"So this is how it is going to end?! He knew we never had a chance… He knew we would fail! He wanted us to fail! He was our enemy all along? Now everyone, my team, they're gone. Why did this happen! Why did she pick me! Was she with him all along as well! They were our enemy, all of them… they were never our friends, our mentors! Even in my team… they were my enemy… There was never anyone for me… not even her?"

---

The First Day of Summer--Where Are You?


It was a rainy day indeed. Swarming puffs of gray hid the afternoon sun that now cast a dim light over the city of Odaiba. The pitter-patter of rainfall danced on the open street below as an assortment of pedestrians bustled through each other in a rush to get to their next destination—their umbrellas and wet newspapers that hid their head were the only things seen from above. From the Takenouchi apartment, Iris Takenouchi, hunched over her balcony, stared down at all the busy people below her. They had so many places to go as many of them were on foot and cars were very barren on the road when it rained. Iris yawned at her scenery, shifting her own see-through umbrella from her left to her right.

Her family's apartment was somewhat high up and the balcony was just about ten feet wide and six feet in length. It was crafted from what Iris thought looked like marble and its corner was occupied by a fishbowl with a little umbrella found in martini drinks hanging over it. In the fishbowl was a bluish-green lizard hanging off the side. It was an ordinary looking lizard, about six-in-a-half inches and with black spots dotted on its sides; the only thing unordinary about it was the fact that it didn't have a tail. Iris had caught it in her mother's flowerbed that hung outside the window in their kitchen. For some reason Iris thought that 'Murdoc' was a name that suits it yet she didn't have a reason to why she never went to the library to figure out what kind of lizard Murdoc was.

It was July 19th, not a very wonderful summer day—dreary and wet. The first term of the new school year had ended for Iris at Odaiba Elementary and now summer vacation had begun. It already seemed as if summer vacation was ending because of the droopy weather, but it was nowhere near August 31st so Iris just exaggerated this possibility.

'… This weather… Not like yesterday or the day before. It had been sunny and clear all this month, but today…' Iris tilted her head sideways as Murdoc scurried down into his small "jungle" habitat in the fishbowl. Someone walked through the screen door and out to the balcony.

"Iris, lunch time." Her older sister, Sora, cut Iris off from her thoughts. Sora couldn't wait for school to start again because once the second term started then she will be able to see all her friends again. Iris on the other hand, never wanted summer to end because she didn't care for going back to school, back to grade six.

"Standing down here outside… Just staring at the street… You're wasting time." Sora said waving her index finger at Iris. Iris could see why everyone else said Sora was like a motherly figure, she was so demanding.

"Do you think there is something wrong?" Iris said hesitantly.

Sora looked at Iris a little confused, "With you, hai. You are standing here on the balcony with an umbrella and it's not even raining that much. You've wasted all morning just standing here." She ridiculed.

"No, with the weather." Iris ignored the remark.

Sora looked up at the sky. "A beautiful day." Unlike Iris, Sora loved stormy weather, it meant that Iris couldn't go outside wasting her time with running around the neighborhood—she could do something productive like help around the house. "Hope it is like that when we go on our family hiking trip on the 30th."

Every summer the Takenouchi family went up to the mountains to hike and camp—that was one thing Iris liked about summer. It also meant going pass the old camps Iris and Sora had went to four years ago, where their adventure in the digital world had begun.

Iris sighed. She must be exaggerating again. The weather was normal, it wasn't like four years ago when the whole alliance was out of whack; where it snowed when it shouldn't and rained when it shouldn't and was scorching hot where it shouldn't be.

Iris finally turned around to face her sister. "What's for lunch, hermana?"

Sora then smirked, "You have to come and see." she dashed back through the screen door, leaving Iris watching her go get their other sister, Jinni.

The twelve-year-old girl sighed. Her eyes squinted as her attention drew back to the sky. "Something… Something is wrong." Iris whispered as she walked over to Murdoc's fishbowl. The rain had grown light so she could take the small umbrella that gave Murdoc shelter away. Iris exited the scene while the clouds began to turn from gray to black… as the rain stopped completely.

Iris remained sleepless that night fore something plagued her mind. She tossed and turned, flipping one cover to one side, and her pillowcase off to another side. Her positions changed every minute, trying to find a comfortable spot to sleep—her head lying off of the futon one time, her whole body off the futon the next time, and even once, Iris sat up against the wall. None of the ways she tried could get her to sleep. Iris's eyes shot open. "I hate futons…"

Iris found herself on the balcony once again, the chill of the night air didn't affect her even though she was wearing lilac shorts and a black T-shirt. Staring down on the other apartments around her own, she sighed. "Something… Why can't I understand? Someone's trying to tell me something! But what? This strange feeling." Iris whispered as she held her head. If only something could help her figure out what was happening to her. She wished it would all go back to normal. She missed it all. She wanted Giuramon back. She wanted the old team back. She wanted to be eight again.

Suddenly, a strange noise came from behind her. She quickly jerked her head around… but no one was there. A strange eerie wind shrouded her skin and made her shiver as the hairs on her arms stood on end, it blew passed her. Could it be a ghost! Iris suddenly heard scratching! It came from behind her this time. But when she turned towards the balcony again, someone, something was sitting there!

Murdoc began to hiss as he tried to escape from his fishbowl. "Eck?" Iris snorted as she crept closer. It seemed as if her intruder were… another lizard? No, not just any lizard… A chameleon! A one foot, six-inch chameleon! It wasn't camouflaging itself to blend in with its surroundings, it just sat there, peering at Iris. But for some strange reason, the chameleon had no eye pupils! Pure white! Iris wasn't at all scared, she was actually delighted. Reptiles were always her favorite, and no matter how bizarre they looked, she would still try to capture them for her own… just like she captured Murdoc.

Murdoc began to panic and tried to tip over the fishbowl. Why was he acting this way? He never hissed like that before? Was there something about this chameleon, or is Murdoc just protecting his territory?

"Murdoc! Silencio!" Iris hissed back. She began to make clicking noises with her tongue, trying to calm the little creature. Murdoc continued its frenzy and began running around the fishbowl. The chameleon on the other hand seemed as if it didn't move to Iris' sounds, and it's eyes just steadied on her. As Iris got closer, the chameleon's eyes were getting wider! The twelve-year old was unable to notice this because she kept turning her head to make sure Murdoc didn't break the fishbowl.

"Sksss…" the chameleon hissed now as it began to move away from Iris. It was hunched up from head to toe, trying to ward off the stranger. Iris still didn't back away. She noticed something slashed behind its neck now visible because the creature was hunched up. Was it a scar? Iris wanted a closer look.

"Come here…" The girl murmured as she began to smirk when her hand grew closer.

"SKAAA! SSSSK!" it was as if Murdoc was shrieking now, his fishbowl fell over and shattered.

"Murdoc! You moron look what you've—" As soon as Iris broke her eye contact with the chameleon, it bit her! Just when she was so close enough to touch it, when she was about to clamps her hands over its bulging green body… It bit her! The maroon-haired girl winced back, holding her right-pinkie finger. She wasn't crying, she wasn't whimpering, she just glared at it. Murdoc was now lying next to Iris' feet, not even making a sound!

Iris noticed the chameleon was back in its first position—sprawled out and calm. As her purple eyes punctured the specimen with her stare, she realized that her intruder began to become transparent. Her eyebrows began to twitch as the little green creature faded. In a matter of seconds, it was gone…

Iris didn't know what to believe now, had her eyes been playing tricks on her? She was back in bed the moment that lizard vanished; Murdoc sat next to her pillowcase. She knew something strange was happening around her, she just decided to shut her eyes and forget, forget what she saw. Forget what just happened. Murdoc wandered over to Iris head and rested there.

As the stars in the midnight sky flickered, the moon itself began to seem more transparent as well. Suddenly, the beautiful flashes of the stars faded and only the moon was visible. Even though it was midnight, the sky surely was lighter than ever, even if it were summer, the dark velvet sky began to change lighter.

Usually, the nighttime was very noisy because most people stayed out all night—drunken businessmen singing in karaoke bars, teenagers riding around in cars, everyone partying until dawn. But it was unusually quiet tonight. All of a sudden, a strain hush came from an unknown direction as the sky was lightened, resembling daytime. As soon as the hushing sound ceased the sky was completely white! Illuminating the moon! That same hush started up again two minutes later, but this time, when it returned to the same midnight color, the moon was gone! Matter of fact, the hums of engines and clamors of noises were completely gone as well. There was a dead silence... nothing to be heard! No one present at all! No one was left in the city of Odaiba? That couldn't be true?! Now the midnight sky began to vanish as well, leaving nothing but an endless, milky white… the same color as the chameleon's eyes as it watched Iris from the foot of her bed.

Iris lazily raised her head that seemed to have banged as she moved. She turned her head to the small window in her room but didn't open her still sleepy eyes. She didn't want to do anything today, she probably would just stay in bed. She crashed back down to her uncomfortable futon. Her mother or sisters would wake her up eventually. She just wanted to sleep. Iris' hand began to idly feel around for Murdoc who had slept in her room because he broke his home. She didn't find him! She bolted upright from her futon and looked around. He was always too lazy to go wandering by himself, the door was closed he couldn't have left.

Iris jumped up from her futon and began to toss everything around. Her room was small so he couldn't have gone far. The only thing in her room was her futon, a desk, and a shelf on her wall that had hardly any books. Once she didn't find him in any other nook and cranny of her room, she tore open the closet that was installed on the adjacent wall of her door. Murdoc was nowhere to be found.

Iris threw open her door, maybe he went back to the balcony. She stopped herself. He can't open that sliding door…

Iris got the notion that her sisters may have played a trick on her—her mother didn't want Murdoc to stay in the house which is why Iris had to put it out on the balcony. She became furious as she ran to her sisters' rooms.

"Sora! Open up right now! What did you do with Murdoc!" Iris banged on the door so loud it could wake the neighbors. "I'm coming in!" Iris kicked the door open and walked in. Sora wasn't there. 'She must be in Jinni's room.' Iris thought as she ran across the hall.

Without a warning, Iris walked into her other sister's room. They weren't there either. Iris walked back down the hall to her mother's room. She glanced in to see no one in there either. 'Where are you?' she pondered as her stomach began to growl.

Iris wandered into the kitchen to see what mom had made today. As soon as Iris walked into the kitchen she looked around. The kitchen was deserted. The girl just shrugged and walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out some eggs. 'Maybe they went to the store…' Iris glimpsed at the clock above the oven. 'at eight in the morning!' Iris thought as she walked back to each of her family's room. Still no one in each; the beds though, were lazily made. Seeing this made Iris realize that her chores needed to be tended to. Iris decided she would get to her chores later, she decided to get cleaned up before she made some eggs. As Iris walked back into the kitchen and placed the carton of eggs on the counter, she noticed a note held up with a magnet was on the refrigerator.

Iris went over, snatched it up, and read from it.

Iris, make sure to go to the store and buy 1 carton of milk, grade A eggs Large, seven bowls of instant ramen, curry powder, and wasabi… Dated July 19th.

"Eggs!?" Iris grabbed the carton on the counter and looked inside. There were no eggs left! "ugh…. Well they didn't go to the grocers."

Iris didn't feel like running to the store so early, one of her many chores to do for today. She then walked out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. She first decided to fix her hair; brush here, comb there, put the little white hat with the black bow in back for the finale. Hair preparation complete! As soon as she was finished with her hair, she decided to get dressed.

Iris's clock in her room read eight twenty-three in the morning, maybe she got up too early. As Iris pulled on her black dress with the white vest she called out again for her family, "Mamá! Hermana Sora y Hermana Jinni!"

Still no answer. Iris began to get suspicious. 'They do wake up pretty early to go shopping since schools out… But the mall doesn't open until ten in the morning.' Iris thought as she walked to the living room. 'Plus, they would've told me…'

Iris plopped on the couch and turned on the television set, trying to take her mind off it. Some news channel was on as soon as the TV warmed up, but for some reason there was no anchorman. Just papers on the table and the set in back. Iris didn't really think much of so she just started to flip through channels. She first looked for some spicy talk shows... none, just the set again; no one in the seats on stage, no host, not even anyone in the audience? She then looked for some soap operas as her last resort. The set only again! Soon, she decided to just change it to some cartoon to entertain her persona, but when she got to the channel, there was nothing but a blank screen! Iris then turned off the television set, sitting in silence on the couch confused. "Where the hell is all the programs? What's today? Lounge Aro-Uhh!" Iris cut her self off as her finger began to sting. She grasped hold of it. 'Oie! What?! So it wasn't a dream? I really saw that chameleon… I really got bitten? I just didn't put Murdoc in my room because he was lonely? He did break his fishbowl… Why don't I remember?' she thought as she jumped off the couch. She ran to the bathroom and looked through the medicine cabinet. She found some Iodine and applied it to her scar. It stung a little but Iris still sniffled in pain. She then added a Band-Aid. Better. Iris turned on the cold water lever and held her head down. "First that chameleon, then Murdoc disappearing, and now no one to be found?" she said as she washed her face. 'They vanished… like the chameleon?!'

It was noisy everyday of the week, even on Sundays, but this, everything was just plain silent. Usually you can hear some sounds—cars humming, pedestrians chatting, feet shifting, children laughing—but the community… was without sound. "What's happening?" she whispered as she heard a scratch at the bathroom window above her. Could it be? It was! The chameleon was back!

It was outside banging on the window, as if trying to get in. Iris quickly ran towards the window and tried to pull the latch up. No use. As she looked toward the window again, the reptile was gone?! But that didn't frighten her, something else was outside… Or nothing else. "What!?" Iris gasped as she saw that there was no sun. Probably, the clouds were covering it up? But she noticed there were no clouds, or blue sky!

This made her cautious, even in the morning there was signs of clouds and the night sky drifting away because of the sun. Iris then looked down towards the busy road. No cars were moving, no busy herds of people at all! There were cars though, but the cars were just parked in the road, not moving, just sitting there scattered!

"Okay? Now this is—" Iris said as she began to walk back to the living room, "Maybe this is still a dream, but how could it be. In dreams, all your emotions are never as visible, and there usually isn't any type of pain. I felt my finger, it stung. I feel… worried! Confused. So this has to be real." Iris stammered on as she walked back and forth in the living room. "Give me a sign!" Iris shouted as she plunked back on the couch and clutched her head. "Anything! Where is everyone?" Iris said as she turned the opposite way, facing the couch. "Why am I here… Why can't Murdoc be hear at least… Maybe it was because I was the only one at dinner who drank the water instead of tea… damn tea. No... damn water! The resevoir most have slipped something in, a disease perhaps... but tea is made of water... damn." Iris said holding her finger and closing her eyes. She sat there in the silence for about ten minutes until something, or someone, brought her out of her trance.

"…Iris…."

Iris shot up from the couch and shouted, "Sora? Jinni! Mom?"

"Over here you—ahem… Iris… over hear." the voice began to screech but soon softened. Iris quickly turned towards the television set.

"It's not possible!" Iris yelled jumping up. Gray skin, feathers for ears, those yellow eyes. It was her! "Giuramon!" Iris shouted the name of her bat digimon. Giuramon came back? A rush of emotions over ran Iris's face as she placed her hands on the television screen. Even though Giuramon was in the TV set, Iris could feel something was wrong. The twelve-year old suddenly noticed that Giuramon's eyes were red and puffy, she had scars over her wings and had dirt smudges everywhere. "Giuramon, what happened! Where's Foxiemon and Tsukimon! Why haven't they helped you! Who did this!"

"…They're gone Iris!" the battered digimon said shaking, no she wasn't shaking, the screen was. The static was messing up the reception.

"Hijo de puta…"

"Iris… You have to help… You must come back to the digital world!" Giuramon yelled as the picture was getting fuzzier and fuzzier.

"I am able to come back?" Iris began to quiver. Iris had only been to the digiworld once… Well twice if you count she had to go back to battle the dark masters with the others. She had dreamed to go back to the way it was, could it finally happen? Maiden Pixiwomon gave Foxiemon and Tsukimon to her to help fight against the evil, when Iris had left with the others, both of those two digimon were to remain and guard Maiden Pixiwomon. It finally struck into Iris' skull of what must have happened then. "What do you mean! If Foxiemon and Tsukimon are gone then that means Maiden Pixiwomon is…"

"She's dead too. It's up to you now! If you don't get to the digiworld in time you'll die too! They died in honor, deal with this! Everyone on earth is gone! You're the only survivor!"

"Only survivor?! They couldn't have died!" Iris began to shout. Why would Giuramon say something like that? Why wasn't she being as sensitive to Iris' feelings as she had been four years ago? Something was wrong. "You're lying… How are you able to contact me anyway?"

"Iris! Do you think that really matters now! I will send a portal for you, so you can get back to the digital world, at eleven-eleven, expect me to come in contact with you again, but make sure that you come alone!" Giuramon yelled angrily, as the picture faded and the television went blank, Iris still sat there looking into it.

"Giuramon wait!" She roared as she began slamming her fist on the television screen. She shut her eyes tight and laid on the floor. "I had more to ask you… Come alone? Of course I will be alone… No one's…" A tear rolled down Iris' cheek and onto the carpet. She lifted herself from off the floor and then sprinted out of the room. She had to get away from it all.

Iris found herself again on the balcony, it seemed as if a replay with the whole scene from last night. "The sun's gone, the cloud's gone, all of life's gone…" Iris said holding her head. "None of this ever happened before… Not until that chameleon…" the thought made Iris grip her finger again. 'I won't believe this! How could it be possible, this is not true! It's a lie! Could that chameleon be… A digimon! He's the one who did it all!' Iris judged as she clenched her fist. 'There has to be someone left! Foxiemon and Tsukimon can't be dead, if they are… they were useless all along! Useless like me... what can I do…' Iris climbed up on the banister of the balcony. Her feet grew icy as they touched the rim. She held her eyes shut tight. "There's nothing I can do, one person can't save the world… I want to be with them… There's only one way… I'm coming… I miss you all… I'm coming…" Iris mourned and lifted one foot out to the open world. She began to lean over, just one more inch further… one more…

"HAAALLLLPPPP!"

Iris suddenly opened her eyes and tried to keep her balance before she fell off. She teetered one away and then the other! And just when she was about to fall right off the balcony and down into her tomb that would've been the pavement, she began waving her arms to keep her back. And then, she fell. She fell on her rear right onto the floor of the balcony. She stood as if she were crippled and began rubbing her back. "Ouch…. That better have been worth it." She blurted out. AMAZING! She thought that a hurt bottom was more painful then experiencing death?!

"Is anyone out there!" Iris yelled, remembering the voice she heard. Nothing. 'Great, everyone's gone and I'm losing it…' Iris said heading back to the living room. "I can't believe I was about to jump?! What was I think—'

"Matte! Where'd you go! Don't leave me!" Iris heard the faint cry again. This time she ran towards the balcony and leaned over it—instead of jumping over it. She looked in every direction, still, nothing.

'This isn't happening, but call me crazy, I think that was…' Iris thought shaking her head. "It's all in my mind… It can't be her…" Iris said closing her eyes.

"PLEASE ANYONE!" Iris's eyes jolted open as her gaze pierced the street. There! Something was moving down there.

"HEY!" Iris tried to get the attention of the little figure. "I'm up here! UP HERE!"

"Huh?" this person said in astonishment as she glanced up. "Iris?" she stopped running and looked up at the apartment Iris was in. "IRIS!"

"NO!" Iris hesitated. "IT CAN'T BE! SI! IT IS! HIJO DE MONO!" Iris shrieked bewildered. "Neommi! You're alive?!"

The icy blue hair of the eleven-year-old stood out even if there were people crowding the scene. "Nani! What was that?!" Neommi didn't here her cousin.

"Never mind, prima! Just hurry and get up here now! Rápido!" Iris yelled with joy and leaned off the balcony—she was so ecstatic she almost fell off it this time for real.

"Hai!" Neommi shouted with an unknown expression. It seemed to be saying,'I'm so glad I found you' or 'I am really scared'..

As Neommi ran towards the doors of the apartment building, Iris began to wonder what Giuramon said was true. 'Giuramon lied, Neommi's here! Did Giuramon knew Neommi was around… Why wouldn't she want me to bring Neommi with me? Giuramon… what's happening to you? And that chameleon. What does it all mean? But how did Neommi get here? She lives all the way in Yokohama… Why is she here?' Iris thought as Neommi disappeared through the apartment doors. While Iris watched the deserted street and waited for the arrival of her cousin, the chameleon watched the isolated Iris from the shattered glass of Murdoc's fishbowl, waiting for its next chance…