By

Sara Gibson

* * *

~~~ Lexxy's P.O.V. ~~~

Man! What a weird day! First Alex and Nerimon get trampled by some Numemon and then we get attacked by Duodramon again! While we were sleeping he stole our Digimon and told us he ate them. Luckily he didn't! Cheetormon digivolved to WereCheetormon just as things were looking their worst. The only problem was WereCheetormon seemed, well, evil and we weren't sure what she was going to do to us until she picked Erica up and gave her a big lick. We ended up having to go find somewhere else to sleep. I'm just glad we got out of that mess, but who knows if we'll be able to make it out of the next one we get into.

* * *

Dani wrinkled her nose as a patch of light hit her face through a small gap in the leaves of the vines that hung from tree to tree around them. Large red flowers with long yellow tendrils opened as the light hit them, the mist from the waterfall behind another curtain of flowered vines casting rainbows over the surface of the lagoon. They had decided the night before that it was perfect, the trees surrounded it hid them effectively from anyone passing on the trail they had been using.

Dani rolled over and bumped into Pandamon, who lifted his head for a moment, blinking sleepily before laying his head back down. Dani suddenly jumped up as a splash of water fell on her face. "What the-!" She stared at one of the flowers from the vines hanging above the lagoon that had fallen into the water, wiping her face on her jacket. She stared at it as several silver and white fish came and began to nibble on the tendrils.

She stretched her arms over her head and smiled, lying back down and letting the light warm her skin. "It's so nice here. . . ." she said quietly, opening her eyes as she heard some of the others stirring.

She glanced over and saw Lexxy and Jenn standing up and stretching, Foximon following suite and Cunomon snoring loudly. "Get up you lazy bum," Lexxy said, nudging him with her foot. He rolled onto his side and stopped snoring even though he was still very much asleep. Lexxy rolled her eyes and Jenn laughed, picking up her pack and opening it.

"Morning," Dani said, standing up and walking toward them, smiling widely as she watched Cunomon start to drool.

"Morning!" Jenn said happily, taking a deep breath of the sweet smelling air. "Man, it's amazing here," she said, looking around and smiling. "It's just so pretty."

"Wish we could stay," Skye said as she stretched her arms. "It's like a little paradise."

Magimon nodded as she walked over toward the lagoon and took a drink. "The water tastes like flowers," she said, watching as a fish came up and stared at her questioningly.

Jenn giggled. "I wish we could stay too, but we can't."

The others paused, the smiles vanishing from their faces. "You're right," Lexxy said quietly, looking at the others that were still sleeping. "I guess we don't have much of a choice."

Dani watched the worried looks and smiled widely. "Come on guys, let's not look at it like that. . . ." They stared at her. "We get to save the world again remember!"

They all laughed at the comment and Jenn turned back to her pack. "Who's hungry?" she asked, pulling out some of the leftover food from the night before.

"Why are you going to eat that?" Foximon asked, looking at the lagoon. "I could catch some. . . ."

"No!" Jenn and Lexxy said quickly, the Digimon blinking at them. "We'll just have leftovers. . . ." Jenn added, opening the bag that held the food.

Foximon half shrugged. "All right, but it's a waste of perfectly good fish." She walked over to the lagoon and stared at the fish as they stared back.

* * *

Dani smiled at Pandamon stirring while the light broke through the tops of the trees. She took another bite of the leftover steak that they had managed to cook with a small fire, the others staring appreciatively around at the beautiful place they had found. "So. . . ." she said, looking at the vines that hung in front of the waterfall. "Who gets to shower first?"

"Me," Lexxy said quickly, pausing with her food a few inches from her face. "I think Cuno drooled on me last night."

The entire circle, including the Digimon, burst into laughter causing Cunomon to roll onto his back, still asleep.

"I don't blame you," Lina said with a grin. "I wouldn't want monster slobber on me either."

* * *

Lexxy walked behind the waterfall, setting her clothes behind a nearby rock and wrapping herself in a towel as she walked to the water fall, making sure she was well behind the curtain before she took the towel off, folding it and leaving it on a naturally formed ledge.

She dunked herself completely, glad to not smell anymore as she came up, swimming in the fairly deep water back toward the ledge that ran behind the water. "What the. . . ." She paused as she stared at a small section of the wall. On it was obviously the Crest of Melody. Next to it was a Digimon that looked like Musyamon but it was too old to tell. "This looks like it's centuries old!" she said excitedly, staring at the scratchings. Some of the picture was blurred out by the falling water. "Yes!"

* * *

"Well, steak and eggs are all well and good but still, I could go for some cereal and a piece of toast," Erica said, poking the meat with her fork. "Especially since we're not in the army. . . ."

Cunomon perked his ears up and looked at the waterfall, jumping to his feet and running to it. He ran around the edge of the curtain and skidded into the water, splashing loudly and nearly giving Lexxy a heart attack. She grabbed the towel and threw it around herself. "CUNO!" He looked confused as he came up out of the water and spit out a mouth full of fish.

"Oh SORRY!" He threw his paw over his eyes and scrambled back around the curtain as quickly as he could.

After a few minutes Lexxy reappeared at the camp, running a towel over her hair and frowning. "Don't you ever do that again," she said to Cunomon, adjusting the vest she wore. She hadn't thought about this when she had picked her Digimon partner's gender!

"I said I was sorry. . . ." he replied sheepishly.

"Why'd you scream?" Alex questioned, looking up from his steak as she sat by the fire.

"Oh!" She jumped up and dropped the towel. "Guys, you have to come see this!" she called, grabbing Jenn by the wrist and pulling her toward the waterfall.

"Come see what?" Skye asked as they followed the two girls.

"You're scaring me Lexxy. . . ." Tania said as they stopped outside the waterfall.

"No, come look, see?" She let go of Jenn's hand and reached out, pulling back the curtain to reveal a small walkway. "Well?" she asked as she stepped along it. "You guys coming or not?"

The others looked at each other and shrugged, following behind her. As they went they found that the bridge was widening, giving them plenty of room to move. "Here it is!" Lexxy said happily as she stopped in front of a small section of the wall, pointing at it.

"Whoa. . . ." Jenn said, stopping and staring at it. "This looks ancient. . . ." She paused, her fingers moving to the side. "Hey, what are these?" she asked, staring at several smaller scratches.

"Hmmm. . . ." Lexxy stared at them. "Hey, those look like the hieroglyphics that Izzy deciphered in that one episode . . . I might be able to get into his hard drive and find the information, if it is really Izzy's laptop of course. . . ." She ran around the other end of the walkway and vanished as she went to get her laptop.

"Somebody's watched that episode a few too many times." Tania grinned slightly, the others trying to hide the smiles on their faces.

"Ok, lets see here…" Lexxy said as she reappeared, turning her back toward the waterfall to protect the laptop from any sudden showers and sitting down. "If I just click on one of these shortcuts I might get lucky. . . ." She clicked a small icon that looked like a bird and a word document popped up on the screen. "Bingo!" she said, turning the computer around so the others could see. "An entire list of the hieroglyphics and their meanings."

"This one means Sword." Jenn said, staring at the wall, pointing to one of the symbols.

"Read the whole thing," Lexxy hastened, "they should all be there. . . ."

"There is a Digimon, a legendary Digimon, with the rarest of attacks called 'Heart of Sword.'" She read slowly, looking over every few seconds to make sure she was right. "This Digimon is the only one able to wield . . . or field . . . this attack, and only when it uses the power of melody. . . ." She looked at Dani. "You don't think. . . ?"

The entire group looked down at Pandamon, who looked back up at them. "What?" he asked.

"That's just an old bedtime story for Baby Digimon," Magimon said. "No one's ever seen this Digimon and no one can prove it exists."

"What a let down," Erica said, walking past the others and starting toward the other side of the walkway. The rest followed, each one trying to decide if they believed the story or not.

Dani continued to stare at the pictures, mesmerized by them. "Hey Dani?" Pandamon said as he turned at the end of the walkway.

"I'll be there in a minute. . . ." Dani said as Pandamon nodded and walked around the curtain. "This can't just be a myth. . . ." She stared at the Digimon. "After everything we've seen, after all I am the guardian of Melody, it makes sense if you think about it. . . ." She reached out and ran her hand across the Digimon's picture. Her crest glowed slightly.

* * *

"Hey, what took so long?" Jenn asked, looking up as Dani came back.

She glanced over and saw Magimon dipping her hand into the pool and throwing out fish after fish. She opened her mouth to explain and stopped, she didn't want to start any fights. "I dunno," she said, looking at the group. "Just thought I recognized the Digimon in the picture's all." She smiled. "Nice to see you again Cheekomon."

Cheekomon smiled. "All I needed was a big breakfast."

"Yeah, you ate half of mine. . . ." Cunnomon said.

"Shut up," Lexxy muttered, nudging him with her foot again. "You were sleeping anyway."

Foximon stretched out and sat back up smiling. "I feel great!" she said happily. "I might even be able to digivolve back into PolarGlorymon if I have to!"

Jenn smiled. "That's good."

After everyone had finished, they washed the dishes in the lagoon and smiled as several fish came up to eat the small bits of food. "Here you go," Magimon said, motioning to the small pile of fish on the ground beside her.

"How're we gonna carry those. . . ?" Kristina asked, staring at them.

"In these," Samee said, walking out of the nearby trees with a stack of palm leaves in one hand and a small pile of thorns in the other. "Just wrap 'em up and pack 'em away."

"Good idea," Jenn replied, taking a leaf and staring at the fish. "Well, here goes nothing." She lifted several fish and dropped them onto the leaf, folding it up around them and sticking a thorn into the part where it connected.

Dani watched them and smiled, she was lucky to have friends like this.

"All right," Jenn said, staring at her hands and washing them in the lagoon quickly. "Let's head out!"

* * *

Marajamon sat in a large stone chair and stared at her crystal ball with an evil smile. It spun quickly in place, an image appearing in the rotating clouds. "As promised, I let them think they won," she said to the room around her. "It was especially amusing to watch them defeat you," she said with a laugh as the picture switched to Duodramon who was currently nursing his wounds. "I knew it wouldn't be much of a fight." She laughed again.

The picture switched back to the Digidestined. "I think they've had a long enough break." She stood up and the ball floated along behind her like a mutated dog. She wandered a short way across the hall and opened a chest. "This should do the trick," she said, picking up several different bottles and throwing them into a cauldron in the middle of the room all at once, a large cloud of smoke rising from it.

"Sphinxmon," she said quietly, holding out her hand as a small statue of the creature appeared in her palm. "You are summoned." She waved her other hand over it and set the statue on the floor as she walked back to her seat.

"Yes, Mistress. . . ." The large sphinx-like Digimon asked, in what could almost be called a growl. The statue had been replaced by his massive form.

"You are to go and capture the Digidestined," she said simply as she sat in her throne.

"Yes mistress. . . ." he responded, turning and crouching to run.

"Sphinxmon," she said quietly. The Digimon turned. "If their Digimon fight. . . ." She paused as the crystal ball settled in front of her. "Kill them."

Sphinxmon smiled and growled his response, "Of course, Mistress. . . ." He looked back at the door and ran off into the front of the large building, bursting through the open doors with a growl.

* * *

"Hey, guys. . . ." Emily said quietly, looking to one side as they walked. "I think we're lost."

"Whet do you mean lost?" Lexxy said, looking up from Cunomon as Emily pushed through a bush and stopped on the other side. They followed suit and frowned. There was a lagoon with vines and large red and yellow flowers.

"You've got to be kidding me," Tania said, sitting on the ground. "Four hours of walking and we end up right back here!"

"Twice," Kristina said. "I didn't want to say anything but we went down that path before too."

"Well. . . ." Jenn said, looking down at Foximon. "I guess your sense of direction isn't as amazing as we thought."

"Sorry . . . I could have sworn we should turn right. . . ." Foximon said with a sheepish grin as Lexxy took out her laptop to check the map again.

After a few clicks Lexxy had locked onto their digivices and stared at the map. "We're right there," she said. "And the edge of the forest is . . . not on this part of the map." She sighed and opened up the e-mail page. "Time for a chat with our pen pal," she said, sitting on the ground and typing feverishly.

"We might as well rest while we're here," Jenn said, looking at Dani. "It's not like we can go anywhere when Lexxy's typing anyway." They all sat or lay down and waited for her to finish.

Jenn walked over to Dani and sat next to her and Pandamon. "You okay?" she asked the blonde girl.

Dani looked up and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine." She looked over as Pandamon and Huntermon threw a small rock to one another.

"Good," Jenn replied with a smile. "If you ever need a break, just let me know." She stood up and walked back over to Lexxy as she saved something from paint. "What's that?" Jenn asked.

"I thought I should mention the carvings," Lexxy said, attaching the file. "So I drew a picture." She clicked send. "Well, let's give it a minute," she said, setting the laptop on the grass beside her.

No sooner had she taken her hand off it then a window appeared. "That was fast. . . ." Skye said, looking at it.

Lexxy read the email and giggled. "Digidestined, I don't know how you could be lost, all you have to do is walk along the path until you reach a fork in the road, take the left trail and you should be on the plains within half an hour." Foximon grinned as they laughed. "Once you reach the plains wait there for further instructions." She stopped for a moment. "I'm afraid to say that, while it is a pretty picture, I don't know anything about your legendary Digimon."

"Well," Pandamon said with a grin, "Let's get, um, there faster."

Several other Digimon agreed and digivolved. Kombatmon, Agurimon, Athenamon and KiSunemon all appeared out of a flash of white light.

Kombatmon and Kisunemon picked up their respective partners and placed them on their shoulders. Athenamon and Agurimon offered the other humans and Digimon rides. They quickly started down the path and took the left turn, reaching the end of the woods in a few minutes.

They all jumped down from the backs and shoulders of the Digimon, looking around. Lexxy's laptop pinged and she opened it. There were their new directions. "Quickly Digidestined, get to somewhere sheltered, an unidentified Digimon is coming your way, the closest place is-"

They all turned and looked up as they heard a roar from not far off. "Where?" Jenn asked quickly.

Lexxy opened the map and glanced at it, pointing to the right. "This way."

The entire group ran as fast as they could toward a small hill, climbing it quickly. "Look out!" Kombatmon called, pushing Dani down and out of the way as something large and fast swooped over their heads.

"Sphinxmon!" Jenn cried, recognizing the villain from her fic. "Oh crap. . . ."

"Sphinxmon, from your fic?" Lexxy asked, looking up at it as it circled over them. "Yep . . . that's him alright. . . ."

"Man, why did I have to make him?" Jenn wailed, watching as the large and rather impressive creature spun to face them. "Well. . . ." She looked at the other Digidestined who looked rather frightened. "I beat him once before right?"

Sphinxmon growled loudly. "CLAWS OF FORCE!" Her sent the attack at them. The Digimon managed to get the humans out of the way just in time, the attack almost completely destroying the hill.

He dove at them, straight at Samee who was farther then the others. "I don't think so," KiSunemon said, stopping him with her own attack.

"CLAWS OF FORCE!" Sphinxmon called again, cutting through the Champion's attack and sending Sunemon flying.

"I got this one!" Agurimon said loudly, jumping up into the air and flying toward Sphinxmon.

"CLAWS OF FORCE!"

Huntermon landed on the ground beside Emily who ran to her.

"You might be able to beat them," Athenamon said, flying toward the other Digimon. "But not me!"

"CLAWS OF FORCE!"

Athenamon dodged the attack and slammed into Sphinxmon, locking her jaws on one of the Digimon's four wings. "GET OFF!" Sphinxmon growled loudly, the hairs on Athenamon's back standing on end. "RAWRRRRRR!"

Athenamon continued to bite, blood dripping from the creature's wing as her teeth sank deeper and deeper. "Go Athenamon!" Skye called from where she stood on the ground. "Get him!"

"CLAWS OF FORCE!" Sphinxmon called, spinning himself around and catching Athenamon off guard. She fell down, landing on the ground as BabyBunnimon.

"He's stronger!" Jenn called as she saw what had happened. "Marajamon must have cast a spell!"

Kombatmon turned and looked at Dani. "Go teach him a lesson!" she said with a nod and Kombatmon drew his sword, jumping up and swinging it.

"CLAWS OF FORCE!" Sphinxmon called again.

Kombatmon dodged as much as he could in midair, falling to the ground with a large cut in his side. "Kombatmon!" Dani called loudly, starting to run over.

Kombatmon stopped her as he managed to get up into a crouch. "Not bad," he said to Sphinxmon as the Digimon circled again. "But you're going down." He jumped up into the air again.

Sphinxmon smiled and waited until the other Digimon was almost within striking distance. "CLAWS OF FORCE!"

Kombatmon fell to the ground and landed flat on his back, cuts and bruises everywhere. He tried to pull himself up using his sword but couldn't stand. "This is bad. . . ." he muttered as he saw Sphinxmon recognize the weakness.

The evil Digimon dove straight for his foe. "CLAWS OF-"

"KOMBATMON!" Dani called, running toward him. Her digivice and crest began to glow simultaneously as she ran, a large beam of orange light flying from her to her Digimon, surrounding him.

"Kombatmon digivolve to. . . !" The orange light flashed and Dani covered her eyes with her arm. "MetalKombatmon!"

Danni uncovered her face and smiled widely at the Digimon she recognized as the Ultimate form of Kombatmon. "MetalKombatmon!" she said excitedly, as Sphinxmon stopped his dive.

"I'll still defeat you," he said in his deep growl. "CLAWS OF FORCE!"

"HEART OF SWORD!" MetalKombatmon called in response. He lifted his sword into the air and called the names of all the crests: Loyalty, Compassion, Melody, Kindness, Justice, Beauty, Protection, Commitment, Determination, Faith and Patience. The blade grew larger and glowed with multicolored light. The Digidestined and Digimon alike stared at the beautiful blade as he swung it down, cutting through Sphinxmon's attack.

"No!" Sphinxmon called, as the attack flew at him.

MetalKombatmon didn't move as the opposing Digimon screamed at the top of his lungs, a deep, growling scream that made the hairs on the back of the humans' necks stand on end. His sword returned to its normal size, bearing no scratch or stain while Sphinxmon fell to the ground in pieces, disappearing in pixels.

MetalKombatmon looked at the Digidestined for a moment before he vanished into an orange light, reappearing as Kombatmon. "Kombatmon!" Dani called, running up and hugging her Digimon. "You did great!"

Kombatmon blushed. "It wasn't that big of a deal. . . ."

"Are you kidding!? That was amazing!" Dani responded, letting him go and smiling at him.

"Um, guys, as much as I hate to break up this tender moment. . . ." Cunomon said simply, looking around at the sky over them.

"We need to get going," Babybunnimon said shortly. "Marajamon might be watching us right now. . . ."

"Good point," Jenn said, turning to Lexxy. "Which way?"

Lexxy opened her laptop and looked at it. "That way." She pointed to the right. "Just over a few hills."

* * *

Marajamon screamed and sent a small vile crashing into the wall with a wave of her hand, the image in the flame above her cauldron faltering slightly. "How could I-he have been so stupid?" she asked the room, ignoring the large hole in the wall from the potion. "They have to have some kind of weakness!" She paused and stood up. "Maybe. . . ." She stood and walked into the next room, staring at her crystal ball. "Lordessmon. . . ."