The Endless Woods

[shivdeeviant]

Shiv continued walking, growing more and more despondent with each passing minute. He was lost. That was what it was, he was lost.
Wait...
He was lost?
Shiv stopped.
I'm never lost! he thought to himself. I'm too smart to get lost! He looked at the discus in his hand.
This is all your fault. I don't make mistakes.
He then looked for the fifth time in as many minutes at the small device in his hand. The miniature creature was still jumping up and down for joy, shouting the same message over and over.
"I found you! I'm on my way!"
Needless to say, Shiv was getting freaked out.
He rested in the roots of a huge tree, closed his eyes, and tried to think. That was when he realized that he didn't recognize the tree he sat beneath either. It most decidedly was not native to Oregon! It looked tropical, but what was a tropical plant doing here? Did he stumble onto some rich entrepreneur's private getaway? He shut his eyes again.
When he opened them, he saw that the tree was looking back.
Two sets of eyes looked at him from the branch above. One belonging to a pink blob, another to a yellow blob. They stared at Shiv, almost expectantly, and the pink one was quivering. Shiv slowly started to slink away from the tree, keeping close watch on the two sets of eyes.
Finally, the quivering pink mass, unable to hold his excitement in any longer, leaped from the branch exclaiming,
"I found you!"
Shiv stopped and looked at the device he found on the forest floor. The monster on the screen and the monster before him were identical, albeit the one in front of him was a higher resolution.
"Hold it!" shouted Shiv.
The blob stopped.
"What are you?"

[shivdeeviant]

"I," said the creature with a flair of its paw, "Am Yang, the Motimon!"
"What, pray," replied Shiv, "Is a Motimon?"
"Why, a most amazing and incredible digimon if I ever did know one!"
"Digi-what?"
"Digimon! Digital Monster!"
Shiv gestured to the yellow thing in the tree, and spoke in a bemused voice,
"And your friend in the tree?"
Yang started, his mouth falling open and he suddenly noticed that his friend had not followed as well. He spun around looking left and right before finally noticing that the yellow one was still in the tree.
"Yin!" he cried, "What are you doing still in the tree? Come down here! It's ok! He's awesome!"
With that, the yellow one extricated himself from the branch and jumped to the forest floor, revealing himself to be what looked to be a yellow snake with ridges on its head. The eyes of this one spoke mistrust as it slowly worked its way to the other two. Shiv looked back at Yang, only to discover that Yang was not where he last stood.
Briefly succumbing to panic, Shiv looked desperately around, but he didn't see the strange pink blob anywhere!
A voice came from over his shoulder.
"Hey~ cool sunglasses! Are they new? What is this made out of? What is that round thing in your hand? Some kind of external? You have such great fashion sense! And look at these arms! You must be real athletic! And the Blue and Green digivice! Tres chic!"
Shouting in alarm, Shiv spun around, the centrifugal force shaking Yang off of him. Yang landed on his feet, as though expecting it.
"Nice spin! Is that one of your attacks?"
"Stop!" shouted Shiv, "I'm being overloaded with questions and info! Just... stand still for a moment and give me some time to think."
Yang instantaneously froze in place, though he was still barely holding in his excitement. Shiv turned back to the yellow one.
Only to find the yellow one floating right in front of his face, two inches away.
"Gah!" Shiv leaped backwards in fright, and promptly tripped over the stilled Yang, he landed hard on his bottom.
The Yellow one smirked.
"Boo."
"Yin!" Shouted Yang, "Be nice! I'm sorry, forgive Yin here, he is always like this when he meets new people."

[shivdeeviant]

Shiv massaged his sore rear.
"No, it's ok. This is all so strange, anyone would freak when a freak appears in front of his face."
Yin seemed to grown a few inches.
"What did you say?"
"I said," started Shiv, "That you're a-"
Suddenly Yang jump up.
"Guys! Guys! It's ok! It's ok! Yin was just showing off his amazing stealth skills! He really wants to be helpful!"
Both Shiv and Yin stared at Yang, wondering if these words were true, or if Yang was just the most dense digimon in the world. Yin knew the truth, and Shiv suspected, but the anger in the situation had drained, so it was useless to start it up again.
"Fine," said Shiv, plopping on the ground, "So what is all of this, then?"
Yin huffed and curled himself onto the ground just out of arms reach. Yang puffed out his chest and launched into a lengthy exposition that resulted in Shiv requiring to be woken up twice throughout.
"So that's it?" Shiv said, "I'm one of these chosen? And your my partner? Then what about him?
Yin heaved a great sigh, his body shaking with the trouble.
"I am here for my own reasons, human," He said, putting an unsavory emphasis on human, "I have no desire to play in your little games of power and world-saving."
Yang also sighed, "Well, we might as well get a move on, the forest gets dangerous at night."
Shiv was alert at this statement.
"What do we do?" Said Shiv.
"Easy!" Said Yang, "We hide!"

[shivdeeviant]

So much for brave games of power and world-saving.
Shiv looked around.
"Ok, I'll bite," He said, "Hide where?"
Yin chuckled. Yang shrugged as though Shiv were dumb.
"In the branches of course!"
"Do you really need to shout everything?" Asked Shiv.
Yang started, his mouth falling open.
"I shout all the time?!"
The absurdity of it overcame Shiv, and he started laughing. He laughed until tears came to his eyes, and then tears of laughter turned to sorrow. Shiv was crying on the forest floor, what was up with all of this? He just wanted to go home! He didn't know anything about digimon or being a chosen! He was just a kid! He wanted so much to just wake up, this whole thing being a dream. He cried till his stomach hurt, the tears falling to the ground and dampening the moss beneath him. Yin looked at him with disgust, but he couldn't help feeling a twinge of sympathy. Yang was fussing around Shiv, darting this way and that, beside himself with worry.
"I'm sorry! I wont shout as much anymore! Please stop crying! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Shiv degenerated into sniffles.
"Oh god!" He said quietly, "I'm really not going home, am I? This isn't some dream?"
Yang grinned, "I am pleased to say, it is not!"
The sniffles turned in to chuckles again and Shiv wiped his eyes looking up at his new partner.
"Thanks for cheering me up." said Shiv, "I needed that."
"Anytime!" replied Yang, "Anytime at all!"

[shivdeeviant]

Shiv finally stood up again. Yin seemed pleased.
"'bout time." He huffed.
Shiv cast a disparaging look at the minuscule Kyokyomon, but chose to ignore the gibe, Yang didn't need more stress.
"So," began Shiv as he started to climb the nearest tree, "What is the story between you two?"
Yin's voice came from over Shiv's shoulder, and Shiv knew without looking that Yin was floating nearby.
"We are brothers," he said tersely.
"Really?" Asked Shiv as he was seeking for another handhold, "You don't look anything alike."
Yin grimaced.
"Brothers may be bound in more than blood!"
"Mm..."
"Having trouble?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Really."
"I don't know what passes for 'fine' on your world, human, but babes climb faster that you!"
With that Yin grew to twice his size, strecthed his body out and cried,
"METAL STRAWS!"
Metal poles, about 3/8 of an inch in diameter and 2 feet long, shot from Yin's mouth and embedded themselves into the form of a crude ladder up the tree trunk.
"Now you should be able to climb faster."
Shiv grumbled, but had to admit this was faster.
Two minutes later he was up to the first branch. Yin and Yang were waiting for him.
"Great job! Do you climb often? It looks like it!" shouted Yang.
Shiv looked at Yin, who shrugged.
"So," said Shiv, "Now what?"
"Now," said Yin, "We stay quiet and wait till morning."

[shivdeeviant]

They sat there in the branch, talking of the forest and how the two brothers had come to be there. Shiv was slowly beginning to understand the gist of this strange place, and was soon playing around with his digivice.
He pushed a button, and the screen changed with a beep.
Yang stopped immediately.
"What was that?"
"I dunno..." Said Shiv, "I was fiddling with my device when it beeped!"
"Ooh! that might mean there are other chosen around!"
"Other? You mean there is more than one?"
"Yes of course! I mean, you're cool enough that we would probably be fine just the two of us, but the greater being decided that more is better!"
Shiv looked at his device with renewed interest, it did happen to look like an odd kind of radar. Let's see, so if this is North, then my current position is here, but this makes no sense! If this thing was right, then... Shiv peered tentatively over the side of the branch.
Sure enough, there was a human and Digimon. Taking his cue, Yang and Yin also looked.
"Hey!" said Yang. "There they are! I bet they're nice! We should say hi!"
Before Shiv or Yin could stop him, Yang jumped off of the branch and landed in front of the pair.
"Hi!" he shouts exuberantly, "I'm Yang, the Motimon! Who are you?"

[Inori]

Wizardmon was quick to take up a defensive stance, holding his staff like he was ready to ward off whatever was thrown at him (while Inori nearly dropped her digivice). He lowered it just as quickly when he registered what was standing before him.

Inori wore a shocked look on her face...be it from surprise at the digimon's sudden appearance, or the fact that he was pink...none could say!

"You're staring." Wizardmon informed his partner, shaking her from her thoughts.
"R-right. Sorry." She stammered. The cloaked digimon shook his head idly.

"I am Wizardmon. This is my...reluctant partner Inori." He gestured to himself and his partner as he spoke. The girl nodded slightly but remained quiet, assessing the situation...and wondering if there were more.

[shivdeeviant]

Yang starts, his mouth opening as he registers what was just said.
Reluctance? To be a partner? What?
"Why so reluctant?" He asks, "You're so cute! I'm sure all of the digimon want to be with you!"

[Inori]

Wizardmon eyed Yang with an odd look, not seeming thrilled about his comment on his partner being cute. He kept silent for the moment.

"I was just dragged from my home to this strange world with crazy little pink...things, and a cloak wearing creature is dragging me around claiming that we are 'destined' to be partners'. Can you really blame me?" She replied with an oddly calm tone.

[shivdeeviant]

A cry comes from above.
"Finally! Someone who gets it!"
Shiv climbs down the tree using the ladder that Yin made.
He gives Inori and Wizardmon a quick once over, and, while decidedly unimpressed with either, gives Inori a look of approval.
"I understand the whole being chosen thing, or at least, I think I do. But I need a grace period to absorb these things, you know?"
Then, seeming to remember his manners, he puts an arm across his stomach and bows.
"Since names here are overall unimportant, you may refer to me as Shiv Deeviant. It's my screen name. What might I call you?"

[Inori]

Wizardmon watched Shiv as he spoke, frowning behind his cloak. Two reluctant humans? What are the odds?

Inori lowered her head respectfully. "Inori is fine...as Wizardmon said. It's good to meet you, Shiv."

Despite Inori's politeness, Wizardmon had this nagging feeling that she distrusted the boy just as much as he himself. She did a good job of hiding it...almost to a practiced point.

"So...why is your partner small and pink, while mine is not? It seems like things should be reveresed." Inori stated bluntly, not really thinking about what she was saying.

Wizardmon chuckled quietly.

[shivdeeviant]

"No problem," Says Shiv, "I'm sure he too will grow into something interesting like yours."
He looks at Yang with a smile, "Well then Yang? Should we go with these two?"
He looks back at Inori.
"If it's alright with you of course."
Yang starts, his mouth dropping open. Yin's eyes narrow ever so slightly. What brought this change about?
This is awesome! Thought Yang.
This is suspicious. Thought Yin.

[Inori]

Inori glanced between Wizardmon and Shiv, contemplating.

"For what it is worth, Inori...there is safety in numbers here." Wizardmon offered respectfully. "I respect your choice either way."

Inori rubbed her chin thoughtfully, debating her choices. On one hand, she could say no, and be stuck wandering alone with Wizardmon...which was not really terrible but he said numbers were good in this place. On the other she could at least have another non-digimon walking around and, but then raise the number of digimon to three. Either situation was fairly uncomfortable...and either way she was still trapped here. She did have to give Wizardmon some credit...he did seem to be looking out for her.

"I'll defer to your wisdom, Wizardmon...you know more about this then I do..." And so far following his lead had been working out fine.

Wizardmon visibly was taken aback for a moment. Not the reaction he'd expected...but he would take what he could get. Quickly, Wizardmon regained his composure, trying to offer Inori a 'you will not regret this' look while nodding.

"Though we still have not quite figured out where we are going other then away from the forest." Inori added awkwardly.

[shivdeeviant]

"Indeed." Adds Shiv, "But at this juncture, I believe one direction might be as good as any other. Unless, one of our companions knows something we do not?"
Shiv looks pointedly at Yin and Wizardmon.

[Inori]

"That depends on if you want to go deeper into the forest or not...and how much you like bugs." Wizardmon commented somewhat cryptically.

"I am guessing you do not mean normal bugs that make most girls scream." Inori raised an eyebrow.
"Normal to us perhaps...though I'm certain they would still make most girls scream." He chuckled.