By Debbie
Author's note:
Would it be cool if you imagine yourself as one of the digidestined, traveling with your friends, have your own digimon, crest, and adventures? I already did that and I think it would be neat to write a little about a new girl named Kim with her digimon, Iyumon. I may sound weird, but I bet someone out there would agree with me on that. One opinion on the story is that the tale is based on one character, not all the kids, like when each kid learn something new about his/her digimon friend. The story is supposed to happen after Sora's Biyomon digivolves into Birdramon. Please read and let me know!
T.K. tugs on his brother's brown-gloved hand and says, "Matt, I am hungry."
Matt looks down to his little brother, who is looking cheerless, his usually bright blue eyes now dimmed. He pats on his head. "All of us are, kiddo."
"Tired, too," Sora says from the ahead of the line with a tired-looking Tai by her side.
The seven kids and their digimon partners are strolling under a thick jungle. The jungle is full of animal noises, a soft breeze carrying them through. Few hours had passed since Biyomon digivolved into Birdramon to save the village of Yokomons from a fiery, tall digimon named Meramon. The experience was interesting and new, like the digivolutions of Agumon and Gabumon. The kids would like to see what do the other digimon digivolve into, but only food and sleep are on their minds.
The sun is setting, its dimming rays showing off breathtaking colors of pink and orange. But no one enjoys it. They are so tired, but keep on. All of the digimon are trying to hide their continuing yawns.
Catching her digimon partner, Palmon, covering another yawn, Mimi groans under the pain of her poor feet. "My feet hurts, and I don't want to sleep on the ground. It is too cold!"
They didn't notice that clouds are gathering together, covering the colorful sky with grayness, dimming the light. There is no thunder boom, but one by one the raindrops fall upon the kids, and soon, the they stand in the downpour, soaking wet.
"Oh, great,' Joe mutters with depression. He drops down to the ground, shaking out water from his black-blue hair. Gomamon is a bit cheered by the rain, but he is also tired and he merely rests his head on Joe's lap, no longer lively.
Some sit down, too tired to go on. Tai, Sora, and Matt are still standing, gazing around the kids with concern. Biyomon tugs on Sora's yellow shirt, and says," What we need is shelter from the rain."
"No problem!" Tentomon replies from above. He sounds composed and calm. He is the only one who is not fatigued, because he is flying, not walking. All eyes look up to the red beetle-like digimon as he holds his claw-hand over his pale green eyes. His eyes seem to lighten up. "A cave ahead!"
"A cave in the middle of a jungle?" Agumon says with confusion, scratching the top of his yellow head with his white talons. "Do you think it is strange, Tai?"
Tai shakes his head. He can't wait to get out of the rain. "Nah. Let's go!"
The kids and digimon follow Tentomon down the path until they find a foothill covered with green ferns. There is a small hole at the base that leads inside. The hole is big enough for them to squeeze through. Tai enters first and finds himself in a spacious cave underground. The hole is slightly higher than Tai, like a sunroof in a wall. The group follow inside and they stare in awe at the size of the cave. There is small opening at far ahead, but hid by the darkness that is not touched by the light outside.
Gabumon grunts with pleasure from Matt's side. "Nice, dry, and cozy." The kids and the digimon take their time shaking off water. The boys - Tai, Izzy, Matt, and Joe shake their hair, spraying out like a series of showers while lucky Sora, Mimi, and T.K. stay out of the way, their dry hair protected by their hats. Agumon, Tentomon, Palmon and Patamon have no trouble with the rain because of their smooth bodies. But poor Gabumon and Gomamon have to squeeze water out of their fur as Biyomon shake water from her pink feathers.
Suddenly, the digimon sniffed the air, their multicolored eyes brightening. The kids watch them, waiting. The petals on Palmon's head flitter with joy. "I smell food!" she says. The digimon agree with her. The kids beam at each other, eager to get some food for their growling stomachs.
But before they could do anything, they hear a low, soft growl from the darkness ahead. The growl belongs to a small digimon who enters into the light. Yes, she is small as the other digimon, but the growl seems to cause her to seems larger, vicious. She looks like a lizard, standing on all four. She has pale purple fur with jet-black- and snow-white stripes running across her neck, back, legs, and tail. A red stripe runs down her pointed snout, distinguishing her. She has two small purple horns on her head, like a bull. The long tail is curled over her head, similar to a scorpion. Her black talons click against the rocks as she menacingly walks toward the group. Her eyes blaze perilously, the color of dark, dark, red.
"Who is that?" T.K. almost whispers frighteningly as he steps behind his brother's legs, his blue eyes wide.
Tentomon answers with knowledge, "She is Iyumon, She is very protective of her territory. She is one of the good digimon, but don't ever try to cross with her."
The lizard-like digimon named Iyumon speaks with a soft hissing voice, like a snake. "Get out. You have no right to be here." She doesn't threaten, only warns. Her tail uncurls, revealing a club at the end. Small spikes appear on the club.
Shocked at her words, the group moves back a step. "Uhh. . . We better do what she says," speaks Joe, shuddering.
Tentomon flies closer to Iyumon, not feeling threatened. His green eyes gaze right in her red eyes. He speaks like he is meeting an old friend, "Iyumon, we are not here to battle you."
Iyumon scowls, her eyes going darker. Her voice is still soft. "I warned you." Suddenly, the spikes on the club spring out. The spikes strike harmlessly on Tentomon's hard shell, but the sudden movement shocks him and he flutters, shaking his head. The group quickly dodges from the spikes. The spikes land uselessly on the ground. Hearts beating, the group looks back to Iyumon with uneasily caution.
"We don't want to fight you, Iyumon!" Tentomon says, trying again.
Iyumon is not looking happy. She says nothing, not believing him. She still glares at the red beetle digimon. But then a new voice calls out from the darkness, concerned and curious. "Iyumon?"
Iyumon almost starts at her name, but answers back, though her eyes never leave Tentomon, "Stay back. There are invaders here in the cave."
Soon, the group could see who the voice belongs to. A girl Tai's age enters into the light. She is dark-skinned. Her black hair come in many tiny braids, covering her shoulders and back. Bright red sunglasses hold back the braids from her gentle face. She wears a dark red tank top, dark blue jeans with a green belt, and dark yellow gloves and boots that touch decently with her skin. She has the look of patience and kindness. Her brown eyes go wide with surprise at the strange kids and digimon, but then she sees Tai.
"Tai?" she speaks, grinning with gladness.
"Kim?" Tai says with new bewilderment. "Is that really you?" He steps forward to her, but Iyumon jumps in front of Kim, growling up to Tai. Nervous of the red eyes, he gulps and steps back.
Kim steps around and puts a reassuring gentle hand on Iyumon's shoulder. "That's okay, Iyumon. I know him well."
Tai hugs her warmly, and she returns the hug. They seem to be old friends. Tai looks at her again, disbelieved, but beaming. "It's a surprise to see you, Kim."
Kim laughs amiably and playfully ruffles his already untidy brown hair. "I'm full of surprises."
Agumon breaks the silence around the group and walks up to Tai's side. He points up to the girl with curiosity. "Who is she?"
Tai forgets himself, and, clearing his throat, introduces her to the group. "Guys, this's Kimberly Inoue, my best friend from school."
"You can call me Kim for short," she says. She looks timid, but smiles.
"These are my friends, Agumon; Sora and Biyomon; Izzy and Tentomon; Joe and Gomamon; Mimi and Palmon; Matt and Gabumon; and T.K. and Patamon."
Kim nods, acknowledging each person and digimon. "Nice to meet you. This's Iyumon, my good friend."
Tentomon lands by Iyumon and grins, even though his metal-like mouth moves not. "Told ya we don't want to fight with you."
"Hmph." Iyumon eyes him. She looks no longer dangerous, vicious, but with her usual caution. "Friends of Kim are my friends, too. Just don't get too friendly with me, okay?"
Tentomon laughs good-naturedly, and even Iyumon smiles coyly, suddenly looking alike to Kim for an instant.
"How did you get here?" asks Mimi with interest.
Kim answers,"It's long story. I can tell you all about it during supper. I have food and a fire back there." At the mention of food, the digimon cheer with delight as the kids lick their lips. All follow Kim and Iyumon deeper in the cave until they arrive into another chamber with a small fire set in rocks in the center. The cave is actually a natural tunnel burrowing deeper into the ground for some reason. The tunnel is packed with several chambers, probably for rest before moving on. There are palm leaves covered with odd-looking berries, fruit, and nuts near the fire, just enough for everyone. Iyumon herself picked them out and they are delicious, says Gomamon after he tries a berry.
The kids sit in a circle around the fire - Tai, Sora, Mimi, Joe, Izzy, Matt, and Kim, along with their digimon partners usually sitting by. T.K. chooses to be separated from them, sitting on a rock, slowly eating few berries and nuts as Patamon sits near, his blue eyes shut. No one notices that T.K. has a distrust glint in his blue eyes as he watches the older kids.
Izzy pops a berry in his mouth and says to Kim, "So, how did you receive access to Digiworld?"
Kim answers, "Well, to make a long story short, I was late for camp because of my doctor parents' meeting."
A flashback appears . . .
Her boots crunching over new snow, Kim ran through the campground. She stopped often, trying to find her buddy, Tai. She had promised to meet him at the first day of the camp, but he might be upset that she didn't show up. They know each other since they were babies and see each other as siblings of the same age, even though Tai has his younger sister, Kari, and Kim has her older brother, Trevor, who is in college. Sighing, Kim stopped, looking around, and remembered the news about the weird weather. She wondered why it was snowing in the middle of the summer, but she doesn't have the time to think. She tugged on her small red back bag and ran again, searching. She turned around a cabin and stopped in her tracks.
"I was trying to find Tai when I saw that weird light in the sky."
Kim stared in awe at the shifting aurora, admiring the colors. Suddenly, she squinted her eyes. She thought she saw a small, swirling hole in the center. Then all of a sudden, a something shoot out of the hole, leaving behind a thin cloudy streak and crashed at her feet, spraying snow.
"I got this digivice from the sky."
Spitting out mouthfuls of snow, Kim brushed snow off her clothes and hair. She looked around for the something from the sky, then she found it, floating in front of her, glowing with an inner blue light. She caught it and studied it intently. So fascinated she was that she didn't see the giant green wave rising above her. Before she could react, she is swallowed by it and her vision went black. When her consciousness returned, she was aware that she is someplace else, not at the camp. She heard a faint voice calling her name, and she opened her eyes. She laid on her stomach, her head at one side. Her brown eyes stared right in the mischievous red eyes of a tiny digimon. She was alike to Tokomon, but she was pink-orange with long wavy ears and two tiny horns on her head.
"I met Sunomon before she digivolved into Iyumon. I don't know what to do in this new place, but I followed Sunomon until we arrived at a beach."
"Wait!" Mimi's voice breaks through. "Was that beach packed with telephone booths?"
"That's right." Kim nods at her.
"Then you must saw Shellmon!" says Sora.
"Yes! Shellmon appeared and tried to attack us, but Sunomon digivolved to save me."
Sunomon, digivolve into . . . Iyumon!
Iyumon called on her 'Rainbow Disc,' which were a group of small colorful discs flying from her horns and attacked Shellmon in his eyes, who screamed in raged pain.
"Iyumon blinded Shellmon and we were able to escape."
"Wow, you must be so brave, Kim," says Matt. He has a strange, sheepish voice unlike his distant, cool one. He suddenly blushes when Kim's serene eyes turn to him. He lowers his blue eyes and fusses with a berry, hoping no one would see the red flush on his cheeks. Kim did see that, and also blushes like Matt. Thankfully, her tan skin hides the redness. Tai, noticing the strange reactions from Kim and Matt, arches one of his brown eyebrows in a puzzling slant, but shrugs.
Izzy asks from Matt's left side, "Kim, may I ask you a question?" At her nod, he continues, "What is in your bag?"
Kim has her small, red back bag in her lap, holding it very delicately, like something fragile is inside the bag. She opens the drawstring, but before Kim could say anything, Tai says knowingly, "Let me guess, would it be your camera?"
Kim smirks knowingly and taunts,"Gee, how could you guess?" She gets out a high-advanced camera from her bag. All the digimon move closer to see the strange object with curiosity and amazement. Iyumon takes a sniff at it and makes a funny face.
"You like taking pictures?" Joe says, the first words he had spoken since the supper.
"I adore photography. It's my dream. I never leave my home without my camera."
Tai crosses his arms behind his head and closes his eyes, grinning. "She and that camera is like glue and paper."
Kim has a mischievous grin on her face. She brings her camera over her face, and points it to Tai. He opens his eyes and the camera flashes in his eyes. The kids and digimon giggle as a blinded Tai rubs his eyes.
"You must take the best pictures, Kim," Matt speaks in his sheepish voice. Kim again blushes as Sora and Mimi giggles to each other, seeming to know what is going on between Matt and Kim.
Kim looks over her shoulder at the littlest kid and digimon on a rock far from the group. The boy has his back to them.
Looking back to Matt, Kim asks, "Matt, does your brother always act like that?"
Surprised at her words, Matt looks back to her brother. He doesn't realize he is sitting that far. "No. Why?"
"I have a feeling he doesn't like me."
"Oh, nonsense. Let me talk with him." Matt stands up and walks to his brother. Patamon is awake, watching him with patience. Matt kneels by T.K. and says, "Hey, kiddo. why don't you come and sit by us?"
T.K. has a frown on his innocent face. He almost never frowns, always cheerful. He crosses his arms and looks away. "No way."
"Why not?"
"I don't trust that Kim."
Matt cocks his head at the way T.K. pronounce the name with dislike. "How come?"
T.K. looks at him, his eyes bright. He leans forward to speak in a low voice that only Matt and Patamon can hear, "I bet she is really an alien, flesh-eating alien disguised as a human and wait for us to get fat on her food so she can feast on us."
Matt is astonished at his brother's words. T.K. would never suspect anybody as, well, evil. He would find something good about the character to prove that a bad person can be good. "T.K., I am surprised at you. How could you think of Kim like that?"
T.K. shakes his head at him with rue. "It's obvious you are brainwashed by her."
Sighing, Matt gazes to Patamon.
Patamon shrugs his small shoulders. "There is nothing I can do to change his mind."
"He watches too many science-fiction movies. You will like her, I guarantee you, T.K. See you later, kiddo." Matt gives his brother a playful tap on his nose before he goes to sit by Kim's side.
Patamon sees T.K. shoot a suspicious glance at the dark-skinned girl. He asks, "Why do you think Kim is an alien?"
"It's not only that!" T.K.'s eyes are still on the girl.
"Oh?"
"Matt likes her."
Patamon's blue eyes lighten up and giggles. "You are jealous!"
"I am not!" T.K. denies. He is trying to hide it, but Patamon could hear a hint of envy in his voice.
Patamon smirks with the knowledge, but quickly withdraws it before T.K. could see. He glances over to the girl. "Well, I still think Kim is nice."
T.K. groans, shaking his head. "Not you, too! You are already brainwashed!"
Bellies full from the supper, all the kids and digimon fall into a rested sleep, huddled together for warmth. Joe rests his head against a stone as Sora and Mimi sleep on both his shoulders. Gomamon dozes on Joe's lap. Biyomon and Palmon snoozes together. Tai lays on his back, his arms outspread, snoring softly as Izzy and Kim sleep near. Agumon lays on his side, resting by his human friend's side. Izzy's head rests on his laptop, his hands entwined together on his stomach. Tentomon sits on a rock near Izzy, sleeping even though his eyes are open. Kim lays on her side, her head relaxing on Iyumon's flank as the digimon curls around her. Matt slumbers on his back, one hand behind his head as a pillow as the other hand rests on his sleeping brother's shoulder, Gabumon sleeping at his usual position by Matt. T.K. is huddled at Matt's side, dozing on his chest, comforted. Patamon nestles near him as a sort of a blanket, his wings drooping around his head. Snoring and sleeping sounds fill the cave along with the growling fire in the center. No one is at guard duty; they feel completely safe inside the cave.
Just few hours before dawn, T.K. opens his drowsy eyes. He thinks he heard a soft noise. Unmoving, T.K. waits for the noise for a while, and just as his eyes begin to droop, he hears it again. The noise is actually a faint voice. More like a lilting voice. Feminine and soft. T.K. raises his head to see who is lilting. No one. All the kids are in a deep sleep, not reacting to the voice. Listening carefully, T.K. then notices that the voice comes from the tunnel that burrow deep in the ground. He sits up and Matt's hand slides off his shoulder. Looking back, T.K. sits frozen as his brother mumbles in his sleep and his head lolls to one side, breathing deeply. T.K. carefully puts Matt's hand back to his chest and stands up, trying not to disturb Patamon.
T.K. waits for the voice and it comes softly, singing with an exotic tune. The voice reminds him of his mother when she sang a lullaby to him every night. His innocent curiosity growing, T.K. tiptoes away from the kids and goes in the darkness to search for the voice.
Soon time later, Kim opens her eyes and yawns. She is a light sleeper, has the habit of waking up before the hours. Also she thinks she heard a faint noise, but it abruptly vanishes. She sits up, careful not to disturb her digimon, and stretches her arms. Without a thought, she looks over to Matt and sees an empty space between the blond boy and the small orange digimon.
"T.K.?" she whispers, not wanting to wake the others. She scans around, her eyes trying to pick up the young child in the dim light. Her movements disturb Iyumon and she yawns, her mouth opening wide to reveal two rows of small but sharp-looking fangs. Blinking her sleepy eyes, Iyumon looks up to Kim. She whispers softly, "T.K. is missing, Iyumon."
Iyumon again blinks and gazes to the empty space near Matt. "Where would he be?"
Kim could hear the soft tapping of the rain in the distance. "He wouldn't be in the rain." She turns to the small opening at her far right. "Maybe he went farther inside the cave."
Iyumon crosses her black eyebrows together, her eyes also turning to the opening. "It may be dangerous. We must find him."
Kim nods at Iyumon and quietly stands up, not to disturb a snoring Tai. She takes her camera and puts it across her chest by its red strap. She never goes anywhere without her camera and she would never know when her camera comes in handy for an unforeseen emergency. Kim and Iyumon noiselessly step over their dozing friends and enters the opening.
T.K. stops at the end of the tunnel and finds himself in an enormous chamber. He had followed the lilting voice through the descending tunnel until the voice stopped in mid tune. The natural chamber is half darkened and half illuminated. The strange light comes from patches of coral-like rocks on the massive walls, giving out neat colors of pink and orange, giving the chamber a peaceful mood. He likes the feeling.
He jumps to the ground from the opening, which is above T.K.'s head. Rocks scattered near can act as steps, able to help him get back to the opening if he wants to. He doesn't want to, curious to see what is hiding in the darkness ahead. He walks across the floor and notices that the darkness is a cliff, untouched by the light. The edge is able to be seen, but below, the cliff wall disappears into the darkness. T.K. kneels by the edge and peeks down. He trips a peddle and it falls into the darkness. He waits to hear the echo to acknowledge the deepness of the cliff. There is none. The whistling sound of the peddle falling is long gone.
"Wow, deep," T.K. murmurs in wonder.
Suddenly, a scratching sound is heard from behind him. In alarm, T.K. looks back, and, slowly, his eyes go wider as he gazes higher . . . higher . . . higher. He sucks in a shaken breath.
AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!
The scream jolts the kids and digimon out of their sleep. Mimi even yelps in alarm at the scream, thinking she is attacked or something. Her yelp and the scream start Joe that his glasses fall off his nose. The group looks at each other in fright, wondering who are what had screamed.
Patamon gives out a short, panicked squeal. "T.K.! Where is he?!" he says, fluttering his wings in anxiety. His blue eyes are full of fear for his friend.
Matt looks down to the empty space near him, and with a sudden thought, he turns to see another empty space near Tai. He also shouts with panic, "Kim! Iyumon! Where could they go?"
The kids search around, calling out for the missing kids and digimon. Then the scream is heard again, this time weaker.
Tai points down the tunnel. "The screams come from that direction!" All run deeper in the tunnel, Patamon far ahead, anxious to find T.K. safe.
Kim and Iyumon hear the scream and stand frozen by the tone of it. Kim breaks into a dash, skipping over rocks as Iyumon follows behind with ease. "T.K.! Where are you?!" Kim shouts out, her hands cupping her mouth. Another scream, a weaker one, answers her. She grows concerned and she runs faster.
They stop at the massive chamber and could see the child standing in a daze at their far right. His eyes are on a monstrous, hideous digimon. It looks like a sand crab without pinchers. A hard dark blue smooth shell covers the top. Six thick, crooked legs stick out under the shell. Ten vermilion tentacles ripple and curls around T.K., but didn't touch him, forming a circle of tangling appendages. Two yellow eyes glare with savage hunger from the slit below the shell, the glow illuminating the boy's blank face.
"What is that?" Kim says in horror as she stares at the digimon.
Iyumon growls from her side with loathing. "Crabomon. He hates light and draws on prey by his hypnotizing voice and tentacles."
As her digimon speaks, Kim frantically tries to think a way to get T.K. to safety from the hideous digimon called Crabomon, but an idea strikes in her mind. "Hates light, eh?" Kim jumps off from the opening, and runs toward T.K., ignoring Iyumon's call of her name. She is frightened of Crabomon, but she must save T.K. or she will never forgive herself. She passes through the tentacles and stands in front of T.K.. The tentacles freeze in place and the yellow eyes dim a bit, focusing on her. Kim raises her camera and says, "Smile and say cheese!"
* * * FLASH * * *
The sudden light blinded Crabomon and he shrieks, making a terrible, high-pitched sound. The tentacles rub at his eyes as he steps back from the light. The shriek hurts Kim's ears and she drops her camera to cover her ears. T.K. blinks once, out of the daze, but groggy. Seeing the time is now, Kim grabs T.K.'s arm and runs away, dragging him.
Iyumon sprints forward, passing them. Kim knows Iyumon is trying to protect them and she has faith that she would be able to defeat the crab-like digimon. Iyumon lowers her horns and shouts, "Rainbow Disc!" Glowing discs of the colors of a newborn rainbow shoot from her horns and strike on Crabomon's shell. They have no effect on it, but they makes Crabomon furious. With a wave of a tentacle, Crabomon slaps Iyumon out of the way. She crashes on a wall.
"Iyumon!" Kim stops in her tracks, seeing her digimon injured and groaning in agony. T.K. holds on her hand, his blue eyes wide in confused alarm.
Hearing her voice, Crabomon turns his yellow eyes to them. Shaking but trying to be brave, Kim pushes T.K. behind her, her brown eyes hard with courage, meeting the savage eyes. Crabomon suddenly thrushes a tentacle toward them, preparing to crush them. Kim quickly holds up an arm, knowing it is hopeless to brace against the force, as T.K. screams in terror.
A digivice shrieks in the dim light. A greenish aura shines from Kim's green belt.
Iyumon, digivolve into . . . Rianmon!
A long, spiked purple tail goes out of nowhere and knocks the tentacle away from the kids. Kim and T.K. look up and gape at the sight of the evolved form of Iyumon. Rianmon stands on all four, stands so tall that her horns nearly brush the ceiling. She has a dragon-like appearance with no wings. Like Iyumon, she has pale purple fur with bright red stripes across her slender body. Her head is a golden crest with two main horns that angle backward. Several small horns line the edge of the crest, making her appear vicious, yet wise in a way. Her trademark red stripe is still on her snout. Her tail is no longer club-like, curled, but whip-like with poisoned spikes at the end. Her golden eyes shimmer with an inner, mysterious light.
"Go!" Rianmon says in a silvery voice to her partner before facing Crabomon.
Kim and T.K. make no move, awed at the new digimon, then they hear a familiar voice coming from the opening.
"Kim! T.K.! Over here!"
They gaze back and see their friends appearing just inside the opening. All are shaken at the sight of Crabomon. Matt is not looking at the digimon; he is waving his arms at Kim and T.K., pure anxiety on his face.
Kim holds on T.K.'s hand and both run toward him, but Rianmon's huge tail drops in their path, blocking them from the group. The group cannot get to them because of that, too. They are forced to watch the two digimon in battle.
Rianmon dodges and blocks Crabomon's hysterical attacks of his tentacles, never allowing him to have a bit of damage on her. Rianmon is too fast. She ducks her head as her tail smoothly and swiftly blocks the tentacles. Her face a sign of pure stillness, Rianmon marks Crabomon with four deep gaps on the shell with her white talons. She must be so strong to be able to drive that deep. Crabomon snarls ferociously. His yellow eyes blaze along with Rianmon's golden eyes. He raises two of his legs and lunge them toward her to stab her in the stomach. But Rianmon jumps out of the way, her landing shaking the very cave. Kim and T.K. run farther from the group in order to avoid Rianmon.
"Bomb Blaze!"
A sphere of radiant white-orange light, so bright that the kids and digimon force to shield their eyes, shoots out of Rianmon's wide mouth. It makes a trilling sound as it soars toward Crabomon's eyes. Blind and in pain, Crabomon screeches so terribly that the group slaps their hands over their ears to stop the pain, and Rianmon shakes her head in agony at the screech. The cave quakes as Crabomon's tentacles strike the ceiling and walls, breaking off chucks of rocks, bouncing off the two digimon harmlessly. Crabomon steps back and slips off the cliff. His screech is still heard long after he vanishes into the darkness.
During that moment, Kim and T.K. lose their footing, trying to get to the group, who is also tumbling, losing balance. T.K. looks back and sees the shiny camera, undamaged, on the floor.
"Wait, your camera!" T.K. pulls his hand out of Kim's and runs off to get it, balancing along with the tremors.
"Forget about it, T.K.!" Kim shouts. She hears a cracking sound and looks up. She stands up and darts as fast as she can toward the boy.
"T.K.! Watch out!" Matt yells in horror, also looking up. He jumps down from the opening, and at the moment his feet meet the ground, he breaks in a run to his brother. He is too far from him, but Kim is near, gaining feet by the second.
T.K. picks up the camera in excitement, but at the same time, the crackling sound and the yell of his name ring through the air. The cave stops quaking, but an ominous feeling remains in the air. He looks up and sees a boulder falling down toward him, the rock getting bigger alarmingly in his vision. Stunned, he stands frozen, the camera in his sweating hands,
Kim wraps her arms around his waist and heaves herself against T.K.. The boulder crashes harmlessly behind them. The force she heaves with is so powerful that she stumbles over her feet and they roll forward, Kim holding on T.K. firmly, the camera in between. The group give out gasps and screams of terror as they roll toward the cliff, couldn't stop themselves. They roll off . . .
Acting on instinct, Kim grabs on the edge with a hand, the other holding T.K.'s hand. In his shock, T.K. loses his grip on the camera. Silently, he watches sadly as the camera disappears into the darkness.
Matt dashes as fast as he could toward them. "Kim! Hold on!"
"I . . . can't!" Kim groans with the tension to hold on. Her fingers begin to throb with unmistakable pain from the weight upon them.
"Kim, you must!"
"Can't . . . keep . . . on!" Her hand slides bit by bit. Kim tries to keep on the grip, but it is too much . . .
Matt skids forward on his belly, reaching as far as he could. Her hand loses the grip. His hands just miss her hand by a mere inch. His hands clasp together, catching nothing but air. "NO!" he hollers as he sees the fearful face of the girl and his brother fading into the darkness.
Like a snake, without a sound, Rianmon slithers off the cliff and dives in the darkness.
The kids kneel along with Matt, their wide eyes scanning the blackness, their ears straining to hear anything. Only their rapid heartbeats and quickened breaths are heard in the silence. They wait . . . wait . . . wait . . . Seconds seem like hours . . .
The golden head of Rianmon abruptly fills their vision. She is grinning silently. They gaze up to the top of her head and cheer with heavy relief. "Kim! T.K.! You are all right!" Matt says.
Kim grips one of the golden horns firmly with her arms, so firm that she would never let go. T.K. has his arms around Kim's waist, also tightly. Their eyes are shut tight. At Matt's voice, Kim opens one of her brown eyes, and, seeing herself safe, exhales with weary relief. She seems to be so relieved that her body suddenly looses up, resting her forehead against the smooth horn. T.K. pops both his eyes and quickly gazes around. Seeing himself safe, he makes a beaming grin and hugs Kim so warmly that makes Kim surprised, gazing down to him. Rianmon lowers her head and Kim and T.K. slide off the head into the cheering kids and digimon.
"Thank you, Rianmon." Kim kisses her digimon on the snout and she blushes, red against golden.
Matt checks on T.K. for any injures. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah!" T.K. beams, but then he remembers something. His face grows sad. "But I lost Kim's camera."
At that, Kim smiles down to him. "That's all right, T.K. What is important is that you are safe." Rianmon climbs off the cliff, the kids stepping back to give her room, and rises her tail. All could see the camera hanging from one of the spikes by its red strap, dusty but undamaged. Kim grins and receives the camera. "Thank you, Rianmon and you, too, T.K.'
Rianmon glows for an instant and she shrinks into Iyumon. She is congratulated by her new digimon friends.
Matt stands and walks up to Kim. "Thank you for saving my brother's life." His voice is contented.
Kim meets his blue eyes for a moment and looks down, smiling modestly.
T.K. steps forward, looking up to her. His face is pure guilt. "I am sorry, Kim."
Kim turns to him. "For what, T.K.?"
"I didn't trust you before."
Kim kneels to meet T.K. in the eyes. "I do understand that."
"But it is not always right, right, Kim?"
Kim scratches her chin in deep thought, her brown eyes holding mischief. "I think I must feast on you first."
"What?!" T.K. gasps, steeping back, his eyes wide in alarm to Kim.
"Just kidding!"
The kids and the digimon laugh, Kim and T.K. being the loudest.
