Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ One Crest, Two Crests, Old Crests, New Crests? ❯ Owari ( Chapter 5 )

Poor Gomi. First he's ostracized, then re-accepted. *Then* he finds out that the mysterious digi-girl behind all this isn't really a digimon, but an Upgrade!
Now, it might be Selkie's got a crush(or at least no concept of gomamon protocol) and is trying to put a rift between the chosen of Reliability!
But what's this?! Heymon has returned, piggybacking on Selkie's automatic back-up files, and stronger than before!

Destroyed again by the incredible MetalZudomon, the tens are left to ponder what other mysterious miracles lie before them.
A.S.D.A, except for Genki Kawaii, Heymon, and Selkie, who are my creations!

One Crest, Two Crest, Old Crest, New Crest?
by Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep

~Was it my imagination, was my head up in the clouds?
I can't believe you'd build me up, just to tear me down.
But you left no explanation, and I just can't work it out.
Why say time was on our side, when time was running out?~
~Go West, Tell Me


It was midmorning the following day, and the team was still sleeping. Joe was the only exception. He was staring into the wind as the two water digimon snored, draped over his legs and lower stomach. Finally, Gomamon stirred, and blinked sleepily at his human.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself, froggy." Joe teased.

"Ha, ha. Very funny."

"I'm sorry." Joe smiled as he scratched behind the red-head's ears. "Y'know, I'm really proud of the way you two defeated that oversized shrub."

Gomamon perked up instantly- he *loved* being the hero. It was a role he didn't get to play too often. "Yea! We totally kicked his butt!"

<"You can say that again!">

The two boys looked quizzically behind Gomamon. Selkie rubbed the sleep from her eyes before realizing they were staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably, an 'what?' expression clearly printed on her face.

Joe pointed a disbelieving finger at her. "Did you..."

"...Just talk?" Gomamon finished.

She shook her head, eyes wide with surprise. They all knew she couldn't talk. What would make them think that?

Unless...

She scrunched up her face and stared at Joe.

<"Depends. Can you hear this?">

The boys gasped simultaneously.

<"You *can* hear this!">

"Well, whaddya know!"

"That's great Selkie!"

"Mmph. Keep it down, will you Joe?" Tai growled as he shifted back to sleep.

"What's going on Joe?" asked Kari, gently kicking her sleeping brother's back.

"Selkie can talk now guys!"

*That* got everybody's attention. "Really?!"

"Well, not *talk* talk. More like telepathy."

<"Is that great or what!?">

Izzy smiled at her. "Prodigious! Now, c'mon, say something."

Selkie's smile faded away into confusion as she looked back to Joe.

"But she just did." Gomamon said quietly.

"She did?"

"You didn't hear her?" Joe questioned back.

"You did?"

"Loud and clear!" replied Gomamon.

"That's weird." Tai piped up. "Why can't we here her when Joe and Gomamon can?"

Izzy began to create a lengthy hypothesis which was mercifully cut short by a cry from Sora.

"Joe! Look at your crest!"

The blue-haired boy reached down and grabbed the object in question. It felt heavier than he last remembered, and he quickly saw why.

"Wh-what happened to them?" gasped Matt. Where two tags had hung from two single cords, one remained on his neck. Larger than the previous, and marbled metal green and blue, it hung from a braided cord of black and white.

"They-they've merged...?" If Matt was confused, Izzy was downright stumped.

"That's impossible! There's no logical reason for them to do that!"

"Unless...I was her target all along." Joe stared at the tinted display lens. His little cross with the four little rays was now surrounded by a perfect circle.

"Strength and Reliability." he whispered quietly to himself. He liked the sound of that.

"Joe's her digidestined? But why? No one else has two digimon." Kari squeaked. She was a little disappointed-she'd been hoping for another girl her age.

Then again, she thought as she eyed a particular figure, she might've ended up competing against her....

"Well, you gotta remember she isn't exactly a digimon, Kari." Joe answered.

"No, she's not."

"Gennai!" Mimi scolded. "You scared us all half to death!"

"My apologies, little lady. I only came to congratulate Joe."

"You knew?"

"Not really. But I had my suspicions."

Joe smiled at the two sealions, who were arguing over who would piggyback on Joe. An odd sight indeed, since only one of them was talking aloud. Just what he needed-a new kind of Matt + Tai.

"Gennai-" Izzy asked urgently, "We're glad we found you! Something's wrong with my analyzer. I couldn't pick up any trace of information about Heymon or MarquisDemon or Ladymon!"

"And why did they end up calling themselves Merlin and Nimue?" Mimi demanded, clutching Palmon's hand tightly at the mention of the handsome count's name.

"I'm afraid I can't answer those questions at this time. Perhaps when you return..."

"Return?! But they just got here!" Gabumon protested.

"Well then I'll give you all a choice-either they can return to their homeworld and return in some future time, or they can stay...and die."

"DIE?!"

Gennai's image nodded somberly. "Do you remember the eclipse that took you home the last time?" they all nodded. "Well, it's the same deal here. If you stay, you will lose your connections on Earth. When that happens, your bodies will dissipate., In short-"

Tai made the traditional death sound and gesture questioningly

"You got it."

"But...my new crest! Selkie! I just found them! I barely had time to properly introduce myself!" Joe wailed.

"I am sorry, but it can't be helped. But cheer up." he beamed proudly. "You are the digi-destined! You are the greatest heroes these two worlds have ever seen! I know you all will find your way back to each other again."

"Great." Tai said bitterly. "Why does it seem like we gotta wish for something bad to happen everytime we want to see our digimon?"

"I'll miss you, Tai." Agumon sadly wrapped his paws around Tai's leg, resting his head on his waist."

"I'll miss you too, buddy."

Mimi and Palmon stared at each other before simultaneously wailing and glomping each other.

"Oh, Mimi, stop that!" Sora sniffed. "You're gonna make *me* cry!" Biyomon flew into her arms, not bothering to hide her tear stained feathers.

Joe turned sadly from his friends to face his clown pair. Neither was willing to look up. He picked up Gomamon.

"I'm so sorry I was mean to you." he whispered softly.

"It's okay." the red-head whispered back, hanging his head to avoid his tears being seen.

"No, it's not. I didn't understand till yesterday. You were afraid I was trying to replace you with Selkie, but Gomi, you can *never* be replaced! You're the best friend I'll ever have. Okay?"

"Oh-<sniff>kay."

"Good. Now do me one little favor?"

"What?"

"Look after Selkie."

The red-head jerked his head back. "Are you kidding?! She hates me!"

"No, she doesn't. What makes you think that?"

"Well...she's always trying to make me mad..." he answered weakly.

"That's because you always let her get to you. Just tell her you don't like it when she does something you don't like." Joe smiled. "She doesn't have anybody else, Gomamon! C'mon, for me?"

"Oh....all right."

"That's my 'mon." he patted the red mohawk one last time before setting the protector of Reliability down. He looked around and saw Strength pouting a few yards off.

"Hey, Beautiful." he cooed as he sat down besides her.

<"You're leaving."> the mental voice chided. <"And I just met you!">

"I know. But I'll be back. Something's *always* going wrong here!"

He grinned, and she found herself grinning back. She butted his knee, and he obliged by stroking her pink mane.

"Will you do me a favor?"

<"Of course! Anything!">

"Look after Gomi?"

<"I don't think so."> she looked down uncomfortably. <"I'm afraid he doesn't like me very much.">

This intrigued Joe. "What makes you think that?"

<"Well, he's always yelling at me to leave him alone and stuff.">

"He just likes to be difficult." He stroked one of her long, fine ears. "When I leave, he won't have anybody else. I need to know he'll have somebody looking after him, keeping him out of trouble. Do this for me? Please?"

<"Oh, all right.">

"Atta girl."

Joe stood and walked back to Gennai's image, the two digimon unnaturally silent at his heels. Sora was busy trying to cheer up Mimi while brushing her own tears away. Palmon was still weeping, Biyomon patting her back and cooing softly. All the digimon appeared to be in the same emotional state, Joe noticed.

...Except Gabumon appeared different. While he was just as upset as everyone else, he was staring forlornly at *Palmon*, not Matt.

'Well, well,' he thought as he made the connection. 'Today's just full of surprises.' He looked down to the water digimon. Ears drooping, eyes downcast, and huddled rather close to each other, they looked more like a couple of abandoned newborn puppies than a pair of teenish digimon who had recently saved the day.

He couldn't hold it back anymore. Tears slid past his glasses as he waved with a stiff smile.

"Goodbye, digi-destined." Gennai saluted them. "May the day you return come on swift wings.

Gennai folded his arms behind his back, and a brilliant flash appeared, blinding the digimon. When the spots disappeared...

"They're gone!" Palmon moaned.

And just like that, they were.

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