Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Key-Seeker ❯ Paladin ( Chapter 2 )

"Yo, Jun, turn the TV on!" shouted Davis as he bounded into the kitchen.

The girl didn't even look up. Her eyes were fixed on the pages of a magazine that she held in her left hand, while her right one forked up sausage and eggs, apparently without guidance from her eyes.

"Turn it on yourself," she replied. "I'm busy!"

"Fine, be that way!"

Davis dumped an armload of school supplies onto the table and made a dive for the television, clicking it on just as it was saying, "...walloped the Tokyo Royals four to nothing. And now, the news..."

"Aw, man, I missed all the soccer scores!" he complained.

"Quiet!" Jun replied. "That looks interesting."

"Huh?" Davis looked up, a bit surprised to think that the morning news might have something interesting on it besides sports.

"It's a sad day in Tokyo," the newscaster was saying, "as one of our city's leading families calls off their three-year search for their missing son. After an extensive investigation, with many false leads and a severe lack of evidence, the Ichijouji family has finally admitted defeat. Three years ago, their youngest son, eight year old Ken Ichijouji vanished from his home without a trace. Kidnaping was suspected, but no ransom notes were ever found and no clues were uncovered. Offers of a reward were met with nothing."

The screen shifted to show what remained of the Ichijouji family, and the camera focused in on the father.

"We're finally going to end this," said Mr. Ichijouji. "We're going to have to admit that our boy is gone, and we aren't going to find him. It's time we let him rest in peace."

"It's only now that he's gone that we realize how important he was to us," Mrs. Ichijouji sobbed. "We always paid so much attention to Sam's achievements that we didn't stop to think about our other boy. Ken, if you're out there and can hear me, I'm sorry for the way we treated you. I only wish I could have another chance to show you how much I loved you."

"And what about you, Sam?" asked the newscaster, turning to the boy. "Do you have anything you want to say about your brother?"

The boy accepted the microphone with the confidence of one who is used to being on television. "Yes, I'd just like to say that there is no way of measuring just how much impact losing him has had on my life, and not a day goes by without my thinking about him. However, I still believe that he is alive somewhere, and I'm sure we'll meet again. In the meantime, I'm sure he'd want me to continue with my work in academics and athletics. I want to show him that his brother is the greatest in the world." He smiled coolly for the camera.

"An admirable sentiment," said the newscaster. "If anyone out there has any information as to the whereabouts of Ken Ichijouji, please contact the authorities at once. Today he would be eleven years old, with blue hair and violet eyes. The Ichijoujis have offered a reward for anyone who can offer any clues leading to his recovery. Back to you, Dave."

"Thanks, Mark. Now, in other news..."

Davis clicked the TV off with a disgusted expression on his face.

"Man, that guy Sam is a real jerk," he muttered. He dropped into a chair across from his sister and began wolfing down a plate of sausage and eggs.

"Oh, I don't know," said Jun. "I thought he was cute."

Davis rolled his eyes. "You think the school janitor is cute!"

"Well, he has potential," she answered defensively.

"Never mind! I don't even want to hear about it," Davis replied. "Really, though, were you listening to that guy? He was so cold... just looking at him made me shiver. He was sitting there talking about his brother, this little kid who's been gone without a trace for years. He could be dead, for all he knows, and he's just standing there smiling."

"I think he's being sort of noble, really," said Jun. "You know, wanting to do his best to make his brother proud and all that kind of thing."

"I don't think he wants to make his brother proud. I think he just wants to stoke his ego," Davis replied stubbornly.

"Well, aren't you one to criticize?" asked Jun, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, okay, so I'm not perfect!" Davis snapped. "But if Ken Ichijouji were my brother, I'd be more worried about him than that. Hmm... I wonder what he's like?"

"What who's like?" Jun had already lost interest in the conversation and put her nose back into her magazine.

"Ken," answered Davis. "He'd be my age now. If he were here, he'd probably go to my school. We might even be friends. I was just wondering what he'd be like. The news didn't tell us very much about him."

"Well, you don't need to worry about it. The chances of you ever meeting him are about a million zillion to one," Jun replied. "On the other hand, your chances of being late to school are pretty good if you don't get moving."

"Whoa, man, you're right!" Davis exclaimed. He shoveled the last of his breakfast in his mouth, scooped up his books, and began charging for the door.

"Hey, squirt, wait up!" Jun shouted after him.

Davis skidded to a halt. "What?"

"You forgot these!" Jun called back. She scooped up a pair of goggles that were lying on the table and tossed them to her brother. Davis caught them on his finger and spun them expertly before slipping them over his head.

"Thanks, Jun!" he said. "Sometimes you're pretty cool, for an annoying older sister."

"And you're pretty cool, too, for a bratty little brother," Jun replied, grinning.

Davis waved and scooted out the door, down the hall, and out of the building. He was in a good mood as he ambled down the sidewalk. School wasn't his favorite activity, but it did have its advantages, and the first day was always exciting. He was looking forward to meeting some new people, figuring out what he could get away with in his new classes, hanging out with his friends, and maybe getting in a few games of soccer. He'd been practicing hard over the summer, and he was looking forward to showing off his skills. He was just daydreaming about how he was going to show everyone up on the soccer field, and maybe finally get some respect this year, when the door of an apartment building swung open to release a blonde-haired boy in a white hat. Davis yelped in surprise.

"Whoa, sorry about that!" said the boy. "I guess I didn't see you coming."

"That's okay, I didn't see you coming either," Davis replied. "You on your way to school?"

"Yup! My first day at Odaiba Elementary," the other boy replied.

"Cool! That's my school!" Davis enthused. "Want to walk with me a while?"

"I guess we'll have to, considering we're going the same direction."

"Well, I guess one of us could walk up the block and go around the other way, but that would waste a lot of time," commented Davis.

The blonde boy laughed. "You're something else, you know that?"

"I'll take that as a compliment!" Davis replied, taking a bow.

"Well, you've got personality, I'll say that for you," said the other boy. "My name's Takeru Takenouchi, but you can call me TK. All my friends do."

"You can call me Davis. Davis Motomiya. Pleased to meet you!"

"Same here," said TK. "Hey, if you don't mind, there's something I want to ask about. What's with the goggles?"

"Oh, these? Well, I just like to wear them. It's kind of silly," said Davis, blushing, "but there's this guy who's a totally awesome soccer player. I always wanted to be like him, and he wears goggles all the time, so I wear them all the time. Sometimes I think they bring me luck, you know?"

"I know," TK replied, "and I know who you're talking about. Tai Kamiya, right?"

"Yeah! How'd you guess?"

"Just a hunch," TK asked. "Actually, the minute I saw you, the first person I though of was Tai. He's a great guy. He and my brother are best friends."

"Who's your brother?" asked Davis. "Do I know him? Now that I think of it, you look sort of familiar."

"You've probably heard of him - Matt Ishida."

"The rock star?" Davis exclaimed. "Man, I'm hanging close to you - you know all the cool people!"

TK laughed. "Better not stay too close. Weird things have been known to happen to me before, and you might not want to get mixed up in them."

"Hey, I can do anything you can do!" Davis insisted. "Hey, if you're new at school, you won't know anyone there, will you? I can introduce you to some of my friends. I know some cool people, too."

"I'd love to meet your friends," TK replied. "It's rough going someplace where you don't know anyone."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Davis. "To tell the truth, I don't have a whole lot of good friends, but this summer I was hanging out in the park, and I met these two, and we sort of clicked. It's weird, since they seem like the last people in the world I'd be friends with."

"What are they like?" asked TK.

"Well, one of them is this girl called Yolei. She's sort of the local computer guru. She lives in your building, so you might have seen her - long purple hair and glasses."

"Yeah, I think I might have seen her. I've mostly been too busy getting unpacked and settling in to notice my neighbors much," TK replied.

"You'll meet her sooner or later, especially once she finds out who your brother is. Yolei's boy crazy," warned Davis. "She's smart, though. If it's broken, she'll fix it. She's kind of a ditz, but pretty cool... Actually, we're a lot alike. I get kinda spacey myself."

"I've noticed," said TK.

Davis wondered whether or not he ought to reply to that, and decided to ignore it for now, for the sake of not offending his new friend. TK seemed like a nice guy with some useful connections, and he didn't want to alienate him right away. Davis needed all the friends he could get.

"Anyway, my other friend's name is Cody. He's the weird one," said Davis. "Wait, maybe that's not the right way to say it. He's not your everyday little kid, but it's weird that me and Yolei would want to hang out with him, you know? Or him with us. He's nine years old and acts like he's about forty - serious as a tombstone. But it's good we have him around, 'cause he keeps me out of trouble... or he tries, anyway. Besides, his mom's the best cook ever!"

TK laughed. "Maybe you'll have to take me to meet his family, then. My mom should stick to take-outs. So, is that it? Just those two? You've gotta know more people than that!"

"Well, there is this girl..." said Daisuke, blushing again. "She's not really my friend, but... well, you know."

"Oh, a girlfriend, huh?" asked TK with a leer.

"No!" Daisuke protested. "I mean, I wish she was, but... I don't think she likes me much."

"What's she like?"

"Aw, she's got everything! She's pretty, she's popular, she's smart, she's funny... Her name's Kari."

"Kari? As in, Kari Kamiya?" asked TK.

"You know her?"

"Sure I know her! We've been best friends since we were both little kids!" TK replied.

"Whoa!" Davis exclaimed. "Hey, TK, buddy, you think you could put in a good word for me? Please?"

"Don't you think it would work better if you put in a good word for yourself?"

"I've tried! None of my words work," sighed Davis. "Come on, just do me this one little favor? I'll give you my allowance money!"

"You're really desperate, aren't you?" TK asked, amused. "You can keep your allowance - I've got my own - but if it'll make you happy, I'll see if I can talk to Kari for you."

"Really? Wow, thanks, TK!" Davis cheered. "Man, you're the best! Now I can't wait to get to school! Come on, let's go!"

The redhead turned began sprinting up the sidewalk, and TK grinned. He liked this strange new person he'd met, and he was surprised to find himself hoping that he would be able to help him befriend Kari. A guy who's only friends were a small child and a female computer guru needed help.

"Well, he's got one more friend, anyway," said TK to himself. "Hey, Davis, wait up!"

They arrived at the school out of breath and laughing from the run, and joined a large group of other children who were in much the same state, darting from one location to another in a chaotic rush. The shouts of children mingled with the sound of opening and closing doors, slamming lockers, rustling papers, and pounding footsteps. Everyone was in high spirits. TK stopped to stare at it all, but Daisuke grabbed his arm and hauled him through the crowd.

"Come on! You gonna stand there all day, or are you going to meet my friends?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, turned and shouted, "Yo, Yolei! Cody! Look! I found a new friend!"

"Hey there!" called a girl in glasses. "I was wondering when you'd show up!"

"Hello, Davis," said a young boy with serious green eyes. "Who's that with you?"

"This is TK. He's new at this school, so I thought maybe he could hang out with us for a while until he gets to know his way around," answered Davis. "TK, meet Yolei Inoue and Cody Hida. They're the friends I told you about."

"Nice to meet you!" said TK, offering a hand to shake. "Davis has already told me so much about you guys, I feel like we're already friends."

"It's an honor," the boy Cody replied, taking TK's hand gravely. "I'm sure you'll fit right in here."

"Yeah, it's great to meet you, TK!" Yolei agreed. "Hey, the more cute guys around, the better, right?"

"See? I warned you!" Davis whispered, elbowing TK.

"Hey, I was only teasing him!" said Yolei. "Don't listen to him, TK. I'm not as bad as he says I am."

"Don't listen to anything she says about me, either!" Davis retorted. "She'll tell you that I cry at sad movies and keep this old moth-eaten teddy bear under my pillow."

"And you don't?" asked TK.

"Of course he does!" Yolei replied. "That's why he doesn't want you to listen to me."

"Don't listen to either of them," said Cody. "They're both crazy." His face remained serious, but there was a sparkle in his green eyes, and TK found himself laughing.

"I believe it!" he said. "But at least you'll never be boring! I think I'm glad I met you guys."

Suddenly, Davis grabbed TK's arm and tugged him around, pointing at something down the hall.

"Look, look!" he exclaimed. "It's her!"

"Huh?" said TK. "Oh, yeah, it is her! Kari! Hey, Kari, over here!"

"TK, is that you?" Kari called back. She hurried down the hall to greet him. "I haven't seen you in months! How have you been? What are you doing here?"

"We moved into a new apartment, and I had to transfer to a school that was closer to home," TK explained. "I think I like it here, though. Do you know my new friends? This is Yolei, Cody, and Davis."

"Hi!" she greeted everyone. "I think I've seen you around before... Davis, weren't you in my science class last year?"

"Yeah, that's right!" he answered. "I'm surprised you remember me."

"Sure I remember you! You're the one who kicked the soccer ball into the Bunsen burner and set the table of elements chart on fire."

"Wow, you do remember!" Davis exclaimed. "It's worth spending a week in detention for that."

Kari giggled. "I don't think having me remember you is worth all that much... but it was fun to watch the teacher jump around like that."

"Yeah, wasn't it, though?" Davis agreed. "But that's nothing - you should have seen what happened in Social Studies!"

Just then, the bell rang, warning students they had only a few minutes to report to their home rooms.

"Looks like it's time to go," Yolei remarked. "Rats! I was having fun."

"Why don't we meet again after school?" Cody replied. "Yolei was coming over to my house tonight to fix my computer anyway, and my mom's making brownies. We can all have a snack and get to know each other better."

"Great idea! I'll see you all after school, then!" TK said.

The kids went their separate ways - Yolei down one hall, Cody up a flight of stairs, and the remaining three children made their way to class together.

*This is great,* TK thought, as he joked around with his friends. *I have a feeling this is going to be one exciting school year!*

Something was moving in the Digital world. What kind of thing it was, it was difficult to be sure. Light seemed to warp around it in some strange way, refusing to strike it directly and reflect steadily as it would on a normal object. Watching the creature as it wandered across the world, its body rippling and writhing like boiling water, was enough to cause headaches and make the stomach churn, and looking at it was almost painful. The most that could be discerned a sluglike body, an indeterminate number of tentacles, and a pair of glowing red eyes.

However, one did not have to look at the creature to know it was evil. All it took was a look at the countryside it crossed. Plants rotted into slime at its touch, rivers became scummy swamps, and even rocks were coated with filth that no amount of cleansing could wash away. The air around it was always a few degrees too warm and smelling of something rancid. If there was any such thing as filth incarnate, this was it.

Unaware of the menace, Agumon sat happily on a stone, enjoying the warmth of the sun and watching a group of happy Gotsumon. There had been talk of odd things happening in the neighborhood, but as far as the little dinosaur could tell, all was peaceful here. The rocklike Gostumon were by nature fun-loving creatures who would rather play than fight, and had a knack for turning even the dullest chores into a game. Agumon wasn't sure if they were trying to work or relax right now, but whatever they were doing, it looked like so much fun that he was just wondering if they would mind if he joined them when a whiff of something unpleasant crossed his nostrils. He turned his sensitive nose to the wind and sniffed.

"Does anyone else smell that?" he wondered aloud.

The nearest Gotsumon turned round golden eyes on him. "Well, I did forget to take my bath this week..."

"No, it's not like that," Agumon replied. "I've never smelled anything like it. There's something not right about it."

Before anyone could reply, there was a rustling of foliage, and something small and orange shot out of the treetops.

"Run for it!" squealed Patamon at the top of his lungs. "Head for the hills! Run for your lives! There's a Glitch in the forest!"

"There's a what?" asked Agumon.

"A Glitch! A horrible monster!" Patamon wailed. "It tried to eat me!"

"Can't you fight it?" asked Agumon.

"I tried, but its way too powerful! My Boom Bubbles aren't powerful enough to hurt it," said Patamon. "Can you do something, Agumon? You're a better fighter than me. Can't you make it go away?"

"I can try!" Agumon answered. "Show it to me! I'll teach it to try to eat my friends!"

A hot wind rolled across the village, carrying with it the stench of decay, and the Glitch rolled into town. The trees it passed by melted at its touch, leaving a broad streak of empty, blackened ground in its wake. Agumon's eyes went wide.

"On the other hand, maybe we'll just run," he said.

The Gotsumon were thrown into a panic, running around in crazed circles. A tentacle lashed at the nearest house, carving a large chunk out of its wall, and there were angry screams from the crowd.

"Hey, you can't do that to my house!" shouted one of the Gotsumon. "Rock Fist!"

A volley of stones shot at the Glitch, but they vanished into the ooze without visibly affecting it. The Glitch turned on its attacker with a bubbling roar and lashed out its tentacles. The Gotsumon managed to dodge the first few, but it stumbled and fell in the attempt, and then the creature had him. It wrapped one slimy appendage around the fallen Digimon and lifted it up in the air, ignoring its kicks and screams. Then, in front of all the horrified onlookers, the Glitch popped the helpless Gotsumon into its mouth.

A few moments later, it spat the Digimon out again. Except for a coating of grey sticky stuff covering it, it seemed to be unharmed, but it made no attempt to move from where it had fallen. It simply lay there, eyes staring at nothing.

"What happened?" asked one of the other Gotsumon. "Come on, pal, get up! You can't stay there!"

His friend ignored him, simply sitting and staring. He didn't even blink when the other Gotsumon shouted at him and tried to drag him along the ground.

"I guess the Glitch doesn't like to eat rocks," Agumon remarked.

"That's not it," said Patamon. "Don't you know? The Glitches eat the life out of things. That Gotsumon's not going to move again unless someone destroys the Glitch!"

"Then let's get rid of it!" shouted Agumon. "Come on!"

The little dinosaur charged down the hill, with Patamon following determinedly behind him. The Glitch stopped its razing of the village long enough to stare at both of them. Agumon felt a shiver run down his spine as the red eyes met his, but he held his ground.

"You can't eat these Gostumon as long as I have something to say about it!" he threatened. "Pepper Breath!"

"Boom Bubbles!"

"Rock Fist!"

Fire balls, air pellets, and flying stones rained down on the Glitch, which simply sat and watched disinterestedly. The ooze on its body bubbles a little faster where the fireballs hit it, but otherwise, nothing seemed to affect it. Is shrugged a little, as if bored with the whole thing, and turned its attention back to the Gotsumon village. Its tentacles lashed around one Digimon after another and dropped them into its drooling maw.

"It's eating the Gotsumon like popcorn!" exclaimed Agumon.

"There's nothing we can do here. We've got to get out of here before it eats us, too!" Patamon replied.

Agumon shook his head. "I can't just leave my friends in danger."

Just then, a white blur seemed to drop out of the sky.

"Lightning Paw!" shouted a familiar voice.

The Glitch wailed as the blur carved a long dark rent down its side. It lashed with its tentacles, but Gatomon was too swift - she bounded up into the air and back into the treetops. A few seconds later, she dropped down next to Agumon and Patamon.

"Are you guys okay? It didn't get you, did it?" she asked.

"Nope, we're fine," Patamon replied. "The Gotsumon aren't, though!"

"We'll have to worry about them later," Gatomon replied. "I can slow the Glitch down, but I can't destroy it. We're going to have to send for help."

"Who's going to help us?" asked Agumon.

"There are rumors that there's someone who knows how to destroy the Glitches," Gatomon replied. "I hear he went to explore a cave not far from here. We'll have to go looking for him, and bring him back here to save the village."

"Are you sure he'll do it?" asked Patamon.

Gatomon nodded. "He hates any kind of cruelty, and he's always trying to protect weaker Digimon. They call him the Digimon Paladin. If anyone can help, he can."

"Let's go then!" said Agumon. "Hold it off as long as you can, Gotsumon! We'll be back soon - with help!"

TK watched with interest as Cody stood up on his tiptoes to press the doorbell. There was a distant chime, and the door was soon opened by a pleasant-looking woman who could only be Cody's mother. She looked a bit startled to find five children on her doorstep, but surprise melted into a happy smile.

"You didn't tell me you were bringing friends over, Cody," she said.

"Well, I didn't know until this morning," he said apologetically. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all! I enjoy having young people around. Do come in," she said, beckoning all the children inside.

Yolei sniffed the air. "Something smells great!"

"I've been cooking," said Mrs. Hida. "In fact, the brownies should be just about ready to come out of the oven. Would you kids like a snack?"

"Would I ever!" said Daisuke eagerly. "You wouldn't believe that stuff the school calls food."

In a few moments, five kids were sitting on the floor in Cody's room, eating warm brownies and chatting with each other. Yolei set up camp next to Cody's computer and began unpacking a tool kit.

"Don't anybody spill any milk in this," she warned, beginning to unscrew the outer case. "And nobody put crumbs in the keyboard!"

"That's computer people for you," Kari remarked. "They never want anyone messing wither their computers."

"Yeah, kinda reminds you of Izzy, doesn't it?" answered TK. "He wouldn't let anyone touch his laptop with a ten foot pole... considering the way Tai treated computers, I don't blame him."

"Izzy? Who's Izzy?" asked Davis.

"You don't know Izzy Izumi?" asked Yolei, stunned. "He was president of the computer club. The guy's a digital genius."

"In more ways than one!" Kari chimed in.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Davis.

"Forget it. It's sort of an in-joke," TK replied. "Maybe someday we'll explain it for you. You won't believe it, though."

"You really know Izzy, then?" asked Yolei from within the computer. "Davis wasn't kidding when he said you knew everyone!"

"Not everyone," said TK. "I just got lucky and made some really good friends when I was young. I'll have to introduce them to you sometime."

"I'd really like to meet Izzy personally," Yolei replied. "I've heard so much about him. I bet he could teach me a lot... like how to fix this computer. Cody, what did you do to this thing?"

"Davis wanted to check his e-mail," said Cody, "and that was the last time it worked."

"Hey, when I used it, it was already broken!" Davis protested. "It wouldn't let me download to the floppy disk!"

"Well, maybe if you hadn't tried to shove a floppy into the CD drive..."

"Oh. Is that what it was? I was wondering why it didn't fit right."

Yolei rolled her eyes. "Well, I think I can pull it out, but next time you want to download something, do it on your own computer!"

"Is that happened? Why didn't you tell me?" asked Cody.

Davis shrugged. "I thought maybe what you didn't know wouldn't hurt you."

It took a bit of work, involving a pair of needle-nose pliers, some sewing scissors, and a few paper clips, but the CD drive was finally relieved of the offending disk. Unfortunately, the disk did not fare as well as the rest of the machine. Yolei ceremoniously handed all the pieces of it back to Davis, who studied the array of plastic scraps with dismay.

"I guess this means I'm not going to be able to look at my pictures, huh?" he asked.

"Download them on your own computer next time," Yolei replied.

"I don't have a computer. I have to use my dad's, and I'd be in trouble if he found me saving things on it," said Davis.

Yolei looked at him suspiciously. "What were you trying to download, anyway?"

"They were just some soccer pictures! Sheesh, what kind of freak do you think I am?" Davis protested. "My dad just doesn't like me to save things on his computer. He thinks I'll break it or something."

There were blank looks all around. Then someone began to snicker, and someone else began to giggle, and even Cody cracked a smile. Davis looked surprised.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Never mind!" Yolei replied. "Anyway, that should have fixed the problem. Let's fire this thing up and see if it works."

She put all the parts back into their places, screwed the case back on, and pressed the power button. There was a reassuring hum from within the box.

"Sounds like it worked," Kari commented. "You're pretty good at this computer stuff, Yolei."

"Well, thanks, but we won't know for sure if it worked until we try to get the CD player to play," she answered. "Has anyone got a CD?"

"I'll get one!" Cody replied, and went over to a shelf to retrieve the required disk.

Just then, the monitor began flashing brilliant lights, strobing in all different colors. The kids jumped away in surprise. Cody spun in place, accidentally knocking a box of floppy disks off the shelf, adding a loud crash to the chaos. Everyone stared at the glowing screen, eyes wide.

"What did you do to that thing?" Cody exclaimed.

"I didn't do it!" Yolei answered. "The thing's just gone crazy!"

"Whoa, this is too cool!" said Davis.

Suddenly, there was a loud rushing noise, and three bursts of light flew out of the monitor and landed in the hands of Yolei, Davis, and Cody. As they watched, the lights solidified into little handheld devices, each with a small digital screen, an antenna, and an interesting array of buttons. The computer screen then went back to its ordinary desktop pattern.

"Incredible," Kari murmured.

"Kinda gives you deja vu, doesn't it?" TK replied. "Look at those things and tell me you're seeing what I'm seeing!"

"I'm seeing it, but I'm not sure I'm believing it," Kari replied.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Yolei. "Do you know what just happened?"

"No, but I've got a rough idea," said TK. "Something similar happened to us, years back. Look!"

He reached in his pocket and took out a similar device, but smaller and plainer. Kari rummaged in her backpack and took out one of her own. They held them out for their friends' inspection.

"They do look sort of the same," said Cody. "What are they?"

"These are called Digivices," Kari replied. "Don't ask me to explain them, but they're very important."

"They also mean something's going to happen," said TK. "They wouldn't just appear for no reason! You'd better brace yourselves, guys. Anything could happen any minute."

"You weren't kidding when you said weird things happened to you," said Davis.

"Hold that thought," said Yolei. "Someone just sent an e-mail... the subject line says its urgent."

"Deja vu all over again," muttered TK.

Yolei ignored the remark and opened the e-mail, skimming it quickly. "Hey, guys, I think you'd better have a look at this."

The kids crowded around the computer to read the message. It read: "To the receivers of the Digivices - there's an urgent mission you must embark upon at once. The fate of the world may rest in your hands. The Digital World is being invaded by evil forces. I've held them off as long as I can, but I realize I can't do this alone anymore. Please, come to the Digital World and help me set it free. Hold up your Digivices and say, 'Digi-port open!' and that will bring you here. Hurry - there may not be much time." It was signed, "The Paladin."

"Digital World?" muttered Yolei. "What is this, some kind of advertisement for a video game, or what?"

"It's a lot more serious than that," said TK. "The Digital World is a real place, a whole other world that exists alongside our own."

"Like another dimension?" asked Cody.

"Exactly," Kari replied. "We went there, once, to help it when it was in danger. Look like there's trouble again, and I think you guys have been chosen to help us save it."

"You've gotta be kidding me," said Yolei. "Another world? And I'm supposed to save it? You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding."

"It didn't look like that Paladin guy was kidding," said Cody. "He sounded pretty serious to me."

"Paladin - I know that word!" said Davis. "It's some kind of wax, right?"

Cody gave his friend a look of disdain. "That's paraffin, Davis. A paladin is like a knight in shining armor. And if we want to find out if he's serious, the best way to find out is to do what he says."

"That makes sense," said Davis. "And if he's telling the truth, we get to go to another dimension and be superheroes!"

"And we'll get to see our Digimon friends again," said TK. "I sure have missed Patamon."

"Digimon?" Yolei repeated.

Kari grinned. "You'll see when we get there."

"I guess we've made up our minds, then," said Yolei. "All right, let's give this a shot. Digi-port open!"

The screen flared again, spilling out dazzling light. When it faded, the kids were gone.

They landed at the bottom of a steep, rocky hill that stood at the edge of a forest. As soon as they were able to collect their wits, they looked around and tried to get their bearings.

"I think we're here," said Kari.

"Yup, this is definitely the DigiWorld," TK replied. "I'd know it anywhere."

"This is another dimension?" asked Davis. "It doesn't look like another dimension to me! Where are all the funky sci-fi machines and the evil space aliens?"

"You've been watching too much TV," said Cody.

"With friends like Davis, who needs space aliens?" Yolei asked. "This is enough of another world for me. We're definitely not in Tokyo, anyway."

"It looks pretty peaceful," TK commented. "I wonder what the big emergency is?"

Just then, there was a rustling in the underbrush, and a pair of small shapes barged out of the forest, one running and one flying through the air. They moved as one to leap onto two of the humans.

"We're under attack!" Yolei yelped.

"No, we're not!" Kari laughed. She threw her arms around the catlike animal that had landed on her. "This is Gatomon, my Digimon partner!"

"And this is Patamon," said TK, stroking the furry creature's head affectionately. "Don't worry; these two are friends. Most Digimon are pretty friendly. An evil Digimon wouldn't be little and cute like these guys."

"Hey, I may be small, but I'm still tough!" Gatomon said.

"They talk!" Davis exclaimed. "Whoa, this place might just be cool after all!"

Patamon was studying his partner with wide green eyes.

"You got big!" he exclaimed. "Did you digivolve?

"No, silly! I just grew up a little, that's all," TK replied. "I'm tall enough to play basketball now!"

"You brought some friends with you," Gatomon remarked, eyeing the newcomers. "Are they Digidestined children too?"

"We think so," Kari replied. "They have Digivices, even if they aren't quite like ours."

"Then they must be the ones the Paladin sent for," said Gatomon. "It's a good thing, too - we need all the help we can get!"

"Really? What's wrong?" asked TK. "And who's this Paladin guy? What's he got to do with it?"

"There have been horrible monsters appearing in the DigiWorld," said Patamon. "They're called Glitches. They destroy everything they touch. One of them just leveled a whole Gotsumon village!"

"They turn the Digimon they catch into zombies. Its terrible," said Gatomon. "So far, the only one who knows how to put things right is a human who lives here, the Digimon Paladin. He hates any kind of cruelty and protects us from the monsters."

"A human living in the Digital World? That's a new one," said TK. "Where is he? Can we meet him?"

"He was here a while ago," said Patamon, "but he left again. He likes to be left to himself, but he told us to bring you to see something. Agumon's guarding it now."

"Then lead the way!" Davis replied. "I want to see the monsters and stuff!"

"Right this way!" Patamon replied. "Follow me!"

The little Digimon leaped into the air and flew away, pausing just long enough to beckon his friends to follow, then soaring away again. Gatomon took off after him with the children close behind. A few minutes of running brought them to a deep crack that sliced its way up the side of the rock hill. The Digimon stopped in front of the opening.

"In here," said Gatomon.

"Down there?" Yolei asked, making a face. "I'm not sure I like the looks of that."

"Looks fine to me," said Davis. "Last one in's a rotten egg!"

The boy turned and sprinted into the shadows, with the others following. For a short distance, the tunnel was nearly pitch black. After the first time Davis tripped over a rock and fell on his face, even he was forced to turn his headlong dash into a cautious walk. Finally, they were able to make out a light up ahead, and they hurried toward it. The tunnel terminated in a large room, roughly circular, with a hole in the center of the roof above. The sun hung directly above it, sending a strong beam of white light to fall on a pedestal that stood directly below it. Sitting on the pedestal was...

"An egg?" Daisuke asked. "We came way down here for an egg?"

"That's not just any egg," said a voice. Everyone jumped; they hadn't noticed Agumon standing in the shadows. "It's the Digimental of Courage. See? It's got the Crest on it."

"Crest? Digimental?" repeated Yolei. "Somebody help me out here. I got lost as soon as the talking animals showed up, and I haven't caught up yet."

"Crests represent different virtues," said Kari. "Mine is Light. That's the Crest of Courage, the Crest my brother Tai had. They're very powerful... I don't know what a Digimental is, though."

"Neither do I, really," said Agumon, looking a bit embarrassed, "but the Paladin says they're important, and that I should watch this thing until someone came to get it."

"I guess one of us could look after it," said TK. He reached out and grabbed the egg, but it wouldn't release its grip on the pedestal. "Um. I think it's stuck."

"Let me try," said Kari. She tugged at the Digimental, but it remained stuck fast.

"That's something else I was supposed to tell you," said Agumon. "The egg won't move for just anyone, only the person it's meant for."

"Well how are we supposed to find them?" asked TK. "Don't tell me we're going to have to go hunting for missing people again. It was hard enough trying to find Kari."

"Kinda silly, if you ask me," said Davis. "What good is this thing if we can't use it?"

With that, he swatted at the egg in annoyance. It popped loose from its stand and bounced across the room.

"On the other hand," said TK, "maybe we won't have to go looking, after all."

Just then, there was an explosion of orange light from the place where the Digimental had been, spearing the ceiling. As the onlookers watched, a shape began to form within the light, a shape that gradually became visible as a small blue dragonlike creature. It hovered there a moment, eyes closed as if asleep. Then it looked up and sprang.

"Davis!" it squealed, pouncing on the startled boy.

"You know my name?" he asked.

"Sure thing, Davis! I've been waiting for you!" said the little dragon. "I'm Veemon, your own personal Digimon! Is that cool or what?"

"Veemon... I've heard of him," said Agumon thoughtfully. "They say he's a fun-loving Digimon who brings good luck, but I'd thought he was only a legend."

"Nope! I'm real, all right," Veemon replied. "Boy, it was getting really boring being stuck under that egg, but we're going to have fun now, aren't we, Davis?"

"I'll bet! I think I like this guy," said Davis.

"Congratulations, Davis!" Kari said. "Looks like you've found yourself a good companion. You're a real Digidestined, now!"

"I'll bet that was what the Palidin wanted you all to do here," said Gatomon. "It'll take all the help we can get to stop the Glitches."

"Well, he did say he couldn't do this alone," said Cody.

"Now that we're done, don't you think we should be getting to work?" said Agumon. "There's still an evil monster out there, don't forget."

"Right, and that's what being a Digidestined is all about," TK replied. "Are you ready to fight, Davis?"

"Sure he is!" Veemon piped up. "He didn't get to move the Digimental of Courage for nothing!"

"Hey, let's not rush into this," said Davis.

Something crashed outside, and the whole cave trembled from the impact.

"I don't think you have a choice," said Yolei. "Let's get out of here before this cave caves in on us!"

No one felt inclined to argue with that. Davis paused only long enough to snatch up his Digimental before following his friends out of the cave. They turned and ran for the exit, dodging bits of falling rock as they ran. Then, as they reached the far end of the cave, they froze in place and stared. They were face to face with the Glitch.

"Oh... my... gosh," said TK quietly.

"Um, I changed my mind," said Veemon. "I don't think I want to fight after all."

"I don't think we have a choice," TK answered. "If you're not going to fight, then I am! Ready, Patamon?"

"More than ready!" Patamon replied. "Patamon, digivolve to... aieek!"

Something like an electric blue arc hit Patamon, sending sparks all over his body, and he collapsed onto the ground.

"Patamon!" TK cried, rushing to his friend's side. "Patamon, are you okay? Say something?"

"I feel like I've been run over by a Monochromon," said Patamon.

"Something's wrong here," Gatomon muttered. "Something is stopping us from Digivolving? How can that be?"

"I can digivolve!" said Veemon. "Davis, use the Digimental!"

"How?" Davis replied. "It's not like a machine! There's no button to push, is there?"

"It'll work! You just have to have courage!" Veemon replied.

Meanwhile, the Glitch seemed to have decided they were no threat to it, and was moving forward, twitching its slimy tentacles in anticipation as it oozed along. Suddenly, it lashed a tentacle at Kari.

"Oh, no you don't!" Gatomon shouted. "Lighting Paw!"

She sprang into the air, slashing at the Glitch with her razor-sharp claws. There was a horrible wail from the creature as its foremost tentacle parted company with the rest of him and fell to the ground sizzling. Kari shrieked as it landed at her feet, still twitching. The Glitch swatted at Gatomon with one of its remaining appendages and smashed her against a tree. She fell to the ground, landing in a dazed heap. The infuriated Glitch continued advancing on Kari, and she looked around frantically for an escape route, but she had her back against a wall.

"All right, that's it!" Davis shouted. "If you mess with Kari, you're messing with me! C'mere, you overgrown Jello mold!"

The Glitch might not have understood what he was saying, but it clearly knew what he meant, and it turned its blazing red eyes on Davis. The boy felt his stomach trying to tie itself in knots, but he forced himself to stand firm. There had to be a way of getting rid of this creature. The question was... how?

The next thing he knew, something had wrapped itself around his leg and jerked him up into the air, and the egg slipped out of his hands as he flew away. The Glitch held him upside- down, about ten feet above the ground. Davis screamed, not just because of the situation, but because the tentacle hurt like fire where it touched his skin. The Glitch began to swing him around, back and forth, faster and faster, and Davis was slowly beginning to realize the implications of being this close to a solid stone wall.

*I'm going to be squashed like a bug on a windsheild!* he thought frantically. *How am I going to get out of this one?*

"Hey, Davis, catch!" Veemon shouted.

The dragon Digimon tossed the egg like a football, and Davis managed to latch on to it as it flew by.

"Got it! Now what do I do with it?"

"Say, 'Digi Armor energize!' I'll do the rest!"

"All right, then, here goes nothing!" Davis replied. "Digi Armor energize!"

Instantly, Veemon was enveloped in a cloud of flames. Davis stared in shock, thinking his friend had been set on fire, but everything must have been all right, because he could hear Veemon's voice saying, "Veemon, armor digivolve to..." and a deeper voice finished, "Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!"

Then, where Veemon had been before, there was now a new creature, a bit like Veemon but taller and more humanoid, wearing armor in flame patterns. Whatever it was, the Glitch clearly did not like him. With a roar, the Glitch lunged at Flamedramon and attempted to catch him as it had Davis, but the dragon warrior leaped into the air and landed unharmed twenty feet away.

"You'll have to be faster than that to capture me," said Flamedramon. "Let my friend go and maybe I'll be easy on you."

The Glitch roared defiance, waving its tentacles in a vain attempt to capture the dragon, which only bounded out of the way whenever they came close. Davis wailed as he was shaken around.

"I warned you," said Flamedramon. "Now you're going to pay! Fire Rocket!"

Fireballs ripped across the clearing and smashed into the Glitch, burning large holes through it, slicing off tentacles. Daisuke was dropped to the ground as the arm he was suspended by was cut free of its owner, and the other Digidestined ran to catch him. The severed tentacle fizzed and evaporated into foul-smelling steam. The Glitch screamed in agony, but Flamedramon was relentless. Finally, with one earsplitting scream, the Glitch went up in a cloud of dark smoke. Flamedramon shrank back down to Veemon and ran to his partner's side.

"Davis! Are you okay?" he asked.

"I think so," he said weakly. "Ow, my leg..."

Where the Glitch had touched him, there was an ugly mark like a burn wrapping all the way around his calf. It seemed to be steaming slightly. Davis tried to touch it gingerly, then pulled away with a wince.

"Is he going to be all right?" asked Kari worriedly.

"I don't know," Cody replied. "It looks bad."

"I've never seen anything like it," Yolei added.

"It stings," said Davis weakly. "I think I need a doctor or something... I don't feel so good."

"Where are we going to find a doctor to treat this?" asked TK.

Just then, a dark shadow fell over them all, and they all looked up in alarm. Soaring across the sky was a Digimon none of them had ever seen before, something like a huge humanoid wasp, and there was someone riding on his back. As it passed low over the ground, the rider dropped down to earth to land lightly in front of the huddled Digidestined and their dazed Digimon. The newcomer was a boy close to their own age with chin-length blue hair and piercing violet eyes. He was dressed elegantly in a suit of pale violet, and a short cape hung over his shoulder. He wore ankle high black boots and black gloves. Oddly, one glove was longer than the other. While the Digidestined were still sizing him up, the wasp-creature landed next to him, shimmering for a moment before shrinking down to nothing more than a large caterpillar. Up close, they could see that it wore a golden ring of some sort around its arm. The boy regarded everyone with a cool expression.

"Not a bad showing," he said. "It took you longer than I thought you would to get the hang of it, but not bad."

"Are you the Digimon Paladin?" asked Kari.

"Some call me that, yes," the boy replied. "This my partner, Wormmon."

"Nice to meet you," said Wormmon, nodding politely.

Davis could only stare. A boy his age, with that telltale blue hair and those amethyst eyes...

"I know who you are!" he exclaimed. "You're Ken Ichijouji! You have to be!"

The boy's eyes blazed. "Where did you hear that name?"

"On TV," Davis replied. "They were talking about you on the news this morning, saying you disappeared three years ago. You are him, aren't you?"

"Three years ago, a little boy named Ken Ichijouji died," said the boy. "Leave him in peace. I'm the Paladin now, and whatever I was before is gone. You'll never call me that name again... Anyway, we don't need to talk about me. You've been hurt. You need help."

"I am kinda uncomfortable," Davis admitted weakly.

Ken shook his head. "It was foolish to try to fight a Glitch yourself. There's something about them that's poisonous to human beings - maybe because we're not made of digital matter like everything here is. They burn like acid if you touch them. I always keep some supplies with me in case I meet one. Here." He put his hand into a fold of his cloak and withdrew some bandages and a small bottle. "Drink this. It's not perfect, but it will ease the pain a little and help you get better faster. I'm sorry, but it never heals up entirely. There will always be a scar. There's a reason why I wear these gloves."

Davis accepted the medicine gratefully, while Ken went to work binding up the wound. Within few moments, some of the color began to come back into his face, and he looked much more relaxed.

"Thanks. I needed that," he said.

"Be more careful next time," Ken replied. "Actually, I'm glad you and your Digimon were able to defeat the Glitch. They're getting more powerful all the time, and I'm afraid they're getting out of control. It used to be that even small Digimon could fight them off if they worked together. Now it takes a Champion Digimon to even scratch them, and those are getting hard to come by now that the Spies have appeared."

"Okay, you're going to have to explain these Glitches and Spies," said TK. "Are they Digimon, or what?"

"I honestly don't know what they are," said Ken. "They might be Digimon, or something else entirely. I know that they're digital creatures, created by someone we call the Key-Seeker to wreak havoc on the Digital World. The Glitches are his soldiers - any Digimon they manage to capture will become mindless shells, and then the Key-Seeker can control them. The Spies are machines that usually hide wherever they can. They're his watchers. They also have the ability to halt the digivolving process when they're in range. Don't worry," he added to Patamon. "Wormmon here took care of the one that zapped you earlier."

"Who is this Key-Seeker?" asked Cody.

"Exactly what he sounds like. He's an outsider looking for a way in," Ken replied. "If he can't get in, he'll do as much as he can from your world to make our lives miserable in this one." He sighed deeply. "He knows how much I love this world. I would do anything to keep it from harm, and he uses that against me. He believes that I have the power to bring him here so he can take it over completely. These attacks are to convince me to surrender to him, and that's something I'll never do. He's learned how to manipulate digital matter to create his monsters, but he can't actually get in himself. I've learned to counteract a few of his tricks, like protecting Wormmon from the Spies and how to undo the damage the Glitches do, but he's getting more and more skillful. That's why I need your help. I found some old records that told of nine hidden Digimental eggs that can trigger a different kind of Digivolution... As I'd hoped, the Spies aren't able to counteract it. Also, since you live in the real world, you can do what I can't - battle the Key-Seeker from the outside."

"Why can't you do it yourself?" asked Yolei. "Can't you get out again?"

"I don't care to," Ken replied coldly. "The DigiWorld is my home, and I'm staying here. Besides, the Key-Seeker would kill me if I ever went back. We're mortal enemies."

"You sure know a lot about this Key-Seeker," said Cody. "How can you be mortal enemies if he's always out there and you're always in here?"

"Because," said Ken, "he's my brother."

"I knew it!" Davis exclaimed.

Several heads turned around to stare at him, but he didn't seem to notice. His face had taken on the delighted glow of someone who's figured out something clever.

"I knew there was something creepy about that guy," he continued. "I knew it the minute I laid eyes on him that he was trouble!"

"Where did you see my brother?" asked Ken sharply.

"Same place I heard about you," Davis replied. "On TV."

"You watch too much TV," said Ken. "Anyway, your job here is done. You can all go home now. Don't worry about your Digimon. I'll keep an eye on things here."

"Hey, wait a minute!" said TK. "Who are you to tell us whether to go or stay?"

"I'm the Digimon Paladin, protector of the Digital World," Ken replied. "I brought you here, and I can send you back. You'll find an exit back the way you came. Come on, Wormmon, let's get out of here."

"Sorry to leave so soon," said the caterpillar. "Maybe I'll see you some other time. Goodbye!"

In a flash of green light, Wormmon became Stingmon once again. Ken leaped onto his shoulders, and they flew off into the forest and were lost from sight.

"Well!" said Kari. "Wasn't he pleasant!"

"He's got problems, that's for sure," said TK, "but he did take care of Davis, and he wants to save the Digital World... I don't know what to make of him."

"He's a good person," said Gatomon. "He just doesn't like people very much."

"I can see that," Cody replied.

"Did you see his eyes?" said Yolei sounding distant. "I've never seen anyone with eyes like that..."

"Oh, great, here we go again," Davis sighed. "Yolei, that guy is not in the market. He doesn't want to date anyone - he barely wanted to talk to us!"

"It's not like that," said Yolei. "He just looked so hurt. I don't care how much he doesn't like people; he needs help."

"Well, he obviously doesn't want help from us," said TK. "I think maybe he's right. We ought to be going back to the real world before Cody's mom decides we've gotten kidnaped or something."

"Yeah, just like Ken got kidnaped," Davis sighed. "Could someone help me up? My leg still hurts."

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Kari worriedly. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah, sure, I'll be fine," Davis replied, offering a weak smile. "Better me having a little burn than you getting eaten by that thing."

"It was a very brave thing to do," said Kari.

And then she surprised everyone by leaning over and kissing his cheek. Davis turned a beautiful shade of red, and TK grinned. Forget needing help standing - Davis would be walking on air the rest of the night!

"Come see me again soon, Davis!" said Veemon. "I'll be waiting for you!"

"Hm?" Davis tried to pull himself down off his cloud long enough to notice his partner. "Oh, yeah, sure! Don't worry, Veemon, I'll come back as soon as I can!"

"Yeah, you take care of yourself, Patamon," said TK, "and let us know the minute another of those Glitches show up."

"You too, Gatomon," Kari replied. "And you, Agumon. I'll say hi to Tai for you. Maybe he can come along next time."

"We'll be fine," said Agumon. "The Paladin will help us put the Gotsumon village back together again, and the Digimon recover once the Glitches are gone. We'll be all right."

"This is too unfair! I want a Digimon, too!" said Yolei.

"Don't worry, Yolei," said Cody. "I'm sure we'll find ours in time."

"Speaking of time, it's time to move out!" said TK. "Come on, gang. Back to the real world... for now."

Meanwhile, Ken and Stingmon flew over the forest, surveying the damage the latest Glitch had caused.

"It's getting worse," said Ken. "Sam's really getting better at this."

"You should let those new people help you," Stingmon replied. "They seemed nice enough."

"They're human. I never knew a human I could trust," Ken replied. "Given time, they'd let me down just like everyone else. The only reason I released the Digivices from the Digimental was to buy a little time. They'll keep Sam busy until I find a way to stop him once and for all."

"But Ken, you can't go on like this forever," said Stingmon. "All humans can't be bad. You're a human, and you're all right."

"That's because I grew up here in the Digiworld, where people are civilized," said Ken. "You practically raised me yourself. Nobody who had you to look after them could turn out wrong."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you're a human," Stingmon insisted. "Look down there. See the villages? The Koromon live with the other Koromon, and the Gazimon with the other Gazimon, and the Gotusmon live with the... well, you know what I mean. You're a human, and you need to be with other humans."

"Every human I ever loved and trusted betrayed me," Ken replied. "I'd rather be a Digimon if I could. Besides, why would these people want to be friends with me? There's nothing special about me."

"I think you're special."

"Thanks, Stingmon," said Ken. "That's all I need. I'll be fine as long as I've got you."

"Well, at least let's watch the other kids for a while, hmm?" said Stingmon. "See if they're really as bad as all that. You might change your mind."

"Well, I guess it's a possibility," Ken replied. "Anyway, I'm still the Digimon Paladin, and their Digimon come under my protection. I'll look after them, if not their partners. Can you find them for me, Stingmon?"

"Of course, Ken."

They flew over the Gotsumon village and landed amid the trees. Down below, curled in the soft moss, Gatomon, Patamon, and Agumon had fallen asleep while standing guard. Ken smiled at them - no matter how big and tough their higher forms looked, a sleeping young Digimon was one of the most peaceful sights he knew. Ken would not fall asleep, though. He let Stingmon drop him in the branches of a sturdy tree, and he settled in for a long watch. High overhead, a silvery moon shone down on him, and he looked up to watch it, wishing he could be up there with the stars, so he could guard his whole world...