Author's Notes: I do not own Digimon, the characters, or their world. I do, however, own Nex. I would absolutely LOVE to own Ken. In this story, the Digimon are not able to come to the real world unless they are partnered with a digidestined. The ages in this story are as follows:
Iori/Nex--13--8th grade
Ken/Hikari/Takeru/Daisuke--15--Sophomore year
Miyako--16--Junior year

Chapter I
"Digital Gates"

Iori Hida's jade eyes lit up when he saw the lavender-haired girl running toward him. "Miyako!" he shouted, waving wildly.

Miyako Inoue waved back as she hurried toward him across Odaiba Park. Iori still couldn't get used to seeing her without her large glasses, but she had decided when she was 13 to get contacts instead. She reached him after a moment and skidded to a stop, panting. "Nice...to see...you...Iori," she managed to say.

"This reunion was a wonderful idea," Hikari added, coming up from the other side.

Iori grinned at them. "One of my more brilliant plans, yes?"

Takeru, accompanying Hikari, nodded sagely. "We haven't all been together since middle school."

"Where are Daisuke and Ken?" Miyako asked.

"Right here," the boys chorused as they walked up to their friends. Ken's hair was tousled, while Daisuke had a fresh scratch on his cheek. "Fresh from a soccer game," Daisuke added.

"We won," Ken stated simply, a broad grin on his face.

"It's good to see you all," Hikari said happily. "Spring vacation is the perfect time to get together, isn't it? Especially when there's no homework."

"Not for you," Miyako said. "We've got a term paper to work on for English." She sighed. "I detest English."

"I'll help you, Miyako," Ken offered. "I'm fairly good at English."

"Really?" Miyako cried. "Thanks, Ken!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Ken blushed.

Iori looked around at his friends. It was good to be together again.

*

Iori sighed as he slid into his seat. Another boring school day. He wished that the picnic with his friends could've been longer. They were all so much older than him, that was the problem. They rarely saw each other. At least next year he'd be at high school with them...until Miyako graduated the year after that.

The door swung open, and Mr. Takushi stood up. "Please, class, welcome our newest student, Nexira Hatoshi."

Iori looked up and opened his eyes much wider than usual. Nexira was...pretty. No, that was the understatement of the year. She had dark curls and smoky gray eyes, and wore a very nice sakura-colored dress that swished around her ankles. She looked straight at Iori and smiled. His heart leapt in his chest.

"Nexira, sit next to Iori Hida," Mr. Takushi instructed. Nexira nodded and swished over to the empty seat beside Iori.

"Hello," she said in a soft, lilting voice. "I'm Nex."

"Iori," he managed to say. "You're..." ~The most beautiful creature on the planet.~ "--new to Odaiba?"

"Yes, from Tokyo," Nex replied, lowering her gray eyes.

They did not talk more for the rest of the lesson, although Iori silently composed what he wanted to say to her. ~I think you're beautiful. You have an amazing voice. I'm in love with you.~

And indeed, he was.

*

Iori sat down at his computer late that night and logged onto the Internet to start researching a paper. Maybe Ken would help him...if Ken was online.

He wasn't. She was.

"Hello, Iori," Nex typed through Instant Messenger.

"Hi," he tapped back.

"It's nice to talk to you again."

"You, too, Nex."

"What's your report on?"

"The Sioux of the United States. You?"

"The Maya of Mexico. I like your topic."

"Yours is interesting." Iori winced as he sent that message. How he wished they knew each other better!

His screen beeped at him and he clicked on the new page that had opened.

A Digital Gate.

At the same time, Ken, Daisuke, Hikari, Takeru, and Miyako all logged on. Each sent him a variance on the same simple but frightening sentence: "A Digital Gate opened for me! For you?"

He typed "yes" five times and then quickly went back to the conversation with Nex.

"Are these your friends? They are on your Friend List. Why are they all on now?"

How did Nex see his list? Iori frowned and looked at the Digital Gate. Why had it opened? So many questions. So few answers.

"Iori?" Nex asked.

He typed quickly, "We meet at this time every Monday night to talk."

"Ah. I see. I must go now."

"All right..."

"Iori?"

He started to type, "Yes?" but another IM flashed onto the screen.

"I think you're cute."

Iori exulted as she logged off. She thought he was cute! Maybe he would ask her on a date. He was 13, he should be allowed to date. His grandfather wouldn't mind. He simply wouldn't tell his mother.

"Iori?" five IM's asked simultaneously. He jumped and clicked on the button to enable himself to enter a chatroom.

Ken: Finally. What took you so long, Iori?
Iori: I was talking to Nex.
Hikari: Who?
Miyako: Who?
Iori: Nex. She's new at my school. She's real pretty.
Daisuke: You like her? Let me give you some tips.
Takeru: Not now, Daisuke.
Hikari: We have problems.

INCOMING MAIL danced across Iori's screen. He opened the new email from nexus_eliminus@yahoo.com.

Give up. The Digital World is mine. Just try using the Digital Gates. I have blocked them. Give up while you can.

Nexus Eliminus.

Iori shuddered as his friends reported that they, too, had received email from Nexus Eliminus. The Digital Gates were down.

Something tugged at Iori. Where had he heard the email address nexus_eliminus@yahoo.com before? He was positive he had.

Oh, well. They could think about this tomorrow after school. Right now, he was tired and going to bed.

Hopefully to dream about Nexira Hatoshi.

*

Nex wasn't at school the next day, however. That made Iori incredibly depressed. He managed to get through the day, then hurried to the elementary school to meet with his friends. Koushiro and Yamato joined them. The other older digidestined were occupied with college; Koushiro and Yamato went to a college that hadn't finished spring break yet.

Koushiro sat down at one of the computers and began to type rapidly. A Digital Gate opened for him, but showed red. Closed.

"This is so strange," Yamato noted, bending over to look at the screen. "Why should this happen? You guys saved the Digital World--forever. Right?"

"Right," Ken said. Iori glanced at the older boy. Ken seemed strangely subdued, his indigo hair brushing oddly pale cheeks. It appeared that Iori was the only one who had noticed. He didn't mention it.

The computer beeped, and the Digital Gate opened. All eight of the present digidestined exchanged glances. A dark mist swirled out of the computer. Kari screamed. Ken coughed.

The next thing they knew, all of them had been dragged into the Digital World.


Author's Notes: Next chapter, we will meet Nexus Eliminus, the Digital Eliminator, and her strange partner, Shadowmon. The digidestined will be drawn into great evil, and we will suffer one of my famed near-death experiences!
Ken: Oh, no. Not again.
Casia: This always happens to us.
You're not in this story, Casia...
Casia: That doesn't make me not your Muse.
Well, if you're my Muse, you're the one who inspires me to great evilness and morbidia.
Ken: Casia, how could you?
Casia: You're her other Muse!
Ken: No, I'm her favorite digidestined and current crush.
Not true. I like Legolas. Besides, my crushes drive me to torture them.
Ken and Casia: ...crap.
Ken: Then it's both our faults.
Casia: I think I'm glad I didn't end up in this...