Part 8: Gennai's Library
Miyako shivered. She was standing at her window, unable to sleep. She had changed into her nightgown, which only made her colder in the early morning. Hawkmon slept on a pile of blankets, oblivious to his digidestined child.
Ten minutes later, a fully dressed Miyako slipped into the schoolyard. In a few hours on a school day it would be chock full of children, and she might have a chance of seeing Erek, Casia, or Asha. But it was Saturday.
"Miyako!"
The girl saw Daisuke waving to her from the doorway where he and Ken stood. "You couldn't sleep either?"
"No."
Ken nodded. "I'm tired, but I just can't sleep."
"Where's Wormmon?"
"Sleeping. Veemon's asleep too, and I'm assuming Hawkmon is in the same condition."
Miyako thought of all her friends, including her partner, and wondered what they were doing now. Probably sleeping. That was where Hawkmon, Wormmon, and Veemon were.
"We can't go to Digiworld," Miyako said. "We don't have any way to defend ourselves."
Daisuke shrugged. "Wasn't Digiworld what brought us here? We aren't planning to fight. We just want to know what happened to Odaiba last night."
Miyako and Ken nodded. The trio walked slowly into the school. Suddenly a call rang out. "Wait up, you guys!"
Sora dashed over to them, panting. "Hey. I couldn't fall asleep, so I came here. I guess Garudamon can protect us all, right?"
Ken nodded. "Sure. Digi-Port, open!"
The four humans landed in a sunny field. Miyako instantly felt warmer. Somehow it was much earlier in the day here. Just as Biyomon flew into Sora's arms, they heard shrieks from somewhere above...
"What--where'd the floor go?!"
"Tai! Help me, Tai!"
"Falling again!"
"This is highly unusual!"
"What's happening to me?"
"Patamon!"
"I'm okay, T.K., I can fly!"
"Oh, great, now I'll NEVER be ready for that quiz!"
"Kari!"
"Be careful, Iori!"
"Where are you, Miyako?"
"Daisuke?"
"Where's Ken?"
"This is perfect. Absolutely perfect. HELP!"
The remaining eight digidestined and the left-behind digimon landed on the grass in front of Sora, Daisuke, Ken, and Miyako. Most of them were already in pajamas and had been trying to catch some Zs, but Joe, Izzy, Matt, and Kari were still dressed.
"Ick, I've never been here in my nightgown before!" Mimi said. "Um, Izzy, can you get off my stomach?"
Izzy blushed. "Sorry, Mimi."
T.K. yawned and blinked. "What are we doing here? Better yet, how did we get here?"
"The floor vanished," Iori said, face pale. "Somehow, the floor VANISHED!"
"Oh, no," Tai groaned.
"What?" Kari asked, feeling for bruises. "Ow!"
"This is EXACTLY what happened when we came and went from Digiworld three years ago! We might be trapped here again!"
"Trapped?" Daisuke asked, paling visibly.
"Trapped?" Miyako echoed.
"Oh, no, trapped in Digiworld in my pajamas," Mimi moaned. "Hi, Palmon."
The children without theirs glumly greeted their digimon friends. They were stuck, point blank. Stuck in Digiworld with no way of going home again.
"Could be worse," Gomamon said cheerfully. "You could be captured by the DarkDestined!"
Joe tutted. "Like anything could be worse than missing the one day it isn't mandatory that I do my homework!"
"Where'd the TV go?" Daisuke asked, looking around wildly. The portal home had disappeared. They really WERE trapped.
"Oh, no," Tai moaned. "Oh, NO! We thought it was bad enough to come back when time was off! Who knows how long we'll be here, and now that time is in sync...now that we'll be missed...this just can't happen!"
"Welcome, digidestined." The kids spun to see a hologram of Gennai. "I cannot put into words how glad I am that you have returned."
"Don't use words, get us OUT!" Mimi said. "At least give me some proper clothes!"
"Calm down, Mimi. So, you've already defeated a DarkDestined. I'm delighted. I watched the entire thing. From my sources I have discovered that your next challenge is Erek and Kodrimon."
"Oh, no! Not the evil laugh!" Miyako groaned.
"I'm afraid so. Then Asha, then Tashino, and last--if you get that far--Casia."
"What makes you think we won't?" T.K. asked fiercely.
"Oh, no, I only have time for two questions before I feed my fish." The image flickered. "Hurry up."
"Who's KaliNa?"
"What are the cards?"
Gennai hesitated. "I do not myself know the answers to those questions. I'm sure you will find the answers in my library, though. Why don't you come?"
"How do we get there?" Iori asked.
"Follow the crest," Gennai said before vanishing.
"Which crest?" Sora asked.
Everyone looked at Ken, who automatically backed up a few paces.
"Ken has a real crest," Agumon said. At that moment a purplish beam shot from the crest into the forest.
"Let's go!"
~*~
It was two hours later when Tai finally agreed to a break. The girls immediately threw themselves onto the ground and sighed. Tai marched around the clearing impatiently until Agumon suggested that they go get some food. Tai, Matt, Joe, Izzy, T.K., Daisuke, Iori, and all the digimon headed off into the forest.
Mimi stretched her legs and sighed happily. "Now, this is the life I wanted in Digiworld!"
"Sure," Ken said. The bright beam from the crest was beginning to hurt his eyes. He wished it would just quit glowing for the time being. As if reading his thoughts, it did.
A shadow fell over the five digidestined. Miyako glanced up and screamed. She threw her arms over her head and dashed under a tree as a large bird swept down at her, talons gleaming.
Ken flung himself recklessly in front of her and Mimi and cried out in pain as the digimon's sharp talons tore at him. Sora's voice said, "Raptorimon is a dangerous data digimon! Watch out, even though he doesn't often use his attacks, his talons are deadly!"
Kari shrieked in horror as Ken slid limply to the ground, Raptorimon still slicing at his body. His face was already a mass of cuts, and the digimon didn't seem likely to give up very soon.
Finally Raptorimon seemed to think he had hurt Ken enough. Leaving the boy on the ground, vision clouded by a red haze of pain, he whirled on Sora. He had barely torn her sleeve when he heard a soft gasping noise behind him.
Ken was standing up, leaning heavily on a tree. His crest glowed brightly once more. "You--can't hurt--us!" he said brokenly as a brilliant beam shot from his crest. Raptorimon shrieked once and disintegrated just as the missing members of the team ran into the clearing.
Tai gaped at his friends in confusion. Kari and Miyako were holding Ken up as he sagged against a tree, gasping for breath and bleeding profusely. Sora was nursing a scratch on her arm. Mimi sat on the ground, eyes wide. Wormmon dashed over to his digidestined. "Ken!"
Matt turned to Gabumon. "Digivolve. You too, Patamon, Gatomon, and Hawkmon." In seconds MetalGarurumon, Nefertimon, Pegasusmon, and Halsemon stood before them. Tai and Matt helped Ken onto MetalGarurumon's back and took off in the direction of Gennai's house, everyone else following.
~*~
"What happened?" Gennai asked as soon as the digidestined arrived. For a moment the children couldn't speak; Gennai had relocated, and now owned a giant mansion above ground.
"We were attacked by Raptorimon, and he hurt Ken," Sora said finally, nursing the scratch on her arm. "He needs help, and fast!"
"Take him in there," Gennai said, waving toward a door. Tai and Matt carried a now unconscious Ken into the room, followed closely by Wormmon. Gennai frowned and then indicated another room. "Izzy, there's medical supplies in there." The boy ran into the room. Gennai then bent over Sora's arm. "You should get that attended to right away, it could get infected. Go get a bandage, same room Izzy went into." Sora darted down the hall.
Gennai turned to the remaining digidestined children. "Follow me to the library."
Everyone gasped when they entered a beautiful circular room lit by the gentle glow of lamps and rapidly darkening skylights. There were bookshelves everywhere except in the corner where two round tables sat end to end.
"Choose one book each," Gennai said. He turned and left as the children began to browse. Matt, Tai, Izzy, and Sora soon joined them.
"Hey!" Kari said soon after. "Look!" She held up a red book that looked very old. "Proverbs, Predictions, and Prophecies. I'm reading this one!"
Tai walked over and inspected the books. "This shelf has some good ones! If Digiworld was a Game...If Digiworld was an Animal...If Digiworld was a Human...there's a whole series!"
"Pick one," Sora suggested. Tai chose If Digiworld was a Game after much deliberation. Matt decided to read The Lives of the Digidestined Children in Colorful Detail. Mimi discovered Central Spots of Beauty in Digiworld. T.K. and Daisuke both unearthed copies of How to Find the Magic in Yourself and Others. Izzy held up a very worn book called A History of Digiworld. Joe found Medicinal Plants of Digiworld By Continent. Sora decided to read Digimon Profiles. Iori sat down to read Digi-Defense. Miyako was the last to find a book: Useful Tips on Surviving Should You Become Lost in the Digital World With No Clue What You Should Do. All the children found seats. Kari carefully opened her ancient book and began to read...
