Hey everyone! Yes, I'm still alive. Sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up. My parents, who believe that anime, since it is technically a form of cartoons, is unsuitable for anyone 13 and over. (I'll be 15 in less than a month) Well, anyway, because of it, my parents and I do NOT get along on that issue, and I get kicked off the computer, and therefore, am unable to type/HTML my fics. Chapter 5 is ALMOST done, I'll type it at school and try to get it up in a week or so. And speaking of school, I've got 6 Algebra II assignments to do (I HATE Algebra!!), a project on Poetry (Ick!) in English, and the assorted end-of-the year stuff. I'll be free on Jun. 6th, so then I'll have more time to write. (Yay!) Thanks for the reviews, and for sticking with me through this. Next chapter, things 'll be explained, and then the fun starts!
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Warning: The following is my mini-editorial on the 02 finale. Don't read it if you don't want to hear my opinions, okay? You've been warned.
Okay, this chapter was done and ready to be posted on Friday, but I had some other stuff to do, and wasn't able to post it, so it was going to be put up today as is. Then I saw the Digimon 02 finale, and I MUST comment on it. I thought the dub did a pretty good job. It was definitely better than 01's finale. I wasn't angry or upset like I was when I first heard about the epilogue either. I guess I dealt with it in that time span between the Japanese airing and the American one. I like some couplings and I decided what happened in that epilogue ain't gonna change my opinion of them. This time when I saw it, I felt sad. I mean, it's all over. No more. *sob* As for some good news, since 02 is over, I can write my 02 split-reality series after I'm done with my 01 saga. I have about 8 fic ideas in the works for the Digimon genre. Now, enough fic plugging. Back to the 02 finish. I'm still having a hard time grasping the fact that it's OVER. I felt so sorry for Oikawa. I don't think he should have died. (Arukenimon, Mummymon, and BlackWarGreymon shoulda lived too! They were cool.) Ah well. And Davis was great in the finale! He actually was treated decently for a change. (Finally.) The new writer for the end of 02 was nice to the poor guy! The whole wish-dreams thing was all right. It took me a sec to understand Kari's though. With that, my editorial on 02's finale is done. *people start to cheer* Hey! I wasn't that bad, was I? Right? Well anyway, the disclaimer is the same as always, so with no further ado, here's Chapter Four!!
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"Good Morning!"
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Aki, forgetting where she was, fell off the cot Moudramon fixed up for her and landed on the cold wooden floor, hard.
"Don't do that!" Aki yelped, nursing her sore arm.
"Like what? All I wanted to know was if you wanted breakfast."
"Well, okay. Mou?"
"Yeah?"
"Let's try to find those other two girls we saw yesterday."
"All right, but…"
"But what, Moudramon?"
"The forest is quite large. It could take us a while to find them."
"Well, we can look where we saw them yesterday. They couldn't have gone far."
"Right! Help me gather up some stuff we'll need, all right?"
"Sure!"
*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, in a little cave at the edge of the forest…
"Stellina!"
Stellina, who was half-asleep in front of the pile of smoldering ashes that was their fire, looked up. "Wha..?"
"You can stop keeping watch. I guess you couldn't sleep."
"Yeah, so I decided to keep watch so we could see if Fangmon wanted to try and come back."
"That was a good idea. Where are Shimamon and Maubimon?"
"They went out to try and find food. My camp rations aren't going to last forever, and they don't taste that good either."
"You got that right!" agreed Misa.
"They should be back any minute now."
And just as Stellina said that, the two digimon were seen approaching in the distance." There they are!"
"So, what did you guys find?" asked Misa as soon as the two were in hearing distance.
"Not a lot, just this." Shimamon held out some strangely colored fruit.
Stellina looked at the unusual fruit with a taken aback look on her face. "Are you sure these are okay to eat?"
"Uh-huh!" said Maubimon cheerfully as she held a purple banana out to Stellina. "They taste good."
With much hesitation, Stellina accepted the banana from her digimon, and eyed the violet fruit carefully. "You know, I'm not that hungry. Someone else can eat this." As if to prove Stellina wasn't being completely honest, her stomach gave a growl as she sat the banana on the cave's stone floor next to her.
Misa just shook her head and put the purple fruit back into Stellina's hands. "Yeah right, Stellina. Just try it. You might like it." As if to prove she was willing to try, Misa picked up a blue-colored apple from the small pile of fruit, and took a rather large bite out of it.
With a sigh, Stellina gingerly bit into the purple banana. After she swallowed, she smiled faintly. "You're right, it's okay."
"I told you so." Misa replied, smirking.
"Meanie." Stellina stuck her tongue out at Misa.
"Hey!" cried Shimamon, before Misa could retort.
"Yeah, Shimamon?" Misa asked her digimon.
"What are we gonna do today?"
"Uh, um, weren't we going to see who that girl was who helped us yesterday?" answered Stellina.
"Oh, yeah!" Misa agreed. "We'll get started soon, kay?"
"That's good." Shimamon, satisfied, picked up a lime-green pineapple and set about trying to eat it.
*~*~*~*~
"Any ideas were we should look now?" Aki asked Moudramon when the two had reached the spot they found the two yesterday.
"Let me think a second."
"Hurry up!" complained Aki, who was struggling to carry a pack loaded full of 'necessary' supplies.
"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying."
Aki changed strategies. "Well, is there a cave nearby or something like that?"
"The only cave I know of is about a half mile that way." Moudramon pointed east.
"Let's go take a look there."
"All right."
In silence, the duo traveled east. After almost thirty minutes, they approached a cave, sheltered by trees in a rocky meadow. As they approached the cave, they heard voices.
"Stell-ina! Where is your backpack?"
"I don't know! It WAS over there in that corner."
"Hey Aki! Those voices sound like the two we heard yesterday." Spoke up Moudramon.
"Yeah, so now what should be do?"
Moudramon wasn't listening. She was already hidden behind a bush near the entrance of the cave.
"Wait for me!" cried Aki, who quickly slid in next to Moudramon behind the shrub.
"Shhhhhh!" hissed Moudramon.
"Sorry. So, do you want me to go in and say something?" whispered Aki.
"Yes. You ready?"
Aki nodded and the two stepped into the cave. No sooner than they did that, Aki, who wasn't watching where she was going, tripped over Stellina's backpack. The noise she made when she fell onto the stone floor of the cave quickly caught the attention of everyone in the cave.
"Um, hello?" said Aki uncertainly, still sprawled on the floor, with Stellina's bag wrapped up in her feet, and her own pack, practically choking her, the way the strap had been moved during her fall.
Questions were fired at Aki.
"Who ARE you?"
"Who's that digimon?"
"Are you okay?"
"How did you find us?"
"Are you a Chosen too?"
"Did you help us yesterday?"
"Aki Alverez, Moudramon, I'm fine, long story, I guess, and yes."
"Oh."
Moudramon, who had been eyeing the two digimon carefully, finally realized who they were. "Shimamon! Maubimon! Remember me?"
Stellina and Misa, who were helping Aki up of the floor of the cave, turned their heads toward their digimon. Aki did the same.
"Moudramon! Good to see you!" cried Maubimon.
"Hola, Moudramon."
"So, how did you find us anyway, you should answer that question." Stellina asked.
"Okay, I'll answer it, but could you introduce yourselves first, please?"
"Right." Misa smiled. "I'm Misa Calloway, and the baby pony digimon with the zebra stripes is my digimon, Shimamon."
"My name's Stellina Quentin, and the other digimon there is mine. She's Maubimon."
"Hi there!" greeted Maubimon cheerfully.
"Hey." Aki waved at them.
"So, will you please answer my question now?" questioned Stellina impatiently.
"Oh, yeah." Aki paused for a second, then sweatdropped. "I'm sorry, but what WAS the question?"
Misa sighed. "Oy vey," she muttered.
Maubimon and Shimamon covered their ears as best they could, and ducked.
"HOW DID YOU FIND US!!!" yelled Stellina in a very frustrated tone.
"Oh, okay. Sorry," said Aki, rubbing her sore ear that Stellina had 'happened' to yell directly into. "Geez, am I getting abused today," she thought silently to herself.
"Well, could you tell us?"
"Okay. We were out in thee woods yesterday and…"
"Please get to the point!" whined Stellina impatiently.
"My, aren't you impatient! Well, anyway, we came out here to look for you guys, and Moudramon said there was a cave here, so that's where we came, and we found you all here!"
"Oh, okay. So now what do we do?"
The group all gave each other semi-blank looks. Frustrated, the girls and digimon sat and thought about what to do. After a few minutes, Maubimon spoke up.
"Let's go see Kiwimon!" she cried happily.
"Yeah, that's a good idea!" agreed Moudramon.
"Excuse me, but who IS Kiwimon?" asked Misa.
"Kiwimon is a smart old digimon who lives in a big castle about five miles to the north. She might know what to do." explained Shimamon.
"Yeah, that's a good idea, let's go!" said Aki enthusiastically.
"Yes, we should go to see Kiwimon." agreed Misa.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" chimed in Stellina.
*~*~*~*~
"Kiwimon, I am NOT wearing that!" Ria sighed and set the ridiculously fancy gown Kiwimon had handed her back on the bed. "I prefer my own clothes." she gestured to the jeans and sweater she was wearing.
"Ditto that." Perromon put a similarly fancy gown, just smaller, next to Ria's.
Kiwimon just shook her head and stormed out of the room.
"Kiwimon…" Ria sighed exasperatedly to the closed door. Ever since the two had freed Kiwimon from whatever had made her crazy, she'd practically worshipped the two.
"Ah, don't worry Ria. Kiwimon 'll be okay."
"Is she always like that?" Ria rubbed her temple.
"Usually, but now she's worse since we've saved her." Noticing Ria's look of terror on her face, Perromon tried hard to suppress a giggle. "She'll be okay, and she's really smart, trust me, okay?"
"Sure."
Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the front doors directly below them.
"Please get the door!" came Kiwimon's shout from above.
"Race ya!" cried Ria to Perromon as she darted out of the room.
Ria ran down to the door, with Perromon directly behind her. Ria pulled open the heavy wooden doors and gasped in surprise.
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Ah-Ha! My first cliffhanger! Not much of one, I know. I mean, you most likely already know who's at the door already. Oh well, I figured it was the best was to end the chapter. Also, I was running out of ideas. ^_^;; Hope you liked it, and remember to review, review, review! Your reviews keep this fic alive!