Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Dejimon Armor 01 ❯ Atashi no Michi desu—Seishin no Yuuki! ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Dejimon, or any of the Dejimon in this fan series, except for enemy Dejimon. I do own all the human characters in the series. So don't sue me!

Episode 2: Atashi no Michi desu-Seishin no Yuuki!

(This is My Path-The Spirit of Courage!)

"Heavy Beam!"

How did he do that? Jishin wondered. He turned into a Dejimon, and one no one's ever heard of. How? Is it just him, or will we all Armor Evolve?

Jishin heard someone stifle a yawn behind her. She turned around and saw Tao rubbing his eyes sleepily and stretching. "Is my shift over?" Jishin asked him. He nodded.

"How's the fire?" Tao asked.

"Still going. It's not like we'll be staying in this place for long anyway." Jishin turned away, her face hot, or maybe that was just from the flames. She headed for the piles of leaves that the children were using for their beds.

"Are you all right now? I mean," Tao hesitated. "That Monochromon hit you pretty hard?"

"Huh? Um . . ." Jishin felt her tender ribs carefully, wincing a little. Trying not to show the pain on her face, she looked up and saw Tao watching her worriedly, and she blushed. "It's not that bad. It hurts, though. Not all the time, but it's still kind of uh, you know, irritating?"

Tao nodded and sat down, peering into the flames. Jishin covered her red face with her hands and sighed, going to lie down near Kenichi, wondering how she could make such a fool of herself. Curling up for warmth, she pondered her confusion. He's just another guy, was what she tried to tell herself. An older guy. He'd not even that cute, no one would think he was. So why do I feel this way?

****

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Shinkou-neechan!" Genki sand, twirling around.

Shinkou groaned and rolled over, getting a mouthful of dirt as she yawned. "Damn, morning already? And we're still stuck here?"

"Hai. We're still here?" Kenichi muttered from over by the fire. It had died down to barely a flame. "Hawkmon went with Jishin and Tao to get firewood. Zatumon is hanging around somewhere."

"Fruits of the earth!" A voice above him proclaimed as several small fruits fell on his head. Zatumon, arms full of food, floated to Kenichi's eye level and shoved his bounty in the boy's face. Kenichi held out his hands and the food was dumped rather unceremoniously into them.

" . . .if Hawkmon hadn't seen him first we'd be facing one angry tree stump right about now."

"I never guessed that a purely botanical based Dejimon could shed. It really surprised me."

"Woodmon's bark will grow back, I assure you. But remember that here we generally ask for our resources. One `mon's bark is another `mon's skin, I always say."

Jishin, Tao, and Hawkmon came into view, carrying armfuls of wood and chattering happily. "Oi, Karakau-san, you're awake!" Jishin greeted the younger girl with a smirk on her dark-skinned face.

"What's it to ya?"

"Tao said you took your time tangoing with local toilet last night. Told me your technicolor yawn was major. All wiped out now?"

"Stuff it, Yuukino."

After the fight with Monochromon, the children had headed into the forest, intent of searching for a place to spend the night unharmed. Hawkmon and Zatumon found a clearing where the kids built a fire and took turns watching for trouble.

"Of course, Onii-chan didn't hold it in any easier," Jishin cracked.

Kenichi picked up a fruit that appeared to be an apple and examined it. "Well, Armor Evolving can really warp your stomach. You wouldn't understand. Besides, that fight took a lot out of this old war hero." He bit into the apple and gagged. While everyone around him laughed he attempted to rid his mouth of the nasty taste, feeling nauseous. "Gross!" he managed to bite out. "And this is food?" He looked disgusted.

Hawkmon sniffed disdainfully, giving him an exasperated look. "Well, you don't eat it raw," the bird Dejimon informed him. "They're meat apples."

"Now you tell me." Kenichi set the apple down and pushed himself to his feet, striking a smug pose. "No matter! Puttimon-sama the Great can roast those meat apples with a little Heavy Beam, and slice them with King of Hearts-"

"Or even grill them over the old, reliable fire!" Shinkou interrupted in mock wonder.

Scowling again, Kenichi sat down once more amidst peals of laughter. "You totally ruined the dramatic effect," he complained. "I was setting a mood."

Tao turned a squishy peach-like fruit over in one hand. "By the way, Kenichi-sempai, I've been meaning to ask-bleeeagh!" He squeezed the fruit too hard and it burst, splattering his face with jelly. He wiped it off. "What was it like to Armor Evolve?"

Kenichi blinked and laughed sheepishly. "I guess it was like . . .dying. And being reborn," he added, seeing the looks on the others' faces. "It was like I was shedding my old body to become part of something big. I was afraid that I was going to lose it, like it would go away, but it didn't."

"Wai, I can't wait until I Armor Evolve!" Genki exclaimed. "I'm gonna be the strongest Dejimon ever!"

"Don't there have to be special circumstances?" Tao wondered.

"It does require events of rarity for a Dejimon to evolve, but I have never heard of a human doing the same thing," said Hawkmon thoughtfully. "Certainly not a human using a Deji-mentaru."

"What are the Deji-mentaru anyway?" Jishin wondered aloud.

"They sure are pretty," Zatumon said blankly.

Hawkmon folded his wings and closed his eyes. He tapped his forehead thoughtfully with one claw. "In between the Great Birth and the Revelation, Dejimon had trouble evolving. If they tried to evolve and failed, the data that went into their evolution became part of the collective Darkness. So nine Dejimon on the Adult level came up with an evolution that would never fail because its data was contained. These nine Dejimon sacrificed themselves. They became permanent Dejitama eggs, which naturally attract evolution data. They were called Deji-mentaru. Because they absorbed all possible evolution data, they can be used by all possible Dejimon."

"And humans?" Tao added.

"As we have seen, that is correct. Kenichi is the first. He used the Deji-mentaru of Kindness, the Dejitama of Puttimon."

"Dejitama?" Genki echoed.

"When a Dejimon died, its data is reconfigured into an egg called a Dejitama. A Dejitama will hatch, and the Dejimon that was born grows and dies and it gives birth to another Dejitama."

"They hatch into Dejimon?" Tao inquired. "Do the Deji-mentaru hatch?"

Kenichi barked out a laugh. "Did that Deji-mentaru look hatched to you?"

"I don't know. I didn't see it."

"They don't hatch," Hawkmon confirmed.

"Good. No loss," Kenichi said, relieved. "I mean, imagine if suddenly in the middle of everything my Deji-mentaru actually hatched. Where did that crazy egg go to anyway?"

"Its data was probably transferred and stored in your D-1," said Hawkmon. "The meat apples are done. Excellent!"

They all reached out and grabbed one of the apples that had been cooking over the fire while they talked, cautiously tasting them. "Yummy! Delicious," Genki squealed, gnawing away at the apple in her hand. The others were having similar reactions.

Jishin took a few more bites and swallowed, turning to Hawkmon. "Hawkmon, about those portals-"

"How many times must I remind you-we cannot set foot on the Sovereigns' ground without permission fro-" Hawkmon suddenly clapped a wing to his mouth, as though he had revealed more than he should have.

Jishin didn't seem to notice. "I was about to say maybe we should stay here. I mean, it's no big deal. Home-it'll be a bit of a bore after this place. Look at it! We can't leave yet, can we?"

Then she looked over in Genki's direction. "We'll have to find a way to get Genki home, though."

Genki dropped her apple in surprise. "Nani! Nande ka?" What! Why? "I'm just fine! I wanna stay here!"

"You're only seven, Genki. You're way too young to be here."

"Am not!"

"Why don't you give the kid a break! Atleast she didn't faint in the middle of a battle," Shinkou snapped.

Jishin stood up and stalked over to her furiously. "She's too young; she could get hurt with only you watching her."

Flushing hot with anger, Shinkou also rose to her feet. "So now you think I can't protect her?"

"I don't think you would! You really don't care about anyone! Why would Genki be the exception?"

Shinkou's voice was quiet, but it trembled. "Maybe you think I'm just a heartless bitch, but I do have feelings! Of course I'd protect Genki! She's like a little sister to me."

"Why don't you try acting the part then? You rag her shamelessly. You act like you hate her. Maybe you do care for her as much as you say, but you sure don't act like it.

"I do the same with you don't I!?" Shinkou hollered, all her anger flying out with those words.

Jishin stopped and stared at her as the words sunk in. The same thought, the same interpretation of the statement struck everyone. Shinkou began to blush, her face turning beet red. Then she turned and ran.

"Shinkou-neechan!" Genki cried, moving to go after her. Tao grabbed Genki's arm gently but firmly, shaking his head.

"She needs her space," he said firmly as Genki began to wail.

Jishin took a deep breath and let it out. "Iie. She does not. I think she needs a friend."

"She's my friend," Genki pointed out, sniffling.

"We know, Genki, but Jishin and she owe each other some apologies." Tao nodded at Jishin, who turned and hurried in the same direction as Shinkou, glad that Tao couldn't see how red her face and neck were.

Wait . . .why would I care? Jishin gulped. Hell, she did like Tao. I have a crush on Tao. How did this happen? I haven't even known im for more than two days! Then she mentally berated herself. Well, let's see. He's polite, kind, and sensible, he actually uses his head. Ack! There I go.

And Shinkou . . .what was she saying? That she rags on the people she cares about?

Oh Kami-sama . . .

Does she mean . . ?

Jishin pushed her way through the foliage, tearing down a particularly menacing branch. "Gomen," she whispered to the tree. It creaked a little and bent toward her, waving its branches. Maybe I should just ask from now on.

"Karakau-san!" Jishin hollered. Where could she be?

Still hacking through the many trees and foreign botany, she thought she heard a vaguely familiar sound from not too far away. It sounded like music. She was wearing a Walkman when we met, wasn't she? Fighting in it too.

The music became gradually clearer and louder. Just how high does she have the volume? Jishin wondered. She's gonna go deaf if she doesn't give it a break.

"Better lose yourself in the music/the moment, you own it/you better never let it go/you only get one shot/do not miss your chance to flow/this opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo . . ."

Eminem? She's listening to Eminem? The Amerikajin rapper?

Something glinted in the sunlight that was filtered through the lush vegetation. Silver. Jishin knelt down and peered over the top of a bush. Shinkou was sitting with her back against the trunk of a tree, headphones on and Walkman in her hands.

Suddenly the ten-year-old girl cried out, an angry outburst. She yanked the headphones out of her ears and began berating her Walkman. "You worthless piece of crap! There goes my sanity."

Jishin tried to move to the side discreetly but tripped over a tree root. The crash caused quite a lot of commotion, and Shinkou's head snapped up, instantly alert. "Who's there?" she queried.

As Jishin stood up, she saw Shinkou sigh a little with relief before getting angry. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I might ask the same of you," Jishin argued, standing up and heading in Shinkou's direction.

The younger girl jumped up and started to leave, but Jishin darted over and grabbed her arm. "Are you just going to keep running away?"

"Why would I be running away?"

"Maybe you're afraid?"

"No nani!?" Of what?

Jishin relinquished her grip on Shinkou's arm. "Everyone's afraid of something. As tough as any of us here try to act, we're still kids. You're only ten. Yeah, you're pretty brave, but that doesn't mean you're fearless."

Shinkou didn't say anything.

So . . .do you like her?"

Um, nani?" Tao fumbled with his apple. Kenichi's question had caught him off guard. A blush crept up his neck and reddened his round, boyishly pink face.

"My sister, Jishin. Do you like her?"

"Uhh . . .she's nice, I guess. Well," and now Tao assumed a dream expression, "she's pretty. And she doesn't act like the other girls I know, even the older ones. She's more mature."

"Aren't they back yet?" Genki wondered.

"Maybe they fell in a big hole," Zatumon suggested.

"The asshole of the world," muttered Kenichi.

"Kenichi," Tao said sternly, motioning in Genki's direction.

Hawkmon looked up, having heard a sound. "I do believe they have returned. That is them, correct?"

The sound of bushes rustling and trees creaking drew their attention to the forest. Two shapes were making their way back to the clearing with some effort. They seemed to be talking discreetly.

"But still, you could show it."

"How many times do I have to tell you-"

Kenichi stood up. "You two okay? Karakau-san, you kind of disappeared on us there, ne?"

Shinkou glared at him and he laughed. "If you know what's good for you," she warned.

"We had a little talk," Jishin informed them all.

"Liar," Shinkou muttered as she swept past the older girl and sat by the fire, turning on her Walkman.

Jishin was ready to change the subject and so she sat in between Tao and Kenichi, making Tao turn even redder than he had been when she returned. "Hawkmon, is it possible that we'll all get a Deji-mentaru?" Jishin asked the bird Dejimon.

Hawkmon frowned thoughtfully. "Perhaps. I can't see any of their attributes applying to you, though."

Jishin bristled. "What's that supposed to mea?"

"You need to possess one of the qualities that the Deji-mentaru represent. I have not seen many signs of any of the eight remaining. Kenichi and Kindness-that was a given. Although he is rather cocky and inexperienced"-and Kenichi sniffed haughtily at this-"he handled Monochromon and the spirit of Puttimon very well."

"Are you saying I'm not good enough?" Jishin made a move to stand, but thought better of it.

"Well, you aren't exactly Holy Angemon."

Jishin smirked. "Just you wait. If my idiot brother can Armor Evolve, then I've got it on a gold platter! Hmmm . . ." She closed her eyes. An image of her Armor Evolving played in her head like a movie. "Armor Evolution! Super Teenage Goddessmon!

"Uhh . . .Jishin?"

She opened her eyes, standing in an awkward pose while everyone watched. Her legs wobbled and gave out, her arms flailed, and she fell over backward. Everyone laughed as her unsuccessful stunt.

Oh, dear. She does have a lot to learn, Hawkmon thought. Should I have told her-no. It is not for sure.

Tao moved to a more serious topic. "So, are we ready to go?"

"Huh?" Jishin pushed herself up. "Say what?"

"Well, we can't stay here. We have to keep going. It's not productive to stay in one spot."

"Are we going to find a way home?" Genki asked.

"Well . . .even if we could, I don't know I really wanna leave anymore," Jishin admitted. "This whole Armor Evolving thing is kind of neat. It sure beats sitting in Nanami-sensei's grade five classroom."

"Or taking mock exams," Kenichi agreed. "No blowhard sensei. Wai!"

"Imagine if we could come home with all this knowledge. We're pioneers," Tao said whimsically, clicking back into genius mode. Just the thought of the expanse of this whole world that was waiting for them was making him eager to explore. "Does anyone have a notepad?"

Shinkou turned up the volume on her Walkman. "You are not stealing my sketchpad, Confucius."

"He's out of my league. And I'm not a philosopher. Doesn't anyone have some paper? And maybe a pen?"

"Inventory check?" Kenichi suggested. They all nodded.

A blue D-1, a plain phone card, a half-depleted box of Pocky, and thirteen yen was what Jishin dug out of her pockets.

Apartment keys, a magenta D-1, a Mobile Suit Gundam phone card, and a Swiss Army edition pocketknife-courtesy of Kenichi.

A purple D-1. Several house keys. A "Do As Infinity" phone card, twenty yen, and a broken wristwatch. This was what Tao wrangled out of his own pockets (minus the lint).

A common housekey; an orange D-1; a small sketchbook; pencils and erasers; several J-Pop and Eminem CDs; a Walkman complete with headphones; and sixteen yen were the contents of Shinkou's backpack.

Apartment keys, a yellow D-1, a Hello Kitty phone card, nine yen, a worn photo of a smiling dark-haired young man in his twenties and a little girl, and a postcard with a seashore scenario painted on it. Genki emptied her knapsack and came up with nothing but these items.

They pooled their resources and looked them over. "Unless the Dejimon Sekai has a currency, we're screwed," Kenichi commented.

"This is money? Oh, what an interesting shape," Hawkmon murmured, turning the coins over in his wings.

"Anyone see a telephone booth around here?" wondered Shinkou, looked over Kenichi's Mobile Suit Gundam phone card with some interest. Tao was already stuffing his own card back in his pocket and now had his attentions on Shinkou's sketchpad and pencils.

Shinkou saw the look in his eyes and snatched the book away from him with a firm, "Iie."

"But it's the only paper we have. It's not like you'll be using it."

Genki was gazing at the photo from her knapsack with a nostalgic look on her face. "Ah! Who's that, Genki?" Jishin asked, leaning over the little girl's shoulder. "Is that your brother?"

Genki nodded. "Hondo. He sent me the postcard." She quickly stuffed the items away, preferring not to go further into the subject.

Kenichi flicked the blade of his pocketknife up and down, up and down. "This could come in handy," he muttered. "That is, if I didn't have built in weapons as Puttimon-sama the Great. You know?"

"Give me that!" Jishin snapped. "Atleast I have something useful. Pocky! I love Pocky." She was munching with relish on one of the crunchy chocolate tipped cookie sticks. Kenichi looked up and watched her eat with vague interest.

"Gimme one," he demanded.

"Get your own!"

They went into a brief scuffle, while Tao continued to badger Shinkou. "Screw off. I need my sketchpad."

"This is a pointless exercise," Hawkmon commented.

"It is important that I take down notes on everything we see. One day we may return here; with the proper preparation we can begin a true expedition. A `Lewis and Clark' if you will."

Kenichi managed to stop wrestling Jishin and look up. "There's one problem. Two, actually. Number one, that was in Amerika. And number two, we're freakin' stuck here, and I don't fancy spending our time on an expedition! We gotta leave to return, genius!" Kenichi snapped. Then he gasped and guilty look flew over his face. "Ack. Gomen nasai. This Dejimon Sekai air is making me irritable."

"No call for sass," Jishin pointed out.

Hawkmon looked up from trying to pull a yen out of Zatumon's mouth. "You don't need to write anything down, you know. Your D-1 has an unlimited memory. It will record down everything you see and encounter."

"Nani! Honto ni?" Tao asked. "Good! I'd never forgive myself if I came home empty-handed."

"If we find our Deji-mentaru, we won't come home empty-handed!" Jishin announced. "Let's just go already!"

"Let's find a beach and catch some rays," Shinkou suggested, pulling her headphones back on. "We've got nothing better to do."

"Hawkmon, what is after this forest?" asked Tao.

Hawkmon sighed. "We'll see when we get out. It depends on what data has been received recently. The Data Savanna, it's called. No one lives there. I suggest we go back out to the desert. There're canyons to cross, and usually the more durable Dejimon make their homes in canyons. It's always a good idea to make friends, too."

"Canyons?" Genki shuddered. "I don't like high places."

"Everyone's got to face their fear sometime," Jishin pointed out. "I was scarred for life when I caught Kenichi running around naked but I didn't let that stop me from taking a shower."

Kenichi fumed. "You said you'd never tell, baka!" He pounced on his sister and once more they rolled in the grass, wrestling and cursing at each other.

"It's times like this when I'm glad I'm an only child," Shinkou muttered.

Tao looked troubled. "Stop fighting!" he pleaded. "You're siblings, so why are you fighting?"

Jishin looked up and the scuffle was halted. "That's the way of life," she said, standing up and brushing herself off. "Gomen. But that's just the way things work sometimes. Don't you have any brothers or sisters, Tao?"

He shook his head. "Only my mother and father. And my cat, Mei-chan."

"You saw my Nii-chan," said Genki. "He's in college and doesn't live at home anymore."

"Shinkou, I would have thought you have a younger siblings, what with the way you look after Genki," Tao said, turning back to the younger girl.

Shinkou closed her eyes again. "I'm an only child. Leave it at that."

All the talk of home was too overwhelming for the youngest member of the group. Genki suddenly burst into tears. "I wanna go home!" she wailed. "I don't wanna say here! I don't like this place! I wanna go back home to my Okaa-chan!"

Kenichi and Jishin covered their ears. Tao was desperately trying to calm Genki. Shinkou gritted her teeth and her eyes were clenched shut as she tried to block out Genki's words.

Finally Shinkou jumped to her feet and screamed, "Stop it!!!"

Genki abruptly closed her mouth, shocked. The others gaped at Shinkou. Her arms were stiff as boards at her sides. Her fists were clenched so tightly that the knuckles had gone white. "How long is it gonna take you to realize we're stuck here? If you expect us to protect you, quit bawling like a baby and give us a reason to protect you! I'm trying but you only make it more difficult!"

Genki closed her eyes and began to shriek with a voice loud enough to rival Shinkou's. "You don't understand! Okaa-chan and Shinta-san can't provide enough to stay home with me and Hondo is in college, so I have to take car of Okaa-chan alone! If she has to worry about me then she won't be able to take care of herself or the home! She needs me!"

Shinkou didn't answer, standing there in silence for a moment. Then she began to tremble ever so slightly. She looked as though she were about to explode with fury. But instead, she collapsed to her knees, covered her face with her hands, and did the one thing no one would have expected. She cried.

****

" . . .with a great big streamer shaped like a carp, and as long as a house . . ." Genki sand softly as she sat by Tao, who was tending the fire.

"Did your brother teach you that song?" he asked kindly.

"Hai, hai. He taught me a lot. I also know the one about the umbrella. `Nii-chan's coming home with an umbrella just for me . . .' Are you and Kenichi-sempai my brothers now?"

Tao frowned and tossed a stick in the fire. It sparked. Tao thought about how to answer Genki. "Maybe. I don't know if I make a very good Nii-chan."

"Shinkou is a good Nee-chan, you know, even if she acts bad," Genki said softly.

"I suppose, as long as she doesn't hurt you."

"I think I hurt her," Genki murmured. "I didn't know she would cry."

Tao tried to conjure up the memory of Shinkou in tears and almost failed. It was too strange. He hadn't known her for more than two days and already he could understand her personality. "Everyone has a weakness, I suppose. I guess maybe you made her remember a weakness she had once." He looked past the fire at one end of the clearing. Since that morning Shinkou had been sitting there, withdrawn. Her sketchpad was on her knee, and she clutched a pencil and an eraser in her hands like talismans. She had the volume on her headphones up so loud that Tao could hear it blaring across the clearing, even from his position.

"What's she drawing?" Genki wondered.

"A really detailed picture it seems. She hasn't flipped the page yet."

"I'm going to get firewood!" Jishin called, poking her head around a tree. "Kenichi's looking for nature's toilet. I think those meat apples gave him indigestion."

Tao rolled his eyes but laughed as Jishin darted away.

"Shinkou-neechan is getting up." Genki pointed.

Shinkou had stuffed her sketchpad away in her backpack and stood up. A strange look crossed over her face and she suddenly took off into the forest. "I wonder if we'll ever understand that girl." Tao shook his head.

Shinkou pulled down her headphones and scowled. What was that bitch thinking? She was heading off to get firewood-hah! And Tao didn't even notice that Jishin was heading away from the established source of firewood. Just what was she up to?

"Damn! The baka is looking for her Deji-mentaru!" Shinkou realized. She'll get herself killed, and I can't allow that!

It's not like I care or anything . . .

I mean . . .

It's not like I really like her . . .

Shinkou gulped nervously. She had known from the moment of their first meeting that it wouldn't work out, but she stuck with it anyway. She did it for Noriko. She told me to never give up . . .for her sake, I will go on . . .

"What the-"

Shinkou's foot snagged on something and she pitched forward, hitting the ground with a thump. Looking behind her, she now saw the wince stretched taught between two trees. "Damn it!" she cursed.

"Aha! I've got you no! Armor Evolution!"

"Kisama!" Shinkou growled. She tackled Jishin and pulled her to the ground. Jishin, surprised by the assault, gathered her wits quickly enough that she was able to roll Shinkou on her back. However, this left both of them in a very awkward and embarrassing position. Shinkou felt her face turning red. "G-get off of me!" she shouted, pushing Jishin back.

Jishin got up off the ground and offered Shinkou a hand. The other refused, standing up and brushing dirt off her red and black shirt. With a sigh, Jishin went to check on the vine trap she had set. "Damn . . .it was just you."

"Just me?" Shinkou roared. "You try to kill me just to Armor Evolve and you're saying `Just you!' You're lucky I was the only once who noticed you moving away from the firewood source! What the hell you doing, huh?"

"More than you are! I am going to get a Deji-mentaru!"

"You're being a baka! You'll get yourself killed."

Jishin shrugged.

"Yaaaagh!"

"Uwa! I got a catch! You get hurt and I'll-"

"You idiot! It's only Hawkmon."

Hawkmon stood up, brushing himself off. "May I ask why you set a trap to trip passerby? You could hurt a perfectly innocent and peaceful Dejimon. Honestly!"

"Baka baka desu," Shinkou muttered. "Now are we going to go back, or what?"

"Wait!" Jishin grabbed her arm. "You can help! Just provoke a Dejimon or something. Get one to chase you here, trip it up, and-"

"And I'll count on your stupidity to save me?"

"Exactly. Wait a minute, stupidity? What stupidity? I'm all gray matter!"

Shinkou smirked. "Think before opening your big mouth then. You have a tendency to say the wrong things at the wrong time," she spat and turned away, about to head back to the clearing, but Jishin's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Karakau-san . . ."

Shinkou turned around and Jishin looked away. "I'm sorry. About those things I said earlier this morning. You're right. I do have a big mouth. And it drives people away from me. Gomen nasai . . ."

"You . . .shouldn't be. You were right. I can't take care of anyone, let alone Genki."

"Iie. You can. I've seen you. It's just going to take a little getting used to."

Hawkmon nodded. "Listen to Jishin. She is the leader, is she not?"

"Say what?" Shinkou spun around, taken by surprise.

"Me? The leader?" Jishin pointed at herself. "You must be talking about someone else. I can't be the leader. I don't know what I'm supposed to be the leader of."

"But you wear the goggles. You must be the leader of the Chosen Children. And you have already proven yourself in battle."

Jishin looked away. "But . . .Kenichi Armor Evolved . . .I got knocked out. I didn't do anything."

"You took that Monochromon head on to save Genki. That's kind of brace I guess," Shinkou pointed out. "Don't underestimate yourself, Goggle-girl."

"Huh? Goggle-girl? Nani?"

"Don't be so modest," Shinkou teased.

"Indeed. The ancient prophecies always mention the goggles. Finally a human bearing such goggles had come. You are the only one who can save us!"

"In that case, prepare for ultimate doom," Shinkou muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Jishin snapped.

"If you're this world's savior then someone died and made me emperor!"

"You're just jealous because I'm in a prophecy and you're not," Jishin said rather smugly.

"Your stupid goggles are in the prophecy, asshole! Not you!"

"It comes close!"

"Baka aho kikai, baka baka!" Shinkou lobbed a stone a nearby tree. There was a yowl of pain. All three present froze.

"Now look what you've done," Jishin muttered.

A great shadow swept over them, screaming horribly. They turned and ran as fast as they could. Jishin, however, forgot about her vine trap. She turned and it tripped her. She hit the dirt and abruptly screamed in terror as a giant, bulky figure loomed over it. It raised in the air something large and heavy enough to smash her skull. Terrified, Jishin rolled to the side and a stone club hit the ground beside her.

"Damn it! You're very trouble-prone aren't you, Yuukino-san?" Shinkou snapped.

"It's not my fault! You threw the stone!"

"Damn." Shinkou pulled out her D-1 and pointed it at the trees. "Where'd it go?" She asked just as a dark shape landed beside her and swung its club.

It hit her in the back and she fell face forward, momentarily stunned. Her orange D-1 landed next to her her, displaying a hologram. "Fugamon," it said, bearing an image of an overly muscular, humanoid shape with a hideous tusked grin and club like a deformed baseball bat. "Virus type Dejimon. Adult level. Special attack: Heavy Stick."

"That is so wrong," Shinkou muttered. She looked up to see Fugamon raising his club again. Then she caught sight of Jishin sneaking up behind the creature. The redhead put a finger to her lips, indicating that Shinkou should be silent.

Shinkou groaned. Jishin made a running leap and jumped onto Fugamon's back. Her legs hooked around the neck and she grabbed the club, trying to stop its descent. Fugamon howled furiously and brought the cudgel down. The only problem was that Jishin came down with it. Shinkou sat up and moved back just in time as Jishin hit the ground, gasping painfully.

"Damn it!" Shinkou shouted. Jishin sat up, rubbing her ribs. Shinkou saw Fugamon raising the club again. Eyes wide, she pushed herself up and moved in front of Jishin, arms outstretched, ready to take the full force of the blow. If you don't have a plan, you'd better think of one quick! Shinkou told herself.

The club came down.

Shinkou screamed.

The ground cracked open.

"Nnn?" Shinkou opened her eyes and realized with great relief that she saw still alive and her head had not been smashed into a bloody pulp. Fiery orange light was streaming from a hole in the ground, and that was what had ceased the club's plunge.

Jishin backed up. "Th-that looks like . . .when Kenichi Armor Evolved! Uwa!" She quickly stood.

Fugamon howled in fury, unable to breach the barrier made by the light. Now a distinct shape was forming in the stream. It was oval, with a spike . . .and flames. Jishin eagerly grabbed her D-1 and pushed Shinkou aside. "That must be my Deji-mentaru! Armor Evolution!"

The Deji-mentaru turned in her direction. She held out her D-1 determinedly as the Deji-mentaru flew toward her . . .

And right past her.

"Nani!?" she shouted.

It stopped in front of Shinkou. As if in a dream, she pulled out her D-1 and pointed it. The Deji-mentaru dissolved into data and flew into the D-1. "The Deji-mentaru of Courage is yours," said the device. "It is time."

"It is time!" Shinkou echoed and held the glowing D-1 high in the air. "Armor Evolution time!"

"Shinkou is Armor Evolving!" Hawkmon shouted.

Shinkou thrust a hand out, palm up, and ran her D-1 over it. The skin tingled as data surrounded it. "Armor Evolution!" she shouted, thrusting the hand up. A fierce but familiar wind ripped away at her clothes. Fire enveloped her naked body and armor fell over her arms and legs. The fire that had protected her became ash that covered her bare skin. Then the wind blew the ash away and revealed the warrior within.

"Fla Dramon!" shouted a blue lizard-esque creature on two legs, covered in armor with flame engravings.

"Shinkou Armor Evolved to the warrior of Courage, Fla Dramon," Hawkmon announced. "Fla Dramon's special attacks are Fire Rocket and Knuckle Fire."

"Shinkou Armor Evolved instead of me," Jishin whispered.

Fla Dramon stepped forward and faced Fugamon. "Let's see what an over grown monkey with a club like you . . .can do against the fire of Courage!"

"Heavy Stick!" Fugamon answered.

Fla Dramon easily avoided the attack. "C'mon, tough guy, you can do better than that!" she taunted.

"Raaaawr!"

"Oh, kowai yo," Fla Dramon crooned mockingly. "If you're not going to do something useful, I will. Knuckle Fire!"

She took off and rammed straight into Fugamon, punching him mercilessly with hands licked by little balls of flame. Then she used Fugamon as a boost to shoot into the air. "Fire Rocket!"

Fire formed around the armor of Fla Dramon's hands and launched itself at Fugamon. He stood stupidly and watched the flames fall. The fireball exploded in his face. He yowled and clawed madly at the flames, only burning his hands.

"You make me sick, dude. Let's end this, huh?" Fla Dramon spun in a circle and shouted, "Fire Rocket!"

A hurricane of fire enveloped Fugamon and he screamed as it bit away at his skin. Then with a terrible shriek his club flew into the air and landed next to a smoldering pile of ashes. Fla Dramon landed. "Oi, check it out," said Jishin. "It's glowing."

The pile of ash was giving off light. Fla Dramon held out her D-1 and let the light enter it. "This belongs to me. With his data I'll get stronger," she said. She then knelt down and the D-1 pulled the armor away in a swirl of orange, revealing Shinkou. The dark-haired girl sighed as she sat down to catch her breath.

"Wh-what a rush," she gasped.

"You were really cool, Karakau-san!" Jishin said excitedly. She had to restrain herself from hugging Shinkou. "Wait until the others hear tat you Armor Evolved to a cool Dejimon like Fla Dramon! Kenichi will be so jealous. Puttimon's just an oversized fighting teddy bear."

She hurried to help Shinkou up, but the younger girl pushed her away. "Get . . .away from me," she panted. "I don't . . .need your . . .help!"

Jishin put her hands on her hips. "You're so anti-social!"

"Ask me . . .if I care!"

"You obviously don't! Jishin stuck out her tongue. "I don't know what your problem is, but-"

"My problem is you!"

"Oh! Say that to my face!"

Exasperated, Hawkmon rubbed his forehead.

"And they're supposed to work together?"