Chapter 3: The Confrontations

Back at camp, everyone was busy. Mimi, Palmon, Kari and Gatomon were fixing lunch, and Matt, Gabumon, TK, and Patamon were fishing. Casting his fishing line, TK looked up at his older brother.

"Matt," TK spoke. "Who do you think the new human is?"

"I don't really know TK," Matt answered, and he grinned inwardly as TK continued.

"Who do you want him to be, a boy or a girl?" TK questioned.

"I don't know-" Matt started.

"I want him to be nice, because if he's not nice, well... that's not nice to be not nice," TK responded. Matt smiled. All of a sudden, his fishing line jerked. He shot up.

"Hey, I got something!" Matt cried, standing up. Gabumon, TK and Patamon grabbed the line. "Wow, it's a whopper for sure!" Matt declared, just as the fish jumped out of the water and landed by the bank. It was a huge fish. TK smiled as he stared at it.

"Wow! What a big fish! Do you think we'll be able to eat it all Patamon?" TK asked his flying friend.

"Of course we will TK," Patamon replied.

"Things just got a lot fishier," Matt smirked.

"Matt, help me pick it up," Gabumon sputtered as he tried to lift the immense fish. Matt reached down to help his friend. Suddenly, the four heard a rumbling noise in the distance. TK tugged Matt's shirt.

"Matt, what was that?" TK said. His face grew troubled.

"I don't know TK," Matt convinced.

"Do you think it could be another Dark Master?" TK asked.

"I seriously doubt it TK-," Matt began.

"Gennai said that when we defeat all the Dark Masters, we'll go home. But we're not home so there must be another Dark Master out there," TK cut in. He looked up at Matt for his reaction.

"C'mon, let's get back to camp," Matt mumbled, looking away. TK sighed.

"It was just an idea," TK whispered, looking down. Matt turned to look at him. "If we really defeated all the Dark Masters...," TK gloomily looked to the digital sky. "Why can't we go home? It doesn't make sense," he rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. Matt placed a hand on TK's shoulder, and TK looked at him, a tear starting to fall down his cheek. Matt wiped it away.

"Look TK," Matt soothed. "I know how much you miss Mom, but it's OK."

"You mean you miss her too?" TK questioned, rubbing his eyes. Matt looked up at the sky.

"Yea, I guess," Matt said softly. TK smiled. "C'mon, let's get back to camp," Matt smiled, taking the huge fish and hoisting it onto his shoulder.

Back by the campfire, Mimi, Palmon, Kari, and Gatomon heard the same strange rumbling noise. Mimi stood up.

"What was that?" Mimi looked around.

"I don't know," Gatomon answered, looking up at the sky.

"Was it just me, or did it sound familiar?" Kari asked.

"Hhhmmm...," Palmon pondered. "Come to think of it, Kari's right."

"You're right Palmon!" Mimi declared. Matt, Gabumon, TK, and Patamon walked up to the campfire. Matt put the fish down.

"Wow! What a big fish!" Mimi proclaimed, staring at the giant fish.

"Matt got it, but me, Gabumon, and Patamon helped! Right Patamon?" TK replied, smiling at his digimon buddy.

"That's right TK," Patamon answered, and smiled back.

"TK, did you guys hear a grumbling noise?" Kari asked.

"Yea we did. You heard it too?" TK quizzed.

"When you heard it, didn't it sound familiar?" Kari questioned.

"You're right, it did!" TK exclaimed. Suddenly, the loud rumbling noise echoed.

"There it is again!" Kari declared, and looked up. She saw a creature in the sky. "That's it!" She cried. Everyone looked up. The creature was an insect, with six long blue legs, four broad wings, and a dark triceratops skull covering its face. Its wings pounded the intense rumbling noise. The group gasped.

"Hey! It's Kabuterimon!" TK proclaimed.

"That's why the sound was so familiar," Kari said. (Flash back) "When I got sick, I remember flying on Kabuterimon's back, and hearing that same noise." (End Flash back) The company watched as Kabuterimon landed. They ran over.

"Hi everyone!" TK replied. He saw Koga. "Is that the new digi destined?" TK asked Tai.

"Well...," Tai responded. "She has a digimon-,"

"She does? Where is it?" Kari questioned.

"Right here," Sora jumped off Kabuterimon's back with the asleep Tsunamon in her arms.

"Huh? Is that a Tsunomon? What happened to it? Did it fall into paint?" Mimi quizzed.

"It's a Tsunamon Mimi," Joe returned, helping Tai lay Koga down on the forest floor. Kabuterimon de digivolved back into Tentomon.

"Tsunamon? You mean it's a girl?" Mimi exclaimed. She looked at Gabumon. "How romantic!" Mimi commented. Gabumon blushed. Matt dropped a sweat.

"Does she have a crest?" Matt asked.

"None of us checked for a crest, but I'm pretty sure Koga has one," Tai answered.

"So that's her name. Koga...," TK responded, looking at Koga. He noticed a bit of a necklace sticking out of her shirt. It looked familiar; this necklace seemed to be made out of string. "Hey you guys!" TK shouted. "Koga does have a crest! See?" Everyone averted their attention. Curious, Matt leaned over and pulled the string from out her shirt. A small, wooden flute appeared at the end.

"Huh?" Matt stared at the flute in his hand, puzzled. Just then, Koga opened her eyes. She saw the flute in Matt's possession. She knocked his hand aside.

"What do you think you were doing?" Koga shakily stood up, her flute up against her chest, a fight stance at the ready.

"Wait!" TK cut in. Koga's face softened. "I'm sorry. I thought it was your crest. See?" TK said as he showed Koga his yellow crest. "Mine's means hope. Do you have one?"

"No, I don't," Koga responded, and looked around. "Where am I?"

"At our camp," Matt retorted coldly, looking to the lake. Koga looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time.

"… I'm sorry," Koga answered coolly, indicating a bit of bashful shame. Matt looked at her, as if seeing her for the first time too. "This means a lot to me," Koga put her flute back inside her shirt. She looked at Kari. "Hi Kari," Koga smiled.

"Are you feeling OK Koga?" Kari queried.

"I'm fine," Koga convinced.

"Hey, how do you know Kari?" TK asked.

"Well-," Koga started, but stopped. She looked around at Matt, Gabumon, Mimi, Palmon, TK, Patamon, and Gatomon. "I'm sorry, but I don't know any your names," she admitted sheepishly.

"My name is TK, but call me TK. Everyone does," TK happily responded. Koga giggled.

"I'm Patamon, TK's digimon," Patamon answered.

"You can call me Gatomon. I'm Kari's digimon," Gatomon said. She extended her paw and Koga shook it.

"I'm Mimi-," Mimi started.

"-And I'm Palmon," Palmon announced.

"She's my digimon," Mimi presented.

"I'm Gabumon," Gabumon grinned. Koga looked to Matt, who frigidly looked away.

"This is my brother Matt," TK introduced, looking up at his bro. "Matt?" Matt turned away and walked towards the lake. Koga looked on after him. Soon, a low, soft, mournful tune echoed in the distance. Koga stared into it, but her gaze only lasted a moment. She turned to the group and smiled.

"Nice to meet all of you," Koga replied with a faint grin.

"Ahh, forget about him," Tai whispered. "Matt's that way most of the time. You'll get used to him after a while. You can't blame him though. Matt hasn't exactly had an easy life," Tai confided, placing his hand on Koga's shoulder.

'Neither have I,' Koga thought. "You're right Tai."

"OK then," Tai grinned. He turned to the others. "Man I'm starving. What's for lunch?"

"Do we have to eat now Tai? I'm not that hungry," Agumon replied just as his stomach growled loudly, creating a small echo. The group laughed. Tai's stomach growled right after that, which made them all laugh even harder.

"Lunch will be ready soon. We'll be having fish and fruit," Sora retorted, still laughing.

"I'll go get my brother," TK replied happily. "He'll wanna help, and I'll betcha he's hungry. C'mon Patamon!" TK requested, running to the lake.

"Hey TK! Wait for me!" Patamon shouted, flying right behind his friend.

Meanwhile, by the lake, Matt had stopped his harmonica playing, and stared over at the group. Hearing their laughter, he turned away, and after a small while, went back to his music. After playing a few notes, Matt dropped his harmonica and sighed.

"Hey Matt!" TK called out. He plopped down on the floor next to his older brother, panting. TK leaned over and smiled up to Matt. "Hey Matt," TK said, still panting. "We're all gonna have lunch. I already told everyone you'd help."

"OK TK. Tell them I'll be right over," Matt replied, giving TK a faint smile, but TK didn't seem to notice a gloominess behind it.

"OK!" TK responded happily. He ran towards the camp. "Hey everyone! Matt saids he'll be right over!" TK yelled as he continued running. Matt smirked to himself as he watched his little brother run off, then looked out to the lake.

-Flash back-

"What do you think you were doing?" Koga demanded, standing up and clutching her flute.

"Wait! I'm sorry," TK replied. "I thought it was your crest. See?" TK smiled, and Koga softened. TK showed her his yellow crest. "Mine's means hope. Do you have one?"

"No, I don't," Koga responded. She looked around. "Where am I?"

"At our camp," Matt said coldly.

"... I'm sorry," Koga answered coolly after a pause, looking at her flute. "This means a lot to me," she said, and put the flute back inside her shirt.

-End Flash back-

'Why did I act that way? It was so... cold. I'm almost always like that anyway. It's not like I let anyone really know me... I'm such a jerk,' Matt sighed. Pocketing his harmonica, he stood up and walked back to the campsite, where the others were happily enjoying themselves.

Back at the campsite, everyone seemed to be busy getting food ready, everyone except for Tai, that is, who seemed to be having fun amusing Kari and Koga by playing with two fish.

"Hey, look! Bunny ears!" Tai placed both fish behind his head. He grinned broadly. Kari and Koga giggled. Tai's smile grew bigger, but then the "bunny ears" drooped, hanging over his head. Tai looked up at the overhanging fish, and the three of them burst out laughing.

"Tai...," Sora scolded sternly, her lips in a straight line. Tai turned to look at her with a fish head over each eye.

"What?" Tai questioned, half cracking up, half talking. He dropped both fish to the ground, and began to roll around on the floor, laughing hysterically. Sora began to giggle, but controlled herself.

"Tai," Sora replied, frowning and snatching the two fish off the ground. "I was going to cook these, but now I can't, since they're dirty. Matt, Joe, TK, Gabumon, Palmon, Gomamon, Patamon, and Gatomon all worked hard to get the fish we're going to eat for lunch today. Did you help get anything for lunch?" She looked directly at Tai. Her eyebrow rose. Tai sat up, smirking sheepishly.

"Well...," Tai responded, tapping his index fingers together. "If anyone had told me we were having lunch- Besides, I took care of TK and Kari!"

"I think TK and I can take care of ourselves, Tai," Kari answered.

"Kari, you're not helping," Tai whispered, nudging his sister in the ribs.

"Hey, leave the kid alone," Koga joked, shoving Tai aside. "I'll go wash these fish Sora." She scooped both fish and headed for the lake... and nearly collided head on with Matt.

"Oh!"

"Oh! I'm sorry! ... Uhh-woah!"

"Hey, watch it-"

"Ack!" Koga tripped over Matt's legs. She flailed her arms in a final attempt to sustain her balance, but failed, falling on top of Matt, their faces inches apart. Matt stared into Koga's green eyes, half dazed, half flustered. Koga half-smiled, and took to standing up as best she could without dirtying the two fish further and with whatever strength she could muster, but tripped over her own feet and landed hard against Matt's body.

"Umm..... Ahem," Matt cleared his groggy throat.

"Oww… I better get to washing these fish," Koga stated after a short while, standing up this time and walking away. Matt stood up, brushed his jeans hastily, and then headed towards the camp to help.

'Wow... That was so weird.'

Matt glanced back at Koga. Her chocolate brown hair hung against her cheek as she sat down to clean the fish. She looked up, and their eyes met. Matt turned away quickly and headed towards the camp. Those green eyes bore into his mind.

Koga sat on the bank, staring after the skinny, blonde haired boy. His blue eyes.. A cerulean color as deep as the ocean. Koga shook out of her daze, but the image of his eyes remained. Suddenly, there was a bubbling in the water, and in a moment she was dragged under.

-To Be Continued-