CHAPTER 10

ZOE'S FROZEN HEART

Morning found the Digidestined ready to leave Gerudo. They all stood outside Izzy's awaiting Trailmon, bidding Ken farewell.

"Well, it's been fun," the dark-haired man said, adjusting his backpack, "but I'd better keep moving."

"Keep moving?" Tommy asked. "Where are you headed?"

"Nowhere in particular," Ken replied, glancing out at the mountains. "I'm gathering information that could help bring down the church... so I'm sure they're looking for me. I'll go where they aren't."

"Well, be sure to write me if you find anything advantageous," Izzy said, motioning to his laptop. "Oh, and we'll say hi to your wife if we see her."

Takuya blinked. "Wait..." he said, "your wife is here, too, Ken?"

"Yes," Ken replied. "If you do see her, she'll certainly help you out."

"Come to think of it..." Kouji said, eyeing the men suspiciously, "what exactly are you guys doing in the Digital World, anyway? You're certainly not Legendary Warriors..."

Ken chuckled. "Well... I suppose you could say that we've got a special bond with this land, too," he explained, "but it doesn't really matter. Just know that we want to stop the church as much as you guys do."

"Is it because of something that happened?" Kouichi asked, recalling the argument Ken had with Issac when they had clashed. "You seemed to know Issac..."

Ken's smile faded. "...We... used to be friends..." he said quietly.

Kouji was not satisfied, as usual. "Is that all?" he pressed, raising an eyebrow. "Who's this 'Davis' you mentioned?"

There was an awkward pause as the two dark-haired men stared at each other intensely. Finally, though, Izzy broke the silence by clamping his hand down on Kouji's shoulder. "All right, then!" he said, laughing awkwardly, "the Trailmon's all set to go!"

"Well, good luck to you," Ken said, seeming relieved. "I hope you all can help stop the church."

Kouji began to angrily point out that Ken had not answered his question, but Izzy cut him off. "See you around, Ken!" he laughed, pushing Kouji towards the train. "Stay out of trouble, now!"

The rest of the kids watched this spectacle with perplexion. Kouji and Kouichi's questions seemed to have touched a nerve in Ken, and Izzy did not want them to know why. It made them even more curious, but they also saw that they would not get any answers in the present situation. Takuya and Zoe exchanged shrugs, then boarded the train. The others followed suit.

The Trailmon gave a loud whistle, then took off down the tracks, leaving Ken alone on the cracked, dead earth. He waved at the vanishing Trailmon, a bitt

Tommy watched him until he vanished from sight, then turned around in his seat. "What a nice guy," he said.

"Yeah, but confusing, too..." JP said, folding his arms. "Pretty quirky."

"He seemed to carry a lot on himself..." Kozue sighed. "It's like he knew something so bad that he didn't want us to find out about it... I almost felt sorry for him..."

"Izzy, what was his deal?" Takuya asked. "You can tell us, right?"

"Yeah, and why are you guys here, anyway?" Kouichi asked.

Izzy frowned at them. "I can't disclose every detail just yet," he said. "If you knew, it would make things that much more dangerous for you."

"Dangerous?" Zoe asked, raising an eyebrow. "How?"

"Yeah, we're the Legendary Warriors!" Takuya declared. "We can take anything!"

Izzy shook his head. "No," he said sternly. "I can't tell you... not until the church is brought down."

"Awww," Tommy groaned; he hated to be kept in suspense. "Now I'm gonna be thinking about it all day..."

Kouji was even more annoyed at the secrecy. "Is there anything you CAN tell us?" he asked crossly.

"I can tell you where we're headed next," Izzy replied, leaning back and staring out the window. "After Gerudo, we cross the mountains and come to a city called Smogula. From there, we head to the Golden Coastline, where we'll take an underwater route to-"

"Agh, stop, stop!" JP cried, shaking his head vigorously. "Don't give us the whole road map! I can only remember so many names!"

Izzy paused, then sighed. "Sorry," he apologized. "But, case in point, we're going over Mount Celsius to Smogula next; that's where the church is manufacturing weapons for its soldiers."

Kouichi scratched his chin. "Oh, I get it..." he said, "if we shut down the factory, it would hurt their arsenal and make things easier..."

"Well, I like the sound of that," Takuya admitted. "No weapons means we won't have to fight so many Digimon, either!"

"That IS a great idea," Kozue agreed. "I'll do whatever I can!"

While the others vehemently championed Izzy's plan, Zoe sighed and sadly stared out the window at the approaching tall, white-capped mountains. Just like Kozue, she wanted to do whatever she could... but even though she had her Wind Spirits back, they were useless without a weapon to channel them through; what could she do?

---

The rest of the day, Worm ambled down the tracks at a steady pace. The Digital World once again showed its ability to change scenery instantly; the closer that the Trailmon got to the mountains, the more pine forests and tundra-like foliage appeared. The skies turned gray and a gentle snow started to fall, blanketing the trees and ground in fluffy, white coats.

Kozue could not contain her amazement. She stared out of the window with wide, delighted eyes. "So quickly..." she murmured quietly. "How wonderful... I've always loved snow."

"Yeah, this place will always keep you guessing," JP agreed. "You never know what kind of place you'll come to next!"

"That's because the world is made up of data, and not nature," Izzy replied. "Data can change instantly, so most of the Digital World is neatly divided into certain terrains..."

Worm's track left the grass and started up the first mountain, causing the car to tilt upwards. Takuya glanced out the window, then turned to Izzy. "This's a pretty big mountain," he stated.

"It is," Izzy replied. "This is Mount Celsius, the tallest mountain in the Digital World."

Kouji looked up; the mountain's peak shot above the clouds, rendering guesses at its true height impossible. "...We aren't going all the way over, are we?" he asked.

"Thankfully, no," Izzy replied. "The air up there is too thin for anyone to breathe. The Trailmon have a special tunnel about halfway up. It's a shortcut through the ice caves."

"Ice caves..." Kozue repeated, smiling even more. "Oh, I bet those are full of sparkling icicles and rainbow-glowing walls... just like a fairy tale!"

"The caves are a natural maze," Izzy explained. "There is a temple in the exact center of the mountain dedicated to the Goddess of Love."

Kozue sighed dreamily. "Just like a fairy tale..." she repeated. "A shrine to love in a beautiful, frozen cave..."

"Goddess of Love?" Kouichi asked, surprised. "Aphrodite?"

"If this were Greece, yes," Izzy replied, shaking his head. "I mean the Digital World's Goddess of Love. There's supposed to be an amazing treasure there... However, plenty of Digimon have gotten lost and frozen to death inside the maze..."

There was an unpleasant silence. "...And we're going through it?" Takuya asked.

"The Trailmon route is pretty straightforward; it bypasses the maze altogether," Izzy said, trying to lighten the mood. "We should reach Smogula by midnight."

"The perfect time for a strike," Kouji pointed out. "Great."

"So, until then, we just relax and enjoy the view, huh?" JP asked, leaning back in his chair. "That's always fine with me!"

Zoe was quietly staring at the floor, lost in thought. Izzy had mentioned that the shrine had a treasure in it... Maybe it was a weapon of some sort. If she could get her hands on it, she would be able to fight alongside her friends just like before. That way, she would not feel like a burden to the others... but Izzy also said the Trailmon tracks ignored the maze altogether; they would just pass right by without exploring. What might be her only chance would just zip by. What could she do?

The cushion on her left sank a bit, and she looked up. Takuya had sat down next to her, and now he was looking at her with a friendly smile. "How's your shoulder?" he asked.

Zoe's eyes widened. She had completely forgotten about her injury; in fact, she had completely forgotten that she was still wearing his blazer! She lifted the coat off and glanced at her shoulder; to her delight, the wound was gone entirely, and even her shirt sleeve had mended. She smiled cheerfully; when one's body was made of Fractal Code, one never needed a taylor.

"Perfecto!" she replied, handing Takuya his coat. "Thanks."

The plucky youngster slapped it back on, glad to have it over his shirt again. "No problem," he replied. "It's yours when you need it."

She sighed and leaned back. "I guess I should be happier..." she admitted, "but without a weapon, I'm still no good to you guys..."

Takuya looked at her and realized just how much this was bothering her. In a way, it was bothering him, too. Something inside him wanted her to find a weapon, so they could fight side-by-side again. Whether it was competition or friendship, he kind of missed the feeling that she was fighting just as hard as he was. Still, even without a weapon, she still contributed to the party; who else among them was as playful and cheery as she was?

He hesitated, then smiled at her again. "Don't worry," he said, "you'll find something soon; I know it. They wouldn't leave the Legendary Warrior of Wind with diddly-squat, would they?" He chuckled for a moment, then grew quieter. "Still, don't let it bother you too much... You're part of the team, no matter what," he concluded.

She looked at him, his confident smile reassuring her deep inside. Takuya might have been an impulsive hothead sometimes, but he always had something good to say. "...Thanks," she said quietly.

As grateful to Takuya as she was, though, deep in her mind, she was slowly hatching a plan. She had to get Worm to stop in those caves so she could go and scope out the temple. She would find that treasure no matter what.

---

The snow stopped and the clouds cleared as the sky changed to a dark, dark blue. As Worm went up another incline, the kids caught sight of a miraculous sight: dozens of rainbow-colored, glowing, curtain-like objects in the sky. Everyone rushed to the side windows to gaze at it.

"Woah..." JP said as he stared up at them. "Look at that..."

Kozue joined him at his window and her eyes lit up. "Oh, wow!" she gasped. "I didn't know the Digital World had the Northern Lights, too!"

"If it's in the Real World, there's some sort of version of it here," Izzy repeated as he looked out another window. "Still... knowing that it's just data doesn't detract from its splendor..."

"We must be pretty high up..." Kouji remarked as he looked. "Otherwise, it's really cold outside."

Takuya watched the lights slowly flash back and forth between green, yellow, orange and violet. "Sure is pretty, huh, Zoe?" he asked.

There was no response. Takuya glanced beside him; Zoe had disappeared. "Huh... That's weird," he muttered. "Where'd she go?"

"She picked the wrong time for a bathroom break, that's for sure," Kouichi replied.

Izzy looked around, then pointed up ahead. "Look, there's the cave entrance," he said. "We'll be through it pretty quickly."

"We're almost there?" Zoe's voice came in. Everyone turned to see her emerge from the latrine. "Oh, good! Did I miss anything?"

"Well, there was a really nice light show outside," Tommy pointed out. "Too bad you missed it."

"Oh, really?" she asked, looking disappointed. "That's too bad..."

Zoe was a little bit upset that she had missed the spectacle, but her mind was trained on how to get Worm to stop inside the cave. In the lavatory, she had hatched the perfect plan; she would throw her hat into his wheels from one of the windows, then leap and run for the cave while the others were preoccupied. It was not the best of plans- Zoe herself would have admitted that- but it was all she could come up with on short notice. She did not want to permanently disable the train, either; she just needed to buy some time for her to find that temple.

Everyone glanced towards the front of the Trailmon; the entrance to the cavern came upon them like an open, frozen maw. "In we go!" Izzy announced.

For a moment, all was dark, and then a brilliant light dazzled the children's eyes. Worm passed into a large, long, dome-shaped chamber filled with glowing icicles and sparkling, frozen floors. Light bounced from one cold surface to the next, making everything shimmer with the same hues as the Northern Lights outside.

Kozue practically had a seizure from the brilliance. "Ohhhh!" was all she could manage as she stared at it, an enchanted smile plastered across her face.

"...What she said," JP agreed, also smiling. "Gee, Tommy, your element has to be one of the prettiest."

Tommy beamed and chuckled.

"Well, you missed the lights," Takuya said to Zoe, "but this sure tops that!..."

Usually there would have been a vibrant Italian expression of delight, but none came. Takuya turned, confused. "Zoe?" he asked.

"Whoops!" Zoe's cry came from the other side of the car. Everyone turned to see her pull her bare head in from an open window, her golden hair strewn around her scalp in disarray.

"What the!" Izzy exclaimed. "What happened!"

"I opened the window to get a better look, but my hat fell off!" Zoe explained, trying her best to sound like it was an accident. She patted the top of her head sadly. "Oh... This just doesn't feel right..."

"Oh, no!" JP cried, genuinely panicked. "Izzy, stop the train! We have to get it!"

Kouji frowned at the large boy. "What are you, nuts?" he asked. "We aren't stopping for a stupid hat..."

Suddenly, Worm jolted to a violent halt, and the car thrashed left and right, almost falling off of the tracks. Everyone was thrown to the floor in a heap.

"Unless, of course, it happens to jam in the wheels..." Izzy groaned.

Kouichi groaned. "I can't feel my legs..." he mumbled.

"I can," JP remarked crossly. "Get off!"

Zoe opened her eyes to see the red carpet of the floor. Something wriggled underneath her, and then Takuya's arm swung into view. "Ohh... Zoe, are you OK?..." he asked wearily. "You've gotta work on those landings..."

Zoe beamed; it had been a long shot, but her plan had worked! Now she just had to slip away and enter the frozen maze, and she would be in business. She would find a weapon yet.

First, though, she had to untangle herself from the others. "Sorry, Takuya," she apologized, "and I'll move when Kozue's stomach gets off my back!"

"Sorry..." Kozue groaned.

---

After they had all gotten back on their feet, Izzy opened the car door. "OK, let's see what the damage is..." he said, buttoning up his collar and leaping outside.

"Maybe we can help!" JP piped up, jumping out after him. "I've worked with machines before!"

"We might as well get out and stretch," Kouji reasoned. "No use just sitting here..."

One by one, the kids emerged from the train. Zoe was the last inside as Takuya hopped onto the snowy ground. "Heh... You sure picked a place to drop your hat," he laughed.

"Err... Yeah..." she replied quietly. "You go on ahead, Takuya; I'll be out in a second."

He glanced at her with a wry smile. "Too cold for you?" he asked. "You wanna borrow my jacket again?"

"No, no, I'm fine," she protested, her cheeks turning a little pink.

Takuya shrugged. "Well, if you say so," he replied, then turn and ran behind the train.

Everyone was on the other side of the car; her chance had come. Quietly, she hopped out and sprinted out into the domed cavern as fast as she could, looking around for the maze's entrance.

"Come on... Come on..." she whispered to herself crossly. She had to find it fast, before the others noticed that she was gone. She raced towards the far wall; maybe the entrance was a small cavern that she could not see from where she was, or-

There was a loud crack, and then the floor beneath her gave way. With a surprised yelp, she slid down a cold, frozen tunnel at murderous speed, jolting this way and that as it veered left and right. For about two seconds, she was airborne, a valley of snow and glowing icicles quickly approaching her from below... and then she was head-over-heels in a snowbank.

She shot out of the mound like a rocket, her body immediately going into shivering spasms. "F-f-f-f-freddo!" she gasped, wildly jumping around to knock the snow out of her clothes. One large wad fell off of her hair and slid down the back of her shirt, and she shrieked wildly. She silently cursed herself for not realizing how cold it was in the cave; maybe she should have borrowed Takuya's jacket after all.

Something sparked beneath her, and she looked down and groaned. Her D-Tector was coated in a thick chunk of ice, completely useless. She could not contact the others, or use her Spirits. Crossly, she picked it up and jammed it in her shirt pocket, as far from her body as she could get it.

She looked up at where she had come from. The tunnel was high up on an ice wall, impossible to climb to; she could not get back up if she wanted to. Suddenly, she regretted coming down here alone.

Still, like it or not, she was alone and in the maze. Another tunnel lay off to her left, and another to her right. She frowned; until she found another way out, there was nothing to do but to find that temple. She folded her arms, shook the snow from her shoes and started down the left path.

---

For several minutes the party had been out in the chilly cavern, inspecting the damage on the train. Izzy looked over each wheel of the two-car rig, making several grunts and hums as he moved. The others stood nearby, trying their best to keep warm. The cavern may have looked beautiful from inside Worm, but outside it was deathly frigid; the hairs on their arms shot straight up like porcupine quills.

"Urrrgh..." Kouji groused, grabbing at his shoulders and rubbing furiously. "This WOULD happen in a frozen cave, wouldn't it..."

"Aghhh!" JP yelped, dancing between his legs. "Cold, cold, cold!"

Kozue took a deep gulp of the crisp, frosty air, then exhaled a white stream, smiling delightedly. Takuya looked at her and grinned. "Well, at least someone is having fun," he said.

Izzy glanced up at them. "I'm the only one that has to be out here," he said, "and my beard's keeping me warm enough. Why don't you all get back inside?"

"Well, we don't want you to be the only one freezing your butt off," Takuya chuckled, scratching his head.

Izzy looked at a set of wheels and chuckled lightly; something small and purple was caught between them. He reached down and tugged on it, and out popped Zoe's hat. "A simple solution to a simple problem," he said cheerfully. "Zoe! Here's your hat!"

There was no answer. He looked around, puzzled. "Huh...?" he asked. "Where did she go?"

The others stopped what they were doing. Takuya turned around; he thought she had been right behind him as he came out of the train... but she was gone again. "...Zoe?" he asked.

Kouichi shuffled back to the car door and looked inside; he did not see her. He went in and knocked on the bathroom door, but it was unlocked and empty. "...She's not in here," he said worriedly as he returned to the others.

"Uh-oh..." Tommy gulped. "Where do you think she went?"

Izzy frowned. "...You don't think she's foolish enough to go into the maze, do you?" he asked.

"No way!" JP huffed angrily. "Zoe's too smart to go off alone!"

"Really?" Kouji muttered. "Then why isn't she here?..."

Kozue sighed. "Maybe she wanted to find that temple," she suggested.

Takuya's eyes widened; that had to be it! Zoe was the only one amongst them who did not have a weapon. Izzy had said the temple had a treasure in it, so maybe she thought it could be something she could use. That would definitely give her reason to bolt for it. "Yeah..." he agreed with Kozue. "We'd better go and look for her!"

JP held up his D-Tector. "Let's see if we can talk to her with this," he said. "It worked before... Zoe! Can you hear me?"

The response was an ear full of static. When Zoe had used her D-Tector to call Takuya, its screen had shown his Legendary Warrior symbol... but no symbol appeared on JP's screen.

The others tried calling her, too, but none of them could get a signal. "...Looks like it's dead," Kouji grumbled.

Takuya frowned and looked off across the cave. "Fine, then," he said, "I guess we'll just have to go after her!"

He started to move, but Izzy grabbed his shoulder. "Not so fast!" he warned. "That maze is huge; if you all go running off, you'll all get lost, too!"

Takuya glanced back at him; he did not want to stall, but Izzy had a good point. "...OK, then," he said, holding up his own D-Tector. "Kouji, can you contact me?"

Kouji hit a few buttons, and the symbol of Fire appeared on his screen. "...Yeah," he replied.

Izzy saw where Takuya was going with this, and scratched his chin. "Maybe only Zoe's D-Tector is unable to transmit..." he said.

"Right," Takuya nodded. "I'll go into the maze with two others, and the rest of you can stay here and fix the train. If we need help, we'll call you."

"Errr..." Kouichi mumbled, raising a wary eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a very good plan..."

"Does anyone have another?" Takuya retorted.

An awkward silence showed that nobody did. "...Right, then," Takuya went on, "who's coming with me?"

JP stepped forward, his fists balled. "You know I'm coming, Taky!" he huffed.

Kozue blushed and raised her hand. "I'll come, too," she said.

Tommy scratched his head. "Well, then I guess we'll stay here..." he reasoned.

Izzy frowned. "I still don't like it..." he pointed out, "but it's not like I can do much to stop you..."

"Just have Worm ready when we bring Zoe back!" Takuya replied as Kozue, JP and he started off across the ice.

"Good luck!" Kouichi called after them.

---

There was absolute silence as Zoe shuffled down the frosty tunnels. It was not a scary, unpleasant silence, like in a graveyard, but a quiet that can only be heard when in a cold, snowy area. It was a pure silence that seemed to say all was at peace.

Zoe, however, knew that was not the case. As enjoyable as it was, she had to focus on her situation; that temple was not going to find itself. She would find it, get the treasure, and find her way back to her friends.

She came to another crossway and decided to go left. She did not have the slightest clue of what the maze looked like; she was just turning whichever way she felt like, hopeful that she would eventually go the right way. A dusting of snow fell on her head, and she shivered; she had to find the place before she froze to death.

Suddenly, a frightening thought hit her; how long would she be down here? What if she was way off course? Would she be able to find the temple before her body gave out from the cold... or would she end up a frozen corpse, like what Izzy had said of others? Would explorers find her a hundred years from now, sealed in an icy sarcophagus like the human sacrifices found in the Andes? She shuddered, and not from the cold.

She came to yet another split in the tunnel, and her heart pounded. How many turns had she made? She had lost count; she would never be able to find her way back now. No matter which route she chose, she was alone...

Just then, she frowned and shook her head; this was no way to think in this kind of situation. If one panicked, all was lost. She took a deep breath and steadied herself; she could do this. She was not just Zoe; she was Kazemon, the Legendary Warrior of Wind! She had been in worse pickles before, and even if she could not Spirit Evolve, she knew she could get out of this.

With renewed gusto, she took the right path and smiled to herself. Wherever it was, that treasure was as good as hers.

---

"Zoe!" JP called across the icy chamber. "Are you here!"

"If she was in this room," Takuya dryly pointed out, "I think she would have answered the last twelve times you screamed."

Kozue glanced back at the Trailmon, now far in the distance. "Oh... I don't think she's in this room at all..." she said.

"But where would she go?" JP asked. "I don't see any doorways..."

Takuya scratched his chin as he walked. Why did he feel so concerned? He knew Zoe kept her head in bad situations, so wandering a maze would not get her worked up... but it was so cold in this maze, she might never make it out... As this thought replayed itself in his mind, he swallowed; he had to find her, and fast. Still, JP had a point; there were no doors in this room aside from the Trailmon's entrance and exit. How had she entered the maze?

His thoughts were cut short by a loud creak beneath him. He glanced down to see a huge crack emanate across the floor from his foot. He looked behind him to see cracks starting beneath JP and Kozue as well, and his eyes widened. "Guys," he started, "I think I know where she-"

With a loud crash, the ice gave away and sent all three of them screaming into the hole. Suddenly, they all hit something cold, and slid around and around at a murderous speed. Takuya opened his eyes to find himself ripping through a frozen tunnel, with JP and Kozue hot on his heels.

"Like I said!" he called to them.

"Greeeeeat!" JP gurgled back; he was turning pale from the sliding.

Kozue said nothing; she was too busy trying to keep her skirt from blowing around.

They took one hairpin turn after another, the drop getting steeper and their speeds getting faster. Then, for a split second, there was no ground beneath them at all... and then they all were stopped by a snowbank.

Kozue was the first to sit up. She groaned and knocked the snow from her hair and looked around; they were inside a beautiful ice tunnel that sparkled with all the shades of blue and white that one could imagine. She beamed happily. "JP! Takuya! Look!" she said. "It's gorgeous!"

"Well, I WOULD look..." JP's voice came from under her, "but you're sitting on me!"

"And you're BOTH sitting on ME!" Takuya howled from even further beneath her. "GET OFF!"

After a few seconds of untangling, the three Digidestined were back on their feet. Takuya looked down both directions of the tunnel and sighed. "Well, we found the maze..." he concluded, "but no Zoe."

"I bet she started hunting for that temple," JP said worriedly. "Oh, man... She could be anywhere in here!"

"How big is this maze?" Kozue asked. "Did Mr. Izzy say?"

Takuya shook his head slowly. Just then, though, he had an idea. "Maybe the D-Terminal would know!" he reasoned, pulling the gray device from his pocket and hitting its buttons.

JP was still flustered by the gravity of their situation. "Oh, man... Zoe's lost in here... She could freeze to death!" he panicked. "And we don't have an exit... We'll get lost, too! And then WE'LL freeze to death!"

Kozue looked at him sadly; there had to be something she could do to make him feel better... "I... Please, try to stay calm, JP," she said. "We'll figure something out."

"Yeah!" JP asked crossly. "What!"

Kozue winced at his outburst and he instantly regretted it. "...I'm sorry, Kozue," he went on meekly. "We're all in a bad spot here, aren't we..."

Kozue relaxed from his apology, and then her eyes lit up. "Spot!" she exclaimed. "JP, that's it!"

JP raised an eyebrow. "What's it?" he asked.

Kozue pulled out her D-Tector and smiled. "Just watch!" she said. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!"

Before his eyes, the blue-haired girl became the green-skinned Ranamon. "You gave me a great idea," she said. She snapped her fingers and a hand duplicate appeared in the air. "We can mark our path with these! And..." she snapped her fingers and the hand struck a pointing pose, "they can also show which way we came from!"

JP blinked, then looked at her. "...I did that?" he asked.

Ranamon giggled. "Well, you did say we were in a 'bad spot...'" she explained.

JP paused a moment more, then smiled at her. "That's really something, Kozue," he said.

Ranamon blushed a little.

Suddenly, a shout from Takuya made both of them look up. "Hey, guys! Look!" he exclaimed, running over to them and showing the D-Terminal; its screen showed a large mess of scribbled lines, with a large square in its dead center. "There's a map of the maze in here!"

"Great!" Ranamon exclaimed. "Now we won't be lost!"

JP looked happy too, then sighed. "Yeah, but it doesn't tell us where we are, or where Zoe is..."

"Well, it CAN say where we are," Takuya explained, pointing to a particular flat line. "See this? It's the only straight part of this maze. I'll bet you we're right there."

JP looked around the tunnel. It was very straight; maybe Takuya was right. "Well... OK," he agreed.

"Good," Takuya replied, pointing towards the right-hand path. "Let's go!" He charged off and was gone.

Ranamon giggled. "He's pretty enthusiastic, isn't he?" she asked.

JP sighed. "Yeah..." he answered.

---

Kouji folded his arms and shook his head. "No matter how long I travel with you guys, you always manage to do something stupid..." he grumbled.

Tommy sighed. "Well, at least we fixed the train," he pointed out.

Izzy was about to agree when a familiar scent reached his nostrils. He turned to the Trailmon warily. "Worm," he said, "what's that?"

Worm groaned. "I don't feel so hot..." he replied.

"What!" Tommy cried.

Everyone looked down; a black puddle was forming beneath Worm's engine. "What the hell!" Kouji asked.

"Did Worm's pipes break?" Kouichi asked.

Kouji frowned hard at the ooze. "Great! Now we've gotta fix that, too..." he grumbled.

"It's not that big of a problem," Izzy said, vanishing inside the car for a moment. He returned with a new pipe and a wrench. "I'll just slip this one into its place."

He got on his back and slid underneath the Trailmon, trying not to think about the massive oily stain that would be on his shirt afterwards. After a quick look around, he spotted the problem; one of the pipes HAD broken, and was leaking oil at a steady rate. He reached up and yanked it off, sending a barrage of oil down on himself. He cursed in his head; he never had been very good with foreseeing problems with his actions.

He quickly jammed the new pipe into its place and tightened it, stopping the leak. He slid back out and sat up, holding the broken piece in his hand. "OK, that's done," he announced.

Tommy couldn't help giggling. Izzy looked up. "What?" he asked.

Kouji and Kouichi were smiling, too. "What should we call you now? 'Blackbeard?'" Kouji asked.

Izzy chuckled. "OK, OK, so I'm not good with machines..." he admitted. "At least I fixed this..."

He held up the pipe and suddenly stopped laughing. He stared hard at the damage; it was a wide, deep hole in the metal, like it had been punctured... but that kind of gouge was far too precise to have happened by accident. Something else had to have made it; something powerful.

He looked at the others seriously. "...Something tells me that Zoe's hat was not our actual hindrance..." he said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Tommy asked.

Izzy held up the pipe for them to see. Right away, they noticed the problem. "...Uh-oh," Kouichi murmured.

Kouji frowned and drew his Einlanzer daggers. "We aren't alone in here..." he growled.

Suddenly, the ground shook a little, and then several dozen small icicles shot out of the floor like a spikey boobytrap. The four friends cried out and jumped back onto the Trailmon tracks, but even more came up between the metal bars. They jutted up and down, their tips as sharp as frozen porcupine quills, and large enough to impale any of the humans in a wink.

"W-what's going on!" Tommy cried out.

Kouji growled and readied himself. "I don't know, but I'm stopping it!" he declared. He turned towards one of the icicles and pitched his daggers at it. It shattered like fragile glass, pieces flying everywhere.

"Oh! We can break them?" Kouichi asked, then glowered and drew the Masamune knives. From his spot against the train he pointed each one at an icicle and launched their chains. The frozen weapons broke instantly.

"Me, too!" Tommy cried, bounding up to another icicle and thrusting his spear into it, breaking it instantly. Suddenly, though, another icicle shot up below him, almost spearing him right through the middle. He gave a yelp and ran back to the others. "What ARE these things!" he asked.

Izzy frowned. "It's a swarm of Iciclmon," he replied, "ice Digimon."

Kouichi flung his chains into two more of the things, shattering them. "These are Digimon?" he asked.

"Well, whatever they are, they're weak enough..." Kouji growled, flinging his daggers at others.

Singular red eyes appeared on each of the icicles, then bent into an angry look. With a whoosh, all of them sank into the ground and vanished. Kouji's weapons returned to him and he looked puzzled. "Did they run off?" he asked.

"Oh, no..." Izzy disagreed. "Iciclmon can freely move between any frozen surface..."

Tommy gulped. "So that means..." he started.

There was a loud noise above them, and they looked up in terror. The ceiling was now covered in the spikey little Iciclmon. For a split-second, the creatures just stared at them... and then they dropped.

Izzy's eyes widened as the rain of spikes approached. "Take cover!" he yelled.

The others looked around, but the Iciclmon had the whole cave covered; there was no safe place. Tommy whimpered and balled himself up. Kouji growled angrily.

Suddenly, Kouichi leaped into the air over his friends, his daggers out and a determined look on his face. He thrust his arms out to either side, and the chains shot out. "CURSED CYCLONE!" he cried out. Instantly his whole body whirled around at tornado speed, the daggers flashing brightly in the cold air. One after another, the Iciclmon collided with him and shattered; not one landed on the Digidestined.

Other Iciclmon landed close by, vibrating angrily at the loss of their comrades. Tommy scratched his head; he had just realized something. "Why haven't they shown any Fractal Code?" he asked.

"The Iciclmon all have the same mind," Izzy explained. "You have to take them all out!"

"Right, then!" Kouji huffed, pitching his daggers and breaking several more of the creatures. The still-twirling Kouichi dropped from his hovering spot and tore across the ice, smashing the last of the Iciclmon as if they were glass bowling pins.

Tommy leaped at the last one and ran his spear through it. It gave an angry hiss and turned black, its Fractal Code appearing. Tommy pulled out his Digivice and scanned it, and the cave became peaceful once more.

Kouji sighed and sheathed his weapons, then turned to his brother. "That was some move, Kouichi," he said with a smile. "Did the weapon make you do that?"

Kouichi wavered for a moment, then fell flat on his back. "Whoooooooooo..." he wheezed, his eyes spinning in his head.

Tommy chuckled at the sight. "I'd do that, too!" he chirped.

Izzy smiled too, but then grew serious. "I'm worried about our friends in the maze," he replied. "If these things attacked us..."

Kouji's eyes widened. "You're right," he growled, pulling out his D-Tector. "We'd better tell them!"

---

With a yelp, Zoe slipped and hit the icy floor again. It was the fourth time she had fallen down in the past five minutes; the path she was on was getting very slick.

"Urrrgh..." she growled, picking herself up and walking more slowly. The cold was really starting to get to her now; her lips were blue and her joints moved stiffly, like a robot's. Her whole body felt like it was slowly turning to stone.

She took another long, shuddering breath and watched her breath steam out and vanish. "Well, it can't be THAT cold..." she said. "At least my breath is still a gas..."

She chuckled halfheartedly, then quieted. No matter what way she looked at it, things were dismal. She kept telling herself not to worry about what would happen next, but she could not help it.

She turned a corner and came to another fork in the path. Groaning aloud, she slunked to the left and kept moving. She wished that her friends were there; at least then, she would not feel so empty. Tommy would scamper along like he always did, Kouji and Kouichi would be quiet but follow anyway, JP would recite lame jokes... and Takuya would use that new sword of his to generate heat and keep them warm. She would stand beside him until all of her limbs felt normal again, and her energy would return... As she thought about it, she felt herself become a little warmer.

Just then, she glanced up in surprise. It was not just her imagination; it WAS getting warmer... much warmer. Her chest swelled as she moved along. Was it really getting warm, or was this the warmth that some said overtook one before death? She could do nothing but walk on.

She turned one last corner and came to a dead stop; the icy tunnel gave way to a warm, earthen cavern with a high ceiling and all sorts of moss and mushrooms on the ground. Though it was dark, there was still some light; the moss glowed a gentle blue, like the moss that she had seen on the Continent Of Darkness. Was it just an illusion? She knelt and ran her fingers over the moss. It was spongy and flaky; it was definitely real.

"Amazing..." she whispered as she stared at the surreal sight.

Just then, something in the distance caught her eye. At the far end of the cavern stood a small, wooden, hexagon-roofed structure that sort of looked like a gazebo. Like a lone farmhouse in the countryside night, its interior was lit by a gentle glow.

Enticed by the light, Zoe approached the strange structure, its details coming into better view. Its wooden frame was dyed a curious red; it was not malicious like a bloody color, or hot like a magma hue, but it seemed to give off an aura of gentle passion. As she stared at the color, her heart swelled; this had to be the temple!

"Magnifico!" She exclaimed aloud, beaming. "Then the treasure...!"

She raced into the wooden building and looked around. In its center stood a life-size statue of a girl about Zoe's age. It had short hair hidden beneath a dome-shaped helmet, and wore a sleeveless shirt and jeans. It stood with one hand on its hip, and the other hanging casually at its side. Its face bore bright eyes and a friendly smile; it made her feel welcome in the mysterious place. She looked it over carefully; was this the Goddess of Love? It certainly did not look very godly. In fact, it looked more like the statue that Takuya had taken his sword from.

Staring for just a moment more, she then turned her attention to hunting for the treasure. She glanced around at the floor, but did not see any chests or containers. She looked up at the walls to see if anything was hanging there, but there was nothing besides the wooden poles and her view of the cavern. She walked around behind the statue and saw only the central wooden pole for the temple. Starting to get annoyed, she banged her foot on the floorboards, hoping to hear a hollow sound. None came; the wood was thick and sturdy.

"What!" she huffed angrily, her eyes still darting around the temple. "Is this place empty!" She looked over everything again, but came up empty; there was nothing in the place but the statue.

She groaned aloud and hung her head. Had she gummed up the Trailmon and run off into a frozen maze all alone just to find a bare shrine? She did not know the way out. Her friends must be worried sick... or furious. She had really messed things up. Even if this place was warm, she still would not last long without food or water. She was doomed; she would never see her friends again... not even Takuya. She frowned at this; why was she thinking of him specifically again? It was starting to bug her.

She sighed sadly and leaned against the statue, wondering just what would become of her now. Suddenly, the figure gave a little shake. She hopped in surprise and turned around; the goddess's hip-bound arm had slid down a little from her weight. She heard a gentle hum from somewhere, and then the floor in front of the statue shimmered. As her eyes widened, a large, glittering, golden chest appeared there, a strange, red symbol resembling a heart glowing on its top.

Entranced by its glow, Zoe slowly walked over to it. She put her sweaty palms on its top, as if to prove it was real, and then she grabbed at the latch. This was is. This was the treasure of the Goddess of Love. Whatever it was, she was sure it would help her save the Digital World once again. It could be a bow and arrow, or maybe a magical staff, or maybe... Her excitement no longer contained, she grabbed the lid, threw it open and peered inside.

At the bottom of the chest sat a pair of weathered, red gloves and two dirt-caked leather boots.

There was a long silence as she stared at the junk. She reached in and pulled out one of the boots; its insides smelled like parmesan cheese. She dropped it back into the box, her jaw locked.

"Zoe! HEY, ZOE!"

The voice came from behind her. Takuya, JP and Ranamon appeared in the cavern entrance, all looking as surprised as she had been at its warmth. Takuya looked around for a moment, then spotted the shrine and ran to it, his friends close behind.

"Zoe!" he said again, running up to her. "Thank God..."

"We were really worried," Ranamon noted. "I'm glad you're OK..."

JP looked around at the structure. "Well, it looks like you found the temple, huh?" he asked.

"Oh, that's right!" Takuya exclaimed. "Did you find the treasure? What was it?"

Zoe had not turned around at all since they had found her. Takuya looked down at her again. "...Zoe?" he asked.

Zoe's back was trembling, and she was sniffling quietly. He moved to the side and knelt down beside her; tears were starting to run down her cheeks. He was shocked; he had never seen her cry before... and frankly, he did not like it. "Hey, hey..." he said quietly, not knowing what else to say, "what's wrong?"

JP and Ranamon heard this and also walked to Zoe's sides. "What happened?" JP asked.

"Are you all right?" Ranamon asked.

Zoe took a deep, shuddering breath. "You..." she managed, "you got a sword... You got a hammer... You got the Water Spirit..." She reached into the chest and pulled up the boot again. "I get dirty gloves and stinky old boots!"

Takuya raised an eyebrow; is that why she was crying? He was puzzled at first, but then it hit him; she had wanted to fight alongside them again, and she had thought the treasure here was a weapon she could use... but all it was were somebody's dirty clothes. He gave her a sympathetic look; if it had been him, he would have been upset, too.

He paused, then put his hand on her shoulder. "...I'm sorry," he said.

Zoe suddenly stood up, her fists balled and her teeth clenched. She pulled her leg back and kicked the box as hard as she could. "...MERDA!" she cursed at the top of her lungs.

There was a tense pause as the other watched her, wondering if her tantrum would get any worse.

However, that was it. She turned around and smiled her usual friendly smile. "There... That felt good," she admitted.

Takuya scratched his head. "If... you say so," he replied.

"So, uh, should we get out of here?" Ranamon asked. "Mr. Izzy and the others are waiting for us..."

Zoe sighed. "Yeah, let's-" she started.

Suddenly, Takuya's D-Tector went off. "Takuya! Can you hear me!" Kouji's voice came in.

"Kouji?" Takuya asked. "We found Zoe, and the temple!"

"Never mind that!" Kouji snapped. "We just got attacked by a troupe of Iciclmon up here! Something could be coming your way, too!"

"What!" JP cried.

"I guess the church has eyes everywhere..." Ranamon replied.

"We're coming back right now," Takuya replied. "Thanks, Kouji; we'll be on our guard." He jammed his D-Tector back in his pocket. "Come on, guys."

JP and Ranamon started back towards the entrance. Takuya turned to Zoe, who was still looking a bit glum. "...You OK?" he asked.

Zoe sighed. "I just wanted to help..." she replied.

Takuya smiled. "I know... I'm sure you'll find a great weapon soon." He paused awkwardly. "Just... just don't run off alone next time, OK? I... We were worried."

Zoe peered at him hard; his cheeks were a slight pink. That was enough to turn hers the same shade. "Well... OK," she replied. "Sorry."

Takuya started to move, but then remembered something. "Oh! I almost forgot," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out her purple hat. "Here you go."

Zoe chuckled and put it back on.

Just then, there was a scream from Ranamon and a curse from JP. Takuya and Zoe looked up in alarm to see about twenty Iciclmon lined up in front of the exit tunnel, jutting up and down furiously and throwing dirt and moss every which way.

"These must be Iciclmon!" Takuya growled, pulling his sword and running towards them. "Stay here, Zoe!"

Zoe sighed. "...What choice do I have...?" she murmured, glancing back at the treasure chest and its defective contents.

Takuya reached JP and Ranamon, who were back on their feet and ready to fight. "Let's get these guys out of our way," he said.

"No argument there, Taky," JP said, raising his hammer. "We'll break 'em like... well... icicles!"

"I hope water will work against ice..." Ranamon said calmly.

The Iciclmon dove beneath the ground and resurfaced right beneath the threesome. Takuya leaped away and sent his sword through one of them, shattering it.

Ranamon somersaulted backwards as three Iciclmon shot up beneath her. "DRAINING RAIN!" she shouted, summoning her rain cloud. A giant gush of water tumbled onto the Iciclmon, melting them together into a paralyzed, struggling mess.

JP, however, was not so fortunate. An Iciclmon shot up and jabbed him right in the butt. With a screech, he bounced upwards, then fell back down, his hammer breaking his assailant into bits. "Urrgh..." he groaned. "I guess that's one way to do it..."

The remaining Iciclmon jabbed up and down, their eyes looking angry. "It's no use," Takuya warned them. "We can break you all just as easily!"

In response, the Iciclmon all dove into the ground, then shot up in the same place in a glacier-like structure. A flash of Fractal Code enveloped them, and suddenly the three kids were staring at a tall, buff, icy giant with the church's emblem on his chest. It leered at them, frozen breath seeping out of its chiseled jaw. "HOW ABOUT NOW?" it boomed in a deep, angry voice.

JP paled. "Woah! What's that!" he asked.

"I AM ICEGOLEMON," the monster said, its fists starting to glow a cold blue, "ONE WHO WILL SEND YOU ALL TO A COLD SLUMBER! ICE TOMB!"

Icegolemon slammed his fists into the ground and the cavern ceased to be warm. All of the dirt and moss were instantly coated with snow and ice, and the freezing temperatures returned. Zoe cried and hugged herself, not happy with the climate change. "No! This place..." she gasped.

"Hey, this was a pretty place!" Takuya yelled. "You're gonna pay for that!"

"AM I?..." Icegolemon said, almost tauntingly.

"You bet you are!" JP yelled, leaping at the menace and swinging his hammer. It hit Icegolemon square in the chest, but did nothing but make JP quiver.

Icegolemon sneered. "GLACIER PUNCH!" he snarled, one of his fists charging and then thrusting into JP. To everyone's horror, it encased the boy in a chunk of ice, which clunked lifelessly to the floor.

"JP!" Zoe cried.

Ranamon glared at Icegolemon furiously. "You're going to pay for that!" she yelled, pointing at him. "DRAINING RAIN!"

The raincloud appeared over Icegolemon and showered him, but he just grinned wickedly. As the remaining kids watched, he grew even bigger. "...Oh, no," Ranamon murmured.

"OH, YES!" Icegolemon chuckled. He took a deep breath and exhaled a white cloud over her. When it disappeared, she was frozen just like JP.

Zoe could not take her eyes off of the horrible spectacle. Only Takuya was left to fight that monster, and she had a horrible feeling about what could happen. She had to help somehow... but how?

Takuya glowered at the beast. "You might be big, but fire melts ice all the time!" he said, raising his blade. "FIRE MISSILE SWORD!"

The burning swing cut into Icegolemon's chest, leaving a melty scar. The frozen fiend snarled angrily, its eyes focusing on Takuya with hatred. "THAT WILL BE THE ONLY BLOW YOU DEAL ME!" he declared, advancing on the boy.

Zoe's eyes reluctantly turned back to the treasure chest. She had wanted a great weapon, but instead had found only gloves and boots. Even if they were the goddess's treasure, what good would they do?

Icegolemon lunged at Takuya with another Glacier Punch. The plucky youngster barely dodged it and lobbed another Fire Missile Sword. Icegolemon spat another white cloud and the attack was frozen in midair. Takuya's teeth clenched as he backed away even more.

Zoe looked back at Takuya, then at the chest with determination. Her friends had risked their own hides coming after her, and now Icegolemon was beating them into popsicles. She absolutely had to help somehow. Though she did not know what she could do, she reached into the chest and grabbed the stuff.

Takuya ran at Icegolemon again, but the frosty titan was ready. He spat another cloud onto the ground, which formed into an ice patch. Takuya slipped and hit the floor, his sword bouncing out of his hands. Icegolemon laughed darkly and grabbed him, squeezing hard with his chilly knuckle. "HIGH PRIESTESS KIRA WILL REWARD ME GREATLY FOR THIS," he chortled. "I THINK I'LL HAVE SOME FUN BEFORE I FREEZE YOU TO DEATH." With that, he squeezed even harder. Takuya shrieked.

"Put him down!" a shrill voice snapped.

Icegolemon looked up from torturing Takuya. Zoe stood before him in the snow, the gloves on her hands and the boots on her feet. She glared darts at the gigas. "You heard me!" she repeated.

Icegolemon looked at her for a second, then laughed. "HA HA HA! YOU CHALLENGE ME?" he asked mockingly. "I'LL CRUSH YOU, TOO!" His free hand shot down upon her with another Glacier Punch.

With a scream, Zoe brought her own fist up to meet it. To everyone's surprise, there was a titanic CRACK as the two knuckles met, and Icegolemon's shattered like glass. He staggered backwards, shrieking furiously.

Zoe, as shocked as Icegolemon, stared at the gloves. They had that much power? Maybe she was wrong; maybe these really were the goddess's treasure.

As soon as she realized this, she felt something strange; it was as if the garments were urging her forward, advising her on what to do. She looked at Icegolemon with a determined smile and cracked her knuckles.

She pulled out her D-Tector, whose monitor glowed with the symbol of the Legendary Warrior of Wind. She ran it over the gloves and they glowed a bright pink. "OK!" she announced. "Andiamo!"

Icegolemon was not about to go down without a fight. Angrily, he threw Takuya into the snow and charged at Zoe, his remaining hand glowing. "GLACIER PUNCH!" he roared.

Zoe looked up, struck a fighting stance, then leaped at him. She hopped over his fist and started hammering his chest at the weak point Takuya had made, her hands moving as fast as machine gun bullets. "BEAT RUSH!" she cried.

Icegolemon howled in pain, staggering backwards. He brought his fist up again, but Zoe was not finished. She raised her boot-clad foot and brought it down on the giant knuckle, cracking it to pieces just like the first one. Icegolemon, now defenseless, fell backwards and collapsed.

To finish things up, Zoe put her hands together and her whole body spun around like a top, generating a small tornado. "Ciclone di Petite!" she cried, setting the wind on the monster. It caught him firmly in the chest, and he screamed, his whole body turning black and his Fractal Code appearing.

Zoe held up her Digivice and scanned the code, reverting the monster to an egg. Just as when Ranamon beat Skullgoomon, a Dark Spiral tumbled from the code and dissolved in midair. The new snow vanished, and the cavern became warm again. The ice around JP and Ranamon quickly melted.

"Oh..." Ranamon groaned as she shook her head. "Thank you, Zoe."

JP sneezed. "Oh, doh..." he groaned as a stream of snot started out of his nose.

Zoe ran over to Takuya, who had not moved since Icegolemon had thrown him. "Takuya! Are you OK!" she asked, helping him sit up.

"Urrgh..." he groaned, then looked up at her and smiled. "I think I'll be OK..." he replied. "Just a bit... pressed."

"Well, now that Icegolemon is gone, we should really get back to the others," Ranamon advised, starting for the exit. "Come on! My floating hands should still be marking our way out."

"Ride..." JP managed, his new cold screwing with his speech. "D'ya dink Izzy's godd sub tissues?"

Zoe helped Takuya to his feet. "Thanks, Zoe," he said, then glanced at her gloves. "...I guess you found your weapon sooner than later, eh?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Zoe chuckled. "That shows me to knock a goddess's treasure... although I am going to wash these boots out."

Takuya chuckled and blushed a bit. "Good old Zoe," he said. "Glad to have you back."

Zoe beamed.

---

A cry from Tommy made the others look up. Takuya, Zoe, JP and Kozue were walking out of the crater and back to the Trailmon. "Hey, guys!" Takuya called.

"Thank goodness!" Kouichi laughed. "You're OK!"

"That's good..." Tommy admitted. "I was really worried!"

Kouji frowned at Zoe, not looking at all happy. "What were you thinking?" he scolded.

Zoe scratched her head with her new glove. "I know, I know, Takuya already yelled at me about that..." she said. "Besides, I did what I was going to do; I got my weapons!"

Izzy looked over the gloves and boots and smiled secretively. "So you did," he replied. "Prodigious. Well, Worm's all ready to go. Let's be off."

The crew piled into the Trailmon and it started off out of the cave and into the starry night.