For They Shall Be Filled

By: Vain

__________________________________________________________

Vain: Where is he, Ken?

Ken: Don't sue Vain-chan.  She's poor.

Vain: WHERE IS THE KAISER?!

*Osamu walks in munching an oatmeal cookie with Wormmon on his shoulder.*

Osamu: Hey.  Athena says hi.

Ken: Welcome back, Oniichan.  Where have you been?

Osamu: *waves the cookie* Athena's pantry.

Vain: *sobbing*  Where's the Kaiser?!

Osamu: What's with her?

Ken: I have no idea.  Read and Review, please!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~"Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away,

 and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 

For many are called, but few are chosen."

-Matthew 22: 13 & 14

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Part Twenty-Five

Faith and Treachery

What happened?

Who is responsible for this?

Enough!  Courage—

QUIET!

. . .

. . .

. . .

We knew that this could happen.  We knew that there could be complications.

Gennai betrayed us!

Do you blame him?!  I stood against this enterprise from the beginning and yet the three of you persisted in this foolishness!

Oh, that is easy for you to say!  Your Spheres of Light and Hope are safe!

Indeed.  What has become of my Spheres of Courage and Friendship?  Where is my Child's soul?

Do not cry to me about your loss.  Davis Motomiya would be fine if you had not insisted on pursuing the testing.

Order!  We must have order!

These are the Dark One's manipulations.

Enough drivel!  What are we to do?

Calm yourself, old friend.  My Child of Light suffered your tests, too.  I understand your concern—

Spare me!  Yagami is still alive—

As is Courage and Friendship.

How would you—

Have you felt the Spheres presences die?

. . . No.  But they are no longer in our realm.

Then perhaps they are beyond our grasp.

But the Spheres must not be allowed to leave the Digital World!

And the Tests!  What of the Tests?

You and your Tests!  I've had enough of them!  I refuse to submit my Child of Hope to such a thing.

But you agreed . . .! This unheard of! 

This is useless.  Stop this bickering.  Is the Child's body there?

Hold on . . . Yes, it is.

Then bar the Child's spirit from his body and test him in the Digital World.

There may arise no opportunity to test him.

There are always opportunities to test a human's mettle.  This is the nature of humanity.

You disgust me.

No one asked you.  What are we to do with Gennai?

I somehow doubt that he'll answer a summons.

Can't you say anything useful?  He is our servant.  He must be taught to do his duty!

He has done his duty!

Still championing the human's cause?

He was not trained to serve us!  He was trained to do his duty and that duty is to protect the Digidestined.  He is doing the job of four Chosen Guardians, not one.

And yet we should allow him to get away with this?

No, but the other is right.  Gennai was not trained to be our servant.

No, he was trained by that traitor—

DO NOT SPEAK THAT NAME!!  Do you want to call His attention to us now in our disorientation?

 . . . I apologize.

What is to be done with the traveler, though?  If this has occurred, our conditioning was not as effective as we believed.  He could turn on us like his Master.

Is his replacement ready yet?  He's been training since before we lost Ichijouji to the Darkness.

. . . Which is the reason we lost Ichijouji to the Darkness.

Hush.  We all understood the dangers.  Do not worry over the traveler—there is always another.  Should he defect as his master did, the young one will take care of him.

But he has the Children.

He will harm neither them nor the Digital World; it is only our safety we must now be concerned with. 

Does this too upset your weak stomach, old friend?

Do not sneer.  I sensed something.  I tried to warn you.  There was a great force at work.

Plea—

Stop it!  What did you mean, "a great force?"

. . . The balance of Powers has shifted.

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

Davis?

Huh?

Daa-viis.

Who are you?

A friend of a friend.

Thanks, that's helpful.

Don't be snide, Motomiya—It doesn't suit you.

Where are you?  Hell, where am I?

Here.

Right . . . Anybody ever tell you that you're a real ass?

Yes.  Being dead kind of affects your outlook on life. 

DEAD?!  I'm . . . I'm dead?!  I can't be dead!

Umm, Davis?

Nonononono!  I don't want to be dead!

Davis.

There's so much I want to do yet!

Da—

I haven't beat TM at bloody knuckles.

Davis?

I never beat Ken at soccer!

Davis . . .?

I haven't kissed Kari yet!

Davis!

I never got to see Veemon's Ultimate form!

DAVIS!!!!!!

Yeah?

Shut up.  You're not dead, simpleton: you're in limbo.

Where's limbo?  Is that like in America?

Close.  The traffic's better here.

What?

Never mind.  Limbo is an area between dimensions.

Huh?

*Sigh*  Have you ever been to the beach?

Well, yeah.

Okay, picture this: dimensions are like . . . the sand.

What?

Just pay attention!  You know how right after the tide washes out and the sand is still wet, if you push your finger into the sand, the hole fills up with water before the sand falls back in?

Uh, yeah.

Good.  Now, every dimension is a single grain of sand and all the sand is bathed in water.  The water represents limbo.

Oh . . . Okay.

Limbo holds the dimensions in their proper places.  Without limbo, separate dimensions could not co-exist and time and space could not maintain their concurrent flow.

So you mean everything would just dry out?

Uh . . . Okay, I guess that's one way of looking at it.  Do you understand now?

No.

. . . Come; we have to go.

Where?

You have to return to your body.

My body?  I thought you said that I wasn't dead?!

You're not!  No physical being can exist in limbo.

How come?

. . . I can see why he was so anxious to destroy you now.

What did you say?

I didn't say anything.  Let's go.

But I know you said something.

Drop it.

But—

I said 'drop it!'

You know, you remind me of this guy name Ken Ichijouji.  You ever meet him?

I swear I'm gonna make you pay for this, traveler . . .

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

Ken blinked once, trying to process what he had just heard.  He blinked again.  He did not just say that . . . Did he?  On his shoulder, Wormmon trembled.  "You want to what now?"

Gennai didn't seem to think that there was anything unusual in his request.  "We need to go to your base."

"No!" Wormmon's little green carapace quivered with repressed emotion.  "No," he repeated with a shake of his head.  "You don't know what you're asking.  Pick somewhere else, anywhere else in the Digital World, and we'll take you there.  But not there.  You don't know." 

The Digidestined stared at the normally timid digimon in shock and Ken gently reached up and lifted his partner from his shoulder.  The virus type twisted out of his grasp and landed on the ground in front of his human.  The little magenta pincers on his tail worked menacingly, something that Ken only witnessed when his digimon was truly reaching the limits of his boundless temper.

Gennai frowned down at the righteous outrage he found himself facing.  He had expected resistance from Ken—not Wormmon.  "I understand that that is the last place on any world that—"

"You do not understand!  Don't you dare say that you understand!  I lost him there!  How could you understand that?!"

Something inside Ken felt like it was breaking . . . again—something old and previously damaged, now broken anew.  He found his knees collapsing and his arms reaching out to gently gather his partner in his arms.  His lips formed the only words that they could ever find where Wormmon was concerned.  "I'm sorry.  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry."

The broken Child of Kindness knelt and cradled his angry digimon close to his chest as indigo hair tumbled over his bruised face to mask his expression.  His words were a gentle whisper so soft that it was lost in the wind.  Takeru bit his lip and wanted desperately to look away, images of their final confrontation dancing just behind his eyes in a macabre parade of shame.  He hated that day passionately.  He should have been proud—the brave knight triumphant over evil . . . instead he felt nauseous as he remembered the image of the shattered Emperor staggering away, lean frame rocked nearly to pieces by sobs.  TK didn't want those memories—he didn't want that last image of Ken to haunt his dreams.  But nobody always gets what they want.

Gennai bit the inside of his cheek in contemplation and then tilted his head to the side.  He carefully shifted Davis's weight in his arms before he spoke again.  "I know what you want, Ken."

The former dictator's head snapped up, eyes darkening to a bruised purple color.  "You don't know me, traveler."

"I know what you're looking for . . . what you've lost."

"I'm happy for you."

The two of them glared at one another for a moment, Ken kneeling on the ground and clutching Wormmon to him while Gennai stood and held Davis's limp body as easily as if he was air.  Gennai shrugged minutely.  "I have what you need."

The purple eyes lightened slightly to a hard deep blue.  "What do you know about me, old man?  Why tell me now?"

"Because you are fighting your destiny.  You always have been!  And, quite frankly, it goes against your true nature.  If you want the answers to your questions, you are just going to have to trust me, Child of Kindness."

Ken stood and sneered.  "Trust you?  It's trusting you that brought me to this place."

The traveler was unfazed.  "Perhaps.  But if it hadn't been me, it would have been somebody else.  If you won't help me, at least help yourself."  Gennai raised his arms slightly.  "At least help him."

The dark haired boy turned away and lowered his head so that his hair hid his features.  Davis . . .

"That's goggle-man, 'Rocket.' And what do you think?  Aren't you supposed to be a genius or something like that?"  . . .  "Well, yeah, dude!  We're friends now, and that's what friends do for each other.  I'd love to spend some time with Minniemon- that is, if it's all right with him."  . . .  "Ken, come back!"  . . .  "You're a Digidestined, too.  One big happy family."  . . .  "I know you're sorry for what you've done."  . . .  "Welcome to the team, Ken!"  . . .   "Surrender, Digidestined?"  . . .  "C'mon, man; you owe me!"

Ken closed his eyes and bit his lip until it bled.  I don't understand this.  Why should I care?  Why should his kindness matter to me?  Why do I suddenly have to feel this way?  Why do I have to feel at all?  There was nothing more that the former tyrant wanted at that point in time than to vanish within himself—to slide back into that cold emotionless place where ambition was all that matter and power was the sum and total of his character.  But that place was lost to him now; maybe (hopefully?) forever.  He was breaking.

A whisper.  "Ken-chan?"

He opened his eyes and looked down into his partner's.  Sometimes those timorous eyes were so large that Ken thought he could drown in them.  As the Digimon Emperor, he hated that—he couldn't stand the force of those painfully blue eyes.  As Ken Ichijouji, they were sometimes the only thing that kept him sane.  "Yeah, Wormmon?"

The liquid eyes were on the verge of tears.  "We're going back, aren't we?"

"You don't have to come.  Please.  If you don't want to, just stay behind."

The blue eyes closed and Wormmon pressed himself hard against his boy's chest.  He listened to Ken's heart for a moment.  "No.  We're partners.  Where you go, I go."

The child nodded.  "You won't lose me this time, you know.  I'm not going anywhere."

Wormmon was silent.

"Wormmon?"  Ken's voice hadn't sounded so small since his partner died in his arms.

"I know, Ken-chan."

Ken closed his eyes and forced the mask back onto his face.  For the first time that day his thoughts slid to his brother and he winced internally.  No, best to bury that for now.  He couldn't deal with Sam on top of everything else . . . especially not today.  Emotions properly reigned in and "Camera Face" back where it belonged, the young genius turned and pasted on a hard smirk.  He tried—rather unsuccessfully—to contain the fire in his eyes and not glare thunder at Gennai and "his fellow Digidestined." 

"You owe me, traveler.  You owe me big time."

It took all of Gennai's self-control not to sigh in relief.  "Lead on, Digidestined."

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

Davis?  Davis?

Yeah?

We're almost there.

How can you tell?  No, never mind.  I probably wouldn't understand.

Probably not.

. . . So . . . .  What's it like being dead?

Has anybody ever told you that you have got to be the most irritating individual ever born?

Geez, man!  I'm just trying to make conversation.  It's not like you're real good company or anything.

. . .

I wonder how the others are doing.  I wonder if they miss me.

. . . Of course they miss you.  I mean they are your friends.

So what were you like when you were alive?

*sigh*  Why are you so curious about me?

O gee, I dunno.  I can't see you.  I can't even really hear you.  And you want me to follow you when I don't even think I'm moving.  Hell, I don't even know if I'm real in this freaky place, let alone whether you're real.  But it's okay for me to just do whatever you say, right?  I may be dumb, but I am not stupid!

I—I'm sorry, Motomiya.  I don't really think about others sometimes.  I guess I'm just anxious to get back.

Why?

Because I have something that I need to do.  I'm responsible for something and it really shouldn't be left alone for long periods of time.

Sorry.  I don't mean to keep you.

This isn't your fault, you know.

I guess.  So just what did happen to me?

The Guardians were testing you and called it to a halt right in the middle of your trial.  As a result, they didn't properly secure your soul and it floated into limbo.

Like a balloon?

Yeah, actually.  You know, you're not as simple-minded as people say you are.

Umm . . . thanks.  I think.  You never did answer my question.

Which one?

What were you like when you were alive?

I . . . I guess you could say that I was a real asshole.

What?

I . . . Hurt someone—someone I love very much—very, very badly.  He never really recovered and I . . . Well, let's just say that I really screwed up and leave it at that.

I'm sure he'll forgive you.

Huh?  What do you mean?

Well, he is your friend, so I'm sure you'll be forgiven if you just ask.

No, that's not it.  I know he's forgiven me; he'd forgive me of anything.  I just . . . I don't know.  It's complicated.

Is it really that complicated or are you just making it that way?

What's that supposed to mean?

You remind me of this kid I know: Ken Ichijouji.  You ever meet him?  Oh, well, I guess you haven't since you're dead and all.  Well, he's this famous genius kid from Tamachi and he does that too.  He makes things a lot harder than they have to be.  He's real tense, you know—uptight.  He acts like . . . I don't know—like things are a lot harder than they really are.  I think he thinks it helps explain the bad things.

Go on.

Well, it seems like a whole bunch of bad things have happened to him in his life and he takes it all personally.  He doesn't really get that bad things just happen so he makes it all into this huge deal.  Like if his pain is just all this random stuff it's unjustified or something.  He tries to make it mean something even when it doesn't.  He puts all that weight on his shoulders and acts like it's happening to him just because he's him.  Personally, I think that that's why he went nuts a little while back.  It's too much.  Nobody can carry all that damage around by their self, no matter who they are.  'Course, that's just what I think.

You know what, Davis?

Let me guess, I've got everything all wrong.

You are a wiser man than I, Davis Motomiya.

. . . Thanks.

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

They flew—Ken insisted—and for a moment Kari pretended that they weren't doing what they were doing or going where they were going, but that it just her and Nefertimon having fun. Demiveemon shifted in her lap and the illusion was shattered.

"Kari?" the little blue creature asked.

She looked down into the teary ruby eyes and bit her lower lip.  "Yes, Demiveemon?"

"Will Davish be okay?"  He pressed his little flippers against her arm and she could feel the heat from his body.  "I know what Gennai said, but he'll really be alright, right?"

The Child of Light smiled at him and remembered the exchange between Gennai and Osamu.  "Trust me.  He's in the absolute best of hands."

 "But how do you know?"

Kari sighed.  "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then have a little bit of faith, Demiveemon."

The little in-training pouted and looked away, unconvinced.

From his perch on Stingmon's shoulder Ken surveyed the landscape as it peeled away beneath him.  Davis was cradled carefully in the Champion's sure hands and Gennai was flying beside him on an Metal Airdramon he had summoned along with Armadillomon.  Yolei straddled Halsemon's back and Cody rode with TK on Pegasusmon.  All things considered, they were making excellent time.

Stingmon shifted slightly in midair and dipped down slightly.  "We may need to land soon.  We're on the borders of the desert now."

"Sandstorms."  The Child of Kindness nodded and tightened his grip on the Champion's steel shoulder spike.  "You're right.  We should land soon and walk the rest of the way."  He turned around, the wind tearing through his hair, and called out to the others.  "We need to land now!"

Cody's brow darkened and he yelled over the wind.  "How come?"

"Sandstorms!"  An ivory hand made a slicing gesture towards the ground.  "Down, now!"

Stingmon pulled up sharply and dropped down, settling obediently on the ground.  The other digimon followed.

Halsemon glared at Ken as the former despot leapt the nine feet from his digimon's shoulder to land on the ground with a small thump.  "Why have we stopped?" the armored digimon demanded.

Stingmon gently settled Davis on the ground next to his human.  "Sandstorms," the huge insect rumbled.  He looked off in the distance.  "Ken-chan and I know this area well.  We have traveled through here a great many times.  A sandstorm can come over you in mere moments and it is not wise to be airborne when one hits."

"He's right," agreed Nefertimon as Kari and Demiveemon dismounted.  "I traveled here with Wizardmon during my time with Myotismon.  We once got caught in a sandstorm that lasted for days.  We lost an entire air battalion."  She chuckled darkly.  "Myotismon was furious."

Pegasusmon pawed at the ground.  "Well then, in that case, we should get moving."

Gennai hopped off his Metal Airdramon and walked over to Davis.  "Then let's go."

The Airdramon pulled up and then hesitated a moment, glaring down at Ken with white eyes.  Ken looked back, unafraid.  "Yes?"

The digimon rumbled, a parody of a laugh.  "Same old Ken.  The Brood Mother says hello."

The once-Emperor lifted an eyebrow.  "I didn't know that you were of that clan."

The creature twisted to show off its form.  "I recently digivolved.  I was the one you called Duo."

A genuine smile slid over Ken's face.  "It's been too long.  Tell the Mother I sent my regards."

"Always.  And if you ever need a favor . . ."

"Thanks, Duo."

Waving a fin in departure, the Metal Airdramon rose and circled in a goodbye.  "Take care of that human of yours, Stingmon!  They just don't make 'em like that anymore."

The Champion watched him go.  "Ultimate works well for him."

Ken nodded and placed a gentle hand on the digimon's leg.  His eyes followed the dramon type until it vanished.  "That it does, my friend."  He shook himself slightly and turned to the others who were all eyeing him with wary curiosity.  Gennai merely looked slightly amused.  It occurred to Ken that the traveler had known about Duo when he summoned him, but the boy brushed the thought aside.  Whatever his intentions, what was done was done.  "Your partners should dedigivolved and save their strength."

 Takeru lifted an eyebrow as Stingmon lifted Davis out of Gennai's arms.  "What about Stingmon?"

"I'm going to need his help at the base.  Besides," the pale boy shrugged, "it's best to have visible protection around here.  Most things will think twice before picking a fight with a stingmon.  C'mon.  We have a long way to go."

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

Are we there yet?

No.

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

Are we there yet?

No!

. . .

. . .

Are we there yet?

Yes.

Are we there—oh!  Where are we?

Above the Server Desert.

I don't see anything.

Then open your eyes.

'Huh?' Davis opened his eyes.  'Wow!  That's cool!'

I suppose.  Twit.

The ghost of Davis Motomiya grinned and looked around curiously for the source of the dry voice.  'Where are you?'

Here.

'Where?'  He looked around.  'I don't see you.'

You're not supposed to see me.

'Oh. This is fun!  It's like flying!'

We are flying.  Do you sense your body yet?

Davis watched in fascination as the ground sped past at fantastic rate of speed.  It was all a blur of tawny sand.  He stretched his arms out in front of him and watched in amazement as he could see the ground speeding past through his translucent jacket-clad arms.  'This is just too cool.'  He spun around to lie on his back and watch the sky whirl past.

Davis?  I said, 'Can you sense your body?'

'Umm . . . I don't know.  How do I do that?'

You should feel a pulling in a certain direction.

'I don't feel anything like that.'

Nothing at all?

'Nope.  How do you know where we're going anyway?'

. . .

'Well?'

You're not going to let this go if I don't answer you, are you?

'Nope.'

If you really must know, I'm . . . tracking somebody in the group.

'Really?  Who?'

You're a very nosey little boy, Motomiya.

'I'm not little!  Hey, look!  I think I see Stingmon!'  The spirit dove down towards a small group of dots.  The dots slowly grew larger until they took the forms of humans and digimon.  'I see Kari and TG and Cody and—hey!  Stingmon's got my body!  Dude!  Is that what I look like when I'm asleep?'

Yes.  Now go rejoin your body.

'Aw c'mon!  This is fun.  Poor Cody.  Ken and Gennai are talking, and Kari's talking with HK, but Cody only has Stingmon and Yolei to talk to—and Yolei is not looking too friendly.  I wonder what they're all talking about.'

He swooped down a bit lower, oblivious to his mysterious guide's protests.

Ken was looking straight forward as he spoke to Gennai.  "Don't think that this little arrangement changes anything, old man."

The traveler frowned.  "Please don't hate me, Ken.  What I did—I did the best I could."

"Well it wasn't good enough."

The two were silent for a moment before Ken spoke again.  "Is he dead?"

"Who?  Ryou?"

". . . Yeah.  Ryou.  Is he dead?"

Gennai turned pain-filled eyes to his companion.  "I'm sorry, Ken.  I'm not at liberty to say."

Ken looked back up at him with quiet rage burning in his eyes.  "Damn you to the depths of hell, old man."  He looked forward again.  "Damn you."

Davis pulled up, shying away from that rage.  'Geez, what is with those two?  They're like oil and . . . that thing that oil really doesn't like.'

Water?

'Yeah.'  Davis paused as something occurred to him.  'They can't see or hear us, can they?'

. . . They won't.

'Won't?'

Three of them have the gift, but I doubt that they'll see you.

'Why not?'

Well, there are two reasons.  One is that one of the ones with gift refuses to acknowledge it, and the others are not attuned to living souls.

'Living souls?'

Your soul is alive.  It hasn't made the transition to the other side yet.

'Oh.  Let's go listen to Cody and Stingmon!'

*sigh*  You really should go join your body, Davis.  I don't understand why it hasn't pulled you in already.  It's not natural for a body to willingly let its soul run loose.

'I'm telling you, man, I don't feel any pull.'

Eavesdropping is rude anyway.

'You don't have to come.'

. . .

'That's what I thought.  Now, c'mon, killjoy.'

Cody was walking next to Stingmon with his head down.  The small boy looked up at Yolei with a frown.  "Are you okay, Yolei?"

The wine-haired girl stared straight ahead, her eyes brightened by unshed tears.  On her shoulder, Hawkmon turned to watch her with poorly concealed worry.  Her voice was flat and cold.  "No, Cody."

Green eyes crinkled in concern.  "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

The boy sighed and Stingmon looked down.  "Are you alright, Cody?'

"Yeah.  I guess I'm just tired."

Suddenly Cody yelped as an immense green hand reached down and lifted him up.

"Cody!"  Armadillomon's mouth dropped open as his partner was scooped up.  Yolei stopped dead in her tracks and stared, her own concerns forgotten.

Ken whirled around and watched as Stingmon carefully balanced Davis's body on one arm and lifted the Child of Knowledge and Responsibility up onto his shoulder with the other.  The tall Champion shifted the unconscious Child back to his other hand, looked down at his human apologetically and then looked over at Armadillomon.  "Sorry, Ken.  You don't mind if Cody borrows your spot, do you?  He was tired." 

Ken gave him a solemn nod before turning back to his odd game of avoidance with the traveler.  "Carry on."

Stingmon looked down at Armadillomon.  "You don't mind if I steal your partner, do you?"

"Of course not," he drawled as he waved a golden-yellow paw.

Cody blushed.  "I really don't need a ride, Stingmon.  I'm just fine."

"I don't mind, Cody."

"No, really," the boy insisted with a shake of his head, "I can walk just like the others.  I don't need any special treatment."

"This isn't special treatment," the virus explained.  "I'd do this for anyone who needed it."

"But—"

"Do you remember what Ken said about messing with a stingmon, Cody?

"Yeah . . ."

"Good."

After admiring his own physical body for a moment, Davis hovered lightly next to the Champion's shoulder as they walked on in silence.  For a minute it seemed as thought the shade was doomed to boredom, but then Cody spoke again.  Davis perked up.

"Hey, Stingmon?"

"Yes, Cody?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

The digimon's body rumbled with his amusement.  "You just did."

"Okay," the boy yielded with another blush.  "Can I ask another one?  I mean, after this one."

"Ask away."

"You've known Ken for a really long time, right?"

"Of course.  Ever since he was a small child—even younger than you are now.  Why?"

The boy pulled his knees up to his chest, placed on elbow on them, and supported his chin with the same hand.  His other hand rested loosely on one of Stingmon's spikes.  "You really care deeply for him, don't you?"

This question seemed to confuse the large green insect.  He shifted slightly and his antennae shivered as he shook his head a bit.  "Of course I do.  He is my Ken-chan."  He gave his explanation as though those words should have made everything right with the world.

Cody wasn't convinced.  "But why?  I mean, he was so evil and he treated you so terribly . . . yet you'll still march to the ends of the earth for him.  How can you ever trust him again?"

Stingmon looked down thoughtfully and he gave the impression that he was frowning.  For a moment he was absolutely silent, red eyes locked on his partner's back.  Ken and Gennai were still talking quietly and avoiding each other's eyes.  Stingmon looked at his rider.  "He's my Ken-chan."  He shrugged, startling Cody so that the boy quickly grasped at the spikes.  "I know that that's not what you want to hear, but . . ." He sighed.  "Trust me, Cody.  I know what's in Ken's heart and soul—even if his head is always getting in the way.  He's an incredible person—a good person—it's just taking him a little while to figure it out."

"But how do you know that he'll ever 'figure it out?' "

"Did you know that the Crest of Reliability is actually the Crest of Faith?"

Emerald eyes blink in surprise.  "No, actually I didn't."

"He's a genius, Cody.  He's good at figuring things out.  Plus, I have faith in him.  Yes, it's hard sometimes, but Ken has lost a lot of things; he's had to fight for most everything alone.  I'm not going to let him be alone anymore.  A big part of Faith is unconditional confidence in something.  Ken is my something."

Cody was quiet.  When he looked up his eyes were clouded by uncertainty.  "But how do you know?"

"I don't, Cody, and that's why it matters."

Cody, closed his eyes, shook his head, and sighed.

Davis pulled away from them.  'Cody thinks way too much.'

There was no response and Davis frowned.  'You still there?  Hey, guide person?'

Yeah, I'm here.

'You okay?'

Silence once more.

'Hey,' Davis yelled, waving his translucent arms.  'I said: Are you okay?!'

Yeah . . . I'm fine.  Are you done yet?  You should—

'Return to my body—I know.  You're turning into a broken record.  Let's see what Kari and TL are talking about.'

Davis!

'Hush!  I'm trying to hear this!'

Kari shook her head and her hair fell into her eyes.  "I'm telling you, TK, there is no way that Maseba is going to make the basketball team."

The blond laughed and shook his head, earning a yelp from Patamon who rested on top of his hat.  "You're just mad because his sister didn't want you to be the captain of the cheerleading squad!"

"I am not!"

An eyebrow raised in skepticism.

"Alright, alright," the Child of Light conceded with a blush, "Maybe I was just a little annoyed.  But she had no right to go spreading those rumors about me!"

This sent her friend into howls of laughter and she glared at him in mock anger.  "Laugh it up, Takaishi," she warned with a shake of one delicate finger.  "Revenge will be mine."

Gatomon cast a look back at her human and the red-faced TK and sighed.  "You two act just like a pair of kittens sometimes."

Floating unseen above their heads, Davis made a rather horrible-looking face at TK and shifted so that he flew above Kari.

Eventually TK calmed down and the two walked in a comfortable silence.  Davis pouted.

Satisfied?  We should go now.

Davis shot a stern glare in the general vicinity of where he assumed his guide was.  'No.  And I want to hear this.'

Hear what?  They're not even talking.

'They will be.'

"Something's wrong, isn't it TK?"

'See!' Davis exclaimed, shooting a triumphant look at the same patch of empty air.

Davis, you really shouldn't—

"It's Davis," TK said to Kari.  "And you and . . . me."

Davis leaned in closer.

Now I know we shouldn't—

'Shut-up!  This is important.'  The Davis's spectral brow furrowed in concentration.

Kari cast TK an uncertain look as Patamon left his partner's head to walk next to Gatomon.  "What do you mean?" she asked, slightly fearful of the answer.  Unbidden, she remember her Test and repressed a shiver.  She wrapped slender arms around her body in a tight hug. 

The Child of Hope frowned at the ground.  "This game that you've been playing—granted, I went along with it at first, so I'm guilty as you—but now it's got to stop."

"TK—"

"No."  He raised his hands to cut her off.  "Let me finish.  We're just friends, Kari; we agreed on that a long time ago.  But if your not interested in Davis, you have to tell him so.  You can't keep bouncing us off each other like super balls because, to be perfectly honest, it's just plain cruel.  It's not fair to any of us and if you don't tell him the truth, then I will."

The Eighth Child dropped her head and bit her lower lip guiltily.  "I'm sorry.  It's just . . . I don't want to hurt him, Takeru."

"Then tell him the truth."  The tall boy's hand swept hers up and lightly brushed it across his lips.  He smiled at her when she looked up at him in surprise.  "Hey, I'm not mad at you—well, not really—and I'm always going to be here for you, so don't sweat it.  Things are going to be okay."

The girl smiled up at her best friend gratefully.  "Thanks TK."  She blushed and looked down again.  "But how am I supposed to tell Davis that I'd never date him in a million years?"

A short bark of laughter emerged from TK.  "Hopefully gentler than that."

"Hope is your area, TK."

Davis pulled up sharply.  He had heard more than enough.  If ghosts could have hearts, his had just been trod upon by Kari's cheerleading sneakers and shattered into a billion tiny pieces.  It was one thing to think that you didn't have a chance in hell with the love of your life, it quite another thing to hear her say it.  And laugh about it.  And tell that asshole TR about it.  And have him laugh about it.

Davis?

'Go away.'

I told you not to eavesdrop.

'Go.  Away.  Now.'

Davis—

'I SAID GO AWAY!!'

But you need to rejoin your body!!

'No I don't!  I'm never going back!'

But—Damnit!  Davis, come back!  DAVIS!

Gennai stopped suddenly and turned around.

Beside him, Ken also halted and looked up at him curiously.  "What is it?"  The boy turned around and the others mimicked the motion.  "What's wrong?"

Gennai ignored him, looking instead at the slowly emerging shade of Osamu Ichijouji which was standing a little bit behind a bewildered looking Kari and TK. 

"What's going on?" Kari asked nervously, unaware of the spirit behind her or what had just occurred.

Osamu looked Gennai in the eye.  "We have got a serious problem here, traveler."

Gennai sighed and looked down at Ken.  "It's nothing.  Let's continue."

Osamu and Ken both lifted a single eyebrow and the younger Ichijouji shrugged and turned, taking the lead again.  Osamu smirked and began to vanish again.  "I'll go get him.  You owe me so big—"

The traveler turned back around and moved to catch up with their guide.

"What was that all about?" the child genius demanded after a moment.

"It was nothing," replied Gennai, looking straight ahead.  "Just the wind, Ken."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*