A/N: Higuchi's prize for the DFC short oneshot comp! And this was accidentally named after a yugioh card. Whoops?


Necklace of Command

The goggles felt heavy around his neck. Not quite a noose but, he thought, they could so easily become a noose.

This was why, he realised, as they sat heavy around his neck, Taichi had been so cautious. He'd found it infuriating then, but that was when there was Taichi to be infuriated at. It was easier when there was someone else responsible for the final decisions, when he could play the devil's advocate instead as he was apt at. It was easier when everyone wasn't leaning on him and the wall on his other side hadn't suddenly fallen away…

But that was exactly what had happened. Or, rather, the ground beneath his feet had crumbled and the noose threatened to yank his head right off.

But Gabumon was warm around his chest and the other digimon were peeking through the glass as though they couldn't see them, and maybe it wasn't just a noose, but the rope that held all of them together.

He ran his fingers on the plastic. Taichi's goggles… In that case, he just had to believe they were the rope that'd pull him back, as well. Believe they were a rope instead of a noose…

It seemed like a long time since he'd been exasperated at Taichi's optimism. An even longer time since they hadn't had at least some of the weight of the world on their shoulders.