"Hello!" It said, in a high-pitched voice.

The three children stood agape. Wendy dropped her sword. John lowered his hook.

The small creature looked around at each of them in turn. "What's wrong?" It said.

"It...can talk!" Michael exclaimed.

"And it got bigger!" John observed. "It must be because we fed it so much!"

Wendy knelt before the creature. "Were you listening to our story?"

"Sure was!" Said the small being with a delighted smile. "It was terrific!"

"Oh. Well, thank you!" Said Wendy, blushing. "But how can you suddenly speak? You know English."

"Oh yeah," said the creature. "Because I digivolved. I know that now I guess because it happened. My name's Cupimon. Pleased to meet you, Wendy, Michael, John."

"You know our names!"

"Well yeah, you keep saying them. And besides, I'm your partner!"

Wendy cocked her head to the side. "Partner?"

"I'm your Digimon!" Said Cupimon. "And I came to tell you something very important!"

"Something important? Like what?" Inquired John. "And what's a 'Digimon'?"

"It's short for 'Digital Monster'! We live in the Digital World!"

"The...Digital World?" Wendy wondered.

"Yes! And I've come to help you. I think it's cause your world is in danger. And I think it has to do with that story you just told!"

"What? Impossible." Wendy shook her head. "That's just a story we made up."

"But you didn't make it up! It's true! Or at least, sort of."

"Sort of?" Asked John.

"Well," said Cupimon, "some of it might be a little off. Or you missed some things."

"It's just a story we tell at school," Wendy said. "Are you trying to say it really happened."

"Something like it!" Cupimon said happily.

"How can you be so happy about it? That means a lot of children actually have gone missing!"

"Not missing!" Said Cupimon. "They went to the Digital World!"

"What? No way!" Michael chimed in.

"It's true!"

"Neverland is the Digital World, then?" John crossed his arms. "But it's a video game."

"It's not just a game." Cupimon said, shaking its head."

"So you're saying," Wendy thought aloud, sitting back on her heels, "that that's where they've all gone? The game led them there?"

"You got it!"

John scratched his head. "But I don't get it. Weren't you just born? How can you already talk and walk around?"

"I can fly, too!"

To their surprise, the little creature extended a pair of cherubic wings from its back and rose into the air.

"Whoa!"

John walked around Cupimon, examining it. "You're sort of like a bee. Able to lift your body with a pair of wings that aren't quite big enough."

"That's so cool!" Michael exclaimed gleefully.

"You said you're a digital creature," Wendy said.

"Digital _monster_ ! " Cupimon corrected.

"Yes. Well, then, what are you made out of? You don't seem to be an ordinary animal."

"Nope! I'm made from data. When we digivolve, our data is reconfigured and we become new!"

John rubbed his chin. "And that means you know more about _yourselves_ right away? It's like a metamorphosis - physically as well as mentally..."

"I guess," said Cupimon.

"Not quite a genius yet though, huh?"

"Alright John, that's enough." Said Wendy. "You said we were in danger. What do we need to do? Can we help you look for the lost children?"

"I'm not sure," said Cupimon. "But I do know one thing. I have to keep digivolving."

"How can we help you do that?"

Cupimon flitted about the room. "You need something called a Digivice to make it happen. Have you seen anything like that? A small electronic gadget. It's given to everyone who is destined to have a Digimon partner. You should have one, Wendy!"

Wendy pointed to herself. "Me?!"

"Yes! We need to find your Digivice."

Wendy's face dropped. "But...I don't have anything like that. I've never seen one in my life..."

"Are you sure? Where was the first place you ever heard the story of Peter?"

Wendy looked up. "Peter? I guess...in school. The computer lab. The other girls and I were talking about it there once and I thought how nice it would be to be able to go to Neverland."

Michael clapped his hands together. "Then it's settled! We look in the computer lab at school!"

"Just one problem," said John. "It's Saturday."

"But...time is running out!" Cupimon's wings beat faster.

"I suppose you're right," Wendy said. "Let's see if anyone's there. That's all we can do. Perhaps the custodian?"

"That's fine with me," John said. "Although I never thought you would be the one to suggest going to school on the weekend, Wendy." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.