Land of giants

[Mirei]

"What the!?"

Giant insects here, giant insects there, the entire forest was populated with huge insects! It was bad enough already that she was running away from a dinosaur and an imp, but this was insanity, even the larvae were huge, of the size of dogs!

There was no place where to hide, she could still hear the noise of a rampaging dinosaur crushing trees behind her and to her left, right, in front and even above there were many digimon, some insects, some plants but at the end all of them were freaks that shouldn't exist. In fact, everything was wrong in that place, trees aren't supposed to grow weird fruit like the ones they had and that some of them were holograms, that was madness!

"Wait, don't go father!"

"Nobody obeys obvious evil monsters when they order you to wait!"

For all the errors she committed before, she was wrong genre savvy again, it was true that nobody obeyed villains who ordered escaping heroes to wait or stop, but the impmon was no villain and in fact was trying to help her. And so, after blindly running away for some minutes she ended up crashing with something ...

"Not another of those monsters again!"

And there she was, cornered between the greymon that was still behind her and a new unknown being that was in front of her. The impmon finally reached where she was as well and sighed. He only new about digimon from the beach and didn't know if the digimon with which the human girl crashed was good, bad or simply is hungry enough to try eating a human.

[npcmod]

- Ugh! - a low gulp came about when the girl rammed the creature, which was not quite as big as the child initially presumed - it was about human-sized, though a lot more sturdy, so it was explainable why she barely moved it, and got kicked on the ground from the impact. It was like hitting a stone wall, of sorts, because the creature's exterior was very, very sturdy. Even ... armor-like. And it certainly did not appreciate being rammed into, and called a monster.

- And whom did you just call a monster, you weird excuse for a wizardmon? - the humanoid bug turned around, both blades from it's arms unsheathed as it lifted itself a bit in the air, looking at the weird creature that just "attacked him". The stingmon did not know what was the plan of the weird "digimon" wanted, but if it was going to attack, he'd give it a blade through the throat. Nobody messed with stingmon and got away with it.

He knew not it was a human - after all, those were considered creatures of legends and such, legends not all digimon heard of or knew about, so to him the girl was just another digimon, a digimon he did know about, and who looked a tad bit like a wizardmon. Meanwhile the roaring from behind was getting closer, but the digimon cared naught - he had wings, he didn't have to fear ol' Grey and his hungry rage...

[Mirei]

"Don't be hasty, she's not a digimon, she is a human!"

And precisely now he had to be without his books, if the impmon had them with him right now, he could've convinced this stingmon that the girl was not a wizardmon but a human instead. He went between both girl and insect digimon and tried to prevent them from engaging into a battle, there was a relentless hunter getting closer and it was suicidal to face two adult/champion level digimon while he was a mere child/rookie and the human was ... well, just a human, and of the weak type ... although her straight punch can really hurt a lot.

"Digimon? Wizardmon?"

The girl wondered what the heck they were talking about. Digimon, digimon ... where did she heard that word before? Nevermind, she had to escape from those monsters before .. wait, that giant bugman TALKED? but how? He didn't have a mouth ... but then again his very existence was an insult against nature itself and she was also being chased by a dinosaur and an imp. She should be already prepared to accept weird things, but the digital world surprised her more and more every time she met a new digimon

"J-just leave me alone!"

She tried to run to another place of that digimon-filled forest that were digimon-less but it was impossible, they were everywhere and no matter where she looked, there were more of them. At the end she had to resign herself to accept the help of the devil-like one, at least he wasn't trying to eat her or or had deadly spikes growing on his arm.

"Ehh ... you wanted to help me, right? Then help me, this place is crazy!"

"Finally! Let's work together to get out of here"

Yes! The impmon finally did it, he earned the trust of the human girl ... or at least that's what he thought and now he could finally take her to a digimon-less place where they could be alone to talk and maybe more. He looked at the stingmon and decided that if he was polite enough to warn first, he had to be nice enough to be able to understand about their situation.

"We don't want any problem with you. She is a human and we are escaping from Old Grey, that greymon from the beach. Please let us leave without problems before he find us"

Old Grey was quite stubborn, he wouldn't stop his pursuit until he lost the track of his prey or simply got tired.

[npcmod]

- Hu...mon? Never heard of that one before. What do they do? - the Stingmon sounded confused, as he heard the impmon's explanation. The word "human" certainly didn't ring a bell, and since it still was a digimon, or ... not-digimon he didn't know about, he figured he should be twice as cautious. A thought crossed his mind that he should just blast the two, just to be on the safe side, and then drive the angry dinosaur away, but his thoughts were interrupted by an all too familiar voice...

- Sweetie! Where are you?

- Oh shi... - the stingmon didn't manage to finish his cussing, when another digimon emerged from the bushes. As if a dinosaur, a talking bug with blades and an imp was not enough to confuse the poor girl who just lost it all. It sounded like a woman, and kinda looked like one... Or a plant ... thing. It sure was tall, taller than the girl and certainly taller than the impmon. And the first thing she did, was ... leaning on the poor bug from behind, arms crossed around his neck.

- Awww, you made some new friends! How cute and precious and adorable! - the lilamon said cheerfully and smiled.

- You're ... suffocating ... me... - a grouchy whisper came out of the bug, because the flowery digimon was certainly heavy, not to mention her arms were around his neck, prohibiting breathing.

- Sorry honey, but me thinks you should go calm down old Grey, he's been very grouchy lately. - the flowery digimon said, releasing her grip, and smiling innocently. How could anyone refuse that request? No way that's for sure, at least for stingmon. Though he still was not happy about it.

- Grh, I'm going. - he replied grouchily and lift off, and soon afterwards more vicious roars from the greymon were heard somewhere behind, obviously the stingmon found his target. Not that it mattered however, since now the impmon and his confused love interest had a new somebody to deal with. A tall and pretty plant digimon, who was also very friendly towards just about anybody, even old Grey. She clapped her hands together and said cheerfully:

- Why hullo there! Me be Lilamon :3

[Mirei]

"Ehhh?"

Could this situation get more ridiculous? The answer was obviously YES. A plant-human hybrid appeared from behind the bugman and hugged him, A HUMAN, PLANT HYBRID!

This was giving Manabi a headache but at least the plant-woman seemed to be nice despite being a monster that only SCIENCE! could create through evil experiments with human and plants. Her existence was even harder to justify than the one of the bugman. She was still assimilating that dinosaurs and devils really existed and a man-insect ... well, at least they were sorta compatible judging by that one movie where a human got messed up with fly DNA, but a human-like plant, that blatantly said she was the bugman's girlfriend? J-just how could her existence be explained!?

At least she god rid of the bugman, and even made him promise to deal with the dinosaur, that was good and while she looked like a love freak, at least it didn't look like she would eat the human girl.

"Ehh ... hello, I'm Manabi, a human. Please tell me there are more humans here!"

Nice or not, that tall, pink and cute lady was still a nature freak, something that shouldn't exist, so Manabi REALLY wanted to find something, somebody normal in this strange place. She was desperate for clues that even grabbed the lilamon's hands as she begged her for answers while the Impmon simply looked at them, unsure about what to do next or how to find a safe place where to finally talk in peace with the human girl.

"Don't abuse of their generosity, we are very lucky to find good digimon. Let's find a safe place for us first."

If the lilamon was genuinely a love freak, she should have already noticed that the impmon had mixed feelings for the human girl. His eyes and expressions showed more than mere interest in being her friend. But then again, love freaks don't really care at all about things like that and think everybody who travels in groups of two are lovers or something like that.

[npcmod]

- Manabi? Maaaaanaaabeee? Wannabe? Manabi, tee-hee-hee. - the plant digimon pronounced her name, as well as a few similar-sounding words a few times, and giggled. This was a very good day for her, she meet new loveable people! Yay! Cutecy overwhelmed her when the little (in comparison to the tall plant lady) girl held her hands and asked if there any more of these strange "Hu-mons" around. The expression on her face changed from happy to a curious one, as she twitched her head a bit, looking at the girl quizzically.

- Nuuuu, I don't think I saw ... hu-mons around here... Tis so very sad, I wish there were more! The only ones I see around are only ye old Grey and my darling Stingy... - she sighed out, when they heard another roar from afar, and a sharp yelling coming from the same direction: - Stop chasing me around you son of a beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

- Tee-hee, he's having fun! But ... you said you and your boyfriend need a safe place? I can halp you! I know a nice placie with lots of cute flowers and butterflies and everything! Follow me follow me! - she exclaimed cheerfully and turned around, wishing to lead the way, and waved her hand meaning them to follow. The air around was filled with delightful aroma everywhere she went, that was the benefit of being a beautiful flower digimon :3

[Mirei]

" ... "

That weird plant girl was ... quite lovely. Ookay, she might be a monster, but she acted pretty much like any lovey dovey girl would act, maybe those strange creatures were more human-like than Manabi thought, and actually the flower lady was rather nice and cute, quite charming ... no no, that had to be the flower lady's strong flowery scents, she couldn't be liking that flower woman, she wasn't human!

And humons? it looked like hardly anyone ever knew what a human was except for the purple midget next to her, now she was imagining things like having being kidnapped by aliens and took to a strange world, or that somehow she stepped on a dimensional gate to a world of magic and fantasy, like in the fantasy manga and anime. It was rather hilarious, but the manga-like dimension gate thingy was what made more sense because those monsters looked like they had their own society of sorts and they didn't look like aliens that could kidnap people.

"Oh ... and thank your darling for me when he finished dealing with that dinosaur"

How disappointing, no more humans around. At least the bugman called Stingy was getting rid of the dinosaur for her and the lady called lilamon offered to give them shelter in a really nice place where she and hey broyfriend could stay safe and ... did she just imply that SHE was the girlfriend of THAT devil thing?

"He is NOT my boyfriend, I'm only with him because he offered to help me!"

"You didn't need to be so serious about that ..."

While the girl showed disgust, the impmon felt disappointment. For some reason he felt attracted to her despite clearly being from different species and it hurt him to know she only thought about him as "that devil thing" despite he risked life and limb trying to help her.

After that silly scene, both of them followed the lilamon wherever she was guiding them. While she was a bit eccentric, the impmon knew she was a perfect/ultimate level digimon, and they would be a lot safer with her than trying to survive on their own. If only he had his books with them ... he could read about how to treat humans nicely and where he could find stuff about humans, he really wanted to help her and somehow he didn't really care of badly she treated him, could that be love at first sight? Naaah, that only happens in fiction and in the real life too ...

[npcmod]

The plant digimon did not hear the little protests the girl threw out, being too busy with singing dilly-dilly-tralalaly as they went further away from that place and away from yelling stingmon in afar. She finally had guests! Yay! Somebody else besides stingmon to banish her loneliness. The lilamon loved guests, too bad not that many bothered to stop by and visit, she had so much to show to people...

The trio soon managed to come around the "nice cute little placie" as the lilamon described it. In reality ... well, that was a huge understatement. What they came across was ... a little clearing among these thick jungle forests, a little plain that could be called a flower's dream. Hundreds, thousands of flowers, and a few beautiful blossoming trees in the middle of it. It was pretty, but it was not the epitome of the beauty of the place, not yet.

- Here we are! My home placie! - the lilamon exclaimed, and waved a hand across the flower field. And the next moment ... oh goodness! The flowers started opening up! One by one, as if they were in a chain reaction, revealing their beautiful and exotic colors, and all turning their little flowery heads to the lilamon, as if they wanted to look at her. It was her garden after all, and possibly the most beautiful garden on the continent. Nobody matched her skills in tending to flowers, after all, she was A FLOWER.

- Maaaanaaabeee, this forest is not your home, is it? How did you get here? Where is your home? - the flowery lady asked curiously, now that they were in a quiet, safe place, and could have a little chit-chat.

[Mirei]

"Whoa .... so pretty <3"

Incredible, simply incredible. Lilamon's home was a paradisaic flower garden of great beauty, neither the human girl nor the impmon had seen such beauty in their lifetime and the fragrance, it simply felt so good that they could forget about all their worries and simply focus in the aroma.

The flower garden was beautiful already like that, and what the lilamon did only made it even more pretty despite it looked like it was impossible to make the place prettier: The flowers and trees that had yet to blossom immediately blossomed no sooner the fairy digimon acted like an orchestra director and ordered the flowers to blossom in synchrony and order with the waving of her hands. It was truly a show of the miracle of life, and Manabi almost completely forgot she was in a world of monster and even started to admire that lovely flower lady.

"Forest? What forest ... ah no, this is not my home, and my home is in Akihabara, Japan."

She answered to the lilamon's question, acting as if she didn't care at all about her current predicament. The power of the flowers and their tranquilizing aroma and refreshing scent made wonders on the human girl and she felt so much in peace that could easily sleep inside the garden without any worries at all.

"Japan ... "

Meanwhile, the impmon felt like he read about that place, "Japan", before. He remembered reading about a legendary human who was from that place too. Most likely it was a mystic place where heroes are born .. but that didn't really matter now as he simply stand up next to Manabi and hold her hand with his own. Both of them were charmed by the magic of the flowers and the human girl wasn't bothered at all by the impmon's daring movement, at least she wouldn't be bothered until the flowery magic ended or somebody reminded her about how much she doesn't like to be in this weird world.

[npcmod]

- *Dzzzt... Dzzzt... Dzzzt...* - sudden intermittent sounds coming from behind managed to make the flower digimon turn around and break her concentration, and as soon as she did the the flowers turned away. The garden was still beautiful, but now it lacked that hypnotizing effect it had on people who saw it first. When the lilamon looked to see who it was, she suddenly gasped in horror, her closing her mouth with her hands not to scream.

It was Stingmon, who came by on his two feet, and not by flying as usual, though he desperately tried to lift in the air, judging by how fiercely the wings on his right side were batting. The one's on the left ... they were broken, and what remained of them only moved soundlessly, and it was a horrible sight when compared to his unharmed ones. Ever saw how pitiful would a fly look if you tear one of it's wings? Yep, this was the case, but there was more...

The poor Stingmon was clutching to the side, something ... reddish was pouring through the fingers, and immediately disappearing into small particles of ... something. You pick the right word for it: data, molecules, whatever. In any case, the bug-man, as the girl called him, was hurt. A long, ugly gash was at his side, left by something sharp. The lilamon gasped again, and this time, all flowers closed on in the garden, resonating with the flower digimon's feelings.

- Aaah! What happened to you honey? - the lilamon ran to the poor thing and helped him stand properly, relying on his shoulder. Now that they could get a better look on him, his right leg was pretty battered too - it was not broken or anything, but there was a pretty big dent on the ... bug armor? His exoskeleton was hard and tough, but not impregnable after all... Two thin streams of tears appeared on the flower digimon's eyes, she always was overly emotional.

- Um... Sorry sweetheart... I wanted to lure ol' Grey away from the place, and did not see I was flying into a branch... Barely escaped before he managed to make a meal out of me... - the stingmon replied apologetically, as he moved by the girl and the impmon, being supported by the lilamon, and limping heavily, and sat, leaning his back against one of the trees.

- Just don't die please please pretty please! - the flower digimon was always panicky - the stingmon was not hurt THAT badly, but she still hated violence and everything involved with it, and seeing her only stingmon hurt like that tore her heart apart. The bugman only laughed raspily upon hearing her worried tantrum.

- Tis just a flesh wound. I'll just need to rest for a few days, and will be good as new...

Worried with her friend and lover's health, the panicky digimon started running around frantically around her garden, picking up healing herbs she grew here just for such occasions. This was not exactly the first time Stingmon got roughed up like that, but she treated every time like first time, not liking the idea that this world was savage and people here often get hurt. She stopped in front of her two guests for a second.

- Umm... Help yourselves in the meanwhile. I'll be back to you ... shortly... - she said apologetically, before continuing her herb-picking. She felt very sad and disappointed now. Everything went so fine, they had guests and she was going to show them some more of her stuff, and now ... this. Stingmon was hurt, she was unhappy and her guests were left alone. The garden almost became dull and gray, the only things lacking were the clouds to block the sun, but that was fixed shortly, as a cloud went by the light's pass, and the area went from sunny and bright to dingy and gray... What a foil...

[Mirei]

" *gasp* "

This twisted and strange world, why can't it let her have a break at least once? The beautiful garden pretty much completely calmed Manabi, but the arrival of the very injured bugman crushed the magic of the flower and the colorful place become grim and gray. The poor human girl couldn't help but gasp and cover her mouth with her hands (releasing the one hold by the impmon) just like the lilamon, and she also fell on her butt, shocked by the horrible sight. She might not like those strange creatures, but she never wanted .. this horrible thing to happen to the ones that were nice with her.

"Kyaaa!!!"

Once the lilamon left to pick medicinal herbs, the human girl screamed loudly in horror. Why they hell was that happening to her? why fate itself insisted in exposing her to horrible things that would drive MAD more sensitive people? She was reaching the limit of her stress and nothing out of some anti-stress medicine or crazy magic could snap her out of that state of panic.

"I can't stand this world anymore, please somebody get me out of here, out of his insane place!!!"

She curled in fetal position and simply waited until everything solved itself. She had never seen somebody severely wounded, and to make things worse the injured person was the bugman, who had some of his insect wings broken, his claw-like finger were bleeding and his tough-looking chest gashed as if somebody used a machete to slice him open. Other human sure had it easy, having nice and maybe even funny beginnings in the digital world, but all Manabi experienced since she arrived were a lot of horrible situation where her life was at stake.

"Manabi, please calm down ..."

"You devil thing, don't come any closer, and don't call me by my name!"

By now she as feeling quite paranoiac and while the flower girl looked and acted nice, the equally helpful imp digimon looked like one of those devils that in human society were considered of bad omen. Such was the cruel irony, that the digimon couldn't get closer to whom he likes because he looks like something humans loathes and feels afraid of ...

[npcmod]

The lilamon only shook her head, while bandaging the wounded stingmon, whom she rendered sleeping with some sleeping spores she used, in order to make him have rest and not twitch or anything. This was a bad day... Very, very very very very bad day. Not only her lover was hurt so much, but now she heard the hu-mon gasping and crying in horror. The plant digimon was crying herself, streams of tears coming from her eyes, but that didn't stop her from helping, didn't paralyze her. She was strong, she had to be. Behind the appearance of a happy-go-lucky and sensitive lady was hiding a heard made of iron, she would cry, but she would endure. Just like in the past. Things weren't always the way they are now, back then she wasn't living a quiet life in the forest, and stingmon was a soldier once...

Approaching the crying girl curled up in a fetal position, the lilamon silently dispersed the sleeping spores on her, they were to put her to sleep upon inhaling them. With a sigh, the child's eyes were closed, and cries, accusations and complaints ended with this. She would be better off asleep, maybe she will wake up in a better mood? Sleep is often considered best remedy from stress. The flower digimon picked the girl up from the ground, she was strong enough to do this, unlike impmon, and said to the little purple critter:

- She didn't mean that surely. When she wakes up, she'll feel better altogether. So she could play in my garden all day... - she sounded sad and aloof, and carried the sleeping girl to the trees, where stingmon already was seeing his own dreams...

[Mirei]

"This world is so horrible .. I want to go ... ho ... me"

Her whining finally ceased as lilamon's sleep spores first caused her somnolence, then deep sleep. That ability of the fairy digimon was really useful and the impmon once more felt the limitations of his powers as there was nothing he could've done to calm her down.

"I understand, but it still hurts after all I did for her ..."

He simply let the lilamon carry Manabi to a plae where she could rest properly, following them behind. He still didn't know why, but his feelings for the human were increasing and being rejected by her only made him want to be with her more. After so many days waiting endlessly she could be the person that he was looking for, and he was not going to leave her side anytime soon.