Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Key-Seeker ❯ Nightmares ( Chapter 8 )

Ken awoke with a sense of relief, and was puzzled. He couldn't remember anything particularly bad happening recently, nothing worse than usual, anyway, and certainly nothing that would account for this feeling of having narrowly escaped something unpleasant. Actually, everything had been going surprisingly well. He'd had a craving for human companionship the night before, feeling somewhat lonely after his encounter with his father, and had managed to open a communications port that would let him send messages to his friends in the human world. Daisuke hadn't been available, which was a shame, but he'd been able to get in touch with Miyako and Iori, and they in turn had introduced him to a few of their other friends. He'd been surprised to learn that there were other Digidestined besides the ones he knew, and had spent a happy evening getting to know Izzy, Joe, Tai, and all the rest. He'd been surprised at how easily he fit into them. Here he was, the unapproachable Paladin, actually seeking out the company of strangers, just because he wanted someone to talk to!

*I really am changing,* he mused, with a small smile. Then, more somberly, *I guess it really will be time to leave here, soon. I've outgrown my place here.*

He shrugged a little, as best he could lying down, and turned the shrug into a stretch as he realized just how stiff his muscles were. He opened his eyes... and someone else's eyes looked down at him. He jumped, but not very far - it didn't take him long to remember who those crystal-blue orbs belonged to.

"Morning, Tapirmon," he sighed. "Do me a favor and don't sneak up on me like that again, okay?"

"You had a nightmare," Tapirmon informed him, by way of explanation.

Ken nodded. He was well aware that the Tapirmon had exhausted himself the day before, fighting the enslaved Gazimon, and he needed the strength that dreams gave him to recover. Ken had given the little creature permission to "eat" his dreams any time it wanted. Tapirmon said the dreams of humans were more interesting than the ones most Digimon had. On the other hand, nightmares were useful, in their way - they sometimes brought problems into focus that the waking mind wasn't aware of.

"What was it about?" Ken asked.

"You were stuck. Everyone was pulling you all around."

The words weren't very descriptive, but Ken had always suspected there was something of the psychic in Tapirmon, something that let him communicate beyond the confines of speech. Now Ken got a vivid image in his mind of being trapped in a dark place, not as he knew himself, but as he'd been as a child, and there were dozens of ghostly arms reaching out of the darkness, some trying to pull him deeper into the shadows, some pulling him toward landscapes of fog or red light or deep green forests. He shook himself, and the image faded.

"Figures," he muttered. "I knew that already."

Tapirmon shrugged. Apparently, it had deposited its wisdom of the day, for it gave a barking goodbye and trundled off into the forest. Ken watched it go, not particularly bothered by its abrupt departure. It wasn't anything unusual; Tapirmon usually didn't even bother to announce his departure.

Well, never mind that. There was work for the Paladin now, just as there always was, and that meant it was time for Ken to get up and start his day. He got up and stretched more thoroughly, working the kinks out of sleep-stiffened muscles. A stream splashed nearby, and he crouched next to it, smoothing out his hair with the guidance of its rippling mirrored surface. A few splashes of water served to wash his face, and another rinsed out his mouth. Then he went about the business of dressing himself in what had served last night as his bed. That had been his life for the last three years; he hadn't had set location, but had wandered wherever he felt he was needed and slept wherever it looked safe and comfortable. Where it was warm, he would rest on the grass or in the shelter of whatever trees or rocks were available, using his folded jacket as a pillow and his cloak for a blanket. If it was cold or wet, any Digimon would be happy to give him a place in its village or den. Every Digimon, from the mildest hatchling up to all but the most dangerous Virus, knew that they were all in equal danger from the Key-Seeker and his followers, and that this pale boy was their only protection from that danger. One of Ken's early memories was of falling asleep curled against the warm side of a DeviDramon as it kept watch over him. At the time, that had seemed like a fine life, but now he was beginning to wish to fall asleep in the same place every night, in a real bed with a real home attached...

*And what I wouldn't give for a proper tube of toothpaste!*

Nevertheless, he knew how to keep himself neatly groomed even without such civilized niceties, and he finished his morning ablutions quickly and efficiently. By the time he was done, Wormmon had wakened and gone in search of food, and the two broke their fast and watched the sun rise. They ate in silence, giving Ken a chance to muster his resources for yet another day of fighting. His strength was of the whole world, the light of the otherworldly sun that had never darkened his pale skin, the trees that had sheltered him, the waters where he had learned to swim, the earth, the air... all of it was woven through the fiber of his being. Nothing else could have given him the power to stand up to what he was subjected to day after day, healing the atrocities his brother had wrought. He considered all this as he ate, breathing the cool morning air and letting it brace him.

Suddenly, he was not braced at all, but coming apart inside, wracked by a strange twisting nausea that made his teeth crawl and his skin break out in a cold sweat. Wormmon saw his partner's eyes widen in shock and heard the quickening of his breath.

"Ken, what's wrong?" he asked, scuttling to his side.

"I... I'm okay," Ken replied, drawing a few deep breaths. The feeling had passed as suddenly as it had come, leaving only the aftershock of adrenaline. "But just for a minute, something was really wrong... No, it's still wrong, somewhere."

"Nothing's wrong," said Wormmon soothingly. "Just relax. I'm sure it was nothing."

Ken shook his head in mute denial. Something had to have happened; whatever he'd felt, it had been something so unnatural it had to be wrong. He got up and began walking, dreamlike, barely aware of what he was doing, climbing the nearest hill to look out at the scenery. Below him was the spread of a valley, with the sun rising over it. Though it had cleared the horizon and was making good progress toward its zenith, the sun was blood red and sullen-looking. On the valley floor, weird lights chased each other across the scenery. Ken stared a moment, then turned and took off at a full run.

Sam was always in a better mood when Jun was around. It was funny - he'd never thought he'd enjoy the company of someone who wasn't his mental equal, but he had to admit it was nice not to have to guard every word he said to make sure he never said anything foolish. Even more, he'd always had to make sure he was so clever he could cut himself on it every second of every conversation he ever had. It was enough to give anyone a headache, and it was extremely pleasant to be able to relax and say whatever he felt. He could be inane or obvious or downright silly, and Jun would never notice. Likewise, he could talk about things she could never hope to understand, and she would sit there and look properly admiring for him. It was a dream come true, and add to that the fact that she was pretty and so appreciative...

"I can't imagine how you even begin to think this stuff up," she said, giving an awed look at the rows of numbers and arcane-looking symbols he'd been typing. "Just looking at it makes my head hurt."

"It's not that bad, once you get used to it," answered Sam. "Think of it as... well, it's like another language. You can make a computer do anything you want it to, if you know how to ask it. Actually, it's easier than learning another language, because computers never do the funny things people do when they talk, like say one thing and mean another. Computers always say what they mean. They're a lot simpler than people."

"I'll take your word for it," said Jun, making a face at the screen. "People, I can deal with. I don't think I could ever learn all that stuff, though."

Sam shook his head.

"People are the only things I never could understand," he said quietly.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he pulled back on his mental reigns and reconsidered them. Had he really said that? Had he meant it? Yes, he had to admit to himself. It was true. He could figure out what they wanted and use it to manipulate them, but to really understand with them, bond with them, put himself on the same level with them... that had always been beyond his reach.

"Really?" asked Jun, amazement showing in her wide brown eyes. Amazement? No, something deeper than that, Sam realized, and felt his heart sink. There was dismay there, or even horror, and he was wondering what she was thinking about him. She was, after all, a social creature, and if she was suddenly seeing him as unnatural, or perhaps too stuck-up to be around other people...

*But you are, aren't you?* asked a voice in the back of his mind.

"You must have been so lonely," she said softly.

Sam sighed. "Yes. I suppose I was... but I don't have to worry about that anymore, do I?"

"Not while I'm around," Jun replied. "I'll have to introduce you to some people, after all this is over. They must have been a little frightened of you - you're so important and clever and all. Sometimes I don't know how you put up with me. I hardly understand half of what you say sometimes."

"Don't put yourself down. You're smart," Sam replied. With a half-smile, he added, "I think we're pretty close to equal."

Jun blushed, as he knew she would. "No way! I'll never be half as smart as you."

"I'm not as clever as you think. Besides, don't they say love makes fools of us all?" he asked, grinning.

"You don't mean that," she said, turning her head.

"Sure I do," he replied. "Why wouldn't I mean it?"

"Why would you? You're famous, important. I'm-"

"You're a sweet, brave, wonderful girl," Sam finished. "You're also the first person to ever like me for me instead of just seeing me as a celebrity, so don't start changing now. Before you came along I didn't have anything but a public image. I was losing myself. I'd be lost again if I lost you now."

"Really?" she asked.

Sam nodded, not taking his eyes off hers. Suddenly, she flung himself at him and hugged him tightly, and he slipped his arms around her in a gesture that was becoming steadily more natural.

"Sam," she said impulsively, "I wish you would get out of this place. These people - your friends - I don't trust them. Something about them scares me, and I keep worrying... I don't want you to get hurt. Something's going to happen if you keep following them, I just know it."

"Nothing's going to happen," he said. "What do you think is going to happen? They aren't going to hurt me - they need me too much. Even if they wanted to, don't you think I could protect myself? Do you think they could outsmart me?"

"No..." she said hesitantly.

"Then don't worry!" answered Sam. "Look, they've as good as promised that I won't get hurt, and I won't let anything happen to you."

"You promise?" Jun asked.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," he replied.

And then, just to make sure she got the message, he gently tilted her head back so he could kiss her - with far more emotion than he would have shown had he known he was being observed.

What Sam didn't realize was that the door to his laboratory was slightly ajar. He also hadn't counted on the fact that someone might be rude enough to purposely spy on him, but someone was doing just that, his single yellow eye peering intently through the crack. So intent was he on his spying that Mummymon didn't realize that he was being watched himself until Arukenimon came up behind him and spoke.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

Mummymon jumped. "Oh, I was, um..."

"Spying," she finished, spitting out the word distastefully. "And you always claimed to be such a gentleman, too."

"I am," he said sulkily. "I don't see why you're complaining. Maybe if you'd be a little more sociable, I wouldn't have to just watch other people having fun."

"Humph," said Arukenimon, shutting the door. "I don't approve."

"Of what I was doing or of what they're doing?"

"Either. Both. It's a waste of time and energy, if you ask me. If that boy was half as smart as he thinks he is, he would know better. And if I had any sense, I'd break them up instead of standing here arguing about it."

"Aw, but they're so cute together," Mummymon protested.

"As if that mattered," she retorted. "You seem to have forgotten, we're here for a reason. What would the master say if he saw the way you're acting?"

"I don't see what's wrong with how I act," he said sulkily, "and I don't see why you're so upset about. They're just children, Arukenimon. They don't owe anything to the master. Why shouldn't they enjoy themselves a little?"

"Because," said Arukenimon, "love is a weakness. Anyone watching you would know that. Just look at that boy. He could have anything he wanted if he put his mind to it, but he's given that up. He'll never be able to do anything that she doesn't want him to do. Right now, what she doesn't want him to do is what we've been trying to get him to do in the first place. She's going to spoil all our plans just by being here, and you're encouraging it!"

Mummymon looked like he wanted to reply to that, but there didn't seem to be anything to say. He sighed despondently.

"Whatever you say," he murmured.

"That's right," answered Arukenimon tartly. "Now, quit bothering me. I've got a headache."

Mummymon brightened. "Can I help?"

For a moment, it was on Arukenimon's lips to tell him the best way for him to help would be to go bury himself. If she had been lying about the headache, that was exactly what she would have said. On the other hand, she really did have a headache - dealing with an annoying teenaged know-it-all wasn't the most relaxing of activities, and getting herself into an argument wasn't helping. Add to that her worries about what was going to happen when they finally did reawaken their master, and there was no question left why she felt like snapping at anything that moved. If one had offered, she might have accepted help from a Digidestined at this point.

"Oh, all right," she muttered.

The tone enough should have been enough to drive a sensible man away, but her willing servant jumped into action.While she stood there and pretended that nothing was happening, her sidekick went to work gently massaging her neck and shoulders, easing away the strain. Arukenimon sighed; it was a source of shame for her that he should know what to do so automatically. She had never known a day when she didn't have Mummymon following her around, so there was no avoiding getting to know a few things about each other, especially with the number of times she'd had to resort to his help. By now, he knew exactly what to do, and she had to admit, it was a relief to feel the pain and tension fading.

*He may not be good for much,* she mused, *but at least what he does, he does well.*

Relaxing a bit, she let her mind wander. Maybe Sam was right; this was extremely foolish of her, to be spending one minute telling Mummymon to get away from her and the next almost encouraging him. She should lay it on the line, once and for all... but there was always something holding her back, that same inexplicable force that made her uneasy whenever she was separated from her partner for too long. To tell the truth, they had never spent more than a day at a time apart from each other, not since the day they'd come into being, created from the same source code, drawing their first breaths at the same instant. Was it possible that they were meant to be together, as Mummymon was always insisting?

*Impossible,* she told herself flatly. *The day he's right about anything will be the day rocks learn to fly. You'll never catch me acting like those simpering fools who talk about love. They've lost themselves. I refuse to let myself get lost like that; I'm my own person.*

But was she? How could she be her own person when she had her every move already determined by her creator? And if she really did have her destiny already laid out for her...

"That's enough," she said sharply, pulling away. "There's no time for this nonsense, anyway. We have work to get done."

Mummymon looked crestfallen, but murmured an obedient, "Yes, darling."

"And quit calling me that!"

"Sorry," he said. "I just slip."

"Well, slip off to wherever you came from and leave me in peace," she retorted. "I need to check on our genius and make sure he's getting something done today. Well, what are you waiting for? Go on, scat!"

Looking chastened, Mummymon scuttled off to hide himself in his room. Aurkenimon paused a minute, as if she expected him to change his mind. She sighed.

*I don't like any of this one bit,* she thought sourly. *Well, I won't worry about it. Right now, I have other priorities. I'll sort it out when this is all over...*

"Dumb, stupid, boring rain," Davis grumbled, staring out the window. He had his elbows propped on the sill and his head in his hands, standing dejectedly in the hall of his school while the rain poured down outside. Huddled around their lockers, the other Digidestined were hanging up raincoats and shaking out umbrellas. They were also staring worriedly at their friend.

"What's gotten into him?" Yolei asked. "He's not usually like this."

"I know what it is," said TK. "He had a soccer practice scheduled for this afternoon, but if this keeps up, they won't be able to play unless the swim team loans them some scuba gear. You know Daisuke - he lives for soccer."

Kari shook her head. "That's not it. Well, maybe part of it, but..."

"Come on Kari, spill it," said Yolei. "You two didn't have a lover's spat, did you?"

"That's not funny," Kari snapped. Then she shook herself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be so harsh."

"Don't apologize. She was asking for it," said Cody.

"Well, maybe... I'm feeling a little strung out myself," Kari answered. "I feel bad for him. See, I called him last night, and he told me he'd been in a fight with his sister."

"Jun?" asked Yolei. "That's nothing. They shout at each other all the time. Shoot, I fight with my brother and sisters all the time, and you don't see me getting all depressed, do you?"

"No, you just come and yell at us until you feel better," Cody retorted. "Come on, Yolei, think. Davis's sister is running around with Sam, remember?"

"Oh," said Yolei, looking abashed. "Right. Sorry."

Kari nodded. "And she's been making life miserable for Davis for the last few days. She's always trying to find ways to keep him away from us - she was listening in on our phone call last night until Davis went and yelled at her. And, well... he doesn't say so in so many words, but Davis cares about Jun, and he's worried she's putting herself in danger, and she won't listen to him. I heard her insisting what a nice, sweet, gentle boy Sam was, saying Davis was crazy and just trying to break up her relationship. She won't believe anything Davis tries to tell her. She's got it in her head that Sam loves her, and he's doing this for her sake. Can you believe it?"

"Wow," said Yolei. "And I thought I did silly things over guys."

"You do," Cody muttered, too quietly for her to hear, but Upamon snickered in the depths of Cody's bookbag.

"What do you think we should do?" TK wondered, staring at the woebegone figure who watched the rain.

"Distract him," said Yolei. "He can't sit there and mope if he's doing something productive, can he?"

"Doing what?" asked Cody.

At that moment, there was a blipping noise, and Yolei scrambled for her D-3.

"Hold that thought, guys. I've got e-mail," she said. Flipping open the device, she added, "Wow, it's from Ken!"

"Yolei, is this really the time to be reading love letters?" asked TK, rolling his eyes.

Yolei ignored him. She skimmed the message, and her eyes widened.

"This is no love letter," she said. "In fact, I think you'd all better see this."

The Digidestined gathered around to look. Written across the screen were a few terse words, italicized so there would be no mistaking the urgency.

Guys, I need you in the Digital World. Now. It was signed, The Paladin.

TK whistled. "Sounds like Ken means business. Wonder what's up?"

"We know what's up," Cody replied. "Sam. We've got to get out there and help. Hey, Davis! Come here a minute!"

"Hm?" Davis raised his head, as if waking up from a dream. "Huh? What's going on?"

"Ken's in trouble," said Kari. "We've got to find a way to get out of school and go help him."

"Good," said Davis, brightening a bit. "I didn't feel like going to school today, anyway."

"Hey, hold it just one minute there!" said TK. "We can't just skip school like that! Classes are going to start any minute now! Someone would miss us."

"TK's right," said Cody. "Maybe one of us could pull it off, but if all of us are gone all at once, someone might realize something's up. We'll get in trouble."

"Come off it, Cody," said Yolei. "I know you love to follow the rules and all, but sometimes there are things more important than rules. If we don't move fast, something terrible could happen to the Digital World! Something could happen to Ken!"

"Yeah, that would be a tragedy," said Davis, so blandly that there was no way to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. His face had taken on a look of concentration. "Hm... So we can't just sneak out of school, 'cause we'll all get caught and our parents will fry us. But what if everyone left the school?"

"That would solve the problem," TK answered slowly, "but how are we going to get everyone out of the school?"

Davis grinned. His usual manic light was back in his eyes. He tapped his backpack, and something wiggled around inside.

"An infestation," he replied.

TK watched as his first-block teacher began scrawling math problems on the board - watched with considerably more interest than he would have shown had this been an ordinary lesson. He was glad, in an odd sort of way, that things had fallen out like this. Math had never been his favorite subject, and this particular teacher was duller than he'd believed possible.

"Ready, Patamon?" he whispered.

"More than ready," Patamon hissed back. Normally, he was allowed to fly freely over the school, but since he actually had to be inside today, TK had been forced to try to shove his friend into his backpack. Even though he'd taken out all his books to make more room, it was still a tight squeeze.

"Great," said TK. "Let's just wait until things settle down a little."

TK could whisper to his partner without getting caught only because the room was still full of pre-class chaos, with students chatting with each other, shouting, laughing, and throwing things. The teacher had learned early on that there wasn't much point in trying to silence them before the first bell rang, so he simply kept his back turned and pretended it wasn't happening. Finally, a tone chimed, announcing the start of the lesson, and the room gradually settled into reluctant silence.

"Good morning everyone," droned the teacher. "Today we will be discussing the distributive property. But first, we will begin by calling the roll." He opened a briefcase and took out a sheet of paper, unfolding it so he could begin reading off names. The class began to fidget.

"We'll never get a better time than this," said TK to himself, unzipping his pack. "Go for it!"

"Finally, fresh air!" said Patamon to himself. He crawled out carefully, shaking his ears back into place, and began crawling across the floor, unnoticed beneath the desktops. Then, once he was sufficiently far away from TK that no one could connect him with Patamon's presence, the little 'mon vaulted up into the air with a flutter of wings.

"Hoo-hah!" he shouted. "Wake up, everyone, I'm on the move! Come on, get going! Yahoo!"

There was instant chaos. The teacher dropped his papers, staring in shock at the giant, flying, talking hamster that had appeared in his classroom. Kari, sitting a few rows ahead of TK, let out a convincing shriek as Patamon dove over her head. Her screams excited more from the rest of the class, and very soon, the room was filled with deafening noise. Patamon encouraged it by diving at people, throwing their notebooks to the floor and scattering pencils, which rolled and caused people to stumble, adding to the havoc. A Boom Bubble launched at the chalkboard send up clouds of chalk dust, hazing the room with choking white clouds, reducing visibility to a few feet. Somewhere within the hubbub, the teacher was shouting orders that nobody listened to; they were all too busy trying to get out. Nobody noticed that TK, Kari, and Davis were all hiding under a cluster of desks.

"You know," TK said to Davis, "I really shouldn't be approving of this, but... this is actually sort of fun."

"Are you kidding?" Davis replied. "This is my crowning achievement!"

"It will be if it works," TK answered. "Where are Gatomon and Demi Veemon?"

"We sent them off to some other classrooms," answered Kari. "We thought we could get more done if all the 'mons weren't in the same room. Should we go looking for them?"

"Nah," TK replied. "Let them find us. If we go out now, we'll get pulled in with the rest of the crowd and get dragged outside. No one will miss us here."

Meanwhile, panic was spreading throughout the rest of the school. In a classroom down the hall, heads were turned as they heard the ruckus a few doors down. While they were listening to the disturbance, a large white cat slipped through the open window, hopped nimbly onto the chalk tray, and raked both claws firmly down the board, making everyone jump. They turned to stare at her, and she stared back, her tail flicking with impatience.

"Well?" she said. "What are you waiting for? Shoo! Scat! Get out of here, before I have to get dangerous!" She held up her glinting claws and narrowed her eyes. There was a sudden scramble to get away.

However, not everyone went very far, because DemiVeemon had been sneaking around under the tables tying shoelaces together. At random points around the room, people fell on their faces as they tried frantically to run away. DemiVeemon hopped around tickling them.

"Help! Something's got me!" shouted his victim, thrashing around on the floor.

Demi Veemon turned a nimble somersault, avoiding the flailing feet and arms around him and went off to find another victim. Gatomon scampered around the room, making playful swats at anyone who didn't move quickly enough. The room was soon emptied, and the 'mons scurried off to search for new battlegrounds. Above them, they could hear thuds and sploks that sounded like someone above was dropping water balloons, and they could only surmise that Poromon was hard at work on the second floor. Distant shouts were audible from another wing of the school, not all of which sounded like students; it sounded more like Upamon was exercising his considerable noisemaking abilities. Finally, they caught the most important sound of all, the voice of the principal calling over the intercom, ordering all students and teachers out of the building. Knowing that their job was done, the 'mons scuttled off to rejoin their partners.

"That was kind of fun," said Kari as she stepped into the now-empty halls.

"That was awesome," said Davis, eyes shining. "I've never cleared out a whole school before. Can we do it again sometime?"

"No," said Cody. "We're not allowed to do this kind of stuff."

"Then why did we?"

"Because this is an emergency," TK replied. "Come on, Demolition Davis. We're needed in the Digital World."

Ken, hunched over his laptop, barely glanced up as his friends manifested a few feet away.

"What took you so long?" he asked irritably. "I called you almost an hour ago!"

"School," TK answered.

"Oh," said Ken. "I'd forgotten about that." It was a measure of how upset he was that he didn't sound the least bit apologetic.

"I wish I could forget about school," Davis replied. "What's up? Did Sam invent some new kind of monster to throw at us or something?"

"Worse than that," sighed Ken. "Come on, I'll show you."

Growing worried, the Digidestined followed Ken up the side of a steep hill to pause at the edge of a cliff. Below them, the Digital scenery spread out before them like a map... but the map was torn; black marks of chasms were snaking their way across the earth. Whirlwinds of light chased each other, leaving burned grass and scattered stone in their wake. The Digimon, who were normally such a visible part of the world, seemed to have vanished. The sun looked down on all of it with its strange sullen light.

"This is some weird weather you're having today," said Davis.

"It's not the weather," Ken answered. "This isn't natural, and it's not going to go away."

"You... you can't fix it?" asked Yolei.

Ken shook his head. "Don't you think I've tried? This is just too big for me... maybe for all of us. But we can't sit by and do nothing."

"What can we do about this?" asked TK, watching the crazy lights. One of them passed by a few yards away, twisting a tree into a corkscrew, and everyone shuffled away uneasily.

"What about the Digimentals?" Cody suggested. "Mine fixed the hole last time. Could they work on this?"

"I don't know," said Ken. He kept his eyes downcast, and Wormmon rubbed up against his partner's leg in a gesture of support. Ken gathered him up into his arms and hid his face against the caterpillar's side; the other Digidestined had the feeling he was hiding tears. "I don't know what's causing it, so I don't know how to fight it. I need help..."

The Digidestined stared. When they had first met the proud, cold-eyed Paladin, they had never imagined he was capable of this. They stood, fidgeting, wondering what they could possibly do.

"Well," said Davis finally, "you're right about one thing. We can't just sit around doing nothing. There's got to be something we can do, if we just work at it."

"What?" asked Ken helplessly.

"Ken?" said Yolei.

"Yes?"

Yolei gave him a forceful smack across the cheek, making him stagger backwards a few paces.

"Get a hold of yourself," she told him firmly. "Feeling sorry for yourself isn't gong to do anything. It's just going to make things worse, because you can't think of anything constructive while you're moping. You're the Paladin. We're Digidestined. We're legends, and we didn't get where we are by complaining about how hard it is. You made it where you are today by taking what was thrown at you and dealing with it, not breaking down and giving up. We will get through this, and I forbid you to say otherwise!"

She finished her tirade, panting a bit but looking oddly pleased with herself. Ken looked stunned. After a moment of silence, Davis wandered over to Ken's side to wave a hand in front of his staring violet eyes.

"You okay?" Davis asked.

"Yeah," said Ken, fingering the smarting spot where he'd been slapped. "Actually, I think I needed that. Thanks, Yolei."

"Don't mention it," she answered.

"But that still doesn't leave us a whole lot better off than we were before," Ken mused. "We still have to find some way of dealing with this - this - whatever it is." He gestured vaguely at the lights, the sun, the cracking earth. "Any ideas? At this point, I'm open to suggestions from just about anyone."

There was a moment of silence. Then, a disembodied voice said, "How about me?"

Everyone jumped, looking around for the source of the sound. As they were staring, a ball of light appeared in their midst - not the wild, dancing lights that were crackling across the earth, but a soft, pearly glow. It grew in brilliance, shedding a prism of pale colors, slowly taking on form and substance. Finally, with an eye searing flash, the light resolved itself into a solid shape. Everyone gawped.

Standing in their midst was a man dressed in monkish white robes, his face hidden by a deep cowl - which he immediately raised, revealing a young, handsome face. He had light brown hair, short and spiky in front, bound into a ponytail in back. He regarded them all with stormy blue eyes.

"Who is that?" asked Miyako, sounding impressed. Ken glared at her.

TK frowned, thinking hard. Then his face lit up. He'd seen that face before, if only in illusion.

"Gennai!" he greeted. "Man, is it ever good to see you! You always did have a crazy sense of timing."

"Gennai?" Ken repeated, his eyes growing wide. "I've heard of you... the legendary warrior and sage... I'm at your service." The Paldin dropped to his knees in a formal bow.

"Quit that," said Gennai irritably, seizing Ken's cloak and pulling him to his feet. "We don't have time for it. Besides, soldiers shouldn't bow to each other." But the Digidestined thought he looked flattered at the gesture, no matter what he said about it.

"This is Gennai?" asked Kari. "He looks a lot different from last time we saw him..."

"A warrior's form for a warrior's business," he answered. "Or did you think Digimon are the only things in this world that change shape? But I didn't come here just for old time's sake. We have important business... as you can see."

"Do you know what's going on?" asked Ken. "I've tried everything I can think of, and I can't even figure out what's wrong, let alone how to fix it!"

"I know," said Gennai, turning serious. "The truth of the matter is, your brother has been opening doors, if you can call them doors. As you've noticed, they're more like holes in the universe, ripped open with no consideration for what damage might be done in the process. One hole might not be a problem, and even two or three might be opened before it becomes dangerous, but putting tear after tear in the space of an hour or two, and this is the result."

"You mean...?" Ken began.

"In simple words, the Digital World is coming apart at the seams," Gennai replied. "It's structural integrity has been disturbed, and the pieces are drifting further and further apart. If things keep moving at this rate, I give it a matter of hours, until things break down entirely and there will be no recovery. I've been trying to hold it together as best I can, but my resources are limited. The only thing I know of that's strong enough to reverse the damage is the Digimental eggs... but even those won't work if you don't move quickly."

"But I haven't been able to find any rips," Ken protested. "I've been looking, and I've come up with nothing."

"That's because your computer is wired into the Digital World's main network," Gennai replied, "and as I said, the network is down today. That computer won't do you any good."

"Well, if we can't find the doors, how are we supposed to do anything?" asked TK, getting annoyed.

"But you can," answered Gennai, "or rather, Ken can."

"But-" Ken began.

"No buts. Listen. When the trouble began, didn't you feel it?"

"Yes..."

Gennai nodded. "You're connected to this world. All Digidestined are, to some degree, but you've been literally eating, sleeping, and breathing this place for the last three years, and that's allowed that connection to develop to a phenomenal degree. With a bit of instruction, you should be able to locate the disturbances in your world the same way you would be able to find a wound in your own body. I'm not saying that it will be easy or safe," he warned, "but I'm saying you can. Are you willing?"

Ken nodded.

"Good," Gennai replied. "Ken will serve as the coordinator. The rest of you will be following his instructions toward the rips and using your Digimental eggs to seal them. It's going to be dangerous work, I think I'd better warn you. It's possible it may take all of their power to heal the damage that's been done, which would leave your Digimon at the mercy of Sam's Spies."

"Actually..." said Ken, sounding a bit embarrassed. Everyone stared at him, making him blush. "Um, actually, I have something that might help with that. Wait here a minute."

Leaving a set of confused people behind, Ken sprinted off into the trees. He returned a few moments later, carrying a handful of what looked like large golden rings.

"I've been saving these for an emergency," he said. "I think this is the biggest emergency we're ever likely to come across."

"What are those?" asked Yolei curiously.

"Golden Rings," answered Ken, blushing a bit. "I couldn't think of a more creative name for them... but anyway, they'll be helpful. Give them to your Digimon to wear, and it will protect them from the Spies' powers. It's how Wormmon can evolve to Champion without a Digimental."

"Why didn't you tell us about them sooner?" asked TK.

"Well... at first I didn't trust you," Ken replied, his blush deepening, "and then you didn't seem to need them, so I just put them aside for a rainy day."

"It's not raining, but this will have to do," said Kari, accepting a ring. She offered it to Gatomon, who slipped it onto her paw and watched with interest as it shrunk to fit her. The other 'mons copied her example until they were all sporting gold necklaces, bracelets, or anklets.

"That's them set," Gennai muttered. "Now for the hard part. Are you ready, Ken?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Ken replied.

"Good enough. Find a place to sit down and get settled comfortably, so you aren't inclined to move around. You're going to be sitting still for a while. Relax as best you can. You're going to go into something like a trance. I warn the rest of you that he will appear as if he is dead, but don't worry. The chances are good he'll come out alive."

"You mean there's a chance he won't?" Miyako squeaked.

"There's always that chance, yes," said Gennai. "This is war. I told him this wouldn't be safe. Are you still willing to go through with it, Ken?"

"Well, you could have warned me I might not wake up," said Ken, "but yes, I am."

"Good. Go get yourself ready. I'll help you through the next part."

Ken did as he was told, propping himself against the side of a convenient tree, nestled between its spreading roots, cushioned by soft moss. He leaned back and closed his eyes, steadying his breathing and heartbeat until he felt himself drifting, as if he was about to go to sleep. It was almost pleasant.

"Relax," Gennai's voice intoned. It sounded very far away. "Forget yourself. Leave yourself behind, and spread out into the world..."

Ken listened to the voice, and found himself obeying without even thinking about it. He felt his mind unfolding like a flower, filling him with awareness. Suddenly, he was a part of every blade of grass, every grain of sand, every breath of wind, and his body trembled with the effort of trying to hold him in that unnatural state. Then his mind encountered a door, and that horrible sickness washed over him. He felt himself coming apart from the inside, his consciousness trying to tie itself in knots, warping towards madness. He wanted to throw up or pass out or die, anything to get away, and he heard himself whimpering miles away. Frantically, he tried to reel himself in, to go back to being simple Ken, and not a whole dying world...

And as his consciousness fled back towards his body, it brushed against another mind, one he recognized. It was Wormmon, his whole being currently fixated on trying to comfort his partner. Ken hesitated there, momentarily distracted from his pain, and it was then that he noticed something else. It wasn't just the world he was tapped into, it was the creatures in it as well, and now he got the disorienting feeling of being in two minds at once, and what he felt surprised him. He had always known Wormmon was his best friend, that this little worm cared for him more than anyone ever had, but to be experiencing it from this point of view... What he saw now was that his partner didn't just care about him, he loved him, with a completeness that Ken had never dreamed anyone could. He felt himself relaxing again; he was safe as long as his partner was with him. Wormmon would do anything for him, live or die for him, and the sudden surety made him feel warm all over. Even the pain of the rips wasn't enough to break through this.

In the outside world, Gennai saw Ken relax and slip fully into the trance-state, and he smiled a bit.

"He's ready to go," Gennai replied. "How about you all?"

"Ready," said TK, and the others nodded.

"All right, then. Ken, can you tell them where the rips are?"

Ken nodded dreamily. "Seven to the north, in the snow fields. Three in the forests to the east. Six in the mountains. Four more in the desert. Three on the plains."

"Twenty-three. That's a lot of holes," Cody commented. "No wonder nothing's working right."

"Guess we split up, then," said TK. "Those with two Digimentals should be the ones to take the areas with the most rips. Davis, you have the most powerful eggs, so you go north."

"But it's cold up there!" Davis protested.

"Yolei you and Hawkmon can handle the mountains," TK continued.

"Can do!" she answered.

"Armadillomon and I can take the desert," Cody volunteered.

"That leaves the plains and the forest," TK concluded. "Can you handle the forest, Kari? I want to stay close by and keep an eye on Ken."

"Wise choice," Gennai remarked. "He can't defend himself in this state. Naturally, Wormmon will be here to protect him..." Wormmon, who'd been looking worried, sat up a little straighter. "...But it never hurts to have a backup."

"So, are we decided?" asked TK. "Then let's go!"

"I should be going as well," Gennai replied. "I can help you no more here. I'm returning to my own place, to see if I can't find something that may be useful. Good luck, Digidestined!"

With that, he turned and simply faded away, leaving only a few wisps of pearly mist in his wake.

"Well, he didn't do very much, did he?" Yolei grumbled.

"He told us what we need to do," Kari replied. "That's more than we knew before."

"If you don't like people standing around talking, then let's do something!" Davis encouraged. "Even if I'm not all that wild about going to sit in the snow."

"Davis is right. We're wasting time," TK replied. "Let's rev up our eggs and get moving."

The others agreed, and in a few moments, the Digidestined were mounted on the backs of a fleet of Armor Digimon, riding off through the crimson-tinted countryside. They should have felt some excitement, or at least determination, as they set out to defend their world. Still, looking back at Ken's still, pale form didn't seem like a good omen, and TK couldn't help feeling that something was about to go wrong.

Sam did not even have the good manners to jump as the door to his laboratory burst open. Actually, he remained still on purpose, knowing it would annoy Arukenimon. He had a notion that she had been trying to catch him off guard or doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing, and he took an inner pleasure in not even flinching as the door slammed loudly into the wall, though Jun, perched on a console next to him, gave a startled squeak.

"Hello, Arukenimon," said Sam coolly, not looking up from his work. "I trust you're well?"

"Forget the chitchat," she snapped. "We're not here for a social call."

"My, my, we are in a bad mood today," answered Sam. "What's the matter? That time of month?"

"Very cute," she replied. "I hope you know, that line's been used. Have you finally used up your supply of clever witticisms?"

"No. I just don't want to waste them on people who wouldn't appreciate them," answered Sam. Before she could ask who that veiled insult was aimed at, he continued, "Besides, I've had other things on my mind than verbally sparring with you."

"Such as?"

"Well, you asked for a door, didn't you? Well, It's ready whenever you want it."

"It is? Really?"

Sam pretended not to look, all the while keeping an eye on Arukenimon's reflection in an unused screen, and he saw the avid look that slipped past her cold mask. In the next second, it faded, leaving a more ordinary expression of smug superiority. Sam allowed himself a smirk; let her try to hide things from him. He had what she wanted, and they both knew it. The situation was under his control.

Jun, who thought Sam hadn't seen anything, wished he had. People might call her stupid, but she hadn't missed that ugly look that had crossed the spider-woman's face, and the sight had given her an inner chill. It was, she thought, the look of something that was about to attack some unwitting creature and rip its throat out. Even the creature Sam insisted was so stupid, the strange man in the blue suit, was wearing a nasty, toothy grin, and had begun rubbing his hands together eagerly. Jun understood people, just as she'd said; nice people didn't look like that.

*But Sam says he knows what he's doing,* she reminded herself. *It'll be okay, he'll take care of everything...*

"You're absolutely positive this one is going to work?" asked Arukenimon, keeping her voice airy and unconcerned.

"If I wasn't sure, I would have kept my mouth shut," Sam replied. "Actually, I've set up several minor gates already, and they're holding steady. Even if someone shut them all right this second, it would still work out correctly..."

"What do you mean by that?" Arukenimon demanded. "If all the gates are shut, how would we get through?"

"Because," said Sam, turning to offer her a patronizing smile, "those aren't the gates we're going to use. If you'd been paying attention, you would have noticed that I said they were minor gates. Every time I set up a gate, it weakens the defenses around the Digital World that have been preventing us from getting in. When the gates are sealed again, the damage recovers. I've simply been setting up small gates, putting cracks in the world's defenses, so that when I open the major gate..."

"...Those Digidestined brats won't be able to close it. Clever," said Arukenimon. "You've done well, Key-Seeker."

"Of course," said Sam. "So, shall I go ahead and open up the door for you?"

"No, wait a bit," she replied. "We have something we need to do first. Mummymon..."

"Yes?" he answered, looking up eagerly.

"Draw the curtain," she commanded.

Sam felt an inner lurch; the mystery of what was behind that curtain had been eating at him for days, but he'd never quite found the courage to try sneaking a peek. All he had ever been able to discern were faint blinking lights and a dark shape he could never quite identify. Now he watched as Mummymon pulled back the black divide, leaning forward in an unconscious effort to see more clearly.

What was it? For a moment, Sam's brain refused to process it, so unexpected and strange was the object he was confronted with. Then it struck him, and he felt a crawling sensation running down his back as he realized he was a looking at a coffin. Not only that, but it was unlike any coffin he had ever seen before, the old-fashioned hexagonal variety, widening near the top to make room for a broad pair of shoulders, then narrowing almost to a point at the bottom. It was painted jet black, but the edges were trimmed with gold and set with golden nailheads that glittered like evil eyes in the dimly lit room. Adding to it's already forbidding appearance, it was propped against the wall, looming over all of them - whoever it had been meant to hold was taller than any normal human. Then, as if all that wasn't strange enough, the sides of the box were connected by a series of cables and pipes to a set of whirring machines. Sam stared at the box, his eyes tracing the picture that had been stamped in gold leaf onto the lid, forming the silhouette of a bat. It was a strange thing, its ears standing in points like horns, its wings long and attenuated, each tip terminating in a thin spike. The gold was so brilliant against the blackness that it looked as if you could cut yourself touching it. Sam didn't know why, but the sight made his stomach feel as if he'd swallowed a bucket of ice cubes.

"What's that?" he heard himself asking.

"Tut, tut, tut. That's not a very nice thing to ask, Sam," said Arukenimon silkily. "This isn't a what, it's a who - or it will be when we're done. Would you like to do the honors, Sam? No? Not keen on finally meeting the one who's been so generous to you? Then I'll have to do it. Stand back, all of you."

Smirking at Sam's stunned expression, Arukenimon sauntered across the room to the place where the machinery sat humming. With a flourish, she threw a switch, and the humming became a roar, echoing through the stark room, the pitch rising higher and higher until it sounded like it was going to explode. Jun shrieked and clapped her hands over her ears, eyes shut tight, but Sam was too dazed to even think about comforting her. All his attention was focused on the coffin, which had begun to glow, brighter and brighter, and then there was a sizzling noise and a flash light lightning...

The light vanished, and Sam found himself staring blindly into the dark as every light in the room went out, leaving only dancing blue afterimages. Then, slowly, the lights began flickering back on, uncertainly, as if they were not sure of their welcome. And in the unsteady light, Sam saw something moving. The coffin door was opening, and someone was coming out.

He - for the figure, though oddly proportioned, was unquestionable male - stretched languorously, yawning, showing off a pair of glittering fangs. His icy blue eyes roamed around the room, looking at everyone in turn. A faint smile touched his lips.

"So," he said, "it seems you've succeed, after all. I was beginning to have my doubts."

"We'd never fail you, Master," said Arukenimon. Sam noticed distractedly that her superior manner had evaporated, and she was now looking shaken and a bit dismayed. Sam couldn't blame her; whoever this new arrival was, he had a powerful presence. He'd thought Arukenimon and Mummymon's monster forms were terrible enough, but next to this person, they were only tawdry and deformed. This person was a Power, one even Sam wasn't sure he could reckon with.

"There's no certainty of that," said the newcomer. "I've had my servants fail me before... and betray me. I certainly never had high hopes for you, considering where you came from."

"Where they came from?" asked Sam. "But... I thought you created them."

"Have they been telling you that?" the vampire replied. He sounded mildly amused. "They were designed to my specifications, but the material was flawed. They are digital creatures, but created from human DNA, from a pathetic man who was willing to allow me use of his mind and soul for a time. He was weak, with his foolish desires for friendship and love... These foolish creatures are as flawed as he was. I was fortunate to be able to track down someone who was willing to sacrifice those, willing to give in to hate and mindless destruction to serve my purposes." He gave Sam an icy smile. Arukenimon made a choking noise; something the vampire lord had said appeared to have shocked her.

"I know who you are!" said Jun, pointing a shaky finger. "I've seen you before! You're Myotismon!"

"Absolutely correct," he replied, taking a mocking bow. "Lord Myotismon, ruler of the demons. Kind of you to remember me."

"You know this guy?" Sam squawked.

"He kidnaped me... us," asked Jun slowly, shivering a bit at the memory. "He captured everyone - don't you remember? Everyone had to go up in front of him. He didn't take me because I was too old, but he took my little brother away. I was so scared I would never see him again..."

She ran out of words, gasping as if to keep from crying. Sam wanted to put his arm around her, but with Myotismon's frosty gaze resting on him, he felt unable to move. He raised his eyes to stare into the vampire lord's pale face.

"Tell me what's going on," he said quietly.

"You want to know what you've gotten yourself into?" Myotismon retorted, smirking. "Ichjouji the genius, ashamed to admit he doesn't understand what's going on. Very well, I will tell you. Four years ago, I came into this world prepared to conquer it. Instead, I was betrayed by my most trusted followers and killed, struck down by a company of ragtag Digimon and a handful of human children... two of which are trying to thwart my plans. But those foolish children never realized they could never completely kill someone who was already undead. I survived as a spirit, leeching the strength of a foolish human who allowed himself to be deluded by him. I kept him around long enough to build myself a more fitting resting place and give life to more satisfactory servants, and then disposed of him. Since then, I have been waiting for the time when I might return to the Digital World to replenish my power and finish what I've started, and take revenge on those who dared get in my way. Does that satisfy you?"

Sam nodded dumbly, his mind reeling. Disposed of... did that mean...? When Myotismon was done with him, would he be "disposed of"? He was beginning to feel sick.

"Then enough talk," said Myotismon dismissively. "Open the door."

Hands shaking, Sam entered in a command, and there was rush of wind that whipped hair and clothing. The room was filled with eye-searing light, forcing Sam to turn his head. Myotismon raised an arm, shielding himself from the brilliant onslaught, but the cry he uttered was not one of pain, but a fierce joy.

*I've finally done it,* thought Sam. *I'm finally going to go to the Digital World!*

"It's f-f-freezing out here!" Davis complained, rubbing at his arms. Snow swirled around him, limiting visibility to only a few feet ahead of him, and the drifts rose up to his Digimon's knees, dragging Davis's sneakers in the snow. True, he had a coat and gloves, but he was also wearing shorts, and though he couldn't see well enough to be sure, Davis felt like he was turning as blue as his Digimon.

"We've got to be almost there," said Raidramon, trying to sound hopeful. "Wherever 'there' is."

Raidramon didn't want to say anything - it would only worry Davis - but he wasn't dealing very well with the climate himself. He was after all, reptilian, not meant to handle such cold weather. This form was better than his

Davis nodded. "No turning back now. We're the only ones who can close all these doors, so we can't give up." He carefully cradled the Digimental of Courage in his arms, as if it could warm him by virtue of its fiery nature. "I just wish we knew where we were going, that's all. I can't see anything, much less one of those rip thingies."

Far away, Ken was having similar worries, as much as he could in his dreamy state. He couldn't sense Davis as he could the other Digimon, but he could watch Raidramon, and he could feel that the 'mon was in trouble. If only he had a way to talk to them, let them know where they should go... Without guidance, they were liable to get lost in the snow and freeze to death. Ken could use his Digivice to contact his friend, but that would mean breaking the trance and losing everyone else, and he had to keep watch for more tears. Ken racked his brain; there had to be a way...

Wait. Maybe he didn't need to talk directly to Davis. He could do just as well talking to Raidramon. His forehead creased with the effort of concentration as he forced himself to narrow his thoughts down to a single Digmon.

*Raidramon?* he thought experimentally. *Can you hear me?*

Raidramon jumped and began looking around.

"What's up?" asked Davis. "Did you see something?"

"No, I heard something," said Raidramon. "Ken... he was talking to me, but he's not here."

*I'm in your mind,* Ken sent. *I'm going to help you get to where you need to be to shut the doors. Just follow my directions, and you'll be okay.*

"What's going on?" asked Davis. "This cold isn't freezing your brain, is it?"

Raidramon shook his head. "Ken's found some way to communicate with me. I never thought I'd be glad to be hearing little voices in my head!"

"Well, tell Ken he needs to hurry and give us some directions," said Davis, trying to force the words through his chattering teeth. "We're going to be frozen digicicles in a minute."

*That's a problem, all right,* Ken mused. *Hang on a minute, I just thought of something. You two just stay close to where you are. I'm sending you some help.*

Raidramon felt the sense of Ken's presence vanish, and he sighed.

"He's gone again," he relayed. "Said he was going to get us some help. Guess we should take a breather."

So saying, Raidramon walked around in circles, wolflike, to hollow out a cavity in the snow where he could curl up. Davis slid off of his partner's back and nestled himself in center of the circle, where Raidramon could protect him from the cold wind. In a few minutes, their combined body heat had made the cavity almost warm, and Davis felt himself dozing off. Remembering the stories he'd heard of hypothermic hikers falling asleep and never waking up, he forced himself to keep his eyes open, despite the snowflakes that kept falling into them.

Suddenly, he became aware of a noise that jerked him wide awake. Raidramon perked up, too, pricking his ears toward the sound. It sounded like something large and heavy tromping through the snow - no, more than one something. It came closer and closer, until Davis could make out a set of grey shapes against the swirling snow. As they came nearer, he was able to discern them as a set of four large, shaggy, vaguely polar-bear like Digimon, each carrying a club of broken bone. Each had a large mouth with large teeth to match, and all of them had lamplike golden eyes.

"Wha-what are you?" asked Davis. The stammer wasn't just from the cold.

"We're Mojyamon," answered on of the beasts in a rumbling voice. "The Paladin called us. Said some of his friends needed a lift."

"Wahoo!" Davis cheered. "Thanks, Ken, I owe you another one! And thanks for coming, Mojyamon. We could really use the help."

"No problem," the lead Mojyamon replied. "We never say no to the Paladin."

Within a few moments, Davis and his partner were setting out again, this time with more comfortable accommodations. Raidramon had turned back to his normal form of Veemon, and the Digimentals were now being carried by a pair of attentive Mojyamon. As for Davis and his partner, they each rode comfortably in the arms of the other two snow-mons, protected from the elements by living walls of thick, shaggy fur. It felt like being rolled up in a walking carpet, but it was better than trudging through the snow. Davis grinned, and, far away, so did Ken. This had been a good idea. Perhaps it could be put to work in other places as well. After making sure his Mojyamon friends knew exactly where they were going, Ken let his mind drift away, searching for others who would be willing to help.

In the hot deserts of the south, Cody and Digmon trudged wearily through the slipping sand. He was beginning to envy Davis; he would have given a lot to have some snow handy right now. The desert was almost totally barren, broken only by the occasional cactus or bit of dried-up brush. Digmon could dig easily enough through proper ground or even rock, but the sliding sand had him at a disadvantage. Any tunnel he tried to dig simply caved in on him, so he was forced to trot along on the sun-baked surface. Cody suffered in the all-pervasive heat.

Suddenly a shadow fell over him, and he looked up to see a pair of grey shapes skimming through the sky. One of them, realizing it had been seen, dropped down to Cody's eye level, letting the boy look into its multifaceted green orbs. It was a gigantic dragonfly, its wings stirring up a breeze that was a blessing in the sweltering desert.

"I know you!" said Cody. "You're one of Ken's Sand Yanmamon, aren't you?"

The Sand Yanmamon nodded and buzzed agreement.

"Did he send you?" Cody asked.

Another nod.

"Can you give us a lift?"

Nod, buzz.

"Fantastic! Thanks!"

Within moments, Cody and Armadillomon were riding on the back of a dragonfly, watching the desert roll away beneath them like a golden ocean, while a second insect hovered above them, a living parasol. Armadillomon hung on tightly, trying to hide his eyes.

"Armadillos weren't meant to fly," he complained.

Ken sensed the 'mon's distress and tried to fight back a smile at his situation. He might be troubled by the height and speed the Yanmamon could achieve, but the dragonfly-mons would keep him safe. They would reach the center of the desert in no time at the rate they were moving. He let his mind linger long enough to make sure there was nothing dangerous they would need to be aware of, and then moved on again. He had an idea for what he wanted to attempt next, a bit of a long shot, but definitely worth a try.

He searched out Yolei next, or rather, her Digimon, who was currently struggling to keep himself flying upright. The weather in the highest mountains was normally cold and windy, but with the world behaving what it was, the normally breezy weather had turned sullen and stormy. Clouds hung low over the peaks, filling the sky with grey haze and dropping the occasional spatter of cold rain. There were ominous growls of thunder, and the weird dancing lights on the ground were echoed by multicolored bursts of lightning. Updrafts rushed up from the sheer sides of cliffs, and Halsemon, who was built more for gliding than true flying, kept wobbling.

"Be careful!" Yolei yelped, clinging tightly to his neck. "You're going to dump me off!"

"Sorry," said Halsemon, sounding chagrined. "I can't help it."

"We'd better get where we're going soon. I'm cold," she complained. Rain had plastered her hair to her clothes, and the winds were making her shiver so hard she could barely hang on. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"To Mount Optimus. It's the highest peak in this range," Halsemon replied. "We still have many miles to go. Should I find us a place to rest?"

Yolei shook her head. "No, we've got to keep going. There's no time to waste."

"Perhaps I could be of help, then," said a voice.

If Yolei hadn't already been clinging to Halsemon for all she was worth, she really would have fallen at that point from sheer surprise. She looked up, way up, at a gleaming shape that had appeared above her. It was huge, easily the size of a jet liner, and covered with golden feathers that glowed in their own light. It had the hooked beak of a raptor, but the eyes were more intelligent than anything she'd seen in a human face. Even Halsemon was stunned, circling in midair so he could stare up at the brilliant being.

"Who are you?" asked Yolei.

"Phoenixmon," it replied. "As guardian of these mountains, I was asked to assist you if I could. Normally I have little to do with your Paladin, but he convinced me this was a worthy cause. Now I am glad I did."

"Why?" asked Yolei. What could the Phoenixmon learn by meeting her and Halsemon that Ken hadn't already told it?

"I do not care to concern myself with the doings of ground-walkers," the great bird replied, "but you are children of air. You may have the form of a ground-walker, but you have the soul of the wind, and for that, I will help you." It considered a moment. "It seems to me that the quickest way to get to Mount Optimus would be for you to ride on my back. Would you like that?"

"Oh - yes!" said Yolei, a little stunned.

"Then hold on tightly."

Phoenixmon banked, rolling over in a flash of feathers. He righted himself again several yards below, caught one of the winds that had been giving Halsemon so much trouble, and rode it effortlessly to come up beneath them. Within moments, Halsemon's claws were no longer dangling in midair, but resting on a solid heap of golden feathers. He settled himself down, sphinxlike, to rest. Yolei, not seeing any sign of seatbelts on the Phonixmon's back, opted to stay where she was.

"Is everyone comfortable?" the bird-mon asked? "Then we're off!"

With no more warning than that, Phoenixmon pumped his powerful wings, and Yolei felt her stomach drop as she began rising high, high into the air. They rose straight through one of the clouds, briefly surrounding her with choking grey wetness, but in a few heartbeats they were clear again, bursting into a clear sky. With the red sun shining down on the glistening clouds, they seemed to ride through a world of cold fire dotted with the peaks of mountains, with the rumbling thunder and flashes of lighting only adding to the effect of being inside a roaring inferno. Yolei gasped, struck by the fierce beauty of it all. It was like the Phoenixmon himself, all power and glory and terrible radiance.

"Even so," Phoenixmon rumbled. "I knew you would understand. You and I are kindred spirits."

Yolei was stunned. She wondered just how much the great bird really knew about what was going on in her mind. She decided it would be safer to say nothing for a while.

Halsemon was a fast flier, but Phoenixmon's speed was incredible. Once he got moving, Yolei had to keep her head down just to keep the rushing wind from choking her. Instead, she looked down at the clouds they skimmed over, watching their kaleidoscopic shifting dotted with the occasional icy mountaintop. Gradually, the peaks became more frequent, and taller. At last, Phoenixmon settled on the top of the tallest, a giant that overlooked all the others like a tree among shrubs. The air was cold and thin, making even the mighty Mega Digimon have to flap quickly to keep aloft. Hovering, he touched his beak to the summit and let his passengers climb off. Yolei slid clumsily off of Halsemon's back, her feet crunching into the icy snow.

"My part is done," said Phoenixmon. "It has been an honor meeting you, child of the wind. Good luck, wherever you fly."

With that, he fanned his wings again, stirring up clouds of snowflakes, and Yolei had to hide her face from the miniature blizzard. When she could look again, Phoenixmon was already skimming across the clouds, his golden feathers fading into the coppery sky. She stood and watched him until he vanished from sight, and even then, she kept staring off into the distance, looking out at the swirling clouds, feeling the wind tossing her hair. The atmosphere was thin and bitter cold, but she barely felt the cold. Instead, she felt a sense of exhilaration unlike anything she'd ever known.

*Ken sent me a Phoenix,* she thought. *Something straight out of a fairy tale... Ken, how could you ever think you're nothing special?*

Meanwhile, Kari and her partner were making their way toward their destination. Their journey was not as arduous as that of the others, but they were still beginning to find themselves in difficulties. Ken had sent them directions to a particular spring, but they were hard to follow when the top of the forest all looked the same. With no particular landmarks they could go by from above, they had been forced to drop to ground level. There, low-hanging branches made flight impossible, so Nefertimon had been forced to revert to Gatomon. Now she and Kari were picking their way through the underbrush. There was no path, and Kari was forced to move at a snail's pace to keep herself from being slashed by twigs and briars. Even so, her legs were showing a few red lines from where she had not been careful enough.

"Are you okay?" asked Gatomon, listening to her partner express her displeasure with a grasping thorn bush.

"I'm fine," said Kari unconvincingly. "Ouch! Stupid bush." She examined a thin scratch freshly marked across the back of her hand. "I think Ken must have picked out the most parts of the DigiWorld that are the hardest to get to and sent us all there."

"Maybe that was smart," said Gatomon, trying to be constructive. "If we can't get to them, none of Sam's monsters can, either... can they?"

"I wouldn't put anything past Sam," Kari replied. She carefully extracted herself from the thorn bush, but the thing clung to her clothing as if it had a mind of its own. "Gatomon, can you lend a paw? I think I'm stuck."

"Sure."

Gatomon, smaller and more agile than her human friend, threaded her way through the shrubbery with ease and went to work trying to unhook her partner from the briars. However, with every thorn she managed to remove, the branch would twist and hook itself in a different way, forcing her to start all over. The white cat scowled, her whiskers twitching in annoyance.

"We'll never get done at this rate," she muttered. "Time for a more direct approach. Lightning Claw!"

Gatomon slashed her razor-sharp claws across the offending branches, but they simply took the blow and bounced back, completely unharmed. Looking puzzled, the cat tried again. This time, the whole bush rustled, and one of the branches whipped around, smacking her across the face. Her fluffy fur protected her from what would have otherwise been a painful injury, but the thorns had barely missed her eyes.

"Yow!" she yelped, wincing and ducking away.

"Are you all right?" asked Kari. She tried to get closer to her partner to inspect the damage, but the tenacious bush was having none of it.

"There's something wrong with this bush," said Gatomon. "If it's even really a bush. Come on, show yourself, whatever you are!"

In response, the shrub rustled and writhed, the branches undulating like snakes. There was a blurry moment that made the watchers blink furiously to clear their vision, and then they found themselves looking at the multi-legged form of a Spy.

"You think you're clever, don't you?" it hummed.

"Cleverer than you," Gatomon replied. "Get out of our way, you overgrown weed-eater, or I'll be forced to get violent!"

"Don't pay attention to it, Gatomon," said Kari, trying to edge away. "You remember what Ken said - if we fight it, we'll only be wasting time."

Gatomon wasn't listening. "It's already hurt you, and I'm not letting it get away with it."

"Oh? And how are you going to hurt me, little Rookie?" the Spy sneered. "You couldn't even cut through a plant."

"Why does everyone think I'm a Rookie?" Gatomon complained.

Kari was staring, her eyes getting slowly wider. She was beginning to slowly back away.

"I think you guys had better look behind you," she said quietly.

"Don't think you can fool me with that," hummed the Spy. "I am all-seeing! No one can sneak up on-"

He never finished. At that moment, what had appeared to be just another oddly-shaped tree lashed out and neatly bisected the Spy with a single swift swipe. For a moment, the two halves hung in the air, as if the machine hadn't realized that it had been destroyed yet. Then it vanished in a swirl of sparks. Out of the forest came a leg, and then another, and then an ugly, tooth-filled head. Gatomon looked up, recognized the face, and went to hide behind Kari. The Child of Light continued to stare.

"Snimon?" she said, her voice quavering.

"Yes. Hello," it said pleasantly. "Did you need some help? Ken said you needed help."

"Um... yes," said Kari, obviously surprised. A pleasant Snimon was something she had never yet dealt with. "You don't... remember us, do you?"

"Hm?" The Snimon tilted its head and flicked its antennae in puzzlement. "Well, now that you mention it... but it feels like it was a long time ago..."

"Are we supposed to know him?" Gatomon whispered to Kari.

"Don't you remember?" Kari whispered back. "This is the Snimon Ken fought, back when I got the Digimental."

"Oh." Gatomon turned around to look back at the Snimon. "Well, if he doesn't remember, we shouldn't remind him."

"Is everything all right?" Snimon asked. It was hard to tell with something with so little facial expression, but it sounded a bit concerned, as if it were afraid of offending them.

"Everything's fine," Kari assured him quickly. "And we really could use some help. Thanks for coming."

"Glad to. Ken's been taking care of me," answered Snimon. "I owe him. Hop on - I'll get you where you're going in no time."

It was difficult trying to clamber onto the back of a giant insect - Snimon were not built to be a comfortable ride for humans - but they finally made it, Kari perched precariously above his wings and Gatomon riding piggy-back style on Kari's shoulders. Then they took off in an incredible rush of wind and an earsplitting buzz of wings. They rocketed through the forest, Snimon cutting through the trees with his scythe-like arms. Kari closed her eyes and hung on for dear life. This was a great deal faster and less painful than walking, and there wouldn't be much that would bother them with Snimon around, and it was nice to know he bore them no hard feelings, but still... Kari could have wished Ken had sent a more agreeable form of transport.

Ken, of course, had no way of knowing that. There wasn't much he could do even if he'd known. He was beginning to realize the extent of the damage Sam had done as he let his mind skim over the land. The Digimon had sensed it long ago, and almost all of them had gone into hiding, wedging themselves so deeply in their preferred dark places that not even the Paladin could coax them out.

*TK doesn't need that much protection, anyway,* he consoled himself. *Patamon can evolve now; there aren't that many creatures that would be willing to mess with Pegasusmon or Angemon. Still, I'd like to find some token protection, someone to guide them and watch their backs...*

It only took a moment of consideration to think of an ideal candidate: Tapirmon. He wouldn't be disturbed by all the commotion - he was always trying to get into the thick of things. He might be small, but he was a fierce fighter when he had to be. Hadn't he proven that, protecting Cody? Tapirmon was one of his best Digimon friends. He would answer Ken's summons without hesitation... or so Ken thought.

Ken cast about, searching for that familiar presence among the many minds around him, and was surprised to find Tapirmon trotting across the plains as fast as his little paws would carry him, traveling south, towards the desert. That was odd; Tapirmon was best suited for treed regions. What could he possibly want that far south? Was he running away after all? Ken tried to probe the 'mon's mind and was met with a brick wall, and he reeled back in shock. It took him a moment to realize that Tapirmon's mental powers were obviously stronger than he'd thought. Ken was, for whatever reason, being purposely blocked out. He tried to ask the Tapirmon, as best he could without words, just why he was being resisted, and was rewarded only by the familiar protestation that Tapirmon was needed for something. He wanted to come help Ken, but he was needed in the desert, so that was where he was going. He sent apologies. Ken, puzzled, backed away.

*Pegasusmon?* he called tentatively.

"Ken?" the reply came back. "Where are you?"

*I'm communicating with you mentally,* Ken sent. *Listen, I've been trying to get some of my Digimon friends to come watch over you, but all of them are too afraid. If you and TK get into trouble, I don't think I can help you.*

Ken was relieved that Pegasusmon didn't feel annoyed that Ken was trying to protect him. He just said, "That's all right. TK and I will be fine. We haven't met any trouble, and we're almost there."

*Good,* said Ken. *Just call me when you're ready.*

Satisfied, Ken sat back to rest a bit; this mental telepathy thing was interesting, but it was very tiring. He was beginning to feel very tempted to go to sleep, but he had a nasty feeling that if he gave into sleep and dreaming, he might never get himself back again. He forced himself to stay awake and aware for just a few minutes. Just a few minutes, and he could come back to the real world and rest.

"Ken?" called an array of thought voices, overlapping each other in his mind. "We're ready."

*All right. Tell your partners to hold up their Digimentals and concentrate on them,* Ken instructed. *And let's hope this works.*

For a moment, nothing happened, and Ken was worried as he counted heartbeats and waited for something to happen. Then, slowly, he began to sense a change around him, as if lights were beginning to burn in the distance. He felt himself breathing a sigh of relief as he felt the world sliding slowly back into place, settling itself once again.

*We did it!* he exulted. *It worked!*

Across the Digital World, he felt echoes of his feelings, as his friends began realizing that something had suddenly gone right for a change. Ken allowed himself a rare smile. Now to pull out of this trance and wait for the other Digidestined to return...

Just then, something hit him with the force of a cannonball, making his mind reel. It was like the sensation he'd had that morning as he'd realized something was wrong, but this was worse, a hundred times worse. He felt as if he'd just had his heart cut out, as if his mind were being pulled apart neuron by neuron. Unfelt, tears were streaming down his face, and a scream of agony ripped out of him. He couldn't take it; his body just wouldn't hold it all. He had time for one last thought before he dropped into unconsciousness.

*A Gate... Sam's opened a real Gate...*

Sam blinked as he stepped out of a world of light. He felt tingly all over, as if all his limbs had gone, not quite to sleep, but certainly into a light doze. He shook himself and looked around. The first thing he noticed was that he still had company; Myotismon still stood before him, staring around with a strange, feral joy, while his lackeys huddled uncertainly behind him. Surprisingly, Jun was there, blinking and rubbing at her hands as if she herself was feeling a bit unsteady.

"Did... did we make it?" asked Sam.

"Yes," Myotismon hissed, his teeth flashing in a grin. "Yes, indeed, Key-Seeker. You've done even better than I anticipated."

"Huh?" said Sam, in an unusual display of incomprehension.

Then he looked around. Instead of the world of trees and flowers he'd been expecting, he was staring out at a vast plain of burnt-looking brownish rocks, rough and ugly, as if they were covered in dried blood. The sun hung over all of it, red and sullen. The sky seemed to have turned a bruiselike purple color. A wind blew by, carrying biting particles of sand and bits of wild light like escaped thunderbolts.

"This is the Digital World?" asked Jun, staring. "But it's... wrong..."

"Oh, no," said Myotismon. "This is exactly what I wanted. Not just the Digital World, but the Digital World thrown into chaos and destruction. You are very talented, Ichijouji. Somehow, you've not only found a way to bring me back to my homeworld, but you've done most of my job for me. That makes life so much easier."

"But... this wasn't what I wanted," Sam blurted. "The Digital World's supposed to be beautiful! It's not supposed to be like this!"

The vampire lord laughed, an sound that made Sam's stomach try to cave in on itself.

"Do you think this was ever about what you wanted?" he asked quietly.

"But..." Sam began, and couldn't get any further. Reality had just fallen on him like an avalanche. His eyes opened wide. "You used me! You've just been playing with me all this time!"

"What's so shocking about that?" asked Arukenimon. "You knew from the beginning that we had a purpose for you. We even admitted we were lying to you! What right have you to expect that we would deal fairly with you once we had what we wanted out of you? Did you think you were immune from treachery just because you're Ichijouji the Genius?"

Sam's mouth was hanging open. He had never, in his entire life, been so completely and utterly taken in. Arukenimon was right - everything had been right in front of him, and he'd never seen it, never bothered to look at it because it wasn't what he'd wanted to see.

*Stupid, stupid, stupid!* he scolded himself. His heart was pounding in fury; he could think of no words strong enough to express his self-loathing. *How could I have fallen for this?*

As was to be expected, everyone was ignoring him. Instead, Myotismon seemed to have finished his survey of the terrain and was now gazing off into nowhere with a speculative look in his eyes.

"I will need to replenish my strength," he said, speaking mostly to himself. "That will not be difficult, here. Once I've done that, it will be easy to destroy the Digidestined children. Then I'll return to Earth and finish what I started there... Would you like to help me?"

"Huh?" That last remark was directed, oddly enough, at Jun, and she was naturally confused.

"Of course." Myotismon's tone had turned flattering. "You were useful enough to this little boy here. You could be useful to me as well. Come here, and I'll show you what I mean."

"Oh... okay," she said. She took a hesitant step forward.

Sam looked up in time to see a pair of identical nasty grins cross the faces of Myotismon's henchmons, and this time he was wise enough to realize what they meant.

"Don't do it, Jun!" he shouted.

It was no use. She didn't even turn her head; her eyes seemed to be frozen by Myotismon's icy gaze. She walked forward, as if in a trance, until she was only inches away from the vampire, looking straight up into his face, watching without seeing as a terrible smile bared his fangs. He wrapped his arms around her in a gesture that was almost gentle. He leaned forward, as if for a kiss, but at the last moment, changed direction and sunk his fangs into her throat.

That was enough to shock Jun out of her trance, but by then, it was too late for her. She screamed in utter panic, but she didn't dare struggle, knowing that if she did, she'd be ripping her own throat out. Instead, she could only stand, frozen and whimpering as she felt her lifeblood slipping away from her. Gradually, the whimpers died out and were replaced by an eerie silence. The vampire finished taking what he wanted from her and let her now limp body to drop to the ground, lifeless or comatose. Sam stared, his face white as cold wax, at Myotismon. The vampire still had a trickle of blood, Jun's blood, trickling down one corner of his mouth until he made it vanish with a catlike dart of his tongue. He smiled. Sam thought he was going to throw up.

"You're monsters," he whispered. "All of you are monsters."

"So the genius finally figures it out," said Arukenimon. "So clever of you to notice."

All Sam could do was stare. Then, with a wail that echoed through the barren countryside, Sam turned and fled, crying hysterically, into the desert.