Chapter 7: Lost Friends of the Past

Lei took his parrot, Rosa, to his room and set her on her perch next to the window across from the door. Getting a cup from a nearby food bag full of various seeds and dried fruits, he puts some in her food bowl. Lei sighs as he watches her eat for a moment, thinking about the events at hand.

"There's got to be a better way of finding that theif that stole the Orb." He looked over to next to his computer on it's table where two stands were, one was holding a clear, purple-looking prism and the other looked like it could hold a small basketball. A voice sounded in his head, telling him not to worry and that he would find him or her. He took off his backpack and set it down onto the bed.

"Well... Mabey we will, but are you certain that this person is in this reality?" Yes..., The voice responded. This infection going around seems to be a possible link to the theif. Especially since it uses emotions as it's fuel.

Lei had a thought. "How did you know about this?" Rosa finished eating, then jumped to the floor from her perch, flapping to soften the landing. Looking up at Lei, she began to change. Her body growing, little nubs appearing on the sides, expanding into arms with three-taloned hands. Her feathers seem to disappear except on her wings, which grew along with the rest of her body, changing into metal. Clothes seemed to appear on her body, her breasts growing to her normal b-cup size. Her legs growing a couple of feet before stopping with her bird talon feet spread open, balancing herself as her tail feathers expanded three times their width, small symbols appearing on the tips of them. Before Lei stood the Digidestined of Illusion, Marin.

"You knew I was also keeping an eye out on what's happening, right?" She asked with a sly grin.

Lei chuckled a little. "Of course Marin. So, you have been keeping tabs on me as well?"

"I didn't have to." Marin walked away from the window, her metal wings making a faint chime as they slightly touched each other. She took out a wing-shaped devise similar to Lei's. "Your Starvise did that for me. But that wasn't the real reason I came back after delivering that message." Marin turned to face him, munching a little on the peanuts and dried fruit from the seed mix.

"You do remember what happened, right?" She asked him. "You can't let anyone know you're not from this world, even though you've shown off more than what I would of our abilities..." She added, a concerned tone to her voice.

Lei nodded. "Yes." He said, sounding a bit distant. "I know."

"Something wrong?" Marin asked, walking towards Lei.

"Why were you hesitant about when I mentioned Sari and Janis earlier." Lei asked her, curious and confused.

Marin stood a few feet away from him. "Why?" Lei walked to his nightstand. He opened the drawer and pulled out a picture of him, younger and wearing light armor, with a yellow-haired girl wearing a Star Headband and another a couple of inches shorter having a curved black-haired ponytail hairstyle both wearing a school uniform from his time, smiling together. It looked similar to a traditional japanese school uniform, but it looked more regal. "You know they couldn't hae survived the destruction of that lab, back in your time. We never did find them there to know for sure though...

"I'm not sure. I could've sworn I heard Janis' voice tonight, but Sari... I don't know if she had lived either after that catastrophy." Lei was thinking to years ago, when he was just a Royal Guard in his time where knights were already becoming obsolete with the rise of technology, protecting important people on their travels, and also of earlier that night, when they were escaping from the store with the sodas.

"I understand what you may be going through, but you need to hear me out. It has to do with your partner's friend, FlamePalmon." Lei's head shot up when she said that and looked at her.

"FlamePalmon!?" Lei had completly forgot about her for an instant. A knock came from the bedroom door.

"Lei. You ready yet?" It was Yolei. They both looked to the door. Marin scowled for a sec. She knew she didn't have much time left so she told her findings quickly and silently.

"FlamePalmon told the new leader about this place. I don't know how she could've known, but..." She started to change back to her parrot form.

-They will be heading this way soon. My job is done here. You should be able to do fine now. I'll be at Jacub's Hut if you need me again. Farewell, Digidetined of Time.- Rosa took flight to the room's open window and flew into the night. Lei watched her go.

-I hope you're right Marin, that I can do this.-

"Are you ok Lei?" Yolei called through the door. Lei went to the door. He opened it slightly to see Yolei.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Everyone else ready?" Yolei tried to get a glance into the room because she thought she heard someone else in there, but only saw his computer on his desk next to his bed when he opened the door.

"Just about. I came to see if you were. I thought I heard someone in there."

"Don't worry about it. I just sent another message out to... my friend, thanking him for what he did and to watch Rosa for me, since I probably won't have anymore time to watch her at the moment." Lei told her with a smile.

"Oh... Ok, well the rest of us are waiting downstairs, ready when you are." Yolei told him.

"Ok, I'll be down in a moment." Lei said as he went back into his room. Yolei, her curiosity nagging her, starts back to the main room, where the others were finishing up their filling.

"Close one kid." Lei said to himself lowly after he closed the door. "One little thing left to do." He took what food that was left in the bird's bowl and puts it in another bag next to the one with the fresh food. Lei went to his bed, where his backpack still lies, and opened the pocket with his Starvise and cards are at. He had been working on a new type of upgrade feature that he ment to tell Jacub about before trying it out, but it seems like the test run was inevitable. Taking a Machine Card with a backpack picture out, he calls out, "Gatlin Pack Activate!"

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Downstairs, Joe finished filling his gun, along with the others. Yolei just came from upstairs.

"Is Lei ready?" Davis asks her as she came down.

"Almost. He said he would be down in a moment." Yolei said. She choose not to talk about what she heard upstairs.

"We're ready when he is then." Cody spoke up. Yolei went to Davis on the smaller sofa, Davis helping her with her blaster.

Armadillomon was with Veemon, talking near the kitchen door. "So Gatomon's gone bad or somethin'?"

Veemon nodded, a hint of sadness in his face features. "Yeah, from what I was told, and expirenced, this slime/snake is what is the source of it." Veemon raised his blaster, looking down at it. "I hope that this is enough to save her, and the others."

Armadillomon puts a paw on Veemon's shoulder. "I know you care about her. We'll get her back." Armadillomon smiled as Veemon looked up at him and nodded, a smile on his face too. "Then you two are sure to get together." He added happily.

"... Get together?" Veemon said, confused.

"You don't remember? I thought that you were going out with her?" Armadillomon aked him, now confused himself.

"No... Damn that snake, it's still hard to remember much after that thing attacked me, but I am getting it back slowly." Veemon said, rubbing his temples. "What I do remember is that she was going out with Demirenamon for a little while, then she wasn't..."

"Ah, I see." Armadillomon siad, moving next to Veemon, nudging his side a little. "This might be a good chance for you." He said with a chuckle.

"Armadillomon!" Veemon shouted, his face a little red from blushing.

"Really, think about it. You rush in, save the girl and defeat the bad guys while protecting her. Excelent hero material." Armadillomon said, flashing a peace sign. They both laughed at the idea, but Veemon was beginning to like it.

Meanwhile, StarRenamon was filling Joe, Cody, and Izzy in on what happened at Izzy's home after Izzy left.

"Gatomon almost had me, but I managed to get away from her and hide, but I wasn't able to save... FlamePalmon..." StarRenamon turned his head, clearing his throat, despare returning from the memory.

"FlamePalmon?" Cody asked, confused.

Izzy explained it to him. "FlamePalmon is, from what I understand, his girlfriend. She's a fire-based Palmon."

"Oh."

Just then, Lei came running downstairs. "I hope you're ready, 'cause we don't have much time now." Everyone turned to look at him as he made his way to StarRenamon, his purple Digivice out at the ready.

"Why? What happened?" Davis asked. Lei didn't hear him. StarRenamon stood up and faced Lei.

"StarRenamon, you need to digivolve for this next one." Lei said as he swipped a silver card over the scanner. StarRenamon didn't know why yet as a purple glow on Lei's chest showed as his Crest was used for this special card. Joe, Veemon, Davis, Yolei, Cody, Izzy, and Armadillomon watched in confusion as this took place. StarRenamon's body glowed purple for a moment.

"StarRenamon Digivolve to..." When it faded, his Orange armor was a dark purple color, almost black, and covered him from neck to feet with metal plates and spikes, unlike the other. His tail also coated in the same metal as on him, but made to have it move freely. The top of his face was black, whilt the bottom of it was blue, with bright red eyes. His voice took on a darker, menacing tone as he said. "DarkNightmon." Everyone nearly jumped after the new digimon appeared. Veemon and Armadillomon jumped in front of the others, ready for battle, thinking it was an enemy digimon at first. DarkNightmon had that kind of effect to those that did not know him best, like Lei does.

"Don't be afraid," DarkNightmon said, turning his head, smiling. "I won't bite." Veemon and Armadillomon didn't let down their guard, but went to their respective partners. He chuckled as he turned back to Lei.

"Why do I need this form? You know I can barely control it, much less like it." DarkNightmon asked, his voice taking an evil tone.

"Why? Because the people who we were going to get will be here in a few minuets is why." Lei told him calmly as he was rubbing his injured leg lightly with his injured hand. His healing aura was around it and made the wound heal even faster than normal so that he could be ready for anything.

"What!?" DarkNightmon exclaimed, very surprised. Murmurs began among the other Digidestined, wondering who they were talking about at first.

"That's why I needed you to Digivolve." DarkNightmon understood and retracted his black-bladed weapon, the Darkness Sword.

"Wait." Izzy walked up to DarkNightmon. He and Lei looked at Izzy. "This is StarRenamon?"

"DarkNightmon to you!" DarkNightmon's eyes narrowed as he snapped at Izzy, who jumped back quickly.

"Hey! Control it." Lei snapped. "This is StarRenamon's Ultimate form, DarkNightmon. He's viral now and as you can see, can be a bit snappy at times."

Davis came up next to look at DarkNightmon, Yolei behind him. "Viral..." Izzy murmured to himself, as he tried to approach him again. "A Digimon that can go from Vaccine to Viral and back... indigio--" Suddenly there was an explosion outside, along with the sound of birds flapping. DarkNightmon placed the sword in front of him, edges out, and use his Teleport technique while everyone was distracted. Everyone looked at the door, except DarkNightmon, who disappeared.

"Whare'd he go?" Armadillomon asked Cody, who shrugged.

"Alright, DarkNightmon went to see what that was. He'll be back in a moment--" Lei was telling the others just when DarkNightmon reappeared.

"The other Digidestined along with a few I don't know are making their way here." DarkNightmon hesitated for a moment when he saw a glow from the hip of the girl with Davis. Yolei detached her Digivice from her belt, it's glowing light illuminating her fearful features.

"That ain't what I think it is is it??" Lei asked her despretly.

"Oh crap." She gasped as a pink light shot from it and outside.

From outside... "Hawkmon Armor-digivolve to...!" "Gatomon Armor-digivolve to...!" Now that really caught everyone's attention.

"They can STILL Digivolve!?" Izzy exclaimed, stunned at this.

-I'm glad Veemon didn't...- Davis thought as he glanced down at his digimon partner.

"This is the main fight, as in now or nothing. There can not be ANY losses, except to the enemy. Don't trust anything unless they got a blaster or is covered in soda. Understand?" Lei instructed them. They nodded in understanding.

"Tempest Wind!!" Suddenly, the door was blasted open by an energy attack.

"No turning back now." Lei murmured to DarkNightmon.

"No problem---" DarkNightmon was stunned by who entered first, her dress swaying with each step. "I...It was true then..." He said, shocked beyond belief.

"Now don't think you forgot about little ole' me now." She said at the Digidestined, her laughter followed by the rest of the group. Firelillymon stood at the entranceway, with Halsemon and Nefirtimon behind her. It seems that this fight was going to start regardless...

End of Chapter 7