Disclaimer: No property of Digimon Adventure 02 belongs to me. All characters and related titles are copyrighted to TOEI ANIMATION Co., Ltd.


Author's note: Sorry for the lack of updates, so I've extended the chapter a bit! Ironically, while I was typing this, I was playing upbeat happy music.


Monochrome Ocean
Chapter 3: Squelched Scares


"Poromon, I feel so pathetic!" was the first thing Miyako said when she collapsed face-down on her bed.

The bird Digimon stared at her sympathetically, consoling his partner with a small pat from his tiny wings. "I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding, Miyako-san. Hikari-san will understand. Perhaps discussing this matter will clear any awkward feelings. There is a good opportunity to catch her alone at school—"

"—AHHHH!" Miyako suddenly bounced up with a look of sheer fright, causing Poromon to fall back in surprise.

"What am I going to DOOO?!" moaned Miyako helplessly. "I forgot about school! It'll be so weird seeing her and—"

Poromon winced and rubbed the back of his head. "You don't have to talk to her immediately tomorrow," he calmly suggested. "Talk to her whenever you're ready. She's your friend, so she'll understand."

In response, the violet-haired girl breathed a heavy sigh. Turning over, she sighed, "Yeah... Hikari-chan and I are friends..." A minor frown crossed her features and she sighed again. "But she knows that I... and Ken-kun..."

"Miyako-san..."

Clutching her head again, Miyako groaned, "This is definitely going to be an awkward conversation!!"


3:24 AM.

Ken was curled tightly on his right side, a preferred sleeping position that seemed to work the wonders of slumber on him. All of his studying had tired him out, and the moment he lied down everything seemed to black out. Beside him was Minomon, snoozing peacefully as he snugged close to his partner.

In the dark room, Ken's flatscreen computer monitor suddenly flickered. The machinery of his computer booted, connecting his computer online. The screen buzzed and flashed as if it had a low signal. Ken's black D-3 that was sitting on his desk suddenly began beeping and its screen glowed.

The glow of the computer slightly brightened the room, awakening Minomon. In a second, he was wide awake as soon as he heard the D-3 beep. Ken-chan wasn't using the computer today, he mentally told himself, and remembered how tense Ken had been lately.

It can't be, thought Minomon in horror as a shadowy figure took place on the face of the computer monitor. With a quick movement, he shook Ken awake. "Ken-chan! Ken-chan!" he cried, not bothering to keep his voice down.

Luckily, Ken was a light sleeper and his eyelids slowly lifted. "Mm... what is it, Minomon?" he mumbled.

"Ken-chan, the computer's on! Something's happening!"

"What?!" Ken was suddenly awake just as Minomon had been when he first noticed.

To his terror, Ken saw the evidence that confirmed Minomon's words correct. "Who turned it on?" asked Ken. "I didn't turn on the computer today!"

Minomon clung onto Ken worriedly. "I know," he whispered, frightened.

Ken carefully climbed down from his bunk with Minomon hovering behind him. He stood in front of the computer, squinting and scrutinizing the monitor. Minomon settled himself on Ken's shoulder and held onto it tightly. "Be careful, Ken-chan."

"I will."

To their relief, no shadowy monster showed up on the face of the monitor, but an e-mail suddenly popped up onto the screen.

GATEKEEPER OF DARKNESS, WE IMPLORE YOUR AID.

Ken gasped and a drop of cold sweat broke out on his face. Minomon, on the other hand, was consumed in worry.

"It can't be!" he cried. In all honesty, Minomon had hoped it would be a sick joke, yet it wasn't. An uneasy feeling began to augment at the pit of his stomach. When he saw Ken's hands reach for the keyboard, he could not help but say, "Ken-chan."

Ken's thin fingers clacked skillfully against the keys and he sent his message: who are you?

WE ARE BEINGS OPPRESSED BY THE LORD.
THUS WE ARE IN NEED OF YOUR HELP.

The answer still left an air of grotesque mystery about these creatures. Ken had initially thought them to be Digimon, but now he wasn't so sure. The sending address appeared to be a sort of mask. Still, he had to find out more.

Why must I help?

It didn't take long for the reply to come back.

YOU ARE THE GATEKEEPER OF DARKNESS.
YOU HOLD THE KEY THAT CONNECTS THE PORTAL FROM OUR WORLD TO YOURS.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU HIDE IT,
THERE IS ALWAYS DARKNESS IN YOUR HEART.

The response was intimidating. Ken took a look at his black D-3, its screen still glowing brightly with a hidden eeriness. From next to him, Minomon began to whimper.

"Ken-chan, let's stop," begged Minomon helplessly, but Ken began typing again, attempting to reword his next question so as not to invoke any more growing enmities. Although his approach was hypothetical, his position in this situation seemed obvious.

What if I refuse?

"Please, Ken-chan," whimpered his Digimon partner from beside him.

Again, the reply came instantly.

THIS IS NOT A SITUATION IN WHICH YOU CAN REFUSE.
IF YOU DO, CONSEQUENCES WILL POSSIBLY TAKE PLACE.
REMEMBER THIS WELL.

"Consequences?" repeated Ken. The message sent an uncomfortable shudder up his spine. Before he could type in a reply, the computer suddenly clicked off. The monitor blacked out, and Ken's D-3 stopped reacting. He stared at the blank monitor, speechless, unsure of what to do. Unsure of what to think. Unsure of what to feel.

After what seemed like hours, Minomon spoke, "They're gone."

"Yeah."

"Let's go to sleep, Ken-chan," suggested Minomon as if nothing had happened. "You need it for school tomorrow."

"Yeah," agreed Ken, but he didn't move. Only when Minomon began gently urging him towards his bunkbed did Ken start moving forward, albeit slowly.

As Ken crawled under his now-cold covers, Minomon settled beside his head. "Don't worry, Ken-chan," he whispered. "I'll protect you if they come again."

"Th-Thanks." Ken tried to smile, but his feelings made it look strained. As he lied down flat onto his bed, his thoughts were circumscribed to the messages from those e-mails, tumbling around his mind in circles. No matter how much you hide it, there is always darkness in your heart. Remember this well.

It took both of them a long time before Ken and Minomon could get to sleep again.


Anyone who took a gander at Inoue Miyako would know that she was nervous about something. The bespectacled second year was never good at hiding her feelings. Way unlike Hikari herself.

Hikari could sense the awkward atmosphere building between them. Since that event, Miyako had hardly spoken a word to her. During lunchtime, Miyako bantered with Daisuke, shared laughs with Takeru, and didn't say anything else. Hikari did notice that occasionally Miyako would stare at her from the corner of her eye and quickly look away when Hikari turned to her.

Once or twice had Miyako directly address Hikari with a shy, "Aahhh... Hikari-chan..." as if she had something to say to the younger girl, but it was always shrugged off. So Miyako had pretended there was nothing between them, and yet made no effort to communicate. Hikari's end wasn't much better; she was the type to keep her mouth shut, so she said nothing.

They were close friends, weren't they? So why had their friendship come to this?

Did Miyako overhear the subject of the conversation? Hikari had made sure to speak in a low whisper, but there was no evidence that the words had eluded Miyako's ears. No, Miyako seemed to be in a rush so she wouldn't have known... would she?

I should talk to Miyako-san, Hikari kept reminding herself throughout class. I should know whether she knows what Ichijouji-kun and I have been feeling...

Her mind felt far away from the class' lecture and the short-haired girl found herself too worried to concentrate. ... I knew it. I can't do it. I can never say what I want.

Hikari wistfully cast her vision to the window, where she saw the empty soccer field gleaming beneath the shimmering sun. Onii-chan, I wish I could be more courageous like you.


The musical chime of the school bells marked the dismissal of class. Students poured out of classrooms, gathered at shoe lockers to switch shoes, and departed for either home, club duty, or cram school.

Miyako was not one of those students and took a lot of time getting out of class as usual due to her glum, lethargic mood. Regrettably, she had missed all of her chances to talk to Hikari today; the moment when Miyako had gathered up her courage to discuss that conversation Hikari and Ken had, all chances were shot down. Zero. Miss.

Fail.

Miyako groaned at her cowardliness, but knew she couldn't mope forever. I'll call her tonight, she promised herself as she strolled towards the exit of the school.

"When are you going to speak to her?"

The voice took Miyako by surprise. She stumbled back with a loud gasp.

The voice revealed herself from the shadows. Tailmon appeared with a stern expression on her feline face.

Miyako sighed in relief, clutching her throbbing heart. "Oh," she breathed. "It's just Tailmon."

The cat Digimon was in no mood for greetings. "When are you going to speak to Hikari?" she repeated again.

"Hikari, you say..." Miyako's face fell at the mention of her friend's name and her crestfallen mood overtook her once more.

"It's strange," replied Tailmon towards Miyako's gloom. "I don't know what happened since Hikari's not telling me anything, but I saw what happened the other night. Hikari made me wait outside with Takeru and the others, but I saw."

Miyako's cloudy expression transformed into a baffled frown. Tailmon wasn't in the room when that happened? Miyako had spun around so quickly that she must have not noticed this detail.

Still, Tailmon went on, her expression growing darker by the moment. "Since you left, Hikari hasn't been the same and her condition's growing worse." She looked up at Miyako with worry tinted in her blue eyes. Miyako's eyes widened. Tailmon was always the cool-headed one, and there was barely a time where Tailmon had looked so down. Pity grew in her stomach.

"Did something happen?" came the question Miyako had been dreading to hear.

"Um... well..." There were no rights words to articulate. How could Miyako tell Tailmon when she couldn't even tell her best friend face-to-face?!

Tailmon let it go. "If you're not willing to tell me, then I ask of you to please speak to Hikari. Will you?"

"I..."

She didn't let Miyako speak, and her next words surprised her. "You're the only person Hikari ever talks to besides Takeru. You should know something. As a friend, you should know what's going on and what you can do to help! I've tried getting through to Hikari, but you know how she is... it's hard for her to talk about what's really happening! She needs to know she can't do everything by herself!"

Flabbergasted, Miyako was speechless. She had expected a command or even a reprimanding for intruding Hikari's private conversation with Ken, but this was completely surprising. What Tailmon had just requested from her immediately rained on her in a shower of confusion. Weren't they just talking about Miyako running out on Hikari that other night? What was Tailmon getting at?

"Wait," interrupted Miyako cautiously, blinking in confusion. "What do you mean about helping? What's going on?"

Tailmon hesitated, and then answered, "Something's wrong with Hikari. I don't know what it is, but something's wrong. She's been so distant for days. I think... I think..."

"Yes?"

"... I think it might be the Dark Ocean," concluded Tailmon slowly. "The last time she's been like this was because of that. I have no doubt about it. It has to be the ocean."

Miyako looked puzzled. "Didn't Ken-kun—"

"That's what I thought too. It's over. It should have been over, but it turns out it isn't. I don't know why, but the monsters want her back." Tailmon's claws grew into balled fists. "If they pull Hikari back, there's no telling what may happen! I want to protect Hikari, but she's not letting me! She might have become more open, but changes don't take place that quickly! Hikari's still passive after all these years and I fear for what might happen to her!"

The heartfelt outburst had left Tailmon nearly in tears. Miyako's guilt of not communicating with Hikari augmented, and she kneeled to be at eye-level with the Digimon.

"Tailmon..." Miyako wanted to reassure her comfort, but couldn't find the right words for it.

Tailmon finally regained her composure. She opened her mouth to speak, this time with a different anecdote. "Do... do you remember the time when we were searching for my Holy Ring? And how you and Hikari fell into the fault?"

Miyako nodded. "Yeah," she said in a hushed voice.

"And how we were sucked into the Dark Ocean and you managed to convince Hikari to fight?"

"Yeah."

"You got through to her more than anyone else did. More than I did. When she was lost, you helped her out." Tailmon paused. "You told her that... you believed in her. That she didn't need to fight alone when she had allies. Friends. Your words got her moving and led her to fight whatever has been decaying inside of her. I would like for you to do this again, and I'm not just asking this as a favor. She needs us. She needs you."

The pieces of the puzzle soon connected with each other, and Miyako recalled the times Hikari had that sad look in her eyes that precluded outside help. Yes, there was something wrong, now that Tailmon had mentioned it, yet there was a cloud of uncertainty that circled Miyako's confidence. The last time she had faced the Dark Ocean, she narrowly survived the battle and carried home many scars, both emotional and physical. "T-This is really sudden," blurted out Miyako. "I-I don't know if I can—"

"Yes, you can. You have no choice. You're one of the only people who can help. You're a major proponent in catalyzing a change in her. Will you?"

The flash of Hikari flooded back to Miyako, and she nodded. If it was all to protect a friend, then of course she would risk her life. She had already done that many times, and this time was no different; after all, Miyako knew that deep in heart, even with trivial quarrels, Hikari would always help her. They were friends, weren't they?

"I will," declared Miyako clearly. A confident smile spread across her lips and she continued, "Don't worry, Tailmon. We'll save Hikari-chan from those evil monsters!"

A satisfied chuckle escaped Tailmon's mouth. "That's what I wanted to hear. Thank you, Miyako."

Miyako tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Am I the only one who knows about this?"

"Perhaps. You are the only one I have requested for help so far."

"Should we tell the others?"

Tailmon shrugged. "I believe it would be a good idea, even if Hikari isn't concordant with it."

Another thought popped up into Miyako's mind. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Let's talk to Hikari-chan first, so that she knows ahead of time that we've got her back. Did she go home yet?"

Tailmon shook her head. "I doubt it. The last time I checked, she was here."

"All right, then let's go!" trumpeted Miyako. With Tailmon following, she hurried towards the front doors of her school, where the shoe lockers lay. "Let me change out of these first," she said, swiping her school shoes from her socked feet. As soon as she looked up to open her locker, a familiar figure caught her eye. It was not hard to miss the girl standing at the school entrance.

"Hikari-chan!" noted Miyako out loud. She did a double-take and immediately noticed that something was wrong. When she looked closely, her eyes widened and a gasp left her face suddenly pallid.

Hikari's figure was distorted like a television with bad reception, and it flickered every so often.

It did not take long for Miyako to figure out what was going on. Ignoring her shoes, she sprinted towards Hikari. "HIKARI-CHAN!!"