Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Digital Heart ❯ Sylvie Makes An Entrance ( Chapter 1 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: TikiGoddess 
Sylvie makes her introductions with the current DigiDestined (taking place in Season two), and questions start to rise about what she's up to.
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Romance / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.23.2004 | Updated On: 03.01.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 243 | Status: Completed
Sylvie makes her introductions with the current DigiDestined (taking place in Season two), and questions start to rise about what she's up to.
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Romance / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.23.2004 | Updated On: 03.01.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 243 | Status: Completed
Edit 2
Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters, setting, and a major chunk of the plot. Digimon copyright it’s respective owners.
Author’s note: All right, first off (for all you brainiacs out there) this is a Mary Sue. I’m doing what I can to make it not sound like one, and follow the original story as closely as I can while using my own creative liberty, but obviously I’m not perfect. Don’t bitch at me because Davis gets distracted from Kari; I’m not pro Daikari, and it’s not like they end up together anyway. I also take some liberties with the way the Digital world may or may not work; They never actually say if people do or don’t age in the DigiWorld at the stage in the story I’ve started from, though when the Digital and Real Worlds become integrated at the end, it’s assumed that everyone ages naturally in both at that point. They speak not at all of earlier. And anyway, it’s not really important; once the story is finished, it’ll all make sense. I promise.
I also got bitched out for cutting off Davis’s internal struggle. While I mentioned it briefly, I decided it was pointless-- we all know what happens, it’s pretty easy to assume that not much changes.
Please also realize that developing a character takes time that one chapter won’t allow. That’s why this is a multiple chapter story. Sylvia will be made progressively more human as time goes on, but you’re going to have to sit back and read it for yourself. IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU READ, TELL ME WHY. I can’t improve if I don’t know how or where I should do so. Don’t review just to tell me you hated it, review to tell me WHY you hated it, and (provided your requests are reasonable) I will try to fix it. Help me make my character human. For those of you who comply, I thank you.
Above all, please remember: Just give it time!! I swear, Sylvia isn’t a perfect person, and apparently I need to make that more obvious. Working on it.
Sorry for the long intro; just clearing some things up. Hope you enjoy.
*
“Oh no, Agumon’s in trouble!” Tai muttered. “I gotta help him!”
The DigiVice flashed in his hand, and he felt helplessness take grip. Agumon was in the Digital World, out of his reach and assistance.
Something flashed in a window on the second floor of the school, and he looked at it curiously before realizing which room it was.
“The computer lab!” he cried, and took off running.
Upstairs, he saw something he wasn’t expecting. The room was empty, but one of the screens was going berserk, flashing wildly, and through the speakers Tai could almost make out the sound of someone calling his name.
“Tai… Tai!”
“Who’s there?” He called back. “What’s going on?”
“Closer, Tai… The screen… Agumon!”
“What the heck is happening?” He asked, walking cautiously closer to the screen. The next thing he knew, he was in the Digital World, Agumon running towards him in fear.
*
Some time later, in the middle of a battle, Davis stood staring at an egg clasped between his palms.
“…Wow, the DigiEgg of Friendship is mine, huh?” Davis thought, staring at it in his hands. “All right, DigiArmor, Energize!”
A blink and a flash later, Raidramon stood before him, waiting impatiently for him to act.
“Come on, Davis, you’ve got to attack Metalgreymon!” TK urged. “You’ve gotta save him!”
Davis stood, uncertain of what to do. At that moment, a dark blur swept past and launched upward, landing unbelievably on one of the hovering Seadramon. While Davis waged internal warfare, the other DigiDestined looked up to see what the disturbance was.
Ken glared at the intrusion, and in the moment of distraction, Davis had made his decision. He jumped onto Raidramon’s back, and shouted, “Come on, let’s do it!”
In seconds, the dark spiral had been shattered, and Metalgreymon had reverted to a blessedly normal Agumon. Knocked from his position on Metalgreymon’s shoulders, Ken fell through the air, caught a moment later by the Seadramon the blur had landed on.
“How dare you distract me in the middle of a battle!” Ken shrilled. Whoever she was had been kneeling in front of Wormmon, but stood as Ken spoke.
“Fool,” she said blandly. “You got distracted.”
Ken fumed, eyes burning hatred at her. “You speak that way to the Digimon Emperor?!” He raised his whip, but something stopped him from lashing. Beyond livid, he turned to see a very angry green monkey glaring at him from knee level.
“Stupid genius!” It snarled, yanking the whip hard. Ken dropped to his knees, crying out in rage.
The monkey Digimon pulled an eyelid down at him and stuck out a tongue, waggling it in his face before jumping to the girl’s shoulders.
Kneeling to Wormmon again, she said quietly, “Think on what I’ve said,” then she tipped acrobatically backwards and off the Seadramon, leaving Wormmon to contend with Ken. She landed a little gracelessly by the cliff they were about to pass over, scuffing a hand and landing hard on her butt, dangerously short of the cliff’s edge.
“Who the heck was that?” Yolei asked, speaking the minds of all present.
The girl said something to her Digimon, who jumped off her shoulders and began scaling the face of the cliff. A moment later, she was doing the same.
“Hey, don’t do that! It’s dangerous!” Davis cried. If she heard him, she ignored him, and clambered down with as much speed as her partner, jumping the last few feet to the ground and walking towards the small gathering.
“Hi! Are you a DigiDestined?” asked Kari, smiling welcomingly.
“Yes,” she responded, too clearly to not be nervous. “I’m a DigiDestined. Call me Sylvie. This is Monmon,” she added, indicating to the monkey who immediately began showing off his agility and acrobatic prowess like he hadn’t had an audience in decades. “He’s a beast and virus type Digimon. He carries that slingshot on his back for his Swing-Swing attack. He’s a dangerous powerhouse, even if he is a little frog-monkey.”
“Who’re you calling frog-monkey?!” cried Monmon, glowering at Sylvie.
Davis stared in wonderment. “That dive off the Seadramon was awesome! Will you teach me how to do that?”
Sylvie raised an eyebrow at him. “Think you could keep up?”
“I apologize for Sylvie‘s rudeness,” Monmon announced. “She doesn’t socialize much.” He glared at her as he said this. “Which isn’t to say that she never has the opportunity.”
Sylvie rolled her eyes. “Excluding you, I work alone. That load of rule spouting pansies gets on my nerves.”
“Yeah, but you could really use each other’s help.”
“Oh, just stuff it, Monmon.”
“Make me, Sly!”
“I will, you goofy green monkey!”
Davis stared admiringly. “Look at that, Raidramon, they’re kinda like us!”
“Kinda a lot like us,” conceded Raidramon, “Only you’re not a green monkey.”
“Yeah. Hey!”
Raidramon laughed, de-evolving to Veemon, and Davis went back to watching the fight. Sylvie’s outfit looked like a DigiWorld original-- the wide, bright orange pants and tight black tank top gave the impression of someone who went to raves frequently. The dark blue sweater tied around her hips-- now being yanked on by her Digimon partner-- seemed mismatched, and he couldn't help but to wonder if it was really hers. The sweater looked from his standpoint to be at least two sizes too large. It was falling loose from Monmon's antagonizing, and Sylvie's sage green gaze looked ready to kill through her dark purple bangs. Most of her hair was pulled back in a leopard patterned scrunchy, which, Davis noticed, matched Monmon's leopard skin loincloth. He watched their antics back and forth, smiling unconsciously.
“Uh oh, I recognize that look,” Matt muttered to Tai.
Tai turned his attention to Davis. “Isn’t that…?”
“… The ‘ooh, pretty’ face?” Matt finished. “That’s what it looks like. You may not have to worry about Kari for a while.”
“Make it ‘ever’, and I’ll support it wholeheartedly,” Tai jested.
Matt laughed, turning back to Sylvie and Monmon. Monmon was sitting more peaceably on Sylvie’s shoulders, now, and Sylvie was muttering at him about getting dust on her shirt.
“So where are you from?” Yolei asked. “Are you from Japan, too?”
“Yeah, somewhere.”
“What’s ‘yeah, somewhere‘?” TK asked incredulously. “Don’t you know where in Japan?”
“If I thought about it, I would probably remember,” she said, irritation edging her tone. “I don’t go home.”
“What about your family?” Cody asked, his concern clearly showing on his features. “Don’t they worry?”
“I’ve been here a really long time. I think they’re over it.”
“How long?” Davis asked, obviously awed.
“That I know of… at least 8 years.”
Jaws dropped, and silence fell. Sylvie stared uncomfortably off to the left, and Monmon played with her ponytail as nonchalantly as possible.
“How old ARE you?!” Yolei cried. “You don’t look much older than we are!”
“People don’t really age in the Digital World,” Sylvie said, waving her hand dismissively. “I came from the real world to this one eight years ago, about the time that Greymon and Parrotmon waged war on a public street in Japan. I decided not to go back.”
“You were one of the first DigiDestined.” TK’s words weren’t a question. Sylvie only sighed her annoyance with the topic.
“You really are, aren’t you?” he pressed.
“Wow, that’s so great!” Davis jubilated. “One of the first DigiDestined ever!”
Sylvie blushed, and Monmon-- who had angled around her to see her reaction-- immediately began to tease her for it.
“Oooh, Sly, you’re BLUSHing!”
“Shut up, monkey- face.”
“Ha ha! When was the last time you did THAT, I wonder?”
“Shut UP, you wicked little monster!”
“Sticks and stones, Sly, especially when you’re cheeks are all rosy like that!”
Sylvie closed her eyes, searching for patience, then turned an irritated gaze on TK and Davis. “Did you REALLY have to go and say all that?”
“Sorry,” TK replied, smiling and quirking his eyebrows helplessly, trying to ignore the green spastic leaping and weaving between the group. “Didn’t know he’d go that bonkers.”
“Man, that’s one high energy monkey,” Davis said in wonderment. “Look at him bouncing around like that.”
“I keep insisting he’s got ADD,” Sylvie muttered irritably. “But nobody listens to me… ‘Digimon don’t get ADD,’ that’s bull…”
“Who says that?,” Kari asked, “And backing up a bit further: If no one ages in the Digital World, then why’s Gennai such an old man?”
Sylvie’s eye twitched, and her gaze slanted at the name. Monmon froze in mid-bounce, several drops of sweat developing across his being.
“Gennai isn’t now and never was human,” she said, and the tone in her voice was so dangerously careful that everyone got the sense they’d trespassed into forbidden territory. “He chooses to look like an old man now, and has been like that since before the time-shift was fixed four years ago.”
It was a few minutes before Sylvie spoke again, and the others went to conversing among themselves. All except Davis, who would not be deterred by Sylvie’s apparent bad mood swing and began chattering.
“So do you play soccer? I love the game, I’m my team’s best player!” He announced, embellishing on his own details. “I almost beat one of the best players in the league at the last game. Actually, it was Ken who was the best player in the league; he ran away from home, though, and he’s living in the digital world! Can you believe it? Living here, just so he can try and control it all. He thinks he’s above and beyond all of us, what a jerk! I mean, I can understand living here, that‘d be awesome, but just to control everything is a lame excuse.”
“I do play soccer,” she said slowly, shoulders relaxing at the change of subject. “Haven’t played in a while, though, there aren’t any digital soccer teams.”
“Well, we should start one then!” Davis declared. “As soon as we have recruits enough, I bet we could pull it off!”
Sylvie smiled at the thought. “That’d be cool. I’m out of practice, though.”
“That’s okay, we could help you get back on your game. Hey, TK! You’d help Sly get her game on, right? And Tai, and Matt! I bet she’d be awesome at soccer!”
“Sure, as long as I don’t have band practice!” Matt called.
“I have no problem with that, we spend a lot of the time in the Digital World anyway, why not go over some basics?” TK added. “By the way, did you actually just call me by the right name?”
“And did you really just call me Sly?” Sylvia demanded.
“Yeah, something wrong with that?”
She took a breath to say something in response, then let it go. “Nah. It’s all right, I don’t mind. It’s usually only Monmon who calls me that, though.” She sighed. “Just not used to hearing it from someone else, I guess.”
“What’s that?” Monmon asked, jumping and landing in front of her.
“I said your voice is irritating, it was refreshing to hear someone besides your squeaky voice usin’ the Sly name.”
“Do you two always antagonize each other like this?” Davis asked curiously.
“I’d be surprised if you and your partner didn’t,” Sylvie said. “You’ve got Veemon, and he’s a real troublemaker.”
Davis grinned. “Yeah, he’s a handful.”
“I’m a handful!” Veemon cried indignantly. “You should see this kid! He breaks windows with soccer balls on a regular basis!”
“Hey, those are all accidents!”
“See, he even admits to being a klutz!”
“HEY!”
Sylvie laughed at the ensuing struggle between boy and Mon, her Digimon chuckling at her side.
From behind her, she heard someone clear their throat for attention. She turned to see Cody looking curiously up at her.
“If it’s all right, can I ask about the first DigiDestined?” He began. “I was hoping maybe some of their trials could help us with ours in the future.”
Sylvie sighed and sat down on the digital dirt, and Cody sat next to her, looking at her face inquisitively.
“There’s really not much to say,” she began. “It was a really long time ago, and because of the time-shift, it‘s been more like a thousand years for me since it happened. We sort of tumbled through it, and honestly, I think that was the best way to go about it.” She patted Cody on the head gently. “Just remember, when it feels like all is lost, it may just be better to follow your heart. Believe it or not, the Digital World has a lot more to do with the power of the heart than it does with the power of technology.”
“Hmm…” Cody thought about this for a moment, then said, “I guess that makes sense; that’s what the crests are about, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right; now don’t forget that.”
“I won’t,” he responded, nodding his assent. He took a breath to say something, hesitated, then asked, “What’d you do when time was all out of whack?”
Before she could answer, though, Yolei called, “Hey, who’s hungry?” She was met by the sounds of agreement.
“Hey, do you wanna come to the real world with us for dinner?” Davis asked, hope glinting in his eyes. Sylvie looked doubtful.
“Aw, c’mon, you should!” Yolei urged.
“Yeah, we could go to a McDonald’s or something,” TK offered. “Get something quick to eat, what do you say?”
“I would appreciate your presence,” invited Cody.
“And hey, Matt’ll even pay for you if you’d like!”
“Right, with the money Tai gives me to pay me back for buying lunch the other day.”
Sylvie laughed, but responded, “I think I’ll pass. It’s been a really long time since I left the Digital World, and I don’t know if I feel comfortable leaving it just yet. This place is home.”
“Aw, are you sure?” Davis begged, crestfallen.
“Yeah, sorry,” she said, then-- because Davis looked so upset-- added “But I’d like to go with you all another time!”
Davis perked up at this, and the others all seemed to brighten at the prospect of seeing their new friend outside the Digital World. “All right,” Davis said, “Well then, we’ll see you again soon!”
“Feel free to give me a call if you need help!” Sylvie called as everyone turned to leave. She waved good bye, and turned to walk off.
“Hey, Sylvie,” Monmon asked, trotting after her. “Would you leave the Digital World to go be with them?”
“I might,” she said. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll get along better.”
“But… What about me?”
Sylvie looked at Monmon, concern creasing her forehead. “Oh, Monmon, I wouldn’t leave you behind! You don’t think I’d do that, do you?” She knelt down and gathered Monmon into a hug, and he wrapped his arms around her neck. “We’re friends forever. We’ve made it a thousand years, and we aren’t stopping!”
“Good,” Monmon said, relieved. “I was kinda worried; you seemed so comfortable with them I was afraid…”
“Afraid I would replace you? You, the frog-monkey from Hell? No way!”
“Frog-monkey?!”
“Well, what else has four hands, is bright green, and hops like it’s going out of style?”
“I’m not a frog-monkey! I’m a Monmon!”
“Sure you are. Now, let’s find a vending machine, I need some food.”
Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters, setting, and a major chunk of the plot. Digimon copyright it’s respective owners.
Author’s note: All right, first off (for all you brainiacs out there) this is a Mary Sue. I’m doing what I can to make it not sound like one, and follow the original story as closely as I can while using my own creative liberty, but obviously I’m not perfect. Don’t bitch at me because Davis gets distracted from Kari; I’m not pro Daikari, and it’s not like they end up together anyway. I also take some liberties with the way the Digital world may or may not work; They never actually say if people do or don’t age in the DigiWorld at the stage in the story I’ve started from, though when the Digital and Real Worlds become integrated at the end, it’s assumed that everyone ages naturally in both at that point. They speak not at all of earlier. And anyway, it’s not really important; once the story is finished, it’ll all make sense. I promise.
I also got bitched out for cutting off Davis’s internal struggle. While I mentioned it briefly, I decided it was pointless-- we all know what happens, it’s pretty easy to assume that not much changes.
Please also realize that developing a character takes time that one chapter won’t allow. That’s why this is a multiple chapter story. Sylvia will be made progressively more human as time goes on, but you’re going to have to sit back and read it for yourself. IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU READ, TELL ME WHY. I can’t improve if I don’t know how or where I should do so. Don’t review just to tell me you hated it, review to tell me WHY you hated it, and (provided your requests are reasonable) I will try to fix it. Help me make my character human. For those of you who comply, I thank you.
Above all, please remember: Just give it time!! I swear, Sylvia isn’t a perfect person, and apparently I need to make that more obvious. Working on it.
Sorry for the long intro; just clearing some things up. Hope you enjoy.
*
“Oh no, Agumon’s in trouble!” Tai muttered. “I gotta help him!”
The DigiVice flashed in his hand, and he felt helplessness take grip. Agumon was in the Digital World, out of his reach and assistance.
Something flashed in a window on the second floor of the school, and he looked at it curiously before realizing which room it was.
“The computer lab!” he cried, and took off running.
Upstairs, he saw something he wasn’t expecting. The room was empty, but one of the screens was going berserk, flashing wildly, and through the speakers Tai could almost make out the sound of someone calling his name.
“Tai… Tai!”
“Who’s there?” He called back. “What’s going on?”
“Closer, Tai… The screen… Agumon!”
“What the heck is happening?” He asked, walking cautiously closer to the screen. The next thing he knew, he was in the Digital World, Agumon running towards him in fear.
*
Some time later, in the middle of a battle, Davis stood staring at an egg clasped between his palms.
“…Wow, the DigiEgg of Friendship is mine, huh?” Davis thought, staring at it in his hands. “All right, DigiArmor, Energize!”
A blink and a flash later, Raidramon stood before him, waiting impatiently for him to act.
“Come on, Davis, you’ve got to attack Metalgreymon!” TK urged. “You’ve gotta save him!”
Davis stood, uncertain of what to do. At that moment, a dark blur swept past and launched upward, landing unbelievably on one of the hovering Seadramon. While Davis waged internal warfare, the other DigiDestined looked up to see what the disturbance was.
Ken glared at the intrusion, and in the moment of distraction, Davis had made his decision. He jumped onto Raidramon’s back, and shouted, “Come on, let’s do it!”
In seconds, the dark spiral had been shattered, and Metalgreymon had reverted to a blessedly normal Agumon. Knocked from his position on Metalgreymon’s shoulders, Ken fell through the air, caught a moment later by the Seadramon the blur had landed on.
“How dare you distract me in the middle of a battle!” Ken shrilled. Whoever she was had been kneeling in front of Wormmon, but stood as Ken spoke.
“Fool,” she said blandly. “You got distracted.”
Ken fumed, eyes burning hatred at her. “You speak that way to the Digimon Emperor?!” He raised his whip, but something stopped him from lashing. Beyond livid, he turned to see a very angry green monkey glaring at him from knee level.
“Stupid genius!” It snarled, yanking the whip hard. Ken dropped to his knees, crying out in rage.
The monkey Digimon pulled an eyelid down at him and stuck out a tongue, waggling it in his face before jumping to the girl’s shoulders.
Kneeling to Wormmon again, she said quietly, “Think on what I’ve said,” then she tipped acrobatically backwards and off the Seadramon, leaving Wormmon to contend with Ken. She landed a little gracelessly by the cliff they were about to pass over, scuffing a hand and landing hard on her butt, dangerously short of the cliff’s edge.
“Who the heck was that?” Yolei asked, speaking the minds of all present.
The girl said something to her Digimon, who jumped off her shoulders and began scaling the face of the cliff. A moment later, she was doing the same.
“Hey, don’t do that! It’s dangerous!” Davis cried. If she heard him, she ignored him, and clambered down with as much speed as her partner, jumping the last few feet to the ground and walking towards the small gathering.
“Hi! Are you a DigiDestined?” asked Kari, smiling welcomingly.
“Yes,” she responded, too clearly to not be nervous. “I’m a DigiDestined. Call me Sylvie. This is Monmon,” she added, indicating to the monkey who immediately began showing off his agility and acrobatic prowess like he hadn’t had an audience in decades. “He’s a beast and virus type Digimon. He carries that slingshot on his back for his Swing-Swing attack. He’s a dangerous powerhouse, even if he is a little frog-monkey.”
“Who’re you calling frog-monkey?!” cried Monmon, glowering at Sylvie.
Davis stared in wonderment. “That dive off the Seadramon was awesome! Will you teach me how to do that?”
Sylvie raised an eyebrow at him. “Think you could keep up?”
“I apologize for Sylvie‘s rudeness,” Monmon announced. “She doesn’t socialize much.” He glared at her as he said this. “Which isn’t to say that she never has the opportunity.”
Sylvie rolled her eyes. “Excluding you, I work alone. That load of rule spouting pansies gets on my nerves.”
“Yeah, but you could really use each other’s help.”
“Oh, just stuff it, Monmon.”
“Make me, Sly!”
“I will, you goofy green monkey!”
Davis stared admiringly. “Look at that, Raidramon, they’re kinda like us!”
“Kinda a lot like us,” conceded Raidramon, “Only you’re not a green monkey.”
“Yeah. Hey!”
Raidramon laughed, de-evolving to Veemon, and Davis went back to watching the fight. Sylvie’s outfit looked like a DigiWorld original-- the wide, bright orange pants and tight black tank top gave the impression of someone who went to raves frequently. The dark blue sweater tied around her hips-- now being yanked on by her Digimon partner-- seemed mismatched, and he couldn't help but to wonder if it was really hers. The sweater looked from his standpoint to be at least two sizes too large. It was falling loose from Monmon's antagonizing, and Sylvie's sage green gaze looked ready to kill through her dark purple bangs. Most of her hair was pulled back in a leopard patterned scrunchy, which, Davis noticed, matched Monmon's leopard skin loincloth. He watched their antics back and forth, smiling unconsciously.
“Uh oh, I recognize that look,” Matt muttered to Tai.
Tai turned his attention to Davis. “Isn’t that…?”
“… The ‘ooh, pretty’ face?” Matt finished. “That’s what it looks like. You may not have to worry about Kari for a while.”
“Make it ‘ever’, and I’ll support it wholeheartedly,” Tai jested.
Matt laughed, turning back to Sylvie and Monmon. Monmon was sitting more peaceably on Sylvie’s shoulders, now, and Sylvie was muttering at him about getting dust on her shirt.
“So where are you from?” Yolei asked. “Are you from Japan, too?”
“Yeah, somewhere.”
“What’s ‘yeah, somewhere‘?” TK asked incredulously. “Don’t you know where in Japan?”
“If I thought about it, I would probably remember,” she said, irritation edging her tone. “I don’t go home.”
“What about your family?” Cody asked, his concern clearly showing on his features. “Don’t they worry?”
“I’ve been here a really long time. I think they’re over it.”
“How long?” Davis asked, obviously awed.
“That I know of… at least 8 years.”
Jaws dropped, and silence fell. Sylvie stared uncomfortably off to the left, and Monmon played with her ponytail as nonchalantly as possible.
“How old ARE you?!” Yolei cried. “You don’t look much older than we are!”
“People don’t really age in the Digital World,” Sylvie said, waving her hand dismissively. “I came from the real world to this one eight years ago, about the time that Greymon and Parrotmon waged war on a public street in Japan. I decided not to go back.”
“You were one of the first DigiDestined.” TK’s words weren’t a question. Sylvie only sighed her annoyance with the topic.
“You really are, aren’t you?” he pressed.
“Wow, that’s so great!” Davis jubilated. “One of the first DigiDestined ever!”
Sylvie blushed, and Monmon-- who had angled around her to see her reaction-- immediately began to tease her for it.
“Oooh, Sly, you’re BLUSHing!”
“Shut up, monkey- face.”
“Ha ha! When was the last time you did THAT, I wonder?”
“Shut UP, you wicked little monster!”
“Sticks and stones, Sly, especially when you’re cheeks are all rosy like that!”
Sylvie closed her eyes, searching for patience, then turned an irritated gaze on TK and Davis. “Did you REALLY have to go and say all that?”
“Sorry,” TK replied, smiling and quirking his eyebrows helplessly, trying to ignore the green spastic leaping and weaving between the group. “Didn’t know he’d go that bonkers.”
“Man, that’s one high energy monkey,” Davis said in wonderment. “Look at him bouncing around like that.”
“I keep insisting he’s got ADD,” Sylvie muttered irritably. “But nobody listens to me… ‘Digimon don’t get ADD,’ that’s bull…”
“Who says that?,” Kari asked, “And backing up a bit further: If no one ages in the Digital World, then why’s Gennai such an old man?”
Sylvie’s eye twitched, and her gaze slanted at the name. Monmon froze in mid-bounce, several drops of sweat developing across his being.
“Gennai isn’t now and never was human,” she said, and the tone in her voice was so dangerously careful that everyone got the sense they’d trespassed into forbidden territory. “He chooses to look like an old man now, and has been like that since before the time-shift was fixed four years ago.”
It was a few minutes before Sylvie spoke again, and the others went to conversing among themselves. All except Davis, who would not be deterred by Sylvie’s apparent bad mood swing and began chattering.
“So do you play soccer? I love the game, I’m my team’s best player!” He announced, embellishing on his own details. “I almost beat one of the best players in the league at the last game. Actually, it was Ken who was the best player in the league; he ran away from home, though, and he’s living in the digital world! Can you believe it? Living here, just so he can try and control it all. He thinks he’s above and beyond all of us, what a jerk! I mean, I can understand living here, that‘d be awesome, but just to control everything is a lame excuse.”
“I do play soccer,” she said slowly, shoulders relaxing at the change of subject. “Haven’t played in a while, though, there aren’t any digital soccer teams.”
“Well, we should start one then!” Davis declared. “As soon as we have recruits enough, I bet we could pull it off!”
Sylvie smiled at the thought. “That’d be cool. I’m out of practice, though.”
“That’s okay, we could help you get back on your game. Hey, TK! You’d help Sly get her game on, right? And Tai, and Matt! I bet she’d be awesome at soccer!”
“Sure, as long as I don’t have band practice!” Matt called.
“I have no problem with that, we spend a lot of the time in the Digital World anyway, why not go over some basics?” TK added. “By the way, did you actually just call me by the right name?”
“And did you really just call me Sly?” Sylvia demanded.
“Yeah, something wrong with that?”
She took a breath to say something in response, then let it go. “Nah. It’s all right, I don’t mind. It’s usually only Monmon who calls me that, though.” She sighed. “Just not used to hearing it from someone else, I guess.”
“What’s that?” Monmon asked, jumping and landing in front of her.
“I said your voice is irritating, it was refreshing to hear someone besides your squeaky voice usin’ the Sly name.”
“Do you two always antagonize each other like this?” Davis asked curiously.
“I’d be surprised if you and your partner didn’t,” Sylvie said. “You’ve got Veemon, and he’s a real troublemaker.”
Davis grinned. “Yeah, he’s a handful.”
“I’m a handful!” Veemon cried indignantly. “You should see this kid! He breaks windows with soccer balls on a regular basis!”
“Hey, those are all accidents!”
“See, he even admits to being a klutz!”
“HEY!”
Sylvie laughed at the ensuing struggle between boy and Mon, her Digimon chuckling at her side.
From behind her, she heard someone clear their throat for attention. She turned to see Cody looking curiously up at her.
“If it’s all right, can I ask about the first DigiDestined?” He began. “I was hoping maybe some of their trials could help us with ours in the future.”
Sylvie sighed and sat down on the digital dirt, and Cody sat next to her, looking at her face inquisitively.
“There’s really not much to say,” she began. “It was a really long time ago, and because of the time-shift, it‘s been more like a thousand years for me since it happened. We sort of tumbled through it, and honestly, I think that was the best way to go about it.” She patted Cody on the head gently. “Just remember, when it feels like all is lost, it may just be better to follow your heart. Believe it or not, the Digital World has a lot more to do with the power of the heart than it does with the power of technology.”
“Hmm…” Cody thought about this for a moment, then said, “I guess that makes sense; that’s what the crests are about, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right; now don’t forget that.”
“I won’t,” he responded, nodding his assent. He took a breath to say something, hesitated, then asked, “What’d you do when time was all out of whack?”
Before she could answer, though, Yolei called, “Hey, who’s hungry?” She was met by the sounds of agreement.
“Hey, do you wanna come to the real world with us for dinner?” Davis asked, hope glinting in his eyes. Sylvie looked doubtful.
“Aw, c’mon, you should!” Yolei urged.
“Yeah, we could go to a McDonald’s or something,” TK offered. “Get something quick to eat, what do you say?”
“I would appreciate your presence,” invited Cody.
“And hey, Matt’ll even pay for you if you’d like!”
“Right, with the money Tai gives me to pay me back for buying lunch the other day.”
Sylvie laughed, but responded, “I think I’ll pass. It’s been a really long time since I left the Digital World, and I don’t know if I feel comfortable leaving it just yet. This place is home.”
“Aw, are you sure?” Davis begged, crestfallen.
“Yeah, sorry,” she said, then-- because Davis looked so upset-- added “But I’d like to go with you all another time!”
Davis perked up at this, and the others all seemed to brighten at the prospect of seeing their new friend outside the Digital World. “All right,” Davis said, “Well then, we’ll see you again soon!”
“Feel free to give me a call if you need help!” Sylvie called as everyone turned to leave. She waved good bye, and turned to walk off.
“Hey, Sylvie,” Monmon asked, trotting after her. “Would you leave the Digital World to go be with them?”
“I might,” she said. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll get along better.”
“But… What about me?”
Sylvie looked at Monmon, concern creasing her forehead. “Oh, Monmon, I wouldn’t leave you behind! You don’t think I’d do that, do you?” She knelt down and gathered Monmon into a hug, and he wrapped his arms around her neck. “We’re friends forever. We’ve made it a thousand years, and we aren’t stopping!”
“Good,” Monmon said, relieved. “I was kinda worried; you seemed so comfortable with them I was afraid…”
“Afraid I would replace you? You, the frog-monkey from Hell? No way!”
“Frog-monkey?!”
“Well, what else has four hands, is bright green, and hops like it’s going out of style?”
“I’m not a frog-monkey! I’m a Monmon!”
“Sure you are. Now, let’s find a vending machine, I need some food.”