The sun beat down on them harshly, and Mel shielded her eyes from the brightness as it reflected off the sand.
It looked never-ending, and she wiped the sweat away as Palmon leaned against her hip.
The air almost wavered with heat, and Jenny breathed out a sigh of relief when Gomamon jumped atop her head.
Steph was carrying Biyomon on her back piggy-back style, who used her wings cover her partner's head in shadows.
Lizzy was carrying Tentomon carefully against her chest when he got tired, and rested her head on his.
Meg held a hand over her eyes, unhappy with how far they were from shade, and flicked Gabumon's horn to see if he was alright.
TJ was trudging along, tired, as Tokomon rode atop her head, trying to cheer her up.
Tonya was at the head of the group, holding her crest up so it sparkled in the sun, Agumon looking up at her curiously.
"It's so HOT…" Mel whined.
"How much farther do we have to walk?" Lizzy wondered.
"We walk until we can't walk anymore…" Jenny answered.
"Maybe our feet with bleed and fall off before Etemon can't find us anymore…"
"There's no such place…is there?" TJ piped up.
"Guys, I'm sure we'll be fine." Steph soothed.
"I hope so, at least." Meg admitted.
Tonya turned around to see the group stopping to catch their breath, and sighed…
"What's up now? We can't just stop in the middle of the desert."
"It's not like we have anywhere to be." Jenny replied.
"It doesn't matter. We don't have anything to be afraid of anymore now that I have a crest."
"You don't even know how to use it." Meg retorted.
"I'll figure it out." The redhead stated confidently.
"How hard could it really be? It was easy before."
"It isn't that simple…" Lizzy voiced.
"I mean…Agumon needs to eat…and you need to be in some kind of danger…"
"Well, all we have to do is feed him."
"And nearly get killed. Well, ISN'T THAT JUST FANTASTIC?"
"Jenny, you're doing it again." Mel pointed out, rubbing her eye.
"It's not MY fault we apparently want to KILL OURSELVES!"
"I don't want to kill myself." Tonya assured.
"But I need to get this thing working so we don't get our asses handed to us again."
"I like my ass where it is, so why don't we just run instead?"
"Run WHERE?" Steph questioned.
"…That way?"
"…"
SMACK!!!
"OW! MEG…"
"We'll work on it later." Meg stated.
"Let's just find some food and water."
"Good idea." Tonya agreed.
It only took another hour or two for them to actually find an oasis, and the group split up to find food.
Meg and TJ found bananas, Lizzy found bush-grown oranges, Mel climbed up to retrieve pears, and Steph helped Jenny get giant watermelons.
Tonya had retrieved apples, and the group converged with their finds.
The redhead split the food up among them, and Meg quirked an eyebrow when she found that their portions were significantly smaller than Agumon's.
"Well, at least we have food…" Steph muttered.
"She could have given it all to Agumon…" Lizzy agreed.
They were eating silently as Agumon was being stuffed to the brim, Jenny shaking her head.
"He'll be a penguin soon…"
"He'll waddle?" TJ wondered.
"Maybe he'll fall over." Mel added, giggling.
"I don't remember seeing her like this before…" Lizzy admitted.
"She's always been nice…even to us younger kids…"
"She's guilty."
Everyone's eyes turned to Meg, who was still watching Tonya below them, taking in the determined expression.
"When Tonya makes a promise, she keeps it. No matter how long it's been."
"Yeah…"
Jenny nodded, looking down at an orange in her hand.
"I've never seen her this bad…" Mel worried.
"Why is she guilty?" TJ wondered innocently.
"…"
Meg didn't answer, so Steph stepped in.
"Because she gave the Pagumon a chance to take Tokomon."
A growl rumbled through the wolf-girl's throat, and Gabumon put a soothing hand on her shoulder.
"SHE shouldn't be guilty about that."
"But she is…" Lizzy piped up.
"The only question now is…how do we snap her out of it?"
"We can't." Jenny admitted.
"When Tonya gets a thought in her head, she doesn't let it go. She'll probably always feel a little guilty…"
"But she shouldn't!" Mel insisted.
"But she does!" Jenny snapped.
Meg glared at the two, and they settled down, Digimon soothing them.
"Fighting each other won't help anything."
"Meg's right." Steph agreed.
"We just…need to show her she's not alone in protecting the group."
"…Will Tonya be okay?" TJ worried.
"Yeah…She will be."
Jenny leaned back on her palms, sighing, as Gomamon settled on her shoulder…
When her tag began to glow a grey-silver…
Snapping to attention at the unexpected light, the blonde stared at it dumbly.
"WHOA…"
"Y-Your crest must be nearby!" Lizzy realized excitedly.
"I'll check it out!" Tentomon offered, buzzing into the air and looking around.
Slowly turning in a circle, the bug Digimon paused when he caught sight of what seemed like a building.
"What's up?" Tonya wondered, looking almost fidgety while Agumon looked too full.
"My crest is nearby…"
"I see something!"
Everyone looked up at Tentomon, and Lizzy took a step closer.
"What is it, Tento?"
"It looks like a large stone building. Ruins."
"That must be where it is! Last one there is a jellybean monkey!"
The group blinked as Jenny ran, trying to process what she'd said…
"…What?"
Shaking off their confusion, they followed her along the dunes, their destination beginning to take shape on the horizon.
Its walls and columns rose above them in weathered stone, and Jenny slowed at the large curved wall that blocked her path.
Her tag was glowing more erratically, as if to tell her the crest was close, and the blonde rushed to find a doorway.
As TJ tried to catch up with the others, she almost tripped over something in the sand.
Hopping a moment in surprise, she turned to see what it was.
"A wire?"
Tokomon looked just as curious, but…
"Tammy, don't fall behind."
"Right! Sorry!"
Jogging to catch up, TJ smiled apologetically before they caught up to Jenny at a mile-high doorway.
"WHOA…"
After a moment, Tonya gathered her wits and walked in, Agumon struggling to keep up as the others scampered after them.
The high-ceiling hallway opened up to a wide arena, with a soccer field along its length and two large TVs at the ends.
"Um…Are there supposed to be TVs in here?" Mel wondered.
"I don't think so." Steph admitted.
"It looks like the Roman Coliseum…" Lizzy noted.
"Only more intact…And less haunted, I'd guess…"
"There's no such thing as ghosts. And don't try to convince me." Meg voiced.
"Maybe we could play soccer?" TJ hoped.
"There's no time. We have to find the crest!" Tonya insisted.
"Whoa there, cowgirl!" Jenny interrupted.
"My tag is the only clue to MY crest, right? So me and Goma-Goma will just go over THERE and search for it."
"But-."
"Besides, Agumon looks like a bloated Whamon. Give him a break before he bursts open with confetti."
Looking put-out, Tonya could no longer deny that sick, heavy feeling coming from their bond.
Agumon was exhausted like her grandmother after a thanksgivings FEAST…
"Alright…"
Jenny grinned, happy to help the Digimon protecting the reason for their group's existence, and went off.
Tonya, still feeling antsy and wanting to do something, began searching the bleachers.
Steph smiled when a soccer ball rolled over the field, and ran forward to catch it under her foot.
Managing for it to flip into the air, she caught it on her head, balancing carefully as Biyomon clapped.
"That's amazing!"
"Aw, it's not so great…"
"Don't say that, Steph." Mel assured.
"You're great at soccer."
"What's soccer?" Tokomon wondered.
"It's a game you play with a ball and two nets." TJ explained.
"There are two teams, and you try to score a goal."
"Without using your hands." Meg added.
"Could we play?" Lizzy inquired.
"I'll play!" Her partner assured.
"What are you guys doing?"
Everyone turned to see Tonya, who had Agumon already dozing at her side, and everyone but Meg and Steph shrunk under her glare.
"There isn't time for games. You either help look or rest!"
No one could find a thing to say back to her, seeing the nervous shine in her eyes and knowing what she must be thinking.
'If you don't watch yourselves, you'll get hurt. If you get hurt, I'll never forgive myself!'
Agumon must have felt it more keenly than they did, and didn't complain about having been stuffed to bursting or walking around.
If there was such a thing as love and devotion, each partner shared it with their Digimon.
Even then, Agumon seemed more attached to his partner than any of the others.
It was as if his every thought was aimed towards her, and most of hers towards him.
Now that Meg thought about it…
'She wants Agumon to be stronger so her decisions won't hurt him again…'
Tonya sighed, looking up at the sky…
'Why can't this feel right? I'm doing everything I can…'
Jenny was standing almost right inside the soccer goal, her tag flashing so fast the glow seemed constant.
"It's GOTTA be right here…Is this crest invisible or something?"
"Maybe it's hidden? The other crest was."
"No apple pie way, REALLY?"
"…There's no need to get sarcastic."
"There's EVERY need."
Strange music began to play, like they were in a baseball stadium, and everyone looked around in confusion.
Clapping echoed against the stone, and eyes locked on a TV screen as Etemon, and Babyface, appeared on it.
"Oh CRAP…" Steph voiced.
"It's Etemon!" Mel shouted, and everyone started running towards where a frozen Jenny stood.
"Holy jumbling giggle-fritters…"
Tonya skidded to a halt, looking back to see Agumon trip, and raced to his side.
"Agu, come on!"
"TONYA!"
Meg hit the brakes when the goal fell over them in a cage, and the six girls were captured, leaving Tonya all alone.
"Are you okay?"
"We're fine!"
"Watch out!"
"GOAL!"
Glaring up at Etemon and Babyface, anger boiling as she remembered what his lackeys had done, Tonya was ready to pounce.
"You let them go, or I swear I'll-!"
"You'll what?" Babyface challenged.
"Paw us to death?"
A deep growl…
"You think you can hold us with a net?" Tentomon questioned, flying into the net…
And getting shocked…
Lizzy cried out at the sudden jolt, and caught her partner before falling back onto her butt.
"LIZZY!"
"I-I'm okay…"
"We'd LOVE to be there to destroy you in person, but…"
"We're too far for that! But don't worry, I chose someone to keep you company!"
"WE did…"
"Can you guess who it is?"
"How would we know?" Tonya snarled, fists clenched…
"You'd be surprised!"
Something busted through the short wall on the opposite side of the arena.
Gold eyes widened…
"A Greymon?"
There was a beetle Spirit Evolution on his head, and he bore a dark collar, probably to control them.
As the Greymon crushed the opposite goal, his partner's wings buzzing, Etemon laughed.
"I knew you'd be surprised! Now it's time to sing your final number!"
"We'll see about that! Right, Agu?"
"Right…"
Her charm began to shine, and Meg found herself praying that nothing would go wrong…
"Tiger!"
The light caught their opponent's attention…
"Tonya, Spirit Evolve into…TAWNY!"
"Agumon, Digivolve to…GREYMON!!"
As the two Digimon collided, Tawny pounced on the hard-shelled Spirit Evolution.
They wrestled along the ground, buzzing and snarling, as Greymon pushed off his opponent to gain some space.
Head-butting the duplicate, he left himself open to a tail in the side, and was tackled off his feet.
Feeling the sudden pain, Tawny jolted away from her own foe, her lip splitting from the force alone.
The bug-girl snickered at her sign of weakness, and Tonya's eyes hardened to shining gold, wiping the blood off her chin.
"You little…"
Greymon was struck into the electrified net, and both felt the jolt of energy before he was thrown forward.
Holding in a cry of agony, Tawny fell to her knees, panting from the exertion.
"Greymon…We need to evolve…"
"I can't…"
"They'll be done for if they don't level up…" Lizzy fretted.
"I don't think they can…" Steph worried, brow furrowed.
Greymon charged horns-first, and was thrown off-course, hitting the ground hard on his stomach.
Tonya flinched as she swiped at her enemy, swerving out of the way of an aerial dive.
"Greymon!"
A foot slammed into his back, and Tonya cried out as the beetle-girl dove into her back.
Something was wrong…
Mel could tell…
They weren't as fast, as nimble, as in-sync…
"What's wrong with them?"
"Greymon ate too much, so his reflexes are shot. Thanks so their bond, it's leaking into Tawny." Jenny explained.
"What can we do?" Lizzy wondered.
"Maybe if we got some Advil?" TJ suggested innocently.
"It would have to be some BIG Advil…" Jenny replied.
"This isn't helping!" Steph shouted.
Tonya winced, kicking her enemy off as Greymon whipped his own opponent away with his tail.
'Come on, crest! GLOW!'
"Nova Blast-!"
He only burped, and her ears lay back in confusion…
"Huh?"
Greymon was then lifted into the air, spun around, and chucked through one of the short walls, destroying it.
Tonya managed to fend off her own antagonist, distracting from what her friends seemed to be doing…
"We need to get out of here. We're no use sitting here." Meg stated.
"We could tunnel our way out!" Mel suggested.
"Let's move these rocks first…There should be dirt underneath…"
The slabs were moved mainly by the Digimon, and once a layer of rock had been pushed aside, they found another one.
"Oh come ON…" Steph grumbled.
"Wait a sec…"
Jenny stared at the strange symbol upon it, and brushed it with her fingertips.
The stone glowed bright silver, as did her tag, and when it died, the crest was within it.
Before Jenny could celebrate, they fell through into a tunnel…
"YAY…And OW…"
As they climbed out of their 'cage', Tawny was trying to find her footing once again…
Greymon was getting knocked around pretty badly, and Tawny felt every blow as she kicked beetle-girl in the face.
"Greymon, get up! We can't stop now!"
He was caught in a headlock, Tawny surprised at the unforeseen pressure on her throat, and tossed into the stands.
"GREYMON!"
That panic flooded her system as she saw the evil Greymon charge up for an attack…
'NO!'
Rushing towards him without thought, there was only one thing flashing through her head…
'Don't hurt him don't I'll do anything I'll make him Digivolve LEAVE HIM ALONE!'
"Nova Blast-!"
"NO!"
Crashing into the side of his face, she knocked his attack off-course.
The beetle-girl grabbed her tail, tossing her beside Greymon, and Tawny couldn't hold in her rage.
'He tried to hurt Greymon, KILL him!'
She could just sense Steph and Meg running into the fray…
"Wolf!"
"Eagle!"
The Greymon was distracted by the new arrivals, and Tawny was fighting the darkness bubbling up from her rage…
"Megan, Spirit Evolve into…FANG!"
"Gabumon, Digivolve to…GARURUMON!!"
"Stephanie, Spirit Evolve into…TALON!"
"Biyomon, Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!"
"Tawny, get out of there!" Meg growled.
"We'll take care of them!" Steph insisted.
"NO."
Standing, Tawny shrugged off rubble, and her crest was glowing darkly…
"We'll take care of them…"
Greymon stood, as if agreeing with her, and the dark, eerie shine spread wider…
Meg's jaw locked, her fists clenched…
"Tawny, NO…"
"Greymon, Dark Digivolve to…"
Dark black flames erupted in a column around the tiger-girl, and even TJ was frightened…
"SKULLGREYMON!!"
The flames died, showing a completely-black Tawny, with pale grey skin and demon-red eyes as onyx bangs fell in her face.
A longsword, with a bone handle and hand guard, looked menacingly sharp.
Mel looked to Lizzy and Jenny, thoroughly terrified.
"What's going on?!"
"I-I don't know…"
"They must have evolved wrong!"
Meg's ear twitched, and she crouched down as Talon hovered higher in the air.
'Oh no…'
"It's Skullgreymon!" Tentomon fretted.
"I can't believe it!"
"He's a VERY bad Digimon!" Gomamon agreed.
"How are we supposed to beat him?" TJ worried, Tokomon clutched to her check.
"We can't…" Palmon admitted.
Skullgreymon easily grabbed the Greymon like he was a toy, and Dark Tawny raised her sword as the beetle-girl tried to protect her partner.
Skullgreymon threw his annoyance into a TV screen as Dark Tawny knocked her own out of the way with a slap of her blade.
"Dark Shot!"
Lizzy's eyes widened as the sword pierced the girl's chest…
Both disintegrated into millions of pieces, and Dark Tawny hissed, demon eyes turning to the only opponents left.
"Tawny…" Talon called, concerned.
"Tawny, it's us. Remember? We're your friends!"
A roar that shook the stone, and Talon got the feeling she hadn't gotten through…
"TAWNY!"
Dark Tawny's pounce was stopped in midair by Fang, who tackled her to the ground.
The dark skeleton sword clattered to the side, and the wolf-girl flinched as claws ripped open her shoulder.
"Tawny, stop it! You don't know what you're doing!"
A snarling hiss, and the black-haired girl was kicked off, rolling on the harsh stone.
Talon dove down to collide with her wild friend before she retrieved her blade, and both tumbled, wings flapping and limbs flailing.
Talon was knocked into the bleachers, rubble falling beneath her feathers, as both Garurumon and Birdramon were smacked away.
"Ferret!"
The purple star flew towards the battlefield, catching Dark Tawny's attention…
"Elizabeth, Spirit Evolve into…TECHIE!"
"Tentomon, Digivolve to…KABUTERIMON!!"
Techie stopped the sword from slicing into a fallen friend, straining so the blade didn't fall.
Skullgreymon was still causing destruction, and the tiger-girl seemed bloodthirsty.
She didn't even seem to care whose blood was spilled…
"Tawny, stop!"
"Meteor Wing!"
"Don't do this!"
"Howling Blaster!"
"TAWNY!"
"Electro Shocker!"
Nothing was working…
Skullgreymon knocked Kabuterimon and Birdramon out of the air with his tail, simply kicking Garurumon, and the Digimon couldn't seem to rise.
Dark Tawny used the hilt of her blade to reinforce her punches, knocking back Talon and Techie.
Fang, however, caught the blow, her enhanced strength keeping the fist from meeting her face.
"Tawny, snap OUT of it. We're your FRIENDS."
Something flashed through her dark crimson eyes, and blue orbs widened…
'Can she hear me?'
"Tawny, I know you. Don't let this darkness win. Don't start giving up now!"
A snarl, but Meg managed to hold back both arms, pinning them.
"Tawny, listen to me! Fight back! I know you don't want to hurt us!"
Dark Tawny brought her foot up to kick Fang across the face, causing her release.
Skullgreymon walked by her, and she jumped onto his shoulder as he busted out of the outer wall.
He rushed through anything in his path, stopping on the outskirts of the ruins as their energy depleted.
The dark energy fell away from her, and Tonya fell to the sand in a near-unconscious heap, Koromon beside her.
The others had followed their example, and Mel was slipping down the dunes to check on their impromptu leader.
"Tonya! Tonya, are you okay?"
The redhead stirred, eyes fluttering open to see her partner, once again an In-Training Digimon…
"Koromon…?"
The memories came flooding back, the dark hate overwhelming her and the pain she caused…
Tears fell from her eyes, hitting the sand, and Koromon hopped to her side, nuzzling the saltwater from her cheeks.
"It's okay, Tonya…I know…"
Meg stopped just beside her friend, and crouched at her side.
"Tonya…"
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…"
"We know…"
Jenny joined her, and the elder girl lifted her friend into a hug.
"We don't blame you, Tonya…"
"I messed up…I messed up again!"
"Y-You didn't mess up…" Lizzy assured.
"You were just trying too hard." Mel agreed.
"But I hurt you guys…and Koromon…"
"We forgive you." TJ replied.
"…Why would you forgive me for attacking you?"
"That wasn't you."
Steph smiled gently, like a mother telling her child to stop being so silly.
"We know you wouldn't attack us like that in your right mind. And I know you'll never let this happen again."
"How can you trust me?"
"You've never let us down before." Meg informed.
"I'm just sorry I couldn't rise to your expectations…" Koromon admitted.
"No. I'M sorry, Koromon."
Lifting the Digimon into her lap, Tonya rested her forehead on his.
"I shouldn't have pushed you so hard. I'll never do anything like that again. I promise."
He smiled, cuddling into her chest…
"I know, Tonya…I know…"