Tri: Integrity Lens
Saikai: Kuwagamon Attacks
Eimi had never been to such a fancy restaurant. The doors swung open when she and the Izumis approached, held by men in suits. She blinked, eyes oversaturated by the large, bright room and the glittering chandelier over the reception podium. The delicious scents of French cuisine wafted towards her.
She hovered by Koushiro and his parents, feeling intimidated and out of place. Their host, an older, handsome man, led them to a square table with a linen cloth. He helped Kae into her seat and said something Eimi couldn't parse. After a few seconds, it registered as French with a Japanese accent. Koushiro responded slowly, with a heavier accent, and Eimi nearly tripped on a table leg.
Stunned, she sat, quite missing that the host meant to help her next. When he departed, she leaned into Koushiro as he took the seat beside hers.
"You don't speak French," she hissed.
He offered a sheepish smile. "I prepared with a phrase book for tonight."
Eimi leaned back to make way for a server bearing a water carafe. How long, she wondered, had Koushiro studied his phrase book? Had he perused it for an afternoon and produced passable French? For years, her language skills had surpassed his. But they were first years in high school now, and the older he grew, the more Koushiro's brain expanded. It was like watching the Winchester Mystery house growing and rearranging in its heyday, but with fewer occult references.
Not knowing what to say, Eimi nodded and opened her leather-bound menu... Which was entirely in French. She swallowed a sigh that might have tarnished Koushiro's pleasure. It was Kae and Masami's wedding anniversary, and he had taken pains to make it special. Although Koushiro would never admit it, he had poured over restaurant reviews for days, comparing menus, ambiance, and service. And apparently, when the data supported a French establishment, he brushed up on the language.
Koushiro's adoptive parents made it clear that he didn't owe them anything a biological child wouldn't. This didn't penetrate his natural sense of gratitude, and here they sat, dressed up and smiling indulgently at Koushiro. Everyone at the table knew that he was overdoing it... except for him.
Eimi caught Kae's eyes and had to fight down a laugh. No one would call Koushiro out on his excessiveness; he was being too damned cute.
Koushiro opened his menu and blinked. "Ah, hmm. Well, I can translate this."
That familiar look of pride and wonder transformed Kae and Masami's faces. Eimi stared at the chandelier overhead, struggling against laughter once more. She admired Koushiro's ability to pick up conversational French on a whim, but she was objective enough to acknowledge his failure to foresee the language barrier as an issue for his guests... If only just.
Koushiro read them the menu, and Eimi relaxed, focusing on his calm, crisp voice. She was beginning to enjoy herself when Koushiro's mobile rang, interrupting his conversation with a waiter.
Koushiro's gaze bounced between his guests, the waiter, and the phone. "Er- pardon me." After a pause, he repeated himself in French to the waiter, then opened his flip phone. In typical Koushiro fashion, he hunched his shoulders, cupped a hand against the receiver, and whispered, making himself as inconspicuous as possible.
"Sora-san? Is something the matter?" Eimi leaned closer, and Koushiro shifted towards her, holding the phone between them. While Sora occasionally called the Chosen to check in, most of the team's everyday chatter took place via text and chat programs. Some part of every Chosen jumped to attention when one of them called, just in case.
Eimi couldn't hear everything, but it sounded like Sora was talking about Taichi and Yamato. Is this about the soccer game and the concert being at the same time?
After a few exchanges, Koushiro scowled and lowered the phone. "The call cut off," he explained. "Ah- pardon me- Mom, what would you like to order?"
When the waiter left, Eimi said, "I hope Sora's okay. I wonder why you got disconnected?"
Koushiro shook his head. "I don't know. I'm sure she'll call again if she needs to."
Masami turned the topic, and Eimi followed his lead. The meal passed pleasantly, and before long, the waiter brought out a strawberry-covered cake, labeled "Happy Anniversary" in English. Eimi covered her grin with her fingertips. They were Japanese customers speaking broken French and being served a cake with English text. What a mess! And a whole cake for four people?!
Kae was complimenting the dessert when movement caught Eimi's eye. A group of men in suits was advancing towards their table. It was hard to tell, since they wore sunglasses, but they seemed to be staring at Koushiro and her.
Eimi grabbed Koushiro's wrist beneath the table. The men came closer, and she stood, half pulling him with her. "Eimi," he protested. Then he followed her gaze, saw the suits, and rose.
The restaurant faded from Eimi's memory, and even from her senses. She was suddenly in a nightmare sequence, stripped down to its key players: herself, Koushiro, and the unknown men.
Ever since Vamdemon's siege of Odaiba, Eimi wondered if, someday, the government would approach the Chosen. At the very least, she expected to be questioned. Somehow, that hadn't happened yet. She assumed it was because Yamato and Takeru's parents used their news and press contacts in conjunction with laws protecting minors to shield them, while Koushiro, Ken, and Miyako purged evidence of them from the internet. But her instincts had whispered that the government would show up when it most benefited them.
Time was woozy, and the men seemed to approach for an endless interval. When they reached speaking distance at last, the closest began, "Izumi Koushiro-san, Anami Eimi-san. There's been a… disturbance. We need your help. Our people are escorting your comrades to the site."
Koushiro shifted, blocking Eimi from the suits. "We're in the middle of celebrating my parents' anniversary."
The man bowed. "We apologize, and we've already paid your bill. I'm afraid this is a matter of national security. We can't afford delays."
With intense effort, Eimi pried her fingers off Koushiro's wrist and placed her hand on the back of her chair. Her purse hung from the corner. The logical part of her knew that, if these really were government agents, using the self-defense items on her keyring would make the situation much worse. But those quiet instincts were screaming now, warning her that no one had offered identification.
"Excuse me," Masami said. Everyone turned to him in unison, but his mild, composed expression remained intact. "Who are you people?" Eimi released a breath, grateful that Masami had maintained enough calm to ask important questions.
The man who seemed to be in charge tilted his head, indicating the restaurant. The other diners stared at their party, some holding forgotten utensils in front of their faces. "All I can tell you here is that we handle digital disturbances."
A shiver ran down Eimi's spine, a cold tingle that made her want to arch her back like a cat, and maybe even hiss. "I don't encourage my son to put himself in the power of strangers," Masami said. Eimi nodded and grabbed her purse.
She couldn't see his eyes behind the sunglasses, but the man's forehead indented with worry lines. "I understand that this is unsettling. We can't force you to come." He paused and tapped the ear piece lodged in his canal. "But if it helps, I'm told your partners are already on site."
Eimi's hand found Koushiro's. She was freezing, but he was sweaty. Their fingers huddled in a gross, clammy tangle. He shifted enough to look at her, and a thick, red eyebrow rose in a questioning gesture.
Eimi blinked, then fought the urge to smack her forehead. She nodded, then closed her eyes, trusting the Izumis to protect her. She drew a deep breath, desperate to quiet the nauseous, staccato beat of fear clanging along her nerves. Over a distance, anxiety impeded her ability to call out to Galemon.
Eimi's digimon partner, Galemon, resembled an Amazon river dolphin, with their distinct pink hue. Unlike the other partner digimon, she lacked attack attributes, and utilized invisible shields to protect her allies. And because of the haphazard way Galemon was created, she shared a mental and emotional link with Eimi.
When Eimi was on earth and Galemon was in the Digital World, the strange bond connecting them was stretched so thin that it almost snapped. But slowly, as time passed and Galemon's powers grew, Eimi noticed the occasional hum of a thought, the ripple of a mood, even across the rift that separated their worlds. It was rare, and she had to be listening, but there was no mistaking that precious presence.
It took some time for the clamor of panic to fade enough to sense the stillness inside herself. She imagined an opal arch with rainbow light shimmering beneath its curve, hovering between a calm sea and a blue sky swirling with clouds. This was how she visualized her connection to Galemon, the gate where her digimon could enter her mind. It didn't work both ways; the best Eimi could do was picture herself curled up at the door if she missed Galemon and wanted to feel closer to her.
Eimi imagined herself walking on air, approaching the arch, and placing a hand upon it. It was smooth and cool, like stone. She paused, uncertain, dearly wanting to contact her partner, but fearing disappointment. With a pounding heart and faltering voice, she called, "Gale?"
There was a pause, then a sense of stirring, awakening. Disorientation followed, similar to the confusion of hopping on a bicycle for the first time in years and not quite recalling what to do, idioms nonwithstanding. Then, that beloved spirit rushed to the arch.
Galemon's voice was a whisper in her mind, struggling to cross the distance between them. Girl?
Bright, wild joy surged, singing from both ends of their connection. Distantly, Eimi knew she was smiling like an idiot, but there was no helping it. She directed her thoughts and emotions to the opal arch, to their link. Gale! Are you on earth? Are you okay?
Yes. Trouble.
Panic built beneath the exhilaration of contact from her partner after more than a year of separation. Where are you? Are the others with you?
After some fumbling, an image filled Eimi's mind, showing a plane in a loading area. She almost described it out loud for Koushiro's benefit, but decided against it. If the agents took them anywhere that wasn't an airport, she and Koushiro would escape.
Another picture followed, showing a few partner digimon. In the background, Piyomon ran up to Sora, whose expression radiated happiness and warmth. More men in suits loitered about, standing beside black cars.
Are you in danger? Stay close to Sora. Watch out for the men in suits.
A general sense of agreement penetrated their link. Come, Galemon said. Her presence faded, signaling that she was no longer concentrating on their connection.
Eimi opened her eyes and was almost surprised to see the restaurant. The agents were staring, and she mentally cursed. She avoided advertising her link to Galemon in front of strangers, but it was her only way of verifying what the agents were saying.
"I believe them," she said, trying to remain vague. Koushiro opened his mouth, most likely to request details, but Eimi shook her head.
"Alright," he replied. "In that case, we'll go. Mom, Dad, I'm truly sorry about this."
Kae managed a worried smile. "It's alright. You two take care of things, but be careful, okay?" After securing agreement from them, Kae turned to the head agent. "If anything happens to my kids while they're in your care, I'll have words with you."
The man hesitated, likely thrown off by the challenge to his authority. Begrudgingly, Eimi's opinion of him increased when he deferred to Kae with a bow. Eimi threw her purse strap over her shoulder, said goodbye to Kae and Masami, and followed Koushiro and the agents out of the restaurant. The men led them to a black sedan like the ones in Galemon's snapshots.
Eimi froze when an agent opened a door for her. She had seen enough movies to know that getting into a car with a stranger was a Bad Idea, but what choice did she have? Galemon and the others were waiting for them. She entered the vehicle, and Koushiro slid in beside her. Eimi scrunched up against him and grabbed his hand.
She had no idea who these people were or what was going on, but at least Koushiro was with her.
XXX
Koushiro tried to flex his fingers, but Eimi was holding on too tight. His mind whirled with speculation and possibilities, but Eimi was likely focused on her emotional response. Her free hand clutched her key chain, a mini self-defense arsenal. Ever since she returned to Odaiba after her time in the United States, Eimi carried pepper spray, a personal alarm, and a hunk of hard plastic that supposedly functioned as a weapon in a pinch. Koushiro wasn't sure how that worked, and he hoped he wouldn't find out soon.
He tried to meet Eimi's eye, hoping to offer a smile and gauge her mood, but she was staring through her window. He realized that she might be talking to Galemon, so he shifted his attention to the pair of agents in the driver and passenger seats.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
The passenger glanced over his shoulder. "Haneda airport. We've received reports of a digimon attack there. Our people are transporting the rest of the Chosen to the site."
Eimi twitched and turned away from the window, much to Koushiro's relief. He and Eimi often gleaned different information from the same stimulus, so it was comforting to know that she was listening. "What kind of attack? Where did the digimon come from?"
The agent turned towards the windshield. "That's all I can tell you, but you'll see soon enough."
Eimi's upper lip drew back, and Koushiro squeezed her hand. She was already on the defensive, slammed into alert by this strange situation. Any lack of cooperation from these men would upset her further. He leaned into her, angling for a distraction. "What did Galemon say?" he whispered.
Some of the tension leaked from her stiff shoulders. "She said that she and some of the partner digimon are at an airport. I saw Tentomon, and Sora and Piyomon were already there when we left the restaurant. Whatever's happening, I think Gale is focused on it. She's not responding much, and I'm picking up her anxiety."
Despite being practically kidnapped from his parents' anniversary dinner, Koushiro grinned. All gates to the Digital World had been closed for over a year, impervious to his attempts at communication and travel. When their partner digimon showed up unexpectedly, trouble usually followed. But being with Tentomon was always worth it.
The ride passed mostly in silence, with occasional radio chatter from the front seat. Koushiro listened, but he suspected that all useful information was being relayed over the agents' ear pieces. The sun set as they drove, and it was nearly nightfall when the car came to a stop.
Eimi hopped out of the vehicle with Koushiro at her heels. Galemon and Tentomon hovered a few feet away, and Eimi's delighted cry broke the eerie silence in what should have been a bustling airport loading bay. They ran to their digimon, and Koushiro caught Tentomon in a hug. Talons landed on his shoulder, while those stubby digits closed around his upper arms.
"Koushiro-han! You're so tall!" Tentomon's face wasn't well equipped for emoting, but the quaver in his voice betrayed his feelings. Koushiro's embrace tightened.
"I have grown. I'm so glad to see you." Koushiro wanted to ask questions, but tears were streaming down Eimi's cheeks as she stood forehead-to-forehead with Galemon. They were silent, eyes shut, suggesting that they were communicating over their link. Koushiro waited, but his curiosity soon overpowered his tact.
"Tentomon, what's going on? Where are Sora-san and the other digimon?"
Tentomon rose a few inches and waved a talon. "This way." Koushiro followed him around a luggage delivery vehicle and more black cars. Sora, Yamato, and Takeru stood in a tight group with most of the partner digimon around them.
"Where's Agumon?" Eimi asked. Tentomon waved his talons and arms in distress.
"We're not sure. It seems like we entered your world through… rips? We recognized airplanes from your world, so we jumped through. We ended up here, except for Agumon."
Yamato lifted a hand in greeting, and Koushiro waved back. "Hey Koushiro, Eimi. Have you heard from Taichi?"
Koushiro pulled his cell phone from his pocket and sighed. "I can't get a signal."
"Same," Takeru replied. "I tried to text Hikari-chan, but I can't get through."
Sora smiled, but concern was evident in her eyes. Surprisingly, Eimi hadn't greeted anyone; she was watching the agents, who stood just out of earshot. Koushiro's stomach sank when he realized that the Chosen and the digimon were surrounded by strangers, boxed in by people and cars.
"This might be an odd time, but why are you two dressed up?" Sora asked. "I love your dress, Eimi-chan."
Koushiro glanced at his girlfriend, who wore a fitted red dress. Her long brown hair was up in a bun, with stray strands already coming loose. She was tall, curvy, and soft, with a nondescript face, save for her expressive brown eyes. These were currently staring at the agents, and Eimi blinked and shifted her attention to Sora with obvious effort. "Uh, we were at dinner with Koushiro's parents for their anniversary."
"Oh, no. I'm sorry that got interrupted. Koushiro-kun, where did you find that vest?"
Takeru snorted, and Sora shot him a look. Baffled, Koushiro replied, "I'm afraid my mother bought it for me." Takeru made another strange noise that Koushiro guessed was a swallowed laugh. He hastened to change the subject.
"Tentomon, you said that you and the others leaped through rips? Can you tell me more?"
"I wish I could," Tentomon replied. "The Digital World just… tore in front of me. I saw your world through the gap. I wanted to see you, so I flew through."
Patamon nodded from on top of Takeru's head... Or, rather, his fedora. "Me, too!"
Koushiro lifted his fist to his chin. "How strange… Could the Digital World be unstable?"
"What would that mean?" Yamato asked.
Koushiro reached for his backpack, but remembered that he hadn't worn it to the restaurant. He swallowed a frustrated sound. He almost always carried his laptop in case of a Digital World emergency, and here he was, armed with a bow tie instead of his tools. "I don't know. Has anyone seen the threat that the agents mentioned?"
"I haven't noticed anything," Yamato replied. "But they evacuated the airport."
"Which is a big deal," Eimi murmured. "Delaying travel is no joke. That implies that the agents can foresee when trouble is coming… And that they track our movements."
Takeru smacked a fist into his open palm. "You're right! I assumed that they knew Aniki would be at his concert, but if they found you two at a restaurant…"
"We're being tracked?" Sora placed her hand on Piyomon's head. The digimon turned huge, adoring eyes up at her human.
"Don't worry, Sora. It will be okay."
"Most likely, we're being tracked via our cell phones," Koushiro said. "Everyone is carrying one, right?"
Yamato tsked. "You're right. So, they really are government agents? That's what you guys think, too, right?"
"Ours did mention the phrase 'national security,'" Eimi offered. Koushiro felt his eyes widening. He had missed that tidbit while questions screamed in his brain.
He wanted to ask if she remembered any other details, but another black car was pulling up. The passenger door opened, and Hikari stepped out. Tailmon surged across the concrete and threw herself into Hikari's arms.
Koushiro focused on the group, offering the girl privacy. "That leaves Taichi-san, Jyou-san, and Mimi-san, plus the rest of Takeru-kun's group."
Palmon tugged on his pant leg. "Do you think Mimi can make it? America is far away, right?"
"Oh, Palmon…" Compassion poured from Sora's face. "I'm sorry… It is very far away."
"Sorry, Palmon," Gomamon said. "But Jyou should be here, right?"
"Do you think he has another mock test?" Yamato asked. Takeru shrugged.
"I want to see Jyou!" Gomamon cried. "I remember where he lives."
Eimi picked Gomamon up and rubbed his head. "Gomamon, please. It's dangerous. There are lots of cars and people, and someone could grab you. If Jyou-senpai doesn't come, we'll take you to him; Koushiro and I live in the same building as the Kidos. Besides, I don't think any of us should be alone with these agents around."
"They might be here to help," Sora pointed out.
"Maybe," Eimi replied, "but we can't take risks. Why did they show up now? How long have they been watching us? Koushiro, you have a lot of contacts. Has anyone mentioned a group like this?"
"I would have told you," Koushiro replied. Eimi nodded.
The beam of headlights drew Koushiro's gaze, and he watched another black sedan approach. Relief swept over the group, almost as palpable as a breeze, when Taichi and Agumon emerged.
The driver opened his door, and Sora and Yamato shared startled looks. "Isn't that the calligraphy instructor?" Yamato asked.
"Nishijima-sensei," Sora confirmed.
Koushiro blinked. He didn't take calligraphy, but the man did look familiar. Eimi crossed her arms and scowled. "So we're being watched at school, too... I really don't like this."
Koushiro rubbed at the pang of pain in his forehead. He hadn't pieced it together as quickly as Eimi, but she was right. Teaching at their school was an excellent cover to track five Chosen.
Taichi jogged to the group with Agumon at his heels. "Guys- what's happening? A Kuwagamon attacked Odaiba, and then Nishijima-sensei took us here!"
"We're not sure," Sora began. Her words came to an abrupt end as flashes of light burst in the night sky.
Koushiro tried to grab his laptop again, but his hand met air where his backpack should have been. Flashes like lightening blinded him, and when his eyes adjusted, he saw a rip in space, highlighted by angry red light.
"Koushiro-han, that's a tear!" Whatever else Tentomon tried to say was lost beneath the cry of two Kuwagamon, who catapulted through the rip.
There was a rush of gasps and footsteps as the Chosen rallied, each one instinctively digging for their digivices and making room for evolutions. Distantly, Koushiro heard Eimi shout something about Gomamon, but he was focused on the Kuwagamon.
Soon, a team of adult level digimon filled the airport bay, minus Palmon, who hovered near Sora, and Gomamon, who had vanished. The digimon split into teams to fight the Kuwagamon.
"Careful!" Taichi shouted. "These are stronger than normal Kuwagamon."
Koushiro's head whipped around with such force that his neck cracked. "What? Why?!"
"Wish I knew," Taichi growled. "Greymon's fight on Odaiba got... ugly." Taichi's brow was deeply furrowed. The focus and confidence he usually displayed in battle was replaced with rapidly-moving eyes, stiff shoulders, and tightly-curled fists.
"Eimi, you and Mayumon need to protect the airport," Taichi said.
"We're already on it," she replied. Mayumon, Galemon's adult form, was vaguely shaped like a dainty camel. Blue, willowy legs with golden hooves supported a body obscured by billowing clouds. A long, graceful neck rose from the strata, ending in a head with spaniel ears and a relaxed face with heavy-lidded eyes. Mayumon stood away from the fight, ready to protect her allies and the environment with shields.
Koushiro watched the battle, desperately trying to notice anything that could explain what was happening. What stood out the most was the unusual strength and violence of the Kuwagamon.
"Do they seem... unstable?" Koushiro asked.
"I think I see what you mean," Takeru replied. "But Kuwagamon are usually pretty blood-thirsty, so I'm not sure..."
Another round of blinding lights swallowed the airport. Koushiro heard the third Kuwagamon before he saw it, a horrible shriek that threatened to puncture his eardrums. In some small corner of his mind, he was a lost, confused child, running from one huge monster with a host of smaller ones in tow. Without thinking, he grabbed Eimi's hand.
"It's okay," Eimi murmured, but the tension in her voice betrayed her nerves.
Greymon and Garurumon broke off from other fights to intercept the new Kuwagamon, who flew straight towards the Chosen. "Taichi!" Greymon roared. "This is the one from earlier!"
"Shit! Is it following us?" Taichi demanded.
"Who knows. They really are strong, though," Yamato said. "Six adult digimon versus three should be a shutout, but we're struggling. And Mayumon can't absorb all the overflow damage..."
Koushiro wanted to ask Eimi how Mayumon was doing, but a glance at her silenced the question. Her eyes darted from the three battling groups to the airport and all of the people. A droplet of sweat rolled down her forehead, drawing attention to her rapt expression. Koushiro knew that she was directing Mayumon over their link, struggling to allocate her digimon's finite strength as strategically as possible.
"Not much juice left," she said. "We could try perfect level, but we won't be able to use shields during the evolution."
The earth trembled as Kuwagamon slammed Greymon onto the ground. The concrete shattered on contact, sending shockwaves outward. Eimi swayed, and Koushiro grabbed her elbow. "We might have to consider a rotation to cover evolutions-"
In the distance, Angemon struck Kuwagamon with his staff. The enormous digimon plummeted into an air control tower, smashing a support leg. Steel groaned as the tower tipped, struggling against its own weight. Nearby agents scattered, and Tailmon baited Kuwagamon away from them.
"We need to end this now," Taichi said. As if in response, Birdramon and Kabuterimon landed finishing blows on a Kuwagamon, while Tailmon and Angemon took out theirs.
Only the Kuwagamon that Taichi had fought earlier remained. The digimon surrounded it, but they were all worn from fighting. Koushiro thought furiously, trying to conceive of a strategy that wouldn't endanger the facility, but nothing came to him.
Then, as Greymon and Garurumon hit Kuwagamon with simultaneous attacks, another streak of light burst. The world seemed to unzip in its wake, leaving a reddish black maw hanging in the sky. An enormous hand reached through the void, grabbed Kuwagamon, and pulled it through the tear in space.
Then, quietly, neatly, the rip fused back together, leaving no traces.
The silence that followed was nearly deafening. "Um," Hikari hazarded. "E-everyone saw... that… right?"
"Yikes. Was that a digimon?" Takeru asked. "It had to be, right?"
Yamato scowled. "Hell of a big one. The hand looked armored..."
It might have been Koushiro's imagination, but Taichi's voice seemed higher-pitched than usual. "Koushiro? Any ideas?"
Dumbstruck, Koushiro shook his head. Eimi cupped her forehead with the air of someone struggling to prevent her brain from exploding. "If whatever is attached to that hand can control these tears from the Digital World to earth, then we're in trouble," she said. "What if some poor human walks into the Digital World? Or vice versa... A digimon could be hit by a car or captured..."
Sora flinched, then held her hands out in front of her. "Let's not borrow trouble. I think we have enough already."
Eimi turned towards an agent advancing on their group. "Yeah," she grunted.
The digimon regressed to their child stages and swarmed the Chosen. "Is everyone alright?" Sora asked.
Eimi poked Koushiro's shoulder, and he followed her gaze to a car pulling towards them. The passenger door opened, and a familiar-looking girl leaped out. Koushiro blinked, then squinted, sure that his eyes were playing tricks on him. It couldn't be Mimi... right?
But then, if anyone could appear on the opposite hemisphere like magic, it was her.
"Yoo-hoo!" she cried, waving to the group. "Mimi's here!"
"Are you serious?" Taichi whispered, his tone edging on awe. Palmon shrieked with glee and rushed past them, throwing herself into Mimi's arms.
"Mimi! Mimi! I knew you'd make it somehow!"
"Of course!" Mimi laughed. She brushed a petal aside and smooched Palmon's head.
Koushiro's gaze bounced from Mimi to the ravaged airport to the spot where the gargantuan hand had grabbed Kuwagamon. Although his mind surged like an electric storm, he realized that he was exhausted.
Eimi's hand brushed his, and he entwined their fingers. He calmed, reassured that the Chosen would face this together. "We need to contact Daisuke-kun and the others," he murmured.
"All hands on deck," Eimi agreed. "I wonder why these agents didn't bring them here?" She removed her phone from her purse and flipped it open. "I'll text them when I get a signal… Jyou-senpai, too… I hope Gomamon's okay, he ran off while we were distracted…"
"Hey, everyone!" Mimi shouted. She held up an unzipped backpack full of small, colorful packets. "I have snacks! Thanks for your hard work!"
The digimon flocked to Mimi, clamoring for treats. Koushiro grinned, enjoying a rush of comforting nostalgia. No matter how much time passed, no matter how many strange events occurred, some things never changed.
The Chosen wandered towards Mimi, on the off chance that the digimon hadn't devoured all of her snacks.
About This Story
Hey all! It's me, Hidden. I wanted to provide some background/translation notes about this story.
First of all, this story takes place after the events of Growing Up with You (but before the "three years later" epilogue in the final scene). GUWY is a complete story that follows OC Anami Eimi and Izumi Koushiro through the events of Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02, and some of the movies. While there is a romantic relationship (KoushiroxEimi) in Tri: Integrity Lens, it's not the driving force of the story.
Translation Notes
If you've read GUWY, you'll know that it's a logistic mess! I aged up the Chosen, placed many of them in the same school year, used a hodge-podge of Japanese and English dub digimon names and terms, messed up honorifics…
In this story, all of that will be corrected. However, I will use a few English dub digimon names:
-Tapirmon instead of Bakumon (to prevent me from confusing Bakumon and Bakemon)
-Piximon instead of Piccolomon (because all I can see is DBZ's Piccolo's disembodied head flying around)
-Wizardmon instead of Wizarmon (because I know I will forget and be inconsistent)
Also, because I aged up the Chosen in GUWY, the older kids were already in high school when 02 ended. In this story, Eimi, Koushiro, and Mimi are first years in high school, and over a year has passed since they've seen the digimon because the gates have been closed. So… There's a time inconsistency between GUWY and this story that I'm going to have to ask you to please ignore.
Structure and Update Schedule
I am following Tri, but changing details and moving/adding/ignoring events as I see fit, similar to GUWY. I will write material to cover a single Tri movie at a time, split that movie's content into roughly 4,000-6,000 word updates, and post an update every other week. There could be a hiatus in the story between movie coverage, during which I will either be working on the next Tri movie, or on another fic. The Saikai movie has six parts written and ready to go, so you will see updates every other week for the next 12 weeks.
AO3 Vs FFN
I am posting this story to both FFN and AO3, but I encourage you to read it on AO3. My username is also ahiddenpath there (and on Tumblr, which you should check out if you're interested in my Digimon Adventure: reboot episode reactions, general digimon fandom nonsense, headcanons, sneak peeks, and a huge collection of reblogged and neatly tagged digimon art). The AO3 version will feature Tri screenshots, my art, and the occasional link to music and whatever else might catch my fancy. Don't miss out on a more robust reading experience!
Thank you so much for reading this story! Remember to review; writing these stories is a huge undertaking and a labor of love. Encouragement means the world to fanfic writers.