Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon so please refrain from suing me for writing fan fiction. Thanks and enjoy the story!




Earth-Part I




Running, running-it was all that existed for the Digidestined. It was as though they had always been running and would never stop.

But the cause of the running was motivation enough: the Digital World itself was against them. The trees grass and vines-that was their foe. And it was chasing them at a horrible pace.

"I... Don't... Think... I... Can... Do... This... Much... Longer," Mimi panted.

TK and Kari were already in their brother's arms as it was.

"Just... Try," Palmon panted back.

Mimi began lagging behind everyone else and she felt a vine brush against her ankle. It was more than enough encouragement to continue and with a new burst of adrenaline, Mimi raced back to the group.

Though the enemy was pursuing them, the Digidestined were beginning to tire considerably. Even adrenaline wears out eventually and the full effects of the running were beginning to take their toll.

It was getting harder and harder to put one foot in front of the other for all of them, their legs feeling like lead weights. It was as though an iron hand was squeezing around their lungs, crushing them and preventing breathing. Knives seemed to stab into their sides with every step until as though in silent agreement, the children stopped running.

"Now what?" Matt gasped, trying to regain his breath and watching the approaching vines.

"I know this probably isn't the best time to be saying this, but I don't think any of us can Digivolve now, Tai," Agumon informed.

"We have to keep going," Tai blankly stated as the vines crept ever closer.

Mimi felt tears gathering at the corners of her eyes and she whimpered: "I can't run anymore."

"Well we'd better do something quick," Joe interjected as the vines came within a yard of them.

The decision was quickly made for them as the vines began wrapping themselves around the Digidestined and Digimon.

Gabumon inhaled and cried: "Blue Blaster!" bringing forth the blue beam of energy. When the vines came into contact with the attack, a few of them shrank away.

Agumon also used his Pepper Breath against some of the vines while Gatomon used Lightning Claw and Patamon used Boom Bubble. The attacks didn't eliminate even half of the vines and the Digimon were soon caught, wrapped in the vines.

"AHH!" Mimi screamed, kicking at some of the vines that tried to wrap around her leg.

Joe was swinging his bag at the vines, trying to fend them off while Sora desperately slapped at the vines that were already wrapping about her legs.

The scene was indeed chilling. TK and Kari were the first to be wrapped by the vines as their brothers tried desperately to free them and remain free themselves.

Mimi was soon also trapped, then Izzy, Joe and Sora.

Matt and Tai tried with all their might to save their friends and keep the vines from trapping them, but in the end, their efforts were of no use and they, too were tangled in the vines.

A violent earthquake shook the Digiworld terrifyingly and the vines began glowing and disappearing.

And suddenly, it stopped. The Digiworld stopped lurching and the trees receded, returning to where they were supposed to be.

The vines glowed brighter and brighter until with a flash, the eight children were suddenly back in the meadow they had originally been in, trapped in the grass-cage and tied in the vines. The Digimon were nowhere to be seen...


~*~

Earth smiled in satisfaction. All was going smoothly. And her plan did not involve trying to KILL the Digidestined. It in fact, involved quite the opposite.

Fire was a buffoon! She thought, disregarding the rule of paying respect to her elder. She thought she could physically destroy them! Does she not understand that if you MENTALLY destroy your foe, they will never be able to harm you?

The delicate smile grew wider, lighting up her face and bringing beauty into her deep, green eyes.

Oh, yes, this method shall be much more satisfactory, she contemplated.

She turned to the Digimon in the cage before her; a Palmon.

"Hello, my flower child," Earth greeted.

The Palmon did not respond. She instead stayed to the back of her cage, taking in all of Earth's features.

Earth did not mind and allowed the Palmon to take in her bright green hair with pink and gold highlights. She wore a light green short dress that also had pink and green flecks on it. Her sleeves seemed to be made of blossoms and the slippers on her feet had flower petals around the tops. She looked, in short, like a distant relative of Lillymon.

Earth waited a few more moments before mumbling: "now to see if I am not mistaken..." With a snap of Earth's fingers, Palmon suddenly Digivolved directly to Lillymon, skipping the Togemon stage completely.

"Aha!" Earth triumphantly cried.

Lillymon blinked in surprise, but said nothing.

"Brave flower warrior child," Earth murmured in a very soothing tone "I will not harm you. Join me, your creator."

Lillymon curtly replied: "I would never do anything to hurt Mimi."

"But you are not GOING to hurt Mimi!" Earth cried. "At least, as long as you are on the same side."

Lillymon furrowed her brow confused and Earth continued: "ah, yes... She saw the wrongs of her ways and turned to me."

"No," Lillymon whispered, shaking her head. "She would never join evil!"

"I'm afraid you're wrong, my dear," Earth calmly stated, showing no trace of the fact the she was indeed lying. "She will and she did."

With that, Earth turned on her heals and slowly walked away from a bewildered Lillymon...