Digimon Frontier: The Warrior's Return

Chapter 6: Wash a Train? That's a First

Chapter 6: Wash a Train? That's a First

You woke the next day with a cramp in your neck from sleeping sitting up. You untangled yourself from Kouichi while he was still sleeping and began massaging your sore neck muscles.

Then the Trailmon's eyes opened and it yawned. "Morning already?" it said drowsily.

"Yo! Trailmon!" you yelled. You ran for the tracks and leaped in front of it so it wouldn't move. "Finally! I've been waiting for you to wake up."

"Who are you?" it asked curiously.

"I'm Ally," you said. "Me and my friend Kouichi need to get to Flame Terminal. Would you take us?"

"Take two humans to Flame Terminal..." it mused. "I could, but what's in it for me?"

You blinked. You hadn't expected that. "I dunno. What d'you want?"

"How about a bath?" it asked slyly.

"A bath?"

"Yes, I haven't had a good bath in years," it said. "If you wash me, I'll take you wherever you want to go."

"It's a deal," you said. "On one condition. We're going to meet our friends, so if you wait until we get there, we'll have help."

"How do I know I can trust you?" it asked suspiciously.

You spread your arms. "Dude, I'm a human in a world full of digital monsters. Do you think it'd be hard to find me if I ran off?"

It thought about that. "All right," it said at last. "And I'm not 'dude', I'm Angler."

You smiled up at it. "Thank you, Angler." You climbed out of the track area and ran over to Kouichi. "Wake up! Wake up, Kouichi! Aliens are attacking!"

"Huh, wha?!" He jolted awake and looked around wildly.

You were grinning so wide you felt like the Cheshire Cat. "You would so have been zapped by now, dude," you scolded. "Come on, we've got a ride!"

You pulled him on-board while he was still half-asleep. "On to Flame Terminal!"

Angler blew his whistle and began to move. "What a noisy human you are," it complained.

After Kouichi woke up, you explained how you'd convinced Angler to carry you both and he laughed. "Trailmon always bargain for baths," he said. "They're rare and special to them."

"Huh," you said. You liked baths but you wouldn't bargain for one. Then again, you might if you had no arms...

You thought that over for about five minutes. "I suppose I can understand that," you said. You noticed Kouichi smiling. "You're laughing at me, aren't you?!" you demanded.

"No, I'm not," he said. It sounded like he was trying not to.

"Yes you are!" you yelled. "You're laughing in your brain!"

He did start laughing then and you did too since what you said sounded so bizarre.

"How long will it take to get to Flame Terminal?" you asked when you finally stopped cracking up.

"I don't know," he said thoughtfully.

"Since you woke me up so early, little human," Angler said from outside. "We'll get there by sunset."

"Thank you!" you yelled out the window.

"You woke him?" Kouichi asked.

"He exaggerated," you said as you sat back down. "He was waking up and I jumped in front of him."