Old Ones Return (II)

Azuma: "Well, if it's hostile we're screwed."

Taiyo: "What if it's not?"

Azuma: "I don't know. Try talking to it."

A<Hey, wake up!>

*Zudomon rolls over, takes one look at them, & fucking grabs them. They're all snugly gripped over the waist in his fist as he rolls back over.*

Taiyo screams because being grabbed by an Asgardian walrus is scary.

*Taiyo & the others are set down next to whoever Leafy's characters are. Euryale puts up her fists.*

"If you're looking for a fight, you made a big mistake by letting go of us!"

Zudomon<Follow me.>

*He squeezes into a tunnel on the other side of the cavern, scraping the walls as he moves down it. The water recedes from the tunnels, & when Agumon jumps into the "lake," he dives, resurfaces, & reports that it's only a little bit deeper than he is tall. Euryale turns Taiyo towards her.*

E"Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Taiyo: "No. Just wasn't expecting to be picked up by a giant walrus. Thank you."

Azuma removes his socks and shoes and steps into the water, holding his shoes so they're out of the water.

Patamon: "What are you doing?"

Azuma: "I'd like to avoid the possibility of foot rot."

Kylie:<Hey guys, glad you found us.>

Cameron:<Have you seen Thiera?>

T"I'm right here."

*Euryale hoists Taiyo up onto her shoulders, then emulates Azuma, & Agumon swims after them. Thiera looks from them to the water like she'd like a piggy back ride.*

Taiyo's a little surprised by being picked up without warning, but it passes and she puts her arms around Euryale's shoulders.

Renamon looks at the water not all too thrilled about having to wade through it.

Azuma: "Would you like if I carried you?"

Hitomi: "N...no, that's fine."

Hitomi removes her socks and shoes and enters the water carrying them under one arm and Salamon in the other.

Patamon: "You can carry me."

Azuma: "You can fly."

*Cameron removes his shoes and socks, then sets off with biyomon. Lunamon digvolves to Lekismon and picks up Kylie and Thiera before setting off*

Lekismon:<You look like you wanted a lift.>

T"Uhh...thanks."

*DemiDevimon, however, looks annoyed & flies off on her own. Euryale stops & looks back.*

E"Renamon, if you don't want to get wet, I think I can carry you both."

A<Hey...how come you don't offer to carry me?>

<No problem.>

*They continue on*

Renamon: "No! ...No, thank you. I'll be fine."

Taiyo looks over at Renamon, confused.

Taiyo: "I don't think I've seen this side of her before."

Hitomi climbs into the water, supressing the urge to shiver. Renamon climbs in, shivering.

*Euryale frowns, but continues on. In the tunnel, they come to a fork. Euryale guesses that Zudomon is in the one where the orange glow is coming from, & heads that way. It is not long before they encounter a room with a human-sized anvil, & a pit of red-hot coals tucked in the back. Zudomon draws his hammer, swinging it around his head.*

Zudomon<My time is limited, so I prepared a particularly important item ahead-of-time. Follow the Digi-Gnomes.>

*They realize that he's pointing to a group of glowing white things resembling kittens with long tails, who are bobbing up & down near a wall.*

Zudomon<First priority is protective measures for anyone who desires them. Then a few weapons. I will continue to work until those murderous, degenerate monkies come for me...no offense.>

*Thiera crosses her arms, scowling.*

T"We're actually apes."

*DemiDevimon has ignored them all, flew over to the DigiGnomes, & pulled a Blue Card from a recess in the wall.*

E"...If that thing does what I think it does, you can call me a tapeworm, for all I care."

Renamon climbs out of the water and shakes herself off.

Azuma: "None taken. I've been called worse."

He climbs out and helps Hitomi out. Taiyo stares at the DigiGnomes.

Taiyo: "They're so cute.

*Lunamon runs over to Demidevimon*

<A blue card! Do you think it's real?>

E"Yeah, but...my D-Power can't identify them."

Z<That's because they're not Digimon. They're far older. They take data, & bring it to life according to the desires of others. An invaluable ally to a fellow creator, such as myself.>

E"So they just give you whatever you want?"

Z<Hardly. They grant wishes as they please. Often, they take trips to the material world, & grant D-Powers to human children they find charming. Unlike we Digimon, they can pass freely, & undetected, between the 2 worlds. They are saddened at the loss of their playmates in the village, and that I will have to part from them soon, so they saw fit to create that Matrix Digivolution Card for you, their Chosen Ones.>

*Before their eyes, binary floats out of the walls around them, assembling at the hands of the Digignomes. Before long, several are holding opposite ends of long streams of data. They hop & fly over to Euryale, encircling her chest, waist, hips, arms, & legs in a matter of moments. Agumon tenses, raising a claw like he's going to karate chop someone.*

*They watches, stunned*

Taiyo's saddened by the tale of the DigiGnomes then watches in awe as they fly around Euryale.

Z<They are taking measurements for me.>

E"What, are you going to build me a bronze bikini?"

Z<I was thinking more along the lines of a suit of armor.>

*Euryale stands up straighter, though careful not to drop Taiyo if she's still holding on to her. Her eyes light up.*

E"Oh...that could be cool."

T"I don't know, it sounds kind of cumbersome. Bulky, hot...."

E"Well, then, how about we just protect the parts that matter? My chest & torso, of course. I'll sacrifice the helmet for visibility purposes."

*Agumon points at her peeling prosthetic flesh.*

A<Definitely something for your ankles.>

Taiyo bites her lip.

I like the bikini idea.

Kylie:<So this way you can fight digimon without getting injured again.>

Lunamon:<Can we have armor too?>

Z<Chrome Digizoid will not change with Digivolution, unless it is a natural part of the Digimon's body.>

*Zudomon reaches into the pit with his claws & pulls out a slab of metal. He throws it on the anvil & begins pounding it with the pointy end of his hammer.*

Z<I have a design in mind that I think you'll find really suits your innermost persona.>

Taiyo: "Do we all get something?"

Patamon: "Isn't Chrome Digizoid supposed to be really rare?"

Lunamon:<Yeah, so it's fair.>

Biyomon:<You mean for our partners or us?>

Lunamon:<Our partners.>

Z<I'm taking orders for a limited time.>