Chapter 19: The already paid Price

Shisamon= Seasarmon

"Are you really sure you are ok? We could get you back to your room so you can rest."

He sighed; an arm lying over his eyes to block all sunlight. "It's just a little headache." To prove his point he sat up from the chairs the others had put him on in an attempt to make him comfortable. A failed attempt.

"You fainted. That was not just a 'little headache'," Mimi countered, glaring down at Takuya and daring him to leave his chair.

"Well, now it is." Takuya leaned back to look up at the girl towering over him, a grin tugging on his lips. "It'll go away." Hopefully.

"It'll go faster if you go to bed."

"But then I'd miss the rest of the meeting."

"Actually, Takuya, the meeting is already finished." Izzy put in, while he monitored the movement of Yolei and Sora's Digivice on his laptop. "We have to wait till the girls return with either good or bad news and that can take a while before we can start soemthing else."

Takuya skillfully ignored the triumphant look Mimi shot him, but he still gave in to her nagging. Because really, all these noise were not going to make adjusting to his change -situation, illness?- easier. "Fine," he huffed as got a bit shakily to his feet; again ignoring the pointed look Mimi gave him and the worry from all the other occupants of the room as he moved an empty chair away from the door.

Mimi opened it for him in a misplaced sense of care and stepped outside. "I'll walk you back to your room," she informed him at his questioning glance, which quickly transformed into an annoyed glare.

"I can take care of myself just fine, thank you."

"Tell me that again when you can stand on your feet without swaying like a drunk," she resorted arrogantly.

It took a great deal of effort not to stick out his tongue like a brat, but Takuya managed somehow as he followed her out of the stuffy room. As the door clicked shut behind them Takuya suddenly was no longer as annoyed as before; he had forgotten where his room was, hopefully she knew.

"So, which way?" Apparently not.

"I don't know."

She rounded in on him and Takuya resisted barley the urge to clasp his ears shut, because she was sure to raise her voice higher than needed to get the message across. "You don't know? How the hell did you get here then?"

He rolled his eyes. "As you might have noticed, I was not in the best state."

She opened her mouth to -without a doubt- reply with something rude when behind them the door opened again and TK almost ran into them. The blond blinked surprised.

"What are you still doing here?"

"Takuya forgot the way to his room." A lot of annoyance was added to this dry sentence. Takuya paid it no mind.

TK blinked again then shook his head. "Come back in. Harry is here."

Back inside Harry stood, with an armful of white objects, between the chaos of chairs and handing one of those vaguely familiar forms to Izzy, who eyed it with interest, but, strangely enough, did not show any sign of taking it apart to add every useless piece of detail to his database.

"What's that?" All eyes in the room swung to Takuya at his question, some confused, some amused.

"Those are your Digivices, aren't they?"Harry answered puzzled, "Lady Ofanimon sent us the data and we built them."

Takuya stared.

"Now that you mention it…," he trailed off. Those things really were their Digivices; just without any coloring. How had he not seen this before?

Harry handed one to Kari, who passed it along until Matt gave it to him and without much thought Takuya took it from him, more than a bit curious if it was any different from what it used to be like since it had no color.

The heavy device was cold in his hand and strangely lifeless; offering no reassurance or comfort. Its screen was filled with empty static; no symbol or partner.

It was nothing more than a piece of impersonal white metal.

"Woha- What the-!"

Or not.

Not really hearing surprised mumbling resounding through the room, Takuya watched fascinated as color spread over the D-tector, turning its surface black, the grip a bright crimson and leaving buttons in innocent white.

Takuya stared at it, a smile tugging on his lips. Even though it was still nothing more than a piece of machinery to him without his Spirits inside it was nostalgic seeing the original color theme of his D-tector again. Though that meant it didn't have Lady Ofanimon's upgrade, which could turn out problematic late on. But whatever; he could worry about that in the -far- future.

"That is cool!" Davis exclaimed exited, with the the very same spark Takuya somehow couldn't get to burn brightly right now. "Can I see it?"

"Sure." Grinning wicked, Takuya threw it in a high loop at him and Davis scrambled in his chair to not get hit or let it drop. On either his or Chibimon's head. And not to break it; not that it matters anymore, though.

"It is similar to out D3s," Ken observed, leaning closer to watch while Davis turned it around in his hands and compared it to his own.

"Seems like it," Tai admitted absently, not really looking and instead eying Takuya surprised. "Shouldn't you take better care of it? You finally have one. What if it broke?"

Oh crap.

Takuya swallowed uneasily, his eyes drifting –hopefully unnoticed- to Izzy, who suddenly had very great interest in his computer again, and then to Harry, who looked at him with badly hidden pity.

Damn him.

"What? Am I missing something here?" Tai asked suspiciously, catching the glances Takuya threw about.

The air became awkward and still. Every person and Digimon in the room pinned Takuya with varying looks, from suspicion to confusion to indifference.

Takuya did not return a single one.

Outside was much more interesting. Like how the sky had turned from grey to pale blue. Or how birds were flying from roof top to roof top. Really much more interesting.

"Izzy?"

At Tai's voice and a name other than his Takuya's eyes flashed across the room in a second and he noticed first with relief then with growing horror that everyone was watching the genius, shifting in his seat and not looking up, now instead of him.

Bad.

Very bad.

And the door was right behind him. He could be gone in just a second, but, damn, then they'd get even more suspicious and or persistent.

"Izzy?" Tai prompted again. With more pressure this time. It made Izzy look almost pleadingly at Takuya, which in turn shifted all eyes back to him again. Some glares came along now.

Damn.

He didn't want to talk about that.

It wasn't their business.

Takuya cleared his throat.

What to do? What to do? What could he tell them? What possible reason other than the truth could he have for not really caring about a Digivice specifically sent by Lady Ofanimon-

He turned to Harry in a random act of inspiration, wishing very much for the digital man to drop his stupid look of pity. "You said Lady Ofanimon sent those." He pointed at the white devices still in Harry's arms. "I though you couldn't make contact with her?"

Harry blinked once at the obvious change in subject, but then quickly put up a professional mask as he stared talking. "We got contacted again just shortly before Gennai pulled you out of the Digiworld and the connection still hasn't broken. Do you wish to talk to her? Lady Ofanimon expressed her interest in communication with you."

"I can talk to her?" Takuya spluttered, not really comprehending but still jumping at the chance.

Harry nodded smiling. "Normally it you would have to come to the castle, but I think we can make it so that Izzy's computer is sufficient, since you shouldn't go anywhere without protection."

Takuya grimaced.

But he had averted the crisis for now.

And what a crisis it could turn out to be. It depended on him and on them.

Takuya, still unsure on his feet, knelt down next to Tai's bed so that he was able to see the screen of Izzy's laptop, which he had lifted of his knees grudgingly and for this conversation only. Because now he could actually see the screen as well while Takuya was going to talk.

As they waited for the transmission to connect Izzy noticed Takuya's face no longer showed the obvious discomfort from just a few minutes before. That was good, but Izzy was not naïve.

Takuya might have managed to push the subject away, but it would only save his –and Izzy's- skin only for a day at most -if luck was helping. They all were going to be so angry, disappointed and a lot more.

Grey static cleared, making place for the head of a beautiful female angel Digimon, whose face was covered more than half by a cross marked, blue metal helmet.

A small smile was on the woman's lips.

"Lady Ofanimon," Takuya greeted and Izzy almost did a double take at the respect in his voice.

"Takuya, child, it is a pleasure to see you are healthy, despite the circumstances," Ofanimon replied with great care in her voice.

"Yeah, well I try. The others still aren't awake yet, by the way."

The angel nodded, smile falling of her face. "We have been informed of your situation. I do apologize, we-"

"It was our choice, Lady Ofanimon. You have nothing to apologize for. And this …state does have its advantages. Once I get used it, that is. We already paid our price and were fully aware that we won't ever be normal again. It's in the past now. Or is there something you can do?" His voice, flat throughout his speech, turned soft, insecure, at the end.

For a long while Ofanimon didn't answer; just simply looked at Takuya with an unreadable expression. Then she sighed. "I do apologize, in this few days we have met no satisfying results. But if it is your wish, we are able to inform your parents. What shall be passed along?"

"If you need to tell our parents something it really means that the difference with time between the human and digital world has disappeared, right? Since four years ago?" Lady Ofanimon gave a nod. This time Takuya sighed, a pained frown on his face and lips twisted in a sad smile. "Tell them… all of them that we are fine. And please also tell my parents that I won't come home…for some time."

"As you wish."

"And I noticed, Lady Ofanimon, that my D- tector has its original design. Can I –or Koji- use Hyper Spirit Evolution?" Jumping subject with practiced ease, Takuya wiped the vulnerable expression of his face and repalced it with helpless confusion. An expression Izzy was very familiar with; it was something Davis still showed sometimes.

But perhaps Ofanimon had expected this, because she quickly shook her head. "No, and as of now it is still unconfirmed if it is possible at all with your physical change. Am I correctly informed that your circumstances concern Tommy?" At Takuya's nod she sighed again and Izzy understood her worry; for three of her six charges her support was too late. "Then it possibly depends on if you are still able to separate from your Spirit-"

"I can't."

Another sigh. "I see. Then consequences might turn out to be similar to now. Fusing two solid beings, with multiple personalities in this case, might prove to be irreversible."

"Damn."

"Indeed, so please do not try it," she added as if she half expected him to do so.

"Yes, milady,"Takyua answered surprisingly stiff.

"You do not need to address me as such, child."

"Huh? As what? I just-…oh. Oh!" He grimaced annoyed. "This is more confusing than I thought." It was the first point Izzy could not follow in this conversation and made a mental note accordingly to ask later. Though he had a thesis of course.

"It appears so," Ofanimon replied a serene smile on her lips. "I do not believe I need to inform you of this, but it will work out in time."

Takuya shrugged.

"I shall return to my duties then, child."

"Yes, Lady Ofanimon. I seem to have to clear something up here, too." He threw an uncomfortable look into the room and to Izzy it was clear that he was not going to get away before answering some questions. "Good bye, Lady Ofanimon."

"Stay save, child." Izzy doubted Takuya even heard her before the picture disappeared, seeing how his attention drifted to the door and how his face became carefully blank. But apparently Izzy wasn't the only one seeing through Takuya's intentions since Mimi stepped in front of his getaway, glaring. There was no escape.

Izzy was not entirely sure he was happy with that.

With the conversation ending Tai's room fell back into awkward silence and Izzy noticed only partly amused that Takuya's eyes hushed to the window now. He must really not like this; they were on the third floor after all. Izzy hoped though, that Takuya was not really considering to jump -no matter that Takuya was most likely going to survive and be fine, anyway-; he'd be stuck with explaining if Takuya escaped.

"So, Takuya," Tai began with a little false cheer, looking at the boy sitting on the floor just as Izzy pulled his computer back on his knees. "Mind explaining a few things. Or perhaps Izzy," he added with a stern look at him, which Izzy skillfully evaded by straining his eyes on the laptop's screen.

Takuya sighed and got up, not really meeting anyone's eyes even though they were all following him, and sat down on a chair vacated by Sora.

When he finally faced them his face was decorated by a smirk that didn't really reach his eyes. "What do you want to know," Takuya asked, likely not really meaning the amusement in his voice.

He had no intention of sharing freely, Izzy realized.

He carefully glanced back at Tai, who was frowning. Perhaps Tai had noticed, too. Then this could turn out rather bad. Depending on both side's reactions this could turn out to be a breakpoint between their two groups; without even scratching the topic of battle moral.

"For starters why you don't need your Digivice anymore. At all." Takuya's eyebrows shot up at Tai's thesis. "You don't, do you?"

This time, Takuya -hopefully- smiled for real. "No, I don't. Maybe never again."

"And why is that," Matt asked slowly. "Come to think of it, how is it possible that you just simply didn't need a Digivice to evolve? If you had had one before, it had to have served a purpose, right?"

Izzy swallowed hard, immensely grateful that no one was paying attention to him anymore. Takuya, though, fared much better than him, not sweating, not twitching, no emotion betraying his -at Matt's question- carefully blank face, which Izzy found surprising, considering that Tai or Davis would not have been able to do it in Takuya's situation.

Then suddenly Takuya's demeanor changed. He no longer looked at Matt, shifted around in is seat and chewed on his lip.

"Since I already evolved once without my D-tector, I don't need it... for evolution anymore. And, well, the D-tecor protected us from... pain."

"What pain?" Davis asked with inaapropriate interested. "Does evolving hurt or what?"

"It doesn't!" Chibimon piped up innocently, but Takuya's face went slack.

Suddenly Izzy didn't want to hear the answer to that. Facial data was always enough for him and in this case Izzy did not want to know the emotional facts behind the data running on his screen.

"Our evolution hurts." Takuya said. "Like hell. Like your body gets painfully stretched into the right form while your insides get pinned by millions of burning needles, ripped apart and set back together." He said this while glancing around the room and looking everyone in the eye with an empty expression.

Izzy felt sick.

Takuya snorted, grinning and leaning back in his chair and stretching his hands over his head in an exercise. "I was just kidding. You should see your faces. It hurts, yes, but not that much. I don't even know what getting burned feels like."

Izzy heard several people draw a sharp breath, but he didn't. He did not believe Takuya had been joking. There was no reason to. He was too much like Tai –or wasn't he?- to make this a joke.

"That wasn't funny," somebody said annoyed.

"I know it wasn't," Takuya answered, looking out of the window. He really hadn't been kidding. Oh god. "But you were all too serious. Something had to be done about that."

Had Takyau and Koichi known beforehand or did Izzy make them unknowingly torture themselves; because he had agreed, crafted the plan?

Takuya glanced at him for a second, smiling an honest smile.

They had known before. What kind of child does something like that voluntarily?

No. It wasn't voluntary. It was –to them- the last possible choice. An act born of desperation, then?

Did that make it acceptable?

No, it didn't, but Izzy still felt better somehow.

"Keep your mood changers to yourself," Matt snapped at Takuya, who held up his hands in surrender, not noticing Izzy's strange reaction at all.

"All right, all right, but do you have more pressing questions or may I be allowed to back to my room," he smirked, but spared an annoyed glance at Mimi, who was still blocking the door. "I still am sick, you know."

He didn't want to talk -enough to even play on guilt- and he had managed to avoid the hard point for now, Izzy noted still somewhat shaken, but it wasn't right; the others had to know, had to know what Takyua's group's personal stake was in this.

"But that can't be all your Digivice was good for," Izzy began, already hating how he force the matter, "it has a few other functions from what I can read of the data Gennai sent me."

Takuya's eyes flashed to him, wide and surprised, uncomprehending to what Izzy was doing. Good, if he didn't notice maybe he was going to slip up, without Izzy having to push further.

"If you say it like that, then sure, I still need it. I just meant it's no longer a matter of life and death weather I have it or not." Takuya's eyes definitely narrowed at him now and Izzy swallowed. Had he caught up to his idea? "Our D-tectors have special radar and communication functions, a compass and have an inbuilt scanner. It's the little red space on the top, Davis," he added -fakely?- amused, seeing how the other goggle head was still fingering the small machine.

"What's the scanner good for? That is the only thing ours can't do," Kari pointed out interested, leaning closer to Davis to get a better look and making the poor teen blush in the process.

Takyua grinned. "Give it to me, for a second." As the Digivice got passed along, he continued, "in our Digiworld a stream of data appears around defeated Digimon. We scan the data to purify it in our D-tectors, but I don't know the details behind that."

He took his digivice from Matt and shifted it once in his hand, before looking around with a cat like grin on his face and an almost scary sparkle in his eyes. "This", he said, holding his hand far in front of him for everyone to see, "is data we scan."

Stripes, colored in different blues or white, perhaps an inch long and a dozen in number, emerged, rotating in a circular fashion around Takuya's outstretched bare hand. Small, plae orange flames were burning between the loose strands of data, connectiong them to an instable ring.

The smile was wiped of Takuya's face the second his loose, needle like bits appeared, Izzy noticed absently while he, too, inspected the phenomenon to add its description to his data base.

"If that was all," Takuya exclaimed suddenly, jumping to his feet, "I'd really like to go back. When the others awake it would be best if I was there."

"Not yet." Takuya was already half out the door, when Izzy spoke up, surprised at the strength in his own voice.

As Takuya didn't turn around, he continued, "I don't think what you told us was everything your Digivice was able to do," Izzy knew for a fact that it wasn't all, "and what bothers me is this mention about a price," he knew about this as well, "and the way you talked about your situation in your conversation with Ofanimon. It was like you meant something other than being stranded in a different dimension. Please explain. We do have a right to know about this." With 'we' he meant his group of Digidestined and that was clear to both of them as Takuya turned around, blue eyes glaring.

"A right?" he echoed, his voice hard, "I think not. It doesn't concern you or this war." Suddenly the room seemed small as Takuya tilted his head and not once blinked as his -now really his, no longer borrowed- blue eyes bore into him.

"But I see that if I don't explain this, you will." Takuya closed his eyes and sighed, defeated. When he opened them they were in Takuya's natural light brown.

"Humanity," he said flatly, "I traded my humanity for the ability to fight without Digivice."

The door slammed shut behind him and his steps, resounding through the corridor, seemed deafening in the dead silence of Tai's room.

Double City used to be one of the bigger and more prosperous towns in the Digital World, which was mostly due to the advantage of its location on a border between desert and forest.

In typical digital world fashion the rich forest ended abruptly, as if it had been cut off, and a red desert began immediately, not ten feet away from the last green tree. The weather mirrored the cut and temperature rose from comfortable 25 degrees to a heat of over 45 degrees once one stepped over the nature given border.

Double City, having an equal amount of interest in both sides used the desert's extreme heat, the water of the forest and resources of both sides to evolve into a busy market with merchandise varying from simple clay pots or delicate pottery to exotic and rare fruits.

It was just outside of this city on the forest side, where Yolei and Sora quietly slid of Holsmon's back, down onto their knees to hide between high grass and plants growing beneath the countless trees. Piyomon and Hawkmon, after devolving, flew up into a tree, observing the now-ghost-town from another angle.

For an ambush or trap surrounding forest provided ideal hiding space.

It was for that reason that Sora and Yolei decided to approach the city from the very same direction to make sure that at least in the forest no enemies lingered when they met Shisamon.

And as far as Yolei could see, there were indeed none.

What not necessarily meant much, she conceded, remembering how Cody told them that the army just appeared out of nothing during their last mission, right in front of his eyes no less. Considering said ability Yolei almost wanted to drop this complicated and annoying precautious measures and just hope to whatever god there was that it just wasn't a trap. But then again, Yolei had to admit that she did not want to land in trouble –mortal danger would perhaps be more accurate- just because she had been too lazy to check. And that usually happened when one relied on luck.

Not to mention, of course, that Sora was present.

There was no way she would agree to walking in blind.

That, though, didn't stop Yolei from feeling absolutely stupid cowering behind trees and grass.

Especially since the one they were looking for had a lot in common with dogs. With no wind blowing –why was no wind blowing? The differences in temperature should always create at least a small breeze- the Shisamon would be aware of their presence within a few minutes.

If it had a dog's nose.

"Do you see something suspicious, Yolei?" The elder girl kneed beside her, a bandaged hand on the ground to balance her weight.

Yoilei replied a negative and looked up to their partners sitting in the branches above. Since they weren't looking down Yolei simply rammed her fist in the tree's trunk, hoping that the two birds would notice.

Both did and snapped their heads downwards in fear of any danger only to relax when they saw Yolei winking up at them.

She pointed at the city with a raised eyebrow expecting a positive or negative sign in return. She received an all clear.

So, without further ado, Yolei stood up, relieving her stressed knees from her weight in the process, and walked out of the shadows of the trees into a side alley of Double City.

First of all i got to say, that I've been thinking about the conversation between Takuya and the Virtue Children ever since I started this story.

I've played with a lot of possibilities: having Koichi or Tommy present, or having Izzy or a Gennai clone do the explaining with Takyua only sitting by and listening, or having Takuya react more openly to this subject. I actually wanted to write the last possibility, but it didn't work out somehow and looking back now I just can't see Takuya being open to or enjoy talking about it since it really is no jocking matter. And him staying to earn some pity or display his sadness/frustration/anger for all to see, somehow doesn't work out either. Especially not if Vitramon/ Agnimon have a say in this. Hence he left.

This is the chapter for June. Please review again. :)

Please do tell me what you think. This is a very important chapter with possibly great influence on future plot.