| Chapter Four: Moosemon Grows Antlers |
| The next morning the group proceeded past the river and through the vast plains on the other side. They continued to follow the river through the plains. Darren, who was near the front of the group, wondered where they were going. �Hey guys, where are we going?� Darren asked. With this, Tim and Darren stopped, causing the rest of the group to cease moving also. �I don�t know.� Tim replied. �We were just following this river.� �Tim, do you remember what Mudmon told us?� Darren asked. �About the thing that poured dust on him?� �Yeah, it made him attack us for no reason�� Tim trailed off. �We should find the thing that did that.� Darren suggested. �Why?� Audrey asked. �If it did that to other Digimon, they could turn evil and attack us, so we should stop it.� Moosemon chipped in. �But we don�t know what that thing was.� Khalid said, frowning. �So how are we gonna find it?� �Well, it�s gonna happen again.� Sam answered. �So eventually one of the Digimon will recognise the Digimon that did it. Then we will at least know which one it is.� �But that�ll take time!� Adrian contorted. �And when that does happen, how are we gonna find that Digimon?� Andrea asked. �I dunno.� Darren said. �But it�s better than just following a river!� �Let�s just follow the river and see how things work out.� Tim said with finality, before turning and continuing along the river. The rest of the group followed, with Darren this time lagging behind. Moosemon looked up at him, and could see that Darren was scowling. �What�s wrong, Darren?� Moosemon asked. �All we�re doing is following this river!� Darren replied. �I mean, where�s the river gonna take us?� Moosemon thought for a moment. �The sea?� He finally piped up. Darren could do nothing but stare at the grass beneath him now as the group continued down their route. He thought about the possibilities, and although he loathed admitting it, the rest of the group was right. They had neither clues nor leads, and were therefore powerless. Darren thought about it while walking for a while, then looked up and spoke. �What if we set a trap?� The rest of the group stopped and Tim and Khalid, who were leading, looked at each other. |
| �Why do I have to be the bait?� Moosemon asked. �Because it was your idea!� Kerri replied. �No it wasn�t, it was Darren�s�� �Moosemon just shut up and act stupid!� Khalid shouted, and this silenced the small Digimon. Moosemon was sitting under a tree, and Eaglemon was in the lowest branch above him, holding a net of leaves that the Digimon had quickly made. Moosemon looked up at Darren, who was looking around slowly and stupidly, as the rest of the group hid behind a nearby rock. �Moosemon�s sitting there under that tree�� Darren announced loudly and deliberately. �I hope that an evil Digimon doesn�t sprinkle any black dust on him�� �Darren, it won�t hear you!� Adrian called. �Talk louder!� �I can�t talk any louder!� Darren retorted. �My throat�s hurting already!� �You have to!� Slipmon shouted. �Come on Darren, this was your idea!� Darren shook his head and continued, speaking louder this time. �Yes, Moosemon, I�m sure you�re fine under that tree�no evil Digimon would even think of trying to make you evil�� �This isn�t working!� Audrey whispered to the rest of the group. �I know�� Tim concurred. �Nothing�s dumb enough to fall for this.� �Err�guys, look over there�� Kerri requested, looking behind them. The group turned and saw a large white wolf with blue stripes running towards them, with rage in its eyes. �What�s that?� Sam asked. �It�s Garurumon!� Salamon answered him. �It�s normally peaceful and kind, but it looks angry now.� �It�s attacking, run!� Kerri screamed, and the group ran out from either side of the rock. Garurumon stepped up on the rock with front feet and howled. Then he looked around and saw Kerri. With a huge leap it landed on the ground in front of her. Kerri screamed and looked up to her Digimon. �Eaglemon, help!� Eaglemon jumped off of the branch she was on, dropping the leaf net, and held her wings above her. �Sweeping Wing!� Eaglemon shouted, as she threw her wings down and the gust of wind created hit Garurumon, who turned and faced his attacker. Moosemon drew back his head to attack, when the net dropped on him. �Moose�huh? Hey! Help!� Moosemon shouted, struggling to free himself of the trap. Meanwhile, Garurumon jumped and swiped at Eaglemon with his claws, but he missed, and the bird Digimon flew to the rest of the group. Not fazed by his failure, Garurumon turned his malevolent attentions to Darren, who backed off in fear as the wolf Digimon crept forwards. �Moosemon! Help!� Darren cried. �Don�t worry Darren!� Moosemon replied in a voice muffled by the net. �I�ll save you!� However, Moosemon could not see a thing from under the leaves and could therefore not pinpoint Darren�s location. He did, however, manage to run around in a state of confusion, which resulted in him running at full speed into the tree. With a yelp of pain, he fell onto his back. �Moosemon!� Darren called to his hurt comrade. �We�ll have to save him then!� Tim cried. �Digimon, attack!� �Tail Shock!� Shocamon shouted, �Trident Flame!� Tridemon yelled, holding out his trident as a string of flames shot out from it. �Semblance Bomb!� Onomon cried out, curling his body and creating a bubble of energy, before launching it at Garurumon. The three attacks hit Garurumon�s left flank, and the wolf-like Digimon flinched and turned his attackers. �Howling Blaster!� Garurumon declared, partially opening his mouth. Some cold blue energy shot out of it and flew towards the rest of the group, who jumped away to avoid the attack. Satisfied that the threat from behind had been neutralised, Garurumon turned back to Darren. With one swift movement, the giant blue wolf pounced upon the young man, pinning him down with a single paw. He raised his other paw into the air above him, ready to lower it onto Darren. The young man screamed and struggled to get away, unaware that his Digivice had been activated. A brilliant white light could be seen emanating from under the leaf net. �Moosemon Digivolve to�� The small Digimon declared, and as his form grew bigger, the net ripped apart as his form took shape. ��Wumon!� He finished, the white light dissipating. Moosemon now resembled a fully-grown moose, with large antlers extending from his head, dark brown fur covering its body, and a white underbelly. Wumon charged at Garurumon, using his antlers to knock him off and away from Darren, who quickly returned to his feet and faced the battle. Garurumon faced Wumon and opened his mouth. �Howling Blaster!� Garurumon roared, before a missile of blue energy flew towards Wumon. Wumon was hit, and sent flying back into the tree. Garurumon charged for him, but Wumon quickly regained his composure, and just as Garurumon had almost reached him, Wumon placed a foot forward and stepped on Garurumon�s back. Using his adversary as a springboard, Wumon jumped up and landed, skidding to face Garurumon. Before the wolf could respond, Wumon leaned forward. �Antler Shot!� The elk declared, and his antlers detached themselves from his head and hit Garurumon in the chest, sending him reeling back and impacting the tree. Wumon�s antlers grew back immediately, and he charged towards Garurumon, lifting the wolf up in the air with his said antlers. Wumon then head butted the wolf behind him, who landed with a long skid into the sand. Garurumon groaned, and the group could visibly see some black dust rise from his body. Wumon charged for Garurumon again, but Darren stopped him. �Wumon! Stop!� Darren cried, and the large elk skidded to a halt. He then glowed with a white light, and reverted to his Moosemon form. Moosemon approached Darren and looked up to him. Darren looked down at his accomplice and smiled. Then, all turned back to Garurumon as he stood, with a shake of his head. �God does my side hurt!� Garurumon exclaimed, looking up at the group. �Who are you guys?� �You just attacked us�� Kerri reminded him, but this only created more confusion for Garurumon. �I did?� The wolf replied. �I don�t remember that�is this some kind of practical joke?� Garurumon looked at the faces of the people around him and judged from their serious expressions that it wasn�t. �I guess it isn�t�� Garurumon trailed off. �Come to think of it, I do remember something!� �What do you remember?� Darren asked enthusiastically. �Well, I was just sitting by a little stream, trying to catch some fish to eat, when suddenly this thing flew over me.� Garurumon explained. �It looked like a bat! And it was carrying this big sort of container�well, I don�t remember much after that, up until now, that is.� �Can you tell us anything else about that bat?� Tridemon questioned. �Nope, can�t remember much� well, sorry about attacking you all.� Garurumon looked up at the sky. �Oh gosh, it�s almost noon! I better hurry, or all the fish will be gone! See you guys!� �Bye!� Some of the group shouted as the great wolf strode past them. �A bat Digimon?� Darren summarised. �What Digimon are like that?� �There are loads of Digimon like that.� Onomon answered. �So you mean all that was pointless?� Moosemon said incredulously. �Not really.� Andrea replied. �At least we�ve narrowed it down.� �What are we gonna do now?� Shocamon asked. �Follow the river?� �Yeah.� Tim answered him, placing his earphones in his ears and turning on his CD Walkman. �Not that again!� Darren exclaimed. �Can�t we do something else? Please?� The rest of the group ignored him and walked right past him. �Please�Guys?� Finally giving up, Darren also followed the group down the river. |