Hi me fellow readers!
My apologies for the late update work as usual,plus my folks came into town. Puppetmon makes his appearance in this chapter. Also a surprise happens at the end of the chapter.
Iris's POV
Mimi had just finished making the last memorial for Whamon.
"Finished" Mimi said standing up and standing away from the small sand dune with a wooden cross on top of it. Around it were two others representing Chumon and Pixion.
"You did a good job Mimi" I said placing a comforting hand onto her shoulder.
"Thanks Iris" Mimi said wiping a tear away from her face. After MetalSeadramon disappeared the water from Spiral Mountain went away signaling that one Dark Master was gone.
"This is why we need to defeat the Dark Masters so we need to get going" Tai said.
"I'm not going" Mimi suddenly confessed getting everyone to look at her. "I have had enough every time we fight we end up losing another friend"
"This is war Mimi so sometimes people we care about get hurt deal with it" Tai said.
"That's enough!" Matt snapped at Goggle Head. "You need to consider other people's feelings for a change"
"What are you talking about?" Tai demanded back.
"We all know you're right Tai so give us a little space" Matt said. "We miss our friends who fight alongside of us and not everyone has ice running through their veins like you do!"
"Calm down" T.K. said to his angry brother. But Matt didn't seem to hear him.
"You're so busy looking forward you never have time to look back we lost some good friends here Tai it's nice to remember them once in awhile"
"If we have time to do that we won't have time to save the world!" Tai argued. A smack was suddenly heard and everyone's eyes widened as a red handprint was on Tai's left cheek.
"Iris why did you do that?!" Goggle Head demanded at me.
"Because you're being an ass that's why and it's pissing me off" I growled back Agumon's partner. I was in fact angry and I didn't realize my body was shaking because of it. Matt came over to me and placed a hand onto my right shoulder.
"Calm down Iris" the blonde said to me and I could only nod.
A Half Hour Later
I walked ahead of the others with Isaac next to me. I felt bad for hitting Tai but it had happened in the heat of the moment. Right now we were all in the woods where Puppetmon's mansion resided.
"You okay Sis?" Isaac asked me breaking my train of thought. I looked to my cousin and nodded.
"I just don't want to be near Tai right now" I answered. Wizardmon stayed close to my brother while I held Demi in my arms, Kiba was perched on top of my head. My satchel was around my shoulder, when we came back to the Digital World all of the other things I had brought to Odaiba disappeared.
"Holy S**t!" I suddenly exclaimed when I felt the ground underneath me move. I almost fell luckily Isaac caught me. The others yelled when they realized that the ground underneath them was accelerating.
"We gotta jump off!" Tai suggested pointing to the ground that was not moving. We all took his advice and jumped off the moving ground and landed on the unmoving one. Then it began to move as well.
"Obviously someone wants to get us somewhere and in a big hurry" Sora said.
"I bet you're right and why do I have the feeling that someone is not to friendly" Matt asked rhetorically.
"Oh no!" T.K. added.
"This is the first time I've been car sick without a car!" Joe complained. I suddenly whistled and I got everyone's attention.
"I got an idea" I then pointed to the tree above me and everyone looked up before looking back to me and nodded in understanding. At the same time as before we jumped off the moving ground near some trees. Once we were off of the moving ground we all climbed into the trees. Demi and Kiba had taken flight as I climbed one tree. I now sat in a branch next to Matt, Kiba and Demi were hanging upside using their claws.
"Iris is one of the Dark Masters behind this?" Sora inquired looking to me. Isaac was sitting next to Kari while Wizardmon was next to him.
"Yes and it would be Puppetmon" I answered Biyomon's partner.
"Whose also a real pain in the you know what" Isaac added with a growl. Kari chuckled at the way Isaac's face was flustered. Isaac looked at Kari for a second before he suddenly blushed and turned away.
"We have to do something, I see we keep going or build a nest" Joe whined.
"Well we have to fight sooner or later and find Puppetmon so let's get to it" Tai said.
"Oh come on again with the fighting? Why don't you go to a neutral corner already" Matt growled looking at Tai annoyed.
"Come on Matt please stop arguing" T.K. begged his brother. Matt looked to his brother and told him to stay out of it.
"Alright Matt let's try it your way let's wait up here and hang around for Puppetmon to get us" Tai suggested.
"That's not what I mean!" Matt snapped back.
"Quit fighting both of you right now!" I yelled at Matt annoyed at him now. Before we could say anything Tai suddenly disappeared.
"Where did he go?" Matt asked.
"I hope he didn't fall!" Kari added just as Mimi yelped and soon she was gone.
"Mimi's gone too!" Sora said before she and Izzy were next. Isaac yelled and I turned just in time as my brother disappeared along with Kari and Joe.
"Everyone is disappearing but us" T.K. said before he looked to me. "What's causing this Iris?"
"Puppetmon has these miniature dolls that resemble us and he's moving them around to him this is all a game" I explained. Matt then looked to T.K. and said to him.
"Don't worry we'll be alright with the others especially Tai, T.K. Iris stay close to me and I'll protect you both no matter what happens"
I felt my face turn red and I turned away hiding it. Since we all returned to the Digital World my feelings for Matt were becoming harder to ignore. I suddenly yelped and realized Puppetmon must have moved my doll. Demi and Kiba yelled my name before I vanished. I now stood in an unfamiliar spot and looked around. I was completely alone until T.K. suddenly appeared next to me. He then suddenly was in the air laughing before he stopped and he came back to his feet.
"Puppetmon was tickling you that's why you were laughing so hard" I explained to T.K.
Matt then suddenly appeared next to T.K. and Matt bent down and hugged him. Then Matt stood up after he finished hugging his brother and he grabbed my wrist so hard I was thrust forward. In slow motion like in the first Inuyasha movie, Matt wrapped his arms around me as I finally was against him.
"I'm alright Matt" I reassured the blonde as he held me.
"I'm sorry Iris but the mere thought of possibly seeing you hurt kills me" Matt stated and when he said that I almost had tears come to my eyes.
"You two really do make a cute couple" T.K. said. At his voice Matt's smile returned to his face.
"I think you're right" the blonde then kissed my forehead before we broke apart.
"Iris I've been wanting to ask you" he began but he suddenly turned red himself.
"What is it?" I asked having a good feeling what he was going to say. But before Matt could say anything else Puppetmon's eerie voice filled the forest.
"T.K, Iris what do you say!"
"Whose voice is that?" T.K. asked looking to me.
"Puppetmon's" was all I could answer.
"The two of you stay close" Matt said to me and his brother.
"Time to play!" Puppetmon's voice was definitely getting closer. Two hands suddenly went over my eyes and I cursed and elbowed whoever had touched me in the chest. I quickly turned around and saw Puppetmon.
"Time to play" the mega greeted.
"Sorry but I ain't interested" I growled at Puppetmon. Matt then came forward and got in front of me.
"You keep your hands off my girlfriend Puppetmon! Or I'll chop you into firewood" Matt snapped holding his arms out. My face suddenly turned red at the word "girlfriend".
"Oh come be nice all I wanted to do was play a little game of war with T.K. and Iris" Puppetmon said pointing behind Matt.
"Play like in pretend?" T.K. asked suddenly.
"But of course" Puppetmon answered excitedly. "At least in the beginning it will be make believe anyway but then its bye bye" the mega made a waving gesture. "And then I'll have destroy you for real if I didn't play with you know it wouldn't be no fun"
"T.K. don't listen to him he's just trying to scare you" Matt said to his brother.
"Don't lie to him or your nose will grow!" Puppetmon snapped throwing a ball of yarn at Matt. It surrounded him and he fell to the ground with a thud.
"Matt!" both T.K. and I rushed to him. Puppetmon then ran to us.
"Now shall we go get going?"
"Hell no!" I snapped.
"Forget it!" T.K. added.
"You two don't want to hmm, well if you don't come with me it's no fun instead I'll destroy him" Puppetmon said pointing to Matt. This got T.K. and I to gasp.
"Whaddya say?" the mega asked.
"Okay we'll come with you" T.K. said for us both.
"That's a good boy and Princess" Puppetmon said.
"Iris, T.K. it's a trap run while you can!" Matt said.
"Shut up" Puppetmon then placed another ball of yarn over his mouth.
"We'll have lots of fun" Puppetmon said before nodding in front of him. I looked to T.K. and he nodded at me. We walked behind Puppetmon as he began to lead us to his mansion. Behind I could hear Matt's muffled yelling.
At the Mansion
Both T.K. and I were now running for it. Puppetmon decided it was good idea to play hide and seek.
"Come on let's hide in here" T.K. suggested grabbing my wrist and he opened a door where two of Puppetmon's lackeys were a Mushromon and Blossomon.
"Oh hi!" T.K. greeted the two digimon before he pulled us behind a door. "By the way we're both hiding back here so don't say anything okay?"
"T.K. they're going to tell Puppetmon where we are" I said to Matt's brother.
"We'll have to run for it then" T.K. said Puppetmon entered the room and asked his lackeys if they saw us. As I expected they would they gave away our hiding spot. I used that chance to grab T.K. by his hand and the two of us high tailed it out of the room. I accidentally brought us into the room where the television was. I cursed as I realized I had stepped on a button on the remote.
"Iris this room is a dead end!" T.K. said. I looked around and realized he was right. We couldn't hide in here so the two of us ran out of the room and were heading towards the stairs.
"Yohoo!" Puppetmon said coming up the stairs in front of us.
Oh Shit I thought in my mind.
"There you two are the game's over" Puppetmon then began to scratch his leg. "I'll destroy you in a minute but first I gotta scratch my leg"
T.K. suddenly pulled the hem of my jacket and I looked to him. He made a come here gesture with his head and I bent down to his level. He whispered his idea into my ear and I smirked. As I stood back up Puppetmon was finishing scratching his leg.
"How boring we're not having any fun at all" T.K. said placing his hands onto his hips while I folding my arms across my chest.
"Yeah neither am I" I added.
"What? I'm the life of the party I put the fun in fungus" Puppetmon said in surprise.
"Ha!" T.K. said while I added.
"You just play the same game over and over again boring!" Puppetmon's eyes widened as did his mouth not believing what he was hearing.
"I'm not boring" the mega said sadly.
"Well if that's true then how come you don't have real friends?" I taunted Puppetmon.
"I have friends" T.K. came beside the mega and teased.
"Yeah then how come we haven't met these so called friends of yours?"
"Alright I'll get them and introduce you right now" Puppetmon said before he turned around and went downstairs. I high fived T.K.
"Smart move kid" I praised Matt's brother.
"Thanks for helping me persuade Puppetmon to leave us alone Iris by the way are you Matt's girlfriend now?" I suddenly felt my face turn red at that question.
"Iris!" I heard Demi call my name out. I turned around to see Demi flapping his wings in front of us Patamon was with him.
"I'm glad to see you Demi" I said to Kiba's brother as he landed in my arms.
"We both decided to go look for guys" Patamon said before he made a follow me gesture with his head. He led us to the room where the map was along with the dolls and the television.
"Can I destroy that?" T.K. asked looking to me.
"Go ahead kiddo" I answered him with a wink. T.K. then smirked before he tore apart the huge map and then he used a hammer to smash the remote. He then gathered the dolls and put them in his book bag before we all ran out of the room. We hurried down the stairs just as Puppetmon was returning from making a make believe friend. We finally went through the doors of the mansion and were back in the woods.
"I just hope Matt isn't blowing up a gasket" I said as he came to a stop so we could catch our breath after running so hard.
"You need to answer his question from earlier anyway Iris" T.K. said smirking to me.
"Oh come on give me a break T.K.!" I protested my face turning red.
"What question was that?" Patamon inquired.
"Never mind I can smell the others this way" I said pointing with my thumb to our right. After we caught our breath we quickly walked fast in the direction I could smell the others from. Once they came into sight, T.K. shouted to the others. Matt looked relieved and they all hurried over to greet us. Kiba flew towards me and Demi took flight from my arms.
"You're okay!" Kiba said flying into my grasp. She pressed a kiss against my cheek.
"I'm alright Kiba you really should thank Demi he found us" I looked to Demi who blushed.
"We were really worried about you guys" Mimi said.
"Iris and I protected each other" T.K. said flashing me a wink which I responded by returning the gesture. I suddenly noticed Matt was walking away with Gabumon following.
"Stay with the others Demi" I said to Kiba's brother.
"Where are you going to go?" the rookie asked.
"I'm going to find Matt" I answered before I turned around and went into the direction the blonde went. I let Kiba leave my arms so she could fly ahead to see if she could see Matt. The two of us were now walking alongside a lake.
"I see him!" Kiba exclaimed. Sure enough ahead was Matt sitting on the ground and I felt anger radiating from him.
"Matt!" I called out his name.
"Iris?" Matt said turning to me as I finally came up to him and Gabumon. He stood up and walked over to me.
"Why did you follow me?" he asked.
"I was worried about you that's why" I answered. Even though he was both frustrated and angry a small smile came to the blonde's face. He suddenly placed a hand and caressed my face.
"You don't have to worry about me Iris I'm the one who needs to do that" I felt a blush come to my face and I heard Kiba and Gabumon make themselves scarce.
Kiba's POV
"Do you think he's going to kiss her?" Gabumon asked as we watched our partners from behind a tree.
"Shut up you idiot and watch" I scolded the wolf digimon.
Iris's POV
"Why would you worry about me I'm nothing special" turning my face away. Matt placed his hand underneath my chin so I could look at him.
"You are special Iris to me at least" he said before he pulled me in. What happened next stole my breath away and I would always remember it. Despite me being older than him by three years Matt was a little taller than me. His lips met mine and I could only close my eyes. The way he kissed me was like Tamahome kissing Miaka when they were in Sairo in "Fushigi Yuugi". Matt's arms wrapped themselves around my waist and I could only feel tears going down my eyes.
I couldn't stand the constant flirting between Matt and Iris anymore so I had to make things between real. Will they become couple?
Find out in the next chapter!