"How are we supposed to get to our world? The gates closed!" Gio stated worriedly to Gennai.
"Any door can be opened with the right key."
Confused looks from the whole group.
"Come to my house and I'll explain. Just look up."
"Look up?! What kinda directions are those?!" Rach said irritably.
"Very good ones, if you just listen."
Patamon flew up slightly, searching the dark skies.
"Look! Spotlights!"
"Sorry I don't have any more maps to send to you, but you should find it okay if you follow the lights."
They all nodded.
"Thanks, Gennai."
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"…A pink lake?"
Rach sighed.
"Only in the Digital World…"
"Come on in, guys! The water's great!" Gomamon shouted from the water.
It started glowing, and opened like Moses parted the Red Sea, revealing stairs.
"…Well, let's go…" Don stated, heading down the steps.
Rach scooped up Gomamon on the way, and he ended up on her head.
"…This place isn't bad…" Elisa noted.
"If ya don't mind livin' in pink fog…" Raph muttered, earning a smack upside the head from his purple-banded brother.
Eventually, a large mansion appeared in the fog, and they were soon on the green grass in the backyard.
"GENNAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE YA!?!" Rach yelled, looking around.
"COME ON!!!!!!!!!! WE'RE IN A RUSH, 'ERE!!!!!!" Raph added in a shout.
"I'm coming! What's the point of a doorbell with such noisy guests…"
Gennai muttered the last part, walking towards them.
"Why were we chosen to be the Digidestined?" Elisa asked, curiosity in her eyes.
"You were chosen to save this world and your own."
"But how were we chosen? Why us?" Don questioned.
"That is all you need to know for now. Come on in. The most important thing is for you to find the eighth child."
They were led into a large dining room, and sat around a table with their Digimon as Elisa looked at the fish in the tanks on three of the floor walls, the fourth having a door.
"Aren't those saltwater fish?"
"You're right." Gennai answered, walking in with tea.
"So I have to feed them popcorn, salty crackers, and tons of salty nuts."
Rach quirked an eyebrow, leaning slightly towards Mikey.
"…Is he serious?"
Mikey giggled childishly, covering his mouth.
A screen came down over the wall, showing a projection of the United States.
It zoomed in on New York City.
"Does anyone recognize this area?"
"That's where we live." Leo answered.
"Yeah. Me and my sisters live across the harbor." Gio added.
"Correct. And this red flashing light…"
They saw one just north of the city.
"Shows Myotismon's location…"
"He's so close…"
"Sensei…"
Rach tried to comfort Mikey as he thought of the evil Digimon hurting his elderly father.
Gennai led the group into a room with file cabinets, and went up a ladder to go through a drawer.
"How do we open the gate to our world?" Gio asked.
"My, you're impatient. Calm down."
Gio huffed slightly, crossing her arms over her chest.
Gennai jumped down from the ladder, holding ten cards.
"You'll need these."
"Digimon key cards." Don stated.
"What are they fer, though?" Rach asked.
"There are nine holes on the tablet for the gateway." Gennai hinted.
"So the cards go into the holes?" Elisa asked.
"Yes. But there's another problem. Look closer."
"There's ten cards." Mikey answered.
"Exactly…one is fake…"
Anime-fall…
"Then we'll just try them all till we get the right combination." Raph threw in.
Gennai looked surprised.
"No you won't!! That's the LAST thing you're going to do!! There are many, many other worlds!! If you put the cards in the wrong holes, it'll be a disaster!! You could end up in a different world, with no way to return!!"
Raph gagged as he was choked for his mindless comment.
"So how do we use the cards?" Leo asked.
"You must learn to use your power the way Myotismon is using his. Tomorrow, I'll teach you the proper use of the cards."
They all sighed.
'I hope this works…'
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Everyone except Don was fast asleep, and said turtle was with Gennai, talking.
"The Digital World is like our world but different…why is that?"
"The same material is used in all worlds."
"You mean molecules and atoms?"
"Exactly. Everything in this world is made from computer data from your world. So if things seem strange here, they're the result of broken or missing data."
"What about you, Gennai? Are you just made of computer data, too?"
"Of course! So in each of the worlds, I'd appear somewhat different."
"But, Gennai…if you're not human, what makes you different from Digimon?"
"I have no attributes."
"Attributes? You mean the different attacks Digimon have?"
"Yes, and the way a Digimon Digivolves. But attributes determine much more than that. They explain why some Digimon are good and some are evil. All Digimon can be classified as Data, Virus, or Vaccine."
"We definitely know the Virus kind…"
"Oh, by the way, have you used that Digimon Analyzer I gave you?"
Don nodded, smiling.
"Yes, but I have a question…"
"What?"
"I've only been able to get information on Digimon I'VE seen, not on the one's the others have seen."
"Hmmmmm…you're right, that is a problem…"
"Can you fix it?"
"Just leave it to me, young one. I should have it all taken care of by morning. But for now, you'd better get some rest."
"Of course. Thank you, Gennai."
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The next moment, they ate the biggest breakfast they'd ever seen!
Rach fell back, saying, "That was great…But I'm never doing it again…"
"Maybe you shouldn't have eaten the utensils, then." Gio joked.
"Good morning, everyone!"
They all looked up to see Gennai enter.
"Good morning, Gennai!" They chorused.
"Don, I've completed the modifications to your laptop. When you insert someone's Digivice into this adaptor, the Digimon Analyzer will show information on any Digimon that person has seen."
He closed the laptop.
"I've even installed a new screensaver. You know the one with the colored fishes swimming around? I really like that one."
Don smiled, chuckling.
"Great minds think alike, I suppose."
Gennai gave the laptop to the purple-banded turtle before looking at everyone.
"And now I have a request for all of you. I don't want you to forget that you are the Digidestined. I've done all I can do. I can no longer help you when you get to Myotismon's castle."
He smiled.
"Good luck!"
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They reached Myotismon's castle, which seemed darker and more horrifying than the last time, and looked through the slightly open front door.
"There's a couple Devidramon…" Leo noted.
"I'll take care of the Devidramon. I'll take them out while you go in." Tentomon stated.
Don nodded, saying, "Be careful."
"Tentomon, Digivolve to…KABUTERIMON!! Kabuterimon, Digivolve to…MEGAKABUTERIMON!!"
They ran in as Megakabuterimon rammed one into a wall.
"Horn Buster!"
The walls and ceiling shook as they ran down some stairs.
"Horn Buster!"
They fell down as the warp in space was snapped back into place.
Don looked up as Motimon rolled down the steps, and caught his Digimon partner.
They kept running, and found the gateway.
Everyone looked at the cards, trying to figure out the pattern as Don looked at the tablet.
Everything began to shake, the ceiling cracking slightly.
"I'll check it out!" Patamon offered, flying up the stairs to check it out.
The ceiling shook even more, even as they tried to find the pattern. Patamon flew down in a panic.
"The whole place is coming down!"
"We don't have much time! One of us has to pick nine cards and put them in the holes!" Raph growled.
"You do it, Leo."
Leo looked at his red-banded brother in surprise.
"What? Why me?"
"We're not trying to put ya on the spot or nothing." Rach assured.
"But I think that in a time like this, the leader needs ta make the right decision."
Leo sighed, looking at the gate.
"…So whatever I pick, you'll all go along with it?"
They all nodded in unison.
"Good….I want Don to do it."
"What?!" Don exclaimed, surprised.
"You have the best chance of figuring it out." Gio reasoned.
Don took the cards hesitantly, and turned to the tablet.
"…I'm not sure how this works…"
"Maybe you can use your computer to figure it out." Motimon suggested helpfully.
Don nodded slightly, going onto the Digimon Analyzer immediately, and saw the files for Centarumon and Leomon.
'Wait…it all makes sense now!'
"The horse is Centarumon…the lion is Leomon…and the monkey is…Etemon! I've got it!"
Don stood up proudly, grabbing the cards.
"Who's met up with Digitamamon and Shogungekomon?"
Rach raised her hand slightly.
"Your Digivice."
Rach complied, and he slipped it into the adaptor.
"I've finally got it all figured out!"
He explained the whole thing to his brothers and friends, and put most of the cards in their right places on the tablet.
"But I still don' know which one is fake…sorry…"
"But you got us this far."
Elisa smiled, hugging him.
"Leo can pick which one's fake." Mikey threw in.
"Yeah, it shouldn't be too hard."
The ceiling rumbled, and Dokugumon came down from the shattered remains.
"Hurry!" Raph urged as Leo held the two cards, one Agumon, the other Gomamon.
"Gabumon, Digivolve to…GARURUMON!!"
"Palmon, Digivolve to…TOGEMON!!"
"Gomamon, Digivolve to…IKKAKUMON!!"
The three Champion-level Digimon ran at the spider Digimon.
A small spider flew at Elisa, who closed her eyes.
"YOKOMON!!!"
"Yokomon, Digivolve to…BIYOMON!!"
The bird Digimon flew in front of her partner.
"Spiral Twister!"
Leo looked at both cards in a panic.
"Which one? Which one?"
"Poison Thread!"
Dokugumon caught the three Champion Digimon, pulling them into the air.
"Poison Cobweb!"
Raph moved forward as the poison hurt the Digimon.
"GARURUMON!!!"
His crest glowed brightly.
"Garurumon, Digivolve to…WEREGARURUMON!!"
The Ultimate-level Digimon cut the others free, who Dedigivolved as they fell.
"PALMON!!"
"GOMAMON!!"
Weregarurumon began crushing Dokugumon's neck, and Gio turned to the blue-banded turtle.
"Make up your mind now!!! We're out of time!!!"
Leo nodded, flipping the two cards over.
"Alright!"
He flipped one card over, revealing Gomamon, and picked it up.
"Here's the real one!"
Everyone grabbed their Digimon, running towards the gate as Leo put in the real card.
It opened with a white light, and everyone ran, jumping through, but Raph stopped.
"Leave him, Weregarurumon!!! We need to go now!!!"
Weregarurumon nodded.
"Wolf Claw!"
The attack destroyed Dokugumon, going through the wall and, most likely, the whole cliff, before Dedigivolving and falling into Raph's arms as Tsunomon.
Raph held him close to his chest as he jumped through, the gate closing right behind him.
'We made it! Now we just need to find the eighth child!'