Emily looked at the Eevee thoughtfully. "You really loved him, didn't you?"
"Vee." It bowed it's head sadly.
"Hmm. Well our first intent was going to be to defeat him." The Eevee shot a disdainful look at Izzy who had spoken.
"But I think that your story's changed it all. We're going to have to find a way to bring him back to normal." Sora looked at everyone. "So how does that sound everyone? Tomorrow morning, we'll go look for the GAG fortress and try and give this Eevee her Gary back. Ok?"
"Sure." Everyone shrugged.
"By, the way, can you take us to see Gary?" Sora looked at the Eevee, realizing the present opportunity.
"Eevee. Vee vee eevee ee vee." It cowered a little bit and looked at Emily, then Tai, then Katie, Sora, Matt, Izzy, Tk, Kari and Mimi. "Ee eevee vee vee ee vee vee."
"Pabu pabu. Pabu pabu pabu pabu." Pabumon translated. "Pabu pabu pabu pabu pabu."
"It said that it's afraid to go back there, but it has confidence in the Digidestined, so it's willing to take us there tomorrow morning." Gabumon translated yet again.
"Ok, you hear that everyone? We're shipping out tomorrow, so everyone get a good night's sleep, ok?"
"Yes! Now I can get some beauty sleep!" Mimi threw her arms around Izzy, almost knocking him over.
Emily sighed and looked through the darkness. All these Digidestined, her friends. And tomorrow they were going to help her and Katie rescue the Guardians of the Universe. She sank down on the ground next to Katie, who was still awake. "Are you ok?" Katie looked at her with concern.
"Oh I'm ok. I was just thinking about how we're going to finally get to save the Guardians. And once we get within range of their power, we'll be able to transform. You can be CATastrophe and I can be Gold Card again."
"Yeah, great." Katie looked off into space.
"You don't sound as excited as I thought you would."
"Well, I was kind of enjoying the time away from being a super-hero. It was kind of like a vacation. Before we got our powers, I hated mopping the kitchen and cleaning the house. Now I love to do it because I do it so little."
"Laurence told me that we've always had the power NOT to transform. We don't have to be so committed you know."
"Yeah I guess you're right. We deserve a break, don't we? I'm only worried about Betsy, back at home. I'll bet she's wracking her brains out trying to figure out why she can't transform."
"No, Laurence contacted her. She's just relying on us to free the Guardian's power again."
"Oh. Hey, Emily?"
"Yeah?"
"It's going to be different, fighting alone like this, isn't it?"
"Alone? What do you mean? We've got the others with us, their digimon and Candy and Bunny. I wouldn't call that alone!"
"No, I mean how there's only going to be US. The GQ. I'm so used to hearing Star Wars, N'SYNC, and Korn together. It's going to be a lot different with only two of us."
"Yeah I guess you're right." Emily smiled. "But don't worry about it! We've got more than enough help here with our new friends. And speaking if which, you've seemed to have gotten over Jesse pretty fast."
"Yeah, he was a jerk, wasn't he? I just stopped thinking about him."
"No no! Not that way! I mean you and Matt! You two seem to be getting along pretty well hmmm?" Emily nudged Katie.
"You shut up, Emily Jean Uchida! You know perfectly well we only just met two days ago!" Katie slapped Emily's arm.
"Hmph! Saying my full name, eh Katie Beatrice Wells? Oooh I'm petrified!" Emily poked Katie, "Now shut up so I can get some sleep."
"Shut up? You want me to shut up?" Katie threw a fistful of dirt on Emily.
"Geeze. I'm sorry Ms. Anger Control Problems. Did you miss your medication again? Oh wait! Medications. Forgot to make it plural." Emily dusted herself off and then settled herself down again. She yawned. "Good night Katie."
"Night Emily."
Emily and Katie were only asleep for twenty minutes when someone nudged them in the stomach with a stick. "Emily! Katie! Wake up it's important!" It was Kari.
"Kari you'd better have a really good reason for waking me up." Katie smoothed away her bed-head.
"Well, I was asleep until I head this humming in the sky. There was this really pretty star out there and then, it started falling out of the sky. It landed a few feet away from Gatomon and so she went to check it out. And then she brought it back to me and, well I thought maybe you'd know what it was…" She held out a credit card.
"What the- let me see that!" Emily grabbed the credit card from Kari. She studied it for a few seconds, then looked up. "Katie," Emily squeaked. "This is Betsy's transformation card."
"What's it doing here?" Katie looked at it.
"Oh I wanna see it again!" Kari snatched it from Katie. "How come it says Korn on it?" The card started to glow, then stopped. For a brief second, Kari glowed with it.
"Did you just see what I did?" Emily looked shocked.
"I- I thought only Betsy could make it glow. After all, it's her card and-" Suddenly, Katie stiffened and looked up. "Laurence? Really? Oh I see. Okay! Thanks!"
"What was that all about?" Emily dug through her pocket for her card.
"Laurence just contacted me telepathically." Katie smiled proudly. "She says that Modova temporarily left Betsy and went back into the card so that she could come down here to help. Since Kari's the one who read Betsy's card, she now has the spirit of Modova inside her."
"Huh? You mean I'm a GQ now?" Kari's eyes got big.
"Yup, you now have the power to transform into Madame Medusa. As soon as we're in range of the Guardian's power, all you'll have to do is hold out your card, yell Korn, and Zap! You'll transform. Good to have you on the team Kari!" Emily shook Kari's hand. The Katie did the same.
"Now let's get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow so let's rest up. Goodnight ladies!"
"Good night!"
"Oh I was having a nice dream until you guys decided to wake me up!" Mimi grumbled as everyone trooped after Emily who was carrying Eevee.
"Mmhmm." Izzy murmured, carrying his Digimon in his arms. Pabumon had digi-volved to Montimon over the night and Izzy had been more than overjoyed to see him. Now Montimon squirmed in his arms. "Izzy, I know you're glad to see me, but you're cutting the oxygen off to my lower-section!"
"Oh, sorry!" Izzy blushed and loosened his grip as the group approached a fork in the road.
"Okay Eevee. Which way do we go?" Emily gently ran her fingers over the top of Eevee's head. She hopped out of Emily's arms and scampered to the right, then ran back to Emily, who picked her up again. "So we go right?"
"Ee." Eevee nodded and everyone went right.
The path in the woods began to look more carved out as they walked. Bushes parted to reveal the dirt beneath, forming a path. Suddenly, Emily and Katie stopped. "They're close. I can feel it."
"Who are?" Tk hugged Patamon as everyone used the opportunity to rest.
"The Guardians. I'm starting too feel a little of my power come back." Emily clutched her transformation card. Katie did the same.
"Is that what I felt?" Kari looked up at the two girls and pulled out her card.
"Yes. Modova has sensed the power flowing from her body." Katie patted Kari. "Don't worry though. Transforming doesn't hurt. Now hold out your card to mine and Emily's"
Kari obeyed. The cards glowed brightly, but Emily shook her head. "No. We're not fully in range yet. If we were, then the royal symbol would appear on them."
"Oh." Kari and Katie sounded disappointed.
"Ee eevee!" Eevee put her paws on Emily's pant leg.
"Oh! We should go!" She scooped up Eevee and everyone started walking again.
"This path just seems to be getting more and more- AAAAHHHH!!!! What the heck IS that?" Katie yelled.
Everyone turned to see something that Izzy's new analyzer identified as a Hitmolee. "Eevee! Ee ee vee ee vee ee!" Eevee scampered excitedly over to it.
"Hit mo." It lowered it's large eyes. "Hit mo hit mo lee."
"Vee! Ee vee ee ee vee!" The excitement in Eevee's eyes turned to anger. "Ee vee ee vee vee ee vee!"
"Hit mo lee." It clenched a hand into a fist. "Hit mo…LEE!" It's foot shot out and kicked Eevee backwards into the air.
"Eevee!" Emily screeched as Candymon dove out and caught her in the nick of time.
Eevee glowered up at the Hitmolee. "Eee veeee," She said hatefully. "Ee eevee ee vee ee!"
It winced at her words, then looked away. "Hi-" It turned to look at the Digidestined tearfully. "Hit mo lee. Hit mo lee hit mo. HIT MO LEE!!" It sent an attack at the group. Everyone scattered, but Katie, who stood frozen in terror.
"Katie!" Emily tried to grab her but had to dodge another attack coming her way.
"KATIE!" Bunnymon screamed. The attack was only millimeters from Katie's face. "Bunnymon digivolve to Burimon!" There was a flash as Bunnymon rose to stand on her hind legs, which grew longer as she grew taller. Her long ears twisted together, forming a band with the tips of her ears hanging on opposite sides and her tail became very red and wrapped around her body to form a sort-of leotard than hung from one shoulder. "Super-sonic blast!" a large purple orb shot out of her hands and destroyed the hitmolee's attack.
"Pepper breath!" Agumon shot a flame at it, but it suddenly was sucked into the air and disappeared.
"Bunny! You digivolved!" Katie stuttered, looking at her digimon.
"Yeah. Pretty cool, huh?" Burimon hugged Katie. "Now let's hurry. I have the feeling that we'll be worse off when we get closer so stay close."
They walked on until they came upon a large grass hut with a smaller one next to it. Emily looked at the smaller hut. "The Guardians. We're in range."
"Should we…?" Katie held up her card.
"No. Not yet. Not until it's appropriate." She shook her head. Then she looked at Eevee. "Is he in there?"
"Vee." She lowered her eyes and shook her head. Then she looked at the larger hut. "Ee ee vee vee ee."
"Oh, he's in there, huh? Well, let's go then I guess." Eevee jumped out of Emily's arms and walked slowly in front of them. As they neared the hut they heard a loud voice cry out "Who's the best? Who's better than Ash? Who's gonna be the best?"
"Gary! Gary! He's our man! If he can't do it, no one can!" A chorus of girl's voices chimed out.
"Eeeee vee!" Eevee jumped and backed away slightly. Then she called out loudly "Ee vee ee!"
The cheering stopped and there was silence. Then a boy about Joe and Emily's age burst out of the hut. He had auburn hair, dark eyes and was wearing a purple shirt, black pants and boots. Eevee cowered as he spoke. "Ah, so now I get to meet these so called, 'digi destined.' They tell me I'll never get away with what I'm doing now that you're here. But I'd like to test that." He laughed a smooth-flowing laugh. "But before we begin, I'd like to thank you for returning my Eevee to me." Eevee cowered as he reached down and yanked her up by the scruff of the neck.
"Hey! Put her down!" Mimi cried out as Eevee helplessly struggled to get out of Gary's grasp.
"Ee vee ee…" Eevee turned her sad eyes to Gary. "Ee vee ee…"
Gary blinked and his eye twitched. Then he shook his head and dropped Eevee, who was scooped up by a red-headed cheer-leader who ran back into the hut. "You there in the pink get-up! Thanks for volunteering!" He pulled out a small red and white object. "Now what I have here is a test of strength. Let's try it shall we?" He suddenly turned and threw it at Palmon who was sucked into it.
"Palmon!" Mimi screamed. Staring at the object at her feet.
"Aw! So sad!" Gary laughed. "And you'll never guess what I have in store for the rest of you. Especially you six." He looked at Emily, Katie, Kari and their digimon.
"You've just made a serious mistake you bad-dressed creep! Palmon! Digivolve!"
"Palmon! Digivolve to Togemon!" Togemon burst out of the pokeball.
"Beat that Mr. Drab color!"
"Needle spray!" Gary held out his hand and the needles bounced harmlessly off of an invisible field. "What? It's not working!"
"Maybe you'll have to digi-"
"Oh, did I mention I came prepared?" Gary held up another object. "We call this a master-ball. I have plenty if you'd like to…SEE ONE!!!" He threw two of them; one at Togemon and another at Agumon. They were sucked in instantly.
"Hah! Agumon! Digivolve!" Tai shouted. Everyone stared anxiously at the thing at Tai's feet. Nothing happened. "Come on! Digivolve!" Still nothing.
"As you can see, this prevents your digimon from digivolving out. Nothing escapes a master ball." He chuckled as he casually tossed one at Biyomon.
"Biyo!" Sora cried.
"Not even a fully digivolved digimon can escape." Gabumon and Montimon were sucked into master balls. "Not even," Patamon disappeared into one too. "the strong ones." Gomamon fell off Joe's shoulder as he was sucked into a master-ball.
"And now," He turned to Tai, Matt, Sora, Mimi, Izzy. Tk and Joe. "To rid myself of some excess baggage! Charmeleon go!" A red lizard that stood up to Gary's shoulder appeared. "Fire blast!"
A large flame shot out of the Charmeleon's mouth and flew towards the others. "Matt!" Cried Katie.
"Tk!" Yelled Kari.
"Joe!" Emily screamed. "No!!! Joe!!!" She jumped out in front of them.
"Emily!" Candymon screamed. "Candymon! Digivolve to Goobermon!" There was a flash as rainbow fur turned to shades of blue and the koala's size grew. She punched the flame just before it hit Emily, dissolving it into smithereens. "You wanna play with fire? Caffeine charge!" A blue flame shot at the Charmeleon who collapsed.
"Charmeleon! Return!" The Charmeleon disappeared, along with the others, leaving Emily, Katie, Kari, Goobermon, Burimon, and Gatomon alone with Gary.