When Ruby woke up, she was surprised by a pink head with strange ears on her chest. She cried out as images flooded her mind so fast it hurt, but she didn't register any of them before they stopped altogether.

"You're finally awake! What took you so long, Ruby?"

"What? How do you know my name?"

She sat up, holding the creature at arm's length.

"I'm your friend! My name's Koromon!"

"Koromon…"

That struck her like something she should remember, but she shook the feeling away.

"Do you know where my sister and cousins are?"

"Yeah! Follow me!"

He jumped out of her hands, hopping through the trees. She followed him as quickly as she could, seeing Gem and Crystal ahead, each with a small creature. Gem's was a green fur ball and a purple-ringed cat's tail, while Crystal's was a white little creature with stubby little legs and strange ears like Koromon.

"Sis!"

She held up the creature beside her.

"Meet Nyaromon! She's my new friend!"

Ruby sighed, and the creature with Crystal jumped on top of her head, saying, "I'm Tokomon, Crystal's partner."

"Sis!"

They turned to see Rose run up, a creature tucked under her arm, a horn in its forehead.

"Who's that?" Ruby questioned.

"He said his name's Tsunomon. Who's that?"

She pointed at Koromon.

"That's Koromon. And that's Nyaromon and Tokomon." Ruby answered, pointing at the creatures as she said their names.

"Guys?"

They all turned to see Anna, a strange pink creature beside her.

"And that is…?" Crystal questioned.

"He said his name is Motimon…"

After introducing the creatures again, they heard a cry, and raced to find it, seeing John and Alice, Alice hugging a pink, flower-like creature like it was a stuffed animal. John had a floating gray creature by his head, and Ruby made herself known, coughing.

"Hey, guys. What's up?"

"Oh! Hey, Ruby! This is Yokomon!"

Alice held out the adorable creature, and Ruby smiled lightly.

"This is Bukamon." John answered her question before she voiced it, and she nodded. After even MORE introductions, Rose asked the question they were all thinking.

"What ARE you guys?"

They all grouped together on the ground, chorusing in unison, "Digimon! Digital Monsters!"

"Digimon?"

They all had this feeling that they were forgetting something, but they just couldn't seem to remember, and it felt like they were holding the information back from themselves, though they didn't understand why. But a scream snapped them out of their thoughts, and Alice jumped to her feet.

"CATHY!!!"

They raced to the source, seeing Cathy running towards them, a small green, leaf-like creature next to her, whom Koromon said was Tanemon.

"What's wrong, Cathy?" John questioned his sister, helping her up.

"There's a big bug thing! Kuwagamon!"

Before they could question her, a large red beetle-like Digimon flew at them through the trees, and Ruby pushed her cousins out of the way before moving herself. The claws skimmed her arm, though the scrape didn't even bleed or hurt, and she was on balance again before grabbing her cousins and running in the opposite direction, Koromon before her.

When Kuwagamon flew over her head, Koromon jumped up, shooting bubbles at the large Digimon, though he was knocked aside, and Kuwagamon was knocked off balance. Ruby picked him up, soothing him as they ran, and they came out on a cliff.

'Damn it!'

She tried to find a way down, but there was no way on earth they could climb down so steep a slope…Kuwagamon burst through the trees, and Gem cowered behind her sister, frightened, when Nyaromon jumped forward, attacking with the other Digimon, though they were all hit aside.

"Nyaromon!"

"Tokomon!"

"Tsunomon, what were you thinking?!"

"Yokomon?!"

"Bukamon! You crazy fool!"

"Tanemon…you okay?"

"M-Motimon, are you hurt?"

"KOROMON!!"

They ran forward, when Kuwagamon burst forth in anger, nearly hitting Rose and John, when the Digimon, a new determination fueling them, said they needed to fight.

"Are you CRAZY?! You don't stand a chance!!"

Rose retorted, holding Tsunomon tight. But their holds were wrenched loose, and they watched as the Digimon charged.

"Nyaromon! Don't fight!"

"Tokomon, come back!"

"Tsunomon, get your butt BACK here!!"

"Motimon, don't be reckless!"

"Yokomon, don't!"

"Bukamon, don't be stupid!!"

"Tanemon! PLEASE don't!"

"Koromon!! Be careful!!"

Beams of light fell on the charging Digimon, and, in a flash of blinding light, the Digimon changed. They were bigger, stronger…Ruby felt that feeling like she should know something about her new friend. When a name struck her, she whispered it softly, unsure.

"Agumon…?"

The larger Digimon charged, attacking powerfully. When Kuwagamon fell into the trees, the Digimon turned to the surprised children, and ran, hugging them.

Agumon ran to Ruby, hugging her tight, while Gabumon practically tackled Rose to the ground. Patamon landed on Crystal's head, making her giggle. Salamon jumped into Gem's arms, licking her cheeks, while Biyomon flew around Alice, making her laugh and hug the pink bird. Palmon hugged Cathy, who hugged her back tightly, while John lifted up Gomamon, hugging him tight. Anna kneeled down, looking at Tentomon intently, saying little things she felt showed how he resembled real bugs.

But when Kuwagamon came out, stabbing his jaws into the cliff, and it fell. As they fell to the river below, everyone hugging their Digimon, Gomamon fell in with John, using Marching Fishes. A raft of fish came up, stopping everyone from drowning.

As they raced downstream, the rocks falling behind them, making the water rough and rocky. They were lucky enough to get to shore, and everyone, tired, just lay on the shore, breathing heavily.

"That…was…AWESOME!"

Gem sat up.

"What did you guys do, anyway? When you got bigger and everything?"

"We Digivolved." Salamon answered, curled up on her lap.

"So…when you get bigger and stronger, it's Digivolving?" Anna questioned, her mind racing.

"Yes. But we can't do it alone." Tentomon answered.

"Yeah…in order to do it, we needed to share your energy." Agumon explained.

"But how do you do that?" Alice questioned.

"Even we don't know everything!" Biyomon defended.

Crystal sighed, petting Patamon between his wing-like ears.

"I don't really know why you guys changed…but I'm really glad you guys did…"

She smiled, and Patamon looked up at her eyes curiously.

"Can you see me? Is something wrong? Did Kuwagamon hurt you?"

"No…I was born like this…I can't see…but don't worry, I can still tell where you are…I can see through other people's eyes and everything…"

Patamon nodded, and flew up to her head.

"Well, I'll just have to protect you anyway."

'I know…you're a great friend…'