AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Surprise! Bonus chapter! You can thank my good friend crestoflight3 who dared me to post a new chapter today (and then bribed me with cat pics).

Thank you to all the love on the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this extra update! Normal posting will resume from Friday.

A DEADLY FRIEND

He hitched his school bag higher as he ran through the halls, skidding around the final corner and heaving the door to the computer lab open.

"Hey! I'm here-"

"Daisuke!" Miyako snapped with a scowl. "You're late! We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago!" Her arms were wrapped tightly around Poromon, and Daisuke tried not to laugh as she squeezed and Poromon's eyes bulged dangerously like the bug-eyed squeeze toy Daisuke had bought at Daiso a couple of months ago. Poromon let out a strangled chirp as he wriggled his way out of Miyako's grip, more than a little disgruntled at being used as a stress ball judging by the way he hurried out of Miyako's reach and took to preening his feathers.

Daisuke had been as shocked as everyone else when the digimon had made it through the gate with them, and after they'd untangled themselves from the heap he'd been even more surprised to see that they'd gotten smaller (which made sense, he guessed – if digimon could get bigger, then of course they could get smaller). Koushiro had suggested they keep their partners close and hidden, and so DemiVeemon had been hiding in Daisuke's gym bag through his morning classes. Daisuke closed the door to the lab with a grin and heaved his bag up on to the table.

"Chill out, Miyako," he said with a wave of his hand, which only seemed to make her angrier. He grinned to himself as he pulled back the zipper on his bag. DemiVeemon rolled out with a dramatic gasp, as though surfacing from the deep end of a pool, and he peeled an off-white sock away from his face with a grimace ("Sorry, buddy. It's clean! I think…" Daisuke chuckled). DemiVeemon was several inches smaller than Veemon and had lost his fangs and his gold markings, but none of his energy or appetite. Daisuke had been woken in the early hours of the morning by a sinister rustling sound, and when Daisuke had turned on the light he'd found DemiVeemon buried in the empty candy wrappers from the stash Daisuke kept under his bed. DemiVeemon scampered up to Poromon and peered over the edge of the desk.

"Is that food?" he asked, staring down at the iMart bag on the floor as though he hadn't just demolished the better part of Daisuke's lunch. Upamon – a soccer-sized ball of cream fur sporting three strange, long tufts on either side of his head – looked up from where he had been sucking on a jelly pouch. Miyako folded her arms and waved her hand towards it.

"Sure, go ahead," she huffed. Veemon let out an elated yell and dove head-first in to the bag, making Upamon jump so badly he rolled backwards in to Iori's legs. Iori scooped him up and held him close to his chest, staring at DemiVeemon with a disapproving frown. Over Iori's shoulder, Daisuke saw Koushiro frantically tapping at the computer keyboard with Sora hovering anxiously over his shoulder.

"Where's Taichi?" Daisuke asked. Koushiro stopped typing and Sora's shoulders stiffened. After a moment she straightened and smoothed her skirt.

"Taichi had to go out of town."

"What?" Daisuke exploded. "Since when was a road trip more important than the Digital World? I thought he wanted to find Hikari!" Sora chewed her lip, glancing at the back of Koushiro's head.

"It's… it's not as simple as that, Daisuke." she said at last, not quite meeting his gaze. Her voice was quiet, and a tense silence settled over the room. Even the digimon were giving Sora their full attention, their half-eaten feast forgotten. Sora shifted her weight and knitted her fingers together. "It's…" She hesitated and Koushiro turned away from the computer.

"Are you sure you want to tell them?" Koushiro asked quietly. Sora froze for a moment before nodding, and her fingers curled in to determined fists.

"I think they need to know," she answered. "They need to understand." Koushiro nodded.

"And Taichi?"

"Let me deal with Taichi." Koushiro pursed his lips and nodded slowly, turning away from the computer with a grim expression.

"Is something the matter?" Iori asked quietly. Sora pulled a chair from a nearby desk and motioned for the others to do the same. DemiVeemon looked between Sora and the food, and at her slight nod he dug in. For a long while the only sound in the room was the rustling of wrappers and cartons until Sora took a deep breath.

"After our last adventure, not all of us made it home," she began softly. "You've met Jou and you've… you've seen Yamato. Daisuke has met Hikari, Taichi's sister, and there was Yamato's brother, Takeru. The gates didn't work back then like they do now; we had no way of controlling them. After our last fight we all got separated, and they didn't make it to the gate before it closed. We had to go home without them, thinking we'd never see them again."

"That's awful," Miyako whispered, gripping the edge of her seat.

"Our parents all saw the final battle, and they were waiting for us when we returned. They knew what it meant when only four of us came back, but we still had to tell them what happened and Taichi's mum… she kind of just… shut down. Losing Hikari really hit her hard and she never really recovered."

"What about their father?" Iori asked, his voice thick and raspy.

"He… It's been difficult for him to cope. He spends a lot of time at work. His company offered him a job in an office on the other side of Saitama, and they needed the money for his mother's medicine and care. He spends most of his time in Okegawa. He works long hours, so it's easier for him to stay near the office. Sometimes he doesn't come home for days or even weeks."

"So Taichi's been looking after his mother all alone," Iori murmured. Daisuke's heart lodged itself in his throat and he felt his eyes begin to burn. He'd had no idea… Taichi had always been so upbeat at practice, so eager to put the team through their paces, and Daisuke had always looked up to his dedication to the game – to the countless hours he spent on the pitch before and after school. Now he wondered if he spent so much time in the field in order to avoid spending time at home.

"His father tries to help, but it's… difficult," Sora continued. "This is the first time he's taken a vacation in at least a year. Maybe longer. Taichi said he came home last night and insisted that they all go away for a while. They've gone to visit Taichi's aunt in Odawara."

"Couldn't Taichi explain that he had to stay?" Daisuke asked. "If he finds Hikari, that'll help, right?" Sora and Koushiro both shook their heads.

"The Digital World is a forbidden topic in Taichi's home," Koushiro explained. "It upsets his mother too much, and his father won't hear a word of it. They don't know that the gates are open again, or that Daisuke's had contact with Hikari."

"Taichi's been able to make excuses to stay after school," Sora picked up, "and when his dad's out of town it's somewhat easier, but there was nothing he could say to get out of this. He doesn't know how long he'll be gone, but he thinks it's at least a week. Probably more."

A tense silence hung over the room, and Daisuke glanced at the others. Iori sat in solemn contemplation, hugging Upamon close to his chest. Miyako looked like she was trying not to cry, but as she sniffled Daisuke saw a tear slip out from behind her glasses as Poromon burrowed nervously in her lap. Even DemiVeemon had stopped rummaging through the food at some point during the explanation and was glancing between Sora and Daisuke with a half-eaten chocolate bar hanging from his lips. Daisuke growled and shot to his feet.

"Well then, we're just going to have to find Hikari and bring her home!" he exclaimed. He turned towards the computer and whipped out his digivice. "Let's-"

The door flew open and the words died in his throat as a girl Daisuke didn't recognise peered in to the room. She was dressed all in white, and her long black hair had been tied back in two tight braids. Keen eyes quickly scanned the room before landing on Sora.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, stepping inside. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Koichi said he saw you coming this way. Are you ready? You're not even changed yet!" Sora blinked in surprise, her mouth hanging open, and the girl planted her hands on her hips. "Sora, don't tell me you forgot! The doubles match? This afternoon? Against Shijomae…" Sora gasped and her hands flew to her mouth.

"Ami, I'm so sorry!" she breathed. "I've been busy with… well, I've been busy!" Ami stared at Daisuke and the others, and her eyes wandered to the digimon who had become so still that they almost looked like plush toys.

"I see…" she murmured, before turning her attention back to Sora. "Well coach isn't going to let you back out. We're already down Susume; we can't lose you as well." Sora bit her lip and turned to Koushiro who smiled.

"It's all right, Sora. I'm sure we can schedule a one-to-one session so I can catch you up on anything you miss today. And I'm sure Miyako wouldn't mind lending you her notes." Miyako blinked and stared at Koushiro for a moment as if he'd grown a third leg before suddenly leaping to her feet.

"Y-yes! Of course!" she said, following it up with a grin that was so forced she looked deranged. Koushiro's face fell a little and Sora laughed nervously before hurrying to usher Ami from the room, throwing one last apologetic look over her shoulder as she shut the door behind them.

"Looks like it's just us then," Koushiro said warmly. "Daisuke, if you would, please."

The gate spat them out into a field of lush, turquoise grass lined with purple-trunked trees. Daisuke rolled to his knees, gulping in the crisp air and trying to revel in the feeling of being back in the Digital World, but his good mood was soured with thoughts of Taichi and his family. He'd spent hours wondering what it must have been like for Hikari, living in a world of monsters and adventure (and in several daydreams Daisuke had been right there beside her instead of stuck behind a desk), but he'd never spared a thought to what it must have been like for Taichi. Daisuke's sister, Jun, might have been a pain in the ass, but for all the trouble she gave him he didn't think he'd ever want to live without her. Not really.

Daisuke glanced down at his digivice, studying the map intently. Hikari had a digivice like Taichi and the others, so her dot would be white; he made a promise to himself (and to Taichi) to keep a lookout for any new dots that appeared on his radar. Maybe Koushiro could figure out a way to take control of the gates so they could pick and choose where they would land. Daisuke hadn't forgotten the Kaiser's warning, and the only thing stopping Daisuke from dragging the others north with him was the fact that he hadn't quite figured out how to tell which way was north in the Digital World.

"Daisuke?" A small tug on his sleeve drew his attention to Veemon who was staring at him with concerned eyes. "What'cha thinking about?" Daisuke flashed his partner a smile.

"Nothin', buddy," he answered, scooping the digimon in to his arms and hurrying after the others.

Koushiro was walking in slow circles with Miyako at his side, both of them staring at their digivices while Hawkmon fluttered several paces behind them. At last they seemed to spot something worth investigating, and they led the way across the field to where the grass stopped suddenly and the ground disappeared. Daisuke wondered if maybe they'd reached the end of the world – like the edge of a map – but as he tip-toed closer he saw that the world continued as far as the eye could see. They were just high up, walking along the edge of a ledge that jutted out over a crystalline lake far below. Daisuke watched the shadows flitting beneath the surface, realising just how high he was, and his head began to spin. While normally good with heights (he had been the first to say that the Odaiba Ferris wheel wasn't big enough), the drop made his stomach churn, and when Koushiro cautioned him about straying too far from the others he was quick to make his way back to them.

"I wonder where we are this time?" Iori was asking as he approached.

"I don't know," Koushiro murmured in response. He lifted his head to scan their surroundings before pointing towards the cliff edge. "My digivice says there's something in that direction, but I have no idea how we're going to get down there." Daisuke looked at his digivice to see if he could see it to and – sure enough – there was a small white dot in the corner of his screen. "Daisuke, did you see a way down?" Daisuke looked up with a shake of his head.

"There's a lake," he said, "but we're way too high, and I think there was somethin' swimmin' in it." Koushiro pursed his lips and nodded.

"I think it's best we avoid large bodies of water," he said, and Daisuke wasn't sure if he sounded a bit nervous about it. Hawkmon cleared his throat and stepped forwards.

"Perhaps I could evolve to Holsmon and take Miyako down to have a look," he offered. Koushiro frowned again.

"I don't like the idea of you two going off on your own."

"They don't have to be alone!" Daisuke proclaimed. "Holsmon can take a couple of us, right?" Hawkmon grimaced a little and Miyako folded her arms.

"Don't be so rude," she snapped. Daisuke gaped.

"Rude?! How was that rude?!"

"You don't just ask someone to carry you!" she hissed. "How would you like it if I asked Fladramon to give me a piggyback?" Daisuke planted his fists on his hips and glared.

"Well I didn't know you'd be all prissy about it. He didn't have a problem givin' people a ride before-"

"That's because he offered!" She stomped her foot and the ground trembled. Daisuke tilted sideways with a yelp, his arms windmill-ing wildly to keep him from falling over. By the time Daisuke had recovered, Miyako's eyes had gone wide and he laughed, folding his arms.

"Jeez, Miyako, you need to lay off the snacks-"

"I don't think that was necessary," Iori said quietly.

"That wasn't me, you idiot!" She stomped her foot again and the ground gave another violent shudder, and Daisuke couldn't stop the cackle that rose in his throat.

"Are you sure? Because I think-"

"We should be quiet," Koushiro hissed. The ground shuddered again.

"Someone's coming," Hawkmon murmured.

"Are they likely to be our friend?" Iori asked. Koushiro glanced down to his digivice.

"Probably not," he murmured as the ground trembled again. "We should get moving. We'll go back the way we came and see if-"

The treeline exploded. Flaming branches and leaves spiralled through the air as Miyako screamed. Daisuke fought to keep his balance as the ground gave another ominous tremor. A white behemoth lumbered through the flames; it was covered in thick white fur which gave way only for the creature's gleaming red eyes and black paws which were each home to three blood-red claws. It was at least three times as tall as Daisuke, not including the fierce black horn that rose from its forehead, and as it opened its mouth in a deafening bellow Daisuke saw two rows of fierce white teeth set between two long, menacing tusks. It thundered towards them, each heavy footstep making Daisuke's teeth rattle, and as the fur around its leg shifted Daisuke caught sight of the thick black band of a dark ring.

"Ikkakumon!" Koushiro gasped.

"You know him?!" Miyako squeaked as the creature growled and lowered its head at them. Ikkakumon's eyes narrowed and the fur around his horn began to belch smoke.

"Run!" Koushiro cried.

"Harpoon Vulcan!" The horn launched like a missile, leaving behind a trail of fire and smoke as it sped towards them. Daisuke's feet were rooted to the floor, his eyes glued to the horn, and it took a headbutt to the gut from Veemon to knock him out of the way of the attack. The horn landed nearby and exploded with a roar that left Daisuke's ears ringing. He rolled on to his side with a groan, pressing the heels of his hands against his ears, and he felt Veemon tugging at his wrist.

"Daisuke!" Daisuke barely heard him, but he certainly felt a pull in his chest. He rolled on to his knees and looked for the others; they were clustered together some distance away, slowly pulling themselves back to their feet on the other side of the fire. Daisuke grit his teeth and stood, tightening his grip on his digivice as he thrust it in to the air.

"Digimental-"

"Northern Light!" An icy wind barrelled towards them. Daisuke planted his feet and ducked behind his arms, but the gust was too strong and it quickly knocked him off balance. The ice spread beneath him and soon he was speeding across the ground towards the edge of the cliff. He swallowed a scream and scrambled wildly, but the only thing he could grab hold of was Veemon's tail as they went tumbling over the edge of the cliff. Someone screamed, but the sound was lost beneath the wind rushing past Daisuke's ears as they hurtled towards the lake below. Daisuke caught sight of a shadow nearby before he crashed in to the lake, but his scream was stifled by a lungful of water and his vision was quickly swallowed by darkness.

Miyako was screaming, Iori was still as stone, and Koushiro's heart was firmly wedged in his throat as Ikkakumon lowered his horn towards them again.

"Get down!" he cried, tackling Iori to the ground as Hawkmon dove for Miyako. Koushiro rolled away from Iori and his eyes met Armadimon's. The little digimon had planted himself close to Iori, though there was a nervous uncertainty that flashed across his face as Ikkakumon released another deafening bellow. Koushiro glanced across to Miyako who had curled herself into a tight ball and was sobbing in to her knees while Hawkmon stroked her trembling shoulder with the tips of his wings. Then he looked to Iori who was silent and white as a sheet. Neither would be viable sources of energy for their partners; Koushiro still wasn't sure how the Digimentals worked, but judging by the haze and fatigue that settled over them whenever their partners reverted he could only assume that it wasn't entirely dissimilar to the more traditional style of evolution. If that wasn't an option, it left them with only one viable course of action.

"We have to run!" Koushiro called. Miyako's head snapped towards him.

"We can't outrun that!"

"We can; Ikkakumon is slow on land." Not slow enough to guarantee them a clean getaway, but slow enough that if they started running now they stood a good chance of making it to cover before Ikkakumon could catch them. He stood and quickly pulled Iori to his feet. "Come on, we have to go."

"Miyako," Hawkmon pressed, one eye fixed on Ikkakumon, "I do think we should listen. If we don't move now then we'll have to try and fight and-" Miyako shot to her feet in a flash, and she quickly made a beeline towards the trees with a nervous squeal. Iori scooped Armadimon up from the ground and followed Koushiro as they ran after her. Ikkakumon continued to advance, and the ground trembled with every heavy footstep; Koushiro lost his foot more than once, and it was pure adrenaline that kept him on his feet then.

They caught up to Miyako at the tree line. She was resting against a thick purple trunk, leaning heavily on her knees and wheezing, and Koushiro fought the urge to stop and join her.

"We have to keep moving," he said.

"But where are we going?" she whimpered. Tears were streaming down her flushed cheeks, and her lower lip was trembling. Koushiro swallowed thickly.

"We can't stay here." It didn't entirely answer her question, but the ground trembled again and Miyako whimpered. Hawkmon reached up to pat her elbow with his wing.

"He's right, Miyako, we really should keep moving." With a noise that was somewhere between a whine and a sob, Miyako pushed herself away from the tree and started running again.

Koushiro wasn't a leader, he thought as he did his best to guide them through the trees. Taichi would have had a plan by now; something for them to do once they stopped running. Sora would have been able to calm Miyako and Iori long enough for them to make a stand. But him? He was good at numbers and computers and puzzles. Anything involving adrenaline and giving out orders was most definitely outside of his comfort zone.

Still, it was all he could do to try and help Miyako and Iori. He risked a glance back over his shoulder; Iori was keeping up, despite the terror on his face and the heavy digimon in his arms, but Miyako was beginning to struggle. Her face was practically puce, and her breath was coming in short gasps as she continued to cry, her eyes wide and terrified like a mouse before a lion. Koushiro was the closest thing they had to a leader, and when he spied a slope of smooth mud that would veer them sharply off towards a new path that was much too small for Ikkakumon, he didn't hesitate.

"This way!" he cried. He paused to catch his breath and usher the others down the mudslide. Iori went first, with Armadimon whooping and hollering in his arms while Iori grit his teeth and held tight to his partner. Miyako threw herself down the slope with a scream that didn't stop until she reached the bottom. Koushiro took a deep breath and swallowed a scream of his own as he followed, just in time to avoid a wave of fire as the forest exploded behind them.

As soon as Koushiro reached the bottom he was on his feet, pulling the others with him as they took off running again. Miyako let out a anxious wail but pushed herself on nonetheless, staggering after them as the canopy overhead began raining fiery, smoking leaves. Ikkakumon may not have been able to follow them, but his attacks certainly could. Koushiro was grateful for the dense foliage overhead when the next attack splashed harmlessly across the blanket of leaves above. Miyako screamed as a smouldering leaf landed on her shoulder. Koushiro choked on the smell of burning hair. Hawkmon sped on ahead, calling for them to watch out for raised roots and burrow-holes in the ground, and then:

"This way! I've found a place we can hide!"

The smoke was sinking beneath the canopy, and Koushiro's legs and lungs were beginning to burn. Hawkmon led them through the trees until they found themselves pressed against the edge of a cliff. They skirted rocks for several minutes before Hawkmon led them in to a cave. It wasn't particularly big, but it was deep enough that they could hunker against the back wall. Miyako curled in to a tight ball, burying her face in her knees amidst smothered sobs. Iori collapsed in a shaking heap next to Armadimon, his glassy eyes staring blankly towards the outside of the cave. Armadimon settled next to him, nuzzling his arm until Iori finally draped it over his shell, though the gesture seemed hollow and absent.

Ikkakumon roared in the distance and Miyako whimpered again. For a fleeting moment Koushiro dared to hope they were safe. He entertained the idea that perhaps Ikkakumon might forget about them and move on to new prey, only to quickly dismiss the thought. Ikkakumon wasn't a digimon defending his territory; he was being controlled by the Kaiser, and it was far more likely that he wouldn't stop hunting them until the Kaiser provided him with new instructions.

And so Koushiro had a choice. Move too soon and Ikkakumon could be on their scent, close enough to begin his assault again. But wait too long and it could be the Kaiser they were facing instead, or any number of controlled minions he chose to send after them. Miyako and Iori needed time to calm down and gather their wits, but then there was Daisuke. Koushiro hadn't seen him fall but he'd heard the splash as he'd hit the water. He glanced down at his digivice and sighed; they'd run too far to see his signal. Veemon had been with him, but then Koushiro had no idea how the digimon would fare in water. His mind began running in overdrive, playing out scenarios each more grim than the last.

"What do we do now, Koushiro?" Armadimon asked quietly. Koushiro glanced around the cave. Everything was silent now; Miyako had stopped sobbing and Ikkakumon had stopped roaring. Iori had curled up in to a tight ball and was resting his chin on his knees. What now? It was a good question, and one that Koushiro didn't have an immediate answer for. They needed to go back for Daisuke, but going back would mean fighting past Ikkakumon. He tightened his fingers around his digivice and wished Tentomon were here. Even if he couldn't digivolve, his partner would have been someone to bounce ideas and strategies off.

Their only chance of fighting their way back past Ikkakumon lay with Holsmon and Digmon, but Miyako and Iori were in no state to help their partners evolve. Not yet. Koushiro stifled a sigh and slid slowly down the cavern wall, landing heavily on his rear as he glanced back to Armadimon. "Now… Now we wait."

"What about Daisuke?" Iori croaked, his voice faint and trembling. Koushiro swallowed thickly.

"Daisuke… will be fine," he said. If he had inherited Taichi's crest, then perhaps he had inherited Taichi's luck and resilience too. He said it again, this time with more vigour as he desperately prayed for Daisuke to prove him right.

He remembered hitting the water. It felt like someone had slapped him on the back and forced all the air from his lungs. He remembered breathing water. He remembered kicking, unable to figure out which way was up. He remembered thinking it was the first time he'd been able to keep his eyes open underwater. The water made his lungs burn, and the more he struggled the worse it grew until his whole body was on fire. Something gripped his arm, digging in to his skin as it dragged him through the water, but when he turned his head all he saw was blinding white. The ringing in his ears was growing louder. He remembered seeing the sun through the surface of the water before he saw nothing but darkness.

He came to some time later with the sun on his face and the taste of berries on his lips. For a while all he could do was be; something was jabbing him in the back, but his body was too heavy to move. He twitched his fingers, digging them in to the sand. He vaguely remembered retching water, accompanied by the faint sound of someone calling his name. How long ago had that been?

It took great effort to peel his eyes open, and the blinding sunlight made him groan. He sat up slowly, running his hands through his sopping hair, and when his fingers couldn't find his goggles he was ready to panic until they suddenly landed in his lap accompanied by a musical laugh.

"Here."

Her voice was just as soft as he remembered, and it caused a pleasant warmth to swell in his chest. He watched her delicately wring the water from her hair, and when she caught his eye she smiled. Daisuke felt himself melt; no girl had ever smiled at him like that before. He watched as she plucked a whittled stick from the ground and poked it through her hair. She twisted and turned it until, in no time at all, the hair was gathered at the base of her neck.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. His heart was wedged in his throat, and no amount of swallowing could get it un-stuck. He was relieved – truly relieved – to see her again. The Kaiser's warning often came to Daisuke in his sleep, leaving him with nightmares of her freezing, and not two nights ago he'd been startled awake by the sight of her blood in the snow.

Tailmon cleared her throat from behind Hikari's shoulder and Daisuke blinked, catching himself staring and quickly fumbling with his goggles, snapping them painfully over his head with the broadest smile he could muster.

"Me? I'm great!" he announced. Tailmon arched an eyebrow.

"Well you ruined a perfectly good picnic," Tailmon retorted. Hikari turned and motioned for her to shush and Tailmon rolled her eyes and batted Hikari's hand away with her paws. As Hikari shifted Daisuke caught sight of Veemon; he was lying on his back, a hand resting upon his swollen stomach, surrounded by upturned boxes and bags. His berry-stained lips were smiling in his sleep, and Daisuke was left with the impression that if anyone was to blame for destroying the picnic, it was his partner. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'll…uh… I'll make it up to you?" he offered, though he wasn't too sure exactly how he would do that. (Pizza! He'd buy her pizza! Her and Taichi. He didn't quite have enough pocket money saved up to treat all three of them, but he could probably score a few extra yen by taking Jun's chores for a week. Maybe two. It'd be totally worth it.) Hikari's hand appeared in front of his face; she was standing now, and offering him a hand to his feet which he gratefully accepted with a grin.

"Don't worry," she said with a light laugh, "there will be other picnics." She lead him over to the blankets where she picked up a small bundle of fabric which she offered towards him. "I managed to save some before Veemon ate them all. Do you want them?" His stomach rumbled and he cleared his throat to cover the sound, hoping she hadn't heard it as he carefully unfolded the kerchief to reveal a selection of berries. He stared at them with a frown, not really recognising any of them; they looked kinda like berries from back home, but the colours were all wrong. Hikari smiled and talked him through them; the large, pink balls tasted like strawberries, while the orange blackcurrant-like berries tasted of pears. Others tasted like cranberries and grapes and blueberries, each one looking nothing like their flavour, but each exploded in his mouth with a rush of flavour.

"So what was happening up there?" Hikari asked when he was finished, taking the berry-stained cloth to the edge of the lake to rinse it in the still water. "You were making a lot of noise."

"We were attacked by one of the Kaiser's digimon," he answered. "He had one of those dark rings on him."

"He sounded strong," Tailmon murmured. Daisuke nodded.

"Yeah, he was big. Koushiro recognised him."

"Koushiro?" Hikari asked, her face lighting up. "He's here?"

"Yeah! He-"

"Who was the digimon?" Tailmon interrupted. "What did he look like?"

"Well he had these big tusks, and a horn… lots of white fur… Koushiro called him Ikkaka… uh… Ikkaki-"

"Ikkakumon?"

"Yeah! That was it!" he answered. Hikari and Tailmon glanced to each other, and he couldn't tell whether they looked scared or relieved. "You guys know him too?" Hikari nodded and wrung the last of the water from her kerchief before tying it around her neck.

"He's an old friend," Tailmon answered, her expression grim as she began packing away what was left of the picnic. She prodded Veemon in the side and he murmured in his sleep.

"Did Koushiro have Tentomon with him? His partner?" Hikari asked. Daisuke shook his head.

"Nah, but they'll be okay. Miyako and Iori have Hawkmon and Armadimon, and they can armour evolve just like Veemon." He scooped Veemon up from the blankets and cradled him in the crook of his arm to try and nudge him awake.

"Are they the new Chosen? Like you?" Hikari asked. Daisuke nodded and poked Veemon's cheek.

"That's right, you haven't met them yet! Yeah, they're like me. Got new digivices like mine, but Koushiro's started callin' them D-3s because they're different to the ones you have. Stands for Digital, Detect and… and somethin' else, but it begins with a D." He tugged on Veemon's ear but Veemon rolled over and buried his face in Daisuke's shirt. Daisuke continued jostling him. "Iori's cool, I guess. Bit quiet. Miyako's all nag, nag, nag though – she's so loud – c'mon, buddy, you gotta get up." He rolled Veemon on to his back and plugged his nose.

"Is he okay?" Tailmon asked with a concerned frown. Daisuke grinned.

"He's a heavy sleeper."

Veemon awoke with a gasp, gulping in air and pushing Daisuke's fingers away from his face with a disoriented splutter. Eventually he gathered his bearings enough to glare up at Daisuke.

"You're tryna kill me!" he whined.

"Sorry, buddy, but we gotta move." Veemon sniffed and wriggled out of Daisuke's grip, landing heavily on the sand and stifling a yawn in to his fist. Tailmon bundled up the rest of the blankets and secured them to one of the packs, and when Hikari reached for it Daisuke rushed forwards.

"Let me help!" he said eagerly. Hikari fixed him with a strange look before smiling.

"All right, if you're sure," she said, holding the bag out to him. He reached for the strap, and when their fingers brushed Daisuke felt his face flush. He coughed, hoping that Hikari hadn't noticed, but she was staring up at the cliff. She let the bag fall in to his hands and Daisuke choked back a yelp as the sudden weight nearly dragged him to his knees. Hikari retrieved her bow and arrow from the shadow of a nearby tree as Tailmon bounded towards him.

"You okay there?" she asked with a sly smirk. Her blue eyes glinted and Daisuke forced a smile.

"Yeah, fine," he answered, trying his best not to wheeze. Hikari's bag was heavier than his school bag and his gym bag combined, and yet it was easily half the size. He'd thought it was just handbag's that were deceptively heavy (judging by the weight of the small purse Jun had thrown at his head last week) but it looked as though he couldn't trust any woman's bag, no matter the size. He hauled it on to his back and stood tall, pretending not to see how Tailmon was trying not to laugh at him. If Hikari could walk through the woods with this rucksack, then he could run.