Intertwined Destinies

Jade Potter is a lonely girl from England who just happens to have a dark and secretive past. When she goes to Japan as part of a school assignment, she and seven other children are summoned to a strange world, where not all is as it seems. Just what is the Digital World, and how will everyone get back home again? Will they want to? And who exactly is Jade?

Chapter 3: Howl at the Moon

The children and digimon had several options about what to do to prepare for the setting sun. They could have gone back the way they had come and taken a different road to leave the beach, they could have continued to walk along the beach until the rock wall became smaller or disappeared completely, or they could simply climb the rock wall and be done with it. The beach was surrounded by rocky cliffs, and except for the path by the river, there was no way to simply walk off it. Of course, by the time this was realised the children had already walked a fair distance and didn't want to go back.

The digimon who could fly, Patamon, Biyomon and Tentomon, had no trouble getting to the top of the cliff. Similarly, Palmon was able to use her Poison Ivy attack which had her fingers lengthening into long vines, in order to skip the climbing and just arrive. Agumon and Gabumon were able to climb the cliff fairly well as they both had hands and feet, but Gomamon was more seal like and needed assistance. So Jade had Gomamon hold onto her shoulders and together they surprised the other children by almost flying to the top.

"Wow Jade," Sora said once she collapsed at the top. "How did you get so good at climbing?"

Jade just shrugged with a small smile on her face. Tai ruffled her hair as he passed her in order to get a good view of how far they had walked, and how far they had to go. He did speak for Jade though, turning his head to look at Sora.

"She climbs trees whenever she can, and is very fast on her feet. Her cousin is too fat to chase her when she climbs."

Jade nodded to signify that Tai was correct, and darted over to his side so that she could observe the island as well. The sun was going down, and she estimated that there was still three hours of daylight left. She was curious as to where they would sleep, as she really liked the feeling of sleeping on something soft, but wouldn't cause a stir if the only place to sleep was the ground. She had slept outside before when she was too late in finishing her chores and all the doors were locked. There was a comfortable spot in the garden where she was mostly protected from the weather, and was softer than her threadbare mattress in her cupboard.

"Who's that digimon?" Izzy asked. Jade turned around and spotted another creature staring at them. This one was slightly smaller than Shellmon, but appeared to be a triceratops with armoured plating across his back, tail, head and knees. Under the armour plating was a white hide, and sprouting from his nose was a very prominent horn. Jade tilted her head slightly, wondering what this one wanted.

"That's Monochromon," Tentomon explained. "Don't worry about him, he's a pretty laid back digimon."

The Monochromon roared at them, and very slowly Jade twisted her hand into Tai's shirt. Several of the children looked between Tentomon and Monochromon uncertainly, and Tentomon cleared his throat nervously.

"Although, it is wise to be a bit cautious with Monochromon, they do tend to get a bit miffed when they're hungry."

You're not my rival…

Jade gasped as the thought crossed her mind. Tai looked down at her before looking back up at the others. The Monochromon roared again, and there was the faint hint of displeasure in this sound.

"Then he must be starving because he looks really mad," Tai informed the others.

"I think he wants to eat us!" Mimi screamed.

RIVAL!

"Ah! There's two of them!" Joe screamed. They all turned and saw another Monochromon appear from behind a rocky outcropping.

"We're caught between a rock and two sets of teeth!" Matt added. His hands were resting protectively on TK's shoulders, so when he pushed his brother with the order to run, everyone obeyed and no one was left behind. Jade moved as she was still holding onto Tai, and while she was terrified, she was also curious about what rival Monochromon did when they met. She winced when they butt heads, and decided that she really didn't need to see how the fight would end.

"They're fighting over territory," Tentomon told them as they ran. Jade looked at the flying digimon, wondering how he had come to that conclusion. She was unable to think too much on it however, for as soon as she turned her head she noticed TK had tripped right in front of them. To prevent stepping on his or tripping over him, Jade jumped over him and continued running. Behind her she could hear the Monochromon still fighting, and then there was a roar and a splash. She guessed that they had fallen off the cliff into the water below.

The leaders of the group, Mimi and Palmon, stopped running after a while and the group gratefully slowed to walking speed. Jade released Tai's shirt, and walked beside Agumon. The dinosaur digimon was the same size she was so she was able to grab onto his hand and walk comfortably. Agumon smiled at her and swung his arm so that whenever they walked their arms would swing in half circles. It was more fun than Jade anticipated it being.

"I don't walk this much unless I'm at a mall," Mimi moaned. "And as you can see we're nowhere near one!"

"Mimi, stop whining," Tai told her as he walked past her without pausing.

"No! My feet hurt!" Mimi snapped at him, reclining against a nearby tree. Agumon and Jade stopped next to her, and Jade tilted her head to the side curiously. Agumon, however, was full of suggestions.

"Maybe if you'd take off your boots and socks you'd feel better Mimi. It's much more practical I think."

"I'm not walking and dirtying my bare feet!" Mimi told him, looking at him incredulously.

"I love the feeling of dirt under my feet," Palmon added. "Especially between my toes!"

"Gross!"

"Is walking in bare feet something that humans don't do?" Biyomon asked as she came closer.

"Not usually," Sora explained.

"Oh, then why doesn't Jade have shoes?"

The digimon and humans nearby looked down at Jade's bare feet. The trek through the river, the beach, and now dirt path had given her feet a very dirty look. Jade looked down at her feet as well, wiggling her toes.

"Jade's shoes went missing when we were back at camp," Sora explained. "She's been wearing my shoes but since her feet are so small she prefers to walk around without shoes."

Jade nodded and started to walk again, it was getting darker and she wanted to be somewhere sheltered before dark. Agumon walked with her, but the others waited a little before following. Sora and Mimi both watched the girl in concern, and the digimon in curiosity.

"It appears that we are losing our light source," Izzy stated after a while, looking up at the sunset sky.

"What a weird sunset," Sora said, agreeing with Izzy.

"This whole island is weird!" Izzy continued. "And who knows what will come out at night?"

"Wait! I detect water!" Tentomon suddenly cried. "Wait here while I check it out."

Jade stopped walking when the others did, content to wait for Tentomon. Mimi sunk to the ground with a sigh of relief, whilst the others found trees to lean on or sit under. Jade remained in the middle of the path for she knew that with her current energy levels, if she sat down it would be very difficult to get back up again.

"How are your feet Jade?" Tai asked. Jade tilted her hand from side to side, not perfect but not bad. She knew she'd be fine after a good rest. Tai didn't look like he believed her, but that could have been due to the fact that she was exhausted and swaying where she was standing. She hoped that the water Tentomon detected was nearby.

"Yes, as usual I'm right," Tentomon said as he returned. "It's a lake with fresh clean water, and a variety of tasty fish. It's a perfect campsite."

"Maybe I can finally soak my poor achy feet," Mimi stated.

"Yay! We get to swim!" Gomamon cried in delight, darting forward in excitement. Joe stopped him with fast reflexes, grabbing Gomamon's tail and stopping his forward momentum.

"Gomamon! You'd better wait an make sure it's safe first!"

Agumon pulled on Jade's hand and she stumbled slightly, having not expected the tug, and continued walking. Everyone was tired, and she had already been carried once that day, but everyone still stood and walked tiredly onwards.

Arriving at the lake was a relief, and for Jade a curiosity. With the setting sun the lake had taken on a pink tinge, but in the centre of the lake were power poles of all shapes and sizes, some with their cables training in the water. She hoped that there was no current going through them, though if Tentomon said there were fish in the water she assumed that there wasn't an electrical current.

"It should be safe to rest here tonight," Biyomon said happily.

"Yeah," Sora agreed with just as much enthusiasm. "I love camping outside!"

"If I won't walk in dirt, what makes you think I'll sleep in it?" Mimi asked Tai, who was standing next to her.

"Mimi, do you see a hotel here?" Tai asked her in reply. Jade rubbed her eyes tiredly. More often than not now her eyes were closed, and it was only due to Agumon's grip on her hand that she was able to maintain her forward movement. Mimi gasped and Jade forced her eyes open so that she could stare at what had captured the girl's attention.

"What's that?" Tai asked in shock. Jade blinked as well, now apprehensive about spending the night by the lake.

"It looks like a trolley car," TK said.

"That's odd," Izzy said. "The lights just…came on."

"Well maybe there are some real people in there," Sora suggested.

"Let's check it out!" Tai called, already running. Agumon went with him having let go of Jade's hand, and Jade slowly brought up the rear of the procession. She went as far as the stone bridge before stopping, unwilling to walk over the water. She looked around nervously, alone again. Her arms went around her body, and she took several steps backwards.

"Why didn't you go with the others?"

Jade jumped as Gomamon's head broke through the still surface of the water. She shook her head and sat down, clearly stating that she didn't want to. Gomamon climbed out of the water and padded over to her, putting his paws on her shins as she had retreated into her human ball form again.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked. "Is it the water? I'll save you if you fall in."

Jade smiled slightly into her knees. Gomamon had correctly guessed her fear, and while it was kind of him to offer assistance, she still couldn't bring herself to cross over the bridge. Gomamon butted his head against her legs in concern.

"Jade! What are you doing over there? You shouldn't disappear like that."

Jade peeked through her fringe at Tai. He clearly had run from the trolley cart to where she was sitting, and she felt guilty for worrying him. No one had ever worried about her before, and it made her feel warm inside.

"She's afraid of the water," Gomamon explained from where he was still sitting by her legs. "That's why she didn't come across with everyone."

"I'm sorry Jade," Tai said in a softer tone. "I guess we were all excited about the possibility of seeing other people that we just charged ahead. There was no one on the cart, but despite that we're going to spend the night inside it. I'll carry you across if it would make you feel better."

Jade shook her head and finally looked all the way up so that Tai could see her reluctance and fear. Agumon appeared from behind him and knelt next to Jade. He knocked his head gently against Jade's.

"We're going to collect some fruit," he explained. "Would you like to come with us?"

Jade nodded and uncurled from her spot on the floor. She swayed slightly, and Tai's concern became more focused. Agumon waved his partner off and took Jade's hand.

"Don't worry Tai, we'll look after her!"

Agumon led Jade through the trees, pointing out what was edible and what wasn't. After a while the other digimon joined her, and there was much laughter as they worked together to collect some food. Jade sat down next to the pile of fruit, and before she knew it she was drifting off. Her blinks became longer and her head dropped to her chest. She allowed her body to fall to the side and moments later she was asleep.

Tai watched as Agumon led Jade away, not moving from his position. The other digimon trailed passed him, except for Gomamon who returned to the water. Sora appeared at his side, curiosity on her face. She asked about Jade.

"She's afraid of the water," Tai explained. "She couldn't walk across the bridge so she was left behind. She's so tired, she's almost asleep on her feet."

"Did you notice earlier?" Sora asked. "She called your name."

"Yeah," Tai sighed. "She was shaking so much when I hit the ground. I feared she would never let go."

"How are your ribs?"

"Bruised, but I'll live. There's nothing to do but wait for the bruises to fade."

"How bad Tai?"

Tai looked around before leading Sora into the trees so that the other children couldn't spy on them. He lifted his shirt for Sora to see, and she gasped at the bruises already visible against his tanned skin. Thick ribbons on black and red snaked around his torso, and Sora could only imagine how painful it was.

"You're always doing this," she told him sternly. "Why are you hiding your injuries? You know I don't like it when you do that."

"The others don't need to see this," Tai told her as he lowered his shirt. "The bruises will heal, it's just going to take a few days."

Sora sighed, but she did agree with Tai's reasoning, and he had shown her when she asked him to. She led them back out of the trees so that they could make a small fire pit for the fish that Izzy and TK promised to catch. Matt was already there with a pile of rocks and was artistically placing them in a circle. He looked up as they approached.

"There you are," he stated. "Was wondering where you'd disappeared to."

"Just talking about Jade," Tai told him, bending to help with the rocks. "She worries me."

"I think she worries everyone," Matt told him. "Have you noticed that she's the only one without a digivice and a digimon partner?"

"Yeah," Tai said. "She was on my back when the digivices landed in front of us. I've been thinking about that, maybe she wasn't supposed to come here, but because I was holding onto her she was pulled into this strange world."

"You can't blame yourself for that Tai," Sora ordered. "There's no way that any of us could have known what the digivices would do."

"But I was holding onto her," Tai protested. "If anything happens to her it will be my fault."

"You are not responsible for everything that happens Tai," Sora said sternly. "You're always doing this! Why do you take responsibility for everything bad that happens but never the good?"

Tai didn't answer her, his face neutral. Matt looked between the two in confusion. Apparently he had started an old argument between the two. He suggested that Tai grab some sticks and leaves for their fire, but kept Sora with him to finish the fire pit. They were camping on the mainland, and when they were ready to sleep they would walk across the bridge to the trolley car. Once Tai was gone to turned to Sora.

"What was that about?"

"Tai just infuriates me sometimes," Sora complained. "He's so stubborn. Everything bad that happens he usually finds some way to blame himself. I got hurt in soccer practice at school, and Tai blames himself for kicking the ball at me too hard. I was unable to play with my own team and we lost the grand finale. I never blamed Tai, but as soon as I saw him again he apologised to me. And then there was that time when his sister was being bullied a few years ago, he blamed himself for whatever reason."

"Tai has a sister?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, Kari was sick and couldn't make it to camp. Tai felt guilty for coming even though he was really looking forward to meeting Jade face to face."

"Sounds to me like Tai cares more about others than himself," Matt suggested, filing away the information that Tai had a younger sister. "He doesn't like other people feeling guilty, so he takes on that guilt as his own to spare them."

"It's so annoying!" Sora repeated. "How could this possibly be his fault?"

Matt shook his head. In some ways he blamed himself for TK ending up in the Digital World. He was supposed to protect his brother, so anything bad that happened to him was a sign that Matt wasn't doing his job. He wondered if that's how Tai felt, but with everyone instead of just his sister.

"Matt!"

Matt looked to the side and smiled when he saw Gabumon heading towards him, and did his best not to laugh when he saw something that looked like a banana on Gabumon's horn. He stood and pulled the banana off and asked the digimon what was wrong.

"Jade fell asleep guarding the fruit, and we didn't want to wake her up. I volunteered to get someone to carry her."

Matt nodded and jogged after Gabumon, leaving Sora to tend to the fire pit and help Tai when he returned. He continued jogging until he saw the digimon standing around a large looking tree with a heap of colourful fruit in front of it. He smile when he saw Jade curled up between the fruit and the tree, before the smile disappeared as he actually considered how she looked.

Tai said she was nine, and that for her birthday he would be showing her what a good birthday party was. He had even planned a small party with him, TK and Sora after dinner where they would tell stories and play a few small party games. But then it had snowed and all Tai's plans had been thrown out the window. But looking at Jade now, Matt had a hard time believing that she was nine years old. She looked younger than TK, and he was only in the second grade. There were dark circles under her eyes and her skin was paler than it had been when she had arrived. He hoped she wasn't getting sick, they didn't have the expertise or equipment to handle a sick person.

Very gently, Matt scooped Jade off the ground with one arm under her knees and the other behind her back. She stirred briefly, but didn't wake, so he carried her back to where they would be eating. As he walked he noticed one more thing, she was lighter than his brother.

"There you are Matt," Joe exclaimed once he came into view. "What happened to Jade?"

"She fell asleep," Matt explained. "She's exhausted."

"We all are," Joe stated with a nod. "Put her down over here. Once the fire's going she'll warm up, and then we can put some food in her."

Matt nodded and gently put Jade on the ground. Joe helped him take off her bag, and Matt remembered that she had a blanket in it. When Agumon returned and created a fire, Matt lay out the blanket so that it would dry and warm up. Izzy and TK brought over the fish they had caught, and Matt showed them how to cook the fish without burning off their fingers.

By the time the sun had set completely the fish were cooked and the fruit was cut. Tai woke Jade and handed her some food, which she nibbled on as she leant against him. The conversation was kept light, but after dinner the group separated a little. Joe wanted to study the now visible stars, looking for familiar constellations. They let him, but the digimon all started to drift off to sleep. Agumon took Tai's place beside Jade so that he could stand with Joe, and removed the half eaten fish from Jade's limp hands. The remains of their cooking were thrown onto the fire, and once they were turned to charcoal they put out the fire.

Izzy suggested that they keep watch throughout the night, and Matt forbid TK from standing guard on account of his age. TK disagreed with his brother, but Matt was firm so he trudged up to the trolley car with Patamon in his arms. Matt watched him go before grabbing Jade's now dry and warm blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders. She blinked at him gratefully.

"Come on Jade," Tai said as he lifted her from the ground. "Let's get you somewhere comfortable to sleep. Close your eyes and don't look around."

Jade nodded and buried her head in Tai's neck. She knew that they would be walking across the stone bridge, but if she wasn't looking at it she could pretend that the bridge was wider than it actually was and they weren't going to be sleeping on an island. She was put down on one of the soft chairs and her blanket was readjusted so that it would cover most of her. Tai left the trolley car and quickly set up a small camp fire so that they would be able to keep warm as the night got colder.

"I can't sleep with all of you here," Mimi complained. Jade blinked and stared at the girl.

"Quit complaining," Sora ordered. "So it's not perfect. Just be glad we have a place to sleep."

"That's right Mimi!" Izzy told her sternly.

"Good night everyone!" Joe called.

"Don't let the Monochromon bite!" TK cheerfully called. Jade closed her eyes again, and snuggled deeper under her soft pink blanket. She knew that her parents had made it for her, as her name was engraved in gold along the edge. When she was lonely at night she would hold onto it, and now, years later, it was well used but still warm. Sometimes she would imagine she could still smell her mother's perfume, or hear her voice singing to her.

A while later music began to play, and Jade relaxed further into the cushions. She was almost completely asleep, and probably would have drifted off if the entire trolley car hadn't lurched and thrown her to the floor. She sat up and rubbed her head, feeling the bump where she had hit the floor. She hadn't been able to break her fall due to the fact that her arms had been cocooned inside her blanket.

"What's that horrible sound?" Sora asked. Jade looked around and saw that she hadn't been the only one thrown to the ground. Mimi was also on the floor, holding her hat close to her head as if it could protect her from whatever was screaming outside. TK was still on his seat, and Patamon was held tightly in his arms.

"It's an earthquake!" Mimi moaned.

"The trolley's starting to move!" Joe shouted. "And I don't think it's taking us home!"

"It's taking us towards that sea dragon!" Izzy told him. Jade looked out the window to look at what Izzy had seen, and her mouth dropped open in horror. A giant monster with a green body and white underbelly was looming high in the air above them, and its head was protected by a gold helmet of some description.

MY TAIL!

"Oh no, Seadramon!" Tentomon called, identifying the sea dragon.

"We're going to get eaten for sure!" Mimi cried. The children left the trolley car, but Jade curled up under her seat. Her blanket was pulled tighter around her, and she covered her ears with her hands. But still the sound of the fight outside could be heard. The island the trolley car was on was shaking as it was pulled through the water, and pain not her own invaded Jade's senses. She forced herself not to cry, and instead took deep breaths so that she wouldn't have a panic attack.

"Ah! That red thing was his tail!" Jade heard Tai scream.

Intruders! How dare you disturb my rest!

The island lurched again, and Jade clutched her ears tighter. She hadn't even wanted to go onto the island! When the island stopped moving, Jade cautiously opened her eyes, but makes no effort to leave her safety hole. Seadramon roared again, but this time she could hear the digimon attacking in reply. They didn't appear to have much luck as she could still hear Seadramon's roars.

And then she heard Matt screaming. Her hands left her ears and grabbed her chest, she wondered why it was hurting her so much. In her mind's eyes she could see Matt wrapped up by Seadramon's tail, like Tai had been earlier with Shellmon, and knew that the boy was in trouble. And then as the pain in her chest grew stronger, she heard Gabumon shouting.

"Gabumon digivolve to – Garurumon!"

The pain receded but the sound of fighting only grew more intense. Jade left her hidey hole and peeked out through the window. Garurumon was a giant wolf about the size of a car with white fur and blue stripes. His fur was identical to Gabumon's fur coat, but Garurumon's fur covered his whole body. He also appeared to be the stronger opponent in the fight with Seadramon. Matt was swimming to the island, that she could see, and she wondered how hurt he was. Slowly she crawled from the window to the door of the trolley car, and watched as Seadramon dropped back into the lake, unconscious.

Stupid intruders…

Garurumon glowed brightly before shrinking back into Gabumon, and Gabumon swam back to the island. As soon as he was out of the water TK collided with him, giving him the strongest hug he could manage. Tai looked over the group, his head bouncing a little as he counted everyone, before he spun around to look at the trolley car. He ran over quickly, and Jade looked up at him once he stopped in front of her. He held out his arms, and Jade allowed him to pick her up, wrapping her legs around his waist and arms around his neck.

"You're safe Jade," he whispered in her ear, and Jade knew that he could feel her shaking. The pain in her chest was gone now, but she still felt tired, scared, and uncertain. Tai walked back over to the group in time to hear Gomamon summoning his fish friends to push the island back to the mainland. Jade clutched at Tai tighter, and then felt him wince. She pulled back and looked at him in fear.

"I'm just a little sore," he told her. "Don't worry about it."

Jade bit her lip, wondering if she should walk on her own, but Tai just pulled her head back to his shoulder and made her that little bit more comfortable. As soon as the island was once again attached to the mainland the children and digimon crowded around the nearby trees. Tai found a large tree and sat down against it, rearranging Jade in his lap. She turned her head so that she could listen to his heartbeat and closed her eyes.

"Gabumon, may I use you for a pillow?" Mimi asked sweetly. "I promise, I won't take your fur!"

"Um…" Gabumon stated. "My fur's actually starting to stink a little, so it's best not."

"Oh," Mimi said sadly.

"Actually, there seems to be a pattern emerging," Izzy said, drawing attention to himself. "This time only Gabumon could digivolve."

"Yeah, Izzy's right," Sora stated. "Agumon was the only one who could do it before."

"You're right, it's all beginning to make sense," Tai stated, his eyes looking up as he remembered the fight on the beach. "Agumon digivolved when I was in danger."

"That has to be the answer," Izzy agreed. "Our digimon digivolves when we're in trouble."

"That must be it," Sora said with a nod. Her eyes looked over at the digimon and she smiled. Biyomon was sleeping up in a tree, while everyone else had formed a pile of bodies. Joe was on his front, with Gomamon leaning against his hip and Tentomon curled up near his head. Agumon was sitting next to Tentomon, his head on his chest, and Palmon was using Mimi's hip as a pillow. All of them were snoring softly. Sora looked around and saw that Matt and TK were by the water a little way from the main group, their digimon on either side of them. She was pretty tired herself and somehow ended back to back with Izzy, each using the other as a back rest.

"Are you feeling any better Jade?" Tai asked softly so as to not wake their companions. Jade shook her head. "I'm going to check on Matt, see if he's alright. And then I'm coming straight back, alright?"

Jade looked up at Tai before sliding off his lap. Tai walked over to where Matt was, and waited for the other boy to spot him. Matt gently separated himself from his digimon and brother, following Tai so that they were away from everyone.

"Hey," Tai started. "How are you feeling?"

"Me? Fine, I guess."

"How are your ribs?" Tai corrected. Matt grinned sheepishly, holding his hand to his chest.

"Sore, but Seadramon's tail had me from my shoulders to me knees. I'll probably be a walking bruise tomorrow. How about you? Shellmon wasn't exactly gentle with you."

"Nothing too serious," Tai told him with a grin. "Just a few bruises. You'll look just as pretty when you wake up."

Matt grinned at the thought, but then his grin faded. He remembered how Tai liked to take responsibility of problems not his own, and wondered what problems of his own he was hiding. He wondered if Tai ever complained about anything, including his own health.

"Everything's going to be alright," Tai said confidently. "Go back to your brother. We'll probably be doing a lot of walking tomorrow."

Matt nodded and walked back to TK, ordering Tai to follow his own advice over his shoulder. Tai waved and walked back to where Jade was still waiting for him. She looked very young with her blanket draped over her shoulders, and he sadly thought of the girl who had finally started to enjoy herself. He imagined that the day had been pretty crummy for her, especially seeing as it was her birthday. He leant back against the tree and pulled Jade to his side. Her head rested over his heart, and the two of them drifted off to sleep to wait for morning.

Jade was dreaming, of that she was certain. She back in her Dream World, where she felt safe, and she was staring up at a young man with brown hair and a white robe. He was grinning happily and Jade wondered why.

"Welcome to the Digital World," he said. "We were wondering if you would ever wake up."

"Where am I?" Jade asked curiously. "What happened?"

"You were very badly hurt when we brought you here," the man continued. "You've been here for about two weeks. Did you fall down some stairs or something?"

"Dudley pushed me…" Jade murmured. When she was six, she had been cleaning the top of stair rails when Dudley pushed her on his way to his room. She had fallen all the way to the ground, and collided with the corner of the door as her uncle had opened it at the exact moment she had reached the bottom. For her carelessness she had been locked in her cupboard for the weekend, and was let out for school the next week. She had been hurt, but when she came out of her cupboard she had felt better.

"Your cry for help attracted the attention of one of our Guardians. He brought you to me so I've been working hard to heal you. Do you feel better?"

"I…remember this," Jade continued to murmur. "You look after baby animals who can talk, and I got to play with them whilst you were checking up on them."

"That's good. The digimon are curious about meeting you," the man went on as if Jade had said something different. "Would you like to come and meet them?"

Jade followed the man through numerous corridors and out into a courtyard. Small creatures Jade now recognised as digimon cheered when they appeared. Without thinking about it Jade went to pick up the nearest one, a cute kitten like digimon. It purred when she scratched its head, and a small giggle escaped her. She turned to the man who was watching her with a wide smile on his face.

"Who are you?"

"I am Gennai."

Jade woke up with a start, pulling away from Tai as she moved. He stirred briefly, but he was so tired that he didn't wake completely. She watched for a while until he stopped stirring before looking around at the others. Her Dream World really was the Digital World, but she had no idea why she felt so safe in her dreams, and so terrified in real life. What was it about her dreams that calmed her?

Shaking her head Jade looked up at the sky, noticing that it was lighter than before. The sun was preparing to rise which meant that the children would be waking soon so they could eat. While she waited she thought about her most recent dream. Why had the digimon been so eager to meet her? Where was Gennai now? If he was in the Digital World than that meant there were other humans here, but where were they?

"Urgh, what time is it?" Mimi asked as a ray of sunlight hit her in the face. Jade shrugged her shoulders as the girl looked at her, before poking Tai's shoulder so that he would wake up as well. Tai groaned as he was pulled from his sleep.

"Is it morning already? That's depressing."

"Hit the snooze button please?" Joe asked. "I hate mornings."

"I'm hungry," TK announced.

Everyone agreed with TK, and started to hand out some of the left over fruit from the night before. Jade was watching Tai, noticing that his movements were stiff. She remembered that he had some bruises from the battle with Shellmon, and wondered how serious the bruises were. The ones she got from Dudley didn't normally hurt the day after, they were just a weird greenish-yellow colour. She looked at his worriedly, but he just smiled and ruffled her hair. A piece of fruit was put into her hand, and she ate it without paying attention to what it was.

"Where do we go from here?" Sora asked as everyone was quietly eating.

"Towards that mountain," Tai stated, pointing his finger in the direction he thought the mountain was in. "It's where we started, and it's where we should go."

"Excellent," Joe stated. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get home!"

"Which way is the mountain Tentomon?" Izzy asked. Tentomon flew up into the air and upon his return he announced that the mountain was the opposite way to where Tai was pointing. There was a bit of laughter, and Tai shrugged. They packed the remaining fruit into Joe's bag, so they could save the food he had brought for as long as possible, and stood to leave. Jade quickly folded her blanket and put it into her bag, before standing to join the group. As the sun rose higher they began their trek onwards towards what they hoped was a way home.

Next up in Intertwined Destinies:

Chapter 4: Burning Rage and the Computer Program