Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“We thought it was over when ‘your’ presence left us.

It was so warm in the beginning. Your light shined onto us, and it was as if all our worries melted away. There was no sickness too strong, no despair so deep, that could prevent your radiance from reaching our hearts. You were our guiding star, our morning light, our ‘Father’. To have you on this plane, your ever watchful eyes staring down on us, I will never forget the security it gave.

We were not the only ones that should have been granted this boon. There was another, one who you held a place in your soul for. One that you loved like no other, and yet, where were they? Why did they not come to you to enjoy your light and love? You were meant to be together, were you not? To bring completeness to your soul rendered in half?

And yet they never came. 

Was it the heartache that led to your weakening? I remember how your radiance seemed to dim. The warmth of your presence, growing just a bit colder. It was then that tragedy struck and you fell ill to the virus, the being who seeks to destroy this world and all others.

And yet even as your body turned to rot, and your presence dark and evil, your heart remained unchanged. You whispered to us of courage and faith, of hope that we would succeed in where you left off. Even as that parasite took over,  puppeteering your body and replacing your consciousness, your spirit remained ever strong. It was not our strength that sealed your body away but the power of your own spirit. A last act of protection for this world from its creator. 

But as is the nature of the beings of this world, your spirit could not remain by our side forever. I pray that despite the corruption of your physical form, that you were able to find your way to the net ocean and be granted life anew. 

I hope you finally get to meet the one you were waiting for, your fated partner.

But yes we thought it was over. While your spirit had moved on we could still feel the warped, malicious evil of the being sealed below us. That ‘your’ presence had faded, we thought, a sign of defeat. That the monster had given up and finally let you rest in full.

It was my great brother’s wisdom that made us realize otherwise.

‘Our father, though he rests now, is entwined within the digital world. If the evil entity in his body had died, we would be able to feel the warm lingering echoes of our fathers radiance in his body below us. That we feel nothing now, is not a sign of closure, but of a threat soon to come.’

You could imagine our fear at the prospect. You sacrificed everything to ensure that the virus would remain contained and the world safe from its influence. That it was out there, sowing chaos and bringing the world to ruin, I could think of no greater failure of our duty.

We scoured the world for that beings presence, but we never found them. The only thing to do now is wait, and hope that should the day come, our strength will be enough to prevent disaster.

And should we fail, it will be up to the ‘Chosen Children’ to take our place.”

-A being of Light and Hope

Davis bounced his leg impatiently as he watched the others get ready to leave for the day. They’d just gotten back from the digital world, destroying dark towers and ruining that Kaiser jerks' plans. They still didn’t know who he was but Davis didn’t really think it was too important. As long as they kicked butt and saved mons everything would work out eventually.

So yeah, Davis was less worried about the Kaiser and more concerned with talking to Kari, though not for the normal reasons.

Cody and Yoelie left first, their partners in their arms, and talking about the latest Inoe grocery store drama. Davis glared at TK hoping the boy would take the hint and leave with them, but he seemed to be content with hovering over Kari who was making sure she had everything on her. Davis would say he was doing it on purpose but TK wouldn’t- wait no, he definitely would stick around just to spite him.

Eh, whatever. TK was a digidestined for as long as (longer then?) Kari was anyway so his opinion was just as good.

With that mind Davis asked, “Have you guys noticed anything weird about Veemon?”

The two pause, and Davis has a brief second to be jealous of how in sync they are with their confusion. “Uh,” Kari glances at TK who raises his eyebrow. “What brought this on Davis?” She settles on asking.

Davis frowns. He had never really considered putting it into words how… off Veemon was, and didn’t think the question would get flipped on him when he asked.

Davis struggles to put his feelings into words, something he usually doesn’t have trouble with. Whether it’s because TK wants to be annoying or is trying to help, he starts offering suggestions.

“Did Veemon do or say something you thought was odd? Did he surprise you? Maybe caught you off guard with something?”

“No it’s none of that!” Davis huffs, “ He’s just … different. Y’know?”

“No we don’t.” TK frowns.

“Is it living with him? Are you having a hard time getting along at home?” Kari asked kindly.

“No way, Veemon’s my best bud!”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“He is!” It takes a second for Davis to realize what he said, but by then the damage is done. TK, For the first time that Davis’s known him, looks genuinely angry, and just glancing at Kari’s disappointed face makes him want to turn in his goggles and crawl into a ball.

“It seems to me,” TK grits out, hands balled into fists, “That you just want a reason to complain about your partner.”

He should try to explain himself, try and salvage the conversation so that they can see that Davis is worried for his partner and not being a jerk, but it feels like they’ve already decided what the truth is and it sucks. It brings him back to that day on the mountain, climbing up with Matt and the others to save Gabumon and his town, when Kari had said she can’t stand people that talk bad about their siblings. Nevermind the fact that Yoelie talks about her siblings the same way (though to be fair, it’s only to him and Cody) or how he knows for a fact Kari and TK complain with each other about their siblings too. Nevermind the fact that everything he said Jun  said, he’s heard from her own mouth.

They hadn’t listened to his feelings then, they wouldn't now, but that was always how it was for Davis.

Davis snarls out a “Whatever! Come on Demiveemon, let's go!”, grabs his partner (who’s been listening to the conversation unbothered) and brushes past his friends and out the door. 

The anger fizzles out half way home. He slows down, not realizing he’s been running the entire time, and loosens his arms so Demiveemon can breathe. They’re standing near the bridge, the sun low in the sky and painting the water gold. Davis turns to face the picture fully, his thumb idly rubbing the crown of Demiveemon's head.

“You know I didn’t mean anything mean by it right?” He asks his partner.

“Of course I do!” Demiveemon smiled. “I know you're just looking after me. I’m sorry I got you in trouble.”

“You didn’t get me in anything. You know I have a big mouth.”

“That just means you give bigger smiles!”

Davis laughs, taken off guard. 

“See! Just like that! I love seeing you smile Davis! I’ve been waiting to see it for so long!”

“I'm glad I could deliver, then.” Davis’s wide grin softens and he asks, “What did you mean by that? The waiting.”

“Oh… I don’t know. I just knew we were meant to be together. That you would find me. I guess that's another tick in the weird box huh?”

“I mean, Armadillomon and Hawkmon said the same to Yoelie and Cody right?”

“They were sleeping… But I was waiting. I remember the darkness and being alone, but I was okay because I knew you would come find me. And when you did, I was so happy I couldn’t stop myself from jumping in joy.”

“I remember.” Davis chuckles. It’s starting to get dark now, the sky turning from gold to orange and pink. Davis starts walking home, the memory of the sun's radiance tickling something inside him he can’t place. Like a forgotten dream. 

He shakes the feeling off. “I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner.”

“It’s okay Davis. You're here now, that's enough for me.

“Hey Tai, have you ever noticed anything odd with Agumon?”

It’s after soccer practice and during one of the rare days where it’s just the two of them putting the gear away while everyone else runs home. It’s been months since he asked TK and Kari, and they're close to beating Ken and saving the digital world for good… as long as they can find his base before he finishes whatever the hell he’s doing. Since then Davis has noticed more things off about Veemon. Some things are pretty cool, like how he always seems to give Davis good dreams, and how he feels more energized after spending time with him. Other things are more ominous. Sometimes it’s nightmares. Veemon never remembers them when he wakes up, but it’s clear it causes him distress either way. It’d be easy to say that it's just trauma from the war they're fighting against the Kaiser, but Davis knows in his heart that's not it. Other times it feels like the shadows are watching them. Waiting for them to slip up and show weakness and steal them away from what they know. Davis hasn’t been afraid of the dark since he was a child, but on those days when the shadows darken and the world goes silent, he can’t help the fear that creeps up.

The question catches Tai by surprise but the older teen just laughs.

“Oh yeah a ton. Weirdness is kind of normal when digimon are involved.”

“Obviously. He’s a dinosaur who loves your moms cooking and can talk. That's like normal weird Tai.”

“And what would weird weird be?” He’s still laughing at Davis. For a second Davis gets hit with a flash of anger, of ‘why won’t anyone take me seriously’. 

But Tai has always taken Davis seriously and listened to his feelings and it's because of that that Davis is able to recognize that he’s not really angry with Tai and he needs to relax. 

Davis takes a breath. “I guess… it would be stuff that makes you worry. Like has he ever talked about his life before you? Or… have you ever felt like something was out to get him?”

Tai sets down the soccer ball he was polishing and meets Davis’s eyes. Tai has always been good at seeing through him, or telling when he was upset or tired or worried. It was why, for as much as he liked Kari, he was also jealous of her. She had the best big brother in the world who cared about her and was proud of her unconditionally.

Davis would always have to work hard (be a good player, be a good leader) to be worth Tai’s care and pride.

Tai lays a gentle hand on Davis’s shoulder. “Agumon didn’t really have a life before he met me. He was made by Gennai, a man we met in the digital world, to be my partner. That's how all of our partners came to be. Gatomon… She has her own past, but aside from her, Agumon and the others lived in a forest, waiting for us everyday.”

“And in terms of something being out to get us, well there was. I’ll have to tell you about our adventures later, but when we were in the digital world our enemies were almost always hunting us. It’s different for you guys, and I’m glad for that. At the end of the day you all have homes to go back to. You're safe here…but it sounds like you don’t feel the same way. Do you know why?”

Davis sighs. “I’m worried about Veemon. There’s something wrong with him, but I can’t put it into words, and everyone thinks I just hate him or something.”

“Hey.” Tai stops him, “I’m sure no one thinks you hate Veemon. Your partners and everyone can see you two get along well.”

Davis thinks about bringing up TK and Kari but shrugs the thought off, it’s old news anyway. “I don’t care about that, I care about Veemon. I’ve noticed a lot of strange things about him, and yeah, most of them can kind of be explained away, but I know there’s something going on.” He tells Tai about all of the things he’s noticed about Veemon. Tai doesn’t say anything once he’s finished, just sits there and thinks which Davis guesses is a good thing.

After a couple minutes, Tai says, “The most important part of being a digidestined is the bond we share with our partners. I know when Agumon needs me, I can feel it in my chest and it goes both ways. If I’m ever in trouble I know Agumon will feel it and come save me. What I’m trying to say is the feelings we have for each other are real, so do you think there’s something wrong with Veemon? Or do you feel it?”

Davis doesn’t have to think long for his answer. “I know there's something wrong with Veemon.”

“Well then,” Tai claps his shoulder and pulls him up. “It looks like it’s time to pay Izzy a visit!”

It was a little more complicated than just paying Izzy a visit. Tai had made Davis explain the situation to Izzy, but the boy had said “Any analysis I do on his code now won’t be worth much until I have data to compare it to.” They had still taken a scan of Veemon and Davis’ digivice to look at, but it wasn’t until a week later that they could revisit the issue.

And what a week it was. They had finally caught up with Ken, and discovered what he’d been up to. It had been all hands on deck since, and they all owed the appearance of Magnamon (Where the hell did that digimental go?), and Wormmon’s sacrifice to Chimeramons defeat. Davis couldn’t forget the sheer anguish in Ken’s scream as he realized what he’d done and who he lost. The image of Wormmon’s death and the hollowness of victory weighed heavy in his chest. He couldn’t help but feel like despite everything being over, it was far more real than before.

He had always thought they were doing everything they could to save those who need saving. He had never thought Ken and Wormmon, they’re enemies, would need saving too. Maybe in another world, if he had realized it sooner… 

Well there was no use thinking in what if’s. What’s done is done, and the only thing left to do is move forward and be better. And if by any chance he ever meets Ken again, well, maybe Ken wouldn’t mind having a friend.

Anyway, the week was over now and Izzy had finally managed to scan the data he needed from Yoelie and Cody and they’re partners. 

They were sitting in Izzy’s room now, Davis and Tai on either side of Izzy at his computer. Demiveemon sat excited in Davis’s lap, probably wanting answers as much as Davis did. Lines of code stood out on Izzy’s computer screen, some highlighted and others color coded. It honestly hurt to look at. 

“So what did you find out?” Davis asks.

“A lot of interesting stuff actually. A lot of it has to do with differences between our generations partners, and your generations partners. We’ve known for a while now that Tentomon and the others were made for us, and that’s present in their data though not in the way that I previously thought.”

Izzy frowns as he pulls up two windows filled with incomprehensible letters and symbols. There’s a picture of Armadillomon in the left one, and a picture of Tentomon in the right. Entire sections are highlighted in gold on each side, but it’s Tentomon’s that are highlighted the most. 

“Our first generation partners have unique areas in their code that differ from other digimon or are even enhanced. I always thought that was because they were made for us, but I’ve come to realize that that’s not true.”

Tai jumps from his chair. “You're saying Homeostasis lied to us?!” 

“No, not really.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“I assumed that the uniqueness of their code was due to them being made to be our partners. In actuality, it exists because they’re code was modified. I won’t know until I’m able to come in contact with Gennai again, but I believe that our digimon’s digieggs were found in primary village and modified because they were already destined to be our partners. Our connection with our partners weren’t made by Gennai or the sovereigns, but existed from the day we were born… in theory.”

“What about Heightened View Terrace then? How does that factor into it?”

“That part remains unchanged.” Izzy leans back in his chair, hands pinned under his arms. “If I’m right, then the brief connection to the digital world made Gennai aware of us, and the data he gleaned from us told him which digieggs would belong to our partners. With that in mind, he took them and modified them to what I assume is our benefit. I still don’t understand it completely, but it looks like they were made to be more resilient to… something. In any case, the unique strands of code that sets them apart from other digimon have nothing to do with them being our partners.”

Davis who in his opinion had been very patient so far blurts out, “So what does this have to do with Veemon?”

Izzy winces, and Davis wonders if that was a dumb thing to say.

“If I’m being honest,” Izzy says apologetically. “Not a lot. Veemon and the others are important to understand the full ramifications of what I’m trying to say, but when it comes to your problem… I’m sorry Davis, but I didn’t find anything wrong with him. On the contrary, he’s almost the perfect picture of the normal digimon.”

“Urgh. Why didn’t you lead with that!?” Davis springs to feet, but Tai reaches over and pushes him back down.

“You said he’s almost normal?”

Izzy nods. “Yes. Veemon, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon are all unmodified digimon, meaning Gennai was either unaware of them and had no hand in choosing Davis and the others to aid the digital world, or he felt like they were already equipped to handle the threat. They’re data, when put next to that of other digimon that live in the digital world, exhibit the same qualities that make up a normal digimon.”

“What I’m trying to get at,” Izzy meets Tai’s eyes. “Is that there is no difference between them and the average digimon. That includes the part of their code that links them to us. The piece of code that binds a digimon to a digivice is present in every digimon in the digital world.”

Eyes wide Tai  breathes out, “You're kidding.”

“Obviously there must be outliers. Apocalymon, Chimeramon, and probably the sovereigns too-”

“Izzy, that's crazy.”

“It’s true.” Izzy says firmly. “I have a whole digiencyclopedia that I’ve cross referenced.

The evidence is in front of us.”

“Now remember that resistance I mentioned Gennai modifying in? Hawkmon and Armadillomon don’t have it, but Veemon does.”

“I thought you said I wasn’t modified?” Demiveemon speaks up.

“And that’s where the ‘almost normal’ part comes in. Your data hasn’t been modified, but the resistance is there, meaning you have it naturally. More than that, it’s much stronger than what Gennai put into our partners. It’s so strong that I wonder if it’s actually an immunity instead.”

“An immunity to what?” Davis asks.

“Now isn’t that the question.” Izzy sighs and stares at the data on his screen. Closing the windows, he goes back to the color coded one he had originally.

“There’s one last thing I want to mention. Just for fun, I ran a program to see just how old Veemon, Hawkmon, and Armadillomon’s data were. I was surprised to see that Hawkmon and Armadillomon were at least a couple thousand years old. I’m not sure what this means for my theory regarding chosen children and their digimon’s creation, but that’s not what I’m concerned about.”

“Then what is?” Tai asks.

Izzy points to the lines of yellow and red code on the monitor. “For Armadillomon and Hawkmon, the program I ran finished in minutes, but for Veemon” Izzy points to the blue colored code. “I waited three hours before pausing it. I don’t know why it’s taking so long to process or what it means, but I just thought you should know.”

Demiveemon sighs. “We’ll put it on our weird list.”

“I’ll have it run overnight. Hopefully it’s nothing and we’ll get our answers soon, but if not-”

“Don’t worry about it.” Davis claps Izzy’s shoulder as he stands. “It sucks not having answers, but we’ve done all we can for now. We’ve waited this long to figure everything out, we can wait a little more.”

“Are you sure it’s okay? Davis, if you feel like Veemon’s in trouble then you're probably right. That's not something we can ignore.” Tai says.

“I’m not going to say that everything's fine and I feel like Veemon's safer now… but I don’t feel like we’re in any more danger than when we started out as partners. If it gets worse then I’ll tell you guys but for now we’re okay.”

“Don’t worry about us. We can tough it out.” Demiveemon says, waving his arms.

“Just don’t forget we’re here to help.”

“We’re going to have to have a bigger meeting, to discuss what we discovered. Do you want us to keep Veemon’s situation to ourselves?”

Davis and Veemon share a glance. “Yeah I think we’d like that, for now. Thanks for all the help guys.”

“It’s what we’re here for.” Izzy smiles. 

Tai slings an arm across Davis’s shoulder and says, “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

He wakes in the middle of the night, room bathed in the glow of his computer monitor. The moon shines high above through his window, the light occasionally getting blocked by passing clouds. Izzy rolls over the edge of his bed and manages to land on his feet. Stumbling drunk from sleep, he slumps into his computer chair and peers at the monitor, forcing the words to make sense.

When he finally registers what he’s reading it’s like a splash of cold water to the face. Izzy jolts, eyes wide in shock. He reads it over once, twice, three times before reality sets in.

There’s still too many questions, too many what ifs, and whys and hows. He can’t talk about this, can’t tell Davis just yet because if the numbers on the screen were correct, then Veemon-

There was something wrong going on. Something that denied logic and spoke of things not meant to be comprehended, at least not yet. He’d bide his time for now. Wait till he has more information and go from there.

There was one thing that was certain though. Davis and Veemon were in the center of a storm.

He prayed they’d be strong enough to weather it.

There’s so much that happens in the months that follow. Wormmon comes back and he and Ken join the group (after some convincing.) The dark spires start turning into fake digimon, and Davis connects with Ken in a way he never thought possible. BlackWargreymon gets created, and they meet Azulongmon and stop Oikawa. They turn away their hearts desires and promise to follow their own dreams and MaloMyotismon gets so appalled he just dies. The adventures ended and Davis has never been so happy to have these people he calls friends in his life.

But there’s more things left to do. The digimental of miracles is still missing, and more importantly there's something wrong with Veemon and it’s time they figure out what. There’s only one place to go to, to find the answers they seek.

It’s time to go back to the digital world.

Chapter Text

“For eons have I waited to meet you, my fated partner.

I understand now that our meeting is meant for long after I am gone. The Virus grasps desperately at my body, eroding my power and trying to consume my spirit. No matter how hard I fight against it, I can not overcome the infection that threatens to consume this world, while I am not whole. While I am separated from you.

But do not mourn for me, my other half. Weak as I may be, I am still The creator. I have touched every part of this world, from the deepest depths of the life-giving ocean, to the great peaks of snowy mountains, and to the vermillion sky, where the sun meets the sea. All emerged from the depths of our soul, and so in this world I persist, even when my body decays and ‘dies’.

I will not have the virus take this world before you can witness it. My corpse will be its prison, my will, its shackles. And when the day comes when I have been reborn, and we have been made whole, The Virus will be our bane no more. I will rip it from the foundations of existence and turn its rancor to love and life.

My only regret is that I will not remember all the wonders in this world that I wanted to show you. Right now I stand in cresting fields of golden flowers, the sun dipping just below the horizon. Soft strokes of orange highlight lavender clouds against the darkening blue sky. These words do no justice to the beauty that stands before me, and I only wish that you were here to witness it with me.

These beautiful sights are many and varied in this world, and it has always been my dream to show you them. To stand with you and say ‘Look here as the waves hit the shore and the sun bathes the sea. Look here, as snow falls upon verdant trees and jagged stone. Do you like the valleys I gouged into the earth? Do you like what I made for you?’

Though this may be my deepest wish, I have made peace with the fact that this may never come to pass. Instead, I have decided to view my death and my rebirth as an opportunity to discover these wonders alongside you. To witness them for the ‘first’ time and delight in a world filled with mystery and splendor as you do. This is my new wish, I think. To experience this world with you. 

With this in mind, I ask you now:

Will you go on an adventure with me?

-A being of unyielding Faith, He who brings Miracles to Life

It was crazy how fast the digital world seemed to recover after MaloMyotismons’s defeat. Lands that had become barren and dark were now awash with the pastel colors of the digital world. Vibrant green hills rolled across the land for as far as Davis could see. In the distance, snowy mountains framed the landscape, the tip of one looking like it was holding up the very sun that spread warmth throughout the land. Davis took the sight in, watching as Veemon ran through the tall grass, jumping and hollering in excitement.

Before he forgets, because he definitely would otherwise, Davis sends a quick message on his D-terminal telling the digidestined where he is and his plans to explore. It’s only been a couple of days since MaloMyotismon’s defeat, and both Davis and Veemon wanted to use the new free time they had to find the digimental of miracles and find clues as to what was up with Veemon.

That didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun doing it though! Shoving his D-terminal into his pocket, Davis runs up to Veemon and before he can react, lifts him from under his arms and throws him in the air. Veemon’s shout of surprise turns into a delighted “woohoo!” as he sails through the air and falls back into Davis' arms. Davis throws him back up without a second thought and this time expecting it, Veemon does a little backflip in mid air, his excited yelling echoing across the land.

They end up losing track of time having a ton of fun. After chasing each other through the fields and playing hide-and-seek in the tall grass, the two collapsed in the grass together trying to get ahold of their breathing and the giggle fits assaulting them. It’s been so long since they’ve been able to just relax and have fun, but all of the fights and danger that he and the digidestined went through were definitely worth it if it meant they got to have moments like these.

The sun beamed down on Davis and Veemon, now directly overhead. Davis wiped sweat off his forehead and jumped to his feet. Veemon did the same as Davis took out his D3 and activated its detect function. 

“I don’t see anything so far. I think the only thing we can do is run around a bunch and see if we can find a signal.” 

As Davis talked, Veemon wordlessly dug into Davis’ shoulder bag, grabbing snacks and juice for the both of them. The two devoured their food in seconds, Veemon letting out a satisfied burp before asking, “So which direction do you wanna go?”

“Hmmm. Maybe we should go along the coast.” he said, pointing west. “That way, even if we don’t find the digimental today we can at least watch the sunset before going home.”

“That's a great idea Davis! We can see the sunset from the ocean today, and tomorrow we can continue to the mountains and see it again from up there!” Veemon jumped in excitement, already moving west where the ocean lay beyond the forest framing their right.

Davis laughed at his partner's infectious excitement. Raising his D3 high, he armor digivolved Veemon into Raidramon. The new form only heightened his partner’s excitement, as Raidramon began to prance around Davis before lowering to the ground so Davis had an easier time hopping on. Davis barely had time to settle himself on Raidramon’s back before the digimon took off. 

Green hills quickly turned into dense woods as Raidramon bounded across the land. The trees blocked out the sun, letting only a few rays through thick foliage. Davis lifted his arms in the air, and cheered on Raidramon as he felt the wind whip past him and puff up his bomber jacket. 

They must have ran halfway through the forest before Raidramon stopped, the black spikes on his back humming with restrained energy.

“Hey, what gives?” Davis leaned forward to look at Raidramon.

“I feel something.” Raidramon looked left and right, trying to see through the shadows of the forest. 

Watching him with a frown, Davis asked, “Is it just me, or did it get darker?” It wasn’t just a lack of light. The trees themselves and even the ground seemed to be a darker shade than before. Davis glanced down at his digivice and did a double take at the golden dot on his D3’s detection map. 

“Raidramon look!” Davis nearly fell off the digimon as he thrusted his digivice in front of him. “It’s the digimental!” 

“I can’t believe it!” Using the map to re-orient himself, Raidramon leaped forward in the direction of the digimental. 

Davis grinned ear to ear, the strangeness of the forest forgotten as he urged Raidramon forward. “We have to get there quickly, before it disappears again.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.”

Davis watched the golden dot get closer and closer until they reached a strange clearing. It was like the ground had gotten a boil, the way the land swelled up dark and angry. Despite the forest floor having a healthy layer of grass, the dirt here was devoid of it and the trees surrounded the clearing in a perfect circle. The cave stared back at them from the side of the raised land, and even with the sunlight hitting the clearing, Davis couldn’t see into the cave. It was pitch black.

A weird feeling grew in his gut the longer Davis looked at the cave. It took him a second to notice the tremor in his hands clutching Raidramon's horns or the way the air had a physical presence that settled along his shoulder. Davis glanced down at Raidramon only to see the same trepidation he felt reflected in the digimon's eyes.

“Are you sure this is the right place, Davis?”

Davis checked the map on his D3 and shot a look back to the cave. This time he did see something through the darkness, a golden glow looking like a star in the surrounding darkness. Davis lightly smacked the side of Raidramon's horn as he pointed at the light, eyes fixed to it.

“Look!”

“I see it!” Raidramon hesitated for a second before trotting into the cave. 

The second they entered the cave they were surrounded by darkness. It took a few minutes for Davis’ eyes to adjust, and when they did he could only make out the edges of the cave. Davis glanced back just to reassure himself that the entrance was still there before focusing on the golden light shining in front of them. The cave itself was cold and damp. It was also very large. While the entrance had been big enough to fit a car or two, the deeper they went in the cave, the wider it became. Already it was looking like Imperialdramon would have no trouble moving or flying around, though without Ken and Wormmon, that didn’t really matter. 

Davis doesn’t know how long they spend walking in the darkness, but it feels like too long. Even worse, the weird feeling in his stomach was getting more intense. Raidramon was tense underneath him, and Davis knew they could both feel that something was very wrong here. Despite this, Davis was the inheritor of courage, and he refused to pass up on finding the digimental just because the surrounding darkness was getting to him.

Suddenly, Raidramon froze. “Do you hear that?” His voice was barely a whisper as he crouched down, ready to make a run for it.

 Davis frowned as he focused on the darkness around him. Distantly he noticed that the golden light that had urged them forward was gone, but that realization was secondary to the way that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as Davis heard labored breathing all around him. 

Davis couldn’t understand how they hadn’t heard it before. A deep wet gasp echoed through the cave followed by a choking sound and the patter of fluid hitting the ground. The exhale was an inhumanly deep grumbling sound, like a bulldozer was scraping hard against the ground. Davis couldn’t imagine what kind of Digimon would be capable of making such noises. It was like every breath was a fight to get through.

Wordlessly, Raidramon slowly charged up the blade on its head. The base glowed a soft blue, the light climbing up the blade's edge until it reached its tip, illuminating only a few feet around them. The darkness barely parted for them, but it was enough.

A wall of rotting and diseased purple scales, almost close enough to touch revealed itself. Each scale was as tall as Davis, and purple viscous liquid bubbled and flowed from the rot. Davis gagged at the sickly sweet smell, wondering how he hadn’t noticed it before even as his eyes followed the oozing liquid down. It was running down a crevice, Davis realized, as he looked to his left and right. They were flanked by the same sickly scales that soon faded to disgusting purple claws that towered over him and Raidramon. 

SMACK

Both of their heads snapped towards the sound. Colorless liquid ate away at the ground, foaming and smoking. Another thick glob fell from above, nearly hitting Davis in the shoulder. Davis should’ve shouted in surprise or reacted in any kind of way, but he was frozen. Even as his body shook like a leaf, his sweaty hands griping Raidramon's horns hard enough to hurt and his heart beating thrice as fast as it should, he didn’t move. He was beyond scared, beyond terrified, beyond horrified. He was numb, even as he felt compelled to slowly turn his head up. Raidramon did the same, in sync with Davis’s movements and maybe even his feelings. Together they each peered into the gaping abyss above.

Rancid breath ghosted across not Davis’ face, but his whole body from above. At first he couldn’t see anything, but then he made it out. A dark, giant maw. Jaws open so wide one must have been unhinged. Eroded yellow teeth lined rotting gums, purple blood pooling in holes and crevices. Clear liquid dripped down from an infected red tongue. This time, the liquid did hit Davis, sliding down his left shoulder and melting his jacket sleeve. The pain didn’t even register as Davis watched glowing purple eyes open one by one, three on the left side of a giant reptilian head, three on the right. Scales and skin snapped apart as right in the center of its hulking forehead two giant purple eyes, one above the other, snapped open.

Davis stared, the creature smiled, and Raidramon ran.

A roar almost like a laugh, and so loud Davis’ eardrums threatened to rupture echoed behind them. The sound broke whatever spell Davis had been under before and finally Davis screamed for Raidramon to run faster, to not stop as slow thunderous steps chased them. The words themselves were unintelligible and scrambled as Davis’s brain tripped over itself, but Raidramon responded to Davis’ panic regardless. Davis could see the light at the end of the tunnel, getting closer and closer as Raidramon sprinted forward. Even better, the footfalls of the massive creature were far behind them, not that it’d be able to fit in the rapidly narrowing cavern. For a second, bravado filled him and Davis looked back.

Teeth, razor sharp and impossibly large filled Davis’ vision. Jaws opened wide, time slowed down as half of Davis’ body entered the creature's mouth.

“DAVIS TURN AROUND!”

Raidramon's roar slammed into Davis and his body reacted without thinking, turning away from death. Somehow, Raidramon broke away from the creature and leaped, crossing the threshold of the cave and entering the light of day. The ground tears under Raidramon's claws as they land, skidding across the clearing and turning them so they’re facing the cave or rather where the cave should be. Instead all they see is flat land covered in grass, save for one spot where something purple lays in the dirt.

A tense moment passes before Raidramon's legs give out and he dedigivolves. Davis hops off of Raidramon before the transformation can finish, only for his own legs to give out. He barely stops himself from faceplanting, but that's the extent of his strength. His forehead soon meets the grass, his chest heaving with deep grasping breaths and his hands gripping painfully into the dirt. 

He flinched as Veemon’s hands surprised him, his partner desperately tugging on Davis’ bomber jacket trying to get it off. Davis trembles, barely having it in him to give Veemon a confused glance before pain tears through him and he suddenly understands. With Veemon's help and a sudden burst of adrenaline brought on by the pain, Davis manages to throw his jacket across the clearing leaving him in his tank top. His left arm, from the crest of his shoulder, to down just below his elbow, is red and raw. Davis can see the imprint of his melted jacket on his skin from where he peeled it off. Skin bubbles and blisters, blood oozing from the wound much like how the creature's own blood oozed from its rotting flesh.  Davis barely makes it away from Veemon before he’s vomiting in the grass.

“It’s okay Davis. You're okay.” Veemon rubs circles on Davis’ back, repeating the words over and over again, tears flowing from the digimon's eyes. Davis is crying too, something he only realizes when he feels snot drip from his nose and he sniffs on instinct. Davis realizes something else as well and desperately forces himself to his feet, running to the bushes to relieve himself before the damage done to his nerves makes him lose control of his bladder. 

He’s never felt like this before. Even when they were fighting BlackWargreymon, or going up against Demon or MaloMyotismon, Davis had never felt such terror in his bones, so deep that he thought he might never stop shaking. What’s worse is the embarrassment of falling apart so utterly. He nearly pissed himself for god's sake! So much for having courage.

It feels impossible to process what just happened. Instead of trying, Davis returns to Veemon. He sits in the grass and pulls the sobbing digimon into his lab, tugging his partner's head under his chin and joins him in weeping.

There’s no telling how long they stay like that, just holding each other and crying. Eventually, they have no tears to give, just pitiful little hiccups and gasps for air until finally they settle, exhaustion weighing them down. 

Even Davis doesn’t know why, but the first words out of his mouth are, “It must hurt being like that.”

“It did.” Veemon shudders. “W-we should message the others.”

Davis hadn’t even thought of that, and he instantly ripped his D-terminal out of his pocket. His arm moved in sharp jerks despite being the uninjured one, his muscles not responding the way he wanted them to. Veemon takes the device from Davis, probably not wanting him to overexert himself, and flips it open. Both of their eyes bug out as they see hundreds of texts in their inbox. Davis and Veemon look back at each other as if to ask ‘are you seeing this’ before focusing on the messages. Veemon opens the inbox and reads the oldest message.

‘Hi Davis!

I noticed you forgot to message the group chat when you got back home from the digital world. Knowing you, you probably passed out as soon as you hit the bed lol. How did your search go? I hope you and Veemon had a lot of fun even if you didn’t find the digimental. Message the group chat when you wake up okay!

Your friend,

-Kari Kamiya’

1wk ago

“That's impossible. We were only gone for a few hours.”

Veemon doesn’t respond, moving onto the next message instead.

‘Hey Davis,

I know Jun’s a massive pain, but you didn’t really run away from home cause of it right? It’s the only thing I can think of that would explain you being gone… I don’t want to think of the worst, you know? We know you're not in the digital world because your digivice's signal is gone, and you have Veemon with you so you should be fine in the real world. Stop being a baby and message us already. We’re not mad, but I definitely will be if Izzy and I need to make a program to track digidestined in the real world.

Stop being a jerk,

Yoelie Inoe’

6d ago

“We were definitely in the digital world. I would have felt it if we went somewhere else”

“Then why couldn’t they find us?”

“I don’t know Davis. I don’t know.” Veemon scrolled down the messages and opened another one.

‘Hello Davis,

We’re all worried about you. Everyone’s pitching in to look for you, both in the digital world and real world. The older digidestined have even got intact with Gennai and the digimon they made friends with on their first adventure to help find you. It’s not the same without you and Veemon to lead us forward. Please be safe and respond soon.

Yours,

Cody Hida’

4d ago

“Good old Cody.” Davis murmured. Veemon opened another message.

‘Hey Davis,

I’m sure you're fine and having fun, but you gotta come home soon Davis. Kari’s a wreck because of you. She’s convinced it’s her fault that you're gone because she noticed you didn’t check back in, and she didn’t realise you were in trouble until you weren't in school after. Making her stress like that is totally uncool man! Especially when you're out probably having the time of your life!

In all seriousness, we’re all worried about you Davis. Izzy even mentioned that your digivice might not be showing up in the digital world because it was destroyed… We’re scared, man, but I know at the end of the day you’ll be fine. I know we’ve had our differences, but I’ve grown to really trust and admire you, both as a friend and a leader. I have faith in you. You're too brave to give up. I learned that when you saved me from MaloMyotismon, and if you can handle that then you can handle anything. 

We’ll see each other again,

T.K.’

2d ago

Davis doesn’t say anything after reading T.K.’s message. He knows he should feel something, guilt for making Kari and everyone else worry, or glad that T.K. has such high views of him despite everything. Instead, the words ‘too brave to give up’ play over and over again in his mind. His stomach sours, and all he can think of is the vomit in the grass, the way he fell apart in tears, and the humiliation of nearly soiling himself. He knows it’s wrong, but a part of him desperately hopes he’ll never have to face T.K. again, just so the boy never finds out how wrong he is about Davis. 

Gently, Veemon squeezes Davis’ hand, drawing him out of his head and back to the D-terminal, a new message on the screen.

‘My friend,

I feel like something terrible is happening to you. It feels like I'm having a heart attack, the way my heart pounds and threatens to jump out of my chest. Wormmon feels the same way, if not worse. I see you in my dreams, in a dark, dark cave that leads deep into the digital world. You're not alone in the darkness, there is something out there, a terrible creature that my mind struggles to comprehend, but in my dreams you see it almost clearly if not for the darkness. Be careful my friend, it’s coming for you.

But so am I, and I won’t let it take you, not after all you've done for me. You’re my first friend Davis, and I'll always be there for you as you are for me. Take heart, I’m coming.

Your Partner,

Ken Ichijouji’

10hr ago

Davis feels a weight lift off his shoulders as he reads Ken’s message. The first part might have been foreboding but the rest reassured him that Ken would always be looking out for him. Hell, he was probably in the digital world right now looking for him. If anyone was going to find Davis and Veemon while they had been in that cave, Davis was sure it would have been Ken. Then again, Davis can’t help but think that it would have been worse if Ken did. At least this way, he was spared the horror and humiliation the encounter brought them, let alone the danger and injury. 

There are more messages in his inbox. Most are days old and from everyone from the older digidestined to his own team, but there are also messages just a couple hours older than Ken’s. Davis skims them, reading the desperation, the pleas, and the wishes of safety. Davis has Veemon move from the single messages to the group chat, but freezes when he realizes he doesn’t know what to say.

Telling everyone he was fine was the obvious choice, except he wasn’t fine. His arm was throbbing and burning, sensitive to the very air. He was a wreck, and couldn’t even find the energy to stand let alone put on a brave face. 

In the end, Davis’ message was simple.

‘To Everyone,

SOS

Davis Motomiya’

1s ago