The Spirits Within

by SilvorMoon

Chapter 12 Up! Flamon rages out of control, but there might be something that can put him to rights if Kouji and Kouichi can trust their guide.

6. Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror
By: SilvorMoon

The day dawned damply. Tomoki stood at the mouth of a small cave, peering out over the landscape that was spread out before him. It wasn't a particularly pretty sight, but it was inspiring, in its way. Thin gray clouds covered the sky, blank and uniform, blurring the sun's light and turning the morning to a kind of indefinite twilight. All around him ranged the peaks of jagged mountains, their peaks stretching towards the sky as if hoping to tear through the gloom and let some light through. Off to one side, the slope dropped steeply until it was like looking down a chasm. He could see a faint shimmer at the bottom of it that probably meant water, and a few birds soared lazily above its surface. As he watched them, Tomoki felt a mountain-cold breeze brush past his face, and he raised his head to look to the path ahead. He could see snow on the mountaintops. It would be cold up there, colder even than the wind, but something about seeing the snow raised his spirits.

It feels like Christmas, almost, looking at the snow, he thought dreamily. It was, after all, very early in the morning. The others were still sound asleep. Only Tomoki had been awakened by the cool breeze that was winding its way into their chosen shelter, and now he leaned against the side of the cave and watched the sun try to come up.

Of course, the stillness couldn't last forever. Now that the morning sun was warming the world, the breeze was picking up a bit. It tossed a strand of Izumi's hair into a sleeping Takuya's face, tickling his nose. He waved a hand vaguely, brushing it away, and rolled over. His hand accidentally came to rest on Izumi's hip. Even in deep sleep, Izumi was instantly aware that there was a hand resting on her hip, and she came awake with fire in her eye.

"Why, you--!" she shouted.

"Wha?" said Takuya, sitting up and looking around drowsily.

He was brought to full wakefulness by a hand cracking across his face.

"Yow!" he said. "What'd ya do that for?"

Izumi looked around, taking in her surroundings. The six humans plus two Digimon were all piled haphazardly in a small cave, hardly more than a crack in the mountain, with barely enough room for all of them. She'd taken the (probably wise) precaution of putting as much space between herself and Junpei as possible, but there were still plenty of others to take into account. They were all jammed together as closely as propriety would allow; there was almost no chance that they wouldn't bump into each other at some point during the night.

"Oops!" she said. "Sorry, Takuya. I wasn't awake."

"Yeah, well, next time, wake up first and then decide if you wanna hit somebody or not," said Takuya thickly, his hand clamped over his nose where she'd hit it.

"What's going on?" asked Kouichi, raising his head and blinking.

"Nothing," said Takuay. "Izumi's just freaking out, that's all."

"I said I was sorry," she said.

"Go back to sleep," said Takuya to Kouichi.

"Nah, it's morning," Kouichi replied. "Look, Tomoki's already up and wide awake, and the rest of us are still sleeping."

"Well, somebody had to wake up first," said Tomoki. "Are you guys going to get up now, or what?"

They got up, slowly, one at a time. Junpei, never quick starter in the morning, was the last to be roused. He sat up, stretched, yawned, and looked around blearily. He was unable to fathom why Takuya kept rubbing at his face and looking irritable.

"What's goin' on?" Junpei asked.

"Nothing," said Takuya. "You know what? You are going to win that girl over someday. Nobody but you is crazy enough to take her."

"Uh, thanks, I think. Maybe," said Junpei.

Izumi ignored both of the boys with an ease born of long practice. She stretched luxuriously and shook out her hair. She inspected her clothing. She was, more or less out of necessity, still wearing the same things she'd been wearing the day before. They looked a bit muddy and bedraggled after having been through rainstorms, a bout of mountain climbing, and now, sleeping on the floor of a not particularly clean cave.

"I need a change of clothes," she said, reaching for her duffel bag, which she'd been using as a pillow. "I'm going outside for a bit. Don't peek."

She scooped up a clean shirt and a fresh pair of shorts, and headed for the mouth of the cave. The cool breeze swept over her, refreshing her and banishing the last of her dreams. She laughed aloud, enjoying the sensation - after all, Wind was her element. She loved the sensation of being up high. Even when she was much younger, she had loved riding on airplanes. Now she relished being in the mountains, heading steadily upward, slowly nearing the clouds. Standing so high up, seeing the rest of the world falling away beneath her, she could almost believe she was flying again. In response to that thought, something inside her seemed to stir for an instant, and then subsided as soon as she noticed it.

"Got to find somewhere to change," she told herself, bringing her mind back to more earthly matters.

She walked a few yards away from the cave, searching for a place that would be conveniently out of sight, both for the rest of her traveling companions, but from any wandering Digimon. The majority of them might not know the difference between a clothed human and an unclothed one, but she hadn't forgotten that there were enemies prowling around, and she didn't want to be attacked in such an unprotected state. It took a while before she finally found a suitable area, a cleft between two hills that ran perpendicular to the path they'd been following, dipping down towards the canyon. There were a few shrubs growing from cracks in the walls, so she'd be screened even if something was flying overhead. Even so, she changed quickly. The mountains were cold early in the morning, especially in shadow-filled clefts.

If it hadn't been so dark, she might not have noticed the flash of light. As it was, she was crawling out of her shirt as rapidly as she could, when a twinkle of something caught her eye. She looked down and realized that the Star was shining again, very faintly. She paused a moment, lifting it up for a better look.

"That's funny," she said. "It wasn't doing that back in the cave."

There wasn't time to worry about that now, though. She finished changing quickly and hurried back up the slope.

By the time she arrived, she found that the rest of her friends had likewise changed into fresh clothes, and they were working on some semblance of breakfast. There wasn't much, and what there was was a bit cold and dry, but they were hungry enough to be grateful for it anyway.

"Hi, Izumi!" Junpei greeted her. "Want a roll?"

"Not now," she said. "Guys, the Star is lit up again."

"Really?" asked Kouji. "I don't see it."

Izumi looked down. The pendant's light had gone out again. She frowned.

"Well, it was glowing a minute ago," she said. "Just a little bit. Maybe we're out of range, up here."

"Okay, so after breakfast we can go to wherever you were and have a look," said Takuya. "But breakfast comes first."

"Oh, all right," she said. "But let's be quick about it."

That was easily enough accomplished by a group of teenagers and young Digimon who had put in a hard day's hike the evening before. When they had finished and cleaned up, Izumi led them along the trail to the crevice she'd sheltered in earlier. The group stood at its entrance and eyed it - some curiously, some with a bit more doubt.

"Does anyone but me see a problem with this?" asked Kouji, frowning.

"It looks fine to me," said Neemon. He picked up a pebble and tossed it into the crack, watching as it bounced off the walls and clattered down the hill into darkness.

"It's perfectly safe," Izumi said impatiently. "I was down there just a few minutes ago and I didn't see anything scarier than a couple of mud puddles."

"That's not what I mean," said Kouji. "What I mean is, the trail we're following goes that way..." He pointed up the trail. "...and this path here is angling back almost in the opposite direction. If we follow it, we're liable to end up back where we started from."

Takuya rolled his eyes. "So? The point isn't that we're trying to go somewhere. The point is that we're trying to find the Fabled Artifacts. If we have to backtrack to do it, who cares?"

"You won't see me complaining," Bokomon muttered. "I'd be perfectly happy to go back, but nobody ever listens to me..."

"I care," said Kouji, who hadn't been listening. "I care because we've already been back there, and the Star never reacted. Why is it glowing now?"

"It's not," said Kouichi.

Izumi glanced down at her necklace. There was no light from it at all; it remained simply a lovely but ordinary piece of jewelry. She scowled.

"I'm telling you, it was shining," she said.

"Maybe it was just reflecting sunlight or something?" Kouichi offered.

Izumi gave him a withering glare. "What sunlight?"

"It is pretty dark down there," said Tomoki, shading his eyes and peering down into the crack. "Hey, I know! Maybe we can't see it shining from up here because it's too bright. Maybe you can only see it in the dark."

"It's possible," said Junpei. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to go down there and check. You think?"

Kouji seemed to feel he was outvoted. "All right, all right. We'll take a look."

The group trekked down the cleft, one after the other, with Izumi marching proudly in the lead and Kouji trailing along behind, looking thoughtful. The divide was so narrow that they had to walk in single file, and sometimes even then the quarters were a bit tight, forcing them to edge along sideways. The trail took a partial bend about thirty yards beyond the main path, and then began sloping steeply downward. Progress slowed to a crawl as the group tried to make it down the incline without bumping into each other or tripping over Bokomon and Neemon and sending the whole row of them toppling like a set of dominoes. Kouji in particular had a difficult time managing the Staff in the tight quarters; there didn't seem to be any angle he could hold it that it wasn't constantly bumping into someone or something.

"I'm starting to regret agreeing to this," he muttered.

"You think you've got problems?" answered Junpei irritably. Being rather wider than the others, he was having the most difficulty getting through the narrow spots.

"We're almost there," Izumi called from up ahead. Her voice echoed slightly in the narrow cavern. "Just a little further..."

At last, the trail leveled off and ended next to what appeared to be a dry stream bed, full of water-polished stones and a few mountain plants, and even a skinny sapling or two. It opened up enough that they could finally move with a bit of freedom, and they happily escaped into the open space. Izumi stood off to one side and took out her necklace. It glittered softly in the gloom, seeming to reflect a light that wasn't there to reflect.

"See?" she said smugly. "I told you it was shining!"

Kouji stared at it with an expression of confoundment.

"But... it makes no sense," he protested. "We just came from this direction! Why didn't it react before?"

"Who knows? Who cares?" said Takuya. "It's reacting now, isn't it? Good thing you caught it, Izumi. Otherwise we would have walked right past it."

Izumi preened. "That's why I'm carrying the Star of Guidance."

"Yes, yes, feel free to congratulate yourself," said Bokomon. "I suppose as long as we're down here, we might as well have a look around... though I can't imagine how a Fabled Artifact could get way down here..."

"Maybe somebody dropped it?" Tomoki suggested, looking thoughtfully upwards. The sky was nothing more than a ribbon of pale gray, seemingly miles above their heads.

"If they dropped it from way up there, it's in a million pieces by now," said Takuya.

"If it was in a million pieces, the Star wouldn't be telling us to look for it," Junpei answered, stubbornly determined to stick up for Izumi. "Let's look around anyway. It's better than hiking back through that crack in the ground again." He rubbed at his arm, which was slightly scraped from his trying to squeeze through a tight space.

Neemon was ignoring the conversation. He had discovered that the dry streambed was full of rounded stones, piled precariously on top of each other, and that he could stand on them and wobble back and forth as if he was riding a miniature seesaw.

"Whee!" he said, as he rocked to and fro on a smooth slab of rock. "This is fun!"

"Glad to see someone is happy down here," said Kouji. He picked up a rock and studied it thoughtfully. "Though you know, now that I think about it... there must have been running water here, once. Lots of it, by the look of it. Something could have been washed downstream and ended up here, a long time ago... it could even have been swept down here by these rainstorms we've been having. Maybe whatever we're looking for wasn't here yesterday... but it is now."

"Well, if that's the case, all we have to do to find it is to follow the streambed downhill," said Kouichi. "If it's here, we should find it."

"Unless it got washed under a rock or something," said Izumi.

"Then we'll just have to leave no stone unturned!" Takuya replied, grinning and looking around for appreciation of his joke. Kouji tossed the rock he'd been holding at him, and it bounced off his shoulder. "Ow! Hey, it wasn't that bad!"

Having more or less come to a consensus, the group began making their way downhill - or perhaps, downstream. There was still evidence that this waterway was full at least some of the time; there were large puddles here and there, some with bits of water-weed growing in them. In one particularly deep patch of water, Tomoki found tiny fish swimming around. Navigating around these watery pitfalls was sometimes difficult, as they often filled the entire length of the ravine, and the rounded stepping stones were unreliable. More than one person wound up with various parts of their bodies dripping wet as they fell off a slippery rock and fell down with a splash. Even when the going was dry, they had to step carefully to avoid turning an ankle on the uneven and unreliable ground.

They had been traveling for somewhat less than an hour before they came to what appeared to be less a puddle than a shallow pond. The water was about six inches deep, just enough that no one could have walked through it without getting their shoes and socks thoroughly soaked, and it was furthermore covered with green pond scum. Bokomon tentatively put his foot into the water and found that its bottom was full of slimy mud that squished unpleasantly, like quicksand. He hastily pulled his foot out and began trying to scrub the scum from between his toes.

"Do we have to go through that?" asked Neemon, eyeing it apprehensively. "It looks icky."

"If we want to get across," said Takuya with a shrug. "There are rocks. It won't be too bad." He hopped onto the nearest one, and then bounded to the next. "See? It's not so bad." He made a few more jumps, winding up on a large slab near the far side, took a huge leap, and landed safely on the other side. "See? Nothing to it!"

Kouji stepped forward to make the attempt - he could seldom see Takuya showing off without feeling the need to prove he could do whatever it was just as well. He crossed the water in a series of easy bounds. Kouichi followed him a bit more tentatively, but again had no problems. He was followed by the rest of the group, one at a time. Other than Tomoki not quite making the final jump and getting his socks splashed, the trip was made without mishap. At last, only Neemon was left on the wrong side. He pranced in place, staring worriedly at the broad, still water.

"Come on!" Bokomon ordered him. "It's only water!"

"I'm scared I'll fall in!" Neemon wailed.

"You aren't going to fall in," said Bokomon. "Just get moving already, or I'll come back and drag you across."

"I'll fall in," said Neemon, pouting. "And then I'll get mud in my pants."

Bokomon rolled his eyes. "Just get going!"

Taking a deep breath, Neemon steeled himself and began picking his way across. He stepped carefully out onto the first rock, stretching his legs as far as they'd go. Then he jumped to the next rock, wobbling a bit as his balance faltered. The next few jumps were done in a similar fashion. Finally he reached the large stone and sat down to catch his breath.

"Come on, Neemon!" Takuya encouraged. "Just a little bit further!"

Neemon stood up. There was a strange noise, like something grating. The ground shivered.

"What was that?" asked Kouji.

The noise came again, louder. The surface of the pond trembled.

"I'm gonna fall in!" Neemon wailed.

As it turned out, for one of the few times in his life, he was right. No sooner had he spoken, when the ground below him caved in, and he fell. So did the rock he was sitting on, the pond, the plants, and just about everything else in the general vicinity. There was a crash and a great, muddy splat. Where the pond had been, there was now just a dark, dripping hole. Bokomon gave a yelp and hurried to the edge of the crevice.

"Neemon?" he called. "Are you down there?"

"I told you I was gonna fall," said Neemon.

The group moved carefully to join Bokomon beside the hole. The sun was high enough overhead that it managed to shed a few rays into the cavity, allowing them a dim view of what was inside. Neemon was lying prone on a heap of rubble, looking wet and muddy but otherwise unharmed. Beyond him, they could see what appeared to be a hallway. In fact, it was almost certainly a hallway. It had pink carpeting on it, and there were pictures hanging on the walls. Everyone stared.

"How'd that get down there?" said Junpei.

"Someone put it there, obviously," Kouichi replied. "But I know what you mean. It's not exactly what I would have expected to find way out here."

"Why not?" asked Takuya. "We've seen weirder stuff before."

"I think we're going to get a closer look at this than we want to," said Kouji. "We're not going to be able to fish Neemon out from up here... and we can't leave him behind."

"Guess we're going down, then," said Takuya.

Before anyone could stop him, he'd jumped down into the hole. He landed feet down in a pile of mud, slipped, and fell on his rear, landing in a pile of rubble. He got up and dusted himself off.

"Come on down," he said. "It's not so bad."

Without much choice, the others followed suit. Soon they were all standing on the soggy carpet, taking in their surroundings. Now they could see that they were, in fact, standing in what seemed to be a network of tunnels. The hallway didn't go straight, as one would have expected, but curved around like the tracks of a worm, with offshoots going in other directions at irregular intervals, sometimes slanting up or down. Though the floor was smooth and level, the walls were curved and the ceiling arched. Other than that, it looked like anyone's hallway in a nice middle-class house.

"What a weird place," said Izumi.

"I don't like it," Junpei complained. "Tunnels make me claustrophobic."

"Kinda looks like the sort of place a Trailmon would live in his off-hours," said Takuya. "Too small, though. Do they make baby Trailmon?"

"Who knows?" said Kouji vaguely. He was eyeing the tunnels with distrust. "We have more important things to worry about. Like, the fact that now that we're down here, we don't know how to get out again. Like, it's pitch black down there and we don't have any light."

"It's not that bad," his brother said consolingly. "Sure, it's a little dim, but we should be able to find our way around..."

"A little dim?" Izumi repeated. She stared down the tunnel. Ten feet beyond the hole above their heads, the hallways faded into utter blackness. "A little dim? You have a gift for understatement, Kouichi."

Kouichi looked at her with a puzzled expression. "You mean you can't see down there? I can see just fine."

"Then you've got eyes like a cat," said Junpei. "It's black as the bottom of a mine down there, which is probably more or less what it is."

"Wait a minute," said Tomoki. "Maybe it's not his eyes at all. It's just... him."

"Oh, yeah!" said Kouji, suddenly brightening. "That's what it is. Kouichi, you can see in the dark. Just like Junpei and Izumi know when a storm is coming, or how Takuya knew when FlaWizarmon was coming."

"Well, if it will help us get out of here, I'm all for it," said Kouichi modestly. "Does anyone have any idea which way to go?"

"Let me check," said Izumi, taking out the Star of Guidance. She spun in a small circle, watching the light flare and fade. She centered on the direction in which the light was brightest. It roughly indicated that they ought to be continuing in the direction they'd been coming from, heading roughly downwards, and slightly to the right.

"Looks like we're going to have to make a turn somewhere along the way," Takuya commented. "Oh, well. There's probably a fork in the road further ahead."

"There are always lots of twists and turns in places like this," said Tomoki, peering down the dark tunnel. "We'll have to put Kouichi and Izumi in front. He can show us where the tunnels are, and Izumi can tell us which one to pick."

The plan was agreed to, and they began arranging themselves for the journey. It was necessary for Izumi and Kouichi to stand near the front. He could see everyone fine, even in the pitch blackness, but everyone else was obliged to hold hands to keep from getting lost, and there was a little confusion about who ought to be holding on to who. Kouji, of course, had to keep one hand on the Staff of Order, so he was obliged to be last in line. Takuya stubbornly refused to hold hands with Kouji for any reason and ended up with Tomoki standing between them. This incidentally left Junpei as the only one with any free hands, but Izumi solved the problem before it could become one by pointing out that someone was going to have to hold on to Bokomon and Neemon so that they wouldn't be tripped over or lost in the dark. Junpei consented to taking on the chore once she'd flattered him sufficiently, and he made the trip with a Digimon tucked in each arm, while Takuya clung to one of his sleeves and Izumi to the other. With this arrangement in effect, they set out.

Kouji, as rearguard, kept half an eye on the hole they had fallen through. From where he stood, he could see the entrance as a pillar of white light falling from some invisible place high above their heads, spilling over the pile of rubble as if it were some kind of holy relic. Something about the sight caused a stirring somewhere deep inside.

I'm supposed to be the Warrior of Light. Takuya and Junpei transformed already - we all ought to be able to do it. I feel like I should be able to. There's something in me that wants to. Why couldn't I when I tried? Is there something wrong with me?

Then the group rounded a corner, cutting off the view of the light, and Kouji was pulled down into complete darkness.

The mole foreman looked over his maps, his whiskers twitching rapidly as he thought.

"Any of you blokes been down the upper-north-east passage lately?" he called out.

Several other Drimogemon, as well as their cousins the NiseDrimogemon, looked up from what they were doing. Several of them had been in the process of honing digging tools, while others were sorting through piles of rocks or polishing stones.

"Can't say as I have," one of them drawled.

"I have," said one of the Nise Drimogemon. "The ceiling's been leaking for weeks. I keep saying we ought to shore it up, but nobody listens to me..."

"'Nuff of that," said the foreman. "We've been having some heavy rain lately. I'm thinking we oughta have someone up there take a look about and make sure nothing's caved in. Be just our luck if something caved in and ruined the carpets and all."

"Righto," said a Drimogemon. "I'll take a gander at it. Got nothing better to do."

He turned away from the table where he'd been carefully weighing ores and began trundling away on his heavy paws.

If he had wanted to, he could have turned on some lights, but it was hardly necessary for a mole. It was only in the large rooms where they worked their stones that there was any light at all, the better to check for color and clarity. When it came to just navigating tunnels, unless there was some guest who needed to be impressed, the Drimogemon were inclined to crawl around in the dark, relying on their sensitive whiskers and their excellent memory for underground passages to help them get around. This particular Drimogemon was from the very crew who had built that particular tunnel, and he could find it as easily as he could find his own left foot. Now he made his way through the winding passages at a steady trundling gait.

He was still a good distance away when he realized something was wrong. He felt it in his whiskers - the air was moving around him ever-so-slightly. A human wouldn't have noticed a thing, but he did, and frowned. Then the smell reached him, a faint smell of mud and plants and freshly-disturbed earth. This particular Drimogemon was not often given to panic, but now he felt a stab of worry and picked up his pace. He rounded a corner and was nearly blinded as his sensitive eyes were assaulted by an unexpected beam of light. He blinked, sizing up the situation - and also sizing up the hole in the roof, which was nearly as big as he was. Horrors! This would take weeks to fix, not counting the trouble it would take to refurbish the carpets. The Drimogemon scowled as he began snuffling around the ruins, trying to see how much of the building materials could be salvaged.

Then he made a discovery. There were footprints in the mud - many footprints. Some were quite small, such as a young Digimon might leave, but others were much larger, and they smelled like nothing the Drimogemon worker had ever smelled. His life experience was fairly limited, and the range of smells he was used to included little more than other Drimogemon, assorted rock and dirt smells, machine oil, the tang of hot metal, the earthy scents of the roots and fungi he ate, and the occasional other Digimon who would come to bargain for the minerals and gems they mined. This was not any of those smells, and it worried him. It could only mean one thing, in his mind: they were being invaded. This was more than he was prepared to deal with on his own. Snuffling worriedly and pawing at his whiskers, the worker mole scuffled back down the hallway.

There was very little to see. At least, there was very little for most of the group to see. Kouichi was rather enjoying getting used to this new way of seeing. It occurred to him to wonder just how long he'd been able to do this - he couldn't remember ever being able to do it at home. Now, though, he could sense that he was surrounded on all sides by shadows, but they didn't hinder his vision any. On the contrary, he felt that they were helping him, and that he was probably picking up details more clearly than he could have if the area had been lit. He couldn't have said what color anything was, but shapes and edges were so clearly defined he felt he could almost see around things to view all their sides at once. It was slightly disorienting at first, but he soon grew accustomed to it, and even began to enjoy it.

The others were not so lucky. To them, everything was pitch black. The only point of light was Izumi's Star, which was twinkling faintly in her hand, but it didn't offer enough light for them to see much more than the tips of Izumi's fingers. It certainly didn't do enough to protect them from tripping over the bits of decorative furniture, which were thankfully few and far between, and Kouichi did what he could to warn them. Nevertheless, in the utter darkness, their eyes were always drawn back to that one little spark of light, the only thing visible in their world...

...which was why finding the mirror came as such a shock to their senses. They rounded a corner and there it was, illuminated by a pair of pale blue globes that glowed softly. Under ordinary circumstances, the lights would have hardly been considered bright, but finding them was such a shock that Kouichi reeled back suddenly as if he'd been struck, his hand clamped over his eyes. Kouji rushed to his side, momentarily afraid he'd been injured.

"Sorry!" said Kouichi. "I'm okay, really. It just surprised me - like having a flashbulb go off in your face."

The others, having adjusted to the new level of light, were taking a closer look at the mirror. Perhaps it was just a trick of the odd light, but it was hard to see anything reflected in its surface; it was simply a pane of dark glass with bluish highlights playing across its surface. It was oval in shape, about two feet tall and half that across. The frame was made of silvery metal in a pattern of lily-pads and lotus flowers, with tiny gems sparkling on their petals like drops of dew.

"Que bella..." said Izumi softly, running her fingers over the metalwork.

"I wonder what's so special about this mirror?" asked Tomoki of no one in particular. "The lights are here to light it up. There's nothing else here."

Takuya shrugged. "Maybe it's a magic mirror," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, cool!" said Junpei. "I always wanted to see one of those. Let me see!"

He released his hold on Bokomon and Neemon so he could push forward for a better look. Standing in front of the mirror, he struck a silly pose and chanted, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"

Then he jumped, because the mirror suddenly started to glow. Leaning closer, they could now see that images were flashing across its surface. The group found themselves looking out at a dark train station crowded with children. One of them was a girl with long golden hair who wandered through the crowd, looking slightly bewildered. She seemed to make up her mind and made her way toward a train that had an awfully familiar look about it... Suddenly the picture shifted, and Fairymon flittered across their field of vision before turning into Shuutmon. Then that image faded, showing a glimpse of Izumi as she was in the present day. She was standing on a bridge, looking out at the water. She turned and smiled, and then that picture faded, too. It was replaced by a blurry but recognizable image of a young woman in a long white dress, holding a bouquet. Then that too, disappeared, leaving only the blank glass. Everyone stared.

"What was that all about?" asked Kouji after a moment.

"I'd think it was obvious," said Bokomon. "Junpei asked the mirror a question, and it answered as best it could."

"That's nuts," said Takuya. "Izumi can't be the prettiest girl in the world, can she?" He intercepted a sharp glare from the girl in question and winced. "Oh, come on, you know what I mean!"

"Why not?" asked Bokomon calmly.

Takuya blushed. "Well... because! I mean, Izumi's cute and all, but..."

"I'm starting to wish I'd left this mirror alone," Junpei muttered, blushing furiously.

"You're missing the point," said Bokomon to Takuya. "In matters of opinion, the truth is in the eye of the beholder. Izumi is the most beautiful girl in the world - to Junpei. If any of us asked the mirror the same question, we'd get a totally different answer that's equally true." As if to support him, the mirror briefly flashed a picture of Ophanimon before fading again. "See what I mean?"

"I guess so," said Takuya. He glanced warily at the mirror, but all it showed was his reflection. "I'm not going to try it, though."

"I guess that explains the lights," said Kouichi. He was still eyeing them skeptically, wincing and blinking as if staring into strong sunlight. "Can we move on? These weird lights are making me edgy. They're not natural, and it's... uncomfortable."

"Right," said Kouji. "This is interesting, but not very useful. Not unless it can show us the way out of here."

The others agreed and moved on. Junpei seemed rather relieved to be getting away from this thing that seemed to know so much about what was going on inside his head. Kouji was eager to move away from whatever it was that was causing his brother such distress. Takuya appeared to have been bored by the whole thing. The others, though, cast backward glances as they left it behind, feeling rather sorry to have left the lights and the beautiful mirror behind. Tomoki stared at it the longest - not just because he regretted having to return to the shadows. It was because he was trying to figure something out. Tomoki was good at figuring things out, and he would figure this one out, too...

...Just not necessarily in time.

Somewhere on the gray slopes of the mountains was a red shape. It was Witchmon, of course. She'd been attempting to follow the human warriors, but the storm had blown her off-course. Now she was wandering aimlessly, using her broom as a walking stick as she picked her way through the rocky trails.

"Hello!" she called. "Is anybody out there?"

Her voice echoed mournfully through the hillsides. She sighed.

"That's what I thought."

The worker Drimogemon lumbered into the workroom at a pace that would be considered surprisingly fast, for a mole. The others looked up, twitching their whiskers in puzzlement.

"Oy! What's the hurry, mate?" someone shouted.

"We've got trouble," the worker replied. "Someone's gone and busted a hole right through the roof of the upper-north-east passage!"

"Are you quite certain it didn't just fall in on its own?" asked one of the NiseDrimogemon.

"No. Yes! I mean, no it didn't fall in on its own. I'm sure it didn't," the Drimogemon said. "There are footprints everywhere - strange ones, and they smell like nothing I've ever smelled before. I'm telling you guys, we have trouble!"

"Well, let's send a crew up to have a look," said the foreman. He put out one paw to point out several of his fellows. "You, you, you, and you. Oh, and some of you. Follow this guy upstairs and check out the damages. See if you can find any intruders. If you can catch them, bring them back here. We'll figure out what to do with them after that."

"We won't let them get away!" said one of the workers. "Come on, let's go!"

"Right! This way!"

Following the lead of the worker mole, the group moved out with malice on their minds. Intruders would not be permitted to break into their home and get away with it!

Meanwhile, the group of human warriors was getting slightly upset themselves.

"I'm sorry!" Izumi protested friends. "I don't know which way to go anymore!"

"Isn't that necklace of yours supposed to tell you?" asked Takuya.

Izumi scowled, invisible in the darkness. The group was standing at the juncture of several passages, which angled not only to the sides, but slanted up or down or twisted away like corkscrews. The Star had been guiding them fairly reliably for a while, but now it didn't seem to want to lead them down any of the corridors.

"It's supposed to, but it's not!" she answered. She held the Star up as proof. It was barely even shimmering anymore; if the tunnels hadn't been pitch black, they couldn't have seen it at all.

"Something is wrong," Kouji muttered. "I knew we were making a mistake, doubling back. Now we're trapped and lost, and we still don't know where the next Fabled Artifact is."

"Maybe..." said Tomoki, "maybe we do."

"What do you mean?" asked Bokomon.

"The mirror," he said simply. "I've been thinking about it. Did you get a good look at the frame? It was all done up in water lilies and things... like someone was trying to make it look like a pond. The pattern was just like what's on Izumi's necklace."

There was a thoughtful silence. Izumi picked up the necklace and stared at it. Once again, she moved in a slow circle, passing by each of the corridors in turn. It glowed most brightly when she was facing back in the direction they had come from.

"Well, that explains a lot," said Junpei to nobody in particular.

"It does?" asked Neemon. "I must have missed it."

"Me too," Kouji said. "Fill us in."

"It's easy," said Junpei. "That's why we couldn't see the Star shining earlier, and we had to backtrack. The thing we were looking for was underground, so it shone brighter when Izumi went further down the canyon."

"Oh," said Kouji.

"So you're saying you think that mirror is... what?" asked Takuya.

"The Pool of Knowledge," said Tomoki. "It has to be."

"I was kind of thinking the Pool of Knowledge would involve water somewhere," said Takuya. "You know, like in Bokomon's story."

"Of course not," said Bokomon. "I keep telling you people, the names are figurative... well, some of them are. We could hardly expect you to carry a puddle home in your pocket, could we? And a pond wouldn't be an artifact."

"But a mirror that looks like a pond is," said Tomoki. "We'll just have to go back and get it."

"More backtracking," said Kouichi, making a face. "Well, if we must, we must!"

"No point in coming down here, otherwise," said Takuya with a shrug. "Let's get rolling. Maybe that mirror thing can show us the way out!"

With a collective sigh of resignation, the group began making their way back through the tunnels. Only Tomoki, with his inquisitive mindset, seemed really eager to go back and have another look at the mirror, to see if his guess was true. He kept trying to tug Kouji along more quickly and bumping into the others in the dark.

"Are we there yet?" he asked eagerly.

"Close," said Izumi, peering at the star. She was getting the feeling it was almost relieved that she had finally started reading its signals properly. It was flashing so brightly now that it was almost enough to see by. Kouichi was steadfastly not looking at it; the brightness was starting to throw off his sixth sense. "Just a little further, I think."

"I hope we get there soon," said Kouichi. He sounded slightly tense. "I'm starting to get the feeling that something's not quite right... Bokomon, what kind of Digimon live underground?"

"Oh, different things," said Bokomon, waving a hand vaguely and narrowly missing smacking Neemon in the face. "Underground types, you know. Assorted members of the Ogremon clan will live in tunnels, as will various mineral Digimon like Rockmon and Gotsumon... Oh, and Drimogemon, of course."

"I don't think I've seen any Digimon like that before," said Tomoki. "What are they?"

"Well... they have four legs and short fur and drills on their noses, and they dig," he answered. "Generally they stay underground and mine for stones and metals. They're protective of their lairs, but reasonable enough if you reach them through the correct channels."

"What are the correct channels?" asked Kouji. "Would they, for example, get very annoyed if people dropped into their warren without warning?"

"Hmm," said Bokomon. "Yes, I suppose they would consider it an affront. They are a bit paranoid, you understand, about people coming to steal their treasures."

"Such as magic mirrors?" asked Kouichi in a resigned tone.

Bokomon laughed. "Oh, don't be silly. We have no reason to believe this tunnel belongs to..."

He trailed off. In the distance, there was the unmistakable sound of shuffling feet. Many, many shuffling feet.

"Would you like some proof?" said Takuya.

Kouichi looked around, rapidly sizing up the situation. The group was in a rather broad hallway, wide enough that the six of them could walk side by side if they didn't mind bumping into each other a bit. Unfortunately, there were no other passages visible even to his sensitive vision. The tunnel ran straight as a ruler for as far as he could see.

"Not much chance of us escaping," he said. "We're either going to have to smooth this over somehow, or stand and fight."

"Maybe they'll be reasonable?" Junpei suggested.

The Drimogemon lumbered around a corner and caught sight of the human intruders.

"There they are!" one of them shouted. "Catch them, before they get away!"

"Hey, take it easy!" said Takuya placatingly. "We weren't trying to cause any trouble! We just got lost..."

"You shouldn't be here," said a voice in the darkness. It sounded like a large voice, and it made the children uneasy to be talking to something that most of them couldn't see. "How did you get in?"

"We fell," said Kouji tersely. "We'd be more than happy to leave if we could just figure out where you put the door."

Kouichi glanced at his brother in concern. He could see Kouji struggling with the Staff he carried, which was vibrating in his hand like a plucked string. Kouji was actually sweating slightly as he wrestled to control it.

"Well, you're going to have to come back to the boss with us," said one of the deep voices. Izumi gave a yelp and jumped backwards - she couldn't see the thing, but she felt the air in the tunnel shift as the massive creature lumbered towards her.

"Can't you make an exception?" asked Takuya. "Honest, we didn't mean to upset you guys or anything. Besides, we're here on a mission from the Great Angels. You wouldn't want to mess with them, would you? They'd be kinda ticked if you did anything to us."

"I'd be willing to vouch for them," Bokomon piped up. "I am one of Lord Cherubimon's most trusted servants, and my word is very trustworthy."

"Well, maybe," said the Drimogemon doubtfully. It pawed its whiskers in thought, making a rustling noise. "Sounds like we can probably get the whole mess cleared up if you'd just let us escort you back to the foreman and explain..."

"Let go of me, you stupid thing!"

The conversation was interrupted by Kouji, who was still struggling with the Staff. It was actually jerking around in his hands, independent of his control. Things were supposed to obey it, and the idea of its carrier meekly submitting to being brought before anyone and questioned was apparently more than it could handle. Kouji was having trouble restraining himself from ordering the Drimogemon to go away and leave them all alone. He gritted his teeth, muscles straining, as he tried to wrestle it down. Suddenly it gave a powerful swish, lashing out in a wide arc. It didn't strike anyone, but several Drimogemon reeled backwards anyway as if they'd been slapped by a massive invisible hand.

"Wha' happened?" said one of the others.

"I don't know - something hit me!"

Takuya glared in Kouji's general direction. "What did you do that for?"

"I didn't!" Kouji complained. "This idiotic stick did it to me! I'm losing control of it! Argh!"

He jerked it away again, but by luck or by some impulse of the Staff itself, it struck a wall and rebounded, swishing past the milling Drimogemon and causing a few more to reel away.

"It's an attack!" wailed one of the worker moles, completely losing its head. "We're under attack!"

"Great, now you've done it!" said Takuya.

There was momentary chaos. The Drimogemon, already made slightly edgy by the idea of intruders in their warren, were now stung into attacking, and the children had no choice but to make a run for it as best they could. Kouji attempted to stand his ground, torn between his resolution not to use the Staff's power and a desperate desire to defend his friends if he could. He freed his hand from Tomoki's and used it to attempt to steady the Staff a bit. Kouichi saw him, even if the others did, and went to stand by his side.

"Come on," he said. "This is no time to be playing the hero! Let Takuya and Junpei handle this one."

"And what if we lose them again? Then what?" Kouji demanded. "At least I can kind of control this thing. I just have to... put my mind to it." He was panting a bit with the effort as he tried to hold it back.

Kouichi hesitated. The Drimogemon were milling around a few yards away, uncertain whether or not it was safe to confront this strange force they were feeling. However, any minute, they might decide to start moving forwards again, and there was no doubt in Kouichi's mind that the frightened animals were likely to attack.

If only I could evolve... The thought was inevitable. In the midst of the flames, Takuya had evolved to Flamon. When Junpei was struck by lightning, he turned into Mushimon. Why shouldn't Kouichi evolve? He was as surrounded by darkness as he should ever hope to be. Now if ever, he ought to be able to transform. He closed his eyes, groping for the power he knew had to be there somewhere. It was stirring deep inside him, waiting for him to find just the right outlet, just the right trigger that would draw it forth. It was so close - he almost had it...

"Got it!" said Kouji, jerking the Staff out of its attack position. It settled into place at his side with a final resentful tremor and lay still.

"I almost had it!" Kouichi complained.

"Had what?" his brother asked, perplexed.

"Never mind now! Let's get out of here!"

They moved - almost too late, as a whirring drill swished past the place they'd been standing. The boys forgot about anything but running as fast as they could down the dark hallways, trying not to crash into anything. Fortunately, the hallway was straight, and Kouji was able to manage by holding on to his brother's hand and allowing himself to be led along. Near the end of the hall, they ran into the others - almost literally, and it took a moment for them to get themselves sorted out.

"Quick, this way!" Kouichi ordered. "Follow my voice!"

He led the rest of the group down a branching tunnel, which wound up leading to a spiral staircase leading downward. He didn't know it, but it was the best choice he could have made. The staircase had been put in to accommodate visiting clients who wanted to reach the storerooms on the next floor without following the long, winding route the mole workers used. It hadn't been built for the Drimogemon themselves to easily navigate - tn fact, they had hired several Gotsumon to put it in for them, and most full-grown Drimogemon couldn't get down it all. The moles gathered around it, whuffling and growling as they listened to their quarry escaping.

"You won't get away that easily!" said the leader of the workers. "They can't get far. Come on - we'll head them off on the next level."

They crawled off, heading for the ramps that would eventually take them down to the lower floor where the children were just now catching their breaths. The children sat in silence, listening as they crawled off.

"Right," said Takuya. "Guess we can take a little breather."

"Just a little one," Kouji said. "Those Drimogemon will track us down, sooner or later. We're in their home, and they know their way around better than we do. We've got to think of a way to get out of here, and fast."

"Guess we can forget about getting the mirror, now," said Junpei.

"At least we know where it is," Izumi said. "We can let the Angels know, and they can send somebody back to get it later."

"Yeah, guess so," Takuya sighed. "Darn! This is stupid. We shouldn't be being attacked by a bunch of stupid moles for doing our job! Doesn't look like they're going to let us explain ourselves now, though. Sorry, Tomoki. I know you were looking forward to getting that mirror."

He waited for Tomoki to express some opinion on the matter, but Tomoki was suspiciously quiet.

"Um," said Takuya. "Tomoki? Eh... Kouichi, where's Tomoki?"

"I... I don't see him," said Kouichi slowly.

"Oh, no," Takuya groaned. He beat his head against the wall. "We went and lost him!"

"Weren't you supposed to be holding on to him?" asked Bokomon.

"I thought Kouji had him!"

"I let go," Kouji admitted. Defensively, he said, "I needed both hands to keep that stupid Staff under control." He whacked the Staff against the wall, and it rebounded with a wooden clack and narrowly missed knocking Neemon off his feet.

"Could the Drimogemon have gotten him?" asked Izumi hesitantly.

"No," said Kouji. "We'd have heard them if they had. He's gone off somewhere else... Maybe he took the wrong passage and didn't make it down here."

"He didn't take the wrong passage," said Takuya. There was something odd in his voice, a certain and fatalistic tone they seldom heard him use. "He knew exactly where he was going?"

"How do you know?" asked Bokomon, a trifle annoyed. "You aren't developing any more clairvoyant powers, are you?"

"I don't have to be clairvoyant to guess where he's gone," said Takuya. "Tomoki's practically my brother. I guess I know him better than anyone else in the world. I know how he thinks. When we ran away, he didn't. He ran straight past the Drimogemon... He's gone looking for the mirror."

Tomoki was lost and confused. They were two separate conditions, quite independent of each other, and at the moment he wasn't too pleased with either of them. Being lost was understandable - he didn't have the equipment or the special powers to navigate underground without help from one of the others, so he was reduced to bumping around in the dark. Confused... that was something else again. It wasn't his location he was confused about, but the fact that he was lost and alone.

I thought they would come with me, he thought, feeling slightly hurt. I didn't think all of them would run away... I was sure at least Takuya would keep fighting...

He sighed. In retrospect, he supposed he'd been a bit more reckless than he should have. He'd just been so eager to get back to the mirror and see if he had been right, and so sure that his companions wouldn't give up when they were so close to the goal, that he'd never considered the possibility of a retreat. In the heavy darkness, it had been easy for one slender boy to dart through the feet of the slow-moving Drimogemon and sneak behind them without their ever realizing he was there. He'd reasoned that anything that spent that much time in darkness probably relied on other senses besides sight to navigate, and that they probably wouldn't see him in the pitch darkness even if he passed quite close by them. He'd been right, too. It was probably the best way to deal with them - to move quickly and quietly in a direction they would not expect, retracing his own steps so that they couldn't follow him by scent. If the rest of the team had followed Tomoki's example, they could have vanished without a trace. Unfortunately, no one had had the time to think through that particular course of action.

So now Tomoki was lost. He stopped walking and leaned against a wall, trying to think of some logical way out of the mess he'd gotten himself into. It was very quiet, now - the Drimogemon seemed to have gone elsewhere, so it was probably safe to take a moment and try to figure out what he was supposed to do next. Well, what could he do? He couldn't see in the dark, and even if he could, it wouldn't help him. His parents had told him that whenever he was lost, he should stay put so that whoever was looking for him could find him... but what good would that do now? The tunnels were massive, and his friends would hardly know which way to begin looking for him. It was possible that even Izumi's Star of Guidance wouldn't pinpoint his location. If what Bokomon said was right, it was choosy about the things it would guide its bearer to.

Hoping for some inspiration, Tomoki sat down and opened up his pack. It was by necessity not very large, and he'd packed only the things he thought he would be likely to need, but perhaps there was something useful there all the same. He rummaged through it in the dark, mentally identifying the things he encountered.

"I wish I'd remembered to bring a flashlight," he muttered.

He stirred through the pack, finding and discarding items. Clean clothes, a canteen of water, some leftover food, a compass, pair of binoculars, toothbrush... and then his hand closed on something tough and fibrous. Rope! He'd found it in his father's closet while he'd been searching for camping supplies, and had decided that a few feet of rope could have their uses in the wilderness. Maybe now it would help him with his current problem.

Feeling around in the dark, he encountered a sconce set partway up the wall, presumably to light the area for more welcome visitors. It was dark and cold now, and Tomoki had no way of lighting it. Instead, he fumbled around and finally managed to make a knot in his rope and loop it to the sconce. He tugged it a few times to make sure it would hold firmly. Now he could explore a little without having to fear he'd get too lost. He knew he and his friends had covered most of the distance back to the mirror before they'd been intercepted. If he could find it, perhaps he could use its magic to show him the way out. If he couldn't find it before he reached the end of his rope, he could come back and unbraid the rope and join all the lengths, tripling its range, and start again. With his plan fixed firmly in mind, he felt his way toward a tunnel and began his exploration.

Meanwhile, somewhere above his head, someone else was equally lost, and she was beginning to lose her temper. Witchmon sat on a rock with her chin in her hands, sulking. She had no idea where she was, she hadn't seen any sign of the Chosen Children in hours, and it was chilly up in these mountains. She'd had it with this place, and if she'd known which way to go, she would have flown straight back home. Of course, once she got there, she would probably get a punishment from Lilithmon that would make her wish she was back in the mountains again, but foresight wasn't one of Witchmon's great virtues.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing," she told herself. "Maybe... a finding spell? Not that I've ever been able to get one to work, but maybe if I tried really, really hard..."

Seizing on what little optimism she had, she began to prepare some working space. A patch of clear and relatively flat ground was found and swept free of stones (brooms had their uses besides flying). Then she seized on a sharp stone and began marking patterns and signs into the muddy earth. When they were done, she stood back and looked over them thoughtfully, then nodded. She dropped the pointed stone in the middle of it all, so that it lay there like the pointer in the center of the compass. Spreading her hands over her drawing, she began to chant softly. The mystic symbols began to glow with a soft golden light. Hardly able to believe her eyes, she completed the final couplet and watched eagerly. Much to her delight, the pointer began to move. It swung in a small circle, then back again, searching. Then it stood up on its nose and began trying to burrow into the ground. Witchmon scowled.

"Stupid!" she wailed. "I knew it wouldn't work right! I knew it, I knew it! I can never do anything right!"

So angry was she that she pitched a bolt of magical energy at her workspace, intending to wipe out all traces of the spell and its disobedient pointer. She was more than a little surprised when a large ball of yellow energy struck the ground and made it explode with a hollow boom. Witchmon gaped in incomprehension at the deep hole she'd left in the terrain.

"Oh my," she said. "Did I do that?"

"Ouch!" said something in the hole. "Be careful! That hurt!"

Witchmon walked over to the edge of the hole and peeped over the rim. Cat followed suit, his tail twitching as if he expected to find a mouse to pounce. Instead, they found a young human boy looking up at them, combing bits of mud and stone from his hair with his fingers.

"Oh," said Witchmon. "I guess it worked, after all. You're one of those human kids, aren't you?"

"That's me," said the boy. "I'm Tomoki... and you're Witchmon, right?"

"Right," she said. "Um. What are you doing down there?"

"I'm trying to find the rest of my friends," said Tomoki. "What are you doing up there?"

"The same thing, I think." She leaned forward to get a better look, lost her balance, and tumbled into the tunnel. Cat gave a yowl and jumped in after her. She sat up woozily, rubbing her head. Tomoki leaned over her, looking worried.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I think so," she answered. "I'm used to it." She sat up and dusted herself off. "Wow! I really found you! I've never been able to get that spell to work! Do you have any idea how many years I've been practicing? And I put a hole right in the roof..."

Despite knowing that she was supposed to be an enemy, Tomoki still couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. It reminded him a little of himself whenever he beat a video game or solved some new puzzle.

"I really must be getting better at this magic stuff," Witchmon continued happily. "And I found you and everything! Wisemon will be really proud of me! Hey," she said, looking around in sudden confusion. "Where's everyone else?"

Tomoki shrugged. "I don't know. I lost them."

"You did?" asked Witchmon. "What did you want to go and do a thing like that for?"

"I didn't do it on purpose," he said. "Hey, you can do magic. Maybe you can help me find them."

"Why would I want to help you?" she asked sulkily.

"Well, you're looking for them too, right?"

"Yeah, but..."

"So you've got to find them anyway," Tomoki continued, "and it would be really stupid to leave me behind while you were looking for them. And since I want to find them, too, I might as well help you."

"Oh," said Witchmon. She appeared to have had a hard time following that. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Okay. Let's find them. Umm... do you know which way they might have gone?"

"Not exactly," said Tomoki slowly. On the one hand, he wanted very much to get back to his friends, but he didn't want to leave without checking out the mirror, either. It might be safest to find that first, before he led his enemy straight to what she wanted to find. He pointed in the direction he was heading. "I think they went that way. That's why I'm going this way, too."

"Oh! That makes sense."

They began walking. To Tomoki's pleased surprise, Witchmon produced a handful of shimmering stones from somewhere in the folds of her gown. They gave off a green-gold light that reminded him of springtime, and lit the halls quite nicely. It was a great deal easier than bumping around in the dark.

"It must be great, being able to do magic like that," said Tomoki. "Wish I could."

"I almost can't," Witchmon admitted. "I'm doing good, today, though. I don't know why. Normally I'm hopeless. Maybe I'm finally starting to get better. That will make Wisemon happy. He's always telling me what a disappointment I am. I don't mean to mess up. I just can't seem to do things. Even when I do them right they come out wrong..."

"Who's Wisemon? Is he like your magic teacher or something?"

Witchmon shook her head. "Not exactly. I mean, sometimes. But he's really my big brother."

"I have a big brother," Tomoki offered.

"It seems like everyone does," said Witchmon thoughtfully. "The last person I talked to - that Kouichi person - he said he had a brother."

"Well, I have a big brother, and Kouji and Kouichi are twin brothers, and Takuya has a little brother," said Tomoki, "but Izumi and Junpei don't have any brothers or sisters or anything." He considered a little. "I don't know if Bokomon and Neemon have any brothers. They might be brothers, for all I know. I don't think so, though."

"Hm," said Witchmon.

They journeyed onward in silence for a while. Tomoki came to the end of his piece of rope and considered a moment. Logically, he ought to turn back and investigate the final tunnel, the one he had yet to explore, but something was telling him he ought to go a little further. Maybe it was just having a companion of any sort that made him feel braver. He looked at the frayed end for a minute, then shrugged, dropped it, and took out a pencil instead. While Witchmon watched in vague bemusement, he scribbled a dark arrow on the wall.

"What's that for?" she asked.

"So we know which way we came from," Tomoki explained. "That way if we don't find anything, we know which way to go."

"That's a good idea," said Witchmon, a little wistfully. "I wish I could think of smart things like that."

"Sure you can," said Tomoki. "If there's one thing going to the Digital World has taught me, it's that you can do a lot more than you think you can, when you put your mind to it."

"Maybe so," said Witchmon. "I've gotten a lot accomplished today! I caught you, and pretty soon I'm going to catch the rest of you."

Tomoki grimaced a little. That wasn't the direction he'd wanted this conversation to go. With a sigh, he continued his journey in resigned silence.

Far, far away, in the Continent of Darkness, Wisemon was crystal-gazing. He spent most of his time involved in that activity, and he was very, very good at it. With little more than an effort of will, he could gaze at things happening in distant lands and learn the thoughts of other Digimon... sometimes. Even the most skilled at his profession had their limits. It was easy to get images of things, but not necessarily easy to get the images you wanted, or interpret them once he got them. That was what his sister was for, and she was easy enough to track down. He gave one of his crystals a casual glance, and it instantly lit with an image of Witchmon strolling through a corridor. Wisemon gazed at it a moment. His eyes narrowed. Then, with a scowl, he snatched up the crystal ball and went striding briskly in the direction of Lilithmon's chamber. He rapped urgently on her door.

"What is it now?" she asked.

"It's that sister of mine," he answered. "She is getting into mischief, as I predicted she would."

There was a pause. "You may enter."

Wisemon opened the door and stepped into the chamber. It was very dim in the room, and Wisemon's crystal glimmered brightly with its own light in the gloom. By its radiance, he could see the lady of the manor reclining on a divan, her chin propped on her hand, looking quietly contemplative.

"Look," said Wisemon, thrusting the sphere at her. "See! See what she's doing now?"

Lilithmon looked. She didn't have Wisemon's ability, but with him present, she could see vague images in the globe, and hear, in a tinny and distant way, what was being said. She watched and listened a moment, letting the tiniest frown show on her serene face. It seemed that Witchmon was having a perfectly amiable conversation with one of the human children she was meant to be eradicating. The child didn't seem to be in any hurry to get away from her, nor did he look to be hindered from doing so if he wanted to.

"This will not do," said Lilithmon. "You will remedy it, won't you, Wisemon?"

"If my lady wishes it so."

"Yes. Fetch her here. It is time she and I had another of our little talks," she answered.

There was something in the shadows of Wisemon's cowl that might have been a satisfied smile. "I was thinking as much. I will prepare a spell to retrieve her."

He slipped out the door again. He was glad Lilithmon would be handling the situation now, and not him. Witchmon respected him, but deep down, she also loved him, and believed he would forgive her for her mistakes. Not so with Lilithmon. Witchmon had a healthy fear for her. When Lilithmon told her to keep away from these children, she would listen. It was true, too, that Lilithmon had a certain way of making her lessons stick...

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

Izumi glanced down at the Star, which was glowing brightly in a comforting sort of way. "I'm as sure as I can be. It's not like this thing can tell me what it's doing, you know."

Takuya fidgeted. "Well, can't we go any faster? He could be anywhere by now."

"Don't get your shorts in a knot," said Junpei. "We'll find him. Tomoki's a smart kid - once he figures out we're not with him, he's not going to go very far."

"We'd better hope so," said Takuya. "I'm getting really, really tired of this place. I'm not feeling too fond of Drimogemon right now, either."

"They can't help it. It's their nature," said Bokomon, "and we are intruding in their territory..."

"Shh!" said Izumi. "Do you hear something? There's someone up ahead."

"Does it sound like Tomoki?" asked Kouji. "Or any of those Drimogemon?"

"I hear it," said Kouichi. "It sounds like... a woman."

He was right, more or less, depending on whether or not you considered Witchmon a woman. Just a few minutes beforehand, she had followed Tomoki around a corner and was surprised to come face to face with the glowing blue lights that flanked the mysterious mirror. Tomoki gave a victorious cry and ran and snatched it from the wall.

"All right! Found it!" he cheered. "I knew I could do it!"

"What?" asked Witchmon, staring blankly. "Heeeeey, if you're so excited about that thing, it must be... that's one of the Fabled Artifacts!"

Tomoki flushed a little and tried to hide the mirror behind his back. "No, it isn't. Really!"

"Oh, no, you can't fool me!" she said. "Give that here! I'm going to be in big trouble if I let you keep that!"

"You'll be in trouble? What about me?"

"I'm not kidding! Give it here!"

Witchmon made a clumsy lunge, and Tomoki dodged her easily and watched her fall on her face. Her hat fell off and rolled away. Cat spat at him and tried to claw him, but only managed to pull some threads in his sock. Tomoki took off down the hall they'd come from, watching carefully to see what she'd do. She sat up, rubbing at where the carpet had chafed her.

"Oh, come on," she wailed. "Please give it back! Everything was going so well until now!"

"Sorry," said a new voice, "but we aren't giving up anything."

"Guys!" said Tomoki, looking up. His friends were hurrying down the hall, drawn by the light of the blue lamps. Tomoki rushed up and hugged Takuya, who was in the lead. "Boy, I'm glad to see you!"

"Hey, we're glad to see you, too!" answered Takuya, ruffling his friend's hair affectionately. "Looks like you found your mirror, too!"

"He can't have it!" said Witchmon. "If you don't give it here, I'll - I'll have to take it from you! You can't get away from me here! There's nowhere to hide this time!"

"Yeah," said Junpei, "but this time we know how to evolve. Do you want to try us?"

Witchmon hesitated. She had only heard about the humans' new evolutions secondhand, from Wisemon. The idea of going up against unfamiliar but presumably powerful Digimon didn't enthuse her.

"Oh, come on," she pleaded. "Can't you give a girl a break?"

She was met only by resolute looks. She sighed.

"All right, then," she said, trying to sound resolute. "I guess I have no choice but to... huh?"

She looked down at herself. She seemed to be glowing. While everyone watched in amazement, she slowly levitated from the floor and hovered in the middle of the air. She clutched her broom to her, wailing in distress, while Cat squalled. Then there was a final burst of red light, and she disappeared. Everyone stood blinking, trying to adjust to the change in light levels.

"What just happened?" asked Junpei.

"She's all gone," said Neemon, looking around. "Where did she go?" He began peering in nooks and crannies, as if he thought she was playing hide-and-seek.

"What does it matter?" asked Kouji. "She's gone. That's what's important. Let's check out this mirror, and then maybe we can get out of here."

"Got it," said Izumi. She held her necklace up to the mirror. The crystal flashed brightly in four pulses of light before dying out to an almost invisible shimmer. She nodded.

"It checks out," she announced. "This is the Pool of Knowledge."

"Excellent," said Kouichi. "Now if it would just tell us how to get out of here, we'd be doing something."

Tomoki thought about that for a moment. Then he walked over to where Witchmon's discarded headgear had fallen and set the Pool on top of it. Striking an authoritative pose, he chanted, "Mirror, mirror, on the hat - show us where the exit's at!"

A few people snickered. Tomoki shrugged and gave a half-smile.

"Hey, it rhymes," he said.

The mirror began to glow softly. Then its surface became filled with an image of winding tunnels. At first, the group could see themselves all standing in the mirror's chamber, just as they were now. Then the image began to pan slowly away from them, tracing its way through a series of corridors until it finally reached a broad staircase leading upwards. There was a flare of sunlight at the top, and then the picture faded.

"Did anybody get all that?" asked Kouji.

Bokomon had been furiously scribbling on a blank bit of paper in one of his books. "Right, left, third from right, center, right again, second from left, up the stairs," he said.

"Great," said Takuya. "Let's roll."

"Wait a sec," said Junpei.

He sauntered up to one of the peculiar blue lights on the wall. Gripping it firmly, he gave it a wrench, then gritted his teeth and shifted his stance, and yanked again. The light came free in his hand, still glowing gently.

"There," he said. "Now we can go."

They set out. The going was much easier now that they had reliable light to see by, and with Bokomon's notes, they were able to make their way confidently through the confusing network of tunnels. It would have been perfectly easy if the Drimogemon hadn't chosen that moment to find them again.

"There they are!" someone far back in the shadows bellowed. "They won't get away this time!"

"Hoo boy!" Takuya exclaimed. "These guys just don't quit! Put some speed on it!"

They began to run. Up ahead, they could see the darkening shadows that indicated there would be another fork in the path ahead.

"Which way?" called Izumi.

"Right!" Bokomon ordered.

They rushed down the far right passage. Behind them, they could hear the heavy treading of many moles. There was also a whirring noise that brought drills to mind; the Drimogemon were angry at being eluded so long, and now they meant business.

"All right, at the next fork, take the branch second from the left," said Bokomon. "That should lead to a staircase!"

Kouichi nodded and sprinted toward the indicated passage, followed closely by his friends. Chancing a glance behind him, he could just barely make out the lumbering shapes of their pursuers.

"They're gaining!" he shouted.

"Yeah, but we're almost there!" said Takuya.

They rounded a corner and encountered the staircase. It was much larger than they expected, rising high above their heads to what seemed like a point of light very far away. The treads were built to accommodate the Drimogemon, not humans, and were rather large for easy running. They were forced to slow to a literal crawl as they scaled the incline.

"Up you go!" said Kouji, seizing on Bokomon and Neemon and tossing them to the highest step he could reach.

"Move, move, move!" Kouichi shouted. "They're almost here!"

The group continued their wild scramble. When they were just over halfway to the top, the Drimogemon themselves arrived, clustering at the bottom of the stairs. They seemed to hesitate a moment, as if uncertain what to do next. Then one of them began the climb. He moved a lot more quickly than the children could.

"Oh, I don't like this!" Bokomon complained. "Neemon, this is all your fault!"

"I didn't mean to fall down!"

"Keep it together!" said Takuya. "We're almost there!"

The Drimogemon was hot on their trail. Now all of them, even those without Kouichi's night vision, could look down and see him clearly - a heavy beast with short legs, massive paws, and a long sharp drill for a nose, which was just now whirring wildly. He made a swipe at Tomoki, who was in the back, but missed by a margin of several inches as Junpei reached down and hauled the boy up to the next step. The Drimogemon growled in frustration... but he didn't come any further.

"You come back here!" he shouted. "We're not done with you!"

Naturally, the children and their Digimon companions didn't do any such thing. They continued climbing as fast as they could toward the exit they could now see clearly. Sunlight, bright and strong and warming, was pouring through it, and the sky was a perfect blue.

"Why isn't he following us?" asked Izumi. "He's so close, and he just stopped!"

Kouichi looked down at the Drimogemon. It was wincing and squinting up at them, occasionally pawing at his face as if bothered by flies. "It's the sunlight! He doesn't like the light. It hurts his eyes!"

"Ha! I wish I could show him what real Light is all about!" said Kouji.

One by one, the group scampered through the opening, clambering to freedom. A brisk mountain breeze stirred around them, as if glad to see them. Kouji gratefully turned his face to the sun, relieved to be out of the oppressive darkness. As much as he loved his brother, there was only so much of that kind of thing he could be expected to put up with. Izumi sighed gratefully as the gentle wind tossed her hair. Down below them, they could hear their pursuer grumbling as he crawled back down the stairs.

"Man! Am I ever glad that's over!" said Takuya.

"You aren't the only one," said Junpei. "Much more of that and I would have gone claustrophobic or something and started attacking the walls."

"So where are we now?" asked Kouichi, examining the lay of the land. They seemed to have come out in a canyon, and there was a rough dirt track leading through it, with faint ruts that suggested the passage of wagons.

Bokomon pulled out his book and flipped through it. "If memory serves me, we should be... about ten miles ahead of where we were before."

"You mean we took a shortcut?" asked Tomoki.

"Longest shortcut I ever took," Junpei said.

"Well, we made it safely, and that's what matters," said Bokomon. "Anyway, this looks to me like the main trade route through this part of the range. If we follow it, we'll be through the mountains in no time."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Takuya. "Let's get going!"

"Can't we have lunch first?" asked Junpei, but the ever-eager Takuya was already way ahead of him and didn't seem to hear. "Oh, whatever." He fished a candy bar out of his pocket and began unwrapping it. "Anyone else want one?"

Kouji almost laughed. "Sure. We'll let Takuya starve and see if he learns anything from."

"Maybe later," said Izumi.

He shrugged. "Okay. Suit yourself."

The group separated into a straggling line, more or less following Takuya's lead. Izumi purposely walked slowly, until she had let Tomoki catch up to her. He was paying little attention to what was going on around him, his eyes fixed proudly on his new discovery.

"Have you got it figured out yet?" she asked him.

"Not yet," he said. "I was trying to figure out if it would show me anything useful if I didn't come up with a rhyme for it first. It shows me things, but most of them don't make much sense. I'll get the hang of it, though."

"Can I borrow it? Just for a little while?" she asked. "You know, just to have a closer look."

Tomoki thought it over. "Hmm... Okay! But don't break it. That would be worse than seven years' bad luck."

Izumi smiled. "I'll be very careful."

She gently lifted the mirror from his hands and gazed into it. All it showed was her own face and the mountains and sky behind her.

"Mirror, mirror in my hand," she whispered. "Who's the fairest in the..."

She trailed off. The mirror shimmered softly, waiting for her to say the final word that would complete the couplet. Instead, she looked ahead of her at the other boys. Kouichi had taken out the camera Junpei had loaned him and snapping pictures of the others as they horsed around. Takuya had figured out that free candy was being dispensed, and had remembered that he was as hungry as anyone. Junpei was teasing him by holding a candy bar above his head, and everyone, even Takuya, was laughing as he tried to grab it. Izumi glanced back down at the mirror, thinking about what it had shown the last time such a question was asked.

"Never mind," she said. "I think I'll figure it out for myself, thanks."

The mirror went blank, and showed only her thoughtful face again. She carried it back to Tomoki.

"Here you go," she said. "Hey, guys, wait for me! I want some candy, too!"

She picked up her pace to rejoin the rest of the group, and put aside any other questions for another time.

Witchmon fell on the floor in a heap. A split second later, Cat dropped out of the air and landed on top of her, digging his claws into her back in fright.

"Yikes!" she said, sitting up suddenly. Cat yowled and clung to her dress for dear life. Wisemon, looking on, only shook his head.

"You can't imagine how ridiculous you look," he said.

"Well, I'm sorry," she said sulkily. "I didn't want to be transported."

"I had to do something," said Wisemon. "You were misbehaving again, Witchmon. I told you not to talk to the children."

"I was capturing him," said Witchmon. "Honest I was. And I was going to steal a Fabled Artifact, too, if you hadn't yanked me away."

"Are you criticizing me?"

Witchmon hung her head. "No, Wisemon, really I'm not. You know I wouldn't do that. I'm just trying to explain..."

"I am not interested in explanations. Neither is Lilithmon. She has been observing your actions, and she is displeased."

Witchmon paled visibly. "No..."

"Yes. I did warn you. Now you'll have to take your punishment."

Witchmon was still for a moment. Then, gritting her teeth, she rose shakily to her feet and began to walk stiffly towards the chambers where Lilithmon dwelled. She moved slowly down the hall, pausing at her lady's doorway. She took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and went in. The door swung slowly shut behind her and latched with a metallic click. For a moment, there was silence.

Then the screams began...

The night was cold. Kouji huddled close to the fire, as all the children were doing. They had covered themselves as best they could, and were moderately comfortable in their slumber. Kouji, though, remained awake, keeping vigil over them. They had traveled far that day, climbing steadily up the sloping road, and the air was thin and chilly at this altitude. Kouji didn't care for it much. The winds sweeping down from the peaks made him think of ice and snow, and the thought of having to travel through any of it wasn't a cheerful one. He seized a stick at the edge of the fire and used it to stir the blaze, making it flare brighter and hotter for a few moments before it died back down.

Kouichi rolled over and sat up, stretching wearily. His brother looked at him with concern.

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, don't worry," answered Kouichi. "I couldn't sleep, anyway. I had something on my mind."

"Well, you know I'm always here to listen," Kouji said.

"That's true," his twin replied. "You listen better than you talk, as a matter of fact."

He went to join his brother on the flat stone he was using as a seat, and Kouji obligingly scooted over to make room for him.

"All right," he said. "What's on your mind?"

"Evolving," Kouichi replied. "Specifically, why some of us can and some of us can't."

"That's been on my mind, too," Kouji said.

"It doesn't surprise me, in retrospect, that Takuya was the first," Kouichi mused. "If everything I've heard is true, he's always near the head of just about everything... but so were you. You and Takuya used to always get everything ahead of the others."

"I've thought about that, too," said Kouji. "It makes me wonder why I'm lagging behind now. I mean, it's not for lack of trying..."

"You too?" asked Kouichi, looking faintly surprised.

Kouji nodded. "Back at the lakeside village. I tried to evolve, when I was having that fight... and I couldn't. I mean, I felt the power there, but for some reason, I couldn't use it. I guess it was just too dark, or something."

"I'm not so sure," said Kouichi. "I tried it today, too. I wanted to protect you from the Drimogemon. It would have been the perfect place for the Warrior of Shadows to evolve, down there in the dark, but I just couldn't. I can't understand it. The need was there, the desire was there, I could feel the power there, but... nothing happened. Nothing at all."

"Hmm," said Kouji. "Are you worried?"

"A little," said Kouichi. "Not just about you and me. The others, too. What if they can't evolve when we need it most?"

"Then we'll just have to think of some other solution," said Kouji. "But I know what you mean. Makes me wish we had our reliable old Spirits back... Do you think they're gone forever?"

Kouichi shook his head. "No. They'll never be gone from us completely. We're part of them now, and they're part of us. I have faith in them. They'll be here protecting us when we really need them."

"I hope you're right," said Kouji. "I just really hope you're right."

The brothers became quiet then, taking what comfort they could in each other's presence. The fire burned low, and irresistibly, their eyes were drawn skyward. The night passed by with them tracing the patterns of the constellations against the night sky, musing on the never-ending dance of light and shadow.

TO BE CONTINUED