So I was hoping this chapter wouldn't take as long to write as the last. As it turns out, it's taken even longer. No matter! Onwards we type! By the way, do you guys have any idea how hard it is to find decent Adult level Digimon that aren't partner Digimon/Digimental evolutions? It's insane.

I'm also SOOOO sorry for taking so long to update! It's not as if I haven't been thinking of it. But I graduate college in February, and I got cast in the staged reading at school (I'm Christmas Eve in Avenue Q!) so I've been really strapped for time. Hopefully I'll have more free time to write after graduation! I'm trying, really, so please stay with me!


Episode 3: The Protective Bear! Grizzlymon Charges In!

"You look terrible." Momoe commented when Aiko walked into the computer room for lunch, pausing when she saw that Dorumon trailed in after him. "And you brought Dorumon? No one said anything?"

"I promised he'd be quiet, but I have detention anyway. Cleaning duty," Aiko plopped down between Kaori and Chizuru, head in his hands, "I miss America. Detention was always sitting in a room after school, in complete silence. What's with all this menial labor?!" Chizuru snickered over Aiko's head, pointing at Kaori shrewdly.

"Kaori-chan has detention too. She was caught playing video games in class again." She ignored Kaori, who had looked up from her PSP long enough to glare at Chizuru wearily and wave a middle finger in her face. "Oh, I'm so offended." Chizuru snarked.

"Damn right you are." Kaori shot back, not missing a beat. An explosion crackled from the PSP's speakers and Chizuru and Kaori began snickering over the broken tension.

"It's the third day of school. Really? Really, Kaori-chan? This is a new record for you." Jun rubbed her temples with her forefingers, audibly muttering about how her relatives were so irresponsible (and mildly relieved that she failed to inherit that certain gene). Kaori shrugged absentmindedly, eyes locked on the screen again.

"I told Dad that I didn't have to go to school, but he insisted that I graduate and become a 'dependable adult'. I never said anything about going willingly." It was impossible for Momoe to miss how unhappily Kaori spat out the words. She'd only known the girl for the two years she'd been living there (and only the barest minimum at that), but it had always been apparent that Kaori's interests lied beyond the walls of any educational institute.

"Maybe you'll find something you love doing in school." Aiko supplied helpfully, head still resting between his hands. Kaori shook her PSP lightly in Aiko's face.

"Until they make a video game or comic book club, I don't think so." She countered. "But anyway, with detention and all, I don't think we can go to the Digital World today. At least, Aiko and I will have to sit out if you do."

"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to not go?" Momoe directed at Kaori, "What if we get attacked like last time?" Memories of the previous day lingered in Momoe's bones, phantom pains of wounds healed too quickly. It was dreamlike, except for the part where it wasn't. Obviously. The thin, faded scar Momoe found across her calf this morning was a harsh reminder of what could have gone wrong had Labramon not been able to do heal them.

"What choice do we have? We're not kids and this isn't summer vacation. Kaori-chan will be here when we come back. We can worry about injuries when they happen." It was so easy for Momoe to forget how straightforward Chizuru was, with the last three days being what they were. For all her over thinking and incessant inquiries, Chizuru always made sense.

Last night, they'd sat in the living room long after everyone else had fallen asleep, just talking. Only Dracomon had managed to stay up with them, Bearmon stuffed himself at dinner, stealing as many bread rolls as allowed (which wasn't technically stealing, but the Digimon kept hiding them in his hat anyway) and fell asleep five minutes into the conversation.


"Nee-san, I'm worried. There are so many questions I have, and no one seems to be capable of answering them." Chizuru drew her knees to her chin, muttering into the fabric of her long blue socks.

Momoe wanted to say something helpful, but Chizuru was never calmed with simple pleasantries. She wanted answers, she always did. There was once a time, so long ago Momoe wondered if it wasn't all in head, when the younger girl wasn't concerned with the mysteries of the universe. Momoe suddenly missed how easy it was to make Chizuru satisfied. Bandages for make believe scrapes, stickers for tears. But Chizuru hadn't been calmed with something sticky since she was seven.

It used to be a point of pride, for Momoe. She was the oldest. Well, Mantarou was older, but Momoe was the oldest of the girls. That meant something. It had been almost ten years, but Momoe still missed when Chizuru needed her. (And after the Digimon came, neither did Miyako for that matter.) Still...

"Then we'll have to answer them ourselves." Momoe suggested, "The more we go down this path, the more we'll know. By then, we should be able to answer most of the questions we have." Momoe patted down some of Bearmon's flyaway fur, watching him sleep as she said it. He'd tried to stay up, but when Momoe insisted he go to bed, Bearmon snuggled into her lap further.

"You're right," Chizuru conceded, "I guess I'm just impatient."

"You're not telling me anything new," Momoe snickered until Chizuru chucked a pillow at her.

"Chizuru shouldn't w-worry. Dracomon is here. Chizuru doesn't need to because w-we're together." Dracomon cuddled herself under Chizuru's arms, tiny wings flapping rapidly when Chizuru scratched her. "Momoe said that." The scratching stopped.

"I did?" No, she didn't. Momoe never said that. There hadn't been a time when everyone was together. Not since Chizuru started wanting to know everything. Mantarou started staying in his room, all alone and Chizuru asked why. Momoe tried to keep it all together, but no one spoke to each other unless they had to. Poor Miyako. She had and never would know how close they all used to be.

"Yes sh-she did. Dracomon remembers. Momoe's v-voice. Everyone is together. Everyone is okay." There was no small portion of jealousy Momoe felt when Chizuru visibly relaxed. Dracomon could calm her down with platitudes. Chizuru didn't need her big sister anymore, Momoe could never forget that.

But when had Momoe said that? How funny. When Chizuru finally stopped asking questions, Momoe started.


Of course, it didn't matter. Momoe could follow her own advice, remembered or not. If there was an answer, time would answer it. If there wasn't, time would show that, too. There were more important things to deal with anyway and Momoe's issues were not one of them.

"Maybe Labramon could go with you guys. You know, without me," Kaori supplied, "You'd only have to pick her up from my place and Nee-san has a key."

"That doesn't seem like a bad idea," Jun agreed, "We have to get Hyokomon there anyway, so why not get Labramon at the same time?"

"I wonder if they're in the Digital World already," Kaori leaned against her broom to stare at the orange twilight of dusk, sighing heavily. "Stupid school, don't even know why I bother coming." She beat the bristles against a dustpan, then tossed them out the nearest window. Was it so wrong to think that maybe a continued education wasn't for her? Some people in the world were designed to absorb information, like Chizuru. Kaori simply wasn't built that way.

"I think you're lucky, I can't even read the kanji they expect me to know by now. Should have kept up with it." Aiko followed Kaori's example, tossing dust out into the window instead of the trash, "They think I know because I'm fluent in Japanese, but it's only because back in America, we didn't speak English at home. Hey, you don't think we'll get in trouble for throwing the dust outside, will we?"

"Isn't that where it came from?" Kaori responded plainly. A short chuckle passed between them, then silence. "Come on, let's finish this job. Might as well get home early to meet up with the others and Labramon when they get back."

"Yeah."


"Oomph!"

The collective groans let Chizuru know they were back in the Digital World. She really hoped that the third time would be the charm, that they'd finally stop dogpiling on top of one another, but it seemed today wasn't the day. "Where are we this time?" She asked, scanning the area quickly. They had landed in a lush green place. Every step Chizuru took sprung off the ground, like the squishy rubber flooring at parks and playgrounds.

"This place is so soft! Why couldn't we have come here first!" Jun was already bouncing around, Hyokomon flapping errantly behind her in his constant consternation.

"Jun-san! This is the outskirts of Primary Village! You have to tread this ground lightly!" Hyokomon huffed, only calming once Jun did. "There are infantile Digimon here, you'll wake them with your boisterous jumping around." Jun made an 'o' with her mouth, hushing up and standing upright immediately.

"Right!" She whispered (loudly, Chizuru noticed wyly), "Can't wake the babies!"

"Primary Village?" Shuu echoed, "Isn't this..."

"Yeah, this is the place that Digimon crowd were talking about. All Digimon have their beginnings here, even us," Fanbeemon confirmed, finishing Shuu's thoughts for him, "I think Izumi sent us here because of that." She buzzed over a clearing between some bushes, "This is where the nursery is."

Everyone made their way quietly to the nursery. "Is it just me," Chizuru murmured, "or is this entire place too quiet?" They stopped to listen for a moment. When Fanbeemon landed on Shuu's head all of the sound faded away. Chizuru could hear her own breathing and Dracomon breathing beside her, but nothing else. In the distance there was a nursery of sorts, full of little stone cradles, but even from that far away Chizuru could tell they all were empty. Her stomach slowly turned cold and though she couldn't exactly pinpoint what, Chizuru knew something was wrong. It all felt like the buildup to some cheesy horror movie jump scare except the jump scare was probably real and most definitely dangerous.

"We gotta check that out," Dorumon started racing ahead of the others without further prompt, sensing that same feeling. Chizuru went right after, remembering how Ishida warned them not to let Dorumon or Labramon get too far.

"Without Nomura-san or Motomiya-san, Dorumon and Labramon will be unable to evolve. They're practically defenseless without the energy they share with their partners."

Chizuru couldn't let that happen, especially now that the foreboding sense of danger was looming on ahead. She ran faster, "Dracomon, we can't let Dorumon get too far from us!" Dracomon picked up her pace to match with Chizuru's, huffing and puffing and still keeping up. The air grew stale in Chizuru's mouth the closer she got to catching up with Dorumon who was already standing in the center of the nursery.

"There's nothing here," Dorumon began to whimper abysmally to himself, tail curling around his ankles while he fruitlessly examined the area. He sniffed the air, as if signs of life would reveal themselves any second and everything would be alright. The others behind Chizuru, Dracomon, and Dorumon caught up, which was when Dorumon froze, nose pointed somewhere beyond Chizuru's line of vision. The ground trembled slightly, percussive beats bouncing Chizuru off the plush ground slightly.

"I really hope that's a baby Digimon..." She muttered to Dracomon, who assumed an aggressive stance in front of her and Dorumon.


Aiko and Kaori walked out of the school gates, wiping their foreheads. "I'm kind of starting to miss America," Aiko confessed with a sigh, "This is corporal punishment or something!" Kaori shoved him slightly, walking ahead of him briskly.

"You complain, but try actually working. Dust and student filth is nothing in the face of drunk salarymen. Bleh. And I don't even get paid much because it's my dad's place. He claims that giving me half of my existence should make up for half of my paycheck."

"Do you like your job, though?" Aiko asked, following Kaori though her park shortcut. Most of the kids were already home by the time the sun was setting. Kaori shrugged noncommitally.

"It's better than school, don't you think?" She leapt onto a bench, swinging her bookbag by it's long straps, "I mean, life only ends up one of two ways here. You focus on your career and work hard, then retire to your family. If you're a man. If you're a woman, you work until you marry and have kids, because people look down on you if you continue your career instead of staying home." Kaori plopped down onto her rear, leaning into the bench's back. "You're usually not allowed into bars until you're of age, which is why no one else seems to get it, but I see these guys, and I see them all...depressed. They don't live. The women are listless, the men drink until they can't speak. I don't want to grow up and turn into that." A crisp orange glow settled over the sidewalk; it was getting late. "Do you think the others are okay?" Kaori asked. Aiko paused mid-stride. He wondered what he would do if Dorumon got hurt without him there.

"Those are things you have to leave to faith. I know everyone is going to try their hardest, even without us." Kaori faced away from the sunlight, the coppery light shining around her head like a halo. Despite the light partially blocking Aiko's view of her face, he knew she was still unsatisfied. "But I am worried too.. What if something else comes after them? I'd rather be there than here."

"Then what are we waiting for? We know where Izumi-san lives," Kaori grabbed at Aiko's sleeve, "Let's catch up."


If anyone asked Momoe what she had done, she wouldn't be able to answer. Not precisely, anyway. In one moment, a bright red fireball flew out of the bushes towards Chizuru. In the next, Chizuru was on the ground and Momoe had a gaping hole in her sleeve, but was unhurt. A burnt scrap of unidentifiable fabric that Momoe knew used to be part of her right jacket sleeve floated to the ground below her. Momoe then noticed the stinging where the hole in her jacket now was, realizing only adrenaline had been keeping her from feeling pain.

"Nee-san!" Chizuru scrambled to her feet, getting to Momoe and checking for injuries. "You've got a burn! Labramon!", she called, "Let's get this taken care of!" The others caught up to where they were, when multiple fireballs shot out from the same place. "Are you serious?" Chizuru ducked, pulling Momoe down as well. "Is this going to happen every time we come here?!"

"I'm going to kill that little nerd!" Jun hissed, launching herself onto the ground behind Momoe and Chizuru, "He keeps sending us to these places! Like we know what the hell we're doing!" The barrage increased in speed and accuracy and everyone scrambled.

"Come on, let's get away from here!" There was a pull at Momoe's good arm; she looked down to see Bearmon tugging Momoe further from the fire. Looking around, she could see the others had a similar mindset, getting further from the empty stone cradles and the danger. It didn't seem like a bad idea at all. Momoe let Bearmon pull her alongside the rest, trying to get away from any more danger.

"Where are you running?" A silken voice cooed all around them. "Don't you know I'm still here?" A chill ran down Momoe's spine. Was this invisible Digimon really everywhere? "Yes," She answered, as if reading Momoe's mind, "I am everywhere. I heard about what you did to Boogeymon yesterday." A blazing fireball, bigger than before shot out at Hyokomon, knocking him to the ground before anyone could react.

"NO!" Jun howled, dropping on her knees to cradle her partner gently. "Hyokomon, Hyokomon, are you okay?" She shook him once, then twice. No response. "Hyokomon, wake up!" Labramon bounded over on instinct, maw glowing with restorative energy, but more fireballs came in their direction. "No! You stop hurting him!" Jun tugged Hyokomon closer to her as she and Labramon jumped out of the way.

"Baby Breath" "Metal Cannon!" Dracomon and Dorumon fired shots at the fireballs, causing them to explode midair before they made contact. "S-send your best!" Dracomon demanded, "I w-w-won't let you hurt Chizuru!" As if answering the challenge, more fireballs came, but at Dracomon instead. Chizuru clearly wasn't going to have any of what this Digimon was giving. She scooped Dracomon up and raced out of the way.

"What are you going to do, little girl?" The unseen Digimon continued to taunt them. "You're going to tire yourself out." She singsonged. A fireball nicked Chizuru in the leg and she fell over, collapsing over Dracomon.

Momoe felt as if she'd swallowed one of those fireballs, the pit of her stomach boiling in rage and chilling fear at once. "Bearmon, I don't have any idea what I'm doing," She declared, walking towards the source of the fireballs, "But I can't allow anything to happen to Chizuru." Bearmon nodded, letting go of Momoe's wrist.

"I don't know what I'm doing either, but I won't let anything happen to you either, Momoe," He looked up at Momoe, their eyes meeting once. As if reading each other's minds, they charged at the bushes simultaneously.

"Momoe, what are you doing?!" Shuu bellowed, "Are you insane?!" But Momoe kept running.

"You're going to get out of here, or else!" She roared at the unseen Digimon.

"Or else what?" The voice responded. Bearmon began to emit a bright light and Momoe knew what this meant.

"Or else this!" Bearmon ran ahead of Momoe, the light engulfing him completely. "Bearmon, evolve, Grizzlymon!" The once teddy-like Digimon had disappeared with the light, a gargantuan, growling, beast replacing him. He snorted, then barreled into the bushes, bringing trees down in his wake. "I'm hungry! You gonna make a tasty snack?"

Momoe followed her partner, finding him entangled in combat with a pale purple fox Digimon. "What is that?"

"Youkomon, a fox demon Digimon. She's been the one attacking us this whole time!" Fanbeemon caught up to Momoe, Shuu panting deeply behind her. "Grizzlymon, kick her ass!"

"Kuma Tsume!" Grizzlymon knocked one weighted paw into Youkomon's face, "You are going to leave, or I'm gonna have to rip you apart!" He knocked into her, his entire weight forcing Youkomon back and into a tree. Grizzlymon's strength frightened and excited Momoe at once, the latter a great surprise.

"You can destroy me, but you'll never defeat the Master. She is prepared for you. She is ready for all of you!" Youkomon struggled to her feet, "I welcome the world she is ushering in. Jaenryu!" The fire on each of Youkomon's tails turned red, the fire growing and taking the shape of a dragon, "Ahahahaha! You will remember my warning. Fools, all of you! Fools!"

"Finish it," Momoe spoke quietly, her voice low and dangerous, "I've had enough of listening to her."

Grizzlymon complied without question, the white crescent mark on his forehead glowing in preparation, "Crescent Dawn." a beam of light crashed into the fire dragon, ripping through it and into Youkomon, turning her into digital fragments. They scattered loosely on the wind before disappearing from view.

It was a strange feeling. Though Momoe always thought she'd feel remorse at taking a life, it seemed...almost easy. Of course, Youkomon had hurt Chizuru. Still...there was an unflinching steel Momoe felt in her core. She didn't have a single shred of regret over her commands. Grizzlymon lumbered over to her, lowering his head to hers in affection as he devolved back into Bearmon. "It's over, Momoe. You can stop holding your breath," He whispered so no one else could hear.

With a loud sigh, Momoe turned to the others, who were standing agape, "Nee-san, are you okay?" Chizuru stepped forward, worry disrupting her lovely features. Momoe turned her gaze to Jun and Shuu, who were also similarly stunned. But on Jun's face was also a look of understanding. Yesterday, Jun was in the same position. Buraimon hadn't destroyed Boogiemon, but what if she had to?

Momoe found little comfort in the concept. Perhaps she had overreacted. But Chizuru was still standing there, awaiting her sister's answer. Even when she's worried for the future or me, she never changes.

"She hurt you. Let's get out of here. There's literally nothing here to report." Momoe put a hand on Chizuru's shoulder comfortingly, hoping that would be enough.

"Okay, Nee-san."


Koushiro sat at his computer, staring blankly. What Momoe had reported made no sense. How could Grizzlymon, a Vaccine type and newly evolved, take down Youkomon, an experienced Data type, with no trouble at all? He stared out the window, where the six new Chosen Children (Kaori and Aiko turned up just as the others returned to the Real World, much to their delight) were walking down the sidewalk.

"It doesn't make any sense, Tentomon." He leaned back into his chair, letting it swivel towards the beetle Digimon.

"Koushiro-han, they're like us. They shared their energy. Is there something else bothering you?" Tentomon tilted his /head in confusion.

"Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence. Both times Hyokomon and now Grizzlymon evolved, Jun-san and Momoe-san were not only in states of distress, they were also injured. Do you remember when Taichi and WarGreymon were fighting Piemon? As Taichi was injured, the amount of strength WarGreymon had diminished in an equal proportion." Once again, Koushiro began typing furiously at his computer, while Tentomon awaited his conclusion, "Though Buraimon didn't destroy Boogiemon, it was easily apparent that he was immensely powerful, despite Jun-san's injuries. The same goes for Momoe-san and Grizzlymon. Though she was only burned, there was a clear discrepancy between Youkomon and Grizzlymon's types. It doesn't make sense for newly evolved Digimon to have that power when their partners are also weakened."

"What are you saying, then? Is something else giving them power?" Tentomon suggested, buzzing backwards in the air when Koushiro bolted upright out of his chair.

"Tentomon, you're a genius!"

"I am? I mean, I am!?"

"No, really. If this happens once more, then the third time is a pattern. And if it is, then we know that something is giving them power." Koushiro rushed over to his computer, hastily typing up his thoughts. Jun and Hyokomon versus Boogiemon. Momoe and Bearmon versus Youkomon, "What could possibly be fueling their power?" Koushiro continued to mumble to himself.

"Do you think Gennai knows the answers?" Tentomon asked. It was amusing to him how Koushiro could think himself into a hole sometimes and still not see possible ways out. This was why they worked, Tentomon thought happily. Koushiro said nothing, but the opening on an email browser let Tentomon know that he'd been listening.


Shuu fumbled with his keys, glasses slowly slipping down his nose in the struggle. Before he could lift a hand to push them up, a fuzzy yellow leg beat him to it. "Thanks," He said to Fanbeemon, who laughed in response.

"You're such a mess, Shuu," She chided lightly before returning to her usual perch on Shuu's head, "You need to relax!" Shuu forced his shoulders to release their tension. It was hard, after so many years of scrunching them up when stressed out. And of course he was stressed out.

"It's hard, Fanbeemon," Shuu admitted softly, opening the door to his shared apartment. There were no lights. Shin wasn't home tonight, he was probably working a shift at the hospital with their father and wouldn't be home for maybe an hour, "I've listened to as much as the others will tell me, and I still don't get it. We're not young. I mean, Chizuru and Kaori are certainly young; they're Jyou's age. But the rest of us? There aren't any other Chosen Children (and I don't even know if I can use that word for me at this point because I'm legally an adult) our age." Shuu flicked the lights on and he made his way to the couch, flopping onto it haphazardly.

"You know, it hurts me when you say that," Fanbeemon buzzed over to an open cushion, facing away from her human. It didn't need to be said, the source of that hurt. If only children received partners, Shuu would have never met Fanbeemon. They'd talked about it already, what it had been like before they met. It had only been three days, but Shuu agreed when Fanbeemon said it had felt like a lifetime. They were in synch with each other. And while it had been surprising to see Fanbeemon adjust to Shuu so quickly, it had been even more so when Shuu had no difficulty in understanding her.

'I knew I was waiting for you. All I had-all any of us had-was a name. And I had your name. For as long as I can remember, I've had your name in my mind. Shuu. I think waiting was the hardest part. Some days, I thought that day would never come."

To Fanbeemon, questioning why she was there was questioning everything she had waited for. It was unfair of him to do so, in her eyes. Shuu bent over and picked Fanbeemon up. It was hard, trying to hug her around her thorax, but Fanbeemon relaxed enough to let him hold her like that. "I'm sorry," he relented, "You know what I mean, though."

"I know. It just doesn't matter to me," The retort was simple. Digimon were always so simple, Shuu sighed to himself. Even Hyokomon, with all his spoutings about honor and hard work, was still a single-minded Digimon with a big vocabulary.

"You're right," Shuu relented, "You're right, and I know you're right." He loosened his hold on the large bee before him and she returned to her usual spot, "You're also heavy. I hope you know that." Sudden knocking on the door kept Fanbeemon from replying.

"Who is it?" Shuu asked. Shin would never knock, he had keys.

"It's me. Open the door, Shuu-niisan," Jyou. What was he doing here this late at night? Shouldn't be be at cram school right now?

"I didn't lock it, come on in." At Shuu's beckon, Jyou entered hesitantly. Gomamon padded in after him. Huh. This was the first time Jyou had come over unannounced since Shin and Shuu moved out. Shuu scooted over on the couch, patting it invitingly for his brother.

"Ah, thank you," Jyou sat down and his partner leapt up into his lap. His hand moved to Gomamon's orange mane, rubbing it affectionately. "I'm sorry for coming over unannounced, but I didn't feel right about having not talked to you about...all of this," Jyou gestured to his partner and Fanbeemon. At Shuu's nod, he continued, "I know with starting high school and cram school I've been busy, but I felt this was necessary."

"So...you can answer my questions?" The possibility was enticing. Naturally, Jyou didn't have all of the answers to Shuu's questions, but there could be some light his younger brother could shed.

"Maybe. What are they?" Gomamon chirped happily, "Jyou's been studying really hard; I think he's going to know everything pretty soon!" Of course Shuu knew Jyou had been studying hard. They weren't in constant contact since he and Shin had moved out, but they were still family. Even so, Shuu couldn't help but find it cute that Gomamon was still constantly giving Jyou a hard time.

"Gomamon!" Jyou groaned, throwing his head back against the couch, "You're impossible!" Laughter bubbled up from Gomamon's throat. It proved infectious, making way to Fanbeemon and then Shuu. Only Jyou remained staunchly unamused, not finding his educational struggles very funny. "Anyway!" he announced rather loudly, driving the topic back on track, "What did you want to know?"

"...I guess in my case, and I swear I'm not complaining about being old again (Nii-san already got on my ass about it), but I'm twenty now. I'm not a child by any means. And neither are Jun and the others, even if they're not of age yet. So...what I guess I'm asking is...what is a Chosen Child?" Jyou eyed Shuu with something unidentifiable in his gaze. It was slightly unnerving and Shuu almost felt the need to scoot backwards away from this suddenly different person.

"You know, when I first learned what Chosen Children were, I asked the same thing," Jyou finally opened his mouth after a few moments of consideration, "and I guess I find it funny that of all people, my own brother would ask the same thing."

"Must be hereditary," Fanbeemon joked, sending herself and Gomamon into light chortles.

"Guess it is." Jyou agreed, "But the answer is probably different for you than what I ended up with."

"What did you find out for yourself?" Shuu asked. When Digimon first came to the Real World, Shuu hadn't been home at the time. Everything he'd heard about, he learned from Shin and Jyou at a later date, and even later than with Takenouchi Haruhiko at school. But even then, everything was in theory. Nothing about Digimon was truly concrete until Shuu found himself with a partner of his own. It was almost frightening, how Shuu had never known he was missing something in his life until Fanbeemon came into it. Jun told him that Chizuru called a Digimon partner something like a soulmate, but different (non-romantic, at the very least, Shuu could guess). It seemed a little silly, the notion, but it was the most fitting description Shuu could think of. Fanbeemon fit into pieces Shuu hadn't been aware he was missing. After three days, it seemed impossible to imagine a life without the fuzzy bug, even as they were learning to maneuver life around the sudden change.

"Shuu-niisan, are you listening?" Jyou snapped Shuu out of his sudden reverie, "I thought you wanted to know, and now you're zoning out." Shuu returned his focus to his brother, who seemed concerned, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just...thinking. What was it you found out?" The only way for Shuu to get such pensive thoughts from his headspace was to steer the topic back on track. What point was it musing on the bond between Human and Digimon, anyway? It didn't matter if it wasn't going to change. It wasn't.

"In the end, to me, it didn't matter if I was a Chosen Child or not, because I had the choice. At any point in time, I could have said no, and that was it. I didn't have to fight if I didn't want to." Jyou placed his palm on Gomamon's head, "But as it was, I knew what the right choice was. And I chose to fight alongside my friends."

"Does that help, Shuu?" Gomamon asked, tilting his head to the side.

Shuu looked to Fanbeemon, who looked back and nodded. Then he looked to Jyou and Gomamon. Yes and no, he thought. "Well, that doesn't answer everything, but it seems to be a personal decision, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, kind of," Jyou exhaled slowly, "Sorry I couldn't be more help."

"You're fine," Fanbeemon interjected, "You know your brother as well as I do!" She tapped Shuu's head with a pointed foreleg, "And we both know that Shuu likes to overthink." Jyou leaned into the couch with a snort, knowing Fanbeemon was right. Shuu knew she was right. He really did like to think about things, often to his detriment as Shin would put it.

"Well if you're going to point it out, I'm not gonna!" Shuu shoved Fanbeemon a little before pushing himself off the couch. "Come on, Jyou," Shuu headed into the kitchen, "you haven't been over in ages. I'll make dinner and when Nii-san comes home we'll catch up."

It would be nice, Shuu thought over the pot of curry he was making. He didn't want to admit it, but he missed Jyou. A little.


Gaaaah. I was really hoping I wasn't going to take a year to update this. I really was. Ugh. I'm so sorry. If you're still around, thank you so much for sticking with me though!

I know it shouldn't be an excuse, but hopefully after graduation I'll be able to write more frequently. Without the schoolwork-ignoring guilt.

Reviews are muchly appreciated!