What do you do when you're stuck on a fic? Simple. You start another one.

My Little Big Sister

By RD

I don't own Digimon.

RD: Like Calmer of the Storm, I too have been slightly inspired by something I saw on Saturday morning television. With luck, though, I can put a spin on it. Since I'm trying to keep on people's right sides, no Tai/Matt/Sora/Mimi romance involved, at least if I can help it, but Takari Anyway.

Leave right now if you're: Anti-Takari or going to insult my physics.

Detectormon is my own.

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Part 1: Newcomer

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"Everybody out!" yelled Tai. The other Digidestined didn't disobey. They'd learnt to trust Tai's judgement, even if this was supposed to be one of the three safe spots left in the Digiworld. Matt grabbed TK, Tai pulled Kari.

"That was too close," Joe sighed as the kids scrambled to safety. "What is it with all these explosive attacks these days?"

Izzy frowned. "That makes two places in the Digiworld that're relatively safe for us. After that, we'd better have a plan B."

"OK. Where now?" sighed Tai.

It was so much harder for the Digidestined since the Detectormon had come along. With the special training they'd received, they could spot a Digivice miles away and home right in on it using ancient hunting instincts. Only a few remote places lay out of their sight.

Gatomon was chivvying Kari at the back of the group. "Left paw, right paw! Left paw, right paw! Come on, Kari, move!"

"This is no life for a Digidestined," buzzed Tentomon gloomily.

Eventually Izzy checked some figures and nodded. "This is the place, guys. They shouldn't find us here for a while."

Eight Digidestined collapsed in relief at the bottom of a huge, shady canyon. Mimi kicked off her shoes and stretched out wearily. "Man, am I glad to get some rest."

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Thank goodness we've found somewhere sa-"

A blast of light shot past her ear and shattered a rock behind her. "What?" gasped Izzy, "I got these figures direct from the main system of the Digiworld! They can't be wrong!"

"Typical," sighed Matt. "We find the safest place to be in the Digiworld and it turns out some angry monsters have got there first."

"They're probably guarding their territory!" Izzy yelled. "Don't fight them!"

"So we should just let them attack us?"

Gatomon stood frightened, staring as a fierce-looking Digimon leapt out in front of her. Kari ran to her. "Gato, come on!"

"Kari!" shouted Tai. "Look out!"

It was too late. His sister fell to the ground, apparently unconscious. Tai ran forward, but Joe got there first, shaking the little eight-year-old and calling her name. "Wake up, Kari!" He looked around him at the ongoing battle: Izzy's advice had been put to one side the moment Kari had fallen.

His eyes travelled upwards. There was a sort of ledge in the rock, covered by a tiny cave. None of the attacks seemed to be reaching it.

"I'm taking Kari up there!" he yelled above the noise and started to climb the wall of the canyon.

Little Kari was surprisingly heavy when it came to carrying her on Joe's shoulder. He seemed to be managing, though, and as he climbed higher the sounds of the fighting below faded a little.

A voice. "OK, so what happens now? Ah..."

For a moment he looked to see if Kari had woken, then realised it must just be the strange echo in the canyon, channelling one of his friends' voices from the ground up to the cliff. Shaking his head, he continued to climb...

"JOE KIDO!"

Startled, he nearly fell.

"Come down from there!" A figure was standing at the foot of the cliff, hands cupped to shout at him. "You're in terrible danger!"

"Wh-what do you mean?" He had already moved downward in search of a foothold.

"Trust me!" the stranger shouted.

Joe completed the last few downward steps at a hasty scramble. Still carrying Kari over his shoulder, he jumped back.

A moment later, two stray attacks crossed paths and hit the very cliff where Joe had been climbing, scattering rocks and pebbles everywhere.

"Kari... I need to find somewhere else to..."

"She'll be fine," said the voice behind him. "But you'd have been a goner if you'd tried to get her up that cliff."

Joe turned to look at the stranger who had saved his life. At first he thought the unknown visitor was a child: she was smaller than he, and light on her feet. But as he looked at the dark-haired, dark-eyed newcomer, he realised his mistake. This girl was older than any of them.

She seemed lost and tired, but elegant in the same moment. That wasn't the strangest thing, though. Although she was smiling, it seemed that at any moment she might burst into tears.

"Okay," said Joe slowly. "I don't suppose you've got any ideas about what to do now."

The girl adjusted her beret and looked around at the scene of battle, where Tai was frantically holding off some fiercely territorial Digimon.

"Run?" she suggested.

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To be continued! I'd be interested to know what you think. But- I learnt this lesson from writing One Week In Our Lives- if you have any 'conspiracy theories', email them to me. I'll tell you in the next chapter if you were right.