Episode Twelve: The Man Who Laughs

Instead they're going to get something far worse, but that comes later.

Presumably they take flight, those who had been Digivolved for an extended period of time falling behind those who haven't as they make their way up the mountain where more Wendigomon drift about all ghost-like.

At the top of the mountain, they're greeted to the familiar sight of the snow covered forest they were all dumped in on their first day with no signs that it had ever changed except the forest seems darker now than it was then. There's also a Jokermon holding a bundle of crude crayon drawings, illustrating everything that has happened from each of them meeting their partners, the meeting in the park that led to them being transported to the Digital World, the journey to IceDevimon's lair and the Info Dump they received in Toy Town and what transpired there including Euryale & Taiyo first sexual experience with one another and everything else leading up until now.

Jokermon: "I am here to tell you a story. A story that will torture your thoughts by day and poison your dreams by night. And though I will do my best, there are no words that can be written nor brush strokes laid on canvas that can describe the stark and utter horror of the night that miserable trio formed.The emptiness will haunt you.

Once upon a time, there was a trio of miserable individuals. A boy who wanted to weave a story, overcoming hurdles of finding people with a common interest, bending over backwards to appease a nagging girl as well as blackmailing and fulfilling obligations with another boy.

The girl was the first person with common interests to enroll, but one can't have high standards when it comes to weaving a tale of such an unpopular work. There was always something wrong. There could not be a character centered subplot without her, one had to fight to stick with the source material, and constant cries of inequality and poor attempts at neutrality.

Then there was the other boy. The only other person with common interests and a constant struggle to get anything accomplished since the beginning. If it weren't for blackmail, promises of obligations and constant fighting the story would not have reached this point.

The three began their merry adventure off to a rocky start which only seemed to get rockier as time went on. Tensions were soaringly high within the fifth act and would begin to reach the stars come with sixth. During the seventh and into the eighth is when they had moved above and beyond the stars.

No true resolution would ever truly be reached. The first boy would be backed into having to fulfill obligations under the constant badgering of the second boy who only remained to take jabs at the author while ignoring any criticism to his own decaying work while the girl remained in the dark to all the backdoor dealings, as well as never having an opportunity to tell another tale, related to this one or otherwise.

This miserable trio would never truly experience happiness, not even resolving to grin and bear the pa-"

A sword rips through the Jokermon and the many images it holds, scattering them and the Jokermon's data to the wind, Piedmon standing in its place.

Piedmon: "Oh, how I loathe such pointless narratives. Life's but a walking shadow. A poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

OOC: 2 can play at that game.

R<"I don't see what that story had to do with us, but it wasn't very good. It sounds really biased towards one character, almost like some kind of self-insert fiction. I hope he didn't say all of this to them. If he needed their help, antagonizing them with insults would have just been pointless & stupid.">

G<"Plus, whiny & pretentious. I almost ignored the whole thing. I'm not sure why I didn't just slice through Jokermon after he started talking. There was literally no reason, it's not like he was smart enough to take cover, or anything. It's almost like I was arbitrarily held back so he could get off his stupid rant.">

R"Speaking of pretentious, how cliche is this bozo? Killer clown is oh-so-evil that he kills his minion for telling a story, & tries to pass off one of Shakespeare's most well known quotes as an original thought."

*After eviscerating Piedmon with criticism, Rosemon bids vines emerge from under him to hold him in place & suck his life force. The others let loose with their strongest attacks.*

*Everyone watches Jokermon while he gives his one sided rant/story thing, Eve crossing her arms and looking annoyed, while Cameron and Dianamon just look confused*

Eve:<Roatha, your knowledge continues to impress me.>

*As the rest start to attack, Dianamon, Karatemon, and Rapidmon hang back a bit, all looking incredibly tired. They ad in their attacks as well, but they probably aren't very powerful*

A flock of doves fly off from the point of impact followed by a sword striking them all in the back. It hurts like goddamn and they all revert to rookie. Unfortunately for Guilmon, the effects the location had on him in the beginning still hold true in the present and on top of the pain and exhaustion, he feels sick.

Piedmon looks at them all, more than capable of killing them all in this moment, but there is no joy in that.

Piedmon: "When I'm stuck with a day that's grey and lonely
I just stick up my chin and grin and say oh

The sun will come out tomorrow
So you got to hang on 'til tomorrow, come what may!
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow

You're only a day away ..."

In an explosion of confetti, Piedmon vanishes into the pages of legend.

*Cameron runs over to Biyomon, Lunamon, and Kylie, helping them up. Eve picks up Terriermon and holds him tightly*

Eve:<We're lucky that he seemed to be more interested in playing with us than, you know, actually killing us.>

Cameron:<We need to go make camp somewhere.>

Azuma: "The cave."

*Having been de-digivolved, Dorumon decides "Meh" & jumps into the blanket with Roatha. Aroma wrings her hands, so terrified that she forgets to get out her emergency blanket, so Euryale puts an arm around her.*

A"But what if he comes back?!"

E"Hey, hey, don't worry, I'll make sure everyone gets out without a scratch."

A"But then what? He'll eat you for breakfast, & we'll be worse off than when we started!"

*Euryale frowns. Guilmon begins rummaging through her backpack for her emergency blanket.*

E"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. Look, I know how powerful he is, & under other circumstances, I'd suggest a tactical retreat, but we have no way of going back now. We are beyond the point of no return."

*Cameron puts his arm around Kylie to keep her warm, while Lunamon sits in her lap and Biyomon warms the trio. Eve sits next to Roatha, still holding Terriermon*

Eve:<I think it'll be a bit before we see him again. If he was in a hurry to kill us, he would have just then.>

I don't know why anyone would want to sit in the snow unless that ass-random snowman is lonely to them (and boy howdy I bet it is).

Taiyo takes Aroma's hand although this is totally not a good time for romance regardless of what snow means.

Azuma: "The cave where we spent our first night."

*Euryale looks over to Eve. Guilmon drapes the blanket over himself & Euryale & offers some for Taiyo.*

E"But that still doesn't give us a strategy to take him out."

*Roatha doesn't know why Eve is sitting in snow either, but holds some of his blanket aside.*

R"You want in here?"

OOC: I thought they were already in the cave.

Eve:<Sure, thanks.>

*Eve takes the bit of blanket offered to her and wraps it over her*

<I know, but what we really need right now is to rest and recover.>

Azuma: "Can't deal with Piedmon if we freeze to death."

OOC: Although that would rob it of the satisfaction of killing them.

E"What, we can't do both at the same time?!"

*Though not as annoyed as Euryale, Guilmon shakes the blanket that Taiyo is not taking.*

A"Oh, that reminds me, I have one of those as well. Someone else can use it if they want. It doesn't look as though I'll be needing it."

*She looks down in a vain attempt to hide her blush from the 2 girls threatening to turn her into the filling of a Lesbian Sandwich. Roatha behaves similarly, it having dawned on him that this is the closest he's been to a woman since he & Euryale broke up.*

*Eve's face is slightly pink, but it might be the cold. Terriermon huddles under the blanket as well*

Cameron:<If Azuma and Hitomi don't want it, we'll take it.>

Even under the blanket, I'm sure they can feel Taiyo shivering because they're arguing about the moral implications of not freezing to death.

Azuma: "No one said we can't?"

*Cameron shrugs, and everyone keeps walking to the cave*

Should anyone pay attention to the path they're tromping on, they'd notice a new set of tracks. Digimon tracks.

Outside the cave, they can see a faint light like that of a dying fire. Someone had the same idea they did.

E"I don't like the looks of this at all."

A"They could be friendly?"

E"What are the odds of that?"

*Lunamon cups her paws around her mouth*

<Hey!? We know you're in there! Are you friend or foe?>

Cameron:<Guess we're not sneaking up there.>

They get what sounds like muffled and strained swearing from a familiar voice.

Should they go inside, they'd see Ogremon looking pretty rough and ragged.

Ogremon: "Well, you made it this far."

*Euryale squints at him.*

E"I kinda remember you...little fuzzy on whether or not we got along...."

R"Uh, prob'ly doesn't mean anything, so Ogremon, what're you doing way out here?"

A"Are you okay? Do you need first aid?"

*Kylie and Lunamon were smiling and waving until Aroma's statement. Kylie looks very concerned*

Kylie:<You do look kind of roughed up. Did you get in a fight?!>

Azuma: "Where's Panjy--"

Ogremon: "SaberLeomon's gone. Piedmon destroyed him while SkullSatamon walked a mile with me as its shoes."

*Aroma digs out her first aid kit & nervously approaches. Euryale frowns.*

E"That's too bad...but if we defeat Millenniummon, they should be restored, right?"

Cameron:<Yeah, all digimon are reborn, right?>

*Eve leans against the wall of the cave*

<What can you tell us about Piedmon?>