Always Follow the Rabbit

by Mrpointyhorns

Taichi's has started to settle in his life, and while that can be quite nice, he and Koushiro have never been better, it can also be a bit disappointing, especially his dead-end job. The only thing interesting that ever happens is when he has to babysit his nephew. Until Koushiro detects a disturbance that is about to give Taichi the adventure he craves.

7. Chapter 7

Title: Always Follow the Rabbit

Author: Mrpointyhorns aka Blemery

Rating: R

Status: In Progress

Part: 7

Pairings: Koushiro, Ken, Tentomon, Wormmon, DemiVeemon, WarGreymon and sort of Cherubmon

Warnings: Slash

Spoilers: Season 1 and 2, plus some of the movies (nothing blatantly but there)

Summary: Taichi's has started to settle in his life, and while that can be quite nice, he and Koushiro have never been better, it can also be a bit disappointing, especially his dead-end job. The only thing interesting that ever happens is when he has to babysit his nephew. Until Koushiro detects a disturbance that is about to give Taichi the adventure he craves.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by someone else. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Sorry it took longer to post this time. I wanted to be a bit more descriptive, not sure it worked out too much. Also I was going to wrap finish the day in this part, but this chapter is close to the same size as the last. Lastly, my brother got a baby pig and I was taking care of her. I have a video of her she is four days old on youtube it's called "Dierks the Pig" if you want to look it up. I'll send a link if you ask. She is really cute! Though she isn't making pig noises in the video.

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Koushiro broke the surface of the dark ocean. He gasped for breath, catching it before being able to think about doing anything else. Once he was recovered he looked about. Ocean was all around him and there was no land in sight. "Ken? Ken! Tentomon?"

"Koushiro," Tentomon called. He was now flying overhead, but he looked a little soaked indicating that he had probably been in the ocean at some point. He moved over to his partner. "Are you alright?"

"I'm a little wet, but I should be fine." Koushiro looked up at his partner. "So this is the Dark Ocean."

"I don't like it," Tentomon agreed. Koushiro knew his curiosity was coming forth, and Tentomon did not want Koushiro to lose his curiousity to the darkness again. That had been Koushiro's touch with darkness as a child. He had only lived it briefly and shucked it off mostly on his own choosing, but sometimes he still remembered the draw that the darkness had. He had the answers to so many questions, but he didn't fear surcoming to it again, because now he had Taichi. He was Koushiro's life sized light. Even if Koushiro ran out of his own light he knew he could always turn to Taichi to recharge it.

"Do you see Ken?" Koushiro asked just as Ken broke the surface of the ocean just at that moment. Wormmon and DemiVeemon were with him.

"What is this place?" DemiVeemon asked while Wormmon rubbed Ken's back as he fought for air too.

"It's the Dark Ocean," Koushiro explained without pause.

DemiVeemon turned around seeing Koushiro. "Izzy! What am I doing here?" He asked. He struggled to swim over to Koushiro with his tiny arms and legs. Koushiro lifted him out of the water once he was close enough and put him on his shoulders. It wasn't typical to touch another person's digimon partner, but DemiVeemon was obviously struggling.

"I don't know how you or Wormmon got here, but I'm sure there is a reason."

When Ken finally recovered he explained: "When I realized what was happening I created a portal while we were being transported here. I called Wormmon to me from the Digital World. I wasn't sure I would have enough time, but I wanted to try. I didn't mean to call DemiVeemon. Were the two of you together?"

"No. I was sleeping in my nest. I heard you call Wormmon here and I thought Daisuke might need me too," DemiVeemon explained. DemiVeemon and Wormmon's homes weren't exactly far from each other, but it would take a couple hours for either to travel from one to the other. Although in their champion forms they could reach each others homes in under an hour.

"That doesn't make sense. Why would you be able to hear me?" Ken asked.

"It's possible that the portal you created to bring Wormmon into the portal we were in was larger then you intend. Especially at the speed that you had to do so," Koushiro suggested, though many times on their adventures things that were odd were also things that were intended by someone else. "There are too many unknowns with the Dark Ocean."

"I know it better than anyone, but what I know isn't much. Koushiro does this have to do with the other universe you were talking about?" Ken asked.

"Probably. I'm not sure what we are doing here, but sitting here isn't getting us anywhere. We need to see if we can find land first. Otherwise we're not going to make it out here for more than a couple hours."

"Agreed." Ken looked around, "But which way?"

"Tentomon can you see anything?" Koushiro asked. Tentomon flew up high in the sky to get a better view.

"Umm Izzy…" DemiVeemon pulled on Koushiro's ear.

"Ken." Wormmon drew Ken's attention at the same time. "What's that?" He pointed towards the water near them. Small bubbles were raising to the surface many of them, like a submarine as it surfaced.

"Probably whatever pulled us in here?" Ken looked nervous.

"Tentomon." Koushiro called for his partner to come down he was worried too.

Tentomon came right down, but seeing the bubbles he moved over the area trying to see below the waves. "It's red, gold and silver. Actually it looks familiar."

"What is it?" Koushiro asked even though Tentomon had already said.

"Ummm…"

"It's WarGreymon!" WarGreymon yelled as he surfaced the water.

"WarGreymon?" Ken, Wormmon and DemiVeemon looked shocked.

"Where have you been?" Koushiro asked.

"Sorry Izzy I have so many metal parts, I'm not very buoyant." Then WarGreymon explained that he swam all the way to the depths of the Ocean so that he could launch off from the bottom in order to break the surface. "But I could breathe just fine down there."

"Why are you here and why did you digivolve?" Ken asked.

"Well, I was pulled into the computer when you were, but when I noticed that I was being pulled in I thought that I might need be needed in my evolved form, but I wouldn't be able to evolve without Tai. So, I evolved as much as I could as quickly as I could, just as we were leaving."

"Well that's good; I don't think I could evolve now even though Koushiro is here," Tentomon agreed.

"It's also good because WarGreymon can fly and carry me!" DemiVeemon cried jumping from Koushiro's shoulders and landing on WarGreymon's chest plate.

"I'm not a vehicle of transportation." WarGreymon said, but the looks he received from Ken and Koushiro broke him. "Oh alright, but can't Tentomon carry DemiVeemon."

"If it's not too far." Tentomon flinched when DemiVeemon launched into his arms. Tentomon didn't drop him though, but he was tempted.

"Thanks WarGreymon," Ken said.

WarGreymon was absolutely not a transportation digimon. So carrying Ken on one shoulder and Koushiro on another was awkward and cumbersome. Sure he sometimes carried Taichi, but that was different. That was his partner. This was just embarrassing. As he rose above the surface of the water he looked at Tentomon for direction. The sooner they landed the better.

Before Tentomon could direct them however, a tentacle of water wrapped around both flying digimon and they were pulled under without warning. Ken and Koushiro barely had time to take in a last breath. They were pulled through the dark ocean deep into the depths. Koushiro held on to WarGreymon getting separated was not an option even if the only option was drowning.

"It's okay to breath." WarGreymon told the humans.

Koushiro wasn't sure at first. However, he couldn't hold his breath any longer. So he opened his mouth and even though water filled his mouth it didn't go down his throat. It seemed to be swept out as soon as it was inside the only thing left was air. Well that was good right? Was it normal or was this another trick of whatever brought them here?

They were pulled to the very down bottom. It was completely dark, but it had been so for a long time. "Ken?"

"We're here." Ken replied. Koushiro could faintly make Ken and Wormmon out still on WarGreymon's other shoulder. WarGreymon's metal plates were a little reflective so it gave a little light that made it possible for Koushiro to see Ken, but he could barely see the same distance if he tried to look out into the ocean.

Koushiro jumped when something brushed his elbow. "It's just me." DemiVeemon whispered. Koushiro smiled at Tentomon reaching out to hug his partner. He wasn't usually so open with affection around other people, but because he thought he was going to drown a moment ago he felt compelled.

"What's that?" WarGreymon turned around taking everyone with him.

"What?" Koushiro asked.

"Can you hear it?" WarGreymon asked.

"They're screams." Tentomon replied.

"The humans can't here it," Wormmon explained.

"What sort of screaming?" Ken asked.

"Sort of like the cry of a thousand souls being torn from life." DemiVeemon looked pained.

"That's morbid," Koushiro replied.

"That is what it sounds like," Tentomon agreed.

"It's calling us." WarGreymon moved forward walking along the bottom of the Ocean.

Koushiro didn't try to stop him. They had been pulled to the bottom for a reason, and they could breathe for a reason. This was their only clue. Besides, since when did digidestined run from terrifying screams?

It took nearly a mile before Koushiro heard the sound. At first he didn't know what it sounded like. It went through his ear too wrapped and too quickly, it was noticeably different then the sounds from before, but Koushiro didn't know it was screaming at first. Still it insantly brought goosepimples to his skin.

It took another half a mile before Koushiro heard sound for what it was a scream. It began to churn his stomach. The screams drove right into his heart. He knew they had to keep going forward, but he was afraid to. Still he said nothing, because though he had not heard worse sounding screams, he felt like it was just a trick from whatever brought them and so it was nothing to really be afraid of. It was about a mile later when he couldn't take it any longer. Koushiro cried desperately. It was so awful, though he wasn't sure how it could have become worse because when he first knew what it was it was the worst thing he had ever heard, yet he had been able to endure. Now he could not. He yelled out, "Stop! WarGreymon stop! We can't go any farther."

"I agree with Izzy. It hurts too much. Let's just turn around. Please anything, but that." Ken voice was a sharp whined one that Koushiro thought a wounded, desparate animal might make. Koushiro wondered if he sounded just the same, probably so.

"The screams are terrifying, but when we get close you'll hear more. Cherubmon is calling us." WarGreymon did stop though.

Koushiro started to blubber into the ocean. His shoulders shaking terribly, he barely stayed on WarGreymon's shoulder. Everything was wrong with the world. There was no hope. There was no joy. Absolutely everything was just that screaming. "Koushiro?" Tentomon hugged and tried to soothe his partner. It was little help. The kind gesture was noticed by Koushiro, but it made little sense to Koushiro when he was hearing that sound and feeling they way he was. Koushiro ached from every bone and muscle in his body. The sound made his eyes shake and he still felt sick to his stomach. He wanted to cry for Taichi to come help him, but at the same time there was no way he ever want to expose Taichi to this experience. He knew he couldn't wish to switch places with his boyfriend though he would gladly do so with everyone else he knew or did not no, no matter how selfish and desparate that was.

WarGreymon stayed still for a long time, much longer than it had taken for him to walk the distance. Koushiro knew he was waiting for the go ahead from Ken or Koushiro to keep moving, but neither spoke. Koushiro knew that WarGreymon was waiting for them to get use to the sounds just enough to soldier on. He thought it was a good idea for a little while, but it wasn't too long before he knew that it was never going to get better. It wasn't something that could be ignored or tuned out. It wasn't something you could get use to, not even losing ones hearing would help as the Ocean water resonated with it and it would certainly have the same effects, perhaps even pentrating the skull and entering the brain without the use of the ear. So it took sheer will before Koushiro was able to calm down. Though he wasn't sure he had will left, he eventually gathered his one hope, the hope that if he continued forward Taichi wouldn't be subjected to the same torture. He had to keep going. There was a reason for all of this, and if he was able to figure out what that reason was, then there would be no need for Taichi to ever hear these sounds. He couldn't give up on what they were doing.

"WarGreymon, go. Whatever Ken or I say from here on, no matter how much we cry or whatever we do. Just keep going okay?" Koushiro finally instructed through his sobs. He knew if they stopped again he would not be able to tell WarGreymon to keep going. It was hard enough doing it now, and who knew how long they had to travel for.

"Is that okay Ken?" WarGreymon asked.

"Do what it takes." Ken agreed.

Koushiro held Tentomon in his arms and he cried, but he didn't try to stop WarGreymon for a while. DemiVeemon whispered to him that he thought Ken was doing worse so he crawled over WarGreymon's chest to the shoulder Ken was on. Koushiro watched him go. Ken did seem to be doing worse. He was curled up and sucking on his thumb. He had more demons in this world then Koushiro did to start with. Also, Koushiro didn't know if he had the slim glimmer of courage that he had. Koushiro tried to keep Taichi in his mind, thinking alternatively of him being there to help take the pain away and keeping him away from the place as to protect Taichi from the same terror he was experiencing. He asked WarGreymon to stop a few times, but Ken said nothing only seemed to curl up even more. Koushiro's requests to stop were half willed. He knew WarGreymon wouldn't, but hearing his own voice sometimes helped give him a little boost of anticaption of WarGreymon stopping, that feeling of anticaption was welcome and cherished among the other feelings that Koushiro was drowning in.

After another mile from where they had stopped Koushiro finally heard Cherubmon and what he was saying clearly along side of the screams. "The portal will open in 4 days." His voice was deep and low and rippled in the water. He didn't actually call their names, but it was clear that he was sending out a message for help. No wonder WarGreymon and the other digimon insisted they continued. Hearing Cherubmon's voice didn't mean that Koushiro suddenly wanted to continue forward, the screaming was still driving him mad. However, hearing Cherubmon it gave him a purpose; it was another thing he could hold on to. Also, he didn't ask WarGreymon to stop again though he wanted to.

They traveled for a long time after that until they finally came to a rift. Koushiro wasn't sure exactly how long they traveled in total, but they would have never been able to go that distance if it wasn't for WarGreymon. The rift was at the bottom of a gorge in what was the deepest place, they had seen in the Ocean, so far. There was some bubbling up from the rift and a small stream of pale light. A pink shade? The screaming actually sounded better once they arrived, but Koushiro couldn't explain why. It wasn't suddenly because there was something to look at, it just was better. As though the sound didn't make as much sense that close up, and the only reason Koushiro knew it was scream was because he had heard it for so long. In the rift Cherubmon's face was cleanly shown. It was almost exactly like he had seen in the mirror at his house. Had Cherubmon been using the same rift to communicate through the mirror? The glass had rippled like water when Koushiro touched it. Also, maybe Cherubmon was continuing to send out his message to better the odds of someone hearing it.

Koushiro jumped off of WarGreymon, his curiosity winning over his sadness or maybe the sadness drove it. Tentomon stayed in his arms. Ken didn't follow him. Koushiro moved closer to the rift, but he didn't dare touch the light. It wasn't big enough for him to fit in that was for sure, beside it wasn't a portal not of bodies at least, just of information. Information traveled easier than matter.

"Cherubmon?"

Cherubmon stopped talking. His head turned towards Koushiro. The screaming silenced. "You are chosen."

"I accept." Koushiro didn't think about it. After what he experienced, the peace that came over him from the silence compelled him to submit. Besides, he had figured out long before that this was something that was meant for him. Maybe it was because he had been monitoring this world, but the fact was he was monitoring the world because he believed that this sort of thing was his duty.

"The portal will open in 4 days. I will create it, you must have a vehicle." Cherubmon explained.

"What sort of vehicle?" Koushiro asked.

"The portal will be water, the vehicle must be metal." Cherubmon replied. "Don't come alone."

Koushiro looked up at Ken. He was still on WarGreymon, but he was listening. He wasn't crying. Koushiro looked at Cherubmon. "I wouldn't be alone."

Then like that water rushed into Koushiro's lungs and he gasped trying to breath. Bubbles came up when he tried to cry out to Tentomon. The bug monster struggled with him; Koushiro felt his lungs and bones crush around him as the weight of the water hit him. Whatever power Cherubmon had, had it was now gone.