higuchimon | [fanfic] Digimon Adventure 02: Market Day

Title: Market Day
Characters: Wormmon
Word Count: 500||Status: One-shot
Genre: General||Rated: G
Challenge: Digimon Flash Bingo, prompt #577, Medusa Ring; Diversity Writing Challenge, section A85, write a fic that does not use up to three consonants.
Summary: Wormmon goes shopping. That's all. Well, almost.

There weren't many opportunities for peaceful trade between Digimon settlements, not with the Digimon Kaiser lurking everywhere, ready to wreck everything at a moment's notice. But Digimon are not unlike humans in many ways, and one of those ways was that where there was a will, there was a way. When enough Digimon had marketable goods, strong and sharp-eyed Digimon found themselves hired to stand as lookouts, to give warning if so much as a flicker of a cape or a gleam of black metal revealed itself.

No one had been warned to look out for a small green Digimon, slowly inching his way through the chattering crowds. Wormmon kept out of sight so much during his dear Ken's combats with the Chosen and the trips out to enslave other Digimon that while a few gave him careful, curious looks, no one said anything untoward as he prowled around the marketplace.

Wormmon wasn't certain if he liked that. On the one hand, he could accomplish this mission that Ken had given him - Ken trusted him enough to do this! - but on the other, he wasn't ashamed of being his partner's Digimon. But if he said a word to that effect, the entire peaceful afternoon would be ruined.

"Equipment for sale! Equipment for sale!" One of the merchants called out from his small stand. Wormmon headed that way, partially out of curiosity and partially to see if anything he had would be of interest to Ken. He wasn't certain what he could barter for it but perhaps the Meramon who ran the stand would be interested in his silk offerings.

"What do you have?" He lifted himself up to check out the offerings, noticing all of the rings and bracelets and gears, any of which could have multiple effects on a Digimon.

"Oh, so many things!" Meramon declared, tilting the tray so Wormmon could get a better look. "These can make you stronger or faster or help you resist an attack!" One flaming finger brushed against one of the rings. "This one provides powerful defense, perhaps enough to avoid an Evil Ring! I call it the Medusa Ring!" Clearly that defense was one of its selling points, if the interested looks from other shoppers gave any clues.

Wormmon eyed it carefully. Ken hadn't made up his mind if he wanted to attack the market or not. Perhaps this would distract him. This was too nice of a place to ruin. "I can offer silk for it?"

Meramon smiled and began a sharp and intense bargaining session.

Wormmon crept back into Ken's control room, the tiny bag he'd woven to store the ring held close. Ken's ranting rang off the walls, cursing the Chosen for their latest attack.

"Ken, I - " He could say nothing else before Ken's booted foot struck him in the middle, sending him slamming into the wall. A small crunch heralded the Medusa Ring's destruction. Wormmon closed his eyes and cowered.

Typical end to his day.

The market burned.

The End

Note: The three consonants not used in this drabble were j, x, and z.