Another day, another trip to the Digital World, another return to the Real World. Simple enough for the six of them and their Digimon partners. Except that on the way out went twelve, even mix of human to digimon.

On arrival, the humans were now outnumbered by one, something quickly noticed by Izzy, who had been acting in his own words as "Mission Control" or, in everyone else's words, messing about on his laptop well away from the front of his main computer monitor that he had left open to let them go to the Digital World.

"What the... Where are TK and Kari?!" He exclaimed upon seeing the other four humans emerge from the Digi-port. Patamon stared in confusion for a moment, surprise etched onto his face before he joined the dots.

"Gatomon's not here either!" Veemon beat him to it.

"They were right in front of us," Yolei replied, looking around in confusion.  Izzy went over to the Desktop computer and opened a window as the remaining Digimon and Humans began to grow concerned.

"...There's no sign of them back in the Digital World. What could have happened?"

"Maybe it was the Dark Ocean again?" Yolei said, alarmed.

"It's possible. We can try sending them a message I guess..." Ken added, as the Digidestined's initial shock and confusion at three friends not arriving with them were converted into businesslike determination to find what had happened and, if they were in trouble, rescue the trio...

***

"This... Isn't Izzy's bedroom," Gatomon said, staring around in surprise.

They were in the centre of a large circular room, with grey floors and white walls. The room was well illuminated by white lights in the ceiling, but arranged around the room were twenty-four glowing blue coils, each about eight feet apart from each other. The only other visible furniture was a single silver-grey metal door between two of the coils.

"How did..." Kari began, but didn't add the 'we get here' knowing full well none of the two of her friends with her could answer.

At that, the metal door began to slide open. Gatomon tensed, facing the door in readiness as the two humans realised all they could do was wait.

"Maybe whoever this is can tell us," TK noted. Kari sighed.

"Yeah, and probably whoever caught us wants to tell us their whole evil plan and... Is that a fox?"

The Digimon that cautiously entered was yellow, mostly humanoid, and looked obviously nervous.

"Um... Hello. Sorry about all this but I can explain," It said sheepishly, with a somewhat Kansai accent.

"Well, if she's evil, she's a good actress... " Gatomon noted.

"I-I'm not evil!" The yellow Digimon said in shock, backing up, into the now closed door, causing her to squeak in surprise, spin on the spot, and somehow then promptly trip over her own tail. The three others in the room stared in confusion at the slapstick scene.

"...Okay, now I've seen everything. A clumsy, timid, Renamon? That's a new one."

"A what?" TK and Kari both asked.

"Owch..." The apparent Renamon said as she picked herself up.

"Renamon. Not that common a Digimon, at least, not anywhere we've been." Gatomon explained.

"Er, well, about that... My kind of Digimon isn't very common at all anywhere you've been yet, but, erm... We're very common in this Digital World."

"Oh. We're on the Western continent aren't we. There's all sorts of Digimon we don't see where we usually are there, right?" TK recalled vaguely.

"Wait a minute, THIS Digital World?" Kari realised.

"Well... To be honest, this isn't your real world or your Digital World. At least, not outside this room. This room sorta emulates your Digital World's conditions so it doesn't feel strange to your Digim..." The Renamon said, and then, suddenly, appeared to notice that TK existed.

"...Why is there a boy with you?" It said, confused.

Kari and Gatomon looked at TK, then back at the confused Renamon.

"I'd like to know that too to be honest. In fact, why are we all here?" TK said,

"Er, well... Um... There was only supposed to be the bearer of Hope and Light brought here!"

"That's them then," Gatomon noted.

"But it's not meant to be a them, it's meant to be a her!"

"Oh great, some kind of stupid prophecy and it had a typo..." Kari muttered.

"I.... I... Well, I should start from the start. This isn't your Digital World..."

"Yeah, we heard that part. Wait, what?" TK said, and at the same time actually did hear properly.

"I suppose to you this is a Parallel World. Though, to me, you're the Parallels and... Well..."

"Get on with it!" Something shouted from behind the closed door.

"Um, um... We brought you here because our Digidestined got locked out of this Digital World and I'm the only one of the five who got stuck here and the others are stuck with our partners and no one can evolve unless the Digimon Empress lets them and we really needed help fast so we had to have Paralellmon bring you here but we thought that it was just one girl who had both crests and stuff and didn't think there was another person had the other crest!"

"Oh. That clears it up," Kari said sarcastically.

"Um... Okay, well, the Digimon Empress locked out everyone and..."

"Empress? Okay, yeah, fine, parallel world... " TK butted in.

"...I'm not explaining this very well am I?" The Renamon said, looking like she was about to burst into tears as the door opened again.

"No, but don't worry." The newcomer said. TK and Kari partially recognised the very humanlike newcomer. It was Gennai's younger version.

Except that she was a she, of course.

***

A few minutes later, TK was shaking his head in confusion still. The Female Gennai had made things clearer to him, but only in that it wasn't an incoherent ramble.

"Okay, so... This Digimon Empress managed to block the five Digidestined of this Digital World out into their own real world... And somehow the only way you can unlock it is to use the crests of Hope and Light?"

"Correct. Though as I said, we had thought that only Hikari bore both crests. It's the case with our Digidestined that they both bear two crests."

"And the Digimon Empress blocked the local Digidestined from getting here to help her try and capture Paralellmon?"

"Exactly. If she captured her, she could place a Control Chip on her and use her abilities to travel to another Digital World, and take it over using the enslaved inhabitants of this world. She's already captured a full half of the Digital World here, and without our Digidestined we won't last long. We really needed the help of the bearer of Hope and Light to help break the seal on this world, but the fact that there's two different users brings a complication..." Female Gennai said.

"Because there's two of us?" Kari asked.

"No. It would have been fine if Takeru wasn't... Well, have you noticed something a little different about my appearance compared to the Gennai of your world?"

"Other than the fact you're female?" TK answered.

"Actually that was it," Renamon said helpfully.

"Yes. The problem is, well, in your Digital World, gender of Digimon is meaningless. The majority of them have male characteristics, I believe, but the sexual characteristics of gender mean nothing to data beings. It is the same here, but in our case, there is only one gender characteristic evident on our world. "

"Everyone here is female?" Kari said.

"In the Digital World at least. The Earth here is similar to your own, I believe. There are males there of course or there would be no humans. But among our Digidestined, there is a severe gender imbalance. A  five-to-zero imbalance," Female Gennai explained.

"So... I'm the first male human to enter your Digital World." TK noted.

"One small step for a man... One giant disaster for the local Monkind," Gatomon joked.

"Yes and no. You aren't the first male to enter... But thanks to this room you are, well, the first male to remain so."

"What? What does that mean?" TK asked with a sense of dread.

"If you go out that door you'll see," Renamon noted.

"He'd become a girl?" Gatomon said. Female Gennai nodded.

"Yes. It would..."

Whatever she said next was drowned out by the surprisingly loud laugher from Gatomon and Kari. When they calmed down, they realised TK had turned a little pale.

"Takeru, you don't have to worry. When you return to this room, or your own world, the changes revert. We're not sure why it occurs, but the data of male humans alters here. It's not permanent, but it can be very alarming to many of them."

"It's very alarming to me right now..." TK managed to squeak, if anything looking more worried.

"I would have thought learning it was not permanent would reassure you," Female Gennai said, confused.

"It should have, but we only call him Takeru when he's in trouble," Kari noted.

"Well, he is," Gatomon smirked.

"There is one other problem it presents that there are two of you. We had hoped that just the one Digidestined and Digimon would arrive, but of course, we are one short now as for some reason Taker... TK's partner did not come with you.  Our plan to restore access relied on a form of Bio-Merging."

"That's where a human and a digimon share the same body," Renamon said. Gatomon sighed.

"I knew that. I just thought it was a myth."

"Wait, so... I would merge with Gatomon?"

"In a way. We need digital world code as a part of you to make you able to overcome the forces of the enemy, as with that ability plus your crest powers and humanity, you would... Well, for want of a better term, have the ability to use a wide array of new attacks based on your crest. It would be something like magic, I believe."

"Hmm... Hey, I want to see something. Can I go out the door okay?" Kari asked.

"Unless you're actually a boy, yes," Renamon said.

Kari exited the door, and almost instantly, her clothing changed from her khaki shorts and pink-white top to a white stylised Serafuku-like garment, with pink edging, and knee-high white boots. Kari giggled as TK groaned.

"Oh great. Different Digital World, she gets to change her self-image out there doesn't she..."

"Yeah. And predictably she went with the Sailor Moon reference," Gatomon sighed too as Kari re-entered, and the clothing transformed back. She jumped back and forth, smiling as her clothing warped instantly back and forth.

"Of all the Magical Girl animes..." TK groaned.

"Well, pick one for yourself when you leave. When do we do the biomergy thing?" Kari said, clearly getting quite excited now at the prospect.

"I'm not leaving, remember, I don't have anyone to merge with!" TK snapped.

"Actually, that's not strictly true. Perhaps you could be merged with Renamon. Four heads are better than one."

"Look, what happens with this Bio-Merge stuff? Is it safe?" TK asked.

"Yes.  We do it using a special machine, that essentially uploads the data of the Digimon to you. You gain their mind, and they more or less become a voice in your head, but you control yourself. The only changes other than that are that you would gain some characteristics of the Digimon you merge with. There are other types of Bio-Merge in other worlds, but that is the type here."

"What characteristics?"  Gatomon asked.

"Ears and tail," Renamon noted. Kari beamed.

"Come on Gatomon, let's go bio-merge! And TK, you too, I want to see what you look like."

"I'm not crossing over that door!"

"Takeru, we need your help. Both Hope and Light are needed," Female Gennai said.

"Can't you find another Parallel digital world where the Crest of Hope's a girl there?" He tried vainly.

"There's not enough time, I'm afraid. Parallelmon used much energy to bring you here, it would take less to send you back, but much to bring another here. By the time she is strong enough to search for more worlds we will have been defeated."

TK sighed, and gave up.

"Fine. But I'm not going to imagine myself in something girly for a new self-image."

He walked over the door.

"Okay, the tomboy and girly girl combo is cool too," Kari noted.

"What tomboy look?" He said, and then in confusion looked down.

"Ghaa!"

"Hey, wait, he's still a guy. Just a guy who looks like he's cosplaying a tomboyish Magical Girl Gatomon noted.

Indeed, TK stood wearing clothing that was still obviously female, but not obviously feminine. Longer boots, bike shorts, and a very much unrevealing top and fingerless gloves, all green with yellow edging. He sighed.

"Strange. Perhaps the change wasn't allowed to happen since he's from another world, or because of the emulation zone..." Female Gennai began.

"So now I'm a cross dresser in this Digital World. Great, thanks Kar... Um... I feel kinda funny..." TK said, his voice changing pitch slightly as he spoke.

"Ah, I see, a delayed reaction."

"What? But I don't feel different..." TK said, his voice a little higher pitched.

"Look down at yourself."

TK did so, and was shocked to see that unfelt, something had grown a little around the chest. A surprised and fast check with the hands determined something else had grown away at the crotch. Hair was not longer, but it did not take long to determine that it had indeed come to pass that she was now a she.

"So... That's it? I didn't even notice it?!" TK said in surprise.

She walked back into the emulation room, and her clothing became that of the normal yellow-green shirt and green shorts, and oddly, was immediately male again.

"Huh. Weird," he said, crossing over the door again. The female TK immediately became what existed.

"Talk about a door to another world..." Kari noted.

***

Bio-Merging was not a complicated process. The machine was merely a room, similar to the emulation room, but smaller, and with glowing blue panels instead. Kari went first with Gatomon. There was an intensification of the light, and Kari was soon the only one there, except now of course, she had Gatomon's ears atop her head, and a long purple and white tail, complete with ring.

"Oh, cool! I can hear Gatomon's voice in my head! Kari beamed, checking her new tail.

A moment later, it was reversed in the same manner.

"Okay, so, our turn," Renamon said. TK sighed.

"Let's get it over with," She said, still not used to her slightly higher pitched voice.

Like crossing the door, she felt nothing. The only effect was to make her wince as the panels glowed, the bright light causing that and not any part of the merge. But as the glow faded, TK had long fox-like ears, a bushy tail, and...

"Oh wow it worked! This is sooooo cooooool!"

"Um... Could you not be so hyperactive, Renamon?" TK said in bewilderment, as the tail began to wave happily.

"Strange. It seems Renamon retains some influence on her tail," Female Gennai noted, as she reversed the process.  As the light faded, Renamon was jumping off the walls.

"That was so cool! Okay, can we do it again and go save the world now?!" The Renamon yipped.

"Kari? Can we swap partners?" TK pleaded as the glow began again...