[I'm back again with a new chapter and a new picture if you'd care to check it out. Sorry it took me longer than normal, but I had my high school graduation last week (yay) so I've been rather busy. I hope this was worth the wait.]
The light was nearly blinding for a moment, but then it was gone. Angemon had passed through the entrance and into the Ivory Tower. The inside was composed of the same shimmering marble as the outside, but inside there was much more. He took a few steps forward into the grand entrance hall. It was a room that seemed to go all the way up to the very top of the building, and a large circular hole surrounded by guardrails in the center of the room's floor revealed a pit that surely went down to the tower's very base. In either direction the most distant areas were little more than white blurs. The air seemed almost too fresh to be indoors; it was almost like he was outside. Angemon quickly concluded that the source had to be the many, many potted plants and wall-climbing ivy that existed within the tower. There was the underlying quiet murmur of other digimon all around him, coming from the many, many different angel digimon. He witnessed a MagnaAngemon and a HolyKnightmon appear from the hole in the floor and continue on to the upper levels. Thus he drew the conclusion that the purpose behind the unusual design was so that angel digimon, all of whom could presumably fly, would be able to move quickly between levels at will without needing to rely on stairs or elevators.
Having taken in the whole scene, Angemon nonchalantly began looking for some manner of directory. Finding none, he chose to approach one of the other angels to ask his question.
"Excuse me, sir," said Angemon, poking a Goldramon on the shoulder.
"Yes?" the majestic digimon asked, turning to him.
"I wonder if you might help me. I've arrived just now and I need to find someone who I'm supposed to meet. She's an Angewomon."
"Sorry to tell you this, but that doesn't narrow it down a whole lot. Does she know you're coming?"
"I'm not sure. I don't think so."
"I see. Well you might check with the visitor's center two floors down on the Bishop level. They can help you find this Angewomon and even get you a guestroom while you are staying with us."
"Thank you very much."
"You are welcome. By the way, I am a teacher of meditation and martial disciplines here. If you happen to have time during your stay, I would like it if you would attend one of my classes. They take place on the Templar level seven floors up and I am always pleased to have new students."
"Thank you. I'll be sure to do that if time permits me. But while I have your ear, can I ask one more thing?"
"Certainly."
"Is there any way I can pursue an audience with Lucemon?"
"I'm afraid Lord Lucemon rarely holds open forums anymore, and private meetings are almost unheard of. For as long as I can remember he has always been a very solitary digimon, isolated from all others. I suppose that is the price of such immense power and responsibility."
"So then there's no hope?"
"Well…there's always hope. Of course there's nothing you can do directly. Lucemon will be able to sense your need to see him, and if your reasons deserve his attention he can sense that as well. Somehow, he always sees to it that all who come here are subtly given the answers that they must hear."
"Thank you again, Goldramon."
"Think nothing of it. Good luck in your search."
"Goodbye."
Back in Granite Gulch, Wendigomon sat down across from an injured Gardromon in the machinist's shop. It wasn't exactly the Ritz; the cold cement floor was covered in oil stains. All manners of electronics hung from the walls, out of open drawers and from the ceiling. Sparks flew from a Mekanorimon who was up on the rack on the other side of the room having part of his framework welded back together. Although Gardromon had clearly endured quite a bit of damage he had proven himself amazingly resilient. In spite of the many dents to his body, the occasional wire sticking out, and the missing arm for which he awaited a replacement, he was in good spirits.
"So you are the one who finally put a stop to that Yashamon," said Gardromon. "I definitely appreciate it, sir."
"Well, he technically put a stop to himself," said Wendigomon.
"No matter! The point is that I no longer need worry about him hunting me down."
"Why would he do that?"
"Because I was his target the whole time."
"How do you know?"
"I was there when he first attacked. I was on guard duty and he busted into town and started destroying my fellow guards left and right. When I stood up to him he said he recognized me as the one he was sent to eliminate. He was a strong one without a doubt; he managed to beat me in only a couple minutes. Before he could strike the last blow, though, someone intervened and I was spared. That's when my systems went offline and I woke up here. Yashamon tried to hunt me down, destroying every town he passed through on his way here."
"I'm glad I got to him before he got to you."
"So am I. I owe you my most humble thanks."
"That's nice, but what I really need is information."
"I'm afraid I've told you most of what I know about him already, but I will happily surrender the rest to you. From what I have learned I am able to surmise that he was an assassin sent to kill me."
"Why would anyone want you dead?"
"To target me specifically would be illogical if he wanted to destroy or rob the town. Outside of my brief time in the real world, my life has been unremarkable. It makes little sense for anyone to want me dead specifically."
"Then maybe our answer lies in how you are remarkable."
"How so?"
"I'm not sure. I'll have to learn more about this assassin if I am to piece any more together. But it seems like you should be safe for now. I've got to keep looking for where this assassin came from."
"He came from the south."
"What?"
"He entered town through the southern entrance."
"Oh, I see. Well thanks for your time."
"You are welcome."
Having excused himself, Wendigomon turned and left. Now he was armed with the knowledge that Yashamon may have been a hired killer and his target could have been Gardromon, but the reasoning behind it all seemed more elusive than ever. He knew he had no chance of discovering the source of all this until the motive became clear. He was so wrapped up in all of this that he didn't see the two figures standing in his path.
"Hold a moment, Wendigomon," the one with the gray beard and white-fringed beige robe said commandingly.
Wendigomon looked up and stopped in his tracks. The other one was smaller with no beard and gray fringe; he remained silent.
"What do you want?" asked Wendigomon.
"We are two of the Guardians. I am Kandack and this is my associate Loki."
"We know about what you've been up to lately," said Loki, "and we want you to rest assured that your investigation won't be closed. There's more at stake here than you could even imagine."
"Wha—"
"Quiet. Just listen," Loki commanded. "There's a cancer growing in this world, a cancer known simply as 'the Destroyer.' Soon, every square inch of this land will be infected with his villainy. You may no longer be one of the chosen, but you still have a duty to protect this world."
"What my over-dramatic friend is saying is that we need your help once again. We've spoken with your commander, WereGarurumon, on this matter and he's agreed to keep the investigation open, but you and your brother won't have help. This thing needs to be kept as clandestine as possible. Follow the clues you gather and with luck you should arrive at the same conclusion as the rest of us. That way we'll know we've got the right target, because we may only have one shot at this."
"One shot at what?"
"One shot at finding the Destroyer and stopping the Grand Scheme."
"Can't you help me at all?"
"Yes. We can tell you that Yashamon worked for the Destroyer. We're not sure if they ever had direct contact, but we do know that Gardromon was only one of many targets. Dozens of digimon who had been joined to human partners in the past already lie dead, and Yashamon was not the first assassin. However, he was the strongest to date. Beware, for the next hired gun will no doubt be a great deal stronger than even Yashamon. Find him, capture him, and you will get everything you need to know."
"Sounds like I'll need help."
"No doubt. That's why we contacted your brother. He will be here in one day. Just pray your would-be assassin doesn't arrive first."
And without as much as a goodbye, the Guardians turned and vanished in their usual manner. Wendigomon had been left stunned, trying to process what had just been dumped on him by the two strangers. For the first time, it was being revealed to him the true grandeur of what he was becoming involved in.
Despite all the recent disturbances that rippled throughout the Digital World, the Earth remained unaffected by it; it always had enough problems of its own. But none of those problems were particularly evident that sunny New York City afternoon at the coffee shop. A young couple sat at one of the round metal tables just outside being affectionate, grooming one another like chimpanzees. The third member of their party appeared a moment later from just inside after using the facilities.
"The coffee here yet?" the young man with short, dark hair, glasses and a goatee asked.
"Looks like tonsillitis to me," the blonde curly-haired man said as a quick excuse after breaking away from his girlfriend.
"Oh please. If I'd come out twenty seconds later you two would've been making out like college freshmen."
The young lady laughed. "Sorry, Joe. No coffee yet."
"Of course not," Joe remarked.
"I don't mind if you don't, Mimi-bear," said the blonde.
"I'm fine with this, Mikey-poo."
"Jeez," said Joe. "You done with that paper, Michael? Or is it 'Mikey-poo' now?"
"Here." Michael handed over his newspaper and went back to locking eyes with Mimi. Joe was just glad they weren't locking lips.
"I can't wait until you two are past the insanely cute phase," Joe said as he opened the paper.
"Did you here that?" Mimi asked indignantly. Suddenly, here tone changed. "He thinks we're cute."
"Aww…" Michael said and gave Mimi a quick peck on the cheek.
"Well don't look now, but your competition just arrived," Joe said as he looked over the top edge of the paper.
Mimi and Michael looked too. Another couple had just turned the corner, holding one another very close. Both were in their mid-twenties and wore dark sunglasses. The girl had straight, blonde hair pulled back in a chic ponytail and a gorgeous body, which she had practically bought. Rumors persisted that underneath those black high-heels, that black skirt, blue blouse and short leather jacket, she was more silicon than anything else. On her right and in her close embrace was a taller man with dark brown hair that was cut shorter than it had been at one time but maintained the same basic shape. He wore a pair of tan slacks and a red polo shirt.
"What do you suppose they're doing here this time of day?" asked Mimi.
"Beats me," Michael replied. "Maybe they're like us and just couldn't stand to be apart all day long."
"Aww," Mimi cooed and gave Michael a peck on the nose.
"If they stop I just may have an aneurysm," Joe remarked.
"Hi everybody!" the woman called out in a cheerful voice as she and her partner approached the table.
"Hi, Amber!" Mimi said as she stood up to greet her with a hug.
"What are you doing here, Jack?" asked Michael.
"Took the day off," the man, Jack, replied, "to spend with my fiancée."
"Isn't my wacky-Jacky a sweetheart?" asked Amber.
"Oh stop," Jack said modestly.
"Yes. Please do," said Joe.
"So is the big date all set?" Michael asked.
"Well, we've been thinking about it a lot…" said Jack.
"Oh let me tell them," said Amber.
"Alright, honey."
"We were up all night because we knew we just had to pick the perfect day. Finally I said that we should do it up in Maine on the first day of winter. Winter has always been my favorite time of year, don't you think?"
"Oh yes, winter is very lovely," said Mimi.
"I've always kind of liked the summer myself," said Jack. "Nothing beats a hot day at the beach. And just think how soon we could be married if we'd picked summer instead of winter."
"But we picked winter, Jacky."
"Of course."
"Anyway, that's when we're doing it. We'll book a big, beautiful church and everyone we know will be there. Oh I just can't wait to get my wedding dress!"
"Why don't you two sit down for a while?" suggested Michael.
Joe cursed silently.
"Well, we were going to the park—" Jack started.
"Oh come on. We won't be long," said Amber.
"Alright," said Jack as he pulled out one of the chairs for Amber.
The coffee arrived as Jack grabbed a chair from another table and sat down with the others.
"Finally," Joe said, drinking the first sip of his Java jumpstart.
"So what about you two?" Amber asked of Mimi and Michael. "Any new developments? Ever think about moving in together?"
"You know, it really hasn't come up," said Michael.
"But she's right, you know," Mimi said to Michael. "We haven't even talked about that."
"You want to?"
"I'm just saying it'd be nice to know we're moving forward."
"Well sure, we could talk about it."
"Great. When?"
"I don't know. Sometime soon."
"Okay, but don't forget."
"So Jack, have you heard about Ken and Yolei?" asked Joe.
"Yeah. Mimi told me. Isn't it great?"
"So are you going?"
"Probably not. I mean, it's been almost a decade since they last saw me. They probably won't even invite me."
"I bet they do."
"If they do I'll think about it."
"Oh we should," said Amber. "I've always wanted to go to Japan. And I could meet all of your old friends. Don't you think that we be the most fun ever? Sit up, dear."
Jack corrected his posture. "If they invite me I'll think about it. And if I do decide to go I'll take you with me. How's that sound?"
"Oh I'm so happy! I'm going to Japan!"
"Relax, honey. I don't think it's for another couple months yet."
"Oh well. I think I can wait if you can, my wacky-Jacky."
"I hope to see you guys there," said Joe.
"Oh Jacky, I almost forgot. Tomorrow is Friday and we don't have any plans yet. What do you want to do tomorrow night?"
"The same thing we do every night, Pinky…" Jack said with a little smile.
Amber just looked at him quizzically. "Huh?"
"Never mind, just a stupid joke. How about a play?"
"Oh it sounds lovely. Maybe we could go to one of those little French bistros afterwards."
"If you want, sweetie."
"Maybe we could do something romantic like that too," suggested Mimi.
Joe rolled his eyes.
"So shouldn't we be going down to the park?" asked Jack.
"Of course, sweetie-pie. It's been fun; see you all later!"
By that time, Angemon had gone in and out of the visitor's center. He had little luck in tracking down Angewomon but he did manage to procure a guestroom. As he stood in his temporary living space he found himself completely blown away. It was nicer than any other place he had lived. The same ambient white light that was present throughout all other sections of the tower dominated the three-room apartment, and the walls were made of the same marble. The floor, however, was covered in plush tan carpeting and the walls were decorated with very ornate carvings that seemed to tell a story that Angemon was unfamiliar with. The furniture consisted of all the normal accoutrements one would expect to find in a small living space and seemed to be of very high quality. Several exceptions were the large prayer mat in the center of the main room and the lack of a television, which wasn't at all surprising considering their rarity in the Digital World and their being forbidden in the Ivory Tower. There was also no kitchen, and thus Angemon assumed there would be some manner of cafeteria nearby. And that was exactly where Angemon decided to head next. He would grab a quick bite and then turn in early after his long journey. Besides, the hunt for Angewomon and his research would be there waiting for him the next day.
Day 16
It was summertime and that of course meant that summer camps were open for business again. There was one very special camp, though. It was by no means an exception to the rule. It was unremarkable in its surroundings, with forests on all sides and mountains in the distance. The only thing that made it remarkable was its history. Ever since that fateful day fourteen years earlier, this camp had represented a weak-point in the border between the real and digital worlds. However, since the sealing that took place just after the battle with NightmareOmnimon, the gate had remained inactive.
There was one other thing that made this place remarkable, and that was one of the campers. He found himself waking up just as the sun peaked over the horizon. For some reason he had been asleep outside, leaning against one of the camp cabins. He was cold and his skin was wet with dew. His bushy, red-orange hair hung over his yellowish brown eight-year-old eyes. He wore a white, v-neck T-shirt with baggy, brown shorts and tennis shoes. The boy could have been just like any one of the other campers but for one quality. He had no memory.
Before the moment his eyes opened to that rising sun he could remember nothing. Only a dream that seemed to have lasted all his life. He had no name, no home, no parents, nothing. Before that moment, he didn't exist.
"Where…?" he wondered out loud, surprised at his own voice. The only thing he could remember were the swirling images of a dream that was already fading away. "…Am I?"
The only response he received was the early morning chatter of birds in their trees. Everyone else must have been fast asleep. Suddenly, the boy was overcome with a wave of emotion. He became terrified of discovery, as though he was trespassing and had to get away. There was also another sensation, much duller but more all-encompassing than the first. He felt it deep within himself, as though it had always been there. It was a great need to find someone or something. He had to find it, whatever it was. The only problem was that he had no idea who or what it was or where to begin looking.
And thus he ran, partly to escape and partly to seek. No one saw him go.
Back in Odaiba, the sun had poked out over the horizon, not that anyone could see it thanks to the skyline. The wall clock ticked away at its steady pace, marking each passing second until Yolei could see her Ken again. She was in her family's store, mopping one of the rear aisles while her brother worked the register. Yolei hated working these early morning shifts, but at least her dear sweet Ken could stop in after working all night. She casually adjusted the glasses on her nose and swept the hair that had come loose from her ponytail out of her face. Clad in a bright orange apron and with her sleeves rolled up, she knew she must look like quite a sight.
There came a sound from the front: the tinkling of a bell. It announced the front door had just been opened. A wave of cold air washed in and settled over every item in the store, chilling Yolei to the bone. She shuddered and pulled the sleeves of her green blouse down over her hands. The door shut again a few seconds later as indicated by a second call from the bell. Another moment of total silence passed before the sound of fast, sharp footfalls arose from the front of the store. Yolei was very tempted to abandon her duties for a moment just to see who this customer was that had just come in.
At the front, Yolei's brother perked up when he saw the customer walk right up to him and stop with an air of forcefulness that would make anyone pay attention.
"May I help you, sir?"
The customer, an imposing, dominating man with a serious expression regarded the young fellow for a moment, adjusting the leather glove on his left hand. "I believe you may," he said in his low, menacing voice. "I am looking for a Ms. Inoue. It is my understanding that she works in this…place. Is this accurate?"
"You mean Yolei? Yeah, she works here."
"Good…" the man said with a crooked smile, "very good. May I speak with Ms. Inoue?"
"Well, she's working right now. Unless you've got some kind of urgent business—"
"Oh but it is urgent, most urgent indeed. Now please…tell me where she is."
"What's the emergency? Maybe I can help you out, maybe I can't," Yolei's brother stated as he began to cop an attitude.
"I fear we are failing to understand one another," the man said, not losing his cool for a second. "I have asked you to show me to her, and now I am telling you. You will direct me to the young lady I seek."
"Fine. She's in the far back aisle. Knock yourself out. Just don't steal anything."
Unmoved, the man turned on his heel and walked toward the back aisle with the same forceful determination he had shown earlier. Yolei, who had heard this exchange, quickly set about mopping again. The man appeared to her only a moment later.
"Ms. Inoue?" he asked.
Yolei looked the man up and down quickly. He was a strange one, wearing a crimson trench coat with brown, leather gloves, black dress shoes and a charcoal gray shirt with a brown and red striped necktie. He had silky, shoulder-length white hair that shrouded the right half of his face.
"Yes?" she asked.
The man regarded her for a few moments in silence. Yolei quickly started feeling uncomfortable.
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry," the man finally said, "I was surprised is all. I was expecting something very different. In any case, I believe we have some business to discuss."
"Really?"
"Oh yes. It seems that a very good friend of yours has been sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."
"What do you mean?"
"I think it would be wise if this gentleman put an end to his efforts, but unfortunately I am unable to deliver the message in person. Would you be so kind as to do it for me?"
Yolei's mind began to race. What could this man be talking about? He definitely seemed to be serious, and he was clearly not the friendly type. He had to be some kind of criminal, but who did she know that would be involved with him? Could it be Cody? He was working as an intern at a law firm, but he wasn't important enough to really cause concern for anyone that might be prosecuted by them; he was basically a gofer.
"Well, Ms. Inoue? Do we have a deal?"
What about Tai? He was involved in politics, and that wasn't the cleanest of businesses. There's no telling how deep in it he might be.
"What exactly is it that you want me to say?" she asked.
Was it one of her brothers? She didn't think so. None of them seemed to be the type to be involved in someone like this. Then her mind hit the mark.
"Just tell this individual to back off. He'll know what you mean."
It was Ken. It just had to be Ken. Yolei somehow knew that it had to be him. He never should have joined the police force. Now he was being threatened by this fiend, and now Yolei was involved as well.
The man turned without another word and began to walk away. "Wait!" Yolei said quietly. The man stopped. "It's Ken, isn't it?"
"Ken? Oh yes. Mr. Ichijouji has been a thorn in our side for too long now," the man said. "But he is not the one of whom I speak." Yolei breathed a sigh of relief. "The one for whom the message is intended is Mr. Izumi. Be sure that he gets it."
"Who are you?"
"Amadeus."
And with that, the man strutted out of the store. Yolei was badly shaken and knew she couldn't work another minute until she spoke with someone, so she threw down her broom, grabbed her coat, and ran out without even taking off her apron.
"Jenomon! Down!" Guilmon ordered.
Jenomon hit the dirt hard and an energy blade passed over his head a moment later. It had been hours since Yolei had met that strange man and it was now mid-morning. A week and two villages after their encounter with the female Jenomon, the two digimon found themselves in an expansive field. It was there that an apparently savage pair of Snimon ambushed them.
"Thanks!" Jenomon called back.
"Just watch yourself!" Guilmon barked.
Guilmon turned swiftly and lobbed a Pyro Sphere at the nearest Snimon, who flew out of its path. The other Snimon slashed at Jenomon but the little mammal was able to leap over it. The latter Snimon then tried to ram Jenomon into the ground by thrusting his entire bulk forward onto his prey, but again the little digimon evaded him. Guilmon was nowhere near as nimble, but his relatively powerful attacks allowed him to hold his assailant at bay, if only for the moment.
"They're too tough!" Jenomon yelled after back flipping away from another Twin Sickle attack.
Guilmon was sweating and breathing heavily as he moved to evade what attacks he could. "Get in close!" Guilmon ordered as he rolled out of the way of one of Snimon's vicious claws. "They can't touch you if you're right on top of them!"
"Right! Rage Claw!" Jenomon charged. He focussed all the energy he could into his balled fist and dove in at the nearer Snimon's chest. He passed right in between his sickles and went straight on through to the monster's abdomen, which he struck with his mightiest blow. Unfortunately, it did little damage. Jenomon's attack wasn't over, though, for true to its name it unleashed his inner beast and he bared his claws and began to tear at the Snimon's thickly armored carapace.
"Pyro Sphere!" Guilmon scored three direct hits to his opponent's head, stunning the enormous insect. He then turned on the other and began firing to distract him. "Jenomon! Get out of here now!"
"What?!" Jenomon never knew Guilmon to be one to turn from a fight. Something had to be very wrong.
"Go! We can't beat them!"
"No way!" He slugged Snimon in the gut with little effect.
"Don't argue!" They'll chase us if we both go! I'll stay here to make sure they don't come after you!"
"No way am I leaving you here alone!"
"Stop being stupid! I'll be fine! Worry about yourself right now!" He fired another round of Pyro Spheres. The Snimon quickly turned to counterattack, tossing Jenomon into the air in the process.
Jenomon yelped as he hit the ground and gripped his now hurt leg. "Guilmon!" he managed to cry out after a moment. "I'm not gonna leave you!"
"Get out of here!" Guilmon shouted just before a Twin Sickle collided with him and hurled him through the air.
By then, both Snimon were back in action and boiling over with anger. They started thrusting their claws furiously at Guilmon, who repeatedly managed to dodge them but he was starting to lose it. Jenomon began to run to his friend's aid, but then he and Guilmon locked eyes. In the midst of this it could only be for a moment, but it was a moment that Jenomon would not soon forget. In that instant, Guilmon urged Jenomon to escape while he could one last time, and he did it without a word. His eyes pleaded with Jenomon to go as far away as he could. Jenomon understood their meaning and, in spite of his own extreme reluctance, retreated.
Everything seemed to be going wrong. How could things have changed so much so quickly? As he ran he was awash with memories. It had only been half a month since they had met, but that had literally been Jenomon's entire life. Guilmon had been his rock, his hero, and the closest thing to an older brother Jenomon had ever had. Jenomon couldn't imagine life apart from him. He was always there to protect him, just as he was doing now.
It was only the night before that Guilmon had told Jenomon to return to File Island if anything ever happened. Jenomon didn't know it then—he thought it was just good old Guilmon trying to tell him what to do—but that too was a form of protection. Now he was running for his life while his dearest friend covered his escape.
Jenomon ducked behind a hill so that the Snimon could not spot him. The sounds of battle continued to ring out as Jenomon sat there, tears in his eyes, frenziedly pressing all the buttons on his digivice in some hope of making it activate. But the digivice did not work this time. There was no beeping and no glow.
He didn't know how long he sat, pressing those buttons. It could have been seconds or hours. All he knew was that by the time he stopped so had the battle. All was still. Even the wind had halted its steady march over the plains. He smelled the faint scent of fresh blood in the air, which brought on even more bitter tears. He allowed the damnable digivice that had failed him when he needed it most to drop. He hugged his legs to his chest and choked back the flood as long as he could. And then, he sat and wept.
But Guilmon was not dead. Though he had sustained vicious lacerations and the smell of blood surrounded him, he had managed to flee into some nearby tall grasses and burrowed into the ground. He had escaped beneath the Snimon's radar. He saw Jenomon from where he lay hidden from view. He nearly stood and called out to him, but at the last moment he changed his mind. Something that he figured out with the female Jenomon's help had been eating away at him for the past week. Guilmon knew what to do. He didn't know if it was the right thing or not, but he believed it was the best thing. "Jenomon," he whispered. "Do the smart thing this time. Go back to File Island. Be happy. Forget about me. Goodbye, my friend."
Guilmon skulked away amidst the tall grasses. His heart was saddened to leave his friend, and that sadness dripped from his closed eyes. They would never meet as friends again.
