The soft sounds of the waves were long behind them, the sun beaming down overhead. It had been summer when the small group had arrived in the Digital world, despite the snow, but now even this false sun seemed to set sooner, the air cooling with a far-off frost. The forest had thinned away to rocky plains, and the children found themselves clambering over what looked like ancient, rusty traintracks. Patamon hovered above them, looking around as the shrill plips of two Digivices assaulted his sensitive ears. He wanted nothing more than to perch on TK's hat and ride along in the gentle sunlight, but Matt had waved him away too many times already.

"I hope we find the others soon," he said, mostly to himself. Gabumon nodded in agreement as he trailed behind his Tamer. Matt was still unreachable to him.

"With our Digivices leading the way, we'll be back together in no time."

The mountain was approaching, and there was still no sign of the mystery dot. They were walking along a rail line, TK balancing happily on it as his brother held him steady, when the pathway suddenly split. It rose sharply to their left, rocks overtaking the tracks and turning into deep, jutting stairs. To their right, it sloped downward easily and in the distance they could see a grassy field.

"What do we do now?" Matt asked, hoisting TK onto his hip. The child fussed, wanting to walk on his own, but his brother hushed him. "I thought whoever it was was supposed to be here?"

"Not... quite..." Tai mumbled to himself. He looked at the small machine in his hand, gently swaying back and forth, considering. To the right it pliped. To the left, another plip. "It looks like there's two of 'em!"

"Should we split up?" TK asked, almost kicking Matt in the shin. He finally wiggled enough to slide out of his grasp, landing gracelessly with a "whump". Patamon immediately swooped in, finding his favorite roost and refusing to move.

"We don't really have that option," Matt chastised, helping his brother stand and dusting him off. TK whined, but Matt ignored him. "There's only the three of us right now."

"Don't worry, we'll stay together," Tai grinned. "We just gotta figure out which way to go first."

"I say right," Matt said immediately. "It doesn't look like we'll be caught in a landslide that way."

"But if we go left, we won't have to go back this way." Tai twisted his lips. "I say we get the dangerous part out of the way first."

Matt dug his fingers into his brother's shoulders, pulling him flush against his hip. Patamon squeaked as TK's hat toppled, and Gabumon rushed over to grab him. "We have TK to worry about – I don't want him getting caught up in something this dangerous."

"What's your problem all of a sudden, Matt?" Tai demanded. "You're treating TK like a baby! Calm down, man!"

"Well, someone has to think about the safety of our group, because you sure don't!"

Tai took a step forward, fists shaking at his sides. Agumon ran up to him, desperately waving his claws. "Tai, no!"

"Matt..." Gabumon whimpered.

"How I treat TK is none of your damn business! Maybe you should get your own sibling – then you can tell me how I should be acting!"

Tai drew back his fist, stepping forward. Matt stepped over TK, shoving the small boy behind him. His whole body tensed, and he grit his teeth, ready to accept whatever befell him. The only thing that ran though his find was that terrible night. The icy tinkle of shattered glass, the sharp gasp of pain. He could still feel Joe shivering in his arms, terrified of the very one he loved. Matt closed his eyes against the burning tears that gathered and he shook.

Everyone shook.

"Matt!" TK sobbed as he was flung off his feet. Patamon flapped, desperately trying to hold onto his Tamer only to tumble into the air. The small child's Digivice screamed in response to his terror, but with nothing to fight against, the energy only served to pump more adrenalin through Patamon's veins.

Tai, mid-swing, lost his balance and collapsed on top of Agumon. The digital dinosaur yelped, flailing to prevent the brunette from falling on his claws. His crest wrapped around the tip of Agumon's tail and he was yanked harshly to the earth, gagging as the cord refused to break.

Matt fell to one knee, watching as the mountain quaked. The serene grasslands split asunder and a torrent of rocks spilled over, crashing into the gentle slope. In the distance, he could hear the snapping of trees, and the railroad next to them jutted out of the ground like a rusty spear.

Slowly, the ground stilled, tiny shudders vibrating in terrifying spurts. TK was holding his elbow, sniffling and feeling blood pooling in his hand. Patamon swooped down, landing gently in his Tamer's lap and nuzzling against his arm. Matt reached out and pulled his brother close, the younger blonde, despite his pain, stiffening and trying to sit up on his own

Tai rubbed his throat and coughed, looking up as Gabumon and Agumon helped him to his feet. He smiled his thanks and looked at the brothers. Matt was fussing once again, trying to find something that could act as a bandage while TK kept telling him he was ok through his tears. Patamon was squished between them, an unsure glare that looked more like a pout upon his face.

"You guys ok?" Tai asked. He reached up, removing his sweatband. His goggles fell around his neck and, after prying Matt away, he wrapped it around TK's elbow. It wasn't perfect but it would do for now.

"We're fine," Matt growled. He glowered at the makeshift bandage as TK wiped his eyes and smiled at Tai. Gabumon offered one paw to help his Tamer to his feet, but the older blonde shrugged him off. "I guess we're going your way after all."

The constant peeping of two Digivices echoed through the shadowy crevasse, long ago having synced into one shrill noise. The thought of another earthquake was at the forefront of the small group's mind, though none wanted to admit it. The split was far behind them and any lingering train tracks had long ago left off with sudden, rusty breaks. TK, itching the bandage over his wound, was chattering happily with Tai, Matt's arm stretched before him as he didn't want to stand next to the boy, but didn't want to let go of TK just as much. In the back of his mind, he worried about what would happen when the sun fully set. About what would happen between him and the brunette. He wanted desperately to believe that it was a one time thing, something the two would do once and never speak of again, but...

"Next time it'll be better..."

Matt shook his head, stepping aside as Gabumon tried to accidentally-on-purpose brush against him. A small warmth tried to invade his soul, a reminder that no matter what happened, the fur-coated Digimon would always love him. He clamped down even tighter on the bond, trying to shut the creature out as completely as he could. He heard Gabumon whimper at the ice that was the only thing between them now and Matt nodded to himself. This pain, this isolation, this hurt. This was all he deserved.

The sun was handing low in the sky, the impressive wall of mountain casting a shadow over the harsh, stone pathway. The air, cooling quickly in the darkness, caused Tai to shiver and, with an envious ease, he grabbed Agumon and hugged him tight.

"For being a lizard, you sure are toasty," Tai laughed, dragging him along.

"I don't know what a lizard is, but I remember toast. Am I really that good?" Agumon looked up at his Tamer with wide eyes.

"Noone better!" Tai winked at Matt, a gesture that went unnoticed except by the blonde's tumultuous stomach.

"It's getting late," Gabumon announced softly as Patamon yawned. "We should find somewhere safe to stay the night.

"You're right," Tai admitted, letting Agumon down. He looked around, reaching up to toy with his goggles that now refused to stay atop his forehead. "I don't think there are any caves around here, though, so we might just be stuck out in the open."

"It's a good thing we haven't seen any bad Digimon around, then," TK said with his own happy yawn. "I'm too tired to fight."

"You and me both, buddy," Tai grinned, absently reaching down to tousle TK's hat. He looked around, ignoring the glare Matt had set on him. "I don't see any trees or bushes or anything we can make a fire out of, so we might just be completely out of luck tonight."

"But, Tai," Agumon whined. "It's getting colder out."

"Then we'll just have to huddle up close for warmth!" TK flinched as Matt gripped his hand too tightly. "C'mon you guys, it's not that bad. We'll get to that clearing up there and make camp for the night. I don't see any rocks or junk that could fall on us overnight."

"How reassuring," Matt mumbled, shoving past Tai and dragging his brother behind him. How he prayed this hike would leave them too tired to do anything but fall asleep. He didn't think he could stand the thought of Tai touching him again, murmuring those damnable words into his ear. He tried to control the shudder that ran down his spine and the lurching of his stomach that foretold of another night of vomiting, telling himself that he wasn't going to let it happen to him again.

But he was wrong.

As soon as TK was settled, curled up with Patamon, and Gabumon was taking the first watch of the night, Tai crept over. He laced his fingers with Matt's and gave him a gentle tug. Any protests the blonde had died on his tongue, and he demurely followed behind the brunette to just far enough away. He found himself, one again, on his back with Tai overtop of him, gripping and biting him. He closed his eyes tight and tired not to think about anything. Especially how the way the rocks dug into his spine felt like the springs of his father's bed. Or the way Tai rocked over top of him like Nancy used to. He grit his teeth against the noises she (he) was making, and turned his head away as his lover (his mother) tried to kiss him.

Tai bit harshly into his shoulder instead as he stiffened, and Matt bit back a whimper. He fought to bring himself back to reality as Tai yawned and grabbed his shirt.

"Tomorrow," Tai said sleepily. "We'll do it again tomorrow."

Matt rolled on his side, listening as Tai's shoes crunched away in the dirt. He couldn't help the tears that escaped as he curled into himself. He missed Joe. The comforting touches and warm whispers that always told him everything would be ok. This pain that was overwhelming him was becoming too much to bear.

He couldn't sleep the rest of the night, sitting through his nightwatch shift in a daze. The sun crept up over the mountain as he struggled not to yawn. He jumped as Gabumon appeared next to him.

"Matt? We should get going." The fur coated creature reached out, but Matt jerked away, standing uneasily. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Matt snapped. "Let's just... get everyone up and get going. We need to find the others." Gabumon watched his Tamer shake TK awake, calling out for Tai. The small group shared a meal of journeycakes, Matt sitting as far from Tai and as close to TK as he could. There was no fire to put out, so they were quickly on their way.

The landscape was just as rocky as the day before, though after a while the jutting steps turned into gently rising slants. The air was chilly, and Matt shivered in exhaustion as he huddled against his brother. TK looked up as the older blonde stumbled suddenly, cursing under his breath. "You ok, Matt?"

"Yeah," he spat, blushing as every turned to look at him. "I just tripped on a... post?"

Patamon fluttered down, grabbing the piece of wood and reading the hastily painted words, "'Beware of falling sludge'? What is sludge?"

Agumon sniffed the wood and made a face. "I think it's talking about Numemon poops."

Patamon dropped the sign in a hurry, wiping his paws on his furry belly and sticking his tongue out in disgust. "Couldn't it have just said so?"

"That sign looks old," Tai said, not wanting to touch it anyway. "I don't think we have to worry about it."

"Why is it out here, any way?" TK asked. "I thought Numemons hated the sunlight, there's nothing out here for them to hide under."

"Maybe that earthquake opened it up?" Tai looked around. "I think that's another sign that way. We should check it out."

"Tai, wait!" Matt called, but the brunette was already running along the rocky pathway. He cursed under his breath, grabbing TK by the wrist. "He needs to calm down and think about what he's doing every now and then..."

TK pulled on his brother's hand, his fingertips tingling, and whined, "Come on, Matt! Tai's gonna leave us behind again!"

That was enough to spur on Matt's heavy legs, and he allowed the child to pull him onward. He would rather just let the brunette leave again, take his brother along and never come back. At least then this darkness swirling inside him would finally be able to swallow him whole.

Patamon was flying ahead, keeping a safe distance from the ground and any other unpleasant messes that might be hidden amongst the gravel, and Gabumon hovered around Matt's legs, almost getting trampled as his Tamer was dragged off suddenly. He wanted to bite the tips of his claws, but that would just put on an embarrassing show of nerves, so he let the worry he felt coil deep inside him, mixing with the self-loathing that poured into him through their soul-bond.

Tai was standing next to the sign, hands on his knees, and reading intently though he kept his distance from the suspicious looking crust at the base of the newest sign. Agumon was pointing at the letters, reading the dripped paint out loud, "'Beware of Bottomless Pit of Sludge'." He looked around as the blondes approached. "I don't see any pits, bottomless or bottomed." He sniffed the air. "I don't smell any poop either."

"It looks old – a few months, probably," Tai said. "You can see where something tried to eat this one." He pointed at some bite marks on the post.

"Ew." TK made a face. "Why would someone try and eat it?"

"There's more over there!" Patamon cried, flapping his ears and pointing further along.

"Who in their right mind would put all these signs out here in the middle of nowhere?" Agumon asked, tilting his head. "Who are they trying to warn? And why are they calling it 'sludge'?"

"I bet if we followed the signs, we'd find out." Tai took off once more, though the others were more prepared to follow.

"Bew- of Atta- Sludg-" read what was left of the latest sign. Whatever had nibbled on the previous post had managed to take a huge chunk out of this one, the splintered remains scattered about.

"'Atta Sludg'?" Gabumon attempted to read. "What is that?"

"Maybe... Attack Sludge?" TK guessed. "I've never heard of one, have you, Patamon?"

"Not at all," the hamster monster responded. He looked around. "There's a whole slew of signs that way."

Patamon had indeed seen signs all about, though the ground they were on had splintered away into a deep crevasse. Agumon looked over the edge and made a face. "Maybe this is the bottomless pit from earlier. That sign wasn't close enough."

"Maybe it got moved?" Tai looked around. The gap in the ground was terrifyingly huge and, though he didn't want to admit it, he wasn't looking forward to trying to cross it. "I wonder if we could..."

The ground began to rumble and Tai yelped, flailing as he stumbled as far from the edge as he could. Agumon was right behind him, collapsing on top of his Tamer as he tripped, and the pair rolled to a stop by Matt's feet. A white light burst forth from the great fissure, and the ghostly image of a great beetle flew into the sky, shrinking rapidly and settling just behind the stunned group.

"Izzy!" TK cried, hand slipping easily from Matt's shock-slackened grip. He ran to the redhead who was sprawled on the ground. Motimon was curled against a limp hand, breathing heavily.

"Izzy," Motimon murmured. "Wake up..."

The prone boy groaned, eyebrows furrowing as he slowly opened his eyes. "M-ga... Kabut-imo-?"

"Hey, dude!" Tai grinned, pulling himself to his feet, and striding over easily. Any hesitations he had were long behind him along with the giant hold in the ground. "You made it!"

Izzy shook his head and sat up, Motimon curling up into his lap. The squishy Digimon was like a warm, boneless cat as he nuzzled against him. "Tai? You... You'- aliv-?"

The brunette laughed, reaching down to haul Izzy to his feet. "What's up with you? You're talking funny."

"I apologiz-," Izzy said with a bow that left him dizzy. "I hav- i-habit-d a- alt-at- dim-sio- fo- th- past fou- mo-ths and I slowly lost all co-scious thought. I o-ly just b-cam- awa- of ou- alphab-t agai-. I b-li-v- I am still missing a f-w l-tt-s f-om my co-scious mi-d."

"Yeah," Tai responded, keeping one hand on Izzy's shoulder to keep him steady. "That totally makes perfect sense, what you just said." He blinked. He hadn't understood a word. "Whatever, now we can go back to the fork!"

"Don't you remember, Tai?" Matt growled, finally catching up. He retook TK by the hand and tugged him close to his side. "The earthquake destroyed the fork. This was the only way around the mountain. Besides, look at Izzy – you think he can make it back there?"

The redhead was looking decidedly green at the moment. Tai considered him a moment, but quickly brightened. "We're not too far from our campsite. We can get Izzy back there and rest up. How's that sound buddy?"

"I do admit, it is -ss-tial fo- m- to -st af-t- such a battl-, a-d Motimo- will also -d to -cup-at-." Tai blinked again, and Izzy took a moment to reconsider his words. "That is a good id-a."