Old Ones Return (VII)

*Euryale looks away from Taiyo, looking kinda angry. Thiera tosses her head back slightly, & once again reverts to speaking English.*

Th"Hahaha, oh that's rich, I seem to recall being told at great length how foolish it was that I wanted to talk to the Wild Ones instead of just attacking them on sight!"

*Cameron puts a hand on Thiera's shoulder*

<Let it go, Hideki. Haven't we had enough for today? Seriously.>

Taiyo: "Euryale....?"

E"What? Don't say it's going to be okay. It's not."

*Similarly irritable, Thiera jerks her shoulder away & goes to sit, back facing everyone, with her arms around her legs. They hear faint sounds of explosions a few miles away being further muffled by the trees.*

Azuma: "Because it's not the end."

Cameron:<That doesn't make any of us feel better right now.>

*Cameron turns and walks over in the direction of Thiera, but stops when he's several feet away and sits down*

Kylie:<I...I think we all need some time to think about things...>

E"I'm not so sure it isn't."

Th"Maybe not for you."

*Tsune, Gomamon, & Agumon look at each other, hesitant. Thiera rubs her eyes with her left hand & waves them off with her right.*

Th"Just--just say it. Whatever it is, it couldn't possibly make things worse."

A<Uh...okay, well...it's just that BanchoLeomon told us to plan our next move, so....>

*KingChessmon pokes out from behind his wife, waving his staff into the air.*

KingChessmon<He who fights & runs away, may live to fight another day!>

Elecmon<Unthinkable! We cannot leave the babies to be destroyed! They are the very future of the Digital World!>

Ts"Yeah, I don't think escape really applies here."

G<Even if we wanted to, we tried already, & it didn't work.>

CeresmonMedium<I can still commune with the natural world. I may be able to give you information, before I give birth to a new Ceresmon.>

QueenChessmon<If I may interject?>

*Meanwhile, some of the PawnChessmon are escorting the Sirenmon back to Ceresmon Medium, & the Bacchae appear to be drifting off to sleep in a pile of sin & discarded booze, snoring loudly.*

Azuma: "If it's not okay, it's not the end."

*Everyone looks at QueenChessmon*

QueenChessmon<Perhaps your place ISN'T here. The enemy King is commanding from another playing field, is he not?>

Th"What does that matter if we can't get there?"

G<Maybe someone can help us find another route.>

E"How? We're blockaded in, & if we try to fly, we'll be shot to pieces within seconds."

*She now fully disengages from Taiyo & slides off of Kyubimon, folding her arms, but in a way that looks more like she's cold than anything.*

*Cameron inches closer to Thiera*

Biyomon:<We need to get to a place to rest and recover before we do anything else. Most of us can't even digivolve right now.>

Taiyo disembarks Kyubimon and inches towards Euryale.

Taiyo: "Euryale....?"

*Euryale looks away from Taiyo, non-responsive. Soon, data clusters start floating down the river again.*

A<Well, it looks like that may not be an issue for too long.>

Ts"I don't know, is there really enough there?"

*Kylie takes off her shoes and socks, then wades out into the stream to collect the data pieces, followed by Lunamon*

Taiyo reaches out to take Euryale's shoulder.

Taiyo: "Euryale....?"

*Gomamon also employs his fishes in gathering data, to grab it in their jaws & use their tails to slap it up to the bank, whereupon Gomamon & Tsune organize it into a pile. Ceresmon Medium shoots some vines into the ground & closes her eyes. They can see the trees becoming healthier & flowering. Euryale jerks her shoulder away.*

E"I'm not the 1 who needs help."

Th"You're all going to need all of the help you can get very soon. QueenChessmon is right, we need to find a way back to the human world. But also, we need to remember what Netzach said before he died. We need the data from 1 of those D-Reaper Hybrids."

A<But that was just a trap, right? If we touch any of it, it'll dissolve us.>

Th"No, Netzach wasn't dedicated to any kind of cause, he wouldn't have wasted his last breath on something like that. There must be a way, otherwise it wouldn't be possible for Kurata to have created them at all."

Taiyo: "That's not true."

Cameron:<Well Thiera, I don't know anyone who has a better chance of figuring it out than you.>

*He moves closer to where she sits. Kylie and Lunamon continue gathering data pieces*

Th"It's not a problem. Gevurah should know how it's done, & he'll tell us if he knows what's good for him. SaberLeomon was right, he'll finally be of some use for once in his miserable, far too long-lasting life."

*Euryale turns on Taiyo, looking angry.*

E"Look around you, do you really think we're the only ones who have problems!? Gods, do you even care that she's dead?! Or what about the fact that it could easily be Renamon or Agumon next? Any of us, really, Gevurah was right: We were foolish to think we're safe!"

*Meanwhile, the tree line can be seen shaking in the distance. In spite of their domestic problems, Euryale steps out in front of Taiyo, & Agumon in front of her, baring his teeth as threateningly as he can.*

KingChessmon<Tha--that's just our allies returning, correct? Well, no sense in waiting to find out. RookChessmon! Go investigate, & make haste!>

*RookChessmon nods & stamps off. Meanwhile, Tsune, Gomamon, & Ceresmon Medium keep doing what they're doing, & Elecmon scampers off to tend to the babies & the Sirenmon settle around Ceresmon Medium, singing the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] I could find to serve as a memorial.*

Kyubimon steps forward, overshadowing those other two as large foxes are apt to do.

Taiyo: "Of course I do. I almost lost you once. I don't want it to happen again."

Cameron:<Oh, err, right...>

*Kylie and Lunamon continue what they are doing as well, trying not to look at the shaking or the domestic dispute in progress. Lyra and Kotemon get up and stare in the direction RookChessmon went in*

"'Fraid we already lost someone else."

*Meanwhile, a pair of shots are fired over the tree line & KingChessmon breathes a sigh of relief.*

KC<That means there's no danger.>

Medium<The ocean front has taken on heavy casualties, but also seems to be stable. Baihumon & Zuquaiomon are also wounded, but still powerful.>

Taiyo: "We don't have to lose anyone else."

*Lyra speaks for the first time*

<Let's make camp or keep moving. I hate standing around.>

*Cameron gives Thiera's shoulder a squeeze*

E"What difference does it make, if we try to pretend it didn't happen?"

Ts"Make a camp with what, exactly?"

*Gomamon looks from the trees to Ceresmon Medium, who scrunches her closed eyes in frustration.*

G<Hey, you could make us a camp in minutes, couldn't you?>

Medium<I am somewhat preoccupied at the moment. And don't you dare destroy this forest.>

*As the United Army draws nearer, they start to see the outlines of some of the larger Digimon.*