For They Shall Be Filled

For They Shall Be Filled

By: Vain (Vainglorious696) 5/31/2001

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Vain: So where's Kai?

Ken: Vain doesn't own Digimon.

Vain: I know you can hear me, Ken.

Ken: A fact for which I am truly grateful.

Vain: Where's the Kaiser?

Ken: She's also still looking for Guardian info.

Vain: Answer me!

Ken: So send it to her, or she's using Ajora's notes.

Vain: Answer me damn you!! Quit ignoring me!

Ken: R&R, please.

Vain: I am going to write such Ken torture . . .

Ken: And please help me. Please . . .?

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~"Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!"

-Matthew 23: 24

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Part Twenty-Three

Trial # 3: Davis Motomiya

Davis Motomiya grinned at Tai and darted forward, dribbling the soccer ball in front of him. "You gotta be faster, Tai-kun!"

"No fair," the other protested through a laugh.

"Like you should be talking!" Ken stole the ball with ease. The tall boy dashed up the field and scored a goal.

"Hey!" Davis yelped in protest. "I'm on your team, Ichijouji. No steals allowed!"

"You're too slow!"

"Quit fighting and come eat!" Kari yelled from the sidelines.

"We're coming," Davis responded with a wave to his girlfriend. He carelessly threw an arm over Ken's shoulder. "I still say that that was no fair."

"We won, didn't we?" Ken shrugged beneath Davis's arm. "So what's the problem?"

"You two," gasped Tai as he caught up with them, "are no longer allowed to play on the same team."

The three of them paused and waited for TK while Tai caught his breath. Ken grinned at the flushed faces of the two boys. "What's the matter, Tai? Can't you and TQ handle it?"

Tai gave the other boy a light shove. "You and me, Ichijouji, anytime anywhere!"

"Keep bragging like that and I just may take you up on that offer."

Davis shook his head at their antics. "We really need to do this more often," he declared as they met the others.

"What?" asked Cody from where he sat between Joe and Izzy.

"Picnic in the Digital World."

Ken sprawled himself down lazily on the blanket, briefly shifting to make room for TK. The blond nearly collapsed on top of him in exhaustion. Ken grinned again. "When will Mimi and Sora arrive?"

"Soon," Matt grunted as Tai nearly sat on him.

Yolei looked over at the original goggle-boy in disgust. "Do you think that you could not sit on me when you're all hot and sweaty, Tai?"

Davis tossed her a can of cherry Pepsi. "Where's the fun in that?"

Yolei had the grace to blush.

"We're here!" exclaimed Mimi.

The children all turned to watch her pink hair bounce into view beside the graceful glide of Sora. Palmon and Biyomon walked a bit in front of their partners.

"Mimi brought a quiche," Palmon declared proudly.

"Oh, goody," murmured Joe dryly. The last time Mimi cooked for their picnic, Joe had been ill for days. He actually missed a test.

Kari slipped out of Davis's grasp and moved forward, accepting the crock with the quiche and holding it out at arm's length as though it might attack her. "Umm . . . thanks, Mimi. I'm sure the digimon will love it."

Veemon looked up from where the digimon all sat congregated on one corner of the blanket with a big bag of candy. "You've gotta be kidding."

Mimi's bright countenance was obscured by a frown. "What did he say?"

"He said, 'It'll be really filling,' " Davis filled in smoothly.

"Oh!" Mimi brightened once more. "Thank you, Veemon."

"Sure," he replied with an uncomfortable smile. "No problem." Wormmon and Agumon looked like they were about to explode from repressed laughter.

The picnic went smoothly; the only real incident involved Davis and Ken wearing most of the cherry pie at dessert. Everybody thought that this was incredibly amusing except for the Child of Kindness and his best friend. They declared that the rest of their lives would be spent plotting Matt and Tai's destruction for instigating the entire thing. This apparently only took five minutes: long enough for Ken to get a hold of the Cool Whip and a big wooden spoon while Davis discovered the reasons why Kari's Famous Chocolate Mousse is not considered aerodynamic—much to Kari's chagrin. After that, the four of them were ordered to go clean up in the nearby lake.

Davis was having the time of his life. "You should have seen the look on your face," he howled as Matt diligently struggled to de-mouse his hair. "I thought that you were going to pee your pants when that custard bowl came flying at you!"

"Like you need to talk," the older blond said, splashing him. "You looked about ready to die when that pie pan was going to hit you!"

"At least I ducked so it missed me!"

"And hit me!" Ken shoved his friend into the water.

Davis yelped, windmilled his arms in a valiant attempt to stay upright, and fell face first into the water. The others laughed at him.

"Sure, it hit you," he groused, rubbing water out of his eyes, "but you really didn't have to peel it off and grind it into my hair."

Ken paused thoughtfully. "Yes, Davis. Yes, I did."

"You shouldn't complain, anyway, goggle-boy," protested Tai. "You didn't get half a container of Cool Whip shoved down your pants."

Ken laughed and pushed his soppy hair from his eyes. "I'm just amazed that you held still that long. And that you didn't notice the wooden spoon in your underwear. Where was your mind, goggle-boy?"

Tai blushed bright red and two splashes later found both himself and Matt sitting in the water next to Davis.

Ken smiled smugly. "You didn't really think you could take me, did you?"

Tai looked at Davis, Davis looked at Matt, and Matt looked at Tai. They all grinned. "Dunk Ken!" As one, the three off them lunged forward, grabbed a part of Ken's body, and amid much struggle and protest, hauled the stunned boy into the water.

Ken coughed and gasped and sputtered. "That was . . . *cough, cough* . . . very uncalled for."

Davis smirked and opened his mouth to say something but stopped and refocused his eyes just a bit beyond his friends.

"What is it?" asked Tai, the smile fading as his gaze followed Davis's.

There was a bright flash of light off to the West.

"We've got trouble," the younger boy responded, springing out of the water with a loud messy, splash.

"Huh?" Matt grabbed Tai and Ken and hauled them up with him. "Davis?! Davis, wait up! Damnit! Davis!"

Davis broke through the underbrush that separated the beach from the picnic ground in one leap, digivice appearing in his hand. "Veemon, digivolve now!"

"Veemon digivolve to. . . X-Veemon!"

Ken, Tai, and Matt appeared right behind the young hothead, all holding their digivices. "Digivolve!"

"Wormmon digivolve to . . . Stingmon!"

"Agumon digivolve to . . . Greymon!"

"Gabumon digivolve to. . . . Garurumon!"

Davis pulled himself up onto X-Veemon's shoulders and turned to look down at his companions and . . . screamed.

Pain shot through every inch of Davis's body and the world exploded black.

**************

Gennai watched as Osamu chewed on a well-manicured fingernail. The older man looked amused. "I didn't know ghosts could worry."

Osamu gave him a scathing glare in return. "Ghosts. Hmph!" The boy shook his head, spiked hair trembling slightly at the motion. "How unscientific. Beside, just because I'm dead doesn't mean that I'm not human."

Gennai wasn't sure how to respond to that so he said nothing.

"You're sure that your firewall will hold?" Osamu demanded.

"You were the one who insisted that I not be present when you do whatever it is you're going to do."

"But are you sure?!"

Gennai rolled his eyes. "Yes. Why are you so upset? Nervous?"

"No . . . I sense something . . ." The boy shook his head. "It's probably nothing."

After a minute or two of uncomfortable silence, Gennai looked over at his odd young companion. "I have so many questions that I want to ask you."

"Goody for you." The youngster didn't even look at him.

"Ah."

"What?" That got the elder Ichijouji's attention. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Gennai shrugged airily and lifted his arms. "It's just I can see were your brother gets it from."

"Oh really?" Osamu's glasses flashed dangerously in the sun. "Don't think that you understand us, traveler. I love my brother—no matter what anyone says."

The traveler's eye narrowed. "What happened between you two?"

"…" The teen turned away and looked in the general direction of the Digidestined. "Ken's Test will be soon."

"Do you miss him?"

"What?" Ichijouji turned at looked at the other, face twisted in confusion.

Gennai waved a hand as he explained himself. "Your brother. You miss him?"

"Why are you asking me these questions?!" the boy cried, agitated.

"… I'm sorry. I guess I'm just frustrated because I can't do anything. Some—"

Osamu's hand shot up in a violent slicing motion, cutting Gennai off. The spiked-haired boy cocked his head to the side as though listening to something. "Do you feel that?"

Gennai stiffened and followed Osamu's gaze. He went cold to the depths of his soul. "The Children," he half hissed, half whispered. "The Children are in danger."

**************

"NO!"

"Courage!"

"Halt the Test! Halt the Test!"

"What are you doing?! You have harmed Courage!"

"The Children are in grave danger! They must be awakened."

"I told you that there was a dark presence nearby."

"What is this? A ploy to stop the Testing?"

"You are blinded by your fear of the Dark One! Hope is in danger and all you consider is the Testing."

"Gennai is there. He would never allow the Children to come to harm!"

"He is not! I have been trying to tell you that."

"He . . . defied us? He defied us?!"

"Stop it! The Children—the Children must be kept safe."

"Agreed. We must awaken the Children."

"Oh, no . . ."

"What?"

"I cannot reach Courage."

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