This is the chapter where you realize I'm just writing a cyber sleuth fic to give content to my cyber sleuth otp that nobody writes for, and also just make everybody extremely gay.

Who knew that a probably 100,000 word fanfic would exist just to fill a gaping hole of needing f/f content.


Ami didn't really pay attention to much once Kyoko had taken her to a giant mall called Nakano Broadway. The detective helped her in the back entrance of her office, a neat little place with two sofas a desk, and scattered papers everywhere.

Ami usually liked observing everything, scrutinizing details and figuring out a person before interacting with them, but she couldn't think. Her mind felt like it was in the same place as her body, bits and pieces just sparkling off of her, just disjointed bits of data cobbled together.

This has to be a nightmare. Please...Make it stop. Ami wanted to scream. The entire day in Eden had felt like a nightmare, that monster that she could still feel deep in her mind grabbing her leg, meeting the creatures known as digimon, seeing ghosts. It was all a nightmare.

But her mind didn't feel like it was trapped in a dream. For some reason everything felt real, everything looked real. All the details were concrete. Her body didn't feel like anything, the only memories of any sensation she had was that twisted creature grabbing her.

If she had lungs anymore she would be hyperventilating, but Ami couldn't even do that.

Kyoko sat her down on one of the sofas and watched her trying to examine her for any movement that could clarify any personality or desire whatsoever. It was clear from Kyoko's eyes that she liked observing and making inferences as much as Ami usually did.

Kyoko was tapping on her computer, "Your name is Ami Aiba, correct?" She finally asked.

How...How did she know my name? Did she look it up? But I never gave her that information to find it. Ami wondered. She discarded that confusion and nodded quickly knowing she had to give as much detail to the detective as possible.

"Your current address is not listed as in Shinjuku. That doesn't makes a whole lot of sense. I would have guessed that you logged in close to the place you materialized in. But that doesn't seem to be the case." She shook her head. "The only thing I can say for sure about your condition is your mental data seperated from your physical body and seems to have materialized in the real world." Kyoko told her.

Ami just stared forward blankly. Can that happen? Can mental data separate from a physical body? She had never ever heard of that happening before.

"All I know is we need to gain more information and quickly. This is a wholly unique situation." Kyoko decided. She stared at Ami and crossed her arms. "Don't worry." She giggled after a second. "I promise I will do everything in my power to help you. It's my duty after all. I'm here for you."

Why? Ami couldn't ask that, but Kyoko's desire seemed odd and suspicious. She had never met this woman in her life after all. Why did she want to help her? Maybe she means it's her duty as a detective. Public servants are supposed to be nice and helpful to people in trouble.

If she was a detective she'd want to help people in trouble too. Ami quickly shook the image of the police officer out of her head who had tried to arrest her for just looking weird.

Kyoko's eyes widened when she realized Ami probably thought she was being weird. "Oh don't misunderstand. I wish to help you because your case is interesting." She quickly explained, "The payment for helping you is the information regarding your situation. I always take interesting things." She smiled cunningly. "Your existence is the payment for my help."

So she's a weirdo. But at least I can understand her motivation. Ami decided.

"Hmmm...Before we figure out things like what happened to your real body, I think we'll have to figure out a way to be able to communicate with you." Kyoko decided. "At your current state you can't speak, can't feel...You're just a mass of data basically." Kyoko realized. "So we've gotta fix your appearance and figure out a temporary fix."

Ami looked down at what was her hand. It was just a long blue tube of data. How...How is she going to fix this? She wanted to stop looking like a monster, but she didn't know how.

"If your body currently is made up of data, we should be able to make repairs by incorporating new data in." Kyoko started speaking in computer lingo.

Ami didn't really understand. She tried to listen to all the science of her new body but couldn't keep up.

"Basically I think if we bring in your information from your Eden avatar you may be able to have what looks like a normal body again." Kyoko summarized. "We...Just have to find your eden avatar. We have no idea if it was corrupted during your log out after all."

I don't even know if I can log in to Eden either. I don't have a body to use to log in. Ami thought to herself. She couldn't access her avatar's records in Eden if she wasn't in Eden.

"Perhaps parts of your avatar are lying in the place you were last in when you logged out..." Kyoko suggested.

Kowloon. That was Kowloon. Ami didn't want to go back there. She hoped the monster was gone that had attacked her, but she knew she had to try.

Kyoko quickly went into her desk to get a headset to put on Ami's digital body, in hopes that she could log into Eden.

Ami beat her to the punch as she was looking. She walked over to a big TV and tried to set up her Eden account, or open the Eden settings.

As she was approaching the TV she heard a woman's voice. "Over here. Jump in." It instructed.

For some reason the idea of jumping into a TV didn't seem as weird as being a digital body. Ami reached out her hand.

"What's wrong?" Kyoko asked.

Before Ami could respond with a head shake, a hole appeared where her hand had pointed and her body was sucked up into the TV, making her disappear.

Kyoko could only stare. Ami was gone.


Ami floated in the air, someplace that wasn't Kyoko's office and wasn't Eden. She could see digital data going past her, but she wasn't sure where she was.

There were pathways and circles everywhere seeming like they were leading her someplace.

Where am I? Ami wondered. Did the fact that she was data somehow gift her with new abilities? Was there a reason she had been cursed like this?

Was this teleportation? No. I think...I think I'm traveling through the digital or electronic connects to someplace else. Ami looked among the roads.

Had she uploaded herself to the web through the TV screen? Could she enter electronics now? That was a super power that didn't seem worth losing her body.

"Ami! Ami, there you are!" Ami heard a voice calling for her. A slightly high pitch voice.

She looked around and saw some sort of creature bounding towards her among the roads. It flashed blue for a second, bits of data coming off of it, just like her body was.

Terriermon….Ami realized recognizing the feeling. Something was odd about their relationship. She hadn't known her digimon for very long, but she felt connected to it.

The creature that ran towards her however, was not terriermon. It looked like Terriermon sure, but it was different. The rabbit was not white and green, it was brown and pink and it had three horns.

By the time the digimon had gotten to her the flashing had stopped, the little bits and pieces of it's previous form floating into the sky. Ami noticed that those blue pieces had bits of white and green.

"I….I failed you...Yuugo instructed me to be your digimon and teach you about hackers. He presented me to you and you chose me...But I failed you." The tiny digimon cried.

Ami knelt down next to it. Nobody else was here in this cyber world. But somehow her digimon, despite being in a different form, had found her.

It's okay. It could have attacked you too. It...hurt you...Didn't it? Ami wanted to say, but she couldn't talk. She reached her hand up to her digimon's cheek and stroked it as her digimon cried at it's failure.

"I'm sorry! I deserve this cursed form!" The digimon cried. It seemed to understand what Ami wanted to say despite her not having this form. "...At least….Even though you're damaged I'm able to experience your pain with you. I'll never be what I used to be now."

What...Ami wondered. Wait...Were a digimon and partner somehow connected? Why had her partner's body somehow been corrupted to by the monster touching her? What had happened to her digimon's body?

"When...When that thing...Touched you and tried to destroy you….Our emotions resonated I think." The digimon explained. "Your emotions were already so strong because they made me digivolve. But...I think the data corruption got to me too and degenerated me." The digimon revealed.

Why aren't you Terriermon anymore then? Ami wanted to ask. If a digivolution made a digimon stronger shouldn't degenerating put them back in their old form?

"I'm...I'm something new. I'm Lopmon now." Lopmon told Ami. "I've...Never heard of a digimon becoming something different when they degenerate. It only happens when a digimon dies. I think...Your corruption must have made it like I died." Lopmon told her.

...My condition did this? Oh no. Ami didn't exactly know if digimon were just programs. But Lopmon...Lopmon seemed to be crying. Not for herself, but for Ami. Because she had failed.

She was punishing herself harder than anyone else would punish her. She seemed to think it was her job as Ami's digimon to stop this.

Ami scooped Lopmon up in her digital arms. Terriermon- No Lopmon was suffering too. They both were. This tragedy had taken their bodies.

We'll survive. Ami wanted to say. And with Lopmon by her side she tried to push her sadness down and travel through these digital nodes.

She had to find Eden, and kowloon. She had to find her avatar's body.


Ami eventually found what seemed like an exit in the tunnels that were digital nodes. She came out in one of the floating panels that she knew was an Eden hang out area.

Her digivice started ringing and she opened it to see Kyoko's face floating before her. "Oh good! I finally found you!"

She was looking for me? Ami asked herself. Kyoko looked incredibly relieved and worried. It made sense since Ami had disappeared in front of her. I guess...She is somewhat of a normal person. People just disappearing is weird to her. Maybe Kyoko saw her a bit like a kid, she just wanted to help someone sick. Her worry seemed nice after all.

"I was looking for you and I finally found a trace of your data." Kyoko admitted. "What happened? You looked...Looked like you got sucked up by the TV. And humans don't usually...Well, I guess this must be a side effect of your condition." Kyoko realized. "You are digital data after all. And digital data can be transmitted."

She seemed to find a conclusion quickly. The way she said 'humans' sounded odd though. Ami dismissed it.

"I think I'm going to call your power to submerge from the real world into a digital one, a connection jump." Kyoko decided weirdly. She sounded excited about labeling new abilities.

Connection Jump...I suppose that makes sense. I have the ability to now travel directly into Eden. Ami didn't really feel as excited as Kyoko did. Perhaps she just felt extremely sad about her body being this way.

"I think I've located parts of your avatar data in Kowloon. Please head there." Kyoko requested.

Ami nodded and headed to the panel that would let her change areas.

"This way. Come on over here." The voice that had told her to jump seemed to be in her head.

Ami for some reason wanted to follow it. She allowed herself to not choose Kowloon but instead fall in a different area.

She didn't know where she was going, but she felt that it was important.


Ami came to in a laboratory. There were wires everywhere, and despite knowing that it was part of eden, it looked like the real world.

A woman with curly purple hair and glasses sat in front of her, smiling. She pet two cats, one black and one white.

Oh great. The voice calling me was a crazy cat lady. Ami realized.

"I'm actually a digital witch, thank you very much." The lady corrected.

Instinctively Ami covered her mouth despite the fact that her words hadn't come from it.

"It's all right. I'm not insulted." The woman spoke, "I just wanted to meet you. After all I found it interesting that you could hear my voice. Not many people can interact with me." She pushed up her glasses.

"Hmm...Maybe not many people can interact with you because this space is closed off?" Lopmon was also in this world, which furthered Ami's proof that this was not the real world. "I mean...This isn't her world." She gestured to Ami, "This isn't Eden. And this isn't the digital world. This is some other world or place between all of that."

"Digimon always were smarter about this place than people." The woman smiled, "Yes, this is a space between time and space I created for myself to let myself do research. Sometimes I visit worlds for materials but I prefer to stay here, in my own world."

A place between time and space? Ami wanted to ask. Usually the idea of a place between time and space sounded stupid to her, but for some reason right now it sounded very appealing. She didn't want to go back to a world where she didn't have a body. Sure she seemed like she was just digital particles now, but...She felt more secure in this tiny space.

"You can't stay here." The woman told her, "You...Are an incredibly unique and special individual. I've seen many young people's adventures with digimon, watched them, advised them, done a number of things across this multiverse...But...You are incredibly special. Nobody else I've ever met has been separated from their body and has been able to return to the real world in a digital one." The woman looked interested.

"Sorry I just wanted to meet you, and offer the ability to come here and rest every now and then, or regain your strength. I'm more of an observer than a person and I would love for you to succeed in your adventure." The woman laughed, "I inserted myself a little bit in your life to help you."

"You sound like a weirdo. Who are you?" Lopmon asked.

"My name is Mirei. I own this place called the digilab, which I use as a paradise for digimon. I help fix them or treat them." She looked at Lopmon, "I could help you with your condition if I wished, but I think it would just be more interesting to keep you as a lopmon."

Lopmon seemed to snarl a bit at the offer to help but the refusal to just because it was amusing. "I don't like this woman, Ami. Let's leave. We have to find your avatar anyway."

Mirei smiled. "Leave? You can leave anytime you want. You can come back anytime you want. But won't you allow me to help your human partner a bit before you go?"

Help? Ami didn't know exactly if she wanted to leave. She didn't know if she wanted to do anything. Still a part of her wondered if Mirei could fix digimon, if she could possibly fix her.

"I can't fix your condition. I'm sorry." Mirei finally admitted. "I myself don't have a body to go back to. Perhaps it died long ago when I created a space between realms and uploaded by consciousness." Her voice was less humorful for a moment, less amused a little sorrowful.

Ami looked at the scientist and wondered how old she was for a moment. She could feel a pain in her chest about not knowing how one's body was doing though.

"I do….Want to offer you something though. Protection." Mirei confessed. "Or help in your journey a little bit."

"She has all the protection she needs!" Lopmon bristled. "I'm her digimon after all!" Lopmon had already decided that she didn't trust Mirei or like her.

"But you failed, didn't you?" Mirei reminded, "You couldn't protect your partner, could you not?" She placed her hand by her mouth smirking at Lopmon's disgrace.

Lopmon flopped down, unable to argue that fact.

"All I wish to do is give you a gift, young traveler." Mirei spoke to Ami. "Another digimon that might be able to give you some solace for your condition. Emotional support is very necessary when one's body is in shambles after all." As if showing her point Mirei put one of her cats in her lap and pet it. The cat meowed.

Emotional support? Ami had heard about emotional support pets in times of tragedies. She had just never planned on having one herself.

"She has me!" Lopmon cried again.

"Don't speak for your partner, let the child decide." Mirei scolded.

Lopmon looked at Ami.

You can have more than one digimon? Ami was confused.

"Of course you can. The digivice made through Eden give you the ability to have a strong bond with three." Mirei explained.

Ami didn't know that. She saw no harm in having a second one. She could always use more help and more friends. And perhaps having another one would help her have the strength to beat one of the monsters if they came for her again.

"Fine! She can have another partner. But I'm the leader of the partners!" Lopmon boasted. "I'm the strongest after all."

"Obviously." Mirei rolled her eyes sarcastically. "I have an egg I've been keeping safe just for you." She turned to Ami and handed her a digiegg. "I want you to see what it's like to create a digimon."

Ami touched the egg. Despite her body not being able to feel anything at this moment, she could feel the hard shell. It cracked open and a small gooey green creature hatched with a pacifier.

"Hewwo, I'm Pabumon." The baby tried to speak. It moved closer to nuzzle up to Ami. The goop didn't get in her.

"It's a baby. I'm sure it'll be able to give Ami lots of help." Lopmon mocked.

"I'm...Help-" Pabumon struggled to talk. It decided to just be quiet and nuzzle up to Ami.

Ami didn't mind. She found the creature cute. Thank you. I think I just needed someone quiet to help me collect my thoughts. She realized.

Mirei nodded. "Please visit again! And good luck!"

Before Ami could ask anymore questions, her and her two digimon were sent out of the lab and back to kowloon.


By the time Ami ran over to the park that she had met Nokia in before, her digivice was rumbling again. When she answered it Kyoko was on the screen again.

"I lost your signal, are you okay? Where did you go?" Kyoko asked.

Was she watching my signal this entire time? The protectiveness was sweet, and Ami certainly needed the help but she wondered why Kyoko was so desperate to help her, again.

"Mirei." Pabumon spoke up.

Kyoko didn't ask what that thing was. "Ah. Mirei. That makes sense. She finds herself drawn to unique things."

Kyoko knows Mirei? Ami found herself wondering.

"I've been called to her lab before too. Don't worry. We're...Acquaintances. Yes." Kyoko nodded. She was silent for a moment. "You have some great luck. It's rare for her to take an interest in anyone. That will help you on your journey to get your real body, her being a benefactor."

Ami nodded, that being the only thing she could do.

"I scanned the area of kowloon for your data. I found where some of your avatar pieces were. I'm sending the locations to you." Kyoko told her. "I look forward to meeting you in your normal body, Ami."

Ami would have smiled. She was one step closer to not looking like a freak!


As Ami wandered around kowloon she noticed, she eventually happened upon just an arm laying on the ground. As she touched it, her arm returned to her body, looking like normal.

"Congratulations, Ami! You have an arm!" Lopmon cheered.

Ami touched her hand. She could feel again. The sensation of feeling was in her arm. So this is how it's going to be. My body parts are just lying around. Aren't they? She realized.

She hoped nobody had come across them first, screaming at what looked like the remains of a body.

Ami searched the area of kowloon far and wide, finding things like an arm, a leg and a torso between blocks and thrown in every so direction.

Every time she touched an avatar piece it would return to her body and she would feel a little more human. Her mind knew she was still a mass of digital data underneath but perhaps other people would look at her as normal.

Her newfound strength and confidence seemed to go to her new digimon too. He glowed for a moment and soon the Pabumon that had been squirming behind her was now a weird pink creature with arms.

"That's better! It's nice to be able to talk a little bit more. My name's Motimon, Ami." Motimon introduced.

"Maybe you should stop talking." Lopmon hissed still bitter that she was not Ami's only partner and that Mirei had thought Ami needed more protection.

Motimon was quiet for a second. "I have a job to do, just like you do. You are Ami's physical protection, I am her mental. I need to be able to talk so I can give Ami advice. That's not something you'd be good at, right?"

Lopmon was silent for a moment. "I could be good at it if I was given a chance! I'm good at everything Ami needs me to be."

Motimon nodded, "Okay." He said patiently. "But there must be strengths that I have that can help, Ami, right? I like sleeping for example. Maybe I can help Ami with nightmares…?"

Lopmon was about to yell again but Ami located her mouth.

"It's all right." She hushed Lopmon. "I'm..I'm happy to have both your support." She didn't know either of them well, but it felt like they had been together forever. Perhaps that was the magic of a partner and a digimon.

She was happy with both of them. And as she looked at the sham of what was her body she knew she needed both of them.

"I can talk again. Maybe...Maybe Kyoko can figure out how...How to combine me with my real body now." Wherever that was.

Now...Now she needed to figure out how to get back to Kyoko. Perhaps logging out would help? If she logged out like normal would she return to her old body? Or would she just be back at the agency?

She didn't know. She'd have to find out.


The answer was she'd be back at Kyoko's office. She did not miraculously get fixed and return to her old body.

Kyoko was waiting at her desk. "This is great! My theory about getting the pieces of your avatar did help you return to something that looked somewhat normal. And I assume you can talk now?"

Ami nodded. For some reason her voice still couldn't find itself. It wasn't that she couldn't talk it was just that the stress of the entire situations didn't give her any words to say.

Kyoko frowned at Ami not talking. "But...This means you might be able to help me with the investigation as to what happened to your real body. And your ability...Connection Jump. It should be able to help us out in teleporting you to places that we don't have a permit to go into." Kyoko said cryptically.

"You..." You want me to do something illegal? Ami didn't know how she felt about that. But she couldn't finish the sentence.

Before Kyoko could answer her or congratulate her for saying even a single word, there was a knock on her door.

"Yes, come in." She agreed.

"Pardon me." A gritty detective guy with a striped hat walked in. "I just wanted to stop by and see how my friend was doing."

"Detective Matoyoshi." Kyoko smiled. "Ami, this is my….friend." She seemed to be having some trouble saying the word, "He was…"

"I used to babysit, Kyoko." Matoyoshi replied. "Sure she changed into a weirdo in adulthood but she's still basically a niece to me." He laughed out loud. "Glad she became a detective like me too. I must have inspired you."

Kyoko was quiet. "I do enjoy nostalgia but unfortunately I have a case."

Ami noticed that she looked a little uncomfortable. Are they really friends? She doesn't look happy when he talks about the past. Something about analyzing other people helped Ami not focus on her own issues.

"Oh. A case, huh?" Matoyoshi smiled. "Odd...This girl looks too smart to need help from a detective. Oooh...Is she job shadowing you?" He teased. "She looks like the type that would love to be a detective!"

He must really like getting other people involved in his career. Ami realized. With the way he talked to Kyoko crediting her career to his inspiration, he must have always liked helping people become detectives.

Ami had no time to think about her career choices though. She was still shaking from an unbelievable tragedy. Perhaps any other day she would have said she would love to be a detective. It was something she was slightly interested in after all, but not today.

"Perhaps after I help her she'll become an assistant of mine, but we haven't discussed that." Kyoko replied. "She does look quite smart."

Ami hadn't heard anything about this, the possibility of her becoming Kyoko's assistant. Was that how she was supposed to pay for this case? She thought that her existence was payment enough? I guess people have to make money somehow. Skeevy. She thought to herself.

She didn't know if she minded though. Nobody else would have taken her in with her body.

"Ami, this is the person who has succeeded in the most cases in the cyber crimes division. He's a very elite detective." Kyoko finally explained. She looked like she was thinking for a moment as if wondering if she should tell Matoyoshi about Ami's condition.

She eventually decided not to. "Anyway, did you come here for something? Is there a case you need me to take?" She asked. "Sit on the sofa and tell me about it, I can bring you a cup of coffee."

Matoyoshi's face went pale. "No, no coffee!" He yelled. "There's no need for that. I won't be here long, I mean." He glanced at Ami for a second. He seemed to be communicating the words 'help me'.

Ami wondered what was so deadly about coffee. She decided it was for her best interest not to ask.

"The thing I came here to tell you is simple." Matoyoshi admitted. "I...I just heard a rumor about Eden Syndrome since you were always interested in that subject I wanted to tell you about it."

Kyoko frowned for a moment and sat down, she glanced at Ami for a moment. "Do you know about the rumors of Eden syndrome?"

Ami frowned. She had never really liked Eden, and the rumors involving Eden Syndrome were part of the reason why. Perhaps she took the rumors too seriously, like Nokia took things seriously in weird articles.

Eden Syndrome isn't real. It has never been confirmed by Kamishiro Enterprises. Ami reminded. But she couldn't deny the fact that people kept talking about the fact that every now and then a second cousin, or a distant relative of theirs would just disappear after logging into Eden.

"Y-yeah." Ami finally nodded. "It's...People disappearing from Eden, right?"

"Should your client be listening in to this information?" Matoyoshi asked.

Kyoko nodded. "I trust her. And she's got some very special skills when it comes to Eden. She might be helpful concerning this stuff." She referred to Ami's newfound ability 'connection jump'.

Matoyoshi nodded. "All right. If you vouch for her, I trust her." He smiled. "The rumor...The rumor is saying that the patients that have Eden Syndrome have all been taken to a special ward in the central hospital by the Kamishiro enterprises. People say they're probably looking for a cure, but I have common sense. I think they're trying to hide their mistakes and the people afflicted." Matoyoshi replied.

Kyoko nodded. "That...Makes sense. There's never been a cure for Eden syndrome after all, we're not even sure really what happens to cause the symptoms."

"...Eden syndrome is real?" Ami finally asked. So eden was always dangerous! She knew she had been suspicious of it for a reason.

Matoyoshi grinned for a minute. "She doesn't know what it is, does she?"

"She probably thinks it only means people disappearing, like the rumors say." Kyoko replied.

Matoyoshi nodded. "Eden syndrome is a real condition. It's rare, but real. It's what happens when an Eden user loses consciousness and never wakes up. Their data is usually no longer in Eden as well, it's not like they're stuck inside. They're just..."

"In a coma." Kyoko replied. "It's a rare problem where Eden users become comatose."

Ami felt herself freeze. Unable to wake up? She felt herself suddenly feel very lucky. She was alive. She was awake. She might not have been with her body, but she wasn't comatose.

She felt so much sympathy for these eden syndrome people. She was happy she didn't have it, but the idea scared her that there were people who were experiencing this problem.

"We don't know the cause or the treatment." Matoyoshi explained. "All details are kept very secret. And even relatives can't visit the patients that are afflicted. So it's been extremely difficult to pinpoint where the comatose patients have been taken." He looked proud. He had found out though!

"It makes sense for them to be at central hospital." Kyoko looked through her notes. "That place is owned by Kamishiro enterprises. The same Kamishiro enterprises that runs Eden."

"They shouldn't be keeping silent." Matoyoshi clenched his fist. "More and more people are getting afflicted with Eden syndrome. We need the information so we can figure out what's going on and prevent it. This is disgusting." He cursed.

Kyoko nodded in agreement. "Would you like some coffee to calm you down?" She offered.

Matoyoshi jumped up. "Uhhh...I think I have to go instead. I mean I gave you the information that I planned to give you, but I...I got more to do." He ran to the door. Before he reached it he passed Ami. "I would make sure not to drink any of that coffee if I were you. It's got a weird color and chunks of...I don't know what. Please consider this a warning."

Before Ami could ask him what he meant he was out the door. And Ami was left with Kyoko.

Kyoko looked like she was thinking. "I believe I'll head to central hospital." She revealed.

"W-what..Why?" Ami asked. It wasn't that she didn't want to focus on Eden syndrome and this important information, but she had thought Kyoko was going to help her with her body. I...I feel so bad for those people, it's true. And a detective does need to get as much information as she can on something like this, but…

She didn't want Kyoko to leave her. Kyoko was the only real person who knew about her condition at the moment and had offered help.

"Kamishiro must have realized that rumors have started up about the eden syndrome patients being at their hospital. They've probably started to beef up security. I need to get there before security is so good even I can't get in there." Kyoko replied.

That...That makes sense. Those patients don't have time to spare. I'm...I'm somewhat here. Ami realized.

"That and you being separated from your body in Eden has to have something to do with this Eden syndrome thing. I've been thinking it over since I found you but you may have something connected to Eden syndrome. The best way we can get information on your condition is to learn as much as we can about the normal Eden syndrome." Kyoko replied.

Ami looked up. She...She might have something like Eden syndrome? It's...It's true that...Eden was the thing I was last in when I wasn't separated from my body. That made a lot of sense.

What if she had Eden syndrome? What would she do? I don't know that. Maybe...Maybe my body is just….She didn't know where her body was. Maybe this was her body now.

"Can...I come with you?" Ami asked.

"Of course." Kyoko nodded. "I may need your help after all. If security is that secure I could really use your ability to teleport into the special ward." She smiled. "Kamishiro doesn't know I have a secret weapon, and it's you."

Ami felt herself jump. "So that's why you wanted to go. Because with me you might actually have a chance of getting the information you need."

Kyoko grinned.


Kyoko and Ami walked into the central hospital together. It looked like a normal hospital lobby, busy people and nobody exactly keeping a floor of coma patients.

"So what first?" Ami asked. "Am I using my connection jump-"

"No, I'm going to ask if we can go into the special ward first. Sometimes rumors are just that. We've gotta know if we're actually denied in first." Kyoko replied. "Would you like to help with some detective work?"

Ami nodded. She could use the distraction. "What can I do?"

"Ask questions, gather information on the special ward, please." Kyoko replied. "I really could use the help. And I wasn't joking when I said you looked smart and could work with me." She smiled almost mischievously or like she was dreaming. Ami wasn't sure which. "When your body is back to normal I would love to offer you a job."

"A j-job?" Ami liked the idea, but when my body is back to normal. I've gotta make my body normal first. Her condition was her first priority. "All right...I'll go ask around for information." She didn't say yes to the job offer yet.

Kyoko nodded, letting her go and walking off to the front desk.

Ami looked around at the bustling people. One person caught her eye by the elevator. It was a girl talking to a nurse. She didn't look sad….In fact she didn't look like she had any emotion on her face. She just looked like her eyes were dead in a way. Cold.

She had long smooth black hair, and was dressed in black and white. Perhaps it was her looks that attracted Ami's attention or perhaps it was the fact that she was staring right at Ami across the room.

Ami stared back but the girl didn't say anything. "Um...Have we met before?" She finally asked across the room.

Maybe we've met before. Something about her seems….Familiar? No, Ami just liked her hair. Now was not the time to check people out. She was dealing with far more serious issues.

The black haired girl continued staring at her but as Ami spoke to her she turned around, startled trying to ignore Ami.

Most people would have said that was rude. But Ami was very good at being insightful. She could tell by the way the girl shivered that she was just shy.

Ami decided not to bother her as she quickly fled into the elevator.

I hope she's okay. She thought to herself. She didn't mean to scare her.

She waited for a moment so that she wouldn't accidentally run into the girl and then went over to the elevator herself so she could go up to the special ward.

She was relieved to learn the elevator was in fact empty. Once she got up to the special ward though she found a set of large doors with guards in front of them.

"No entry is permitted unless you're hospital staff." One of the guards said. "Please go back to the lobby."

"But I'm with a detect-" Ami cut herself off. She didn't know if Kyoko's identity was a secret.

She walked away from the guards. Asking the guards if I was allowed in seems a good way to gather information. And they seem pretty menacing. She didn't know if they were carrying weapons, she saw batons.

She sneaked out of their sight to call Kyoko.

"Their are guards stationed in front of the special ward." Ami described.

"As I thought. You can ride the elevator at the moment to the special ward but can't enter." Kyoko told her. "Luckily I have two different plans, it's up to you which one we use."

"Up to me?" Ami asked. That was a lot of responsibility.

"Yes, we could take out the guards and fight them. Meaning I would fight them because I'm not sure what condition you're in, and it would be considered a break in and I would possibly get arrested, or you use your connection jump ability to teleport into the special ward. I'm sure they have some electronic device in their after all. And it would bypass security." Kyoko explained.

Ami frowned. "That...Doesn't sound like much of a choice. It sounds like you're asking me to break into the special ward or be responsible for you getting arrested."

"A good detective knows how to avoid arrest, so it's only a 10% chance I get arrested." Kyoko replied. "I like fighting." She added quietly.

Ami frowned. It really did sound like Kyoko wanted her to break in. After all who wanted to fight two armed guards? "I'll...I'll use the connection jump ability. I don't know how it's useful. Or really how to use it, but I'll try."

Kyoko smiled. "I knew I could count on you! See, working with me as a detective is fun!"

Ami frowned. She hadn't really agreed to the job offer yet. She turned off the voice call and looked around.

She eventually found an unguarded terminal that was being wheeled around. It was probably some sort of nurse's device. Perhaps it's connected to the hospital network. She hoped.

She worriedly placed her hand towards it, hoping that just magically her ability would be jump started. And as soon as she did her body was sucked into the terminal and she disappeared as if she had never been there.

She had a special ward to break into.


After traveling through the digital roads, Ami eventually managed to find an exit that looked like it was connected to a machine in the special ward.

She exited and suddenly her body was in a closed off hospital area. Glass doors and windows separated her in the hallway from various patients hooked up to machines- obviously comatose.

"What now?" She asked Kyoko on her phone.

"Keep an eye on the patients, see if there's anyone that you recognize from the news or something." Kyoko instructed. "Go to the back rooms to see if there's any sheets or details on the syndrome. And then steal them."

"...That's a c-crime.." Ami's voice shook. First she lost her body, then she broke into a hospital and now she was a thief? What was with Kyoko.

"Hiding away comatose people from the media is a crime too." Kyoko replied. "Two wrongs make a right. And anyway we need this information."

Ami nodded. Kyoko was right. This information was important. "Okay...I'll try not to be noticed."

She turned off the call and walked along the halls towards the back room. As she walked, something gained her attention in the corner of her eyes. It was pink hair.

She turned her head to one of the patients she had passed, separated from her by the glass windows. She saw a breathing mask on a pink haired girl's face along with several IV tubes along her arms.

She felt her heart beat faster when she saw the face. T-that's...That's me. She realized. That was her body. Her real body. Comatose.

She wanted to let the fake body she was wearing, this digital body, crumble to the ground.

I...I have Eden syndrome. She realized. I'm one of the coma patients. I...I must have been taken earlier today when I experienced a log out error. She felt true terror.

Did her family know? Did her friends? Had Nokia and Arata heard what had happened to her? Was she on the news? Or did she just get shoved under the carpet, metaphorically speaking, to help Kamishiro's reputation?

Did nobody know what had happened to her? And...Would her real body ever wake up again?

She wanted to cry out. She wanted to cry, for herself and the pain her body felt like it was in, and the other patients that didn't even get a digital body like hers it seemed. She put her hands against the glass but covered her mouth so she wouldn't cry.

She couldn't afford being found out. She couldn't afford getting pulled out of the special ward now. Kyoko was right. I….I do have something like Eden syndrome. This...This is where my body is.

Ami could hear words being sent through her digivice from her digimon to console her, but she couldn't hear them. All she could see was her frozen comatose body and the feeling that she wasn't real.

She let herself cry out into her hand once, as she looked at her body, but then she willed her digital legs to move. I've gotta find the data on eden syndrome now. For me...And for everyone else afflicted.

Perhaps this was why she was digital. Maybe someone out there wanted someone to have Eden syndrome that could speak and uncover the mysteries involved in it. Maybe she was like this for a reason. Maybe Mirei was right that she had a purpose.

She couldn't let herself be stopped by the trauma. She had to keep moving.


Ami eventually made it to the back room that had several computers and papers. She found some files on Eden syndrome eventually.

All the stuff in the files seemed to be things Kyoko already knew. That Eden syndrome happened while people were logged into Eden and caused people to go into comas, that there was no known treatment or cure as of yet.

Nothing useful. Even Kamishiro doesn't know much about Eden syndrome. Ami sighed, walking out of the back room in despair and looking at the ground.

I have eden syndrome. She just kept repeating in her head. She didn't...Didn't feel anything. Not emotionally or physically.

"Why are you here?" Ami heard a voice and looked up. She had been discovered! In front of her covering her mouth was the black haired girl that Ami had seen in the lobby. "This area is off limits!"

"W-why...Why are you here?" Ami tried to do a slick comeback, but it wasn't very smart. Only hospital staff are allowed in here. And that girl doesn't look like hospital staff. Is she an employee of Kamishiro enterprises? She wondered.

The girl looked about her age, but perhaps Kamishiro employed young geniuses.

"Don't answer a question with a question!" The girl yelled annoyed, "Did you break in?"

"Umm...Uhh..." Ami didn't know what to say. "I'm...Helping a detective." She finally replied, unable to lie. "That...shouldn't be wrong, right? People deserve to know about eden syndrome!" Ami couldn't help but feel like her voice cracked when she said the words 'eden syndrome.'

The girl looked confused for a moment but then relaxed. "Ah. You're helping Kuremi, aren't you?" She seemed to know Kyoko. "That's all right then. And..." She paused. "You sound really sad about eden syndrome, don't you?" She realized. "Ah...A relative must have been affected." She nodded. "You're right. You deserve to know about the disease."

The girl looked thoughtful for a moment. "I can answer some of your questions if you want. I...I understand people being hurt by the illness. But I don't want you to think Kamishiro is some evil enterprise that's keeping secrets for their sake. So I'll answer your questions directly."

"But...Kamishiro enterprises is keeping secrets for their sake-" Ami tried to reply.

The girl shook her head. "There'd be mass panic if word got out about Eden syndrome. Eden would be shut down. And although that might not be important to you, a lot of people use Eden for everyday stuff. They're too sick to leave the house, or they use it to do normal everyday activities due to disabilities." The girl explained. "Eden brings happiness and is important to a lot of people. It's their life. So...I don't want to see it be destroyed."

"But...People are going into comas..." Ami tried to tell her not understanding why that wasn't important.

"Only a few. And we're not sure why still. It can be stopped, I'm sure." The girl responded.

"You...Must really like Kamishiro enterprises if you're willing to argue with a stranger who broke into a hospital so that the stranger likes them a little better." Ami realized.

The girl bit her lip. "I'm in debt to them. And I do think you're right that people deserve information on Eden syndrome. At least if a relative has been affected. That's...You, right?" She suggested.

Ami didn't answer. She's insightful. She can see this is important to me. Of course the logical conclusion would be that a relative of mine is affected. "Is there a cure for Eden syndrome?" She finally asked.

The girl actually looked sad now. "I've...Never heard of someone recovering, I'm sorry."

Someone close to her is affected too, huh? Ami realized. That must be what the strange girl meant by being in debt to Kamishiro. Her relative must have been on life support. The poor girl. We're kinda in the same situation, aren't we? Our lives both depend on this hospital.

"I think that there will be a cure though!" The girl spoke up. It was the loudest Ami had ever heard her voice. "Someone...Someone I know has been stuck in a deep sleep for eight years...But I'm sure he'll wake up! I know he will!" She tried to smile. She couldn't.

Ami walked up closer to her. She wasn't afraid of scaring her anymore. She just felt bad. "I'm sorry." She apologized. That was all she could say. She didn't know if that someone would wake up.

The girl looked like she might flee again when Ami walked closer, but she looked up at her face instead, meeting her eyes. Ami could see now how sad they looked. "You understand, don't you? That hope is the only thing we have left."

Ami wondered if the girl had ever spoken to anyone before about her own trauma. "I...I didn't know we even had hope." She nodded. "But...You're right."

The girl smiled a little, happy she could give someone hope. "Do...You have any other questions?"

"...Do...Do you know what happened to that patient?" Ami finally pointed over to one of the beds through the glass window.

The girl looked over at Ami's comatose body. "That patient was brought in a short while ago, I don't know how she contracted it. I don't know how anyone contracts it." Her eyes widened. "Oh! She looks just like you!"

"That's because..." Ami felt for some reason she could trust this girl. It was that unexplained feeling of trust. I think it's because deep down I know she just wants the eden syndrome patients to be cured. She's waiting for someone else to wake up too. Isn't she?

"She's your twin, isn't she!" The girl clapped her hands proud at how smart she was. "Oh no. I'm so sorry. Losing a sibling….Losing a twin of all things to the syndrome. I know I heard the mother of that patient was contacted but….Did you get the information? No...probably not." The girl looked really apologetic.

"She's not my..." Ami tried to speak up.

"Hmm...Perhaps I could get a special pass for you to visit her with my connections? No...I don't think Rie would be happy with that..." The girl was mumbling to herself quietly. She obviously wasn't used to talking.

Ami smiled. She felt it was one of the first time she had smiled since she had been afflicted by eden syndrome. The girl just really wanted to help. She's sweet. She decided. "She's not my twin." She replied.

"Really!?" The girl covered her mouth surprised. "But you two look so much alike. That's a weird coincidence."

"That's my body." Ami finally said. "I don't know what happened but I'm afflicted with Eden syndrome."

The girl stared at her for a second. Then another second as if she didn't believe her. Her mouth then dropped open. "You...But...You're here. How? Someone's awake...But...Wait...Your body's right there..."

She didn't seem to be able to process this, her words were a fumbley mess.

Ami decided to ask her another question as she tried to process this mess. "Is Kamishiro connected to Eden syndrome?"

The girl managed to get a grip on her tongue. "That's a mistake!" She defended. "Kamishiro just wants peace and quiet to find a cure for Eden syndrome. They did not afflict this." The girl shook her head.

She looked at Ami for another second, "You...You really have Eden syndrome? And you're like...A patient that somehow got separated from their real body?"

"I don't think I offer any clues to curing it though." Ami admitted. "I don't really know what happened and how I became different than the other patients."

The girl nodded slowly. "It...It probably wouldn't be a very good idea to tell the hospital staff anyway. They'd likely lock you up or try to find out what happened through experiments." She said quietly mostly to herself.

Ami's eyes widened. And this girl is still helping them? It didn't sound like the girl was happy about that. But it also didn't sound like that they had ever done that, it was just a possibility.

"My...My brother came down with Eden Syndrome." She finally replied. "It's...It's a miracle to me to see you. Someone walking around even if they don't have their body. But...I'm so sorry. It must be terrifying." The girl said she looked like even though she wanted to argue about Kamishiro she was too focused on Ami's condition.

"It...It is..." Ami admitted.

"Even though I don't think it's a good idea for you to alert the hospital staff could...Could we trade contact information?" The girl asked. "I...I want to ask you questions. For my brother."

Ami nodded, but before she could take out her phone the two of them heard footsteps.

"Hello! Thank you for working hard. Aww you look so cute when you're tired." A woman's voice was on the other side of the locked doors, flirting with some guards.

The girl in front of Ami's eyes widened. "Rie! I wasn't expecting her today." She realized. "Come on, we have to hide you. She's exactly the sort of person you don't want to be found by." There seemed to be determination in the almost dead girl's eyes now.

She took Ami by the hand to lead her away. Ami grasped the girl's hand as she led her.

Maybe it's the fact that we know the same pain. But...I can feel this girl's hand. It felt nice to hold her hand. She trusted it and let the girl lead her away.

The girl eventually stuffed her in the back room, and stood in front of the big doors so that Rie wouldn't find her.

The woman, Rie, wore an orange dress and had light green hair with flowers in it. There was something mean about her expression though. It was easy to infer that she was probably a Kamishiro executive.

"Oh! Yuuko! Are you well?" Rie asked giggling and approaching the black haired girl.

Her name is Yuuko. Ami realized, trying to listen in a little. Yuuko thought she was just hiding but Ami knew she could easily flee the scene through the computer.

"Miss Rie, I thought you wouldn't be coming today. Your name isn't on the approved visitor list." Yuuko replied coldly and calmly.

Rie laughed out loud. "I'm not! I just wanted to see my small...darling...Yuuko."

"I don't need you to check up on me." Yuuko replied. "I'm okay being by my lonesome." It sounded like Yuuko didn't like or trust Rie, or want her company.

"I wasn't worried about you being alone." Rie smiled. "My Yuuko senses were just tingling. Maybe I thought you were being all gloomy and crying over your brother's corpse again."

"He's comatose. It's not a corpse." Yuuko corrected sternly.

"Aww...It's sweet seeing you act all hopeful and strong. It's cute." Rie mocked.

It hurt listening to this. I can't do anything though. That poor girl, Yuuko...Her pain is being exploited by that Kamishiro executive...Isn't it? Ami realized.

She had to stay hidden though. It wasn't like she could go in and yell stop. That wouldn't do any good. She'd likely be arrested and if that woman wanted to hurt her...Well it was very easy to pull her plug. She wasn't sure if the woman would stoop to something so illegal but with the way she spoke, it might be likely. Especially if Ami could talk about Kamishiro's secret stash of coma patients.

"By the way what have you been doing here?" Rie asked. "I usually find you in your brother's room. Not in the hallways." She sounded like she was suspicious of her.

"I wasn't doing anything in particular." Yuuko shook her head, very bad at lying.

"Were you having a picnic?" Rie teased.

"Yes, I mean no..No it's nothing like that!" Yuuko quickly tried to hide.

"Wait...Wait a minute." Rie smiled, "Is there something you're trying to hide?" She paused, giggling to herself. "Or someone, perhaps? ...Did you bring a boyfriend here?"

"No." Yuuko frowned.

"Oh! You're right you've never been that into the idea of boyfriends." Rie paused. "It must be a girlfriend! Ooh little Yuuko has a girlfriend!" She laughed, "I better have a look around." She teased.

"No!" Yuuko tried to yell quickly, putting out her arms to stop Rie from going into the back room.

"Were you doing something scandalous? You're pretty naughty, Yuuko." Rie mocked again, and pushed Yuuko aside onto the floor.

"Wait! Please don't go in there!" Yuuko begged.

Rie smiled and opened the doors. But by that point Ami had used connection jump to already be gone.

As Rie poked around looking for what Yuuko desperately was trying to keep hidden she frowned. "Darn. You're a better actor than I thought. Pretending you had some big secret when there was nothing."

Yuuko looked confused. Where did she…? The mysterious pink haired girl afflicted with Eden syndrome was gone.

She was both relieved and confused. "Yes. It was just a prank, Miss Rie. I've done nothing wrong. So please...Don't take it out on my brother."

Rie nodded unhappy that Yuuko wasn't doing anything wrong. "Still it's too bad you didn't have a girlfriend here. I thought little Yuuko was finally growing up. I'm sure I had 27 boyfriends when I was your age."

"Miss Rie...I don't think you can have 27 boyfriends." Yuuko corrected.

Rie frowned. "Boo." she pouted.


Once Ami reunited with Kyoko in the hospital lobby, Kyoko brought her back to her office so they could talk in private.

Ami told Kyoko what she had learned about Eden syndrome, neglecting to mention the Yuuko parts because that didn't seem important.

"That must have been quite shocking and horrible, seeing your own body in a coma. I...I guess it's kinda like the theory of astral projection. If you think about it that way it's not so scary?" Kyoko tried to suggest.

"It's still scary. Any moment my real body could die. And what happens if my form just disappears? I could be in a coma at any moment. And...I don't know if I can eat or breathe or be anything normal!" Ami cried.

Kyoko watched her panic, resting her heads on her hands. "I am...I am sorry." She finally said, struggling to find words. "If..If I..."

"If you what?" Ami tried to gurgle out through her tears.

"If I had investigated Eden syndrome sooner perhaps this wouldn't have happened." Kyoko replied. "There's...Some good in this situation though, Ami."

"That I'm something unique?" Ami asked trying to focus but being largely unable to.

"Yes. You're the first Eden syndrome patient to exhibit these symptoms. An irregularity. And since you remember the moment before you logged out you might have some clues as to how Eden syndrome is brought about." Kyoko explained.

Ami was still crying, and holding herself trying to shake the image of herself in a coma out of her mind. She couldn't even throw up from the nausea of that image.

"You need to stay calm, Ami. I promise we'll get to the bottom of this eventually. But you've got to remember, you're here. Even if you're here in a unique way of being digital." Kyoko walked over to Ami and stroked her hair, like a mother might.

That's right. Ami thought. I'm here. My digimon...Are digital too. They're supposedly programs. But they have feelings. And lopmon...Lopmon's struggling too. Ami tried to swallow and calm down. Focus on breathing, or imitating breathing. "All...All right. I'm calm...What next?"

"Well...We could focus on trying to uncover the truth of eden syndrome and getting you back to your original body, but I imagine it would be an incredibly slow and long process. This is a huge case, after all." Kyoko told her.

"I...I want to do that though. I want to figure out what's going on with Eden syndrome." Ami replied.

"We have no clues to go off of though." Kyoko admitted. "But I'm sure we might get some in my cases. I work a lot with Eden and cyber crimes as a cyber detective." Kyoko told her.

"Then...We wait?" Ami asked. "Do I...I just go home then?"

"I doubt you can. They've probably locked away your apartment, right, since they think you will likely be in a coma forever." Kyoko explained.

All my stuff! Ami wanted to cry out. She probably couldn't get her stuff back, or retrieve it then. Was her apartment sold and her stuff thrown out? Or just locked away.

"Do you think they alerted your mother and Guardian?" Kyoko asked. "I'm sure that would cause quite a bit of panic if they said their daughter was in the hospital. But perhaps you could stay with one of them if they didn't tell them yet."

"Umm...I only have a mother." Ami piped up her correction. "My Dad...I've never really had one. My Mom's a single Mom."

Kyoko looked at her confused for a moment. "But you have another guardian, don't you? Your records that I got a hold of lists that your mother often travels and works over seas. So….You of course have someone else watching over you, correct?" Kyoko looked clearly concerned.

Ami looked sheepish for a moment. "My mom got me an apartment" She said simply like that made it all better, "And it's fine. My Mom's always been career focused, we keep in touch though."

"But what about when you were younger. You had to have someone else watching over you. I mean your official records lists you having two guardians. Your mother and what I would assume was a second one." Kyoko frowned.

"I think that's just my mom's friend of the month." Ami tried to smile and not sound weird about it. She liked her relationship with her mom. Others just found it weird that she stayed on her own so young. "I think Mom like...Legally married a best friend or something so I could have someone else around? That's probably the other guardian. But when I was around 12 she said that guy booked it." Ami frowned. "That's probably the other guardian you're thinking of."

Kyoko nodded as if that made sense. "The other name has been redacted so you're probably right." She thought for a moment. "Your mom probably can't help since she's in another country then." She sighed for a moment thinking.

"I could...Get a part time job or rest at a friend's house-" Ami suggested.

"How about you live with me for the time being? That way I can directly help you with your case." Kyoko suggested.

Ami frowned. "For...Free?" That didn't sound right. She barely knew Kyoko.

Kyoko thought for a moment. "If you're willing to work off rent I could have you work as my assistant. I'm sure we could find out what's going on with Eden syndrome quicker with your abilities."

Ami's eyes brightened. That sounded good. I'll be able to know exactly what goes on here and I won't feel guilty about staying with Kyoko. "All right. I can be your assistant."

Kyoko smiled. "We might get some cases that don't have anything to do with eden syndrome but hopefully even they will give clues to your condition." She stood up and offered her hand. "I'll be happy to have you as my partner."

Ami smiled. The gleeful look that Kyoko had when she said partner confused her though. It sounds...Familiar. Perhaps she was just relating it to lopmon.

Being a detective's partner and a digimon's partner were two different things.

I guess...In the end I became a cyber sleuth.

She would find a cure for Eden Syndrome. She would.

All we have left is our hope. Ami remembered what Yuuko had said. She hoped she could remain hopeful.


One of the things I really want to focus on in this fic is reactions to medical trauma or illness, which Ami experiences a lot of in the actual cyber sleuth game but never really talks about? It's a big deal. I hope to focus on it more.

Anyway chapters will alternate in a weird way between Ami and Keisuke since Cyber sleuth divides its content with prologue plus 20 chapters, and Keisuke's story only has 18 chapters. So there will be a few chapters where Ami just has two chapters in a row.

Next chapter I'll introduce Keisuke though.