"Gennai, you'd better tell me there's a way to open that damn gate!" Tonya snarled.
"If we don't get to our world, both of them are history." Meg agreed, eyes icy.
"And the eighth child…They'll KILL the eighth child!" Steph nearly shouted.
"If we don't get there in time, this'll be a bigger mess than me eating prunes and beans before going to a Christmas party!"
"OOOH…That was pretty bad…" Mel admitted.
"B-But the gate won't open and now we can't go back…"
Lizzy was almost having a panic attack, and Mel tried to soothe away the pain.
"Gennai, is there another way?" TJ wondered, Patamon on her head.
"There is."
"Really?"
Tonya brightened immediately.
"How?"
"Any door can be opened with the proper key."
"Jeez, don't go Yoda on us again! Can't you just say we need a key?"
"Of course. You can come by my house and I'll explain everything."
"But how do we get there?" Lizzy wondered, slightly breathless from her attack.
"Look up."
Everyone blinked at him in surprise, but it was Jenny that blew up once again.
"LOOK UP?! You've got to be KIDDING me!! You want us to go BIRD WATCHING while both our worlds hang in the balance?!"
"Jenny-."
"Even I'M not joking about this!! Do you KNOW who's in danger in New York?!"
"Jenny-!"
"Our families are there, and if your little jokes are keeping us from saving them-!!"
"JENNY!"
The brunette blinked, looking towards the surprised group…
"What?"
"…You were ranting again." Meg supplied.
"Oh…Sorry…"
Tonya looked towards her friend, quirking an eyebrow in curiosity.
"This happen often?"
"Definitely."
"They're very good directions, if only you'd listen."
The group's eyes turned skyward, and Patamon took flight to turn in three hundred and sixty degrees.
Scanning the dark clouds, they were beginning to wonder if there was anything to find…
"Hey, over there!"
All gazes snapped to meet where Patamon's was aimed, and a beam of light was waving above the trees.
"Is that it?" Mel wondered.
"It is. I'm sorry that I don't have any more maps for you, but that should guide you well enough."
He disappeared, and the Digidestined turned towards their destination.
"Come on, then."
Tonya shrugged, wincing as the bandages on her knuckles rubbed against the raw wounds.
"We don't have any time to waste."
The thought of a long walk had none of them wanting to be bored, and not ten minutes after the group had begun…
"Hey, Red?"
"Hm?"
"What exactly happened to you and Agumon when you got back to Earth?"
"Oh, well…We ended up in Central Park."
"Really?"
"How was everything?" Steph wondered.
"Everything seemed fine…Nothing had changed. Time moves faster in the Digital World."
"How do you know?" Meg questioned.
"When I got back…It was the same day as when we'd left."
Lizzy's mind was whirring, really turning over these new facts in her mind as she hugged her partner close.
"I met some new friends after a…little encounter."
"I should've known you'd get in some kind of trouble." Steph joked, giggling.
"Well, I got out alright. The guys were pretty great…I even met up with Kitty and found out about the effects on our world."
"Are they bad?" Mel worried.
"Yeah…Deserts are flooding, swamps are drying up…Tropics are getting blizzards, and tundra are melting…"
"Everything's all upside-down!" Jenny concluded.
"Exactly. Because this world is in trouble."
"Will we really set everything right?" TJ questioned.
"Of course. No worries!" Jenny assured.
"Who exactly are these new friends?" Steph wondered.
"Well…You know that antique store Kitty loves?"
"Yeah. The one that April owns, right?"
"Exactly. She has some…ah…UNIQUE friends."
"How unique?" Meg pressed suspiciously.
"Well…They're ninja."
"COOL!" Jenny shouted.
"…"
"…What?"
SMACK!!!
"OW!"
"They also happen to be…giant turtles…"
"…I'm not surprised." Meg admitted.
"We've seen weirder things…" Lizzy agreed.
Tonya grinned, seeming to relax as her muscles loosened…
"I can't wait for you guys to meet them. But first, we've got to get to Gennai's…"
"Well, we'll get there before you know it!" Mel assured.
The walk began to continue in silence, perhaps a moment where someone would comment on their surroundings, but nothing else.
The brunette was left to think about the blue-eyed Spirit Evolution she'd seen before they'd found the gateway…
It was obvious enough he was on Midnight and Myotismon's side, but he hadn't given away their position.
Maybe he wasn't completely bad?
Even so, Mel wouldn't risk her friend's lives to take that chance…
"Um…Is that a lake?"
The forest had turned from lethal to gentle, and was now gone, replaced by sand and water.
It seemed the sun was setting once more, making the surface a shimmering sheet of pinks, golds, and yellows, hints of oranges along the edges.
The beam of light swayed from a specific point in the water, and Meg sighed, rubbing her temple.
"We might have to swim, I suppose."
"That's not going to end well…" Steph agreed.
"Aw, you guys are babies." Jenny replied, stepping into the water up to her knees with Gomamon.
"It feels great!"
"This must be why we've never found him, Tento…"
"That's a good reason…"
"Maybe a boat will pick us up." Mel suggested.
"We might as well swim. Me and Goma-Goma can check it out-."
Bubbles popped up, and all eyes turned to Gomamon…
"IT'S NOT ME!"
"I believe he protests too much." Jenny teased.
"He who smelt it, dealt it." TJ added.
"I didn't do anything!"
"There's no need to be embarrassed, Goma-Goma. EVERYONE farts-!"
The water began to bubble and glow, causing Jenny to gape…
"Okay, maybe YOU don't fart…"
The waving light's arc was growing smaller, almost bouncing before the beam pointed upwards.
Gaping, Mel took hold of Palmon's hand…
A glimmer flashed across the surface towards the group in a straight line, and it split open cleanly.
Before anyone could even guess what was happening, wet steps appeared down the 'hallway', leading down into the lake.
"…I am MOSES! Fear me and my candy cane of JUSTICE!"
SMACK!!!
"OW!"
"Shut up and walk."
The Digidestined descended into the pathway, and the light from above seemed to dim.
"Look, there are so many colorful fish!" TJ exclaimed, grinning as Patamon's wings flapped excitedly.
"They're making me hungry…" Mel admitted.
"We'll eat soon, guys. You just have to be patient." Steph soothed.
"But these are saltwater fish…" Lizzy mused, holding Tentomon's hand in case she slipped.
"Lakes are freshwater…How are they surviving?"
"Maybe they eat salted pretzels?"
"TENTO…"
"I wonder how he made a house down here…Underwater designer?"
"It's safe here. No one would look for him at the bottom of a lake." Meg reasoned.
"And if they try, they wouldn't get through the front door." Tonya agreed.
"Hey, look at that!" Yokomon shouted.
Gazes turned from the hazy water to the solidifying building before them.
It looked like an old-fashioned Japanese mansion, with short green grass and bushes decorating the front.
"Must be the place." Meg noted.
"Unless they have a neighborhood in a pink fog. Hello and welcome to PINK LAND!"
SMACK!!!
"OW!"
"How many times do I have to tell you to shut up?"
Going from floating stone steps to soft grass was an awkward transition, and they looked around before walking forward.
The back of the house was a garden, with flowers and trees, bushes lining a dirt path leading towards an arched wooden bridge.
There was a man-made pond beneath, surrounded by stones smoothed by the elements.
On the bridge…
"G-Gennai?"
Turning to face the teenagers, the old man smiled.
"Ah, you've made it. And safely at that."
"Why haven't we seen you in person before?" Steph wondered.
"I like staying at home." Gennai replied, walking towards the group.
They were bubbling with questions…
"Why do you call us the Digidestined?" Mel questioned.
"Because you were chosen to save this world and your own."
"How were we chosen? We just went to the cabin…" Lizzy asked, eyes bright with curiosity.
"That's all you need to know for now. Come on inside and I'll get you some tea."
Sharing a glance with the others, Tonya shrugged and followed him, bandages stained a dark crimson.
"It seems your fists have had an encounter with something hard."
Looking up when she realized Gennai was addressing her, the redhead tried to hide her hands.
"I'm fine. There are more important things."
"But we wouldn't want you to get an infection, now would we? I'll get some fresh bandages."
"You don't-."
"Tonya."
Looking towards Meg, she almost deflated.
"You're injured. Let it get treated while he tells us what's going on."
"…Alright…"
Staring at her knuckles, the redhead released a breath and pressed the wraps against the torn skin.
'We don't have time to take care of it…It doesn't matter, not compared to-!'
Stopping herself, Tonya's cheeks were tinged pink as Koromon jumped onto her shoulder, grinning.
'Don't even start, Koro.'
'It's cute.'
'This is a serious situation!'
'I'm just glad you have someone else to love.'
'I do not-!'
Gennai opened the door to a large, windowed room, with a low Japanese table and soft pillows.
Allowing them to take seats, he soon returned with a tray full of steaming cups and a first aid kit.
Jenny took the kit as the tea was handed out, and expertly began to unwrap her friend's hands.
"I'll be back in a second, girls. My fish need some food."
Grabbing the disinfectant, the blonde starting rubbing it in, holding Tonya in place.
"JEEZ, that stings!"
"It's supposed to sting. Bubbling, now THAT'S bad."
"BUBBLING?"
"Only if there's an infection…" Lizzy assured.
Wrapping up the tears, Jenny grinned as Gomamon hung limply on her shoulder.
"Just try not to do that again. You need to punch, remember?"
"Thanks, Jen…"
Gennai returned with a laser pointer, and a screen came down as Meg sipped at her tea.
"Alright. Let's check the map."
The map of the United States appeared, and it narrowed in on the state of New York.
Once it had magnified to New York City, a red dot appeared above it.
"What's that for?" Mel wondered, sipping carefully.
"This red dot reveals Midnight and Myotismon's location in your world."
Steph shot straight up, eyes widening.
"He's so close to where we all live!"
"So the eighth child really IS in New York…" Lizzy mused.
"Hope they have a cross." Jenny joked.
"There's something else I must show you."
"What is it?" TJ wondered.
"The key."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What's taking so long?" Tonya wondered, arms crossed with Koromon against her chest.
"Don't get your legs in a knot, my young friend. Be patient."
Climbing up the ladder, Gennai reached into the proper drawer and pulling out the contents carefully.
Every wall was lined with similar wooden cabinets, along with a pinned-up map and low tables.
It was like a research library, and it reminded Lizzy of the one her parents had often left her in as a child…
"Here they are."
Jumping to the ground, Gennai went straight for one of the tables, laying out ten cards face-up.
The Digidestined settled around it on thin pillows, staring at the faces on the cards.
"Look, Goma-Goma! That one's you!"
"Hey, it is!"
"Koro, there's one of you as Agumon."
"Cool!"
"Digitamamon as well." Meg noted, carefully tracing her partner's horn.
"What do we do with them?" Steph wondered.
"…We put them into the pedestal…"
Lizzy looked up, the pieces starting to click into place.
"There was a slate in front of the gate…It had nine holes, with three symbols on the top and stars on the inside…The cards must go in there…"
"That's right."
"But you gave us ten cards, not nine." Mel pointed out.
"I know. One is a fake."
Groaning, Jenny put her forehead on her palm.
"Seriously, WHY?"
"Well, what order do we put them in?" Steph questioned.
"We can't just put them in any order, can we?" TJ agreed.
"Why not? We'll get it right eventually!"
Jenny flailed theatrically as Gennai caught her in a headlock…
"No you will not! There are many, many other worlds! If you put them in wrong, you'll end up in one of them and unable to return!"
"OKAY, OKAY! JUST LET ME BREATHE!"
Releasing the blonde, he sighed, turning towards the group.
"Any more suggestions?"
They all shook their heads, clearly not wanting to be choked.
"Unlike Myotismon and Midnight, who used an incantation to solve this puzzle, you must solve it on your own."
Meg sighed, looking towards Gabumon.
"We must use our strengths to our advantage from here on. If we don't, there's no guarantee we'll survive."
"We just need to stick together." Mel assured.
"We can do anything, remember?"
Tonya smiled, patting Koromon's head.
"Well, we can't fight half-asleep. Learning about the cards can wait until morning."
Lizzy carefully took the cards, studying the picture on each as the group went to rest…
'I still have so many questions…'
A claw touched her shoulder, and the blonde looked up to see her Digimon partner.
'Take your time, Lizzy.'
Smiling, she stood up, putting the cards into her laptop bag safely.
'Thanks, Tento.'
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lizzy looked shyly at the ground, playing with her small laptop before stepping towards Gennai in the candle-lit library.
She had questions in her mind, and they were ready to pop out…
"G-Gennai?"
"Yes, Elizabeth?"
"I-I've been wondering…"
Holding her computer to her chest, the blonde almost toed the floor.
"Th-The Digital World is like our world but…DIFFERENT…Why is that?"
"The same material is used in all worlds."
"M-Molecules and atoms?"
"Exactly. Everything in the Digital World came from data from YOUR world. So if there are strange things here, they are a result of broken or missing data."
"A-Are you made of data?"
"Yes. So, in each of the worlds, I would appear somewhat different."
"D-Does that mean you're like the Digimon and Spirit Evolutions?"
"No."
"Wh-What makes you different from them?"
"I have no attributes."
"A-Attributes?"
"The different attacks Digimon and Spirit Evolutions have, and way they evolve. But attributes determine more than that."
"R-Really?"
Lizzy looked interested, almost enchanted, and she was drinking in every word.
"They explain why some Digimon are good and some are evil. All Digimon can be classified as Data, Virus, or Vaccine."
"Data, Virus, Vaccine…" The blonde mused.
"Data is neutral, Virus is evil, and Vaccine is good…"
"Exactly." Gennai approved.
He'd known the young girl was smart, she'd proven it with all she'd figured out on her own, and was grateful.
The Digidestined would need someone like Lizzy to make any true headway…
"By the way, have you used that Digimon Analyzer I gave you?"
"W-Well, yes…B-But…"
"Is something wrong?"
"N-Not really, it's just…I-I can only see Digimon and Spirit Evolutions I've seen. Wh-What about the others?"
"Well, that IS a problem…"
"N-Not a big problem, right? I-I wouldn't want to inconvenience you…"
"Oh, it's alright. Just leave it to me, my young friend."
Taking the laptop from her, Gennai looked over the sleek silver and purple design.
"I should have it all taken care of by morning. But for now, you'd better get some rest. I've got a surprise for all of you tomorrow as well."
"Th-Thank you, Gennai…G-Good night."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The room looked beautiful lit by morning, especially with breakfast on the table…
Everyone in the group was ravenous, and were immediately upon the feast.
Tonya was chewing some fish thoughtfully now that her belly wasn't shouting so loudly for sustenance, and looked towards Meg.
The black-haired girl was splitting apart bread for the others, popping grapes into her mouth in the meantime.
The redhead had noticed she was tense…
Mel happily chewed on some apple slices, and Jenny was eating fish like they were trying to run away from her.
No one would have been surprised if they'd tried…
Steph grabbed a banana, peeling it for Yokomon before finding an orange to eat.
Lizzy watched Tentomon use his claws to cut open a grapefruit clumsily, and giggled before taking half and beginning to eat.
TJ and Patamon seemed more interested in racing towards the desserts, and devouring everything in their way.
When the table was clear of food, everyone sat back to let it digest.
The door opened, and the group looked up to see Gennai.
"Good morning, girls."
"Morning, Gennai."
Jenny grinned, patting Gomamon as he curled up on her lap.
"I feel like a Charlie's Angel."
"Are you ready to go, then?"
"Yes!"
"Elizabeth, I've added some modifications to your laptop."
Opening it up, he pointed out an extra section of the keyboard.
"Place anyone's Digivice into this adaptor, and it will show you all the Digimon and Spirit Evolutions that person has seen."
It closed with a clean snap, and Gennai handed it over to the blonde.
"I also added in that screen saver, you know, the one with the colorful fish swimming around? I really like that one."
"Great minds think alike…"
"There are also some new programs, but there's no time to check them out now. It's time for you to go. Good luck."
"Thanks, Gennai!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking up at the castle, Meg blew up to get her bangs out of her eyes.
"It doesn't look any different."
"Are there still Devidramon and Cerberus inside?" Mel worried.
"It doesn't matter. We're still going through." Tonya decided, marching up to the dark, looming structure.
"This won't end well…" Steph muttered, following her along with the group.
"Maybe we'll be lucky and they're all asleep." Jenny hoped.
"Maybe they'll just let us through?" TJ wondered.
"I doubt that." Her sister replied.
Peeking inside through a crack in the massive front doors, the Digidestined stayed silent as two Devidramon and their partners patrolled.
"Great…How do we get through?" Jenny questioned.
"We'll take care of them…"
All eyes turned to Lizzy, who almost blushed under the collective attention.
"M-Me and Tento can distract them while the rest of you get to the gate…"
"…You can do it, Lizzy."
Tonya grinned, putting a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.
"Give them a hit for me?"
"A-Always…"
Charm beginning to glow, Lizzy stepped to the front of the group, facing the doors…
"Ferret!"
The bright light was hidden from the insides of the castle…
"Elizabeth, Spirit Evolve into…TECHIE!"
"Tentomon, Digivolve to…KABUTERIMON!!"
The Crest of Knowledge released its light…
"Kabuterimon, Digivolve to…MEGAKABUTERIMON!!"
"Transformation of Knowledge into…Knowledgeable Techie!"
Busting through the door first, Megakabuterimon locked one Devidramon against the wall as his partner's naginata helped deter the Spirit Evolution.
The group ran past the fight as Knowledgeable Techie's naginata began to glow…
"Horn Buster!"
"Healing Knowledge!"
The bursts of energy made everything quake as the 'guards' disintegrated, and everything suddenly snapped back to normal.
Crying out as the transformation fell away and Megakabuterimon Dedigivolved, Lizzy and Motimon fell head-over-heels down the stairs.
Landing with the fallen group, the blonde rubbed her head…
"Motimon, we fixed the warp in space!" She realized excitedly.
"Great! Now it should be easier to find the gate!" Steph noted.
"Come on, guys. We've got to move." Tonya urged, herding them down the staircase.
It seemed it actually DID lead down to the gate, and the Digidestined took the steps two at a time.
Staring at the tablet, Lizzy pulled out the cards to show them the Digimon on the surface.
"Alright, so there's got to be something to this pattern…" Tonya grumbled.
As the group traded ideas, Lizzy walked up to it, studying the surface…
"The monkey is from the zodiac…There's leo…But I've never seen anything about an archer…" She mused, Motimon in the crook of one arm.
"There must be some significance to these star patterns…Power levels?"
Something seemed to crumble from somewhere else in the castle, and everyone whipped around at the sound.
"What's going on up there?" Meg wondered.
"I'll go check it out!" Patamon offered, flying back up the stairwell.
"What if it LOOKS right, but we end up going to another world anyway? We could be screwed!" Jenny noted.
"We won't be screwed because we're not going to get it wrong." Tonya replied confidently.
Dust flew down from the hallway far above, and Patamon flew back down, coughing as his wings flapped frantically.
"The whole castle is coming down! All the passages are blocked!"
"There's no way to go back, so we have to go forward…" Steph realized.
"…Tonya, I think you should do it."
All eyes turned to Mel, and she smiled.
"I'm not trying to put you on the spot or anything, but we need our leader to make a choice right now."
"Wait, who made ME leader?"
"We all did." Meg informed.
"Not consciously. Without you, we fall apart. Isn't the leader's job to hold the team together?"
"I suppose…"
"Well, it's time for you to hold us together before we all DIE!" Jenny decided.
"We believe in you, Tonya!" TJ agreed.
Tonya's brow furrowed, and she walked a few paces away from the group…
"So, whatever I decide is what you'll all agree with? No questions asked?"
"Yes!"
"…Then I decide that Lizzy should do it."
The blonde whipped around, violet eyes wide with surprise…
"B-But I-!"
"You can do it." Mel assured.
"We all think you're the best for the job." Steph agreed.
"Wh-What if I'm wrong?"
"No one will blame you." Meg replied.
"Out of all of us, you'd make the best decision!" Jenny added.
After a moment, the blonde nodded, turning back towards the tablet…
"What do you think, Motimon?"
"Maybe you'll find something out on your laptop?"
"Maybe…"
Pulling it out as Motimon climbed onto her shoulder, Lizzy switched on the Digimon Analyzer and began to go through the files…
'Centarumon…Leomon…Etemon…WAIT!'
Lizzy's heart began to pound in excitement…
"Centarumon is Data, Leomon is Vaccine, Etemon is Virus…I've got it!"
Lavender eyes turned to the group, who seemed to be wondering what she'd found.
"Who here met up with Digitamamon and Shogungekomon?"
"I did." Jenny answered.
"I'll need your Digivice."
Taking the silver device, Lizzy inserted it into the new adaptor, taking in the files with flickering eyes.
"I've figured it out!"
Taking a stick, she drew a similar design to the tablet in the dirt, cards in her other hand.
"The lion, the centaur archer, and the monkey symbolize Leomon, Centarumon, and Etemon. Each symbolize an attribute. Vaccine, Data, and Virus."
Pointing towards the stars, Lizzy smiled.
"And these symbolize levels. Rookie, Champion, and Ultimate. So if I put the cards like so…"
Placing them in the proper places, the blonde sighed.
"They seem to fit…But…There are two here. Either the Agumon or Gomamon card could be a fake."
"Great job, Lizzy!"
The blonde was surprised when Jenny hugged her, blinking in confusion.
"But…"
"You got farther than anyone else could have!" Steph assured.
"Tonya can choose which one's the fake."
"If I can't, I'll be sure to get us ice cream!"
"Hey, I was gonna say that!"
Tonya scooped up the cards, and began putting them into the appropriate slots when…
Something started destroying the ceiling, and everyone ducked under the debris.
"It's a Digimon!" Meg shouted.
"Dokugumon and Hornet!" Lizzy informed as Tonya sped up with the cards.
"Dokugumon's attacks are Poison Thread and Venom Blast!"
"Tonya, you need to choose!" Mel stated, charm shining…
"We'll keep him busy!" Jenny added, her own charm giving off light…
"Dolphin!"
"Rabbit!"
"Wolf!"
The light blinded Dokugumon and the mini-spiders raining down…
"Jennifer, Spirit Evolve into…TRICKSTER!"
"Gomamon, Digivolve to…IKKAKUMON!!"
"Melanie, Spirit Evolve into…LUCKY FEET!"
"Palmon, Digivolve to…TOGEMON!!"
"Megan, Spirit Evolve into…FANG!"
"Gabumon, Digivolve to…GARURUMON!!"
Rushing towards the fluttering hornet Spirit Evolution, Fang growled as she pulled her fist back…
"Howling Blaster!"
The mini-spiders were destroyed, and rock crumbled beneath the wolf-girl's fist.
"Hurry up, Tonya!"
"Koro, I'm WORKING ON IT!"
"Needle Spray!"
"Harpoon Torpedo!"
Trickster was frustrated by their opponent's ability to dodge, and Lucky Feet was knocked back with a knick from the bee's stinger.
"Hold still, you little-!"
Steph's eyes widened as the spider's got past the front lines…
"YOKO!"
"I'll save you, Steph!"
The Digivice began to glow…
"Yokomon, Digivolve to…BIYOMON!!"
Flying up to shield her partner, Biyomon glared.
"Spiral Twister!"
"Thanks, Biyo!"
Tonya glared at the last two cards, not sure which way her heart was pulling…
"Which one? I can't tell!"
"Poison Thread!"
The three Champion Digimon were caught in the harsh web, and their partners fell when…
"Venom Blast!"
Feeling the numbness, Fang stood up, looking towards her partner…
"Garurumon!"
"The Digidestined are next!"
"GARURUMON!"
The Crest of Friendship shone brightly…
"Garurumon, Digivolve to…WEREGARURUMON!!"
"Transformation of Friendship into…Friendly Fang!"
As Dokugumon and Hornet tried to rush towards them, Weregarurumon freed Togemon and Ikkakumon.
Both Dedigivolved on the way down, and as their transformations fell away, Lizzy and Jenny caught them.
Weregarurumon caught Dokugumon in a headlock, and Friendly Fang crushed Hornet against a wall.
"T-Tonya, we're out of time!" Lizzy shouted.
"Alright!"
Putting both cards face-down, she flipped one over.
"Gomamon! Open the gate!"
Slamming it into place, there was a moment of suspenseful silence before…
"It's opening!" TJ exclaimed.
"We've got to go, guys! The bus is leaving!" Jenny encouraged.
As the six of them raced towards the glowing entrance, Friendly Fang noticed their exit.
"It's time to go, Weregarurumon!"
"Right!"
Both pulled back, ready to strike…
"Wolf Claw!"
"Crushing Friendship!"
As they disintegrated, she caught her partner once their transformations fell away, running towards the closing gate…
"Good job, Tsunomon!"
Jumping through the doorway, they found themselves tumbling back into their own world…