Introduction: Not long ago, a fellow fan fiction writer known as mindmaster123 began another Digimon story called Digimon Adventure 03 (which is really quite good). That story got me to thinking about how I've sort of neglected my own Digimon series. It's not something I intended to happen of course. So I decided to try and pick the series up again. I know I still need to do my prequel about Team Excalibur, but I'm going to wait until after I take care of another big story to tackle that. For now, I'm going to pick things up from where they were left off at the end of Digimon: The Crimson Plague.
In this next story, we'll be seeing a few characters from the Digimon manga. Two will be characters from the manga, Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01. And one character will be from the manga, Digimon Next. By the way, I want to go on record as saying that I got the idea for this story long before seeing Sword Art Online. Those familiar with SAO will probably figure out what I'm talking about.
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
Chapter 1: Little Girl Lost
It was the beginning of a typical Friday morning for Kari Takaishi. She sat outside on a bench at her college campus drinking her usual cup of coffee as she waited for her seven-thirty class to start. Upon looking at her watch, Kari noticed that she had only ten minutes before class began. So after quickly finishing her coffee and disposing of the cup, Kari got up and headed for the appropriate building. On her way there, Kari encountered another young woman in her early twenties with long dark-red hair.
"Morning Kari." The woman greeted as she began to walk next to her.
"Good morning, Yoko." Kari greeted back.
"So, how's married life treating you?" Yoko asked.
"T.K. and I are doing just fine." Kari answered.
"I still can't believe someone as young as you is already married." Kari's classmate stated. "I mean your husband seems like a great guy from what you've told me, but whatever happened to living little?"
"Trust me, Yoko. There are some things in life that are just too important to wait for." Kari told her.
"Jeez, you can sound like an old lady sometimes." Yoko replied. "But then I guess if I had a boyfriend like your husband, I probably wouldn't want to wait to marry him either. I guess you really are lucky."
Kari was about to agree when she suddenly heard a croaking noise that caused her to freeze and let out a small scream. All the color had completely drained from her face.
"Whoa! Chill out, Kari." Yoko told her as she took the chestnut-haired girl's arm. "It's just some frogs being transported by one of the biology nerds."
Kari looked and indeed saw that a scrawny young man with freckles and braces was carrying around a glass tank full of small green frogs. She had thought that the sound of those hideous fish-frog things from that living hell known as the Dark Ocean. But as reality sank in, Kari breathed a sigh of relief.
"Since when have you been so scared of frogs?" Yoko asked.
"It's… something that's not easy for me to talk about." Kari replied.
"Well, let's get going." Yoko told her. "We don't want to be late."
"Yeah." Kari agreed as she and Yoko continued walking.
It took awhile for Kari to fully relax after hearing the sound of those frogs. Though the steady monotone of the professor teaching her class seemed to help. It had taken quite some time for Kari to recover from that month when she was held prisoner in Dark Ocean to serve as a sacrifice for the hideous Dragomon, and the experience had left her with a few mental scars. She would have small panic attacks whenever she heard the sound of anything that resembled a frog, and the smell of fish still made her queasy. It was also quite some time before Kari would even consider going near a beach.
Yet since that dark time, Kari had recovered a great deal, largely in thanks to T.K. and her friends. It had been two months since the Digidestined did battle with Lucemon, the leader of a group of evil Digimon known as the Seven Lords. Things were a little difficult at first after the battle. Kari had to retake a few of the classes she had missed during her month of captivity and the following month she and T.K. had spent at the home of their fellow Digidestined, Arthur Pierce, and she had to get a new part-time job. But it wasn't too long before things smoothed out.
In the mornings, Kari would take a few classes, and in the afternoons she would work her part-time job at a nearby bookstore. During that time, there had been no attacks by rogue Digimon or any attempts by anyone to conquer the human or Digital worlds. Life had become very peaceful. To Kari, it seemed like everything was perfect. Though there were a few times when Kari wondered if it would ever last.
The evening came, and Kari was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Sitting on the corner of the table was a large white cat with yellow gloves on her front paws and a golden ring around her tail. This of course was Kari's Digimon partner, Gatomon. Kari heard the door to the apartment open. A few seconds later, T.K. entered the kitchen, and flying off the top of the blonde's head to the table was the orange mammal-like Digimon that was his partner, Patamon.
"Hi." T.K. greeted as he walked over and kissed Kari on the cheek. "Is dinner almost ready?"
"Yep, just needs a few more minutes." Kari replied. "Ken and Yolei are still coming over, right?"
"As far as I know." T.K. confirmed as he sat at the table. "I wonder what it is they want to talk to us about."
"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough." Kari replied. "Maybe it's about their wedding."
"I thought Yolei had already figured out the details for that." T.K. recalled.
"Did they?" Kari asked. "I don't really remember. Did she and Ken settle everything during… that month I was gone?"
"No, they were a little more busy dealing with… something else." T.K. replied.
"You mean Davis, right?" Kari assumed. "It's okay T.K., I'm over that now."
"If you say so." T.K. replied. "I just hope Davis isn't the thing they want to talk to us about."
A few minutes later came the arrival of T.K. and Kari's friends and fellow Digidestined, Ken Ichijouji and Yolei Inoue. The four humans sat at the table to eat while Ken and Yolei's Digimon, Wormmon and Hawkmon, had dinner with Patamon and Gatomon in a corner of the kitchen. Conversation during the dinner was light. When it was finished, Kari began taking the plates to the counter.
"So you guys, what is it you wanted to talk to us about?" Kari asked Ken and Yolei as she put the first plate in the sink.
"Well, we kind of hoping you'd do us a favor, Kari." Ken began with a hesitant expression. "We sort of need your help with Davis."
Silence immediately fell over the room with the sound of the plate in Kari's hand breaking in half. Calmly, Kari put the remains of the broken plate in the trash and turn to face everyone.
"Could you excuse me for a moment?" Kari requested with an insincere smile before calmly leaving the room.
Yolei sighed heavily as she removed her glasses to rub the bridge of her nose. "I knew it was too soon for her to help us."
"Hey, you can't blame Kari for reacting that way." Gatomon pointed out from the corner of the small kitchen. "That idiot Davis did cheat on her three times."
"She's not as bad as she used to be though." Patamon interjected. "Before, Kari would've thrown the plate against the wall. This time she's a lot calmer."
"Just what is it that you need Kari to help Davis with?" T.K. asked with a suspicious look.
"Well it's certainly not what you think!" an offended Yolei assured him.
"Calm down, Yolei." Ken calmly told her.
"Just what is going on with Davis, anyway?" T.K. asked. "Is he living with you guys again?"
"God no!" Yolei answered. "But… he is starting to drive us crazy again."
"Davis has been coming over every evening to spend time with us." Ken explained. "It's starting to effect our love life a bit."
"Oh." T.K. responded with an expression of understanding.
At that moment, Kari walked back into the room and sat next to T.K. "Okay, so just what is it that you need me to help Davis with?"
"Well you see Davis needs a new girlfriend." Yolei began. "And you obviously know Davis pretty well, so Ken and I thought that maybe you might be able to recommend someone he might like."
"The last time I checked, there were still plenty of drunken sorority girls out there." Kari told them.
"Kari, Davis isn't like that anymore." Ken assured her. "Look, it isn't just because of the way things ended between you two. Ever since Lilithmon seduced him and tried to turn him into her slave, Davis has kind of been avoiding women. Both Yolei and I think that it's time for him to get back out there."
Kari gave a relented sigh. "Okay. If I can think of anyone Davis might like, I'll let you know."
"Thanks a bunch, Kari." Yolei replied. "Well, it's late and Ken and I should be going. See you guys later." With that, Ken and Yolei left with Wormmon and Hawkmon.
The following Saturday morning, Kari and T.K. went out with Gatomon and Patamon to do a little shopping and browsing at the small farmer's market a few blocks away from their apartment building. Shopping at the market had become a weekly routine for them, one that all four greatly enjoyed.
"So, have you thought any more about helping Davis?" T.K. asked.
"A little." Kari admitted. "I was thinking of setting him up with my friend Yoko. But I don't know. I don't want her to be hurt the same way I was."
"Ken and Yolei both seem to think Davis has changed." T.K. pointed out. "Maybe they're right."
Before the conversation could continue, the four were alerted to the sudden sound of crates crashing to the ground. The four looked and saw what looked like a small bipedal dog with blue and white fur running down the sidewalk. The creature had a long red band tied around its head, and on its front paws it wore a pair of red boxing gloves. The dog was carrying a loaf of bread.
"Is that a Digimon?" T.K. asked.
"I think that's a Gaomon, but I'm not sure." Patamon answered. "I've never actually seen one before."
Running a few steps behind the dog was a creature that looked like a small yellow t-rex with green eyes and well-developed arms. Around its wrists were red crisscrossing bands.
"Is that Agumon?" a surprised Kari identified.
"That's not our Agumon." Gatomon told them as she narrowed her eyes. "This one has a different scent."
Running after the two Digimon was a bald and slightly overweight shopkeeper. "Hey! Come back with that bread, you thieves!"
The rogue Agumon turned around and breathed out a fireball that blocked the shopkeeper's path. Taking matters into her own paws, Gatomon began to run after the thieves. The other three soon followed. They pursued the two Digimon into an alley with a dead end. Before the thieves could get very far, Gatomon leapt into the air and pounced Gaomon to the ground, causing the dog to drop the bread. Gaomon quickly knocked Gatomon off and both it and the Agumon took a fighting stance.
Gatomon quickly got up and took a fighting stance of her own and hissed. As Kari and T.K. caught up, Patamon flew down and landed next to the feline.
"That's far enough, you two." Gatomon told the two thieves. "You better give back that bread, or else!"
"Bring it on, fur ball!" Gaomon dared in a gruff voice. "There's no way a lame cat can beat me!"
"What did you say?" an offended Gatomon responded.
"Now, now." Patamon interrupted. "I'm sure there's a way to resolve this without fighting."
"Yeah! You can leave right now!" the strange Agumon told them. "Otherwise thing are gonna get ugly!"
The standoff was interrupted by a rustling sound coming from deeper inside the alley. Emerging from the darkness was a girl who looked to be about twelve. She had long blonde hair and brown eyes. Her outfit was nothing more than brown rags and her face was dirty.
Kari crouched down to get a closer look at the girl. "It's okay. We're not going to hurt you. I'm Kari, and this is my husband, T.K. These two Digimon are our friends."
"You leave her alone!" Agumon warned.
"Calm down!" T.K. told him. "We just want to talk to all of you."
"Do you have a name?" Kari asked the girl. "You can tell us."
The girl looked at Kari for a moment and came a little closer. "My name is… Norn."
"Is that your first name or your last name?" T.K. asked.
"I don't know." Norn answered.
"Do you know where your parents are?" Kari asked. "Where do you come from?"
"Parents?" Norn repeated as if the word was foreign to her. "I… don't know. I don't remember… where I come from."
"I wonder if she's had some kind of accident." T.K. theorized. "Maybe that's why she can't remember anything."
"Okay, so the two of you stole that bread for Norn." Patamon said to Agumon and Gaomon.
"We were only trying to help Norn." Gaomon told him.
"Shut up, Gao!" Agumon told him. "We don't need to say anything to these people!"
"Norn seems to trust them, Agu." The blue dog pointed out. "Maybe it's better if we cooperated."
"Agu? Gao?" Patamon repeated. "Why do you call yourselves that?"
"That's what I call them." Norn explained. "Agu… and Gao."
"How did you meet these two, Norn?" Kari asked. "Did you meet them in the Digital World?"
"The Digital World? What the heck's that?" Agu asked.
"You got me." Gao replied with a shrug.
"Okay, now that's weird." Gatomon declared. "I mean how can these two not know about the Digital World?"
"The Digital World is where Digimon like us come from." Patamon explained to Agu and Gao.
"I've never heard of such a thing!" Agu responded. "The two of us have been with Norn for as long as we can remember."
"What should we do?" Kari asked T.K.
"First we return the bread they stole." T.K. decided.
"Stole?" Norn repeated with a tilt of her head. "What does that mean?"
"Stealing is taking things that don't belong to you." T.K. explained.
"And… that's wrong." Norn quickly deduced.
"You got it." T.K. confirmed. "That's why we need to return what Agu and Gao took."
"And what the heck are the three of us supposed to eat?" Agu demanded to know.
"We can feed you at our place." Patamon offered.
"Yeah, I'm sure we can dig up an old bone or something for Fido." Gatomon assumed with a look of disgust.
"Watch it, you mangy feline!" Gao responded.
"Who're you calling mangy, you mutt?" Gatomon shot back.
"Now, now." Patamon calmly interrupted.
"What do you say Norn, want to come with us?" Kari asked. "Agu and Gao can come too."
"…Okay." Norn finally agreed.
The seven then went back to the shop and returned the loaf of bread to the shopkeeper. The old shopkeeper turned out to be very understanding once he learned of Norn's condition. Once everything was settled, the group began to head back towards the apartment. Norn held onto Kari's hand as they walked.
"So now what?" Kari wondered. "Should we call the police or something? Maybe they could figure out where Norn's parents are."
"I think maybe we should tell the others about this first." Patamon suggested. "It's pretty strange for Agu and Gao not to know anything about the Digital World."
"You know we're right here!" Agu reminded them. "It's pretty rude to talk about someone as if they're not there."
"So you have good manners and yet you're okay with stealing." Gatomon retorted.
"We were only doing what we needed to for Norn to survive!" Agu argued.
Before the argument could get any further, the group suddenly heard a kind of loud buzzing noise approaching them. Norn became freighted and held onto Kari tighter. In moments they saw a group of large mechanical bee-like creatures armored in gold and black metal. Rather than wings, the insects flew with some kind of engines mounted on their shoulders. Their torsos connected to their large abdomens with thin flexible stalks, and on the bottom of their abdomens were small silver laser cannons.
"What are they?" Kari asked.
"I've heard of these Digimon." Gatomon replied. "They're Waspmon!"
"Specimen Norn sighted!" One of the Waspmon spoke in a mechanical voice. "Acquire target! Eliminate all impediments!"
"They're after Norn?" T.K. realized.
"We have to fight them off!" Kari decided.
"No! Stay away!" a frightened Norn cried. "I'm… I'm not going!"
"It's okay, Norn!" Kari assured her. "Calm down!"
Suddenly Norn cried out and glowed with blinding white light. A moment later Agu and Gao's bodies lit up and began to change.
"Agumon digivolve to… GeoGreymon!" Agu cried as he transformed, his voice changing with the utterance of his other name.
"Gaomon digivolve to… Gaogamon!" Gao cried out as he changed along with Agu, his voice deepening as he spoke his other name.
The light from the two Digimon faded and both of them had become much larger. Agu had become the large orange t-rex like creature similar to Greymon, but there were significant differences. His whole body was more muscular and his arms were more developed than a normal Greymon. He had red bands around his wrists and long spikes protruded from his shoulders. On the edges of the brown horned helmet-like mask were short red pointed stripes.
Gao meanwhile was now on all fours and his fur had turned shaggy. His shaggiest fur was the fur on his upper torso. Long black claws had emerged from the boxing gloves on his front paws. Growing from the dog's neck were two long red flexible arms.
"They evolved!" Patamon observed.
"Yeah, but there are too many Waspmon for them to fight alone." Gatomon pointed out.
"Mega Volcano!" Agu roared as he opened his mouth and shot out a massive fireball.
The fireball went towards the part of the Waspmon swarm to the group's left and exploded. The flames subsided and all the Waspmon that had been hit had been completely vaporized. The couple and their two Digimon were stunned.
"Spiral Blow!" Gao roared as he breathed out a vortex of razor sharp wind.
The twister cut the remaining Waspmon to ribbons. The few fragments that remained broke down into particles of data. With the battle over, Agu and Gao regressed back to their Rookie forms. Soon after, Norn fell unconscious.
"Hey! You okay Norn?" Gatomon asked.
"T.K.! We have to get her home!" Kari told him.
"Then we better get moving!" T.K. agreed. "Before any more Digimon come looking for her!"
Neo Saiba sat in his office with a look of disgust on his face. From the monitor behind his desk, he had seen that the swarm of Waspmon he sent to retrieve Norn had failed. The white-haired young man turned his chair around and put his fingers to his chair. He needed a new plan.
Neo's thoughts were interrupted by a voice from the intercom in his desk. "Mr. Saiba? Mr. Collins has come to see you."
Neo sighed and stood from his chair. "Very well. Send him in."
The door opened and walking in was a handsome-looking man in his mid thirties. He had pale skin and long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. One of his eyes was blue, while the other was green. His outfit was a black suit with a red tie.
"This isn't really a good time, Bram." Neo told the gentlemen.
"Come now, my friend. There's no need to look so down." Bram told him. "By the way, you have quite the fetching young secretary at the desk out there. I hope you don't mind if I steal her away for the evening."
"We lost Norn and the prototypes!" Neo informed him. "We had them in our sights, but then somehow Norn caused the prototypes to evolve. The Waspmon I sent were obliterated."
"There's no need to worry." Bram assured him. "Everything is going according to plan."
"What do you mean everything is going according to plan?" Neo snapped. "Norn and the prototypes escaped!"
"Yes, because I let them." Bram revealed. "We're not going to get what we want by keeping Norn in a lab. Her powers need to grow on their own."
"Are you out of your mind?" Neo asked. "You're risking everything we've worked for these past two months!"
"Relax, Neo." Bram told him. "Believe me when I say that we have Norn right where we want her. T.K. and Kari Takaishi will take good care of her for us. And when the proper time comes, we will be able to take her powers as our own."
Author's Note: Those familiar with Digimon Next probably recognize Norn as one of the more important characters from the manga. Neo Saiba meanwhile is one of the main villains from V-Tamer 01. Those familiar with V-Tamer 01 can probably figure out which other character from that manga will be appearing in this story.
Please review and let me know what you think.