Author's Note: Happy New Year!
I am incredibly sorry for the long wait. This chapter just gave me a real hard time at the end, but I think I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I really hope the wait was worth it for you, so please feel free to comment or critique at the end. Again, thank you so much for your sweet reviews! They have made me very happy and I hope I keep entertaining you as the story progresses.
Alekhine's gun: (chess movement) a formation in which a queen backs up two rooks on the same file.
As it was promised, the next couple of days the Digidestined spent at Gennai's home were very busy, and even if they weren't hiking or camping outside, they all went to bed tired and spent. Koushiro and Gennai had been working nonstop in the development of a program that might help them figure out what to do in this new and unstable Digiworld, with occasional collaboration from the rest of the team to tweak some thing or another. The program was meant to be highly intuitive and thus required the input of less technologically-inclined users, and their contribution turned out to be surprisingly useful. Taichi listened as intently as he could as they explained that, should it work correctly, it would help them track the energy released by the Digi-Eggs, which was about the biggest lead they had at the moment. Taichi didn't really understand how it was supposed to track energy traces, but he thought it sounded like a fantastic idea nonetheless.
Despite not being wholly dedicated to Izzy's project, the rest of them had found ways to make use of their time. Jyou and Yamato had been studying digital maps with Gabumon and Gomamon, figuring out the new landscape of the Digiworld to acquaint themselves to all possibilities. Besides tracing possible travel routes, they had taken an interest in mapping unusual Digimon activity in the nearby areas, making a note to bring that up during their evening sessions.
Mimi and Sora had spent some time with Palmon and Biyomon raiding Gennai's stores (at his insistence) and were filling out all available bags with medical supplies and emergency food and items. Hikari and Takeru made themselves useful by studying Gennai's archives and trying to figure out the mystery behind the dark Digi-Eggs, and what that could mean in terms of possible evolutions. Tailmon and Patamon offered their own ideas, but at the end of each day they all agreed that not much progress had been made.
Still, a comfortable bed and consistently good food did wonders for their spirits and strength; by the time a week had passed, they were all completely recuperated.
It was one such occasion where Sora was carefully going through a list she'd made with Jyou's help about possibly useful items they could acquire with Gennai's help and Mimi was leaning on a table, idly curling her hair around one finger. She was bored, and being bored usually made her irritated, but Sora was having none of that, ignoring her constant sighs and sly attempts at getting out of the house. She shifted in her seat and had a good view of the adjoining room, the one where Yamato and Jyou spent so much time poring over maps and making annotations that the superior had attempted to explain to her a couple of nights before but only ended up lulling her to sleep. Mimi had apologised, but she was quite sure that he still felt slightly stung. Her gaze fell then on the other young man, who was leaning so casually over the wooden surface of the table, watching the whole thing with feigned disinterest.
"Hey Sora," she murmured, her eyes still fixed on the blonde.
"Mhm?"
"I haven't seen you and Yamato together in a while. Anything happened?"
Her question was posed so carelessly, so sincerely, that Sora almost felt bad for her heart leaping to her throat and how she stumbled against her own tongue to answer. "No," she finally said, the word coming out a little more curtly than she would have liked, "Not at all. I don't know what you're talking about. We spend just enough time together, all of us do." It wasn't strictly true, but she refused to talk about this with Mimi, regardless of the fact that she was still her best friend. The truth was that she had been avoiding Yamato since the day they had that strange argument that hadn't been really an argument but … had been something. Sora liked Yamato very much, but there was always something about him, something between them – something complicated. She pursed her lips as she thought of their last conversation, and how he hadn't bothered to find her afterwards, had not made the slightest indication that it had happened at all. It bothered her so much, but she did not know how to bring it up without imposing or falling into another fight.
Mimi's eyebrow rose, and her eyes narrowed slightly at the girl's reaction. "Right," she said, deciding not to mention that before they came here, they were always sitting next to each other, walking around together or even sharing watches. She knew that her acceptance of it would irk Sora as well, and she was sort of counting on her for that.
"Anyway, what about you? You've barely said a word to him since we got here."
Both of Mimi's eyebrows went up this time, in genuine surprise. A wry smile touched her lips. "Where's the novelty in that?"
Sora frowned. "I swear, the way you two talk about each other… it's like you don't even try." She shook her head but Mimi's breath had caught a little and she looked at the blonde again, suddenly feeling a little weird.
"Ya – Ishida talks about me? I'm shocked." Mimi said, her surprise palpable in the simple question.
It was Sora's turn to feel awkward. True, Mimi's name wasn't one to often fall from Yamato's lips, but they had breezed over her once or twice, and it had never been more than a few words, a few comments, polite interest or indifferent, almost casual acceptance.
"I don't mean it like that," Sora said, shaking her head, unsure of what she didn't mean, "I mean, whenever you come up, he barely has anything to say."
"Eh, well," Mimi was frowning slightly, knowing this put her in a rather uncomfortable position. "It's nothing personal," she began, "I think we're just … not suitable for a friendship." Wrong. Mimi had once thought they'd be exceptionably suited for a friendship, but it was the sort of thing that she couldn't really explain to Sora. She wasn't even sure how to explain it to herself, really. Mimi didn't forget how, when she had been only ten years old and Taichi had been a rather thoughtless idiot, Yamato had been the only one to understand her need to grieve over the friends that had sacrificed themselves to help them during that first, terrifying Digimon adventure. She remembered how he'd offered to take her turn to watch that night, telling her that grieving was the honorable thing to do and that Taichi was just a little slow when it came to those things.
"You can't sleep?" a ten year-old Mimi had asked an eleven year-old Yamato as she saw him walk towards where she and Palmon were sitting next to a roughly made fire. The boy shook his head. They were silent for a moment, and then Mimi spoke again. "The sky looks really lovely tonight, doesn't it?"
Yamato looked up, then shrugged. "Starry."
She nodded, oblivious or uncaring about his indifference. "Beautiful..."
"You should go inside," Yamato then said, ignoring her words and avoiding her gaze as he spoke. "I can take your watch. Can't sleep anyway."
Mimi looked down, shaking her head. "I wanted first watch," she admitted quietly, "I can't really sleep either…" She didn't want to sleep just yet, knowing that she'd have nightmares if she did. She didn't tell Yamato this, knowing he'd scoff and tell her she was being a silly little girl or something worse - and after defending her that day, Mimi was eager not to ruin whatever little camaraderie had sprung between them. "Do you think it was silly, Ishida-san?" she asked, her voice quieter than before.
The boy looked down at her for a moment, stuffing his hands inside his pockets. His answer was short when it came, a perfunctory "no", spoken only a fragment louder than her question. "It was the right thing to do. Taichi … he doesn't understand things like that." Mimi looked up at him and he offered her a small half-smile. "He doesn't really think about those things, you know?"
Mimi didn't know, but she found she didn't care. She wasn't angry at Taichi, just hurt and grieving and desperately needing a friend. Ishida-san wasn't holding her hand or offering her candy but she understood that, in that moment, he was offering her exactly what she needed. "Maybe we can share watch tonight," she said, a small smile playing on the corners of her lips. Yamato didn't smile again, simply nodding and sitting next to her, not exactly close. She thought they'd stay up talking but he did not say another word for the night, taking out his harmonica and choosing to let that speak instead.
And Mimi had found that she didn't mind that at all.
"It's strange," Sora said, bringing Mimi back from her little trip down memory lane.
The brunette shook her head gently. "Nah," she said with a yawn, "It works. Listen, I'm to go help Jyou."
"Bother, you mean," Sora quipped with a wry smirk.
"Assist," Mimi corrected her friend as she made towards the door, leaving Sora to stew on her feelings for a little while.
"How's the map-gazing going?"
Jyou hadn't noticed her presence until she spoke practically into his ear, looking over his shoulder at the map he was currently bending over. The blue-haired boy jumped a little, startled.
"Mimi," he said with exasperation, "You can't just startle people like that," he continued, "It's not polite."
Mimi rolled her eyes. "It's not like I was sneaking up on you," she bit out, "Sora just thought you could use some help. Besides, Ishida saw me, didn't you?"
It was the first time she had acknowledged him directly in a while, and the blonde boy just looked at her for a second before shrugging. "I honestly don't know how you didn't hear her, Jyou," he said, "She's so loud."
Her cheeks burned so bright that Jyou could practically feel the heat coming from them, and he only raised an eyebrow at Yamato. He really didn't want to get in the middle of this, but it was a certain thing that Yamato's words tended to have a little edge whenever it came to Mimi.
"What?" She was all but glaring at him and if he cared, he was making a very good impression of not doing so.
Yamato looked back at her serenely, raising an insolent eyebrow. "What? You are loud."
"Oh, forget it," she snapped, "I can't deal with you right now."
She turned on her heel and left, throwing her hair petulantly over her shoulder and, in Jyou's humble opinion, making quite an effort to stomp much louder than strictly necessary. Jyou stared after her, but Yamato had gone back to gazing at maps, acting for the world as if nothing had happened.
Jyou opened his mouth but before he could get his question out, Yamato had tossed the marker on the table and straightened up. "I'm tired," he announced, "Maybe we can look at these later." It wasn't posed as a question, but Jyou was quick to nod.
"Sure, sure…"
It was no use staying here on his own, so after Yamato left, Jyou gathered the things they'd been using and placed them neatly on a shelf, going off to find Gomamon and muttering something about children and their capriciousness, under his breath.
-x-
Yamato had meant to go to Sora, he really had. But when he gazed past the door and saw her face he had somehow convinced himself that it was a better idea to let her work and not get in her way. He sighed, wishing not for the first time that he could get his hands on a cigarette. If whatever evil out there did not kill him, his anxiety would. He walked outside, careful to avoid being seen by Gabumon or anyone else lest they decide to follow him, thinking of Tachikawa and how strange it'd been to hear her snap quite so violently at him. If he was asked, Yamato could answer truthfully that he had not expected that. He hadn't meant his comment to sound quite so rude, she had to know that – but no, he forgot the girl was not used to hearing anyone speak to her with anything less than sheer, unadulterated adoration.
It wasn't even she that he was irritated at, he now reckoned, she'd just been there, and then she had mentioned Sora and he'd had an urge to make her stop talking. Yamato pushed his hair back, sighing loudly. He wasn't really sure why they couldn't be civil more than a couple of days at a time. That Mimi had a tendency to irritate him was a fact, yes, but he didn't really dislike her for that. Taichi pissed him off on a daily – hourly basis, and he was his best friend. But there was something about Tachikawa that completely unnerved him, and despite their many (and there were certainly many) attempts at a friendship, there was a final wall they could never break through. And every time either of them made a move forward, the other took two steps back.
He sighed, lying down beneath a tree. Tachikawa was impossible, and Yamato didn't think he could deal with the impossible anymore.
-x-
It had been eight days since they had arrived at Gennai's home when Izzy announced that the program was finished and ready to run. They were sprawled around the sitting room, eyes fixed on the young redhead and Gennai's smiling face.
"I'll just need to sync all of our Digivices with the program in my laptop, and each will be activated when we come within range of our respective crest energy," Koushiro explained, "We won't be getting any readings here, because Gennai's home seems to exist in a sort of Digital limbo, but it should work perfectly once we're back on the surface."
"Very impressive, Izzy," Taichi congratulated him, "I really don't know what we'd do without you."
Izzy blushed furiously but was pleased by the easy compliment.
"It's nothing," he murmured, averting his eyes.
Mimi, who had been actually lying down on the floor, her hair flowing graciously in fragrant rivulets, laughed a little. "Don't be modest Kou," she said sweetly, "We'd be absolutely lost without you. Taichi, more so."
"Hey!" Taichi exclaimed, "I resent that."
The gang chuckled slightly at the exchange; Sora shook her head at her friend's low growl and how childish he looked with his arms crossed over his chest. Koushiro chuckled, appreciative of how much his friends valued him. Truth be told, he was only too happy to help in any way or form.
He cleared his throat.
"Er, yes, well," he continued, "As I was saying, I just need your Digivices to upload their data to the program and we'd be good to go." It was an easy process and he began to do it at once, the devices set on the table next to his laptop. Meanwhile, Yamato and Jyou showed them the map they'd been working on and where they were in terms of what the Digiworld had been before.
"Ok, so we already knew that the landscape had changed, right?" Jyou asked.
They all nodded.
"Well, it's a little more complicated than that. It isn't just that the landscape has expanded considerably," he said, "It has been completely mixed up. Taichi, you appeared somewhere around here," he marked an 'x' with a red marker. "Mimi was here – Sora up here; Yamato, Hikari and Takeru over here," he kept marking spots on the map, signaling the places where they had first awoken in the Digiworld. "And Koushiro and myself here and here." There were six red 'x's marking these spots, all set within the same continent. "We had originally thought this was Server," the blue-haired boy continued, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "But it just as well could be Folder, because some places, like the desert and that mountain range are just way off the map. Whatever we learned of the Digiworld all these years – well, it just won't work this time." Jyou shook his head slowly, a dejected smile visible on his lips for half a second.
"It doesn't matter though," Yamato intervened, "We'll just have to get by like the first time," he smirked. "By word of mouth." The very first time they had been in the Digiworld they had to get their directions from other Digimon friends they found in the way, which was how they had come to know the entire place. The second generation of Digidestined had been luckier in the sense that they'd had them to mentor them, provide insight and asses them through many of their missions. But this time, the original eight were on their own and as blind as that summer day when their adventure began. "Good news is, we do have clear knowledge of the landscape. You know, where to find mountains, rivers, lakes, the ocean – and how to get from one continent to another. We suspect File Island would be somewhere around here," – he circled an entire archipelago of islands that were quite literally an ocean away. Yamato shrugged again. "We think it might be a good idea to check it out, so that would be a general direction to take."
Sora frowned. "File Island … it does look very far, but I suppose that if we find anything about the crests on the way, it could work," she finally said.
"Well, that's the idea," Jyou interjected, "Deciding on a point B, you know."
Mimi jumped up quite suddenly, startling Takeru, who had been sitting right next to her sprawling form.
"Mimi!"
"I'm sorry," she said hurriedly, "I just remembered something!" She ran out of the room but came back before they had time to be properly indignant about her interruption. She was carrying something that looked like a little notebook on her hand, and she handed it over to Jyou, who looked puzzled.
"I had forgotten I had my tablet," she said in a rush, "You can download the maps there and then we might have a backup in case we get separated." She shrugged.
Jyou's eyebrows rose and fell quickly. "That's a great idea Mimi," he said with a smile, feeling only a little sorry at how surprising he found that. He grinned. "Thanks."
Mimi sat down again, this time leaning idly against Taichi. He didn't seem to mind her proximity, offering a little smile to no-one in particular as she nestled against his shoulder.
"Does this mean we're leaving soon?" Hikari then asked, and Taichi crossed his arms, careful not to disturb Mimi when he shrugged.
"I think we've found as much as we can," he said.
"Sora and I packed all sorts of things already," Mimi chirped in, "Gennai was kind enough to lend us some rucksacks to carry them. So we're ready to go when you say the word."
Taichi nodded, then raised his eyes to Hikari. "Did you two find anything about the Digi-Eggs?" He looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment, his lip twitching as he avoided looking at Mimi out of the corner of his eye.
Hikari shook her head. "We haven't found anything yet," she answered, "I mean, there are whole trees of evolution so we can't really predict anything. That is, if it's even possible," she looked at Gennai, who was sitting down placidly as he watched the discussion before him. "Even Gennai said we can't be sure it's what we should be looking out for."
"Either the information is too new," Takeru said, "Or too old. We couldn't find anything on Digi-Eggs that looked remotely like what we found." The young blonde shrugged, looking a little worried. "They could've been created by whoever brought us here, for all we know."
"Well," Taichi began, "We can leave tomorrow, if that's okay with you, Gennai."
The old man nodded. "Of course," he said, "I will try to keep in touch and will let you know if I find anything else that might be useful for your task." He paused. "The Digiworld has become a dangerous place, now more than ever. I believe you two have been on that these past few days?"
Yamato was frowning, but he nodded. "We haven't a clue," he answered truthfully, "But there's been a lot of Digimon activity in areas we had initially assumed deserted. Pretty sure it's been violent, too."
Gennai stood, clasping his hands behind his back. "Evil stirs throughout the Digiworld," he said calmly, "It seems that whoever or whatever is responsible for it has found a way to deploy their dark aura without catching anyone's attention. During the time we were out, its influence grew considerably, and the Digiworld has deteriorated accordingly."
"It would explain how the world seemed almost dead when we first got here," Takeru said.
"But how come we didn't notice, Gennai?" Patamon asked, its face screwed up in confusion.
"I'm still trying to figure that out, Patamon. "I have some theories, but I really, truly hope to be wrong." He paused, and his benevolent smile appeared again. "You have grown up considerably, children," he smiled, "And you have turned into remarkable young men and women. And while I am most confident that you can figure this out, I must insist that you be careful."
Perhaps he knew that they needed his words, or perhaps he didn't. But after Gennai spoke there was a renewed vigor in the youngsters, their conviction just a little stronger now. If it hadn't already been late afternoon, they'd have marched right out then and there. As it was, the children, as Gennai fondly referred to, and their Digimon were finally dismissed from their activities.
The mood should've been tenser but the fact was that they were rather wired up and ready to take on the troubles of an entire world. At least, that was what they felt like. They tried to enjoy their last day at Gennai's home and rest as much as they could. Neither of them said it but they knew it was likely they wouldn't count with quality food and warm beds for a long, long time. Humans and Digimon alike took to bed early, even Koushiro turned in at a decent hour, and only Gennai remained awake for a long time, wondering what new horrors possibly awaited them.
-x-
They left in the early morning, when the wind was chilly and the sun was not yet high. Those who had not brought bags with them to the Digiworld were now carrying rucksacks that Mimi and Sora had filled with various food items and useful things. They had decided to leave Gennai's home the same way they had come, intending to explore the continent thoroughly before they made their trip towards what Yamato and Jyou thought was File Island.
The cavern was as cold and damp as it had been that time eight days ago, and Mimi pulled her hat down her ears to avoid any drops of water falling down her back. Already, the impossibility of the task ahead seemed imminent. They were walking out on the only thing that was familiar in this new and hostile Digital World but the truth was that they were also curious to discover the mysteries behind this new adventure. And some, like Taichi, were actually excited to do so.
When they finally emerged they were shuddering from the dampness in the caverns and squinting in the suddenly bright morning sun. Taichi shook his head, trying to adjust his eyes to the light. "Come on," he told them as he shrugged his rucksack on again, "Let's get these puppies working." He tossed his Digivice into the air and then caught it, not surprised that it hadn't gone off yet. Koushiro had told them that they'd need to get away from Gennai's immediate territory, as it interfered with the wireless signals their Digivices were trying to pick up.
Yamato stretched his arms and yawned as he shouldered his bag and started walking next to Taichi. "Lead the way, goggle-head," he muttered, stuffing his hands inside his pockets. "We've got a long way to go." Gabumon was placidly walking next to him, guffawing at something Agumon had said that had Taichi rolling his eyes at them.
The day was bright, but cool and breezy, and their walk was much more pleasant than they had expected, not much happening in the couple of hours they had advanced. Taichi had walked a little ways ahead, and suddenly broke into a light sprint and climbed a rock. He took out the telescope he'd found at Gennai's house and squinted through it, his face breaking into a grin.
"Hey guys!" he said happily, "I think it's a Tanemon village, right up there!"
"Tanemon?" Palmon asked, her leafy hands touching her cheeks as she swirled in place, "That sounds lovely!"
"Let's go say hi." Mimi smiled widely.
"Yeah!" her Digimon partner answered, even as she quickened her pace to catch up with Taichi. The village was not too far ahead of them, they could make out the tiny houses from their vantage point above the hill, but it would still take them a little while to get there. Finding the village was exciting because it was the first sign of healthy Digimon that had come across them since they had come weeks ago, and the idea made them more hopeful than they dared admit.
"This looks normal enough," Gomamon said, "You think they've seen anything?"
Jyou only shrugged as the little green radish-looking Digimon smiled widely when they saw them approaching, jumping up and down and rushing to greet the curious strangers. They were small, adorable and with the energy of never-ending batteries, they were assaulting them with questions and quirky remarks from the moment they set foot inside the perimeter of their village.
"Oh my!" they exclaimed, "There hasn't been any human children here in so long!"
"Are you really human children? You're huge!"
"Show us your powers, ooh!"
"Come play with us!"
"Please stay!"
Mimi and Hikari were delighted, carrying as many of the adorable creatures as they could, while the others stopped for a rest and to get some information from the locals. "Hey little guys," Sora said kindly, "We were wondering if any of you knew something about … you know, all that's been going on." It wasn't much of an encouragement, but it was difficult, talking to baby Digimon and expecting them to answer formally or even usefully at all.
"Oh, well…" they shifted uncomfortably, looking around as though afraid they'd be overheard, but there was no-one else that they could see or hear. "Can't say we do. But a Leomon came by a couple of days ago, telling us not to head past the Digital Forest. He was in a pretty bad shape, too."
"Leomon?" Mimi asked, looking hopeful and then worried at once. They had made friends with a Leomon once, many years ago. But it was hard keeping track of all their friends, especially since it had been such a long time since they were last in here. Still, if it was their Leomon…
"We don't know much more than that," one of them said apologetically, "Just that Digimon keep bringing in terrible stories from the other side."
"What kind of stories?" Agumon asked.
They looked at each other in confusion, but the Tanemon were huddling together in terror, as if speaking of them was unthinkable. "Stories about evil Digimon taking over the Digiworld," one of them dared answer, "They say Digimon are being enslaved and – deleted, for no reason at all. Out of the blue, too!"
"Who's doing that?" Taichi asked darkly, voicing what all his friends were wondering. Despite the fact that they'd been up against crazy Digimon before (and there was that nasty incident with the Digimon Emperor a few years back, too) but it never failed to surprise him how seemingly inexhaustible these bad guys were. No matter how many times they beat them, they always managed to come back for more.
"We don't know," one Tanemon said. "We've only heard from passing Digimon. Ever since we came to we've been here, almost cut off from the rest of the Digiworld…"
Taichi exchanged a look with the rest of them, and only tried to dismiss the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Here they were, barely started into their journey and already, there was a new band of digi-mentals wreaking havoc in the Digiworld. The Digidestined thanked the Tanemon for their help and assured them that they'd do anything in their hands to bring these Digimon to justice, promptly making their departure.
"Do you think these guys have anything to do with us being here?" Takeru asked, and Koushiro was the one to answer this time.
"I am positive they are."
"They fit the profile, don't they? Big, bad, enslaving Digimon, throwing the world into chaos …" Jyou ran his hand through his hair, sighing. "These Digimon have got to learn how to learn to live peacefully."
"Wouldn't be our Digital World without a few rogue Digimon trying to take over every once in a while," Gomamon said with a careless shrug, making Jyou sigh.
"You're impossible…"
"So Jyou," Taichi began, prompting the older guy's attention, "Digital Forest?"
"Oh, yes," he scrambled to get a hold of a map from inside his pocket. "We just need to keep our north," he said. "We should be there in some two-three hours?" He looked at their frowning faces and chanced a half-smile. "Maybe four."
-x-
It had been four.
The Digital Forest was an expansive landmass of evergreens and other trees that vaguely resembled the trees commonly found in the physical world. It was big but the trees did not seem to be as closely knit as the forest Yamato and Mimi had first been stranded in, nor did it seem as treacherous and mysterious as that one. Despite this, none of the Digidestined or their Digimon forgot the Tanemon's warning that following that path would lead into trouble, as it so often did when it concerned them. Knowing that this could hardly be avoided, they decided that whatever qualms they had about going in (they kept thinking of Yamato's and Mimi's impasse) were probably not strong enough to attempt going around it. Surprisingly, Mimi and Taichi were the very first to admit they wanted to go in and look for Leomon, which at the end seemed to be the most convincing argument. It wasn't just about finding an ally, but also a friend.
Slowly, without them really realising it, there was a familiarity growing within the group, so that with each passing day they became more like their former selves – the Digital heroes that they had been more than once. This was never more evident than when they chanced a look at Taichi, who had so easily fallen into the 'unspoken, hotheaded-and-almost-self-imposed leader' role; frequently clashing with Yamato, 'the would-be-leader-if-he-could-make-decisions-without-brooding-now-and-then'. Mimi and Palmon looked as though they had never separated, and they were often heard laughing or cooing at something or other, much to the others' amusement or chagrin, depending on the situation. Though Mimi had been assigned to the care of supplies as well, Sora ended up being the one worried about them more often than not, an attitude that surprised absolutely no one.
Jyou still seemed to be unsure of how he felt about the whole 'adventure' business, often rambling about the dangers of plunging into an unknown world that seemed to have a never-ending supply of horrors and violence in store for them, and being the quiet, level-headed part of the triumvirate that seemed to serve as leadership icon. Takeru and Hikari had an easier time falling into this familiarity, because they remained the ones most in contact with the Digital World, though they would often miss their other friends.
Koushiro was considering all of this, wondering why they hadn't run into any other Digidestined – he'd been sure they'd be there. After all, Wallace had been experiencing the same strange occurrences with his Digivice, and so had Miyako and Ken, as far as he knew. The question still bothered him, and he was having trouble admitting that there was nothing he or Gennai could do, so far, to solve it. The fact that his friends had so many questions that he had no answers to was slowly but surely getting to him. He had been so tuned out of the conversation that he barely had chance to stop himself before running straight into Sora's back.
"What?" he asked, looking around in confusion, "Why did we stop?"
Then he saw it.
They were well into the forest when he saw the small Digimon dwellings, burned right to the ground. There had been a village there once but they could only guess, because the place was absolutely unrecognizable. The entire space was covered with soot and ashes, and there were even some smoking cinders around. The trees around the considerable clearing were torn right out of the ground, their trunks snapped in halves as if they were toothpicks, the branches and leaves dead and smelled of rotten.
"What happened here?" Hikari said, her eyes round and wide in fear and apprehension.
But where her eyes had widened, her brother's had narrowed dangerously.
"We're about to find out."
Before anyone could stop him, Taichi had already dashed through the scene with Agumon tailing him closely.
"Taichi!" Hikari called out to her brother, but he'd had a head start and he was the fastest one in the group, being the most athletic of them.
Right at that moment, Taichi was considering that he should have probably thought this through a little more. The ruins extended in a large perimeter, and he clenched his jaw as he saw the extent of the destruction. And there, in the midst of a pile of rubble, ashes and broken things stood a girl. She was young, younger than Hikari, even, and wearing the strangest clothes Taichi could imagine. Her dress was a priestly garment, white and decorated with golden thread in the form of crosses. She was wearing matching boots that rose up to her knees and the collar of her dress looked more like a nun's robes than a dress … but the truly admirable accessory she wore was the pink bunny klobuk that gave her appearance a childish, almost ridiculous look.
"Uh, hey?" Taichi asked, unsure of what he should do now.
"Eeeek!" she squealed, pointing a finger at him, "What – what are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you that," he answered, a lopsided smile playing on his lips. "Were you here when this happened?"
"I – what?" she looked around, only now seeming to notice the destruction that surrounded them. The girl blushed furiously, shaking her head as she took a few tentative steps away from Taichi. "I – no, I don't …" but she could never finish, because a loud scream interrupted her.
"Taichi!"
It was Sora, rushing to meet Taichi with a punch on the arm.
"Ow! Sora, what the hell?" he muttered angrily, his hand rising to rub the spot where she had hit him. For a girl, Sora could really pack a punch. He refrained from saying so, fearing that might anger her more.
"You idiot! You don't run away from us! You could've run into trouble, Taichi, or had to fight some crazy monster or – "
"Hey, I'm right here," Agumon piped in angrily, "I would've defended Tai!"
"No-one's arguing that, Agumon," Sora said exasperatedly, "But you still shouldn't go off on your own, it's dangerous and – who is she?" It was only now that Sora noticed the girl who was cowering from them, trying to sneak away without their notice.
"I dunno," Taichi said immediately, "I was just trying to get to that, Sora."
"Oh, hey," she said, "How did you get here? Are you hurt?" Sora tried to approach the girl but her movements and the commotion that overcame them once the others arrived startled her and she hid behind a broken down tree. At that point, everyone else had caught up with them and were looking at the girl curiously, trying to gently goad her out of hiding.
"It's okay," Hikari called, "We're here to help. Please come out."
Her voice, gentle as ever and her friendly disposition may have been the thing to convince her, for the girl shyly peeked out from behind the tree and nodded slowly as Hikari walked closer to her. Once the girl was out in the open and they could chance a good look at her, they realised a couple of things were off. First and most obviously, her clothes resembled nothing they'd ever seen on a normal, human child (though Mimi gasped audibly at the sight of the bunny klobuk). Then it was the fact that she was right there, seemingly alone and unable to tell them how she had gotten there. And the last thing was the excessively menacing-looking triple-pronged cross barbée lance that she was carrying in her right hand.
"That's not a girl!" Tentomon exclaimed suddenly, "That's Sistermon!"
"Sistermon?" Hikari turned her head to one side, still smiling. "Is that your name?"
The girl – or rather, the Digimon, looked affronted for a moment, hiding her face from them. "It's Sistermon Blanc, actually," she said quietly.
"Okay, Sistermon Blanc," Sora said, "Can we call you Blanc?"
"No," the Digimon answered, throwing her a filthy look that certainly did not belong to someone looking her age. Then again, it was impossible to tell just how old she really was.
"What are you doing here, Sistermon?" Taichi asked, clearly having gotten over the fact that he had mistaken the creature for an actual human child. "Do you know who did this?"
"No, I – I got lost," she answered, then looked at him with a curious expression. "You shouldn't be here."
Taichi's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he took two steps closer to her. But then, before either of them could do or say anything, Jyou gave out a surprised cry from behind.
"Oh!"
They turned to see him, wondering what had prompted his outburst and it was that moment that Sistermon Blanc chose to make a hasty exit. Taichi and Takeru ran after her, trying to prevent her from leaving but she was much quicker than they expected. The humanoid Digimon frowned at them over her shoulder, shaking her head. "It's too soon," she said cryptically, "We aren't supposed to meet yet. You have misled them."
"What? What is that supposed to mean?" Taichi yelled angrily.
"Stay your course. If you can even do that," and with that, she disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving a shimmer in the air around them.
Takeru and Taichi were panting, looking grave as they returned to the others who had stayed back to be with Jyou. They discovered that the source of his yell was that his Digivice had picked up a strange signal and he was feeling a strong compulsion to follow it. "I can't explain it," he told them sheepishly, "I just know I need to follow it. You know?"
"That must be the program working," Koushiro said, "Though I did not expect its pull to be quite so strong."
"You mean you knew this would happen?" Yamato asked, eyebrows raised.
Tentomon rushed in to help his human partner. "Of course Koushiro knew. We are basically manipulating your energy. What Jyou-sempai is feeling is only natural. We expect it to happen to each of you in due time."
Tentomon looked very sure of his words, his insect legs (or arms) crossed confidently over his thorax. Jyou, on the other hand, was looking restless, more nervous than they had ever seen him. But he also looked grave and completely decided. "We need to go," he told them, "Now."
"What about Sistermon Blanc?" Biyomon asked, but Gomamon shook his head immediately. Shooting a worried look at Jyou, he sighed.
"I think we have other priorities," he said.
"Taichi?" Sora asked, her eyes searching his. He avoided looking directly at her, afraid she'd see what he was feeling. The fact was that Yagami Taichi did not know what to do, or how to proceed. Their brief encounter with Sistermon Blanc and her cryptic words had made a lasting impression in him, unnerved him somehow.
"We'll have time to figure out who this Sistermon Blanc was," Yamato said, placing a comforting hand on Taichi's shoulder. "But I think we should see to Jyou's crest, or Digi-Egg, or whatever the hell that was."
"Fine," Taichi said, recognizing defeat. "Yeah – yes, just – lead the way, Jyou."
-x-
They made camp just before it got too dark to keep going. If Jyou had been Taichi, perhaps he'd have insisted that they continue until their bodies dropped dead from fatigue, but his sensible side won and he conceded that they needed a break. The atmosphere in the group had shifted considerably from the well-fed, adventurous spirits that they had set out with from Gennai's home, only to find questions and desolation wherever they went.
None of the Digimon they had encountered had any idea of where Sistermon Blanc came from or where she went. They did tell them that rogue Digimon were on the prowl and they should make sure to keep their eye open for them. Despite those shortcomings, they had covered a decent distance since the morning and Jyou felt slightly better though he kept twirling his Digivice nervously in his hands. He didn't like that he was forcing them to follow him, but he could think of nothing else that would appease the tug he felt. He had to do this, and his friends – his friends had to be there too, right?
Taichi and Agumon were sitting away from the others, at Taichi's own request. He was leaning against his palms, looking up at the starry sky. "We need to find that Digimon," he murmured, and Agumon nodded next to him.
"We will, Tai," he said, "We'll look for her just as soon as Jyou finds his … whatever we're looking for."
Taichi looked at his partner and smiled. Agumon and he had been through so much, and the Digimon trusted him so completely, but he could not share his partner's enthusiasm. He was afraid he was leading his friends into more danger, and what Sistermon Blanc had said had shaken him more than she could have hoped.
You have misled them.
"Yeah buddy," he said, "I know we will."
Agumon grinned, then looked up surprised as he felt a small hand touch his head.
"What – "
Mimi was leaning over him, petting him affectionately. Agumon closed his eyes and leaned in to her touch, relaxing visibly in her presence. Taichi watched the exchange with some amusement – he had never known Mimi had that effect on Agumon, although, if he thought about it, she had that effect on him too. Mimi smiled at him, and Taichi looked away with a slight blush, unsure why he was suddenly nervous in her presence.
"Agumon, do you mind if I have a moment with Taichi?" she asked, and Agumon shook his head vigorously.
"Of course not Mimi!" he said, "I'll go get some food anyway – I'm starved!"
Mimi giggled a little as he ran away, then let herself down on the grass next to her friend. Taichi's hair was unruly as ever, his goggles dangling carelessly around his neck, and though he was essentially the same boy she had met at camp all those years before, he was also someone completely different. The Taichi she had known then would not be caught brooding quietly by himself in a dangerously good Ishida Yamato impression. But this Taichi could, and she could not help but feel a little sorry for him.
"You okay?" she asked him. Taichi shrugged, letting out a soft sigh.
"Yeah, just a bit worried." He turned ever so slightly to look at her for a moment. "How are you holding up?" It was much easier to let Mimi do the talking, let her carry the conversation wherever she wanted to take it, than explain how uneasy he felt.
Mimi shrugged.
"I'm fine," she said. She touched her temple against his shoulder, noticing not for the first time how much taller Taichi was now. "I just wanted some company, to be honest." There was a pretty pink blush on her cheeks, and Taichi ventured to smile. Mimi looked rather cute when she blushed.
"I see how it is," he answered cheekily, making Mimi push him away playfully, just for a moment.
"Don't let it get to your head, idiot," she said, but there was a smile playing on her lips as Taichi took the opportunity to bring her closer into a side-embrace.
"Never," he said with a far too dramatic sigh, "It's good to have you back, Mimi."
The girl smiled without looking at him, shrugging into his embrace and letting herself be content with Taichi's warmth. Yes, things were looking bleak and yes, they were probably in danger but that would come later.
As it was, Taichi and Mimi were unaware that their little exchange had not gone unnoticed. How could they not feel it, he wondered, when Yamato's eyes were burning holes in the back of Taichi's head? His brow was furrowed deeply as he watched Taichi's arm go around Tachikawa's back, his fingers pressing her thin shoulder so easily, not a hint of strained conversation between them. He wanted to think that it didn't bother him, but he could not deny the way his fingernails were digging into his skin as his hands made fists, could not deny the increase in his heartbeats. It bothered him, because Taichi and Tachikawa had no problem being friends; he could argue with her and she could yell at him but then she'd find him after dinner and he'd do something like hold her hand or bring her closer to a hug, and everything was okay.
What did he get, instead? Indifferent glances, tumbled confessions and the admission that there would never be a real friendship between them again. He hadn't realized he was brooding until a familiar red-head came closer, and he could have spat at the wave of guilt that washed over him then. She was reaching a shy hand towards him, and her touch made him turn sharply from the scene before him, to her surprised face.
"Sora," he said, unfurrowing his brow as the girl blinked. "Is there – do you need something?" he finished lamely, mentally kicking himself for not being more delicate, and hoping against hope that she would not notice where he had been glaring.
"No, I just wanted to – well, talk," Sora admitted, her cheeks growing crimson. "I thought – " she turned to where Yamato was looking, where Taichi and Mimi sat together, hugged into a tender embrace that made her so embarrassed she had to look away. It always threw her a little off, how familiar Taichi and Mimi were despite the distance that separated them. "What were you er, doing?" she asked the blonde.
"Nothing," he answered in what he hoped was a bored, indifferent drawl, "Just going over some things I talked with Jyou. Must've drifted off."
Sora glanced unashamedly back at Taichi and Mimi, unsure why Yamato's answer wasn't satisfying her. He looked bored, yes, cool and lazy as only he could, but she hadn't missed the ice in his gaze before, had she? But there was no reason for Yamato to glare like that at Mimi, or Taichi, unless … unless he wasn't as indifferent to her as she had always presumed. Sora frowned deeply, earning a raised eyebrow from the blonde.
"You wanted to talk?" he reminded her, and she blinked twice, covering her face with a shy smile.
"Yes, I – thought we could, you know," she sighed, "We haven't, since last time and I … I don't want to fight, Yama –"
"Can we go someplace else?" he interrupted her, "Somewhere more private."
She didn't catch on the slight spat on the last word, her thoughts once again revolving against what she had seen and what she had thought she'd caught Yamato doing, and what she was trying to tell him. "Yes, I – sure, let's go somewhere else."
Yamato didn't even think about it. He gently took Sora's hand and pulled her away as he walked past where Taichi and Mimi were sitting, disappearing behind a small cliff. Sora followed him diligently, the smile on her lips intensifying as she thought of how warm his fingers were, and how much she'd missed holding his hand.
Mimi, with her head still resting against Taichi, barely registered the image before her as Ishida disappeared with Sora, their hands clasped together as they walked past them. She looked away, sighing softly and closing her eyes against the uneasy feeling, how she was slightly bristling at the sight. Truly, he brought out the worst in her.
It was tiresome, she had to admit, tiptoeing around the people they used to be and the people they were now.
-x-
Once they had put some distance between them and the rest, Yamato stopped walking. He let go of Sora's hand and sat down on the floor, his back against a big rock. He closed his eyes, but he could feel her sitting next to him – though not as close as Tachikawa and Taichi were sitting, he noted coldly. His heart sank. He owed Sora an apology for the way they'd left things and how he had neglected to go back and try to fix them.
"I'm sorry," he let out simply. "I haven't been the best – " his throat stuck on the word boyfriend, but he only let out his breath and continued, "I haven't been the best company, but," he reached out and took her hand again. "That doesn't change how I feel about you."
Sora looked at him, smiling tenderly at the young man who haunted her dreams. "I think we're all a bit on edge," she admitted, "It's not just you, it's … everything." Sora didn't let go of his hand, but held it tightly as she looked up at the sky. "I trust you, Yama," she said simply, and the admission tugged at his heart.
He was never good at expressing his feelings verbally, not through conversation like this. So he reached down at her and pressed his lips to hers for a moment, kissing her softly in a way that she might remember that their feelings were real, and important, despite everything that was going on around them. Yamato needed her to understand, needed her to be an anchor in this tempest.
-x-
Unaware and uncaring about the heartfelt confessions going around camp, Jyou was pacing up and down, fingering his Digivice nervously. Unmoving, Gomamon watched him from the sidelines, having long given up on telling Jyou to stop. He couldn't help it – waiting made him anxious. He hadn't wanted to press the group and tell them to keep going because they were all tired, but he was slowly going crazy with the idea of having to wait more. Koushiro had explained roughly how compelled they might feel to follow the energy that their Digi-Eggs had released, but Jyou wasn't sure his friend really had any idea of the extent of that feeling.
"Hey, Jyou," Gomamon quipped suddenly, "Will you quit it already? You tryin' to flatten the ground or something?"
Jyou stopped walking long enough to give a level gaze to his Digimon partner. "Gomamon, please just let me be. You're making me more nervous than I already am."
"Ha!" the Digimon replied with an eye-roll, "As if that's even possible." But he left without much more fuss, begrudging his blue-haired friend for being such an absolute wreck.
Jyou sighed, running a nervous hand through his locks. Gomamon was right, they were all right. He needed to calm himself but just then his eye caught a strange movement a few meters away from him. Despite his initial qualms, Jyou followed the rustle of leaves, hurrying through the bushes and trees to try to catch the culprit. He'd had the strange feeling that they were being observed for the longest time, and it was in his hands to finally find out who that was. He slowed down after a few minutes, pushing thin branches out of his way and trying to figure out where the thing he was following was. In the end, though, he was forced to accept that he had not been quick enough and whatever it was that he'd been following had escaped him.
He rested his back against a tree and slumped down, his hand reaching to remove his glasses. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed. Then, a strange voice came out of nowhere – soft and soothing, and enveloping him completely.
"You need to go alone, Kido Jyou. They can't follow where you're going."
Jyou's scrambled his glasses back into his face but he could not find the source of the voice. "Who's there?" he asked, his eyes darting back and forth.
"They can't follow you," the voice repeated softly. But even though he tried to find it, called out for it and combed through the immediate area, he came out empty-handed. He returned to camp rubbing the knot on his neck, unsure why his breath hitched and his legs felt like lead.
Everywhere he looked, his friends seemed to be engaged in their own little things, and Jyou didn't want to disturb them with any more cryptic warnings and stupid things. After all, they were only this tired because they were following him, so he thought that this, maybe, he ought to keep to himself. At least until he found out more.
-x-
"Something's wrong with Jyou-senpai," Hikari said softly, her brown eyes following the older Digi-Destined's movements. Takeru followed her gaze, raising an eyebrow.
"But there's always something wrong with Jyou-senpai," he said, "I don't see what's the difference."
Hikari rolled her eyes at her friend. How Takeru was so oblivious sometimes was a mystery to her, really. "I don't know, Takeru," she said, "I have this bad feeling and …"
"Oh, relax, Hikari," the blonde said, passing his arm around her to hold her in a half-hug, "If Jyou had a problem, he'd tell us about it. You can always count on him for that, right?"
If she was convinced, Hikari didn't show it. But she was blushing slightly into Takeru's hug, her smile wavering as he grinned at her. "I guess," she finally relented, shaking her head at the self-satisfied smirk on her best friend's lips.
They had been following Jyou for the past three days, and things were starting to get a little strained. Taichi was distracted, Jyou was restless, Yamato was broodier than usual. Mimi seemed at a loss for enthusiasm and Koushiro had been tight-lipped, unable to answer any of their questions. Hikari and Sora had been discussing the situation the night before, noting how everyone's spirits seemed to be down but for all their efforts, nothing had changed. They needed to find those things and whomever had brought them to the Digiworld before they went absolutely mad.
Leading the group and far from the pair's earshot was Jyou, frowning intently at his Digivice. Gomamon walked beside him, looking up at his friend with a worried expression.
"What, Jyou?" he asked, calling the blue-haired boy's attention.
"I think – I think we're here."
The signal on his Digivice had stopped beeping. The strong urge he had felt the first time, had also stopped. He felt a sense of dread coming over him, and a shiver running down his spine. They were standing in front of an enormous rock formation, but there was something odd about the place, something sinister and …
"I thought we told you to come alone."
The voice was different to the one he'd heard before, but this time he could see the one speaking. Its form was humanoid and definitely female – tall, slender and with fierce armour of black, silver, gold and mauve. Its face was covered by a full helmet and visor, and atop its head sat a golden crown. His eyes lingered on the heart-tipped staff on her left hand – a weapon too big for his liking.
"Who are you?" Jyou repeated again, taking a step back as the creature perched itself, elegant and ominous, on a dark stone throne.
"I am QueenChessmon," the Digimon replied, "And you, Kido Jyou, were told to come alone."
"Jyou!" Taichi called, "What is she talking about? Do you know this Digimon?"
"No," Jyou said, his eyes never leaving QueenChessmon, "It's the first time we meet."
"You did not heed my warning, Kido," QueenChessmon continued, "Now, your friends will pay."
"What do you want from us?" Taichi yelled at her. He reached Jyou's side, looking at his friend out of the corner of his eye. The rest were preparing behind them, adopting defensive stances as they could.
QueenChessmon turned her head to him, impassive as ever. "Yagami Taichi," she said in her deep voice, "The DigiDestined of Courage. How … pathetic."
"How do you know who we are?" Taichi continued, his voice rising at her provocations.
"I am not here to deal with you," QueenChessmon replied coldly. She rose, pushing her cape behind her dramatically. "Begone, children."
The command never came, but the Digimon knew they had to evolve and just in time, too, for QueenChessmon had summoned a small army of PawnChessmon. With a wave of her hand she sent them at the DigiDestined, whom their Digimon hurried to protect. Greymon and Weregarurumon were attacked on all sides, Birdramon showering them with fire as Togemon punched PawnChessmon out of her friends' way. Both Ikkakumon and Kabuterimon were helping, as Angemon and Angewomon tried to get the children to safety.
It all happened fast. They were outnumbered as more pawns appeared and came forth to their master's call, but the Digimon refused to give up. One second Jyou was screaming at Ikkakumon and the next, QueenChessmon had rushed to his side. With her face mere inches away from his, Jyou could feel the cold of her steel armour.
"This is on you, Kido Kyou," she murmured softly, landing a direct punch to Jyou's stomach. He gasped, feeling his muscles contract at the contact and pain exploded considerably in his midriff. He couldn't stop the tears that came to his eyes, and a small spurt of blood that he coughed out, tasting the iron and salt in his tongue.
Jyou fell to his knees, clutching his stomach furiously but the sight before him made him scream louder. The PawnChessmon had grabbed on to Hikari and Mimi, and they were holding them roughly by the arms as they tried to struggle out of their grasp. QueenChessmon approached them gracefully and in a movement as quick as ever, her hand (clad in steel gauntlet) ran across Mimi's cheek, leaving a deep cut as the girl screamed.
But he didn't have time to feel horrified about it because the PawnChessmon had thrown Hikari down, and she was whimpering terribly. His eyes widened when he saw the odd angle of her arm and how her bone seemed to stick out of her clavicle.
"No," he moaned, "Hikari-chan! Mimi-chan!"
Jyou tried to stand and run towards them but his stomach hurt so much and he was dizzy, tired – QueenChessmon turned to see him again, and her mouth was visible, twisting into a thin smile – "Next time, we will not be so kind, DigiDestined."
He couldn't say what made him do it. Jyou rushed against her, tackling her as hard as he could, and succeeding only in surprising her mildly.
"Foolish boy," QueenChessmon spat, "Your friends would do better without you." And with venom she tossed him away, his back hitting hard against the immense rock wall behind them. She came closer, kicking him once more before turning her back against him. "You can't even rely on yourself. Deplorable, really."
Jyou groaned, the pain spreading quickly to every muscle the Digimon had touched. His arms and legs were cut and scraped in various places, and there was blood trickling down his mouth. He spat, trying not to scream or cry at the pain and he did not feel his Digivice buzzing but suddenly it was heating up and when he held it, he almost dropped it. Behind him, on the big slab of rock, an opening was growing and Jyou stood to see the strange Digi-Egg glowing with that same dark energy as its outer shell crumbled like bits of charcoal. The thing was small, an insignificant thing adorned with his crest: Reliability. Jyou held it in his hand and it burned him, but he sucked the air in and refused to let it go.
QueenChessmon laughed behind him, but he did not turn to see her. He didn't think he could. His friends were hurt before his eyes, their Digimon reduced to pulp by mere pawns and now this – this thing…
"Next time," he heard, "I will crush you. With or without that crest of yours."
There was a shrill sound, and then all went dark.
-x-
"Jyou! Jyou, wake up!"
Gomamon was the first thing he saw. Jyou blinked rapidly, wincing as the pain assaulted him again, washing over him as if it had never left. His friends, the ones who had been ushered into safety by Angemon and Angewomon, were hurrying to reach them, and it was then that he remembered Mimi and Hikari. He ignored his body's protests as he ran towards the girls too, reaching them just before the rest and quickly assessing the damage they had suffered. Mimi was holding Hikari up, whose face was swollen and shiny with tears. He limped towards them, but then a fist came out of nowhere, colliding against his left cheek.
"Taichi!"
Sora's voice. Jyou whipped around with a surprised yelp, his hand reaching to nurse his now bruised cheek. "What the hell was that for?" he croaked, his voice hoarse and strange.
Taichi was fuming, but Yamato was holding him back with Takeru's help as Koushiro and Sora rushed to the girls.
"Why did that Digimon say this was your fault?" he yelled, "You were warned, Jyou! You should've told us." He tore himself from his friends grasp and turned his eyes towards Hikari and Mimi, and then back to Jyou. "They should've been warned."
"Taichi stop!" Sora screamed at him, trying to hold on to his arm but he tossed her hand away too, stunning her. Upon seeing her being treated with such harshness, Yamato too intervened, pushing Taichi roughly.
"Do not," he began in a low, dangerous voice, "Do not take it out on her. Or any of us. This was not our fault."
Yamato didn't say it, but Jyou could hear it clearly in his head.
It was his.
