Digimon Adventure Tamers
Chapter 21
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon
(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)
(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)
Her jealousy over her siblings and her frustration over not doing much as a Digidestined getting the better of her, Yolei volunteered to lead her own team on a mission. However, her stubbornness got the better of her, and nearly got her team killed, even though Hawkmon and Armadillomon managed to Digivolve to their Champion levels Aquilamon and Ankylomon. Being called selfish by Kazu, Yolei went home dejected and was kidnapped from her bedroom by Millenniummon…
(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)
The Bird that Threatens Shinjuku! Eaglemon
Yamaki opened his lighter and closed it again as he sat in front of his desk in Hypnos, reading a message from Takato that had been sent yesterday. The message said that the Tamers may be staying a little longer to help the Digidestined deal with Dagomon, a Digimon based off of Cthulhu from Lovecraftian stories after they deal with the newly-returned Millenniummon who had captured Ryo.
When he received the message, Yamaki was in disbelief at first as he was led to believe that the data of this Millenniummon was in Ryo's partner. But when he read that Jeri's partner Leomon had returned to life through his data being extracted from Impmon, he believed that it was possible that Millenniummon's data was extracted from Monodramon as well.
After reading the entire message, he was now regarding it with slight interest and concern. The blond-haired man was surprised when he heard there was another world that existed in the Digidestined dimension that was entirely built on negative emotions and data, and the residents of that world wanted to expand and grow their empire. He was also unsettled deeply when the message also said that these creatures and their ruler were practically Cthulhu and his servants from Lovecraftian stories. It also concerned him that perhaps their own dimension had a Dark World of its own, filled with Deep Ones that fed off the misery and loneliness of people and wanted to grow their stranglehold and destroy everything. It reminded him slightly of the D-Reaper, and the last thing he needed was another D-Reaper crisis in this world, especially when their best chance of countering said force, the Tamers, were in another dimension.
"Thinking about the kids again?" Yamaki looked up from the communications device to see Shibumi enter the office and sit down in the chair nearest to him. "They've been on Janyu's mind as well ever since they left, Henry and Suzie especially."
"Yes," Yamaki said gruffly. "I can only wonder how long it will be until they return here…after receiving Takato's message last night I'm concerned about a threat coming that we won't be able to beat back without the Tamers. This Dark World and Dagomon that Takato told me about sounds troubling, and I can't help but wonder if we have a world similar to that in this dimension…"
"Perhaps," said Shibumi, a look of thought on his face. "Given that we've recently learned of another dimension parallel to ours, and quite possibly more…"
"More?" Yamaki asked with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean, more?"
"Well, this is something I've been looking into with Robert and Janyu since we learned about Ryo," Shibumi explained, leading Yamaki out of the office and to his workplace, which was filled with several books and papers, and three computers open to websites on Japan's Heian era, and images of a dragon, a turtle, a phoenix and a tiger. "What do you know about the Four Symbols?"
"I know that they're mythological creatures in Chinese constellations," Yamaki answered after thinking for a moment. "They're divided in directions and seasons. The Azure Dragon of the East representing spring, the Vermilion Bird of the South representing Summer, the White Tiger of the West representing Autumn, and the Black Turtle of the North representing Winter."
"Exactly," said Shibumi, sitting down and typing on one of his computers.
"What does this have to do with your research?"
(Play Digimon Tamers: Blue Card)
"The Sovereigns," Shibumi answered simply, bringing up the image of the four Sovereigns. "Take a look. Azulongmon is a dragon, Zhuqiaomon is a bird, Baihumon is a tiger, and Ebonwumon is a turtle. And when you look at this image…" The bearded man pulled up an old picture of the beasts represented in the Four Symbols, and Yamaki had to remove his sunglasses for a better look.
"They look exactly alike," the blond-haired man said in surprise. "But the turtle in the Four Symbols has only one head and a snake around his body…"
"I think Ebonwumon's second head is the snake," said Shibumi. "If the Sovereigns are based on the Four Symbols, it would make sense for them to have protection over a certain direction. Ryo said that Azulongmon is the Sovereign that watches over the dimension that is home to the Digidestined, and given our history with Zhuqiaomon, it is apparent that our dimension is watched over by Zhuqiaomon. But what of Baihumon and Ebonwumon? Wouldn't it make sense for them to have their own directions as well?" Yamaki looked from the Digimon to the Four Symbols again, and it suddenly came to him in an instant.
"Are you saying…there may be two more dimensions next to ours and the Digidestined's?"
"Yes," Shibumi said with a nod. "We believe there may be other dimensions out there, but our world, the Digidestined's world, and the other possible two are at the center of it all. And I believe there may be a fifth world as well." Shibumi typed again, and an image of a golden dragon appeared. "The Yellow Dragon Huang Long, the guardian of the center. The one that the other Symbols revolve around, representing the change in seasons…"
"Could it be possible?" asked Yamaki. "The Yellow Dragon usually doesn't apply in Japan, and we've never seen a fifth Digimon Sovereign…"
"Perhaps," said Shibumi, looking back at the computer screen. The two men could only wonder if this theory was true, if there were two more, possibly three more dimensions close to theirs and the other one, and if they had their own Digidestined or Tamers…
"Digimon Tamer?" Momoe asked in confusion. "That's what you and Yolei call yourselves?"
"Well, actually, me and my friends are Digimon Tamers," answered Kazu. "Yolei and her friends are the Digidestined."
Kazu sat in the Inoue apartment's living room with Yolei's parents and siblings, spending the last hour explaining everything to them about Hawkmon, the Digital World and the Digimon, and even told them about the dimension he came from. The family of five were surprised at Kazu's tale and stared at the two Digimon in surprise as Hawkmon and Kokuwamon told their parts of the story as well. Yolei was absent from this gathering as she was still in her bedroom, and she had locked the door to not be disturbed.
(Play Digimon Tamers: Shutsugen)
"You said that…Hawkmon and Kokuwamon, is it…were called Digimon. What does that mean exactly?" asked Mantarou.
"It's short for Digital Monster," replied Kazu. "The Digital World is like Earth, but with different laws of physics, and some of the Digimon live by the law of the wild, kill or be killed."
"And Yolei is a part of this?" asked Chizuru.
"She is, and I am her partner Digimon," said Hawkmon. "I protect her from any harm and trouble she is in whenever it comes around, and believe me, she seems to get in a lot of trouble due to her reckless attitude."
"Yeah, she can be like that," said Momoe. "Still, I think I can see now why she has such a high tab on the store. To feed that many mouths…"
"Did something happen today in the Digital World?" asked Mrs. Inoue, a worried look on her face. "Yolei was in a foul mood when she came home. She locked herself in her bedroom and she hasn't come out since then."
"Yeah…something happened," Kazu said with a grimace. "I think we should get Yolei out here so we can all talk." The visor-wearing boy stood up and walked over to Yolei's bedroom door, knocking on it several times. "Hey Yolei! Come out here so we can talk! I promise I'm not going to yell at you again!" Kazu waited several minutes, but he didn't hear any movement or a response from Yolei.
"Here. Let me." Yolei's father walked up and knocked on the door lightly. "Yolei, it's your father. Kazu told us about what you've been really doing the last few months. I promise I'm not mad at you, and your mother's not mad either. We just want to talk, honey. We really do love you, and we're worried about you." All was quiet for a moment, and there was still no response.
"Do you think she's sleeping?" asked Chizuru. "Yolei can be a heavy sleeper sometimes."
"I doubt it," said Momoe. "Yolei may be a heavy sleeper, but she snores like a chainsaw cutting trees. If she was sleeping, we could hear her snoring."
"Can you open this door?" asked Hawkmon. "I can tell we all want to talk with Yolei sooner rather than later."
"We don't have a key, and it locks on the inside," said Mrs. Inoue. "Yolei's the only one that can unlock it."
"Well, I think we should make our own key," Kokuwamon stated, walking up to the door and holding up his pincer. The metal claws sparked with electricity as Kokuwamon made a cut around the doorknob, which fell to the floor with a thud.
"What was that for?!" Kazu scolded his partner as Momoe opened the bedroom door. "You don't know what Yolei was doing in there! She could be sleeping, or she could be changing…"
"…Or she could not be in her room at all," said Momoe. Kazu looked up and was surprised to see the room was empty.
"What the…where did she go?" asked Mantarou. Kazu, the Inoues and the Digimon walked into the room and looked around for any sign of Yolei. Chizuru walked over to Yolei's computer and saw that it was still on, and saw what it was on with interest.
"Yolei left her computer on something called a…Digital Gate program."
"Let me see!" Kazu ran over and saw that the Digital Gate was open on Yolei's computer.
"Oh, for crying out loud! Yolei must have gone to clear her head in the Digital World. You think she would have left a note…"
"And brought me along," Hawkmon said, looking at the pile of Yolei's discarded clothes. "It's too dangerous for Yolei to go to the Digital World alone…"
"Then I'll have to get her," Kazu said, pulling out his D-Ark and turning to Yolei's family. "I'll be back soon with Yolei, I promise. Digital Gate, Open!" The screen flashed brightly and it sucked up Kazu, Hawkmon and Kokuwamon. The family of five looked on in astonishment at Kazu's actions and vanishing.
"Did they just…get sucked into a computer?" Mantarou asked in disbelief.
Yolei groaned as she woke up to a slight chill in the air. Her head felt so light as she opened her eyes slowly. Did she have a headache? It couldn't have been that since her head wasn't pounding like a drum. Perhaps the events of today, between the battle, being chewed out by Kazu, and arguing with her parents, drained her and she fell asleep.
She attempted to rub her head to get feeling back into it, but found herself unable to move her hands. No, she could move them, but they were bound behind her back. She attempted to stand up, but she felt something holding her legs together at the ankles. Opening her eyes Yolei saw her feet were tied together with what looked like a scarf. And what was more, when she looked up, she saw that she was not in her room, but a forest, and she was sitting up with her back to a tree.
"Hey, what gives?!" Yolei shouted, or at least she tried to. Her mouth was gagged as well, and all that came out were muffled grunts. It suddenly came back to her. Somebody has subdued her with chloroform in her bedroom and kidnapped her. What was going on here? How did her kidnapper manage to get into her room with the door locked? And how did they get her to this forest?!
"Awake I see, Miyako."
(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi ~Digimon Kaiser no Theme~)
Yolei froze when she heard the deep, dark familiar voice ring out near her. Turning her head, she let out a muffled scream and fell on her side when she saw who was standing there. Though he had the appearance of Ken Ichijouji in his Digimon Emperor attire, she knew it wasn't really Ken, but Millenniummon possessing Ken. The lavender-haired girl struggled in her bonds and began crawling away from the mad Digimon as best she could, but Millenniummon grabbed Yolei's legs and pulled her back towards him, sitting her up behind a tree and tying more rope around her, pinning her to the tree. Yolei struggled some more and yelled through the gag, but the ropes held firm and the gag was on too tight, muffling her screams.
"Come now Yolei, I just wish to have a talk with you. Of course, I could be doing most of the talking since you you're gagged. Although I do find it an improvement. After all, you have quite a big mouth," Millenniummon said with a chuckle, making Yolei growl. "But since we're alone…" He walked forward and knelt down next to Yolei, pulling the gag down so it hung around her neck. Yolei took a deep breath before looking up at Millenniummon with a glare.
"What's the big idea, kidnapping me?! How did you even get into my room?!"
"I have the ability to teleport myself to different locations," said Millenniummon. "Plus, I was also able to find your IP address. It's how Ken was able to get into Tai's apartment and kidnapped Agumon. I could teleport myself anywhere if I wanted to in this dimension, even your friends' houses and easily slice their throats in the dead of night." Yolei felt her blood run cold, not just from hearing Millenniummon's words, but also the casual way he talked of teleporting into someone's house and slicing their throats open as they slept. If he could do that the entire time, why did he never do that?
"I suppose you're wondering why I've never done that," Millenniummon said as if he was reading Yolei's mind. "If I did do that, it would simply be a boring, anticlimactic finish for the Digidestined. Granted, I could always travel back in time and kill you another way, but the only deaths I'll be satisfied with is if you fall by my hands in battle. But that doesn't mean I can't make it challenging. Why do you think I took Calumon?"
"You monster," Yolei snarled, staring at Millenniummon with as much defiance as she could muster while tied up. "You don't care about any innocent lives, don't you?!"
"Ryo is the only one of you that matters to me. He is the only one I need alive for my future," Millenniummon said simply before smiling and stroking his chin. "Although, it would be a little lonely after a while if it was just myself and Ryo. So, it would help if I had some generals for the army I'll be building soon."
"Generals?" Yolei asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean, generals? And what does this have to do with kidnapping me?"
"Because Yolei, I want you as one of my generals in my army," Millenniummon answered, making Yolei's eyes widen in shock.
(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)
"Me?! But…you must be kidding. I'm not someone you want as a leader. If you want generals, then surely Davis, or Tai…or even Takato…!"
"Ah yes, the ones who wear the goggles," Millenniummon said with a nod. "I do plan on them as my generals, but they won't be enough. I want you Yolei, because I admire you, unlike most people."
"W…what?" asked Yolei, looking flustered. "What do you mean?"
"You seem to have quite the skill with computers," said Millenniummon, "and you have some intelligence as well. Granted, you can be scatterbrained and impulsive, but you are able to lead with an effective ruthlessness and uncaring for how your comrades are doing. I saw you lead today Yolei, and you have potential." By now Yolei had completely lost her will to talk and could only look flustered at everything Millenniummon was saying about her, and she also didn't like what he said about her not caring about her friends' injuries during today's disastrous mission. She didn't mean to ignore the pain and trouble her friends were in, she was just too focused on being a leader.
"But I think a brilliant mind like yours is being wasted with company like theirs," Millenniummon continued. "You know it as well. Why else do you show such frustration and jealousy to those you call your friends and family? You deserve better Yolei, and you know it. Thanks to me, Ken saw that as well."
"You were controlling him from day one!" Yolei yelled, her anger flaring up again. "All because of your Dark Spore!"
"Which worked to perfection," Millenniummon said with an evil smile on his face. "My Dark Spores are able to enhance the negative aspects of a host, and Ken had many negative emotions that provided such sustenance for the Spore. In fact, his negative emotions are very much like yours, Yolei."
"My…my what?" Yolei asked, her face switching from angry to confused. "What do you mean, my negative emotions are like Ken's?"
"Are you really this dense?" Millenniummon asked with a laugh. "You have a crush on the boy, and yet you don't know the first thing about him. How pathetic is that?!" He released a loud laugh before approaching Yolei again, the girl attempting to escape but the ropes kept her secure to the tree.
"I could tell you…" Millenniummon's hand flew to Yolei's forehead and clamped down over it. "…but it will be more fun to show you."
Yolei gasped as her vision began to be flooded with memories of Ken's past in the Digital World and the Human World.
She saw a young Ken living in the shadow of his older brother Sam, who was smarter and received more attention from everybody, including his parents. She saw Ken yell at Sam how he was receiving more attention than him, and yelled, "I wish you'd just go away and never come back!"
And then she saw Sam get hit by a speeding car and die from his injuries, devastating Ken. Yolei watched as Ken spiraled into depression brought on by Sam's death, his parents mourning continuously over Sam, and Davis never contacting Ken in any way.
Another flash of light and Yolei saw Ken in a world filled with darkness that she could only guess was the Dark World the Tamers talked about, as well as the same world Kari and Jeri ended up in. She watched Ken stick his Digivice into the water and it turned into the black D-3. Ken looked at the D-3 with an evil look, and Yolei suddenly realized that this was the moment the Digimon Emperor was born.
"That moment was when my Dark Spore finally activated and began taking over Ken," Millenniummon said, removing his hand from Yolei's head and bringing her back to the forest. "His intelligence heightened and he decided to show his smarts like his brother before him, and thus his parents began paying more attention to him. As this happened, my Spore corrupted him gradually and it made him a dangerous threat to all."
"Why…" Yolei gasped, horrified and saddened at what she saw. "Why did you show me that?"
(Digimon Adventure: Hashiru Senritsu)
"Because, you're a lot like Ken," said Millenniummon. "You resent your siblings for all of the attention they receive when you're smarter than they are! You wish to be the only one in your family and have all the attention to yourself. But you realize being yourself doesn't work, so you go berserk over every little thing that irritates you. And it extends to the other Digidestined as well. They know you're smarter than you appear to be, but they still give you the shaft and you know it. That's why you decided to act all hotheaded and nearly kill everybody today. I guess you thought if they were gone, you wouldn't have any competition to worry about?"
"No…no…" Yolei said, shaken up by Millenniummon's words. "I'm not like that at all!"
"You're only lying to yourself Yolei," Millenniummon chuckled. "I can read you like an open book. You wish to be recognized and I can grant you that wish. Join me and I can eliminate your family for you, and those that you feel threatened by!"
"No!" Yolei screamed as she struggled to break free from the ropes tying her to the tree. "I may be jealous of my siblings, but I would never wish for them to be dead at all!"
"Do you?" Millenniummon asked with a smirk. He raised his hand and Yolei gasped when she saw a smoky memory of herself in her room moments before her kidnapping and she said these words: "I wish I was the only child in my family!"
"I…but…no…" Yolei felt her eyes water as she tried to make a comeback to Millenniummon, but she couldn't. She did say those words earlier, but it's not like she meant them…did she?
"You're finally realizing it Yolei," Millenniummon said with a dark chuckle. "You're becoming exactly like Ken, and you don't even need a Dark Spore."
"I…I can't be…" she gasped as she felt a tear run down her face from Millenniummon's verbal torture. The dark Digimon chuckled at Yolei's crying when a whistling sound suddenly caught his attention and two objects suddenly hit him in the chest, knocking him off his feet for a moment in an explosion. Standing back up, Millenniummon looked up to see Guardromon flying right for him with Kazu and Hawkmon on his back, his Grenade Destroyer firing repeatedly at who he knew was the enemy.
"Get away from her you vile fiend!" the machine Digimon yelled as he flew down. Millenniummon simply laughed, a dark portal opening behind him and allowing him to escape. Guardromon continued flying for Millenniummon, hoping to grab him before he could make it through the portal. Unfortunately, Millenniummon managed to enter the portal and it closed the moment he was through.
"Oh, dear!" Guardromon gasped, unable to stop his flight. The robot Digimon crashed into the ground and rolled around several times, Kazu and Hawkmon being thrown off and landing hard.
"Ow…my wing…" moaned Hawkmon.
"My everything…" Kazu moaned as well. Hawkmon groaned as he stood up, and gasped when he saw his partner tied up to the tree.
"Yolei!" Running over to her, Hawkmon raised his wings, slicing through the ropes with ease. Kazu came over to help Hawkmon untie Yolei while Guardromon stood back up and walked over to the three.
"Yolei, are you okay?" Kazu asked once Yolei was untied and sitting on a nearby log.
"Ye…yeah, I'm all right…" Yolei replied with a shaking smile. The look in her eyes seemed unconvincing however, and Kazu knew it.
"Yeah…I don't think you're all right," the visor-wearing Tamer said with a frown. "I highly doubt anybody can be all right after they're kidnapped by an evil Digimon, tied to a tree, and apparently having something done to them that causes them to cry."
"Yes, I highly doubt that as well," voiced Guardromon.
"Yolei…what happened between you and Millenniummon exactly?" Hawkmon asked with concern in his voice. Yolei fidgeted slightly on the log, the wind making her shiver slightly due to her pajamas.
"Please Yolei, I think it will make you much better if you tell us," Hawkmon urged his partner. "Just tell us. We'll listen."
"Yes, we will listen," said Guardromon, making Hawkmon look at him with a look of annoyance.
"I'd appreciate it if you did not repeat us."
"Eh, he does that a lot with me," Kazu said, sitting on the log next to Yolei. "So, what happened anyway?" Yolei was silent for a few moments before she finally spoke.
(Play Digimon Adventure: Yuugure)
"Millenniummon…showed me Ken's past. He showed me how Ken was jealous of his brother Sam, and wished for him to go away."
"And he showed you Sam's death?" Kazu asked, getting a nod from Yolei.
"He did, and he said…he said that I'm no different from Ken," she shuddered as he remembered what he said, "and he said that I'm becoming like Ken without a Dark Spore because of what I said and did today…"
"Are you talking about our disastrous mission?" asked Guardromon. "I will admit, you definitely showed poor leadership skills."
"I don't need a reminder," Yolei said despondently. "And before Millenniummon grabbed me out of my room, I had an argument with my parents regarding the lack of attention I get in the house, and I may have said that wished I was the only child in my family…"
"Ouch," Kazu said with a pained expression.
"They probably hate me right now…" Yolei moaned, her hands covering her face.
"Yolei, I assure you that your family does not hate you," Hawkmon reassured his partner. "They do love you and they're worried right now about you."
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"Well, you may have accidentally exposed Hawkmon to your parents when you locked him out of your room," Kazu replied sheepishly. "I told your family about the Digimon, and they seem cool with it."
"Great," Yolei moaned again into her hands. "As if this day couldn't get any worse…"
"Yolei, your parents aren't mad at you," said Hawkmon. "I assure you…" Yolei simply sat on the log despondently, letting everything that had happened to her swirl through her head. Maybe Kazu and Millenniummon were right…maybe she was selfish and acted like this just so she could get attention…
"Why am I like this…?" she muttered sadly. "Maybe Kazu and Millenniummon are right…maybe I am selfish and I just crave attention…"
"Hey, come on…" Kazu moved closer to Yolei and wrapped an arm of comfort around her shoulders. "Don't be like that Yolei…"
"Why? Isn't that what you told me earlier today?"
"You're right, it is…" Kazu said with a sigh. "But Yolei…when I went all out on you earlier, I wasn't trying to insult you or make things worse for you…I didn't want you to make the same mistakes I made a while back…"
"A while back?" asked Yolei, looking at Kazu with a raised eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Well…" Kazu said, sighing with a frown on his face as he looked up at the sky, looking like he was thinking about something unpleasant. "It was three months before we came to your world. I had been frustrated with how I had been doing as a Tamer. I can't Biomerge with my partner like Takato, Henry, Rika and Ryo can, and while my skills with the card game are good, they're nothing compared to Rika's skills and Ryo's, and even Takato's improved in that field. And I don't exactly have brains like Henry's. I've usually always been an attention-seeker, and I usually draw attention by acting all brash and arrogant, and thinking I'm the best card game player…" The brown-haired boy let out a short laugh as he pulled off his visor and ran a hand through his hair. "I wanted to do more as a Tamer, be recognized by everybody for being somebody else than the joker of the team…and then one day…"
FLASHBACK
(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito)
Kazu looked down at the people of Shinjuku going about their daily business as he flew through the air on Guardromon's back. It was a beautiful day and Kokuwamon wanted to go out and fly around the city to enjoy the scenery. The visor-wearing Tamer also wanted to tag along as well so he could patrol the city for any possible Digimon threats, so he used a Digivolution card to Digivolve his partner to Champion level and was hanging on Guardromon's back as he flew. While the bronze robot was enjoying the view of the city below, Kazu was looking down with an almost-bored expression. Eventually, Guardromon landed on a nearby rooftop and the duo just sat on the edge of the roof, continuing to look down at the city.
"This area of Shinjuku seems very peaceful Kazu. I highly doubt a Digimon will attack here any time soon."
"You sure about that Guardromon?" asked Kazu. "I think we should do a double-check…no, a triple-check of every area in this city, starting here!"
"Hmm…well, I suppose so," Guardromon replied with a slight shrug. "Are you sure you want to do a triple-check, Kazu? That doesn't sound very much like you."
"Hmm?" Kazu asked, lost in thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess it doesn't sound much like me."
"Then why do you want to do triple-checks?"
"Well…" Kazu started as he looked down at the city again. The brown-haired boy was quiet for a while as he thought about what to say. He had been thinking about a lot about his status as a Digimon Tamer for several weeks now, and he supposed it was time he told someone about what was on his mind, and that somebody was his partner Digimon.
"Have you ever felt like…a fifth wheel, Guardromon?"
"No, I believe I have not," Guardromon replied. "You see, I am a robot Digimon. I have never been a wheel. Those are used for vehicles, and I highly doubt a vehicle could drive on an odd number of wheels…"
"It's an expression, doofus," Kazu sighed, remembering his partner's tendency to take expressions and orders literally. "I mean…I've been feeling like an odd one out of the rest of the team, like I don't belong."
"Whatever do you mean by that?" Guardromon asked, his tone a mix between surprise and confusion.
"I mean, I feel like I haven't been taking this Tamer business seriously over the last couple of year," said Kazu. "Some of the Tamers didn't take this seriously at first, but now they do. But me…I feel like I haven't changed much. I still feel like, as Rika calls me, an annoying fan boy who takes situations too lightly."
"I highly doubt that," voiced Guardromon.
"Is it?" asked Kazu. "Ever since you came back with the other Digimon, you and I have never had much luck against Digimon that show up in this world. You may be able to Digivolve to Ultimate, and I know a few card combinations, but they've never helped us out much, and it's usually the others that are able to take them out. I mean, we help out as well, but we never seem to be mentioned at all."
"And you think it's all because you're not being serious, or you're not determined enough?"
"Exactly," Kazu answered his partner with a sigh. "We need to be more determined…we need to take this more seriously. Maybe then we'll be able to win a fight by ourselves, and be recognized as a duo as strong as the other Tamers…"
"Wait a minute…" Guardromon said suddenly, his eyes widening as he stared in the distance.
"Hey, what is it buddy?" Kazu asked, standing up and following Guardromon's gaze, looking out at the city ahead of them.
"Kazu…a Digimon is realizing…" Guardromon said, pointing in the distance. Kazu followed Guardromon's point to see that a white fog was appearing in the sky above a nearby area of Shinjuku.
(Play Digimon Tamers: Zone Digital)
"This is it…" Kazu gripped his D-Ark and stared at the Digital Field intently. Hearing his phone ring, he pulled it out of his pocket and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Kazu, it's Yamaki," the Hypnos director's voice spoke through the phone. "We've detected a Digital Field near you…"
"Yeah, I can see it right above me," said Kazu. "I'm going in with Guardromon."
"Don't!" Yamaki said. "The Digimon we're detecting seems to be a very powerful one. Wait for backup."
"There's hardly any time for waiting!" Kazu said as he climbed on Guardromon's back. "The Digital Field is right above Shinjuku. If that Digimon gets out, he's going to cause a huge deal of damage. Guardromon and I are going to engage it. If the Digimon's an Ultimate level, then we'll be able to handle it."
"You idiot!" barked Yamaki. "Don't fly in alone without knowing what the threat is! I'm calling in Rika, she's closest to you."
"I can do this without the others!" Kazu said over Guardromon's roaring jets. "It's time I showed these Digimon my true strength!"
"Kazu…!" Yamaki started before Kazu hung up, cutting off the Hypnos director midsentence.
"Let's go, Guardromon!"
"Right-o!" Guardromon flew forward with Kazu on his back, the latter putting on a pair of dark glasses as the two flew into the Digital Field. Once they entered the white fog, a loud noise that sounded like a bird squawking penetrated their eardrums.
"Hmm…my audio receptors recognize that sound as some sort of bird call, but I do not know what kind of bird makes a sound like that."
"That's because it's not an ordinary bird, Guardromon," Kazu said, pulling off his glasses and noticing a winged figure flying in the fog that was bigger than any bird he had ever seen. "Fly us in closer, and be careful. We don't want to let him know we're on to him." Guardromon nodded and flew closer until they could see the figure clearly. What they saw was a green bird Digimon that Kazu recognized instantly from the Digimon anime.
"No way…that's Parrotmon!" The visor-wearing boy pulled out his D-Ark and scanned the Digimon. "Parrotmon, an Ultimate level Giant Bird Digimon, Vaccine attribute. He's a mysterious, yet intelligent Digimon with powerful talons. His special attacks are Mjolnir Thunder, where he releases a blast of electricity from the feathers on his head, and Sonic Destroyer, where he flies at the speed of sound and releases a shock wave."
"This could be problematic Kazu," said Guardromon. "I cannot fly in my Ultimate form, and I am a Virus attribute. Even with a wing card Parrotmon would still have a greater flying speed."
"Then we'll have to ground him first," said Kazu. "Knock him out of the sky and keep him down. Then you'll be able to Digivolve and defeat him."
"Well, what's keeping him from flying again?" asked Guardromon.
"Simple," Kazu eyed Parrotmon's green wings. "We'll have to take his wings out first. We can use the Digital Field to our advantage and launch a sneak attack from behind. We just have to destroy one of his wings and he won't be able to fly again."
"Very well then!" Guardromon flew past Parrotmon and into the fog. The green bird Digimon, who was flying about aimlessly, stopped when he heard a small roaring noise that sounded like jets move past him. Turning his head, he did not notice anybody around him, but he could sense another Digimon in the fog. Good, some data for him to absorb. Parrotmon continued flying through the Digital Field, looking for the Digimon that he sensed. Suddenly, he saw a small shadowed figure flying about, and he knew it was the Digimon, and it looked like it had its back turned to him. This would be an easy kill for him.
(Play Digimon Tamers: Theme Action)
"MJOLNIR THUNDER!" The lightning flew from Parrotmon's feathers and struck the Digimon, engulfing it in an explosion and destroying it. Parrotmon chuckled at the easy kill and flew forward to absorb the data…but he didn't feel it enter his body. The green bird was confused. He destroyed that Digimon. Why couldn't he absorb the data? Suddenly, something slammed into his back and exploded, fraying his wings. Before Parrotmon could steady himself, the unknown objects continued pelting his back, especially his wings. Because of his peripheral vision, Parrotmon's eye managed to catch who was attacking him from behind, and he was surprised to see that it was the Digimon he had just destroyed. How was that possible?! It didn't matter though, as he would get the Digimon this time.
"I'm getting his wings as best he can Kazu, but I think he's on to us!" said Guardromon as he continued firing his Grenade Destroyer at the Ultimate level. Parrotmon screeched angrily as he flew out of the missiles' way and soared for Guardromon.
"We'll have to blind him temporarily and finish his wings off with one strike!" said Kazu, pulling out two Digimon cards.
(Play Digimon: SLASH!)
"We'll use this one first! DIGI-MODIFY! GESOMON ACTIVATE!"
"DEADLY SHADE!" Guardromon's chest compartment opened up and spewed out black ink that splattered on Parrotmon's face and in his eyes. Parrotmon yelled in pain as he flailed his arms wildly in an attempt to strike down Guardromon, but the machine Digimon dodged the talons and flew behind Parrotmon again, thanks to a speed card from Kazu.
"This card will stop his flying!" Kazu slid another card through his D-Ark. "DIGI-MODIFY! TANKMON ACTIVATE!" Guardromon's head glowed before turning into Tankmon's barrel-shaped one.
"HYPER CANNON!" The giant bullet flew from the barrel and blasted Parrotmon's right wing, destroying it in a shower of feathers and data. Parrotmon let out another pained screech as he fell out of the sky and out of the Digital Field.
"All right Guardromon!" Kazu praised his partner. "We got him!"
"Yes, but I highly doubt I've done enough damage to finish him off," said Guardromon. "And I don't think a fall from this height will be enough as well. Also, there's no telling where he's going to…"
CRASH!
"…Land," Guardromon finished, making Kazu wince at the sound of crunching asphalt and car alarms.
"Then take us down and let's finish this guy off!" Guardromon followed Kazu's instructions and flew out of the dissolving Digital Field, getting a view of Parrotmon. The bird Digimon had landed on a sidewalk and crushed several cars and streetlights. Despite being in pain, Parrotmon stood back up and screeched at Guardromon, the copper robot glaring back at the green bird.
"Kazu, I believe now would be a good time for a Blue Card," Guardromon voiced, landing on the ground and letting Kazu off his back.
"I got it," Kazu smirked, pulling out a card that began glowing blue, and slashed it through his D-Arc.
"DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"
"GUARDROMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANDROMON!" The minute he Digivolved, Andromon charged for Parrotmon and landed a punch in his beak, sending him skidding back several feet and tearing up asphalt. Parrotmon screeched again and attempted his Sonic Destroyer, but as he only had one good wing, the sonic boom was not as devastating, and Andromon was merely sent skidding back before spinning his right hand rapidly.
"SPIRAL SWORD!" The energy blade hit Parrotmon in the chest, and the cyborg Digimon rammed into Parrotmon again, the two Digimon trading blows as people on the streets ran away from the fight so they wouldn't get hurt.
"Don't worry people!" Kazu reassured the civilians. "Andromon and I are going to cook this bird extra crispy!"
"GATLING MISSILES!" The missiles soared from Andromon's chest and at Parrotmon, but the Ultimate level managed to smack the projectiles away with his remaining wing, sending them flying upwards and exploding, taking out a chunk of building and raining down bricks and broken glass.
"Oh, dear…" Andromon said, seeing the damage caused by his own inadvertent attack. The sound of screeching made Andromon look up and yell in surprise as Parrotmon advanced towards him and raised an arm to strike him. The cyborg managed to raise his hands up and grab the arm, forcing Parrotmon back.
"There has to be a card that can finish off Parrotmon," Kazu muttered as he looked through his deck. Looking back up at the fight, his eyes widened when he saw what was behind Parrotmon.
"Andromon! There's an electric power plant right behind Parrotmon! Force him there and electrocute him!"
"If you say so!" Andromon grunted, stepping forward and forcing Parrotmon back further. With a strength card from Kazu, Andromon gave a mighty push and sent Parrotmon flying into the power plant. Electricity sparked and crackled from the wrecked power boxes and power lines as Parrotmon stood back up and glared at Guardromon and Kazu, the latter slashing another card through his D-Ark.
"DIGI-MODIFY! SHELLMON ACTIVATE!"
"AQUA BLASTER!" The water flew from Andromon's hands and hit Parrotmon and the electric lines around him, causing the electricity to course through Parrotmon's body and making the bird Digimon screech in pain and anger.
"That's the way Andromon!" Kazu cheered. "I think we showed that bird and everybody what we can do together!" The boy's phone began ringing again, and Kazu fished it out of his pocket to hear a familiar voice.
"Kazu, it's Yamaki!"
"Hey Yamaki. Don't worry about Parrotmon, he's an oversized Thanksgiving turkey now! I told you Andromon and I got it!" Kazu had turned away from Parrotmon and Andromon as he was talking on the phone. Had he not turned around, he would have noticed Parrotmon beginning to glow bright yellow.
"Uh, Kazu…?" Andromon called to his partner, who was still on the phone.
"Kazu, listen to me!" Yamaki barked through the phone. "We're getting a massive energy surge from Parrotmon!"
"Energy surge?" Kazu asked, a confused look on his face. "What do you mean energy surge?" Turning back around, the visor-wearing boy's eyes widened when he saw Parrotmon's bright yellow figure growing several feet, and he could see the destroyed wing growing back.
"Oh, great…" Kazu groaned. "Don't tell me he's…"
(Play Digimon Adventure: Aku no Shutsugen)
The light around Parrotmon faded, and what Kazu and Andromon saw was not Parrotmon, but a bird Digimon that looked like a Parrotmon whose entire body, even his wings, was clad in golden armor, with black talons and a black head.
"He's Digivolved," said Yamaki. "Kazu, get out of there now. Andromon's not strong enough to face a Mega level Digimon, even with cards. Rika and Ryo are five minutes away."
"Are you crazy?!" Kazu yelled as he watched the Digivolved Parrotmon spread his wings and take flight into the sky. "That's an Eaglemon, a strong Mega level Digimon! There's no telling what sort of damage he can do in five minutes! Andromon and I will hold him off, maybe destroy him! This is our chance to take out a Mega level Digimon!"
"Kazu, don't be a fool!" Yamaki barked. "Do you even know if you have the right cards to take on a Mega level?"
"I'm sure I do!" said Kazu. "I'm not sitting on the sidelines this time and letting the others finish what we started! This time, it's going to be me and Andromon taking down a Digimon!"
"Kazu, disengage now!" Yamaki yelled before Kazu hung up again and pulled out an Aero Wing card from his pack.
"DIGI-MODIFY! AERO WING ACTIVATE!" The dragon-like wings sprouted from Andromon's back and the cyborg Digimon took flight after Eaglemon with Kazu on his back.
"So what information do you know about this Digimon, Kazu?" asked Andromon.
"He's Eaglemon, the Mega level of Parrotmon. He's still a Vaccine like you, and his armor is made out of Chrome Digizoid metal."
"And his attacks?"
"Kaiser Phoenix, which is basically him ramming us with his body, and Mystic Break, a white beam that turns targets to ash."
"If his armor is Chrome Digizoid, then how do we break it?"
"We break it the same way Zudomon did to MetalEtemon!" Kazu exclaimed, pulling out another card.
(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Kurihirogaru Battle)
"DIGI-MODIFY! THOR HAMMER ACTIVATE!" A light formed in Andromon's hands and solidified into a giant hammer resembling Zudomon's.
"Almost in range…" Andromon said, his eyes trailing Eaglemon. "Throwing now!" With a mighty grunt, Andromon threw the hammer like a boomerang at Eaglemon.
Hearing a whooshing noise behind him, Eaglemon turned to see the annoying Digimon from before and his human companion attacking him again, this time by throwing a hammer at him. But the golden bird would not fall easily again. Turning around in mid-flight, Eaglemon swatted the hammer away just when it was close to him, and the hammer plummeted to the ground below.
"Darn it!" cursed Kazu. "Let's try it again!"
"Kazu, I think we need to move fast!" said Andromon, making Kazu look up to see Eaglemon fly down towards them at breakneck speed with a loud screech of, "KAISER PHOENIX!"
"DIGI-MODIFY! HIGH-SPEED PLUG IN B!" Kazu quickly slashed the card through and Andromon flew out of the way at an even faster speed, leaving Eaglemon to plow into the ground below. But the Mega level was not fazed easily and he flew at Andromon again, slashing at him with his talons. The humanoid cyborg ducked and swerved around, being mindful to not let Kazu fall off his back.
"Our situation has not yet improved!" said Andromon. "Perhaps it would be best if we let the others handle this!"
"No way, I think we got him ourselves!" said Kazu. "He's right in front of us. Let's hit him with the hammer again!" Kazu slashed the Thor Hammer card again, and Andromon received the heavy weapon again. Still powered up by the speed card, Andromon was able to dodge Eaglemon's attacks and he swung the hammer, connecting with Eaglemon's chest and forcing him back several feet. Kazu looked intently at where the hammer struck Eaglemon, and he saw several cracks on Eaglemon's chest.
"All right! We've cracked it open! Let's finish him off!" Andromon prepared to fire his Gatling Missiles, but before he could launch the missiles, Eaglemon charged forward with another Kaiser Phoenix. As the two Digimon were only twenty feet away, Andromon could barely move out of the way in time. Eaglemon's right hand did hit Andromon's arm, causing the cyborg Digimon and Kazu to spiral around in the sky before regaining his balance.
"I believe we may have angered him!" voiced Andromon.
"Then use the hammer again!" Kazu began to pull out the Thor Hammer card again when he looked up and noticed Eaglemon beginning to glow bright white. His eyes widened when he saw what that meant.
"Oh no, he's preparing his Mystic Break attack!"
"MYSTIC BREAK!" Eaglemon spread his arms out and the laser beam flew from his body at Andromon and Kazu, but the latter thought fast.
"DIGI-MODIFY! BRAVE SHIELD ACTIVATE!" The familiar weapon of WarGreymon's appeared in Andromon's hands in place of the Thor Hammer and the white beam struck the shield, forcing Andromon back several feet.
"Don't let up Andromon! We've got him on the ropes!" Kazu shouted encouraging words to his partner, who moved the shield to the left, making Eaglemon's attack arc down and strike the ground. Seconds later, the glow around Eaglemon faded, but his beam continued tearing up the ground below, destroying cars and roads and making people run for safety.
"That's the way!" Kazu said, looking at Eaglemon breath heavy from the long fight. "Let's finish him off!"
"Kazu, I think you should take a look down there!" Andromon said, his eyes widening in horror. Kazu followed Andromon's gaze, and his eyes widened when he saw what it was that scared Andromon. Eaglemon's attack, still going on, was coming near a preschool where Kazu could see several teachers evacuating the young students, but at the current speed of the attack, they would be too late to complete the evacuation.
"Oh, my god…" Kazu gasped at what he was seeing.
END FLASHBACK
"You destroyed a preschool?!" Yolei yelled in shock. "And children died because of your fight with Eaglemon?!"
"Hey, let me finish, would you?!" Kazu asked, not taking kindly to Yolei's interruption.
"Yes, would you please let him finish?" asked Guardromon, repeating his partner again. Kazu groaned and gave his partner a quick glare before continuing with his story.
"Yes, Eaglemon's attack was near a preschool, but…"
FLASHBACK
(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)
"Kazu, those people won't be able to get out in time!" Andromon exclaimed, seeing the attack inching closer towards the preschool. "And that fiend is still flying freely! What do you suggest we do?"
'Aw man, what do I do now?!' Kazu thought. 'I can't let Eaglemon get away, but I can't let those kids die! Geez, this is not how I wanted it to go!'
"Kazu, hurry up and tell me what to do!" Andromon yelled, forcing Kazu to make a decision.
"Leave Eaglemon for now. We need to hold off that beam!"
"Roger that!" Swooping down fast, Andromon landed right between the preschool and the beam as Kazu pulled out the Brave Shield card again and provided Andromon with the weapon. Holding up the shield, Andromon planted his feet firmly in the ground, and the attack slammed into the shield, making Andromon slide back several feet. The cyborg grunted as he felt the effects of a strength card from Kazu give him extra power to hold back the beam. But it was not easy. He had been fighting for so long, he was beginning to feel his energy leave him, and Kazu's cards could only get him so far before he De-Digivolved.
"Kazu…I can't…hold on much longer…!"
"You have to hold on just a little longer, pal!" said Kazu, watching the evacuation continue. "We've got this!"
"KAISER PHOENIX!" Turning at the sound of the scream, Kazu's eyes widened when he saw Eaglemon flying down from the sky, his eyes set on the preschool and the human and Digimon that were foolish in thinking they could stop him.
"Damn it…this isn't how I was hoping this would go!" Kazu frantically searched for whatever card could help, but he could see Andromon was tiring out slowly over holding back a strong attack for so long, and any other card would drain him of whatever energy he had left.
'Not like this…' he thought as Eaglemon inched close and Andromon was pushed back further…
"JUSTICE KICK!"
The familiar yell rang through Kazu's ears, and the visor-wearing Tamer caused him to look up and see the figure of Justimon leap off a rooftop and slam his foot into Eaglemon's head, knocking him off to the side.
"SPIRIT STRIKE!" Four multicolored foxes soared through the sky and wrapped around the massive energy ball that was Eaglemon's attack, moving it away from Andromon's shield and destroying it in an explosion of lights and magic dust. Looking up, Kazu was created by another familiar Digimon.
(Play Digimon: One Vision)
"Sakuyamon!"
"Yamaki told us what was going on here, and he sounded pissed," Sakuyamon said, glaring at Kazu. "What could you have possibly been thinking?"
"I was just doing…what I thought was right…" Kazu said, looking at Sakuyamon uneasily as Eaglemon grabbed Justimon and threw him to the ground, making his fellow Tamers turn their attention to him.
"Justimon, Eaglemon's chest was cracked open by a Thor Hammer that I used!" Andromon said, dropping to one knee due to his lack of energy. "Hit it with a strong attack!"
"I got just the thing to crack it open!" Justimon said as he dodged Eaglemon's Mystic Break attack, which Sakuyamon stopped again with her foxes. Leaping off the side of a building, Justimon flew headfirst at Eaglemon, his right arm growing larger.
"THUNDERCLAP!" Justimon slammed his massive right arm into Eaglemon's broken chest, the cracks in the armor widening and revealing his chest. Not willing to let Eaglemon regain himself, Justimon transformed his arm into a massive gun.
"JUSTICE BURST!" The gun fired a volley of electric blasts that went through Eaglemon's chest, creating an explosion that sent Justimon and Eaglemon crashing to the ground. Justimon landed on his feet and watched as Eaglemon delivered one last screech before dissolving entirely.
"We finally got him," Kazu sighed as Andromon, Sakuyamon and Justimon reverted to their Rookie levels, and Ryo and Rika in the case of the two Mega Digimon. Once separated from Renamon, Rika stomped over to Kazu and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him close to her and glaring at him heatedly.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN DONE TODAY BECAUSE OF YOU?!"
"Wha…what?!" Kazu asked, feeling afraid in Rika's grip.
"Look around you Kazu," Ryo said angrily, gesturing to the city. "This is the result of your battle with Eaglemon today." Kazu looked at the area he was in and gasped at what he saw. Buildings everywhere had holes in them, the street was torn up, cars were crushed, and people everywhere were helping those that were injured or knocked out. Kazu then looked over at the preschool and saw the teachers trying to comfort the hysterical students, who were afraid of nearly dying. He couldn't believe his eyes. He could only stare in horror.
"I…I did this…?"
END FLASHBACK
"Oh my god…" Yolei gasped in shock. "That's what really happened?"
"That's exactly what happened," Kazu said, running a hand through his face. "I pissed off a lot of people that day, and I got quite an earful from Yamaki. I don't think I've ever seen him that angry…"
FLASHBACK
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Yamaki yelled angrily at Kazu, who sat in front of him in his Hypnos office. "I told you to wait for reinforcements in case you couldn't handle the Digimon!"
"But we almost had him!" said Kazu. "I don't understand how he was able to Digivolve."
"Our scans showed that Parrotmon was able to become stronger through electricity," said Yamaki. "When Kokuwamon electrocuted him, it didn't kill him, it energized him enough to allow him to reach his final level, and it allowed him to cause more damage than what was caused originally. Yes, you did have him, but you didn't have enough information to properly engage him in combat. And you didn't bother to think about the damage that was caused in your battle today. It's a good thing that nobody died today because of your recklessness! Do you have anything to say for yourself?!" The blond haired man breathed through his nose and glared at the boy through his sunglasses. Kazu shivered slightly under Yamaki's intimidating glare before speaking up.
"Yamaki, looking back…you're right. I did cause a lot of damage, and I almost caused a lot of innocent people to die today. I promise I'll try to be more careful in the future, but what did you want me to do? I'm a Tamer as much as Rika and Ryo and the others. I was doing my part for the Tamers!"
"Were you doing it for the Tamers, Kazu?" Yamaki asked in a dangerously low voice as he took off his sunglasses. "Or were you doing this just for yourself?"
"W…what?" Kazu asked in shock.
"Whatever do you mean by that?!" Kokuwamon asked, crossing his arms and looking at Yamaki.
"I heard the way you were talking in our phone calls Kazu," said Yamaki. "You were saying things like 'this was your chance', 'you didn't want to stay on the sidelines', and 'this time, it would be you and Andromon finishing off the Digimon.'"
"Well, yeah," said Kazu. "I'm getting a little tired of people seeing me as a joker Tamer who gets his ass handed to him in every battle. I'm sick and tired of it. I can be just as strong as the other Tamers, and I always give it whatever I have. I want people to recognize me for once."
"And that's not a bad thing," said Yamaki. "I appreciate that you want to do more for your team, but sometimes…you can be egocentric, and it jeopardizes the fights you get into, it causes damage that you're not aware of until too late, and people nearly die, case in point being your fight today with Eaglemon."
"Egocentric?!" Kazu asked in shock, receiving a nod from a still-glaring Yamaki.
"I believe Yamaki said you were thinking of yourself, with little to no regard for others…" Kokuwamon started until Kazu cut him off.
"I know what that means," Kazu cut off the robot Digimon before turning back to Yamaki. "Am…I really…"
"You can be, unfortunately," Yamaki answered Kazu's question before it was finished. Kazu just looked upset over this.
(Play Setsunasa: The Biggest Dreamer)
"But…I can't be…"
"Kazu, you need to be honest with yourself and think about who you're really doing this for," said Yamaki. "That's all for now. You can leave." Kazu stayed where he was for a few minutes before leaving the Hypnos tower with Kokuwamon, Yamaki's words swirling in his mind.
END FLASHBACK
"That's why I tore into you like that earlier," Kazu said to Yolei. "The way you were acting during the battle, it was very much like I was back when I fought Eaglemon. I didn't want you to make the same mistakes that I made Yolei."
"Kazu…" Yolei said in awe, realizing what Kazu was telling her from his story. The lavender-haired girl began realizing how the way Kazu acted in the past was similar to how she acted earlier today. Both of them were stubborn in not knowing when to stop fighting because they felt they weren't doing enough for their teams and they both wanted to be acknowledged and have attention on them.
"Do you realize it now Yolei?" asked Kazu. "And please…be truly honest and tell me if you understand now."
Yolei stayed quiet for a few minutes as she looked at Kazu and thought over everything that had happened to her today from nearly being killed by Digimon, to being kidnapped and mentally tortured by Millenniummon, to Kazu's story, before answering with the truth.
"I think…I understand now Kazu."
"If you understand now Yolei, then perhaps we should return home now," said Hawkmon. "Your family is quite a little worried about your current whereabouts."
"Aw, man…" Yolei moaned, her hands covering her face. "My folks aren't going to let me hear the end of it…"
"They're just really worried about you Yolei," said Hawkmon. "They're hoping you're not hurt in any way. I assure you, when we return, your family will show you the love that you think they don't have for you."
Yolei nodded and began following Hawkmon back to the Digital Gate the bird Digimon came through with Kazu and Kokuwamon.
As Kazu walked behind the inheritor of Love with Kokuwamon, he thought about a talk he had with his teacher a week after his fight with Eaglemon.
FLASHBACK
Kazu sighed as he sat on the roof of the school, looking out at Shinjuku. A week had passed and the damages that had been caused by his fight with Eaglemon were being repaired slowly. Though he expected it would happen, it still hurt to be chewed out by the other Tamers for being impulsive and oblivious to the damage done. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that perhaps everything Yamaki said to him was true.
"Maybe Yamaki was right…" he muttered. "Maybe I really am selfish…"
"Kazu, what are you doing out here?" The brown-haired boy turned to see his teacher, Nami Asaji, standing near the door to the roof entrance. "Class has started already."
"Yeah, yeah…" Kazu sighed again, moving off the roof ledge and walking over to his teacher. "I'm coming…"
"Is something wrong, Kazu?" Nami asked, seeing Kazu looking slightly depressed, which struck her as odd, as it was not like Kazu to seem down. "You don't look well…"
"I've just been thinking lately…" Kazu said, leaning on the ledge of the roof. "Do you think I'm…egocentric?"
(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare)
"Egocentric?" Nami asked, surprised at Kazu's question. "What…what do you…"
"Do you?" Kazu asked again, looking up at the young woman with a slightly piercing looking. Nami thought for a minute about her answer before responding to her student.
"Well…sometimes…you do come off like that, but…you're not always like that."
"I wish I wasn't," Kazu said, looking out at the city again. "Lately, I've been disgusted with myself. Ever since last week, I've been wanting to change, but I don't know how to…"
"Well…if you want my advice, maybe you should be honest with yourself, and I mean, really honest," said Nami. "For example, when I started teaching three years ago, I wasn't really all that motivated about it. I just wanted to look good for the community. But after a while, I began wondering if that's what I truly wanted. I was always debating about it, and then shortly after you and the others left for the Digital World, and showed that you changed, I looked at myself in a mirror and thought long and hard about my life." The young woman sighed as she walked over and leaned on the roof ledge, looking out at the city with Kazu.
"I decided to change myself since then, and now I face every class I teach with a purpose!"
"And what's your purpose now?"
"To help those I teach realize their mistakes and become better," said Nami. "Yes, you did act selfishly, but you were still doing something. That Digimon would have wrecked Shinjuku, and you were the only one that was able to fight him, and you did. Granted…it didn't go your way, but you still did something, and I'm being honest about it. You just need to be honest about that as well."
Kazu didn't know how to explain it, but hearing his teacher tell him this somehow made him feel better, made him feel at peace with what he did.
"You know…you're right. I was being selfish, wanting all the credit and attention for defeating Eaglemon, and I didn't realize all the damage I did…but I still did something."
"Though, it still doesn't excuse the damage that I caused, and that I was still selfish," Kazu continued, looking over to Nami. "I think it's time I started thinking less about myself, and more about others…and especially the city. It's time I started being a better person. Now the only question is how."
"Well, you can start by coming to class," said Nami with a sigh. "Given how long we've been out here, I'm pretty sure math class is already done."
"Great," Kazu sighed, following Nami back in the school. As he walked, Kazu made a silent vow to himself to better himself as a Tamer and as a human being in general.
END FLASHBACK
Kazu remembered giving a sincere apology to the Hypnos and the rest of the Tamers that day after school ended, coming to terms with his selfish desires and realizing it was not who he wanted to be, and it was not a change for the better.
Kazu also made a promise that would do his best to improve so another incident like Eaglemon didn't happen again, and he would also try to be less selfish as well. Several of the Tamers offered to help Kazu, and he accepted the offer. Since then the visor-wearing boy had become a better Tamer with more awareness of everything and everyone around him, and was more honest with his choices. This is what he wanted for Yolei, who was wincing from stepping on sticks and rocks barefoot, to do.
"Well, this is where we came through," said Hawkmon. Yolei nodded and raised her D-3 to open the gate, but hesitated, which Kazu picked up on quickly.
"What's wrong, Yolei?"
"I…I don't know if I can face my family," said Yolei. "Millenniummon…he said some things that were true. Sometimes, I am jealous of my siblings and sometimes, I just wish that they would go away so I can be in the center of attention. Sometimes…"
"Yolie, you can't just let Millenniummon's words get to you," said Kazu. "That's what those types of villains do. They get inside your head to mess with you and weaken you so it can be easier for them to finish you off. Maybe you said those things, but it's not like you meant them, did you?"
"Well…no…"
"Well, there you go," said Hawkmon, placing a hand on Yolei's leg. "Just because you said something doesn't necessarily mean that you meant it, and it doesn't mean you'll be hated for it."
"Yes, there's no need for worry," said Kokuwamon. "Shall we go back now?"
"All right," Yolei sighed, raising her D-3 and activating the Digital Gate that brought her back to her bedroom with Kazu, Hawkmon and Kokuwamon. Landing on the floor, Yolei looked around her room and saw her door was open ajar…with the door knob lying on the floor.
"Okay…why is the knob to my bedroom door on the floor?"
"Um, well…" Kazu chuckled sheepishly. "Kokuwamon…may have cut your door open since you locked it." Yolei's face dropped into a glare and she looked at Kokuwamon. Though the robot's face didn't show what his emotions, it was clear from the way he was backing away, he was nervous about dealing with Yolei right now.
"I sincerely apologize, but…"
"Forget it," Yolei huffed, her anger deflating fast. "I'll be angry later, but for right now…" Taking in a deep breath before releasing it, the lavender-haired girl walked out of her bedroom, where she saw her family sitting around the TV.
"Should we go out with her?" Kokuwamon asked, watching Hawkmon follow Yolei.
"No, let's stay back," replied Kazu. "This is personal."
"Yolei, you're back!" Chizuru gasped when she looked up and saw her sister standing near her bedroom door, causing her family to look up and see Yolei as well. The inheritor of Love frowned sadly as she slowly walked over to her family, numerous emotions running through her.
"Oh, Yolei! Thank goodness," Mrs. Inoue sighed in relief as Yolei sat down on the couch. "We were worried when Kazu told us you went into the Digital World."
"So…he really did tell you," Yolei muttered, looking down at her feet.
"Yes, well…it was after you locked me out of your room," said Hawkmon sheepishly, "and after I may have spoken in front of your parents."
"Agh…" Yolei groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "As of this day couldn't get any worse…" The lavender-haired girl was like this for several minutes before she felt a hand rubbing her back lightly and heard her father's voice near her.
"Yolei, it's all right. We're not angry with you at all, we've just been worried about your behavior as of late. We didn't know what you had been doing until Kazu told us earlier today."
"Why didn't you tell us the truth?" asked Mrs. Inoue. Yolei lifted her head out of her hands and looked over to her family, who looked insistent that Yolei tell them.
(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ie ne Kaerou ~Target Instruments~)
"I…I'm not really sure," said Yolei. "It's still a new experience for me and I guess I didn't really know how to tell you that I was going to another world to fight a whole bunch of monsters and stuff. I didn't know if you would believe me or let me do this…but I guess…I feel like I would have just been ignored as usual."
"Don't be ridiculous Yolei, we wouldn't have ignored you," Yolei's mother replied, "especially if it was something as important as this. We'd never ignore you."
"You…you wouldn't?" Yolei asked in slight surprise.
"Of course not, squirt!" Mantarou said with a small chuckle, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder and squeezing it lightly. "It may be hard to pay attention on one person for a while in this apartment, but with so many of us, that's to be expected."
"Don't think we don't love you, Yol," said Chizuru. "We may not show it like you think you want us to, but we really do love you and care for you."
"You really do?" asked Yolei, eyes widening slightly. "You really don't think I'm selfish?"
"Sometimes you could be, but you're human Yolei," said Momoe. "It's natural for us to all be selfish sometimes."
"But…my selfishness nearly got me and Cody killed today…and Kazu and Suzie…" Yolei lowered her head again, and she could feel her mother's hand in hers.
"Then the important thing you can do is learn from your mistake and see that something like that doesn't happen again," said her mother. "And I know you can do it because of your determination."
"She is correct Yolei," said Hawkmon. "Your determination to do something that you set your mind on is something I like about your peculiar personality. You're very determined and intelligent, and you have shown to be compassionate as well sometimes. It's just the way you were acting earlier today seemed very much unlike you and it worried me."
"I'm sorry," Yolei said remorsefully. "I just got frustrated with barely being noticed in such a large group."
"So you're in a large group, big deal!" said Chizuru. "Everybody has a part to play, Yolei. It's just a matter of time before you get your moment. You just have to be patient."
"Yeah, and like Hawkmon said, you're kind, determined, and you're a hell of a lot smarter than the rest of us in this house," said Mantarou. "It would make sense for you to have a Digimon partner and save the world."
"Okay, I think you're just embarrassing me now," Yolei chuckled softly, feeling her eyes water slightly from the praise.
"Well, we're your family, squirt," said Mantarou, ruffling Yolei's hair.
"We really do love you Yolei," said Mr. Inoue. "And we're sorry if we ever ignored you or doubted you. It was never intentional."
"I'm sorry as well," Yolei said, hugging both her parents, letting a couple of tears fall down her face. "I may have said some nasty things about you behind your back as well as in front of you, but I didn't mean them. I didn't mean them at all."
"We know Yolie," said Momoe, "and whatever we said about you that was rude…you know we don't mean that as well." Yolei couldn't help but laugh as she tried to hug everybody at once, but her arms could only stretch so far.
"Okay, take it easy!" the lavender-haired girl said with a laugh as Hawkmon chuckled at the scene. "I need these arms!"
"You know, this is truly a great moment," said Kokuwamon, getting everybody's attention to divert to the little robot, who was standing outside Yolei's room with Kazu. "A moment of healing and bonding for family…if I wasn't a robot, I could cry."
(Play Digimon Tamers: Comical Gag)
"You have cried before, doofus," Kazu groaned. "And way to go on ruining the moment!"
"Oops," Kokuwamon said with a nervous laugh as he looked over to the Inoue family. "Um…my apologies."
"Oh, let's just get out of here so we can let Yolei be with her family," Kazu sighed, pulling Kokuwamon to the door. "And maybe get a new doorknob for Yolei's room…" The duo walked out of the apartment and closed the door behind them, leaving Yolei alone with her Digimon partner and her family.
"You know, I'm really glad you guys are alright about this."
"We are," said Chizuru, looking down at the red bird before her. "It's just going to take some time to get used to Hawkmon here."
"Oh, you don't have to worry much about Hawkmon," Yolei bent down and rubbed her partner's head. "He's quite a gentleman."
"Does he have any cool stories for us?" asked Momoe.
"Well…" Hawkmon looked up at Yolei, who had a small smile of encouragement. "…We have a few."
"Damn…" Mantarou said after two hours of Yolei and Hawkmon telling her family the adventures they had been having in the Digital World over the last two months. "That's…a lot of stuff to happen in two months."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Yolei said with a sigh.
"Sad to hear about Ken Ichijouji," said Momoe. "Isn't he that guy you have a crazy crush on?"
"Yeah, I did…" Yolei sighed, "…but now, I'm not so sure. I don't know the first thing about him. I just had a crush on him because he was so smart…I'm not sure I know much about him now…"
"Well…since you're on the same team, maybe you could get to know him better after you save him from this Millen…what was his name again?" asked Mantarou.
"Millenniummon," answered Hawkmon.
"And you could also talk to people who know him well," said Mrs. Inoue. Yolei nodded a little before something came to her.
"Hey…is it all right if I go out? I…I think I need to talk to one of my friends…"
"Of course you can Yolei, but it's almost dinner," said Mr. Inoue. "Surely you want something to eat, don't you?"
"I'm not hungry right now," Yolei walked out of the apartment after slipping her shoes on. "But save some food for me when I get back!"
"Hold that door!" Hawkmon flew after and Yolei and managed to make it out in time before the door closed.
"What do you suppose that was all about?" asked Mantarou.
"I don't know," said Momoe, a small smile on her lips. "She can be weird sometimes…but it's not a bad thing at all."
"Okay…let's see how this works…" Jun muttered as she sat in her brother's room, typing away on the computer. The burgundy-haired girl had been sitting in front of Davis's computer for a while now, figuring out the password.
"Okay…let's see…Davis's password…um, soccer!" Jun typed in the word and hit Enter, only to see the words 'Sorry, but this password is incorrect' flash up on the screen.
"Hmm, so it's not soccer…okay, Digimon?" Jun typed in the new word, only to have the same result as before.
"Ramen noodles?" Incorrect again.
"Damn it!" Jun cursed, hitting her fist on the desk in frustration. "What is the password?" The burgundy-haired girl sighed as she leaned back in the chair. "How can I help out when I can't figure out what the password…is…" Jun trailed off when she saw a sticky note on the side of the computer that read seven names mushed together in one long word:
'kariveemonkenryotaisorajun.'
"Huh? What is this…" Jun reached out and pulled the sticky note off the computer, reading off the names. "Hmm…I wonder…" Placing the sticky note down, Jun typed the names into the password bar and pressed Enter. Instead of getting the 'Incorrect' response like she was expecting, Jun was surprised to see the screen pop up, saying the password was accepted. The screen showed multiple programs and a window to the Internet.
"Wow, it worked…" Jun blinked slightly as she looked at the sticky note with the names again. "Why does he have my name and the rest of these names as his password?"
"Because those are the people I really care about." Jun turned around in her chair, yelling in surprise when she saw her brother and Veemon standing over the threshold of the bedroom door.
(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne)
"Davis! How…how long…"
"I've been here for several minutes," Davis answered, walking into the room with Veemon. "Mom and Dad not here?"
"Unfortunately, no," Jun said bitterly. "They're probably working again, or at a party with friends."
"You know, I've realized your parents aren't around much," said Veemon. "What is up with that?"
"Oh…that," Davis sighed. "They're always working a lot to support us, but most of the time, they're usually hanging out with their friends and not us. Sometimes, I wonder why they bothered having me and Jun if they don't bother with us. They think I'm stupid just because of my grades from the last couple years of school. But I've improved a lot. They just don't see it…plus I learn really fast, but I usually don't bother showing it."
"And they tell me to stop obsessing over boy bands when they don't see that I've been focusing a lot in school and have an idea of what I want to do with my future," Jun said sadly.
"Then maybe you should sit down with them and tell them about how you feel about this," said Veemon. "And I mean, really talk to them, make them see."
"I'm not sure about that, Veemon," said Jun. "Why do you think Davis and I can be so damn stubborn sometimes?"
"Ah…I see…" Veemon nodded, realizing what Jun was talking about.
"Still, maybe we should have a talk with them," said Davis. "I'm sick and tired of them ignoring us all the time."
"Yeah, me too…" Jun sighed. The Motomiya siblings and Veemon were quiet before Davis spoke again.
"By the way, Jun…why exactly are you on my computer?"
"Oh…well…" Jun said, slightly nervous. "I…I wanted to look up the map of the Digital World that you have on here."
"Why?" Davis asked, confused at Jun's answer.
"Because I want to help you and the others out in any way I can," Jun answered with a sigh. "Considering that all of you go into the Digital World on a daily basis, I think you need someone to give you extra help on the outside. Someone who's not a Digidestined, and someone that's in your age group."
"Really?" Davis asked in surprise. "You actually want to help us?"
(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)
"Well, I don't have much else to do in my spare time, and it's boring being alone in the apartment," said Jun. "I may not be an expert in this sort of thing like Izzy and Yolei, but I know my computers well. I really want to help you and the others, Davis, and deep down…you know you need my help."
Davis was quiet for a while, thinking about Jun's offer. It sounded like she really did want to help, and ever since this whole thing began for him Jun had been supportive of him and offering her help in any way she could. And now he saw how much she truly wanted to help the Digidestined…and she truly meant it.
"I don't know, Jun. It might be…"
"What? Dangerous? A new experience that I'm unsuited for?" Jun asked with a scoff. "Davis, I'm your sister. Where do you think I get my stubborn streak from again? I can take care of myself, even if I don't have my own Digimon." The teenage girl leaned back in the chair and look at Davis with a raised eyebrow, making the boy breath deep and run a hand over his face.
"All right then. I suppose…we could use some extra help after all…"
"Thank you!" Jun squealed in delight, shooting out of the chair and squeezing Davis in a tight hug. "I promise I won't let you and the others down!"
"I know…you won't…" Davis gasped in his sister's embrace, which he returned. "I just hope you realize what you're getting yourself into. Once you get into this, there's no backing out. I'm telling you this right now because you are my sister, and I really do care about you. Why do you think I have you on my password?"
"Well…thanks," Jun said with a blush before getting back to the subject. "So…can you show me how the grid map works?"
"Well, I can show you what I know." Davis sat down next to Jun and began typing on the keyboard. "But you should really talk with Izzy and Henry. And Yolei as well. They're the real computer experts and they would know more about this than I do…"
DING!
"Was that the door?" Veemon asked, hearing the dinging noise from outside.
"Yeah, it was," Davis answered, walking out of his bedroom and to the front door. Opening it, the burgundy-haired boy was surprised to see Yolei standing before him, wearing clothes that he thought were her pajamas, and Hawkmon riding on her back.
"Yolei? What are you doing here…and why are you wearing your pajamas?"
"I forgot to change, all right?" Yolei replied, though her voice didn't sound annoyed. Rather, it sounded tired. "Is it all right if we talk in private, you and me? There's something I need to tell you, as well as ask you."
"All right then. We can go up to the roof." Davis walked out the apartment as Yolei let Hawkmon off her back and into the apartment. Once Hawkmon was in, Davis closed the door behind him and led Yolei to the roof of his apartment building. Once there, Yolei immediately told Davis about her experience with Millenniummon today, making the younger leader's eyes bulge out greatly.
"You have no idea how bad it was," Yolei finished as she sat down on a nearby crate. "I didn't want to believe anything he was saying about me, but…"
"I know," Davis said, sitting down next to Yolei on the crate. "That's one of Millenniummon's . He gets inside your head and tells young things about yourself that you don't want to hear… because it's all true."
"He did the same thing with you when you fought him before, huh?" asked Yolei.
"And Ken and Ryo," sighed Davis. "He basically reached into our heads and told us our faults and he tried to break us that way, leave us unable to fight back against him." The burgundy-haired boy looked up with a steely look in his eyes. "But he made a big mistake doing that. By acknowledging that he was right about our faults and mistakes, we were able to become better people and fight back against him."
"Well, I think I may be doing that in a way," said Yolei. "After I got back home, I talked with my family about my problems, and I think it's a step in mending things with us, but…that doesn't mean he wasn't wrong about what I did in the Digital World today. I nearly got us killed…just because I wanted to prove myself. Maybe I'm not meant to lead…"
"Maybe you aren't," said Davis, "but there are other things you can do Yolei."
"Then why hasn't anyone noticed it yet in the Digidestined?" asked Yolei. "I want to be able to do something…"
"Well, you do know a few things with computers," said Davis. "And Izzy and Henry could definitely do with some extra help in that department. Even Jun is going to help out, but she doesn't know much about computers, and I figured our smartest could help her out."
"And you say I can help with that?" Yolei asked in surprise.
(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi Tatakai no Theme)
"I am," Davis said, his eyes showing a little truth. "You're definitely one of the brightest minds on our team, Yolei. We may not say it a lot, but we do mean it. Everybody on our team is valuable, and they all have their own part. Your part…just isn't meant to lead in battle. I'm not saying you and Hawkmon are incapable of fighting at all, we're all capable of fighting…but I think your greatest strength is with technology."
"Maybe you're right," Yolei admitted. "I'm really sorry about today, though. I just hope I can do better in the future than I did today."
"I know you will Yolei," Davis said with a smile, placing a hand on Yolei's shoulder for reassurance. "Don't let what Millenniummon said get to you and throw you off."
"I…I won't," Yolei said, nodding with a set look of determination on her face as she stood up. "Thank you, Davis…I guess I needed to hear something like that from a Digidestined, and not just a Tamer and my family."
"Hey, you can come to any of us and talk about anything that's bothering you," said Davis. "We're your friends Yolei."
"Thank you…" Yolei said again before thinking about something. "Actually…there is something I do want to talk with you about."
"Sure, what is it?" asked Davis.
"I want to know more about Ken," Yolei answered to Davis's surprise. "Do you think you could tell me more about him?"
"Uh…well, sure," Davis said as he led Yolei back to his apartment. "And maybe you could also help Jun out with the Digital World grid map."
"I would like to help with that…" Yolei said as she followed Davis, intent on starting a new part in her life…
(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)
END CHAPTER 21
I'm back, baby!
Yeah, I know it's been a while since I last updated my story. Probably a month. I would have had this chapter done a lot sooner, but between the holidays, things being really busy at my job, writer's block and taking care of other stuff I haven't been able to finish this story faster. And I apologize to anyone who was impatient. My updates won't be frequent, but I promise this story is not dead and I will continue it. Hopefully, I'll have the story at the end of the Millenniummon arc, maybe the Dark Ocean mini-arc come March, then it will go on to the story arc with the two teams going to the Tamers dimension.
Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Yolei and Kazu were a little hard for me to write at first, because I don't think they really had much character development in the anime.
In the next chapter, the team splits up again in the Digital World as Yolei finds the Digimental of Sincerity, and Suzie and Lopmon find themselves fighting Ninjamon in Little Edo (I think that was the name of the town from episode 15 of 02), and the Digidestined and Tamers find out something about some of the Digimon working for Millenniummon.
Chapter 22: The Sincere Wind Blows! Shurimon!