"Lone Wolf"

Most wolves run in a pack. They hunt with the pack in a relay race, share

the meat, take turns protecting the pups and standing guard over the den.

They hunt together, play together, live together. They share pain and

pleasure, famine and plenty, gain and loss. The pack is a close-knit family,

a tight circle of friends.

Most wolves run in a pack. Not all.

There are some wolves that wander in the neutral zone between pack

territories. They avoid contact with others, fighting those that near them.

Theirs is a life of loneliness and hardship. They must hunt on their own,

fight on their own, live on their own. Where a pack will defend their

packmate, the lone wolf must fight for himself, often against the odds. The

lone wolf’s life is a lonely one.

Yamato Ishida is a lone wolf.

Garurumon ran on, the teen on his back clinging to his fur and riding easily

with the big wolf’s rocking gait. The digimon’s reddish eyes scanned the

ground as he loped, paws beating a tatoo on the forest floor. Even when Matt

was with the digidestined- his pack, as it were- he was often aloof and apart

from the group. The other humans rarely saw the storm that was Matt’s soul,

rarely saw the way he sought to control and quell it- or at least to

understand it.

A frown formed on the wolf’s features as he continued on his tireless lope.

Whatever Yamato said, Garurumon didn’t think leaving the group was the answer

to the turmoil in the teen’s spirit. A lone wolf had a harder time living-

had a harder time surviving- than one that ran with the pack.

A shadow loomed over the duo suddenly, and Garurumon halted, growling a wary

warning. Yamato looked up, and gasped at the sight. The being before him had

a shock of blonde hair falling into deep blue eyes. A sardonic grin graced

its face, and black-gloved arms were crossed over a black-and-gray shirt. The

being was the spitting image of Yamato, except for his clothing… and his eyes.

They were a deep blue- no difference from Matt’s in the color- but they held

a dangerous menace, an evil so twisted from the friendship once often seen in

Ishida’s eyes. It was hatred- self-hatred and hatred of all things that

lived. This… THING only looked human. Its spirit was more evil than any

virus digimon in the digiworld.

"What… what ARE you?" Yamato asked finally, false boldness strong in his

tone.

"What do you think?" the thing returned, voice harsh and mocking.

Garurumon growled, stepping toward the doppleganger. "You’re not Matt. HE

is not evil."

The Matt look-alike smiled sardonically. "Idiot mutt," he sneered. "You

don’t realize how much alike your digipartner and I are. With time he’ll be

just… like… ME."

"NO HE WON’T!" the wolf snarled, leaping for the psuedo-Matt.

A huge paw swiped at him, sending him reeling and causing Matt to tumble off

Garuru’s back. The digimon found himself looking up at another wolf- a

wingless MetalGarurumon with plasma running through tubes on his body.

"And this," the thing in digimon form laughed, "is what YOU’LL become. Iso

level digimon PlasmaGarurumon."

"Iso level?" Yamato echoed as his digimon staggered upright.

Garurumon’s muscles were bunched with tension, and his eyes and voice held a

mixture of fear and denial. "Perversions of nature," he snarled, backing away

from the doppleganger. "When a digimon goes against their nature, they

digivolve to the iso level. Iso digimon are pure evil… Remember

SkullGreymon? He was an iso digimon."

"That’s right," the doppleganger growled. "Why don’t you run to your

friends, Ishida? Maybe they’ll keep you from becoming… me." It twisted back

into the evil psuedo-Matt.

"What friends?" Yamato spat. "I can handle you on my own! Garurumon!"

"NO! MATT…!" the wolf howled, but he had little choice in the matter. His

frightened red-orange eyes watched in horror as his digipartner’s crest

twisted into a black and grey distortion, emanating hatred and anger. Then

the wolf was digivolving.

-Garurumon gigadigivolve to… PlasmaGarurumon!-

It was like another entity was taking over his body, warping his emotions and

tearing at his mind. The wolf fought the change, but he could not hold his

own for long. Then all was red and black and hot anger and burning hatred and

he struck to kill.

~*~

Yamato watched in horror as his crest distorted and Garurumon digivolved to

the iso level. What have I done? his mind whispered in shock.

The doppleganger laughed harshly as PlasmaGarurumon’s attack tore through him

with no effect. "Thank you!" the being laughed, voice distorting and grating,

the frothing, evil voice of something out of hell. "That made me stronger!

You cannot defeat me, human!" he sneered, the image of Yamato twisting and

turning sickeningly into something that resembled the teen, but was not quite

human. "You have not the strength or knowledge to kill me!"

"Garurumon…" Matt moaned. "I… please… GARURUMON…" He began feeling weaker,

and glanced down at his distorted crest. It was glowing with a black-purple

light, eating his soul- the force that made him human.

"Good job, Ishida," the doppleganger purred. "Keep this up and you’ll be the

digidestineds’ worst enemy! You’ll be their downfall!"

The faces of the digidestined flashed before Yamato’s pain-filled eyes. The

grinning face of Tai- brash, recklesss, and cocky. Sora- a friendly smile on

her face, always with a sympathetic word or helping action. Joe- reliable in

a pinch, surprisingly, though paranoid and scared of his own shadow. Mimi-

ditzy at times, but caring and sincere. Izzy- brainy, always on his computer,

always typing, always learning, always theorizing. Kari- strangly mature,

oddly wise, almost empathic. And T.K.- innocent, hopeful, sweet… and now,

independent. Yet, Matt had protected him for years… and still felt

responsibility for him.

He still loved his little brother.

They’re my friends. I can’t pretend that they aren’t… Yamato thought. And I

need them.

-Keep this up and you’ll be the digidestineds’ enemy! You’ll be their

downfall!-

Matt’s fists clenched. "I will not fight the Digidestined," he growled. "I

cannot."

The doppleganger and PlasmaGarurumon paused and looked at Matt.

"I cannot kill my friends."

His crest began glowing, but with a blue light. It changed to the Crest of

Friendship, glowing brightly as the teen’s digivice vibrated…

-PlasmaGarurumon digivolve to… MetalGarurumon!-

A blue light shot out of Yamato’s crest toward the psuedo Matt, and he

screamed in pain. MetalGarurumon fired an Ice Wolf Claw at the doppleganger,

who shrieked, changing into a black, twisted being from the depths of evil,

shrinking and diminishing until it disappeared.

"Let’s find the others," Matt said grimly. He jumped onto the metal wolf’s

back, and they took off.

The screams and roars of a battle greeted them, and Matt tumbled off of

MetalGarurumon, who walked into view of Puppetmon. The wooden digimon halted

at the sight, and Matt watched in disgust as he tried to control

MetalGarurumon, as he claimed he was the boss.

"Guess again," he said, stepping out beside MetalGarurumon. The wolf smiled

slightly.

"Ice wolf claw," he growled. The missiles struck the virus digimon, and he

tumbled to the earth.

"What do they have… that I don’t?" Puppetmon whined, flat on the ground and

dying. The answer was clear in Matt’s mind. Friends, he thought. We have

friends. Then Puppetmon was gone, and the digidestined were running toward

them.

Would they be so glad to see me if… if they knew what I can become? Yamato

thought, eyes sad, unsure… and wistful for what he was certain could not be.

He turned reluctantly and walked slowly away, the forest swallowing

MetalGarurumon and him up into its shadows.

~*~

Most wolves run in a pack, MetalGarurumon thought as he raced through the

woods with Yamato Ishida riding on his back. A lone wolf runs on his own.

And some wolves run in pairs, with a friend and their memories and their

churning thoughts for company.

~Danielle/Sounasha

UkyoLuvr@aol.com wrote:

> Moshi moshi, Dani-san! I had a problem reading the fic you sent, could you

> please re-send it as a text file or just past the the story on the email?

>

> I can't wait to read it!

>

> Ucchan

--------------------

<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">

Okay, here t' is again...

"Lone Wolf"

&nbsp;Most wolves run in a pack.&nbsp; They hunt with the pack in

a relay race, share the meat, take turns protecting the pups and standing

guard over the den.&nbsp; They hunt together, play together, live together.&nbsp;

They share pain and pleasure, famine and plenty, gain and loss.&nbsp; The

pack is a close-knit family, a tight circle of friends.

&nbsp;Most wolves run in a pack.&nbsp; Not all.

&nbsp;There are some wolves that wander in the neutral zone between pack territories.&nbsp; They avoid contact with others, fighting those that near them.&nbsp; Theirs is a life of loneliness and hardship.&nbsp; They must hunt on their own, fight on their own, live on their own.&nbsp; Where a pack will defend their packmate, the lone wolf must fight for himself,often against the odds.&nbsp; The lone wolf’s life is a lonely one.

&nbsp;Yamato Ishida is a lone wolf.

&nbsp;Garurumon ran on, the teen on his back clinging to his fur and riding easily with the big wolf’s rocking gait.&nbsp; The digimon’s reddish eyes scanned the ground as he loped, paws beating a tatoo on the forest floor.&nbsp; Even when Matt was with the digidestined- his pack, as it were- he was often aloof and apart from the group.&nbsp; The other humans rarely saw the storm that was Matt’s soul, rarely saw the way he sought to control and quell it- or at least to understand it.

&nbsp;A frown formed on the wolf’s features as he continued on his tireless lope.&nbsp; Whatever Yamato said, Garurumon didn’t think leaving the group was the answer to the turmoil in the teen’s spirit.&nbsp; A lone wolf had a harder time living- had a harder time surviving- than one thatran with the pack.

&nbsp;A shadow loomed over the duo suddenly, and Garurumon halted, growling a wary warning.&nbsp; Yamato looked up, and gasped at the sight.&nbsp; The being before him had a shock of blonde hair falling into deep blue eyes.&nbsp; A sardonic grin graced its face, and black-gloved arms were crossed over a black-and-gray shirt.&nbsp; The being was the spitting image of Yamato, except for his clothing… and his eyes.

&nbsp;They were a deep blue- no difference from Matt’s in the color- but they held a dangerous menace, an evil so twisted from the friendship once often seen in Ishida’s eyes.&nbsp; It was hatred- self-hatred and hatred of all things that lived.&nbsp; This… THING only looked human.&nbsp;Its spirit was more evil than any virus digimon in the digiworld.

&nbsp;"What… what ARE you?" Yamato asked finally, false boldness strongin his tone.

&nbsp;"What do you think?" the thing returned, voice harsh and mocking.

&nbsp;Garurumon growled, stepping toward the doppleganger.&nbsp; "You’renot Matt.&nbsp; HE is not evil."

&nbsp;The Matt look-alike smiled sardonically.&nbsp; "Idiot mutt," he sneered.&nbsp; "You don’t realize how much alike your digipartner andI are.&nbsp; With time he’ll be just… like… ME."

&nbsp;"NO HE WON’T!" the wolf snarled, leaping for the psuedo-Matt.

&nbsp;A huge paw swiped at him, sending him reeling and causing Matt to tumble off Garuru’s back.&nbsp; The digimon found himself looking up at another wolf- a wingless MetalGarurumon with plasma running throughtubes on his body.

&nbsp;"And this," the thing in digimon form laughed, "is what YOU’LL become.&nbsp; Iso level digimon PlasmaGarurumon."

&nbsp;"Iso level?" Yamato echoed as his digimon staggered upright.

&nbsp;Garurumon’s muscles were bunched with tension, and his eyes and voice held a mixture of fear and denial.&nbsp; "Perversions of nature," he snarled, backing away from the doppleganger.&nbsp; "When a digimon goes against their nature, they digivolve to the iso level.&nbsp; Iso digimon are pure evil…&nbsp; Remember SkullGreymon?&nbsp; He was an iso digimon."

&nbsp;"That’s right," the doppleganger growled.&nbsp; "Why don’t you run to your friends, Ishida?&nbsp; Maybe they’ll keep you from becoming…me."&nbsp; It twisted back into the evil psuedo-Matt.

&nbsp;"What friends?" Yamato spat.&nbsp; "I can handle you on my own!&nbsp;Garurumon!"

&nbsp;"NO!&nbsp; MATT…!" the wolf howled, but he had little choice in the matter.&nbsp; His frightened red-orange eyes watched in horror as his digipartner’s crest twisted into a black and grey distortion, emanating hatred and anger.&nbsp; Then the wolf was digivolving.

&nbsp;-Garurumon gigadigivolve to… PlasmaGarurumon!-

&nbsp;It was like another entity was taking over his body, warping his emotions and tearing at his mind.&nbsp; The wolf fought the change, but he could not hold his own for long.&nbsp; Then all was red and blackand hot anger and burning hatred and he struck to kill.

~*~

&nbsp;Yamato watched in horror as his crest distorted and Garurumondigivolved to the iso level.&nbsp; What have I done? his mind whisperedin shock.

&nbsp;The doppleganger laughed harshly as PlasmaGarurumon’s attack tore through him with no effect.&nbsp; "Thank you!" the being laughed, voice distorting and grating, the frothing, evil voice of something out of hell.&nbsp; "That made me stronger!&nbsp; You cannot defeat me, human!" he sneered, the image of Yamato twisting and turning sickeningly into something that resembled the teen, but was not quite human.&nbsp; "You have not the strength or knowledge to kill me!"

&nbsp;"Garurumon…" Matt moaned.&nbsp; "I… please…&nbsp; GARURUMON…"&nbsp; He began feeling weaker, and glanced down at his distorted crest.&nbsp; It was glowing with a black-purple light, eating his soul- the force thatmade him human.

&nbsp;"Good job, Ishida," the doppleganger purred.&nbsp; "Keep this up and you’ll be the digidestineds’ worst enemy!&nbsp; You’ll be theirdownfall!"

&nbsp;The faces of the digidestined flashed before Yamato’s pain-filled eyes.&nbsp; The grinning face of Tai- brash, recklesss, and cocky.&nbsp; Sora- a friendly smile on her face, always with a sympathetic word or helping action.&nbsp; Joe- reliable in a pinch, surprisingly, though paranoid and scared of his own shadow.&nbsp; Mimi- ditzy at times, but caring and sincere.&nbsp; Izzy- brainy, always on his computer, always typing, always learning, always theorizing.&nbsp; Kari- strangly mature, oddly wise, almost empathic.&nbsp; And T.K.- innocent, hopeful, sweet… and now, independent.&nbsp; Yet, Matt had protected him for years… and still felt responsibility for him.

&nbsp;He still loved his little brother.

&nbsp;They’re my friends.&nbsp; I can’t pretend that they aren’t…Yamato thought.&nbsp; And I need them.

&nbsp;-Keep this up and you’ll be the digidestineds’ enemy!&nbsp;You’ll be their downfall!-

&nbsp;Matt’s fists clenched.&nbsp; "I will not fight the Digidestined,"he growled.&nbsp; "I cannot."

&nbsp;The doppleganger and PlasmaGarurumon paused and looked at Matt.

&nbsp;"I cannot kill my friends."

&nbsp;His crest began glowing, but with a blue light.&nbsp; It changedto the Crest of Friendship, glowing brightly as the teen’s digivice vibrated…

&nbsp;-PlasmaGarurumon digivolve to… MetalGarurumon!-

&nbsp;A blue light shot out of Yamato’s crest toward the psuedo Matt, and he screamed in pain.&nbsp; MetalGarurumon fired an Ice Wolf Claw at the doppleganger, who shrieked, changing into a black, twisted being from the depths of evil, shrinking and diminishing until it disappeared.

&nbsp;"Let’s find the others," Matt said grimly.&nbsp; He jumped ontothe metal wolf’s back, and they took off.

&nbsp;The screams and roars of a battle greeted them, and Matt tumbled off of MetalGarurumon, who walked into view of Puppetmon.&nbsp; The wooden digimon halted at the sight, and Matt watched in disgust as he tried to control MetalGarurumon, as he claimed he was the boss.

&nbsp;"Guess again," he said, stepping out beside MetalGarurumon.&nbsp;The wolf smiled slightly.

&nbsp;"Ice wolf claw," he growled.&nbsp; The missiles struck the virusdigimon, and he tumbled to the earth.

&nbsp;"What do they have… that I don’t?" Puppetmon whined, flat on the ground and dying.&nbsp; The answer was clear in Matt’s mind.&nbsp;Friends, he thought. We have friends.&nbsp; Then Puppetmonwas gone, and the digidestined were running toward them.

&nbsp;Would they be so glad to see me if… if they knew what I canbecome? Yamato thought, eyes sad, unsure… and wistful for what he wascertain could not be.&nbsp; He turned reluctantly and walked slowly away, the forest swallowing MetalGarurumon and him up into its shadows.

~*~

&nbsp;Most wolves run in a pack, MetalGarurumon thought as heraced through the woods with Yamato Ishida riding on his back.&nbsp; Alone wolf runs on his own.

&nbsp;And some wolves run in pairs, with a friend and their memoriesand their churning thoughts for company.

~Danielle/Sounasha