Chapter Ten

Raging Brutality

Motoko slept fitfully, her face flushed and her body trembling.

"It looks like a fever. But I need to be there to tell for sure how bad it is." Jyou said with a shake of his head, his black eyes worried.

"It's okay. Thanks, Jyou." Koushiro brushed the hair off her forehead.

"I have some water." Yukina said pulling out her canteen.

"Where did the water receptacles come from?" Koushiro asked surprised.

"The sky." Iori answered simply. "Seriously." He said to Koushiro raised eyebrow.

"You have to get her to a shelter of some kind. She's too exposed to the elements. Her fever could get worse." Jyou said as Yukina wet a handkerchief. She's one of those people who always have one.

"Uhnng." Motoko moaned quietly, tossing her head as Yukina placed her handkerchief on her forehead.

"But we're in the middle of a friggin' field!" Shizuko snapped. Koushiro chewed his lip anxiously.

"There's an abandoned Yokomon village. There may even be some food there, Izzy." Tentomon piped up suddenly.

"Prodigious!" Koushiro sighed in relief.

"How are we going to get her there?" Melina asked frowning.

"Obviously, transport her there manually." Koushiro explained. He examined her carefully. "I think I may be able to... she did lose weight while in the coma."

"You're probably the strongest one here, too. We're all weak from the journey. After carrying Tsubaki here, I really can't do much." Iori said sheepishly.

"Okay." Koushiro blushed. "I'm going to make a complete fool of myself. I don't convey people. I'm a computer nerd." Miyako, Melina, and Yukina giggled. Koushiro picked her up, his eyes widening.

"Wow, go Koushiro." Miyako clapped.

"But-but...she's so light!" Koushiro exclaimed. "She's ingests too much for this to be scientifically possible."

"It must be the power of love." Miyako giggled. Melina and Shizuko rolled their eyes.

V V V

"So, have you figured out how you two got back? Or how she got here in the first place?"

Motoko stirred quietly as she heard the low voices of her friends around her. She blearily opened her eyes to see everyone talking to their D3's and Tsubaki sharing hers with Koushiro.

"No. And I don't have my Pineapple. All my information is on it."

"Sorry, I still have it." She saw Yamato's face on Tsubaki's screen.

"This is my computer, Yamato, get yer own!" Taichi growled pushing him. A brief tussle was heard on the other side of the screen and Taichi and Yamato were pushing on each other's faces angrily.

Motoko giggled. "Eek!" She cried surprised as the handkerchief plastered on her forehead fell. "What is that? Oh." She tilted her head to the side looking at it strangely.

"Moto?"

"Motoko?" She looked up at Koushiro's voice. Cubmon jumped into her lap, her eyes still stuck on Koushiro's.

"Yep! I'm up now. Why are the digimon all in Rookie level?" She asked finally tearing her eyes away.

"We thought it best. It will take less time when they digivolve when we're attacked by Piedmon." Iori answered. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel little better. Still a little hot under the collar. My legs are still pretty shaky, too. A good long sleep should do me good." she answered. "I like being honest again. No more guilt." She smiled, her head tilting to the side, her nose wrinkled a bit.

"Oh, I missed you!" cried Yukina cried launching herself at her, squishing Cubmon. Soon, all the Tokyo girls were hugging her, Miyako joining in laughing.

"I missed you all, too! Let me advise you, comas are not the easy ticket outta here!" Motoko joked laughing and crying at the same time like the rest of the girls.

"DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" the girls shouted as one. Motoko blinked and stared at them frightened.

"Sure thing." she agreed.

"Geroff of me!" Cubmon yelled under the mass of bodies. The girls scooted back giggling.

"Sorry, Cubmon." Yukina said.

"Hmph." He licked his fur, miffed. Motoko giggled.

"I hear you were a hero." Motoko said snuggling with her partner.

"Not...not really." Cubmon murmured, embarrassed and pleased at the same time. He purred loudly as she scratched under his chin.

"Good, kitty." She blushed vividly as her stomach growled loudly.

"Oh! Of course, you're insatiate. I'll be a nano." Koushiro left quickly.

"Um, okay. Where are we anyway?" She asked, still slightly red.

"A deserted Yokomon village."

"Deserted, why?" Motoko asked Iori.

"That's right. You don't know." Melina realized.

"Know what? What did I miss?"

"A lot. You were in a coma when we found the first one." Melina said chewing her last handful of granola.

"Found what?"

"A prison for digimon." Koushiro said entering holding a small bowl. "I know it looks like bird food, but it's good. You can't live off meat apples, you know." Koushiro said with a soft smile. Motoko blushed and took it.

"Thanks, Kou-kun." She looked at it with a frown. "How do I eat it? Just pick it up in my hand?"

"Yep! It's finger food, miss." Tentomon said.

"You're that bug!" She shrieked with a pointing finger.

"Tentomon, Motoko. Now, eat and we'll explain what Quimon and Upamon discovered." Koushiro said seriously. She stuffed her mouth quickly. He raised an eyebrow.

"Anyway, Quimon and Upamon found a strange building that reflected its surroundings. The only way to find it is if you know it's there. Quimon saw the light from Yukina's crest the day you fell in the coma. She and Upamon searched for it and found it filled with In-Training digimon in cages. Their data was getting...well, sucked out of them, I guess." Shizuko looked to Koushiro. Motoko eyes were wide and horrified.

"Sucked out of them?" Motoko gaped. She quickly shoved more food in her mouth, before Koushiro could say anything. He blinked, then shook his head.

"That's one way of saying it, yes. Someone's downloading their fractal code into an encrypted program. The program is making smaller programs that defy the laws of the Digital World-"

"The tarantula. It was coming after me..." Suddenly her eyes widened.

"Yes. I almost hacked into it, but I couldn't completely. I was sidetracked because I found the way to cure-" A bowl of small yellow-green seeds fell and spilled across the floor. "Motoko?"

"I...I made it. It was coming after me to...kill me. I made it." Her eyes were wide and her body shook. "The whole time...he was using me to make that program! Oh my god."

"What? What are you talking abou-" Shizuko stopped.

"You mean, when you were with Touji, and Circusmon told you to create that program and you didn't know what you were doing?" Miyako asked. Motoko nodded.

"That has to be it. Why else would Circusmon choose me? I'm a genius, remember? He would have used Koushiro, but...well, I don't think his plan would've worked as well with a boy...especially since it was easy to snare me." Motoko looked down at her hands, opening and closing them slowly. "He used me...to create some monstrous program I don't even know how to delete. It's on Koushiro's laptop, too. How stupid can a genius get, huh?" She laughed at herself harshly and clenched her hands into fists. "I'm such an idiot!" She rubbed her eyes hard, refusing to cry.

"Everybody makes mistakes, even geniuses." Koushiro pulled away her fists. "You'll hurt your eyes that way." He smiled at her and she flung herself against his chest.

"HEY!" Miyako shouted suddenly, everyone jumped.

"MIYA!" Daisuke cried from Melina's D3.

"Sorry. I just remembered something. Ken, this happened to you, too." Miyako reminded him.

"That's right." Ken said surprised.

"I totally forgot about that." Taichi said with a hand behind his head.

"You mean when Ken was the Digimon Emperor?" Mimi asked.

"Exactly!" Miyako nodded. Motoko looked at Miyako with one red eye.

"You mean, Ken was used to create an evil program and didn't even realize what he was doing?"

"Yes. He created Dark Spires that a man named Oikawa eventually used to try and get into the digital world andwere reallyused to empower a digimon named Myotismon." Koushiro explained. She looked up at him startled as the other Tokyo girls gasped.

"You mean that evil digimon every Digidestined helped destroy five years ago? And three years before then had Odaiba surrounded by fog and nobody could go in or out?"

"Yes. How'd you know about that?" Koushiro asked surprised.

"We were all at summer camp that year about eight years ago and it snowed. Wait a minute!" Shizuko grabbed Iori's D3. She stared at Takeru. "AAAHHHHHH!" she screamed pointing at the screen.

"What!" Everyone cried.

"LOOK AT HIM!" Shizuko screamed showing the Tokyo girls. They blinked and stared at a baffled Takeru.

"AHHHH!" they all, but Melina, screamed pointing.

"What's wrong with me?" Takeru cried out.

"You that cute boy from summer camp!" They all shrieked.

"Huh?"

"We went to summer camp when we were eight, Motoko seven. He was the cute little boy we all had a crush on. We were spying on him the day he disappeared." Shizuko said.

"WHAT!" The Digidestined shouted.

"We ran screaming to our camp counselors, but they didn't believe us. Nobody else saw the giant tsunami but us." Motoko said.

"You were there, too." Tsubaki said looking down at Tai suddenly. A dawning light shined on Yukina, Motoko, and Shizuko's faces. They turned and stared at Koushiro.

"You're the nerd that brought a computer to camp." They said as one.

"I resent that!" Koushiro said blushing.

"You were sooo cute! Your hair was so fluffy!" Motoko giggled. Koushiro blushed redder.

"What was with the gloves?" Shizuko asked with a raised eyebrow. Almost all the original Digidestined blushed.

"That's right. All but Jyou and Takaisha-san had gloves." Yukina realized.

"I can't believe a wore such a fashion no-no! Brown gloves? EW!" Mimi cried ashamed.

"Hey! I had brown gloves!" Yamato said defensively.

"With a pink dress?" Mimi asked.

"No." Yamato choked out. Everyone laughed.

"I have no idea what the heck you're talking about." Melina spoke up suddenly.

"Same here." Daisuke said with a nod. Iori and Ken nodded quietly. Poor Miyako's eyes were in swirls and she was blanked out.

"I think we confused Miyako a little too much. Miyako?" Yukina asked quietly.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Miyako shouted snapping back to reality. They all laughed again.

"Back to business, though, guys. We still need to know how to fight this new program." Tai said.

"You mean how we are." Motoko said. She rose onto her knees, her fists clenched and her mouth set. "It's time to right what I did wrong. It's our turn girls and Iori. It's our journey. It's our duty. Are you guys ready? Touji is just a puppet and is being controlled by an evil I helped. If not to show ourselves that we're good enough to be Digidestined, then to save Touji." Motoko held out her hand.

"I'm with you, Motoko. It's so good to have you back." Yukina said wiping away a tear.

"What the hell. Me and WereChamelemon didn't go through all that crap for nothing."

"WereChamelemon and I." Motoko teased. Melina punched her softly and placed her hand over Motoko's and Yukina's. Tsubaki rose and placed her hand raising her red eyes defiantly.

"It's about time girls took over! I want to prove it to myself I can defeat an evil foe and go back home still feeling like a hero." Miyako smiled and placed her hand in the middle.

Shizuko and Iori rose onto their knees and grabbed each other's hand.

"I know Touji is being used as a puppet and not really evil, but doesn't change my feelings for you. I want to save Touji and break up with him and show him I still do care, just not the same way he does about me."

"I don't like being the only guy...it's time I save the other one." Iori said seriously. They all laughed as the two added their hands.

"It's time to find the last two Crests you guys." Motoko said. They looked at Shizuko.

"Then let's get started." Shizuko grinned, black eyes flashing.

"We should all get some sleep first." Koushiro said. The small circle fell.

"WAY TO RUIN THE MOMENT, BRAINIAC!" Melina, Motoko, Shizuko, and Miyako shouted.

Everyone said good-bye and closed their D3's. Iori and Shizuko snuggled down by the front door, their digimon between them. Yukina, Melina, and Miyako all huddled together, limbs entwined and overlapping, Hawkmon on Miyako's stomach, Finmon on both Melina and Yukina's shoulders and Iguanamon curling around all three heads.

Koushiro stirred the small fire in the middle of the little hut, though much larger than the knee high ones (it had been built by the Yokomon in case humans visited them again). Smoke wafted through the small hole at the top. Cubmon was curled around a buzzing-snoring Tentomon. Motoko sat, her back against the wall, her arms wrapped around her knees. Koushiro sat next her. They were still uncomfortable with each other after what had happened before returning to the digital world. Koushiro yawned suddenly, his eyes drooping. Motoko smiled softly.

"You should sleep." she whispered looking over at him. He glanced at her, a blush warming his face. He blinked. The firelight played with the gold highlights in her hair, her green eyes had darkened to black, and the light flicked over her slightly pale face from her sickness. She took his breathaway.She looked at him confused. "Is there something on my face?" She asked worriedly. He shook his head.

"No. Sorry."

She tilted her head to one side. Her mouth slightly frowning. He leaned forward and kissed her gently. Her eyes widened and a blush graced her cheeks faintly. She relaxed and fell into the kiss, her heart squeezing at the softness filling her at his touch. His arms wrapped around her waist and she fell forward, and him backward. They parted for breath, eyes meeting.

"Am I forgiven?" she whispered, her eyes flickered with fear, then carefully shielded it.

"Yeah. Just no kissing anybody else. I don't think I can handle it." He said. She smiled at him.

"I promise." She snuggled under chin. "No one has the oblivion you give me." She whispered, pushing aside the fear and doubt of herself. Her crest flashed as her eyes closed, and then the light faded completely, as if dead.

V V V

Shizuko slipped out the door, glancing quickly towards Koushiro and Motoko, thankfully sleeping. She walked outside the village and lay in the tall grass. Her eyes gazed up at the digital stars.

"I miss the stars back home. My mother and I used to stay up late to trace out patterns."

Shizuko looked over at Iori who settled down beside her.

"Lucky you."

"Didn't have that kind of home?" Iori asked gently. Shizuko looked away.

"No..."

"You don't have to talk about them."

"Then I won't." Shiuzko snapped. Iori pulled his legs up and wrapping his arms around his knees. Shiuzko sighed. "They were murdered, happy now? Brutally shot down. My mom six times...my father eleven." Iori's eyes widened.

Shizuko looked up at the sky. A stream of purple drifted across her field of vision and she took a deep breath.

"My mom and dad were drug dealers, okay? They were teenagers, kicked out of their homes because of me. My mom was only sixteen and my dad seventeen. They pushed drugs to other kids their age. But...they did it for me. They loved each other, and they loved me, enough to do something so bad. I grew up loving them, too. I didn't know what they were doing was wrong. I didn't know anything, but the love they felt towards me." She broke off abruptly. She closed her eyes and continued.

"Around my fourth birthday, my dad got a real job. He persuaded his new boss to hire my mom, too. Mr. Motosawa, his boss, was really cool and found out about had been going on. As long as his name didn't turn up, he'd hire them permanently. I remember the excitement. I remember my mom baked my first real birthday cake.

"Then one day, these men came.You could tell they were pushers. They smelled like my mom and dad had before their job. Anyway...they started yelling...and mom...was crying." She made a small noise of surprise as Iori silently reached over and held her hand. She rubbed her eyes angrily.

"My dad hid me out on the fire escape and, I peeked in, curious and scared about why they were yelling. One of the guys pulled out a gun and shot my father's legs a couple of times. They didn't sell their last lot of dope." She laughed harshly. "They burned it. Not even for themselves, just burned it one day into ashes. Their last step out of addiction.

"When the guys found out, they loaded my father with lead and shot my mom. They kept on shooting just to waste bullets. Their bodies were littered with holes. And I knew the guys that did it. They had often come over before and played with me. By the time the cops finally showed up,I had built up all these emotions, and the only one I understood was anger. It built up and up until there was this bloodthirsty rage in me. Whenever I feel grief, or horror, or fear, I lose control and rage, attacking anything near me. I bloodied up a police officer that night. I even attacked Motosawa when he came to get me. That day I cried adn you held me? I was trying not to lose myself and holding it back caused me physical pain.

"I live with him now. And work in the restaraunt my parents worked in. It gives me that connection I need." She turned and looked up at Iori. "What do you think of me now?"

"You have lived through something I could never understand, or comprehend. You strike out instead of feeling the sadness you were too young to want to feel." He leaned down and cupped her cheek. "I'm just so glad your father hid you." he whispered.

They couldn't really remember what happened next, even years later. (No, not sex.)

V V V

"It's been two days! Where the hell is it?" Shizuko yelled frustrated.

"It takes time, Aizuka-san." Koushiro said shielding his eyes to look up the hill. Motoko was already cresting the top, holding Tsubaki's hand and laughing.

"Come on, Tsubaki! Look! Isn't it pretty?" Motoko's voice traveled down on the wind. Cubmon and Tentomon raced up.

"Please Miss Motoko! You are still weak from your coma! Be careful!" Tentomon said.

"Yeah, Moto! Slow down!" Cubmon agreed.

"Worrywarts, nothing's going to-eh?" Suddenly her foot slipped on the grass and she tumbling out of sight.

"MOTOKO!" they all shouted running up. Tsubaki merely looked down. They looked to the bottom to see Motoko on her back, her feet in the air over her head and her arms spread out. She blinked.

Koushiro hurried down the hill, tripped, and slid face first next to her.

"Hello." She grinned. Her legs dropped and she laughed, her green eyes closed and her head tilted back. Koushiro couldn't help but laugh, too, and everyone came sliding down the hill as he helped her to her feet.

"Motoko, you'll never change!" Yukina giggled.

"I don't want to!" she grinned racing away. Her arms spread out like wings. "One day I'll fly, too! Just watch!" She spun around, hair flying around her, mouth forming silent words.

"The kitten in the grass is the loneliest." Tsubaki whispered.

"She cries aloud for mother and milk, poor little kitty." Yukina joined softly. Motoko smiled. She grabbed Koushiro's hands.

"Come on and play, dance in the sunshine and enjoy the day." She sang, eyes laughing.

"Little kitten, don't be scared." the last joined.

"I love you always and forever little kitten." they all smiled as the song ended.

"You guys remembered my song!" Motoko exclaimed, still holding Koushiro's hands.

"Yeah, it was so stupid, we didn't have a chance of forgetting." Melina joked.

"That's so mean!" Motoko's eyes flooded, large and puppy-like.

"Do you and Daisuke get together and practice those eyes?" Melina demanded. They laughed.

"Hey, the geography's changing again." Iori said suddenly.

They looked past him and saw the soft hills were replaced by a deep gorge. They walked towards him and looked down the abrupt path, steep and covered in loose pebbles. Shizuko gulped and paled.

"No friggin way. Going up is one thing. Going down that is quite another. Not happening."

"Aizuka-san is right. That route is much too perilous for us, not to mention one with acrophobia and Motoko."

"I so can go down that. I'm not an invalid, Izumi." Motoko snapped, "Stop treating me like one."

"I'm not saying you're an invalid, Subaru. I'm saying your weaker than the rest of us because you were recently in a coma and your legs still don't function properly. May I remind you because of your own stupidity?" Koushiro snapped back.

"I wasn't being stupid! I wanted to do my duty as a Digidestined! I also wanted to be with you, seeing as you ditched me!"

"I did not ditch you! And I meant you running away from me! If you hadn't run away, you wouldn't have fainted and relapsed!"

"Eh...should we stop them?" Melina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't think we should get within two feet of those two." Miyako said twitching slightly.

"Oh dear. We should be finding Shizuko's Crest or Touji, not fighting. This isn't good." Yukina muttered chewing her thumbnail.

The two finally stopped, out of breath, and glared at each other, red-faced and panting.

"Jerk."

"Ignoramus."

"Grrrr."

"I thought you were a genius?" He rose an eyebrow.

"Fine. I'm going down that route myself." She stomped away and started down it.

"Wait, Motoko! It's dangerous!" Iori protested.

"Then find a way to fly us down there!" she shot overher shoulder. Everybody blinked.

"Duh." Miyako smacked her forehead.

"Why did something so simple not dawn on you humans?" Hawkmon asked. They all glared at him. "Okay! I'll just digivolve now!" Windommon lowered down after digivolving in the air where he'd have more wingspan. The air around the group was kicked up into wind from his huge wings. Motoko's eyes widened.

"EEEEE! Not again!" Motoko's arms pin wheeled and she fell backwards off the path.

"Windommon! Hurry!" Miyako cried.

Motoko felt the air whoosh around her, her hair streaming on either side of her face. A large shadow jumped from the cliff. Behind Windommon the sky was a startling blue, clouds marring the ocean of sky. Her eyes closed, and her body arched in the air as her head started lowering until her body was almost vertical.

It feels so nice...falling...forever.

"Motoko! Grab my hand!" Miyako cried. Green eyes met hers.

"Sorry for the trouble!" Motoko shouted over the wind. Her hand reached and clasped Miyako's firmly. The wind stopped and her sense of freedom vanished. "I told you I'd find a way to fly." Motoko grinned.

"You're crazy!" Miyako accused.

"Yep." Miyako managed to help her onto Windommon's back. They reached the top of the gorge to meet Feathemon and Kabuterimon. Motoko's eyes widened. "Whoa...big bug."

"Get on the big bug, please, Motoko." Koushiro held out his hand.

"Just because you said please. Thanks, Miyako."

"No problem. Come on up, Melina. Do you think you can carry Yukina, too?" Miyako asked Windommon.

"More than sure." his deep voice rumbled.

"We'll wait here!" Shizuko shouted.

"Maybe we should take you instead! You and Iori alone? I wouldn't be a very good friend if I allowed that!" Miyako teased.

"Oh, shove it, Inoue!" Shizuko snapped.

"Sorry, Koushiro." Motoko whispered. His arms were wrapped around her waist and they tightened.

"I'm sorry, too. But I was right. You fell didn't you?" He pointed out. She blinked and looked at him.

"You're mean." She pouted at him. He smiled and she grinned back. She snuggled against his chest and tucked her head under his chin. Her hand clasped the tag and crest beneath her tank top. "So, what's this big bug's name?"

"Please stop calling me bug!" grumbled Kabuerimon. "I'm Kabuterimon!"

She giggled behind her hand "Oh! Where's Cubmon?"

"He remained on the summit of the path with the other digimon. I'm going to retrieve him when you're at the base, safely." He added.

"All right." she sighed. She felt Kabuterimon land and bit back another sigh. She looked down to her left, then to her right. "How the hell do I get down?" she asked confused.

"Kabuterimon."

"Hm? EEK!" Large blue claws picked her up and set her down. She noticed the blue claws were connected to long arms, two out of four, with blades coming out of the elbows. "You're going to take some getting used, too. I'm not big on arthropods." Motoko smiled. "Especially big ones. But, heck, you're better than a spider."

"Okay..." Kabuterimon said slowly, a big sweatdrop on his head. He lifted off the ground making the dirt fly up.

"I'll be back with Cubmon!" Koushiro shouted down to her.

"Hey, Motoko, what's up? You're acting funny." Melina asked jogging up to her.

"I'm worried...what if he gives up on me again?" Motoko whispered.

"Then don't lie to him again, Motoko." Yukina said. Motoko clutched at her crest. Tsubaki touched her arm. Motoko looked at her, then up at Feathemon.

"You're beautiful." Motoko said reverently. Feathemon bowed slightly. "Tranquility, eh? What did I tell you, Tsubaki? 'As tranquil as the sky as strong as the wind.'" Motoko teased. Tsubaki just gave her a small smile.

"Oh, my!" Yukina said suddenly.

"What?" Melina demanded.

"Look!" Yukina pointed. A crest was carved into the gorge insides. It looked like a complicated mess of lines and shapes, different from theirs.

"What's wrong with it?" Melina asked. Alll four tilted their heads one way, than another.

Miyako landed and joined them. "What's wrong with it?" Her head tilted with theirs to the left. Soon, Shizuko and Iori walked up. All their heads tilted to the right.

"Is it supposed to look like that?" Shizuko inquired dubious. Koushiro walked up, looked at it, then at them.

"What are you doing?" He asked confused as their heads tilted to the left.

"There's something wrong with it!" Miyako snapped.

"They're not an 'it'.There aretwo of them entwined." Koushiro said.

"Really?" Yukina said. Their heads tilted again.

"Yes. Look, closer. Those lines are connected underneath those lines. And...those lines right there over lap the top symbol. They look confusing because they over lap in some places and don't in others."

"Oh." They said in unison.

"I see them." Motoko said chirpily.

"Does mean that Touji will be here soon?" Shizuko whispered.

"Yes. And so will Trapezemon, or should I say Piedmon?" Iori said wryly.

"I just wish I had your laptop, Koushiro. The progam is in it. I need to analyze it." Motoko sighed frustrated.

"How do I get my Crest?" Shizuko inquired.

"You don't have a tag, so there's no place for it to go. It seems your tag and crest form simultaneously at a time a personal conflict and outside calamity." Koushiro said, pensive. "I think we should wait for Piedmon and try out a theory of mine. Your wish may come true, Motoko."

"For a toothbrush?" Motoko asked preplexed.

"No...my laptop."

"Oh? Oh! Really?"

"Give me your D3." Koushiro ordered. Motoko handed it over and he flipped it open. "Hm...Taichi... that's right..." he typed in some letters.

"What about Taichi?"

"I'm sending a message to his cell. Yamato gave my laptop to Taichi the other night. Yamato has a busy schedule and was worried he wouldn't be able to give it back to me if we return soon."

"Oh. Okay...where's Taichi now?"

"Supposedly class...nope...he ditched again." He sighed when Taichi's reply popped up. "At least his laziness is put to good use today. He's on his way to retrieve it. How about we rest and have a quick lunch?"

"Yeah, I'm hungry!" Armadillomon complained. The other digimon agreed.

"We won't be ofmuch use if we don't eat, Izzy. So, let's dig in!" Tentomon announced.

"Izzy?"

"Hm?" Koushiro looked up to meet Motoko's questioning gaze. He settled back, chewing on a handful of Yokomon food. "I was called Izzy when I was a child. Tentomon refuses to call me anything else."

"Hmm, Izzy..." Motoko chewed thoughtfully. She swallowed and nodded once. "I like it." She smiled at him. "May I call you Izzy?" He blinked.

"I guess..."

"Then give me a nickname. Cubmon calls me Moto, but you can make up something else."

"Uh..." he blushed faintly. "Motoko just fine... I like your name." She blushed happily.

"Really? I like Koushiro, but Izzy is so cute, I can't help it." She smiled.

BEEP! BEEP!

Everyone huddled around the couple.

"Hi Taichi, you have it?" Koushiro asked opening the D3.

"Y-yeah. H-hi, Motoko."

"Hi-hiya!" Motoko smiled with a little wave.

... Awkward silence.

"The laptop, Taichi."

"I'm on it." Taihci said, hiding relief.

"Get off of it. You can't transmit it to me when you're using it." Koushiro said tightly.

"Oh, right. Just a second." He left the screen, and the tension almost visibly broke. The screen blacked out. Then Taichi's face appeared, his eyes looking somewhere to his left. "Okay, did I it do it?"

"Yes."

"So, what do I do now?"He asked, eyes resting once more on the screen

"You see that strange cord I made?"

"The one that looks like it's connected to two floppy disks?"

"Yes. Put each end in the A drive."

"The what drive?" Koushrio's eyebrow ticked.

"This is going to take awhile. Why don't you all search for some water for Kudo-san's Finmon?"

"Okay. Good idea, Koushiro-san." Iori agreed.

"I'll stay. Maybe I can help. I'm just as smart as you, only with a much easier vocabulary."

"Yeah, I totally understand her!" Taichi said slightly desperate. Motoko giggled.

"Fine." Koushiro sighed.

"Did you guys feel that?" Melina shivered.

"Yeah, you could cut that with a knife and eat it." Miyako agreed.

"I guess the four of them still aren't over that kiss..." Shizuko said watching as Tsubaki also stayed without a word.

"I think Taichi and Motoko didn't tell us everything..." Yukina worried her bottom lip.

"It's their business. They made their choice and didn't choose each other." Iori softly, his own eyes meditative.

"Oh, wow! YAY! You did it, Koushiro!" Motoko wrapped her arms around his shoulders as a yellow Pinapple appeared in his lap.

"Awesome! But I did a lot, too!" Taichi pouted.

"You're kind of in a different dimension, Taichi. I can't hug you." Motoko pointing out wryly.

"Right." Taichi chuckled, a hand behind his head.

"Good job, plebian." Motoko winked.

"Thanks. What does plebian mean?"

"It means you're a kulak."

"Ooo, I like that one, Kou-kun. Kulak..." she giggled.

"Wha?" Taichi gazed at them baffled.

Suddenly, the whole gorge began to shake. The three on the ground looked up.

"Run, Tsubaki!" Motoko shouted pushing her away. "Go! Both of you!"

"Motoko! Grab my hand!" Koushiro shouted. She looked up at him, green eyes wide and fearful.

"My legs aren't workng." She whispered. Koushiro quickly tossed away his laptop and her D3. He grabbed her and tried to lift her, but found he couldn't anymore.

"I can't!"

"Run, damn it!" Motoko screamed.

"MOTO!" Leomon roared. Koushiro fell to his knees, covering her head with his upper body and they closed their eyes holding back screams.

"Four-Winged Typhoon!" The rocks sliding down the gorge wall were slashed into pieces, falling around Koushro and Motoko like dirt.

She looked up and met Koushiro's panicked gaze.

"Why did you do that?" she whispered.

"I love you..." he whispered, calming.

"I thought...I thought it didn't exist..." she smiled weakly. He brushed dirt off her head.

"Of course it does. Why else would I punch my best friend?" She blinked.

"K-Koushiro...no, Izzy..." she stopped suddenly. Her body convulsed and her pupils shrank to pinpoints. Her fingers dug into her temples as her palms pressed against her ears. Laughter was echoing around them eerily.

"It's...it's him." Koushiro whispered, blanching.

"Finally you show you face! Come down and get whipped!" Shizuko shouted to the top of the canyon.

"You don't even have your Crest yet. I wouldn't talk so big if I were you."

"Neither does Touji." Melina snapped.

"It's just beyond my grasp. A few moments and my partner will achieve greater heights than even MagnaAngemon." Touji announced walking towards him. His ocean-green eyes gazed at them lifelessly.

He's not evil, you realize? He's just a puppet. One swift cut and the strings connecting him to Piedmon will be broken. Are you sure Hida is the one you want? A little voice whispered in her head.

"Okay, everyone, it's time to defeat this monster once and for all!" Iori exclaimed. All the digimon digivolved, but Tentomon. Koushiro had told him no.

Of course he is. You don't even know him-THAT DOESN"T MATTER! He makes me safe. I haven't felt this way since...Her eyes widened.

"Trump Swords!"

"Desert Scorcher!"

"Rampant Waters!"

Since when? Since...my fourth birthday...

>Flashback

"Look, Shizu, your own cake. See, candles. You remember what to do, right?" asked a young woman's voice from a blurred face.

Shizuko nodded vigorously, her black eyes shining.

"Wait, I have the Camcorder boss let us borrow. Okay, wish Shizu-chan." said the young man.

"I wishIget a cake every birthday." Shizuko said ferverntly, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Oh, honey, you don't say it out loud!" laughed the woman.

>End

"Silent Stars!" hissed Ninjamon, throwing small throwing stars.

"Four Winged Typhoon!"

Laughter echoed in the air as he swept them away. Piedmon looked down at the redhead, too focused on her thoughts to really fight. Good...

'He just pops out of nowhere and you tell him things you don't even tell your friends? Does he give you anything back? What do you know about him?'

"Howling Scales!" Piedmon threw Trump swords at the attack.

"Fist of the Bea-RRAARR!"

"Leomon!" Swords surrounded Motoko and still unable to stand, theycut her off from Leomon.

"That's it! DIGIVOLVE!" Koushiro screamed. His digivice vibrated and MegaKabuterimon joined the fight.

"You aren't suppose to be here!" Piedmon cried shocked.

"Well, I am. Don't you even try coming near Motoko." Koushiro shouted, standing in front of her, swords gleaming in front of him. Piedmon's eyes narrowed.

"I don't have to be near to separate you. Trumps Swords!" He blasted lightning fast blades at them, making the earth crack.

"Izzy...!"

"Motoko!" Their hands reached and just barely missed each other.

Motoko was thrown away, the laptop spiraling after her. She pushed herself up, vainly trying to rise onto her feet. Sweat dropped from her face onto the dust.She screamed as laughter tore into her mind.

What do I know about him? 'Nothing nothing at all. And yet he knows you painful past, your fear, your secret shame, everything.'AndI know nothing...no! No, I do know something!

Her eyes began to glow red.

The crests on the rockside began to glow. One shined onto Touji, a blazing black color. Piedmon cackle sent shivers down everyone's spin.

"Finally, my plan has begun. Don't you see it? Look at your precious computer, little toy. Do you see what I see?"

Motoko snatched the laptop and opened it. Her eyes widened.

"You...you can't mean...No...I didn't create this!" she whispered hoarsely. Suddenly, he was there, next to her, fingers in her hair, his voice thrumming in her head.

"Yes, you did. You created everyone's doom, genius. You gave a puppet the power his puppteer needed to merge two worlds into one. His Crest is made by the fractal code being downloaded into your special program. Are you proud of what you created?"

"STOP IT!"

STOP IT! SHUT UP! HE LOVES ME! THAT'S ALL I NEED TO KNOW!

"Ten..." Shiuzko whispered. Melina looked towrds her wide-eyed. The last Crest flashed and dulled.

"Look, even you friend is counting down to your demise."

"Oh my god! What is that!" Miyako screamed.

Everyone looked up to see a shadow of Odaiba. Shadow people looked around them confused and scared, some screaming and scrambling away.

"The two worlds are merging...because of me..." On the laptop, the Human World and the Digital World were slowly forming a Venn Diagram, the ends of the two worlds touching.

"Nine... Eight..."

Melina screamed as the ground began to fall apart.

"Miraculous Punch!" WereChamelemon destroyed the falling boulders and grabbed his partner quickly.

"Seven...Six..."

Touji stood completely still, his eyes dead.

Koushiro ran towards Motoko, his black eyes flaming. MegaKabuterimon flew up behind him and he lept, grabbing the lowered horn, his feet leaving the ground as they zoomed over it.

"Don't you touch her!" Koushiro shouted. Piedmon turned to see a foot colliding with his face at lightspeed. Koushiro fell onto the ground, his face twisted in pain. Piedmon skidded back a few feet, his face red with a footprint.

"Izzy!"

"My ankle...I think I broke it..." Koushrio muttered, grabbing the object of pain.

"Horn Buster!"

"Five...Four..." The Crest began to glow and get brighter. Shizuko's eyes flamed ruby.

"Baton Bludgeon!" Feathemon quickly smacked aside large falling debris, making it shatter like glass. "We need help!"

"Three...Two..."

"You asked for it." Tsubaki whispered.

"OONNEEE!" Shizuko screamed as the Crest hit her chest, the light flaring around her body like a spiritual aura. Her head tilted back and she screamed as if pain. The Crest burned into her chest, a blood red color.

"Ninjamon digivolve to... Karatenwomon!" The Karatenmon alternate had a black beak and four large black wings. Two swords were sheated at her hip. Her feet had two taloned toes. She wore metal shin-guards and wrist-guards. Her body was more feminine then the male, but was clothed inan outfitsimiliar, and covered in black feathers.

"Karatenwomon, Master of Rage!" Karatenwomon cried. She disappeard and appeared in front of Piedmon. "Prepare to meet your end! Double Blade Swords!" Piedmon was hurtled back into the gorge wall.

Odaiba residents screamed. Soon, they saw the Digidestined on the other side.

"What the hell is going on?" Taichi hollered throwing himself at the barrier. He cried out in pain as lightning ran through his body.

"TAICHI!" Tsubaki screamed, her red eye wide. "DO SOMETHING NOW!" Tsubaki hurled at Feathemon.

"I-I can't." The Butterfly Rod hit the ground softly.

"Yes, you can! Help me take this vermin down!" Shizuko yelled. Her red eyes seared into Piedmon's. "Let's do it!"

"Double Blade Swords!"

"Howling Scales!"

"Rampant Waters!"

"Four Winged Typhoon!"

"Desert Scorcher!"

"Fist of the Beast King!"

"Horn Buster!"

Suddenly, the Human World began to recede. The Crest glowing on Touji's breast flickered and then died.

"The Crest of Brutality..." Koushiro murmured looking at Motoko's digvice. Their eyes met.

"We did it!" Miyako cried. All the digimon de-digivolved to Rookie, exhausted, besides Leomon, who managed to stay in Champion.

"You may have stopped my plans of combining the two worlds and destorying them both, but I'm not out completely. I'll at least kill you, too!" Piedmon spat out desperately. "Trump SWORDS!" Everyone screamed, throwing their arms up to cover their eyes. Miyako lowered her armand 'urk'ed, seeing the Sword right in front of her knees.

"He's really going to kill us!" Miykao exclaimed. He grinned ruthlessly.

Shizuko slowly calmed down, the red haze ebbing from her vision. She swooned and began to fall, the Crest now glowing faintly on a tag and necklace. Iori rushed forward and caught her. Piemon spun towards them.

"I'll start with the one who destroyed my dream! Trump-"

"Fist of the Beast King!" The attack pushed him back enough to divert his attention.

"One still standing? Oh...you..." He threw his head back, laughing as Leomon's chest heaved.

"Why isn't Leomon digivolving?" Melina shouted.

"I-I don't know." Motoko whispered, her clutching the dead Crest.

"Yes, you do, partner." Leomon panted. "You'll never find your oblivion hiding behind your mask. Be honest."

"B-but-"

"With yourself, Moto." She gasped, her eyes widening.

"It's not the same being honest with everyone else. It's my Crest, I have to be honest with me." She pushed herself slowly to her feet, her legs shaking.

"But you already have your Crest. Haven't you already been honest?" Koushiro asked, still sitting, clutching his ankle.

"No...not completely. I'm still confused. Shouldn'tI be with Taichi?Shouldn't I love him?"

"What?" Koushiro breathed.

"Motoko?" Tsubaki whispered. Motoko smiled.

"I promised myself I would be with the one who saw through my mask and tried his damnest to help me."

"And Taichi was the one who did."

"That's what I thought. But I didn't find oblivion. I found it with you. I've been fighting a battle within my heart. I know if I choose him, I'll break my heart because he loves Tsubaki completely. I feel sick and guilty when I remember that day we kissed. We came so close to oblivion, and you shattered with just one look. He obviously couldn't be my oblivion. But...you didn't see through my mask." She added desperately, her head shaking as tears flew from her face.

Her Crest flared through her fingers and she was flown backwards into the side of the gorge.

"You call this being honest? Your body is dying because your Crest is rejecting you. I should just end your misery now." Piedmon sneered. He rose his hand. A form flung himself at Piedmon. Everyone gasped seeing Touji holding him down.

"TELL THE TRUTH, MOTOKO!" Touji roared, pain lacing his voice. She clutched her Crest, panting, surprisingly on her feet.

"I...I want it to be Taichi!" She screamed.

"Wh-why?" Yukina gasped.

"I want my heart broken! I'm so scared! I'm scared now that I have my oblivion that I have to give him everything, not only my heart. That's what lovers do! They hold nothing back. They share everything!" She sobbed into her hands, her Crest against her mouth. "I was used like a toy and tossed aside, found unworthy. I don't want him to see that! I don't want Koushiro to see the scared little girl who was found wanting! I don't want him to take what Touji did...but at the same time I do. I want everything I can grab!"

She fell to her knees and faced the wide-eyed Koushiro. She slowly rose her eyes to meet his.

"My mother walked out on my father and me because she wanted better, my father blamed me, and even though I loved him so much, I could never make him see it. I replaced him with boys trying to love them and failed. I finally found Touji and he didn't love me. I was used by a puppet and raped. Every trial I went through, I was found unworthy and used and tossed like trash. I'm scared of physical intimacy because that means I'm completely naked inside and out. But...I still love you like an obsession. No matter what you say, I will. I want your oblivion, I want you." She smiled a smile full of pain and every ounce of hope.

A purplish-blue light erupted from her Crest. She grabbed the Pineapple and rose. Leomon digivolved to Pumamon and she jumped on.

"Go, Pumamon!" She commanded. "It's time to end this." she whispered.

Pumamon lept at Piedmon with a feral cry of 'Feline Ambush' and she slid off before impact, rolling away. She pushed up onto her hands, the laptop sinking into the ground slightly.

"Touji!" He turned, his face bloody and dead. She opened the laptop. "It's your turn! Be the Touji you really are. Be the Touji who loved Shizuko, who was kind. Be the Touji I loved. End the evil we were both puppets to!"

"NO!" Piedmon screeched.

"Just push this button. Only you can...Digidestined." Motoko smiled, tears still falling freely.

Touji rose and reached slowly.

"I won't let you!" Piedmon ran towards them. Feathemon appeared, the only one who hadn't given her final attack.

"And I won't let you." she smiled wickedly. "Angel Touch." she whispered, just as Touji hit the button.

Motoko's eyes widened as the Crest shattered on Touji's chest. A blinding white light washed over the battlefield, met with Piedmon screams. Touji's purified Crest lending Feathemon the power needed not to feel the pain of purifying another.

The laptopdropped and Touji fell into Motoko's arms.

"I'm so sorry, for everything!" Touji bawled.

"Sh, sh, it's okay, Touji-kun. I forgive you, sh." He fell asleep cradled in her arms, her Crest glowing around him.

Her own eyes began to droop and she began to fall. Arm wrapped around her and more arms pulled Touji away. She smiled sadly.

"Izzy-kun..." she fainted.

V V V

Melina, Shizuko, Yukina, Tsubaki and Motoko slowly opened their eyes. They were lying all over Motoko's room. They looked up as Sae entered.

"Hello girls. Ready for dinner?" The girls'eyes met.

"Yes, grandma." Motoko said. Sae left.

"Just like last time...this is where we when we first went to the Digital World two weeks ago."

"Time must've stopped while ours kept going..." Yukina said slowly.

"Or time was reversed." Motoko murmured. They all looked down and sighed in relief seeing the Crests.

"Thank god. I was thinking it was all a crazy dream." Shizuko whispered.

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

They grabbed at their D3 and began to cry seeing the familiar huddle of anxious faces at Koushiro's computer.

"We ran straight here from the set!" Miyako gasped.

"I thought it was all a dream for a minute." Iori admitted.

They began to cry harder. The others joining in, laughing and bawling all at once.

V V V

The italics in the story was obviously Shizuko thinking. the part with sorrounded it was another little voice in her head. Iori is this story is sixteen. I didn't know he was two years younger than Miyako until just after I started this story. I just thought he was short. Hello, Izzy. Anyway, I decided to keep him sixteen becuase I was too lazy to fix it. Plus the fact it has been in Mississippi until about two weeks ago. I forgot it in my dad's truck. You all read my first disclaimer, right? I started this over the summer at my dad's. BYE BYE! Last chapter! YAY!