In the face of the incoming fire, Dorugoramon snarled and abruptly changed her flight maneuver to navigate herself amidst the torrent of lasers, the sound of the harbor being obliterated behind her lost in the back of her mind. She could see Examon making similar adjustments to dodge the barrage and he appeared to find few difficulties, so Dorugoramon, eager for blood, followed him close by, but the moment she then aligned her focus back onto Moon=Millenniummon, haze suddenly began to cover her intended target, causing it to seemingly vanish from her sight. With an angry growl, Dorugoramon blinked. --- Dorumon blinked. There was nothing but thick foliage in front of her and dirt under her tired, furry body. The pit of Earth she had dug in and was now sleeping in was cool; barely comfortable, but cool enough. At least the forest’s climate was a tad pleasant tonight. It made it easier for her to ignore the hunger from her subpar sustenance. Wandering aimlessly for as long as she could remember, Dorumon hadn’t found a single Digimon who knew her. They would either wonder if she was far from home, wherever they thought it was, or pick on her for her strange appearance. A few would even try to pry the strange, orange interface on her forehead before eating a face full of iron. She had yet to meet another Digimon like her at all. At times, she even wondered why she knew her name and nothing else about herself. Glancing up at the canopy roof, Dorumon gazed at the stars visible from gaps in the canopy, then forlornly tucked her bushy tail between her legs before holding onto it with her small paws as she forced herself to dip into another quiet night. At least the stars had company in the sky, each of them having a definite place in the black expanse. She, on the other hand, was alone, still not knowing who she was and why she was here. --- Zei blinked. And yelped as a loud thud and a grunt signaled the end of the spar. She watched as her father extended his hand to another man, the latter grabbing onto it and pulling himself up. A bow to one another and then it was over. “Superb demonstration as usual, Master Yasuragi,” the man spoke with a grin. “I have a lot of catching up to do, don’t I?” “I’m sure you will get there in time. Your stance has improved immensely,” the Yasuragi patriarch replied with a smile, then turned to look at his only child, her presence hidden well amongst that of his other students. She was smaller and younger, having just started eighth grade, yet her presence seamlessly blended with the other, more mature students. “Zei, did you watch that? I hope you can practice that stance when we get home.” “Yes, father,” Zei nodded, quietly nodding with a faint smile. Her father was strong and she admired him. After all, she owed him much of the skills that he had generously passed on to her. He was about to say more when another student approached him with questions of his own, leaving her father to turn his attention away from her. “Hey, Zei-chan,” one of her father’s students gently nudged her. “Do you want to be as strong as your dad?” “Of course. A Yasuragi must be strong,” Zei replied politely. “It’s what father taught me.” “I’m sure you’d be a great martial artist once you’ve grown up, just like your old man,” he replied with a grin. “I still remember how you take down Yamada like a sack of rice and that was a year ago!” “That’s a Yasuragi for you. They’re pretty much the powerhouse around here, literally. I’m sure you’d make your family even more famous someday.” “Considering he pretty much teaches her everything he knows, she might even be his successor once she grows up. She’s both cute and strong! Talk about a premium package!” “Well, I honestly wouldn’t mind being beat by a Yasuragi as cute as her~!” While the male students were busy fantasizing about what she would look like as a grown-up, Zei quietly stood up and walked towards a nearby window of the dojo. She thought back to how often her classmates would introduce her to new people as a martial artist, even though she was far away from being a proper one, and sometimes egged her to demonstrate some moves she knew. She thought back to how people seem pleasantly surprised to know she was a Yasuragi, as if a demure child like her should have belonged to some other family. She thought back to how her father and her family were always a go-to topic when speaking to her. Zei Yasuragi was a girl trained in martial arts. She was the child of Master Yasuragi and that was what mattered in the eyes of many. She might as well be nothing more than a shadow, clinging onto the brightest thing she could find to be recognized. Right now, it was her father whom she loved and respected. Who would it be next? --- Dorugoramon felt lost. The haze was now all around her. She couldn’t even see Examon anymore, let alone Moon=Millenniummon. In fact, the haze had covered even herself from her sights, so much that she couldn’t see her own claws, the blaze cloaking her metallic arms seemingly swallowed away into nothing. Confusion gave way to panic, then from panic sprung fear. Like a lost chick, Dorugoramon chirped and screeched, her already distorted sense of self, barely rebuilt, now gone again.