Here it is, chapter three. I wrote this chapter the day before I posted the story, but I've been saving it (I posted just 2 chapters before, 'cause 2 is my lucky number). My fingers aren't happy with me, though. And I kinda realise that I was spelling a Digimon's name wrong because I was hitting the wrong key (I and O being beside each other. Whoops, my bad!)
This chapter has a lot to do with the Ichijouji children's reactions to some bad news their parents give them, and realisations about what they're really up against. 2 other Digidestined will have some more spotlight time in this chapter, too, and you'll learn a thing or two about them. A couple of personalities are better explained, and each child will soon get their own chance to shine.
Also included at the end of this chapter is something I'd decided to include awhile ago in the planning stages: the Digidestined DigiDex. You'll learn a little bit more about the new Digidestined, and some random facts about them, too. The first entry is about Sammy, but I'll let you choose who out of the new Digidestined goes next.
Before I forget.. a wee little reminder to anyone who has started reading this story, be sure to read the first 3 stories, so you'll have a better understanding of what's going on, okay?
Now, Kara...you're watching me...? That's a little creepy, dearie : P
Disclaimer: I do not own or have rights to Digimon, or anything Digimon related, but I do enjoy writing about them ; )
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"Oh my God!" Sora cried softly.
"You mean, Yolei could have been there, with our children?" Tai spilled his coffee on his lap, then stood up, swearing. Deeanna handed him a napkin.
"That's not possible!" Izzy blanched."I would've known if she'd been in the Digital World, let alone that area!"
"Hey, wait!" Veemon smacked his fist into his other palm with sudden realisation."Sammy said something. What was it? Oh, wait. He sort of turned and said 'But what about-', then stopped."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I dunno," Vee shrugged, pushing his bushy blue hair out of his eyes. He started to pace."Maybe there'd been somebody there?"
"Perhaps we should ask Sammy," Izzy suggested.
"I'll get him," Ken stood up, walking down the hall to where the boys had closeted themselves.
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Sammy didn't know why his parents had sent him and his friends into the bedrooms, but he'd gone without a fuss. Now he was closeted with Michael, Sean, Tad, Robert, and Kei.
"So, what did they want to talk about?" Michael frowned. He spotted a bottle of Sammy's super-hold sport hair gel."Hey, could I borrow that?"
"I dunno," Sammy shrugged."Vee had something important to tell out parents," he glanced at the bottle."Oh, sure, Mike."
'Mike' grinned and slathered some of the gel into his thick blond hair. Though he was Sora's son through and through, gentle and loving, he had his father's obcession with hair gel. It was a sort of running joke among the new Digidestined that on a bad hair day, you could probably pop a balloon on Mike's spikes.
"You look nice," Yokomon chirped adoringly from her perch on the dresser. Shaking his hair to set it in spikes, Mike grinned at his reflection in Sammy's mirror in a 'Hey, good looking!' manner. Sean put Tsunomon down and rubbed his own short, orange hair thoughfully.
"Can I have some?" he asked hopefully. He wanted to look just like his brother. Mike scruffled Sean's hair.
"Nah, you don't need it," he laughed. Sean's hair was now sticking every which-way. Everyone laughed and started to relax.
There was a knock at the door. Kei, who was closest, flipped the latch, and Ken entered the room. The boys looked at Sammy's dad expectantly.
"We'd like to speak with you in the living room, Sammy," Ken said gently, though he looked very serious. Sammy's eyes bugged out and he swallowed forcefully.
What did I do?! Oh my God, what did I do?! he thought as he followed his dad down the hall.
"What was that about?" Kei gulped."Mr.Ichijouji looked so serious!"
Slightly freaked, the boys all felt that if Sammy was in trouble, it was a good thing they weren't in his shoes.
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Looking and feeling rattled, Sammy sat between his parents, twitching.
"Relax, kiddo," Deeanna smiled at her firstborn."You're wound up tighter than a spring."
"We just need to know what you were doing before Vee found you," Ken explained, causing Sammy's jaw to drop as he stared at everyone.
"That's it?!" he exclaimed.
"Yes. Why?" Izzy asked, puzzled.
"Uh, n-nothing," Sammy stammered."Um, we were...uh, walking in the forest, and Ami started squeeling, and-"
"Ami?" Kari asked, alarmed for her golden-haired daughter."She didn't get hurt, did she?"
"Uh uh," Sammy shook his head."She was just startled by...well, there was another boy there."
"Another boy?" the adults exchanged glances.
"Yeah," Sammy nodded thoughfully."He and Ami scared each other, not looking where they were going."
"Did you happen to get his name?"
"Nah, Vee showed up then, and he disapeared. Vee probably scared him off, bounding in like that."
"Gee thanks, kiddo," Vee said wryly.
"Nothing else happened?"
"Uh uh," Sammy shook his head, then looked at his parents."Why? What's going on?"
"I'll tell you after dinner," Deeanna said seriously."Your father and I won't keep anything from you. Go on back to your room, this won't take long. Tell your friends they'll be leaving soon, okay?"
Wordlessly, Sammy nodded and slipped back to his room.
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"Gah!" Sammy cried, startled."What the-!"
Sammy had entered his room and closed the door, only to be confronted by Mike, Sean, Tad, Robert, and Kei, looking horrified and scared. Yokomon, Tsunomon, Koromon, Tanemon, Salamon, and his own partner, DemiVeemon, looked no better.
"What did you do, Sammy?!" Tad whimpered, eyes teary.
"Was it bad?" Tanemon quavered, burrowing into Robert's long light brown hair.
"Are you in trouble?" Sean looked confused.
Sammy sighed, feeling slightly annoyed.
"I didn't do anything, and I'm not in trouble," he rolled his eyes."They just wanted to know what we'd been doing before Vee showed up. I guess something's up. Mom was actually serious and stuff."
"Whoa."
This was news. As far as the children knew, Deeanna, though very firm with her family, was seldom completely serious. She was always very jovial and kind.
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Meanwhile, the girls were still in the dark, and Koyuki wasn't too happy.
"I'm so bored!" she moaned, tugging on her black pigtails as she paced the room. She only did that when she was vexed, which was often, and they had a funny knack about them of sticking up at odd angles. Minomon clung to her shoulder, his balance upset.
"Please sit down, I'm getting dizzy!" he begged.
"Play a game, like the Digimon are doing," Kimi suggested to her sister. Neat and quiet as usual, she was sitting patiently with Sumiko, brushing the younger girl's dark brown hair. Her Minomon partner and Sumiko's Uppamon were playing checkers, and so far Uppamon was winning.
Ami was curled up on Kimi's bunk, asleep with Tokomon. Lily and Bukamon sat beside Ami, quietly reading with Mina and Motimon. Koyuki sighed and dug out a board game.
"Who wants to play?" she asked, giving in to the suggestion of self-entertainment.
"I will," Mina offered, and the two girls and their partners settled down to a game of Monopoly.
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The adults had talked, reasoned, and puzzled for over an hour.
"I think it's just a coincidence that that boy was there," Izzy had decided."I can't explain how of why Yolei's scent was there, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions."
"That's good enough for me," T.K shrugged, standing. It was getting late, and he and Kari had to get their children home, fed and put to bed soon."We'll all talk later on this though, right?"
"Of course," Tai said."While we shouldn't jump to conclusions, we also shouldn't leave matters unsettled."
"Indeed. Until then, I suggest we avoid that area until all of this is cleared up," Izzy suggested."And I'll have some information when we meet."
They collected their children, and said their goodbyes.
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It was after dinner. Deeanna had finished the dishes, then made her children each a cup of hot chocolate. This was a rarity. As much as Deeanna liked sweets herself, she never allowed them before bed. But sometimes, she was willing to bend the rules if the situation called for it, and this did.
While the children sipped their treat, Ken and Deeanna decided what the best way to tell their children what Vee had told them. They were sensible children, so they took that approach and just told them simply and sensibly. By the time they were finished, Sammy, Koyuki, and Kimi's mouths were hanging open, their hot chocolate forgotten.
"Her?! No way!" Koyuki was awed. She'd never seen Yolei in person, but had seen pictures of Yolei from her parent's youth."You mean, she could've been there?!"
"Quite possibly," Ken said gently."We don't know yet."
Kimi said nothing, and neither did Sammy. Both were worried, but neither expressed themselves.
"But what about the boy?" he wanted to know after a moment."He doesn't have anything to do with it, does he?"
"As far as we know, his being there was just a coincidence, Sammy," Deeanna sighed."Most likely, it's a case of 'in the wrong place at the wrong time', dear."
She stood up and collected her mug and Ken's. She gave him a specific look, and he nodded. Then she turned to her children.
"Finish your hot chocolate," she said gently."Then go on and get ready for bed. You have school in the morning, remember?"
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Sammy stared at the ceiling in his darkened room. DemiVeemon was snoring softly on the pillow beside his head, but that wasn't what was keeping him awake. He was worried. Very worried. The reality of the situation was starting to sink in.
He'd thought it would be a fun adventure to be the leader of the new Digidestined. But now...it seemed like more than he could handle.
He was only just realising that it was going to be a difficult task for him. Yolei was a threat. She was stronger than before, so much stronger that his parents and their friends, and Digidestined around the world couldn't put a stop to her. And now he and his friends were going to have to fight, actually fight, and he would be responsable for all their safety, from Mike down to little Ami, who was only 6 years old, for the love of little Digieggs!
It was often said that Sammy had inherited his mother's looks. This was true. But he had his father's sensibilities, and was generally a calm, collected sort of person. But right now, his mind was in chaos, and he couldn't hold onto that feeling of calm. He bagan to cry.
His door opened slightly.
"Sammy?" it was his mother."May I come in?"
Sammy sat up in bed, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his blue pyjamas.
"You okay, kiddo?" Deeanna asked as she sat on the edge of his bed. Sammy shook his head violently.
"Want to talk about it?"
"We have to fight, don't we?"
"Not if you don't feel comfortable with it-"
"We don't have a choice."
"Why do you say that?" Deeanna was perplexed.
"Well, you're always so busy and stuff," Sammy shrugged."You've got the noodle house, and dad's always working on a case, and I guess everyone else's parents are super busy, too. And Izzy's showed me the information he's got on the other Digidestined around the world-"
"Did he?" Deeanna hadn't known.
"Yeah, and all the kids who became Digidestined when you defeated MaloMyotismon are all grown up and have lives of their own, and not enough time to do more than push the Empress' forces back here and there. And they've got kids who are Digidestined, too, but most of them are even younger than Sean and Sumiko, and even Ami, and Izzy says they aren't experienced enough yet, and neither are their Digimon," Sammy was trembling."So we've got to do it now, and I know we haven't got any choice, and I'm worried that something bad will happen!"
Sammy was trying to hold back his tears and was failing miserabley.
"Mom, I'm-I'm scared!" he blurted out. Deeanna chuckled understandingly.
"I'm sure you are, baby," she agreed."I'd be surprised if you weren't. I know I was."
"You?" Sammy blinked back his tears to stare incredulously at her. His mother had been scared? Davis had been?
"Oh, yes," Deeanna smiled."When I finally realised what I was going to have to do, you know, serious fighting and stuff like that. But I didn't let it show. I was cheerful, I made jokes, I acted like a total airhead. But I cried at night sometimes, because it was hard."
She put her arms around Sammy and held him close. Sammy could hear her heart beating slowly, soothingly.
"I know you're scared," Deeanna continued."But it's alright, you have a right to be, all you children do. It's a helluva lot to take in right now, a lot of weight on your shoulders when you aren't used to it. But it's okay to cry, baby."
Sammy let loose the tears he'd been holding in. And Deeanna just sat and held him.
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After they'd finished her hot chocolate, Koyuki and Kimi had gotten ready for bed, while their Minomon had snuggled into the basket they shared.
Koyuki, in purple pyjama's, was reading in her top bunk, while Kimi sat at her dressing table in a pink nightgown, taking out the pins that held her smooth, tidy buns in place. Without them, her hair fell to her waist in a wave of shiny black, which she began to brush rather mechanically that night. Her indigo eyes had a slightly glazed look. She was coming to the same conclusions that her older brother had, and didn't quite like it. All her life she'd been known as the quiet one, which was fair, since she was. But she was begining to see her quietness as meekness, and was worried that she would mess up.
What if I make a mistake? What if I freeze up? What if I can't bear to hurt anyone? She thought, feeling sick.
Unknown to her, Koyuki was feeling the same way. Very sick indeed. She wasn't actually reading, just staring at the same page continually.
If Kimi was known as the quiet one, she was the rough-houser, the rambunctious one. And now she was worried about what that would mean for the team. She was scared that if she wasn't careful, she might get someone hurt.
What if I'm not careful enough? What if I get too out of hand? What if I do hurt someone?
Though Koyuki and Kimi were close, they seldom talked about their worries and fears with each other. Sometimes they could tell if something was wrong. But tonight they were too worried about their own problems to notice, and were startled when there was a knock on their bedroom door. Ken peeked in.
"You okay?" he wanted to know, his kind indigo eyes shining at them. Kimi's face started to crumple, and he went to her. Gathering her up in his arms, Ken walked over to her bunk and sat down. Koyuki slowly joined them, and he held them like he used to when they had been very small and afraid of the dark.
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Ken dropped his children off at school in the morning. Sammy said goodbye to his sisters, and head for his own classroom. No one was inside yet except for Mike, who was looking rather subdued.
"Did your parents tell you, too?" Sammy asked, sitting down at the desk next to Mike's.
"Mm-hm," Mike nodded.
"You worried?"
"Nah," Mike snuck a sideways glance at Sammy.
"Liar."
"I'm bad at that, aren't I?"
"Yep."
They sat in companionable silence. When the bell rang, both yelped and jumped, still rattled from the previous night. Students trooped in, groaning and yelling about not wanting to be in class that day. Sammy predicted a rotten day, and possibly a pop quiz. Their teacher stood and announced that a new student would be joining the class.
Sammy and Mike's eyes bugged out when they saw who it was.
"Everyone, this is Ken Shimizu," the teacher continued, sounding slightly bored.
"Pleased to meet you," Ken bowed. He was dressed a lot more neatly than the first time they'd seen him, but he was still the brown haired boy they'd met the day before.
"Please take the empty seat behind Sammy."
Ken slipped into the seat that was pointed out to him, and smiled at Sammy and Mike.
"So we meet again!" he whispered before the teacher started the lesson. And, as Sammy had predicted, there was indeed a pop quiz.
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It was lunchtime. Sammy and Mike left the classroom, and came face to face with a pensive Ken.
"Oh, hi!" he said, quickly smiling, though a little startled.
"Ken, right?" Mike asked.
"Uh huh," Ken nodded. Sammy smiled.
"That's going to be weird, calling you that," he laughed.
"Why's that?"
"Ken is my dad's name," Sammy shrugged, grinning."If mom calls him that now, I'm gonna be looking around for you."
"Well then, I can see how akward that would be," Ken agreed."Say, listen. Could you two show me around? I don't know my way around the school yet."
"Oh, sure," Mike agreed."We're on our way to the lunch room just now. We can show you where that is, okay?"
"That'd be great," Ken nodded.
The lunch room wasn't very crowded that day; most students prefered to eat outside in the warmer weather. Sammy could see his sisters with Tad, Mina, and Kei, who were their classmates. Koyuki stood up and waved to her brother.
"Sammy! Mike!" she called."Over here!"
Sammy, Mike, and Ken walked over to them.
"How's it going?" Mike greeted, sitting down beside Kimi.
"Hey!" Koyuki was staring at Ken."You're that boy from yesterday!"
"He just joined our class today," Sammy explained."His name is Ken Shimizu."
"Nice to meet you," Kei said."Sit down. I hope you brought your lunch today, I wouldn't recomend the food here."
"There's nothing wrong with it!" Tad retorted. He often ate the school food because it wasn't often that Tai could send him with a homemade lunch. It was joked among the friends that only Tad could stomach school food without being rushed to the infirmary imediately.
Everyone laughed. Ken sat down between Sammy and Kei.
"So Ken, do you like this school?" Tad asked around a mouthful of what the school passed off as tuna noodle casserole (what Kei blandly described as ground gym mats, arsenic, and old socks in a light cream sauce).
"Well, from what I've seen so far, it's nice," Ken replied."I think I'll like it here."
"That's great," Kimi smiled across the table at him. Ken couldn't help but notice what long lashes she had. He suddenly felt very warm.
"Let's eat quickly, so we can show you the rest of the school before the next class starts," Mike said, almost inhaling both of the riceballs from his lunch.
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"...And that's the gym, so I guess that's it," Sammy finished as they walked back to their classroom.
"Wow," Ken blinked."I hadn't realised that this place was so big."
"You'll get used to it," Mike said, giving Ken a playful punch on the arm."But yeah, seriously, don't eat the lunch room food."
"Is it really that bad?" Ken laughed.
"You saw what Tad was eating."
"I was trying not to look," Ken said delicately. Sammy and Mike cracked up.
"Come on, we can sit and chat in the classroom before the bell rings," Sammy said.
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After school, Sammy said his goodbyes to his friends.
"I'm really sorry," Sammy appologized."Today's the day I have to help mom at her restaurant."
"That's okay," Ken said."I had fun talking to you today."
"Me too," Sammy agreed.
"C'mon, Ken," Koyuki said."You can hang out with us today."
"That'd be fun," Ken said thoughtfully."What shall we do?"
Sammy left them talking about possible fun activities, and started the walk to 'Noodle, Noodle, Come Get Your Noodle!'. He had a feeling that his friends and Ken would become very good friends. It would be fun to have another Digidestined as a friend, maybe someone who could join the team and help them fight.
When he got to the restaurant, Vee was behind the counter.
"Hey, kiddo," Vee greeted.
Sammy surpressed a laugh. When Vee went out in public, he wore a folded up bandana to hide the golden V on his forehead, since he'd recieved too many funny stares about it. It made his bushy blue hair stick up everywhere, like Tai's hair had once done. It was always funny to see.
Sammy stashed his backpack behind the counter, and grabbed his apron and tied his favorite blue bandana over his hair, and headed into the steamy kitchen where Deeanna was busy chopping onions.
"Hey Sammy!" Deeanna squinted tearfully.
"Mom," Sammy said exasperatedly."Let me do that, you always tear up when you handle the onions."
"Thanks kiddo," Deeanna rushed off to the sink."And give the ramen a stir, would ya? Oooooh, my eyes!"
Sammy grinned to himself as he heard Deeanna sobbing at the sink.
"Anything happen at school today?" Deeanna wanted to know, when she came back from the sink patting her puffy eyes dry.
"Not really. A new kid joined my class today, and Mike and I showed him around," Sammy shrugged.
"A new kid, eh?"
"Yeah," Sammy nodded, picking up another onion."The kid we saw yesterday. His name is Ken Shimizu. He's really nice."
"Ken?" Deeanna exclaimed laughingly."Bet that tripped you up a bit, eh? Did you warn him about the lunch room food?"
"Yes!" Sammy laughed."Repeatedly. And you know, I think we're going to be good friends."
"That's good, honey," Deeanna smiled."What do you say to pizza tonight, after we close up?"
"That sounds great-hey, waaaaaait a minute," Sammy frowned."What's the catch? We hardly ever have pizza?"
"Your father is working late," Deeanna sighed, ladling broth and noddles into bowls."Izzy wants his help with something, too, so we're on our own tonight. Hey! Vee!" she yelled."Take these out, will ya?"
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Ken had been introduced to all of the younger Digidestined and their Digimon partners, and they'd gone to the park to play. But time flew by quickly, and soon everyone had to head for home. Ken said goodbye, and caught the next bus home.
When he got off at his stop, he walked back to his apartment, humming happily. Turning his key in the lock, he entered the dark, quiet apartment. Pururumon greeted him with a chirp as he took off his shoes.
"Mom?" Ken called."You home?"
He wandered to the dark kitchen, where a small amount of light filtered in through the blinds on the kitchen window. His mother was standing at the sink, back turned away from him, washing dishes. He thick, dark hair was pinned up primly, and she was dressed in a dark purple yukata, and a long apron, like always. She didn't answer his inquiries.
"I'm back," Ken said cheerfully."I'm sorry I took so long, but I made some new friends and we went to the park."
Still no answer. There was almost a chill to the silence. Ken didn't seem to notice.
"I'll just get my dinner," Ken said, opening the fridge."I know where it is. I'm eating in my room tonight, but I'll clean up my dishes, so you don't have to worry about that."
The silence was almost overwhelming. Ken felt uncomfortable.
"Well, goodnight, mom," he mumbled, and quickly left for the sanctuary that was his room.
He had noticed the chill, but he'd only been ignoring it. It did bother him, a lot, but because he loved his mom, he tried to ignore it, tried to ignore the fact that she almost never spoke or smiled, or even looked at him, or was hardly ever home. Perhaps it was for the best, because as much as he loved her, Ken hated those cold, glittering black eyes looking at him.
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It was after school the next day. The children had been told that they would be allowed to visit the Digital World on their own. Rather than go home to use one of their parent's computer's, the children were going to use the school's computer lab. Currently, they were waiting for Kei to pick up Ami from her school. Sammy noticed Ken passing by in the corridor, nose burried in a book.
"Hey!" he called out. Startled, Ken dropped his book.
"Oh, good afternoon," he said, retrieving his book."I'd thought that everybody'd gone home-"
"Nope," Sammy shook his head.
"Want to join us?" Kimi asked. Once again, Ken found himself entranced by those long lashes.
"Uh, s-sure," he stammered."T-that'd be...fun."
"Where's Pururumon at?"
"Here!" a muffled voice chirped from Ken's school bag. Pururumon poked itself out from under the flap.
"We're here!" Kei called cheerfully, entering the room leading Ami by the hand."Oh, hi Ken!"
"Let's go," Sammy said. His heart was pounding nervously.
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"So, what exactly are we supposed to do today?" Mike wanted to know.
"Well," Mina spoke up."Father wants us to get to know this area. He's pegged it as the safest part of the Digital World, and we'll be able to find lots of allies here. He says to get to know them, too."
"That's smart," Sammy agreed with Izzy's bit of logic."Thanks for telling us, Mina."
Mina blushed, averting her gaze from Sammy.
They walked in silence for awhile, identifying helpful landmarks and taking in the lay of the land. It was another forest, though this one was far from the one they'd already explored. Soon, they began to talk.
"It's really quiet here," Sumiko said calmly, gazing around in wonder.
"Yeah. Almost too quiet. And I don't see any Digimon," Sammy frowned."Mina, are you sure your dad said there'd be allies here?"
"Oh yes," Mina nodded furiously, still red."He was positive."
"There's a Digimon," Ami pointed gleefully. Everyone looked quickly.
Yes, it was a Digimon. It was an Elecmon, but it was also pure black with glowing red eyes.
"Uh, that's not normal," Mike stared.
"Oh, it's hurt," Ami said, noticing a wound on Elecmon's paw. She stepped towards it."Poor thing..."
"Black Thunder Strike!" Elecmon roared. Screaming, the children scattered out of the way of the attack, Kei just barely managing to snatch Ami in time.
"What's going on?" Robert demanded."Why's he attacking us?"
It was almost like this was a signal. Many more Digimon began to appear in numerous amounts: Floramon, Numemon, Meramon, and Monochromon to name just a few. All were just as black as Elecmon.
"They're Dark Digimon!" Sammy whispered in horror.
The Digimon begam to attack fiercely. The Children's Digimon weren't strong enough to fend off the attacks, and they were forced to flee in search of shelter or a T.V.
"Why are they doing this?!" Lily cried, dodging away from a 'Dark Volcanic Strike' attack. She nearly ran into Kei and Ami. It was chaos.
"If we knew that, would we still be running?" Koyuki snapped.
"Look, there's a T.V!" Kei called."Ami, hold out your Digivice!"
Ami did as she was told, and was gone in an instant.
"Sean, Lily, Sumiko, you next!" Sammy ordered. He and DemiVeemon turned to face the oncoming rush of Dark Digimon. Mike and Kei joined him.
"Bubble blow!" Yokomon tried. Her attack didn't even faze the DarkDigimon.
"Shoot!" Mike swore.
"Rob, you go now, and you too, Mina," Sammy yelled over his shoulder, then turned his attention to their foe, silently praying for something good to happen. It did; DemiVeemon Digivolved.
"Wow, what a rush!" Veemon winced at the power tingling through his new form."I'll give it my best shot, Sammy! Vee Headbutt!"
He knocked a DarkFloramon back, stunned and useless, then turned to DarkElecmon, hoping for the same result. DarkMonochromon sent an attack towards Mina, who was about to follow Rob.
"Dark Volcanic Strike!"
The T.V exploded, slamming Mina to the ground. Sammy swore then darted to her side.
"Run!" he ordered. He dragged Mina up and ran, keeping her close. He could hear the others who were left following, Mike yelling that they were splitting up. Sammy didn't have much time to yell a reply before they had to quicken their pace.
Sammy, Mina, and their Digimon saw a cave. the entrance wasn't very big, but they squeezed through in a panic. Just inside, the ground crumbled underfoot...
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Sammy slowly opened him eyes in the darkness around him. His head ached badly. He could hear Mina sobbing softly, not too far away, though he couldn't see her.
"M-Mina?" he asked, searching for her hand. He found it and squeezed."You okay?"
"Uh huh," Mina sniffled."I just don't like the dark."
Sitting up, Sammy fumbled around in his pocket and pulled out a miniature flashlight that he kept on his keychain. Turning it on, he looked all around him, finally coming to Mina and the still unconcious Digimon. He realised that they'd fallen into a deep pit.
"You're bleeding!" Sammy exclaimed in alarm, catching sight of Mina's knee.
"It's nothing."
"The hell it is!" Sammy snorted. He untied the bandana he wore around his neck in the Digital World, and wrapped it firmly around Mina's knee."Now, let's try to get out of here."
"The chances of that are highly illogical," Mina informed him.
"I'm still gonna try!"
Sammy had Mina climb on his back with the now wide awake Digimon, and he started the back-breaking task of trying to climb out of the pit. Halfway up the deep pit, he grabbed a rock as a handhold and the side crumbled again, sending them swiftly back to the bottom. Sammy landed facedown with Mina, Veemon, and Motimon on top.
"Ohh!" he moaned softly. His chest and back were going to be one big bruise after this...
"I see no point in saying 'I told you so', but...you get the point," Mina sighed, searching for the flashlight she'd dropped, but with no luck.
They were forced to sit in the dark, worried and scared.
"I wonder if the others are okay," Sammy sighed."I'm a terrible leader. I ran like a coward. Mom's going to be so disapointed!"
"I think you're a-a wonderful leader," Mina stammered. Sammy had a feeling that she was blushing again."And it was run or be killed, anyway. You did get half of us to safety-"
"That was Kei's idea first."
"But you kept us going," Mina pointed out."Anyway, I don't think your mom will be disapointed, she seems so cool and understanding," she paused."I wish I had a mom like her."
"Don't you?" Sammy didn't like to admit that he didn't know a whole lot about some of his friends, and it was somewhat embarassing for him in the next few minutes of silence.
"Mom died when I was born," Mina said so softly that Sammy almost couldn't hear her."I never met her."
"Is she who you get your eye colour from?" Sammy asked. He'd always admired her apple-green eyes, thinking they looked good with her bright red hair. And since Izzy's eyes were black..."They're really pretty..." He added, then stopped. Now he was the one who was turning red.
"Mm-hm," Mina answered."I have a picture of her. I look like dad, except for my eyes. Mom had blond hair. I wish I was blond, too, 'cause maybe then I'd be pretty."
Mina stopped talking. She knew she was rambling, and felt like an idiot. Sammy found her hand again in the dark, twining his fingers in hers, squeezing them.
"You're already pretty, Mina," he said reassuringly.
They sat in silence again. There wasn't much to say. Motimon was snuggled onto Mina's lap. Veemon was pacing around the pit, and tripped.
"Ouch!" he cried, rubbing his toes."Found the flashlight...Whoa!"
He'd leaned against the wall of the pit when he'd rubbed his bruised toes, and put a little too much weight against it. A section crumbled in. Veemon dug himself out of the rumble.
"Urgh!" he coughed up rock dust."Hey, look Sammy! A tunnel!"
Sammy grabbed the flashlight quickly.
"You think it leads out?" he wondered.
"It might," Mina shrugged."It beats waiting around in this pit."
"We'll have to crawl, is your knee up to it?" Sammy was worried."Does it still hurt? Should I pad it more?"
"It's fine," Mina answered, blushing hotly.
"Okay, the Digimon can go first, since they're smaller, then you, Mina," Sammy decided."I'll go last. Veemon, take the flashlight."
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The children that had managed to escape were picking themselves up from the pile they'd landed in.
"Shouldn't there be more of us?" Rob looked around, pulling his long hair out of his face."Wasn't Mina right behind me?"
"Where's my brother?" Ami cried.
Sumiko was busy at the computer.
"Gate not found?" she questioned."Oh no! The Gate was destroyed!"
"We'll have to find another one close by-" Sean suggested, but Sumiko cut him off.
"No!" she said."Our Digimon aren't strong enough, didn't you see the Dark Digimon?!"
"We have to find our parents!" Lily said."They can help!"
They thought of the closest adult Digidestined they knew, and left the school at a full run.
"Will we be in time?" Rob panted, running around a garbage can with Tanemon clutched in his arms.
"I don't know!" Sumiko was close to tears.
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They'd been crawling for close to ten minutes. Veemon was in the lead, lighting the way with Sammy's pocket flashlight, which was growing steadily dimmer.
"I think the batteries are dying," Veemon called. Mina whimpered."Wait, what's that?"
"What is it, Veemon?" Sammy called, his voice echoing.
"There's light up ahead!"
"That's good!"
"But it's blue light," Veemon continued. Sammy could hear the puzzlement in his partner's voice. He was feeling that way himself at that moment.
"Blue light?" he wondered."Isn't that a beer in North America? I think Matt had that on tour once-"
"Very funny, Sammy!" Veemon snapped."I'm telling you, it's light, and it's blue!"
"I wasn't trying to be funny," Sammy hissed painfully, feeling the rough stone he was crawling on skin his knees and palms."Just keep going, would you?"
Veemon disapeared through an opening ahead of them, followed by Motimon and Mina. Sammy really had to squeeze his long, lanky body through the hole, which was quite small, but was soon out. He stood, trying to ignore the stinging of his knees and hands as he gazed in wonder.
"Where are we?" he gasped.
It was another pit, larger by far than the one they'd escaped from, but this one was beautiful. The walls glittered with minerals like starlight, lit up a brilliant light that was...well, blue. They were bathed in soothing pale blue light from something on an upraised shelf of rock in the middle of the pit. Sammy felt himself drawn towards the light, like he was being called. One step after another, he drew closer until he bent and picked the object up.
It was a pale blue crystal shard, slightly rounded on one side and jagged on the other. It was large enough to clutch in both hands. It pulsed brilliantly in his hands.
Sammy felt strange. An odd tingling rushed through him, settling in his chest. It wasn't as strange, though, compared to what Veemon was feeling.
"Ooooh," Veemon said as he started to glow."I-I feel funny!"
Out of fear for his partner, Sammy's mind kept telling him to drop the shard, but he couldn't seem to get his fingers to work properly. Mina was startled to see the blankness of his eyes, like he wasn't quite in control of himself. Veemon, on the other hand, was in complete control of his own self and was realising what was about to happen.
"Veemon Digivolve to...Ex-Veemon!" he roared.
Snapping out of his momentary lapse, Sammy was so stunned that he fell over and sat, staring widely at his partner who was suddenly a whole lot bigger. Mina crouched beside him with Motimon, unable to speak. Ex-Veemon gathered them all up in his arms, spread his wings, and soon they were out of the pit.
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They burst through the door of 'Noodle, Noodle, Come Get your Noodle!', almost tumbling into another heap. Vee found himself surrounded by frightened, yapping children and Digimon. He could only understand one thing they were saying.
"The others are in trouble?"
Deeanna poked her head out of the kitchen door, hair frizzy from the copious amouts of steam in her domain.
"What did you say?" she demanded.
Once she'd gotten the whole story from the children, she tossed her apron behind the counter, and darted back into the kitchen to turn off the stoves. Vee flipped the sign to 'Closed' and locked the door, thankful that there were currently no customers in the restaurant. Grimly, Deeanna grabbed the laptop she kept behind the counter and used it to locate the closest Gate to where the other had been destroyed.
"You kids, stay here!" she ordered."Digport, open!"
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Sammy was still in shock over the sudden Digivolution of his partner. He hung limply in Ex-Veemon's arms while Mina patted him gently on the shoulder. They'd left the pits and cave behind, and now Ex-Veemon was trying to locate the other children.
"Oh!" Mina suddenly exclaimed, pointing."Look over there!"
Sammy looked up for the first time. Backed up against a cliff of sheer rock were the Digidestined who'd been forced to split up with them. He could see that Kei and Salamon had achieved Digivolution, as well as Mike and Yokomon and Ken and Pururumon, though they'd only managed to get to Poromon and he wasn't much use. They weren't winning, but Gatomon and Biyomon were keeping the Dark Digimon at bay. For now.
Ex-Veemon deposited Sammy, Mina, and Motimon beside the others as gently as he could manage.
"Rest up," he growled to a very beaten up Gatomon and Biyomon."I'll take things from here!"
"Where'd he come from?" Mike demanded in shock.
"It's Veemon!" Sammy shouted, running towards his friends. He grabbed his sisters in a bear hug and made sure they were okay, then swept his eyes over everyone else. They'd sustained cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. Sammy was relieved.
Throwing himself into the fray with a rock-shaking roar, Ex-Veemon had Dark Digimon scattering left and right. Many backed down and ran. Only the DarkMeramon and DarkMonochromon stuck around.
"Dark Volcanic Strike!"
"X-Laser!" Ex-Veemon countered. The resulting explosion from the colliding attacks knocked the children flat.
"Oh my God!" Mina whimpered fearfully, squeezing her eyes shut. Sammy grabbed her and held her tightly, not taking his eyes off his fighting partner.
"They won't back down, Sammy!" Ex-Veemon grunted, viciously shoving a marauding DarkMeramon away."They just keep coming, no matter what I do! How do I stop them?!"
"Hades' Magma Blast!" the DarkMeramon Meramon roared in retaliation. Ex-Veemon groaned, catching the attack all down one side. He was badly burned and sank down, unable to move. He reverted to DemiVeemon.
"X-Laser!"
Meramon was struck from behind. Without even a chance to cry out, he was vapourized. The DarkMonochromon and remaining DarkMeramon fled. Shaking, Sammy looked up.
Deeanna stood on the shoulder of her partner, furious that any Digimon, Dark or not, would dare to cause so much trouble for her son; her sharp eyes hadn't missed the blood and bruises on both Sammy and Mina. Vee looked so ferocious and formidable as Ex-Veemon, standing protectively over the fallen Digimon that he considered to be his son.
Both looked over at the children.
"Let's go home," Deeanna said, grimly.
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Digidestined DigiDex: Sammy
Name: Osamu Daisuke Ichijouji (never call him that in public, though)
Nickname(s): Sammy, Kiddo, Long-Legs (his gym teacher gave him that one)
Partner: DemiVeemon
Age: 12
Hair: dark auburn, short and spikey
Eyes: indigo
Personality: Brave, sensitive, kind, and sometimes a little naive. Usually calm, but can often be nervous and unsure of himself. He is also very Davis-like (things rarely bother him for very long)
Birthday: May 6th
Random Facts: Sammy was the first of the New (or third) Generation Digidestined to be born. He is very athletic, and as much of a soccer nut as both of his parents and his 'uncle' Tai, but he also enjoys a good game of volleyball. Sammy is tall and lanky, and can almost look the shortest of the adult Digidestined in the eyes (sorry folks, you know it's Izzy). He has a Davis-sized appitite, and is a real sucker for fresh chilled fruit, and the occasional pudding. He works part time at Deeanna's noodle house. He's recently begun to notice Mina, and something may or may not bloom further between them.