Where the Shadows Lie
Chapter 1: The Mysterious Package
Davis:
"Come on!" Davis yelled; his thumb slamming on the joystick. "Come on… Come on… YES!"
After what must have been the 30th try he'd finally won the race with Riku. The first ten tries or so he had charged after him down the bridge, only realizing the shortcut after falling off the ledge by accident… how long had it taken? It didn't matter. There was no way he would let his rival win with that at stake.
"Looks like I'm eating the fruit with Kairi." The gogglehead said aloud. He walked his character to speak with Riku.
"Oh that paupu thing?" Riku said. "That was a joke. You should have seen the look on your face."
"What?" Was all the player could say.
"Are you upset or something? It was only a joke."
"I really hope this game lets me kill you."
It was then that Davis' game was interrupted by the telephone ringing. He answered it. "Hello, it's Davis, erm Daisuke." He caught himself at the end. Defiantly it was better to answer the phone with his given name than a foreign nickname. It wouldn't have mattered though. He recognized the voice of a boy from his soccer team in the reply.
"Sup Captain?" He said. "I was meeting some of the team down at the park by the school. You wanna come?"
Davis had just gotten a new videogame. Did he want to put it on hold? He thought for a split second… the game would keep, but this wouldn't.
"Sure thing." The gogglehead replied. "Meet you there in a second."
"See you there." The boy said hanging up. Davis left his room and walked toward the apartment's front door. As he grabbed the knob though his mother voice called to him."Daisuke," she said "you have a package."
He turned around. Mrs. Motomiya held out to him, amid a pile of mail, a small rectangular cardboard box. The box had a base only slightly larger than the envelopes and a depth about half the length of his mom's finger. He took the box fascinated.
"I don't remember the last time got a package." He said.
"Did you order something on that computer of yours?" Mrs. Motomiya asked suspiciously.
"No." He replied excitedly. "It must be a gift from a friend."
His mother seemed to trust him. "Alright, but if I find anything fishy in my bank statement you're in trouble." She said. "And next time say something before you go out." She then walked away. Davis took the package up to his room. "DemiVeemon has to be bored watching me play games all day." He thought. "I'll show him this before I go. It ought to brighten his day." The tiny dragon was asleep in the corner when Davis returned to his room. He had been when he started the game. The googlehead bent down and woke him.
"What is it partner?" DemiVeemon asked.
"I got something in the mail!" Davis replied.
"What's mail?" The digimon asked.
"Um, it's when your friends send you messages and stuff."
"You mean like with the D-Terminals?"
"Yes actually." The human replied. "Except sometimes presents come in the mail too! That's called a package."
DemiVeemon rose to his feat, suddenly exited. "Did one of your friends send you their Digi-Egg!?"
Perhaps the D-Terminal analogy was a step in the wrong direction. "No, I don't think the package is big enough for a Digi-Egg to fit." Davis said.
His partner was puzzled. "It looks about the same size as a D-Terminal, an Digi-Eggs fit inside of them."
Davis chuckled. Obviously the tiny creature had more to learn about the human world. Still, who knows what new projects Izzy was working on? Maybe he had sent him a new D-Terminal, or something even better! The gogglehead tore off the cardboard top and found a folded piece of paper over the package's contents. Lifting up the paper he saw… something unexpected beneath.
Surrounded by felt were two black rings small enough to go around his finger. Each had rectangular red gem stones on top, the long sides sticking off the ring itself. This did not look like Izzy's work. He did not know whose work it looked like at all.
"What's in it Davis?" DemiVeemon asked.
"Some kind of rings." Davis said puzzled. He set the box down so that his partner could look inside. Fascinated, the blue dragon lifted one of the rings in his arms and began to examine it. Davis turned his attention to the folded paper. Unfolding it he found a note written on the inside. He began to read.
"To the worthy recipient:
The rings enclosed are my gift to you. Any two people that put on the rings will switch bodies."
"No way!" Davis thought, but he kept reading.
"This effect will only work once every 24 hours. Attempts by any two individuals to use the rings within this time will fail. As a reminder of this, the jewels will automatically rotate 180 degrees after a switch. Any attempt to switch with the jewels in this position, even after 24 hours, will fail. This allows the rings to be worn as jewelry without risk of an unwanted switch. The jewels can be rotated manually at any time, however returning them to their initial position within 24 hours of a switch will not enable switching prematurely. "
"What does it say?" DemiVeemon asked. Davis looked down to see his partner staring up at him.
"Apparently if you wear the rings you switch bodies." He said giggling. Still curious he kept reading the letter.
"Information associated with language is left behind during switches. This means that someone in another person's body will be able to speak, write, and understand any languages the other person could and no others. They will also instinctively speak in whatever dialect the other person naturally spoke and will only be able to convincingly replicate dialects the other person could."
"Yeah, this is total crap." Davis thought.
"Awesome!" DemiVeemon yelled. "Let's try it!"
Davis was surprised. "Really Veemon?" he said.
"Come on Davis! You know it will be fun!" His partner replied.
Davis decided to humor him. "Alright." He picked up the other ring and slipped it onto his finger. DemiVeemon attempted to slide the ring he was holding over one of his arms, but it fell to the ground as he weakened his grip.
"Um, could you help me please?" He asked.
"Sure thing buddy." Davis said as he bent down to pick up the dropped ring. Still bent over he slid the ring over his partner's arm, and then, for the next split second, his vision went black. He tripped and felt his back hit the floor.
As sight returned to him the goggle-head could not believe what he saw. Dominating his view was a white torso with scaly blue limbs poking out. One of the limbs was half covered by a monstrously large black ring. He clinched in shock, and the scaly limbs moved at his command. He looked up and saw his own standing body towering above him, looking down with a smiling face. "You see, this IS fun!" It said. Davis looked back down and saw the blue and white body he now recognized as DemiVeemon's. He lifted "his" fingerless arms to his face and felt the rough scales angst soft flesh. He couldn't believe it… they really had switched bodies!
"I…" "this…" He stuttered.
"You okay partner?" The newly made human asked. It sounded deeper than Davis remembered his voice to sound.
"I… I'm just really shocked." The shrunken boy said. The words sounded MUCH deeper than the high squeaky voice he remembered of DemiVeemon. "I didn't think that would work."
"Why not?" DemiVeemon asked.
"Stuff like this just doesn't happen in the real world." Davis said. "Are you telling me it happens in the Digital world?"
"No," DemiVeemon replied. He appeared to begin thinking. "I don't think I've ever seen it happen in the Digital World either, but then again I've only spent one night there out from under my Digi-Egg…"
Davis looked at the ring… no not a ring; on DemiVeemon's body is was more of a large armband. Whatever it was, he noticed the red gem had turned; the long sides where now lined up with the ring itself. He remembered what that meant.
"We can't switch back until this time tomorrow…" He murmured.
"What's the matter partner?" DemiVeemon asked.
"This is freaky." The former human said. "This isn't what I'm supposed to be. How are you so okay in such a different form?"
"I take a different form twice every day." The former digimon replied. He seemed puzzled that he was even having this conversation. "Is it the size change that bothers you? It is kind of a bummer shrinking down when I come to the real world…"
"Humans just don't change like this." Davis said. "For us it should take years to change size not seconds, and it should only go one way."
"That's boring." DemiVeemon replied. "Come on Davis, don't tell me you've never wondered what it was like to be a digimon. I know I've wondered what it's like to be human."
His partner had him there. Davis had indeed wondered what it was like to be a digimon. Most of the creatures he'd seen had been superhuman in power. Who hadn't fantasized about being able to fly or having super strength? Heck, it seemed more natural for a digidestined to wonder this than anyone else. Everything special they had done, they'd done through their digimon partners. How could they be so close to such power and not long for a taste? The change still creeped him out, but now he just had to have that taste.
"You're right." Davis said. "We go into the digital world tomorrow right? I think I am going to like doing digimon things."
"Awesome!" Came the reply. "I know I'm going to enjoy doing human things." There was a pause. "What are those?"
Davis chuckled. "I was going to play soccer in the park a minute ago." He said. "Do you know how to get to the school? It's right that way." He wasn't prepared for the reply.
"What's a park?" DemiVeemon asked. "How do I play soccer?"
It was then that it dawned on him just how little the dragon had seen of this world. If he wasn't fighting in the digital world he was sleeping in his room… Wow… He really needed this switch didn't he? Any doubts the former gogglehead had about it melted away.
"Soccer is easy. You just kick a black and white ball into a net where the other team is while they try to kick the ball toward a net where your team is." He said. He knew the game was much more involved than that but he didn't want to discourage his partner. "As for the park it's that green field with the nets we pass by on the way to school. Do I need to explain how to get there?"
"Oh that place? I can get there fine." DemiVeemon said. "I see all the stops you make on the way to school from that hole in your bookbag."
"There's a hole in my bookbag?" Davis asked.
"Yeah, right next to that brown stain on the inside." His partner said… When did that get there? No matter, by now the team was probably waiting for him.
"You sure you can make it on your own?" He asked.
"Positive. Anything else I should know before I leave?"
"Not that I can think of." Davis said. "See you later."
"Seeya" his partner turn toward the door. He stared at it for a second and started fumbling with the knob.
…
"Do I have to explain how to open doors?" Davis thought
The door clicked open before he could say anything. The former human could swear he heard his partner squee with delight. As he walked out the door Davis thought "How worried should I be?"
The first big worry came once DemiVeemon was out of earshot. He hadn't closed the door when he left, giving his family an easy view into his room. They could see his bizarre package and him in his new body. He walked behind the door and began pushing. It moved… slowly.
"Come on!" He said grunting. He pushed harder and the door sped up, and then clicked shut.
Davis took a deep breath… Had he just struggled to close the door? How could a digimon be weaker than he was? He'd seen these things burst though rock walls in the digital world. What level where those digimon? Champions? Is an in-training that much weaker? Did Veemon gain and loose that much power every day?
"Being a digimon is crazy." He said out-loud.
Whatever… time for "digimon things." What did DemiVeemon do when he was away? Sleep. Sleep sleep and more sleep. He did feel really tired…
"I could sleep as a human." Davis said disappointed. "There has to be something else…"
He looked over toward the TV. It was still on, as was his game console. The controller was on the floor… He looked at his stubby fingerless arms… He could play games as a human too, but somehow it seemed more interesting like this. He walked up to the controller and pressed his arm against the joystick. Sure enough his character moved, just as if he had used his old thumb. He found his other arm could press the buttons just as well too. He couldn't pick the controller at the same time as either of those things, but it seemed he was small enough to look up at the TV and not have to hold it. The heartless came, the keyblade appeared, and then the heartless fell just like they had in the tutorial… okay not quite that easily. This method was still kind of awkward to someone who had gamed with thumbs all his life, but hey this game was new, no built in reflexes to work against. Riku sank into darkness and the giant heartless appeared…
It was then that Davis realized that the soccer team would see his body play with the skill of someone who didn't even know how to play the game this morning… He would be a laughing stock. The gogglehead knew he hadn't been giving the team as much attention as he did before he was a digidestined, and he did not know how the team felt about it. Would this be a the last straw? Would they want a new captain? He couldn't let that happen! NO! He couldn't lose the team he'd inherited from Tai!
Then the heartless killed him… he needed his head in the game with this body…
"What do I care if they pick a new captain?" Davis said as he reloaded. "I'll just switch with him and it'll be like nothing happened."
He was joking with himself. They couldn't they replace him that easily. After he blocked Ichijochi he couldn't see them wanting to anyway. He might have face to make up after they saw DemiVeemon play, but surly it was nothing he couldn't do with a little extra work. Nothing to fear. Still, it did make him wonder. If he were to permanently switch with someone who would it be? The prime minister? Michel J Barton? Tai?
Davis laughed. "Like I could ever be Tai!"
Really he couldn't image taking on the new responsibilities any of those options would require. Sure, getting bigger didn't seem so bad after being smaller now, and a new name would be easy too. He'd more or less changed names amongst his friends anyway after he saw that Barton movie and took his English nickname. He was still happy in his life though; he wouldn't give it up so easy.
"I wonder what Veemon would think?" He said as his character reappeared on Destiny Island. "I'll ask him when he gets back."
He had thought enough. All of the heartless he encountered died, including the giant. Somewhere in Traverse Town, however, his new body's demand for rest got the better of him and he fell asleep right there…
….
…
…
…
…
…
The sound of his alarm woke him. He reached over for the snooze button and felt… what?
Davis then realized he was lying forward on top of a giant PS2 controller. He stepped back in shock and saw scaly blue arms in the corner of his eye. On one of the arms was… oh yeah.
He looked over toward the bed and saw his own body turn off the alarm. "Morning partner." DemiVeemon said.
"Morning Partner." Davis repeated.
It was real. He had thought it was a dream, but he was really DemiVeemon… This was going to be an interesting day.
DemiVeemon got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom. He opened the door and stepped in… this was going to be an awkward morning… might as well run with it. Did Davis need to go too? He didn't feel he needed to. A body as small as DemiVeemon's didn't need to eat or drink a lot, and all the sleeping he did made him need even less food and water, so he didn't have to go often. It was good for both of them. He still remembered having to figure out how DemiVeemon would use a toilet twice as big as he was when first got here. They found Davis would have to hold his partner over the toilet while he relieved himself. It was awkward enough to do that for the lizard… to ask his partner to do it for him? That was to embarrassing for the former human to think about.
DemiVeemon stepped out of the bathroom and asked him a bizarre question "Um, how do you digivolve?"
What?
"Humans don't digivolve?" was all Davis could say..
"Yeah you do, like when we go to the digital world." The naïve human said. "I digivolve to then but I don't when I go in there. How do you do that every morning?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Davis said.
"You go in there every morning and come out different looking. How do you do that?" DemiVeemon asked.
Different looking? Wait… was DemiVeemon wearing the same clothes that he had on yesterday afternoon? He didn't know how to change clothes... Of course he didn't. How would he know that? Did he care to explain?
"Never mind, we don't need to look different today." Davis said. No one would notice him in the same clothes two days in a row right? The conversation was already too awkward to continue…. Wait a minute? If he didn't know that how had he gone to the bathroom on his own in his body? They had been switched half a day now. Had DemiVeemon wet himself in his body? Had he done it in front of the team? Did he dare ask?
Davis smelled his partner as best he could. He smelled clean. That meant he hadn't done it right?
"You did use the toilet okay last night right?" He asked.
"Oh yeah, perfectly." DemiVeemon said. "The guys on your team explained it well."
"What?"
"I asked the guys on your team how to use the toilet as a human and they were happy to explain." The naïve human said. "They laughed the whole time."
Davis would have much, much more face to make up with his team than he thought.
He stared at his partner for a few seconds. "You okay partner?" DemiVeemon eventually asked. "Did you get something in your eye?"
"It's not his fault." Davis whispered himself. He told his partner. "I'm fine. Do you know how to get to school?"
"Yep" the former dragon announced excitedly. He walked to Davis' bookbag and picked it up. "You ready to go?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
DemiVeemon picked him up and placed him inside. He took the ring from his arm as he did.
"I don't know about you but that ring looks ugly on my arm." The former digimon said. He slipped the ring off his own finger and set both inside the bag with Davis. He looked at the zipper. "I just do what I did to open it in reverse to close it right?"
"Yes." Davis replied. Everything went dark as he did… expect for one tiny ray of light. He walked toward it and found a small hole roughly the size of his new eye. Looking through it he saw his room… then his hallway… then the outside. He looked back into the bookbag… Yeah he'd definitely rather view the scenery than stumble in the dark. No wonder his partner knew the way so well. He realized as they approached the school that DemiVeemon had been carrying the bookbag in his hand the way there. As if he could hear his thoughts, Davis felt the former dragon lift up the bag and hold it front of him for a second then place it correctly on his back. He must have been mimicking what the other kids were doing. He walked through the hall then sat in, what hopefully, was Davis's desk. Davis could see another kid sitting at a desk through the hole.
"That must be how he knew to sit at a desk." Davis thought. How did he know which one?
He didn't. Within the minute he heard another student complain about "Davis" being in her seat. He felt him pick up the bag and take him elsewhere. Another kid made the same complaint within the next minute and guided "Davis" to the correct seat.
He heard the teacher begin lecturing soon after that. DemiVeemon was stuck sitting through history instead of him. It was finally something to be grateful for. It didn't take much feeling around to find his Gameboy in the bookbag, it was half as big as he was after all. He flipped the switch and the machine turned on. Now to angle himself right… oh come on… Davis quickly found he could mash the buttons well enough with DemiVeemon's arms, but they were just too short and the machine to big for him to be able to press the buttons and view the screen at the same time.
"At least I'm getting out of school." He thought, switching it off. "Half the time I sleep through history anyway, I'll bet it's easier in this body."
It was very easy…
…
…
He felt a hand touch him. Opening his eyes he saw his own body looking down at him, digivice in hand.
"Wake up partner!" DemiVeemon said. "It's time to go save the digital world!"
This time he was not surprised. His partner set the bookbag down on the floor and opened the zipper all the way. Davis looked around. He was in the computer room… had he slept through the whole school day? The other kid's digimon were all around him. Seeing them up close like this was… unnerving. Among them were, after all, a flying pig and a disembodied head. He'd gotten used to them at his own height, but now that they were as big as he was… heck even Poromon and Gatomon were kind of scary. Hadn't he gotten used to seeing giant monsters as a digidestined? It shamed him to think not.
He looked up and saw the other children. This was much easier. Being a kid he was used to seeing adults tower over him, and by now he'd gotten used to his old body doing it. Admittedly it was weird to see Cody this way, but it wasn't at all frightening. There was one pleasant sight, in fact, that outweighed all his unease: Kari.
"My god," He thought, "She's even prettier than before."
Maybe it was like how everyone seemed to like older kids or adults. She sure looked like an adult from this height…
"I think everything was already worth it."
"What did you say, DemiVeemon?" Kari asked.
Had he said that out loud?
"Erm, nothing," Davis quickly replied. "You ready to go?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." She said. She held her digivice to the computer.
"Digiport open!" She yelled. The others held their digivices up as well and, in a flash, they were off.
The world was slightly smaller to Davis then. The human kids were still bigger than him, but not by as much. He knew he had digivolved into Veemon. He moved his fingers… it was nice to have them again. The other digimon were still the same size as him but they were less monstrous in their Rookie forms…that comforted him too. Hills of sand were all around them. DemiVeemon was now wearing Davis's digital world clothes… he was looking at himself in curiosity.
"Davis, what are you doing?" Yolie asked.
"Ah, nothing." DemiVeemon said stopping abruptly. "Where are we going?"
"That way." Cody said pointing. The group looked that way and saw a control spire in the distance; a road in the sand went that way. Nothing happened to them as they followed it toward the spire.
Davis and his partner walked in the back. They, Davis in particular, were still fascinated by their new bodies and didn't want to attract attention from the others. The former human began flexing his muscles… they definitely looked bigger than what he'd known as a human, then again they were on a smaller body… Was he superhuman now? He felt stronger than he remembered… Could just be wishful thinking? Could he wrestle his humanized partner without everyone asking a million questions? Probably not.
The road soon reached a hill. From its top they could clearly see the control spire and the slaves the Digimon Emperor had left to defend it. A few hundred yards away there was a dinosaur with heads on its arms and seven or eight ghosts… Oh dear… He had seen those ghosts before.
"Bakemon" TK said. "Looks like eight of them."
So that was what they were called… He wished they weren't there.
"Anyone know the three-head that's with them?" Kari asked.
"Deltamon." Gatomon said. "They were never seen at all before the digital world reformed. Still extremely rare. They're also tougher than most champions."
"Can we take it and all the ghosts?" Yolie asked. "We're outnumbered almost two to one here."
"Dark rings don't work without the control spire." Cody said. He turned to his partner. "Do you think you can sneak up and destroy he control spire as Digmon?"
Armidilomon paused for a moment. "I think I can, but I'll need a distraction," He said looking up the Bakemon "specially for them flyin' ones."
"Distracting them will be easy." Gatomon said. "Three of us in the air should be enough to give them a good fight." She glanced at Patamon and Hawkmon and both nodded in agreement.
"That just leaves the Deltamon." Yolie said. Everyone looked at Davis… "You up for it Veemon?" Kari asked.
Davis looked at the Deltamon… It was easily the most monstrous creature he had ever seen. Somehow though he didn't fear it like he did the Bakemon. In fact, he felt relieved to fight it. He knew why. Davis had first seen Bakemon when they kidnapped him and his family. He knew it wasn't these Bakemon though, they were slaves. He should pity them right? That was the feeling he'd adopted for all of the emperor's other slave monsters, sometimes even the ones that attacked him. This fear shamed him more than any he'd felt that day. As ashamed as he felt though, it seemed to work out.
"I've got the Deltamon." He said.
"Great." TK said. "Everyone ready?"
They all noded.
"Then it's settled." TK said. "Digiarmor energize!"
"Patamon armor digivolve to Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!"
Kari, Yolie, and Cody joined him. 'Digiarmor energize!"
"Gatomon armor digivolve to Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!"
"Hawkmon armor digivolve to Halsemon, the Wings of Love!"
"Armidillomon armor digivolve to Digmon, the Drill of Power!"
"Digiarmor energize!" DemiVeemon yelled out. Before Davis could think he was shouting too.
"Veemon armor digivolve to Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!"
He had barely felt the change from DemiVeemon to Veemon, but this he definitely felt. It was as though his body had become fire, yet he did not feel pain. He stretched out as the fire grew then he was solid again. He felt bigger, and much, much stronger.
All of the armor digimon moved out. Davis leaped from the hill and was halfway to his opponent in one jump. Deltamon looked up at him but could not react before he was upon him. Davis landed a kick in the middle of the monster's main head. The slave almost fell backward but it caught itself after a couple of steps. It lunged forward at Davis.
A deep scratchy voice from its snake headed arm. "Serpent Bite!"
The snake head lunged at Davis easily jumped back and dodged it.
"Fire Fist!" Davis yelled and a burst of fire shot from his arm. It struck Deltamon and the monster fell on its back. He jumped forward above the monster.
"Triple Force!" the monster said as purple lightning gathered in each of its mouths. The lightning shot toward him.
"Fire Rocket!" Davis yelled as fire surrounded him. He split the lightning as he shot through it and struck the dark ring. The dark ring shattered then the monster was quiet.
It was the most excited Davis had ever been.
"Gold Rush!" Came Digmon's voice and the control spire fell. Davis looked up and saw the Bakemon stop in their tracks. His friends attacks stopped immediately. The ghosts looked at each other in confusion.
"Wha, what happed?" One of them said.
"You were under the control of the Digimon Emperor." Davis said "We just knocked down the control spire."
One of the Bakemon floated down to him. Davis raised up his arms about to fire at the ghost.
"Thank You." It said. Davis lowered his arms.
"You're welcome." He said.
The Bakemon stretched out his arms. "Hug?" It asked
Davis hesitated…
"Okay." He too spread out his arms and the Bakemon embraced him.
"He… he feels like a marshmallow." Davis thought. He returned the embrace. "I'm sorry I was afraid of you." He didn't think he was anymore.
Pegasusmon broke their dark rings and the Bakemon were on their way, Deltamon soon after them. The armor digimon regrouped with their partners and changed back to rookie.
"Great to look down on you." Davis thought. His rival was in his eye right before he shrank down to Veemon.
"Well done everyone!" Kari said. It made Davis happy.
"Thanks." He said.
Davis couldn't help but think back to the fight as they walked back to the portal. He had leaped what must have been at least a soccer field in one jump and knocked a building size monster onto its back. He washappier with himself now than he ever had been. "We have to do this again." He thought. He didn't care about his partner's mistakes anymore.
They reached the portal and returned to the real world. Once again Davis was DemiVeemon. He looked around and saw the other digimon… they didn't frighten him at all now either. He was too happy for that.
DemiVeemon was about to put him in the bookbag when TK spoke up.
"Hey guys," he said to the group "you wanna come to a party at my place this Wednesday? It's my birthday."
"What a great way to ruin a party." Davis thought.
The rest of the group reacted better. "Awesome TK, happy birthday!" Kari said. "I'll gladly go."
Of course she was the first one to speak… ugh!
Yolie and Cody said similar things quickly.
"Happy birthday!" DemiVeemon said. "I'll go too." After all that happened yesterday Davis was surprised his partner knew what a birthday was. Was he happy for the blond or was he trying to mimic what everyone else was doing? Either way he'd just sent him to celebrate TK… Maybe he could send DemiVeemon in his body instead… Wait was he inviting the digimon too?
As if on cue Poromon asked "Can we come?"
TK frowned. "I dunno. Tai didn't think we should let our parents know more than they have to. I never did tell mom or dad about you new digimon…"
"I understand." Davis said seizing the opportunity. He looked to his partner. "You can have my fun for me."
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Positive, the less humans know about us, the better." Tai had told him something like that when he became a digidestined. He loved it now more than ever.
Poromon looked sad. "Okay" he said softly.
Now Davis felt guilty… no it was how it had to be. Tai had said it and everyone else agreed. The less people know about the digital world the better.
"At least I'm out of TK's party." Davis thought… "Wait I still have to buy him a gift if DemiVeemon is gong don't I? Crap." DemiVeemon didn't seem to catch his meaning earlier anyway… "Looks like I might as well go... free cake."
Ken:
The Digimon Emperor sat glaring at a map on his computer screen. His next attack would require considerably less planning than what he'd just done, but planning it still required. Even if it wasn't plan A he HAD to have a better partner than Wormmon.
"Master," As if to spite him the pathetic creature chose then to annoy him. "um, the other kids may, um, have destroyed another control spire."
"Duh." Was all the emperor said in reply. Sacrificing one area was unfortunate but inevitable; he needed time he had already spent. Besides, he could always just take it back later. If anything the thought of spending more time with his worthless parents was the real sacrifice. Having to follow the orders of those nagging idiots sickened him, but the payoff, oh the payoff! If this last move went right it would not only sabotage his enemies but make his own reign eternal.
"Master?" Wormmon said.
"Leave before I find the whip."
That was all he heard of him that day.
Davis:
The former goggleboy stepped out of the bookbag onto his bed. "What a day!" he said.
"You said it." DemiVeemon replied.
Davis looked at the clock. More than 24 hours had passed since the switch.
"Can we stitch back now?" He asked.
"Aw come on Davis." His partner replied. "I had a great time learning about your world. I know you were having fun fighting as Flamedramon. Don't you wanna do it again?"
"I honestly do." Davis said. "But I have things I need to do in that body. We can always switch another time."
"That is true." The former dragon said. He picked up the rings. "Next time can we swap after coming back from the digital world?"
"So you can still be Flamedramon but then be me instead of DemiVeemon?" Davis had actually hopped for the reverse.
"Yes." The former dragon said.
"Maybe." Davis would probably allow it. He really did want his partner to see more the real world. "Just so long as you don't want to stay in my body forever or anything."
DemiVeemon slipped the ring onto his finger. "No offense Davis, but I wouldn't want to be human forever." He slipped the other ring onto his arm. There was a second of darkness, then Davis saw his tiny partner standing on the bed. He lifted his hands to his face to be sure… flesh on flesh. He was himself again.
"No offense taken." He said. The talk of permanent switches had reminded him. "Out of curiosity, if you were going to be someone else forever and you could pick who, who would you pick?"
The digimon's reply as immediate. "Patamon."
"Patamon?" Davis repeated. "Why him?"
The dragon blushed. "I think I love Gatomon. She… she clearly likes him tough. If I were in Patamon's body I wouldn't regress to in-training when I returned to your world… and," just speaking the words excited him "I could have her."
That was not the answer Davis expected… "We have the rings." He said. "Would you actually like to do that?"
The dragon thought for a second. "Only if you come with me."
"If I come with you?"
"You like Kari don't you?" DemiVeemon asked. "Switch with TK when I switch with Patamon, then we can be with Kari and Gatomon together."
"No." Davis said. He couldn't do it. He couldn't bear the thought of seeing TS in the mirror.
"We don't have to do it forever." DemiVeemon said. "Don't you want to go out with Kari just once?"
That was temping… No he still couldn't do it. Speaking to his partner he said "If I go out with Kari as TO once she'll keeping going out with him when I switch back…" then an idea came to him "…unless I ruined their relationship while I'm him."
The more he thought about it the crazier it seemed, but the more he liked it. A little less hygiene and a lot more awkwardness, and what girl would want to date "TK?"
"You wanna do it?" DemiVeemon asked.
Davis thought for a minute. "I think I do." He finally said.
"How do we get them to wear the rings?" The dragon asked.
The gogglehead thought some more… Could he really do it? … Should he really do it? ...Maybe …Yes. TQ deserved it.
"I think I know exactly what we're giving the boy for his birthday."