I have been waiting for this Chapter. (Yes, I know how that sounds, given my 100-year-old turtle's pace in updating) Is it my favorite? No, if only because there are some scenes down the line that are nothing but pure self-indulgence in fanfic form. But here is where I finally get to show off just how far, above, and beyond canon I'm taking this story.
Some of you may have guessed the plot twist at the end of the chapter, but for those of you who haven't…
Don't say you weren't warned~
oo
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DIGIMON TRI: BALANCE
o
Fourteen Years Ago…
o
Pain shot up Maki's leg. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. To press forward. It was no use; her knees gave way, and she crumpled to the ground in an undignified heap. Blood trickled from the wound. The faint scent of sweet copper reached her senses. Sweat plastered hair to her face and neck. She reached up to brush away the offending strands and get a better look at her injury.
It certainly felt worse than it looked. There was bruising all around the cut, which was already caked with dirt. Great. Idly, she wondered if a Digital Infection would be better or worse than a Real One. It wasn't as if they could politely ask their opponent to stop throwing swords at them long enough to grab some antiseptic.
"Hime-chan!"
To add insult to her literal injury, Daigo was running to her side. She heard him kneel. Felt a hand on her shoulder, which she immediately recoiled from with a low growl.
"Don't call me Hime-chan."
A pause. Then...he had the audacity to chuckle. "Yup. You're fine."
"And you're not funny." She muttered.
Before she could shift her weight into a more stable seated position, he slipped an arm around her shoulder. How persistent. This time, however, she didn't feel like fighting off, using his support to rise to her knees. One leg vehemently protested the movement and she found the idea almost as annoying as her current human crutch.
"How can one Digimon be so strong?" She heard herself mutter darkly. As much to herself as to Daigo. "We're fighting at a literal Perfect Level, and he's treating us like some minor annoyance. It makes no sense."
"Sana-kun doesn't think he's a Perfect,"
Her brows furrowed. "That makes even less sense."
Not that it seemed to matter to the Chosen in question; Amari Sana looked every bit the pinnacle of pretentiousness as he stood crouched atop one of the larger remaining boulders. What had once been a proud, naturally-formed monument had been reduced to scattered rubble over the last hour. The air was still heavy with dust. And yet their self-proclaimed leader bore his trademark cocky grin as he stood above it all to cheer on his partner.
Hippogryphymon certainly had the aerial advantage. Piemon hovered several dozen meters above the cratered surface, but Hyppogryphymon soared far beyond, coming in for a serious of dive-bombs that served as a necessary decoy for Fukuhara Reo and Triceramon to get a few shots in from the ground.
Any other battle, and Maki would have been against the two teaming up. On a good day, Sana and Reo fought like an old married couple. Constantly trying to one-up the other for little more than bragging rights. Still...for once, their "plan" seemed to be working; Piemon looked seconds from getting whiplash as he darted back and forth between above and below, only to have the swords knocked from his hand in a wave of Orochimon's infamous Sake Breath attack. Dazed (and quite possibly drunk), the clown digimon shook his head before just barely deflecting a follow-up bladed tail swing with another materialized weapon.
"I prefer to save the cele-ba-story...cerebra...sara...oh, forget it..." groaning to himself, Piemon pressed his arms to his sides and shot straight up into the air. Higher and higher until, if only for a moment, he was little more than a shadowy speck among the clouds.
"Yeah! You better run!" Sana, who had a voice that could put TonosamaGekomon even further into a coma, cheerfully fist-pumped the air in victory.
Orochimon came in for a soft landing, lowering his main head for Tsuji Itsuki to dismount. Her feet barely made a sound when she touched ground. She turned back to her partner, giving two of the mechanical heads several pats each before tilting her head towards Sana. The smile on her face was far too gentle for the battlefield.
"Even a little victory is still a victory, ne, Sana-kun?"
Sana visibly preened at hearing his favorite quote recited to him by one of his favorite people, torn between melting and striking and even more valiant pose.
Reo snorted in disdain, folding his arms across his chest and choosing to look anywhere else. "Either of you seen—oh, never mind. There they are." Cupping his mouth with both hands, he called out to Daigo and Maki: "Oi, lovebirds! Think you can pick up the pace a bit?"
"You're not funny, either," Maki glared as they approached. "Stop smirking, Daigo-kun."
Daigo smirked that much harder.
It was almost impressive how easy he made it seem to bear the brunt of her weight. Nishijima Daigo wasn't on the track or volleyball teams like Itsuki and Sana. He didn't dance in his spare time like Reo. He didn't study martial arts like Maki. He barely participated in Gym Class. Yet his face showed no signs of a struggle, neither a wince nor single bead of sweat, even though he practically carried her the last few steps to the rest of their fellow Chosen.
Reo opened his mouth to say something else. Maki threw a pebble at him to shut him up; he dodged easily, but closed his mouth all the same.
"Ah! Maki-chan!" Itsuki was the first to notice the state of her leg, because of course she was, and rushed to the other girl's side. Her expressive features-(she was about as bad at poker as she excelled in the 100 meter dash)-were twisted into genuine concern. "You're bleeding!"
"I-it's fine. Just a scratch." She managed a reply, turning away from Itsuki's fawning as her face grew hot. Being the center of attention was one thing, but being the center of Itsuki's attention was a recipe for emotional disaster. If the others caught sight of her looking flustered…
Above, an explosion went off. The ground beneath them shook from the sheer force. Daigo (and by association, Maki) and Reo topped over. Sana managed to jump off his perch without to much damage to his person or pride. He took that as he cue to call up to his digimon.
"Hyppogriffomon!"
The others followed his lead:
"Megadramon!"
"Orochimon!"
"Loaderliomon!"
"Triceram—OH SHIT!"
Reo had less than a second to take in the attack heading straight for them before he dove for cover. By the grace of a split second did they manage to dodge the double-bladed swords. A glimmer of light was their only subsequent warning before it began to rain swords.
"He's attacking the children!" Orochimon hissed, curling his body around Itsuki to shield her. He used his tail to swat at half a dozen blades in rapid succession. "Quick! We have to protect them!"
Each of the remaining digimon moved to their respective partners' sides. Another, much larger projectile was flung towards the earth. It wasn't a sword.
Maki felt her heart skip a beat as she saw her partner fall, reverting back to his child form just before hitting the ground. He didn't get up again.
"Tapirmon!"
"You know, it really is quite obvious when you think about it." Poised in his gradual decent, Piemon leaned forward to peer at each of the Chosen. His lips twisted into a deranged grin. The sword in his hand shimmered even in the shadows of dust clouds. Red glistened at its tip. "I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner! The drink must've really gone to my head!"
He threw his head back and laughed, chest bouncing up and down as the sound echoed across the entire region. Booming like the roar of an oncoming thunderstorm.
And, just as in a thunderstorm, the lightning followed.
Energy surged at his fingertips. Crackling in the dry air. Sparks of yellow and blue and even pink danced from gloved digit to gloved digit, swelling as he summoned more and more power from within. He held up the bloody sword, using the metal as a conduit as he poured that energy into its blade until it started to glow.
On the ground below, the Chosen felt their hair stand on end. The remaining conscious Perfect digimon braced themselves for the oncoming attack.
At the last second, Piemon's eyes flickered to his right.
Only Itsuki saw it.
Realization struck her in that instant. Her pupils dilated. The world around her slowed to a crawl as Piemon began to swing his sword down. There was no time to cry out. No time to do anything but react.
Slipping out from under her partner's protection, she broke into a full sprint towards Tapirmon. She had always been the fastest of their group. She barely registered the voices of her friends calling out to her. Screaming for her to come back. Because they didn't see it. Maki's partner was laying, helpless, as Piemon cruelly aimed for the one opponent with no way of fighting back. He called out the attack name. Her heart leapt into her throat. She had seconds left, and only one thing I mind: to get to Tapirmon before—
The rest of the Chosen could only watch, frozen in horror, as Itsuki threw herself over Taiprmon just as the wave of electricity struck them both.
Everything exploded in a ball of blinding light.
Maki never got the chance to cry out. A force threw her to the ground. Dust filled her throat and lungs. Her vision went white. She coughed and sputtered and writhed violent against arms that shouldn't have been so strong. She couldn't see. She couldn't breath. She couldn't think.
"Don't look." There was only a voice in her ear. Weak. Quivering. It was Daigo.
She looked anyway.
The light faded into nothingness. Tapirmon and Itsuki were gone. No bodies. No trace. Only faint scorch marks and...tiny balls of light. Each as delicate as a cherry blosson petal. Drifting higher and higher into the air, dimming the further away they got, until they were beyond reach and sight.
Never to be seen again.
o
o
Silence followed.
Not a word or whisper or audible gasp dared make itself known. Eyes were wide. Mimi's hands covered her nose and mouth. Sora wrapped her arms around herself in attempt to suppress a violent shudder. Koushiro gulped. Daisuke's jaw was on the floor. Yamato's eyes were hard. Iori's head bowed. Jou's lips were pressed into a thin line. And Wallace had gone so still in his seat that the twins were starting to worry.
He had suffered loss before. But not like that. Nothing like that. And, sure, Daisuke had told him some incredulous stories about the Digital World before. He also had a habit of embellishing. Still, even his most outlandish hyperbole paled in comparison. An enemy so cruel as to attack an unconscious digimon. A friend...a loved one...sacrificing herself for a truly hopeless cause. An outcome so devastating, it made the encounters with Chocomon's corrupted for seem...for lack of a better phrase...like child's play.
It was Taichi who reacted first. Still processing what he'd just heard, his mind and gaze reflexively turned towards the back of the room. Sora's did the same. As did Yamato's. Whether by example or coincidence, each of the older Chosen followed suit. Koushiro. Jou. Mimi. All with the exact same thought in mind.
Hikari and Takeru.
Her face had gone pale. His hands trembled. Eyes unfocused, staring at some distant spot on the ground in front of them. Their expressions were identical. Dark. Haunted. Both holding onto their respective digimon partners a little tighter as a shared memory replaced in their minds.
Maki recognized the signs: "Piemon?"
The pair nodded once in sync.
She wanted to be surprised. To have had that last little glimmer of hope after all these years. Instead, her eyes shut as she mentally pushed back at the growing ache in her stomach. Daigo was saying something to her. It didn't matter. They'd always known it was possible. Even likely. Digimon were reborn all the time. Good. Bad. Holy. Viral. Why should that bastard clown have been an exception to the rule just because he'd caused nothing but pain and suffering to so many since the moment he hatched?
It really was all for nothing…
"How old?"
They didn't answer.
No one else dared speak for them.
Daisuke shifted uneasily in his seat. The ongoing exchange was like a half conversation he, Iori, and Wallce couldn't fully understand—and the fact that he wasn't the only one left out of the loop this time offered little solace.
Some of it, he had already worked out. Piemon was some really, really nasty piece of work he'd never had the misfortune to meet. Taichi and the others hadn't been so lucky. He knew enough about digieggs to deduce that it was probably the same Piemon that Maki and Daigo had gone up against, reborn. Okay, fine. But why was everyone acting like only Takeru and Hikari were affected? What happened, and where were—?
"I was eight." Hikari began. She sounded lost. Almost scared. "Takeru-kun was still seven. It wasn't our first time facing a powerful Digimon, but...it was the first time we had to do it alone."
Maki's eyes hardened. She couldn't help a glance towards Daigo. He looked as uneasy as she felt.
So young. And against Piemon. Alone.
Takeru took over then: "He'd captured everyone else. Nii-san...Taichi-san...even Angewomon. Turned them all into dolls with some kind of magic. Only it was more than just a trick. He taunted us with them. Dangled them like decorative charms from his hand while he laughed. Sora-san was one of the last..."
Across the room, Sora tensed. She knew what was coming. The memory of that moment had replayed itself over and over in her mind more times than she ever admitted to anyone. An impossible choice. The right one, perhaps, but one that left her with years of residual guilt over having forced so much pressure upon the group's youngest.
"...but not before she told me I was the only one who could protect..." His eyes locked with Hikari's, and he faltered. "...who could protect everyone. Patamon was still with us. He had enough power to evolve to Angemon. So I took Hikari-chan...and we ran."
Despite everything, Hikari gave her best friend a weak smile. Nothing he'd said came as a surprise to her. Nor did everything he didn't say.
"You kept your promise, though, Takeru-kun." Her eyes shone with the bittersweet nostalgia that was their shared past. For a moment, it was like she were addressing him alone. Saying what she knew he needed to hear. "We survived because of you. Because you refused to give up Hope."
He found himself smiling back. "Only because you never gave up on me. He would've caught me on the rope if you hadn't held on."
"Instead, I caught you both!" Patamon chimed in a little too cheerfully, earning him a scathing look from Tailmon for daring interrupt their partners' moment. "You helped me evolve all the way to Perfect, and together, we took down Piemon and rescued everybody! I told you we make a great team."
The child digimon's words had their intended effect almost immediately. Neither Hikari nor Takeru could contain a small burst of laughter at the sentiment, blunt as he'd gone about expressing it. Even Tailmon struggled to hold back a smile behind thinly veiled exasperation. A fleeting glimpse into something that seemed almost too private for the four to share with anyone else, including friends and family.
But for Daisuke, it was also a shocking epiphany.
Everything about the last few years suddenly made sense to him now. All those unspoken understandings between them. Why they were so close. Why Hikari looked to him the way she did. Why Takeru had been so distraught each time it seemed like Hikari had disappeared. And quick to blame himself. With everything they had been through in their young lives...together...it was no small wonder theirs was a bond that went beyond friendship.
He wasn't the only one who had that realization; Daigo managed to tear his own eyes away from the heartwarming scene long enough to catch Maki still staring at them so intensely. And he could guess what was going on in that mind of hers all the while.
"Remind you of anyone?"
She blinked, eyes coming back into focus. "...shut up," she muttered under her breath. Taking a step forward, her next words addressed the group as a whole. "You see now why our work is so important. Everyone one of us have memories we'd all rather forget. Battle experiences we were too young to truly comprehend."
In the back of the room, Yamato's eyes narrowed.
"But we were strong as Chosen Children, and we're stronger now. With more resources and stronger firepower."
Her heels clicked sharply against the tiled floor. Mimi rolled her chair back just as Jou, Sora, and Taichi all parted way. She passed by Koushiro, who followed her movement until she was standing directly in front of the view window. With her back to them now, they could just barely make out her reflection in the polished glass. Eyes scanning the room below, and the scientific subordinates below. Each one more clever than even Sana, the smartest boy she had known growing up.
"When you mean 'firepower'..." Koushiro began hesitantly.
Maki shook her head. "No different that that of any higher-level digimon attack." She lifted a hand, pressing it to the cool surface. To the right, there was a device plugged into the system. It looked alike a canon, except the entirety of its design was electrical. Calibrated to the finest degree in conjunction with past data on similar bio-technical weaponry. "Homeostasis stole us from our homes to fight someone else's war. Well, no more. We'll protect our own like they didn't protect us. If any more digimon think they can cross over with less than passive intentions...we'll be ready."
The shift in the air as she spoke was palpable. Several glances were exchanged between the children. Tailmon looked visibly concerned. Most of the rest of the digimon took their cues from their partners. There was uncertainty. Confusion. Hesitation. Wariness.
Except for Taichi.
"She can be a bit dramatic at times," Daigo shook his head. "But she's not wrong. If all goes according to plan, the Real World will never see the likes of another Hikarigaoka or Vamdemon ever again. We'll all be safe. And..." for a moment, a flicker of light created shadows over his features. Not unlike those darkening Maki's. "...we'll be able to keep you all safe, too."
Sora and Jou shared a look. So did Daisuke and Wallace.
Yamato's expression didn't change.
Iori's wasn't much better.
But it was Taichi who stepped forward: "It...would be nice to have some backup." He seemed to be purposely avoiding eye contact with the rest of the group. "At least, until we figure out what's going on with these portals appearing."
Daigo bit back a heavy sigh as he scratched the back of his head. "That's not exactly—"
"Are you serious?"
Nearly half the room jumped as Yamato's incredulous tone cut through the air like a knife. He kicked away from the wall he'd been leaning against, storming passed both Gabumon's and Mimi's looks of concern as he closed the gap between himself and Taichi.
Not for the first time, the two teens stood toe to toe. Wide brown eyes staring back at a pair of icy blues. Each searching for the other's reasoning.
"Were you even listening to what they just said? This isn't about getting a little backup. They want to take the fight out of our hands, and you're willing to let that happen? You?" Yamato couldn't decide if he was more angry, offended, or at a loss. So he went with all three. "After all these years...everything we've sacrificed...everyone...are you really okay with walking away?"
Taichi bristled at the accusation. "I never said I was walking away."
"Then what?"
Daigo took a step back until he was standing between Jou and Koushiro. With about as much subtlety as Patamon, he covered his mouth with the back of one hand and whispered: "Are they always like this?"
"Yes."
"I see. Huh. Reminds me of Sana-kun and Reo-kun." He wished wistfully.
"We've gotten help before, Yamato." Taichi tried to point out. "And who better to trust than a fellow Chosen."
"You're wrong. They're not Chosen. Not anymore."
Daigo winced. "Ouch. We can hear you, you know."
"Something's not right about this, Taichi." Yamato's shoulders slumped as he took another step forward. He could practically see himself in his best friend's eyes and wondered how it was that Taichi couldn't see it too. "Why can't you—"
"Why can't you stop trying to play the cool, lone wolf for ten seconds and give them a chance?"
The temperature in the room dropped several degrees.
Koushiro inhaled once sharply through his teeth.
Takeru and Hikari exchanged nervous glances.
Yamato shifted his weight, and everyone braced themselves. But then...he took a single, deep breath before staring Taichi down with an uncharacteristically blank expression: "Angemon...Piximon..."
Taichi's eyes widened, realizing what Yamato was doing.
So did Takeru: "Aniki..."
"Tyumon...Scumon...Leomon..."
Mimi grew visibly upset.
"Wizardmon..." Only here did Yamato pause long enough to glance back at Hikari. He contemplated regret for a moment, though not enough to stop him from adding, "...Numemon..."
Hikari's eyes watered.
Taichi saw red.
"The hell do you think you're doing?!"
He lurched forward, grabbing Yamato by the jacket collar, and a rapid chain of events followed. Takeru shot up from his seat, coming to his brother's side to take hold of one arm. Daisuke and Wallace grabbed the other. Meanwhile, Koushiro and Jou grabbed Taichi and tried to pull the muscular soccer star off. They only barely succeeded after Sora inserted herself between them, turning to Taichi and pushing his chest with all her strength. Her presence was perhaps the only thing keeping him from struggling that much harder against them all.
Yamato, too, attempted to jerk himself free, but the younger boys were all stronger than they looked. The combined muscle of basketball, soccer, and...whatever American spot Wallace must have played to keep up with the other two. He settled for blowing some of his hair away from his eyes.
"I'm making a point." He stated flatly. "They're not the only ones who watched someone they care about fall. We've lost a lot of friends too. Digimon who believed in us. We didn't give up then, did we? Even after they were gone...we mourned, but we kept going because we knew it was the right thing to do. And we'll keep on going. For them."
"Maybe it's because of them that I won't want to fight anymore!" Taichi snapped back. Then froze. Realizing what he just said.
Sora was in shock. "Taichi..."
Yamato wasn't. "I knew it." he scoffed. "Some leader..."
Taichi opened his mouth. Then closed it. His shoulders slumped and his strength left him. He didn't dare look at the disappointment on Sora's face. Or anyone else's. Deep down, he knew there was a justification somewhere. But right then, it was as lost as his will to defend himself.
He had no defense. No excuse. No argument.
"I didn't...I'm not giving up." He murmured, as much to himself as Yamato. "I just...don't want to risk losing anyone else. Not if we don't have to."
"There are worse stances to take."
Finally turning away from the window, Maki spun on those clacking heels as she returned to the front of the room. She had watched the whole of the argument unfold through a faint reflection and briefly wondered if she should have been more annoyed at them than she was. Petty arguments were for children, after all...but, then again, that's what they still were. Children.
And if making sure they were able to stay children for at least a couple more years meant knocking some sense into those thick skulls...well, better they fight each other than someone much, much worse.
"I"ll give you time to think it over." With a jerk of her head, she indicated towards the exit. Daigo got the message, following suit. "For now, I can see we're done here. One of our drivers will take you back to Odaiba. When you're ready, come find us."
"You know where I"ll be," Daigo added.
The door opened and shut once more, this time with a click that somehow resounded even louder than before
o
o
o
Cool river water flowed through her fingers. She toyed with the water's surface for several minutes, watching how the movement barely seemed to disturbed its surface. Below, dozens of rocks warn from erosion sparkled as if they were precious jewels. Above, the tree leaves tossed with every breeze. A few leaves were knocked from their peach, floating down until they were carried away by the current.
Shifting to her knees, she bent down and cupped some water in her palms. It tasted as pure as it looked. Twice more, she repeated the gesture before removing her glasses and using the fourth to splash at her face.
"That's better."
Inoue Miyako let out a sigh as she replaced her glasses. Again, she switched positions so that she was leaning back against the soft grass. Her head tilted upward. Sun continued to peek through the leaves. If she unfocused her eyes for long enough, it looked like twinkling stars. Soft and pleasantly shining down on a peaceful world below
Only she knew better. Her cheeks still felt hot with the threat of sunburn. Remnants of desert sand clung to her sneakers. The large bruise on her left knee where she'd fallen after the third wild digimon attack (or was it fourth?) was turning yellow. She poked at it once, a useless gesture that served only to remind her how tender the area still was.
"I can't believe Hikari-chan did this when she was only eight," she muttered to herself.
Her jacket lay to her left, at the base of the tree. It was filled with small berries. Enough for two. Forcing himself to a stand, she reached up to stretch before bending down to wrap the precious package with care.
Their campsite wasn't far. It took less than a minute for her to return.
"Breakfast!"
Ichijouji Ken peeked one eye open before sitting up. His neck was still stiff from the log he'd been using as a pillow, and he tilted his head to one side until he felt a relieving pop.
"I hope you're as fond of sweets as Hikari-chan," she joked lightly, coming to sit across from him. The bundle in her arms unfolded to reveal her colorful morning's work, and she made a show of selecting one of the larger, purplish-red berries, popping it in her mouth with a satisfying grin. "...and before you ask, yes, I'm sure they're safe. Koushiro-senpai had a whole file on nonpoisonous food to forage on camping trips."
Ken shook his head. "Of course he did."
Even in the face of looming uncertainty, it was difficult not to remain optimistic with Miyako around. She was just so...embellished. That probably wasn't the right word to use or even made sense, but to him, it was the closest he could think to describe the girl. Every comment she made came with a flourish. Every detail exaggerated. It could have started to rain, and she would have stood in the middle of it all, wildly screaming at the heavens above until the clouds conceded.
...although, given they'd just spent the last several days trekking through a digital desert...maybe that wasn't the best example to picture.
Ken wasn't sure what he'd been expecting when they'd been ambushed by that portal. Everything had happened so fast, his mind barely had time to process it all. He remembered taking the "scenic" route (her idea) on their way to meet up with Hikari. Something about the street lamps shorting out. Wind. A flash of light. The hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Sand. White and blinding from the sun's reflected rays. Miyako's voice.
"I think we should follow the stream."
Speaking of. She was saying something to him in between healthy bites. There were berries in his hand too. His mouth tasted sweet. He'd been functioning on autopilot again. Following her lead simply because. He found himself nodding at her suggestions even before it registered that they were actually good ideas. Because they were. The river was the first source of freshwater they'd found since that one cactus desert a Cockatrimon sliced open (that had been their...second encounter?) And on top of that, the presence of water meant a chance of finding—
Behind them, a branch cracked. Leaves rustled. Sounds too heavy to have been caused by wind alone.
They spun towards the source. Miayko felt the ground for a large stick. Or a rock. Anything that could be used as a defense weapon. Iori had taught her a few basic self-defense moves during her visits to his family's dojo, and she learned after the first two times that the digimon of this sector were...were…
The offending digimon came into view.
Every step it took, she tilted her head higher and higher.
"...big. Really...really big..."
It gave a low snort, growling as if it could understand and took offense to her observation.
Miyako shrieked, abandoning all thoughts of offensive weaponry in favor of darting behind Ken. Her eyes shut tightly as she gripped part of his shirt with both hands, pressing her forehead into the back of his neck. Considering of such close proximity was lost to fear.
Similarly, Ken was too taken aback to think of blushing. Too busy staring up at the digimon. It's silvery, metallic helmet. Four large, blood-red wings. Grey, muscular, and semi-anthropomorphic form with clawed feet and menacing talons for claws. Imposing. Dangerous. But also...familiar…
"Oi!" The voice of a young man called to them from beyond the trees. More rustling. A white-cloaked figure emerged. "What did I say about..." But he trailed off, stopping in his tracks when he got a good look at his partner's intended prey. Human. Both of them. And not just human, but: "...Ken?"
Ken did a double-take at the sound of his name.
"But that's...no, you can't be. Except you are." Beneath his shadowed hood, the figure's lips twisted into a frown. "This isn't good."
"What's not good?" Ken wanted to know. "And who are you?"
Behind, he could feel Miyako daring to peek over his left shoulder.
To their mutual surprise, the figure actually laughed. A low, humorous chuckle. Hardly full of mirth, but appreciating the situation for what it was. He followed it up with a light snort before reaching for the hem of his hood. Using both hands, he pushed it up and back. Spiky-brown hair appeared. Tanned skin. Blue eyes. And a knowing smirk Ken had definitely seen before.
"Akiyama Ryo." The 20-year-old Legendary Tamer stepped forward, closing the remaining distance between them. Behind, Cyberdramon gave a huff of disapproval, only to be silenced when Ryo held up a single hand. "Don't worry. He only bites when I say it's okay. Though I'm afraid he does have a point." His smirk faltered as he glanced back and forth between the wide-eyed pair. "As happy as I am to see you again, Ken, we have a problem. You're not supposed to be in this Digital World."
"Ryo-san...I can't believe you're here." Ken stared up at the young man in utter disbelief.
Miyako's brows furrowed as she tentatively took a step out from behind him. Ken's reaction was enough to convince her that this guy wasn't a threat, but… "What do you mean this Digital World?"
"Long story. One I—actually, you know what? Better I just show you." He took a step back, ignoring the question marks hovering over their heads. "Hold on a second, will you?"
Turning away, he placed a hand to his ear. His eyes turned downward as he set his focus on the small comlink, listening for sighs of the signal reestablishing itself. A high pitched ringing gave way to white noise, and sure enough, the sounds of a female gasp.
His face lit up. He couldn't help himself. "Akiyama here. Hope you didn't miss me too—"
"Akiyama-san?"
His face fell almost immediately. That was not the voice he'd been expecting to hear.
"Juri?" Surprise gave way to confusion. Then concern. "What happened? Where's—"
"Out on patrol." She cut in again as if anticipating his question. Which she probably was. Most of the time, he liked to think of himself as unpredictable. Now was not one of those times. "In her defense, she was pulling double shifts, waiting for you to check in every day for a week straight. Even Alice-chan called her out on it. Next time, you should really be a little more considerate."
He would have felt far more flattered if something she'd just said hadn't struck him right in the chest: "A week? It's been a week?"
"Three, actually. Well...more like two and a half, but you know she's going to say three."
"...shit." He muttered under his breath, forgetting to censor himself in front of the others. Reaching up with one hand, he rubbed at both temples with his thumb and middle finger. "I really hope you're making a bad joke right now, Juri, because it's been less than a day here since I jumped."
The radio silence on her end was all it took for him to know she wasn't joking.
"That's...not good."
"Yeah, tell me about it." He spun back around to face Ken and...er...oh, wow, she looked eerily familiar too. For a different reason. "And it's not about to get any better. Get Yamaki. Now. Tell him to open up a portal as soon as possible."
"But..."
"Just follow my signal. We'll still be here. Akiyama out."
The connection cut out. His hand lowered.
Ken was staring at him like he'd grown a second head.
He felt the slight shift in the wind even before the first sparks appeared. Yellow at first. Then blue. Electricity crackling and swirling into a deepening pit of pinks and lavenders until the collars slowly pulled themselves apart. The portal grew until it stood roughly five meters in height. An image slowly came into focus. Like looking through a frosted window.
Once it stabilized, Ryo gestured towards it with a single jerk of his head.
"Next stop: the long story."