"Finally! We reached the shore! No thanks to princess."
Two hands smacked Rach upside the head, and she scowled.
Leo got out and helped Gio down from the roof of the boat as Koromon sat stubbornly on his shoulder.
"Hey, guys!!!"
The three looked down the shore a little ways to see three turtles running towards them.
"Raph!"
Leo high-three'd his red-banded brother.
"Hey, Mikey!" Rach greeted, giving the orange-banded turtle an affectionate noogie.
"Hey, Don. Long time no see." Gio greeted the purple-banded turtle, smiling.
But the smile faltered as she looked at the group.
"Where's El?"
The three brothers looked around.
"We didn't find her. We thought you guys did." Mikey answered.
Worry filled Don's eyes.
"I hope she's okay…"
"…I think I met up with her…"
Leo looked at his partner in surprise.
"What? When?"
"Back at the amusement park, when I was Agumon, I almost ate one of those Mushrooms of Forgetfulness, but a voice that sounded a lot like El's warned me not to…"
"I think I saw her, too…"
Gio sighed.
"But I might've been…dreaming…"
There was a beeping sound from Leo and Raph's Digivices, and both Digivices shared the same signal.
"It's El!!"
They followed the signal through the trees, running as fast as they could, when a buzzing sound reached their ears.
"What's that-?"
Mikey was cut off when a hornet-like Digimon dove for him.
Rach pulled him out of the way, both falling to the ground.
Don immediately got onto his laptop, hiding behind a tree.
"It's Flymon!!"
A red stinger embedded itself in the wood beside his shoulder as Motimon pulled him out of the way.
"Poison Ivy!"
"Boom Bubble!"
Both Digimon jumped to safety in a hurry as more stingers flew at them.
A stinger nearly grazed Leo's arm.
"LEO!!"
Another red projectile nearly hit Raph's leg.
"RAPH!!"
…
"Koromon, Digivolve to…AGUMON!!"
"Tsunomon, Digivolve to…GABUMON!!"
They jumped in front of their partners protectively.
"Pepper Breath!"
"Blue Blaster!"
Both attacks missed, but a familiar sound bounced off the trees as Flymon prepared to attack…
"Birdramon?"
Don looked up to see said Digimon fly over the trees.
"Meteor Wing!"
Flymon went down burning like a torch, and they saw Birdramon fly away.
"She's going back to El!!!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feet pounding on the ground as her heart raced, she looked back over her shoulder before jumping across the river on stepping stones.
"EL!!!!"
The pink-banded turtle sped up, the trees flying by, when a blue and green blur stopped in front of her, forcing her to stop.
"El…why are you…running?" Leo panted, still winded from having to chase down the swift-footed turtle before him.
She looked at the ground almost guiltily as his brothers caught up.
"El…don't you like us anymore?"
She looked at Mikey in surprise.
"No! …It's nothing like that…"
Biyomon landed beside her.
"You should tell them…"
Elisa nodded slightly.
"O-Okay…"
Flashback:
Elisa looked through the bushes and trees, seeing a small Digimon with bat-like wing talking to a dark figure in a strange bubble.
"That's Demidevimon." Biyomon whispered as Elisa listened to the words being spoke.
'Our crests…'
End Flashback:
"They were talking about the meanings of our crests…"
Elisa turned to Leo.
"Yours is the Crest of Courage, Leo."
Leo perked.
'That's why it glowed before…'
"And Raph, yours is the Crest of Friendship."
'When I realized what a good friend I had…it glowed…'
"What's mine?" Mikey asked eagerly.
Elisa smiled softly.
"Yours is special, Mikey. It's the Crest of Hope."
"Really? Then I hope we get home soon!"
"Donnie, yours is the Crest of Knowledge."
"How appropriate!!" Raph teased, elbowing his purple-banded brother in the ribs.
"Rach has the Crest of Reliability…and Gio has the Crest of Sincerity…"
Elisa held her crest carefully, eyes soft.
"…And mine…is the Crest of Love…"
Don smiled slightly.
"That's great, El…"
She tightened her grip on her crest.
"No! It's not!"
Surprised, the other turtles jumped.
"What's wrong with that? I think it's a perfect fit." Don reasoned warily.
"…I'll never get it to glow…that's what he said…"
Flashback:
"So you're one of the Digidestined. Elisa."
Biyomon stood protectively in front of her partner as Elisa tried to look implacable.
Demidevimon chuckled.
"The Crest of Love."
"Wh-What's so funny about that?" Elisa tried to stop her shaking voice, but failed.
"It's ironic, because you'll never get you crest to glow! NEVER!!"
End Flashback:
"El, Demidevimon is a liar." Leo reasoned.
"But he was right…my crest…it won't glow…"
She felt tears again.
"…Because I never knew what love was…"
Flashback:
A young Elisa looked up at her sensei with rare defiance.
"But I'm fine! It was just a jolt!"
"I'm not allowing you to work on that contraption of yours."
The elderly female rat glared at the batting machine and the microchips her youngest had been working on.
"But Rach and Gio are counting on me!" Elisa complained.
"They can live without for a while…"
Elisa glared at the small burn on her palm, which had been rubbed with ointment, as she imagined the disappointed looks on her sister's faces.
"Why can't you understand that I need to do this?!"
"You're not doing it, and that's final!"
End Flashback:
"El…"
Teary pink eyes turned to innocent blue.
"I like being with you…when you're around…it's like having a mom…"
The tears threatened to spill as her throat constricted.
"M-Mikey…I-I…I-I'm so s-sorry…"
Don tried to comfort her with a hug as Don repeated his forgiveness.
"I don't why girls get so emotional 'bout love..." Raph stated.
Leo sighed, but refrained from retorting.
"…El…"
She looked up at Mikey from her seat on the ground again.
"…Thank you…"
She looked at him curiously.
"You told us about the mushrooms, right? I forgot to thank you…"
She nodded slightly, saying, "Yeah…"
"You have to understand, El didn't want to be parted from any of you." Biyomon explained.
"Raph, we even helped you and Rach at the restaurant."
"…I never knew…" He muttered.
"EL!!!!!"
The pink-banded turtle looked up as her sisters ran up to her.
"EL!!!!!!!!!!"
Both sisters hugged the youngest as if she might disappear.
Gio tightened her grip.
"…Thanks…"
Elisa smiled softly, that same motherly smile as soft as moonlight.
"It was nothing…"
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Elisa was in a light sleep by the campfire, lying on her shell with Biyomon sleeping beside her, curled into her side.
'She doesn't love you…no one loves you…they never did…' A voice echoed through her dream, causing her to shiver.
'You don't know love…so your crest will never glow…'
She whimpered slightly in her sleep, causing Biyomon to wake up slightly.
'B-But…Donnie…'
'You think he cares about you? No one does…not your sensei, not your sisters, not anyone…'
Elisa whimpered again, shivering, and Biyomon sat up.
'El…are you okay?'
Biyomon was about to shake her partner awake when she saw moonlight shine off a syringe.
"Demi Dart!"
"EL!!!"
Biyomon shielded her partner, the syringe getting her in the side.
Elisa opened her eyes at the sudden shout and the added weight on her chest.
She sat up with a snap, and saw a nearly unconscious Biyomon on her.
"BIYO!!!"
The others woke as Elisa shook her partner.
"Biyo!! Biyo, are you okay?!" She asked worriedly, pulling out the large syringe in Biyomon's side gingerly.
"It's Demidevimon!" Mikey exclaimed.
The sky turned dark as clouds rolled over the moon, the only light coming from the fire.
When the moon's pale light reappeared, a carriage was in the sky, dropping a coffin.
The coffin popped open, revealing a vampire-like Digimon, who landed safely on the ground.
"That's the thing Demidevimon was talking to." Elisa stated.
Demidevimon flew towards the other Digimon.
"He isn't a thing! He's Lord Myotismon!"
The Digimon smirked.
"Grizzly Wing!"
The capable Digimon jumped forward.
"Pepper Breath!"
"Blue Blaster!"
"Boom Bubble!"
Motimon jumped forward.
"Motimon, Digivolve to…TENTOMON!!"
He flew into the air.
"Super Shocker!"
Some bats got passed the four Digimon, heading for Gio and Rach.
"Palmon, Digivolve to…TOGEMON!!"
"Gomamon, Digivolve to…IKKAKUMON!!"
"Needle Spray!"
The bats around the two female turtles fell to the ground, covered in needles.
"Harpoon Torpedo!"
The small explosives got rid of the rest of the bats.
"Crimson Lightning!"
The red energy whip knocked the Digimon off their feet, and they couldn't find the strength to stand up again.
"Fools! You can't possibly defeat me!"
Elisa shrank back, still hugging Biyomon to her chest.
"I-I've got to f-fight, El…I-I'm the only o-one left…"
"But you're hurt!" Elisa protested.
"I-I need to…th-they're counting on m-me…"
"I don't care!" Elisa retorted as she held the struggling Digimon.
"Why can't you understand that I need to do this?!"
"You're not doing it, and that's final!!"
Elisa stopped.
'Sensei did that to me…because she was trying to protect me…'
Her grip weakened, and Biyomon flew into the air.
"Biyomon, Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!"
'So…she really did love me…'
"Meteor Wing!"
The attack was blocked by Myotismon's cape.
'Now I understand…'
"Crimson Lightning!"
The attack raced at the bird Digimon, striking her in the chest.
Elisa felt tears in her eyes as she ran forward, wanting to catch Birdramon as she fell.
'…I really can love…'
"No, Birdramon! I LOVE YOU!"
A bright red light from her crest and Birdramon, and then…
"Birdramon, Digivolve to…GARUDAMON!!"
The Ultimate-level Digimon picked up her partner, her glow showing how strong Elisa's love was.
"Elisa, I can feel your love. It's making me strong!"
Elisa nodded, still teary-eyed.
"M-My crest…i-it glows…"
And so it did, like a red star over her heart.
Don watched in amazement as he held Tentomon.
'…She's stronger than she thinks…just not physically…'
"Hold on!" Garudamon ordered, and Elisa nodded, obeying.
Garudamon beat her powerful wings, flying up.
"Wing Blade!"
As Myotismon was distracted by the attack, Garudamon picked up the others, flying off.
They stopped by a river, where Garudamon Dedigivolved all the way back to Yokomon.
"I finally understand…sensei loved me all along…so I always knew what it was…"
"And it was your love that helped me Digivolve, El." Yokomon added.
Elisa nodded as Don scooted closer.
"El…"
She looked up at him curiously, making him blush.
"I-I…"
Tentomon understood, and shooed the others away, a particularly stubborn Gomamon dragging his Super Shocker'd butt to Rach before leaving.
"I-I don't really know how to say this…"
"Say what?" She asked innocently.
Tentomon and Yokomon nodded, getting behind their partners.
Tentomon and Yokomon pushed the two turtles forward at the same time, the two meeting in the middle with an innocent kiss.
Both pulled back, blushing fiercely.
"I-I wanted to s-say…I love you…"
Elisa blushed even darker, but kept eye contact.
"…I love you, too…"
The soft glow of her crest showed she was telling the truth.
Yokomon and Tentomon smiled.
'They really deserve each other…'
The two crests tinkled lightly in a slight breeze, entwining around each other.
'This was meant to be…'