39

Returning to Reality

"Out there, in the heart of unreclaimed wilderness, they had surely witnessed something crudely and essentially primitive. Something that had survived somehow the advance of humanity that had emerged terrifically, betraying a scale of life still monstrous and immature." – Algernon Blackwood, "The Wendigo"

It wasn't long before Daisuke had followed the track of prints to its end.

Two people about his height stood in a small clearing. He wondered if one of the others had been brought to this place with him and Ken, but even before he got close enough to know what he was looking at he dismissed the idea. The person whose tracks he had followed was a repulsive, frightening figure, even from a distance, and somehow Daisuke knew that it was not a friend that faced Ken.

"Ken! Hey, Ken!"

The unknown person lurched awkwardly around at his call, and Daisuke saw that there was something in their left hand. Now he could guess what was going on. They had come for Ken's D-3, just as the mysterious man had said they would. He ran ahead, ready to snatch the Digivice from the person's hand, but soon he was close enough to see what he was approaching. Daisuke stopped short in surprise, but not in fear. Ken was here, and Daisuke knew that he would have to keep calm, because Ken needed his help.

"Ken… who is this?" Daisuke asked, not taking his eyes from the apparition.

"I'm his brother," the corpse answered with some annoyance. "He made me disappear, but I came back on my own to take the Digivice he stole from me."

"That's Ken's Digivice," was Daisuke's stolid answer. Ken spoke up quietly.

"M-Motomiya… He's right. I wished he would go… I took the Digivice…"

"Good!" Daisuke exclaimed. "It belongs to you."

"Shut up," the thing said, stepping forward to menace him with its mangled features. "Get out of my way."

But Daisuke didn't budge.

"Give it back."

"He doesn't even want it back," Osamu wheezed, "He knows it's mine!"

Ken said nothing, and Daisuke's frustration boiled over.

"If it was yours, why didn't you use it?" he demanded of the creature. "Why does it work for him, and help Wormmon evolve?"

"Move," Osamu hissed loudly. Daisuke stood his ground, and clenched his fists. "What are you going to do?" the corpse asked. "Kill me?"

Daisuke's only answer was to make a lunge for the D-3. One of Osamu's dead, mushy fingers came off in his gloved hand, but he had managed to reclaim the Digivice.

"Ken! This Digivice is yours! I don't know what this thing is, but it isn't your brother!"

Ken raised pleading eyes to his friend, but remained silent.

"Wormmon needs you!"

"He's dead!" Osamu screamed. "Both your Digimon are dead!"

"Not if I know them," Daisuke said, and his smile was unfeigned and confident. In his hand, Ken's Digivice began to glow. Daisuke wasn't looking at it, and didn't notice, but he could see that there was thankfulness in Ken's expression, and knew that this was the turning point.

V-mon was thrown upwards, cleared the treetops, and fell again. Before he could hit the ground, Wendimon's whip-like arm descended, smashing him downward. The little blue Digimon bounced off the forest floor, turned over in midair, and landed on his stomach. He coughed, and a spatter of blood came up with it. Wendimon reached for him again, but stopped when a thread of sticky silk splattered against its hand.

Looking over, it could see Wormmon tugging, trying to drag the huge hand away from its purpose. Wendimon gave a jerk, ripping the thread and pulling Wormmon forward along the ground for a short distance. Wendimon turned and smacked a hand down on Ken's partner. Wormmon wriggled, but was unable to escape as Wendimon began to press him into the ground, its idiot grin widening.

Soon, however, the grin vanished. Light was beginning to pour out from under Wendimon's paw, and the giant began to meet with resistance. Not only was Wormmon not being crushed, he was apparently pushing back. Wendimon redoubled its efforts, but by now the light was beginning to actually burn. Smoke rose as Wendimon's hand was scorched, and with a mournful cry of pain it was withdrawn.

V-mon had just managed to crawl back up off the ground, and he watched as the freed light brightened and expanded moment by moment. It filled him with a familiar sensation, just as strong now as whenever he evolved to Fladramon.

"Wormmon, Armor Evolve!...Shadramon!"

At last the light faded, and where it had been stood Shadramon, as radiant as though his armor were actual flame.

"Flare Buster!"

The blazing projectiles found their marks all over Wendimon's hulking body, exploding on impact and driving the evil beast backwards. Shadramon watched, marveling at his own power. It was more than just attack strength. He could feel Ken and Daisuke, almost hear their voices in his mind.

Wormmon, I'm sorry. I won't give up. Please help us.

Shadramon thought he knew how. Wherever the two humans had disappeared to, he instinctively knew how to call them back.

"Psychic…Wave!"

The light was growing in the dark, frozen wood. Daisuke held Ken's brilliant D-3 up triumphantly, and his own Digivice matched its brightness.

"You didn't cause your brother's death," Daisuke continued, "and you shouldn't have to pay for it anymore."

Beside the two Chosen Children, the Osamu-thing was making noises like the escape of gas from a valve. "Stop that! Stop!"

Daisuke paid it no attention. He walked over to where Ken stood with tears running down his smiling face, and held out the black Digivice.

"This is yours."

Psychic Wave!

They both heard it plainly this time, with their minds rather than their ears. Shadramon's voice swept through the dark forest like a warm wave, and as the wave passed the scene began to fade the way a mist might disperse. Sunlight tore rents in the shadowy fabric of Wendimon's artificial space, and where it fell the snow was replaced by grass. Ken saw the animated corpse go out like a candle flame, its final defeated wail becoming the outraged cry of Wendimon.

Now the boys could see Shadramon standing with his back towards them, facing Wendimon as V-mon supported himself with the trunk of a nearby tree. Wendimon had its head clutched in its hands.

"Shadramon!"

Ken's partner turned and saw him.

"Ken-chan! I heard you!" Shadramon reverted to Wormmon, and waddled forward to leap into Ken's outstretched arms.

In the meantime, Daisuke had reached V-mon.

"Are you okay, V-mon?"

"I am now. Let's evolve, Daisuke!"

"Let's finish this fight and go home, Ken-chan."

The humans raised their still-glowing D-3s.

"V-mon, Evolve!...XV-mon!"

"Wormmon, Evolve!...Stingmon!"

"X Laser!"

The beam from XV-mon's chest hit Wendimon in the stomach, and the creature doubled over in pain. Stingmon flew forward, one arm extended in front of him like a lance.

"Spiking Finish!"

Wendimon weakly raised its hand, and Stingmon's glowing purple spike plunged straight through the palm and out the back before being retracted. For the last time Wendimon screamed its rage and pain. Stingmon's other arm came up, the spike extended, and he drove it with all the force he could muster into Wendimon's abdomen. The monster went down without another sound, and as the four friends watched it disintegrated, the pixilated fragments of its data scattering in a fresh, rising wind.

An hour later, and they had left the woods behind them.