[IC] Digimon: Infection [MegaraFoxfire + RBYDark]

[RBYDark]

The Festival of Life, held at the beginning of every summer in the Digital World at Tenacity Town, was probably the only reason anyone even knew Tenacity Town existed. While not a small town by any means, it was dwarfed by the other cities in the area and the residents rarely left. It was a fair-sized location, with a shrine to the north of the city dedicated to the 'Guardians of the Digital World' - who these Guardians were was apparently unknown to all but the Taomon who led the town and the shrine - and buildings made of largely cobblestone design. Any other time of year, digimon in the area were bipedal at best, but, when the festival began, all types of bestial and humanoid digimon came to gather.

Metal and wooden stalls alike lined the main road going from the south end of town to the shrine's pathway. Food, toys, offerings, flowers, all were sold by the stall owners for browsing by curious festival-goers. The younger locals tended to frequent the toy stalls set up by out-of-town salesmen, and there was always a crowd when they demonstrated the newer wares - currently, an Omekamon was showing off a clockwork miniature Omegamon who would shoot paint from his cannon and spread it with his sword-paintbrush, effectively blocking the road around the middle area. Meanwhile, given the early afternoon hour, more than a few foreign digimon (and, for some, their human partners) were sampling the local cuisine. Prices were a bit high, but certainly cheaper still than trying to find a restaurant in the town or one of the cities over and besides, surely it was worth the extra money to watch them prepare the fish rolls and the small stuffed pastry shells and the like. Overall, the Festival of Life was proving to be quite a success this year, with the crowd larger than ever - and it was only the first day too.

Between the south entrance to Tenacity Town and the crowd in the middle of the road, a Keramon examined the bag of minted silver coins; they weren't currency, no shop in the Digital World would accept them except as part of a barter. Of course, who would barter ceremonial offerings escaped Keramon. You were supposed to leave them at the shrine, ask for a blessing, and then leave and hope for the best. Unless there was someone far away who collected such coins, it was pointless to hold onto them.

"Miz Zonia, what do you think? Would you like to try an offering?" There was no answer. Keramon looked up to see her human was no longer at her side. "Miz Zonia?" The Soulmon in charge of the stall gestured for Keramon to turn around. She did - to find her human chatting up another. Naturally, she had managed to find another redhead. Keramon looked back to the Soulmon.

"I'll take a bag." From within her tendrils, she produced a smaller bag of currency and left it for the Soulmon to collect, and she floated back over to Sonia and her new friend.

"Really? Well, I hope you manage to find something-" Keramon tapped her human on the shoulder. Sonia turned, grinned and waved to the Rookie, and turned back to the human. "Hey, you wanna come hang out with us? Keramon knows a place we can go and eat for free! I've never tried anything from here, but I mean so far everything in the Digital World's been great and I figure here will be too so might as well invite you along, you know?"

"Thank you for the invitation-" The young man shook his head. "-but Falcomon and I can't hang around too long. I hope you enjoy your food." He gave a short bow, which Sonia returned enthusiastically, and drifted away into the crowd. Sonia waved him off as Keramon watched.

"What waz that about?" Keramon glanced up at Sonia.

"Oh - uh, he's just looking into the legends behind the shrine. Hasn't found anything yet but maybe he'll get lucky?" Sonia shrugged. "There's gotta be some or this festival wouldn't be so popular, right? It's just trying to find the right people and apparently the Taomon's too busy to talk about it so he's gotta look elsewhere-" Keramon nodded as Sonia continued on, and the two began walking north. Keramon decided she'd mention the ceremonial offerings when Sonia had to catch her breath.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Foxsumon was kneeling inside the temple, her head bowed as Taomon was talking to another. It was a busy time at the temple, and if Foxsumon was just any digimon she would be out playing and having fun with the party going on. But she was not just any digimon.

Taomon said good bye to the digimon he was speaking with then turned to Foxsumon and said "I'm sorry that took so long. Its busy around here lately. What was it that you needed?" Foxsumon looked up and said "I came to gather your records for the council. With nothing much going on with the Gateway they asked me to gather all the temple records" Taomon nodded and went over to the alter, pulling out a large book.

"Maybe you'll have time to enjoy the Festival while your here..." He handed her the book and Foxsumon sighed and said "I am a Guardian, sadly playing is not a gift I can take" She bowed her head and put the book in her side bag then turned to leave.

"May peace be your final path" she said then headed out, the Taomon shaking his head. Foxsumon walked out into the sunlight and looked around, at the laughing digimon and all the cheer around. She smiled slightly and muttered "This is the gift Guardians get...to see the joy of others..."

[RBYDark]

Thankfully, as Keramon and Sonia headed north, the toy demonstration had ended for the hour and the two passed through with relative ease. Of course, it didn't mean they were going any faster - Sonia stopped at one stall to buy Keramon a painted top that barely fit in the digimon's hands, which Keramon approved of immensely. And of course, with many of the residents in this particular stretch of road, Keramon had to stop to say hello to old friends and acquaintances more than once. Sonia pieced together various stories from her occasional listening and frequent questioning - there was the time, for example, when Tsumemon fell asleep on Mayor Asuramon's back and no one thought to mention it except as amused whispers behind his back; or when Keramon spent an entire year assisting in a Soulmon's potion shop; or the festival where a Strabimon caught Keramon pranking tourists, only for the fellow Rookie to join her and not stop until Taomon caught them.

And when it wasn't much farther to Flawizardmon's soup kitchen, a Candlemon nearly tripped into Keramon's tendrils, did a double-take, and animatedly began telling her about some dishware project. Sonia would've joined in the conversation had her stomach not begun to rumble with hunger. She paced, trying to keep from running into digimon as she did. Just needed to keep distracted and hope Keramon could wrap up soon. Keramon swore up and down that Sonia had to try Flawizardmon's place, the human world had nothing like his food and she'd be forever disappointed with the human idea of 'spice' afterwards. Sonia didn't know if she liked that idea, but it was a free meal and things here weren't exactly cheaply-priced.

As Sonia paced, she began identifying digimon to herself. Numemon, Zassomon, that Sethmon was probably from out of town, a digimon that looked like a Togemon but with a sombrero-

And this one.

She didn't recognize it - at first, she had called it Renamon, but the colors were all wrong and, at a second glance, its build was different too, altered by metallic armor. Well. She looked to Keramon, who was busy explaining to Candlemon why she couldn't paint bowls for him. So much for asking Keramon. Maybe ask the digimon herself? That didn't sound like a bad plan, really. Sonia cleared her throat and slipped into the crowd after the mysterious digimon. It didn't take long to catch up.

"Hiya! Do you live here?"

Seemed better than starting off with 'what are you?', at least.
--
The cart and tent near the south end of town had not been there this morning. He was sure of it. He looked down at Falcomon, who shrugged back to him.

"Perhaps this particular vendor was late?" Falcomon said. His partner didn't reply, looking at the tent in silence. Falcomon waited.

"There's no sign." Short as always, but Falcomon caught his drift.

"Or any wares out. I wonder what they're selling then and why the advertising is so poor."

"I think it's a funhouse?" Both human and digimon looked at the Flamemon who had stopped behind them. He stopped talking to finish off the roll in his hand and then wiped his mouth with his arm. Falcomon noticed the way his human cringed at the action; Flamemon did not. "Like, I saw a guy in costume setting up the tent earlier. I don't know what he was supposed to be, but it was pretty high quality." He looked at the two, who stared back in unimpressed silence. "Hey, wanna go in with me? It's so boring going in one of those by yourself." He grinned.

"Are you from around here?" Falcomon asked.

"Yeah?"

"We have to pass. I'm sure you'll find someone else to join you." The human nodded and kept walking. Falcomon waved goodbye - Flamemon's wave was much less energetic.

"Aw, man..."

"What's wrong?"

Flamemon nearly jumped at the unfamiliar voice and turned to see the costumed digimon - what kind of pelt he was wearing escaped Flamemon but it seemed well-made. Apparently he'd come out while Flamemon was watching the other two go. The digimon tilted his head.

"Is there something I can help with?"

"This is a funhouse, right?"

"Well..." The digimon glanced away. "Not exactly. We just don't sell goods here - more of a service." The digimon smiled. "So we don't have a formal set-up, since there's nothing to display." Flamemon put his hands on his hips.

"A service?"

"Digivolution. Would you like to digivolve?"

At this, Flamemon's eyes lit up. Digivolution was tough to achieve alone and it was on sale here! Except...

"How much?"

"Well..." At this, the digimon's smile tensed with nervousness. "Thing is, no one's come in. So I suppose it could be free, as long as you tell others about this place?"

"Deal!" Flamemon nearly knocked over the other digimon in his haste to get in.

The mysterious digimon stood by the tent entrance and waited.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Foxsumon was studying how to best to get them the crowd when a hand tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to see a human child. She had never really spoken to a human before out side of a battle scenario. She blinked as the girl asked her the question and said

"Um...no, I don't live here. I'm from the dark woods in the north...are you here with your partner?" She looked around, hoping a digimon would see them and come to her aid. As a guardian she wasn't really supposed to be noticed in a setting like this by humans, least when it came to a fight they would call for aid by her instead of their partner.

[RBYDark]

"Well, yeah! Keramon used to live here before she ended up in the human world actually so that's how she knew but I guess most everyone knows about this since it's so popular, which is really neat though I guess it's worth asking why. I met a guy earlier who was kinda asking the same thing, really - he's got a Falcomon and honestly if I were in charge of naming I would've called him Owlmon but his vest was still adorable! I'd get Keramon one if I could but I don't think she'd like it."

Only after all that did Sonia pause to breathe.

"So yeah, we're getting lunch and because Keramon's friends with the owner so it'll be free which is really nice. Since you're not from around here, wanna join us?" Well, why not? Just because she'd been rebuffed once didn't mean this one would too, right? How many people could turn down a free lunch?

[MegaraFoxfire]

Foxsumon stared at the human, stunned. She had no idea humans could talk so much. Right when she was about to refuse and thank her for the offer, her senses stopped her. She was always working, and maybe talking to humans and other digimon she could learn more about the real reason she was there...

Foxsumon smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you, I would love to join you. I hope your partenr won't mind though...once she sees who I am.."

[RBYDark]

Sonia tilted her head; the brief resemblance to a confused Labramon was uncanny.

"What? Keramon loves people almost as much as I do! I'm sure she won't mind!" She nodded for emphasis. "Come on, she's back this way!" The festival-goers were still fairly thick but it wasn't as if Sonia could be easily lost in the crowd - if nothing else, her rainbow tie-dye shirt made for a good beacon. Keramon was still where Sonia had left her, albeit more exasperated.

"While I wish you nothing but the bezt, I do have a partner to tend to and cannot drop her for your buziness idea. Az it were, I hope she hazn't wandered off-"

"Keramon, we're getting a lunch buddy after all!" Keramon's expression flattened.

"-az she apparently already did." Keramon turned to face Sonia - and Candlemon gasped at the digimon accompanying her. Keramon's eyes narrowed before she plastered on her species' characteristic smile. "Well, of all the digimon attending thiz feztival, I would have never dreamed you'd be here." Candlemon nudged her and whispered.

"Hey, is it too late to join you-"

"Yez." Keramon replied with barely a change in expression. Then, Keramon replied a bit more loudly, "Unfortunately, Candlemon, we muzt be going before Flawizardmon leavez for the day. Good luck with your pottery." Candlemon shifted, looked between Keramon and Foxsumon, and hopped away. What he had seen, Sonia missed entirely.

"I wouldn't mind him tagging along if you wanted but I guess it's ok. He probably gets free food anyway, right? Or can make his own at home. He'd eat the same kinda stuff we do, right? Like it's not matches or wax or anything-" As Sonia continued her ramble, Keramon drifted closer to Foxsumon and spoke, barely audible against the crowd and the cheer sounding more menacing than anything.

"Just zo you know, Lady Foxzumon, if you intend to zend Miz Zonia back to the human world alone, you'll be fighting me to do zo."

[MegaraFoxfire]

Foxsumon smiled at the digimon and said "fear not, she is tied to you. Humans with partners are meant to be here. Besides, I protect humans. I keep humans from getting in trouble if they come into our world. The other way around...well, I think you know" she smiled again, more sly this time

[RBYDark]

Keramon blinked, smile gone and replaced by bewilderment before she stuck her tongue out. Well, of course she did - she had snuck out, after all, and had just been fortunate enough to find Sonia. No need to rub it in.

"So anyways, Keramon-" And the toothy smile was back in place as Sonia finally returned her attention to the two digimon in front of her. "-so we gotta get moving, right? Lead the way for me and, uh-" She looked to Foxsumon. "I never got a name?" And there it was, a good way to ask nicely. "By the way, whatcha doing here? Figured you were here to hang out like us but Keramon sounded like she thought it was weird - she was just surprised, of course." Keramon nodded vigorously, unwilling to give her partner any other impression than complete benevolence.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Foxsumon chuckled then bowed her head. "I am Foxsumon, Guardian of the Gates...and I came here to gather information from the temple...and to look into a case about ill Digimon" She held her arm out and said "But we can talk more while we eat. I didn't mean to keep us from getting lunch" It was true. Her true reason being here was to look into a case of Digimon becoming ill from something at the recent festivals the past few weeks. Her leaders had asked her to look in to the matter while gathering temple records.

[RBYDark]

"Oh, that sounds really cool!" Sonia positively beamed. "Hey, maybe Keramon and I can help! I'm on vacation - school's out for a while so we've been exploring or I guess I have while Keramon knows most of this stuff, but I mean after lunch we don't have anything really planned and Keramon knows everyone here!"

"Well, not the foreignerz." Keramon laughed, an odd hollow sounds that didn't faze Sonia in the slightest. "I waz hoping to to take you to the Village of Beginningz, however."

"Well, she said she's just investigating the festival, we can go afterwards!" Sonia nodded. "We can hammer it out during lunch." She seemed to be taking it as a given that their help would be accepted and why not? Six eyes were better than two.

"That we can." Keramon's general irritation seemed to have faded with the promise of Sonia's attention and the confirmation of no future splitting, and her benevolence felt much more genuine. "Flawizardmon livez thiz way, if you would?" She floated forth, cutting a path through the other digimon.

"C'mon, Foxsumon!" And Sonia was right behind her.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Foxsumon shook her head and followed the pair, looking around carefully. She needed to be ready for anything. The past reports of digimon infected with whatever this was lead to huge fights and a lot of destruction, and she wasn't going to let that happen on her watch. She followed behind the pair, watching them for a few minutes. She always wondered how humans and digimon worked together so well with how different they were. She had never had a chance and noted she most likely never get to.

[RBYDark]

The trip probably should've been fifteen minutes, maximum, with how close they actually were. However, between the effects of the crowds, Sonia slowing to make sure Foxsumon was still following, and Keramon stopping in her tracks to let Sonia (and by proxy Foxsumon) catch up, it took twice as long. Sonia didn't mind, better late than separate - as she noted aloud at one point, even pronouncing the last word differently to make it rhyme. And, of course, she had to explain to Foxsumon how she had ended up with a native of this very city.

"Well, I don't know how often this kind of thing happens since I've only met a couple of others and their partners were, and I'm using their words, a 'vagabond', a 'hobo', and a 'pilgrim', but Keramon mentioned she chose to go out so maybe most digimon are happy staying at home instead of checking out the human world and I guess that makes sense because I don't think I would've ever come here alone so I guess it doesn't happen often though I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing but I guess it makes your job easier - we're not going too fast, are we?"

Thirty minutes. Keramon outright laughed about five minutes in, and her amusement clearly had not abated in the slightest, if her smile could be trusted.

But finally, they reached Flawizardmon's place. Despite being down a side street, it seemed to be moderately busy. No Flawizardmon was in sight, but a Tapirmon was rushing around taking orders and plates. Sonia watched through the propped-open door.

"You sure he can feed us, right? Seems like he's got a lot of people to deal with-"

"He haz had worze, and he owez me. He will feed uz, Miz Zonia." Keramon's voice didn't waver at all as she interrupted Sonia.

"Well, alright then! I'm parched anyways!" Sonia marched in. Keramon stopped to giggle, gesturing for Foxsumon to go in ahead of her. She was going to need a second.
--
Well. All that had been nice but Omekamon needed to close up his shop to restock. When he had managed to rent space in the next town over and avoid Tenacity Town's sky-high rates, he had praised himself for his brilliance. Now that he had to go retrieve his stock from there, he questioned his wisdom. He'd have to be gone for a couple of hours; hopefully, it wouldn't cost him too much.

He had just about reached the south entrance, where the crowd was thinnest and largely composed of a handful of locals looking for some peace and quiet, when there was a pained howl. Omekamon jumped. He wasn't the only one; it seemed like everyone else had heard it too. When he looked, though, nothing stood out to him. Everyone looked perfectly fine.

The howl happened again, louder, and Omekamon trembled. That was not the cry of a sane digimon. Worse, he was pretty sure he could pinpoint its direction this time.

He stared at the tent on the side of the road.

"Is... that here for the festival?" He finally managed to find his voice. The closest digimon, a Soulmon, shrugged. She looked just as frightened as he felt.

Then the tent tore, and something lunged at the Omekamon.

Omekamon heard the screaming but could no longer tell who it was.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Foxsumon was just about to sit down when they heard the scream. She stood up, turning around sharply. "dang it..." She turned to the pair and said "Please, stay here where its safe. Keraman, try and keep everyone in here" She jumped onto the table and leaped into the air, her markings glowing. She clapped her hands and said "Shadow Jump..." She vanished suddenly, wrapping in the shadows of the room.

She reappeared outside and started running fast, jumping over the crowd where she had to. She turned the corner to see Omekamon being attacked by...something. She held out her hand and a blade appeared out the shadows and she ran forward. She hit the thing off the digimon, jumping up and landing between the Omekamon and the strange looking Digimon. At least she thought it was a digimon. She turned her head back to the Soulmon and said "Get him out of here! Now! I have this thing handled, I need this area cleared now!" She turned back to the creature and said "Now calm down my friend...you've been infected...I know your scared...but lets keep from anyone else from getting hurt..."

[RBYDark]

Keramon stared at the spot Foxsumon had vanished into, ignoring Sonia's whispered 'wow'. Well then. Keramon was about to take the seat Foxsumon had left when Sonia got up.

"Miz Zonia?"

"It's gotta be one of those digimon she mentioned and we said we were gonna help with that so we gotta go with her!" Keramon was about to object with the fact they didn't even know where Foxsumon had gone. but Sonia was already out the door. So. Obey Foxsumon or follow Sonia? Keramon looked down at the very confused Tapirmon and grinned.

"Do keep everyone zafe inzide. We will be back momentarily." And she flew after her partner.
--
The thing staggered to its feet and shrieked. Soulmon nodded, eyes visible from under her hat, and managed to pick up the half-mauled Omekamon and flee. If Foxsumon hadn't addressed the creature and captured its attention, it surely would've pursued the two for its prey. Instead, it glared at Foxsumon as the wound left by the shadow blade oozed out and filled back in. The face was similar to a Flamemon's and, from the waist up, it was a passable imitation. Its colors were all wrong, though, the skin and eyes and hair all the same shade of olive-green, and its form shook with every breath it took, no longer solid. Its gauntlets seemed to be made of pink shell now and, where hands should've protruded, white teeth did instead. Below the waist, though, where its belt should've been holding up its pants, there was nothing but a thick oozing mass wreathed by red flames. The ground scorched under its touch. Perhaps the strangest part was the faint undulation under the skin, as if some worm was tunneling beneath.

It held its arms up at Foxsumon and attempted to speak, though only a gurgling game out of its mouth. From the hole between the teeth, a short spiral of water shot out at Foxsumon.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Foxsumon jumped out of the way of the water. She landed a few feet away and said "You must calm down...I want to help you...but I need to know what happened so just relax and try to use your words my friend...please..." She pulled her blade free again and held it out just as Sonia rounded the corner. She saw her and said "Sonia get out of here! Its not safe!"

The thing saw her and fired water again, aiming it at Sonia. Foxsumon cursed and vanished, reappearing in front of Sonia and shielded her, the water hitting Foxsumon. It sent them both flying backward, Foxsumon wrapping her arms around the girl to protect her. They hit the wall, Foxsumon somehow turning them so she hit the wall instead of Sonia.

[RBYDark]

Sonia groaned; even if she didn't hit the wall, the sudden stop still made her back hurt. The creature slithered forward, the fire at its base burning hotter when-

"Crazy Giggle!"

Keramon's energy bombs struck, battering the digimon to little effect beyond catching its attention. It was all she really needed, though, to keep it off of her partner. She grinned, tilted her head with a mad laugh, and slammed her tentacles down to send a shockwave through the ground. The creature jiggled, and that was when the sharpened end of a black cable pierced through. Keramon stopped laughing.

"What in the world...?" She swooped back to avoid a sudden fiery aura stretching out to scorch her.
--
At the torn tent entrance, two heads poked out. One vaguely resembled an Agumon, but no Agumon wore an orange-striped pelt like that or had a horn on their head. The other barely resembled any other digimon - more some kind of weasel with fins for ears, armored from the neck down. Her distinctly-boneless fingers tapped over the tent fabric.

"Definitely crazy." The weasel sighed. "Figures."

"Maybe it'll work next time?" The not-Agumon sounded unconvinced by his own words. He watched the thing, formerly a Flamemon, fighting with a Keramon before he noticed the human helping Foxsumon back up. "Well, I think we should go."

"Hang on - if nothing else, we can collect-"

"No, Ferrumon. We gotta go, now. Pack up." The not-Agumon ducked back into the tent. Ferrumon looked back to the battle before following her assistant back in.

"What's got you so spooked, Gagumon?"

"If that digimon is who I think she is, you're in trouble. Trust me, we gotta leave." Gagumon shoved several bottles of data unceremoniously into a bag while Ferrumon carefully slid her knives into a carrier.

"You better tell me on the way out then, if you're so sure there isn't time now."

"Yeah, whatever. Keep packing."

[MegaraFoxfire]

Foxsumon was fighting to open her eyes, her back injured from the attack and hitting the wall. Sonia was trying to pull her up when she heard the infected digimon growled and fired flames again, aiming at Sonia. Foxsumon jumped up and picked the girl up, jumping out of the way and landed by keramon, breathing hard. "Don't let its attack hit you...I am not sure what happened to this thing but I can't be sure it can't be spread by contact"

She moved in front of the pair, her blade in hand. "If you don't stand down you will force my hand...don't make me end you...let me help you..."

[RBYDark]

"Not zure that'll do much better." Keramon could defend her partner just fine, thanks. Sonia peeked out between the two Rookies.

"Is it just me, or does it look sad?" Keramon blinked before looking to the gelatin-like digimon. It growled, surface still rippling from its movement.

"I can't zay I zee it, Miz Zonia." Keramon closed her mouth, charging up a Crazy Giggle. The digimon slowed, eyeing the blade warily, and Keramon noticed that the markings on it were fading, almost melting off. If this was an infection, Keramon guessed it wasn't going to last much longer at this rate. Fighting sped up the process? Maybe? Did Foxsumon know? She didn't even seem sure how it was spread or what it was, besides digimon... mutating? Was that it?

The digimon gurgled once more before two things happened: its face seemed to dissolve into an indistinct mass on the head, and it once more shot a corkscrew of water at the three.

"Crazy Giggle!" Keramon shot off her own attack to block. If it didn't even reach them, there was no need to worry about dodging.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Foxsumon covered Sonia as the water hit the giggle and went everywhere. She flinched, her back starting to hurt but she turned to look at the creature. She moved between Keramon and the creature saying "You two need to get out of here...if my information is right...and I don't get him to calm down and slow the energy flow...well, you can see what's happening to him now." She moved forward, putting the blade back in its place and held up her hands. "I just want to help my friend...but you must you calm down..."