Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
Notes: This story wont contain any original characters, neither human nor digimon. I am just not a fan of OC's in FanFiction, so don't expect any. This story contains slash (boy/boy) and straight pairings. I reserve the right to change the pairings as I see fit, as well as the rating. For now and the foreseeable future, it will remain T. Anyways, I hope you enjoy my story and if you do (or don't for that matter), please leave a review! As nice as positive reviews can be, constructive criticism is even better, so if you have any of that please share. ^^
Chapter Two- Reunion
"Has the same message been sent to everyone?" Daisuke asks. He opens the drapes to his room; it is still night out. The moon is full and setting in the west. It is a clear night outside, but due to Tokyo's light pollution, only a few bright stars can be seen. The rest hide in the darkness of the sky.
"Only one way to find out," Takeru says. "I'll send a circular message to everyone."
"Good idea," the burgundy-haired boy retreats to his bed. Even though it is summer out, the late night is cool, and the boy finds himself longing for the warmth of his blankets and his boyfriend. Takeru is sitting cross-legged, too curious to give the cold a second thought.
Daisuke's D-Terminal goes off. But unlike last time, this is a single sound. It is the sound made when an email is sent back and fourth between D-Terminals.
"Ok I got your circular."
Takeru blinks. "I didn't send it yet..." Takeru's display shows that he too received an email.
"Looks like someone else has the same idea," Daisuke opens the message. It was from Miyako: I hope I don't wake you all up. I just got some strange message from an unknown source. It contains no words, just sounds. Has this happened to anyone else?
"It happened to her too," Daisuke says. Takeru sends his circular anyways and tells Daisuke to respond. Daisuke responds to the circular with: yes we got that msg 2.
Hikari is the last to respond, but confirms she had a similar experience. Now every second generation Chosen has received the message.
We should meet in the morning, Miyako texts. At my store. 8 AM if you can. Since you are all already up...
The brief conversation comes to an end. Takeru and Daisuke try to make up an hour of sleep, but Takeru's mind is restless, so he spends the hour thinking about the Digital World and what the strange message could mean.
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"Sorry, we haven't made fresh donuts yet. These are yesterday's batch," Miyako passes around a box of donuts to the Chosen. They have all conglomerated at Miyako's place. She generously offers the tired Chosen breakfast.
"It is very kind, thank you," Ken Ichijouji says. Miyako smiles brightly, and everyone else says their thanks.
"The messages are identical, as far as I can tell." Takeru says. "But we should check just to make sure. Daisuke and I got the same message, but we should play them all just to verify." Everyone agrees and plays their message one at a time. As Takeru assumed, they are all the same.
"I'm sure Koushiro would be able to help us out on this one. If anyone can decipher those clicks, it'd be him." Iori says.
Miyako snaps her fingers. "Right! I thought that myself and already called him. He said he'd be here as soon as he can, which should be any minute now." The group finishes their breakfast – juice, bread and other baked goods – and engaged in speculation. Finally, there is a knock at the door. Miyako jumps to answer it.
"I came as soon as I could," Koushiro says, pressing the lock button on his car remote. It beeps acknowledgment of the command.
"It's all good." She leads him inside, down into the basement where the group has gathered. It is a rectangular room, mostly for storage. The ground is carpeted by a worn-out brown rug. The younger Chosen sit around an upside-down milk crate – a makeshift table with food on it.
"So you didn't get the message, then?" Miyako asks Koushiro.
He shakes his head. "I guess it's just you guys, then. Can one of you play the signal for me?"
"Yeah sure," Daisuke opens the message and plays the signal. He then hands the device to Koushiro who is setting up his laptop.
"I think I can actually recognize it, but before I jump to conclusions I'll analyze the audio and see if I can isolate any hidden messages or sounds. Then I'll mess with the audio message itself and see if I can decode it. This may take some time." The computer genius interfaces the Digivice with a self-made connector which plugs into the laptop's USB port. He copies the audio file and separates it into many components. He analyzes.
"The digital world needs our help again, doesn't it?" Hikari says.
"It's looking like that may be the case," Daisuke says. "But if the Digital World is in trouble, I would think Gennai would have said something about it."
"How do we know that that message isn't from Gennai?" Iori says.
"Because, err," Daisuke shrugs. "I don't know."
"I think I got it," Koushiro says. "I didn't find any underline messages, but I'm fairly sure that the transmission itself is Morse Code. I can easily get a program that can convert it into standard Japanese. I could also convert it myself but that'd take a lot longer."
The group waits anxiously for the program to work. Finally Koushiro says "Ok, I've got it translated from English to Japanese. It's a distress message asking for help. The message is followed by 6 numbers." Koushiro scratches the back of his neck.
"Who sent it?" Ken asks.
"Unknown sender."
"And the numbers?" Daisuke says.
"I'm unsure, but because there is the word 'negative' separating three and three, I have a feeling that they may be coordinates. Let me cross-reference something," Koushiro says. A few minutes pass, in which the Chosen finish breakfast. "I thought as much. The coordinates match the location of an active portal in the Digital World."
"Then we should go there right away!" Daisuke exclaims.
"And if it's a trap?" Ken asks.
"That's a risk we'll have to take. Digimon could need our help down (out?) there, we can't just sit back and do nothing,"
"Hold up, noodle boy. Even if it's not a trap and the message is legitimate, if they – whoever they are – do need your help, you won't do them any good without your Digimon. I'll send a message for your partners to meet you guys at the coordinates." Koushiro says.
"Okay," Daisuke says.
"And another thing; pack an overnight bag. The portals have been unstable as of late. It wouldn't be wise to rely on them staying open for long..."
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After an eternity, the Chosen arrive in the Digital World. The world is as they remembered it, and yet somehow distinctly different. For instance, the portal they just arrived through is a conic projection, not a television set or a computer screen. Numbers, letters, and glyphs rotate the cone as it spins clockwise with a speed of approximately 1 RPM.
"Daisuke!" A voice shouts. The voice is familiar and soon Daisuke is smiling uncontrollably.
"Vmon!" The blue dragon digimon leaps into Daisuke's arms. The two spin briefly, arms interlocked. "It's so good to see you, buddy. It's been ages!"
Behind him the other Chosen partners emerge: Patamon, Gatomon, Wormmon, Hawkmon, and Armadimon. Each caught up with their respective partners. The reunion is warm and at least thirty minutes is spent catching up.
"What about that signal, Dagyaa?" Armadimon asks. Iori yields his Digivice to his partner. The signal plays, but none of the Digimon have any idea of its significance.
"We're here to look around. And to see if we can find the source of the signal," Ken says.
The sky is blue and clear, and the sun is particularly hot this day. The chosen walk for about twenty minutes. There is field in every direction they look. The path they follow is dry and carved of dirt. The only possible conflict that could have taken place here recently was drought...
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Miyako asks Hawkmon. The bird Digimon nods and points a clawed finger in the southwest direction. On the horizon line is a subtle cluster of specks rising above the crops. It's an estimated two and a half kilometres away.
"Right. Keep up the good work... walking," She fist-pumps unenthusiastically.
If this was what saving the Digital World was about, the Chosen wanted none of it; boring, uneventful walking in unbearable heat. At least Koushiro had the foresight to suggest canteens. Daisuke takes a sip of his canteen and offers Vmon some. Each Chosen brought their own.
Finally, they arrive in the small village. A giant sign with the word Meadowvillegreets them. The group takes a break and cools down in an alleyway, its rooftop canopy offering protection from the solar rays. There are a few Digimon scattered about, almost all of them Child level but a few adults are amongst the throng.
"We should talk to these Digimon, see if they know what's going on around here," Iori says.
"Right. We should split up into groups. With our Jogress partners, in case some evil Digimonshow up." Ken says.
"Sounds good," Daisuke gets up and surveys the town geography. It is a simple town, almost purely utilitarian. The streets are straight and everything is laid out in a grid fashion. There are a few decorations and monuments scattered about, all the shacks (it would be an accurate description of the housing) were either square or hemispherical, most containing only one room. It is a small farming community.
"Ken and I will head northwest over there," Daisuke points. "Takeru and Iori should head southwest and check out those storage bins – or whatever they are. Hikari and Miyako head southeast. We can convene here in a few hours or sooner if anyone finds anything relevant. If there is any conflict – any whatsoever – call everyone else immediately."
Everyone nodded in agreement and paired up. Daisuke's method would be the fastest to explore, they could cover all corners of the town. They would mutually explore the northeast area, their current location, before heading out further. Setting out on such a mission gave everyone a little jolt of exhilaration – it had been a long time since the Chosen were on an adventure and some of them were looking to enjoy the old sensation of exploration.
A small contingent of Terriermon and Lopmon meet Hikari's team as they move southward. It has been so long, the Chosen have forgotten how to properly introduce themselves.
"Hello, I am Hikari. These are my friends, Miyako, Gatomon and Hawkmon." Hikari says. The small digimon just look at her and blink. In all their short existence they'd never seen a human before – it was their first visitation by an alien species.
"We are the Chosen from Earth, here to help." Miyako says and fist-pumps. The action causes the little Digimon to jump. Perhaps it is viewed as a threat?
"Oh brother, this'll take a while..."
Ken and Daisuke walk through busy streets. They appear to hit the town's market district, a wide variety of Digital World goods lay on display tables. The street is crowded with Adult digimon. Some come alone and carry strange Digital World tender. Others bring carts full of goods, and are trying to barter. The Chosen ask some of the fine folks a few questions.
"Get in line like everybody else!" "Are you selling something?" "If you want me to buy your stuff I got to see it first." "Well I'll be damned, I never seen one of them there Digimon before," and the oh-so welcoming "are you going to buy something or stand there talking like an idiot?" Friendly neighbourhood hospitality. Perhaps this little town has been isolated from the rest of the Digital World. Did they have no idea who (or what) the Chosen were?
They exit the market district and head east in defeat. They had yet to find a single Digimon that recognised them. No one knew about the exploits of—
"The Chosen?" a raspy old voice says. Daisuke turns around and stares into the face of an old Digimon. The hair on his head is a grey bush, his beard grows unrestrained. He hunches forward as though plagued with back pain.
"We are. Can we help you?" Ken asks, bowing politely.
"My, my. You'd take a moment out of your busy schedules to help an old-timer like me? Why that is so very, very kind of you! My usual assistant is off getting a few things at the market district, and my latest shipment just arrived," the Jijimon points at a large building, the Locomon train station. "If you could help me out I'd be forever in your debt."
A few large crates lay in one of the cargo bays. Daisuke and Ken try lifting one, but its weight is contradictory to its size. They are unable to budge it.
"I guess I need to work out more..." Daisuke says. "These crates must be packed with rocks or something." In a flash of blue and green, XVmon and Stingmon appear. The crates' weight is no match for the Adult Digimon, and in a few minutes all the cargo has been transported to the Jijimon's storage shack. He thanks them profusely.
"Travellers, you must be hungry. My wife Babamon and I would be delighted if you could join us for supper..."
"That's very kind and all, but there are four more of us out there, and we're searching for some answers." Ken says.
"Oh? Four more of you? With digimon partners too? Delightful, invite them all, it will be a feast. As for the answers you seek, if anyone in Meadowville could help you, it would be me. Err, us."
"Alright, thanks!"
Food in the Digital World has a certain peculiarity to it. Like all the flavours (sour, sweet, savoury, etc) have been multiplied a factor of ten. Everything as a result has a strong taste, overwhelming. But everyone eats ravenously. After supper (and a fair bit of ensuing small talk), the group decide to test Jijimon's knowledge.
"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask a few questions now," Ken says, retrieving his Digivice.
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Again, just realized my triple asterisk page break wasn't reading on FFnet... now I have to replace it with the ugly llllllllll...