Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Key-Seeker ❯ Stone ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Stone
by: SilvorMoon

If there was one thing Arukenimon learned that afternoon, it was that no human, no matter
how obsessed, can think about one thing all the time. Even if Sam would have sold his left arm to
get into the Digital World, he still had to take a break every once in a while. That wasn't a
problem. The problem was that when he wasn't given a specific task to keep him busy, he went
looking for other forms of amusement. For a boy who believed he was intellectually superior to
everyone and enjoyed manipulating everyone around him, the best way of amusing himself was
playing practical jokes on those around him. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that
Arukenimon was easy to annoy and that Mummymon was infinitely gullible. The latter was his
favorite target, as he never suspected that the "accidents" that happened around him were
anything but. Arukenimon got off easier; Sam seemed to have enough respect for her, or enough
fear of her, that he didn't like to get on her bad side any more often than he had to. So she
thought.

She came into the computer lab to find her partners in crime on a lunch break. The computers
were in a stage of semi-repair, bits scattered all over the floor, and Sam had his feet propped on a
large metal toolbox as he ate. Mummymon had taken a set next to him, and the two of them had
their heads together as they whispered and laughed.

"What are you two snickering about?" Arukenimon demanded.

"Nothing!" they said in unison. They assumed expressions of innocence, but Sam managed
better, owing to the amount of practice he'd had.

"I see," said the spider woman. "And why do I not believe you?"

"It's nothing, really," said Sam smoothly. "It's just guy stuff. You wouldn't be interested."

"I see," Arukenimon said again, and this time there was a sneer in the words. That was a more
credible explanation, though not a very agreeable one. United in the brotherhood of Men in Love,
her two comrades did occasionally use each other as sounding boards as they talked in reverent
tones about their respective ladies of choice. Arukenimon decided that if that was what they'd
been talking about, she really would rather not know.

"Anyway," she said, "what have you been up to, besides making a mess?"

Sam assumed a wounded look. "I have not been making a mess. For your information,
whatever happened yesterday shorted something out, so we've been making repairs. It's really not
as bad as it looks. It's just that twinkletoes here tripped over his own big feet and dumped a box
of spare parts all over the floor, and we just haven't bothered to clean up yet."

"Yeah, well, get a move on," snapped Arukenimon. "We're running out of time, you know."

"Time?" Sam repeated. "You never told me I was on a time limit."

"These lovely machines you're treating so casually don't belong to us," Arukenimon said.
"There are other people involved in this project, people who would be very dangerous if they
were to get impatient with you. Bear that in mind."

"Dangerous to you too?" asked Sam. "No wonder you're touchy. Scared I'm going to ruin
something and leave you to take the blame?"

"Something like that," Arukenimon said. "Just remember, I can be dangerous, too."

"Aye, aye, captain," said Sam with a salute. "Come on, the sergeant here wants us to get the
lead out. We've gotta get some action going on, right?" He winked surreptitiously at his helper.

"Right," said Mummymon, nodding agreeably.

Sam bent and picked up the toolbox, lifting it with no small effort. He began heading for his
machines, passing Arukenimon as he went, and as he passed, he dropped the toolbox into her
hands.

"Here, hold this a minute," he said.

"Huh?" For a moment, all of Arukenimon's mental energies were taken up with trying not to
drop the heavy box from slipping out of her grip and landing on her feet. Those few seconds
were all Mummymon needed; while she was occupied, he sneaked up and kissed her.

It took about five seconds for her to realize what was going on, and another five to overcome
the shock enough to think of something to do about it. However, by the time she had gotten her
wits together, Mummymon had already turned and made a dash for the door. She stood there,
rooted to the spot like a volcano ready to blow its top. Sam was leaning against the wall,
laughing so hard he could barely stand, but he managed to high-five his co-conspirator as he
passed.

"Thanks, Sam!" Mummymon called as he shot into the hallway.

"No problem!" Sam called back. "Glad to be of help."

Arukenimon exploded, dropping the toolbox on the floor with a colossal crash. "YOU COME
BACK HERE! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU...!"

Too late, she chased her partner down, only to see him rushing into his room and slamming
the door behind him. She rattled the knob, but the door was locked. Blushing red as her dress, she
stomped off to her room to regain her composure. Sam watched the performance with a smug
grin, and then, whistling cheerfully, he picked up a tool from the floor and went back to work.
******************************************

No one needed to speak to arrive at the consensus that today was a day for having fun. The
sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, and if that wasn't enough, the Digidestined had
spent the whole day taking tests in school. Add that to the fact that they'd spent so much time
worrying about what Sam was going to do next, and there was no question that they needed a
release. The release they were seeking came in the form of a game of tag in the park. The
Digimon hid in the bushes, ready to dive into cover at a moment's notice, but in the meantime,
they shouted encouragement to their partners. Yolei was still a little sore from encountering
yesterday's Glitch, but she'd declared that any game that allowed her to chase Davis around and
smack him was a good one. Unfortunately for her and luckily for him, he was still too fast for her
to catch.

"For someone who walks with a limp, he sure can run," TK muttered. He was "it" and getting
very frustrated.

"I heard that!" Davis shouted. "You jealous or something?"

"Are you sure he's not faking it to get attention?" asked Yolei.

"Hey, you think I could fake this?" asked Davis, rolling up his jeans to reveal the scar. It didn't
appear to have changed much from the day he got it, still pink and shiny and decidedly
uncomfortable-looking. "It doesn't hurt anymore, it just feels weird. I don't notice it when I'm
running around, just when I've got nothing better to think about."

"That's our Davis, the all-star athlete," said TK.

"You'd better believe it!" DemiVeemon chirped.

"Well, I got stung, too, and I'm not limping," said Yolei, rubbing irritably at the injury.

"You have to admit, Davis got hurt a lot worse than you did," said Kari.

Yolei scowled, but Poromon said, "She's right, you know. You barely got touched."

"I guess so," she said.

"Hey, you know what?" TK interrupted. "While we've been standing here arguing, I noticed
something."

"What?" asked everyone.

TK made a lunge at Davis and managed to grab his ankle. "Tag! You're it!"

Davis yelped, and everyone else laughed as he began to protest about how unfair it all was...
everyone but Cody. He'd been silent during the arguments and only playing halfheartedly. He was
quick enough, owing to his kendo training, but he still couldn't match his older friends for speed,
and he'd had the feeling they were going easy on him just so he wouldn't get tagged out every
time. Now he quietly turned and wandered over to a nearby park bench.

"What's wrong, Cody?" Kari asked. "Don't you want to play anymore?"

"Not really," he said. "I think I'll just sit and watch you guys play for a while."

"Well... okay..." she said, but she gave him a confused look. "Something's not wrong, is it?"

Cody turned that one over in his mind a while. "Not really," he said at last. "I just don't feel
like playing."

"He just knows he's up against a master player, and he's decided to quit while he's ahead,"
said Davis. Yolei smacked him. "Hey, you can't do that! I'm it now! And I was just
kidding!"

Cody watched as Yolei sprinted away and Daivs chased after her, both of them yelling insults
at each other while the others stood back and laughed. He sighed, and Upamon hopped out from
underthe shrubbery to sit on his lap.

"What are you thinking?" asked the little 'mon.

"Maybe I'm a little worried," said Cody. "Look at them. As far as we know, Sam could
already be ripping open a gate to the Digital World, and they're playing games!"

"They're just kids, Cody," said Upamon. "So are you. Everyone has to take time out to play
sometimes. I bet even Sam takes time out to relax. Don't worry."

"You could be right," said Cody, "but still, I feel like I ought to be doing something besides
just hanging around here."

"Then why don't you?" asked Upamon.

Cody considered again. "You know, that's a good question. I should do something... Maybe I
should go see what Ken's up to. Want to go to the Digital World, Upamon?"

"Anywhere you want to go is fine with me," Upamon replied.

"Good. I don't think I want to hang around here any longer." He stood up and called to his
friends. "Hey, everyone, I'm going to go home for a while."

"You sure?" asked TK, looking a bit worried. "You aren't sick or something, are you?"

"No, I've just got something on my mind I want to work through, that's all," Cody
replied.

"Well, when you're done working, let us know, okay?" TK replied. "We'll miss having
you around."

Cody just nodded and walked away with Upamon cradled in his arms. The others
watched him go for a moment, then went back to their game. Cody sighed.

"You didn't tell them you were going to the Digital World," said Upamon.

"So?"

"It's not like you to lie to your friends."

"I'm not lying, exactly," said Cody. "I am going home, and I do need to think. I can't get
to the Digital World from the park, you know."

"But still, you didn't tell them the whole truth," Upamon persisted.

"I don't know if they would understand," Cody replied. "It's just... sometimes I get the
feeling I don't belong with them. You saw them. You know how they are. They're always joking
around and having fun. I hardly ever even laugh. I don't really understand how they think
sometimes."

"I like to have fun," said Upamon. "Don't you think you belong with me?"

His big sad eyes were too much for Cody, and a smile spread across his face.

"I know I belong with you," he said. "We're partners, after all."

"Your friends are your partners. All of you are Digidestined. You're supposed to work
together," said Upamon. "You know who you sound like when you talk like this?"

"Who?"

"Ken."

Cody thought that one over. "You mean the things he said about how he didn't think he
could get along with other people? I guess that does sound a little like me. Well, I guess that
gives me a good reason to go to the Digital World."

"What's that?"

"To talk to Ken," Cody replied, "and ask if he can give me some pointers."

*********************************************

As usual, the Paladin was being reclusive, and Cody scowled down at his Digivice. He
had a signal saying that Ken ought to be very nearby, but all he could see were trees, trees, and
more trees. Armadillomon trundled along placidly beside him, occasionally nosing under low-
hanging pine boughs and coming back shaking needles off of his shell.

"I don't get it," said Cody, frustrated. "He ought to be right here, but he's not!"

"He'll turn up," said Armadillomon calmly. "Just give him a little time. Mushroom?"

"Mushroom?" Cody repeated, giving his friend a look.

"Yeah," Armodillomon replied, holding up a round white fungus. "Found it under the
tree. Want a bite? These are the good ones."

"No thanks," said Cody, sounding a bit annoyed.

"Oh, well. More for me, then," said Armadillomon, gulping down the mushroom.

"Are you sure this is the time for snacks?" asked Cody.

"It's always time for snacks!" Armadillomon replied.

"That's really not such a bad idea," said a disembodied voice.

Cody didn't jump, but his head snapped up to scan the foliage. Unfortunately for him, he
was in a pine forest, and bushy blue-green needles left nothing to see but a haze of foliage.

"Ken?" he called uncertainly.

"Yeah, it's me. I'm up here," Ken called back.

Cody looked around and took a few hesitant steps in the direction of the voice.

"No, not that way," said Ken. "A little to the left. Now straight ahead. That's it!"

Following the directions led Cody to the base of a massive white pine. Burrowing under
its low hanging branches led him to the hollow center, a miniature cathedral of radiating grey
branches, soft seafoam-colored walls, and a soft brown carpet, the air perfumed with the sharp
scent of pine sap. Looking straight up, he could see the Paladin settled comfortably at the
juncture of two branches, where a human could sit comfortably. Wormmon was perched a few
branches up, looking down at Cody with his sapphire eyes.

"What are you doing up there?" asked Cody.

Ken shrugged. "I like high places. Care to join me? Pull up a branch and have a seat."

"Thank you," answered Cody politely.

A few moments of clambering and a boost from Armadillomon got Cody into the
branches of the tree, and from there it was as easy as climbing a ladder. A few moments later, the
young Digidestined had reached the top and was sitting across from Ken, trying to rub the sticky
sap off his hands. Armadillomon, not built for climbing trees, decided to stand guard at the
bottom. Within a few moments, he was snoring peacefully. High above, the humans ignored him.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Ken. "You can't be that fond of my company."

"No... yes... I don't know. I wanted to talk to you, anyway," Cody replied.

"Ah. Well, that's something," Ken answered. "Talk away. I'm listening."

"Ken, what made you decide that you wanted to be part of our team?"

Ken looked a little surprised. "Tough question. I hadn't really thought about it."

"Can you think about it now? I really want to know," said Cody. "Lately I've been
thinking about my place on the team... whether I really belong with them."

"And what have you thought about that?" Ken asked.

"I think I don't belong with them," said Cody. "I'm so different from them. They're
always laughing about something and playing around, and I'm always so serious. I don't
understand how they think. I feel so distant from them sometimes. I know you felt the same way,
and I wanted to know what changed your mind."

"Ah," said Ken again. Cody waited; this was something he liked about Ken. The Paladin
didn't say anything unless he had something worth saying. At length, he said, "It took a lot to
make me see that I belong with people of my own kind. I'm still having to adjust from day to
day. But I think your problem is different from mine. With me, it was a matter of not knowing
how to trust. With you, it's a matter of knowing where you fit."

"And where do I fit?"

"Think about it. What kind of a team would this be if all of you were the same? If all of
you had the same characteristics, you'd have the same strengths... and the same weaknesses. The
way I see it, the team needs impulsive people like Davis and Yolei, but it also needs someone
level-headed like you. When everything else is going crazy, we have you to rely on to not do
anything crazy."

"That's a good point," said Cody. "I hadn't thought about that..."

"Now is a good time to think about it," Ken replied. His voice was even more serious
than usual.

Cody looked at him. "What does that mean? Is something going wrong?"

"Well... yes and no," Ken answered evasively. "More like it's already gone wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"It's the door," said Wormmon. "It won't close."

"Door?" repeated Cody blankly.

"The gateway to the Digital World. The one Sam ripped open," Ken explained. "It's not
like a normal Digiport. It's a real hole in the fabric of existence, and I don't have any idea how to
patch it up again."

"So that's how we got out of the Digital World without a computer," Cody mused.

"I tried to seal it off myself," said Ken, "but this is one time I have to admit that my
brother is the real genius in the family. Whatever Sam's done, I can't undo it."

"I'm really starting to hate Sam," said Cody bitterly. "He doesn't have any feeling for
anyone! He doesn't care about anything but showing off how smart he is. Or thinks he is.
All the things he's done to you and his family and the Digimon... he must have no heart at all!"

"Easy, easy!" said Ken. "That's my brother you're talking about."

"Some brother," Cody muttered, but he let the subject drop. "Anyway, what happened to
the rip? If you can't fix it, isn't there a chance something could wander out of it into our world?"

"It's okay," Ken replied. "I posted a guard. Actually, Tapirmon volunteered for the job. I
think he liked visiting your world. I hope he doesn't decide to wander through the door on his
own."

"Maybe I could go check on him," said Cody. "I need to feel like I'm doing something
useful."

"Of course," said Ken. "That's who you are."

After getting directions to the portal, Cody climbed down the tree to wake his partner. He
was quiet as he began traveling again, hardly noticing as Armadillomon burrowed here and there,
leaving holes in the ground where he passed. The chat with Ken hadn't settled his mind
completely, but it had definitely given him more to think about.

**********************************************

Aru kenimon returned to the computer room to find Sam working alone, tightening screws
and tweaking wires. She scowled down at him, waiting for him to realize he wasn't alone
anymore. Unfortunately, he never even glanced up. She continued staring, waiting as minutes
went by. Finally, her patience ran out, and she gripped his shoulders and jerked him around to
look at her. He gave her a bland look.

"Oh, hello," he said. "Did you want something? I thought you just liked watching me
work."

"Don't give me that attitude. You have a lot of nerve talking to me like that after what you
pulled today," she snapped. "What in the world are you doing, anyway?"

"Screwdrivering," said Sam. "Want to help?"

"You're supposed to have someone to help you. Where is he?"

"Ah, so you're looking for him, are you?" asked Sam with a leer.

Arukenimon gave him a scathing look and declined to answer. The shameful truth was that
she really didn't like not knowing where her partner was. If he wasn't off doing some task she'd
assigned to him, he was supposed to be there with her telling her how wonderful she was so she
could insult him, and anything else struck her as a violation of nature.

"Never mind! Just answer the question," she said.

"For your information, I sent him to his room," Sam replied.

"You did?" asked Arukenimon, puzzled. "What for?"

Sam shrugged. "He hasn't been right in the head all morning."

"This is Mummymon we're talking about. He's never right in the head."

"True," said Sam, "but he walking around in a daze singing old love songs and tripping
over things that aren't there. He was getting in my way, so I told him to go to his room and lie
down before he hurt himself."

"So that's where he is now?"

"More than likely," said Sam. "Unless he managed to forget where his room is, in which
case he's probably in my room or your room. You wouldn't like that, would you?"

"Ha, ha. You think you're so clever, don't you?"

Sam just shrugged. "Only thing I can say is, I'm not ever letting him kiss you again."

"You?!" she exclaimed. "What about me?"

"Well, if you want to kiss him, that's you're business," Sam replied.

"That's it! I've had all I'm going to take from you," Arukenimon snapped. "I am going to
teach you some respect!"

"Oh, really?" Sam replied. "I'd say this was your punishment for lying to me."

"What?"

"Come on. You know you've been pulling my chain," Sam replied. "All that nonsense
about wanting a child. Please! You've been leading me on, haven't you?" He narrowed his eyes.
"I don't appreciate being lied to."

"You really are too clever for your own good," said Arukenimon.

"It was really pretty obvious," Sam said, "once I noticed you two sleep in separate
rooms."

Arukenimon gave him one of her more dangerous looks.

"You think you're so smart," she said slowly, like a creeping glacier. "Too smart for your
own good. One of these days, you're going to run up against someone who won't stand up to this
kind of treatment, someone who can fight back... and don't think that time is too far in the
future."

"And you think you're the one to outdo me?" asked Sam, quirking an eyebrow. "I think
we can already take it as said that I can outsmart you at least once. Or are you going to tell me
what happened today was by your own choice? Or that it was Mummymon who did the thinking?
Not a pretty choice, no matter which way you go."

For a moment, it looked like Arukenimon was going to be angry. Then her expression
shifted, making her look almost smug.

"You think you've got me right where you want me, is that it?" she purred. "I advise you
to think again. You are not the one directing this little play. If we've chosen to cast you as the
director, it's only because you act the part so well. But it's only an act, and one day the curtain is
going to go down..." It was hard to tell with her dark glasses in the way, but Sam thought he saw
her gaze shift to the forbidden corner of the room behind its dark screen. He was so used to
ignoring it, he had almost forgotten it was there. Now he looked at it thoughtfully.

"What's back there?" he asked. "You said you'd tell me someday."

"You'd like to know, wouldn't you?" she replied. "Just for that, I think I won't tell you."

Sam scowled. "I don't like being manipulated, Arukenimon. Maybe I'm not the one calling
the shots, but you must need me for something or you wouldn't keep me here. I do have the
power to turn around, walk out of here, and never come back. I could foul up this system so
badly you'd never get it straightened out again. I could wipe out all the data I've saved on this
project and you'd never get it out of me."

"You think we couldn't get answers out of you if we tried?" The spider woman's eyes
were flashing red again.

"Don't threaten me. You and I both know dead men don't talk. You need me alive and in
working order."

"Fine," said Arukenimon, looking annoyed. "I assume you want to bargain, then? What
else do you want that we haven't already given you?"

"That should be obvious," Sam replied. "I told you, I don't like being manipulated. Tell
me, flat out, what's going on, and give me the option of staying here by my own choice. Believe
me, there's nothing I want more than to get to the Digital World; as long as whatever you all have
up your collective sleeves is going to get me there, I'm willing to cooperate... as long as you
don't plan to sacrifice me to a demon or something."

Arukenimon paused a moment, thinking. "You will not be the sacrifice."

Sam blinked, plainly surprised. Then his supercilious mask dropped down again, and he
shrugged casually. "Someone else, then? I suppose that's all right. Anyone I know?"

"It depends on who's handy," she answered with a shrug. "It's not entirely up to me."

"So, are you going to explain what's going on?"

"If I must," Arukenimon sighed. "I assume you want all the details, hm?"

Sam nodded.

"Very well. As you've probably already gathered, Mummymon and I are servants of...
someone else, a greater Digimon who shall remain nameless for now." She shot Sam a sharp
glance, just to make sure he got the point. "A few years ago, he managed to wander into the real
world and died here. Normally, a Digimon who is destroyed will return to egg state to be
rehatched, but our master couldn't find a way to return home, so he remained here as formless
data - a kind of digital ghost. He was able to take a human as his host long enough to create this
laboratory, with the intention of using the equipment to reopen the gateway from this side. He
also tried to create Digimon servants to carry out his work. Not having any proper digital matter,
he used human DNA to create us - half human, half Digimon, able to survive in either world. And
since none of us have the skills required to do the job, we chose you to finish the work. Happy
now?"

"So I'm basically doing this to resurrect a dead Digimon," Sam summarized. "Interesting.
And the sacrifice?"

Arukenimon shrugged. "He's going to be hungry when he wakes up."

"I... see," said Sam, momentarily nonplused. "This boss of yours sounds like a tough
customer."

Arukenimon smiled, baring a number of teeth. "Extremely."

"Oh. Well... I guess I'll be getting back to work, then."

"You do that." Arukenimon turned to walk away, but Sam called her back.

"Arukenimon," he said, "you really don't like Mummymon, do you?"

She snorted. "That ought to be obvious."

"Well, why?"

"What do you mean, why?" she asked, stunned. "You know what he's like."

"Yes, I do. He's not such a bad guy, as far as monsters go. Not the sharpest tool in the
shed, maybe... but neither is Jun, and she's the greatest." He shook his head. "I don't understand
the way you treat him. You act like you can't stand him but you always want him nearby. He'd do
anything for you, but yet you won't accept him... and you won't take advantage of him, either.
You're a proud woman. I'd think you'd enjoy having someone around who's willing to tell you
how wonderful you are, but you push him away. Make up your mind already."

"I have made up my mind," she snapped. "I have to work with him because he's what I've
been provided with to help fulfil my mission. Just like you - I can't do without him, but I don't
have to like him. I would prefer to pretend he's not there at all. What's it to you, anyway?"

She glared at him, and he looked back, and she did not like the way he was looking at her.
It was not that he was being threatening; on the contrary, he was quite calm. It was the times that
his eyes lost the gleam of insanity and took on the look of a normal teenaged boy with a full range
of emotions that she was least comfortable around him.

Sam shrugged. "I just hate to see people acting foolish when I know they aren't. Really,
you could do a lot worse than him. He loves you, you know. And if it's true what you say, that
you two are the only ones of your kind... it's not like you have any other options."

"I have another option, all right," Arukenimon snapped. "I was created to fulfil a purpose,
not to engage in pointless romantics. I don't need to get into any emotional entanglements."

"Suit yourself," said Sam with a shrug. "But what happens when your purpose is fulfilled?
Then what are you going to live for?" More softly, he added, "I have a feeling I'm going to be
living for a red haired girl. It will be a pleasant change, I think."

"Do your work," growled Arukenimon, "and stay out of my business!" And she turned
and stormed out of the room.

On her way to her own living quarters, she had to pass her partner's, noticing as she
walked by that his door was open a crack. An impulse made her stop and look inside. She was
mildly annoyed to see that she could see nothing much of interest, and it might have been
something more than an impulse that made her push the door open a few inches wider so that she
could get a better look. As she'd been told, Mummymon was lying in his bed, sleeping peacefully,
a dreamy smile on his face. He was holding something, and it took her a moment to realize it was
a rag doll. It wore a long red dress and had long white hair, making it look a great deal like
herself, and stared at it in something between fascination and disgust. Now, there was an
obsession! She wondered where he'd gotten the thing, and had a brief, strange vision of him
fashioning it himself with quick, furtive stitches. He must have been desperate to be near her...
She gave herself a mental shake, uncomfortable with the feelings those kinds of thoughts aroused.
She stalked into her own room, pointedly ignoring the voice in her head that jeered at her,
reminding her that being kissed hadn't felt nearly as bad as she'd thought.

*****************************************

It was hard to look at Tapirmon and not feel sorry for him. Cody found the 'mon where
Ken had said he'd be, lying in front of the portal with his chin on his paws, looking for all the
world like a dog who had been waiting for hours for his master to return. There was something
longing in his eyes, but also confused, as if even he wasn't quite sure what he was waiting for.
Cody and Armodillomon recognized the creature's distress, and went to sit next to him, one on
either side.

"Hey!" said Tapirmon, his eyes lighting up like blue fireworks.

"Hi, Tapirmon," said Cody. "We thought you'd like some company."

Tapirmon nodded. "Not much has happened. There were some Gazimon yesterday, but it
was quiet today."

"It must be boring for you," said Armadillomon sympathetically. He was trying to imagine
staying in the same place for so long without falling asleep, and failing.

"It's all right," said Tapirmon. His ears drooped. "I want to go through the hole again, but
Ken told me to stay here."

"Why do you want to go out there?" asked Cody.

"I don't know," Tapirmon sighed. "I just feel like I'm needed there... but Ken
needs me here. I don't want to disappoint him. He says there's someone bad out there who wants
to get in, and I have to help keep him out."

Cody nodded. "That's Sam. He'll do anything to get here. Anything."

"That's bad," said Tapirmon. He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Was he the one I saw
yesterday? The one who didn't want to play with me?"

"I... guess so," said Cody, a little taken aback. Of all the things he thought about Sam, not
wanting to play was not the first thing he would have used to identify him. It seemed to mean
something to Tapirmon, though, because he nodded.

"He has problems," the 'mon said.

"You said it," Armadillomon agreed. "He's one crazy kid."

"No, no, no!" barked Tapirmon, shaking his head vigorously. "I mean he has
PROBLEMS."

"What kind of problems?" asked Cody.

"I don't know," Tapirmon sighed. "I wish I did. I would help him. His dreams are so
confused... I can't see them like I can most people's. I want to find him again and talk to him."

"That might be a bad idea," Cody answered carefully. "Sam's got something wrong with
him. He's not like ordinary people. He'll hurt anyone who gets in his way. He'd hurt you, too, if
he thought you were going to try to talk him out of taking over the Digital World."

"He wouldn't hurt me," said Tapirmon. "What's he going to do?"

"Um..." Cody was reluctant to admit that he hadn't thought about that.

"I have powers," Tapirmon said quietly. "I'm only a very small Digimon, but there aren't
many things that will hurt me. Those that try..." He trailed off, and his eyes were sad. "I don't like
to hurt things."

Cody was silent. He'd never had a chance to spend time talking to the Tapirmon, and he
was finding it unsettling. It was no less unsettling when the creature turned and gave the boy the
full benefit of his penetrating gaze. It was not a comfortable thing at all to have a small furry
animal looking around in the dark corners of his mind, the ones that usually only came out at night
in blurry images. He had the funny feeling that this creature could see him more clearly than he
could see himself.

"What do you see?" he heard himself asking.

"Stones," said the Tapirmon. At Cody's puzzled look, he added, "They don't bend," by
way of explanation.

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

Tapirmon didn't bother to explain; it seemed as if he'd already forgotten what he'd just
said.

"Why did you come here today?" he asked.

"I'm a Digidestined. Someone is supposed to protect the Digital World, and no one else
would come," Cody replied. "They all wanted to stay in the park and play games, so I came
myself."

"You don't think your friends are doing their job." It was not a question, or even an
accusation, just a statement so factual that Cody's mouth moved of its own accord to contradict
it.

"I..." he said, and fell silent again. There was a long pause, and Tapirmon sat and watched
him expectantly.

"All right," Cody said at last. "They're not doing their job! The whole world is in
danger - two worlds, maybe - hundreds of Digimon's lives depend on us, and all they want to do
is joke around and play silly games! Why am I the only one who understands how important this
is?" He wound down with tears stinging his eyes; he hadn't realized how much resentment had
been building up.

"Feel better now?" asked Tapirmon.

Cody nodded, still blinking back tears.

Tapirmon sat back and scratched his shoulder with a cloudlike hind foot.

"Itch," he explained, stirring up small wisps of fog as he scratched.

"You're not taking me seriously either!" Cody snapped.

"To be serious is not to be unhappy," said Tapirmon. He turned his jewel-blue eyes back
on the young Digidestined. "The enemy we all fight is Darkness. Laughter, joy, friendship, love...
those are powerful weapons. Evil can't stand them. When they come close, it falls apart."

"So you're saying..." Cody began, and waited for Tapirmon to finish.

"Isn't your job to fight darkness?" asked Tapirmon.

"Yeah..." The young boy waited a moment for further comment, and, realizing none were
forthcoming, he blurted, "You think I might not be doing my job?"

Tapirmon shrugged. "S'possible. I more meant that maybe your friends were doing their
jobs without even knowing it."

"Hm," said Cody. "I'll... have to think about that a while."

"Thinking is good," Tapirmon replied. His ears pricked up. "What was that?"

Cody became silent and listened. Armadillomon, who had been dozing, raised his head and
sniffed the air.

"Something smells wrong," he offered. "Kinda reminds me of-"

He didn't get to finish what he was trying to say. He didn't have to. Out of the foliage,
where nothing had seemed to be before, stepped a multilegged mechanical mess. It turned a
number of colored spotlights on the boy and the 'mons, covering them in odd-tinted auras. It was
followed by a number of the doglike Digimon called Gazimon, their eyes blank and staring, their
fur slick with some greasy-looking slime.

"A Spy!" Cody hissed.

"Problem?" asked Tapirmon. Then it looked at the Spy, and its eyes went frightened. "It
doesn't - it hasn't - there's nothing inside it, no heart at all..."

"It's not a real Digimon," Cody said. "It's not alive. It's one of Sam's things."

"Grr..." Tapirmon looked furious, his hackles rising. "It's not right!"

"I'll say," Cody replied. He turned to face the Spy. "What do you want here? Why don't
you go back to the scrapyard you crawled out of?"

"I have orders to lead these through the border," said the Spy, waving one multi-jointed
leg at the Gazimon. "The Key-Seeker wishes to experiment with opening gates, and he needs
subjects for his experiments."

"So Sam's just going to start opening holes to who-knows-where and shoving these poor
Digimon through to see where they land?" asked Cody.

"It does not concern you," the Spy replied.

"That's what you think!" Cody shouted back. "Get him, Armadillomon! Digivolve!"

"You got it! Armadillomon, armor digivolve to... Digmon, the Drill of Knowledge!"

The Spy flicked a leg. "Gazimon, attack! Clear the way to the gate!"

There was a rush of furry bodies as the Gazimon jumped to obey. Digmon stood in front
of the gate, blocking it as best he could, trying to shove the attackers out of the way.

"Don't hurt them!" Cody cautioned. He had seized a branch and was swishing it around
like a kendo stick, whacking anything that dared to come too close. "They're not evil - they're
being controlled."

"I'll help, I'll help!" Tapirmon piped up. "Waking Dream!"

He breathed out a puff of what looked like oily black smoke, except that if you stared at it
too long, there appeared to be eyes swirling around inside it, glinting and evil. Any Gazimon
unlucky enough to be caught in the cloud ran away yelping in a terror that overrode even the
powers controlling them.

*Control...* thought Cody, forcing his brain to work even while he was busy
defending himself. *Ken said this is what happens when a Digimon is attacked by a Glitch, but
the hold is broken when the Glitch is destroyed. That means it must still be out there
somewhere...*

He spun in a circle, sending a row of Gazimon tumbling head over heels, but even more
ran up to take their places. Meanwhile, Digmon was struggling to keep anything from getting past
him; so many Gazimon were clinging to him, trying to drag him down, that he looked as if he
were wearing a grey fur coat. Tapirmon was puffing out clouds of dark smoke, but he seemed to
be running out of steam. The clouds were growing smaller, and they no longer seemed to be
having as much of an effect. Even Gazimon caught in the main part of the dream-clouds only
paused and shuddered a few moments before renewing their attacks. Cody remembered hearing
that Tapirmon's attack was to throw back bad dreams he had collected. It seemed the little 'mon
was running short of usefully frightening dreams.

*We're holding our own, but only just,* he realized. *If the Glitch comes
along, we're toast.*

He felt a set of sharp teeth sink into his ankle, and he yelped and swatted at the offending
Gazimon. A few more took the opportunity to grab his arms, trying to wrestle the stick out of his
hands. He attempted to wrestle it away from them, succeeding only marginally; there was a
splintery crack, and the branch broke, leaving him holding a stick less than half of what he'd had a
moment ago. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Tapirmon seemed to have finally
used up his supply of nightmares, and was now fighting valiantly with teeth and claws or ramming
them with his armored head. Cody couldn't see Digmon from where he was standing and didn't
dare risk a look, but he could feel his partner's weakness. His own arms were becoming
increasingly weary, beginning to burn with pain.

*This is it,* he thought. *We're done for... No, we're not! I promised I'd
defend this world, and I will! I won't be defeated here! There's got to be a way out of this!*

He gritted his teeth and raised his fractured stick, ready to bring down another blow on
the Gazimon nearest to him. It came down on the creature's hard skull with a snap and shattered
to bits. The 'mon snarled and leaped at him, brandishing claws as long as Cody's fingers, its
orange eyes mad with pain and fury, and the two of them went down in a furious tangle. Cody felt
something slash his shoulder, and something else bit his arm, and his mind was beginning to drift
away...

*I'm not giving up!* he thought frantically, his thoughts beginning to spin.
*This world... all the Digimon... my friends... my family, and Ken's... my father died doing
what he knew was right - I'd disappoint him if I gave up now... Somewhere, there's got to be
more strength...*

It took a moment for him to realize the fighting was slowing. It took another moment for
him to realize that the purple lights dancing before his eyes weren't an effect of pain and
exhaustion, but because there really was a purple light hovering a few feet above the ground.
There was a snarl and a yelp as Tapirmon tackled the Gazimon nearest to him, and Cody stood up
to make a grab for the light. His hands closed on something solid. The lights went out, leaving
him holding something purple and ovoid, marked with a silver cross.

"It's a Digimental," he said aloud, heard easily over the suddenly hushed battlefield. "The
Digimental of Reliability."

"Get that thing away from him!" shouted the Spy in a crazed rage, its lights dancing in all
directions.

The Gazimon turned on Cody in a rush, but he remained calm; all his fears seemed to have
been left behind in that hazy place in his mind, and now he could think of only one thing: closing
the rip. The key hovered in his mind, shimmering with silver light, and the Gazimon paused in
midstep, uncertain. Without thinking about it, he held up the Digimental, and the Crest on its front
began to glow with the same silvery sheen. So did the rip. It seemed to spin like water going
down the drain, growing smaller and smaller until it vanished silently. Cody dropped to his knees
in sudden exhaustion.

"No! Not possible!" shouted the Spy, shooting off sparks in agitation. "You - you can't
have done that!"

Cody didn't say anything. All his strength had been used up; his mind was a blank. He was
dimly aware that the Gazimon were beginning to edge toward him again, and he had a feeling they
were likely to take out their frustration on him.

Just then, there was a rustling in the underbrush, and a nearby stand of trees suddenly
melted into slimy puddles. A hot wind rushed by, carrying the scent of something rotten, and a
Glitch oozed into view. It was just like the one the Digidestined had fought in the alleyway,
complete with razor pincers and venomous scorpion tail. It had a wide open mouth full of
crooked but sharp-looking teeth, and it was drooling strands of pail purple goo that hissed and
steamed where it touched the ground. Cody stared at it.

*That's it, then,* he thought. *I don't think we're getting past that...*

"There you are!" said the Spy to the Glitch. "Where have you been? Don't just sit there
like a lump - get the interlopers!"

The Glitch seemed to nod, though it was hard to know with a thing that had neither head
nor neck, and it turned its vermillion gaze on Digimon. Its tentacle lashed out, and the exhausted
Digimon wasn't able to get out of the way in time. Digmon was dragged across the ground and
lifted into the air, lowered slowly toward the Glitch's oozing mouth...

Something green flashed through the air, and the tentacle holding Digmon in the air
suddenly parted company with the rest of the Glitch. Digmon tumbled to the ground with a loud,
"Oomph!" At the same moment, a purple-garbed figure dropped to earth more gracefully, landing
lightly on his feet and striking an impressive pose. Cody was beginning to get the feeling that Ken
and the Paladin were two different people; he actually looked older and taller now, standing so
straight and fearless, his hair and cloak streaming out in the rush of wind made by Stingmon's
passing. The great wasp hovered in the air, and the Gazimon shied away from him.

"Ken!" Cody sighed in relief. "Talk about timing!"

"Thank me later," said Ken tersely. "Go on, Stingmon - take this monster out!"

"You've got it! Spiking Strike!"

Stingmon dropped out of the sky like a guided missile, his laser-sword blazing as he
dodged swipes from the Glitch's tentacles and tail, sinking the blade deep into its hide. There was
a sickening bellow as the Glitch let out its death cry. The Gazimon yelped as one and ran for
cover. The Spy, looking as disgusted as a walking cylinder could, sunk into the ground and
vanished. Exhausted, the Tapirmon dropped where he stood into a furry heap, and, to all
appearances, went to sleep. Digmon dwindled back to Armadillomon and did the same. Ken
hurried to Cody's side.

"Are you all right?" he asked, looking at the blood that stained the boy's clothes.

"I am a little scratched up," Cody admitted.

"Sit still. I'll take care of it." Ken reached in a pocket and began taking out bandages and
ointment. "So, what happened? Where did the rip go?"

"I fixed it... somehow," said Cody. Now that the battle was over, he felt drained. "We
were losing, and I was thinking that I wasn't going to give up the fight. I knew I was going to die,
then, but all I could think about was that I was needed too much to quit. Then this
showed up." He held up the egg.

Ken nodded. "The Digimental of Reliability. I could have guessed. That makes - let me
think - two for Davis, two for Yolei, two for you, one each for Kari and TK... only one is left."

"Which is that?" asked Cody.

"The Digimental of Miracles," said Ken. "The most powerful of all, or so I've read."

"Where is it?"

Ken sighed. "I wish I knew. I've combed the Digital World looking for it, but with no
luck. I believe it must work in a way similar to the last few Digimentals. It's hidden somewhere in
the Primordial Databank, waiting for just the right moment to surface, to reveal itself to just the
right person. Until that time comes, it will be as if it doesn't exist at all."

"Doesn't do us a lot of good, does it?" Cody muttered, wincing a bit as Ken dabbed
medicine into the cuts on his shoulder.

"Hold still," Ken scolded. "And it will do plenty of good, when we find it - and we
will find it, I'm sure of it. Just like you found that Digimental."

Cody nodded. "I wish I knew just what I did to close the gate with it. I don't remember
what I was thinking - it was like I was in a trance."

"Hm," said Ken thoughtfully. "I can only make a guess, but I think that these eggs are
somehow tied to their owners. They appear when the holder's hearts and minds are in perfect
accordance with the nature of the Digimentals. When Davis was willing to sacrifice himself for his
friends, the Digimental of Friendship appeared. When you were determined above all else to do
your duty, the Digimental of Reliability came to you. In that moment, the two of you were one, in
a way. What you wanted was, in a sense, what it wanted. You wanted the gate to close, so the
Digimental closed it."

"That almost made sense," said Cody. "Will I be able to do it again, do you think?"

"It's possible," Ken replied. "I hope we never have to find out."

Just then, there was a commotion in the forest. Cody looked up with dread in his eyes,
wondering what else could be coming to get him... but it was only TK and the other Digidestined,
running as fast as they could with their Digimon trailing behind them. Davis skidded to a stop and
narrowly missed crashing into Ken.

"Hi, guys!" he called. "Did we miss all the fun? ... Man, Cody, what happened to you?
You're a wreck."

"I'm all right, really," said Cody. He pulled himself to his feet and was glad to see that he
actually could. It would have been embarrassing to fall down in front of the whole team. "It's just
been a rough afternoon."

TK glanced at Tapirmon, Armadillomon, and Wormmon, who all seemed to have curled
up and gone to sleep like a heap of puppies. "I see."

"Ken sent us a message saying there was trouble," said Kari. "Looks like you got it
cleared up by yourselves, though."

"That's right," Ken replied. "Cody even found the Digimental of Reliability - and
he closed Sam's door. He's put in a full day's work."

"We shouldn't be surprised," said Yolei. "Cody's the most reliable kid on earth."

Cody smiled, pleased to have the rest of the team smiling back at him - fiery natured
Davis, all flash and sparkle; lighthearted Yolei, her spirit as airy as the birds; TK, with all the calm
and resilience of water; gentle Kari, the child of light; Ken the shadow, cool, secret, and
protective.

*And me, the stone, solid and dependable,* Cody finished. *We really are a
good team.*

"It works both ways, you know," he said. "I depend on you guys, too. Otherwise I might
get too serious and end up like Sam."

"That won't be a problem with us around," said Davis. "Never a dull moment!"

"Right," Cody agreed. Catching a glance from Ken, he added, "By the way, I'm sorry I
left your game earlier. I just needed to think about a few things, but I'm all done thinking now, so,
I was wondering... would you all like to come play at my house for a while? I'm not up to any
sports, but I know some good board games..."

Ken grinned. "Love to."

"Count me in!" said TK.

"Me too!" Davis added. "Hey, anybody have a deck of cards? I'm really good at poker!"

"I'll bet," said Yolei, rolling her eyes.

The Digidestined collected their Digimon and headed for the nearest television set, arguing
good-naturedly over what game they'd like to play. Tapirmon stayed where he was, staring at the
place where the gate used to be, and he sighed.

*******************************************

The sun was setting over Tokyo. Those who sat by the ocean could watch it sinking into a
purple sea, flashing brilliant orange on the water. To those who walked the city streets, it could
only be seen as a shift in the color of the sky, turning it pink and gold before fading back into blue
again. A few wispy purple clouds drifted lazily by, their movements copied by a purple-clad boy
who wandered below them.

"Why aren't we going home?" asked Wormmon.

"I don't know," Ken replied, shrugging. "I guess I just don't feel like it."

"You've been talking a lot about this place," Wormmon said.

Ken nodded. "I've been thinking a lot about it. I used to feel that the Digital World was
my home, and that I'd never leave it. Now I'm not so sure. I have human friends, now. I like
spending time with them. I'm beginning to think that I wouldn't be happy being the only one of
my kind. I want to be with other people. I'm even starting to think that I wouldn't mind having a
life here - getting a job, maybe getting married and raising a family of my own someday... You
were right all along, Wormmon. This is my home, no matter how much I try to deny it. I belong
here."

"You're thinking of leaving?" Wormmon asked.

"I'd never leave you!" said Ken. "You're my other half. You know that. I just think its
time I started getting back in touch with myself. There's more to me than just the Paladin. I
always said Ken had died... but that's not true anymore, is it? I just hid him away because I
couldn't deal with the pain. But now I have friends to help me bear it. Even more, I might just
have a chance to make things right." Ken sighed. "I'd give anything for that. What do you think
that would take?"

"A miracle?" Wormmon suggested.

Ken nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. A miracle..."

From another part of the city came a man. He walked tiredly; his eyes were red. He'd been
to the hospital to visit his ailing wife. The doctors had told her that she was recovering well and
could go home soon, but home to what? An empty house that should have had two laughing
children in it, but now they were both gone. Mr. Ichijouji sighed; where had everything gone
wrong? It seemed like only yesterday that Sam and Ken had been playing on the balcony together,
throwing paper airplanes to the breeze, and now...

He froze in midstep. Standing at the other end of the street was a boy of about eleven
years old, but dressed in clothes unlike anything he'd ever seen a boy of that age wear... or seen
anyone wear, for that matter, a suit of rich purple and a cape over one shoulder. His dark blue hair
fell around his face to frame a pair of intense violet eyes. Those eyes... he'd seen them before. The
two stared at each other.

"Who are you?" asked Mr. Ichijouji in a hoarse whisper.

The boy hesitated for a long moment, expressions of pain and longing flickering across his
face. Then his eyes went cold. "You never could figure that out, could you? Why ask? You never
cared before."

"Don't say that," said Mr. Ichijouji. "Please... if you know anything... can you tell me
what's happened to my son?"

The boy's face turned hard with anger. "Who, Sam?"

Mr. Ichijouji shook his head. "Ken... It is you, isn't it?"

"I'm the Paladin," he said simply. "Whatever else I was is going to have to wait a bit
longer. But... your son is alive and safe and happy. That's what you want to know, isn't it?"

"I..." The father tried to speak and stopped; there was too much he wanted to say, too
many questions to ask. The expression in the boy's amethyst eyes shifted again, this time showing
pity.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't think... you do miss Ken, don't you?"

"You have no idea how much it hurt to lose..." said Mr. Ichijouji, and stopped, choking on
his own words.

"I'm a blind fool," said the boy, shaking his head. "Listen, I can't stay here."

"No! Please, just let me talk to you a while longer..."

"No. My mission isn't done yet. I have to remain as the Paladin a while longer... but I
promise, he'll be back."

"Who?"

"Sam. Ken. Both of them," said the boy. "You have the Paladin's word on it."

Then he turned and began to run... but something made him stop and turn around again.
He cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted back, "They're both coming back, I swear it! I'm
going to find Sam, and then we're both coming home! I'm coming home!"

And before Mr. Ichijouji could say anything else, the boy ducked into an alley and
vanished from sight.