~*Dream*~
People! Was I on Earth? No. Not earth. Another place. A...a shadow world! Bright light! Blinding bright light! A
pair of sharp eyes, glaring at me...NO! NO! NOOOOOOOO!
I lurched awake. "Ah-huh...ah-huh...ah-huh..." I gasped.
"Tani, you okay?" Canomon asked. She's my Digimon. A little dog-type creature with deep lavender eyes.
"Gee, Tani, you're worse than Joe when he's got hay fever! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Tai laughed.
I glared. They continued to taunt me or else ignore me. I was losing my temper, and fast. I bared my teeth & utter
the most menacing sound I could: "Rrrrrr-rrRRRRrrr...rrRrrr..." I was still P.O.'d at them. "GrrrRAFTH!" I yelled,
catching hold of a pair of goggles. Rats! I hadn't toppled him!
"Tani, stop it! NOW!" I turned to see my sister, Sora, holding a small stick above her head. I just glared. *WHAP!*
The stick nearly hit me. I dodged, so it hit the ground instead.
It took four Digimon to hold me still: Agumon, Byomon, Canomon, & Gabumon. I finally relaxed & rested my
eyes...
~*Dream*~
FLASH! A face. Dainty, lady-like, with no traces of frown lines. FLASH! Sharp object!
Glasses...computer...FLASH! Fainter, a human sneezing...FLASH! Earth! Loud music. People everywhere.
Including...
'That dream,' I thought, 'is trying to tell me something.'
"Hello-o! Earth to Tani! Anybody home?"
"Huh? Wuzza want, Kari?" I asked in the half-awake tone I always have in the morning.
"Breakfast...or actually, *lunch* is ready."
* * *
I looked out at the lake, or lagoon, or whatever it was. Water. Canomon came to sit beside me. The wind blew my
hair back in what I figured to be a pretty way. "Uh, Tani? Can you keep a secret?"
"Dunno. Probably."
"Well, I, uh, I kinda like Gabumon," she said in a wavering voice.
"So?"
"Weeellllll...I was hoping you'd help me out a bit."
"All right. Go talk to 'im."
"Wha?"
"There's no quicker way to get his attention. You know that as well as I do. Oh, by the way...turn around."
"WHAT? G-Gabumon! Wh-what a, a nice surprise."
He fidgeted a bit. "I...I hope I didn't embarrass you," he mumbled.
I poked Canomon & hissed in her ear "Ask if he's hungry. If he is, offer to catch some fish." She gave a slight nod.
"Say, Gabumon, are you hungry?"
"Why, yes. How'd you know?" She jerked her head at me.
"You want to try & catch something?" she asked, now bit more relaxed.
"If we fish, I won't get my fur wet. I don't want stink," he added, blushing.
"Um, I think I'll leave now," I said.
* * *
I lay on my belly, watching a pair of Digimon watch the sunset. Neither one had said a thing. Maybe I could help.
I crept down to them, keeping silent behind the rocks. I was right next to Canomon, & she didn't know it. I waited as
patiently as I could.
"Hmmm..." she sighed.
"Canomon? Are you okay?" They looked at each other. Bingo! I sprang, hitting Canomon squarely.
"I, uh, um, uh..." Canomon spluttered.
Her nose touched Gabumon's. Awwwwwww. I grinned.
"Say, uh, Canomon, not to be rude or anything, but you're squishing me. Get up," Gabumon said. She moved aside.
Harmonica music began to play. Matt must've had something on his mind. I got an idea. "FWEEEOO-WEET!" I
whistled. The others came running. Boy, did I have something to show them!!
* * *
Well, after everyone had finished bugging Canomon & Gabumon we went back to camp. It was almost nightfall. We
had fish (as usual) for supper & took turns standing guard. I had the last watch.
* * *
~DREAM~
People! My friends! Friends? No, I didn't have any friends. Just others like me. Other DigiDestined. No one could
be called my true 'friend'. I saw...something. Shadows! Shadows everywhere! Closing in all around me! Good. I
liked the dark. Bleakness & worry overcame me.
A voice! Soft, powerful. A kind voice saying, 'Tani, you must have at least one true friend. Look at your sister. Look
at Kari. They believe they are your friends. Canomon is your friend. Ask her.'
A form materialized before me. I tried to speak, but couldn't! Angewomon. That was the creature that had spoke to
me! 'You can not speak your thoughts because you believe they will make you look weak. Learn to trust. Learn to be
friends. Learn to love.' She then vanished.
~End Dream~
A light shake awoke me. I blinked, clearing the sleep from my eyes. I rubbed them, waking myself slowly. No one
there. At least, no one was awake. "Canomon, get up. It's our turn," I said to the sleeping dog.
"Hmm? Oh, uh-huh, whatever..." she mumbled. I sat awake. I was bored. I began to sing, softly. I only knew the
courus, but I sang what I could. It was a song from my 'Pokémon: The First Movie' CD.
"Tani, you have a beautiful voice," Canomon said.
I paused. "Huh? Oh, thanks. But I'm not *that* good, am I?"
"Yes you are."
"Whatever." I stood up & stretched. "I'm gonna go splash some water in my face & get a drink," I said.
"'Kay."
I walked to the stream that fed our lagoon. Bending over, I cupped the water in my hands & splashed my face. I then
brought a handful to my lips. Cool, clean water. A bright light glowed behind me. I ran to see what it was.
When I got there, the only thing different was Canomon & Gabumon curled up together. In between then lay a
Digiegg covered in purple & blue swirls. I smiled. Another Digimon would soon join our group.
I grinned. My normally fire-green eyes softened. My dream was not right. I squinted, gritting my teeth, determined
not to cry. I thought I was being ignored lately. I had lost the closest thing to a friend I'd had, or so I thought. I few
droplets of salty water rolled down my cheeks. I licked away the one that fell near my mouth.
"Canomon," I whispered, "I hope you're happy. I'm leaving." I laid my tag, Crest, & Digivice on or around the small
egg. I looked at the Crest. The Crest of Loyalty. A small symbol was inscribed on it. It was a tannish-brown color.
How loyal *was* I? I left quietly, hoping no one had seen me...
* * *
I could hear my heart *thud-thudd*ing in my ears. *Thuh-thunk. Thuh-thunk. Thuh-thunk.* I made small noises in
my throat. Little mutterings of 'hmft' or 'hurrf'. They didn't really mean anything. I just like to make noise at times. I
did make a raspy, coughing-like sound along the lines of 'kurhurfrfrf'. It's a noise I make when I'm really angry.
"Taaaaaaaaanniiiiiii..." a voice trailed. "Taaaaaaaaaanniiiiiiii..."
"Who's there? Show yourself!" I yelled to the trees. The voice wavered & made little 'herrr'-type sounds hear &
there
"Taaanii? Herrr, wherrre arrre you?" Wait a minute! How did it know my name?
"Come *here*!" I commanded sharply. "I don't see you." I was crazy, talking to myself, it seemed!
A little, catlike face poked its way from the bushes. It had these little orange eyes that seemed to be sad & lonely &
frightened all at once. "I know how you feel..." I whispered to myself. It was mostly white & had a puffy 'beard' all
around its face.
Two big red ears followed. A pair of hands with little claws on short, stocky legs appeared. Its underside had no fur,
either. A thick, rounded body squirmed into the open. Its back legs & feet looked about like the front. A long, thick,
sinewy tail curled behind it.
It sorta reminded me of a skunk. It was mostly red, but had a white face, pinkish skin on its belly, & a yellow stripe
down the center of its back. A yellow streak also showed on each leg.
"Who *are* you?" I asked.
"Snnaaarrrrfmon," he drawled. "I'm just a Rrrookie, so don't, herrr, kill me."
"Snarfmon?" I scoffed. "Who came up with that?"
"I , herrr, don't know." I was insane! Talking to a silly little cat Digimon, in the middle of a forest, in a world that
didn't exist! Or did it...?
* * *
I wondered if I should turn around. Probably. I marched back to camp, picked up my stuff, & laid down. The sky
was beginning to lighten. Luckily, Snarfmon didn't follow me. I smiled as my Crest glowed a warm brown.
"Hmmm..." I sighed.
"Tani? You awake?" Canomon asked.
"Yeah...sorta," I managed. I smiled. "*You*," I ruffled her ears, "have been busy."
"Um, yeah, uh-huh..." She turned red under her fur. I picked up the egg & rubbed it gently. I didn't know that was
how you make a Digiegg hatch! It cracked & out bounced a little Puppamon.
"Puppa!" It said, looking at Canomon. "Puppa puppa, puppamon!" I set the little Digimon beside Gabumon. "Puppa,
puppa, puppa..." the little thing muttered. It snuggled under his arm. All this commotion woke the others. Of course,
they all had to see the little baby Digimon. It was so *cute*!
I laughed. Puppamon is the baby form of Canomon. But, Gabumon is Punimon. So, why wasn't their baby
PuniPuppamon? I guess if two different Digimon have a baby, it takes after its mom. I laughed again. People get so
excited over something that's small, furry. & cute.
"PUPPA!" it squealed as T.K. tried to pet it. "Puppa Puppa Puppa, PUPPAMON!"
"What?" I asked.
"I have no clue what she said," Canomon said.
"We should get moving. We've been here *waaaaaaay* too long," Tai said.
"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Evil Digimon all over the place probably know where we are by now."
* * *
Well, we walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and...
"I'm tried!" Mimi wined.
"You're *always* tried, Mimi!" Izzy told her.
"Yeah, quit complaining. I think we're *all* tired," Joe added.
"Let's rest anyways," Tai said. "I'm kinda tired myself!" We all sat down. I wanted some water. Badly. Sora looked
worse than me. She was leaning against Tai, hardly able to keep her eyes open. Her tongue hung out a little.
Kari, too, looked beat. She was asleep beside T.K. (also asleep). Gatomon, who usually purrs in her sleep, was
silent. Patamon was sprawled in a weird position, snoring loudly. Everyone else looked about the same.
"You guys look *awfull*! I'll go get some water if I can find any, 'kay?" I said. Those that were awake nodded
feebly. The others slept on in blissful ignorance.
"Here, take these," Joe said, handing me a few plastic bags. I walked away, Canomon trudging along beside me.
Canomon raised her head. "I smell water!" she cried. We ran towards the smell.
A small pool was set in a little rock outcropping. It was obviously spring-fed. I smiled & scooped up as many
bagfulls as I could. I drank a lot from the pool myself. Canomon lapped up some, too.
As we started back, Snarfmon reappeared. This time, though, he had a little Digimon with him. It was small enough
to sit on his head. It was, basically, a littler Snarfmon. "This is, herrr, Snnaaarrrrferrrrmon. He's an In-Training."
"Do you guys know of a place where we can stay?" I asked.
"Herrr, yes."
"Yup! We surre do!" the little Snarfermon added.
"Well, I'll have to get my frie...er, the others, first. Come with us," I said.
As soon as we got back to the spot were the others were & they had finished off the water, Izzy open his computer &
looked up Snarfmon & Snarfermon. They were Data-type Digimon, meaning they could go either way when they
Digivolved.
"Now, where is this place you said we could rest?" Izzy asked.
"It's, herrr, this way," Snarfmon said. He ran quickly back along the path I had taken. We passed the pool of water
(not without a quick drink) & ran until it opened into a HUGE meadow.
"Whoa, it's *HUMONGOUS*!" I cried, staring at a gigantic cat-like structure. It had a deep chasm around it, with
only a thin bridge to cross on. The two strange Digimon ran across it, & we followed. Gabumon was a bit slower as
he was carrying Puppamon.
As soon as we were across our cat-like companions started to yell & bang on the doors. A pinkish-bluish wildcat
looked at us, seemingly perplexed. "Hey, Katmon, look at this!" she called back over her shoulder. Another wildcat-
like creature walked up to us, but this one was orange.
"What are *they*, Kitmon?"
"You idiot, they're the DigiDestined!" She whacked him. They asked us to come in. We met Panthomon, a big,
bluish-grey cat; Tigramon, who looked amazingly like a real tiger, Lionomon, who was like a red-orange lion;
Cheetarmon, a spotted cat; Lynxmon, an old, blind orange-white cat; Bengalimon, a white tiger; & Pumamon, a
mountain lion creature. Kitmon, Cheetarmon, & Pumamon were the only girls. Kit & Katmon were Champions,
while the rest were Ultimates. We had found some *very* powerful new allies!
It was getting dark outside. We needed to get some sleep. "Uhhh..." I mumbled, "Where's a bed when I need it?"
"Well, "Pumamon said, "we have four guest rooms. But there are nine of you!"
"So, that's two per room, plus one left over," Izzy said.
"I'll sleep in here," I said. "I don't have to have a bed."
"But there is only one bed in a room," Cheetarmon said.
"So? We can sleep two in a bed. Unless, of course, you count Digimon; that's four per room. It's not like we
can't improvise," I said.
"Let's just get some sleep. I'm tried," Mimi wined.
We ended up in a big argument that resulted in all of us in the front room. I guess it worked out okay. I still had
the couch while everyone else slept on the floor. Of course, I had to argue with a few people on where I got to sleep.
But, we didn't get to sleep all night. Noooo, can't have that. An evil Digimon call Mummamon showed up. He was a
Mega, but he was only about three feet tall.
"Um, you guys? You'd better Digivolve," Tai said.
"Agumon! Warp-Digivolve to...WarGreymon!"
"Gabumon! Warp-Digivolve to...MetalGarurumon!
"Byomon! Digivolve to...Birdramon!"
"Gatomon! Digivolve to...Angewomon!"
"Patamon! Digivolve to...Angemon!"
"Gomamon! Digivolve to...Ikkakumon!"
"Tentomon! Digivolve to...Kabuterimon!"
"Palmon! Digivolve to...Togemon!" Everyone had Digivolved. Everyone but...Canomon!
"Canomon! Why won't you Digivolve too?!" I cried. I held her baby Puppamon in my arms.
"Because I have to protect Puppamon!" she replied.
"You could do it better as a Champion!" I retorted. Now everyone started to Digivolve again.
"Birdramon! Digivolve to...Garudamon!"
"Ikkakumon! Digivolve to...Zudomon!
"Kabuterimon! Digivolve to...MegaKabuterimon!"
"Togemon! Digivolve to...Lillymon!" Then they began to attack.
"Tera Force!" WarGreymon yelled, blasting off a huge ball of energy.
"Metal Wolf Claw!" MetalGarurumon cried, shooting an icy-cold missile at Mummamon.
"Wing Blade!"
"Celestial Arrow!"
"Hand of Fate!"
"Vulcan's Hammer!"
"Horn Buster!"
"Flower Cannon!"
Mummamon was hardly fazed. He laughed at us & said, "You puny DigiDestined! Do you think you can defeat
me? Ha! I'll show you! Shadow Ball!" A large, black sphere shot forward, hitting several Digimon. Including our
new 'friends'. Our Digimon just reverted to the In-Training stage, leaving only Byomon, Palmon, Patamon &
Canomon as Rookies. The other, new Digimon, who hadn't even attacked once, vanished into thin air. The attack
also hit several of us humans.
Sora, Izzy, Joe, T.K., & I were the only ones left standing. I was the only one not helping a fallen comrade. Sora
was beside Tai, Izzy & Joe were trying to calm Mimi down, & T.K. worried about his older brother. The huge
fortress that we had slept in was now only rubble.
"You!" I screamed. "You will pay for this!"
"Is that so, Tani Takenouchi? I give you a choice: you may run away & never return to your friends, & you will
not be killed. Or, you can stay & die with the rest of your friends. I know you. I am a psychic Digimon. I know you
live by the motto of 'he who fights & runs away, lives to fight another day'! I know you will leave, if only to save
your pitiful little life!"
"You are forgetting something!" I replied. "I hold the Crest of Loyalty! I *won't* leave! I'll stay here until I win
this battle, or die trying! I'm *NOT* going anywhere!" My Digivice squealed & twitched & glowed & danced a
little jig. My crest glowed & began to float in mid-air. It hovered over Canomon's back. My Digivice flew over it. A
brilliant white light shot out of it, but as it passed through my crest it turned brown. Canomon was engulfed in the
light.
"CANOMON! WARP-DIGIVOLVE TO...SUIKUNMON!"
"Oh, wow! Suikunmon!" little Motimon cried in glee. "She is the Water Monarch! She commands all water,
including her Wolf Waters attack."
Suddenly, other Digimon began to Warp-Digivolve, too. Angemon only changed to an Ultimate.
"Byomon! Warp-Digivolve to...Phenoxmon!"
"Palmon! Warp-Digivolve to...Rosemon!"
"Angemon! Digivolve to...MagnAngemon!"
Izzy looked up the new Mega Digimon. There was *NO* data on Rosemon *or* MagnAngemon! Phenoxmon
only had a little. It said she appeared when something great was about to happen or a great ruler would appear. I
couldn't wait to see how this battle went. Now the tables were turned!
I was surprised. Canomon, Byomon, & Palmon had Warp-Digivolved! What amazed me was that each of them
had actually *shouted* as they changed, not just spoken the commands.
"Now," I said confidently, "Now, you're gonna get it."
"Shadow Ball!" Mummamon's huge black ball attack when hurtling towards Suikunmon. She batted it aside like
it was nothing.
She held her head high & proud. I looked at her as more than just my best friend. She was my guardian, my
protector. The back of her head had an elongated loop on it. Perhaps it was to help her balance in the water. Long,
purple hair lay gracefully along her back, much like my own brown hair. She stood on four long, slender legs. Two
pale ribbons, one on each side of her thin body, fluttered as if moved by an imaginary wind. Her body was blue,
except for these large white diamonds that appeared on her shoulders & ribs. Her eyelashes were unusually long &
black.
"Phenoxmon, Rosemon, let's get 'im!" she cried. "Wolf Waters!" A pack of water/energy wolves came from her
and almost *flew* at Mummamon. The two other Megas' attacks looked almost like their Ultimate's.
Like when Canomon had first become an Ultimate, I could hear a strange melody in my head. This one was not
so bouncy. It had more of a meaning to it. It went something like:
Changin' power,
Digital power,
I can't remember the rest. I was too busy watching the fight. The little Puppamon I held in my arms suddenly began
to glow.
"Puppamon! Digivolve to...Foximon!" She had Digivolved! Mummamon was very weak by now. Even her little
bubbles could send him into oblivion. She seemed to understand this. "Blue Bubbles!" she snapped, blowing out
little bubbles the color of water.
Mummamon fell & began to disintegrate. "You lousy DigiDestined! You'll pay for this! ARRRGGGGGgggg..."
His scream faded away. Just before his little 3-foot body was completely gone, I yelled:
"Oh, yeah? Who's gonna get us? You? Ha! That'll be the day!" I felt cocky. All our Digimon were just little In-
Training Digimon now, though. "Now we have a big problem. How do we tell my Foximon from her daughter?" I
asked.
Everyone looked at me & laughed.
People! Was I on Earth? No. Not earth. Another place. A...a shadow world! Bright light! Blinding bright light! A
pair of sharp eyes, glaring at me...NO! NO! NOOOOOOOO!
I lurched awake. "Ah-huh...ah-huh...ah-huh..." I gasped.
"Tani, you okay?" Canomon asked. She's my Digimon. A little dog-type creature with deep lavender eyes.
"Gee, Tani, you're worse than Joe when he's got hay fever! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Tai laughed.
I glared. They continued to taunt me or else ignore me. I was losing my temper, and fast. I bared my teeth & utter
the most menacing sound I could: "Rrrrrr-rrRRRRrrr...rrRrrr..." I was still P.O.'d at them. "GrrrRAFTH!" I yelled,
catching hold of a pair of goggles. Rats! I hadn't toppled him!
"Tani, stop it! NOW!" I turned to see my sister, Sora, holding a small stick above her head. I just glared. *WHAP!*
The stick nearly hit me. I dodged, so it hit the ground instead.
It took four Digimon to hold me still: Agumon, Byomon, Canomon, & Gabumon. I finally relaxed & rested my
eyes...
~*Dream*~
FLASH! A face. Dainty, lady-like, with no traces of frown lines. FLASH! Sharp object!
Glasses...computer...FLASH! Fainter, a human sneezing...FLASH! Earth! Loud music. People everywhere.
Including...
'That dream,' I thought, 'is trying to tell me something.'
"Hello-o! Earth to Tani! Anybody home?"
"Huh? Wuzza want, Kari?" I asked in the half-awake tone I always have in the morning.
"Breakfast...or actually, *lunch* is ready."
* * *
I looked out at the lake, or lagoon, or whatever it was. Water. Canomon came to sit beside me. The wind blew my
hair back in what I figured to be a pretty way. "Uh, Tani? Can you keep a secret?"
"Dunno. Probably."
"Well, I, uh, I kinda like Gabumon," she said in a wavering voice.
"So?"
"Weeellllll...I was hoping you'd help me out a bit."
"All right. Go talk to 'im."
"Wha?"
"There's no quicker way to get his attention. You know that as well as I do. Oh, by the way...turn around."
"WHAT? G-Gabumon! Wh-what a, a nice surprise."
He fidgeted a bit. "I...I hope I didn't embarrass you," he mumbled.
I poked Canomon & hissed in her ear "Ask if he's hungry. If he is, offer to catch some fish." She gave a slight nod.
"Say, Gabumon, are you hungry?"
"Why, yes. How'd you know?" She jerked her head at me.
"You want to try & catch something?" she asked, now bit more relaxed.
"If we fish, I won't get my fur wet. I don't want stink," he added, blushing.
"Um, I think I'll leave now," I said.
* * *
I lay on my belly, watching a pair of Digimon watch the sunset. Neither one had said a thing. Maybe I could help.
I crept down to them, keeping silent behind the rocks. I was right next to Canomon, & she didn't know it. I waited as
patiently as I could.
"Hmmm..." she sighed.
"Canomon? Are you okay?" They looked at each other. Bingo! I sprang, hitting Canomon squarely.
"I, uh, um, uh..." Canomon spluttered.
Her nose touched Gabumon's. Awwwwwww. I grinned.
"Say, uh, Canomon, not to be rude or anything, but you're squishing me. Get up," Gabumon said. She moved aside.
Harmonica music began to play. Matt must've had something on his mind. I got an idea. "FWEEEOO-WEET!" I
whistled. The others came running. Boy, did I have something to show them!!
* * *
Well, after everyone had finished bugging Canomon & Gabumon we went back to camp. It was almost nightfall. We
had fish (as usual) for supper & took turns standing guard. I had the last watch.
* * *
~DREAM~
People! My friends! Friends? No, I didn't have any friends. Just others like me. Other DigiDestined. No one could
be called my true 'friend'. I saw...something. Shadows! Shadows everywhere! Closing in all around me! Good. I
liked the dark. Bleakness & worry overcame me.
A voice! Soft, powerful. A kind voice saying, 'Tani, you must have at least one true friend. Look at your sister. Look
at Kari. They believe they are your friends. Canomon is your friend. Ask her.'
A form materialized before me. I tried to speak, but couldn't! Angewomon. That was the creature that had spoke to
me! 'You can not speak your thoughts because you believe they will make you look weak. Learn to trust. Learn to be
friends. Learn to love.' She then vanished.
~End Dream~
A light shake awoke me. I blinked, clearing the sleep from my eyes. I rubbed them, waking myself slowly. No one
there. At least, no one was awake. "Canomon, get up. It's our turn," I said to the sleeping dog.
"Hmm? Oh, uh-huh, whatever..." she mumbled. I sat awake. I was bored. I began to sing, softly. I only knew the
courus, but I sang what I could. It was a song from my 'Pokémon: The First Movie' CD.
"Tani, you have a beautiful voice," Canomon said.
I paused. "Huh? Oh, thanks. But I'm not *that* good, am I?"
"Yes you are."
"Whatever." I stood up & stretched. "I'm gonna go splash some water in my face & get a drink," I said.
"'Kay."
I walked to the stream that fed our lagoon. Bending over, I cupped the water in my hands & splashed my face. I then
brought a handful to my lips. Cool, clean water. A bright light glowed behind me. I ran to see what it was.
When I got there, the only thing different was Canomon & Gabumon curled up together. In between then lay a
Digiegg covered in purple & blue swirls. I smiled. Another Digimon would soon join our group.
I grinned. My normally fire-green eyes softened. My dream was not right. I squinted, gritting my teeth, determined
not to cry. I thought I was being ignored lately. I had lost the closest thing to a friend I'd had, or so I thought. I few
droplets of salty water rolled down my cheeks. I licked away the one that fell near my mouth.
"Canomon," I whispered, "I hope you're happy. I'm leaving." I laid my tag, Crest, & Digivice on or around the small
egg. I looked at the Crest. The Crest of Loyalty. A small symbol was inscribed on it. It was a tannish-brown color.
How loyal *was* I? I left quietly, hoping no one had seen me...
* * *
I could hear my heart *thud-thudd*ing in my ears. *Thuh-thunk. Thuh-thunk. Thuh-thunk.* I made small noises in
my throat. Little mutterings of 'hmft' or 'hurrf'. They didn't really mean anything. I just like to make noise at times. I
did make a raspy, coughing-like sound along the lines of 'kurhurfrfrf'. It's a noise I make when I'm really angry.
"Taaaaaaaaanniiiiiii..." a voice trailed. "Taaaaaaaaaanniiiiiiii..."
"Who's there? Show yourself!" I yelled to the trees. The voice wavered & made little 'herrr'-type sounds hear &
there
"Taaanii? Herrr, wherrre arrre you?" Wait a minute! How did it know my name?
"Come *here*!" I commanded sharply. "I don't see you." I was crazy, talking to myself, it seemed!
A little, catlike face poked its way from the bushes. It had these little orange eyes that seemed to be sad & lonely &
frightened all at once. "I know how you feel..." I whispered to myself. It was mostly white & had a puffy 'beard' all
around its face.
Two big red ears followed. A pair of hands with little claws on short, stocky legs appeared. Its underside had no fur,
either. A thick, rounded body squirmed into the open. Its back legs & feet looked about like the front. A long, thick,
sinewy tail curled behind it.
It sorta reminded me of a skunk. It was mostly red, but had a white face, pinkish skin on its belly, & a yellow stripe
down the center of its back. A yellow streak also showed on each leg.
"Who *are* you?" I asked.
"Snnaaarrrrfmon," he drawled. "I'm just a Rrrookie, so don't, herrr, kill me."
"Snarfmon?" I scoffed. "Who came up with that?"
"I , herrr, don't know." I was insane! Talking to a silly little cat Digimon, in the middle of a forest, in a world that
didn't exist! Or did it...?
* * *
I wondered if I should turn around. Probably. I marched back to camp, picked up my stuff, & laid down. The sky
was beginning to lighten. Luckily, Snarfmon didn't follow me. I smiled as my Crest glowed a warm brown.
"Hmmm..." I sighed.
"Tani? You awake?" Canomon asked.
"Yeah...sorta," I managed. I smiled. "*You*," I ruffled her ears, "have been busy."
"Um, yeah, uh-huh..." She turned red under her fur. I picked up the egg & rubbed it gently. I didn't know that was
how you make a Digiegg hatch! It cracked & out bounced a little Puppamon.
"Puppa!" It said, looking at Canomon. "Puppa puppa, puppamon!" I set the little Digimon beside Gabumon. "Puppa,
puppa, puppa..." the little thing muttered. It snuggled under his arm. All this commotion woke the others. Of course,
they all had to see the little baby Digimon. It was so *cute*!
I laughed. Puppamon is the baby form of Canomon. But, Gabumon is Punimon. So, why wasn't their baby
PuniPuppamon? I guess if two different Digimon have a baby, it takes after its mom. I laughed again. People get so
excited over something that's small, furry. & cute.
"PUPPA!" it squealed as T.K. tried to pet it. "Puppa Puppa Puppa, PUPPAMON!"
"What?" I asked.
"I have no clue what she said," Canomon said.
"We should get moving. We've been here *waaaaaaay* too long," Tai said.
"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Evil Digimon all over the place probably know where we are by now."
* * *
Well, we walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and...
"I'm tried!" Mimi wined.
"You're *always* tried, Mimi!" Izzy told her.
"Yeah, quit complaining. I think we're *all* tired," Joe added.
"Let's rest anyways," Tai said. "I'm kinda tired myself!" We all sat down. I wanted some water. Badly. Sora looked
worse than me. She was leaning against Tai, hardly able to keep her eyes open. Her tongue hung out a little.
Kari, too, looked beat. She was asleep beside T.K. (also asleep). Gatomon, who usually purrs in her sleep, was
silent. Patamon was sprawled in a weird position, snoring loudly. Everyone else looked about the same.
"You guys look *awfull*! I'll go get some water if I can find any, 'kay?" I said. Those that were awake nodded
feebly. The others slept on in blissful ignorance.
"Here, take these," Joe said, handing me a few plastic bags. I walked away, Canomon trudging along beside me.
Canomon raised her head. "I smell water!" she cried. We ran towards the smell.
A small pool was set in a little rock outcropping. It was obviously spring-fed. I smiled & scooped up as many
bagfulls as I could. I drank a lot from the pool myself. Canomon lapped up some, too.
As we started back, Snarfmon reappeared. This time, though, he had a little Digimon with him. It was small enough
to sit on his head. It was, basically, a littler Snarfmon. "This is, herrr, Snnaaarrrrferrrrmon. He's an In-Training."
"Do you guys know of a place where we can stay?" I asked.
"Herrr, yes."
"Yup! We surre do!" the little Snarfermon added.
"Well, I'll have to get my frie...er, the others, first. Come with us," I said.
As soon as we got back to the spot were the others were & they had finished off the water, Izzy open his computer &
looked up Snarfmon & Snarfermon. They were Data-type Digimon, meaning they could go either way when they
Digivolved.
"Now, where is this place you said we could rest?" Izzy asked.
"It's, herrr, this way," Snarfmon said. He ran quickly back along the path I had taken. We passed the pool of water
(not without a quick drink) & ran until it opened into a HUGE meadow.
"Whoa, it's *HUMONGOUS*!" I cried, staring at a gigantic cat-like structure. It had a deep chasm around it, with
only a thin bridge to cross on. The two strange Digimon ran across it, & we followed. Gabumon was a bit slower as
he was carrying Puppamon.
As soon as we were across our cat-like companions started to yell & bang on the doors. A pinkish-bluish wildcat
looked at us, seemingly perplexed. "Hey, Katmon, look at this!" she called back over her shoulder. Another wildcat-
like creature walked up to us, but this one was orange.
"What are *they*, Kitmon?"
"You idiot, they're the DigiDestined!" She whacked him. They asked us to come in. We met Panthomon, a big,
bluish-grey cat; Tigramon, who looked amazingly like a real tiger, Lionomon, who was like a red-orange lion;
Cheetarmon, a spotted cat; Lynxmon, an old, blind orange-white cat; Bengalimon, a white tiger; & Pumamon, a
mountain lion creature. Kitmon, Cheetarmon, & Pumamon were the only girls. Kit & Katmon were Champions,
while the rest were Ultimates. We had found some *very* powerful new allies!
It was getting dark outside. We needed to get some sleep. "Uhhh..." I mumbled, "Where's a bed when I need it?"
"Well, "Pumamon said, "we have four guest rooms. But there are nine of you!"
"So, that's two per room, plus one left over," Izzy said.
"I'll sleep in here," I said. "I don't have to have a bed."
"But there is only one bed in a room," Cheetarmon said.
"So? We can sleep two in a bed. Unless, of course, you count Digimon; that's four per room. It's not like we
can't improvise," I said.
"Let's just get some sleep. I'm tried," Mimi wined.
We ended up in a big argument that resulted in all of us in the front room. I guess it worked out okay. I still had
the couch while everyone else slept on the floor. Of course, I had to argue with a few people on where I got to sleep.
But, we didn't get to sleep all night. Noooo, can't have that. An evil Digimon call Mummamon showed up. He was a
Mega, but he was only about three feet tall.
"Um, you guys? You'd better Digivolve," Tai said.
"Agumon! Warp-Digivolve to...WarGreymon!"
"Gabumon! Warp-Digivolve to...MetalGarurumon!
"Byomon! Digivolve to...Birdramon!"
"Gatomon! Digivolve to...Angewomon!"
"Patamon! Digivolve to...Angemon!"
"Gomamon! Digivolve to...Ikkakumon!"
"Tentomon! Digivolve to...Kabuterimon!"
"Palmon! Digivolve to...Togemon!" Everyone had Digivolved. Everyone but...Canomon!
"Canomon! Why won't you Digivolve too?!" I cried. I held her baby Puppamon in my arms.
"Because I have to protect Puppamon!" she replied.
"You could do it better as a Champion!" I retorted. Now everyone started to Digivolve again.
"Birdramon! Digivolve to...Garudamon!"
"Ikkakumon! Digivolve to...Zudomon!
"Kabuterimon! Digivolve to...MegaKabuterimon!"
"Togemon! Digivolve to...Lillymon!" Then they began to attack.
"Tera Force!" WarGreymon yelled, blasting off a huge ball of energy.
"Metal Wolf Claw!" MetalGarurumon cried, shooting an icy-cold missile at Mummamon.
"Wing Blade!"
"Celestial Arrow!"
"Hand of Fate!"
"Vulcan's Hammer!"
"Horn Buster!"
"Flower Cannon!"
Mummamon was hardly fazed. He laughed at us & said, "You puny DigiDestined! Do you think you can defeat
me? Ha! I'll show you! Shadow Ball!" A large, black sphere shot forward, hitting several Digimon. Including our
new 'friends'. Our Digimon just reverted to the In-Training stage, leaving only Byomon, Palmon, Patamon &
Canomon as Rookies. The other, new Digimon, who hadn't even attacked once, vanished into thin air. The attack
also hit several of us humans.
Sora, Izzy, Joe, T.K., & I were the only ones left standing. I was the only one not helping a fallen comrade. Sora
was beside Tai, Izzy & Joe were trying to calm Mimi down, & T.K. worried about his older brother. The huge
fortress that we had slept in was now only rubble.
"You!" I screamed. "You will pay for this!"
"Is that so, Tani Takenouchi? I give you a choice: you may run away & never return to your friends, & you will
not be killed. Or, you can stay & die with the rest of your friends. I know you. I am a psychic Digimon. I know you
live by the motto of 'he who fights & runs away, lives to fight another day'! I know you will leave, if only to save
your pitiful little life!"
"You are forgetting something!" I replied. "I hold the Crest of Loyalty! I *won't* leave! I'll stay here until I win
this battle, or die trying! I'm *NOT* going anywhere!" My Digivice squealed & twitched & glowed & danced a
little jig. My crest glowed & began to float in mid-air. It hovered over Canomon's back. My Digivice flew over it. A
brilliant white light shot out of it, but as it passed through my crest it turned brown. Canomon was engulfed in the
light.
"CANOMON! WARP-DIGIVOLVE TO...SUIKUNMON!"
"Oh, wow! Suikunmon!" little Motimon cried in glee. "She is the Water Monarch! She commands all water,
including her Wolf Waters attack."
Suddenly, other Digimon began to Warp-Digivolve, too. Angemon only changed to an Ultimate.
"Byomon! Warp-Digivolve to...Phenoxmon!"
"Palmon! Warp-Digivolve to...Rosemon!"
"Angemon! Digivolve to...MagnAngemon!"
Izzy looked up the new Mega Digimon. There was *NO* data on Rosemon *or* MagnAngemon! Phenoxmon
only had a little. It said she appeared when something great was about to happen or a great ruler would appear. I
couldn't wait to see how this battle went. Now the tables were turned!
I was surprised. Canomon, Byomon, & Palmon had Warp-Digivolved! What amazed me was that each of them
had actually *shouted* as they changed, not just spoken the commands.
"Now," I said confidently, "Now, you're gonna get it."
"Shadow Ball!" Mummamon's huge black ball attack when hurtling towards Suikunmon. She batted it aside like
it was nothing.
She held her head high & proud. I looked at her as more than just my best friend. She was my guardian, my
protector. The back of her head had an elongated loop on it. Perhaps it was to help her balance in the water. Long,
purple hair lay gracefully along her back, much like my own brown hair. She stood on four long, slender legs. Two
pale ribbons, one on each side of her thin body, fluttered as if moved by an imaginary wind. Her body was blue,
except for these large white diamonds that appeared on her shoulders & ribs. Her eyelashes were unusually long &
black.
"Phenoxmon, Rosemon, let's get 'im!" she cried. "Wolf Waters!" A pack of water/energy wolves came from her
and almost *flew* at Mummamon. The two other Megas' attacks looked almost like their Ultimate's.
Like when Canomon had first become an Ultimate, I could hear a strange melody in my head. This one was not
so bouncy. It had more of a meaning to it. It went something like:
Changin' power,
Digital power,
I can't remember the rest. I was too busy watching the fight. The little Puppamon I held in my arms suddenly began
to glow.
"Puppamon! Digivolve to...Foximon!" She had Digivolved! Mummamon was very weak by now. Even her little
bubbles could send him into oblivion. She seemed to understand this. "Blue Bubbles!" she snapped, blowing out
little bubbles the color of water.
Mummamon fell & began to disintegrate. "You lousy DigiDestined! You'll pay for this! ARRRGGGGGgggg..."
His scream faded away. Just before his little 3-foot body was completely gone, I yelled:
"Oh, yeah? Who's gonna get us? You? Ha! That'll be the day!" I felt cocky. All our Digimon were just little In-
Training Digimon now, though. "Now we have a big problem. How do we tell my Foximon from her daughter?" I
asked.
Everyone looked at me & laughed.