Chapter Text
“Daisuke!! Daisuke’s here!!” Wormmon announced to the other Digimon as he walked over with Veemon.
They were in the village they’d stayed in that one time. It felt like such a long time ago now.
It made sense that the Digimon would stay there. They knew it was safe.
”Hey, everyone!!” Daisuke waved, running over.
All the Digimon were gathered, even the older Chosen Children’s.
After explaining the whole situation to everyone, they all took a moment to think.
”That girl...who do you think she is?” Piyomon was the first to speak.
”I’m not sure. Since she said she was just ‘his’ servant, I’m willing to guess she’s somehow working with Dragomon.”
”But you defeated him!”
”Yeah...we did, but he’s come back once...”
He glanced away for a moment, and then his nightmare suddenly came back to him.
...all of it.
He fought back tears, as he clenched his fists.
”I had...a dream. Some dark shadow was talking to me. And he said all these things about Dragomon...he was weak, his ego was his downfall...maybe some other things...”
”So she’s not working for Dragomon.” Palmon came to that conclusion.
”No, but the person she does work for knows him, so they might be working together.” Tentomon clarified.
“This is complicated.” Daisuke muttered.
The Digimon nodded.
It was weird talking to them without the Chosen Children, but they were definitely smart.
It made him think maybe they didn’t need him as much as he thought.
Not that he meant...like, he didn’t like himself or anything, just...It was good! It was a good thing! The Digimon could defend themselves, even if...the darkness did take him.
That first day he traveled to the Digital World, he never thought it’d lead to this...
The Digital World had helped the others grow!
But now he was just...perpetually terrified.
And weak.
He was weak.
He was always fearless before, but...
”Hey! Daisuke? Er...what’s that?”
He turned to the little blue Digimon. He was pointing towards Infinity Mountain. It seemed to be...changing? Getting taller?
As it started to tower over Primary Village, it too seemed to swallow the landscape, making more space for evil plans or something.
”Oh no...” Patamon finally mumbled after the mountain stopped changing. “It’s...it’s...”
He immediately took off, flying past Daisuke’s head.
”Hey! Patamon-w-where are you going?!”
Daisuke and the other Digimon followed Patamon to the best of their abilities.
”Hey!! Wait!!”
”Can’t wait!! I have to warn Takeru!!”
”You haven’t even told us what’s wrong!!”
”Have to warn Takeru!!”
He tumbled to the ground in front of the computer, letting it pull him into the Real World.
”Patamon!!”
Daisuke sighed, holding up his D-3.
”Guess we’re all going on a little field trip to the Real World.”
Taichi and Koushiro’s jaws dropped when Patamon, followed by Daisuke and all the other Digimon jumped through the computer.
Yeah, Daisuke had left, but they thought he’d just gone to school.
Luckily for them, they’d somehow succeeded at the oldest trick in the book, pretending you were sick so you didn’t have to go to school.
The younger boys weren’t so lucky.
Because Ken didn’t sound sick enough (apparently he was terrible at voice impressions), and Daisuke had pulled enough tricks that they wouldn’t fall for that. Daisuke’s parents would never help, and Ken would have to tell his about the Digimon, so...
They were just gonna go to school and then to the Digital World.
But that didn’t exactly work out.
“Y-You went to the Digital World?? We thought you were at school! And how’d you get the gate open in the first place??”
”It’s a long story, Koushiro-san, and-”
”Gotta warn Takeru!!”
Patamon zipped past the boys and out into the hallway.
”Agh!! Patamon, wait!! If the other kids see you...agh...”
Daisuke quickly got up and ran after the little Digimon.
“Should we...follow them?”
”No. I think they can figure it out.”
Daisuke groaned, now he was gonna get in trouble for missing classes, and for bringing a flying pig hamster angel man thing into school.
”Patamonnn!!”
The little Digimon just kept flying, checking every classroom for Takeru.
”H-He’s probably in algebra right now, but-”
The Digimon swerved around a corner and flew into the Algebra classroom.
Daisuke groaned, pushing open the door and skidding to a stop.
Everyone in the classroom stared at him and Patamon, who had now completely froze, except for his wings, which were still flapping to keep him in the air.
Daisuke laughed nervously and grabbed Patamon.
”This is just my...talking flying toy!! He got kinda...out of control, and I had to chase him through the hallway.”
”Motomiya, is it?”
He nodded.
”Keep this ‘talking flying toy’ in your backpack next time if you absolutely must bring it.”
He nodded again.
”I will. Sorry again for the trouble.”
Takeru has just been watching with a worried and surprised expression the whole time.
”Meet us in the computer room later.” Daisuke mouthed, he hoped as clearly annunciated as possible.
Then he ran back to said computer room.
”Agh! Nooo!! I have to warn Takeru!”
”Whatever that mountain is, it doesn’t seem like it’s about to blow up in five seconds. I’m sure you have time, and I don’t want Takeru to fail his class cause of me.”
Patamon sighed, jumping down to join the crowd of Digimon.
“Now, care to explain how the gate reopened?” Koushiro asked.
”Yeah. Of course, Koushiro-san.”
Daisuke sat down in front of the other boys, and started talking.
“Patamon!!” Takeru shouted, almost tripping and collapsing into the room.
”Takeru!!” Patamon shouted with equal enthusiasm, flying into the boy’s arms.
”Hey, Patamon! Now, Daisuke...what happened?”
”I-It’s Infinity Mountain,” Patamon said shakily. “Devimon’s back.”
Takeru’s eyes widened in horror.