The Defenders

Chapter 2: The Hatching

The eggs sat waiting, under the pillows and covers of their soul-partners' beds.

For the children, the lesson couldn't get over with soon enough. The minutes seemed to drag on for days.

Takato kept drawing what he thought his own digimon would look like once it hatched. He hoped it would be something neat looking.

Ruki found it hard to concentrate on her studies. She kept waiting for the patches of sunlight playing on the stone floor to change into the shadows that twilight brought.

Jenrya kept fidgeting in his seat. He just couldn't sit still knowing that in his room sat his egg, waiting to hatch.

Suichion ran her pointer finger along a crack in the stonework constantly hoping that soon she could see what was inside the brown and pink egg in her room.

Even Kenta, Hirokazu, and Juri were anxious for the day to end for a chance to see the strange eggs again.

When Sensei Kai finally decided to end the lesson for the day the children ran to their rooms. There they grabbed the eggs and all went to an old unused room.

In the room they took some tattered blankets and made a crude nest for the eggs.

"How long will it take them to hatch Jenrya?" Suichion asked her brother.

"I don't know." Jenrya shrugged.

"Do you think they could be dragons like, um, Ryo has?" Takato imagined.

"As long as it isn't a huge chicken I don't care what it is." Ruki said.

"If I had one I wouldn't be able to part with it." Hirokazu supposed.

"Is it really a good idea leave them here all night?" Juri asked.

"She's right. What if Sensei Kai found them?" Kenta added.

"I guess we should take them back to our rooms. Besides it is getting late." Jenrya sighed.

With that the children slowly crept back to their rooms with the large eggs hoping no one would catch them out of bed so late.

Ryo sat just outside of his and Cyberdramon's makeshift home for the night. He just stared at the winking stars as they emerged in the charcoal sky.

"What are you thinking about?" Asked Cyberdramon.

Ryo looked up at his partner momentarily then went back to the stars.

"You startled me." Ryo laughed

"And?"

"Do you think that those four kids can really help us against that army of super powered...creatures? I mean you can't call them human any more."

"Yes. I do think that they can."

"But I'm not sure. They're only kids! They don't know anything about fighting."

"You are only a few years older than they how can you call them kids?"

"They don't know what I do. Besides, four years is a long time."

"Then they will have to learn quickly. Those eggs should hatch soon, then we must start fighting."

"Every second we sit waiting for that to happen the army gets stronger."

"Ryo, you need to have faith." Cyberdramon paused for a moment. "That isn't the only thing bothering you. You can tell me what it is."

"What's bothering me isn't important. I'm going to sleep now." Ryo said and entered the cave they were staying at.

Cyberdramon watched as his partner left.

Ryo, you have to tell someone what you think sometimes. Don't hold it in like this. Cyberdramon thought to himself.

The full moon reached its zenith around midnight. The light shone in the rooms of the children through the open windows.

Takato woke up about then to a rumbling from the egg in his arms.

At first he was shocked and almost dropped the egg. Finally he gained his wits about him and ran to tell the others.

Coincidentally, they too, had awoken to similar happenings.

Wordlessly they ran to the abandoned room. They didn't even have time to set them down when the shells shattered and a fog filled the room.

Takato was the first to see what came out of his egg. It was a red dragon-like digimon with black markings.

"A-are you mine?" He whispered.

The reptilian digimon cocked his head at his soul-bound partner.

"I am Guilmon, your partner." He said happily walking to the boy.

Next to see her partner was Ruki. In front of her stood a tall human-shaped fox.

"I am Renamon."

"My name is Ruki."

The vulpine digimon nodded her response.

Suichion followed with the appearance of a small brown rabbit/dog with pink markings and three horns. She just gasped and threw her arms around him.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Lopmon." He answered.

"And I am Terriermon!" Said a digimon as it climbed up Jenrya's back. He looked similar to Lopmon, but only had one horn and was white and green instead of brown and pink.

Jenrya was speechless and just smiled.

"They've hatched." Cyberdramon announced.

"Wha-?" Wearily asked Ryo, looking up at his partner.

"The eggs have hatched. We must hurry. If we leave now we'll be lucky to make it there before dawn."

"Right." Ryo rubbed the sleep from his eyes and catapulted himself on Cyberdramon's back.

The two of them, with the moon playing along Cyberdramon's scaly back, headed off towards West Shinjuku.

The night was spent getting to know their partners that when Ryo entered the room, they didn't even realize that it was nearly dawn.

"Why are you back here?" Kenta asked curiously.

"I've come to get you. We should really get going before the Forgotten Army gets any closer to Shinjuku."

"What are you talking about? What's this 'Forgotten Army'?" Rika suspiciously asked.

"There's no time to explain! We have to defend Shinjuku, or we'll all be killed. Cyberdramon and I can't do it alone. We need you to help us."

Takato looked over at the other children, then at Guilmon who nodded, and finally at Ryo.

"Guilmon and I will help." Takato stated.

"What about the rest of you?" Ryo asked.

"I want to help!" Suichion chirped.

"Me too!" Lopmon added.

"We're going too." Jenrya said.

"I may not have a partner, but I'll come too." Responded Hirokazu.

"Same here." Kenta said.

"Don't leave me here alone with Sensei Kai." Juri ordered.

Everyone looked at Ruki.

"What?" She asked.

"Aren't you coming too?" Asked Terriermon.

"So you think just because the rest of you are going I will?" She retorted.

"Why wouldn't you come?" Guilmon questioned.

"Fine. I'll come--but only to keep you boys in line." She stated.

"Alright. Follow me." Ryo smiled.

He led the children to where Cyberdramon was waiting.

The sunlight peaked over the edge of the Earth and kissed the nearby grassy fields as the last child and digimon were seated on Cyberdramon's back. The group took off to face the threatening army known as the Forgotten Warriors. There was no turning back now. They were going to have to fight to protect their homes, and their people.

To be continued