A/N: First off thank you ThatGirl and WildfireFriendship for pointing out my mistake. *Blushes* even with spell check I mess up. Anyway thank you, this chapter probably has more errors then the last (I was sick when I wrote some of this) so if there are any errors and it causes confusion I apologize.
Second thing is thanking everyone who reviewed. I appreciate your feed back very much. Oh and just to let you know I am a very slow writer, that is why it took me so long to update, but I will try to get the next chapter out much sooner.
Okay just to let you know words are in "_" and thoughts are in '_'.
Disclaimer: I do not own digimon, if I did then the season one characters would have at least starred longer then one season, and the season two ending would have been shredded then burned.
A great abyss stretched out as far as the eye could see. A blanked of impenetrable clouds created a barrier, separating the vast heavens from the organic life below. A soft breeze constantly blew, and was sometimes the only sign of life on this mysterious plane of the Digital heaven. Amidst the clouds a monolith of ivory stone floated, blending in with the ever-moving white clouds.
For many centuries this haven of light remained uninhabited, cut off from the rest of the world and unreachable by any common creature. But now this silent plane was no longer absent of life. A lone figure clad in all white rested upon the monolith quietly. He sat with his legs crossed and his head bowed.
If one had been watching him they would have assumed that the young man was praying or meditating, but if they had strained their ears hard enough they would have heard a soft chant flowing fluently from his barely moving lips. The words were in a language not heard in the ever-changing Digi-World for ages. It was the ancient language of the East, spoken by the wise and righteous digimon of first age of the Digital World. These were words that had vanished from the world when the great Digi-Gods were locked away by the Dark Masters, and now this hidden plane was the only place in all the lands that they could be uttered in safety.
The man's voice began to soften until he spoke no longer. Then as soon as his voice was inaudible the breeze that blew softly and continuously began to pick up into a startling forceful blow. The wind blew through the man's hair and clothes almost aggressively yet he did not some much as wince from it's relentless force. The abyss of clouds began to move in a swirling motion, and the pleasant light began to fade into darkness. Soon the only light that was left came from the stars twinkling like diamonds in the distance.
This unnatural display of the elements went on for a few minutes then just as quickly as the wind had picked up and the light had faded, the winds died down and returned to their almost playful dance through the clouds. The warm and comforting light returned and brought sight with it. Through all of this the lone figure did not so much as flinch.
Suddenly the man looked up from where his gaze had rested through the shifts of nature. His soft and oddly wise eyes scanned the clouds and then came to rest upon the space in front of him. A small smile tugged on his normally impassive face as he spoke.
"Welcome my friend I am glad you could find time to come and speak with me." His voice was soft and courteous.
"It is I who am glad that you have called upon me." Answer a deep and friendly voice as two pleasant red eyes shone through the blanket of clouds. "Tell me Gennia, what do you need is there a problem in the Digi-World that I am not aware of?"
"Yes Azulongmon, there is a problem, but I am sure you are already aware of it. The Nightmare Soldiers." Gennia spoke the name of these digimon quietly and distastefully, almost as though if he spoke of them too loudly their fallen Lord would rise from his grave and haunt him mercilessly.
"Now that is a topic that has not been discussed in some time." Answered Azulongmon amusingly.
"This in no laughing matter my Lord, more and more of them turn to Deamon everyday. Deamon is not their true ruler, he will not be able to control them much longer. We should destroy them before they get out of control again, or before a new leader is found." Gennia urged the thought of the first battle against the destructive creatures flashing through his mind.
"Gennia my friend, you know as well as I do that we do not have the strength to compete with them. We could not even defeat them in our strongest state, so how do you think such a battle will go now?" Azulongmon's voice was stern but also held pity. He hated the Nightmare Soldiers just as much as Gennia, if not more, but he also knew that charging into battle with them would be foolish.
"They were strong when they had a leader, but now they are scattered and leaderless, we can pick them off quickly and easily." Gennia argued.
"It does not matter if they are divided, if you attack one of them you will have to face them all, and we do not have the strength for that." Azulongmon explained slightly annoyed by Gennia's persistence.
"Then what shall we do?" Gennia asked almost like a child asking his father the secrets of life and unable to understand why he has no answer.
Azulongmon sighed sadly then responded. "We will wait, and hope that the true Lord will come soon. And that he will be strong and desire peace."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ring!" the sound of a mechanical bell went off slicing through the dead silence of the room. A few grunts and moans could be heard mingling with the sound of the alarm clock. A shaky hand rose out from under a dark blue comforter and slammed on the off button, silencing the alarm clock's piercing ring.
Matt peered out of his covers and looked at the small machine he had just so gently turned off. It took a few minutes for his eyes to focus but once they did he could see the neon red digits displaying seven o'clock. He moaned then laid his head back on his pillow as he began to processes the number on the clock.
"Oh crap!" Matt shouted as realization dawned on him. He has to be at school by eight and it was a fifteen-minute walk. Sure that left him plenty of time to get ready, but hardly enough time to stop for coffee on the way.
"I hate early morning, the only thing worse then early morning is early morning without coffee." He complained to himself.
Grunting with agitation he kicked off his blankets and went to his closet in search of something suitable to wear. After going through the clothes twice he decided to settle for a pair of baggy jeans and a button down navy blue shirt.
After changing he headed to the bathroom to attend to his hair. 'I hate doing this every day.' He thought to himself as he turned on the bathroom faucet. ' Why can't I go one day without looking perfect? I always have to look like I stepped out of a fashion magazine or people will think that I'm sick or something.' He cursed silently, as he took a hand full of cold water and splashed it on his faces. The cool liquid ran down his pail skin tenderly. He stared at his face with a scowl; dark circles had begun to form under his eyes. He stared at the blemishes thoughtfully. They probably wouldn't be as noticeable on someone with darker skin, but on him they stood out like bruises under his crystal eyes.
"Mental note, going to bed at three in the morning and waking up at seven probably isn't the healthiest was to live your life." Matt commented sarcastically to himself.
Of course it wasn't healthy, but no one had ever given him a bedtime, his father was hardly ever home, and whenever he was he never tried to interfere with Matt's schedule. TK of course would get on to him all the time about his over exertion, and would often times lecture him about a healthy lifestyle.
Matt smiled at the thought of his younger brother and the way he worried about him. Sighing in amusement and weariness Matt turned back to the task of getting ready for school.
It only took fifteen minutes for him to style his hair and gather his things. Picking up his backpack and swinging it over his shoulder Matt headed for the front door. As he walked slowly down the hall of his apartment he noticed everything in perfect detail. He noticed how quiet it was with him being the only one home. He noticed the dust that had begun to accumulate on ever item in the house due to the fact that neither he nor his dad had any time to clean. But the main thing that stood out in the small apartment was the darkness. It didn't matter if it was noon and every light in the building was on, the small apartment still remained dark.
'Dark and cold kind of like me.' Matt thought to himself with a frown. It seemed like every time he was begging to take a step forward, begging to become more open and caring something would grab hold of him and jerk him back into depression.
"Tai's right I do think to much." With that Matt opened the front door and left the dark and drearisome apartment. As he stepped into the outside world it felt like a great burden had been lifted from him. The loneliness, the silence, even the darkness could not reach him out here in the realm of the living. Out here he was free from all his haunting thoughts.
It didn't take long for Matt to reach his first destination the local coffee shop, called The Daily Grind. He entered the small shop flashing the young woman at the counter a small smile before walking up to place his order.
"I'll have a tall double white café mocha." The girl at the counter nodded and went to work on his order.
As he waited Matt watched the young woman closely. She was definitely new, but despite that she seemed to know how to work everything. The girl finished making Matt's drink and laid it on the counter with a lid already placed securely on the top.
"That will be three fifty." She said with little interest. Matt pulled out for dollar bills, handed them to the girl and told her to keep the change.
The blond walked down the sidewalk silently, taking small sips of his coffee as he moved effortlessly towards his school. Of course his thoughts were on anything but school. 'Why can't I sleep at night. It can't be from coffee I only drink it in the morning. Why do I keep having these stupid dreams, and then wake up and remember nothing about them.' these thoughts kept circling his head as he tried to come up with a conclusion.
Suddenly a cheerful cry broke through Matt's reverie. "Hey Matt!"
A slight smile tugged at Matt's lips as he looked up and was greeted by a pair of gleeful baby-blue eyes. "Hey TK, where you heading?" he asked his younger brother with a kind smile.
"The same place you are I would guess." TK answered casually as he fell in place by his brother's side and began to walk with him at a steady pace.
The two walked in silence for a couple of blocks until they reached the street where both the high school and junior high were. Finally as they approached the two buildings TK asked the question that had been upsetting him for the entire walk.
"Matt are you all right? You look like you haven't slept in ages. Is there something wrong?" he asked with genuine concern.
Matt cursed silently. He was hoping to avoid this particular conversation today, but it would seem that his younger brother's concern was inescapable. "I'm fine TK, I just stayed up late last night practicing my bass. You know once I get started I can't put it down." Matt answered praying that TK wouldn't see through his well rehearsed excused.
"Okay if you say so." TK answered dropping the subject, but obviously not fully believing him. "Are you doing anything this weekend?"
"I don't have any plans." Matt answered as he stopped walking and lined against the schoolyard fence.
TK also stopped walking and turned to face his brother. This was sort of a tradition for them. They would spend the extra minutes before class started talking and making plans for the day or in this case the weekend. Matt never told TK how many times this little tradition had caused him to be late for first period. TK's school started twenty minutes after his, but it didn't matter to him. Sometimes this was the only conversation he and his brother would get to have during the day, and he never regretted one of them.
TK stared at his brother closely, he knew something was bothering him, but he couldn't figure out what. "Matt is there something" Before he could finish his question Matt cut him off.
"Oh no, you've already had your questions for the day now it's my turn." Matt said with a smile.
TK smiled too, this seemed a little more like his brother. "Okay, shoot." TK answered with amusement.
Matt was silent for a moment, he seemed to be contemplating weather he should ask his question or let his brother go back to interrogating him. "How is everything in the Digital World?" Matt asked almost uncertainly.
TK seemed a little surprised; Matt hadn't displayed much interest in the Digi-World over the past couple of years. He had sort of grown away from the whole saving the world thing. He spent most of his time practicing music, and the only time he and Gabumon hung out were when the digimon would come and visit their partners in the real world.
"Well everything has been pretty peaceful since the defeat of Malomyotismon. The digimon have finished rebuilding their towns and cities, and they have put small governments together."
Matt just nodded his head in response to what his brother said. His mind began to drift back to the first adventure the Digidestined had. It didn't matter how much he wanted to think about something else, for some reason his thoughts always ended up on the battle with Piedmon. He didn't really understand why he thought about it so much, but for some reason he always found himself reliving that fight, reliving all the strange feelings that had passed through him during that battle.
"Earth to Matt, Come in Matt." TK waved his hand in front of his big brother's face in an attempt to get his attention.
Matt blinked as his thoughts returned to the present. "Sorry TK I guess I most of zoned out. Anyway I have to go, first period starts in five minutes and I don't want to be late." With that Matt walked towards his school and disappeared within the crowd of students rushing to get to class.
TK sighed heavily as he began to walk toward his on school.
'Matt sure has been acting strange lately. I wonder why he hasn't been sleeping well, and why he refuses to talk to me about it.' these thoughts were constantly running through TK's mind, but now he had something else bothering him. Why would Matt ask about the Digital World? He never seems to have a desire to go there. It's almost like he is afraid of something there, but now out of no where he's interested in what was happening there. 'I wonder what's really bothering him. Whatever it is I'm going to find out.' With that last decision made TK enter his school and headed to his locker.
~*~*~*~*~
School went by very slow for Matt. Each class seemed to drag on longer then the last, but finally after what seemed like ages the bell rang announcing that school was out for the weekend. Matt rushed to his locker as quickly as possible and began to gather his books.
"Thank god it's Friday." He whispered to himself as he zipped up his backpack. 'Hopefully I can get out of here without being noticed.' He thought, pleading that no one would see him or want to have conversion, as he closed his locker and locked it.
"Hey Matt." A friendly voice echoed through the halls.
'Dang it!' Matt sighed in defeated and turned to answer the person who had addressed him. "Hey Tai how's it going?" he asked trying to sound casual.
"Not bad." Tai answered with a smile. "Why weren't you at lunch today?"
'Because I have been avoiding everyone!' Matt thought to himself wishing he could just come out and say it. "I had lunch in the music room, I wanted to have extra time to work on the piece the school band is playing in the up coming competition." Matt answered. 'And I haven't felt like talking to any of you.'
"You and music." Tai teased.
"So what are you doing this afternoon?" Matt asked knowing that Tai wouldn't go away until he felt the two of them had had a decent conversation.
"Me and some friends are going to the park to play some soccer." Tai answered with a grin.
"You and soccer." Matt mocked with a small smile.
Tai punch Matt in the arm playful then answered. "Very funny, anyway do you want to come? We can use an extra guy."
Matt thought about it for a moment. 'Maybe it would be good if I went. I need to get out of my apartment and it wouldn't hurt for me to be around my friends outside of school.' Matt was just about to answer yes, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do it. "I think I'm going to sit this one out Tai, I have a lot of homework. I want to get done with it so I can have the whole weekend stress free." Matt answered surprising himself with how well he was getting at lying.
"Okay, but you know a little sunshine definitely wouldn't hurt you." Tai joked as he left and headed towards his locker.
'Yeah a little light might at least give me peace.' Matt thought dolorously.
~*~*~*~*~
"I'm home!" Matt shouted, announcing to no one that he had arrived at his apartment. 'We need a cat or something. At least then I wouldn't be talking to myself.'
Walking into the living room he threw his backpack on the ground and sat down in the old recliner in the corner.
' Why am I doing this to myself. I keep isolating myself from the world. I thought I was over the whole lone wolf thing. Maybe I just need some sleep that's all. I have been over exhausting myself, and it's probably for no reason to.' He thought to himself, trying to rationalize his strange behavior.
As Matt headed to his room, his mind began to drift passing over every subject before coming to rest on one concern. "I wonder how Gabumon is doing." He quickly tried to push all thoughts of his Digimon companion away as he entered his room and prepared to practice his bass.
Hours had passed and it was already early morning, but Matt still couldn't sleep. Every night he would just lie in bed and stare at the ceiling for hours. He had tried everything relaxing exercise, warm milk, even medication, but the only thing he got out of those where aggravation and more questions. His dad had suggested he visits a psychologist, but Matt refused to even consider the idea.
'Everyone thinks I have it so well with my popularity, good looks, and musical talent, well I'd give up all of those for one night of peaceful sleep.' He thought despondently.
A broken streetlight outside his window kept flickering; the flashing light cast shadows upon the bedroom's barren walls. The shadows created deranged illusions, each with a great significance to him. A chair would look like a wolf or a lamp like a figure with swords; the dark images would dance around his room in a fearsome ballet.
"I can't take this anymore, why do you keep haunting me!" Matt shouted at the obscure scenes playing out before his tiered gaze.
Tears began to form in his eyes, as understanding of his own insanity became clear. All the sleepless nights, all the haunting dreams and images, their significance were becoming more obvious by the minute.
All this time Matt had been avoiding the Digi-World. Even during the battles with the Digimon Emperor, he stayed away. Sure he came whenever he was absolutely needed or he helped out in the real world in anyway he could, but Matt never just went to the Digi-World to be there.
Suddenly something his brother had said came back to him. "The Digital World is a part of who we are, just like our Digimon. We are a part of it and it a part of us, probably one of the best parts."
'TK was right the Digi-World is a part of me, but if that is so then why am I running away from it?' Matt thought to himself as he wiped away a tear that had strayed down his cheek. 'Well no longer I won't keep running from this. If the answers I'm looking for are in the Digi-World then that's were I have to go.'
With that decided Matt rose from his bed, and walked over to his dresser. After feeling around in the top chest for a minute, he pulled out a small hand held digital device with a triumphant smile. 'It's been a long time since I've used this, I wonder if it still works.'
After he had his digivice, he put on his shoes and then headed towards his computer. It was already booted up, so he wasted no time. 'Okay how does Izzy do this again?' he thought for a moment before deciding to simply imitate what the younger Digisetined do.
"Digi-port open!" at his command the port appeared on the computer. A bright light filled the room as Matt was pulled in the screen. Within a second the light was gone and the room was empty.
~*~*~*~*~
Sorry that the end sucked, I actually had a different ending written, but it was even worse so, I went back and rewrote it. Well as always please review, constructive criticism is always welcome. I want to try to get five reviews before I update this, so please review.
Oh I need some help. Due to the fact that MegChan's site closed down (yes I am devastated about that too) I have no way to get info on some of the digimon I wanted to put in this fic. If you know of any sites that give detail about digimon: Name, attack, type, family: would you please tell me I would be most appreciative.