Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: Another chapter is here! All the good stuff is coming out now, and I hope you're all looking forward to the finale as much as I am!
Chapter 46: The Garden of Eden
Willis
Willis remained silent as he walked between Kari and Izzy near the back of the group, and keeping his eyes on T.K. and Eden, who were talking with their heads bent close together at the front, he let out a deep sigh. He knew he needed to exercise a little bit of patience, but after the incident with Eden's Digivice and how it had affected T.K. in a negative way when the blond touched it a few days ago, he couldn't help desperately wanting to expose the American female's clever lies.
Only...how am I supposed to do that without upsetting T.K.?
The last thing he wanted to do was get on the Japanese blond's bad side. With the current state of affairs, that wasn't a risk he was willing to take. If their mission to stop the Erinyes took a sudden turn for the worst, he was going to need T.K.'s light.
And that's not going to happen unless I can get him to trust me. I know he says he does, but I need him to show me. Actions speak louder than words, and he needs me every bit as much as I need him...
"Thinking about Eden?" Izzy asked, nudging him gently in the side.
Willis jumped at the sudden touch, and making a face, he said, "What do you think, Izzy?"
"Oh, he doesn't believe her," Tentomon spoke up before the computer expert could answer. "Isn't that how you feel?"
Willis exchanged a look with Lopmon, who was still clinging to his shoulder, and nodding slowly, he said, "Yeah, but I don't know what to do about it."
"It is nice to know we're not the only ones who think that, though," Gatomon said, sticking close to her partner's side. "She has a good poker face, I'll give her that."
Willis thought back to the way Eden had stared at him with a murderous look in her eyes, and smiling slightly, he said, "Maybe not that good."
"I wonder how Davis and the others feel about all this," Kari said slowly, gazing thoughtfully at the group up ahead. "Do you think they believed her?"
Izzy shook his head, and tucking his laptop more securely under his arm, the computer expert said, "I was watching their faces while Eden was talking. Ken definitely feels the same as we do, and the other three looked skeptical. After hearing what we had to say last night, I don't think they're too eager to take anything she says too lightly."
"That's a relief," Terriermon piped up, clinging to Kari's shoulder. "I was worried there for a moment."
"Izzy, how long is it going to take to reach the Garden of Eden?" Lopmon asked, his long ears twitching.
"We're getting close to the forest now, so it shouldn't be too much longer."
Willis blinked in surprise, and glancing at the line of trees up ahead, he was surprised to discover that they had traveled quite a bit of distance since he last looked. Beyond the trees he could see the line of rocky mountains looming in the distant, and the sight of those menacing peaks caused a shiver to race down his spine. At the base of the cliffs was the entrance to the Wall of Fire, and though they weren't planning on going there, he still felt an urge to run from whatever might be lurking beyond the flames.
I wonder...did the Erinyes come from there?
"Lost in thought?"
Willis jumped at the sudden voice speaking softly in his ear, and jerking his head up in surprise, he found himself gazing directly into Eden's lavender eyes. Somehow the American female had managed to sneak over to his side unnoticed, and realizing T.K., Patamon, and Mikemon were with her, he said mildly, "Maybe. What are you four up to?"
"I kind of wondered that myself," T.K. murmured, glancing curiously at Eden.
Clearly, the Japanese blond was just as confused as he was, and placing a hand on her hip, Eden said softly, "Come, walk with me for a little bit."
Huh?
Willis raised his eyebrows, and crossing his arms over his chest, he glanced between T.K. and the lavender-haired Digidestined before saying, "I thought you already had a buddy to walk with."
"What's this about?" T.K. demanded, frowning at Eden.
The Japanese blond didn't seem too keen on giving up his spot next to the American female, and placing a soothing hand on T.K.'s arm, Eden said gently, "I won't be too long. Why don't you walk with Kari for a bit. I'll be back before you know it."
"I guess..."
T.K. didn't sound too enthusiastic about that idea, and though a spark of pain flashed across Kari's face, the female Digidestined chose to remain silent. Willis admired her composure, and while he appreciated her efforts to remain calm, he didn't have time to dwell on the matter. As much as they both didn't like it, T.K.'s behaviour was predictable, and thus the Japanese blond's reluctance to leave Eden's side didn't concern him at the moment. What had truly caught his attention was Eden's suggestion for T.K. to do the opposite of what she obviously wanted the blond teen to do.
Walk with Kari? That's the last thing I was expecting her to say...
Willis immediately felt suspicious, and turning to Kari, he whispered, "Stay on your guard."
"Are you really going to do this?" Kari asked, catching his arm.
It was obvious the female Digidestined was worried about him, and giving her a reassuring smile, he murmured, "I'll be fine."
"I don't like this," Gatomon protested. "I don't like it one bit."
"I don't either," Lopmon whimpered.
"What are you guys whispering about?" T.K. asked, glaring at them.
Willis quickly pulled away from Kari, and motioning for Terriermon to join him, he said mildly, "Nothing."
Nothing you need to know about.
"What's up?" Terriermon whispered, climbing onto his shoulder.
Willis could feel both Eden and Mikemon watching him, and stroking his partner's long ears, he said quietly, "Could you do me a favour? Stick with T.K. for now. Watch over him for me with Patamon while I go talk to Eden."
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry, I'll stay with Willis and make sure he's okay," Lopmon reassured the other rookie, reaching over to give his fellow digimon a quick cuddle.
"Promise?"
Lopmon nodded, and letting out a small sigh, Terriermon quickly jumped back down to the ground. Without a word, the little rookie hurried over to T.K.'s side, and leaping onto the Japanese blond's shoulder, he proceeded to make himself comfortable. Not surprisingly, T.K. looked startled by the sudden attention, and blinking at Terriermon, the Japanese blond said, "Aren't you going to go with Willis?"
"What?" Terriermon asked, dismissing T.K.'s words with a toss of his long ears. "Can't I hang out with my friend Patamon for a while?"
"Of course you can!" Patamon exclaimed, beaming at the rabbit digimon from where he sat atop T.K.'s head.
Despite Patamon's innocent response, it was obvious the little rookie was also worried about the situation, and though T.K.'s partner had remained silent throughout the whole exchange, Willis could tell Patamon didn't trust Eden anymore than he did. Thankfully, the little rookie had picked up right away on Terriermon's true intentions for joining T.K., and thus Patamon was willing to play along with the rabbit digimon's charade while Eden was occupied.
I wonder what she wants?
Now that he thought about it, Izzy hadn't contributed to the conversation either, but despite the older teen's silence, Willis could tell the computer expert's brain was working overtime.
He's probably trying to figure out her true motive for suddenly wanting to talk to me every bit as much as I am...
"Ready?" Eden asked, studying him closely.
Willis hesitated, and leaning over again to speak in Kari's ear, he whispered, "Do me a favour and watch over T.K. with Terriermon while I'm talking, okay?"
"Of course," Kari murmured in response. "Don't worry, he'll be safe with us."
"I know."
"Stay close to the group," Izzy warned, his tone mild. "I don't want us getting separated before we reach the garden."
"We'll stay within view," Eden promised, her words sounding sincere.
She wants something from me.
Eden was still gazing expectantly at him, and taking a deep breath, Willis quickly motioned for her to follow him. Together, they proceeded to head towards the front of the group, and as they passed by Davis, Ken, Yolei, Cody, and their digimon partners, Yolei called out, "Where are you guys going?"
"Nowhere," Eden replied, giving the older female a warm smile. "Just having a chat."
"No fair," Davis complained, making a face. "We can't join in?"
"If they wanted you to join, they would've asked," Hawkmon scolded, soaring alongside his partner.
"Dude, that was cold!"
Willis managed to catch Ken's sapphire eyes, and giving the former Emperor a meaningful look, he said, "Later."
If Izzy's right and they also think Eden's not telling the truth, they'll understand.
"Be careful," Ken murmured, sounding worried.
The former Emperor's words caught Cody's attention, and glancing between the two of them, the younger boy said hesitantly, "If you're sure."
"I'm sure."
"Come along then," Eden said softly, beckoning him to follow her.
Willis decided it was best not to show any signs of weakness, and boldly joining the American female at the front of the group, they proceeded to walk next to each other in silence. He could feel Lopmon clinging protectively to his shoulder, and whispering softly in his ear, the little rookie said, "I don't like this."
Tell me about it.
Willis didn't much like the situation either, and glancing at Mikemon, whose feline features remained neutral as she walked alongside her partner, he couldn't deny his senses were on high alert. Though the rest of the Digidestined were still in view, they had put enough distance between themselves and the main group that it wasn't likely any words between them would filter back to the others. Willis was certain that was done on purpose, and without looking at him, Eden said bluntly, "You are not fond of me."
Willis raised his eyebrows, and keeping his own eyes averted, he said calmly, "I'm not fond of the way you're lying."
"Willis!" Lopmon gasped, clearly shocked at the transparency of his words.
Eden chose to ignore the rabbit digimon's outburst, and laughing softly, the American female said, "And after you were showing so much interest in me."
"That was every bit as much of a ruse as that story you fabricated about your life in Colorado."
"You have a lot of nerve accusing my partner of such things," Mikemon said coldly, her whiskers twitching in anger. "Watch your tongue."
"Don't talk to Willis like that!" Lopmon cried, hopping angrily on his shoulder. "You can't blame him for wanting to protect his friends!"
Willis gently shushed his partner, and stroking the little rookie's long ears, he said simply, "Convince me then. I'm always willing to give the benefit of the doubt. If I'm wrong, I'll gladly apologize."
"What makes you think I'm lying?" Eden asked, turning to face him.
At this point they had reached the edge of the forest, and stepping into the trees, Willis said casually, "You know why. Izzy addressed some of those concerns, and I find it interesting that you still don't have any answers to some of our most important questions."
"You mean the lack of signals on my Digivice and the way the prophecy appears to exclude me."
"Not just those things. Say whatever you want about Azulongmon, but I don't believe for a second that Seermon would have conveniently neglected to mention you, especially since you had supposedly visited her not that long before us. And then there's Gennai. Surely he would have contacted Izzy about something as important as a new Digidestined, if that was in fact true."
"You deny the existence of Eden's Digivice and crest?" Mikemon demanded, glaring at him. "What more evidence do you need?"
"Gennai certainly didn't inform Tai and the others ahead of time when Davis, Yolei, Cody, and Ken got their Digivices," Eden countered, placing a hand on her hip. "And what about you? Your circumstances were every bit as...exceptional as mine. Perhaps even more so."
Willis could feel a spark of anger building in his chest, and realizing all of a sudden that they had stopped walking, he glanced up in confusion, uncertain of his surroundings. Up above, the sun was filtering weakly through the trees, and all around him the forest was dark and dense. Somehow, they had wandered deep into the woods without him noticing, and feeling uneasy, he took a step back, his hands automatically reaching for Lopmon. The rest of the Digidestined were nowhere in sight, and as a flash of sudden understanding nearly knocked him off his feet, he said quietly, "You planned this, didn't you."
"Planned what?" Eden asked innocently, her lips slowly turning up in an unpleasant smile.
"What's going on?" Lopmon whimpered, trembling in his arms. "Where are the others? How did we get so far ahead of them?"
Sensing that both he and his partner were in terrible danger, Willis hugged the little rookie close and said bluntly, "What do you want from me?"
Eden took a step towards him, and holding out her hand, she narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "I want you to disappear."
Of course you do. This whole thing was a setup. A trap. You lured me away from the others on purpose. How could I have been so stupid?
Angry at himself for having allowed the American female to separate him from Kari and T.K., which had no doubt been her plan all along, he turned to make a break for what he hoped was the edge of the forest. There were footsteps behind him, and before he could get very far, Mikemon tackled him to the ground, her claws digging into the back of his shirt.
"What are you doing?" Lopmon wailed, trying to wriggle out from under him. "Leave my partner alone!"
"Your partner should have kept his nose out of our business while he still had the chance!" Mikemon hissed, swiping at the little rookie.
It was the final piece of the puzzle, and struggling as Eden's hand went around his throat to hold him in place, he now knew without question that the American female was not who she said she was. She was something else entirely, and as they stared each other down, Eden smiled at him and said softly, "Welcome to my paradise."
The Garden of Eden...
There was a flash of brilliant purple light, and Willis just barely caught a glimpse of what looked like a beautiful field of flowers surrounded by thick trees before quickly losing consciousness.
T.K.
T.K. let out a deep sigh, and walking next to Kari with Patamon on his head and Terriermon clinging to his shoulder, he couldn't help feeling a bit angry at himself. Though he couldn't explain why, for some reason it was really bothering him that Eden had ditched him to hang out with Willis.
Maybe she was interested in the American male after all?
Even if she is, why should it matter? Kari's the only girl for me. She always has been...
But if that was true, then why couldn't he get Eden out of his head?
No matter what I do or how much I try to stop it, she just won't go away...
"You look like you're thinking," Kari said softly, the sound of her voice catching him by surprise. "Is something wrong?"
T.K. quickly shook his head, and frowning, he said slowly, "Not really. Only...you guys have been pestering Eden a lot. I feel like you're all hiding something from me."
Have they been talking behind my back? Did something happen that I don't know about? I can tell the atmosphere has changed, and even though Davis and the others haven't said much, I feel like they have their guard up. It's because of Eden. It has to be, but...why?
Kari turned to look at him, and shaking her head, she said gently, "We're not trying to hide anything from you. Ever since we came to the Digital World, we've been open and honest about our feelings. We've tried to talk about it before with you, but...you didn't want to listen."
Really? My memory feels so foggy. I don't get it. Why have I been defending Eden so much?
"If you're out of the loop, that's your own fault," Gatomon said bluntly, tossing her head. "You need to get your head out of the clouds."
"I feel like I should defend you, but Gatomon's right," Patamon said meekly, cowering on his head. "You've been very distant lately."
"And you've been a bit rude," Terriermon added, poking his cheek. "No offense, but your attitude could use a change."
Somewhere deep inside his heart, T.K. knew they were right, but he was still struggling to get Eden out of his mind. It was overwhelming, and no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, he couldn't stop harping on the fact that she had ditched him for Willis.
"T.K.? Are you alright?" Patamon asked, sounding worried.
By this time they had reached the edge of the forest, and glancing at the larger group walking in the middle, which consisted of Izzy, Yolei, Davis, Cody, Ken, and their partners, he stopped suddenly and said, "What do you think they're talking about?"
"Who?" Terriermon asked, frowning in confusion.
"Eden and Willis. What do you think she wanted to talk about?"
"Does it matter?" Gatomon asked, raising her eyebrows.
Kari shook her head, and motioning for the feline digimon to come closer, she said quietly, "I don't know, but...I have a bad feeling about this."
"Huh?"
Before Kari could answer, there was some commotion further ahead, and voice breaking the silence, Ken said sharply, "Where are Willis and Eden?"
"What do you mean?" Yolei replied, her sharp gaze searching the trees. "They were here just a second ago."
No, it can't be. Did they...go on ahead without us?
A quick glance at the foliage confirmed that Willis and Eden were no longer within viewing range, and grabbing Kari's hand, he quickly raced ahead to join the main group. For some reason, he could feel a sense of dread building inside his heart, and coming to a stop next to Izzy, he said, "What's going on?"
Izzy looked perplexed, and shaking his head, the computer expert murmured, "That's odd. I only glanced down at my laptop for a second. They couldn't have disappeared on us that fast..."
"Does anybody else have a bad feeling about this?" Cody asked, sounding concerned.
Davis nodded, and squinting through the trees, the goggle-headed leader said bluntly, "This has bad news written all over it. Come on, guys. Let's keep going."
"We never should have let them go off alone like that," Kari said simply, pushing her way through the branches. "We have to fine them. Now!"
T.K. could sense the female Digidestined's obvious fear, and feeling uneasy himself, he quickly followed her without asking questions. The rest of the group fell in behind, and though they remained silent, he could tell they were just as worried.
Though he had no idea what was going on, something wasn't right. That much, at least, he could tell. As they raced through the trees in search of the two Americans, there was only one thought racing through his head, and it surprised him.
Eden wouldn't actually do anything to Willis...would she?