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"There are indeed such things as parallel universes, although parallel is hardly the right word -- universes swoop and spiral around one another like some mad weaving machine or a squadron of Yossarians with middle-ear trouble.
"And they branch. But, and this is important, not all the time. The universe doesn't much care if you tread on a butterfly. There are plenty more butterflies. Gods might note the fall of a sparrow but they don't make any effort to catch them.
"Shoot the dictator and prevent the war? But the dictator is merely the tip of the whole festering boil of social pus from which dictators emerge; shoot one, and they'll be another one along in a minute. Shoot him too? Why not shoot everyone and invade Poland? In fifty years', thirty years', ten years' time the world will be very nearly back on its old course. History always has a great weight of inertia.
"Almost always..." -- Terry Pratchett, Lords and Ladies
"Izzy says we're close to the warp. Feel anything yet?" Cody asked Ken.
"No, nothing," Ken shook his head. This was supposed to be a peaceful day, the first day of Spring Break. Instead, he had Izzy calling him at 7:00 in the morning to report a warp in the Digital World. Izzy thought it might be related to the strange world of the Dark Ocean. That explained the team make-up.
Ken, Yolei and Cody were Team 1, and Kari, T.K. and Davis were Team 2. Ken and Kari were the most sensitive to the Dark Ocean, but also the most vulnerable. T.K. and Yolei weren't as vulnerable, but they also had direct experience. Davis and Cody were along as a sort of ground, to prevent the rest of their team from losing it.
"Team 2 hasn't found it yet, either," Cody said, checking his DTerminal.
"I can't say I'm upset we haven't found it yet," Ken shivered. "If I never see that place again, it'll be too soon. Still, we better find it before someone else stumbles into it."
"Cody, see if you can get an update from Izzy," Yolei suggested.
Cody checked the D-Terminal again. "Izzy says he can't get any more details."
"It's got to be around here somewhere," Yolei said.
Suddenly, a scream cut though the forest like a knife. Ken, Cody and Yolei exchanged a glance. "That was Kari," Yolei said.
"Let's go!" The three kids and their Digimon took off running in the direction of the scream.
* * *
The group found Kari lying unconscious a short distance away. She looked almost like she was sleeping. Gatomon was seated near her. Both Davis and T.K. were hovering over her, concerned. They were arguing, as usual.
"Whose bright idea was it to come here?" Davis asked.
"It was yours, Davis, so don't go blaming me for this," T.K. retorted.
"That's not helping!" Gatomon said. "Kari wouldn't want to hear you two arguing! Veemon, Patamon, do something about them!."
"Okay," Veemon said. He turned to Davis. "Knock, knock."
"Veemon, this isn't the time." Davis looked up and saw the others. "Kari was hurt!" he yelled.
"What happened?" Ken asked.
"We were just walking along, when Kari asked to stop," Gatomon said. "She said she didn't feel well. Suddenly, she screamed and collapsed."
"She's still breathing," Cody said.
"We should get her to a doctor, or Joe, or someone," Yolei said.
"Hey, Gennai lives near here, doesn't he?" T.K. asked. When everybody looked at him, he added, "Sorry, I forgot none of you were there four years ago. What about it, Patamon?"
"I think you're right, T.K.," Patamon said.
"Here, Davis, help me carry her," T.K. said.
"Okay," Davis said.
* * *
"So that's what happened," T.K. told Gennai.
"Hmm..." Gennai looked over Kari. "I think I have a hypothesis. Ken, could I see your D-3?"
"What? Oh, sure." Ken took his D-3 out of his pocket. Gennai held it towards Kari. It started beeping frantically. Gennai handed the D-3 back to Ken.
"It's as I feared," Gennai said. "When Kari stumbled upon the warp, it attached itself to her consciousness. Her mind is trapped in the Dark Ocean, while her body remains here."
"Oh, great," Gatomon said. "How do we get her mind back to her body?"
"Two things will break the warp and return Kari to herself," Gennai said. "Unfortunately, those things are the Crest of Light, and the holder of the Crest of Light."
"So, let me get this straight," Hawkmon said,"The only thing that can save Kari is Kari or her Crest?"
"All us original DigiDestined lost our Crests in the battle with Apocalymon," T.K. said.
"And I don't think Kari is in the position to do anything," Gatomon said.
"So what are we gonna do!" Davis demanded. "There has to be something!"
"Well..." Gennai said. "There is one thing..."
"Well, what is it?" Yolei asked.
"The Crest of Light was destroyed in this universe, but..."
"Hey, are you talking, like, parallel worlds and stuff?" Davis said. "'Cause I once played this game, about this guy who woke up in this world where he had died, like, a long time ago. It was kinda weird."
"You know, I think Davis actually knows what he's talking about," Gennai said. After noting the shocked stares, he continued,"I might be able to locate a universe in which both Kari and her Crest survived. I can then send a few of you there to get her. Let me just get things ready." He walked over to a workbench and sat down.
"I'm going!" Davis and T.K. both said at the same time.
"I want to go, too," Gatomon said,"but I don't know how useful I'll be without Kari."
"We should draw straws," Yolei said. "We all want to help Kari."
"As long as you don't cheat this time," Cody said. Everybody laughed, except Ken and Wormmon.
"I don't get it," Ken said.
"That's okay; neither did I," Wormmon told him.
"Oh, yeah, you weren't there when that happened," Yolei said. "You were still..." she stopped herself and looked rather embarrassed.
"The Digimon Emperor," Ken completed her phrase. "You can say it, Yolei. I... I have to accept that as part of my past."
"Well, okay," Yolei still looked embarrassed. She quickly made up six straws, "Gennai, how many people can you send?"
"Two of you, and your Digimon," he answered. "I wouldn't chance any more. Remember, you have to bring the alternate Kari back with you."
"Okay," Yolei bent over the straws. "Two are colored red. Only two," she added with a look at Cody. "The five of us and Gatomon will draw one. No trades or anything. The two with the red straws go, along with their Digimon. The rest of us stay." She held up her hand, with only the tops of the six straws showing. Everybody took one, leaving the remaining one in Yolei's hand.
"Darn it!" Davis said. He held up his straw, which was completely white. "And I suppose you got one of the red ones, T.K.?"
"Nope," T.K. said. "Mine's white, too."
"Mine's red," Ken said softly.
"Trade ya?" Davis asked.
"Hey, I said, no trades!" Yolei said. "Who got the other straw?"
Cody checked his. "Mine's white."
"So's mine," Gatomon said. "I suppose that's for the best. I should stay with Kari."
"What? I did put two red straws in..." Yolei suddenly looked at her hand, which was still holding her straw. She unclenched her fist, showing a straw with a red end. "Oh," she said. "So Ken and I are going to the alternate universe?"
"Don't forget us," Wormmon said.
"Is everybody ready?" Gennai looked up from his workbench. Ken, Yolei, Wormmon and Hawkmon nodded. He handed Yolei a small key shaped device. "Activate this when you want to return. Make sure you have the alternate Kari with you, though." He handed a rolled up piece of paper to Ken. "This explains that you are DigiDestined from another universe. Anything else you tell the alternate DigiDestined will be up to your discretion." He gave Yolei what looked like a credit card. "This will cover your expenses. Just don't use it unless you have to -- the other Gennai will cover the bill, but he warned me that this thing does have a credit limit."
"You mean I can't use it to do next year's Christmas shopping? Darn..." Yolei said.
Finally, Gennai handed all four of them backpacks. "Emergency supplies," he explained. "So you don't have to rely on shopping in the alternate 'Real World'."
Gennai took a step back. "Just remember, anything goes in the other universe. Don't count on anything being the same, unless someone tells you it is. You should arrive in the Digital World, close to where the other DigiDestined are. Ready?"
"Wait!" Ken said. "I don't know about you, Yolei, but my parents are expecting me back for dinner. What if this takes longer?"
"That's not a problem," Gennai said. "The time rate between universes is completely arbitrary. I'm setting it so for every day you spend in the other universe, a minute passes here. Ready now?"
Ken, Yolei, Hawkmon and Wormmon nodded. Gennai turned to a computer and entered a few keystrokes. "Hold still," he warned. "Ready? Now!"
* * *
Ken, Yolei, Hawkmon and Wormmon appeared in a snowy forest. "Where are we?" Ken asked. "I don't see anyone around."
"It's freezing!" Yolei complained. "Why does Gennai always send me someplace cold?"
Ken dug through his backpack. He handed Yolei a blanket. "Here," he said. He also took one out for himself. "Wormmon, are you cold?"
"I'm fine, Ken," Wormmon said. "Digimon don't mind the cold as much."
Ken draped the blanket over his shoulders and head. Yolei did the same. "You two are sure you're okay?" Yolei asked Hawkmon and Wormmon.
"Yes, we're fine."
"The DigiDestined should be around here somewhere," Ken said. "Does this place look familiar to you, Yolei?"
"Let me think... You know, it looks a lot like the place we went when we first met Joe."
"I don't think I remember that."
"Well, you were still... oh, crud," Yolei said. "Do you think time could be off in this universe?"
"Many things are possible," Hawkmon said. "I'm no expert, but I suppose this is one of them."
"So I might still be the Digimon Emperor," Ken sighed. "That's going to be hard to explain."
"Hey, who's there?" A voice, unmistakably Davis's, came from the woods to Yolei and Ken's right. A series of crunches in the snow signaled his approach.
"Give me Gennai's letter; I'll handle this," Yolei said. Ken did so. She walked towards the footsteps.
"Hold it right there!" The alternate Davis ran into the clearing where Yolei and Ken had arrived. Yolei noted that he was wearing his original goggles, not the ones he had gotten from Tai. Alt-T.K., alt-Veemon, and alt-Patamon followed him. The alternate T.K. wasn't wearing the hat Yolei had come to associate with him. "Yolei?" alt-Davis said. "I thought you were back--"
"Just read this, Davis," Yolei thrust the letter into his hands.
Alt-Davis opened it and stared at it for a while. "Huh?" he said.
"Let me see that!" Alt-T.K. grabbed the letter from alt-Davis. "Dear DigiDestined," he read. "The two people here are DigiDestined from another universe. They're here on a mission. They'll tell you more later, I'm sure. Sincerely, Gennai"
"Who's Gennai?" Alt-Davis asked.
"I thought we explained that to you," Alt-T.K. sighed. "Remember? Four years ago? Original DigiDestined?"
"Oh, yeah," Alt-Davis said. "That Gennai!"
"Well, some things don't change," Yolei said to herself.
"So, you're from another universe?" Alt-Davis asked. "You know, I once played this game about..."
"Yeah, yeah," Yolei said. "Our universe's Davis already told us about that."
"Us?" Alt-Davis took a step back and regarded Ken. Ken had draped the blanket over his head and body enough so his face was shadowed and unrecognizable and his school uniform was covered. Ken was also standing between alt-Davis and alt-T.K. and Wormmon, rendering the small larva Digimon all but invisible to them. "Hey, Mr. Mysterious, loose the cloak," alt-Davis said.
Yolei sighed. "Listen, could you just take us to the other DigiDestined?" she asked.
"Sure," T.K said. "Follow us."
The group followed the trail of footsteps alt-Davis and alt-T.K. left in the snow. Soon they were approaching another clearing. The alternate Joe was tending to Gomamon, who looked a little under the weather and the alternate Cody was directing a log being moved by alt-Armadillomn and alt-Hawkmon. "Davis? T.K.?" alt-Joe asked. "What did you find in the woods?" Alt-T.K. tossed him the letter. Alt-Joe caught it and read it aloud for alt-Cody's benefit.
"We'd better round the others," alt-Armadillomon said.
Alt-Cody nodded. "They're in the forest getting more logs. We'd better tell them."
He and alt-Armadillomon walked off. "So," alt-Joe said, trying to make conversation,"what's with the blanket?"
"Um..." Ken stammered. "I'm cold. It's freezing here."
"Oh," alt-Joe dug around in his bag. "I think I have some more hand warmers. Somewhere in here..."
"Good grief, Joe," alt-Gomamon peered in his human partner's bag,"how much stuff did you put in there, anyway?"
"Just some things for emergencies. Ah ha! Here they are!" Alt-Joe pulled out two packets. He handed one to Yolei and one to Ken.
"Thanks, Joe," Yolei said.
"Oh, good, Cody's coming back," alt-Gomamon said.
Yolei and Ken turned. Alt-Cody was coming back, and he was leading two people and two Digimon. One was definitely the alternate Yolei -- she had her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and it looked shorter too, but it was clearly her and Hawkmon. The other...
"So, could someone explain this to me again?" Alt-Ken said.