A/N- Hey! Friendly writer A.J. Parker here! I know I technically should be working on my Sherlock fanfic, but recently I found this old thing lying around in my closet and dammit I wanted to share it!

This story was actually part of my final exam in my high school creative writing class. My teacher liked it a lot, but she had no idea that it was actually a Digimon fanfic. *sneaky face*.

So, after, rediscovering it, I decided to tweak it up a bit and expand on it. Plus, it's been too long since I've written anything Digimon related. It WAS my childhood, after all.

This is gonna be fun!

Disclaimer: Digimon belongs to Toei Animation. I only own my own characters!

Enjoy!


I'm just going to put it out there now: Monsters are for real.

Don't fight me on this one. They are.

And I'm not talking about the ones that hide under your bed or your closet or anything of that sort. The ones I'm thinking of are the kind that roam throughout our computers, our entire network, almost like it was its own little world— or maybe not so little.

I know what you're thinking, "You mean like a virtual pet? A digital monster?"

My answer is yes, that's exactly what I mean. Now, imagine you found out that they are not just data or a virtual being, but something beyond that; something that managed to become self-aware and create a life of its own; something more, well, real.

I know that sounds far-fetched, but don't worry if you're having trouble believing me at the moment, because to be honest, I never would have believed it myself up until just recently. Thinking back on it now, I almost wish I had never discovered it. Then I wouldn't have gotten into a huge mess of things, but you know how fate works: it doesn't take no for an answer.

Then again…I also wouldn't have gotten the chance to go on the most epic adventure of a lifetime, or made such amazing, lifelong friends.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. I'm supposed to be giving an introduction, not rambling on about monsters and fate. Sorry about that.

My name is Marshall Cartwright. I'm thirteen years old and in the seventh grade. I used to be your basic, everyday boy with a big imagination— until certain events occurred, that is.

So, with your permission, I'd like to take you back to the day when the strangest, most extraordinary thing happened to me— the day when my life changed forever.


Oh, man. I am so late…again! I thought in despair as I bolted down the long corridors of Serenity Middle School, barely hanging onto my textbooks and papers for dear life. I was the only one in the empty hallways; everyone else was already in their classes where they were supposed to be, unlike me. Of all the times to space out, why did it always have to be during passing period?

I was nearly out of breath when I finally made it to my destination: the mathematics hallway. I ran toward the wooden door to room 113 and reached for the handle, hoping in vain that the teacher hadn't taken role call yet.

I yanked the door open, went inside the room, and shut the door behind me. For a brief moment, I stood there leaning back against the door with my head down, breathing heavily and clutching my school supplies against my chest.

Then, from deeper in the classroom, I heard someone clearing their throat impatiently. "Mr. Cartwright," said a strict voice, "How nice of you to finally join us."

A rumble of muffled laughter followed.

Swallowing hard, I slowly lifted my head up to face my math teacher, Mr. Lennox, who was looking at me with disapproval from the front of the room. The class of twenty-two other students was staring at me as well, most of them holding a hand over their mouths keep their snickering to a minimum.

"Young man, this is the third time this week you've been late for my class," said Mr. Lennox, "Are you trying to get a detention? Is that it?"

Feeling my cheeks blush, I mumbled, "No, sir. I've just lost track of time."

The teacher raised an eyebrow. "Well, then. The next time your birthday comes around, you can ask for a watch. Maybe then you can make it on time without letting your mind get away from you, yes?"

More giggles erupted from my classmates. Nothing more I could do than just stand there and take it.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," I stammered, my face practically burning in embarrassment at this point.

Thinking that he'd made a fool out of me long enough, Mr. Lennox ordered, "Now, go sit down."

I lowered my head and stalked down the rows of occupied desks. As I passed through, a few students whispered so that only I could hear, "Nice going, Cartwright," "What'd you do this time, go to the moon and back?" "What a freak."

Ignoring their mockery as best as I could, I continued down the narrow row and made it to my own seat, which was in the back corner of the room right next to the window. As soon as I sat down and opened my notebook, Mr. Lennox turned his back on us and started to write down the algebraic equations for the day on the chalkboard. "Now, pay close attention, class. This is going to be on your next test," he announced. This statement was rewarded with many groans from us students.

Sighing deeply, I turned my gaze away from the front of the room toward the window, which showed an amazing view of the town of Serenity, especially on a nice, sunny day like this. I rested my chin on my palm as I started to drift into my own thoughts. Looks like it's going to be another one of those days.

"Mr. Cartwright!"

I was jolted out of my train of thought by the sharp voice, snapping my gaze away from the window. Mr. Lennox was glaring at me. Surprise, surprise.

"Get your head out of the clouds and take your notes! You're already on thin ice, don't push it any further!"

Gee, get your head out of the clouds. Never heard that one before. Give me a break, I thought. Grumbling under my breath, I lowered my eyes to my notebook and picked up my pencil. Luckily, the teacher didn't have any more snide remarks to throw my way, and he went back to writing on the board. Once his back was turned to me, I gazed up at the chalkboard, then back down at the blank page in my notebook. I began to copy down some of the writings while running a hand through my wildly curly brown hair with my free hand, but after only a little while, I started to drift off again. Soon I wasn't writing down math problems at all; I was doodling random pictures that appeared in my head while tugging at the front of my orange T-shirt out of habit.

That's the problem when you have attention-deficient-hyperactivity-disorder. You're not as focused on one thing for so long, no matter how hard you try. Don't get me wrong, I want to learn. I want to do well in class, but it's usually hard to keep my concentration in check. It's been a constant struggle for me for as long as I could remember.

Man, my life is so boring. I wish something exciting would happen, I thought absently as I continued to sketch. It definitely wasn't the first time I've wished for that. Actually, to be honest, I've wished it every single day. I've always dreamed of doing something great— of being something great. People have always told me that I would never amount to anything if I kept goofing off, and didn't improve my grades and behavior. But that was hardly my fault. I just wish they could see that.

I wasn't sure how much time had gone by then, but after a while, when I was in the middle of drawing a T-Rex, I felt a vibration from my blue jean pocket. I pulled out my cell phone, which was shaking violently. Thank goodness I had turned the sound off before class.

I held it out in front of me, looking at it in confusion. Who in the world would be calling me during the school hours? It couldn't be my mother; she knew better.

I turned it on to find that it wasn't an incoming call, but a text message from somebody. I opened the message box and read it, only for my eyebrows to rise in puzzlement.

It said, 'Are you ready to begin?' And underneath it were two choice boxes that read, 'Yes' and 'No.'

What the heck? Who sent me this? I thought, confused. I checked for any identification of where the text came from, but it didn't show a name. It simply said, Unknown.

"Are you ready to begin?" I whispered to myself. "What does that mean? Begin what?"

"Marshall!"

Flinching in shock, I quickly hid my phone under my desk and looked up at Mr. Lennox.

"Is there something you want to share with the entire class?" he asked condescendingly.

"N-No, sir. Nothing at all," I replied, relieved that he didn't notice my phone. Mr. Lennox shook his head and went back to teaching.

I stared down at my phone and frowned. After thinking it over for a minute, I hit the delete button, erasing the message entirely. Probably just some spam, I guessed. No need to worry about it.

Throughout the rest of the day, I went about my usual business at school: got to class late, got chewed out by my teachers, tried to pay attention but failed, got chewed out by the teachers again, got made fun of by a few students, etc. It gets tiresome after a while, but I've grown used to it— trust me.

But for some reason, I couldn't help but think about that message I got during math class the whole day, and that maybe I shouldn't have deleted it. I didn't know why I was so concerned about it; it could've just been junk mail that someone sent me in order to get me to buy something, but it was like something was telling me that it wasn't. I wasn't so sure. It was like a nagging feeling in the back of my mind— that it was very important. All these questions about it swirled around my brain: Who sent the message? What did they mean by "begin"? What would've happened if I had said "yes" or "no"?

I was still asking myself these questions by the time school finally ended in the late afternoon. I grabbed my backpack from my locker and swung it over my shoulder, getting ready to leave. Then, from the top shelf of my locker, I took out my old pair of large, round aviator goggles. I smiled inwardly as I strapped them around my head, just above my bangs. I know, I know: terrible fashion statement. But I really like them. They keep some of my hair intact.

Not to mention, they used to be my father's.

"Nice goggles, Cartwright. You going deep sea diving?" I heard someone ask me from behind when I slammed my locker door shut.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Oh, great.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," the voice persisted.

I turned around to face the person who had approached me. "Yeah, James, I heard you. And no, I'm not going swimming," I said in a monotone. James. Of all the people in the school, he was the one who would like to mess with me the most. I was pretty sure he only did because he thought he was funny, but he probably never realized how annoying he could be— no matter how many times I'd tell him.

James smirked, his icy blue eyes narrowing. "Well, don't wear them so tight…" then, before I could protest or even move out of the way, he grabbed my goggles and stretched them toward him, "…your head doesn't need to be more dense than it already is."

With that, he let go, sending my goggles flying back and smacking me right in the forehead. I backed up against my locker and groaned, gingerly rubbing the throbbing spot on my forehead. As I did so, James laughed loudly and walked away, leaving me there to wallow in my pain.

"Jerk," I growled, straightening my goggles to their original position. Once that was done, I stood tall and headed for the exit. No way was someone like James going to ruin my day. I couldn't wait to get out of the school and be outside, where blue skies and sunshine awaited.

But then I opened the double doors that led outside, I was not greeted with blue skies and sunshine at all. Instead, there were dark clouds and rough winds.

I winced and held a hand up to my face, trying to shield myself from the wind that roared all around me. Further outside, leaves blew off of thrashing trees, and telephone wires rattled. Other students were running frantically towards their parents' cars, the buses, or their own homes.

"This is weird," I said to myself. "Wasn't it really nice just earlier? The weatherman didn't say anything about a storm today."

Well, whether the storm was predicted or not, I still had to get home somehow. My hand still covering my face, I started trekking down the sidewalk toward my house, practically fighting against the wind. I slipped my goggles down over my brown eyes so that they were protected as I walked. Ha! I'd like to see James make fun of me for my goggles now!

After what felt like longer than it should have, I finally made it to the front lawn of my house, opening the front gate of the fence and hurrying for the door. My house wasn't a whole lot to look at; just a plain white, one-story house. It may not have a lot of room, but it was still home.

I quickly went inside, glad to be out of the wind and indoors before the storm could get any worse. "I'm home!" I called out. "Mom, you here?"

"Hi, honey! I'm in the living room!" my mother's voice answered from the other room.

I couldn't help but grin. My mother must've had a day off from work, which was usually very rare for her. I strode into the living room and saw my mother, tall and slender with long brown hair. She was sitting on the couch, looking up from a book that she was reading and smiling warmly at me in relief. "I'm so glad you made it home okay. I didn't know we were supposed to get a storm, and so quickly. Otherwise I would've picked you up myself."

"That's okay, Mom. I didn't mind walking," I reassured her, even though I personal did mind.

As I went over to sit down next to her, she said, "I made some cookies. They're on the coffee table."

I smiled gratefully as I reached for a chocolate chip cookie. My mother, Bonnie Cartwright, was the sweetest lady in the entire world. And I really mean that. You will never meet anyone nicer than her. Even after my father died over a year ago and she had to work two jobs so that we could get by, she never held it against anyone and never complained about how hard life was. She always tried to look on the bright side of things and keep everyone around her happy. She was that selfless.

My mother shifted in her spot on the couch until she was facing me completely. "So, how was school today?"

After swallowing what was left of my cookie, I answered hesitantly, "It was…okay, I guess."

Her smile faded, her green eyes looking at me in concern. "Were you having trouble again?"

I nodded solemnly, not saying a word. This wasn't the first time we've talked about this, but that wasn't why I was so bummed out at the moment. I was still thinking about the message that I got, but I didn't want my mom to worry about that either.

She sighed in a tired manner, before brightening her face again. "Well, just keep trying, honey. You're capable of more than you or anyone else thinks. You'll do better, I just know it."

I looked at her gravely. You see what I mean when I said that she was always thinking positively? It almost makes me guilty because I know that I am not an easy kid to take care of. From my grades that rarely rose above a C-, to the daily phone calls from the school concerning me wasting time in class. Among my wish for excitement and greatness, I also wished that I could turn things around for her as well. Being a kid with ADHD can be tough, but being a single mother to one must be tougher.

My mother hugged me before I stood up. "Well, I'll be in my room if you need me, Mom," I told her as I turned and headed for the hallway.

"Make sure you get all of your homework done, Marshall," she said in a warning tone.

"I will," I replied. Yeah, she may be caring, but she still has a strict side.

From behind me, I could hear my mother get up and walk over to the window. "My goodness, it's getting worse out there," she said. "I'd better check the news to see how long it will last." She grabbed the remote and clicked the TV on, immediately getting the weather report.

I glanced back and peered through the window. She was right, it was getting worse. The sky was becoming darker by the minute with black clouds, and the wind was so strong you'd think a tornado was brewing. How strange.

"We've never seen the weather act like this, Barbara," I heard a news anchor claim from the television. "Wait a minute…this just in, we're getting several reports that not only is this raging storm happening here in Serenity, but also in other various parts all over the North America! Meteorologists are going frantic over this new development! What a phenomenon! What does this mean for our homes as well as our safety?"

Strange, indeed…

I proceeded down the hallway and stepped into my bedroom. It was small, but that was mostly because I kept a lot of my things out and cluttered all over the place. My mom has been on me about cleaning it for the longest time, but I personally like it this way. I know where everything is, believe it or not. I think they call that organized chaos or something.

I dropped my backpack by the door and slumped down in my computer chair, rubbing my eyes in exhaustion from the long, stressful day. Then I spun around to face my computer desk and clicked on the mouse, bringing the old, hand-me-down monitor to life. Time to browse the internet.

The first thing that I did was check my email account. I went to my address and saw that I haven't gotten any new mail in my inbox.

I sighed. Nothing today, it seemed.

I was just about to exit out of the website— until suddenly, something popped up in my inbox.

"You've got mail!" my computer announced.

I nearly jumped a foot in the air, startled out of my mind. After shaking it off, I looked at the tag. It said, "From, Unknown. Subject: Adventure."

What in the world? I thought. I double-clicked on the tag and opened it to read the full message attached.

I read it over once— and felt my blood run ice cold. It was the exact same message that I had received earlier on my phone.

"Are you ready to begin?"

"No way! Who keeps sending me this?!" I exclaimed.

I did nothing but stare at the screen for a long time, thinking it over. Then, finally coming to a conclusion, I looked around to make sure I wouldn't be distracted. I took a second to glimpse outside, which was looking even worse if possible. The sky was so dark, you'd think it was almost nighttime. Seriously, what is up with this weather?

I moved my gaze back to my computer. Then, taking a deep breath, I clicked, Yes.

As soon as I did so, the screen turned into white static, the speakers blaring out a strange noise.

"What the—!" I yelled, bolting up from my chair, causing it to fall over. Oh, crap! I knew I should've just deleted it again! Now my computer's crashing!

I frantically reached for the power button to shut the system down entirely, but right before I could press it, the static noise ceased. In its place, a voice, deep and serene, spoke through the speakers, "Marshall Cartwright."

I gasped and stepped away from the computer, which still only showed static. That voice, it knew who I was!

After a moment of hesitation, I said timidly, "Umm, yeah?"

"It is time, Marshal Cartwright. Your destiny is calling," the voice told me.

"Wait, what? My destiny? Who is this?" I demanded as I regather some of my courage and grabbed the sides of the screen.

The only answer the voice gave me was, "In time, everything will become clear, Marshall. But for now, it is time to go. The digital world awaits you."

That was when the strangest thing of all occurred. The screen started to act all crazy again. All the files from my documents popped open at the same time. Pictures, numbers, and random words zoomed across the screen. While that was going on, electrical surges pulsed all around the monitor and down the connected wires. The bedroom light flickered on and off. Outside, the wind roared louder than ever before, almost sounding like a freight train, as though it was responding to what was happening in my room.

I slowly backed away and watched in sheer terror. What was going on?

Suddenly, the screen exploded into a shining light, the blinding ray focused onto me. I squinted hard, lifting a hand over my eyes. As the light continued to fixate onto me, I began to feel strange, like a powerful surge was flowing through me. Time seemed to slow down. Then I felt my body lean forward, right towards the glowing computer screen. I couldn't control what my body was doing; it was like some force was dragging me, pulling me along.

It wasn't long until I was lifted off the floor completely, soaring straight for the computer screen, and I couldn't stop myself. I yelled as I closed in on the screen headfirst, waiting for the impact of crashing into it.

That wasn't what happened at all, though. I passed right through it, as if I were a ghost.

The next thing I knew, I was flying through a swirling vortex with zeroes and ones zooming all around me. I couldn't even look back. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I continued to plummet into God knows where I was going.

Then, from ahead of me, a flash of light emerged and surrounded me completely. I shut my eyes tight. And suddenly, I wasn't falling anymore. I was standing upright, my feet touching solid ground.

"Huh?" I said in confusion. I opened my eyes and looked down. I was standing in…green grass?

I moved my feet a little, relieved to see that I had full control of my body again. But I wasn't out of trouble just yet.

I lifted my head to see where I was, only to find that I was in the middle of a fog that engulfed the entire area. It wasn't too thick, though; I could see something in the distance, but I couldn't tell what.

"Where am I?" I wondered out loud.

Then, as if the fog had heard me, it started to become clearer. The fog was lifting steadily into a light mist, and then it was simply gone.

My mouth dropped open at the sight before me, my eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

I was standing on top of a large hill, and dropping off before me was a vast, grassy field with other rolling hills throughout the landscape. Further beyond was a wide, purple mountain range with snow on the very top of the peeks that reached for the blue sky above the clouds. The sun's warm rays beat down on me as a gentle breeze swayed my clothes, hair, and the grass below me. It was the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

I didn't get to marvel at the land for much longer. A huge shadow swept over me. I looked up to see what it was, and my eyes got wider than ever before. I dragon was flying over me! It was gigantic, with orange scales and dark, tattered wings.

"Whoa!" I yelped when the dragon flew over me and continued to soar into the clouds. It must not have seen me— not that I minded, anyway.

That was when I realized that I wasn't alone at all. I gazed further into the countryside and spotted other creatures roaming the land. Most of the creatures looked like that of the kind that you see in old folk tales, hence the dragon from earlier. I saw a giant, orange, fiery bird flying low to the ground— a phoenix. There was a herd of white horses with their heads covered by helmets, along with a single horn. I even saw something that looked a big, blue T-Rex with an X on its stomach!

"What is this place?" I asked, staring at this brand new world with awe.

Then something violently shook in my pocket. Startled, I pulled out my cell phone. I almost forgot that I still had it. When I held it up to my face, the screen glowed bright. Then the voice from earlier on my computer spoke from it, "Welcome to the digital world, Marshall."

The digital world?

I looked up from my phone and gazed out at the land and its inhabitants once more, totally mind-blown. I had no idea what this digital world was, what these creatures were, who the voice was, or how I was sent here.

One thing was for certain now: I was definitely going to be late for dinner.


A/N- First chapter finished! What did you think? Like it? Hate it? Gotta go to the bathroom? Well, go, man, go!

Second chapter will be posted soon. Who will he meet along the way? Who will his Digimon partner be? Take a wild guess. I'm curious.

Also, if anyone cares, I'm publishing this story on my devianart page as well. Link is in my profile account if you want to check it out!