Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Silver Egg ❯ Recycled Metal ( Chapter 1 )

Jim stared out the window of his apartment, watching the sky. First there had been monsters of every description running all throughout the city, and then it turned out that his younger brother was some kind of hero with magical powers or something, and that he'd been running around in another dimension while he was supposed to be at summer camp. Now he was gone, swept up in a beam of rainbow light, into an upside-down world in the sky. It was all very confusing.

*I remember a night like this,* he thought. *I haven't thought about it in years, back when Joe and I were living in Highton View Terrace. I remember him waking me up. There were... things out there. One of them looked like that one that was following Tai around, actually. I wonder if they were the same sorts of things?*

He shrugged and turned back to his computer, which was on, the only source of light in his room. He'd been 'net surfing, trying to find out more about the monsters that were appearing all over the world, something more than just what was being replayed on the TV news. Everything he was finding out wasn't very good, and it looked like it was going to get worse.

"You've got mail," his computer informed him.

"I don't care!" he snapped back. Then he paused. "Wait a second. Since when does my computer tell me when I've got e-mail? I don't use AOL!"

"I'm not talking about e-mail! I'm talking about real mail!" said the voice in the computer.

Jim blinked. "All right, that's it. All this stress has just pushed me over the edge, and now I'm hearing voices in my computer. I wonder if Dad knows anything about psychology?"

"I assure you, you're perfectly sane," said the voice in the computer. It was hard to be sure, but it sounded like the voice of an elderly man. "If you don't believe me, just go check your mailbox."

"Okay. Why not? I guess if there can be upside-down worlds in the air and monsters on main street, I can have a computer that knows when I've got mail," said Jim.

He got up and went to the door of his apartment. Outside on the wall was a little silver mailbox with a lift-up lid for safely holding letters. It was, however, immediately obvious that there were no letters in the box. Instead, the box had a large envelope stuffed in it, filling the small compartment and holding the lid in the air. With faint amazement, Jim took the envelope out and read the address. The return address was blank. The only writing there at all was his name scrawled in a strange, archaic handwriting. With a shrug, he brought it into his room, ripped it open, and dumped its contents onto the bed. Spilling across his blankets came a small cascade of styrofoam peanuts, along with a packet of carefully folded cloths. Unwrapping them left Jim with a large pile of rags, and, in the middle of it all, a small object, looking a bit like a digital stopwatch.

"All that trouble for a watch?" he wondered. "Or... wait. This is one of those gizmos Joe and his friends were carrying, isn't it?"

"It is indeed," the voice in the computer said. "It is called a Digivice. It is now yours."

"Oh. Gee. Just what I always wanted," said Jim. "Just one question... what am I supposed to do with this thing?"

"You will learn when the time is right," answered the voice. "In the meantime, you must join your brother in the Digital World. You are needed there."

"Wait just one minute! How am I supposed to...?"

In the middle of his question, the computer (somewhat rudely, he thought) turned itself off. He stared at it in annoyance before sighing again.

"I have all the luck," he muttered. "I wonder how he expects me to get to the Digital World if he doesn't even give me directions or anything?"

Muttering to himself, he picked up the small object to study it more closely, noting how comfortably it fit his hand, and how pleasantly warm it felt. In the next instant, light surrounded him, and he was gone.

*Oh,* he thought, before the lights had him completely. *I guess that answers my question.* *********************************************

Gennai returned to his home in a pensive mood. It was night there, as it was night in the real world... but at least his sky had stars in it and not upside-down worlds, even if the stars were larger than Earth stars and pale purple. He wandered over to an easy chair pulled up to the fire and sat down, suddenly feeling more tired than he had in ages.

*Did I do the right thing?* he wondered. *They warned me about being impulsive. It was the saving of the chosen Digimon the day Piedmon attacked, but it's failed me other times. Perhaps it would have been different if they'd listened to me and finished making that final Crest...*

Even in the earliest days, nine was a mystical number, one that was associated with power and luck. The creators of the Digivices and the Tags and Crests had not been a superstitious lot, but they new that there were Forces in the universe that it was wise to pay attention to, and they had hoped to try for nine Digidestined. They got as far as creating the ninth Digivice before Piedmon and his mechanical monsters attacked, and all hope for completing the project was lost.

*How ironic,* thought Gennai, *that the very Digimon we had hoped to use as our final choice was the same kind that destroyed our laboratory.*

They had been careful to choose a strong balance of different Digimon to give the Digidestined ammunition against almost anything: Agumon for fire, Gabumon for ice, Gomamon for water, Biyomon for air, Palmon for earth, Tentomon for electricity, and Patamon and Gatomon for their angelic potential. The final choice was to be a metal Digimon, one of the mechanical set. Instead, the Crest to fit the final Tag had never been completed, and the silver Digi-egg that would have hatched into their chosen creature had been lost before they had even been able to forge the link that would have bound it to its human companion.

*Well, perhaps he can still do something,* Gennai thought stubbornly. *A human can make a Digimon digivolve even without a Digivice, much less a Tag and Crest. What matters is his heart, and his heart is in perfect working order. If he's lucky, perhaps he will be able to find a helper suited to him, even if we didn't chose it ourselves.* **************************************

The Digidestined landed with a bump in unfamiliar territory... territory they didn't get long to look at before their companion Digimon fell out of the sky after them, burying them in a heap of legs, tails, fur, and feathers. There was a scramble as everyone attempted to find their way out of the heap and reunite themselves with their partners. Tai was the first to collect himsef (not to mention Koromon, still worn out from battling VenomMyotismon) and have a look around.

"Yup, looks like we're back in the Digiworld, all right," he said, pulling out his telescope. "The place looks like kind of a mess, though. I wonder what's been going on while we're gone?"

For miles around, nothing was visible but sand, rocks, and a blanket of grey fog, with no sign of other Digimon or even plants. The sun was lost in the thick mist, turning the world into a shadowless twilight realm.

"This place is creepy," complained Salamon, burrowing into Kari's arms. "All this fog reminds me of Myotismon, and nothing smells right here."

"It is rather peculiar," Izzy agreed, glancing around. "You'd think there would be some grass, or-"

He never got around to finishing whatever he was going to say, because at that moment, there was a drawn-out WHAM! that shot through the earth like a bolt of underground lighting. Everyone was thrown headlong to the ground, tumbling again into disorganized heaps as something plowed up a mound of earth beneath them.

"What in the world?" Sora cried out.

"I don't know," Matt shouted, "but it's on its way back! Run for it!"

The kids and their Digimon scattered, just barely dodging the wave of dirt and rocks that was rushing toward them. It rolled by harmlessly, rocketing through the soil and throwing up clouds of dust. Then, suddenly, it stopped, trembling ominously. With a low rumble that increased to an earsplitting roar, the earth opened up, and a gleaming serpentine shape shot fifty feet into the air, spraying a volcano of dirt and pebbles.

"Guess we were wrong about there being no Digimon here!" said Koromon.

"That looks like the MegaSeadramon that Zudomon fought!" said Joe. "Only that one wasn't so shiny. What is it?"

"That thing is worse than a MegaSeadramon," Gomamon replied. "It's a full-grown MetalSeadramon - and it's coming right at us!"

With a resounding roar, the dragonlike beast swooped down on them all, and they threw themselves into the sand as he rushed over their heads, missing them by inches. MetalSeadramon laughed.

"You little shrimps are the Digidestined?" he boomed. "I was expecting you to be something impressive! You're going to be easy to pick off, if all you can do is cower in the dirt! Some legendary slayers of evil Digimon you turned out to be!"

"Hey, don't destroy them until I've had a chance to play with them!" said a voice like creaking wood. The Digidestined turned to see a small wooden Digimon carrying a large metal hammer come clattering out of the fog. It would have been a comical looking creature if the look on its face hadn't been so completely malevolent.

"We are not going to destroy them yet, Puppetmon," a new voice rumbled. It was deep and grating, so low as to be difficult to hear. With heavy, clanking footsteps that made the ground tremble almost as much as MetalSeadramon's arrival had, an enormous iron dragon stepped into view. "There will be time for that later."

"Are you sure we can't destroy them now? I could use a snack," said MetalSeadramon.

"Not until I get to play with them!" Puppetmon whined. "Piedmon promised I'd get to play with them, and I'm gonna play with them!"

"Silence!" the iron dragon roared.

The other two were instantly silent.

"That's better," it said. "Puppetmon, the introductions."

"Right," the wooden Digimon replied. "Listen up, Digidestined! We're the Dark Masters, ruler of the Digital World! I'm Puppetmon, master of the forest! Up there is MetalSeadramon - he's the most dangerous thing in the oceans. That big brute there is MachineDramon, Piedmon's most loyal servant. He'll blow up anything Piedmon tells him to, including you! Piedmon is our leader, the most powerful Digimon in the whole wide world! He's too important to come down here and mess with you digi-twits, so he sent us to deliver a message: surrender now, or all of you will be destroyed!"

"I don't think so!" said Tai. "We'll never surrender to the likes of you - or that Piedmon, whatever he is."

"Fools! Surrender!" Puppetmon shouted. "This is your last chance! Hand over your Digivices, Tags, and Crests and swear to serve Piedmon, or you'll be really sorry!"

"That's a threat?" said Matt. "Forget it, you pile of walking firewood! You can't scare us. We've fought tougher things than you and blew them to digital dust."

"Ha! That's a laugh!" MetalSeadramon jeered. "Rookies and In-Training Digimon stand no chance against three Mega Digimon!"

"Then I guess we'll just have to take it up a level!" Tai shouted back. "Give it everything you've got, guys! It's digivolving time!"

To the amazement of the Dark Masters, the fog-filled plains were suddenly filled with shimmering lights, and they turned away from the blinding radiance. When they could finally see again, they were faced with an imposing line of fighters: Angemon, Angewomon, Zudomon, MegaKabuterimon, Palmon, and Garudamon, led by MetalGarurumon and WarGreymon.

"What!?" Puppetmon squealed. "You can't do that! It's against the rules!"

"Not in my rulebook!" Tai laughed. "Go get 'em, gang!"

"I know a thing or two about fighting Seadramon," MetalGarurumon growled. "Leave him to me!"

"I've fought bigger Seadramon than you!" Zudomon told him. "Let me lend a hand - or a hammer!"

"Master of the forest, huh?" said Lillymon, glaring at Puppetmon. "I know a plant Digimon who'd like to challenge you about that!"

"Let me help! I know a few bugs who would like to chew on him!" MegaKabuterimon added.

Listening to the threats, Puppetmon glared at MetalSeadramon.

"You think this is going to be easy, huh?" he asked. "They don't look so weak now, do they?"

"Okay, so I underestimated them!" MetalSeadramon snapped.

"Quiet!" MachineDramon roared. "Look at you, afraid of a few undertrained upstarts! No Champion or Ultimate can hope to stand up to a Mega Digimon of our experience level. Now, get out there and start fighting!"

With a roar, the iron dragon charged at them, metal feet clashing on the rocky earth with earsplitting clangs, and the Digidestined scattered to avoid blasts from the cannons mounted on its back. Taking courage from MachineDramon's boldness, MetalSeadramon and Puppetmon began attacks of their own. There was no choice for the good Digimon but to retaliate with everything they had as they attempted to protect their human companions.

"This is crazy!" Izzy shouted as he dove for shelter behind a boulder. "Our Digimon are going to get creamed!"

"Don't you think MetalGarurumon and WarGreymon can handle these chumps?" asked Matt.

"Think? I know they can't!" said Izzy. He was typing furiously on his laptop, making it spill waves of black letters and numbers across the screen. "See? These are the power readings for those enemy Digimon. They've been Megas for way longer than our Digimon have, so they have much more power and experience. We can't win in just a regular battle - we need a plan of some sort..."

"Plan later! I say we get out and blast them!" said Tai.

"Negative," Izzy replied. "Hang on a minute while I try to scan for weaknesses."

Meanwhile, the Digimon were waging a fierce battle - in the sky, on the ground, even below the earth, as MetalSeadramon drove into the sand to burst back up in explosions that knocked everyone off their feet. Then he would take to the sky again to be pursued by the various winged Digimon, while their earthbound partners dodged blasts from MachineDramon's canons and Puppetmon's hammer.

"I've had enough of this!" said WarGreymon. "It's time to get serious! Terra Force!"

Power gathered in his outstretched claws, a ball of fire that flashed and expanded like the birth of a sun. Soon he had a fireball larger than himself suspended over his head and... waiting.

"You think you can hurt me with that?" MachineDramon rumbled. "Foolish Digimon. You should know you can't burn metal!"

"Don't listen to him!" Tai shouted. "Go ahead and blast him!"

"Wait a minute, Tai!" said Izzy. "MachineDramon is right - that fireball's not going to do a thing to him, unless... hey, Kari, come here a minute! I think I've got an idea!"

"What kind of idea?" asked Kari, hurrying obediently closer.

"Could you call Angewomon down here for me? I think I know how we can defeat MachineDramon, but we're going to need her help."

"Sure," she agreed. "Hey, Angewomon! Can you come down here a minute? Izzy needs to talk to you."

"I'm kind of busy right now!" Angewomon called back as she dodged a blast from MetalSeadramon.

"It's really important!" Kari encouraged.

"Well, if you really think it's imprortant..." Angewomon abruptly folded her wings and dropped out of the sky, narrowly missing being hit by a River of Power attack - then flipped them open again in time to dodge one of Puppetmon's blasts. She landed next to Kari with her feathers ruffled and leaned down to listen to Izzy's request.

"Could you hurry it up?" WarGreymon shouted. "My arms are getting tired!"

"Don't worry! I'm on it!" Angewomon replied.

Leaping into the air once more, Angewomon produced her bow and began taking careful aim at MachineDramon. The other Dark Masters, sensing something interesting was about to happen, paused in their attacks to watch, but MachineDramon simply sat and glared at her.

"You think you can harm me with that little trick?" he asked scornfully. "As I recall, you couldn't even destroy Mytismon properly with it! It will take a great deal more to defeat me."

"We'll see about that," answered Angewomon. "Celestial Arrow!"

The arrow flew straight and true. It just barely nicked MachineDramon's exterior, severing a few cables on its way by. MachineDramon stared in puzzlement as his tubing began to leak oil and fuel.

"Was that it?" he asked.

"That was more than enough," said Izzy exultantly. "All right, WarGreymon, let it rip!"

"About time!" WarGreymon replied. "Eat this, you overgrown lawnmower!"

The fireball fell from the sky and engulfed MachineDramon in roaring flames. They licked hungrily at the spilled gasoline and oil, working their way up into the tubing as they searched for the source. The metal dragon thrashed insanely as he felt the fires invading his fuel cells.

"No! Stop it! You can't do this to me! Noooooo!

There was an earth-shaking explosion, and the Digidestined dove for cover with their Digimon copying their example. MachineDramon vanished in a final spurt of flame and black smoke. Puppetmon and MetalSeadramon stared in blank shock, then turned to each other apprehensively.

"What do we do now?" asked MetalSeadramon.

"I think a retreat sounds like a good idea," Puppetmon replied.

MetalSeadramon stared at the crater where MachineDramon had been a moment ago. Now there was nothing more to be seen but some rocks and blackened earth.

"You never said a truer word, Puppetmon," he said. "But don't think you can get away with this, Digidestined! We'll be back, and next time, you'll the ones ending up as craters!"

"We'll be glad to take you up on that," said Matt, getting up to stand next to MetalGarurumon. The steel wolf stared coldly at the Dark Masters, adding his silent agreement.

"We're not going to forget this!" Puppetmon said. "You can bet, when Piedmon hears about this, you'll wish you never returned to the Digital World!"

With that, Puppetmon sprang onto MetalSeadramon's head, and they flew off into the sky, where they were obliterated by fog. As soon as they were gone, the other Digimon reverted to their more comfortable forms to join their companions in celebration.

"Man! That was easier than I thought it would be!" said Tai. "Great idea, Izzy. If we keep up teamwork like that, we won't have any problems with these Dark Master things."

"It was nothing. Just a little practical application of a sound understanding of combustion," said Izzy modestly. "Besides, it was Angewomon and WarGreymon who did the real work."

"We all did a good job," said Tai. "And we're going to do the same thing to those other monsters as we did to that MachineDramon, right?"

"Right!" everyone agreed.

"It looks like the fog is lifting," Gatomon noted. "I think I can see something over there. Do the rest of you see it?"

Looking in the direction Gatomon was pointing, the group could just barely make out the shape of something dark rising against the skyline, stabbing at the sky like an accusatory finger.

"It looks like a mountain," said Joe. "Do you think it could be Infinity Mountain?"

"One way to find out," Tai replied. "If it is Infinity Mountain, we can climb it and get a look at everything. Then maybe we can see what these Dark Masters have been doing."

"What if that's where the Dark Masters are living?" asked Sora. "It's the best vantage point for miles around. They probably like to keep an eye on what all the other Digimon on the island are doing."

"All the more reason to go there," Tai replied. "Come on, gang! Let's make some tracks!"

Beckoning for his friends to follow, Tai turned and began jogging in the direction of the mountain, with Agumon following close behind. The other Digidestined hurried to catch up with no more than a few sighs of resignation and murmured complaints.

However, if the Digidestined and their companions had lingered a bit longer, they would have seen an interesting sight. From out of the crater, something small and shiny crept into the light. It looked like a small, smooth, electric mouse, with small red eyes that lit up, a pair of metal ears like lightning bolts, and an antenna-tail. Its eyes blinked, on and off, as it inspected the world that had suddenly gotten a lot bigger.

"Hmm," it said thoughtfully. And then, "Oh! Choromon!"

It had remembered its name, and that pleased it. It whirred around in a small circle, shooting sparks from the tip of its tail in celebration. Then it paused, as it suddenly remembered something else. Something was missing. The Choromon had lost something, something very important, and it had to go looking for it. Whirring and clicking, Choromon trundled off into the desert. ************************************

When Jim reappeared, he found himself standing among a group of rocks. The sun seemed to be setting, throwing dark shadows across the sandy earth... or perhaps it was rising. Which was east and which was west? Jim spun around, as if he might find a compass lying somewhere, but quickly gave up the attempt as futile.

"Where the heck am I?" he said aloud.

"You are in Digiworld," a voice answered.

Jim whirled around. In a place where nothing had been before, there was now a faintly shimmering column of light, and in the center of it, he could just barely make out the image of an elderly man.

"Who are you?" asked Jim.

"I am called Gennai, and I am a friend," the man replied. "It is I who brought you here."

"You brought me into another dimension just to drop me in the middle of a desert?" Jim asked incredulously. "Where is everybody? I thought there were supposed to be monsters or something. Is my brother here?"

"Your brother is nearby. I have brought you as close to him as I can, but my power here is limited. I was lucky to get you this far. You'll have to find your friends on your own. Good luck!"

"Hey, wait! Come back here!" Jim cried, but it was too late. The light had already vanished. He sighed.

"Just my luck. Stuck in some weird sci-fi world without even a toothbrush," Jim said. "I guess I should start looking for the others... but where do I go?"

He didn't know. The rocks looked just the same in all directions. With a shrug, he closed his eyes, spun around in a circle, and began to walk. He was very glad he was wearing his sneakers; the rocky ground was enough to make his feet hurt even with the shoes' thick soles to cushion them. The air was uncomfortably warm, and the grit-laden wind moaned eerily amid the rocks as it pelted him with stinging particles of sand. He began to wonder why his brother was going through all the bother of saving this Digital World if all of it was like this.

Suddenly, his attention was caught by a strange sound, something that had nothing to do with wind or rocks. It sounded like a metallic clunking noise. Curious, he began jogging toward it, trying not to trip on the uneven ground. As he drew closer, he realized whatever was causing the noise was also speaking, carrying on a monologue in a humming, nasal voice. Jim rounded a corner and found himself face to face with one of the oddest beings he had ever chanced to meet in his lifetime, a creature that appeared to be made entirely of three gears. It turned two beady eyes to look at him.

"You're a human!" it hummed.

"Obviously," Jim replied. "What in the world are you?"

"I am a Gearmon," the thing replied. "I am looking for the humans that destroyed my Lord MachineDramon. The only humans in the Digiworld are the Digidestined. You are a human. Since it is my duty to destroy the Digidestined, I must destroy you!"

"Hey, now, wait just a minute!" Jim protested. "I'm not one of your Digi-whatevers! I didn't have anything to do with that! I don't even know what a MachineDramon is!"

"That's just what you would say if you had destroyed him," the Gearmon insisted. "Prepare to be destroyed, human!"

In the meantime, the Choromon was still trundling along on its tiny wheels, chirping and sparking to itself. It was beginning to get puzzled. It had to find the thing it had lost, and yet it could not remember what it was or where it might be. This was very strange, because Choromon knew that it had always had this important thing for its entire life and had treasured it. How could it forget what this thing was? Sparks shot from the Choromon's tail in frustration.

Suddenly, the Choromon's ears twitched. Something was going on nearby. Curiosity aroused, it began rolling quickly toward the noise, gears grinding as it forced itself to move along at top speed. Maybe whoever was making all the racket had found the thing he'd lost! However, as he came to the top of a heap of slag, he was disappointed to see that it was only a Gearmon and another funny creature. Choromon stared, his ruby eyes blinking on and off in puzzlement. He had never seen anything to rival the funny creature that was talking to the Gearmon, but he had a feeling it was very important. As a matter of fact, just looking at the creature made Choromon feel topsy-turvy inside, and the realization that the creature was in danger threw him completely off-balance, and he could feel his world turning dark and spinning as he called out...

"Choromon, digivolve to... Kapurimon!"

In the next instant, Jim was astounded to see a silver and purple blur fall out of the sky. It hit the Gearmon with a resounding BONK! and bounced, landing directly at Jim's feet. The Gearmon toppled noisily to the ground and sat there whirring. The silver and purple thing glared at it with a fierce light in its wide brown eyes, and Jim looked down at it in shock.

This new little monster was a vaguely raccoon-like thing about the size of a basketball, mostly head with a bushy tail sprouting from the back. The parts of it that were visible were covered in purple and white fur - white for the face and the rings of its tail and purple for the rest of it - but it was hidden from the nose up in a shiny silver helmet with conical ears. It spoke in a childish male voice.

"Ha! Gotcha, didn't I!" it taunted. "Don't make me do that again!"

"Why, you little...!" the Gearmon snarled, finally managing to set itself upright again. "You ought to know better than to mess with a servant of Lord MachineDramon!"

"I'm not a'scared of your ol' Lord MachineDramon!" the raccoon-thing barked back. "If he was here, I'd blow him all to bits, just like this - Bubble Blow!"

The peculiar little animal took a deep breath and puffed out a stream of pink bubbles. They rained down on the Gearmon, who flinched and backed away, trying vainly to protect its face.

"Ha, you don't like that, do ya?" the little animal laughed. "There's more where that came from, too, so you'd better get packing before I really get mad!"

"All right, all right!" the Gearmon muttered. "That human doesn't look like a Digidestined, anyway. It probably just wandered in by mistake. You can have it!"

Grumbling to itself, the Gearmon wandered off. Jim breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face his rescuer.

"Thanks a lot for your help," he said. "It's a good thing you came along when you did, or that monster might have eaten me or something!"

"Nah, Gearmon don't eat people. They're not that tough," the little creature replied. "I'm Kapurimon! What kind of a Digimon are you?"

"Me? Well, I'm a... I'm a human, actually," Jim said.

Kapurimon tilted his head in puzzlement. "A Hyumon? I've never heard of a Hyumon before."

"Yeah, well, I'm not from around here. I came in from another world," Jim explained. "Now I'm lost, and I'm trying to find my brother and his friends."

"Brother?" Kapurimon repeated. "What's a brother? Is it something important you can lose? I lost something important, and now I've got to find it, only I can't remember what it is."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Jim, "but I think if you'd lost a brother, you would know it. He's part of my family - we're both sons of the same mother and father."

"Family? Sons? Mother? Father? You speak weird words in your other world," said Kapurimon. "I never heard of any of that stuff."

Jim took a deep breath to launch a detailed explanation, but quickly deflated. How in the world did you explain the concept of reproduction to a critter that didn't even have a concept of mother and father? He decided to try a different tactic.

"Family means he's someone I've lived with for a long time - like a friend, only we live in the same house and he looks kind of like me," he explained. "He's got a bunch of other friends with him, humans like us, only we don't look as much alike. You wouldn't happen to have seen them, would you?"

"More Hyumons?" Kapurimon repeated. "Hmm. I think I remember seeing some Hyumons. I saw them... back that way!" He gestured with his tail, pointing back in the direction he had come from.

"It must be them!" said Jim happily. "Man, why did that Gennai guy drop me out here in the middle of nowhere when he could have put me with them? Thanks, Kapurimon. You've been a big help."

"You're welcome, Hyumon," Kapurimon replied.

Jim chuckled. "You don't have to call me that. Call me Jim. It's easier to say."

"Jim," Kapurimon repeated. "JimHyumon. Funny name."

"JimKidoHyumon," Jim agreed, grinning. "Very funny. So... do you have any idea where you lost your... something important?"

"No," said Kapurimon sadly. "I can't remember at all!"

"So the thing you lost is just as likely to be over that way as anywhere else, right?" asked Jim.

"I guess so," Kapurimon agreed.

"As a matter of fact, its even more likely to be there, since you know you've been there before, but you don't know you've been over here, right?"

"I guess that, too."

"Well, then, how would you like to come along with me for a while?" asked Jim. "Then at least we can be lost together, until we find what we're looking for."

Kapurimon considered. The Hyumon it had found seemed to be fairly clever - a lot more clever than Kapurimon. It had even helped Kapurimon to digivolve! He seemed like a very nice creature, even if he was funny looking and talked with weird words. On the other hand, he didn't know how to defend himself against silly Gearmon, but Kapurimon did. They could take care of each other if they traveled together.

"Kapurimon will go with JimHyumon!" it decided.

"Great!" Jim exclaimed. "Glad to have you with me. Do you mind if I pick you up? We'll make better time if I carry you over these rocks."

Kapurimon couldn't think of any reason why not, so he hopped into Jim's arms and settled himself in comfortably. Once he got used to Jim's loping gait, he realized it was actually a very nice way to travel.

*There's something about this JimHyumon that reminds me of what I lost,* he thought. *I wonder what it is?* ***********************************

Puppetmon cringed in the shadows, shuffling along with his joints trembling like a tree in a strong wind. With extreme reluctance, he made his way up to the base of the throne where Piemon, Master of the Dark Masters, was keeping watch over his domain. He didn't even take his eyes off the viewing screen in front of him until Puppetmon cleared his throat.

"Oh, it's you," he said boredly, glancing down at his cohort. "Back so soon? Those Digidestined must not have been as formidable as the reports made out. Such a pity; I was hoping they would provide a distraction. When one has everything under one's control, things become dreadfully predictable."

"Well, actually, things didn't go quite exactly the way we planned," said Puppetmon.

"Oh, really?" asked Piedmon. He turned his deceptively bland gaze on his servant. "All right, how did you three manage to foul things up this time?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Puppetmon cried. "It was that MachineDramon! He gave the order to attack! We were just following his orders!"

"Don't go shifting the blame to him," said Piedmon. "Unlike some people I could mention, MachineDramon is a dependable Digimon. Where is he? Let him tell his side of the story."

"That's just it, Piedmon," Puppetmon replied. "He's not here anymore. The Digidestined blew him sky-high!"

"That," Piedmon replied, "is impossible. Completely and utterly impossible. I would know if MachineDramon had been destroyed, and I have noticed nothing of the sort."

"I saw it with my own eyes!" insisted Puppetmon. "There was this huge explosion - KABOOM! - and no more MachineDramon."

"Are you contradicting me?" asked Piedmon. "I would think by now you would know better than to contradict me when I tell you something."

"Oh, no! I would never do that, Piedmon. It's just that, well, um..."

Piedmon sighed. "Look. I'll show you myself that MachineDramon hasn't been destroyed, if that's the only way I can get that fact through your termite-ridden skull. Look."

Waving one hand in a graceful gesture at the video terminal, the screen shimmered and shifted, altering the view from one of barren plains of grey stone to the warmer, sandier environment favored by MetalSeadramon. It zoomed in on a dark moving speck that gradually became discernable as a human boy carrying a raccoon-like In-Training Digimon.

"There? You see?" asked Piedmon. "Completely alive."

Puppetmon leaned closer to the screen. "Are you sure? That doesn't look much like MachineDramon to me."

"I will overlook that comment," said Piedmon, "because I know that your brain is full of knotholes. That, for your information, is Kapurimon, MachineDramon's In-Training form. He has simply lost a bit of his power and needs to recharge. In a week or two, he'll be in top fighting form again and ready to pay back those Digidestined brats - in spades!" He pulled a playing card out of the air and flipped it over, revealing the Ace of Spades on the front, and then made it vanish again in a burst of blue flame. Puppetmon clapped appreciatively.

"That's great, Piedmon," he said. "I've just got one little question... why is he following that human around?"

"Hmm?" Piedmon turned to stare more closely at the picture. "Hmm. Well, that's unexpected. This was not part of my plan..."

"Are we in trouble?" asked Puppetmon anxiously. "You don't think he's gonna turn on us or something, do you?"

Piedmon made a swift motion with one hand, and a stiletto knife whizzed through the air and sliced off the tip of Puppetmon's nose.

"Hey!" he yelped. "Watch it! You chipped it!"

"Maybe that will teach you to question my authority," Piedmon replied. "If I can control fifteen tons of steel, I can control a little furry animal, and no human, not even a Digidestined human, can change that. There is simply no way MachineDramon's loyalty to me will ever change. He cannot leave. He has no choice in the matter."

"If you say so," Puppetmon agreed.

"I do," Piedmon replied, "and that ought to be enough for you. MetalSeadramon, report! I want a word with you!"

There was a rumbling in the depths of the castle, and then MetalSeadramon shot up from a chute in the floor to coil himself at Piedmon's feet. This could only be accomplished because the throne he was using put him well off the ground; otherwise the sea dragon would have towered above him.

"Did somebody mention me?" MetalSeadramon inquired.

"Yes," answered Piedmon. "I have a little assignment for you. Those bothersome Digidestined children are in your territory right now, so that makes them your responsibility. Find them, destroy them, and bring their Tags, Crests, and Digivices back to me. You can do that, can't you?"

"But - but - but!" MetalSeadramon stammered. "Um, I don't mean to complain or anything, but did you see what those kids did to MachineDramon? I'm not letting that happen to me!"

"Then you had better be a little more careful this time, hadn't you?" Piedmon replied.

"Well, I, um..."

"Good. I'm glad you agree with me," said Piedmon brusquely. "Now go away before you make me ill - or did you know you positively reek of fish?"

"I'm going, I'm going," MetalSeadramon replied. He turned and dove back down the tunnel, but he could be heard muttering to himself long after he was gone.

"Well, that takes care of that," said Piedmon. "We won't have to worry about those Digidestined now that MetalSeadramon is on the job. They can't live long without water, and the minute they get near a river or ocean, they'll be swamped by every horror the depths have to offer, and this whole problem will be... oh, how do they say it? Water under the bridge." He chuckled at his own joke.

"What about MachineDramon?" asked Puppetmon. His attention was still fixed on the viewing screen, where Kapurimon and the human were walking along and chatting with each other as if they hadn't a care in the world. No matter what Piedmon said, the little raccoon Digimon looked as if he was perfectly happy to stay where he was.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" said Piedmon with a sneer. "But it doesn't matter. As I said, he can't help but come back. I hold his very soul in my hand, and he will never be able to find comfort or rest until he is reunited with it. Once again, I am left holding all the cards." He turned his gaze back to the screen, staring at Jim with a calculating expression. "It is very strange, though, that he should befriend one of those humans so easily... but no. Kapurimon can never be soul-bonded to a human as long as I control him. I can afford to wait. Given time, he can't help but come back..." ********************************

Night was slowly falling over the DigiWorld, bringing with it cooler air and a sprinkling of stars. Through the falling twilight, Jim trudged wearily on, too tired to do much more than scuff his feet in the dirt. Kapurimon had long since given in to the temptation of sleep, and he dozed peacefully in Jim's arms. Even in his exhaustion, Jim found the energy to look down at his little traveling companion and smile. Even though his head knew he should be worried about going back home before his parents began to worry, something in his heart was telling him it was more natural that he be here in this strange world carrying an armored raccoon. Already he was starting to feel fond of Kapurimon - the little animal had already begun to show a strong streak of loyalty to his new "Hyumon," sticking close to his side and driving off any other curious Digimon that got too close. Now, seeing the creature sleeping contentedly in his arms gave him a feeling of warmth that made it worth the pain in his arms caused by carrying the weight of Kapurimon's metal helmet.

With a sigh, Jim turned his mind away from thoughts of his new friend and began thinking instead of just what he was going to do next. Despite the fact that they had been traveling all day, they had not seen any sign of Joe or the other kids. Now he was beginning to have doubts that he'd ever find them - after all, Kapurimon hadn't been totally sure he'd seen anyone, admitting only to having a vague memory of seeing them. As far as he could say, the others could have passed by days ago, if they had even been there at all. For some odd reason, the otherwise intelligent Digimon seemed to have a very patchy memory where his past was concerned. Jim was beginning to wonder if he'd ever find his brother or his way home. As tiredness began to turn into malaise, he was becoming slowly convinced that he would be lost in this Digital World forever with only a talking animal for companionship.

Suddenly, a flicker of light caught his eye, and he strained through the darkness to try to make it out. There appeared to be a grove of trees following the winding course of a stream, and sheltered within their shadows was a warm orange glow, just the kind a good campfire would make. If he stared hard, he thought he could see a number of shapes moving around at the edges of the light.

"Hey, Kapurimon, wake up!" he said. "I think I see something!"

"Hmm? Wha? What's going on?" Kapurimon asked sleepily. He blinked his eyes to shake off a dream. Then the brightness came back to his features in a rush as something caught his attention. "Hey! I smell Hyumons!"

"All right!" Jim cheered. "It has to be Joe and the others!"

Weariness forgotten, Jim launched into a sprint that was very unlike his usual calm demeanor, and Kapurimon squealed in glee. Soon they reached the edge of the grove, drawing close enough to hear the murmur of voices and smell the scents of wood smoke and cooking food.

"Hello?" Jim called. "Hey! Is anyone there?"

Crouched next to the campfire, Joe suddenly glanced up from his meal. He'd had a long, hard day trying to keep up with the group's exuberant leader. Tai had pushed the team as far as he could that day, but eventually he'd been forced to come to grips with the fact that the mountain in the distance was a lot further away than it had looked. When Mimi started to complain of blisters and Matt had demanded a halt before T.K. collapsed, Tai had finally given in and let them strike camp next to the river. Joe had been making an honest effort not to live up to his reputation as a complainer, or he otherwise would have expressed his exhaustion along with the rest of them. Unlike Tai and Sora, he wasn't much of an athlete. Now that he had finally stopped moving, he was beginning to realize the full extent of his weariness.

"I think I'm hearing things," he said to Gomamon, for lack of any other audience. "I could have sworn I just heard my brother."

"I must be hearing what you're hearing, because I think I heard him, too," Gomamon replied. "Either that or there's a Parrotmon around here who knows your brother."

"Maybe we'd better check this out," said Joe. "Hey, everyone, quiet down a minute!"

"What's the matter, Joe?" asked Tai. "You aren't getting another of your migraines or something, are you?"

"No, I thought I heard something," Joe answered. "See? There it went again!"

The group became still, and in the silence they were able to catch the sound of someone shouting in the distance.

"It is my brother!" Joe exclaimed. "Hey, Jim! Over here!"

"Joe!" shouted Jim. He came crashing through the underbrush and emerged at the edge of the campsite, grinning exultantly. "Am I ever glad to see you guys! I was afraid I'd never see another human ever!"

"Jim?" asked Sora, perplexed. "What are you doing here?"

"This weird old guy named Gennai sent me here," said Jim. "No explanation, no warning, just a flash of light, and here I am. So... how do I get back home?"

"You don't," sighed Mimi. "Not without fighting a bunch of evil Digimon, anyway."

"Oh, great," said Jim, collapsing to the ground with a sigh. "You mean I'm trapped here?"

"Not forever," Tai replied. "Just until we destroy all the evil Digimon. Mimi's not the sharpest pencil in the box, but she's right about some things."

"Hey, Jim," Sora interjected, "since when do you have a Digimon?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean Kapurimon! He's not really my Digimon," said Jim. "That is, I don't think he really belongs to me like you guys belong with your Digimon. He just kind of decided to follow me around."

Kapurimon nodded. "I like JimHyumon. He's nice to me. He's going to help me find the thing I lost."

"That's funny," said T.K., looking at the two of them. "He sure looks like he's your Digimon. You remind me of when we all got our Digimon for the first time - they were all little like that. You've even got a Digivice like we do!"

"I what?" Jim glanced down at the object he'd clipped to his belt. "Is that what this thing's called? A Digivice? I wondered about it."

"You've got a Digivice? Let me see!" Tai bounced up from where he was sitting and went to take a look. Jim offered it up for examination, and Tai studied it with more intensity than he would have given his homework.

"It's the real thing, all right," said Tai. "Where did you find this, Jim?"

Jim shrugged. "In the mail."

"The mail?" Kari repeated. "How in the world did you get a Digivice in the mail? I had to go through all kinds of trouble to get mine."

"It was that Gennai character again," said Jim. "He showed up in my computer. Who is he, anyway?"

"He's... kind of like our mentor," Izzy explained. "If he chose you, it's got to be official. You're one of us - the Digidestined!"

"Digi... Destined?" Jim repeated dubiously. "I don't know if I like that. It sounds awfully... permanent."

"It's not so bad, once you get used to it," said Matt, leaning comfortably against Gabumon's furry side. "Which is not to say that it doesn't get pretty freaky at times, but still, it's not so bad."

"If you say so," Jim sighed.

"What's the matter?" asked Kapurimon. "Don't you want to stay here with me for a while?"

That made Jim smile again. "Of course I want to stay with you, Kapurimon. We're friends, right?"

"Yeah!" Kapurimon agreed.

"There's no mistaking that," said Sora. "Kapurimon must be your Digimon. Anyone can see the way you fit together."

"You think so, huh?" Jim replied.

"Definitely," Matt agreed. "And I carry the Crest of Friendship, so I ought to know!"

"Well, you'd be the expert, I guess," Jim replied. "Anyway, I'm starved. What do Digidestined eat for dinner?"

"Fish kebabs," answered Joe.

"Don't you mean shish kebabs?" asked Jim.

"No," said Gatomon, handing him a trout on a stick. "Definitely fish kebabs."

Jim stared at the fish dubiously. "This doesn't exactly constitute a well-balanced meal."

"Do you see any four-star restaurants around here?" asked Matt. "If you do, let us know, and we'll go eat there."

"No! No restaurants," said Joe. "Or have you forgotten Veggimon's diner?"

"Please, don't remind me!" Matt replied. "After that run-in with Digitamamon, I don't think I'll ever look at another hard-boiled egg the same way again!"

"I guess the culinary establishments in Digiworld aren't the greatest," Jim sighed. "Oh, well. Guess I can live off fish kebabs for a while."

"What's wrong, JimHymon?" asked Kapurimon, chomping on a fish of his own. "I think this is pretty good food!"

"I'm sure it is," said Jim, "and you really don't have to call me 'JimHyumon' all the time. 'Jim' will do just fine. And these people are called Matt, Tai, Sora, Mimi, Kari, T.K., Izzy, and that's my brother Joe."

"So that's what a brother looks like," said Kapurimon. "I think you're right - the thing I lost wasn't a brother. It must have been something else."

"My brother Tai is here," said Kari thoughtfully, "and T.K.'s brother Matt is here, and Joe's brother Jim is here. Does anyone else have any brothers I should know about?"

"I have a hamster," Mimi volunteered.

"I don't think that's quite the same thing," said Izzy.

"Kapurimon, I can tell you one thing right now," said Jim. "If you really are going to follow this bunch around, you're going to have one interesting trip."

"You'd better believe it!" said Tai. "You ought to hear how it's been so far!"

"Tell me," Jim replied. "It'll take my mind off my food."

So while Jim picked at fishbones, the other Digidestined told the story of their journey to the Digiworld, the discovery of their Digimon companions, Black Gears, Tags and Crests, Dark Networks, and all the other incredible things they'd seen and done. At last the storytelling wound down, the meal was finished, and the fire died, and Jim decided he'd seen and heard enough for one day. He followed his friends' examples as they curled up next to the embers for some well- deserved sleep. The other Digimon snuggled down next to their companions, but Kupurimon continued hopping around the campsite, sniffing the air and digging through the leaves. He really did look like he was searching for something he'd lost.

"Aren't you going to sleep, Kapurimon?" Jim asked.

"No, not yet. I'm not sleepy," Kapurimon replied. "I'm going to stay up and stand guard in case there are any more Gearmon or something."

"Well, don't stay up too late," said Jim. "We'll probably have a long day tomorrow, and you'll need your strength."

"I know," Kapurimon agreed. After a pause, he added, "Do you think I'll ever find it again?"

"Find what?" asked Jim sleepily.

"Whatever I lost."

"Sure, you'll find it," said Jim. "We'll help you look - me and the kids and the other Digimon..."

"That's good," Kapurimon replied. "I know I need to find it, but I also want to stay with you."

"Don't worry," Jim assured him. "We're going to stick close together from now on."

"Thanks, JimHymon," said Kapurimon.

Jim sighed and settled himself more comfortably on the grassy turf, thinking to himself that there were probably worse pet names he could be stuck with. He'd get used to it, just like he would have to get used to the rest of this crazy situation. He stared up at the sky, looking at the brilliant stars laid out in patterns unlike anything he'd ever seen in his home. They shimmered through the branches of trees he felt sure he'd never find in a botany book on Earth, and he couldn't even begin to identify the noises that issued from the forest. Where was home, anyway? Somewhere up in the sky, the way he'd seen the Digiworld from Earth? How would he ever find his way back?

He was distracted from these gloomy thoughts by a small purring noise, and he glanced over his shoulder to see that Kapurimon had fallen asleep again, and was snoring. He smiled. At least he wasn't alone in this weird world; loyal little Kapurimon would be here for him to help him make sense of all this. He'd seen the power of the other Digimon in battle, but now he thought their emotional support was probably as important to their companions as their firepower.

"Kapurimon," he murmured. "My Digimon."

The words felt entirely comfortable to him, and he continued smiling even as he slipped into a deep sleep.