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BlackGato frowned as she pulled the blanket off her body. She had flopped into her bed, drained after a long day of training and "lessons." Said lessons were actually hypnosis sessions where she lay on her back for hours, staring blankly up a variety of holographic screens that fed information directly into her subconscious mind, rewarding her with orgasm after orgasm. It always left her exhausted (not to mention very sticky), and she had fallen asleep in seconds.

But seemingly moments later, she had opened her eyes, finding herself in a formless gray expanse, as if a shimmering silver mist obscured the world from view. She swung her legs from under the covers, dropping to the "floor.". As soon as she did, she noticed her bed vanished without a trace.

"I should have expected to see you here..." a voice said... BlackGato's own voice. The feline whirled about, baring her claws as she saw Gato standing there. The white-furred cat watched her with an expression of mild amusement and interest.

"You!!!" BlackGato snarled, leaping at Gato. The white cat scoffed lazily and smoothly sidestepped out of the way. BlackGato landed and pivoted, slashing at Gato... only to see her claws pass through the feline harmlessly, like she wasn't even there.

"Calm down, will ya? I'm not here to fight. I want to talk," Gato said calmly.

"Well I don't! Go away!" BlackGato growled.

"I wouldn't even if I knew how. Aren't you even curious what's going on?" Gato asked mildly, sitting down. She pulled her tail around and began to comb her claws through the blue tufts on the tip. Gato's strangely serene demeanor confused BlackGato and caused her to force herself to quell her rage. Huffing like a petulant child, she sat down as well.

"Well?" BlackGato asked angrily.

"Well, what?" Gato asked, not bothering to look up.

"Where are we? What am I doing here?" the ebon feline asked.

"We're asleep and sharing a dream, BlackGatomon. I occasionally have lucid dreams. That's where you're asleep and you are aware you are dreaming. Seems I was having one, and you got pulled in through whatever connection we have," Gato explained gently, "Hence why you can't hurt me."

BlackGato almost began to make more angry demands, but her natural curiosity overwhelmed her anger. She wanted answers more than she wanted Gato to go away.

"...Who are you, and why are we connected?" BlackGato asked. Gato finally looked up, seeming to sense that the other feline was interested in a conversation now.

"My file designation is G470.m0n, program serial number 7539495. I'm called Gatomon in English, or Gato for short. When my friends feel like teasing me, they sometimes the call me 'Tailmon,'" Gato said, holding up her tail with a smirk, "...I'm the de facto leader of the File Island Defenders. And... I'm your older sister."

"My... sister?" BlackGato asked, blinking.

"In a sense. Devidramon stole some... um... DNA from me, and he used it to create you. That's why we're connected. I think we share an empathic bond; we can read each other's emotions," Gato explained again, smiling. She seemed encouraged by the fact that BlackGato was listening.

"So, that's the itchy feeling in the back of my head when we get near each other?" she asked, her green eyes no longer narrowed in anger, but wide and curious.

"I think so, BlackGatomon, but it's truthfully just a guess," Gato said, honestly. BlackGato frowned in disgust.

"Don't call me that," she growled.

"That's your name, isn't it? Should I call you BlackGato instead, to be more casual?" Gato asked politely.

"No. It's your name. I don't want your name, I want to be me," BlackGato grumbled. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, "Imp calls me "BG" all the time. I like that..."

"Okay, then BG it is," Gato replied, smiling. BlackGato's lips quirked upward in something that was almost a faint smile. Encouraged by that, Gato leaned forward a little.

"...Now my turn to ask a question about you. Do you like being with Devidramon?" Gato asked. BlackGato frowned curiously.

"Yeah. He's my daddy. He lets me run around, playing with Digimon, having sex, and having fun!" BlackGato replied.

"...Having fun and playing. Is this what you mean by that, BG?" Gato asked, looking over her shoulder. Out of the swirling gray mists, an image formed, as if being sculpted and painted before BlackGato's eyes.

BlackGato recognized herself. She was moving in slow motion, caught in the middle of action. The black furred cat's paws were outstretched, her claws gleaming in the light. Streamers of crimson blood trailed her hands, gushing from a Gizamon and a Tapirmon, her claws having torn them open. Her tail was wrapped around a Betamon's neck, clearly choking it to death. A massive black shadow with four crimson eyes watched in the background.

"...Yeah. That was last week! I had a blast in Daddy's pit! How'd you do that?" BlackGato asked, even as the silvery mists swirled inward, consuming the image and leaving no trace of it. Gato frowned, and she gazed at BlackGato with some emotion the black cat didn't recognize.

"We're in our dreams, BG. I can call forth images from our memories here," Gato explained. She was silent for a minute, long enough for BlackGato to start to grow angry at the quiet feline. Before she could say a word, though, Gato spoke again.

"BG, do you understand that those other Digimon... are alive? And that you're killing them?" Gato asked quietly.

"Uh-huh! It's fun!" BG nodded, smiling.

"...Then no. You don't understand," Gato said, sighing, "This explains so much."

"I don't understand what?" BlackGato asked, frowned. Gato sighed.

"Your "daddy" almost killed you, you know. He sent that thing after all of us on that mountain," Gato said, gesturing. An image of a silvery tadpole creature, with six sharp spider legs and eyes of black and burning red appeared in the mist.

"That was an accident. Daddy explained it to me. It was a test, and he thought I was safe! He sent it to kill you and your friends. I would have done it myself!" BlackGato growled.

"You're a smart girl, BG. Do you honestly believe that?" Gato asked. The way she said it wasn't a challenge, but an honest, sincere question. It actually gave BlackGato pause as she wondered why Devidramon would have sent that thing while she was there in danger.

Gato stood up and turned away from BlackGato. The ebony cat resisted the urge to attack her with her guard down, knowing she wouldn't be able to harm the other cat. Even as she watched, the mists swirled again, another image beginning to form. After a minute, BlackGato found herself looking at what appeared to be a small rural village.

"This is my memory this time, BG. I want to show you who I am..." Gato said softly.

*******

I was born 14 cycles ago in a small rural village on Folder Continent. My mother and father loved me dearly. At age 1, I'd already Digivolved to Salamon. By age 4, I became a Gatomon.

I don't remember my parents that well. My mom had unusual green eyes, while my dad was tall for a Gatomon. I remember what they looked like, but I don't remember much of them otherwise. I don't know what music they liked, what foods, whether or not they ever travelled anywhere... But I remember they loved me. Their world revolved around me, and mine them. I don't remember if I had friends or loved ones in my village, but I remember that feeling of unconditional adoration.

Our village was quiet and far from the main highways and byways that Digimon normally travelled. We heard of things going on in the cities or in other places, adventures, battles, movies, books, games... but none of them mattered to us that much. We were removed from the world by distance. All we cared about was the next harvest and the next season. Vegetables in spring, fruit and berries in summer, grains in fall.

Life was quiet, and if I hadn't been counting the years, decades could haves slipped by and I never would have noticed.

I don't remember much, as I said. I've talked to Hawkmon and others. They say it's a form of amnesia, a response to the trauma I suffered. But I don't know if that makes sense. Because I remember that night clearly. I remember every second. I can't forget it. I want to, I've tried to, but it is as much part of me as my tail now.

The screams were first. Cries of pain, terror, agony. I jolted upright in my bed. I smelled smoke. It was a sharp burning in my nostrils. I went to the window of my room, but I tripped over a stuffed animal. My knee banged the bed and cut it. It hurt so bad, but I was confused and scared. The last time I'd heard this much noise was when lightning had struck a tree in the orchard, and all the adults were scrambling to put out the fires.

I peeked out the window, ignoring the blood dripping down my shin. The town was on fire. The brick and wood houses blazed like candles, smoke billowing upward into the midnight sky. I could hear screams again, and as I watched, I could see explosions of ice, fire, wind, lightning, rock, and more in the distance. And the laughter.

High pitched, cold, utterly without joy or mirth. An empty laugh for a being with no concept of positive emotion. Every time a scream came, the laughter rose higher.

I whimpered in fear. My parents were nowhere to be found. The house was empty. I remember turning the doorknob and opening the door to the sight that would define the rest of my life.

The village was in ruins.

The fields were on fire, filling the air with smoke. Holes had been blown through houses, several having collapsed completely. Trees in the orchard were toppled, some shattered to twigs. And in the center of the village, the one who caused it all.

It was a Piedmon. A garish clown six and a half feet tall; he towered over the villagers. Trails of blood streamed from his twin swords as he hacked and slashed, cackling all the while. His red and green clothes were splattered with streaks and sprays of blood of all colors. His yellow and crimson eyes gleamed with mirth out of a mask that was half black and half white, separated vertically. A heart was marked mockingly on the white side of the mask. Spades marked his shoulders. Heavy yellow boots danced through dirt made muddy with blood.

He struck down our next door neighbors, a pair of Elecmon, skewering both in a single movement. They died a second later, shattering into shards of data that evaporated into the air.

It was then that I saw my parents. They attacked him, both using their Lightning Claws. The Piedmon blocked their attacks with his swords, both slashing and flashing with incredible speed. They couldn't touch him.

My parents weren't fighters. They were farmers. They knew how to make crops grow, not the best way to break a foe's arm. They had their natural attacks, but unlike yours and mine, their Lightning Claws were unhoned, dull and slow. Their Cat's Eye Hypnosis was used more for putting an unruly child to sleep rather than stunning or subduing a foe. They weren't just out of their league, they weren't even playing the same sport.

They attacked anyway. The Piedmon had killed everyone else. They were all that was left between the Piedmon and me.

They died screaming my name.

I screamed theirs in return. The Piedmon saw me. As my parents dissolved away, their data-shards vanishing along with everything they ever were, the Piedmon approached, aiming it's bloody weapons my way.

"You've got amazing eyes, girl. Such a deep, pretty blue. They seem to sparkle in this nice firelight," he cackled, "I think I might keep them on a shelf in a jar..."

I screamed. I couldn't help it. I was a scared little child, barely five cycles old, and I had seen my entire world torn to bloody, scorched shreds. I was about to die.

"FIST OF THE BEAST KING!!!"

A wave of energy, taking the form of a massive, fierce lion's face slammed into the Piedmon, sending him flying through the air to crash through the walls of my home.

A new Digimon ran up. He was massive, taller than the lanky Piedmon by almost a full foot. Unlike the Piedmon, he was muscular, built strong, powerful, and regal. His very presence exuded power and confidence. He was feline in appearance, with strong leonine features. A mane of golden-brown fur fell around his shoulders and from his chin. His eyes were blue, piercing and determined. He was muscular in a way I'd never seen before; my parents were strong and lithe from farm work, but he was chiseled like a statue. He wore only pants of dark grey and gloves over his clenched fists.

He looked over his shoulder at me, and the waves of sheer, raw fury I felt softened to something more gentle and more kind.

"...I won't tell you it'll be all right, but I will do everything I can to keep you safe. Stay behind me," he commanded, his voice a low rumbling growl that seemed to shake the ground. I couldn't even consider disobeying. I couldn't think, I couldn't move.

"Ohoo! Someone here to give me a bit of a challenge! And here I thought the highlight of my day would have been killing those kitties. They're the only ones who tried to fight," the Piedmon cackled, slashing the air with a blood-stained blade.

"I don't know why you have done this, but rest assured, you will not live long enough to regret it," Leomon growled, stepping in front of me. The Piedmon laughed again and shook his head.

"Oh, come off it. You're only a Champion. There's no way you can do anything more than give me a papercut," the Piedmon scoffed.

"Which is it? Am I going to give you a challenge, or am I not going to give you a papercut? You can't have it both ways," Leomon rumbled, putting his fists up into a classic boxer's stance.

"Oh, a smart one, eh?" the Piedmon said with a glare, the smile fading from his face.

"It is my duty to inform you that you are guilty of 72 counts of first degree and second degree murder. Normally, I would arrest you, but the severity of your crimes and your strength allow me judicial discretion," Leomon announced. The words would have been laughable under normal circumstances, but the way the lion said them seemed to carry immeasurable weight.

"Mind sayin' that in something that resembles English?" the Piedmon asked, rubbing his little finger in his ear.

"It means that I'm going to kill you for what you've done," Leomon said, "I just need to get the legal protocol out of the way so I can get to it."

"Heh. That's adorable. I might actually enjoy killin' you as an appetizer before I get to the main course of makin' that little girl squeal..." the Piedmon said, peering around Leomon to stare at me. His eyes glowed red. Every night, I see them, staring at me, piercing me with murderous intent.

"You aren't going to do anything. You won't touch this child," said the humongous Digimon. He tapped glowing sparks of light on the back of his hand.

"Digivolution authorized! LEOMON, WARP-DIGIVOLVE TO..."

I gasped in shock as a pillar of light surrounded Leomon. Blinded, I could barely see his silhouette begin to change shape. He grew even more massive, hunching over as his arms developed into powerful paws. Humongous fangs sprouted from under his upper lip, hanging down over a foot and a half. His mane grew even larger, his fur changing color as red stripes patterned his fur. Four long ribbons sprouted out from behind his mane, waving in the wind generated by his transformation.

"SABERLEOMON," he roared., his voice deeper, rougher. He turned toward me, and his fierce face softened into a kinder expression.

"Go hide in that house. Don't come out until I say it's safe. I promise, I will protect you," SaberLeomon said gently, his voice a low rumble that somehow calmed me. I climbed to my feet and ran, leaping through the shattered window of the house he pointed at. I ducked down and peered out to watch.

"...I arrived too late to save these people, but the least I can do is give them justice," SaberLeomon said, clawing at the dirt as he and the Piedmon circled each other.

"Justice?" the Piedmon laughed, "Really? You have to be kidding me with this boyscout bull."

"Enough talk!" SaberLeomon growled. His speed was blinding, even considering his massive size. He pounced at the Piedmon, who barely managed to scamper to the side. The clown slashed with his blades, but the massive lion vanished. In a golden-red blur, he was behind the clown, a humongous clawed paw slamming into the masked villain. The blow sent him flying out of sight, crashing through the ruins of multiple houses.

I heard and felt the battle from there, even if I didn't see it. The deep rumbling bass vibe of explosions; the steely chime of swords or claws cutting through wood, stone, or metal; and the shouts of attack names and the grunts of pain; all rolled through the house. Debris peppered the thatched walls and roof, shattered shrapnel of metal tools and broken trees punching holes around me.

I screamed. I screamed until my throat was raw. I screamed in terror, in grief, in confusion. I screamed until my voice was gone and I couldn't make a sound.

A scream echoed my own, one of pain and rage. It cut off suddenly, as a sound like shattering glass rang through the air. Then silence. There came another sound, like a rushing of air and a low rumble and crack of energy.

Leomon rounded the corner a moment later. He was bruised and bloodied, cuts defacing his pristine golden fur. A trickle of crimson ran down from his forehead. He huffed loudly, out of breath.

I scrambled away from him, whimpering faintly. His eyebrows narrowed in concern and the gently dropped to a knee in front of me, holding out a hand. He said nothing, merely watching me. After a minute, I tentatively moved forward.

"Hello there, little one. My name is Leomon," the lion said kindly, kneeling. Even on his knees, he towered over me. I continued to sniffle and sob.

"I promise, young one. You are safe. Nothing will hurt you while I am around. I want you to to come with me," he said softly, taking my paw, squeezing it gently.

"W-Where?" I asked.

"To a place far from here, where you will have lots of new friends to love and care for you. A new home, if you want..." Leomon said, "There's nothing left for you here but pain. But if you come with me, you can be safe, happy... and if you choose, you can learn to protect others."

I think I nodded then, but I don't honestly remember. I remember falling forward, my eyes too heavy to keep open, and warm, strong arms holding me with incredible gentleness and care.

I did not dream. I think my mind just... shut down to protect me from nightmares and further horrors. I simply slept. For a long time. I was told later that I had been asleep for well over a week, but for all I knew, it could have been much longer.

I awoke slowly. Very slowly. Voices murmured to me, and I felt gentle hands touching me. They sounded worried, yet somehow happy.

It took an eternity, but I opened my eyes. I was in a warm bed, in a bright white room. A pair of Digimon were watching me, both smiling in a warm and friendly manner. One was an orange-scaled dinosaur, the other, a lizard wearing a blue wolf-fur.

"Hey, kiddo. My name is Agu. This is my partner, Gabu," the dinosaur said gently, smiling.

"Hello. I promise, you're safe. Can you tell us your name?" Gabu asked. I think I tried to respond, but no sound emerged. I couldn't speak, even though I tried. It would be weeks before I regained my voice.

"That's okay, kiddo. You've been through a lot. We'll call you Gato, until you can tell us otherwise. Is that okay?" Agu asked. I nodded slowly, blinking.

"We're going to take care of you from now on. Leomon brought you here, and gave you to us. We're gonna be good friends, all right?" Gabu asked. I simply stared back at him, tears welling up in my eyes. I remember crying, loud and long. Agu and Gabu embraced me together, surrounding me with warmth and love, comforting me.

In time, I learned that they were Defenders, members of a worldwide peacekeeping organization that Leomon had helped found. Leomon would check in on me many, many times in the coming months and years, despite having temple Digital World to patrol. Agu and Gabu became something between father figures and big brothers to me. They kept their promise. I was safe. I was happy.

...And I chose to learn to protect others.

******

The mists showed an image, far more clear and focused than any before. Gato was laughing loudly, her mouth smiling wide. A blue dragon, a golden-furred mouse, and a gray cat-rabbit embraced her. The orange dinosaur and blue lizard wolf were on either side of her, smiling with visible pride. A green-skinned plant-girl held Gato's hand, in the middle of telling a joke. A red lizard with black markings stood near a tall, stoic golden-furred vixen, grinning playfully. A pink-feathered bird flapped overhead, looking shy, but happy.

Gato regarded the image silently for a while, so long that BlackGato thought she was done speaking. However, the white cat spoke again.

"The years passed. I grew up. I became a Defender. I made friends like Pal, Rena, and Biyo. I found love in Pata, Gazi, and Vee. I have an apprentice in Guil."

"I tell Vee, Pata, and Gazi that the reason I love them all and need them all is because Gatomon are polyamorous, taking multiple mates, but... that's not the entire truth. Many Gatomon only take a single mate, like my parents. The real reason I have them is because after Piedmon killed my family and my village, I can't bear to be alone any more. I need people near me, who love me and care for me. The thought of being alone for even a minute terrifies me," Gato said softly. She looked over at BlackGato.

"I'm a Defender because I don't want anyone to ever be alone the way I was. I want to save lives and help people. I want them to be happy and safe and live long lives of peace and prosperity," she explained.

"Agu, Gabu, and Goma raised me. Pal and Biyo gave me constant companionship. Vee, Gazi, and Pata love me deeply, and I love them. And I'm passing everything I know onto Guil. My parents died when I was five, but I still have a family. I'm not alone," Gato said, wiping a tear from her blue eyes.

"And now I have a sister who is as lost as I was," she said, looking to BlackGato. She fell silent for a very long time. BlackGato remained silent herself, trying to understand the things Gato had shown her and what she had said. She looked up at the image in the swirling mist, of the white feline being embraced by so many strange Digimon, wondering what that felt like.

"...Do you understand, BG?" Gato asked, even as more tears ran down her furry cheeks. BlackGato could feel emotions rolling off her, none of which she could name, but so powerful and different than her own. The young black kitten blinked slowly.

"...No..." she said, and Gato gave a sob before BlackGato continued, "...but... I'm trying..."

A wide smile broke across Gato's face, her emotions brightening until BlackGato felt almost blinded. She frowned and backed away involuntarily, unsure what this outpouring meant. To her relief, Gato seemed to realize this, and the intensity of the sensation decreased as Gato attempted to calm herself.

The silver mists around them seemed to darken, becoming grayed and thicker like smoke. Gato seemed to understand what this meant, as she nodded to herself.

"...We're about to wake up. I can't tell you how much of this you might remember, but please, try to hold onto this. Please think about what I showed you..." Gato said. The smoke rolled closer, beginning to obscure her from view. Her voice became muffled and soft.

"...We'll talk again... soon!" Gato called, as the smoke consumed her. It rolled forward rapidly, so quickly that BlackGato could only recoil in fear and...

******

BlackGato jolted upright in her bed, her chest heaving. She panted hard, looking around her bedroom, the familiar bare stone walls greeting her. She blinked, her eyes burning strangely. She reached up and touched her cheek, feeling a trail of dampness running from her eyes down her cheek fur.

"I-I'm so sorry, Ms. BlackGato, but Master Devidramon has asked for your presence," a Datamon said nervously, "...Ma'am, are you... crying?"

BlackGato snarled in anger at being woken up. She leaped out of her bed, her claws gleaming in the early morning light. She brought them down in a flash...

...but stopped an inch from the robotic creature's face. She could see the terror in its eyes, the way it cringed, the knowledge of its imminent deletion gripping its core. She blinked and shook her head, a tightness in her stomach. Somewhere deep inside her, she recognized that this creature feared it's death, and that it had a life and emotions of its own. It wasn't just a toy to be broken in rage. The desire to kill drained out of her and she stepped back, clenching and unclenching her fist.

"...Thank you. I'll go see him in a minute," she said, softly. The Datamon blinked in utter surprise and confusion, unsure how and why he was still alive. He ran away without another word, leaving BlackGato alone in her room.

Alone. The word resonated deep inside BlackGato for some reason. As she looked around her bare room, with nothing but a bed inside, it suddenly hit her how lonely she was.

The image of that white-furred version of herself flitted through her thoughts. She wondered when they would meet again.

Putting it out of her thoughts, BlackGato squared her shoulders, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and left to go meet her father.

*******

Deep in Devidramon's lair, the Dorumon who had retrieved Succubimon earlier dragged cleaning supplies into the laboratory. He hummed tunelessly to himself, sliding the dirty mop across the stone floor. Occasionally, he plunged the mop into a bucket of filthy water, before returning to scrubbing the floor. This had the effect of only making it dirtier, but neither the Dorumon nor anyone else particularly cared.

He grumbled as he tossed some debris into a nearby can, muttering to himself, before pausing and looking around. Something was tapping.

Frowning, the furred dragon wandered the open aisles of the lab, tracking the noise this way and that as it echoed. It cocked its head, tracking the tap tap tapping through the various parts of the laboratory. Finally, he found himself in front of a large tarp-covered object. The tapping came from underneath.

Curiosity overwhelmed what little common sense and caution Dorumon had. Annoyed by the tapping, he worked a corner of the tarp loose. Lifting it, he peered beneath.

He gasped in horror and disgust as he saw the abomination hidden below the cover. Before he could make more than a strangled yelp of terror, a silver-feathered tendril speared through the glass tube encasing it. It plunged into Dorumon's chest with a spray of crimson blood. The dragon's mouth opened in a silent scream.

The razor-sharp tail undulated and pulsed, as a large round bulge travelled up its length. It entered the Dorumon's chest, and the Digimon began to convulse from head to toe, his head craning back as he foamed at the mouth.

Then the tail retracted back into the darkness under the tarp. Dorumon shook and shuddered for a moment more... then went still.

After a moment, he smiled and stood up again. Carefully wiping his blood up with a rag, he applied a special patch to the tube, repairing the crack. He tied the tarp down, and set about mopping up the remnants of his blood off the floor, the injury in his chest vanished completely. His eyes glowed crimson as he returned to his assigned task.

Beneath the tarp, Arkadimon thought that if it had a mouth, it would have smiled..