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"More than Energy"

Koneko... For all intents and purposes, apart from the unusual coloring, he appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary Wanyamon. Yet he called Meiryosa "mother" and the dark-haired girl said he was Raion's and her son. Staring at the little furball, I could hardly believe he was the first known, true digimon-human hybrid.

Koneko stared back at me with those big, sun-colored eyes, I couldn't help but feel guilty just for my curiosity. "How is this even possible?" I asked, "Digimon are just data; ones and zeros inside a computer mainframe. This whole place is supposed to be nothing more than an image created with binary code."

Meiryosa crossed her arms, insulted by the very suggestion. "Does this look like the inside of a computer to you?" she snapped, her arms shaking as though attempting to keep from slapping me again, "Does my son look like he's made of nothing but ones and zeros? Use your eyes, Cheisu. Use your nose. Use your hands. For honor's sake, use your heart! This world is just as real as the world you call home. It's filled with just as much life, and just as much wonder, if not more. Koneko is only one example of that fact. Don't you DARE imply otherwise!"

Defensive, I raised my hands. "I'm sorry," he said, bowing, "I mean no disrespect. It's just... this is all still new to me. I used to dream this place was real. I used to imagine I could come and have all the same adventures as the digidestined, but everyone pointed out to me how foolish I was. Eventually I realized they were right, so I gave it up. If not for Riina, I would probably never have come here at all."

My apologies and my laughably feeble excuse (I had to admit this even to myself) did little to appease Meiryosa. "The most foolish thing you did was to give up on your dreams and forget what you knew to be the truth," she answered, "Now it's Riina who suffers for it. You had best hope she recovers quickly, or you will regret it for the rest of your days."

Her long-winded rebuke finished, she turned her back and waved me inside while Koneko rushed back in ahead of us. "Come on. You need to eat and get a full night's rest."

"What about Riina and the others?" I hadn't seen them at all since getting separated by the outside firewall.

"Raion is looking after them, since you were apparently incapable of doing so."

That hurt. It was easy for Meiryosa to stand in judgment. Afterall, she'd been here for years. I was still new to it, and no matter how many times I mentioned it, she always seemed to conveniently forget that fact. "I'm trying my best," I muttered sullenly.

Meiryosa stopped dead in her tracks right then. "If you were truly giving your best, Renamon would have won that fight, and easily," she spat. "If you were really giving her everything she needed... but you're holding back. She deserves better than that, Cheisu. Honestly... she deserves better than you." I couldn't argue. I just followed further into the home.

Despite the exotic trappings outside, the house wasn't furnished in a manner much different from those on File Island. The interior was illuminated by the same exotic, glowing crystals as the outer cavern. They bathed everything in the same soft blue glow. The wood-paneled entry hall split off into three different branches. The one on the left led into the kitchen. Through the high archway, I could see an old-style table, surrounded by colorful pillows to seat a family much larger than the one that shared this dwelling place. Koneko sat on one, already bouncing up and down in eager anticipation of whatever meal Raion had planned for this evening. Straight ahead, another archway led into the living room. Apart from a leather sofa, and a brick fireplace (in which a soft red-white flame danced the evening merrily away) it seemed sparsely decorated, as though the family didn't spend much time at home.

Meiryosa led me to the right-hand branch. A curved, wooden staircase led up to the second floor, which contained little more than a landing and a pair of bedrooms, with a bathroom sandwiched between them.

The bedroom to my right must have belonged to Koneko. It was decorated with numerous, bright reds, yellows, and greens. Squishy, feather-filled pads replaced traditional wallpaper... probably to keep Koneko from injuring himself with his incessant bouncing. My interest was only passing, however.

Our destination was, in fact, the lefthand room, which obviously belonged to Meiryosa and Raion. Its most prominent feature was a king-sized bed with posts carved from the wood of the silvery-white trees. Riina and Shori snuggled together beneath the soft, patch-work quilt. Surprisingly, Okami curled up on the floor at the foot of the bed. His legs kicked in his sleep, almost like he was running, chasing after a lopmon in his sleep. The whole scene felt so peaceful that for one, brief moment, I forgot that it was only minutes before we were fighting for our very lives. I felt as if, looking in on the peacefully sleeping trio, I was gazing upon my family... the family I was meant to have. It was a sense of belonging... I was home.

The spell broke as from behind Raion nudged his way past me, carrying strips of wet cloth to place on their heads. Riina shifted so as to wrap more protectively around the young girl. Meiryosa pushed me toward them.

"First lesson," she whispered, "Your partner's health is the only thing that matters."With a quiet nod I joined Raion beside the bed.

Now that I was closer to them I could truly appreciate the seriousness of their conditions. I could see the subtle chilled shakes that wracked Shori's body. Her olive skin was reddened with fever. Sweat droplets clung to her brow and cheeks. Her breathing was labored and shallow. Ugly brown and blue bruises made themselves visible through Riina's pretty, golden and white fur. Okami slept with one arm braced against his chest, and he whimpered each time he attempted to move it, as if it was broken. Even Raion wore bandages wrapped around his midsection.

He must have sensed my stare, because the next thing I knew he turned his head, and I found myself staring into his intense, blue-eyed stare. "You need not concern yourself with me," came his reassurance, "My injuries are minor... mostly scratches and a few cuts. They're nothing from which I won't heal."

"What about them?" I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and letting my fingers stroke through Shori's hair.

Raion pursed his black lips together so tightly that the color briefly drained from them. "Renamon and Gaomon's-"

"Riina and Okami," I amended. I recalled what Riina told me, that to refer to a digimon only by their species name is to rob them of their individuality. The matter seemed important enough to forget common courtesy, if only this once.

Raion growled softly in annoyance, but beyond that he let my momentary etiquette breach slide. "Riina and Okami's injuries are somewhat worse," he admitted, "It will likely take them a week at the least to recover, but their primary problem is their depleted strength."

"And Shori?" I grew more concerned each time Raion refused to make mention of her. There was something he didn't want to tell me.

"Shori's condition is... less certain," Raion answered after some hesitation, "So far as I can tell, she is physically well but..."

"But what?"

Raion sighed. "It's impossible to be sure," he said, "But... the Warui Yokan Mountains are a place where great evil gathers. There is a... a shadow there that steals away the light, and tears at your very soul. If you're sensitive to such things, and unprepared for them, as Shori was, the darkness' very weight could kill you."

Darkness. Riina had mentioned darkness, but I had never dared to imagine it could be that bad, and there was something that didn't quite fit. "She started to get sick not long after we landed," I argued, "How could the curse of the mountains have affected her from that far away?"

"How could you not have noticed?" Raion questioned, "Our world is not the same place it once was. Meiryosa and I have been unable to determine the reason or the source, but the exact same form of darkness seems to be spreading outward from the mountains, and places like them. Server, Spirial Mountin, the cities, even places once filled with nothing but happiness, like Toy Town... they're all being corrupted, I fear far beyond repair."

I looked back, but Meiroysa was already gone. A fresh wave of guilt washed over me. All this time my sole concern had been finding my way home safely. I couldn't care less about the concerns of the digital world, even when Riina brought them up time and again... But to Meiryosa and Raion, to Riina and Okami, and even to little Koneko, to everyone but Shori and me, this was home. They were fighting to save it, risking their lives. They were taking the brunt... and then there I was, standing in the background, swiping cards, thinking I was something special. Yet in spite of all tht, apart from that one, instinctive act, I couldn't think of one truly selfless thing I had ever done.

"If the whole world becomes corrupt, then Meiryosa and Koneko..." I choked at the thought, but Raion's slow nod told me all I needed to know. "How can I help?"

Raion's face was suddenly stern. "As I belive Meiryosa told you, you can start by not holding back from Riina anymore."

"But I... I don't understand," I admitted, "I'm giving her all the energy and all the... direction I can. What more can I do?"

Raion shook his head. "Meiryosa and I didn't get this far because she gave me energy, Cheisu," he said, "We got this far because we've invested everything in one another. Meiryosa shares her hopes and her dreams with me. She shares her heart, and her energy... Her first concern is my well-being. And I in turn give her the same. Energy is important in helping us digivolve when the time comes, but what Riina needs from you more is what is in your heart... and, I think... something you've forgotten."

"What have I forgotten?" I asked.

Raion shook his head yet again. For some reason, everytime he did that I knew his answer would leave me more questions than I had to start. "I don't know," he admitted, "but Riina does. Cheisu, before you leave here, you and Riina need to spend some time with one another... The bond between you is strong, but something is holding you apart... until you and Riina are truly one with one another, you will never be able triumph in battle against foes like Musyamon... and there are many, many who are far stronger than he."