Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Author's Note: I reposted this chapter with paragraphs. This story has nothing to do with DNA or Armor digivolving. This story is when the original digidestined were fighting the Dark Masters. The kids have already defeated MetalSeadramon, T.K. has already been kidnapped by Puppetmon, and has returned safely. This is set one day after Matt and MetalGarurumon fought with Tai and WarGreymon, except that Matt, Mimi, and Joe stayed with the group instead of going off. One last note, I probably won't get to the main part of the story until later chapters. Please Review! ^-^

A New Kind Of Digivolving-Chapter 1-Running Away

It was another tense day in the Digital World for the DigiDestined. After the battle between MetalGarurumon and WarGreymon, things were still VERY tense between all of the DigiDestined. Matt was colder then usual, and everybody knew why. He felt as if it was his fault that there had been a battle between himself and Tai. Gabumon had been trying to make him feel better when they had been alone, trying to convince his human friend that Cherrymon had misled him. So far, though, he had not been making much progress.

While everyone was walking, or flying in some of the Digimon's case, Gabumon was trying to figure out a way to make Matt feel better when all of the sudden, the large group was attacked.

"Better give yourselves up to Lord Puppetmon, DigiDestined," called out a voice.

"Yeah, he'll catch you anyway, so you might as well give yourselves up while you still have the chance. This way, no one will get hurt," called another voice.

"Come out and fight like a mon!" Tai yelled back.

"Fine, if that's the you want it, we'll fight!" replied the first voice.

The two henchmen came out from the bushes, well, sort of. The first voice had been Deramon, a very weird looking digimon. He looked like a blue and white chicken with a red bow tie and red sneakers, a crown on his head, and a bush coming out of his back. The other was Floramon, a plant digimon who's Reign Of Pollen attack would make Joe's allergies go crazy.

"Give yourselves up now, or we will be forced to destroy you!" called out Floramon.

"You have to be kidding! Why should we be afraid of you scrawny things?" Joe called out, for once being the brave one. Floramon and Deramon looked at each other, seemingly trying to figure out what to do next.

"Catch us if you can!" Floramon called back. The two digimon took off, running to who knows where.

"Should we follow them, Izzy?" Tai asked, turning to the genius.

Izzy was typing on his laptop, trying to figure out what the best plan of action would be, "They're most likely trying to lead us into a trap. But we shouldn't forget that Puppetmon is a very big practical jokester. We could run in the opposite direction and hope that they don't have a trap set up there. In other words, I have no idea. You're the leader, Tai, you decide."

Tai looked very nervous about this, "I think that we should... ummmmm... I-I-I-I-I..."

Mimi decided to speak up, "Why don't we just pick a direction, and if it's wrong, our digimon can always digivolve," Mimi said sensibly. Everyone looked at her, wondering why she wasn't complaining like usual. Matt wasn't really all that suprised.

He knew that everyone was really growing up, even Mimi. She was becoming less ditzy and more sincere, like her crest. It seemed to him that everyone was showing the traits that were associated with their crests, except for him. He never really felt that friendship was his strong trait. Ever since his parents got divorced, he became colder and colder, always drifting away from people. His dad was almost always at work, he almost never saw his mom or brother, so basically he felt very lonely. He was afraid to get close to anyone, for fear of losing them. So when he saw everyone growing up, becoming better people, he almost felt jealous, jealous of the fact that they almost seemed to be digivolving themselves.

"So what direction should we go?" Mimi asked, trying to hide the fact that she didn't feel that Tai could lead them in the right direction. Even though she wouldn't admit it to anyone, especially Sora, she felt that Matt could probably lead them better. At first, she thought that this new feeling could have connections with the fact that Matt had sort of defended her, when she was making memorials for the digimon friends that they had lost. But after a little more thinking, she started thinking that she might have feelings for Matt. Of course, she only thought about that for a couple of minutes before she went back to thinking her original thought.

She figured that it was too weird to think that she might have feelings for Matt. 'This is Matt Ishida we're talking about!' she started thinking to herself, 'Cold, loner Matt! The one that seems to have no feelings about anything. But why do I find myself looking at him a lot?' After she had started pondering about this a few days earlier, she tried to tell herself that she had been in the Digital World for too long. But now that she saw how Matt had started acting after his fight with Tai, she started to think that he was hurting, a lot! He always looked like he was in deep thought. She thought about this when she had the time to, after a fight with Puppetmon, while she had watch duty. One of the thoughts that lingered on her mind was, 'What is he thinking about? I really, REALLY wish that I knew. It's starting to drive me crazy! The silence, the coldness. Why can't he just realize that he made a little mistake and that we forgive him?' Then it hit her. They had never forgiven him! 'How could we be so heartless? Maybe I should talk to someone about that. Maybe Sora?' She started thinking about who to talk to about that.

Meanwhile, Izzy and Tai were trying to decide which direction to head in. They were having a very hard time with that little decision. Matt wanted to help them, but decided against that. He didn't feel that it was his place to talk to them about major decisions like that. Not now, anyway. Had it been a week ago, he would have happily given suggestions to Tai and Izzy. But now... 'I wish I could just forget about the last few days. Maybe I should leave the group. Tai's becoming a jerk. A bigger jerk then usual. I probably should leave. Everybody would be a lot happier I bet. Then that's final. I'll leave tonight, when the rest of the kids are sleeping. I'll take my shift for watch duty, and I'll leave after my shift is over. I wouldn't want them to be attacked by suprise. I do care about them after all.'

While Matt made his decision, Tai and Izzy came to theirs, "We'll head east. We can camp out at the edge of the forest, by a lake," Tai said. Matt winced at this, for he knew that the lake that they were talking about was the one that he had looked into and saw Tai's face.

He decided that he would stop thinking about that and try to take the first shift for watch duty. The less time that he had to be at that lake, the better. He knew that T.K. might miss him, but this was something that he had to do. Tai was becoming more of a pain everyday and soon would start to get on his case. This would be the best time to leave, before Tai's ego became the size of Infinity Mountain.

"Are we there yet?" asked Kari, not used to all of this walking, being the newest digidestined and all.

"Don't worry, Kari! I bet we're almost there, right, Tai?" T.K. said to his best friend's older brother.

"You bet, T.K.! We're just a little while away!" Tai answered. A few minutes later, the large group was at their latest campsite. "Well, gang, we're here!" Tai announced, already deciding in his head who was going to do which chore.

As he told everyone what they were supposed to do, Matt was getting ready to call out that he would take the first watch-out shift. "So, who wants to take the first watch-out shift?" Tai asked, looking around at 'his' group, wondering who to pick.

"I will!" Matt called out right away.

Everyone looked at him, amazed that he wanted to take the first shift. Usually, Tai had to pick who would take the first shift. "You want to take the first shift?" Tai asked in a weak tone.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Matt asked, starting to get annoyed with Tai.

"Nothing! It's just that I usually have to pick someone, that's all!" Tai replied, rather quickly, "Well, people, lets get to work!"

So all of the digidestined quickly got to work on their jobs, not wanting to face the wrath of Tai. After they got their jobs done, they had a light dinner, then went to sleep. Well, except Matt, of course. "Hey, Gabumon," Matt whispered to his friend.

"Huh, what?" Gabumon asked, sleepily.

"After I finish this shift, I want to leave the group." Gabumon looked at his friend, obviously shocked at his friends statement, "Why?"

Matt sighed, really wanting to leave that very minute, "I can't stay here. Not after fighting with Tai and making you fight with Agumon. Also, Tai's getting on my nerves. He thinks that he's perfect. I'm sick and-" Matt stopped as he was interrupted, "You too?" a high-pitched voice asked.

"Mimi?! Why are you awake? And why are you listening in on our conversation?" Matt asked, a little ticked at the pink-crazy girl.

"I'm so sorry for listening on your conversation," Mimi started, "but I accidently overheard when I woke up from a nightmare. I just wanted to ask you if you minded if I joined you? I mean, left with you. I agree with you that Tai is acting all high and mighty. I can't take it anymore! I've talked to Palmon about it, and she said that she would leave with me if I decided to go. So, do you mind if I join you?" Mimi finished, hope flickering in her eyes.

Matt looked at Gabumon, as if trying to get help from his friend, "I guess you could...but wouldn't you miss Sora and Kari?"

Mimi looked a little bit startled, but answered truthfully, "Not really." Matt and Gabumon both looked suprised at this. "Sora is siding with Tai, and I don't know Kari very well, so I wouldn't miss her that much," Mimi replied.

"Actually, I don't think that you would have to miss me, cause I want to come with you," Kari said, walking up to the two.

"Could I come, Matt?" T.K. asked, also walking up to the hair-obsessed kid.

"All three of you want to leave?" Matt asked, suprised that other people besides him were upset with Tai's behavior.

"Tai has become a control freak. I can't take it anymore!" Kari said, hope flickering in her eyes as well.

"Yeah! Can we please come, big bro?" T.K. said, really wishing and hoping that his older brother would allow him to come with him.

"Sure," Matt said simply, "Anyone who wants to join me can. Just get your digimon and your stuff, and then I'll wake Joe, and he can take his shift!"

They heard footsteps coming towards them and they tensed up, "I'll be joining you as well. That is, if you don't mind," Izzy said to the group.

To Be Continued...
What will happen now that Matt, Mimi, T.K., Kari, and Izzy are leaving the group? Find out in the next chapter. As soon as I get 5 reviews, I'll post the next chapter. So, Please Review!