Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon I just wish I did. This is done for fun not profit.
Of Necessities and Consequences
Chapter Two: Reunions
----
"Takuya-han! Kouji-han! Minna-han!" Izumi recognised the voice but couldn't quite place it as she came round. "Izumi-han!" Small, paw-like hands shook her gently. "Wake up!"
"Huh?" She said as she opened her eyes and raised her head to look at the speaker. She found herself focusing on a very familiar little cream digimon in a pink waistband. "Bokomon!" She started to sit up and discovered that she was still hand in hand with Kouichi and Takuya. She carefully disengaged from their hands before startling Bokomon by sweeping him up into a hug. "It's good to see you again." She spotted Neemon shaking Tomoki and grabbed him as well. "You, too." She told the little yellow digimon who still wore his red pants.
"It's good to see you too, Izumi-han." Bokomon said once he recovered his breath. "Tailmon-chan said you were coming but we didn't expect you to fall from the sky." He told as she took in her surroundings and realised that they had landed very close to Flame City. The others were all there but she appeared to be the first one to have woken up.
"It startled us as well." She told him. "Especially considering we got into the sky more sedately."
"Is that the Human World up there then?" Bokomon pointed at the sky. Izumi looked up and saw that the continents of Earth were indeed spread out across the sky much like the regions of the Digital World had been across the Human World's.
"Yes." She nodded as her eyes automatically sought out Japan. "You see that chain of islands there?" She pointed to them. The two digimon nodded. "That's Japan, the country we come from."
"Is country another word for area?" Bokomon asked. Izumi considered the question and decided not to go into the complexities of human politics and nationality in any detail.
"Yes it is something like an area but there's more too it than that. It's politics mostly. Arbitary lines drawn on a map because the people in one part of an area want to see themselves as better than the people in the adjacent part."
"That doesn't sound too healthy." The little digimon noted. "It was attitudes like that led to original war between the beast and human type digimon. So such attitudes infect humans too?"
"Not everyone nor all the time but anyone can fall into that trap. It's seductive to think you're better than other people." She sighed and changed the subject. "So how long has it been since we went home here? It's only been three months in the Human World but time flows differently here."
"I know and unpredictably different as well." He told her. "But it's almost exactly three years since you defeated Lucemon."
"I see... and now things are going wrong again." It wasn't a question. They both new the answer already but he told her anyway.
"Yes, you could say that. After you left everything was fine... in fact it was perfect. Everything was peace and harmony. There was hardly any trouble... until a few weeks ago anyway." He paused as further groans alerted them to the fact that the others were starting to wake up. "But perhaps I should wait until everyone is awake before going into details."
"Yes." She nodded. "That's a good idea because that way you won't have to repeat yourself."
---
All told it took about half an hour for everyone to wake up and even longer for them to get their bearings and finish getting reacquainted with Bokomon and Neemon. As a result it was about an hour after Izumi first came round that they finally all gathered around Bokomon and Neemon and sat on the grass to hear about why they were here again.
"So what exactly has been happening here?" Takuya had to voice the question of course even though he knew Izumi had already asked it. "Something bad I assume from the fact we were called back?"
"Well, actually, I don't know exactly." Bokomon told him. "No one does. It was like I started to tell Izumi-han. At first everything seem fine, great in fact. I'd never known the Digital World to be so peaceful... but then a week or so ago it all started to go wrong." he paused. "Powerful digimon are appearing, apparently from nowhere, intent on gorging on Digicode... or perhaps to collect it for someone. It's hard to tell and doesn't really make much odds. So far the Legendary Warriors have managed to stop them every time but it's happening more and more often and the attackers seem stronger each time as well. Pretty soon it'll be too much for them. No one can fight non-stop or be in two places at once. Not even a legendary warrior." He paused and looked at Kouichi. "To make matters worse Löwemon was seriously injured during his last battle and isn't healing like he should be. Even the best medics can't figure out how to cure him."
Kouichi paled when he heard this. Izumi reached over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder even as his brother hugged him and whispered that it would be okay. "That's just like in my dream." The Child of Darkness murmured and climbed to his feet. "Where is he? Can I see him, please?"
"Yes, yes, of course." Bokomon nodded. "You may even be able to help him. Tailmon certainly thinks you'll be able to." Izumi blinked as Bokomon mentioned that name as some sort of authority for the second time and made a note to ask who this Tailmon was as soon as they had dealt with the immediate crisis with Löwemon. They followed Bokomon and Neemon to one of the buildings in Flame City that was actually large enough to hold human sized creatures. The windows were veiled and inside it was cool and dim. It took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the gloom but once they did they spotted Löwemon lying on a pallet in the corner. His helmet had been removed and was lying close by which startled Izumi. She had never realised that was possible. With his face and hair exposed the human hybrid of darkness looked startlingly human. Only at Kouichi's distressed groan did she drag her attention away from Löwemon's face and note the huge wound on his chest. Two concerned looking plant type child digimon were caring for the wounded digimon. One, a Palmon, was kneeling by his head and dabbing his forehead with a damp cloth. The second similar looking one was an Alraumon and was carefully grinding up herbs for a poultice in a pestle and mortar. Both of them had glanced up at the sound of Kouichi's groan.
"Oh! Hi!" Alraumon seemed surprised to see them but not as much as might be expected. Palmon seemed even less surprised as she put down the cloth and stood up.
"Hmph! So they did send for help, huh?" She looked at them with obviously irritation. "I told them this was a bad idea but who listens to me?"
"They don't listen to you because you are stupid, imoto-chan." Alraumon told her before grabbing Kouichi's hand and pulling him towards the bed. "Come on! Maybe you can help him where we can't!"
"What's wrong with him?" Kouichi asked as he let her pull him closer to his partner.
"It's the wound. The digimon who inflicted it somehow infected it with some sort of virus." She replied. "I've seen some pretty nasty digital diseases in my time as a healer but this by far the worst." Even as she spoke a series convulsive shudders shook Löwemon's body and the ragged, gaping wound in his chest shimmered with a sick red light and grew larger. "His system is fighting it but whatever it is it's winning. He's dying by inches in front of our eyes." Tears trickled down her face. "I don't know what you can do but you're his only hope now."
"I don't know what I can do either." Kouichi said as he knelt down by the pallet. "But I'll try." He took Löwemon's limp hand in his own and discovered that the digimon was burning with a fever. "Löwemon, it's me. I'm here." He said somewhat lamely and was surprised when strength seemed to return to his partner's hand at the sound of his voice. At least Löwemon gripped back where he hadn't before. Was it possible he could share his strength with him when they were separate he wondered. He didn't know but he guessed that was his best shot. Uncertain how to do what he was thinking he let his instincts guide him and imagined his energy gathering round him and then flowing across into Löwemon. At first nothing seemed to happen but then gradually he became aware of something and opened his eyes to see the strange, purple haze that he had come to associate with the power of Darkness surrounding him. It seemed to flowing out through his very skin and as he watched it coiled around him for a few moments before coalescing into fine tendrils that reared up until they almost touched the ceiling before braiding themselves together and diving back down directly into Löwemon's wound. As he watched the energy began to visibly flow out into the flesh surrounding the wound, which was also visibly closing before his eyes. "This looks hopeful." He looked at the two plant digimon. "This is good right."
"Yes, Yes!" Alraumon said enthusiastically. "Excellent."
"Your own power of darkness, the power that let you bond with him in the first place, is driving out the virus." Palmon sounded happy as well but there was something unreadable in her expression. "You'll need to keep it up until it's all gone or it will just come ba..." She broke off as Löwemon began to return to consciousness.
"Kouichi?" The warrior of darkness whispered weakly. "You came... Thank you." Kouichi looked down at his partner.
"Of course I came. Did you really think that I wouldn't?" He replied before looking up at Palmon. "So how will I know when it's all gone?"
"You see the red flickers around the edges? Those are caused by the virus. Once they stop appearing it's all gone." She replied.
"Okay." Kouichi nodded and continued concentrating until the very last hints of red vanished and then a bit more to be sure they did not start up again. Only once he stopped pouring energy into his partner did he realise how exhausted the process had made him. Before he had chance to say anything about it he slumped down in exhaustion and fell asleep across his partners chest without even managing to let go of his hand.
"Is he okay?" Kouji knelt down by his brother and helped Löwemon disentangle himself from Kouichi and then they carefully laid the boy down on the pallet.
"He rather overextended himself to help me." Löwemon replied. "But he should be okay once he's slept." The human hybrid looked over at the Child of Light as he gathered up his helmet. "So she did call you back. They were only talking about it before my last fight." He turned his attention to Bokomon. "I assume the situation got worse and it wasn't just because I was sick?"
"Well, your being sick had pretty much decided her anyway." Bokomon replied. "But then the situation went beyond worse and she finally stopped prevaricating. Go and look at the sky." Löwemon blinked and walked slowly to the door, even though he was now healing rapidly he was obviously still in some discomfort from his wound. After he'd looked at the sky for several moments he looked back at the kids. "Is that the human world?" He asked thoughtfully and they nodded. "It's larger than I imagined." He mused then added. "So she's right then there is someone disrupting the barrier between the Digital and Physical planes. That's bad... very bad."
"What?" Takuya blinked. "Who would do such a thing?"
"We don't know who. We don't even think it's deliberate." Löwemon replied. "This is what we'd expect to happen if a digimon spent a prolonged period in the Human World. Tailmon," There was that name again, "Thinks that someone, possibly one of the eggs, may have been sucked through Lucemon's wormhole and been unable to return before it closed. Even if they had the sense to keep their heads low and not use their digimon powers after a while their very presence would destabilise the barriers and endanger both worlds."
"Ah!" Takuya said. "So we need to find this lost digimon and bring it back to the Digital World? Talk about a needle in a haystack."
"Who's Tailmon?" Izumi asked simultaneously as she finally got round to asking the question that had piqued her curiosity.
"Tailmon is the Adult evolution of the Plotmon that hatched from Ophanimon's egg." It was Bokomon who replied.
"As to why you are here. If it was just to ask you to find the missing digimon she'd probably have told you first. There's more to it than that." Löwemon added.
"We'll take you to her when Kouichi-han wakes up." Bokomon told them. "Until then you all look hungry so lets deal with that need first." He looked at Junpei then added. "Have you lost some weight, Junpei-han?"
"Well, it wasn't exactly my idea but yes I have and I'm not..." He trailed off for a moment looking surprised and then said. "Actually I am hungry." He sounded really startled by this which made the digimon look at him in bemusement.
"And the picnic basket with our lunch in it doesn't seem to have travelled with us." Izumi complained. "I worked on that all morning!"
"Don't worry, Izumi-han," Bokomon told her. "We'll provide." He called out to several of the digimon who lived in Flame City and within less than an hour a delicious feast was laid out before them... though some of the dishes were as weird as any they'd had in the Digital World, which was to say pretty weird. Still even after three months away they were still pretty much used to it and so they tucked in to the odd looking food without any qualms. There was a lot of food and before they were even half way through Kouichi had woken up and joined them... though he still looked extremely drowsy. He was also quite obviously ravenously hungry from the way he ate. Only once everyone had finished eating to their heart's content did Bokomon finally rise to his feet.
"Okay, Minna-san." He said, "Let's go and see everyone."
---
The everyone one in question turned out to be the rest of the legendary warriors who were apparently using Flame City as some sort of central base and were all currently returned from their last fight and waiting to hear where trouble had popped up next only to find a brief lull occurring much to their relief. Izumi was relieved to spot Fairymon, especially after her earlier vision, and ran over to hug her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the others getting reacquainted with their partners as well.
"So Flame City has become some sort of Central Command for the Digital World?" Takuya asked. Bokomon nodded in response.
"Neemon and I moved back here after Lucemon was defeated and of course Patamon came with us. Next thing I knew Plotmon and Lopmon had moved in with us because they didn't think they should be separated."
"That makes sense." Izumi said from where she was still hugging Fairymon. "I mean one day they'll evolve into their Ultimate forms and return to power again, right?"
"Well that's the idea." He agreed. "Anyway with all three of the former great angels living here the ten legendary warriors and several other powerful digimon came to live here in order to protect them from anyone who get the idea that they could use their current weakness to supplant them in order to take control of the Digital World."
"But doesn't that cause problems when trouble starts on the other side of the world?" Kouji asked practically.
"No more than being spread out would if something big that required all of us started up." Wolfmon replied. "We had the Nanomon build a big communication and monitoring system that runs through the moons. The digimon there can tell us about any danger as soon as they arise and the Trailmon's tracks have also been revamped so we can get anywhere we need to be in double quick time as well."
"It was a risk putting consolidation and organisation before a presence on the ground at all times." Blitzmon added. "But it was a calculated risk."
"And the very fact that someone is trying to keep them separated and off balance suggests that it was a very good judgement call." Said a new voice that Izumi immediately recognised at the voice that spoken from the phone and called them to return here. All six kids turned towards the speaker and found themselves facing three digimon. One of them was an Angemon and from his pink waistband they knew that he had been Patamon. Izumi had a sudden mental image of Serphimon wearing that same pink band but somehow managed to stop herself laughing. The other two digimon they didn't recognise but one of them was lilac and very rabbit like so Izumi guessed he had evolved from the Lopmon that had emerged from Cherubimon's digiegg. That, of course, meant that the third one must be...
"Tailmon, I presume?" Takuya asked before Izumi could. The white feline nodded and extended a gloved paw towards the incongruously tough looking pale purple bunny.
"This is Turuiemon." She introduced her companion. "And this," She gestured towards Angemon, "Is Angemon as you know." She bowed her head for a moment. "I expect you want to know why we have called you here again?" Before anyone could reply an alarm went off on a nearby console and a Starmon appeared on the screen as everyone gathered round.
"I'm afraid I must report a large and apparently hostile group of digimon moving towards Flame City." It told them. "There at least three MetalTyrannomon and one SkullGreymon in the group as well as numerous Adults of varying types."
"Oh dear." Tailmon frowned and looked worried. "That's at least four powerful Perfects... so why..." She trailed off still frowning.
"Why does this feel like a feint?" Agnimon finished for her. "I don't know but it really does seem that way doesn't it." He looked at the screen. "How long until they reach the City?"
"Not long." It replied. "About half an hour. I don't know why we didn't pick them up sooner. They almost seemed to appear out of nowhere. Nothing else is being picked up on scanners but I have no idea if that's accurate."
"That's worrying." Agnimon said. "But we'll have to deal with what we can see." He looked over at Tailmon. "Does this give you time to tell them why you called them?"
"Not the detailed version but I can give them the shortened version."
"Yes, please do." Kouji said dryly. "We are sort of curious."
"Well," She began, "The Legendary warriors just aren't as strong without you and the digimon being thrown against them by whoever is behind this are stronger each time. We need you to join with them again so that they will be strong enough." She looked at Takuya and Kouji. "I'm sorry I didn't have enough energy to evolve your digivices again." The kids all reached for their phones and found that they had indeed become digivices again and that Takuya's and Kouji's were still the same.
"So we won't be able to Hyper Spirit Evolve?" Takuya asked.
"Or Ancient Spirit Evolve either I'll bet." Kouji added.
"Not unless you find some alternative way to power it." She nodded sadly. "I'm sorry. In spite of that will you help us?" The kids looked at each other and nodded.
"Of course we will." Takuya said. "That's why we came back isn't it? Did you really think we wouldn't?"
"But how do we do it?" Izumi asked the question that was bothering them all as she looked at her partner.
---
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Of Necessities and Consequences
Chapter Two: Reunions
----
"Takuya-han! Kouji-han! Minna-han!" Izumi recognised the voice but couldn't quite place it as she came round. "Izumi-han!" Small, paw-like hands shook her gently. "Wake up!"
"Huh?" She said as she opened her eyes and raised her head to look at the speaker. She found herself focusing on a very familiar little cream digimon in a pink waistband. "Bokomon!" She started to sit up and discovered that she was still hand in hand with Kouichi and Takuya. She carefully disengaged from their hands before startling Bokomon by sweeping him up into a hug. "It's good to see you again." She spotted Neemon shaking Tomoki and grabbed him as well. "You, too." She told the little yellow digimon who still wore his red pants.
"It's good to see you too, Izumi-han." Bokomon said once he recovered his breath. "Tailmon-chan said you were coming but we didn't expect you to fall from the sky." He told as she took in her surroundings and realised that they had landed very close to Flame City. The others were all there but she appeared to be the first one to have woken up.
"It startled us as well." She told him. "Especially considering we got into the sky more sedately."
"Is that the Human World up there then?" Bokomon pointed at the sky. Izumi looked up and saw that the continents of Earth were indeed spread out across the sky much like the regions of the Digital World had been across the Human World's.
"Yes." She nodded as her eyes automatically sought out Japan. "You see that chain of islands there?" She pointed to them. The two digimon nodded. "That's Japan, the country we come from."
"Is country another word for area?" Bokomon asked. Izumi considered the question and decided not to go into the complexities of human politics and nationality in any detail.
"Yes it is something like an area but there's more too it than that. It's politics mostly. Arbitary lines drawn on a map because the people in one part of an area want to see themselves as better than the people in the adjacent part."
"That doesn't sound too healthy." The little digimon noted. "It was attitudes like that led to original war between the beast and human type digimon. So such attitudes infect humans too?"
"Not everyone nor all the time but anyone can fall into that trap. It's seductive to think you're better than other people." She sighed and changed the subject. "So how long has it been since we went home here? It's only been three months in the Human World but time flows differently here."
"I know and unpredictably different as well." He told her. "But it's almost exactly three years since you defeated Lucemon."
"I see... and now things are going wrong again." It wasn't a question. They both new the answer already but he told her anyway.
"Yes, you could say that. After you left everything was fine... in fact it was perfect. Everything was peace and harmony. There was hardly any trouble... until a few weeks ago anyway." He paused as further groans alerted them to the fact that the others were starting to wake up. "But perhaps I should wait until everyone is awake before going into details."
"Yes." She nodded. "That's a good idea because that way you won't have to repeat yourself."
---
All told it took about half an hour for everyone to wake up and even longer for them to get their bearings and finish getting reacquainted with Bokomon and Neemon. As a result it was about an hour after Izumi first came round that they finally all gathered around Bokomon and Neemon and sat on the grass to hear about why they were here again.
"So what exactly has been happening here?" Takuya had to voice the question of course even though he knew Izumi had already asked it. "Something bad I assume from the fact we were called back?"
"Well, actually, I don't know exactly." Bokomon told him. "No one does. It was like I started to tell Izumi-han. At first everything seem fine, great in fact. I'd never known the Digital World to be so peaceful... but then a week or so ago it all started to go wrong." he paused. "Powerful digimon are appearing, apparently from nowhere, intent on gorging on Digicode... or perhaps to collect it for someone. It's hard to tell and doesn't really make much odds. So far the Legendary Warriors have managed to stop them every time but it's happening more and more often and the attackers seem stronger each time as well. Pretty soon it'll be too much for them. No one can fight non-stop or be in two places at once. Not even a legendary warrior." He paused and looked at Kouichi. "To make matters worse Löwemon was seriously injured during his last battle and isn't healing like he should be. Even the best medics can't figure out how to cure him."
Kouichi paled when he heard this. Izumi reached over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder even as his brother hugged him and whispered that it would be okay. "That's just like in my dream." The Child of Darkness murmured and climbed to his feet. "Where is he? Can I see him, please?"
"Yes, yes, of course." Bokomon nodded. "You may even be able to help him. Tailmon certainly thinks you'll be able to." Izumi blinked as Bokomon mentioned that name as some sort of authority for the second time and made a note to ask who this Tailmon was as soon as they had dealt with the immediate crisis with Löwemon. They followed Bokomon and Neemon to one of the buildings in Flame City that was actually large enough to hold human sized creatures. The windows were veiled and inside it was cool and dim. It took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the gloom but once they did they spotted Löwemon lying on a pallet in the corner. His helmet had been removed and was lying close by which startled Izumi. She had never realised that was possible. With his face and hair exposed the human hybrid of darkness looked startlingly human. Only at Kouichi's distressed groan did she drag her attention away from Löwemon's face and note the huge wound on his chest. Two concerned looking plant type child digimon were caring for the wounded digimon. One, a Palmon, was kneeling by his head and dabbing his forehead with a damp cloth. The second similar looking one was an Alraumon and was carefully grinding up herbs for a poultice in a pestle and mortar. Both of them had glanced up at the sound of Kouichi's groan.
"Oh! Hi!" Alraumon seemed surprised to see them but not as much as might be expected. Palmon seemed even less surprised as she put down the cloth and stood up.
"Hmph! So they did send for help, huh?" She looked at them with obviously irritation. "I told them this was a bad idea but who listens to me?"
"They don't listen to you because you are stupid, imoto-chan." Alraumon told her before grabbing Kouichi's hand and pulling him towards the bed. "Come on! Maybe you can help him where we can't!"
"What's wrong with him?" Kouichi asked as he let her pull him closer to his partner.
"It's the wound. The digimon who inflicted it somehow infected it with some sort of virus." She replied. "I've seen some pretty nasty digital diseases in my time as a healer but this by far the worst." Even as she spoke a series convulsive shudders shook Löwemon's body and the ragged, gaping wound in his chest shimmered with a sick red light and grew larger. "His system is fighting it but whatever it is it's winning. He's dying by inches in front of our eyes." Tears trickled down her face. "I don't know what you can do but you're his only hope now."
"I don't know what I can do either." Kouichi said as he knelt down by the pallet. "But I'll try." He took Löwemon's limp hand in his own and discovered that the digimon was burning with a fever. "Löwemon, it's me. I'm here." He said somewhat lamely and was surprised when strength seemed to return to his partner's hand at the sound of his voice. At least Löwemon gripped back where he hadn't before. Was it possible he could share his strength with him when they were separate he wondered. He didn't know but he guessed that was his best shot. Uncertain how to do what he was thinking he let his instincts guide him and imagined his energy gathering round him and then flowing across into Löwemon. At first nothing seemed to happen but then gradually he became aware of something and opened his eyes to see the strange, purple haze that he had come to associate with the power of Darkness surrounding him. It seemed to flowing out through his very skin and as he watched it coiled around him for a few moments before coalescing into fine tendrils that reared up until they almost touched the ceiling before braiding themselves together and diving back down directly into Löwemon's wound. As he watched the energy began to visibly flow out into the flesh surrounding the wound, which was also visibly closing before his eyes. "This looks hopeful." He looked at the two plant digimon. "This is good right."
"Yes, Yes!" Alraumon said enthusiastically. "Excellent."
"Your own power of darkness, the power that let you bond with him in the first place, is driving out the virus." Palmon sounded happy as well but there was something unreadable in her expression. "You'll need to keep it up until it's all gone or it will just come ba..." She broke off as Löwemon began to return to consciousness.
"Kouichi?" The warrior of darkness whispered weakly. "You came... Thank you." Kouichi looked down at his partner.
"Of course I came. Did you really think that I wouldn't?" He replied before looking up at Palmon. "So how will I know when it's all gone?"
"You see the red flickers around the edges? Those are caused by the virus. Once they stop appearing it's all gone." She replied.
"Okay." Kouichi nodded and continued concentrating until the very last hints of red vanished and then a bit more to be sure they did not start up again. Only once he stopped pouring energy into his partner did he realise how exhausted the process had made him. Before he had chance to say anything about it he slumped down in exhaustion and fell asleep across his partners chest without even managing to let go of his hand.
"Is he okay?" Kouji knelt down by his brother and helped Löwemon disentangle himself from Kouichi and then they carefully laid the boy down on the pallet.
"He rather overextended himself to help me." Löwemon replied. "But he should be okay once he's slept." The human hybrid looked over at the Child of Light as he gathered up his helmet. "So she did call you back. They were only talking about it before my last fight." He turned his attention to Bokomon. "I assume the situation got worse and it wasn't just because I was sick?"
"Well, your being sick had pretty much decided her anyway." Bokomon replied. "But then the situation went beyond worse and she finally stopped prevaricating. Go and look at the sky." Löwemon blinked and walked slowly to the door, even though he was now healing rapidly he was obviously still in some discomfort from his wound. After he'd looked at the sky for several moments he looked back at the kids. "Is that the human world?" He asked thoughtfully and they nodded. "It's larger than I imagined." He mused then added. "So she's right then there is someone disrupting the barrier between the Digital and Physical planes. That's bad... very bad."
"What?" Takuya blinked. "Who would do such a thing?"
"We don't know who. We don't even think it's deliberate." Löwemon replied. "This is what we'd expect to happen if a digimon spent a prolonged period in the Human World. Tailmon," There was that name again, "Thinks that someone, possibly one of the eggs, may have been sucked through Lucemon's wormhole and been unable to return before it closed. Even if they had the sense to keep their heads low and not use their digimon powers after a while their very presence would destabilise the barriers and endanger both worlds."
"Ah!" Takuya said. "So we need to find this lost digimon and bring it back to the Digital World? Talk about a needle in a haystack."
"Who's Tailmon?" Izumi asked simultaneously as she finally got round to asking the question that had piqued her curiosity.
"Tailmon is the Adult evolution of the Plotmon that hatched from Ophanimon's egg." It was Bokomon who replied.
"As to why you are here. If it was just to ask you to find the missing digimon she'd probably have told you first. There's more to it than that." Löwemon added.
"We'll take you to her when Kouichi-han wakes up." Bokomon told them. "Until then you all look hungry so lets deal with that need first." He looked at Junpei then added. "Have you lost some weight, Junpei-han?"
"Well, it wasn't exactly my idea but yes I have and I'm not..." He trailed off for a moment looking surprised and then said. "Actually I am hungry." He sounded really startled by this which made the digimon look at him in bemusement.
"And the picnic basket with our lunch in it doesn't seem to have travelled with us." Izumi complained. "I worked on that all morning!"
"Don't worry, Izumi-han," Bokomon told her. "We'll provide." He called out to several of the digimon who lived in Flame City and within less than an hour a delicious feast was laid out before them... though some of the dishes were as weird as any they'd had in the Digital World, which was to say pretty weird. Still even after three months away they were still pretty much used to it and so they tucked in to the odd looking food without any qualms. There was a lot of food and before they were even half way through Kouichi had woken up and joined them... though he still looked extremely drowsy. He was also quite obviously ravenously hungry from the way he ate. Only once everyone had finished eating to their heart's content did Bokomon finally rise to his feet.
"Okay, Minna-san." He said, "Let's go and see everyone."
---
The everyone one in question turned out to be the rest of the legendary warriors who were apparently using Flame City as some sort of central base and were all currently returned from their last fight and waiting to hear where trouble had popped up next only to find a brief lull occurring much to their relief. Izumi was relieved to spot Fairymon, especially after her earlier vision, and ran over to hug her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the others getting reacquainted with their partners as well.
"So Flame City has become some sort of Central Command for the Digital World?" Takuya asked. Bokomon nodded in response.
"Neemon and I moved back here after Lucemon was defeated and of course Patamon came with us. Next thing I knew Plotmon and Lopmon had moved in with us because they didn't think they should be separated."
"That makes sense." Izumi said from where she was still hugging Fairymon. "I mean one day they'll evolve into their Ultimate forms and return to power again, right?"
"Well that's the idea." He agreed. "Anyway with all three of the former great angels living here the ten legendary warriors and several other powerful digimon came to live here in order to protect them from anyone who get the idea that they could use their current weakness to supplant them in order to take control of the Digital World."
"But doesn't that cause problems when trouble starts on the other side of the world?" Kouji asked practically.
"No more than being spread out would if something big that required all of us started up." Wolfmon replied. "We had the Nanomon build a big communication and monitoring system that runs through the moons. The digimon there can tell us about any danger as soon as they arise and the Trailmon's tracks have also been revamped so we can get anywhere we need to be in double quick time as well."
"It was a risk putting consolidation and organisation before a presence on the ground at all times." Blitzmon added. "But it was a calculated risk."
"And the very fact that someone is trying to keep them separated and off balance suggests that it was a very good judgement call." Said a new voice that Izumi immediately recognised at the voice that spoken from the phone and called them to return here. All six kids turned towards the speaker and found themselves facing three digimon. One of them was an Angemon and from his pink waistband they knew that he had been Patamon. Izumi had a sudden mental image of Serphimon wearing that same pink band but somehow managed to stop herself laughing. The other two digimon they didn't recognise but one of them was lilac and very rabbit like so Izumi guessed he had evolved from the Lopmon that had emerged from Cherubimon's digiegg. That, of course, meant that the third one must be...
"Tailmon, I presume?" Takuya asked before Izumi could. The white feline nodded and extended a gloved paw towards the incongruously tough looking pale purple bunny.
"This is Turuiemon." She introduced her companion. "And this," She gestured towards Angemon, "Is Angemon as you know." She bowed her head for a moment. "I expect you want to know why we have called you here again?" Before anyone could reply an alarm went off on a nearby console and a Starmon appeared on the screen as everyone gathered round.
"I'm afraid I must report a large and apparently hostile group of digimon moving towards Flame City." It told them. "There at least three MetalTyrannomon and one SkullGreymon in the group as well as numerous Adults of varying types."
"Oh dear." Tailmon frowned and looked worried. "That's at least four powerful Perfects... so why..." She trailed off still frowning.
"Why does this feel like a feint?" Agnimon finished for her. "I don't know but it really does seem that way doesn't it." He looked at the screen. "How long until they reach the City?"
"Not long." It replied. "About half an hour. I don't know why we didn't pick them up sooner. They almost seemed to appear out of nowhere. Nothing else is being picked up on scanners but I have no idea if that's accurate."
"That's worrying." Agnimon said. "But we'll have to deal with what we can see." He looked over at Tailmon. "Does this give you time to tell them why you called them?"
"Not the detailed version but I can give them the shortened version."
"Yes, please do." Kouji said dryly. "We are sort of curious."
"Well," She began, "The Legendary warriors just aren't as strong without you and the digimon being thrown against them by whoever is behind this are stronger each time. We need you to join with them again so that they will be strong enough." She looked at Takuya and Kouji. "I'm sorry I didn't have enough energy to evolve your digivices again." The kids all reached for their phones and found that they had indeed become digivices again and that Takuya's and Kouji's were still the same.
"So we won't be able to Hyper Spirit Evolve?" Takuya asked.
"Or Ancient Spirit Evolve either I'll bet." Kouji added.
"Not unless you find some alternative way to power it." She nodded sadly. "I'm sorry. In spite of that will you help us?" The kids looked at each other and nodded.
"Of course we will." Takuya said. "That's why we came back isn't it? Did you really think we wouldn't?"
"But how do we do it?" Izumi asked the question that was bothering them all as she looked at her partner.
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