Shintaro suppressed a grin at the digimon's antics, he looked to the west, the sun was dropping down below the horizon. "It will be getting dark soon," he muttered, to nobody in particular. "We should find some shelter."
Cheshiremon chuckled at Karamon. "That is what you get for being a dog," Cheshiremon explained, puffing out some green smoke, which formed the shape of a cat reprimanding a dog.
Karamon squawked in indignation at being knocked in the lake again. Although he looked similar to a dog, he did not like water. Much less cold water that he is dumped into.
If Cheshiremon could do any other facial expressions apart from grinning, he would of been scowling. He started to scramble back onto the shore. Completely soaked, seeing Karamon laughing he glared. "I don't see why you are laughing, you're next in the lake!" Saying that, he vanished and a few moments later reappeared behind Karamon, raising one gloved paw to push him in. Shintaro turned away from Derek and took a look at the digimon.
Muchomon looked at Akiko, Derek, Sasha, Shintaro and their digimon.
"Yeah we should get going soon," Akiko said.
"Hai!" Muchomon agreed with her partner.
"And preferably a shelter uninhabited by any horrible monsters trying to kill us!" Meanwhile, not far away, Cheshiremon was sitting and staring at Karamon with his usual grin. His third eye began to glow as a wildfire popped into existence around Karamon.
Karamon yelped, seeing he was surrounded by fire. Not good...nonono definitely not good... He leaped out of the ring of fire, singeing his hind foot paw, and ran behind Derek. "Psycho kitty..." He muttered.
"Karamon, you mean to say you're afraid of a cat?" Derek asked, amused.
"That," Karamon pointed. "Is a evil, physco, scary cat. It might be rabid." He said, glaring at Cheshiremon.
"Cheshiremon!" Muchomon yelled. "Apologize to Karamon."
Akiko sweatdropped at Muchomon glared at Cheshiremon.
"Yeh Kitty. You heard her, apologize!" Karamon stuck his tongue out at Cheshiremon in a very four year old like manner. Derek sweatdropped at his crazy digimon.
Sasha had been watching the entire thing quietly, and much to her digimon's surprise, hadn't done a thing about it. "Aren't you going to do something?" Seraphmon asked, studying Sasha's silent look.
Seraphmon didn't get an answer from her partner, as Sasha pushed herself off of the tree she had been leaning on and walked over to where the insanity was taking place. "Are you all... quite done?" she asked, her voice sounding sort of bored, but firm. "Yelling isn't going to get anyone anywhere."
"Sasha?" Seraphmon questioned, "Are you alright?"
"So... are we all done screaming like children?" Sasha asked, slightly ignoring her digimon's question. "There's... still a lot we don't know." And something that keeps bothering me...
Cheshiremon shrugged. "Meh," he mumbled and the wildfire flowed back into his illusion eye. "Dogs are so easy to trick, it's hard not to play games with them." Shintaro raised an eyebrow.
"Sasha's right, we know nothing about this place, except that there are undead birds," Shintaro pointed out. "And that isn't exactly good."
"I am as soon as Muchomon stops being rude to Cheshiremon," Aki said, agreeing with Sasha and Shintaro. "We need to find shelter soon."
Muchomon looked at her partner as she nodded her head. Akiko looked around her surroundings as she pulled out a stick to protect herself with.
"Practicing Kendo?" Muchomon asked Aki.
"Getting something to protect myself with if anyone attacks me or the others," Akiko said.
"Shelter is good!" Karamon put in, shooting a glare at Cheshiremon. "Undead birds... I think I'm glad I missed that..." Derek remarked.
Sasha gave a tired smile. "Yeah...you should be glad you missed that," she said, sighing slightly. She looked down at Seraphmon, who flew up to her shoulder and gave a prompt yawn. Sasha glanced around and noticed a forest with a nice clearing not too far away. "How about over there? We can sort out everything in the morning after some sleep."
"Yay sleep!" Karamon shouted and dashed over to the clearing. Derek sweatdropped and began to follow the little digimon. "Odd l'il thing ain't he..." he muttered to no one in particular.
Shintaro yawned to himself and lay down in the clearing. Despite the fact that he was lying on hard ground, it was cold and Cheshiremon was leaping around. Before long he sank into a fairly deep sleep.
Derek sat down at the foot of a tree. He leaned back and closed one eye, still not trusting the others...or anything in this odd world. Karamon had finally tired of running around and fell asleep immediately.
Even though she hadn't said anything, Sasha would be the one to stay watch that night. She wasn't sure if the others had thought about keeping one person up to watch out for their hides, but she realized that the kids were just plain tired. I'm 17, I've pulled all-nighters before. This won't be too big of a deal...besides, no matter how tough they act, I know they're scared of this place...I have to admit, I am too.
Seraphmon yawned and Sasha placed her fallen angel digimon on the soft grass next to Chesiremon and the two snuggled close despite having this alleged hatred of each other. Sasha leaned against a tree trunk and glanced around at the little band they had formed. It's my job to watch over all of them...
Derek saw Sasha taking watch through his half asleep eyes. "Wake me if you get tired," he muttered before falling fast asleep. Karamon was twitching and laughing at something in his dream.
"Eh-" Sasha blinked as she looked over at Derek, and was about to question his mumbling but found he was already fast asleep. She smiled thinly. "I'll do that," she whispered staring out at the dark sky.
Akiko seeing her digimon sleep, felt less sleepy in her life. I'll stay up later anyway because I don't feel like sleeping anyway, Aki said in her head. She walked towards Sasha and Seraphmon while holding onto her digimon partner, Muchomon.
"I think it's better if two people took watch," Aki said. "Besides I'm not sleepy yet."
Muchomon woke up to her partner's voice. "You'll be sleepy, eventually," Muchomon said.
Sasha glanced over and gave a tired smile. "You're still young yet, and you need to get some sleep. Even if you just lie there with your eyes closed."
"But what about you?" Seraphmon asked.
"I'm old," Sasha joked. "I can handle it. Seriously though, Aki, just get some rest. I'll be alright by myself."
Akiko rose an eyebrow at Sasha. "If you insist," Aki said. "But wake me up when Derek-sama or Shintaro are done with the next watch. But I still think we need to ward off any digimon coming our way."
Minutes after Akiko and Muchomon were asleep.
Shintaro tossed and turned in his sleep, muttering vaguely to himself.
{Dream}
"Look grandpa-sama!" A younger Shintaro grinned, holding up a painting of the lake and cherry blossom tree behind his grandfather's house. It was crude, no detail of such, nothing that good about it. Next to Shintaro, his brother Yamato held up his painting. His grandfather's face lit up. "Yamato! That is excellent! Shintaro I want you to start your painting again and this time, Yamato will show you how to do it properly!"
Mr. and Mrs. Kajitana gathered around the two sheets.
"I must say Shintaro, Yamato's essay is much more in depth, maybe he could show you how."
Shintaro chuckled at his date's joke. He was about to say something back when he heard a silky voice, not unlike his own, drawling. "Hey bro, who's this?" Yamato grinned. Shintaro sighed and put his head in his hand, five minutes later, Yamato and his date had left the cafe and Shintaro was sitting on his own.
{End Dream}
Shintaro bolted up from his sleep, breathing heavily. He saw Sasha staring at him.
"Stupid moss!" he growled. "Cold things always make me wake up!"
Unconvinced it was the moss that woke Shintaro, Sasha decided against pressing into the matter. She was already on shaky ground as it was with him. He's a big boy, he can handle himself and even if he wanted to talk, would he come to you? No. In all honesty, he reminded her of Phoenix, the reluctance to go to anyone for help...although Phoenix's attitude wasn't so ... brash.
In a way, Shintaro reminded her of herself. She was outspoken, yes, but she never divulged the truth, she had a hard time trusting people that she hadn't known for ten years, as was the case with her core group of friends. You just...can't seem to trust people for very long nowadays... She sighed, lowering her head slightly.
As Akiko slept she remembered her family cheering her on as she continued to compete in Kyoto's Kendo match against Kimura Saito and beaten her as well.
"Nishi Akiko wins the tournament," the announcer said as Akiko saw her family run down the stage and hugging her. She then turned her attention to the angry girl of Hane Haruka.
"You''ll pay for this, Nishi!" Haruka yelled. "Mark my words, you'll pay."
Akiko woke up after she remembered Haruka's warning to beat her in kendo. Lousy ground! Akiko said in her head.
Shintaro closed his eyes and began to think to himself. How did I end up in this situation? he thought I'm stuck in a strange place with a bunch of strangers, some of which have green hair, with a bunch of strange creatures who told us we are the reincarnations of their former friends? And I'm sleeping on hard ground too Shintaro sighed. This is too much.
"Why don't you get some sleep?" he called to Sasha, not bothering to turn round. "I'll keep watch for a few hours."
"Shintaro," Sasha began quietly, so as not to wake Derek or Akiko, "I just started my watch five minutes ago. I'll wake you in a few hours, alright?"
Shintaro grumbled to himself. After a few minutes of abject silence, he decided to talk about something...he just couldn't think what.
"I think you missed a spot of bird's guts on your nose," he mused.
Kajitana Shintaro, you are an idiot, he thought. Possibly the most stupid thing to say to anybody! Especially someone who you will no doubt be stuck with until you can find a way out of this rancorous place.
Sasha blinked and touched her nose self-consciously. "I do...not," she finally said, laughing a bit and looking embarrassed. "But ... Shintaro, about the bird..." She paused, wondering how best to ask if he still was peeved about her pushing him out of the way. Where the heck did the vocabulary that could sell ice to an Eskimo go?
When Akiko managed to go back to sleep again, she was annoyed with the memories of her home and the thought of never returning to it. I can't let fear eat me away. I'm stronger than this, Akiko said, in her head. I want to protect my new friends, but I might be the lone wolf that Hitomi Kouji was telling me about. I'm only thirteen.
Shintaro was, needless to say, surprised that she wasn't screaming and throwing stuff at him, which seemed to be the eventual conclusion of every scenario in his mind.
"What about it?" he asked, with one eyebrow raised.
"Are you mad at me for pushing you out of the way?" Sasha asked finally.
Shintaro burst out laughing for a few moments.
"It's better than being picked up by an undead bird!"
Sasha blinked. That wasn't quite the response she was expecting, yet she wasn't complaining. She gave a jovial smile. "Yeah...that wasn't terribly fun..." She touched her side where the bandages were, still fresh.
Akiko got up from the ground with Muchomon.
"Umm Sasha, I'm gonna get some firewood for the fire," Aki said. "We need to ward off any digimon that's coming out way."
"Are you going to be alright by yourself?" Sasha asked, turning her head to Akiko. She then added, "I know Muchomon's going with you, but don't wander too far, alright?"
Derek had awakened sweating from his fitful sleep in time to hear that Akiko was heading off to get firewood. He sat up and pulled a lighter from his pocket. "I have a lighter for the fire..." he said leaning back against a tree.
"I had worse things happening to me than getting lost." Akiko reassured Sasha. "Besides Muchomon will be with me." It's obvious to Muchomon that Sasha look old enough to be her partner's older sister. Before leaving to get some firewood, Akiko turned to the older girl. "Is it ok for me to call you oneechan?" Akiko asked her.
And then they left to get the firewood. Akiko walked around with Muchomon following close to her. She started picking up wood for the fire until she stopped in her tracks.
"Aki, what's wrong?" Muchomon asked.
"I feel like something's coming." Akiko said, facing a digimon with reversed colors. "Oh no! That's BlackRenamon, a champion-level digimon, her attacks are Dark Diamond Storm and Death Illusion." BlackRenamon faced Akiko and Muchomon.
"You trespassed in my forest and now I'll kill you," BlackRenamon said. Akiko screamed as the fox-like digimon advanced on her.
"Tropical Breeze!" Muchomon yelled, hitting BlackRenamon.
"Dark Diamond Storm!" BlackRenamon shouted. "If you think you're going to save this girl think again Muchomon. I'll kill you and then I'll finish her off!"
"Think again!" Muchomon said as Aki's digivice began to glow. "Muchomon digivolve to Saturamon." Saturamon faced her partner as BlackRenamon gave her rival a warning glare. "Don't even try it, BlackRenamon," Saturamon warned BlackRenamon.
"Saturamon, wolf champion digimon!" Akiko said. "Her attacks are Thunderbolt Blitz and Night Storm."
Sasha blinked slowly and found herself smiling, remembering what the sentiment meant. "Older sister, huh?" She shook her head and looked at Shintaro and Derek. "So much for everyone getting some sleep."
"Do you really expect us to go to sleep after being taken from our families--which isn't necessarily a bad thing," he added under his breath, "and hurled into a world with four little things that think we have to save this world? I doubt any of us will be having any sleep."
Sasha raised her eyebrow. "Considering the fun adventures we've all gone through, yeah there's going to be a lot on our minds, but our bodies could be screaming for rest from our tests and from the Birdramon." She frowned. "And excuse me if I suddenly struck a nerve, Shintaro."
"Dark Diamond Storm!" BlackRenamon yelled.
"Night Storm Velocity!" Saturamon shouted.
The attacks hit and exploded as Akiko watched the battle between BlackRenamon and Saturamon. She continued to hold onto the firewood and her digivice as the two digimon continued to fight.
"Don't underestimate me, Saturamon!" BlackRenamon warned, before she left. "I'll be back for you and that girl. And then you'll regret having a partner to begin with..."
"Thunderbolt Blitz!" Saturamon shouted, deleting BlackRenamon. "Akiko, we should head back to camp before more digimon attack us." Akiko nodded her head and climbed onto Saturamon's back.
Akiko and Saturamon left the forest as BlackRenamon glared at the two leaving. Still clutching onto the firewood, Akiko held onto Saturamon as she continued her speed towards the campsite.
"BlackRenamon has a few tricks up her sleeves," Saturamon said. "It's better to stay on guard."
Looks like I'm not the only one with family issues... Derek thought, overhearing Shintaro's comment. He heard a noise behind him, and turning saw Akiko and Saturamon entering the clearing. He blinked. "Did that...digimon get bigger...?"
Karamon, who was now fully awake, much to Derek's chagrin, chirped, "It's called digi-volving, o wise one. I can do that too!" He grinned, but then turned to Saturamon and Akiko. "BlackRenamon...I think I'm on her bad side..." He thought out loud.
"Not too surprising..." Derek muttered.
Shintaro glanced up at Saturamon.
"Why did nobody tell me about the dig-and-Volvo...no, digi-vole?"
"Digivolve?" Cheshiremon offered, popping up out of his sleep next to Shintaro.
Shintaro nodded numbly.
Sasha studied Saturamon carefully. "Maybe...it's a type of transformation that happens... when..." she was trying to make up her own explanation that wouldn't make her sound like a complete idiot. "That's triggered by something..."
"A danger," Seraphmon supplied, preening her wings. "These aren't our ultimate forms...but we can't change without your help. That device on your belt isn't just for decoration you know."
Cheshiremon nodded. "I don't remember what my digivolution was..." he murmured.
"Grinmon?" Shintaro offered, Cheshiremon shook his head.
"No I didn't grin!"
"Sharpclawsmon?" Shintaro asked, Cheshiremon shook his head again.
"No, that's a stupid name"
"Crazedillusionistinsistingonmakingmewanttoripoutmyhairmon?" Shintaro grinned.
Cheshiremon glared at him.
"I think Idiotmon would suffice." Karamon mentioned.
"Let's not even get started on what I would call you...Inaneidiothyperoddweirdscarymon?"
"How 'bout Sexymon? Or Brilliantmon? Or the Beststrongestsmartestmon!" Karamon rambled on.
Akiko sweatdropped when Karamon mentioned Idiotmon to Derek.
"He doesn't make any sense at all," Akiko said as Saturamon faced her.
Sasha chuckled and watched everyone interact, even though she was about ready to drop. Slowly she closed her eyes as everyone debated the idea of the Digimon evolving. Come on, stay awake at least... Holding in a yawn, her eyes stayed closed.
"Sasha?" Seraphmon questioned. She blinked. "She fell asleep...she must be really tired."
"I think he was refering to naming Chesiremon's err...bigger form..." Derek put in, then on seccond thought he added, "Never mind, he's just insane." Hearing Seraphmon's comment, he turned and saw Sasha sleeping. Glad we woke up when we did...
Akiko looked at Derek and Shintaro. "I got the firewood for the fire," Akiko said, "before me and Muchomon were attacked by BlackRenamon."
"All right....I think I remember how to safely set these things up..." Derek thought out loud, vaguely remembering David describing in full detail how he earned some stupid badge or other in his Boy Scouts thing. He put a ring of stones around the pile of wood. Placing some dry leaves he found on the ground under the firewood, he lit them on fire, hoping the timber would catch.
Shintaro gave a slight sneer and walked to the edge of the clearing, everybody helping each other was bound to end up as something not good.
Besides it isn't as if you'd be able to help them, it was Yamato that was good at everything, maybe there was a mistake, it would make more sense if he was the digidestined.
Cheshiremon vanished and appeared sprawled out on a tree branch. "You could try and help," he mused. Shintaro glared at him.
Seraphmon glanced at the group making a small fire then to Sasha who was still clutching her side in her sleep. "She's had no chance to rest, poor thing..." She looked at Shintaro, who was still glaring at Cheshiremon. "Would it have killed you to thank her for saving your life?"
Sasha stirred in her sleep.
Akiko and Saturamon kept watch for BlackRenamon, if she attacked the group again.
We need to keep watch just in case. Akiko said in her head. I just might relate to him.
Cheshiremon growled to himself.
"Maybe you should stop trying to push other people off the nearest emotional cliff Shintaro, you are stuck here with them!"
Look at you, great leader.
?
Asleep on the first damn night. What kind of leader does that make you? Those three other kids could be attacked and you could sleep right through it.
...but I was injured...
Don't you remember that leaders go on even if they've lost both arms? You're such a pansy.
...shut up...my stomach hurts...those claws...cut deep...
Well, I hate to break it to you, but you're going to be in action faster than you think. So it'd be advisable if you got up.
...who are you?...
Sasha awoke suddenly and grimaced as her side flared up in pain. Her digivice was floating in the air in front of her.
Derek was getting frustrated; the bloody wood just wouldn't catch fire. So, he, not being exactly brilliant, kicked it. Immediately his pant leg caught on fire. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Damn it!" he cursed, hopping about swatting at his leg. Karamon was rolling around with laughter as Derek hopped his way down to the lake.
A few moments later, Derek stalked back up from the stream glowering. "I hate this place," he muttered, and then turned to see Sasha's digi...thing hovering about the ground. "What the..."
Akiko sweatdropped as she saw Derek ran into the lake as Karamon laughed. Saturamon looked at her friend.
"You could've at least helped him out," Saturamon said, "instead of laughing your head off."
Shintaro was staring, utterly intrigued, at the digivice. Cheshiremon sat next to him, staring too.
"Cheshiremon, what's happening?" Shintaro asked.
Sasha stared entranced by the floating digivice. She reached up to touch it, but was shocked and recoiled her hand. "What's going on?" she quietly murmured.
"I have absolutely no idea," Seraphmon replied. "You aren't making it float?"
"W-what? How did you...no, I'm not doing this, it's doing it on its own," Sasha answered, staring back at the digivice. What was that voice telling me? Something is going to happen...
I have a feeling that if we don't move soon, BlackRenamon will attack us again. Akiko said in her head. Like she did when Muchomon and I were picking up firewood for the group.
"Onee-chan!" Akiko said. "What's wrong?"
Shintaro was staring in awe at the digivice as it hung in the air. Cheshiremon's luminous amber eyes were fixed on it.
"It might be responding to some sort of power," he mused.
"Responding, or maybe trying to trigger it," Seraphmon said, as she was also transfixed on the digivice.
Sasha grimaced as the pain in her side increased, and her eyes widened once a slender pendant that hung around her neck amongst the culmination of necklaces floated up. "What....why is this happening?" she managed.
The necklace began to glow with a black aura.
"Alright...anyone care to explain what the *hell* is going on?" Derek asked, eyes darting back and forth between the necklace and digivice. "Karamon...?"
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana," Karamon remarked, nodding sagely. Derek gave him an odd look.
Cheshiremon cast a sarcastic look at Seraphmon. "Pray tell, what would it be trying to trigger?" he asked scathingly, a circle of ducks appeared above Seraphmon's head. "Quite mad are you not?" He chuckled.
Sasha stood up, despite the pain it caused her to do so. "Perhaps you've forgotten when she predicted the dead Birdramon's attack," Seraphmon replied, frowning. "Those powers of hers, maybe that's it? I don't pretend to know everything like you do."
"Why are you doing this to me?" Sasha asked the voice, that only she could hear. "You mean ... proving I'm the leader? But I don't ... I don't understand what you mean..."
Akiko looked up as Saturamon's eyes narrowed at the form of danger. You knew this day would come. the voice inside Akiko started pounding in her head.
"What do you mean?" Aki asked angrily at the voice.
"Um...you guys...I think I'm getting an uneasy feeling about this place..." Derek mentioned tentatively.
"What are ya talking 'bout? I like this place!" Karamon remarked, stretching. A loud roar echoed throughout the clearing. Karamon leaped onto Derek's head. "Let's get out of here!" he yelped.
Ignoring everyone else's comments, Sasha turned around and began walking. "Where are you going?" Seraphmon asked suddenly. "Sasha? Are you listening to me?"
"Come with me, Seraphmon..." Sasha said, pained. "I'm going to need your help." Seraphmon frowned but followed her partner into the forest. A second roar was heard and Seraphmon's eyes widened. "Sasha, we have to get out of here! DarkLeomon isn't someone we want to mess with!"
"On the contrary kitty," DarkLeomon smirked, "I definitely want to mess with you. Master's orders you know." Sasha was confused.
"...Master?"
"Nice to see the both of you again," BlackRenamon said, facing Akiko and Saturamon. "I told the both of you that I wasn't giving up."
Saturamon's eyes narrowed at BlackRenamon. "Thunderbolt Wave!" Saturamon yelled.
"Dark Diamond Storm!" BlackRenamon shouted.
Shintaro and Cheshiremon hid behind a tree as the two large digimon fought. "Let's just hope they don't notice us eh?" Cheshiremon moaned, third eye glowing.
A moment later, there was a giant shrub in place of Shintaro and Cheshiremon.
Black Renamon looked at Saturamon as the two continued fighting.
"You'll pay for your traitorship!" BlackRenamon declared.
Shintaro and Cheshiremon watched from behind the illusion of the shrub. "I'm going to help her!" Cheshiremon told Shintaro, Shintaro shook his head.
"No, you run the risk of getting killed!"
"Hey, that's what I'm here for right?" Cheshiremon smiled. "Stay here, and try not to do anything stupid!" With that he leapt out of the illusion, his claws outstretched. "Cheshire Claw!"
"Frost Breath!" Karamon shouted, attacking DarkLeomon. The small digimon's attack had little, if any, effect on the larger one.
"Do something!" Derek yelled at his little friend.
"Like what!" Karamon snapped, looking at DarkLeomon warily.
"I dunno, get bigger or something!"
BlackRenamon looked around to see Akiko and Saturamon gone. I'll find them, BlackRenamon thought, getting angry.
"That was a close one," Akiko said, before seeing DarkLeomon.
"Thunderbolt Blitz," Saturamon yelled, hitting DarkLeomon.
DarkLeomon merely laughed, and waved his hand, deflecting the attacks back at the smaller digimon. "Did you honestly think this would work?"
"You said something about your master, what was it?" Sasha asked, trying to get everyone to stop the futile attacks.
"He wants you dead."
Cheshiremon's claws hit DarkLeomon's arm, having no effect at all. Cheshiremon slashed rapidly in vain. DarkLeomon swung his arm out, knocking Cheshiremon into a tree. The illusion of a shrub vanished, revealing Shintaro. Cheshiremon surveyed this with grim worry, before glaring at DarkLeomon.
"Fine, have it your way," he growled and was caught up in an explosion of purple light. "Cheshiremon digivolve to MeimuNekomon!" The light vanished to reveal a being that looked much like a Leomon formed entirely out of dark smoke. His icy blue eyes glowed hungrily and his dark cloak billowed in the wind behind him. MeimuNekomon growled and lunged, a tornado of blue fire and silvery darts appearing around him. "Unreal Knives!"
"Starlight Velocity!" Saturamon yelled, her ember eyes faced DarkLeomon. "Had enough?"
BlackRenamon looked on seeing, Saturamon and Akiko busy with DarkLeomon. I do really owe him one in holding off those twerps. BlackRenamon thought as Akiko turned around. That digidestined is my ticket out of getting in trouble. She raised her arms and jumped to attack Akiko, until Saturamon turned around.
"ThunderBolt Blitz!" Saturamon yelled, hitting BlackRenamon. "Don't you dare touch Aki without fighting me!"
MaimuNekomon growled at DarkLeomon, his cloak fluttering in the breeze. Shintaro narrowed his eyes at the dark digimon thoughtfully.
"Why should we believe anything you say?" he asked. "You tried, and no doubt are going to try again when this conversation is over, to kill us!"
"Get bigger?" Karamon asked innocently, even in the midst of battle, a chance to irk Derek was one he would always take. Picking the little digimon up, the boy glared at him.
"You. know. exactly. what. I. mean." Derek said, although his voice was soft, his anger was clearly audible.
"Well if ya put me down..." The request was quickly met as Derek dropped Karamon. With a thump the little digimon landed and turned his attention back to DarkLeomon.
Noticing a light coming from his belt, Derek looked down and saw his digivice glowing.
"Karamon digivolve to Tundramon!" Karamon was engulfed by a globe of light, emerging as a large canine like beast, the size of a horse. His fur was white and littered with icy blue markings, but oddest of all was his tail, split into two.
"Freezing Javelin!" He roared, sending a spear of solid ice straight towards DarkLeomon.
Seraphmon blinked and looked at the inherent chaos. DarkLeomon merely smirked, extended his hand and a barrier formed around him. The attacks were nullified; the evolution the other digimon had gone through was for naught. Walking with the barrier around him, he crossed over to where Sasha was.
Sasha took a step back, wishing she had a weapon of some sort in her hands, even if it wouldn't do anything, it would be like a security blanket. Glancing quickly around, she thought that if she distracted DarkLeomon enough, he might drop the shield and the others would have a chance to attack him. "Your master wants me dead? Or wants all of us dead as a whole? What do you mean, anyway?"
Seraphmon looked alarmed. "What are you trying to do? He isn't going to want to have tea and crackers with you over this! Sasha, run away now! I'll help you!"
DarkLeomon smirked; again, this was surely infuriating her. "Master knows you well. And he knows something about you that you don't. So I have my orders and I will carry them out. Why are you even bothering to post-pone the inevitable?"
"It's how I am, you know, silly human girl," Sasha chuckled, nervously. Hurry up you guys! I can't keep him talking for much longer, y'know...
MaimuNekomon snarled, his cloak fluttering. "The Dark DigiGod is augmenting his powers," he told Shintaro with sudden realization. "There's no way a normal DarkLeomon could fend off the attacks of three champions!"
Shintaro looked up at the shadowy digimon beside him. "What can we do?" he asked, MaimuNekomon shrugged.
"We can kill the Dark DigiGod!" he suggested. "Short of that...nothing."
"You mean four champions, MaimuNekomon," Akiko said, pointing towards Saturamon before turning towards DarkLeomon. "What does your master know that we don't already?"
Saturamon looked up, facing DarkLeomon and BlackRenamon.
MaimuNekomon bowed his head.
"I mean three," he raised a shadowy finger "Me, Tundramon, you, Seraphmon has yet to Digivolve." He turned back to DarkLeomon. "I don't see why we should allow you any more of our time, we're losing every passing second to the Dark DigiGod!"
"But you just said we couldn't defeat him?" Shintaro pointed out.
MaimuNekomon stopped mid-sentence, a sweatdrop forming on his face. "Yes, that may be a slight problem..."
"So, how do suggest we defeat him?" Aki asked, impatient. Saturamon looked at her.
"First of all we need Seraphmon to digivolve into her champion form," Saturamon said. "Before we find our crests and ultimately go through another of the tests."
MaimuNekomon frowned. "He is still bound by his form as a champion and therefore can still be defeated by champions," the feline growled, "but for now, we must listen to what he has to say."
Seraphmon frowned and her wings lowered, curling around her. She looked up at the three larger creatures and whimpered.
DarkLeomon stood there and listened to the Digimon speak. "You're all quite naïve, it's amusing," he chuckled. He looked down at Sasha. "I'm only here as a messenger, your idiotic friends are getting in the way."
Sasha frowned, noticing Seraphmon's state. "Well, get on with it..."
DarkLeomon kept his golden-eyed gaze on her. "My master welcomes you to this world. He hopes you don't die too quickly. He would like to have some fun with you all...once you are strong enough. There is no way any of you pathetic creatures could even stand against me." To prove his point, he lashed out a giant wave of black energy, designed to hit all of the digimon. After unleashing his attack, DarkLeomon vanished.
Sasha gasped and ran over to her battered Digimon. "Seraphmon...you took more damage because you weren't bigger..." she whispered, for lack of better terminology, picking up her petite cat-digimon.
MaimuNekomon collapsed under the force of the dark wave, dedigivolving into Cheshiremon. The cat digimon rubbed his head, fading in and out of being corporeal for a few moments.
"That was...strange," Cheshiremon purred. "I would have thought he would of wanted us to die quickly so as to protect himself."
"Obviously we aren't a threat to him," Shintaro pointed out as Cheshiremon moved over to Seraphmon.
"Doctor, doctor?" Cheshiremon laughed, vanishing into thin air.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Sasha asked concerned, gently petting Seraphmon's fur.
Seraphmon emitted a scared sound and curled closer to her. "I'm...I'm sorry," she whimpered, now a tiny ball in Sasha's arms. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything!" Everything now came out in a rush of words: "If I wasn't so useless I could have become bigger and then I could have protected you!"
As Cheshiremon vanished into thin air, Sasha frowned. "Seraphmon..." She bit her lip as the small cat seemed to break down in her arms. "I'm alright...maybe it's not your time yet...there's nothing wrong with being a late bloomer you know...I don't think any less of you..." Seraphmon whimpered and looked up at her, then couldn't seem to take it and returned back to her little curled up state.
Saturamon ran towards the ball to protect Akiko from the dark energy. "Seraphmon took too much hits because she didn't Digivolve in time," Saturamon said de-digi-volving into Muchomon. "If I had my way, I would've let DarkLeomon and BlackRenamon rot under my Starlight Velocity attack."
"There's nothing wrong with that," Akiko said. "But then again we need to find a medical center to heal Seraphmon's injuries and fast."
Seeing Cheshiremon disappear, Muchomon frowned to herself wondering why she had to get stuck on the same team with that nut headed cat. "Save me the insults, nut head," Muchomon said to the vanished Cheshiremon.
There was a quiet chuckling as Cheshiremon appeared, prowling around, his luminous green eyes fixed on DarkLeomon.
"What is it you want then? If it's to kill us then do tell, the suspense is just murdering me!" A knife appeared stuck through his head and a thousand needles sprouted from his body. Cheshiremon grinned at the rest of the group, his head spinning round before the knives and needles and the spinning head all fizzled out, showing them clearly to be illusions.
Shintaro was slowly stepping away. But whether from Cheshiremon's party trick illusions or DarkLeomon, he wasn't sure.
"You really are a nutcase, Cheshiremon," Muchomon stated. "I don't understand why I have to be stuck with you on the same team." Akiko raised an eyebrow as Muchomon turned to face her. "Kuso Baka," she heard her digimon mutter under her breath.
"Because," Cheshiremon replied, grinning broadly and vanishing, leaving Shintaro to cast looks around for him.
"That ... thing ... will be the death of me," he growled to himself.
"Kuso Nutcase!" Muchomon exclaimed. "I'd rather take that chance than being stuck with you."
Akiko looked at her. "How well do you know him?" Akiko asked.
"Too long to know he's a nutcase," she answered.
Sasha had removed herself from the previous conversation and gently pet Seraphmon's silver streaked black fur. She glanced up at Shintaro and Akiko, then back down at her whimpering Digimon. "Shh, it's alright...please don't cry anymore...I'm still here...it doesn't matter if they've changed and you haven't..."
"Yes it does," Seraphmon whimpered, sniffing. "They grew big and protected their partners and I was too scared to do anything! I don't deserve to be your partner, Sasha. I'm really sorry for being so useless!"
"Hush," Sasha commanded softly, as she stood up, with the tiny cat in her arms. "You aren't useless; your time hasn't come yet. We're all okay now." She looked at the others. "We should probably move on now. It's not safe to stay in one spot."
"We need to go now," Akiko said, following Muchomon, "Before the enemy catches up with us!"
Muchomon nodded her head. And especially DarkLeomon, and BlackRenamon. she thought.
Derek merely nodded, still unused to this whole 'team' thing. He scooped up Karamon, who had fallen asleep after that...digi-volving thing. This was turning out to be a very strange day. He looked around at the others and their digimon. What are we doing here, what's our purpose...and why were we selected? Why not some other four kids? What makes us so special...
Shintaro grunted an unclear response, Cheshiremon's frequent disappearances were beginning to worry him greatly, where did he go? Was he really actually going anywhere or was it just one of his many illusions? It preyed on his mind and he could not block the thought from his head.
Not that I'm getting attached to him, he assured himself. Of course not.
Okay, great job, Sash, you've now given the order to move, but where are you going to take them? You don't have a clue where you are, and these kids don't trust you as far as they can throw you.
Seraphmon shifted in her arms, now asleep after crying herself into exhaustion. Sasha then picked up her digivice making sure not to disturb Seraphmon's slumber. "Okay, let's see where we are so we're not running off cliffs." She pressed a button which brought up the map. "Eh...buildings? Hey guys, what do you think about heading east?"
Akiko looked at Sasha as Muchomon stopped. "Fine by us," Aki said, happily. "Onichan."
Muchomon looked at her.
"I don't have an oniichan," she continued, facing Muchomon. "I got two parents and an okaakun."
"Fine by me," Derek mumbled, shifting Karamon's position. The little creature was muttering something in his sleep. Derek picked up something about insane cats and gave a small grin; he knew exactly who the little nutcase was talking about.
Muchomon began yawning as Akiko picked her up before falling asleep in her arms. It was wise not to say anymore and she followed Sasha and the others.
