A/ N – Mala's sixteen—she was fifteen when she arrived, and has been there for around a year.
Thanks for the review and the support,
-N
--
What we think or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only thing of consequence is what we do.
John Ruskin
--
"So then it was the light." His friend said with understanding.
"Yeah." Takato nodded. "Took me damn near forever to get to it. But there was something that had happened before. Which is why I need your help."
--
"Pass the flour, please?"
"Okay. Why?"
"The Gatomon wants bread."
"What's that?"
Cronus woke up, and sighed. It was the third time he'd had the dream. Of course, by the time he did, he didn't even know which voice in the dream was his own. He pulled out the book he wrote in daily, and scribbled down as much of the dream – as many details as he remembered, what was said, the genders of the voices.
It'd been three weeks since Takato and he had seen the blue light. Twenty-three days, more specifically. After Takato'd seen it, he insisted on seeing it again every week. Apparently Takato had some difficulty keeping track of dates without a calendar, and requested Cronus's help in keeping him reminded of when it would be. Cronus didn't mind – he was always up late anyways, so what was one more thing to keep tabs on?
Cronus liked Takato. Cronus considered himself a decent judge of character – he wasn't naïve, though—he just managed to see some good in everyone. He saw it very easily in both Takato and Mala – his only friends there. He even managed to see good in Noria. She was mean, but she had good intentions.
I wonder if I have friends in the real world?
He frowned, worried that he might not. Mala had told him once that she very much enjoyed his company, and that she wished they'd known each other in the real world, so she could give him some answers. But they weren't, and they didn't.
At the least, he knew he didn't belong where he was. He had memories—flashed, more like—of the other world, sure. But he didn't know who he really was. He worried frequently that he was some horrible person, with no friends, and that he'd come to this world to start over. He was scared to find out.
So was everyone else, even if it was just a little. They all knew that he'd killed one of the monsters. They didn't know how. Or what had happened. But they were scared, he knew it. Even Takato. The way Cronus behaved when Takato came over was a front, for lack of a better word. He hated to think that he was lying to Takato about who he was, but it was justified in the sense that even Cronus didn't know who he was. There was something about Takato that made Cronus remember things more clearly. Takato was better at helping Cronus remember things than Mala was. Cronus was just being extra-nice to make sure Takato still was comfortable coming back.
Cronus was glad that Takato was adapting to life there. But Cronus could tell that Takato wanted to get back home, to his friends. Takato had told him about all of them, to the point that Cronus felt that he knew them. He remembered what Takato had said about them very clearly…personalities, physical appearances, and such. He knew that the girl that he wanted to get back to was Jeri.
Cronus quite guiltily found himself feeling jealous of Takato, for having such people to get back to, to look forward to seeing again. Whenever Cronus thought of Takato, he thought of himself, and found himself wondering if anyone was waiting for him to come back, or if anyone even noticed that he was gone.
Cronus knew that the villagers didn't like him anymore than they trusted him. They'd at least stopped gossiping about him in front of him. Noria very rarely talked to Cronus anymore, since he'd told her that he was going to keep Takato protected until he either woke up, or died. Cronus still liked her, though, even if she didn't like him back. He liked all of them, really.
It was only Mala who Cronus couldn't notice any fear at all from. She'd asked him once how he'd killed the monster. Cronus didn't want to lie, so he just told her that 'he didn't know how it happened'. Takato asked him about it a week ago, and Cronus just told him the same. From Takato, though, Cronus did sense a certain amount of discomfort.
It could be worse.
It could.
--
He felt like he'd been ripped apart and put together out of place when he opened his eyes. The last thing he remembered doing was blinking, and when his eyes opened up again, his memories were all but gone, and all he knew was that he wasn't where he should be.
He was standing, but it took him a few moments to realize that he was. He tried to wiggle his fingers.
Check.
He then looked down at them, and saw that he didn't recognize them. He collapsed to his knees in a sudden pain as he struggled to control his body. For all he knew, it wasn't his. His hands dug into gravel in the puddle he found himself in, and ignoring the pain, looked anxiously for the water to settle so that he could see his face.
When it did, he didn't recognize it. He pushed himself up, and when he looked at his hands, they bled a small bit. He looked down at himself and realized that he was wearing some jeans and a green t-shirt. They didn't look familiar at all. He reached into his pockets to search for some identification. But all he produced was a small, obscure object that he didn't recognize. It would be two weeks later when he would find out that it was called a "D-Arc".
--
Cronus was sitting on his bed, holding his D-Arc, which did nothing. He hadn't told anyone that he had it—he saw Mala with hers a few days after he came to the village. When he asked what it was, she seemed bothered, so he didn't ask for details. She just told him that it was a sensitive subject to her, and that she didn't like talking about it.
Fair enough.
He understood, sure. He just wished he could get some answers.
Standing up and stretching, he tucked the D-Arc back under his bed. He scratched at his side, and looked at the long but light scar that ran from his side to his back. He pulled out a small piece of mirror he'd been given from Mala, turned awkwardly, and used it to look at his back, which also bore more scars than he knew was normal.
Cronus hadn't told or shown anyone, of course. He had to do his best to convince them he was as normal as could be. They already didn't like him. It had been nearly two months since he arrived, and he only had two people he could call friends.
He really did like Mala and Takato, but he just wished they weren't so curious about him. Cronus was uncomfortable with the idea of them finding out who he is before he did himself. He dressed himself, and went outside to the well to get some water to pad his hair down. He'd let it grow out a little longer, so it was only a small bit shorter than Takato's was when he first arrived. Mala had cut Takato's hair so it had stayed the same length.
Cronus smiled a bit, realizing that even though he had no idea who or what he was, he was happy. He had friends, he was healthy, and he had a place to stay.
--
Takato was helping Noria carry water from the well to her house that morning. He didn't mind—it's not like he had much else to do. After being in a new village for six weeks, even if he was only conscious for three of them, he'd adapted. It was difficult for him, though. He didn't like to think of home, because of all the people he missed, people who he realized would think he was dead. But he had to think of home if he was to find a way back there. He hadn't given up hope yet. Not even for a minute.
He'd seen Noria struggling with the pails when he'd seen her on one of his many walks around the village. He offered to help, and she was surprisingly polite from him. Mala had told Takato that it would be difficult to win Noria over.
"Thanks." She told him when they arrived at her house.
"No problem" Takato said honestly. "There's not much else to do around here."
Noria frowned a little. "I suppose that's true."
Takato suddenly felt guilty he'd said it, but didn't retract the statement, as he knew that they both knew that it was true.
"Can I ask you something?" Takato asked.
"Sure." Noria said after a confused beat.
"Do you have any problem with me being here? In the village, I mean."
The question didn't seem to take Noria by surprise. "To be honest, I wasn't comfortable with the idea at first. But you've pretty much proven to us that you're no threat to the village.
Takato nodded. "And what about Cronus?"
This one did seem to take Noria by surprise. But she still spoke clearly and didn't hesitate. "He doesn't belong here." She said. "I still have—with good reason—belief that he is a danger to us."
Takato didn't really believe her, but didn't defend him, either. He'd known him for only a few weeks, and while he saw nothing dangerous about Cronus at all, he knew that if Noria believed something, he wouldn't be able to change her mind. At least not at that time.
Maybe the reason that Takato was so interested in Cronus was the blue light. He needed to find out what it was. Cronus hadn't told anyone about it, which was something that struck Takato as curious. Then again, who wasn't weird in that place?
Takato then decided that he'd ask Cronus to tell Mala of it. He'd figure something out after that. To get to Cronus's light would mean going through the forest. And, according to Mala, the only way he could make it through the forest is with Cronus's help.
--
Cronus was planting some seeds he'd found when Takato approached him. They smiled and nodded to each other, and Cronus turned back to his work.
"Hey." Takato said.
"What's up?" Cronus asked.
"I was wondering if I could talk to you."
"Sure." Cronus answered.
"I think we should tell Mala about the light we've been seeing."
Cronus turned and looked up to him. "Why?"
"She might know something about it. Something like that—it doesn't look natural, not even for this place. I want to go find it. But I'd need to know if Mala knows anything about it."
Cronus paused, thinking over his friend's request. He didn't exactly understand why Takato wanted to know what it was so badly, but he felt compelled to grant the request. "You know about what's in the forests." He warned.
"Yeah. I do. I'd need your help."
Again, this made Cronus stop. He really didn't want to help, at least not with this. But he knew he would. He had to.
"All right." He said finally. "Let's talk to Mala."
"Thank you." Takato said sincerely.
Cronus didn't reply; not to be rude, but he was just busy thinking things over. He was too busy thinking things over. Specifically, everything that could go wrong.
--
He walked through the forest that he never remembered entering. The trees even looked strange to them, but he only had vague memories of what they should look like. He wandered aimlessly for three hours before he found any sign of life—movement in the trees that wasn't caused by wind.
Stopping, he looked up to the ruffling noise in the leaves above him. He knew it wouldn't be a person—why on earth would a person be up so high, sitting in a tree? Still, he was curious to see some sign of life after noticing none in the forest.
But then, all of a sudden, a black-brown figure fell very quickly from the branch above him. His curiosity bound him to the ground, and even when the gigantic creature landed in front of him, he held his footing.
The beast resembled the shape of a dog, was brown with black areas, and stood about eight feet tall. Its face was a disgusting mess of dried blood and basically rotting off of itself. When it growled at him, its teeth were exposed—the shortest of which he noticed was two and a half inches long.
The beast lunged at him, and he ducked out of the way. When it was behind him, he ran. He turned to look, and apparently he was good at running, as he kept a steady pace ahead of the creature. The boy grit his teeth and pressed on even as the fatigue began to take its toll on him. He weaved in and out of trees, trying to slow down his pursuer, but when a second creature ran towards him, he panicked more than he already was. This second creature looked more like it could have been a large lizard, if it did not have such intimidating spikes sticking from its back that stood taller than the creature did itself.
The boy turned behind him, seeing that the dog-monster was catching up to him as his pace slowed down. Turning back towards him, he saw that he had seconds before the next one was on top of him. Before he knew it, he was against a tree, both monsters circling him.
The boy's teeth were still grit, and he was breathing heavily, the adrenaline being replaced by terror. He thought he saw a light shine through his pocket, but he couldn't bring himself to look down to it, he'd kept his eyes trained on the beasts. Finally giving in, knowing there was nothing he could do, he clenched his eyes and felt the tears well as he waited for the end.
But he felt no pain, and after hearing a hideous shriek of pain that he realized wasn't his, he opened his eyes again. When he looked around, the monsters were both dead, and he was covered in blood that didn't belong to him.
--
"Hey guys." Mala said as she answered the door.
"Hey." Both Cronus and Takato said. It was in fact, the first thing that had been said by them since Takato had asked Cronus to speak with Mala. Cronus would have found the walk awkward if he didn't have a million other things to think of.
"Is everything alright?" Mala said, concerned, looking at Cronus. He tried to hide the smile that came from knowing that she knew something was wrong.
"Two days ago," Cronus began, purposefully ignoring her question, "Takato and I saw a light on the mountain. It was blue, and it faded on and off."
Cronus saw Mala's expression change, but he went on. "I've seen it every seven days before then, too. It happens very early in the morning, and we were wondering if you've ever seen it, or know anything about it."
"Why?" Mala began cautiously.
"You know something about it?" Takato asked, surprised.
Cronus was a little irritated that Takato had requested that they get information from Mala, then be surprised that she had some. Cronus felt guilty, but knew his irritability came from not wanting to put Takato in the danger of the forest.
Mala waited a beat before she nodded slowly, looking down. "Before I first came here, I was told that someone was going in to activate a beacon. It was supposed to connect this world to the other one." She began. "He didn't make it here, though…and when I was—a few months ago, I saw it. Out on the mountain, like you said. I thought it was the beacon that I'd been told of."
"Did you go after it?" Cronus asked curiously.
She nodded, and it was Cronus's turn to be surprised.
"I went into the forest. I stayed quiet and in the dark, and was careful, and I made it through."
"What happened when you got to it?" Takato asked eagerly.
"It was off by the time I got there." Was her answer. "But I camped there for a week, and then it turned on again."
"Well?" Takato asked.
Mala looked from Takato to Cronus. "The light was coming from a short mechanical structure, maybe a meter cubed. I only noticed one button on it, so, I pushed it."
"And?" Cronus asked impatiently.
"It sent up a light, straight up. Almost like a flare, or something. But that was it. It didn't make any connection to the real world, I'm still here."
Nobody spoke, but when Cronus looked at Takato, Takato looked like he made a connection. "When did this happen?"
"A few months ago."
"Can you be more specific?"
"Four, maybe?"
"We all thought it was Yamaki—" Takato murmured, looking down. He then looked up to Mala. "It was you. He didn't connect the real world to the digital world, you did."
"Excuse me?" Mala said defensively.
"Before I came here, my friends and I—our partners all came back. They came back when we were in trouble. They saved us. You saved us." Takato was staring at Mala as he spoke, and Cronus noticed neither of them broke eye contact.
"Thank you." Takato said finally.
Mala didn't say anything in response, probably because she apparently hadn't realized she'd done anything. Finally, she gave him a nod, and looked away. She looked to Cronus, and while he wanted to give her some kind of support, he couldn't. He thought he understood it as much as they did—Takato'd told him of many of the events that had happened before coming there. It was just a little confusing, as Cronus had filled in some of the blanks himself, and apparently he'd done it incorrectly.
"So the beacon really did work." Cronus said to nobody in particular.
"It did." Takato answered.
"Do you think it still works?" Cronus asked.
When Takato didn't answer, Mala must have realized that the question was directed at her, and she shrugged weakly.
"I don't know. I had no idea it even worked in the first place."
Cronus saw Takato look to him, and Cronus looked back. Takato spoke. "I want to go to it."
"You can't!" Mala almost shouted.
"Why not?" Takato answered.
"It's too dangerous. There's even more monsters now than there were before." She protested.
"Don't you want to get out of here?" Takato asked her loudly.
"Of course I do!" She said indignantly. "But we don't even know if the beacon still works, or if anyone will even hear it!"
"And a good way to find out is to sit around here?"
Their argument continued, as Cronus remained silent.
"You don't know what's out there!" She shouted at him. Cronus tried to think if he'd ever heard Mala yell in the time he'd known her. Then again, neither had Takato since the first day that he'd woken up.
"How do you intend to kill those things if they come after you?" Mala asked finally.
When Cronus saw Takato turn to him, Cronus had all the reason he needed to leave.
He heard them call after him, but he kept going.
A weapon.
It was what they thought of him. He even knew it before, he just didn't let himself believe it until just then. He felt like he finally had some of the answers he was looking for. He wasn't someone people liked, he was nothing but a tool they enjoyed using. Even Takato and Mala thought so.
Cronus didn't run, but he walked quickly towards his house, ignoring the calls of his name behind him.
"Cronus?" Takato said to him as he ran to catch up with him. "Cronus, wait."
He felt Takato grab his arm, and yanked it back to himself, but stopped, to listen to what he had to say.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to volunteer you for anything you don't want to do."
"I don't belong here." Cronus said, repeating what he'd been told numerous times from numerous people. "I'm too dangerous. Like one of the monsters."
"We don't think that." Takato said slowly and clearly.
"Doesn't matter." Cronus told him. He then turned and began to walk away. A few steps in, he stopped, and looked to Takato. "We'll leave tonight. Be ready."
--
Takato felt terrible for what his argument with Mala had led to. He had no right to say what he did, and hurt Cronus's feelings the way he did. But Cronus wasn't speaking to him, at least not until they embarked out into the woods.
There were a few hours before dark. Takato didn't need long, though—it's not like he had many possessions to pack. Mala had given him her backpack, for which he was grateful. Takato regretted how he'd yelled at her, too. She'd been exceptionally kind to him since he arrived, and had even made him a few extra shirts and pants in his time there. In it were some bandages and a small knife. Takato couldn't help but feel as he did that day months ago when he went to save Ryo from Valn, when he entered the complex that would wind up to his arrival in this world.
Deciding that he wanted to speak with her before he'd be leaving, he went to speak with Mala. Takato knew that the trip would be dangerous, and that in embarking on it he was putting Cronus in as much danger as himself.
The walk over didn't seem long enough.
"Hi." He said to her.
She beckoned him inside, and he sat on the bed.
"Are you really going to do this?" Mala asked him, pacing around the room
"I need to find a way out of here." He told her. "So does Cronus."
Mala walked gracefully to the wall opposite the bed. She leaned against it, looking at Takato. "Do you think he really hates it here that much?"
"Huh?" Takato asked, confused.
"I'd have thought he—I mean—don't you think there's anything here that he is glad for?"
"Mala what do you m—"
"Are you ready to go?" Cronus said, walking in. Takato turned to Mala, who turned away from them both and wiped her eyes.
"Yeah." Takato said. "Let's get going."
Cronus nodded and led the way out of the room, followed by Takato, who was followed by Mala.
She stood leaning against her house, looking half as uncomfortable as Takato knew she must have felt. He had never thought Mala would have taken it so hard because of her feelings for Cronus, be them romantic or not. Takato looked from Cronus to her, then back again. He spoke when he accepted that neither of them would.
"Mala, we're coming back." Takato told her.
Her eyes still watered, she didn't reply, and went back inside. Takato noticed a wave of guilt rush over Cronus's face, but his resolve was strong as well, and he headed towards the forest, beckoning for Takato.
--
Cronus led the way, Takato a few paces behind him.
"Cronus, I really am sorry. And I'm very grateful for your help." Takato said finally.
"It's okay." He murmured in response.
"Well, I'm still sorry about it. I know that it's been hard for you here."
Cronus ignored the statement, and stayed focused on the job at hand. They weren't quite in the forest yet, though the forest was very visible from the plains they were in the midst of crossing. Still, Cronus was trying to keep himself aware. He was extremely uncomfortable with the idea of leading the trek.
Sure, he was the only person who'd killed some of the monsters. But he had no idea how he did it, and was not comfortable promising that he'd be able to do it again. He felt selfish jeopardizing Takato's life in the mission, but they both wanted to get to the light—to get back to the other world. Mala said she'd made it across the forest safely. Cronus could too, if he was careful enough.
He thought of Mala, and the discussion he'd had with her earlier in the day.
--
"Please don't do this." She'd begged him.
"I have to. We don't deserve to be stuck here. Not you, not Takato, and not me." Had been his response.
"It's dangerous. Please, just—"
"Mala, I need to tell you something." He interrupted. She stopped talking, and waited eagerly. "When we get to the beacon—when we send out a signal, I mean…I'm leaving. I'll escort Takato out of the forest, and to the plains, but after that I'm leaving."
Mala looked devastated. He could tell she was trying not to cry, and it hurt him to see it. "Where will you go?"
"Anywhere but here." He said, hurt. "I've seen the way everyone here looks at me. The way they talk about me. I can't stay. I can't hear it anymore."
Cronus had then returned to his house for some preparations. He didn't have any possessions, so he didn't have to worry about packing. He had no idea where he'd go. He just knew that he'd see Takato through the trip safely, and then he'd find somewhere. He'd find his own way home.
--
Cronus knew he'd miss Mala, but figured it was for the best. He liked her and all, but he never thought about her the way that she seemed to have been thinking about him.
"Any more dreams?" Takato asked at some point, breaking the silence.
"Hmm?" Cronus mumbled, somewhat surprised.
"Have you had any more?"
"Nothing new." Cronus admitted.
The Gatomon wants bread.
Cronus hated the silences. Things had become very uncomfortable for everyone since that day's fight. At least they wouldn't have to worry about him after that day.
"When we get back, do you know where you'll go?" Takato asked.
Cronus sighed silently enough for Takato not to have noticed. He hated thinking about it, but he didn't blame Takato for bringing it up, as it was a perfectly legitimate question.
"No, I don't." he admitted.
"Well, if you need a place, you can always stay with my fam—"
Takato was cut short by something striking him across the chest and knocking him backwards.
Cronus spun to see one of the monsters, barely visible in the dark. It was humanoid, with one arm thick at the shoulder and thinning towards the end becoming a sharp point, and the other arm was maybe thirty inches in diameter, and remained a similar width throughout. The monster stood about eleven feet tall, was a green-black color, and had nothing resembling a face. Its skin looked mossy and wet, but not slimy.
"Takato!" Cronus called as he saw the boy fall to the ground. Cronus was terrified. But he suddenly felt secure when he saw the red light shining through his pant pocket. What he wasn't expecting was to remain conscious, or at least aware of what happened when it happened again.
The creature swung one tree-trunk-thick arm clumsily at him, which Cronus ducked under, grabbed, and twisted, causing it to howl as a loud cracking sound was heard. It flailed wildly, forcing him to let go of it, before swinging it back at him again. Cronus realized the second assault was a diversion to distract him from the sharper limb that was coming in from his right. Cronus ducked it promptly, and jumped back when he saw the creature scream out in pain. He looked to its side to see that Takato had gotten up, and driven a knife into its side.
It turned to Takato and brushed him aside easily. Cronus battled the creature for several minutes—he'd ordered Takato to stay back so that he didn't have to worry about him. The knife was more than Cronus had been expecting. During the fight, Cronus moved gracefully and quickly. He didn't know what he was doing, but he was definitely remembering that he knew how to fight.
Cronus began to get frustrated with the creature's refusal to die, and finally drove the knife fully into its head. He could feel resistance as it penetrated what Cronus assumed was its skull, but he drove it in, and after a hideous noise, it fell to the ground, and ceased movement.
Of the two boys there, Takato was the one who was panting for breath. Cronus was barely phased, and was more annoyed than tired.
--
"Let's keep moving." Cronus told him.
"What in the hell just happened?" Takato asked him.
Takato saw Cronus roll his eyes and turn to continue forward.
"Cronus, come on, how did you do that?" he asked again.
"I don't know." Cronus answered a little unbelievably.
"You don't know?" Takato said, a little irritated.
"That's right." Cronus told him, still walking. "Can we please keep moving?"
Takato wasn't ready to let this go. "What's that in your hand?"
Takato knew that he'd hit a nerve, as he saw Cronus stop, and look to whatever it was. As Cronus turned to face him, he kept his hand, and whatever the object was, at his back.
"It's none of your business."
"Cronus, come on." Takato had been edging his way towards him during the time that his back was turned, and was within reaching distance of him. Takato could grab it from him, if he was quick enough about it.
When Cronus didn't answer, it was enough of a reason for Takato to take the situation into his own hands, and dove for Cronus, knocking him off balance, and the object free. Cronus was the one to snatch it back from the ground, but not before Takato got a look at what it was.
Even in the dark, he recognized it as his D-Arc. His D-Arc. Red and white, the familiar weight of it, and he even recognized some of the scratches on it.
"Where did you find that?" Takato asked Cronus very seriously. Takato knew that it was his. But he'd left it back in the real world. Back in his home.
How could Cronus have taken it from there?
Cronus didn't answer again, but instead held it over his chest protectively.
"Give me it." Takato demanded.
"…No."
"You stole that from me!" Takato shouted.
"No, I didn't!" Cronus protested angrily.
"I want it back!"
"I'm not letting go of it!" Cronus said loudly.
"Cronus!"
"No…I need it!" Cronus still sounded powerful, but Takato thought he was breaking.
"I said give it to me!" Takato barked.
"It's mine!" Cronus suddenly screamed, and as Takato went to grab the D-Arc, Cronus tightened his grip. In that moment that Takato's hand touched the D-Arc, even though it was Cronus who held on to it, it suddenly whirred to life and emit a blinding red light.
Takato welcomed it, as it had been over a year since he felt it—back during the battle with the D-Reaper, and his adventures in the digital world.
"Takato!" Cronus asked, terrified, the light overwhelming them both. "What's happening to m—"
But what took Takato by surprise was when he felt the light push him away, rejecting him, and sending him flying forcefully backwards. Takato hit his head hard on a tree, which he was actually grateful for, because what happened next he couldn't have predicted.
Cronus screamed as his body twisted and changed, and Takato struggled to his feet to help him, to get the D-Arc out of his hands.
His head was sore, and he was dizzy, but he made it to Cronus, only to be thrown back from him. Takato saw Cronus reach for him pleadingly. Takato couldn't help but stare as Cronus became less and less like himself, his ears lengthening and taking a crooked shape, his skin darkening and reddening, his arms and legs taking disproportionate lengths and widths. Takato clenched his eyes shut helplessly as he gave up hope that he'd be able to help—
—it wasn't until the agonizing sounds stopped that Takato heard the most comforting thing he could have expected.
"Takatomon?" a familiar voice asked.
Takato's eyes shot open at the voice, and, contrary to his expectation that it was a hallucination, Guilmon stood a few feet away from him, where Cronus had been.
Gatomon wants bread. No. Takatomon wanted bread.
Takato couldn't even move as he allowed his mind to catch up with his eyes, and register what had just happened. He only turned his gaze from his friend when he heard one of the bushes behind him move—though when he turned to it, whatever had caused the movement had gone.
"Guilmon?" Takato asked, nervously.
"Yes, Takatomon?" Guilmon asked innocently.
Takato felt tears well up in his eyes as he ran to his partner and threw his arms around him.
"Guilmon, I missed you so much!" he said joyfully.
"I missed you too, Takatomon." Guilmon said as affectionately as ever. "But what's going on?"
"You don't remember?" Takato asked, pulling away.
"The last thing I remember was I was sitting with Jeri. She was asleep, but she wasn't snoring, like you do. I might have fallen asleep too, but I woke up here."
He doesn't remember. He doesn't remember being human.
"Guilmon, do you know where we are?"
Takato's partner sniffed the air, and looked around curiously. He sniffed the ground, and then looked at Takato.
"This is the digital world."
Knew it.
"Guilmon, try to remember exactly how you got here, okay? Think hard." Takato asked.
"Um, okay." Guilmon closed his eyes, and Takato looked eagerly. He saw his partner's jaw quiver for a moment before the red light overwhelmed Guilmon. Takato couldn't see through it, but when the light cleared, Guilmon was Cronus again.
"Cronus?" Takato asked.
What the hell's going on?
Cronus, however, looked like he'd seen a ghost.
"Takato?" Cronus asked back.
"What do you remember?"
Cronus looked him seriously, straight in the eye. "I remember everything."
The manner in which Cronus spoke made Takato nervous, but Cronus soon spoke again.
"I'm your partner. I'm Guilmon, aren't I?"
Takato couldn't contain his happiness, and burst into a fit of laughter. No wonder Takato was so comfortable around Cronus. He was too happy to wonder about how, or why. He had his friend with him.
"Takato, can we go back to the village? I need to think on some things. I promise I'll take you to the beacon soon. I just need to—"
"Of course we can." Takato answered. "But one thing…what do I call you?"
"It doesn't matter." Cronus answered.
Takato could now see his partner in him. But he also saw that Guilmon had grown. He was human. He was different. He'd become Cronus.
"Cronus it is, then."
The walk back was anything but silent. Cronus actually seemed happy. Takato knew he'd been worried about his life before his memory loss—worried about whether or not he had friends. Now he could rest easy—he did. From what Cronus told him, he got pulled back to the digital world at the same time Takato did. Takato suggested that it might have been because they were partners, but Cronus said that he could feel the other Tamers' partners being pulled in as well, but he couldn't feel them anymore.
"I don't get why I'm human." Cronus said.
"I wish I had an answer for it, too." Takato replied, looking at Cronus as if he'd only seen him once or twice before then.
Cronus shifted uncomfortably. "Hey, cut it out!"
"Do you realize that your ears are like ten times smaller now than when you're Guilmon?" Takato noted.
Cronus laughed. "Yeah, thanks for that." He snickered sarcastically.
For the time, Takato didn't even care about how his friend had undergone such a transformation. He'd be curious soon enough, he knew it, but for the time, he just wanted to bask in the fact that something good had happened to him.
Finally, they approached the village, and Takato was glad to be back.
"Guil—er, Cronus?" Takato started.
"Yeah?"
"What are we going to tell the others?"
Cronus didn't answer, and Takato looked at him. Cronus was staring ahead at something, and his eyes were widening.
"Cronus! Takato!" a familiar female voice called desperately.
Takato looked in horror. What he saw were the villagers, who were calling out at them angrily. Being restrained was Mala, who was struggling to get away from them. At the head of the mob was Noria, who was indicating Cronus fiercely.
"It was him! He's one of the monsters!"
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Hope you enjoyed, review if you did.
-N