The streets of the city were unnaturally devoid of life for a typical afternoon, though, of course, recent events had been far from typical. Instead of bustling crowds of people making their way from one place to the next, struggling to get to their next destination, the sidewalks were barren. Terrifying monsters stalked down the streets in place of cars, keeping alert for any sign of life. After all, even though their lord Myotismon had already rounded up most of the pitiful humans that had once lived in the towering buildings surrounding them, there were a few… stragglers left… ones that had yet to learn their place…
In fact, four such runaways were currently barreling down one of the streets on the back of an oversized orange dinosaur.
"Taichi! Mimi! What the heck is that thing?!?" Miyako wailed, somehow managing to keep her death grip on one of Greymon's back spikes even as they rounded a corner at top speed.
"It's Snimon! Just hang on!" was Taichi's short, snapped reply.
The brown-haired boy had actually slipped his goggles down over his eyes for once, and those bronze panes shone with frustration as he threw a quick glance over his shoulder to glimpse the insect digimon directly behind them. It didn't appear to be tiring in the least, wings blurring behind it as it sped forward, and in fact appeared to be gaining gradually on them. Its blade arms glimmered in the sunlight almost mockingly, as if taunting the boy with the knowledge of just what it would do once it caught up…
Don't think like that, Taichi! You can beat this thing… you just have to figure out how…
He could feel the eyes of the others burning into him, silently pleading for a quick escape. Mimi and Iori were pressed close on either side of him, and both gazed up into his face for answers.
The child of Sincerity and Purity's face was paler than normal, a stark contrast with the strawberry-blonde hair that drifted around and plastered itself in strands to her sweaty forehead. Widened caramel eyes were the only other source of color there, eyes filled with horror and confusion at his reaction. It wasn't like the bearer of Courage to just run away blindly, and they both knew it.
Iori, however, was unaware of this. The younger boy gazed up at him silently, jaden eyes filled with trust: trust that Taichi knew what he was doing, that this was all part of some great plan he was concocting to save them.
The very concept made Taichi feel a little sick.
He thinks I can protect him… but I couldn't even protect Yamato from this thing before…
NO! Can't think about that right now! I can do this…
Taichi narrowed his flashing brown eyes, glad that he'd thought to pull his goggles down to protect them. The wind was blowing some of his hair into his face, and the last thing he needed was for some of the strands to whip into his eyes…
No time left…
Snimon was steadily gaining. If Taichi really was going to have some great plan ready to use against the insect, he would have to think of it in a few seconds…
* * *
"Do you see any sign of them yet, Koushirou?"
"Not yet," the child of Knowledge called back, having to raise his voice significantly in order to be heard over the roar of the wind.
Sora sighed and bit the inside of her lip as her cinnamon eyes shifted back down to the streets so far below them. She shifted her body slightly and wrapped her arms a little tighter around Birdman's thin leg. Although she had flown this high before, it always remained a bit unnerving to look down and realize just how far a fall it would be if something went awry…
Koushirou, meanwhile, was perched on Kabuterimon's back, onyx eyes shifting constantly from the laptop before him to the streets below and back again. His fingers continued their dance over the keys, as the display refreshed again and again while he searched for the others.
"Can't you make this bug go any faster? At this rate, the enemy'll be long done with your friends by the time we get there!"
"I'm working on it, okay?" Koushirou hissed through gritted teeth, casting a quick, annoyed glance back over his shoulder at where his detractor was sitting.
Armadillomon ignored the look completely, instead occupying himself by scanning the streets beneath them with narrowed jaden eyes. The armored rookie practically seethed with impatience: Koushirou could tell he was ready to fight, and fight now, and the delay in action was forcing him to take out his aggression in other forms…
However, this wasn't helping matters any. Koushirou knew all too well, especially when he felt Kabuterimon's back stiffen slightly from indignation and anger. Quickly, the boy reached up and rubbed a certain spot between the beetle's shoulder blades, a silent signal to relax and let the insult slide. He could sense his partner's frustration, and could only hope that the insect's bruised ego wouldn't affect his ability to function in the upcoming battle.
His laptop beeped loudly, repeatedly, letting Koushirou know that they were drawing ever closer to their companions. Glancing at the display, then over in the indicated direction, the boy narrowed his dark eyes in concentration.
"Over there!" he shouted, pointing. "Do you see them, Sora?"
"Y-yes!" Sora called back, leaning forward slightly, heart leaping into her throat as her widened tan eyes finally fell upon what they had been searching for… and, to her growing dread, much more. Tugging on Birdramon's leg to get her partner's attention, she shouted, "Let's go!"
"Right, Sora!" the fiery bird replied, and with a piercing cry lanced down to meet Snimon head-on.
The green insect digimon sensed their approach, and fell back just in time to avoid Birdramon's raking claws. As the two spun to face each other, Greymon ground to a halt and turned around.
"Birdramon!" growled Greymon, pale red eyes widening.
"Sora!" Taichi and Mimi shouted.
"Hey you guys!" Sora called back, glancing over her shoulder and smiling briefly.
"Boy, am I ever glad to see you," Taichi said, returning her grin.
"Hey, what about me?" Koushirou shouted as Kabuterimon swooped down to hover at Birdramon's side.
"Koushirou!" cried Mimi, beaming as she spotted the bearer of Knowledge.
However, their welcoming smiles soon faded as they turned their attention back towards their enemy. Snimon glared at the gathered digimon and children with its beady crimson eyes, and raised its scythe-like arms threatening, a low growl rumbling in its chest.
"Careful, you guys! This one's really fast!" Mimi warned, caramel eyes wavering with fear as she hugged Palmon tightly.
"Right," Sora acknowledged the warning with a slight nod.
"Got it," Koushirou added, onyx eyes cold as he studied the digimon, tapping out a series of rapid commands on his laptop.
Armadillomon narrowed his jaden eyes at the boy's back in disgust.
Trust a human to waste time filing information when a fight's happening. I'll never understand these creatures…
An outraged shriek of frustration echoed from Snimon as it slid backward, glaring at the newcomers with faceted eyes. This was simply not fair: why couldn't things have remained as simplistic as they had first seemed when it had spotted the refugees? Before, defeating the group's sole defender, the dinosaur digimon, had seemed an easy task – if only it had faced it down straightaway, instead of leading it on some stupid chase through the streets! Now the rebels had the advantage of numbers – three Champions stood in defense of the humans instead of one.
No matter. They would all fall to Snimon's blades.
With another defiant shriek, the insect digimon swept at the nearest offender – which just happened to be Kabuterimon. Instantly the blue bug's wings blurred as it hastily slid backwards, but the bulky digimon could not cleanly avoid the sweeping blow, and Koushirou shouted his partner's name as one of Snimon's bladed arms grazed a thin arm.
"If you don't mind, I'm gonna make certain this oversized bug don't get the chance to cut us down where we stand!" Armadillomon called out, right before springing from Kabuterimon's back and rolling toward Snimon.
"Wait--!" Koushirou warned a bit too late, snapping his head up in alarm.
Taichi and Mimi blinked in surprise at the sight of the unfamiliar digimon shooting toward their opponent, able only to see a yellowish blur of movement. Behind them, Miyako continued to cling to one of Greymon's back spikes and wail, while Iori simply stared at the new digimon and humans in amazement.
Snimon's shrill cry pierced the air as it dodged away from the balled-up rookie, but the triumphant note in its discordant scream became a pained wail as Birdramon and Greymon took advantage of its distraction to launch their respective fire attacks. Angry scarlet and orange flames engulfed the spindly insect, and it crashed to the street, fragile wings scorched.
"All right!" Taichi shouted, pumping one fist into the air, bronze eyes glittering with satisfaction.
That was for Yamato, he added silently, secretly wishing Greymon might have been able to land a similarly effective attack on their opponent before…
Suddenly his throat went bone dry as Snimon shook off the effects of the twin blasts and lunged forward, twin scythe-arms sweeping in front of it. Taken off guard by the desperate attack, he opened his mouth to scream a warning, only to find fear had choked off his voice.
Sora had no such handicap.
"Tai--"
--But her warning proved just as ineffectual, for abruptly Snimon was there directly in front of Greymon, skin blackened from the twin flame attacks, obviously in pain, but still attacking--
--and both bladed appendages found their marks, slicing across Greymon's chest, through both the metal chestplate and unprotected, pale orange stomach--
--Greymon was losing power and shifting, shrinking right before their horrified eyes, shrinking right out from beneath Tai and Mimi and all of his passengers--
--Snimon was sweeping toward the falling humans and digimon, and Sora wanted to scream at Birdramon to attack but couldn't because she knew the flames might hit her friends, and Koushirou couldn't order Kabuterimon to use his attack for the same reason but what was happening below them--
--and Mimi was screaming and Palmon was screaming and a girl she didn't recognize was screaming and Sora was screaming right along with them--
--and Taichi's mouth was open but he wasn't screaming at all, but his bronze eyes were filled with the horror he couldn't give voice to right now--
--and a little boy she didn't recognize was falling too but he wasn't screaming either and his hands were gripped tightly in front of him and she could see the shock plainly etched on his face and in those dark jaden eyes--
--and Armadillomon was standing on the ground staring up at the falling humans and digimon in shock and his jaden eyes were huge and then--
--there was a flash and she couldn't see the light was in her eyes and someone was calling out beneath her and it took a moment for her to realize just what it was--
"Armadillomon digivolve to…"
--Koushirou was shouting in astonishment but Sora couldn't hear exactly what he was saying because her mind was screaming at her to save Taichi and Mimi and all her friends but Snimon was still in the way--
"…Ankylomon!"
--Suddenly the light had dimmed and before she could register exactly what had happened Snimon was falling backward as a larger armored ball slammed into its chest and she saw her chance and shouted "Now, Birdramon!"
Sora dimly heard Snimon's death scream, and was vaguely aware of its data dissipating on the wind surrounding her as she and her partner dove forward to intercept their falling allies, but at the moment the foremost thing on her mind was saving them. She could sort out what exactly had happened later.
She felt Birdramon shift her weight slightly as Taichi landed on her back, followed closely by the others. Only then did Sora let out a soft sigh of relief, even as she waved for her partner to land. The second that the fiery bird alighted on the street, the bearer of Love hopped from her perch and ran around to where the others were slowly climbing down, Palmon using her vines to lower each member safely to the ground.
"Tai! Mimi!" she shouted, cinnamon eyes shining as she saw her two friends.
The two looked up at the sound of their names, still a bit dazed from their experience. Mimi was leaning slightly against Taichi, her previous wounds having been a bit jarred and now throbbing faintly under their concealing bandages. Sora flung her arms around both of her fellow Chosen Children, laughing through the tears that were beginning to blur her vision.
"H-hey, Sora," Taichi managed to greet her, smiling somewhat lopsidedly in a pale shadow of his normal self-assured grin.
"Are you…okay?" Sora asked, concerned.
"Hey, is everyone okay down there?" Koushirou shouted down from his perch on Kabuterimon's back as the giant beetle hovered nervously over the group.
"Agumon!" Biyomon cried in anguish as she shifted back to her rookie form and darted over to Palmon.
Taichi, Sora and Mimi instantly spun to stare at their partners, and the bearer of Courage cursed under his breath at his own stupidity as he snapped back to reality.
"Is he…?" he started, then found himself unable to complete the question, stepping forward and reaching with one hand almost pleadingly toward the three digimon.
Palmon looked up and nodded slowly, liquid green eyes filled with a mixture of understanding and relief. Turning to face him, she moved her arms slightly, and Taichi let out a relieved sigh as he saw the tiny pink creature she was holding so carefully. Koromon shifted nervously, huge brown eyes fixed on the ground rather than on his partner and trainer.
"Sorry, Tai," he mumbled softly, embarrassed by his perceived failure to protect his friends.
The bearer of Courage merely smiled, and gently took the In-Training from Palmon. Mimi kneeled beside the plant digimon and hugged her, whispering a soft, "Thank you."
Sora sighed in relief upon seeing that Koromon was all right, then glanced over at where her own partner stood. The rose-feathered bird was also staring at the ground, obviously upset. Sora walked over and put a comforting hand on Biyomon's forehead, causing the avian to look up at her. Her sapphire eyes were bright with tears.
"Homina-homina-homina-homina-homina…"
The three Digidestined turned to see a very shell-shocked Miyako: the lilac-haired girl was kneeling on the ground where Palmon had deposited her, tan eyes widened behind askew glasses. She currently seemed incapable of forming any coherent comments on what had just occurred.
"Miyako?" asked Mimi, slowly getting to her feet. Abruptly her tan eyes widened, and she looked around wildly, calling "Iori! Where's Iori at?"
"Iori?" Sora inquired, blinking at the unfamiliar name.
"The little boy we were with!" Taichi quickly explained, looking around frantically as well.
This is real good, Tai, a sarcastic voice chided him silently in his mind. First you almost forget about your partner after he's hurt right in front – or rather below – you, and now you lost one of those kids you were looking after. You're just batting a thousand today, aren't you?
Shut up, Taichi thought back furiously.
Pushing back any thoughts about what it might mean if you kept arguing with voices inside your head, the Chosen of Courage concentrated on looking around for Iori with the others. Thankfully, he soon spotted him standing just a few feet away, and breathed a mental sigh of relief.
"Iori! You okay, pal?" he shouted, running over to him.
The young boy seemed unaware of the fact that they were calling him: he was currently standing in front of a nearby alleyway, staring with widened green eyes into the darkness. Taichi, Sora and Biyomon dashed over to his side, with Mimi following a bit more slowly in an attempt to hide her limping gait. Koushirou, still on Kabuterimon's back, hovered nervously overhead, onyx eyes fixed on the alleyway as well.
"Did you see what I think I just saw?" the bearer of Knowledge whispered to his partner.
The Champion beetle digimon nodded simply in reply, and gave a short, derisive snort.
"This is just great," he muttered under his breath. "Another one… and it had to be him, of course…"
Koushirou smiled lopsidedly at the comment and tried not to sweatdrop. He had a feeling he'd be hearing a lot from his comrades beneath him soon enough…
"Iori!" Taichi was now at the younger boy's side, and still was getting little response. Confused, upset and more than a little annoyed, Taichi followed his gaze into the alleyway, wondering just what was so…
Bronze eyes suddenly widened, and the chosen of Courage felt his jaw drop.
A pair of large, dark jaden eyes stared back at him from the shadows. While the darkness concealed a great deal of its features, Taichi could see enough – a low-slung, bulky body, thick spikes jutting from an armored back, and a mace-like tail – to come to one obvious conclusion about the creature.
"Another digimon?!?" he cried out, involuntarily taking a step backward as his mind raced furiously. The fact that his partner was still reeling from the aftermath of their last encounter with an enemy was enough to make him curse under his breath as every muscle in his body seemed to tense up.
Beside him, Sora gasped as well, but for a different reason from what Taichi assumed. Her widened cinnamon eyes swept over the new digimon's body, rapidly picking out certain similarities and other visual hints that told her a story far removed from the lines her friend was thinking along.
Those eyes… they're exactly the same…
Behind her, Sora heard a sharp intake of breath as Mimi also caught sight of the new arrival. Some part of the child of Love's mind that was not dulled with shock shrieked a warning, and Sora quickly whirled around, tensing as she saw Mimi gripping her digivice and shooting Palmon a meaningful look.
"Palmon, digi-"
"No, Mimi, it's okay!" shouted Sora, reaching out and grabbing her friend's wrist. Mimi blinked at her, and Sora managed a lopsided smile as she repeated, "It's okay, he's one of the good guys."
…I think, she added silently, with a nervous glance over her shoulder at the Champion digimon.
"What? You know this digimon, Sora?" Taichi inquired, daring to shoot his friend a quick, surprised glance and quickly returning his attention to the stranger.
The child of Love nodded, then turned to look up at where Kabuterimon hovered, though she wasn't staring at the beetle digimon so much as she was the figure still perched on its back. Sensing her meaningful look, Koushirou coughed nervously, sweatdropping.
"She's right, Tai," he picked up the conversation, instantly getting the attention of all of those gathered beneath him. Trying to ignore the feeling of so many eyes on him, Koushirou started to type furiously on his laptop, continuing as he did, "While you were out on your mission, we had the… fortune… to meet with a few other allies. One of them was – is – a Rookie digimon named Armadillomon. I'm sending you the data files now…"
Another click, and both Taichi and Mimi glanced down at their digivices as they displayed the basic data for Armadillomon. For once, nobody present launched into a quick vocal run-through of the new digimon's description and abilities.
After allowing a few moments for his friends to scan over the information, Koushirou added, "And according to this, Armadillomon has just digivolved into his Champion form…"
"Ankylomon," the digimon in question supplied for them, stepping back out of the alleyway.
Now that she could see him more clearly, Sora was struck by just how obvious the connection between the two levels was. While most digimon retained a few basic similarities between their evolutions – and she had seen a few where there seemed to be no real connection between certain forms – in this case there was no real question about it. The Champion digimon resembled nothing so much as a bulked-up version of his more childish body.
Spikes now jutted everywhere, from the thick armored shell to the steel anklets that now covered the mammal digimon's short legs. The tail tapered off into a wicked-looking mace. A bronze helmet covered most of the small head, throwing the dark jaden eyes mostly into shadow.
In short, he looked every bit the part of the vicious warrior spirit Sora had glimpsed in Armadillomon before.
He regarded the group with a long, piercing stare, dark green eyes sweeping from one face to the next, analyzing, searching. They rested longest on the wide-eyed face of a five-year-old boy, filling with intensity as they swept up and down the small body. Finally, a slow smirk twisted the Champion digimon's lips, and he stepped forward, his pace steady.
Taichi gasped and jerked forward, only to feel fingers close over his shoulder and hold him back. He glanced back to meet Sora's cinnamon gaze. The bearer of Love shook her head slightly, silently telling him not to interfere. Confused, Taichi looked back to watch what was unfolding before him.
Ankylomon stood gazing down at Iori for a long while in silence, appraising the young boy, drinking in every aspect of his features. The way that short, wispy brown hair framed the innocent face. The small body held at tense attention, ready to take flight if it was needed, though something about the stance hinted at some subconscious thought that it might not be. The curiosity and intelligence shining in the deep jaden eyes…
The Champion's smirk became a knowing smile, as his gaze came to rest on the tiny hands tightly clenched together. A rich light seeped out between the cupped fingers, faint but steady enough for him to see it clearly.
Still smiling, Ankylomon bowed his head toward the silently staring child. His eyes closed briefly, as an aura matching the pale tone of the light in the boy's hands pulsed just under the armored body. The spikes vanished, retracting into the shrinking body, and it was a smirking Armadillomon that looked up at the stunned Iori.
"Pleased to meet you, partner," he greeted simply, his jaden eyes dancing.
"Pa-partner?!?" Taichi sputtered, staring at them with huge bronze eyes. "Y-you mean… he's your…"
Iori looked up at the elder boy and slowly unfolded his hands, revealing the digivice lying in his cupped palms. His youthful face mirrored the confusion on the faces around him, and he looked around as if searching for some explanation from one of the older kids, an answer he couldn't yet find.
"…Iori…" Mimi stepped forward and knelt before the boy, fighting off the confusion she felt as she asked gently, "Where did you get that?"
The boy stared up at her with huge jaden eyes – eyes mirrored in the face of the Rookie digimon at his side, Mimi realized with a start. The primary difference was the fact that Armadillomon's eyes were hardened by cruel experience, while the boy's were still filled with innocence and, for the moment, confusion.
"I… I'm not really sure," he confined, his normally whispery voice dropping even lower and quavering slightly. "When… when we fell, I wished… prayed that we'd be okay, and then this… I felt this warm light, and…"
He shrugged helplessly, holding out the digivice for her inspection. However, Mimi noticed the way that Armadillomon nodded his head slowly as he turned the tale over in his head, understanding glinting in his dark eyes.
"It fits…"
"What does?" asked Taichi, eyeing the mammal digimon warily.
Armadillomon shot the goggle-wearing boy a cool glance as he replied, "When your partner over there started to revert to his baby form, and you fell down, I felt… something. Like I needed to find a way to keep you from going splat even though I didn't know any of you."
"Thanks for that mental image," Taichi muttered, while Miyako and Mimi turned a shade paler and Sora bit her lip.
"I needed to save at least one of you," continued Armadillomon blithely, ignoring the other's reactions as he added, "It didn't matter if the rest of you had a rough landing, so long as my partner here was safe."
"Gee, thanks for your concern," Taichi hissed.
"You're my… partner…?" piped up Iori, giving the Rookie digimon another once-over, verdant eyes the size of saucers.
Armadillomon grinned roguishly and nodded.
"Yup, sure am," he affirmed in an overly cheery tone. "That little thing in your hands is called a digivice, and it'll help me unlock my true power."
…And, hopefully, give me the strength I need to get my revenge, he added silently to himself, jaden eyes glinting at the thought.
Iori stared at the plated Rookie for a long moment, then back at the digivice still resting carefully in his cupped hands. The five-year-old boy's face was awash with a mixture of emotions: shock blending with excitement, awe with fear, disbelief with a steadily fading confusion.
A hand squeezed his shoulder, and Iori looked up at Mimi. The child of Sincerity and Purity smiled, though her caramel eyes swirled with hints of many of the same emotions he was feeling. First and foremost, however, he saw the kind, welcoming smile that graced her heart-shaped face.
"Come on, Iori," she prompted gently. "We can explain what this means a little more on the way back to the others."
"That's right," and suddenly Taichi was starting to take control of things again, jumping at the chance to mask his own mixed feelings on the new situation by assuming the role of leader. Stepping forward, he turned to Sora and asked, "Is Biyomon up to digivolving again so she can help Kabuterimon fly us back to the hideout?"
Sora turned to her partner: the rose-feathered avian nodded, and the girl replied, "Yeah, we can handle it."
"Good." Taichi cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted up, "Yo, 'Shiro! Why don't you land that thing so you can take on some passengers?"
"Will do, Tai," Koushirou replied.
"Just so long as that flimsy-plated moron doesn't climb up here and play backseat flyer anymore…" Kabuterimon amended under his breath, grumbling.
Koushirou did not bother to say anything in reply to his partner's comment. The child of Knowledge merely sweatdropped.
Biyomon shifted into her larger form, and as the chosen children began to climb on board the pair of Champion digimon, Miyako stared at them with huge, saucer-sized eyes. At the moment, she didn't really mind the fact that none of them were paying much attention to her presence: it sure beat having one of those huge monsters glaring down at her… Even if they were supposed to be friends.
So far, it looked like all of these new kids she had met owned… what had Mimi called them again? …'Digimon' partners of their own. Mimi's walking plant who turned into a fairy-type thing had been alright, but when the little reptile who had shown up with the goggle-boy turned into a hulking dinosaur… that had been a bit much. Now there was also a nice-seeming girl with a bird, some kid who hadn't even hopped off the back of that hideous bug he'd flown in on…
And even Iori seemed to have one of his own now, if she understood what the others were saying exactly. That huge spiky yellow thing that had smashed the green bug trying to kill them (that fact alone made her feel a little better about its presence, even if those spikes did look nasty) was apparently Iori's… guardian? Partner…
Well, he was more than welcome to that monster. At least Miyako hadn't found herself saddled with some strange creature claiming she was destined to fight alongside them yet… A possibility she did not like in the slightest. She just hoped hanging around these people wouldn't cause whatever made them 'chosen ones' or whatever to rub off on her… she liked her normal, non-chaotic life just fine, thank you very much!
Would it really be so bad, though, to have a friend like that? Even if we did have to fight a lot, at least we wouldn't be alone…
A flurry of images flashed through the lilac-haired girl's mind, a grisly montage of all the hideous monsters that had attacked her so far. Vivid memories of being dragged out of her own home by a flood of fanged ghosts, screaming, certain she and her family was about to be killed… …Watching as first her parents, and then each of her siblings was dragged away from her, taken away one by one to who knew where… …Meeting a girl who claimed she was allied with one of the monsters, and that they would escape, and then seeing Mimi nearly get slashed to pieces by a single digimon's ruthless attacks…
…Ice cold blue eyes locking with her own, boring into her very soul…
Miyako shook her head violently in an attempt to dispel the dark images.
These digital monsters are nothing but trouble! she told herself firmly, tan eyes raking the ones surrounding her. My life was… well, not perfect, but certainly NORMAL enough before they started showing up!
I just want this whole mess to be finished so things can go back to the way they were. No creatures roaming the streets, no having to run and hide, no fighting… I wanna be able to go home with my family!
"Miyako, come on!" Mimi's shout drew the younger girl's attention.
Looking over, she saw that the pink-clad maiden was now seated on Birdramon's back, nestled snugly between its wings along with Palmon, Sora, Iori and Armadillomon. Taichi had carried his weakened partner onto the beetle digimon's back, and was sitting just behind the frizzy-haired kid with the laptop.
"Hurry up, Miyako!" Taichi called, reaching out to pull her up beside him.
Sighing, the lilac-haired girl took a deep breath and pushed her crooked glasses back into place. Closing her eyes, she stepped forward and allowed Taichi to pull her onto the blue insect's back, struggling to think of anything other than what she was climbing up on.
She'd stay with them for now, since they could protect her. No matter what, she needed to survive so that she could get back to her family and hopefully get back to normal after this mess was resolved.
Miyako just hoped they wouldn't try to saddle her with a digimon partner and drag her into this war game. That was the last thing she needed…
