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Leomon and Robbie had walked side by side for approximately several hours without speaking. Robbie's watch had stopped working the moment he had gotten there, so it was hard to tell time around here.

Robbie was curious, but failing completely to find the words to ask what he'd like to know about his ... lover. Lover? It felt strange rolling that word over in his mind, but very sweet and natural as well. Perhaps the only strangeness was that his lover was a lion-like humanoid...yet it could also have been because Leomon was pure data, and he was human.

His thoughts automatically corrected themselves, no, partial-data. The oddity of all this was he felt normal, as normal as it was for him in his own body. True, he had noticed slight physical changes -- er, well, having a much thicker pelt on his body was definitely a significant change. He also had seen that his body had thickened into more muscle as well, and could have sworn his dick had gotten a couple extra inches, but he wasn't quite sure. It did seem longer when he managed to stay flaccid half the time. It wasn't like he had measured it that often.

He shook himself sharply, focusing back on their surroundings. He didn't need to be dwelling on sex, particularly when he knew Leomon could sniff out his pheremones, so he tried to focus his thoughts, and breathed in and out slowly.

Leomon's thoughts were on the hike ahead -- trying to figure out exactly what they were to expect at the Tree Kingdom. He hadn't been in the Tree Kingdom before, so he had no idea what kind of digimon lived there, or what it was like -- other than having trees, of course. He wished that his mate's digivice wasn't so vague -- for all he knew they were being led on a wild digital chase. But the digivice had led them to the DigiEgg of Hope, so perhaps there was another one in the Tree Kingdom somewhere? That made sense, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't be easy to acquire it -- not as easy as it was with Robbie's first one.

He hoped it wouldn't be too dangerous, then he chuckled mirthlessly in his own mind. The Digital World was dangerous now. Even without the Darkness Mist to further complicate matters, there were other digimon who enjoyed being a nuisance and occasionally made life dangerous for digimon who couldn't defend themselves. He hoped he would be able to protect his mate enough, since he was still very naive about the Digital World as a whole. He wished Robbie would pay attention to things around him more, but ... it seemed as if both of them were quite alike -- very contemplative.

He supposed it wasn't so bad, but there was a time and place for that. He refocused his attention on his surroundings, and saw a sheet of crackling static as high as the eye could see approaching them. On closer scrunity, Leomon saw the sheet wasn't moving, but they were moving toward it. He wondered if this was the border to the Tree Kingdom, and as a column of static cleared, he saw a tall, thick trunk with large leaves. The static reformed, obscuring his view again.

Robbie refocused his attention when he could hear an odd sound -- crackling. He quickly looked up, hoping there wasn't a fire or something, and his face transformed to confused to shocked. He saw the static shimmer and crackle as far as he could see, up to the sky, and to the sides. He pointed with awe, "Is that the border of the Tree Kingdom?"

Leomon nodded, then realized his mate didn't see him. "It appears so. I have never seen anything like it before."

Robbie frowned. "Is that normal, or what?"

The lion didn't reply, but kept walking. His tail swished behind him nervously, while Robbie scrambled to catch up. Still wide-eyed at the wondrous sight, he didn't realize that they were about to arrive at its base. It took Leomon's outstretched palm to smack him in the chest resoundly before he fully stopped, and looked ahead of him.

"Oh. Sorry. It's an amazing sight!" Robbie grinned, looking all over at the static wall that glittered in the afternoon sun. It almost reminded him of a prismatic crystal, but thousands, or perhaps even millions of them all jumbled into the sunlight.

Leomon growled, suddenly annoyed at his mate, but worry was his main reason for the outburst. "You almost walked into it! There was no telling what would happen if you had. For all I know, it could have been a warning system, or worse."

Robbie felt slightly shamed, and if his ears could flatten backwards, they would have. "I'm sorry. You're right. I don't... I don't know anything about this place."

Leomon heaved a sigh, and his eyes softened in apology. "No, I should apologize. There are dangers besides the Mist in the Digital World, if you don't take care to watch out for them."

The lion continued after a moment, not giving his mate time to speak. "I ... I just worry about you. I can't help it. I want to protect you, that's all."

Robbie glanced at his feet, and crossed his arms, feeling slight shame. "Yeah."

Leomon drew him into an one armed hug and purred softly. "It's okay. Let's find out more about this wall."

Robbie nodded, determined to try to not need protecting too much. He had to admit he didn't know much self defense, but he wondered if Leomon knew any specific ways to fight without getting killed. He filed that question away for later. He looked at the wall, and spied a hexagonal shape to their left a few feet away. "What's that?"

The lion noticed it at the same time, and let go of his mate. He was puzzled. It appeared to be a gateway of some kind, but since he had never been in this direction... "I don't know. It may be our only way into the Tree Kingdom." He didn't trust such an easy route, but on the other hand, he didn't know what touching the static barrier would have done to either one of them.

It appeared that this opening was the only way. Leomon exhaled quietly. "Seems like there's no other way but there. Let's go."

Robbie listened to the lion's remarks, and suddenly felt that Leomon saw this as too easy. "...You think it's a trap?"

The lion looked at his mate in startlment; he was suddenly surprised that Robbie was that perceptive. "I am not sure. It does seem that way."

Robbie frowned. "Why do you say that?"

Leomon scratched his chest in thoughtful silence then spoke. "I could be overreacting, but I find it hard to believe this wall has been up forever without at least a mention throughout this forest. It seems to be a way to keep everyone out, along with the fact that we suddenly find an entrance waiting for us to walk right in..."

Robbie nodded in agreement. "Oh, sounds exactly like one. But I don't see any other way to get in... I mean, the digivice told us to get to Tree Kingdom."

Leomon grunted in frustration. There was no other way. They had to go in through that opening. He was determined to be the first to enter, to be ready for any surprises.

The lion's tone brooked no argument or so he thought, as he spoke quietly. "I go first, you follow."

Robbie's anger flared momentarily, making him growl at the lion in annoyance of feeling overprotected, "No! We go together. I don't want to lose you -- even by accident."

Leomon's ears had flattened, and his tail stilled in shock. Robbie hadn't spoken to him like that before. He wasn't sure whether to get angry or be impressed. He decided to just let it go, and nodded. He held out his massive paw, to have Robbie slip his hand into it.

They both faced the opening, and stepped forward, holding their free hand toward the opening, unsure what to expect.

The moment their hand and paw made contact with the shimmering field that lined the opening, their forms transformed into white light, and winked out.

A whirling sensation filled Robbie's entire being, as he realized they were hurling through some sort of tunnel -- it seemed eerily familiar to him then a memory of his initial freefall into the Digital World flashed in his eyes. He wondered if he were actually returning home, or not? Soon after, he felt Leomon's paw holding onto his, as they tumbled through what seemed to be fragments of binary code and words that made no sense floating past them. They suddenly accelerated at one point, then Robbie was having trouble focusing on any details -- it had all become a blinding blur. It threatened to make him dizzy, and on impulse, he squeezed his eyes shut, then the whirling sensation suddenly stopped.

Leomon had never experienced anything like this before, so he held onto his mate's hand as securely as he could without crushing it. He soon noticed that he didn't need to hold onto it since it seemed as if they were in a floating stance, but everything else was starting to accelerate around them -- they just weren't moving. He looked at his mate's face, which was becoming a curiously green shade, and his eyes were squeezed tightly. The lion watched the surroundings blur into one blinding streak of digital data, and closed his eyes against it. It was getting exceedingly harder for him to not get affected by the motion around him as well.

Then everything skidded to a stop, and Leomon opened his eyes, discovering they were both still in the tunnel somewhere, and floating in midair. The junction room was plain -- cubiod, and had three tunnels -- one behind them, one forward, and one toward the left. The walls were crisscrossed with digital wires, and pipes.

Robbie cracked open his eyes, half expecting them to be at the Tree Kingdom by now, stared around him. "Where are we?"

Leomon shrugged his shoulders, not letting go of his mate. There was a stronger smell here -- a smell of a trap, but he didn't know where or what it'd be. "I wish I knew." He let his mate's hand go for a moment.

Robbie's digivice beeped warningly as he felt the power of the Digiegg of Hope flare inside him. He was suddenly aware of himself, and Leomon. And a creeping sensation that came from the left junction -- something that wasn't 'quite' right, as his empathic sensing couldn't put much more information to it. It felt dark, yes, but also fluctuated from hatred to nightmarish glee.

Leomon's ears caught the digivice's beep, and went into a battle stance, with fists out, and legs spread apart.

A clicking sound could be heard in the distance. Tap tap tap... tap tap tap... tap tap tap.

Robbie started to panic, and he immediately tried to touch the other two junctions to make them work, but they remained silent and flashed "No Access." He gazed back at Leomon in despair. "We're trapped!"

Leomon growled deep in his throat facing the left junction. He didn't like this. Not at all.

The sound grew gruesomly louder as it reveberated throughout the junction room but they couldn't see it yet, and knew it was about to turn the corner.

A dark shadow resembling a large spider appeared on the wall opposite it, and Robbie stifled a scream. He hated insects! Any kind of them. And one was about to attack them. A gigantic one.

Leomon pushed Robbie behind him, fully scenting his mate's abject fear, but trying not to let himself drown in it. He looked inward, and sought peace, then willed energy to his large fisted paws, but not releasing it quite yet.

Tap. Tap. Tap,taptap. Taptaptap. TapTaptap.

Robbie froze, as it finally came into view. It was ugly. White bristles covered it's entire blue skin, while it had 20 eyes that glittered green. There was unmistakably a large gem that was embedded into it's back. The legs had razor sharp tips. Robbie couldn't speak, and couldn't tear his gaze away from the monstrosity.

Taptaptaptaptaptap. It paused, gazing at the two in its headlights. It's maw snapped open and closed sharply, resulting in a loud snick. Robbie quaked in fear, and dimly realized that the creature was drinking in their terror. Their emotions were feeding into its strength, making it glow stronger.

Leomon had a qualm of fear, then mentally smacked himself, letting his fists of energy fly at the spider digimon pushing it back slightly without much effect. His qualm of fear grew stronger as he realized Robbie was frozen in fear. And he noticed not much damage had been done to the spider digimon by him alone. It would have to take both of them.

He turned to his mate, and shook him, trying to snap him out of his fear. "Snap out of it -- I need your help! Urk!" The spider digimon had shot out a spray of white liquid at Leomon, enveloping him in a gauzy substance. Leomon struggled mightily before subsiding to the paralyzing agent.

Ironically, it took Leomon's fading mental presence from Robbie's senses to galvanize himself together. He stared at Leomon's paralyzed form and grew angry. He was pissed. No one did that to his lover, and got away with it. White hot rage filled his mind and heart, and he gathered his new senses, striking the spider digimon in the eyes.

The spider reared back and a roar emanated from its maw in pain, but it seemed to do nothing but anger it.

Robbie felt as if he were free of his fear -- or he was being foolhardy, it didn't matter as he saw the crystal, and with a determined look in his eyes, he mentally visualized a white heat filled with hope in his heart to strike the gem on it's back.

He heard an audible crack at that moment, and grinned, but the spider digimon was still slavering at the maw, with eyes glittering murderously at him. It scrambled toward him at a speed he didn't realize it possessed, and leapt at him. He dodged out of the way, just in time, rolling and reaching Leomon. His power wasn't quite enough, but ... what he had seen Leomon do with the Trimon to try to distract him -- would it be possible for him to use his own power through his own lover to free this digimon?

As his hands made contact with Leomon, white light flared and surrounded both of them, burning away the gauze that had bound the lion. Robbie saw the light had kept the spider away, at least temporarily, so he kept in physical contact with Leomon until he stirred from his paralysis.

Leomon groaned, noticing for the first time the white light that had formed a protective cocoon around them. He recognized the feel of Robbie's power being used. "I see you overcame your fear." He felt sore but it would soon pass.

Robbie was glad the lion was awake, because he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to maintain the shield. "...Maybe. I don't know how long I can keep this up. I have to ask you something."

The spider digimon became brave and smashed against the shield, making Robbie's concentration waver momentarily, then he focused on it, making it brighter. He was starting to feel the strain.

"I managed to crack the gem on it's back, but... I think I need to use my power through you, or working with you somehow."

Leomon nodded, knowing Robbie didn't have much longer to maintain this. "Do it."

Robbie simply let go, and felt the power of his Digiegg roar inside of him from the shield, filling him with an overabundance of energy. The spider digimon suddenly launched itself at them. Robbie squeezed his eyes shut, hoping against hope he wasn't doing it wrong, and focusing on the light of hope -- then sending it coursing into Leomon's body.

What happened next was something they hadn't expected. A column of light shone around the two, then both moved together and overlapped, and grew brighter. Leomon and Robbie found themselves intricately part of each other, experiencing each other's moods, each other's bodily sensations all at one time, then Leomon instinctually held out both fists together, while Robbie held his own together at his heart, focusing his emotions into a sphere.

The spider digimon had screamed at the light, falling backwards, then as the light subsided somewhat, it gathered it's energy for one final strike, and scurried rapidly and was about to slice them, when Leomon/Robbie released the force they had built up inside them, at the spider digimon.

A large yellow-white sphere roared from them at the spider, engulfing it in a burning light that eroded it into motes of data and vanished.

Leomon/Robbie stared at the sudden disintegeration, and the light that had joined them, brightened then winking out into two separate forms.

Robbie swayed suddenly as he felt the need to pass out, but slowly his head felt clearer as the dizziness disappeared. He was still standing, and he felt proud, yet saddened. His sensing power had suddenly vanished, but he was starting to get used to its sudden changes. He didn't expect that they would end up destroying a digimon in order to free them.

Leomon was on his knees, amazed at what just happened. The two of them had joined in mind and body. He had never heard of this happening before. He struggled to his knees, feeling like a newborn cub, but the feelings were passing. He looked at his mate who looked as if he were having trouble sorting something out. It was time to leave.

The lion took his mate's hand, and led him to the opening to the Tree Kingdom. He decided they would camp -- to talk, and to sort things out, the moment he searched out a good campsite shelter.

Robbie seemed subdued, and let the lion lead him wherever he wished. Leomon frowned at this, but he had an inkling that it had dealt with how they destroyed the spider digimon. He was disturbed himself, but he knew that most digimon were reborn as new data every time they died.

Leomon held out his paw at the tunnel opening, and they were engulfed in a white light. Moments later, they rematerialized as white light that reconsituted their bodies to normal, under a large canopy of tall trees.

The lion glanced around, and smiled softly. They were in the Tree Kingdom. And whatever was next...they'd figure it out.

[TBC]