A/N = I want to apologize for the HUGE amount of grammatical mistakes you'll find in this. This fic is very =VERY= old. , In fact, this is the second digi-series I ever typed down. I'm currently retyping it, hoping to came out with something =readable= but since I really have no time to edit this the proper way, I'm just correcting the major mistakes. I'm Italian and not only English is not my mother-tongue, but I learned it mostly on my own, and this is the major cause of all the mistakes you're going to find. *bows* I hope you'll enjoy the plot though, and will review. ^^

A/N 2 = This takes places during season 01. The Dark Masters never existed, or at least, the DD never met them. They =did= come back to Earth to find the eighth children, Kari, and they're now back to the digital world to destroy Myotismon since- or so it seems- they didn't get rid of him in the real world. A year passed after Gabumon and Matt's "deaths" and the digidestined are now 15. Joe's 16 and TK's 12.

Warnings = Did you miss Yama-chan? Well, Ladies and Gentleman, let me introduce you the character that's making his great apparition in this chapter. Yamato Ishida.

Disclaimer = I don't own them, and with all the probability never will. I can keep hoping, though. ^_~

The eyes of the wolf – chapter 3

"WHAT?!" The word erupted from the digidestined's mouth as a single, shocked cry. Staring at Wolf with huge, shocked eyes, the digidestined trembled, bizarre fear swelling up inside them. "What does it mean?!"

"It means that my body is biologically and physiologically 100% like yours…" The 'digihuman' said slowly, gesturing toward the chosen children. "…but like them, I can digivolve and de-digivolve, not to mention I've my own special attacks, too." He ended, giving his head a slight toss toward the digimon.

"WOW!" Was all T.K. said, his mouth wide open in awe. If the digitalworld has been a shock to his naïve mind of eight years old, then a digihuman was something a pre-teenager grown up in a fantastic world where everything is possible could only classify as 'terribly interesting' "So, you're some kind of Superhero!" He squealed in awed delight, his eyes wide in an almost sweet sign of youth.

Wolf couldn't help but smile behind the cover of his mask, blinking warm crimson eyes at the younger boy. "Well…yeah, something like that, I presume…"

"And why we've never heard of you 'digihumans' before?!" Tai spat, snapping out of his shocked reverie. His tone was low, cold and even. His whole body was radiating waves of burning hostility.

"Because my digiegg hatched only three months ago." Wolf replied calmly, eyeing Tai back from head to toes, a pale rage crossing his countenance. He had done nothing to receive such mistrust. Why was Tai being so hostile, then? Why be so unfriendly when they were companions in destiny, mission and pain?

"THREE MONTHS?!" It was the digimon's time to yell, agape, mouths and eyes wide in astonishment. Here he was, a new type of digimon, a =champion=, hatched and evolved in three months; something an average digimon could only dream of. The evolutions needed a great amount of inner power to remain permanent, and a double amount of power was necessary to reach not permanently the next level of evolution. That such a young digimon was able to reach one of the highest forms was amazing, to put it lightly. Not to mention scary since, after attaining a certain level of evolution, the digimon's power had to become ten times greater to make the change permanent…

"You reached your champion form in just three months?" Agumon asked the question everyone was afraid to ask.

Almost as if he had forgotten where he was, the broad shoulders jerked up.
"No." He replied shortly, moving his burning ruby gaze from the digidestined's leader to the yellow dinosaur that was his partner. "I was born in this form…" the lizard sucked in a sharp breath, amazed beyond words.

"Prodigious!" Izzy shouted, and jumped to his feet to take a closer look to their new companion. "You digivolved before you were born, then…"

"It seems so." Wolf admitted with a nod. "Is this something noticeable?"

"You're amazing!" the young redhead shouted, his eyes mesmerized in scanning Wolf's appearance slowly, almost trying to commit each and every detail to memory to be able to study them afterwards.

"You are." Agumon admitted with a faint blush. "We all needed four years to reach our in-training form…"

"That's… wonderful!" Mimi cried in joy. She run up to him, and Wolf bristled, waiting for her shouts as Tai had given, but instead found his hand clasped into her own and being shook vigorously. Shocked, he scanned her glowing expression, ruby eyes wide. "I'm so happy we finally found you. Gennai told us we were meant to meet."

"Yeah…" Tai clenched his fists as he mumbled, drawing blood with his fingernails. His eyes were burying holes in Mimi's head as she spoke, but he was fighting to remain stoic and calm in front of his companions. With Matt gone, all he had left to protect was them.

"Thanks" Wolf replied, a wide grin hidden underneath his mask. He turned toward the wood hastily, eyes squinting in an almost sorrowful look. "Wanna we go?"

~*~* A WEEK LATER ~*~*

The digidestined had been walking through the seemingly endless sand desert that worked as the first barrier around Myotismon's castle for days. Deprived of water and rest, they were all exhausted beyond belief, their usual courage drowned in their immense tiredness.

They were walking in a line, every digimon walking as faithfully as it could at its human's side. Tai lead them with as much pride as he could muster, skin glistening wet with sweat under the searing heat of the blazing sun. Agumon followed closely, his giant lizard tongue hanging down his mouth out of exhaustion. Mimi and Sora had long got rid of their hat and helmet and kept offering their digimon to carry them, from time to time. Jyou was fanning himself with his shirt, Gomamon scurrying tiredly at his feet. Takeru and Hikari were behind him, the blonde using his trademark hat as a giant fan, Patamon faithfully fanning both them and Gatomon with his oversized wing-like ears. Koushiro wiped a small film of sweat from his forehead, smiling as his digimon flew higher above him to provide him some shield from the burning radiance spilling above them. Wolf ended the line, eyes half closed and muscled tense, virtually not bothered at all by the incredible heat.

Not that it made much senses, but Tai had insisted to be the first of the line even if the guide was Wolf. His inner instinct still told him not to trust the newcomer, and he had spent no time to sweet-coat the news when he had broken it to Wolf, announcing him he'd be the last of the line because he didn't like him at all.

Surprisingly enough, Wolf had accepted quietly to close the line, maybe because that section of the maze was just an immense wastelands, and they just needed to go on straight forward. From time to time the goggle boy =did= glance back guiltily, but with no intention to ask for forgiveness. He had spoke the truth after all. He did not like Wolf. He couldn't bring himself to trust him completely… not yet anyway. Not when the scar of loosing a dear friend still hurt so much.

Wolf was walking lost in his thoughts, completely oblivious to Tai's inner turmoil, with his eyes glued to the sandy ground, when an almost whispered question snapped him out of his thoughtful daydream.

"Why are you always so sad, Wolf?" The girl at his side asked, warm brown eyes glimmering with sympathy.

"Maybe it's because I've nothing to be happy for…" he replied, looking at her with shocking intensity.

"What do you mean?" Mimi titled her head to a side, then to the other, waiting for him to open up to her. It didn't take long, though. She had counted to twenty, watching the breeze ripple the dunes, when Wolf spoke.

"Myotismon took everything I cared for apart from me."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry!"

"He took my family… my friends… my life…"

"Your life?" She spoke softly. "But you're here in front of me… alive. Until you live… you should never lose hope."

Wolf took a moment to think, looking toward the sun wavering in front of him, and when he spoke, his voice was low and deep.

"When you've no reason to live and you just let yourself go on in the road of the existence, I think that means you're not still alive. Maybe your body is, but not your soul."

"I'm…I'm sorry…" she looked down.

"And you?" He voiced his deepest question, chewing it out his lips slowly and yet so suddenly to scare Mimi.

"UH?!" Her eyes snapped wide open as she looked back at him. He wanted to smile, but felt it inappropriate, so he just stared back at her, before asking slowly, "Why are you always so sad, lady? Everyone here is sad, but you more than anyone else…"

"Because Myotismon caused the death of the man I love…"

"Love?" He inquired gently, head cocked to a side.

"Oh, yeah…I forgot you digimon don't understand the meaning of the love that can blossom between a man and a woman…how can I explain…?!" She brought a hand to her chin, massaging it slowly as she pondered the question. "Well, that kind of love makes you desire to be with the loved one always…to see them…to touch them…hear their voice…and you'd gladly give your live for them…and you desire to give all yourself to who you love…"

"I understand…" Wolf said, his eyebrow furrowing together in a look Mimi could only imagine to be of thoughtful intent. "If that feeling is called love, then I think I experienced love before…" he nodded. "But Myotismon deprive me of my love, too." He stopped in mid sentence. "You're so sad because you miss him?" Mimi just nodded and he went on. "If remember him is so painful, then I think you should forget him… I think… that if what you call love bonded the two of you, he wouldn't like to see you suffer like this because of him."

"You think so?" The girl let out a resigned sigh, her shoulder sagged as if a sudden weight had been popped on them. "Maybe you're right… he wanted to see me happy and safe, but… how could I be happy without Matt?! …maybe I'm dead just as you are…"

"What are saying?!" Wolf said with a passion. "Look around! You have friends… isn't what you feel for them something that makes you alive? You could find love in one of them." Wolf paused, looking troubled, eyes squinted with the effort of remembering. "Those guy with the funny hair… your leader…"

"Tai?! Are you crazy?! Oh, please… how could I fall for someone with no fashion sense as him?!" Wolf couldn't help but chuckle, earning a broad grin from the girl at his side. "Plus, he is in love with Sora!"

He nodded solemnly, but stopped shortly afterwards. "…who…?"

"The girl with the short hair!" Mimi said, waving her hands in the hair. "Blue helmet, yellow shirt, blue jeans…"

"OH!" he nodded again, as to show he understood who Sora was. "And that tall, blue haired boy?"

"Joe?! Ahw, come on! He is a pessimist of first quality! And he is too tall!" Mimi winked at him conspiratorially, and this time their laughter resounded as a single tune.

"And the computer whiz? He is shorter!"

"Izzy? His only love is his laptop… and in fact, he is too short." She tried to give her voice a tone of seriousness, but failed miserably, surrendering to helpless laughter once again.

"Ehy!" Wolf's eyes gleamed, his cold façade all but gone in front of Mimi's irresistible innocence. "Are you saying you could like the little one, then?!" He inquired, a blue and yellow eyebrow raised.

"T.K.? Well… he remembers me a lot of Matt… he is his brother, after all, but is too young… and in love with Kari!"

"Which I suppose is the little girl…" he tried, casting a glance at the chatting pair of youngsters.

Mimi too looked at them with a smile, eyes softening with delight. "Yes…" She whirled around, facing him. "So, as you can see there is no one that can take his place in my heart."

"I think you should try to let you like someone else other than that Matt…"

"Like you?"

Wolf froze in his track, his eyes wide open. He could feel a hot blush crept over his cheeks, and was silently thanking everyone up there he had his mask on. "W-well… a-actually… n-no… I wasn't saying t-this, Mimi I just…"

"Ehy! You remember no name but mine!!! I'm happy you remember it!!!" She whooped, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Oh… I just guessed…" he replied, ashamed, his arms tightening around her small waist in response to her sudden movement.

Peeking over his shoulders at them, Tai clenched his fists so tight his fingernails were digging into his flesh

"Tai…is everything all right?" Sora asked, walking up to him to place a comforting hand on his balled fist.

"I don't like him. I'm still sure he is an evil guy. And I can't stand Mimi act like this around him!!"

"Are… are you jealous?" The muscles in her throat worked loudly as she swallowed, forcing the question out her tight set lips. As if shot, Tai straightened his back, wide eyes fixing on the ground as his fist loosened.

"Mine is not jealousy… at least, not as you think… is just that I don't think she should forget Matt so easily… not if she truly loved him. I'm starting to think she didn't deserve his love…"

"Matt loved her?!" Daffodils yellow eyes blinked at his, travelling from Tai to the brunette and back in one single, fluid motion, blinking rather owlishly all the time. Taichi was staring at the couple long and hard, yet with a distinctly distant expression on his face. Sora watched him as he stood, silent for several moments before turning with a troubled expression.

"Yeah…" Tai nibbled his bottom lip gently, averting Sora's eyes. "He said it to me once… well, to tell you the truth it was Gabumon… he wanted my help to convince Matt to confess her feelings to her…"

"I think she deserves to live, Tai…" she squeezed his hand gently, moving closer to him of a step. "She can't live in the past. Isn't it good to see her laugh again after a whole year?"

The boy stood silent for several moments, before nodding absent-mindedly. "It's just…" he began, his mouth dry, only to have his breath caught in his throat as the harmonica started to play. He tried to speak, but his voice came out as a strangled gasp. The digidestined looked around in disbelief, for the music that filled the air was the one that Matt always performed.

The first to find his voice back was Takeru. He stepped forward, freeing his hand from Kari's comforting grip, hope and pain crossing over his features. "M-matt…?!" He called softly. Then, receiving no response, he licked his lips, raising his voice as he called again.

Not as fearful as Takeru, Mimi dashed forward, running past a shocked Taichi and skipping to an halt on top of the dune they were on, gripping Takeru's thin shoulder.

"MAAATT!!" She screamed in joy and Tai immediately swirled around, his face pale, his eyes watery. The others just stood still, every thought about even breathing flowing out their mind as they waited, lulled by the harmonica's soft whistle, for Matt to answer them. Unnoticed by the others, Wolf stretched his fingers one after another, his claws glimmering in golden under the sunlight. A low growl crawled his way out his throat and he gritted his teeth even harder, as a wild wolf readying himself to leap at his enemy.

The melody built up into a fierce crescendo, escalating into something that resembled muffled screaming, and a form suddenly materialized in the wavering heat of the desert.

"What…" Jyou blinked, fingering his glasses. Koushiro murmured something behind him. Something that sounded suspiciously like a muffled curse. Tears pricked at Sora's eyes and she tightened the grip around Tai's hand. The brunette himself wasn't even breathing, clutching to Sora's hand with stunning force. Hikari was holding her breath, holding Gatomon close to her chest. The feline digimon, as well all the other digimon, was too stunned to even blink. But her senses were alerted, and she was ready to fight, despite the great relief lurking inside her stomach. A strange tingle ran down her spine, and she squinted her eyes, mistrustfully showing her claws to the wavering figure as it stepped toward him, hesitantly, tentatively, as if it was nothing that a fragment of dream.

Suddenly appeared out from nowhere, the blond boy that was playing the harmonica materialized in front of the digidestined, walking in the desert toward them. His feet barely made a sound as they touched the ground, and he kept playing, blowing softly in the gleaming instrument nursed in his hands. Taichi swallowed hard as he advanced toward them, but he couldn't stop smiling. Golden hair as spiky as ever, eyes he knew to be blue behind the lowered lids, clad in tight blue jeans, heavy boots on his feet, green pullover shielding his porcelain skin from the burning sun…

His feet paused few meters before the shocked team. He stopped to play and lowered his hands from ahead his face, revealing his features. He surveyed them all, slowly, sapphire blue eyes gleaming in the sunlight pausing on each face to study every detail.

"Hi, guys." the figure breathed, reaching out toward them.

"Matt!!!" The cry made its way around the lump in the digidestined's throats, but before they could do anything, Wolf jumped forward, knocking Matt down on the sand. A low grow bounced out his throat as he dug his claws in Matt's shoulders, eyes almost glowing with maniacal rage.

Matt responded in kind, seizing Wolf's shoulders with a grimace of pain twisting his features, while in the background the digidestined could do nothing but look, dumbstruck.

"You…" Wolf hissed between his gritted teeth. "I finally find you…"

"No, Wolf!!!!!!" Mimi cried as Wolf grabbed Matt's neck tightly in his hands, until the blonde was helplessly gasping for air, his body quivering with the lack of oxygen. "You'll kill him!"

Wolf moved his sparkling gaze from Matt to Mimi with almost feral rage, his eyes squinted evilly.

"That's just what I want to do…" he growled.

END OF CHAPTER 3

Matt VS Wolf... who will win? Who will lose? Who will... die? Or maybe... someone will stop them?