Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon

Sis woke me up at eight in the morning, the Destined were on a timetable and were expected back at noon. She had already shifted into her Alt-form before waking me so I took my usual perch around her neck before we went into the kitchen where Sora, Mimi, Hikari-chan, and Takeru-chan were setting out breakfast. We ate quickly and in relative silence. Relative because Sis and I were being briefed on the how we, Renamon and Onee-chan were going to be introduced. We were to be the so called "ambassadors" of the Southern Quadrant and everyone already knew not to say that we were from a parallel version of earth. Sis would be staying in her Alt-form most of the time to avoid raising suspicion and hopefully we wouldn't have to explain about being Gatekeepers to Hikari-chan and Takeru-chan's parents.

After we finished eating breakfast we left and made our way to the park, meeting up with the other Destined in small groups as we got closer. When we got to the park we did a head count and gear check to make sure everyone was there and had the things they brought here with them. I was a little nervous about going back into the Digital World after the last time I was there. What worried me wasn't the possibility of being chased around and attacked and all; no, it was Magnamon who was going to meet us when we entered and escort us to the Quadrant Gate. If for no other reason than I knew from Kudamon's memories that he was a sore loser and might still be angry at me for forcing his retreat.

We entered the gate and everything seemed to be spinning for a few seconds before we were standing upright in the desert that was the lowest level of this Digital World. I was feeling very dizzy but thanks to where I was I was in no danger of falling over or off. Magnamon was waiting about ten feet away from us and greeted us with a cheery wave. From the look on both Daisuke and Vmon's faces they still had trouble believing some things about the Southern Quadrant and the earth connected to it. Who could blame them though?

It was about two hour's flight to where the Gate was located and on the way we talked about all kinds of stuff. One of the main things was how Digimon were a little less accepted in the Destined's world despite having saved it multiple times. People weren't very keen on the idea of just waking up one morning and discovering that they now had a Digimon partner. Some parents were especially unhappy with this because they remembered the destruction that they had caused. Since Onee-chan is a Mega so hopefully no one would be dumb enough to attack her. Renamon and Sis can phase in and out of normal space whenever they want so they're fine. As for me…well I can control fire and ice.

We had to alter course once or twice to avoid the data streams that constantly criss-crossed the surface of this level. That and to shake off the odd Wild One that felt like trying to attack or follow us. We made it to the cave where the Quadrant Gate was about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule despite the detours. When we got to it I was truly awed, while it was impressive in Kudamon's memories, seeing it up close and personal was something else entirely. It was massive at least a hundred feet tall and seventy-five feet wide. Rather than being ornate it was made of a plain dull colored metal. Alphamon was standing in front of the Gate looking rather bored with having to wait for Magnamon to come and relieve him. Magnamon flew up and they tapped hands, Alphamon gave a small nod to everyone before silently leaving the cavern.

"So…how do we open it?" Sis asked

I saw Omnimon look down at me "What?"

"Aren't you going to"

"I don't know how. That's one of Kudamon's memories I don't have."

He sighed "How do you use The Hub?"

"The one time that I have used it, I was in my Alt-form and I somehow knew that I had to have a specific destination in mind, otherwise it could've spit me out anywhere in any world. But this gate is different; it only goes to one place and nowhere else."

"So it's just like an ordinary door then?"

"I guess."

I could tell that if his eyebrows were visible he'd have raised one of them. Then it hit me and I face pawed. He started laughing at my revelation. It was so simple; if it were a snake it would have bit me. The Quadrant Gate worked like an ordinary door because each side only led to one place. I started laughing as I explained it to Sis and Renamon.

"Even though I know how to open it now there's still the not so little problem of size." I hopped down and crossed the distance to the Gate leaning my back against it I couldn't see the dull glow of my gray ring and the glittering of my White Card "A Digimon as small as me couldn't possibly open a door this"

I was cut off by a loud creaking and abrupt fall as the door I was leaning against swung slowly open behind me. Everyone started laughing at my fall as the door continued to open farther. It stopped when it was wide enough for Omnimon to walk through without any difficulty. Sis walked over and picked me up, returning me to her shoulders. The rest of the group gathered round and tied a rope around Sis's waist.

"It's so we don't get separated from each other. When we passed through it to get here we ended up scattered across the room. On our side, the Gate is sitting at the edge of a lake in a huge forest." Hikari-chan said

"I'll just hold on to Sis. Her fur provides really good grip so I'll be fine."

"Suit yourself Brother Alex."

We lined up Omnimon in front, Sis and me in the back. One by one humans and Digimon walked into the light of the open Quadrant Gate. Soon enough it was our turn. Once I felt myself hit that light I knew something was wrong. I felt a jolt of pain surge through my body as we flew through the surrounding light. I lost my grip and fell off Sis's shoulders tumbling off to the side as the rings around my wrists and tail shattered into data which was quickly entered into my body. I heard Sis calling out to me, reaching and trying to grab me but before she could the light vanished and I saw a lake rapidly approaching me.

"F."

I splashed down into it and sank a good fifteen or so feet in the clear cold blue water. I as soon as I recovered I started swimming straight to the surface. I was almost there when I couldn't hold out any longer and breathed in. Rather than start drowning I somehow felt…refreshed, as though I had drawn in fresh air and not water. I paused in my swimming and breathed in again, same thing. I floated there thinking back over the Norse mythology I had studied after learning about my powers. Ginnungagap, the place that existed between the worlds of Muspelheim and Niflheim, where the fire melted the ice and created water. It must have been an indirect connection to it because I held the Gates to the places that created it.

I stayed below the surface as I swiftly made my to shore, barely noticing the light glow my body emitted. A glow that I had now come to associate with the more subtle use of my Gates. Rather than swimming I seemed to flying effortlessly through the water, maybe Sakura had been right and I was a Nature Spirit and not a Gatekeeper. But then again, we still didn't know very much about the full extent of our powers. I had landed pretty far out in the water but made it to shore quickly. When I climbed out and started breathing in air I began coughing up the water I had breathed in.

"You realize this wouldn't have happened if you had just let us tie that rope onto you to right?" Sis said as she phased in front of me

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know but on the plus side I learned I can breathe underwater." She put me around her neck and phased us back to the rest of the group

"What happened?" Taichi asked.

"I don't know. One second I'm fine then as soon as we walk into the light I'm in pain."

"What happened to those other rings you had?" Mimi asked

I quickly checked my wrists and tail before remembering "They shattered into data but there wasn't a lot of it and I can still feel all three gates so I guess they were just aesthetic."

"Then as soon as the press conference is over I'm taking you shopping."

"Sh-shopping! You don't have" I sputtered

"Nonsense of course I do, those rings looked so cute on you. Think of it as my way of repaying you for the kindness you showed while we were with you."

"No really you don't"

"Just give up now," Takeru-chan said "once Mimi decides to take someone shopping there's no getting out of it."

I gave a sigh of resignation "Fine I'll go, I'll go. But only if Takeru-chan comes with us."

"Done." Mimi said causing Takeru-chan to groan

The rest of the trip was on foot but we ended up meeting a lot of Digimon along the way. For us it was very strange. We were so used to most of the Digital World being an empty dangerous desert. All this greenery and friendly Digimon was a bit off putting. One or two of them got a bit too close for our liking and were lucky to walk away with only a bruise or two.

After an hour and a half of walking we made it to our next stop. It was a large village ruled by ShogunGekomon. It was full of Gekomon, Otamamon, Floramon, and Mushroomon who rushed to greet us. Well everyone but me for some reason. They tried their best to keep their distance from me.

"I don't bite you know." I said

They just continued trying to stay away from me until Mimi got angry and started yelling at them about manners. We went to ShogunGekomon's castle where we had a quick lunch. After we finished eating we made our way to one of the upper rooms. Inside the room was a simple TV, the gateway to the Real World connected to the Eastern Quadrant of the Digital World. After a quick review session to make sure we remembered everything Miyako held up her D-3 and we were engulfed in light.

I blinked. We were on a stage in some kind of auditorium twenty five chairs with microphones in front of each had been set up behind a long table before us. They had only been expecting one ambassador and we had already decided that Sis was going to be speaking. Everyone took their seats and I stayed put around Sis's neck as she sat down, Renamon and Onee-chan stood just behind us. As soon as they took their places we were bombarded with questions about us and the Southern Quadrant.

"Hey Sis, can I pick the first one?"

"Why not there's so many of them I can't really decide."

I pointed to one of the people about midway back who was obviously wearing a toupee "You with the hair piece!"

"What is it like living in the Southern Quadrant of the Digital World?" he asked clearly annoyed at my calling him by what he wore

"The Southern Quadrant is far less peaceful than the Eastern Quadrant. We often fight to the death, the victor consumes or 'loads' the data of their defeated enemy. Most of the Quadrant is made up of a vast and barren desert. For the more peaceful Digimon there are 'data packets' which are a collection of old and discarded data which can be used for food or medicine. There are other areas of the Southern Quadrant ranging from the simple to the bizarre and it's not uncommon to go for days without seeing another living being." Sis said

I pointed to someone else this time a woman in the front "So are you saying that unlike most of the peaceful Digimon in the Eastern Quadrant, those of you who live in the Southern are more warlike?" she asked

"No, because most of our Quadrant is barren we have to fight for our survival. However, it is not uncommon for Digimon of the same species to gather in groups and work together for protection."

A guy way in the back "If you were attacked by a human, how would you repsond?"

"I'd try and leave the area as quickly and safely as possible."

"What if you had no choice but to fight?"

"Then I would try and reason with the human and if I had to fight back I would be as gentle as possible to prevent permanent injury."

"So you don't deny that you would willingly attack a human?"

"Only if there was no other option and they would refuse to listen to reason."

This person was starting try Sis's patience. We tried picking someone else but the guy wouldn't shut up. We eventually had to pause everything while security came and threw him out. There followed several more questions concerning human-Digimon interations before the press conference came to a close. All the reporters filled out and soon it was just us, the Destined and their families. Introductions followed shortly thereafter, everyone seemed very glad to meet us. We worked out who was staying where; Onee-chan and I would be staying with Takeru-chan and his mother, while Sis and Renamon would be staying with Hikari-chan and her parents.

Once that was all settled Mimi wasted no time in placing me around her neck and dragging Takeru-chan, Palmon, Patamon and I off to the nearest mall. By the time we got there it was 12:45. Mimi dragged us from shop to shop showing me her favorite places so as to go along with the whole "ambassador" charade. She finally picked out a store that carried items for smaller Digimon like me. I was surprised by how full the shop was at this time of day, but then again it was Saturday. The shop was had all kinds of things from shoes and shirts to plastic blades of grass. Mimi began grabbing things here and there as we traversed the crowd and made our way to an open table where I could stand and try on the things Mimi picked.

We ran through I don't know how many things before I finally realized she wouldn't let us leave until I picked something out. I took a more active interest and finally settled on pair of Aviator's and a plastic wheat stem. The Aviator's reminded me of Bro and the wheat stem because I liked it. Mimi was giggling about my choice as I stood there on my hind legs with my hands on my hips. I held the stem in the left side of my mouth at an angle and with the sunglasses on I looked like the stereotypical laid back country boy.

"That's a good look for you." Takeru-chan said genially

"Thanks, it's not something I could pull off if I was, well you know."

"I still think you should get a jacket to complete it." Mimi said

"I'd like to but if I have to shift at a moment's notice I can set these down. But with a jacket I'd have to take it off first so it doesn't get destroyed."

We went to the register and the cashier made some adjustments to the sunglasses so they would fight perfectly. We paid for the two items and left the store heading for the Amusement Park where we had agreed to meet up with everyone. We attracted a surprising amount of attention on the way. I don't know if it was because Mimi, Takeru-chan and their Digimon were famous or if it was me that everyone was being drawn to. Either way we had to deal with a lot of people on the way.

By the time we made it to the Amusement Park it was already 2 o'clock. We spent the next three hours riding the rides while being "informed" about the human world. While we were waiting in one of the lines a small orange sun with a flame on its head holding a D-3 in its mouth appeared in front of a little boy. The Digimon introduced himself as Sunmon telling the boy that they were partners. The boy and his family seemed overjoyed by this.

"Did anyone sense him before he appeared?" Renamon asked

Everybody shook their heads "It's like we thought. The barriers in this world are still weak from the Dark Towers and the destruction of the Destiny Stones." Sis said "That means we won't be able to tell when they show up."

"They might already be here. They could be bidding their time till we have our guard down." Onee-chan said

"Onee-chan," Hikari-chan whined "don't say things like that. You'll have us all jumping at our own shadows."

"Ironic considering you are the Child of Light." Renamon noted

"It's more disconcerting to me than anyone else." I said "Normally we, and me especially, can sense other Digimon before anyone else, probably because of the Gates, and we didn't even get a blip on the proverbial radar."

We left shortly after to get diner at a nearby, Digimon friendly, restaurant. The staff was a mix of humans and Digimon. They all were happy to meet new customers and made that known right away. It took us about an hour to eat diner food was really good. Afterwards we spent the next two hours being shown around Odaiba. As early as it was we were all very tired so we agreed to meet at a park by the Fuji TV station tomorrow. Iori, Miyako, Armadimon, and Hawkmon all still lived in the same building as Takeru-chan and Patamon so our home bound group was pretty large.

I was wrapped around Onee-chan's neck and more than once I felt like we were being followed. I looked back once or twice and didn't see anything odd, but I did feel like I was being watched. If anyone noticed they didn't say anything. We got out of the elevator on the eighth floor. As we entered the apartment Takeru-chan, Patamon, and Ms. Takaishi lived in I thought I heard someone whispering in my ear.

"Did ya'll say something?"

"No," Takeru-chan said "why?"

"I thought I heard something."

"Is that why you looked back those few times on the way here?" Onee-chan asked

"Sort of," I hesitated "I felt like we were being followed. But whenever I looked back there was nothing and I felt like someone or something was watching me."

Takeru-chan closed the door behind us "You're just letting what Sister Dianamon said earlier get to you."

"I guess you're right…"

We watched TV till about 9 o'clock when we finally decided to go to sleep. Onee-chan slept on the couch in the family room. I curled up in a chair by one of the windows. Everyone else fall asleep quickly, but I felt restless. I didn't know why till I heard a woman's voice clearly whispering in my ear.

"Good evening, little lost cu."

My eyes snapped open and standing there in front of me was a woman in her early twenties. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. From her pale softly glowing skin to her deep brown hair. Her blue green eyes were full of both delight and curiosity as she looked at me. She was wearing a long purple dress.

"Um…hi." I said nervously "Since you called me Cu does that mean you're a fairy?"

She giggled and gave me a warm smile "Indeed I am. Titania has sent me."

"Who?"

She sighed "I was told you may be ignorant of some things."

I raised an eyebrow and she quickly raised her hands in an apologetic manner.

"I'm sorry I meant no offense by that." She said quickly

"It's okay."

"Titania is the Fairy Queen. She wants me to watch over and, if need be, rescue you."

"Oh…am I, like important or something?"

"Yes, you are first Cu in nearly two centuries. In the old days we had hundreds. But very few of them were part human."

"So what happened to them all? Oh and I'm not just part human, I'm also part Digimon."

"Most still live, there is even one who is part human, but they are all quite old and tired now and your being part Digimon is an illusion created by your fairy blood."

"What about the scans that have been taken? They say otherwise."

"They say that your body is mostly data. But not all data belongs to Digimon little cu."

"I have a name you know."

"True but not one that I may call you, Titania has yet to choose one for you and as such I can call you naught but cu."

"Think she'll let me keep my current one?"

She walked over and looked out the window "No. But she has taken a great interest in you so she may let you suggest something. Although whether or not she picks it is up to her."

"Since I'm a 'Fairy' Dog am I able to give favors to people?"

"No, not that you would want to as most times they end up causing more harm than good."

"I see," I said slowly now noticing she had no wings "why don't you have wings?"

She looked at me "What?"

"I thought fairies all had wings, but you don't. Why?"

She gave a soft laugh "We do and we don't little cu."

"Huh?"

"All fairies, cu included, can change their shape to a certain degree. We don't need wings to fly but some prefer them. Long ago a group was seen with wings was seen by a human who ended up spreading the word around and over time all humans began to associate us with having them."

"It's because I can change my shape so much that Titania is greatly interested in me. Right?"

"I'm afraid that only she knows the answer to that question."

"Great. You know my name, even though you can't use it, but I still don't know yours."

"I can't tell you my name, not yet."

"Why not?"

"The time has not yet come for you to know it, nothing more, nothing less."

"Why couldn't I see you before?"

"Fairies created the veil that separates the human from the supernatural and as such we can easily manipulate it so that even those who can see through cannot see us."

"That explains why I still felt like someone was watching me."

There was silence for a few minutes while I pawed at the White Card "Can you tell me anything about this?" I asked showing it to her

She frowned as she examined it "Not much I'm afraid. It clearly functions as a method of payment but it also seems to be a seal of some sort. There may be more to it but that is all that I can see. I will have to ask Titania if she can tell me anything about it."

"Oh."

She gently put her hand on my head "Now sleep, little cu. You and I both know that there will be much activity for you in the coming days."

I wanted to protest, I still had questions I wanted to ask. But I felt myself slipping into sleep before I could even open my mouth. Whenever I see her again I'm going to make her teach me this trick. I thought as I fell asleep.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to drop em in the review
For those of you who are particularly literature savy I don't own Titania either. Not that I think a copyright from about 500 years ago counts anymore =P.
Might not have an update for a while as some family matters have come up, but I'm not gonna say anymore on that.

Later
^^;