Chapter 103: Andromon Joins

Thomas Kasuto

Saias’s Villa

20 Minutes

 

Zelda immediately threw her arms around me as Statch and I walked into the villa. I was surprised at first, but I returned her loving embrace. Luna, Chrysania, and Pheragas crowded behind her. “Welcome back,” she whispered. “None of you got hurt, right?”

“It’s nothing we can’t handle,” Statuedramon said. “I got kicked into a building, so I guess I’m a little bruised up, and Thomas is still cut up from when Andromon attacked the house, and—”

“That was Andromon who did that?” Zelda asked.

“Yeah…did we not tell her…?” Statch looked up at me.

“No. We just walked outside and spoke to Andromon before going to Yew,” I said. We were probably gone for about an hour; no wonder everybody looks so worried…

“I’ll get you a concoction for all those cuts; I’ll see if I can find anything for Statch, too,” Luna said, heading upstairs.

“Is Andromon okay?” Zelda asked. I turned to glance behind me; Andromon stood motionless on the lawn, giving the entire villa a guilty stare.

“You can come in if you’d like,” I said. Reluctantly, Andromon’s eyes glanced up at me, but he slowly walked toward us.

“It’s good to see you again, Andromon,” Zelda said, smiling sweetly at the Digimon.

“Apologize immediately, I must,” Andromon said quietly. “‘Twas I who attacked—”

“Yeah, Tommy just now told us you were the one who attacked us,” Chrysania said. “You don’t need to feel sad about it; you’re still traveling with Tommy, so you must be a good guy!”

“He already promised us that he would help us rebuild,” Statuedramon said.

“Vut’s done is done,” Pheragas said, nodding. “If you ah helping us, den you really ah an ally.” Andromon looked at the five of us. His eyes began to well with tears.

“…Everybody…I thank you…from the bottom of my nonexistent heart…”

“Don’t cry, man; you’ll just rust,” Statuedramon said. I opened my mouth to speak, but my words came out as a partially stifled yell. There was a searing pain on my back, as if there was melted steel being poured on it.

“Stop complaining; if it hurts, that just means it’s working,” Luna said. “I’ll have the tears on the backs of your shirt and coat looked at later.” The sorceress walked over to Statuedramon and took hold of his arm, slathering a putrid, green potion on a large gash, making the Digimon howl in pain. Ignoring him, Luna looked up at Andromon. “Are you hurt, big guy?” Andromon glanced at Statch and me.

“…No…harmed, I am not,” he said slowly.

“Suit yourself. Make sure you come to me the next time you start bleeding.” Luna began slowly lapping the mixture of mine and Statch’s blood off the tips of her dainty fingers with a look of calm but crazed joy in her eyes. “I’ll make sure to have you…dealt with…” Andromon slowly backed away from the sorceress.

“It should stop burning in about ten minutes,” Zelda whispered to me when Luna was looking the other way.

“You didn’t get hurt too bad, did you?” I asked.

“No, I’m…fine…” She gave me a worried look as I quietly removed a shard of glass from the side of my right arm.

“Well, Machinedramon’s dead,” Statuedramon said.

“Dat is very good!” Pheragas exclaimed. “Dat leaves us vith seven left, no?”

“Is Mr. Andromon going to join Lachesis?!” Chrysania asked, excitedly jumping up and down. Unsurprisingly, she slipped and nearly fell, but Pheragas caught her in his large arms.

“You need to calm down, little vun.”

“I’ve been trying to, but I can’t do it when I’m really super happy!”

“But you ah alvays happy.”

“Oh, yeah…”

“Have a place to go, I do not,” Andromon said solemnly. “Stay here, I will…if you’d let me…”

“YESYESYESYES! Oh, please say you’ll join us!”

“Very well…I…shall,” Andromon said. Chrysania squealed with sheer delight; throwing her arms up in the air, she hugged Andromon.

“THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU THANKYOU!” Chrysania began bouncing up and down, nearly making her hat fall off.

“It’s almost time for dinner; would you like to join us, Andromon?” Luna asked.

“Required to eat, I am not,” Andromon said. “Not eaten in four years, I have, nor do I feel the urge to do so.”

“Would you like to join us?” Luna repeated.

“…I would.”

“Great! The dining room is this way…”

“Would you like me to give you a hand, Luna?” I asked.

“I was going to make you, anyway; glad to see you’re volunteering.” The witch smiled at me.

“HALT!” All of us turned to face Andromon. His eyes were open wide. “Someone…is approaching…”

“What do you mean?” Statch asked.

“Approaching this house, somebody is,” Andromon said. His head turned around completely, and looked out the open door. “There…in the sky…” The rest of Andromon’s body turned around, and the Android Digimon stepped outside. Nervously, Zelda and I followed after him in time to see a rather tall Digimon descend from the sky onto the villa’s lawn.

“Greetings, members of the guild known as Lachesis,” the Digimon said in a dull, monotone voice. “I believe this is the first time you have met Lucemon, is it not?”

“You’re a member of the Order of the Enchantress,” I said.

“Yes, Lucemon is a part of that group.” The Digimon stood silently, staring at us. “Do you…need something from Lucemon?”

“Uh…you were the one that came to us,” Statuedramon said.

“…Yes…Lucemon did come here…But he cannot remember why…”

“How’d a guy this dumb almost kill Dianamon?” I whispered to Statch.

“Lucemon heard you.” The Digimon was suddenly two inches away from my face. “Lucemon hears everything. He also just remembered why he came here.”

“…Well? Why did you come here?” Zelda asked.

“Lucemon came here…because…he knows where Apollomon is.”

“Apollomon?! Where is he, you bastard?!” Statuedramon asked.

“Apollomon is with Dianamon, BlackGaomon, and Seraphimon in the Black Rose Mountains,” Lucemon said. “They were buried in a landslide, but are still alive.” Without a moment’s hesitation, I ran out the door, only to be stopped by Andromon.

“A trap, this could be,” he warned.

“I am not going to risk the lives of my friends over the chance that what he says could be a lie!” I said. “Even if it is a trap — even if Lucemon is just going to take us away somewhere and attempt to kill us — that’s okay. We’d have to fight him eventually, so it’s just as well that he showed himself now, rather than later.”

“What Lucemon has told you is not a lie; your friends are in the Black Rose Mountains,” Lucemon said.

“Could be,” I said. I looked up at the orange sky. “Andromon, you come with me.”

“Me…? Go with you?” Andromon asked.

“It’s getting late, and I’m sure the others are getting tired and hungry,” I said. “Also…while Apollomon is away, I’m in charge, so I’m ordering you to come with me.”

“U—understood…” Andromon spoke nervously, though he smiled at me.

“Would you like me to go with you?” Zelda asked quietly.

“No. It’ll be dark by the time we reach the mountains; I don’t know what might be waiting for us there, or if that’s where we’ll be going at all,” I said. “Please…stay here where it’s safe.”

“…Okay…please be careful…”

“We will.” I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “We’ll both be back before you know it.” Lucemon placed his arms around mine and Andromon’s waists and hoisted us up into the sky.