Author's Note: A few of you are worried about how the gang will treat Kimiko when they find out who her father is, I can't tell you exactly what will happen, but I can say that it's not all gonna be sunshine and daises. If you keep a secret in real life, especially from your friends, they don't automatically brush it off as an alright feat. There are rough times ahead, maybe even rougher than things are now. Just fingers crossed that it all works out.
Dedications: Thank you to the following: Xigtus, ThePersonofNothing and NostalgiaMaster1996.
I don't own Digimon. But I do own any original characters that are of my own design.
Title: Expect the Unexpected
Summary: Kimiko is the estranged daughter of Mitsuo Yamaki. For her fifteenth birthday she acquires the Digimon: Labramon and becomes the fourth Digimon Tamer.
Chapter Fifteen: The Light of Life
"Mr. Kurosawa?" Kimiko said, opening the principal's office door and peering inside. The headmaster of the school was sitting behind his desk, seemingly going over a stack of papers. He looked up at the sound of his name and quickly put down his pen.
"Ah, Miss Yamaki, what can I do for you this morning?" he asked. "If it's about your test scores, I'm afraid they still haven't come back yet. I can call the exam board and ask for a specific time and date, if that's what you would like?"
Kimiko smiled and shook her head. "No, sir, that's alright," she said. "I'm actually here about the school camping trip later today?"
"Oh. You're listed as going, aren't you?"
"Yes. I am,"
"Then what seems to be the problem?"
Kimiko took a deep breath and presented her note to the Principal. "I know it states in the letter that no pets are allowed," she said. "But the fact is, sir, my father doesn't like my dog, and with my mother out of town there's no one that I can really leave Labramon with. I was just hoping that I could get your permission to take her with me."
"I know you're a smart girl, Miss Yamaki, and I understand that you know of the difficult position this request puts me in," Principal Kurosawa said.
"Yes, sir, I understand," Kimiko nodded. "I know that if anywhere were to find out, it could be classed as favoritism. But, I really don't want to leave Labramon for two days alone. My dad's always working, so there literally won't be anyone at home to take care of her, as for myself, I don't want to miss this trip."
Principal Kurosawa hesitated and surveyed the blonde standing across from him. He'd never been a strict teacher, but he'd also never been a pushover. His students knew to respect him, and they did so even after they had left school, and Kimiko Yamaki had respected him from the moment she arrived. He had known, for a long time, that there was something different about her, something that no other student within his school could come close to representing, but despite that he was still obligated to treat all his students in the same way. This was why this request was such a difficult one to process.
If he approved the request, and others found out, then they'd question why one student would get special treatment while the rest of them did not. But if he denied the request, then he'd be sentencing a beloved pet to two days without decent looking after.
"I promise, sir, I won't breathe a word to anyone that you've approved my request," Kimiko said. "Except Mr. Mori, who will undoubtedly ask for my permission slip? If anyone else's asks, I'll just say that I snuck Labramon on early, before anyone else was even ready."
Principal Kurosawa sighed and picked up his pen. "This is very unbecoming of me as a principal," he said. "But, as a dog lover myself, I'd hate for one of my own beloved pets to be left in the cold." He held out his hand for the permission slip and signed it. "The busses have just arrived. I must insist that you board now, while all is quiet."
"Yes, sir, thank you, sir," Kimiko said, taking back the permission slip and leaving the office. She found Labramon outside the school, Calumon was sitting atop his back, and both were looking apprehensive as Kimiko returned.
"So?" Labramon asked, standing up instantly, her tail in the air. "Can I go?"
Kimiko looked sadly down at her partner. "I'm sorry, Labramon," she said, sighing heavily.
Labramon's tail dropped. "Oh..." she murmured.
"... Looks like you're stuck camping for two days," Kimiko added, breaking out into a grin.
"Huh?" Labramon asked, looking up. "But you said..."
"I was kidding!" Kimiko laughed. She showed Labramon the signed permission slip, and giggled as the dog nudged her playfully with her head. "But he did say we should board the bus now, before any other student sees us. Come on, we can save Henry and Terriermon some seats."
"What about Takato and the others?" Labramon asked.
"They'll be on the second bus," Kimiko explained, approaching the two busses parked outside the school gates. She showed her permission slip to the driver, and then climbed aboard with Labramon, and pointed to the back of the bus. The shaggy blonde dog bounded down the aisle, and up onto a seat at the back.
Standing up on Labramon's back, Calumon peered out of the window at the rest of the kids that had started to appear. "Hey, look, there's Terriermon!" he said, lightly knocking the pane of glass.
Kimiko learned over to see Henry staring at something behind them. She craned in her seat to see what it was that had caught his attention, but found a high window obstructing her view. "Huh, I'll guess I'll just have to ask Henry when he boards," she said, turning back to face the front.
Students had started to board the bus by now, and were taking seats along the aisle, starting from the bottom. Kimiko sat up and waved as she saw Henry step into the aisle. He smiled when he saw her, and started to make his way towards her.
"Hey!" Terriermon giggled, jumping out of Henry's arms and landing in Kimiko's. "We thought you weren't coming."
"I haven't missed one school trip," Kimiko said. "I'm not about to start now."
"How did you get permission for her?" Henry asked, settling down across from Kimiko and pointing at Labramon.
Kimiko shrugged. "I made a deal with Principal Kurosawa," she said. "Easy enough to do. I just got to remember to keep it."
"I guess it's a good thing that you always keep your promises then, huh?" Henry asked.
Kimiko smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is," she agreed.
After a few minutes the bus was filled with excited students, an 'eager-to-finish-the-job' bus driver and Mr., Mori. He called for the student's attention by waving his arms and loudly clearly his throat. "Alright kids, we're ready, I hope you've all used the bathroom, we've got a long journey ahead. Alright, let's go."
He turned the bus driver and nodded, before settling down into his seat at the front.
The bus pulled away from the school, much to the delight of the children onboard, and headed towards the open road of the highway and beyond.
~*Expect the Unexpected*~
Once as far away from the city as possible, the two teachers, the bus drivers and their kids dispersed around the campsite. Henry and Kimiko, along with Terriermon, Labramon and Calumon, found a shaded spot near a fallen log, whilst Takato and Guilmon were hidden behind a large oak tree.
It was just big enough to hide Guilmon from Miss Nami and Mr. Mori.
"Who are you sharing a tent with?" Henry asked Kimiko as she lay out a picnic blanket for them. They were sitting against the log, whilst inside a small opening sat Terriermon and Calumon, with Labramon lying just outside. Over the last couple of weeks the three Digimon had grown close, with Labramon becoming overly protective.
"Just Labramon and Calumon," Kimiko replied, placing a bowl of food in front of Labramon, and handing a rice ball to Calumon and Terriermon. The two gaped happily at the gesture and dug straight in. "I rarely share a tent with anyone. I don't usually have any friends. How about you?"
"Two guys from my class," Henry replied. "I rarely talk to them, but I'm often paired up with them for things."
Kimiko smiled and nodded. "There's room in my tent if you get bored," she said, offhandedly. She didn't mean anything by the gesture, but the look on Henry's face and the redness rising in his cheeks was enough for her to interpretate that he had taken it the wrong way. "I mean -" she stammered.
Henry shook his head and turned his attention to Terriermon. He didn't mean to come off as rude or uncaring, but the situation was awkward enough without having to explain the situation. He hadn't meant to interpretate things wrongly, but it had just happened.
"Terriermon," Henry said, as the little rabbit gulped down his rice ball, making it look like he hadn't eaten in days. "You better slow down. If you get sick, I'll have to call nurse Suzie."
Terriermon choked, his face turning a bright red and causing panic and fear to spread quickly through the two tamers and the other Digimon.
Leaning forward at the same time, each with the intention of helping Terriermon, Henry and Kimiko yelped as they cracked heads and sat back as a dull pain spread rapidly across their skulls.
"Ow!"
Kimiko winced as she rubbed her head, and looked up apologetically to Henry. "Sorry," she apologised. "Hey he's your Digimon, you better help him."
Henry forced a small smile and leaned down to look at Terriermon again. "Hey, I was just kidding," he said, replacing the rice ball with a cup of water and coaxing Terriermon to sip it lightly.
The redness soon faded from Terriermon's face, and he started to breath normally again.
"Listen up, kids," Miss Nami called as she walked amongst the trees, catching the attention of each student in turn. "It's time to break into groups and set up your tents. If you need any help just ask Mr. Mori." She glanced around and caught sight of Kimiko, before gingerly making her way towards the teenager. "Miss Yamaki, do you have a second?"
Kimiko nodded and stood up. "I'll be right back, Labramon," she said, following the teacher away from her friends. They stopped just short of the rest of the students. "Before you ask, Miss Nami, Henry has his own tent mates for the weekend. The only person I'm sharing with is myself and Labramon, obviously."
Miss Nami nodded. "That's good to know," she said.
"Is that all?" Kimiko asked. "I'd like to get my tent set up before the sun sets."
"Yes, that's all," Miss Nami said, releasing Kimiko back to her friends. When she returned, Kimiko noticed Henry and Terriermon had gone, leaving Labramon and Calumon alone to stand guard.
"Henry said he'd see you at the campfire later," Labramon said. "Is everything alright between you two? You seem a little... awkward?"
Kimiko forced a smile and knelt down in front of the two Digimon. "We're OK," she assured them. "Just a misunderstanding. But never mind that, how about we set up the tent... or better yet, I'll set up the tent, we can figure out how much space we'll all have, and then we can get ready for supper later."
"What usually happens at a campfire?" Calumon asked, eagerly and excited.
"We eat pudding and tell stories," Kimiko replied.
"PUDDING!" Calumon shouted, happily.
Kimiko smiled and watched for a little while as Calumon happily hopped around the place. She then eased her tent out of its bag, and set it up with ease. All around her, she could hear other students complaining, one had even tried to set up his tent without realising he was trying to use his sleeping bag.
Once finished, Kimiko opened the tent and sat back. "Well, there you go, guys," she said to Labramon and Calumon. "How about we check out the inside, huh?"
"Is it a lot bigger than the outside?" Labramon asked. "Otherwise, we're not gonna fit."
"We'll fit," Kimiko assured her companion. "We're not that big. Plus, Calumon's only a little guy; he'd had enough room above my head."
"Yay!" Calumon squealed, floating inside and calming the top right hand corner has his own personal space. Labramon followed him, curling up in a ball on the left hand side, whilst Kimiko set up her sleeping bag and pillows on the right.
"See," Kimiko said, laying down and turning to Labramon, "and we've got room to spare."
"Lucky us," Labramon said, curling up and closing her eyes. After the long journey and lunch, she was ready for her afternoon nap.
Kimiko smiled and looked up to see Calumon was sound asleep also. "Sweet dreams, guys," she said, covering Calumon with a small blanket she had packed for him. She slipped out of the tent and zipped it up, leaving enough space for Labramon to get through once she had awoken, and then went in search of her friends.
~*Expect the Unexpected*~
Having no luck in finding Takato or Henry, although Kazu and Kenta weren't much help, they were too excited to be sharing a tent with Guilmon and possibly kicking Takato out to sleep under the stars, Kimiko returned to her tent. The flap rustled in the breeze, and when she checked back inside she found Labramon and Calumon still resting.
With a soft smile, Kimiko curled up beside them and lay down, resting her head on her pillow. It didn't take long before she drifted off to sleep, although she wanted to stay away in order to make sure she slept that evening, but something about the long day that had passed was making her sleepy.
As she dozed, Kimiko felt her D-Power vibrate against her leg, and gingerly lifted it up to inspect the screen. The signal was small, too small to cause that big of a fuss about. If it grew in strength then she'd awaken Labramon and insist that they find the others. Since Sandiramon had come through down in the subway and warned them about the twelve devas, the Tamers had been on alert for anymore ultimate level Digimon that seemed difficult to beat.
Afternoon quickly turned to evening, and soon Kimiko was being shaken awake by Takato and Henry.
"Hey, Kimiko, wake up," Takato said.
Kimiko groggily opened her eyes and stared up at her friends. "Huh? What's going on?" she asked, smothering a yawn.
"Miss Nami sent us to check on you," Takato said. "It's story time."
"Oh," Kimiko said, sitting up. She run her fingers through her hair and then rubbed her eyes. She was still tired from her nap, and wanted more than anything to go back.
"Come on," Takato said, crawling out of the tent. "The sooner we get story time over with, the sooner we can take the Digimon for a hike. I bet Labramon would appreciate the fresh air, and there are tons for Calumon to do around here."
Kimiko nodded and followed Takato out of the tent. She straightened up and stretched, feeling more awake already.
"Did you sleep all afternoon?" Henry asked.
"Pretty much," Kimiko replied. "I did try finding you guys, but Kazu and Kenta weren't much help, and Jerri didn't know where you'd gone, so I came back here. I didn't mean to fall asleep, but I've been up since 6 this morning making sure I had everything ready for this trip."
"What about your dad?" Takato asked.
Kimiko shrugged. "I left him a note," she said.
"You didn't tell him?"
"Oh, I did," Kimiko said. "But you can guarantee that he didn't hear me. If it isn't about work, then he doesn't care about anything. But, anyway, let's just get this story time over with. I don't want to worry about my dad for the whole two days we're here."
Takato laughed and turned back to the campfire. "I'll second that," he said, walking away.
Henry and Kimiko trailed along behind him.
Before reaching the rest of the students, Kimiko stopped walking and turned to Henry. "About earlier," she said, breaching the subject quickly. "I didn't mean to make things awkward between us. I meant what I said, but I didn't mean it the way it came out."
"I know you didn't," Henry said, reassuringly. "Also, I'm sorry about the head."
"Me too," Kimiko replied, smiling.
Henry returned the smile and then carried on towards the campfire. The rest of the school were gathered around, some eating their pudding, others waiting for him and Kimiko to join them so that they could eat while Mr. Mori told them a story.
Kimiko smiled apologetically, took a bowl of pudding and a spoon from Miss Nami, and sat down next to Henry. Normally, on camping trips of the past, she usually sat on the outside of the group, ready and waiting for the story to being and end so that she could retreat back to her tent, but this year, things were different. This year she had friends.
"Now that everyone is present," Mr. Mori said, "maybe we can begin?"
"Sorry," Kimiko said. "I fell asleep. Please, do start."
Mr. Mori nodded and looked around at the eagerly awaiting children. He cleared his throat and started his usual spooky tale. "They say that the evil scientist still lives in these woods," he said. "Planning his evil spoon-related deeds, hoping to capture kids who need a tool to eat their pudding."
Kimiko rolled her eyes as a startled, yet captivating gasp, rippled around her school mates. She turned her head to look at Henry, and smiled as he caught her gaze. He didn't look half as interested in the story as the others did, and given what they did on a daily basis, a ghost story was nothing compared to it.
Henry nudged Kimiko and pointed towards Takato and the others. The tamers' fearless leader - or gogglehead, as Rika like to call him - was staring, wide-eyed and terrified at Mr. Mori. Kimiko giggled and quickly reached into her pocket and took out her cellphone, she snapped a quick picture of Takato, as Mr. Mori continued.
"In fact, just a few years ago, a couple of campers disappeared," Mr. Mori said. "They left their tent because they heard a horrible high-pitched squealing from the woods."
"Just like we heard," Kazu said, turning to Kenta.
"Oh, boy," Kenta said, his voice quivering.
"And when the camp counselors looked inside the tent, they found -" Mr. Mori cut off as the flap of a tent behind the students opened, and a red faced dinosaur peered out, his golden eyes with a black slit stared back at him.
"What? What did they find?" Katherine, a girl from Kimiko's class asked, as she waited with bated breath.
"Mr. Mori!" David, a boy from Henry's class whined.
"Takato, I'm still hungry," Guilmon said.
Mr. Mori leaned back and let out a high-pitched scream, scaring those who had been hanging on to his every word and causing them to scream too. Their voices rising into the air and scaring away the birds in the treetops above.
Kimiko groaned and covered her hears with her hands. "Suddenly I'm not hungry anymore," she said, pushing away her pudding with her feet. "I think I'm gonna go back to my tent."
"Are you coming with us tonight?" Henry asked.
"I don't think so," Kimiko said. "Labramon and I may just have an early night, but you're more than welcome to take Calumon."
"I don't think wild sharks could keep Calumon away," Henry joked.
"True," Kimiko said, giggling. "Just look after him, OK?"
Henry nodded. "I'll bring him back to you once we've returned," he promised.
Kimiko smiled and walked back to her tent. Henry followed her, before cutting off and heading towards his own. "Thanks, Henry," she said, opening the flap and letting Labramon crawl in ahead of her. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Kimiko," Henry replied, watching as she disappeared from view. He then sighed and walked away; ignoring the teasing looks he was receiving from his tent mates.
~*Expect the Unexpected*~
Whilst Kimiko rearranged her sleeping bag and changed into her pajamas, Henry and Takato were making their way to the peak of the campsite with Guilmon, Terriermon and Calumon. Henry, who was much closer to Kimiko, was slightly worried by her sudden need to distance herself, while Takato was trying to assure him that being distant must've been a thing girls did on occasion.
"Rika does it all the time," Takato said. "She's always distant with us, even now, when we're meant to be a team."
"Yeah, but this is Kimiko," Henry said. "I don't want to be the one to say it, but do you ever get the feeling that she's hiding something from us?"
Takato shrugged. "Not usually, why?" he asked. "What could Kimiko possibly have to hide?"
Henry shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "How about the person that gave her that bruised cheek? I mean, when Rika wanted to know who did it, Kimiko clammed up and defended them. You usually only do that if you know the person and don't want to draw attention to the fact that you do."
"You mean like a friend?" Takato asked.
Henry nodded slowly.
"But who'd want to hurt Kimiko?" Takato asked. "I know she can be a bit sarcastic at times, but so can Rika, it's hardly a reason to lift a finger to her."
"What if it wasn't someone her own age?" Henry asked. The question was more aimed at himself than it was Takato.
Takato frowned and glanced at Henry. "You think an adult did it?" he asked. "But like who? The only adults she ever talks about being in close proximity to is her parents, and her mother isn't even home."
"What about her father?"
"Oh, I don't know, Henry," Takato said, suddenly nervous. "We both know that Kimiko and her father have a rough relationship, but I don't think it's as bad as him beating her. I mean, it was one bruise, it's not like we see her in multiple bruises. If she was sprouting bruises every time we saw her, then I'd be concerned..."
Henry sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he agreed.
"Why do you care anyway?" Takato asked.
"Because she's our friend, Takato," Henry said, defensively. "If friends can't worry about their friends, then who can they worry about? You've seen Kimiko, she may be sarcastic at times, but she's still a loner. She doesn't make friends easily; you remember what she was like with us? It took her a while to accept us."
Takato nodded.
"Oh!" Calumon squeaked as he reached the peak of the campsite. "Look at the pretty lights."
"When do we get to eat?" Guilmon asked.
"Can't you think of anything other than your stomach?" Terriermon asked.
"Well, yeah, but I'm hungry," Guilmon replied.
Henry and Takato chuckled, shaking their heads at the three Digimon. They should've guessed that, despite the fun they seemed to be having; nothing could override their need to eat.
"Hey, let's take a look around," Takato said.
Henry nodded and looked back to where the three Digimon were still staring at the lights. He didn't feel the need to bother them and tear them away from their interesting view, and instead turned to walk away with Takato.
"It sure is quiet here," Takato said. As if to prove him wrong, a loud bird cry split through the air. "Or not."
"Hmm?" Henry frowned, looking around. "I bet it's that Digimon. Let's check it out before the others sense it."
Takato nodded and glanced back over his shoulder at Guilmon and the others. They were too caught up in a game 'find our house' to notice anything else, but that would soon change if they caught wind of a Digimon within the immediate vicinity. Turning back to Henry, Takato nodded and they both took off, deeper into the trees.
Looking around for any sign of a Digimon, Henry discovered it in the tree above them. The creature looked like a giant atomic bomb with talons that gripped the branch of the tree, and claws that stuck out from its body. Its tail hung low beneath him, and flicked upwards while its head looked like a rooster.
"Oh! Is that it?" Takato asked, looking up.
"Well, it's sure not the first robin of spring," Henry said.
"I hope it's friendly."
"Me too, but they never seem to be," Henry said.
"Man, for a small Digimon, he sure looks menacing," said Takato. "Like some freaked-out vulture. So, what should we do? If Guilmon and Terriermon meet up with this thing there's bound to be a fight."
"Let's get out of here," Henry said. The last thing he wanted was to fight. He and his friends, Digimon included, were on vacation, which meant no fighting at all.
Takato nodded and headed back to the cliff where they had left Guilmon and the others.
"Let's go back," Henry said, startling the three Digimon.
"What?"
"Why?"
"We're leaving already?" Terriermon asked.
"We still haven't found our houses."
"Miss Isaji's probably started looking for us," Takato said, "and Kimiko's probably wondering where you are, Calumon."
"I don't want to," Guilmon whined.
Takato sighed and grabbed his Digimon's arm. "Oh, just come on!" he said, dragging him away from the edge of the cliff.
Guilmon whined as he tried to keep up. His legs were much too small to be running at the pace that Takato was dragging him. "Why didn't you draw me with smaller legs, Takato?" he asked.
~*Expect the Unexpected*~
The next morning the sun was shining brightly over the entire campsite. Kimiko, who had gone to bed early the previous evening, was awake way before her friends. Knowing the routine of what happened usually during the camping trips, the young blonde dug around inside her duffel bag in search of her swimmers.
"What's on the agenda for today?" Labramon asked, yawning and stretching as she waited for Kimiko.
"Normally on days like today we spend it basking in the sun," Kimiko replied, pulling on her swimmers. She then rummaged around inside her duffel again and pulled out a pair of shorts.
"What about us?" Labramon asked. "Do we have to hide?"
Kimiko shook her head. "There's a clearing not that far away from here," she said. "It's far enough away where we won't be disturbed, so you and the others won't have to hide either."
"Cool," Labramon said, lifting her ear and listening to what was going on outside. "I think Henry's coming," she added.
"Huh?" Kimiko murmured looking up. She hadn't seen Henry since he had walked her back to her tent after pudding last night. She was fully aware that he, Takato and the others had gone exploring, they had taken Calumon with them, and while Henry had promised to bring Calumon back once they returned, he hadn't, allowing Kimiko to assume that they hadn't made it back until late.
A shadow fell over the outside of the tent as Henry's voice called out.
"Hey, Kimiko, you awake?" he asked.
Kimiko pushed her way through the flap and smiled as Calumon jumped out of Henry's arms and into her own.
"Sorry I didn't bring him back last night," Henry apologised.
"It's OK," Kimiko said. "I knew where he was. Besides, he's last this long without us; I don't really have a right to worry about him."
"Yeah, but we all know you do," Henry said.
Kimiko smiled. "Is Takato awake yet?" she asked.
"He's just woke up," Henry said. "We past a clearing while on our way back last night; we're taking Guilmon and Terriermon out there for the day. You want to come?"
"If it's the same place I'm thinking of then I just told Labramon about it," Kimiko said.
Henry smiled. "Ah, right, cool," he nodded. "Well, I just got to change, and I'll meet you up there, if you like?"
"Sure. I'll take Labramon and Calumon on ahead."
"Can I go to Henry?" Terriermon asked, hopefully.
Henry chuckled and shrugged. "Sure, I don't see why not," he agreed.
Terriermon yelped in happiness and jumped from Henry's head onto Kimiko's shoulders. He wrapped his ears around her and held on tight.
"You're definitely a Digimon magnet," Henry teased.
Kimiko laughed lightly. "It's not my fault they love me," she said. "Do you want to grab Takato, or do you want me too? I don't mind stopping by, even if it's just to get Guilmon. I think I can handle four Digimon for a little while."
"OK. You get Guilmon and I'll get Takato once he's more awake."
"Cool," Kimiko said, stepping away from Henry. The blue-haired boy nodded, turned his back on the blonde and walked away.
Kimiko sighed and relaxed. Why did she suddenly feel so nervous around Henry?
"You OK, Kimiko?" Labramon asked, padding out of the tent.
Kimiko nodded. "Yeah, I'm OK," she said. "Come on, let's go get Guilmon and get out of the campsite before anyone else wakes up."
~*Expect the Unexpected*~
Once they had reached the clearing, Kimiko set up her herself up near the water's edge as she waited for Henry and Takato to join her, meanwhile the Digimon run off the moment they had permission, and climbed a nearby tree for leverage over their jump into the glistening stream below.
"Hey, do we still have to be quiet?" Guilmon shouted, looking down and seeing Henry and Takato arriving.
"Well, you've kind of just given yourself away," Takato replied. "But no, you can be as loud as you want out here. We are safe out here, aren't we?" he added to Kimiko.
"Yeah, no one can hear us from here," Kimiko promised.
"You know the area that well?" Henry asked.
Kimiko nodded. "During the last few camping trips I've come out here to get away from everyone else," she said. "I normally come out here to read. It's quiet and serene enough for me to concentrate."
Henry and Takato nodded and settled down near Kimiko, whilst Guilmon, Terriermon and Calumon tried to coax Labramon into the water, but the dog was having none of it. She had no desire to get remotely wet, and preferred basking in the sunlight at the edge of the stream.
"Come on, Labramon, jump in already," Calumon said. "The water's great."
"I'll take your word for it," Labramon replied, lifting her head a fraction of an inch to see the white Digimon.
"We'll splash you," Terriermon threatened.
Labramon growled in warning, causing the three to back off.
Guilmon sighed. "Aw, come on, Labramon," he said childishly. "It's no fun out there."
"Maybe later," Labramon sighed. "But now I'm staying here."
"Yay!" the other three cheered, before turning away to splash each other.
Takato smiled as he watched the three play.
"This is really turning out to be a nice restful vacation. For us and the Digimon," Henry said.
"Can you imagine if Rika were here?" Takato asked. "She'd have us fighting trees just to stay prepared."
"Haha - stupid trees," Henry chuckled. "She'd have us fighting 'stupid trees," he mocked.
Kimiko rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the guys. "Correct me if I am wrong, Takato, but wasn't it you who took a keen interest in 'staying prepared' not so long ago?" she asked. "Or was it some other Takato that was calling us all at 6 in the morning to go patrolling?"
"That was when we were in the city," Takato said.
"What's so different between being in the city and out here?" Kimiko asked. "I know there's a Digimon out there. You guys are doing a great job a hiding it from, not just me, but them too," she pointed over her shoulder at the Digimon.
Henry and Takato looked startled.
"How did you know?" Takato asked, figuring it was best not to lie.
"You guys may have thought it wise to not tell me," Kimiko said, "but my D-Power doesn't share the same sentiment. It lit up like a Christmas tree yesterday afternoon. The signal was too small to warrant any worry, but I knew you'd both get the alert too. I'm surprised you thought you could keep it from me."
"We didn't want to cause mass panic," Henry said. "We're supposed to be on vacation. It's not much of a break if we're fighting all the time."
"To be fair, that's how my family defines vacation," Takato joked.
Kimiko smiled lightly and looked away. "Well, let's just hope that this Digimon stays hidden until our vacation is over," she said. "Or maybe let someone else handle it for a change. I mean, unless this thing makes its way into the city, there's not much we can do once we leave here."
Henry and Takato nodded in agreement.
"What a pathetic sight."
"Huh?" Henry, Takato and Kimiko murmured, each looking around for the familiar voice. They looked up to see Impmon sitting on a tree branch near the water's edge.
"So much for a quiet weekend away," Labramon grumbled, standing up and stretching. "What do you want, Impmon?"
Impmon shrugged and stood up. "Just thought I'd drop-in to see how my favourite Digi-pets were doing," he said. "Is that a crime now?"
"It is when you're interrupting our playtime," Labramon said.
"What do you know about playtime, doll face, you're not even playing," Impmon said. "Your so-called tamer's got you thinking that you're too prideful to play in the water.
"Hey!" Kimiko exclaimed.
Labramon growled. "Leave Kimiko out of this, Impmon, it was my decision to stay dry," she said. "It's the least I can say for you. RetrieverG." She opened her jaws and hit Impmon with her primary attack, knocking him off of his perch and into the water.
Kimiko sighed. "Labramon," she groaned.
"What?" Labramon asked. "He can't do anything, and he wanted to play anyway, why else would be out here if he didn't?"
"Not the point," Kimiko said. "You didn't have to attack him to get him wet. Guilmon seems to enjoy splashing people, he could've done it."
Guilmon's laughter rang loudly as he splashed Terriermon and Calumon, both of whom were more than happy to splash him back. Meanwhile, Impmon had resurfaced and was glaring at the three of them, the water around him bubbled as he radiated heat.
"Come on, Impmon," Terriermon said. "Come play, already."
"Well, I guess if I have too," Impmon said, swimming closer.
Guilmon, Terriermon and Calumon shrieked with laughter and swam away, whilst Impmon chased them downstream.
"See," Labramon said, lying back down.
Kimiko shook her head, but smiled nonetheless.
"What a weird little guy," Takato said, watching the four of them play. "If he just wanted to play why didn't he just say so in the beginning?"
"Some people - even Digimon, I guess - just can't be open about their feelings," Henry replied.
"Mm-hmm," Kimiko agreed.
Labramon smiled and closed her eyes, although they didn't remain closed for long. Within a split second she was back on her feet, her teeth bared.
"Huh! What's wrong, Labramon?" Kimiko asked, startled.
"There's a Digimon," Labramon replied.
Similar screams of surprise echoed from downstream as Terriermon, Guilmon, Calumon and Impmon were thrown out of the water and sent crashing into a nearby tree.
"What happened?" Takato called.
"What is it, Terriermon?" Henry asked.
"Careful, you guys, there's a Digimon over there," Terriermon replied, pointing across the stream.
The three humans looked over to see a giant chicken. For Kimiko it was the first Digimon she had seen all weekend, but for Henry and Takato it was the same one they had seen last night, only bigger.
"How did it get so big?" Henry asked his eyes wide as he saw the size of the Digimon that had once been so small.
"Let's find out who this guy is," Takato said, holding up his D-Power. Nothing happened. "What's the matter? I'm not getting any data."
Kimiko held up her own D-Power and frowned as the screen remained blank. "Me either," she said. "It can't be a coincidence that both of them are broken, can it?"
"Mine's not working either," Henry said.
"There's no way all three of them could break at the same time," Kimiko said. "Something's definitely not right here."
"Oh, hold on, I'm getting something," Takato said as his D-Power sprang to life once more. "Yes. It says the Digimon is Sinduramon. Uh-oh, he's an ultimate."
"Labramon, wait," Kimiko called as her Digimon run off towards the others. "Don't attack."
"You're kidding, right?" Labramon asked. "We can't just stand by and do nothing."
"You're not out here to fight!" Kimiko argued.
"The Deva has arrived."
Kimiko frowned and turned to Takato and Henry. "What did you say?" she asked.
"I didn't say anything," Henry said, looking to Takato.
"Don't look at me," Takato said, shaking his head.
Kimiko frowned and lifted her gaze to the trees above them. In the branch hanging over her head was an owl, his eyes were red, almost as if he was being possessed, and he was speaking like a regular human. "Uh, guys," she said, pointing him out.
"Oh, yeah. Hail to the Deva, he who drinks of the light of man and expands himself and looks like a right big chicken," the owl said.
"He who drinks of the light of man?" Henry repeated.
"A right big chicken?" Takato asked.
"Yes, the great and might chicken avengers that shall rule all of us," the owl said.
"Chicken avengeance?" Kimiko asked.
"Is that like kung pau chicken?" Takato asked, earning a dig from Kimiko in return.
"Why do you want to be ruled by a digital chicken?" Henry asked.
"Because he is the deva," the owl replied.
"Well, can't argue with that," Henry agreed.
The Deva shrieked and took off into the air. It was a surprise to see that something that looked so heavy could be so light. But that wasn't the worst of it, as the Digimon disappeared, so did the others.
"Wait, you guys," Takato yelled.
"You're on vacation."
"Labramon was right, so much of a quiet weekend away," Kimiko grumbled. "Hey, Calumon, come on," she added. "We got to get back." She then turned to Henry and Takato. "We need to find this thing before something happens that we can't explain."
The two nodded and, once Calumon was safely back in Kimiko's arms, they took off back towards camp,
"Typical," Impmon grumbled his arms folded as he was left alone. "A chicken ruins my fun."
~*Expect the Unexpected*~
Kazu and Kenta complained as Takato changed back into his normal clothes. He had just explained the situation that he, Henry and Kimiko had run into with the newest Digimon deva that was running around.
"Can't we just pluck its feathers?" Kazu asked.
"It's twenty feet tall!" Takato exclaimed emerging from the tent he shared with is best friends. As he stepped fully out he was joined by Kimiko and Henry.
"We think we know what's going on," Kimiko said. "I just saw Miss Isaji, and apparently the whole city suffered a major blackout last night."
Takato nodded, whilst Kazu and Kenta continued to look confused. "OK, so, what's that got to do with the Digimon?" they asked together.
"It's electricity," Henry said. "It gets larger by eating electricity. Think about it - 'the deva who drinks of the light of man and expands himself - we've got to go now."
"All right, but where?" Takato asked. "We don't even know where Guilmon, Terriermon and Labramon disappeared too."
"It's elementary, my dear Takato," Henry said, leading his friends away from the camp and back towards the main road. "Just follow the signs."
Kimiko frowned and looked up the road as a bus trundled towards them. It was strange to see a bus this far away from the city but she wasn't about to complain. Climbing aboard after it had stopped in front of her; she paid for a ticket and then turned to Henry. "Do you feel like explaining where it is we're going?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm feeling a little lost too," Takato agreed.
"My guess is they're heading toward the dam, and you know what's there, right?" Henry asked.
"The hydroelectric power plant - so?" Takato asked.
Kimiko gasped. "Oh, if it eats all the electricity there, it really will be a right big chicken," she said.
"And it could cause some serious damage," Henry said. "I can't believe I just ignored it. Now if it goes on a big rampage through Tokyo, the damage will be entirely my fault."
Kimiko and Takato frowned and exchanged looks.
"Oh no," Takato said.
"Huh?"
"It's just as much our fault as it is yours," Kimiko said. "All three of us chose to ignore the possibility of a new Digimon in hopes that it would go away and we could relax this weekend."
"She's right," Takato agreed. "We're in this together, Henry, good or bad."
"Yeah," Calumon agreed.
Henry smiled at the pair of them. "Thank you, you guys," he said.
"Hey, what was that?" asked a little boy from the back of the bus. He was pointing out of the window at rapid explosions coming from the dam.
"That sure looks like Guilmon's work," Takato said.
~*Expect the Unexpected*~
"Pyrosphere!"
"Terrier tornado!"
"RetrieverG!"
Three individual attacks hit the giant chicken, but did very little damage.
"We didn't even make a dent," Terriermon said, picking himself up from the floor and looking up at the Digimon.
"Aw nuts," Guilmon said.
"You can say that again," Labramon said.
The deva cried out as he rose into the air and powered up. "Positron pulse!" he called out, unleashing a bolt of lightning which hit the three Digimon.
"Labramon!" Kimiko yelled as Takato held her back from being deep-fried.
"They've got to stop Sinduramon," Henry said, as Kimiko stopped struggling for release.
"Come on, you guys, get up," Takato yelled.
"It's about time you guys got here," Terriermon said, looking up at the three Tamers.
"We got to ride the bus," Calumon said, the triangle on top of his head starting to glow.
"You ready, Guilmon?" Takato asked.
"Mm-hm," Guilmon nodded.
"Terriermon?"
"You know it."
"You don't need to ask me, Kimiko," Labramon said.
Kimiko smiled and reached for her cards and D-Power. "In that case," she said. "What are we waiting for?"
"Right!" Henry and Takato agreed.
"Digimodify! Digivolution, activate!"
Digivolution...
"Guilmon, digivolve too... Growlmon!"
"Terriermon, digivolve too... Gargomon!"
"Labramon, digivolve too... Seasramon!"
The Deva growled and rose into the air again. It hovered over the three Digimon and then soared towards them.
"Take that! Gargolasers!" Gargomon shouted, opening fire on the chicken. "Oh, come on!" he whined as the lasers did little damage.
The chicken roared as it flew towards the giant rabbit. It stopped as it was caught by Growlmon, who was able to push it back a few steps, although the chicken was heavy as it was strong.
"Positron pulse!" the deva shouted, igniting the two Digimon in front of him with bolts of lightning again.
"Huh!" the tamers gasped.
"Guilmon!"
Its attention drawn by the human yell, Sinduramon called off the attack on the Growlmon and Gargomon, and turned to face the three humans. He sized them up, before remembering what he had been told about the humans of this world, and how they were forcing Digimon to do their bidding for them. He, just like his brethren, and sworn allegiance to Digimon only, and promised to eliminate all human threat to the Digimon's Digivolution.
Squawking, the deva rose into the air again, and powered up his claws. "Positron pulse!" he shouted, firing the lightning bolts at the three humans.
Takato gasped at the sudden change in attack, Sinduramon had been the first Deva that had openly tried to harm them, whilst Henry pulled Kimiko behind him. He had done it to try and protect her, but even he knew that when the bolt hit them, there'd be very little he could do to help her.
There was a blur, and Seasramon appeared out of nowhere. He landed in front of the three humans and took the hit for himself.
"SEASARMON! NO!" Kimiko yelled, as she raised her arms to block out the blinding light that filled the area. Her D-Power, which was caught tightly between her fingers, emitted a soft blue glow as the card in her hand turned from green to blue.
Takato breathed in amazement as Kimiko held up the newly created blue card. "Oh, is that -?" he asked.
"It is!" Henry replied. "Do it, Kimiko."
"Mhm-mm," Kimiko said, swiping the blue card through her D-Power. It froze for a second, before a column of blue light burst from the screen and broke through the electrical field that Sinduramon still had around Seasramon.
Matrix Digivolution!
For a split second it didn't seem like anything had happened, until a jet of red-hot flames erupted from the centre of the electrical field. It hit Sinduramon and knocked him off guard. The electrical field disappeared, revealing a three-headed dog Digimon.
"Whoa," Takato breathed in amazement. "Who is that?"
"Cerberumon," Henry said, holding up his D-power. "She's a dark animal Digimon. Her claws are hard enough to easily tear through chrome digizoid alloys, and its body is protected by a hard living shell. Her main attacks are Emerald Blaze and Portals of Darkness."
Only half-listening to Henry, Kimiko stared wide-eyed at her beloved Digimon partner. She wasn't sure what to make of the newest transformation. Labramon had been so loving and cuddly, and Seasramon was so brave, whilst Cerberumon seemed downright menacing and scary.
Sinduramon screeched at the newest Digivolution and opened himself up for another attack. However, thanks to the sentience, embedded in the armour on her shoulders, Cerberumon was able to sense the attack, and counter it.
"Emerald Blaze!" Cerberumon shouted, firing jets of red-hot flames out of her jaws. They hit Sinduramon in the chest, knocking him out of the sky and into the fast flowing water below.
Sinduramon screamed in agony as he exploded into red flecks of data, all of which disappeared as soon as they appeared.
"Yeah!" Calumon cheered as third deva to face the Tamers disappeared.
With the threat eliminated, Cerberumon turned to Kimiko, who still seemed unsure of the situation. "Are you OK, Kimiko?" she asked.
Kimiko nodded, numbly.
"Are you sure?" Cerberumon asked. "You look pretty freaked out."
"I guess I'm still processing the idea that my best friend's ultimate form is a dark Digimon," Kimiko admitted.
Cerberumon nodded. "You'll get used to it," she said. "But you don't have to worry, I'm still me."
"I guess that's good to know," Kimiko said, smiling.
Cerberumon nodded and nuzzled her head against Kimiko's chest, allowing the human to slide her hand over the little fur she had. It was reassuring to know that, despite the surprise, Kimiko was still willing to accept her for who she was, and not what she was.
Copyrighted ©
Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Chapter updated Monday, March 10, 2015 at 02:42am