The following is based upon the franchise Digimon, with related ideas and concepts belonging to their owners. Some characters are original, others are based on those used by friends of mine.

No one knows where the Digital World came from, nor the Digital Monsters - Digimon, who inhabit it. For centuries peace reigned and civilization prospered, but as such things happen, it did not last.

Forces of the Dark Lord Vakner have been steadily encroaching on the Kingdom of Chronus, the center of the known Digital World. Where the Dark Legion does not level entire cities, citizen Digimon of the kingdom turn traitor to it, swayed by words of power, wealth, and a greater tomorrow under Vakner's rule.

For the last century the Chronus military has held on against the might of the dark legions, but slowly and inexorably the situation has deteriorated. The preoccupation of the nation's warriors with fighting Vakner's forces have left the homelands open to bandits, thieves, the greedy and the corrupt. Branches of the dark army now lay to the east, south, and north of kingdom, with the vast ocean across the west. Even as the Chronus military, the Excalibur, dwindle in numbers, the number of dark army forces pouring out of the unknown regions to the far east never abates.

Legends speak of a great trial faced by the Digital World long ago, a time when beings from another world, known as Humans, crossed over. Those humans formed bonds of love, friendship, and camaraderie with their Digimon partners, attaining power far beyond what either was capable of alone. History runs in cycles, repeating itself across years, centuries, millennia. Digimon prophets spoke of the day when humans would once again enter their world, rising as champions once more...

That time is now.

Digital Strife

Kingdom of Chronus, Eastern Province, near the fort of Arcwater

"C'mon, now," the four hooves of a Sagittarimon plodded across the moonlit grass. His black skin did not reflect the silvery light from high above, but his red armor mirrored that subtle sheen. Hands clasped around the bow, deep worry stirring within his digital soul. The river gurgled and hissed nearby on one side, a scattered forest on the other.

Striding alongside him were three squat bipedal saurians, notable by orange scales, stubby tails, large heads, and leather gauntlets on their forearms. The Agumon soldiers kept their eyes peeled as they proceeded along the river, for their group had a cargo most precious. Members five and six of the group were being transported on the leader's back, both wounded and battered from a tangle with Vakner's army. The first of them a Digimon that was unconscious, the second a human barely awake.

The quietest of sounds, a whisper as pads and claws scraped at the dirt of the riverbank. Rapid steps as the pack advanced, but even as shadow incarnate could not elude Sagittarimon's notice.

"Incoming!" barked the leader, hooves sliding to a stop in the dirt, readying a single arrow and drawing it back. By the light of the moon he saw the ripples of his quarry, the Agumon likewise turning and arraying themselves for battle. Fists at the ready, fire licking at their fangs.

"You sure about this, Sergeant?" questioned one of the reptilian warriors, though unmistakably ready for the hard battle they'd fought to continue.

The armor-level officer did not reply directly. "Have you forgotten our duty?" the warrior spoke gruffly, drawing his bow back a bit further. "We may have lost some of number protecting these two from Vakner's minions already, but I'll be damned if I live with the shame of being the one who surrendered one of the Chosen to Vakner's hellspawn! General Magnus has given us our orders, it's time to make good on our oath!" His men nodding, he knew grimly that his pep talk had worked.

Even as the unearthly howls of their stalkers filled the air, the four Chronus warriors steeled themselves. "Attack!" barked the sergeant, releasing his arrow as the shadows emerged from darkness. The fierce, fluid, inky lupine forms of the Sangloupmon charged onward, half a dozen of the beasts with wickedly sharp foreclaws, heads framed by bat wings.

"Judgment Arrow!"
"Baby Flame!"

A shining golden projectile joined the three hot orange fireballs streaking toward the wolves, but the Sangloupmon melted like shadows as the attacks passed through them. As the attack passed, they reconstituted. "Sticker Blade!" Needle-like darts filled the air, launched from the manes of the wolves, peppering the Excaliburs.

Shrugging off the brief barrage, the warriors were more taken aback by the ineffectiveness of their attacks. "Again!" barked Sagittarimon, readying another arrow. The wolves had closed half the distance, and it would be unwise to fight them hand-to-hand.

"We can still," gasped a weak voice from the phantom beast's back. "Fight." Sensing the tamer's will, and sharing it as a spark of strength passed between them, the partner likewise slid from the quadruped's back. Side by side, terribly battered by a battle before the Excalibur squad had rescued them, tamer and partner were nonetheless ready to fight valiantly.

"Concentrate your fire," murmured Sagittarimon.
"Judgment Arrow!"
"Baby Flame!"

This salvo was more successful, striking down one of the Sangloupmon. The wolf disintegrating to dust as his pack charged onward, they suddenly… vanished.

"Ha!" cheered one of the Agumon, suddenly relieved.
"No!" the Sagittarimon and tamer both yelled the warning at once, but it was too late.

The five wolves exploded from the shadows around the Excaliburs, claws glinting in the moonlight. Slash, slash, slash, and the three Agumon were naught but dust in the wind.

A Sangloupmon lunged at Sagittarimon, but an arrow tore deep into the wolf's chest cavity and a split second later it was gone. A second wolf aimed to sink its fangs into the centaur's flank, suddenly dazed by a hoof that caught it in the face. A blast of energy from the partner struck the disoriented wolf and felled it, the sudden ferocity causing the remaining three Sangloupmon to draw back even as the odds stood even.

A nervous gasp from the tamer as the stalemate settled. The wolves hovered some ten meters away, spread in a semicircle before the remaining Excalibur and his charges. "Be ready to run," warned Sagittarimon, earning tense acknowledgements.

The Sangloupmon did not snarl or snap, saliva did not drip from their fangs, and as their red eyes gleemed in the darkness, they seemed to be waiting. Then they parted, a cold laugh heralding the arrival of a humanoid figure clad in black leather. Eyes red like blood but colder than ice stared outward. "Going somewhere?" the voice spoke with a cold, cruel ease as the wolves sidled up alongside.

"Run!" barked Sagittarimon, drawing another arrow. Fear brought hesitation, but desperation returned motion to the tamer and partner under the tenuous care of the Excalibur. As they flew in one direction, the centaur's arrow flew the other.

"Nice try," drawled the leather-clad speaker, drawing a small object in one hand while brilliant light shone from the other. With blinding speed one of the Sangloupmon intercepted the attack, snatching the arrow from midair in its jaws and splitting it in two.

"Get them!" the two other Sangloupmon charged onward, rapidly closing the distance with the fleeing quarry. An agreement passed between Tamer and Digimon, for they could never outrun the enemy. As light flared from the wounded human's palm, the only remaining options were fight,

Or die…

Kingdom of Chronus, Southern Province, Primary Village

"Wake up, chosen child!" a cheerful voice pierced the ears of a sleeping youth.

The azure blue eyes of Jeanette Roy cracked open before immediately slamming shut, the harsh midday sun drilling into them. The balmy air was stirred by a cool breeze, with the soft cradle of earth and grass beneath her, the teen felt herself drifting off to sleep again as she rolled over.

Her hair was long and blonde; it would have easily reached down to mid-shoulder if the girl was upright. Her skin was fair, her face framed by slim silver eyeglasses. She was dressed in blue sneakers, knee-high stockings, a blue skirt, and a jean jacket over a pink short-sleeved shirt. The one thing truly noticeable about the young teenage girl's appearance was a lock of her bangs above her left eye – dyed shocking pink.

"Oi!" the voice came again, a bit perturbed but nonetheless friendly. Following it a split second later was a soft jab at her stomach.

"'ey!" exclaimed the girl, sitting bolt upright. Eyes focusing through the glasses, she set her eyes on what first appeared to be a stuffed animal. Then it smiled and spoke, making it clear this was no bedtime toy.

"'Bout time you woke up, sleepyhead," the same friendly-yet-boisterous voice that woke her came from the creature's lips, the thing itself spherical and covered in pink fuzz, two stubby arms, two stubby legs with feet in sandals, bird wings fluttering at its back, and two wide eyes. Almost like a fairy, the whole thing would have been cute if it hadn't been so alarming.

Another startled exclamation left the girl's lips, scuttling briefly backward across the grass on her hands and knees, crablike, to get away from the fuzzball. "Wha-what are you?" she gasped, her voice French-accented as her name might suggest.
"C'mon, now," said the fairy, fluttering to the ground and propping the spear he'd used the blunt end of to wake Jeanette against his shoulder. "I'm Piccolomon, remember?"

"Piccolomon," the girl echoed, nodding in acknowledgement, but then shaking her head to try and clear it.

It had started out with her fourteenth birthday days away. Her adoptive father told her he was going on a business trip to London, England, and that she was coming along. Disappointed, but hardly surprised, she found herself wandering the streets whilst her father went about running his business. Jeanette had never known the sweet embrace of parents who truly cared about her, only the past twelve years in the businessman's loveless care. He had never married, only kept Jeanette nearly as much as a groomed future employee to run his business some day than as a daughter.

There was no mistaking she was well-cared for, but academics had been truly rigorous even for someone as naturally intelligent as Jeanette was. But, recently, along with the trials and tribulations of normal puberty, the young French girl was diagnosed as a Narcoleptic. While hers was not as severe as some cases she had read about, her condition left her body prone to falling asleep at inconvenient daytime moments while nights were less restful than those she'd grown used to, as well as some other complications from a body that no longer handled sleeping and waking states properly.

It had probably been just such an episode that left her sleeping before this Piccolomon. "Right," she mumbled, embarrassed by her actions even if they were out of her control. Her father had been no help on that either, simply chastising her for laziness and a lack of drive and focus. In a way, she'd been glad to have free reign of the London streets while he was cooped up in some meeting.

More than to see the look on her father's face when she saw him again than anything, she'd had her hair dyed on that one lock. At times she came to fear his reaction, but at the time it seemed like there wasn't any going back.

At least, not until the strange e-mail on her phone, and a run-in with an even stranger person on the streets.

Greetings, Jeanette Alice Roy,

Do you seek adventure, friendship, a place to belong, travel, and even a chance to discover more about yourself?

YES or NO ?

The odd young man Mikhail had received a similar automated message. Though not inclined to trust the gruff Russian, both replied Yes together.

Jeanette Alice Roy,

The path you have chosen is fraught with many dangers, but holds much great potential as well. When you are certain, reply to this message.

Though not inclined to take advice from a male, led alone a bossy one, she saw the wisdom when Mikhail advised her to not reply yet. Somehow he seemed to know that once they replied to the second message, there was no going back. "Pack what you can, and then accept the message." How being packed immediately upon replying was necessary defied imagination, but as Jeanette would come to realize, that was just the beginning.

And how right he was. Fortunately, most of Jeanette's packing was already done; all she had to do was return a few things to her suitcase in the hotel room. With the blocky container in one hand and her backpack hitched up on her back, she'd replied.
A whirlwind of light, sound, and wind followed, as the French youth traveled further than she'd ever thought possible, even after spending her entire life getting dragged along by her father on one business trip after another.

Piccolomon's initial greeting trickled back into her memory. The e-mail she'd received was an invitation to the Digital World, a dimension filled with fantastic creatures called Digimon. Some lived wild like animals, yet others congregated in villages, cities, and even Kingdoms. Normally humans didn't cross over, but there were legends of a time long ago when a raging Belphemon (whatever that was, it didn't sound good) was at last defeated by a combined team of humans and Digimon.

It seemed that humans did not rely on traditional weapons here, but rather on an arcane, intricate, and little-understood subtle bond that existed between Humans and Digimon. "Together, a human and Digimon are far greater than the sum of their parts."

Humans were few and far between most of the time, for only special individuals for whom destiny had great plans were sent invitations. Was it good or bad when the first thing that crossed her mind upon learning that was that it was a place her father wouldn't be able to cast his shadow over her?

Hauling herself to her feet, Jeanette found her backpack and suitcase discarded on the ground next to her. Turning her navy gaze to the landscape, she saw lush, gently rolling hills of grass dotted by several small dwellings. In the distance, the snowy caps of mountains loomed.

"You can stay here for a few days while you get your bearings," Piccolomon explained, still smiling contentedly as his young charge looked around. "Although it just so happens there's another Tamer staying here as well."

"Tamer?" Jeanette replied dimly, while brushing some errant blades of grass from her skirt.

"Tamer, Chosen Child, human, they all mean the same things to us Digimon." Piccolomon explained happily, oblivious to the nerves Jeanette was feeling. Just what had she gotten herself into?

"Konichiwa!" came a cheerful greeting from behind Jeanette. Turning, she found herself looking upon a girl a bit older and a bit taller than she was. The girl's skin tone and features suggested she was of asian heritage, face framed by short yet also rather messy reddish-brown hair. She wore a gray tank top, a black skirt, a silver-buckled belt, purple tennis shoes, and beaded wristbands. Earrings dangled from her ears, and a close look revealed eyes that sparkled with a manic energy, eyes that did not match, one blue, the other brown.

Most noticeable however was not the girl herself, but rather the creature on her shoulders as she jogged over. The creature vaguely resembled a rabbit with colossally oversized ears, fur the color of chocolate, and 3 little horns on its forehead. Soft pink fur appeared on the wrists and ankles of the main body, as well as the neck, along the ears, and at the tips of the ears that formed into three finger-like protrusions.

"Euh… Hello?" Jeanette managed with no small use of will, between greeting the two strangers and forcing her mouth to put out a letter it wasn't familiar with.

Before Jeanette knew it, the other girl was before her, taking her junior's hands in both of her own before bowing slightly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kyoko!" The Japanese youth said brightly. Though initially struck by the impulse to pull away, Jeanette found something comforting about the girl's touch. At this range, she noticed several more details about Kyoko, namely that her earrings were tiny spherical shapes, pure white with slight protrusions on the top, the etchings on them clearly made to give them a rabbit motif.

It also appeared that the big-eared rabbit thing draped across her shoulders, while hanging on with its fingers and toes, was fast asleep.

Jeanette realized Kyoko was still staring eagerly at her. "My name is Jeanette," she said, returning the other's bow before easing her hands free.

"Oh, and this here's Lopmon." The older female poked her partner lightly, but the soft snores continued. "Or Bolter, as I like to call him."

So these Digimon had names, just like people? "Piccolomon, what's your name?" asked Jeanette, looking down at the fairy who'd been observing the two humans greet one another with interest.

"Me? Just plain old Piccolomon!" He shifted his spear before looking to Kyoko. "Kyoko, why don't you show her to her room?"

"Room?" echoed Jeanette as Kyoko nodded her acknowledgement. Passing the newer tamer her backpack, Kyoko picked up the heavier suitcase.

"Sheesh, Net-Chan," Kyoko complained as she lead the way along a path worn in the grass toward one dwelling. "The heck did you pack in here?"

Flushing a bit, Jeanette looked away as she walked along a bit behind Kyoko. "Well, I was already packed…" her words trailed off in a tumbling, mumbling mess as she tried to explain it. As she walked, she saw that the landscape was dotted not only with the occasional building or tree, but also many egg-like forms, the size consistent but the colors varying from one egg to the next.

"Well, here it is," Kyoko said breezily, pushing open the door on the simple, cottage-like dwelling. The interior of the two-room building was simple and bare, yet somehow also cozy. Cupboards lined one wall, nearby was a table and several chairs, whilst opposite that were two bunk beds. Three of them were still made, but the top bunk of one had been disturbed. A sack lay at the end of the bed, Kyoko's own stash.

Stepping aside, Kyoko set the suitcase down near the entrance as Jeanette followed her in. The other door led into a bathroom, which looked surprisingly modern considering the otherwise simple accommodations.

"We can stay here for a few days, and then we can probably head north," Kyoko walked over to her chosen bed, standing on her tiptoes to transfer her passenger onto the sheets. "What do you think?" she said, turning back to the French teen with a smile.

Jeanette looked around, and then the remarkable happened as she managed a smile. Beneath the gnawing fear of just what she'd gotten herself into, there tingled eagerness at the freedom and infinite possibilities before her. Best of all, she wasn't alone. While her youth had by no means been isolated, her father had a habit of scaring off most of the people she made friends with.

Peeling off her shoes, Jeanette lightly threw herself down on the bottom of the second bunk bed. The smile turned to laughter, a mirth shared by Kyoko as the older tamer sat down at the table, nearly as glad as Jeanette for some friendly company.