1.1.1 Problems Arise
Canamon stood triumphant in the place of his fallen foe. Freeman stumbled to his feet trying to gain his composure. Freeman had watched action movies in the past, but he never experienced action up close. On a TV screen or in the movie theater, there is distance, but this was close, this was real. Freeman wiped some blood that seeped out of deep scratches on his arm. He examined the crimson on his fingertips.
Another thought came to mind. Canamon, he must have been injured too. Or did that odd transformation make him impervious to pain?
Freeman gazed at Canamon.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yea I'm fine." Canamon responded swiftly. "You really shouldn't run off like that, makes things tougher on both of us."
"That was incredible. What happened to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"The light and the body change, what was that?"
"Oh, I digevolved." Canamon said in an offhand manner.
"Oh yea of course…." Freeman said with a befuddled look.
"Computer" Canamon said aloud. A small beep echoed in response. "Open the doors." He commanded.
The doors opened revealing the girl and the White creature waiting impatiently. A girl… Shocking. Everything about this place seemed foreign to Freeman. And yet here was a human girl. A perfectly ordinary human girl. Somehow this terrified and comforted Freeman all at once. He wasn't alone with Amy in this odd place, but it was apparent he was far from home.
The girl looked familiar to Freeman but he couldn't figure out why. It was something about her face or her eyes. Little did Freeman know that the girl knew exactly who he was.
"You two all right?" the girl asked.
"Um, yea." Freeman responded, while examining her face further.
"Hey Canamon! Way to go you Digevolved!" the White Creature applauded.
"You're…. Normal" Freeman commented to the girl.
"Oh you mean not a digimon. Yea Hi I'm Kari."
"How did you get---"
"Hey everyone what's going on?" Amy yawned out interrupting Freeman.
Amy rubbed her eyes as she walked slowly forward. She had finally found the willpower to leave the warm comfort of the blanket.
"Morning Amy!" the white creature said excitedly running to her.
"Morning Talomon." Amy replied while scooping Talomon up in her arms.
"You know that thing?" Freeman asked.
"Stop being rude." Amy said sharply. "After you passed out we spent the night chatting."
Freeman felt very threatened. A girl, younger than he was, managed to be unfazed by this entire ordeal while he was still grasping to define its reality.
"It was a bumpy ride, ok?" Freeman said defensively. "Maybe I'm dehydrated." Freeman said as he felt his forehead to check his temperature.
Attempting to write-off the experience somehow made it all seem less traumatic.
"I don't believe I have met you though." Amy said to Kari.
Kari turned her head sideways and responded with a smile. "Hi I'm Kari Kamiya. Nice to meet you."
Kari turned to Freeman. "And don't worry no viral bits of data have gotten into you."
"Viral what?" Freeman asked. " Never mind. Where are we?"
"Welcome to the Digital world. This place is filled with Digimon. You have already met Canamon and Talomon."
"This is a little much to take." Freeman admitted.
"Follow me to main computer room." Kari offered. "Maybe that will explain more."
The offer was reasonable enough. Freeman and Amy followed Kari
Freeman took the opportunity to question Amy.
" What the heck is going on?" he whispered.
"Just be patient and find out." She said smirking.
"Thanks Amy, lots of help." Freeman thought to himself. Freeman was slightly angry at Amy's ability to adjust to the Digital world so quickly. Perhaps jealous…
Everyone entered the main room where the man in a white overcoat stood. He looked around forty to fifty years old. The hair around his ears was starting to turn white, but his head was still covered in thick jet-black curls. His face seemed youthful for a man of his apparent age. Only crows feet from excessive smiling marked the sides of his eyes. But his eyes seemed very sad.
The white coat was most distinguishable. It reminded Freeman of something that a spy or detective would wear. The tips of the coat jetted up around his ears blended with the white hair. Behind the coat he wore an outfit that looked fit for a formal dinner. His blueberry shirt created a deep contrast to his white coat and his black pants. A purple tie graced the shirt creating a splash of variety.
"Welcome to the main computer room of the citadel, here we monitor light and dark sides of the Digiworld."
Amy stared at the man intently, remembering something familiar about him.
"You're the owner of that Candy shop, the one over by Highton View Terrace! I used to love to get candy with Mom and Dad at your shop." She blurted out.
"Oh yea! I remember that place now." Freeman said instantly remembering the owner.
"What was the name of that shop again?"
"Miotstop. And I am Mr. Miotabi."
When Amy was younger she would scour the streets for loose change. Each cent she found she put into a small clear plastic piggy bank in the shape of a heart. Once the bank was full she would take her little brother to the Miot Stop where she would buy all sorts of candy.
Since at the time her family was impoverished it was a unique time for her. A special moment all her own. She could buy her brother to all sorts of candy as if she was wealthy. She could purchase whatever caught her whim. Moreover it was an escape. It reminded her she was a regular little girl.
Mr. Miotabi was almost like a secondary father. He would greet her every time she entered with a smile. Sometimes he would give her free candy that the shop had just stocked to make sure it was of the best quality.
"How did you get here Mr. Miotabi." Amy asked.
"I have been in the digital world for quite sometime." He said as though it were an answer.
"Do you know how we got here?" Freeman asked.
Although Amy completely trusted Mr. Miotabi, Freeman still had his suspicions.
"What was a candy man doing at a massive computer console in the digital world?" Freeman wondered.
"I need you two to do something for me." Mr. Miotabi said rapidly changing the subject.
"What's that?" Amy asked.
"We lost a digivice awhile ago that is going to be very important."
"Going to be?" Freeman asked.
"I'm hoping the two of you can find it." Mr. Miotabi continued.
"Why us?", Freeman asked.
"And What's a digivice?" Amy added.
"See that device attached to your jeans?"
It seemed the Mr. Miotabi was avoiding Freeman's questions all together. Mr. Miotabi attempted to disguise this fact with constant eye contact and hand gestures. He was obviously hiding something.
"You mean this?" Amy asked as she pulled out the device from her back pocket.
"Yes, they are very important. Somehow they amplify the inherent link between the light in the possessor and the Digimon that possessor is partnered with."
"Digidestined? Link? Light?" Freeman asked in a stream. Too many questions were shooting through his head and none of them were being answered. Would he get to go home? Why was he here?
"Well it links both the light and the dark. Light is like…I don't have time to explain it to you now but just think of it as a way to keep your Digimon safe and strong."
"This all sounds like some sort of crazy video game."
"You have no idea…" Mr. Miotabi said with a sigh. "I suggest you get going though. After this I need you two to deliver something for me. Dromamon get me a general location of the lost digivice and patch it to the trans- locator room."
"What are we your bondservants all of a sudden?" Freeman said defensively. "Where do you get off ordering us around? We just met."
Mr. Miotabi shook his head in disappointment.
"Just do it, I can't have you questioning me this early off." Mr. Miotabi replied in a calm voice.
The tone was enough to keep Freeman from questioning further.
"Kari will take you two where you need to go." Mr. Miotabi announced.
"What does he mean by early off?" Freeman thought to himself.
The prospect of early disturbed Freeman. He wanted this all to be over with quickly. This place was too foreign, too dangerous.
A little voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he often fantasized about going on adventures like these. So many times he thought he would be a brave adventurer out to challenge the unknown. Yet here he was sniveling to himself like a little coward. Freeman regretted ever having such thoughts.
Kari led him out the door and down the hall, presumably to the Trans- locator room.
Once Freeman exited Mr. Miotabi resumed pressing business.
"Have the others arrived yet?" Mr. Miotabi asked.
"Yes it appears they have landed on File Island."
"File Island? What are they doing way over there? Did their Digimon get there?"
"Their Digimon have been waiting at that spot for quite sometime."
An expression of utter confusion overtook the face of Mr. Miotabi. He had obviously planned something, the planned something that was melting before him this very moment.
Red lights began to flash on the screen. Mr. Miotabi dashed for the computer.
"Proximity alarm! A Kuwagamon is headed straight for them! It seems Shellmon is trailing close behind!"
"What? That's impossible!" Mr. Miotabi yelled. "How do the Dark Lords keep tracing their locations so quickly? They must have the ID tracers."
Mr. Miotabi pounded furiously into the computer.
"Scramble it quickly!" Mr. Miotabi commanded.
A map appeared on the large screen. Seven multicolored dots flashed in a steady rhythm. The dots steadily began shifting locations rapidly across the map until they disappeared altogether.
"How did the Dark Lords find out?" Mr. Miotabi demanded. The moment of anger subsided quickly. "Can we send help?"
Dromamon sighed in aggravation.
"We could have but we just scrambled their signal. We don't know where they are anymore."
"I guess they are on their own for now. Start dialing up the emergency phone lines. Maybe they will get to the phone booths and respond."
A steady humming began.
"Well… If they are really the Digidestined they will be fine." Mr. Miotabi said trying to comfort himself.
Canamon, Talomon, Freeman and Amy follow Kari to an odd looking room full of strange symbols. Amy brushed her hand over a few of the strange symbols. They caved inwardly into the wall. She stepped back and looked up to grasp the sheer height of the room. The symbols rose above her farther than she could see.
"What is this place Kari?" Amy asked.
"This is the trans-locator room, it is going to take you to where you need to go."
Freeman began to dawn on a face of worry. He remembered his last two trips vividly. "Is it going to de-molecularize us or something?" He asked.
"No the room changes its environment to match the position you want to go to. It doesn't change you at all."
"It does what? How?"
"He asks too many questions" Canamon mumbled to himself aloud as he gave a glare of disapproval. Canamon's impatience visibly grew by the moment.
"How are we supposed to find this Digivice anyhow?" Amy asked.
"Here let me borrow yours for a second." Kari said motioning to Amy.
Amy handed the Digivice to Kari. Kari examined it a second and then threw it full force down the hall. The scraping of the device to the floor echoed down the hallway.
"Hey we need that!" Talomon yelled in protest.
Talomon bounced off to retrieve the digivice. Odd sounds started emanating from Freeman's pocket. He reached for it and pulled out his digivice to notice a small screen with a purple dot flashing
"Oh I get it. It's like radar." Freeman said with a moment of enlightenment.
The dot steadily approached as Talomon drew closer with the device bobbing on her head.
Talomon handed the Digivice to Leala as Freeman began to show Talomon his discovery in triumph. As a result Canamon became even more impatient.
Holding his emotion in he simply stated, "Well let's get a move on." In a loud tone.
"Okay let me get out and I will make sure the process starts." Kari responded.
"You're not coming with us?" Freeman asked.
Before he could even finish his sentence Kari had stepped out the door. A low hum emitted from around them.
Curiosity overwhelmed panic and Freeman sat back and watched a marvelous sight. The walls around them began to shift and change shape until the room finally transformed into a lush green forest. A cool breeze moved the trees creating a slight chill in the air.
"Why couldn't we be looking for it on a nice sunny beach?" Talomon moaned.
Canamon looked to Freeman for direction. If Freeman didn't hurry up he was going to take command himself.
"Well? Which way?" Canamon demanded.
Freeman looked down at his Digivice and honed in upon the red flash.
"That way."
Canamon stood triumphant in the place of his fallen foe. Freeman stumbled to his feet trying to gain his composure. Freeman had watched action movies in the past, but he never experienced action up close. On a TV screen or in the movie theater, there is distance, but this was close, this was real. Freeman wiped some blood that seeped out of deep scratches on his arm. He examined the crimson on his fingertips.
Another thought came to mind. Canamon, he must have been injured too. Or did that odd transformation make him impervious to pain?
Freeman gazed at Canamon.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yea I'm fine." Canamon responded swiftly. "You really shouldn't run off like that, makes things tougher on both of us."
"That was incredible. What happened to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"The light and the body change, what was that?"
"Oh, I digevolved." Canamon said in an offhand manner.
"Oh yea of course…." Freeman said with a befuddled look.
"Computer" Canamon said aloud. A small beep echoed in response. "Open the doors." He commanded.
The doors opened revealing the girl and the White creature waiting impatiently. A girl… Shocking. Everything about this place seemed foreign to Freeman. And yet here was a human girl. A perfectly ordinary human girl. Somehow this terrified and comforted Freeman all at once. He wasn't alone with Amy in this odd place, but it was apparent he was far from home.
The girl looked familiar to Freeman but he couldn't figure out why. It was something about her face or her eyes. Little did Freeman know that the girl knew exactly who he was.
"You two all right?" the girl asked.
"Um, yea." Freeman responded, while examining her face further.
"Hey Canamon! Way to go you Digevolved!" the White Creature applauded.
"You're…. Normal" Freeman commented to the girl.
"Oh you mean not a digimon. Yea Hi I'm Kari."
"How did you get---"
"Hey everyone what's going on?" Amy yawned out interrupting Freeman.
Amy rubbed her eyes as she walked slowly forward. She had finally found the willpower to leave the warm comfort of the blanket.
"Morning Amy!" the white creature said excitedly running to her.
"Morning Talomon." Amy replied while scooping Talomon up in her arms.
"You know that thing?" Freeman asked.
"Stop being rude." Amy said sharply. "After you passed out we spent the night chatting."
Freeman felt very threatened. A girl, younger than he was, managed to be unfazed by this entire ordeal while he was still grasping to define its reality.
"It was a bumpy ride, ok?" Freeman said defensively. "Maybe I'm dehydrated." Freeman said as he felt his forehead to check his temperature.
Attempting to write-off the experience somehow made it all seem less traumatic.
"I don't believe I have met you though." Amy said to Kari.
Kari turned her head sideways and responded with a smile. "Hi I'm Kari Kamiya. Nice to meet you."
Kari turned to Freeman. "And don't worry no viral bits of data have gotten into you."
"Viral what?" Freeman asked. " Never mind. Where are we?"
"Welcome to the Digital world. This place is filled with Digimon. You have already met Canamon and Talomon."
"This is a little much to take." Freeman admitted.
"Follow me to main computer room." Kari offered. "Maybe that will explain more."
The offer was reasonable enough. Freeman and Amy followed Kari
Freeman took the opportunity to question Amy.
" What the heck is going on?" he whispered.
"Just be patient and find out." She said smirking.
"Thanks Amy, lots of help." Freeman thought to himself. Freeman was slightly angry at Amy's ability to adjust to the Digital world so quickly. Perhaps jealous…
Everyone entered the main room where the man in a white overcoat stood. He looked around forty to fifty years old. The hair around his ears was starting to turn white, but his head was still covered in thick jet-black curls. His face seemed youthful for a man of his apparent age. Only crows feet from excessive smiling marked the sides of his eyes. But his eyes seemed very sad.
The white coat was most distinguishable. It reminded Freeman of something that a spy or detective would wear. The tips of the coat jetted up around his ears blended with the white hair. Behind the coat he wore an outfit that looked fit for a formal dinner. His blueberry shirt created a deep contrast to his white coat and his black pants. A purple tie graced the shirt creating a splash of variety.
"Welcome to the main computer room of the citadel, here we monitor light and dark sides of the Digiworld."
Amy stared at the man intently, remembering something familiar about him.
"You're the owner of that Candy shop, the one over by Highton View Terrace! I used to love to get candy with Mom and Dad at your shop." She blurted out.
"Oh yea! I remember that place now." Freeman said instantly remembering the owner.
"What was the name of that shop again?"
"Miotstop. And I am Mr. Miotabi."
When Amy was younger she would scour the streets for loose change. Each cent she found she put into a small clear plastic piggy bank in the shape of a heart. Once the bank was full she would take her little brother to the Miot Stop where she would buy all sorts of candy.
Since at the time her family was impoverished it was a unique time for her. A special moment all her own. She could buy her brother to all sorts of candy as if she was wealthy. She could purchase whatever caught her whim. Moreover it was an escape. It reminded her she was a regular little girl.
Mr. Miotabi was almost like a secondary father. He would greet her every time she entered with a smile. Sometimes he would give her free candy that the shop had just stocked to make sure it was of the best quality.
"How did you get here Mr. Miotabi." Amy asked.
"I have been in the digital world for quite sometime." He said as though it were an answer.
"Do you know how we got here?" Freeman asked.
Although Amy completely trusted Mr. Miotabi, Freeman still had his suspicions.
"What was a candy man doing at a massive computer console in the digital world?" Freeman wondered.
"I need you two to do something for me." Mr. Miotabi said rapidly changing the subject.
"What's that?" Amy asked.
"We lost a digivice awhile ago that is going to be very important."
"Going to be?" Freeman asked.
"I'm hoping the two of you can find it." Mr. Miotabi continued.
"Why us?", Freeman asked.
"And What's a digivice?" Amy added.
"See that device attached to your jeans?"
It seemed the Mr. Miotabi was avoiding Freeman's questions all together. Mr. Miotabi attempted to disguise this fact with constant eye contact and hand gestures. He was obviously hiding something.
"You mean this?" Amy asked as she pulled out the device from her back pocket.
"Yes, they are very important. Somehow they amplify the inherent link between the light in the possessor and the Digimon that possessor is partnered with."
"Digidestined? Link? Light?" Freeman asked in a stream. Too many questions were shooting through his head and none of them were being answered. Would he get to go home? Why was he here?
"Well it links both the light and the dark. Light is like…I don't have time to explain it to you now but just think of it as a way to keep your Digimon safe and strong."
"This all sounds like some sort of crazy video game."
"You have no idea…" Mr. Miotabi said with a sigh. "I suggest you get going though. After this I need you two to deliver something for me. Dromamon get me a general location of the lost digivice and patch it to the trans- locator room."
"What are we your bondservants all of a sudden?" Freeman said defensively. "Where do you get off ordering us around? We just met."
Mr. Miotabi shook his head in disappointment.
"Just do it, I can't have you questioning me this early off." Mr. Miotabi replied in a calm voice.
The tone was enough to keep Freeman from questioning further.
"Kari will take you two where you need to go." Mr. Miotabi announced.
"What does he mean by early off?" Freeman thought to himself.
The prospect of early disturbed Freeman. He wanted this all to be over with quickly. This place was too foreign, too dangerous.
A little voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he often fantasized about going on adventures like these. So many times he thought he would be a brave adventurer out to challenge the unknown. Yet here he was sniveling to himself like a little coward. Freeman regretted ever having such thoughts.
Kari led him out the door and down the hall, presumably to the Trans- locator room.
Once Freeman exited Mr. Miotabi resumed pressing business.
"Have the others arrived yet?" Mr. Miotabi asked.
"Yes it appears they have landed on File Island."
"File Island? What are they doing way over there? Did their Digimon get there?"
"Their Digimon have been waiting at that spot for quite sometime."
An expression of utter confusion overtook the face of Mr. Miotabi. He had obviously planned something, the planned something that was melting before him this very moment.
Red lights began to flash on the screen. Mr. Miotabi dashed for the computer.
"Proximity alarm! A Kuwagamon is headed straight for them! It seems Shellmon is trailing close behind!"
"What? That's impossible!" Mr. Miotabi yelled. "How do the Dark Lords keep tracing their locations so quickly? They must have the ID tracers."
Mr. Miotabi pounded furiously into the computer.
"Scramble it quickly!" Mr. Miotabi commanded.
A map appeared on the large screen. Seven multicolored dots flashed in a steady rhythm. The dots steadily began shifting locations rapidly across the map until they disappeared altogether.
"How did the Dark Lords find out?" Mr. Miotabi demanded. The moment of anger subsided quickly. "Can we send help?"
Dromamon sighed in aggravation.
"We could have but we just scrambled their signal. We don't know where they are anymore."
"I guess they are on their own for now. Start dialing up the emergency phone lines. Maybe they will get to the phone booths and respond."
A steady humming began.
"Well… If they are really the Digidestined they will be fine." Mr. Miotabi said trying to comfort himself.
Canamon, Talomon, Freeman and Amy follow Kari to an odd looking room full of strange symbols. Amy brushed her hand over a few of the strange symbols. They caved inwardly into the wall. She stepped back and looked up to grasp the sheer height of the room. The symbols rose above her farther than she could see.
"What is this place Kari?" Amy asked.
"This is the trans-locator room, it is going to take you to where you need to go."
Freeman began to dawn on a face of worry. He remembered his last two trips vividly. "Is it going to de-molecularize us or something?" He asked.
"No the room changes its environment to match the position you want to go to. It doesn't change you at all."
"It does what? How?"
"He asks too many questions" Canamon mumbled to himself aloud as he gave a glare of disapproval. Canamon's impatience visibly grew by the moment.
"How are we supposed to find this Digivice anyhow?" Amy asked.
"Here let me borrow yours for a second." Kari said motioning to Amy.
Amy handed the Digivice to Kari. Kari examined it a second and then threw it full force down the hall. The scraping of the device to the floor echoed down the hallway.
"Hey we need that!" Talomon yelled in protest.
Talomon bounced off to retrieve the digivice. Odd sounds started emanating from Freeman's pocket. He reached for it and pulled out his digivice to notice a small screen with a purple dot flashing
"Oh I get it. It's like radar." Freeman said with a moment of enlightenment.
The dot steadily approached as Talomon drew closer with the device bobbing on her head.
Talomon handed the Digivice to Leala as Freeman began to show Talomon his discovery in triumph. As a result Canamon became even more impatient.
Holding his emotion in he simply stated, "Well let's get a move on." In a loud tone.
"Okay let me get out and I will make sure the process starts." Kari responded.
"You're not coming with us?" Freeman asked.
Before he could even finish his sentence Kari had stepped out the door. A low hum emitted from around them.
Curiosity overwhelmed panic and Freeman sat back and watched a marvelous sight. The walls around them began to shift and change shape until the room finally transformed into a lush green forest. A cool breeze moved the trees creating a slight chill in the air.
"Why couldn't we be looking for it on a nice sunny beach?" Talomon moaned.
Canamon looked to Freeman for direction. If Freeman didn't hurry up he was going to take command himself.
"Well? Which way?" Canamon demanded.
Freeman looked down at his Digivice and honed in upon the red flash.
"That way."