Chapter 8: RAWR! I'm Hungry!

~Junpei POV~

Dramon stared at me and it felt like there was a truck barreling at me with its headlights pinning me down. Her claws looked sharp and I'd seen how fast she could move. If I tried to run, she could cut me in half before I got two steps away. She turned to face me head-on and I felt my blood freeze.

Then she smiled. "Junpei!" she yelled.

She leaped at me and I shut my eyes, waiting for the impact. But when it came, it wasn't quite as hard as I expected…

~Your POV~

Junpei obviously didn't recognize you - he looked scared. He'd never been scared of you when you were human. It would've been funny if you hadn't missed him so much.

"Junpei!" you shouted, rushing at him. He squeaked and shut his eyes, and that gave you an idea.

While you were in midair, you changed back into a human, still flying at Junpei. You tackled him hard enough to knock him over and got him in a hug. "I missed you!"

His eyes flew open and he gave you a look of complete surprise. "Ally?!"

"Yo," you said. You rolled off him so he could sit up, grinning wider than you had for months. "Told you I'd knock you over someday."

He snorted. "You only managed to because I wasn't ready."

"That reminds me!" you said. You grabbed the front of Junpei's shirt in a mock threat and pulled yourself close. "I'm. Hungry." You gave him your best 'put-the-money-in-the-bag-and-nobody-gets-hurt' voice.

Junpei laughed and held up one of his emergency chocolate bars. With a happy squeal you snagged it and sat back, tearing at the paper as if the treat inside would vanish. You remembered your manners though, so before you devoured the chocolate you looked around for Kouichi.

He was standing next to a boy in dark blue and black who looked exactly like him around the face. You blinked, having seen twins next to each other only once before. Your brain needed an extra second to process the image.

When you had your grip on reality back, you smiled and held up half of the chocolate bar. "Catch, Kouichi!" you called and lobbed the food at him.

It was a bit low but he had reflexes like a professional baseball catcher. "Thank you," he said but your full attention was now on the chocolate bit you were tearing at. If another Monochromon had happened by, you would rather be trampled than stop eating.

"I didn't think she was that hungry…" you heard Kouichi say uncertainly.

"She's always hungry!" Junpei complained. By now you had finished the chocolate, so you began nibbling on the paper wrapper experimentally. It didn't taste half-bad.

Junpei noticed your new prey. "Oi, Ally," he sighed. "Don't eat the paper." He reflexively reached over to take it.

You tensed and glared at him, snarling deep in your throat. It wasn't loud, but it didn't have to be. Junpei yanked his hand back like he'd been burned and you kept your eyes on him for a few seconds longer before the emptiness in your gut made you return to the paper.

"Wow, she really IS hungry," Junpei muttered. He (and the others) let you finish the paper in peace.

Now all that was left was the aluminum sheet, but you knew better than to eat that. Metal wouldn't agree with your stomach. You stared at it thoughtfully before sighing and stuffing it into your pocket. 'Not worth the pain,' you thought unhappily.

"Good to know you have some self-control." Junpei's tone sounded teasing and you stuck your tongue out at him. "I thought 'surely she won't eat aluminum foil, not after last time'."

"Last time?" asked a little white Digimon with a pink belt.

Junpei smiled widely at the memory that made you wince. "I dared her to eat some aluminum foil and she did. It was hilarious."

You crossed your arms and glared at him. "No, it wasn't." Then you smiled mischievously and lifted an eyebrow. "And it wasn't half as funny as the hot sauce I put in your soup and soda."

Everyone started laughing. "She admits it!" Junpei shouted and got you in a headlock. "I knew you had something to do with that!"

He began to noogie your head and you thrashed around. "Not the hair!" you yelled while laughing.

"Your hair's even messier than mine!" he retorted.

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

With a growl you licked Junpei's arm to make him let go of you, but it didn't work this time. He just yelled, "Ew!" and hung on.

Until he noticed you had stopped struggling. "Ally?"

You'd had an idea. "Huh?" you said to yourself and licked his arm again.

"What're you doing?" He sounded nervous.

You were facing the others and they looked worried. "You taste like hamburgers," you said softly and gave them all a wink. They all tried to hide their smiles.

Junpei's grip loosened. "You wouldn't."

"ALLY HUNGRY!" you shouted and moved as if to bite him.

His response was surprising; you had never seen him move so fast. You fell over onto your back laughing and when Junpei noticed the others laughing too, he knew you had played another trick on him.

"Some friends you all are," he grumbled.