Ugh.
Distance Learning sucks. That is all.
That said...I am still typing when I can spare the time, and am so so SO appreciative of you readers who continue to remain loyal, despite my sporadic updates. Especially those who've left wonderful comments letting me know what you like. Heck, I even cherish the not-so-wonderful comments complaining, because this story is almost 100,000 words long, so I must be doing something right for you to stick around this long.
(Although, no, I absolutely will not stop writing "fluffy shit". I live for this stuff.)
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DIGIMON TRI: BALANCE
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"Leo...mon? Like...Leomon-Leomon? That Leomon?"
There was an ironic comfort to hearing Jou's bewildered ramblings, even over the phone. Mimi closed her eyes, letting the sounds of the room fade into the background as she focused on the sound of his voice. He was rationalizing, not arguing. There was panic, but he wasn't panicking. She recognized his vocal habits from their shared childhood memories, and could picture his 12-year-old self flailing about at the first signs of anything less than certain.
Were she not so physically exhausted from the day, she would have even smiled over it.
Not that she could blame Jou for his reaction. When Sora called, hers hadn't been that dissimilar. There had been surprise. Then amazement. Then worry. The latter won out when she heard of Leomon's condition, and she'd raced to the Yagami's apartment as fast as the late evening trains ran.
The scene that awaited her felt more like a funeral than reunion. Leomon's massive frame splayed out over the couch. Sora doing her best to wrap one of his paws with thick bandages, Piyomon and Tailmon hovering nearby. Mimi hadn't been able to see the extent of the injury, but whatever it was left even Tsukaimon uneasy; their latest digimon ally had perched himself on the sofa to stare warily at Leomon.
Most of the others were scattered about. Takeru was on the phone with Daisuke, explaining the situation, while Koushiro sat at the dining room table with his laptop, staring expectantly at a screen that never changed. Even Yamato had gotten there before her, though he and Taichi were maintaining just enough space between them that they could continue pretending to ignore one another's existence.
Mimi rolled her eyes at them both.
"How long will it take you to get here?" In her haste, she cut Jou off mid-rationalization. "I forgot which line is fastest from your place, but the Rinkai line was still—"
"Mimi-chan."
An uneasy feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach.
"What is it?"
"I can't. You know my test is tomorrow. I have to finish studying."
Her eyes shut tight, and she willed herself to feel annoyed, rather than… "Are you serious? Forget the stupid test. This is more important!"
"It's not that simple."
"Yes. It is." She pushed herself away from the wall with renewed strength. Mimi liked to think she was a decent actress. Committed enough to a role that she could fool even herself. "You can always retake a test later. Leomon is here, now, and he needs us. All of us."
Jou didn't answer. Not right away.
There was audio distortion on his end. The sound of fabric shifting. Wood scraping against wood. A second voice. Mimi strained to hear what it was saying, but she couldn't even tell if it was Gomamon or another member of his family. No, wait. It had to be Gomamon. He and Jou were supposed to be home alone that evening. Both his parents were working late shifts. Shuu was back in Kyoto, and Shin was preparing for his upcoming MSF assignment.
"Mimi-chan." He said her name again. Softer. The uneasy feeling grew. "You were the one who spent all week helping me study, remember? All that time, you could have been doing literally anything else. You could have gotten in extra practice for you own concert debut! But...you chose to help me. What kind of...friend would I be if I let all that time and work you put in go to waste?"
"Jou-san..." her shoulders slumped.
"Did any other digimon follow Leomon through the portal?"
The question caught her off-guard, even though she did have an answer. Sora had told her enough of what happened.
"No."
"Is he safe for now?"
Across the room, Palmon handed Sora a freshly chilled cloth. It was pressed against Leomon's cheeks and forehead. The beast digimon winced at the touch, stirring once but never fully wakening. Some of the pain eased from his features. Tailmon checked for fever. When she signaled that she found none, everyone (except Tsukaimon) looked relieved.
"I...think so," Mimi admitted.
"Then there's no real reason for me to come over right now, is there?"
Mimi's heart sank. She swallowed against a lump in her throat, turning away from the rest of the room so they wouldn't see the genuine disappointment in her eyes. It was like the school festival all over again. Only worse. Festivals were meant for fun, and it had been too easy to drag him into one because the stakes had been so much lower. The thought of his missing out was mildly depressing, but even if he'd stood his ground and refused to go with her, there would have been plenty of other ways for her to enjoy the day.
This time, it wasn't annoyance she felt. No matter how much she wanted it to be.
"But..." she murmured sadly. "It's Leomon."
"I know, Mimi-chan."
She shut her eyes. "I owe him my life."
"I remember."
The others knew. She'd told them the story in the time proceeding their last great victory against Apoclymon, when they'd all exchanged experiences of their times apart. But only Jou had been there that day to witness it first-hand. He knew just how terrified for Ogremon she'd been when he'd insisted on fighting, despite severe injury. How futile it was when MetalEtemon took advantage of her weakness to strike.
How paralyzed with fear at witnessing SaberLeomon jump in to take that fatal blow on her behalf, further weighed down by the knowledge that it had been her stubbornness that got him killed. Jou had been right behind her when they'd watched their dear friend succumb to his injuries. He understood the pain in her heart.
"Listen." She heard movement, and knew he was sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck. "I'll make you a promise. As soon as I'm done with the test tomorrow, you'll be the first person I call. On my honor. We can figure things out from there. Is that okay?"
It was not okay.
"Yeah. Sure."
The fight left her. Mimi could do little more than nod into the receiver as Jou offered his farewells—spliced with one last apology for good measure—and disconnected the call.
She listened to the silence that followed. Her thoughts were distant. When she finally pulled the phone from her ear, she held it out in front of her. Everything reverted back to its usual setting. Unfamiliar wallpaper appeared: the younger Chosen gathered in a tight group. Iori was at the center, focused on taking the picture, while Takeru flashed a comically bright smile. To their right, Miyako was hugging Hikari from behind, while on their left, Daisuke had an arm slung over Ken's shoulder.
It served as a bittersweet reminded that Jou wasn't the only Chosen missing that evening.
"Mimi-san?"
Mimi jumped at the sound of her name; when she followed its source, she saw a slightly blurry Iori staring back. He'd been so quiet during her call, she'd somehow completely forgotten he was there at all.
"O-oh! Right. Sorry." Flashing a smile that paled in comparison to those in the picture, she returned the younger boy his cell. "Thanks again."
Her own sat on the table near Koushiro, still charging. It had died shortly after receiving Sora's call.
"Jou-senpai's not coming, is he?"
For a moment, Mimi thought he might have been similarly dismayed at the thought. He was successor to Jou's crest trait, after all. Similar to how Mimi couldn't help seeing a piece of herself in Miyako, she had always assumed he would relate to his Chosen seniors. Except his expression never once strayed from neutral, as if he had not only accepted as much, but had expected it.
"No. He isn't." Mimi steeled herself, blinking back the threat of tears and she took a deep breath. Both arms stretched up and over her head. She brightened her smile in attempt to downplay her true reaction, even as there remained a notable tightness in her voice. "For some reason, he's convinced there isn't anything he can do here, so he's just going to keep studying. Typical."
"Well, in a way, he's right."
She froze mid-stretch. "What do you mean?"
Iori shifted awkwardly. His gaze averted, and Mimi wondered if he'd meant to speak that part aloud.
"Ah...my apologies, Mimi-san. I meant no offense." His head bowed. "It's just...I've been here for 20 minutes now, and the only thing I've been able to do is lend you my cell phone. Koushiro-san still hasn't heard from Gennai, and I'm nearly positive Taichi-san and Yamato-san haven't even moved since my arrival. Really, all we're doing is just...waiting."
"Waiting is better than nothing." She muttered. Biting back an immature whine, she tilted her head back and switched to English: "How can he even focus on some stupid math problems at a time like this?"
"Maybe having something else to focus on is his way of keeping calm."
Mimi did a double take, jaw dropping not at the reply itself, but the language he gave it in.
"I didn't know you spoke English too."
Iori shrugged. "You never asked." His gaze flickered towards something to his right. He offered a slightly deeper bow of his head in parting. "Please excuse me, Mimi-san."
The youngest of the Chosen navigated his way through the room before sliding into the chair beside Takeru. There was a grace to his movement. Quiet. Discreet. Barely noticeably unless one made a point of doing so; Mimi wondered if he had always moved like that. Actually, there were a lot of things about Iori she wondered. Not enough to bother asking. Just...wonder.
Sora was still sitting on the edge of the coffee table, keeping a vigilant watch over Leomon. Mimi moved to the vacant spot beside her, sat down, and immediately rested her head against Sora's shoulder. If Sora minded the invasion of space, she gave little indication, even resting her own cheek against the top of Mimi's head.
Mimi sighed. Audibly.
"No luck with Jou-senpai?" Sora guessed.
"Boys are stupid," Mimi muttered childishly.
Unwilling to confirm or deny such a statement, Sora instead reached for her best friend's hand. Their fingers interlaced, and she offered a sympathetic squeeze. Mimi squeezed back. She shifted to a slightly more comfortable position. Most of her hair was still pulled back into a high ponytail, but the long hangs banging loosely tickled Sora's neck and shoulders. She closed her eyes, trusting Sora to support enough fo her weight that she could relax.
"You know," Sora smoothed back some of Mimi's hair. "Nobody would hold it against you if you wanted to take a nap. When Hikari-chan's done changing, I'm sure she'd even offer her bed. I mean, you were at Avex Headquarters since what time this morning?"
"Six-thirty."
"Oi!" Yamato's ears burned at the company name. "What did I tell you about—"
"Yes, yes, I remember." Mimi blindly waved a hand in his general direction. "I didn't sign anything. Yet. And I'm meeting with both Irving and Oscar Productions next week too. Papa says there's a good chance I can get a better contract if it looks like I'm in high demand." She paused long enough to let out a yawn before peeking one eye open and up at Sora. "You should come with me. How fun would it be if we could star in a Drama together?"
"Pass." Sora bit back a laugh, not taking the offer seriously.
The door to one of the bedrooms opened. Hikari emerged, freshly dressed in a casual blouse and modest shorts. Mimi half expected Tsukaimon to fly over and greet her, but the little digimon continued to play his one-sided staring contest with Leomon's bandaged fist.
Hikari took the opportunity to make a detour into the kitchen. Either by cue or coincidence, Takeru followed her.
"You shouldn't sit so close," Tsukaimon stated. It took a moment for Mimi to realize he was talking to her and Sora. "Either of you. He could snap and attack you like Dorumon did."
Sora shook her head. "Leomon would never attack us. He's our friend."
"Besides, we hid his sword behind the counter," Mimi added confidently.
"It's very sweet of you to worry about us, though," Sora smiled.
Tsukaimon's cheeks flushed.
"I-I wasn't worried!" He stammered, turning his head away in vain hope of hiding the incriminating evidence. "It would be your own faults if you leave yourselves so open to attack."
"Tsukaimon..." Hikari gently chastised.
The virus digimon's wings shot up, then deflated into a pile of defeat.
Mimi grinned as she looked to the kitchen, trying to catch Hikari's eye. The younger girl was pouring something into a glass. Lemonade, maybe? Mimi's mouth watered at the thought. She loved fresh lemonade. The kind sold in American stores tasted too weird to her—almost as weird as their green teas—so she and her mother would make a fresh pitcher for the house at least once a week.
Hikari passed the glass over to Takeru.
That's when Mimi saw it.
Takeru's back was to the rest of the room as he stepped towards Hikari. His fingers slid over hers. Then lingered. Hikari's eyes locked with Takeru's. She said something too soft for anyone's ears but his. He said something back. She grinned. A private joke between friends...except there was a slight twitch between their fingers. As if purposely brushing their knuckles together.
And Hikari was practically glowing.
Mimi's brows shot up to her hairline.
"Oh my god..." Excitement overrode any sense of better judgment. Her mouth was a full three seconds ahead of her brain. "You two are a thing now? Finally!"
The room froze, human and digimon alike. Multiple pairs of eyes first looked to Mimi, then followed her gaze to the stunned pair in the kitchen.
Sora paled in horror: "Mimi-chan!"
All jokes about her Crest trait aside, Sora was far from blind to the developing feelings between her two younger friends. Part of her was even rooting for them. A very quiet, subtle part. And yes, she may have attempted an occasional nudge. But there was a huge difference between dropping hints out of earshot, and shamelessly teasing them in front of friends and both their brothers. One allowed them the quiet dignity of acknowledging any possibilities on their own terms, while the other left them to very publicly risk…
...blushing.
Quite deeply.
Twin shades of red that rivaled the glow of her Crest.
(Sora hadn't even realized Takeru was capable of blushing like that.)
In between exchanging very telling glances between them.
The color returned to Sora's face in time for her jaw to drop: "You mean...it's true?"
Mimi squealed in delight.
Hikari's head dipped down, hiding behind loose bangs. At the last moment, she remembered she was still holding the pitcher of lemonade and turned to set it down on the counter. Takeru opened his mouth to say something. For once, his silver tongue failed him. Like two young children caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar, neither had a single word in their defense. Which, for them, was as good as a confession.
Instead, they looked to the back of the room.
Sora and the rest of the group followed suit.
Taichi and Yamato were both leaning against the far wall. Their arms were folded across their respective chests. Their eyes were closed. Their expressions betrayed nothing. It was Taichi who first glanced towards Yamato out of the corner of his eye. Yamato glanced back.
Then, in a rare moment of agreement, they both shrugged.
"What, you think we didn't know?" Taichi grinned.
"I should've taken you up on that bet after all," Yamato joked. "They didn't even make it to Christmas, let alone the end of the school year."
"Nii-san..." Takeru chuckled sheepishly.
"Which one?" Taichi asked a little too innocently. "Him, or me?"
"Oniichan!" Hikari groaned.
The doorbell rang, drowning out the sounds of their snickering truce.
Taichi went to answer it.
For a brief moment, the tension in the air seemed to dissipate. Most of the remaining occupants were content to observe the ongoing show. Takeru and Hikari were making a point of avoiding eye contact with nearly everyone. Yamato was still laughing. Tailmon and Patamon, though confused, scampered over to their respective partners to offer moral support. Tsukaimon was still deciding whether or not he should be mad.
Then Daisuke burst into the room, Chibimon and Minomon close at his heels.
"I'm here, guys!" He took in the sight of Leomon before placing both hands on his hips. "So, did I miss anything good?"
No one knew quite how to answer.
Except Mimi, whose lips twisted into a wicked grin: "I'm gonna tell him."
"Mimi-chan!" Sora sighed in exasperation.
o o o
o o o
There were perks to working in a high-security government organization overrun with shameless gossips. For one, it gave him a level of authority he otherwise should have never possessed. And the ability to stroll right into a restricted area with a passcode that definitely wasn't his.
Reporting him had long since proven a wasted effort. Most of his fellow senior officers knew of his relationship with the Boss—or what they perceived to be a relationship (an assumption Daigo never saw fit to correct)—and the fact that he never abused his privileges without good reason. On the chance Maki found out what he was up to, there were only ever two possible outcomes: either she'd reprimand him with a few vague, empty threats tacked on, or else she would slowly walk away while massaging her temples. Bets were often placed on which one it would be that day.
Daigo won almost every pool he chipped into.
So did the scientist on duty that night.
"I'll remind you," Chinna Rina didn't bother turning to greet him. "Whatever you're up to this time, I don't want to hear a word about it. I want complete and total plausible deniability by the time you walk out that door."
Daigo flashed what he thought to be a charming grin. "If you like, Rina-san, I was never here at all."
"I said plausible deniability."
Chuckling softly, Daigo shoved a hand into his pocket. He knew exactly which console he needed. They were all visually identical in every way, but their positions never changed. South by South-South-West. He'd done this before. More times than even Maki knew about. Which was precisely why, when his hand emerged with a small memory stick he plugged into the computer, Rina didn't even look up from the book she was reading.
His fingers idly tapped in the command. Then waited.
Three minutes remained.
After the first thirty seconds of silence, Rina peeked from around the cover. Light from the monitors reflected off her glasses as she readjusted them. Daigo knew at once she recognized the program he was downloading. Mostly because she seemed less concerned than when he'd first walked in.
"You collected that data, correct?"
"Most of it." He shrugged nonchalantly. "There was an unexpected anomaly earlier this evening. I have a theory, but I need to cross-reference with the energy code to be sure."
Rina tapped her freshly manicured fingernails against the cover. They made an oddly pleasant sound. "Strange. We didn't receive any updated numbers."
"Yeah, they haven't been verified. Duration and a lack of significant reports means it could have been a blip. And you know we don't typically bother with blips."
"Then why are you bothering with this one?" Rina asked.
"Like I said, I have a theory."
Less than two minutes remained.
Daigo reached up with both arms, hoping for that satisfying crack to relieve some of the tension in his neck. It never came. Shoulders slumping, he tried bringing a hand to the base of his skull and massaging at the sore spot. If Maki had been there with him, she would no doubt have made some quip about him getting a karmic pain in the neck for being such a metaphorical one all the time.
Rina slammed her book shut.
"Did they restock the machine?"
It took less than a second for Daigo to remember there was a coffee machine in the hallway, a few meters from the main intersection. He tried to recall how many lights had been blinking when he'd passed it.
"Probably not." He watched the download progress bar slowly creep further to the right. "But it wasn't completely empty, I don't think. I guarantee regular's still out, but you could probably still get one of those caramel-cinnamon or peppermint flavors."
"Good enough for me." Placing her book on top of a small stack covering the adjacent table, she stood. "Don't suppose you want anything?"
Daigo was about to decline her offer, when a thought occurred to him. He reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and retrieved a five hundred yen bill. Before Rina had a chance to offer to treat him the drink, he shook his head and held it out.
"It's not for me. It's for Maki-chan. Do me a favor and bring her a cup of the vanilla. Don't worry if she's not in her office; if you leave it on her desk, she'll know it was from me."
Rina stared at the paper currency for a long moment. Then, she shook her head.
"You know, Daigo-san..." she began as she accepted the bill. "Some days, I can't tell if you're that in love, or just that masochistic."
His eyes betrayed nothing as he sent her a casual salute in gratitude. Once she was out of the room, he turned back to the console. The bar reached its completion, and he quickly inputted a second command to download the program he didn't want Rina see him collect. This one took less than ten seconds before he was able to safely eject the flash drive.
One it was out, he held it up to the light and watched the way it reflected off its metallic surface.
"Both," he sighed to himself.
o o o
o o o
Pain.
The first sensation that registered as Leomon slowly regained consciousness. Only it was unlike any other pain he'd experienced. There was the biting sting of an enemy's blade. The burning sensation of being struck by a powerful blow. He'd even known the bittersweet cold of death itself. But this? It was as if someone were desperately trying to wretch his paw from his body—no, worse than that.
It felt like they were stealing a part of his very soul.
He inhaled once, sharply, though his teeth. There was pressure on his right side and neck. His chest swelled as his lungs were filled with unfamiliar air. The scent of electromagnetic waves was weak. Brows furrowing, he winced at the struggle to pry his eyes open.
Brightness flooded his senses.
As did a loud gasp.
"He's awake! Guys, get over here!"
The voice was...familiar. High in pitch and excitement. Female. Young.
Letting out a shuddered breath, Leomon turned his head to find two human girls sitting by his side. One was visibly relieved. The other, it was difficult to say with her hands covering most of her lower face. But her eyes glistened with what Leomon could only presume to be tears for him, a humbling thought in his moments of lingered haze.
More faces appeared, each accompanied by at least one digimon.
"Chosen Children." Memories came rushing back like a floodgate that had burst open. He moved to sit up. A different pain pounded against his temples, but he ignored it. "You...how?"
One of the males, whose hair rivaled that proudest of lion manes, stepped forward. "You collapsed right outside out apartment." Taichi, Leomon realized. His name was Taichi. Once upon a time, he was considered the leader of the Chosen. Perhaps he still was. "Hikari and Takeru found you. Yamato, Koushiro, and I carried you up here. Sora bandaged your...uh..."
He trailed off, gesturing vaguely downward.
It was then Leomon registered the pressure surrounding his paw. He held it up, expecting the agonizing flicker of pink, but saw nothing more than a ball of white that extended halfway up his arm. The bandages were expertly wrapped. His fingers were stiff, but mobile. He squeezed and released a fist several times to be certain.
The names...Hikari and Takeru...yes, he recognized the young pair. The first faces he had come upon in this world, and the last before consciousness left him. All of the Children had grown, but the difference was most stark in their cases. Had they not been with Taichi, Leomon would have been wary to believe they were the same Children at all. Koushiro had been the Chosen who carried that yellow device of communication and information. Leomon remembered him as well. He had also grown taller, though not so tall as the second blonde boy. Yamato. Who resembled Takeru a great deal.
As for Sora…
Leomon looked between the two girls at his side, and wagered a guess towards the teary-eyed one: "You are Sora?"
"Ah...I'm Sora." The other girl gently corrected him, and Leomon immediately nodded an apology for his error. She then gestured to the girl beside her. "This is Mimi-chan."
"Mimi...chan?" Leomon echoed.
For reasons beyond his ability to comprehend, the one named 'Mimi-chan' appeared to take great offense. Her lips pursed together, nose scrunching in such a way that Leomon had the sudden urge to apologize profusely, even though he was certain he had done her no intentional wrong.
"You don't remember?" Anger gave way to sadness. Hurt. He could sense the pain she felt then. Different than the kind that tore at his bandaged fist, but no less valid. "We were all together that day. You and me and Jou-san and Ogremon. The fight against MetalEtemon." She bit her lip. Her eyes read of shame. Her voice quivered. "You saved my life, Leomon, and...I never got the chance to tell you how truly sorry I was for being so childish. It was my fault you died."
A single tear made its way down her cheek. Leomon resisted the urge to catch it for her.
Innocence radiated from her very presence. The kind that could only stem from the Purest of hearts; Leomon's eyes flickered to the Palmon hovering nearby. Her leaves wilted at the sight of her partner's distress. He knew then that the heart of their Crest had not been wrongly attributed.
"I...remember." He bowed his head, feeling shame for his momentary lapse of memory. True, that had all been a previous life, but it was still his to retain. "I also remember you having nothing to apologize for, Mimi. You wished only for our safety. It was I who chose to face MetalEtemon, a decision I would gladly make again if it meant keeping you safe."
"R-really?" Mimi's glistening eyes were wide.
Leomon nodded.
It felt strange to him now, how he could have mistaken one Chosen girl for the other. There had been a bond between him and the Chosen of Purity. He felt it then, just as he felt it now. It would never rival that which she shared with her partner, but he would have done them both a great disservice to deny its existence.
Regardless of what she believed, Mimi had fought by his side in her own way. And stayed with him until his end. He could think of no greater purpose in life than to die for such a friend.
Gently, Leomon placed his unbandaged paw atop her head. The gesture alone left Mimi in silent awe as she stared up at him.
"You have carried an unnecessary burden all this time," he insisted. "Please, allow me to lift—"
"Hold it right there, Leomon!"
A sudden force shoved his arm away. Violet filled his vision, along with two narrowed golden eyes. The child digimon's wings flapped with determination to maintain eye level. Only once did Tsukaimon allow his gaze to avert, watching the pile of bandages with heavy suspicion. Waiting.
Leomon knew then he was looking for signs of the infection taking hold.
"I'm only gonna say this once, big guy." Tsukaimon puffed his cheeks in an attempt to appear intimidating. "I don't care what level you're evolved to. Touch either of them again, and you'll have to answer to me!"
Leomon's mouth opened. Then closed. His shoulders relaxed. A muted chuckle vibrated in his chest. He did not seek clarification over the accusation. Nor did he take it as a great insult to his character. The situation was obvious.
"Noble is the heart that would willingly defend others, regardless of the odds." His head dipped, a genuine pride shining in his Prussian blue eyes. "On my honor, little virus, I mean you nor your dear friends any harm."
Tsukaimon recoiled back as if he'd been struck. "Oh...yeah?" Clearly not expecting so reasonable a reply, he turned his noise upward with a soft humph. "Well, I'm still watching you. Closely." He retreated to the top of the sofa before adding, almost as an afterthought: "And they're not my friends!"
Hikari sighed.
Leomon chuckled...just as a fresh wave of pain shot through his wrist. The laughter became a loud hiss.
Mimi winced. "How bad does it hurt?"
"A warrior...is used to injury," Leomon managed. Through gritted teeth.
"That doesn't answer my question." Mimi folded her arms across her chest.
"What happened to you, Leomon?" Sora asked.
Leomon waited until the latest attack subsided. Not once did the sparks peek through his bandages, something which he felt immense gratitude for. He lungs felt heavy from lack of breath and his muscles were stiff, even though he knew he had only slept a short time. Better he bare the pain of his condition alone, than risk spreading it to any of the allies gathered around him.
He swung his legs over the side of the sofa, twisting his body so that his back rested against the tall cushions. Mimi and Sora both slide backwards to allow him room. His unbandaged paw went to his head. His vision and thoughts swam synchronously, though only the latter cleared in time for him to offer an answer:
"In my latest travels, I once more came upon my greatest rival." He nodded towards Mimi, knowing she would recognize the allusion to Ogremon's involvement. "As you well know, he and I have crossed swords many times in our pasts, and though his ferocity is second to none, he has always fought with a degree of honor...until that day." A shadow washed over the beast king's face. "I knew at once he was not himself. At first, I suspected he was under the influence of another. He could not speak, only roar in agony, as he swung his club aimlessly about. It was obvious he was in pain, but we were on the border of a neighboring village, and I feared he might cause harm to its residents. For this reason alone, I fought back.
"It was...not a battle well fought." Leomon paused for breath. He shook his head. "His malady had severely weakened him. His only advantage was the erratic nature of his blows. Within minutes, I had him at the mercy of my blade...and in his desperate attempt at defense, he grabbed my wrist."
As if on cue, the pain resurfaced. He bit back another cry, not wanting to worry his dear Mimi any more than her face gave away.
She was not the only one; most of the room visibly flinched. Including the young one known as Hikari, who held a tightly held fist just over her heart. If Leomon were less informed, he might have suspected her to be in physical pain as well.
"One...touch was all it took," he continued. His breathing grew labored, but he was determined. "I am...shamed to admit I ran. My immediate thoughts were not my own. I was able to remove myself from any village I stumbled upon, less I risk spreading the infection, but still I sought the hope of an answer as to what happened."
The Chosen each looked to one another. A bittersweet understanding passed between them.
Their digimon, on the other hand, each took a deliberate step away from Leomon. With, again, the exception of Tsukaimon, whose wings dropped.
"It happened to Dorumon too," he stated sadly. "I didn't see who grabbed him, but when he came out of the woods during our game, he was being just as mean as your rival."
"Then...there are others," Leomon confirmed with a deep grimace.
"Many more." Hikari chimed in. Her eyes were distant, as if she were seeing something the rest could not. Recognizing the look on her face, Tailmon placed a paw on her leg. "They're scared and in pain and...running from whatever hurt them." Her vision abruptly cleared. She gasped. "What if sending them back to the Digital World is only hurting them more?"
Her fists balled over her knees so tightly, her knuckles turned white. Takeru saw this and attempted to reach out by placing his hand over hers.
Daisuke watched them both with an odd look on his face before shifting his attention back to Leomon.
"Speaking of...how exactly did you get here? To our world, I mean." Pursing his lips together, he scratched at the back of his head. The beginnings of a thought were forming, but he couldn't quite put them to words. "That's the part I still don't really understand. I mean, yeah, it's great you were able to get away from whatever bad guy we're probably going to have to go fight next, but...the gates to the Digital World are supposed to be closed."
"Even our digivices haven't been able to open one," Iori pointed out.
"I haven't even been able to contact Gennai," Koushiro added, returning to his laptop. The message windows onscreen remained tellingly blank. "This line of communication was supposed to remain accessible no matter what, but recently, I can't even verify he'd gotten any of my messages. It's been nothing but silence on his end."
"To be fair, this is Gennai we're talking about," Taichi pointed out.
Yamato pointed to Taichi and fervently nodded his agreement.
Leomon shook his head. "I wish I had answers for you all. Alas, I do not." He turned his head upward, taking in the odd texture of the ceiling. The patterns were unlike anything he had ever seen in the Digital World. "I recall stumbling into a large field. The warmth of the sun on my face. Yet, it was sunset, and the sun should have barely shone above the horizon. Then I realized the warmth was not coming from the sun at all, but a strange...entity hovering not far from where I stood. It felt...inviting."
"Like a safe hiding place from all the scary stuff." Tsukaimon took to the air, flying over to Hikari, where he settled into her lap with a grin. "Just like Hikari!"
Hikari was taken aback by the comparison, but rewarded the digimon for his compliment with a gentle pat on the head.
Daisuke let out an amused snort. "You make it sound like Hikari-chan's the one who opened up the portals."
"Maybe she did."
Yamato kicked himself away from the wall, straightening at everyone's attention. It was different than being under a stage spotlight. His heart pounded in his chest. He didn't dare look at Taichi. He didn't even look to Hikari, unwilling to risk losing his nerve. A theory was forming in his mind. One he didn't like. One just impossible enough to be true.
"There were two portals the night we were in Haneda," he reminded everyone. "I can't speak about the first one—the one that brought us Megadramon—because it opened underwater. Right under the pier where we were standing."
"Nii-san..." Takeru moved to stand, only to be stopped by Yamato holding up one hand.
"No, Takeru. Let me finish." He didn't dare look at his little brother then, either. He settled for an unremarkable spot on the rug. "Maybe that one was just a coincidence, but is it still a coincidence that a second portal appeared with Tailmon and the others so soon after? And almost directly behind her? Almost as if...like...like she'd called for them, or something."
"She did." Tailmon rose to her hind paws, looking back and forth between Hikari and Yamato. Surprise read across her usually neutral expression. "I...thought you knew."
Around her, the rest of the digimon were similarly taken aback. As if only then realizing a secret they hadn't known they'd been keeping.
"I...called for them?" Hikari echoed faintly.
Tailmon dropped to all fours so she could scamper back to her partner. Tsukaimon made an effort to protest, but in the heat of the moment, Tailmon forewent any battle over Hikari's lap in favor of hopping straight onto the table. This put her at near eye level.
"Don't you remember?" Tailmon's nose twitched. "I was with Patamon and the others when I heard your voice. It was distant, but then the air in front of me just...split open. Like it did when you opened the portal for Takeru from the Dark Ocean."
"Only she didn't have to jump off a cliff to reach it this time," Patamon added.
Hikari went pale. Her knees wobbled, like she would have collapsed if she hadn't already been sitting down. Tsukaimon looked up at her in worry, attempting to nudge her hand as a means of comfort. Tailmon, too, rested her chin atop her partner's shoulder. But she didn't look to either of them. Nor did she look to her brother.
She turned to Takeru. His lack of surprise told her everything she needed to know.
"This is too weird," Sora shook her head. She was visibly shaken from both the news and the way Hikari seemed to be handling it.
Taichi's lips pressed together in a thin line. His fists clenched so tightly, he was sure he felt the sting of his nails drawing blood. It would have been easy to get pissed at Yamato all over again. Just like he had at the Agency headquarters. The jerk couldn't even look his sister in the eye as he stood there, shamelessly accusing her of...of…
Memories of his earliest childhood flashed in his mind. His baby sister staring, unwavering, at their father's computer. It was supposed to be shut down at night, but the screen had glowed so brightly, Taichi had seen it from the hall. A giant egg appeared. Eggs were definitely not supposed to come from computers, and yet Hikari was unfazed. Far beyond a three year old's typical lack of adherence to the rules of logic. She hadn't been afraid or wary or gleeful over its sudden existence.
It had almost been like...she'd welcomed it.
Taichi shook his head, immediately banishing his overactive imagination to the far recesses of his mind.
"What do you think, Koushiro?"
Koushiro flinched at his own name, before realizing Taichi wasn't planning to yell at him, either. He relaxed. Then closed his eyes. One hand wrapped around his upper torso, the other pressed to his chin in deep contemplation.
"It's...not an idea we can rule out completely." Both arms were folded across his chest. Lines appeared in the space between his brows. "I wouldn't go so far as to attribute every one of the portals to her. There are definitely others that opened when she wasn't anywhere close by. But the ones with Tailmon...maybe Leomon..." he turned to Hikari and Takeru. "What were you two doing when the portal opened?"
Color swiftly returned to Hikari's cheeks in the form of a bright pink.
"...playing on the swings?" Takeru sheepishly offered.
Mimi snorted into her hand. Sora elbowed her.
Koushiro spun into his chair, minimizing the message windows on his desktop. He began pulling a new series of files and data graphs.
"We all know Hikari-san's unusually sensitive to happenings in the Digital World. It's entirely plausible that could lead to her subconsciously effecting events. If I just..." he trailed off, the rest of his musings lost to incoherent murmurs as his fingers flew across the keys.
And the sound of Yamato's phone ringing.
He answered without look at the ID window: "Hello?" In the span of three seconds, his expressions ranged from surprised to confused to annoyed and back to confused. He pulled the phone back, staring at the screen long enough to confirm something. Then he held it out to Taichi. "It's for you."
"Me?" Taichi had a similar look as he accepted the phone. "This is Yagami Taichi. Who—"
"You know, Yagami, you must be the only high school student in Tokyo who never seems to keep his phone charged."
Taichi threw his head back. "Not you too, Nishijima-sensei," he groaned, before the reality of the situation struck him. "Wait, why are you calling?"
Even Koushiro froze in place in attempt at hearing the Agency member's explanation. Mimi leaned so far forward, she nearly fell off the side of the table.
Taichi's eyes unfocused, flickering back and forth several times in an effort to process it all.
"WHAT?!" He exclaimed, nearly dropping the phone in shock. His eyes were as wide as his goggles as he pulled the receiver away from his ear, fumbling for the button that switched audio to speaker. "Say that again."
"I said, I know where your friends are. And your best chance of finding them."
Iori shot up. "You know where Miyako-san is?"
Poromon starting bouncing up and down in excitement. It took Minomon until the fourth bounce to realize the implication of this news before he joined in.
"So where are they?" Daisuke leaned in.
"Long story. I'll explain as much as I can when you get here."
"Where?" Taichi asked.
"Odaiba Middle School. I've already sent a van to get you."
Taichi felt a cold trickle down his spine. It was all happening so fast. He looked up, finding every single pair of eyes in the room looking to him expectantly. Including the Digimon. He found Sora's first, finding a hint of his trademark Courage in her reassuring smile and nodd. Then his gaze found Hikari's, who's expression softened under the weight of understanding. She nodded too. He didn't bother checking what Yamato's face looked like. He could already wager a guess.
His weight shifted from one foot to the other and back as he reached up to adjust the goggles sitting on his head. Securing them firmly in place.
His mind was made up.
"Better send two," he told Daigo, as he glanced over at Leomon's massive form. "I'm pretty sure we're not all going to be able to fit this time."