"So, class, as you can see the new laws put in place regarding the bio-emergence of Digimon is a lot like a new relationship. It's a tough and uncharted area for both parties and time and understanding are required so that both can get along happily and without conflict. It is frustrating when, no matter how hard one party is trying to make it work the other isn't and is just refusing to talk about their plans or think about how little time someone has without any regard for serious commitment. Isn't that right Nakazawa-Kun!" There was a pregnant pause in her classroom as her teacher, Ms. Saotome, pointed her stick toward Nakazawa. Startled, he blinked for a moment before raising a finger to himself as if he had forgotten his name. Ms. Saotome could only dig her eyes at him before turning back to the board. The class breathed easy as the subject continued.

Madoka didn't know why her teacher consistently chose to pick on Nakazawa whenever she vented her relationship issues to them. Had he done something she nor anyone else had known about? The thought had crossed her and the minds of others at various times. Each time, however, they settled on being content with the fact that it had been him and not them that their teacher had targeted.

"Now the HYPNOS Group itself was heavily involved with the formation of said laws. The nature of these laws is, at first glance, very simple and straightforward, meant to both protect the Digimon and the Tamers they chose alongside the public at large. Though they're primarily answering to the Japanese Government, the International discussion has also brought them forth due to their expertise and knowledge in the field being unmatched by almost any other group."

Madoka would never have thought to claim to be the most studious or attentive student, but then she also would never have thought to have run into an actual Digimon in the first place. The encounter with the digital lizard had caused a shift in what she cared about, and right now she wanted to know how to care for a Digimon.

Or at least when it came to the law.

Her raised hand was answered only a moment after she had raised it.

"Yes, Madoka?" there was a tiny pause as she felt a few of her classmates look at her, Sayaka included, but she thought about Guilmon and pushed past it.

"Does HYPNOS watch out for all Digimon? I mean, how do they know when a Digimon, from Bio-emerges?"

"According to what's been released to the public, Digimon draws out a lot of energy in manifesting. Converting data, ones, and zeroes into flesh and bone takes effort and the result can be what's called a bio-emergence field. A fog-like structure that helps the Digimon in materializing itself."

"Can they also cause electrical stuff to, umm, break?"

"They can, yes. Typically, this is a sign of the Digimon itself channeling its way through a power grid or the cabling of an electrically wired system. Now back to your first question. How does HYPNOS track the appearance of a Digimon? As mentioned, they're among the foremost in the field of Digital Life. They've developed programs modeled after the Digimon themselves that do enable such tracking. They've even been able to set up a firewall, GARMR, that keeps out the scarier and more hostile Digimon. However, due to the level at which HYPNOS operates the specifications are not known to the public."

"What happens when a Digimon emerges and, um, chooses a Tamer?" Madoka didn't need to turn her head to feel Sayaka digging holes into the back of her head, and she could hear confused murmurs amongst a few of her classmates.

"My, since when did you get so interested in Digimon, or..." Her teacher trailed up, and Madoka braced herself "Could it be you have a very own Digimon friend you want to share with the rest of the class!"

Some of her classmates laughed at their teacher, Sayaka burying her head in her arms to avoid seeing her public execution as Madoka's cheeks flushed and the words failed to form in her mouth, choosing instead to grip the ends of her skirt.

Ms. Saotome let out a friendly laugh, signaling the rest of the class to quiet their laughter.

"Just kidding. If a Digimon does choose you or anyone as its Tamer, what's called a D-Ark also manifests. Now this device is the subject of its discussion both in how it's made and also why it's made, though it's wildly accepted that it can only manifest through this way and acts as a multi-faceted device with various cool functions." Suddenly her teacher took an odd stance before she swiped her left hand past her right hand "DIGI-Modify!"

The class burst into laughter as Ms. Saotome chuckled alongside them. Sitting down, Madoka let out a relieved sigh before turning over to Sayaka who shook her head.

Madoka would for sure hear about it from Sayaka later, probably the day after too but compared to what she had just learned and fully absorbed, she didn't see it as that bad of thing. Instead, her thoughts went to the D-Arks. Of course, she knew what they were, Sayaka had told her plenty of times in talking about Digimon and their Tamers.

They were, as romanticized as Sayaka liked to be, a sign of the Digital world itself. That a child had been chosen to be the partner to a life not found of their world that had not just made the effort to make it here but had made the effort to make it to their chosen child.

Was it Destiny or Fate? Maybe the invisible hand of some God? Or maybe it was simply the yearning from one soul to another across time and space. Whatever the reason was, whatever explanation one could come up with, she could only think of this.

She was Guilmons' tamer, where was her D-Ark?

As school ended, Madoka quickly gathered her things and decided to go home as early as possible. She tried not to waste any time, gently turning down classmates looking to talk to, or Hitomi's request to hang out at the mall again. There was no rudeness or lack of care, as almost any other day she would have talked and hung out with Hitomi, but not right now.

Her mind was occupied solely by the digital monster staying at her home. She thought about HYPNOS, how even if had only been a day that they hadn't shown up despite what her teacher told her.

Maybe it's better that way, she thought to herself thinking about what a change to her life it would be to be acknowledged as one of the few Tamers. She remembered that girl with the Tokomon, and even if the news story had kept her identity private, how much longer would that be the
case? Madoka didn't know if she could handle everyone knowing about her!

"Geez Madoka, why don't you just tell everyone you have a Digimon." Sayaka's crude voice came from behind her, pulling her from her deep thoughts.

"Sayaka!" yelled Madoka quietly, raising a finger to her mouth "Please don't say that so loud."

"Why not? It's not like it's against the law to have a Digimon or anything. Oh! I know you're just scared that you'll end up on the news and biff it real big!" Madoka's cheeks flushed as Sayaka raised her hands as part of her show "Oh yes! I love my partner Guilmon and all Pokémon! Ha-ah!"

"Quit it Sayaka!" begged Madoka as Sayaka kept laughing.

"But hey who knows? With your distinct look and Guilmon being Guilmon, you're bound to steal everyone's hearts for yourself." Madoka flushed again, though differently this time "But more important than that..."

Sayaka ran up in front of her, grasping both of her shoulders tightly as she looked at her with a piercing, serious gaze. Madoka shrunk against this, not knowing what had overcome Sayaka so suddenly.

"Madoka Kaname, it's up to you to save the Digital World! with your partner Digimon" she said in a just and deep voice before letting go of her and winking suddenly "Or something like that anyways."

Spinning around, Sayaka kept on the way to Madoka's home. Madoka let out a soft sigh.

Sayaka had always loved the Digimon and being met with one had caused her no end of joy.

It stood in contrast with how Madoka herself had been handling it. While she had been hesitant to place a hand on Guilmon's head, Sayaka had wrapped both arms around him and had cheered for him saving them.

A tiny part of her almost felt like Sayaka should have been the one to get a Digimon herself.

But this tiny part was ignored by her joy at coming home to her very own Digimon partner. The thought alone made her smile in a way she didn't know she could.

"Oh, did you tell your mom at all about Guilmon?" Madoka shook her head at Sayaka's question. Madoka hadn't of course. How do you tell your mom that you were now partnered with a lizard that talked and breathed hot red flames? She had been lucky enough to avoid her dad and little brother, though the latter was probably not worth mentioning given his infancy. Now, Guilmon was hiding amongst the various stuffed animals in her room, which she hoped would still be the case.

"I don't know what the hold up is. Your mom is a cool lady. Heck, maybe she's a big Digimon fan too!" Madoka didn't know about that. Her mom was cool sure but none of their talks ever gave her the idea that she would be a Digimon enthusiast. It was a funny thought though, her mom being just as passionate as Sayaka about the Digimon that is.

"Yeah, she is cool." Madoka admitted with more than a bit of pride "I guess now I'm just worried that Guilmon isn't..." She trailed off thinking about what her teacher had said in class earlier.

"Is this about the D-Ark?" Sayaka had manifested her thought for her "I wouldn't worry about it." Madoka perked up.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I was on this Tamers forum last night and it turns out not everyone gets a D-ARK when they meet their Digimon partner. Sometimes it takes a day or two before it shows up.
It must be the bonds of friendship that need to be set before you get one." Sayaka brought a hand to her chin "Although it was the internet, who knows if they were Tamers or not."

Privately Madoka had wished she had left that last part out. It did reassure her somewhat though. Madoka had only just now met Guilmon, and although she felt an undeniable connection with him, was it truly on the same level as the Trio of Tamers that had merged with their own Digimon? She hoped that would be the case.

"Did they say anything about what I could do to help it? The bonds of friendship I mean?"

"Spending time with Guilmon couldn't hurt. Just like regular friendship, the more fun memories you make the stronger the bond will be." Madoka nodded her head affirmatively.

She didn't think of it as work or a task but instead that she wanted to show Guilmon that he was her friend. They were together now and he would be able to count on her. Maybe she wouldn't be able to protect him just like he had protected her yesterday, but for sure he would know what a great friend he had in her.

"Whoa whoa whoa, that's quite a fierce look you have there Madoka!" complimented Sayaka

"Watch out, the biggest Tamer is here."

There was a bit of a teasing tone in Sayaka's voice, but Madoka believed in it. It wasn't a competition, and she didn't want to compare herself to the Tamers of before, but all the same, she was going to do her best. Not just for herself, but for Guilmon and whatever force it was that brought him to her.

The rest of the walk to her home was uneventful. They talked, passing through the streets that became more and more lively as the afternoon drew closer to evening. Various screens played ads, some with Digimon of course though Madoka told herself that was always the case. Sayaka saw one with Guilmon and of course, took it as a sign they should hurry to her home.

The sun was still high when they arrived at her home. Her dad and brother had not been there, a note explaining to her that they had gone to the nearby park to play while there was still a day left.

Her dad had left Madoka a meal wrapped nicely on the table. Her mom had mentioned to her that morning that she wouldn't be back until after dinner. She had been working on closing a deal and was in the final stretch of it, so she needed to throw everything at it now.

Madoka loved eating dinner with her family, but she also knew how important her work was to her mother so she couldn't be that disappointed. Still, this did leave her alone with Sayaka but also Guilmon. Even if it was by chance it let her put off revealing Guilmon to them.

She knew it was selfish, but she could live with it for the time being.

Sayaka took off upstairs nearly forgetting to take off her shoes. Madoka couldn't find it in her to chide her. She shared the same sentiment even if instinct had won over her, placing her shoes gently against the entrance to her home and closing the door securely behind her.

"Guilmon!" yelled Sayaka as she fell onto the plush toys, rising quickly as he lifted Sayaka off the ground as her arms wrapped themselves against his frame.

"That's me!" he said cheerfully his bright yellow eyes filling with warmth as he turned to Madoka.

"See, Madoka, I stayed here the entire day! I'm good at listening."

She smiled warming going up and placing a hand against his head as she rubbed it softly. Guilmon beamed at that, filling Madoka's hand with the warmness from his soft crimson scales.

"I got some Guilmon bread." Sayaka rummaged through her student bag pulling out three different kinds of Guilmon bread "This one is pistachio paste flavored; this one is red bean flavored, and the last one is coffee flavored."

"Sayaka should he be eating something with coffee in it?" Madoka added worriedly despite
Guilmon's glittering eyes.

"Don't worry this one is decaffeinated." Waving Madoka's worries away Sayaka handed the bread to Guilmon, who grabbed it in a clawed hand and began to chew away at it happily.

"Mmm delicoush!" cooed Guilmon through a puffed-up cheek.

"You like Guilmon bread." Guilmon replied with a quick nod of his head before taking another bite "I guess since it was the first thing you ate, that makes sense."

"Mmh, Takato's Dad made it for me." And both Madoka and Sayaka laughed at that.

"I guess that's true. Say, do all Guilmon know about that or is it just you?" Madoka wanted to know more about the Digimon, more about the world they lived in but beyond that she wanted to know more about Guilmon himself.

Guilmon gave a puzzled, almost confused look.

"Are there more Guilmon?" he asked, and Sayaka and Madoka shared his look of confusion. They looked at each other before they looked back at him.

"Sure, it's like people. There's Madoka, me, our friends, and our classmates." Explained Sayaka as Guilmon raised a claw to his chin.

"Oh, so like all the Chuchidarumon, right? They're all the same but also not. That makes sense! I wonder what the other Guilmon is like." Guilmon turned back to his bread and continued eating it happily. Madoka had expected a more concrete and sure answer from him. She wasn't disappointed though, having at least learned more about him regardless.

"But you still like Guilmon bread?"

"Mm-hm, it was made for me," Guilmon repeated, for an instant Madoka felt content with letting him finish his bread in peace.

"Guilmon how is it that you found Madoka, you know the other day?" Sayaka's question came quickly carrying her usual energy. Despite not being curious about it at first, Madoka found herself suddenly wondering about it too. Not just that, but about who that tiny creature Kyuubey was and if Guilmon had been familiar with him.

"The DemiDevimon was picking on..." he stopped, thinking to himself once again.

"Kyuubey?"

"Kyuubey... haha that sounds like Kyubimon. Yeah, the DemiDevimon was picking on him, so l chased them and tried to stop them. There was this dark alley but that didn't stop me and then I heard you and Sayaka were in trouble, so I came to stop them!"

"Just like a hero of justice!" Sayaka exclaimed, Guilmon smiling in response.

"Me? A hero of justice? That's cool!" Madoka laughed as both Sayaka and Guilmon played off each other, though felt a question of her own come up.

"So... those other creatures, were they Digimon too?" she asked, remembering how the space around them shifted into a surreal landscape and became filled with things that became harder and harder to describe from memory alone.

"No, they didn't smell like Digimon. They didn't smell like anything I've ever smelled before.
And I've smelled A LOT of stuff." Replied Guilmon before suddenly turning his head sharply to the window, the black of his eyes becoming thin and sharp enough to cause Sayaka and Madoka to stand still.

"They were familiars belonging to a Witch." The same voice as yesterday called out, though rather than a voice in her head, it came directly to her ear.

Sitting at the edge of her closed window was the fox-bunny-cat creature named Kyuubey that they had protected the other day.

It jumped down, and Madoka, moved, catching it in her arms as it looked up to her with its small red eyes. It seemed to look into her very soul with them, but something assuaged the feeling of uneasiness she had felt.

"A witch you said." Sayaka spoke up, pulling Madoka from the red-eyed gaze "The kind from the fairytales with green skin and warts?"

That was the same image Madoka had come up with when the term had come up, but Kyuubey merely shook its head.

Guilmon's pupils relaxed, coming up close to her. His nose ran over Kyuubey. Kyuubey did not move or protest. All the same, Madoka felt something in the air shift and turn as a terrible tense feeling began swelling within her.

Madoka turned to her friend wondering if Sayaka might have been sharing in this feeling.

She wasn't, instead bearing a steely look that did nothing to ease the tension inside of her.

"Not something so simple. Think of them as malicious manifestations of negative emotions. The familiars are created from them and serve them within their labyrinth." Madoka thought back to the increasingly distant memory of that horrible place.

"So that place we walked into, it was a Witch's labyrinth?" Madoka felt a tight grip in her heart as Kyuubey nodded.

"Unprotected humans are at risk when they stumble into their Labyrinth like you did," It looked at Guilmon, who nonetheless kept on sniffing him "It was fortunate that Guilmon was there to save you."

"And you too." Added Sayaka as Kyuubey nodded in agreement.

"That's true. Thank you very much, Guilmon." Kyuubey said sincerely, and it seemed like Guilmon had finally finished his efforts, turning away and bringing back another one of the Guilmon breads Sayaka had given him.

With a smile Guitmon tore the bread visage of himself in two, handing the other half towards Kyuubey,

"Guitmon bread!" he exclaimed, as Kyuubey began nibbling on the pastry without a second thought followed soon by Guilmon. Madoka smiled, happy with the kindness that Guilmon had shown towards the unknown creature.

He must have been hungry, thought Madoka as Kyuubey kept eating away at the bread greedily.

She felt the tension ease up, and looking over at Sayaka she watched her friend raise a triumphant thumbs. Strange as it was it felt like they had won a mini conflict of sorts and were basking in the aftermath as both Guilmon and Kyuubey happily ate alongside each other.

"Those DemiDevimon didn't have anything to do with that Witch did they?" Madoka remembered the terrible cries as the DemiDevimon was swallowed by the Labyrinth. How he had broken apart into tiny particles without the Witch or its familiars sparing it a second thought. Maybe she was wrong for feeling sympathy for him, after they had attacked her, Sayaka and Kyuubey, she should feel anger or content with his fate.

But she didn't, feeling only sadness for how it had perished alone.

"No. I don't know why they chose to attack me either, I'm not a Digimon after all so it's not as though I would have given them strength."

"Speaking of which, what are you anyways?" Sayaka as bluntly but innocently as Kyuubey finished the bread.

"Thank you again Guilmon, can I have more later?" Kyuubey didn't wait for an answer

"That's why I'm here, Sayaka and Madoka. You see just like how the Three Tamers protected and saved the world from Digital threats like Wild Digimon and the D-Reaper so too are heroes needed to protect and save the world from Witches. That's where me and my kind come in."

He lept from her arms placing himself atop of Guilmon who blinked curiously.

"Madoka and Sayaka, would you like to make a contract with and become Magical Girls?" Madoka blinked and felt that Sayaka had much the same look of bewilderment on her face as she did.

She had heard him correctly, right? Kyuubey was asking them to become Magical girls?

"Like from the shows?" asked Madoka meekly to the soft nod of Kyuubey's head.

"Yes! Like them, you'd protect humans against the Witches stopping them wherever they might appear." She looked at Guilmon who merely blinked back at her, perhaps not understanding what it was that Kyuubey was saying "If that's not enough for you then when you make a contract with me, I will grant you one wish."

"A wish? Anything at all?" asked Sayaka, speaking in place of Madoka's thoughts as soon as the idea had left Kyuubey's mouth.

"Absolutely. No matter how small or big, how vast or how narrow, any wish you ask will be granted."

Right there Madoka considered what she could even wish for?. It sounded truly fantastical, but what would she want? A new stuffed animal? No, it had to be something more substantial than that. It was a wish after all. It should be for something important and great instead of just something she could find or do on her own.

"A wish? Oh man, that's tough." Sayaka said, her eyes closed and head resting in her hand as she scrunched her face in deep thought "Ohhhh, I can't think of anything! This is so hard!"

"That's okay." Said Kyuubey "You don't need to answer right now. A wish is an important thing after all, and you should make sure it's something that you won't regret." There was a collective sigh from both Madoka and Sayaka. Kyubey had never mentioned there being a time limit, but at least him telling them there wasn't one at all took away the anxiousness she felt.

"Ah, but Guilmon." Kyuubey once again jumped from his place, leaving Guilmon to rub his nose. Madoka giggled, finding the small action cute.

"Madoka had asked you earlier about other Guilmon. You don't know of any even if there might be more. Do you not possess parents? A mother or father, like humans."

"Oh, Takato made me. I don't if that makes him like Takato's Dad or Takato's Mom, though." Sayaka had told Madoka that Takato Mitsuki, the Tamer of the original Guilmon, had designed Guilmon before he had become his partner. Perhaps her Guilmon knew that as well, the same with Guilmon's bread, even if he didn't know about others of his kind.

"So are all Digimon made then?" asked Kyuubey further, to a shrug from Guilmon.

"Takato made me, but I dunno if he made other Digimon. That would be fun though." Guilmon's laughter was shared by Madoka and Sayaka, but not Kyuubey she noted.

"So, you're special then, Guitmon?" Guilmon nodded.

"Sayaka says I'm a hero of Justice."

"You must be a fan of Digimon too." Added Madoka and the thought of Kyuubey being one was funny enough to get a laugh from both Sayaka and Guilmon.

"To be honest I've never encountered a Digimon before. I've seen them everywhere, on the tv's, billboards, even with some other would-be magical girls. But never have I had the chance to meet one in person like this before. It's a wholly new experience."

Other magical girls? Madoka thought to herself, wondering its implications for just a moment before Sayaka had spoken up herself.

"Wait, do you think you could grant Guilmon a wish too? Could he be a magical girl too?" Sayaka pointed at Guilmon with a fierce smile "Guilmon it's time for a new mode change!"
Guilmon raised his arms with reckless abandon and cheered.

"Yeah, I'll get to become a magical girl!" perhaps not understanding exactly what a magical girl was, or at least what a magical girl was according to Kyuubey. Madoka thought about how Guilmon would look dressed in a Sailor outfit, or perhaps a tutu. She giggled to herself, finding the image to be funny. Perhaps Guilmon would like it and become the world's first magical girl Digimon?

Dreams about magical girl Digimon would have to wait however as Kyuubey answers.

"I've never granted a wish to a digital lifeform like Digimon before. No, that's not entirely accurate either. Rather, I do not understand Digimon just yet. Guilmon, if you could wish for something, what would it be?"

Madoka didn't quite get what it was Kyuubey was trying to say. A Digimon was a Digimon, right?

What was there to understand? And why would understanding what Guilmon was matter when making a wish? It confused her, leaving her wanting to ask Kyuubey to be more specific, to know these things about his limits and why they existed at all.

But she would let Guilmon answer first.

He blinked, looking up to the ceiling, then to Sayaka, and then to herself. He raised a claw to his chin yet again, pondering this as he had never pondered anything before. In doing this, she had begun to wonder what her wish would look like once again.

Guilmon's thinking ceased, and his face became a happy one. Madoka listened intently, hoping for some guidance from her Digimon Partner on what her wish could be. Eyes darting to the side, she saw that Sayaka had been doing the same.

Guilmon spoke, breaking the odd quietness that had set in briefly.

"I don't have a wish, sorry." Guilmon raised the Guitmon bread in his head, its gooey insides spilling sightly over its brown crust "I have Guilmon bread, and I have my friends. I've made new friends too, and I've had fun playing hide and seek. Maybe soon all my friends will get to meet, and we can play together! Mm-hm, all my wishes have come true already."

He answered it as earnestly and as honestly as anyone, human or Digimon, could have.

Madoka felt something click in her heart. She brought her hands to her chest, almost instinctively pressing them against it. She couldn't describe this feeling. Her heart fluttered and felt lighter, but also strangely heavy. She felt like crying for some reason. Not for something found in sadness, but as the only way she could manifest it in the physical.

Kyuubey stopped, staring with an unreadable expression at Guilmon. He blinked every so often, yet not once did he betray himself.

"I see," Kyuubey answered, neither pleased nor displeased with Guilmon's answer. He turned back to Madoka and Sayaka, bowing his head.

"Whenever either of you are ready to make a wish, please let me know. I know both of you will make great magical girls." And with that, Kyuubey jumped away and left through the now-open window in Madoka's room.

"Bye, Kyuubey." Waved Guilmon before he went over to Madoka, pressing a claw softly against her cheek "Madoka you're crying. What's wrong?"

She raised her hand from her chest, feeling the warm tears. She had been crying after all.

Guilmon looked at her, eyes full of warmth and concern.

She was lucky, Madoka thought with gratitude.

"Guilmo-"

"Madoka, I came home early let's eat-"

Both conversations and thoughts were cut off in that instant. Walking in on the scene of Madoka having her tears collected by Guilmon was none other than Madoka's mom.

Her face was frozen in another wise happy moment, out of shock or surprise or both no one but she could say.

"Oh! Hi Mrs. Kaname." Sayaka said sheepishly trying to figure a way out of the increasingly small room "Um, this is Guilmon."

"Hi, I'm Guilmon."

"Hello there Guilmon. I'm Madoka's mom, Junko Kaname." Her mom said, voice nice and as welcoming as ever "Madoka, make sure that when you come down you set another plate and seat for your friend. It's a pleasure to have you as a guest, Guilmon."

And without another word, the door closed quietly and the soft footsteps of her mom thundered in her year. Sayaka's eyes darted back and forth, not able to make sense of what had happened.

Madoka still had the same frozen face, even as Guilmon turned to her.

"Oh, uh, are you in trouble? Madoka?"

She wasn't and that somehow made it worse for Madoka.