by: Aeris

Chapter Eighteen


Day Seventeen


***Sara, Infinity Mountain***

"So, you did what I wanted?" I asked, stroking the jewel in my hand. The Ebon
Trist glowed with a dark light, sending a surge of energy through me "The
Digidestined are?....."

"Sill alive, Mistress." MarineDevimon said, kneeling before me. "Though I
inflicted great damage to their ranks!" He added quickly, seeing the rage in
my face.

I smiled. "Good. What did you accomplish?"

MarineDevimon grinned a wide grin, showing rows of sharp teeth. His blood red
eyes glistened. "I got four of the children in the water and one of the
youngest unconscious. I would have had them all..." He let out a hiss. "But
there was another." He narrowed his eyes, showing the same rage I felt by his
words. "A helper. Female. Young, blonde, blue-eyed."

"What!" I stood quickly, knowing what MarineDevimon did not. The young
girl....It must have been Katy! But I quickly gained control again. Sitting
down, I waved my hand for him to continue.

"After the battle, I stayed a little and listened to what they said. The
older one with the glasses said that the young boy must be in a...." He
struggled with the word. "Forgive me, Mistress. The word is difficult on my
tongue."

I nodded, though anxious to hear what the boy had been pronounced as.

"A....coma." MarineDevimon said finally. "Yes. The child with glasses said
the little one was in a coma!"

I leaped out of my chair, this time out of happiness. "A coma? A coma!" I
shouted joyfully.

"Is it bad?" MarineDevimon asked cautiously, apparently not understanding my
outburst. "Are you pleased?"

I smiled at him, my eyes alight with pleasure. "Pleased? I am overjoyed! A
coma means that the child is not dead, as I'd wished, but he will not be
conscious, either. It is like a very deep sleep, except the brain is not
active. He will be too sick to move, so they'll have to stay where they are.
And that would keep them easy to track."

MarineDevimon grinned. "That is very good."

I nodded. "Yes, it is. And since the child is not conscious, his Digimon will
be in a coma as well. It will not be able to Digivolve!" I stopped to think a
moment. "Was the little boy the one with brown hair?"

MarineDevimon nodded. "Yes, it was."

I clapped my hands. "Good! He has a sister and a brother, and they'll be
worried sick! The sister, yes, she is very protective about the little boy.
And the brother is protective about them both. He will be doubly worried...."

Suddenly I remembered where I was. "Thank you, MarineDevimon, you've done
well. You will be paid, and if you want, you can return home. But I'd like it
if you stayed in my army. You are a strong fighter and I could use you more
then once." I smiled. "If the Digidestined are afraid to go near their own
water source...Yes, I would like it very much if you'd stay."

MarineDevimon smiled. "As would I, Sarah. You have gained my highest respect
and I would be proud to be in your army."

"Good. You may go."

With MarineDevimon gone, I sat and thought about what I would do now. With
the young boy in a coma, they WOULD be unable to move their little pack.
Stranded where they were. The perfect prey.....


Day Twenty-three


***A.J.***

"Hey, you need some help with that?"

Jessica looked up from the bundle planks she was trying to lift. Her eyes
gazed sadly up at me, but not all of the old anger had disappeared. "I don't
need your help." She retorted, but she didn't argue when I persisted in
lifting the planks with her.

We were building ourselves a house. Since Jacob was in a coma is was unsafe
to move him, so Tai came up with the idea of a permanent lodging. It was
going to be a two story house with about five rooms, I think. One for the
girls, one for us boys, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a sick room. The bedrooms
would be upstairs and the kitchen and bathroom would be downstairs. And there
would be a little lean-too outside where we would keep our fire wood.

Also, the Digimon had found a big wheat field, so we'd added bread to our
diet of fish and fruit. Not the nice, fluffy loaves we were used to on Earth,
just flat cake, but still, it was something. Thank goodness Izzy knew how to
make a decent oven and Sora knew how to bake! T.K. and Patamon had, believe
it or not, found a clay pit, so we now had clay bowls, cups, plates, and
water jugs. A lot had happened in the last five days. Yup, we were becoming
very civilized. But a downside of it was that Sara hadn't let up with the
Digimon attacks, and we'd been pretty beat up.

"Hey, A.J.! Jess!" Jordan called. "Bring that plank over here!"

We nodded and lifted the planks, bringing them slowly over to where Jordan
stood with Monochromon. But as we did, I watched the sad look in Jessica's
eyes. I shuddered. It hurt tremendously to see her eyes so full of pain and
sorrow. Jessica'd taken the blow of Jacob really, really hard, yet she still
hated me.

"A.J.!" A sharp voice yelled at me.

I snapped out of my daze. "What? I asked Jessica. "What do you want?"

"Put the stupid planks down!"

I looked around. I was standing right beside the huge tree trunk leg of
Monochromon. Jordan stared at me, probably wondering what I'd been thinking
about. "Oh." I said, putting the planks down. "Sorry."

Jessica sniffed, "Hmph." rolled her eyes, and turned to go help Mimi with a
bowl full of clay that she was smearing on our one finished wall.

I stared at the back of the girl walking away from me. So sad one minute but
so full of anger the next. No, this wasn't the girl I'd known before.


***Mimi***

"Hey, Mimi." Jessica said quietly, kneeling beside me as I smeared an icky
gray clay on the finished plank wall. I think Joe said it would help keep the
house warm inside, so cold air wouldn't get in as much. Can you believe we
were making a house? A house! It was about time! "Need some help with that?"
Jessica asked me.

I handed her a frayed stick, like the one I was using. We didn't have paint
brushes, so we made due with what we had. Together we brushed that disgusting
clay over all the cracks and holes in the wood until they were thoroughly
coated.

"Do you know how happy I am that we're finally building some decent
lodgings?" I asked Jessica, dipping my "brush" into the bowl to pick up
more clay.

Jessica shook her head. "No. I haven't been in the Digiworld for half as long
as you. Only...." She stopped to count off the days with her fingers.
"Twenty-three days. Just a little more than three weeks." She sighed and
leaned back on her ankles. "Only that much? It seems like years..."

I smiled. "You should be happy. We're been in the Digiworld how at 'least' a
year! It seems like eternity!"

Jessica didn't smile. Instead she looked wistfully over to Jacob, who was
laying motionless in the shade of a tree, Kunamon by his side. He hadn't
moved ever since the battle down by the river, and neither had Kunamon. The
only way we knew they were still alive was that they breathed. "So little
time and yet so much damage....." She said softly. Jessica'd taken the whole
thing wicked hard. She didn't talk unless she absolutely had to, she ate
less, and she never smiled. It was getting depressing. And the worst thing
was, that once she had this awesome love for the water, but now it all
disappeared. She seemed almost afraid of it since MarineDevimon attacked.

We continued brushing for another few minutes without talking, both of us
thinking. Finally I decided that to start up another conversation, everyone
else too busy doing their own work to listen in. "So," I started, glancing
over at Jordan, who was helping Tai, Izzy, and A.J. push up a second wall
with their Champion Digimon. Jordan caught me looking at him and waved. I
blushed and turned back to Jessica. "Do you think Jordan likes me? He doesn't
seem to pay much attention to me."

Jessica looked up from her work, and I swear I thought I saw a tugging at the
corners of her mouth. The beginnings of a smile? "Jordan?" She looked over at
her brother. "Mimi, I know he likes you. He's had crushes on other girls
before, and whenever he did, he'd always practically totally ignore them, but
whenever he did talk to them he'd always say something nice. By the way he's
been treating you, he probably has a crush on you the size of Alaska!"

I felt myself flush. "Do you really think so?" I asked her, glancing over at
Jordan once more. "How could Jordan like such a ditzy girl like me?"

Jessica shook her head. "Jordan doesn't look on the outside, even though I'm
sure he's noticed how pretty you are. He looks deeper, past your ditzyness
into your kind, caring soul."

"Really?" I asked, unbelieving.

Jessica nodded, but then started back on her work. "Yeah, I think you should
talk to him about it soon."

I didn't answer, but started on my work again, this time with a flushed face
and a heart bursting with happiness. I would talk to him soon. Hopefully real
soon.


***Katy***

I wondered of the Child of the Star. I wondered how he be doin', and if I'd
failed on me FIRST mission. I was sittin' on a tree branch overlookin' the
Digidestined camp, watchin' them build their house. I knew it be time for
them to settle down, for whoever be sending those Digimon against them didn't
seem ta be ready to stop now.

I was in me normal, Wisardmon body. It took up a lot of energy to stay in
Guardian mode. Besides, I be much more comfortable in me own body then the
human one. And so I sat, me legs danglin' over the branch I be sittin' on, me
hat cocked on me head, and watched the Digidestined children all get together
and push up another wall. They and their Digimon cheered as the wall was
secured.

Digimon. That's what I be. At least, that's what I used ta be. I be Digimon,
or so I believe, yet I have the ability ta become human. So what is it that I
be? I was born Digimon, yet I protected humans in a totally different way
then most Digimon, by turning inta one of them and always watching out for
them. Another thing about being a Guardian be, that if your child be in
mortal danger of any kind, ye must always be ready to give up your life for
their own.

Before Peter began, there be said ta have lived a legendary Guardian, the
first Guardian ever ta come into the Digital World. He had been a Wisardmon,
and therefore only Wisardmon from his direct lineage can become Guardians.
It's said that this Wisardmon took it upon himself ta become the first
Guardian of the Digidestined, though no one forced it upon him. He had no
Crest or human transformation ta help him, only his own self. His
Digidestined child had been a young girl, and, in a great battle, the
Wisardmon gave his life for the child.

I frowned as I watched the Digidestined children. I'd learned all of their
names and the names of their Digimon, though I already be knownin' what kinds
they were. If I be one of their Digimon, protectin' them would be much
easier.

I shook me head and wondered why I be so frightened all the time. If May or
Nick be with me, they'd give me such a talkin' ta! Tell me about courage and
self-respect. I wondered how life at home be doin', if May'd changed her ways
since becomin' a Guardian, or if Nick had gotten over his idolism of Peter. I
wished I could return home, back to the old cottage in the woods, and have me
own bed back, instead of having to sleep in a tree! But once called as a
Guardian, there was no home except where your Child was.

Suddenly I was jerked out of me thoughts as a shout came from the camp. I
turned me attention back to the Digidestined, and saw that one of the boys'
Tag was glowin'! A Crest! They'd found a Crest! They ran inta the woods,
followin' the boy's Tag. I stood and jumped down from me tree, intent on
followin' them. I hit the ground and started ta run as I be able ta.


***Jordan***

We lifted up the second wall and gotten it secured in record time! As we
celebrated, (the outside was almost finished! Then we could actually have
some shelter!) suddenly A.J.'s Tag started to glow! He looked at it in wonder
as it drew itself out of his shirt, the Tag shone brightly and tugged in the
direction of the woods. A.J. followed it, a mixed expression of awe and
confusion on his face. We stopped celebrating and followed him into the
woods, wondering if he was finally gonna find his Crest.

A.J.'s Tag led us deep into the woods. "Where the heck is this thing leading
us?" Jessica shouted from beside me. "I think A.J.'s Tag is as messed up as
him!"

"Hey, watch your mouth, young lady!" A.J. retorted. "I am NOT messed up!"

"Coulda fooled me." I heard Jessica mutter. I shook my head, took a breath,
and continued running.

Suddenly the woods cleared and we saw a breathtaking sight. Before us was a
tree. A wicked GIGANTIC tree that looked like it was a hundred years old, at
least a hundred and fifty feet high and twenty feet wide and been hit by
fifty lightening bolts! It's roots were like three feet thick and rose high
out of the ground in a mazelike pattern, pushing the tree up into the air,
and it's closest branches were tens of feet high. I don't think there was a
single leaf on the thing. At the base of the tree, where the roots actually
ended and tree began, there was a small hole. We all gasped and stared
wide-eyed at the tree. No one moved for minutes, we just gawked up at the
massive sight.

"That tree's as big as the Empire State Building!" I breathed.

"Yeah!" Gotsomon agreed. Then, "Jordan? What's the Empire State Building?"

Finally A.J. and Gazimon ran forward, A.J.'s Tag practically blinding us with
it's light. And what surprised us was, that from inside the hole a
gold-yellow light shone back at us, as if shining because of A.J.'s Tag.
Without a word, A.J. and Gazimon started climbing the roots, apparently
intent on finding out what was creating the light. Jessica and Penguinmon
followed almost instantly, and Matt and Gabumon followed Jessica, and I
followed Matt with Gotsomon right behind me. The rest stayed down on the
ground.

"Man, A.J. moves fast!" Matt gasped, helping me and Gotsomon across a gap in
the roots. Jessica hadn't waited for help, but had grabbed Penguinmon in her
arms and leaped across the gap herself, and was now ahead of us.

"Yeah well, he's been climbing trees and mountains since he could walk!" I
told him, starting my climb again. "His parents are kind of outdoorish
people."

"And Jessica?" Matt asked, watching my sister and her Digimon reach the top
of the jungle of roots. A.J. had reached top before us and was now pulling
Penguinmon up to the base. He reached his hand down to Jessica, but ignored
it and tried several times to climb up herself. After failing each time, she
reluctantly grabbed A.J.'s hand and he, (with a HUGE grin on his face),
hoisted her to the top. They waited until we reached the top before going
into the hole.

"Go ahead, A.J.!" Gazimon said, his eyes alight with excitement. "I just KNOW
it's your Crest!"

"I hope so, buddy!" A.J. said with a smile on his face. And with that, he
faced the hole.

The hole was only a couple inches wide and deep, but inside was what we'd
been looking for: a Crest. The Crest's background was a gold color, but it
was the Crest itself that interested me. Within a circle of dark gold were
two lightening bolts, one vertical and one horizontal, the vertical one over-
lapping the horizontal one.

Suddenly the Crest burst forth a flash of the same gold-yellow light we'd
seen before and pulled itself out of the tree! It moved with a life of it's
own and slid into A.J.'s Tag, where the light disappeared.

A.J. took the Tag in his hand and flipped it so he could see his new Crest.
"Wow!" He gasped, slipping it over his head onto his neck. "Awesome! I
gotta go show the others!"

We all scurried down tree and regrouped with the others. Izzy instantly
wanted to see the Crest and he practically ripped the thing off A.J.'s neck
in his excitement.. "What is it?" A.J. asked.

"Prodigious!" Izzy exclaimed. "It appears to be the Crest of Humility!" He
raised his eyebrow at A.J.
"It suits you well." And then, under his breath, "You sure need some of it."

A.J. grinned, so he obviously hadn't heard Izzy's last remark. "I don't care
what it is! I finally have a Crest!"

Full of happiness, we all headed back to camp, ready to continue our work on
the cabin, when suddenly Jessica stopped dead in her tracks. "Jacob!" She
cried, sudden realization making her pale. "We left him alone at camp!" She
took off like a bullet, and we all followed a second later.


***Katy***

I watched the Digidestined A.J. get his Crest, but then decided it be time ta
go back and check up on the Child of the Star. He was me child to protect,
anyway, and the Digidestined had foolishly left him alone in the camp.

When I reached the camp, it be still empty. No one had yet returned. That be
good. I stood at the edge of the woods for a moment, thinkin' about what I be
about ta do. If I were ta be caught.....

But I couldna be thinkin' about that now. Pushin' aside me fears, I stepped
inta the camp and walked past the half-built house towards where the Child of
the Star and his Digimon be layin'. I clutched me Tag tightly and turned into
me Guardian mode, as it be easier ta sense him that way. I felt ta be almost
naked in this human body, but I had no other choice ta make.

Kneelin' beside the pale boy I was supposed to be protectin', I felt a wave
of something I knew ta be guilt and shame rush through me. He be in a coma,
if what the Digidestined Joe had said. But I had no idea as ta what a coma
might be. The Digidestined Joe had said that nothing could really cure a
coma, but it had to cure itself. Was it stronger then a Guardian's magic? I
wanted ta find out and decided to try.

But I still was afeared as I touched me hand on his forehead. I'd heard tell
that a Guardian can feel if the child's brain still be active, and that we
could speak to them through thoughts. I felt some brain activeness, but not
much atall. I guessed I had ta be tryin' the thought thing now.

'Awake, Child of the Star.' I called out in me mind. "Ye must awaken and help
your friends!"

Nothin' happened. I slouched down, feelin' mightly depressed to be failin'
again when suddenly the Child of the Star and his Digimon moved! His color be
returnin' rapidly and his eyelids be flutterin'.

I gasped as he opened his eyes. "Hello, Katy." He said with a smile. "Thanks
for waking me up."

I scrambled ta me feet when he said me name. "How be ye knowin' me name?" I
asked him cautiously. This couldna be possible!

The Child of the Star just smiled and then he went and propped himself up on
his arm. "You called me, didn't you?" He asked.

I nodded. "I needed to be wakin' ye up. Your friends need ye and Kunamon here
to be helpin' battle against whoever's fightin'' against ye!"

Kunamon got ta his feet. "You must be a Guardian of the Digidestined." He
said, lookin' me over. "I've heard much about your kind."

I curtsied. "I be a Guardian, Kunamon. Me job be ta protect the Child of the
Star whenever he be needin' protection." I smiled. "But I need ta be goin'
now, pleased to see that your alright."

"Don't go!" The Child of the Star said. "You can stay with us."

I shook me head. "Nay, Child of the Star. I canna be doin' that. I must be
goin' back ta where I canna be seen. But I'll be stayin with ye until your
companions return."

"Alright." The Child of the Star said. "But please, just call me Jake."

I be VERY startled to be hearin' the Child of the Star say that! "As you
wish.....Jake." I said with a sudden smile.

I began ta talk with Jake, explainin' ta him that I be his Guardian and would
always have ta be close by ta make sure he be safe. We were becomin' friends
with each other when suddenly out of the woods came the other Digidestined!
Jake's sister Jessica let out a scream.

I stood, afeared ta be seen by the other Digidestined children. "I'll be
seein' ye soon, Jake." I told him hurriedly in a hushed tone. "But now I must
be goin'." I disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared in the tree I'd
called 'home' for the past five days.

I watched with a smile on me face as Jake's brother and sister Jordan and
Jessica ran forward and hugged the boy. It appeared that I wasn't ta be
failin' after all.


***Mimi***

You wouldn't believe how surprised we were when we ran back into camp and saw
the same girl who'd helped us out with MarineDevimon standing over Jacob! And
what surprised us even more was to see Jacob propped on his elbow and awake!
Jessica let out a scream of pure joy. At least, I think it was pure joy. I
know it was pure 'something', anyway.

I saw the girl turn quickly when she saw us, and Tai called out, "Wait!" but
she didn't listen. Instead she disappeared like the last time, in a puff of
icky gray smoke.

"Well, that was rude!" I said, placing my hands on my hips. Jessica paid no
attention to me comment as she rushed forward to hug her brother. Jordan only
glanced at me and gave me that half smile of his before running over to where
Jessica was now cuddling Jacob. The rest of us moved in a little slower

"Jacob, who was that girl who was with you?" I heard Jessica ask. "And what
did she want?"

"What girl?" Jake asked with the blankest look on his face. "Jess, what are
you talking about?"

Jordan squatted down beside Jacob, who suddenly drooped. "Jake, didn't you
see the blonde girl who was standing over you?" Jacob only shook his head.

"No, but I know that I'm feeling really tired." Jake replied. "And hungry!"
He added as an after thought.

We all laughed and Jessica gave her brother another hug before standing up.
"We'll make you some tea and maybe a little bit of bread." She said
before moving off to do it. The rest of us went off to do different things as
well, the boys went back to building the house and Sora and I went over to
help Jessica. T.K. and Kari stayed with Jacob and Kunamon while Patamon and
Gatomon Digivolved to help with the building.

"I wonder who that girl is?" Jessica wondered, pouring some water into a pot
over the fire.

"I have no idea." Sora said with a shrugged. "But it looks like she's
friendly if she came and helped Jacob."

Jessica nodded while she peeled and squeezed a peach, letting the juice run
into the water. I tossed in a couple herbs to help season it. "I hope she
comes back." She said with a sigh. "I really want to thank her for helping us
back at the river."

"But we already tried doing that!" I pointed out, stirring the water with a
spoon Joe'd carved. Jessica peeled another peach. "All she said was that she
didn't care about Jordan and Matt and A.J. She'd only tried to save Jacob."

Jessica frowned as she squeezed the peach. "Still, I'd like to thank her."
And then, for the first time since MarineDevimon's attack, Jessica smiled!
"I'm so glad she healed Jacob!" She gave an affectionate look to her
little brother, who was resting as he listened to T.K. and Kari tell him all
that'd happened while he'd been 'asleep'. "I can never thank her enough!"

Sora patted Jessica's arm. "If I wasn't an only child, I'd probably
understand what you're going through a little bit better, but I'm happy for
you anyway."

"I could understand her situation, I guess." I said, stopping my stirring a
second to ponder. "But my little baby brother isn't old enough to be a
Digidestined!" We laughed. Wow, it was really cool to hear Jessica laugh
again! Her good spirits seemed to have been reborn bigger and better! Both
Sora and I watched with amazement as Jessica actually HUMMED while she peeled
the peaches!


End of chapter eighteen