Digimon: Silver Star Story
Episode Fifteen: Dreams Abound
The way out of the Nanza Pass was just as irritating as the way in, though this time, it was because of those damn flies. Once more, Matt was thankful of Luna Two's healing voice, and the power of their healing items. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if they didn't. 'Probably be dead, or worse,' he thought.
Of course, it wasn't so bad. They didn't run into the more dangerous creatures, meaning Kyle's patrols were doing their jobs exceptionally well. Apparently, when he wasn't drunk, the man was a very good commander.
Finally, after a good thirty minutes of traveling, complete with more flies, the group made through the Nanza Pass. All of them with various minor wounds, and Matt sporting a small cut on his forehead. He applied pressure to it. "Boy, is this fun or what?" he asked sarcastically.
"Yes!" Mimi and Jupiter replied together, a little too certain about it. It was kind of scary.
Palmon looked at her partner, a little unnerved by Mimi's enthusiasm in this matter. "I thought that you didn't like fighting, Mimi."
"I don't like fighting anything that can think for itself, and has feelings," the Digi-Destined of Sincerity explained. "I don't take a great deal of pleasure when I help defeat someone like Kuwaguamon, for instance, and I'll mourn them." She gestured. "These monsters, on the other hand, are cannon fodder."
Matt chuckled. "Mimi, you bring new meaning to the term 'born to be wild.' Born to be wild, when you want to be."
"Why thank you, Matt."
Garurumon smirked. "Love how you carry on a conversation, Matt. Short and sweet. Not as well as Tai, mind you, but impressive nevertheless."
Biyomon fluttered up next to the giant dog. "Like you, dear," she said sweetly, giggling when he turned a bright red.
Agumon and Palmon started laughing out right. "Biyomon's got you there, buddy!" Agumon stated.
"And might I add that you two are cozying up to each other rather fast," Biyomon threw in rather casually, enjoying the sight of the two Digimon blushing bright red.
"Three out of four." Darien commented, riding next to Serena. "Not bad."
Sora smiled. "Biyomon can play with the best of them. And she can hit hard and fast."
"Oh, yes." Tai looked up. "It's getting dark, and I'm hungry, and tired. Let's set up camp tonight." He turned to Nall. "Hey, you still have the giant tent, Nall?" he asked.
"Yeah, why?" Nall asked suspiciously.
"Because the girls are going to take it, while we boys do the chivalrous thing, and stand guard."
Luna Two and Mars stared at him. "And why do the boys stand guard?" Mars asked.
"So we boys can ogle you while you sleep." Gomamon looked confused when all the girls turned to stare at him. "What?" he asked blankly.
Joe shook his head. "I would run."
"Why?"
"Because the girls will murder you while you sleep. And that's if we don't first."
"As we all know." A yawn overtook Matt. "Well, if it's alright with the rest of ya, I'm going to do the un-chivalrous thing, and go to sleep after dinner. I was the freaking pincushion this time around."
"Feel free. Just remember to put your sleeping bag outside the tent," Alex said. "You know how crowded it gets in there." That was a bald face lie, but Matt would understand.
Dinner was normal… well as normal as dinnertime could be with them. Jupiter, who knew from experience Serena's eating habits, remembered to make more than enough food for everyone. This proved fortuitous, as Rini, Serena, and Mimi went for seconds and thirds. In Rini's case, it was obvious, as she was still growing.
Matt had one serving, said good night, then plopped down on his sleeping pad, asleep before his head hit his bag.
"Wow," Gabumon said, staring at Matt's prone form, "he must have really been tired."
Tai grinned. "He has a right to be."
"Good point."
Realm 3, Hogwarts School
Imagine, if you want to, a series of realms endlessly circling around and around in a protective orbit around a central realm like a barrier. Energy is constantly shifting between them, creating a field of power, impenetrable to all. These realms are considered by all who know of them as the Big Ten. They were the oldest known universes in the entirety of Existence, and were what held all other realms together.
Now, imagine that each of these realms were parallel realities, each with similarities to them, but at the same time, differences that made them forever unique.
Now, allow your gaze to shift to one realm in particular, where you would see a school in the swirling mists. It was a school that isn't known to the majority of the world. It was a school similar to Vane, but different, because instead of technology and magic working side by side, this school was very much grounded, and had a technological level reminiscent of the Nineteenth Century. However, it was school of great renown in its secret world, as it has shaped the greatest of wizards and witches on that Earth, as well as some of the most legendary… and terrible… people of all time.
Now, we must turn our attention to one of the dormitories, one situated at the top of a tower, where a group of young girls are speaking in a group. As you watch them, you find that your gaze inevitably shifts to one witch in particular. She has the most vibrant red hair, freckles adorning her face, and blue eyes. And you think that she would have a somewhat mischievous expression on her face.
Therefore, you are shocked to discover that her face is in fact somewhat sad, as if a great pain had settled upon her, and you wish you could do something to make her happy… only to discover that she doesn't want to be.
She feels like she doesn't deserve it yet.
"Night girls," Ginny Weasley said, getting up from her seat. "I'll see you all in the morning." She heard the other girls bid her good night as well, before whispering amongst each other once more, giggling slightly. Ginny even knew why. 'Ah, the joy of knowing that I'm not the only one with a crush on Harry Potter,' she thought, yawning as she did so. 'Even though I don't speak of it to the other girls about. Even though I don't really speak to other people at all.'
Ginny was a second year student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizarding, an elite magic school hidden in the highlands of Scotland. Here, aspiring wizards and witches were trained in the magical arts by mentors of the highest caliber. Because of this, Hogwarts had achieved a reputation of being the greatest magic school on the British Isles for over a thousand years. And almost everyone who was here loved it.
Ginny reflected on the other reason that for being here. She had four of her brothers here, her parents fully supported her, even after everything that happened during the previous year, and the best thing was that she didn't have a magical diary from a powerful dark wizard to worry about. All in all, life was supposed to be good for her. 'Well, except for the fact that I don't really have any friends here, Sirius Black escaping from Azkaban to try and kill Harry, and that the Dementors are here, which suck all the happiness out of you.' Living through the Chamber of Secrets once was enough in her opinion.
So why wasn't she happy? She should be ecstatic to still be in school! If it weren't for Professor Dumbledore explaining everything to the Minster of Magic, she would have been expelled.
Except… a part of her felt like she should have been expelled. She had only come back because her mother didn't want her in the Muggle World. And she knew why. No pureblooded witch knew the first thing about living there. And considering Harry Potter's home life, she knew that there human monsters out there rivaling any in the Wizarding World.
Banishing those thoughts from her mind, as they would inevitably give her nightmares, Ginny climbed into bed, content in going to sleep. Only in sleep was she at peace. Only there could she find a place to get away from her sin.
With a soft smile on her face, she closed her eyes…unaware that her dreams were about to take a detour into total weirdness.
Sudden brightness stabbed at his vision through his eyelids.
Slowly, Matt cracked open one eyelid open, then opened the other. Slowly, he sat up, eyes widening in surprise. "What the hell…?" he managed to get out.
All around Matt, as far as the eye could see, was a forest, all lush and green. He saw ferns and bushes, set in what appeared to be a predetermined pattern. The ground, he quickly noticed, was devoid of sharp rocks, and debris. The sky was blue, and the trees, which made the Californian Redwood seem small in comparison, seemed to stretch into the sky like skyscrapers. Their upper branches created a canopy, allowing sunlight to enter in dapples. Matt had been unfortunate to be situated in one of the sunspots.
The Digi-Destine was understandably, utterly confused. 'Unless Tai and the others decided at the last minute to keep moving, which I highly doubt…' On a sudden suspicion, he observed himself. He was still garbed in the light blue shirt and matching trousers that he had been wearing for the past two days. They were clean and whole though, not bearing any of the cuts and grass stains that were commonplace with travelers. He felt his forehead, noting the absence of the small cut, as well as the pain associated with having a cut like that. 'A dream,' he realized, mentally smacking his head in irritation. 'And much more peaceful than the dreams I'm used to.' It sure as hell felt real. The ground was solid, and the air as fresh as Lunar's. He let a small smile light up his face for a moment.
'Oh, well. Might as well have a look around,' he thought getting up and brushing off the back of his trousers. He then decided to head for the sound of the stream. It seemed like as good of a place as any to start exploring. For all he knew, he might find someone who would tell him his destiny.
If only he knew.
Sudden brightness stabbed at her vision through her eyelids.
Ginny groaned, cracking one eye open, then sitting up suddenly, eyes wide as she looked around. "Whoa, did I sleep walk into the Forbidden Forest, or something?" This also brought on memories of Tom Riddles Diary. She quashed them immediately. They weren't worth the time… unless there was something that Dumbledore had overlooked when he examined her.
Upon closer inspection, though, she saw that she was not there. Not unless the forest was utterly cheerful. 'This place doesn't feel like the Forbidden Forest,' she thought. 'It's too… peaceful. Everything the Forest is not.'
She stared, uncomprehending for a moment more, until she realized exactly what was happening, and mentally kicked herself. 'A dream.' Then she smiled. 'It's a very peaceful dream. And it feels real, too.'
Deciding that it was good idea to explore, Ginny got up, and brushed the back of her pajama bottoms off. Then she headed in the general direction of the stream. It seemed as good of a chance as any to start exploring. Who knew? Maybe she would even meet someone who could tell her what her destiny was.
If only she knew.
Matt was getting rather frustrated.
After he had reached the stream, he had chosen a certain path. However, it looked like the stream went on into eternity. Knowing the state of his dream so far, that probably was true. 'What I wouldn't give for a faster mode of transportation,' he thought irritably. 'A horse, a donkey, something!'
To pass the time, he began observing his surroundings. He noted that there were no land animals in sight. He also saw that the leaves were of various different colors, though in such a way that it seemed like a masterpiece. He looked up, seeing that similar leaves were on the tree tops. Every so often, he would see a normal, white colored cloud float by, adding to the scene of serenity.
The birds were also as unique. Some were familiar to him, like the hummingbird, though they were uniquely colored as well. Looking up, he saw a bird fly overhead, one whose size equally rivaled that of Birdramon, and was a bright purple. Gawking at it while walking, he was understandably not watching where he was going.
Ginny stared in amazement at the types of birds she was seeing, especially one that looked like a phoenix. She saw the various colored leaves all around her, and had found herself entranced with a flower that rivaled the rose in its redness. So she was, understandably, not paying attention to what was right in front of her.
And thus, as the law of nature dictates, two beings who don't watch where they are going, are running against each other on the same place, will collide. And two different masses cannot occupy the same space.
Ginny collided with something with enough force to knock it off its vertical base, and fall into the river with a horrific splash. She, in turn, stumbled back a couple of feet, tripped over a tree root, and fell, unceremoniously, to the ground with a rather undignified sqawk. She struggled to sit up, rubbing the back of her head. "What in the world?" she asked aloud, looking in the direction of the stream. Her eyes widened in surprise.
Matt sat up, wiping the water off of his face. "Alright, whatever just pushed me into the stream is about to get its ass whipped!" He looked around the area for moment, trying to see if the creature was still in the area. Then his eyes landed on one particular area…and promptly widened in surprise. He got back up to his feet, getting into a defensive position.
Ginny staggered back up to her own vertical base, then took a step back.
The first words out of both of their mouths were, "Who are you?!" These were quickly followed by, "I asked first!" Then absolute silence, as they stared at each other. After all, they weren't sure if they were going to continue on this vein for some time.
Matt observed the girl in front of him. He made note of the bright red hair that reached somewhat below her shoulders. He saw that she was presently clothed in what looked like well worn pajamas, and had, quite possibly, the most expressive eyes he had ever seen. And at that moment, he found himself staring at them. He saw a little bit of fear in her gaze, but only a little. He didn't see any malice, or hatred. In short, she was no threat to him. Satisfied, he lowered his hands, his expression softening.
Ginny watched the boy as he lowered his hands, assuming a non-threatening stance. She noted the natural colored blond hair, and the blue eyes. 'He's putting his trust in me,' she realized, smiling softly. She had never met someone who allowed her to make the first move. So, she did what her mother always told her to do. She took a step forward, deliberately relaxing.
Matt bowed, upon seeing her relax. If this was a dream, the least he could do was introduce himself to her. "Konnichwa. My name is Yamato Ishida, though my friends call me Matt. Sorry about that earlier comment." He stepped forward. "What's your name?" he asked.
Ginny curtsied, curious as to why he didn't already know her name. Weren't the people in dreams supposed to know your name already? "My name is Ginevra Weasley. My friends call me Ginny." She took a step forward as well, so that she was standing in front of him. "Could you tell me where we are?" she asked.
Matt looked around. "No clue," he replied. "I thought you could tell me."
Now Ginny was surprised. That wasn't what she had been expecting in the slightest. "That's what I was thinking!" A thought suddenly occurred to her, ludicrous as it was. But, she decided to ask it. "Are you… dreaming, too?"
"You mean… you're not a figment of my imagination?"
"I'm guessing not. You're real?"
Matt looked himself over. "Last time I checked."
Ginny groaned. "Wonderful. And I thought Tom Riddle was confusing."
"Who?"
"An… idiot I conjured up because I was so lonely. He was… rather eccentric."
"Oh." Matt didn't understand that fully, but he decided not to press the issue at this time. He was already confused enough as to what was going on. He didn't want to add to it. Instead, he took a look around again. "This place sure is beautiful," he said, hoping to strike up a conversation.
Ginny nodded, somewhat surprised by how well he was taking this. She was just about ready to start crying. "Yes, it certainly is," she replied. "I've never seen flowers this color before in my life."
"I've never seen some of the animals here before in my life. So I guess we're even."
"Too true." She looked at him for a second. "Do you want to take a walk?" she asked suddenly. "You should never go through a dream alone, after all."
Matt observed her for a moment, then nodded. "Of course."
Lunar
Tai yawned, fighting to stay awake. "Why do I get all noble around Sora?" he asked the rest of the men. "I mean, I don't do this around Mimi or the Scouts. Why did I make the suggestion for the guys to stay up?"
Izzy chuckled. "Because we're men," he replied. "Whenever a man sees a beautiful woman, or in our case, Sora, Mimi, and Luna, who are infinitely better, in our humble opinions, we become willing slaves to them. We make suggestions we normally wouldn't."
Alex chucked a rock, watching it disappear into the darkness. "You've nailed it on the head there, Izzy."
"What did he nail?" Lilika suddenly asked, coming out of the tent, clutching a travel robe tightly around her. She sat down next to Joe. "I don't see any nails."
The boys all looked at each other, all thinking that they had never met a person so literal minded before in their lives. Most of them were also trying to figure out whether or not she was wearing anything under that robe.
"What Alex meant by that," Joe explained, trying to answer the question without distraction, "is that Izzy stated something that was so obvious to us, that we don't even need to correct him." He gestured to Matt's prone form. "Kind of like Matt."
Lilika nodded once in understanding, smiling. "I wonder what he's dreaming about," she mused.
"Knowing Matt, probably beautiful women… naked women, I might add."
"Probably," Izzy replied, laughing.
Lilika giggled a moment too, before looking at Joe. "Is it all right if I stay here for a moment?" she asked. "Serena's snoring woke me up."
Joe blushed. "Sure." He blushed even more when the striped haired girl snuggled up to him, sighing contently.
Darien grinned. "You're going to have so much fun teasing him, aren't you?" he asked Gomamon.
"Oh, yeah," Gomamon replied gleefully.
Of course, Matt was indeed dreaming of a woman, one his age actually. And she was still clothed. A fact that both were eternally grateful. Conversation would have been somewhat awkward if she had been anything but.
Matt and Ginny walked side by side through the forest, silent. This was because neither one knew what to say to the other. The fact that they were interacting in their dreams added to the tension, as they didn't even know each other.
Ginny observed Matt through the corner of her eye, taking him in. His hair was somewhat unkempt. He had a lean physique that spoke of a great deal of physical movement. His eyes held a maturity in them that she had only seen in Harry. And he was cute.
She also noted that he seemed… preoccupied, those very eyes slightly dark with some unnamed emotion. 'He's brooding!' she realized, her smile starting to reassert itself. She knew what to look for, considering that she had known Harry for a year. The fact that she could see it in the facial expressions of someone she had just met was very funny. She began giggling.
Matt was torn from his reverie as his companion started laughing quietly for whatever reason. He turned to stare at her. "Is there something funny?" he asked. "Or do I even want to know?"
Ginny managed to stop giggling, though her smile remained. "It's just that you remind me of someone I know… though you're a little taller then him."
Matt began grinning, feeling the tension drop. He saw that her eyes showed real mirth, as well as curiosity. And she wasn't trying to kill him. He decided that this was as good of a place as any to break the ice. "So, Ginny, where do you live? And what school do you go to… that's if you're not home tutored?" he asked.
Ginny looked at him fully. "I live in Saint Otterypole," she replied. "It's several hours away from London." She hesitated a little, unsure if she should tell him the truth. "I go to a… special school."
"Special? You mean, like magic?"
"Yes. How did you know? Are you a wizard?"
"Me? No." Matt shook his head. "I'm just a regular schmo. Let's just say I know a few magicians."
"Ah." Ginny could understand that. "So, where do you live?"
"I live in Odaiba. I go to the Juuban Junior High School."
"Odaiba? Is that a muggle place in Japan?"
"'Muggle?'"
Now Ginny was confused. "Did you hit your head, or something? If you know any wizards or witches, then you know that muggle is a wizarding word for non magic folk."
It was Matt's turn to be confused. "What magic guild do you go to?"
"Guild… oh! Actually, it's not a guild. I go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizarding."
"Where's that?"
"Somewhere in Scotland," she replied.
Matt suddenly had a suspicious feeling as to where this conversation was going. But how could such an explanation be so simple, yet give him such a headache? "So, the London we're talking about isn't on Lunar?" he asked heavily.
"Lunar?" The redhead echoed.
Sighing, the Digi-Destined of Friendship sat down on a large rock, and gestured for her to do the same. "Might as well get comfortable," he said. "What I'm going to tell you is going to sound crazy."
Ginny nodded. "Before you say anything, I'll tell you everything I know about my world."
"Some times, I wonder," Sora mused.
Luna looked as they were setting up for the night. "Wonder about what?" she asked.
"Why Tai gets so noble whenever I'm around."
"Ah. It might be because he really cares for you. You are one of his best friends, after all."
Sora smiled a little, restraining herself from chuckling. "That might be part of it, but I doubt it. If that was all, then he would be doing the same thing with Matt, or Agumon. I don't see him being that noble with them."
Mimi nodded, pulling her traveling clothes off. "That is an excellent point. Maybe he's got a crush on you."
Mina looked up from her sleeping pad, a ten Giga-watt smile emerging on her face. "You really think so?" she asked.
"Mina, down," Gatomon ordered. "The last thing we need is for you to play matchmaker."
"Sure, ruin my fun. What is it with cats and creatures that look like cats ruining all of my fun?"
"They don't want you to die," Lita replied, patting her on the shoulder affectionately, "which is exactly the reason why they tell you 'no.' Think about it; if you go on with your plans, and get these two together, if it goes south, they'll fry you."
Mina frowned slightly. "I never thought of it like that. You're one pessimistic young woman, aren't ya?"
"Why thank you."
Sora stifled another laugh as she laid down, preparing to go to sleep. Who needed television when you had these girls? They were so much more entertaining.
"You're right, it does sound crazy."
"Told you so." Matt chucked a rock into the stream, slightly amazed that it produced a couple of ripples. "I can't believe it sometimes myself."
Ginny shrugged. "It can't be any crazier than what I told you," she noted.
"For me, not so much. You've seen one parallel dimension, you've seen them all." he grinned. "Grant you, this is a first, even for me."
Ginny returned the smile. "Me, too. But I get to make a friend, so it must be a good dream."
"Yeah, it is," the blonde stated, starting to chuckle. "Grant you, I could become a pink, fluffy dragon with doe like eyes."
Ginny started to laugh. "And I could become Professor Snape in a pink tutu!" she retorted.
The two of them looked at each other for a second, then promptly cracked up at the mental images they conjured up of each other. They were so cheerful, that for a moment, the entire forest seemed to fade into the background.
Finally, after a few moments, the two began to calm down, if only to obtain some needed oxygen. "Kami," Matt gasped, "I haven't laughed like that in a while!"
"Me neither!" Ginny finally got herself under control. "Though it does make one wonder how we can still think while we're sleeping."
"I'm not thinking about it." Matt got up, still chuckling, and extended his hand. "Well, shall we explore?" he asked cheerfully. "I mean, there's not much else we can do until we wake up, and I don't want to wake up just yet."
Giggling, Ginny got up as well. "Yes, let's."
The forest gave way to a meadow of rolling hills, and flowers that were exotic. Ginny seemed particularly taken by one flower that resembled a flower one would find in a rain forest. On a whim, Matt picked one, and handed it to her. Giggling, Ginny took it.
The meadow eventually gave way to a beach, with white sand that seemed to stretch on for miles. Knowing the state of their dream world, it probably did. Right next to it was a shimmering body of water that both suspected was an ocean of some kind.
"How does a meadow park itself next to a beach?" Ginny asked.
"Dreams aren't supposed to make sense," Matt replied, sifting some sand through his fingers. "They are supposed to look weird."
"Oh, yeah. So, you know how to use a sword. But you're only a year older than I am."
"Really? My birthday's the October 4th."
"Okay, you're only a few weeks older that I am. Mine's the 24th. Imagine that."
"Like this place?" Matt asked innocently.
Ginny turned to glare at them, though it lacked any real heat. "That was a figure of speech, Ishida," she growled, her lips twitching slightly.
"Oh, I had no idea," Matt deadpanned, eyes twinkling merrily. "Figuratively speaking, of course."
Ginny giggled. This guy was a barrel of laughs, that was certain. "So," she said, changing the subject yet again, "what's the Digital World like?"
Matt was definitely surprised by the sudden change of subject, but decided to answer it anyway. He was extremely intrigued by the girl's drive for knowledge. "Well, the Digital World is very much like what Earth was like about a few centuries ago. It's comprised of forests, jungles, and deserts, with oceans surrounding the various islands and continents. They do have villages, though. I think they even have a city, according to Biyomon."
"Biyomon?" Ginny echoed.
"She's a Digimon, and the partner to one of my friends. Her name is Sora." He paused. "And to answer your unspoken questions, no, Sora is not my girlfriend, and Digimon is an acronym for digital monsters."
"Those were my next questions. And the Digital World is made with muggle computer technology?" Ginny's smile grew mischievous. "My dad would have a field day with that little bit of news. He finds muggles fascinating."
Matt's grin grew even bigger as he recognized the term. She had told him that it wasn't a derogatory term, merely one that allowed wizards to identify non magical human beings. "That's good to hear. I'm beginning to find wizards just as interesting." He sat down in the sand. "For starters, are you born with your powers, or do they develop over time?"
Ginny sat down, making herself comfortable. "We're born with them," she replied. "However, we don't get formalized training in controlling them until we're eleven years old. And whenever we feel a very intense rush of anger of fear… we kinda lose control over them, and make things disappear, or destroy something."
Matt winced. "The repair bills must be atrocious," he said. "Not to mention replacing all of that stuff."
"Well, most wizards and witches learn repairing spells in their first year, so any damage done can be instantly repaired. So we don't have repairmen."
Matt smiled wistfully at that. "Imagine that, a world where repairmen aren't needed. It's almost too good to be true." He looked at Ginny, and suddenly realized something. "Hey, we can understand each other!" he exclaimed.
Ginny stared for a moment, before it dawned on her as well. After all, she was English, while he was Japanese. And he had told her that his English wasn't exactly the best. "You're right…oh, wait-"
"-a dream." They finished in unison.
Matt chuckled. "Well, I guess it's safe too assume that you can understand Japanese, and I can understand English. Sure beats a translator screwing up half of what we're saying."
Ginny nodded, then opened her mouth to say something.
Ginny. Time to get out of bed.
Oh, Matt! Time to wake up! So much traveling to do, so little time.
The two of them stared at each other. "That sounded like Tai," Matt said, groaning.
"And that sounded like Hermione," Ginny noted, looking around. "But where-?"
Sudden realization hit the two of them before Ginny finished her sentence. "Time to wake up," they said in unison.
Strangely, this was not a pleasant thought for either of them.
"Well." The redhead stood up, holding out her hand. "It was certainly a pleasure to have met you, Matt."
Matt shook her hand. "Likewise, Ginny. Let's do this again some other time."
"Hopefully, tomorrow night."
"I agree." Matt stepped back. "Well, good day."
"Good bye."
Matt smiled, then closed his eyes-
-only to open them again, and shouting in surprise less than minute later. "Tai, back away, man!" he shouted.
Tai stepped back, laughing as he did so. "Sorry, Matt," he said in apology, "I just couldn't resist."
"Resist what? Almost giving me a heart attack?! And stop laughing, Alex! It's not funny!"
Sora smiled. "If you want to hit him, Matt, feel free. I've already done so." She got out the food bags. "Let's eat, and head out. We've still got a long way to go, even on horses."
Matt sighed, getting up. He personally wished he was still asleep, as that was preferable to waking, and seeing Tai's face first thing in the morning. That was the singular scariest thing there ever was.
Of course, he could wait until tonight to see if he would be able to talk to Ginny again. After all, Matt always did enjoy making new friends.
"So, Matt," Lilika asked, breaking through his train of thought, "what were you dreaming about?"
Matt opened his mouth to answer, then stopped himself short. The term 'strait jacket' came into his mind for a second. "A girl," he settled upon.
The striped haired girl turned to look at Joe. "I guess you were right."
"Actually, I said that he would be dreaming of naked women, not one girl."
"Well, the girl was clothed, for your information." Matt got up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going over to those bushes in the distance so I have some privacy, and relieve myself. Then I'm going to eat breakfast. Any objections? No? Good." With that, he turned around, and headed off.
Joe and Lilika looked at each other. "Was it something we said?" Lilika asked.
Joe groaned. "I think Matt was a tad upset with that observation."
Rei nodded. "Tai, you want Luna Two ready with a healing item?"
Tai sighed. "Yes."
A day's journey was all that separated them from Lann. It promised to be the most uneventful day they would have for a long time.
After Matt had thoroughly beaten Tai's head in for his little stunt, and after Luna Two had healed him, they had breakfast, then saddled up, with a few snide remarks from Rei, Nash, and Nall about Tai's bad judgment. Tai almost sliced them into pieces, but was stopped by Agumon, who told him that killing them would serve no useful purpose. Not to mention the fact that they would have to hide the remains somehow.
They reached the outer skirts of Lann as the sun was going down, all of them exhausted, hungry, and saddle sore.
"Alright, how much food do we have?" Tai asked.
Rini looked at her bag. "Probably a day, maybe more."
Serena looked at her bag. "Well, if worse comes to worse, you guys can have food from my bag. There's got to be another week's worth in there."
"Which bag?" Rei asked. "One, or two?"
"Two. One's empty already."
Mimi chuckled. "Still haven't lost that empty leg, I see," she mentioned.
"Still making observations about my eating habits, I see," Serena retorted. Especially since you're no better."
The Digi-Destine laughed. "Point taken."
Sora smiled. "Well, we won't get any provisions if we stay here, so let's get going."
Gatomon, Nall, Luna One, and Artemis began chanting, "Fish, fish, fish, fish…" immediately.
"We get the point, fur balls!" Everyone roared at once.
The fishing village of Lann had the same emotional temperament as Saith; total, utter, depression. The air was thick with it.
Sailor Moon looked around, seeing the fish racks with no fish on them, noted the sour dispositions, the fishing boats parked on the beaches and the docks, and the fish traps that were broken. "What happened here?" she asked rhetorically.
Nash also looked around, observing his immediate environment. "I think we can safely say that this Dragonmaster has successfully decimated their way of life."
"And with it, their main source of food," Sora added, pointing at the racks. "Their food supply is probably dwindling. Soon, it'll be gone."
Gomamon waddled over to one of the nets, and began inspecting it. He noted that it looked like it had had been torn apart.
"Good lord."
It was Biyomon who said this, looking over in one place in particular. The Goddess Statue. It had a rather large number of people, waiting in line to use it. All of them had numerous cuts, bruises, and broken bones. One man even looked like his leg had been sent through a mulcher. That was how badly it was mangled.
The village's fishermen had been beaten, and beaten badly.
Luna Two immediately broke into a run, Mimi right behind her. Joe and Mercury immediately followed them, their bags clinched tightly to them. Nall also followed them, as he had all of the healing items.
"The Statue's overworked," a voice said behind those who remained. They turned around to see an elderly man.
"The Statue's overworked?" Izzy echoed.
"Yes. Because of this 'Dragonmaster,' we have had an influx of injuries. Day and Night, we try to fish, but he always comes around and destroys our nets. We always get away, but it has become far more difficult."
"We see what you mean. But…have you tried to do anything to stop him?" Mars asked.
The old man nodded. "The village elder has called a meeting at the Village Hall in half an hour. We will decide on a course of action then."
"Good. We'll be there." Tai cracked his knuckles. "And we may be able to help you with this 'Dragonmaster.'"
The old man stared at him for a second, then slowly smiled. "Yes…perhaps you will," he murmured, walking away.
Tai sat down, and detached his digi-vice. "Alright everyone, synchronize your method of time keeping to alert for half an hour. Until then, I say we all relax a little bit, or find some evidence that might help prove if this guy is the real deal or not. Team leaders?"
"No problem," Alex replied.
"Ditto," Serena threw in.
"Okay. See you all in a half hour then." Tai rubbed his eyes as the group dispersed, pulling out his book and opening it. Frowning a bit, he began reading where he had left off the last time.
"Tai, what are you reading about?"
Startled, his head shot up, eyes locking with the soft brown ones of Sora. He had had no idea that she could be so stealthy. "Just a book that I got from Althena's Shrine," he replied automatically. He had thought everyone had left.
"Oh? What's it about?"
Now Tai connected, really connected with the fact that Sora was here, sitting down next to him. He looked into Sora's eyes again. With those eyes, he could never really keep a secret. And he discovered, to his everlasting surprise, he didn't want to in this case.
Setting the book down, he turned so he was facing her. "Well, I guess I can tell you, even though I don't know the whole story myself. It started back at the cave, where I got my sword…"
Luna Two wiped the sweat off of her brow, sitting down as exhaustion flowed through her body. "That's the last of them," she said, tiredly. She started rubbing one of her shoulders.
Mimi sagged in relief. "Good. I think I used up every last erg of magic. I hope that guy's leg finishes healing up." It amazed her how much damage people could do to one another when they put their mind to it.
"That makes two of us." Mercury leaned against Althena's Statue, putting her hand against it. She blinked. "I don't feel anything," she noted, concerned.
Mimi put her hand on it as well. Her eyes widened. "There's a little bit left. Just enough to recharge it, I'd say." She stood up again. "Anyone with healing magic want a Starlight?"
Luna Two nodded, taking a glowing bluish sphere from the other girl, and held it to her chest. She felt a slight surge of mystical energy, renewing some of her magical power. "Ah, that's much better."
Joe looked at the depleted statue. "Makes you wonder what the Statues were like during the war."
"I'd rather not think about it," Luna Two replied, sitting down.
"Rather not think about what?" Izzy asked, walking up to them.
"The status of Goddess Statues during the Heresy Wars." She stood up, rolling her arms. "Well, Mercury is going to look over the wreckage of the boats, and I'm heading over to where Nash is. Joe?"
"I'm going over with Mercury. Gomamon is already checking out the current emotional behavior of the fish." He shrugged at their confused expressions. "Don't ask me how he does that."
"Oh, well. See you guys later." Izzy opened up his computer, and began typing.
Mimi groaned. Whenever Izzy opened his computer, and began typing, he went into Technoland, a place no one could go in after him. The rest of the world disappeared, unless it was a life threatening situation. She was beginning to wonder if she should just strip naked and lay herself out in front of him to get his attention.
She was beginning to wonder if that would be the only way for him to notice her at all.
That trail of thought lasted all of thirty seconds, when Izzy suddenly asked, "Mimi, could you come over here, please? I want to show you something."
The young girl blinked once, the only sign she showed of being surprised by his speaking to her, then got up. "What?" she asked, stopping in front of him.
He got up, gestured for her to sit down in his place, and when she did so, knelt behind her, putting his hand on the touch pad. Mimi shivered a bit as she felt his breath on her neck, before focusing her attention on the computer screen. Once again, she blinked in surprise. "Kemeka Kingdom; A history." She looked up at Izzy. "What's this all about?" she asked.
Izzy ran his finger over the pad, moving the arrow to the first icon, and double tapping to open it. "Well, you and I have a great deal of questions about the similarities between Lunar, and the stories that our parents told us, so I thought that you'd like to help look for clues on them." He blushed a bit. "I also know that when I start typing, I tend to ignore everyone around me, and I really don't want to ignore you, Mimi. Not anymore."
Mimi blushed a little as well, smiling. 'Our Izzy is coming out of his isolation.' She turned her attention back to the screen. "So, where do we begin?" she inquired.
Izzy grinned. "The beginning."
Amy carefully inspected the torn traps, noting the size and shape of the holes with an experienced eye. She looked at the boat. It showed visible damage as well, though it was more to the rear than the front. Typical of someone trying to disrupt the fishing economy of a small village without killing anyone.
For some reason, that didn't seem right to her. She just couldn't figure out why, though.
Greg walked up, making note of the damage. "Did you find any clues as to the nature of the attacker?" he asked.
"Only that a dragon didn't do this." She stood up, ignoring the fatigue and soreness. Hard experience taught her that it would disappear after a good night's sleep. "This doesn't even have the decency of being called a dragon attack."
"Why's that?"
"Because a dragon wouldn't have allowed anything alive to leave that way," she replied.
Greg grasped onto what she was saying. "Instead, the boats are here, though damaged, and the nets are torn, and the crews, though hurt, are alive." He stamped his foot in absolute irritation. "That son of a bitch!"
Lilika smiled. "Well, the rest of the village shares your opinion of this man. He has been doing a great deal of damage. A lot more than what we have seen, in fact."
Amy turned around. "Gomamon, do you have anything?" she shouted.
Gomamon resurfaced, shaking his head for a moment. "Well, I can't communicate with these fish, but their emotions are easy to read. They're scared of something. And it ain't the fishermen."
"That's more proof on the table that this isn't a real Dragonmaster we're dealing with." Joe stepped out of the water, frowning. "And I think my feet are almost ready to become prunes."
Gomamon grinned. "Oh, I don't think Lilika will mind too much."
"Why?" the girl in question asked. "Is Joe ticklish?"
Joe turned to his partner. "Answer that," he hissed, "and you will never swim again!"
Lilika smiled once more. "Guess so."
Greg grinned. "For the love of God, Joe, don't be so paranoid," he said. "Get to know her a little bit."
Joe looked at him. "I learning more about her at a pretty good pace," he said irritably. "Why ruin it?"
"You're scared," Mercury threw in immediately, hoping to avoid Gomamon's premature deletion at this point in time. "You're scared of getting close to her. You've only really known her for a week, I know. And when we find a way home, you may never see her again. But, it'll be good for you to have a friendship outside of our three groups. Who knows, it might lead to something more."
Joe turned to look at her, then sighed. "Maybe you're right."
"I know I am. Sailor Moon always tells me so."
Sora's eyes were as wide as saucers as Tai finished speaking. "It's…almost too much to believe," she said quietly.
"You're telling me." Tai patted the book on his lap." But everything I've read points in that direction. I'm trying to figure out why my dad never told me."
Sora nodded. "Does Kari know?" she asked.
Tai shook his head. "All she knows is that something's bugging me. She'll let me try and figure it out, first, then interrogate me."
Sora nodded again, satisfied with Kari's decision. Tai obviously had a lot of questions about his father. Now he wanted to find the answers to those questions. She could understand that.
A high pitched, electronic beeping interrupted their thoughts, and they looked down at their digi-vices.
Sora giggled. "Meeting time," she said, "and just when we were beginning to bond."
Tai chuckled as well, getting up. "Shall we?"
"Let's."
They met outside of the meeting hall, a little wiser concerning the situation. "So," Alex said in greeting, "did any of you find out anything?"
Mercury scowled. The information she had discovered was enough in her opinion. "We were able to find some evidence. For starters, the fact that the nets have holes in them is very telling. Second is the fact that the boats are even here. And finally, the lack of fatalities. It's just not enough to prove it."
"Not enough to prove that it wasn't a Dragonmaster, but enough to show that it wasn't a dragon," Serena corrected. "Ames, you haven't let us down yet."
T.K. grinned. It may not be enough to prove anything, but it was enough to raise suspicions. "Well, let's go in and give them the evidence. The meeting should have started by now."
Tai nodded. "Good point. Ladies first."
Of course, when they stepped inside, they realized that they were not going to have to worry about presenting their evidence.
"You have to be reasonable!" Jessica deAlkirk exclaimed in frustration. "The Dragonmaster who is causing all of the trouble must be an imposter!" How could a fishing village, one with a reputation for being the best in Lunar, produce such dense, idiotic people?
The village elder held up his hand, trying placate the young woman before him. "We understand the seriousness of the situation," he said calmly, a sharp contrast to Jessica's fury, which only stoked it further. "But what if this Dragonmaster is real? We would never be able to stand up to such a being."
Jessica almost bellowed like a true beastman, but managed to reign it in with difficulty. Now was not the time to go ballistic on anyone, even if they were stubborn as a pack of mules. That would prove counterproductive. "The true guardian of Althena would never bring harm to you! I mean, five thousand years of Lunarian history backs me on this! To prove that he's a fraud, I will personally investigate this on your behalf." Without waiting for a reply from the Elder, she jumped off of the table, and pushed her way through the crowd amid surprised murmurs. If that didn't get them thinking, then nothing would.
"Nice speech, Jessica," a voice muttered next to her, catching her by surprise. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a motivational speaker. Either that, or you were talking so you wouldn't start cracking their heads together."
Jessica turned around, her mace raised…and then lowered it, as the voice became attached to a somewhat familiar face. "Oh, when did you guys get here? You weren't here three minutes ago." She looked them over, taking in the similar garments on six of the women, then at the Digi-Destined. "And who are they?" she asked.
Pluto gestured to them. "These are the Digi-Destined. Tai, Matt, Sora, Mimi, Joe, Izzy, T.K., and Kari. Those are their Digimon partners. You can ask for their names as we walk." She shook her hand. "It's good to see you, Jessica."
"Likewise. It's nice to meet you guys. And it's good to see you again… Amy and Greg, right?"
Mercury nodded, impressed. "You've got a good memory, Jessica," she said.
"You too. And, you are…?"
"I'm Alex. This Luna, who we call Luna Two for identification purposes. The walking mass of testosterone over there is Nash."
"Hey!"
Nall laughed for a second at Nash's indignant shout. "I'm Nall!" he called out exuberantly.
"And as to your original statement," Lita began, eyes twinkling wickedly, "we heard about the problem here, so we came to offer our services. We also heard about your little tiff with Kyle. You made it really hard for us to get here, girl."
Jessica winced, wishing she had some level of clairvoyance. "Sorry, guys. If I had known you were coming, I'd have held off for a week." She frowned. "As a matter of fact, I did have a fight with that damn jerk, and I really need to blow off some steam!" She chucked a finger back at the thronging mass. "But the elder of this village is too fucking stubborn to listen to me. I don't know what to do, besides start bashing everyone's heads in! So, I decided that I was going to go after this Dragonmaster myself!"
Nall blinked a little. "Alex…this girl is really hyper!" he exclaimed, before grinning. "We were sent here by Master Ghaleon of the Magic Guild to do the same thing… though not so much with the bashing of skulls."
"And," Mercury added, "we've obtained evidence that shows that this guy isn't a Dragonmaster."
"Really?!" Jessica barely restrained herself from jumping up and down in glee. This was the break she needed. A group of people who were also going after that man, and had the proof she needed. "You have to let me come with you!" she stated. "I'm a student of Althena's Shrine, and I'm quite skilled with healing magic. I know we can find this guy if we work together!" She stopped for a second to catch her breath. "So, what do you think?" she asked.
"I'm thinking that the team leaders need to huddle for a moment. Tai, Serena."
The three leaders went into a huddle for a few seconds. They broke apart almost instantly. "Sounds like a plan," Alex stated, grinning.
"Great! We're getting along already! Let's go!" The priestess walked by Luna Two, stopped, turned around, and snapped her fingers. "Hey! I know you!"
Luna Two stopped in her tracks as well, looking at her in confusion. "Who, me?" she asked, caught off balance by the speed in which the other woman switched topics.
"Yes, you! I swear I've seen you before!"
Now the blue haired woman was really confused. As if she wasn't already trying to figure out everything. "N-no," she stuttered after a moment. "I'm sure I would have remembered it…"
Jessica frowned. "I guess you would've…oh well," she said, shrugging. "When I remember where I've seen you, I'll let you know."
Mimi grinned. "I like her already," she declared.
Palmon sighed, shaking her head. "Mimi, you like everyone," she reminded her.
"Yeah, yeah."
Jessica grinned. "I like her already!" she replied, mimicking Mimi to a tee.
Alex chuckled. "Matt, could you get a boat for us? 'Cause this town isn't big enough for Mimi, Jupiter, and Jessica."
Jupiter glared at him. "Leave me out of this!"
"Can't. You're just as spunky as them."
Jessica laughed. "Well, at the risk of casually dismissing Jupiter here, the so-called Dragonmaster was last sighted on Lann Island, the largest of the land masses. Looks like he lives there or something."
Serena nodded. "Now that we know where he is, Matt, could you go get us a boat now? Because we need to beat the stuffing out of him."
Matt nodded. "I'll certainly try."
Ginny entered Professor Snape's classroom, ignoring everything around her as she always did those days. One or two people tried striking up a conversation, but they eventually gave up on the attempt, as her answers were curt, almost rude. Even Snape, who had no real love for the Gryffindors, tried to strike up a conversation that had nothing to do with Potions, and took off ten points when she refused to answer him. Not that it mattered to her. She didn't even like the Point system.
All around her, her fellow Gryffindors sat down, all of them looking spiffy in their new school robes, complete with a new color inseam. Even the jumpers had had a color change, going from gray to a deep black. Even her brothers were given new robes for free. Unlike her, who still wore the old black school robes with the gray jumper. She was even wearing Ron's old pants, as her family couldn't afford new ones for her. And it was something she didn't really care about.
For forty long minutes, the entirety of the class worked on the potion that the Potions Master had put on the board. It was complex for their level, and required that they perform the instructions correctly. If they screwed up, there was a good chance that their eyebrows would first be burned away, and then replaced with wings.
Ginny had no problem with that. Concentration was her particular gift, and one that had served her well. She worked her way through the class, measuring each ingredient with care, then putting it in her cauldron. When Snape came around to check her work, he found no flaw, and didn't say anything. Which was saying something. He did say that she was doing a good job, having a slightly sour look on his face.
She had just finished her potion, and had put a sample on Snape's desk for grading with almost three minutes to spare, when she suddenly felt a sudden surge of anger and frustration go through her. Confused, as this was different from the constant melancholy mood she was in ever since she came back to school, she sat back down in her seat, and concentrated, frowning for a moment at the effort. When the frustration grew, she grew even more confused. It was almost like it was occurring from an outside source…
Suddenly, the answer came to her, and she restrained a groan. How was he doing it? And how could she still feel him?
Forming a hypothesis around a thought she had, she decided to test it, if only to get him to calm down a bit.
Otherwise, Snape was going to have her hide for disrupting his class.
"Look, man!" Matt almost shouted, gesturing furiously with his arms. "We really need a boat to get to the area of attack! If you don't want to come, fine! Just give us the boat!"
The fisherman didn't even give it any thought. "Look, I need my boat to fish, and I can't spare it. And there's no way I'm going to give it to a bunch of punk kids who keep monsters as pets!"
Gabumon's eyes narrowed. "Et tu, asshole?" he growled. "Matt and I have been nothing than courteous to you up to this point. And you, and all the other fishermen, and women, have been nothing but rude to us. Do you have a problem with monsters? Besides, none of you are fishing. You haven't been fishing for a while, because all of your boats keep getting wrecked."
"All the more reason not to give ya it."
Matt was about ready to lunge, his frustration on the brink of exploding. His fist clenched painfully as he did everything in his power to keep calm.
(Matt, I don't know how I'm feeling your emotions, but unless you have a good reason for being angry, calm down this very instant! Or you're going to get a feel of my anger!)
The young man froze in place for a moment, unable to believe what he was hearing. (Ginny?) he asked cautiously.
(You know any other redheads?)
(Izzy.)
(Oh. What's the bloody problem? Your frustration is starting to affect me, and I'm currently in Professor Snape's class. I do something very stupid here, and I'll get into trouble. Then I'll have to hurt you when I see you again!)
(That's so lovely the way you put it,) Matt sent back sarcastically. (I'm presently trying to get a fishing boat for my friends, but every fisher here won't give one to us because of the fact we travel with 'monsters,' or they're just plain scared.)
Ginny was silent for a moment. (Have you tried asking?) she finally asked.
(Asked, begged, cajoled, demanded, and a few others that I cannot bring myself to mention at this particular moment. Excuse me.) "Gabumon, get Tai and the others. I'm going to need some serious backup here."
(On so many levels and thoughts.)
(Thanks, Gin.)
(Gin?)
(Don't like it?)
(Normally… no. You can be the exception.)
"You got it." Gabumon threw one last look at the man, then walked back over to the main group. Matt headed over to a free standing rock, and sat down on it. (Okay, Ginny. You have any suggestions?) he asked.
(Hold on thirty seconds. Class has just been dismissed…okay, I'm out. Now, tell me exactly why you're trying to get a boat.)
For the next minute, Matt did exactly that, from the moment that they had set foot in Lann, all the way up to the meeting in the Village Hall that had lasted all of five minutes. Afterwards, he sat back, waiting for her response.
Ginny laughed. (That Jessica has a lot of spunk.)
(I like to think so. So, whaddya think?)
Ginny was silent for a second, thinking. (Well, I'd say just take one,) she began, (but that probably won't endear you to the village. So, just let Jessica deal with this.)
(Good idea. Excuse me.) "Hey, Tai. Alex."
"Hey, Matt," Alex returned. "Gabumon tells us that you have a problem."
Matt chucked a finger in the direction of harbor. "Nobody is going to give us a boat, because of the fact that we travel with monsters."
"Yes, so your partner informs us."
Jessica grinned. "How's about we let Nash take a crack at it?" she asked. "It'll prove entertaining, to say the least."
Matt shrugged. "Be my guest."
(Is that safe?) Ginny inquired, remembering what Matt had told her about the young magician.
(Probably not. But it'll be funny as hell to watch. He's an overbearing student who thinks he's the greatest thing in the world. She's a half beastman.)
(Beastman? Is that a species?)
(Apparently, from what I've heard.)
(Hmm…I know a half giant…) Ginny cut off for a second. (Sorry, I just reached my next class. Charms, with Professor Flitwick. I'll talk to you later. And do try and be calm.)
(Will do. Bye.) Matt hung up…well, you know what the storyteller means…and immediately turned his gaze to Gabumon, knowing that he was looking up at him. "Yeah, buddy?" he asked.
Gabumon grinned. "Nothing," he replied, as Nash stepped forward. "Just thinking about what Agumon is going to do to Nash if he puts one more toe out of line. You?"
Matt grinned mysteriously. "Oh, this and that," he replied.
"Ah."
"Hail, sir!" Nash declared, going out on all burners. "On behalf of the Magic Guild, I order you to lend us your boat!"
"What!" The fisherman bristled. "I'm not about to give my baby to a total stranger! And definitely not to a jerk!"
Jessica noted how Nash comported himself. The insult didn't seem to faze him any. She saw that Nash felt like he was inherently superior to everyone else. However, they had all agreed to give him a little leeway. They had to appeal to Agumon's compassionate side, but they all agreed.
"I've come to fight the Dragonmaster who is holding your village!" Nash continued, ignoring the orange lizard's lethal look. "If you don't want to be zapped into the Frontier, you will lend us your boat!"
"Hell, no! This boat is my baby. You put so much as a scratch on it, and I'll…"
'Of all of the obstinate, stubborn…' Jessica finally stepped forward. "Quit yammering, you fool!" she bellowed. "Didn't you here him? We're here to save your village! Now shut your cakehole, and give us your damn boat!"
Now, the fisherman could stand up to a teenager, a monster that could talk, and a stuck up magician, but looking into the eyes of an angry beastwoman was more than he could take, even on the best of days. "Uh, sure!" he said after a moment. "Of course! Get in!"
Now it was Jessica's turn to be surprised. "Really? Hey, thanks! And sorry about yelling at you like that…I have a bit of a temper."
"A bit?" Mimi echoed, eyebrow quirking in amusement, even as Nash snorted in amusement.
Jessica grinned. "Got it from my dad!" she said. "He's an ex-pirate, remember?" He taught me everything he knows…and that's a lot!" She hopped in. "C'mon, let's go!"
"Question: How are we all going to fit in there?" Matt asked.
Izzy sighed. "I have already scanned the boat, and it is large enough for all of us. And if it isn't, we have two Digimon who can fly, and one Digimon who can swim."
"Oh…I forgot."
Gabumon rolled his eyes. "He forgot. You've been riding on my back for the last eight days, and you forgot!"
T.K. began laughing at Gabumon's indignation. "Wow, Matt! Whatever you were thinking about must be really distracting!"
Matt managed to stop himself from blushing. "Sorry about that, Gabumon," he said, making a mental note to speak to Ginny as soon as he could. This was already getting ridiculous, and he hadn't known her for long.
"Forgiven, Matt. Now, let's get going. The sooner we find the Dragonmaster, the better."
Artemis nodded. "And the sooner we can get some food. Rini and Lilika were able to get their hands on a few fishing poles so we can fish. Apparently, it'll take a day to get to Lann Island, so we're going to need some sustenance."
Izzy nodded. "I'll check and see if there's a spell that can de bone a fish relatively well."
Jupiter and Venus ran up, the groups water bottles in hand. "We won't run out of water, that's for certain," Venus said. "We were able to refill the bottles at the well. Wonderful place, Lunar."
"I agree." Jupiter began handing the canisters out to the others. "Are we ready to row?"
Nall looked into the water. "We get to be over a lake. Oh, joy," he muttered.
Luna Two laughed. "Oh, come on, Nall!" she exclaimed. "This is a good way to see how a fisherman lives. And besides, you get fish."
Nall smiled.
Here is Episode Fifteen. A few grammar corrections here and there, but nothing was changed.