“I never thought I’d see him again.”

Jack held his elbows, crouched in a blanket in one corner of the sofa, as Perimon nuzzled at the head just above him. The teenage boy’s complexion was still looking deeply grey, his eyes wrinkled with lack of sleep.

“I never...wanted...to see him again...”

The journey had taken more out of the group than expected. Whether down to their age, their emotional state, or the much worsened state of the digital world, all combined with the unwanted incident; whatever the reason, the whole group had been in a bad way when they’d returned, sickened by the Interface’s influence. Salma had carted Jack and Kai off to the onsite dormitories as soon as they could reliably move, with Grace and Eloise opting to stay as well. For emotional support...and for other, more distressing matters.

Now they were collected in Jack’s room, sat on chairs or on the floor. Their partners had joined them as well; Ladomon and Colchimon were coiled up on a sideboard, Perimon perched on the head of the sofa above Jack, and Vulpimon had barely left her partner’s side, as she sat attentively, her expression grim.

Jack rubbed his eyes, and twisted around, looking up at Grace. “Do mum and dad know we’re here? Ali didn’t call them, did he?”

The girl shook her head. “No. I did it before anyone else could.” She gave a half-smile. “It’s alright. I left out some key details.”

“Cheers.” The boy rubbed his head. “This was almost easier when we didn’t have to get parental permission...”

Kai leant forwards, clasping his hands together. “Just be thankful they care.” He held his lips together, looking into the younger boy’s eyes. “Did you manage to get any sleep?”

“Barely any. My head was spinning all night.” Jack shuddered, running his nails up and down his forearm. “And I kept seeing Rinkhalmon’s...face...”

“Me too.” Kai held his hands tighter, unable to stop them shaking, until Eloise reached over and held a palm over them. The older man took a breath. “What the hell’s going on in there? First Nithhogg, and now him? What was that whole noise about False Beings? Is there actually something out there instigating all this damage?”

Grace leant back, running her tongue over her front teeth. “There’s no way of knowing. Maybe that’s just how it works.” She looked down, half-smiling. “I mean it’s not like we could change anything with the Digital World either.”

Jack gritted his teeth. “But...but we saved it...all of us-“

“You saw that, didn’t you? What was left? Twisting around on itself?” Grace’s eyes flashed, and she gripped one knee. “We did everything we could and yet somehow it’s just dying again!”

“Grace, please.”

Eloise reached forwards, holding a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder. “We all saw it. We know. It’s...” She looked desperately at Kai, trying to find some words, but her boyfriend was looking away from her, still troubled himself.

“It’s...it just...”

“Pointless?”

Grace looked over her shoulder, and Eloise could see just how red raw the girl’s eyes were from worry and doubt. “It’s the same with everything we try and do. No matter how much we try and fix, it’s all just going to break again.”

“Grace...”

“I thought...I kind of hoped that maybe I’d see it again. The new world we’d made together. But it’s not there.” Grace’s head fell forwards, her bangs falling over her face. “What was the point of saving the world if it was just going to get ruined again anyway-“

“No! I don’t believe that!”

Jack’s voice made Grace jump, and she turned to take a pillow to the face, knocking her hair askew. Jack pulled his arm back, his face torn apart in a pained grimace. “We...we rescued it before, and we’ll do it again. As many times as it takes. That’s what we set out to do in the first place, all of us, together. To...to make everything right there. We have to keep making things right...”

Teeth clenched, Jack looked down, already feeling tears dripping down his cheeks uncontrollably.

“We have to...”

“Hey, hey man, it’s alright. Breathe.”

Perimon hopped down, nudging the boy’s cheeks. “No-one thinks this is easy on you. Any of you. Don’t hold back on the pain, alright?”

Jack hurriedly wiped his eyes, grabbing the edge of the blanket. “What am I getting so upset about? It’s your world; your home. What about you?”

Perimon flinched, the feathers at the back of his neck rustling.

“Aren’t you upset?”

“Yeah...yeah, sort of...but yet it’s just...”

“It’s weird.” Vulpimon stood up, standing next to the boy. “Of course he’s worried; we all are. But...our home is here now. With you guys.”

Eloise and Kai looked behind them, and saw the twin dragons nodding profusely. “The Digital World’s been torn apart so many times already; it just needs somebody to look after it. That’s all.”

“See? We can make it work. As you said, we did it before. It can only get easier every time.”

Jack looked into the bird’s eyes, and Perimon grinned. “Although I’m sticking around here myself. You don’t get your mother’s peanut caramel cookies in the Digital World.”

Jack laughed, and turned round, nudging the bird off his lap. He held his shoulder, before looking forwards at Grace. The girl held herself awkwardly, before shuffling forwards, giving her brother a hug.

“It hurts. But I won’t leave you alone.”

“And you’ll have us with you as well.”

“Eloise?”

The two younger tamers turned as the red headed girl glanced at Kai. “This is important now. You can count on us for anything you need. Even going back to the Digital World with you, if it really does come to that.”

Ladomon gave Colchimon a worried look, and uncoiled herself, hovering just above the two. “Wait...what about your own lives? Your uni degree?”

Eloise gave a forced smile. “I can catch up. Or retake.” She frowned, looking over at Kai. “Your job might be interesting.”

Kai rubbed his cheek. “Yeah...I might need to give my boss the, uh...lowdown on everything.” He puffed his cheeks out. “Although if I do I can’t see me staying on.”

“This isn’t right.” Ladomon looked up at Colchimon, who was sitting stony-faced, his expression grave. “You two...have your own lives now. You shouldn’t have to give up on them for our sake.”

Grace looked sideways, nodding. “Yeah, I mean...there are new tamers now. You don’t have to sacrifice yourselves for us.”

“I appreciate it. But...we talked about this, last night. Seeing the Digital World, and seeing you. Seeing how...how Ali has treated you. We couldn’t live with ourselves if any of you got hurt because we weren’t there. And if things got worse around here then we may not have any lives to go back to anyway.”

He adjusted his glasses, before reaching out, curling his hand around Eloise’s. The young woman smiled at each of the dragons in turn. “All we need is each other. And you two. Just like old times.”

Ladomon hunched her wings, looking at Colchimon for support. But the black dragon’s gaze was torn, and he lowered his head. Ladomon looked down, unable to meet the young man’s eyes.

“If...if that’s what you want, then we’ll be with you all the way. I promise.”

Jack scratched his cheek. “So...where does this leave us now? Are we going to the Digital World again?”

Grace looked around, the room seeming decidedly empty even with four people and their partners sat around. “If we do, it’s gonna be something different.”

Knock knock

There was a rap at the door, and the group turned as it opened, Lonnie bursting inwards. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

Grace shook her head. “Not especially. We’re just figuring out what we’re doing now. How we go about travelling back.”

“That might not be a great idea at the moment. The problem with the Digital World might very well be coming to us.”

The old tamers looked at one another as Lonnie straightened up, catching her breath. “You’d better come to the control room. Lyra’s found something.”

“Oh my god...”

Grace flicked through the hazy phone pictures, many of them almost saturated by the sheer intensity of the void. But at the same time, it was so big that even the usual shimmer of a digital gate had no chance at hiding it. Lyra leant over the back of a chair, with a slightly damp Tsurumon standing beside her.

“See? I can be useful on occasion.”

Grace bit her lip, and passed the girl’s phone back. “Does Alasdair know about this?”

“He’s the first person she collared,” said Nicholas, crossing his legs. “He ran off immediately. Left Salma in charge of the place, although she and the other two are trying to do whatever they can to keep it sealed from over here.”

The group stayed huddled, the control room seeming somewhat empty without the constant rushing around. Although no less tense, especially amongst their partners. Even though they couldn’t see it, there was something new in the air, and they could all feel it. Syngnamon’s crest twitched as he held his chest. “I can’t believe we didn’t sense it before.”

Tsurumon looked his way. “Inez, that’s where we found you when you were taken. We’d have known about it if we’d passed over it.”

“Would you?” Inez held one hand in the other in front of her. “It wasn’t the only portal out there.”

Lyra held beneath her chin. “No, you’re right...remember what Fenghuangmon showed us? The portals were increasing in number, especially around that area.” She looked up. “Maybe they were effects from the big gate, going around that one.”

“But then wouldn’t they have known it was coming?”

The group looked at Nicholas, who held the arm of his glasses, his expression completely flat. “I mean...Alasdair knew about what we saw in there, didn’t he? But the ambassadors came against his wishes. Why wouldn’t they know the same? And if that’s the case...how long have they known it’s about to break through?”

Jack bit his lip. “What are you getting at?”

Nicholas let out a breath, before looking down at Yethmon next to his feet. “Am I gonna play devil’s advocate or do you want to?”

Yethmon shrugged. “Our world is screwed. You’ve seen that, right? If the ambassadors knew Alasdair, and he knew vaguely what was causing all this, then it’s likely they did the same. If that’s the case, why do you think they came here?”

Jack sat back. “They’re...trying to create peace...between our worlds...”

“And you believe that?”

“I have to!” Jack sat up, and pointed into the hound’s face. “It worked with you, didn’t it?”

A murmur of uncertainty rippled around the room, including from Yethmon himself. Jack folded his arms. “Oh come on. Don’t be like this, people. They’ve helped us so far; we have to believe in them.”

“He has a point though.”

Eloise sat forwards, biting at her thumbnail. “I don’t want to believe it. But the two worlds are connected now. If the Digital World is really on the brink of falling apart, and there was a chance you could send the monster to another world...to save your own...” She looked up, seeing the younger tamers looking expectantly at her. “I’m just saying, wouldn’t you be tempted?”

Chromon sat back, shaking his head relentlessly. “The a-ambassadors are noble. They’d n-never sacrifice another world like that. Especially one they themselves came to save.”

“Did they come to save us though? Or to judge us?”

“Inez, not you too.”

Chromon looked desperately at the girl as she sat forwards, her expression grave. “Let’s be honest...we haven’t made the best impression. And they haven’t been open; heck Alasdair hasn’t been open about any of this. Maybe...they’re trying to figure out if we’re worth saving?”

She noticed Chromon’s hard stare, and bit her lip. “You know if Mark were here he’d be thinking the same.”

“N-n-no he wouldn’t! Mark...Mark believes the best in people!”

Syngnamon narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure about that? Especially after what you did to him?”

“That’s enough!” Grace stood up, pointing down at Syngnamon, and then back at Nicholas. “This is all speculation. How much trouble have we already gotten in because people just assumed the worst?”

“And how many times have we assumed everything’s okay and just let it bite us in the arse every time?”

“Nicholas!”

The girl whirled around, glaring at the boy as he remained standing, but he didn’t back down. “I’ll admit I haven’t been here long, but everything we do seems to be reactive. That’s how people end up taking advantage of us. That’s how we get things like the riots. Because other people are taking the initiative and we’re constantly playing catchup. And if we don’t see that, then we’re not gonna be able to stop it.”

Jack stood up himself, standing in front of his sister and glaring up at the young man. “But we have to react so we can save people. That’s why we need to believe in Alasdair and the ambassadors.”

“Why?” Nicholas folded his eyes. “They haven’t given you any reason to.”

“It’s called having faith. Not that you seem to know what that is.”

“Guys, please...” Inez joined the skirmish, holding her hands over her scarf as she looked at Grace and Jack. “I want to believe in them as well but...well...if they really wanted to help then surely they would have let us know this stuff earlier.”

Grace turned around again. “And if you hadn’t wanted to cause us issues then you’d have let us know what was going on with you, but we all have our reasons, don’t we!”

Inez stepped back, and Syngnamon clambered onto her shoulder, staring forwards at Grace like a gargoyle.

“That was low and you know it.”

Inez held up a palm, before closing her fist. “I’m just...saying...I’m just trying to say that maybe we need to prepare for the worst this time...”

“The worst?”

Grace turned around, looking at everybody in turn as she held her arms out. “Look at all of us! We’re two members down and the rest of us are just a mixture of arseholes and disaster areas! If we’re preparing for the worst then we’re already too late to stop whatever destroyed the digital world from coming through, and we have absolutely no chance of stopping it ourselves! We have to trust Alasdair, or the ambassadors, or anyone.”

She stepped back, holding a clawed hand over her temple. “Because...because if we don’t, then...I don’t see-”

“Everybody stop!”

Kai’s voice boomed through the control room, and the group of tamers split apart as he stood up, glaring amongst them. “The fact is, we have a problem. And whether we like it or not, we have to do something to try and fix it. However that turns out.”

The four tamers looked amongst themselves, before sitting back down, hanging their heads low. Jack placed his chin on his palm.

“Ali would know what to do...”

“Ali isn’t here...” Kai folded his arms, before looking up. “Lonnie?”

The redhead started, and looked up, pointing at her chest. “...me?”

“What do you think? You know Alasdair probably better than any of us. If nothing else...he has to want us to succeed. And you must know how he’d want that to go.”

Grace nodded, and turned to her friend, who suddenly looked very on the spot. “What do you think, Lonnie? What do we do?”

Lonnie felt the eyes of seven humans and nine Digimon, her own included, all fixed on her at once. She puffed her cheeks out, standing up and pacing back and forth. “I had to volunteer to be the leader, didn’t I...”

She paused, looking down at Dendromon, and the salamander’s doubtful gaze. Lonnie crouched down, pressing her face out into a deliberate thoughtful pout.

“How do we save your world...”

Dendromon winced apologetically. “You’re the boss there.”

“Well, the ambassadors want to save your world, no matter what.” Lonnie sighed, and straightened up, looking at the ceiling. “Nobody wants to make things worse. Not really. Not ever.”

She turned, and planted a fist in her palm. “Right. I know things have been a bit wibbly at the moment, but however we feel about each other, we’re tamers. However it happened, the Digital World called on us to make things better. And I think we can trust in the ambassadors to do the same. But I think we need to make it clear to them that we are gonna help them. We stand for their world as well as ours.”

Lyra crossed her legs. “So what do you suggest?”

“The first thing we need is answers. No more secrets.” The girl turned around, looking into the screen of her D-SEND. “We’ll take the initiative this time. All of us, and all of them, all together; we need to work out how to save our worlds.”

She looked up, a strange, determined light behind her eyes as she smiled.

“Both of them.”

Joshua held a shaking mug as he passed down the hallway. He slowed down, peering sideways at Mark’s door. There was an old name plaque hung in the centre, decorated with pictures drawn when Mark had been much younger. They were faded now, just another part of the woodwork.

There was no sound coming from behind it. Not even the tapping of a keyboard or the sound of the television. Joshua swallowed, and reached out to knock against the wood, but he stopped himself. He had nothing to say.

Slowly he made his way down the stairs, his legs nowhere near as sturdy as they once had been. He hit the bottom, and nearly tripped forwards, his shoes catching on the rucked-up carpet. He steadied himself, ignoring the spots of hot coffee on his hand as he looked down at the floor. He’d often told himself he needed to get it replaced, as it had taken remarkable abuse over the years. Three boys growing up, followed by a clumsy insect leaving varying stab wounds over the fabric, and more recently, an even clumsier dinosaur shifting the whole thing back and forth with his great clumping feet.

Now nearly all of them were gone, leaving just the barren, threadbare trip hazard beneath his feet. The man sighed, and pressed his foot out, flattening the imprint from Chromon’s foot.

The man was wiping his hands off in the kitchen when he heard the phone ring, and he held it up to his ear. “Hello?”

“Hi dad.”

“Kent?”

Joshua breathed out, and gently sat down in the kitchen chair, running a finger over his forehead. “It’s good to hear from you.”

“I was worried. Alasdair told me he’d explained everything.”

There was a pause, and Joshua could swear he could hear the sound of Trilomon poking his partner’s feet. Kent continued. “ Did...Mark tell you?”

“He filled me in with the basics.” Joshua’s hand went down, circling around on the table. “So is it true? Was it you who decided to make him a Digimon tamer?”

“Not me exactly. But I knew that’s what Alasdair was planning and I...I let him. I got the digivice from him and left it in Mark’s room just before I left.”

“Don’t jump around the subject. If you knew and didn’t stop them that means you agreed with him.”

Another pause. Joshua reached out to take a swig of coffee, but he just put it down again, the smell making him nauseous.

“I really thought it was for the best.”

“Without asking him? Or me?” Joshua held his nose. “Is this how you’ve found meaning for yourself now? Playing with other people’s lives?”

His voice was flat, but hard-edged, cutting through the cramped kitchen space. There was no response, so Joshua continued. “Chromon hasn’t come back. Mark doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“How is he?”

Joshua gritted his teeth. “How do you think? He’s taken it hard. Everything he was just ended up being a fabrication. A lie from people he loved and trusted.”

“I’m sorry. I never meant him to get hurt. ”

Joshua stood up, and began pacing, feeling the anger rising within him, although not a bit of it showed in his voice, remaining as calm and flat as always.

“Look, I never wanted him to get involved with this; you know that. I couldn’t stand to see him pulled into the same path you were. But the more I watched, the more he finally seemed to be stepping out of your shadow and becoming his own person. He was a tamer and a hero, a lot like you.”

“He has been fantastic. I need to speak with him, I need to let him know that he’s more than worthy of-“

“You don’t seem to get it, Kent!” Joshua turned round, placing a palm on the wall in front of him. “This was his life. This should have been his choice, and that’s what he’s taken to heart. The fact that he had some purpose; something he felt he could be proud of, for once in his life. I know you; you’ve always thought things through logically. I know you thought you were giving him freedom but the fact that it was you, and Chromon...to him it means he couldn’t ever get that on his own.”

“Dad...you know I couldn’t be any prouder of him...”

“But he doesn’t know. Don’t you see?” Joshua clenched his hand into a fist, looking ahead at the wall. “He tries so hard to have worth to everyone around him, all by his own hands. But everybody who he’s trying to prove that to has just gone. Every single person, just...left him.”

Joshua straightened up, trying to calm his breathing as he turned around. “And now Chromon’s gone as well. I’m the only one left now. And I’m just a broken old man. I can’t do anything for him now.”

“...Dad...I’m sorry...”

“What are you apologising to me for?” Joshua looked sideways, his eyes half-closed. “It’s not me who you just used as a toy.”

“But...but what can I...what am I supposed to do?”

“...I don’t know.”

There was nothing but silence at the end of the phone. Joshua felt the distance more than anything, and he gently walked back and forth, stopping in front of the kitchen mantlepiece.

“So what happens now? I suppose the Digimon problems don’t just go away.”

“Far from it.” The voice faltered a little, and then Kent cleared his throat. “ I’m coming home. I need to try and fix this. All...all of this.”

Joshua sighed. “Can I expect to see you?”

“Of course. I’ll make time for you. Both of you. Please...no matter what’s about to happen, stay safe. ”

The man smiled, reaching out and running his hand over the photos on the shelf. “And you. Don’t forget about us while you’re saving the world.”

“I...I love you.”

“You too. Always.”

The line went dead, beeping in Joshua’s ear. He placed it down on the side, and looked sideways, running his hands over the old photos. One caught his eye, and he pulled it away, looking down at the sun-faded scene. A castle in the background behind rolling green hillocks, and in front, a gathering of people. Himself, looking much younger, hand in hand with an attractive young woman. And between them, the three boys. Taylor on the left, and Kent on the right, both looking slightly embarrassed by the ordeal. And in the centre stood Mark, grinning widely at the camera and showing missing teeth, with his hand around the lead of their family dog

Joshua felt the corners of his mouth curling up, and he sat down, watching specks of dust flutter away from the old frame. There he sat, alone in the kitchen, staring down at the photo as the light from the window hit him.

“Everyone...leaves...”

The man raised his hand to his mouth, and he began to cry.

“Simurghmon! Where are you?”

Alasdair looked around desperately, the walls rearing up oppressively around him. He wheeled forwards, his arms already getting tired. The more he stayed here on his own, the more increasingly trapped he was feeling. But he’d had to come alone. He couldn’t have anybody else here.

“Simurghmon!”

“I heard you, Ali.”

The man turned around, and he saw Simurghmon’s cloaked figure on top of the nearest roof. She stepped forwards, her wings billowing upwards, and she landed in front of him with a crouch, her eyes glistening in the dim light. “I can’t stay here. I have things I need to attend to.”

She looked up, and her face was stern. “But then again, you already know why, don’t you.”

Alasdair rolled forwards, and pointed a finger at her. “This wasn’t what we agreed. It was one thing you forcing your way through, but that gateway out to sea-“

“That gateway was out of our control.”

“You knew it was coming! You knew and you didn’t tell me!”

Simurghmon held her wings together. “Did you tell the tamers? The people you said you’d put your trust in?”

“I’ve shown them. They’ve seen the Digital World now, Simurghmon. On my own conscience, they know everything I did.”

The grand bird narrowed her eyes. “No. They don’t.”

“Simurghmon, please, they don’t need to know who’s-“

“Don’t they? Why is it so important to keep it from them?” She planted a palm on her chest. “Eirenemon and Fenghuangmon; they’ve given up their lives these past decades for me. They trust me, and I trust them. They know exactly what’s hiding underneath the Digital World, Ali. Why can’t your tamers?

“Because they can’t handle it!”

Alasdair held a hand to his face, shaking his head. “They’re barely ready as it is. But if they knew every single thing, it would break them. I can’t risk that. For the sake of both our worlds, I can’t risk that. I’m the only one who can carry that sin. Not them. Never them.”

He rolled backwards, running his hand over his chin. “Please...please keep him in place. Promise me that.”

“I can’t promise anything.”

“Simurghmon!”

“We don’t have time anymore, Ali.” Simurghmon paced back and forth, her hands clasped in front of her. “Our world is at breaking point. You promised you would bring heroes. Heroes we need right now, and yet...we’ve seen them. They’re not ready. They’re falling apart. And a lot of that is down to you.”

The grand bird let out a breath, looking aside with tears in her eyes. “You think I don’t want to give you that time? All these past years, I’ve been desperate to repay you all. Especially my Lizzie, after...after...”

Alasdair gritted his teeth, and raised a hand, but SImurghmon shook her head before he could speak.

“You all changed our lives. The first of your kind to cross worlds; you are my most precious friends in either one.”

She clenched her talons. “But you said the same thing way back then. This was a gambit. A farfetched bet to end the chaos behind the digital world. I’ve...I’ve seen so few of them work out. But once again, it’s the only one we have.”

She looked aside, her eyes boring into Alasdair’s. The old man wasn’t backing down, staring as defiantly as she remembered from all those years ago.

“We’ll do what we can. But he’s coming, Ali, and we can’t stop him ourselves. It’s up to you.”

Alasdair shook its head. “No. No matter how this pans out, it’s up to them. The tamers are the only option we have now.”

He looked down at himself, seeing his hands shaking, even as he tried to hold them steady. The hands which had once grasped for the future, and now could barely even hold a pen.

“But...like you, I’ll do everything I can.”

Simurghmon stepped forwards, and crouched down, holding her wings around her old friend in a comforting shroud.

Several metres away, a pair of black eyes looked down upon the two, wide in the grey mist. They blinked, and descended back into the gloom with barely a rustle.

Fenghuangmon looked over her shoulder as she heard the outer doors close hurriedly, followed by the sound of sharp talons on wood. She turned as Eirenemon hurriedly rushed through the door, her feathers twitching.

“Did you find her?”

Eirenemon nodded. “You were right. She...she went to Alasdair.”

“...of course...”

The phoenix leant over the table, the maps still laid out from the past few days. Her eyes flicked up to the board at the side of the room, now covered with so many tasks that it was practically a mess of scribbles.

“We’re out of time.”

Eirenemon held her hands together, clasping them in front of her mask. “I...I thought she could depend on us. Wasn’t...wasn’t that what we promised each other back then?”

Fenghuangmon looked at her friend, and held out an arm. “Come on, now, you know she still remembers that.”

Eirenemon shuffled forwards, nestling in the phoenix’s wing. She leant in, but Fenghuangmon kept her other arm free, stroking beneath her chin. “I suppose...this means we need to make our own decisions now.”

“What you said before?” Eirenemon squirmed. “I don’t know...if Simurghmon’s still trying to do the right thing...”

“I have no doubt of her intentions.” Fenghuangmon clicked her beak, and unravelled her scroll next to her. “But I feared this might be the case. She owes too much to this world, and can’t be impartial in judgement. Not the way we need to be.”

The dove woman pulled away, fidgeting with the torch around her neck. “Is it so wrong for her to care for this world?”

“In theory, no. But she stands for our world, Eirenemon. We have to save as many as we can; that is our entire purpose. But that cannot be all on one side. And right now...we no longer have room to be lenient on sinners.”

She straightened up, and walked around, tapping the phone of the old office. “I received a message from the tamers. They know the situation now, or at least enough that we can address things directly.”

“Are we talking with them?”

“Tomorrow. All three of us, and all of them.” The phoenix planted a finger down on the table. “We agreed on neutral ground. The town centre, under the market cross. We do this out in the open.”

Eirenemon held her arms in. “And...we go ahead with what we discussed...”

Fenghuangmon sighed, looking out the window. Her voice lowered significantly, taking on a sombre tone.

“If you think it’s the right thing to do.”

She looked back at the dove woman, and her eyes were wider than usual, and full of doubt and regret. Eirenemon shuffled. “I...I don’t think any of it is...right...”

She swallowed. “But I agree with you. I think it’s the only thing we can do. For both our worlds.”

“The best of us, and the best of them.”

Eirenemon shook. “God...is this what it’s like to feel sick?”

“Ssh...it’s alright...”

Eirenemon embraced Fenghuangmon, and the two rocked back and forth on the thin carpet, the windows condensing up beside them.

“It’ll all be alright, Eirenemon. Ay-up. We can fix this.”

Eirenemon looked up into the phoenix’s eyes, her own eyelids fluttering. Then she looked back, her own feathers rustling as she glanced over her shoulder at the door. She looked up at her partner, who nodded, calling out in a raised voice.

“We know you’re there, Owen.”

The two broke apart, and watched the entrance as the tamer curled around, his expression nervous. He held his forearm, staring at the window. “So...I guess you three aren’t too perfect to keep secrets from each other either, are you.”

Fenghuangmon rolled her neck. “If any one of us were perfect, there wouldn’t be three of us here.” She sighed. “How much have you heard?”

Owen gritted his teeth. “Please don’t hurt them.”

“What?”

“The others. The tamers. Please...don’t hurt them anymore.” His hand gripped his arm so tightly that his skin went pale. “They don’t deserve that.”

“Owen...”

Eirenemon stepped forwards, and gently held a hand on his chest. The young man could feel her quieting power coursing through him, and his breathing immediately softened, his head going calm. Uncomfortably so.

“We don’t want to hurt them. We want to make things better.”

“I know. But everyone...everyone wants to make things better.” Owen held his teeth together. “Even my dad...”

Eirenemon pulled back, and looked back at Fenghuangmon, but the phoenix had already turned around, looking out the window. “We have no intention of harming the other tamers. You have my word. But we do need to talk.”

The phoenix turned around, her eyes flashing. “You’ll be coming with us.”

Owen started. “Me? I can’t...”

“It’s clear you still care for them. That’s admirable. But you’ve been hiding for long enough, and the fact is, you’re as involved in this as everybody else.”

She faced him, holding her head down. Owen could feel her power emanating outwards as well; a completely different aura from Eirenemon’s. The longer he’d been here, the more he’d felt it. Commanding. Enticing. Persuasive. His eyes twitched, and he leant forwards, holding himself on the back of the chair.

Fenghuangmon stepped forwards, with Eirenemon clutching her arm, both of them standing either side of him.

“...alright...”

He sat down, and the two ambassadors stood either side of him, their auras resonating around him.

“What do you want me to do...”

“Just one thing. A favour.”

The phoenix crouched down, the scroll unfurled beside her and turning slowly.

“Please don’t tell Simurghmon about this.”

Owen could feel the auras more intensely now. On one side, calming and pacifying. Reducing any need to fight. But closer still, a need to serve, to obey, pounding through his head. He found himself resisting, even as it grew harder. He struggled, trying to find some other option, some way of retaining his own will.

His own will.

He saw her face again. Robotic. Inhuman. Completely subservient.

Owen’s shoulders relaxed, and he nodded.

“Can you feel it?”

Simeamon hopped down next to Martyaxmon, her movements more conserved than usual. The manticore himself was sat in the middle of the abandoned play-park, staring out across the fields, like a gargoyle guarding his turf. Simeamon stood beside him, holding her shoulders.

“It’s been like this all day. Some kinda chill in the air.”

“That’s no chill.”

Martyaxmon growled ever so slightly, his shoulders vibrating. “Something’s coming. Something...awful.”

“You...think so?”

The manticore padded around, his tail curling and uncurling of its own accord. He looked at her, his face hardened. “You don’t get to do the things I’ve done and not pick up when something’s coming. We might need to lay even lower for a while.”

“Do...do you reckon the others are gonna be okay?”

Martyaxmon paused, looking over his shoulder at the monkey as she stared outwards. Her tail whipped back and forth, and she bit her lip, her breath misting up the inside of her visor.

“The tamers?”

“Yeah...” Simeamon forced a grin, and turned around. “What am I talking about...they’re gonna be fine. They always are.”

She walked a few steps, before walking right into Martyaxmon’s face, the great red beast blocking her way. She stepped back, readjusting her helmet. “D’ya mind stepping out the way?”

“Simeamon.”

The monkey whistled. “Ooh. Serious face. Something really must be up.”

“Simeamon, you miss him, don’t you.”

The whistle died on Simeamon’s lips, and she looked up into Martyaxmon’s glowing red eyes. His face was completely straight.

“Owen. Your partner.”

“I know who Owen is, ya galoot.”

“Well?”

Simeamon scowled. “What were you ever concerned about? You hate them, don’t you? All of them. You got into a fight with them not too long ago.”

“That’s true. But this isn’t about me, this is about you.”

Simemon looked up, her face almost pleading. “Don’t kick me out, Marty, please. I’m not ready for that yet...I just need some more time...

“I’m not doing anything of the sort. You can stay or go as you please. I thought that was clear.” Martyaxmon padded sideways. “For what it’s worth, I really like having you around. You remind me of myself. I’d happily protect you the rest of my life.”

“...but?”

Martyaxmon pawed the ground sadly. “As I said...it’s not about me. And I think you’ve been desperate to go back for a while.” He gritted his teeth. “Please don’t throw your life away for my sake. Don’t needlessly lose what you have with other people. If you run away...if you keep running, you may not ever find it again.”

“But...but I...”

Martyaxmon sat down. “Trust me, Simeamon. Nobody sets out to be alone in this world.”

“Marty...I...”

Simeamon let out an angry yowl, and ran her fingers over her helmet. “You’re right! Okay? You’re just...absolutely right and you’re always right and it’s so annoying. I miss him. I wanna be with him and I wanna protect him and I wanna make things better and...but...I ran away ‘cause I was scared, alright? Scared for myself, and scared...for him. I saw the darkness in him and ran away. And since then I’ve been running from the idea that...that I may have broken him by doing that.”

Martyaxmon clenched his front paws. “The same thing goes. This isn’t about him, it’s about you. What do you want?”

Simeamon crouched down, running a palm over her face. She remained there for a few seconds, before looking up.

“I want...to make things better. I want to help him. He’s a good person. And I can’t change what he did and neither can he, but...I still care for him.”

She looked up, her face pained as she stared into Martyaxmon’s eyes. “Is that wrong?”

Martyaxmon’s looked aside. “You really think I’m the guy to tell you what’s right and wrong?”

“...you really are super annoying.”

Simeamon stood up, and ran her fingers over her pistol, her tail whipping back and forth in the breeze.

“I’m not sure I can face him like this. On my own.”

Martyaxmon drew in a breath. “Yeah...I have a feeling if I’m there I might end up making things worse.”

“It sure would be easier with a friend though...”

Martyaxmon raised her eyebrows, and she turned ninety-degrees. “And I know just who I need.”

She rushed off, her energy back as Martyaxmon watched her run. He shook his head, sighing wistfully.

“Oh, to be young again...”

Simeamon got a few dozen metres before she skidded to a halt, clenching her gloved hands. She turned around, holding out an arm.

“Marty, I have to-“

She pulled back, seeing that he was no longer there. Only some faint sparks gently falling around where he had been standing. The monkey stood there for a couple of seconds, reaching out for him. Then she pulled back, smiling.

“Stay safe...Commander.”

She ran through the streets, the lamps flickering above her as she passed beneath them. Each step felt easier, her momentum gaining strength. And yet as her conviction grew, so did her anxiety, and she could feel her heart pumping away in her chest.

She stopped, catching her breath just outside a door that she knew well. The monkey held her breath, and reached out, rapping sharply against the white enamel. She waited, listening to the muffled noises from inside, and as the door opened she looked up, smiling weakly.

“Hey Kevin...”

The man looked down at her in shock, the door swinging open further. He was dressed in loose pyjamas, and a dressing gown all but draped over his body. He had a rough stubble, and red rings around his eyes. Kevin opened his mouth, but no words came out. Simeamon winced, and scratched behind her head.

“So...sorry it’s been so long...”

“Owen...”

Kevin crouched down, pulling the dressing gown further around him. “Have you seen Owen? Do you know where he is?”

Simeamon bit her lip, shaking her head slightly. Kevin’s head fell, but she reached out, holding her hand beneath his chin.

“Oh Kevin...I’m so sorry...”

She lowered her hand, and curled it around the man’s shoulder, and he pulled her closer at the same time. She stood there, her head rested against his, feeling the physical contact more intensely than ever.

And at once she knew she was back where she needed to be.

“I...I know I don’t have the right to ask you anything. But...I need your help. I need you with me.”

She pulled back, and her eyes glanced down to the pocket of Kevin’s dressing gown. He reached down, and pulled out the dark D-SEND, the device humming ever so slightly in his grip. Simeamon reached out, running a finger around the screen as she gave the tiniest of smiles.

“I’m bringing him home, Kevin. I promise.”

Knowledge travels as quickly as words. A glimpse here, a stray word there. At first it seemed to be a joke. Just another scare, probably by the hardliners of either world, depending on who you asked.

But as the machines began to glitch and malfunction, and the whispers began to come with pictures, and testimonies, soon the great gate began to pull on everybody’s minds.

The Digimon scattered throughout the city could feel it, of course. Their home, calling out to them, with a voice louder than ever before.

Some hid away. Some ran inland. And yet others prepared themselves for a fight that they hoped beyond hope wasn’t about to happen.

Nobody had to wait long for answers. When the populace emerged the next morning, they saw it. Covering the entire sky; a vast, unbroken spiral of cloud, shifting round and round in layers, all converging far out into the distance. The sea mist was thick, and seemed to be studded with tiny particles of glowing dust. Data seeping through from the other world, thicker than ever before.

Although if you stood at the end of the pier and squinted, if you were lucky, you might just be able to make out the thin spire of energy reaching down, touching the centre of the sea. The centre of the blue hole, spinning gently. For now at least.

It was midday when Simurghmon and Eirenmon landed by the market cross, as precisely as the day they’d arrived. Although there was a different aura to them now. Confidence and authority replaced by nervousness, though they tried desperately not to show it.

Simurghmon ruffled her shoulders, looking around. “Where’s Fenghuangmon? Did she come early?”

“I’m here.”

The phoenix stepped out, waving her scroll along beside her. Simurghmon nodded gently, before her gaze firmed up, and she looked around the square.

“Did you bring company?”

The effects from the gate had travelled far, and the space was open enough to see wisps of data spiralling forwards, forming a slight haze on the edge of everybody’s vision. Although it was only slight, and not enough to hide the crowds that were gathered around, keeping back from the centre. Men, women, families and others. Some barricading the front, and some hiding at the back. And scattered between them, and across the rooftops, and hovering in the skies above, the Digimon of the city were there as well. From here it was clear just how many had sought refuge over the past years; living in the shadows, or the open arms, of the populace.

Simurghmon shivered, holding one shoulder. “I’d really prefer for us all to be alone.”

Fenghuangmon’s eyes darted left, in an gesture only Eirenemon noticed. The angel reached out, wrapping a hand around Simurghmon’s arm.

“It’s alright. We’re just setting things to order. They should know what’s happening to their world, shouldn’t they?”

“I...I just...I don’t...”

The grand bird looked down, with Eirenemon’s royal blue eyes piercing into hers. She nodded, setting her worries at bay just for a moment.

“Let me give them some comfort, at least.”

Gently she bent down, placing a palm against the brickwork beneath her and concentrating. There was a slight rumble all around, and a slow, majestic trail of foliage pushed out around the market square, forming a low barrier between them and the crowds. Some of them pushed right up to it, whereas others drew back, scoping out the surroundings again.

Fenghuangmon watched intently, her beady eyes following the movements all around, as the scroll rolled onwards beside her. She didn’t react at all, merely scribing in character after character with deft talons.

“They’re here.”

All three ambassadors faced forward, and the magical vines parted as the tamers approached. Lonnie, Jack, Grace and Nicholas, Lyra and Inez. Their partners alongside them, walking clearly without any hint of a shimmer, along with Chromon, who kept his head down as low as he could.

Dendromon swallowed, and raised a hand, clutching Lonnie’s tightly. Her palm was cold. She could feel ill intent emanating from all around, even on top of the overwhelming aura of the gate. Looking around, the salamander tried to pinpoint the sources, but there were so many of her kind here. For a few moments she thought she could see faces she knew. Faces she’d fought. But they disappeared before she could find them, although she knew very well they were still watching.

Lonnie beckoned the others, and they walked forwards too, staying in a group. Syngnamon crouched on Inez’s neck. Vulpimon padded beside her partner, while Perimon hovered just above his. Yethmon walked a couple of feet from his partner, sniffing and holding his cloak tightly, while Tsurumon just stepped calmly beside Lyra, keeping pace with her.

The crowds around began to murmur as the group approached the trio, some of them getting restless. Members of Vex’s old gang were dotted amongst them, hidden in plain sight, but close to the back, preparing themselves for...they weren’t sure what.

From a rooftop, Hoatzimon stood up, clenching a claw as she prepared to move, but Caesiumon placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. Liopramon sat beside him, hands on his knees, glaring at the group and at Nicholas and Yethmon in particular

The group stopped, spreading out in front of the three ambassadors. Simurghmon looked aside, scanning the edge of the plaza. “Thank you for coming. Is Alasdair not with you?”

Lonnie shook her head. “He’s back with Eloise and Kai. But it’s us you need to speak to, isn’t it?”

Simurghmon pressed her teeth together, but she felt a nudge from Eirenemon beside her. “I’m sure he’ll know what’s going on. He always does.”

The tamers shuffled uncomfortably. Lonnie looked behind her, and gently cleared her throat.

“We’re here now, and we’ve seen the damage. The Digital World is reaching out into ours. We need to find a solution together.”

Simurghmon looked aside at the other two, who remained close to one another. Fenghuangmon tapped her talon against the end of her scroll. “That’s understandable. I just hope Alasdair has nothing more to hide.”

“The same goes for you too.”

Eirenemon flinched, and Fenghuangmon paused, looking down at Grace as she stepped forwards, her face hardened.

“How long have you known this was coming?”

Lonnie reached out a hand, but Grace didn’t back down, staring defiantly up at the ambassadors. Simurghmon stepped forwards.

“We didn’t know exactly when. But we knew about the cataclysms in our world. And we knew it would only be a matter of time until they leaked into yours.” She sighed, looking down the ground. “It would have helped us if you’d all been informed of this before.”

Grace didn’t back down, not quite. “As far as I’m concerned, you both kept it from us. If...if we’d known, we could have done something to stop this earlier.” She looked up. “Maybe we still can. But we need to work together-“

“Maybe isn’t good enough.”

Simurghmon turned as Fenghuangmon stepped forwards, her scroll rolling next to her as she held up a taloned hand. “If you’re going to extend your hand to us, you need to be able to offer something to make it worth taking.”

Grace drew in a breath through her teeth, but Simurghmon turned, shaking her head, “Fenghuangmon, please.”

The phoenix stepped back, tapping her feet as her friend addressed the tamers.

“It’s not your intentions. You all are as noble as your kind ever was. And the reason I...the reason we came here was to try and lift some of that burden on yourselves. To try and lead this. I’d hoped we could work together to fix this. But with all this chaos...our world is more wounded than ever. She’s right; we need to know you can save it.”

Fenghuangmon tapped her talons together. “And honestly, I don’t think you can.”

“What is this; you come here needing help and then start laying down judgement on us?”

The tamers split as Jack stepped forwards, holding his arms out. “I know we’re not perfect. But we’ve saved your world before. There’s no reason we can’t do it again.”

“Yes, about that; did you really save the world?”

Fenghuangmon narrowed her eyes, and her scroll unravelled in front of her, sliding around her body as she scanned the surface. “As far as I recall, our world was destroyed. It was breaking anyway, but it didn’t look like you were able to stop it. In fact, you may well have sped up its demise.”

This caused a ripple through the tamers. Jack backed off, his eyes widening, and Perimon rose up above him, flying forwards. “Hey, back off. It was healing when we left it.”

“That was a fluke. You had the elements. You were able to do so. But that’s not going to be the case this time.”

She spread her wings, the scroll speeding up in front of her as her gaze flicked between it and the tamers.

“Alasdair promised us a solution. Noble, courageous, skilled individuals who could tackle this threat. That’s what we need, and if they fail, then our world is torn apart for good this time.”

“But they-“

“But we have seen you! We have to think of our own world as well. I never doubted your intentions, any one of you, but look at what’s happened. Riots, destruction, deception, and so much death of your people and of ours.”

The scroll reached its end and turned back on itself, rolling up as Fenghuangmon held her hands behind her. “With that in mind, can you look me in the eye and promise me that you could walk into our world and save it again?”

Even Perimon had backed away from this. The tamers shuffled, looking between themselves. Inez cleared her throat, her voice incredibly small.

“...you know we can’t promise that.”

“I figured as much.”

Lonnie stepped forwards, her nostrils flaring. “Maybe...no, we have had issues, but we can get better. We can become strong enough to help you. I thought that’s how this worked.”

Fenghuangmon sighed. “Are you really so ignorant?”

“Ignorant’s my middle name, but go off I guess.”

“Look among you. Is this really the team of heroes that Alasdair promised us?” She waved a hand out. “You’re young. Impetuous. You don’t communicate and you don’t work together, not even the ones of you who’ve battled before.”

“Fenghuangmon!”

Simurghmon turned, and pulled the phoenix’s scroll away, glaring into her colleague’s eyes. “We came here to help each other, not to destroy each other.”

“With all due respect, can’t you see that relying on them is only going to destroy us?” Fenghuangmon looked aside. “Look at them. Two of their group aren’t even with them anymore. If they can’t even heal each other...what good can they do with our world?”

She pulled herself away from Simurghmon, who arched her wings, staring down her old friend. Eirenemon reached up and held Simurghmon’s arm, as the phoenix stepped back.

“Although you are correct. Our aim is to repair, not to destroy.” She looked back into the fog. “And perhaps we can start to help in that regard.”

The mist parted with the sounds of footsteps, and the tamers gasped as the young man stepped out from behind the phoenix.

“What...what are you doing with them?”

Simurghmon looked puzzled, looking over at the phoenix. “When did he...”

Owen stood at the edge of the market cross, swaying just a little, his eyes blinking and not entirely focused. Still, he smiled, and slowly he raised a hand to the stunned group below.

“Hey guys.”

Trevor stood on the pier, scratching beneath his coat as he looked out at the rolling mists. He ground his teeth together, but that just made pain shoot through his skull. Instead he raised a gloved hand to his mouth, pressing the leather against it. With his other he rocked the large case back and forth beside him.

“How long before they strike again...”

The man shivered, and held his hands up, running them over his eyes, which felt more worn than ever. He’d lost track of what day it was, or when it was since he last returned to his home.

“Owen...tell me how long...they’re gonna kill us...all of us...”

“You look a bit lost, mister.”

Trevor turned, scanning the edge of the pier, until he saw something small and furry sitting on one pole, holding a shovel behind her head. Trevor started, and took a step, but Suricamon scuttled back, keeping a good distance between him and her. He scowled.

“What are you doing here?”

“Easy now. I’m only coming t’offer you a little bit of news.” Suricamon tilted her head sideways. “Though by the looks of it you’ve already seen the spooky skies, aintcha? Somethin’s coming. Somethin’ big. Bigger than you.”

Trevor hoisted the hefty case up beside him, but Suricamon just kept going, giggle slightly.

“They’ve gotta plan, y’know. The ambassadors. Those guys know everythin’. They’re gonna help the tamers. They’re all at the plaza right now, yep they are. All talking. All shouting, probs.”

“I don’t...why are you...”

“They’ve got Mr Owen, mister.”

Trevor’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”

“They do. They’ve got Owen.” Suricamon hopped off the fence. Scurrying backwards a few metres into the mist with her shovel balanced over her back.

“The ambassadors have your son. And they don’t look happy.”

She bowed, scooting back as she did so.

“They’re in town right now. Y’might wanna hurry...”

Owen reached out, but she’d run off before he could say a word. The man’s hand closed, trembling in front of him.

“Owen...”

Without a second thought, he reached back, pulling on his helmet, and hoisting the hefty case over his shoulder. His boots banged against the wooden slats as he ran off, leaving just faint trails in the wispy mists as he did so.

“Owen...I’m coming!”

TO BE CONTINUED...