PART 1: SHADOW

"Angemon?"

Taichi Kamiya stared at the angel-like digimon that

had just saved his life. Well, where Angemon was, T.K.

was, and where T.K. was, Kari and Sora were.

Sure enough, the three emerged from the bushes. "I

took care of them just like I said I would!" T.K. said

happily.

"Good job!" Tai looked at the sky. The two dragons,

Gigadramon and Megadramon, were gone. Hmm. Now for

Machinedramon!

"You look better, Kari," Tai said. Kari smiled weakly.

She felt a little better, that was for sure.

"They're leveling out the whole metropolis! We have to

move!" Sora said. Tai nodded, watching the sky for the

digimon. He was lucky, and maybe they wouldn't be so

lucky next time. Izzy looked up when Tai tapped him on

the shoulder.

"Certain people are busy," Izzy said, annoyed.

"Certain people have to go. Now. Namely us!" Sora

said.

"I hope Matt's okay," T.K. whispered. Tai snapped to

attention. Matt...had he been trapped by the

disappearing forest? A digidestined...that would be

horrible!

Tai was shaken, and they all noticed it. "I think it's

time we joined up again," he said softly. "Everyone

says we have to be together." Tai cast a worried

glance at Kari. What would they do with a sick

eight-year-old?

Tai suddenly remembered the aspirin he had brought and

handed it to his sister. "Take this," he said.

Sora screamed and Tai looked up. A huge hole had been

blasted in the street, and Machinedramon was rising

out of it! Tai shouted, "Run!" and the five children

dashed into a building.

"Giga Cannon!" the digimon said. A cannon blasted the

building to bits.

"Tai! Help me, Tai!"

"Kari!" Tai yelled as they fell deeper. Tai tried to

reach his sister, but he just couldn't get to her.

Then everything went black...

Tai opened his eyes slowly. In the very dim light he

could see Agumon staring anxiously at him. "We fall a

lot," he whispered. "Miracle no one has a concussion."

Izzy shook Tai. "Get up. We're all here."

Tai shook his head and sat up. Kari, T.K, Sora, Izzy,

and the digimon. That was everyone. Tai rubbed his

head. "Agumon, where are we?"

"Here. Under the metropolis," Tentomon said.

"How do we get out?" Sora asked. She glanced at the

unconscious eight-year-olds before adding softly,

"Because, well, there doesn't seem to be a way."

"It's my fault we're here," Izzy moaned. "Now we'll

all die."

"You bet it's your fault!" Tai said angrily. He

grabbed Izzy. "Ya think you're so cool, well, I'll

show you who's tough!" Sora and Biyomon grabbed Tai's

arm just before he smacked Izzy. Izzy stared at Tai,

who shook free of Sora.

"O-kay, Tai, you're being very violent now. What's

up?"

"I'm under a lot of pressure, Izzy, so leave me

alone!" Tai walked quickly away. Izzy shrugged.

"Flight!" Tai suddenly shouted. "They all fly when

they digivolve!"

"Yeah!" Agumon said. "Unfortunately, we can't

digivolve." Tai didn't bother to ask why.

After a while the three fell asleep. Tai woke up a few

times, but he never stayed up for long. Kari was so

pale, so lifeless. Tai only checked on her when he

arose.

"Tai-i!"

Tai didn't stir when he heard the voice. "It's me,

Tai!"

Finally, Tai opened his eyes. The sewer room they were

in was a lot brighter. All the digimon were sleeping.

Tai knelt beside Agumon. Agumon wouldn't sleep, not if

no one else was awake...

A sharp music note startled Tai, and he whirled

around. Someone in the darkness was playing a

harmonica, and only one person in Digiworld had one...

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"It will happen tonight...."

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"Matt! You came back!"

A blond boy stepped out of the shadows and glared at

his rival. "Come on, this way."

Tai blinked. "Whatever you say, dude, if it'll get us

outta here." He picked up his sweet younger sister and

woke Izzy with a gentle kick. "Matt's here, get up."

Moments later, Sora carrying T.K., the digidestined

followed Matt through a tunnel. Tai couldn't stop

hearing the tone in Matt's voice. Something weird was

in it...

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"The unknown evil will send his servant to bring his

victims..."

********************************************************************************

Matt beckoned to his fellow digidestined. They

followed him into a dark tunnel. Suddenly Tai heard

Matt stop.

"Hill here. Watch your step." Tai heard Matt scramble

over the hill. A few seconds later Matt's hand found

Tai's and pulled him up. Tai held onto his sister,

hoping that she would awaken soon. He grabbed Izzy,

then Sora, and soon they were all over the hill. Matt

continued on, toward a small light.

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"Then they will be made to sacrifice what is important

to their survival..."

********************************************************************************

The six finally climbed out of the tunnel and into a

large room. Tai spotted Mimi and Joe nearby. "Yeah!

We're all together again!"

All eight digimon stood silently against the wall. Tai

was about to run over to Agumon when Matt said, "I

need your crests. All of them."

"No way!" Joe cried. "Our crests are important! Right,

Gomamon?"

The digimon made no move to answer. Matt held out his

hand. "Now."

Seven of the digimon walked over to their digidestined

partners. Tai gasped when Agumon grabbed his tag and

crest. "What do you think you're doing?"

Likewise, the others took the crests and dropped them

at Matt's feet. With an evil grin, he picked them up.

"So, Tai, maybe-"

He was cut off by a shriek from Mimi. A shadow figure

was forming on the high dais that stood before them.

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"And their greatest test will begin..."

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"Hey! It's my turn!" Matt shouted.

"You said I could have one," it replied.

"Not till I'm done. I've got the crests," Matt said.

Guilt, Tai realized. Guilt was in Matt's voice.

"Traitor," Tai hissed.

"This one first," the shadow said, reaching out to

grasp Tai.

"No!" Matt yelled. "You can't take Tai, he's the

leader!"

The shadow put the startled boy down and stretched out

for T.K. Matt shook his head. "I thought you watched

us. I'm only your servant, and I know more than you!

T.K.'s my brother. Kari's too young, Izzy's the

smartest one here, Mimi, well, you could have her, but

she's too pretty to die."

Mimi blushed. "Thanks, Matt."

"Sora," Matt continued, "is our practical one, and Joe

is the oldest." Matt smirked at the shadow. "Nope,

none of them can be yours."

"Then you!"

"Exactly." Tai saw Matt reach into his pocket while he

continued, "I'm not needed. I almost killed them! I

don't even fit my crest anymore. So you can have me. I

shoulda thought of that sooner, before I brought

them..."

"Are you insane?" Tai asked. He looked at Matt, who

now held his hand out behind his back. In his gloved

fingers were eight pebbles, each a different color.

"So, are you gonna just sit around all day?" Matt

asked as Tai inched closer. Suddenly, a Blue Blaster

hit the ceiling. The shadow whirled around, and in

that second Tai snatched the stones-and his crest. He

took the orange stone and passed the rest to Sora.

While the others found their stones and Mimi pressed

the pink and yellow pebbles into the unconscious young

childrens' hands, Matt said, "Ah, I haven't introduced

you! This is Gavinmon, my master." Sora tapped Tai

gently on the shoulder and held out Matt's blue stone.

Tai nodded, and in one smooth movement, pressed the

final stone into Matt's palm. Then all eight began to

glow. The light woke the youngest, who clutched the

stones without knowing what they were doing.

Suddenly a warm voice whispered, "Transport," and the

kids and their digimon disappeared.

"Ow!" Tai cried as he crashed into the ground at the

foot of Spiral Mountain. Two stripes still formed it,

one for Machinedramon and one for Piedmon. Tai looked

around at his friends. They were all here. "Matt? What

just happened?"

Matt smiled. "For once I know something you don't," he

said. "Those stones belong half to us and half to

another digimon. They're like our crests, only instead

of a digivolution, the digimon gives us help."

"Interesting," Izzy said.

"Yeah, interesting you didn't find them!" Tai snarled.

"Tai, what's wrong with you?" Joe asked.

"He's been very fierce lately," Izzy explained.

T.K. blinked. "Matt? Is that really you?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just saved you guys." T.K. ran over to Matt

while Tai glared at him.

"You brought us to what's-his-name in the first

place!" Tai yelled. The others held him back.

"Tai, this isn't like you," Palmon said. "I remember,

and you never used to yell at us."

"Lay off! Kari, how are you feeling?"

"My head hurts, Tai."

Sora quickly explained Kari's condition to the three

who hadn't been there. Joe sighed. "We should have

stuck together."

"Oh, no!" Mimi cried suddenly. "What happened to

Ogremon?"

"Ogremon? Was he attacking you?" Tai asked.

"Are you crazy, Kamiya? He's traveling with them. Mimi

saved his life. And you two can't forget about Gekomon

and Otamamon," Matt said.

"How exactly did you know that?" Gomamon asked.

Izzy shook his head and muttered something under his

breath.

Later that night, Tai was still trying to piece

together what had happened. He and Izzy had tried

several times to get the truth out of Matt, but he

always avoided it. Tai shook his head and stared at

Matt, who was standing guard first. Then Tai fell

asleep.

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Notes: So, did ya like it? Kinda weird...but I want to

find out what else my brain can come up with! Be

prepared for part two, very soon! Email me at:

tuqei@yahoo.com with feedback. *laughs* If you have

any...