SPOILER ALERT: Contains spoilers for the Digimon Kizuna novelization (I was unable to see the movie due to cancellations in the states) and the first two episodes of Digimon Adventure:/Digimon Adventure Reboot/Digimon Psi.

So You Were Alive

Greymon gazed up, eyes drawn by a familiar sight. Garurumon stood in the distance, behind the scattering digital remains of the enemy digimon that he and Taichi had just defeated. Hope stirred, but dared not rise. While this digimon looked like the Garurumon he knew, it was impossible to know for sure from here.

Then, Garurumon lowered his head, revealing a human boy sitting astride his shoulders. Greymon stepped forward, hardly believing his eyes.

But there was no room for doubt. Just as Greymon would find and support Taichi at any cost, in any place… Garurumon would do the same for Yamato.

Greymon chuckled, more relieved than entertained. "So you were alive."

Just like that, this strange situation seemed a little less strange.

XXX

Hackmon materialized in an endless, featureless space. White nothing surrounded him, stretching to the horizon- or, more likely, the point where his field of vision ceased. Such a place would disorient most, but Hackmon waited, wary, but calm. As a messenger of Homeostasis, he had seen much stranger things.

Two clouds of data appeared, suspended in midair. The fragmented bits of information wafted about, formless, not even an echo of whatever they coded. Stepping closer, Hackmon noticed that each cloud glowed, one orange, one blue.

Suddenly, although nothing had changed, Hackmon knew he wasn't alone. Homeostasis seemed to be a being as formless as these data clouds, but a wise servant learned to sense when his master was at hand.

A voice rolled over the empty space like distant thunder. "Hackmon, a task."

Hackmon bowed. "Yes, Homeostasis."

"The data you see before you is all that remains of the partner digimon of courage and friendship."

Hackmon's head lowered further. "I see. Then that means..."

"Yes. The potential of their human partners has come to an end."

Although there was much he wanted to say, Hackmon held his tongue. It wasn't his place to question how Homeostasis managed the Chosen. Still, having spent time around them a few years ago... It was sad to hear of these partnerships ending.

"What is your will?" he asked.

"There is nothing that can be done for these digimon now... Not here. But forces like me in distant worlds have need of warriors such as these."

As Hackmon rose, the hood of his crimson cloak fell back, revealing puzzled eyes. "Distant worlds?"

"Yes. Worlds of data, some also connected to organic worlds containing children who can pair with these fallen partner digimon, and the others in their team that will soon fade."

Hackmon tipped his head, wondering if it was permissible to request details. It sounded as if Homeostasis wanted to send these partner digimon to human children in faraway places. Was such a thing possible?

"I will do as you ask, but... Will these digimon be able to partner to new children? Their bonds to their old partners last, even now." He nodded to the data clouds, each still glowing with the power of their partner's crest.

"That is up to them," Homeostasis replied. "In this other world, they will find humans with the same names and faces as the ones they were partnered to before, possibly with different personalities. Whether or not these digimon choose to fight is unimportant to me. I am offering a choice, and nothing more."

Though Hackmon was a steady, unflappable sort, he found himself troubled, shifting his weight from claw to claw. "Homeostasis? Will these digimon ever be able to reunite with their adult partners?"

A long pause followed. Hackmon was about to retract the question when the data clouds began to stretch out. They grew, moving away from each other until each one split into two identical clouds.

"The originals will stay." Two of the data clouds vanished, leaving the new copies behind. "Perhaps someday, the adult Chosen will discover their infinite possibilities. Until then, what remains of their partner digimon will be protected."

The copied clouds of data drifted closer to Hackmon. "These will have the choice of partnering to the younger versions of their humans on another world. If they choose to link themselves to the potential of those children, then they will reform, with all of their data intact. If not, the copies will fade without the support of a child's potential."

Although a million more questions clamored in his mind, Hackmon bowed. "What must I do?"

A portal opened, ripping through the empty space. Hackmon stared through the endless tunnel beyond, a bluish space lined with green channels of data. Square hunks of data traveled down those lines and floated in the space between.

"This is the network of the other world. Enter, and I will send the digimon to you, one at a time. Explain their options. The rest is up to them."

"Understood." Hackmon approached the portal and leaped through.

XXX

Koromon groaned. It felt like he had been asleep for a long time, but he was still exhausted. Yawning, he muttered, "Taichi? Is it morning?"

Taichi. Taichi!

Koromon's eyes popped open. Wasn't Taichi here just a moment ago? They were going to share a melon ice. There was so much left to enjoy before he vanished! He glanced all around, searching for Taichi.

But there was no Taichi, no Tokyo. Koromon found himself floating in a space filled with intersecting lines and floating bits of data. "Taichi?" he called.

"I'm afraid he's not here."

Startled, Koromon bounced and whirled around. Hackmon floated behind him, his cloak billowing outward.

Koromon scowled. "Where is here?"

"This is a network created by humans."

"Like the internet?" Although Koromon knew that Hackmon worked for Homeostasis, a force that had sometimes supported the Chosen, but sometimes opposed them, he relaxed. If he was on the internet, then Taichi would ask Koushiro for help. They'd be together in no time!

"Something like that, but not the one you know."

Koromon flailed to make way for an oncoming piece of data. "Whoa! What do you mean?"

"It's... A lot of information. Please, listen carefully..."

XXX

After a long explanation and an exhaustive round of questions, Koromon was pretty sure he understood.

"So... I can't be partnered to Taichi?"

Hackmon nodded. "I'm afraid not. Someday, maybe... But for now, Taichi is an adult. He lacks the potential to support a digimon partner."

"But this… other Taichi? He's a child? And I can partner to him?"

Hackmon took a deep breath. By now, Koromon recognized the look of someone whose patience was strained from trying to explain things to him.

"Yes. You can partner to him, if you'd like. But he won't know you, and he might not be the same as the boy you first met in the Digital World. And you can't go back to that Taichi; you are a copy of his digimon, breathed into life by Homeostasis. If you choose to meet and partner to this other Taichi, you will solidify into a whole digimon using his potential."

"Is that why I feel so tired?" Koromon asked. "I don't have a partner's support?"

"That's right. And if you choose not to pair with this other Taichi, your copied data will fade. Your original data will remain in Homeostasis's care, in case your Taichi discovers his infinite possibilities."

"So... You're saying I can't go back to my Taichi."

"I'm afraid not," Hackmon said gently. "But, if you choose, you can have a new beginning with a new Taichi."

Koromon wasn't an introspective sort, but he wondered if his future would continue like this- a string of meetings and separations, new Taichis over and over again. The thought was crushingly sad, until he realized something.

These Taichis needed his help. Needed him.

"This new Taichi is in trouble?" Koromon asked.

"His world is, yes."

Koromon nodded. Although he wasn't sure how he felt about all of this, his path was clear.

"Then I'll help him, no matter what."

"Very well. In that case, you must find him as quickly as you can. Good luck to you."

"Wait!" Koromon cried. "Where-"

But Hackmon turned, and a portal leading to a vast white space opened in front of him. He stepped through, and the circle shrank and vanished, leaving Koromon alone in this strange network.

Find Taichi. Everything else will sort itself out.

Nodding to himself, Koromon began his search.

XXX

Koromon bounced along a green tunnel, struggling to see everything at once. It felt like he had been searching forever, but so far, there were no signs of any humans. The area was mostly populated by data... But Koromon also noticed occasional flashes of movement that seemed faster than the data.

But he couldn't focus on that. He was already so tired, struggling without access to a human partner's energy. Just a bit farther. Everything will be okay if I find Taichi.

A green and purple digitama materialized in his path. Koromon paused, unsure of what to do. Tiny bits of data broke off from the egg, and then it burst open.

Koromon had a faint impression of a green body, purple tentacles, and a large yellow eyeball. Then the unknown digimon rushed forward, and pain exploded in Koromon's head.

Koromon stumbled, then fell from the green data line. No! I have to find Taichi! I have to...

"T-Taichi... Taichi!"

Koromon plummeted into the void, struggling to remain conscious.

XXX

A blurry form appeared before Koromon. A stubborn bit of consciousness suggested that hands were reaching for him, but Koromon could do nothing with that knowledge. Even before the green digimon attacked him, he was already weakening.

Then, something warm grabbed him and pulled him in. Koromon stirred, roused by a trace of familiar power. He knew this strength, this feeling of sunlight bursting inside of him.

Energy pulsed through him and burst outward, rearranging his data, shifting into a new form. Orange light engulfed the network, and Koromon couldn't see anything but that blinding brilliance.

He didn't need to see to know what was happening. Koromon grinned, and suddenly, Agumon was grinning with the same mouth.

When the light of evolution faded, Agumon found himself sitting in front of an image from his past. Taichi stared at him with the face of a child, the face Agumon met so many years ago. But no recognition dawned in the boy's eyes. He seemed stunned, even wary... But not afraid.

Slowly, this new Taichi reached for Agumon. Grinning, Agumon tipped his head. There were too many emotions for him to know exactly what he was feeling, but...

Taichi was here with him. Right now, that was more than enough.

Agumon leaped to his feet, and Taichi pulled his hand back. "I'm Agumon!" he said. "I finally found you!"

This Taichi also had goggles, and even a blue headband and a wild head of hair beneath them. Agumon didn't want to be apart from his adult Taichi... But this child also felt like home.

"Agu...mon?" Taichi repeated. The boy's expression shifted from shock to focus, and Agumon turned to see what his child was seeing. Those green eyeball digimon were back, swarming around Agumon and Taichi.

Agumon scrambled to his feet. "Don't worry, Taichi! I'll fight!"

Because no matter what, no matter when, no matter where... Taichi was his partner.

XXX

Garurumon leaped towards Greymon. Taichi held his arms out, trying to shield Greymon from an adult-level digimon. Greymon remained relaxed, amused and amazed by how similar this Taichi was to his.

Garurumon soared easily over Greymon's head, landing on two enemy digimon. He dispatched them before Greymon could even finish turning around.

Greymon smiled at Garurumon and Yamato, unconsciously displaying a terrifying mouth full of razor teeth. Yamato's gaze was on Taichi, but Garurumon turned to Greymon and grinned.

"You owe me one," he said.

A deep laugh rumbled up Greymon's chest. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to tell Taichi about the other Taichi, and the partnership Agumon once had with him. For now, all he knew was that he had to defend Taichi... And now, he had Yamato and Garurumon to help.

"Let's go," Yamato said to Garurumon. The wolf tipped his head back to see his partner.

"But..."

Garurumon stared at Yamato, then turned and ran ahead. Taichi grabbed Greymon's horn and leaned forward. "Hey! Wait up!"

Greymon followed Garurumon, reassured by the presence of his friends.