Disclaimer: Mhmm. I own it. Sue my ass off, please! (j/k? O.o;)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day was bleak and cold. Another thunderstorm had rolled up from off in the mountains. Gabumon was expecting it. He had felt the evil come with the storm.

He still couldn't figure out what Matt meant by, "The storms know..." It didn't make sense, considering that now, the evil was riding the storms, and any evil certainly wouldn't help him out. The winds, he could see coming, and he braced himself. He knew they would hit hard.

Gabumon was sent sprawling by the force of wind and rain. It pinned hi to the ground, wouldn't allow him on his feet. The evil was there, and it had come strong. Gabumon snarled and threw himself forwards, and onto his feet. A large peice of hail struck him above his eye, cutting a deep gash in hs skin. His eye became blinded by the blood that poured down into it. He strained forwards, snarling at the forceful storm. Then, the events seemed to take a turn for the better. Though the wind and rain still raged on relentlesly, Gabumon felt the evil lift. But that didn't get him out of danger. Shelter was a must, and Gabumon was blinded. Another peice of hail struck him, in the gut, and tore across his stomach raggedly. A dizzy, naseaus sensation overtook him, and his willpower drained to nothing. It had all happened so fast, that he had not time to decipher what exactly was going on. Darkness overtook him little by little, as more and more shreiking pain felt its way into his nerves.

*

"Palmon, I don't like the look of that storm in the distance. Maybe we should go find somewhere safe to be," Biyomon suggested. But her friend shook her head.

"I know what I was told, Biyo, and we have to fight it," she stated simply. Her eyes shut tightly as she waited for her friend's protests that she knew would come. She was a bit suprised when they didn't.

"Ok," Biyomon said, "I just hope this won't get us into too much trouble. Lead the way."

Palmon nodded and started to walk. Biyomon glided lazily behind her, hiding her worry from view. She knew she should have stopped Palmon from convincing her, but she trusted her friend greatly, and would respect her decisions, even if it meant going into danger. The thunder was in hearing range now, and it sounded angry, harsh. Biyomon shivered. This wasn't going to be pleasent, but Palmon had had a vision, and Palmon was detirmined. And Biyomon was not going to leave her friend to any danger that might be ahead.

"We're nearing the koromon village," Palmon stated dryly, her weariness beginning to show.

"Good, then maybe we can rest. And I got word that Agumon is there too!" Biyomon said back happily. Palmon didn't reply. Her feet were beginning to hurt, though she refused to complain.

They had hardly walked two feet from that conversation when the ground began to rumble and shake. Palmon yelped, and was snatched up and drug into the air by Biyomon. The ground tremored violently, and trees began to fall all about them. Biyomon, already tired, was having trouble supporting Palmon's weight, but dared not drop her onto the seizured land below. The earth rocked with painful groans, and limbs snapped everywhere. One fell above Biyomon, and struck her over the head. She cried out, and lost hr grip on Palmon, who fell the the ground below. Biyomon spun dizzily to the ground, yards from her friend, who she could no longer see.

Palmon felt her body being pounded viciously by rocks, stones, branches and other debris. Her eyes glazed over as she tried to stand, which was a failed attempt. The last she and Biyomon remembered before they blacked out, was being swept up into the air by a large, black shape...

*

Agumon rushed the koromon out ito the rain as the huts caught on fire. The main tower crackled and burned, blazing up brighter as the rain grew heavier. The dinosaur like digimon's mind raced to and fro--where would all the koromon stay now? And where was Gabumon?

Gabumon had gone out to get food, Agumon remembered, but had never returned. Agumon could only hope he was ok, while he hurried the koromon towards a mountainside, where caves were a-plenty. They had made it halfway already, in paniced state of minds, when the earth began to shiver. Agumon fell flat on his face, half tripping, half toppled over by the ground's sudden shaking.

"Earthquake!" he heard one of the koromon squeek. Agumon began to panic. They had no where to go now, and they were out in the open. Everything seemed to fall around him, as if the Digiworld was self destructing. A tree fell across his legs before he could move, and the sound of a sickening crack echoed in his mind right before searing pain ran through his body.

In his last thoughts, he knew, he could feel the evil.

*

Gigadramon had picked up the two half dead digimon on Itannamon's command. He hand't wanted to, since they were, after all, digidestined digimon, but the little wolf seemed to have some sort of control over his mind. She had a knack for healing, he observed, about an hour after he had picked up Palmon and Biyomon, when the two had woken up. They had been very weary of him, but was soon convinced by Itannamon that he would be good. "Fat chance," he muttered crossly, licking his fangs. "They'll get what's coming to them. I can't be nice forever, now can I." A malicious grin spread across his face, and he hid it from the other three. He was hungry for blood, and they would be his prey. Soon enough, he thought. Soon enough.

"Why don't you come and eat, big guy," the wolf suggested, nibbling at Gigadramon's tail.

"Not if you're going to eat me," he retorted. Not as if they could before I ate them, he told himself. He wasn't going to let himself get all sappy and good. He was born evil, and it was in his blood. He wasn't about to cleanse it from his soul now. He was evil, and he was sticking to it. He finally boliged, and turned around, eating those various fruits and such they had collected. Tastes like shit, he thought. I'll never eat again at this rate, ugh.

Late into the night, when the winds were beginning to pick up, and the storm was drawing near, Gigadramon slithered away from the makeshift camp. He thought he had made it safely away fro those good, when he nearly ran over a gathering of koromon. He snorted, and they all simotaneously shreiked. He snarled in a warning, as if telling them to move, but they refused, staring up at him with cold, dark eyes. This unnerved him quite a bit, and again he snarled.

"Go away, you big lump!" one snapped angrily, and spit a bubble at him, whicb popped in his eye. Hissing, Gigadramon doubled back, rubbing at his stinging eye with his tail.

"Why you--"

"Shut up or I'll kill you too!" someone commanded with acidity riding their tone. The serpent stopped short, and turned slowly. It was Gabumon. His fur was ragged and clumped, mud caked. He was a sorry sight, but his posture held true. Blood ran down into one of his yes, and was stained all across his midsection. His eyes shone like fires into Gigadramon's, searing the serpent's soul and terrifying him deep within. Gabumon was injured, and that showed in his limp, and the apparent blood stained into his fur. But somehow, this made him all the more frightening.

"What do you want, this is none of your bussiness," hissed Gigadramon to the bold figure before him.

"It is all my bussiness," Gabumon said harshly back. "Back off, dramon."

Gigadramon wanted to hold his ground, but something made him obey. He back-slithered a few hundred feet, then stopped, and stared back at Gabumon icily. Gabumon, looking to offend, apparently, spat out on the ground in front of Gigadramon.

"Now, you are going to be good, you hear me Gigadramon? Or would you rather be consumed by what is attacking? There is an evil in the mountains greater than you could ever imagine," Gabumon spat out coldly. "And if you don't choose to help us, you will be destroyed."

"There is no evil in these mountains besides I, foolish rookie. And don't tell me what to do, I am not afraid of a little thing such as you, nor will I be commanded by one, got that?" Gigadramon snapped in return.

"Oh but you are afraid, and I know you are afraid. You are afraid I am going to kill you like I killed Megadramon. You are afraid that I can end your life in seconds, you see. I can read you like an open book." Gabumon narrowed his eyes. "You are not evil. You are not evil at all. You can make yourself out to be for as long as you want, but that will onyl heighten the chnaces of your downfall. Well, dramon, I suppose it is your choice."

Gigadramon was afraid. he was horrified in fact, but he wasn't going to let it show. He was fully digivolved! He wasn't about to back down to a mere rookie--

"Ah, we've found you! Playing hide and seek is not a game I particularly prefer, serpent." Gigadramon instantly recognized Itannamon's voice. He stopped himself short from groaning in annoyance.

"Gabumon!" Biyomon and Palmon shouted at the same time, rushing to greet their friend.

"Why, hello you two."

"You look beat," Palmon commented.

"I am. But now is not the time to rest. I need to explain something to you. It is about these elements going awry." Gabumon looked to his two friend with a solemn expression. "I can tell you one thing before I begin, We are in for it."

"Gather 'round the campfire, boys and girls, for now we can learn why this world is biting us in the ass!" Itannamon shouted dryly. Some of the koromon giggled.