DB-Boongar!
DC-Right. Just ignore her. She's really unbalanced. As always REVIEW.
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The trio had walked for about a half-hour when they came upon a group of apple trees.
"Oh, apples! I love apples! Let's pick some. I'm so hungry." Kari said.
Gatomon agreed, referring to the fact that Kari hadn't shared her breakfast that morning, and that all she'd eaten that day was sludgy lollipops. Scare-Cody also agreed, and they all bounded up to the trees. But when Kari reached for an apple on the nearest tree, much to her surprise, a leafy branch reached out and slapped her wrist.
"Don't!" a familiar voice screeched, "...touch the 'do. I have to look nice for my Matti-chan!"
"Hmm." Gatomon whispered sarcastically, "I wonder who that could be?"
The tree sounded and looked like Jun Motomiya, if a tree can look like somebody. The tree batted her eyelashes, (that is, if a tree can have lashes) and called out, "Isn't that right, Maaaaatt? (Giggle)" in a sing- song voice.
"No! Go away!" a tree nearby answered gruffly, with crossed tree branches, "Curse the gardener that planted me near you."
"Oh, stop teasing, Maaatt. You know you love me."
Kari, Gatomon, and Scare-Cody were in hysterics, listening to the two. But then Kari remembered their original reason for stopping. She raised her hand, causing both trees to turn and look at her. "Uum, can we have some apples?"
The Jun-tree screeched, "Are you crazy? and mess up my 'do?"
The Matt-tree cut in again. "Like anyone can mess that up."
The two trees were no longer paying any attention to Kari or anyone else. The argument continued like this, and Kari, Gato, and Scare-Cody knew they would never get any apples from the stubborn plants. Nevertheless, they stayed and listened to the argument until they were bored, at which point they slowly backed away and started to continue down the road. But as they left, a leafy branch tapped Kari on the shoulder, Kari thought for an instant that Jun-tree had changed her mind, but when she turned around, she met a different face.
"Hey! It's Tree-K!" Gatomon shouted, laughing at her own joke.
And indeed it was. The tree in front of them resembled the blonde-haired boy a lot, and he was holding out an apple for Kari. "You can have some of my apples," he said. "They," he gestured towards the still arguing trees, "are a lost cause."
"Thank you," Kari said as she plucked the apple from his leafy grip.
"Yeah, thanks." Cody said, while filling up his hat with apples.
Gatomon also took an apple, and began munching on it hungrily and happily. "Mmm! Grade A!"
Tree-K grinned a leafy grin. Just then, they heard Jun-tree speak again, this time to the trio of non-trees. "And you're saying that my apples aren't?"
"Well, you wouldn't give us any." Snarled Gatomon.
"Calling me greedy, eh? Take that!"
Jun-tree plucked an apple off of herself and threw it at Gato, smacking her in the forehead. Kari, Cody and Gatomon picked up their own apples and threw them right back at Jun-tree, who screeched on impact.
"YEA!" The Matt-tree yelled.
Jun-tree then threw an apple at Matt-tree, which he threw right back. Tree-K also joined in the apple fight, and soon everyone was throwing apples.
"OK, bye!" Kari laughed after awhile, as she dodged an apple, flung near her head.
She gathered Gatomon up in her arms and grabbed Scare-Cody's hand, who still had a hat full of apples.
"Bye!" Tree-K yelled.
Gatomon still wanted to throw apples, but she went with Kari anyways. It was now two against one, Matt-tree and Tree-K against Jun-tree.
As they walked out from the grove, an apple whistled out from the fight and smacked Scare-Cody in the back.
"Yagghh!" He cried as he fell, scattering the apples everywhere.
"Sorry." Matt-tree called sheepishly. He then yelped as an apple beaned him in the face.
"Great going, straw-for-brains." Gatomon growled, disgustedly.
"Sorry." Scare-Cody bent over and started to refill his hat.
"It's not your fault." Kari said, awkwardly patting him on the shoulder. "We can help you pick them up......right Gatomon?" Kari sent a meaningful glare at her 'mon.
"Fine." The cat hissed, helping to retrieve the fallen apples.
Kari leaned close to the ground searching for the fallen fruit. "Gee," she whispered to her self, "They really went far."
She already was out of firing range of the great apple war and all she had Were three apples. She came to a clearing with an old falling down cabin. A glint of bright red caught her eye.
"Ah ha!" she cried, grabbing the apple. "Thought you could get away, huh?"
A strange lump of silver caught her eye. She rapped on it and it let out a hollow thump. "Weird, this thing almost looks like a digiegg....or...a..a.. ..foot. "She looked up and gasped. "GATOMON! SCARE-CODY!" she cried, "IT'S YOLEI! IT'S YOLEI MADE OF TIN!"
Gatomon and Scare-Cody came running through the woods, Cody with a hatful of apples again.
"What is it?" Gatomon asked breathlessly.
"Well, isn't it apparent from what I just yelled?"
"Good point."
At that, Cody and Gatomon looked up at the tin figure. Of course, Cody didn't recognize her, but Gatomon did. It was Yolei, alright. Well, it was Yolei cast entirely out of shiny silver tin, at least. She sparkled brightly in the sun and the trio had to squint to stare at her.
Kari walked slowly around the silent figure, flabbergasted. It looked exactly as her friend had looked this morning at the computer lab; a large beret, her wide wire framed glasses. Only she had a few bolts here and there on the places where her legs and arms bent and an odd expression on her face.
"Weird." Kari muttered.
Gatomon nodded.
"I take it this looks like someone else you know?" Scare-Cody asked, a perplexed look on his face.
Gatomon nodded again. "Uh huh. You know, I bet she'd be thrilled to know there was a statue of her somewhere. I wonder who made her?"
"I don't think it's a statue. It looks more like a robot or something. And," Kari said, "if this is a completely different world, how did whoever made this know what Yolei looked like?"
"Yah." Gatomon agreed. "Actually," Gatomon said, pulling Kari aside, "When you think about it, why does Scare-Cody look like Cody? I mean, he's a scarecrow, so someone had to make him."
"You're right." Kari realized this now.
"Do you think we should ask Scare-Cody why he looks like Cody?" Gatomon asked.
"No. That would be just like someone asking us why we looked like we did. All we would be able to say is that we were made that way. You know what I mean?"
"True."
"Ok," Scare-Cody walked over to the two whispering females, "Whether or not this thing looks like someone you know, you can puzzle over this on the way. Like you said, we don't have much time, so we should hit the road."
Kari and Gatomon agreed with their straw-filled companion, and turned to follow him as he started walking slowly out of the woods. A tiny squeak made Gatomon turn back to the tin girl. "Whaaa?"
She peered closely at the robot. The mouth seemed to move ever so slightly and the sound came again.
"Gatomon, are you coming?" Kari called back to her 'mon.
Gatomon looked back at Kari, surprised. "I think that..the..uh..Tin-Yolei said something."
"What?" Kari said, now just as surprised as Gatomon. She walked up to Tin- Yolei just as she let out another squeak. Kari gasped. "What did she say?"
"I think she said 'Oilcan', whatever that means" Cody replied, having come up behind Kari.
"Oilcan?" Gatomon replied dubiously.
The Tin-Yolei squeaked again, this time more audible. "Oil..Can!"
They all jumped at this. Kari looked at the metal version of Yolei and suddenly noticed that the robot's eyes were moving. She pointed this out to the others, too.
"Ok, that's strange. But what can it mean by 'oilcan'?" Gatomon said.
"Hmm..." they all thought for a moment, then Kari looked at Tin-Yolei again.
She repeated, "Oil...Can!"
Kari glanced at Tin-Yolei's eyes. They were looking at something behind them, almost gesturing with her eyes what to do. Kari turned around to see what Tin-Yolei was looking at; a crudely-made oil can, sitting on a stump nearby.
Kari pointed at it. "Is that what you're talking about?"
The robot let out a squeak of happiness and moved its eyes around excitedly. Scare-Cody grabbed the can and passed it over to Kari.
"What part would you like oiled first?" Kari questioned the tin girl.
"Mii Moou-ph"
Kari cocked her head for a moment, then took a guess at what the girl had said. "Your mouth?"
"Yepphs."
Kari nodded and leaned close to the figure, dripping a few drops of oil on the jaw. The reaction was immediate as the jaw suddenly fell as if unhinged. It shot back up, then down a few times. Then it broke into a wide grin as Tin-Yolei squeaked out in a more normal voice (but not much), "Thank you."
Her expression looked even odder now. The smile looked out of place with the raised eyebrows and wide eyes. "Oh, thank you, thank you." The girl-bot cried happily. "Could you get the rest of my face?"
Kari complied happily and watched as one eyebrow fell, then the other and her eyes loosened in appearance. For a good measure, Kari added oil to the neck.
After Kari was finished the face, she passed the oilcan down to Gatomon, who oiled the knee and foot joints. Tin-Yolei slowly raised one leg, then another as Kari took the oil can again and oiled the arms. Finally, Tin-Yolei was flexible all over again.
The robot tilted and Kari thought for a moment that she was falling, but soon saw that she was simply lying back on the grass, sighing. The robot blinked and stared sleepily at the trio through glittery eyelashes. "I know I said this before, but thank you, thank you very much!"
She slowly sat up as the three travelers sat beside her. "I thought I'd be stuck like that for ever."
"How ever did you get stuck like that in the first place?" Kari inquired, "If you don't mind my asking?"
The tin girl shook her head. "I don't mind. See, I was made a long time ago to care for the apple trees, pruning them and such."
"Why were you made to do that?" Gatomon asked.
"Well, the tin smith who made me liked apples but the trees didn't like him. Whenever he got near them they'd smack him on the head. He built me to pick apples 'cause I wouldn't get hurt."
"You wouldn't?"
"Nope." Tin-Yolie smiled proudly, "If the trees hit me on the head they would just bruise their branches."
"That's nice," Gatomon said huffily, "but it doesn't answer why you were out here."
"I'm getting to that." Tin-Yolie frowned. "You see that little cabin?" Tin-Yolie pointed and the rest nodded. "Well, that's where I would stay at night or when it rained. One particularly cloudy night, I was sitting in my cabin when I heard a noise. I was afraid that Sam the Evil Digimon Emperor of the East had come to steal apples. I ran outside but saw no one. I was about to go back in when suddenly it began to rain and I've been rusting here ever since."
"How sad." Kari said sympathetically.
"Yes, it was. But you three came and saved me!" The metal girl grinned happily.
"Yes, you're perfect now," Kari said, happy she was able to help.
Tin-Yolie got the saddest expression on her face that Kari thought immediately that she had said something wrong and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry."
"Oh no, it's not your fault," Tin-Yolie shook her head, "It's just ....... I'm not perfect."
Gatomon snickered. *Cough* "Obviously." *Cough*
"Pardon?" Cody questioned Tin-Yolei, ignoring the 'mon like most people.
"You see," Tin-Yolei started unhappily, "when the tin smith made me he forgot to make me a heart."
"No heart!" Scare-Cody and Kari exclaimed.
"No heart." Tin-Yolei answered miserably.
"That's impossible!" Gatomon scoffed, "You have to have a heart. All living creatures have them, even us digimon."
"Well, I don't!" Tin-Yolei snapped back.
"Cody, knock on her chest," Kari said.
"Uhhh," Cody stammered.
"I'll do it," Gatomon crowed, "You'll see she's as crazy as Straw-For-Brains!"
The feline 'mon leapt up from her spot on the ground and rapped roughly on Tin-Yolei's chest. The sound reverberated a few times before fading off.
"What an echo!" Kari exclaimed.
Scare-Cody nodded in agreeance.
"Sure, sure, nice acoustics and all," Gatomon started, "But it doesn't prove you have no heart."
"Take my word for it."
"I have a great idea!" Kari said happily. She gestured for Scare-Cody and Gatomon to huddle around her.
Tin-Yolie watched bemused as the three whispered furiously. The small group broke apart and looked up at her happily.
"We've decided that you should come with us to the Turquoise city." said Kari
Scare-Cody nodded. "And perhaps the 'Izard of Od Would be kind enough to give you a heart."
"Or, at least, common sense."
"Shh, Gatomon."
"What, it was funny!" Gatomon protested, "So wada ya think?"
Tin-Yolei looked perplexed "I'd love to get a heart but.."
"But?" Kari asked
"Who would look after the trees? What if Sam the Evil Digimon Emperor came? How would they protect themselves?"
"No need to worry about that." Gatomon said proudly, "Me and Kari took care of him fine. Dropped a dark spire on his head."
"By accident." Kari said, quickly.
"He...he's dead?" Tin-Yolie asked, surprised.
"As dead as a doornail" Gatomon chirped.
"And you don't have to worry about the new Emperor," Kari started, "He probably has better things to hurt than trees."
"That's true. I have you two to hurt!"
The four gasped and spun around. There was Ken smirking from the top of Tin-Yolei's cabin.
"Seems you've added more misfits to your pathetic group." He sneered menacingly.
Tin-Yolei looked panicked and Scare-Cody took a step back. Kari crossed her arms and stared right back at Ken. The Ken in the real world didn't scare her so why should he scare her now?
"The only pathetic thing I see here is you." Gatomon hissed.
Ken's eyes widened. Apparently he hadn't expected this kind of response. He quickly got over his surprise. "No one has ever had the gall to speak to me like that before. You have spirit and that annoys me. I will ask this once. Hand over the charcoal digivice or you'll never reach the Turquoise City alive."
Gatomon made a face. "How in the Digiworld would we make it to the Turquoise city dead?"
"Huh?"
Gatomon put her paws on her hips. "Well, you said we'd never make it alive. You seemed to imply that somehow we'd make it there dead."
"That's not what I meant," Ken growled, peeved.
"Well," Gatomon answered, "maybe you should talk clearer. Let me guess. English isn't your first language?"
Kari and Tin-Yolei giggled.
Ken glared at them, cheeks reddening. "First Diginda, now you four. I have never seen so much insolence. I warn you two," He looked at Scare-Cody and Tin-Yolei, "stay away from these two or," he pointed at Scare-Cody, "I'll feed a Monocromon with you."
Tin-Yolei snickered. Ken turned his gaze on her. "And you! I'll make a control panel outta you."
Tin-Yolei looked shocked. Ken smiled evilly. "How about a little fire, Scarecrow? Meramon!"
No sooner had he spoken than a Meramon stepped out from behind the cabin. With a burst of laughter Ken disappeared in a plume of smoke.
"Flame fist." The Meramon cried sending a wave of fire their way. The four leaped back just in time to avoid going up in flames. The grass wasn't so lucky, creating a small wild fire.
"What are we gonna do?" Scare-Cody asked, panicked.
Gatomon ran up to Kari. "Kari, I'll armour-digivolve!"
Kari nodded. "Digi-Armour energize!"
"Gatomon armour-digivolve to....Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!"
Nefertimon stepped toward the Meramon and it stepped backwards. "Rosetta Stone!" she cried as she attacked the fiery digimon.
The Meramon cried in surprise, then turned tail into the woods. Nefertimon turned and walked in front of the group, then de-digivolved back to Gatomon. Tin-Yolei and Scare-Cody just stared at her with wide eyes.
"She...she got bigger." Tin-Yolei stammered. Scare-Cody nodded wordlessly.
"She just armour-volved." Kari soothed, "It's a thing Digimon do."
Gatomon nodded. "When our partners get in trouble we do it to protect them."
"Wow." Scare-Cody exclaimed, impressed.
"I wish I could do that." Tin-Yolie said, sounding wistful.
"Well, I'm not sure about Digivolving yourselves," Kari began, "but my friends back where I come from have Digimon partners too that they help to make digivolve."
"Yah." Gatomon agreed, friendly after her successful battle. "They use powers they have. Kari uses the digiegg of Light."
Kari walked over to Scare-Cody and pointed at the symbol on his shirt. "See, my friend Cody -you look like him or he looks like you- has the digiegg of Knowledge. That's what this symbol means."
Scare-Cody looked at his shirt in disbelief. "Knowledge? Like a brain?"
Kari nodded. Tin-Yolei rushed over to them.
"You said I looked like one of your friends too. What's her symbol?"
Kari scratched her head. "It's love. It looks like...um," she bent over the ground and drew a rough heart on the ground. "Something like this. Have you ever seen this symbol before?"
Tin-Yolei nodded happily. "Yes!" The robot sat down on the ground and held the bottom of her foot up for inspection. "Is this it?"
On the bottom of her left foot was the crest of Love. Kari was amazed. "Yep, that's it."
Tin-Yolei beamed.
"So, anyways," Gatomon asked, "do you want to come with us or not?"
"Sure. But I'm still worried about the trees. If I'm gone, Ken might come and hurt them."
"Think of it this way. How long were you stuck after being out in the rain?"
"Oh, I don't know. All I know is that it was a very long time."
"Well, the whole time that you were immobile, did the trees ever get hurt?"
"You have a point there. Ok, I'll go!"
"Excellent," Kari said, smiling, "now we must sing. Everybody! We're off to see t-"
Gatomon interrupted the singing digidestined, "I'm NOT singing, Kari."
"Party pooper."
"Am not."
"Are too," Everyone else said simultaneously, then started skipping down the road.
Gatomon frowned and started to run after the singing group. "Lunatics."
To be continued...
