2
Correlations
"A weird bunch of cuttings, all told, and I can at this date scarcely envisage the callous rationalism with which I set them aside." – H. P. Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"
By the time Daisuke, Takeru, Hikari, Miyako, and Iori awakened the next morning, Ken had sent a message to each of their D-Terminals, informing them that they needed to talk but without giving any details. Takeru volunteered his apartment as the place to meet. There were two reasons for this, one being that since three of the six lived in that same building it would be more convenient, the other being that if his mother asked what they were discussing she would at least be the parent perhaps most acclimated to unusual phenomena.
Since the events in December, Natsuko had been in high demand as a reporter who had been connected so closely with both the 1999 and 2002 Digimon incidents. She, along with Sora's father Haruhiko, had taken to serving as mediators between the Chosen Children and the media, protecting the kids from publicity. "Digimon critics" was what the public had gotten used to calling them. It turned out that she had things to do away from home that day, and the kids' meeting remained private.
As might be expected, Ken was the last to arrive. The others had to content themselves with idle speculation until he got there, while Chibimon, Poromon, and Upamon focused on Miyako's obligatory snack selection. None of the children felt particularly vibrant, however, and conversation was unusually sparse. Hikari was especially subdued. She had gotten up that way, and Tailmon was worried, gazing at her partner with sad, wondering eyes.
Finally the doorbell rang again and Takeru left the room, returning with Ichijouji Ken, holding Wormmon, in tow.
"Something strange happened last night," Ken began without preamble. Hikari straightened suddenly as though pricked. "There was a man in my room. He talked to me about my Digivice, called it his toy, and asked me how I liked it. Then he just disappeared."
"It was really sudden," Wormmon joined in, "He was there one second and gone the next."
"Was he… human?" Takeru asked. Ken gave a slight nod.
"He seemed to be. I don't know if I should be worried or not. When I saw him holding my Digivice I thought he was going to take it, but he said…"
"What?" Daisuke asked.
"He said I could keep it a while longer."
"Eh!?" Miyako interjected, "As though he would come for it later?"
"How did he get into your apartment?" Iori asked.
"I don't know," Ken replied. "He might have come in through the door under my bunk, but that wouldn't explain how he got up to my balcony." He paused. "It reminded me of the first time I saw Archnemon. He was standing in the same place she was, by the computer. Maybe," his eyes widened, "maybe he came through the computer? From the Digital World?"
The baby Digimon had stopped their munching, and Upamon spoke up, saying, "But isn't it only children who can go to the Digital World, dagyaa?"
"Archnemon looked like a human grownup, but she was really a Digimon," Iori said, looking thoughtful.
"But this man looked normal," Ken said. "He wasn't wearing strange clothes and didn't have odd features like she did."
"Do you think he could be a new enemy?" Takeru wondered.
"If he's going to try and take Ken's Digivice, he has to be, right?" Daisuke said, looking around for confirmation, though he received no response.
"Well, he can't be working for Vamdemon," Patamon said. "He's gone for good. And who else is there?"
"I can think of one," Ken answered. The others gave him their attention. "Demon," he said. "We didn't destroy him. What if he got out of the –"
"Dark Ocean."
All turned and looked at Hikari. She was staring down at her feet, a faraway look in her eyes. She spoke no other word. Takeru felt a sudden chill. They had not considered, when they had locked Demon in the Dark World, what would happen if he ever freed himself. He had gone with a laugh, as though there were no doubt in his mind that one day he would be free again.
And wasn't there another possibility? Demon himself had mentioned a name, when he first saw the Dark Gate open. Oikawa had repeated it. The ruler of the Dark Ocean. Dagomon. Takeru had asked Vamdemon, before they recognized him, if he were a follower of Dagomon. Those three instances had been the only times the name had ever been uttered. Takeru wondered if any of the others even remembered it.
Hikari did. The Hangyomon, or rather, the things that looked like Hangyomon, had told her of their god, but had not mentioned His name. Demon had supplied that information. She had no proof that Dagomon and the god of the Dark World's denizens were one and the same, but her instincts told her so. She did not know what Dagomon was. A Digimon? His name would suggest it, but after seeing the true forms of the pseudo-Hangyomon… The word was not so much a name for her as it was a symbol for all that was dark, unknown, frightening.
"Hikari…" Tailmon breathed, more concerned than ever. There was a long silence.
"What should we do?" Miyako asked at last. No one had a ready answer. There didn't seem to be much of anything to do.
"Maybe we should ask Gennai about it?" Daisuke said.
"That's actually not a bad idea," Takeru replied. "If anyone would know of something strange happening in the Digital World, Gennai-san would. We can have Koshiro-san get in touch with him today." He turned to Ken. "Are you going to be okay at your place?"
"As long as I'm with him, he will be," Wormmon answered for his partner. Ken nodded.
"I'll be fine," he agreed.
"There they are," Hiraga Ayaki reported, watching as the children exited the apartment complex. "Ichijouji and two others, a boy and a girl. Looks like they're all headed in the same direction." He paused to see if any orders were forthcoming. "Want me to follow them?" he asked finally.
"That won't be necessary," came the reply. Hikari would have recognized the second voice as the calm but eerily intense tones from her dream of the previous night. "The first phase of the plan involves the Digital World. We can always find their addresses later should trouble arise." The cellphone went dead.
"Guess this means I'm off for the day," Hiraga said, grinning. Spying on kids a few hours a day won't be so bad for what these nuts pay me, he thought. Makes me wonder what kind of reimbursement I could get for more direct stuff.