Soul Of The Matter

'Tai, why do you already have a digimon?'

Tai blinks, looking down at Agumon and shrugging. The dinosaur like creature tilts his head, looking at Yuki with a frown. The lynx merely stares back, daring the rookie to do something.

'She's not a digimon, Agumon. She's a dæmon, my dæmon.'

'What's a dæmon?'

Yuki laughs as her man launches into a big speech about souls and settling and stretching and everything else under the sun. Agumon just gets more and more confused, looking to Yuki to get him out of the situation. She just shakes her head, jumping down from Tai's shoulders and walking up to the 'mon.

'You know not to ask Tai things, Agu. He never shuts up.'

Tai freezes, glaring at her. 'I do to.'

'Oh yeah.' She smirks at Agumon, winking the eye Tai couldn't see. 'Prove it.'

Tai sits, one hand over his mouth. Agumon laughs quietly, realising exactly what Yuki had done. She shushes him, the two of them moving away from Tai to talk properly. Yuki stops before she could tug on the bond and Agumon sits down with her, smiling.

'How did you know to do that?'

Yuki laughs, wrapping her tail around his shoulders and looking away from her man. 'Tai and I have been together our whole lives. I used to change shape with his moods, I've only just stopped. Besides, Tai's gullible.'

Yuki realises her mistake instantly, as Tai jumps at her. All three laugh, running around the camp.

'Mici, come back!' Gabumon shouts, watching the small dog disappear from view. He doesn't really know what Amicizia is, but he knows he likes her and that she is important to Matt.

'It's okay, Gabumon, she won't go far. She just looking for some food.'As if in response, the labrador leaps out of the bushes, holding a branch in her teeth. There is only a few fruits on there but enough to share between her family. She goes to TK first, letting him, Patamon and Asa have the food first before returning to Matt.

'This was all I could get.'

Matt places a hand on her neck, smiling reassuringly. 'It's great, Mici. If us show me the plant, me and Tai can chop the rest down.'

The dog nods, flopping down next to her man and his digimon. Gabumon looks between and almost leaves when Matt's other hand falls onto his back.

'Not going anywhere are you?' Mici teases, tail wagging slightly.

'I was going to find that tree, maybe bring the others food.' Gabumon can see Tai and Mimi's faces, both affronted that they didn't get anything.

'I'll show them later, it'll be more efficient. Besides, most of it was for TK.'

Matt nods, eyes closed and head resting against the side of the tree. Mici half crawls onto his lab and Gabumon rests against his side. Matt pulls out his harmonica, filling the camp with music, causing the animals to smile.

Gabumon could get used to this.

Katresnan curls tighter around Sora's neck as she walks along, head bowed sadly. Biyomon walks beside them, trying to cheer both the girl and the lizard up. Both ignore the digimon, their thoughts on what DemiDevimon said. Sora wrapsa hand around her crest, as if about to throw it away.

'Don't.' Katresnan whispers, shaking his head. 'Just don't.'

'Why not?' Sora says, keeping her voice to low for Biyomon to hear. 'I'll never make it glow.'

'You don't know that.' Katresnan whines, looking down at their digimon. 'You can't just listen to what that stupid digimon said. He doesn't know you, I do.'

Sora doesn't reply but she takes her hand off the crest. Katresnan glances down at Biyomon who just stares at Sora, clearly afraid for her human partner. Katresnan crawls down Sora's arm, heading towards Biyomon. His human barely notices.

'What's wrong with Sora?' Biyomon asks, eyes wide. 'She can't still be upset about what DemiDevimon said, can she?'

Katresnan nods, sighing. 'She thinks she can't love, Biyo. You know Sora, she can be as stubborn as Tai when she wants to.'

Biyomon's eyes droop slightly. 'But she has people who love her, doesn't she? Me, you, her mother-'

'Her mother is the very reason she feels this way.' He scowls, thinking of his father-dæmon who used to pin him down to stop them leaving. 'Toshiko can be quite strict.'

The digimon shakes her head, 'But we still love her, don't we?'

Katresnan nods. 'We do.'

'Are we there yet?'

Chishiki holds tight to Kabuterimon's horn, scared of letting go and falling. Izzy is behind her, perched on the digimon's skull with nothing to hang onto. Despite this, he seems to be faring much better, even smiling as the breeze rushes through his hair.

'Nearly.' He shouts back over the wind. 'We'll be landing soon.'

They begin to descend, Chishiki grabbing the horn tighter. Izzy laughs behind her and the monkey glares, fully intending to get him once they land. Kabuterimon sets down behind a building, waiting for the two of them to jump down before shrinking down to Tentomon. Izzy throws the digimon his coat and hat as Chishiki jumps to his shoulder, pinching his ear.

'Where are we meeting?'

Izzy flicks her tail as Tentomon pulls on his disguise. 'Tai said they'd be in the park by 3.'

Chishiki and Tentomon sigh in unison as they head off, glancing at each other. It's still only twenty past 2, so why they rushed is a mystery. Izzy, seemingly oblivious, continues on, his digimon hurrying to keep up and his dæmon clinging to shoulder.

'So, what are we going to do for half an hour?' The monkey asks, glaring at her man slightly as they enter the park.

Izzy drops down next to a tree, pulling out his laptop. 'What do you think? I've still got loads of research to do.'

Chishiki shrugs, curling up in his lap. There are worse ways to spend a Saturday.

Mimi sits in her room, fully prepared to pamper herself for a hour or six. Palmon and Seijitsu are sat in the corner, smiling at her in that annoying "Oh Mimi, you're so silly" way. She just turns her nose up at them, looking through her wardrobe for new outfits to try, new combinations to put together. She then moves to grab her makeup and hair products, hoping to make herself look perfect before she sees the others again later.

'Mimi.' Seijitsu say with an affectionate sigh. 'You don't have to get dressed up. No one will mind.'

Mimi pouts, hands on hips as she glares at her dove dæmon. 'I have been wearing the same outfit for weeks and haven't been able to refresh my eyeliner for all that time. I am not going out without looking fabulous.'

She stomps a foot, turning back to her clothes, trying to pick out the right dress. Palmon shuffles forward, looking at the dresses, blouses and trousers with a confused frown. 'Are you going to wear all of these?'

Seijitsu chuckles from the corner, fluttering his wings. Mimi glowers at him, turning back to smile at Palmon. 'No, only one or two, depends how well they go together. Whichever one makes me look best.'

Palmon looks up at her, still confused. 'But Mimi, you look good in everything.'

Mimi grins, pulling Palmon into a hug and sticking her tongue out a Seijitsu. 'See, at least Palmon loves me.'

Seijitsu rolls his eyes.

Shinrai doesn't like Gomamon. Not in a mean, spiteful, 'he's-a-jerk-keep-him-away' kind of dislike but more of a slightly cautious, wary, 'he's-a-digimon-and-digimon-are-scary' kind of dislike. She knows the other dæmons in the groups don't feel the same, bouncing along beside them and even playing with them, digimon touching dæmon without any reaction from their humans. That just disturbs Shinrai.

Joe doesn't share the bee's feeling about Gomamon but understands them and explains to his partner why he can't touch her. The sea animal nods, saying if someone touched his Digi-Code, he'd be a bit weirded out. Shinrai doesn't really know what that means, but Izzy begins furiously typing behind them.

When Gomamon becomes Ikkakumon, Shinrai likes him a bit more because he saved Joe but he touched her. So she likes him more but she still finds him unnerving. It's not until he turns into Zudomon her opinion changes.

Joe is drowning and falling away from Shinrai at the same time. She's floating as he sinks and can't get down because of stupid wings. She is worried for Joe and TK, and she's going to die, she can feel it.

Then Zudomon lifts them up. He's cradling Joe in his arms and the boy is breathing and the sound makes Shinrai so happy, she doesn't even care she is pressed to Zudomon's arm. With a small smile, she flies up to Zudomon's face and k'isses his cheek.

'Thank you.'

'Asa digivolve to... ASA WOLF MODE!'

TK laughs as his dæmon changes shape, picking him up in her pick jaws and swinging him onto her back. Patamon flies around them, giggling too. Matt and Gabumon almost stand, wanting to help but Mici pulls them back down, smiling at her sister-dæmon as she shifts again, a golden retriever this time. Now Asa isn't quiet big enough to hold TK and the two come tumbling down, laughing at themselves and each other. Patamon flies down to meet them, landing on TK's hat and smiling.

'That was great!' TK grins, scratching Asa behind the ear. 'Can we go again?'

Asa shrinks again, holding Patamon's shape for barely a second before becoming a guinea pig. 'You know I can't hold the bigger shapes for long TK.' She whines, apologetically. 'It tires me out.'

'Oh yeah.' TK giggles, placing her on his lap. 'I forgot.'

Patamon looks down at her, smiling. 'Maybe you'll Settle as something big! Then you won't have to struggle.'

Asa giggles, becoming a lizard and crawling up TK's arm to meet her. 'Maybe. Bigger than Mici even!'

TK face breaks into a glorious grin. 'Then I wouldn't have to walk anywhere, 'cause I could ride on your back.'

Asa, now a bird, flies in front of his face. 'What?! So I have to do the walking?'

TK's face drops slightly, annoyed his idea wasn't liked. He moans softly. 'Patamon doesn't have to walk.'

The three of them descend into giggles.

 'You can come in if you want to.' Kari mutters, looking down the hall as the strange cat disappears. She's almost certain the cat is a digimon. 'Mum's not home.'

Solas jumps off he shoulder almost instantly, flying around the apartment before landing on the sofa, shifting into a wildcat and smiling up at Kari. 'Do you think she'll come in?'

Kari shrugs, sitting down in the sofa and staring at the news.

'-can't explain the unseasonable fog.' The newscaster is saying. 'In fact, they have no explanation for-'

'I hope Tai does something soon.' Kari whispers to Solas, running a hand through his fur as he shifts a dozen times. 'People are starting to get suspicious.'

Solas nods, moving his head to try and spot the digimon. She's stood next to the sofa as the newscaster begins another report on monsters on Tokyo Tower. 'I think people are more than suspicious Kari. I just wish we could do something.'

Kari nods, seeing the digimon jump up out of the corner of her eye. The girl wonders if the cat-like creature is her partner, like Agumon for Tai.

'Hi!' Solas says as Kari turns around. The girls holds out her arms and her dæmon jumps to her shoulders as a ferret.

'Come here.' The girl giggles as the digimon falls, practically running out of the room. Kari shouts after her. 'You'll come back right?'

Solas squeezes around her neck. 'Course she'll come back. I'm beginning to like that digimon.'