"…WEIRD forest…" Judie noted, and Palmon shrugged beside her.
Rose looked up as a strange whirring sound reached her ears.
'What's that?'
Looking up, she saw a black object whiz through the air far above them.
"Wh-What was that?" Anne questioned.
"It looked like a flying gear…" Don stated.
"That's weird…Since when do those fly?" Judie questioned with an innocent tilt of the head.
"…Not in OUR world, they don't…" Rose replied, looking up.
'I've got a bad feeling about this…'
Mikey cried out as a root broke under his feet, and Anne grabbed hold of his arm.
Unfortunately, the added weight made her started falling, too…
Rose grabbed her sister's shell, pulling back as Leo retrieved his little brother.
"You should be more careful, Mikey." Leo chided.
"That could've been something dangerous!"
Mikey put on an innocent, sorry look.
"I'm sorry, bro…I didn't know…"
Leo set his brother down, looking relieved all the same.
"Biyomon, are there snakes here?" Mikey asked curiously.
"No. Just giant killer bugs and other unpleasant Digimon."
"Nice ta know we're safe from snakes…" Raph grumbled.
Patamon landed on Mikey's head, grinning.
"Don't worry, Mikey. I'll take care of them!"
The orange-banded turtle smiled up at his partner.
"We'd better keep moving…" Leo stated.
"Where are we even goin'?" Raph grumbled.
Don sighed.
"We should just keep moving. There's no sense in staying put."
"An' maybe we'll fin' intelligent life…"
"Wait, is he saying that Digimon aren't intelligent?" Biyomon asked, rubbing against Rose's hip like a cat might.
"Is that what he's saying?"
Rose smiled slightly.
"Well, he isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, either…"
"I HEARD THAT!"
She chuckled, smiling widely.
"But those three have a point…We need to find a way home, so we'll need to stick together. We can't do this alone, because if one of us found it, how would the rest of us know? I mean, it doesn't make sense at all-!"
"Rose."
The orange/red-banded turtle looked around.
"…THANKS FOR WAITING!" She yelled sarcastically, running to catch up with the others.
Once the two caught up, she caught the apologetic look from her oldest little sister.
"The next stop on our tour is the forest of irrelevant road signs! No pictures, dudes!" Mikey joked.
Rose shook her head, looking at the sky.
'We're lost, and THEY'RE making jokes…'
Leo stopped, looking out through a break in the trees.
"Look! Telephone polls!"
"W-We can follow them and see where they lead." Anne added.
Rose saw the flying gear fly towards a strange green mountain in the distance, but shrugged it off.
What could possibly go wrong, anyway?
So, they began the trek through the burning hot desert…
"It's so HOT…" Judie whined.
"Stop whining! You're making the air hotter…" Mikey whined back.
"How much FARTHER…" Both whined.
Anne sighed.
"W-We'll be lucky to make it out of here…"
"…Has anyone else noticed that these telephone poles have no connecting wires?" Rose questioned.
Everyone looked around, seeing the orange/red-banded turtle was right.
Judie shook her head, reaching into her belt.
"Hey! What happened to my watch?"
Rose looked over her sister's shoulder, and her eyes twitched.
"Judie, that's a compass…"
"A compass has the directions on it, silly!"
Looking irritated, she pointed.
"'N' means 'North', shell-for-brains…"
"…OH…"
Smacking her forehead, Rose looked up.
"Why me, lord? What did I do to deserve this?"
Judie stuck her tongue out childishly as she looked at it.
The needle began to spin so fast it was a blur, and Anne looked at it curiously.
"Wh-Why is it doing that?"
Don checked the soil, sighing.
"This soil has traces of metal…It affected the compass needle…"
"This is one weird world, an' it's startin' ta piss me off…" Raph grumbled.
"We need to find water, or we'll dehydrate in all this heat." Rose informed.
"…Right…but we're okay now, aren't we?" Leo asked, looking at all of them worriedly.
They continued walking through the burning sand, occasionally jumping when their feet couldn't take the heat anymore.
"I've taken a soil sample, measured the barometric pressure, and analyzed the relative humidity…"
"And what did you find out, Donnie?" Judie questioned.
"It's really, REALLY hot…"
"I'd like this place if it had a few more things…like an ocean, a gentle breeze, a salad bar…hunky lifeguard…"
Judie nearly squealed at the thought, and Don sweat dropped.
"W-Wait…"
Rose stopped, looking at her partner worriedly.
"I don't think I can go any faster…"
"We just have to stay positive." Rose stated, trying to look reassuring.
"Why don't we just pretend that its raining?"
"Yeah!" Biyomon cheered, nuzzling against her partners waist.
"That's a great idea! I simply adore the rain!"
"Me, too. But it's time fer a reality check. This ain't gettin' any better. We should probably turn 'round." Raph stated.
Patamon perked, flying up into the air.
"Wait a sec! I see something!"
Everyone looked up expectantly at the Digimon, and his wings flapped sharply.
"I see a village! And water!"
"WATER!?" The seven turtle's chorused.
"That's it! I'm going!" Rose stated, and started running towards it, Biyomon behind her.
"Rose, wait up!" Leo called, and the others followed.
Mikey was nearly left behind because he waited for his partner to come down, but at least Raph and Anne had thought to slow down and wait for him.
When they got there, however, they were in for a surprise.
The huts Patamon had seen from a distance were only up to the turtle's hips, and Yokomon came pouring out.
"WHOA…" Rose muttered.
"Listen, everyone. Does anyone know where we can get a drink?" Biyomon asked kindly.
"And just what DO giant Digimon drink?" One asked cutely.
Rose put on a confused expression.
"Me? I'm not a Digimon."
"My friend Rose is actually not a Digimon. We know they look strange, but they're actually very nice." Biyomon explained.
"If you're not Digimon, what are you doing in the Digital World?"
Judie grinned.
"They're so cute! I'd love to put one in my room with my other stuffed animals!"
"…Does Judie hear the same things we hear?" Don questioned.
"…Nope…" Rose replied, smirking.
"She lives in her own little world. I call it 'La La Land'."
"HEY! I heard that!"
Patamon flapped sharply.
"Mikey's tired and hungry!"
"He's not the only one…" Raph added.
Everyone started sitting around as the Yokomon crowded around Biyomon.
"Biyomon, just when did you Digivolve?"
"After I met Rose. We share a special bond that's magical."
"You don't talk like us anymore. Is that how all Biyomon talk?"
"No. It's how the big ones talk. I suppose I just picked it up from Rose."
The orange/red-banded turtle tuned into the conversation, looking at the sky.
"She's wonderful and kind, and I've already learned a lot from her."
"We still don't understand how you Digivolved. What is it about being around them that makes it happen?"
"Rose needed me. I had to protect her."
The turtle started drifting off, and a small smile flitted across her face.
'She was protecting me…Just like Agumon and Gabumon did for Leo and Raph…'
She turned her head to look at the pink bird Digimon.
'…I guess that's why she's so affectionate…She really cares…'
"Rose?"
Said turtle snapped out of her daze, giving Biyomon a curious look.
"We're invited to have dinner with the Yoko's. They said they'd be willing to share their food with all of us."
"Oh…"
Standing up, she smiled gratefully.
"Thank you. That's very kind of you."
Everyone got ready to relax, but something made them jump to their feet…
"WATER!!" Mikey exclaimed.
"WATER!?"
Everyone followed the orange-banded turtle in excitement.
Mikey jumped onto the edge of the fountain, looking almost unable to contain himself, but Anne pulled him down.
"Y-You could get hurt." She explained.
A Yokomon jumped up, smiling.
"All the water here is pumped in from a spring on top of Mihirashi mountain. It's the best in the world!"
"Not in the world! Mihirashi water is the best in the world!" Tentomon exclaimed.
"Where's Mihirashi mountain?" Mikey questioned.
"Over there!" The Yokomon chorused.
Mikey looked up at it, and his eyes widened.
"That's a live volcano!"
"But the heat boils away all the germs."
Everyone huddled around the fountain, eager for a drink, when the water slowly stopped.
Don backed up, pulling Judie and Raph with him.
"I-I think that noise comes before a-!"
Fire came out in a burst.
"Eruption!"
"That's cool! But I still didn't get a drink…"
Mikey pouted childishly.
"What's going on?" Leo questioned.
"The water evaporated!"
"That's okay, because the lake is always full of water!" A second Yokomon informed.
Rose nodded, turning around.
"Let's check it out!"
Running to the edge of the lake with the others at her shell, she skidded to a stop.
"It's bone dry!"
"Someone pulled the plug!" Mikey agreed.
"Let's not panic." Leo ordered, and turned to the well.
Dropping the bucket into it, he waited for the rope to grow taut.
Once it did, and there was no splash of water, he sighed.
'I'll try again…'
When he pulled it back up, he only got a burnt rope.
"Wha-?"
A column of fire burst straight up from the opening, and he fell back in surprise.
"Wait…didn't that flying gear crash into a hillside?" Don mused.
"And it just HAD to crash into Mihirashi mountain…" Rose grumbled.
"We don't dare go up there! The mountain is guarded by a fiery Digimon called Meramon!" The Yokomon informed.
"He's hideously dangerous!"
Leo's brow furrowed, and he turned to Tentomon.
"Can you check out the mountain?"
Tentomon nodded, hovering up.
He seemed to panic in midair, though.
"Meramon's coming!"
"He burns everything he touches! But he never comes down from the mountain! This is VERY strange behavior for him!"
"He's coming straight for us!" Tentomon informed.
Rose set her jaw, turning to the others.
"We need to get the Yokomon to safety! They don't stand a chance out here!"
"He's already entered the forest!"
Rose ground her teeth, mind racing.
"Get them into the freighter! It's the only thing!"
The Yokomon went down onto the lakebed like a river, and everyone followed their example, only Biyomon staying at the edge.
As everyone piled in, Rose and Leo staying outside, adrenaline seemed to keep the number of little Digimon neverending.
When they were almost all in, Rose sighed in relief.
"Who's missing?"
That's when she remembered something…
'No wonder I felt something was wrong…'
She turned, seeing her partner hadn't moved into relative safety yet.
Yokomon were still coming down, and the turtle nearly wrung her hands.
"Come on…Get down here…"
She almost couldn't take it anymore.
"BIYO! GET DOWN HERE! WHILE THERE'S STILL TIME!"
"I CAN'T LEAVE UNTIL ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SAFE, ROSE!"
"Then I'm going up after you…" She muttered determinedly, running.
"Rose, don't!" Leo called.
"You'll never make it in time! ROSE!"
She tuned out the calls, focusing on the little pink bird she called 'friend'.
The stream of Yokomon dwindled and died down, and Rose saw something move behind her partner…
"WATCH OUT!"
Biyomon turned around, and was smacked into the wall.
As she tumbled, Rose sped up.
"BIYO!! I'M COMING, BIYO!!"
Jumping, she caught the bird before she could get even MORE hurt.
Sitting up and groaning in pain, she looked at Biyomon worriedly.
"Biyo, are you okay?"
"Yeah…I hope I never do that again…It wasn't very fun…"
Smiling, Rose lifted her partner up as she stood.
"Thank you for coming to rescue me…"
"No problem…"
Rose returned the hug she received, and turned to return to the large ship.
"What are friends for?"
"You can say THAT again…"
Biyomon rested her head on the turtle's shoulder.
"…My friend…"
She looked up, seeing Meramon make a fireball.
"…We're still in great danger, Rose."
"What?"
"You stay here. It's my turn to rescue YOU now!"
The Digimon was soon free of the turtle's hold and flying up to confront the larger Digimon.
"Spiral Twister!"
The attack kept hitting, but it didn't seem to REALLY hurt him.
"Is that the best you have to offer, weakling?!"
A fireball sent Biyomon spiraling out of the air for a hard meeting with the ground.
"BIYO!"
Leo and Don ran up behind the distraught turtle, their Digimon, Patamon, and Gabumon with them.
"Pepper Breath!"
"Super Shocker!"
"Blue Blaster!"
"Boom Bubble!"
The attacks struck, but Meramon seemed to GROW, absorbing the power.
Meramon seemed in so much pain, and he jumped down to crush them.
Leo grabbed Rose's arm, intending on pulling her out of harms way.
Instead, she locked her elbow, and managed to push HIM out of range.
"ROSE!"
She closed her eyes, expecting pain, but a bright light flooded her senses…
"Biyomon, Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!"
The large bird managed to catch Meramon as he fell, and threw him back onto higher ground.
"Biyo…she Digivolved…" Rose muttered in awe, eyes wide.
"What's wrong, Birdramon? Afraid of me? Let's fight!"
Birdramon flew around the other Digimon, as if to distract him.
He threw a fireball, catching the Digimon in the back.
"DON'T TURN YOUR BACK! YOU CAN BEAT HIM, BIRDRAMON!"
The Digimon turned, and flew high into the air.
"Meteor Wing!"
Meramon cried out as the attack sunk in, and he shrunk before a Black Gear came out of him.
"That gear made him go crazy!" Don noted.
Birdramon Dedigivolved, and flew to her partner.
"Are you alright?" She asked worriedly, flying into a hug.
"Oh, Biyo…I was so worried about you…"
She tightened her hold.
"You were amazing! I can't even begin to say how proud I am of you!"
"I wasn't even the least bit afraid! All I could think about was protecting you! 'Cause, well…you know…"
Rose gave an understanding smile.
"I sure do…"
As they got out of the lake, the fires Meramon had started faded, and the water returned.
They surrounded a confused Meramon with the village of Yokomon.
"Meramon, why did you attack our village?"
"I couldn't stop myself…"
"That must've been awful for you! If you weren't controlling yourself, who WAS controlling you?"
"The last thing I remember is getting hit by that gear…"
"Well, we're just glad to see that you're back to normal. I hope nothing like this ever happens again! You're needed to protect Mount Mihirashi!"
As Meramon left, starting the trek back, and the fourteen thirsty travelers drank some cool water, Biyomon, held in Rose's arm comfortably, turned to her.
"I just remembered! You guys didn't get that dinner we promised you! You must be starving!"
Mikey's stomach growled.
"My tummy's ready for some pizza!"
They were given bowls of, what seemed to be uncooked, rice.
But they were so hungry they ate at least three bowls each without complaint.
Rose settled back, watching the hungry Digimon as they ate.
'…There's one thing I know for sure, at least…For being so little, Biyo sure has a HUGE heart…'