Another day, another chapter.

Disclaimer: Any relation to this story and the actual Digimon franchise is coincidental.

LAST TIME:
ISAMU: When we woke up, Wormmon and I found ourselves in the cabin of what appeared to be a human woman. Except, she wasn't human; she was Arukenimon, a spider Digimon looking to invite us for dinner. Luckily, I wasn't so easily fooled, so we got the jump on her and defeated her. After that, Locomon came up and we got in. With Daichi already onboard, that just leaves Kiyoko. With luck, we'll find her soon.

Chapter 31
Return

Kiyoko held Gatomon close to her as they rolled down the mountain. Kiyoko couldn't stop screaming, both in fear and in pain. It wasn't long, however, before she found a new reason; a large black circle, bigger than her body, with a swirling yellow design. Kiyoko knew that she was going to hit it; what would happen when she did was the mystery. All she could do was hold Gatomon closer, try to warn her about the mysterious object, and wait for the result. If anyone had been watching, they would have seen the two disappear into the circle before it disappeared with them.

Kiyoko awoke in a pile of grass. As she struggled to stand and get her bearings, she slowly realized that she was in some sort of suburban area; there were houses in a row with light coming through the windows. Kiyoko now realized that night had fallen. Had she been asleep that long? Was Gatomon still…?

Suddenly remembering her partner, Kiyoko nervously looked around, the house lights being her only chance for sight. Thankfully, she found Gatomon also getting up. "Kiyoko?" she asked in a daze. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure," Kiyoko answered. "I think we're in some sort of suburb area. You know any places like that in the Digital World?"

"I may not be an atlas like Wormmon," Gatomon said, "but let me think." As Gatomon tried to concentrate her thoughts on their location, Kiyoko looked around. Being here reminded her of her own world. From the lawn they were standing in to the street behind them, Kiyoko felt as if she were back at the house she once lived in.

Wait, she thought to herself, this place does look like my old neighborhood. Curious, she went to where the property ended and where the next began. She looked at a mailbox standing near the street. She peered at the side of the mailbox to see what kind of creature or creatures lived here. To both her amazement and anxiousness, the words written on it were Japanese, reading "Matsuki Residence."

"Gatomon," Kiyoko barely managed to say. "I think I know where we are." Gatomon stared up from her concentration, which was failing anyway, and met Kiyoko's indescribable gaze. " I think we're outside Shibuya."

"I don't think I've heard of that," Gatomon said. "How would you know what it's called?"

"Because I've lived here," Kiyoko answered. "Gatomon, we're in the human world. Not only that, but this is where I used to live."

Gatomon stared in shock. "How is that possible?"

Kiyoko thought for a second. "That circle," she said. "It must have been a portal of some kind."

"But how do we know this isn't a trick?" Gatomon asked.

"Good point," Kiyoko nodded. Slowly, she put her index and thumb together and placed them in her mouth, making a loud whistle. Suddenly, as if in response, a dog started barking. "That's the Ayanos' dog," Kiyoko explained. "It always barks like that when someone whistles. No Digi-Agent simulation could duplicate that."

Suddenly, the door of the house the stood in front of opened. "Stupid dog," a male voice muttered angrily, one that made Kiyoko cringe in fear. "Why's it gotta be barking at this time of…" The man in the doorway looked at the two visitors in his yard.

"You again!" he yelled, with more malice than before. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from here? I knew you were worthless, but does that mean you hafta be stupid, too?" He slipped his left shoe off his foot and threw it at the two. He just missed only because Kioyko dodged in time. "Now get out of here, and take that ugly cat with you! And if I see you so much as hanging around here again, you'll wish you never even knew my name!" He was about to grab the other shoe when Kiyoko picked Gatomon up and ran down the street, leaving the man to hurl more threats and insults.

"Believe me," she said, mostly to herself, "I already wish it." She ran until they were in a park, which was deserted for the night. There were only the street lights surrounding it. She let Gatomon down, kneeled down herself, and panted from having run so fast.

"Who was that?" was the inevitable question that passed Gatomon's lips.

"Hayato," Kiyoko answered. "The man who legally calls himself my father." Gatomon saw a few tears fall from Kiyoko's face.

"I can see why you left," Gatomon said. But something in that statement made Gatomon feel contradictory. She realized it almost automatically. "Hey wait. You said you left because he didn't even notice you. He sure seemed to take a lot of notice back there." Kiyoko almost stopped crying. "And he said that he told you not to come back, but you told me you ran away on your own, without him knowing." At this point, the tears stopped and all Kiyoko could do was remain silent and turn away. "Is there something you're not telling us? Telling me?"

Kiyoko sighed, with signs of crying again soon. "You're right. I told you that he neglected me and acted like I wasn't there. I spent a lot of days wishing that was true. Hayato was cruel to me from the day I first walked into his house. He always said he only kept me around because Mom wanted me. After she died, it was like any happiness left in that house died with her. Hayato would shout at me simply for existing. Finally, he'd had it. He dragged me to the front door, threw this pack at me," she motioned to the pack on her waist, "and told me to leave and never come back." Kiyoko started crying again. This time, though, Gatomon could do nothing but put a paw on her shoulder.

"How sentimental," a voice said. Kiyoko thought it was Gatomon, as the voice was very similar, right down to the gender. But she reasoned that the voice's malicious tone would never belong to her partner. She looked up, dried her eyes and saw something peculiar; another creature that looked like Gatomon. However, the creature was mostly black and its gloves were purple. Kiyoko also noticed that its tail lacked a Holy Ring.

Gatomon also took notice of her dark lookalike. "Who are you? And how did you get here?"

"Call me BlackGatomon," the black cat said. "Seems like you've been through a lot in your life," she said to Kiyoko. "Death, being unloved, kicked out, it's a wonder you still go on, Kiyoko." Kiyoko bowed her head and cried some more, barely realizing that BlackGatomon knew her name.

"Do you know us?" Gatomon asked for her.

"More than you both realize," BlackGatomon answered.

"How did you get here?" Gatomon repeated.

"I have very special powers that allow me to travel to the human world at will."

"Did you bring us here?" Gatomon asked.

"Maybe, maybe not," BlackGatomon taunted.

Gatomon turned to Kiyoko. "Come on," she said. "Let's get out of here."

"Oh yes, by all means, go," BlackGatomon said. "But where will you go? The Digital World isn't exactly across the street, you know. And even if you do, Kiyoko here just had to relive some of her worst memories. Memories of loss and pain."

"Shut up!" Gatomon yelled. "Get up, Kiyoko, we're leaving." But Kiyoko didn't stand. She still was on her hands and knees, tears falling down her face.

"She's right, Gatomon" she said, not even looking up. "We don't know how to get back. And even if we do, how do we know we'll end up with the guys? We were there for almost a week before they found us."

"Kiyoko," Gatomon said, "don't listen to her." Gatomon wanted to hit BlackGatomon, but found that she seemed to lack the resolve to do so.

"When we saw Hayato, I realized something," Kiyoko continued, not even acknowledging Gatomon's plea. "I'm nothing. Without someone who cares about me, I'm just a little girl. I can't do anything for you guys. I can't even talk back to Hayato without shaking in fear."

Suddenly, Gatomon moved her paw forward and slapped Kiyoko. She held her cheek and looked up for the first time. "Kiyoko," Gatomon said with a fiery determination in her eyes, "what do you mean no one cares about you? You've got me, right? Daichi, Isamu, Dracomon Wormmon… everyone you've met in the Digital World cares about you." She paused, placed a paw on her shoulder, and spoke more softly. "We'll find a way back. And if we don't find the guys right away, we'll look for them. They found us, so we'll just have to find them. Your crest is willpower, right? All that means is that you never give up even when things don't look promising."

"Strong words, kitty," BlackGatomon said. "But it'll take more than that to make that little girl think she's worth anything."

Something in BlackGatomon's last sentence grabbed Kiyoko's attention instantly. "A 'little girl?'" she repeated. She slowly stood up and said. "Only one other person has called me that."

"Who?" Gatomon asked. "Hayato?"

"No," Kiyoko answered. "Whatever he called me, it was much worse than that. We both know, Gatomon."

"We do?"

"It makes sense. You two were so similar when you were Angewomon that first time. What's to stop you from being too different one stage down?" She pointed at BlackGatomon. "I know who you are now, BlackGatomon. Or should I say LadyDevimon?"

Gatomon just stared in wide-eyed shock, but BlackGatomon just chuckled. "Well, you're obviously better than I gave you credit for."

"That's LadyDevimon?" Gatomon asked. "But how? I destroyed her myself. And her egg should have been purified at the Village of Beginnings."

"It would have been," BlackGatomon said, "if my superior hadn't managed to collect my data while it was headed there and hatch me the right way."

"The right way?" Gatomon repeated darkly.

"Not only that, but he made me even better. I was infused with the data of another Agent that your friends destroyed: Cerberumon. Now, I can open portals to and from the human world."

Kiyoko got up. "Take us back, now!" she said angrily.

"Oh, I was thinking of making another portal back to the Digital World," BlackGatomon chuckled, "but I didn't exactly plan on taking you with me. Enjoy your self-pity, Kiyoko." She held her hand up and something black appeared in front of it.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kiyoko said. Feeling a renewed strength, Gatomon ran up to BlackGatomon with a Lightning Paw and punched her away from the portal.

"Thanks, Kiyoko," Gatomon said. "You're lack of confidence was beginning to weaken me for a bit. But now I'm ready to kick some tail."

Kiyoko smiled. "Hey, all it took was realizing this was LadyDevimon's work. That she was doing this to me."

BlackGatomon stood up. "Well, you seem to have missed one tiny detail; I not only look like Gatomon, but I've got the moves as well. Lightning Paw!" With as much speed as Gatomon, she jumped and punched Gatomon in the face. Gatomon got back up and returned the punch, followed by BlackGatomon's. Kiyoko was reminded of the slapfight that occurred the last time they fought.

Kiyoko pulled out her D-Power and a card. "Actually, Blackie," she said, enjoying the renaming of their enemy, "there's at least one move you don't know." She ran to Gatomon and removed the Holy Ring.

Digi-Modify! Digi-Egg of Kindness, activate! Gatomon Armor Digivolve to… Opossumon, Fun-Loving Kindness!

"And here it is," Opossumon said, continuing from Kiyoko's earlier statement. "Balloon Blast!" She threw several balloons at BlackGatomon, too numerous to dodge. And without any long range attacks, she quickly succumbed to the bursting projectiles. When the view was clear, BlackGatomon lay on the ground. Some sort of dark substance was flowing out of her like steam.

"What is that stuff?" Kiyoko asked.

"This is just a guess," Opossumon said as she De-Digivolved to Gatomon, "but I think it's because she's in the human world. Data in its purest form can't exist in this world."

"And without data," Kiyoko finished, "she won't be destroyed and reconfigured like other Digimon." BlackGatomon started crawling slowly the portal she made earlier, left unattended by the earlier battle.

"Kiyoko, that's our ticket home," Gatomon said. "If she gets there first, she'll close it from inside."

"Right." Kiyoko and Gatomon started to run, but BlackGatomon's sudden "Wait!" stopped them.

"This portal can only take one being," she said, still holding a smile despite her weakened state. "Once one of you enters, it will shut for good. And I don't have the strength left to make another." She chuckled to herself as she crawled forward.

"What do you think?" Gatomon asked.

Kiyoko thought for a second. BlackGatomon was inching closer to the portal. Kiyoko realized that if the black cat reached it, not only would they be that much farther away from reaching the others, assuming they were even in the Digital World, but BlackGatomon could either heal from the virus or, if she was destroyed, she might return like she did before, stronger then ever. But if the portal could only stand one jump…

"That's it!" she said aloud. "Gatomon, stay close to me." She held her arms out and Gatomon, taking the hint, jumped into them. Once she held her partner tight, Kiyoko ran for the portal and jumped before BlackGatomon could reach a claw into it. Kiyoko and Gatomon disappeared, and the portal with them.

All BlackGatomon could do was scream, "KIYOKO!" in anger as she disappeared into oblivion.

"So is Kiyoko on board?" Isamu asked.

"Not yet," Daichi admitted, "but we found you guys pretty quickly, so maybe we'll—" But he was interrupted by an odd sight; a strange black hole with a yellow design appeared on the ceiling of the car.

Suddenly, both Kiyoko and Gatomon fell through it. The hole disappeared, leaving the ceiling bare.

"—find her just as quickly," Daichi finished with amazement in his voice.

Kiyoko stood up with Gatomon still in her arms. She looked around and saw Daichi, Isamu, and both of their respective Digimon. "We made it," she whispered. "Gatomon, we made it!"

"So, uh," Dracomon said, "where've you been?"

"LadyDevimon, huh?" Isamu said. Everyone had just finished relating the events that happened to each of them, Kiyoko being the last. "Now that's something that even I haven't heard of."

"If this really is GranDracmon we're talking about," Daichi said, "he must be more dangerous than I originally thought. And I was worried already."

"One thing that's still bugging me," Wormmon interjected.

"Clever word choice," Dracomon said.

Wormmon ignored him. "How did you know that portal would still take two of you?"

"Here's the beauty part," Kiyoko giggled: "I didn't. I just figured it could take two at once. I figured that, as long as I held Gatomon tightly, it wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between one and two together."

"Now that's what I call willpower at its finest," Daichi said: "looking for a way to win even when no one said it was possible."

Kiyoko suddenly looked down. "Listen, I'm sorry with not being upfront about you with my past earlier. It's something I'm not too proud of and just wish I could forget. I guess I just kept telling myself that if I repeated it enough times, maybe it would be true. I swear, though, everything else was on the level."

"Not a problem, Kiyoko," Daichi said. He stood up and sat next to her. "And I promise you, when this is over, I'll help you so you can forget it."

"Hey," Wormmon whispered to the others, "you think Daichi might be…" But before he could finish, he felt something hit his head. He turned to find Dracomon staring at him.

"Please don't," he said, "you're making me sick."

"Healthy relationship," Isamu said to himself.

Suddenly, there was a whistle that banished all other thoughts from their minds. "All right, kids. We've now arrived on the other side of the mountain." Locomon slowed to a stop and opened the doors to the car. Everyone stepped outside. "Oh, and kids…" Locomon said. They all turned to face the engine. "Good luck." Having said his good-bye, Locomon started to steam up and moved along the tracks.

That's three Digi-Destined and three Digimon accounted for. Up next is GranDracmon. What is this guy like? Find out next time on Digimon: Digital Monsters!

At the risk of seeming non-humble, I'm realy proud of this next arc. I'm sure you'll like it. But you'll just have to read it for yourselves to see if you agree with me.

This is CF signing out.