Learning Curve

[shivdeeviant]

Shiv ran until his legs wouldn't go any further.

"Human!" Shouted Yin, "What are you doing! We were stronger when we were with those two!"

"Silence Yin." Said Shiv bluntly, "Stronger we might have been, but all of the strength was Wizardmon's, we were pitifully weak back there."

Yin did not like the way the human ordered him about so, but there was truth in his words.

"Then why did you bring us all the way out here?"

"Simple," Shiv grinned, "To train."

"Would you have us reach Wizardmon's level?"

"If possible."

"I will not allow it!"

"Explain why."

Shiv spoke this as an order, not, as would be polite, as a question. Yin tensed, his back arching ever so slightly and his ridges extending as well.

"Because," Yin said very, very precisely, "You cannot control us at that power, and we wont be able to control ourselves."

"And why do you know that I will fail when it hasn't even happened yet?"

"I can say this because I have seen the power of a Champion firsthand, and that Wizardmon is no great shakes. You, a mere child, could never harness such a power for yourself. You would destroy us all first!"

"Such cheek." said Shiv, too stubborn to notice the desperation behind Yin's anger, "I know just as much as anyone here! In fact, I know more! You are just afraid of power. On our journey, we will not survive unless you can achieve that level at least!"

"Do not cloud your incompetence with truth!" Shouted Yin, "We never needed this power before! We never needed you before! I wish Yang had never been summoned! We were happy before you came along! Just go away! Go back to your world and be done with ours!"

Shiv glared, a fire in his eyes, "Sorry to disappoint you Floats! I can't go home right now! Do you honestly think I would choose to be here?! I have been accosted by creatures who should not physically be able to exist! I have been trying to make the best of it, to get myself into a position where I can leave, and do you understand?! No! You hide behind your own fear! You worry for yourself, but are unable to actually grasp that if you had Wizardmon's power, you would be able to take control of your life! No more running! No more hiding! Stand up! Yin! Grow up!"

"SILENCE, HUMAN!"

"MY NAME IS SHIV!"

They stood there for a time, panting and glaring at each other. And Yang watched with a (albeit comical, Motimon's face has difficulty showing expression) look of horror and worry on his face. He really hoped that Yin wouldn't attack Shiv, but he could tell just how close Yin was to doing just that. Why did Shiv say all of those mean things? Didn't he know what Yin had gone through? Of course not, Yin doesn't tell anybody that.

"Shiv-" stammered Yang.

"Not now, Yang," Shiv interrupted, "This is between me and Yin."

"Such pretense," said Yin, "You need power as much as a drowning man needs water. Brute force is all your kind are about. There is no finesse in what you do, there is no technique. Just a more powerful attack, and a more grand explosion. Your kind is a pitiable thing. If you truly want to get better in this world, Human, if you truly want to be great, then I have a challenge for you."

"A challenge?" Scoffed Shiv, "What challenge is this?"

"The Challenge," Continued Yin, a look of deadly calm in his eyes, "Make us great with as little as you can. Harness us with as much efficiency as you can muster, without making us digivolve. If you can do that, then I might, might, just call you by your name and recognize you as my brother's partner."

"So this is a challenge for your respect?"

"It is."

Shiv gave a smile that didn't reach the look of determination in his eyes.

"Very well. I accept. Now let's get to work."

[shivdeeviant]

The three of them started practicing their attacks. After a few hours, Shiv even managed to convince Yin to practice their attacks in rookie form too. Soon, Shiv had a thorough understanding of the limits of what each attack could do.

Then, Shiv started experimenting. He tried seeing if Rock fist could be thrown in different shapes, depending on the shape of Yang's hand. He discovered that this was true. He tried to see how many katanas Yin could produce for his katana attack. Surprisingly, he was able to make three before the blade would not manifest. He had Yang practice with one of Yin's swords, and he too picked it up.

It was light, but with enough heft that it could do some damage if swung with enough force. Problem was, he wasn't able to swing it very hard. But still, it might serve a purpose in that it could intimidate. He also discovered that the swords took time to repair themselves when damaged. They practiced for a good long time, or so it seemed to Shiv.

Eventually, they all collapsed onto the ground, sweaty and exhausted. Yin, as Kyokyomon, shot back to the forest for some food. And Yang, as motimon, cuddled up to Shiv. The sun was setting in glorious striations of color. Shiv had never seen such beauty.

"Shiv?" Yang said, breaking Shiv out of his thoughts.

"Yes, Yang?"

"Are you really going to go home as soon as you can?"

Shiv looked at his partner, Yang looked worried, like he didn't know exactly what to think.

A chink in his armor? thought Shiv.

"I think, that life is more interesting when you are around."

Shiv chuckled softly.

"We'll see, Yang," he said soothingly, "It might turn out that I'm not needed anymore when I finally get the chance to go home. You never know."

Yang seemed to think on this for a moment. Then he got an odd look on his face.

"I don't think that it is fair that we become friends when it is only a matter of time that we leave each other."

Shiv had nothing to say to that, but he was rescued by Yin's return with fruits and vegetables from the forest. They ate with the setting of the sun and then lay to rest under the stars.

Shiv lay awake for a while longer, thinking on what Yang had said. He really didn't know what he would do when he was able to go home. This place, though it was strange and new, it was also, strangely enough, fun. Shiv couldn't remember the last time he had to think so quickly on his toes. The Danger felt real, but it all seemed so surreal, attacks that defied the laws of nature, creating matter out of nothing, and so on.

These thoughts troubled Shiv's sleep, but another had a lot to think about as well. Yin slept fitfully as well.

This human, Shiv. He just might... No! I will not think such things, they are weak!

[shivdeeviant]

The night passed on in silence, the fire smoldering in its ring of stones. The embers cast enough heat that everyone could sleep comfortably on the ground, but Yang still cuddled next to Shiv. Shiv noted this in his mind while he lay there, slumbering.

Deep in Shiv's mind, his dreams were having their say.

He stands atop a dark tower, looking at the land below. In his hand is one of Yin's Katanas, it's weight a reassurance in his hand. Yin is there, his eyes blazing with malice and hate, and Yang is there as well, his eyes alight with determination. Shiv looks down on everything, his mind working faster than it ever had before. Something was there, something he needed to know, like a pattern missing a bunch of links. A buzzing noise in his head was making it hard to think. Yin was shouting something at him, but he couldn't hear it for the noise. Yang pulled at his shoulder, pointing at something behind him.

Shiv turned to look. There were others there, fighting something that Shiv couldn't make out. The others were shrouded in darkness, there features indistinguishable, same as their enemy. Yang looked like he wanted to join, and Yin looked like he wanted Shiv to make a decision. Shiv clenched his teeth and started for the dark figures. He then noticed that the familiar weight in his hand had changed, it had become heavier.

Looking at it, Shiv recognized the object as Earth. But it wasn't Earth, the continents and oceans were all wrong, this was a completely different world. While difficult to describe, Shiv knew a certainly as he knew his own name that it must be the digital world. He held it in the palm of his hand, and the gravity of such a thing captivated Shiv, the buzzing noise gone. He stood there, torn between the choice of the world. He dropped the orb.

A wave of darkness and light touched the three of them.

Yang, touched by the darkness, lost the light from his eyes and his smile fell from his face as though torn from him. His body stiffened in a silent, emotionless scream until he stood at rigid attention, his face blank. He stared at Shiv.

Yin, touched by the light, exploded into an incarnation of rage and fire. His body expanding with emotion and his eyes blazing. His form radiated power and, oddly, fear. And when his eyes turned to Shiv, it felt as though their light burned the marrow in his bones.

And Shiv, touched by both the light and the dark, fell to his knees, clutching his head, screaming. The noise returned louder and more ferocious than before. He knew that this was his doing, he had done this somehow. He had made this mistake. This was his failure.

The two Digimon stared at Shiv. One with no feeling at all, the other with more than he could handle.

"Don't look at me like that!" Shouted Shiv.

They still looked.

"Stop it!" Cried Shiv, the tears streaming down his face, "Stop looking at me!"

Nothing changed, and it was all Shiv's fault.

"DON'T LOOK AT ME!"

The landscape blurred, as though it were a watercolor painting being inundated with water. The colors dripped and oozed together onto the floor. The fighting melted into a puddle of darkness and shadows. The feelings and smells of the room seemed to be tied to the color, the excitement holding fast to the once cohesive image, until there were puddles of fear, streams of anger, and smatterings of courage mixing together on the floor.

The colors flooded Shiv and his partners, and he was swept away by the tide of emotion. He fell deep into the depths of experience and felt his breath being stolen by the eddies of memory. He reached his hand for Yin and Yang, but they merely stayed there, looking at him with the eternities of absolute trust and betrayal locked in their demeanor. The swirling colors darkened, Shiv sank further still. His last breaths left him and he only knew regret.

With a gasp, Shiv bolted upright into a sitting position. He was covered in a cold sweat and his eyes were blinded by the light of the rising sun. He looked to his side, Yang lay there, sleeping peacefully. His legs kicked every now and again, indicating the possibility of dreams. Shiv slowly stood up, stretching his aching muscles, still troubled by his dream.

He looked at the sunrise, the beauty of it mocking him with its serenity. Why was his mind so troubled? He was barely starting his journey, there was no problems yet.

But there will be, he thought, there would be problems. And that dream was a warning of what would happen if I fail, if I make a mistake. I will not make any mistakes! I am not a failure!

"Aaaaaah!" sighed Yang as he woke up and stretched, "I had that dream about the giant honey bun again!"

His eyes misted over as he said wistfully, "I love that dream."

Yin chuckled from across the now dead campfire.

"You and your buns," he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "The only thing you like more than that is fruits, like that one with the... which fruit was it again? A Honeydew?"

"It was a melon!" Said Yang defensively, "A nice pair of big melons!"

Shiv was unsure what was going on, but the distraction was a welcome one. He turned his mind from his dream and back to the others. He chuckled and then waved a little to get their attention.

"Well, gentlemen." He said, going through his daily stretching routine, "I think we might be ready to join the others now, shall we find them?"

"Feh," muttered Yin, "If they'll have us back."

"Of course they will!" shouted Yang, "We were getting along so well! Me and Wizardmon became good friends in that short amount of time!"

"Oh really," said Yin, "If you and he are so chummy, what's Wizardmon's favorite color?"

Yang started, his mouth dropping open.

"What a silly question! Of course it's...!"

"Go ooon?"

"It's....!"

"Hmmm?"

"Fine! Smarty pants! I don't know his favorite color! But I know we're friends!"

"Fine, fine. So, human, how do you propose we find these others?'

Shiv unclipped the Digivice from his hip. He pushed a few buttons and the radar came up again. There were two blips relatively close by, Inori had apparently found a friend. He held the device to the other two.

"Like this," he said confidently, "looks like there is another member now too."

[Exit to Something Weird]