Frontiers Unexplored

31) Ascended Evolution

"You have got to be kidding me."

Vritramon had only been flying for a few moments since the trio of Warriors left behind Duskmon's abode. Cybelemon was sprinting along on the ground, and they were trying to get as far away as possible before Duskmon inevitably came after them. Their energy was limited, and there wasn't much time left before they would be forced back into their regular forms. They had to make this time count. 

Naturally, the best idea would be to stay focused on the goal at hand, but then the worst possible thing decided to happen. Koji's D-Tector let out a series of beeps, and when he pulled it from his pocket, Koji found that his Beast Spirit, which had been elusive up until then, was nearby. All Vritramon could do was stare. He wanted to scream, curse, and maybe even laugh at how damn perfectly terrible this was, and yet, he couldn't do anything aside from glare down at the D-Tector. 

"Please say that you're fucking with me," Cybelemon groaned from the ground, looking up at Vritramon and Koji over their shoulder. When they saw the bewildered expression on Vritramon's face, they realized that this was no joke, and an aggravated sigh pierced the air. "Oh, shit."

"Looks like we're going to be a bit longer than expected," Vritramon sighed. "I wish we had a way to talk to the others about how this isn't going the way that we were hoping, but I guess that's too damn much to ask for. Let's just go and get the stupid Beast Spirit so that it can't bite us in the ass later."

Koji hadn't said anything since the rescue, and his eyes had been closed up until he pulled his D-Tector out. He had been staring at it ever since, but there was something oddly sobering about seeing him this way. Without the bandanna, he looked far less put together, and stray hairs were flying everywhere around his face. His eyes were dark and haunted, and he looked like a shell of his former self. 

Vritramon dared to look down at Koji out of the corner of his eye, but he could only bring himself to stare for a moment before turning his focus back to the path at hand. He wanted to talk to Koji, to apologize for how stupid he had been before, but he couldn't make the words form. Koji didn't seem to be in the proper condition to speak even if Vritramon knew how to say sorry given the heavy situation, so he tried to ignore the mounting guilt at his core. Vritramon concentrated on the beat of his wings and the dusty ground ahead, waiting for something to come into view on the horizon to signify that they were getting closer to the Beast Spirit. 

Cybelemon didn't seem to notice how bothered Vritramon was, so they simply kept moving. They let out a gasp a few moments later, and Vritramon realized just how distracted he had been. He hadn't even noticed it when a light appeared on the horizon. It looked like the sun creeping its way over the skyline at dawn. Vritramon hadn't been so relieved to see light ever in his life, and he found himself moving faster towards it. He wanted to get the Beast Spirit so that he could finally collapse and let his exhaustion put him to sleep. He wasn't sure of how much longer he'd be able to push himself. 

The sudden cry of a bird overhead made Vritramon flinch, and he forced himself to the ground about ten yards away from the light's origin point. Cybelemon stopped moving as well, and they both searched the skies silently as Vritramon eased Koji to the ground. A bird could be seen circling the overhead air, and it let out a fierce cry before diving down. 

And so, for the second time that day, Vritramon snarled a familiar phrase. "You have got to be kidding me."

~~~~~

Mayumi wasn't sure of how long they had been walking, but she knew for sure that she was tired of it. Obtaining Sheyumon's Spirit had absolutely exhausted her, and she wanted to curl up in a corner and sleep for a week straight at the least. Haroi and Yumiko didn't look much better, and Yumiko's eyes were glued to her D-Tector. Bokomon and Neemon waddled along behind them, both tired as could be even without getting involved in combat. To put it simply, it had been a long day, and all of them desperately needed a break.