Oh my…what's going to happen now that five of their number have disappeared?

Predestined

Chapter Five: Open Sesame

Kinaka arrived at the Kamiya's apartment, carrying her little brother, who was sleeping. Angel and Matt were right behind her.

"I don't understand!" Angel was saying desperately. "What is going on here?"

"Some of our children have gone missing," Cody said. He was here alone; he had divorced his wife Toshiko the previous year. "My own included. And it seems that more disappearances may happen if we don't take action."

Kinaka looked grim. "Does this mean a mission to the Digital World again?"

"It may," Izzy said. "Why don't you all sit down and we'll talk?"

"Kinaka, the kids' meeting is in Leon's room," Tai added.

She went down the hallway, still carrying Julian, and entered Leon's room. There was her fellow Digidestined, with five missing and two gone elsewhere. There were exactly seven of them present, herself included.

"Since our leader and her backup are gone, I think I'll start," Holly said. She sat at Leon's computer chair and faced them all. "As you know, we've been attacked by outside forces we know nothing about. Just this afternoon, Lee and Kim were attacked and kidnapped. Tina and me were almost blown to bits in the subway. I just got the news report, and about a hundred people died. Kiko and Mike were able to open the Ports—" A general babble of disbelief broke out here "—but for some reason Lauren was taken through and not them. It's possible that whoever's targeted us tampered with the Port. Then there's the fact that Tania saw Hikaru and Chris get taken… Jenna, you said something about Deanna telling Cleo a new prophecy, right?"

"Right."

Holly spun around in the chair. "Did you get any details?"

"Not really, no," she admitted. "All Cleo was able to tell me was that it had something to do with joining up with younger kids and that if we screw up, both worlds are screwed. Royally."

"And there's an e-mail function on the D-X, did anyone know that?" Holly looked around. "Well?"

Kiko and Mike glanced sideways at eachother.

"We did," Mike offered. "And we probably would have told you, but the thing takes specific verbal commands and even when you open the program, the keyboard they give you is about the size of an eraser. It's not very useful either. It can only send e-mail to people in a 1000 mile radius."

"Guess my e-mail to Cleo won't send, then," Jenna muttered.

"Anything else that anyone might want to add?"

Leon frowned. "I've got one," he said. "Kinaka, what the hell is that thing clipped to Julian's belt loop?"

Kinaka held her still-slumbering brother at an arm's length and gasped. A white and baby blue D-X was attached to the belt loop on Julian's pants.

The adults had just finished discussing pretty much the same things their kids had, when Kinaka burst into the living room.

"Look at him!" she screeched, shoving Julian into her father's arms. "HE HAS A D-X! He's only three years old, why would he be given one now, huh?"

Angel's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Oh my God," she whispered. "No, not my other baby too…"

"Check Tania, too!" Kinaka went on. "Aunt Kari, you've got to check and see if Tania has one too! If she does, then we've got a prophecy partway fulfilled."

Kari stood. "She's asleep in Tai and Sora's room," she said brokenly. "I'll…I'll go see."

She returned five minutes later, her eyes brimming with tears.

"She does," she cried, burying her face into TK's chest. "It's white and pink. What are we going to do? We can't let her go! She's only four!"

Angel nodded. "Whatever's come up, I'm sure you older kids can handle it. Right?"

Kinaka shook her head. "They have their own role to play," she said simply. A vision of her little brother in a swirling vortex of colors played across her mind, along with one of Tania's hands spilling over with an almost liquid blue light. "Whatever it is, it may be crucial."

"I can't let my daughter go to that place!" Kari almost screamed. "I've been there, I remember full well what it's like! I barely survived at age eight; I would be rightfully dead and buried a hundred times over, if it hadn't been for Gatomon! Tania's so little, and she's…"

"I'm what, Mommy?"

Tania herself came in, rubbing her sleepy eyes with a small fist. "I had a funny dream," she said. "I went to this place where a silly-looking deer lived. She let me ride on her back." The little girl smiled. "And she took me to a cave, and I saw Hikaru. Momma, is she gonna come home soon?"

"I don't know, baby. Go back to bed, OK?" Kari patted her little girl's head.

Suddenly, Tania drew back. "I see red," she cried. "The sky is red, the grass is red, the water is red. Momma, I'm scared, I've never seen such a scary place! There's a lady, too…a lady with a black mask. She has funny eyes, one yellow and one orange."

Just then, Jenna entered the room with Leon. "What's going on?" she asked.

Tania's back was facing them, but she cried out: "Keep that girl with the purple striped hair out of that scary place! Don't let her walk away! She's going to get…"

Jenna stopped and lifted one hand to touch her auburn hair, with purple highlights.

Kari suddenly lifted Tania. "Stop it, you're scaring me!" she cried.

"Momma, I'm so sorry, I can see it so clear…"

Jenna looked from Kinaka to Tania to the stunned faces of everyone present. "Now I see where she got it," she said, half to herself. "From her dad's side…I should have known. Kinaka, you and your cousin really creep me out. You know that?"

"Kari, are you going to be all right?" Sora asked her gently as she was leaving. She was carrying Tania, who was sleeping again.

"I'll be fine," Kari sighed. "Oh my God, Sora…I can't do this. I can't let my baby girl go there. I want to go with her, if she does have to leave. Angel will probably want to go, too…"

Sora shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "Do you remember, over thirty years ago we left our parents standing there, waiting for us? We have to do the same, Kari. And we just have to trust that they'll be fine." At this, a tear trickled slowly down her cheek. "I need my daughter back. Only her fellow Digidestined can help her…and Hikaru too. Just please, let Tania go if she has to go. It's for the best."

The two women embraced, and Kari turned to leave.

Ken, Yolei and Jenna stayed behind. Ken was going to work on a program to open the Ports again, and as soon as he got it, they would call the other kids to come and leave through it.

Which had damn well better work soon, Tai thought, watching Ken type away for dear life.

"Oh. My. God."

"I knew you'd say something like that, Dee."

Deanna pulled over sharply and put her head on the steering wheel. "Oh man, Rachie. What are you gonna tell mom and dad? Oh, hi guys, I just found a talisman that enables me to become a Digidestined like everyone else in this family!"

Rachael pouted. "Just 'cause you were the one who battled with Sabinemon doesn't mean you have to be a jerk about this! And if you dare call me a greenhorn, I'll shove this thing down your throat! I'm serious."

"I was kidding, Rachie," Deanna grinned. She lifted her head and swatted at her little sister. "I was beginning to think that you weren't a normal person!"

"Normal?! I'm just about as normal as the weird people on this planet are! Now I'm finally a Digidestined. So whaddaya got to say about that, big sister?"

Deanna jerked her thumb toward the road. "Get out and walk! You'll need the exercise when you're in a blazing hot desert in Kai!"

"Does it sting much, honey?"

"Mom! Ow!"

Catherine Lariviere (formerly Lavois; her first husband John had died three years ago and she had taken her maiden name again) lifted the packet of frozen peas from her son's face and surveyed the damage. "Lucas, what have I told you about those bullies? Stay away from them! Est-ce que tu comprends? I don't want you getting hurt like this anymore!"

Lucas gazed sadly at what remained of his soccer ball. It sat in a forlorn shredded mass on the floor. "I really didn't mean to get in their way, mama," he said. "Francis and Pierre are so big, and they're kind of territorial over their area…"

"I know, sweetheart, I know." Catherine kissed the top of his blonde head and smiled sadly. "It's almost time for supper. Go get washed up, all right?"

As he was laying his bruised face down on his pillow later that night, he felt a lump. That's weird, he thought, putting his hand under the pillow. Hey…what is this thing?

He pulled out the irregular shape carefully. In the weak moonlight streaming in from his window, he could barely see it, so he flipped on his lamp to study it at length. It fit inside his palm, was white and green, and looked like a cross between a Palm Pilot, a digital watch and a walkie-talkie. Surrounding its screen in fine gold-and-black letters were some kind of code that looked Japanese or Chinese. It was also personalized, with his name written across it.

Something tugged at his memory. Where had he seen something like this before? Then it came to him—his cousin Deanna had had one of these things, back when they lived practically right next door to Gennai in the Digital World. It was a D-X. Which could only mean that he was now a Digidestined like the rest of his family.

It was past midnight when Ken finally managed to open the Port. Jenna was sleeping with her head on Leon's lap when he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Jenna…it's all fired up. Are you ready to go?"

"Let me sleep, Dad. I'll do it in the morning," she mumbled, turning her head.

Sora was already on the phone, calling the rest of the kids and their families. "Tell your kids to take extra clothes, food, water, anything else they can think of. Like soap and toilet paper and shampoo. And," she added when she spoke to Kari and Angel, "bring your little one. Just in case."

The others arrived around one o'clock, bleary-eyed and lugging their equipment. Tina had gone all-out and had actually brought a ten-man tent with her. "I'm not saying all of us will fit," she said when Holly laughed at her. "I just don't want to sleep in a cave this time, thank you very much!"

"Yeah, yeah, quit it with the sweet talk," Kinaka muttered. She was holding Julian, who was peering around.

"We goin' somewhere, Kina?" he asked her. "Is momma comin' with us?"

Angel looked close to tears, but helped him put on his little backpack. "You might be going to, baby," she said. "Kina will take good care of you if that's the case, right honey?"

"Right, mom."

"Almost ready?" Ken called out impatiently. "The Port closes in ten minutes. It's best that you go through now. You can always come back, though…I've fixed it. Just…please be careful. And you two…" He looked sharply at Jenna and Leon, who were holding hands. "Make sure my daughter comes home in one piece, all right? If you let her get hurt, I have plenty of connections to the CIA. Got it?"

Leon swallowed. "Got it," he squeaked.

"I'll try to contact Cleo and Deanna, and maybe I can get them through too. Good luck."

Holly looked from her D-X to the screen to her parents. "Do I get to do the honors?" she asked.

Tai grinned. "Show them all some Kamiya attitude, honey!"

"Sweet! All right then…DIGI-PORT, OPEN!" Holly bellowed. Once again, they were on their way, back to where their adventures had all started…

"Lucas?"

Catherine noticed that her son's computer was on. Curious, she walked up to it and read the words typed there…and almost had a heart attack.

Mom: Gone back to the Digital World. I found a Port and well, my D-X did the rest. If I see Dee or Rachie or anyone else, I'll join up with them. –Lucas.

She sank into his chair and put her head on his desk. She had to call her sister Gwen, and fast.