"You're going to go bald if you keep that up."
Kaiya turned and scowled at her partner, her brush still poised halfway through a handful of hair. She and Wingblade were in the guestroom of the Inoue apartment, each staring critically into a mirror as they tidied themselves up after a day of school.
"Look who's talking, featherhead," she replied, turning back to her grooming.
"Hey, don't get mad at me!" Wingblade replied, waving a comb in annoyance. "Just because I'm naturally good-looking..."
"If you were naturally good-looking, you wouldn't have to color your feathers," answered Kaiya tartly. Wingblade blushed, and Kaiya grinned, knowing she had scored a point. "By the way, you ought to make another appointment at the salon; you need a new dye job."
"Humph," said Wingblade. "And you're such an expert?"
"On hair care, yes."
Her tone was airy, but there was a bit of annoyance behind her words. No one but her partner could have gotten away with talking to her like that, and Wingblade must have known it, because he went back to his preening without further comment. Kaiya sighed and copied his example. Deep down, she had never really believed she was all that pretty, and her partner would haul out jibes on the subject if he thought he couldn't win an argument any other way. It wasn't that she was ugly - no one with Ken Ichijouji's genes could have turned out badly - it was just that she wasn't all that distinctive, and it annoyed her no end. Even though he was old enough to have a teenaged daughter, Ken was still striking enough to turn heads, and Miyako attracted attention just by virtue of being a Digidestined. Beside them, Kaiya sometimes felt insignificant. She wished she could have at least inherited her father's stormy eyes. Instead, she had her mother's soft brown ones, which was not bad, but anyone could have brown eyes. Kaze was the one whose eyes flashed violet, the brooding color reflecting his personality. As for Natte, his eyes had never lost their pale baby blue, lighting up his innocent face. The one thing Kaiya had going for her was her hair, the same blue-black of her father's, and she made maximum use of it. She wore it down past her waist and emptied her pocket money on the best shampoos and conditioners, cultivating it into a curtain of midnight-colored silk.
Still, there was only so much a girl could do. Sighing one last time at her reflection, she swept her freshly brushed hair into a ponytail and clipped it into place with a bird-shaped clasp, a birthday gift from Wingblade. He grinned his approval and fluttered down off of her dresser, though not after taking one last glance to make sure all his feathers were firmly in place. Kaiya grinned back and opened the door of her room.
There was only a split second to register the fact that something was hurtling towards her, and Kaiya ducked just as the object veered out of her path. There was a squeal from Natte, but it was a squeal of laughter, and he dropped harmlessly out of the air to bounce into a nearby armchair.
"That was fun!" he shouted. "Do it again, Papa Hawkmon! Fly me again!"
"Not now, Natte," said Hawkmon, flapping to a landing in front of Kaiya. He bowed a bit to her. "I beg your pardon. Are you all right?"
"We're fine," Kaiya replied. "Just watch where you're flying next time, okay?"
"Of course," Hawkmon replied. He turned to eye Natte almost sadly. "He's growing so fast. It won't be long before I won't be able to carry him anymore, but by then-"
"Hawmon," Miyako called from the kitchen, "could you come here and lend a hand?"
"Coming!" he called. "Excuse me," he added to Kaiya, and then trotted off to see what Miyako wanted. There were muffled sounds of talk from the kitchen; it sounded like the woman of the house was giving her partner a scolding for something.
"What's the matter with her?" asked Wingblade.
"Who knows?" asked Kaiya, dropping carefully onto the couch. "Probably doesn't want Natte flying in the house. He is getting kind of old for it, and it discombobulates the neighbors. Remember last month, when some lady from three floors up called shouting she'd seen him flying outside her window?"
"But I like to fly," said Natte, and Crawler nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Kaiya. Ever since Natte had been old enough to crawl, he'd had a positive fascination with high places, and nothing delighted him so much as to have his "Papa Hawkmon" carry him on short flights. The divorce had finished not long after his birth, and Hawkmon had raised the child as if Natte was his own son. Kaiya sometimes wondered if Natte hadn't somehow wound up with the notion he was part bird himself.
"Is Kaze home yet?" she asked, trying to change the subject. "He's usually home by now, isn't he?"
"He's still at the thing," said Natte.
"Kendo practice," Crawler clarified. "He said he'd be a bit late today."
"I wonder what he's doing?" Kaiya mused. "I wanted to talk to him."
"Why would you want to talk to Kaze?" asked Wingblade. "I wouldn't want to talk to Kaze if I were you. I'm not you and I still don't want to talk to Kaze."
"I know that," said Kaiya, "but we need to talk about... you know, the things Maro told us."
"You're going to go back?" asked Crawler, eyes wide. "You really want to go back? But it's dangerous!"
"Right," Kaiya replied. "Maro told us that. Somebody's got to do something about it, and it's going to have to be us."
"But we're just kids," Natte protested.
"The Digital World's always been protected by kids," Kaiya replied. "Anyway, we were asked to help, so we should at least give it a try."
Just then, the door swung open and hit the wall loudly enough to make everyone's head turn. Kaze was at the door, and he wasn't alone.
"I'm back," he said. To the stranger, he added, "Come on in and watch the birds. They bite."
"I do not!" said Wingblade, ruffling his feathers indignantly.
The newcomer gave Wingblade a wide-eyed stare and shuffled a few paces away from him. She was a pale, frail girl, a bit shorter than Kaze. She looked, more than anything else, like a large porcelain doll that had learned to walk by itself. She had a waterfall of chestnut hair that reached nearly to her ankles, and her eyes were huge, fringed with long, dark eyelashes that made them seem shadowed. An Armadillomon sat at her feet, gazing around in sleepy contentment.
"Hi, Kaze," said Kaiya. "Who's your friend?"
"This," Kaze answered, with the air of someone showing off a museum exhibit, "is Hida Keiji. Keiji, this is my sister Kaiya. And that over there's Natte."
"Greetings," said the girl with a polite bow. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Hello. It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Kaze," Kaiya replied, thinking, *This is Keiji?*
Kaze, at age eight, was still possessed of the profound knowledge that all girls had cooties. As far as anyone could tell, there were only two exceptions to that rule. One was his older sister - there always seemed to be a guy hanging around her, so she must have been safe enough. The other was Hida Keiji, daughter of the famous Hida Iori. Everyone knew the elder Hida as one of the Chosen Children who had helped save the world nearly thirty years ago. More local people knew him as a brilliant defense lawyer, who would often take a case free of charge if he truly believed there was a need. However, Kaze's primary concern with the Hida family was the fact that, in his off-hours, Mr. Hida gave kendo lessons to children and the occasional Digimon. Kaze seemed to have a natural talent for martial arts, and his favorite sparring partner was Keiji, whom he spoke of with a kind of awe. From his descriptions of her, Kaiya had expected something like a feminine version of her brother, someone just a little on the dangerous side, not this dainty little wisp of a human.
"Hi!" Natte chirped, scampering over to get acquainted. "Is this your Digimon? He's cute!"
The faintest hint of a smile crossed the girl's pale face. "This is Speedbump. You can pet him, if you want."
"Speedbump? Ha! That's funny. I like it," said Natte. "Mine's named Crawler. That's Wingblade. He's crazy."
There was a stifled noise from Wingblade, but nothing more, because Kaiya had clamped her hand around Wingblade's beak. She held it there until he got the message, then let go to walk over to Kaze's side. He was glaring at Natte, who was happily petting Keiji's Armadillomon and chattering. Kaiya grabbed her oldest brother's elbow and hauled him into the corner.
"What is she doing here?" Kaiya asked. "We were going to go back to the Digital World!"
"I know that," Kaze replied, "but Maro didn't tell us to do it all alone. He told us to gather others, so that's what I've done. I brought you Keiji. She's a Digidestined child. She knows how to fight. She's smart. She can help us. You ought to be thankful."
"Oh," said Kaiya, flushing with shame. "You're right. Sorry. Thanks, Kaze. I owe you one."
Kaze nodded. "You are going to help, right, Keiji?"
"Of course," said the girl, as if she'd been invited to a picnic. "It sounds fascinating."
"It's going to be dangerous," Kaiya warned.
Keiji nodded. "I know. I'm rather adept at self-defense."
"She'll be all righ'. Tough girl, y'know. No worries," said Speedbump sleepily. "'Sides, I'll be pr'tectin' her." He yawned hugely and, to all appearances, curled up and went to sleep, his head propped in Natte's lap.
"Is he always like that?" asked Kaiya.
Kaze shrugged. "Why do you think she named him Speedbump? He never moves."
"Wonderful," Kaiya grumbled. "I ask for help, and I get a little girl and a somnolent Digimon."
"It's better than nothing," Wingblade replied.
"If you don't want me, I'll leave," said Keiji. "I don't mind."
"No, no, it's all right. We need all the help we can get," Kaiya said hastily. What else could she say?
"Good," said Keiji. "I thought so."
She smiled. It was an opaque sort of smile, revealing nothing, and Kaiya felt a small shiver run through her. Suddenly, her opinion of what Keiji could do went up several points. For just a second, there had been a glint in that girl's eyes that had hinted at powers Kaiya couldn't begin to fathom.
"Can we go?" asked Natte. "I want to go to the Digital World again."
"You want to do what?" called a voice in the kitchen.
"Nothing!" said everyone in unison.
"It didn't sound like nothing to me," said Miyako, striding into the room. "It sounded like you were talking about going back to the Digital World."
"Can we, Mom? Please?" asked Kaze.
"Absolutely not!" Miyako answered. "Don't you know it's dangerous? Anything could have happened to you last time, and I'm not letting you put yourselves in danger again! Is that understood?"
There was quiet in the room. No one was willing to admit defeat, but defying Miyako was something one didn't undertake lightly. After a moment, there was the sound of someone clearing their throat. Everyone turned to look at Hawkmon.
"Miyako," he said quietly, "do you mind if I say something?"
"Of course not," she replied, but there was an undertone of wariness in her voice.
"Thank you," he replied. "I think you're forgetting something. You were a child when you first entered the Digital World. It was dangerous then, wasn't it?"
"Yes, but-"
"But these are your children, and you don't want them to get hurt," Hawkmon replied. "But you can't protect them from being hurt forever. I'd like to see them have the chance to prove themselves. Besides, don't you think it's their right to challenge the Digital World? Their birthright?"
Miyako considered that one. Then she sighed, visibly deflating.
"All right," she said. "You kids can go - but on a couple of conditions."
"Conditions?" asked Kaiya apprehensively.
"Yes," said Miyako. "Conditions. Number one... Kaze, I know you won't like this, but you've got to promise to make sure Natte stays out of danger while you're there. Got it?"
"Natte has to come?" asked Kaze, dismayed. "But he's a baby! He'll get in our way!"
"He has to come with you," said Miyako, in a tone that said clearly that there would be no arguments. "The other condition... Well, we've got Ken and my kids, and Iori's... We ought to call up Takeru, Hikari, and Daisuke, and see if their kids would like to come. Then you'll have the whole team. I'll see if I can arrange it."
Kaiya beamed. "Thanks, Mom! You're the best!"
"That's debatable," Kaze muttered. He shot annoyed looks from his mother to Natte and back again.
"I think it will be fun," said Keiji. "Don't you, Speedbump?"
"'Tever you say," Speedbump mumbled. He rolled over and began to snore. Natte stared in surprise. Kaiya sighed.
"Mom," she said, "can I ask you something?"
"Of course, honey," Miyako replied, slightly puzzled.
"These other kids... their Digimon move, right?"
The sound of a ringing bell dragged Tasuke out of a sound sleep, and he rolled over with a moan, reluctantly abandoning his dreams for the reality of another day. It didn't even have the makings of a very good day, as far as he could tell. Even with his eyes closed, he could tell it was dark, probably rainy, which, to the star of his school track team, that he was going to have to lose an afternoon of practice, or at best, have to run in the mud and humidity. Furthermore, he felt like he'd barely had a wink of sleep, and the idea of going to school that tired was not one he liked. All that made its rather jumbled way through his head as he leaned over to try to shut off his alarm clock. He'd swatted the button a few times with no effect before he realized it wasn't his clock at all that was ringing, but the telephone. Furthermore, he realized now that it wasn't just cloudy, but truly black out. That woke him up; phone calls in the middle of the night meant either a crank call or trouble, and if there was trouble, Tasuke wanted to know about it. Somewhere down the hall, he heard muffled voices, and he got up and put his ear to the door to hear better.
"Honey, get the phone," said his mother drowsily.
"All right, all right, hold on," answered the man of the house. There was a shuffling noise as Tasuke's father got out of bed and made his way through the dark to the telephone, yawning. "Moshi mo... I mean, hello? Motomiya residence, Daisuke speaking..." There was a pause, and then he lapsed back into Japanese. "Oh, hi! Listen, you've got to think about the time zones next time you call. It's the middle of the night!" There was another long pause, and then, "That bad, huh? I'd heard a little about it, but I didn't realize things had gotten that far out of hand... You think it's a good idea? ... Well, yeah, I guess I can't object. I mean, we did just great when we were kids. ... No, it's not a problem at all. He'll think its fun. I'll go wake him up. Thanks for calling, Miyako. Bye!"
Tasuke listened intently, trying to unravel what was going on. He knew his father had grown up in Japan, only to come to America to try to make it as a restauranteur. He'd meant to only stay long enough to make his fortune there, but had been convinced to stay after he'd met a pretty and vivacious young college student who had eventually become his wife. All that was ancient history, to Tasuke's way of thinking, but no one in the family forgot where Daisuke's roots were. All three of them spoke Japanese, though in varying levels of fluency, and not a week went by that Daisuke didn't make some kind of contact with his old Digidestined friends. They didn't usually call in the middle of the night, though, and it made Tasuke wonder, especially when they called to talk about him.
He was interrupted in his ruminations when the door was pulled open and he was abruptly deposited on the floor. He pulled himself up off the carpet and looked up at his father.
"Um, hi Dad," he said. "I was just, um..."
"Eavesdropping," Daisuke supplied.
"I wouldn't exactly call it that," said Tasuke quickly. "I just heard the phone ring and it woke me up and I wanted to know what was going on."
"Same thing," answered Daisuke. "Lucky for you, this is your business, so I'd have had to tell you all about it anyway. I guess you noticed who I was talking to?"
"One of your old friends from Japan, right?"
Daisuke nodded. "Miyako. She was just telling me that some strange things have been going on in the Digital World lately. Her kids have already been there, and they're trying to round up another team of Digidestined to look into things. You remember them, don't you?"
"A little," said Tasuke. "I remember Kaze. And there was a girl - I think her name was Kay, or..."
"Kaiya," Daisuke corrected, "and Natte, but he was just a baby, so you probably wouldn't remember him. And they've already got Iori's daughter Keiji, and they've called Takeru and Hikari to ask if their kids can come..."
Tasuke's eyes lit up. "You mean Mitsu's going to be there? Cool!"
"You remember Mitsu?" asked Daisuke, surprised. "Boy, you've got a long memory. You haven't seen her in years."
"Well... we've written back and forth a few times," said Tasuke, blushing a bit. "She's pretty cool, for a girl."
"You think so, huh?" Daisuke replied, trying to cover a smile.
"Don't laugh!" said Tasuke. "She's not my girlfriend or anything. I just think she's cool."
"At least you'll get along with your teammates," said Daisuke. "Most of them, at least. Anyway, I don't suppose you're up for a midnight adventure? Don't worry, I'll call the school and tell them you're sick or something."
Tasuke beamed, seeming to light up the dark room. An adventure, skipping school, and a chance to reacquaint himself with Takaishi Mitsu was better than what he'd been dreaming, by a long shot!
"Can't wait!" he replied. He bounded over to his bed, where his Veemon partner was still sound asleep. "Hey, Savvy, wake up! We're going to the Digital World!"
"Do we have to go so early?" Savvy groaned, trying to pull the blankets up over his head.
"Hey, come on! You're supposed to like adventures."
"I do. I also like sleep."
"Too bad," said Tasuke. "Mai was going to be there... Betcha he's bringing his Gatomon along."
A blue head poked out from under the sheets. "I'm awake!"
Daisuke laughed. "Like father, like son, like Digimon. You two get yourselves ready to meet the others. I'll go see if I can scrape together something you can have for breakfast before you go, okay?"
"Sure, Dad," said Tasuke, who was rummaging through a dresser drawer for a clean pair of jeans.
Daisuke shrugged and walked out of the room, thinking over what was going to happen. In his day, he'd been the Digidestined of Courage, known for taking risks, sometimes ones so great as to seem foolish, grinning all the way. He might not have been known for being the cleverest boy alive, but he'd never have convinced anyone that there was anything he was afraid of. At the time, there hadn't been, and even now, no one would have believed seeing a trace of fear in him... which was why he was going to keep all his worries about his son to himself.
Miyako came back into the living room, looking pleased with herself, and found the children sitting in a circle on the rug, obviously deep in discussions of what was going on in the Digital World and what they were going to do when they got there. She cleared her throat to get their attention.
"What's up?" asked Kaze. "Are we leaving yet?"
"Everything's all settled," Miyako answered. "I've called the others, and they've agreed on a meeting spot, somewhere far enough from Chiaromon's castle that he'll be less likely to notice you, but close enough that you can still get there if you decide that's where you need to go."
"Thanks, Mom," said Kaiya. "I don't think we want to go there just yet, though. We need to know more about what we're up against before we do anything drastic."
That seemed to calm Miyako, as it was meant to. "Good. I'm counting on you, Kaiya, to keep an eye on the younger ones, okay?"
"We can take care of ourselves fine," said Kaze, and Keiji nodded in silent agreement.
"That remains to be seen," Miyako answered. "You all be careful, and if anything goes wrong, you come straight home, okay?"
"Sure, sure, no problem," said Kaze. "Can we go already?"
"I guess you'd better. The others will be waiting for you," Miyako replied. "Bye, kids! Stay out of trouble!"
"Silly thing to tell us," Wingblade mumbled, "since we're going looking for it."
Kaiya shushed him. Taking her Digivice from her pocket, she called open a door and whisked the little group away. Miyako and Hawkmon watched until the blue lights had faded and the door was tightly closed again.
"Well?" she said. "Do you think I acted concerned enough? It's hard to tell."
"I think they were more interested in what they were doing than how you reacted," Hawkmon replied.
"I know, but they would have noticed if I'd just said, 'bye, have fun,' and sent them off," she replied. "I wouldn't be much of a mom if I didn't act just a little worried about them."
"And aren't you?"
"Well, of course I am!" she replied. "But you and I both know they'll be just fine. These are Digidestined children, after all. This is what they were born to do. They'll be fine. And in the meantime," she added, grinning and looking suddenly sixteen again, "I've finally got the house to myself!"
Meanwhile, the children appeared on a grassy slope, looking around at the trees and valleys of the dazzling digital scenery. A lone Moosemon on the peak of a hill was startled by their arrival and headed for quieter areas, but nobody paid attention to it. Almost as soon as they'd landed, the accompanying flash of light had attracted the attention of a pair of other children who stood a few yards away, and everyone hurried to meet each other.
"Hey, guys!" called Kaiya, waving to the newcomers. They waved back and grinned; Kaiya had been given the job of baby-sitting for both of them at various points in her life. "Does everyone know everyone? Meet Mai, Yuki, Mitsu, and Bubbles. Kids, these are my brothers, Kaze and Natte, and this is Keiji."
"Pleased to meet you," said Keiji, bowing formally. She did it very gracefully for a girl as young as she was.
"Likewise," said Mitsu, bowing back. Her Patamon, Bubbles, did a little dip in midair.
"Hi," said Mai shyly, blushing a bit. Yuki cuddled up against him supportively.
Mai and Mitsu could have been twins, as much as they looked alike. Both of them had golden hair, though Mai's was a shade darker, and he had his mother's brown eyes where Mitsu had her father's bright blue ones. Otherwise, in their round, innocent faces and their slender builds, they looked like siblings. Only someone like Kaiya who had known them for years would have paid attention to the subtle differences in stance that set them apart. Mai, son of the Child of Light, was a gentle, unassuming creature who craved attention but blushed furiously when he got it, seldom speaking without being first spoken to. On the other hand, Mitsu was outspoken, determined to get her way, and usually clever enough to do it. She had grown up listening to her father telling her stories of his adventures in the Digital World and had often talked about how much she wished she could have a few of her own. Now she looked positively electrified by being there, fidgeting like a restive horse.
Kaze was looking around with a faintly puzzled expression. "Not that I care or anything, but shouldn't there be one more somewhere?"
"You're right," said Mitsu, looking around. "Isn't Tasuke supposed to be coming?"
"Tasuke?" Natte repeated.
Kaze shrugged. "Some nutty kid who beat us all at tag last year."
Natte looked sulky. "All the fun stuff happened when I was too little to remember."
"He can come back and beat you again, if you want," Mitsu offered.
Just then, there was a sound of footsteps rustling through the grass, and a newcomer lugging a bulky backpack came panting up to join the rest of the group, followed closely by a Veemon. Both of them came skidding to a halt.
"Greetings from America!" he called, grinning. "Is everyone having fun here without me?"
"Not exactly..." said Kaze.
"I didn't think you could be," said the newcomer. "By the way, I'm Tasuke, and this is Savvy."
"Hi, guys!" the Veemon chirped, waving to everyone.
"Hi, Tasuke!" said Mitsu. "I was just telling everyone you'd be here soon."
"You... were?" His breezy manner slipped just a bit; his eyes flicked briefly over her, evaluating how much she'd grown up since last they'd met, and he apparently liked what he saw. He blushed a bit and grinned foolishly.
Meanwhile, his Veemon was scooting nearer to Mai, trying to get his Gatomon's attention.
"Hey, Yuki," he said shyly. "Long time no see, huh?"
"Good thing, too," said Yuki.
"Ow!" Savvy keeled over on the grass, his hand over his heart. Mai leaned over him curiously.
"Are you okay?" the boy asked.
"He's just clowning around," said Tasuke. "Come on, get up, you're making a fool of yourself."
"I guess that leaves everyone present and accounted for," said Kaiya. "If everyone doesn't know each other, you'll figure it out eventually. Does everyone know what we're doing?"
Mitsu nodded eagerly. "Dad told me all about it. He says there's an evil Digimon in the forest using the Powers of Darkness to capture Digidestined. He's already got one, he said. We're supposed to be here stopping him." She looked positively radiant at the idea.
"That's right," said Kaiya, nodding. "Though how we're going to do it, I really don't know. Any suggestions?"
"I think we ought to go looking for that Maro guy again," said Kaze. "He seems to know a lot... more than he's telling us. I don't know if we can trust him, though."
"I don't see why we can't," said Natte. "He's been nice enough so far."
Mai looked apprehensive. "What's a Maro?"
"We don't even know," said Kaze. "Just some guy we met."
"He's a ghost!" said Larva in a dramatic whisper.
"How do you know?" Kaze asked.
The Wormmon shrugged. "Because he put his hand through a tree. Only a ghost could do that."
"Cool!" Tasuke enthused. "I want to see a ghost!"
"Me too!" Mitsu added.
"Well, he is the only one we've met so far who seems to know what's going on around here," said Kaiya. "I wonder if we can find him again?"
"I think," said a deep voice, "that it would be better if I found you."
Everyone looked around for the source of the voice, but there was no one there... or was there? Even as they looked, a patch of air seemed to darken, taking on shape and solidity until it was distinguishable as a human. He never quite fully materialized, remaining faintly see-through and glowing violet around the edges. He looked slowly around at the circle of children and Digimon, giving them each a shiver as his dark, dark eyes locked on each of theirs for an instant.
"There you are," said Kaiya. "We brought more Digidestined, like you told us to. Is this enough?"
"It is a beginning," the man replied, still looking at them all speculatively. "I suppose you all are the children of the four New Digidestined? Yes, I can see the resemblances. You," he added, turning to Keiji. "You must be Hida Iori's daughter. Am I right?"
"Yes, sir," she answered meekly.
"I knew your father. He was a good man. A very good man," he repeated, his tone becoming almost scolding, and Keiji looked startled. However, his flash of - was it anger? - was gone in an instant, leaving his expression with nothing more than the faint melancholy that seemed usual for him. "I knew his father, too, and his grandfather. I suppose the old man has passed on by now?"
"No, sir," said Keiji. "He's a bit stiff these days, but still alive and well, sir. He says it's because of all the prune juice he drinks."
Did Maro smile at that? Kaiya was almost sure she saw a twinkle in his dark eyes.
"Does he, now? Well, he is still a good man, despite any eccentricities. I'm no one to accuse the way another lives," he said. "Be sure to tell your father you've seen me. Tell him his father sends his regards. We don't get to see each other as much as we'd like, what with one thing and another, but Hiroki and I still manage to keep in touch."
"You... you do?" asked Kaiya, her voice quavering.
"Psst!" hissed Tasuke to Mitsu. "Who's Hiroki?"
"Her grandfather," answered Mitsu, who didn't look all that steady herself. "He died when Keiji's dad was just a little kid."
"Wait a minute," said Tasuke. "Am I being told that this fella's talking to dead guys?"
"Of course I am," the man replied. "Who else would I talk to?"
"Well, for starters," said Kaiya, "if you were a proper human, you'd have a Digimon companion."
"Oh, is that worrying you? Let me put your mind at ease."
The man turned and whistled loudly. Kaiya was surprised; she hadn't known ghosts could whistle. However, before she had time to ponder that idea, something came scampering through the grass and bounded into the man's arms, ignoring the fact that he was so immaterial that the grass at his feet passed straight through him as it blew in the wind. The creature was a small green Digimon, a Hatchling by the look of it, and was gazing up at the ghost-man with an expression of adoration.
"Hi!" it squeaked. "Did you come to play with me? It's been a long time, and I missed you!"
"I've missed you too, little friend," the man replied, his somber face softening into a gentle smile, "but I'm afraid I can't play today. I did want you to meet some friends, though. Children, this is my partner, Pipimon."
"It is?" Kaiya repeated. "Wait a minute, I've heard about this before... You must be Oikawa!"
The man said nothing, but bowed his head in acceptance of the name.
"You should have told us straight off, instead of lying to us," said Kaiya.
"I know," he said, "but I wasn't sure how much you knew about me - wasn't sure how much you would trust someone who had done the things I have. I wanted time to try to make you trust me a bit first."
"So you're Oikawa," said Kaze, stepping a bit closer for a better look. "Dad told me about you. He said you're the one who made the Dark Spores and Arukenimon and Mummymon, and tricked him into being the Emperor to make Spires for you."
"He also said most of it was because he had Myotismon living inside of him," Kaiya pointed out. "You'd act a little crazy, too, if you had a demon in you."
"Well, he didn't have to let it in in the first place," Kaze pointed out.
"I don't deny that," said Oikawa. "All I can say is that I had no idea of the full implications of what I'd done - no more than your father knew what he was doing when he became the Digimon Emperor. Both of us made bad choices, but both of us were manipulated into making them."
Kaze scowled. "You leave my dad out of this... but I guess it's okay. I mean, you made up for it, didn't you? You died to heal the world - that's what Dad said."
Oikawa nodded. "I gave all of my strength to the land and became one with it. I exist here as a spirit, connected with the earth. It gives me some powers I never had before, but it makes me dependant on the land as much as it depends on me. I spend my time trying to protect it, nurturing it as best I can... but now Chiaromon has come. He is reawakening the Powers of Darkness from their long sleep, and I don't have enough power to stop him."
"So you called us," said Kaiya. "All right, then. We're here. Now what do we do?"
"I wish I could tell you," Oikawa replied. "I only know that you have a better chance of stopping this before it goes too far than anyone else. However, beware of weaknesses in yourselves and each other. Each of you have your strengths, but also the things that shadow you, traces of darkness that could be drawn out by such a skillful manipulator as Chiaromon. He glories in corruption - I'd even say that in a strange way, he's addicted to it. He'll try to pull your dark sides to the surface. You must learn what your weaknesses are and how to defeat them." He looked at all of them, his seeming to see through them just as clearly as they could see through him. "For some, the battle will be more difficult than for others. Learn to trust each other. Put any disagreements you have aside. Keep in mind that you are doing this to save the Digital World, not for any kind of personal gain or to settle some vendetta - even good intentions can be used against you. Work as a team. Hold each other accountable."
"I'm not working with that thing, no matter what you say."
Oikawa turned his gaze on Kaze. "I told you once to learn forgiveness. You should also learn to seek truth. It is possible to be mistaken, and I am sensing that there is more to this story than what you know. Learn to forgive, and learn to understand where your anger comes from. Otherwise, it could prove a fatal weakness. If you cannot work with your brother, than you are a liability. He would do as well to refuse to work with you."
Kaze blushed and dropped the subject.
"That was lesson one," Oikawa continued. "The second thing I have to say is that you are not the only Digidestined to have come to this world recently. It came to my attention too late that three other children appeared here not long ago. I'm afraid they may have fallen into bad company, in the form of a Digimon called Ebon Angewomon. Her intentions are not evil, but her view of the world is distorted. I am afraid that whatever she will persuade them to do may not be good. If you see the other Digidestined, try to learn what they're doing and bring them to your side if you can.
"The last piece of advice I can give you is to seek more advice. The one person who will know best what to do now is Gennai the sage. Chiaromon has gone to great lengths to stop him from being able to contact any of you, but I know how you can reach him. I will arrange a signal for you to follow that will lead you to him. Once you are there, I'll be able to hold the barrier open, but only for a while. If it stays open too long, Chiaromon will certainly notice."
The other children nodded, looking serious. Some of them glanced at each other, as if searching for the weaknesses Oikawa had insisted they had, then looking away again.
"I will help you in every way I can," he said. "The actual fighting, however, will be up to you. There is little I can do for you there, except... Well, perhaps there is something, but I'd need to consider it. Until then, good luck."
With that, he faded out of view again. He took his Digimon with him.
"Good trick," said Tasuke appreciatively.
"Can we trust him?" Mitsu wondered. "I mean, he's done so many terrible things..."
"He's all right," said Natte firmly. "We like him." Crawler nodded his agreement.
"He's the best we've got," said Kaiya. "So... does anyone feel up to a trip to Gennai's house?"
"I'd like to go," said Mai in his quiet voice. He giggled. "Mama said he's crazy. I want to see."
"We might as well," Kaze sighed, as if going to see Gennai was about as exciting as a wait in the dentist's office.
"Hear ye, hear ye! The oracle has spoken!" said Tasuke. "The ancient wise one says we might as well go to Gennai's house! All heed the mystic visionary!"
Kaze scowled, and several of the other children began to giggle. Even Kaiya couldn't help smiling a bit. The tension was broken, and everyone set out in good spirits.
*It's going to work,* Kaiya thought, looking around at her new teammates. *We've got Kaze to fight for us, and Keiji - I think she could get through almost anything, if she tried. We've got Tasuke to make us laugh when we need it, and Mitsu to keep us energized. Mai may not let on much, but he's a smart kid. Wasn't his mother bragging to me about how good his grades are? And I guess I'm the leader. I can do that, I think. Oikawa's just as gloomy as Mom and Dad said he was. He's underestimating us. We're going to do just fine.*
Daisuke rolled over and looked at the clock. It would be morning soon, there in America, time for him to get up and go to work, and he'd barely even gotten any sleep. It had been hours since he'd sent Tasuke into the Digital World with assurances that everything would be okay. However, that had been quite a while ago, and he still hadn't been able to convince that annoying little voice in the back of his mind that everything was not quite as nice and safe as he'd wanted to think. He might have done this before, but that was a long time ago, under different circumstances. Tasuke was going into this without even an experienced mentor, whereas Daisuke had always had Taichi and Yamato to back him up. Even worse, though, was the thought of this new enemy, Chiaromon, some unknown power with powers unlike anything they'd reckoned with before. He'd already taken one Digidestined, one who should have known and been able to protect himself, and two more had only barely escaped. If even older, experienced Digidestined could be taken in so easily, people who had battled horrible things before and come out without a scratch, what was going to happen to a bunch of children?
"Are you still awake?" his wife mumbled.
"I can't help it," he said apologetically. "I keep thinking about Tasuke."
"You aren't worried, are you?"
"Who, me? No, of course not!" he answered. "I just wonder what's going on. He's out there having all the fun, and I'm going to be stuck going to work."
"So don't go. This is a special situation. If there's really trouble in the Digital World, they'll understand."
"Yeah..." said Daisuke thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea. Maybe I'll just tag along - keep an eye on things and step in if things get out of hand. I knew there was a reason I married you."
She giggled a bit. "Very funny. Just promise me you won't go looking for trouble, okay?"
"Who, me?" Daisuke replied, giving her his most innocent look. She laughed again.
"You can't fool me with that act," she said. "I know you too well. You'll probably jump into the first battle you come to. Just try to come home in one piece."
"Of course I will," he answered. "How could I not, with you to come home to?"
He leaned over to kiss her, and then woke his partner and began preparing for the trip. His wife settled herself more comfortably and began trying to finally go back to sleep. She wasn't worried. Daisuke would come back, just like the sun would rise in the morning, because that was just how Daisuke was. There was nothing that would ever get the better of him...
Within a few minutes, Daisuke and Veemon had arrived in the Digital World, in the space that had been chosen as the children's rendevous point. There was no one there now, but there was a lot of trampled grass that showed someone had been there recently. Now, though, they seemed to have wandered off, and Daisuke couldn't tell which direction they had taken.
"Where is everyone?" Veemon wondered, spinning around in circles to look at the empty plains.
"I dunno," said Daisuke. He, too, stared at the scenery.
To his left, the plains spread out in an endless wave of green. To his right, he could just barely see a dark smudge on the horizon that might have been the beginning of Chiaromon's forest. He fished out his Digivice and looked at it; the screen was showing him nothing but a hazy wash of energy.
"This spot's got really bad reception," Daisuke muttered. "I can't see a thing... But I guess if they were looking for Chiaromon, that's the way they would have gone." He waved in the direction of the trees.
"You think we should go there?" asked Veemon. "It looks kinda creepy to me."
"We won't go far," Daisuke promised. He smacked his Digivice irritably. "Darn it! Nobody else had this problem... There's a bunch of energy readings all over this place - it's got this thing all confused. We need to get to clear ground so we can figure out where we're going."
"I guess that's all right, then," Veemon acquiesced.
They began to walk, Daisuke keeping a close watch on his Digivice. He was pleased to see that the further they went, the clearer the reception got. Eventually, he was able to pick up a definite reading of something standing straight ahead of him. He raised his eyes to look speculatively at the forest as it loomed closer.
"Something's in there," he said.
"I knew that," said Veemon. "Whatever it is, I don't like it."
"What's your problem? You weren't afraid of things before. Not even MaloMyotismon had you scared!"
"This is different. I don't know what's in there, but worse than that."
Daisuke felt a shudder run down his spine, but he managed to hide it. "More reason to go looking for it. What if the kids are in there? You wouldn't leave Tasuke and Savvy and everyone in there with that... whatever it is, would you?"
Veemon considered, then shook his head. "Guess not."
Slowly, trying to hide their reluctance, they slipped into the shadows of the forest. The darkness fell over them like cold water, but even so, something in the darkness saw them.
Sometime before, Chiaromon had been lurking around his throne room, staring pensively up at his portraits. He was annoyed, partly because he had missed out on the capture of two out of the three Digidestined that had come into his grasp, but he was even more bothered by the loss of his mutant. For all the creature's faults, it had also had some marked skills, things that no other Digimon in his employ could do. For one thing, the mutant was the only being who could control him when he went into one of his blood-rages, and the idea of being left without any control at all frightened him. He remembered some of the things he had done before he'd had the mutant to hold him in check, and he knew his powers had only grown since then. The damage he could do now he didn't even want to think about. Furthermore, the mutant had been, in his way, a very good servant, with skills at spying and entrancing. And... shameful as it was to admit, Chiaromon rather missed having a storyteller around. It had been nice to be able to forget himself for a while and lose himself in stories of someone else. Now he didn't even have that distraction to take his mind off his troubles.
"Majesty?"
Chiaromon jumped, jerked out of his thoughts by the arrival of a Gazimon, who looked understandably nervous.
"What is it?" Chiaromon demanded irritably.
"The Bakemon have brought a report," the Gazimon replied. "There is a Digidestined at the northern edge of the forest, moving in."
"Interesting," said Chiaromon thoughtfully. "Which one? Did they get a description?"
"It was a man with red hair, walking with a Veemon."
For a moment, Chiaromon was quiet. Then he laughed, a slow chuckle that escalated into a wicked cackle, and his eyes flashed briefly red, making the Gazimon cringe.
"Too good to be true!" Chiaromon crowed. "I had so hoped to get my hands on this one! Now is my chance to prove my worth!"
"Should we bring him to you, majesty?" asked the Gazimon.
"No," said Chiaromon. "No, I want this one to be all mine. I'll deal with him myself."
He turned, fixing eyes that still glowed faintly on the dark portrait of Myotismon.
"I'll make you proud," he said. He smiled, letting his own fangs glitter faintly. "Even more, I'll prove I'm even greater than you ever were."
With a final wild laugh, he had left the fortress, flying on his clumsy wings across the forest to land in a tree and watch.
He was rewarded not long afterwards by the sight of someone walking hesitantly across the forest floor.
"Well, look what we have here?" he said lightly.
Daisuke jumped, looking around until he caught a glimpse of whiteness that didn't look like it belonged in the dark forest, a bright angel wing that seemed equally unsuited to the person it was attached to.
"You're Chiaromon!" he exclaimed.
"And you are Motomiya Daisuke," Chiaromon replied. "You are, aren't you?"
"What's it to you?" answered Daisuke warily.
"Everything. I've been waiting a long, long time to meet you, Daisuke. As a matter of fact, you are the one person in all the world I've most wanted to meet... and here you are at last."
"You don't know I'm who you say I am," said Daisuke. "I could be anybody, for all you know."
"Not so. You see, I've made quite a study of you Digidestined. I wanted to know everything about you all. Your story particularly impressed me," answered Chiaromon. "I heard you were the only one who could stand up to MaloMyotismon. You were the only one who couldn't be manipulated by his dreams. Of all the people in the world, you were the only one without fear."
"Yeah. So?"
In reply, Chiaromon leaped from the tree limb and pounce, and Daisuke suddenly found himself contending with a crazed wild animal, something red eyed and clawed and fanged. The two of them struggled, Daisuke fighting for his life, Veemon trying to pry his partner free, and Chiaromon grinning maniacally. At last, Daisuke was able to wrench himself free, and the two split apart. Daisuke's shirt was torn at the shoulders where Chiaromon had used his claws, and he could feel scratches stinging on his skin.
"What was that all about?" asked Daisuke.
Chiaromon was still grinning. "There's fear in your eyes, Motomiya Daisuke. The Child of Courage is afraid I'm going to kill him. The Keeper of Friendship is a murderer."
"What?!" Daisuke yelped. "What are you talking about? I never...!"
"You killed my father," said Chiaromon. "You killed him, and you were proud of it? Don't you remember? You were there, laughing and celebrating. When you were offered anything, anything you wanted, all you could say was that all you wanted was to destroy him. Everyone loved you for it. They called you the child with no fear, their savior. You can't have forgotten, not when you enjoyed it so much."
"I... what? Wait a minute, are you saying your father was...?"
"Myotismon," Chiaromon finished. "An unwanted child, true, but I still share in his blood and power. I will carry on his legacy. I will finish what he started. I will do what he never did. I will be the one who destroys the Digidestined and plunges the world into darkness, and there is nothing you can do to stop me."
"You want to bet?" Daisuke snapped. "All right, I did destroy Myotismon, and I can do the same to you!"
"No you can't," answered Chiarmon, smirking. "You've lost your edge, Motomiya. You're not what you used to be."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Look, and I'll show you."
"Don't look, Daisuke!" Veemon yelped, jumping in front of his partner in an effort to protect him. "Whatever you do, don't look!"
"Oh, are you frightened?" asked Chiaromon. "Tsk, tsk. Look what's become of you. There was a time when you didn't have to hide behind your partner, Daisuke. There was a time when you would have faced me gladly. I was right; you are afraid of me. I can see it in your eyes."
"I'm not afraid of anything!" Daisuke shouted back. "Especially not you!"
"Then face me."
There was force in the words, tugging at things hidden in the back of Daisuke's mind and jerking them to the front. Daisuke looked, letting Chiaromon's blazing red eyes bore into him, filling the darkest corners of his heart with bloody light.
"I was right," said Chiaromon softly. "You are afraid, aren't you? Don't worry; there's no shame in feeling fear. Didn't anyone ever tell you that?"
"No," said Daisuke. "I - I'm not supposed to be afraid. Everyone says so. I'm the Child of Courage. When the others were all terrified, I didn't feel anything. I was never afraid, and no one would ever believe I could be afraid..."
"But you are," Chiaromon prompted. "It hurts to hold it inside, doesn't it?"
Daisuke nodded. "I can never tell anyone, not Tasuke, not Renee, not the other Digidestined... all the people I'm supposed to be closest to, and I can never let them know."
"Of course you can't. If you told them, they'd see you as the failure you are. That's what you're afraid of, isn't it? You always have to be the laughing clown for them. If you let them see how weak you've gotten, they would be ashamed of you. You'd lose them all if they knew what a weakling you are. What did you tell them when you came here? That you'd come to fight battles?"
"And it wasn't true," said Daisuke miserably. "I came because I was afraid. I was afraid of Tasuke getting hurt. I was afraid of letting any of my other friends get hurt. What kind of Keeper of Courage can't even have confidence in his own son? What kind of Keeper of Friendship am I when all I do is lie to my friends?"
"No kind," said Chiaromon. "But you're trapped. You lose whichever way you turn. Let me help you. I can take you away from your fear, from all the pain, away from all the people you can hurt and be hurt by..."
"Yes," Daisuke sighed. "Please, let me out..."
"No!" Veemon howled, but it was too late. Shadows pounced on him and surrounded him, locking him into a case of dark crystal. His eyes stared out into nothing, and his ears were deaf to his partner's anguished wails, and to Chiaromon's insane laughter.
A shadow passed over Kaiya's head, and she looked up to see Wingblade flying in circles high up in the sky. He looked down, realized he was being watched, and turned a few loop-the- loops for her benefit.
"Quit showing off," she scolded. "Do you see anything up there, or are those sunglasses blocking your vision?"
"Nothing but grass and more grass," answered Wingblade, dropping out of the sky to land at Kaiya's side. "I think this Oikawa's leading us on a wild goose chase."
"It's all right," said Keiji. "We just aren't near enough yet to see anything, even from up there." She held up her Digivice as evidence, its screen showing a pair of dots that were still a good distance apart.
"You mean we're not there yet?" Natte asked. "But I'm tired!"
"Crybaby," Kaze muttered.
"I'm a little tired, too," Mai admitted, looking ashamed of himself.
"And hungry!" Savvy piped up.
"What? You just had breakfast!" said Tasuke.
"No I didn't! We've been walking for hours!" the Veemon complained. "Let's stop and eat something, huh, can we, huh, huh?"
"Do we have anything to eat?" Keiji wondered, looking around.
"Of course!" said Mitsu, grinning. "Dad made sure I packed some snacks... for the Digimon, you know," she added with a wink.
"Same here!" said Tasuke, tapping at his backpack. "Lots of healthy stuff, like potato chips and Hershey bars."
"Candy!" squealed Bubbles happily. "Can I have some? Please?"
Tasuke laughed. "Sure, there's enough for everyone!"
He unzipped the pack and dumped its contents onto the ground in a brightly colored waterfall of chip bags and candy bars. Mitsu opened her own bag to reveal a selection of sandwiches in plastic wrap and a box of granola bars.
"Bon apatite!" said Tasuke.
There was a scramble as all the Digimon made a dive for the candy. The kids managed to grab their fair share and began settling in for a snack break. Kaiya watched, a bit disconcerted. Then she shrugged.
"Oh, well," she said, laying claim to a granola bar (there wasn't much competition for them). "I guess we can afford a break. It's not like Gennai's going anywhere, from the way things sound."
"Absolutely," said Wingblade, biting into a candy bar. He immediately got caramel all over his beak, sticking it shut. Kaiya giggled.
"That's one way to keep you quiet. I'll have to remember that one."
Meanwhile, Keiji, who didn't seem to be interested in the food, was busy prowling around their impromptu campsite. The area was a bit rougher than the grassy plains they'd been traveling through so far; a few bushes and trees sprouted to break up the monotony. Keiji investigated each one, peering into branches and squinting through clusters of leaves. Kaze watched her.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Checking," she said. "You never know what might be lurking around."
"You think anything could hide under these?" asked Kaze, sounding more curious than scornful. He peered under a bush, but saw nothing. "These things are pretty small. It'd have to be a really shrimpy Digimon."
"You never know," Keiji replied. She moved closer to one of the larger bushes and looked. Something must have looked back, because she suddenly yelped and jumped backwards, tripping over Speedbump and falling into the grass.
"What's going on here?" asked Kaiya, coming to join them. She helped pick Keiji up, and the girl sat down on Speedbump's shell, still looking shaken.
"There's something under that bush," said Kaze, pointing.
"Really?" asked Keiji. "It's probably just a little Digimon. It's probably just as scared of you as you are of..."
She trailed off. She had bent over to peer into the depths of the bush, and suddenly found herself looking into a pair of eyes. She could understand why Keiji had jumped; Kaiya had never seen eyes like this before, so intensely blue they glowed. For an instant, she was drowning, lost in a sea of warm blue light, drifting into a trance. For a moment, she felt so peaceful, so weirdly happy, she never wanted to break the gaze and look at anything else ever again. Then she realized that there was something in this gaze that was frightened. Why? Why would anyone be frightened of her? Puzzlement brought her back to herself. She blinked, and then she was seeing nothing but a pair of eyes again.
"What... who...?" she stammered. She wanted to ask something, but it escaped her what it might be.
In response, whatever owned the eyes cringed away, hiding itself deeper in the shadows, whimpering faintly.
"Don't do that," said Kaiya. "Come out where we can see you. We aren't going to hurt you, I promise."
The thing under the bush seemed to consider. Then, in some way no one could quite see even though they all were watching, someone stepped into view. It had the basic form of a human man, but it was obviously no such thing. No human would have such pale skin, pure white on what little of his face they could see beyond the mask that covered it. Its eyes were too large for a human's, and still glowed faintly in the sunlight. His hair was a bright royal purple, falling gently to his shoulders, and he was dressed in a most peculiar costume that still somehow suited him; it was hard to imagine him wearing anything else. A pair of wands were strapped to his back, tipped on either end with crystal spheres. He finished extricating himself from the bush and began fastidiously picking leaves and twigs off of his clothing. Everyone stared; the bush appeared to be too small to have hidden him.
"Who or what is that?" asked Tasuke.
"I know what it is!" Mitsu exclaimed. "I've seen pictures! That's a Piedmon!"
The whatever-it-was, which had been fairly calm until now, shrieked and dove back into the bush. It sat there trembling, its eyes shining out of the foliage like Christmas lights.
"What was that all about?" Tasuke wondered.
"Now look what you've done! You scared him!" Kaiya scolded. She knelt next to the bush. "It's all right. She's just a little confused, that's all. Come on, you really don't want to stay under there, do you?"
Very slowly this time, the creature inched back into view. It had its hand pressed to its heart, and was breathing rather unsteadily.
"Please don't do that to me," he said. His voice was pleasant, Kaiya noted distractedly, though it had a definite quaver of fear to it.
"It's all right, she won't," said Kaiya soothingly.
"Hey, I know what that is!" Natte piped up. "That's the thing that Dad saw!"
"The what?" asked Mai.
"Our dad got caught by Chiaromon," Kaze explained, "but this guy set him free. You are the one, aren't you?" he asked, turning to the mutant.
"Um," it said. "Oh, are you Ichijouji Ken's children? I wasn't aware he had any... But yes. He traded me a story for his freedom. He was kind to me. I was pleased to have been able to help him."
"That explains it," said Crawler. "He doesn't like for people to say that name."
"What name?" asked Savvy.
"The one Mitsu said to make him jump under the bush," Crawler replied.
"Yeah, this guy's one of Chiaromon's people," said Kaze, looking at him suspiciously. "What are you doing out here? You'd better not be up to something."
The mutant backed up a few paces, intimidated by Kaze's piercing glare.
"I assure you, I mean no harm," he said, holding up his hands as if to shield himself. "Chiaromon has dismissed me for freeing your father. I'm not his creature any longer."
"Oh," said Kaze. "Well... I guess that's okay, then. Dad said you were all right."
"Did he?" asked the mutant, looking pleased. "I hardly thought I was worth remembering..."
"So you're just on your own now?" asked Mai. "Chiaromon doesn't want you anymore? He just sent you away? That... that's terrible..."
"It's not so bad," said the mutant. "I managed to beg a meal from some Motimon, and there isn't much that can hurt me, so I'm safe enough."
"But it must be lonely," Mai persisted.
That struck a nerve. The mutant nodded sadly. "It is that."
"Well, why don't you hang out with us for a while?" Kaiya offered. "We owe you one for setting our dad free."
The mutant blushed. "Oh, I couldn't impose on you..."
"It's not an imposition," said Keiji. "Come on. Have a sandwich; we've got lots."
The mutant appeared a bit overwhelmed by the hospitality; he blushed furiously, murmuring words of gratitude as they led him back towards the campsite.
"Hey," said Tasuke. "We didn't get your name."
"I haven't got one," the mutant replied, looking crestfallen. "Chiaromon never gave me one, and you know I don't like being called... that other thing."
"That's no good," Tasuke said, shaking his head. "We've gotta call you something if you're going to hang with us. Anybody got any ideas?"
"How about 'Marcel'?" Keiji suggested.
"Marcel?" Savvy repeated. "What kind of a name is Marcel?"
"It's a good name," said Keiji. "There was a famous mime named Marcel Marceau... famous for a mime, anyway."
"It works for me," said Tasuke. "What do you say? Is it good enough for you?"
The mutant was silent for a moment, repeating the name to himself, testing it. Then he smiled.
"It's perfect," he said. "I can't possibly thank you enough..."
"It's just a name," said Mitsu, looking surprised at his enthusiastic reaction.
"How would you like to have lived your entire life as 'hey, you'? How would you like to have never had an identity? What if the only name that can be applied to you is the thing you loathe most deeply?"
Mitsu was struck silent. The mutant took his piercing gaze off of her, and she relaxed.
"You have done me a great favor," he continued, sounding cheerful again. "Out of your generosity, I have an identity. I am no longer Chiaromon's creature, but yours. Any service I can provide for you will be given gladly."
He bowed to them all, a low sweeping bow like an actor or a courtier, ending with his head so low that his hair brushed the tips of the grass.
"Wonderful," muttered Wingblade. "We've acquired a clown. Lots of good that's going to do us."
"Hush," said Kaiya. "You don't look a gift horse in the mouth... even if it's a really weird horse."
The other children didn't seem to be quite as skeptical as Wingblade was. Most of them seemed quite glad to have the colorful character there - Mai in particular seemed fascinated with him, staring at him as though enthralled. Keiji offered him an apology for frightening him, as well as what little was left of the snacks, and he accepted both as if he'd been given the Nobel Prize. Tasuke was taking it all in stride, but he probably would have taken a supernova without batting an eyelash; he was making Mitsu laugh by imitating Marcel's courtly manners. Kaiya looked around and decide that nobody was going to go anywhere for a while, not while they were having so much fun interrogating their new friend, so she began prowling around the campsite. After all, if this colorful character had been hiding so close by, what else might be there? However, she was only a few minutes into her investigation when she became aware of someone's gaze resting on her. She turned around to find Marcel was staring at her with an expression of fascination.
"What are you looking at?" she demanded.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I being rude?" asked Marcel, blushing with shame. "Please forgive me. It's just that, well... In his throne room, Chiaromon has a portrait of an Angewomon. Until now, I'd never realized there could be anyone else so beautiful."
There were sniggers from the younger children, and Kaze laughed until he turned pink. Kaiya blushed furiously. Marcel looked around in utter astoundment.
"Did I say something wrong?" he asked.
"Kaiya's got a new boyfriend!" Kaze laughed. "A Digimon boyfriend!"
Kaiya stared at him; she couldn't pinpoint just what it was, but she was picking up something that was vicious, even strangely victorious, in the taunt. She was sure he was giving her a superior look.
"It's okay, Marcel," said Mai, trying to comfort him. "They're just being stupid."
"I really have said something wrong," said Marcel miserably. "Please, please forgive me. I never meant - I wouldn't have dreamed of-"
"It's okay," said Kaiya quickly. "You couldn't help it. You really don't know much about how people behave, do you?"
Marcel shook his head, still looking deeply ashamed.
"Then it's not your fault," she said. "You couldn't possibly know, so they're being rude for laughing at you. They're the ones who should be apologizing."
Actually, Kaiya was feeling very annoyed with the mutant; he should have had the sense to know that people just didn't say things like that in public, but there was no possibility of not forgiving him. The poor thing looked like he was about to cry.
*Funny,* she mused. *I think this is the first time I've ever had to forgive anyone for telling me I'm beautiful...*
"Why does Chiaromon have a portrait of an Angewomon?" Keiji asked, mercifully changing the subject. "I'd have thought he'd have pictures of monsters or something."
"Oh, he has that, too," answered Marcel, as if he, too, were glad to have something else to talk about. "Two portraits hang on either side of his throne. One is of the Lord of the Undead, Myotismon, and the second is of Angewomon."
"But why have the angel at all?" asked Mai. "Isn't Chiaromon... well, you know... evil?"
"Chiaromon is very interested in evil," Marcel replied, "and very interested in good. His greatest fault, I think, is that he can't choose between them."
"You mean he can't make up his mind whether he wants to be good or not?" asked Tasuke.
Marcel shook his head. "No, I mean he truly cannot choose. It's all very complicated... but that's not a story for children."
There is nothing that makes children want to hear something as much as being told they shouldn't. The moment the words left Marcel's mouth, a clamor rose up from the group, begging to hear the story anyway. Marcel looked taken aback.
"Are you sure?" he said. "It isn't very pleasant. I don't care for it much, myself."
"Come on! You can't just wind us up like this and then not say anything," said Tasuke. "We may be kids, but we're not stupid."
The sight of so many wide, pleading eyes was too much for the clown, and he gave a sigh.
"All right," he said, settling himself cross-legged on the grass. "I'll tell the story. Gather around, please."
Everyone did as they were told, making a circle around the storyteller. Marcel closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts, and then began to speak. Kaiya was surprised. The uncertain quaver in his voice vanished for the first time since she'd met him, he seemed to sit taller, moving his hands in graceful, confident gestures as he spoke. It suddenly became very hard to look away from his eyes.
"Long ago," he began, "when the Digital World had yet to be freed from the Dark Masters and their minions, and terrors still roamed the land freely, the Demon Lord Myotismon met an Angewomon living at the far edge of the forest. Some say he was simply infuriated to find something so pure and good living so close to his domain. The romantics say that even he couldn't resist her grace and beauty. Whatever the reason, one day he appeared at her home and asked her to come with him back to his castle. When she would not be persuaded by charm or demands, he attacked her, and then left her to live or die as she would.
"As it happened, she did not die, but she was plunged into a deep despair. They say she lost her mind for a while, but some months later, she gave birth to a son, and her own innate goodness was enough to bring her to her senses again to help her care for the child. She named him Chiaromon, for chiaroscuro, the eternal interplay of light and shadow. He became her reason for living, and for the years when he was growing up, their lives were peaceful.
"Unfortunately, the blood of his father was still in him, and with it, some of Myotismon's power, and as the child aged, that power grew. As long as he was at peace, the darkness in him remained latent, but whenever he grew angry or unhappy, the powers within him would break free, and he would attack anything near him in an insane rage. He tried to keep them under control, but every time he lost control of himself, the rages would grow fiercer. In the end, he lost himself so completely that he killed his own mother as she tried to restrain him. When he saw what he had done, he knew that the darkness inside of him was too great for him to fight. Instead, he left his home to rebuild the empire of his father and finish Myotismon's work. And yet, the Powers of Light remain in him as much as the Powers of Darkness - just as he can never become fully good, so can he never sink fully into darkness. His obsession is to prove, once and for all, if one can truly overcome the other, so he can know with certainty that his choice was the right one. Hence, his Great Experiment. Such is the story, for all to know."
"So... this whole thing with chasing our parents around," said Kaze slowly, "is just so he can prove a point?"
"That's dumb!" said Mitsu angrily. "Everyone knows good always outweighs the Powers of Darkness!"
"Chiaromon doesn't know that," Keiji answered thoughtfully. "He really doesn't have much to measure against. If your life had been like his, you would think the Darkness was stronger, too."
"Well, it's not," said Mitsu. She crossed her arms stubbornly.
"It's a true story," Marcel said. "Chiaromon told most of it to me himself, and I've heard it from several others as well. He keeps portraits of both his parents in his throne room and talks to them as if they're alive. They're his symbols - male and female, day and night, good and evil."
"Sounds like he's got a few screws loose," Tasuke opined, and Savvy nodded his agreement.
Marcel shrugged. "He's always treated me well enough. I interested him, I think, because I'm so far away from the Darkness. Sometimes he was almost friendly towards me."
"Well, I hope you're not too attached to him," said Kaiya, "because we're not about to sit down and say, 'Oh, poor Chiaromon,' while he goes kidnaping our parents. We're going to find a way to put a stop to this mess, just like our parents stopped Myotismon."
"You plan to destroy him?" asked Marcel. "I don't suppose even Chiaromon would object to that. Death is something else that interests him," he added grimly.
"Guy sounds like a real barrel of laughs," said Kaze. "Are we going to sit here and talk all day, or are we going to go look for Gennai?"
"I think we're going," said Kaiya. "Clean up, guys. Time to hit the road again."
As the kids began picking up candy wrappers and Keiji set about trying to wake Speedbump, Kaiya ambled over to Marcel's side.
"You wouldn't happen to know any other stories, would you?" she asked. "You know, more cheerful ones?"
"But of course," he answered. "It's been the work of my life, collecting them. The other Digimon in Chiaromon's castle used to give them to me in exchange for helping them with their chores."
"Oh," said Kaiya. "Well, I was wondering, do you think you could tell a few to the kids? You know, to keep them occupied. The young ones aren't liking all this walking; you might be able to take their minds off their sore feet."
"It would be a privilege," Marcel replied. "Does this mean you aren't angry with me for what I said?"
"What, that? No," answered Kaiya. "Mistakes happen. Just... next time you want to say something that personal, say it in private, okay?"
"I will," he answered.
He gave her another one of his strangely penetrating looks, and Kaiya was momentarily disoriented until he looked away again. Glowing eyes, she decided, were very disconcerting. She went to find somewhere else to be.
"Talking to your new boyfriend, Kaiya?" asked Kaze, still giving her that smug leer that looked so disturbing on his young face.
"Shut up," said Kaiya.
"Kaze, don't pick on her," said Larva plaintively. "You know it's not the way you say it is. Why don't you just leave her alone?"
"You don't think it's the way I say it is?" he asked. "After the way Mom acted, I don't see why Kaiya shouldn't do the same thing."
"You leave Mom out of this," said Kaiya. "She didn't do anything wrong, and neither have I."
"If you say so," answered Kaze. He turned around and stalked away, with Larva looking unhappily over his shoulder.
"He doesn't mean it!" the caterpillar said. "Really!"
"What was that all about?" Kaiya asked Wingblade.
"I dunno," the bird replied. "Sometimes I think if Kaze can't think of a reason to be obnoxious, he just makes one up."
"Maybe," said Kaiya. "But I still think he knows something he's not telling. Hm. I wonder..."
She looked speculatively at Natte, who was chatting with Mai at the edge of the group. Kaze had spent the last few years calling Natte a freak, treating him like a monster, but this was the first time Kaze had been really hostile towards her. Usually he just treated her like she was someone he was trying to inform of some danger she was too stupid to see. Now he was giving her the same look he usually reserved for his younger brother, and she wasn't sure why. Just because Marcel might possibly have a crush on her? Or... because a Digimon might have a crush on her. He had stressed that; it must mean something to him. And then that jibe about her mother. She knew her mother had been a bit notorious for chasing guys when she was young, but she hardly acted that way now - even now that she was divorced, she hardly ever went out. She seemed perfectly content to spend time with her children and Hawkmon and visit Ken on weekends. But then again, Kaiya thought, still staring at Natte, if you added everything up, didn't it look like Kaze was hinting that...?
*No, that can't be it,* she thought, shaking her head at the absurdity. *That's just impossible. I'm just letting my imagination run away with me.*
"Hey, wait for me!" she called, hurrying to catch up with the group.
They walked. It was, for the most part, a peaceful journey. The weather was still clear and warm, the terrain gentle, and Marcel kept them all amused by his recitation of a Tanemon epic about a young Yuramon who set out to seek her fortune and eventually became a Rosemon, the queen of the flowers. Everyone seemed glad to have him as part of their little band; even Kaze quieted down and paid attention to the story. The mutant was a good storyteller, Kaiya had to admit. He told everything as if he had been there himself, or as if he were actually watching it happen, nearly crying at the tragic parts and getting as excited over victories that the listeners could forget that there had never been any question that the heroine would win. Yet Kaiya had a notion that there was something more than talent going on. She was rapidly becoming convinced that, wittingly or not, some kind of hypnotic force was being exerted. Marcel truly did love these stories he was telling, to the point where it seemed to spill out onto his audience, inviting them to share in his emotions. It was very difficult to think about anything else while he was talking. It was also, Kaiya discovered, difficult to try to look in his eyes and walk at the same time. The first time she tried it, she nearly tripped over Speedbump, and the second time, she almost walked into a tree. After that, she kept her eyes on her Digivice... but at least the stories were doing what they were supposed to. Not once did anyone complain that they were bored or their feet hurt.
Eventually, they came to a forest - not a dark one like Chiaromon's forest, but a sunny one full of oak trees and wildflowers. The going began to get more difficult as they picked their way through the roots and shrubs, but their maps showed that they had nearly reached their destination, so they pushed on doggedly.
"I think we must be almost there," Mai's Gatomon, Yuki, opined. "I smell something that wasn't there before... a presence, or a power."
Mitsu's Patamon fluttered his ears and rose into the air, trying to get a better look.
"What do you see, Bubbles?" Mitsu asked.
"Nothing," said Bubbles, sounding puzzled. "But I thought I heard something... It should be right there, and it's not!"
Marcel paused, looking worried. "I sense danger here."
"Well, I sure don't see any," said Kaze. "I think you all are just scared of shadows."
Marcel wasn't listening. Looking frightened but determined, he took one of his wands and aimed it at the air in front of him, ordering, "Come out and show yourself!"
The tip of the wand glowed, and there was an answering glow within the shadows. Several of the shrubs and saplings nearby suddenly began to warp as if melting and became a fleet of ghostly Bakemon. Marcel took one look at them, with their staring eyes and jagged teeth, gave a shriek and dove out of sight.
"Great! He calls for trouble and lets us deal with it!" Kaze muttered.
"Well, deal with it already!" Tasuke replied.
And since there didn't seem to be any other choice, that was exactly what they did. The Bakemon gibbered and whooped as they closed in on their intended prey, only to find themselves blown away again, courtesy of a volley of air shots from Bubbles. Wingblade tossed a feather around like a boomerang, keeping an area clear for Kaiya and Natte. Kaze and Keiji, not content to let their Digimon do all the fighting, seized hefty sticks from the forest floor and stood back to back, battering at anything that came too close. Even shy Mai stood firm, urging his partner onward as Yuki ripped shreds off of the already ragged ghouls. Even so, it wasn't enough. The monsters kept coming, lashing out with their scabrous clawed hands, battering Digimon left and right. Then, just when it looked like things couldn't get any worse...
"Hold it right there!" said an authoritative voice - a female voice - high above everyone's heads. Children and ghosts alike turned to look. Standing at the base of a nearby tree was a strange man in blue, who was directing their attention to a branch above him. There stood a woman, dressed entirely in red, with long, silver-white hair streaming out in the wind. The man in blue looked at everyone and grinned at their astonishment.
"Ladies and gentlemon," he announced, "back by popular demand, I give you -
Arukenimon!"