Prove yourself!
Leto
Chapter five - First day: afternoon
--Tai's POV--
I shouldn't have run away from Smaugmon. At the time it seemed like the obvious thing to do, but I wouldn't have done that when I was 11, and my crest reacted a lot then. Maybe if I'd stayed to fight instead of being such a coward and taking the easy way out, my crest would have reacted too.
Now I have to hurry because if I don't get my crest to react before at least eight of the others, I won't get to see Agumon again. At least, I guess that's how it works.
Still, I *am* happy for Matt. It must be a load off his mind.
--General POV - English digidestined--
"Petalmon digivolve to..."
Adrienne stared in awe at her Digimon, as the symbol on her crest glowed. Petalmon arched back her long neck and all her petals fell to the ground except those that served as wings. Long legs, rather like a horse's, sprouted from her body and as she reared back on her hind legs, green ferny vines wrapped themselves around her legs. A sudden green light swirled around her body, changing it to a shining, green, rock-like substance. A great green flowering mane sprouted down her head, and to finish the digivolution, her body bulged and grew considerably larger.
"Emeramon!"
"Yay Emeramon! Yay Emeramon!" called Webmon and Amy in unison.
"Another Ultimate Digimon!" said Garnetmon, grinning at this new addition to their team.
Their enemy of the moment scowled and bared its fangs. "You don't really think that scares me, do you?!"
Emeramon tossed her head proudly. "I'm Emeramon, the Ultimate form of Floramon. My fierce attack will stand for no nonsense from anyone trying to damage this digital world!"
"Bring it on," sneered the virus Digimon.
"Very well then. How do you like the - Mother Nature's Revenge!"
Emeramon reared back in the sky and flapped her petal wings. As she did so, all the trees around them glowed a bright green, and the light from them came together into a ball of light, which Emeramon smirked and kicked right at the enemy. The enemy was instantly vaporised.
"Wow, not bad," said Garnetmon.
"Of course it wasn't bad," said Emeramon, "this IS me we're talking about!"
The three Digimon dedigivolved and the children ran to their partners.
"Maybe we CAN win this thing!" said Spritemon happily.
"When will YOU digivolve?" Amy asked Otamamon.
Otamamon blushed. "I just don't know..."
"Don't worry, I like you just the way you are!"
"Oh, Amy!"
--General POV--
The old digidestined had finished their lunch and were, once again, walking through the forest. Hours passed but the sky remained dark.
Koushiro had his laptop out as usual. Joe, Mimi and Sora were talking quietly, glad to catch up on things after so long with just keeping in contact via letters and phone calls. Joe, limping slightly, was leaning on Sora's shoulder. Matt walked along in silence, watching his feet as they stepped on the dead leaves and grass.
Tai was at the head of the group, whistling a little tune and constantly glancing around, keeping a look-out. Takeru and Kari were walking side-by-side and playing rock-scissors-paper.
Cody had his sleeves rolled up and was looking at his arms, scratching the dried blood off; he glanced over at Yolei who was walking half-supported by Ken. Her arms were badly scratched by the thread but it didn't look like she was bleeding.
"Cody, do you have to do that, it's disgusting," said Yolei.
"Well, whose fault was this in the first place?"
"Hey, I'm in a lot worse shape than you, and you don't hear ME complaining!"
"Yes we do," muttered Ken.
"It really is great to see everyone again," Joe was saying, "it's just like old times."
"If only Davis was here," said Sora wistfully.
"You mean 'The Great Enlightened One', don't you?" said Joe, which made Sora laugh instead of looking sad.
"Everyone has changed since I last came to Japan," said Mimi. Joe nodded.
"You're not kidding. Tai can actually hold his head up under his haircut now..."
"Kari as a blonde..."
"Izzy with glasses."
"Oh come on Joe, nobody calls him Izzy any more!"
"I can't get used to that..."
"And what do you think of my haircut? Isn't it cuuuute?"
"I don't know Mimi, you kind of look like a guy."
"Joe, you pay SUCH nice compliments..."
"Alright!" exclaimed Koushiro suddenly, "Prodigious! I've finally set up a Digimon Analyser again!"
"That's great, Koushiro!" said Tai, "how about looking up Smaugmon?"
"Smaugmon, what's a Smaugmon?" asked Mimi.
"Ahh, just a Digimon I heard of once," said Tai evasively.
"I'm way ahead of you, Tai," said Koushiro, tilting the screen so that the others could see.
"Smaugmon," read Kari, "this legendary Ultimate-level 'chaos' Digimon draws power from the blue moon. Although he is a strong data-type Digimon, he is especially susceptible to computer viruses. Attacks: Moon of Fantastica, Dragon's Claw, Ultimate Chaos."
"Blue moon..." said Sora, and looked up at the sky.
"Is there anything more on him?" asked Tai.
"Let's see... Smaugmon is a vengeful Digimon who will pursue his prey until he has defeated them and crunched their bones into -"
"It does not say that!" snapped Tai.
"Just messing with you!" said Koushiro with a grin. Tai muttered something.
"Let me guess," sighed Kari, "you guys ran into Smaugmon and made him really angry and now he's probably hunting you down with a death wish?"
"Maybe?" said Ken.
Everyone sighed.
"Well then, if there's this big angry dragon thing somewhere in the forest, how about we, like, get OUT the forest?" suggested Yolei.
"Wow, sometimes good ideas come from where you least expect them," said Ken. Yolei hit him.
"Just what is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, nothing! Let's just get going!"
They did. Joe, Mimi and Sora resumed their conversation.
"So your roommate is a giiiiirl?" asked Mimi, "does she have good fashion sense? Are you two reaaaally close? Do you liiiike her?"
Joe sweatdropped. "Oh please..."
"Well, you've certainly been tight-lipped about her!" said Mimi, "maybe you're HIDING something?"
"That's right," agreed Sora, "I never even knew you HAD a roommate until a couple of letters ago, and you never replied to my last one!"
"Love is in the air," sang Mimi, "everywhere I look around."
Joe's sweatdrop grew larger. "Really, I didn't have any ulterior motives, I just never thought to mention her. Katie's a nice enough girl but... what *is* it with you and match-making, Mimi?"
"It's fun," said Mimi, and then, louder - "just look at all the potential couples here! We've got so many good-looking single young men and women! Who's secretly burning with love here? Let's see, we've got Takeru and Kari, the young lovebiiiiirds!"
"It's not like that," they said in unison, flatly - having said that at least a hundred times in the last few years.
"Oh, could it be that Kari's really in love with... Matt? Her friendship with Takeru is her way of ANGLING CLOSER TO HIM!"
"Mimi -" began Matt.
"Maybe she just likes younger men? Look out, Cody, Kari's got her eye on you!"
Cody went red. "Don't be ridiculous, Mimi -"
"But, who else? We have Yolei and Ken making SUCH a cute couple over there!"
"Not a chance," said Ken and Yolei in unison.
"But you're totally ALL OVER EACH OTHER!"
"Yeah, she's bleeding all over me, how romantic," said Ken dryly.
"Or is our real future couple Yolei and Koushiro? The two bespectacled computer experts!"
"I don't -" began Koushiro.
"Or Koushiro and Sora? They've been friends for a long while! Yolei and Matt? Or how about Joe and Sora? They've been PRETTY CHATTY if you know what I mean!"
"Mimi, that's -" began Sora.
"Oh! Oh! Sora and Matt! That's a PERFECT match! Didn't you two used to date? Let's rekindle the flames of passion! Ohohohohohoho!"
"Mimi," said Tai, "next time maybe you should consider staying in America."
Mimi blinked, and looked around. Everyone was bright red and flustered-looking. She sweatdropped.
"Gosh everyone, lighten up a little... so, uh, Joe, you were saying, about your roommate?"
Joe sighed. Mimi could be very perky at times, but she wasn't usually this bad. Maybe it was hormones.
"Mimi," said Sora suddenly, "you miss Michael, don't you?"
"Mmm," she said, nodding a little, her face falling. Joe looked surprised and then smiled a little. How did Sora know... he would never understand women.
Mimi smiled again, suddenly, and patted her stomach. "But you know - I have this little one to remind me that I'm gonna return both of us safely to him at the end!"
"How far along are you again?"
"Just over four months..."
"Well, you *are* looking larger..."
"Thanks, Joe."
Takeru, who was walking at the rear of the group, stopped suddenly.
"Paper!" said Kari. "Hey, you didn't play... what's wrong, TK?"
"I thought I heard something," he said. Everyone stopped then. 'Hearing something' in digiworld was never a good thing.
They all stood there in silence, trying to hear for something, and looking into absolutely motionless bushes.
"I'll go take a look," said Matt, taking a couple of steps into the bushes - and came out again two seconds later clawing at his face and making sputtering sounds.
"Geddit off me geddit off me geddit off meeeee!" he shrieked - although his words were rather muffled by the strange red creature plastered on his face - and Takeru moved forward to pry it off.
"Does anyone have a spatula?" he joked. Matt was less than appreciative of the humour, shouting about not being able to breathe instead of laughing. Finally the creature lost its grip and Takeru catapulted backwards with it in his hands.
"What the hell is that thing?!" shouted Matt, his voice going up about an octave.
Everyone gathered around to look, and Takeru blinked. In his hands was a little round, red creature standing on what seemed like tiny, sticky, Yokomon-like feet.
"Oh how cute," said Mimi, predictably.
"Yeah, so cute it almost took half my face off," said Matt, touching his face to make sure everything was still there.
The creature looked up at him solemnly. "Hewwo," it said, "I am Pu-ri-mon! I catch up to you at wast, yesh?"
"Evidently," muttered Matt, still feeling his face.
"'Catch up'?" repeated Koushiro, "were you following us?"
"Yesh, I fowwowed Mama all the way fwom nesht!"
"Who's your Mama, kid?" asked Takeru.
Purimon smiled brightly and leapt at Matt, landing in his lap.
"W-what?!" squawked Matt, "you must be joking, I'm not your mother, I've never seen you before!"
"Awww, that's so sweeeeet," said Tai, "really Matt, you look so much like a girl I'm not surprised it mistook you for its mother! Could there be a more motherly soul than Yama-"
Tai's words were cut off by Matt putting him in a choke hold.
"Did you come from that empty village we saw?" asked Kari kindly.
Purimon frowned a little. "Mmm, Pu-ri-mon's nesht all beat up by mean viwush! Evewyone gone but Pu-ri-mon!"
"Oh, how awful," said Sora.
"How did YOU survive?" asked Koushiro.
"I don't know, maybe I too shmall? Dey shaid to weave Pu-ri-mon awone sho I wash all awone but then I shaw new Mama and I been so happyyyyy!"
Purimon bounced up and down on Matt's foot, wearing a big smile. Matt sighed, and looked around. Everyone was giving him looks that plainly said "Matt, you couldn't be so heartless as to break this poor little baby's heart". He sighed.
"Okay kid, 'Mama' it is," he said, resignedly.
"That's great, Matt," squeaked Tai, his face purple, "but can you let go of me now?"
--Yolei's POV--
So we're all walking along again - do we ever do anything else in digiworld? Walk, walk, get attacked, walk, walk, get attacked, argue, walk, walk...
I glance at Cody and he smiles at me. I'm glad. Sometimes we disagree a lot but then he smiles like that - not a typical guarded Cody smirk, but a small, real smile of friendship - and I know we're still friends.
I'm not so sure about Ken, though. He just seems annoyed with me... and it's putting me off my plan! Maybe I'll just start tomorrow... right now it's kind of hard to walk. Ken's supporting me but that doesn't mean he likes me - he's just kind that way.
Well, I can't afford to complain about this. Even if I'm hurt, there are still things we have to do. I won't hold the group up. My shoulder's killing me, and my waist hurts where that stupid bug tackled me.
"Are you okay, Yolei?"
Trust Cody to notice. "I'm fine, I'm fine!"
He doesn't look convinced, but at that moment, Tai stops walking and the rest of us follow suit so we don't walk into him. He's right to stop - something strange is in the air. The strange dim light that we've been walking in fades.
"Mama?" asks that weird thing riding on Matt's head.
"Weird..." says Matt.
All of us look up at the sky. The blue moon looks different, almost like a shadow's fallen over it. The air grows a whole lot colder all of a sudden. It's freezing!
"I've got a bad feeling..." says Sora, speaking for all of us, I'm sure! She rubs her bare arms to warm them, and beside her, Mimi is hugging herself, and all of us can hear her teeth chattering.
"Here, Mimi," says Joe, taking off his coat and draping it over Mimi's shoulders. She nods a thank-you and promptly resumes shivering. Then Joe takes off his jacket and drapes it over Sora's shoulders.
"Gosh, Joe, how much were you wearing?" asks Kari. She's standing close to Takeru to keep warm.
"I came from London, it's rather cold there at night," he says defensively.
Well, it was nice of everyone to notice that *I* might be cold too. I'm not wearing warm clothes like most of the guys are. Just as I think that, Ken looks at me.
"Are you cold, Yolei?"
"No kidding, it feels like the ice age is coming on!" I snap. I'm cold and in pain and annoyed at such a question. Ken pulls me in closer to him and wraps his arm around me... Ken's only wearing a t-shirt and jeans himself, but it sure feels a lot warmer near him! I hope I'm not blushing...
--Takeru's POV--
We don't have to wait long for something bad to happen. Tai gets impatient with waiting and yells "come out, Smaugmon!"
"You think it's Smaugmon?" asks Ken.
There is a truly horrible-sounding laugh that sounds like it comes from overhead. Kari, beside me, cringes.
"What does this Smaugmon want with us?" she asks. I hate to see her looking worried about anything. If I could pull her any closer to me I would.
At that moment, a huge dark creature appears above us, blocking out the light of the moon. I can make out the shape of the dragon we saw on Koushiro's computer, but there's a lot of difference between seeing a jpeg and being met in the middle of a dark forest by something dangerous and unfriendly.
If Patamon were here... no, I can't think like that. We all have to be as strong as we can on our own. But even though all our friends are taking up aggressive stances - Tai and Matt making fists, Sora crouching slightly, Cody grabbing up a stick from the ground, Mimi with her hands on her hips, Joe clutching his briefcase in front of him like a talisman - we all move a little closer to each other. Maybe the others didn't even notice it.
"Found you!" bellows the monster. How on earth did Tai, Ken and Koushiro get us mixed up with this guy?!
"What do you want?" yells back Matt.
"Don't you think the chaos is just great?"
I don't think any of us were expecting that answer.
"And just what do you mean by that?!" asks Tai.
"Day turning to night! The imbalance between light and darkness in the digital world! Doesn't it feel beautiful?"
"Not at all!" shouts Kari, stepping forward, "we won't let you evil Digimon destroy the light in this world!"
I can't help feeling proud of her. Even if she's afraid, she always has that light in her.
Smaugmon laughs. "Of course, that's your attitude. Don't you think that's why we're enemies? Have fun with this attack! Ultimate Chaos!"
The forest around us starts to turn all different colours. It's really weird and really freaky. I can't help feeling scared.
Kari grabs my hand, and her face looks strange in the changing light. "TK, it's hopeless!"
If Kari feels that way... then maybe... it is? How can we hope to stand on our own? We're just humans!
"Look out!"
It's Koushiro's voice, but I can't see where he is. Where are any of the others? The world around me is whirling in this nauseating blur of flashing colours, I can just feel Kari's hand in mine. I can't see her any more.
--Mimi's POV--
The forest stops whirling - just in time, too, I was starting to feel sick - and there's this sickening crunching sound. I get to my feet - when did I fall over? - and look around. A tree fell down nearby... everyone's still here... for a moment, it was like I couldn't see anyone... Sora's crouched on the ground, looking kind of shocked. I look in the direction she's looking, and there's this silvery light that I've seen before. It's coming from Joe.
"The same light," I hear Cody whisper, and when I turn to look at him, he's looking down at his crest. What was that supposed to mean?
The jerk dragon doesn't like this, and glares at Joe, his horrible little eyes staring at him in a totally evil way.
"You stopped my attack with that cute little trick?" he sneers, "you can't combat chaos, you idiot."
Joe still stands there, not saying anything, his crest glowing and illuminating his face and arms. I realise he's probably too scared to move, and suddenly I have a bad feeling. Smaugmon just hovers in the air, I don't like his stillness. Joe, move out of the way!
"Dragon's Claw!" Smaugmon shouts suddenly, and hurls his great body down at us - no, at Joe, who is still standing his ground.
"JOE!" shouts Matt, who's standing closest to him, "get out of the way you idiot!"
He runs at him, but I can tell he's going to be too slow to push him out of the way - oh! oh! - this is terrible! - but - what's this? Matt's crest is glowing too - the two guys are both glowing - the light is surrounding them!
The dragon howls as he slams right into the light, and - and - and he's disintegrating! He was going too fast to stop and now the light from Joe and Matt's crests is destroying him!
I - I can't believe it! The sky is brightening, the sun is coming out again! Smaugmon was... defeated... by us?
--Kari's POV--
I feel just awful. I'm *so* glad that Joe and Matt are okay, but I should have done something. Wasn't it my job to do something? It was light that destroyed that awful dragon, and...
"I doubted myself," I whisper to TK. He'll understand, he always understands. He does this time. He nods.
"I know, Kari. I did, too."
"Without Gatomon, I thought I couldn't do anything against such a strong Digimon..."
He nods, seriously, and we turn to the others.
"Way to goooo, guys!" Mimi is babbling, "that was just totally amazing!"
"You're not kidding," says Yolei, "I thought we were goners. What exactly happened?"
"A - a tree fell," says Sora, "and Joe pushed me out the way... but I don't know how he could even tell. I couldn't see a thing except that horrible flash of colours..."
Joe grins a little sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I don't know either... I guess it was a lucky break for us."
"Do you think it was the power of reliability?" asks Cody seriously, "my theory is that the power of reliability was able to stop Smaugmon because it's almost like the opposite of the power of chaos."
"And the power of friendship?" asks Matt.
"Protected you both."
"Hmmm..."
Joe and Matt look at each other.
"So we can defeat evil Digimon with the power of our crests," says Tai, thoughtfully. That's right, that's a really important point...
"Guys, I don't know if you've noticed this, but look around us," says Koushiro suddenly. He's not looking around, his eyes are fixated on the computer as usual, but I see what he means. This doesn't look like where we were ten minutes ago. There's a huge dark tree with long, silvery tendrils hanging down right next to me, and I'm sure I didn't see anything like that before.
"The forest looks less dead," says Mimi, and then points at a shrub, "hey, I recognise that one!"
"According to my map," Koushiro continues, as if she hadn't spoken, "we're in a completely different part of the forest. It must have happened at the time of Smaugmon's chaos attack. Let's head east."
Purimon bounces over to Matt, looking up at him with wide, admiring eyes.
"Ish my mama weally a digideshtined?"
"Yes, HE is," says Matt, "but how do you know about the digidestined, Purimon?"
Purimon blinks. "I... I don't know. But that wash weally weally weally cool, I know Mama will pwotect me, yesh?"
"Yeah," says Matt, a little absent-mindedly. I wonder what he's thinking.
So now two of us have had our crests react. If only... oh... I just remembered something. Koushiro's computer said that Smaugmon was infected by a virus, didn't it? Shouldn't we have saved him instead of destroyed him? Couldn't my light have done that?
Gatomon said, in my dream, that my light had faded...
--General POV--
The digidestined stood at the outskirts of the forest, on the top of a cliff-face that overlooked a huge city. Koushiro whistled admiringly.
"Wow, civilisation," said Tai, "what are we waiting for, let's go!"
"We won't reach that city for hours," said Joe reasonably, "I think we should just set up camp for the night."
"Joe's right," said Yolei, sliding down onto the ground with her back against a tree. "It's not like we have to go anywhere with any urgency."
Tai looked as though he might like to argue this, but Matt nudged him. Some of his friends *did* look pretty spent. Mimi sat down on a fallen log, yawning hugely and looking rather out of sorts, and Joe was glad for the chance to stop walking on his sore foot.
"Alright," he said, "I guess dinner is leftovers from lunch?"
"I think I have indigestion already," said Yolei.
"Now now, we can't afford to be fussy when we're in the middle of nowhere..."
"I'd rather eat dirt than another one of those 'tomato-flavoured cheese sticks'."
"Well, there is plenty of dirt around here, help yourself Yolei."
"Very funny."
"Oh, my goodness," said Mimi suddenly, turning a peculiar colour.
"Is something wrong?" asked Joe.
She touched her stomach gingerly. "I think I just felt the baby move."
Most of the guys paled.
"What are we going to do if Mimi goes into labour in the digital world?" asked Cody.
"I'm not having the baby NOW, you idiot!" shouted Mimi, "I'm certainly not still going to be HERE in five months!"
"Oooh, let me feel," said Sora and Kari in unison and went to touch Mimi's stomach. Yolei made a face.
Mimi stood up suddenly. "I think I'm gonna throw up."
She made a hasty exit and the others could hear her retching in the bushes.
"Motherhood, what a beautiful thing," said Yolei dryly.
"I am SO glad I'm a male," said Matt. Cody, Ken, Tai, Takeru and Koushiro nodded with feeling. Purimon looked up at Matt and blinked. Joe was busy going after Mimi.
Mimi came back looking white, with Joe patting her on the back. She scowled at him.
"Leave me alone," she said, "I want to wash my hair, I feel like I weigh about three thousand kilograms and my feet feel all swollen and icky."
"Come on Mimi, you're not *that* fat," said Matt. He got a Death Look from Mimi from his efforts.
"I hate thiiiiis," she wailed, "I just wanna diiiiie!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Mimi," said Tai, "a little courage, that's all that's needed."
Mimi started shouting very loudly at that stage, beginning with "how would YOU like it if -" and leading on with things that made all the guys cringe. Tai began to feel increasingly less courageous.
"And I'm going to sleep, my back hurts and you all suck!" she finished, "if any one of you keeps me awake with your annoying talking I will personally KILL YOU! Good night!"
She hmpfed and threw herself down on the ground, closing her eyes. Everyone else looked at each other and took a few steps back.
"Scary..." whispered Kari.
"Mimi's been a little emotional lately..." observed Koushiro.
"You noticed too, huh," said Yolei.
"Well, I'm going to get some shut-eye too," said Joe, "it's been a long day..."
"How strange to think we can get normal hours of sleep," said Cody, "now that we're in digiworld, we have a whole extra week that no humans get to experience.
"Just like a holiday, if you're into luxury and big killer dragons," said Yolei.
"Oh! When we get back it will still be this morning in our world, right?"
"Yeah..."
"That's great news! Think how far ahead I can get!"
Everyone blinked as Cody started rifling through his school satchel. He pulled out a few thick textbooks and smiled triumphantly.
"Perfect!"
Yolei blinked. "Wow Cody, do you know how to have fun or what."
Takeru looked through the books. "Thermonuclear Chemistry... Radioactive Isotopes... Fun with Nuclear Physics... FUN?"
"You're getting a little loud over there!" bellowed Mimi. Everyone sweatdropped.
"Geez Cody," said Yolei, making sure to keep her voice down, "are they teaching you how to build a nuclear bomb or something?"
Koushiro showed more enthusiasm, pawing through textbooks. "Elementary transcendental functions! Wow, I loved these! Taylor polynomials! Cody, may I try some of these problems?"
"Sure," said Cody, "just save some for me!"
Joe had a biological textbook open on his lap and was reading with great interest. Ken found one on computer programming languages and was reading that with equal interest. The others stared at Koushiro and Cody in disbelief.
"It never ceases to amaze me..." said Sora. She didn't need to finish her sentence.
"Yeah," said Tai, "math's just something you struggle through until you can drop it!"
"Oh no, it's absolutely fascinating," said Cody, "if you haven't experienced the thrill of integral calculus, you haven't lived!"
"I'm sure," said Tai flatly.
"What are theshe weird bwack thingsh?" asked Purimon, looking down from his perch on Matt's shoulder.
"They're letters and numbers," said Matt.
"What do they mean?"
"They mean Cody and Koushiro have no life."
Koushiro sighed. "They'll never understand, Cody."
Cody looked as though he truly felt sorry for the others.
"Oh, Cody, take a look at this one!"
"Wow, that's a good one! What approach are you going to take?"
"Well, I was contemplating the - the..."
"SHUT UUUUUUP!"
Mimi's shout wasn't what made everyone fall silent. It was Cody and Koushiro's crests glowing in sync.
Cody touched his. "It's a different colour than last time..."
"Last time?" repeated Koushiro, touching his own in awe.
"I thought I saw a silvery light when we were attacked by that bug Digimon earlier today..."
"That's the colour of the crest of Reliability," said Joe, "now your crest of Knowledge is reacting."
"Then the four have been chosen," said Ken, feeling sick. "What happens now?"