A week came and went, and every trip to the Digital World had involved having to fight an infected Digimon. Their travel progress had been terribly slow as a result, but it pushed Mirai to conduct more research, which meant, of course, pushing through the rest of the Digimon Adventure anime.

"Yo!" Taki greeted from his seat Monday morning. "You're here late."

His smile fell as Mirai barely acknowledged him, instead scooting into her seat, staring straight ahead. Her eyes were a little puffy, as though she had maybe been crying a lot the night before.

"Uh..."

"Mirai! Is everything alright?"

Mirai's voice was flat when she responded to Chika, as though any emotion she might have had before was completely spent.

"I finished this anime last night... and... they had to say goodbye in the end! They didn't get to stay with their new friends! I must have cried for hours last night."

Taki's eyes went wide and his hand came up to his shoulders, only to remember that Kudamon was outside in the storage shed. Very slowly, his arm dropped down to his side.

Chika, on the other hand, grasped Mirai's hands in her own.

"I understand completely. Those sorts of bittersweet endings always seem to hurt the worst, don't they?" Mirai nodded. "I recently read one of those Other World stories that ended like that and it left me heartbroken as the heroine had to part from her lover. I don't understand why they always have to do that."

"I'm just glad my Mama understood. That final episode always makes her cry, too. She even gave us the morning off of practice. She and Zoya were both surprisingly serious about it."

The night before, Zoya and Taeko looked worriedly up at the ceiling as they heard Mirai's sobs quietly drift through the house.

"What on Earth...?"

"I better go check on them," Zoya said, moving to the stairs swiftly but delicately, lest she accidentally cause further distress. She only made it to the third step when Chassy appeared at the top of the stairs, looking a mix of upset and exasperated.

"We, uh, finished Digimon Adventure," Chassy explained. "Mirai is taking it very hard."

"...And you?" Zoya asked, just to be sure.

"I did tear up a little," she admitted, "but I'm fine. It's just a show, right?"

Zoya pretended to not notice the nervous chuckle at the end of her daughter's question. Instead, she asked, "You both know that Digimon Adventure 02 also exists, right? That it wasn't really goodbye forever?"

"I told her that, but she said it didn't matter since it's not as though the characters knew that. I honestly agree, but she's still over-reacting a little bit."

"She takes after her mother, I suppose," Zoya said, retreating back down the stairs. Chassy followed a few steps behind. "Best to let her get it all out."

"Did I hear that you finished?" Taeko asked as they settled back into the living room. Chassy nodded. "I totally understand. It's heartbreaking, really, having to suddenly say goodbye to your partner like that."

There followed an awkward silence, as Chassy tried not to squirm. Yes, Mirai had been upset with the ending, but she was more upset at the idea of having to suddenly say goodbye to Dracomon when they were just starting to get to know each other. Chassy, for her part, did not like the idea of having to say goodbye to Floramon, but also recognized that they were hardly any closer to defeating this virus than they had been when they first went to the Digital World, so they were unlikely to part any time soon. Zoya watched her wife carefully, only to sigh when Taeko broke the awkwardness with a huge grin.

"Say, would you finishing that show have anything to do with why we're suddenly going on a daytrip to Odaiba over Golden Week with Aunt Ethne and Uncle Kouta?" Taki interrupted Mirai's (censored) recounting of events. "It's kinda lame, right?"

"You take that back," Mirai said to him. "We'll be stopping in Hikarigaoka on our way into Tokyo and then touring all the Digimon spots in Odaiba. I never thought the idea of seeing the Fuji TV headquarters would make me feel this torn up, but it does so shut it."

"Crap, you're turning into your mother."

"Oh, are you doing one of those location tours?" Chika asked. "I've always dreamed of doing one, especially through London someday. I just have to get myself to Baker Street, not to mention a laundry list of other sites. And even if it's hard to get to, I would love to see Hill Top, where Beatrix Potter lived. I've been to the replica here in Japan but it's just not the same."

"See? Chika understands."

It occurred to Mirai later that she had maybe never heard Chika talk that much. Was she making progress, then? Or did she just really like talking about books? She would have to find out later, because to her grateful surprise, Taki suggested they spend their break outside. He scooped up Haruki on the way and the three made their way out to the storage shed. Haruki, for his part, was confused by this turn of events, but nevertheless enjoyed taking a few minutes to play with their partners.

Mirai laughed to herself as Taki was the most reluctant to leave. While she was pleased that he was that attached to Kudamon, she couldn't help but think that, had he watched the show alongside her, he would have been in far worse straits emotionally. He was still lingering by the shed by the time she and Haruki were returning inside the main building. They would have waited, but break would be ending soon and Mirai, at least, had no intention of being late.

She was surprised, as she approached the classroom, to see Chika speaking to someone she didn't recognize. Her companion, a prim, dark-haired girl, looked over when Mirai called out Chika's name. Her expression was first impassive as she looked at Mirai, then surprised and strained as her eyes drifted a little to Mirai's side.

"Geez, don't leave me behind," Taki called loudly to the two of them as he rounded the corner from the stairs.

A shadow of a scowl passed over the girl's face then as she turned back to Chika and politely dismissed herself. Chika waved goodbye, seeming to have not noticed the parade of emotions that had played across her companion's face in the last few seconds. Mirai wondered if it was her imagination.

"Who was that?" she asked as she followed Chika into the classroom. Haruki waved goodbye, returning to his own classroom with little time to spare.

"Oh, just an old classmate from elementary school. I hadn't seen her yet this year, so I was just saying hi."

"I'm a little surprised," Mirai admitted, looking at the door Taki had just passed through as though she could see through it and down the hall. "It's been nearly a month, right?"

"I think her classroom must be in a different part of the building," Chika told her. "I was a little surprised to see her, myself. I assumed she had gone to a different school."

"Miraiiii," Taki whined, looking a little panicked as he shuffled through his things at his desk. "What am I gonna do? I can't find my textbook for next class."

"That's because you-" Mirai stopped herself before saying "threw it at a Meramon in a panic like the idiot you are," and she hated the smirk Taki made when she verbally tripped over herself. She glared at him. "-lost it sometime last week, remember?"

"Would you like to borrow mine?" Chika offered.

"Thanks for the offer, Koeno, but Mirai sits next to me and I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing just this once, right?"

Mirai hesitated, her hand forced when the teacher came in and ordered them all back to their seats. Chika reluctantly returned to her desk, mouthing "good luck" to the two of them.

"Just this once," Mirai sighed, fearing deep down that it would not, in fact, just be once. "Make sure you get a replacement as soon as possible, alright?"

They were late getting to the park that afternoon, as Chastity had been mobbed by (now scorned) suitors who had heard she had been seen holding hands with a certain social pariah. She would have been quite indignant in her response had she managed to get a word in edgewise, but every member of the mob demanded to be the center of attention, talking over one another and pushing and shoving. Risa and Felicia did their best to fend them off, but they ended up lost in the crowd within less than a minute. Jonah himself was late to help, having been held up with cleaning duty. In the end, she had to shake them off bit by bit, and Taki was forced to pick up Floramon on her behalf.

"I hate teenagers," Jonah grumbled once they were finally alone in the park. "We were so careful, too..."

"They're certainly... lively. Oh? What are these?" Haruki asked as Mirai started wordlessly handing each of them a cinch-sack that matched their Digivice colors. The outside was emblazoned with the symbol that appeared on the screen during purification.

"Can we open them?" Taki asked, already pulling at the straps.

"I made us 'hiking kits,'" Mirai explained, using air quotes. "I bought and decorated the bags, luckily before our final viewing marathon last night. The stuff inside is pretty basic survival stuff, not all of which I expect will be useful in the Digital World. No idea if the compass would even work, for instance. But the water bottle, towel, first-aid kit, flashlight, and pocketknife all seemed like good things to have. I got them with the help of our newly acquired club funding."

"But I can heal any little cuts and bruises," Cutemon complained, looking at the first-aid kit Haruki had pulled out with disdain. "Do you really need these tiny bandages?"

"We've been split up before, remember?" Floramon pointed out. "What happens if someone gets hurt and you aren't around?"

"I guess you have a point," he pouted.

"Aren't these straps going to cut into our shoulders after a while?" Taki asked. He was trying on the bag and adjusting the straps. "They're awfully narrow."

"They should be small enough to fit in our Digivice storage," Chassy said. She looked immensely happier at the change in conversation. "It's certainly smaller than my dance bag. We figured the bags were mostly for show, so we wanted to keep them as small and light as possible."

"You didn't have to get us all of this," Jonah said, sifting through the supplies. "We probably could have put them together from our own supplies at home."

"We had the budget, and I didn't know who all had what," Mirai said, a little sheepish. She wanted to surprise her team; she hoped she hadn't inadvertently been rude. "I especially wanted to make sure everyone had a good-sized water bottle, since someone apparently can't keep himself hydrated."

"So I drank a lot at the restaurant, what's it to you?" Taki protested. "That was a week ago."

"Please note the soap bars Chassy and I made," Floramon said, mimicking Chassy's short-tempered-tour-guide voice. "Mirai was very insistent that there not be a repeat vending machine incident."

"Best to accept it now, Taki," Kudamon advised. "I doubt you will ever live that down."

"I considered adding a copy of my notes, too, but most of the crucial information can be found in our Digivices. Oh, and I added to my notes the information about Digivolution that you asked about last week, Haruki."

"Thanks."

"I don't think we need to go over anything else at this point, so we can head... huh?"

All five of their Digivices chimed at the same time. On Mirai's screen was a New Message alert, and it appeared that they had all just received it. The sender information was written in a script Mirai recognized as DigiCode, which she had yet to memorize.

"Should I open it?" she asked the group.

"I was always taught to delete any messages sent from a gobbledy-gook address," Taki said, his tone lacking its usual humor. "What if it's the virus or something?"

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Kudamon said as he scrutinized the screen. "I do believe those characters read 'Dianamon.'"

Stunned, reverent silence filled the clearing. After another moment of hesitation, Mirai opened the message. It read:

Dear DigiDestined,

I, Dianamon, wish to meet with you to discuss the current state of affairs in the Digital World. If you receive this message, please come this mid-afternoon to the coordinates attached. I trust your Digivice can make use of them. The DigiDestined with whom I have already made contact will meet you at the gates of Imbria and escort you to my palace, the Azure Crescent. I shall await your arrival there.

Sincerely,

Dianamon

"Do you think it's legit?" Taki asked as Mirai finished reading.

"If it is, it is highly convenient," Pandamon said. "I see no reason to not accept the invitation, as this was our goal in the first place."

"Possibly too convenient," Jonah mused. "But we have too many unknowns to be able to tell."

"Such as?" Haruki prompted.

"How did Dianamon find us? Why now? How do we even know these coordinates go where they say they go? Why can we read the message but not the sender?"

"Mirai? I think it's up to you," Chassy quietly said. The others nodded their agreement. Mirai read the message over again, deliberating in her head. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before delivering her decision.

"We have more to lose by not going if this is real, so I say we go. But be on your toes, just in case this is a trap somehow."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Taki saluted with a lopsided grin.

"It will be nice to finally meet this other DigiDestined," Haruki said with a smile.

"I admit I'm a little nervous," Floramon said, clinging to the hem of Chassy's skirt. "I mean, we're about to meet the Dianamon! I never would have dreamed of this a month ago."

Bolstered by her team's support, Mirai opened the message attachment. Her Digivice prompted her with the message "Load coordinates in map?", which she confirmed. Her map then opened automatically, showing the location pin floating in the black some distance North-Northeast, their current trajectory missing it by degrees. The gate location was labeled "Imbria Gates."

"Let's get going then, shall we?"

The gate dropped the DigiDestined off just outside the massive city gates of Lunaria's capital. The doors, imposing yet somehow welcoming, were plated with silver and depicted the phases of the moon along the upper arch. The rest of the gate depicted a map of the stars, including a variety of gilded constellations that Mirai was unfamiliar with.

At the foot of the gate stood a girl, who might have been mistaken for one of the city guards had she been a Digimon. She stood at attention, a Kotemon at her side and a wooden sword at her hip. The light of the Digital Gate caught her attention, and she turned to them expectantly. As she looked over their group, her expression went from neutral to surprise to a scowl, much as it had that morning when Mirai saw her speaking to Chika.

"I didn't expect the five of you to be the other DigiDestined," she said with open disdain. Her glare was fixed on Taki in particular, whose mouth was dumbly hanging open like a fish. She breathed in through her nose, schooling her expression. "Let's not waste time. Lady Dianamon is waiting for us."

"Hana!?" Taki finally blurted, pointing at her in shock. Mirai knocked his hand back down before he attracted too much attention. "You're the sixth DigiDestined?"

"It's been a while, Hana," Haruki said, cutting off whatever retort Hana had for Taki. He glanced uneasily between the two of them. "I guess we'll be working together."

Hana's expression softened slightly as she gave Haruki the world's smallest nod and then turned to lead them through the gates. Imbria was bustling with life, its tightly packed buildings crawling with Digimon of all shapes and sizes. In the city center stood a jagged sapphire palace, its asymmetrical towers giving a rough impression of a crescent. It was to this palace that Hana led them, rebuffing any attempts at small talk except to remind them that they were about to meet with royalty and to behave accordingly. Her tone made it clear she fully expected Taki to make a fool of himself. They weren't even able to introduce themselves properly.

"Ugh, why'd it have to be Hana?" Taki complained. "I don't want to be stuck with her, of all people."

"The feeling is mutual, I assure you," Hana said over her shoulder. She sped up, from then on keeping a few paces between herself and the rest of the group.

"The hell is with you two?" Mirai whispered to Taki.

"Yes, please explain," Jonah said. Beside him, Chassy was staring at the back of Hana's head, as though trying to place her. Taki grumbled something unintelligible. With a nudge from Kudamon, he raised his voice.

"She just-"

"We're here," Hana interrupted.

The doors of the palace were at least as grand as those of the city itself, and possibly more intimidating, as they featured a crossed pair of polearms that reminded Mirai of the crescent moon spade from Journey to the West, but with inverted crescent blades on both ends. Manning the gate were a pair of silver Digimon, a wolf-like knight and a fox Onmyouji.

"Welcome, DigiDestined. Lady Dianamon is waiting for you in the reception hall," the knight said, holding open the gate for the children.

Walking through the portal, Mirai felt very, very small, and she wondered what kind of Digimon required that kind of size accommodation. She stepped to the front and center of her group, Dracomon steadfastly at her side. She discreetly adjusted her goggles. Glancing down at her outfit, she almost wished that she hadn't changed out of her uniform in the park bathroom, thinking how it was, in its own way, more formal than her current outfit. On the other hand, Hana wasn't wearing her uniform, either, although she somehow managed to make her pink knit cardigan and jeans look formal.

The inside of the palace was filled with various rabbit Digimon running to and fro, carrying documents, dusting vases, and delivering food. In fact, they ended up behind a small brown and pink rabbit pushing a cart full of tea and snacks. It glanced back at them a few times, trying to hurry whenever it confirmed they were still behind it. Mirai tried to divert her attention to the other Digimon they passed along the way, noting the occasional Bakumon or Dobermon.

It did not take them long to reach the reception hall. The doors were open, much to the relief of the Lopmon in front of them, who scurried in and immediately began to set up the food on tables around the sides of the hall. Mirai barely noticed, however, as she now realized that the size of the palace gates was meant to accommodate one Digimon in particular – the primary resident of the Azure Crescent, Dianamon. That the God Man Digimon was sitting down in her throne did little to reassure Mirai, especially as she stood up once they had all filed in.

"Welcome, DigiDestined. I am relieved to see that my message found you well." Dianamon's voice floated through the room like curtains of silk. Mirai was so captivated by her beauty that she forgot to bow until she saw Hana and Kotemon do so. She hastily followed suit, hoping that her friends behind her did as well. "Lift your heads. As the DigiDestined, you are the chosen protectors of our world. I believe that we are comrades in that regard, and I am sure we have much to discuss. But first, introductions are in order. As I am sure you have ascertained, I am Dianamon, Olympian, and founder and ruler of Lunaria."

"My name is Hana Ishikawa, and this is my partner, Kotemon." Kotemon politely bowed to Mirai's group, though his partner remained facing forward, eyes closed in concentration. She opened them again when Mirai began to introduce her group, scrutinizing their every move.

"I'm Mirai Hisakawa, and this is Dracomon," Mirai said, gesturing at her partner. Dianamon watched her closely, her thoughts hidden behind her mask. Mirai continued. "This is..."

"Taki Minami and Kudamon," Taki jumped in. He was followed by Haruki, Chastity, and Jonah.

"It is an honor to finally meet you, Lady Dianamon," Mirai concluded. Then, she decided to chance asking something that had been bugging her since Dianamon first greeted them. "If you do not mind me asking, you called us DigiDestined...?"

"Yes, for that is what the humans of legend called themselves one thousand years ago," Dianamon explained. She chuckled, her eyes revealing a bit of mirth. "I knew them personally, you see. Most of the legends have forgotten the term, as 'humans' or 'legendary heroes' is more descriptive."

Mirai thought the use of the term was odd, as she and Chassy had pulled it from the show. As Dianamon had indicated, none of the Digimon they had encountered outside the capital thus far had used it. Chassy had worried it was a bit presumptuous, claiming such a title for themselves, but Mirai thought it gave them a sense of legitimacy. She had gotten so used to thinking of herself that way that it was only when she heard Dianamon say it that she realized it was odd anyone else knew the term. She shared a look with Chassy, silently agreeing to speak about it later. The exchange did not go unnoticed by Dianamon.

"I hope you do not object," she added.

"Not at all!" Mirai said hastily. "It was just unexpected."

"Were you the one who summoned us to the Digital World, then?" Chastity asked. "Or our predecessors?"

"I was not," Dianamon answered, her voice carrying a hint of regret. "To be frank, very little is understood about our world's connection to yours, how DigiDestined and their partners are selected, or where the Digivices came from. It is my personal hypothesis that the Digital World itself summoned the six of you. And I am very grateful it has, because we lack the means of dealing with this current threat ourselves."

"The virus," Kudamon clarified.

"Indeed. It is unlike other viruses we have encountered these past thousand years and is not so easily purified. This virus is more like a disease that turns the behavior of its host cruel and violent, in addition to increasing the host's power, sometimes to the point of Digivolution. This, I believe you all have witnessed." The children and their partners nodded. "At this time, it is unclear how it spreads, but there have been some isolated reports of one Digimon directly infecting another. Digimon with the Vaccine attribute have demonstrated a resistance to the virus, or perhaps those with the Data or Virus attribute are more vulnerable."

Taki opened his mouth, thought better of it, and raised his hand, instead. Dianamon motioned for him to speak.

"What are these attribute things?" he asked. Mirai bit her tongue, as she had just explained them last week. She should have known he hadn't been listening.

"Most Digimon have one of three attributes – Data, Vaccine, or Virus - that dictate, to some degree, how they interact with their environment. They also indicate something of a natural advantage, as, in theory, Vaccine is strong against Virus, Virus is strong against Data, and Data is strong against Vaccine. In my experience as a warrior, however, I have found attributes mean little, as elemental and tactical advantages are far more decisive. I believe, for the sake of comparison, it would be most practical in this case to think of attributes like human blood types."

Okay, Mirai supposed there really was no such thing as a stupid question, as she would never have thought of that analogy on her own. She counted herself grateful that Taki had tuned her out.

"You're familiar with human blood types?" Jonah asked.

"Why yes! Although the flow of information between our worlds is somewhat piecemeal, we do have records of quite a bit of your scientific knowledge stored in our libraries. It has proven useful to understanding our own world, at times. And, should any of you be in need of medical treatment, know that the palace medical bay has been outfitted to accommodate your needs. But back to the situation at hand.

"Prior to your arrival, we attempted various treatments, but unfortunately our usual anti-virus programs were ineffective, and on those occasions where the infected Digimon was killed, the virus appeared to grow stronger. But while our attempts at containment and treatment have failed, I have learned from Hana that your Digivices emit a light that eradicates the virus. Is this correct?"

"Yes. The Digivice itself uses the term 'Purify,' I believe," Mirai said. "Although usually it just has an abstract symbol. I've been taking notes on how our Digivices work – we've only seen the 'Purify' message once."

"I would love to compare notes, Mirai," Dianamon said, her eyes smiling. "I learned quite a bit from examining Hana's Digivice, such as how to contact you and share coordinates. I hope to be able to use this to direct you to reports of infected Digimon. I trust this will be more efficient than stumbling upon infections by accident. Unfortunately, I was only able to figure out how to share coordinates that a given Digivice has already visited. I could not send any of you to Solaris, for example."

"That's in line with our experience," Mirai said. "So, what now? Do you have somewhere to send us?"

"Not at this moment," Dianamon said. "But I do hope that, now assembled, we will be able to work together to put an end to this threat."

"If it's all the same to you, Lady Dianamon," Hana said, her eyes drifting to Mirai's team, "I would prefer to continue working alone. I will go where you send me, but I do not believe I would work well with the other DigiDestined."

There was a moment of silence that might have been broken by Taki had Haruki not grabbed his arm. Dianamon regarded Hana, and to Hana's credit, she did not back down under the God Man Digimon's stare. Dianamon closed her eyes.

"Very well," she said finally. There was an outburst of protest and surprise from Mirai and Taki, which was swiftly silenced with a single look. "I cannot expect you all to get along, particularly not when you have just met. I trust only that, when the situation calls for it, you will work together."

"Lady Dianamon, are you sure?" Hana's partner, Kotemon, spoke for the first time. Mirai couldn't see his face behind his mask, but he sounded a little disappointed.

"I have certainly had my disagreements with comrades in the past," Dianamon said. "Just because two groups are working towards a common goal does not mean they must like one another."

"Then if we have nothing else to discuss, I will be going on patrol. Lady Dianamon, I bid you good day."

With that, Hana turned and left the reception hall, Kotemon walking loyally by her side.

"I do hope that you ten will stay and partake in the refreshments prepared for your visit," Dianamon said, looking over the food brought in earlier by the Lopmon. "I would hate to see them go to waste."

Dianamon settled back into her throne and watched as the children looked over the trays of sweets. As Mirai poured herself some tea, she looked back at the giant Digimon behind her. She wondered how Dianamon ate, what with the lower half of her face covered with armor. Surely she didn't eat and drink through the moon faces on her legs? Mirai shook the thought from her mind, turning instead to a much more immediate matter.

"Okay, seriously, what is with you and Hana?" she asked Taki.

"She just hates me for some reason! I don't know!"

Mirai doubted that, as most people seemed to gravitate to Taki, obnoxious though he could be. Heck, he had somehow managed to charm the quiet bookworm that was Chika. She couldn't believe that someone would just hate him for absolutely no reason.

"You must know something," Floramon said, grabbing a cookie. "I know some pretty judge-y people and even they aren't that bad."

"I don't-"

"Taki," Haruki said, frowning. Taki looked away with a pout, so he turned to the rest of the group. "We used to be pretty close, but she and Taki had a falling out."

"I thought I recognized her," Chastity mused, setting her teacup on a saucer with a clink. "I must have seen her with you in elementary school."

"What was this falling out about?" Kudamon asked, the only one so far to not sound accusatory in his questioning. Taki shoved a mini sandwich in his mouth and chewed in anger for a minute. By the time he answered, he seemed marginally calmer, if still frustrated.

"I seriously don't know. She just blew up on me one day and we stopped talking after that."

Mirai looked between him and Haruki, who reacted only with a sigh. Mirai frowned. Okay – Taki didn't seem to be lying about not knowing, but Haruki seemed to think there was more to it. Weird.

"Maybe we should talk about this later," Chastity suggested, with a glance back at their audience. Mirai wasn't sure whether Dianamon's impassive expression was a relief or a cause for anxiety. The conversation drifted to small talk about Imbria, which could be seen from the windows of the reception hall. After a few minutes, Mirai moved to stand before Dianamon.

"Lady Dianamon, I have most of my notes typed up," Mirai said. "I could send them this evening, if you would like."

"That would be much appreciated, Mirai," Dianamon said with a nod. She looked over at the other DigiDestined, eyes calculating, before standing up. "Taki? Kudamon? Might I speak with the two of you for a moment?"

The two looked like deer in the headlights at being addressed, and while in other circumstances, Mirai might have teased her cousin about being ~in trouble~, she only felt dread. It was clear the rest of her team felt the same way. Taki and Kudamon nodded meekly and followed Dianamon without another word. Dianamon, noticing the tension belatedly, stopped just inside one of the back doors.

"It's nothing terrible, I assure you. The rest of you, feel free to make yourselves at home. The Azure Crescent is open to all who strive for peace."

With that, Dianamon was gone, and Taki and Kudamon with her. The only sound was Dracomon's fumbled chewing, as he had just stuffed a handful of sweets in his mouth when Dianamon stood up.

"I don't like it," Jonah said, eyes locked on the back door.

"Do you not trust Lady Dianamon?" Pandamon asked quietly. It felt like a dangerous conversation to be having in the middle of her palace.

"It's not that I don't trust her," Jonah answered, choosing his words carefully. "I just have a bad feeling."

Even though her rational mind could find nothing clearly wrong, Mirai's instincts agreed with Jonah. Yet, at the same time, it was more a feeling of foreboding, like something bad was getting closer, bit by bit. As though whatever was being discussed would be for naught, and that even a being as mighty as Dianamon would be unable to prevent whatever disaster loomed on the horizon. Mirai could only pray that she was wrong.

A/N: Thank you for your patience! My beta has been very busy and fanfiction has dropped to the bottom of her list of priorities, so it took a while to get this ready for posting. Good news is that I have two more fully written chapters after this, so with any luck the next delay will be shorter.

Also, we have now officially met the sixth DigiDestined, Hana!