Chapter Two

The pain was what woke him. Then, he became aware of sensation of being carried. He made a sound, but couldn't open his eyes yet.

"You're awake," the voice came to him through the haze in his mind. "I was getting worried."

Vincent's purple eyes slowly opened as he was laid on the ground. A strange face gazed down at him with relief in silver, almost white, eyes. The dark-grey and white fur startled him for a brief moment before he remembered. "Yunamon?"

"It's safe now. Gokimon's gone." She knelt over him helping him to sit up.

Flashes of memory came back. A cockroach-like monster (Yunamon used the word Digimon) attacked them for some reason... Vincent fell, hit his head... It grabbed him and flew off with him. Yunamon must have saved him somehow.

"He's an Adult, so I stood no chance against him. It's a good thing I'm faster."

Vincent lifted his hand and parted his blond hair to reach his scalp. He brought his hand into his view and saw that there was no blood. But, man, it still hurt! "It's a good think you were there," he said with smile. But then, a thought came to him. "Tina. We have to find my sister."

"Of course," Yunamon said, nodding. She got to her full height, gently pulling him to his feet as well.

But that would have to be put off. Someone was calling for help. Loudly.



"Shizuka? You've been quiet," Yuzimon said with a smile, satisfied at her pun. ('Shizuka', in Japanese, means 'quiet', after all.)

"Huh? Yeah, yeah, I have, haven't I?" She barely seemed to recognise the joke. She was thinking of the stories that Sora had told her. She, Yamato, and their friends had spent a long time in the Digital World. She didn't live with Sora anymore, but... she was still her cousin. She didn't know if she was strong enough to spend such a long time without being able to see her, or even call her.

At least Seto was there. She just had to find him. Thinking of her brother made her think of Tina. She had been just as shizuka. WhiteGazimon seemed content just to have found her partner and walked along beside her without a word. Tina's green eyes seemed to reflect fear as they darted around this strange place.

Shizuka suddenly felt bad that she had allowed herself to shrink inwards as they walked along. She was about to try and start some conversation when she heard something that almost made her heart stop.

"HELP! HELP!!!"

It was Seto. She could never mistake her brother's voice. It sailed to them from among the strange-looking trees of this forest.

"My brother!" Shizuka ran off in the direction of the sound, Yuzimon following closely. Tina and WhiteGazimon, their legs shorter than the other pair, lagged a bit behind.

Shizuka's blue eyes widened in horror when, after at least a minute of following the sound of Seto's voice, she finally reached him.

"Gokimon! Let him go!" Yuzimon commanded.

The Gokimon held the red-haired boy by his leg, dangling him upside down. But the cockroach Digimon didn't answer. Instead, he rushed towards the lavender-furred Digimon, who jumped out of the way easily.

"Nee-chan! Help!" Seto yelled out through a stream of tears of absolute fright.

"Don't worry, Seto! We'll save you!" answered Shizuka. She didn't know how, though. That Digimon seemed so powerful. She watched as Yuzimon rushed forth and punched Gokimon right in the face, and yet it didn't seem to do anything. A single backhand to her own face sent her flying into a tree. "Yuzimon!"

"Stay back, Tina!" WhiteGazimon instructed, entering the battle. The dark-skinned girl whimpered as she saw him hit down as well.

"Seto..." The faint voice caught her attention. A bird-like Digimon with purple and orange feathers lay hurt on the ground, almost out of view behind a tree. Tina got to his side.

"Oh, are you okay?"

"Seto. That Gokimon..." The digimon fell unconscious.

This must be Seto's partner, she thought. She wished her brother was there, but he wasn't. And she was scared. But she was determined to be strong for him. She would stay with this injured Digimon, and be brave like Vincent was.

"A Thousand Fangs!"

All those present turned to the source of the voice as the attack crashed into the Gokimon. But, like the attacks of all the others, the attack did practically nothing. Yunamon's hands clenched into fists. "He's an Adult, he's too strong for us!"

"Vincent!" Tina yelled out in joy, when she saw him run from into view. Her brother looked at her with a relieved smile on his face. But this wasn't the time for joyful reunions. They had to help this poor boy.

Shizuka racked her brain, trying to figure out what to do. She thought back to her cousin and her adventure. Then, it came to her: the digivice! They needed that to use the connection between human and Digimon. Why had they not received theirs yet? Sora and the others had got theirs even before going into the Digital World for the first time.

They needed their digivices. But how could they get them?

The scream of terror from her brother tore her from her thoughts. Gokimon let out a loud laugh. The Digimon's insectoid wings started flapping. He was going to fly away with her brother!

"NO!!" She rushed forward, not knowing what she was going to do, but knowing she had to do something.

Anything.

"Shizuka! No!"

Yuzimon's warning went completely unheeded. The girl grasped on to Gokimon's booted left foot, yelling, "Let go of my brother!"

They were in the air far before the others could stop them. Seto was so terrified for himself and for his sister that he was barely aware of the strange sensations that come with blood rushing to his head.

Shizuka tried climbing up the flying Digimon's leg, but when that strange set of teeth smiled at her, she knew she was in for trouble. One single kick sent her flying straight for the treetops. She was done for. She knew she would not survive that fall. But it was then that a glowing object suddenly appeared in her hand. Instantly, she knew what it was.

"Yuzimon shinka!" the voice called out from the trees beneath her. She recognised the voice. But she didn't recognise the one that came after: "Tiramon!"

A pair of arms caught her before she could crash into the trees below. Shizuka felt her saviour land expertly on a sturdy branch, using its free left hand to steady itself as it made a small jump to the forest floor.

"I'll be back soon," the mature feminine voice for the creature said as it took to the sky again with quick movements.

Pushing herself from another tree branch with her strong bandaged feet, Tiramon headed directly for the Gokimon and his captive. "Kaiser Claw!" she yelled and between the trees, Shizuka saw the Adult Digimon both attack the roach Digimon and secure her younger brother in almost a single motion.

The enraged Gokimon rushed after Tiramon as gravity pulled her back into the forest. Shizuka heard battle cries, and found herself relieved when she saw the Gokimon fleeing above the canopy.

"Shizuka-nee-chan!"

She'd never been as happy to hear Seto's voice as right then. She turned to see him rushing towards her from among the trees. The two red-heads hugged as never before.

"I was scared," the boy said, burying his face in her stomach.

"I know. Me, too. But everything's alright now."

Shizuka saw Tiramon step into view. The black and brown garments of the Digimon vanished as she returned to her Rookie state.

"Thank you, Yuzimon," Shizuka said as she and Seto pulled away from their hug.

"You are welcome," the Digimon said. "Now, let's get back to the others. I think we've got a lot to discuss."

Shizuka noticed that her partner was looking at the dark red digivice and her gaze turned to it as well. With a nod and a smile, her grip tightened on it a little. "Yeah, we really do."

Chapter Three