The trip through the gate was quick and flashy as always. Naki remembered when she first traveled through that gate with her parents when she was five. To her it was like riding a roller coaster for the first time. At first she thought she was going to die, but soon she grew to enjoy it. By the twentieth trip, it had become just another way to travel, like riding a bike or bus.

Naki and her two digital companions materialized in the midst of their family's favorite spot in the Digital World- a multi-colored forest near a lake in the center of Server. It was right next to Primary Village, though the family rarely went there since Tohru and his Betamon always scared the baby digimon. The trees around her were full of crumpled leaves ranging from a deep auburn to a dark red, or even golden yellow. Since it was autumn, most of the leaves were on the ground like a patchwork blanket. There was a light breeze sweeping through the trees, causing what leaves remained on the withered branches to sway with the wind. With the bright golden sun shining down through the fluffy white clouds, it was almost too beautiful to believe.

"Ahhhh, I just love this fresh air," said Patamon, the digivolved form of Naki's father's Tokomon. Next to him was Salamon, the digivolved form of Nyaromon. She too inhaled the clean air deeply, and let out a sigh of pleasure.

"Yes indeed," Salamon replied. "I don't think I'll ever get used to Japan's air. It's too dirty."

"Same here," said Naki. "I love the air in the Digital World." Naki smiled as she took a deep breath and held it inside, as if to squeeze every last drop of contentment from it before slowly letting it out. "It's always so...calming."

"Hey, let's go see if Elecmon's out today!" cheered Salamon, acting as if she were a kid again. She ran ahead of the others, practically falling down the grassy hill the TV/gate was located on. Patamon and Naki just looked at each other, smiled, and followed her as quickly as they could.

As Naki had expected, the Digital World was essentially empty today. With the big tournaments just starting in the Real World, practically everybody was at one stadium or another, cheering on their favorites as they competed for the chance to enter the city finals (the one Tohru almost won last year), then the country-wide level, and finally the national games. This would happen over the course of a few weeks, so the Digital World would be free of most people for just about a month. Naki hated it when hundreds of people were in the Digital World, primarily because it scared all the wild digimon away. At least today she and the digimon would have some privacy.

After the three raced through the trees to the nearby river, they came upon a small group of baby digimon playing in the shallow banks. There were two Koromons, a Motimon, and a Punimon, each smiling cheerfully. They appeared to be having a water fight (with help from their Bubble Blows), and it looked like the Motimon was slowly winning. Naki giggled at the display of playfulness, especially when Salamon jumped into the river with them and started splashing around.

"Sometimes I wonder about her," muttered Patamon as he watched this.

"If you have something to say 'Piggy'-mon, come and say it to my face!" she said playfully, sticking her tongue out at the other digimon. Naki smiled, because she knew Patamon hated when she called him that. Ever since they and their human partners became friends nearly twenty years ago, she called him that when she felt like annoying him. Both Naki and Salamon thought he looked funny (and cute) when he got mad. As Salamon expected, Patamon dove into the water and started a wrestling match with her. The baby digimon joined in and sided with their favorite competitor, and an all-out splash party ensued. Everyone participating laughed joyously, while Naki watched from the grassy (and dry) bank.

"What's all the commotion?" asked a familiar voice. Elecmon walked down the riverside until he was next to the human girl. "Naki! How are you young lady?" he greeted.

"Very good, thank you," she replied. "Why don't you take a break with us?"

Elecmon smiled. "Sounds like a good idea." The digimon took a seat right next to Naki, and watched as Salamon pounced on Patamon in a splashy display. The old digimon laughed as he saw this. "Those two could be my age, and they'd still act like kids."

Naki smiled in agreement. "They tell me that Mom and Dad are like that too, but I don't believe it myself."

"Everybody is a child at some point. Even me."

"You?!" Naki said in mock shock. "I was sure you were born a doting grandmother."

"Very funny. I hope you're not as cruel to your digimon as you are to a poor old man like me," he said jokingly. He remembered too late about Naki's "problem", and instantly regretted saying that. "I'm sorry Naki. I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," she replied quickly. She leaned back until she was lying in the soft grass and looking up at the blue sky. "I think I'll be getting a digimon soon."

"Huh?" the red-and-purple digimon said. "Why do you think so?"

Naki closed her eyes and took a deep breath like the one from before, and released it the same way. Finally, she answered, "I'm not afraid of having a digimon of my own anymore."

"Why were you afraid of having a digimon?"

"I was afraid that if I had one, I would have to fight all the time like my brother does. I didn't want to see any digimon get hurt, especially one under my care. For a long time I prayed every night that I wouldn't get a digimon, because of that fear. Even after I became friends with all the digimon I met, like you, I hoped that I didn't have one of my own."

Elecmon nodded. "I understand. I feel the same way."

"You do?"

"Of course! I take care of all the baby digimon until they hatch. The last thing I want to see is them getting hurt. That goes for all digimon, and all people too."

Naki folded her hands behind her head. "I don't care too much about people getting hurt, but digimon are another story. They don't try to get into fights...or wars, like humans do. They don't fight for stupid reasons like money unless they have too."

"You make it sound like digimon are slaves," said Elecmon. "We can make our own decisions, you know."

"*sigh*...I know, but all the digimon I see listen to their human "friends" almost all the time. I think they think of friendship differently then people like my brother and his friends do."

Elecmon got on his feet and slowly stretched. "That they do, Naki. That they do." Elecmon padded over to the edge of the river, where Patamon had successfully pinned Salamon. "You guys want to come and eat an early lunch?"

"Sure!" said Patamon happily. "I just love a good meal after a victory." He looked down at Salamon and did his best fake, evil laugh. "Mwahahaha! I have conquered you, pitiful puppy thing!"

Salamon managed to get him off her as he continued to chuckle. "If you didn't weigh so much, I would have pushed you off sooner."

"Oooh, sore loser," said the smiling Patamon. "Save your harsh words for the next match, little lady." The digimon avoided a playful swipe from the other, and flapped his wings until he was safely in the air.

"Don't worry Salamon," said Naki as she picked her up. "He may have won, but he doesn't have your gracefulness."

"Who needs gracefulness when you look as good as me?" he replied from above.

"You're right. Who needs gracefulness when you look as good as Babe." Naki giggled, and Patamon groaned in defeat.

****

Elecmon gathered together the food he had prepared for lunch, and began dispensing it to the baby digimon. The babies hungrily accepted the food and gulped it down at an incredible rate. Their caretaker chuckled and continued down the line, assisted by Naki and the other two rookies.

"Man, this brings back too many memories," said Salamon as she balanced a basket of food on her head while trying to keep the babies from trampling her. "I remember trying to keep Tohru under control. That kid could crawl faster than I could say 'digivolve'."

"Really? You guys helped take care of Tohru and I?" Naki asked curiously.

"Sure," Patamon answered as he flew above with a basket of fresh apples. "We were living with your parents, so we ended up being with you guys so much that it just happened. I guess you could say we grew attached to you two."

"Well, at least Naki at any rate," said Salamon. Both digimon laughed.

Naki continued to hand out some food, but her thoughts were drifting to the past. "What was I like as a baby?"

Salamon smiled as she remembered two-year-old Naki Yasushi. "You were such a cute baby. Quiet, happy..."

"Stinky," added Patamon. Salamon giggled, while Naki made pouty lips to show her displeasure. Patamon smiled as he flew over to get another basket of food for the babies who hadn't eaten yet.

"It was fun watching you grow up," continued Salamon while she took a break. "You were the kind of girl I imagined Rini being like before I met her."

"I remind you of Mom?"

"Very much. She was shy and smart like you, and just as pretty."

Naki blushed. "I'm not that pretty."

"Oh no?" Patamon said as he finished handing out food. "I'm surprised you don't have boys knocking on the door every night." Naki smiled and turned even redder, and Salamon jokingly made catcalls. Luckily, Elecmon came and saved her from even more embarrassment.

"You guys ready to eat?" he asked. "All the babies are fed."

"Yeah, I'm starved," said Patamon as he landed next to Salamon.

"You're always starved," she added.

Elecmon chuckled. "I'll fix up a warm meal for us. I'll get the fire ready. You two get the food." He turned to Naki. "Naki, could you get some water?" he asked, motioning to an empty pail nearby.

"Sure, no problem," the girl replied. As the others went about their tasks, she picked up the pot and headed towards the river.

(Naki...)

As Naki headed towards the river, she started to whistle a little ditty she had heard on the Internet. It was one of those songs that once you heard it, it would be stuck in your head forever.

(Naki...)

Naki finally reached the river, and methodically kneeled at the bank. She dropped the pail into the water, scooping up and dumping out water to help clean out the old gunk left in it.

(Naki...I can feel you...)

The girl paused in her actions as a strange, almost imperceptible voice touched her ears. She looked up and scanned the trees around her as she tried to identify the voice, but she saw nothing around her.

(Naki...come to me...)

"Who's there!" the girl cried fearfully. She dropped the pail and stood up quickly as she tried to find the source of her fear, but again she saw nothing. The voice sounded as if it was echoing from upriver, so the girl (rather foolishly...) tiptoed along the stream to see if she could find out what was calling to her.

(Yes, come to me Naki.)

"Who are you?" she asked softly as she continued sneaking towards where she believed the voice to be. She looked left and right as she tried to find it, but it was difficult to see without the sunlight. Where had the light gone? Everything looked so gray...

"Hello?" she called out again. Her voice didn't go very far, as there was very little to rebound off of. She couldn't see very far ahead of her because of the rising fog, which made her worried. She decided that it might be better to get the others before proceeding further. Unfortunately, when she turned around, she saw fog as thick as what was before her. She was lost.

(Do not be afraid, Naki.)

"Why are you calling me?" she asked. "W-where am I?"

The voice seemed to be closer than it was before. Do not worry Naki. You are safe with me. I have been waiting a long time to meet you.

"Me? Why do you want to meet me? Who are you?"

I am the one you've been trying to find. I am your digimon.

Naki's heart skipped a beat. "What?! How can that be?"

I have been trying to reach you for a long time, but you haven't heard me calling to you until now.

"Why didn't you just appear to me?"

Something is trying to keep us apart, Naki. I can't reach you on my own. I need your help if we're to be together.

Naki was so happy that there was actually a digimon for her that she didn't think twice about it. "How do I help you?!" Suddenly, an icy cold wind blew over her, making her shiver. She saw the fog thin a little, and she glimpsed something she had seen once before in her lifetime- a luminescent butterfly. She only saw it for an instant before the grayness and fog closed around it.

He is trying to separate us again, the voice said quickly. Again, the grayness and fog parted, and the color-filled forest appeared once again. The color started to spread, dispelling the cold fog around her. Naki, don't go!

"Wait!" she cried, but before she could speak again, the last of the grayness disappeared. She was back at the river flowing past Primary Village, just a few yards away from the pail she dropped. Although she had left the dark place, she was still shivering from the experience.

****

When Naki returned to the tiny village, Elecmon started cooking their meal. Most of the babies were asleep now that they had a hefty meal, and the others were quickly getting tired. Soon, it would be just the three digimon and their human companion. By the time the last baby was asleep, Elecmon finished cooking and handed out bowls of the delicious stew he had made.

Salamon took a deep whiff of the steaming bowl of stew, and smiled contently. "Mmm... I'd take this over those ballpark hotdogs they sell at the stadium any day."

"Same here," replied Patamon, already eating despite the fact that it was very hot. It seemed not to bother him. "Good stew, Elecmon."

"Thank you, sir," the other digimon said, smiling proudly. "Do you like it Naki?" When the girl didn't answer, Elecmon looked at her with concern. She was staring off into space with a worried look. Patamon and Salamon noticed this too.

"Naki?" said Patamon. The flying digimon went over and tapped the girl on the shoulder, which brought her out of her trance. "You okay, dear?"

"Oh, uh...yes, yes I'm fine," she answered quickly. She picked up the spoon Elecmon had provided for her and started eating her stew. She smiled when she tasted the meal. "This is delicious!"

Elecmon smiled again. "I try my best when I have guests." He started eating as well, and the meal proceeded this way for a while. This worried the digimon, because normally Naki was very talkative around her digimon friends.

(Hey,) whispered Patamon to Salamon. (What's up with Naki?)

(I don't know. She's a lot quieter than usual.)

(Did we say something?)

(I can't think of anything.) Salamon looked at her again, and examined her face with an eye as trained as her real mother's was. (She's worried about something.)

(How can you tell?)

(It's my job to know these things,) she replied with a smile. (If you weren't always busy carting stuff between the house and the store, you'd know that too.) Patamon smiled in amusement as Salamon walked over to Naki. Again she was staring off into space.

"Naki, is something wrong?" she asked. Of course she knew something was wrong, but that was the traditional way of starting a conversation of that nature. It was the way you found out whether the kid was willing to talk or not.

Naki frowned. She knew Salamon would know if she were hiding something or not, so she decided to be truthful with her. The question was, how would she tell her what happened when she didn't understand what happened? She said the only thing she could say.

"N-nothing's wrong," she said with a fake smile. "I'm just daydreaming."

Salamon played along, of course, but her eyes showed her heavy concern. "You sure?"

"Positive." Naki scratched Salamon's ears to help relax the digimon. Salamon closed her eyes and smiled, despite her worry. The human smiled as well.

Patamon watched this go on as well, but something else caught his eye. He glanced towards the upper portion of one of Primary Village's giant bouncy blocks, and stared curiously at a flock of luminescent butterflies. Most digimon didn't know exactly why those things existed, but everyone knew that they meant good luck for whoever saw them. It was rumored that they were the eyes of a guardian spirit, but which spirit was unknown. Seeing these butterflies only meant one thing to Patamon, who had seen them many times before- prepare for trouble.