Well. There went that deadline. Again. I honestly do not know where July went. It's like I looked up and the month was just gone. I don't even have an excuse.

Thank you for reviewing the last chapter: Death. e x e , (the site literally, like, censored our your name or something without the spaces XD)Berry Doyle, dnofsunshine, and Sweet Cari! Thank you all for your continued patience and encouragement!

Chapter Twenty-Six: Bridges

A sudden crash sent various papers and trinkets tumbling to the ground. Cody was beyond tired. He'd gone to drop down into his chair and missed by a good few inches, making a rough landing on the floor, fingertips still gripping the edge of the worn, wooden desk. The fall had startled him back to clarity for a second, but he could already feel the drowsiness settling back in.

When his partner just sighed, remaining on the floor, Armadillomon crawled over, gently placing one clawed paw on his knee. Doing his absolute best to keep any and all criticism from his tone, he suggested, "Do you think maybe you should take a break, Cody?"

The boy shifted, turning so that his back was supported by one of the table legs. He brought one knee up to rest his cheek upon, resting his other arm across Armadillomon's back, drawing his partner closer almost on reflex. He offered the Digimon a tired smile. "I know, you're right. It's just so frustrating, making no progress like this! I don't even know how long we've been here anymore…"

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Armadillomon said in his best attempt to comfort the boy. "We have made progress. I don't think anyone's ever tried to map out the Dark Ocean before."

"I just worry that I've found my own mental hole to lose myself in. I still believe this knowledge is important to help my friends. But what if, by the time I finally figure it all out, it's too late? While I'm wasting away in here, they might need me out there!"

He was starting to get worked up again… despite barely being able to keep his eyes open. He immediately moved to get back up, but Armadillomon pushed him back down with a surprising amount of force. Enough to surprise Cody, anyway, whose eyes flew back open, if only for a moment.

"You can't go on like this, Cody," he said more firmly. "You're only prolonging the job if you're not working at your best."

The wise words clashed oddly with the Southern twang, and for a second, Cody could only stare. It sounded like something he would have said, and he had to wonder if he'd also unknowingly been picking up traits from his partner. But only for a few seconds. Because that was the longest he could manage to concentrate on a single thought. And that realization alone was jarring enough for Cody to finally cede defeat.

"You're right," he said again, more softly. "I'm no good to anyone like this."

"Nothing a little sleep won't fix," Armadillomon responded in a gentler tone, backing off so Cody could stagger to his feet.

There was just one bed in the entirety of the Curiosity Shop and its warehouse—the one where they'd first found Izzy. Cody preferred to think of it like this rather than what it must have been before—Vademon's bed. That alone was enough to make him reluctant to rest here. But right now, he didn't have the energy to contemplate such things. No sooner had he laid his head down on the stiff pillow, he was out.

…

"Don't even think about it!"

Yolei's voice rung out through the high-ceilinged dining room, and all the motion ground to a halt. The little green Digimon bearing the full weight of her gaze slowly lowered his little nub-like hand—and the mound of mashed potatoes held aloft on it. For a few extra seconds, the silence continued to reign, but as Yolei picked her soup spoon back up and resumed her meal, the rest of the table relaxed. And the squabbling that had preceded this moment was forgotten entirely.

The Numemon had arrived the previous evening. They were messy guests, for sure. Sometimes she suspected they'd joined the group solely to indulge in the castle's lavish comforts. But then she'd remind herself how sad and pathetic this ragtag bunch had looked just 24 hours before. The Numemon had arrived on their doorstep after fleeing their previous home. They were certainly a rough, unsophisticated group—constantly shoving and throwing things at and shouting over each other. But Yolei had gotten the gist of it. The Digimon Emperor's lackeys had taken over that area as well and driven them from it, lest they face a worse fate.

But, though she'd had her early doubts, the Numemon tribe had settled into life here surprisingly well. They just needed a little… direction. And a lot had changed since Mimi's last visit.

Perhaps it was primarily the luxury of the castle that had attracted her at first too. (Once you factored out her lack of other options, that is.) Yolei had wanted the life of a princess but not the weight of the responsibility that came with supervising the castle. But slowly… as it became clear that all these new recruits would defer to her… Yolei's anxieties faded away. With Hawkmon at her side, she began to hold her head higher, give commands with more authority. She was a Digidestined, chosen to save this world from the evildoers terrorizing it. She had already rescued one lost soul. They could do this.

Hawkmon gave her an approving look from the seat beside her, and that helped to bolster her spirit as well. They had just settled down for the rest of their meal when the near-booming sound of the castle's heavy front door opening. They all jumped, and for just a second, Yolei froze. That familiar fear surged up from her stomach, paralyzing her muscles and making her heart race.

But then she looked around at the other faces at the table, each one equally shocked into stillness. These Digimon had already lost so much. The only reason this castle had become a safe haven in the first place was because she could protect them. And she would.

As quickly as she'd started to slip back under, Yolei recovered herself, standing up from the table decisively. In the silence of the room, no one had to struggle to hear her soft but authoritative voice.

"Everybody stay calm. It may be nothing; Hawkmon and I will scout it out. Just in case, I want you all to head down the back stairs to the dungeon. Rookies and In-Trainings first. If you hear a battle start, leave immediately and try to find a safe place in the country where you can stay hidden. We'll come find you when it's over. And if we don't… Just stay safe, okay?"

That last part sounded a little lame to her own ears, but the Digimon in her care didn't appear to lose faith in in her. They slid from their seats at once and began filing out of the room quietly but efficiently. Yolei herself turned to face the opposite door—the one that would take her down the hall to the front entrance.

Was this it? Had their enemies finally found them? She'd been relieved up until now—only having to experience a single battle—but now worried over her own lack of experience. Were they ready? Well. They had to be.

Digivice in hand, partner at her side, she rounded the last corner… and failed to stifle a gasp. But that was just fine. The girl leading the little party through the door raised one hand in happy salute, and Yolei surged forward and threw her arms around her. "Mimi!"

The older girl laughed, loudly and freely, returning her embrace easily. "It's good to see you, Yolei! You look good. Glad to see royal life is agreeing with you."

Yolei laughed too, surprised to realize that tears of happiness had sprung to her eyes. "I'm not sure how royal it's been. But yeah, we've been getting along just fine. What brings you back? Here to drop off more recruits?"

They broke apart, and she finally took a proper look at Mimi's companions. And then gasped again. "Oh!"

Aside from Palmon, there were just two other Digimon accompanying her this time. But what made her gasp was the sight of the undoubtedly human boy standing behind her. He towered over all of them and raised a hand in greeting with a somewhat awkward smile. "Uh, hello there."

Mimi's grin only grew wider, and there was a little bounce to her step as she moved closer to the boy, introducing him with a dramatic gesture. "This is Joe, one of my old friends. Oh, and his partner Gomamon. Joe, this is Yolei."

"It's nice to meet you," he replied politely, bowing his head ever so slightly.

She understood now how Mimi's mood seemed to have gotten even higher since their last meeting, despite her rougher lifestyle. Seeing the older boy made her ache for a glimpse of her own friends. She realized suddenly that he was still waiting for some sort of response from her, lost in her thoughts as she was. She quickly bowed to him as well—almost exaggerated in her haste. "Oh, yes! Nice to meet you too!"

At last, face angled towards the ground, her gaze fell on the last Digimon in their group. A week ago, she may have been creeped out by the bug creature—particularly seeing all its little legs moving as it scuttled closer—but she found that it didn't even phase her. "Oh! And who are you?"

The little green Digimon did his best approximation of a bow, tilting his head. "I am Wormmon. I'm pleased to meet you as well."

"Likewise. Have you come to join the resistance?"

"Not exactly," said Mimi with a conspiratorial little grin. "There isn't really an easy way to sum it all up, but a lot has happened since you got here, Yolei. A lot of your friends have made it to this world too, and they've been trying to figure out the mystery while you've been gone."

Joe took over when Mimi seemed to stall, unsure where to start. "Henry came and 'woke up' me the same way you brought Mimi back to her senses. And, though he stayed behind to follow up on his own ideas, Cody saved Izzy too. It's possible the others are already in place somewhere too, and we just haven't run into them yet. From what Henry told me, it sounds like everything was really coming together before he left. The big thing is that the Digimon Emperor—a boy named Ken Ichijouji back on Earth—was always meant to be a Digidestined, like us. But something corrupted him, and he's been corrupting all of us in return. Wormmon here is his partner."

It was a lot to take in but still, she could tell, just barely scratching the surface. Yolei didn't really know where to start. And as usual, her mouth got away from her before her mind could catch up. "Who's Henry?" she blurted out, followed just a second later by, "Wait, you mean the Ken Ichijouji?! Gorgeous child genius extraordinaire?"

Wormmon cocked his head to the side. "Gorgeous?"

Mimi took a step past her, that familiar self-assured smile in place. "Hey, is that dinner I smell? At least the Gekomon haven't been slacking! How 'bout we all go sit down and finish this conversation in there? I'm starving!"

Palmon and Joe shared a fond, if tired, smile, but no one was inclined to disagree. Yolei turned to follow… just in time to see one of the Otamamon peeking out from around the corner. At the sight of Mimi, he rushed out to greet her, followed by half a dozen of her other former subjects.

"The princess is here!"

"Princess Mimi!"

"Welcome back!"

She knelt down obligingly with open arms, laughing while they swarmed her. "You all look so good! Glad to see you've been hanging in there! Has Yolei been keeping you all in line?"

There were scattered muttered responses. Mostly a lot of silence. And in that silence, Yolei approached slowly, hands on her hips, a stern look on her face. "Yeah, guys, how's that retreat to the dungeons going?"

None of the Digimon who'd run out to greet Mimi would meet her eye, and for the handful who had actually come out of hiding, she was sure the majority of the others were still holed up in the dining room—maybe a few of the most obedient had actually made it to the back hallway.

Mimi just laughed freely again at their abashed expressions. There was nothing but pride in her eyes as she looked back up at her little protégé. "Well, there was no crisis this time. So how about we all go sit down and work out the details of our next mission? I'll need all of you at your best."

Yolei paused, her stern expression faltering in favor of a concerned one. "All of us? Are we relocating?"

Mimi's smile took on a devilish gleam. "Not quite. I think it's time we stop hiding. The Emperor's lair isn't that far from here. We're going to liberate his prison."

…

As much as she hated to admit it, Rika was hesitant about reentering the ether-realm they'd had to pass through to get here. The Digimon had tried to explain the Dark Ocean to her—that shadowy area that existed in the spaces around and the gaps between the bridge that connected the two worlds.

That bridge had fallen, Centarumon explained, when the Digidestined had lost themselves. These ruins where he resided were on the very outskirts of the Digital World. About the closest one could get to a front row seat to the happenings of the Dark Ocean without being consumed by the darkness themselves. He'd felt the bridge being slowly rebuilt as the new Chosen Ones had found their place in this world, righting the wronged legend. Best they'd been able to figure, Gennai also existed in this in-between category—not quite of this world but undeniably connected to it. Centarumon was confident that they would be guided in the right direction in the same way they'd miraculously arrived here. They were Chosen, after all. It was meant to be.

Rika wished she was so sure. In his typical fashion, Davis had accepted this explanation without question. But this had been her idea. She couldn't show weakness or doubt now. She just couldn't seem to forget the sensation of having her very being reconfigured.

Centarumon effortlessly directed them through his labyrinthine corridors until they stood before the entrance to the Dark Ocean. It did nothing to soothe her unease. The beige bricks appeared to literally drop off into nothingness.

"What keeps it from taking over everything?" she asked in as steady a voice as possible. Her eyes had been glued to the edges of the darkness, expecting to see it creeping ever closer. But no matter how long she stared, those edges remained surprisingly stable.

Centarumon cocked his head ever so slightly, but it was enough to give that glowing red eye a quizzical appearance. "Even darkness has its boundaries."

"Great! Let's get going, then!" And there was Davis, always so confident. It was starting to be equally unnerving, how much she'd begun to resent that. Lingering on this kept her thoughts occupied as they finally stepped past that boundary and left the safety of Centarumon's lair behind.

Everything came so easily to Davis… Even with the responsibility of this 'legend' now being rightfully his as well, it was hardly weighing him down at all. It had yet to ask anything drastic of him.

Cloaked by the dim light, Rika slowly turned over the Digivice in her hand, glancing at something only Renamon had ever seen. There, stuck to the side that was usually held against her palm, was a small rectangular object inscribed with what was unmistakably meant to be a heart. A 'crest,' she knew it to be called now.

"In some ways, Love is the strongest of all. And that can make it the hardest to activate. Because it can't just be about you. Depending on the situation, Love demands an understanding and mastery of all the other virtues too."

All of Sora's advice had been so cryptic. And communicated in that almost motherly tone that made Rika's blood boil for reasons she didn't want to analyze too closely. That particular brand of sympathy always felt so condescending to her. Like Sora was simultaneously dumping all this responsibility on her and holding half of the information back. Saying she trusted her, but whispering that she couldn't handle it.

Certain things had begun to piece themselves together since Davis showed up with his friends' theories. If all the crests were being passed down, she had a better idea of what exactly the older girl had entrusted to her. But for the most part, it still felt like a bad joke.

Ten options and she got the crest of Love? She couldn't have gotten Bravery or Resilience or literally anything else? These match-ups were supposed to have been chosen specially for each person's greatest inner strength, but Rika had her suspicions that she'd just gotten the one left over.

Because… It was just…

She wasn't Sora.

A grimace had worked its way across her face as she tried to puzzle through these doubts and emotions. Thankfully, Davis remained oblivious, and Renamon could tell it wasn't the time to interrupt her. As her mind continued to race, a measure of clarity finally began to illuminate some of those murkier thoughts.

Even up until a few minutes ago, Rika would have claimed that she hardly knew Sora Takenouchi. (Hell, before joining up with Davis, the mysterious older girl hadn't even had a name.) But now she realized that she knew enough. Sora's interactions with her had been cryptic, but caring. That 'motherly' aura of hers had easily bridged the distance between them. Rika knew, without a doubt, that Sora was the type to look after everyone around her. She was self-sacrificing. Easily handing over her greatest source of power if that was what needed to be done to help her friends.

Rika pressed the Digivice tightly to the side of her leg, not even sure what she was trying to hide anymore. She was nothing like Sora. She wasn't made for all this looking after others, babysitting the daftest optimist in history crap. Rika had been perfectly happy with the dirtier job of defending the city from rogue monsters. It had gotten a little taxing without help, but only because the area was so spread out. That was the only reason she'd ever lamented the boys' incompetence. The battles themselves had been easy—even if she had yet to guide Renamon to Digivolution.

Until recently, the way their strength had plateaued had been her greatest frustration. The crest would have seemed like a great opportunity, under other circumstances.

"Eugh! This place is so creepy!" Veemon's shudder broke the silence they'd been traveling in. Taking a better look around, she was surprised it had taken this long. The entrance to Centarumon's lair was long gone. They were bathed in almost total darkness. Some sort of bubble seemed to have formed around them, allowing them to see each other, though it could hardly be considered real light. There was a pervasive chill that almost caused her to shudder as well. She felt like their footsteps should have been echoing ominously, but all was silent. Even Veemon's words, spoken just moments ago, seemed to have been swallowed up into the void just seconds after they'd left his mouth. It felt like it could have been hours since anyone had said anything.

It was unnerving. No wonder even Renamon had seemed almost squeamish about this place. Davis, leading the party, looked a little hunched over, straining to see further ahead.

"It is a necessary existence," Renamon answered after what felt like an eternity. "Can you imagine what our world would look like if all this darkness didn't have somewhere to go?"

They fell into silence again. But not for long. Her silence finally seemed to bother Davis. He glanced back to see she was still lost in thought. "So, uh, what do you think this Gennai guy will be like? When we find him?"

She shrugged without even looking up, muttering, "If we find him."

It was her cynicism on autopilot, but it brought some of the fire back to her companion's eyes. He held aloft his new Digivice triumphantly. Sure enough, it was producing light… Though the glow appeared much fainter in this atmosphere. As he slowly moved his arm out in another direction, she could see that glow fade drastically. He grinned at the sight of what was clearly proof they were heading in the right direction—they had been told their Digivices would guide them—but Rika's thoughts were racing again.

There was still some mystery regarding Sora—she could feel it just out of reach. She tried to mentally organize everything she knew about the older girl… and when she reached her conclusion, it felt so obvious.

Sora was the type to do whatever it took to help her friends. So if their best bet was this new generation of Digidestined, why had she spent so little time actually mentoring Rika? Sora didn't seem like the type to favor a sink-or-swim approach to teaching. And, as she thought back to that mysterious computer program that had brought them here, their connection had remained unbroken this entire time. If whatever evil they were facing had known to look for Sora, they would have found the gateway—and Rika and Renamon—a long time ago. She hadn't been on the run from anything. So what had kept their visits so brief?

There was only one answer. One of those friends must have been in more immediate danger here.

"Rika." Renamon's voice brought them all back together in the present. "Careful. We don't want to get separated."

She realized suddenly that she had stopped. Oblivious, Davis and Veemon had continued on. Just those extra few feet apart was enough for the darkness to close in. Already, they were looking a little hazy. The two boys hurried to close the distance back up again.

"What's wrong?" Veemon asked. "Why'd you stop?"

"Do you still think we're going the wrong way?" Davis asked, the first hint of impatience entering his voice. But it calmed once he saw the faraway look on her face.

"Not if you're looking for Gennai…" she answered slowly.

Davis and Veemon glanced at each other and then back to Rika. "Uh… yeah. So?"

"So what if we… shouldn't be? What if we're needed more somewhere else?" She frowned, staring off into the gloom, trying to gather her thoughts. She had to resist the urge to bite her bottom lip—an old habit her mother had diligently schooled out of her. "I know I haven't given you any reason to trust me or want to do me any favors…"

Davis cocked his head to the side, one eyebrow raised, that dopey grin still in place. It was clear immediately that he couldn't even begin to fathom her insecurities. "What are you talking about? We're friends, aren't we? Friends help each other out."

She nodded slowly. He was still a little irritating, but she was starting to find his simple nature almost… endearing. She held out her own Digivice off towards the darkness, waiting until she found a direction that killed the guiding glow entirely.

"I know Sora's out here somewhere too. And I feel like she probably needs our help."

She didn't think she'd be able to lay out all her recent revelations in a way that made sense to Davis. Thankfully, he didn't ask how she could possibly know this. Just nodded and effortlessly changed course.

"Okay. We'd better head there first then. Lead the way."

…

"How much longer, Takatomon? I don't like it here."

He shivered in agreement. Guilmon was walking so close that they kept bumping into each other, but he didn't really mind. Somehow, standing atop that mountain with his new friend, enveloped by that brilliant light… This hadn't really been the outcome he'd expected.

Kari had taken the lead here too, and she glanced back apologetically. "It does seem a little worse than I remember."

"I think it's reverting back to its original state," Gatomon posited from her spot beside Kari. Despite the gloom around them, she still stood tall. "The Dark Ocean was never meant to be used as a gateway between the worlds. I believe it changed to accommodate all of you. Like the prophecy changed."

"Or maybe there was just room for a little light here," Kari suggested. "Once Ken started bringing some of the darkness over to the Digital World."

"Yeah, maybe," Gatomon agreed.

"You two don't seem concerned…" Takato commented.

"The journey gets easier after you've made it a few times," Kari assured him. "And it helps when you've got an idea where you're going."

"Oh. …And where are we going? Exactly?" Everything about the boy still held an air of nervousness. It had not escaped his notice that the darkness around them seemed to be growing thicker. A protective bubble of light had formed around them the moment they'd stepped into this strange realm—stemming entirely from Kari, he was sure. But the murky haze around them had begun to more closely resemble a solid wall.

Kari smiled again, and the sight did help to ease some of his worries. "Wherever we're needed most."

No sooner had she spoken than the darkness came to an abrupt end. Like stepping off the edge of a cliff, they were suddenly enveloped in a blinding light. And in that light, Takato knew. They had arrived.

…

When Cody woke back up, the change was immediate. He felt as if he'd rested for years rather than hours and was ready to get back to work. There was just one problem…

Cody got out of bed, glancing around. And then taking a second look. And then thoroughly searching the entire Curiosity Shop. Armadillomon was nowhere to be found.

He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Even though his partner had hardly left his side for a second since they'd met. He backtracked and pulled out his Digivice—the physical evidence of their connection. It took him no time at all to find the tracking function. He located his own position and then began making his way towards the glowing dot on the map. And it took him to the absolute last place he would have checked.

Cody found his partner at the boundary, standing at the very edge—where the Curiosity Shop met the Dark Ocean. Armadillomon hated this place. He often seemed reluctant to even accompany Cody when his research became a little more hands-on. But now the Digimon was standing right on the precipice, staring out into the darkness with something akin to awe on his face.

"Oh. There you are." His partner didn't react. "What's going on? Armadillomon?"

"Somethin's changed."

"What?"

"Out there. Something out in the Dark Ocean has shifted. I can feel it."

Cody wasn't sure if it was the words or the tone that sent a chill down his spine. But one thing was clear. "We'd better check it out. Let's go."

Review please!

I don't own Digimon.

All that and I didn't even touch on the last chapter's Gennai cliffhanger… Oops. ^^' As for what this chapter did cover… I've always loved Rika's character. This chapter was very in her head. I'm curious to see how that goes over with everyone else. She really hasn't gotten to have much of the spotlight yet. But it's coming. Her and Takato both. They still feel the most neglected at this point.