Hello, hello~

I would have had this chapter out a bit sooner, but...well...the holidays were upon me. And then, because nothing can ever go just right, I lost over 4000 words of progress one night when my LibreOffice program glitched and forcequit, taking an entire third of a draft with it. Sadness. Fortunately, I still had all of my notes and even a rough outline to go back and work with, retyping out the whole chapter all over again.

Speaking of: according to those notes, this is probably somewhere around the halfway point. I say "probably", of course, because even I don't know for certain. Oh, don't misunderstand me. I absolutely have the entirety of Pandroa's Box outlined in full. I have all the notes and dialogue quips and themes and even the very last scene already written out in my notebook (spoilers: it's really cute). For those who expressed concerns given it took me so long to get back to, yes, this story WILL be completed. It'll just take a little while, that's all.

On top of that, I tend to keep writing and writing and adding more and more detail until each chapter ends up far larger than originally intended. So, where as I might have written out this chapter and parts of the next chapter together...well...I keep having to edit the stopping points based on word count. My original goal was to TRY and keep the chapters under 10,000 words. As you can see, One and Two succeeded while Three and Four did not. Two and a half scenes from Five had to be pushed back to Six in order to accommodate. Which kind of sucks a little, because I really liked those scenes, but hey. That's how it goes sometimes.

In the meantime, have a very dialogue and exposition-heavy chapter which I hope still reads just as interesting and makes just as much sense to you, the reader, as it did in my head!


PANDORA'S BOX
(Episode Five - "Epistasis")


The room they entered was large. Easily larger than either of the bedrooms, with a ceiling that spanned more than two stories up. Combined with the hard tile floors, and it made for an eery echo as the group slowly made their way inside through the large, wooden doors.

"Please," Their host led the way, maneuvering over to the head of a long table. She motioned towards the eight seats, four on each side. "Sit, if you choose."

Everyone remained standing.

Koushiro, in particular, allowed himself a moment to really take in their newest surroundings. There were no windows. No other doors. Only the single entrance, which fed back into the dark hallway. He wondered, at first, how the room could be so brightly lit when there were no signs of a light source...until he saw them: eight glowing orbs that seemed to hover at strategic locations on each of the four walls. He'd originally dismissed them because they were each so dim and produced a different shade, but once he got a better look...

The far wall had the symbol for "West" hanging in the center, flanked on either side by a blue and orange orb, respectively. Adjacent to that was the symbol for "North", similarly flanked by purple and silver. The same with the "East" symbol—which he had to crank his neck to find above the doorway-only with pink and yellow, and the "South" symbol, with red and green. Strange...no, seemingly impossible as it was, Koushiro knew it had to be more than mere coincidence. What he didn't know was what it all meant.

While he was busy pondering, Taichi also had a sudden realization. Namely, that the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. Someone was watching him. Blatantly. He turned his head, slowly at first, further and further back until-

Mimi?

Upon learning she'd been caught, the younger girl's cheeks flushed her favorite color. However, rather than averting her gaze at Taichi's bewildered look, she simply smiled back at him and gave a half-hearted shrug in response.

"Sorry. It's just...I hadn't realized how much you'd...grown...the last couple of years."

Grown?

The boy glanced down, and it was only then that he remembered, in all the chaos of everything that had happened, he'd completely forgotten to put a shirt on. Countless hours spent out on the soccer field had developed his abdomen muscles to the point where they were both toned and taut, and the sun's bronzing of his skin only further emphasized their definition. He hadn't thought much about it until then, but with the way Mimi was continuing to sneak appreciative glances when she figured he wasn't looking at her anymore, he found himself growing unusually self-conscious.

As he folded his arms across his chest protectively, he could have sworn he heard Sora snickering behind him. That settled that; if for no other reason than movement, Taichi made a point of stomping over to the nearest chair, pulling it out, and plopping himself straight down in it. The seat was about as uncomfortable as it looked, but at least the table came all the way up to his mid-chest.

To his left, Sora took the remaining end seat. She was still grinning, and Taichi did his best to ignore her. The fact that Hikari somehow managed to slip into the chair to his right helped a little. He distracted himself by giving his little sister a decent once-over, noting how she was still bundled up in Takeru's thick comforter. Takeru himself, meanwhile, claimed the seat to Hikari's right, and Taichi had yet to decide if he was grateful for the younger boy's continued presence, or still pissed at him for keeping the secret about what happened earlier.

Four more chairs scraped against the floor as Koushiro, Yamato, Jou, and Mimi—the latter of whom seemed to be making up for her earlier embarrassment by sending a teasing wink Taichi's way—each claimed the remaining seats. Their host took that as her cue to finally begin.

A hand lifted into the air, and swiped right. All eight lights dimmed considerably, leaving the room in near darkness until a ninth began streaming down from some unseen source in the ceiling. From there, her fingers began to dance through the air, each touch lighting up a previously unseen square. Like an invisible keyboard. The light in front of them began to fizzle and warp, slowly forming an image in front of them.

An image of Apocalymon.

Nearly everyone recoiled back, several cries of both fear and surprise ringing through the air.

"That's-!" Taichi began, his eyes wide.

"...only an illusion," the woman explained gently. Paying little heed to the racing hearts and paled expression around her. She did her best to meet each of their gazes from behind the three-dimensional screen and offered what she believed to be a reassuring smile. "What you are seeing now is a memory of the past. A hologram. It cannot harm you, and you cannot harm it. Just as before, only a little more...contained."

Gradually, everyone returned to their seats, though their eyes remained cautiously fixated on the hologram.

All except for Hikari, who was visibly confused by the reference. Takeru leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Five seconds passed...ten...fifteen in, his explanation continued, audible to her ears only, until her lips parted in sheer amazement. Only when he was done did she turn to him with a look of partial disbelief and mouthed 'really?', to which he nodded.

Jou leaned forward, resting both arms on the table. "This was our final battle with him. I remember—there!" He motioned to a series of small explosions emitting from each of their younger hologram selves as a now familiar scene continued to play out. "That was when he destroyed our Crests."

"No, not destroyed." Mimi shook her head, turning to him. "He tried to break them, but it didn't matter. It was like you said before, Jou-kun. We had the traits within us all along."

Sure enough, as the battle continued (albeit in a highly abridged form), evidence of all eight Crests still present within them remained. Both the glowing on their respective chests, allowing them to return to the battle with renewed vigor and strength, as well as the subsequent lights that later began to emit from each of their digivices. Lights that came together until they connected in a cube around the entire Digital World. Protecting it from all corners. All eight of them.

"You can see now why it was so important for you to find the eighth Chosen," the woman nodded at the image, fingers just barely grazing the edge of the hologram as she indicated to each corner. As if counting them all would further emphasize her point. "It was your power that protected us from the threat of Apocalymon, and it was from those eight equal points that you all came together to help shape the rebirth of the Digital World itself."

More than a few eyes glanced Hikari's way. The search for her had been great, indeed. Even Vamdemon had been so desperate to find her, as if Hikari alone had the answers to victory. Of course, that hadn't been the case—at least, not entirely. She wasn't the answer, but rather part of a much larger picture. The second arrow to be shot in order to achieve an evolution previously unknown to any of their digimon. The final piece of the puzzle they'd all needed in order to achieve victory. Together.

Granted, none of this was news to any of them. Not anymore. Nothing, except for one particular phrase.

"When you say we 'shaped the rebirth of the Digital World'..." Koushiro began, before trailing off. His tone was suspicious enough to earn him several curious looks.

Their host smiled in approval, nodding. "Very good, Knowledge. It is as I have said: the Digital World was reborn under the influence of your power. Even now, that influence continues—or haven't you already noticed?"

For a fleeting moment, silence prevailed.

Hikari, meanwhile, felt an increasingly uneasy feeling swell within her. Like a deep, nauseating sensation in the pit of her stomach. She closed her eyes, hoping to will it away, but it persisted with each and every passing second. The only solace in that time was the fact that she couldn't hear the sound of water. Not a single drop.

"But...how?" Jou was the first of the group to speak up. He, too, seemed a little warier than the rest, though that tended to be his natural state of being. "You said we're an influence. I mean, I can understand if our presence might mean something. Many of the digimon Mimi-chan and I met in the past said as much. But...what else could that possibly mean? Both for the Digital World, and...for us"

A nod. It was a fair question. "Think back..."

Another swipe. The Eight Points of Light faded away, replaced with a visual of the Digital World as it had been only a few hours before. Specifically, during that time in which the weather had made even less sense than usual. Strong winds blowing from three different directions, including upward. Cloudless rain pouring from the skies. At one point, the ground trembled violently in what was either a massive earthquake, or else the largest digimon they had never seen approaching.

"...although, I suppose it would be unfair to ask you to recall this particular incident, Reliability, as you had been unconscious at the time. Poisoned, I believe. A rather potent mixture that was meant to interrupt the electrical balance and flow of digital neurons, severely compromising your code...and, with it, the stability of the code of the Digital World itself."

Jou glanced at the woman, then to the flash of images he had no way of remembering, then back to her again. Twice more, he repeated the gesture before his jaw dropped in sudden realization: "I did that?!"

"Technically, it would be more accurate to blame the person who poisoned you," she mildly correct him. Though, to her credit, she did have the grace to look sympathetic to his former plight. "But, yes, it was your influence that momentarily disrupted the balance. After all, you represent more than just your own responsibilities now. With your presence in the Digital World, you had the power to ensure that what is Relied upon to be, always and shall. And, like the wheel to Life itself, any sudden disruption can have highly unfavorable consequence."

Jou blinked once. Twice. A third time. Slowly pulling away from the table, he slumped into his chair with all the metaphorical weight that had just been dumped onto his shoulders—or, rather, that he was only just being informed was already there. The sheer force of the movement was enough to knock his glasses slightly askew. He didn't bother to fix them.

"No pressure," he murmured under his breath.

In almost direct contrast, however, Mimi sat up that much straighter, her brows furrowing. She was hardly known among the group for her brains or quick wit, but she also wasn't stupid. Nor was she able to forget anytime soon; a certain connection was forming in her mind, several pieces of a puzzle she hadn't even realized she'd been working over and over until that very moment falling into place.

A hunch: "So...when Jou-kun got better...was that because of his Crest? Because we were relying on him to?"

"No, Purity." The woman shook her head. "It wasn't his Crest that healed him. It was yours."

"Mine?" She tried to sound more surprised than she really was, and ended up sounding that much more nervous.

"Yes. Let me show you."

Another swipe. The Digital World disappeared, replaced with images that only Mimi would immediately have recognized. No one else bothered to question how it was possible, because it was clearly Mimi's perspective they were all seeing now. Flashes of the Center where Vamdemon had held so many innocents captive in his search for Hikari. Sora had been among them, as had Mimi and her parents.

More typing.

The image fizzled out, and then back in to a view of everyone laying on the ground, prone. Unconscious.

"Everyone around you had submitted to the effects of the Virus' gas. Everyone except you. Did it ever occur to you to stop and question why?"

As a matter of fact, it hadn't.

Mimi had simply taken for granted that she'd remained conscious. Or, rather, that the effects hadn't lasted very long for her, and she'd woken up in time to meet up with Palmon and the others, allowing her to evolve to Togemon, and then—finally—her crest activating into Lillymon.

Even now, as she glanced down at her chest, visualizing where the symbol of Purity had once rested, her lips pressed into a thin line at the memory.

"Because of my Crest?" she glanced up in question.

"Because of you." Despite the correction, she appeared to be agreeing with Mimi rather than arguing. "Because of who you are, and the trait you bear strongest in your heart. It allowed you to purify the evil digimon's toxins from your body on that day, just as it allowed you to purify the poison inside Reliability before he could fully succumb."

It was Mimi's turn to stare, jaw agape, as she saw the image of her Crest appear in the hologram. A three-dimensional graphic of a teardrop shape with a single circle inside, slowly rotating. Emitting a soft, green hue. From there, it slowly began to shrink and fade until it looked like a drop of water, which proceeded to fall into a previously unseen puddle.

Wordlessly, the young girl reached up with one hand, fingers brushing over the skin beneath her eye. They were dry now, but she remembered all too well the tears that had spilled over. Each and every time.

"Just as you are pure of heart, so do you now embody the purity of the mind, body, and soul. That is your influence."

The corners of her lips twitched upward, and she let out a modest bought of laughter.

From beside her, she heard Jou's voice speak up: "Guess that means you saved my life after all, Mimi-chan." Still in something of a daze, she turned to find him sending a shy, crooked grin her way. His glasses still askew. "And here I thought I was supposed to be the doctor of the group."

A joke.

Jou was joking. Somewhat. The thought alone was enough to at least partially break her from her stupor, and she found herself mirroring his expression as she instinctively reached over to straightened his glasses for him. An action that, of course, earned a blush so light that only she was close enough to witness it.

Any other time, she would have relished in the thought. Right then, however, there were far too many emotions welling within her to properly display them all, so she settled for relief. Relief that Jou was okay. That he was okay because of her. That she wasn't quite so useless as she once thought. That those tears she'd felt ashamed of spilling in the past had actually done something, and gave-

"What about me?" Koushiro asked.

Despite everything, more than a few pairs of eyes were rolled. Even Mimi was too busy sighing to glare all that hard at him for interrupting her moment.

A chuckle from the head of the table betrayed the woman's shared sentiment. "I'm tempted to say that you just answered your own question, Knowledge." With a slight look of apology towards Mimi—who shrugged in response—she swiped at the hologram with one hand, erasing the current image. "However, as you no doubt suspect, there is a little more it it than an insatiable desire for information. Do you remember when I said that I could not appear to you in the woods without your and Light's help?"

He nodded. "You said you needed the Knowledge to tell you where to go."

"And did it yet occur to you precisely how you came in possession of that knowledge?"

He opened his mouth to answer...then hesitated.

Until then, he thought he knew the answer. It had seemed so obvious, considering. Her presence. Her touch. She'd placed a single finger on both his and Hikari's foreheads, and suddenly, they both knew where to go. Verifying one another's choices. Taking into account the eccentric and unusual nature of the Digital World itself, and Koushiro had assumed the knowledge had been...well...for a lack of a better term, downloaded into their respective minds.

Only...the way she was looking at him right now...like she was expecting him to say just that...combined with everything he had just learned of Mimi and Jou...not to mention, what he strongly suspected was yet to come regarding the others...

He closed his mouth, and shook his head.

"I did not give you the information, if that is what you were wondering." When Koushiro's eyes tellingly averted, she continued. "I only allowed you a momentary chance to access your own ability. As the bearer of Knowledge, you can see the Digital World for what it really is. Every last line of code. The Truth behind such data."

Yamato sat up in his seat, looking slightly confused but mostly unimpressed. "Wait, so what you're saying is that he's basically a walking database of the Digital World?"

"And that's different from before...how...?" Taichi added, equally confused/unimpressed.

All eyes which had been on them as they spoke turned back to the woman in question.

In response, she held up a single finger. "Perhaps I should have mentioned the part where he can now access it without the use of his laptop. Anywhere. Anytime. Anything. So long as the answer can be found without the immediate area's coding, of course."

Both boys almost immediately shot up in their chairs, eyes wide. They turned to look at Koushiro, who was doing his best not to meet either of their gazes, then back to one another, then back to the woman.

"Any data?" Taichi asked for clarification.

"Yes."

"...even...?" Yamato chimed in, his voice slightly weak.

"That too."

They wisely melted back into their chairs at that.

Sora took the silence that followed as her cue to speak up. "I suppose I can guess what ours might be." She motioned to herself and Taichi. Even though all eyes were suddenly on her, curious as to what she would say, she found herself strangely at ease. After all...it was kind of obvious, if one stopped to think about it: "I'm meant to represent the Love in the Digital World. Yamato-kun represents the bonds of Friendship, and Taichi over there is all the Courage it takes to get things done."

"Admittedly, a simplified means of description, but not wholly inaccurate."

More than just a swipe was required this time. The woman seemed to pull out that invisible keyboard once more, and with both hands typed. The hologram seemed to split into three separate lights, despite still emitting from the same single source, and each of the aforementioned Crests appeared. To the right, an orange sun. To the left, two blue wavy lines connected by a central circle. And in the center, a certain red heart.

"Fitting that you should be the one to speak up, Love. For Love is more than mere emotion." The heart in the center slowly fizzled away until it became a red circle. Then it split into two circles. A line emerged from one, allowing it to connected with the other. "It is a bond between individuals, for better or worse. To those who may not understand it as you will come it, it can be misinterpreted as wild and unpredictable. Dangerous and frightening. Even blinding."

Love is Blind.

It was an expression Sora had heard often enough in her childhood to recognize the reference.

"But here, it is just the opposite. It is the invisible strings that tie hearts together. Strings only you will be able to see. Feelings you will be able to discern, perhaps, even before the individuals themselves realize."

Sora barely had time to react before the three different holographic screens seemed to rotate, pushing the symbol of Love to where Courage once was, Courage in the place of Friendship, and left Friendship in the center's focus.

"In many ways, it can be tied to Friendship. Although, while the bonds of Love are often involuntary or even subconscious...it is our conscious actions that allow us to willingly choose who our friends are."

The Friendship symbol slowly spun around, like an extended wheel. At any given moment, it seemed as if one side grew darker in shade, only for it to appear lighter from a different angle. Taking full advantage of the three-dimensional trick on the eyes caused both by the shape and movement of the design.

"Be it friend, neighbor, or even amicable acquaintance...it is your Crest, Friendship, that—with time—will always be able to discern those intentions towards one another. Assure that their heart is as true and honest as yours, rather than a means of purposeful deception."

As true and honest as yours...

Rather than flattery, Yamato winced as he felt a small wave of guilt sweep over him. Guilt for the words and actions he'd taken all those years ago. Memories flashing once more in his mind. In that moment, he glanced Taichi's way and found the other boy staring right back at him. Neither pleased nor angered, eyes alone betraying the fact that he was thinking of that time as well.

Even the woman allowed him a moment of sympathy; she, too, seemed to carry those memories with her still. After all, it had been her presence that stopped the fight between them

"And Courage..." she finally continued after a moment's pause. The three symbols switched places once more, this time allowing the orange sun to appear in the center. "...I believe it goes without saying what your influence is. What you inspire in others. Not just in the face of one's fears, but in knowing and understanding the hard choices that sometimes need to be made. You are the Chosen leader for a reason, after all. It is your Courage that fuels the others. Keeps you all going. In time...your mere presence will be enough to strengthen their resolve and allow them to act. Many lives will look to you in the future, as well, for that strength in the face of uncertainty."

All the while, the orange sun began to glow brighter and brighter...in the process, spreading out until its touch could be reached by the two previously separate holographic images. Though the red heart and blue wheel maintained their core colors, each were soon outlined in a bright orange.

The corners of Taichi's lips twitched upward. Proud, but maintaining some semblance of humility in the face of his friends, whose eyes he could feel looking directly at him. Yamato and Sora's, in particular. It was something the woman also took silent note of.

That is Courage as well.

With little more to be said on that end, she turned to the two youngest of the group. "And that leaves..."

But she soon trailed off, and for the first time, uncertainness marred her features. Brows furrowed. Lips pursed together.

When the rest of the group followed her line of vision, they saw Hikari staring straight down at the ground. Unmoving. Her hair just barely fell over her face, obscuring her eyes from those on either side of her, and for a split second, fear washed over them that she had been taken once more.

...except...

No; Takeru was too close. He would have noticed.

Her head lifted then and, as she looked directly at the woman, it was sadness that shone in her eyes.

"You know what I'm going to tell you, Light, don't you?" she called softly to the young girl.

Hikari nodded. Beside her, Takeru had a similarly concerned look on his face. Not quite as certain as she—he never was—but strongly suspecting.

The woman waited for a time to see if Light would answer on her own behalf. Or if Hope would step in. When neither chose to do so, only then did she take it upon herself, swiping at the three holographic screens in front of her, merging the three into now two symbols. A pink star on one side, and a yellow sunrise on the other.

"The Crests of Courage...Friendship...Love...Reliability...Knowledge...Purity...are each powerful in and of their own right." She began. Without any movement on her part, the two symbols slowly began to rotate around one another in equal orbit. "But the Crests of Light and Hope are different. Connected. It is the Crest of Light that brings life to the Digital World, and it is the Crest of Hope that continues it to shine, no matter how the Darkness may try to hide it."

Life to the Digital World.

Six pairs of eyes exchanged incredulous glances. Surprised, and yet...

It made sense. Somewhat. Thinking back over the last few years, assuming the crest of Light to be some sort of life-force in and of itself explained so much about Hikari. Why her Crest was so much more powerful. Why her light could trigger an evolution in other digimon—be it her and Takeru's Crests allowing such unique arrows to fly at their loved ones, unharmed, to fulfill a great prophecy, or an explosion of energy in her own right triggering Agumon's warp evolution into WarGreymon—and why she always seemed to know things she shouldn't have. Why the being no one else could see or hear could speak through her, and why she could sense certain attributes in others.

Because she was so finely attuned to them all.

And, on top of that...

"That's why Takeru-kun was able to bring her back," Sora finished what they had all been thinking. "If their Crests are connected like you say they are..."

"Precisely." The woman nodded. "Hope is Light's anchor to this world. And more. When all is lost...whenever it seems as if there is no good left...Hope will always be one's saving grace."

Takeru sat up that much straighter, eyes momentarily glazing over. An image—no, a memory—just barely forming in his mind. That phrase...it sounded so familiar. Where had he-?

"And that's why He wants me, isn't it?"

Everyone froze. Even their breath. You could have heard a pin drop in the solid three seconds of silence that followed.

"Yes, child. It is."

Feeling the weight of all their forming questions, the woman immediately returned to her keyboard and began typing. Not even giving them the chance to get a word out. Focus reverted once more to the hologram, in which the Light and Hope symbols grew closer and closer as their holograms merged into a single beam of light...which then gradually faded away into darkness.

Only it hadn't been shut off. Rather, the light that shone before them now was a strangely iridescent black, broken only by the occasional shimmer on what looked like an inky surface. Waves. In the distance above, clouds. A lighthouse of some kind appeared on a rocky cliffside, only rather than light, it shone out even more darkness onto the sea below.

The image seemed to fizzle for a moment.

Frowning, the woman entered in more commands. Her fingers flew with a heightened fury as she did battle with some unseen interference until the hologram finally settled back into its image once more. Just in time to witness a large shadow emerge from the distant depths. Rising higher and higher until the lighthouse behind it seemed like a mere toy in comparison to its great size.

A pair of eyes sprung open.

Hikari screamed.

"NO!"

Throwing the covers from her body, she half scrambled, half fell out of her chair in an attempt to retreat back from the image. Both hands flew to her head, clutching at it as if in pain. Even as she struggled to free her ankles from the tangle of fabric, she kicked and pushed herself further and further away until her back was pressed against the far wall. If she could have kept going, she would have.

"Hikari!""Hikari-chan!" No less than three voices cried out in response, all of them at her side in an instant. Takeru to her left, Taichi to her right, and Sora kneeling directly in front of her. Each looking equally helpless as the young girl continued to sob.

"Please..." Her knees were pulled halfway up to her chest, head bowed. The words came out muffled. "Make it stop...please..."

"Turn it off!" Taichi growled over his shoulder, back towards the woman. "Now!"

Visibly shaken in her own right, the woman gave a curt nod before swiping her hand through the air. The image faded away, leaving behind a single beam of white light. It was clear from the look on her face that she hadn't expected such a reaction. For a moment, behind the look of genuine apology, she seemed...uncertain.

"I did not mean to cause you such pain, Light. Forgive me. I did not..."

But her voice fell on deaf ears as everyone's attention was now on Hikari. The remaining four on the opposite side of the table had all gotten up, torn between coming to her side as well and wanting to give the poor girl some air. She wasn't quite hyperventilating, though she seemed dangerously close as she allowed her brother to pull her tightly into his arms. Her head resting against the crook of his neck. At the same time, however, her knees were notably pressed up against Takeru's, and despite the awkwardness of the angle, she seemed determined to keep them there. All the while, Sora's hands had taken hers and were squeezing her fingers gently.

Courage. Hope. Love. Three people she knew cared for her. Three important figures in her life. Her brother. Her best friend. The girl she often looked up to like a sister. The woman had been wrong; in that moment, all three of them were her anchors to the world. Not just Takeru. And even if none of their Crests were visibly active at the moment, Hikari found comfort in their presence.

Time passed. More than twenty seconds, until her breathing began to slow and she showed signs of calming down.

They waited. All of them. Only when her shoulders slumped did the trio look to one another in confirmation before slowly beginning to rise. Watching Hikari for any signs of a negative reaction and finding none; she allowed them to pull her to her feet and back towards the table.

Taichi, meanwhile, also made sure to send one last scathing look the woman's way before he returned to his chair, this time with Hikari sharing the seat. It was barely big enough to allow them both the space to sit, but he didn't care.

Sora, too, returned to her seat, while Takeru took Hikari's previous seat in order to remain close. The blanket remained on the ground near his feet.

Looking back and forth between Hikari and the woman, Koushiro shifted in his seat several times. He wanted to ask. So very, very badly. He couldn't help himself. Like it had been earlier established, his heart was rooted in Knowledge. Any question on the tip of his tongue was just begging to come out. But his concern for the younger girl momentarily won out and he patiently waited until he finally met Hikari's gaze—and Taichi's, just to be on the safe side—and received nods from the both of them. Only then did he dare entertain the thought of opening his mouth.

"Who was that?" It was, perhaps, the most timid his voice had ever sounded.

Hikari tensed, but otherwise remained seated next to her brother. Bracing herself for what she already knew was to come.

"Dagomon." The woman, too, seemed more hesitant than before. With Hikari's continued lack of reaction, however, she continued on. "At least, that is one of his names. Some call him the Depraved Monk of the Deep. Some call him the Sinful Priest of the Ocean Floor. Some...those who serve under his influence simply call him Master. Little is known of his Origins other than the fact that he is a creature not entirely of this world."

"Then...he's not in the Digital World?" again, Koushiro glanced to his friends as he asked the question.

The woman shook her head. "No. The virus that led to his creation was far too strong to allow him to exist here. He was banished to a realm of his own long ago. A Dark World, where he could be free to rule as he saw fit. For a time, balance was maintained. Dagomon embodies all that is Darkness, you see, just as the Digital World was born of Light. It is the yang to our yin. One could truly never exist without the other."

Somehow, Jou's shoulders managed to slump even as the rest of his body nervously tensed up: "Are you saying we can't actually defeat him?"

"I'm saying you cannot destroy him," she corrected. "But there is another way."

"What is it?" Taichi wanted to know. "We'll do anything. Name it."

"It will not be easy-"

But he cut her off, eyes narrowing: "Do you think we care?! This is my sister's life at stake here!"

"No, Courage." The woman's expression hardened, though the brunt of her gaze was not directed specifically at him. Instead, it turned upward at some unseen presence. "He cannot kill her, and this is something he knows all too well. The Dark can no more destroy the Light anymore than the Light can completely drown out its shadows. It is not her life he seeks, but her power. To hold the Life of this World in his hands. With Light by his side, there would be nothing to stop him from crossing over and spreading his influence until the Digital World is case in a perpetual darkness."

More than a few faces paled, Taichi's included.

"As it is, the walls have already begun to fall. The shadows of night threatening to drown out everything we once knew."

"That's why the stars were going out." Sora added, her voice barely above a whisper.

"And why Hikari-chan's fell sick so quickly." Takeru, meanwhile, struggled to keep his steady.

"Yes."

So Taichi was right, after all. Partially. The woman might have claimed otherwise, but Hikari's life really was in danger. Not of ending—at least, not the typically associated sense—but of being stolen from her. Her freedom. Maybe this Dagomon creature didn't mean her harm, but her certainly wasn't going to leave her alone. They'd already seen the beginnings of how far he could reach. How easily he could call to the young girl.

And, left alone, how helpless she was to fight him off.

One of the chairs crashed to the floor as Mimi abruptly stood up, startling everyone in the room. All eyes turned to her. She either didn't notice or didn't care. Instead, she quickly circled around the table to come over to the Yagami sibling's side, kneeling down in front of them. Tears welled in the corner of her eyes as her heart ached for them both. But it wasn't Hikari's hand she grasped. It was Taichi's. The boy who, from where she had been sitting, looked as if he were about to fall apart at any minute while everyone else was busy worrying over his sister.

For his part, Taichi barely had time to be surprised by Mimi's gesture before he offered the girl a weak smile in gratitude, squeezing her fingers so tightly her she was in danger of losing the feeling in them. Just this once, Mimi didn't even consider complaining.

"Enough." Although, if she'd had the energy to stomp her foot—heck, if she thought it would have made the slightest bit of difference—she would have done so as loudly as possible. "It's not fair. Haven't we done enough for this world already? All the fighting...all the suffering...now this business with our Crests and these powers we didn't ask for and now Hikari-chan's being threatened by some creepy shadow stalker all because of what you all did to us back when we were still kids!"

She paused to take a deep breath. Allowing her words to properly sink in. And the memories that came with it.

That night. The incident in the Hikarigaoka district. The digimon fight all eight of them witnessed. Hikari and Taichi had been at the very center of it all, just as they were now. How old had they been then? Four and Seven? Mimi couldn't have been more than six, herself. Even Jou, the oldest, had yet to reach double digits in age. And yet, because they happened to wake up in time to watch something so horrible...so violent...their data had been scanned by a bunch of cocky Guardians without their permission. Their privacy, invaded.

Her life...Hikari's life...all their lives, changed forever...

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she got.

"More than a single life is a stake here. The very fate of the Digital World itse-"

"Oh, shut up."

That snapped everyone back to reality. Even Taichi momentarily forgot himself as he stared down at Mimi in wide-eyed shock.

The woman, meanwhile, looked...partially taken aback, but also slightly exasperated. "You're not being very helpful right now, Purity."

"No, I'm not." Mimi agreed matter-of-factly. "I'm being exactly the opposite of helpful, and I'll tell you why." Fueled by her rising anger, Mimi stood up and sent the full of her Princess Glare towards their host. Hands on hips, foot even lightly tapping against the floor. Any other time, and it would have had a more comedic effect the way she was really laying it on. "Because I've had it. We all have. We won. We did our part and we saved the world and we all got to go home. And for what? Because now you're not only telling me we have to fight again, but this is an enemy that we can't even properly defeat. We're just supposed to leave him be and let him torment poor Hikari-chan and all for what sake of...what? Balance?"

Her arms folded across her chest, chin lifted defiantly as she gave out a deliberately loud humph. All to hide the fact that she was quite visibly trembling in fear.

"Give me one good reason why we shouldn't just pack our things and head back home right now."

The women met her gaze evenly. "Because...there may not be a way to defeat him, Purity...but there is a way to send him back to the realm from which he was meant to rule in isolation once and for all, so that he might never hurt Light or anyone else ever again."

...okay, that might have been a good reason.

Mimi's wave of anger dissipated in one fell swoop. Her shoulders slumped. Her knees gave out. Behind her, Takeru got up from the seat he'd earlier claimed so that she could collapse into it, rather than fall to the floor. Her hands still shook. Enough for Takeru to remain at her side for a long moment after, worried she might pass out. But she was out of fight, and otherwise remained still.

"How?" she could only ask.

For a single syllable, it was a highly loaded question.

Attention returned to the head of the table. Her response was to return to the invisible keyboard before her, entering in another long sequence of codes. The light of the holographic screen brightened once more, on this time, no scene appeared. No symbol. Only the image of a lovely young woman. One with long, lavender hair. A slender frame. Round glasses. Dressed in a fitted black dress lined with silvery trim.

Jou shifted awkwardly in his seat.

Mimi was too tired to do anything more than let out an undignified growl.

"Dagomon does not yet possess the strength to cross over to the Digital World completely." Not without Light, was the unspoken sentiment, as she glanced Hikari's way. "Because of this, he has sent four of his Dark Chosen to do much of his bidding. Little is known about where they came from, but it can be presumed that similar methods to how you were chosen were used. The girl you see now was one of the first. She goes by the name of Nike and bears the Crest of Lust-"

"No kidding," Mimi muttered under her breath.

If it were possible for Jou to melt all the way through his chair...and maybe the floor...he would have done so right there and then.

"-but not the kind you are thinking of, Purity." The woman send Mimi a pointed look. Though the irony of the statement was not entirely lost on her. "At least, not exclusively. Just as your own Crest can stand for many things, as does hers. One can Lust after any number of things. Power. Attention. Affection. It is a Dark Corruption of the Crests of Love and Purity, fueled by personal desires and a strong will to achieve them, regardless of consequences."

Koushiro sat up, arms unfolding from where they had sat on his chest until that moment. What the woman had just said...about it being a corruption...combining love and purity...his mind flashed back to the cave. The symbols he'd seen on those digimon eggs. A single heart, upside-down, created from two teardrop shapes. At the time, he'd figured it was meant to be for Mimi or Sora. Or both. But now...

There was no typing this time. Only a single flick of one finger, and the image of Nike was replaced by that of a young boy. Younger than any of them, wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and pants. And the blankest expression any of them had ever seen.

"Similarly, we have Bia. Bearer of the Crest of Apathy. A Dark Corruption of the traits born from Reliability and Knowledge. The notion of living comfortably in one's own ignorance. Sheltered. Never asking questions. Never second guessing. No emotional or personal ties or caring of any kind. Merely...existing." Her eyes grew sad as she spoke, as if she pitied the boy. Perhaps she did.

Another flick.

"Cratus. Bearer of the Crest of Resignation." She glanced over to the youngest of the Chosen. Unsurprisingly, the pair were already exchanging glances. As if they recognized and knew what was to come. "A Dark Corruption of the concepts of Light and Hope. Passive submission. All too easily given into the shadows of one's doubts and fears. Allowing them to consume you without a single spark of fight. But, most of all, it symbolizes an utter loss of Free Will."

Another flick—only, this time, before the image could fully render before them, Hikari let out a sharp gasp:

"Daisuke-kun!"

The woman had already opened her mouth to continue her briefing, but paused mid-breath at Hikari's exclamation, turning to look at her in question: "You know of this boy?"

"He's..." Hikari turned to her brother, the back to the screen. Pausing just long enough to swallow once before nodding. Her voice quivered. "We've been friends for years. But...that can't be him; I just saw him in class earlier today!"

"It's him." Koushiro spoke up from his side of the table. Though his brows were married with uncertainty, he stared long and hard at the image before nodding his confirmation. "Or, at least, someone who looks like him. That's one of the two boys who tried to attack me earlier. I saw him with my own eyes."

"...no...that can't be right..." Hikari shook her head. "There must be...Daisuke-kun would never..."

The woman stepped in, her expression far grimmer than before. This development was both new, and more than a little unsettling. While it was true that she could not pinpoint the origins of any of the Dark Chosen...her data indicated their arrival to have taken place several weeks ago, at least. And for one of them to—allegedly—have a previously close relationship to Light...

"If what you say is true...then this could not possibly be the same Daisuke you know. For one, he has been thoroughly corrupted by his own Crest of Bravado. Courage and Friendship turned on their heads so completely, he thinks of nothing but-"

A loud knock echoed throughout the room just then, drawing everyone's attention back to the main door. It shook for a moment, until one of the hooded Guardians burst through. Stumbling in, his robes looked torn. Singed. He coughed several times as he fell to the ground, puffs of smoke slowly wafting into the room. Behind him, the distant sounds of shouting could be heart.

"Forgive me..." more coughing. His voice was hoarse. "...but...the castle...is under attack!"

The woman came around the table in a flurry. "What? That's not possible!"

As if to challenge the notion, an explosion erupted, shaking the entire room so violently that it sent both her and more than a few Chosen crashing to the ground. Those that managed to remain in their seats only did so by instinctively grabbing onto the table in front of them. Bits of wood and plaster went flying, and almost immediately, the scent of burning filled the room.

"What's happening?" Taichi cried out as he threw himself over Hikari, shielding her from the worst of it.

"This cannot be!" The woman continued to assist, her arms held up in defensive. For a moment, her form seemed to flicker as she turned her head to the ceiling. Part of it had already fallen, and there was a large hole in the East Wall. "No one should even know where we are. The data-"

"...has been...compromised...my lady." Gasping, the Guardian just barely made out his last words before falling to the ground, unconscious: "They knew we were here."

Another explosion hit.

This one was so loud, Taichi's ears were ringing in the immediate aftermath. Face buried in Hikari's hair, he looked up to see the room clouded with plaster dust. All eight of the glowing orbs had gone out, casting the room in near darkness. He did a mental count right there, despite the limited vision. Including himself and Hikari, there were eight silhouettes. Three others close by, three in the distance, across the table. They were all moving, if only slightly.

There was no sign of either their host, or the Guardian who'd passed out near the floor.

Before the smoke even cleared, a sharp cackle echoed from above. They looked up; the entirety of the ceiling was gone now, revealing the star-less midnight sky. Atop the nearby remains of the top of the wall stood two figures. The girl known as "Nike", her face hauntingly illuminated by a small light she was holding beneath her chin, and...

"Oniichan, she has a digimon with her!" Hikari gasped.

He squinted. The creature was large, with black feathers and talons and eyes that seemed to glow a deep, haunting red. It scratched and shifted and flapped its wings restlessly, but otherwise seemed to remain obedient to the girl beside it; sure enough, she responded to its subtle protests with a stroke against its dark beak.

She wasn't alone, either. As his eyes continued to adjust, Taichi saw several more shadows come into view. A boy. He, too, stood tall beside a dark creature in the shape of some sort of...insect—he could hear the wings buzzing—though his presence seemed far more passive than that of his companion.

In fact, more than once, he seemed to look to her, as if she were far more worthy of his immediate attention than any of the Chosen below.

"All I can say," a voice erupted from behind, and they all turned to find none other than Daisuke (or was it really?) crouching atop the opposite wall top. His hair and face were illuminated by the flames emitting from the palm of his companion's claws. There were no signs of guilt or pity to his eyes. If anything, he looked to be enjoying himself. "...you lot had better be worth all this trouble. Bia?"

His head lifted ever so slightly, attention turning to the main door.

Everyone turned just in time to see the shadow of a small boy standing there. His eyes momentarily flashed in the darkness-

"Just so you know? This isn't personal."

-before he pressed the button trigger in his hand.

Another explosion went off...this time, from inside the room.

o*0*o

Taichi groaned. Loudly. A sharp intake of air only resulted in a fit of gagging as he breathed in the dirt and dust around him. He coughed—a dry, hacking sound—and tried to turn himself over onto his back. It hurt. Everything hurt. His head. His arms. His back stung with every flinch, and as he lifted a hand to his forehead, it came away with a sticky, wet feeling to it. His earlier wound, it seemed, had reopened. Damn.

There was a heavy weight on top of him. Hikari, he assumed, and tried to reach back in order to shake her-

His hands brushed against solid wood. It wasn't Hikari on top of him. It was the chair they'd previously been sitting in.

Shoving off the offending piece of furniture, he rose to his knees. More dust kicked up from the movement, and he waited until it settled before glancing up. There was only the faintest bit of light streaming in through what used to be the main entrance. Enough to give him a decent enough view of his immediate surroundings. Sora was the first person he saw. Still unconscious, and pinned beneath a large slab of wall.

He crawled over to her and shook her shoulders. She groaned, eyes squeezing tight, before stirring. Blinking her eyes open. Looking up at him through a glassy haze, lost and confused, only to panic when she tried to take a breath and realized the weight pinning her down.

"Hey. Hey, it's alright," Taichi called to her, sensing the oncoming panic. He placed a gentle hand to her cheek, forcing her to look directly at him. "I'm gonna try and push this thing off of you, but I need your help. Can you do that for me?"

She opened her mouth to reply. Nothing came out but a breathless squeak. Her eyes were wide with fear, but she closed her mouth and nodded.

"Thattagirl. On the count of three, alright? One...two..."

On 'three', Taichi pulled while Sora pushed. The slab was heavy. Almost too heavy. But, between the two of them, they managed to slide it off of her, pushing it to one side. It hit the ground with a loud thump, kicking up yet more dust. But Sora was free. She scooted backwards, using her hands behind her to push up into a seated position. Taichi was beside her instantly, placing a hand on her shoulders as she let out a series of pained, gasping breaths. He scanned her up and down as best as he could, looking for any signs of serious injury.

"That...was scary," she managed, closing her eyes and momentarily leaning against him. He could feel her body trembling from the rush of adrenaline. "I...couldn't breathe..."

"Well, you can now," he replied gently. Offering a weak smile that she couldn't even see. He gave her another moment to rest before slowly rising to his feet, reaching to offer her a hand to do the same. "Come on. We need to check on the others."

Nodding, she allowed herself to be pulled upward. Both their legs wobbled a little, but they managed. Him more successfully than her; she continued to use him for additional support as they slowly made their way around the room.

Yamato was the next person they saw. He'd apparently dove under the table just as the explosion went off, which spared him the worst of it. Not long after he stood up, they caught sight of Jou behind him. He, too, had been pinned by bits of ceiling, but beneath two overturned chairs at such an angle that...with a little bit of wiggling...he was able to escape from. Dust caked his hair and one of his lenses had a crack in the upper right corner. There were shallow scratches running up and down his arms, and a scrape that had torn the pants of one knee.

"Anybody get the license plate of that explosion?" He muttered in a daze, swaying on his feet.

Taichi shook his head. "Have you seen the others?"

"Hey, I'm lucky I can see you right now."

Anyone else would have earned a swat on the arm for joking at a time like this. Given that it was Jou, however, Taichi had a strong suspicion he was serious.

"Hikari!" He called out.

"Takeru!" Yamato joined in beside him.

Silence greeted them.

Sora placed a hand on her chest, wincing. Now that some of the initial shock had worn off, she was beginning to feel a dull ache. Probably from the weight of whatever had been pinning her earlier.

"Taichi..." she looked up at him. "I...don't think they're here."

"What do you mean 'they're not here'?" He snapped back, a little too hotly. "Of course they're here! Probably still knocked out...or...something."

It was as if he were trying to convince himself as much as her.

They kept searching. Every inch of the room. No less than five more slabs of ceiling were overturned in an effort to find their missing friends. Not just Hikari and Takeru, either; at one point, Jou noted that both Mimi and Koushiro were also missing. For the most part, he managed to keep his voice steady, though his head had lowered to conceal his eyes behind the reflection of light off his glasses...and yet, the look on his face when he uttered Mimi's name...

Sora felt that strange pain in her chest again. She rubbed at it, wondering if maybe she had bruised a rib or something.

When the room turned up empty, the four Chosen hobbled out into the hallway. Making their way back to both bedrooms. Then the baths. At one point, Taichi suggested they split up; he and Sora took one direction, while Yamato and Jou went the other way. The search continued. Room after room, for nearly half an hour. Nothing. There wasn't a soul left in all the castle. Not any of their friends...nor any of the Guardians.

"Damnit!"

Taichi turned to the nearest wall and punched. Hard. It wasn't enough to make a dent, but it still sent a shot of pain up his arm. All the way to his elbow. He ignored the pain, and instead kept his fist squeezed tightly as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the cool surface. From behind, he could hear Sora say something to him. Words of reassurance, no doubt. He felt her hand against his arm. She was probably trying to get him to turn back. He ignored her in favor of focusing on sound of the blood as it pumped in his ears, and the increasing pain in his knuckles.

"Wait!" He heard Jou cry out all of a sudden. "That's it!"

"...what's it?" Almost immediately, Taichi regretted not paying better attention. He had a strong suspicion he'd just missed something major.

"Love." As if that should have explained everything. Although, when Taichi sent him a look of confusion, Jou pushed his glasses further up his nose and elaborated: "Remember what she said earlier, about Sora's Crest. That she should be able to see the bonds between two people. The connection that comes with their love for one another."

He couldn't help himself; Taichi raised an eyebrow.

To his credit, Jou's cheeks just barely pinkened as he waved both hands in front of him. "No! Not me! You. Your connection to Hikari-chan. Your love for her...it might be our only chance of figuring out where they were taken."

A second eyebrow joined the first, only this time, it was in pleasant surprise. That was...actually a really good idea. Almost impressive. Enough to get Taichi to push himself away from the wall, turning back to fully face his friends. He eyed Jou up and down for a long moment as he allowed his mind to process. Jou looked about as convinced as he was capable of looking. Even Yamato was seriously considering it.

"...Sora?"

The girl in question jumped upon hearing her name. "Y-yes?"

"What do you think?"

Whatever she was thinking at the moment, she looked nervous. Incredibly so. Her eyes darted back and forth between the three boys for a long moment. They were all looking to her now. For answers. Her hand made a fist where it rested just over her heart...and it was then she realized that was the only part of her chest that was aching still. She inhaled once, deeply, to be sure. Her lungs felt fine. It was her heart that was hurting.

Like she was sensing their pain.

"Taichi, I..." For a moment, it looked as if she would reject the notion. Her eyes lowered.

A pair of hands reached for hers. Tanned, dirty, and rough with callouses. But that wasn't the most remarkable thing about them; with a near inaudible gasp, Sora realized they were glowing.

And...as she looked back up...so was Taichi.

Her jaw dropped.

If he was surprised or thrown in any way by the sudden orange hue he'd taken on, Taichi gave no immediate indication. His hands gave Sora's that much tighter of a squeeze. Trying to reassure her. But there was also something else. A certain look in his eyes. One Sora had never seen before. She would have compared it to the focus he'd shown on the soccer field. The way he would try to read his opponents in those split seconds' time he had to make a decision. Only this wasn't some fleeting guess as to her next move. This was him reading, with the utmost clarity, her deepest thoughts.

Or fears.

"You're scared." It wasn't a question. He smiled sheepishly and shook his head. "Don't be. If it doesn't work..." Here, however, he faltered. Just enough for her to catch; the brave face he was putting on...he was doing it for her sake and his. "No, scratch that. It'll work. I believed in you."

She was speechless.

Taichi...

She hadn't realized, until that moment, just how right Mimi had been before. Taichi had grown. So much. But it wasn't his physical appearance or chiseled muscles that stood out to Sora. It was his heart. The way he was looking at her with such honest sympathy. Only a few years ago, he would have been so angry and focused on getting his sister back that he wouldn't have stopped to wonder about her fears. Stubborn and mule-headed. Not to mention, incredibly short-sighted in his goals. Yet, here he was, so determined to console her that it had activated his Crest.

The warmth slowly spread over her. Soon enough, she was glowing just as orange as he.

Her free hand slowly came up and was placed over his. Squeezing his fingers right back. The two childhood friends shared a smile, and she closed her eyes as hers even brightened.

"Alright," she nodded. Opening her eyes just one last time to send him a look of pure gratitude before closing them again. Head tilting down. Focusing.

Ironically, it was that same pain she'd been feeling for the last half hour that she found herself drawn to. A dull, not quite throbbing ache. Like an emptiness in her chest that knew something was missing. Or someone. Hikari. She tried to picture the younger girl. Thinking of the bond she shared with her older brother. The love that could only come from a lifetime of growing up as close siblings.

...there!

If Taichi hadn't still been holding her hand tightly, she could have fallen over in surprise when she first noticed the thin line. Faint, at first, but visible in her mind's eye. A red string. Tying Taichi's heart to something so far in the distance. No, wait—there was a second string. Takeru's face momentarily flashed before her, and she understood. It was the younger boys connection to Yamato. She wasn't even all that surprised.

What she was surprised by, however, was the third string that soon appeared. And the face that flashed right along with it.

Her eyes flew open a moment later with a soft gasp, and she looked up at Taichi. Smiling.

"I know where they are."

Taichi's relief was apparent. Also blatantly obvious; not only did he let out a cry, he even picked Sora up with both arms and swung her around. Sora was too overwhelmed by the moment to bother protesting.

"Well, that's one problem down." Yamato, too, was openly smiling as he stepped forward. Waiting for Taichi to put Sora down before continuing. "Now it's just a matter of how we get them back."

"Actually...I think I might have another idea," Jou raised a sheepish hand.

Taichi smirked. "You're on a roll, Jou."

"Yeah, well..." He offered an embarrassed smile, raising a hand to scratch behind his head. "I don't know how much good it'll do, but I figured it's worth a shot."

"So what is it?" Yamato asked, placing a hand on his hip.

"Technically, it's a where." Jou clarified. "Specifically...the Village of Beginnings."