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: 28/ Cold Heart

Takato was standing over Yamaki's body where it lay in the casket. The man appeared as he always did in life, dressed in his suit and wearing his sunglasses. His brow was knotted and his mouth grim.

"Hello, Takato," he said in greeting.

Takato didn't respond. He felt cold inside. Dead. The same feeling haunted him in the week and a half since Yamaki's death. Like nothing he did or how he felt mattered. He lifted a pair of chopsticks and, almost clinically, dipped them toward the man's chest. Slipping past the buttoned shirt, they began to prod Yamaki's skin until they sunk in beneath his flesh. Yamaki didn't react. Instead, he nodded in understanding of what was to come.

"It is what destiny decided," the man said as Takato's chopsticks found purchase against bone. His voice was uncharacteristically gentle and did not react as Takato began to tug at his rib. Nor did he resist or cry out in pain when Takato tore it free with a wet, meaty sound. Red bloomed across the white of Yamaki's undershirt and quickly spread.

"Destiny." Jeri's voice came from the man's mouth. With a blink, Yamaki was replaced by the girl he loved and failed to protect. She was smiling sadly at him. "I couldn't escape it. Neither can you."

"N-No…" Takato's voice quavered, and for the first time he found himself struggling to continue with his grisly task. Yet, as he set Yamaki's bloodied rib down in the casket, his hand swiftly began to return to the body inside. Jeri let out a pained moan as his chopsticks pressed against the wound in her side, where he extracted the previous rib from. "Jeri…"

"It's destiny, Takato. Destiny. You can't fight it." Jeri's voice altered in pitch, becoming flat and emotionless. Jeri began repeating the word destiny repeatedly a mantra. Or instead, a computer stuck in a loop. Takato fought against himself, but try as he might, he couldn't stop from forcing the chopsticks further into the wound in Jeri's side where another rib bone awaited its removal.

"We choose our own destiny." Rika's voice punctured Jeri's as her chopsticks clacked around his, bringing him to a halt. Looking up, he saw her violet eyes gazing at him, penetrating the darkness in his mind; demanding that he hear her. "I wasn't destined to be a Tamer, but here I am now. We can change it."

Another blink, and Rika was the one in the casket now, holding onto the hand that clutched the bloodied chopsticks imbedded in her side. She was smirking up at him challengingly. Yet, even now, there was a gentleness to her gaze that he couldn't quite place.

"You're my friend," she said. "My partner."

"But…y-you'll die." Takato clenched his eyes shut and for the first time hot tears spilled forth. "You'll die! What kind of partner would I be if I let you die?!"

Rika's hand tightened around his. "We can choose our own destiny," she repeated.

"You can't! You shouldn't!"

"I choose my destiny," Rika repeated, her voice determined to reach him. "So, I choose to stay and fight with you!"

Takato awoke with a start in his bed, his eyes damp and his chest hot. The familiar sounds of his home floated up from about him. Downstairs, the clanging of pots and pans; the squeaking sound of an oven being opened. His mother instructing Guilmon on the morning's chores. Sitting up, Takato leaned his chin upon a knee, drinking in those comforting echoes with a terrifying thirst. He wiped at his face and he felt his emotions, at first wild and frantic from the dream, begin to dampen and vanish into a thick haze. That was good. Things were much safer that way. His eyes set themselves to wander about the room, falling upon his desk. There, next to his digivice, a lighter lay.

Yamaki's lighter.

Takato felt muscles clench at the sight and for a half a second, he could smell scorched air and ash. Not for the first time did he feel the desire to throw the lighter out, or come up with an excuse to return it to Riley. He knew she wouldn't accept it, nor would she be happy if he disposed of it – it was his to keep, she had said, as a needed reminder of Yamaki's faith in him – but the temptation remained.

To him, it felt like a chain.

Don't think about it. Don't…think.

His emotions stilled, lost in the fog once more. Once he felt certain they would not return, he made his way down the ladder from his bed. He dressed himself with slow, mechanical motions, unmindful of his past injuries, save that he needed to keep them hidden from prying eyes as best he could. He had many of such looks now since the battle in Chuo Park. Angry. Concerned. Frightened. It felt as though they were waiting for something to happen. Waiting for him to erupt.

He felt so cold. So dead inside that he found himself wondering why anyone would feel that way. He knew the answer though. Images of Megidramon flashed through his mind and he looked over at his digivice. The gold ring and fiery markings around it were like mockery to him. Another sign of his never-ending string of failures as a Tamer. Why did the digignomes give me a digivice like that? I'm not worthy.

His eyes slid back over to Yamaki's lighter, and a new memory came to the fore.

"He believed in you," Riley had said to him. One of her hands was on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I know it doesn't feel like you deserve it, but it was warranted." She had smiled at him then. A sad smile, but genuine. "Don't beat yourself up about it, okay? He always knew there was a chance he would die someday. In this business, it's a fact of life. He just wanted to make sure that he spent his time making tomorrow better for others. Helping you make tomorrow better for others."

A better tomorrow for others… Takato thought. I don't even know if that exists anymore. Sure, things are quiet now, but sooner or later, there's going to be trouble. Like Henry said, nothing lasts forever.

The buzzing of his phone caught his attention. Turning, he made his way over to where his phone lay, plugged into a nearby outlet for charging. Rika's message stood prominently on the screen.

See you after school for training?

Takato closed his eyes and he felt the coldness surrounding his emotions tremble from sudden heat. The ache in his chest from earlier spread once again as the image of Rika lying in a coffin filled his mind. He turned his eyes up at the towers of the Shinjuku government building, visible from his bedroom window.

"What's the point of changing destiny?" he asked.

"Takato?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Takato turned to find Guilmon at the door, a worried look on his face. Not for the first time did the boy note the subtle change in his partner's color. A dull red where once it had been a lively crimson.

"Yeah, boy?"

Guilmon cocked his head to one side, his brow furrowing, as if thinking had become difficult for him. It felt as though it were more common lately, coinciding with the changes in his scales.

"Mommon wants to know if you're coming down for breakfast." He shook his head and then his eyes brightened a little, regaining some of their past luster. "She says if you don't hurry, she's giving your food to me."

The dinosaur smiled, but now it was Takato's turn to frown.

"Mommon?" he asked. Guilmon lifted an eyebrow questioningly. Understanding clicked on a second later in the dinosaur's face.

"Huh. That's weird. I never called your mom that before."

"No, you didn't." The cold fog in Takato's mind trembled and concern for his partner wormed its way out of the darkness. "Are-Are you all right, boy?"

Guilmon glanced down at the floor, pondering the question carefully. He appeared to be struggling.

"I'm more worried about you, Takato. I'm…" He clenched his eyes shut. "Ohhh… Why is thinking so hard?"

He's a part of me, Takato thought with quiet realization. I'm doing something to him. I'm always doing something to him. It's all my fault.

"I'm sorry, boy." Reaching out, Takato drew his partner into a hug. It lacked the warmth that had been there previously. Guilmon seemed to sense it, because of how he hugged him back and snuffled him. Takato squeezed tighter, but it felt mechanical. Little more than a motion he did because it was expected.

It's because I'm dead inside, he thought. I died in that fight. My body's still alive, but it's killing Guilmon.

He wondered if there was a way to transfer partnership over to someone else. He knew not just anyone could use his digivice. Jeri had tried to do so years ago, during the battles with the Devas, in an effort to assist Leomon following his arrival in the real world.

Absently, a part of him wondered where that thought came from. It hadn't been all that long ago that the very idea was unthinkable.

Do I hate digimon now?

Memories of battle after battle; the damage and wreckage he and the others left in their way flashed through his mind. The cold in his heart deepened even as he became more aware of Guilmon's presence. He felt an urge to hold his partner tighter and banish such thoughts, but the muscles in his arms didn't so much as budge. The urge faded, and his arms fell away from Guilmon, dropping to his sides.

Humans and digimon are supposed to be together, his remembered himself saying, pushing against the cold emptiness in his heart. He couldn't help but feel that had been the most naïve thing he could have said. Every time digimon entered the human world, they brought chaos and destruction. Even Renamon's companion, Gaiomon, had reminded him that for digimon, fighting was as natural and necessary as breathing.

But… Guilmon… his heart protested. Its voice didn't carry much weight however, and soon faded.

"Takato?" Guilmon asked, drawing back with concern.

"I need to talk to Alice," Takato mumbled mechanically. He didn't meet Guilmon's questioning gaze. That part of him that wanted to continue holding Guilmon wondered if it was because of shame, or if he just didn't want to look at his partner anymore and answer any further questions.

I can't be a Tamer anymore, he thought, taking out his cellphone. Rika's message remained on the screen, drawing his attention. He hesitated on it before scrolling instead for Alice's contact information. Finding it, he quickly typed out a message asking about the feasibility of transferring partnerships and fired away.

"I've got to get ready for school now," he said in a flat tone. Guilmon gazed at him attentively, his eyes uncertain. His thoughts were strangely slow in forming and he didn't understand why. When Takato began to shrug out of his shirt, he could only remember that he needed to give his partner some privacy. Giving up the struggle – at least for the time being – Guilmon turned and left the room, but not without giving Takato one final look over his shoulder. Once again, he saw the boy's injuries. The scars that crisscrossed his back; the marks of the lightning that marred his arm where Cherubimon's attack once struck him. The sight of them stirred his memories, reminding him of the fragility of humans. He wanted to help, but he couldn't think of a way to do that. Yamaki's death had cut him deep.

Giving Takato his privacy, Guilmon slid the door shut behind him and sat himself outside the boy's door.

I wish Yamaki was still alive, he thought forlornly. I wish Jeri, Henry, Kazu, and Ryo were still alive. Oh, why did things have to turn out the way they did?

Of course, he knew why. The answer was simple. Because of Rika.

She'll turn things around, he told himself. She did in the other world, so why not here?

The question hovered in his mind alongside a seed of worry and growing doubt. What if she couldn't save Takato? What if it was already too late for his partner?

I'll go see her after Takato goes to school. Maybe together we can come up with a new plan?

###

Rika's legs and lungs burned as she shakily stepped into her yard. Her morning run had gone about as well as she expected, which, for her, meant disappointment. Too frequently, she found herself rapidly tiring from her exertions and so, didn't get as much distance as she would like. She huffed in frustration, wondering when she would begin to see improvement.

At least I'm getting my timing down better, she thought, remembering Toshiko's advice about her breathing. Closing her eyes, she drew in deep breaths and attempted to control her rhythm. Air clawed at her lungs like sandpaper.

She felt a tickle at the back of her mind. Opening her eyes, she found Renamon standing in front of her, a towel in hand for her sweat. Rika accepted it gladly.

"You're improving," the vulpine digimon noted. Rika harrumphed. Renamon arched an eyebrow. "You don't think so?"

"It sure doesn't feel like it," she said, pressing the cloth against her face. "But I'll take your word for it."

"You've mentioned before having other physical activities. Did they require time to master as well?"
"Yes," Rika nodded, continuing to pat herself down. In spite of herself, she felt a bit annoyed needing to be reminded about that. "I should probably get back into bouldering more."

"Why did you stop?" Renamon asked. Rika started toward her house.

"I didn't exactly 'stop.' I just had less time for it. Mom got me modeling gigs to break into the industry and I was playing the card game more. Bouldering… I guess it just became more trouble than fun and I had to prioritize."

Prioritize making Mom happy, was what she didn't say out loud. The thought wasn't a happy one and she felt guilty for blaming her mother for just wanting the best opportunity for her. All the same, it robbed her of something she enjoyed and caused her to fall behind her Other-Self in the physical department.

I wonder what she's getting up to now, she thought, wondering about her alternate self and her friends. I wonder if she actually took my advice and finally got together with her Takato.

Takato. The boy's name caused a light blush to rise in her cheeks, and with it the memory of her lips gracing his sleeping face. Drawing out her phone, she checked its messages for what had to be the hundredth time. The lack of response from her goggle-wearing friend worried her, much like how everything about the boy had concerned her since returning from the other world. Of all the Tamers, Takato took Yamaki's death the hardest. This didn't surprise her, knowing how he felt responsible for those around him, but this time had been different.

He's shut down, she thought, and her hand squeezed her phone tightly. She wondered if she should send him another message or if that would be too bothersome. She knew he needed some space to sort out his feelings. She couldn't smother him after all, especially after her kiss. At the same time, his behavior was concerning.

"Rika, I've gotten a pretty good look at that boy you keep eyeing. Whatever your reasons are, here's a bucket of cold water for you to consider. You might not be able to fix him. I used to have a cousin who had the same look he does in his eyes. He's not doing good. Whatever he was before, he's changed, and not for the better. He's staring down a long road and wondering when it's going to be his turn."

Kayoko's words came to mind upon entering the front door to her home. She couldn't deny the truth in them. Takato wasn't doing good. None of the Tamers were, but it seemed somehow worse for Takato. Not even Suzie, who lost her brother at the tender age of seven, had shut down the way he did.

All she is, is angry, she thought, kicking off her shoes. Takato's just turned himself off. I don't know how to deal with that. It's not like when Mom and Dad are doing their best to avoid starting a fight. Passing near the kitchen, she cast a look at her father where he sat at the table, calmly eating his breakfast. They're not happy with each other, but they work around each other and still find things to be happy about.

Rika pressed her lips together. One of her flaws, she supposed, was that she didn't deal with things directly. She had gotten good at reading people and even managing them to a certain degree, but she didn't know how to bring negative emotions out into the open where they could be confronted. She felt that Takato needed to confront those feelings, but doing so while knowing so little about him was risky.

I don't exactly have the luxury of trying anything different either. I tiptoe. I nudge. Those are my tools. I just have to keep working at him. I just wish he would actually just talk for a change. Half the time, when he's around, it's like talking to a computer.

Rika drew open the door to her room. Stepping inside, she shut it behind her. Renamon's presence hovered at the edge of her mind, always attentive to her whereabouts. Unconsciously, Rika shivered, but not as badly as she had before.

I guess I'm starting to get used to her, she thought, starting to put on her school uniform.

"Renamon, you don't talk much about Gaiomon."

The kitsune phased into view, her back facing Rika.

"There is not much to say," she replied. "I miss him. Even though he is a part of me now, I feel the pain of his absence."

"You seem kind of…okay with that." Rika frowned as she buttoned up the grey shirt of her uniform over her white undershirt, feeling like she had fumbled her words. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure how to say it properly."

"You mean to ask why I do not react the way your friends have to their losses." From out of the corner of her eye, Rika saw Renamon tilt her head upward, her eyes gazing at the ceiling. "I suppose it is a matter of perspective and experience. For digimon, fighting and dying is a way of life. It is something we live with every day. Even the strongest understand this. Perhaps when you are used to having a sword over your neck every day, you become used to its presence and, in the end, aren't surprised when it causes your death or the death of another."

Renamon lowered her eyes.

"That's not to say that I don't grieve. I do, as have others I have known. I choose to accept it for what it is and grow from the experience."

Rika clipped on her skirt. Her eyes were thoughtful. "I don't think that would help Takato. I don't think he could accept death. Especially if he thinks he could have prevented it."

"Your world is different. Perhaps Kenta or Suzie could be of better assistance. Perhaps even any of the others that Takato knows. Riley perhaps, or even Alice. She has lost someone, hasn't she?"

"I've heard something like that," Rika nodded. "I still don't know all the details. Only that her digimon helped Takato and Henry biomerge in the real world."

Kenta had been forthcoming on that during their training sessions, providing her with some details about Takato's adventures since becoming a Tamer. It was plain though that he didn't know everything and there were still some things he hadn't told her, mainly due to school or prioritizing her training so she could catch up to the others. The sooner she could fight more evenly alongside them, the better. At least, that was the theory.

A thought came to her as she drew on her socks. After picking up her cellphone, she quickly typed out a message to Kenta.

Could you see if Takato's up for training after school? I don't know if he saw my message.

Her finger hesitated over the send button, unsure if she sounded needy, pushy, and uncaring about his feelings. It could be that Takato did see her message but didn't have the opportunity to reply.

He does work at a bakery, after all, she reminded herself. She deleted the message and typed up a new one.

How is Takato doing? she wrote instead and this time she hit send. Short, simple, and just the fact that she wasn't asking Takato herself would speak volumes. Kenta seemed like he had a good head on his shoulders and plenty of sense to understand the larger meaning behind her message.

"Okay," she said softly. Gathering up her school bag, she turned to Renamon, who now faced her directly. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course," Renamon nodded. "We're partners."

Rika scowled. Renamon tilted her head to one side.

"Is something the matter?" the vixen asked. Rika's scowl deepened.

"Just the way you said that we're partners. It almost makes you sound like my slave or something."

"I see," Renamon replied. She fell silent for a moment and Rika could see her thoughts turning in her head. "I don't mind doing you a favor," she resumed. "Tell me what you would like me to do."

Rika made a grumbling noise before saying, "Could you look in on Takato? Make sure that he's okay? I mean, physically okay?"

Renamon approached Rika and placed a comforting paw on her shoulder.

"Of course," she said. "I will report to you once I have found him."

Rika nodded. "Okay," she said, adjusting her bag. "Thank you. I'll catch you later."

With that, the two parted ways; Renamon fading from view and Rika exiting her room, each on their separate missions.

###

"I'll be sure to bring it up at the next budgetary meeting," said the Chief Cabinet Secretary from the screen in front of Himiko. "But I can't say how much support I'll be able to get for you."

Himiko's expression held an edge to it, breaking the cool poker face she spent years meticulously crafting for her work. The Chief Cabinet looked concerned and sympathetic to her position in much in the same way that milk looks fresh when it's well past its expiration date. Perhaps, she felt this way because she was already prejudiced toward the man, but she felt even Yamaki at his best would have felt any differently. After all, it hadn't been that long ago he was where she stood now.

"I'm sure you will press the importance of the Shaggai units," she said.

"Hmmm… Yes. I will try. Their performance in the last battle however was rather poor. I know a number of people who have misgivings about spending money on failed toys."

Himiko's right eyebrow twitched ever so slightly at that.

"Perhaps they will be more amenable to spending money on the Tamers then," Himiko suggested. "Seeing as how they put the threat down and continue to remain the best deterrent we have against incursions from the digital world, we ought to consider investing more in them. Especially in the absence of superior alternatives. You have my proposal for psychiatric treatment and additional training."

The Chief Cabinet Secretary leaned back in his chair and Himiko found herself zeroing in on a fat skintag hanging off the side of his cheek. She swallowed her disgust.

"There will be some surprise at your change of position about those children. But I will bring it up. In the meantime, continue on as you have done."

"As always," Himiko said, bowing her head politely to hide her revulsion. The connection between them ended and the screen began to draw back up into the ceiling. Sighing, Himiko opened up the shades, returning the view of the city below to her.

"Fat pig," she said irritably. "And I rolled in his sty."

Well, it's not like I didn't see this coming.

She sat down heavily in her chair. Her chair now, not his. Yet, she could feel his presence in it like a great shadow swept around her back and sides. It brought her no comfort.

I'll have to have it thrown out, she thought. Her fingers bit at the fabrics. Becoming restless, she got out of the chair and left the room and its ghosts behind. Making her way down to the cafeteria, she thought about her situation and how to best deal with it. The first and most obvious solution was to reach out across aisles and search for new allies. The second was to lean on those who still supported her before the Chief Cabinet Secretary could get to them.

The Tamers ought to be seen as a transitionary element while Shaggai and Sleipnir are being developed. Once those programs are fully matured, we can move the Tamers into a support structure and to act as a backup in the event that neither are enough. Hmmm… I should probably not bring that up in light of their recent failures.

Crossing out the last part of her makeshift draft proposal, she got herself a cup of coffee. Spotting Riley Ootori seated at a nearby table, she nodded to the woman before resuming her brainstorming. Clarity. Clarity of purpose. That was what she needed right now more than anything, and at present she didn't feel she had that.

"Ms. Hata?"

Turning, Himiko found Janyu hurrying into the cafeteria. He looked flushed and haggard and not in the least bit happy to see her. She could hardly call herself surprised.

"Can I help you, Mr. Wong?" she asked. From out of the corner of her eye, she watched Riley. The red-haired woman made no move to join the conversation, but Himiko could tell she was watching.

Janyu drew up in front of her, and she could see Suzie and Mayumi's anger written in his face, burning alongside his own. In many ways, she found herself reminded of her own family.

"I want to talk about Sleipnir."

Himiko took a sip from her coffee. The black, hot liquid sloshed over her tongue and she swallowed it down.

"I believe we had this discussion already, Mr. Wong."

"But why did you take me off the project?! Henry's mem-memory files…" Janyu choked on the words. "They were separated from Sleipnir's programming!"

Himiko took another sip from her coffee. Her eyes bore into Janyu's, gauging his potential reactions.

"You were taken off the project because you cannot be objective about it," she replied. "I am sorry. The project is now fully under Mizuno's control."

"But Sleipnir's Ark device! It hasn't been tested since we made adjustments to it! I have the experience…!"

"Mizuno will be taking care of it. It is my understanding he is the most familiar with their more…eccentric functions. I don't want any surprises from that Ark and your unstable emotions concerning your…past tragedy."

Janyu looked like she just slapped him. For an instant, the fire of anger in him burned brighter and she saw the veins in his temple stand out against his flesh.

"With all due respect, Ms. Hata," he said through grated teeth. "I worked more on this particular model…"

"I have full confidence in Mizuno's abilities, and if he encounters a difficulty, he will resolve it. This discussion is over, Mr. Wong."

Janyu seethed, but he acquiesced without protest. Turning away, he stormed out of the cafeteria. Himiko glanced at Riley, who was watching her thoughtfully.

"Something on your mind, Ootori? You may speak freely."

Riley threaded her hands together and leaned into them. Her eyes were like a microscope, considering her inner workings.

"Only that Yamaki wouldn't have done that," she said. "He had confidence in Janyu too."

Himiko took another sip from her coffee. "I'm not Yamaki," she replied. "Please bear that in mind for the future."

###

Calumon floated over the ruins of Chuo Park as he made his way in the direction of the Matsuki Bakery, hoping for a bite to eat. Seeing the devastation wrought by Titamon caused his digital heart to ache. Lighting down on a tree, he decided to take a little break and watch as construction workers and garden crew worked to rebuild Chuo and bring life to it once more.

"It's so sad," he said aloud. "Why does everyone have to come here to pick a fight? Why can't they just stop to smell the roses?"

He wondered if he should ask one of the Tamers. Or better yet, Guilmon. Guilmon was reading a lot. Why, he didn't know, since reading seemed kind of boring to him since there was no one to play with and you couldn't kick a book around without someone getting upset. He did know that since Guilmon began reading, he seemed to be filling up with all kinds of thoughts and ideas and new ways to look at the world around him, and that to him seemed important, even if he didn't always understand the things Guilmon said.

Fortunately, Guilmon had a way to help him understand things.

"Maybe someday he'll teach me how to read and why everyone has to sit still for it," Calumon said. Stretching out his ears, he prepared to resume his flight when something abruptly tugged at the corners of his senses. Turning about in the air like a spinning top, he quickly spotted a cloud of mist forming up in the sky. From it, erupted a tiny figure.

"Oh!" Calumon cried, startled. Swiftly overcoming his surprise, he speedily flew up to the falling creature – orange-furred, with a glowing ball of flame at the end of its tail. Calumon didn't pause to consider the complications of the fire as he caught the digimon by that particular end. The other digimon yelped loudly, clearly unhappy with its tail nearly being yanked from its socket by the rather abrupt halt to its fall.

"Hey!" the digimon yelled angrily. "What's the big idea?!"

"Well, you were falling and it's a long way down," Calumon said as the glowing yellow ball began to bop at his face. "Ohhh… You have a very pretty light."

"Put me down! Put me down! That hurts!"

"Sorry. Sorry." Dropping down, gently planted the digimon on a dirt path and stepped back. He beamed happily as they scrambled to their feet. The digimon had a vaguely cat-like appearance to its head and a tuft of golden fur on its chest. There also appeared to be some kind of metallic device strapped above its wide, cat-like eyes from which a small light gleamed. The digimon looked around him, sniffing the air and then back at Calumon. A bashful look crossed its face and they rubbed the back of their head.

"Sorry," it said in a feminine voice. "You kind of caught me by surprise when you grabbed me." She then bowed to Calumon. "My name is Coronamon."

"I'm Calumon! Welcome to the human world!"

"Thank you, and thank you for rescuing me from that fall." Again, Coronamon bowed. "I'm…not sure what else to say, except for that. I don't even know how to repay you."

"That's all right!" Calumon chirped. "I'm fine with being friends! I was feeling kind of lonely earlier, but now I don't!" His eyes lit up just then. "Oh! If you're hungry, I know a good place we can go! Follow me!"

"Er, what…?" Coronamon arched a stunned eyebrow as Calumon hopped up into the air and began to fly off, clearly expecting her to follow. She hesitated for but a moment, only for the growl of her stomach to make her decision. Flushing with embarrassment, she hurriedly chased after Calumon. "Hey! Wait up!"

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