You do not await your destiny... your destiny comes to you. This rule
can be either wondrous or painful. Unfortunately most of the time, it is
painful. As we are about to see...
"Keeyah!"
"Whoa, you almost hit me with that kick!"
Lee Trainer, now nineteen years old, swiftly ducked a kick that flew in his direction. He leapt back, his feet touching the soft mat of the sparring arena in the Karate dojo. He smoothed his white uniform which was emblazed with the symbol of the Lunn dojo on its back and right of the chest. The blonde-haired boy prepared his counter-attack.
He threw a punch at his opponent, but the female karate student held up her two forearms to block his fist. The only thing he hit was the soft fabric of her uniform which was the same as his.
The dark brown haired girl threw back her hair, which had blonde streaks in it and went down to about her breast area. She glared at him with her blue eyes, and her eyebrows settled down giving her an expression of determination.
"You aren't going to defeat me today, Lee."
"We'll see about that, Amara. We are Master Lunn's two top students, you know. We're equal."
Amara glanced around the room. Their sensei: Master Lunn was standing at the northern end of the mats surveying the match. About seven other students who wore the Lunn dojo uniform were witnessing it as well.
"Hiya!" yelled Lee. He threw himself forward, preparing to punch Amara but she fell backwards before he could punch her.
"What the--"
She used her hands as a ground to break her fall and then kicked upwards, hitting Lee in the side of the head! He grunted and fell backwards onto his butt. Amara stood up triumphantly. Her guard was let down, though, and Lee swooped his foot along the ground and knocked her down as well. She went to get back up...
(What is Amara doing?) thought Lunn. (I trained her better than that.)
(What?!) thought Amara, surprised. (How did I hear that!?)
Amara looked at him nervously and then another thought pushed its way into her head. This time from Lee.
(Hoo, Amara's a tough cookie. That makes her even hotter, though.)
"Hey!" she hissed at him. "Get your mind out of the gutter!"
"Wh-what?" stammered Lee. Amara's eyes widened at him and before she had a chance to reply, she could hear all of her other classmates!
(What is Amara snapping about?)
(Why can't that girl keep things together?)
(Stupid canker sore! It hurts like hell!)
(Maybe she's insane. That would explain why she's acting so weird!)
"Aggh!" she screamed, dropping to her knees and holding her head in pain. "Make it STOP!!!"
"Amara!" shouted Lee, worried. He went to run to her aid but she lashed out and punched him in the stomach! She then flung her fist right at his face, but another hand grabbed it... Master Lunn's. The grey-haired stern master looked at Amara angrily.
"Amara! Do not strike out with rage! Maintain your foc--"
Amara flipped him over her shoulder and the karate sensei landed hard on his back on the ground! Amara gripped her head, unable to push the thoughts of other people out!
(Whoa, she just took down Master Lunn!)
(What is she doing!?)
(God, she's a freak!)
"SHUT UP!!!" she screamed in agony. She wasn't really screaming at anyone, but in her mental state she attacked the nearest standing thing.
She threw another wild punch at Lee, but he grabbed her fist in mid- air. Lunn then karate chopped her in the back of the neck, knocking her to the ground, unconscious.
"What the hell was that...?" gasped Lee as the whole dojo stared at the fallen Amara, who was breathing heavily and twitching.
Heroes & Villains, Chapter 01: Infusion of Darkness
Amara groaned weakly and tried to open her eyes. She tasted hair in her mouth, which she assumed was her own. As her vision came back, she stared up at what looked like a bright light. Wait, it was a bright light... tons of them.
(I'm in a hospital. I hate hospitals.)
Amara sat up and rubbed the back of her neck, it really hurt. She gasped as she sat up and tried not to move her neck at the same time. She kicked the blanket off her legs and saw she was still wearing her dojo uniform.
"Amara...?" asked a voice, opening the door to her hospital room. She sat back down on her hospital bed, making sure not to move her neck. She saw a familiar blonde boy walk in, still wearing his dojo uniform too.
"Hey Lee" she said, ashamed. "I-- I have no idea what happened to me..."
"Are you sure?" he asked, shutting the door behind him. "You told me to get my mind out of the gutter when I only said in my head that you were hot."
"So what? Men are just easy to figure out."
"Are you sure?"
"Would you quit asking me that?" she asked, more of a demand than a suggestion. Lee nodded and she stood up again. Her neck felt less stiff now and she cracked it.
"After sensei knocked you out, he had me take you here. You've been asleep for three hours."
"Yeah... well, I think my head is straightened out now." she said to reassure him that she wasn't crazy. "Thanks for taking me here but I can walk home by myself."
Amara went to leave, but Lee didn't move from in front of the door. She crossed her arms impatiently.
"Can I help you?"
"I called your parents. They're waiting outside for you. They don't seem to be too happy with you."
Amara's eyes widened. "Why the hell did you call them?! It's my one goal in life to stay the hell away from them!"
"They can't be all that bad..." protested Lee. "They do fund your karate..."
"Aside from that, me and them hate each other. Lee, I want you to go out and tell them that I have to stay in here another night... so they'll leave!"
Lee looked at her, skeptically. He bit his lip and looked at the floor.
"Amara, you aren't well. Either you go home with them, or you allow me to escort you back to your dorm room."
Amara sighed. "Fine, Lee... you can walk me home."
- - -
The next day:
In the middle of the city of Horam is a college called 'Richard Trainer College', named after the man who founded it. RTC for short. Richard Trainer is also the mayor of Horam and Lee's loving father.
Inside the walls of RTC, Lee was walking through the dormitory area, looking for number 213. Lee was wearing black jeans and white t-shirt, accompanied by a gold necklace that Alison (his girlfriend) gave to him. When Lee found 213, he simply opened the door without knocking and let himself in.
"Yo, Arik! If you don't hurry the hell up we're gonna be late for Art... again."
A boy with brown hair came running out of the bathroom into the main room, squeezing a red shirt over his arms and around his body. Arik was another of the previous Chosen children but like Lee, has forgotten about Digimon and went on to college.
"Yeah yeah, Lee!" said Arik, grabbing his sketchbook and art pencils. He tucked them under his arm and motioned for Lee to get out as he moved towards the door. "At least you, Nathan and Ace live in a house. I'm stuck in this crappy dorm room!"
Arik shut the door behind them and locked it. Then they bolted as fast as they could for the next building, where their art class was. They ran out the door onto campus and slowed to a walk.
"So re-election day is coming up soon, eh?" asked Arik. Lee nodded.
"My dad should be able to reel it in pretty easily like he has the last two elections. Like, come on... he founded this freaking college just for me to go too."
Arik laughed a little. "Your dad has a power trip, I think. My dad is retarded."
Arik's dad used to be an alcoholic and as a result, would abuse him. His dad quit drinking a year ago, but hasn't got too much nicer. He began dating a woman six months ago, which has distracted him a bit more from berating Arik. As can be imagined, Arik is pleased with the change.
"Ah... well..." began Lee, trying to change the topic. "You know what we're doing in art today?"
"Sculpting ice, if you can believe it. They're gonna turn the temp way down in the room."
"And of course, I'm wearing a T-shirt." said Lee, annoyed. Arik nodded and went to open the door into their building of destination, but the door flung open and whacked him in the face. A red-haired girl stormed out of it, with no real respect for where she was going.
"Outta my way, dorks." she said as she walked past.
"Ow! The least you could do would be apologize!" shouted Arik, rubbing his nose. She flipped him off.
"You okay?"
"I'll live. Who was that?"
"Her name is Jeska... she's in my psychology class. And speaking of class... we're late."
"Crap!"
- - -
The art room:
"Alright class, it's time to begin our ice sculptures." said the art teacher, Ms. Smith. "First we'll go through safety precautions..."
Amara groaned as she listened to the boring drivel that the teacher yammered on about. The spunky girl was now dressed in casual clothing that consisted of her favorite colors: shiny and glossy. Her pants and over jacket were silver and very flashy. The jacket was unzipped down past her breasts to show off her red t-shirt and she wore three bracelets on her left arm. Her necklace was gold, with her favorite jewel: the topaz inside it.
(I really don't care about these safety precautions... I know how not to cut myself with a knife.) thought one student in the class. Amara snapped out of her trance and looked at the student.
"Oh no... not again..." she sighed. "Ms. Smith, may I be excused?"
"Yes, Amara."
Amara ran out of the room as quickly as she could before she had a repeat performance of the last night. She leaned up against the walls and massaged her temples.
(What is happening to me...? Am I going insane? Am I really hearing these voices...?)
"Oh, Amara. Hello." greeted a strong, commanding voice. Amara recognized it. It was the voice of Dean Rathjen. The man in his early 50s still had light brown hair and was very well-built, wearing a suit.
"Hello... Dean Rathjen..." she sighed. "I'm... um... having a headache. I think I'm going to go back to my room and sleep."
"A headache? It seems pretty bad if it knocked you out last night."
"You heard about that...?"
"You sensei told me about it. I know him, you know." replied Dean Rathjen. Amara blushed a little, embarrassed.
(She's perfect.) thought Dean Rathjen.
(What does he mean by that...?) she thought, having heard it. (Oh my god... I'm hearing things again...)
"I feel flustered... I'm going to go..."
Amara turned and walked away, passing Lee and Arik on her way out.
"Hey Amara, you alright?" asked Lee.
"I'm FINE! Why won't anyone leave me alone?!"
Amara turned and ran out of the hallway, leaving Lee and Arik dumbfounded.
"Dude, you know her?" asked Arik, seemingly awed by Lee's connection with Amara. "She is so hot!"
"I know." replied Lee. "She's my sparring partner at karate."
"You should try and hook up with-- oh wait... you got a girlfriend."
"Yeah, Arik." said Lee, annoyed at him. "Why does everyone always forget that?"
"Trainer! Pearson! Get to class!" ordered Dean Rathjen. "Your dad may pay my salary, but that won't stop me from suspending you."
"Sorry Mr. Rathjen." apologized Lee. He and Arik headed for class.
"That's Dean Rathjen now! We're not in high-school anymore!" shouted Dean Rathjen after them as they headed into class. Rathjen was their principal in high-school, but when the college was founded, he got transferred to the college. He put his hands in his pockets and wandered off.
- - -
At some point later in the day... someone was making a phone call...
"Hello?"
"Yes, hello Mr. Irvine." said the caller, speaking into the phone. "I believe I've found our first candidate... she's exactly what you were looking for and more..."
"Is her name Amara Aquilla by any chance?"
"Yes.
"Good. We had already pre-selected her. Our other colleague took some Digital data and implanted it into her brain. Have you witnessed the side- effects of it yet?"
"Telepathy."
"Perfect."
- - -
Later that night:
At around eight PM, night time was just setting in. The sun was down and the sky was dark, with all the stars beautifully shining in the December sky. The air was crisp and refreshingly cool as it snowed fairly heavily. Amara walked down a street with her hands tucked away in her pockets, ignoring the cold. She walked up to a small house and kicked the door instead of knocking.
"Amara. Come in." said the stern voice of the man who opened the door. The bearded man was her father and he led her into the messy living room of their house. He shut off the TV and sat down on the couch. He motioned for her to sit as well.
"I'll stand."
"Look, Amara. I don't know why you've been avoiding your mother and I lately. Maybe you think that now that you're in college you don't need us. But--"
"I've only been 'avoiding' you because I can't stand you or mom!" she shouted. "You two never pay attention to me until you realize I'm not moping because you aren't!"
"We do so!"
"You didn't even come to my Karate tournament last week!"
"Like I told you, we were golfing and--"
"Oooh, you were golfing!" snapped Amara back. "You couldn't have missed that for one day to come see me!"
"Don't talk back to me, young lady!" growled her father. He got up from the couch.
(If Amara keeps contradicting me in my own house, I'm going to have to smack the stupid girl until she realizes I am the boss here!)
Amara's eyes widened and swelled with tears as she intercepted that mental thought.
"You aren't going to hit me! EVER AGAIN!!!" she screamed.
She turned and whipped the front door open as hard as she could and it smashed off of its' hinges when it connected with the wall. She ran out of her father's house and down the street in no particular direction. It had been snowing for quite some time now and she slipped on some black ice on the sidewalk.
"Ouch! Shit!" she cursed. She leaned over and massaged her leg, which had collided hard with the cement underneath her. "I swear I'm going crazy... I'm... I'm..."
(Telepathic.) said a voice in her head. She looked around and gasped.
(Who said that?!)
(Someone who understands you. Amara, I've been sent to give you a new direction in life... and to help you with your new gift.)
(Who... where are you...?)
Amara looked around and brushed some snow out of her hair as she stood up carefully. In her hand she felt a tingling sensation as it began to glow.
"What is... going on...!?"
A Black D-Volver appeared in her hand, surprising the hell out of her. There was another glow near her feet and she checked around to make sure no one was staring at her. Thankfully no one was driving in these parts of town so late at night.
A small creature appeared next to her. It's skin looked like it was made of white crystals, and it had ears and a tail like a cat, yet stood on two legs. It was about as tall as her waist and looked up at her with its big eyes, which were the only part of it that wasn't made of the white crystal. It didn't even appear to have a mouth. Amara stared back at it in shock.
(I'm Crystalmon. Your Digimon partner. Don't move Amara, for I have alot of information to relay to you.)
(Uhm... kay...)
- - -
Only a few blocks away was Lee's house. He lived there with two other boys who helped him pay the rent... but they weren't home at the moment. It had two floors, and the top floor had all the bedrooms. Lee was in his, talking on the phone.
"So how's your job at the radio station?" asked Lee, laying back on his double-bed. The voice on the other end of the phone belonged to Alison: his girlfriend.
"It's awesome! Today I got to meet Jim Chandler!"
"That electric guitar superstar?"
"Yeah!" replied Alison, obviously more enthusiastic than Lee was. Ali loved music and Lee hated how she was already in a career and he was stuck working in a stupid winery. But he'd loved her ever since they were kids, so he let it slide.
"That's awesome, Ali! I didn't see you at school today..."
"Yeah. You know, I overslept." she replied. "I don't think I'll be there tomorrow, I've got a busy night tonight."
"Oh." replied Lee, less than enthusiastic about that. He hadn't been seeing much of Allison lately and he was beginning to wonder if something was up. "Ali, I was wondering--"
Lee was cut off as he heard a familiar beeping noise... one he hadn't heard for a long time. He stared across his room at a pile of junk. One of the objects on the pile of junk... was his old D-Volver. And it was going nuts!
"Wondering what?" asked Ali, curious.
"I'll... uhm, call you tomorrow. I've got a busy night too."
"Lee, what--"
Lee slammed the phone down and ran over to his D-Volver. He picked it up and looked at the tiny LCD screen on it. On it formed a little LCD picture of his partner: Kokuwamon!
"Kokuwamon?! What the-- I can see you!" he exclaimed, excited. "I haven't seen you for so long!"
"Lee! There's trouble!" replied Kokuwamon's voice, crackling out of the speaker on the D-Volver. "Someone is tampering with Trinity Server again! And that someone is from yours!"
"It can't be Desiree again!" protested Lee, angry that their reunion was cut short by such unpleasant news. "She moved! And reformed!"
"No... this time there's four of them!" informed Kokuwamon to him. "Some bad energy was detected in your area and I picked it up! That's why I'm alerting you!"
Ace ran out into the hallway and saw Ace and Nathan's D-Volvers going nuts as well, but no one was answering. He looked back down at his own.
"Show me where!"
"Just follow my instructions!"
Lee made a mad dash out of his house as he struggled to fit his black jacket on. He slid on some ice but regained his footing and continued running like a maniac. It had been a long time since the servers crossed over and this time he was going to fix the problem before it got out of hand.
(This can't be anything like the Shadow incident! It just can't be!)
"Lee, turn into this alleyway! It's in here!"
Lee did as told and slowed to a walk as he entered the alleyway. He looked around but saw nothing but the sides of buildings and a few dumpsters. He kept walking.
"I just know it. I'm going to see a Shadow or some possessed Chosen or some crazy wild Digimon or... Amara?!"
Lee stopped in his tracks as he saw his female friend standing across the alley from him, a look of despair on her face. He looked around to make sure nothing else was there and then faced her.
"Amara! What is going on!? Are you alright?!"
"Everything is fine, Lee." she said to him, calmly. "You came just like she said you would."
"She who!?"
(Me.)
Lee heard a voice in his head and Crystalmon walked out in front of Amara and faced Lee.
"That's her!" said Kokuwamon, still watching from the LCD screen on Lee's D-Volver. "That's one of the Dark Digimon that escaped to your world!"
"Amara, get away from that Digimon!" shouted Lee. "I have to destroy it!"
Lee held up his D-Volver and from it emerged a rainbow of energy, illuminating the dark alleyway for a second. When it faded, Kokuwamon was standing in front of Lee. The metallic beetle snapped his claws menacingly.
"Hmmm. Snow." observed Kokuwamon. "Hope I don't rust."
"Amara! Get away now!" pleaded Lee, concerned for her safety. "You're not well!"
(Oh Lee, I'm perfectly fine.) thought Amara, projecting her thoughts into his head. (I've been blessed with telepathy as Crystalmon here told me.)
"Telepathy?! That's not natural, Amara! I think someone has been screwing with your system!" growled Lee. Kokuwamon nodded.
"I sense strange Digital energy in that girl." said Kokuwamon. "She's not completely human... not anymore. She's been given the same trait as Crystalmon... the ability to read minds."
"But...!" gasped Lee. "Then that would make Amara and Crystalmon partners!"
"Bingo." said Amara, showing Lee her black D-Volver. "And now that we've discovered that wondrous fact, let's have a sparring match like last night. Except this time, our Digimon are going to fight."
(You two will fall.) projected Crystalmon. (The grant to travel to this new world was the promise that I would destroy you, Lee Trainer.)
"That's right. Four Digimon disappeared from Trinity Server recently." informed Kokuwamon.
"WHAT?! So there's going to be four of them!?" exclaimed Lee. "Are the others getting their partners back!?"
"That might not happen. I was barely able to break through the barrier put up by the Guardians to contact you as it is. The others weren't able to make it with me."
(That's right. You're all alone in this, Kokuwamon.) projected Crystalmon. (Now I'm through with listening to you say things I already know! CRYSTAL TEMPEST!!!)
"Oh no..." gasped Kokuwamon. "She's attacking!"
Crystalmon's body began to glow and dozens of pieces of it shot off! The crystal shards were all hurtled at Lee and Kokuwamon. Kokuwamon knocked Lee flat onto the ground and the shards passed harmlessly over them! Kokuwamon then spread his wings and took off into the air!
(Mini Electro Shocker.) thought Crystalmon, predicting what he was going to do next.
"Mini Electro Shocker!!!" screamed Kokuwamon. But by the time he fired the jolt of electricity at Crystalmon, she had already dove out of the way. The crystal cat leapt up onto a fire escape ladder on the side of a building and scurried upwards amazingly fast!
"What the--" gasped Kokuwamon before being tackled in mid-air by Crystalmon! He struggled to maintain his flight as the cat attempted to drag him down!
Lee watched in shock and looked at Amara, who seemed pretty amazed by the whole Digimon-fighting thing.
"Amara! Why are you going along with this!?"
"She's the only one who can possibly ever understand what I'm going through. I can't tell you why but I suddenly feel like this is the right path for me. I want to help my Digimon partner accomplish her mission."
(Yeah, either that or that Yami D-Volver screwed up your head!) thought Lee, looking at the D-Volver Amara was holding.
"I don't think that's it, Lee." she replied.
"Hey, I didn't give you permission to go into my head!" he shouted.
"Mini Electro Shocker!!!"
Lee and Amara looked up to see Kokuwamon attempting to blast Crystalmon again, but she knew he was going to try that and leapt back onto the fire escape ladder.
(Crystal Tempest!!!)
She knew Kokuwamon was planning to dodge to the left, so right before she fired she turned and aimed in that direction! Kokuwamon was struck by the dozens of crystal shards and collapsed to the ground. Lee gasped in shock.
"We've gotta get outta here!" shouted Lee. He ran and scooped up Kokuwamon.
"Running away already?" asked Amara.
"Oh this isn't over, trust me!"
Lee dashed out of the alleyway and made his way home through the gathering blizzard. Amara and Crystalmon stood triumphant, not even bothering to notice the snow.
"Wow, that was amazing, Crystalmon! Are Digimon always that cool?!"
(Yup.)
"I haven't felt so alive in a long time! Thank you, Crystalmon... now I feel like I'm actually capable of something..."
(Something tells me that in your heart you weren't ready to kill Trainer.)
"I... err... well doesn't 'kill' seem a little extreme?"
(We'll see...)
"Alright. Now we gotta get back to my dorm room. We'll just have to pretend you're a stuffed toy."
(What's a stuffed toy?)
"... oh boy."
"Keeyah!"
"Whoa, you almost hit me with that kick!"
Lee Trainer, now nineteen years old, swiftly ducked a kick that flew in his direction. He leapt back, his feet touching the soft mat of the sparring arena in the Karate dojo. He smoothed his white uniform which was emblazed with the symbol of the Lunn dojo on its back and right of the chest. The blonde-haired boy prepared his counter-attack.
He threw a punch at his opponent, but the female karate student held up her two forearms to block his fist. The only thing he hit was the soft fabric of her uniform which was the same as his.
The dark brown haired girl threw back her hair, which had blonde streaks in it and went down to about her breast area. She glared at him with her blue eyes, and her eyebrows settled down giving her an expression of determination.
"You aren't going to defeat me today, Lee."
"We'll see about that, Amara. We are Master Lunn's two top students, you know. We're equal."
Amara glanced around the room. Their sensei: Master Lunn was standing at the northern end of the mats surveying the match. About seven other students who wore the Lunn dojo uniform were witnessing it as well.
"Hiya!" yelled Lee. He threw himself forward, preparing to punch Amara but she fell backwards before he could punch her.
"What the--"
She used her hands as a ground to break her fall and then kicked upwards, hitting Lee in the side of the head! He grunted and fell backwards onto his butt. Amara stood up triumphantly. Her guard was let down, though, and Lee swooped his foot along the ground and knocked her down as well. She went to get back up...
(What is Amara doing?) thought Lunn. (I trained her better than that.)
(What?!) thought Amara, surprised. (How did I hear that!?)
Amara looked at him nervously and then another thought pushed its way into her head. This time from Lee.
(Hoo, Amara's a tough cookie. That makes her even hotter, though.)
"Hey!" she hissed at him. "Get your mind out of the gutter!"
"Wh-what?" stammered Lee. Amara's eyes widened at him and before she had a chance to reply, she could hear all of her other classmates!
(What is Amara snapping about?)
(Why can't that girl keep things together?)
(Stupid canker sore! It hurts like hell!)
(Maybe she's insane. That would explain why she's acting so weird!)
"Aggh!" she screamed, dropping to her knees and holding her head in pain. "Make it STOP!!!"
"Amara!" shouted Lee, worried. He went to run to her aid but she lashed out and punched him in the stomach! She then flung her fist right at his face, but another hand grabbed it... Master Lunn's. The grey-haired stern master looked at Amara angrily.
"Amara! Do not strike out with rage! Maintain your foc--"
Amara flipped him over her shoulder and the karate sensei landed hard on his back on the ground! Amara gripped her head, unable to push the thoughts of other people out!
(Whoa, she just took down Master Lunn!)
(What is she doing!?)
(God, she's a freak!)
"SHUT UP!!!" she screamed in agony. She wasn't really screaming at anyone, but in her mental state she attacked the nearest standing thing.
She threw another wild punch at Lee, but he grabbed her fist in mid- air. Lunn then karate chopped her in the back of the neck, knocking her to the ground, unconscious.
"What the hell was that...?" gasped Lee as the whole dojo stared at the fallen Amara, who was breathing heavily and twitching.
Heroes & Villains, Chapter 01: Infusion of Darkness
Amara groaned weakly and tried to open her eyes. She tasted hair in her mouth, which she assumed was her own. As her vision came back, she stared up at what looked like a bright light. Wait, it was a bright light... tons of them.
(I'm in a hospital. I hate hospitals.)
Amara sat up and rubbed the back of her neck, it really hurt. She gasped as she sat up and tried not to move her neck at the same time. She kicked the blanket off her legs and saw she was still wearing her dojo uniform.
"Amara...?" asked a voice, opening the door to her hospital room. She sat back down on her hospital bed, making sure not to move her neck. She saw a familiar blonde boy walk in, still wearing his dojo uniform too.
"Hey Lee" she said, ashamed. "I-- I have no idea what happened to me..."
"Are you sure?" he asked, shutting the door behind him. "You told me to get my mind out of the gutter when I only said in my head that you were hot."
"So what? Men are just easy to figure out."
"Are you sure?"
"Would you quit asking me that?" she asked, more of a demand than a suggestion. Lee nodded and she stood up again. Her neck felt less stiff now and she cracked it.
"After sensei knocked you out, he had me take you here. You've been asleep for three hours."
"Yeah... well, I think my head is straightened out now." she said to reassure him that she wasn't crazy. "Thanks for taking me here but I can walk home by myself."
Amara went to leave, but Lee didn't move from in front of the door. She crossed her arms impatiently.
"Can I help you?"
"I called your parents. They're waiting outside for you. They don't seem to be too happy with you."
Amara's eyes widened. "Why the hell did you call them?! It's my one goal in life to stay the hell away from them!"
"They can't be all that bad..." protested Lee. "They do fund your karate..."
"Aside from that, me and them hate each other. Lee, I want you to go out and tell them that I have to stay in here another night... so they'll leave!"
Lee looked at her, skeptically. He bit his lip and looked at the floor.
"Amara, you aren't well. Either you go home with them, or you allow me to escort you back to your dorm room."
Amara sighed. "Fine, Lee... you can walk me home."
- - -
The next day:
In the middle of the city of Horam is a college called 'Richard Trainer College', named after the man who founded it. RTC for short. Richard Trainer is also the mayor of Horam and Lee's loving father.
Inside the walls of RTC, Lee was walking through the dormitory area, looking for number 213. Lee was wearing black jeans and white t-shirt, accompanied by a gold necklace that Alison (his girlfriend) gave to him. When Lee found 213, he simply opened the door without knocking and let himself in.
"Yo, Arik! If you don't hurry the hell up we're gonna be late for Art... again."
A boy with brown hair came running out of the bathroom into the main room, squeezing a red shirt over his arms and around his body. Arik was another of the previous Chosen children but like Lee, has forgotten about Digimon and went on to college.
"Yeah yeah, Lee!" said Arik, grabbing his sketchbook and art pencils. He tucked them under his arm and motioned for Lee to get out as he moved towards the door. "At least you, Nathan and Ace live in a house. I'm stuck in this crappy dorm room!"
Arik shut the door behind them and locked it. Then they bolted as fast as they could for the next building, where their art class was. They ran out the door onto campus and slowed to a walk.
"So re-election day is coming up soon, eh?" asked Arik. Lee nodded.
"My dad should be able to reel it in pretty easily like he has the last two elections. Like, come on... he founded this freaking college just for me to go too."
Arik laughed a little. "Your dad has a power trip, I think. My dad is retarded."
Arik's dad used to be an alcoholic and as a result, would abuse him. His dad quit drinking a year ago, but hasn't got too much nicer. He began dating a woman six months ago, which has distracted him a bit more from berating Arik. As can be imagined, Arik is pleased with the change.
"Ah... well..." began Lee, trying to change the topic. "You know what we're doing in art today?"
"Sculpting ice, if you can believe it. They're gonna turn the temp way down in the room."
"And of course, I'm wearing a T-shirt." said Lee, annoyed. Arik nodded and went to open the door into their building of destination, but the door flung open and whacked him in the face. A red-haired girl stormed out of it, with no real respect for where she was going.
"Outta my way, dorks." she said as she walked past.
"Ow! The least you could do would be apologize!" shouted Arik, rubbing his nose. She flipped him off.
"You okay?"
"I'll live. Who was that?"
"Her name is Jeska... she's in my psychology class. And speaking of class... we're late."
"Crap!"
- - -
The art room:
"Alright class, it's time to begin our ice sculptures." said the art teacher, Ms. Smith. "First we'll go through safety precautions..."
Amara groaned as she listened to the boring drivel that the teacher yammered on about. The spunky girl was now dressed in casual clothing that consisted of her favorite colors: shiny and glossy. Her pants and over jacket were silver and very flashy. The jacket was unzipped down past her breasts to show off her red t-shirt and she wore three bracelets on her left arm. Her necklace was gold, with her favorite jewel: the topaz inside it.
(I really don't care about these safety precautions... I know how not to cut myself with a knife.) thought one student in the class. Amara snapped out of her trance and looked at the student.
"Oh no... not again..." she sighed. "Ms. Smith, may I be excused?"
"Yes, Amara."
Amara ran out of the room as quickly as she could before she had a repeat performance of the last night. She leaned up against the walls and massaged her temples.
(What is happening to me...? Am I going insane? Am I really hearing these voices...?)
"Oh, Amara. Hello." greeted a strong, commanding voice. Amara recognized it. It was the voice of Dean Rathjen. The man in his early 50s still had light brown hair and was very well-built, wearing a suit.
"Hello... Dean Rathjen..." she sighed. "I'm... um... having a headache. I think I'm going to go back to my room and sleep."
"A headache? It seems pretty bad if it knocked you out last night."
"You heard about that...?"
"You sensei told me about it. I know him, you know." replied Dean Rathjen. Amara blushed a little, embarrassed.
(She's perfect.) thought Dean Rathjen.
(What does he mean by that...?) she thought, having heard it. (Oh my god... I'm hearing things again...)
"I feel flustered... I'm going to go..."
Amara turned and walked away, passing Lee and Arik on her way out.
"Hey Amara, you alright?" asked Lee.
"I'm FINE! Why won't anyone leave me alone?!"
Amara turned and ran out of the hallway, leaving Lee and Arik dumbfounded.
"Dude, you know her?" asked Arik, seemingly awed by Lee's connection with Amara. "She is so hot!"
"I know." replied Lee. "She's my sparring partner at karate."
"You should try and hook up with-- oh wait... you got a girlfriend."
"Yeah, Arik." said Lee, annoyed at him. "Why does everyone always forget that?"
"Trainer! Pearson! Get to class!" ordered Dean Rathjen. "Your dad may pay my salary, but that won't stop me from suspending you."
"Sorry Mr. Rathjen." apologized Lee. He and Arik headed for class.
"That's Dean Rathjen now! We're not in high-school anymore!" shouted Dean Rathjen after them as they headed into class. Rathjen was their principal in high-school, but when the college was founded, he got transferred to the college. He put his hands in his pockets and wandered off.
- - -
At some point later in the day... someone was making a phone call...
"Hello?"
"Yes, hello Mr. Irvine." said the caller, speaking into the phone. "I believe I've found our first candidate... she's exactly what you were looking for and more..."
"Is her name Amara Aquilla by any chance?"
"Yes.
"Good. We had already pre-selected her. Our other colleague took some Digital data and implanted it into her brain. Have you witnessed the side- effects of it yet?"
"Telepathy."
"Perfect."
- - -
Later that night:
At around eight PM, night time was just setting in. The sun was down and the sky was dark, with all the stars beautifully shining in the December sky. The air was crisp and refreshingly cool as it snowed fairly heavily. Amara walked down a street with her hands tucked away in her pockets, ignoring the cold. She walked up to a small house and kicked the door instead of knocking.
"Amara. Come in." said the stern voice of the man who opened the door. The bearded man was her father and he led her into the messy living room of their house. He shut off the TV and sat down on the couch. He motioned for her to sit as well.
"I'll stand."
"Look, Amara. I don't know why you've been avoiding your mother and I lately. Maybe you think that now that you're in college you don't need us. But--"
"I've only been 'avoiding' you because I can't stand you or mom!" she shouted. "You two never pay attention to me until you realize I'm not moping because you aren't!"
"We do so!"
"You didn't even come to my Karate tournament last week!"
"Like I told you, we were golfing and--"
"Oooh, you were golfing!" snapped Amara back. "You couldn't have missed that for one day to come see me!"
"Don't talk back to me, young lady!" growled her father. He got up from the couch.
(If Amara keeps contradicting me in my own house, I'm going to have to smack the stupid girl until she realizes I am the boss here!)
Amara's eyes widened and swelled with tears as she intercepted that mental thought.
"You aren't going to hit me! EVER AGAIN!!!" she screamed.
She turned and whipped the front door open as hard as she could and it smashed off of its' hinges when it connected with the wall. She ran out of her father's house and down the street in no particular direction. It had been snowing for quite some time now and she slipped on some black ice on the sidewalk.
"Ouch! Shit!" she cursed. She leaned over and massaged her leg, which had collided hard with the cement underneath her. "I swear I'm going crazy... I'm... I'm..."
(Telepathic.) said a voice in her head. She looked around and gasped.
(Who said that?!)
(Someone who understands you. Amara, I've been sent to give you a new direction in life... and to help you with your new gift.)
(Who... where are you...?)
Amara looked around and brushed some snow out of her hair as she stood up carefully. In her hand she felt a tingling sensation as it began to glow.
"What is... going on...!?"
A Black D-Volver appeared in her hand, surprising the hell out of her. There was another glow near her feet and she checked around to make sure no one was staring at her. Thankfully no one was driving in these parts of town so late at night.
A small creature appeared next to her. It's skin looked like it was made of white crystals, and it had ears and a tail like a cat, yet stood on two legs. It was about as tall as her waist and looked up at her with its big eyes, which were the only part of it that wasn't made of the white crystal. It didn't even appear to have a mouth. Amara stared back at it in shock.
(I'm Crystalmon. Your Digimon partner. Don't move Amara, for I have alot of information to relay to you.)
(Uhm... kay...)
- - -
Only a few blocks away was Lee's house. He lived there with two other boys who helped him pay the rent... but they weren't home at the moment. It had two floors, and the top floor had all the bedrooms. Lee was in his, talking on the phone.
"So how's your job at the radio station?" asked Lee, laying back on his double-bed. The voice on the other end of the phone belonged to Alison: his girlfriend.
"It's awesome! Today I got to meet Jim Chandler!"
"That electric guitar superstar?"
"Yeah!" replied Alison, obviously more enthusiastic than Lee was. Ali loved music and Lee hated how she was already in a career and he was stuck working in a stupid winery. But he'd loved her ever since they were kids, so he let it slide.
"That's awesome, Ali! I didn't see you at school today..."
"Yeah. You know, I overslept." she replied. "I don't think I'll be there tomorrow, I've got a busy night tonight."
"Oh." replied Lee, less than enthusiastic about that. He hadn't been seeing much of Allison lately and he was beginning to wonder if something was up. "Ali, I was wondering--"
Lee was cut off as he heard a familiar beeping noise... one he hadn't heard for a long time. He stared across his room at a pile of junk. One of the objects on the pile of junk... was his old D-Volver. And it was going nuts!
"Wondering what?" asked Ali, curious.
"I'll... uhm, call you tomorrow. I've got a busy night too."
"Lee, what--"
Lee slammed the phone down and ran over to his D-Volver. He picked it up and looked at the tiny LCD screen on it. On it formed a little LCD picture of his partner: Kokuwamon!
"Kokuwamon?! What the-- I can see you!" he exclaimed, excited. "I haven't seen you for so long!"
"Lee! There's trouble!" replied Kokuwamon's voice, crackling out of the speaker on the D-Volver. "Someone is tampering with Trinity Server again! And that someone is from yours!"
"It can't be Desiree again!" protested Lee, angry that their reunion was cut short by such unpleasant news. "She moved! And reformed!"
"No... this time there's four of them!" informed Kokuwamon to him. "Some bad energy was detected in your area and I picked it up! That's why I'm alerting you!"
Ace ran out into the hallway and saw Ace and Nathan's D-Volvers going nuts as well, but no one was answering. He looked back down at his own.
"Show me where!"
"Just follow my instructions!"
Lee made a mad dash out of his house as he struggled to fit his black jacket on. He slid on some ice but regained his footing and continued running like a maniac. It had been a long time since the servers crossed over and this time he was going to fix the problem before it got out of hand.
(This can't be anything like the Shadow incident! It just can't be!)
"Lee, turn into this alleyway! It's in here!"
Lee did as told and slowed to a walk as he entered the alleyway. He looked around but saw nothing but the sides of buildings and a few dumpsters. He kept walking.
"I just know it. I'm going to see a Shadow or some possessed Chosen or some crazy wild Digimon or... Amara?!"
Lee stopped in his tracks as he saw his female friend standing across the alley from him, a look of despair on her face. He looked around to make sure nothing else was there and then faced her.
"Amara! What is going on!? Are you alright?!"
"Everything is fine, Lee." she said to him, calmly. "You came just like she said you would."
"She who!?"
(Me.)
Lee heard a voice in his head and Crystalmon walked out in front of Amara and faced Lee.
"That's her!" said Kokuwamon, still watching from the LCD screen on Lee's D-Volver. "That's one of the Dark Digimon that escaped to your world!"
"Amara, get away from that Digimon!" shouted Lee. "I have to destroy it!"
Lee held up his D-Volver and from it emerged a rainbow of energy, illuminating the dark alleyway for a second. When it faded, Kokuwamon was standing in front of Lee. The metallic beetle snapped his claws menacingly.
"Hmmm. Snow." observed Kokuwamon. "Hope I don't rust."
"Amara! Get away now!" pleaded Lee, concerned for her safety. "You're not well!"
(Oh Lee, I'm perfectly fine.) thought Amara, projecting her thoughts into his head. (I've been blessed with telepathy as Crystalmon here told me.)
"Telepathy?! That's not natural, Amara! I think someone has been screwing with your system!" growled Lee. Kokuwamon nodded.
"I sense strange Digital energy in that girl." said Kokuwamon. "She's not completely human... not anymore. She's been given the same trait as Crystalmon... the ability to read minds."
"But...!" gasped Lee. "Then that would make Amara and Crystalmon partners!"
"Bingo." said Amara, showing Lee her black D-Volver. "And now that we've discovered that wondrous fact, let's have a sparring match like last night. Except this time, our Digimon are going to fight."
(You two will fall.) projected Crystalmon. (The grant to travel to this new world was the promise that I would destroy you, Lee Trainer.)
"That's right. Four Digimon disappeared from Trinity Server recently." informed Kokuwamon.
"WHAT?! So there's going to be four of them!?" exclaimed Lee. "Are the others getting their partners back!?"
"That might not happen. I was barely able to break through the barrier put up by the Guardians to contact you as it is. The others weren't able to make it with me."
(That's right. You're all alone in this, Kokuwamon.) projected Crystalmon. (Now I'm through with listening to you say things I already know! CRYSTAL TEMPEST!!!)
"Oh no..." gasped Kokuwamon. "She's attacking!"
Crystalmon's body began to glow and dozens of pieces of it shot off! The crystal shards were all hurtled at Lee and Kokuwamon. Kokuwamon knocked Lee flat onto the ground and the shards passed harmlessly over them! Kokuwamon then spread his wings and took off into the air!
(Mini Electro Shocker.) thought Crystalmon, predicting what he was going to do next.
"Mini Electro Shocker!!!" screamed Kokuwamon. But by the time he fired the jolt of electricity at Crystalmon, she had already dove out of the way. The crystal cat leapt up onto a fire escape ladder on the side of a building and scurried upwards amazingly fast!
"What the--" gasped Kokuwamon before being tackled in mid-air by Crystalmon! He struggled to maintain his flight as the cat attempted to drag him down!
Lee watched in shock and looked at Amara, who seemed pretty amazed by the whole Digimon-fighting thing.
"Amara! Why are you going along with this!?"
"She's the only one who can possibly ever understand what I'm going through. I can't tell you why but I suddenly feel like this is the right path for me. I want to help my Digimon partner accomplish her mission."
(Yeah, either that or that Yami D-Volver screwed up your head!) thought Lee, looking at the D-Volver Amara was holding.
"I don't think that's it, Lee." she replied.
"Hey, I didn't give you permission to go into my head!" he shouted.
"Mini Electro Shocker!!!"
Lee and Amara looked up to see Kokuwamon attempting to blast Crystalmon again, but she knew he was going to try that and leapt back onto the fire escape ladder.
(Crystal Tempest!!!)
She knew Kokuwamon was planning to dodge to the left, so right before she fired she turned and aimed in that direction! Kokuwamon was struck by the dozens of crystal shards and collapsed to the ground. Lee gasped in shock.
"We've gotta get outta here!" shouted Lee. He ran and scooped up Kokuwamon.
"Running away already?" asked Amara.
"Oh this isn't over, trust me!"
Lee dashed out of the alleyway and made his way home through the gathering blizzard. Amara and Crystalmon stood triumphant, not even bothering to notice the snow.
"Wow, that was amazing, Crystalmon! Are Digimon always that cool?!"
(Yup.)
"I haven't felt so alive in a long time! Thank you, Crystalmon... now I feel like I'm actually capable of something..."
(Something tells me that in your heart you weren't ready to kill Trainer.)
"I... err... well doesn't 'kill' seem a little extreme?"
(We'll see...)
"Alright. Now we gotta get back to my dorm room. We'll just have to pretend you're a stuffed toy."
(What's a stuffed toy?)
"... oh boy."
