Well! It looks like the gang survived their trip back(Spectrum series). But what's all this about? Who are these voices, and what did they all mean when they swore themselves to the human's sides? Is it really all a test? If so, for what? And where the hell *was* Gabumon, now that's finally returned? At least we know how he still eels about a certain plant girl....!

A.S.D.A

Reunions and Revelations

by Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep

<"I wonder why she's blushing?">

Suddenly Palmon realized he was staring at her, and she jumped a little. "Wow, um, it's good to see you, Gabumon." she said with a slight tremble

Why had he been staring at her like that? Had he missed her the way she'd missed him? Spent long nights wondering how thing could have been different? The lonely ache in her stomach returned, and threatened to swallow her whole in front of everybody.

"Palmon, are you okay? you look like you're about to cry." Agumon asked worriedly, oblivious to the emotional despair the flower's heart was mired in.

"I-I'm ju-just so ha-ppy to be all to-ge-ther again..." she half-lied before sobbing into her oversized hands.

"Oh, Palmon!" Mimi laughed indulgently as she bent to hug her best friend. Soon all the younger digidestined piled on, and a group hug quickly turned into a dogpile of giggles and affectionate coos as the others joined in.

Ah, what the heck, it couldn't hurt to join in now? Gabumon chuckled as he stepped forward. Then everyone was staring at him again.

"*Now* what?" he wailed in exasperation. What was wrong with these people?!

"You were walking on all fours." Matt explained.

"So?" The wolf-lizard inquired irritably. Why weren't they picking on Agumon
's tail? Our Tai's hair? Why him?

Tai grimaced with equally irritated look as he opened his mouth to retort, but shut it abruptly when Matt brought his hand to the brunette's chest.

"We're really sorry Gabumon. I guess it's just because you're the last of us to show up."

Tai's mouth worked again. "Yea, you're late, man!"

The digimon's eyes softened. "I tried to find you days ago! I can't explain it, but I just had this feeling you were here! It pulled me into the mountains, and I thought for sure I'd lost you in all that snow! Finally I caught your scent leading back into the valleys, and finally I caught up with you!"

"Aw, big guy...." Matt cooed, pulling the digimon into a big hug.

"Hey Palmon, is that why it took you so long to find me? Because you couldn't catch my scent? Hm, this new deodorant must *really* work!" Mimi said, sniffing herself.

"Huh?" Palmon looked at Mimi blankly. "What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about? Please! I was lost in those swamps forever! You must have *sensed* me at some point in time!" She continued for several moments, retelling her ordeal to the others, about the swamps, the voice, and the little pink flower.

"Hey we had stuff like that happen to us!" Tai exclaimed. Everyone told of their ordeals, of the strange voice/voices that spoke to them. Some, like Kari, couldn't fully remember details, and some, like Tai, kept to themselves certain details without knowing why.

"But Mimi, I only knew you were in the Digital World when I found you sleeping on the path!"

The other digimon murmured their agreement. None-save Gabumon-had any idea that their human partners had returned until they had found them(or in Joe's case, had them delivered) after their apparent ordeal.

"Greetings, digidestined!"

"GENNAI!" sixteen voices cried in unison.

Walking stick in one hand, the other waving merrily, a slightly more aged Gennai ambled up to them. "My, how we've all grown! And well! Who's this little lady?" he asked cheerfully, patting Selkie's head.

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The two gomamons shared a curious look. "It's Selkie, Gennai." Gomamon replied warily.

"Selkiemon?" Gennai asked, baffled.

"No, just Selkie. Don't you remember?" Joe asked worriedly, dozens of mental ailments coursing through his memory banks.

Izzy waved away the current thread of conversation with annoyance. "Enough about that! Gennai, listen..." And he proceeded to tell the old man of the previous events, each member adding a detail or two along the way. He told the obi-wan about MarquisDemon and Ladymon, of Merlin and Nimue and meeting Serenamon, of discovering Selkie and defeating Heymon(twice!), and of the e-mail that had sent them all on a most perilous journey.

With each passing sentence, Gennai's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. "Young man, are you absolutely sure about all of this?"

"Gennai, we're positively sure!" Matt cried with exasperation. "We have proof-Selkie, Joe's new tag, *our* crests!" He yanked out his own tag and held it aloft.

"Mimi's feet still leave flowers!" Palmon added.

"They do?" she asked in surprise as she lifted them.

"Kari was glowing, Gennai! We all *saw* her!" Gatomon cried.

"Joe still smells like sea water." Gomamon offered with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

"Oh, thanks a lot!" Joe smiled.

"No problem1"

The old man grunted and grimaced. "Kids, I don't know what to tell you. I only *just* picked up your signals an hour ago, and never before now.

All I can think of is that someone somewhere has been using my identity to jerk you around."

"But why?"

"I don't know. But I'll tell you what. I'll go back to my home. The data I have there will probably be a great help in figuring this out. Meanwhile, you kids head west, towards the mountains-"

"But we just *came* from there!" Mimi wailed.

"Regrettable, but there is an old legend of an old power that came to my attention recently."

"Why would we be interested in that?"

"Well, the legend says it is being guarded by a powerful being against a great evil. Perhaps one of them is my identity thief. I certainly hope it's the former. I have a reputation to keep!"

He wished them all luck and ambled off in the reverse direction, muttering about the indignities of being used.

"Well, whaddya think, gang?" Tai asked when the old man disappeared into the distance.

"I say we go for it." Matt answered while scratching Gabumon's ear.

"Think so? It could be dangerous."

"Maybe so, but we've proven before that we're nearly unstoppable when we really act like a team. We've all come a long way since we first landed here. Even if Gennai didn't send that e-mail, *someone* asked us for help. Can we really let them down after we've come this far?"

"Matt's right." Mimi put her two cents in. "When I was drowning in that swamp, all I could think about was missing Palmon. I wouldn't dream of seeing my best friend hurt because I was too chicken to help again."

Sora gave Mimi a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder. "I know how you feel. When I was staring at the backside of the sun, all I could think about was how bad I felt about leaving everybody alone."

"Well then, it's settled." Tai smiled brightly, pulling Matt to his side. "We take up our old jobs as the 'deafeaters of darkness' and help out in whatever way we can! Everyone with me?!"

"YEAH!!"



So Gennai doesn't know what's going on? Is he being serious, or is this another one of his little 'clue games'? What is this legend? Does it really exist? And if it does, can 8 humans and 10 digimon really stand up to the evil that desires it?




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