Thanks so much to my reviewers! I'm so happy, I decided to give you the
rest of the chapter earlier then expected.(I also have some free time,
since it's the beginning of school and the teachers aren't giving much
homework yet.) So don't get spoiled, I'll probably take a month between
updates in most cases. Maybe longer; this isn't the only story I'm working
on.
Disclaimer: Roses are red, Violets are blue, I don't own Digimon, So please don't sue. (I don't own LOTR, either, but I couldn't get that to rhyme.)
Chapter Three: Back to Reality or The Morning After
In the morning, Freddy woke to the smell of pancakes and bacon. He was immediately wide awake.
"Food!" he exclaimed, leaping out of bed. In seconds, he was sitting at the table, awaiting his breakfast. His aunt Sora was cooking, while his uncle Tai was sitting reading the comics.
"Goodness!" Sora laughed, "You were right, Tai; food really CAN do what noise won't."
"I told'ja so," Tai replied jovially, "Freddy here inherited my appetite!"
"What are you guys talking about?" Freddy inquired suspiciously.
"Look at the clock, kiddo. It's almost ten!" Tai told him.
"We got here around seven, and we've been trying to wake you up ever since," Sora explained, grinning, "Finally, your uncle suggested we make some breakfast, something that you could smell. And sure enough, as soon as it started to smell like pancakes in here, you woke up all on your own." She heaped his plate full of pancakes. "So, eat up!"
Freddy dug in. "Yum! Ghish'sh ghelishush!" he said with his mouth full of pancakes. He swallowed, then said, "So, what's up for today?" He was hoping that Mary and Peter could come over later.
"We-ellll. . .there's lots of thank-you notes to be written, distraught relatives to be reassured, gifts to be distributed - your parents left you most of their stuff, but some of their friends and family have special presents. Then. . ." Sora continued listing chores, counting them off on her fingers.
"Oh, man!" Freddy groaned, "Uncle Tai?" He looked beseechingly at his uncle.
"Sorry, sport, I'm afraid she's right. But don't look so depressed, I'll help you with the relatives and the thank-yous, and I think you'll find the gifts won't be so bad."
Uncle Tai was right. It took weeks to get the thank-you notes out, and longer to get people calmed down, but the gifts were almost fun. Most of them didn't have tags, and Freddy liked the challenge of figuring out who they were for. Some were easy; the autographed copy of "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide"(A/N: That's a compilation of all the Hitchhiker's Guide books in one volume, for those who don't know.) and the books on computers could only go to Izzy, while the gift certificate for a complete facial and manicure at one of the finest salons in New York *must* be for Mimi. But others were a little stranger. Freddy wasn't sure about the noodle recipes and high-tech running shoes, but they were tied together, so they must be for the same person. He couldn't even *begin* to guess who the bubble- blowing kit was for. There were several kinds of soap - regular, edible, and unpoppable - and more bubble wands than Freddy could count, of all shapes and sizes. Strangely, there were no bubble guns or anything else that included a fan. All the bubbles had to be blown the old-fashioned way. Finally, there were a couple books on mixing your own bubble soap, and one on the 'philosophy of bubble-blowing'. (A/N: Free (imaginary) blackberry cheesecake to anyone who can guess who these last two are for!)
Fortunately, Uncle Tai helped out with those, too, and they were quickly taken care of. After that, Freddy had nothing to do but play with his friends until school started. He and Sam, Mary, and Peter had lots of fun and got into lots of trouble, and there was almost always a sleepover somewhere. Freddy was soon swept up in the currents of everyday life, and nearly forgot about the strange events of the night of the party. Once in a while, he would wonder what Wizardmon was up to, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Wizardmon would return exactly when he decided to, and not a minute before, and worrying about it wouldn't do any good. Most of the time, the whole thing seemed like a strange dream.
When school finally started, Freddy began to stand out a little bit. He was more thoughtful and intelligent than most of his peers. Mary and Peter started to show him all of their plans before they put them into action, because he was so good at spotting the flaws they had missed. He was never bullied, but the other kids - except his best friends - tended to see him as a little odd, and some of them avoided him.
Still, for the most part, Freddy had a pretty normal life for the better part of a year. Then, one night a few weeks before school ended - and a month before his parents' anniversary - a thunderstorm appeared out of nowhere. The lights flickered every time lightning flashed, then went out completely.
Freddy shivered. His aunt and uncle had gone out to dinner, so he was home alone. Normally, he wasn't afraid of the dark, but now he was on his own in the middle of a creepy thunderstorm, and he didn't have anything to keep his mind off of it. He wished that he could at least have the computer back.
As if in response to Freddy's thoughts, the computer's lights flickered on weakly, and it made a faint, sickly beeping sound. Freddy jumped about three feet in the air, then backed carefully away. The lightning flashed again, briefly illuminating the room, and when it was gone, Wizardmon stood in the place where Freddy's chair had been a moment before. He looked around nervously, then spotted Freddy.
"Freddy! Do you have it? Is it safe?" When Freddy nodded mutely, astonished, he continued, "Show me!"
"I-it's in my room, upstairs," Freddy stammered, then ran up to get it.
When he returned, Wizardmon had a roaring fire built in the fireplace, and a window open for some fresh air. Freddy handed him the envelope with the whistle, which Wizardmon immediately cast into the flames.
"Hey! What are you doing?! It'll melt!"
Wizardmon made no reply, but waited a few seconds longer, then took the tongs and grabbed it out of the fire. Freddy saw that the whistle was unharmed, not even blackened, although the string it was on had burned away. Wizardmon moved it toward him, as if to drop it in his still-extended hand. Freddy pulled back, afraid of getting burned.
"Go on, take it. It isn't hot at all," Wizardmon said.
Freddy stretched out his hand tentatively, and Wizardmon dropped the whistle into his palm. The first thing Freddy noticed was how very cool it was for something that had just been in the fire. Then he noticed how much heavier it was than before. It was as if the thing had gained weight instead of heat.
"Are there any marks on it at all?" asked Wizardmon anxiously.
Freddy looked closely at it. "No. . ." he said. Wizardmon looked relieved. "Wait. . ." Freddy continued, ". . .there's some sort of Digi-runes on it in red lettering. . .I can't tell what it says. . ."
Wizardmon looked very weary. "Most people can't. They mean 'This is Lord Myotismon's whistle. Return it to him or suffer the consequences.'. Meaning not death, but a lifetime or more as his slave."
Freddy shuddered, "I can believe that. I've heard enough stories from Mom and Dad. But. . .they defeated him. . .right?" Freddy looked like he had guessed what the answer would be, and wanted reassurance that he was wrong.
The little Data wizard sighed. "I was afraid of this before. Of all evil Digimon, Myotismon has shown the greatest propensity for coming back from the dead, and now I know why. His power is embedded in this whistle, and until it is destroyed, he cannot be killed."
Freddy sat utterly still for a moment. Finally, he said, with false cheerfulness, "Well, then, now that we know, it'll be easy! I'll get a hammer!" He started to get up.
Wizardmon looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "Freddy, you aren't fooling anyone. You know it won't be that easy. It must be taken to the top of the Dark Mountain, where it was made. It will be a long, hard journey. I won't ask you to bring it any farther than Gennai's house, where there will be a meeting to decide what will be done."
Freddy looked much happier. "All right, when do I leave?"
"As soon as school gets out. I will try to be back in time to see you off, but if I'm not, don't worry. And don't wait for me! Even this portion of the journey could be dangerous, and becomes more so the longer it is delayed."
"Then I'll have to go alone," said Freddy staunchly.
"No! Goodness, no! Take someone with you, someone you can trust. Someone who-. . ." he paused for a moment, looking alarmed, then motioned Freddy away from the open window. As Freddy complied, Wizardmon crept up to the window quietly, staff in hand, and used the staff to stab at the rosebushes under the windowsill.
"OW! Hey, watch it!" said a voice - a girl Freddy's age by the sound.
Wizardmon grabbed her and pulled her inside, ignoring her protests. The girl was Freddy's height, wearing dirty overalls, an old t-shirt, and gardening gloves. In her hand was a pair of pruning shears, and she had many scratches from the rose thorns. Freddy, catching a glimpse of her face, realized that it was his friend Sam!
"Samantha Green, why were you eavesdropping on out conversation?!" Wizardmon thundered.
Sam squirmed in the Digimon's grip. "I wasn't! I was just pruning the roses under the window! Leggo!" She glared at Wizardmon, "And my *name* is *Sam*!"
Freddy chuckled at the sight. "Oh, Wizardmon, let her go. She's my friend."
Wizardmon scowled, but put her down, saying, "I still want to know why she was listening in."
"So do I, actually," Freddy admitted. "Well, Sam? How about it?"
Sam blushed a little in embarrassment. "Well, I was coming over to see if you were okay, what with the storm and all, and I heard voices from the open window. I came over to look in and see if there were burglars or something, and I heard you guys talking about the Digiworld. . .and I just had to listen. I've always wanted to go to the Digiworld, like your parents did, Freddy. That's why I listened." She suddenly looked nervous. "Don't let Wizardmon turn me into a squirrel or something."
Wizardmon now looked mildly amused. "Well, I can hardly ignore such a humble request. But at any rate, I have a better idea. Sam, you are to accompany Freddy on his journey to Gennai's house."
Sam looked as if she had discovered that her teacher had canceled a math test in order to have a pizza party. "Me?" she squeaked, "Go to the Digiworld! Really? Thank you, sir!" She ran up and hugged Wizardmon so tightly his eyes bulged out.
"Oof. . ." he managed.
Sam realized she was strangling him. "Oops, sorry!"
Freddy grinned at her, "I'm glad you're coming, Sam.
**************************************************************************** **************
End Chapter 3! Please review! Next time, a lovable duo gets in on the act. We'll meet the prince and princess of pranks, Mary and Peter! But my carpal tunnel's really acting up now, so I better quit. See ya!
Disclaimer: Roses are red, Violets are blue, I don't own Digimon, So please don't sue. (I don't own LOTR, either, but I couldn't get that to rhyme.)
Chapter Three: Back to Reality or The Morning After
In the morning, Freddy woke to the smell of pancakes and bacon. He was immediately wide awake.
"Food!" he exclaimed, leaping out of bed. In seconds, he was sitting at the table, awaiting his breakfast. His aunt Sora was cooking, while his uncle Tai was sitting reading the comics.
"Goodness!" Sora laughed, "You were right, Tai; food really CAN do what noise won't."
"I told'ja so," Tai replied jovially, "Freddy here inherited my appetite!"
"What are you guys talking about?" Freddy inquired suspiciously.
"Look at the clock, kiddo. It's almost ten!" Tai told him.
"We got here around seven, and we've been trying to wake you up ever since," Sora explained, grinning, "Finally, your uncle suggested we make some breakfast, something that you could smell. And sure enough, as soon as it started to smell like pancakes in here, you woke up all on your own." She heaped his plate full of pancakes. "So, eat up!"
Freddy dug in. "Yum! Ghish'sh ghelishush!" he said with his mouth full of pancakes. He swallowed, then said, "So, what's up for today?" He was hoping that Mary and Peter could come over later.
"We-ellll. . .there's lots of thank-you notes to be written, distraught relatives to be reassured, gifts to be distributed - your parents left you most of their stuff, but some of their friends and family have special presents. Then. . ." Sora continued listing chores, counting them off on her fingers.
"Oh, man!" Freddy groaned, "Uncle Tai?" He looked beseechingly at his uncle.
"Sorry, sport, I'm afraid she's right. But don't look so depressed, I'll help you with the relatives and the thank-yous, and I think you'll find the gifts won't be so bad."
Uncle Tai was right. It took weeks to get the thank-you notes out, and longer to get people calmed down, but the gifts were almost fun. Most of them didn't have tags, and Freddy liked the challenge of figuring out who they were for. Some were easy; the autographed copy of "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide"(A/N: That's a compilation of all the Hitchhiker's Guide books in one volume, for those who don't know.) and the books on computers could only go to Izzy, while the gift certificate for a complete facial and manicure at one of the finest salons in New York *must* be for Mimi. But others were a little stranger. Freddy wasn't sure about the noodle recipes and high-tech running shoes, but they were tied together, so they must be for the same person. He couldn't even *begin* to guess who the bubble- blowing kit was for. There were several kinds of soap - regular, edible, and unpoppable - and more bubble wands than Freddy could count, of all shapes and sizes. Strangely, there were no bubble guns or anything else that included a fan. All the bubbles had to be blown the old-fashioned way. Finally, there were a couple books on mixing your own bubble soap, and one on the 'philosophy of bubble-blowing'. (A/N: Free (imaginary) blackberry cheesecake to anyone who can guess who these last two are for!)
Fortunately, Uncle Tai helped out with those, too, and they were quickly taken care of. After that, Freddy had nothing to do but play with his friends until school started. He and Sam, Mary, and Peter had lots of fun and got into lots of trouble, and there was almost always a sleepover somewhere. Freddy was soon swept up in the currents of everyday life, and nearly forgot about the strange events of the night of the party. Once in a while, he would wonder what Wizardmon was up to, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Wizardmon would return exactly when he decided to, and not a minute before, and worrying about it wouldn't do any good. Most of the time, the whole thing seemed like a strange dream.
When school finally started, Freddy began to stand out a little bit. He was more thoughtful and intelligent than most of his peers. Mary and Peter started to show him all of their plans before they put them into action, because he was so good at spotting the flaws they had missed. He was never bullied, but the other kids - except his best friends - tended to see him as a little odd, and some of them avoided him.
Still, for the most part, Freddy had a pretty normal life for the better part of a year. Then, one night a few weeks before school ended - and a month before his parents' anniversary - a thunderstorm appeared out of nowhere. The lights flickered every time lightning flashed, then went out completely.
Freddy shivered. His aunt and uncle had gone out to dinner, so he was home alone. Normally, he wasn't afraid of the dark, but now he was on his own in the middle of a creepy thunderstorm, and he didn't have anything to keep his mind off of it. He wished that he could at least have the computer back.
As if in response to Freddy's thoughts, the computer's lights flickered on weakly, and it made a faint, sickly beeping sound. Freddy jumped about three feet in the air, then backed carefully away. The lightning flashed again, briefly illuminating the room, and when it was gone, Wizardmon stood in the place where Freddy's chair had been a moment before. He looked around nervously, then spotted Freddy.
"Freddy! Do you have it? Is it safe?" When Freddy nodded mutely, astonished, he continued, "Show me!"
"I-it's in my room, upstairs," Freddy stammered, then ran up to get it.
When he returned, Wizardmon had a roaring fire built in the fireplace, and a window open for some fresh air. Freddy handed him the envelope with the whistle, which Wizardmon immediately cast into the flames.
"Hey! What are you doing?! It'll melt!"
Wizardmon made no reply, but waited a few seconds longer, then took the tongs and grabbed it out of the fire. Freddy saw that the whistle was unharmed, not even blackened, although the string it was on had burned away. Wizardmon moved it toward him, as if to drop it in his still-extended hand. Freddy pulled back, afraid of getting burned.
"Go on, take it. It isn't hot at all," Wizardmon said.
Freddy stretched out his hand tentatively, and Wizardmon dropped the whistle into his palm. The first thing Freddy noticed was how very cool it was for something that had just been in the fire. Then he noticed how much heavier it was than before. It was as if the thing had gained weight instead of heat.
"Are there any marks on it at all?" asked Wizardmon anxiously.
Freddy looked closely at it. "No. . ." he said. Wizardmon looked relieved. "Wait. . ." Freddy continued, ". . .there's some sort of Digi-runes on it in red lettering. . .I can't tell what it says. . ."
Wizardmon looked very weary. "Most people can't. They mean 'This is Lord Myotismon's whistle. Return it to him or suffer the consequences.'. Meaning not death, but a lifetime or more as his slave."
Freddy shuddered, "I can believe that. I've heard enough stories from Mom and Dad. But. . .they defeated him. . .right?" Freddy looked like he had guessed what the answer would be, and wanted reassurance that he was wrong.
The little Data wizard sighed. "I was afraid of this before. Of all evil Digimon, Myotismon has shown the greatest propensity for coming back from the dead, and now I know why. His power is embedded in this whistle, and until it is destroyed, he cannot be killed."
Freddy sat utterly still for a moment. Finally, he said, with false cheerfulness, "Well, then, now that we know, it'll be easy! I'll get a hammer!" He started to get up.
Wizardmon looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "Freddy, you aren't fooling anyone. You know it won't be that easy. It must be taken to the top of the Dark Mountain, where it was made. It will be a long, hard journey. I won't ask you to bring it any farther than Gennai's house, where there will be a meeting to decide what will be done."
Freddy looked much happier. "All right, when do I leave?"
"As soon as school gets out. I will try to be back in time to see you off, but if I'm not, don't worry. And don't wait for me! Even this portion of the journey could be dangerous, and becomes more so the longer it is delayed."
"Then I'll have to go alone," said Freddy staunchly.
"No! Goodness, no! Take someone with you, someone you can trust. Someone who-. . ." he paused for a moment, looking alarmed, then motioned Freddy away from the open window. As Freddy complied, Wizardmon crept up to the window quietly, staff in hand, and used the staff to stab at the rosebushes under the windowsill.
"OW! Hey, watch it!" said a voice - a girl Freddy's age by the sound.
Wizardmon grabbed her and pulled her inside, ignoring her protests. The girl was Freddy's height, wearing dirty overalls, an old t-shirt, and gardening gloves. In her hand was a pair of pruning shears, and she had many scratches from the rose thorns. Freddy, catching a glimpse of her face, realized that it was his friend Sam!
"Samantha Green, why were you eavesdropping on out conversation?!" Wizardmon thundered.
Sam squirmed in the Digimon's grip. "I wasn't! I was just pruning the roses under the window! Leggo!" She glared at Wizardmon, "And my *name* is *Sam*!"
Freddy chuckled at the sight. "Oh, Wizardmon, let her go. She's my friend."
Wizardmon scowled, but put her down, saying, "I still want to know why she was listening in."
"So do I, actually," Freddy admitted. "Well, Sam? How about it?"
Sam blushed a little in embarrassment. "Well, I was coming over to see if you were okay, what with the storm and all, and I heard voices from the open window. I came over to look in and see if there were burglars or something, and I heard you guys talking about the Digiworld. . .and I just had to listen. I've always wanted to go to the Digiworld, like your parents did, Freddy. That's why I listened." She suddenly looked nervous. "Don't let Wizardmon turn me into a squirrel or something."
Wizardmon now looked mildly amused. "Well, I can hardly ignore such a humble request. But at any rate, I have a better idea. Sam, you are to accompany Freddy on his journey to Gennai's house."
Sam looked as if she had discovered that her teacher had canceled a math test in order to have a pizza party. "Me?" she squeaked, "Go to the Digiworld! Really? Thank you, sir!" She ran up and hugged Wizardmon so tightly his eyes bulged out.
"Oof. . ." he managed.
Sam realized she was strangling him. "Oops, sorry!"
Freddy grinned at her, "I'm glad you're coming, Sam.
**************************************************************************** **************
End Chapter 3! Please review! Next time, a lovable duo gets in on the act. We'll meet the prince and princess of pranks, Mary and Peter! But my carpal tunnel's really acting up now, so I better quit. See ya!