Aw! I so sorry I haven't updated this story! It's been months! I'm so very very sorry. Gomen-kudasai.
Between being grounded, and vactions, and my birthday, and my dive trip, and my additional certifications... it just completly slipped my mind that I had a story to finish.

So I can't apologize enough, and I hope I didn't lose any readers.

Disclaimer: I do not own digimon.

Though the Eyes of Friendship
Chapter 7

Koji was now pacing, and his expression would have been the envy of any thundercloud. Kouichi watched his brother, convinced that any minute now he would explode, verbally if not physically. They were out of options. With little or no equipment, four solid walls and a high-energy barrier, there appeared to be no way of escape.

Zoe glanced across at Tommy. He looked distraught, lost, confused even, and was sitting in the corner of the room staring vacantly at the floor. Kouichi was standing by the archway, watching the corridor. Zoe walked over and slid down the wall to sit next to the youngest digidestined. Tommy looked up as Zoey joined him and smiled vaguely, almost immediately returning his gaze to the floor. "We'll find him. We have to," she murmured more to herself than to poor scared Tommy.

"Koji," Kouichi's warning tone drew everyone's attention.

The leader of the Aciesmon had appeared at the archway and, before anyone could say anything, he raised his hand to touch the energy barrier. The force field sparked briefly and then disappeared. "Come," He said, indicating that the Confused teens should follow him.

J.P. and Tommy, and Zoe were on their feet and standing beside Koji before the Aciesmon had finished speaking.

Koji glowered at the digimon, unsure if he should follow him or rip his head off. The object of his anger must have understood the human's look because he took a tentative step backwards and added, "Your friend needs your help."

Koji's expression changed, "Takuya?" He stepped menacingly towards the native, "Where is he?"

The Aciesmon scuttled down the corridor glad to be moving away from the tall huma, "This way."

Koji followed, the team close on his heels, and the Aciesmon led them from their building, across a small courtyard into another similar stone building.

The main room of the house was simply furnished and in the far corner, on a simple wooden bed, lay Takuya's still form, a growling, frothing fur ball of a German Shepherd guarding him.

A gasped shock was collected from everyone in the room. Scaff immediately stopped his display of aggression and enthusiastically greeted his care taker, glad to be relieved of responsibility. "Good boy, Scaff," Zoe said and then the group cautiously walked towards Takuya, afraid of what they would find. "Takuya?" Tommy asked.

Koji had had enough. He reached out and grabbed the digimon, "What the hell have you done to him now?"

The Aciesmon jabbered nervously, "Nothing, I was trying to help him but that beast would not let me near him." He pointed at Scaff.

Koji frowned, loosening his grip slightly. "What do you mean?" He asked, keeping one eye on Takuya and the rest of the group.

"I..I..was," he stammered again, "I was healing him when he, erm, lost consciousness. I transferred him here to continue but I could not get close enough."

Koji looked more closely at Takuya, "How is he?"

"He's alive," Zoe's voice shook with the emotion of the situation, "but he's out cold. He's got cuts and bruises and a swollen wrist. I don't see any other injuries."

Koji turned back to the Digimon, "What healing?"

"I can heal his eyes but I cannot repair his outer physical injuries. Our devices only affect your nervous system. Please, I must complete the process."

Koji wavered, unsure whether to trust him. "Why the change of heart?" The Aciesmon looked bemused, so he tried again, "Why do you wanna help us now?"

"Oh," The digimon replied indicating he now understood the question, "You have your friend to thank for our 'change of heart', as you say." He indicated the recumbent Takuya. "Through his actions he has shown us that you are not serving under Cherubimon and that, maybe, one day our 'people' can be friends, too."

Koji couldn't help the small smile that touched his lips as he looked across at his young friend. Trust Takuya to somehow change the minds of the people who had robbed him of his precious sight and then allowed him to get into this condition. He glanced back at the Aciesmon's earnest, yet frightened face, and made his decision. "Okay, go ahead." Koji could see the digimon visibly relax, so he added, "But if you hurt him, I'll..." He deliberately left the sentence unfinished, knowing that the look on his face clearly spelt out what he would do to it.

The Aciesmon swallowed hard and quickly turned away from the frosty glare, stepping towards the bed.

Scaff raised his hackles and growled, alerting his master to the advancing threat.

Zoe gave Takuya what she hoped was a reassuring smile and then stood, taking Scaff's collar and backing away from the bed. She locked eyes with the advancing Aciesmon, her wordless warning reflecting momentarily in his features before he dropped his gaze to the unconscious digidestined.

He leaned over the still body and laid his left hand on the young man's forehead whilst touching his tunic's brooch with his right hand. A soft, white light glowed under his left hand, gently illuminating Takuya's face, emphasising its stillness as all the kids watched anxiously.

The glow faded and the Aciesmon stepped away from the bed. "I have finished," he said simply.

Koji pushed past the digimon to Takuya's side. "Is he okay?" He asked, then placed his hand on Takuya's shoulder and gently shook it, "Takuya?"

At first nothing, then a soft moan escaped his young friend's lips, "Takuya, it's Koji! Are you okay?"

Takuya stirred and slowly his eyes flickered open. His head hurt. Hurt a lot. The pain warring for attention over his wrist. "Takuya?" That familiar voice pushed through the ache and he gingerly turned towards the sound, "Koji?"

"Hey, right here buddy. How ya' doing?"

Takuya smiled, it was good to hear his voice, see his face. Wait! See! Takuya reached out and grabbed Koji's arm, "Guys! I...I..." He hardly dared voice what he knew to be true, in case it would go away.

"Takuya, what it is?" Zoe asked.

Takuya could hear the sudden rising panic in his friend's words. He smiled again to try and reassure him, "It's okay, I...I can see..." His voice trailed off, the effort enhancing the pain in his head. He put his hand over his eyes and winced.

Koji glanced anxiously at Aciesmon and the digimon answered the unspoken question, "The nerves will take a few days to repair and there will be some pain, but he will be fine. I give you my word as leader of my kind."

"We should get him home as soon as possible," Kouichi said, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"Ditto!" A dancing J.P. and Tommy added in unison.

"Takuya?"

"Yeah, Koji?" Takuya replied, as he removed his hand and tried to focus on his friend.

"Can you move?"

"Uh huh."

"Good." Koji took Takuya's arm and eased him into a sitting position. The young man groaned slightly but, with his friend's help, he got slowly to his feet.

Zoe positioned herself on the other side of Takuya, "Okay?"

"Zoe?" Takuya smiled and then asked, "Scaff?"

"He's okay, Takuya, he's here."

"Ready to go," Koji asked. Takuya nodded, slowly. "Good, let's go."

Oh! He got his sight back! YAY! Oooh, and was it just me or did Koji seem, real agressive? Hm?

Anyway, there's still more, but It'll have to wait until I get back from Florida.

So until then, Sayonara!