Chapter Two

Bear-cub Punch

God I felt so odd. It was like I was weightless yet I had never felt so heavy before in my life. My head was fuzzy yet it was oddly clear. Not just that but I was both hot and cold at the same time, like half my body was in a fire while the other was one giant ice cube. Does any of that make sense?

It was all I could do to open my eyes and look up into the sky. I groaned and felt my head, sure I'd feel something odd about it. I was wrong thank lord for that.

Slowly I sat up clutching my head as it felt like it just rolled off my shoulders bounced off the ground and landed back on the wrong way around, five times. Yep that's how I felt right now. When I was finally steady I got up swaying on my feet before holding my arms out to my sides to balance. "Anyone catch the plate for that bus?"

"I believe their some type of digital apparatus." Izzy was saying.

"Huh?" I moved up to him looking down into the palm of his hand and at the odd thing in his hand. They all had one actually. It was this small little thing as big as a stop watch and just able to fit in the palm of his hand. White with blue indented corners and a screen that took up the majority of the thing. It had a dark blue antennae coming from the top right corner with three buttons on it one at the top of the screen and two at the bottom.

"What no instructions?" Matt asked.

"Guess not." I mumbled still feeling odd. I felt like I was floating off my feet. And fought back the urge to throw up what little I had in my stomach.

I heard the sound of breaking water and looked to the side feeling my grogginess grow to extremes even as I saw something that shouldn't be possible for two reasons. The first there was no lake by us. And two if there was that must have been one hell of a large lake.

A wave higher than I've ever see stood before us bearing down on us. It crashed down the water rushing around us and drawing in where it split down the middle like a large drain or canal that kept losing water. It sucked us in throwing us around head over heels.

I must have blacked out again because when I came to I felt fine, though a little sore. I lay on my back on the rough ground the sun shining through the boughs of trees and right into my eyes. I groaned rolling over and throwing my hand out.

I couldn't help but sigh when I felt something wet cover my hand. Eyes still shut I brought my hand to my face and rubbed it.

I froze.

No that couldn't be right. My hand was bigger than it was before for one. And it felt like it was wrapped in something. Not just that but it was sharp and soft, and when I touched my face I felt it slope out like it would on a muzzle.

My eyes shot open and I crawled towards the puddle that my hand had dropped into only to freeze again. I must be dreaming, yah that's it, I'm dreaming. I hope I am.

Staring right back at me from the puddle was what looked like a bear cub. It had a white mouth and muzzle with a black nose, sharp teeth peeking out between the lips. Red marks on its cheeks sort of like the smears that sports people put on them shone on the grey fur that covered it. Round soft looking ears peeked out of the sides of a baseball hat colored a soft purple. The hat was turned backwards and the word 'Bears' was written in clear stylised red lettering.

I jumped to my feet looking down my body at the puddle. Oh now I really hope I'm dreaming. I looked down at a small body of a bear cub with a soft white furred underbelly and sharp looking claws on its large feet and hands. The hands were mostly covered by leather belts the same color as the hat the many buckles shinning on the back of the hands. Running across my chest was another single belt the same color. I arced my back looking behind me to see that I had a small tufted tail.

"This can't be happening." I murmured back up and stumbling. I fell with an oomph eyes still wide as I tried to understand what had happened. "I know; I'll pinch myself awake. Yah that'll work it has before why not now?" God I hope it works I'm actually talking to myself.

I reached up to my arm and shut my eyes and went to pinch myself. I couldn't. I looked closer at my hand and my jaw dropped. "Of course what next?" I only had three fingers and toes on each hand and foot, not just that but they were stubby to the point where on my foot they were near nonexistent. All I really had were these sharp claws.

"I can do this." I muttered. Squeezing my eyes shut I placed the index claw of my right hand on the underside of my left arm and grimaced. I drew it down feeling it glide through the fur and scrap my arm enough to cut skin and draw a small drop of blood.

"Damn." I hissed holding my arm tight at the throb of pain that quickly disappeared. God I hope this is one of the dreams that you can't wake up from until it's finished because if it's not then I'm in trouble.

"And last but not least this little guy is…uh." That was Tai! And he sounded close.

"T.K. and I'm not as small as I look."

"There now is that everyone?" Tai asked. No, no it isn't what about me.

"Hey what about that girl with the funny pink hat. And what was his name Nate the one with belts?" Belts? Is that how they remember me?

Screaming caught my attention and I turned towards it. I could feel my small ears twitching through the holes in my hat and couldn't help but frown. This will take a bit of getting used to even if it is a dream.

It stumbled in the direction of the scream. It was tough trying to run when you have next to no toes. Not just that but I had to lift my feet more than I was used to. Before when I ran I would glide my feet over the ground to move faster but now it was like I took bounding steps.

I beat my way through the thick bushes and bounded past the tree trunks moving faster than I did as a…as I still am when I wake up. The others were already there in the clearing standing over Mimi as she sat in the centre with this odd creature that reminded me of a cabbage with red eyes.

There were six others. One looked like a pink radish. Another like an orange puff ball with a horn. A third looked like the classic ghost except pink. One was a grey seal, another a small pig like look with odd wavy ears. And the final was just a white puff ball with wavy ears.

"Ok so we have Mimi but where is Nate?" Tai asked.

"Ah over here." I told them. I was hiding behind a bush out of view but close enough for them to hear me easily.

"Where?" Sora asked looking around.

"The bush, I'm behind the bush." I shook said bush to show them and T.K. moved forward. "Wait! Before you come closer." I had to chuckle. "You wouldn't believe what happened to me."

"Nothing can surprise us right now." Matt noted. "What is your things name?"

"I don't have one." I took a deep breath and stepped out of the bush head down. "I am one."

The silence was thick and I could have cut it with a claw. "No way cool!" T.K. yelled.

I looked up only to see him almost right in front of me. Actually and here's the shocker. We were the same size now. Wow I really am short. I looked into his eyes and couldn't help the grin. He looked surprised but not scared so that's something.

The next was Mimi who almost instantly ran her hands through my fur. "Wow you're so soft!"

"Stop it that tickles." I chuckled shying away.

The others went to open their mouths to say something but before they did an ear splitting, or at least for me roar shook the air. I looked up and saw this giant red beetle flying towards us. "Watch it here he comes!" Tai pointed out.

"Run!" Sora ordered with me mimicking her.

We took off running into the trees hoping to slow the bug down. It didn't work the large creature just flew through the trees like they weren't there chopping them in half like you would chop onions. "Down!"

I dived rolling into a ball and sliding along the ground as wind sliced over head with a roar. The beetle flew past angling up and away from the large trees.

"Will this nightmare ever end?" Joe asked before letting out a short scream at a falling branch. "My mom is going to want a complete and total refund."

"First you have to survive." I told him getting to my feet and following the path of the creature. "Here he comes!"

"Ok that's it no more running away." Tai growled getting tensely to his feet.

"What else can we do?" Sora asked helping Mimi to her feet.

"She's right we can't fight that thing." Matt shot at him.

"And not win anyway." Izzy muttered bringing us down.

Tai turned to me but I shook my head. "I've been like this for barely an hour I barely know how to run let alone fight."

That settled it. When the bug cut into the trees we jumped and moved back into the woods running for what seemed and probably are our lives. The odd creatures trailing behind us small but moving quickly. We were really covering ground moving past tree upon tree and dodging past bushes.

The roars of the bug behind us echoed through the woods along with the crashes of the trees it felled to get at us.

We left the trees behind and kept running. Big mistake. We slid to a stop, a cliff not far in front of us and angling up even higher as if to mock us with its height.

"Great anyone bring a helicopter?" Matt asked sarcastically.

"Or a parachute?" I added looking around hoping one would appear. Hey as far as I'm concerned this is still a dream, which would also explain how accepting they were of my new look.

I moved forward inch by inch with Tai and looked over the edge. God I hate heights. I got the usual sense of vertigo and moved back holding back a heave. "Careful Tai." Man glad she knows she cares about me.

The trees rustled behind the others causing them to run forward in fright. Not a second to soon either because just than the trees snapped bending to the side easily and outshot the beetle with a roar flying over us and narrowly missing Tai and I.

It came back around and I watched it circle before angling right for the cliff, or really right at Tai and I. "Run!" I yelled.

"Here I go!" The white puff ball told us bouncing by just as I dived at Tai's legs and tackled him to the ground.

"Not again." I heard Tai mutter.

"Digimon attack." Another one ordered.

They lunged forward and shot…are those bubbles at the bug? It didn't even phase it if anything just pissed it off. But it did distract it and caused it to take the turn to sharp. It lost control and fell out of the air and crashed beyond my sight into the trees.

"Yokomon!" Sora yelled.

I looked around me and saw all of the small creatures, digimon they called themselves. "Koromon are you crazy? Why'd you do it?" Of course he's crazy Tai he's the size of a soccer ball and he took on something two stories high with sharp pincers that cut through trees easily. Oh yah and he attacked with bubbles!

"Sorry it's just; I'm trying to make a good impression." Koromon apologised.

"Crazy guy."

I watched as the others quickly moved to their friends and picked them up, comforting them and making sure they're okay.

The trees parted again with roar and the bug stepped through them pincer snapping angrily.

Everyone moved towards Tai standing by the edge of the cliff. I took up my own spot before the group with a snarl on my face a growl rumbling in my throat. I felt so odd right now; I just wanted to fight for some reason.

"I thought we'd seen the last of him." Sora complained.

"Me too. Guess he has other plans huh." Tai agreed.

The bug stepped closer feet thumping on the ground. I stepped forward also crouching low to the ground. What am I doing? I should run. But everything inside me screams at me to stand, to fight and defend my friends. To use my strength to beat this digimon.

"Who has bug spray?" I asked with a growl.

"I knew I should have brought some." Matt replied.

"Ok get ready to run." Tai ordered.

"No we stand and fight. It's the only way." Koromon told him.

"Give it up will you."

"No Koromons right it's time to stand up and fight." The ghost one agreed.

The others started agreeing and started squirming trying to get free from the grip the others held them with. I charged the digimon keeping pace with me as they bounced.

We didn't go all the way stopping halfway to the large bug but it was enough. Something happened amid all of the calls to come back. The sky darkened only to light again when shafts of light landed on the small digimon.

"Koromon digivolve to Agumon!"

"Pyocomon digivolve to Piyomon!"

"Motimon digivolve to Tentomon!"

"Tsunomon digivolve to Gabumon!"

"Tokomon digivolve to Patamon!"

"Pukamon digivolve to Gomamon!"

"Tanemon digivolve to Palmon!"

Holy crap. In place of the once small digimon stood seven other ones all unique in look from plants to bird or pig like birds to a dinosaur one even looked like it was just wearing fur. "What the, look at them. What's happened to the little guys?" That was Sora always asking the obvious questions.

"Their bigger." Tai noted.

They jumped and I watched as they were just swatted away like flies.

"Ok than." The dinosaur growled.

They attacked again. Only this time they did damage to it. I watched shocked as they brought it to its knees and launched some other attacks at its lowered head.

Something moved me forward hands taking on a slight glow as I ran under it and looked up. "Bear-cub punch!" I yelled jumping up with all my might. I drew back my fist before jabbing it forward and hearing the crack as it connected. A shock ran through my arm from the strength of the blast and the bug roared in pain getting to its feet.

"Yah all together." The dino ordered.

I nodded my fist glowing again as the other attacks launched past me and collided. Before they stopped I had jumped again. "Bear-cub punch!" Smack right in the centre of its chest. It reeled back its head on fire and fell into the trees with a roar.

The digimon ran towards the others but I stood still looking down at my hands. It was buzzing slightly and I flexed it feeling the draw of the belts around my hand. Maybe, just maybe this isn't too bad.