Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission.

Several plotlines were inspired by other sources such as Dragon Drive, Yu-Gi-Oh and Gargoyles, all copyright to their original owners.

Author's note: I'm more used to the Japanese version, so I'll be sticking more closely to that. In this fic, you'll notice that I use mostly Japanese terms for Digimon names and attack cries, but still have a few dub ones in.

I apologize if it gets confusing at times, but it's a matter of personal preference on my part. Don't worry, it shouldn't affect the fic too much!

Permutation

By nightdragon0

Tokyo, Japan

(Note: Assume all dialogues from this section are translated from Japanese.)

Sekata turned his card over...and sighed with relief once he saw his opponent's card. He didn't need to hear to the judge's decision to know he'd won the match.

And with it, the card game tournament too.

Ha...my lucky Cyberdramon card. He smiled inwardly, fingering the card as the crowd cheered him on.

"Looks like perseverance finally paid off." the 16-year-old whistled as he walked along the crowded streets, juggling the package that contained his prize. "And my folks are always telling me card games are a waste of time."

There was a cash prize, a trophy, and most importantly to him, a limited edition set of holographic cards that Sekata was simply dying to get home and dig his teeth into it.

Finally, he was unable to quell his excitement any longer. He stepped to the side of the street and was reaching for the pack when a man in a trench coat abruptly bumped into him, knocking him over and tossing his package onto the ground.

"Sorry!" He said, climbing to his feet and giving a small bow.

The man simply grunted and continued on his way as if nothing had happened.

"Strange..." Sekata muttered, dusting himself off and grabbing his package. That was when he noticed a small pouch next to it, apparently having been dropped by the man in the trench coat.

Looking up, Sekata saw the man disappearing around the corner of the street.

"Excuse me sir! You dropped this!" He called, running after him.

Pushing his way through the crowd, Sekata dashed towards the spot he'd last seen the man. Panting, he frantically glanced around, only to find the man had disappeared into the mass of people.

"Damn!" He cursed. Sekata was beginning to wish he'd never picked the pouch up at all.

As he clenched his fist around it, he felt something familiar. Out of curiosity, he unzipped the pouch to look inside.

"Hmmm...a D-Ark?"

It did look somewhat like the ones from the anime; it had the card reader slot and was roughly the same design, only a little more squarish in shape. This one was completely white and had a different padded strap from below instead of being on top.

It took Sekata a while, but he figured out that the strap was meant to be secured around his wrist and the D-Ark could be grasped upright in his palm without any interference from the strap.

"Is this a new model?" He wondered as he resumed his journey home. It definitely wasn't exactly like a D-Ark, but was the wrong shape for the D-Scans that were being released for Digimon Frontier.

Who knows? Maybe that person was one of the designers and I just picked up a prototype or something.

He tried pushing the buttons, but was disappointed to find that the screen remained blank.

"Batteries must be out." He concluded, "I'll have to wait till I get back to try it out."

"I'm home!" Sekata announced, throwing the door open. "Mom?"

He picked up a note from the table.

"Gone to a meeting. Dad and I will be back late, so dinner's in the microwave." He read it out. "And just as well too."

Running up to his room, Sekata tossed his stuff aside and went straight for his screwdriver kit. He flipped the D-Ark over and realized there was no battery section.

"Strange..." He muttered, "Oh well, guess it's just a prototype after all."

Leaving it on the desk, begun going through his deck. He'd just reached his lucky Cyberdramon when he heard the D-Ark beeping.

"Huh?"

With his deck still in one hand, Sekata walked over. Surprisingly, the screen was now lit. It flashed for a while and several words appeared on it.

"Program activated. Please slash in Digimon card." Sekata read, "Cool! Maybe it's solar powered."

Sekata pulled his Cyberdramon card from the deck and stuffed the rest into his pocket.

"Card Slash! Cyberdramon!" He mimicked the Tamers on the anime and struck a fancy pose before slashing the card in.

Immediately, the screen changed.

Processing. Please Wait...

Program accepted. Beginning in 3...2...

Sekata grasped it tightly in anticipation.

...1...GO!

A bight light emerged from the D-Ark.

"What the?"

When he uncovered his eyes, the white color of the D-Ark had been changed to black, with the inner ring being silver in color.

"I...don't believe it!"

Sekata barely had time to recover from the initial shock when another blinding flash emerged. However, he felt some strange force emerging as well. And it was beginning to engulf his entire body.

Screaming, he tried to drop the device. Unfortunately, he'd strapped it to his wrist, leaving him with nothing else to do but cry out...

California, USA

"Steve! Janet! Come check this out!" Zoe yelled running over to her friends, waving a bag about it the air.

"What is it Zoe?" Steve asked, tossing the basketball aside.

It was early on a Sunday morning and the basketball court was empty except for the three 14-year-old students.

"These." Zoe emptied the bag onto the ground, tossing out three white colored devices.

"Hey don't those look like the D-Powers from the TV show?" Janet asked, picking one up. Although they didn't yet know it, these were identical to the one Sekata had picked up in Japan.

"Or D-Arks, cause these look like they're imports." Steve muttered, examining one for himself. "But aren't you a little old to be buying these toys Zoe?"

"You see guys, I sorta found these." Zoe blushed slightly, scratching her head.

"Found them?" Janet asked.

"Yeah, I was just running to meet you guys when this guy in a trench coat bumped into me. He apparently dropped these and walked off without knowing it. I ran after him to try and return them, but he sorta went round the corner and disappeared, just like that." Zoe explained, snapping her fingers.

Steve stared at the Japanese words on the screen.

"My Japanese isn't too good, but I think it says something about slashing a Digimon card in to start."

"Steve, did you bring your Digimon cards with you?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah, in my bag. Why? You thinking of giving it a try?"

"Well, couldn't hurt right?" Janet shrugged, "Who know? Maybe these are a new model or something?"

"Just a sec." Steve dug through his backpack, "Ah, here's my deck."

"Lend me your Growlmon card for a while." Janet took the card and slid it through the slot.

Immediately, the words on the screen changed.

"I think it's loading something." She noted.

Steve slashed a Flamedramon card and turned towards to Zoe.

"Erm...you know, I don't really know how to..."

"Here, let me help. Try this XV-mon." Steve placed his hands over hers and guided Zoe's slash.

"Thanks. I was afraid I'd damage your card or something."

"No problem. I just..."

A bright flash of light interrupted him, also causing all three to cry out in shock. Once the light vanished, Janet's Digivice had changed to a purely deep red color. Steve's was decorated in red and orange, like a flame pattern and Zoe's had taken on a completely light blue color.

"Yeow!"

"Whoa!"

"What the?"

There was hardly any time in-between as another blinding light flashed. All three felt some unseen force surrounding them.

Next thing they knew, they were spinning and falling wildly.

Sekata come to, groaning. He must've passed out.

First thing he noticed that he wasn't in his room, but instead lying facedown on the grass. Opening his eyes, he struggled to his knees and glanced around.

He was in a thick forest with a stream running through. The huge trees shrouded out most of the sunlight, leaving only small streams to shine down on the forest floor.

This is definitely not home.

His view...looked a little different too. Like he was looking through a pair of sun glasses. Sekata reached up to find out what it was, but the moment his caught sight of 'his' own hand, he screamed.

"What the HELL?"

It was a reptilian, five fingered claw. Black, with some silver sections at the nails.

"My voice! What's happened to me?"

Sekata could barely recognize his own voice anymore. It was much too deep and gruff. Frantically, he stared at his own reflection in the stream...and got the absolute shock of his life.

"Ow! What in the world was that?" He heard Janet's voice from close by.

"Uuurrgghhhh...did anyone get the number of that truck?" Steve moaned, opening his eyes.

Steve found himself staring straight at the snout and jaws of some huge red creature.

"AARRGGGHHH! MONSTER!"

"What? Where?" the 'monster' sprang up and begun frantically glancing around.

Huh? That's Growlmon? Steve wondered, scrambling to his feet. He could now see the entire creature. A real Digimon!

But there was a distinctive feminine tone in its voice. And a familiar one too.

"Erm...Janet?" Steve called out meekly.

"Steve?" The Growlmon asked, "Where are you? And what was the monster bit?"

"Hey, down here!"

"Steve? You're...Flamedramon?"

"Huh? I..." Steve looked down at himself. Indeed, he was, down to every last detail. "Well, you're Growlmon!"

"I...erm..."

There was a long moment of awkward silence throughout the new grassy field that they were standing in.

"This is a dream, isn't it?" Janet asked.

"I would try to pinch myself, but I can't do it with claws like these." Steve muttered, holding up his Flamedramon claws.

"I'll try. Ow! OK, I think I just cut my own skin, but I think we're not dreaming." Janet looked down at him.

"Could you not do that?" Steve asked the towering Growlmon.

"Well, what would you have me do? Not look at you at all? I've been turned into a who-knows-how-many foot tall Growlmon and...OW! STEVE!"

"Sorry," Steve said, taking his claws off her tail. "Just making sure that was real."

"Grrrr...at least warn me next time!"

"Damn! I feel so insignificant!" Steve continued, not paying attention to her, "Why couldn't I have slashed in a Wargreymon instead? Or maybe Imperialdramon?!"

Janet swung a claw and smacked him, unintentionally sending him sprawling over.

"This is no time for jokes you idiot!" She growled angrily. "We have a...wait, what did you mean by that?"

"Look, we slashed in some cards earlier on right? And now, we've been transported to the Digital World and turned into the Digimon we slashed in!" Steve explained, picking himself up.

"And how'd you figure that out?"

"It's a common fanfiction plotline."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. But do you still have that Digivice, Janet?"

"Er...yeah, it's been here between my fingers." Janet grasped the tiny-looking Digivice, strapped to one of her huge Growlmon fingers.

"Mine's here." Steve lifted his left arm, revealing the Digivice strapped to his forearm. "Cause I'm sure it doesn't take a genius to figure out these had something to do with it."

"By the way..." Janet cut in. "Aren't we forgetting something?"

Just then, a high pitched scream rang out from a nearby forest.

"Zoe!" Steve and Janet exclaimed simultaneously.

"We have to find her!" Janet yelled, and broke off into a run.

Unfortunately, she stomped the ground so hard that Steve lost his balance, and was thereafter knocked down by her tail.

"Hey! Watch it you big dumb dino!"

"Grrrr..."

"Can it! We have to go help Zoe!" Steve yelled, snapping the Growlmon out of her furious stare. With one leapt, he landed on top of Janet's head.

Not to shabby. He thought.

"Come on, get going!"

"Steve, you own me big time for this!" Janet growled, running off with the Flamedramon perched on her head.

"What do we look for?" Janet asked.

"An XV-mon that acts like Zoe. Duh! How hard can that be?"

Indeed, it didn't take too long for them to find their friend. Zoe was leaning against a fallen tree and sobbing uncontrollably, which looked rather odd considering she had taken on the form of an XV-mon.

"Zoe?" Steve asked, approaching cautiously.

"Steve? Don't look at me! I'm a...a monster..."

"No, you're a Digimon. Take it easy girl, it happened to us too."

Zoe finally turned her dragon-shaped head upwards.

"Steve? Is that you?"

"Yeah, in the flesh. Or whatever it is that Digimon are made of." The Flamedramon nodded, noticing that she too had her Digivice strapped to her wrist. "And that's Jan over there."

The Growlmon behind him gave a small wave.

"Hey Zoe. Some pretty wild things, huh?"

"Zoe, why were you screaming just now?" Steve asked, remembering the situation, "Something attacked you?"

"No. I...woke up...and I was like this...and I started screaming." Zoe sniffed.

"THAT'S IT?" Steve cried out in disbelief. "Screaming just cause you're an XV-mon? Hey, I'd give practically anything to have that hunk of a body you got there instead of this puny little Flamedramon."

Janet promptly clobbered him.

"Steve! You're not helping! Why do you have to be so insensitive at the worst of times?"

"OW! Jan! Stop it all right? It hurts!" Steve moaned, climbing to his feet.

"Actually, I'm beginning to enjoy it." Janet grinned, showing off her fangs.

Steve tried to run, but Janet grabbed him with both her hands and lifted him up above her head.

"Hey!" He yelled in protest.

"Maybe now I can give you a taste of what it feels like to be the smallest one in the group." Janet laughed.

"Baaaadddd dino..." He scolded. "Put me down this instant!"

"Whatever you say..."

"Wait! No!" Steve yelled as Janet prepared to throw him headfirst. "DON'T put me down! But get your scaly claws off me!"

How can they be so calm in all this? Zoe wondered, watching her friends. I want out! I have to...get away!

Immediately, she started running.

"Zoe?" Janet asked, dropping Steve. "Zoe! Wait!"

The Growlmon ran after her, accidentally stomping on Steve's toes in the process. Zoe was oblivious to the comical sight of Steve jumping around holding his toes in agony, spilling out multiple swear words.

Her Digimon instincts kicked in as she spread her white wings and took off, disappearing through the trees.

"Zoe! Hey, the rest of us can't fly you know? Zoe!"

Janet sighed, realizing Zoe couldn't hear them anymore. She could only watch as the speck disappeared into the distant sky.

"Great, now we've lost her." Steve growled, walking over. "And you girls call me the insensitive one."

"Grrrr..."

The pair stared at each other for a while.

"This is all YOUR fault!" Both yelled.

Fortunately, the only ones around to hear their arguing were the tiny insects and small forest creatures.

Zoe was flying for five minutes before she realized she was actually doing it.

"Wow...this is...so...unreal!"

When she was younger, she'd watched the birds up in the sky and had always wanted to fly. Now, she was actually feeling the winds rustling between her wings. As she looked down, the area below ran out in all directions, like a gigantic road map. All sorts of tiny shapes moved about below, although she couldn't be exactly sure what they were.

"Maybe...this isn't so bad after all!"

Zoe began trying out all sorts of fancy stunts. Each one seemed to come so naturally, like she'd known how to fly all her life. She started laughing as she played around in the winds.

Heh, the others are gonna be so jealous! Which reminds me, I'd better get back to them soon. She though, But...just a while longer!

Zoe decided to try one last stunt. Folding her wings slightly, he aimed her snout down and begun plummeting towards the ground. The plan was to spread her wings and stop herself just before she hit it.

Ha! No roller coaster could ever beat this! She smiled, closing her eyes.

And in doing so, she failed to notice the armor-clad, humanoid black dragon taking off from the ground below. And he wasn't much in noticing her either.

The next second, Zoe opened her eyes to see the cyborg dragon right in her desired path. He caught sight of her at the same time, but it was already too late.

Both Digimorphs could only scream as they crashed headlong into each other.

"XV-mon? Daijoubu desu ka?"

Zoe blinked, opening her eyes. She found herself staring up into the face of the dragon Digimon from earlier, who was kneeling over her.

Two things clicked into her mind. One was that she recognized this Digimon as Cyberdramon. And the second was that he didn't exactly have the most reassuring face.

Even with his eyes hidden beneath his metallic mask, it was quite obvious that he was staring dreamily at her with a seductive look on his face.

All this went through her mind in about five seconds. After which, she started screaming.

"Aa! Gomen! Ore wa..."

Zoe didn't wait to hear anymore and promptly kneed Cyberdramon in the special place no guy wants to be hit in.

If he had any eyes, they would've popped out of their sockets. Either way, as he rolled over holding his groin area in pain, Zoe took the opportunity to sprint away as fast as her legs would go. Which was pretty fast.

"Baka..." She heard him curse softly.

Zoe turned back to make sure he wasn't going to attack. Cyberdramon was still kneeling down, but looked up and raised his hand in a 'wait' position.

"Matte kudasai! Abunai!!"

Wait! Abunai was Japanese for...danger? She though as she ran.

Zoe faced forward again...and screamed.