FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I'm amazed that after 3 years there are still people out there who enjoy my work. Seeing how the number of my readers increased from zero to unknown heights is incredible. It's only more reason to apologize for the wait. This part took way too long to finish, much longer than I had expected. Mostly because so much happened since I wrote the last part, but I spare you all the details... I promise you that the next one won't take 3 years.

Disclaimer: You know the drill! I don't claim ownership of digimon, non-original charaters and so on. All others may be used with permission.

Chapter 2: Found Love

In life there are times when a moment feels like eternity. Trapped in sadness, doubt or boredom but also likewise in contentment, happiness, bliss. It happens that we don't realize such a moment. We lose track of ourselves and when change comes it is surprising. Although we don't acknowledge it our life rushes past us mostly.

After the events of the past day and the sudden contentment Sam never would have thought that something could happen that could surprise him. But here he was in the arms of the one being that had saved his life, the one person that he just learned to love. And a few paces afar on the computer screen he read an E-mail just as mysterious as confusing. Again and again Sam repeated the message in his mind but still he was unable to grasp its meaning. The field, which usually showed the address of the sender, was totally blank. How was that even possible? Then there was this object in front of the screen, this so-called 'digivice'. Sam wanted to inspect it closer, but he didn't want to wake Aurora, who was lying next to him.

While Sam lay there wondering about the E-mail, Aurora began shifting in her sleep. With a low sigh she awoke slowly. Bracing himself for whatever would come about next Sam looked at her. He couldn't explain it but somehow Sam felt drawn to Aurora. Sam had had relationships before but the feelings were never this intense, although he met Aurora just yesterday. They weren't even of the same species. Yet it was like Sam had known Aurora for eternity, like he'd waited all of his life just to meet her.

'I'll tell her my feelings and everything will be good', he told himself convinced that this would end well. Aurora rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and blinked trying to remember where she was. Then she saw Sam right next to her with a thoughtful look on his face. Appalled Aurora winced. She thought hard about what to say next.

'What if I offended him? Will he be mad? I don't know where to go in this strange world...' Heavily blushing and nervous Aurora spoke. "I'm sorry, Sam... I... I was just so... alone... and I thought... Please don't freak out..." A reassuring smile from Sam stopped her stuttering attempts to explain herself. Aurora tried to maintain eye contact with Sam, while he just stared into her eyes.

"I'm glad you did it", was everything he said. Then he kissed her. Caught by surprise Aurora didn't react at first, but soon found herself liking the new sensation and returned the sensation. When the kiss became more passionate Aurora embraced Sam with her arms. After what felt like an eternity they broke the kiss, both grasping for breath.

Before anyone could say something the digivice beeped three times in row, totally distracting both of them. Since Aurora had not seen the E-mail or the device, she inquired. "What is that?" Sam chuckled and stood up to look at the small thing. "I don't know... I thought you could tell me." Just like the computer the digivice somehow sprang to life itself. On the small screen Sam could read 'ANALYZING DATA COMPLETE!' Wondering, which data was meant, Sam showed it to Aurora.

"Hmmm... I have never seen something like that. But I don't think it's from the digiworld", she said tail swishing as she lay on the bed. When Sam took another look the text had disappeared. "Whatever! But there is more look at this message." Aurora came over to Sam, who stood in front of the computer pointing at the screen. Excited Aurora asked.

"What does it say?" Remembering that Aurora certainly couldn't read any writing originating from the real world, he told her the contents. "What an odd message. Where does it come from?" Concerning the mail Aurora seemed just as confused as Sam. For a moment he had hoped that Aurora could explain the sudden appearance of this 'digivice' to him. However she was a stranger in this world. And since Aurora didn't know how she ended up here, she probably couldn't know about this message either.

"I don't know. Normally there would be some kind of name or address from the sender, but it's just missing! And the text tells nothing about this digivice," Sam answered. Curious he looked at the digivice again. The device had several unlabeled buttons and the screen was blank now. What would this thing do if he just pressed them randomly? Maybe that wasn't such a good idea, so he suppressed the urge. Chuckling Sam turned to the renamon.

"Well, we will figure out what this thing does later. But first I think we should talk about being 'partners'." Blushing Sam wondered if he stepped too far by mentioning their new found love. Or was it something else that he felt. He couldn't know that Aurora was embarrassed, too, for her fur hid her reddened cheeks quite well.

The renamon didn't know what to say. Since watching Sam she felt the powerful wish to be with him. Yet all of this, from appearing in this world to ending up in Sam's bed, was new and confusing to her. Somehow both of them felt the awkwardness of falling in love with not only a total stranger but also a foreign being from an unknown world. Maybe it was this mutual feeling of awkwardness that brought them closer together. Or was it love at first sight?

"Until I can return home... I would like... to be your partner. Maybe... even more..." Aurora tried hard to maintain eye contact with Sam however she was too embarrassed to do so. 'What's wrong?' she thought to herself. 'I faced far greater threats yet I'm anxious about this conversation.' Sam who had similar thoughts of his own wanted to hold Aurora and be with her, but perhaps their relationship was developing too fast. These feelings were strangely new and strong, both of them should get time to adapt to the situation.

"I like you also. But I think this is going too fast. All of this must be confusing for you, landing in a strange world and such. Maybe we should just focus on getting you home... and take everything else a step slower." Aurora was surprised how caring he was and at the same time strangely relieved that Sam had feelings for her.

"Thank you for understanding, Sam, and for trying to help me as well." She said a bit excited. First Aurora wanted to hug him then she suppressed the urge. "That is the least I can do. You did save my life back in the alley." Sam wanted to suggest getting something to eat, until there were loud noises from the front door. It took a while for him to remember that his mother was returning from the night shift at the hospital. With a click the front door was opened and Sam's mother called.

"Honey, I'm home." His thoughts raced. And after considering the possible outcomes Sam came to the conclusion that it was too early to introduce Aurora to his mother. She would certainly freak out when she saw the renamon. It was not every day one got to know an anthropomorphic fox from another world. Worried Sam turned to Aurora.

"It's my mother. Don't get me wrong, but I think it would be a bad idea for you two to meet at the moment. She probably would just panic. There is a forest behind the house. Do you think you can sneak out without my mother spotting you, Aurora?" The renamon considered avoiding Sam's mother. It was probably not a good idea for Sam to keep secrets from his mother and actually Aurora would like to meet his family. Yet In some way she understood the dilemma the human tried hard to avoid. So she agreed.

"No problem. I meet you there afterward." With that Aurora just vanished from Sam's sight. For a moment he was surprised. But then remembered what happened in the alley when Craig had tried to kill him. Aurora clearly was capable enough to remain unseen. After a quick change of clothes Sam came down in the kitchen. His mother, Helen, already sat at the table and looked up from a mug of coffee when Sam entered the room.

"There you are. Did I wake you or why have you..." Helen trailed off and looked shocked at her son. "What happened to your face? Did you get in a fight?" After the events of the last night Sam totally forgot his injuries. Craig's bat had connected with his side and Silent Dan's punch had found his jaw. No doubt Sam's jaw looked a bit swollen and bloody. Until his mother rushed to him and pressed his face examining the wounds Sam hadn't even felt pain. With all the fuss of a concerned mother however the pain of the bruises returned immediately.

"Stop it, Mom! I'm fine." When Helen backed a bit away Sam told her. "I just got into a little 'argument' with Craig Montague and his gang." Sam's mother went to the sink in order to wet a piece of cloth. Then she started cleaning Sam's wound. Helen didn't care that Sam took care for his wounds the day before.

"You didn't fight them, did you? You should know how I feel about violence." He knew too well. Helen came from a well-educated family that must have taught her from an early age on never to resort to violence. And as Helen's mother and father did before her so she did with Sam. In situations like this she used to say: 'Fighting is the last resort.'

"Fighting is the last resort, Sam." When Helen was satisfied with the wounds she added. "But I hope you didn't just stand there either. When someone is pushing you around you have to stand up or at least tell anybody about it. That's what the self-defense lessons were for." Finished with worrying about Sam's injuries Helen sat down again. She sighed before taking her mug of coffee again.

"I'm not in the shape to beat four thugs alone. I've never been that good." Sam sat as well while his mother looked at him between sips of coffee. She had this semi-frown on her face that Sam never had learned to decipher. "Then maybe you should get back in shape and start training again." It was Sam's turn to sigh as she continued. "Let's drop that topic for now. We've got better things to discuss. Like which college and which medical school you're going to attend." The same old story again. Since the end of high school Helen had formed a habit of asking him what he wanted to do after school. When Sam said nothing his mother continued grinning slightly.

"I'm just kidding. Do whatever you want to. Whether college or a job, that's all the same to me. But promise me one thing don't take a life time to figure it out, alright?" Sam just nodded. "Good. In the meantime I have bad news. A friend at the hospital won't be able to make it, so I have to fill in for him at a medical conference this week. Starting tomorrow I will be gone for several days. Do you think you will manage, Sam?" Helen had told Sam about this conference though she hadn't planned on going there. Maybe it was good that his mother would be gone for several days. Sam could figure something out for Aurora and when Helen returned all problems would be solved already.

"Of course, I'll get by. And should something happen I got my car, my cell and enough money to handle it." "That's good. Don't be afraid to call me when something happens. We can talk more about my trip later, but now I desperately need to get some rest." She stood up and Sam got up as well. "OK, Mom. I think I go into the woods for a short walk. Maybe I might up with my friends afterwards. See you later." When Helen was out of sight Sam quickly grabbed some food and walked out of the house toward the woods.

The walls were clean white. There were no pictures, no shelves not a single piece of decoration hanging or resting on the walls and only one door lead to the room. From the outside it seemed to be a dark brown and solid door of oak wood, but inside was steel linked to the newest security technology. The room had just one great window that was the entire east wall. The blinds were almost completely shut. Just a slight shimmer illuminated the room. In the middle of it was a big desk. An island encased by emptiness, which was the rest of the room. The oak desk was covered in files, reports and resumes of different sorts. Behind the desk sat a tall man in a neat expensive suit. The computer on the desk was so up-to-date that most hadn't even heard about the involved technology. It was silent in the room. Except for the gentle ticking noise of a clock, which marked with every tick another second that just went by. Tick, tick, tick!

'It is time', thought Adrian Bain. Adjusting his tie he pressed a button on the desk and spoke clearly into the microphone. "Send him in." It would take a while for Mr. Bain's guest to arrive at his door, so he just waited. There was no possible distraction in Mr. Bain's office. No personal items, nothing that could divert the attention from the important task at hand defending the nation from unknown threats. On a screen Adrian Bain could see that his guest had arrived. Before the stranger could knock on the door Mr. Bain spoke up. "Open." Instantly the heavy door swung open and behind it stood a man wearing a suit not nearly as neat as Mr. Bain. The man looked surprised at the self-opening door and stepped inside.

"Mr. Daniel Conner. Please sit down." Mr. Bain gestured to a chair in front of his desk. Daniel Conner took a seat. In the semi-darkness Daniel couldn't make out any details of Mr. Bain and the sparse light shone direct in his face. While Daniel tried to investigate his surroundings Adrian Bain opened his resume. "Do you know why you're here, Mr. Connor?" Apparently Mr. Bain planned to intimidate Daniel but that won't work. He refused to be played like a chessman in Bain's game. Already Daniel stopped searching for his eyes in the darkness.

"The men who picked me up weren't that detailed. But I was told you wanted to offer me something." Pleased or maybe annoyed Mr. Bain leaned back in his office chair. "I want to offer you a job, Mr. Conner, a very lucrative job in fact. However I must be sure that you are the right man for this kind of work." Raising the resume to his eyes Mr. Bain started questioning Daniel. "You studied at the MIT and your grades were always near the top. After the MIT you worked for one of the pioneers of modern electronics, for 'Proteus Science'. What were you working on?" Mr. Bain laid the resume orderly on the table while he waited for an answer.

"I believe it is mentioned in my files that my work there was confidential. My contract didn't allow talking about the projects." Behind his desk Mr. Bain showed no visible sign of anger or annoyance. "It is almost ten years since Proteus collapsed. No one will congratulate you for your loyalty, Mr. Connor, and no one will remember your contract." That was true. When Proteus came crushing down and some of the employees just vanished the media started to get interested. Then things got ugly. Managers ended in jail, the employees were fired and everyone just wanted to save his own neck.

"In my short time at Proteus I was working on two projects. The first was an advanced firewall program that could identify attacks and react based on experience. As far as I know the prototype died with Proteus. The second project was a new kind of neural interface that could translate the sensory input of the brain into data. We finished this project and in theory it worked, but we could never sell the technology or build a prototype at least." Mr. Bain nodded definitely satisfied. Had this new job something to do with the sudden fall of one of the most progressive business concerns?

"After Proteus you worked for different security companies and were involved in the development of a new type of encryption. The specialized press praised your work and before long you got a position at the pentagon working as technical adviser. Why did you quit there?" This Mr. Bain seemed well informed and by now Daniel wondered who this guy was. Did he work for the FBI, CIA, another acronym or even worse, an unknown organization with more specific goals?

"At the pentagon I had the impression to be just one of many scientists. We were all working hard and for a good cause, or so they used to say. But to me it was like we still accomplished nothing." For a moment Mr. Bain leaned forward and Daniel made out a determined face.

"I get your meaning, Mr. Connor." When the questions didn't continue Daniel just waited for a reaction of Mr. Bain. However the man seemed lost in his thoughts. After a short while Daniel spoke up.

"What kind of job are we talking about?" Awaking from the torpor Adrian Bain adjusted his tie. "As it seems you have passed the first test, Mr. Connor, so I might as well tell you. I intend to offer you the position as the head of research and development." That did sound like a promising position. Nevertheless Daniel never had heard of Mr. Bain let alone his company. Was he working for the government? Was that the reason why Bain knew about Daniel's time at the pentagon? Daniel wanted to know more.

"What kind of research are we talking about?" Mr. Bain closed Daniel's files, paused for a moment then spoke. "I am talking about terrorism, Mr. Connor, electronic terrorism to be exact. We are facing a new and unique threat to our society. And we want to stop this cyber war before it has even started. Therefore we need your help, Mr. Connor, to research these attacks and to develop weapons against an unknown enemy." Daniel was confused. He hadn't heard about new form of cybercrime but maybe that was what Mr. Bain and his supporters wanted. To keep everything too scary locked up from the public.

"So am I right to assume that you are from the government and this project is financed by the Department of Defense?" Mr. Bain chuckled. It was the first reaction that let the businessman seem human.

"Mr. Connor, since you've worked several years for the government you might have noticed that sometimes the options are somewhat limited. If the public or politics are involved you always have to be concerned about saving one's face. This is no government project, so be assured that we have more alternatives in fighting this war and our resources are equal if not greater than most government organizations. Nevertheless if you choose to work for us it should be clear that this operation is classified. Should you however decline this job offer then you are strictly forbidden to talk about it with anyone." Meaning he had to keep secrets regardless of taking the job or not. Somehow Daniel sensed that Mr. Bain was up to no good. The last part even sounded slightly like a threat. However if Mr. Bain was telling the truth Daniel could not only use the best equipment but also fight this new evil with his own methods. As head of research and development Daniel would have his own department.

"OK, Mr. Bain, you got me interested. Let's talk about numbers." Pulling a file from his desk Mr. Bain handed Daniel an employment contract as if it would answer all of his questions. "All of your contract information is in this file. You will be able to employ your own team and all the equipment will be cared for." Daniel took the file and found that his eyes had adapted to the darkness so he had no problem reading the papers. Scanning the contract for inconsistencies Daniel found nothing that would suggest a bad deal. The working times were solid and the payment was good, being as high as three times his last salary. He studied the contract for several minutes. Then thought hard about it and signed the contract without another word.

"Excellent. You can start tomorrow, Mr. Connor. But for now I have to excuse myself. There is much more work to do. I think that you will find the way out." Daniel nodded and left Mr. Bain's office, wondering what he would discover the next days. When Daniel Conner left room and the door closed itself Adrian Bain just sat there waiting. Silence interrupted by the rhythmic ticking noise of Mr. Bain's clock was music to him. So far everything was working fine, just as expected. He pulled another resume from the ones of his desk and looked a third time at the contents. The title said 'Major Nicholas Kane'. An addition read 'relieved of duty, forced retirement'. Mr. Bain pressed a button on the desk and spoke loud and clearly. "Send for Major Kane." There were a lot more interviews planned for today.

It was only a short walk from the backyard of Sam's house to the forest. When he was a kid Sam played there almost every day, so he could find the way with his eyes closed. While walking Sam's thoughts were still fixed on the talk with his mother. Helen was worried about him, he could understand that. Sam himself felt a little lost. But for now there was nothing he could do about it. Maybe helping Aurora would at least distract Sam from life's choices. Fortunately Helen will be gone for several days. And by an odd streak of luck she noticed neither Aurora nor anything else out of the ordinary.

With all of this on his mind Sam hadn't noticed that he had reached the trees. It wasn't too long till he could see Aurora. The renamon emerged from behind a tree though to Sam it still seemed like she appeared out of nowhere. Aurora looked curious at Sam and was sniffing the air when he came close to her.

"What do you have there?" She was looking at the small bag Sam held and which contained the food he brought with him. "I figured you might be hungry. So I grabbed something to eat. I didn't know what you like but I brought different kinds of food." Unpacking the bag Sam showed her an apple, a cheese sandwich and two slices of beef jerky. In the bag were two water bottles as well. Aurora looked at each thing Sam presented like she he'd never seen anything like that. "We can eat right here if you want. However a short walk from here is a small shack where we could sit down and eat more comfortable." Though she was feeling a little hungry Aurora thought that it was a good idea to find a nicer place to eat than the ground. So she just nodded. "OK then, follow me." Lead by Sam the human and the digimon walked through the forest. Their feelings for each other were still new and strange. Neither one knew how to express these emotions. They didn't know what to say or to do. Therefore only silence accompanied them on their way. After a moment of awkward quietness Sam decided to break it.

"So ... What do you think of this place?" Aurora tilted her head in his direction but avoided eye contact fearing Sam might see something in them she wasn't ready to admit. "It looks almost like the woods from my world, yet it is strangely foreign. Nevertheless this place is nice and refreshing." Sam also was avoiding eye contact as he tried to keep the conversation going. "I know what you mean. When I was a kid I came here quite often." There was a short pause before Aurora asked Sam.

"You took a while to get here. Did your mother want something?" Sam nodded. "Yes, she wanted to tell me that she will be gone for a few days. By tomorrow we have the house to ourselves." The renamon tried not to think about what would happen between them alone in the house.

"That sounds good." It took several minutes of odd small talk for the two to reach the shack. From the outside it looked like a run-down hut made out of old wooden boards. It was clear that Aurora wasn't impressed by the sight of it. Sam just walked to the door.

"I build it with my friends years ago. But I think it will still do." He opened the door. The inside of the shack was decorated with used furniture. Still it seemed to be a cozy place. There was an old couch to sit on, a table with some chairs, a small fridge that could be powered by a car battery and a used mattress with a blanket as a makeshift bed. Here and there were small things that gave the shack a more personal touch: From candles for lighting to pictures of Sam and his friends. The renamon eyed everything curiously.

"You made this by yourself?" Aurora wondered. So much time was spent on this place. It was almost like a little home with enough space for two or three people living here. "We just took some wood and nailed it together. Over the time we made some improvements and brought the rest. Some of the furniture is from the junkyard. The hardest part was to figure out how to get the fridge working but it was worth it." They settled down at the table and Sam unpacked the food. He took only an apple and offered the rest to Aurora. The renamon sniffed the food cautiously then took a bite and found the meal to her liking. She felt like she hadn't eaten in days, which she actually didn't. Hungrily the renamon chowed down what Sam had brought. When she was finished Aurora took one of the water bottles and drank it dry. The whole time Sam had watched her eat. He really wasn't that hungry, so he only took a few bites.

"Did you enjoy the meal, Aurora?" The renamon was a little embarrassed by how greedily she had eaten. "Yes, I did very much. Thank you." She answered. Due to all the wonders of this world she had forgotten to eat anything since her arrival. Sam however had thought of it.

"So what do you want to do? I would show you the town but I have the feeling most people here wouldn't take a humanoid fox too lightly." The fact that most humans would be irritated by seeing Aurora was something she couldn't understand. In the digiworld were lots of different species. Some of them looked human some didn't. But no one was surprised of the various appearances. Then again Aurora was in the human world now. Everything was different. Thinking about what to do Aurora yesterday's conversation came to her mind.

"You said you could show me some of your fighting techniques." Sam remembered saying that. And it was no problem for him to teach Aurora what he knew. But the renamon seemed to be so strong already. She had prevailed whereas Sam lost. It was strange that Aurora didn't know such fighting styles already.

"Of course, I can do that. Let's start right now. First we need some space, so we better go outside." They went out. On the small clearing where the shack stood was enough space to train. Walking to the middle of the clearing Sam positioned himself opposite to Aurora.

"Well, I am no master. But I can tell you what I know." Aurora was excited. Every digimon knew how to fight and fighting styles like Sam's were not unknown though they were not common either. "OK, the first lesson is the most important one. In a real fight you have to use every weakness you can find. Striking an opponent's weak spot can give you a great advantage. The most generic weak spots are the senses, joints, fibers and nerves. So you got to know your enemy to find these spots. Can you find any weak spots on me?" Since Sam started talking Aurora strained her ears. What Sam told wasn't hard to grasp. Aurora found that in the past she had done this by instinct.

"First the senses: I could blind your eyes, or hit your nose. Then there are the joints. By attacking your knees or ankles I could make you trip. As for the rest I would need to know more about human anatomy." Sam nodded in agreement. "Very good, you learn fast! I can show you more human weak spots later. But first let's start with some basic movements." For the next hours Sam and Aurora practiced. At first Sam showed Aurora simple movements and the renamon repeated the motion. From hits to kicks and grips Aurora did everything easily. When Sam didn't remember any more useful moves he suggested sparring with her. In the beginning Sam thought he had a chance against Aurora. He managed to hit her several times, after a while however Sam tired more and more whereas Aurora didn't. Then it became apparent that the renamon was going easy on him. She was so much faster and as the time went on it was harder and harder for Sam to hit her. When he landed on the ground for the tenth time Sam sat up groaning and gestured for Aurora to stop. Panting hard he spoke.

"Stop it! I need a break. You are too strong for me." Sam rested on the ground and Aurora who showed no sign of exhaustion came over to him. "So what do you think? Did you learn something useful?" asked Sam between heavy breaths.

"Your fighting-style is interesting. There are useful moves so far but in order to have an advantage over most enemies I would need more advanced training and probably more practice." Aurora was ashamed to suggest something like that. With her words she had not only implied that Aurora wanted to borrow more of Sam's time but also that the human was an amateur.

"Well I'm happy to help. We could train every day if you want to. I could need the exercise as well. As for the advanced moves I am no master and probably never will be but maybe we can do something about that, too." Aurora was a bit surprised. She almost had expected Sam to be angry at her for disregarding his skills. Instead he just accepted the renamon's indirect criticism. 'How modest and caring he is. Here I am bothering him with requests while nearly insulting him and the only thing he thinks about is helping me,' thought Aurora. They sat quietly for a while. When Sam had rested enough he stood up.

"Let's carry on with the training. I think I can handle a few more loses before we call it a day." Standing herself Aurora followed. She said nothing fearing that she would say something inconsiderate. Both assumed fighting positions like before. They stared at each other. Sam waited for Aurora to make the first move and for him it felt like hours passed without anything happening. Without any warning Aurora attacked. She rushed forward and Sam almost wasn't fast enough to block. The renamon tried to kick Sam square in the chest but he crossed his arms which reduced the impact.

'If Aurora had used all her strength I probably would lie on the ground again. How can she learn something when she is holding back so much? Maybe I can break down her reserve.' Sam thought. When the first assault didn't work Aurora backed down then attacked again fast, this time with her paw. But Sam suspected this move. The last fights Aurora had used this combination several times. Knowing that the renamon would try to hit Sam's head or shoulder he made a quarter turn und a quick step to the side thereby avoiding the attack entirely. Aurora didn't expect the human to sidestep her blow so easily and Sam used her astonishment for an attack of his own. Through a well-aimed strike at Aurora's throat with his elbow he was able to startle her. The renamon coughed then took deep breaths nonetheless she regained her strength before Sam could attack again. Still in the defensive Sam managed to parry her first two attacks but the third blow of fast strikes hit his side. Groaning Sam took a few steps back to avoid further hits. He couldn't quite recover before Aurora lunged at him again. This time she tried a low kick which Sam parried with his leg. Another kick followed slower than the one before and Sam evaded just barely. Without a pause or a bit of hesitation Aurora carried her assault on.

A strike aimed at his head came at Sam and he deflected it with his forearm. At the same time Sam attacked using his other hand, which came unexpected for Aurora, so he was able to hit her right in the unguarded stomach. Aurora backed off before Sam could think of another attack. She was breathing heavily for the second time in this fight. After a short moment Aurora moved much faster than at the beginning of the fight.

'Good looks like she is using more and more of her strength. Our fights could be a challenge for her after all. Now I only have to keep up with her,' Sam thought and at the same time wasn't sure if he could keep up with the renamon's powers. His doubts came true when Aurora attacked so fast that it was impossible for Sam to avoid the blow. The only thing he managed to do was raise his arm to block the hit at least partially. Too late Sam realized that he fell for her trick. Aurora just made a feint, changed direction while still in motion and was behind Sam before he could do anything. Sam tried to lean away from Aurora's next attack but her following kick hit him hard on the back.

Stumbling forward Sam managed to stay on his feet and was met by Aurora's fist. He didn't even see her move in front of him. Aurora's paw connected with his chin. For a moment everything went black and stars danced in front of Sam's eyes. 'Come on focus! Just a while longer,' he thought. Sam managed to open his eyes again. Aurora stood several feet before him and waited in order to give Sam time to recover. For a moment both of them stood there catching their breath. Then Sam used this chance to assault Aurora. He tried to hit her as fast as he could however Aurora deflected each attack. It looked like Aurora was too quick for him. The only way to win this fight was to mislead Aurora and Sam had an idea how to do that.

He feinted a blow at her head a little slower than he was able to hit and Aurora fell for the trick. Easily she ducked under his attack. With a fluent motion Sam crouched down, spun round and kicked the renamon's legs right above the ground. The strategy worked. Aurora was knocked down, though she jumped up immediately. Silently Sam cursed. He was about to plan a new attack when Aurora hit him hard on the chest. Before Sam could even wince he landed on the ground. Only then Sam realized how exhausted he was.

"Stop, I can't go on. You win again." He spoke breathlessly and at the same time there was a beeping noise. Aurora came to Sam as she asked, "What is that?" The noise originated from Sam's pants. Searching his pockets he found the digivice. After his mother arrived Sam totally forgot the mysterious device. It still beeped in regular intervals. Intrigued by the digivice again Sam pressed a random button and found to his surprise that not only the beeping had stopped but also that the device projected some kind of compass in the air. He looked at Aurora however she seemed just as taken aback. There were two arrows in different colors. One of them probably marked north but what indicated the other one? Holding the digivice up Sam pointed it into different directions. Indeed the first marking showed exactly the same way while the other one moved slightly. Whatever this arrow indicated it had to be nearby. The digivice wanted to show Sam something. And he was already determined to follow this mysterious path, his exhaustion was totally forgotten. Aurora's arrival, the appearance of the digivice all of this was linked. Maybe by following the digivice Sam would find another piece of this puzzle.

"This thing is pointing at something. And I have to find out what it is." He told Aurora while standing up. Aurora looked at Sam with concern. "Is that such a good idea? You don't know what's waiting there for you. Let me come with you, Sam. There could be hostile digimon or other dangers."

"No, Aurora, you better stay here." Sam said shaking his head. "When someone sees you we just would attract unwanted attention. I don't think people are ready to accept the digimon. At best they would think you are wearing a costume. So you better stay hidden for now. As for dangers hopefully there won't be any. Besides it shouldn't be too far away." Despite Sam's attempts to reassure the renamon Aurora wasn't convinced. But she said nothing. She already had decided to follow Sam and Aurora was quite sure that no one would see her.

The wall was eight feet high and at least twice as wide. It was made of solid stone and looked quite old. Sam stared at the obstacle trying to find something of importance but there wasn't anything. After following the compass of the digivice he found out that the arrow didn't point to a specific destination. It showed the path Sam had to go. With each part of this path a new arrow appeared and led Sam to the next checkpoint, it was like being in a videogame. Only the quest log was missing.

For almost an hour he had strayed through the streets. Luckily no one had crossed his way and saw how the digivice in his hands projected a compass in the air. When Sam had thought about giving up this search for answers, he had arrived at the wall. At first Sam walked past it thinking that it was just an obstacle he should go around. But after a moment Sam realized that he was going in the wrong direction.

Now he was looking at this wall. Still nothing changed. The more time passed the more frustrated became Sam. In his search for answers he looked around. It was only then that Sam saw movements on the top of a building across the street. 'What was that? Looked like a shadow moving on the roof of that building.' He thought. 'Maybe it was just the cloud or an animal. But it was also big enough to be a person. Am I being watched?'

At the same time on the top of the building Aurora vanished into the dark again. It had been easy for her to follow Sam. With few strong leaps she was on the roof of the next building. From there she could watch Sam. Hardly any human seemed to look up a fact Aurora had realized after she stranded in this world. Besides humans' senses were too weak to spot her. So Aurora followed Sam undetected, jumping from roof to roof, hiding in the shadows until the human suddenly stopped in front of a wall.

'Is Sam resting now? This can't be where the digivice leads to. Nothing's there.' Aurora thought leaning forward in order to observe Sam and this obstacle better. Then without any warning the human turned and looked exactly in Aurora's direction. Her good reflexes had saved Aurora from being spotted. As she vanished in the dark, the renamon cowered down. Just in case. 'Could he have seen me?' Aurora wondered. 'No, even many digimon can't sense renamon when they use their abilities. It must have been a coincidence.' Bolder again Aurora rose to see what was going on and was surprised by what she saw.

When Sam didn't detect any more movement he decided to return to the task at hand, his pursuit of whatever the digivice was pointing to. He turned around expecting to see the same boring wall. However the wall wasn't there. Where once was solid stone blocking Sam's way was now a short path to a small courtyard. Confused Sam looked for any sign of the wall, but it was just gone. The last days were by no means at all normal for Sam. Nevertheless it took some time for him to pass the initial shock of a disappearing stone wall. As he came to his senses Sam consulted the digivice. The arrow was pointing forward. He saw no point in staring in awe. Hopefully it just had been his imagination. So Sam walked carefully into the courtyard.

It was a small and shady place. Almost all of the buildings that surrounded the courtyard didn't have a door or at least a window facing the courtyard. Only one building differed from the rest. It was an old shop, which seemed to sell all kinds of weird stuff. Through the shop window Sam saw books, toys and even jewelry that didn't look to be of greater value. All of it was randomly arranged and no piece was similar to another. There was a tin soldier that looked ages old right next to a scientific book about integrated circuits, as well as a plastic lightsaber lying directly atop a leather folio with no title. Why someone would look for plastic toys and antique books at the same time, let alone how business could work in such a secluded place, was lost to Sam. A sign above the store read in stylized letters 'Other Worlds'.

'Other Worlds... Why pick such a name for a shop?' thought Sam in silence. He looked on the digivice again. The compass pointed at the shop. Whatever he was pursuing had to be inside. The door to the place was entirely made of wood and a sign hanging on the outside said 'Come in! We're open!' Curious Sam opened the door with an inner shrug. 'Let's see what's inside.'

True to its name and the appearance of the shop window the inside was crammed with all kinds of things that could only be described as stuff. With no visible order at all objects from different cultures and ages lay around in shelves or on the ground. All in all it looked like one had stumbled into the mind of a crazy interior designer, who hadn't decided which style was his favorite. Among the shelves the owner had found enough space for a long counter, though it was also crammed with different objects. No one was around, which was maybe a good sign. Sam could look whether the digivice wanted to show him a random object without anyone disturbing his search. Following the compass directly to the counter Sam stood now in front of a bell. Was that it? Did the digivice lead him to this bell, meaning that the simple object was more than it seemed to be? Or was the sole purpose of this quest to talk to whomever the sound of the bell would alert? The bell looked absolutely normal, so Sam hoped for the latter. He was unsure about what he should do now. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to alert whoever worked here. For a moment Sam hesitated, his hand half raised waiting for something to happen. But it seemed like there was no other way. Finally making up his mind Sam pressed the bell. The sound was bright and not even that loud.

"One moment" A voice came from the back of the shop. Sam hadn't realized at all that there was a backroom. One moment later a man walked in. He looked like he was in his late forties and wore a plaid shirt. "Hi, I'm Gary. What can I do for you?" Gary had a contagious smile on his face while he looked friendly at Sam from behind the counter. All in all he looked like a nice guy.

"Hi, Gary," said Sam as he stuffed the digivice quickly in his pocket. Then he hesitated. What was he doing in this shop? It wasn't like he could just say 'I followed a mysterious device through the city and don't really know what I want'. "Well... I'm not sure. Just browsing I guess." Raising his eyebrows Gary didn't even lose one bit of his friendly attitude.

"No one comes into 'Other Worlds' to just browse. You must be looking for something. So what are you looking for?" Gary wanted an answer, but what should Sam say. He couldn't sum up all the craziness of the past days into one sentence. Or could he? Deep down he knew what he had to say.

"Answers... I am looking for answers." Gary shrugged sympathetically. "Don't we all? Yet it seems like answers to the most difficult questions can only be found within us." "So you're a seller of ..." Sam hesitated while he searched for the right phrase to describe this shop. Then he continued, "... curiosities and a philosopher, too. I can't believe that those, who come here to purchase fake lightsabers, also want to discuss the aspects of self-discovery. Heck, it was almost impossible to find the place. How do you manage to sell something?" For a moment there was a sparkle in Gary's eyes that Sam couldn't quite put his finger on. Then he laughed.

"Well, I have to admit business is a bit slow at the moment. The philosophy however is just a hobby of mine. Rarely someone engages in such a discussion with me. But let's get back to what brought you here. Maybe I could help you, if you told me more." Unsure what to say and still unsure why he was here, Sam thought about it. Though he felt like a trustworthy guy, Gary was still a stranger. A nice and odd one at best but still Sam knew nothing about him. Speaking to Gary about Aurora however open-minded he claimed to be was out of the question. The shop owner would never believe Sam. But what about the digivice, could Sam show it to Gary? Aurora claimed that it wasn't from the digiworld. That meant someone had to know what the device was. It was worth a try.

"This is what led me here! Maybe you can help me understand this thing." As Sam spoke he took the digivice out of his pocket and showed it Gary. Studying the piece of equipment he looked at the digivice. The curious expression on Gary's face changed. He showed a hint of realization as he looked at Sam.

"I can't say that many people walk with such things around. Though I think I have seen something like that before. Wait a moment, I'll be right back." With that Gary vanished in the backroom again leaving Sam behind. Digivice in hand he waited and oddly enough the compass on the thing had vanished. Maybe that meant he had already accomplished whatever the device wanted him to achieve. Regardless Sam doubted that Gary knew anything about it, much less about what was going on.

"Ah, here it is!" sounded Gary's voice from the back. The owner returned with a small package, which had been opened already. "You're in luck! This is the only package I got and so far no one has been interested in it. Even I almost forgot that it was still lying here." Gary pulled a folded sheet of paper from the package. Unfolding it the paper turned out to be some kind of poster. It lacked text, even the pictures were few and actually the poster looked quite plain. Nonetheless what he saw there perplexed Sam. There was clearly a digivice at the top of the poster. It had a shiny aura and was framed with strands of binary code, but it definitely looked like the one in Sam's hand. And that wasn't even most astounding part, for there on the poster under the digivice was the image of a renamon that looked exactly like Aurora. Since Sam never had met another renamon he wasn't sure how to distinguish them. It couldn't be that this poster showed Aurora. Still the resemblance was alarmingly accurate. There were other pictures of creatures that probably were digimon as well.

"Seeing anything familiar?" Gary was looking at him with a smirk, as if he knew that Sam recognized more than just the digivice. Though the shop owner had done nothing bad Sam saw him in a different light now. He imagined that Gary was somehow involved in the appearance of at least the two digimon Sam had met, if not more. Despite this sudden mistrust Gary was Sam's only clue to get to the bottom of this and the digivice did lead him here. Sam resolved to be extra careful around Gary from now on.

"Yeah, I do. This here looks exactly like mine. Who send you that poster?" As Sam spoke he pointed at the digivice on the poster. With an inquiring look he studied Gary, who rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, it's been years since I got this package. If I remember correctly it was a sample of an upcoming card game. They wanted me to advertise the cards, but the firm got bankrupt before anyone knew that this game even existed. I still have the cards if you want them." Gary pulled a deck of cards from the package. They were held together by a rubber band but apart from that the cards looked brand new. After Gary handed him the cards he studied the deck. There were different names and types just like in any card game.

"You know, the best part about this game was that it was designed to be up to date with technology. On the side of each card are these bar codes with augmented reality mumbo-jumbo. I have no idea how this stuff works, but you were supposed to scan each card with a device just like yours... Let's say you are losing the game! Just one card remains, so you draw it through the scanner and with one beep you get additional information like statistics and sometimes even extra power." He mimicked drawing an invisible card through an imaginary digivice. Then Gary snapped his fingers and a grin returned to his face. "Pretty neat, huh? Sadly I never saw how it worked. As far as I know they didn't sell these card readers and there can't be that many people around who play this game." Sam was dumbfounded. Was this why he was here? A nonexistent answer to a mysterious question introduced by an unusual shopkeeper. He had been looking for a higher truth and found a card game instead.

"So this thing is used for a card game? I certainly didn't expect that." How could this be related to Aurora, the digimon in general and the sudden appearance of the digivice? It led Sam to this shop for a reason, which means there must be more, something that he had missed. Sam looked at the digivice but the screen was empty.

"Well, it looks like one of the card readers. Don't ask me how it works. I can't wrap my head around this technical stuff. Can't even get my own computer to work..." After a short pause Gary pointed at the digivice. "Since you have one of those things maybe I can interest you in the cards. They would only lie around here anyway but you might have a use for them. As I said business is slow and I could use the money. 'Other Worlds' definitely needs a renovation. Give me... let's say... 24 dollars and you can have them." Looking at the shop Sam had to agree. This place definitely could use a new look and concerning the digivice Sam was at his wit's end anyway. He might as well buy these cards.

"24 bucks for a bunch of old cards? They're worth 10 at the most!" Gary laughed. "Now you are talking business. But 10 is not a good number... Let's say 12 and I'll give you the poster, too. Fuck it! You can have the whole package for 12 dollars." Maybe it was Gary's charm or the quiet beeping sound from the digivice that made Sam agree to this deal. He reached for his wallet and handed the shop owner the money.

"Okay, you have a deal." After putting cards and poster back in the package Gary took the money. "It's a pleasure doing business with you. That's 12 dollars more for the renovation fund. Looks like I can start soon, maybe that would attract more customers. Can I do something else for you?" Gary put the money in an old cash box as he spoke with a shrug.

"No, I think that will be all for today. And thank you for your help," said Sam. He was still a bit disappointed that he didn't find something more helpful. Even so Sam planned to study the cards and the package as well in detail for more information, besides Aurora might have to say something about the poster. "I have to thank you. And good luck on finding what you are looking for. Goodbye!" Nodding Sam bid Gary farewell and left 'Other Worlds' behind.

"What are you doing?" They met in the same place as always. All of them stood in a dreary room between realms that was only defined by the big ring-shaped table. Five beings were present at the moment and though their purpose was similar they couldn't have been more different.

"You force two innocents together against their free will," spat the dark-haired man in rage. He was by far the most passionate and one of the youngest. The old man just shook his head, which was not surprising since he was the eternal rival of the dark-haired man. Rarely had the two the same opinion.

"This is not against their will, as you are well aware of." One of the women there rose from her sitting position and nodded in agreement to the old man. Her whole appearance was gentle and soothing except for the purple eyes, which seemed to stare deep into everyone's heart.

"Neither is it force. We are just helping two lost souls that had been looking for each other." Dark-hair almost growled in annoyance. Of course they were right and he knew that the old man had played by the rules, but acknowledging their actions was something else entirely. The dark-haired man would never give them such a satisfaction. He would never give up.

"I don't understand your anger. What is your problem with the situation? Why did you call for this meeting," asked the other woman in the room. The changing woman was always peculiar. She rarely stood still and her form constantly wavered. Her age, her clothes and everything else shifted from time to time, just like her temper could. One moment she was young and beautiful then she turned to an old hag. Changing woman's purpose made her totally unpredictable and therefore dangerous.

"What my problem is?" Dark-hair was almost screaming now as he eyed the other three. "Each of you is influencing the events to his liking. What is even worse is that you are forming an alliance against me! You three are threatening the order while calling me the chaotic one!" Sighing the old man tried to calm the dark-haired man, as he tried whenever the situation escalated.

"This is no alliance. You are looking for enemies again whereas a fight is not necessary. We are merely fulfilling our purpose and though we seem to have similar goals at the moment no one is scheming against you." Rising from his sitting position himself the dark-haired man focused on his adversary.

"Whether justified or not your actions alone threaten me." He struck the table in anger to underline his meaning. "All three of you push me in the corner and expect that I bow down. No, that won't happen! If it comes to a fight it will be your fault alone."

"Actually all of this will be its fault." Pointing at the last participant the changing woman spoke with a glaring tone. Amidst all of them stood the silent one exactly centered in the ring-shaped table. Being the youngest member no one knew anything about it. The form he chose gave nothing away and its origin was unknown. All the attempts to communicate with the silent one had failed so far. It never moved and never said anything.

"Let's all be reasonable. This does not have to go wrong," spoke the old man calmly as he raised his hands in an appeasing gesture. Then he looked at dark-hair. "Maybe you could say which of our actions you find threatening and then we could find a solution. All of us have done this many times in the past. I find it hard to believe that you of all people have a problem with forcing innocents." The dark-haired man cooled down noticeably as did the aura of conflict that had hung in the room. When he was calm again dark-hair stared at the old man.

"Let me answer your plea with a question. What is your interest in the human boy?" As he waited for an answer that never came the temperature seemed to drop several degrees. "That figures, you don't want to answer, which can mean only one thing. You have chosen a new champion. He has not accepted you so far but that is only a matter of time. Don't deny it I can see it in your eyes!" The women looked closely at the old man, who closed his eyes looking slightly ashamed. With disappointment the dark-haired man realized that both of them didn't seem that surprised. "We two are opposites. When you get stronger I will be vulnerable, old man. In the past you or me choosing a champion always led to war and therefore to the death of one of us. You want me to keep calm, but I say to you all. I will not back off!" Thinking for a moment the old man sighed. Even a blind man could have foreseen that this conflict couldn't be solved easily. But what would be the price for peace?

"Is there some way to talk you out of this? What will it cost me to appease my enemy?" As the old man spoke he knew the price, knew the inevitable. They were too alike and too different at the same time.

"Ignore the boy. Abstain from your chosen and you can have peace otherwise all of you leave me no choice." The dark-haired man waited for the choice of the old man, who only shook his head. He couldn't abandon those in need and surely none of the others would stop their intentions. "That's what I thought. It is as it must be. Be assured that if your temporary alliance persists I will look for allies as well. And remember you brought everything that will happen on yourselves... Hereby I declare war!" Either the three others were too stunned to say anything or there was nothing to add. However to the surprise of all attending beings the silent one spoke for the first time in clear voice devoid of emotion. "War it is."

Looking at the package that he just bought Sam stepped out of the 'Other Worlds' shop. All that had been happened in the past days came to his mind. He was almost beaten to death, was saved by a humanoid fox from another world and a device with an unknown purpose had appeared in his room. Furthermore it was almost like he could feel his love for the same fox that had saved him growing with every day. Before he met Aurora Sam's life had been boring compared to everything that had happened so far. What would he do without her? He wanted to help Aurora find her way home, yet at the same time he feared what happened if she did. What would he do if she left and never returned?

Compared to all of that meeting Gary was disillusioning. Sam felt like he was in a dream where nothing really made sense, only that it was more real and painful. More mysteries couldn't surprise him anymore.

For one moment Sam thought that he saw a glowing light emanating from behind him, but the glowing left just as fast as it appeared. He turned around. The Other Worlds shop was still there. However suddenly and without a warning tubular scaffolding had appeared in front of the shop. It spanned the whole front, consisting of a big steel frame with wooden platforms.

'Well, seems like Gary wanted to start his renovation as quickly as possible, by the looks of it hours ago. Is that fresh paint on the wall? I should have expected something like this,' thought Sam to himself while shrugging inwardly. Everything was getting weirder but Sam's limit for being surprised probably was reached yesterday.

Only now did Sam see the fog hanging in the courtyard. Strange how fast the weather could change and the mist was so thick that one couldn't even see the end of the courtyard. Abruptly there sounded a loud cracking noise from the fog.

'What was that?' Sam immediately spun in the direction of the sound. At first there was nothing, but then he saw a tall shadow coming closer with heavy footsteps. 'Oh, shit!'

Stalking through the mist Aurora thought of a proper tactic to beat her newest opponent. Following Sam proved to be the right choice. After the human had stopped at the wall the place had suddenly changed. Where the wall once stood were strands of code that had been clearly visible to Aurora. But what had been even more exceptional was the data around the building into which Sam had gone next. At that moment the renamon had been undecided whether or not to follow Sam into the strange place. It wasn't long after that the mist and another digimon appeared. She could feel its strength. It was another champion-level like Goblimon on the day before. That alone made it difficult for Aurora. What made it worse was that her enemy was a Golemon. Made of rock Golemon are very strong and tough to break, most of her attacks wouldn't even make it flinch. Conveniently Golemon are slow, that still meant however that Aurora would have to be lucky to hurt the other digimon.

'Please let the Golemon be in a peaceful mood,' Aurora thought as she stayed hidden in the thick fog. 'Or maybe Sam could leave without Golemon noticing. That way a fight could be avoided. I'm not sure if I can beat Golemon otherwise.' Unfortunately Aurora had no such luck. As soon as the Golemon manifested fully in the mist it let go of his anger and confusion. While it attacked one of this metal containers that the humans had put everywhere Aurora crept closer.

'So much for being peaceful and friendly... I should have expected as much from a virus type,' thought the renamon. So far Aurora had no idea how to defeat this walking pile of rock, though it seemed to be occupied at the moment. Maybe she should just attack and hope for the best. However before she could do anything Sam left the data-glowing building. There was the sudden sound of a door and shortly after that the building shone brighter for a moment. Of course all of this alerted Golemon that locked his gaze onto Sam right away. With long and heavy steps it trotted into Sam's direction, fists raised to punch a foreign opponent. Aurora's thoughts raced.

'If I don't help him Sam will get crushed. But how can I defeat such a tough enemy?' At once the renamon had made up her mind. She would rescue Sam whatever the cost. All tactics had to wait. Rushing at Golemon Aurora screamed as she readied an attack, "Look out!"

Sam stared at what was emerging from the fog. A tall creature made from rocks of different sizes. Several spikes protruded from its shoulders and it had a metal plate on its head, which almost looked like some kind of helmet. This thing had to be another digimon and he should have adjusted to these unexplainable appearances, yet Sam froze and stared up at the rocky fiend. It raised its fist like it wanted to strike Sam down.

"Look out!" Almost too fast for his eyes moved a yellow blur through the mist. Then Aurora's power paw hit the digimon, which staggered back but seemed otherwise unscathed.

'She came to save me,' was the only thing Sam could think of at the moment. Still moving Aurora circled the other digimon to divert its attention and avoid its attacks that surely would come. Without stopping or even looking back she called to Sam.

"Run and hide! Golemon is too strong for me! The only thing I can do is distract it while you escape, Sam." Slowly Sam regained control over his muscles. A part of him was happy to oblige Aurora. He was running on instincts alone, while his brain needed more time to catch up. Moving away Sam watched the ongoing fight. This Golemon tried to hit Aurora but the renamon bounded across the courtyard with ease avoiding every attack so far. When Sam reached a dented garbage container to hide behind it his reasoning returned.

'How can I run away while Aurora risks her life for me again? I have to help her someway.' He defeated the last digimon by hitting it with his car. This time however the options were limited. Aurora was trying her best to hurt Golemon herself. She stood in front of the wall opposite of Sam and wanted to use one of her diamond storms. Golemon however didn't give her the chance. One of his big rocky fists was aimed at Aurora, who could only abort her attack and jump out of the way before she was in for it. After seeing the big hole left in the wall by Golemon's fist Sam realized how bad the situation really was. If Golemon stored one hit the fight would be over. Aurora would probably be badly wounded at least, while Sam who wasn't nearly as tough as one of the digimon would probably die.

'I don't even have time to prepare an attack. Think! There must be some way to defeat Golemon or at least don't get crushed,' thought Aurora as she avoided another of Golemon's punches. With fearful astonishment Aurora saw that Sam was still there hiding behind a metal container. The human may be capable to defend himself against many opponents, Aurora had seen it herself when they had trained, but Golemon was another matter entirely. 'That's it! I have to find Golemon's weakness!'

Constantly on the move the renamon tried to discern a weak spot. With quick attacks she probed the rocky digimon, its reaction to her attacks however didn't change. The eyes could be a good target and Aurora found it strange that Golemon had this metal plate on its head. Was his head so sensitive that Golemon needed a helmet? Though she tried hard to hurt Golemon she needed time for her stronger abilities, she needed an opening.

From his hiding place Sam watched the fight. Aurora tried different tactics but so far Golemon's reactions weren't more than flinching and angry punches. It looked like a fight between an insect and an annoyed giant. There had to be a way to help her against Golemon. Sam looked around for a weapon or anything that he could use. He had lost the package as he ran for cover. Except for garbage around him and the digivice in his pocket Sam had nothing. The latter didn't seem helpful, pulling the digivice from his pocket he saw it just flashing irritatingly. Maybe the garbage could be used to district Golemon.

As Aurora jumped right over Golemon's head, raking her claws across the metal plate, a projectile flew straight at its shoulder. Following shortly was a glass bottle, which almost hit Golemon's eye. Turning around Golemon looked at Sam, who never stopped throwing garbage at Sam.

'Perfect, that's exactly the kind of distraction I need,' thanked Aurora Sam in silence and jumped into the air. She threw her arms out for the renamons' signature move as she screamed, "Diamond Storm!" Her aim was good. Too late saw Golemon the attack and the glowing diamond shards hit his head and eyes before they exploded. Screaming in pain it staggered backwards closing the big eyes tight. Aurora was still in the air as she saw a ferocious swing from Golemon coming at her. It was too late to evade the blow, so she curled to a ball to block as much form the impact as possible.

With horror Sam saw Aurora flying through the air as Golemon's swing hit the renamon. She landed a few feet away from Sam and seemed badly wounded. At that moment Sam realized that he felt true and honest love for Aurora. He couldn't stand losing her. If there was a way to save the renamon he would do it. Ignoring the Golemon, that was trampling around in rage with its eyes closed, he rushed to Aurora's side. She was unconscious and in some places her golden fur turned crimson with blood. From his mother Sam had learned enough about first aid to know that Aurora was lucky. He saw that she was still breathing and had no fatal wounds.

'I need to get her away from this brute. Next time none of us will be that lucky! Aurora's wounds could be worse than I thought,' thought Sam as he looked around. Aurora had landed right in front of the 'Other Worlds' not far from where he had dropped the package. The cards were lying nearby. Maybe he could get her inside fast enough. The sound behind him however made Sam turn around. Golemon had recovered and focused entirely on him now. It was too late to get Aurora to safety and surely Sam wouldn't leave her to die. As Golemon crossed the courtyard with a few huge steps Sam gave up. He would die by the hands of a giant rock digimon.

'This is the end. I am getting crushed in a secluded courtyard and the one person I love will die with me. Why did we even come here in the first place?' Then it came to him and Sam had one last idea. He reached for the cards and pulled one randomly from the deck. With his other hand he grasped the digivice. Golemon stood now right in front of him. It raised one of its fist to prepare an attack.

'Please work,' Sam pleaded and drew the card through the digivice's reader. Feeling a sudden rush of excitement, or maybe it was something else, Sam saw the word 'Strength' flashing on the digivice's screen. Before he could read more Sam heard Golemon scream, "Rock Punch!" As Golemon's attack sent him flying he felt his bones crack painfully before Sam crashed into the scaffolding in front of the shop. Then everything turned black.

With an unexpected strong adrenaline rush Aurora opened her eyes and breathed hard. Her heart raced, while her mind was clouded. She remembered fighting Golemon but everything else was blurry. Hearing something collapse behind her Aurora leaped up from the ground. Immediately she saw Golemon and she felt like her powers went into overdrive. Golemon growled in a deep tone, it looked like it wanted to attack the renamon again. Aurora couldn't think straight, she saw her enemy moving and just reacted. Screaming its attack Golemon missed Aurora entirely. The renamon ducked under its fist and rushed at the other digimon. She prepared her power paw. Before Golemon could do anything she stood right before the tall rock digimon and aimed for the head. Aurora hit Golemon with unknown force, for her paw went right through Golemon's head. On Golemon's face appeared a shocked expression, then it shattered to data. With satisfaction Aurora absorbed the data, her wounds healed immediately. She could feel the strange rush of strength subside and as it did her reason returned.

"Finally Golemon is dead. I never would have imagined winning," Aurora spoke out loud. Then she looked at the courtyard and the disappearing fog. "You can come out now, Sam. It's safe!" Yet no one answered her call. There was no movement either. Wondering where the human went Aurora looked around, until she saw the body under the collapsed scaffolding.

"No! Please be okay..." At once she rushed to Sam and began to free him the rest of the scaffolding that had buried the human. With every piece of rubbish she removed intensified Aurora's terror. Sam didn't move his body was battered and several cuts bled. The worst however was the small red pool that had formed around Sam's head. He was still holding the digivice in one of his hands.

"You can't die! Not now!" Aurora didn't know what to do. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched the life bleeding away from Sam. More than ever Aurora realized now that she loved Sam. The human that had had done so much for her, yet had asked for nothing in return. But despite all her pleading Sam remained unconscious on the ground. "I wanted to thank you for all your kindness... I wanted to say...," cried Aurora. The tears streamed down her face and landed on the dying human. Aurora lost her voice as she sobbed and tried to pull herself together. With determination and sadness at the same time she whispered, "I love you." Hugging Sam close Aurora thought that she had seen a faint glow.

"... I ... love you, too," sounded a hushed throaty voice. Sam had opened his eyes and a slight smile adorned his face. Aurora kissed him.

To be continued...