
"Thank you!" Kaguya said with a smile. "It's common where we're from! I can't change its data to something completely different though, that's outside of my skill set..."
"Ah." Patty said. "So you cannot use World Code to its fullest extent. I suppose that is not unexpected."
"World Code?" Kaguya repeated. "Is that what data manipulation is called here?"
"World Code can alter objects, the environment, to the very server itself.." Patty began to explain. "Users can do what you just did, manipulate the data of an object. Alter digivices to prevent detection without modifications, hide scents, remove poison from food or water... Among many other things. Some of the strongest can even move mountains. Bend forests to their wills. Part water even through crushing waves... But to do that requires the highest understanding of programming."
"Oh. I definitely can't do all that." Kaguya said. "Moving mountains is craaaazy, but i'm no programmer. I just manipulate stuff based on what I can imagine."
"I believe that most users of World Code are in a similar position." Patty said. "Some humans are special enough to be able to tap into the power, but many do not have the understanding of how to properly use it." He continued. "We try our best to teach those who can tap into that power, but to humans it is like learning an entirely different language. I believe those in the human world have to go through some special training at schools to understand it properly."
"Mmm I see I see." Kaguya said. "It wasn't a part of my training as a kid, and I doubt i'd be able to remember it now if I tried." She admitted.
"You're not a kid?" "You have trouble remembering things?"
Brenda and Patty asked at the same time, and Kaguya simply waved it off. "Don't worry about it!" She chirped. "Anyways, that solves that problem! Guess i'll put my armor back on~" She said, going back into the room to put her dress and armor back on.
"Your tamer..." Patty began quietly, turning to look at Lume. "Is certainly an interesting one, isn't she?"
Lume snorted, looking back at the slightly ajar door. "Sometimes, I wish she was less interesting." He admitted.
They talked more, after they had left the living spaces and went back outside. Brenda showed them around, pointing out buildings of interest and such.
"So, what's the other side like? The one that you're fighting?" Kaguya asked, as she eyed the impressive wall surrounding the encampment.
"Oh. Well you know about the main part, but they're called the Slavers Coalition. Or the Coalition for short. They don't always like being called what they really are, they say it makes them sound 'bad'." Brenda said, using her fingers to make air quotes.
"The Coalition holds very different beliefs compared to us in the Order." Patty said. "They believe that humans are weak, and primitive. Their true purpose being batteries for their so-called partners... There are some that even believe that humans stole history, fairy tales, and so on from the Digital world and its denizens. As such, those Digimon are notably bitter. It's not uncommon for those we rescue from the Coalition to have been abused... Among other things."
Kaguya silently nodded. She didn't exactly need to fill in the blanks. War and all that came with it were innately familiar to her. "What about you guys? Do you think the humans stole from you?" She asked.
"Good heavens, no." Patty said with a shake of his head. "Though, I cannot speak for everyone. There are many Digimon here in our territories. But those directly a part of the Order tend not to believe such things. Humanity is its own very unique world. So many different cultures and beliefs, to say that they simply stole from us is simply baffling."
Lume spoke next, but it didn't quite sound like him. "Digital data spreads from world to world naturally. Its origin is unknown, but to claim that humans stole something that repeats in their own history across hundreds of worlds... Is baffling, as you said."
Brenda looked back at Lume, and let out a sharp gasp. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" she exclaimed.
Patty was staring, no doubt wide eyed under his helmet. Pink fur had overtaken half of Lume's face, changing one of his eyes to a glassy purple. "Oh. My apologies." Kori said, as his pink coloration fully spread across Lume's browns.
"W- What- What??" Brenda stammered as she gestured to the pink Gatomon now in front of them. Weird things kept happening ever since they met these two, and her eyes pleaded for Kaguya to say something.
"Oh, That's just Kori!" Kaguya chirped, and didn't immediately offer any other sort of explanation.
"Girlie please I am begging you, stop giving me heart attacks. What do you mean, this is 'Kori'??" Brenda asked. "Does Lume just change colors or something??"
"Mmmm... No. Well.. Kind of?" Kaguya said as she thought it over.
"We share a body." Kori finally said. "It wasn't my intention to scare you. Sometimes our thoughts meld together without us realizing."
"Theres... Two of you in there?" Brenda asked as she squinted at him.
"Three." Kaguya corrected.
"Three?!" Brenda exclaimed.
"Yeah, i'm in here too!" Quickly that pink fur turned black. "I'm Asher! And don't you forget it!" He said, rubbing his nose with the back of his claw.
Brenda and Patty stared openly for much longer than just a few moments, before Brenda buried her face in her partner's chest. "Patty.... I don't know what's going on anymore... Things keep happening and it's really weird and I don't know what to do." Patty patted her on the head to try and comfort her... But he couldn't help his own curiosity.
"How did this happen? The three of you. If you don't mind me asking."
"I'll tell you! But you gotta promise to tell me something after, ya hear?" Asher replied.
"That sounds reasonable." Patty said back.
"Ok!" Asher said with a smile, crossing his arms. "I died. Twice." Asher's words came out simply.
"You... Died?" Patty repeated back.
"Yup! Then some memory shenanigans happened and now we're all stuck in the same body. You know how it is!" The Black Gatomon gave a toothy grin.
"I'm afraid I don't know how that is... I have personally never died." Patty said.
"Oh! Don't recommend it. I personally got skewered. Not a fun time." Asher said with a shake of his head. "ANYWAYS! My turn now, yaaaay!" He clapped. "Now what I want to know is just a little detail we heard earlier..." Asher tapped his chin. "Why did Cerberumon call you 'Clavis'?"
"It's your evolution, isn't it?" Kaguya took a guess. And Patty nodded.
"Yes, my final form is Clavis Angemon. In the Order I am known mostly for that form." The Arkhai Angemon said. "The form drains Brenda more, so I adopt this one instead. It's imperative that I am always ready to fight when needed."
"Oh? Cuz you're one of the top dogs and all that?" Asher asked.
"There is that... But Clavis Angemon is the only one capable of opening the way to the human world." Patty said, looking to the children and humans walking around. "I am the only one who can send them home, back to safety." He admitted.
"Heavy responsibility..." Kaguya said quietly.
"It is. That is part of why we so desperately fight. So many are trapped here in the Digital World, unable to be with their families, their friends... They are alone, trapped with creatures they have never seen before. Many wishing them harm." Patty said, before looking back at them. "I will not rest, until they are all free."
"Strong determination and conviction. I like it." Kaguya said with a smile. "Don't let that die down. They need you."
"Agreed. Keep that mission close to your heart, don't stop fighting!" Asher said with a thumbs up.
"Are you..." Brenda's voice spoke up next. "Are you going to help us?" She asked. "Fight the Coalition?"
Both Kaguya and Asher went quiet. Black fur bled into brown as they both wore a conflicted expression. "It is not normally our place to interfere with wars that aren't our own." Lume said, kicking the ground a little. "It's messy. People become reliant on us when they shouldn't. This world needs to find its own strength to prevail."
"I... guess that makes sense." Brenda sounded dejected.
"We can still send those we find your way though!" Kaguya chimed. "Theres no doubt going to be some scuffles while we look for our friend. Would be pretty cruel of us to not help them when they do need it." She said.
Brenda nodded quietly. Patty spoke next. "Your friend that you are looking for, what is their name? Do you have any photos of them?" The Angemon asked.
"Oh! I think I got some pictures in my notebook..." Kaguya said as she reached into her pendant, and pulled out the paperback book. Honestly, Patty and Brenda found it harder and harder to be surprised at this point. Kaguya flipped through it, and tore out two pages. "Here. This is Lia, and her partner Byodramon. They were biomerged as DarkAeiryumon when they disappeared... I don't know if they maintained that form when they came here."
Patty and Brenda took the photo's. They were expertly drawn, lifelike almost, despite just being sketches. But... "I'm afraid I do not recognize either of them." Patty said softly. Offering the picture back to Kaguya, who simply shook her head.
"No, keep it. Just in case." She said. "I think we got one of those hand printers somewhere, so we can always make more!" She continued with a smile.
Brenda continued to look at the photo. Lia clearly had a replacement arm, that was a good identifier at the very least. "We'll spread this amongst the Order members, and see if any of them have seen or heard of them." She said.
"Thank you!" Kaguya chirped
Patty ‘hmm'd’ to himself as he looked up to the sky. "It is getting later in the day. I understand you wish to look for your friend as soon as possible, but perhaps you could stay the night? We have more than enough room to accommodate you both." He said.
Kaguya looked to Lume, who just shrugged. "That sound's good! Get our bearings down, would love a map if you have one too!"
"I can provide one with ease." Patty said. "Dinner will be in a few hours, let me get you both situated in the meantime." He continued, motioning for them to follow. They did, and they walked in silence. Brenda lagging behind as she stared at the photo's. A person so important to them, that they would come to such a dangerous world just to find. But at the same time, not wanting to get involved in the world's struggles... She wasn't exactly sure how to feel at that moment.
They meant well, she knew that. But it hurt a bit, knowing that they turned down helping them all. She had been with Patty long enough that she could tell the strength of other duos. She had no doubt Kaguya and Lume shared a strong bond. They could have been such strong warriors of the Order. Ones that could give a push in the right direction, claim more territories... But she wasn't going to force them. This was their choice after all.
Brenda looked up at them. Kaguya hummed as she walked and Lume silently followed closely.
She hoped they would find who they're looking for, at the very least.
By the time Brenda woke up the next morning, Kaguya and Lume were already gone from their temporary room. The sheets were a bit ruffled, but the rest of the room was just... Empty. As if nobody had been there. There were no personal effects, the girls armor, not even a brush or toothpaste in sight. Did they leave already? If so, that was fast. Faster than Brenda would have expected.
Patty was gone too though. She doubted he would have let them out into the world without telling her. She tapped her Digivice, and tried to open a connection to her partner. It went through easily. "Oh, you're awake." Patty said to her, his face appearing as a hologram.
"Hey, did those two leave already?" She asked.
"No, they're out in the courtyard playing with some of the early birds. They said they didn't want to leave without saying goodbye."
Ok, so that's good. They didn't just up and vanish.
"I'll be down there in a minute." Brenda said. And with a quick nod from her partner, the connection closed. She stood there for a moment, thinking it over. She was a bit worried about them. Kaguya and LumeKoriAsher, whatever she should call them right now, were still newcomers. They didn't know the rules of the world. They didn't know how things worked, what to avoid, who not to mess with. And yet they were determined to approach these challenges headfirst for a friend. It was commendable to say the least, but also felt a bit reckless. Brenda didn't think she could ever have that kind of courage. Not in a world like this, even with her crest.
But there was no point in mulling it over anymore. She left the dormitory and made her way outside. It wasn't hard to spot the bright bubble gum blue across the yard at the playground. Asher was with her, and they seemed to be doing some kind of dance with the kids.
"Hey hey, what's this one called?" Kaguya asked as she repeated the motion the kids were doing.
"It's flossing! Like in Fortnite! Have you ever played Fortnite??" One of the kids asked excitedly as they flossed with her.
"Nope! But it sounds fun!" She said with a laugh. She had no clue what Fortnite even was, she wasn't the kind to play video games often. So she sort of just tried to fill in the blanks with her own knowledge. She didn't say what she thought it was, but she was way off the mark.
"You look so stupid doing that." Asher said, snickering to the side.
"Do it with me!!" Kaguya chirped. "C'mon c'mon it's fun!" She said, cheering Asher on.
Asher gave her a look for several moments, before flashing a grin and shrugging his shoulders. "Alright, maybe I will!" He said, joining in on the dance. The kids cheered and they all started laughing. Brenda watched as she approached, and man was it weird to watch a girl in full battle armor doing the floss. Very strange.
"Oh! Brenda's here!" Asher said, stopping his dance to wave to her.
Soon, Kaguya did as well. "Brenda!! Good morning!!" She called out. The kids also all said hello, before beginning to file out. Understanding that this was going to be boring business talk.
"Heyyy...!" Brenda waved back, approaching the group closer. "Thought you left for a minute. Your room was completely empty."
"Oh, Kaguya keeps practically everything in her pendant, come in handy." Asher said, pointing in its direction with his thumb.
"Oh right, you pulled that notebook out of there yesterday." Brenda said with a yawn, covering her mouth as she did so. Man, she was not a morning person. "I'm guessing you have other stuff in there?" She asked.
"Oh yeah! Tons of stuff!" Kaguya said, and un-prompted, she began to dig around inside. First she pulled out a whole basket, like the one she had yesterday. The size of it made Brenda's eyes widen slightly. And they continued to widen with every object Kaguya pulled out from it.
There were some practical things, like first aid kids, bandages, splints, and so on. But then there were many... Dangerous things. Kaguya pulled out a morning star, a spiked club, multiple different kinds of polearms, and even a gun. All while she had a grin on her face, depositing each thing in the basket as she pulled out the next.
"There's tons more." Asher said to Brenda. "She has enough stuff in there to supply a small army. Chess Empire denizens are almost always prepared for anything."
"Christ..." Brenda said quietly as she looked at everything in the basket. And there was more that she hadn't seen. But... as she thought about it, something like this would be extremely beneficial to the Order. They had data storage chips, sure, but those had a limit. But this? It seemed to be never ending. To be able to transfer so many things into enemy territory without having to actually rely on data storages and be able to pull out anything when it's truly needed could quite literally save lives. "How did you make that?" Brenda asked. "Is it a World Code thing?"
"My dad gave it to me!" Kaguya chirped. "I'm not really sure how he made it, but he's a smart programmer! Wickedly skilled with data manipulation!"
"Oh." Brenda said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm guessing it can't be easily replicated then?"
"You want one of your own?" Asher asked.
"I just think it would be really useful for the Order to have something like that. We have storage things to put stuff in, but they can only hold so much. Can easily break in combat too, or we can't find the right items, it's a problem we've dealt with for a bit now..."
Kaguya put her finger to her chin as she made a 'hmmm' sound. "Do you think we can share the schematics?" She asked aloud.
Asher put his clawed finger against his cheek and knuckle against his lip. His fur changed pink as Kori took control. "It would take a very skilled person to be able to accurately replicate it... Storage itself is easy, but pocket dimensions themselves are tricky." Kori said with a sigh. "I see no real harm in sharing, mostly because I doubt any version made would be able to top Julius' craft. But I can't give any guarantees you'll be able to get it to work to its full potential." The Gatomon said to Brenda.
"I see..." Brenda said quietly. "We have a few World Code users here, so maybe they can figure something out?"
"Even a smaller version would be useful, I will admit. But don't expect a miracle." Kori said, as he motioned for Kaguya. The bluenette seemed to know exactly what he wanted, as she pulled some sort of electronic pad from her pendant, and handed the shield shaped necklace to her partner. He stared at the object intensely in one hand, as he held the pad in another. Soon, text and strings of code began to rapidly fill the screen in the blink of an eye. When it was done, Kori passed back the pendant and began his own work, leaving notes amongst the code. He worked in silence for a time, before passing it to Brenda. "Your team will need to find a work-around for permissions, as this pendant can be used by Kaguya only. It may be easier to try recreating it from the ground up as opposed to trying to brute force access." He explained.
"Oh! Uh, thank you." Brenda said as she looked at the electronic pad, and sheeeesh it felt like the scroll bar was endless. Whoever Julius was, they seemed to be very deep and dedicated to their craft to create something this complex. "I'll hand it off to our programmers in a bit, and see what they can do. Thank you guys."
"No problemo!" Kaguya said, as she started stuffing her stuff back in the pendant. "It's always good to help those who share a common goal! Or, well, almost always. That's what my mom says." She said with a hum.
"Sooo... You guys are planning on leaving soon, yeah?"
"Yes. Your partner already provided us with a map, but he promised to bring some supplies as well, so we are waiting on him." Kori said.
"Oh! I wish he had told me that." Brenda grumbled just a little. "I'll go find him and help! Be back in a few!" Brenda said with a wave, and began jogging to the supply area.
Soon, she and her partner returned. And Patty handed them a few storage chips, while Brenda brought a bag full of food and fresh drinking water. "Here you are! This is what we could spare for now. I hope it's enough." Brenda said.
"Oh!! This is more than enough, thank you!" Kaguya said, accepting everything and stuffing it in her pendant. And man Brenda was feeling a bit jealous right now watching how easy it was to store all that stuff.
"And here." Patty spoke as he handed Kaguya some sort of card. Kaguya turned it over in her hand. "It's an identification license, allowing you to travel through Order territories." Patty explained. Normally they would go in the digivice, but as you do not have one you will have to have physical versions. Please try not to lose them... And keep them hidden, if you enter Coalition territory."
"Gotcha! Thank you Patty!" Kaguya said.
"I guess we'll be heading out soon." Lume said as he shifted back into his Mikemon form. "But how do we keep in contact with you?"
Patty paused for a moment. "That is a good question... Normally communication is done through a digivice."
"No. Don't rely solely on digivices for your means of communication." Lume said firmly. "You need other options, safer options." He continued, before pausing. "Do the digital beings here have an email service program?" He asked.
"Email?" Patty repeated back. Brenda tilted her head, confused as well.
"We have them on computers and such? But I don't think that's what you mean, right?"
"Right. I mean a program directly installed into a Digimon or digital being." Lume explained.
"I'm afraid we do not have something like that here." Patty said with a sigh, shaking his head.
Lume let out a loud sigh. This was such a basic function where they were from and it felt like nobody had it. Always reliance on the damn digivices... "Hand me back the pad." He said, making a grabbing motion. Brenda passed it over to him and Lume began to input something else on a different code tab, before handing it back. "Recreate this, I included our handles as well. This will be a secure channel of communication. Be sure to send messages our way until we respond, so we know it works."
"Thank you for your generosity." Patty said, taking the pad and looking it over. Brenda looked as well. It seemed significantly less complicated than the pendant's code. "I'm guessing it would just be Patty using it though, huh."
"You can too." Lume said, crossing his arms.
"Wait, I can??" Brenda asked as she pointed to herself.
"You're data right now. Of course you can." Lume said, like it was a fact that she should know. "Just get someone who knows what they're doing to implant it in your code."
"O-ok..." Brenda cringed a little about the thought of being modified. But if it would help them and the Order, then she could work up the courage to do it.
"Is there anything else?" Kaguya asked. "Ya know, before we go."
"There is nothing that comes to mind. Brenda?" Patty asked his partner, and she just shook her head.
"Alright, then I think it's time for us to set out!" Kaguya chimed as she put her pendant back around her neck and flipped down her visor. "Just get that email service running and we'll let you know if we end up finding any humans that need help, ok?"
"Ok, sounds good." Brenda said. "Thank you for your help!"
"Thank you for the supplies!" Kaguya said with a grin, before turning. "Hope to see you again in the future!" The Bluenette waved. Lume lazily waved too, and before Brenda and Patty knew it, they were already at the gate, leaving the safety of the Order's encampment.
Brenda watched them as they left, and when the gates closed she finally blurted out; "Those two have got to be the weirdest tamer partner duo I have ever met in my entire life."
"Yes, they did seem to have a lot of unique quirks, didn't they?" Patty mused. "I wonder what Iliad is like, to be able to grow such interesting individuals..."
Brenda let out a 'hmmm' sound. There was a whole other server out there. Server travel was real. It was hard to believe. "We should have asked them, what it's like outside of Duracel." Brenda said quietly.
"I'm sure we will meet them again in the future. Patty said with a smile as he put his hand on Brenda's shoulder. "For now, let's get this to our programmers, and complete our duties for the day."
"Yeah, you're right." Brenda said.
There was always work needing to be done in the Order.
Brenda leaned over a map projection table, as she marked certain locations. Some of their operatives had gone missing over the past months. Some had gone radio silent, while others were thankfully fine. But the Coalition was picking them off, slowly but surely. It was worrying, and it made Brenda feel horrible that they had to send their own comrades into danger like this. But it was also very important. They couldn't fly this war in the dark without knowledge of the enemy. Their moves, their strategies... All their operatives knew the risks.
"Brenda."
A voice called from behind her, and she turned to greet them. Arkadimon, one of the Order's advisors, stood there with a digipad. "We have identified a key member of the Coalition force. A mercenary, who has been hired by the Manor to pick off members of the Order." They said, holding out the digipad to her. She took it silently, and scrolled through it.
"A Werefangmon..." She said quietly while reading the information they had on the individual. They ran a shop in one of the cities, likely a front to hide their true business. "This will be a hard assassination." She admitted. "I don't think the typical bait strategy will work for this guy."
"No, from what we have heard, he brings all humans to the Manor for the breeding program." Arkadimon said flatly, and Brenda cringed at that. "Chaperomon is obsessed with him though, I imagine if we can find her, she will agree to taking him down... But there is more to this." The champion said, pointing at another tab on the digipad.
Benda raised her eyebrow as she switched over to it. It was a photo of the Werefangmon walking through the streets of the city. Close to them was a human, tethered to the other by an electrical chain. Their snow white hair caused Brenda to pause. She looked up at Arkadimon. "They're important?"
"Very." Arkadimon said.
"They're a world code user, who can break inhibitor collars."
Brenda's eyes widened. She looked back at the photo.
…
That changes things.