Chapter 2: Little Boy Lost.

T.K. kicked a rock. Then he kicked another one for good measure. Patamon watching this decided to try to give this 'rock kicking' thing a try. He did, and hurt his stubby little 3-toed foot. Well, no matter what kind of mood Takeru was in, he wasn't gonna sit by while his poor friend winced in pain, so he went to soothe him.

Something was nagging on T.K.'s mind. He didn't really know what it was. He knew Matt and the others wouldn't deliberately make him feel bad, but he couldn't figure out why he did feel bad. Maybe it was the weather. He could be homesick. Yeah, maybe that was it. He missed Mom and Dad. "I guess…that could be it." Takeru thought to himself, stuffing has hands in his jackets big front pocket.

"I mean.. they wouldn't try to make me feel bad on purpose."

Now it was Patamon's turn to take care of his friend. He knew when T.K. was feeling down, and he knew that he was doing so now. "Don't worry Takeru-san," Patamon thought to himself "I'm gonna cheer you up. I just need an idea."

The DigiDestined were strolling in one of the Digiworlds many forests. This one inhabited with digi-animals, birds, bugs, snakes. Oh yes, snakes. Seems Mimi had an encounter with a snake she'd rather not talk about. It seemed one green and yellow snake had silently slithered its way up Mimi's body to her shoulder. Mimi, none the wiser, giggled and looked coyly to her right side, thinking somebody was playing around. On her right side, Joe and Izzy suddenly went very pale.

"Mimi, I think it'd be a good idea not to move." Izzy said calmly.

"Why? Is there something you want to tell me, Izzy?" Mimi asked, who knew what she was thinking. She stopped smiling, however, when she heard an abrupt hiss next to her right ear.

"Oh my Gosh! Mimi!" Palmon exclaimed, green eyes bulging in fear.

Mimi's face sort of went pale to at this point. In fact, you could have mistaken her for Casper the Friendly One. Suddenly out of nowhere, with a yell, Joe grabbed a stick and whacked the snake clean off Mimi's shoulder.

*The snake was later reported to be recuperating nicely and is predicted to have a nice normal life =D.

Everyone stared. Joe suddenly wore a huge sweatdrop on his face. Mimi clapped her hands together. "My hero!" She let out. Then laughed and thanked Joe sincerely.

"Yep, that's my Joe. Always taking charge." Gomamon said proudly.

"Wh-Wh-Wh- What was I thinking!??" Joe yelped "I could have gotten bitten! That snake could have bitten Mimi. I-it-I.."

"Great warriors do not think Joe," Taichi said, slapping him on the back. "They act! Are you sure there's not some Samurais blood in you somewhere?" Tai grinned largely, and the others got a good hoo-ha out of it.

Hikari glanced behind her and saw T.K. being slow with his walking…and thought he might need some company. She started back when Gatomon purred "Hmm, I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he might be staying back because he wants some time alone." Said Gatomon in that purely cat-like tone of hers. "Don't you think it might be a possibility?"

"I agree that it might be a possibility." Kari concurred, "But I also think that it might be possible that he's got a cramp, or maybe indigestion. In any case, nothing that says I shouldn't go and see him." And so she did. Stepping backwards until she was in pace with Takeru.

"How ya doing?" Kari asked sweetly. T.K. didn't say anything. But he did kick a rock. "Hmm," Kari said. " I bet you're upset about something."

"I'm not upset about anything." T.K. countered.

"You're not?" Patamon said, sounding genuinely surprised. Gatomon gave him a look that signaled that he should stay quiet. Patamon pouted and decided to agree.

"No I'm not" Takeru answered. "I'm just thinking, that's all."

"About what?", Kari asked.

"Nothing." Came the classic reply. "They wouldn't try to make me feel bad on purpose would they?" He thought. He looked over at Kari and wondered some more. "Maybe, maybe I should ask her to make sure…maybe."

With an exasperated sigh, he let out, "It's nothing. Forget about it. Come on Patamon, let's catch up with the rest of the group." And so he darted forward, leaving Hikari and Gatomon behind.

Kari stopped in her tracks and frowned. "I told you so, Mikari*" Gatomon purred, not bothering to look at the human. Kari gave her a tired look and shrugged, then she and the little cat-like Digimon went to re-join the group.

*Mikari, Gatomons' little pet-name for Hikari. Misora, same for Biyomon.

*************

Dawoemon stared through the pool in her waiting room. Through it she could see the boy and the girl talk to each other briefly, and then run forward. She smiled. "Good. Have a little misery for yourself for a change." She thought pettily.

She turned and gestured to one of her Automomons, which promptly bowed and took off into a dark hallway. Dawoemon smiled for the first time in what seemed to be a while. She had ordered the Automomon to make sure all of her sources were in place. They were needed if she was going to take advantage of this.

What 'This' was, was an opportunity for great power. Power not even the might of the Crests could withstand. She found it purely by chance, when an Automaton went to her with a report, and she heard something in it. Something that could mean, greatness, and power beyond imagining. However, she couldn't do it as she was now.

Dawoemon smiled and touched a slim finger to her green lip. She was looking at the pool again, at the wavy distorted picture of the blonde-haired boy with the stark blue eyes, and the purely ridiculous semi-top hat.

She couldn't do what she needed, yet. But she conceded that it was time to set things in motion.

************

The DigiDestined were lounging. They had walked for several consecutive hours, and now decided it was time for a break. Though they were deep in the forest, as long as they were together, there was no problem.

"All right! I say we get some grub." Tai told the others.

"I hope you're ready for some real grubs, because that's all you're going to find here," Joe put to Tai mildly. " unless of course we hunt something."

"I'm sure we can find a lot of fruits and veggies to tie us up for the while." Agumon piped up.

"Are you sure?" Joe wondered. "What if you get lost?"

"No way," Gomamon exclaimed, "Not with our noses. You guys stay here, and we'll go get the food."

"Yeah, no problem" Biyomon agreed. It seemed like a plan. So all the Digimon, except Patamon and Gatomon, left to find food for the others. While the DigiDestined didn't like staying put while the others did the work, they were tired enough not to care right now.

Takeru suddenly got up and walked towards a bushy area. Matt, seeing this, got up quickly as well and asked T.K. where he was going.

"To the washroom. I'll be right back." T.K. told him.

"Want me to come with you?" Yamato said without thinking. He immediately regretted it, but the damaged was done.

"WHAT?" Takeru said, part shock, part anger registering in his voice, and on his face.

Matt fumbled. "Well, I -er"

"I think I can pee in the grass by myself Matt!" T.K. nearly shouted at his older brother, and with that, took off into the bush of the forest with Patamon.

"Smooth Matt." Taichi said, looking at him sideways.

"Be quiet." Yamato couldn't bare to look anyone in the eye right now. Kari looked sadly first at Sora, then at Gatomon, who answered her look with an equally concerned look of her own.

************

After T.K. was finished with his business, he turned and stared into the bushes, where he knew the rest of the group was. Patamon flapped his ears noiselessly next to him. Takeru was clearly bugged by the way Matt had treated him.

"Well…" he grumbled. "It's not that big a deal."

"Let's go back Takeru-san." The little Digimon said. "Maybe the others came back with food! I'm starving." T.K., being a bit hungry too, nodded and started in the direction he knew the others were at.

After five minutes of walking, T.K. stopped and stared at Patamon. He had only moved a few feet from them. He was close enough to hear them talking, yet now, he couldn't find them.

"I, I don't get this Patamon." T.K. told his flying friend. " We didn't got that far. I knew it was this way!!" a tinge of panic began to infect Takeru's voice.

"It's OK Takeru-san." Patamon soothed. "We- We'll find the others. Let's just keep going this way." Truth be told, Patamon was probably more frightened than T.K. Well with nothing left to do they walked.

And walked.

And walked.

Until five minutes later, they stopped dead in their tracks. "I don't believe this!" Takeru cried. "Maybe Matt was right, he should have come with me. I can't even pee in the bush. I can't believe I'm lost!" tears started to glisten the edge of T.K.'s blue eyes. Patamon darted back and forth nervously.

"You're not lost. Far from it." A smooth voice called from the darkness.

T.K.'s head shot up and looked around. "Who said that!?" he asked.

Patamon darted closely around Takeru's head. "Yeah! Show yourself!"

Out of the darkness of the forest slid a tall woman, except she wasn't a woman. She had several arms, and no feet, just what seemed like roots, and long green stringy hair. She smiled at T.K. and put her hands up as if to surrender.

"You're not lost at all" The Digimon told him. " In fact, you could say you've finally been found."

NEXT: Part 3. Fallen Angemon.

Hey hoped you like it. A lot more to come. As always, Puhlllease review. REVIEW I SAID. Your insight is important dammit! Um, thanks bye. -Incognito.