Thank you for the reviews. In this chapter, I took even more liberties than before. Although it's Mimi's first evolution story, I worked with the other children and their inner ghosts as well. I also made Monzaemon to be actual evil and turned the toy town into a toy hotel… for the sake of liking stories in creepy hotels. I hope you enjoy reading the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Chapter 3: Mimi's strength
The children and their partners walked all morning, taking turns in carrying Jyou's bag. When it got to Mimi's turn, most of the fruits had already been eaten and the bag was not as heavy as it had been. Nevertheless, the younger girl quickly tired.
"Enough! Please, let's rest." Mimi demanded, sitting on the grass.
"It hasn't even been ten minutes, Mimi-kun!" Jyou reprehended her. "Seriously, you need to become tougher."
"Don't worry, Mimi. Soon you'll have thick and strong legs like mine and you won't get tired so easily." Palmon tried to cheer her friend up, blissfully unaware that Mimi didn't want thick, root-shaped legs.
Sora, who had been carrying the other girl's bag while Mimi carried Jyou's, came closer to Mimi and told her:
"Your bag is quite heavy too, Mimi-chan. Didn't it bother you to carry it?"
"I don't mind carrying my own stuff." Mimi replied. "Although most of it is camp things I took from my Dad without asking."
"Wait, what kind of camp things?" Jyou was curious.
"Flashlights, matches, fuel for the bonfire, a compass…" Mimi was listing, stopping when she noticed everybody's shocked faces.
"Fuel? You've been carrying fuel this whole time? You were carrying fuel when we faced a monster made of fire?!" Jyou panicked. His face was completely pale.
"Now that you mention it, it was kind of dangerous." Mimi acknowledged it.
"I think those things are going to be useful to us," said Sora, trying to focus on the positive.
"Mimi-san is very well prepared to deal with dangerous situations!" Takeru said with enthusiasm.
"That's true." Koushiro muttered.
"Stop encouraging her! It was incredibly irresponsible to bring those things to a camp! Does Mimi-kun even understand how many rules she broke?" Jyou was getting angry. "Not to mention that she took her father's property without permission! I'm going to have to confiscate that bag."
"No way! If you want to carry a bag, carry yours!" Mimi shouted, throwing Jyou's bag back to him.
"Honestly, Mimi-kun, your childish behavior only further proves my point!" Jyou stated, putting his bag's strap over his shoulder.
Mimi felt hurt by the older boy's words. However, she would not allow anyone to humiliate her.
"Don't talk as if you're such an adult, you're just two years older than me!"
"It's not even about my age! You are the most immature person I ever met!" Jyou retorted.
Big tears formed in the girl's eyes. She felt her face get hot and ran away from the group. The fourth grader could hear Sora's concerned voice calling her back. But Mimi kept running.
Why is Jyou-san so cruel? The young girl could not understand. She was ten years old and was lost with other kids in a strange land full of monsters. There was nothing that could have prepared her for that situation and instead of receiving support, Mimi was being criticized for things that were not her fault at all! Why should she change herself to please Jyou? If he considered himself so mature and responsible, he should be the one putting effort in making the others feel safe!
Mimi only wished to go back to her world. She wanted to drink a cold soft drink, to have a good bath, to have a satisfying meal and rest in a comfortable bed without worrying about long walks and heavy bags! If only she had those things she would be completely happy!
"Good morning, Miss!" A male voice spoke. Mimi wiped her tears and saw a soldier toy about her size in front of her. Behind it, there was a huge building with a plate saying HOTEL at its front.
"A toy… and a hotel?" Mimi asked in confusion.
"Mimi-chan!" Sora's voice was getting closer. The fourth grader turned around and saw the others running in her direction. The older girl was breathless but managed to scold Mimi: "Don't run by yourself! It's dangerous!"
"Mimi, you left even me behind!" Palmon had a crying voice that broke her partner's heart.
"I'm sorry, Palmon. It's just that Jyou-san made me so mad that I-"
"What is this place?" Koushiro interrupted, getting closer to the soldier toy.
"This is the great Toy Hotel! The happiest place in existence!" The soldier announced, cheerfully. "Welcome and please accept our hospitality."
"What?" Sora found the place suspicious.
"What do you mean by Toy Hotel? Are you a digimon?" Jyou shared Sora's concern.
"The only digimon in this Hotel is Monzaemon-sama. He rescues toys from the human world and gives them life!" The soldier replied.
"D-do you mean that this Monzaemon knows how to go to the human world? Can he show us the way?" Jyou got excited.
"I believe our Master can help you. We can arrange a meeting with him, and you can enjoy our services while you wait." The toy informed.
"Do you mean that we can stay in the hotel for free?" Mimi inquired with shining eyes.
"You'll have access to the most luxurious bedrooms, the finest entertainment and the most delicious food you ever encountered in your life. And you can stay here for how long you want." The toy informed. "All you have to do is enjoy yourselves."
"YES!" Mimi exclaimed, rushing into the hotel with Palmon. Jyou and Takeru entered right after her, along with their partners. Sora hesitated but decided to follow them with Piyomon. Koushiro stayed behind with Tentomon.
"We should have been able to see a huge building like this from where we were." Koushiro commented.
"I never heard of a Toy Hotel before." Tentomon informed.
"The pure melody of Mimi-sama's heart guided her here." The toy soldier did not sound cheerful anymore. In fact, it seemed to be annoyed.
"What do you mean?" Koushiro asked.
"I can't explain beauty to the likes of you." The soldier said in a disapproving tone.
The boy with red hair felt something cold going down his spine but paid no attention to it. He passed by the soldier and crossed the big wooden doors.
The hall was huge and had a water fountain in its center. The high ceiling was decorated with several small lamps that formed the drawing of a flower. To the right, through glass doors, a sophisticated dining room could be seen. To the left, there was a pool surrounded by beach chairs and colorful parasols. Behind the fountain, there were two elevators and a corridor at their left.
"This is like one of those super expensive hotels you see in television!" Mimi was in awe, trying to absorb all the information around her.
"Have you ever been in a place like this, Mimi?" Palmon asked.
"No. But I've always wanted to visit one!" The girl exclaimed. "It's like my dreams came true!"
"Hey, Jyou-sempai." Sora whispered to the older boy. "Is it just me or does this place give off a creepy vibe?"
"It's strange that we happened to run into a luxurious hotel where we can stay for free." Jyou agreed. "But it's our first clue to go back home. We can't let this chance slip from our hands."
"I guess you're right." Sora sighed. "And it's a good opportunity for the others to have some fun, I suppose."
"Let's take a look at the pool, Patamon!" Takeru yelled happily, running to the pool's direction with Patamon flying behind him.
"I want to go to the pool too!" Gomamon announced, following them.
"Hold on, you three! You can't go without supervision!" Jyou scolded them, running to the pool too.
"Hello!" Three human size porcelain dolls in maid's outfits came from the dinner room and greeted the children and digimon who had remained in the hall. They had pale skin and blue eyes. Their hair was covered by a cap and they talked at the same time. "If you desire, we can show you the baths, the bedrooms, the game centers, the laundry rooms or any other location you'd like to visit."
"A BATH! CLEAN CLOTHES! COLD SOFT DRINKS!" Mimi shouted in bliss.
"Your wishes are our command, Mimi-sama." One of the dolls said.
"We'll do everything for your happiness, Mimi-sama." Another doll added.
"How do you know her name? Why are you so interested in Mimi-chan?" Sora was getting more suspicious.
"All toys have telepathic powers. That is how we were able to answer to Mimi-sama's call." The third doll replied.
"The melody of Mimi-sama's heart is pure and beautiful and we'll do everything to bring her joy." The first doll complemented.
The second doll pressed a button next to the right elevator and its doors opened.
"If you follow me, I'll take you anywhere."
"I'd like a bath first! Let's go, Palmon!" Mimi grabbed her digimon by the arm and ran into the elevator.
"Mimi-chan, wait for me!" Sora yelled, rushing to the elevator accompanied by Piyomon.
Koushiro and Tentomon were left alone in the hall with the remaining two dolls. The toys blinked and approached the boy.
"Now, what to do?" One of the dolls said in a cold tone, examining Koushiro. "This noise is unacceptable."
"We can't leave him like this." The other added, with a sinister voice that contrasted with the amicable tone used with Mimi.
"I-I'm good, you don't need to worry about me." The boy tried to decline their help. The dolls took another step in his direction and suddenly stopped. They turned their heads to the right and trembled. Koushiro and Tentomon looked at that direction too and saw a clown doll with blue hair and white and blue clothes. There was a water drop painted under each of its eyes and its mouth was not smiling.
"Why is Mr. Raindrop here? He never shows up!" One of the dolls murmured to the other.
"Not since he smashed all the car toys! We must let Master know right away!" The other stated. The two dolls ran to the left elevator and pressed its button with urgency, rushing into the cabin as soon as the door opened.
"That clown toy looks super creepy, don't you think?" Tentomon asked his partner, shivering. Koushiro could not take his eyes off the doll. The boy was intrigued rather than afraid.
"Excuse me-" The fourth grader was cut off by one of the ceiling lamps exploding, which made him and Tentomon turn their attention to above. When they looked down again, the clown toy had disappeared.
In the pool area, Jyou found Gomamon swimming gleefully. Takeru was sitting on a bench with Patamon in front of the counter of a small circular bar next to the pool. In the bar, a stuffed monkey and a stuffed penguin were serving a big milkshake to Takeru and a glass of sundae to Patamon.
"An ice cream bar?" Jyou asked with interest, sitting next to the younger boy.
"They said they could recreate my favorite flavors!" The blond kid spoke enthusiastically, drinking through the straw. "I asked vanilla and strawberry milkshake for me and chocolate sundae for Patamon!"
"It's delicious! I never ate anything like this before!" Patamon was talking with his mouth full.
"My big brothers used to take me for ice cream when I was younger." Jyou felt nostalgic. "I liked the cones better than the ice cream itself."
"Here you have it." The monkey offered a cone to the 6th grader.
"Please, fill it with ice cream. It's wrong to eat the cone alone." The older boy did not find that funny.
"Jyou-san, do you live with your brothers?" Takeru questioned shyly.
"I used to, before they went to university. It was the three of us and our parents." Jyou replied.
"That must've been nice." Takeru commented. The 6th grader could see a sad smile on his face. Jyou felt guilty for making the smaller boy upset and tried to fix it.
"It wasn't really that good, you know?" The older kid forced an annoyed tone. "My brothers were always slacking off but somehow they got good grades in everything. And they were somewhat rebellious and irritated our parents… I do everything Dad and Mom say but have to put extra effort just to be at the same academic level as my brothers. And even today it feels like I'm invisible in that house."
Takeru and Patamon stared at Jyou in silence. Even Gomamon stopped swimming. As if feeling the others' eyes on him, the older boy tried to change the mood.
"Anyway, my point is that it must not be so bad that your parents are divorced and your big brother lives far away from you. At least your Mom gives you all her attention and you don't agonize over thinking that you may not live up to the expectations your family has on you. I mean, you're not from a traditional medical family or anything, right?"
Jyou had truly believed that those words would make Takeru feel better about his own life. But what he saw in the little boy's face was anger.
"Are you trying to tell me that I shouldn't be upset about my family being split apart? Do you think it's silly of me to be sad over it?" The second grader asked in an anguished tone.
"What?" Jyou was confused. "No, no! I was trying to show you that your situation isn't so bad! You see, sometimes your family can bring you down so if your family becomes smaller-"
"I wouldn't mind if my family brought me down sometimes or if my parents demanded a lot from me! And I would never trash talk my brother because of his personality!" Takeru yelled.
"I wasn't trash talking anyone! I was just trying to be empathetic!" Jyou had an apologetic tone.
"You're so ungrateful, Jyou-san!" Takeru had now stood up. "Why does someone like you get to live with your whole family? You don't even like them!"
"What do you think you know about me?" Takeru's accusation had angered Jyou. "You don't know how much easier my life would be if I could just not care about them!"
Jyou stood up and walked away, in the garden's direction. Takeru ran towards a playground a little far away. Gomamon left the pool and was about to follow Jyou, and Patamon was going after his partner but something stopped them.
The stuffed toys announced in a loud voice that lacked emotion:
"There's disharmony in those children's melodies. They need fixing!"
The air became colder suddenly. Patamon fell to the ground, paralyzed. Gomamon could not move either.
"What is happening?" The aquatic digimon asked angrily. "Are you doing this? Why are you trying to keep us away from our partners?"
"What was that 'fixing' talk? What are you going to do to Takeru?" Patamon was anxious and fearful.
"Do not worry. They'll become better soon." The penguin assured in an amicable tone.
"Monzaemon-sama will surely make them happy." The monkey stated.
Jyou was walking among plants that were higher than him. He felt cold and tired and sat down on the grass.
What is wrong with me? Just once in my life I wish I could actually help someone. Why can't I phrase things right? I just make everybody upset! I'm supposed to be in charge but I keep letting everybody down!
"You disappoint me, Jyou!" A male voice that the boy knew too well spoke. Jyou turned his head to the right and his heart skipped a beat. His father was standing there, wearing his Hospital outfit. The man had his usual severe expression.
"Father?" The 6th grader's voice was almost inaudible. "How can you be here?"
"I knew it was not a good idea for you to come to the camp. I shouldn't have listened to your brothers and your mother!" The man had a disapproving tone of voice. "To think in the precious time you could use to study! What are you even doing, fooling around here?"
"It's not my fault! I was brought to this place without consenting to it!" Jyou tried to defend himself. "I-I'm trying my best! I'm trying to take care of the younger children! Please, understand!"
"You're not even capable of taking care of yourself, Jyou. Who would ever depend on you for anything?"
"I'm doing my hardest…" Jyou felt like crying, covering his face with his hands. "I'm putting all my effort… all my energy…"
"It's alright." The father's voice became softer. Jyou felt the man's gentle touch on his left shoulder. "It's not your fault that all your effort and energy are not enough. There are people in the world who are just destined to be failures."
Jyou lifted his head, confused. Why is he telling me these things? My father never…
"You don't want to feel like this anymore, right?" The man put his other hand on Jyou's chest. "Just say 'yes' and I'll take away all of your anxiety. And I promise I'll turn you into a happy person."
Jyou did not understand what was happening but the aching pain in his heart was getting worse. It was getting harder for him to breathe, his head felt like it was boiling and the temperature around him was dropping quickly. He just wanted relief. He wanted to feel better.
"Yes." The boy said. He felt something piercing his heart and passed out.
Takeru sat on a swing by himself. There was an empty one at his right. The little boy wept for many minutes and felt very lonely.
I shouldn't have talked to Jyou-san like that. I didn't even consider his feelings. He probably hates me now.
"Takeru!" A familiar voice called him. The second grader looked at his right and saw his older brother sat on the other swing, smiling.
"Onii-chan…" The little boy was now crying of happiness. "You're here, Onii-chan!"
Takeru jumped from his swing and ran to his brother, hugging him tightly and hiding his face on the other's shirt.
"I missed you so much!" The smaller kid cried. "I never stopped thinking about you!"
"Takeru, I thought I would never see you again." The other child murmured. "What a disgrace to find you here."
Takeru felt his insides freeze. He slowly looked up and was horrified to see a disgusted expression on his brother's face.
"Onii-chan…?"
"Dad and Mom only began to argue after you were born. You were always so irritating. Always crying, always needy and clingy! You broke my family apart."
"Why are you talking to me like that?" Big tears fell from the eyes of the confused and heartbroken little kid. "You never told me those things! You were always so caring, so sweet-"
"There's nobody around, I don't have to pretend to like you anymore." The older one spoke with indifference. "I feel bad for Mom in that aspect. She has to put up with you every day, it must be a nightmare! And then she forced me to take care of you in that stupid summer camp."
"Stop! Please, stop saying that!" Takeru fell to his knees, closing his eyes. His entire body was shaking. Stop! Stop! I don't want to listen to this! Please, stop!
"Do you wish not to feel this pain anymore, Takeru?" The big brother asked with a sweet smile on the lips. "If you say 'yes' I can make you feel great. I can make you happier than you ever thought possible."
"What?" Takeru asked in confusion. His brother held him by the wrists.
"You just have to say 'yes' and I'll give you peace. Otherwise I'll keep talking about how you ruined my life and how much I hate you for that."
No! I can't take more of this!
"YES!" Takeru cried. "YES!"
Everything turned dark and a piercing pain took over the small child's heart.
Mimi, Sora, Piyomon and Palmon had a long hot bath with bubbles in a bathtub of the size of a pool. After that, they returned to the bedroom the porcelain doll had showed them. Their clothes had been washed and dried and were folded over each girl's king size bed. Over Mimi's bed, Sora had left her bag without saying anything. There were no windows in the room but a chandelier illuminated the place. After they dressed up, Mimi took a look at the shelf under the huge television on the wall across the beds.
"Sora-san, they have Star Wars here!" The younger girl said, radiant. The 5th grader was taking two bottles of soda from the mini-bar between the beds.
"I didn't expect you to like Star Wars, Mimi-chan." Sora smirked.
"What is a Star War?" Palmon asked.
"I think it's when two stars fight." Piyomon guessed.
"Star Wars is a movie trilogy. It's about a girl named Princess Leia, who saves a galaxy far away with the help of her long lost twin brother and her boyfriend. My parents and I watch them all the time." Mimi said enthusiastically. However, soon the smile on her face faded. What were her parents doing now? Were they worried? Would she see them again?
Noticing Mimi's expression, Sora wanted to make her smile once more.
"So, do you like Princess Leia? I never watched those movies."
Mimi was surprised to hear that.
"You have to watch them, Sora-san! Princess Leia is the coolest character ever! She's so beautiful and brave and she is always thinking about the greater good! She's my childhood hero!" Mimi regained her excitement. The older girl thought, relieved, that it was easy to make the 4th grader happy.
"You know, Sora-san, you remind me of Princess Leia." Mimi commented, gleefully. "You are always taking care of us and yesterday you looked so cool and heroic standing up against the Meramon! This place we were brought to is scary but with you around I feel safe."
The younger girl expected the other to thank her for the compliments. When no feedback came, she turned her face to Sora and saw the pained and perplexed expression the older girl had.
"W-what's the matter?" Mimi questioned, alarmed. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No. There's nothing wrong, don't worry." Sora tried to dismiss it, faking a smile. However, her pale and sweaty face and her shaking hands denounced her real emotional state.
"I thought the praises would make you happy. Isn't that what they're supposed to do?" Mimi was getting more anxious. "I'm sorry if I did it wrong, Sora-san."
"Mimi-chan!" Sora spoke with an assuring voice and gently held the other girl by the shoulders. "You are a very sweet girl. You were so happy talking about the movies you like, I'm sorry if I upset you. But I want you to know that you did nothing wrong. You don't need to stress yourself."
Mimi nodded. She still thought she had made the older girl sad but would not discuss it. She knew that Sora wanted to protect her and she trusted her judgment. Mimi was not mature or responsible like the other. She could not understand Sora's feelings and it was presumptuous of her to think she could. The wisest thing for Mimi to do was to let Sora be and not bother her again.
"I'm going to check on the boys, you can stay here. I'll be right back." Sora said, forcing a smile. Piyomon stayed in her spot but after a few seconds went after her partner. She would not find her, though.
Mimi sat on the bed and Palmon joined her.
"Do you want to talk, Mimi?"
"I'm such a kid. Sora-san must think that I can't handle difficult things and she's right," Mimi confessed, sad. "She must think I'm so annoying and obnoxious and yet she not only puts up with me but also tries to protect me. She must think like Jyou-san but is too kind to tell me the truth!"
"You're not like that, Mimi!" Palmon protested. "You are a strong person and don't need to be taken care by someone else! And I think you understand other people's feelings very well!"
"Do you really think that, Palmon?"
"Yes! You are as valuable to the group as the others. And I admire your sincerity and strong personality."
"You're a good friend, Palmon. Thank you." Mimi smiled. Nevertheless, there was still doubt in her heart. But the girl did not want to dwell on depression any longer.
"Get comfy, Palmon. We're going to watch Star Wars episode IV: A New Hope." She announced, picking the remote control from over the mini-bar.
"Why are we going to start by episode IV?" The plant digimon was confused.
"I'll explain later." Mimi smirked.
Sora was walking down the corridor and noticed that the lights had started to flick. A creepy whisper saying "dreadful noise. Silence it!" sent chills down her spine. The girl had the impression that she was very far from her room in spite of walking only a couple of minutes. She felt something hitting her feet and, when she looked down, found a soccer ball.
"Nice catch, Sora." The energetic boyish voice almost made the girl jump in surprise. A few meters down the corridor, her childhood friend Taichi beamed at her.
"You came to this place too, Taichi?" She inquired, incredulous.
"I wouldn't be a good friend if I left you alone to take care of everybody." Taichi giggled.
"It's so hard, Taichi." Sora opened her heart. "I was just talking to Mimi-chan and she looks up to me. She thinks all these amazing things about me, and I know it should make me happy that I make her feel safe… but I feel like I'm deceiving her. And I can't stop thinking about the day when she'll see the real me. I know I'm going to let her down and it breaks my heart."
Sora wiped the few tears from her eyes. She did not know why she was telling Taichi all those things. He probably would not understand. She concluded that she just needed to talk to someone but she felt guilty for burdening her friend with her concerns. Sora felt a gentle touch in her shoulder and was shocked to see that Taichi had gotten close to her so quickly.
"I'll take care of everything now. You no longer need to worry, Sora."
"You'll take care of everything?"
"If you let me, I'll make you feel good."
Sora wanted to feel good. She needed that. The girl believed that if she kept going she'd soon break down. But her friend was there. The charismatic guy able to encourage everybody in the soccer club was there and said he would take charge. Sora felt that she'd be abusing of her friend's kindness if she agreed. She did not want to be selfish, but she could not bring herself to decline his offer. She was ashamed but relieved to whisper"yes."
And then Sora felt as if someone ripped her heart out.
Piyomon had collapsed after she took a few steps from the bedroom. She felt like she was drowning in cold water and could not move. Her sight got dark and small delicate hands carried her to another place. It was a dark and cold room where the weakened Gomamon and Patamon had been locked.
"It's Piyomon! They must've gotten Sora too!" Gomamon cried.
"She's not even talking. Piyomon seems to be in a far worse state than us." Patamon had almost no energy in his voice.
"Then it's up to Mimi, Koushiro, Palmon and Tentomon now. They're the only ones who can save everybody."
Koushiro and Tentomon had been going down a corridor for what felt like hours.
"This building can't possibly be this big. There must be a space distortion in this place." Koushiro theorized.
"Koushiro-han, I'm tired. What are you even looking for?" Tentomon complained.
"It's a general investigation, although…"
"Although what?"
"Do you remember that human sized clown doll we saw earlier?" Koushiro asked with hesitation.
"That thing with the scary vibe?"
"You found it scary?"
"You didn't, Koushiro-han?"
"I don't really know how to explain it…" Koushiro was evasive. "It's not really a logical thing. I think I have seen that doll before."
"Horrible sound!" A menacing whisper echoed in the corridor in front of them. The lights started to flick. "Destroy that horrifying noise!"
"What is this?" Koushiro asked, frightened.
"I think it's getting closer. We should run!" Tentomon sounded alarmed.
The two turned around and saw the clown toy a couple of steps away, reaching its arms to them, as if silently asking the boy and the insect digimon to hold its hands.
"Koushiro-han, let's get away from that thing!" Tentomon tried to pull his partner but the child stayed in the same spot.
"Wait, Tentomon. We don't know if the clown doll wants to hurt us."
"Destroy the noise! End the noisy!" The voices coming from the other side of the corridor were getting louder.
"I will protect you." The clown doll promised. Its voice was calm and assuring. Without thinking, Koushiro grabbed its hand and he and Tentomon were teleported to a room with no door or windows.
There was a big crib in the center of the bedroom, an armchair at its left and a bed-side table at its right.
"A nursery…" Koushiro thought aloud. The place felt strangely familiar.
"You will be safe here, Koushiro." The toy said in a tranquil voice.
"Safe from what?" Tentomon inquired.
"Monzaemon." The clown spoke with controlled rage. "He's a toy digimon that resembles a gigantic stuffed bear. He has a magical book that he uses to bring toys from the human world and make them grow and gain life. Monzaemon is the cruelest being I ever encountered."
"I don't understand." Koushiro expressed his confusion.
"Toys are naturally telepathic. For us, human emotions are like music. The happiest the child, the most beautiful the melody. But nobody can be happy all the time. And it's the job of the toys to relieve the sadness; we exist for the sake of children. Monzaemon betrayed that mission."
"Betrayed?" Tentomon asked.
"He is obsessed with beautiful melodies and made almost all the toys he 'rescued' share that trait. That monster doesn't care about the well-being of children and will do anything to get 'happy music' from them, like tear their souls apart and reassemble them in a way that pleases him. Just like what he did to three of the children that came here today… and what he has planned for you."
"Monzaemon did what to them?" Koushiro was terrified. "Where are they now? I need to help them!"
"If you leave this room you'll just become another victim." The toy spoke with authority. "You can't help anyone."
"I can't just hide while they're in danger! Please, let me help them!" Koushiro begged. The clown toy got closer to the boy and held his face gently. All of a sudden, the child fell asleep. The clown carried Koushiro to the crib and accommodated him there.
"What did you do to him?" Tentomon was angry and worried.
"Koushiro is just sleeping. Please, guard him while I'm away."
"Why did you do that to him? Where are you going?"
"I couldn't let him put himself in danger and couldn't make him stop worrying. This is my way to protect Koushiro while I save his friends."
"Why do you care so much about Koushiro-han?"
The toy stayed silent for a minute. Memories flashed before its eyes. It had been a gift a widow father had made for his only daughter. The girl never stopped treasuring the toy, even after her father passed away, even after she married the dork Math professor, or even after she had a child. The toy had always been in her heart until her heart stopped beating. And then Monzaemon took the toy from the car wreckage and tried to install his malefic world vision in it. The clown had peeked on the bear's magical book and learned how to manipulate the space and hide. And the clown would have stayed hidden forever had Koushiro not entered that cursed hotel.
"I don't take promises lightly." It said, disappearing. Tentomon did not understand what was happening but stayed close to the crib where his friend was asleep.
After finishing A New Hope, Mimi and Palmon got hungry. The girl took her bag, touched by Sora's demonstration of trust, and left the bedroom with her partner. They took the elevator to the hall and went to the dinner room. Jyou, Takeru and Sora were enjoying a meal in the company of a giant yellow teddy bear. The children had serene faces and exhibited enormous smiles that Mimi thought lacked sentiment.
"Be welcome, my dear Mimi." The bear greeted, indicating a seat. "It's a pleasure to listen to your heart's song so closely. I am Monzaemon."
Mimi did not understand what the digimon meant, but she was more intrigued with the children's behavior and the absence of their digimon.
"Sora-san? Jyou-san? Takeru-kun?" The girl called. The three children looked up to her. Their eyes seemed empty.
"This is truly a wonderful place. I am so relaxed." Jyou spoke in an emotionless monotone voice.
"I want to stay here forever. I don't need anything or anyone." Takeru also spoke in the same way.
Sora did not say anything. She smiled largely at the younger girl, like the boys. Those smiles deeply disturbed Mimi.
"What is wrong with them?" The girl questioned in a frightened voice.
"Where are their digimon? They would never leave them alone!" Palmon added.
"Their digimon are indisposed." Monzaemon replied. "And there's nothing wrong with the children. Can't you see how happy they are? I dismantled their disharmonic songs of desperation and turned them into beautiful melodies."
"I don't understand what that means. What did you do to them? They're not acting like themselves! They're not acting like people!" Mimi shouted. Monzaemon stood up from his seat.
"Stop!" He ordered. "You have to stay happy! Your melody is becoming unpleasant!"
"I DON'T CARE IF I'M UNPLEASANT!" Mimi cried loudly. "AND DON'T TELL ME TO BE HAPPY AFTER YOU BRAINWASHED MY FRIENDS, YOU FREAK!"
Monzaemon straightened his posture and adopted a calm tone of voice:
"It's okay, Mimi. I can fix you."
"Don't listen to him, Mimi!" Palmon warned the girl.
"If you allow me, I can erase all of the negative things you're feeling. I can fill you with happiness."
"Stay away from me!" Mimi ordered, taking a step back.
"You are scared and upset. I can throw those things away."
"OF COURSE I AM SCARED AND UPSET!" Mimi shouted as tears fell from her eyes. "I am terrified, concerned for my friends and furious at you! And I am entitled to feel this way! I won't let you take these feelings from me!"
The sound of clapping came from the dinner room's entrance. The clown toy was cheering Mimi on.
"You are truly impressive, girl. You are easily the strongest person to ever come here."
"Mr. Raindrop!" Monzaemon roared. "You finally show yourself in front of me."
"Girl, go to the left elevator and press the highest number. You'll get to Monzaemon's office."
"Stop talking, Mr. Raindrop!" Monzaemon threatened, moving forward. The clown jumped between the bear monster and the girl and her digimon.
"There is a huge book with a black cover over his table! Set the book on fire and all the magic Monzaemon performed will be undone! That's the only way to save your friends!"
Mimi and Palmon ran to the elevator. Mr. Raindrop continued to block Monzaemon's passage.
"My toys will stop that fool!" Monzaemon stated.
"The toys won't lay a finger on the owner of such a marvelous melody." The clown toy retorted.
"That ferocious madness is not marvelous!"
"It's a pity you don't appreciate rock opera." Mr. Raindrop said. The bear digimon grabbed the toy and tore it into little pieces. In its last moments of consciousness, the clown remembered what its beloved friend asked him almost a year before she died.
"Please, take care of my child after he's born. Just like you always took care of me."
Mimi and Palmon rushed into the elevator as soon as it opened and the girl pushed the highest number with all her energy. After the doors closed, she fell to her knees and cried.
"I can't do this! I can't do this! I should've looked for Koushiro-kun and Tentomon!"
"There was no time, Mimi."
"But I can't defeat that bear monster! I'm just a little girl! I can't even walk long distances or carry heavy bags! How am I supposed to save the others?!"
Mimi was shaking in despair. She felt weak and incapable by herself. She needed someone to help her! To protect her! She had always been protected from everything her entire life!
"Mimi." Palmon held her friend's hands. "I know you can do this. Didn't you hear what that clown doll said? You are very strong!"
"No, I'm not strong!"
"A weak person wouldn't confront Monzaemon!" Palmon stated. "You always stand up for yourself and now you're standing up for your friends! Who cares if you don't have thick legs yet or if you cry a lot? That doesn't matter! Believe me when I say this: your heart is like a stronghold."
Palmon's words gave Mimi confidence. What her friend said was true. When did the girl stop believing in herself? Mimi had survived everything that strange world had thrown at her. Now was not the time to doubt her capacity.
"I guess it's my turn to protect everybody else." The girl said, wiping the tears. "Thank you, Palmon."
The elevator reached its destination. Mimi and Palmon entered an office filled with bookshelves. On a desk nearby, a big book with black cover was visible. The girl grabbed it and set it on the floor. She opened her bag and pulled out the bottle of fuel and the matches. Mimi was soaking the book when Monzaemon teleported to the middle of the room.
"Stay away from that, you stupid child!" He ordered.
"I'm going to save my friends! You can't stop me!" Mimi said, lighting three matches at the same time.
"Wait!" Monzaemon pleaded. "I'll give you anything you want!"
"I want my friends back to normal!" Mimi demanded.
"I can't do that, but I can send you back to your world." Monzaemon offered. "I can even make you forget about those children, so you can live happily. What do you say? Be a good girl and give me the book."
Mimi hesitated for a split second. What if that was her only chance of going back home? Then, she glanced at Palmon, who was standing between the girl and the stuffed bear, willing to fight to protect her partner. Mimi remembered about how Sora-san and even Jyou-san were always thinking about the well-being of the group and doing everything in their power to protect the smaller children. She felt ashamed of her hesitance.
"I want my friends back to normal!" Mimi restated. "Even if it means that I'll be stuck in this scary place forever! Even if it means that I'll have to sleep on the ground and eat fruits and walk until exhaustion, I will never abandon my friends!"
"You fool!" Monzaemon advanced against Mimi, but the girl's device shone brightly and enveloped Palmon. Where the flower digimon was a second before, a huge cactus with boxing gloves appeared.
"Palmon evolves to TOGEMON!"
Togemon punched Monzaemon on the face, sending him flying towards a bookshelf.
"Hurry, Mimi!" The cactus told her partner.
"I won't let you!" Monzaemon stood up and ran to Togemon, who stopped him.
"This ends now!" Mimi said, throwing the matches on the book, which quickly burned.
"Noooooo!" Mozaemon was enveloped by shadows and disappeared. The entire office was consumed by light and Mimi felt like she was floating.
When the light faded, Togemon and Mimi were standing in a glade. A few steps from them, the other four children and their digimon were waking up.
"I had the weirdest dream," Jyou said. "We were in a hotel with toys and my father showed up…"
"I also dreamed with that hotel!" Takeru exclaimed. "My brother was there and he was so mean to me! And I think I said rude things to Jyou-san."
"Don't worry about that," Jyou comforted the little boy.
"That wasn't a nightmare, was it?" Sora wondered in loud voice, clenching her right fist over her chest.
"Sooooooraaaaa!" Piyomon jumped happily on her partner. "You had disappeared and everything became cold and dark! I was so worried!"
"Takeru, I thought something terrible had happened!" Patamon hovered over his partner's head. "I was afraid I would never see you again."
"You're alright, Jyou?" Gomamon asked the older boy in a serious tone, which surprised the 6th grader.
"Yes. Thank you for worrying about me, Gomamon." The boy smiled at the white seal creature.
"Is that Palmon?" Tentomon asked, pointing at the giant cactus.
"A cactus wearing boxing gloves?!" Jyou could not believe his eyes.
"This is Togemon. She helped me defeat Monzaemon, an evil teddy bear that brainwashed you guys," Mimi explained enthusiastically. "I used all of my bonfire fuel to burn his magical book down and save you."
"You saved us, Mimi-san? You're incredible!" Takeru said in amazement.
Mimi blushed.
"T-thank you. I guess I'm kind of awesome," she laughed.
"You did great, Mimi-chan. I'm very proud," Sora gave the girl a warm and sincere smile, which made Mimi's face turn completely red.
"Good job, Mimi-kun," Jyou praised. "I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier."
"Apologies accepted," Mimi beamed at Jyou. The girl was truly happy that everybody was safe and back to normal. But there was still something she wanted to tell them. "I appreciate everything you and Sora-san have done to protect me, Takeru-kun and Koushiro-kun. I know that I still have a lot to learn but I'm not as childish and fragile as you might think. I want you to rely on me as well."
Togemon devolved to Palmon and hugged her partner.
"You already are very reliable, Mimi!" The plant digimon said, smiling.
Koushiro sat and looked around. There were no traces of the nursery or the clown doll or any of the other toys.
"That doll put you to sleep," Tentomon informed the boy. "I think it was honestly trying to protect you."
"But why? Who was that toy?" Koushiro muttered to himself. "Did I know it?"
"Maybe that'll remain a mystery forever. Don't think too much about it," Tentomon advised.
Far from there, Monzaemon was standing in front of a big red door in a bad lit corridor.
"Mercy," He pleaded. "Please, Mother. Be merciful."
"After you stole one of my books?" The female voice from the other side of the door asked in an icy tone. "After you betrayed me and fought alongside them in the Ancient Times?"
"Your song had become so sad. I-I was desperate!"
"Your selfishness is unbelievable, Monzaemon. But I shall give you another chance in the future."
"Thank you, Mother! Thank you so much!" Monzaemon bowed in gratitude. "Now you'll let me go back?"
"You will stay here."
"But… Mother, the cries…"
"Have you not learned anything today, Monzaemon?" The woman scolded. "Those who are wronged are entitled to sadness. Since you helped in their demise, you must acknowledge their pain."
"NO! PLEASE, NO!" Monzaemon begged but had no reply.
The Mother observed in a screen the group of children and their digimon. She smiled with satisfaction.
"I have a good feeling about these kids."
Thank you very much for reading. This was the longest and most difficult chapter to write so far. Please, leave reviews. I'm curious to know your opinions. :)