Izzy could hear the rain pounding around him, but he couldn’t feel it. He had no idea how long he’d been lying there, but he didn’t think it mattered much. Finely, he opened his eyes and recognized his surroundings instantly. The hiding tree! The very same place he, Tai, Motimon, and Koromon had take refuge in when they’d first arrived in Digiworld. "I . . . I’m back." A very familiar sound reached him; the sound of Joe and Gomamon arguing. He stepped out, into the cool rain.

Sure enough, Joe and Gomamon were at it again. Tai and Sora were standing , arms crossed in disapproval. Mimi, T.K., and the other Digimon were nowhere in sight, but there was a strangely familiar pair sitting nearby. One was a girl dressed in tan pants, a light blue shirt, and a white button-down worn like a jacket. She was around average height with a slim build, short cut, dark blue hair, and dark brown eyes hidden by a pair of brown rimmed glasses. Then, Izzy realized why she’d seem so familiar. She looked almost exactly like Joe! And the Digimon beside her looked like a Gomamon, but it’s color was all wrong. Instead of orangish red, it had a sea-green color and instead of purple, it had blue. There were other differences to, like too many spots, a blue tip on it’s tail, and a sea-green star burst mark on it’s forehead. The Digimon was lying on a navy colored backpack with a digivice clipped to one strap.

"Um . . . hello?"

The girl turned to him, and smiled sweetly. "Hi. Your Izzy, right?"

"Well, yes. Do I know you?"

"I don’t think so. I’ve never meat you before."

"But then, how did you know my name?"

"The others have told me a lot about you. I’m glad you made it back all right from that portal thing. My name is Kana. Kana Kiedo."

"What? But . . . Kiedo is Joe’s last name."

"I know, I’m his twin sister."

"I didn’t even know he had a twin sister."

"Well, he normally doesn’t talk about me much. We don’t exactly get along a lot of the time. And apparently, it’s the same with him and Gomamon."

"Ya," the other Digimon commented, "there really going at eachother this time. Hi Izzy, I’m Golamon."

"Uh, Hi. Listen, do you know where Tentomon is?"

"Tentomon? I’ve never heard of a Tentomon before."

Just then, one comment got Izzy’s attention. It was Gomamon, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Is that so? Well, ya know what I think? I think your a wimp and a coward! You aren’t any good to anyone! You’re useless! Why don’t you just go jump in a bottomless pit!" Everyone was waiting for Joe to respond . . . but he didn’t. He turned and ran away, leaving everyone stunned.

Angrily, Sora picked up the water loving Digimon, shaking him a bit. "That’s it Gomamon! You’ve really done it now, you’ve gone too far!"

"Hey, I’m sorry! I didn’t know he’d react like that."

"Let me put it to you this way; how would you feel if someone said you were useless?"

"Well . . . I see your point. I didn’t mean to hurt Joe, I really didn’t. It’s just . . . sometimes he can make me so mad. I’m sorry."

"That’s good, but I don’t think I’m the one you should be saying that to. Why don’t we just . ." but her statement was cut off by a familiar scream. "Oh no . . . that’s Joe!"

The group took off running until they came across a very disturbing scene. A very large, humanoid Digimon with the appearance of a black panther. Colored with dark gray and red and with very large fangs and claws, the Leomon like Digimon looked quite intimidating. He was standing over his already torn into prey, which was clearly dead. And that prey . . . was Joe.

"That’s Nekatomon," Golamon informed, "a champion form Digimon who has a thing for blades."

Gomamon stepped forward, an almost murderous glint in his eyes. "Well, if he likes blades so much, why don’t I just give some to him." He leapt forward, claws outstretched. "Razor Claw!" The blow was devastating, leaving slashes on Nekatomon’s arm and face.

Then, it was Golamon’s turn to attack. "Water Cannon!" A powerful stream of water shot forth from the star marking on her forehead and smashed into the panther like Digimon, easily pushing him off a nearby cliff edge.

Gomamon was instantly beside Joe, trying to wake him up. "Joe? Come on, get up. Please. I didn’t mean what I said! Please get up!" But there was nothing he, or anyone, could do. Gomamon started crying hysterically. And then . . . everything went black.

~*~*~*~*~

Yes, another cliff hanger ending. So what are you thinking now? That Joe’s dead and Gomamon’s insane? Possibly. That I’m just nuts? Probably. You’ll just have to hold out until part 5 for the answers.