Meanwhile, at Izzy's office, Sora was comforting Kari, who remained nervous, while Matt, Mimi, and TK were eyeing the television.
"They're taking forever. How long do they plan on making us wait," Matt asked.
"Easy there, Matt. I'm sure everything is okay," Sora said.
As soon as she said that, something came out of the television. Matt, Sora, Mimi, and TK braced themselves for what may happen. What came out of the TV surprised them.
"Hey, we made it back," I said, surprised.
"Ugh, it's finally over," Izzy said, groggily.
"Tai, Izzy, you're here," Sora said, relieved.
"Took you guys long enough," Matt replied.
"Weren't you the one who kept worrying about them," TK questioned.
"Matt might act like a tough guy, but he's such a cute little softie," Mimi teased.
"Can it, you two," Matt said.
"Tai," Kari said, standing up.
"Hey, Kari, what's wrong," I asked.
"Tai," Kari shouted, running towards me and crying while clutching at my chest.
"What? What happened? Who made you cry," I asked.
"You did, you idiot," TK answered.
"Me? What did I do," I asked.
"The rope snapped as soon as you two entered the TV," Mimi explained.
"Kari became a nervous wreck soon after," Sora continued. "She was barely functioning before you showed up."
"You stupid jerk. I thought I lost you again. Stop scaring me like that. I hate you," Kari cried.
"It's okay; I'm here now," I replied. "Hey, didn't something like this happen already?"
Matt punched me in the face.
"Ow, what was that for," I asked Matt.
"We were all worried sick, yet you came back like nothing happened," Matt explained. "At least, read the atmosphere before running your mouth like that."
"Hey, it's not like Izzy and I wanted to scare you guys," I responded. "Right, Izzy? Izzy?"
Izzy collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.
"Izzy," I shouted, checking up on him.
"Izzy, are you okay," Mimi said, running towards him.
"Right; that bear said he'll need some rest to regain his strength after all that," I said.
"Tai, what's going on? What happened while you were inside," Sora asked.
"I wish I could tell you, but I don't know if you'll believe me," I answered.
"Hey, we've been to the Digital World, fought various kinds of Digimon, and saved the world on multiple occasions," TK said. "I don't think anything is going to surprise us."
"Okay, I'll tell you guys about it after Izzy recovers," I said. "There's a lot for both of us to unpack, and I think it's best if we gave our version of the story together, in case we miss anything. Can you guys wait until then?"
"If that's what you want, I won't argue against it," Matt said.
"Taking care of Izzy comes first," Sora said. "We'll listen to your explanation afterwards."
"You better keep your word, you hear," Mimi said.
"I understand. For now, let's get Izzy home," I said.
Matt and I helped Izzy to the couch as Sora called for car service to bring him back home.
Episode 4
Once again, I was back to the familiar room where the same two people waited for me.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor said. "Do not be alarmed; you are fast asleep in the Real World. I have summoned you from within your dreams."
"Because of the bond that you formed, you have unlocked the Hermit Arcana," Margaret said. "Right side up, it represents wisdom, inner guidance, and self-discovery. Upside down, it represents isolation, loneliness, and the struggle to find your inner self."
"The power that you possess will only become stronger when more bonds are forged. In addition to watching over your destiny, we are here to help nurture those bonds. I cannot wait to see what additional powers you will obtain. Well then, until we meet again."
A few days have passed since Izzy was bedridden. I was outside running my last lap around the track. Once I was done, I quickly went through my bag for a bottle of water. The rest of the soccer team collapsed on the track when they finished their laps.
"You kids are pathetic," the soccer coach said. "I've trained cows that can run faster than you punks. Seriously, your previous coach was too lax on you guys. You need more stamina and muscle if you want to participate in the nationals."
"W-We're just high school students, not professionals," one soccer member said, gasping for air.
"W-We just want to have fun playing," another student complained.
"Well, playtime's over," the coach said. "I'll let you maggots off the hook for now, but be prepared for a more rigorous schedule tomorrow."
"Yes, coach," everyone said as he walked away.
"Oh man, how long are we going to keep doing these strenuous exercises," a player asked.
"Even since the new coach arrived, my legs feel like jelly," another player said.
"I miss the old coach. He'd let us have mock battles, but now, all we do are drills, drills, and more drills. It's exhausting," a third player complained.
"Hey, you can't argue that his methods aren't working," I said. "In fact, it just proves how much we need to grow as individuals and a team."
"Yeah, but I don't even think Olympians train like this," a player said.
"Everything stings. I just want to lie down on a bed right now," another player complained.
"Hey, Tai," Kari said, walking up to me.
"Kari, what are you doing here," I asked.
"I just wanted to check in on you."
"You know, I appreciate your concern, but you've been doing that for the past few days."
"You don't like my company?"
"No, it's not that. Listen, if you're worried because of what happened the other day, I'm fine. At least, I'm not tired and gasping for air like the guys over the-"
"Alright, I'm ready to do ten more laps," one of the players said.
"Just ten? I can do fifteen," another player shouted.
"You guys are such wimps. I can easily do another twenty," a third player told them.
"Wait, weren't you just comp-," I started.
"Hey, Tai, hurry up and start running," a player said. "You're the team captain, so you have to set an example by running first."
"Yeah, what he said," another player shouted.
"What does that have to do with-," I said.
"Sorry, but my brother is busy today. However, if one of you is able to run fifty extra laps and prove it, I'll give you a-re-ward," Kari said.
As soon as she said that, all the boys started running on the track.
"You're pretty evil, you know that," I said to Kari.
Kari smiled. My phone vibrated. I checked to see what it was.
"Oh, Izzy just texted me," I said. "He said he's okay now and can discuss what happened inside the television."
"Really? That's great," Kari replied. "We should celebrate. Let's grab some light snacks and a couple of drinks on our way there."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm pretty sure Izzy's texted everyone, but I'll text to everyone else, just in case. Now that I think about it, we don't really have a group chat set up yet."
"Can't you just download an app or something? It's been the fad lately in our school."
"Really? Maybe you can suggest something for us. I can also ask Izzy if he can create something that only we can use. In any case, let's go visit him."
Matt, Sora, Mimi, TK, Kari, and I headed over to Izzy's office, where he was waiting for us.
"Izzy, we're here," I said, as the team headed inside.
"Great, glad you can make it," Izzy replied.
"Are you sure you're alright," Sora asked. "Shouldn't you be resting instead of working on your computer?"
"I understand, but there's just so much on my mind that I had to put it all somewhere," Izzy explained. "Ever since going through the TV World, I felt like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."
"So, what happened back there," TK asked.
"You called it the 'TV World.' Does that mean it wasn't the Digital World," Mimi questioned.
"No, it wasn't," I replied. "As proof, Izzy couldn't use any of his applications meant for the Digital World."
"That's crazy – a whole new world," Sora said.
"It makes you wonder if there are other worlds out there, besides the Digital World and this new TV World," Kari replied.
"Did you see any Digimon there," TK asked.
"Or those weird mouth things that attacked us," Matt questioned.
"Well, we did see a talking bear," I replied.
"A talking bear," Mimi asked. "That sounds so cute!"
"You sure it wasn't a Digimon," TK inquired.
"Well, he didn't know what a Digimon was, and he seemed like a nice guy, so I believed him," I answered.
"Or you're just too friendly for your own good," Matt said.
"We also fought another fused Digimon," I added
"Was that the reason Izzy became bedridden these past few days," Sora asked.
"According to the bear – what was his name again? Teddie? – he said that his world, the TV World, is not meant for people like us, claiming that the fog there is not suitable for us to be in," Izzy explained.
"There's a good chance that the fog in the TV World is the same ones that appeared in Tokyo," I added.
"Indeed. According to the talking bear, the only things that are in the TV World are him and the Shadows, which is what he called those things that attacked us at the shopping district," Izzy continued. "If what he says is true, then it's possible that the TV World fog leaked out to our world, which would explain how those Shadows managed to appear and disappear."
"That explains where they came from, but then how did they enter the Digital World when Tai saw the Midnight Channel," Matt asked.
"Remember the distortions that appeared during the fight at the shopping district," Izzy said. "There's a good chance that the fog may have leaked through the distortions and into the Digital World, which could explain how several of those shadows manage to appear in the Digital World."
"That's freaky," Mimi said.
"It finally feels like we're putting all the pieces together," Sora said. "It pains me that the cost of getting all this information was your health. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."
"Don't mention it," Izzy said.
"Now the next course of action is to stop those Shadows from invading our world," Matt said.
"Wait a second," Kari pondered. "On the day you guys went out to investigate, there was a light fog after the rain. What if that's the condition needed for the heavier TV World fog to come here?"
"It's also possible that someone is causing the thick fog to leak out from the TV World to make it seem like a natural phenomenon from the rainfall, like air coming out of a balloon," Sora added.
"If that's true, we need to take out the perpetrator who's forcing the fog to come into our world," TK said.
"Yeah, but if there is one, we wouldn't know where to look," Mimi stated. "There hasn't been an incident yet since Odaiba, so the person could have left after making that entire ruckus."
"There's also the possibility that it's not even a person," Matt said. "It could be a Digimon, a Shadow, a Fused Digimon – anything, really."
"We've done what we can for now," Izzy said. "I'll try and dig for more information, but, for now, I think we've covered a lot of ground."
"Don't overwork yourself, okay," Sora told Izzy.
"Don't worry about me; I'll be okay," Izzy replied.
"That reminds me. I don't think we have one yet, but how about setting up a group chat," I asked. "That way, we can communicate with each other via text instead of individual phone calls, should we need to get in contact with each other immediately."
"We could also use it to gather any new information that we want to relay to everyone," Matt added.
"I'm okay with that," Sora said.
"I know," Mimi said. "I'm already using an app with another group of friends that I have. It's got lots of cute stickers, and the default avatars are adorable."
"That sounds pretty nice," Kari said.
"Yeah, count me out. I don't do cute things," Matt said.
"It's like any other instant messaging app," Mimi explained. "The cute features are a bonus."
"I don't see the harm in trying it," I said. "What's the apps name so we can download it?"
"Here, let me show you," Mimi replied.
Mimi informed us of the app to download as we played around with its feature on our phones.
Later that night, I sat down on the couch, staring at the blank television screen.
"So, this is what you've been doing every night, huh," Kari said, walking up to me and sitting next to me.
"Why are you still awake," I asked. "Don't you need your beauty sleep, as you normally would say?"
"You're waiting for the Midnight Channel, right? Izzy was talking about it when he called me that day. I heard some rumors about it in school, but I didn't think it was real."
"That's what I thought too, until I saw it."
"I've never seen it before, so I'm a bit curious."
"It's nothing much. It's almost midnight. Let's see what happens."
Soon, the clock struck midnight. Kari and I wanted for something to happen. After about a minute passed, nothing happened.
"So, I guess it wasn't on today," I replied.
"Bummer," Kari said. "I kind of wanted to see it."
"I'll ask the group if they saw anything. I might as well test the instant messaging app Mimi recommended."
I typed my question to the group chat.
"Of course, there's nothing on today," Sora typed.
"Huh? What do you mean," I wrote down.
"You mean, you don't know," Matt asked.
"It only comes on during rainy nights. It doesn't appear on clear nights," Izzy texted.
"Have you been staying up the last few days looking at the TV," Mimi asked.
"No," I quickly replied.
"Liar," Sora texted, with an emoji.
"What an idiot," TK sent.
"I stayed up for no reason," Kari said to me. "You're so dumb. I'm going to bed."
"Hey, at least call me dedicated," I responded.
"Stop texting already. I keep getting notifications, and the phone keeps jingling," Matt typed.
"Blame Tai for acting foolish," Mimi wrote down.
"My bad," I sent.
"Stop texting," Matt replied.
"Good night, everyone. See you at school tomorrow," Sora typed.
Mimi finished the conversation with a cute emoji.
The next day, as I walked to school, I saw Yolei standing in front of the school with a flower bouquet in hand.
"Hey, Yolei, what's with the flowers," I asked.
"Oh, Kamiya-san, good morning," Yolei said. "These are for Izzy. He's been away from school these past few days, so I wanted to celebrate his return."
"Right, you recently joined the Computer Club. It must be weird to spend your first days there without the president. You must be really happy that he's returning."
"Well, he's done so much for our team, Digimon related or not. We can talk to him about anything, and he gives us sound advice."
"You respect him a lot, don't you?"
"I do. We all do. Oh, I'm so sorry. That's not to say that you and the other DigiDestined didn't help us. After all, it was your idea to have TK and Kari represent you guys during our adventures. I think, without them, we would have been more lost than we are now."
"Sure, I suggested they come, but I didn't really do anything. It's because you trusted with each other, from TK and Kari, to Izzy and the rest of us. Speaking of which…."
"Good morning, you two. What are you guys doing out here," Izzy asked.
"Oh, Izzy, good morning," Yolei said. "Here, these are for you, to celebrate your return."
"Oh wow, these are great. Thank you."
"Don't mention it. It's a token of my thanks for all you have done for us."
"These flowers… they represent gratitude and friendship in flower language. You must have done your research. I'm thankful."
"It's nothing."
"I guess I'm the third wheel here. I'm going to go ahead and…," I said.
"Wait, Tai," Izzy said, bringing me closer to him. "Don't forgot to watch the TV. The weather said there's a good chance it might rain tonight."
"Got it."
As Izzy stated, it was pouring outside as the clock approached midnight. I was staring at the television when Kari came out of her room and sat next to me.
"You seem happy," I said to her.
"Well, I know for sure that the Midnight Channel is going to appear, unlike some uninformed brother of mine," Kari replied.
"That's harsh."
Soon, the clock struck midnight. A few seconds later, a yellow screen appeared, revealing the same world that appeared last time.
"So, this is what it looks like," Kari said. "That's pretty cool."
As the monsters of that world interacted with each other, distortions appeared in the sky. One of the monsters, a small bird-like creature, flew up towards the distortions. The feed disappeared soon after. I could have sworn that bird looked familiar.
"That was it," Kari asked. "That was rather uneventful."
"What were you expecting," I asked.
"I don't know, something with a little more impact, I guess."
"What did you see?"
"Huh? Why are you asking me? We saw the exact same thing."
"I'm just curious, that's all."
"I just saw a bunch of cute things doing cute stuff. At least, I hope they're cute, but I can't tell since the screen was all yellow."
"Was that it? Was there anything else that you saw?"
"No, not really. I was honestly expecting more, though."
"I guess different people see different things."
"What's that, Tai?"
"No, nothing. Come on, let's go to bed."
"Alright."
The next morning, I was at school, looking up and staring into space.
"What are you doing," Matt said, walking towards me. "You're going to fall on your head, sitting in your chair like that. You don't have that many brain cells to begin with, so try not to lose them all at once."
"Do you always greet people with an insult," I asked.
"Only to you."
"Jerk. Anyway, did you see the Midnight Channel?"
"I did. So, those creatures last night were Digimon, right? I can see them looking like Digimon, but it was so hard to tell with the heavy yellow saturation. Was it like that the first time it happened?"
"You really didn't see it the first time, huh?"
"Drop it. I mean, I saw the Digimon, but that was it. I couldn't make out what they are."
"So, you saw the same thing Kari did."
"What? Are you trying to tell me you saw something else?"
"Well, actually, I…."
"Matt, Tai, thank goodness you're both here," Sora said, rushing towards us.
"What's wrong," I asked.
"Why are you so upset," Matt questioned.
"Did you guys see the Midnight Channel," Sora inquired.
"Yeah, we were just talking about it," Matt said. "What about it?"
"Did you guys see Biyomon?"
"Biyomon?"
"So, you saw her, too," I said.
"Oh, good, I wasn't seeing things," Sora exhaled.
"Biyomon was on TV? I never noticed," Matt said.
"What did you see Biyomon do, Sora," I asked.
"Well, remember when Izzy shows us the distortions that appeared on the Digital World when the Midnight Channel was happening," Sora explained. "I think I saw one of the distortions appear, and Biyomon went through it."
"She went inside the distortion," Matt repeated. "So, she's somewhere out in the Real World?"
"Or maybe, she's with those Shadow things," Tai said.
"You mean, the TV World," Matt questioned.
"I tried calling out Biyomon from my Digivice, but she didn't appear," Sora said, concerned. "I'm really worried. I don't know what I'd do if she is in the TV World and those Shadow creatures attack her."
"Let's meet up with Izzy and everyone else to discuss our next course of action," I replied.
"Good point," Matt agreed. "If the others saw the same thing you two saw, then there is a chance that Biyomon might be out there somewhere."
"I hope she's okay," Sora said.
During lunch break, I asked Mimi and Izzy if they could meet up in our classroom after school to talk about the Midnight Channel. When classes were finally over, both of them congregated at my desk.
"So, you saw Biyomon," Mimi said. "I admit, I don't remember seeing her when I watched it."
"Funnily enough, I did see something that looked like Biyomon when I was watching it, but I wasn't able to properly confirm it," Izzy replied. "If you two believe that you saw her, then I think it must be her."
"Okay, but that's a bit weird, don't you think," Matt questioned. "Why couldn't Mimi and I tell that was Biyomon, but you three were able to?"
"I don't know, but Kari was watching the Midnight Channel with me last night, and she never noticed Biyomon," I stated.
"Maybe certain conditions have to be met to see more of the Midnight Channel," Mimi said. "Like, Biyomon is your partner, Sora; that's why you can see her."
"Then, how did Tai and Izzy see her," Matt asked.
"Maybe it's because of those powers that we have," Izzy answered.
"Powers," Sora repeated. "You mean, like, when Tai was able to call out Agumon?"
"Exactly," Izzy replied. "Perhaps the conditions are whether or not the Digimon shown in the Midnight Channel are our partners or if we are able to have access to these powers in order to view the Midnight Channel more clearly."
"Wait, you said you were able see Biyomon, too," Matt inquired. "Does that mean you have access to those powers? Were you able to call out Tentotmon?"
"That's amazing," Mimi said. "How did you do it?"
"Well… I… um…," Izzy stuttered, trying to find the right words to say.
"When Izzy and I were in the TV World, we saw…," I started explaining.
"H-Hey, here's an idea," Izzy quickly said, cutting me off. "Why don't we check out the Odaiba shopping district again, like we did last time? The fog is supposed to settle in later tonight, so there's a chance the distortions might appear again. If that happens, we may have a clue as to where Biyomon is."
"I don't know," Mimi said. "I'm a little scared after what happened last time."
"Well, now that we know what to expect, we'll be more prepared to deal with whatever comes our way," Izzy said.
"Right," I said. "With Agumon and Tentomon on our side, we might be able to get one step closer to the truth of all this."
"Should we invite TK and Kari over this time," Matt asked.
"We might as well, since they already know about it," I replied. "I felt bad leaving Kari out in the dark last time, so we might as well bring her and TK with us."
"Should we meet up at your place again, Izzy," Mimi asked.
"Yeah, let's keep our routine, so that everyone will be safe," Izzy replied.
"Don't worry, Sora; we'll find Biyomon," I told her.
"Okay, I trust you, Tai," Sora responded.
Later that night, the seven of us hid around the corner of one of the electronic stores. Every now and again, I would look around to see if anything suspicious was happening.
"Tai, it's not midnight, yet," Izzy said. "There's no need to look around."
"Yeah, but you never know what's going to happen," I replied.
"So, this is what you guys did that night," Kari said. "My heart is pounding wondering what might happen at midnight."
"Well, if something does happen, I hope it happens soon," TK replied. "To be honest, I'm getting a little bored waiting around like this."
"See, I told you we should've brought a deck of cards with us," Mimi said.
"Mimi, we're not here to play games," Sora said. "Try to focus on the task at hand. And Matt, why did you bring golf clubs and wrenches with you? You look like you're going to rob a store. You're going to make us look like we're going to rob a store."
"Hey, Tai and Izzy have Agumon and Tentomon to protect them, but we don't," Matt explained. "So, I brought something for each of us so we can defend ourselves in case those things appear."
"Yeah, but when the video cameras see us, everyone's going to see a bunch of kids waving around those things in the middle of the night," Sora replied. "They'll think we caused those riots. Either put those away, or give them to me."
"Wow, Sora's motherly instincts are on point today," I said.
"And you, Tai, listen to Izzy, and stop wasting your energy like that. You're going to get tired the moment we need you the most," Sora continued.
"Yes, mom."
"Will you guys keep it down? It's almost midnight," Izzy said.
The seven of us huddled together to protect ourselves. As soon as it was midnight, everyone looked around the corner to see what was happening. After a few seconds, nothing happened.
"Nothing so far," I said.
Suddenly, the televisions in the electronic store started to turn on. This time, the image was crystal clear, without any yellow filter. We quickly ran up to one of the electronic stores and peered through the caution tape. The TV revealed a dance floor of what looked like a night club. There were flashing colored lights and a light up dance floor. The person dancing was none other than Sora, who was wearing LED headphones, a revealing tube top, and loose short shorts. She was moving around in a scandalous manner and teased revealing various parts of her body. We turned to Sora, who was stunned silent watching the whole thing.
"Hello, boys. Do you like what you see," Sora said on TV while posing seductively.
Enraged, Sora tore through the caution tape and reached out to the TV. Unbeknownst to her, her hand went through the television, and she was sucked inside.
"Sora," Mimi screamed.
"But how," Izzy said. "I thought you needed to have those powers in order to go through the TV."
"No time to talk; let's go after her," I said, heading inside the TV.
"But, Tai, we don't even know where it goes," Izzy said, who grabbed my ankle as I went deeper into the TV.
"Wait, let me come with you," Matt said.
Izzy and I already went through the TV when Matt tried to enter. When his hand wasn't able to pass through the television screen, Matt banged on the television screen several times.
"The TV program stopped," Kari said, looking at the other televisions.
"Come on, why is it not working," Matt said, continuously pounding on the TV.
"Matt, stop, you're going to break it," TK said.
"But," Matt said.
"Don't worry, Izzy and Matt will save Sora," Mimi said.
"Yeah, but who was that on TV," TK asked. "Was it really Sora?"
"It did look like her, but I can't imagine her wearing that or moving around like that," Kari said.
"Yeah, and if it was her, I want to ask where she got her clothes so I could buy some for myself," Mimi stated.
"Mimi," Kari sighed.
"Again, I couldn't do anything again," Matt mumbled to himself.
"Matt," TK said, looking on at him.
Meanwhile, Izzy and I fell through a liquor store and into some boxes.
"Ow, now where are we," I asked.
"I think we're in some sort of liquor shop," Izzy said.
"Anyway, let's try and find Sora."
"Right."
The two of us left the store and looked around the area.
"Hey, is this really the Odaiba shopping district," I asked. "Something about it feels weird."
"It's not. Look at that store over there," Izzy said. "It says 'Shimbashi Pharmacy.'"
"Wait, so we're in Shimbashi? How? We're not even close to that district."
"This is why I told you not to jump inside like that. There's still so much we don't understand about this world. I mean, I guess we now know that different TVs send you to different places."
"Hey, it's you guys again," Teddie said, walking up to us. "Why'd you guys came back here?"
"Teddie, perfect timing," I said. "Listen, have you seen this girl? Her name's Sora."
I showed Teddie a picture of her on my phone.
"Huh? I don't know who this 'Sora' person is, but I did sense that someone did drop in here not too long ago," Teddie replied. "I was just about to head over there to see what was going on."
"Great, can you take us with you," I asked.
"Tai, I know you're concerned, but you need to calm down," Izzy said.
"Sora could be in danger right now. She's never been here before, so she doesn't know her way around here. If we don't hurry, she could be dead, or worse."
"Tai!"
Izzy grabbed my arms intensely, which snapped me out of it.
"Look, I want to save Sora as much as you do, but if we don't come up with a plan and rush in head-on, we could end up dead, or worse," Izzy explained. "If the two of us go down, who is going to save Sora? And if the heavy fog appears in Odaiba again, and the Shadows arrive to our world and start attacking everything, who's going to save Matt and the others? Right now, there's two of us here and no one in the Real World, and there's not a TV in sight that can take us back to the shopping district safely and accurately. At this point, we can't afford to act first and think later. Lives are at stake, and not just anybody's lives, our friend's lives. So, please, try to relax and think with a cooler head on your shoulders. We can't afford to make a single mistake."
I could feel Izzy's hands trembling as he was grabbing my arms.
"You're right; you're absolutely right," I replied. "I'm sorry, Izzy. I only thought about myself and what I felt was right. I didn't once consider your feelings or everyone else's feelings when I rushed in here like that. I'm such a fool. I fail as a leader."
"Hey, this isn't the first time you've done something like this, and I bet everything on my computer that it won't be the last time," Izzy answered.
"That's harsh, coming from you. I needed that pep talk, though. Thanks, Izzy."
"Don't mention it, and don't be so hard on yourself. You may be our leader, but we are all your friends. When times are tough, you should lean on us. We're here to support you and give you strength whenever you need it."
"Man, this feels weird. I haven't been talked down like this in a while."
"It's a recurring thing. We're all used to it."
"It's hard to see your own faults with your own eyes, which is why we need someone to be those extra set of eyes to see what we cannot see in ourselves, good and bad. Maybe that's what those Shadow things really are – a reflection of something that we don't want to recognize in ourselves, so we need someone else to help us realize that."
"Hmm, I never really thought of it that way. For someone who isn't that smart, you say some pretty intelligent things."
"Watch it, you."
"Speaking of which, that girl on the screen…."
"Yeah, that was definitely Sora's Shadow, the same way your Shadow appeared when we were at the ruined Odaiba shopping district. Teddie, you said you can sense that someone is here, right? Can you take us with you?"
"Of course, I can. Doubly so, if she's your friend," Teddie replied.
"Great, but we want to stay close to you as much as possible," Izzy replied. "With this fog, I don't know if we can see you if you walk too far away from us."
"Oh, now that I think about it, I never gave you one of these."
Teddie reached down to his sides to provide us with some accessories. One was a pair of blue goggles with orange-tinted lenses. The other was a thin, bottom semi-rimmed framed, rectangular, purple glasses. Both have SMPTE color bands on the sides of the frames.
"Glasses and goggles," Izzy questioned.
"Oh, wow, you can see through the fog clear as day," I said, putting on the goggles.
"You put those on without even thinking?"
"Hey, Teddie was the one who gave it to us, and I trust him."
"I'm also the one who made them," Teddie said, feeling proud of himself.
"Amazing, you really can see through the fog just by wearing these glasses," Izzy said. "The craftsmanship is outstanding. I'm curious. What did you use to make them?"
"That's a trade secret."
"Come on, you can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone else."
"Izzy," I said.
"Right, right, Sora comes first," Izzy said.
"Okay, Teddie, take us to Sora," I said.
"You got it," Teddie replied. "Okay, follow the bear."
*To Be Continued*