Miyako awoke slowly, stretching and feeling the warm blankets around her. Sora had left the bed already, so she didn't bother to open her eyes as she rolled onto her back and sniffed happily at the sent of good cooking. Sora had always been a good cook. Miyako was extremely hungry, and tried to remember if she'd bothered to get any dinner the night before. She dismissed the idea quickly. She was starving and she had most likely forgotten about dinner and hopped in bed with Sora.
"Whatcha cookin for Yo-Yo chan?" Miyako called reaching for her glasses. Suddenly the world came into view. "Eep. Forgot where I was there for a second."
Koushiro smiled sardonically at her. He was leaning over a spring in his boxers washing clothes. "Here's your underwear Yo-yo chan."
He tossed the frilly pair of purple underpinning at her, which she caught, narrowly keeping her blanket around her. "Why are you playing with my panties, Koushiro chan?"
"I'm doing laundry. Sora kun stripped you down early this morning so I'd be done with your underwear when you woke up."
Miyako scowled in embarrassment. "Where's Sora? Is everyone else still asleep?"
"She's cooking breakfast. And mostly, yes." He pointed over a ways from the camp. Miyako sat down to tie her boots on and went to find her lover.
She shouldn't be trying to take care of us all right now. She needs to relax and try to get her head together.
Miyako approached Sora's back as the taller woman brandished her spatula against the eggs and sang softly to herself. She waited patiently as the eggs cooked, watching over them as attentively as though life itself depended on them cooking properly.
"Yume mita jibun totemo tookute
Hito shirezu nakiTaichi
Bukiyou de kimochi ienakattari
Tsuyogatte misetari
Demo kono yo ni hitori nara
Namida ga kieru kawari ni ai mo kieru
Utsumukanaide habatakou
Ashita wa motto chikaku naru daita yume ni"
She was standing there in nothing but a small red pair of men's boxers, her matching bra, and her boots. The clash between her strange method of dress and the domestic scene wasn't lost on Miyako.
"Tabi wa nagakute toki ni tsurakute
Hito wa tada chiisai
Yowasa ga fui ni mienaku suru no
Koko ni iru imi sae"
"You're so adorable." Miyako said affectionately. Sora half-turned and gave her lover a perfunctory smile.
"How do you like your eggs? Sunny side up? Jubei-yaki?"
"Umou chan, why are you doing this?" Miyako asked softly. Sora turned around again to tend to the eggs.
"We haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon. I assumed everyone would be pretty hungry."
Miyako could see her hands shaking as she stood there trying to be a pillar of strength.
"I mean, why are you standing there trying to mother us after what you just went through?!" Miyako demanded. Sora looked at the ground.
"I have to do something, Miya. I have to stay busy." A tear fell from her face. "I..."
"Sora..." Miyako came over and presses her cheek lightly against the woman's bare back. "It'll be alright. You shouldn't have been alone."
"Biomon was there. And Ken chan wasn't alone at all. Look what she did to him." Sora protested sharply. Miyako could feel the firm muscles tensing in her lover's back. They were already under stain. "Look. He didn't... Maze's creature didn't technically hurt me... not really."
"Then what did he do?"
"He held me down. He tortured me. He... showed me how weak I am. He made me feel helpless. Oh, the things he showed me... I never want to feel that way. Ever,Yo-yo. Ever."
"You don't always have to be the strong one." Miyako said. "But you're far stronger than me a lot of the time. I can be strong for you."
"We're both strong, Miya. Together." Sora drew in a breath as she realized what she'd just said. Miyako moved away and looked at her accusingly.
"You do mind if I take that job in America!"
"Of course I mind! But I love you! And if it makes you happy I want you to do that." Sora replied intensely. Her cheeks reddened as she met Miyako's smooth brown eyes. "There isn't anything I would deny you."
"I would be leaving the country. I wouldn't be leaving you."
"I know." Sora turned back around and busied herself. "Could you wake Hikari chan and Daisuke kun so they can make some chopsticks? I think Ken chan should sleep some more after last night."
And so should you, you stubborn woman. Miyako thought as she crossed the camp, snatching her blanket as she went.
"She loves me." The woman whispered to herself. She looked over at Hikari, Ken and Davis, making a plan of attack. She chose Hikari first, and shook her gently, putting a finger to her lips when the girl had opened her eyes. Hikari nodded and disentangled herself. Hikari then helped Miyako and the Digimon to drag Daisuke away from their former bed to wake him up. He didn't seem at all disturbed by the change in location, but they shook him awake anyway, and he promptly walked into a spring when he got onto his feet.
"Wah!" Daisuke cried, hopping out of the water.
"Well, now that you've gotten your clothes wet anyway, hand them over so Koushiro can add them to the laundry." Miyako ordered. "I think that spring there is the one Koushiro and Sora used this morning for a bath."
"It wasn't so bad. We should probably take the chance to clean up too."
"We might not get a chance later." Hikari concurred, slipping out of her clothes.
"Do we have the next load ready?" Koushiro asked as he walked up to them. He felt a huge sweatbubble coming on and averted his eyes from the completely naked Hikari and Daisuke.
"Almost." Hikari giggled. Miyako narrowed her eyes trying to figure out what she was doing.
Hikari got on her tiptoes and snuck as cheesily as she could over to Ken, who, fully clothed was laying peacefully in deep sleep. Poor guy probably needs it.
"Okay I got-" Hikari stopped short. She'd managed to slip most of his clothing off. He'd been curled up on his side, with one arm draped protectively over his middle. Now, with his clothing gone, something became very obvious.
"When did he get so big?" Daisuke blurted out. The small curve he'd observed on their first night had doubled in size. He looks like he's halfway done. Why isn't anything normal when it comes to Ken?
"I would say while we were in the Maze Forest." Koushiro intervened. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and spent the time trying to figure out what had happened to them. "I haven't derived all the details yet, but it appears that Maze sucked us into a kind of demi-universe, where time moved faster, but her illusions made us unaware of the fact."
"Well..." Hikari looked sympathetically over Ken's body. "We need to wake him. To tell him about this and to get his underwear."
"Nah." Daisuke said. "We can tell him later. And I can get his briefs off without him waking up."
Miyako and Hikari cocked their heads questioningly. Daisuke grinned. He walked over to where they had all been sleeping and knelt beside Ken, brushing a hand down his cheek before positioning a finger under his chin.
"You know how cats like to be rubbed on their necks?" Daisuke began brushing the sensitive skin under his chin gently and Ken leaned into the caress. Daisuke motioned with his head, and Hikari came over to take over the process.
Daisuke slowly slipped off Ken's briefs and in a fluid motion, took the blanket from Miyako and draped it over Ken.
"You get extra hentai points, Dai kun." Miyako muttered, handing the closes to Koushiro, who was valiantly withholding his amusement. She slipped out of her clean undergarments and hopped into the spring with Daisuke and Hikari for a morning bath.
"It's too beautiful here for all this to be going on." Mimi sighed as she petted the blue head of hair beside her beside her. She snuggled up to his body and she could feel his warmth once again next to her.
"I didn't think it was so bad." Jyou replied. Mimi smirked at his joke and placed a few kisses on his neck.
"I wasn't talking about last night. Though that was pretty amazing." Mimi hadn't expected Jyou to be such a generous lover. Though she was a bit proud of herself under the circumstances. She had bet Hikari over who would have consummated their target relationship before they got back from their initial adventure into the wild. She bet anything that with Daisuke as a distraction, she'd beaten Hikari. "I'll have to thank Palmon and Gomamon for taking the watch last night so we could be alone."
"It was pretty dangerous to go off alone like that." Jyou mused. Mimi shot him a scathing look. He raised his hands in surrender. "But worth it, of course!"
She rose stiffly and began to head over and wake the others.
"Forgetting something, Mimi?" Jyou asked sarcastically. Mimi leaned over and grinned sensually.
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"For goodness sakes. Spare the guys some trauma and put on some underwear."
"Oh, it's not like they haven't seen it all before." She giggled. "Beside, they're not interested in my stuff. You'd better put something on though."
"I have every intention of doing that, you exhibitionist." Jyou said reaching for his boxers, which were deftly snatched by Mimi. She held them in front of her and quickly slipped them on.
"Give me back my underwear." Jyou ordered. Mimi began to prance around in them daintily.
"Why? There's a perfectly good pair of panties over there."
"I'm not wearing your panties, Mimi san." Jyou retorted. Mimi shrugged.
"Fine, go commando for all I care." She told him while strapping on her bra. "It'll be easier for me to get to you later. I'm going to wake the others."
"Mimi!"
How did I get myself into this? Jyou wondered as he heard the others starting to rise. Oh, yeah. Hmm. That certainly bears some more thought.
Jyou started to fold up the blankets, then realized that Mimi had left with his underwear and his glasses and he was still standing their blind and in the buff. "Dammit."
"Koushiro chan. You're acting peculiar."
"Am I." Koushiro stared up at the clothing hanging from a line of string. The wind took the edges and made them swing back and forth a bit.
"Yes, you are." Tentomon insisted. "What's on your mind? Is it what Miyako san said about Mimi san?"
"So you heard that, huh?"
"I certainly did. Do you have feelings for her?"
"Is it a crime to want to stay single?" Koushiro asked sharply. Pulling his brows together to look severely at the ladybug like creature he'd come to trust implicitly. Koushiro leaned forward and put his arms on his knees. "Is it so wrong not to want to hook up with someone?"
"I really wouldn't know. Don't you get lonely?"
"Not really. I missed having you around, of course." Koushiro admitted. "I talk with Jyou kun all the time. And Yamato kun and Taichi kun often arrange things so we can get together. I have family and friends. Why would I need anything else? Honestly, I do find Mimi san attractive, but I think I'd prefer my independence over a relationship."
"That sounds reasonable, I suppose."
"I guess I'm just not like the others." Koushiro mused. He bit his thumb and listened to the distant laughter floating over the air. Sora was singing again, softly and a bit sadly, but he had hope that she would pull through. She had been a bit unsteady that morning. However, she had Miyako to support her. And she had her friends, which he deemed much more important. When they were in the spring together, she even managed a little smile after talking to him a bit.
"That's not necessarily a bad thing. Just don't distance yourself from them. You'll regret it, Koushiro chan." Tentomon advised.
"I'll do my best not to." Koushiro sighed and looked out over the steaming spring. "The thing with computers is, you can't hurt their feelings. Except for that program that Ken kun created that can carry on a conversation, solve calculus problems and read tarot cards."
Ken woke slowly to the aroma of cooking eggs and grilled fruit.
He promptly scrambled up and managed to toss his cookies a bit away from their campsite.
This should have stopped by now. He scolded himself. It's psychosomatic. It's all in your head. There is no reason for me to continue to get sick every morning. It was then when he realized that he was completely naked.
When he'd been hiding under his large sweater, it had been easy to ignore his steadily increasing girth, but without it, Ken couldn't help but gape at how quickly he'd lost the shape he was used to seeing down there. He tentatively explored his well-rounded belly. Firm. Real. Sam made a flip as though to say good-morning. Ken smiled. This is so strange. How could she grow that fast? I wonder what Dr. Tanaka would think about this.
He braced himself, but standing didn't seem to cause any undue pain that day. At least she's safe.
Ken walked back over to where he'd been sleeping and noticed something written in the sand.
"We took your clothes to go wash them. You can use the spring over here to clean up." An arrow was drawn over to one of the nearby springs. "Come over when you get done and we'll have breakfast ready. Daisuke."
"And I'd better get my damned clothes back, too." He grumbled to himself as he went over to the spring and slid in. The water was very warm, and he was glad. His back was aching badly from the added strain and the rough night. His head throbbed incessantly and he was pretty sure his gums were bleeding a little. He didn't want to think about that last part.
He found some soap on the side of the spring and began to clean up.
"Mind if I join you?" A cheerful voice asked from over his shoulder.
Sure, Hika chan." Ken replied before noticing that she had taken of her underwear to slide into the water. She smiled at him warmly. She'd laid her pink underwear by the side of the spring, along with his.
"I was sent to bring you that." She pointed to the undergarments. "And tell you to come over when you get done. But I decided to give you some company as well. Feeling any better today?"
"Anything seems better after yesterday." Ken admitted. She has to have seen how awful I look already. I wonder if Dai chan helped pull the Disappearing Underwear trick.
"I wanted to wake you up when we had to take your clothes." Hikari divulged. "But when Dai kun said he could get you undressed without you losing sleep. I had to see."
Ken twisted his head trying to get a better view of this crazy woman. "I thought you were supposed to be an angel?"
"Sometimes." Hikari said roguishly. "When it suits me."
"Ah, well." Ken dipped his head backwards in the water and tried his best to get it clean. Or cleaner, either would do. Hikari swam over behind him and took a scrub brush to his back. "Where did all these supplies come from?"
"The older Digidestine used to use this place as an overnight campsite, back when we could travel here all the time with the television sets." She told him, systematically working out the kinks in his back. "They left a few supplies here for anyone else who wanted to use the area. Blankets, soap, eggs... I think there might be other sites like this, but I'd have to ask them."
"Sounds nice. I wonder why we got separated from the Digital World for so long. Now it seems like the children have done something to keep people from traveling here normally. But I don't think they've been here that long."
"I think you're right." Hikari admitted setting the brush aside and looking into his eyes. She shrugged. "Maybe we should just ask them."
She giggled. Ken was looking at her as if she'd just decided to take up vows with Vamdemon.
"It's not that far off an idea. If they aren't under a compulsion, we might be able to get through to them."
"I didn't see the other long enough to tell, but I think Maze is beyond reason."
Hikari nodded vigorously at the thought of that deranged child and climbed out of the tub. "Are you finished?"
Ken flushed as she began putting her underwear back on in front of him. It was pretty, matching pink, with two white sections on the cups, clearly designed to draw attention to that area. She had developed a lot over the years, and hadn't let herself go soft at all. He ran his eyes over her graceful body. Hikari...
"Ano, sure. Thanks." Ken forced his mind back to the real world. He'd have rather stayed in the water, as it was the only place at the moment where he didn't feel completely huge and clumsy. However, he was starving, and the smell of breakfast didn't seem to be having an adverse affect on him this time. He reached up to the ledge of the spring and began pulling himself out of the water. He fell right back in.
"Hold on. Let me help." Hikari grinned and extended a hand. After a moment she managed to help him lever himself out of the spring, and turned diplomatically so he could cover himself with what little clothing he had.
What is with Hika chan and Dai chan? Ken wondered as he followed her. He draped his right arm across his body to hold onto his left arm, and to do what he could to cover his condition. Aren't you supposed to be less attractive when you're pregnant?
"Don't worry how you look, Ken chan." Hikari advised. "None of us are wearing anything substantial."
"Tailmon and I found you guys some good fruit to eat!" Biomon declared. Sora patted her head.
Sora began setting chopsticks by each plate. "Good job, Bi."
"Eat up guys." Sora caught the worried and questioning look that Ken was giving her and she returned by pointedly setting a pair beside his plate an giving him a look that said: Especially you.
"So explain this whole time warp thing to me again." Daisuke said. Koushiro had just tossed him his medication, and Ken popped the bottle open.
"Time warp?" He frowned as he shook two little pills out and tossed his head back to swallow them. He clicked the top back on and focused his attention on whatever inspiration his older friend could provide.
"When Maze got us to enter her Maze forest, it was like a little mini-dimension." Koushiro said in between bites. Ken sniffed the fare and took a hesitant taste. He found it delicious. "The time in the Maze forest was faster than our own time. A time warp. It's probably why we couldn't send messages to the others. I sent one this morning but they haven't answered yet. We spent much longer there than we thought we did, due to Maze's intricate illusions."
"How long?"
"In our time, only a week and a half." Koushiro informed them. He paused, mentally trying to judge what reactions would come. "In Maze time, it was closer to two months."
Ken paled and looked down at what had seemed to be a medical marvel half an hour ago.
"Dammit." He finally said. Sora put her chopsticks down for a moment and rested her forehead on her hands. Miyako looked at her in shock.
She's shaking. Miyako stopped eating and put her arms around her protectively.
"Exactly." Sora replied to Ken. She steadied herself and continued to eat. I'm losing it. But I won't let my guard down. I can't let that sick little girl win by pushing me off the deep end.
"We need to contact the others as soon as possible." Hikari instructed. "I think we might be outclassed here, even if they have tricked us so far."
They were quiet for a time, thinking it over and conceding to Hikari's wisdom in the matter. It seemed that at times Hikari would give them a lightbulb, something that they didn't know from their empirical senses, but it turned out to be true regardless.
"Un, Izumi san." Ken ventured after a moment. "Is it possible that the Digital World is out of synch with our world again?"
"You mean that the Digital Time is moving fast than ours? It shouldn- no, well I'm sure it's possible, but I'm not sure I could tell from here." Koushiro shoved the remainder of his breakfast in his mouth and grabbed his D-terminal to start typing.
Ken started to get up to see Koushiro's progress but felt a firm hand on either shoulder, where Daisuke and Hikari obviously were telling him to sit still and finish his own breakfast.
Gally slouched in her throne and sipped moodily on her miso soup. Yugo was really getting to be a good cook, which was just as well, since they'd been on their own for so long.
Her bauble was hovering in front of her and glowing its token red. The light shone onto the air like a projector, and Gally watched as the Digidestine got themselves prepared for the day.
"Yugo." Gally barked. She knew that wherever he was, Yugo would know she would want him to come. He probably would have known she wanted him just from her intent. He was always the most Sensitive of the group.
She only had to wait a moment before the auburn haired child entered the room. His large, seemingly innocent eyes had seen far too much of himself at an early age. She knew for certain she would never overcome her Darkness, and didn't want to. It suited her greatly and she enjoyed it. However, if any of them had the strength to leave the Darkness, to ignore the dark wind, it would be Yugo.
"I told you guys not to use the power of the Darkling. Look at them!" Gally motioned angrily to the vision of their new enemies. "They came because you insisted on drawing energy from the Darkling!"
"I don't see the connection." Yugo protested. "Besides, the energy from the Darkling is much safer to use than your source. My bauble would never have hurt that pretty blond so badly."
"All the more reason for me to continue using it." Gally snapped. She turned her head in disbelief and irritation as a giggling could be heard coming that way. Gally twitched her lip.
"Fly fly fly fly!" Shoujo sang as she danced into the room and began a waltz with her bauble. Her green hair twirling around her like a monochromatic rainbow. "Sora the sky! Sora and me! I love I love I love you Shi!"
To her great disappointment, Yugo chuckled. She attempted to bore a whole in the back of his head to no avail.
"Bliss." He said, feeling Shoujo's present emotions. Gally snorted.
"Beautiful insanity." Gally noted. Shoujo had begun a conversation with the air about her wonderful new beloved, and how fun it was to torture her. Completely oblivious to the fact that anyone else was in the room. "Why is she in love with our enemy? This is ridiculous."
Yugo waved a hand over his bauble to reveal the Digidestine in question. "Look at her."
"You can't be in love with her." Gally admonished. Yugo shook his head.
"I'm not." His clear young voice came. "But Shoujo is. Sora resembles her sister. Look at her, she definitely resembles Shiori."
Shoujo stopped abruptly and for once the look of evil glee abandoned her face. The delicate and poisonously beautiful face crumbled into despair as she grabbed her head and started sobbing.
"NONONONO!!" She screamed, eventually loosing her footing and falling to the floor. "Sister sister sister.... nonono..."
"Isn't it bad enough I have to deal with Doko whenever he finds something he wants to kill?" Gally demanded, avoiding the terrible scene in front of her. Shoujo's eyes were burning like demented flames, and she continued to twitch even when the initial shock of hearing her sister's name had past. "What if our enemies saw her like this?"
"They'd probably pity her." Yugo muttered. He arched a brow. "Then bind and gag her, because they aren't stupid."
"I don't know what possessed Destayne to think he could actually get her through the Initiation. If we couldn't do it properly, Shoujo had no chance."
"Destayne craved glory and approval. If he were to bring four Summoners of our caliber to masterhood at such an early age, he would have been deemed the best master in all the land."
Gally paused, and took a look back at her crazy sister.
"I can't I can't I can't.... save her please..." She whispered desolately.
So peaceful when she's insane. Gally mused. Such a delightful devil when she regains her wits.
"You think he's still in there?"
"Destayne? No, she burned his spirit for energy long ago. He's gone."
"Good." Gally got up and strolled over to the cages behind them. She looked at the captured Digimon inside, and picked one, dragging it along until she had reached Shoujo. "I have a gift for you, my sister. A little Yokomon to torment."
A maniacal grin transform the pretty young girl from despair to elation. "For me? Really? Oh, I love love love you Gally chan!"
She gave the smaller girl a big hug and skipped away dragging the Yokomon to its doom.
"Please stop her!" The Yokomon pleaded desperately. "Don't let this crazy child take me!!"
Gally rolled her eyes and walked back over to Yugo.
"She's easy to please." Yugo remarked. "How's Doko?"
"Still regenerating."
"I suppose it's my turn again."
"You could have annihilated them on your first try." Gally pointed out. Yugo shook his head.
"I wanted to get an idea of how their minds worked first. Besides, it wouldn't be nice to send Odango out on a kill when I don't know what the enemy is capable of."
"You're silly." Gally scoffed, reaching out so her bauble would follow her hand. "Naming your beasts. They don't understand such things. I fail to see the point."
"I love Odango. And I love all of my black beasts. And all my brethren."
"Even me," Gally teased, giving him a fierce look to prove her evil to him. Yugo rubbed his nose.
"Especially you."
Gally narrowed her eyes. That hadn't been the answer she'd expected, even from Yugo.
"You're silly." She diagnosed as she left to check on Doko.
I've got to be blushing. Jyou thought as he checked over Yamato's injuries. He may have been wearing silky pink underwear, but at least he'd gotten his glasses back.
Jyou had been uncertain of how well he'd done in that midnight surgery. He was worried he hadn't stopped all the bleeding, but days later there were no signs of residual internal bleeding. Their progress had slowed even further. Yamato had to lie on Garurumon's back and ride for them to transport him safely. At first, they hadn't been able to transport him at all.
"You're looking fine." Jyou said, having changed Yamato's bandages again. Yamato gave him a cynical look. "Fine as in you'll probably live to see Sora kun and Miyako chan's promise ceremony, if you don't get into any more knife fights."
Iori came over and handed plates to them. "Eggs. It was the best I could come up with."
"They taste fine to me, Iori kun." Takeru said approvingly. He snickered at himself. "But of course, I'm a college student, too. So what do I know about taste anymore?"
"Food is food." Armadillomon declared, digging in.
Taichi offered Yamato a plate. He turned his head and frowned slightly. "Thanks but no thanks. Not hungry."
Taichi hoffed. Yamato had done such a good job taking care of him, he wanted to return his kindness and prove that he was more than willing to take the role if necessary. Given that his wound had only been a head injury, and he'd been able to walk soon after, but still, he was disappointed he didn't do as well on the nurture side.
I guess courage doesn't always lend itself to all that touchy feely stuff. Taichi thought. But if Yama chan can get of his tough-guyness to take care of me, I can do it to take care of him. But what if he can't get over his to let himself be taken care of? Oh, wait... I lost track.
"Come on, Yama chaaan. You need to eat. Here comes the chu-chu!" Taichi sang boisterously. He ignored Takeru's outburst of laughter and hoped the boy got egg up his nose. Yamato pressed his lips into a line and made a terribly pained face.
"What? Are you okay?"
"Don't. Make. Me. Laugh." Yamato managed after a moment. He broke down and let out a few very painful chuckles. "Oh, gods... that hurts."
"Um. Okay. No chu-chus." Taichi conceded. "But will you eat it anyway?"
Taichi held the fork to his mouth. Logically, Yamato hadn't been able to eat for a little while anyway. The pain had made him nauseous. Jyou had medicine to help him sleep, but didn't have any real painkillers. Yamato sighed and took the fork.
"Okay, I'll try. But I'll feed myself. I'm not a baby."
"Could have fooled me." Mimi ribbed softly. Jyou leaned over and tickled her sides until she was laughing again. She sighed dreamily. "Why can't our time here be like this all the time?"
"It is." Jyou said, looking around the camp. "We just have to save the world in between."
"Hika chan, I swear if you take a picture of me, I'll kill you." Ken warned her, hiding behind his D-terminal. Hikari pouted.
"You're not fun."
"I'll pose for ya!" Daisuke cried, immediately jumping up and posing in his boxers.
"Don't hate be because I'm beautiful!" Daisuke flung his head back as if tousling the long luxurious hair he didn't have. Just his short and spiky auburn locks and the goggles. "Hate me because... I stole your boyfriend!"
"Too true, you hooch." Miyako said merrily. She grabbed a hold of Sora, who was sitting quietly and petting Biomon's head. "Come on!"
"Wait, Yo-"
Miyako quickly swung her around for a pose in front of Hikari's camera.
"Oohhh! You guys look so cute!" Hikari cooed. "Work it girls!"
Daisuke rolled his eyes and sat next to Ken. "I feel neglected."
"Feel glad the camera's off you." Ken said absently as he typed away at his D-terminal. Daisuke slowly inched over and rested his chin on Ken's shoulder as he worked.
"Whatcha doin?"
"I'm trying to find a way to track temporal or spatial distortions in the Digital World. Er, that is, I think I can track the evil children when they aren't in Maze Space or traveling using their baubles." Ken explained. He glanced over at Daisuke' face, so eagerly looking at his work from it's stolen resting place on his shoulder. Sneak. he though affectionately.
"Oh, that's good. You're so smart."
"It was Izumi san's idea really. He decided to see if he couldn't contact Wallace in the real world. Actually I feel like a dead head today." Ken admitted. A good night's sleep and breakfast by Sora kun and I'm still worn out. "We could probably use the distortion over where we broke out of the Maze Forest to travel back home. Ano."
Ken shook his head. What am I thinking? "Saa, that would be if I had the energy to open a gate right now, and I don't."
Daisuke started. "Are you okay? That doesn't sound good."
Ken smiled at him reassuringly. "I'm just tired. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to open a gate, even when you're up to par."
"So we couldn't help you do it?" Daisuke suggested. "We did before."
"We could, but we'd have to leave the others behind. Then our enemies would focus on them." He sighed. "Besides, it will be gone by the end of the day. Hika chan's the only one with enough energy off hand to do it. I'd hate to drain her and not be able to get back to help. She can replenish her source of energy easily here in the Digital World though. There's more Light energy."
"Oh." Daisuke nodded like he understood. Well, I get most of that.
"And like I said, it should be gone soon. Unless I don't know my own strength."
"I don't know your own strength. That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen you do!"
Ken beamed. "Does that include Mimi chan's karaoke contests?"
"Eh. I don't want to hear any more about that weird stuff, Sailor Saturn! The last thing I need is to see you and Yamato kun prancing around in drag trying to save us from the Negaverse." Daisuke commanded, tickling Ken's sides.
"Quit it!" Ken gasped as Daisuke madly fluttered his fingers up and down Ken's bare flesh. Hikari walked over and gave Daisuke a light bonk on the head.
"Oi. Don't pick on Ken chan."
"I'm just kiddin around Hika chan." Daisuke protested looking sheepish. Ken reclined and looked up at Hikari.
"My hero." He laughed.
Click!
"Hey! I said no pictures!"
"You told Hika channo pictures. Not Miyako." She pulled a face and snapped another one. "Classic. 'Sides, I think you look cute when you're pear shaped."
"Awww." Hikari said in sympathy at the look of utter disheartenment that befell Ken's face. She sat next to him and slid her arms underneath his for a hug. "Don't listen to her!"
"She's right." Ken sighed, crooking his fingers around her hands and hanging his arms there. Hikari leaned her head on his shoulder. "I do look like a damn pear."
"Maa maa, don't feel bad." Miyako said, capture yet another moment on film before removing the camera from her face. "You're always adorable. This is just another version."
Sora encircled her lover with her strong arms. "I don't mind you trying to bolster his self-esteem, but I don't want to see a repeat of the Ken-glomping days of old."
"I think Ken chan has enough people glomping him." Miyako remarked, raising Hikari's camera to take a picture of the three together, as Daisuke had just sat on Ken's over side and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Okay, love bunnies, the party's over." Koushiro remarked dryly as he and Tentomon appeared with their clothing. "You can go back to being the repressed Destines you always were."
"Not likely." Hikari said softly to herself.
"Too bad." Miyako said. "I kind of liked running around half nakey."
"I kind of liked you running around half nakey." Sora grinned as she started to pull on her jeans.
Gally crouched down low in the bushes, observing her enemy cautiously. Doka looked at her and frowned.
"Why don't we just attack them?"
"Because I'm waiting for them to get going. I want to attack while their moving, so their main concern will be getting their wounded to safety, not pummeling us. They could actually be dangerous if we let them all get back together."
"You're scary." Doko said approvingly. "Where's octopus lips?"
"She's back a the castle. Um, resting." Gally glared at him. She wasn't about to go into a description of what Shoujo was currently doing. "Yugo can handle the other group on his own. He's very efficient when he wants to be. Much moreso than you."
"Oi. You lost to them, too." Doko argued. Gally tilted her head and gave him another version of her death glare.
"My spell was broken by Hope. And then I had the sense to retreat before he could figure out how to heal himself. It wasn't a total loss, considering the injuries inflicted. One must be patient." She sighed with irritation. "You on the other hand, were bested at your own game, and then Hope negated your bauble with his dark infection. With the energy from my source. You failed to kill any of them, and you were too stupid to continue the fight another day. If you don't start using your magic more prudently, you'll end up a black oily stain on the face of the Digital World."
Doko quieted. Gally proclaimed at all times that they were her brothers and sisters, but sometime she seemed more like a rabid drill sergeant. She had been pretty pissed when he'd come back minus an arm. Lucky for him she still hand enough energy to deal with it.
Doko wondered what possessed their respective parents to put them in the hands of a total stranger to train. He figured in Gally's case, they were probably tired of her expecting them to be better people. She had always been intense. Before the Initiation, she was a pillar of righteousness, and shied away from no one when it came to upholding morality.
And now. Gally the Summoner. More like the High Priestess of Darkness. Doko contemplated. I think I'm a cruel as her. I suppose it's just as well I'm not as cunning as the girls.
Dark brown hair fell in front of her severe face. Doko refocused his attention on the enemy.
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