A/N: This was originally going to be the first part of one chapter, but I told myself I wasn't going to let chapters become as ridiculously long as a couple of the ones in Survival, and this has a different atmosphere from the second part, so... it's now its own chapter. As a result, both this and the next chapter are from the same person's point of view. I really need to work on pacing.

I own Kanae Ishikawa, and that's it.

I have no idea if this is actually correct, as I've had trouble trying to find information on Matt's Band, so here are my decisions on who plays what - Akira is the guitar player, Takashi plays drums, and Yutaka is the keyboard player, which means he has glasses. This is how I've decided, and if it turns out I'm wrong, well... oh well... unless someone can correct me before this goes too far. Also, information about Sora's dad comes from the "Original Story - 2003" drama, TK's track.

On a separate note, there is a little bit of Sorato/Taiora explaining here, as I do use the canon pairings (plus Takari :P). As usual, the Digimon Wiki was of great help. There are also several references to the tower battle, aka Survival of Hope.

Enjoy a very fluffy chapter!

*Edit 5/14/2011*

Due to time related things in the story, there have been a few subtle edits made.


4 - Primary Village


It was a beautiful day out, the sun shining in a mostly clear sky with a brisk wind blowing gently over the landscape. Sora sincerely hoped that it stayed that way.

She stretched her arms, feeling the warmth on her head and shoulders. With a deep breath, she took in the air of the Digiworld, smiling to herself as she heard the trees rustle around her with the chorus of thousands of leaves.

Air… and it's all around us.

Moments like these gave her an exhilarating sense of freedom and lightness, and awe for the potential power that existed. She knew exactly why she had these feelings, and she only wished that there was more she could do. For the time being though, she was content with whatever sensation that came, having lost the connection and now enjoying the fact that it had returned.

Two years ago… during that journey, when all of us had the connection… and it's only been since the tower battle that it's come back…

Sora exhaled, gazing up into the sky with a smile. Then, as recognition of the world settled in, she turned back around to gaze at the others.

"Well Kanae," she began. "Welcome to the Digiworld."

The girl in question, dressed in a casual tee and shorts, was staring at everything in awe, and Sora had to stifle a giggle at the look on her friend's face. She thought back to the first time she had come to this world, and tried to remember her first reaction to the place.

I think confusion describes it more than anything else.

She noticed Matt and Tai catch her eye, and they both gave her a knowing smile.

Then Tai turned to the other girl. "So, what do you think?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

Kanae simply continued to gaze at the scenery around her in wonder, apparently too amazed to do much else. Then she let out a pure laugh, one filled with joy at being in the present.

"It's amazing," she answered, her face lit with excitement. "This is… really another world…"

The digimon at her feet perked up. "Yep! And it's my home!" she spoke cheerfully as her ears twitched.

Kanae glanced down at her partner, and her face immediately morphed into an expression of shock.

"M-Moonmon?"

The digimon shook her head, seeming proud as she stood on her own two feet. "I'm Lunamon now. Don't I look much prettier now?"

Kanae opened mouth as though to answer, then closed it, blinking as though unsure what to say. "Um… yes… wow…" she finally said.

Sora noticed the others exchanging amused, but understanding glances. Akira and Penguinmon grinned at each other; apparently, they had gone through the exact same experience together during Akira's first trip to the Digiworld. In her case, she remembered rather clearly that Yokomon had only digivolved into Biyomon after the entire group had been attacked and cornered on a cliff by Kuwagamon…

She saw the last couple pairs materialize in front of the TV, setting foot as they finished their transition between worlds. TK, Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon all seemed happy to be there, the bright sun already lightening their moods after the long day at school.

"Looks like we're all here," Matt stated, placing his hands in his pockets and smiling at the others. He had taken Sora's advice and had, like her and Kanae, changed out of his school uniform into a casual outfit, a button down and jeans, something that she had half expected him to do. From what she knew, Tai had simply forgotten another change of clothes, and Akira had been too lazy to bother.

Tai grinned brightly at the gathered group. "All right! So Kanae, welcome. I know Sora went over the basics with you, but this is for both you and Lunamon, 'cause it's important."

Then he took a deep breath, and let his expression turn a little more serious.

"The Digiworld is alive. This world is connected to the human one, more closely than ever before, but it's not just that. There are plenty of other worlds that have ties to this one too. So, and I have to say this because there are Digidestined who've made this mistake before – this isn't a game. What happens here affects other worlds too. The Digiworld is really wonderful – there's so much to learn and do, and you can connect and make friends with all the digimon that live here… but it's also dangerous. Us Digidestined were chosen so we could help defend and protect this world, since there's so much that can go wrong, and because we can move freely between the worlds, that means it's our job to keep that balance in check. It's our responsibility to do what we can, whether it's making friends and playing, or fighting off whatever evil is around… because, at least right now, we're the only ones who can."

Then he scratched his head, giving a weak laugh. "Sorry to be such a downer, but I'm not gonna' sugarcoat anything."

Kanae just smiled back quietly with a small shrug. "It's all right… you don't need to. No world is perfect after all."

Tai grinned back at her, and Sora sighed in relief. She knew Kanae as a rather sensible person – but then again, she would hope that her fifteen year old friend was more sensible and thoughtful than Tai had been at the age of eleven.

The boy in question placed his hands in his pockets. "So anyway, now that that's out of the way, let's head on to Primary Village."

Lunamon's eyes went wide, and she began jumping up and down as the group began to walk. "Primary Village?" she asked, her ears twitching excitedly. "It's been so long since I was there! I barely remember anything about what it was like being little there, oh this is going to be so much fun! Kanae, you'll love it, it's all bouncy and squishy and it's like a nursery with babies and everything!"

Sora caught sight of TK and Patamon laughing quietly with each other, apparently sharing some old memory together. They looked happy; TK had on a bright green and silver tee, one that she knew he liked from the number of times she had seen him wear it over the summer, along with his trademark hat. He seemed to have added a pair of white sports wristbands to his daily wear as well, as he had also worn those most of the summer.

I'm glad he's doing well. Him and Kari. It's so funny sometimes, thinking about how much older we are now…

Kari looked carefree as well, a slight skip in her step as she seemed to absorb the sunlight. She had left her long sweater at home, coming in a nice pink ruffled top and capris instead, looking as though she had planned for the beautiful day. Gatomon padded along right beside her, her tail twitching playfully as she gazed forward with a rather fulfilled expression.

Matt and Akira, right in line behind Tai and Agumon, were conversing about something band related, regaling the pair as well as their partners of some tale Sora was fairly sure she had never heard of from Matt. A quick glance at Biyomon next to her told her that her partner was interested, and she started to listened in, curious as to what they were saying.

"And then Yutaka turned and saw Takashi with his head peeping over the amp, and he seriously freaked out and ran straight into a pole! Okay, so it doesn't sound as funny talking about it, but it made my day," Akira laughed, both hands behind his head in a relaxed manner.

Tai grinned back at them, even as all the digimon listening tilted their heads in confusion. "You sure he wasn't faking? Because it's not really that hard to fake running into poles."

"Oh, it was real all right, he had a big red mark on his forehead and bent his glasses," Matt answered with a heartfelt smile. "When he realized what he'd done, he kind of just lay on the floor laughing."

Penguinmon shook his head at them. "I don't get it," he stated, scratching his head with a flipper. "Why is it funny when you run into poles?"

Gabumon and Agumon looked at each other.

"It's a human thing," the dinosaur-like digimon answered promptly. "They like to pretend things sometimes to trick other humans…"

Sora saw Matt turn slightly towards her, and noticing her gaze, winked. She couldn't help but giggle a little, feeling a comforting warmth in her chest at his smile. Even after having dated him for months now, a gentle happiness blossomed within her whenever they were close to each other.

Akira was laughing at something the digimon had said, and Matt turned his attention back towards his friend. Sora saw Biyomon watching her with a knowing, almost smug look on her face.

She blinked at her partner. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Biyomon answered, shrugging. "Lunamon, where in the Digiworld are you from again?"

Sora sighed at the digimon's quick change of topic, but, reminded that she was also hosting someone, glanced at Kanae.

Her friend seemed incredibly happy, gazing at everything around them in wonder as they walked. She seemed to not even be paying attention to her feet as she took in the diverse fauna, the trees, and even the landscape. She took a few moments to look at Spiral Mountain in the distance, something that Sora remembered extremely well, even if her friend had no idea what its importance was.

"I'm from Folder," Lunamon had answered. "Way far away from here, and not a whole lot usually goes on, at least not compared to Server. It's really cool that you guys were doing some stuff there. Oh, and what's it like to digivolve to Champion? I know you were Birdramon when I saw you there, how different is it from being a Rookie?"

"Scary at first," Biyomon replied, smiling as she held a wing to her beak in remembrance. "You're a lot more powerful and there's energy going through you, and you're also bigger so everything's kind of different… but you can feel your partner too, and there's this confidence that lets you know you can use that power. It's a step up from being a Rookie, but you do get used to it the more times you digivolve to Champion."

Sora glanced over at Kanae, who seemed to be listening in on their partner's conversation. Then she turned to check on the last four members of their group; TK grinned and waved back, Patamon sitting comfortably on his head, while Kari and Gatomon smiled back. All four were silent, aside from the sounds of their footsteps, but Sora knew that it was only because they had nothing to say at the moment. Walking through the Digiworld on a gorgeous day like this one was enough for them.

"It's wonderful, isn't it?" she commented, tilted her head towards her friend.

Kanae nodded, a peaceful expression on her face.

"It's amazing," she answered softly, leaning a little closer to Sora. "I just can't believe it's a different world, and that I get to come here. It seems too good to be true… but there's also all that responsibility stuff to deal with too." She smiled weakly. "At least I get a heads up, right?"

Sora giggled. "True."

The walk to Primary Village from the TV was fairly short; she could already see the block towers as the trees became sparser. The bright pastel colors contrasted with the lush green of the leaves, and Sora could already tell that her footsteps were a little bouncier, as though the ground were absorbing the impact of her feet against it more than before and reflecting it back. She could already imagine the field of digieggs, the tiny cradles, the baby digimon roaming about and playing…

"Here we are," Akira exclaimed, gazing around at everything. "The place Penguinmon and me got herded out of to go get our asses beaten."

"Hey, you guys lived, and you're now back," Matt rolled his eyes. "And talk nicer, you're around babies."

"Okay, okay, but we haven't even seen one yet…"

Sora had to stifle a small laugh. She knew Akira fairly well now, having hung out with Matt and his band on several occasions, and if anything, Akira had a distinct soft spot for babies and small children. Baby digimon were no exception.

Tai grinned a little cockily at him. "Well, if you feel like getting herded out again, Hiromi's team is patrolling File Island today, and we'll be the first to know if something comes up."

"Man, really? Gimme' a break and let me hang out here!"

The trees finally gave way, and the group entered the small village of soft block towers and green fields.

Sora had to grin at Kanae's face as they walked into Primary Village. Her friend looked positively amazed, as though she had just stepped back into her early childhood and could not believe what she was seeing.

In the case of Lunamon, she had just returned to her childhood, as she let out a gleeful squeal of delight, which caused Biyomon to erupt in gentle laughter.

"We're here, we're back, wow, it's just as cute and awesome as I remember!"

Though she had been to Primary Village many times, Sora enjoyed every visit. It reminded her that this place was where everything began, where all digimon were reborn and raised. It gave them a new chance at life, no matter what they had done in the past, even if their memories did not always carry over completely intact.

Akira seemed relieved and excited, if at least because he would be able to spend significantly more time here than he had before. Penguinmon seemed to find his partner's desire to play with baby digimon extremely amusing; Matt and Tai seemed were exchanging looks, both grinning, while their partners just stood by them, content as they gazed around at the field of digieggs nearby.

She couldn't see them, but she knew Kari and Gatomon were happy in this place for likely the same reasons she was – the beginnings of life in a place so critical to the Digiworld meant a great deal to them. Likewise, she knew TK and Patamon had been looking forward to the visit, having their own ties to both the village and their old friend Elecmon.

On the subject of the Primary Village caretaker…

"Hey!"

A small red and blue striped digimon practically galloped across the elastic ground, bouncing as he went in his excitement. He rolled to a stop before the group, clearly happy to see them.

"Welcome back!" he sat up cheerfully, gazing at everyone. "New Digidestined, I take it?"

Tai nodded with a bright smile. "Yup. Elecmon, this is Kanae and Lunamon. Kanae's at the same school as Matt, Sora, and me."

Elecmon gazed up at the girl in question, who was busy staring at him as though completely unsure what to make of him while resisting the urge to pet his head. He tilted his head at her quizzically, then smiled and proffered a paw.

"Well, it's good to meet you Kanae," he spoke welcomingly.

She blinked, then smiled and took the paw. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well," she answered, shaking it while adding a small bow.

Elecmon seemed pleased, and turned to Lunamon beside her, who looked both excited and nervous. "I probably took care of you once, long ago," he stated, eying the other digimon. "Welcome back to Primary Village."

Lunamon nodded, almost reverently. "You did, when I was a baby. It's great being back."

Elecmon smiled. Digimon rarely remembered growing up in Primary Village, so seeing one had some bare memories of it apparently gave him a feeling of pride. Sora glanced over at Biyomon, remembering that her partner had not been born in Primary Village, but in the forest of the island, due to her destiny as a Chosen during the time when the world was threatened by evil…

And we defeated it too. This is the world we fought for, and it's a safer place for everyone. I'm so glad that we're partners.

Elecmon padded on, stopping by the other fairly new human and digimon pair. "And you two," he nodded up at Akira and Penguinmon, both seeming fairly at ease. "Your first trip didn't scare you off, huh?"

Kanae shot the two a confused look, one that neither of them noticed, but Sora did. Akira gazed back at Elecmon, stretching a little as he let an honest, but confident grin spread across his face.

"I gotta' admit… it was pretty scary, but at the same time really awesome," he answered. "And I finally got to see some of what Matt's always talking about. Trial by fire, works well."

"Yeah, and I digivolved," Penguinmon added, his flippers flaring a little animatedly. "That was cool."

Matt seemed proud of his bandmate and partner, almost beaming at their positive attitude. Tai and Agumon looked quite approving of them as well, and Sora could almost see them trying to think of ways to utilize this particular pair as team members.

Glancing back at Kanae again, she realized that her friend had become tense, eyes darting back and forth nervously between the boys and Lunamon.

As Elecmon continued on to greet Kari and Gatomon, Sora leaned over to whisper Kanae's ear. "Akira and Penguinmon got dragged off to help with an emergency Drethmon encounter during their first visit. Don't worry, we won't make you do that."

Kanae nodded, seeming slightly relieved. "At least not today," she whispered back.

She's taking this seriously. That is a good thing, but…

"And you!" Elecmon shouted excitedly as he reached TK and Patamon. "Great to see you! Wow TK, I swear, you get taller and taller every time I see you."

The boy laughed a little. "It's only been two weeks!"

"Then maybe you're just growing, because I swear you weren't this tall last time I saw you. You on the other hand," he winked at Patamon, "haven't changed."

Patamon made a face. "I have too!"

Sora watched, smiling as the three caught up, reminiscing about exactly how they had met. Their lives had changed so much since those days… though things certainly weren't any simpler.

The real difference was that they no longer explored the foreign world and spent their time trying to survive away from home, with only the help of those who befriended them. Now they knew the world, and what time they had there was focused on keeping the peace, protecting others, and otherwise making sure the gradual, yet inevitable crossing of boundaries between realms would happen smoothly.

She was sure that every one of the seven who had been at the campsite that on day felt the same way – and four of them were standing with them.

Elecmon finally returned back to Kanae, glancing over at Tai as he did so. "Usual tour?" he asked.

The boy nodded, smiling. "Yeah. We can take care of the babies while you and whoever your volunteer is show her around."

Elecmon gave him a thumbs up. "All right then, there's a lot of you today, so go make yourselves useful. The apples are coming into season if you don't feel like fishing." Agumon gave a happy whoop at the statement, and Elecmon gave him a meaningful look. "Not for you, for the babies."

"Aww."

"And…"

He gazed over the group, bringing one claw to his chin in thought.

"TK, Patamon, why don't you come with me? I don't get to talk to you enough, you're always off saving something."

Patamon laughed as he hopped off his partner's head, and TK grinned as he stepped forward with a small bounce in his step. "Sure thing," he answered brightly.

Perhaps it was the location itself, Sora thought – after all, the younger boy had several ties to Primary Village, and there was an innocent childlike streak that seemed to appear every time he returned. It reminded her of how he had once been during their first adventure, and how much he had grown in the past four years.

With that, Elecmon nodded back at everyone. "Guess we'll get started then. Thanks everyone, you're always welcome here. This way, miss," he took Kanae's hand and gently began to lead her towards the hills filled with cradles and eggs.

Sora giggled at the expression on her friend's face, clearly taken aback at being given a tour by a small red furry nonhuman being, but she knew it wouldn't take long for her to become used to everything.

As Lunamon ran to follow them, Akira stretched his arms out and glanced at those remaining.

"So… babies…"

Right on cue, a Botamon hopped up to them, making a few chirping noises as it butted Tai's legs. He chuckled in response, picking it up.

"You wanna' play huh?" he laughed, holding in the air so that it was level with his face. It blew a gentle bubble at him in reply.

Sora couldn't remember it having been so peaceful in a long time. They took turns playing with different groups, watching them to make sure none got into too much trouble. She had fun running with some of the older babies that would clearly digivolve to In-Training soon; Biyomon already managed to gather the attention of several Nyokimon and Puwamon, watching her fly in excitement.

They weren't the only ones enjoying their time that day. Tai and Kari ran back and forth carrying apples and fish that their partners caught, laughing all the while and occasionally herding a few small Puttimon away from the edges of the village. They looked genuinely happy, living in the present while they cared for the world's future.

Matt's situation amused her a bit. Akira, despite his soft spot for children, had no idea how to act around them, leading to Matt spending a lot of his time trying to help, with Gabumon and Penguinmon to back him up. She ended up watching a great deal of that – being an only child herself, she had never grown up with someone younger than her in the house, and it was refreshing in some ways to see someone like Matt act sensitively for the babies' sake, while at the same time being a regular teenage guy around Akira.

She just enjoyed watching him in general, really. His demeanor, his inner strength, his reactions… everything.

She wasn't exactly sure when she had started liking him, but she did remember how stupidly she had acted at times regarding it. Her attempts to keep everything casual and slightly distant… the time when she had walked in and out of the classroom eight times within the space of five minutes, by which point one of her friends had asked what the matter was… once when she fumbled with retrieving a broom after class and somehow managed to fling it at him…

Telling him had mostly brought an end to all of that, and she was incredibly happy. The last several months had been wonderful, leaving her on a constant euphoric high.

She had been worried about Tai though. She had liked him once… and by the time she learned he too had feelings for her, she had already moved on.

Even though he had apparently been fine with it, according to his words to her and a slightly forced trip to an okonomiyaki place for Matt, it had still led to some awkwardness between the three of them.

At first, Matt and Sora had been uneasy about showing public signs of affection towards each other in his presence. Then Tai would mysteriously disappear if, while hanging out, they started acting a bit too much like a couple. Or he would assume, if they were going out to eat or see a movie, that it was something just between her and Matt, even if they had been intending to invite him the whole time.

It eventually came to the point where Sora, fed up with it and suppressing a desire to slug him, had to drag him away during lunch to talk privately on the school roof.

"What's wrong with you?" she had asked him, irritated. The drizzle had not been helpful either.

He scratched his head sheepishly.

"Sorry. I'm just trying not to make things awkward," he had grinned in his familiar way, but there was a slight sadness to it that she had never seen before. "Being the third person along with you guys."

Her response had been to roll her eyes and give him a hug.

"You are not a third wheel," she answered firmly. "And if you were, then you'd just help us, because instead of being a bicycle, we'd be a tricycle and people would have a harder time falling off. Matt and I like having you around, and you've always been there for us. Unless we specifically say it's only for us two, you're always welcome. So stop acting like you're not wanted, because you are."

Her conversation with Tai had also saved him from a smacking via Matt, so in the end everything worked out well. Their interaction together returned to how it used to be, only with two of them as a couple. They all figured out the balance – Tai knew when to give her and Matt their space and privacy, but he was still there with them otherwise.

Then of course, the tower battle had occurred, and she had been well reminded of just how much both boys cared about her.

Sora had to stop running when a YukimiBotamon gave a loud yawn and plopped over on its side.

"Oh dear, I wore you out," she spoke, picking it up and cradling it in her arms. "You could probably use a rest. All of you could," she added to the crowd of baby digimon surrounding her, all looking a little tired.

She waved to Biyomon, who hopped back down to the ground.

"I'll keep taking care of these ones," she called. "I'll catch up!"

Sora smiled. "All right!"

She began making her way towards the center of the village, where most of the eggs and cradles were. The babies around her bounced along with her, using the elastic ground to go further than they would have otherwise; she scratched YukimiBotamon behind the ears, giggling when it made a content purring noise.

Yep, this one will digivolve soon. It's so wonderful to watch digimon grow up…

The trek was short, as the small herd reached a fairly secluded area with a few toy trees and soft spongy earth. The babies around her happily wandered into the space, a few choosing to start sleeping right there while a few others played a little more with each other. With one last ruffle, Sora gently placed YukimiBotamon on the ground whereupon it looked up at herwith a thankful smile and plopped back over to rest.

She could see the hill of eggs and cradles from where she was, and she recognized Elecmon caring for what was apparently a newly hatched digimon. She also spied TK's hat, and a head of long brown hair she knew was Kanae.

"I'm heading off now," she said to the baby digimon there. "And you two, be nice if the others want to sleep," she added to a Yuramon and Popomon busy running into each other. "Be good now."

With that, she stood fully and began making her way to towards the others.

They had apparently finished the tour of Primary Village, judging by how Elecmon was no longer directly accompanying Kanae, but both she and TK seemed excited around all of the eggs and prospect of new life around them.

"It's okay, you can help them hatch," TK stated brightly as he handed her an egg. "Just rub gently."

Kanae, who was kneeling on the ground, took the egg and rubbed it while Lunamon looked over her shoulder. Sora smiled at the sight; her friend had an expression of absolute awe at everything, and she took in the aspect of helping this being come forth into life.

She decided to approach, watching as the egg cracked open and a small Poyomon poked up out of the shell. Kanae and Lunamon cried out in delight, while TK and Patamon both grinned at each other.

"It's – it's so adorable, and – whoa!"

The eggshell quickly converted itself into a cradle on the ground, surprising Kanae as she jumped back, making sure not to let Poyomon fall. The cradle however caught it well, and the tiny digimon blinked up at the four now watching it.

"Poyo?"

Patamon stepped forward and patted it. "Hi there little fella'," he smiled. "I bet you're gonna' grow up to look just like me!"

"I dunno," Sora decided to add in with a smile. "I heard from my dad that Poyomon could digivolve straight to Seadramon if it wanted."

"Sora!" TK called as he sat up straight and waved. "How is it going with everyone else?"

She sat herself next to Kanae, resisting the urge to poke the newborn Poyomon. "Great, everyone's having fun," she replied. "Plenty of fish and apples to go around, and all the babies are full of energy."

He grinned. "Good to hear."

Lunamon apparently had no such reservations about playing with a baby, and gently cupped both paws around Poyomon. "Hello there," she cooed at it. "Oh you're so cute… poyo poyo poyo!"

Everyone else laughed quietly, trying not to frighten the slightly confused baby before them. Sora inwardly thought to herself of the other things her father had told her, being a researcher on digimon and acting as one of the 'Digimon Experts' for the Japanese public still dealing with the connection that both worlds now had. It was hard to believe that such tiny beings like these baby digimon could skip the In-Training level and go straight up to something like Frigimon or DarkTyrannomon.

From not far away, someone called out to them.

"Hey TK, Patamon, come over here!"

TK sat up and squinted in the direction of Elecmon's voice. "Wonder what he wants us for. Though if I'm not mistaken, that's where Patamon and him had that tug o' war match a few years ago."

Sora giggled. She had heard about this event, and how TK somehow ended up mediating between his partner and the Primary Village protector. At the age of eight for that matter.

"Well, don't keep him waiting," she smiled. "I'm sure there's plenty of nostalgia where this is coming from."

"It's because he's been asking me for a fun rematch," Patamon sighed and shrugged. "He's been worried because he thinks he might digivolve soon, so he's trying to keep hold of everything that makes him who he is. Anyway, I guess we'll see you in a bit?"

Sora nodded. "All right then."

TK and Patamon stood, waving as they turned to make their way over to Elecmon.

She waited until they were a little ways away before focusing her gaze on Kanae. The girl and her partner were busy gently patting the baby Poyomon, making cooing noises and giggling madly.

"So how's your first day in the Digiworld been so far, Kanae?" Sora asked.

Lunamon also looked eager for an answer, and to Sora's great relief, Kanae turned to both of them with a large smile across her face.

Then she laughed. "It's been amazing! Being in this new world, where it's so different but I'm excited to explore and get to know it… it's almost like an escape from everything normal back home, though I know that's changing. I'm so happy to be here. And being here in Primary Village – it's like being a little kid again! Elecmon was really nice, I'm glad he protects the babies here. And the babies – they're so cute and little - !"

Then her expression softened.

"I am still nervous," she admitted, folding her hands together. "I don't know if I'm going to do a good job at this… or what the others think of me."

Sora smiled kindly. "You're new, I'm sure no one has any real opinions about you yet. Besides, some of your fighting style and what you do in teams won't really be settled until you've been doing this for a while."

Kanae looked down slightly, wincing. "What if I just freeze the first time we fight something? Can I really do this? If I'm too afraid to ask Mrs. Yamaguchi a question about homework, how am I supposed to face down an evil digimon?"

"You won't be alone the first time, don't worry," Sora replied, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "And if you do freeze up, you won't be the first person to do so. No one's judging you – certainly not whatever you'd be fighting. Think of it like tennis. The ball might be flying at your head, but you can't run away from it."

Kanae cracked a smile. "Good point."

Lunamon gently tugged Kanae's sleeve. "Yeah! And who cares what other people think? Just do what feels right. Though evil digimon are pretty scary…"

She trailed off, staring into space and shuddering.

Kanae sighed, then closed her eyes and clenched her fist.

"Just like tennis," she muttered to herself. "Go to the ball. Hit it. Even if it goes out of bounds on the other side. Think on your feet and just do it. Right. I can do that."

Sora grinned and patted her friend on the back. "If you're as intense here as you are on the court, you're going to be fine."

"All right… I'll take your word for it. I – ack!"

Poyomon had apparently grown tired of the serious conversation before it and spat out a burst of harmless bubbles into Kanae's face. She waved them away, sighing before letting a large mirthful smile spread across her face.

"Okay okay… you want me to play with you?" she poked it gently.

Lunamon picked Poyomon up out of the cradle. "I think so," she stated, petting it a little. "Let's go introduce it to the other babies!"

She suddenly took off, leaving Kanae sitting there astonished.

"W-wait, Lunamon!"

She gave chase, waving apologetically as she ran to catch up with her partner. Sora glanced at the now empty cradle, laughing a little to herself at the pair's antics. They would be fine – and she had to admit to herself that she was actually curious as to how they would act in combat. From the perspective of a Digidestined teaching a newcomer to their way of life, she hoped they would learn quickly and become great allies in the ongoing battle to protect the Digiworld.

The sound of fluttering wings reached her ears, and Sora turned to see Biyomon flying towards her.

"They didn't wear you out, did they?" she asked teasingly as her partner landed heavily on the ground next to her, bouncing a little as she did so.

Biyomon shook her head. "No. I'm still okay." Then she paused, bringing a wing up to her beak. "Well, actually they did tire me out a little. I should go grab an apple."

Sora smiled as she reached over and rested an arm over her partner's shoulders. "Don't work too hard. You can take a break every now and then too."

She continued to watch those around her; she spied Akira and Penguin making their way through the towers carrying a basket full of red strawberries. "It's good to enjoy the small joys in life. Even the simple things like taking care of baby digimon."

Biyomon clicked her beak and made a small 'hmph' noise. "Taking care of baby digimon is not simple. Especially when there's so many of them."

"Then it's a good thing we're all helping him," she replied. Akira and Penguinmon disappeared behind the hill where TK and Patamon had run towards when Elecmon called them. Briefly, she wondered where Matt was, and if he was still out in the fields with the others, since he clearly wasn't with his bandmate.

Everything seemed almost surreal in its peace. Sora sincerely hoped it would last – days like these seemed rare to her, when they spent their time taking care of others and enjoying their surroundings, or even hanging out with their digimon friends strewn across the islands and continents. There was always so much to do, whether it was defending small towns or helping solve issues that arose; as much as she liked doing her duty as a Chosen, there were times when she wanted the world to slow down so she had the time to appreciate the beauty of the place she considered her second home.

Biyomon moved forward a little to a more open spot between the digieggs and proceeded to plop down on her back.

"This feels so good," she commented, her feathered chest rising and falling with her breath. "Not having to do any fighting. Just being here and taking it easy."

"Yeah," Sora answered, scooting up to join her partner. "Though there is that Drethmon mission we're supposed to have today too…"

Biyomon sighed. "Let's not worry about that now though. Let's just be happy that we're here."

"Living in the present, huh?"

Sora smiled as her gaze washed over everything before them. All seemed to be going well – Kanae and Lunamon were busy playing with the baby digimon, and she watched as a Botamon tackled the other girl, sending her bouncing into the soft ground, their laughter and a burst of bubbles into the air telling her that they would be just fine. In the distance, she saw that Elecmon was now visible, along with the two pairs with him. TK and Patamon were kneeling down with a Pabumon, turned slightly as they conversed with Elecmon; Akira and Penguinmon were apparently embracing their paternal side as they gently tried to convince a Yuramon to eat a strawberry. Given the rush with which they had been pushed into combat their last trip, she guessed they were happy to take the time to interact with the younger denizens of the Digiworld.

"Don't you wish every day could be like this?" Biyomon spoke as she lay on her back with her wings spread to the side, staring up at the blue sky.

Sora breathed in the air, letting the sound of joyous laughter fill her ears. "Yes… no fighting, just living life, hanging out with everyone, helping out… it feels so peaceful today."

Biyomon sighed, blinking a little sadly. "Only us though. I bet some of the others are fighting."

"But they have to," she replied, closing her eyes. She could see images of battle, recalling the feeling of wind and debris on her face, the adrenaline pumping through her body and the sounds of explosions in the distance. "That's why we take these moments and these places, and make sure they stay safe. And be sure that at any moment, we're ready to defend them."

"The life of a protector."

Sora let herself fall backwards into the soft, spongy grass. Her body comfortably plopped in, sinking a little into the ground before bouncing back up; she could feel the cool earth against her back and the light breeze across her face. Then she opened her eyes to gaze up at the sky.

She and Biyomon lay there for some time, listening to the happy giggles of the baby digimon and the voices of the others as they ran about.

It's such a beautiful world.