I didn't really say this anywhere in the first chapter, but I honestly don't plan on changing too much from the show. I'm not planning on making the evolved forms of Skymomon super uber powerful and Lucy is not taking the place of Tai or Matt or anyone else. Definitely not replacing Kari. I've come up with an Original Crest for the girl to have. I'm not making her into a staple character, and she's not going to interfere with the major plot points. I'm going to add a few chapters dedicated solely to her, but that just like what happens in the show, where the kids and their digimon will have an episode devoted to them.
Chapter Two: The Birth of Greymon
Lucy was always fond of those dreams she had where she was falling. They would start out normally for her. She'd just be walking to somewhere unimportant, maybe the park, or out into the school courtyard for recess. Right in the middle of her journey to where ever, the ground would disintegrate under her feet and she'd begin a slow descent.
The fall would always start out in darkness, sending her through a void of black space. But as her speed picked up she'd see a mote of light somewhere down beneath her. She would always angle herself towards that light and do her best to fall faster. The light would get closer and closer, growing larger and larger, chasing away the darkness.
Unfortunately Lucy would always wake up before she could reach that light. But she knew that, if she ever reached it, it would be something great.
That's why she always liked those falling dreams. Maybe she never reached the light, but someday she would.
Falling from a cliff outcropping towards rushing water hundreds of feet below was nowhere near the same experience. It was far, far more terrifying.
Skymomon, about double the size of a rhesus monkey, was doing her desperate best to slow Lucy's fall speed, but Lucy was too large and Skymomon too small for it to have much effect.
Tentomon, Biyomon and Patamon had pretty much the same idea, grabbing on to Izzy, Sora and TK respectively, but they were facing the same problem of Skymomon. Their charges were just too big to keep in flight. Their wings gave out, and the four children resumed falling.
Palmon tried a different trick to save herself and Mimi. She lashed out with her Poison Ivy attack, wrapping three vines around Mimi and the other three around another outcropping. It was not to be. The rock the plant digimon latched onto came loose, creating even more falling debris for the children to have to dodge mid fall.
The screams of the eight children and their digimon filled the air. It seemed as if, even with the best efforts of their new friends, they were going to die.
Of the group, Joe was the first to hit the water, followed quickly by his partner, Gomamon. Joe began to kick about, grunting and crying out for help, when Gomamon had a brilliant idea that would save them all.
"Fish Bed!" The seal digimon cried out. Perhaps not so surprising, given the special powers of the other digimon, this brought forth a thick school of multicolored fish. They bubbled up from the water underneath Gomamon, spreading outward to lift Joe out of the water as well. The school kept growing as the children and their digimon fell one by one onto the surprisingly soft bed.
"Wow, this is some ride," Tai commented as he could feel the fish wiggling beneath him.
"Whoa," Lucy marveled as she landed, Skymomon holding onto her back like a living backpack, "Wicked beans, Gomamon!"
But was not yet well.
Above them they heard an increasingly familiar roar. Turning their eyes skyward would show them Kuwagamon standing at the edge of the remainder of the cliff. He looked to be about to take off and chase the kids further when the rock beneath him broke apart and he too began to fall into the river.
"What?" Matt spoke incredulously as he saw the monster, "Hey, look out!" he warned the others, prompting screams of fear.
Gomamon didn't waste a single moment, "Go!"
At his order, the school of fish quickly swam away from the landing zone, just in time to miss being smashed by huge rocks and a still angry Kuwagamon. The crashing bug digimon and rocks caused a huge wave, however, and the children had to hold on for dear life to avoid being tossed from their living raft. Luckily, the fish were capable swimmers, and rode on the crest of the wave to get away even more quickly from the spot Kuwagamon had landed.
A few minutes later, the children and digimon had left their living raft behind to put their feet on the solid ground next to the river. After so much action, not a single one of them wasn't out of breath. Joe's glasses were even askew as he sat there on hands and knees, desperately taking in the much needed oxygen.
After a few deep breaths, and more than a few sighs of relief, Matt sat down more normally, one knee bent skyward, and said, "I knew we'd be okay," false bravado tinting his voice, "I wasn't worried."
"What was that?" Joe asked, "A floating fish market?"
"Lucky for us those fish were having a school reunion, huhuh!" Gomamon said with a chuckle.
"Hmm?" That had the oldest boys eyes widening in fright at the danger they had been in.
"Hee hee," Gomamon laughed, "I'm kidding! Those fish are good friends of mine, and I just asked them for a lift."
The blue haired thirteen year old let go of a breath as he sat up, fixing his glasses back into their normal position, baring a thankful smile to Gomamon, "And all these years I thought I was allergic to seafood. Thank you, um," Joe blinked, scratching the side of his head, "I guess it's not Bukamon?"
"Gomamon now," the friendly little critter told the older boy with a smile on his face.
"Gomamon, hmm?"
"And I guess you're not Tokomon, are you?" TK asked as he inspected with wing eared, tan creature his new friend had become.
"Mm-mm," the creature acknowledged, "Now I'm Patamon."
"It's all because we Digivolved."
This prompted Tai to look over at the yellow dinosaur he'd hugged earlier for saving his life from Kuwagamon. He stood up, thinking over that word.
"I don't think that word's in my dictionary," he commented.
Izzy decided to make not of his observations so far, Tentomon hovering in the air behind him, "So 'Digivolving' is what happens when they advance to the next level and become more powerful than before."
"That's right!" Tentomon said, "All of us Digivolve. I went from Motimon to Tentomon."
"So, you were Urimon," Lucy said to the blue monkey on her back. The creature nodded.
"I turned into Skymomon," she said with a grin.
Standing next to Sora, the pink bird digimon said, "I Digivolved from Yokomon to Biyomon."
"First, I was Tsunomon, then Gabumon," the fur covered creature next to Matt said.
Gesturing to herself, the living plant next to the still crouching Mimi said, "And I changed from Tanemon to Palmon."
"And me? I was Koromon," the yellow dino pointed at himself with one claw, "Now I'm Agumon."
"Mmm-hm," Tai nodded, placing his arms behind his head as he gave Agumon a once over to really take in all the changes, "When you Digivolved you certainly got way bigger. Does this mean you're something different now? Or are you still digimon?"
"Digimon," Agumon said proudly, "But I needed your help, Tai!"
"Me? For what?"
"You see, Digivolving is a very difficult process," the dinosaur explained, "In order to be successful, I had to share your energy." This had captured all the kids attentions, all of them eager to learn more about their new friends.
"Really?" Tai asked.
"I guess you guys don't run on batteries," Sora commented as she leaned down to look at Biyomon.
"Sure don't!" Biyomon said with her eyes curved upward in a smile.
Izzy turned to Tentomon, a good question on his lips, "But how do you access my energy?"
Tentomon shrugged, "Even we don't know everything." Izzy sighed at that response, resolving to do more research on the matter.
Palmon spun in place, an overjoyed squeal in her throat, then turned to Mimi, "Thank you for my magical powers!"
Mimi sighed, her cheek resting her hand as she crouched down next to the plant digimon with the emerald eyes, "The whole thing makes my head spinny."
Pulling Skymomon from her back, Lucy looked at the blue monkey with green wings and a pink and red flower in her braids, "Can you Digivolve even more?"
Skymomon nodded happily, her tail curling, "Yep! And into all different kinds of forms too!"
TK was walking around Patamon about this time, "So I help you change. That is so cool!"
"Yep," Patamon said with a smile, "Sure is!"
Joe had turned from Gomamon though, his arms crossed and his eyes closed, "My folks warned me about strangers."
"I'm not a stranger, Joe. I'm your friend for life," Gomamon said, a touch hurt at the rejection.
"Hmm," Joe intoned noncommittaly.
"This is all great, but, come on, what are we gonna do?" Matt cut to the important matter, namely, how they were to survive in this weird place.
"If only there was a payphone nearby," Joe suggested, getting everyone to look at him, "We could call the police, or the fire department... or my mother."
"But we don't even know where we are," Tai pointed out.
"But we know where we started," Sora said, looking up at something behind the group, "Up there on that mountain." Indeed, the mountain that they had first woken up on was behind them, looming in the distance like a beacon.
Matt took one look at the monstrous climb they'd have to do, and shook his head, "I say we forget about going back and explore around here."
"I'm not exploring anywhere," Joe insisted, crossing his arms again, "I say we stay right where we are."
"Yeah, let's wait for that giant bug to come get us," Matt poked a hole in Joe's plan before going on with his own, "We need to find a road to get us away from here!"
Izzy nodded to Matt's plan, seeing no fault in his logic, "Matt's right," he said, before looking to the sky with a heavy sigh, "But without a compass we don't even know which way is north."
"Wait, I do!" Tentomon piped in.
"Well, which way is it?" Izzy snapped his head in the direction of the red beetle digimon.
"It's the opposite of south." Izzy just sighed again in exasperation.
Lucy looked around them, letting Skymomon hang off her back again, "Maybe we can use the trees to figure out where we are. You know, using that moss trick?"
"I don't think so," the tech genius replied, "I haven't seen a single scrap of moss on the trees here, and I believe the environment is too tropical for the kind you're thinking of."
"Oh," Lucy sighed.
Joe realized what it was going to come to and grumbled lowly to himself, "I shouldn't wear these pants. They ride up when I do a lot of walking."
"You know," Sora began, "If we could get back to where we were, we might find some clues as to why we're here in this place."
Mimi looked at Sora, a frightful realization coming to her, "Wait. Are there more monster around like that big flying beetle?"
"Yes, indeedy!" Palmon answered with a grin.
"Ick!" the poor pampered girl grimaced.
"Those monsters don't scare me," Matt said, trying to lift the girl's spirit.
Tai however turned to Agumon, "Are there humans?"
"Humans?" the dinosaur asked, "Others like you?"
"Mm-hm," the goggle wearing boy nodded, a hopeful smile on his face.
"You're the first ever," his hopes were dashed, "There's never been anything but digimon."
"So, you're all digimon," Tai said after a moment of thought, "And these monsters are all digimon too?"
"It's creepy, and dangerous," Sora said, still standing next to the crouching Mimi, "And what happens when it gets dark?"
"Who says it ever gets dark here?" Matt asked, earning a look from Izzy.
"That phenomenon would be unnatural," the intelligent boy said with his arms crossed.
"And you call this natural?" Joe asked.
Lucy looked from Joe and Izzy to the digimon all around them, "Maybe. The digimon could just be indigenous to this place, you know. Like gorillas in Africa," she turned to look at Skymomon over her shoulder, "Do you know about any other places, where anything other than digimon grow, Skymomon?"
"Mm-mm," she shook her head, "I never really thought about it."
Tai turned around to face the entire group, "Well, we're not gonna find out anything by sitting around here." He turned and began a determined, energetic walk.
"Where do you think you're going?" Matt demanded to know.
"Up on that cliff, that's where I saw the ocean," Tai explained.
"The ocean?" Matt all but yelped, knowing for sure that the last time he checked they were nowhere near the ocean. But that was back at camp.
"Yep!" Tai said with a grin, "There might be a boat or something," he then made a gesture for the others to follow him down to the beach he knew was there, walking on with Agumon right behind him.
"Great," Matt said sarcastically, "Let's water ski home."
Sora just shook her head, "Funny."
Joe was also not convinced, "At a time like this I think it would be a far better plan just to find a cave and hide," he said with his eyes closed as he visualized his plan, "We keep our eyes open, and when a camp councilor com-"
"Hey, Joe!"
"Hmm?" the blue haired boy opened his eyes, to see that the others were walking off without even listening.
"Everyone's leaving us!" Gomamon told him before turning to follow the others.
"Wait for me!" The tallest boy called out.
It wasn't long for the walking before Gomamon decided to simply swim in the river they were following. It didn't take a genius, after all, to know that rivers led to the ocean.
Honestly, they made quite the motley crew. Eight kids, eight weird little creatures, all following a river to the ocean in the middle of a tropical forest under a multicolored sky. Thinking about it all, Lucy really didn't mind. Other than the whole running for her life bit, this was turning out to be a cool little adventure. And that warm feeling in her chest was persisting, despite everything.
After a few minutes of walking in silence, Sora decided to speak up.
"These Trees are beautiful," she mentioned.
"Yeah," Izzy said, "They're really different. And I just thought they were sub-tropical." He looked around at the huge trees, the wildly growing vines, and the massive flowers that made up the landscape.
Joe was still nervous, as witnessed by the tight hold he had on the strap of the emergency supply bag, "Whatever the are," Joe sniffed, his voice becoming nasally, "they're aggravating my hay fever."
Matt just sighed as he walk along beside Gabumon, his hands in his pockets, "Hey, Joe, is there anything you don't complain about?" his partner chuckled at that little barb.
"Digital Monsters," Izzy pondered aloud, "Who, exactly, came up with that name, anyway?"
"Just call us Digimon," Tentomon told him as he hovered alongside the red headed boy, "We like that."
"I only ask because your composition isn't at all machine-like," Izzy pointed out.
"Oh, really?" Tentomon leaned forward in his flight and activated the electricity that he generated between his wings.
Izzy flinched away from the red-white current arching between the insectoid's wings, "Hey! Watch it!"
"So, Patamon, can you really fly?" TK asked the tan, blue eyed digimon next to him.
"Of course!" The little guy said and leapt into the air, beating his wings determinedly. Unfortunately, he wasn't nearly as good at it as Tentomon, Barely staying in the air as it was.
"Wow, that's cool!" TK praised him, "But you're going the wrong way." The poor little guy was losing ground as he kicked his little legs futilely trying to stay up.
Biyomon leapt into the air as well, "I'm faster than that, watch!" Unfortunately for her, she could gain anymore speed than Patamon, the two of them maintaining a pace that had them being left behind by the children as they walked.
"Wouldn't be faster to walk?" Sora asked as she kept a steady pace next to the youngest of the group.
Lucy was just humming to herself as she looked at the sky, "What's it like up there, Skymomon?"
"Up where?" the monkey asked as she hopped from branch to branch in the trees.
"In the sky," Lucy turned to look at her partner, "is it really cool?"
Skymomon grinned wide, "Yeah, it's like you drop all your worries behind and just float on the wind."
The pink haired girl looked back up at the sky again, "Hmm? I hope I can do that someday."
Mimi, up ahead, turned to her flower headed digimon, "Palmon, I've been meaning to ask, who does your hair?"
"It's natural. I wake up in the morning like this," the plan digimon told her partner.
"Wow! Maybe you could let me work with it," Mimi clasped her hands in front of her chest, a smile on her face.
"Do you think you think you put too much emphasis on appearance?" Palmon asked, looking up at the light brown haired girl.
"Well, honestly, I never really thought about it," Mimi admitted.
Looking away from the girl, a slight redness on her face, Palmon said, "Honestly, I kind of like my hair the way it is."
At the lead of the group, Tai began to speak his thoughts aloud, "Once I get back, this is gonna make a great story," he nodded to himself, while Agumon grinned at him, "Of course, not a single soul will ever believe me."
"That Kuwagamon back there," Izzy mumbled, "He was huge."
"And he's not the only one," Tentomon said helpfully.
Gabumon stopped and sniffed the air, "Ah, nothing like the smell of the ocean."
"Ha ha!" Gomamon called out, "Everybody in the water!"
"Let's build a giant sand castle!" TK exclaimed.
"Aw, and I forgot to bring my bathing suit," Mimi complained.
"Race you there, Skymomon," Lucy said getting ready to run off.
"Wait a minute!" Matt called out, getting them all to stop, "Listen!" Everyone quieted down for a moment and they heard a very distinct ringing, "What's that?"
"A phone," Tai said after listening to it for a second.
"Either that or we're all hearing things," Sora said with a dubious look on her face.
Deciding to risk it, the kids ran towards the sound of the ringing, which, consequently, took them right out to the beach.
There, they found about ten phone booths, all line up, right at the water's edge. The one closest to the group was ringing insistently.
"I told you!" Joe yelled out from the back of the group, "All we needed was a phone! We're saved!"
They all raced forward, Tai, the most physically fit, was at the front of the group, and he was able to reach the door and open it. Just in time for the ringing to stop.
"Why'd it stop ringing, Tai?" Agumon asked, Looking from the green payphone to the wild haired boy.
"Wrong number?" the boy guessed as the others came to a stop behind him. He turned around to look at the others, wondering what they thought about it.
"Well, that's bizarre," Sora said, a hand on her hips and she looked at all the payphones in the sand.
"My theory is aliens," Izzy said, "They could have set these phone booths out as a trap."
"If we can find a place that delivers, let's order pizza," Matt said.
"Whatever you get, no anchovies for me," Mimi told him.
"The question is," Sora said insistently staying on topic, "What are these doing on the beach?" It was not an unreasonable question.
"So people can call their parents for a ride home," Joe explained, though he wasn't quite sure he believed it himself.
"Parents?" Gomamon questioned, drawing the eyes of the children, "What exactly is a 'Parents'?"
Joe looked at the little digital seal monster before saying, voice full of exasperation, "That's it, I'm outta here."
Standing at the first booth still, Tai held out his hand to the other kids in the group, "Does anybody have any loose change?"
"Why?" Izzy asked.
"Obviously I'm gonna make a phone call to get some help," he explained.
Lucy searched through her pockets for change, but Izzy was quicker, "Ah, use my phone card. The aliens can bill me. Here!" he held out the card to Tai, who took it.
"Maybe there's a quarter in one of the slots!" TK surmised before running towards one of the booths.
"I'm calling daddy!" Mimi exclaimed, right behind him.
"I'm hooking up to the internet," Izzy said matter of factly.
"I'm calling collect," Matt said as he walked by.
"Dibs on booth Four," Sora called out with a smile. Tai was beginning to enter a number as they passed.
"Hey, guys! Wait for me, come on!" Joe walked up to one of the booths.
"Aren't you gonna try to call for help, Lucy?" Skymomon asked.
"Well..." The little pink haired girl looked at the phone booths apprehensively, then looked back at the weird sky they were under, "Didn't you tell me we were in the Digiworld? I don't know if a phone call can cross that distance. I mean, I've heard of international, but interplanetary?"
Just then, Tai finished dialing his home phone number.
The phone on the other end rang once before someone picked it up, "Hello? Hey mom it's me."
What he got back from the receiver was a nasally woman's voice, "At the tone, the time will be exactly forty five miles an hour, and ninety seconds."
"Something's wrong, or mom's flipped," Tai stated.
With Mimi and Palmon, their receiver said, "Tomorrow's forecast calls for clear skies with occasional icecream."
"What do you wear for that?" Mimi asked, completely confused.
"This number only exists in your imagination, please hang up and don't call back," the voice coming from Matt's phone said jovially while TK stood nearby.
"What planet did I dial?" The blond boy in the green tank top wondered.
"I'm telling you," Izzy said as he looked at the phone in his hand, "It's a twisted, alien joke."
Tentomon unfurled his wings from beneath his carapace and took flight while pointing at another booth down the line, "Why don't you try that one over there?"
Biyomon shook her head, "I don't think it's any better."
An extremely cheerful voice said to Sora, "No telephones are working in your area! Hang up and have a nice day?" Sora frowned and she was tempted to slam the phone back into its cradle.
"Huh!" She grunted as she crossed her arms.
"Any luck?" Tai asked as he approached.
"No," she grumped.
"Weird," Tai said, lifting on eyebrow, "I've got a strange feeling about this."
A little while later, the only one still trying to get the phones to work was Joe. The others had all gathered a small distance away, while he kept dialing number after number.
"Okay," he mumbled to himself, "Maybe this one."
"If you'd like to leave a message, press one now," Joe's shoulder's slumped at that, "If you'd like to leave a finger print, press two now. Fifteen dollars for the next three minutes." But he still wasn't willing to give up. He pressed down on the button in the cradle to hang up, then tried the next number.
"Kay, next one!"
About twenty feet away, some of the kids just sat back and watched as the blue haired boy went at it.
"Very curious," Izzy spoke, "Does Joe always behave like this?"
"Every single day," Tai nodded from his place on the ground with his legs cross in front of him.
"No matter what number, or how many times he dials, those phones aren't gonna work," Matt said with a shake of his head at the poor delusional boy.
"Well," Tai said, getting back up and dusting off his back side, "I'm gonna keep searching for a boat or something." Before he could get anywhere, Matt's voice stopped him.
"Hey, wait a minute! Even though we can't call out of here, there's always a chance someone might be able to call in to us," he explained rationally.
Tai just shook his head, "It's a waste of time doing nothing but sitting here."
Matt ignored that though, "I'm gonna stay here for a little while and see if anyone calls. Besides, Everyone could use a little rest."
That got through to Tai. He really was the most physically fit of the group, with Matt being a close second. All the running and walking they'd done that day had hardly phased him. But the others?
Mimi, TK, even Lucy, and all their digimon, were wiped out. They were actually groaning with the effort it took to stay sitting up at this point.
"And I'm getting pretty hungry, too," Izzy decided to stack on.
"You know why?" Tai said, "Because we haven't eaten anything all day," he turned back to the rest of the group and said with a grin, "Okay, break time, everybody!"
Sora sighed in relief from her place in the sand next to Biyomon.
"Does anybody else have any food? I think all I've got is," she reached for the nap sack at her waist then paused as she felt something that wasn't there before, "Huh? It's that gadget that fell out of the sky at camp." She unhooked it from her pink belt and held it before her.
Tai unclipped his from the side of his shorts and held it up, "I forgot all about those weird gizmos."
"If anyone's got a pink one, I'll trade," Mimi said as she looked at the one on the strap of the brown leather bag she was carrying.
"What are they anyway?" TK wondered.
"We wouldn't have them if they weren't important," Matt decided.
Holding hers before her, Lucy inspected it, pressing the buttons, but getting nothing to happen, "I think mine has dead batteries."
"If I could take min apart..." Izzy began, but trailed off when his stomach growled for sustenance, "Um, that is, after I get something to eat. I'm really famished."
Sora nodded, putting her device back on her belt then reaching into her nap sack, "Well, all I've got are my emergency supplies. It's got a first aid kit, some bandages and some medicine, but that's about all I've got." she held out the afore mentioned supplies in her hands.
Izzy set down his travel bag and unfolded his computer, "I have my trusty lap top computer and a digital camera. Oh, and I've also got a small cell phone too." Tai crouched down to take a look as Izzy went on, "Of course, not one of them has worked since we got here."
"I can't believe you dragged all that computer stuff to summer camp," Tai told him.
Izzy gave a very light frown, "And what do you have?"
"Uh?" he pointed at himself with his thumb questioningly, "Let's see," he reached into his back pocket, "There's... my mini telescope!" He held it out before him.
"Sorry," Matt said, gloved hands in his pockets, "but I don't have anything to eat either."
"Hey!" TK said to his big brother, "Look at what I got!"
"Hmm?" Matt turned to the little guy. Lucy too peered at him inquisitively.
"Check it out," TK pulled the green pack off his shoulders and set it down before opening the flap to show junk food and candy boxes. Lucy was practically drooling as she looked into the pack with big puppy dog eyes, a finger in her mouth.
"Wow! Look at all those goodies!" Mimi exclaimed, "Why don't you be a good little boy and share those treats with dear, sweet Mimi?"
TK just grinned, "Aw, you don't have to be so nice, Mimi, I'm happy to share, you're the best. Isn't she cute?" He turned to his older brother.
"Forget it," Matt said, not really appreciating his little brothers attempt to set him up with a girlfriend again.
TK saw Lucy's reaction and grinned wider, "You can have some too, Lucy!"
"You rock, TK," the ten year old said, "All I brought was pocket lint."
Tai's stomach rumbled again and he said, "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
"I'd settle for a small cow," Izzy said from beside him.
"Mimi, what have you got in that big bag?" Sora asked the other girl, "Some hair brushes and make up?" she joked.
"Uh, well, let's take a look," She opened the flap on her bag and began setting out item after item that had the groups mouths hanging open, "Here's a compass, cooking fuel, flashlight, one of those knives with all the things, and some other stuff."
The group, digimon included, let out a collective, "Whoa."
"Why didn't you tell us you had a compass back when we needed one?" Matt asked a little indignantly.
Mimi just smiled, "I thought it'd be kinda fun to see how far we can get without one. Besides, it's broken."
Tai was still looking at all the stuff she'd pulled out of her bag, "Well, so much for our way out of here."
"Although," Matt said, "We could use the fuel to make a signal fire."
"That's true," Sora agreed, but sent a glare at the faulty equipment across the way, "Or we could barbecue some telephones."
Looking over his shoulder, Tai grinned at the irony, "Oh boy, check out the genius. See, he's trying to call the telephone repairman because the telephones don't work. Problem is- Look!" Tai cut himself off once he saw what Joe was carrying, "Joe's got the emergency food!"
"Huh?"
"What? No way!" Izzy said despite his hope that it was true.
"Joe! Hey, Joe, look! You've got all the food!" Tai called over to the oldest one of the bunch.
Joe whipped around with a frown, "Hey! Don't you know it's rude to interrupt someone when they're on the telephone!?"
"But that bag-" Izzy began.
"This?" Joe asked, "I just brought it to give to Mimi. Today was her day to carry the bag!"
"Think he likes ya," Palmon said to the girl with pink hat.
"No way," Mimi brushed away that claim with a half lidded gaze.
Joe pulled the strap of the bag off his shoulder, and ran over, holding it before him for Mimi to take, "Mimi, you have got to stop thinking of your self and do something for someone else for once. Take a little responsibility," Joe scolded.
"But that bag's too heavy for me," she complained.
"Listen, you never hear me complaining," Joe told her.
"Guys," Tai rushed forward to stop the argument, "guys, the most important thing now is that we have some food to eat," he grinned, "so let's sit down and have some lunch."
Sora agreed with a grin and a nod of her head, "Uh-huh!"
A few minutes later, while everyone sat down in a circle and Gomamon was chilling out in the calm waves of the ocean, Joe began to figure out how to ration the food.
"Okay, let's figure this out. There's eight people in the group, times three days," he said so everyone could follow along, "times three meals a day, that comes to..."
"Seventy two meals," Izzy said helpfully.
"Uh, right. So split evenly between us, we have, uh..." Joe trailed off again.
"Enough food for three days," Izzy finished for him again.
"Right! Oh, exactly, I guess you knew that," Joe said sheepishly.
"But guys," Sora said, bringing forth a small detail, "When you count in the digimon, we only have enough for about... have an hour."
"Oh, that's right..." Joe sighed out, reaching up to scratch the back of his head as he tried to figure out a way to make the food last longer.
"Not a problem at all," Gabumon said with a smile, "We digimon hunt and forage for ourselves."
"You do?" Sora asked, while the other kids asked with a simple 'huh?'.
"No need to include us in your calculations," Tentomon told them proudly.
"You sure, Biyomon," Sora asked her partner.
"Oh, absolutely," the bird digimon said, "We can do alright for ourselves."
That brought Joe's spirits back up, "Alright! Now that that's taken care of, let's go ahead and divide this between the eight people here."
Just behind him, and ignoring him for the most part, Tai and Agumon were already chowing down.
"This is great," Tai said happily, "I could eat a dozen of these."
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Joe demanded of the two.
"I'm glad we never here you complaining," the wild haired boy said sarcastically with half lidded eyes, getting Joe to grit his teeth at the younger kid.
"You people make me crazy!" The poor older boy exclaimed.
Just a little ways out at sea, Gomamon was still just chilling out, humming a little song to himself when he heard a monstrous growl that startled him, "Uh-oh!"
Whatever it was, it was moving towards the shore. Sitting next to Sora, Biyomon suddenly stood up and whirled around.
"Hmm," she intoned with a frown on her face as she glared towards the phone booths.
"Now what's the matter?" Sora asked.
"Trouble," the bird said simply, and it would prove true when the children began to hear the rumbling growl soon afterwards. And if that wasn't enough to get their attention, a giant geyser of water began spraying out of the sand with tremendous force. It moved along the shore, going under the payphones and knocking them one by one into the air. They each came crashing down, totally ruined.
The kids quickly got up from their meeting spot and ran, leaving Mimi's bag, the emergency food bag, and TK's pack behind them.
After the last of the phone booths was destroyed, the sand began to be pushed up from underneath, then turned into a twister for a moment before the sand cleared away to show a spiked twirling shell rising out of the ground.
"What's that?" Izzy called out. Tentomon was only too happy to reply.
"Shellmon!"
"What's a Shellmon!?"
"Something that gets mad for no reason!" Tentomon explained, stating only what he'd seen of the creature so far.
The top of the creatures she was spinning rapidly, still kicking up wind and sand, but it eventually slowed. At the front of the house sized shell, there was an opening with a mass of pink flesh and little green protrusions. This grew outwards, turning into a head with seaweed green hair tentacles, and bright pink skin, with two large hand with pink suckers at the end of each finger.
It roared at them angrily as it approached, pulling itself along with it's arms.
"Attacked by two digital monsters in the same day," Joe moaned, "And doesn't Shellmon know I'm allergic to shellfish?" Shaking that thought off Joe called out to the rest of the kids, "Everbody! Up here!" He turned and began to rapidly climb the fifteen foot high embankment behind them.
Shellmon wasn't having any of that though, spraying the guy down with water from the top of his head, knocking Joe onto his rump on the sand below.
"Joe!" Gomamon called from the sea before Shellmon blasted him too.
With those two taken care of, it turned its attention to the others. Standing at the front was Agumon, claws raised and frown on his face.
"Digimon, attack!"
"Right!" Gabumon, Biyomon and the others called back before rushing forward. Shellmon didn't seem the slightest bit afraid of the oncoming assault.
"Go, Agumon!" Tai called while Sora and Matt helped Joe to his feet, "You show him!"
"Pepper Breath!" Agumon called then released the familiar fireball at the big digimon. It managed to knock Shellmon's head to the side rather well, and Gabumon prepared to make use of the opening provided.
"Blue Blaster!" unfortunately, the blue stream of fire sputtered out after just a few feet," Huh?"
Biyomon moved up next to try her luck, "Spiral Twister!" The spiraling green flames took form for a second, but just as quickly disappeared.
"Super Shocker!" Tentomon's attack amounted to more of the same.
"What's happening to them?" Izzy cried out.
"They look like they've lost their powers," Matt said.
The Shellmon had recovered from Agumon's attack by now and began spraying water out of his head again. It knocked Biyomon out of the air, then slammed Agumon and Gabumon back, before moving on to ground Tentomon.
"Agumon!" Tai called out, worried for his buddy. The Dinosaur jumped right back into the battle though. And it was still going in Shellmon's favor.
"Boom Bubble!" Patamon called, but his attack didn't even really make it out of his mouth before it failed and a tentacle sent him flying away.
"Whirlwind Fist!" Skymomon punched forward with her right forearm covered in the swirling green winds, but it just petered out and she began to drop out of the sky, Shellmon helping her get to the ground faster with a blast of water.
"Poison Ivy!" Palmon held her claws up, but they didn't even wiggle.
The pink hermit crab creature just knocked her away with a swing of it's head.
Agumon then hit it with another Fireball. It seemed he was the only one capable of attacking at the moment.
"Go get him, Agumon!" Tai encouraged.
"Why is it only Agumon?" Izzy asked, as he kneeled next to the fallen Tentomon.
"We're just too hungry," the beetle moaned.
"Wha?"
"Gabumon!" Matt said, his voice thick with worry.
"I don't have any strength," the poor guy struggled to say.
"I'm sorry, Lucy," Skymomon mumbled into the arms of her partner.
"Oh, Skymomon."
"That's it!" Sora said as she stood up with Biyomon in her arms, "Agumon is the only one who had anything to eat."
"Now I see," Izzy said.
"Then the other digimon don't have enough strength left to fight!" Matt concluded at the same time.
Tai, who had been paying attention to both the battle and what his friends were saying, turned his full focus on the fight.
"Agumon, looks like it's just you and me now!" he called out to the yellow dinosaur.
"Then give me a diversion!" Agumon yelled back.
Tai didn't even hesitate to run forward. He cut off to the large digimon's right side, yelling the whole way, "Hey, Shellmon! Ugly! Over here!"
Shellmon followed Tai's movement, and Sora gasped in fear for the boy, "No, don't!"
At the same time, on the other side of the huge digimon, Agumon sent out another Fireball, stopping the monster from attacking Tai. That gave the goggle wearing boy enough time to pick up a long piece of metal from one of the destroyed phone booths and run over to start hitting the side of the creatures shell with it.
"This'll work!" He began hitting the monster as hard as he could, "How do ya- like- that?" He paused each time he whacked the shell, until the digimon wrapped him in a green tentacle and lifted him into the air, "Huh!?"
"Hang on, Tai!" Agumon called out when he saw the boy get wrapped up. But the Shellmon just growled angrily and pinned the little digimon underneath one large hand.
Those two take care of, he turned his ire on the other kids and their digimon. He leaned his head forward and began spewing forth more high pressure water. From right to left he smashed them one by one into the wall of the embankment. If it wasn't enough to knock the kids out, it was certainly enough to hurt if their cries were anything to go by.
"Watch out!" Tai tried to warn them, "He's gonna get everyone! And there's nothing I can do! Aaah!" Tai screamed in pain and the monster tightened it's hold on him around his torso.
Agumon, peaking his head out from under Shellmon's paw, yelled out, "Tai, no!"
The situation was only getting more hopeless as the seconds passed. Tai could hear the tentacle tightening around him. Soon it was gonna be tight enough to crush him into Tai flavored pudding! But then a new noise started up. It was a high pitched keening and it came from the device on his shorts.
"Digivolve!" Agumon called out, summoning up all the energy he could from his connection to Tai.
Like on the cliff face, the gizmo glowed brightly, then it sent a bar code like stream of light into the sky. The swirling black returned and another beam of light came down to strike Agumon who was also glowing with blinding yellow light beneath Shellmon's hand.
"What's... goin' on!?" Tai questioned. The other kids were speechless with awe.
"Agumon, Digivolve to Greymon!" And suddenly, Shellmon did not have a hand big enough to cover what was once Agumon. Now, in the little guy's place, was a huge dinosaur with orange sales. It had blue strips going all down its back, big red eyes, and three claws to each hand. On it's head was a brown helmet like thing with three horns, two on the sides just behind it's eyes and one coming out of the tip of it's nose.
The Shellmon was flipped onto its side by the much bigger dinosaur, and it let go of Tai, sending him flying don the length of the beach as it did. Luckily, the sand was softer than straight rock, so, after a spin or to on the ground, Tai was good enough to get back up.
"Heh heh heh!" Greymon laughed as he turned to properly face the shellfish.
"Whoa," Tai said, "He did it again! Now he's Greymon!"
Between the two huge digimon, it was now a stand off. But it only lasted for a scant few moments. Shellmon rushed forward to knock Greymon back with a headbutt. Greymon wasn't to be moved though, stopping the monster with little effort.
"Now you're getting him! Go Greymon!" Tai shouted his support.
Unsatisfied with this, Shellmon tried to blast him with another high pressure geyser of water. Greymon dodged to the side, then began breathing fire back at the sea dwelling digimon. The fire and water clashed, creating steam in the middle.
The water cut out and Shellmon took a step back. Greymon wouldn't have it though. He grabbed the critter by two of the horns protruding from its shell and placed his head under it's torso and lifted up with all his might. Quite unexpectedly on the part of Shellmon, the digimon was thrown through the air, showing the bottom of his grey shell.
Greymon took the opening this created and charged up his special attack.
"DigiNova Blast!" A huge mackin' fireball flew out of Greymon's mouth and slammed into the Shellmon. It propelled him further into the air then exploded with great effect, sending the shellfish digimon far out to sea.
With the battle over, Greymon began to glow and shrink, becoming Agumon again.
"What?" Tai wondered, running forward to meet his partner, "Agumon! Oh," He got there just as the glow faded out and the little guy collapsed to the ground from exhaustion, "Are you okay? You poor little guy. Agumon!"
"Tai?" Agumon asked as he regained consciousnee, "Tai!"
"Huh?" the boy's worry began to fade.
"Do you have anything... to eat?" the little dino asked.
This prompted relieved nervous chuckles from Tai, who was happy just to have his buddy still be okay.
A few minutes later, with Gomamon still enjoying the nice sea water, Joe was on the phone again. Or at least he was trying to use what was left of one.
"Hello? Hello! Come on, I know you're there! Operator? Operator!" he was kneeling in the sand next to the only intact phone, the receiver held to his head.
A little ways away, the rest of the children were sitting around a veritable picnic.
"There's really no reason to stay here now," Tai said.
"Who wants to break the bad news to Joe?" Matt asked, obviously not volunteering.
The digimon were eating some food of their own, the meals split between the kids and the creatures so that if yet another creature attacked, they would have the energy to fight this time.
"You want some more, just say so," Sora told the digimon while she knelt next to Biyomon.
Standing between Matt and Tai, Izzy made them aware of the full situation, "Shellmon was not destroyed, just temporarily removed. We should pack up and leave before he decides to come back for round two."
"Good idea," Matt gave.
"In that case, we should go right back to the forest," Joe said, having finally given up on the phone, "'cause if anyone's looking for us, that's right where they'll go!"
"Joe, I've said this before," Sora told him as she stood up, "We fell down a cliff and floated down a river to get here. It's gonna be a really big job to get back."
"And we could run into Kuwagamon," Mimi protested from her place on the ground.
"Now, listen," Izzy began, "Logically speaking, if there are telephones here, there must be people to use them. So, I think it makes good sense to try and find those people."
"That makes sense?" Joe queried unbelieving.
"It certainly does," Sora insisted.
"I think so," Lucy said with a smile.
Joe grumbled, but Tai said aloud, "Then let's all get going!"
"Anywhere you wanna go, I'll go, Tai!" Agumon said happily, "You just picked the direction!"
"Then let's get out of this place," Tai said with a big smile.
"And Let the monsters beware," Matt said, Joe nodding.
"Mm-hmm, well, my plan is to avoid all monsters. Yep. That's my plan," the blue haired boy said.
"Okay!" Tai said, after they all picked up the supplies they'd laid out, "Here we go!" He lead the way down the beach, everyone looking a lot happier having been fed and rested.
Chapter Two: End.
Please Enjoy.