Chapter One: A Big Party or "You were supposed to leave QUIETLY!"
Kari couldn't wait for the anniversary party to begin. They had all the plans laid out just perfectly; after the party, they would grab their packed bags and head for the nearest digi-port, just a short distance away. They were leaving all their stuff to Freddy, except a single laptop computer - even Kari's whistle.
She paused at that thought, frowning. It wasn't like Freddy didn't deserve it, or would misuse it; already, at age 12, he was smarter than some adults. She just didn't like the idea of parting with it, somehow. It had been hers for so long, and she had been the one who tricked that creature out of it, and who discovered its powers; just placing it in your mouth made you invisible; she had tried to blow on it, but to no avail. But Wizardmon had said that it was dangerous, that it should pass to Freddy with the house and the rest of the goods.
She sighed, then shook her head as if to clear it. After tonight, she could forget all about such things. Tonight, Freddy would stay here alone, then tomorrow his aunt and uncle Sora and Tai would come to stay with him and make sure he didn't have too much trouble. Other than herself, TK, their digimon, Freddy and Wizardmon, Tai and Sora were the only ones who knew about their plans. After they were gone, Tai had volunteered to explain to Matt exactly where they had gone, and keep him from panicking when he couldn't find them. Kari privately thought that Tai would have some trouble with that, but she knew that Sora would be there, and Sora could calm down anybody. Kari chuckled at the thought of what Tai would have to say to her doubting of his abilities, then turned her mind back to the party. There was so much more to be done!
In the meantime, Freddy was sitting in his treehouse, equally anxious for the party. This was gonna be fun, way better than any of Mom and Dad's previous parties. For one thing, this party would have the best fireworks around: Wizardmon's! He had bustled about all week, muttering to himself and planning the display, somehow managing to seem both comical and dignified at the same time - a trick that few but he could manage. The neighbors, Freddy knew, were starting to whisper about "that strange man in the Halloween costume" that was hanging around, and to wonder about his intentions. Rumor said that he was a cultist, a strange fanatic with magical powers, as crazy as a loon, an eccentric but brilliant pyrotechnician, and many other, stranger things. They were close to the truth in some ways, but they never would have guessed what he really was.
"Freddy!" His mother's voice cut through his musings, "Freddy! The guests are starting to arrive!"
"Coming, Mom!" he called down to her as he reached for the ladder, knowing as he did so that he would have no more time to daydream until it was all over. Soon, he was caught up in the frantic but joyful rush of family and friends as they arrived, found places for their gifts, gave him their coats when he offered to hang them up, and filtered through into the main courtyard, where the party was getting off to a fine start.
Finally, everyone had arrived, and once the last arrivals had had time to dance and chat for a while, dinner was served, followed by fireworks. Wizardmon's fireworks, were, naturally, spectacular, and once they were over, and the applause subsided, Kari and TK were expected to make a speech of some sort.
Kari cleared her throat and began, "First, I'd like to thank you all for coming. The setting may be just right, but without guests to attend, no party amounts to much; therefore, thank you for your help making this party a success!" She waited for the laughter and applause to settle before continuing, "Unfortunately, I also have some less happy news to give to you." Her voice grew faint, and faltering, as the courtyard pavilion grew silent. "I. . . TK and I . . . We are leaving. We won't be back anytime soon. . . we are leaving now. . . Goodbye!" And with that, she grabbed TK's hand and slipped the whistle into her mouth, so that they both disappeared.
The crowd was, understandably, thrown into confusion. Only a very few people were able to keep their wits about them - those that knew the plan - and even of them, Wizardmon was the only one who could get back to the house; the others were too busy trying to answer questions and calm people down. He slipped through the open door of the house just in time to see Kari and TK reappear.
"Did you see their faces?" Kari exclaimed, giggling, "I haven't had that much fun in years!"
"I'm not so sure it was such a good idea. The people out there are looking pretty worried," TK replied, peering cautiously out the window at the crowd.
"Myself, I KNOW it wasn't a good idea," said Wizardmon, stepping forward.
Kari frowned at him, "Oh, Wizardmon, don't be such a spoilsport. It wouldn't do to have them pestering us for a mailing address or something, now would it?"
"You could have given them an email address. The letters would be delivered as actual mail in the digiworld," Wizardmon said, a little grumpily. "Oh, well. No real harm done, I guess. I can't blame you for wanting to use the whistle one last time."
"Last time? Oh, that's right, I was supposed to give it to Freddy," Kari had been hoping that he would forget about that. "Where's that envelope?"
"Right on the mantelpiece, where you left it," TK told her, sounding worried and confused.
"Oh, yes, so I did. Thanks honey," she said reluctantly. Moving slowly, she reached for the envelope, and put the whistle inside, then put the envelope in her pocket. "There we go, safe and sound!"
"Except you were supposed to put it back on the mantelpiece," Wizardmon reminded her gently.
Now Kari looked confused. "Didn't I just do that? No, wait. . . it's in my pocket. Isn't that interesting. I think it needs to stay there. It came to me, after all, not to you. That's it, I understand now. You just want to wait until we're gone, then you'll take it and tell Freddy I left with it! You're jealous, because it came to me and not to you at all! But now I've seen through your evil plot! You'll never get the whistle, never!" She was frantic now, the light of madness clear in her eyes.
Wizardmon opened his mouth to respond, but before he could come up with the words, TK stepped in and grabbed Kari by the shoulders and held her close.
"Kari, listen to what you're saying! I know how you feel, but it's time to let go!" He pushed her to arms' length and looked into her eyes. "It's time."
She nodded, tears in her eyes, and bit her lip. Slowly, slowly, she took the envelope out of her pocket, and held it out in front of her. For a long moment, she just stared at it; then, she opened her fingers and let it drop. As it hit the floor, the whistle slipped out of the unsealed end. Quickly, Kari turned away. When she looked back a moment later, she was cheerful again.
"Well, that's done! Almost a relief, really. It was awfully foolish of me, making such a fuss over a small thing like that, when we're leaving Freddy things like the PC and the waterbed!" She turned to TK, "Come on, honey, let's get going. I can't wait to see all of our old friends again!"
They turned and, grabbing their bags, said a quick goodbye to Wizardmon and made him promise to look out for Freddy, then left. Wizardmon watched them go, troubled somewhat by the night's events, and at the same time relieved that love's power could overcome this great evil. Finally, he turned back and sat down by the fire to wait for Freddy.
************************************************************************ So, whatcha think? Please R+R, I know it's moving kinda slow, but if you'll recall, we need all this stuff, and the scene in LOTR took a lot longer. I'm working on Ch.2, titled: The One Thing or Don't Blow the Whistle On Me!
Yes, all the chapters are going to have double titles, at least until I run out of ideas.
Kari couldn't wait for the anniversary party to begin. They had all the plans laid out just perfectly; after the party, they would grab their packed bags and head for the nearest digi-port, just a short distance away. They were leaving all their stuff to Freddy, except a single laptop computer - even Kari's whistle.
She paused at that thought, frowning. It wasn't like Freddy didn't deserve it, or would misuse it; already, at age 12, he was smarter than some adults. She just didn't like the idea of parting with it, somehow. It had been hers for so long, and she had been the one who tricked that creature out of it, and who discovered its powers; just placing it in your mouth made you invisible; she had tried to blow on it, but to no avail. But Wizardmon had said that it was dangerous, that it should pass to Freddy with the house and the rest of the goods.
She sighed, then shook her head as if to clear it. After tonight, she could forget all about such things. Tonight, Freddy would stay here alone, then tomorrow his aunt and uncle Sora and Tai would come to stay with him and make sure he didn't have too much trouble. Other than herself, TK, their digimon, Freddy and Wizardmon, Tai and Sora were the only ones who knew about their plans. After they were gone, Tai had volunteered to explain to Matt exactly where they had gone, and keep him from panicking when he couldn't find them. Kari privately thought that Tai would have some trouble with that, but she knew that Sora would be there, and Sora could calm down anybody. Kari chuckled at the thought of what Tai would have to say to her doubting of his abilities, then turned her mind back to the party. There was so much more to be done!
In the meantime, Freddy was sitting in his treehouse, equally anxious for the party. This was gonna be fun, way better than any of Mom and Dad's previous parties. For one thing, this party would have the best fireworks around: Wizardmon's! He had bustled about all week, muttering to himself and planning the display, somehow managing to seem both comical and dignified at the same time - a trick that few but he could manage. The neighbors, Freddy knew, were starting to whisper about "that strange man in the Halloween costume" that was hanging around, and to wonder about his intentions. Rumor said that he was a cultist, a strange fanatic with magical powers, as crazy as a loon, an eccentric but brilliant pyrotechnician, and many other, stranger things. They were close to the truth in some ways, but they never would have guessed what he really was.
"Freddy!" His mother's voice cut through his musings, "Freddy! The guests are starting to arrive!"
"Coming, Mom!" he called down to her as he reached for the ladder, knowing as he did so that he would have no more time to daydream until it was all over. Soon, he was caught up in the frantic but joyful rush of family and friends as they arrived, found places for their gifts, gave him their coats when he offered to hang them up, and filtered through into the main courtyard, where the party was getting off to a fine start.
Finally, everyone had arrived, and once the last arrivals had had time to dance and chat for a while, dinner was served, followed by fireworks. Wizardmon's fireworks, were, naturally, spectacular, and once they were over, and the applause subsided, Kari and TK were expected to make a speech of some sort.
Kari cleared her throat and began, "First, I'd like to thank you all for coming. The setting may be just right, but without guests to attend, no party amounts to much; therefore, thank you for your help making this party a success!" She waited for the laughter and applause to settle before continuing, "Unfortunately, I also have some less happy news to give to you." Her voice grew faint, and faltering, as the courtyard pavilion grew silent. "I. . . TK and I . . . We are leaving. We won't be back anytime soon. . . we are leaving now. . . Goodbye!" And with that, she grabbed TK's hand and slipped the whistle into her mouth, so that they both disappeared.
The crowd was, understandably, thrown into confusion. Only a very few people were able to keep their wits about them - those that knew the plan - and even of them, Wizardmon was the only one who could get back to the house; the others were too busy trying to answer questions and calm people down. He slipped through the open door of the house just in time to see Kari and TK reappear.
"Did you see their faces?" Kari exclaimed, giggling, "I haven't had that much fun in years!"
"I'm not so sure it was such a good idea. The people out there are looking pretty worried," TK replied, peering cautiously out the window at the crowd.
"Myself, I KNOW it wasn't a good idea," said Wizardmon, stepping forward.
Kari frowned at him, "Oh, Wizardmon, don't be such a spoilsport. It wouldn't do to have them pestering us for a mailing address or something, now would it?"
"You could have given them an email address. The letters would be delivered as actual mail in the digiworld," Wizardmon said, a little grumpily. "Oh, well. No real harm done, I guess. I can't blame you for wanting to use the whistle one last time."
"Last time? Oh, that's right, I was supposed to give it to Freddy," Kari had been hoping that he would forget about that. "Where's that envelope?"
"Right on the mantelpiece, where you left it," TK told her, sounding worried and confused.
"Oh, yes, so I did. Thanks honey," she said reluctantly. Moving slowly, she reached for the envelope, and put the whistle inside, then put the envelope in her pocket. "There we go, safe and sound!"
"Except you were supposed to put it back on the mantelpiece," Wizardmon reminded her gently.
Now Kari looked confused. "Didn't I just do that? No, wait. . . it's in my pocket. Isn't that interesting. I think it needs to stay there. It came to me, after all, not to you. That's it, I understand now. You just want to wait until we're gone, then you'll take it and tell Freddy I left with it! You're jealous, because it came to me and not to you at all! But now I've seen through your evil plot! You'll never get the whistle, never!" She was frantic now, the light of madness clear in her eyes.
Wizardmon opened his mouth to respond, but before he could come up with the words, TK stepped in and grabbed Kari by the shoulders and held her close.
"Kari, listen to what you're saying! I know how you feel, but it's time to let go!" He pushed her to arms' length and looked into her eyes. "It's time."
She nodded, tears in her eyes, and bit her lip. Slowly, slowly, she took the envelope out of her pocket, and held it out in front of her. For a long moment, she just stared at it; then, she opened her fingers and let it drop. As it hit the floor, the whistle slipped out of the unsealed end. Quickly, Kari turned away. When she looked back a moment later, she was cheerful again.
"Well, that's done! Almost a relief, really. It was awfully foolish of me, making such a fuss over a small thing like that, when we're leaving Freddy things like the PC and the waterbed!" She turned to TK, "Come on, honey, let's get going. I can't wait to see all of our old friends again!"
They turned and, grabbing their bags, said a quick goodbye to Wizardmon and made him promise to look out for Freddy, then left. Wizardmon watched them go, troubled somewhat by the night's events, and at the same time relieved that love's power could overcome this great evil. Finally, he turned back and sat down by the fire to wait for Freddy.
************************************************************************ So, whatcha think? Please R+R, I know it's moving kinda slow, but if you'll recall, we need all this stuff, and the scene in LOTR took a lot longer. I'm working on Ch.2, titled: The One Thing or Don't Blow the Whistle On Me!
Yes, all the chapters are going to have double titles, at least until I run out of ideas.