The six Legendary Warriors, defenders of the Digital World and bane of evil, had been loafing by the side of the road for most of the day, and felt fully justified in doing so. Truth be told, there wasn't a whole lot else they could do. Junpei had recovered from being attacked by Strikedramon as well as could be expected, but he was still too weak and sore to move around very much, and his friends weren't entirely confident in their abilities as doctors. He'd been given strict orders not to go anywhere unless it was absolutely necessary, and since he couldn't go anywhere, they couldn't either.
Not that this was a bad thing. Traveling over rough terrain for days at a stretch could be draining for anyone, and everyone welcomed the chance to rest their feet and relax their tired muscles. Earlier that morning, the industrious Tomoki had made a brief exploration of the local environs in search of food, and the twins had taken a trip back down the road to refill the group's water bottles, but that was as much as anyone felt like doing. Now nearly everyone had picked out a comfortable spot to doze away the afternoon. Takuya had, in fact, gone back to sleep. Kouji and Kouichi were simply relaxing side by side beneath the shady boughs of a pine tree, watching the clouds drift by. Neemon had produced a deck of cards from somewhere, each with a fanciful design printed on them, and he and Bokomon were playing some kind of game with them. Tomoki lay on the ground with his chin propped in his hands, watching them and attempting to divine the rules. It seemed to be something related to Old Maid or Gin Rummy, involving matching the cards into sets, but there were also some colored stones involved that seemed to be some kind of scorekeeping system. It couldn't have been that complicated, because Neemon seemed to know what he was doing. Either that, or he was just having a remarkable run of luck; at any rate, he was winning consistently.
Kouji, chewing lazily on a stalk of grass, raised his eyes to the sky as a far-off sound caught his eye. He nudged his brother, who also looked up and stared off into the distance. A dark speck became gradually more distinguishable as a humanoid in a long red dress, clothing and hair whipping in the wind. At the same time, they were treated to a Doppler effect of someone shrieking:
"...eeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeee...."
"There she goes," Kouji commented.
"There she went," said Kouichi, watching Witchmon disappear over the horizon. "Haven't seen her in a day or two. Not since... what? Day before yesterday, I think. Wonder where she's been?"
"Who knows? Who cares?" his brother replied. Kouji turned onto his side and closed his eyes, and Kouichi sighed.
"I don't know," Kouichi replied. "Be kind of a shame if something happened to her, wouldn't it?"
"Don't get attached to her," said Kouji. "She's not on our side. She'd turn us over to her boss and have us all killed the minute we gave her an opening, if she could."
"I know that. I just have a hard time holding it against her."
"I think you're ascribing too much to her."
From a comparatively comfortable patch of moss, Junpei listened in on the brothers' discussion. There wasn't a whole lot of choice, seeing at how the card game was going on too far away for him to get a good view. He was trying not to complain, but the truth was, he had been in better shape. In fact, he wasn't sure he'd ever been in worse shape. He'd lost more blood than was good for him, and was still feeling slightly woozy from it. Aside from that, any attempt at movement sent threads of pain running down the deep gash that crossed his chest - he couldn't so much as stand without help. It was dreadfully uncomfortable, not to mention inconvenient.
One of the inconveniences was having to look like he wasn't enjoying himself too much.
"Are you feeling all right?" asked Izumi, settling down next to him.
"Oh, ah... sure. Fine. No problems," he said.
"Are you sure? You're not getting overheated, are you? It's getting awfully warm out here - we don't want you passing out again."
"Nah, I'm fine. It feels good, really."
"Well, as long as you're feeling all right," she said, "but let me know if there's anything you need, just tell me." She tilted her head, giving him a quizzical look. "Are you sure it's not too hot for you? Your face is a bit flushed."
He grinned sheepishly. For reasons known to her and no one else, Izumi had taken on the role of personal nursemaid to her injured companion, a decision that had gone uncontested by Junpei or anyone else. Ever since he'd awoken last night, she'd been hovering by his side, asking if he was hungry or thirsty or too hot or too cold, and generally making a fuss over him. It made it very difficult for him to look like he was suffering properly.
Takuya stirred and opened one eye, disturbed from his light doze by their conversation. He yawned, stretched, and ambled over to join the twins. He plopped down between the two of them, earning a look from Kouji. Takuya ignored him.
"I don't get it," he said. "What's she fawning over him for? She's the one who had to pull his chestnuts out of the fire, and here she is acting like he's some kind of big hero."
Kouichi smiled a bit. "Maybe you missed something. You weren't there, after all."
"Oh, you know Izumi," said Kouji. "She's always got to do things differently from everybody else."
"True," Takuya said. "Still, kinda screwy. How come Junpei gets a girl and we don't? I'm better looking than he is."
Kouichi smiled a little. "He tries harder, that's why."
"Hey, what are you boys talking about?" Izumi called. She walked over to join the group. Tomoki and the Digimon looked up from their game to watch her.
"Oh, nothing!" said Takuya hastily.
"I heard you - you said my name," she said. "Come on, spill."
"We were just observing your tender ministrations to our wounded soldier," said Kouji dryly. "I don't suppose it's ever occurred to you that you're not exactly encouraging him to get well?"
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you're not normally this nice to him," said Kouichi gently. "You don't think he might be a little tempted to... draw things out a little?"
"You think he'd do that?" Izumi asked.
Takuya shrugged. "Hey, he's got a cute blonde granting him his every whim. There's only so much temptation you can expect a guy to stand... and come to think of it, restraint isn't exactly his strong suit."
"Oh, don't be silly," said Izumi. "You don't really think Junpei would take advantage of me, do you?"
"Not on purpose," said Kouichi.
"You aren't thinking," she said. "Who's cleverer, him or me?"
There was a pause. Takuya said, "Well..."
She winked. "Watch and learn."
Flashing a confident smile, she sauntered back to Junpei's side. The boys did what they could to listen in without making it too obvious they were eavesdropping. As it happened, they probably didn't need to bother being subtle, because Junpei wasn't going to pay any attention to them, anyway.
"What was that all about?" he asked Izumi, as she settled down next to him.
"Oh, nothing," she said. "Just them being ridiculous, as usual. You know them - always kidding around."
"Yeah, I guess so," he said distractedly. It was dawning on him that she was sitting closer to him than she had before, almost but not quite touching him - she could see him sizing up the distance out of the corner of his eye. She made a show of yawning and stretching, pretending not to notice as her leg brushed his as she shifted position. He tensed. She giggled.
"All this warm sunshine makes me feel sleepy," she said. "You picked a good spot to relax. Maybe I'll just have to stay here for a while."
"Er... yeah," he said. "Be my guest."
"Don't mind if I do," she replied. "You know... I really didn't thank you properly for what you did yesterday."
"Oh, it was nothing. Really!"
"It's not nothing to me. You probably saved my life. It was really brave." She brought one hand to his face, gently turning it so that he was looking into her eyes. "I've never known anyone else like you... someone so devoted and selfless..."
They were very close, their lips only inches from touching. She leaned slowly closer, letting her eyes slowly close... and then jerked away. If he hadn't been lying down already, he would have fallen over.
"Oh, whatever am I thinking!" she exclaimed, slapping her hand to her forehead. "We can't be doing this! You're hurt - it's not good for you to get overexcited, and here I am... I am so sorry. I won't do it again!"
"But-" he protested.
"No buts. The important thing is for you to rest and get well."
She got up and walked off, leaving him to slump over with a despondent groan. The three boys beneath the trees shot each other glances.
"That girl," said Takuya, "is entirely too smart."
Kouji smiled a little. "Just be glad it's him and not you."
"Yeah, you're probably right," he agreed. Takuya settled back beneath the shade of the tree. It was kind of nice, really, knowing that these little domestic squabbles were all they had to worry about right now. Maybe they could actually enjoy this vacation, for a while...
Wisemon was somewhat perturbed. This was not his natural state, since he generally made it his business to know things, and it was annoying him greatly that he did not know what was going on now. He stomped down the halls of the manor in a bad mood, glaring through any doors he passed as if they were personally insulting him by being open, or jerking them open angrily if they had the nerve to be closed. He was so intent on this strange activity that he did not notice the figure that was silently gliding towards him.
"Wisemon, must you be so noisy?" said a voice peevishly. "It is rude. Really, it is unlike you to behave in such an unruly fashion."
Wisemon cringed, finding himself under the gaze of his mistress. "My apologies. I hadn't meant to disturb you."
"You did," said Lilithmon. "I will give you a chance to explain yourself. I advise you to make it a good explanation."
Wisemon lowered his eyes. "I was looking for Witchmon. I had thought she was in her room, but she seems to have vanished. I was afraid she might be getting into mischief. You know how careless she can be."
"I see," said Lilithmon. "You may set your mind at ease, on that account. I sent her away."
"You what?" Wisemon said, startled. "But..."
"I sent her back to her work. She should have recovered adequately by now - enough to continue watching those humans, at least. Surely you knew that?"
"I'll trust your judgement," said Wisemon. "Still, I wish you would reconsider. I sense her attention may be wandering."
"Oh?" Only a slight raising of her eyebrow showed that Lilithmon was interested.
"She seems to be developing an unhealthy interest in these humans. She's been communicating with them."
"She would not betray us."
"Not intentionally, no... but you must admit that she is... easily led astray. It is possible she could be, er, confused by these human children."
"Hm," said Lilithmon doubtfully. "I will reflect upon it."
"Don't you think we should take some kind of action?" Wisemon persisted.
Lilithmon waved a hand. "It is doubtful that she can do anything that would be of any real use to them. She can do no harm. If she tries, she is disposable."
Wisemon seemed to consider this a moment. At last, he said, "I wish you would consider taking more direct action, milady. I am certain you could destroy them all easily, without all this wasting of resources."
It was Lilithmon's turn to consider. At last, she asked, "Where are they now?"
"In the mountains, on the border between the continents of Earth and Light."
"Very well, then. I will give you one more chance to eliminate this hazard. If you are unsuccessful, I will think of something myself. I do not wish to draw attention to myself, but there are many ways in which a small number of people might die in the mountains without it seeming to be more than an accident."
"I would feel so much better if you did," he said.
"Nevertheless, you will do your best to take care of it yourself, won't you?"
"Of course," said Wisemon quickly. "I only meant to say that I'm sure you could do it so much better."
"Of course," said Lilithmon. "I could do everything better, but there is little point in ruling if I must do everything myself. I will delegate the task to you for the time being. If I am forced to do anything to reveal my position, you will be dealt with accordingly."
Wisemon bowed. "I will do my best, milady."
"See that you do... and be quiet about it, this time."
Lilithmon slipped away, presumably to return to her chambers and her studies. Wisemon departed in the opposite direction, feeling concerned and uplifted in roughly equal portions. This was the first time in eons that Lilithmon had stated even tentatively that she might reach out beyond the boundaries of her small domain. It was the kind of thing Wisemon had dreamed about for most of his life, and it thrilled him to know that her time might finally be at hand. On the other hand, he had spent most of his life avoiding any serious punishment, through a combination of skill, luck, and a bit of subtle bribery. He did not want to ruin that record now. When you worked for a Digimon whose idea of even minor punishments came in the form of excruciating pain, it didn't pay to take chances. He would have to manage this situation very delicately indeed.
"I can't send just anyone, then," he mused. "I will have to arrange for something special, this time around..."
Witchmon slunk through the trees. If she had been any kind of canine creature, she would have had her tail between her legs. As it was, Cat was slinking along behind her with his ears pinned against his head, reflecting her annoyance. She hated having to do this, but there really weren't many other choices.
At least luck of some sort was guiding her. She had been blundering around the mountains for
about an hour, and it was possible that she could have taken any number of wrong turns in the process.
Had she been on fairly level ground, it was very likely that she would have, but things were different in
the mountains. There was only one major road in this area, and it was bounded by either steep cliffs or
equally steep precipices, neither of which was conductive to getting off track. As it was, Witchmon was
able to find her way to the crossroads with minimal difficulty. There were a few small trees and a bit of
shrubbery screening her from view, and she was able to creep quite close to the children without them
realizing she was there.
At least, that was their intention.
"Is it just me," said Kouji, "or does anyone else get the feeling we're being watched?"
"You're just paranoid, as usual," said Takuya lazily.
"No, I'm getting it, too," Kouichi said. "There's somebody here besides us."
He turned and stared suspiciously into the clump of trees. Everyone else followed his example, except for Neemon, who simply blinked in puzzlement. Kouji got to his feet, reaching for the Staff and clutching it defensively.
"All right, whoever you are," he barked. "We know you're there, so come out and show yourself. If you're not looking for trouble, we won't do you any harm. Otherwise, you'll have the Legendary Warriors to contend with!"
There was a long pause. Then, finally, Witchmon came shuffling guiltily out of the shadows, her hands folded behind her back. Everyone relaxed.
"Oh, it's just you again," said Kouichi, relaxing. "We thought it was someone dangerous."
Witchmon pouted. "I am dangerous. I'm a trusted servant of Lady Lilithmon."
"You have a twig in your hair," said Izumi.
"Hm? Oh." Witchmon ran her fingers through her hair and pulled out a clump of pine needles. "Gee. Where did that come from?"
"So, what are you doing here this time?" asked Kouji, still tensed. "Looking for trouble, as usual, I'm sure."
"No!" said Witchmon. "Well, not exactly. I mean... I'm already in trouble, and I didn't think I could get into any more, so..."
"Spit it out already!" Takuya interjected.
Witchmon's face fell. Slowly, she brought her hands into view. They were clutching the splintered remains of her broomstick, which had been snapped in two, presumably after a high-speed collision with something.
"It broke," she said.
"We can see that," said Tomoki. "What happened? Did your brakes give out?"
"It doesn't exactly have breaks," Witchmon said indistinctly. "It's just... I was going around a corner... and I couldn't see what was up ahead... and I guess I took it too fast..."
"And you had a wreck," Takuya finished. "Kinda reminds me of the first time someone convinced me to get on a skateboard."
"So why come to us?" Junpei asked. "We're not exactly on friendly terms, are we?"
"I know," said Witchmon guiltily, "but I couldn't think of anything else to do. I mean, I could tell Wisemon, but he'd just yell at me, and I'd get in trouble with Lilithmon again, and I don't want to do that again."
There was genuine fear in her eyes as she spoke. Kouichi sighed.
"Put that thing down," he said to Kouji, gesturing at the Staff. "She's not going to attack us."
"What makes you so sure?" Kouji asked, but he did put it down.
In a low voice, Kouichi replied, "Anyone who is more afraid of her allies than her enemies deserves our pity."
Kouji shook his head. "Okay, okay. But I'm still keeping an eye on her."
"So we're going to help her?" asked Tomoki.
"It looks like it," said Izumi, not entirely approvingly, "though I can't imagine how. It's not like any of us have any spare magical brooms in our pockets... or even ordinary ones."
"Yeah, that's not exactly the kind of magic I can do," Junpei said.
There was a pause. Then Takuya said, "I have some duct tape."
Everyone looked at him.
"Duct... tape?" repeated Bokomon, as if Takuya was speaking a foreign language. "And what, pray tell, is that?"
"Oh, come on!" said Takuya. "Don't they have duct tape in the Digital World? Geez, how do you get by without it?"
"I don't know," answered Neemon honestly. "What is it?"
"It's... it's duct tape!" Takuya said. "You can fix anything with duct tape. Even magic brooms, maybe."
Witchmon's face lit up. "Really? You think so?"
"We can give it a try," said Takuya. "Hey, Tomoki - come here and give me a hand, would you?"
"Sure," Tomoki said.
Takuya raided his bag and victoriously produced a fat roll of silver tape. Tomoki collected the shards of the broomstick from Witchmon, and the two boys settled down on a clear patch of ground to consult with each other on the best strategy for fixing it. Witchmon watched for a while, but her attention span was not very long, and she quickly lost interest and began wandering idly around the campsite. The children, who were naturally keeping a close eye on her, were surprised to find her gravitating towards Neemon. He wasn't normally very conversational, but he seemed to like Witchmon for some reason, and the two of them were soon chatting sociably. Bokomon looked mildly jealous.
"You two seem to be hitting it off," said Kouichi to Witchmon.
"I like Neemons," said Witchmon. "I used to be one, before I evolved."
Neemon looked mildly shocked.
"Really?" asked Kouichi.
She nodded. "Yes. Lilithmon had to do all kinds of things to make sure I'd evolve properly. It wasn't very much fun."
Kouichi looked from Witchmon's blank, innocent expression, then looked at Neemon, and looked back at her again.
"You know," he said slowly, "I almost see the resemblance."
"You mean Neemon might evolve into something like her?" asked Junpei.
Neemon squeaked and looked dismayed. Bokomon shrugged.
"It's been known to happen," he said.
Neemon looked suspiciously at Witchmon, as if he thought she might be contagious. Izumi giggled.
"I don't wanna turn into a girl," he muttered.
"I don't see why not," Izumi teased. "It might be an improvement!"
"There!" said Takuya proudly. "All done!"
Tomoki illustrated by holding up Witchmon's broom. It was now in one piece, and most of its shaft had been wound about with silver tape. It gleamed dully in the sunlight. Witchmon picked it up and studied it, a smile spreading across her face. When she let it loose, it hovered a few feet off the ground, bobbing gently as if it floated on water. She beamed.
"You fixed it!" she said. "And now I won't get splinters from it anymore."
"I think we improved it," said Tomoki, admiring his handiwork. He'd always been good at putting things back together.
"Looks good," Junpei agreed. "Kind of high-tech."
"Thank you so much," said Witchmon. "I don't know how to thank you."
"I suppose telling your friends to leave us alone and mind their own business be too much to ask?" said Kouji dryly.
Witchmon blushed. "Sorry. It wouldn't work. Nobody listens to me, anyway."
"What do they want with us, anyway?" asked Takuya. "If you'd leave us alone, we'd leave you alone. We aren't looking for trouble."
"That doesn't make any difference," said Witchmon. "Lilithmon wants you stopped - and I don't really know why, so don't bother asking."
"So basically you're trying to kill us because someone you don't even like told you to, for reasons you don't understand," Kouji summed up. "Does anyone but me think that's stupid?"
"I have an obligation," said Witchmon. "Wisemon's my brother - I have to obey him. And Lilithmon took me in and taught me magic, and I have to do what she says, because... oh, you just don't understand!"
She leaped onto her broomstick and shot off into the sky, with Cat clinging desperately to the end. The others watched her in startled silence.
"And that, Kouji," said Takuya at last, "is why you've never had a girlfriend."
"Oh, shut up," said Kouji. "Anyway, neither have you."
"Yeah, but I never sent a girl running off crying."
"You be quiet," said Kouichi. "It wasn't Kouji's fault. She was keyed up to begin with. It probably took all the courage she had just to come here and ask us for help."
"I wonder what she's really afraid of," Tomoki murmured. "Us? Or that Lilithmon?"
"I'm really starting to wonder about that woman," Kouji said. "If she's that bad to have on your side, I don't like to think what she'd be like as an enemy."
"Personally, I know all I want to know about her," said Takuya, "and I don't feel like getting to know her any better. Besides, if the worst she has to send at us are people like Witchmon, we're probably safe."
"Witchmon seems to thinks she's a serious threat," Izumi pointed out.
Takuya brushed the comment away. "A six year old kid with a slingshot would be a serious threat to Witchmon. Personally, I'm not going to wear myself out worrying about something until I see a real reason to worry."
"I sure hope you're right," said Junpei. "You do realize we're sitting ducks out here. If something feels like jumping out and attacking us..."
Kouji sighed. "I wish you hadn't said that."
Wisemon walked contemplatively through the dungeons. They weren't as crowded as they had been in the old days, which was a shame. It would have been so much easier to send out a small army, or perhaps just a band of highly trained assassins, and have done with this. As it was, it was hard finding decent warriors individually, and it would be too much to hope that he could find any that would be willing to work together. He peered through the barred doors at the cells' occupants, wishing he had more to choose from.
I can't send just anyone. I need something very particular... something just strong enough to be a challenge, or Lillithmon will think I'm shirking my duty... but my duty is to see her return to glory, and she will never do that unless she leaves this place. So I must choose someone strong... but not too strong.
He walked slowly, mentally taking stock of each creature he passed. Many of the cells were empty. Some of the inhabitants were crazed and broken things, of no use for any work save to provide power to Lilithmon's spells when their time came to die. Others were too clever, too vicious... too much like Wisemon himself, really, just sitting in the dark and biding their time while they waited for their day to come again. Wisemon ticked them off, one by one: too strong, too small, too stupid, too proud...
His ruminations were disrupted by a sudden blow to his back. Wisemon staggered, but he was more taken off-guard than hurt. He turned around and glared, his yellow eyes narrowing to slits, and saw something go skittering through the darkness.
"Come back here!" Wisemon snapped.
The thing didn't stop moving of its own accord, but it didn't have to. Wisemon made a quick gesture and flung a ball of light at the moving target. It stopped so suddenly that it lost its balance and fell over. Wisemon marched to its side and stared down at it. It twitched feebly, but the spell that had immobilized it would take some time to wear off.
"Boogeymon," said Wisemon distastefully. "I had no idea you were still down here."
The Boogeymon whimpered and made incoherent noises, but the immobilization spell seemed to be hampering its ability to talk. Wisemon simply sighed. That was the problem with building warrens like this - it attracted vermin. Boogeymon had never been one of Lilithmon's servants, but it had been drawn to this dark, dank place, with its many captives to torment. From time to time, someone would make a halfhearted effort to chase him out, but he was usually back within the month, so eventually they'd all gotten tired of the job and just let him stay down there. He didn't do any harm, but it was annoying to have him jump out at one when he was least expected. After listening to it whimper and moan for a while, Wisemon loosened his spell a bit, just enough that it could move slowly. It sat up carefully and shook its head.
"What'd you hafta to that for?" it whined. "I was just having a little fun. Cantcha take a joke?"
"No," said Wisemon. "You should know that by now. How many times have I told you not to bother me while I'm busy?"
"You didn't look busy," Boogeymon protested.
"Well, I am," Wisemon snapped. "I am always busy. Furthermore, I am quite tired of your foolish pranks. Important things are happening, and they do not include you."
"Aww, but I'm bored," Boogeymon whined. "We never have any fun around here."
"Our purpose is not to have fun," said Wisemon. "At any rate, whatever our purpose is, it does not include you... unless..." He looked down at Boogeymon, evaluating him with new eyes. Boogeymon attempted to back away, but his clumsy limbs betrayed him, and he fell over. Wisemon loomed over him, eyes glinting.
"Whatcha looking at me like that for?" asked Boogeymon nervously.
"You say you are bored," Wisemon answered. "You say you want to have some fun. Perhaps you want to do us a favor, is that it? You want to join in our great cause?"
"Er... come to think of it, I'd probably just get in the way..."
"Oh, no," said Wisemon, grinning wickedly. "I think you're just what I need. Relatively powerful, expendable, and idiotic. Just what I needed."
"Expendable?" Boogeymon repeated. "I don't like the sound of that..."
"Congratulations. You've been recruited," said Wisemon. "You are going to join our glorious armies of darkness, in a position of great honor. You should be proud."
"Why?"
"Because," Wisemon answered, "you are going to have the privilege of battling the Legendary Warriors. Most likely you will die, but it will be for a noble cause. Hold still."
Boogeymon made a frantic effort to do anything but hold still, but he was completely in Wisemon's power. He dimly saw a snaking line of light moving in the shadows of the dungeon, or perhaps a series of lights, as if uncountable red fireflies were moving in a row. The movement was hypnotic, and he slowly relaxed, staring fixedly at the chain of lights as they wove their way closer and closer and began twining almost lovingly around his limbs... Then he realized what was happening. He had time for a strangled shriek before his world vanished into red haze.
The sun was setting. Kouji had the feeling that the daylight hours were getting shorter with every passing day. It was probably true, considering that it was autumn of the Digital year, but the fact that it was natural didn't do anything to make him feel better. He had the paranoid suspicion that the cold mountains were blocking out the last shreds of sunlight, bringing on night that much more quickly. He found his eyes irresistibly drawn to the globe of pink light that was dipping behind the jagged peaks.
"It's getting dark," he murmured.
"Yep," said Takuya. "It does that this time of day."
"Very funny," said Kouji.
"Well, that's what you get for stating the obvious."
Kouichi, who had been in the process of trying to rekindle their campfire, copied his brother's example and gazed off towards the sunset.
"You're right," he said. "It is getting dark..."
"Oh, don't you start spacing out on us, too!" Takuya complained.
"Spacing out?" Tomoki repeated. He gave both brothers a keen look. Both of them were looking at the sun with an expression that said you probably could have shot off a cannon without distracting either of them. "You know, maybe when Kouji and Kouichi start spacing out and talking about darkness, maybe we should listen to them?"
"Oh, geez," said Junpei. "I forgot about that stuff. I'm not used to everyone being psychic all of a sudden."
"Not psychic," said Kouji absently. "I'm just looking at the sunset, that's all... I don't want the sun to go down."
"Okay, this is getting officially creepy," said Takuya. "Come on, man, snap out of it."
Izumi got up and stood between the two brothers, laying a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Kouji? Kouichi? Is something bad coming?" she asked carefully.
Kouichi was the first to snap out of his daze.
"I don't know," he answered. "I don't know if something bad is coming. I just know it's going to get dark very soon."
"And maybe we don't want to be here when it happens," Kouji finished. His eyes seemed to clear, and he glanced around the campsite like a general giving a surprise inspection. "Suddenly I don't feel like spending another night here. We didn't have any choice yesterday, but when you think about it, this really isn't the most defensible location."
The others looked around. The area was little more than a flattish portion of land where two trails converged into one, with a few scraggly trees growing off to one side. It was bounded on either side by steep slopes, and there wasn't a lot of room to hide or dodge, should something unpleasant come along. A few people looked guilty.
"Perhaps we should think about moving on while there's still a little light?" asked Kouichi. "We've rested all day, and there should be some moonlight a little later on. We could probably make it a good distance before we have to stop and rest again."
"Some of us could," said Tomoki.
All eyes turned to Junpei. An expression of defiance crossed his face, and he managed to half- sit so he could glare back at them.
"I can make it," he said. "I feel a lot better, really!"
"Well enough for a hike?" asked Kouji, a shadow of concern on his face. "I've been over the path ahead - it's pretty rough."
"I'll make it," said Junpei stubbornly. "I've had all day and all night to heal up. I'll be fine. Just... could somebody help me up?"
"Guess we'd better," said Takuya.
He and Kouichi stepped forward and gripped Junpei by his outstretched arms.
"Upsidaisy!" said Kouichi.
"Heavy daisy," Takuya muttered.
"That was uncalled for," said Izumi.
"Oh, yeah? Then you carry him," Takuya replied.
Izumi tossed her hair. "I carried him yesterday, all the way down that road, and all by myself. If a little slip of a thing like me can do it, so can you."
Takuya sighed. "Okay. Note to self: do not try to win an argument where Izumi is involved."
"That's right. Now you're learning," she said.
"I learned that a long time ago," said Junpei. He stretched carefully. Lying in one place all day on the hard earth was fine and dandy if what you wanted was stiff muscles. He suspected that if he'd stayed there much longer, he would have set up like cement. The others watched him for a moment, but as he showed no immediate signs of collapsing again, they seemed to decide he was all right for the time being.
"Okay, troops, let's roll out," said Takuya. "Grab your bags and let's hike."
There was a scramble to obey. Despite the worried glances from his friends, Junpei insisted on carrying his own things. In the last remnants of daylight, they buried the remains of their campfire and struck out down the path.
It was perhaps unfortunate that things turned out to be just as Kouji had said they'd be. For the first half-mile or so, the trail was relatively smooth. Beyond that point, it began sloping downward, and the ground became rougher. At times, the slope was broken up into something like uneven steps, difficult to navigate in the growing twilight. Broken chunks of rock littered the path, and here and there, a stubborn tree extended its roots across the way, adding not only the possibility of tripping but throwing deep shadows on the already dimly lit ground. The moons had not yet risen high enough that they were able to do any good - only the smallest of the three was visible, casting pale light that did little more than give an outline to the darkness. Even Kouichi's night vision was no help. He could clearly see the juts and loose stones, but he couldn't guard his friends against every possible misstep. Izumi withdrew the Star and held it out, but it gave only a wan glow, no more light than could illuminate her cupped hands.
"Are we likely to find anywhere to hide in this?" asked Tomoki. The mirror he carried shimmered faintly in the moonlight, and an image of a black cat appeared briefly before turning back into a reflection of stars and black sky. Tomoki, however, was not looking at it very hard, and took no notice of it.
"There should be a small valley at the bottom of this slope," said Bokomon. "Very narrow, but better than the trails. I believe there's a rest stop within ten miles of here."
"That's almost walking distance," Kouichi observed.
Takuya laughed faintly. "Back home, it wouldn't be."
"We won't get there tonight," said Kouji. He was scanning the sky, looking vaguely worried. "Not at this rate. I hope there will at least be some tree cover. I'm starting to get antsy."
"I'm feeling it, too," said Kouji. "Something is definitely coming... in the shadows."
"Oh, heck," said Takuya, summing up everyone's feelings succinctly. "I wasn't ready to have another fight yet."
"You might have to get ready," said Izumi grimly. "Do you hear that?"
The others did not hear it - not at first, anyway. Then the night wind carried to them the faint sound of laughter, a high-pitched cackle. All eyes turned skyward, just in time to see a shadow flit overhead, darker than the night sky, blotting out the light of the stars. The children tensed. The Digimon ducked behind a nearby rock, and Bokomon put his book over his head and closed his eyes.
A moment later, the shadow passed overhead again, and this time it did not pass on, but began circling over them. Then it seemed to make up its mind, and it dropped with a sudden whoosh.
It came as rather a surprise. The humans found themselves relaxing ever so slightly, lulled by the very familiarity of it, not to mention the silliness. It looked like a cartoonist's impression of a devil, complete with red skin, rudimentary bat wings, stubby horns, a long tail with an arrowhead point at the end, and a pitchfork. It leered at them, showing off a set of shiny square teeth.
"Well?" said Takuya. "What are you supposed to be? I've seen some dumb-looking monsters, but you take the cake."
The monster blinked, as if things were not exactly going as it had expected.
"What's cake got to do with it?" he demanded. "I didn't take any cake."
Kouji grimaced, stricken by a bout of embarrassment at being in contact with this creature.
"Lilithmon is really scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one," he muttered. "Let's take this again. We're the Legendary Warriors. What are you?"
"That's none of your beeswax," said the red devil, "but since you ask, I'm a Boogeymon."
"Oh, great," said Junpei. "I suppose you hide under people's beds? Or maybe you just come after them if you don't eat your vegetables."
"My mom always told me the boogeyman would get me if I stayed up too late," said Tomoki.
Takuya scratched his head. "I thought it was for talking with your mouth full. Or maybe it was playing with fire."
"Must have been staying up late," Kouichi deadpanned. "All right, Boogeymon, what is it you want from us? We don't want any trouble, but if you're looking for a fight, you're outmatched."
"You think?" asked Boogeymon. "Well, maybe I am and maybe I ain't, but the truth is, I don't have a choice. I've been sent to deal with you kids, and that's what I'm gonna do. Ruby Eye!"
His glinting dark eyes suddenly flashed scarlet, and there was a spray of red lights that ricocheted off the stone walls like bullets. The children did their best to dodge, but there was no escaping the bolts. Every one that struck vanished without a trace, but they burned where they struck as if they were blots of scalding-hot water. There were yelps and hisses from the humans; while the lights did little more than leave pink burn-marks on their skin, the pain was intense.
"Ha! You like that, huh?" Boogeymon jeered. "You ain't seen nothin', yet!"
"Something tells me fighting this thing up close isn't going to work," Kouichi muttered.
"Something tells me fighting this thing at all isn't going to work," said Takuya. Tears were streaming down one cheek; one of the red lights had struck him in the eye, and he was nearly blinded by it.
"Right. Time for a strategic retreat," said Kouji. "Come on, you two."
Kouji grabbed Bokomon by one arm, who latched on to Neemon in panic, and the two of them were dragged along behind Kouji like the tail of a kite. The rest of the humans followed after him in varying degrees of haste.
"You can't get away from me!" Boogeymon shouted after them. "I have wings, you know!"
"Yeah, how about brains?" Izumi shouted back at him, and regretted it, as another volley of sparks shot at her. Fortunately, she had already moved out of range. She and the others disappeared around a bend in the road.
"Well, now what do we do?" asked Takuya irritably. "Run back and forth until we're caught and roasted?"
"If you've got anything useful in mind, feel free to share," Kouji snapped.
"Arguing won't help," said Tomoki. "Maybe we can find a place to hide?"
"Where the heck are we going to find a place to hide?" Takuya snapped. Tomoki flinched, and Takuya grimaced. "Sorry. I didn't mean to - but we're in a jam, and I don't know what we're going to do about it."
"Uh, guys?" That was Junpei's voice; something about his tone made everyone turn to look at him. "I don't wanna complain, but..."
The light was still not very strong, but it was strong enough now to cast a bluish glow over the world. Colors were dulled and darkened, making it appear as if a black stain was spreading over Junpei's shirt.
"You're bleeding!" Izumi exclaimed.
He looked guilty.
"Okay, this is bad," said Kouichi. "We can't run, and we can't fight. What are we going to do?"
"There's got to be someplace we can hide," said Tomoki. "We've just got to find it before Boogeymon finds us."
"Where?" asked Takuya.
There was a flash. All eyes turned to the Star of Guidance, which was just now glowing brilliantly. A pencil-thin shaft of light shot from it, angling towards some point further ahead.
"Oh," said Takuya. "Well, then... I guess we go that way."
"Can you make it?" Kouichi asked Junpei.
"I made it this far," he answered grimly.
They scrambled up the path as fast as they could go. The beam of light became thicker and stronger the further they went, as if it were something elastic that was gradually contracting. Eventually, they drew near a narrow crack in the stone walls. It was so well concealed by a double-bend that they had missed it in the dark. Now it looked like the gates of heaven, and they squeezed through gratefully. Deeper into the crack, the gap above their heads closed up, forming a narrow cave, just wide enough that they might walk in pairs of two, if they were so inclined. The light from the Star dimmed, but did not go out entirely. She eyed it thoughtfully.
"Well, I guess this spot is as safe as any," said Takuya, looking around at the damp gray walls.
"It had better be," said Kouji.
Junpei didn't say anything, but simply slumped to the ground and closed his eyes, one hand over the gash on his chest. A few of the others watched him worriedly.
"I wonder how far back this cave goes?" said Tomoki, peering into the shadows.
"A very long way."
Everyone jumped. A voice had come out of the darkness. It was female, familiar, and more than a little sulky. Even as they watched, a black cat trotted into the light, followed shortly afterwards by Witchmon herself.
"What are you doing here?" asked Kouji.
"Hiding," she said. "What are you doing here?"
"Hiding," said Takuya.
"Oh," she said. "What a coincidence."
"Dare I ask what you're hiding from?" Kouji asked her. "Was it something in particular, or is the world just getting you down?"
"Um," she said. She appeared to be having trouble dealing with more than one question at once. "Well, I ran away, and I was spotted by a flock of Sheepmon, and they must not have liked me much, because they started shooting at me, so I hid in this crack, and then I guess I must have fell asleep or something. And then I woke up and you were here. Did the Sheepmon chase you, too?"
"No," said Kouichi. "We haven't seen any Sheepmon today. We're on the run with a Boogeymon. I've never met a Sheepmon, so I can't be sure, but I think the Boogeymon is probably worse."
"Oh! We used to have one of those in our basement," said Witchmon. "Wisemon never liked him much. We kept chasing him out, and he'd always come back."
"I wonder if it's the same one?" asked Tomoki of no one in particular.
"But that can't be right," Witchmon persisted. "Boogeymon aren't very strong. Even I can scare them away if I really, really work at it. You're Legendary Warriors - you ought to be able to fight it off."
"It's not quite that easy," said Izumi.
"Why not?"
"Our friend is hurt," said Tomoki. "We had to get him to safety, first thing."
"Don't go talking about that," said Kouji. "The last thing we need is to tell her everything that's going wrong. She's the enemy, remember?"
Tomoki looked sheepish. "I keep forgetting."
"Who's hurt?" asked Witchmon. "Maybe I can help."
"How are you going to do that?" asked Izumi.
"I can do healing magic," said Witchmon. "I've never tried it on a human, but..."
"Oh, great," Junpei muttered. "Why do I get the feeling I'd be safer back there with the Boogeymon?"
"No, really, I'm good at it! I really, really am!" Witchmon insisted. "Lilithmon and Wisemon haven't trained me in it, but I'm so clumsy, I'm always hurting myself, so I learned how on my own. I never mess up anymore. It's the only thing I can do right."
"You don't say," said Kouji skeptically.
"I do want to help," Witchmon said. "You got me out of trouble this morning. It's only fair."
"Well, I guess it's up to you, Junpei," said Kouichi. "Do you feel like taking the risk?"
Junpei thought it over for a while.
"I guess I don't have much choice," he said. "It's either that or sit here until Boogeymon finds us."
Witchmon brightened. Cat began to purr softly.
"You won't be sorry," she said. "Hold still - this won't hurt a bit."
She held up one hand, and something like a pink, glowing soap bubble rose from her palm. She flicked it in his direction, and it sailed slowly across the room and came to rest on top of his head. It burst with a musical ping, sending drops of light in all directions. For a moment, he glowed pink all over. Then the lights went out. Junpei sat up a little straighter and looked himself over, as if he expected to find an arm or leg had disappeared.
"Did it work?" asked Witchmon expectantly.
"I dunno," he answered. He rolled up the hem of his shirt and looked. The two shallower scratches had vanished without a trace; the deeper one was now no more than a shiny pink scar, almost invisible in the dim light.
"Can't ask for much better than that, can you?" asked Kouichi. "Now you've got a scar to impress the girls with."
Junpei stood up and brushed himself off. "Thanks a million, Witchmon. I owe you one."
"You're welcome," she said, smiling. Then she seemed to remember something. "But don't tell anyone, okay? Wisemon might be mad at me. He's scary when he gets mad."
"Won't tell a soul," Junpei promised.
"Well, I'm glad that's taken care of," said Takuya. "Now we can think about dealing with Boogeymon. Anybody up for a rumble?"
"I'm in," said Junpei. "I've had a bad week and somebody's gotta pay for it."
The boys began heading for the door. They were rather surprised to find Izumi trotting up to join them. She intercepted their puzzled looks, and raised her eyebrow.
"Somebody's got to keep you boys in line," she said.
"You're going to fight them?" asked Kouji worriedly. "I mean, as Digimon?"
"What other choice have we got?" Takuya replied. "I'm willing to give it a try. You guys stay here, and get ready to bail us out in case something goes wrong."
Kouji nodded grimly, running his thumb over the carvings on the Staff.
Takuya set a hand on his friend's shoulder for a moment, then turned and walked out into the cool starlight. A mountain breeze brushed past him, and he felt a chill prickle on his skin. It had been close and stuffy in the cleft, and the night felt even colder by contrast. He glanced to either side of him; Izumi was gazing raptly up at the sky, her hair tossing in the light wind, while Junpei had closed his eyes in an expression of deep concentration.
Inside, Takuya reminded himself. He raised a hand and let it rest over his heart, reaching physically and mentally for the power he knew was there. He'd felt it every day, ever since he'd first drawn the fire into himself and become one with it. It was still there, just waiting for him to need it again. All it would take was the lightest touch to stir that glimmer of power into a blazing inferno...
Heat spread over him suddenly, the delicious feeling of being immersed in a warm rain, invigorating him, and he laughed aloud. He'd forgotten how good this felt, how gloriously free it made him feel. The laugh changed to a victorious howl as Flamon sang his good feelings to the night sky.
He was distracted by a fizzing noise, and he turned in time to see an armored insect of some sort go fluttering into the air, leaving a trail of electric-blue lights in his path. Blurry memories moved around in Flamon's head - he had a vague notion he knew this bug from somewhere.
"Hey, you! Come back here!" he shouted. "You know I can't fly, Mushimon!"
There was a sound of frustration, and Flamon looked to the side in time to see a pixy-like creature roll her eyes and leap into the sky. She intercepted Mushimon's wild flight and crossed her arms.
"Quit fooling around," she told him. "We have work to do."
Mushimon sighed regretfully. "Why does it have to be work? C'mon, Choumon - it's such a nice night..."
"First we work," said Choumon unrelentingly.
"No," said Flamon. "First you two get back on the ground. Then we fight. Choumon's right - there's something bad out tonight. I can smell it." He raised his button nose and sniffed a few times, and then sneezed. "Ugh, it stinks, too."
Mushimon looked a bit disappointed, but he, too, turned in the direction Flamon had been gazing. "You're right, something's up. Nuts. I was up for a little night flying... but I guess we've got to do something about it."
Choumon nodded. "It's why we're here."
"That's right," said Flamon thoughtfully. He looked at his companions. He wasn't sure, right now, how he knew this, but he was sure of it. These two were his companions in battle, and just having them here beside him was enough to make him feel it was time to do his job.
"Let's run!" he said, and sprang up the road.
"It's easier to fly!" said Choumon. She pumped her wings and caught up with him, then sped ahead of him.
"I can beat both of you!" Mushimon declared, and buzzed into the lead.
Flamon flicked his tail in irritation, and then stretched his legs and pushed himself into his fastest run, trying to outstrip the others. After all, there was no reason why they couldn't enjoy themselves until they found the source of the trouble.
Meanwhile, Boogeymon was flapping thoughtfully in the other direction. He had thought to catch up with the children in fairly short order and finish dishing out a thrashing, but he had lost their trail. At this point, he had actually overshot the cleft in the rock and was now almost half a mile away. He had worked out that the group must have hidden somewhere, so he was busy backtracking, scanning the roadside for likely hiding places. From time to time, there would be a flash of fire as he incinerated a likely-looking clump of shrubbery.
"Hey, don't do that!" said a voice. "That's my job!"
Boogeymon looked up. Sitting on the road ahead of him was an odd little creature, something that was rather more than a dog but a bit less than a human. It was sitting on its haunches and looking at him, idly scratching its ear with a hind foot and looking thoroughly unimpressed.
"Hey, don't look at me like that!" said Boogeymon.
"Oh, yeah? Well, how about this?" Flamon replied. He pulled down one eyelid and stuck out his tongue.
"Why, I oughta...!" Boogeymon tossed a burst of red fire at Flamon, who took it without flinching. Flamon yawned.
"Sorry, not good enough," he said. "You were fighting humans before. Now you're fighting fire with fire, and it's not working."
"Well, maybe this will work! Ruby Eye!"
Flamon yelped as he was showered with stinging red lights. He whined and tried to get out of the way, tucking his tail between his legs as he cringed away. As he retreated, he heard a strangled yell, and chanced a look. Mushimon had dive-bombed Boogeymon while he'd been distracted, and the devil-Digimon was clutching at his arm where one of Mushimon's blades had scratched him. While Flamon was staring, Choumon grabbed his mane and began tugging him back towards the fight.
"You aren't bailing out now," she told him.
"But that hurt!" Flamon complained.
"Oh, honestly! Hurt him back!"
"Oh, yeah, right."
Flamon rejoined the fray, with Choumon close behind him. They made it just in time to catch Mushimon as he fell out of the air, and they set him safely on the ground.
"No fair shooting attacks I can't dodge," he complained.
"Two can play at that game," Choumon said. "Papillon Breeze!"
Boogeymon flinched as a wave of razor-sharp scales swirled around him. While he was thus distracted, Flamon breathed out a burst of fire, momentarily engulfing him, and Mushimon followed up with another round of Jolt Jabs. Boogeymon was thrown backwards into the stone wall, and stuck there spread-eagled for a moment before sliding down into a heap on the ground.
"Ha! That'll teach you!" Flamon cheered.
Boogeymon said nothing. He twitched a bit. Laboriously, he hauled himself to a sitting position, then slowly opened his eyes. He raised one hand weakly. Then his hand clenched into a fist, and greenish light flared around it.
"Death Crusher!" he hissed, and Flamon watched the world go black...
Kouji was pacing. The others simply stood back and watched him, feeling more than usual that the wolf in his nature was just barely below the surface. Witchmon, who after all didn't know him very well, was watching him from a safe distance, looking rather intimidated.
"I hate this!" Kouji burst out finally. "I should be out there helping, not cowering in a hole in the wall."
"There isn't much we can do," said Tomoki. "The other three are the only ones up to fighting right now. I know how you feel, though. I'd rather be with Takuya and the others, too."
"I hope they're doing all right," Kouichi said, staring thoughtfully into the shadows. "No matter how confident Takuya is, we still can't count on any of them not getting lost again. If we lost all three of them out here in the middle of nowhere..."
"That's it," said Kouji. "It's stupid just to let them walk off like this. I'm going after them."
He moved swiftly towards the cave's exit, shouldering past his brother and narrowly avoiding tripping over Tomoki as he went.
Kouichi sighed. "Guess we'd better go after him."
"What's wrong with him?" asked Tomoki, wide-eyed with concern and confusion.
"I don't know for sure, but I can guess," Kouichi replied. "After all, I feel the same way. He's not used to being without defense, here in the Digital World. He's been worrying about not being able to evolve anymore."
Tomoki was scrambling to his feet. "But that's nothing to worry about. I can't do it either, but I know I will soon. If Takuya and Junpei and Izumi can do it, so can we."
"I know, I know," said Kouichi, smiling wryly. He reached out a hand to help Tomoki up. "But you try telling Kouji that. See how far you get."
Tomoki thought it over a bit. "You tell him."
"I will, if we can catch him," said Kouichi. "Let's get moving."
Bokomon sighed. "Here we go again. Come on, Neemon!" He snapped the band of Neemon's pants, jolting him to wakefulness; in the dark and quiet, he had fallen asleep.
Witchmon watched the four of them sprinting out of sight. She hesitated a bit, wondering whether it was better to be alone in the dark, or not alone in the dark with one's enemies. Her general inclination to go along with what everyone around her won out, and she scrambled to catch up with the young humans.
Despite the efforts of everyone behind him to catch up, Kouji was still the first to catch sight of the battleground. Actually, what he saw was a flare of green light, and he looked up in time to see a tubular wall of fire spreading out from the side of the mountain and shooting almost twenty feet in the air. A pair of small flying shapes dodged it easily, but Kouji saw a third creature be struck by it and fall senseless to the ground.
"Takuya!" Kouji shouted.
He started to run towards him, only to be intercepted by Choumon. She held up a warning hand.
"Stay back," she said. "This place isn't safe for humans."
"But..." said Kouji helplessly.
"Leave it to us. We'll handle it," she said, and fluttered back to rejoin the fight.
In the background, he saw Mushimon swoop down and scoop up Flamon's unresponsive body and set it on a convenient ledge. Then he joined Choumon in harrying the Boogeymon. Kouji's shoulders slumped in resignation. There was nothing he could do here, after all...
The others were surprised to arrive and find him sitting on the sidelines.
"What are you doing?" asked Tomoki. "Aren't you going to try and help, or something?"
"I think they have it covered," Kouji answered, grimacing. "Izumi just told me off for interfering."
"Then maybe this is just one fight you're going to have to sit out," said Kouichi, as gently as he could. "You can't be the hero in every battle, you know."
Kouji continued to look sullen. He knew there was truth in his brother's words, but the fact of the matter was, he hated feeling so helpless. He knew, deep down, that he belonged on the battlefield, fighting alongside his friends, but he just couldn't seem to find the power that would let him. If only he could evolve... but it was no use. On a night like this, the shadows seemed to lie more thickly than ever, pressing in on him and stifling whatever powers he might have.
He felt an arm resting on his shoulder. He looked up to find that Kouichi was kneeling next to him.
"Believe me," he said, "I know how you feel. For more reasons than one."
Kouji started to say something, and then stopped. Of course Kouichi knew how he felt. Not just because they were twins, but because he'd been there. It had been just after Kouichi had joined the team that Kouji and Takuya had reached their Hyper Evolutions, and Kouichi had been forced to loan his powers to Kouji, while Kouichi himself could do little more than stand by and watch. It had to be difficult to be forced to stand and do nothing just at the moment he wanted to help the most. Kouji had not thought about this very hard before - there had always been more important things going on - but now that it had hit home, he felt like getting off the rock he was sitting on and hiding under it.
"Sorry," he said. "I guess I am being kind of stupid. I just wish I could help. That's not wrong, is it?"
"No," said Kouichi. "Of course it isn't."
There might have been more discussion on this point, if Witchmon hadn't chosen that moment to arrive. She came trotting up the path with her dress and hair streaming out behind her, dragging her broom with one hand and holding her battered hat in place with the other. She drew level with the others and stopped, panting and trying to put herself in order. Cat sat down beside her and began grooming his fur.
"Hi," she said. "What did I miss?"
"Er... well, there's that," said Tomoki, pointing at the fight.
Witchmon looked. She blinked a few times. "Hey, that's Boogeymon."
"You don't say," said Bokomon dryly.
"No, really, it is," she said. "The one who kept hiding in our basement. I recognize the tear in his left wing. Wisemon gave it to him last year, when he broke one of his viewing globes."
Kouji shrugged. "Well, we knew he was one of Lilithmon's anyway."
Witchmon shook her head. "No, no, no. That's not it at all. He's not one of ours. We're always trying to make him go away."
"So he's a pest to all of us, then," said Kouichi. "Great. I don't suppose you'd consider helping us get rid of him?"
Witchmon looked thoughtful for a moment, her face creasing in desperate thought. Then she shrugged.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt..." she said. "It's not like Wisemon and Lilithmon like him, either. They might be glad if I helped make him go away. Okay! I'll give it a try!"
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, holding her hands out in front of her.
"Aquari Pressure!" she intoned.
Nothing happened.
"What?" she yelped. "No! What's wrong? Why won't it worrrrk?"
Kouji clapped his hands over his ears. "Stop whining!"
Witchmon scowled. She rolled up her sleeves, made a dramatic flourish, and tried again. "Aquari Pressure! Aquari Pressure! Work, darnit!"
There was the faintest of ripples. Boogeymon staggered a bit as the ripple of force washed over him, and then shrugged it off, as if nothing worse than a strong wind had struck him.
It was enough. In that moment of distraction, Flamon sat up, shook himself, and realized that his enemy was, for whatever reason, slightly off-balance. He sprang from the ledge and plummeted like a fiery meteor, and Boogeymon was engulfed in flames. Flamon sprang from the inferno, looking none the worse for wear. The flames flickered and flashed a moment longer, and then a ring of data emerged from them, wrapped itself into an egg, and sailed away into the night. Flamon preened.
"And that takes care of that!" said Mushimon.
"I did more than you did!" Flamon said.
Choumon shook her head. "You mean the bit where you passed out, and Mushimon had to save your hide?"
"Oh. Did I do that?" he said. "Thanks, Mushimon. I guess I owe you."
"Don't mention it," said the bug-warrior graciously.
"Hey, I helped, too, you know!" Witchmon piped up.
The three Digimon looked at her.
"Where did you come from?" Mushimon asked.
"I can't tell you that," she protested. "You're not supposed to know."
Flamon trotted closer to her, causing Cat to slick his ears back and growl faintly.
"Who are you?" he asked. "Are you on our side, or our enemies?"
Witchmon appeared taken aback by that question. After thinking it over, she answered tentatively, "Both?"
"What are you talking about? You can't be both," said Mushimon. "Try to be both, and you'll wind up being everyone's enemy."
"But... I'm not..." said Witchmon, looking hurt.
"Don't pick on her," Choumon said. "I don't think she understands."
Witchmon shook her head. "No. I usually don't."
"Well, it's not our problem," said Flamon. "We've got better things to do. Come on - let's get out of here."
"I hear that," said Mushimon. He spread his wings and began rising into the air. Choumon fluttered after him, and Flamon began running along in their shadow.
"Hey, wait, come back!" Tomoki shouted.
"Oh, no you don't! Not this time!" Kouji shouted. "Come back! Now!"
They halted instantly. No one could stand up to an order from Kouji - not while the Staff of Order was in his hands. Slowly, reluctantly, like fish being reeled in on a line, they returned to where they'd started. They glared at Kouji, but he did not release his hold.
"What'd you do that for?" Mushimon demanded. "You have no right! You're just a human. We're elemental warriors."
"I did it because I had no choice," said Kouji. "You can't leave until you remember who you are."
"That's stupid," Flamon protested. "I know who I am. I'm Flamon."
Kouichi sighed. "Here we go again. Why does this keep happening? They ought to remember us, by now."
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Choumon. "What do you mean 'by now'? Have we met before?"
"This is more serious than I thought," said Kouichi.
Tomoki appeared to be in deep thought. His eyes lit up suddenly, and he reached for the Pool of Knowledge.
"Maybe this will help!" he said. "Mirrors always tell you important stuff in fairy tales and things."
"This isn't a fairy tale," said Kouji, "but I guess it can't hurt to try."
Tomoki nodded. He held up the mirror, bringing it close enough that Flamon could see his own reflection in it.
"Look," Tomoki said. "What do you see?"
"I see my reflection. What else would I..." Flamon didn't get to finish speaking before his reflection disappeared, and was replaced by an image of Takuya's face. Then that picture began to warp, changing into something that was somewhere between the two. Flamon recoiled.
"What the heck?" he exclaimed.
"What did you see?" asked Mushimon, hovering closer. The mirror obligingly showed him a distortion of his own reflection. He too backed away, dismayed by the uncanny mixing of his own armored face with his human form's friendly features.
Choumon came forward and took the mirror in her hands. She gazed steadily into it for a moment, her pretty features creasing as she contemplated whatever she was seeing.
"I know what this is," she said. "Almost. I can't quite get my mind around it. But... I think I'm supposed to be human. Something has gone wrong, though..."
"You can change back," said Kouichi, trying to be reassuring. "You did it before without even trying."
She frowned. "I don't remember how. I was too busy thinking about other things."
"Last time, Takuya and Junpei did it by thinking about what it's like to be human," Tomoki piped up.
Flamon tilted his head. "Well, if you think it will work..."
He closed his eyes and forced himself to think about being human, about having hands and feet instead of paws, about losing his horns and tail. He shook his head and sighed.
"It's no good," he said. "I can't remember. I don't remember what it feels like."
"Then try something different," Kouji urged.
Choumon looked up, her eyes lighting. "I've got it. Don't think about being human shaped. Think about really being who you were before. Whatever was important to you. That's how I changed back, last time. I wasn't thinking about me, I was thinking about trying to help someone I cared about."
"You can help us out now by turning back into yourself," said Tomoki.
Flamon nodded agreeably. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to remember. Why was he trying to be human, anyway? What did he have to change back for? Gradually, images surfaced in his mind. He thought of playing video games with his little brother and soccer with his school team. He thought about his parents chatting with each other over their morning coffee. He thought about his friends - his scuffles with Kouji and bickering with Izumi, Tomoki's unquenchable curiosity, Junpei's eternal good nature, and Kouichi's selflessness. He smiled. There was, after all, quite a lot to be human for. He opened his eyes and looked around. The others - Junpei and Izumi among them - were watching him curiously.
"It took you a lot longer that time," said Tomoki. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," said Takuya, a little weakly. "That's a lot harder than it looks, you know."
"That was interesting," said Witchmon. "I didn't get to watch, last time."
"Oh, you're still here?" Junpei commented. He shook himself. "Never mind, of course you were."
"I'm starting to have second thoughts about this evolution bit," said Kouji. "Whatever's causing it, it really messes with your brain."
"You can say that again," said Junpei, looking unusually serious. "I don't know if I want to do this anymore."
"There's got to be a way," Izumi declared. "There has to be, and we'll figure it out."
"I don't know," said Takuya. "The image in the mirror... I wasn't just turning into a Digimon, I was becoming one. What if one day we do this, and we can't change back?"
There was an uneasy silence. When it was finally broken, it was by Witchmon.
"Well, I guess I'd better be getting home. Or something," she said.
"Nice seeing you," said Kouichi. "Have a nice trip."
"Thanks," she said. She hesitated a moment, and then said, "You should go home, too."
"Sorry, but we've got a long way to go before we're ready to go home," Takuya answered.
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," Witchmon said. "Things are just going to get worse the further you go. You've already found three Artifacts. That's plenty. Nobody will blame you if you don't find them all. Just... take what you've got and go home, where it's safe. You're nice people, and I don't... I don't want anything to happen to you, okay? Just - just go home."
And with that, she mounted her broom and took off. The others watched her go.
"You know, I think she means it," said Junpei.
"What if she's right?" asked Izumi. "What if we would be better off going home?"
"We'd have been safer giving up and going home last time," said Takuya. "We'd have been safe for a little while, and then Lucemon would have shown up and wrecked everything."
"But it's not like that this time," said Kouji. "The world isn't depending on us now. We're just kind of doing this... because we can."
Junpei pointed at the Staff. "So you want to leave that lying around for someone else to find?"
Kouji colored slightly. "Well, no."
"I don't see where there's any point in arguing about it," said Bokomon. "The important thing is, we're in the middle of nowhere, and we're almost out of food. Let's go somewhere other than here, and you can worry about what to do next when you get there."
"That's about the most sensible thing I've heard all day," said Junpei. "It's no good starving out here in the mountains."
"I guess you're right," said Takuya. "Come on, let's make some tracks while there's still moonlight."
He trudged down the trail, wishing there had been a better alternative. He was tired, and also slightly worried, and it did not put him in a good mood for traveling. He wished he could take Witchmon's advice, but his most basic nature resisted. He had started this quest, and he was not going to leave it half-finished, no matter how hard it turned out to be. He sighed softly as he listened to the others fall into step behind him. If there was one thing that could be said for questing, it was that it gave him a lot to think about.
It was very late when Wisemon found his sister hiding in her room. She was just sitting, staring thoughtfully at the wavering light of her lamp, and had been for some time. Wisemon stood there for a moment, waiting to see if she would notice him. She did not. He cleared his throat, and she jumped.
"Pay more attention," said Wisemon. "If I had been an enemy, you could have been destroyed."
"Sorry. I was thinking," she answered sheepishly.
"That is no excuse. You are not supposed to think. You leave thinking to Liltihmon and me."
"Sorry," she said again. She hesitated, and then said, "Have you been... watching me?"
"Yes," Wisemon replied. "You've been unusually active tonight, I must say."
Witchmon blushed. "I'm so sorry, Wisemon, I don't know what came over me, I know they're our enemies, but they're always so nice to me, and-"
Wisemon held up one hand, stemming the flow of chatter. "I understand. There is no need to explain. I blame myself for not thinking more carefully about your needs. Of course a young lady such as yourself desires companionship. It is perfectly understandable that you would gravitate to these people."
"You're not angry?" asked Witchmon hopefully.
"No, of course not. I would not see my sister lonely and unhappy. By all means, continue your association with them. Just be careful you don't let anything slip."
"I won't, I promise," said Witchmon. "But... they're our enemies, aren't they? I can't be on both sides at once."
"Who told you that?"
"They did."
Wisemon shook his head. "Well, I am sure they are great warriors, and wise in their way, but I am much older than they are, and have more experience with the ways of the world. You listen to me. You can be on as many sides as you like, as long as they have some common interests. For example, Lilithmon does not wish to fight these children, and the surely do not want to be destroyed. It is to both parties' advantage if they never meet."
"Oh," said Withcmon. "How do I do that?"
"Just keep doing what you've been doing. Watch them closely, get to know them, and then report back to me. I'll take care of the difficult part." He patted her shoulder. "Don't you worry. Leave everything to me."
"Oh, thank you, Wisemon," she said. "I should have known you'd have an answer."
"Of course. That's what I'm here for," he said. "You get some rest. You seem to have a tiring day."
He put a touch of magic behind the words, and Witchmon started yawning almost before he was done speaking. She leaned back on her bed and closed her eyes, nodding drowsily, and was asleep within seconds. Wisemon slipped out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him.
This is working out even better than I had planned, he thought smugly. For once, Witchmon had done him a favor - more than one, in fact. As long as these humans were convinced that Witchmon was their friend, they would gladly tell her all about themselves, never suspecting that she would be passing this information to someone who would gladly use such knowledge to destroy them. They couldn't know, because she wouldn't know. Of course, they would probably get suspicious eventually, when they realized their enemies knew their every move before they made it, and they would naturally blame Witchmon and turn on her. Not only would it be a valuable aid in defeating them when the time came, but it would possibly teach Witchmon a lesson in trying to make friends.
In the meantime, it was enough that Boogeymon had been dealt with. He really was going to have to thank Witchmon for that; for a moment, he had been worried that even the three Warriors together would not be able to manage him. Now the way was clear for Lilithmon to make her first offensive move in ages. With that pleasant thought in mind, he glided down the hall to deliver the news.