I don't own Digimon.

A/N: I must sound like a broken record by now, but once again I apologize for the delay. Thank you to everyone for all your nice comments that are encouraging me to get this story done!

Trinity

Chapter 45: Euphoria

Willis

Willis stumbled awkwardly out of the gate, and falling on his face, he groaned as another body landed on top of him. Somehow, he was able to lift his head, and resting his chin in his hands, he said in amusement, "You know, I really should be used to this by now."

"Sorry," Izzy replied, sounding genuinely apologetic. "Even if you're not, I certainly should be."

The computer expert was still sprawled on top of him, and twisting slightly so he could smile at the older teen, Willis laughed and said, "Can't argue with you there. Oh well, not like I mind. You can get up close and personal with me anytime."

Izzy raised an eyebrow, and climbing off him, the computer expert said mildly, "I wondered how long it would take before I got the same treatment."

"Aw, were you feeling left out? You should have said so!"

Izzy merely shook his head in amusement, and jumping to his feet, the computer expert said dryly, "I'll remember that for next time."

"Everybody good?" Davis asked, scrambling off a thoroughly annoyed Yolei. "Where are Veemon and the others?"

Willis slowly stood up, and glancing towards the forest in the distance, he said, "Good question. I thought they were meeting us at the gate?"

"They should be waiting down the road at a fishing spot near the edge of the river," Izzy explained. "I had our digimon scouting the area a bit before we arrived, so I figured it was a good place to meet. Why don't we head there now."

There was a chorus of agreement, and falling in step next to T.K., Willis glanced at the other boy and said easily, "Are you looking forward to seeing Eden again?"

T.K. hesitated, and without looking at him, the Japanese blond said, "I am. Why do you ask?"

Up ahead, Kari was walking next to Ken as they followed the dirt path towards the river, and studying T.K. closely, Willis was relieved to find that the blond's eyes were still clear. It wasn't enough to convince him everything was fine, though, and keeping his voice neutral, he said, "Family emergencies are nothing to laugh about. I just hope everything's okay."

"Same. Maybe it has something to do with her parents?"

Parents, huh? Now that I think about it, I don't believe we ever asked Eden anything in depth about her family. Who are her parents, and does she have any siblings?

For some reason, the lack of such basic information unnerved him, and doing his best to hide the growing uneasiness in his chest, he said slowly, "Could be. Hey...do you mind if I see your crest?"

T.K. blinked at him, but despite the obvious surprise on the Japanese teen's face, he didn't seem annoyed or angry. He mostly just looked confused, and pulling the chain over his head, T.K. held it out and said hesitantly, "Sure, but...why?"

Uncertain of how to respond, Willis didn't answer at first. Instead, he took the offered crest, and examining its dull surface, he let out a soft sigh. Though T.K. was acting a little more like his usual self, the crest still hadn't regained its normal shine, and that was a cause for concern. If he was honest with himself, he had suspected that might be the case, which meant T.K. still wasn't out of the woods yet. The state of the Japanese teen's crest likely meant that Patamon still wouldn't be able to digivolve, and that was a problem, particularly if they were going to face all three of the Erinyes at once. In a situation like that, they were going to need all the help they could get, but unfortunately Willis wasn't sure how to solve the problem as long as Eden and Megareamon were still around. One wrong move, and T.K. could end up falling to the darkness, which was exactly what they didn't want to happen.

I know what the prophecy says, but are Kari and I really going to be enough to save him? It called us failures, and by the sounds of it, he's supposed to be saving us. Or is it that we're all supposed to save each other?

"Willis?"

Willis quickly shook his head to clear it, and handing the crest back to its rightful owner, he murmured, "Sorry, I just..."

"It doesn't look right, does it."

Willis felt his mouth drop open in surprise, and unable to respond at first, he merely stared at the other boy in silence. He hadn't expected T.K. to recognize the seriousness of the situation, and yet, it was the Japanese blond who had brought up the subject, not him.

Does that mean T.K.'s starting to break though the strange hold Eden seems to have on him? I sure hope so...

He didn't want to get his hopes up, just in case he was wrong, and averting his eyes, he murmured, "Not really."

"It doesn't look like yours," T.K. sighed, shaking his head. "I...don't know how I didn't notice before. It wasn't until that night I told you about my dream that I realized it looked...different. Do you think...that's why Patamon's having trouble digivolving?"

Willis felt his heart speed up, and realizing the other boy was finally acting calm enough to have a logical conversation with him, he knew he needed to take advantage of the moment. It probably wasn't going to last forever, but if he could get inside T.K.'s heart, even if their conversation was brief, there was a chance that whatever happened between them now might make a huge difference later on when it counted the most. There was only one question. Would T.K. accept what he had to say?

There's only one way to find out.

Taking a deep breath, Willis looked up and said slowly, "I think so. The crests and the Digivices are supposed to act as tools to make the digivolving process easier. At least, that's what Gennai said. Taking that knowledge and the logic behind it into consideration, it makes sense. If one or both of those devices aren't working properly then the process relies more on you to pick up the slack. Normally, that wouldn't be a huge deal, but if your heart isn't...in the right place then that would make the process even more difficult."

"Because when your heart isn't in it, there's nothing to fall back on," T.K. finished, keeping his blue gaze averted.

"Yeah..."

"Have I...really gotten that bad?"

T.K. still couldn't meet his eyes, and placing his hand on the other boy's shoulder, Willis said gently, "That's something you have to work out for yourself."

If you don't, I can't help you.

T.K. finally looked at him, and nodding slowly, the Japanese blond said, "Is that what you want?"

"More than anything."

T.K. actually smiled, and waving his hand at the group up ahead, the golden-haired teen said, "We should hurry before the others leave us behind."

"They would, wouldn't they? The nerve of that Davis!"

Laughing, they both quickly picked up the pace, and catching up with the group, they fell into step with Izzy. Smiling at them, the computer expert said, "Tentomon and the others should be just around the bend."

Sure enough, the moment they circled around the bushes at the edge of the stream, Willis spotted their digimon lounging around Eden and Mikemon, both of whom were seated by the water. The lavender-haired female was gazing off into the distance, and studying her slim profile, Willis felt his stomach drop. At the moment, there was nothing threatening about her, but even so he couldn't stop the uneasy feeling that was building inside his chest.

She looks so normal, but it feels like a lie...

"Willis!" Terriermon called out, racing over to meet him. "Finally! I feel like we've been waiting forever!"

"Are you okay? Did you have a good sleep?" Lopmon babbled, climbing quickly onto his shoulder. "We were worried about you after you left last night!"

Willis allowed Terriermon to climb onto his other shoulder, and giving them both a pat on the head, he said easily, "Oh, I'm fine. I slept great last night. Honestly, no harm done. It's not like I was gonna let a bunch of dumb orbs stop me."

"I knew you wouldn't!" Terriermon boasted, beaming at him. "You know Lopmon, though. He's always worrying."

"You were just as worried as I was!" Lopmon protested.

There was a chorus of laughter, and rolling her eyes at the two rookies, Gatomon made her way over to Kari and said dryly over her shoulder, "Give it up you two."

"Have they been at it all morning?" Kari asked, crouching in front of her partner.

Gatomon nodded, and climbing into the dark-haired girl's arms, the feline digimon said, "Yeah, they're driving me crazy. Enough about them, though. What about you?"

Kari hugged Gatomon close to her chest, and burying her face in the feline digimon's fur, the dark-haired female said, "I'm fine. Yolei stayed with me last night, just like she promised, and I slept well. I'm not scared, not even a bit. I know what the truth is, and I'm not going to let anything convince me otherwise."

"I'm glad to hear it. We're going to need your strength, now more than ever."

"And I need yours."

Gatomon's whiskers twitched, and looking confident, the feline digimon said, "That's something you don't have to worry about."

"T.K.!" Patamon cried, fluttering into his partner's arms. "I'm so happy to see you! I was really worried after yesterday."

T.K. was gazing at something over the little rookie's head, and stroking Patamon's long ears, the blond said, "I know you were. You don't have to worry, though. There weren't any lasting effects."

"That's a relief. You seem...more like yourself today."

T.K.'s blue gaze shifted to his partner, and raising his eyebrows, the blond said quietly, "That's not the first time I've heard that."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what T.K. was looking at, and focusing on Eden, Willis proceeded to study the American female with interest. So far the purple mist hadn't resurfaced in T.K.'s blue gaze, but that didn't mean the blond was out of the woods yet. Clearly, T.K. still had an unhealthy interest in Eden, and judging by the way she was staring intently at the blond teen, the American female returned the sentiment. Something about her unreadable expression unnerved him, and moving closer to the Japanese blond, Willis turned his attention to the other digimon.

Veemon was standing by his partner's side, and glancing up at the goggle-headed leader, the rookie said, "Sleep well, Davis?"

Davis made a face, and grumbling to himself, the goggle-headed leader muttered, "I've slept better."

"Still not letting it go?" Ken asked, raising his eyebrows.

Wormmon quickly jumped into his partner's arms, and glancing up at the former Emperor, the little rookie said, "Should I ask?"

"Probably best not to."

Willis smiled to himself, and glancing over at where Yolei, Cody, and Izzy were standing with their partners, he said innocently, "Really, he should be more grateful I was willing to share."

"It was my bed!" Davis shouted, tugging on his goggles in outrage.

Naturally, the dark-haired boy was ignored, and hovering next to Izzy's shoulder, Tentomon said, "I did everything you asked me to."

"I can see that," Izzy agreed, his tone mild. "Thank you, Tentomon. I appreciate it."

The computer expert's attention was focused on Eden, and heading over to the other girl with Hawkmon, Yolei said, "We're glad you're here. We were really worried about you yesterday when you didn't show up."

"You all seem like you're in good spirits today," Eden said calmly, standing up. "Izzy filled me in on what happened yesterday."

"Izzy also filled Tentomon in on what all of you were talking about yesterday, and he, in turn, informed the rest of us," Hawkmon said, giving his partner a meaningful look.

Clearly, the bird rookie was referring to himself and the rest of their digimon partners, not Eden, but despite that the American female didn't look as if she suspected anything was out of the ordinary. Her attention was currently focused on T.K., who was gazing back at the lavender-haired Digidestined with obvious interest, and coming closer, Cody said, "If you don't mind me asking, what happened yesterday?"

"We asked earlier, but she wanted to wait until you all got here," Armadillomon informed them, his hard shell gleaming in the sunshine.

"It only makes sense," Mikemon said simply, her sharp eyes daring anyone to argue. "Why tell the same story twice?"

Willis frowned, but before he could speak up, Izzy stepped forward and said, "Why don't we all take a seat for a minute? There are a few things we need to go over before we try to enter the Garden of Eden, and I want us to be prepared for whatever we'll find once we get there."

"Does that mean you're finally going to tell us your plan?" Davis asked, flopping down on the riverbank.

Izzy motioned for everyone to gather around, and once they were seated, the computer expert said, "Yes, but before that there are a few questions I want answered."

"Of course you do," T.K. muttered, glaring suspiciously at the computer expert.

Willis had immediately taken the seat on T.K.'s right, and following his example, Kari took the seat on the Japanese blond's left to prevent Eden from occupying the spot. Thus, the American female had no choice but to sit between Izzy and Ken. Cody took up the space between Izzy and Kari, and Davis was seated on Ken's other side, leaving Yolei to sit between himself and the goggle-headed leader.

There was a moment of silence, and then Eden said dismissively, "I suppose you want to know where I was yesterday."

"You mentioned something about a family emergency," Kari said quietly, her dark eyes studying the American female closely. "Were your parents involved?"

"Isn't that a little personal to ask?" T.K. interrupted, defending the lavender-haired female. "I'm pretty sure if any one of us had a family emergency we wouldn't want to be bombarded with questions about it."

"Maybe not, but this is important," Kari argued, refusing to back down. "We had a close call yesterday, and there's no denying we could have used the extra help. I don't want a repeat of that today."

T.K. looked like he wanted to argue, and nudging the blond sharply in the rib cage, Willis gave the other boy a warning look before turning his attention to Eden. The American female was staring at Kari in a way that suggested she wasn't fond of the dark-haired girl, and shrugging her shoulders, the lavender-haired Digidestined said, "It's fine. It wasn't my parents. Actually, it was a friend. Technically, she wouldn't be considered family, at least not by blood. That doesn't matter to me, though. To me, she is family. We've known each other since we were little. She's like a sister to me."

"Is she...okay?" Yolei asked, nervously stroking Hawkmon's feathers.

"She's doing better, but it will take awhile before she's back to her old self again."

"Is it a health issue?" Ken asked, the careful tone of his voice indicating that he didn't want to bring up anything too painful to talk about.

"A car accident," Eden replied, her lavender gaze once again returning to the river. "She broke several bones and got a concussion, but it looks like she'll pull through."

"Well, that's good at least," T.K. said eagerly, gazing hopefully at the American female. "What a terrible thing to happen, though."

"Naturally, I couldn't leave her side until I knew for sure she was going to be okay. That's why I wasn't able to make it yesterday. I was going to send Izzy a message, but with so many distractions, time got away from me."

The story seemed plausible enough, but for some reason Willis wasn't buying it. Something about the whole thing just seemed fake to him, and though he couldn't explain it, his instincts were telling him that she was lying.

But how can I prove it?

Remembering his earlier thoughts on how little they knew about Eden, he settled both Terriermon and Lopmon in his lap before saying smoothly, "Speaking of families, we haven't heard much about yours."

"That's because there's not much to say," Eden said shortly, the musical tone of her voice sounding much colder than what he was used to. "My parents are both in business so they travel a lot, and I'm an only child. Not only that, my mom's side of the family are all in California, and my dad's family are all back in Japan. I'm used to not having family around."

Once again, her story made sense, but something about the whole thing still didn't sit right with him.

If it's true she's lying then what's really going on? Why go to the trouble of making up such an elaborate story just to fool us. I mean...what's the point?

"That aside, there are a few other questions I'd like to ask you before I explain our plan for the day. If you don't mind, of course," Izzy interjected, turning to face the American female.

Eden raised her eyebrows, and leaning back on her hands, the lavender-haired Digidestined said dryly, "Since I'm already under a microscope, you might as well ask away."

"I told you it wasn't fair to do this," T.K. snapped, glaring at Izzy. "Everyone's entitled to some privacy."

"Don't worry about it," Eden interrupted, waving off the blond's concern. "I've got nothing to hide."

If she wasn't lying before, she definitely is now.

Willis hadn't failed to notice the way Eden seemed much more chilly and distant on this trip than the previous times they had met up with her in the Digital World, and the sudden change in her personality was putting him on edge. He would even go so far as to say she was being unfriendly, her behaviour towards T.K. the only exception to the rule.

Is it because she knows we don't trust her? Are we being too obvious?

"Actually, the questions I want to ask you are all related to the Digital World," Izzy explained, pulling out his laptop. "You may not have any of the answers I'm looking for, but if there's even one small piece of information we've overlooked so far, it could still make the difference between success and failure. Our mission will be a lot easier if there are no surprises once we enter the Garden of Eden."

Willis leaned forward in his seat, and watching Eden closely, he said, "I assume Izzy gave you the rundown already? The Garden of Eden...Kind of hits pretty close to home for you, huh?"

The American female was gazing at him in return, and though nothing about her expression changed, he could sense her hostility towards him. It was heavy, bordering on hatred, and it was nothing like the obvious attraction she seemed to have for T.K. Her interest in the Japanese blond was an unhealthy obsession, but her interest in him was even darker.

In fact, the look in her lavender eyes suggested she wanted him dead.

It's nothing like the way she used to look at me. Before, she seemed disinterested. Now, I feel like she wants nothing more than to see me disappear. I think at this point it's safe to say she knows we don't trust her...

"That's true to a certain extent," Eden replied, her hand reaching out to rest upon Mikemon's head. "I was named after the biblical Garden of Eden, and the one that exists here in the Digital World is a reflection of the ancient Hebrew writings that tell the story of Adam and Eve. Coincidences are a funny thing, are they not?"

Willis raised his eyebrows, and holding his partners close, he said nonchalantly, "Is that all it is? A coincidence?"

"Careful," Terriermon warned under his breath.

"What else could it possibly be?" Eden countered, clearly expecting an answer.

Unfortunately, Willis didn't have a comeback, and nudging his elbow, T.K. said angrily, "Knock it off, would you?"

Willis should his head, and putting on the pressure, he turned back to Eden and said, "Megareamon called you the Child of Paradise. Why would she do that? Is that what your crest means? Paradise?"

She wouldn't tell us before what her crest meant. There has to be a reason for that.

"Actually, Eden's crest is the Crest of Euphoria, which basically means extreme happiness," Mikemon said bluntly, catching them all by surprise. "A state of bliss, so to speak. It's not exactly the same thing, but I guess I can see why Megareamon may equate it to 'paradise.'"

"Why didn't you just say so a long time ago?" Armadillomon asked, nestling himself against Cody's thigh.

"Does it matter?" Eden asked, pulling out her crest so they could see its lavender surface. "I didn't think it was that important."

"Uh...it kinda is," Davis snorted, giving the American female an incredulous look. "Besides, you know what all our crests mean. It's only fair."

Willis almost laughed, and stretching out his legs, he drawled, "That still doesn't explain why Megareamon also called you the Scourge of Envy."

Immediately everybody grew quiet, and though she must have sensed the tension that was slowly building in the air, Eden's blank expression never changed. The same couldn't be said for her eyes, though. The American female's lavender gaze was intense, and tucking her crest away, she said quietly, "I think it's pretty obvious why she must have called me that. Look at you. Isn't that how you feel now? Isn't that how Kari feels?"

Willis could sense a strong surge of anger building inside his chest, and though he knew it wouldn't be wise to respond, it took all of his willpower not to say something that he would most likely regret later on. There was no denying she had the power to get under his skin, and because of that he knew he needed to stay on his guard.

She's trying to get me going on purpose, but why? Is all of this really because she wants T.K. all to herself?

"You say that as if it's happened before," Kari said softly, seemingly unruffled by the sudden accusation. "Maybe...someone hurt you in the past?"

Eden was gazing up at the sky, and lost in her own world, the American female said almost to herself, "It's like a curse. Through no fault of my own, I seem to invoke the jealously of others. It's always been that way, since the very beginning."

"Enough," T.K. interrupted, his blue eyes flashing with anger as he turned his head to glare at Izzy. "You've had a chance to ask your questions and she answered them. We should get going."

"In a minute," Izzy replied, holding up a hand in a placating manner. "Technically speaking, Willis asked all the questions. I haven't had a chance to ask any of mine."

"But-"

"It's sweet of you to worry, but really, it doesn't bother me," Eden said smoothly, smiling serenely at the Japanese blond. "Like I said before, I've got nothing to hide. I sense some...distrust, and if answering a few questions can clear away any lingering doubts about me then I'm happy to oblige."

"I think it's a bit ridiculous myself," Mikemon sighed, sounding displeased. "Eden is a Digidestined and should be treated as such. To act like she's a suspect in some criminal case is unnecessary and unacceptable."

"That's not what we're doing!" Patamon protested, leaping off T.K.'s head at the accusation. "We're just trying to make sense of some things that don't make sense right now!"

"Indeed, we sincerely apologize if we've offended you in any way," Hawkmon added, bowing politely at the waist.

Instead of responding, Mikemon turned her nose up at the other two digimon, and laughing softly, Eden said, "Don't mind her. She is my digimon partner, after all. Naturally, she always feels the need to defend me."

"It's fine," Izzy replied, typing something out on his laptop. "The main thing I wanted to ask you is actually about Megareamon. When she spoke of you, there was a sense of familiarity there. How could that possibly be if the two of you have never met before?"

Eden was silent for a moment, and gazing at the Digivice in her hands, she said quietly, "Remember when I told you about how I found that statue beneath Infinity Mountain? When I came upon it, I wasn't alone. Megareamon was there, kneeling at the base, and she looked almost like she was in a trance. I tried to leave with Mikemon unnoticed, but before I could slip away, she spotted me. She didn't try to attack me or anything like that, but she did say some things that...got me thinking."

"What things?" Lopmon asked, sounding intrigued.

"She kept talking about how I live in the darkness of paradise and that eventually it will destroy me. When I challenged her on it, she said there was no escape. I'll always be envied, no matter how old I get. For my looks, my voice, my life, my family's money...Everything. She said I have it all on the outside, but inside there's nothing, and that's why I'll never be able to escape the darkness. The paradise I live in is a fake. An illusion. The Child of Paradise. That's why she gave me that name. She's mocking me for the imaginary utopia that surrounds me in the human world. My only way out is to come to the Digital World, and she knows it."

Willis wanted to say something, but for some reason he couldn't seem to make his mouth work. It all sounded so logical, and while he should have felt sympathetic to her plight, he couldn't bring himself to care. That was so unlike him, but once again, something still wasn't adding up for him. He still felt like she wasn't telling them the truth, and he had learned long ago to trust his instincts even if the situation deemed otherwise.

She's definitely lying. For someone who has supposedly been alienated all her life, she doesn't seem that upset about it. If anything, she seems...proud of the fact that she can make other people feel jealous of her so easily...

"Why didn't you tell us all of this before?" Ken asked, his tone neutral. "You know about our pasts. It's not as if we wouldn't have understood."

"I wanted to, but I was unsure of myself," Eden responded, though she didn't sound all that sorry about it. "Nobody wants to admit to their weaknesses, and my friend who was in that car accident is the only person who has never acted jealous of me. Because of that, she's the only person I know I can trust, but I couldn't exactly tell her about the Digital World to get a second opinion. Besides, at the time, I didn't know who or what exactly Megareamon was. That knowledge didn't come until later when I started to do some research myself. The more I looked into it, the more I started to come to the same conclusions as Izzy, but at that point I still wasn't ready to tell you about my encounter with the leader of the Erinyes. I still didn't know enough about Megareamon to make it worthwhile, at least not until the other night. I was going to tell you yesterday, but then my friend got into that car accident, and well...you know the rest."

"So you were doing research on the Erinyes at the same time Izzy was, and that research led you to Megareamon," Cody finished, frowning slightly. "It would have been nice if we had known more about her before she attacked us yesterday."

"I realize that now after Izzy told me the story, and for that I'm sorry. I should have told you all sooner, but I didn't want you to treat me like everyone else does. Like what she called me."

"The Scourge of Envy," Kari said softly, shaking her head at the name.

Eden glanced at the dark-haired female, and raising her eyebrows, she said dryly, "Although I think it's too late for that now."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, and once again Willis was getting the impression that Eden was enjoying the fact that she could make others jealous so easily. It reminded him of Megareamon, which would explain why the female mega might have taken special interest in Eden when they were beneath Infinity Mountain. In many ways, the two were very similar, so it would make sense for Megareamon to feel a sense of familiarity with the American female.

If Eden's not lying and all of that actually happened.

The thought caught him by surprise, and glancing at Kari, he could tell she, too, was having doubts about Eden's story. Everything sounded good and the American female said all the right things, but it still somehow seemed so wrong.

But how can I convince T.K. of that?

As much as he didn't want to admit it, it looked as if T.K. had eaten up everything Eden was saying like it was candy.

Still no mist, though...

"Does this mean you'll finally answer my question now?" Kari asked, reaching out to take T.K.'s hand.

"What question would that be?" Eden asked innocently, her tone indicating that she was getting bored of the subject.

"About why your signal doesn't appear on our Digivices, and by the looks of it, ours don't appear on yours either."

Huh?

Willis blinked in surprise, and realizing that Kari had been studying Eden's D-3 during the entire conversation, he smiled to himself. At least one of them had possessed the foresight to look while the American female had the device out in the open.

I wonder how she's going to talk her way out of this one.

Eden's expression turned serious, and leaning forward earnestly in her seat, she looked Kari directly in the eyes and said, "I wish I had an answer for you, but truthfully I don't. If I did, I would give it to you. I don't understand it myself either, and I'll admit it does concern me. Unfortunately, if any of us want the truth we're going to have to asked somebody like Gennai, Azulongmon, or Seermon. They would know the answer better than I would, and it doesn't do us any good to guess."

"That's true, but..."

"I did meet Azulongmon and Seermon," Eden interrupted before Kari could finish. "I don't have any proof, and you don't have to believe me, but that's the truth. If I could give you proof, I would, but I can't. You'll just have to trust me."

You're right, Eden, but I can't do that. Not anymore. If you really wanted us to believe we can trust you, you wouldn't be staring at me with that murderous look in your eyes. Even now, you're still trying to distance us from one another. You want to divide us all and keep us apart...

"Are you satisfied now?" T.K. asked quietly, pulling his hand free from Kari's grip. "Anymore questions?"

"Just one," Ken said softly, refusing to look at T.K. "It's about the prophecy."

"You mean how it doesn't add up," Eden said simply, turning her attention to the former Emperor. "I figured you would want to ask about that."

"How do you fit into all of this when it appears you're absent from the prophecy?"

"Huh?" T.K. asked, looking confused. "What's this about?"

Eden ignored the blond for a moment, and keeping her eyes on Ken, she said firmly, "That's what I'd like to find out. It's one of the reasons why I decided to come on this journey with you."

Willis quickly put a hand on T.K.'s shoulder to stop another protest, and shaking his head, he said bluntly, "So you don't know why anymore than we do. How convenient."

"That was out of line," T.K. snapped, jerking away from him. "Is anyone going to explain what's going on here? What's this about the prophecy?"

Izzy let out a deep sigh, and closing his laptop, the computer expert said, "Later, T.K. I think that's enough for now. We need to get going."

"What's the plan then?" Veemon asked, exchanging a look with his partner.

"First we'll make our way to the supposed location of the Garden of Eden. When we get there, we'll scout the area around it before we attempt to make our way inside. I'd like to avoid an ambush if we can. Once we're in, we need to get a good indication of our surroundings, especially if we end up in a battle. If we do have to face all three of the Erinyes at once, it would be wise to take out Megareamon first if possible. She's their leader and the strongest of the three. The sooner she's out of the picture, the better. Make sense?"

"Sounds good to me," Davis replied, pumping his fist into the air. "Let's move out!"

Willis slowly got to his feet, and as T.K. quickly ran off to join Eden at the front of the group, he turned to Kari and said calmly, "What do you think?"

"She's lying," Kari said quietly, accepting his offer of a helping hand. "All of it. There wasn't a single spark of truth in anything she said."

"I agree," Gatomon snorted, her whiskers twitching in anger. "Now the question is, what are we going to do about it?"

"Keep an eye on her for one thing," Terriermon said, hopping onto Kari's shoulder.

Lopmon nodded in agreement, and giving the remaining rookie on his shoulder a fond pat, Willis said firmly, "Whatever she's planning, I have a feeling it's going to happen in the Garden of Eden. Stay on your toes, guys."

It's not just me. Kari sees it, too. Eden's not who she says she is, and I'm going to find out what she's hiding once and for all.