Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, nor do I own When the World's Not Ending, by Smartalec121 or any of their associated works.

Off the Beaten Path

Chapter: 41/ Steps forward

Himiko awoke from dreams about her family. In it, they surrounded her, and their fingers were all pointed at her in accusation.

"Failure," they said to her over and over. "Failure. Failure. Failure."

Annoying, she thought irritably, while lying in her bed. She glared at the ceiling, as if it were at fault for how she dreamt. The ceiling to her apartment room contained only a ceiling fan, and it hung there inoperative. Nothing about it reminded her of home or anyone else from her family. Yet still she glowered.

"Stupid…" she muttered before drawing back the covers. Getting up, she readied herself for the day ahead of her. She showered, then brushed her teeth, and dressed removing her sleepy, disheveled appearance and stink. Her hair, a crazy mess, became neatly combed and smooth. A suit replaced teddy-bear embroidered pajamas. After sticking bread into the toaster, she then clicked on the television to see what latest disasters were in the news today.

Another day of dealing with digimon, she thought, tipping up the lid to her laptop and then logging in. Numerous emails from technicians greeted her, but none from Alice, Riley, Tally, or any of the remaining Monster Makers in Hypnos' employ. She glanced at the television, which presently reported a vehicle accident that, fortunately, contained no fatalities. It would have been a rather mundane start to the day, all things considered, if not for the fact that the incident resulted from a patch of black ice. An oddity, given they were in the middle of June now.

She heard the sound of her mother's voice creeping up on her in the corners of her mind. "This happened because you were weak. You failed to do the job assigned to you."

"Oh, shut up," Himiko muttered. Behind her, her toast popped up. Taking it out, she began to spread grape jam on its hard, warm surface. Once finished, she moved over to the couch and began to glance over some files to prepare her head for the day.

While nothing out of the ordinary or even extraordinary, the temptation to take the day off and spend it watching daytime television came on strong.

IceBeelzemon is still out there. I can't afford that. Absently, she felt her mother would have approved this much of her attitude.

Takato's psychological profile and physical health remained the most troubling of her concerns. The psychiatrist noted mood swings since Yamaki's death, ranging from severe emotional distance to depression and anxiety. Suicidal thoughts were difficult to determine, though Takato's own admission since the battle with Titamon indicated that he felt 'dead' at various times, though this seemed to have declined over time.

I should take him off active duty, she thought. His physical health isn't that terribly great since his classmates attacked him.

At the same time however, her instincts warned her against this. Guilmon presently remained the only Mega that could effectively fight against IceBeelzemon and he needed Takato for that. Rika could only get her partner to the Ultimate level and while Kenta's MarineAngemon was Mega, his offensive abilities were rather lacking. There remained Suzie, but her partner's last evolution to Mega had been disastrous by all accounts.

And then there was Sleipnir, Shaggai, and Juggernaut. Of these, Shaggai remained unusable, owing to her continuing conflict with the current Chief Cabinet Secretary. Juggernaut stood as being too powerful to just simply turn on whenever a problem presented itself, and Sleipnir…

Jianliang… Or whatever it's calling itself now.

Himiko groaned and buried her face in her hands.

Yamaki's pet project has gone beyond its programmed parameters. We need it, but we can't predict what it will do! And it is…alive.

She heaved a heavy sigh before looking back up.

What am I supposed to do with that? We need Sleipnir!

She turned to the folder labeled Sleipnir. Opening it, she reread the reports. Presently the AI sat in Hypnos' training room, behaving itself, and appeared perfectly content to do so, as long as it received regular visits from Suzie. It still maintained its desire to help them, which, on the surface sounded good, but she could feel her superior's breath on her neck, pressuring her to do something more substantial to ensure it wouldn't run wild at an inopportune time.

At this point, deleting it feels like the only safe thing to do. Shibumi says it's still modifying its programming. Who knows what it's turning itself into? Looking like Henry could very well be the start of even worse things down the road.

At the same time however, she didn't much like the idea. Given the sentience of Yamaki's program, it felt too much like murder.

On the television screen, the news anchor shifted to a report about Amandala and Rumiko. Himiko leaned into her hands and shifted her attention to it, eager to think about something other than Sleipnir.

"Amandala has come out in support of their top model, Rumiko Nonaka's decision to take a sabbatical to support her mother's recovery following her hospitalization during a digimon rampage. Mrs. Nonaka's has previously been the center of attention following the sighting of one of the Tamers' digimon at her home that had previously 'dark-digivolved.' When asked, Mrs. Nonaka has stated that the two incidents are not related and that she just wanted to help the Tamers out of respect for their defense of the city. This has fueled speculation about her daughter, who has been seen in the company of the Tamers, ranging from her being a Tamer herself, to even a romantic involvement with one of their members. Neither Mrs. Nonaka or her husband has offered to comment further at this time."

Himiko glared at the screen. The image next to the news anchor showed Rumiko appearing all-smiles and relaxed – the natural actress in front of the camera just like always. But Himiko, well-practiced in the habits of her cousin, had an idea that things were far from easy for her. Especially after the incident in the hospital when they first encountered one another again since Rika's involvement in events began.

I've done all I can to help them maintain a façade of a normal life, she thought, thinking of all the arms she twisted and laws she bent to keep the paparazzi from invading their privacy.

Himiko checked the time. She needed to get going. After hastily devouring the rest of her toast, she then closed up her folders and packed them together in her briefcase.

"Alright, day," she muttered under her breath. "Let's see what you have for me this time."

###

Seiko got up from her chair, breakfast bowl in hand and began to make her way over to the kitchen sink. Across from her, Rika stood up.

"I've got that, Grandma," she said hastily, moving to get her things. Seiko waved her off with a smile.

"I'm fine," she said. "It's better for me to get used to this." She pointed at her still-bandaged eye. Rika winced at the sight. Last night, she had practiced going around with one eye closed to get an idea what her grandmother was going through. The flatness of her vision had been disorienting, leaving her with the odd feeling that she was always a step ahead or behind in everything she did. Not impossible to navigate through, but she knew it would take some getting used to.

"I just don't want you to fall," Rika said. Seiko made her way to the sink and flipped on the faucet.

"Thank you," Seiko replied, continuing to smile. "But I can manage this much. Maybe when I need something from high up."

Rika pressed her lips together, but nodded, seeing no point in arguing with her about it. She herself would be much the same if their roles were reversed and Seiko would be just as understanding of the necessity as she was of Rika's desire to help.

She sat back down and returned to her miso soup. She heard the bustle of her parents as they went about the house. Her mother sounded stressed and unhappy.

"Those stupid reporters…" her voice floated up from outside the room. "I can't get a moment's peace from them!"

"Excess worrying leads to premature wrinkles," Rika muttered under her breath, to which Seiko raised an amused eyebrow. The elder matriarch of the household remained silent on the topic however, and instead looked over to where Renamon sat. The kitsune sipped from her bowl gracefully.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast?" Seiko asked.

Setting her bowl down on her tray, Renamon bowed politely.

"Yes. It was very excellent. Thank you."

Rika smiled wanly at her partner. She couldn't help but feel awkward about Renamon's continued subservient behavior.

Did Other-Me have to deal with this too? Or were things different between them from the beginning because they were partners earlier?

She sighed mentally. Odds were, she would never know.

I have to find my own answers to our partnership. I can't keep wondering about what someone else did.

Her father entered the room, dressed for work. He nodded to both Seiko and Rika.

"I'm off," he said. "Take care of yourselves today. Especially you, Seiko."

Seiko smiled and nodded. "And you as well. Will you be working late?"

Rika's father rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Are you planning on cooking in the condition you're in?"

"I'm fine enough, but Rumiko has offered to help."

Rika gave a reflexive start. She still couldn't get over the fact that her mother could actually cook. And not only that, cook well.

She really isn't just a pretty face…

Her father nodded. "I'll try to get home at a decent time," he continued. He glanced at Rika meaningfully. "Your mother wants to make sure we have some family time."

Rika furrowed her brow. In recent weeks, her mother's attitude toward the family, while tense and awkward, had begun changing a little.

Case in point incoming, she thought, seeing her mother entering the room with a bento box.

"Here, dear," she said. "I made this for you. I-I almost forgot."

Her father's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "O-Oh! Thank you!"

Rika watched as the faces of her parents both began to redden. She didn't know what to make of it other than how much the two resembled some of her classmates when courting some boy from another school. Despite the awkwardness between them, it appeared clear that they were trying to patch things up and rediscover the things that caused them to fall in love in the first place.

I wonder if I should do something like that for Takato, she thought. A faint blush colored her cheeks at that. She didn't ignore it however. Nor did she react like her alternate counterpart with hostility to the idea. Instead, she let it sit there in her mind, turning it over, seeing how it felt. The weather, while not as bad as yesterday, remained damp. Takato most certainly would be affected by it. Making something for him to eat might not alleviate his weather-related discomfort, but it might improve his mood a little. Perhaps it would even give them something to talk about other than training. Things had been awkward between them ever since the battle with IceBeelzemon.

I have time, she noted, looking at the clock. She finished her morning run an hour ago, and further training with the rest of the Tamers wasn't for some hours yet.

"Why me?" floated up the memory of Takato's question to her all those days ago. Rika's hand clenched tightly about her chopsticks.

"It's not like that," she had replied then. A half-lie then, and the kiss she gave his sleeping form might as well disprove the lie portion. Yet, she couldn't help but wonder still how much of what she felt resulted from her competition with her alternate self.

What will he think if I show up and give him a bento? I mean, after our last talk at my place…

"You shouldn't feel that way about me."

Rika groaned inwardly. I even told him that it's too late for that. If I make him a bento, it'd be like ignoring how he feels, wouldn't it?

"Rika?"

"Hm?" Blinking, she looked up at her parents. "Sorry. I just spaced. Have a good day, Papa."

Her father gave a light chuckle. "Have a song for me when I get back?"

"Yep!" she chirped happily. It had been some time since she had a song for her father and she hated not having one. She would keep an ear out for one.

Boldly, Rumiko stepped forward and gave her husband a quick kiss on the cheek, sending a massive blush across his face. A bit scandalous, but like her, her mother never really liked not being able to display her affection for someone she cared about. She tried to remember the last time her parents kissed one another.

A long time, she thought. Her memory returned to her own kiss on Takato's cheek, remembering how he felt. Will I ever be able to know for sure how I really feel about him? Am I just chasing ghosts?

She found no answers that would satisfy her in the immediate future. Only a sense that things would take time. It aggravated her, and she wondered again about her alternate self. Did she take her advice? How long did it take for her to acknowledge her feelings for her Takato? What caused them to develop in the first place?

I'm going about it the wrong way, she thought, watching her mother see her father out of the dining room. What do I feel? Actually feel? And why? Is it because of my other self? Or because of his other self? Because I know my Takato is still a lot like him despite all the stuff the universe hit him with?

The sound of a plate crashing to the floor broke Rika out of her thoughts. Her eyes snapped up and found her grandmother gripping the sink tightly, broken shards of ceramic spinning across the floor.

"Grandma!" Rika shouted, shooting to her feet.

"I'm alright," Seiko said calmly. "I just misjudged where I was putting the plate." She sighed. "Could you get the broom and dustpan?"

Rika nodded and hurried over to the closet where they kept the items in question. Bringing them out, she immediately set about sweeping up the shards.

"Is everything alright?" Rumiko asked in alarm, entering the room. Seiko quickly nodded.

"Yes. There's no need to worry. I just dropped something. Just a little accident, that's all."

Finishing sweeping, Rika took the broken plate and dumped it into the trashcan.

"Maybe I should stay home too, today," Rika suggested. She squeezed her hand around the broom tightly. Once more the anger, uncomfortably familiar to her now, arose in her chest. IceBeelzemon's face flashed across her mind and the broom handle creaked in her grasp.

"I'll be alright," Seiko insisted. Approaching her granddaughter, she placed her hands on Rika's shoulders. "Your friends need you right now. I can manage. I have your mother here to help me if I need it."

Rika could feel her mother's gaze on her. Even though she knew her grandmother was correct, she couldn't help but feel judged.

It's almost like I'm prioritizing my work over family, she thought, noticing the irony. But the fact remained, IceBeelzemon remained at large and needed to be dealt with.

"Okay," Rika conceded, hating herself for doing so.

###

Bento-less, Rika arrived at the concrete, hexagonal building in Chuo Park, where she found Takato, Guilmon, Suzie, Lopmon, Kenta, and MarineAngemon waiting for her. She cast a glance about questioningly. Seeing this, Suzie spoke up.

"Jian's not coming with us," Suzie said. "Boss's orders."

"I see." She ran her gaze along each of the Tamers before finally settling on Takato. The boy looked back uncomfortably, but didn't shrink away or waver.

Rika tightened her grip about her bag strap.

"What's that?" Kenta asked, indicating the long bag slung over her shoulder. Rika shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.

"An Iaitō katana. Kayoko gave it to me." She looked back at Takato. "You said we were going to be doing different training in martial arts today instead of cards. I figured I'd bring it along just in case."

Takato scratched the side of his face. "Well, I don't know how much actual training we'll be able to do…"

"A katana isn't even the right sword," Suzie added. "Chou Sensei teaches mainly Chinese style. That means double-edged straight sword or saber. Single handed."

"It can't hurt to bring it along anyway." Rika cocked an eyebrow at them. "You know how to fight with swords?"

"Not me," said Suzie.

"Kind of," Takato replied. "I mean, Gallantmon uses a lance and when Guilmon and I are in Crimson Mode, we have a sword too, so it kind of helps to know something like it."

"A lance is not a jian, Gogglehead," Suzie scoffed. "I keep telling you that."

"I like it though," Guilmon piped up. "The footwork is kind of fun."

"Of course you'd think it'd be fun…"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Guilmon fell into a stance. "It's kind of like dancing."

Footwork? Rika lifted her eyebrows at Guilmon's awkward-looking demonstration. Does it matter how you walk when you fight?

She glanced down at her feet. She remembered her and Kayoko's dance battles. Very stylized, emphasizing certain forms to create the appearance of grace and beauty. Remembering Kayoko's brief demonstration with her sword cuts, she noticed that her movements were different then. More conservative, as if preferring function and practicality over appearances.

"I remember Kayoko doing something with her feet," Rika said. To illustrate, she spaced her legs apart about shoulder length, and then set one foot behind the other at different angles. Did she have the correct stance? She frowned. I should have paid more attention…

"I don't believe that is how it is done," Renamon said, phasing into view. "Your back foot should be facing forward, not to the side."

Rika corrected herself. She couldn't tell what the difference meant, but she felt it important. Experimentally, she attempted to do as Kayoko had done. One foot forward, with the other remaining firmly planted on the ground, and then bringing that one up to join it while keeping the same distance between them.

Harder than it looks, but I think I see why it matters. Keeping one foot down all the time is like securing a position. In the card game, it'd be like making sure you have a digimon on the field. Once you give that up, you fall behind your enemy.

"We probably won't be doing anything like this, we'll we?" Rika asked, looking up at Takato. The boy jerked to attention, and she saw he had gotten wrapped up in observing her. She smirked at his blush. Spotting this, Suzie rolled her eyes.

"Chou Sensei will probably work you and Kenta through some basic forms and make that your homework," the girl replied. "I wouldn't get too excited."

"And he's fine with teaching me and Kenta?" Rika asked. "I mean, after what happened with your brother…"

"If you're not going to believe us when we say he's fine, then you'll just have to ask him yourself," Suzie said irritably. Brushing past Rika, she immediately started marching down the stairs. Rika glanced over at Takato and Kenta, who merely shrugged. It seemed that Suzie would remain Suzie in spite of the strides she made in recent weeks.

"Chou Sensei is fine," Takato said, falling into step beside Rika. "It's kind of hard to explain, but I think he accepts that what we do is going to carry risks, so it's better to make sure that we're prepared for it."

"I see," Rika nodded. She could see the sense of that, but remembering that Henry had been his previous student didn't make it easy for her. Their lives depended on what he taught them. She couldn't imagine the way he felt when he learned about Henry's death.

"I should have started sooner," Kenta admitted, embarrassed.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Takato comforted. "It's not like it was easy for your parents to let you keep being a Tamer after-after what happened to Kazu."

"I could have argued harder for it," Kenta mumbled. Rika looked at him carefully, sensing something deeper in his words. She wondered what his relationship with his parents was like and if it were anything like her own.

Then again, no sane parent would be thrilled to know that their kid would be running around putting their life in danger, even if it meant protecting the world. Kenta might have had a harder time saying no, or even wanting to make them worried.

"Look, let's not get stuck about what we didn't do in the past except as a lesson on what not to do," she said to him. "Let's make the most of what we're doing now. It's the only way we're going to beat IceBeelzemon."

She felt Takato's eyes on her when she said that. She chose not to meet them, unsure what he would read in her words if she did so.

"Yeah," Takato agreed, and she felt his gaze leave her. "That's a good idea. What do you think, Kenta?"

Kenta's expression was hard and reluctant. Floating next to the boy, MarineAngemon looked at him worriedly.

"Pih?" the fairy digimon asked. Kenta nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, let's go with that."

Rika breathed a sigh of relief. They continued on in silence for a bit longer. Noticing Takato trailing a bit, Rika fell back to keep by his side. From out of the corner of her eye, she saw Takato massage his ribs. He grimaced in obvious discomfort.

"How're you holding up?" she asked.

"Oh, about as well as anyone, I guess. I think I would have preferred my funny bone though."

Takato gave an awkward, stiff laugh that quickly died in his throat upon seeing the unhappy look Rika gave him.

"You're not going to say that it's not a big deal, are you?" she asked.

"No," Takato said, his earlier attempt at humor giving way to a more somber attitude. "You'd probably be mad if I did, huh?"

"Shouldn't I be?" Rika's eyes flashed, remembering Kouki's brutal attack on the boy. Takato pressed his lips together tightly, plainly unsure what the right thing to say was.

"No," he said finally. "I mean, yes. I mean…" He groaned. "I mean, if I were in your shoes, I'd be mad too if someone I cared about tried to say it wasn't a big deal that they were hurt." He paused before adding in a thick voice, "Heck, I was mad before."

Rika's expression softened at that. Jeri.

"Takato…" Reaching out, she took hold of his hand again. He stiffened in surprise, but she didn't let go. It occurred to her how natural it felt for his warmth to be next to hers. Instinctively, she squeezed and, much to her and Takato's surprise, he squeezed back.

"You can talk about her to me," she said quietly. "If you're not up to it now, you don't have to. But whenever you're ready to."

"Why?" Takato asked. She felt him start to tremble in her grasp. "You-You have your grandma and…and…" His breathing began to come out more quickly. At first, she thought he would break away from her, but instead he squeezed harder, fighting to keep their connection.

"How's your grandma doing?" Takato asked, quickly changing the subject. Rika hesitated, but opted to give him this bit of space for his feelings. For now, at least. She traced her thumb along his comfortingly, and she felt some of the tension start to bleed away from him.

"She's okay. Could be better, but she still gets around. The doctor says her eye should be okay."

"That-That's good."

Silence fell between them. Rika found herself all too aware of Guilmon's attentive gaze on them. She glanced over her shoulder at him, frowning, but the dinosaur studiously looked to be paying attention to other things.

At least, on the surface.

You don't fool me one bit, Dinoboy, she thought, catching the odd glance he sent in their direction.

"He's curious how you'll resolve things with his partner," came Renamon's voice through their mental link. Rika scowled, but couldn't find fault in Takato's partner. She was curious about how things were going to be between them as well. She wanted to know what their relationship would be like going forward. This thing they had now wasn't going to cut it.

Tired of the awkward tension between them, she opted to just dive right in and cut to the chase.

"I'm sorry about before. What we were talking about before that mess with IceBeelzemon went down. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. I really didn't."

Takato looked up at her in surprise. "Hey, it's…"

"Don't say that it's 'okay.'" Rika snapped at him. "Because it's not."

"Okay." Takato took a deep breath to steady himself. "What is okay then?"

Rika clenched her fists tightly. "How you feel. You don't feel the same way as me. That's okay."

"It's the same for you, you know."

Rika looked up sharply at Takato. He blanched at her fiery gaze, but he held firm.

"I mean it," he said. "Look, I don't understand why you-you like me in that way, but…it's okay. I just-I just wish I knew better what to do so I don't hurt you. Is there anything I can do to help at least?"

Rika closed her eyes. Was there even a right answer to that?

He's too much of a sweetheart…

She turned back to him. "I-I don't want to sound selfish…"

"No, it's okay." Takato balked, realizing what he just said. "I-I mean, I do want to help. I…" He rubbed the back of his head. "Look, I know things are kind of weird right now, but we're a team and…and we're friends too." His face flushed a little, all too aware that they were holding one another's hands. "I'm sorry. You were right before. After everything, it is hard being friends with others. I kind of do need training in that again."

Rika felt a faint blush rise in her cheeks. Uncomfortable with the heat, she hastily looked away.

"We could just take things one step at a time," she suggested. "Nothing needs to happen and nothing should be expected either."

"Except we watch each other's back," Takato said.

"Just like partners?" Guilmon prompted behind them. Rika's eyes flashed in annoyance. Oh, he was definitely paying attention all right. That dinosaur was much smarter than he let on.

"W-Well, maybe not exactly like that," Takato continued, flustered. "But…partners of another kind, I guess? E-Either way, we look out for one another." He offered Rika a small smile. "I promise, I won't let you down."

Rika turned back toward him; her eyes contemplative.

"And I won't let you down either," she promised. She tightened her grip about him and he did the same to her. "Takato? When you're ready, could you tell me what happened to Jeri?"

She felt Takato grow tense in her hand again and she began to fear that she said the wrong thing. However, upon feeling him squeeze her back, she turned toward him and found him nodding.

"I will," he said throatily, sounding like he was tearing open an old wound.

###

Tally returned to the main control room from the bathroom. Alice stood at her chair; a tablet hooked up to it.

"Um, what are you doing?" Tally asked.

"My job," Alice said simply. "I had one final thing to do and you were taking too long." She then unhooked her tablet. "I apologize if I've overstepped my bounds."

Tally frowned slightly, but decided to let it slide. Approaching her chair, she swiveled her control panel around and began to look over her functions. "Well, Hata wants this done so we can find Mr. Icemon. You didn't tamper with my controls too much though, did you? It's hard keeping this thing adjusted."

"I made sure your settings were saved just in case of a mishap, but there shouldn't be anything else except the data needed to locate Calumon."

"All right then, let's see…" After hopping into her chair, Tally proceeded to slip her visor on. The usual flow of data she expected to see was there, just like usual. Every transfer of information between the two worlds was as they lined up to be. She nodded, grateful that this much hadn't been affected. "Okay. Everything looks normal so far."

Tapping a few more buttons, she rose up into the air, joining Daigo. Her hands continued to move, inputting Alice's new program to hunt for Calumon.

Sure enough, she got a ping.

"Looks like I've found him. But…" She frowned beneath her visor. "There's something off about the data."

"In what way?" asked Alice.

"It's hard to describe, but I guess normally, digimon have a kind of 'pulse' because of all the data flowing through them. Calumon's looks like it's frozen in place though. There's no 'pulse.' Or if there is, it's too slow to detect at this range. I'll see if I can get a closer look." Tally typed in a few more commands. "That's odd… I'm getting other readings close by. Very faint and similar to his. I don't understand it. Daigo, I'm going to run over this data a bit more. I'm sending you what I have now. Can you confirm the location?"

"Got it," Daigo replied. His hands flew over his own control panel, and within seconds, a map flew up on the screen in front of him. "Looks like the Shinjuku flood tunnels on the east end of the city."

"Déjà vu," Tally said, her chair rotating. "Sending a tracer now."

The screen in front of her flickered to life. Alice turned toward it. At first it appeared to be little more than the analogue dimension that lay between the material and digital worlds. An endless row of graphical plains and lines stretching as far as the eye could see. Then it shifted into a dense fog, obscuring the viewscreen. The fog lasted only a brief time and then the dull, red light of the tunnel greeted them. The tracer flew on toward the source of Calumon's signal.

They found the icicles moments later.

Alice heard Tally gasp with horror, and she couldn't blame her. The first icicle they came across held what appeared to be a Gazimon inside it, mouth open and eyes wide with what was indisputably frozen terror. Alice felt her heart sink into her stomach as row upon row of icicles revealed the same sight. Many of the digimon looked to have been caught in the act of fleeing from something. All had been screaming when the ice claimed them. In the red light of the tunnel, it looked like something out of the old stories of Hell. Alice shuddered, remembering lines of an old poem she read once, written by the appropriately named Robert Frost.

"Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice."

Alice wrapped her arms about herself, feeling the cold of the helpless digimon even from here.

"Calumon… Where's Calumon?"

"Almost there. I think… There!"

The viewscreen zoomed in on one icicle in particular. Calumon. Ears wide, eyes large. His mouth open in an eternal, silent scream.

A dark shadow then loomed across Calumon's icicle. A clawed hand garbed in steel and white leather shot forth. The camera on the tracer abruptly jerked violently, and then the screen went black.

10