August 1st, 2011 ~ Capitolo 5: Can a boy and a worm save the world?

Questa storia partecipa al COW-T10 indetto da LDF

Missione: M1 (Fandom!AU)

Fandom: Persona 4

Personaggi: Kanji Tatsumi, Kunemon

Parole: 7075
Avvertimenti: Digimon!AU

 

Ice-Block Road, File Island

1st bit of White Tiger’s first word, cycle 2881

 

“This must be a joke.”

Those were the only words in Kanji's mind at that moment.

Standing on a tiny ice-block in the middle of a freezing sea, the boy couldn't think at anything else than that, while the stream made him swing.

Ice. There was only ice in front of him.

The landscape was composed of a large number of ice-blocks that were floating on the water, moved by the stream. Some of them were larger than the one where he was on, but most of them were smaller; so small that it would have been impossible for him to stand on top of them.

Kanji shivered, thinking of what could have happened if he had ended up on one of them instead of the larger one he was on.

...But, how did he end up in that place to begin with?

He was confident that there wasn't any place like that near Inaba, so he was obviously very far from his hometown.

But then... were was him?

The boy tried to remember what had happened the night before.

He was roaming around in the dark streets of Inaba when, suddenly, it had started snowing. Then the televisions in the Central Shopping District had turned on…

A pang of pain hit him and Kanji took his hand to his head, while the yellow, gleaming eyes of the figure that he had seen right before he had lost consciousness appeared in his mind.

The voice of that little girl started singing again and the boy had to appeal to all his strength not to fall on the surface of the ice-block or, more likely, in the water.

«Boss!»

The song in his head stopped, when a strange voice that he had never heard before arrived to his ears.

Kanji raised his head and looked around him, searching for the source of that sound.

But nobody was there.

It doesn't matter how carefully he searched the area, he couldn't see anyone around him. Not a single soul.

The only thing that he could see was ice.

«Dammit...!»

Before he could think, a small imprecation escaped from his mouth.

Not only he had been “teleported” to an unknown place, but now he was also having hallucinations.

But that wasn't the main issue.

The mainland – that was also covered in thick, white ice – was farther and farther. 

He had to find a way to reach it before it was too lat–

Crack.

When that sound arrived at his ears, Kanji startled.

Slowly he looked at the ice-block which he was on...

...and the blood in his veins became more freezing that the sea behind him.

A huge split was visible on the surface of the ice-block, right under his feet.

The ice was breaking.

He didn't have time to think.

«Boss! I'm coming!»

The same voice from before echoed in the area.

Again, Kanji looked around him, hoping that it wasn't only an illusion and that there really was someone that was coming to rescue him.

«Boss! This way!»

He followed the voice and turned around, looking down on the ice-blocks that were floating on the sea.

«Boss!»

And then he saw him.

On one of the tiniest ice-blocks, not so far from him, there was a small, strange animal.

His appearance resembled the one of a worm, but he was way too big to be a normal insect.

Kanji gulped when he noticed that the monster was as big as a cat.

From what he can see, his body was yellow and covered by a large number of black stripes. Something like a long blue tail emerged from his back.

It was standing upright and was moving his little, blue quills frenetically, like he was trying to catch Kanji's attention.

«Boss! Come over here!»

...And he was talking.

From the blue, big beak that was, evidently, his mouth the strange voice of before escaped.

«Quick!»

But Kanji didn't move.

He was standing there, on that ice-block, completely petrified.

What was that strange creature?

What did he want from him?

How it was possible for he to talk?

«Boss! It's dangerous! Come, quick!»

...And why he was calling him "Boss"?

Another crack, stronger than the previous one, arrived from behind him and Kanji's body moved on his own, jumping from the ice-block to the nearest one.

At the same moment when his feet left it, the surface broke in three small pieces of ice.

Kanji landed on the other ice-block and had to balance himself not to fall in the sea.

He was safe for no–

Crack.

«Boss! Follow me!» the strange animal said, catching his attention again.

Then he started jumping from an ice-block to another, showing Kanji the right path to the mainland.

The boy wasn't sure that following that monster was the right decision.

He couldn't help but think that, when they would have arrived on the mainland, he could have attacked him.

But, when another malicious crack arrived from under his feet, Kanji decided that it wasn't the time to hesitate.

He jumped on the ice-block where the worm was standing only a moment before, trying not to fall in the freezing water.

«Yes, Boss!– the monster shouted with a touch of joy in his voice–Follow me!»

Kanji couldn't understand what he was thinking, but the tone with which he had said those words was... kind.

He couldn’t sense malice at all in his voice.

Crack.

No. Now it wasn't the time to think.

Kanji jumped again, and again, and again, following that little creature that was encouraging him after and before every jump.

The mainland was farther than he had thought, but now it was finally becoming closer and closer.

«It's the last jump! You can do it, Boss!»

When the monster said that, the boy jumped for the last time.

For a moment he thought that he wouldn't have been able to make it, but, luckily, he landed on to the ice of the mainland.

"I'm safe."

His legs gave away immediately after that thought had crossed his mind and Kanji fell on the freezing ice, exhausted.

He breathed in and out, trying to recover from the number of jumps that he had done.

«You were amazing, Boss!– the little monster exclaimed, his voice even more joyful than before –I knew you could do it!»

The boy turned his head around, to face the strange creature that, now, was standing near him.

There was no doubt.

He was a worm. A very big worm.

The black stripes that Kanji had seen before were indeed black thunders that stood out on the yellow back of the creature. The bottom part of his body was read and was divided in two parts: the first one – from what Kanji could see – could be moved vertically and was characterized by six quills that emerged from it, while from the other one there were three pairs of red feet, that the strange animal used to walk.

On the end of his body there wasn’t a tail, but a big blue sting.

Two larger lightnings where also on his head but, differently from the others, they were more… alive. A strange little light could be seen in them.

Kanji knew that he couldn't trust him.

He was so strange that he could be a deadly animal, that was helping him only to kill him and eat him.

But, for some reason, the boy didn't think that he was evil.

However, before Kanji could say anything, the little monster literally jumped on him, catching him off guard.

He was about to shove it off when the worm opened his beak.

«I'm so happy, Boss.– he said, rubbing his head on his chest like a cat would do –I have been waiting for you for so long that I started thinking you would never come»

...

"He's too cute."

It was impossible.

He couldn't be evil.

Kanji looked at him, without knowing what else to do.

The little monster didn’t move for a while: he remained curled up on the boy’s chest, while his thunders on his head – that Kanji thought that were his eyes – were looking at him.

After some time of silence, the boy decided to speak. 

«W-What are you?»

Only when those words left his mouth, Kanji noticed that his voice was way hoarser than he had thought.

The creature didn’t seemed to mind it, though.

«I'm Kunemon!– he answered with his buzzing voice –And I'm your Digimon partner. I was waiting for you, Boss!»

“What the hell is a Digimon?”

The situation was getting stranger and stranger.

All of this couldn’t be real...

«Oh, that’s a dream.» Kanji exclaimed.

Right, that had to be it!

Kunemon seemed confused for a moment, like if he couldn’t understand what Kanji was talking about.

Then his expression lighted up and the thunders on his head thinned, like the eyes of an animal would have done if it was smiling.

«Yes, Boss.– he answered –Knowing you is like a dream come true!»

…

Like… like a dream come true…?

What the hell was he talking about?

«No, this ain’t reality, is it?» Kanji asked, confused.

Kunemon didn’t answer.

He remained silence, looking at him.

Then, a little electric discharge hit the boy.

«Ouch! What was that for?!»

The Digimon seemed confused.

«I’m sorry, Boss. I was thinking that in your world there is the saying “pinch me, I must be dreaming” so I thought that I could that for you.– he said –Shouldn’t I have?»

Kanji didn’t know how to answer to that.

He wasn’t dreaming?

It was impossible!

If it wasn’t a dream, he would have known how he ended up in that place.

If it wasn’t a dream, he would have known where he was.

If it wasn’t a dream, then what were Digimons? Why hadn’t he ever heard of them before?

But, then, Kunemon’s voice echoed in his head.

“«In your world.»”

«What… what was that?!»

The Digimon bended his head to the side.

«What was… what, Boss?» he asked, more confused than before.

«The “your world” part! What was that supposed to mean?!» the boy shouted.

Kunemon “eyes” opened wide, like if he had finally remember something that he had forgotten to said.

«Oh, right! I forgot to tell you!– he exclaimed, with the same joyfulness in his voice of before – Welcome to Digiworld, Boss!»

 

When Kunemon said that he was taking him “to the shelter”, Kanji didn't think that he could have been so serious.

The cave where the Digimon has taken him was the most accurate example of what a "shelter" should look like.

The first thing that Kanji had felt when he had entered the cave was the warmth. Differently from the cold that was outside, the inside of that place was hot, like if there was a heater hidden somewhere.

According to Kunemon, the heat was coming from the hot springs that were at the bottom of the cave and that were the only heat source which someone could expect to find in Freezeland, the region of File Island where they were at the moment.

Then, the second thing that the boy had seen where the large number of bags that was disposed against the walls of the cave.

He didn't know what was inside them, until Kunemon had picked up a fruit from one of them. They were full of supplies.

The last thing that he had noticed was that a lot of leaves were laying on each other, in a corner of the cave. Was it possible that the Digimon had also built a bed for him...?

And now there Kanji was, sitting against the wall of the cave, with a strange, colorful fruit resting in his hands.

«Aren’t you hungry, Boss?»

Kunemon was in front of him and was looking at him with a preoccupied expression on his face.

«That ain’t it.– he answered –It’s just… I don’t understand what is going on.»

«But I’ve already told you, Boss.– the Digimon said –You are here because we have to save Digiworld.»

Yeah, Kanji knew that it had already told him that. They had talked for at least an hour before Kunemon decided to go to the cave that he had called shelter.

But it didn't matter how many time the boy heard that answer: that didn’t make any sense.

«“We” who?» he asked, trying to take a better grasp of the situation.

«You and I, Boss.» 

It was already impossible for only two people to save a world, let alone a boy and a worm!

«But how are we supposed to do it?»

Kunemon puffed his upper body out, like if that would have made it appear more strong and brave.

«I can fight, Boss.– he said, with a pinch of pride in his buzzing voice –It may not seem, but I can be very strong!»

...

"I have doubts."

Kanji couldn't believe it.

How could he agree to something like that?

It was impossible.

He had things to do at home! Not in an unknown, strange and dangerous world!

«You... you aren't going to accept, are you?»

The voice with which Kunemon said those words was different.

It was like that all the joyfulness, that had characterized his tone until that moment, was now gone.

Kanji looked at the Digimon.

He was looking at him with sadness in his eyes.

«Kunemon...» he tried, but the monster interrupted him.

«I know, Boss.– he said, lowering his gaze on the floor –You have things to do in your world, haven't you? It's ok, I understand. I don't know a way to take you back to your world, but I can look for it...»

...

Kanji couldn't bear to look at him in that state.

Kunemon had been so kind with him, since the moment he had arrived in that strange world.

And if he needed help...

Well, who was him to say no?

«I won't go nowhere.» Kanji said, even if he wasn't so sure about his decision.

Kunemon raised his head, confused by the use of the double negatives.

Then, when he understood, his expression lighted.

«Really, Boss? You will fight at my side?»

A little smile appeared on Kanji's face.

«Yeah. I'll stay here until we have beat the shit out of... who the hell is the bad guy here?»

A small laugher left Kunemon's beak.

«I don't know.»

...

«W-Well...– Kanji was already regretting his choice –then until we have found out who is the bad guy and we have beat the shit out of it!»

Kunemon's laugher was higher this time.

Then, the Digimon walked to him and got on his knees, curling up on them.

«I love you, Boss.– he whispered –I'm happy that you'll stay with me.»

"How the hell can you be so fucking cute?!"

He was sure that his cuteness would have killed him someday.

But then... why "Boss"?

Oh, right.

He hadn't said his name yet.

«Kanji.»

Kunemon looked at him, without understanding what his human was saying.

«I-I mean.– Kanji blushed and moved his head to face one of the side of the cave, not to have to look at the Digimon –I'm Kanji. Y-ya can call me by name, ya know? I don't have problems with that!»

«I want to call you Boss, Boss.» Kunemon answered, without hesitation.

...Why?

«Kanji is better.» the boy said, facing the Digimon again.

«No, I prefer "Boss", Boss.– he didn't want to give in –But I like Sensei too!»

Kanji sighed.

«I've said to call me Kanji...»

«Then, Kanji-sama?»

«Ok. Boss it's ok.» he gave in and another little laughter escaped Kunemon's beak.

They remained there, in silence, for a while, and Kanji finally ate that fruit that his Digimon had picked up for him.

He moved his gaze around him, looking at all the bags that were against the walls of the cave. Could it be that Kunemon had prepared all of that food by himself?

«Oh, I almost forgot!»

The Digimon got off from his knees.

«What?»

«I've something for you, Boss.»

Then, without saying anything else, he walked to one of the bags that was against the right side of the cave and started to search something in it.

Looking at him, while he was struggling to reach out what he was looking for, Kanji couldn't help but think how could they really do defeat a big evil Digimon.

Yeah, even if he didn't want to think about it in that way, Kunemon seemed even too weak to fight against the cat of his neighbor, let alone a monster that was destroying an entire world!

«I've found it, Boss!»

The boy returned to reality, facing again his Digimon than now had left something in front of him, on the floor.

«What is that?» Kanji asked, looking at the strange looking object.

He had never seen something like it before. The object that was in front of him was a small grey device, with an octagonal shape, even if his diagonal sides were rounded.

At the centre there was a very little, black screen. Near it, on its right side, there were two different blue buttons.

«It's a Digivice.– Kunemon answered –With this I can become stronger and we can fight together.»

Again, Kanji wasn't totally convinced.

Oh, come on, how could a little piece of metal like that be so helpful like Kunemon was saying?

He was about to reject the device when he saw the expression of the Digimon.

Kunemon was looking at him, a strange anxiety that was clearly visible in the light of his eyes.

...Ok. Rejecting it wasn’t a possible option.

Kanji moved his hand to the device that was laying on the floor.

And it was when his fingers touch it that something strange happened.

The Digivice started to tremble and its screen turned immediately on.

A purple light was emitted from the screen and the boy withdrew his hand

Kunemon left out a little scream of fear from his peak and ran behind his human's back, while the device started floating in the air and the purple light surrounded it.

Then, a ray of light, like a firework, escaped from the screen and went to the top, crushing itself on the ceiling of the cave.

And there, even if for only a moment, a strange symbol appeared.

Kanji looked at it, trying to understand what it was.

It resembled a rose: a small circle was in the centre while two other figures –that looked like petals – were around it.

Then, like it started, it finished. The Digivice –which was now purple and no longer grey– fell on the floor and its screen turned off.

Even if now everything was calm, Kanji didn’t make a move.

He didn’t stop looking at that device, not entirely sure if he could or not pick it up.

«We made it, Boss!» it was in that moment that Kunemon went out from his hideout, talking like if anything had happened.

Kanji turned around and looked at him, confused.

«What are you talk’ng about?» he asked.

The Digimon’s beak folded into something like a smile.

«They said to me that it would have reacted when my human partner would have touch it, even if I didn’t know it would have been so scary.– he admitted, and the boy was sure that he was blushing –So now it’s official, we are partners, Boss.»

 

«It was, Kunemon. He had done that!»

Kunemon raised his head, looking at ModokiBetamon who was accusing him.

«I haven't done anything wrong!» he replied.

That was the truth. Kunemon had stayed in his house until that morning.

«No, I've seen you.– Palmon said, crossing her long, green arms –You were the one that had eaten all of ours supplies!»

The insect Digimon looked at his companions, confused.

No, that was wrong.

«But I've never left my house! And I'm the smallest of the group, why would I have to steal your food?» he answered, with a pinch of sadness in his voice.

Why did Palmon say that she saw him?

Why did ModokiBetamon accused him in the first place?!

An angry snort arrived from his right and Kunemon turned around, facing Betamon, who, until that moment, had been silent.

«Because you are a virus-type Digimon, that's the obvious reason.»

It was like the world slipped from his quills.

«Wha... that doesn't make any sense at all!– Kunemon shouted –What's the matter with me being a virus-type Digimon?! I've done nothing wrong!»

But they weren't listening to him.

«See? See?– ModokiBetamon was now talking with the other two –I've said that we couldn't allow him to stay in our group!»

«Yes, you were right.– Palmon replied, nodding –He has to leave.»

To leave...?

But why? Why?!

«We have been friends since we were Baby II-level Digimon! Why are you treating me like this now?!»

Betamon looked down at him, with a look of contempt.

«At the time we didn't know that you would have become a virus-type Digimon.– he said, while ModokiBetamon and Palmon were nodding –If we had known, we wouldn't have even talked to you. Now go away.»

 

Kunemon's eyes opened and the Digimon immediately stood up, looking around him in order to understand what was going on.

It wasn't long before he recognized the place he was in. He was in Freezeland, in one of the several caves that could be found at the slopes of Mount Infinity.

What he had seen was only a nightmare.

A snore arrived from his left and Kunemon turned around, facing his human.

Kanji was sleeping on the bed of leaves that the Digimon had created for him, with a peaceful expression on his face.

Kunemon's beak bended in a smile, while he was looking at the Digidestined.

Even if it had already passed a lot of time since the moment he was chosen to be a Digimon partner, he couldn't still believe that he was one of the destined.

A moment before he was left alone, with anywhere to go, and then he had been summoned to the Village of Beginnings, where he and the other seven Digimon were instructed to what they had to do. 

“«You and I, Boss»”

Kunemon knew that he didn't have to lie in that way to his human.

He knew what they had said to him; that they had to work together in order to win against the evil; that they had to be a team.

But...

“«It's because you are a virus-type Digimon.»”

...but Kunemon couldn't stop thinking about it.

He didn't want that to happen. He didn't want his human to be treated like him, because he as a virus-type Digimon as partner. He didn't want to be left alone again.

And that was the reason why he had lied to Kanji. They had to save Digiworld, but they had to do it alone, without the help of any other Digidestined.

In this way he would have become a hero.

«Kunemon, why aren't ya sleep'ng?»

Kanji's voice broke the silence in the cave and the Digimon winced.

Then, he turned around ad faced his partner.

The boy was looking at him with a sleepy look in his eyes, only visible in the dark of the cave thanks to the fluorescent plants that Kunemon had picked up in Misty Trees, to use them as lanterns.

He had to think to something, quickly. He didn't want to let him know that he had a stupid nightmare.

«I was on guard, Boss.– he said, without knowing how to answer that question in any other way –An evil Digimon may attack us if we are not careful.»

Kanji didn't seemed completely convinced.

«Didn't ya say that there ain't any evil Digimon here?» he replied.

Dammit, he had a point.

«We never know, Boss. We didn't even know who is our enemy to begin with.»

Kanji didn't look away, like if he hadn't been completely convinced, yet.

He open his mouth, to say something else, but, then, something unexpected happened.

The Digivice, that was laying on the ground, near them, started to emit a beeping sound.

The two looked at it, without knowing what it was doing.

«Why is it beep’ng?» Kanji asked, taking the device in his hand.

The Digimon got close and picked at the purple Digivice, trying to understand what was going on.

The screen was on and a blue dot, that was on the right side of it, was flashing intermittently.

«I don't know, Boss.– he answered –The last time he made this sound was to let me know that you would have been in this area...»

And then Kunemon realized what it meant.

It was a signal. Another Digidestined was there, in Freezeland, and was now searching for them.

They had to left that place, before they could find them...

Before he could say anything, Kanji stood up.

«Well, let's see what the hell it wants.» he said, walking to the exit of the cave.

Kunemon followed him.

«Wait, Boss!– he exclaimed, panicked –It's too dark outside, it may be dangerous. Why won't we wait until tomorrow morning?» 

Even if the main reason for witch the Digimon had said those words was that he didn't want his partners to find out that others where there with them, he didn't lie when he said that outside was dangerous.

Freezeland was known to be the coldest place on File Island, specially during the night. If they had gone out, they would have likely die.

«I can't sleep if this thing doesn't stop beep'ng!»

Then, before Kunemon could say anything else, Kanji exited the cave and the Digimon hadn't other choice that to follow him.

 

The situation was even worse than Kunemon had thought.

The air of Freezeland was so cold that you could feel your bones freezing inside your body, and every step was more and more difficult than the one before.

But the problem wasn't that.

What was making that situation so difficult was the snow storm that was raging in the entire region.

«Boss, it's too dangerous.– the Digimon shouted –Let's return to the shelter!»

Kanji turned around and looked at him.

«I don't know what this beep'ng is for, but what if it's a signal for help? We must see what it is!» he replied.

“He is so cool.”

When that thought appeared in Kunemon's head, the Digimon pushed it away.

That wasn't the moment to think something like that.

He had to stop his human, before it was too late for the two of them.

«Boss, please. We must g...»

A strong gust of wind caught him of guard and the tiny Digimon let out a little scream of fear when he felt his body being lifted up from the ground.

Kunemon closed his eyes and prepared himself to be smashed on the ground or, worse, to fall into the freezing sea, when something strong and hot took him.

«I've catch ya.– Kanji said, holding him to his chest –Don't worry, I won't let ya go.»

«Boss...»

He was so kind, even also too kind for him.

«Sorry, I think you were right.– the Digidestined continued, holding him more strongly when another dust of wind hit them –It's too dangerous out here.»

«We can return to the shelter, Boss. We haven't walked too much, it wouldn't be difficult to come back.» Kunemon replied, curling up in his arms.

They were so warm.

They made him feel safe...

Kanji was about to answer when another beep escaped from the Digivice.

It had been different this time: the sound was so much higher than before that it could also overpower the noises of the storm.

Then, all became silent.

The storm immediately calmed itself, and the wind stopped blowing.

A strange light fill the area, even if it was still night.

The cold air, that only a moment before was freezing their bones, became warm.

«What's happening?»

Kunemon looked around them, without leave Kanji's arms.

It was like the storm from before had never existed...

«W-What is that thing?»

When the boy said those words, the Digimon turned around to look at what had caught his human's interest.

And then, he saw it.

A giant building, that he'd never seen before, was now standing right in front of them.

There was no doubt.

It was a cathedral. A cathedral entirely made of ice.

«Kunemon, what's that?» Kanji asked again, looking down at the Digimon in his arms.

«I don't know, Boss.– he answered, startled –I've never seen or heard of it before!»

Something was strange, really strange.

Kunemon was sure that that big building hadn't been there since a moment before.

The Digimon had looked all over the area to choose the best place to make the shelter and to wait for his human. It was impossible that something so big didn't catch his attention before.

Another high beep arrived from the Digivice in Kanji's right hand, and the boy looked down at it, watching what was on the screen.

«The Digivice says to go inside.» he said, returning his gaze at the Cathedral in front of him.

Kunemon climbed on the shoulder of his human, in order to see what was displayed on the Digivice.

When he could picked at it, he saw that the white point was still flashing intermittently, but, differently from before, it no longer was on one of the side of the screen. On the contrary it was now flashing near the centre of the display.

There weren't any more doubts. It was really saying them to go inside that building.

But why?

It was really possible that another Digidestined was inside that Cathedral, waiting for them to arrive? Or the meaning behind that signal were different from what Kunemon had thought?

And, most importantly... it was really safe to enter that suspicious place?

«I don't know if that's a good idea, Boss.– the Digimon said, looking at his human –I'm sure this building wasn't here before. It looks too suspicious.»

But Kanji had already started walking toward the entrance of the cathedral.

«Boss!– Kunemon exclaimed, trying to catch his attention –I've said that's dangerous!»

«Kunemon,– his human replied, looking at the big door, made by two large icy plates, of the building –there is something written here.»

“Something is written here...?”

The Digimon looked more carefully at the door, seeing the letters on that surface made of ice.

He was right, there was some Digicode on it.

«What... what are these letters?– Kanji asked, confused –I've never seen them before.»

«It's Digicode.– Kunemon answered, reading the message –It said: “Only the purest type Digimon can enter here. The others will be punished.”»

“The purest type Digimon?”

That didn't make any sense.

«Oh, so we can enter.»

Even if the Digimon was feeling flattered by the idea that his human had of him, he wasn't so sure that it would have worked.

But, before he could say anything, Kanji had already put his hands on the big door and he had pushed it.

The two icy plates didn't make a sound while they moved, revealing what was inside the cathedral.

Kunemon sharpened his eyes, but he couldn't see anything.

The interior of the building was hidden in the darkness.

«It isn't so much attractive.» Kunemon said, looking at Kanji.

No sound. No light. Nothing.

The only thing that arrived from the inside was a feeble dust of freezing wind, but it was nearly imperceptible.

It was like the interior of that cathedral was in another universe, way too distant from the one they were in.

And Kunemon didn't like that, at all.

«Wanna go?»

The Digimon looked at Kanji, hoping that his human was joking.

When he saw that it wasn't the case, he spoke up.

«What?! Boss, this is crazy! It's way too suspicious!»

«But it says that only the purest Digimon can enter.– the boy commented –If only pure Digimon can be inside it must be safe, right?»

He had a point, but Kunemon couldn't help but think that something was off.

«It could always be a trap. I don't want to put you in danger, Boss!»

But Kanji wasn't listening to him anymore.

He had already started walking, entering the cathedral only two steps after...

...And it was in that moment that the support under Kunemon's leg –that until a second before was Kanji's shoulder– had been slipped under his feet, and the Digimon fell on the ground, letting out a scream of surprise when his body hit the freezing snow.

«Kunemon? What are ya do'ng? Why did ya jump off?»

What?

The Digimon looked at his human that was now inside the cathedral.

«I didn't jump off, Boss.– he replied, without understanding what was going on –It was you that had shoved me off!»

Kanji frowned.

«What...? I didn't shove you off! Why would I have to do something like that?!» he answered.

That was strange, really strange.

Kunemon looked again at the sanctuary, trying to understand what had happened.

But nothing out of the ordinary was there.

The only thing that he could see was the opened door, and his human that was now looking at him, with his arms crossed to his chest.

Nothing else was there.

So, what had made him fall in that way?

«So, are ya com'ng?»

When the boy said those words, Kunemon stood up and shook his body to shove off the snow from his back.

Then he walked towards the entrance of the cathedral, he put his first foot on the pavement floor of the sanctuary and then...

...And then he remained there.

It didn't matter how much strength he put in his tiny legs, he couldn't make a single step into the building.

It was like an invisible barrier was in front of him and wasn't letting him to enter.

«...What are ya do'ng?» Kanji asked, looking at him with a confused look in his eyes.

«I can't enter, Boss. Something is rejecting me.» the Digimon explained.

He tried and tried again, but it doesn't matter how many times he moved his legs. He didn't move.

Then, the words on the door echoed in his mind.

“Only the purest type of Digimon could enter.”

Did that mean that a virus type couldn't...?

A stronger dust of cold air came from the inside of the cathedral.

It was in that moment that Kunemon noticed that a small ball of light had started to take shape, right in front of him.

He narrowed his eyes, looking at it.

What was that?

It was like the cold air of the interior of the sanctuary had started to swirl on itself, taking the shape of a sphere.

It was becoming bigger and bigger, and it was like it was gathering energy too...

The other words on the door appeared in his mind, and Kunemon startled.

“The others will be punished.”

«Kunemon, watch out!»

When his human shouted those words, it was too late.

The orb released the energy he had gathered and hit him, making him fly in the air.

He didn't know how far he went, the only thing that he could remembered was that his body hit the floor with so much strength that Kunemon had lost his breath.

And it was in that moment that he felt it.

He was freezing.

It was like all of his body was becoming ice.

«Kunemon!»

The Digimon tried to call out for his human, but nothing left his beak.

The last thing that he saw was Kanji that, leaving the cathedral, was running toward him.

Then, he lost consciousness.

 

«Kunemon! Ohi!»

Kanji was in panic.

He took the Digimon in his arms, holding him tight at his chest for the second time since when they had left the shelter.

«Kunemon! Kunemon answer me!» he shouted, trying to wake up his Digimon.

But Kunemon didn't move.

He remained motionless, like a statue...

...a statue made of ice.

Kanji startled, while that truth took form in his mind.

The Digimon was freezing.

He was so cold that it was like ice had enveloped his body.

“I have to do something...!”

However, when Kanji stood up, something happened: the world around him changed for the second time.

The light, that was surrounding the area only a moment before, was now gone, leaving his place to the darkness of the night.

The peace, that had filled the air, was now replaced by the strong, cold wind and the snow storm of before.

The beeping of the Digivice stopped, and the device became immediately silent.

The boy covered Kunemon with his body, looking around him, without understanding what was happening.

And it was in that moment that he noticed that something was missing.

His eyes widened, when his gaze settled on the empty place in front of him.

The cathedral was gone.

The building – that was behind him before – was now like vanished in the air.

“How is that even possible...?”

A freezing gust of wind hit him and Kanji hold Kunemon more tightly against his chest.

No, that wasn't the time to think about that.

He had to take the Digimon to the shelter and to save him.

The boy turned around again, ready to start running when something came to his mind.

A shiver ran down his spine, while that fact became clearer and clearer in his mind.

He didn't know where to go.

Because of the storm, Kanji couldn't see anything that was farer than a few centimeters from him.

Even if he narrowed his eyes, the only thing he could see was the snow on the ground.

«Dammit!»

In order to arrive where he was at, he had followed the Digivice.

But, now, it was useless.

Kanji looked at the black screen of device, hoping for something to happen.

That device couldn't leave them like that.

Not now that Kunemon...!

A muffled noise arrived at his ears and the boy looked around him, trying to understand from where it had arrived.

Someone was near them.

Kanji could sense it.

But, who was it? An ally... or an enemy?

He couldn't fight at the moment.

Kunemon was becoming colder and colder in his arms and if he hadn't done something right away, the Digimon would have died.

Knowing that, the human started running, hoping that he would have found either their shelter or another cave in which they could have hidden and where he could have done something to help his friend.

But it was no use.

It doesn't matter how much he ran, everything around him didn't change of a single bit.

The view was the same, everywhere he went.

He didn't even know if he was running toward the sea or toward that big mountain full of caverns!

It was like he was running in circle...

The boy let out a sneeze.

He was cold.

But that couldn't stop him.

He had to do something. 

It was his fault if Kunemon was in that condition...

The boy looked again around him, trying to understand where to go.

But another muffle, nearer, sound echoed in the snow storm and Kanji understood that he hadn't the time to think.

He started running again... or so he wanted.

“What...?”

Kanji looked at his feet, fixed on the ground.

His legs weren't moving anymore.

It was like the cold had frozen them.

Kanji tried to make another a step, but it was useless.

On the contrary, when he put more strength in his actions, his legs gave up and he fell in the snow.

«D-dam...mi...t!»

He wanted to speak, but also his voice was only a feeble whisper.

His body wasn't moving, or, rather, he didn't know if it was moving anymore.

It was too cold to even try to feel it.

What could he do? He couldn't even feel the breath of the Digimon that was held tight to his chest.

...No, that was wrong.

He couldn't feel his presence at all.

«K-Kunemon...?»

He didn't know how, but Kanji managed to look at his arms.

And the truth nearly killed him.

The Digimon was gone.

He didn't know how, but he had dropped him, maybe when his legs had given up.

Kanji looked around him, looking for his Digimon.

He had to find him.

He had to save him.

He had to...

The boy's eyes winded, when something entered his view.

It was a Digimon.

A big, white figure was walking toward him, without being slowed down by the rage of the snow storm. 

The same muffled sound arrived to his ears and Kanji understood that that noise had to be the monster's step on the snow.

He didn't know what to do.

If the figure had attacked him, he wouldn't have had any strength to protect himself.

But, before they could come closer to him, the monster stopped and looked at the snow at them own feet.

Then, they leaned forward, taking something in their arms.

Kanji startled.

It was Kunemon.

Even if the snow storm was making things difficult for him to see, he could see the yellow back of his friend.

Then, the white Digimon turned around and started walking toward the direction they came from, again without being slowed down by the storm.

But Kanji couldn't let them to escape.

He had to do something.

He couldn't let that giant, white monster to take him.

Even if that meant fighting with that Digimon.

«W-Wait!»

He tried to shout but only a whisper lived his lips.

He opened his mouth again, ready to try again, and the monster stopped, like if they had already heard him.

«I-I won't let ya to take... K-Kunemon...»

This time his voice was even lowered.

He didn't have anymore strength.

But the white Digimon was already walking toward him.

Kanji tried to stand up, to prepare to fight.

But then a sound arrived at his hears.

«Oh! Poor thing!»

What...?

That voice was sweet.

Nothing to do with what he had imagined.

The Digimon leaned forward.

Then, the last thing that he heard, before loosing consciousness, was the same sweet and female voice.

«Don't worry, I'll save you.»