Chapter 28: Chosen Traits


"Welcome, Chosen Children and Partners," a voice greeted cheerfully as Yolei tried absently to untangle her limps form other limps, thinking they had a really unhealthy method of travel. As if to prove her point Davis, somewhere to her left, grunted in pain.

The Chosen Children and their partners struggled and twisted for a while until they were all more of less able to crawl out of the pile more or less without bruises. There was a bit of suppressed laughter form her left and Yolei's eyes were drawn incredulously to to brown hair and an orange hat.

Tommy, on all fours and crawling out of the mountain was laughing, and apparently trying very hard not to.

Yolei glared at the back of his head without real heat. It wasn't the first time they were laughed at for their entrance, though it was the first time someone who was part of the mess did the laughing.

She supposed it was even a great thing Tommy was able to laugh at something this unimportant and or bothersome. Getting to her feet, a quick glance showed that Koichi didn't even pull a muscle in his impassive expression. He was looking at the last of them getting to their feet, but it was like he wasn't really seeing them.

Yolei wondered if it was her fault. She still hadn't apologized.

"Where are we?" Patamon hadn't moved form his spot on TK's head and eyed the stony surroundings now with interest.

"Ah," Gennai nodded, having expected that. "This is our base of operation, if you want to call it that. It is an old castle existing since the beginnings of the digiworld. Most of you have been here once already." He started walking down the corridor the children had landed in.

The children followed and Yolei took a better look at the obviously old but handmade -seemingly handmade; it was the Digiword- stone walls. It looked like a castle's insides, but her mind didn't provide her with any time she had been in a Digital Castle.

Gennai led them to a free space, that Yolei hesitated to call staircase, as it was, in essence, a simply free space, that was webbed with random pathways of stairs. Some stood at impossible angles, yet as she watched, a copy of Gennai walked one of those stairs up -or maybe it was down- at 90°.

Yolei stared, feeling vaguely stupid she had thought the Digiworld wouldn't be able to surprise her anymore. What was gravity, after all?

"Vamdemon's caste!" Gatomon exclaimed, and there was something in the felines voice that made Yolei rip her eyes away form the bizarre sigh of another Gennai walking above them -and she meant above, as in upside down, them- to look at the cat.

Gatomon's eyes were narrowed in near disgust as she looked around from her spot on Kari's shoulder.

"Vamdemon took it from us, but yes, this is the same place," Gennai said, apparently in touring mode and missing Gatomon and a few other's mood. "It used to be ours until he took over. Actually all of the first Generation's partners' digieggs and digivices used to be taken care of here."

"I remember," Tai said, gaining a few surprised looks. He smiled and explained, looking a bit smug."After we returned to the Digiworld to fight the Dark Masters, Kari was possessed by this spirit thingy, that told us."

"Oh, yeah, now that you mention it," Matt mumbled under his breath, looking around with different eyes now.

That was interesting and all, but Yolei was much more interest in something else. She found it rather strange the others weren't. Or maybe she was simply the only one who didn't know yet, having come late. "If you don't mind, what exactly are we doing here, Gennai?"

"You don't know yet?" Gennai looked a bit surprised, but not bothered to talk a bit more when she shook her head. "Well, to make things short, you will need this castle's special room."

"What kind of room." That coming form Kari meant that Yolei wasn't the only one not knowing. Strangely, and suspiciously though, Tai suddenly was very much not looking anyone in the eye and Matt's face had become fixed. Tommy looked questioning at Koichi.

"A special door, to be more precise."

"Can't you be less cryptic? We don't understand a word," Yolei said, complaining but more bothered by the two elder boy's strange reaction.

Gennai laughed."My apologies, but maybe it would be easier to let you see for yourself." He guided them down a stone passage, that obviously lead to the deeper parts of the castle. Yolei wondered what would be kept in the heart of a digital castle.

The passage ended in a giant room, though Yolei thought, considering they were in a castle, the term 'hall' would be more appropriate. Except it looked like a cave, if one ignored a giant winged, metal door that reached till under the ceiling and something looking eerily like a magic circle on the ground around a small stone altar and four stone columns.

Along with that and the countless cables leading from the altar and the magic circle -that had to be scientific; Yolei refused to believe in magic atop of everything else- to various screens, equipment and stuff the cave didn't look much like a cave or hall or whatever, rather than a hastily built technical camp.

Thick cables, ending what seemed to be a heartbeat monitor, connected the giant gate with a couple of screens, that were tended to by a Gennai. Another Gennai double-checked the connection between more cables, the Black Box on top of the altar and the gate, the multilayer hexagrams on the ground. Half a dozen other Gennais were doing similar work.

"Wow," Sora breathed,"What are you doing here? I almost didn't recognize the room."

Gennai smiled. "As it turns out your suspicion about the box was astonishingly accurate. We ran a few specialized tests. Nothing that we would think of normally, and the results were most impressive. That box is, as far as we have figured out so far, similar to a Gate. It doesn't show on the radar, though, be cause in essence it isn't one. We are still working on that, though and putting that aside, the important thing is that the box is still connected with the fortress and with a few special traits we are probably able to open a 'gate' that leads directly inside the fortress. There is-"

"Wait, wait, wait." Davis interrupted, waving his bandaged arm around as the other was busy holding the lunch packet Mrs Izumi had prepared. "What 'gate'? Aren't we already in the Digiworld? Going through another would land us back home. The fortress isn't there, is it?" He looked understandably nervous at the last question.

"The better explanation would be to say that..." Izzy considered, "it is kind of something like teleportation. You go through that gate and end up in a different place, but still in the same world." Unnecessarily he pointed at the metal doors. For once his laptop wasn't open in his hands.

"Like the teleportation the enemy has?" Cody asked, reasonably, as he frowned at all the preparations, getting a bad feeling.

"Maybe," said Gennai,"there is a good chance it works similarly. But like I said, we are still working on it."

"Then why are we here?" Yolei asked, not liking the way Tai, Matt and Izzy suddenly looked guilty. Not liking it at all.

To her surprise, though, it was Koichi who answered, expression still unmoved, yet twisted in a smile. "My little brother requested help as soon as we could give it. The gate will transport help into the fortress."

Yolei blinked. Little brother?

"What little brother," Davis asked bluntly, while Yolei still tried to find any kind of good, reasonable reason for the utter abrupt change in subject.

Tommy grinned, doubtlessly at the group's expenses. "You'd know him better as Koji."

Yolei blinked, rude language from a cute exterior coming to mind along with mind-numbing anger and a wave of fire and dust. "Him." She demanded, suddenly furious as she looked at the...not blank but still utterly expressionless -how did he pull that of when his lips were curved up in a light smile?- face of the dark haired teen. "Him? He's your little brother?"

"He's Light. I'm Darkness. Who'd be better to symbolize our relationship?"

Yolei didn't hear him. "Your little brother killed that Labramon?" She was so angry again. So angry within a few seconds. She didn't want to be angry again. It had felt so good not to have that heat bubbling beneath her skin for the past few days. But she couldn't help it. If she just spent a second thinking about what the poor digimon must have felt to watch his body be taken control off, to watch helplessly, how afraid it must have been. How desperate only to die in the end, live thrown away without any regard.

Koichi just sighed, seeming tired only of the fuss she made over nothing. It only infuriated Yolei more. "If you want to be angry with him, then I propose you just hit me if you feel like it. We are identical twins."

Yolei clenched her fist, her fingers hurt and she was very tempted. If only to wipe that passivity out of the other's face.

Hawkmon tugged at her trousers and she felt his eyes on her. There were probably a lot more eyes on her, but she didn't notice anything other than her partner at her legs and the boy standing across form her with such ...blankness.

Her anger evaporated. Leaving mostly pity behind.

Koichi's face was not blank, at least not in the usual sense. His brows were furrowed, hie eyes took in her stance and his lips were pressed together in a thin line, yet Yolei couldn't shake the feeling of utter indifference. Like he couldn't care less. Like to him it made no difference if she hit him in exchange for his brother, if she was angry or anything.

Yolei felt like she was looking at a shell of a human being that was empty. "It'd be a waste," she said venomously instead, sounding angry, accusing and distrustful all in one. "You aren't even here."

They were all looking at her now, startled, confused and some glanced at Koichi, because he obviously was right there.

The two Warrior Children however blinked at her statement, and Tommy looked vaguely impressed. Yolei didn't bother noting Koichi's expression; it'd be fake, created anyway.

"You are very good to notice, young lady," a soft, but authoritative voice said, resounding through the entire cave. "Though you are not entirely correct."

The group, as one looked around searching for the origin of the voice until their eyes all found one of the bigger screens. It wasn't far from them and they hardly needed to turn to see the person well.

The person wore a metal helmet engraved with a cross, and blond hair could be seen growing out from under it. Most telling though were the white wings on the person's back. An angel type digimon.

"Lady Ophanimon." The two partnerless boys greeted respectfully, dipping their heads.

The digimon turned her head only slightly, yet it gave the overwhelming impression of a sad smile. "Children," she greeted back. "It saddened me to hear of your state."

Tommy grinned somewhat sadly, but Yolei got a bad feeling from that smile. Especially in response to the angel's statement. "Thank you, my Lady. We are fine. And we always will be fine. It not like being not fine would be helpful in any way."

"...Indeed. But you needn't address me in such a way, Tomoki."

Tommy shrugged, unconcerned, at his change in speech and habit.

Lady Ophanimon sighed quietly, before turning to address the other children. "I'm Ohpanimon, the supreme ruler of the children's home world. You have my thanks for caring for them."

"No problem, Lady," Davis said, employing the title not as a means of paying respect. "But what did you mean just now? I see Koichi just fine."

Again the Lady sighed. "Before that, I think it would be quite best to start the gate's operation. According to our calculations, it is going to take a while, is it not?"

The comment was apparently directed at Gennai, who, strangely enough, bowed deeply before giving a few commands to his clones.

"Now," the Digimon began, and Yolei got the impression that the Lady wasn't actually looking at them as she spoke but rather at her own two charges, who stood remarkably straight. "I hear there appears to be disagreement between my children and you. It is regretful, but I cannot say it is not expected." She paused, almost waiting for some interruption, but none came. "A part of it, I believe, can be explained by the difference in the Chosen Systems of our two worlds. From what I have heard you were all chosen for your most prominent character traits. Your Virtues.

"In essence in our world it is not much different. However our children were not chosen based on a single trait, but on their overall character and how well they fit to the Spirits' elemental traits. Courage, friendship, kindness, yes they are all nice characteristics to have, but in our world it was not decisive. What mattered was that the character of the Child of Fire was free and unforgiving like a spreading inferno. The Child of Wind had to be unpredictable and resistant like wind and brewing storms. The Child of Ice needed to be solid and pure like a glacier. Darkness had to be elusive and strong; hard to find and yet there when it counted. Light had to be hard and sharp; decisive in its path and unrelenting of obstacles. The Child of Lightening needed to be unsuspected and beautiful; like the art painted across stormy clouds. That was what mattered most along with being self-reliant. It is not surprising that they do not mix well with you. Three of our Chosen you have already met and now more than ever they embody their elements characteristics. It is not in Takuya's nature to be controlled. In the same way it is not in Koichi's nature to be perceived. That you, young Lady, think he is not present is only natural even if his body is standing right in front of you, even if his mind is indeed present."

"Darkness is passive," Tommy added, "like... when you have a campfire the shadows pull back to where the light doesn't shine. Darkness moves out of the way, hides." He grinned, mischievously. "So when Yolei thinks Koichi isn't really present that says nothing other than that she has good instincts."

Other than the steps and mumbled from the numerous Gennais and the humming of machines there was hardly any sound.

Tommy didn't get a reply, neither did Lady Ophanimon, and the young boy sighed, resigned and a bit annoyed. The chosen children and their partners meanwhile were all trying in various ways to understand what the Celestial Digimon had told them, what it meant to them, to the group they had to protect and who it reflected in their guests behavior.

Yolei's mind in particular was trying and failing to do so. She could not even think past the words of the Celestial Digimon. Chosen for character traits. It was the same here. Only... only not. Takuya, Tommy, Koichi were picked because their characters were most similar to their Spirits, most fitting to their elements. It was nothing bad. But... but now that they had literally fused themselves... now what? Did the Spirits even have a solid character to begin with. They had to. They had to; Takuya had said so. Or had he? He had hinted at it at least. But what did that mean? Did it mean anything? Anything of importance?

Yolei wasn't sure. She couldn't look past the words. Not now. Not yet. "So what does that mean?"

Tommy and Koichi traded glances and at least from Tommy she was sure he was amused. Was Koichi, too? His expression said so, but to Yolei it didn't feel like he was.

"It doesn't mean much. Lady Ophanimon only explained how our Chosen System works." Koichi smiled slightly, "there is nothing behind it. Or at least nothing that you shouldn't have already noticed with all your analysing of us."

Yolei felt her face grow hot, but she refused to acknowledge it or be embarrassed by it. She threw a look, daring them to say anything on the contrary, even as she noticed that some of the others seemed to feel addressed as well. Izzy, of course, and Matt, Cody, Ken, but surprisingly also Kai and Tai of all people.

Tommy and Koichi didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. Yolei knew she would be.

Red light flashed, all children jumped and the clones started shouting, running about and yelling as screens flashed.

"What's going on?" Gennai yelled over the noise, even though his face said he had an idea and didn't like it.

Yolei's hand had automatically closed around her digivice, Hawkmon had moved in front of her defensively, also on habit. There was no danger in sight. Nothing at all. No digimon. The ground didn't shake nor did any other signs of an attack appear. Nothing but the flashing screens and a small box that started shaking.

Yolei looked at it, wide eyed, fear creeping into her heart.

Tommy and Koichi split up immediately, both to one end of the rather big group of people, and around both hand digital codes had appeared. Koichi's was maybe one evolution away from being complete and Tommy's was difficult to see with the whiteness of ice and snow covering the rim, but his wasn't far behind. Neither chose to evolve.

Depending on the danger it would take to much time, still. In the worst case. Always planned for the worst case.

Light exploded, expanding form the box and having swallowed the entire room within seconds. There were screams and yells of surprise, but when the lights retreated not one child or digimon was left behind.

Gennai's mind took jumps, calculating, theorizing, thinking even when the screens did not stop flashing and a new hasty message was sent to him from the gates' control and supervision department.


Kari almost fell on her face, and were it not for her flaying arms, she would surely have done so. But she caught herself, landing on all fours instead it still hurt and her left wrist twisted, but Kari, at the moment, didn't notice. Something landed on her back and she knew without looking that at lest her Partner was with her. Her second priority was her Digivice and she breathed an unconscious sigh of relief when she felt it in her hand even before she saw it. "What happened?" One second she was standing with her friends in an underground room, then the next light had exploded -from the box!- and she was struggling to land in a healthy position.

"The more important question is where we are," Gatomon said, her voice low and blue eyes sharp while Kari sat up and took a steadying breath to calm her heartbeat. "It doesn't look familiar."

They were in a corridor, perhaps about as wide as the corridors leading through her school, with torches hanging sporadically from the sleek walls. The walls, the ground, the ceiling, all were black, a deep midnight black. And even though the she felt nothing evil, all the dark colors around her were foreboding.

"I don't recognize it anything either... but...we are alone, Gatomon," Kari said after glancing at her Digivice and double checking over her D-terminal. "No one else is near..." Only when she spoke those words, the reality of them sunk in.

Kari knew she was still in a state of shock, of adrenaline induced thinking, and that the true gravity of their situation would still take a while to come to the forefront of her mind, but the thought of being alone was piercing. She was no stranger to it, she could deal with it, but... it always made her feel weak, afraid like a little girl.

She rose to her feet, a bit unbalanced from the sudden change of location, and Gatomon trailed comforting around her legs. Despite it all, she smiled, hopeful.

"Well, by staying here, we aren't going to find anyone."


Davis groaned, his rips hurting just a bit. He was lying on his back, had luckily landed on his back, his still annoyingly broken arm raised to the blue, cloudless sky, in an instinctive act to keep it way from anything hard. Well, judging from the rushing of waves in his ears and the rather soft ground, it had been a wasted effort. He was on some beach. He could deal with that. He'd just much rather do it with less pressure on his chest ...no, wait, that was Veemon.

Groaning he struggled into a sitting position, wishing he was ...wherever he was for vacation and not lost.


Tommy landed rather inelegantly on his feet, catching hold for balance on a nearby wall, which from its feel under his hands was only exposed to nature and no clear intent. There was also a breeze tugging on his clothes, that would be cold to anyone else but Tommy. All that told him even before he raised his eyes from the ground that he was probably on some mountain, or at least a cliff.

His eyes confirmed his thoughts; Tommy stood on a narrow space -not even a path; just a base- looking down on thick forest and further away from the very steep mountain a beach and wide ocean as far as he could see form his position. In all directions.

Quick deduction lead him to think he was most likely on a relatively small island, pretty close to the peak of the only mountain in sight.

He bit his lip.


He clenched his fist, and the air got heavy, thick, dreadful.

The figure kneeling before him was trembling, mumbling half backed excuses.

He lashed out and the body flew across the room with a suppressed scream and whimper.

Excuses meant nothing. Nothing at all when his carefully laid, prepared plans were laid waste by some accident.

Everything had occurred according to his scenario, so why was it that some supposedly failsafe calculations could not have been more wrong.

Now his pray would no longer come to him and he would have to dispatch troops for some rats and tools.

He stared at the other occupant of the room. The second figure bowed deep, understanding without words, for had he been forced to just open his mouth the second figure would have followed the first. Speaking of which...

The first, now kneeing -how fitting-, stayed, obviously aware that this failure was to be paid for.


Well, here you go. The chapter for April. Last minute, as it sadly happens often lately.

As you can probably tell, I'm finished with my Yolei-point-of-view-only thingy. I'm a bit open to suggestions now as to with whom I should start next chapter. If you have a preference, do tell me.