Chapter 27: A little bit of peace
"We've got a problem," Izzy began, all grave business and seriousness in his voice the day after the Meramon attack. "For some reason our location is completely known to the enemy. And while that is not overly impossible to find out, what should be impossible to find out is the pinpoint location and entering of the real world in general, never mind to said exact said locations.
"The appearances of Drift Digimon because of the thin barriers are a different phenomenon altogether; they appear fewer and wider spread, worldwide. Not focused on Odaiba and our group. Moreover, we also know that no digimon passed to the real world even when Mimi opened a number of gates to sent the lost digimon in the city back to the digital world. Point is, no one is supposed to be able to enter the Real World.
"But they did. And we don't know how," Izzy said, frustration apparent at his lack of knowledge as he looked at them gathered in Tai and Kari's room. "There were no traces of active gates in the area. None that had been opened within the last week, anyway. Worse yet –though so far it could be just a coincidence- the attacks were always happening around what we know to be their targets." Inclining his head in the direction of the two boys he finished, leaning back in the sole chair in the room that he had claimed.
Yolei wasn't particularity bothered by sitting on the floor, though. She enjoyed the chance to lean again Ken's shoulder, using tiredness as a half backed excuse. Not that she needed one, but habit was a strange thing. Poromon hummed silently as she stroked his soft feathers.
"Have we heard something form Takuya?" Someone asked in a heavy silence that she had completely missed, and Yolei figured she was even more tired than she had assumed. Two hours of sleep after physically and mentally stressing days along with school in the morning –and the stuff that goes along with it; fans; media, teachers, too noisy friends- and a meeting in the afternoon was not healthy.
She took a deep breath, boxing her mind back into focus. This was important.
"No. Nothing so far. We have to assume the worst case," Izzy replied bluntly. He also looked very tired.
"But the Meramon yesterday were not controlled," Kari argued, bringing up a point that had been bothering them all since it occurred.
"That doesn't have to mean a thing," Koichi said, utterly not showing if he was affected by discussing his friend's safety. The distance was something Yolei was starting to expect by now. From the three of them. Even though Takuya was no longer there. "If they offer help voluntarily there'd be no need to control them."
"Why not?" Mimi seemed surprised by the idea, but by far not as shocked as when she had been told of the free-willed Meramon.
"Because control, no matter how perfect, turns digimon into puppets," Tommy explained. Tommy and Koichi had been staying with Izzy for the last night, so they were probably fully aware of what they need to discuss today and why. Or perhaps they were simply that fast in their thoughts, which wouldn't surprise Yolei either since they had basically two other minds in their heads working on the same thought. "It makes them unable to think and react to situations properly. No variation or improvising. Control is more of a bother than help then."
"Exactly."
Dear God, Yolei was tired. She felt like she was going to fall asleep in the next minute.
But no, she couldn't.
This was important.
It was her duty.
Listen, even if she couldn't properly work up her emotions. Which were her duty.
She felt empty; too exhausted.
"Have we found out what kind of 'we' the DeathMeramon was talking about?" Tai wasn't looking tired at all, and Yolei envied him for it. Though she supposed Tai envied her in return for her ability to move about.
He had to be patient for another few days.
"No. There are just too many possibilities. He could have been talking about just him and his siblings or perhaps a group of friends or a village or anything. Really," Izzy sighed, run ragged from the lack of progress more than from the hours of work he had been putting into it.
The chosen children fell into a contemplative silence, each absorbing the amount information, what it implied, and thinking.
"So, what about the box Koji smuggled out?" Tai was lying in his bed, pretty much forbidden from moving, which hadn't stopped him from at least rolling on his chest to face all those present.
Izzy sighed, running a hand over his face. "I don't have much on that front either yet. Gennai is making an analysis of the material and possible functions. I'm trying to hack into the system –yes Davis, the system-, but so far I have only learned that there is some kind of alarm that goes off in certain circumstances. What those circumstances are, I don't know for sure yet."
"Don't you have an educated guess?" Ken asked, and Yolei enjoyed the vibration of his body against her cheek. Despite that fact, she reminded herself, that that was not what she should focus on.
"I don't think it is security measure. Like a firewall," Izzy elaborated carefully, showing clearly that he really was not sure. Something that used to be rare, but happened more and more often lately. "From the inscriptions and patterns it seems more like a scanner or a sensor."
"So something that gathers information?" Davis translated, simplifying the words away from complex computer language –that he only understood a little even after years of listening others speak it.
"Yes."
"What would they like to gather information on?" Sora wondered aloud, glancing around.
"Locations." Gatomon answered immediately, her past of as one of Vamdemon's officers coming in helpful for once. To plan an attack or to attack there should at least some basic information be known and Gatomon knew all priorities. "Of their targets. Of the enemies; us in this case. Of key bases; maybe infrastructures or our homes or –if we are talking about the Digiworld- the bigger and important cities."
"Geographic," Gabumon added.
"Izzy, is the thing still working?" Matt asked, hurriedly, speaking over his little brother. At the red head's nod he elaborated: "Then it might be transmitting everything back to the ship. We can't rule that out."
"Assuming the thing is working and gathering information now it might be …a spying device." Sora said, looking at the two warrior children. "Your friend might have been tricked. We can't rule that out."
Koichi and Tommy traded a glance, laden with meanings. "I suppose it is possible," Koichi admitted slowly, considering, "though I rather think Koji is too smart for that."
"But it is possible," Davis checked.
"Of course."
"Well, isn't that just great!" Yolei threw her arms up, exasperated. "We have been had. Just great! And the whole thing was for nothing. The Labramon was killed for nothing! Wonderful."
"Actually, no, Yolei." Izzy interrupted her, and Yolei, all her energy already spend, let her rant be interrupted with no quarrel at all. She was just so tired, it was a wonder she had spoken at all. "The two aren't mutually exclusive. If the Black Box is spying on us –so to speak-, and if Koji usually is too smart to be tricked that way, it is possible, no, even probable that he picked this object for a reason.
"Just think. He had an entire fortress to choose from. Why would he choose this thing if he didn't know what it was," Izzy said, his face thoughtful as if he was just thinking his idea through even as he explained it to them. "The more likely possibility is that he chose this object despite the spying function. That would imply it is worth more than the trouble we have with it now. Or at least that it is too important to the other side to leave it there…" He sighed. "All only theories. And as long as Koichi can't contact Koji we can't confirm anything."
"But this all does seem like a possibility," Tai reminded the genius. "So, where were we? Assuming our Black Box is a spying device, I'd say it is looking for weaknesses. Ours. Theirs."
"Numbers," Cody added.
"Strengths," said Joe.
"Goals."
"Plans."
The two inter-dimensional guest traded glances as the resident Chosen Children shot ideas back and forth between them. This time it was Tommy who spoke up. "Excuse me, but isn't it kind of obvious?"
"What?" They asked, all 24 pairs of eyes turning to face them in an astounding feat of synchronization.
Tommy grinned, amused. "We are the targets. So obviously they'd want information on us. Preferably knowledge of when we get within reach of any kind of gate or when we are separated from you. That would be the priority. Everything else you mentioned is important too, but not as much. Right?" Four years ago he would never have been able to speak with such confidence to a group of semi-friends and semi-strangers. Now he didn't bother o blink from discomfort.
"Well, yes, but that wouldn't do them any good." Kari mused, giving the idea some thought. "The gates are closed, so even if you are within distance of one the information would be useless."
The two boys shifted; weight from left to right, from back to front. "Not if they don't need gates," Tommy said.
Koichi continued, explaining. "In the traditional sense. What we mean to say is that we were attacked twice without any evidence of gates already, right? So we are wondering why we should think that gates are needed in the first place."
"How else would they enter the real world? This precisely?" Matt raised an eyebrow in skepticism.
"I don't know," Tommy admitted promptly. "But it would be best to think outside of usual boundaries. In our world we didn't have gates either. We used trailmons who were waiting at a normal station only a few floors below normal trains. We couldn't even tell we changed worlds until we were directly told so."
"Yes, but that was your world," Matt said. "Our worlds follow different rules."
"No, no, wait." Izzy had his thinking face again. "Tommy is right. Think about it. Before Takuya and his group appeared we didn't know it was possible –and maybe it wasn't- for Humans to turn into Digimon. Who is to say that we don't have to think outside the box on this as well?" A hand on his chin, Izzy sunk into thoughts; calculating.
The others watched, their thoughts running the idea through their heads as well. In the silence Koichi heaved a deep breath, leaning his back against the wall as Tommy looked from one Digidestined to the next, trying to remember who was who and which partner belonged to whom.
"He is right," Ken finally spoke, voice heavy. "Especially since the fortress comes from another world as well."
"And many digimon," Mimi contributed, remembering the countless different beings, some of which she had never seen before.
"Maybe some even have the ability to change world at will," said Gatomon, thinking of her friend Wizarmon, who haunted the news station in Odaiba. Wizarmon was dead, though. As dead as one can be, yet he still remained. Who knew what else was possible?
"Like Daemon in the Black Ocean," Kari added, shuddering at the memory of the dark water, grey sand and lightless sky.
"Right." Tai held his hand in front of his face, ticking the points down. "So, assuming the Black Box has an inbuilt scanner , the thing's purpose would be to search for the best timing to attack among other things, since right now it doesn't do anything even though Tommy and Koichi are in its presence."
Matt continued. "That means, since the number of digimon attacking us in the last 24 hours is limited even when the timing would have been good, that there are only so many digimon that can be sent over at once."
"There is also a possible time limit or frame during which it can be done. Like a battery that needs to recharge," Ken added.
"But that also means the box sends, whatever information it is gathering back to the fortress." Davis finished, eyeing the square object lying on the desk with suspicion. "Shouldn't we, I don't know, remove the thing so it doesn't tattle on us?"
Everyone looked at the item in question and Kari quickly got up, forcing Gatomon from her lap, and wrapped the box in her bed sheets.
After she had put it as far away from her and Tai's room as possible within the small apartment, she turned on the stereo, pressing a few buttons to play the CD she got from TK for her birthday. Music filled her room; not too loud that it would make conversation impossible, but also not too quiet as it would allow eavesdroppers to make sense out of their talks. The Black Box counted as an eavesdropper.
Her parents wouldn't be able to hear anything either, which was a very big plus.
As the children were waiting for Kari, Koichi and Tommy traded another glance; this one distinctively impressed by the united quick thinking of so many different individuals of varying ages, genders, backgrounds and characters.
Maybe it wouldn't be as troublesome -because nothing was impossible; just a matter how it was needed to go- as they first worried.
The rest of the meeting went over fast. The children went over their theory again and then started debating its truth. The end result was satisfying on the mental battlefield as they concluded that the theory fit the facts and that the facts were not forced to fit the evidence, which translated to their idea being most likely very close to the truth. And, as they had this figured out, it meant that they could now use the box as a countermeasure. The spy would become a double edged sword, being fed only information the Digidestined wanted it to find.
The tides seemed to be turning.
The meeting's result were sent off to Gennai to double check and collect his opinion, though Izzy wrote it in a familiarized code, as they had decided that they couldn't risk any chances; information was what won wars, Gatomon had said.
Izzy also sent the Box. As long as they had no definite plan it was too dangerous near them for multiple reasons.
By the time they were finished, the sky was a brilliant orange and the outside temperature dropped quickly to the colder degrees.
Yolei used that argument as the main reason for her group –consisting of TK, Cody and Tommy, who was going to stay with Cody for the time being- to excuse them and leave as she didn't think she'd be able to reach her home on her own two feet if she waited any longer.
She didn't even notice that Tommy was not carrying a jacket. The other two did –mainly, Cody, though, because TK, while not as tired as Yolei, was fighting every moment with his heavy eyelids- and were at fist guiltily shocked that they didn't think about the fact that he was coming from another dimension and had nothing because of it. Not even clothes.
The ones Tommy was wearing that were the clothes that head been prepared for Takuya during his two week knock out and as such were too big for him, but Tommy really didn't mind as clothes were clothes and said as much.
The matter of clothing was enough material for conversation to last till they reached the building complex ten minutes later at which point the argument ended with Tommy agreeing to be taken care of by the parents, who on their side were doing what they could. In this case supporting their children, included gathering clothes their respective children had grown out of and collecting them and disputing them to the homes where the guest children were going to stay.
Thanks to Mimi's quick note to her still guilt tipped father and mother Cody and Tommy were welcomed by Cody's mother, who was quite proud to tell them that all what Tommy would need had already been dropped off; including, but not limited to, clothes, old text books –because Tommy had already been enrolled into Cody's school and class yesterday-, and numbers he was to call when he needed help.
Tommy was very overwhelmed, having been momentarily shocked out of his practical thinking by the care shown for him, and quite touched and consequently very glad Takuya had had made the call to switch priorities.
Not repaying the kindness would not have sat right with him; though he would have done it without hesitation. In the situation he found himself in now he thought it was not a good thing.
But he dismissed the regret, having no use for it. Tommy was, now more than ever, a warrior. Looking back, being distracted, not giving his all, was what could get him killed.
Besides, regret didn't change a thing.
It was still with that set of mind that he was later sitting in a living room at a low square desk, cookies within reach, his feet under a thick blanket he didn't really need, because it wasn't like he could get cold –at least not outside of Evolution-, doing homework of all things for a class he was only visiting for convenience sake after two hours of organizing the stuff he had been given into the guest room and a dinner with Cody's grandfather and mother, the latter of which was persistently poking subtle questions at her son, which the boy all deflected or left open with practiced ease. Tommy would have found it funny were it not so sad.
From that, he was almost glad to be back in the presence of his so-called protectors. Even if it was to do homework; something he thought was incredibly ironic. Though he didn't mention how stupid it was that, even dimensions away from home and technically not even a student anymore, –because to be a student one had to be human and his almost complete ring of data showed quite the opposite- he was still stuck doing homework, which he had always hated with a passion, as the elder chosen children were very sensitive to the subject for some reason Tommy didn't understand.
The red headed girl –Yolei, one of the few names he already could remember, if only because she was very opposed to them- with the Poromon partner was there, too, and she looked a great deal more alive than this afternoon –even if he couldn't remember all names yet, faces and details Tommy had memorized much easier; to survive one had to be observant- showing her better health with a worse mood by grumbling at nonsense questions irrelevant reports she had to write.
Tommy agreed with her and told her so, in an honest attempt to get along better with her, since teamwork was very important; in battle and with homework.
It seemed to work. Or she was still too tired to pass any judgment and to fall to anger.
The group of four, plus three digimon who spent the time sleeping and eating, sat on the tatami floored ground for another couple hours during which time Tommy and Cody finished their work by copying from each other, while TK and Yolei were still struggling.
Tommy was pleased to discover that Cody was a no nonsense person and did not waste the time by doing nothing or with idle conversation. Instead the other boy had taken an empty piece of paper and created a mind map, linking facts and ideas and people with different colored lines. It didn't mean much, but by changing the perspective things changed sometimes.
It was, for example, the reason Koichi and Tommy had brought up gateless travel; the two of them never had used gates so it had been strange to include such limits in their thinking in the first place.
A change of perspective was something that Yolei appreciated, too. She was still dead tired, but after a two hour nap when she had gotten home the world was much sharper again. Still wobbly and her head worked way too slowly, but sharper compared to before.
Too tired to work up much energy, but alive enough to think again. An ability which she used on the wrong –or possibly right- target. Her assignments for tomorrow were only halfway done even after hours of work, but she had analyzed the brunet sitting across from her some.
Now that her mind wasn't clouded by anger or duty -not to forget and to remind- she noticed some interesting points.
For one, he seemed not all that different from Cody. In everyday live at least. Which meant that Tommy was probably rational and practical.
Cody was in addition to that also idealistic.
Yolei didn't think that Tommy shared that trait as well.
From what she knew, soldiers hardly ever stayed idealistic.
It had occurred to Yolei over the curse of the day that that was what the others, Takuya's group of chosen children, were.
If she thought about it, it was one logical conclusion she reached. Children thrown into a war torn world with no help to survive either die or survive. And if they survived by defeating evil, or war or whatever, by themselves, then they turn into soldiers; one way or another.
It was a possibility.
It was a morbid thought that would explain quite a lot to her, but it was also something she did wish not to be true. Never mind anger, she would be unable to feel anything but sadness.
And that was not good. Not allowed.
Yolei didn't have enough information.
"You mentioned trailmon earlier. As a way to your Digital World." Yolei began after, picking her words carefully. She needed him to talk a lot. "How does that work?"
Tommy looked up from his D-terminal –Tommy and Koichi had been given one as soon as possible- where he was composing a unified message to be sent out to all Chosen Children worldwide; he'd have her or TK look it over, but he was taking some work off their shoulders. He showed no sign of surprise at the abrupt question.
There were many things Yolei could deduce from that.
"It is easy." Tommy said. " Our Shibuya station has an elevator that leads fifty floors or so deeper than normal. Just a normal station for trailmons."
"Huh," Yolei commented, not really able to picture it. "That must have been impressive at first sight."
Tommy grinned.
Or was it a smirk?
She had to think about that later. The difference could mean a lot.
"I used to get bullied," Tommy said with the air of someone who remembered fond memories. "And it was them who dragged me to the station. I was too terrified to look around."
There was also a lot she could learn from that. Yolei added another point to her mental list of things she had to analyze later. When she wasn't running on disgusting caffeine and curiosity induced focus.
She hoped she'd be able to remember it all till later.
"The second time I saw the station it was in shambles and completely destroyed. And the third time I kind of got used to it already." He shrugged, still smiling.
"How did it get destroyed," TK asked, interested, as he leaned on his arms and put his pen down to listen. He felt much more comfortable around somebody who was not aligned with his deepest fear and hate, making his own curiosity finally show. "If it is a bad memory, then never mind."
"Well… Lucemon…- our version of your Vamdemons- was strong. Really strong. And his goal was -after conquering the Digital World- the invasion of the Real World. We almost didn't make it." He picked a cookie, apparently completely unbothered by remembering near death experiences. Something that did hint more in the war-children direction, but, as with the other facts Yolei collected, she stuffed them in her head for later. "Lucemon had been sealed deep in the core of our world digiworld and to break out from his prison he needed lots of data. He had minions to do that for him; data from the ground, sometimes from digimon. By the time Lady Ophanimon managed to call us for help, the Digiworld looked like Swiss cheese." Yolei couldn't picture that either and she knew that was something she should be grateful for as she swallowed in the respectful silence, which Tommy totally ignored by biting into yet another cookie. Half of them were gone by now.
"But Lucemon and his minions – two of the Royal Knights- were strong and we failed in protecting the digiworld. Kind of. And Lucemon attacked the real world after that. To do that he had to go through the station, but he –or rather it at that point- wasn't sane anymore and attacked everything in sight. Including the Trailmon Station's ceilings." He took another cookie, still seemingly untouched by his bad memories, though Yolei thought his eyes carried more weight than what he wanted them to see.
"Two years later when Lady Ophanimon needed our help again the station was completely repaired."
"What did she need your help for?" Cody had changed to a new piece of paper and drawn up another web of threads. Only one color so far, but Yolei wondered if Tommy was aware that he was psychologically taken apart with every new sentence he spoke by all of his three listeners. The digimon were still sleeping, the lucky bastards.
"Rebels." Tommy leaned back on his hands facing the ceiling. "Not all were happy under the rule of the Celestial Angels, for some idiotic reasons. They were few in numbers but those we had to deal with were very violent; the radicals, those that wouldn't settle by talking." Funnily enough, Yolei could imagine that well enough. It sounded surprisingly similar to human situations. Her digiworld didn't have political problems, though. There probably weren't enough digimon for something like that.
She thanked her lucky stars.
"Some had taken hostages; some were convinced they could make others agree with their opinion by terrorizing them," Tommy continued, only talking now and not speaking to them. Lost in memories. "Or blackmailing them. They weren't organized either. And because of Lucemon a lot of digimon were still in baby forms, so we were the only people who could help, though Lady Ophanimon had been hestiant." He paused, taking another cookie and Yolei saw how he returned to the present; his eyes cleared, his face smoothed over before being quickly replaced by a small frown. "Compared to the threat Lucemon had posed it was easy, of course." Of course. Yolei had experience with random violent unreasonable digimon and they were so much easier to deal with than with Vamdemon. Even the most troublesome ones.
"There was this one incident," Tommy said, a smile in his voice even if not on his face, "one of the worst situations in hindsight. A group of fifteen or so digimon had taken an entire city hostage. The problem was that the city was built for siege for some digital reason and there wasn't much we could do without harming the digimon living there. And they wouldn't talk." A shadow flickered across his face so fast Yolei almost thought she had only imagined it, especially when a small smile disappeared behind another cookie.
"Then Zoe had had enough one day. She just went up to the front gates, was let inside, and that was the end of it for the rest of us. Few hours later she opened the doors for us. She had a black eye and the hostage takers had either disappeared or were scrubbing the floors till they sparkled. It was really funny." He sighed, eyes drifting to the window short moment before he visibly collected himself again; his features evened out, his shoulders sagged, his breath came deeper and his eyes became expressionless.
"What is she like?" Yolei asked, not liking the way he obviously controlled his emotions. Or suppressed them. Without any effort and frequently. Make him talk. "She is the only female of your team, isn't she?"
Yolei had been wondering for a while what kind of person the only girl in that group was like. A Kari-kind was what Yolei imagined; the virtue to the brawn in simple terms. Though she was aware it was nothing more than a stab in the dark and that it would be a bit unlikely to have a Kari-kind shaped from adventures that produced military children.
Seemingly pondering her question for a bit Tommy licked some crumbs from his fingers as he focused back on his D-terminal. "Well…. She is dangerous." A pause. "Dangerous and beautiful."
Yolei frowned, utterly dissatisfied. "Dangerous and beautiful?"
Tommy grinned, all teeth. "She is blond. Don't know how else to describe her."
"Hmm. Well, I look forward to it." That wasn't much to go from, but she guessed it couldn't be helped. There were people that were impossible to describe. Davis for example.
She shuddered to think of more people like him within the same city. Tai was growing out of it, thank the gods, and Takuya, at second look wasn't all that similar to them after all, which would explain why she still had her sanity intact.
But no. A girl like Davis was impossible.
And not only on basis of her wishes, Yolei discovered after half a minute of horrified denial.
Someone like Davis in a group that had Takuya as a leader was impossible. Really impossible and not denial impossible. The team would have been ripped in two within the first week. Or imploded. Or something.
Not like Davis then.
Who else was indescribable?
Ken. But she was aware it was a completely biased opinion.
Not Sora.
And not Mimi either.
But if she only thought about a character that could develop alongside of Tommy and Takuya and Koichi, someone like Mimi was possible.
The Digidestined of Purity was the kind of person who could probably come out from something like that.
She was simply pure. She was the way she was and not easily corrupted. Be it that somebody like her was not easily destroyed because of what said somebody had to go through or in spite of.
Yolei sighed. She still had a mountain of work to finish and no time for this.
"You think this is fine? I haven't really mentioned any details about us, though."
Startled out of her thoughts Yolei saw Tommy handing TK his D-terminal.
"Yeah, just add a bit more about the Drift Digimon. Davis and Ken should get to them in the next few days."
Tommy nodded easily and Yolei's eyes drifted to the clock hanging on the wall behind him. One hour and a half to midnight. This was not good.
"I'm going home." She announced loudly, startling Poromon from her lap –when had he done that?- as she got up, collecting her things. "I'm tired. I can't do anything right now," she explained to the surprised and frowning looks she got.
"You still aren't done with your homework."
Right now Yolei couldn't care less. "I'll get up earlier tomorrow and finish it."
TK nodded, but Cody continued frowning, his eyes following her as she and set Poromon on her head –her arms were full and there was no way she was walking twice. She almost rolled her eyes; the boy was all traditional and no teenage rebelliousness.
"See you tomorrow."
She closed the door behind her with unhealthy speed, called a goodbye to Cody's mother and grandfather through the apartment and left.
And while she wanted nothing more than to fall into her bed and not wake till kingdom come, she couldn't. Not yet.
Putting Popromon in his nest on her bedside table, she ran down her mental list, repeating and repeating and remembering what she found out till she had a pen and paper at hand to write it all down.
Ten minutes later she had the basic beginnings of a list of habits, traits and experiences that she would expand on, think over and hypothesize with until … she no longer needed or wanted too. That day was still a long way off, she thought as she fell into her bed, her last thought being that she didn't want to be at odds with anyone.
The next day began for Yolei similarly to the last; she was almost late for school –this time because she had underestimated the amount of time she needed to get to her work done-, she was still so tired she almost fell asleep on her desk a few times and finally did so during lunch break again, missing the usual meeting on the roof top outside of school, though she probably wasn't the only one to prefer a nap instead of talking, and in doing so ignored successfully all fans and worried chosen children who weren't satisfied with yesterday's info message.
The first change to the previous day was when instead of being busy with a meeting in the afternoon she had time to study –it was first priority by default sadly, when she wasn't exactly fighting for her life-, to sleep, think her list over and have a one hour conversation over the phone with Ken, before it was dinner time and family time and her evening shift in the family convenience store.
She also swapped frequent messages over her D-terminal with all her friends; finding out from Kari that Tai was getting better according to Joe – a Doctor's visit was planned for tomorrow- and would hopefully be able to walk again out of his own accord by the time weekend came around, while Koromon was making a pest out of himself by worrying over Tai, being hungry and loud and bored even though he was supposed to rest as well, making Gatomon think seriously about playing cat and mouse with him.
Davis wrote that his arm was still taking a while –another two weeks in a cast- and that he was more bothered by his rips, because he was forbidden from playing soccer because of them and sitting on the bench and watching was just like torture and he couldn't afford a break in training, because Ken wasn't taking one. Yolei, smiling and amused, reminded him that he had a concussion and wasn't supposed to do sport anyway.
Cody wrote her that Tommy showed an interest in kendo and was having fun by taking a few practice lessons with Cody's grandfather.
From TK she heard that Matt was staying over with him at their mother's, because she insisted, saying that their father was too busy with the news to care for either of her sons appropriately at the moment. He had also heard from his father that the station was bubbling with rumors that the director was apparently considering a special 'digital Corner' or something that might or might not –Mr. Ishida was trying his hardest to make it 'might not'- take five minutes after the evening news where everything concerning digimon was to be discussed; from rumors to facts to new Chosen to clips of their everyday lives to everything, simply because the interest was so high.
Yolei almost choked on her drink in horror at the idea to have her life be taken apart like some specimen from her biology class; she remembered with a shudder how Mimi had appeared one in an American magazine that had nothing to do with digimon.
Yolei did not want to be treated like a celebrity any more than she already was and especially not when she was taken completely out of context.
Being famous was every little girls childhood dream and not anything she wanted to live through.
She was even more horrified when she got a message from Izzy on the same subject asking for prompts about what the hell –that he was cursing was saying a lot- they should tell about the Takuya-kidnap-incident which was caught on tape and focus of the public eye ever since it happened two days ago, because, as expected the Anti-digimon organizations were harping on the so-called failure of their duty. And apparently he hadn't given a report to the government yet either.
In their favor was, though, that no one had reported their child missing and that the troublemakers had no families to interview on their negative view of digimon and to spread the anger.
As Yolei thought about it, she supposed it should have been expected since their guests' families were a few dimensions away. Then she thought about it a bit more as she named the price for the few snacks and paper tissues form a customer and realized that didn't have to be true. Tommy and Koichi had Shibuya in their dimension. Shibuya existed here, too. Then wasn't it possible for a Takuya to exist here? Then there wouldn't have been any missing person reports either, because even if the family would have seen it on the news, the only thing that would have worried them would have been the scary resemblance between their child and a random kidnap victim.
Nothing more.
Thinking like that, there might even exist other Yoleis out there.
Despite how disconnecting the thought was she sent her idea off to Tommy and Koichi's D-terminals. She didn't get an answer till the next day.
Meanwhile she heard from Mimi that her parents were entirely focused on supporting her and the 'poor children' -Mimi's parents' words- and that they were extraordinarily proud of Mimi for doing such a good deed. How the child of purity had managed that –turning her parents from obsessively overprotective to supportive- was beyond Yolei, but her admiration for the elder girl shot up another notch, especially when she read the PS which boldly declared that Mimi'd have her parents drinking tea and rooting by the next time she would disappear into the digiworld.
Yolei had wondered what made her 'work on' her parents so much, but the most Yolei got out of Mimi was that they had badmouthed Palmon. She had a feeling there was more than that, though. Mimi also had apparently paid Izzy a visit in her free time –that she only had because she was still enlisted in an American school and had no work to catch up upon- and found out that Koichi had a brother and divorced parents. Yolei promptly added that piece of information to her list.
Noriko of the new generation, with whom Yolei was friends, offered help repeatedly and said that she, along with others of the third generation in her area, had set up a training plan. She didn't want to be useless and the sentiment was shared by quite a few apparently.
Yolei appreciated the thought much and encouraged not to overdo it because who knew when she'd need to fight for real.
In the evening Yolei went to sleep, still feeling tired, but in a much better mood. The negativity hanging in her head the last few day, or weeks or month had lifted some.
The third day after Takuya had been kidnapped was the best in a long time in Yolei's book; having caught up on sleep she was no longer drowsy every hour of the day, nor did she have the back pressing panic of children she had to save right now, because for some reason Koichi and Tommy, when she saw them during school time lunch break, said both quite clearly and calmly that there was no reason to panic or hurry, that they should plan carefully and act with caution.
Yolei being Yolei of course had been the first of many to protest that thought fiercely with half formed accusations, but Koichi explained that Koji had promised to take care of their friends and, as he was in a far better position to do so, the most important thing they should do was to be ready to provide support.
And that meant being able to fight, to think, to act quickly, not all of which they were even able to do now, Tommy had pointed out frankly and Yolei noted with practice how the youngest boy of the group summarized their current lack of fire power -most notably Davis and Tai's mobility, but also Upamon-, enumerated possible consequences that weren't far off as things often turned to hell quickly –Tommy gave an example of seven years ago; he must have been learning a lot about the past- and stated how stupid it would be to point their focus to the digital world when they should actually be on the defensive to fight off Drift Digimon and the pinpoint attacks –as they were still possible just not likely, since their theory about the Black Box being at fault was proving true so far- and that it would, strategically speaking, be much better to improve their strength -Yolei mentioned Noriko and her friends' training- until they were needed again. So as long as no villages were under attack, they didn't need to thin out their forces and engage in combat that took innocent lives, where he also pointed out that the digimon under control were quite save as long as they weren't made to fight.
At the end of Tommy's speech Yolei thought her term of 'military brat' fit the youngest extraordinarily well. He focused completely on the practical aspects, ignoring all moral or physiological points as long as no one forced them and stated his thoughts quite bluntly in a way that made them hard to deny.
Yolei only noticed the latter when she was walking home from school hours later at which point she figured he had to be some kind of genius to get his way as easily as he did from more than a handful of people that were years older than him, not stupid, experienced with making people agree with them and without said people noticing. Moreover so since he did it without employing subtlety.
He just overwhelmed them with information until it was hard to follow at which point he suggested to his solution, making it incredibly difficult to disagree. It was straightforwardness to reach a goal only.
Strictly speaking he hadn't even been arguing.
Yolei was amazed with Tommy's method and made a note to try it out –probably on her parents- as well; it was a way that might mix well with her temper and purity –also called bluntness by many people.
Later that day she stood multi-tasking behind the counter; studying, doing work and sending messages back and forth. A very peaceful kind of stress that she could live with.
Mimi sent that she had conned her parents into driving her through town to meet with Noriko's afternoon training session with which she was planning to help out.
Izzy canceled the request for public-explanation prompts.
Ken wrote he and Davis had spent the entire afternoon touring the world to send the Drift Digimon back.
Kari informed her, even her note sounding half exasperated, that her brother was feeling well enough to have a three way fight over the phone with Matt and Izzy. Though the Chosen of Light did add that it seemed important.
Yolei curious as she was asked TK if he knew what said fight had been about only to receive a negative, but Yolei, in a good mood, dismissed her worry as paranoia and changed subject to the Chosen Children trainings that were happening all over the world now –just because of an open message from Noriko; the girl must be proud- and if some were happening close for them to help out.
Being a Chosen was all about teamwork.
She felt incredibly supported in that thought when she received a message form Koichi, too. That was until she read the contents.
In this world Koichi's parents had divorced before having children, Tommy simply didn't exist without any reason why, Takuya had been stillborn, Zoe's parent never married, JP's family had been killed, him included, at the age of six.
Yolei felt sick.
All dead.
Poromon poked her elbow from the counter, but she didn't notice.
Guilt hit her like a punch to the stomach. She shouldn't have said anything. What kind of sick idea had she had, making them even think of their families when they were so far away?
The people living here were not the same in another world even if they had lived.
She had been cruel beyond words.
Rubbing in their faces what they didn't have.
Giving them not only empty, but wrong hope.
She felt sick.
The next day, weekend finally, a meeting was called again and Yolei, still with a stomach full of guilt, saw a god given chance to apologize –it wasn't something she could just send a message about-, but she was in equal measures apprehensive. What if they were angry? What if they didn't want to talk to her? What if she had ruined all chances of their two groups ever working together?
If their situations were switched Yolei knew that she'd be… well, she didn't know, but she did know that the current situation was real. And that Tommy and Koichi weren't her.
To some part it was irrational fear, Yolei was aware of that, but she couldn't sort out what was plain nerves and what wasn't.
She reassured herself that it'd be fine if she alone was disliked by them. It was fine, because Yolei's duty was to remind everyone of reason. And that was done best with anger.
Never mind the fact that she no longer personally despised them; she could, well not understand, but see how they got to be how they were. Possibly.
She had analyzed and rationalized and thought too much about their strangeness without any anger involved –granted she had been too tired for that. It was what she had feared would happen, but Yolei resolved not to let her duty be hindered by it.
Her duty, but that didn't make what she was about to face –possibly face; always positive thinking- any less difficult.
She pressed the bell.
Already knowing she'd be last to come, because of her early shift at the store, she rather hoped Izzy's parents were out.
She'd rather not have them listen to any ugly accusations or to the little fact that two of the guests were dead. Technically.
That would not be nice.
Mimi's mother opened the door.
The bubbly woman greeted her with a hug, pulled her inside, chatting a mile a minute –mostly about Mimi- and Yolei, a bit stunned by the woman's presence, simply followed her to the kitchen, where Mrs. Izumi was preparing an early lunch with the help of several of her friends. Kari was cutting bread, TK put two halves together, Koichi of all people decorated the sandwiches in several boxes.
Yolei figured she wasn't really late to the meeting yet.
Yolei back tracked, heading for Izzy's room, where the others were all lazing and chatting about with the digimon playing catch with each other or simply being their exited baby selves.
A scene a few months ago had been eerily similar. Before their lives burst into chaos and worry and defeat. Before war.
Pushing the memory aside, she called out a greeting as she dropped Poromon, who was already wriggling in her hands and fluttering his stubbly wings to the mass of colorful fur balls.
Joining Sora on the ground she stuck up a conversation with the older girl about nothing particular after she noted with some relieve that Tommy was busy as well –playing a game of chess with Tai and losing judging by the number of white pieces in Tai's hand- which meant there was no chance yet to apologize.
Yolei hadn't thought she was one to run from conflict, but there were always exceptions. Now was one.
Yolei didn't want to fight.
Not at all, not of any kind.
Not with her digivice in hand and neither with only her wit as weapon.
She was sick of it.
Of all the grief and suffering and heartache and guilt and worry and pain and weight.
Had been sick of it all those months ago when she had been told that peace was breaking apart, was even sicker of it now, where she had to fight with her mind and spirit and morals for … for what exactly?
It was so easy to lose sight of it all. Of reasons for fighting, of reason while fighting and justice after fighting.
But doing exactly that was her duty as a child of Love and Purity.
She had to have a balance between the two, couldn't let herself be consumed by one or the other.
Mimi was the anchor to home; reminding them what was waiting, what they were like.
Sora was pulled apart by her worry for everyone, for everything, but she also managed to put herself back together. With her love.
Yolei had to do both and neither.
It was a difficult balance to keep, but by screaming for justice and peace and no fighting she managed. Somehow.
And she'd keep doing it. Her duty. By being who she was.
It was so complex and yet so simple, she marveled as Ken handed her jacket and their hands brushed.
They were going to the digiworld.
My writing is a bit different in this chapter (and I don't mean the retelling of half a week), and I'd appreciate to know what you think (if it isn't even noticeable then all the better).
This is the chapter for March and the longest I have written for A02xF yet. For no particular reason. I was in writing mood and the words just flowed form my hands.
Also, there is still a poll on my profile. Please leave a vote.
